RTHK: Biden admin withdraws vaccine mandate for businesses

President Joe Biden's administration on Tuesday formally withdrew the Covid vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses that was struck down by the Supreme Court.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) said that although it was withdrawing the mandate it "strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by Covid-19 in the workplace."

The conservative-dominated Supreme Court delivered a blow to Biden this month when it blocked his vaccination-or-testing mandate for businesses with 100 employees or more.

The nation's highest court did allow a vaccination mandate for healthcare workers at facilities receiving federal funding to go into force.

After months of public appeals to Americans to get vaccinated against Covid, which has killed more than 869,000 people in the United States, Biden announced in September that he was making vaccinations compulsory at large private companies.

Unvaccinated employees would have to present weekly negative tests and wear face masks while at work.

But the Supreme Court's six conservative justices blocked the mandate, saying it would represent a "significant encroachment into the lives  and health  of a vast number of employees."

"Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly," they said.

The three liberal justices dissented, saying the ruling "stymies the federal government's ability to counter the unparalleled threat that Covid-19 poses to our nation's workers." (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
RTHK: Liberal US Supreme Court justice to retire: media

Stephen Breyer, one of three liberal justices on the US Supreme Court, plans to retire, paving the way for Joe Biden to name a replacement on the nation's highest court, media reported on Wednesday.

Breyer, 83, plans to step down at the end of the current term, which ends in June, the NBC and CNN television networks reported.

The Supreme Court is currently split between six conservatives and three liberals. Nominees to its bench need the approval of the Senate, which is currently controlled by Biden's Democratic Party.

Biden has pledged to nominate a Black woman to the court in the event of a vacancy.

Breyer is the oldest justice on the court and was nominated to the bench in 1994 by Democratic former president Bill Clinton.

Biden's predecessor Donald Trump nominated three justices to the court, sealing the 6-3 right-leaning majority.

Breyer is the senior member of the court's liberal wing and has carved out a legacy of pragmatism in the hundreds of opinions he authored in his long career.

He has been a fierce opponent of the death penalty and ruled in favour of abortion rights, same-sex marriage and environmental protection.

Born on August 15, 1938 in San Francisco, Breyer was educated at Stanford, Oxford and Harvard.

He began his legal career in 1964 as a clerk to then Supreme Court justice Arthur Goldberg and then spent time working in the Justice Department on antitrust matters, before serving as an assistant special prosecutor on Watergate in 1973.

He taught at Harvard University until 1980, when he got the nod from then president Jimmy Carter to serve on the federal court of appeals in Boston, where he remained for more than a decade, eventually becoming its chief judge.

Breyer was initially considered for a Supreme Court spot in 1993, but his candidacy was marred by a revelation that he had failed to pay taxes for a part-time housekeeper.

A year later, he became Clinton's second nominee to the high court, after the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The pair would end up shoring up the liberal-progressive wing of the court for more than two decades. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
UB chosen to lead Space University Research Initiative project

We tend to think of space as this vast, limitless area, but the reality is that its becoming increasingly small, especially near Earth. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  The University at Buffalo has been chosen to lead a new five-year, $5 million research program that aims to improve the nations ability in tracking and monitoring spacecraft and other objects such as debris and meteoroids.

The award  one of two issued nationwide from a pool of 40 applications  was announced in December by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and its basic research office, the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Its part of a newly established Space University Research Initiative (SURI) program that was created to spur university research into new technologies for the Air Force and U.S. Space Force (USSF).

National defense depends on space superiority, and AFRL has a long history of research and development in support of this domain. With the recent standup of the USSF, along with the emergence of U.S. Space Command and new energy in the commercial space sector, we have exciting opportunities to modernize the way we lead and manage [science and technology], Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of AFRL, said in a news release announcing the funding.

The grants principal investigator is John Crassidis, SUNY Distinguished Professor and Samuel P. Capen Chair Professor in the UB Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Moises Sudit, executive director of UBs Center for Multisource Information Fusion and a professor in the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, is co-principal investigator.

Sudit says there is data that can help improve space domain awareness, but first researchers must develop tools to better process and analyze that data. We are drowning in data yet starved for useful information, he says. This project will allow us to find that actionable information for space decision-making that is otherwise buried among unusable noise.

Partner institutions on the grant include Pennsylvania State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Purdue University.

Space domain awareness



Space domain awareness involves the detection, identification, tracking and cataloging of objects in space. It is of growing importance because certain areas of space, such as low-Earth orbit, are becoming increasingly crowded with satellites, debris, meteoroids and other objects that threaten existing and future space missions.

The Space Force is responsible for tracking objects in space, providing information to all satellite operators on potential collisions and maintaining awareness of threatening situations.



This responsibility becomes more complex as the U.S. returns to the moon alongside numerous other nations and commercial interests. These new activities not only increase the number of objects in space, but also the volume that must be monitored.



Because of the large distances involved  most Space Force satellites are 36,000 kilometers above the Earth, and the moon is 10 times further than that  a detailed understanding of the thousands of objects on orbit requires increasingly sophisticated methods to detect them in the first place, confidently identify them, predict their trajectories, and understand their characteristics and activities.



The focus of the grant will be to develop cutting-edge techniques pertaining to sensors and measurement strategies, data fusion and autonomy, as well as improving algorithms to better predict the movements of objects in space.

We tend to think of space as this vast, limitless area, but the reality is that its becoming increasingly small, especially near Earth, Crassidis says. Were tracking more than 27,000 pieces of debris orbiting Earth. These objects can threaten human and robotic space missions, satellites and other spacecraft.

WNY growing as hub for aerospace/defense work

The AFRL award comes as Western New York  which has rich heritage of research and manufacturing in aviation and aerospace  continues to cement its reputation as a leader in the modern aerospace and defense sectors.

UB and partners such as CUBRC and Moog continue to push boundaries in research, design and education, while the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station employs approximately 3,000 individuals and cites an annual economic impact of $300 million.

The new grant also builds upon previous and existing aerospace grants UB has received in recent years.

Both AFRL and NASA awarded UB funding to build nanosatellites that track space debris. Additionally, UB was awarded an $8.5 million U.S. Department of Energy grant to study hybrid rockets, which could provide a safer and less expensive way to explore space compared to conventional rockets.

In 2020, three students working in UBs Nanosatellite Laboratory, which is led by Crassidis, won U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.
RACINE  An employee at Good Life at Home, 2424 Loraine Ave., has been accused of sexually assaulting a resident.

Donny Lee Jones, 65, of the 400 block of Parkview Drive, was charged with a felony count of second degree sexual assault.

According to a criminal complaint:

At 12:17 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2021, an investigator was sent to Good Life at Home for a sexual assault.

Upon arrival, the investigator spoke to a woman who was a resident at the group home. She said that she arrived back at the group home late on Jan. 11 and began talking to an employee, identified as Jones. He then started making sexual advances towards her.

He then followed her back to her room and sexually assaulted her. She was able to break away and go outside to call the police.

Jones denied all allegations and said the only physical contact was a hug he gave her when she was placed into the group home. He then gave a DNA sample and said there would be no way his DNA would be found on any of the swabs, taken from the resident.

On Nov. 29, the State Crime Lab released a report which indicated that the swabs contained DNA from Jones. It was also learned that Jones faced similar allegations in 2020 at another group home in Mount Pleasant.

Jones was given a $20,000 signature bond and a $750 cash bond in Racine County Circuit Court on Wednesday. at the Racine County Law Enforcement Center, 717 Wisconsin Ave., online court records show.
RACINE  Was the young man killed in a private club nearly two years ago killed by someone he knew over allegations of snitching?

Thats a question a jury faces in the case of Donley M. Carey, 36, who is charged with intentional first-degree homicide in the shooting death of DeMarcus Anderson, 28, in the early morning hours on Feb. 25, 2020.

The defendant has pleaded not guilty.

The homicide occurred at 901 S. Memorial Drive in what has been described as a private clubhouse for the Sin City Motorcycle Club.

Assistant District Attorney Antoinette Rich told the jury the dispute between Carey and Anderson was over mutual accusations the other person was the police.

She said They were accusing each other of being snitches.

Case history

The Racine Police Department responded to the private club after an anonymous 911 call reported that there was a deceased person inside.

Investigators found Anderson, wrapped in trash bags, in a small bathroom. Later it was determined he had been shot seven times with a .40 caliber firearm.

Investigators theorize that someone wrapped the body and intended to move it later.

During the course of the investigation, RPD investigators issued a warrant for Carey, who was arrested eight days later in Michigan.

Opening statements

Rich told the jury Tuesday that Carey and Anderson went into the clubs bathroom where they both stripped out of their clothes so the other person could see they were not wearing a wire.

Carey put his clothes on and left the bathroom. Anderson, however, who had been drinking and consuming drugs, had to have help from a friend getting his clothes on.

Rich said the friend would testify that, while he was helping Anderson dress, Carey returned with a gun and opened fire on Anderson.

Mindy Nolan, who represents the defendant, told the jury the evidence would show the case is actually about a cleanup, a cover-up and collusion.

Nolan said that Anderson, who had not slept for days and was high on cocaine, was partying at the clubhouse when he began to accuse people of being the police.

Not just Donley Carey, but a lot of people, she said.

Nolan claimed it was not Anderson but the defendant who was cornered in a back hallway of the club. At gunpoint, Carey was forced into the bathroom where he had to take all his clothes off so they could see he was not wearing a surveillance wire, Nolan said.

She said her client began to think he might get killed, and he would not be able to talk his way out because Anderson and his friends were high and had been up for days.

According to Nolan, her client began to scream for help and a group of individuals came in, there was a struggle with Anderson over the gun, and in the process Anderson was shot.

She said Carey grabbed his clothes and ran. Later, he received a call to tell him the scene was being cleaned up and he should get out of town.

He took that advice and left, but was still apprehended in less than two weeks.

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In the wake of Kenoshas riots in August 2020, Republicans in Madison are advancing a new bill that would further criminalize rioting, although some believe it goes too far and treads on First Amendment rights.

Opponents concerns are focused on how the law would make it illegal to participate in a protest where violence has occurred even if an individual did not participate in the violence, and would also make it a crime to block thoroughfares and building entryways.

Proposal

People can still get together and have a protest, but not have a quote-unquote mostly peaceful protest like how some tried to describe Kenosha, said Republican state Rep. Van Wanggaard, a retired police officer who lives in Racine and whose district includes most of rural Racine and Kenosha counties.

While some states specifically outlaw rioting, Wisconsin doesnt, Wanggaard said in a phone interview Wednesday. We dont have a statute definition of what rioting is.

According to Wanggaard, who authored the Senate version of the bill known as Senate Bill 296/Assembly Bill 279, if signed into law, the bill would make it illegal for someone to go to a protest with the intent to harm people or destroy property. He gave the example of someone arriving at a protest with a Molotov cocktail; even if they didnt throw the crude explosive device, they could be arrested and charged under this bill.

But even refusing to leave a protest because others engaged in violence could lead to someone being found guilty of rioting under this bill.

According to the Wisconsin Legislative Councils memo detailing the bill: A person who attends a riot or who refuses an order to disperse a riot is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 days in jail or prison under this bill.

The bill passed both the Assembly and Senate Tuesday, moving it on to Gov. Tony Evers desk to sign or veto.

Additionally, according to WLCs assessment of the bill:

A person who incites or urges three or more persons to create or engage in a riot is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

A person who, while participating in a riot, blocks or obstructs the lawful use by any other person of any private or public thoroughfare, or blocks or obstructs any positions of access or exit to any private or public building or dwelling, is guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.

A person who knowingly participates in a riot that results in substantial damage to the property of another or bodily injury to another person is guilty of a Class I felony. The bill requires a court to sentence a person who commits this offense to a mandatory term of confinement in a county jail or a state correctional institution of 45 days.

The Assembly approved another bill Tuesday that would make damaging government property of historical significance a felony punishable by up to 3 1/2 in prison. Damaging historical state property is already a felony under state law but the property must be included on a Department of Natural Resources registry of prominent landscape features to qualify.

After George Floyds death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, when protests erupted across the nation that sometimes became riots, protesters in Madison tore down the statue of Col. Hans Christian Heg, an abolitionist who lived in Racine County before the Civil War, and damaged the statute of Lady Forward.

Concerns

Some groups fear this kind of anti-rioting law and other similar ones proposed across the U.S. by Republicans, if approved, could have a cooling effect on legal protesting.

The American Civil Liberties Union, the City of Milwaukee and government watchdog groups Common Cause in Wisconsin and Wisconsin Democracy Campaign have all registered in opposition of the riot penalties bill. No groups have registered in support or opposition of the statue bill.

Protest is democracy, Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, said ahead of Tuesdays vote. This bill brought forward today by my friends across the aisle is a declaration of war against the First Amendment.

Republicans pointed to the destruction in Kenosha and at the Capitol in 2020 as justification for the proposal. Rep. Barbara Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, said the bill is necessary because This behavior has got to stop.

PEN America, a nonprofit that works to defend First Amendment freedoms, said in a Monday statement Wisconsin legislators should reject SB 296/AB 279 tomorrow when it will be up for a vote. The bill will make it all-too-easy for police to declare a protest as a riot and treat participants in the protest as criminals.

An environmental activist, Phyllis Hasbrouch of Madison 350, told the Wisconsin Examiner, a progressive online news outlet, that this is a really radical bill. Its really stripping us of our constitutional rights to freedom of speech.

She noted that simply blocking entry to a building or blocking a street, even in a small scale, could now be charged as a crime rather than a citation.

(In) a large demonstration that is totally peaceful, and somebody who may not even be a part of the group threatens to push somebody. Now they have threatened to commit an act of violence and they have the ability to do so. And then, oops, were all in a riot now, Hasbrouch told the Examiner. And nothing was actually hurt, nobody, no property, but were in a riot. And then the police say disperse, or maybe they dont say disperse. Maybe they just start arresting.

Alexander Shur and Mitchell Schmidt of Lee Newspapers and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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TOWN OF WATERFORD  Waterford Town Board members are struggling to find a clear consensus on whether to appoint someone to a vacant seat on the board.

Town Chairman Tom Hincz refused to participate Monday night as other board members conducted public interviews with applicants who are seeking an appointment.

Im out of this, Hincz told his colleagues at the end of a heated exchange after they went ahead with efforts to fill the vacancy through an appointment, declining to follow his wishes for planning an election for the seat.

Town Supervisors Dale Gauerke and Teri Nicolai said they do not want to wait until an election, which would involve a process that could leave a vacant seat on the five-member board for more than a year.

Supervisor Nick Draskovich resigned Dec. 13, and his term is scheduled to continue until April 2023.

With eight applicants seeking to serve out the term, Gauerke and Nicolai hope to make an appointment at a special meeting planned Feb. 14.

Supervisor Tim Szeklinkski said he agrees with Hincz that it would be better for voters to fill the vacancy in an election. Szeklinski, however, said he does not want to wait until the regular election in April 2023.

Im sort of torn, he said.

Next steps

The town could hold a special election sooner, but that would cost taxpayers money. No estimate was immediately available on what the actual cost would be.

If the four remaining board members deadlock on the appointment Feb. 14, Town Clerk Tina Mayer could break the tie  an unusual scenario in which a town clerk can actually vote on board business.

The situation began Dec. 13 when Draskovich stepped down from the board during his fourth term in office. Draskovich had recently come under question about a possible conflict of interest, although he said that was not a factor in his resignation.

Normally, the town chairman would nominate someone to fill such a vacancy, and the entire Town Board would vote on whether to confirm the appointment.

But when Hincz tried to offer a nomination on the same night as Draskovichs resignation, other board members objected and said the town should publicize the vacancy and give other people a chance to apply.

Nine people then tossed their hats in the ring, including Hinczs original choice of Katie Kawczynski. One of the others, James Maney, has since withdrawn because he works for the town, so serving on the board would constitute a conflict.

The remaining applicants are Greg Horeth, Robert Ulander, Douglas Schwartz, Tanya Maney, Scott Burns, Richard Rens and Jeff Klyzub.

Questions of professionalism

Gauerke and Nicolai requested Monday nights special meeting to interview the applicants and move toward an appointment.

Gauerke told those in attendance that the Wisconsin Towns Association recommends filling board vacancies as quickly as possible to avoid lapses in representation and possible slowdowns in the operation of government.

The taxpayers deserve to have a full five-member board to represent them, he said.

Hincz said the vacancy should be filled in an election, but he did not say when he wanted to hold an election. In an apparent reference to supervisors taking over the appointment process from the chairman, Hincz said, This meeting is pretty unprecedented in history.

The chairman then directed an apology to the appointment candidates, most of whom were in attendance.

This is me talking, Hincz said. I would like to apologize to the candidates, who I think are being put in a position tonight that is unprofessional.

When Gauerke asked what was unprofessional, Hincz said some of the applicants had met privately among themselves at the Town Hall.

Gauerke questioned whether Hincz himself had met privately with one applicant, which drew a sharp response from the chairman.

Im not going to argue with you, Hincz told Gauerke. Im not going to talk any more.

Hincz then sat silent, rarely looking up, as applicants for the appointment took turns sitting before the Town Board and taking questions. Szeklinski did not ask questions either, although he later said he was not protesting; he simply felt enough questions already were being asked.

Gauerke and Nicolai asked each applicant about their background, their knowledge of town government, and their feelings about specific local issues.

Nicolai also asked about being a team player, to which most candidates replied that serving in town government requires cooperation and teamwork.

You have to put the needs of the people ahead of your own desires, Rens said. If youre going to lead, you have to put aside your ego.

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A conservative law firm on Wednesday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to bypass a recent state appeals court decision and prohibit the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the Feb. 15 spring primary.

The motion was filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty just two days after the District 4 Court of Appeals issued a stay against an earlier ruling by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, which barred the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. The appeals court said in an order Monday that the lower courts ruling creates the potential for voter confusion and uncertainty in the Feb. 15 primary. The court also temporarily halted Bohrens order that voters cannot have anyone else return their ballot for them.

WILL deputy counsel Luke Berg in an emergency motion asked the states high court to rule on the matter as soon as possible. While absentee voting has already begun in next months primary, an order vacating the appeals courts stay will not cause significant problems, Berg wrote.

Few primaries in Dane County While there are many contested races for local office in the April 5 election, the only offices in Dane County for which a primary must be held to narrow the list of candidates are the races for school board in Barneveld, Columbus, Lodi, Mount Horeb and New Glarus. A primary for those races will be held Feb. 15.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday told all parties in the case to file a response on the matter by 5 p.m. Thursday. The court has the ability to take up the matter immediately or leave it with the court of appeals, which is still considering future action. In a 4-3 ruling last summer, the Supreme Court turned back a separate attempt by a major Republican donor to ban the boxes.

Even if this Court concludes that it is too late at this point to vacate the stay for the February 15 primary, it should nevertheless grant the Petition for Bypass, Berg wrote. The issues in this case need to be resolved, if not immediately, then certainly in time for the spring election in April, and they ultimately need to be resolved by this Court.

As of about 8 a.m. Monday, nearly 8,400 absentee ballots had already been sent out by local clerks and at least 1,845 ballots have already been delivered or are currently out for delivery, according to court records.

After this Court issues an order vacating the stay, clerks can easily remove or cover any illegal drop boxes, and post signs on them and notices on websites that ballots must be mailed or delivered in person to the clerk, and by the elector, Berg wrote. This Court can even give clerks a few days to make that change.

State statutes do not address the use of ballot drop boxes, though the Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance in early 2020 to allow election clerks to make use of them. WILL and some Republicans have alleged the lack of statutory language makes the use of the boxes illegal. Proponents of drop boxes have said local election clerks should have discretion over their use and have targeted GOP efforts to limit or ban the boxes as an attempt to suppress votes.

The boxes were widely used in 2020 as an alternative for voters worried that, with the crush of absentee ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic and potential delays in mail delivery, their ballots might not make it back before Election Day. At least 34 states used or planned to use ballot drop boxes in the 2020 election and about 16% of voters nationwide in the 2016 general election made use of the boxes, according to the Elections Commission. Only four states prohibited the use of the boxes when the commission issued its guidance for their use in Wisconsin in 2020.

In testimony in the circuit court case last year, commission administrator Meagan Wolfe said at least 528 drop boxes were set up in 430 communities throughout the state in the November 2020 election.

In Madison, 13 of the citys 14 drop boxes are located at city fire stations, with one additional box near Elver Park.

While the city will not be holding a vote until the April 5 election, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said Wednesday the ongoing back and forth surrounding the legality of the boxes only adds to confusion for voters.

It just continues to raise the question of what is the point here? What are you afraid of? Rhodes-Conway said. People use ballot drop boxes all over the country and all over the state, in red areas and blue areas and everything in between. ... The impact of all of this is it creates confusion, it sows doubt.

The state Supreme Court also could take up the topic of drop boxes in a lawsuit filed last year by Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch challenging the commissions guidance on drop boxes. The states high court has not said if it would take up the case before it goes through lower courts.

Another lawsuit was filed earlier this month by a Waukesha County resident represented by WILL. The voter is suing the Elections Commission for rejecting a complaint he filed last year regarding ballot drop boxes.

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Wisconsin lawmakers approved bills Tuesday that would create enhanced penalties for rioters and divert federal funds to shore up law enforcement staffing challenges.

While the Republican-authored bills would almost certainly be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, they show Republicans tough-on-crime agenda going into Novembers gubernatorial and Senate elections as Wisconsin Republicans say Democratic politicians push ineffective crime policies and encourage violent protests.

The Senate passed a GOP-authored bill that would bar public schools from teaching students or training employees about concepts such as systemic racism and implicit bias. The chamber also approved the first of several votes on a joint resolution that would give the Republican Legislature the final say over how the governor spends federal funds allocated to the state.

Riot penalties

A Republican bill headed to Evers after passing the Assembly and Senate Tuesday would create mandatory minimum sentences for people participating in riots  defined as gatherings of at least three people with a clear danger toward property or people where somebody commits or threatens to commit an act of violence.

Under the bill  which passed the Senate on a voice vote and the Assembly on a 59-34 party-line vote  intentionally attending a riot would constitute a misdemeanor and carry a 30-day jail sentence; knowingly participating in a riot resulting in injury or property damage would carry up to a 45-day jail sentence.

Several law enforcement organizations backed the bill, while activist groups and the city of Milwaukee opposed the bill as likely to infringe protesters free speech and assembly rights.

Protest is democracy, Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, said ahead of the vote. This bill brought forward today by my friends across the aisle is a declaration of war against the First Amendment.

The bill was also opposed by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, who shared a statement saying, AFP fears this well-intended legislation would have a chilling effect on the lawful exercise of free expression and could be inappropriately applied by government officials in a partisan or otherwise biased manner.

The Assembly Tuesday passed a second bill that would permit three-and-a-half-year sentences for people who damage or deface government property or items on government property of commemorative or historical significance. It came in response to 2020 incidents in which racial justice demonstrators tore down the Forward and Col. Hans Christian Heg statues on Capitol Square.

The bill, which is headed to the Senate, passed on a 59-33 roll call vote Tuesday with all Republicans as well as Rep. Steve Doyle, D-Onalaska, in favor.

Law enforcement

Several bills the Assembly passed Tuesday would use around $25 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to recruit, train and retain law enforcement officers.

The bills making up the package are now headed to the Senate. If they pass, they are likely to be vetoed by Evers, who has rejected similar measures by lawmakers to direct federal spending in the past.

Ahead of the Assembly session Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said workforce shortages combined with negative Democratic messaging about police have exacerbated law enforcement challenges.

Probably the toughest job right now, where it seems like a whole bunch of forces are coming down on folks, is in law enforcement, Vos said.

Vos added that while health care workers often receive strong bipartisan support, law enforcement officer support is more divided, especially among Democrats and the defund the police movement.

The bills, which passed on roll call votes with Republicans and Doyle in favor, would use federal funds to provide bonuses to law enforcement officers serving in Wisconsin for the first time; establish part-time police academy programs in at least two technical colleges; provide required medical testing and certain supplies to officers at local agencies; reimburse people training to be officers and law enforcement agencies whose officers recertify each year; and lead to the creation of a marketing campaign focused on recruiting and retaining officers in Wisconsin.

Critical race theory

The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to prohibit teaching concepts related to critical race theory, which was introduced amid a nationwide push by conservatives to police how teachers talk about race in the classroom.

Critical race theory is a decades-old academic framework that can be used to understand how systemic racism prevails through laws and institutions. The theory asserts that racism is ingrained in the nations social structures and policies.

The bill passed 20-13, with Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, joining all Democratic lawmakers in opposition to the bill. Marklein said local school boards should retain control over the matter. The measure passed the Assembly on a 60-38 party-line vote last fall, but is all but certain to be vetoed by Evers, a former state schools superintendent.

Opponents have criticized the bill as an attempt to strip local control from school districts and say it misinterprets the concept of critical race theory, which focuses on social and racial inequality in U.S. law and institutions.

Federal funds

The Senate voted 21-12, with all Democratic lawmakers opposed, in favor of a GOP-authored constitutional amendment that would give Republicans final say over how the governor spends federal funds allocated to the state.

The measure would need to pass the Senate and Assembly in two successive sessions before going to voters in a referendum. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment.

Currently, the governor has sole discretion over how federal funds are spent, but there has been a growing push among legislative Republicans seeking more control over how the executive office doles out federal funds  primarily in recent years as the federal government pumped billions of stimulus dollars into the state to help address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposal before the Senate would prohibit any executive branch official or department from allocating any federal dollars without first securing approval from a legislative committee, which officials have said would likely be the GOP-led budget committee.

Evers has vetoed several efforts in recent years by Republicans seeking control over federal funds.

COVID-19

The Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would require employers to allow proof of prior COVID-19 infection  known as natural immunity  as an alternative to vaccination and regular testing even though studies show unvaccinated people are more than twice as likely to get reinfected with the virus as vaccinated people.

Ahead of the bills party-line 59-34 vote, Rep. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, said she wished there were two lines  one to get a vaccine and the other to get COVID-19  so Wisconsin could move beyond the pandemic.

In Wisconsin, 12,010 people have died from COVID-19 so far, and the mortality rate among the unvaccinated is far higher than those who are vaccinated.

Another Republican bill that passed the Assembly on a voice vote Tuesday would prohibit governmental entities from discriminating against people based on whether they received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Both of the COVID-19 bills are now headed to the Senate. If they pass, they will face a likely veto from Evers, who last year vetoed a GOP bill that would have barred public health officials from requiring people get vaccinated.

Employee contracts

Both chambers Tuesday approved new contracts for state troopers and building tradespeople such as carpenters and electricians.

The contract for state troopers provides a 2% wage increase in the previous two-year period that ended last June. It also includes payments equal to a 2% increase for hours worked back to Jan. 5, 2020. Each step along the troopers pay progression scale would increase by an average of 4.3%, with a lump sum payment for hours worked dating back to June 6, 2021.

Contracts for other workers apply to the previous and current fiscal years and implement raises ranging from 1.23% to 1.8%.

The Senate and Assembly unanimously approved the contracts Tuesday, which will now be sent to Evers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The incoming leader of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources policy board is questioning whether the agency should include a population target in its forthcoming wolf management plan.

The agency began working last year to revise the states 15-year-old wolf management plan.

Randy Johnson, the DNRs large carnivore specialist, told the Natural Resources Board Wednesday the agency plans to release a draft next month for public comment and have a finalized version ready for board review by this spring.

Johnson said the plan will be based on factors including gray wolf ecology, human interaction and cultural significance and will be informed by 138 priorities advanced by stakeholder groups, which include conservation groups as well as representatives of the states 11 native tribes.

Johnson said the agency has not determined whether to include a target population level or an outcome based objective, though there is consensus within the committee to minimize human-wolf conflicts.

Defining what a healthy population is is a difficult thing to do, Johnson said.

Board members appeared split on the value of a numeric target.

Either a number or a range would be very important for this board, said Terry Hilgenberg. Unless you have a number or a range, youre kind of shooting in the dark.

Greg Kazmierski, who was elected Wednesday as the boards new chair, suggested triggers to dictate when there are too many or too few wolves, similar to the way the state manages deer and bear populations, saying few people believe the agencys population estimates.

I call it management by pain, Kazmierski said. If were feeling the pain, we need to move population in a downward direction to alleviate it.

The current plan, adopted in 1999 and last updated in 2007, has a population goal of 350 wolves.

The DNR estimates there were at least 1,034 wolves in the state as of April 2020, but the agency has not completed a population survey since hunters killed at least 218 wolves, exceeding combined state and tribal quotas, during a court-ordered hunt in February following removal of federal protections.

Because that hunt occurred during the breeding season and later than any previously sanctioned hunt, wildlife officials said they could not accurately predict the impact to the population.

Johnson said the DNR is analyzing data gathered during this winters survey and would release a revised population estimate this summer.

This winters hunt  mandated by state law when wolves are not listed as endangered  was put on hold this fall by a Dane County judge who ruled the DNR must first update its management plan and adopt rules for setting quotas and issuing licenses.

The state is facing a separate federal lawsuit from six Native American tribes that accuse the DNR of violating treaty rights and endangering an animal they consider sacred.

The DNR received more than 15,000 public comments last spring split almost evenly between those with favorable and unfavorable views of wolves but with two-thirds of people saying it is important to maintain a wolf population in Wisconsin.

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1. Yes. Raising the bar for future developments will boost the citys housing market.

2. Yes. It will help in newer areas, but more needs to be done to change Killeens image.

3. No. The new standards will just slow down homebuilding and drive away developers.

4.No. The ordinance will do little more than drive up the price of new homes in the city.

5. Unsure. Its hard to say what the effect will be until they have been in place for a while.

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Today

Cloudy skies. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 53F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low around 40F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

A mainly sunny sky. High near 70F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A California city voted Tuesday night to require gun owners to carry liability insurance in what's believed to be the first measure of its kind in the United States.

The San Jose City Council overwhelmingly approved the measure despite opposition from gun owners who said it would violate their Second Amendment rights and promised to sue.

The Silicon Valley city of about 1 million followed a trend of other Democratic-led cities that have sought to rein in violence through stricter rules. But while similar laws have been proposed, San Jose is the first city to pass one, according to Brady United, a national nonprofit that advocates against gun violence.

Council members, including several who had lost friends to gun violence, said it was a step toward dealing with gun violence that Councilman Sergio Jimenez called "a scourge on our society."

Having liability insurance would encourage people in the 55,000 households in San Jose who legally own at least one registered gun to have gun safes, install trigger locks and take gun safety classes, Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

The liability insurance would cover losses or damages resulting from any accidental use of the firearm, including death, injury, or property damage, according to the ordinance. If a gun is stolen or lost, the owner of the firearm would be considered liable until the theft or loss is reported to authorities.

However, gun owners who don't have insurance won't lose their guns or face any criminal charges, the mayor said.

The council also voted to require gun owners to pay an estimated $25 fee, which would be collected by a yet-to-be-named nonprofit and doled out to community groups to be used for firearm safety education and training, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and mental health services.

The proposed ordinance is part of a broad gun control plan that Liccardo announced following the May 26 mass shooting at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard that left nine people dead, including the employee who opened fire on his colleagues then killed himself.

At an hours-long meeting, critics argued that the fee and liability requirements violated their right to bear arms and would do nothing to stop gun crimes, including the use of untraceable, build-it-yourself "ghost guns."

"You cannot tax a constitutional right. This does nothing to reduce crime," one speaker said.

The measure didn't address the massive problem of illegally obtained weapons that are stolen or purchased without background checks.

Liccardo acknowledged those concerns.

"This won't stop mass shootings and keep bad people from committing violent crime," the mayor said, but added most gun deaths nationally are from suicide, accidental shootings or other causes and even many homicides stem from domestic violence.

Liccardo also said gun violence costs San Jose taxpayers $40 million a year in emergency response services.

Some speakers argued that the law would face costly and lengthy court challenges.

Before the vote, Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said his group would sue if the proposal takes effect, calling it "totally unconstitutional in any configuration."

However, Liccardo said some attorneys had already offered to defend the city pro bono.

***
WASHINGTON (AP)  Liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, giving President Joe Biden an opening he has pledged to fill by naming the first Black woman to the high court, two sources told The Associated Press Wednesday.

Breyer, 83, has been a pragmatic force on a court that has grown increasingly conservative in recent years, trying to forge majorities with more moderate justices right and left of center.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to preempt Breyer's eventual announcement. NBC first reported the justice's plans.

Keep scrolling for a gallery of photos of Justice Breyer through the years

Breyer has been a justice since 1994, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Along with the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Breyer opted not to step down the last time the Democrats controlled the White House and the Senate during Barack Obama's presidency. Ginsburg died in September 2020, and then-President Donald Trump filled the vacancy with a conservative justice, Amy Coney Barrett.

Breyer's departure, expected over the summer, won't change the 6-3 conservative advantage on the court because his replacement will be nominated by Biden and almost certainly confirmed by a Senate where Democrats have the slimmest majority. It also makes conservative Justice Clarence Thomas the oldest member of the court at 73.

Among the names being circulated as potential nominees are California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, prominent civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill and U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs, whom Biden has nominated to be an appeals court. Childs is a favorite of Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who made a crucial endorsement of Biden just before South Carolina's presidential primary in 2020.

Often overshadowed by his fellow liberal Ginsburg, Breyer authored two major opinions in support of abortion rights on a court closely divided over the issue, and he laid out his growing discomfort with the death penalty in a series of dissenting opinions in recent years.

Breyer's views on displaying the Ten Commandments on government property illustrate his search for a middle ground. He was the only member of the court in the majority in twin cases in 2005 that barred Ten Commandments displays in two Kentucky courthouses, but allowed one to remain on the grounds of the state capitol in Austin, Texas.

In more than 27 years on the court, Breyer has been an active and cheerful questioner during arguments, a frequent public speaker and quick with a joke, often at his own expense. He made a good natured appearance on a humorous National Public Radio program in 2007, failing to answer obscure questions about pop stars.

He is known for his elaborate, at times far-fetched, hypothetical questions to lawyers during arguments and he sometimes had the air of an absent-minded professor. In fact, he taught antitrust law at Harvard earlier in his professional career.

He also spent time working for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy when the Massachusetts Democrat was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. That experience, Breyer said, made him a firm believer in compromise.

Still, he could write fierce dissents, as he did in the Bush v. Gore case that effectively decided the 2000 election in favor of Republican George W. Bush. Breyer unsuccessfully urged his colleagues to return the case to the Florida courts so they could create "a constitutionally proper contest" by which to decide the winner.

And at the end of a trying term in June 2007 in which he found himself on the losing end of roughly two dozen 5-4 rulings, Breyer's frustrations bubbled over as he summarized his dissent from a decision that invalidated public school integration plans.

"It is not often that so few have so quickly changed so much," Breyer said in a packed courtroom, an ad-libbed line that was not part of his opinion.

His time working in the Senate led to his appointment by President Jimmy Carter as a federal appeals court judge in Boston, and he was confirmed with bipartisan support even after Carter's defeat for reelection in 1980. Breyer served for 14 years on the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals before moving up to the Supreme Court.

His 87-9 high-court confirmation was the last with fewer than 10 dissenting votes. Breyer's opinions were notable because they never contained footnotes. Breyer was warned off such a writing device by Arthur Goldberg, the Supreme Court justice for whom Breyer clerked as a young lawyer.

"It is an important point to make if you believe, as I do, that the major function of an opinion is to explain to the audience of readers why it is that the court has reached that decision," Breyer once said. "It's not to prove that you're right. You can't prove that your right; there is no such proof."

Born in San Francisco, Breyer became an Eagle Scout as a teenager and began a stellar academic career at Stanford, graduating with highest honors. He attended Oxford, where he received first-class honors in philosophy, politics and economics.

Breyer then attended Harvard's law school, where he worked on the Law Review and graduated with highest honors.

Breyer's first job after law school was as a law clerk to Goldberg. He then worked in the Justice Department's antitrust division before splitting time as a Harvard law professor and a lawyer for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Breyer and his wife, Joanna, a psychologist and daughter of the late British Conservative leader John Blakenham, have three children  daughters Chloe and Nell and a son, Michael  and six grandchildren.

***
The Sarpy County attorney will pursue the death penalty against a Bellevue man accused of fatally shooting two Sonic Drive-In employees and injuring two others.

The announcement Monday marks the first time that Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov has sought the death penalty in a case in his nearly 30 years as an elected official.

Polikov dismissed then refiled the nine felonies that 24-year-old Roberto Silva Jr. had faced. He also filed additional attempted first-degree murder charges involving three employees who were able to flee to safety.

I took these procedural steps today because I intend to seek the death penalty in this case, Polikov said in a press release. I based my decision on the initial investigation as well as new information we received after the case was initially filed, which fit the aggravating circumstances necessary to seek the death penalty.

Authorities have said Silva arrived at the Sonic fast food restaurant at 1307 Cornhusker Road in Bellevue on Nov. 21, 2020, and fired numerous times. The shots killed employees Nathan Pastrana, 22, and Ryan Helbert, 28, and injured Zoey Lujan, 18, and Kenneth Gerner, 25. Silva had driven a U-Haul truck there, which he later set on fire. He also threw several incendiary devices at the restaurant, a prosecutor has said.

Silva was arrested at the scene, found by officers lying face down on the ground.

Polikov plans to file a "notice of aggravators" that will explain why he thinks Silva's alleged crimes merit the death penalty. A jury or three-judge panel would decide whether to impose the death penalty if Silva is convicted.

If that would occur, Silva would be the youngest person on Nebraska's death row.

In November, judges decided that 24-year-old Bailey Boswell should spend life in prison instead of being put to death in the 2017 killing and dismemberment of Sydney Loofe.

Her counterpart in the killing, 55-year-old Aubrey Trail, was sentenced to death in June 2021.
Vernon County was once the home of over 150 country schools. For decades, the Vernon County Museum has collected all types of information on these schools including photographs, histories, student and teacher memories and records. We have also featured exhibits in what is called our Alumni Room, a room dedicated to education in Vernon County. Recently, a new exhibit has been put on display about Van Wagner School, located in the town of Franklin and named for Felix Van Wagner, on whose land the school was built.

Children attended school in this district as early as 1867. A new wood frame school house was erected in 1870, but sadly destroyed by a tornado in 1933. Fortunately, school was not in session at the time. Later that year, a new brick school was opened to students and it remains today as a private residence. This brick structure was solidly built with 12-inch veneer and brick walls. It featured a full basement with a gymnasium, toilets and a modern heating system. The students also had the use of a library with built-in bookcases.

The school closed in 1962 due to district consolidation and the students were transferred to Liberty Pole School.

The museum archives contains many photographs and memories of Van Wagner School, many donated by former students. Visitors are welcome to view these and any other Vernon County school records anytime the museum is open. Current hours are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 4 p.m., or by appointment. Please feel free to call 608-637-7396 or contact us by email at museum@vernoncountyhistory.org to make an appointment.

A new book published at the end of 2021 entitled Country Schoolhouses of Vernon County, Wisconsin is available for purchase. The cost is $20. One page is dedicated to each school and before and after photographs are featured if available. A general history of schools in our county and a countywide map showing the location of all the schools is included.

You can purchase a book several ways. Stop in, give us a call at the number above or go to our website, vernoncountyhistory.org to place an order to be sent to you.

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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos refused to say Tuesday whether he would support legalizing absentee ballot boxes in the battleground state after former President Donald Trump spoke out against it.

Vos, R-Rochester, in 2020 voiced support for absentee ballot drop boxes while arguing against the collection of ballots in Madison parks by election workers.

Republicans are working on election-related bills for consideration later this year. Wisconsin law does not currently authorize absentee ballot boxes, even though they were widely used in 2020, an issue thats the subject of ongoing lawsuits and a growing partisan divide.

On Monday, Trump issued a statement that didnt name Vos, but said Some Rino Republicans in Wisconsin are working hand in hand with others to have drop boxes again placed in Wisconsin. Drop boxes are only good for Democrats and cheating, not good for Republicans.

RINO is a term used to refer to Republicans in name only.

Trump lost Wisconsin by just under 21,000 votes to President Joe Biden. The outcome has withstood recounts, lawsuits and a number of reviews.

Since the loss, Republicans have focused on limiting the use of absentee ballot boxes, which saw increased use in 2020 largely due to the pandemic. Wisconsins top elections official testified last year that at least 528 drop boxes were used by more than 430 communities in the presidential election.

A bill being worked on by retiring Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, a former election clerk, would authorize absentee ballot boxes at municipal clerks offices only. It would allow cities with at least 70,000 people to install up to three additional drop boxes on city-owned property, other than public parks.

A draft of the legislation was posted on the conservative website Gateway Pundit on Sunday before Trump issued his statement. Bernier has drawn fire from some conservatives after she criticized Republicans who are pushing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and how it was run in Wisconsin.

Vos, at a Tuesday news conference, did not directly address the Trump statement or where he stands on ballot boxes after being asked about it, saying only that there is legislation making its way through the process.

He also defended a letter sent on his behalf by his attorney to the Madison city clerk in September 2020 supporting the use of absentee ballot boxes.

We wholeheartedly support voters use of any of these convenient, secure, and expressly authorized absentee-ballot-return methods, attorney Misha Tseytlin wrote then on behalf of Vos and then-Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

The letter was in objection to Madisons Democracy in the Park event where election officials collected absentee ballots for the 2020 presidential election. No one challenged the event in court until after the election, which the state Supreme Court ruled was too late to invalidate the ballots.

Our attorney at the time was focused on saying there are lots of ways you can vote, Vos said Tuesday. You can vote in person, you can vote absentee, you can go to the clerks office, you can vote by mail. You certainly dont need to have any kind of a ballot harvesting in the park.

The Wisconsin Appeals Court on Monday allowed for ballot boxes to be used in the upcoming Feb. 15 primary, putting on hold a ruling from a Waukesha County judge. Whether ballot boxes can be used after the upcoming primary will likely be decided by the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court.

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Wisconsin lawmakers approved bills Tuesday that would create enhanced penalties for rioters and divert federal funds to shore up law enforcement staffing challenges.

While the Republican-authored bills would almost certainly be vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, they show Republicans tough-on-crime agenda going into Novembers gubernatorial and Senate elections as Wisconsin Republicans say Democratic politicians push ineffective crime policies and encourage violent protests.

The Senate passed a GOP-authored bill that would bar public schools from teaching students or training employees about concepts such as systemic racism and implicit bias. The chamber also approved the first of several votes on a joint resolution that would give the Republican Legislature the final say over how the governor spends federal funds allocated to the state.

Riot penalties

A Republican bill headed to Evers after passing the Assembly and Senate Tuesday would create mandatory minimum sentences for people participating in riots  defined as gatherings of at least three people with a clear danger toward property or people where somebody commits or threatens to commit an act of violence.

Under the bill  which passed the Senate on a voice vote and the Assembly on a 59-34 party-line vote  intentionally attending a riot would constitute a misdemeanor and carry a 30-day jail sentence; knowingly participating in a riot resulting in injury or property damage would carry up to a 45-day jail sentence.

Several law enforcement organizations backed the bill, while activist groups and the city of Milwaukee opposed the bill as likely to infringe protesters free speech and assembly rights.

Protest is democracy, Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, said ahead of the vote. This bill brought forward today by my friends across the aisle is a declaration of war against the First Amendment.

The bill was also opposed by the conservative group Americans for Prosperity, who shared a statement saying, AFP fears this well-intended legislation would have a chilling effect on the lawful exercise of free expression and could be inappropriately applied by government officials in a partisan or otherwise biased manner.

The Assembly Tuesday passed a second bill that would permit three-and-a-half-year sentences for people who damage or deface government property or items on government property of commemorative or historical significance. It came in response to 2020 incidents in which racial justice demonstrators tore down the Forward and Col. Hans Christian Heg statues on Capitol Square.

The bill, which is headed to the Senate, passed on a 59-33 roll call vote Tuesday with all Republicans as well as Rep. Steve Doyle, D-Onalaska, in favor.

Law enforcement

Several bills the Assembly passed Tuesday would use around $25 million in federal COVID-19 relief money to recruit, train and retain law enforcement officers.

The bills making up the package are now headed to the Senate. If they pass, they are likely to be vetoed by Evers, who has rejected similar measures by lawmakers to direct federal spending in the past.

Ahead of the Assembly session Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said workforce shortages combined with negative Democratic messaging about police have exacerbated law enforcement challenges.

Probably the toughest job right now, where it seems like a whole bunch of forces are coming down on folks, is in law enforcement, Vos said.

Vos added that while health care workers often receive strong bipartisan support, law enforcement officer support is more divided, especially among Democrats and the defund the police movement.

The bills, which passed on roll call votes with Republicans and Doyle in favor, would use federal funds to provide bonuses to law enforcement officers serving in Wisconsin for the first time; establish part-time police academy programs in at least two technical colleges; provide required medical testing and certain supplies to officers at local agencies; reimburse people training to be officers and law enforcement agencies whose officers recertify each year; and lead to the creation of a marketing campaign focused on recruiting and retaining officers in Wisconsin.

Critical race theory

The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to prohibit teaching concepts related to critical race theory, which was introduced amid a nationwide push by conservatives to police how teachers talk about race in the classroom.

Critical race theory is a decades-old academic framework that can be used to understand how systemic racism prevails through laws and institutions. The theory asserts that racism is ingrained in the nations social structures and policies.

The bill passed 20-13, with Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, joining all Democratic lawmakers in opposition to the bill. Marklein said local school boards should retain control over the matter. The measure passed the Assembly on a 60-38 party-line vote last fall, but is all but certain to be vetoed by Evers, a former state schools superintendent.

Opponents have criticized the bill as an attempt to strip local control from school districts and say it misinterprets the concept of critical race theory, which focuses on social and racial inequality in U.S. law and institutions.

Federal funds

The Senate voted 21-12, with all Democratic lawmakers opposed, in favor of a GOP-authored constitutional amendment that would give Republicans final say over how the governor spends federal funds allocated to the state.

The measure would need to pass the Senate and Assembly in two successive sessions before going to voters in a referendum. The governor cannot veto a constitutional amendment.

Currently, the governor has sole discretion over how federal funds are spent, but there has been a growing push among legislative Republicans seeking more control over how the executive office doles out federal funds  primarily in recent years as the federal government pumped billions of stimulus dollars into the state to help address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The proposal before the Senate would prohibit any executive branch official or department from allocating any federal dollars without first securing approval from a legislative committee, which officials have said would likely be the GOP-led budget committee.

Evers has vetoed several efforts in recent years by Republicans seeking control over federal funds.

COVID-19

The Assembly passed a bill Tuesday that would require employers to allow proof of prior COVID-19 infection  known as natural immunity  as an alternative to vaccination and regular testing even though studies show unvaccinated people are more than twice as likely to get reinfected with the virus as vaccinated people.

Ahead of the bills party-line 59-34 vote, Rep. Rachael Cabral-Guevara, R-Appleton, said she wished there were two lines  one to get a vaccine and the other to get COVID-19  so Wisconsin could move beyond the pandemic.

In Wisconsin, 12,010 people have died from COVID-19 so far, and the mortality rate among the unvaccinated is far higher than those who are vaccinated.

Another Republican bill that passed the Assembly on a voice vote Tuesday would prohibit governmental entities from discriminating against people based on whether they received a COVID-19 vaccine.

Both of the COVID-19 bills are now headed to the Senate. If they pass, they will face a likely veto from Evers, who last year vetoed a GOP bill that would have barred public health officials from requiring people get vaccinated.

Employee contracts

Both chambers Tuesday approved new contracts for state troopers and building tradespeople such as carpenters and electricians.

The contract for state troopers provides a 2% wage increase in the previous two-year period that ended last June. It also includes payments equal to a 2% increase for hours worked back to Jan. 5, 2020. Each step along the troopers pay progression scale would increase by an average of 4.3%, with a lump sum payment for hours worked dating back to June 6, 2021.

Contracts for other workers apply to the previous and current fiscal years and implement raises ranging from 1.23% to 1.8%.

The Senate and Assembly unanimously approved the contracts Tuesday, which will now be sent to Evers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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An appointee of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker has been selected to lead Wisconsins natural resources policy board.

In a secret ballot, the board voted 4-3 Wednesday to appoint Greg Kazmierski to serve as chair for 2022.

A hunting advocate and archery shop owner from Pewaukee, Kazmierski defeated board member Bill Smith, a retired Department of Natural Resources staffer appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in 2019.

Kazmierski said the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of in-person meetings, has inhibited the boards cohesion as a group.

This board hasnt really gotten to know each other very well except on YouTube, he said. Im looking forward to getting this board to gel like we have in the past.

Kazmierski, who has served on the board since 2011, will take over the leadership role from fellow Walker appointee Fred Prehn, who will continue serving as a board member.

The last years have been, shall I say, interesting, Prehn said.

Despite public pressure, the Wausau dentist has refused to step down since his term expired May 1, denying Evers appointee Sandra Naas a seat.

Prehn argues he can continue serving until the Senate confirms Naas.

The Republican-led Senate has made no moves to do that, ensuring Walker appointees majority control over the board, which will be asked to consider politically charged policy decisions, including approval of a new wolf management plan and the states first attempts to regulate toxic chemicals known as PFAS.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit in August asking the courts to force Prehn to step aside.

The state Supreme Court has agreed to decide the case, though its unclear when the conservative-majority court will issue a decision. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on March 10.

Senate Republicans have also stalled confirmation of Evers appointees to boards overseeing the higher education system, a move that could allow the GOP to quickly retake control if the party wins the governors race in November.

Five of Evers picks for the state technical college system board are unconfirmed, with three of them unable to serve because Walker appointees have refused to vacate their seats even though their terms expired last spring.

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Acclaimed historical nonfiction author Erik Larson is scheduled to make an appearance at Lancaster Country Day Schools new Gardner Theatre in February.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore, in partnership with WITF, Lancaster Country Day School and Lancaster Public Library, will present An Evening with Erik Larson: The Splendid and the Vile" at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 19.

The ticketed event includes a conversation between with the New York Times best-selling author and Scott LaMar, host of "Smart Talk" on public radio station WITF. Tickets are $20 and include a signed paperback copy of Larsons latest book The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz." Larson brings his trademark meticulously researched but flowing prose and cinematic style to this day-to-day portrait of Winston Churchill during his first year as prime minister, including the beginning of World War II.

Tickets for the event are available online here. Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 is required for admission, and masks must be worn during the event. All books will be pre-signed; there will be no signing line with Larson. Those attending also will have the opportunity to buy signed copies of Larson's previous works.

Larson is the author of eight books, including his 2003 historical nonfiction novel and New York Times No. 1 bestseller, The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.

The novel, which is set during the 1893 Chicago Worlds Fair and tells the story of two men  an architect and a serial killer  is set to become a Hulu miniseries. The Matrix star Keanu Reeves is in talks to star in the series, according to Deadline. Hulu announced in 2019, according to Deadline, that it partnered with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese to produce the adaptation.

Lancaster Country Day School is located at 725 Hamilton Road.
Editor's note: This article was published in 2018.

Its been a more than decade since Mount Joy discovered its own Groundhog Day prognosticator: Mount Joy Minnie, who always wears a jaunty spring bonnet.

She joined a long line of groundhogs in the business of predicting the weather.

Go back to 1908, when the Hibernating Governors of the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge spotted Octoraro Orphie in Kirkwood and heard his first prediction.

Rewind even further to 1887, when adventurers made the first official trek to Gobblers Knob in Punxsutawney in search of a groundhog named after King Phillip.

To go back to the very beginning, you need to time-hop to the 1830s and head to nearby Morgantown, where a shopkeeper wrote in his ledger that he expected his German-speaking neighbors to watch for groundhogs on Feb. 2. That is the first documented mention of Groundhog Day.

The notion that a groundhog can predict the weather can be traced back to Europe. Hibernating animals were thought to have prophetic dreams, and people turned to bears and badgers to learn more about the weather, says Patrick Donmoyer, director of Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University.

In the New World, Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants continued the tradition with groundhogs.

Why Feb. 2? Early February is halfway through winter, a time to take stock of supplies, especially for farmers. Its also Candlemas, a Christian festival that marks when Mary made her first public appearance after giving birth to Jesus. She was confined for 40 days, which mirrors how cooped up we might feel halfway through winter, Donmoyer says.

Why do groundhogs play along?

Groundhogs can be lured from their hibernation because its prime time for mating, Donmoyer says. Theyre waiting for the signal.

Drum on the upper edge of the groundhog hole and you can get them to come out because thats what they do to summon each other for mating, Donmoyer says. The male groundhog goes to the females hole and takes its paws and drums on the ground and whistles. Thats why some people call them whistle pigs.

Through the years, celebrations, thanks to lodges, have grown from small groups to big community events like the one in Punxsutawney. Lodges in the Allentown, Reading and Lebanon area were formed in the 1930s as a place to celebrate Pennsylvania Dutch heritage and language. Other lodges dont stick to the language but are social clubs, usually for men, and always with a big dose of nonsensical humor.

In Kirkwood, Groundhog Day starts with coffee and doughnuts and then a program with skits that are top-secret until next week, says the lodges hibernating governor, Richard M. Rankin. The skits usually focus on current events, so theres a lot to cover this year.

After Octoraro Orphie shares his prediction, three new members of the lodge will undergo baptism by fire and water. Dressed as babies, theyll be dunked into the Octoraro Creek, and a cannon will be fired over their hindmost parts. Hundreds of people usually show up to join the party.

There are no cannons in Mount Joy, but the crowds to see Minnie get bigger every year, says Kerry Meyers, Mount Joy Chamber of Commerce coordinator.

The chamber started a crazy hat contest in homage to Minnie, who wears a spring bonnet.

Its something fun to do, says Meyers. Everyone comes out and makes a lot of noise.
In 1973, Grateful Dead audio engineer Owsley Bear Stanley devised his concept for the biggest concert sound system of all time.

Weighing 75 tons and able to reach over 28,000 watts, the Wall of Sound made its official debut on the Deads 1974 tour, where it quickly overwhelmed both the band and its crew, leading to a touring break until 1976.

Nearly half a century later, the lore surrounding the wall is just as intriguing. Anthony Coscia, 53, of Southberry, Connecticut, has been a fan of the band for decades and saw them upward of 20 times in the 80s. With his business, Coscia Guitars, Coscia is primarily in the business of building guitars and speaker cabinets.

A vivid imagination, along with hours stuck at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have now led Coscia to a series of projects that are perhaps unfathomable to non-Dead fans and overdue for true believers  at one-sixth-scale, quarter-scale, half-scale and an eventual full-size replica of the legendary Wall of Sound.

Far more than something nice to look at and reminisce over, Coscia is designing each scale, from the one-sixth-scale consisting mostly of old phone speakers to the current quarter-scale, as fully functional for musicians.

After all, Coscia knows his audience.

If theres a hair to be split, (Deadheads) will split it twice, Coscia says with a laugh on the phone recently.

Luckily for the people of Lancaster County, there will be a chance to be in that audience this weekend when the quarter-scale wall comes through town at Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse on Sunday, Jan. 30.

Lancaster Deadheads

Area Deadheads already know that at least one Sunday afternoon of each month at the venue is booked up by W.W.J.D? (What would Jerry do?), an amorphous band of talented area musicians uniting to play two sets of Grateful Dead music, usually lead by guitarist and Zoetropolis co-owner Matt Hostetter. The event first began in 2019, shortly after the death of Dead lyricist Robert Hunter.

If You Go What: W.W.J.D? (Grateful Dead tribute) playing on Anthony Coscia's quarter-scale Wall of Sound. Where: Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse, 112 N. Water St. When: 4 p.m. Sunday. Cost: $45. More info: Zoetropolis.com.

The band will play again this month, but the star of the show will be the 10-by-14-foot Wall of Sound, which Hostetter predicts will cover the theaters screen and reach close to the lower slope of the ceiling.

Theres a lot of people in Lancaster who love the Dead and would consider themselves Deadheads, Hostetter says. I don't know, as Ive traveled to different areas for various reasons  you always seem to spot them. Id imagine thats at least in part a function of the fact that theyve continued to play music for over 50 years now. Theres multiple generations, families of Deadheads with parents and grandparents who have kids who have developed that love for the music.

On Sunday, Hostetter will lead a band including Tuck Ryan, Jackson Trout, Caden Myers, Jake Joyce and Nick Adams through a set of Dead tunes through the Wall of Sound and follow that up with a yet-to-be-chosen recorded set from the actual Grateful Dead. Hostetter says the bands set will focus primarily on Dead songs from 1974 and prior.

While the monthly Zoetropolis shows are usually free, this special edition will be $45, as all funds will go toward Coscias completion of the half-scale wall.

The current goal for the half-scale wall is $200,000, and Coscia says that raising even half of that amount would allow him to build it without funding it himself. He has already contributed $10,000.

People ask me all the time, Would you love it if the band was interested in helping fund it? While part of me would love for them to see it and get their feedback on it, at the same time, I think part of what makes the project great is it's more organic and owned by Deadheads, instead of a corporate entity or the band, Coscia says.

While a project like this could only have been started during pandemic times, the time periods effect on materials and shipment times has been a hindrance.

The price of plywood, specifically Baltic birch plywood, that was unaffected until three or four months ago, when the price went up 100%, Coscia explains. Even on a quarter-scale wall, that means it might cost me an extra $1,500. On a half-scale wall, that could mean almost $4,000. And then even more for the full scale.

Solid Wall of Sound

Coscia has taken the quarter-scale wall out for similar exhibitions only a handful of times in the last few months, but its fitting that Lancaster is one of the few. After all, the area has a rich history with the Dead, from the bands legendary 1971 set at Franklin & Marshall College all the way up to 2021, when original bassist Phil Lesh made a surprise appearance at Phantom Power in Millersville, to cameo with his sons band Midnight North.

Coscias ultimate goal is to build a scale model for someone else to bring to people far and wide.

Im too old and too tied down to jump in a van for the summer, Coscia says

Until then, hell be tinkering away on the next size up behemoth sound system.

Im honestly surprised that it took this long for someone to try to replicate it, Hostetter says. Which I guess speaks to the amount of work that it takes and also the tenacity and dedication of Anthony to actually put this thing together with the incredible level of detail that hes doing it at.
Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives seized firearms from a Leacock Township property earlier this month and an Amish farmer at the property acknowledged selling guns without a federal firearms license.

No criminal charges have been filed so far in the matter, and there is little information provided by ATF sources. LNP | LancasterOnline learned of the raid from a tip.

ATF agents, as part of ongoing investigation, executed an enforcement operation at the Cattail Foundry and seized evidence, on Jan. 12, bureau spokesperson Robert Cucinotta said Monday.

Cucinotta said there was little else he could add because of the ongoing investigation.

On Tuesday, Reuben King said the guns taken were part of his personal collection and that the foundry had nothing to do with the gun sales.

Im not going to deny that I was selling some, Reuben King said. Gun sales were not advertised and he does not know how he may have come to the ATFs attention.

This is my business: Im a dairyman, he said inside a barn filled with cows as he swept the concrete floor with a pushbroom. He has about 50 dairy cows.

Reuben King said he primarily sold long guns to the Amish for hunting, though he admitted he sold some to non-Amish, too.

I was not dealing in handguns, positively not, Reuben King said.

Federal laws require photo identification when purchasing a firearm from a licensed dealer. The Amish contend their religious beliefs prevent them from being photographed, so they cannot buy a firearm from a licensed dealer. However, private sellers dont have to require the buyer to present photo identification.

Reuben King declined to say how many guns he had or sold, but that more than 600  which is what a tipster told LNP  didnt sound right. Agents did not take all his firearms, he said, adding hes been collecting guns over the years and hunts.

Reuben Kings brother, Emmanuel King, said about 15 agents with a warrant removed firearms from a room above the first-floor foundry and spent about five hours there.

They were jotting them down and loading them up, Emmanuel King said.

Reuben King said he has been talking to lawyers, but does not have one yet, and doesnt know what will come of the investigation.

Reuben King pointed out that the government cant tell him how many guns a person may sell or over what timeframe before a license is required.

That is true.

Cucinotta reiterated on Tuesday that he could not comment on the case at hand, but would refer anyone with questions about federal firearms laws to the bureaus website.

A 15-page document posted to the bureaus site and titled, Do I need a license to buy and sell firearms? states that the federal Gun Control Act requires that persons who are engaged in the business of dealing in firearms be licensed by the bureau.

Determining whether you are engaged in the business of dealing in firearms requires looking at the specific facts and circumstances of your activities, the document said, noting no federal law sets a bright-line rule for when a federal firearms license is required.

The ATF document says a person will need a license if you repetitively buy and sell firearms with the principal motive of making a profit. Licenses are not required for someone who engages in occasional sales of firearms from your personal collection, the document added.

Anyone who willfully engages in the business of dealing in firearms without the required license is subject to criminal prosecution, and can be sentenced to up to five years in prison, fined up to $250,000, or both, the document said.
Building on 30 years of educational experience with Elizabethtown College, interim President Betty Rider said she will ensure the college does not miss a beat following the abrupt departure of her predecessor, Cecilia McCormick.

In her 18-month tenure, determined by the colleges Board of Trustees to allow for a smooth transition to the colleges next president, Rider plans to continue full steam ahead with the strategic plan that launched this year.

The five-year strategic plan focuses on four pillars: dynamic and relevant education, inclusive excellence, anchor and partner institution and sustainable growth, according to Keri Straub, the colleges executive director of marketing and communications.

There are no updates on the colleges progress in searching for a new president, Straub said. The process could take about seven to nine months, she added.

Rider sat down with LNP | LancasterOnline to discuss her goals for Elizabethtown College in the meantime.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

About Betty Rider Hometown: Grew up in Pennsylvania, right outside of New Cumberland

Resides in: Elizabethtown

Family: Son is fully grown and moved out of the house

Education: Bachelors at Gettysburg College, masters and doctoral degrees from Vanderbilt University in Tennessee

First position in higher education: University of North Carolina

Most recent position: Elizabethtown Colleges provost and senior vice president of academic affairs

Youve spent most of your career with Elizabethtown College. What about the college made it worth staying? The people, the students and the employees  and by employees I mean all employees, faculty, staff and administrators. It's always been a special group of students and a great group of employees to work with.

Before moving into administration, you were a psychology teacher. What inspired the transition? My background is a developmental psychologist and I had started in some leadership roles in the psychology department serving as department chair. I liked that kind of work.

As I was asked over the years to do more and more things, get involved in, for example, accreditation, reviews and strategic plans, again, I found that I enjoyed that kind of work. And so it just sort of became a natural fit. Then as opportunities arose, and I was asked to do things, I would move into new roles.

I like doing a lot of different things. I like to be busy, I like puzzles, and I don't like to be bored and so I know I'm sort of always looking for new challenges.

Elizabethtown College is launching a new five-year strategic plan. What is your vision for the college? One of the reasons why the Board of Trustees wanted to go with a transitional president was to intentionally send the message that we're not going to miss a beat. We are going to continue full steam ahead on the strategic plan. We've been tracking the progress for the first six months of the plan. We'll continue to do so.

We have a lot of good projects moving forward. We just want to be sure that all those things get the attention they need and we are successful in moving that strategic plan forward and getting the institution to where we want it to be for our next president.

When you say getting the institution where you want it to be where do you see it? Where would you want it to be? What I mean is that I want us to accomplish, you know, the first half of the plan, which is about the cadence of the timing for a new president, and that includes, continuing to develop and launch new programs.

Youre the second consecutive female stepping into the presidential role in Elizabethtown Colleges nearly 125-year history. How does that reflect the colleges evolution and the evolution of higher education as a whole? You're seeing more and more women in higher positions and executive positions, leadership positions across higher ed and I think that Elizabethtown College is no different in now having a number of highly qualified talented women as well as individuals from diverse backgrounds, and we are happy to tap into that talent and to take advantage of having a lot of different perspectives at the table.

What is the biggest challenge facing Elizabethtown College right now? Similar to other institutions of higher ed, we're all challenged by the current situation with COVID and wanting to ensure that we do the best for the health and well being of our students and our employees. And just making sure that we navigate through this in a safe and transparent way, making sure that we are keeping abreast of what's going on regionally and nationally so that we can make the decisions that are best for our community at this time.

What is your top priority to address in the 18 months you will serve as transitional president for the college? In addition to the strategic plan  ensuring that we have a workplace and a learning environment that is a positive environment and allows students to become their best selves to launch as adults with their best foot forward. And to ensure that we have an employee base that is also able to do its best work and put its best foot forward. So, working on not only the project areas that are identified in the strategic plan, but also working on the human aspect of the institution, at the student level and the employee level.

Most of the previous presidents tenure was spent leading the college through a global pandemic. With no clear end to the COVID-19 pandemic in sight, how do you see the virus impacting your decisions regarding the colleges future? If you look at a lot of the more recent literature on COVID that's out there  we need to live our best lives, we need to do our work and we need to do that in the context of the virus and in the context of COVID. So COVID is not going away tomorrow, it may not go away next year or even the next couple of years and so we just need to develop a way of living and learning in the context of this global pandemic.

Elizabethtown Colleges previous president resigned quite suddenly after only 2  years with the college. How will you lead the college through the abrupt turnover in leadership? That's one of the advantages of the Board of Trustees going with someone who has been at the institution for over 30 years, and I've been in the position of senior vice president provost for the last five and a half years. So I've been at the table for all of the conversations that we've had in recent years about all of the high level and low level issues of the institution. So I'm well versed in where the institution is, where it needs to be and what we need to do to get there.

I'm feeling very comfortable, very confident about the next 18 months. And, I think I have a good knowledge base from the last 30 years that will let us thrive over the next 18 months. And again, that was a lot of the reason for going with the transitional president  to allow us to move forward and thrive rather than just keeping the seat warm for the next person.
A West Cocalico Township woman was found dead inside a North Carolina hotel last week, and a York County man has since been charged with her murder.

Quincy Cheeks Hannah, of Windsor Township, York County, was arrested just outside of Everglades National Park in Florida on Friday, authorities in Davie County, North Carolina said.

Hannah, accused of killing 20-year-old Suzanna Kauffman, was still awaiting extradition Tuesday night from Miami on the sole charge of murder, said Lt. Ryan Moxley of the Davie County Sheriffs Office.

Kauffmans family provided a statement to LNP|LancasterOnline on Friday, but have said they will not release any additional details until the case has been resolved, saying that countless haunting questions remain unanswered.

Heres what we know and dont know about what happened.

Kauffman and Hannah knew each other

Kauffman, who was found dead Jan. 17 inside a Mocksville hotel room which had been rented by Hannah, had known Hannah since at least September, according to a statement by her family.

The two had begun secretly interacting at some point that month, Kauffmans family said, but she changed her phone number in December after the 26-year-old Hannah began threatening her.

By the beginning of December, she realized that she needed help, the familys statement reads. She realized the need to break off any interaction with Mr. Hannah.

Kauffman began fearing for her life on Christmas Day, when she started receiving threats and pressure from Hannah, her family said.

Kauffman was traveling to Georgia when she was killed

Kauffman had moved to Lancaster County from Georgia after she was referred to a counseling center after previous trauma in her life, her family said.

She had been living with her sister and brother-in-law in West Cocalico for several months, said Mark Troyer, an elder at Harmony Believers Fellowship near Statesville where Kauffman had been staying.

Kauffman was traveling back down to Georgia, where her parents live, with the hopes of retrieving her daughter Alanna to live with her in Pennsylvania when she was killed.

On her way south, Kauffman stopped near Mocksville, about 50 miles north of Charlotte, planning visit friends for several days. She also spent time at a Bible school at Troyers church, about a 20-minute drive from Mocksville in neighboring Iredell County.

Kauffman had attended the camp before and her father had preached there before. The church is nondenominational with similarities to Mennonite teachings.

Police found Kauffmans body while searching for missing cellphones

On the morning of her death, Kauffman told a friend she was going out to get coffee with a friend, borrowing a car from her cousin as she left, her family said.

That car had been used by other students to commute to the Bible school earlier that morning, and some of those students had left their cellphones in the car. When one of the students called the phones, an unidentified person on the other end told them to come to the Days Inn hotel at 1500 Yadkinville Road where Kauffmans body was later found.

The phones as well as a key to Kauffmans car were found alongside the road near a KFC restaurant about half a mile down the street. Kauffmans car was found in a parking lot behind the restaurant.

At some point during the search for the phones, police entered the room which had been rented by Hannah, finding Kauffman dead inside.

Its not known when or how Kauffman was killed

Police were first called to the Days Inn around 9:50 p.m., later finding Kauffman dead inside.

But no information has been released as to how long Kauffman may have been dead inside the hotel, or what killed her.

Moxley said Tuesday evening that he could not release that information due to the active nature of the investigation.

Thousands of dollars have been raised for Kauffmans family since her death

A GoFundMe started by Kauffmans family to help pay for funeral and travel expenses has raised more than $11,000 out of a $15,000 goal.

Any extra money from the GoFundMe will be given to Kauffmans daughter, according to the fundraiser page.

Hannah has a criminal history in Pennsylvania

Hannah previously pleaded guilty to charges of felony burglary and simple assault in York County in 2019 after ambushing his wife and holding a chlorine bleach-soaked rag over her face and taking her cellphone in January of that year, according to a report by the York Daily Record.

Hannahs wife had arrived at her residence in the 400 block of Roman Court, Manchester Township, just before 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 14, 2019, finding Hannah inside, the York Daily Record said. Hannah had previously been evicted as a result of a protection from abuse order his wife had placed against him.

Hannah warned his wife that she was going to get me in trouble when she attempted to call 911, then grabbed her and pulled her into a bathroom where he covered her mouth and nose with the rag, according to an arrest warrant. Hannah then took his wifes phone before leaving.

U.S. Marshals later arrested Hannah in California, according to the report.

Court records show Hannah was sentenced to one to two years of confinement and a year of probation for those offenses.
A Quarryville man was found guilty of shooting a man twice, including once in the head, in attempts to kill him over the course of two days.

Robert David Sheets, 34, was found guilty on two counts of attempted homicide and one count of robbery after twice trying to kill the man on separate days in 2017 on Jan. 6, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said.

The trial lasted three days.

The shootings happened happened on back-to-back days in August 2017 in a wooded area near Main Street in Conestoga, Manor Township.

On Aug. 14, Sheets shot a man in the chest in a wooded area near Main Street in Conestoga, Manor Township, leaving him to die, the district attorney's office said. The man awoke the next morning and began yelling for help.

Sheets returned and shot him in the head, according to the district attorney's office. Sheets then hit the man with a hatchet and left him again.

"It was 41 hours from the time the defendant picked up the victim until the time (the victim) crawled out of the cornfield and found help," Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa said in her closing argument.

She said the incident was "straight out of a horror film." The man had to crawl through a cornfield and drink from mud puddles while trying to find help in the August heat. He finally made it to an Oak Road home in Manor Township.

The victim told police Sheets had taken him to the woods by saying he wanted to show the man something, according to police.

The man had a lacerated lung, extensive internal bleeding, three deep cuts to his head and neck and a shattered jaw -- from the second bullet, which traveled along his jaw line.

After the first shooting, Sheets stole the man's cell phone and wallet, which had about $400, the district attorney's office said.

Sheets was arrested on Aug. 19, 2017, in Fauquier County, Virginia, after a 30-mile chase, police there said. He was charged there with a weapons violation and fleeing and eluding.

Sheets is still in Lancaster County Prison on $1 million bail, the district attorney's office said.

A date for his sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
In the 17 years since Barbara Hafer served in elected office, shes all but disappeared from Pennsylvania politics.

A Republican elected four times to statewide office, she was never again on a ballot after switching parties and leaving the state treasurers office in 2005. Her 2017 guilty plea on charges that she lied to federal agents during a public corruption case has even barred her from holding public office in the state again.

But for nearly two decades, Hafers political action committee has not only remained open, its been thriving.

And what its being used for is a troubling practice benefitting Hafers daughter, according to a Caucus review of the committees reports and interviews with campaign finance experts and reform activists.

Since she left office, Hafers committee has collected $2.3 million  not from donors, but from investments that she made with her donors money.

Investing campaign cash is rare but legal in Pennsylvania and federally. Whats concerning, experts say, is that the committee has paid Bethany Hafer, who serves as the committees treasurer, a monthly consulting fee for the last decade thats amounted to more than $500,000. Other expenses totalling more than $35,000 were listed as car and cell phone payments.

Pennsylvanias election law requires that all campaign expenses be made for the purpose of influencing the outcome of an election.

The Friends of Barbara Hafer committees expenses, however, were made as neither Barbara nor Bethany Hafer were publicly considering running for any office, as Barbara Hafer was in the midst of a criminal case and as the committee significantly slowed down its contributions to other political campaigns.

The payments to Bethany Hafer appear to be a big red flag, said Brendan Fischer, an expert on campaign finance issues with the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center.

If the candidate is no longer running for office then what on earth can the former officeholders daughter possibly be doing to justify over $5,000 a month in services, Fischer said. There's a lot of questions there.

The Hafers did not return multiple calls and emails from The Caucus asking specific questions about the PACs activities.

Under Pennsylvanias election law, they were required to turn over receipts or vouchers of specific expenses that The Caucus asked for last summer, which included all instances in the past three years of the payments to Beth Hafer along with all transportation payments, bills paid to Verizon, investment losses that appeared as expenditures and more.

Asked for a phone interview to explain the records they provided and answer other questions, Beth Hafer did not respond. But Barbara Hafer, in an apparent attempt to reply to her daughter but accidentally emailing The Caucus instead, told Beth to ask for questions in writing and not give explanation, adding, just flex schedule so busy, limited time! .

Beth Hafer, when asked again for an interview, requested questions in writing but then did not respond to those detailed questions.

Making the money last

A nurse who turned to a life in politics in the 1980s, Barbara Hafer had one of the most successful runs for a Pennsylvania Republican in the last four decades.

After a stint on the Allegheny County Board of Commissioners, she won two four-year terms as state auditor general starting in 1989 followed immediately by two terms as state treasurer. Before the 2020 election, she was the last Republican to win either of those offices.

She was also the Republican gubernatorial nominee in 1990, losing to then-Gov. Bob Casey Sr. She remains the only woman to ever be a major-party nominee for governor in Pennsylvania.

She switched parties in 2003, left office two years later and considered running for the U.S. Senate or House in 2006. She also briefly vied for the Democratic nomination in a special election for Congress in 2010 but party leaders  not voters  ended her hopes after a few weeks when they picked someone else.

In the first half-decade after she left office, Hafer used her leftover campaign funds as most former politicians do  giving the money away to charities or to other, like-minded candidates, according to The Caucus review of campaign finance reports. From 2005 to 2010, the PAC gave away $556,008 while spending a smaller proportion on consulting and fees.

But that kind of giving dropped off around 2011. In the next five years, it donated $76,695 to other candidates or charities. Since 2016, its given only $15,306.

At the same time, Hafers committee began paying Bethany Hafer a $1,000 per-month stipend for consulting in 2010. Thats increased over the years, sticking at $5,233 per month  the equivalent of a $62,796 salary  since 2017.

The payments, in total, have amounted to at least $514,039 since 2010, according to the filings that are up to date as of late November 2021.

The bedrock of Pennsylvania law is political committees can only spend money to influence the outcome of an election. It's a pretty broad definition and pretty much anything other than self-enrichment is going to be deemed permissible, said Adam Bonin, a Philadelphia-based election law attorney who works with Democratic candidates and officials.

Bonin said there are ways in which this could be lawful, such as if Beth Hafer is getting paid to advise or help fundraise for other candidates. But in that case, her work would also need to be reported as an in-kind contribution by those other candidates.

Theres also the question, Bonin said, of whether the monthly stipend is an excess payment, where Beth Hafer would be working, for example, enough for $1,000 per month but instead getting more than that.

What is she doing for that money and how is it intended to influence the outcome of an election? Bonin said.

Beth Hafer lists her role with the committee on her LinkedIn profile, describing her work in this way: Manage all financial affairs of the organization, monitor investments, reconcile bank statements, and manage cash flow. Additionally, monitor all donations/contributions, maintain financial records, and ensure compliance with the Pennsylvania State Department.

It references donations, though the committee has not reported a single donor contribution in the time that Bethany Hafer has served as treasurer. It goes on to say, approve expenditures and assist in preparation and monitoring of the budget, indicating she approves the payments to herself.

Her other job is as a clinical research coordinator at UPMC, according to her profile.

In all, the Friends of Barbara Hafer committee has made $1,781,446 in expenses since January 2005.

Nearly $289,000 of that was for taxes, though its unclear what kind of taxes. Barbara Hafer herself has collected $30,464 worth of reimbursements  for which the original expenses are not listed  and consulting fees from the committee, the filings show.

Another $35,000 was spent in the last decade on cell phone service and transportation expenses, including what appears to be car payments.

Starting in April 2013, the committee began paying $233.93 every month for what it described only as automobile and later just transportation. All those expenses were listed as paid to First Commonwealth Bank except for three that were listed as paid to Beth Hafer. One $2,500 automobile payment in 2015 was paid to Colonial Motors, a dealership in Hafers hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania.

The committee has also been paying monthly installments of $183 to $230 to Verizon for what is described as mostly communications but sometimes as phone service, wireless service or cell service.

Other non-consulting payments: $3,226.50 total for three payments to Apple for technology or office equipment in 2015 and 2017.

The source of all these expenses has been Hafers uncommon practice  especially for long-dormant campaigns  of investing her campaign money.

Pennsylvania campaigns are allowed to invest as much of their fundraised money as they want as long as they report the gains and losses on the usual campaign finance reports and pay taxes on the investments.

The last Pennsylvanian to do it on a significant scale was former state Sen. Scott Wagner. The York County Republican and multi-millionaire businessman both put his own money into his campaign and raised money from donors as the GOP nominee against Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in 2018. Wagner invested more than $2 million of his campaign money, according to his campaign finance reports.

Hafer has reported her investment gains and losses on campaign finance reports as either income from or expenses to the Philadelphia Trust Company, an investment management firm. The expense vouchers that Beth Hafer provided to The Caucus offered no other details about how the money has been managed other than the value of the fund at a few moments in recent years.

Hafer has reported investment gains 86 times over the years shes been out of office, averaging about $27,000 each time for a total of $2,323,514 since 2005. The latest return: $51,793 in November, two months ago.

And those returns have by far outweighed the losses, which show up as 39 instances of loss on investment totalling almost $1.2 million.

The strategy has paid off. Hafer has reported having roughly $400,000 to $700,000 cash on hand in every reporting period for years. The latest filing in November showed the fund had $658,341.

Fischer, from the Campaign Legal Center, said its not completely uncommon for former candidates or officials to invest the money they have leftover.

The practice of investing taken alone may not be entirely concerning. It becomes more concerning when donor funds are invested for the purpose of financing more personal expenses, Fischer said. My concern would really be how the money is ultimately used. Is the former campaign account being used as a personal slush fund or is it being used for some sort of political purpose?

Pennsylvanias weak laws

Experts say the PACs activities highlight Pennsylvanias uniquely outdated campaign finance law.

It is the only state in the country without both limits on contributions and an explicit ban on the personal use of campaign money. So-called zombie PACs, in which campaigns can go on living long after the candidates career is over, are also legal. Hafers PAC, for instance, was registered with the Department of State in 1989, meaning its now been in use longer after she was a candidate for office than when she was a candidate.

Welcome to Pennsylvania, James Eisenstein, a former chair of Common Cause PA who spent years researching campaign finance and proposing reforms in the state, said when told of the committees activities.

Eisenstein, who is also a retired political science professor at Penn State University, questioned the legality of the committees activities.

Asked whether the spending would be considered personal use of campaign funds, Eisentstein said, I think its worse. Its not personal use. Its unrelated to a campaign.

Pennsylvanias attorney general has jurisdiction on campaign finance issues under state law, but cases regarding the personal use of campaign money are rare -- in part because of the ambiguity of how a campaign expenses is legally defined.

Unfortunately, the courts are all over the map on what that means, said Barry Kauffman, a former executive director of Common Cause PA who has pushed for bills that would narrow the language in the law.

Kauffman spent years calling out state officials who used their campaign funds for expenses like country club dues, expensive suits or renting and buying vehicles.

But state lawmakers have routinely rejected campaign finance reforms. In 2019, after The Caucus and Spotlight PA found lawmakers had hidden highly questionable expenses on liquor, lavish dinners, limos, a trip through Europe and more, some lawmakers again reintroduced campaign finance legislation with additional reforms. Republicans in the House and Senate have not held public hearings or votes on those bills.

While advocates like Kauffman put an emphasis on getting Pennsylvania in line with nearly every other state in establishing contribution limits, he also said hed like to see some kind of termination requirement for dormant campaigns like Hafers.

Maybe you put a 10 year deadline on the PAC, in case the former candidate wants to run again in the future, Kauffman said. I dont think they should be able to stay open forever.

There is something wrong with the system

Pennsylvanias reputation as being the wild west for campaign fundraising and spending also came under fire during Hafers criminal case.

Hafer was indicted in 2016 for lying to the FBI in an expansive pay-to-play case that involved one of her successors in the treasurers office, Rob McCord, and a top donor.

McCord resigned in 2015 and pleaded guilty to attempted extortion of campaign contributors. Cooperating with prosecutors, McCord secretly taped conversations with Richard Ireland, a Chester County businessman, who prosecutors said tried to bribe McCord with campaign donations in exchange for state contracts.

Hafer was interviewed about her own financial relationships with Ireland.

According to the indictment, Ireland had donated more than $200,000 to Hafers campaign, both directly and through other entities connected to him. By the time Hafer left office, businesses associated with Ireland managed hundreds of millions of dollars in Treasury assets and in-turn were paid more than $10 million for that work, the indictment read.

Within a month after she left office, Hafer started a financial consulting company, Hafer & Associates LLC, and almost immediately signed an agreement with Ireland that would pay the firm $500,000 in exchange for some work. While Hafer initially denied the payment was ever made, investigators found it had in-fact been paid and that it accounted for almost three-quarters of the firms revenue in its first year. Irelands company paid Hafers firm another $175,000 in 2006 and 2007 before the firm shut down in 2008.

At her guilty plea hearing in June 2017, prosecutors described a wire-tapped conversation Ireland had with McCord in which Ireland said he had taken care of Hafer when she left office.

Judge John E. Jones, at Hafers sentencing hearing later that year, said he believed Hafer lied because she was afraid she might demonstrate something that at worst was illegal and at best was unseemly, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported at the time of the hearing.

He also criticized Pennsylvanias campaign finance and government contracting ecosystem.

There is something wrong with the system that allows Mr. Ireland and his partner to make a half-million dollars in campaign contributions  and I'm not holding you responsible for that, you played by the rules as you found them," Jones said, according to the Inquirer, "And in exchange for that, as far as I can see, they received an enormous benefit."

Jones threw out Irelands case in an unusual move mid-trial. Hafer, then 74, avoided the five-year maximum jail sentence for each count and was instead sentenced to three years of probation. She also paid a $50,000 fine and performed 500 hours of community service as part of her plea agreement.

Documents filed since 2017 indicate Hafer obeyed the terms of the sentencing and was granted permission to freely travel between Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, where she started to spend six months out of the year at another residence.

Her monthly taxpayer-funded pension, according to an open records request The Caucus filed with the state pension system, is $4,035.29.
Bulletin file photo Former school resource officer John Manzella conducts a DARE course on bullying at Cloud Peak Elementary School in 2017. While there is no longer a permanent police presence in Johnson County schools, Gov. Matt Mead recently signed a bill that will allow teachers, with school board approval, to carry concealed weapons onto school property.
Thirteen Lancaster County residents  11 men and two women  submitted applications to fill the board of commissioners seat vacated earlier this month by Democrat Craig Lehman.

The candidates include two former municipal commissioners, two attorneys, an economist and a pastor. They live in seven different municipalities in the county, ranging from Ephrata Borough to Martic Township.

A panel of the countys 13 Court of Common Pleas judges will decide who will fill the remaining two years of Lehmans term. The judges are set to interview all of the applicants at a public meeting on Feb. 4.

Each applicant was asked to commit to not running again in 2023 to ensure no candidate gets a headstart on campaigning that year.

Here is a look at who applied, the experience they bring to the table, and what theyd like to do as a commissioner, if chosen:

Name: Dominic Castaldi

Age: 65

Job: Retired

Education: B.A., Economics, West Chester University

Government experience: Castaldi worked for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as an economist for 28 years. He was elected to the Mount Joy Borough Council in 2019, and previously served as tax collector and a judge of elections in Downingtown, Chester County. He ran unsuccessfully in 2021 for the recorder of deeds position.

Personal objectives: On his application, Castaldi said his objectives as a commissioner would be to fulfill his passion for helping the community, to respectfully resolve differences, and to unite the countys diverse communities.

Name: Ruthann Crawford-Fisher

Age: 58

Job: Certified leadership and wellness consultant and adjunct professor

Education: B.S., Secondary English, Millersville University; M.S., Counseling, Millersville University; Ed.D, Educational Leadership, St. Josephs University

Government experience: Crawford-Fisher has worked in public education for much of her career, including 10 years as a director and counselor at Hempfield School District, six years as a consultant for a program in the state Department of Education, and six years as a guidance counselor at Solanco High School. She continued to advise school districts around the state and country as a private consultant, according to her resume.

Personal objectives: If chosen as a commissioner, Crawford-Fisher emphasized a desire to collaborate with community stakeholders, to increase resources for community groups and to offer positive resolutions when issues arise.

Name: Dean Evans

Age: 53

Job: security contractor

Education: B.A., English, Millersville University

Government experience: Evans has served on the Lancaster City Traffic Commission since 2003, and worked as a freelance correspondent covering municipal governments for LNP Media Group for 19 years, before resigning from the position to seek this office. He was also qualified as an expert witness in forensic examination of physical security, according to his application.

Personal objectives: Evans listed multiple issues the county is facing that he would prioritize if selected, including traffic and transportation problems, farmland preservation, housing costs, county staffing concerns, the future of the Lancaster County Prison, and more.

Name: Randall Gockley

Age: 66

Job: Emergency management coordinator for Ephrata Borough

Education: A.A.S., fire science, Harrisburg Area Community College

Government experience: Gockley served as the emergency management coordinator for Lancaster County for 28 years, before retiring in 2018. He has also been a volunteer member for 49 years at the Lincoln Fire Company, serving as chief officer for 34 years and chief for 19 years.

Personal objectives: As a commissioner, Gockley said hed make himself available to any citizen, work through disagreements with the other GOP commissioners and to make responsible decisions based on faith-based, democratic values and common sense. He also listed the 2023-24 budgets, the new county prison, the pandemics impact on the county and poor employee morale as top issues the county is facing that hed like to address as a commissioner.

Name: Rev. Kirk Marks

Age: 54

Job: Pastor and professor

Education: B.A., American history, Kutztown University; B.S., criminal justice, Kutztown University; M.Div, Divinity, Evangelical School of Theology

Government experience: Marks served as a school board member in Kutztown Area School District in the 1980s. He has served as a pastor at multiple evangelical congregational churches since 1993.

Personal objectives: Marks said his main goal is to help operate an effective, cost-efficient and customer-friendly county government. Because he has not been involved in county politics previously, he wants to be fresh eyes on the board of commissioners.

Name: Sam Mecum

Age: 73

Job: attorney

Education: B.A., History, Penn State; J.D., Villanova University

Government experience: Mecum was the first Democrat ever elected to the Manheim Township board of commissioners in 2017 and was not a candidate for reelection in 2021. He was also appointed to a number of county judicial board positions throughout his legal career.

Personal objectives: As a commissioner, Mecum said hed like to continue his long-time professional relationships with different commissioners and their staff. Touting his own government experience, Mecum said he has chaired hundreds of municipal and nonprofit meetings before, and is familiar with the different open meetings laws regulating the meetings. In addition, hed like to support farmland preservation as part of the countys 2040 master plan, support the new health advisory council and increase accessibility for the countys election office, he said in his application.

Name: Luis Morales

Age: 32

Job: family resource specialist for a youth care agency

Education: B.S.W., social work, Millersville University

Government experience: Morales was appointed to the School District of Lancaster board of directors in 2020 and elected to a four-year term in 2021. He currently works at JusticeWorks Youth Care, which works with families referred to it from the countys Children & Youth Agency or the courts.

Personal objectives: Morales application noted homelessness and mental health funding as top issues facing the county, as well as staffing issues. He said he would advocate for creating a county health department. As a parent, he said in his application that he would bring the perspective of working families to the board of commissioners and would push for more evenings meetings so residents who work traditional hours can be more engaged with county government.

Name: Thomas OBrien

Age: 68

Job: retired

Education: B.S., political science and business, the University of Scranton

Government experience: OBrien served on the Manheim Township board of commissioners from 2018 to 2021; he lost his reelection race last fall. Prior to being elected to the township board, he served for 16 years on the Manheim Township school board, and for 10 years on the Lancaster County Career and Technology Center board of directors.

Personal objectives: One of OBriens key priorities would be to build a working relationship with the other commissioners, as well as to open communication between him and government leaders across the county within his first 100 days. He said he wants to find solutions for traffic issues, development and farm preservation.

Name: Gregory Paulson

Age: 75

Job: attorney

Education: B.A., political science, and J.D., Rutgers University

Government experience: Paulson worked as state Rep. Mike Sturlas chief of staff from 2011 to 2021 at his Lancaster city office. Paulson unsuccessfully ran to be a Court of Common Pleas judge in 2019. He also worked as an adjunct professor at Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

Personal objectives: Paulson said he wants to bring his understanding of local government and his work as an advocate to the board of commissioners. His top priorities include the construction of a new county prison and continued high-quality and efficient operation of the countys Board of Elections.

Name: Jeremy Rubenstein

Age: 38

Job: production agency founder

Education: B.A., theater performance and broadcast journalism, Penn State University

Government experience: Rubenstein does not have any elected or government experience, though said he has formed relationships with government agencies through his theater production company, Box Out Productions.

Personal objectives: Rubenstein said he wants to expand transparency in local government by creating an employee group to discuss diversity and inclusion, awarding contracts based on a companys sustainability practices and implementing an ethics policy and gift ban for all county employees.

Name: Amy Ruffo

Age: 51

Job: IT procurement coordinator at Franklin & Marshall College

Education: B.F.A., Art, Maryland Institute College of Art; M.F.A, Fine Art, Cranbrook Academy of Art

Government experience: Ruffo has not served in elected or government office. She is currently the volunteer communications manager for redistricting reform group Fair Districts PA, as well as the chair of Lancaster citys public art advisory board.

Personal objectives: Ruffo listed four top priorities she would want to address if chosen as the countys next commissioner. These issues include releasing federal COVID-19 relief funds to the countys most vulnerable residents, adding tools to increase community engagement, supporting the Board of Elections in any efforts to build trust, and encouraging the de-escalation of harmful rhetoric.

Name: John Trescot

Age: 63

Job: retired

Education: B.S., Mechanical engineering, Clemson University; M.B.A., University of Rochester

Government experience: Trescot does not have any elected or government experience, as he notes this in his application. But as a former executive with Metso Minerals Industries, he said he has experience with negotiating complex contracts and reviewing large budgets.

Personal objectives: In Trescots application, he said he wants to improve communication between the county and city. He also said he wants to leverage public and private resources to increase availability of low- and mid-priced housing, as well as to improve the countys air pollution.

Name: Lewis Waltman

Age: 67

Job: retired

Education: B.S., microbiology, Penn State University

Government experience: Waltman does not have any elected or government experience. He worked for 41 years at Donnelley Financial Solution, a financial compliance company, and notes his time on multiple volunteer boards around the county during that time.

Personal objectives: Waltman said he has no long-term agenda for political office and wants to focus for two years to get as much accomplished as possible. He wants to work in a bipartisan way to achieve results for county residents, though he was not specific in his application.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the Rev. Kirk Markss first name.
THE ISSUE

As LNP | LancasterOnline reported Sunday, Lancaster Countys Republican Party will provide election training next month to a group whose members regularly spread disinformation about election fraud and the COVID-19 pandemic. The training, which will be offered to two local chapters of FreePA, has angered some self-described moderates who serve on the county GOPs area committees. ... Born out of the 2020 Reopen PA movement that opposed Gov. Tom Wolfs COVID-19 mitigation orders, FreePA has evolved into a formidable force in conservative politics across the state." The group has three chapters in Lancaster County.

The chairman of the Republican Committee of Lancaster County told LNP | LancasterOnline that the election training being offered to FreePA is part of an effort to unify conservatives in 2022.

Kirk Radanovic said his party welcomes individuals who are concerned about the future of our country.

Were concerned about the future of our country, too. And, given this development, about the future of Lancaster Countys Republican Party.

The partys alignment with FreePA does not bode well for this countys many moderate Republicans who believe in science and vaccination, favor reasoned discourse over bitter polemics, and prefer sensible policy to angry partisanship.

In a column published in the Sunday LNP | LancasterOnline, Joe Mohler laid out the reasons FreePA is an unsuitable ally for the county GOP.

Mohler, chairman of the Lancaster Township Republican Committee, accurately described the FreePA website as a hub for spreading inflammatory and verifiably false information.

That website links, for instance, to an unhinged Vaccine Death Report,  Mohler pointed out. That so-called report equates COVID-19 vaccination to worldwide genocide. And it falsely claims that during the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, which killed at least 50 million people, only the vaccinated died.

Mohler pointed to a set of recommendations on the website titled Preventative Measures to Protect You and Your Family, which labels hospitals and medical centers globalist corporations.

As the American Jewish Committee explains, globalist is a coded word for Jews who are seen as international elites conspiring to weaken or dismantle Western society.

Mohler pointed out a terrible irony in this ill-advised alignment with FreePA: Leadership in the county GOP will meet with  and even train  members of an organization like FreePA, yet if a local media reporter wishes to attend an event like the most recent 2022 winter reception, we find that the county Republican committee isnt so accommodating.

He offered this wry suggestion: Perhaps local media outlets, in an attempt to reconcile their strained relationships with the county GOP, ought to embrace the baseless claims about COVID-19 vaccination. Or assert that the World Health Organization is a criminal network run by globalist crooks. Would our congressman then, finally, hold a public town hall?

Perception is reality, Mohler wrote, and this training outreach makes it abundantly clear that the county GOP stands with this organization. Why else would our congressman grant FreePA a private audience and a current county commissioner have his photo on its website?

He was referring, of course, to U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, who in July spoke at a FreePA event from which journalists were barred, and county Commissioner Josh Parsons.

The election training being provided to FreePA will be conducted by the county GOPs vice chair, Jenna Geesey, and its executive director, Michael Fitzpatrick. Geesey also is Smuckers reelection campaign manager.

It will cover registering voters, becoming committee members, filing election petitions, working the polls, canvassing and much more. Even without the much more, were concerned. Everyone should be.

FreePA has a warped view of our Constitution and democracy. Its website is littered with references to patriots and defying tyranny and working to secure our elections  the kind of language employed by those who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The Lancaster County chapters October meeting notes make clear the extent to which FreePA members have embraced the Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from Donald Trump. That document falsely claims that MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has complete and irrefutable evidence that the 2020 election was fraudulently reported, which fraud (sic) was done by China through cyber-electronics.

That document, ludicrously, also urges members to demand that their school boards dissolve their affiliation with the fundamentally marxist Pennsylvania School Boards Association.

And it discusses becoming a private membership organization to gain certain immunities from government overreach, because it is only a matter of time before they come for us all, so to speak. This is either paranoid or grandiose  or both.

Is this kind of dangerous nonsense now embraced by the Lancaster County GOP under the banner of unifying conservatives? If so, where do Republicans who are fiscally and socially conservative, but staunchly pro-democracy, find a political home?

There is nothing genuinely conservative about FreePA. We can understand why someone like Mohler  a young Republican who wants his party to move away from Trumpism and return to its traditional conservative ideals  is so alarmed by the county GOPs alignment with FreePA.

Shelley Castetter, a long-time county GOP committeewoman in Solanco who runs Pennsylvania House Speaker Bryan Cutlers campaign, told LNP | LancasterOnline that she is concerned by the message it is sending to anybody who doesnt support FreePA.

Said Castetter: The party is very strongly sending a message of, We dont want you. We are going to train these people to go out and take committee seats. 

Adam Bills, the area chair for Pequea Valley, told LNP | LancasterOnline that he sees no reason why any Republican voter who is willing to advocate for conservative candidates ... shouldnt be able to serve as a committee member.

In his column Sunday, Mohler provided a reason to be wary of FreePA, and its a solid one: Some of us find that groups conduct to be reckless, provocative and designed to exploit peoples base instincts.

FreePA traffics in misinformation and disinformation. It has spread harmful lies about vaccination in this lethal pandemic. It labels as traitors the Republican members of Congress who voted for the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which will enable Lancaster County to repair some of its 135 bridges in poor condition. It actively seeks to undermine faith in a secure and legitimate presidential election.

We wish that instead of viewing it as an ally, the county GOP recognized it as the menace it is.
Nightclub machete fight leads to fire, killing 19

A deadly rivalry between two gangs in West Papuas Sorong City ended with one person stabbed to death and 18 more trapped in a fire after a fight broke out in the Double O club on Monday night.

The two groups, reportedly armed with machetes and arrows, were squaring off against each other for the second time in a week when an unknown source on the ground floor sparked the flames, which quickly engulfed the building, according to police.

Clashes broke out. The mob burned down the karaoke place, and two vehicles, the citys police chief Ary Nyoto Setiawan told local media, explaining that the violence had started elsewhere with the murder of the first victim before friends of the victim immediately chased the perpetrators to the club.

A fight and a fire at a nightclub in Indonesia's West Papua province has left at least 18 people dead.#GuguddeTvUpdates #GuguddeTvUganda pic.twitter.com/uPI9VKNAfN  Gugudde TV Uganda (@guguddetvuganda) January 25, 2022

Authorities had already been called on Saturday to break up violence between the two groups, said to be from the neighboring Maluku islands and not ethnic Papuans.

While police were deployed throughout the city to prevent further clashes and even brought the leaders of the two groups together to attempt to mediate their dispute and put an end to the violence, their efforts were apparently not sufficient to quell the dispute.

Police allegedly tried to evacuate the venue at around 11pm local time as the fight was beginning, but were apparently unsuccessful. By the time firefighters had put out the blaze on Tuesday morning, it was too late to save any of the victims trapped in a room on the clubs upper floor.

While the province of West Papua has been the site of violent clashes over a separatist groups desire to leave Indonesia, Mondays fight was not believed to be political in origin, according to the BBC, though local media made a point of reporting that both groups were not native to the province.

No suspects have been named as of Tuesday evening, and military leaders told a press conference the investigation is ongoing to identify both the perpetrators and the masterminds behind the two gangs.

Source: RT
In Kenya, Hing Pal Singh is one of the patients who visits the Oriental Chinese Herbal Clinic in the capital, Nairobi.

Singh is 85 years old. He has had problems with his back for five years. Singh is now trying herbal treatments. These are medicines made from plants.

There is a slight difference," Singh said. "... It's only a week now. It will take at least another 12 to 15 sessions. Then we see how it goes.

A 2020 study from the Beijing research group Development Reimagined, said that traditional Chinese herbal treatments were becoming more popular in Africa.

And an opinion piece published in the state-run China Daily in February 2020 praised Chinese traditional medicine. It said it would increase the Chinese economy, improve world health, and increase Chinas soft power.

Possible harm

Sultani Matendechero is the head of Kenyas National Public Health Institute. He said patients are overlooking the possible harm. He said some herbal treatments can cause problems, especially if used too often or at too high an amount.

Matendechero said that they do work in a number of situations. He added that he and other doctors are concerned that herbal medicines are not regulated enough.

The safety and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine is still debated around the world. However, herbal medicine specialists such as Li Chuan continue to gain popularity among those seeking non-Western medicine. Li established the Oriental Chinese Herbal Clinic.

Li said some of his patients were improving from herbal COVID-19 treatments. However, there is little scientific evidence to show that these can help against the disease.

Many people buy our herbal tea to counter COVID-19," Li said. "The results are good, he added.

Environmentalists fear the growth of traditional Chinese medicine will mean that more hunters will go after endangered animals. Animals like rhinoceroses and some kinds of snakes are used to make some traditional treatments.

Daniel Wanjuki is an environmentalist and the lead expert at Kenyas National Environment Management Authority. He said that people saying that a part of the rhino can be used in the treatment of sexual problems has endangered rhinos in Kenya and the rest of Africa.

Less costly than other medicines

National information from Kenya shows the country spends an estimated $2.7 billion each year on health care.

Kenyan economist Ken Gichinga said herbal medicine could lower African medical costs if proven effective. He said Africans go to other countries like the United Arab Emirates to get treatment.

Africans spend quite a lot of money traveling to countries such as India and the UAE to get treatment, he said. He noted that Africans could gain a lot if herbal medicine "can provide more natural, cost-effective health care.

The Pharmacy and Poisons Board is Kenyas national drug regulator. In 2021, it approved the sale of Chinese herbal health products in the country. Herbal specialists like Li hope that more nations will approve Chinese herbal medicine in the future.

Im Gregory Stachel.

Victoria Amunga reported this story for Voice of America. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

herb  n. a plant or a part of a plant that is used as medicine or to give flavor to food

remedy  n. a medicine or treatment that relieves pain or cures a usually minor illness

slight  adj. very small in degree or amount

session  n. a period of time that is used to do a particular activity

regulate  v. to bring (something) under the control of authority

counter  v. to do something in defense or in response to something

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The maker of a test some colleges use to decide who to accept, the SAT, said it will stop offering students paper tests by 2024.

The SAT is a standardized test. That means it is the same for everyone who takes it on the same date.

The College Board in New York City creates the SAT and PSAT tests. Most American students take these tests before applying to college. The organization said it will no longer provide paper tests for international students in 2023 and, a year later, for American students.

The test also will be one hour shorter and given to students on a computer, the organization said. However, students will still need to take the test at a school or testing center.

Priscilla Rodriguez is the vice president for college readiness at the College Board. She said the test will be easier to take, easier to give, and more relevant.



The SAT tests a students knowledge of math, reading and writing. It takes at least three hours to complete.

A number of colleges and universities made the SAT and the competing ACT optional when testing centers closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. That means many students are permitted, but are not required, to send their test scores as part of their college applications. A smaller number of schools, such as those in the University of California system, decided to stop using the tests completely.

Some experts wondered if the move to make testing less important would hurt the testing companies. Rodriguez said the College Board is working to make the test better for a computer, and not just moving the paper test to a digital form.

Were taking full advantage of what delivering an assessment digitally makes possible, she said. Assessment is another word for test.

Even with the change in test requirements, 1.5 million students still took the SAT in 2021. That number, however, is down from 2.2 million in 2020.

One organization that opposes standardized tests is FairTest. It follows how many universities do not require test scores for students currently applying to college. It said about 80 percent of colleges and universities are now not requiring standardized tests.

Some students still take the tests even if they do not send in their scores. That is because organizations that give out financial aid, known as scholarships, sometimes choose students based on test scores. A public opinion study by the College Board showed that students want the SAT to continue so they can put their scores on their college applications.

Rodriguez said her organization will use the test scores to help students connect with job training schools and community colleges and not just four-year colleges. She said the College Board wants to give students more information about what they can do after high school.

In addition, moving to a computer-based test will make scores available sooner. There have been past stories about paper tests getting lost.

One student from Virginia recently took a practice version of the new test.

Natalia Cossio, a 16-year-old, said the new version was less stressful than the paper test. She said the computer test also includes a calculator which students can use for math problems, which is how many of them do higher-level math in school.

The College Board said students who do not own a computer, or schools which do not have enough computers, will be given computers to use on test day.

Im Caty Weaver.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press.

Do you think you will be more interested in taking the SAT now that it can be done a computer? Write to us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. Quiz - SAT College Exam Moves to Computer-Based Test Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

_________________________________________________

Words in This Story

apply  v. to formally ask for something such as a job, admission to a school or a loan

relevant  adj. related to a subject in the correct way

take advantage of  phrasal verb - to put something fully to use for its best purpose; to use something so that it helps you

practice  adj. something that is a used for preparation but not official or final

stress  n. a feeling of worry or concern

calculator  n. a device that can add, subtract and do mathematical operations


Officials across Europe have installed security devices made by Nuctech, a Chinese company with deep ties to Chinas government and military.

Nuctech has quickly become the worlds leading company for transport industry scanners and other security equipment. The company has not been permitted to do business in the U.S. for years because of national security concerns. But an Associated Press investigation found Nuctech is successful across Europe.

The newsgroup says the manufacturers equipment is used in 26 of 27 EU member states. It is critical to operations at Europes largest ports. Airports from Amsterdam to Athens also depend on Nuctech products, as do NATOs borders with Russia.

But an increasing number of Western security officials are concerned that China could use Nuctech equipment in cyberwarfare. They say China might interfere with Europes transport system. The experts also warned of possible illegal Chinese access to secret government, industrial and personal data through the companys connections.

Bart Groothuis is a member of the European Parliament and former cybersecurity director at the Dutch Ministry of Defense. The data being processed by these devices is very sensitive, he said, noting that it included military information, personal information and more. You want to make sure its in right hands, he said.

Groothuis and others say Europe does not have tools in place to resist such possible threats. Different member states have taken opposing views on Nuctechs security risks. No one has even been able to find out how many Nuctech devices have been installed across the continent.

Nuctech rejects those concerns. It says Nuctechs European operations observe local laws, including strict security checks and data privacy rules.

Robert Bos is deputy general manager of Nuctech in the Netherlands, where the company has a research and development center. He said, Its our equipment, but its your data. Our customer decides what happens with the data.

He said Nuctech is a victim of unfounded claims that have cut its market share in Europe nearly in half since 2019.

In the 20 years we delivered this equipment, we never had issues of breaches or data leaks. Till today we never had any proof of it, he added.

Chinas national intelligence laws require Chinese companies to surrender data requested by state security agencies. Critics fear Nuctech would be unable to resist calls from China to release sensitive data about the shipments, people and devices that pass through its scanners. They say there is a risk China could use Nuctechs presence across Europe to gather data about cross-border trade flows, pull information from local networks, or interfere with trade flows in a conflict.

Axel Voss is a German member of the European Parliament who works on data protection. He said, This is becoming more and more dangerous. I wouldnt mind if one or two airports had Nuctech systems, but with dumping prices a lot of regions are taking it.

Voss added, This is becoming more and more a security question. You might think its a strategic investment of the Chinese government.

Nuctechs Bos said the company keeps prices low by manufacturing in Europe. We dont have to import goods from the U.S. or other countries, he said. Our supply chain is very efficient with local suppliers, thats the main reason we can be very competitive.

Nuctech is opening offices in Brussels, Madrid and Rome. The company says it has supplied customers in more than 170 countries. Nuctech said in 2019 it had installed more than 1,000 security check devices in Europe for customs, air travel, ports and government organizations.

Human rights concerns are also a problem for Nuctech. The company does business with police and other officials in Western Chinas Xinjiang area. Critics accuse the Chinese government of genocide for mass imprisonment and abuse of minority Uighur Muslims.

U.S. and European policymakers both have urged private companies to stop doing business in Xinjiang. European governments have continued to award tens of millions of dollars in contracts to Nuctech.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Jonathan Evans adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by the Associated Press.

________________________________________

Words in This Story

install  v. to make a machine, a service, etc. ready to be used in a certain place

scanner  n. a device that is used to see inside something; a device for sensing recorded data

dumping  n. the selling of goods in quantity at below market price
Oregon transportation officials want to hear from the public about how the state should spend more than $400 million in flexible funds from the federal government over the next five years.

The $400 million is part of the $1.2 billion that Oregon will receive for transportation from the federal infrastructure bill, which President Joe Biden signed on Nov. 15. Oregon will get more money for other programs, such as water and sewer lines and broadband connections, that does not go through the Oregon Department of Transportation.

In fact, $200 million of the $1.2 billion for transportation will go to TriMet and other public transit agencies. Much of the rest is earmarked for specific work by ODOT, such as bridge repairs and charging stations for electric vehicles.

The Oregon Transportation Commission will offer four scenarios for public comment through Feb. 17, when it plans a two-hour seminar. Chairman Robert Van Brocklin of Portland said the panel isn't wedded to the numbers in any of them, but is likely to tailor its own plan after hearing from the public.

"It's difficult to say there is one scenario I feel comfortable with," commission member Julie Brown, who is the general manager of the Rogue Valley Transportation District, said at a Jan. 20 meeting. "We have to weigh all of these things."

Even before the meeting, ODOT received public comments adding up to 300 pages on how to spend the federal money. The agency also interviewed 1,500 people in 2021  it conducts these surveys every couple of years  about what they would like to see from the transportation system.

Though the money would flow into three general categories, as described below, the commission would have to approve specific projects as soon as this spring. It plans a decision on the broad allocations on March 30.

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Alternatives

 Scenario 1: About $107 million would go into Fix-It, a list of maintenance projects for roads and bridges, and the rest evenly split between enhanced state highways and two other programs. For Safe Routes to School, ODOT has received $4 in requests for every $1 in available money. A new program of Great Streets would improve state highways that also function as main streets in communities.

The aims of Fix-It are to maintain 85% of the state's 8,000 miles of highways at fair or better pavement condition and 78% of the 2,750 state highway bridges. Even with an infusion of new federal money, bridge conditions are projected to deteriorate because so many of them were built during the interstate highway era of the 1950s and 1960s and are past the 50-year mark.

 Scenario 2: About half would go into Safe Routes to School and Great Streets, as described above, and the rest evenly split between Fix-It projects and enhanced highways.

 Scenario 3: About half of the funds would go into enhanced highways  the current state money is scheduled to decline after 2024, seven years after the state's 2017 law funded the latest round of projects  and the rest evenly divided between Fix-It and the school and street programs.

 Scenario 4: Each of the three categories would get an equal share of $214 million.

Plan for the rest

ODOT officials have proposed the rest of the flexible funds ($198 million) for these programs:

 $100 million for ODOT to carry out new access projects to comply with a 2017 settlement of a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

 $40 million to help offset a projected shortfall in agency operations and maintenance.

 $40 million to enable Oregon to compete with other states for a share of $100 billion that the U.S. Department of Transportation will award for other projects. Possible Oregon contenders are two projects on Interstate 5: Rose Quarter widening and partial capping and a new bridge over the Columbia River to connect Portland with Vancouver, Washington.

 $15 million to help communities with planning for climate change, including the transportation planning rule that seeks to reduce the need for travel between home, work and other activities. The rule dates back to 1991, but was updated in 2012.

 $3 million to boost business and the workforce required for construction projects.

"What you have learned is that there is a need for money all across the transportation system," said Travis Brouwer, an assistant ODOT director.

In the 2021 survey, large majorities gave priority (90% or better) to six of 13 points, in descending order: Maintain roads and bridges, improve safety, reduce traffic congestion, protect the environment, seismic improvements, provide transportation for seniors and people with disabilities.

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"Curb Your Enthusiasm" actress Cheryl Hines has condemned her husband Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s comments about Anne Frank, who was murdered by Nazis as a teenager, which he made during a rally against vaccine mandates.

Kennedy, a longtime opponent of vaccines, invoked Nazi Germany in his screed against vaccine mandates on Sunday, at the Lincoln Memorial, and suggested that Frank was better off than Americans whose jobs require them to get vaccinated. He later apologized for the reference.

"My husband's reference to Anne Frank at a mandate rally in D.C. was reprehensible and insensitive," Hines tweeted on Tuesday. "The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything. His opinions are not a reflection of my own."

Kennedy was one of several speakers at Sunday's anti-vaccine mandate rally who compared Covid-19 vaccine requirements in the US to Nazi Germany, CNN Politics reported.

"Even in Hitler Germany (sic), you could, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland. You could hide in an attic, like Anne Frank did," Kennedy said in his speech. "I visited, in 1962, East Germany with my father and met people who had climbed the wall and escaped, so it was possible. Many died, true, but it was possible."

Frank was one of some 6 million Jews who were murdered by Nazis during World War II. Frank, thought to be 15 when she died, hid in an attic in the Netherlands before she was caught and sent to a concentration camp.

Kennedy apologized in a tweet on Tuesday for invoking Frank's name, tweeting that his "intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control."

"I apologize for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors," he tweeted. "To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry."

Hines responded to her husband's comments in a less specific statement on Monday, in which she replied to a tweet with, "My husband's opinions are not a reflection of my own. While we love each other, we differ on many current issues." She specified that she disagreed with Kennedy's comments about Frank when pressed by Twitter users including NBC News senior reporter Ben Collins.

But Kennedy has compared vaccine requirements to the Holocaust before. In 2015, at a screening of a film that focused on inaccurate claims that vaccines can cause autism, he called the number of children "injured" by vaccines (again, a baseless claim) "a holocaust," CBS News reported at the time. He later apologized for making the comparison but doubled down on his inaccurate claims of vaccines causing autism.

Kennedy, who married Hines in 2014, late last year said Hines asked guests of a holiday party they were hosting to get vaccinated or test negative before arriving. He told Politico that while Hines imposed the vaccine recommendations, neither took measures to verify vaccination or test status.

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CNN's Sarah Fortinsky and Aileen Graef contributed to this report.
The prestigious American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP) State Award for Excellence, comprised of two separate awards, is granted annually to deserving nurse practitioners (NPs) and NP advocates.

The Advocate State Award for Excellence is given to an individual in each state who has made a significant contribution toward increasing awareness and recognition of NPs. NPs are also eligible for the advocate award for non-clinical practice initiatives related to leadership, precepting, policy, politics, research, education, or community affairs.

Dr. Douglass Haas, DNP, APRN-NP, was nominated by the current President of the Nebraska Nurse Practitioners  Dr. Tara Whitmire, DNP, APRN-NP. She had the following comment to share related to the nomination: Dr. Douglass Haas continually advocates for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners in Nebraska and deserved to be recognized for his work. Im so pleased he was honored with this award!

Dr. Haas is a full-time faculty member of the University of Nebraska Medical Center  College of Nursing where he teaches primarily in the Adult/Gero Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program. He also has a faculty practice appointment one day a week as a Hospitalist NP at Lexington Regional Health Center. Dr. Haas when not teaching or caring for hospital patients also enjoys his time advocating for Nurses and Nurse Practitioners across the state of Nebraska through professional nursing organizations like the Nebraska Nurses Association and the Nebraska Nurse Practitioners.

Dr. Haas feels the best part of his job relates to education. Being able to teach patients, nurses, and practitioners is where all of the passion comes from. Knowledge is not to be kept and collected; it needs to be shared. The ultimate success is when a patient understands a new diagnosis, when a nurse is successful with a new clinical skill, or when a practitioner is able to use the most current evidence-based research to make decisions.
On October 6, 2021, Russias Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov met his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir Abdollahian in Moscow to discuss regional security and economic cooperation, and to address important concerns regarding the crisis in the South Caucasus. During the joint press conference, Lavrov repeatedly highlighted the idea of a 3+3 cooperation format including the three South Caucasus states  Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia  plus their three large neighbors, Russia, Turkey, and Iran, to focus on unlocking economic and transport communications in the region. The first meeting within the format took place in Moscow on December 2021; however, Georgia refused to take part. Moreover, recent tensions in the region between Armenia and Azerbaijan as well as Azerbaijan and Iran suggest that the proposed format will not generate visible positive outcomes.

BACKGROUND: After the second Karabakh war, Turkey revealed its intention to establish a 3+3 cooperation format in the South Caucasus, including Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia along with Turkey, Russia and Iran, with the intention to boost intraregional economic cooperation and new transit links. The initiative was received positively by Russia and Iran, much less so by Georgia and Armenia given the security situation of these countries. For Armenia, participation in the format along with Azerbaijan in the aftermath of the large-scale conflict seems challenging, as Yerevan has avoided agreements on any land trade corridors with Azerbaijan as long as disagreements over borders remain unsettled. In the case of Georgia, Russias participation in the format spells a danger of negative repercussions.

The 3+3 cooperation format is not the first initiative attempting to establish regional cooperation in the South Caucasus. Earlier projects such as Peaceful Caucasus Initiative, Stability Pact for the Caucasus, Caucasus Stability and Cooperation Platform, and United Caucasus have been put forward without any substantial success.

Although Russia, Iran, and Turkey are keen to launch the new format, crucial questions and concerns for the regional states must be addressed amid the new geopolitical realities in the region. The main weakness of this plan is the ongoing domestic discontent and resistance of opposition forces in Armenia and Georgia. The opposition parties in Armenia view the proposed cooperation format and envisioned transit routes as another set of concessions in favor of Azerbaijan, which puts Armenias sovereignty under question. In this initiative, even the participation of Iran, a long-time partner and ally of Armenia, appears insufficient to eliminate Yerevans skepticism. Baku appears unnerved by Irans participation and interest in the format, and Azerbaijan has recently experienced major diplomatic tensions with Iran, which moved its large military reserve to the border with Azerbaijan under the pretext of military drills, while Azerbaijani state media openly denounced Irans provocative actions.

Simultaneously, Georgia rejects any joint project with Russia due to their unresolved conflict over Abkhazia and South Ossetia. After Lavrovs press conference, Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaniani stated that, it would be tough for Georgia to participate in the format with the occupier. However, the country should not lag behind major geopolitical processes and projects in the region. Zalkalianis statement was met with sharp criticism from Georgias political opposition. In this context, Georgias refusal to participate in the format should not come as a surprise.

From Irans perspective, the format is an excellent opportunity to gain influence in the region. During the Karabakh war, Iran was largely absent and lacked leverage, unlike Russia and Turkey. Tehran is interested in compensating for this by engaging in post-war diplomacy.

IMPLICATIONS: While the 3+3 cooperation format might seem attractive and promising for regional states and for Russia, the opposite is valid for the West. During a recent visit to Tbilisi, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin poured cold water on the idea of U.S. support for a 3+3 format in the South Caucasus, stressing that, I would just say that Russia, which currently occupies 20 percent of Georgias territory, should focus on honoring its 2008 cease-fire commitments before promoting any new discussion platforms.

The recent Karabakh war radically shifted the regional balance of power, in a manner that does not favor the Euro-Atlantic community. The West and the U.S. were outsiders in the recent war, and their absence from the negotiations table in the post-war period should not come as a surprise. Instead, Turkey has become an influential regional player and an energy transit hub for Europe. In addition, Russia ensured its physical footprint in the region by deploying a peacekeeping mission to the Karabakh region, which grants it more leverage than in previous years and enables it to set a new agenda. Paradoxically, the 3+3 format, which envisages the opening of transportation networks, could facilitate intraregional cooperation and bring economic dividends but would increase Russias ability to control these networks and block non-regional actors.

Moreover, Russias leading role in this format would offer few advantages to regional states, particularly Azerbaijan and Armenia. The fact that the Russian-led peace forces in the Karabakh region are unable to prevent even minor hostilities between Azerbaijani servicemen and Armenian armed groups, including a recent grenade incident in front of a Russian checkpoint near Shusha city, puts the relevance of this format under question. After the grenade incident, Azerbaijan reported cease-fire violations along its border; hours after an explosive device reportedly wounded three Azerbaijani soldiers at a Karabakh checkpoint.

Simultaneously, Georgias participation in the new initiative would allow Moscow to undermine the countrys territorial integrity further. In fact, Georgia does not need to be part of any particular regional initiative since its territory has long been at the heart of most of the regions key infrastructure projects. Since Georgia constitutes an excellent transit route for vitally important pipelines and railway connections, Tbilisi does not need to align with Moscow or Tehran for new regional projects. History shows that allying with numerous regional and non-regional actors brings more political and economic dividends than exclusively succumbing to the influence of one regional actor.

CONCLUSIONS: The agenda of the 3+3 cooperation format has certain features that could be pragmatically attractive to regional states. However, there is no substantial reason to believe that it will facilitate intraregional cooperation and dialogue between the states involved, particularly Azerbaijan and Armenia. One year after the war, a final peace agreement and resolution of border delimitation and demarcation issues are nowhere in sight. It is therefore unlikely that the format would push the two adversaries towards a dialogue with positive outcomes.

Moreover, the format could undermine the Wests role by excluding its presence and influence as it strives to contribute to the post-war reconstruction and dialogue process. Thus, the West cannot be expected to support this initiative. Simultaneously, chances that Georgia, which desperately hopes to gain NATO membership in the near future, will join the 3+3 format are minimum. For Baku and Yerevan, the initiative could help reopen Soviet-era railway connections between the two states and Turkey, which would render them mutual benefits. Although Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has recognized that cooperating with Azerbaijan and Turkey would benefit Yerevan and even showed preparedness to normalize relations with Turkey, no tangible results have yet been achieved in this regard. Nevertheless, such a move in bilateral relations would provide visible results and attract additional investments necessary for the reconstruction process. Increased investments and engagement from the West is a crucial factor in establishing enduring peace and balancing Moscows post-war role in the region.

AUTHORS BIO: Fuad Shahbazov (@fuadshahbazov) is a policy analyst covering regional security issues. He is a former Research Fellow at the Center for Strategic Studies of Azerbaijan and a Senior Analyst at the Center for Strategic Communications. He has been a Visiting Scholar at Washington DC-based Daniel Morgan School of National Security. Currently, he pursues a master's degree in Defense and Diplomacy at the University of Durham.

Photo credit : Turkish Presidency
KEARNEY  In response to the increasing amount of methamphetamine seen threatening Nebraskans, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies in Nebraska have formed a coalition to help combat the number one drug threat in both rural and urban communities across the state.

Nebraska Attorney General, Doug Peterson; Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, Jan Sharp; Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge, Justin C. King.; Federal Bureau of Investigation Omaha Field Office Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel and Investigator Tyler Kroenke, representing Nebraska State Patrol, announced their partnership at a press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Kearney Police Department.

While in Kearney, these agencies, along with local and tribal law enforcement partners, are engaging in a Drug Forum as a way to exchange ideas and best practices on how to turn the tide against the scourge of methamphetamine.

A leading goal of this partnership is to sound the alarm that meth use continues to spread across our state, Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said. We want citizens to be fully informed about the dangers of meth consumption and understand the destruction it brings to communities.

The amount of methamphetamine seized in Nebraska has surged 293 percent in the last five years with law enforcement agencies combining for approximately 768 pounds in 2021. Total nationwide methamphetamine seizures increased 77 percent from 2018-2019, the most recent data available.

While fentanyl and opioids dominate the headlines, its important that we dont lose sight of the threat of methamphetamine, DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. This highly addictive substance is destroying families in Nebraska and crossing our state borders in alarming amounts. We want people to be aware that methamphetamine is a dangerous drug with life-altering consequences.

The synthetic substance primarily produced by transnational criminal organizations in Mexican mega-labs is hitting the streets of Nebraska at a purity and potency in the upper 90th percentile. Todays Mexican methamphetamine is deadlier, easier to access and roughly 69 percent cheaper than it was in 2005, leading to tragic impacts for Nebraska families and communities.

The trafficking of methamphetamine is not a victimless crime. Meth is exceptionally destructive, it wreaks havoc in our communities, and the people selling and trafficking it should see this initiative as a warning, Federal Bureau of Investigation Omaha Field Office Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said. We will not stand idly by and watch our neighborhoods degrade due to the influx of drugs like meth and the corresponding violence. We are committed to working together with our local, state, tribal, and federal partners to investigate and hold accountable the people and networks responsible for bringing meth into our Nebraska communities.

Our prosecutions of meth dealers continue to rise, Interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska Jan Sharp said. The methamphetamine that arrives in Nebraska is distributed and sold by gangs that routinely use guns and violence to conduct their illegal activities. We are attacking this problem in a concerted approach with local, state and federal agencies.

For more information on the coalition and the threat of methamphetamine in our Nebraska communities, please visit https://ago.nebraska.gov/life-or-meth. To speak with the Nebraska Attorney General, U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation or Nebraska State Patrol, please contact the respective Public Information Officer as noted at the top of this release.
ELWOOD  Its not every day one sees a house and barn rolling down the highway, but that is the sight Dawson and Gosper County residents might have seen if they were on or near Highway 283 during the early morning of Thursday, Jan. 20.

The house and barn were being moved from the Nisley farmstead south of Lexington to a property two miles north of Elwood. The story of how the move took place began in the spring of 2021.

Dan Neben was returning from work on Road 433 when he passed the Nisley farmstead and noted the property owner, Fred Nisley, had put in a corner pan on the pivot in the field adjacent to the home.

Dan had noted other work done earlier, removal of trees and other outbuildings, now only the two story farm home and the barn remained. He noted this to his wife, Sarah, that something may be happening to the home.

Fred Nisley said they were indeed preparing the property so the pivot in the field could go all the way around, but the house and barn would have to go to allow for this. If nothing else could be done for the home and barn, they would have been removed.

According to the Dawson County GIS site, the home was built in 1926. Nisley said the first of his family to make their home there was his grandparents, Sam and Ethel Nisley. It later passed to his aunt who rented the property.

In the late 1990s, the home was purchased by Freds parents Samuel Sam and Ruth Nisley and lived there for the rest of their lives. Sam died in 2000, Ruth died at the age of 91 in 2012.

The last person to live in the home was an employee of the Nisleys and they moved out in 2021.

Erica Nisley Jensen said, During my childhood this home is where my grandparents lived and I grew-up only six miles south, so we were at grandma and grandpas a lot. I can still remember their decor and the layout of all the rooms and furniture, eating many meals with family and friends at the dining table by the windows  just writing this brings back a flood of memories.

Nisley said he hated to see such a large change come to the property, but noted his children have moved away from the area. Also, when it came to the current price of land, needs must when it comes to farming.

Sarah Neben was familiar with the Nisley home for several reasons, it was along the drive to her parents, Thomas and Brenda, home along the Platte River to the east.

Additionally, she and Dan had considered purchasing the home to move to a property north of Bertrand they were renovating back in 2003 before choosing to go with a Wardcraft Home built in Minden.

Now, nearly 20 years later the Nebens live on a property north of Elwood and were considering changes to the property. Sarah said she reached out to Nisley to inquire about the plans for the house and if he would be interested in selling the structure.

Nisley met with Dan in mid-May 2021 to discuss the proposal and agreed to sell the home. Now the question became, would a move even be feasible from its current location to north of Elwood, powerlines being the primary issue.

Sarah contacted Williams Midwest House Movers, Inc., located in Hastings, in early June to look at the house, take measurements and looking at a possible route to take.

The Nebens spent several evenings driving around rural Gosper County roads looking for a route around the powerlines after the house would have to leave Highway 283 for a couple miles.

With Williams Movers agreeing the move would be feasible, the Nebens then applied for a special permit from Gosper County and met with the county planning commission and commissioners in July to discuss the moving plan, the water and septic situation and their future plans for the property with two homes being on site.

With official approval from the county, the Nebens contracted Don McCandless of Lexington to dig out the basement space in mid-July.

With the basement dug, Sarah said it was, full steam ahead, on preparing the site. On Aug. 7, they dug the footings for the home, with concrete pouring taking place several days later.

On Aug. 28, Dans brother, Scott Neben, an employee of Kearney Crete and Block, delivered 40 tons of 10 inch block for the foundation. The brothers, ironically, spent Labor Day weekend laying the first five rows of the block.

After this initial flurry of activity, progress slowed down as Dan, an employee with Titan Machinery in Lexington, was busy with work during the harvest season.

It wasnt only work that had to be done at the Elwood property, the Nisley home had to be prepared for the move also. Dan said he spent the first week of December taking out basement windows, knocking out eight holes for beams to go through, taking out half of the chimney and removing concrete from the back of the laundry room.

Sarah said Dans progress on laying additional rows of block was helped greatly by the mild weather conditions throughout the month of December. He noted the process slowed some when it took having to climb scaffolding and haul the blocks up when the rows got high enough.

Dan had to take a break from the block laying to dig the footings for the Nisleys barn, which would also be making the trip. On Dec. 23 the concrete was poured for the barn, ensuring it was in place for cold winter weather that was arriving after Christmas.

Dan said he laid around 1,600 blocks overall and could manage around 60-80 each afternoon he worked.

He also noted he mixed around four tons of mortor in a 90-year-old cement mixer that had been owned by his late father, Lester Neben.

The last row of blocks would be laid on Jan. 17, 2022 and the Nebens had contacted John Williams with Williams Movers letting him know the move could take place when they were ready. In a bit of a surprise, Williams said the move could take place the week of Jan. 17,

That happened a bit faster than I thought, Sarah said.

Williams handled all of the permits and coordinating with Dawson Area Public Power and Nebraska Public Power District in regard to powerlines. Employees with Williams arrived on site to move the Nisley house off its foundation and onto the moving beams on Jan. 17, the barn followed the next day.

Moving day was set for Thursday, Jan. 20 and the morning dawned bitterly cold, with the wind chill around minus seven degrees.

The house rolled first, followed by the barn, north on Road 433 and then west on Road 751. Even though they were rolling over pavement the pace had to be slow as there was no suspension on the trailers carrying the structures, according to Williams Movers.

Sarah said it was a, surreal feeling, following what would be their home rolling down the highway.

There was also some anxiousness mixed in her feelings, mostly for the safety of all of the moving and electrical crews involved in the process. She hoped along the way for a safe transition.

The moving train then turned south on Highway 283, but had to exit on Road 430 due to lower powerlines ahead on the highway. After some stair stepping on the rural road grid, the procession rejoined the highway from Road 747 for the home stretch.

Upon arriving at the Neben property, instead of taking the driveway, the house and barn were driven around the north of the windbreak for easier access to the waiting foundations.

The 11 mile trip took a little over two hours.

Sarah said all credit goes to Williams Movers, she noted their, calm and professionalism, during the move and placement of the structures. It couldnt have gone any smoother, she said.

The barn was the first structure placed on its foundation on Thursday, followed by the home. By Friday, both structures were firmly on their new foundations.

With all of the preparations and the move complete, Dan quipped to Sarah, now the real work begins. The Nebens said the first thing that needs to be done is to seal up the basement, which includes filling in any remaining holes with block and installing the basement windows.

Once the basement is finished, the area around the foundation will need to be backfilled. Finishing the basement floor will be next, as well as stairs to access the space. Dan said then he will work on hooking up the electrical lines, the furnace, water and sewer lines.

My grandparents would be astonished to know the home has been relocated and so very proud that it will provide memories for a new family and generation, Erica Nisley Jensen said.
LEXINGTON  Pre-trial motions have been made in the case of a resident physician from Omaha accused of killing her husband in June 2020.

Kathleen Jourdan, now 33, of Omaha, is charged with second-degree murder and use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony. She has claimed she acted in self-defense.

Dawson County Attorney Elizabeth Waterman is prosecuting the case.

Dawson County District Court Judge Jim Doyle heard several pre-trial motions during a hearing on Friday, Jan. 21, presented by her attorneys Brian Davis and Brian Copley.

Several of the motions were ruled on while others were taken under advisement for decision at a later point. Jury selection will be made in small groups and during breaks in the trial; the jury will remain in the courtroom while everyone else will be excused. Masks will be required.

A second hearing date was set for Friday, Feb. 4 to consider any additional motions. A jury trial has been set for Feb. 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2022 starting at 9 a.m. each day.

She pleaded not guilty to the charges in June 2020. Jourdans bail was continued and she remains free.

On June 17, 2020 Jourdan, her husband, Joshua, and their two children were moving to Scottsbluff to continue her medical residency.

While driving on Interstate 80 near Cozad, Jourdan and her husband began arguing. Joshua pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road, gave her a look and raised his arm like he was going to strike her, Kathleen Jourdan told law enforcement, according to an affidavit.

She then allegedly grabbed a handgun from the center console of the vehicle and shot Joshua twice in the chest, according to an affidavit.

During later interviews, Jourdan allowed Nebraska State Patrol investigators to look through her cellphone and told them they might find a concerning conversation with one of her friends. According to the affidavit, Jourdan and her friend had discussed how to get away with the perfect murder.

Jourdan later revoked her consent for law enforcement to search her cellphone.

She also alleged a history of being forced by Joshua Jourdan to provide prescriptions for controlled medications with no diagnosis by any medical professional.

When the vehicle was searched, investigators found 11 prescription bottles with Joshua Jourdans name on them.

These bottles indicated Joshua Jourdan as the patient and Kathleen Jourdan as the physician who wrote the prescription, according to a search warrant affidavit.

Jourdan also told investigators of alleged domestic violence involving her husband, to include but not limited to sexual assault, verbal and physical abuse.

Investigators requested Kathleen Jourdans Facebook account information and messages since January 2016, according to a search warrant affidavit.
A battle over the proposed location of a casino in Sarpy County that would compete with a major casino project in Omaha dominated a legislative hearing Monday on provisions that would govern Nebraska's voter-approved authorization of casinos at horse race tracks.

"Our goal is to create a powerhouse to compete with three Iowa casinos" just across the Missouri River, Lance Morgan, president and CEO of Ho-Chunk Inc., told the Legislature's General Affairs Committee.

But if there is a competing casino in Sarpy County, he said, Ho-Chunk would reduce its Douglas County casino proposal by $100 million and 300 jobs.

The number of proposed slot machines probably would be reduced from 1,700 to 1,000 or less, Morgan said.

"The Ponca Tribe is waiting to see what happens," he said.

"We're fighting against very strong companies across the river."

Monday's battle erupted during a hearing on LB876, introduced by Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, that would help implement the casino gambling authorization.

Included in the proposal was an amendment to extend the proposed distance requirement between casinos from 50 miles to 75 miles.

Iowa "has been very strategic in adding facilities that would not hurt existing casinos," Morgan told the committee.

"And we want Nebraskans to feel comfortable that there will be reasonable, not open-ended, expansion" of casinos in the state, he said.

The new Nebraska casino gambling authorization confines casinos to horse race tracks.

Ho-Chunk, the economic development arm of the Winnebago Tribe, is planning to build a $200 million casino at Horseman's Park in Omaha along with a $220 million WarHorse Casino in Lincoln near U.S. 77 and West Denton Road.

Don Wesely, a registered lobbyist for the Winnebago Tribe, told the committee that Omaha will "need a casino that is spectacular to compete with the Council Bluffs casinos" that now attract Nebraskans and lure their money across the river.

"I do not believe the Legislature should pick winners and losers," Bellevue Mayor Rusty Hike said. The legislative proposal would, in effect, "prohibit economic development," he told the senators.

"Our money is going to Council Bluffs" too, he said.

John Hassett, Aksarben Equine director, said the metropolitan Omaha area can accommodate two casinos and that would "generate more money for property tax relief."

Nebraska's new casino gambling law provides that 70% of the revenue generated by a 20% tax on gambling will be funneled into property tax relief.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon
A standoff in the Gage County village of Adams ended in an apparent suicide early Tuesday morning after authorities had been on scene for more than eight hours, according to the Nebraska State Patrol.

The incident started as a report of domestic violence on Elm Street in Adams, where the Gage County Sheriff's Office requested assistance from the State Patrol just before 10 p.m. Monday, according to the patrol.

A woman in the home told authorities Thomas Sharp had hit her several times and pointed a gun at her. When she tried to hit the gun away, she was shot in the hand, according to a State Patrol news release.

The woman  and her children, unharmed  ultimately fled the house shortly after the shooting, according to the news release.

After the State Patrol's SWAT team arrived on scene, authorities tried but failed to make contact with the man inside the home, later identified as 40-year-old Sharp.

Authorities eventually entered the home Tuesday morning and found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the State Patrol.

The entire incident lasted about nine hours.

The woman who was shot before fleeing the home was transported to Bryan West Campus in Lincoln and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said deputies were dispatched to the scene at about 10:30 p.m. Monday with the agency's heavily armored vehicle. Wagner said the vehicle was used only as a secure warming station for troopers and other authorities on scene at the standoff.

The situation resolved at about 6 a.m. Tuesday, Wagner said.

Gage County Attorney Roger Harris requested the State Patrol investigate the incident.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley
If not for Jane Does courage, former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston,  a man who stands convicted of raping her and now faces spending the rest of his life in prison  would no doubt be on his way toward securing a second term representing this area in the Legislature.
Dakota graduated from Bret Harte in 2013 and went to Davidson College, NC where she earned a bachelor's degree in Arab studies. After spending time studying in the Middle East and Europe, she is happy to be home, writing about the community she loves.

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Lompoc Valley Medical Center cardiologist Dr. Khawar Gul has been named 2021 Physician of the Year by employees who believe that he "exemplifies the districts values and maintains the trust of the community, patients and residents," a hospital spokeswoman said.
Nearly $3.5 million was set aside Tuesday by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors as a funding match in an effort to secure more than $17 million in state funds to convert a Santa Maria motel to permanent housing for homeless individuals.
Not long ago, Scott Faris, one of my email correspondents, suggested I give Benvenutos Italian Grill a try.

I know its not haute cuisine, he wrote, but Benvenutos Fitchburg does a very nice job and is a value in a clean, attractive setting.

I first tried Benvenutos in 1996, a month after Brian Dominick opened the original one in Beaver Dam. It had that chain look from the start. But when youre faced with the looming, competing signs of Dennys, Burger King and McDonalds, it is a godsend, I wrote then.

After 26 years, it was time to check in on a brand that has restaurants in Fitchburg, Middleton, Fond du Lac, Oshkosh and Wausau. Dominick closed his 18-year-old Benvenutos on Madisons North Side in October, telling me then that his six other locations have flourished during the pandemic with carryout and delivery business.

The Fitchburg restaurant opened in 2004 and everything about it is big: its dining room, its bar, its booths, its menu. The food was mostly great, and the service was exceptional.

The meat lasagna ($21) was a sight, served in a large, deep bowl, so you couldnt see the layers. The menu describes it as casserole style and it was served with a big spoon.

It was an interesting take on lasagna. You dont get your usual lasagna shape and form, said my friend.

And it was so massive, had we only ordered the lasagna and nothing else, we would have had more than enough food.

I know from trial and error that lasagna needs lots of sauce, and this one had so much tasty marinara it was almost soupy. It also wasnt lacking for meat, with ground beef and sausage. It was lighter on the cheese, which made an impressive, attractive appearance on top, but wasnt noticeable inside.

The meal came with soup or salad, and the creamy tomato basil soup was a highlight of the night.

The Benvenuto pizza, the house pizza, was wall-to-wall pepperoni, ham and Italian sausage. My friend liked how the pepperoni was dry and curled up, not greasy like pepperoni often is.

It also had onions, mushrooms, black olives, green peppers and plenty of cheese. We went with thin crust over hand-tossed, and the crust was fine but could have been crisper. It was cut into squares instead of triangular slices.

The loaded 10-inch pizza was a good deal at $16. The 16-inch version is $29.

The grilled salmon BLT ($17.50) suffered a bit from some strong-tasting fish the menu described as never frozen. The sandwich also had bacon from Nueskes, a specialty meat supplier in Wittenberg, plus ripe tomato and red onion.

The menu referred to the bread as toasted garlic panini, but it seemed ordinary. The menu mentioned honey lemon dressed arugula, but the dressing wasnt noticeable, and neither was the dill aioli on the bread. Those flavors may have been snuffed out by the slightly fishy salmon.

Danyelle Amachree, the restaurants general manager, said the restaurant gets fresh salmon twice a week.

Occasionally you will get a fish that is a little fishier than it should be, she said. Typically, though, our salmon is always going to have that real nice, mild taste that salmon does.

The best part of the dish was the crispy Brussels sprouts offered as a side that had just enough olive oil.

Skip the tiramisu ($7), served in a cup. It was heavy on the cream, but not on coffee flavor. The cake layer was minimal and buried deep inside.

After we were seated we didnt see a server for about 15 minutes, and the restaurant wasnt too busy, so I went back to the hostess stand to ask about it. A waitress was with us soon and she was excellent.

Once we ordered, she asked if we wanted to start with some house-made focaccia, but until I asked, it was unclear if it was included with the meal. It was, and was a delicious way to start.

She brought a huge basket of tender bread with a plate of spices which she covered in olive oil.

When I spoke later by phone with Amachree, who has been GM of the Fitchburg restaurant for three years, she said knowing all the spices that were on the plate takes her back to her serving days. But she looked into it and read me a list: salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme and oregano.

The roomy restaurant wasnt crowded on a Wednesday night and diners are spread out, making the space feel safe in the face of the omicron variant. Tables have bottles of hand sanitizer, which my friend tried and said she could smell through her mask.

Benvenuto means welcome in Italian and the restaurant does give off a comfortable vibe.

We love seeing familiar faces and getting to know people in the community, Amachree said when asked why she thinks Benvenutos has endured.

When you go to a Benvenutos theyre pretty individual, she said. Even though we have multiple locations, each one has its own unique personality and great food. I think great food is right at the top of that list.

Diner's scorecard Restaurant: Benvenuto's Fitchburg Location: 2949 Triverton Pike Drive, Fitchburg Phone: 608-278-7800 Website: benvenutos.com Hours: Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Dinner prices: Appetizers $10.50 to $17.50, sandwiches $14.50 to $17.50, soup $4 to $8, salads $9 to $17, pastas $15 to $27, pizzas $16 to $29, entrees $17 to $36. Noise level: Low Credit cards: Accepted Accessibility: Yes Outdoor dining: Yes Delivery: Some in-house delivery, but also through third-party apps. Drinks: Full bar Gluten-free: Entire GF menu Vegetarian offerings: Many Kids menu: Yes Reservations: Call-ahead seating Parking: Big lot Service: Excellent Bottom line: Benvenuto's is comfortable and comforting after all these years.

Read restaurant news at go.madison.com/restaurantnews

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The number of behavioral referrals for fighting at three of Madisons four main high schools increased sharply this September compared to the same month two years before, the last time the school year began with in-person instruction.

Forty-nine referrals for fighting were made in September 2021, compared to 28 during the same month in 2019. In addition to being the first full month of high school classes since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, September 2021 was also the first time in decades in which classrooms were full but Madison police no longer had an officer stationed at each of the schools.

Data released Monday in response to a public records request made Sept. 30 by the Wisconsin State Journal show referrals for fighting went from three to 11 at West and Memorial high schools and from seven to 12 at La Follette High School. The 15 referrals at East High School was the same for that month both years. Combined, the schools have about 7,500 students.

The newspaper had requested copies of the actual referrals tracked by a system the district uses to log behavior incidents and other student data, but district staff attorney Mankah Zama Mitchell instead provided a one-page summary with the total number of referrals at each school. Under the districts Behavior Education Plan, students caught fighting can get anything from a warning to expulsion, depending on the seriousness of the case.

Longer term, the number of students disciplined following fights in the districts high schools was up and down over the first two months of the school year over the last five years of in-person schooling, including a sharp increase this school year.

East High School experienced at least two large fights involving students during school hours, including one in mid-October and another in early November in which police used pepper spray. On Sept. 22, in an incident captured on bystander video, an East student was beaten in his classroom by two other students.

On Dec. 2, a La Follette student was arrested for allegedly having a loaded, stolen handgun in the school, and on Jan. 13, a 15-year-old special-needs student was beaten inside the school by three fellow students, according to police, who said the victim would require surgery to repair his teeth. Police as of Tuesday afternoon had not reported that the three believed responsible had been arrested, although a police spokesperson previously said police had probable cause to make arrests.

The School Board voted to remove police officers, known as school resource officers, from the four main high schools in June 2020. That decision came in the wake of George Floyds murder and after years of protests at board meetings and other advocacy by the local far-left group Freedom Inc.

The board subsequently voted in February 2021 to adopt 16 recommendations from a district Safety and Security ad hoc committee, including one requiring debriefing sessions after every instance in which police are called to examine, among other things, what could have been done proactively to avoid involving law enforcement.

The board is now mulling the creation of another committee to address school safety. Mitchell and District spokesperson Tim LeMonds did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The incoming leader of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources policy board is questioning whether the agency should include a population target in its forthcoming wolf management plan.

The agency began working last year to revise the states 15-year-old wolf management plan.

Randy Johnson, the DNRs large carnivore specialist, told the Natural Resources Board Wednesday the agency plans to release a draft next month for public comment and have a finalized version ready for board review by this spring.

Johnson said the plan will be based on factors including gray wolf ecology, human interaction and cultural significance and will be informed by 138 priorities advanced by stakeholder groups, which include conservation groups as well as representatives of the states 11 native tribes.

Johnson said the agency has not determined whether to include a target population level or an outcome based objective, though there is consensus within the committee to minimize human-wolf conflicts.

Defining what a healthy population is is a difficult thing to do, Johnson said.

Board members appeared split on the value of a numeric target.

Either a number or a range would be very important for this board, said Terry Hilgenberg. Unless you have a number or a range, youre kind of shooting in the dark.

Greg Kazmierski, who was elected Wednesday as the boards new chair, suggested triggers to dictate when there are too many or too few wolves, similar to the way the state manages deer and bear populations, saying few people believe the agencys population estimates.

I call it management by pain, Kazmierski said. If were feeling the pain, we need to move population in a downward direction to alleviate it.

The current plan, adopted in 1999 and last updated in 2007, has a population goal of 350 wolves.

The DNR estimates there were at least 1,034 wolves in the state as of April 2020, but the agency has not completed a population survey since hunters killed at least 218 wolves, exceeding combined state and tribal quotas, during a court-ordered hunt in February following removal of federal protections.

With billions at stake, Wisconsin lawmakers seek to block power line competition Wisconsin's three transmission utilities would be able to block competitors from bidding on projects within their territories, which opponents say would boost their profits at ratepayers expense.

Because that hunt occurred during the breeding season and later than any previously sanctioned hunt, wildlife officials said they could not accurately predict the impact to the population.

Johnson said the DNR is analyzing data gathered during this winters survey and would release a revised population estimate this summer.

This winters hunt  mandated by state law when wolves are not listed as endangered  was put on hold this fall by a Dane County judge who ruled the DNR must first update its management plan and adopt rules for setting quotas and issuing licenses.

Second wildlife group boosts reward for tips on wolf poaching Wildlife groups are now offering $15,000 for tips leading to convictions for illegal wolf hunting.

The state is facing a separate federal lawsuit from six Native American tribes that accuse the DNR of violating treaty rights and endangering an animal they consider sacred.

The DNR received more than 15,000 public comments last spring split almost evenly between those with favorable and unfavorable views of wolves but with two-thirds of people saying it is important to maintain a wolf population in Wisconsin.

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A conservative law firm on Wednesday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to bypass a recent state appeals court decision and prohibit the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the Feb. 15 spring primary.

The motion was filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty just two days after the District 4 Court of Appeals issued a stay against an earlier ruling by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, which barred the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. The appeals court said in an order Monday that the lower courts ruling creates the potential for voter confusion and uncertainty in the Feb. 15 primary. The court also temporarily halted Bohrens order that voters cannot have anyone else return their ballot for them.

WILL deputy counsel Luke Berg in an emergency motion asked the states high court to rule on the matter as soon as possible. While absentee voting has already begun in next months primary, an order vacating the appeals courts stay will not cause significant problems, Berg wrote.

Few primaries in Dane County While there are many contested races for local office in the April 5 election, the only offices in Dane County for which a primary must be held to narrow the list of candidates are the races for school board in Barneveld, Columbus, Lodi, Mount Horeb and New Glarus. A primary for those races will be held Feb. 15.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday told all parties in the case to file a response on the matter by 5 p.m. Thursday. The court has the ability to take up the matter immediately or leave it with the court of appeals, which is still considering future action. In a 4-3 ruling last summer, the Supreme Court turned back a separate attempt by a major Republican donor to ban the boxes.

Even if this Court concludes that it is too late at this point to vacate the stay for the February 15 primary, it should nevertheless grant the Petition for Bypass, Berg wrote. The issues in this case need to be resolved, if not immediately, then certainly in time for the spring election in April, and they ultimately need to be resolved by this Court.

As of about 8 a.m. Monday, nearly 8,400 absentee ballots had already been sent out by local clerks and at least 1,845 ballots have already been delivered or are currently out for delivery, according to court records.

After this Court issues an order vacating the stay, clerks can easily remove or cover any illegal drop boxes, and post signs on them and notices on websites that ballots must be mailed or delivered in person to the clerk, and by the elector, Berg wrote. This Court can even give clerks a few days to make that change.

State statutes do not address the use of ballot drop boxes, though the Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance in early 2020 to allow election clerks to make use of them. WILL and some Republicans have alleged the lack of statutory language makes the use of the boxes illegal. Proponents of drop boxes have said local election clerks should have discretion over their use and have targeted GOP efforts to limit or ban the boxes as an attempt to suppress votes.

The boxes were widely used in 2020 as an alternative for voters worried that, with the crush of absentee ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic and potential delays in mail delivery, their ballots might not make it back before Election Day. At least 34 states used or planned to use ballot drop boxes in the 2020 election and about 16% of voters nationwide in the 2016 general election made use of the boxes, according to the Elections Commission. Only four states prohibited the use of the boxes when the commission issued its guidance for their use in Wisconsin in 2020.

In testimony in the circuit court case last year, commission administrator Meagan Wolfe said at least 528 drop boxes were set up in 430 communities throughout the state in the November 2020 election.

In Madison, 13 of the citys 14 drop boxes are located at city fire stations, with one additional box near Elver Park.

While the city will not be holding a vote until the April 5 election, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said Wednesday the ongoing back and forth surrounding the legality of the boxes only adds to confusion for voters.

It just continues to raise the question of what is the point here? What are you afraid of? Rhodes-Conway said. People use ballot drop boxes all over the country and all over the state, in red areas and blue areas and everything in between. ... The impact of all of this is it creates confusion, it sows doubt.

The state Supreme Court also could take up the topic of drop boxes in a lawsuit filed last year by Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch challenging the commissions guidance on drop boxes. The states high court has not said if it would take up the case before it goes through lower courts.

Another lawsuit was filed earlier this month by a Waukesha County resident represented by WILL. The voter is suing the Elections Commission for rejecting a complaint he filed last year regarding ballot drop boxes.

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WASHINGTON  U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson on Monday convened a group of doctors and scientists who have been criticized for spreading COVID-19 misinformation to get a second opinion on the health issues facing Americans because of the pandemic.

Until COVID, a fundamental principle of medicine was  when dealing with a serious illness  to get a second opinion, maybe even a third, Johnson said. Today is about getting that long-overdue second opinion.

Immediately after Johnsons panel, the Committee to Protect Health Care, an advocacy group aligned with Democrats, held a Zoom call with Wisconsin doctors to criticize the senator for spreading misinformation.

Senator Johnson has done this before. This isnt new, said Bob Freedland, an ophthalmologist from La Crosse. Senator Johnson continues to give a megaphone to notorious COVID-19 misinformation doctors.

Dr. Ann Helms, a critical care neurologist from Milwaukee, said she believes the Republican from Oshkosh is trying to look tough.

I think theres just an interest in pretending this isnt happening, she said. Weve made this into a partisan issue when it shouldnt be. This should be about listening to the science.

The discussion organized by Johnson was advertised as an alternative perspective to the U.S. governments response to COVID-19. Speakers and audience members gathered in person, without masks, in the Russell Senate Office Building  although the event was not an official Senate hearing.

A day earlier, several of the speakers attended the Defeat the Mandates rally of several thousand demonstrators who marched from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial to protest COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

Notable attendees at both events included Dr. Robert Malone, a doctor and infectious disease researcher removed from Twitter for spreading COVID-19 misinformation, and Christina Parks, who holds a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology and is a staunch critic of COVID vaccines.

Johnson praised the speakers for their courage and compassion in treating COVID-19 patients with alternative medical options.

I want to thank the courageous doctors who have shown the compassion to actually treat patients ... and suffer the vilification, the censorship, the suppression ... that has come with their courage, Johnson said.

The Medill News Service fact-checked several dubious statements from the panel.

Limiting spread

CLAIM: The (COVID) virus is not spread from an asymptomatic person to another asymptomatic person, said Dr. Peter McCullough, former vice chief of internal medicine at Baylor University Medical Center, who was sued for illegitimately representing himself as a Baylor employee while promoting misinformation about COVID-19.

FACT: More than half of transmissions that occur in our communities are occurring by people who have no symptoms, said Ajay Sethi, associate professor of population health sciences and faculty director of the Public Health masters program at UW-Madison. This is a virus in which people become infectious before the symptoms begin, and for some of those people, the symptoms may never begin, and yet theyre infectious while theyre asymptomatic.

CLAIM: Dr. Aaron Kheriarty, a former professor in the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine who was fired over his refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and other reasons, said people with natural immunity, meaning people who have developed antibodies after contracting a virus, cannot be reinfected with COVID-19 or transmit the virus to others.

FACT: While it is true that people may develop antibodies to a virus like COVID-19, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released in September found that 36% of those with prior COVID infection did not produce any antibodies.

You have to survive COVID in order to walk away with some immunity that can be protective for the future, and how long that protection lasts varies from person to person, Sethi said. He noted the emergence of new variants continues to threaten prior immunity. As stated by the CDC, reinfections do occur after COVID-19.

Treatment

CLAIM: Johnson claimed the National Institutes of Health has told those who test positive for COVID-19 to go home and do nothing.

FACT: Patients are told to monitor their symptoms, that (if) they progress to a point where they need medical attention, that people should seek medical attention, Sethi said. The CDC lists certain warning signs of when to seek emergency medical care.

CLAIM: Dr. Harvey Risch, professor of epidemiology at Yale School of Public Health and Yale School of Medicine, said when hydroxychloroquine is used as an early treatment for COVID-19, it can produce a 50% reduced risk of hospitalization and 75% reduced risk of mortality.

FACT: Im not sure where that datas coming from, Sethi said. The scientific consensus is that hydroxychloroquine is not a valid treatment for COVID. Hydroxychloroquine, typically used to treat malaria, was first approved under Emergency Use Authorization by the FDA for treating COVID in March 2020. On June 15, 2020, the FDA canceled its recommendation after finding the medication was unlikely to be effective at treating COVID and resulted in some serious side effects, such as irregular heartbeat, according to the National Library of Medicine.

CLAIM: Dr. Pierre Kory, a vocal advocate for the off-label use of ivermectin, said the drug has been shown to help treat COVID in other parts of the world, claiming it could help solve the pandemic.

FACT: When tested in a lab, there was evidence that the (COVID) virus can be killed by ivermectin, but at such high, toxic levels that they cant be given to people, Sethi said. That just became a myth that ivermectin is something that could be used to treat COVID. Its not.

CLAIM: In a press release put out the day after the panel discussion, Johnson said COVID-19 is an entirely treatable disease. Probably hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives that didnt have to.

FACT: Patients have various treatment options for COVID-19. The FDA has approved the antiviral drug remdesivir for use in adults and some pediatric patients and has issued emergency use authorizations for several monoclonal antibody treatments. For those who are hospitalized with COVID-19, the NIH has a set of guidelines for when to administer various treatments.

Vaccines

CLAIM: Parks, the vaccine critic, said Black people may need lower doses of the COVID vaccine because of a sensitivity to mRNA vaccines.

FACT: Im sad that such a claim would even be made, because that kind of misinformation is what leads to health disparities in our society, Sethi said. The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID vaccines are mRNA vaccines.

CLAIM: Many panelists said COVID vaccine development was rushed and they are not safe.

FACT: I dont think the process was rushed, Sethi said. The only thing that was cut from the process was red tape, but the science that was carried out was the same science that would be carried out with the approval process for any new biologic vaccine or treatment.

Preaching to choir?

David Rapp, a professor of psychology and education at Northwestern University, said Johnsons COVID-19 panel provides a good case where someone is trying to offer inaccurate information to a constituency that already would be prone to believe it.

In addition, advocating inaccurate ideas makes it difficult to have productive debates about what is true or false within the information people receive.

The way that (the issue is) framed might suggest that the medical community writ large is ... less interested in care, Rapp said. Framing viewpoints in this way is a really clever and strategic method of getting people to think about who they should rely upon.

Michael Wagner, a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at UW-Madison, noted that midterm elections are coming up in November. Johnson recently announced he will run for a third Senate term, and Wagner said he may be trying to make inroads among the most ideologically extreme of his supporters.

It seems to be more of a way to generate support from the very far right, Wagner said. It might be a way to try to generate some kind of grassroots social media support for his untested and unproven theories about the pandemic.
Student attendance has dropped at Marylands public schools this year as system leaders continue to grapple with enrollment losses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marylands Board of Education on Tuesday reviewed enrollment and attendance trends for the 2021-22 academic year. Education officials estimate 28,000 students have left the states public schools since the beginning of the pandemic, which forced many school systems to deliver instruction virtually last year.

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Local education leaders have stretched employees and navigated staffing shortages while attempting to remain open to students  even as the rise of the omicron variant on the coronavirus shuttered individual schools. State education officials say that attendance has fallen and chronic absenteeism among some students is on the rise.

The percentage of enrolled students in grades 1-12 who attend school each day declined to 92.5%, down from 93.5% last year. Kindergarten and pre-K students are not included in the attendance rate.

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The data shows that the attendance rate of male students lagged behind that of their female counterparts.

African American and Hispanic students also attended school at lower rates than other races or ethnicities.

And students who came from economically disadvantaged or low-income households, or those who have disabilities or are English language learners, recorded lower attendance rates this year.

Similar chronic absenteeism and declines in enrollment are happening elsewhere across the country, state education officials said. U.S. schools lost an estimated one million students in the 2020-21 school year, according to a recent report from EdWeek. Most of the enrollment dropped in early grades as parents held students out of school or moved them to private schools amid the pandemic.

Maryland collects public school enrollment data from jurisdictions once a year, typically on Sept. 30 in accordance with state law. The data are used to calculate various funding levels for local school systems. Last year, the state held systems harmless, meaning their revenue did not decrease because enrollment dropped across all grade levels.

This budget season, school systems likely will face reductions to some revenues that are calculated using per pupil funding formulas. But some funding priorities  such as those tied to students in low-income households  are expected to remain the same for school systems, said Lora Rakowski, a state education department spokeswoman.

Maryland public schools currently serve an estimated 881,000 students, which amounts to a 3% enrollment decrease since 2020. Enrollment previously had been projected to increase in those years before the pandemic upended trends.

Still, some grade levels increased enrollment this fall compared to the prior school year  pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and 9th grade. And in nearly all systems, students attended virtual programs at higher rates across all grade levels.

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Maryland private school enrollment, which increased by about 9,500 students in the fall of 2020, has since lost those gains. State data show private schools enrolled 11,445 fewer students in Sept. 2021 compared to the previous year.

By contrast, the number of Maryland homeschool students has spiked from 27,754 in 2020 to 42,632 in 2021.
Medical marijuana for people with serious medical conditions would become legal in Wisconsin under a plan reintroduced Wednesday by Republican lawmakers, who said it could be debilitating for the sick not to have natural options.

The bill, which would legalize for medical use most forms of marijuana besides smoking it, would likely be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who included legalizing recreational and medical marijuana in his 2021-23 budget proposal, only to have it removed by Republicans.

Bill co-author Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, said Wednesday that Republican leadership, who have stood against medical and recreational marijuana legalization in the past, would allow the bill a committee hearing. Felzkowski introduced an identical bill last session, but it received little support in the Senate.

The bill would create a medical program guided by a state commission that would permit marijuana use for people with cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and other serious medical conditions.

If passed, the bill would put Wisconsin together with 36 states that permit medical marijuana, including states with Republican legislatures and governors and neighboring states Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

In a co-sponsorship memo sent after a news conference Wednesday, Felzkowski said, Medicine is never one-size-fits-all, and it is time for Wisconsin to join the majority of the country in adding another option which may help patients find the relief they need.

A 2019 Marquette Law School Poll found 83% of Wisconsinites said medical marijuana should be legal, while 59% supported full legalization.

In the past decade, Republican lawmakers have rejected several Democratic bills that would have legalized recreational marijuana.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in April that hes not comfortable with Wisconsin becoming a rogue state, legalizing marijuana before the federal government does.

Federal laws prohibit medical and recreational marijuana, though legislation known as the RohrabacherFarr amendment has prohibited the Justice Department from spending money to interfere with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws.

LeMahieu spokesperson Adam Gibbs did not respond to a request for comment on whether LeMahieu would give the bill a hearing or whether he would support the bill.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who indicated his support for medical marijuana in the past, may also be on board.

Ive always been supportive of medical marijuana when done the right way, he said. I am open to conversations with the authors to learn more about this bill.

In response to the bills unveiling, Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, a leading advocate for full legalization, said she appreciated that Republicans are coming to the table, however, this policy is not the direction Wisconsin should go.

Under the bill, a Medical Marijuana Regulatory Commission would regulate the medical marijuana program.

The program would permit the use of medical marijuana by Wisconsinites who receive written recommendations from a physician, physician assistant or certified advanced practice nurse prescriber. Medical marijuana patients would then be able to access cannabis products stocked by wholesalers who would be subject to a 10% state excise tax. It would be available to some minors.

The bill would require licensed producers, processors and laboratories to operate in an enclosed, locked facility, and they could not have past drug convictions. It would also require them to sell directly to medical dispensaries  not directly to patients  a requirement that would likely close the door on small-time producers as well as patients producing marijuana for their own use.

It prioritizes pharmaceutical companies, not our farmers or our Main Streets, Agard said about the bill.

Under current state law, first-time marijuana possession is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, while local governments are allowed to establish their own penalties for possessing small amounts of the plant. Subsequent offenses are a felony.

Madison has decriminalized possessing small amounts of marijuana in private and most public spaces, though dealing the drug is still subject to penalties.

Phil Hands: Legal weed, local issues and lots of drama with Iran MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Royal drama You Toon New Year's Resolution

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Absentee ballot drop boxes come in various sizes, but theyre built of steel, locked, and emptied on a regular schedule by authorized personnel operating in teams. Supporters say they are as secure, if not more so, than U.S. Postal Service mailboxes.

So why have Republicans launched multiple legal challenges against the use of the boxes in Wisconsin and elsewhere?

The principal reason cited in court filings in Wisconsin is that nothing in state law expressly authorizes the state Elections Commission to issue guidance to clerks allowing them to set up the boxes.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty, the conservative law firm that has filed multiple legal challenges against the use of drop boxes in the state, notes that state law says an absentee ballot shall be mailed by the elector, or delivered in person, to the municipal clerk issuing the ballot or ballots.

Wisconsin voters, candidates, and election officials deserve certainty on the legal methods to cast an absentee ballot, WILL president and general counsel Rick Esenberg said in a statement.

At the same time, state law also doesnt forbid drop boxes. Proponents  including the Wisconsin Elections Commission, the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, Disability Rights Wisconsin, Wisconsin Faith Voice For Justice and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin  say the boxes provide a safe, secure and accessible alternative to mailing in a ballot or voting in person during a pandemic.

Hundreds of municipal clerks made use of the freestanding, mailbox-like structures in 2020 when there still wasnt a vaccine for COVID-19 and public health officials were warning against large gatherings, like at polling places. At the same time, the large number of absentee ballots requested that year, combined with cutbacks at the U.S. Postal Service, led many to worry their ballots wouldnt make it back in time if they were mailed.

In Madison, 13 of the citys 14 drop boxes are located at fire stations, with one more at Elver Park, according to the city website. Ballots are retrieved from the boxes by two sworn election officials, who secure the ballots in a ballot bag with a tamper-evident seal and return them to the City Clerks Office.

So what is the harm in allowing people to place their ballots in the boxes?

In short, some Republicans argue that adding any unauthorized method for returning ballots opens the door to fraudulent activity, despite multiple reviews of the 2020 election finding no evidence of widespread fraud. And when clerks in largely Democratic areas like Madison make more use of the boxes than clerks in other areas, some conservatives have questioned if that provides an unfair advantage  even though the boxes have been used throughout Wisconsin, including areas that voted heavily for Republicans.

I think there is a much broader and concerted effort here to make it harder to vote and to cast doubt on our electoral process and I think this is just one piece of that bigger picture, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said.

In its review of elections administration, the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau reported that, based on results from the nearly half of the 1,835 municipal clerks in Wisconsin who responded to an agency survey, the boxes had appeared in all corners of the state prior to the November 2020 election.

Nearly 29% of respondents, or 245 clerks, said they had used the boxes, according to the Audit Bureau. According to a map the agency created, from 24 to 54 municipalities in each of seven regions of the state used them, including in the northeast and northwest parts of the state where former President Donald Trump won the vast majority of counties.

In all, the boxes were in use in at least 43 cities, 46 villages and 156 towns, according to the Audit Bureau.

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An appointee of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker has been selected to lead Wisconsins natural resources policy board.

In a secret ballot, the board voted 4-3 Wednesday to appoint Greg Kazmierski to serve as chair for 2022.

A hunting advocate and archery shop owner from Pewaukee, Kazmierski defeated board member Bill Smith, a retired Department of Natural Resources staffer appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in 2019.

Kazmierski said the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of in-person meetings, has inhibited the boards cohesion as a group.

This board hasnt really gotten to know each other very well except on YouTube, he said. Im looking forward to getting this board to gel like we have in the past.

Kazmierski, who has served on the board since 2011, will take over the leadership role from fellow Walker appointee Fred Prehn, who will continue serving as a board member.

The last years have been, shall I say, interesting, Prehn said.

Despite public pressure, the Wausau dentist has refused to step down since his term expired May 1, denying Evers appointee Sandra Naas a seat.

Prehn argues he can continue serving until the Senate confirms Naas.

The Republican-led Senate has made no moves to do that, ensuring Walker appointees majority control over the board, which will be asked to consider politically charged policy decisions, including approval of a new wolf management plan and the states first attempts to regulate toxic chemicals known as PFAS.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit in August asking the courts to force Prehn to step aside.

The state Supreme Court has agreed to decide the case, though its unclear when the conservative-majority court will issue a decision. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on March 10.

Senate Republicans have also stalled confirmation of Evers appointees to boards overseeing the higher education system, a move that could allow the GOP to quickly retake control if the party wins the governors race in November.

Five of Evers picks for the state technical college system board are unconfirmed, with three of them unable to serve because Walker appointees have refused to vacate their seats even though their terms expired last spring.

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On this episode of the Utterly Moderate Podcast, host Lawrence Eppard is joined by former Republican South Carolina Congressman and current executive director of RepublicEN.org Bob Inglis.

On their website, RepublicEN asserts that, We are the EcoRight. . . We stand together because we believe in the power of American free enterprise and innovation to solve climate change. Together, we encourage, embolden, and applaud conservative climate leadership. . . The age of conservative climate disputation is over. Check them out at RepublicEN.org!

Eppard talks to Inglis about his intellectual journey on climate change, the work that they do at RepublicEN, how conservative principles can help solve the problem of climate change, as well as the future of the GOP.

Then in segment two Eppard discusses a variety of news items, including:
The Innovate 608 podcast is for professionals on the go. Its about entrepreneurship  the journey, the community and a place to hear about bold new things happening in Madison and Wisconsin.

Hosted by Nora Roughen-Schmidt and produced by StartingBlock, Madisons local hub for creative startups, the Innovate 608 podcast will tell the stories of incredible Wisconsin innovators. Listeners will hear from startup CEOs about their successes and failures, plus experts in every facet of creating a successful business, from turning an idea into an effective investor pitch to launching and running a thriving operation.

In the 14th episode, Scott Forester talks about starting up a company during the pandemic. ThinkForward CFO offers entrepreneurs a foundation for their financial success. Forester has had plenty of his own success as CFO for companies such as Tiger Toys, creator of Furby, and four startups he sold to Hasbro, Heinz, Mondalez and Wipfli.
A Madison man was charged Tuesday with two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide for a shooting last month in the parking lot of a Southwest Side store  allegedly over a drug debt  in which two people were wounded in broad daylight in front of shoppers.

Alvon D. Ladd, 25, was also charged with possession of a firearm by a felon for a shooting that happened on Dec. 22 in the parking lot of Home Depot, 4550 Verona Road, in which a man and a woman were wounded.

The woman told police she and the man had gone to the Home Depot parking lot to meet her ex-boyfriend but instead an SUV pulled up carrying Ladd and another man, both of whom she had done multiple drug transactions with in the past, according to a criminal complaint filed in Dane County Circuit Court.

She said a person she later identified as Ladd got out of the SUV and pointed it at the man, who was a passenger in the womans truck, tried to pull open the passenger side door, and then fired a gunshot when the woman gunned her truck and pulled away.

When Ladd got out of the SUV he was holding a semi-automatic handgun, the complaint states.

Ladd appeared in court Tuesday where he was ordered jailed on $75,000 bail for the attempted homicide case, and lesser amounts on some other unrelated cases for which he was also appearing.

According to the complaint:

The woman told police Ladd was a passenger in the SUV that pulled up while another man, identified in the complaint only by initials and the nickname Chop, was the driver. She said that while shes bought drugs from both men, she did not know they knew one another, the complaint states.

The woman said she had not had any contact with Ladd after she and Ladd mutually accused the other of ripoffs. She said she had heard later that Ladd was looking for her with a gun.

The man who was wounded told police the woman had contacted Chop and made arrangements for them to meet at the Home Depot. They waited for a few minutes, he said, before a maroon Buick SUV pulled in and parked. A man got out holding a black handgun and was yelling something before firing the gun.

The man sustained a gunshot injury to his left wrist and lacerations caused by shrapnel striking his chest. The woman sustained small wounds to the right side of her abdomen.

Ladd was arrested on Jan. 10. Interviewed by police that day, Ladd initially denied being in Madison on Dec. 22 and denied speaking recently with Chop. But investigators looking at Chops phone found nine calls between he and Ladd between Nov. 25 and Dec. 28.

Messages back and forth between Ladd and the woman in November, found on her phone by police, became increasingly testy, ending on Nov. 29 with Ladd telling the woman he was going to kill her and the man and blow up the womans mothers house.

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Laura Diaz Munoz is very bullish on wines made in Napa Valleys valley floor. The winemaker who is putting a fresh coat on Ehlers Estate believes her wine is every bit as good as more expensive wines made from grapes grown on hillside vineyards. For her, its getting the most from the soil and climate to make the best wines specific to that location.

The location is at Napa Valleys narrowest point between the Mayacamas and Vaca mountains that sees morning fog, full sun during the day and shore breezes in the afternoon.

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Munoz is focused on single varieties  cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc  that do well in a caldron of soils that range from clay to gravel. All of the nine wines come from 40 acres of estate vineyards divided into five main blocks based on soil type. Sauvignon blanc is the only white wine made here.

Laura Diaz Munoz at Ehlers Estate winery & vineyard, Napa, California (Andrea Johnson)

Bernard Ehlers established the winery in 1886. In the mid 1990s Jean and Sylviane Leducq, who came from France in search of property to create a legacy akin to the chateaux of Bordeaux, bought Ehlers Estate. Although they have passed, their foundation continues to fund efforts to combat cardiovascular disease and stroke.

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Originally from Madrid, Munoz has been in Napa Valley for 15 years and spent a number of years working beside Chris Carpenter at Cardinale, Lokoya, Mt. Brave and La Jota. Besides giving Ehlers Estate wines a new label that reflects a sense of location, Munoz is focused on farming to extract the best wine from the diverse, biodynamically farmed soils.

The future is in the vineyards, she said. Were not planning on growing in volume. Were just trying to change the way we farm to make the wines better.

We loved the 2018 Ehlers Estate Merlot ($65), a fruity and fresh version with balanced acidity. Oak-inspired mocha and spice aromas complement the juicy raspberry and cassis flavors.

The 2018 Ehlers Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($72) is full bodied with blackberry and cherry notes and hints of black pepper, leather and cedar.

Cono Sur

There is an endless  and perhaps fruitless  argument over which region makes the best pinot noir: Burgundy, Oregon, California, New Zealand are in the mix. But rarely do you hear anyone add Chile, a wine-growing region known more for its sauvignon blancs and cabernet sauvignons.

Matias Rios, however, is more than eager to talk about it. Since 2003 he has been the winemaking director of Cono Sur, which was founded n 1993 with a focus on pinot noir. Once Cono Sur recognized the potential for this grape, it created the pinot noir project in 1999 with a focus on following Burgundian vinification practices by Burgundy native Martin Prieur. It started by switching to a sustainable agriculture.

Cono Sur farms more than 3,700 acres of vineyards at 20 estates spread over all major wine regions in Chile. Twenty percent is planted to pinot noir. His goal is to make the best pinot noir in Chile.

Rios argues that the climate and terroir in these regions are ideal for the often-unpredictable pinot noir grape variety. The regions are blocked in by the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Andes Mountains to the east, Atacama Desert to the north and glaciers to the south. These elements trap in the oceans breezes that cool the delicate pinot noir grapes. The highest temperature seen here is only 77 degrees.

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Rios has blazed a trail in innovations. He was the first to introduce artificial corks and now screw caps. Cono Sur was the first to have an organic and later a carbon-neutral wine.

These wines are good values if you arent looking for an equal to more concentrated pinot noirs from the West Coast. Here is a summary:

Cono Sur Bicicleta Reserve Pinot Noir 2019 ($10). Bright cherry and raspberry notes with a medium body and a dash of dried herbs. Only a small portion of the wine is aged in used oak barrels in order to retain the freshness.

Cono Sur Organic Pinot Noir 2019 ($11). Generous red berry aromas with a hint of toasty oak. Round in the finish. This wine is vegan and carbon neutral.

Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir 2018 ($25). With additional oak aging, this wine has more concentration and complexity. Raspberry and dark cherry flavor with balanced acidity and good tannins. The grapes are foot-trodden because Rios says there is a more human connection in sensing the right touch in crushing the grapes.

Wine picks

Marchesi di Gresy Monte Aribaldo Dolcetto dAlba DOC 2019 ($19). Made entirely of dolcetto grapes and aged in stainless steel, this delicious wine from Piedmonte has vibrant and fresh cherry and strawberry notes.

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Li Veli Orion Salento IGT 2019 ($15). Made from primitivo grapes  thought to be related to zinfandel  this wine has juicy and ripe dark berry flavors.

Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella Superiore 2017 ($30). We are always thankful to find this wine in restaurants because it delivers a lot of quality for the money. Classified an amarone because the grapes are allowed to raisin on the vine before they are pressed, it has dense, ripe blackcurrant and blackberry flavors with a dash of spice.

Metz Road Pinot Noir Monterey Estate Riverview Vineyard 2019 ($36). From the Scheid Family of wines, this cool climate pinot noir offers elegant wild berry and cherry notes with a pleasant spicy and vanilla background. Very drinkable.

Newton Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Unfiltered 2018 ($75). Although expensive, this Newton red wine is reasonably priced considering its pedigree. A sumptuous deep and rich display of the classic cherry and cassis notes that you expect from a premium Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon. Soft approachable tannins make this fine wine a candidate for near-term drinking, but it certainly has the legs for at least 10 years of aging.
A Wisconsin judge says the state has the authority to test wastewater for toxic forever chemicals but cannot bring legal action against polluters without first establishing water quality standards.

Jefferson County Judge William Hue sided with Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, which sought to bar the Department of Natural Resources from testing for PFAS, a group of human-made chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other ailments but are not yet regulated under state code.

The case, one of two challenging the states authority to regulate PFAS, involved sampling undertaken as part of the DNRs effort to estimate the economic impact of proposed standards that, if adopted, would require wastewater treatment plants to remove two PFAS compounds.

The DNR estimates the regulations would cost businesses and local governments up to $4.8 million a year but could save more than $100 million annually in health care expenses.

In a 45-page decision issued Monday, Hue ruled that under the federal Clean Water Act, the DNR can sample wastewater for informational purposes, but enforcement is limited to substances and quantities established through the rulemaking process.

Spokespeople for the DNR and WMC, the states largest business lobby, each declined to comment on the decision.

Because they do not break down naturally, PFAS accumulate in animal and human tissue and can be spread to farm fields in sludge from sewage treatment plants. PFAS have contaminated soil and groundwater at sites across the state, including Madison, Marinette and La Crosse.

The DNR is finalizing water standards for two PFAS compounds, and the Department of Health Services has recommended limits for 16 more. As part of the 30-month rulemaking process, those standards will require approval from the Republican-led Legislature.

Facing 'substantial' cleanup costs, Dane County looks to sue PFAS makers County Executive Joe Parisi announced Thursday that he would introduce a resolution authorizing the county to hire outside attorneys to pursue class-action litigation against manufacturers of fluorinated compounds known as PFAS.

In the lawsuit, WMC argued the agency does not have the statutory authority to test for contaminants when there are no standards in place because state agencies dont have any powers not explicitly granted by the Legislature.

According to court records, the DNRs sampling program expanded beyond the scope of the economic impact study.

The DNR sampled water from 116 sewage treatment plants and manufacturing facilities, but a court order issued last spring barred the release of data that could be tied to an individual facility, address or county. Seven other facilities refused to allow the agency to sample their effluent.

Hue ruled the DNR acted unlawfully when it took samples for the economic assessment, but he determined the data gathered are nevertheless considered public records, which could be subject to release.

WMC says by releasing the results, the DNR risked significant reputational harm to the businesses that could be stigmatized as polluters even though they are in compliance with their discharge permits.

Watch now: PFAS found in Madison sewage; utility calls test results 'favorable' PFAS levels in the effluent were below state surface water standards proposed by the DNR though four times higher than a previous recommendation for PFOS, a compound that builds up in fish and human bodies.

In a separate case, WMC sued the DNR on behalf of an Oconomowoc dry cleaning business in a challenge to the agencys authority to require cleanup of unregulated pollutants such as PFAS.

State law gives the DNR authority to regulate the discharge of hazardous substances, though there is no definitive list of those substances, which can include toxic chemicals, as well as otherwise innocuous substances like milk in certain circumstances.

In that case, WMC argues the DNR should be required to go through the rulemaking process to establish a list of what substances qualify as hazardous.

Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren is expected to issue a decision in April.

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Assembly Speaker Robin Vos refused to say Tuesday whether he would support legalizing absentee ballot boxes in the battleground state after former President Donald Trump spoke out against it.

Vos, R-Rochester, in 2020 voiced support for absentee ballot drop boxes while arguing against the collection of ballots in Madison parks by election workers.

Republicans are working on election-related bills for consideration later this year. Wisconsin law does not currently authorize absentee ballot boxes, even though they were widely used in 2020, an issue thats the subject of ongoing lawsuits and a growing partisan divide.

On Monday, Trump issued a statement that didnt name Vos, but said Some Rino Republicans in Wisconsin are working hand in hand with others to have drop boxes again placed in Wisconsin. Drop boxes are only good for Democrats and cheating, not good for Republicans.

RINO is a term used to refer to Republicans in name only.

Trump lost Wisconsin by just under 21,000 votes to President Joe Biden. The outcome has withstood recounts, lawsuits and a number of reviews.

Since the loss, Republicans have focused on limiting the use of absentee ballot boxes, which saw increased use in 2020 largely due to the pandemic. Wisconsins top elections official testified last year that at least 528 drop boxes were used by more than 430 communities in the presidential election.

A bill being worked on by retiring Sen. Kathy Bernier, R-Chippewa Falls, a former election clerk, would authorize absentee ballot boxes at municipal clerks offices only. It would allow cities with at least 70,000 people to install up to three additional drop boxes on city-owned property, other than public parks.

A draft of the legislation was posted on the conservative website Gateway Pundit on Sunday before Trump issued his statement. Bernier has drawn fire from some conservatives after she criticized Republicans who are pushing conspiracy theories about the 2020 election and how it was run in Wisconsin.

Vos, at a Tuesday news conference, did not directly address the Trump statement or where he stands on ballot boxes after being asked about it, saying only that there is legislation making its way through the process.

He also defended a letter sent on his behalf by his attorney to the Madison city clerk in September 2020 supporting the use of absentee ballot boxes.

We wholeheartedly support voters use of any of these convenient, secure, and expressly authorized absentee-ballot-return methods, attorney Misha Tseytlin wrote then on behalf of Vos and then-Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald.

The letter was in objection to Madisons Democracy in the Park event where election officials collected absentee ballots for the 2020 presidential election. No one challenged the event in court until after the election, which the state Supreme Court ruled was too late to invalidate the ballots.

Our attorney at the time was focused on saying there are lots of ways you can vote, Vos said Tuesday. You can vote in person, you can vote absentee, you can go to the clerks office, you can vote by mail. You certainly dont need to have any kind of a ballot harvesting in the park.

The Wisconsin Appeals Court on Monday allowed for ballot boxes to be used in the upcoming Feb. 15 primary, putting on hold a ruling from a Waukesha County judge. Whether ballot boxes can be used after the upcoming primary will likely be decided by the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court.
WENDELL  On the wall of Ohana Coffee House there is a sign with a classic quote attributed to Walt Disney:

If you can dream it, you can do it.

For Disney lovers Milagros Sandoval and Rylee Cutler, their dream came true with perseverance, a loving family and a supportive community.

Dreams do come true, honestly, Sandoval said. Ive always wanted to open my own coffee shop and now I opened it with my best friend, thats the best thing ever.

Just eight months after graduating from Wendell High School, the girls opened their business at 17 N. Idaho St. in their hometown.

Sandoval and Cutler picked the name Ohana because it means family in Hawaiian and their families played a vital role in helping them get their business off the ground. The term is also used in a well-known quote from the Disney movie Lilo and Stitch.

While they were in school, the pair worked at a different coffee shop in town and learned the ins and outs of serving drinks.

During their senior year they took business math, a class that required them to do a project on running a mock business. Sandoval wrote hers about a coffee shop.

The teacher of that class helped us so much, she always pushed us so much, Cutler said. She told us that she could see us actually pursuing it.

Being a young entrepreneur has been a challenge but the girls have learned when to ask for help and when to take it on themselves.

Our families have helped out a lot, Sandoval said.

Cutlers mom said the families helped the girls acquire the building and complete some of the renovations, but anything directly relating to the business the girls have done on their own.

The building on Idaho Street used to be a veterinarian office and dog groomers.

Sandoval and Cutler had to pick out machinery, beans and flavorings.

All of it was stressful, Sandoval said. I honestly was going into this like This is going to be easy. It was not easy. There were so many phone calls.

So far, their favorite part has been seeing regulars from the shop they worked at previously.

Almost all of the community has rallied around the girls and supported the coffee shop. Teachers from the high school and middle school have stopped by for drinks along with staff from the local Farmers Bank branch.

Not listening to people who thought they couldnt do it was important, Cutler said.

We had a bunch of people talk down to us but we just had to push past it, she said.

Neither of them were scared that running the business together could damage their friendship.

They both have unique strengths, Sandoval said. She handles the business side, including budgeting and ordering product and Cutler is the brains behind everything creative.

I think its been really easy working together, Sandoval said. We make a really good team.

The girls are planning to add more seating and arcade games in the future. They hope that it becomes a hangout for kids in the community.

Ohana Coffee House is open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Customers can walk in or use the drive-thru.

They have coffee, flavored Red Bulls, flavored sodas, teas and lemonade.

Sandovals favorite drink is the Coral Reef, an energy drink with strawberry, pineapple and coconut.

Cutlers favorite drink is the Ka-Chow, a Red Bull with strawberry, peach, and pineapple.

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Kids in Idaho have a chance to pen a story to be judged for uniqueness, language skills, creativity and even illustrations in a contest announced last week by Idaho Public Television.

For the 28th year, Idaho Public Television is hosting the Idaho PBS KIDS Writers Contest. The three regional stations across the state  KUID in Moscow, KISU in Pocatello, and KAID in Boise  want to encourage young authors and artists in kindergarten through third grade to write and illustrate their own story and submit it by Saturday, March 19, for a chance to win prizes and have their work published online.

Idaho PBS KIDS Writers Contest details

Entry forms, rules, FAQs, and teacher tips are available at idahoptv.org/writers. The contest is open to children residing within Idaho Public Televisions over-the-air service area, including Idaho and parts of Washington, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, and Nevada.

Winners in each grade level from each of the three Idaho regions will be selected and receive prizes, including toys, books, and a $100 contribution to an IDeal  Idaho College Savings Program account. Winners will be announced in April.

A virtual awards ceremony will be held in May for each region of Idaho to celebrate the winners and their stories. In addition, the winning stories will be uploaded in full color onto the Idaho Public Television website: idahoptv.org/writers.

Regional volunteer panels will judge the entries on creativity, originality, language skills and illustrations, Idaho Public Television officials said. Fiction, non-fiction and poetry are accepted.

Idaho Public Television is a statewide multimedia network with transmitters and translator stations that broadcasts across five digital channels through five full-power transmitters (KAID, Boise; KCDT, Coeur dAlene; KIPT, Twin Falls; KISU, Pocatello; and KUID, Moscow) and offers streaming content and educational resources through its website: idahoptv.org.

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BOISE  A top Idaho education official on Monday gave a full-throated defense of the states public education system that in recent years has come under attack by far-right-wing lawmakers seeking to cut financial support.

Idaho State Board of Education President Kurt Liebich told the Legislatures powerful budget-setting committee that the states education system is directly responsible for Idahos economic success that this year includes a record budget surplus of $1.9 billion.

Lawmakers on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this week are hearing budget requests from the states universities and colleges. Lawmakers last week heard the budget request for K-12 education.

Right-wing lawmakers last year succeeded in cutting $2.5 million from the budget request for universities despite a budget surplus. An influential libertarian group that wants to abolish public education entirely says it will push for a $20 million cut to universities this year.

The Idaho State Board of Education has seven members appointed by the governor and the statewide-elected superintendent of public instruction. The board makes policy for students in kindergarten to those seeking advanced degrees.

Liebich noted several areas where the state needed to improve, citing among them reading proficiency for third graders and college entrance exams.

But we should not waste our time trying to tear the system down, and we should all be focused on incremental improvement in each of these areas every single day, he said. Undermining our education system is not productive, and over time it will have an impact on our economy and our quality of life.

Cutting university budget requests last year centered on objections to social diversity and critical race theory. Critical race theory is a way of thinking about Americas history through the lens of racism. Republican lawmakers accused universities of indoctrinating students.

Republican Rep. Ron Nate, a committee member who voted for the cuts last year, on Monday made clear critical race theory would again be a focus when it came to approving education budgets this year. He said he disagreed with what he said was in some educator instructions.

In that teacher training is diversity, equity and inclusion, which is a manifestation of critical race theory, he said. Parents are frustrated that they see more and more wokeness in their schools.

Public education supporters have called that argument a red herring intended to undermine support of public education.

We heard the concerns that were voiced at the Legislature last year, and what weve been trying to do over the last year is actually put some definitions around this stuff so were not running around the state chasing ghosts, Liebich said, citing a survey the board had done on those topics. We are really trying to strengthen our freedom of speech and freedom of expression policies, to make it crystal clear how important we believe those things are through all of our education.

On the same day that Liebich spoke to lawmakers, the board released results of a study that found Idaho taxpayers see an 80% return for every dollar invested in higher education. The study was commissioned by the board and conducted by the Moscow, Idaho-based firm Emsi Burning Glass.

Liebich told lawmakers that the state needs to concentrate on four key issues regarding education.

The first was to make sure school districts had the resources they need to address learning setbacks caused by the coronavirus pandemic over the last three years.

Second, he said significant growth had to be addressed in urban areas, while some rural areas were losing students.

Third, he said higher education was critical to the states economy. I cannot stress enough how important a vibrant and healthy higher-ed system is to our citizens, our business community and our state, he said.

And, fourth, he said there was an inequity between rural and urban school districts that needed to be addressed, with rural schools falling behind.

Idaho Republican Gov. Brad Little has recommended a record $300 million for K-12 education spending this year, and Liebich said he supported that budget request.

Lawmakers on the budget committee will hear various budget requests this week from universities, with votes on setting those budgets taking place later in the session.

Whatever the committee approves will also have to be passed by the House and Senate.

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Nomination from counselor

Isabella dropped out of high school her junior year and then decided to attend the Idaho Youth Challenge Academy last year. After she received 14 credits at the Youth Academy she came to Magic Valley High School and is graduating early. Because of her determination and motivation she will be accomplishing her goal of obtaining her diploma. It takes a lot to go back to school after you drop out. I, however, have no doubt that Isabella will succeed in her life after she gradates high school.

Some of Isabellas accomplishments include community service projects like cleaning up community members yards, adopt-a-highway cleanups and also helping her fellow classmates and staff at MVHS. She learned what it takes to become a leader and valuable team member at the Challenge Academy.

Isabella is the ideal candidate for this award because she exemplifies what it takes to accomplish her goals and to be determined, motivated and focused on becoming a productive member of society.

More about Isabella

I had the opportunity to work with Isabella in finding what career path she wants to do after high school which is to become an EMT, said Counselor Annie Peterson.

Isabella plans on attending the College of Southern Idaho in the fall to take classes and become an EMT. She looks forward to helping people.

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Today is Wednesday, Jan. 26, the 26th day of 2022. There are 339 days left in the year.

100 years ago in the Henry Bulletin: I am pleased to announce  that there will be three deliveries by city carriers in lieu of two at present. Carriers will leave on their first trip at 10:15 a.m., second trip at 2:20 p.m. and third trip at 4:20 p.m. The first trip will catch all the incoming morning mails, and on this trip all first class matter and news papers will be delivered. The second trip will be devoted to delivery of parcel post matter as at present. The third trip will catch the northern and western mail via Roanoke and northern and southern mail via Danville. T.H. Self, Postmaster.

75 years ago: The appointments of [illegible] Henderson to the City Board of Equalization and Andrew Schlibe and Harry Warren as census enumerators in the annexed area were approved by Judge Kennon C. Whittle on Saturday.

50 years ago: WashingtonPresident Nixons political rivals and foes are ... rejecting the idea his ... peace plan is the long-sought key to the complex puzzle of the Vietnam War. Congressional action to Nixons Tuesday night announcement from a declaration that the Presidents disclosure of secret negotiations with Hanoi was his finest hour, though doubts his offer will be accepted.

25 years ago: The Kiwanis Club of Bassett has donated $5,000 to the Bassett Library Expansion Fund in memory of the late Bill M. Brammer, who was a club member for more than 40 years. At the presentation  are Jim Adams, club president, Robert O. Perry, chairman of the librarys fund drive; Patricia Brammer, wife of Bill Brammer; and Clyde Lawson of the clubs Memorial Committee. Also, Patricia Brammer donated stock valued at more than $12,000, in memory of her husband.
The three area school systems have three different responses to Gov. Glenn Youngkins executive order lifting mask mandates for all children in public schools.

The Martinsville City School Board announced at its Monday night meeting that they will continue with their current policy requiring the use of masks in schools, while Henry County Public Schools opted to make masking optional. Patrick County Public Schools say they will continue masking while affording some flexibility among students and their parents or guardians.

The executive order went into effect on Monday, resulting in seven Virginia school boards that same day filing suit to block the order.

The lawsuit says Youngkins order violates a state constitutional provision that places oversight of schools under the direction of the school boards and asks for an immediate injunction barring enforcement of the order.

On the advice of our attorney, we will continue to follow our current policy on masking, said Martinsville School Board Chair Donna Dillard, reading from a prepared statement during Mondays meeting. Our policy is based on CDC guidelines. The CDC recommends universal indoor masking by all students ages two years and older, staff, teachers and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status.

Asked Tuesday morning what action would be taken if a student was seen without a mask, Martinsville School Superintendent Dr. Zeb Talley responded by email: As Ms. Dillard stated last night, we are maintaining our current masking policy on the advice of our attorney until this matter is ruled on in the courts. We will handle individual student cases as they occur.

When asked any individual cases that may have occurred, Talley replied, none.

Henry County Public Schools Communications Director Monica Hatchett shared a letter that went out to all parents and guardians of students on Friday.

By majority consensus of the School Board, on this day Henry County Public Schools will move to a mask optional status for students in our schools, the letter states. At this time, federal law requires the wearing of masks on public transportation; therefore, students and staff will still be required to wear masks while on school buses.

The letter also said mask-wearing is still encouraged by some school community members, but did not make clear who those people were.

Henry County Schools will require anyone exposed to COVID and not wearing a mask to quarantine if exposed to the virus, while a person fully vaccinated and wearing a mask need not quarantine.

In addition to advising school community members to wear a mask, we will continue to support our staff and students by providing COVID tests for those who exhibit symptoms and desire a test, providing N95 masks for staff members who prefer to wear those at work, sanitizing and deep cleaning our schools and spaces regularly, and encouraging healthy hygiene practices including staying home if you do not feel well, the letter states.

Anyone one who prefers their child opt out of wearing a mask should contact the students school or teacher, the letter says.

Patrick County Public Schools is taking its own approach to masking, opting to continue with its current policy while offering some flexibility for anyone who objects to the continued wearing of face coverings.

Patrick County Public Schools has already provided parents with the flexibility to request their child to be mask-exempt since the health order went into effect which required students to wear masks inside school facilities, Patrick County Acting Superintendent Jason Wood told the Bulletin on Jan. 19.

When school officials received these mask-exemption requests, we always offered families alternatives to masking which included face shields. Families were also instructed that based on the quarantine guidance from the VDH and CDC, students who are unmasked and in close contact with a positive individual will have to quarantine, whereas those students who are masked will not have to quarantine.

Wood said parents of Patrick County students are still encouraged to promote the wearing of masks as an important strategy to keep students in school.

The Henry County Public Schools online COVID-19 dashboard shows 101 new students cases and 42 new staff cases between Jan. 14 and Jan 21.

Magna Vista High School had the most of any school in the district during the period with 23, followed by Bassett High School with 18, Fieldale-Collinsville Middle School with 16, Meadow View Elementary with 14, Mt. Olivet Elementary 12, Laurel Park Middle School 11, G.W. Carver Elementary 10, Stanleytown Elementary, Campbell Court Elementary and Drewry Mason Elementary all with seven each and Rich Acres Elementary with four.

The only Henry County public school reporting no new cases for the period was Sanville Elementary.

The Martinsville City Public Schools online COVID-19 dashboard shows 19 new students cases and eight new staff cases between Jan. 14 and Jan 21.

Martinsville Middle School had the most people of any school in the district to test positive during that week, with 11 students and two employees testing positive, followed by Patrick Henry Elementary with five students and two employees; Albert Harris, two students and three employees; and Clearview Elementary, one student and one employee.

Our rate continues to be high, but we have not had to close schools, Talley said at Monday nights regular school board meeting.

The Patrick County Public Schools online COVID-19 dashboard shows 89 total positive cases between Jan. 14 and Jan. 21. The dashboard did not break out the number by students and staff, but did provide totals by school.

The highest number of new cases in the schools came from Patrick County High School with 30, followed by Blue Ridge with 19, Stuart with 18, Hardin Reynolds with eight, Patrick Springs with seven and Woolwine with six.

Other reported cases in all three school districts were in related departments or offices such as maintenance or the central office, but not directly in the school buildings themselves, and are reflected in each school districts total.

Bill Wyatt is a reporter for the Martinsville Bulletin. He can be reached at 276-638-8801, Ext. 2360. Follow him @billdwyatt.

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An unidentified male died Tuesday after being shot in Baltimore Citys Idlewood neighborhood near the Baltimore County line, police said.

Baltimore Police said Northeast District patrol officers responded to the 1400 block of Walker Ave. at approximately 2:43 p.m. to investigate a shooting.

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Officers located the victim, who had multiple gunshot wounds to the body. Medic transported him to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly after by hospital staff, police said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Baltimore Police Department Homicide detectives at 410-396-2100 .

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Those who wish to remain anonymous can use the Metro Crime Stoppers tip line at 866-7LOCKUP. They can also submit an anonymous online text tip to Metro Crime Stoppers by visiting the MCS website.

Earlier in the day, Baltimore Police announced that the questionable death of a man Saturday has been upgraded to a homicide.

At approximately 8:59 p.m. Saturday, officers were called to the ramp at 295 from Westport, in reference to an unresponsive male at the location.

Once there, officers located the victim, later identified as 20-year-old Kenneth Lawson, suffering from trauma to the head.

Medics arrived and pronounced the victim dead on the scene, police said.

The victims body was transported to the medical examiners office where the cause of death was upgraded from a questionable death to a homicide, caused by a gunshot.
Miss Henry County MaKayla Sprouse was crowned the second runner-up in the Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Scholarship Pageant.

Sprouse won the title of Miss Henry County during the Countys inaugural pageant held in conjunction with the Henry County Fair in September.

I feel incredible for placing [third] out of 23 girls, Sprouse stated in a press release. Most of the girls there have been there multiple times and this being my first time, and me being from a small town, it was great to have placed so highly at such a big event.

The Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Scholarship Pageant took place Jan. 8-9 in Williamsburg. The grand prize was a $4,000 scholarship, and Sprouse won a $1,000 scholarship.

This scholarship helps tremendously, Sprouse said. It allows me to put money towards my tuition at an out-of-state college, which is super expensive, and it allows me to achieve my dreams of becoming an anesthesiologist.

Sprouse, a student at Patrick & Henry Community College, said she plans to attend Wake Forest University.

Overall the experience itself helps you better understand how to communicate with others and just gives you a huge opportunity to be involved in more things, Sprouse added.

The pageant included a question-and-answer session, a platform speech, an outfit competition and several hours of rehearsals.

My advice for the next Miss Henry County is to just be yourself, Sprouse said. One thing I got asked a lot during this competition was what was my why. This is something I never thought about before, but coming into a competition this competitive with so many other girls, it takes a lot of confidence and stability. But anyone can succeed as long as they put their minds to it and work hard.

Registration will open soon for the 2022 Miss Henry County Fair Pageant, which is slated to take place on June 11. The 2nd Annual Henry County Fair will be Sept. 21-24 at the Martinsville Speedway.

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The matter at hand: Where will the future litigation proceedings on reversion be held and who will hear them.

The verdict: Before a three-judge panel in Martinsville Circuit Court.
ROANOKE  Solitary confinement at two high-security prisons in far Southwest Virginia is used to warehouse prisoners in cells that were never needed, a federal appeals court was told Tuesday.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are asking that the practice be discontinued at Red Onion and Wallens Ridge state prisons.

Last year, U.S. District Judge James Jones denied a request by the Virginia Department of Corrections to dismiss the lawsuit. Jones ruled that officials at the two Wise County prisons were not entitled to qualified immunity, a defense that would protect them from liability if there was a showing that a reasonable person would not have known their actions violated the constitutional rights of another.

VDOC appealed that decision, which put the case before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In oral arguments Tuesday, senior attorney Vishal Agraharkar of the ACLU maintained that prison officials knew that long periods of solitary confinement was harmful to prisoners, and that there was no reason for it other than to fill unneeded prison beds.

You cant knowingly harm people for no good reason, he told a three-judge panel considering the case.

Written opinions from the court usually come about two to three months after oral arguments.

In their class-action lawsuit, the ACLU contends that holding inmates in cells about the size of an automobile parking space for up to 23 hours each day causes neurological damage, severe sensory deprivation, post traumatic stress disorder and other emotional problems.

Bright lights are kept on 24 hours a day, according to the lawsuit, and outdoor recreation is limited to one hour in a small cage that resembles a dog kennel and has no exercise equipment.

Inmates have lived in such conditions for years with no meaningful way of being transferred to less restrictive housing, the lawsuit claims.

Assistant Attorney General Margaret OShea told the court that that VDOC established a policy, known as the Administrative Segregation Step Down Program, that allows inmates to re-enter the general population by exhibiting good behavior.

Since 2012, the number of inmates being held in restrictive housing has decreased from 511 to 37 at the two prisons, OShea said.

The policy includes a detailed structure that has been lauded by a number of outside organizations. Any reasonable officer looking at the Step Down program would have believed that their conduct was lawful, OShea said.

But two of the Fourth Circuit judges raised questions about the program, noting complaints from inmates  which at this preliminary stage in the proceeding are presumed to be true  that reviews of their behavior were conducted in cursory visits and that denial forms had already been pre-filed.

The policy looks really good on paper, but the question is the practice, Judge Henry Floyd said. There has to be more than just checking a box and walking by a jail cell, he said. That cant possibly count as meaningful review.

Chief Judge Roger Gregory pointed out that some of the factors used to keep inmates in solitary confinement  such as apathy, attention deficit, poor grooming and failure to maintain an orderly cell  could in fact have been caused by their placement in isolation.

Isnt that the ultimate vicious cycle? Gregory asked.

While solitary confinement has traditionally been assigned to inmates who commit assaults or other disruptive behavior, the lawsuit claims that some wind up there for minor infractions such as not shaving a beard, using disrespectful language or other behaviors that could be caused by mental illness.

When Red Onion and Wallens Ridge were built around the turn of the century, prison officials described them as the final destination for the worst of the worst offenders in the prison population.

At a 1998 opening ceremony for Red Onion, then VDOC director Ron Angelone shot down a question from a Roanoke Times reporter about what rehabilitative services might be offered at the supermax facilities.

What are they going to be rehabilitated for? he said. To die gracefully in prison? Lets face it; theyre here to die in prison.

However, it soon became clear that the state did not have enough truly disruptive inmates to fill two supermax prisons with about 1,200 beds each.

Corrections officials began to loosen the criteria for getting into a supermax, the lawsuit claims, and wound up importing prisoners from other states to fill them up.

The Step Down program was initiated in 2012, which the lawsuit notes was the same year that the U.S. Department of Justice threatened an investigation of the prisons.

Laurence Hammack reports for The Roanoke Times. He can be reached at laurence.hammack@roanoke.com or 540-981-3239.

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A statement from the office of the Tunisian President Kais Saied dating back to January 24 revealed that the leader of the North African country has fired her Chief of Staff or closest aide Nadia Akacha who claimed she stepped down over fundamental differences.

Mrs. Nadia Akacha, the Chief of Staff of the presidency, has been dismissed, the statement published in the national gazetta notes.

Akacha in a Facebook post announced her resignation from her position over fundamental differences.

After two years of work, I have decided to resign from my position as head of the presidential cabinet. In view of the profound differences in this responsibility, it is my duty to resign from this position, she said

The presidency statement appears to debunk Akachas own account of development between her and President Saied.

Akacha was appointed in October 2019 as head of the legal affairs at Saieds office and later became the chief of the staff and the closest aide of the Tunisian president.

The end of collaboration between the two comes amid a political crisis between Saied and his critics who include opposition parties and some civil society organizations.

The critics have blamed Saied for rolling back the democratic gains made in the aftermath of the 2011 revolution after he seized major powers on July 25. Saied seized the executive power as he fired then Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, froze the activities of parliament and suspended the immunity of lawmakers.
The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) approved a financing of $2.6 billion to fund developmental projects in Egypt, Arab Finance reports citing a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Trade and Industry.

The ITFC is one of the most important development partners of Egypt, as its projects contribute to supporting the sectors of trade and industry, small and medium enterprises, and womens empowerment projects, in addition to supporting the commercial cooperation between Arab and African countries, Egypts Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea indicated during a meeting with the Chairman of ITFC Hany Sonbol.

The ministry did not reveal areas that the financing will cover. The ITFC in collaboration with the ministry will establish the first exporters academy in Egypt.

The academy will provide training programs to support the Egyptian exporters and enhance their ability to access more global markets.
Nigerias government has announced that it will once again abandon the removal of fuel subsidies, a hugely popular measure in Africas most populous country, a year before the presidential election.

Faced with a serious budget crisis, the government had initially proposed to abolish these decried subsidies, which siphon billions of dollars from public coffers every year but allow gas stations to sell gasoline at prices far below the market.

This is a very sensitive and potentially explosive issue: Nigerian consumers consider access to cheap fuel to be one of the few privileges they enjoy from their poverty-stricken oil power.

In November, Finance Minister Zainab Ahmed had said she wanted to end this unsustainable measure by June, in line with the priorities set by the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But to buy social peace, the government finally announced that it was changing its mind.

Currently, a liter of gasoline costs an average of 165 naira (about 36 cents). Over the past ten years, the authorities have tried several times to remove these subsidies. Each time, they have had to backtrack in the face of public anger, which has been whipped up by the unions.

However, the World Bank has recommended that Nigeria put an end to it within the next six months to promote the diversification of its economy, which is mainly based on black gold exports.
The military coup that toppled President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in Burkina Faso was widely condemned by the international community on Tuesday, with West African states announcing an extraordinary Summit in the coming days.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday strongly condemned the military coup, saying Kabores resignation had been obtained under threat, intimidation and pressure from the military after two days of mutiny.

Earlier in the day, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the immediate release of the former president and for a rapid return to constitutional order.

The same message from French President Emmanuel Macron, who condemns the military coup.

The regional anti-terrorism organization G5 Sahel (Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad), which is currently chaired by NDjamena, also condemned energetically this attempt to disrupt constitutional order in Burkina Faso.

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde joined ECOWAS in condemning the attempted coup detat in Burkina Faso and urged all parties to find a peaceful resolution through dialogue.

Chinas Foreign Ministry also reacted to the coup through state-affiliated media outlet Global Times, saying it was closely following the latest developments in Burkina Faso and will do its utmost to protect Chinese nationals. Beijing also called for all parties in the country to peacefully resolve differences via dialogue and safeguard national stability.
An African Union delegation was in Bamako on Tuesday, January 25. The Chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, met with the transitional authorities. He met with Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, Prime Minister Choguel Maiga and the President of the Transition, Colonel Assimi Goita.

Both the African Union delegation and the Malian transitional authorities were sober about the content of the discussions. He simply came to listen, to understand how to relaunch the dialogue, explained an adviser to the Prime Ministers Office, after the meeting between Choguel Maiga and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.

The meetings were a reunion for the head of Malian diplomacy, Abdoulaye Diop, who until last March was Moussa Faki Mahamats chief of staff. He resigned from this position for personal reasons before joining the transitional government a few months later.

According to the Malian presidency, the AU Commission chairperson pleaded for a consensual approach that can preserve the fundamental interests of Mali, in accordance with the texts that govern ECOWAS and the African Union.
A Baltimore firefighter who was pulled from the wreckage of a burning vacant home that collapsed Monday is conscious and alert, the city fire department said Tuesday.

Emergency medical services transported John McMaster to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center in critical condition after he and three other firefighters were trapped inside a vacant rowhome that caught fire around 6 a.m. in the 200 block of S. Stricker St. The three other firefighters died.

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McMaster was placed on life support in an intensive care unit. His medical condition was upgraded to fair, according to the fire department.

While he has a long way to go, I am incredibly optimistic, and we will continue to pray for and support EMT/FF McMaster and his family during his time of recovery, Baltimore Fire Chief Niles R. Ford said in a statement.

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McMaster was rescued from the crumbled building almost immediately.

Firefighter/paramedic Kelsey Sadler and EMT/firefighter Kenny Lacayo, were located about an hour later and pronounced dead at Shock Trauma from cardiac arrest they suffered at the scene. Lt. Paul Butrim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Firefighter John McMaster remains hospitalized after being injured in the South Stricker Street fire that claimed the lives of three other firefighters. Credit: Baltimore Firefighters Union (Baltimore Firefighters Union)

Gov. Larry Hogan described the news of McMasters upgraded condition as a great relief amid so much heartbreak right now.

The incident is among the deadliest fires for Baltimore firefighters in recent memory. It comes just a few months after a mother and two of her children were killed in a rowhome blaze in East Baltimore that also injured several other children.

The last on-duty death for a Baltimore firefighter was in 2014, when Lt. James Bethea fell into the basement of a vacant home during a firefighting effort next-door and went unnoticed for hours. He died of smoke inhalation during the incident, which led to calls for reform.

Lt. Paul Butrim, Truck 23 (handout)

Firefighter Kelsey Sadler, Engine 14 (handout)

Firefighter Kenny Lacayo, Engine 14 (handout)

Between 2006 and 2020, only about a dozen other fires in the United States claimed the lives of three or more firefighters, according to data compiled by the National Fire Protection Association.

Two unions that represent Baltimore firefighters and EMTs created a GoFundMe page Tuesday to raise money for the family members Sadler, Butrim and Lacayo left behind. Donations poured in. The fundraiser collected more than $40,000 in under six hours.

The firefighters entered the empty rowhome adjoined to an occupied house in the citys New Southwest/Mount Clare neighborhood. The burning house partially collapsed while they were inside.

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Butrim, known as PJ, was a 16-year veteran of the Baltimore City Fire Department who rose to lieutenant from his position as an apprentice. Sadler was a 15-year veteran of the department and Lacayo was a seven-year veteran.

Tuesday, the home where the fire took place  205 S. Stricker St.  was a hollowed out shell. Its facade and most of its interior had been completely destroyed. Part of the buildings back wall remained, along with still-smoldering piles of ash and debris. Crews began using lumber to support the walls of the two homes that still stood.

As a result of the fire, that home and the two on either side of it will have to be demolished after the investigation concludes, said Tammy Hawley, spokeswoman for the citys Department of Housing and Community Development. One of those homes  203 S. Stricker  also was vacant, Hawley said. The other was occupied, although its unclear whether anyone was home at the time of the fire, said fire department spokeswoman Blair Adams.

Monday evening, Ford said firefighters chose to enter the home partly because one of the adjacent properties was occupied.

They made the determination they could control the fire and put it out, he said. Its up to those individuals on the scene to see the circumstances they have, and they did.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 42 Baltimore City firefighters salute as an ambulance carries the body of Lt. Paul Butrim from the scene of a vacant row house fire on S. Stricker Street. Four firefighters were trapped in a collapse while fighting the fire Monday morning. Three have died and a fourth is in critical condition. (Jerry Jackson/Baltimore Sun)

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

The home at 205 S. Stricker St. had last been inspected by city officials Jan. 4, Hawley said. The routine checkup, which wasnt precipitated by a citizens 311 call, found that the building was adequately boarded up and cleaned. The building, vacant since 2010, had been condemned in 2015 after another fire, which injured three firefighters.

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Efforts to reach the homes owners were unsuccessful Tuesday.

The Mount Clare neighborhood where the home sits has the sixth most vacant buildings per acre of any neighborhood in the city, according to a Baltimore Sun analysis of city data.

Tuesday, flags flew at half-staff at nearby Engine Company 14, which sits just across Hollins Street from a row of vacant, boarded-up homes.

The problem has become endemic to the city, with more than 15,000 vacant homes  the majority of them privately owned. The city uses citations, criminal penalties and tax sale foreclosures to address issues with the properties, Hawley said.

The destroyed home on Stricker had liens against it and had been offered up in previous tax sales, but there was no market for the property, Hawley said.

Baltimore Sun reporters Emily Opilo and Steve Earley contributed to this article.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The Florida Legislature on Tuesday began moving forward with a bill that would allow health care providers to act on their "conscience" when deciding whether to provide certain treatments for patients.

For some lawmakers, the proposal exposed the line between religious freedom for doctors and medical discrimination against patients.

The measure would provide sweeping protections for health care providers or insurers to avoid nonemergency procedures that they say violate their religious, moral or ethical beliefs. Religiously oriented health care companies would be allowed to make staffing, employment and contracting decisions in accordance with those beliefs under the bill, House Bill 747. And under the bill, no health care provider could be sued after an employee exercises their "right of conscience."

"This bill does not allow a health care provider the right to cancel a patient because of who they are as a person or the beliefs they hold," said the measure's sponsor, Rep. John Snyder, R-Stuart. "It simply gives that provider the ability to decline to perform a specific function or procedure or prescription."

Sen. Dennis Baxley, R-Ocala, has introduced a similar proposal, Senate Bill 1820, in the Legislature's upper chamber.

Under Florida law, health care providers are already allowed to refuse to participate in the termination of a pregnancy, the prescribing of contraception or counseling services that run counter to the provider's religious beliefs.

Federal law also offers doctors a number of conscience-based protections, particularly in the area of abortion.

However, the bill would expand those protections and establish a new legal cause of action for providers who feel their rights of conscience have been denied. If a doctor is fired for refusing to perform an abortion or prescribe contraception, that provider could now sue their employer under the bill.

Democrats on the House committee hearing the bill Tuesday raised a number of issues with the scope of protections.

The bill is written so broadly, patients could be discriminated against by doctors who hold any manner of personal beliefs, argued Rep. Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton.

"There are unintended consequences of this bill. It is not well constructed," Skidmore said. "It doesn't delineate specific treatments. It does not protect against negligence. It is fully ambiguous."

The bill does not list specific procedures to which a medical provider could object. It simply says those providers can't be compelled to perform a "health care service," which is defined as "inpatient or outpatient tests or treatments of a human disease, condition, or dysfunction or medical or other health care-related research."

Given the bill's language, Skidmore posited, what's to stop a drug user from being refused treatment by a doctor morally opposed to illegal drugs? Or an antiwar doctor from treating a veteran? Others asked about whether the bill could lead to transgender people being denied services.

Snyder argued that in many of the scenarios offered by Democrats, patients would be protected by federal nondiscrimination laws. Still, he said in an interview, he's considering amending the legislation to make it clear that federal statutes act as an appropriate guardrail for his bill.

"I would foresee an amendment at the next committee stop," Snyder said.

Dozens of Floridians made their voices heard at the committee hearing. Most of them, led by religious organizations and social conservative groups, supported the bill.

By the end of the 90-minute hearing on the bill, lawmakers had gotten a bit testy. Rep. Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, said he needed to "inject some reality" into the debate among lawmakerswhich was largely dominated by Democratic opponents of the measure.

But on one thing, Democrats and Republicans found common ground.

"Would you agree or disagree that morality and ethics can be subjective? That everyone can define their own morals and ethics?" Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, asked Snyder at one point.

"... Yes, it is subjective," Snyder said. "There is no debating that."

Explore further Study explores extent of state legal protections for provider conscience rights for reproductive health services

2022 Tampa Bay Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Brain Chemistry Labs Researcher Dr. James Metcalf uses Orbital Trap Mass Spectrometry to sequence antiglioblastoma peptide from violets. Credit: Paul Alan Cox

A circular peptide derived from violets could lead to new approaches in treating glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer.

Researchers report that cyclotides, small circular proteins produced by violets increase the power of TMZ, a chemotherapeutic agent, in killing human glioblastoma cancer cells.

Glioblastoma is a fatal type of brain cancer of adults and children with a median survival time of 9-16 months from diagnosis. Half of the tumors are resistant to the only FDA-approved treatment, TMZ, and the remainder quickly evolve resistance to this chemotherapy. Combining cyclotides with TMZ can increase the ability of TMZ to kill glioblastoma cells up to eight-fold, researchers report.

"We think we are on a path that could lead to better treatment of glioblastoma in the future," reports Dillard University Professor Samantha Gerlach, lead author of the report published last week in the Journal of Natural Products.

The biggest hurdle faced by researchers working in the laboratories based in Wyoming is extracting enough of the compounds from violets to test. Kilograms of violets are needed to yield a tiny dose.

"Our cell culture studies, though encouraging, are far from being useful in a clinical setting," cautions Dr. Paul Alan Cox, Director of the non-profit Brain Chemistry Labs in Jackson Hole. "Just extracting enough cyclotides to test in mice will take months."

Despite these technical obstacles, the research team remains undaunted. "Patients, particularly children, diagnosed with glioblastoma have few options," says Dr. Samantha Gerlach. "Our goal is to eventually provide new hope to glioblastoma patients and their families."

Explore further Boosting T cells improves survival in mice with glioblastoma

More information: Samantha L. Gerlach et al, Cyclotides Chemosensitize Glioblastoma Cells to Temozolomide, Journal of Natural Products (2022). Journal information: Journal of Natural Products Samantha L. Gerlach et al, Cyclotides Chemosensitize Glioblastoma Cells to Temozolomide,(2022). DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.1c00595

Provided by Brain Chemistry Labs
in this March 22, 2021 file photo, A woman walks by thousands of crosses that are painted at the Old Town Square, to commemorate the 1-year anniversary of the death of first Czech COVID-19 patient, in Prague, Czech Republic. The number of Czech citizens dying of COVID-19 has been steadily declining despite a recent record surge in coronavirus infections caused by the highly transmittable omicron variant. On Wednesday Jan. 26, 2022, the Health Ministry said 121 people died in the last seven days, down from 206 the previous same period and 289 another seven days back. Credit: AP Photo/Petr David Josek/File

The number of Czech citizens dying of COVID-19 has been steadily declining despite a recent record surge in coronavirus infections caused by the highly transmittable omicron variant.

The figures released by the Health Ministry on Wednesday show that 121 people died in the last seven days, down from 206 the previous period and 289 another seven days back.

New infections in the Czech Republic had been declining since a record high in late November, but started growing again in January driven by the omicron variant that has became dominant.

The daily increases hit a record high of almost 40,000 cases on Tuesday, about 11,000 more than a week ago and the third time a record was set in the last eight days. The 7-day infection rate jumped to 1,689 new cases per 100,000 residents on Tuesday compared to 1,585 a day earlier.

The number of COVID-19 patients needing hospitalization in the European Union nation had been declining since Dec 6 but has started to grow slightly this week.

The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control says 63.1% of the Czech Republic's 10.5 million people are fully vaccinated, below the EU average of 70%.

The Czech Republic has registered 37,092 virus-related deaths in the pandemic.

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Explore further Czech virus hospitalizations rise amid record omicron surge

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Death rates from ovarian cancer are predicted to fall by 17 percent in the UK and by 7 percent in EU countries in 2022 compared to 2017, according to new research published in the journal Annals of Oncology today.

Researchers led by Carlo La Vecchia (MD), a professor at the University of Milan (Italy), say that these dramatic falls are due mainly to the use of oral contraceptives, which also account for the differences between countries.

"The earlier and greater use of oral contraceptives in the UK than in most EU countries for generations of women born since the 1930s has a major role in these trends," said Professor La Vecchia. "In Italy, Spain, Poland etc., oral contraceptives were made available considerably later, and hence the favorable trends in these countries started later and are smaller."

The researchers predict that 26,500 women will die from ovarian cancer in EU countries in 2022 and 4,000 in the UK. After adjusting for differences in age distribution in the population, the age standardized rate (ASR) of deaths will be 4.32 and 4.57 women per 100,000 in the EU and UK respectively. In the 1970s, the UK had the highest death rate in Europe at nearly 9 per 100,000, but then showed a steep decline thereafter, whereas death rates in France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain were all lower but showed a rise until the 1980s when they started to decline with the exception of Poland where rates continued to rise until around 2010.

"Long-term use of oral contraceptives reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 40 percent in middle-aged and elderly women," said Prof La Vecchia. "Other factors may also be partially responsible, such as a reduced use of hormone replacement therapy. Improvements in diagnosis, surgery and the use of better treatments, such as platinum-based drugs in the 1980s, taxanes in the 1990s and more recently, gemcitabine, intra-peritoneal chemotherapy, possibly bevacizumab, and PARP inhibitors for women with BRCA mutations, may all contribute to improved survival. However, these factors are minor compared to the long-term protective effect of oral contraceptives. We expect these favorable trends in ovarian cancer deaths to continue."

Prof La Vecchia and his colleagues predict that death rates from the 10 most common cancers will continue to fall in most European countries in 2022, although the numbers of people dying will go up due to aging populations. A greater proportion of elderly people in the population means there is a greater number at the age where they are more likely to develop and die from cancer.

There will be 1,446,000 deaths from cancer in the EU and the UK in 2022 (1,269,200 in the EU and 176,800 in the UK). This corresponds to a fall of 6 percent in men (126.9 deaths per 100,000) and 4 percent in women (80.2 per 100,000) in the EU since 2017, and 7 percent (113.2 per 100,000) in men and 6 percent (87.6 per 100,000) in women in the UK.

The main exception to the favorable downward trends is pancreatic cancer, where death rates continue to rise in women (up 3.4 percent) with little change in men (down 0.7 percent) in the EU, although in the UK they are down 5 percent in men and 2 percent in women. It has overtaken breast cancer to become the third most common cause of cancer death in the EU (87,300 deaths, with a death rate of 8.1 and 5.9 per 100,000 in men and women respectively).

Lung cancer deaths also continues to rise in EU women (up 2 percent), although the rate of increase is slowing, and womb and cervical cancers deaths are up 5 percent in UK women.

Prof La Vecchia said that "tobacco continues to play a key role and is the major cause of deaths from cancer across Europe. Smoking influences death rates from a range of cancers, including pancreatic, lung and bladder cancers. The lack of progress on pancreatic cancer should ring alarm bells with EU health institutions as survival rates are abysmal with less than 5 percent of patients surviving five years."

Co-author, Professor Eva Negri, professor at the University of Bologna (Italy), said that "besides the decline in smoking prevalence in men, the main determinants of the favorable trends in cancer mortality are advancements in treatment and diagnosis of colorectal, breast and prostate cancer, as well as in several rarer cancers."

The researchers analyzed cancer death rates in the EU 27 Member States as a whole and separately in the UK in order to be able to compare with previous years when the UK was still a member of the EU. They also looked at the five most populous EU countries (France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain) and, individually, for stomach, intestines, pancreas, lung, breast, uterus (including cervix), ovary, prostate, bladder and leukaemias for men and women. Prof La Vecchia and his colleagues collected data on deaths from the World Health Organization and Eurostat databases from 1970 to 2017, or to 2016 for the UK. This is the 12th consecutive year the researchers have published these predictions. Prof La Vecchia and his team are the only group in Europe to publish yearly predictions for all cancers, as well as the ten most common cancers.

They estimate that nearly 5.4 million cancer deaths have been avoided between 1989 and 2022 in the EU, 369,000 in 2022 alone, compared to the peak of cancer death rates in 1988. In the UK, just over a million deaths were avoided over the same period, including 73,000 in 2022.

The researchers warn that their predictions should be interpreted with caution and that they could be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic this year.

Co-author, Professor Paolo Boffetta (MD), Annals of Oncology associate editor for epidemiology, professor and associate director for population sciences at Stony Brook University, New York (U.S.), and professor at the University of Bologna (Italy), said that "the COVID-19 epidemic can indeed affect the positive trends in cancer mortality that have been observed over the last decade in Europe. We expect that the vaccination campaign that has targeted oncology patients as a priority population will mitigate the adverse impact that has been observed during 2020, even if these patients have a weaker immune response compared to healthy individuals."

Explore further Death rates from prostate cancer predicted to decline overall in EU but rise in Poland

More information: M. Dalmartello et al, European cancer mortality predictions for the year 2022 with focus on ovarian cancer, Annals of Oncology (2022). Journal information: Annals of Oncology M. Dalmartello et al, European cancer mortality predictions for the year 2022 with focus on ovarian cancer,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2021.12.007
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An estimated 300,000 people in the UK have aortic valve stenosis, a progressive and potentially fatal condition, suggests research published in the open access journal Open Heart.

The UK health service will struggle to cope with the sheer number of people needing treatment for this over the next few years, with the number set to rise further as the population ages, warn the researchers.

What's more, over half of those with advanced disease will likely die within 5 years without timely, proactive treatment, they add.

Aortic stenosis occurs when the aortic valve, the main outflow valve of the heart, stiffens and narrows. This means it can no longer open fully, reducing or blocking blood flow from the heart into the main artery (aorta) and the rest of the body.

In a significant portion of people the condition remains silent, with symptoms appearing only when the condition is already advanced.

Given the aging of the UK population, it is thought that there may be a large pool of as yet undiagnosed people who might benefit from life-saving treatment.

The researchers therefore set out to provide informed estimates of the overall prevalence of severe aortic stenosis across the UK and how many people might benefit from surgery: surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) or transcatheter aortic valve implant (TAVI).

To guage the numbers potentially at risk of aortic stenosis, the researchers obtained national age and sex-specific population data for the year 2019, when nearly a third (30%; 20.1 million) of the UK's 66 million population were aged 55 and older.

To come up with valid and accurate age specific prevalence estimates, they drew on data from one of the largest ever studies of the condition to date (NEDA study). This had come up with a prevalence of severe disease of 3.5% among the over 75s.

Using this as a reference point, they estimated the prevalence of severe aortic stenosis as 1.2% among 7074 year olds; 0.7% among 6569 year olds; 0.5% among 6064 year olds; and 0.4% among 5559 year olds in 2019.

They then estimated the proportions of those with and without symptoms, and of those with symptoms, how many could be managed with drugs and how many would need surgery, based on historical treatment patterns.

And they calculated how many people would die, if left untreated, based on the estimated total numbers of people diagnosed with the condition in 2019, and actual 5-year death rates observed among the untreated in the NEDA study.

Based on all these figures, the researchers estimate that the overall prevalence of severe aortic stenosis among the over 55s in the UK in 2019 to be almost 1.5%, equal to around 300,000 people living with this potentially deadly condition at any one time.

Of the total numbers with aortic stenosis, just under 200,000 (68%) had severe (symptomatic) disease in 2019, prompting the need for around 116,000 SAVR and 51,000 TAVI procedures, the researchers estimate.

But the 92,389 people with 'silent' disease, representing nearly a third of all cases (32%), will probably not be diagnosed unless they are being proactively screened for aortic stenosis or undergoing tests for another heart problem, they suggest.

Without timely proactive treatment up to 172,859 of those with severe aortic stenosis (59%, overall) in 2019 will die over the next five years to 2024, equal to 35,000 people every year.

Nearly 10,000 of these deaths (almost 6% of all cases) will be among 5564 year olds, with an additional 29,548 deaths (17%) among 6574 year olds. Most deaths will occur in 7584 year olds (86,383; 50%) and the over 85s (47,121; 27%), the researchers estimate.

Based on their estimates, the researchers question whether the UK health service will be able to cope with the prevalence of aortic disease over the next few years.

"Critically, such an indicative burden is far greater than the current capacity within the NHS to screen, detect, triage and treat such cases," with the prevalence increasing further as the population ages, they warn.

"There seems little doubt, therefore, that there is a significant shortfall between interventions undertaken for severe [aortic stenosis] and our estimates of potential demand."

The researchers acknowledge that they have no way of verifying their estimates, and advise that population data on the incidence and prevalence of aortic stenosis in the UK are inadequate, so their findings should be interpreted cautiously.

But their figures are in line with those in the few available previously published studies, they point out.

"In conclusion, this study suggests that severe [aortic stenosis] is a common condition affecting many individuals within the UK population aged 55 [and older]. Without appropriate detection and intervention, their survival prospects are likely to be poor."

Explore further Surgery to replace heart valve beneficial even with no symptoms of severe aortic stenosis

More information: Uncovering the treatable burden of severe aortic stenosis in the UK, Open Heart, DOI: 10.1136/openhrt-2021-001783 Uncovering the treatable burden of severe aortic stenosis in the UK,
Doctors treating COVID patients at a Prague hospital have shed their once mandatory protective suits, claiming that bacteria clinging to their sleeves actually increased mortality.

Medical staff at the COVID ward of Prague's General University Hospital now only wear face masks, gloves and plastic aprons as protective gear, despite the spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

"We dropped the suits a year ago, because they helped the spread of bacteria, viruses and mould among patients, which worsened the overall mortality data," Martin Balik, chief doctor at the intensive care unit, told AFP on Wednesday.

Previously, doctors and nurses on the ward wore protective suits complete with plastic caps and trousers throughout their shifts.

They had to change completely when going to the bathroom or having lunch.

One of the main treatment centres in the Czech Republic for COVID patients, the hospital receives critical patients from smaller hospitals that do not have equipment needed to keep them alive.

"During the epidemic, we started to bring in patients with very resistant bacteria which we had not encountered before," said the head of the intensive care unit, Jan Blaha.

"At one point, patient mortality increased by 6-8 percent. When our staff got vaccinated or recovered from COVID, we stopped wearing the suits and the rate fell," Blaha said.

He added the risk of contamination for staff was low as the vast majority of them are vaccinated.

Unlike many medical facilities, which barred patients receiving visitors at the start of the pandemic, Prague's University Hospital has allowed visitors at COVID wards from the start of the pandemic.

Blaha said communication with the family was crucial for the doctors, who can explain what they are doing, and for the patients as well.

"Of course we perceive the influence of family and friends as very important and it is clear that it helps the treatment too," Blaha said.

The Czech Republic, an EU member of 10.7 million people, has seen more than 2.83 million confirmed COVID cases with over 37,000 deaths.

On Tuesday, the daily infection growth rate reached almost 40,000, a new record, with Omicron being the dominant strain.

Explore further Czech virus hospitalizations rise amid record omicron surge

 2022 AFP
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Two influential senators are calling for an overhaul of the U.S.'s public health programs in a new bill that would change how the government monitors disease outbreaks, stockpiles supplies and responds to future pandemic threats.

The legislation, released as a draft on Tuesday, also aims to refocus the mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The proposal is being made by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, which is led by its Chair Patty Murray, a Democratic senator for Washington state, and ranking member Richard Burr, a Republican senator for North Carolina.

The Senate HELP Committee has been working on the bill since last summer, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named as details of its longstanding development aren't public.

In a push to bolster U.S. preparedness for pandemics, the Senate HELP committee is calling for more federal leadership and accountability. The draft legislation, with a shortened title of the PREVENT Pandemics Act, seeks to establish a task force. Its members would be appointed by bipartisan congressional leadership and assess the country's preparedness for pandemics, while recommending improvements to the U.S. president and Congress.

The legislation also looks to spur better coordination between U.S. health agencies, making changes at the the CDC and Food and Drug Administration.

It would require the Senate to confirm the CDC director, and would establish clear functions for that role. One such responsibility would be strengthening U.S. genomic sequencing capabilities so that the nation can more quickly detect variants and their spread. The CDC director would also improve the reporting and exchange of health data.

Meanwhile, the Senate HELP Committee bill would require U.S. regulators to improve clinical trials through digital strategies, and use real-world evidence to inform decision-making. It would also require the FDA to publish a report on best-practices for communicating with companies developing medical products. Notably, the legislation would change the way the FDA inspects facilities, reviews products, revises labels, and penalizes the sellers of counterfeit devices.

The proposed legislation also looks to improve state and local readiness, address health disparities, and improve the collection of public health data.

Pandemic preparedness has increasingly become a hot-button issue among policymakers in Washington. In September, the Biden administration released its own pandemic preparedness plan. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy had created a new task force focused on developing medical countermeasures to combat future coronavirus variants and other pandemic threats.

Explore further Apple, Google tell US senators that tech bills will harm privacy

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New UB research tested how the cushioned midsole of a running shoe affects overall leg stiffness. Credit: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki

A University at Buffalo researcher has some good news for athletes and fitness enthusiasts who favor thick, heavily cushioned running shoes. Although these shoes are increasingly popular because they provide comfort and a high degree of shock absorbing protection, those benefits were thought to come at the expense of increased overall leg stiffness, which altered a runner's normal stride and could increase muscle fatigue.

Plenty of research suggests just such a result when running on a compliant surface, like a synthetic rubber track, but no one had actually tested how the cushioned midsole of a running shoe affects overall leg stiffness.

Until now.

"Our results show that runners do not need to worry about the amount of cushioning," says Nicholas Holowka, Ph.D., an assistant professor of anthropology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences and the paper's first author. "That element of shoe design is not interrupting your normal running style in any significant or meaningful way."

The findings of the study conducted with Daniel Lieberman, a professor of human evolutionary biology at Harvard University; Emmanuel Virot, a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard; and Stephen Gillinov, a medical school student at Yale University, appear in the Journal of Biomechanics.

Leg stiffness can be compared to a spring's tension. If the leg alone were modeled as a single spring, that coil would have one level of stiffness. The leg, however, is made up of many muscles that control degrees of stiffness. When running on cushioned surfaces, leg stiffness increases, but that's not the case when running in heavily cushioned shoes.

"There is an assumed optimal leg stiffness for runners, but if you increase your leg stiffness above that point you'd be using more muscles to stiffen that leg spring, which means more energy and fatigue over long distance," says Holowka, an expert on the biomechanics of walking and running. "We were interested in the idea that when people run on surfaces that are elastic, with a certain amount of compliance, they subconsciously change the stiffness of their leg to maintain an optimal stiffness. Was this the same when it came to the cushioning of their shoes?"

At a glance, the absence of research on midsole running shoe thickness and running style seems surprising, but Holowka says the problem is more complicated than it appears.

"It's very hard to account for all of the factors in such a way that allows you to isolate specifically on the stiffness of the footwear itself," he says. "If you try to compare different shoes, then you have design differences, like heel height or arch support, which makes it difficult if not impossible to look at the effects of the shoe's cushioning.

"Our study was geared at looking at this one variable."

And to do that, Holowka's team custom created sandals for the study.

The researchers enrolled 20 experienced runners and measured them in four different conditions: barefoot and sandals made from three different materials. The first sandals were a commercially available model inspired by the footwear of the Tarahumara, an Indigenous population living in Mexico who have developed a tradition of long-distance running. These sandals, made from the common shoe cushioning material ethylene-vinyl acetate foam (EVA), served as molds for two other similar designs with different degrees of cushioning.

Participants ran on treadmills that measured the forces the body was putting against the ground. Their motions were also measured through a specialized camera system. The data contributed to a model of the leg as a linear spring, which allowed the researchers to calculate leg stiffness under the different conditions

"We went into this with the hypothesis that the cushioning might change leg stiffness, but that just wasn't supported," says Holowka. "The results show that your running style is still natural even when running in these heavily cushioned shoes.

"Our findings tell us something that was previously unknown about shoe design, essentially the extent to which shoe cushioning influences normal running style."

And that's important information for runners who prefer heavily cushioned shoes, but are concerned about how those shoes affect running style, according to Holowka.

"You can have that cushioning if you like it and still run with normal, natural leg stiffness," he says.

More information: Nicholas B. Holowka et al, Effects of footwear cushioning on leg and longitudinal arch stiffness during running, Journal of Biomechanics (2021). Journal information: Journal of Biomechanics Nicholas B. Holowka et al, Effects of footwear cushioning on leg and longitudinal arch stiffness during running,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110869
ZAMBOANGA CITY  Eight villages in the southern Philippine province of Sulu are now free from the influence of the pro-ISIS group Abu Sayyaf...
RTHK: US rejects Russia demands on Ukraine

The United States on Wednesday rejected Russia's demand to bar Ukraine from Nato and said it believed Moscow was ready to invade but offered what it called a new "diplomatic path" out of the crisis.

One month after Russia put forward sweeping security proposals, having sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine's border, the United States delivered a reply in coordination with Nato allies and said it was ready for any eventuality.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he would speak again in the coming days to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, whom he met on Friday in Geneva, amid a separate diplomatic initiative led by France.

"It sets out a serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it," Blinken told reporters of the US response, which he said would remain confidential.

He renewed an offer on "reciprocal" measures to address mutual security concerns including reductions of missiles in Europe and transparency on military drills and Western aid to Ukraine.

But he made clear that the United States would not budge on Russia's core demand that Ukraine never be allowed to join Nato, the US-backed military alliance.

"From our perspective, I can't be more clear  Natos door is open, remains open, and that is our commitment," Blinken said.

Russia, which has a complicated historical relationship with Ukraine, has fueled an insurgency in the former Soviet republic's east that has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.

Russia that year also seized Crimea after the overthrow of a government in Kyiv that had pushed back on efforts to move closer to Europe.

The United States has warned of severe and swift consequences if Russia invades, including possible personal sanctions on President Vladimir Putin. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Baltimore City school board voted Tuesday night to close three public schools during summer 2023, citing low enrollment numbers and deteriorating buildings, despite calls from community members to keep them open.

The vote means the school system will close Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary on Eutaw Place in West Baltimore, Steuart Hill Academic Academy in Union Square in the Central Southwest area of the city and New Era Academy, a high school in South Baltimore, after the 2022-23 academic year. The only board member to oppose all three closures was Durryle Brooks.

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The school board voted unanimously to develop a strategic plan that will look at long-term enrollment and school closures.

A fourth school that was being considered for closure, Dr. Bernard Harris Elementary School in East Baltimores Oliver neighborhood, will remain open, city schools CEO Sonja Santelises said.

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This is the only school where the facility issue is not as severe, but the enrollment challenge is, Santelises said. There is a call to action. To our partners and community leaders, we need you to deliver. You committed to doing a campaign to increase enrollment, so I am offering you the opportunity to do so.

The school system announced a proposal to close the schools in November and was scheduled to vote in early January. The board postponed the vote for two weeks until Tuesday night.

More than 80 community members joined the virtual school board meeting, with about a dozen people speaking out, begging board members to keep the schools open and delay the vote for two years.

Elizabeth Reichelt, a co-chair at BUILD, an interfaith community group in Baltimore, said she felt that school officials didnt present enough facts to justify the closures.

Why are we talking about permanently losing schools now when students, family and staff are reeling from the trauma of the pandemic? she asked. Closing the schools now will just serve as a further setback.

China Boak Terrell, CEO of American Communities Trust, which works to bring investment to low-income, urban neighborhoods while boosting families there, said closing the schools and creating acres of vacant space and broken glass would be devastating for families and children.

What we need is a paradigm shift and we need a new right size for Black neighborhoods where populations may have shrunk, she said. Because it really matters to us that neighborhood schools continue to be the foundation of growth.

The schools targeted to close all have declined in enrollment over the past five years and need major repairs, and the city says it has run out of funding to fix them.

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For example, Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary needs nearly $20 million in repairs  about half the value of the building  to fix cracked walls that allow water to enter, and pay for new windows and heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, officials said.

While officials acknowledged that the building is safe for the current 229 students, they said it is less than a mile away from three other elementary schools that are in better condition and have the ability to serve more kids.

School board members said the decision was difficult given the schools exemplary academic program.

This is hard. Its very hard, said Linda M. Chinnia, chair of the Board of School Commissioners. But we either deal with it now or were going to still have to deal with it two or three years down the road.

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With Steuart Hill Academic Academy, officials said that a stream runs under the building, causing the school to periodically flood. The school also needs a new roof, chimney and windows.

Officials said it would cost about $16 million to upgrade New Era Academy in South Baltimore. The schools HVAC system runs on steam and is corroding, costing thousands of dollars a year on upkeep. The building also does not have air conditioning.

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Basically, duct tape is holding it together, said Cynthia Smith, the city schools director of facility design and construction. Were worried about how long we can maintain the heating system in the building. We dont have a long timeline for when we think that students can be in the building, and its uncomfortable and very hot.

Brooks, who voted no to close all three schools, said multiple times that he felt the community needed more time to share its input.

In the absence of having a clearly articulated timeline that is transparent so that the public has the appropriate amount of time to engage, it just does not feel to me that that is the way in which we operate with integrity and transparency, especially in our roles as school board commissioners, Brooks said.

The school closing proposal is part of an attempt to make the schools operate more efficiently by closing those with low enrollments as the citys population and public school enrollment have shrunk over the decades.

In the past decade, the system has closed dozens of schools while investing about $1 billion in 28 new or completely renovated schools, including Patterson High School, Frederick Elementary School and Fort Worthington Elementary/Middle School.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The Biden Administration on Tuesday withdrew an emergency COVID-19 vaccine-or-test mandate for workers at large companies following the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling against the requirement.

The mandate, which required businesses with 100 or more staff to ensure their employees were either vaccinated or were tested weekly and wore masks, will no longer be in effect as of Wednesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OHSA) announced.

In its decision earlier this month to block the mandate, the Supreme Court's conservative majority said the Biden administration went too far in imposing such a sweeping requirement on employers.

President Joe Biden reacted strongly to the ruling.

"I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law. This emergency standard allowed employers to require vaccinations or to permit workers to refuse to be vaccinated, so long as they were tested once a week and wore a mask at work: a very modest burden," Biden said after the ruling was issued.

"As a result of the Courts decision, it is now up to states and individual employers to determine whether to make their workplaces as safe as possible for employees, and whether their businesses will be safe for consumers during this pandemic by requiring employees to take the simple and effective step of getting vaccinated," Biden added. "The Court has ruled that my administration cannot use the authority granted to it by Congress to require this measure, but that does not stop me from using my voice as President to advocate for employers to do the right thing to protect Americans health and economy."

The White House had estimated that the mandate would apply to about 84 million workers, NBC News reported.

OHSA said in its statement that it has withdrawn the vaccine requirement as an emergency mandate, but not as a proposed rule, and is "prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard."

In response to surging cases that have swamped hospitals, the Biden administration had issued a number of mandates for federal government and health care sector workers to persuade them to get vaccinated. The Supreme Court did not block the health care workers vaccine mandate.

More information

Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more on COVID vaccines.

SOURCE: NBC News

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TUESDAY, Jan. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- European Union residents should be able to move freely between the 27 member nations if they have been vaccinated in the past nine months or have recently recovered from COVID-19 infection, bloc officials said Tuesday.

The announcement was made a day after the World Health Organization said the spread of the omicron variant could change the COVID-19 pandemic from overwhelming to manageable. Still, while the omicron variant "offers plausible hope for stabilization and normalization," it is too soon to do away with restrictions entirely because large numbers of people worldwide remain unvaccinated, Hans Henri Kluge, M.D., the WHO regional director for Europe, said in a statement.

Under the new EU recommendation that takes effect Feb. 1, residents of member nations will be able to move freely within the bloc if they have a COVID-19 digital certificate with their full course of vaccination, a certificate of recent recovery from COVID-19 infection, or a negative result from a test within the previous 72 hours, The New York Times reported. However, individual EU members can still place further restrictions on visitors, such as quarantine or testing.

And the EU recommended additional restrictions for unvaccinated people, those who have not recovered from the virus, and travelers from areas with high levels of virus circulation. Along with a negative test result, these people will have to undergo further testing and quarantine.

The EU also said that proof of two-dose vaccinations will expire after nine months, in an effort to encourage more Europeans to get booster shots. After that, people who want to renew their digital certificates must get an additional vaccine dose. Slightly more than 40 percent of the bloc's residents have gotten a booster.

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TUESDAY, Jan. 25, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- The distribution of free N95 masks for Americans has begun, the Biden administration said Monday.

"Last week, masks began shipping and arriving at pharmacies and grocers around [the] country. We expect that throughout the week the number of stores and N95s arriving [will] scale up significantly," an administration official told CNN.

Masks already are set up for distribution at some Hy-Vee and Meijer grocery stores in the Midwest, with more coming at Southeastern Grocers stores later this week, CNN reported.

The administration announced last week that the program to distribute 400 million free masks to pharmacies and community health centers is expected to be in full swing by early February. The masks are accompanied by flyers in both English and Spanish from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Mask up and maximize your protection," to "help slow the spread of COVID by protecting yourself and those around you," the flyer states.

Every person can have up to three free masks that include a QR code with instructions on proper use of the masks, as well as a link on mask usage from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The free masks -- from the Strategic National Stockpile -- will also start arriving at about 100 to 200 community health centers in the initial phase, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration. By mid-February, the agency anticipates that the masks will be available to all health centers, Amy Simmons Farber, a spokesperson for the National Association of Community Health Centers, told CNN.

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WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- Although they report difficulty breathing and discomfort while wearing a face mask, most people with asthma still use them in public places during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new study finds.

University of Illinois Chicago researchers conducted an online survey of more than 500 adults with asthma. They found that 84% reported discomfort and 75% reported trouble breathing or shortness of breath at least occasionally while wearing a face mask to guard against COVID-19.

Still, "the majority of those surveyed said about masks, 'Just wear it,'" study co-author Dr. Sharmilee Nyenhuis said in a university news release. Nyenhuis is an associate professor in the College of Medicine.

Poorer asthma control and wearing a mask for longer periods of time were associated with more symptoms while wearing a mask, according to the study. The findings were published in the January issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

As well as answering survey questions, participants were asked open-ended questions about their experiences wearing masks and their recommendations for other people with asthma.

In that part of the study, 45% of participants said they had problems breathing and increased coughing when wearing a mask; 39% said they had no change in their asthma when wearing a mask, and 2% said their asthma symptoms improved when wearing a mask, likely because the mask filtered out pollen and pollutants that trigger respiratory distress, according to the researchers.

About 5% of the participants said they don't always wear a mask.

The study participants offered suggestions about mask-wearing for others with asthma. They included:

Take the time to find a comfortable, well-fitting mask.

Keep your inhaler with you.

Stay on top of your asthma medications.

Make sure your mask is at room temperature if cold triggers your asthma.

Take mask breaks.

"Taking a mask break is important. It allows for opportunities to take large, deep breaths and do some breathing techniques," said Nyenhuis, who suggested that employers consider making accommodations for those with asthma to take safe mask breaks.

There is no reason a person with asthma should not wear a mask, but those who have concerns about wearing a mask should talk with their doctor, Nyenhuis said.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID-19 and asthma.

SOURCE: University of Illinois Chicago, news release, Jan. 20, 2022

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Although Carroll Hospital said it is seeing fewer COVID-19 positive patients, data from the Carroll County Health Department released Tuesday show that 15 county residents died as a result of the virus in the past week.

As of Tuesday, Carroll Hospital had 150 total patients, 32 of whom tested positive for COVID-19. In the Critical Care Unit, nine patients were being cared for, three of whom are COVID positive. All but one critical care patient are using ventilators, and two patients outside the unit are also on ventilators.

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The health department said that 13 of the 32 COVID-positive patients at the hospital had been vaccinated.

While the number of COVID patients is decreasing, the acuity level remains high. Many of the COVID patients we have are seriously ill, said Garrett Hoover, president of Carroll Hospital. We know that things can change at any time, so we remain prepared to provide everyone with the highest quality care.  However, we do not want to let down our guard. We still strongly encourage people to take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.

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This week, Marylands positivity rate was reported at 13.47%, with 2,361 people hospitalized due to the virus.

Carroll Countys positivity rate was 15.7% as of Tuesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, classifying the county as high transmission.

We watch the numbers constantly and are growing cautiously optimistic.  Critical care patients have the longest stays, however, and that will be the last unit to return to normal, said Dr. Mark Olszyk, vice president of medical affairs and chief medical officer at Carroll Hospital. Sadly, all the critical patients are unvaccinated.

As of Tuesday, Carroll County had 646 active positive COVID-19 cases reported. The countys overall case count to date is 19,449.

Fifteen county residents died due to COVID this past week, according to county health department data. Carrolls coronavirus-related fatalities now total 352.

The Carroll County Health Department offers a drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at the Agriculture Center in Westminster, where they are able to offer about 280 tests each day. Tests at the Ag Center do not require an appointment and are no longer limited to only people who were exposed or have symptoms.

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The drive-thru site is open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. For updated information, visit cchd.maryland.gov/covidtesting or call 410-876-4848.

The health department is also hosting vaccination clinics at Carroll Community College for residents 18 years of age and older. Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccinations are available. Registration is at https://cchd.maryland.gov/registration-links/.

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Clinics at the college will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

First, second and third doses of the vaccine will be offered to 5- through 11-year-olds who are immunocompromised at Carroll Community College this Thursday from 3:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. and Feb. 27 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

In partnership with the health department, the Carroll County Public Library system has been distributing free COVID-19 home-test kits at branches and its headquarters. Though test kits were not shipped to the library in time for this weeks distribution, staff expects kits to be available next week.

Test kits also may be requested through the federal government online at covidtests.gov. One set of four tests is available per mailing address.

If an individual tests positive for COVID-19 with an at-home test kit, the Maryland Department of Health is asking for results to be submitted to covidlink.maryland.gov/selfreport.
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- People hospitalized for COVID-19 are not necessarily out of the woods once they're discharged: Many land in the hospital again in the months afterward, a large U.K. study finds.

The researchers found that in the 10 months after leaving the hospital, COVID-19 patients were more than twice as likely to be hospitalized or die, compared to the general population. And even compared with people hospitalized for flu, COVID patients fared worse in certain respects.

Experts said the findings offer more evidence that recovery from severe COVID-19 can be long and difficult.

"It's a misconception to think that when most patients are discharged from the hospital they are 'back to normal,'" said Dr. MeiLan Han, chief of pulmonary and critical care medicine at the University of Michigan Health, in Ann Arbor.

For one thing, COVID-induced lung inflammation can take weeks to months to dissipate, said Han, who was not involved in the study. In some patients with severe COVID-19, she added, lung scarring can be permanent.

COVID-19 can also wreak havoc beyond the lungs. One example is blood clotting, Han said.

"I have seen patients discharged after seeming to be recovering from pneumonia only to be rehospitalized for blood clots later," she said.

Other variables are at work, too. People hospitalized for COVID-19 often have pre-existing health conditions that made them vulnerable to becoming severely ill with the infection in the first place.

Those conditions may have worsened during their COVID hospital stay, said Dr. Aaron Glatt, a spokesman for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

One reason, he explained, is that hospitalization itself can take a toll  for reasons ranging from medication changes to disrupted sleep to "deconditioning." The latter refers to declines in muscle strength as well as heart and breathing capacity that can make even daily routines difficult.

Glatt is also chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, N.Y., where he advises patients to follow-up with their usual doctor soon after their hospital discharge. The aim is to make sure all is in order with managing their chronic conditions, including their medications.

The study  published online Jan. 25 in the journal PLOS Medicine  analyzed medical records from nearly 25,000 U.K. adults who survived a COVID hospitalization in 2020. The majority (about 62%) were age 60 or older.

Each patient was compared with five people from the general population of the same age, sex and area of residence. They were also compared with more than 16,000 people hospitalized for the flu between 2017 and 2019.

Overall, COVID-19 patients fared worse than the general population: By the six-month mark, almost 35% had been hospitalized again or died, compared to 15% of the comparison group.

COVID-19 patients were often on par with flu patients when it came to the risk of being rehospitalized for various causes. However, their odds of dying from any cause were higher: 7.5% had died six months after discharge, compared to 5% of influenza patients.

Meanwhile, COVID-19 patients with pre-existing dementia had a higher risk of being hospitalized or dying from that disease, compared with influenza patients. And as a group, COVID patients were 37% more likely than flu patients to be hospitalized for a mental health condition or problems with memory or thinking skills (cognition).

"The increase in cognitive-related readmissions is clearly concerning," Han said. "While we know many patients have complained of 'brain fog' after recovering from COVID-19, how the infection may be impacting the brain or cognitive function, and for how long, remains an active area of research."

COVID-19 patients in the study were all hospitalized in 2020. So it's not clear whether the same numbers would be seen today, according to lead researcher Krishnan Bhaskaran, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

"Since the patients in our study were hospitalized, we have certainly seen changes in care, new (COVID) variants, and a major rollout of vaccines," Bhaskaran said.

But the experts agreed that the bottom line for hospitalized patients remains the same: After discharge, keep all follow-up appointments with your doctors, and let them know if any symptoms worsen or new ones arise.

"For everyone else," Bhaskaran said, "my main advice would be to get vaccinated or boosted when the opportunity arises, as this is the best way of avoiding a COVID hospitalization in the first place."

More information

Harvard Medical School has a COVID resource hub.

SOURCES: Krishnan Bhaskaran, PhD, MSc, professor, statistical epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, U.K.; Aaron Glatt, MD, chief, infectious diseases, Mount Sinai South Nassau, Oceanside, N.Y., and spokesman, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Arlington, Va.; MeiLan Han, MD, MS, professor and chief, pulmonary and critical care medicine, University of Michigan Health, Ann Arbor; PLOS Medicine, Jan. 25, 2022, online

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New studies show strong links between wildfire smoke during the summer and health problems like flu or asthma later in the year.

In 2021, almost half our days from June to September were impacted by wildfire smoke last summer, Montana Department of Environmental Quality air quality bureau chief Bo Wilkins told the Legislatures Environmental Quality Council on Tuesday. Our nice, green good-air-quality days are kind of gone.

2021 was the fourth-driest on record going back 127 years, according to Montana State Forester Sonya Germann. The dry conditions contributed to 2,878 wildfires burning a total 953,000 acres across state, federal and private land. Of those, 96% were caught by initial attack firefighters and only 92 grew bigger than 100 acres.

Nevertheless, the ones that did escape initial attack were so serious, Montana was at Preparedness Level 5 for 42 days  the highest possible level indicating extreme fire risk and lack of firefighting resources. Germann said of the 3,962 requests for firefighting aircraft, agencies were unable to fulfill a third of the flights. And of the 1,472 ground crew requests, only 45% got filled.

Those are significant numbers, Germann said. The states 10-year average for firefighting expenses is $23.3 million. Last year, suppression costs hit $50.1 million, she said.

A new policy from the U.S. Forest Service released last week calls for more prescribed burning of public lands to reduce wildfire hazards, along with extensive logging and fuels reduction work. While prescribed burning produces smoke, it tends to contain fewer harmful toxins and particulates than large-scale wildfires. However, it extends the number of days communities might get smoky air each year.

Medical data from last year showed significant increases in emergency room visits in hospitals downwind from the Robertson Draw fire in Carbon County, the Harris Mountain fire in Cascade County and the Haystack fire in Silver Bow and Jefferson counties, according to research from Department of Health and Human Services chronic disease prevention supervisor Jessie Fernandes. Even after factoring for the surge in delta-variant COVID cases, the smoke-related cases of difficulty breathing or elevated heart rates were concerning, she said.

Professor Erin Landguth of the University of Montanas Center for Population Health Research showed new studies linking summer smoke exposure to influenza cases later that winter. Cases go up 16 to 22% for every 1 microgram increase in smoke pollution, resulting in flu seasons three to five times worse than average following a bad fire summer.

Wildfire smoke contains particles 10 microns in diameter  small enough that a string of them would look like a pearl necklace around a human hair. But worse, there are particles just 2.5 microns around, which would form a necklace around those 10-micron bits. That particulate matter carries toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from burning forests deep into peoples lungs, where they aggravate health risks from heart disease to diabetes.

Montana jumps out compared to other states, George Washington University post-doctoral researcher Katelyn ODell said of the states deaths related to wildfire smoke exposure. Beyond that, the health impacts show up in people needing doctor visits, outpatient hospital services and asthma inhalers refilled.

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Construction on a new state-of-the-art skilled nursing facility for Maryland veterans and their spouses is set to begin in Sykesville within the next year.

The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs plans to build a 128-bed veterans home on a 140-acre parcel on Slacks Road that it acquired from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in Sykesville. (Dylan Slagle)

The facility, which will be located on a 140-acre parcel on Slacks Road, is being constructed in an effort to provide better access to medical services to Marylands veterans and their families. Organizers expect the project to take three years to complete.

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Maryland Del. Susan Krebs, a Carroll County Republican, said she worked closely with Carroll County Commissioner Ed Rothstein, R-District 5, to lock in the site, due to its location adjacent to the Springfield State Hospital in Sykesville and near the American Legion Post 223.

Were really excited. Its the perfect site, Krebs said. Its not only good for Carroll County but its a great location geographically It suits Central Maryland, Western Maryland and the D.C. suburbs.

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Rothstein said the project is a result of a proud partnership between the state veterans administration, the state delegation and Carroll County, as they worked together to identify the best location for the home.

There is no better place than Carroll County, he said. We do a great job embracing the veteran community ... This is just another testament to the countys commitment to its veterans.

According to the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, the new facility will encompass eight households, including 16 beds per household, for a total of 128 beds.

On-site services will include 24-hour nursing care, dialysis, dental care, optometry, occupational therapy/rehabilitation and a pharmacy. These services will be available to eligible veterans and their spouses.

Afternoon Update Weekdays Updating you on the day's biggest news before the evening commute. >

The Sykesville State Veterans Home will be the first newly constructed state veterans home to implement in-house dialysis services for residents. Additional features planned are a community center, wellness center and barber/beauty shop, said Dana Burl, program director of the Outreach and Advocacy Program for the state veterans department.

Currently, Maryland has one veterans home located in St. Marys County. The Sykesville site was selected in order to improve access to services for veterans and eligible spouses living in other parts of the state.

The Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs acquired the Sykesville property at no cost from the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Burl said.

After years of searching for an ideal location, MDVA is thankful DPSCS was able to transfer this available and spacious land, Burl said. As the veteran population continues to age, the state as well as MDVA recognizes a growing number will be in need of long-term health care services.

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The total cost of the new facility is estimated at more than $177 million and Gov. Larry Hogan included more than $63 million in funding in his proposed fiscal 2023 capital budget. The MDVA is applying for a federal grant to cover the remaining costs.

An initial facility plan has been submitted for approval to the state Department of Budget and Management and the Department of General Services, which is required in advance of all architectural home design.

At 90% resident occupancy, the state expects the home to create about 150 jobs in the community.
U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale is asking a federal court to throw out a lawsuit accusing the Montana Republican and the National Rifle Association of an elaborate 2018 funding scheme that allegedly produced nearly $400,000 in illegal in-kind 2018 campaign contributions.

In D.C. Federal District Court, Rosendales campaign is arguing the non-profit gun control group Giffords lacks the standing to bring the lawsuit, and that the D.C. District lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case stemming from Montanas 2018 Senate race between Rosendale and incumbent Democrat Jon Tester.

Rosendales campaign reissued a statement Tuesday in which the Congressman dismissed the lawsuit as groundless:

"This anti-gun interest group made the same baseless allegations against our campaign more than three years ago, and there have been no findings by the Federal Election Commission that suggests their claims have any merit. This lawsuit is their latest attempt to villainize those of us who support the Second Amendment, and we are confident they will lose this lawsuit in a convincing fashion."

Rosendale had originally made the statement when the lawsuit was filed in November. An attorney for Rosendale, who declined to discuss the case for attribution, said Tuesday the defense would first challenge Giffords' right to bring the case, leaving arguments about the lawsuits merits for later.

The campaign did say in its Jan. 21 filing that Giffords has alleged a convoluted and wide-ranging conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Acts prohibition on coordinated communications.

Giffords accuses the political arm of the NRA and Rosendales campaign of orchestrating a political ad-buying scheme using shell companies that allegedly benefitted Rosendale with $383,196 in illegally coordinated expenditures.

Giffords submits that Rosendale acknowledged during a 2018 interview he was in communication with Chris Cox about the NRAs campaign plans for the Montana Senate race. Cox is the political director for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.

The Supreme Court confirmations, thats what sent the NRA over the line, Rosendale tells the interviewer, Because in 12, with Denny, they stayed out. They stayed out of Montana, but Chris Cox told me, hes like, Were, we're going to be in this race'. Denny is a reference to former U.S. Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, who challenged Tester unsuccessfully in the 2012 election.

The NRAs campaign did run ads targeting Tester for U.S. Supreme Court confirmation votes the NRA opposed as bad for the Second Amendment. Rosendale did the same. At times the same person was placing ads for both the NRA and Rosendale. Giffords alleges that companies producing the ads were also functionally one business, managed out of the same building by the same people, but using two different business names. That kind of coordination is illegal.

Giffords first filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, not only against Rosendale and NRA Institute for Legislative Action, but also Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, and former President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign, suggesting that all three politicians benefited from the same scheme. All told, in-kind contributions to candidates amounted to $35 million, Giffords contends.

But the FEC wouldnt issue a ruling on the complaints Giffords brought. When Rosendale says the FEC made no findings on the claims against the Montana politician, hes correct. The FEC also didnt clear the Rosendale campaign.

Giffords then sued the FEC and D.C. District Court ordered the Federal Election Commission to issue a reason-to-believe determination, within 30 days, which the FEC didnt do. After the FEC failed to follow the court order, Giffords was empowered to sue the defendants directly.

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A truck driver from Texas said to have limited experience driving on snow and ice and two passengers in her Peterbilt 18-wheeler escaped serious injury early Tuesday when the eastbound truck jackknifed on Interstate 90 near Deer Lodge.

The crash occurred around 5:20 a.m.

Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Dave Oliverson said the driver was traveling too fast for road conditions, lost control, struck a guardrail and then bridge railings before finally stopping with the truck cab turned around and facing the trucks rear.

The trucks hood landed at least 100 yards away on the Eastside Road, which travels beneath I-90 at the site.

Oliverson said the passengers included a co-driver, who was male, and his sister, riding in the trucks sleeper. He said there were minor injuries, bumps and bruises.

A separate crash on I-90 Tuesday morning led to more serious injuries.

First, an eastbound 18-wheeler jackknifed near the Anaconda exit and blocked both eastbound lanes. Another tractor-trailer headed east slowed and stopped at the scene and was then rear-ended by a woman driving a Penske truck, Oliverson said.

The woman was transported by Life Flight for medical treatment in Missoula, he said.

Oliverson said she clearly was not paying close attention to the road when the crash occurred.

Montana Highway Patrol had a busy day Tuesday, he said.

We were responding to a lot of crashes due to weather and people driving too fast for conditions, Oliverson said.

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Officials will not appeal a state ruling requiring Yellowstone County to pay damages to a transgender former employee who faced discrimination under the county's health insurance plan.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry awarded damages of $66,531 to Eleanor Maloney on Monday after the Montana Human Rights Bureau ruled in August the county had discriminated against her on the basis of sex.

The ruling also found the county's health insurance plan, which barred treatments and therapy related to gender-affirming health care, was unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis of gender.

Yellowstone County started the process last summer to remove from its health insurance policies discriminatory language after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects employees from specific types of discrimination, also applies to transgender workers.

The latest state ruling on Maloney didn't impact the county's health insurance policies because changes were already in the works, said chief deputy county attorney Jeana Lervick.

Maloney joined the county attorney's office in 2016 as a prosecutor specializing in child abuse and neglect cases. She was diagnosed in 2018 with gender dysphoria and started exploring health care options.

She was still employed by the county at that point and was seeking to understand her diagnosis. She was meeting regularly with a therapist and was working to figure out if gender reassignment surgery or some other treatment was her best option.

Choosing surgery meant finding and meeting with a surgeon and eventually setting a date for a procedure. The wait list for many of these procedures can be years long so she put her name on a wait list while she figured out her best course of action.

In order to do that she needed approval from her health insurer, which in this case was Yellowstone County. The county is self-insured and its program is administered by EBMS.

The county denied her request, citing its health insurance plan that excludes "services or supplies related to sexual reassignment and reversal of such procedures."

Citing the same policy, the county also sought a return of payments from Maloney's therapist for the counseling sessions she had received related to gender dysphoria.

Maloney, unsure about the future of her health insurance, resigned from the county attorney's office and looked for a job in western Montana that offered insurance that would cover her health care needs.

She then filed a discrimination complaint with the Montana Human Rights Bureau.

The damages awarded by Montana Department of Labor and Industry gives Yellowstone County 60 days to pay Maloney $66,531, which covers lost wages and benefits stemming from her departure from the county attorney's office.

The county will pay out the damages from budgeted funds.

"We hope the conclusion allows Ms. Maloney to continue with her pursuits," Lervick said.

The order also requires the county to discontinue enforcing the provision in its health insurance that bars transgender treatment, which the county addressed last summer.

It also requires the county to perform transgender discrimination training with employees and work with an attorney familiar with transgender issues to create and adopt "improvement policies and notices regarding transgender discrimination."

Maloney declined an interview on Tuesday, but released a statement in which she expressed gratitude for the ruling.

"I'm grateful that the rights of LGBTQIA+ Montanans are vindicated today," she said.

Alex Rate, legal director for ACLU-MT, said the damages awarded by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry and the ruling made by the Montana Human Rights Bureau should clearly dispel the idea that employers can treat their transgender workers any differently than other workers.

"Todays decision should stand as a clear warning to any county that seeks to deny medically necessary health care to transgender Montanans," Rate said. "These provisions are blatantly discriminatory and cannot stand."

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Billings Police on Tuesday continued their investigation into the shooting death of two men, and the critical injury of a third.

Police responded early Tuesday morning to an accident and found two men shot dead. The third man was found with a severe neck injury and taken to a Billings hospital, police said in a tweet.

Police responded to a report of a crashed pickup truck on the 300 block of South 37th Street a little after 3 a.m., according to a statement from Billings Police Lt. Brandon Wooley. They found two of the men inside the truck unresponsive and not breathing, and they were later pronounced dead at the scene. Both have yet to be identified, but "appear to be in their 20s," Wooley wrote.

The third man was identified as a 22-year-old from Billings. Wooley did not specify the nature of his injuries, but did say they were not consistent with those normally sustained in a vehicle crash.

The two men's bodies lay for several hours next to a red Nissan pickup truck that had crashed into a tree on the 300 block of South 37th. Bullet holes could be seen in the driver's side window and door of the crashed truck. Police cordoned off the area around the scene and searched nearby streets.

While the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, Wooley wrote in his Tuesday morning statement that initial evidence suggests that a fight broke out inside the pickup truck prior to the crash. Officers are not searching for anyone else connected to the shooting, and no arrests have been made.

The rolling shooting is the latest in a series of high-profile violent crimes in the city. Billings police are still investigating the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in the Heights earlier this month. As of Tuesday morning, no arrests have been made in connection to that homicide, which occurred in the early hours of Jan. 16. Later that same week, a man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound after a shooting on the South Side.

A Billings Police officer was placed on administrative leave after a fight broke out between off-duty officers and two men at a casino on Grand Avenue. A Yellowstone County deputy was injured by a possible bullet fragment during the melee, and a man was hospitalized with serious injuries after he wrecked a car driving away from the scene. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation has been tasked with determining the cause of the fight.

The rise in violent crime in Billings and Yellowstone County has garnered the attention of both local and state authorities. Gov. Greg Gianforte held a roundtable discussion in Billings Jan. 21 centered on improving public safety in the area. The overcrowding of the Yellowstone County Detention Center dominated the conversation.

A week prior to the governor's visit, local officials held their own presentation. Homicides in particular climbed to 22 in Billings during the year 2020, Police Chief Rich St. John told those in attendance. For 2021, the number dropped to nine, and all of which were solved by investigators.

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Emphasizing the importance of bison hunts outside the park and the transfer of live bison to tribes, Yellowstone National Park is developing a new bison management plan to update a 20-year-old document.

The announcement of the park undertaking the process will be formally announced in the Federal Register on Jan. 28. Montana state veterinarian Marty Zaluski on Monday informed the Environmental Quality Council during its Helena meeting that the scoping effort is underway to gather information from cooperating partners. The EQC is an interim legislative working group.

The new document will incorporate recent studies related to bison in the park, according to Superintendent Cam Sholly, including one that examined the parks vegetation and carrying capacity.

Under the three alternatives that will be considered is one that maintains bison populations at 3,500 to 5,000 animals after calving season in the spring utilizing hunting, slaughter and quarantine.

Alternative number-two would raise the population objective to 4,500 to 6,000 animals while emphasizing tribal engagement and decreasing slaughter.

Alternative three would allow the bison population to climb to between 5,500 and 8,000 and be based on the carrying capacity of the vegetation inside the park. The third alternative would also attempt to move away from any shipping of bison to slaughter unless the population exceeds 8,000 animals.

We are working to ultimately reduce reliance on shipment to slaughter, Sholly said.

The shipment-to-slaughter program has been a controversial piece of Yellowstones Interagency Bison Management Plan. This year the goal is to remove 600 to 900 bison through a combination of the slaughter program, tribal and sport hunting. Killing another 200 animals may also be authorized if conditions warrant. The meat and hides from slaughtered bison are distributed to participating tribes.

About 80 to 120 bison that test negative for exposure to brucellosis will be placed in quarantine for possible live transfer to the Fort Peck Reservation for eventual distribution to other tribes, once the animals pass rigorous testing. With help from conservation groups the park is constructing new quarantine facilities to increase its capabilities from holding 80 to about 200 bison. So far the transfer program has moved 163 bison to tribal partners.

"We've shown we can manage higher numbers without transmitting brucellosis or having higher numbers of conflicts," the park's Sholly added.

The Nez Perce Tribe, one of the IBMP cooperators, has protested the location of the new quarantine facility saying it could lessen migration out of the park. Sholly said the location was chosen based on bison GPS monitoring to avoid any problems.

Most of the hunting occurs in the Gardiner Basin north of Yellowstone. So far this winter few bison have migrated into the basin, so only two bison have been shot by state hunters, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The state issues 85 permits for hunters. Eight tribes cooperate to hunt bison outside the park under their own regulations.

The parks most recent bison population estimate was about 5,450 animals. With few predators, the population is capable of growing by 10% to 17% a year.

The previous bison management plan and development of the IBMP came after the state of Montana successfully sued the park to keep bison numbers low to ensure those infected with brucellosis dont transfer the disease to cattle in the state. Consequently, bison are the only park animal whose wanderings are restricted and populations are controlled. Elk, which are also infected with brucellosis, move freely within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Sholly said the cooperative work of the agencies and tribes under the IBMP has successfully maintained bison populations, lessened conflicts with landowners and avoided brucellosis infections. That cooperation will continue even under a new plan, he added.

Were still adhering to the intent of the IBMP, Sholly said.

The goal is to have a draft environmental impact statement regarding bison management out for public comment by this fall with a final document approved in 2023, Sholly said.

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San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo at a memorial for the victims of a mass shooting in the city in June (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

San Jose is set to become the first city in the US to require gun owners to pay a fee and carry liability insurance, in a move aimed at helping to reduce gun violence and ease the burden of gun crime on taxpayers in the California city.

The city council approved the two first-in-a-nation measures on Tuesday night, voting 10-1 in favour of passing the insurance provisions and 8-3 in favour of the fees.

The first measure will require gun owners to get liability insurance to cover damage caused by their firearm, with lower premiums for those with gun safes, trigger locks and those who complete gun safety classes..

Under the fee measure, gun owners will be charged an annual fee of $25 with the funds going to a nonprofit for evidence-based gun crime prevention initiatives and to help victims of gun violence.

The historic move has divided opinion with gun control advocates welcoming the clampdown as a way to encourage responsible gun safety among owners while gun rights groups have already vowed to block it if it enters into law.

The ordinance first needs to be approved at its final reading in February before it will take effect in the city from August.

Once introduced, law enforcement officers will check for proof of insurance from gun owners, in a similar way to checks for car insurance.

Failure to comply with the rules after that will result in fines and gun owners having their firearms impounded, according to the ordinance.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who first proposed the measures back in June, said that these steps will help reduce both the risk and financial costs of gun violence on citizens.

Tonight San Jose became the first city in the United States to enact an ordinance to require gun owners to purchase liability insurance, and to invest funds generated from fees paid by gun owners into evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun violence and gun harm, he said in a statement on Tuesday.

Thank you to my council colleagues who continue to show their commitment to reducing gun violence and its devastation in our community.

Story continues

He added that he hopes to help other cities replicate these initiatives across the nation.

The mayor introduced the measures in the wake of the mass shooting at a public transit rail yard in San Jose in June.

The gunman, an employee of the Valley Transportation Authority, shot and killed nine coworkers before turning the gun on himself.

Rachel Michelson from Moms Demand Action said the new measures will help prevent more lives being lost to gun violence by incentivising safer gun ownership.

Once again, San Jose has taken initiative to be a leader in the gun violence prevention movement, she said in a statement.

This ordinance is an innovative approach to address the costs of gun violence and incentivize safer practices that can help prevent firearm deaths and injuries.

Other cities should follow San Joses lead and prioritize safer cities.

However, gun rights groups have claimed the measures violate their Second Amendment rights.

Ahead of Tuesdays vote, Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights and executive director of the National Foundation for Gun Rights, vowed to file a lawsuit if the ordinance comes into effect.

"If the San Jose City Council actually votes to impose this ridiculous tax on the Constitutional right to gun ownership, our message is clear and simple: see you in court," he said in a statement to CNN.
Dr. Mike Carmichael looks at the new model railway layout in the Railway Museum of San Angelo. He will conduct a workshop, "Creating Railroad Scenery," on Saturday, Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.

Over 111 years ago, San Angelos two-story brick railroad depot was built for the Kansas City-Mexico-Orient Railway Line.

The depot served West Texas over 75 years as railroad companies came and went. The building became bedraggled and worn. The roof leaked. The floor sagged. Rather than let the depot go to ruin, a crew of dedicated volunteers stepped in, saved the historic building and turned it into a museum.

A quarter of a century later, the Railway Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary. It is a monument to the vision of people who built it in 1910 as well as to the volunteers who saved it in 1996.

According to Museum board vice president Monica Ramos, Thanks to a group of dedicated individuals, the Santa Fe Depot was protected from demolition and was rehabilitated to store railroad history artifacts for public viewing. The Santa Fe Passenger Depots title changed to the Railway Museum of San Angelo and has since then remained committed to preserving the rich railway history of San Angelo. Over the years, many partners have contributed to maintaining the Railway Museum, including the City of San Angelo, Goodfellow Airforce Base, volunteer organizations from Angelo State University, and railroad retirees & devotees. In February of 2021, an Award of Merit was presented to the Railway Museum by the Texas Historical Commission. Current elements of the museum are comprised of educational programming, living history tours, rotating exhibitions, and gift shop.

Visitors to the Railway Museum of San Angelo explore a locomotive during the first Railway Days Festival on Saturday, May 15, 2021.

Of course, San Angelo wont let the anniversary slip by without a celebration. First, there will be a proclamation about the quarter-century history at San Angelo City Council Tuesday, Jan. 4. According to Railway Museum Board president Suzanna Valenzuela, the proclamation reveals several changes. Were expanding operating hours to three days a week, Valenzuela said. In addition to the regular Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. hours, the museum will be open Thursday and Friday from 1-5 p.m. Well be able to handle school tours and special groups and create opportunities for people to visit the museum on weekdays.

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Thursday, Jan. 6 the museum will be open from 1-5 p.m. At 2 p.m. the ribbon cutting celebrating new hours will include light refreshments and tours.

On Saturday, Jan. 8 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., the museums kid-sized motorized train chugs around the grounds. There are Living History tours and a brand-new treasure hunt to help people discover the depots secrets. Thanks to Marcy Bosequett, there is a new trolley cart for coffee, tea and cocoa.

Ramos said, We received a grant from the San Angelo Cultural Affairs Council that will allow us to provide additional programming in 2022. The programming will occur on the Second Saturday of every month with different fun workshops.

The museums new All Aboard for Art series starts Saturday, Jan 8 with Creating Railroad Scenery led by model train collector Dr. Mike Carmichael. He has been working with Bliss Bignall and Greg Johnson to install the new HO exhibit created and donated by Linda Hill. Starting at 2 p.m., participants will meet in the lobby to paint buildings or other scale model items. To register for the workshop, go to sanangelorailway.org/events.

Other Second Saturday workshops will include Februarys Los Dias del Tren, when students with ASUs AMAS organization will do tours in Spanish; Treasures of History with Dr. Michael Powers in March; a Tunes on the Tracks music workshop; Rail Tails with Dr. Linda Thorsen Bond; Railway Days in May; Click and Clack photography workshop; Better Safe Than Sorry rail safety in September; Scare Station in October; Santas Santa Fe Christmas on Nov. 26 and more.

Ramos said that in 2021 the Museum received a major grant from the San Angelo Health Foundation to replace the outdated HVAC system that is essential to continue operations. Board members who are involved in the decisions for the museum include Valenzuela and Ramos, Rocio Moncibais, Tammie Virden, Bond and Powers.

Valenzuela said, In honor of our 25th year, we are asking for donations of $25 be made to the museum (or more if you are so moved!) in 2022! Donors will receive a commemorative pin with our 25th Anniversary logo when they contribute. Kids who bring 25 pennies to a Second Saturday event will be rewarded with a colorful little train whistle.

Contributions can be made online at sanangelorailway.org, mailed or brought to 703 South Chadbourne St., San Angelo, 76903.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: Railway Museum of San Angelo to celebrate 25th anniversary with new programs
New St. George City Councilmembers swear in to their new roles on Jan. 3, 2022.

During a historic ceremony at the St. George city hall, the winners of the 2021 St. George municipal election were officially sworn in on Monday.

The ceremony placed two first-time city councilors, Natalie Larsen and Michelle Tanner, onto the council for the next four years and gave the current mayor, Michele Randall, her first full term.

Randall said to the packed city council chamber this was a historic moment for St. George.

"Everyone in this room: you just witnessed history. We've never had three councilwomen on the council before," she said.

Newly-elected St. George City Council members Natalie Larsen, left, and Michelle Tanner speak to an audience at City Hall on Monday.

The five-person council is now led by a majority of women, with Larsen and Tanner joining Dannielle Larkin, who was first elected in 2019. The 2021 municipal election was also historic for the city since it was the first time all the winning candidates were women and the first time the city elected a woman to serve a full term as mayor.

This past election for city council was a tight race with just under 720 votes  around 2% of the vote total  separating the winners from the losers. The mayoral election saw Randall beating the challenger Jimmie Hughes, a sitting city council member, by 2,180 votes, which was around 10% of the vote total.

Larsen and Tanner unseated two incumbents on the council  Bryan Smethurst and Vardell Curtis  who were both appointed to their council seats and were also looking to get their first full term on the council.

Past coverage:

These terms are four years, with the next municipal election cycle in 2023. Hughes, Larkin and Gregg McArthur will have their seats up for election that year.

The top vote-getter in the primary city council election was Tanner, fa small business owner and nurse practitioner who campaigned saying she wanted to fight for residents' individual liberties. One of these fights included protesting vaccine mandates outside of the St. George Regional Hospital in November.

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But speaking to a largely maskless room on Monday, Tanner didn't bring up liberty but rather her appreciation for the support she got from the community to elect her to the council and noted that working within city government will be a novel thing for her.

Newly-elected St. George City Council member Michelle Tanner takes the oath of office at City Hall on Monday.

"I know that this is a new thing for me, and there will be many learning experiences," Tanner said. "But I am truly excited and passionate, and know that this is where I'm supposed to be to serve in this capacity."

Larsen got her first term in office after being the top vote-getter in the general city council election. She has a professional background in real estate, she has spent the past two years on the city's planning commission. She spoke briefly after she took the oath, saying she loves the history of St. George and hopes to add to it as a member of the city council.

"I don't take this lightly. It is a public service," Larsen said. "I love this community. I believe in the residents here. I believe in the police officers, the firemen, all the people that make the city function."

Newly-elected St. George City Council member Natalie Larsen takes the oath of office during a ceremony at City Hall on Monday.

This is the second time in two years Randall was sworn in to be mayor since she served a limited term of one year in 2021 after the former mayor Jon Pike's term resigned to take a position in Utah Gov. Spencer Cox's administration. In her remarks, she thanked her family, especially her husband who she said inspired her to run and couldn't attend her first swearing-in ceremony last January due to medical conditions, as well city staff and the voters while also mentioning her goal during her first full term.

"And my goal is to not only make those who came before me proud  but my family, the residents that live here proud and to keep this community, the community that we love," she said.

Randall also brought up the pioneer heritage of St. George, saying she hopes to continue the legacy of her ancestors who were some of the first families sent down by Brigham Young to grow cotton in the area.

"My great-great-great-grandparents came here in 1861, with 308 other families today two of their great-great-great grandchildren are being sworn in as members, one here in Washington," she said.

The new mayor of Washington city Kress Staheli poses for a photo after his swearing-in ceremony, Jan. 3, 2021.

At the same time as Randall was being sworn in, Washington city was holding its ceremony putting first-time mayor Kress Staheli into his position. Most municipalities formally swore in elected officials at noon on Monday.

More: Washington elected a new mayor for the first time in 12 years. Here is his vision for the future

After touching on her family history, Randall said she hopes to make her predecessors proud and to keep the spirit of city the same, even in the face of immense population growth.

"When those first families came here, you know, wasn't a place you wanted to be," she said. "And now we can't keep people out. And I just hope that as we grow and go forward, we always continue to keep that small-town feel, that we treat each other with kindness and respect."

A large audience showed up Monday for the swearing-in ceremony of newly-elected city councilmembers and the mayor on Monday at city hall.

Sean Hemmersmeier covers local government, growth and development in Southwestern Utah. Follow on Twitter @seanhemmers34. Our work depends on subscribers so if you want more coverage on these issues you can subscribe here: http://www.thespectrum.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: St. George officially swears in mayor, councilmembers
An Anne Arundel County Circuit Court judge denied a preliminary injunction to block the countywide mask mandate issued Jan. 7 by the county health officer after 15 minutes of deliberation Tuesday afternoon.

The ruling by Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Administrative Judge Glenn Klavans keeps in place the requirement that face coverings be worn in indoor county public areas and crowded outdoor public settings through Monday. This follows a ruling by Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Donna Schaeffer last week to not issue a temporary restraining order against the mandate.

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Klavans said Anne Arundel County Health Officer Dr. Nilesh Kalyanaraman had the authority to reinstitute the mask mandate in a public safety order under state statute 18-208 subsection B of the general health article of the Maryland Code, which reads, in part: When a health officer is notified of an infectious or contagious disease within the county, the health officer shall act immediately to prevent the spread of the disease.

The health officer is directed by the statute to act immediately and doesnt have to seek approval from a county board of health prior to his act, which causes delays. But it is clear this legislation saw infectious or contagious diseases in a different light to empower [the] health officer accordingly, Klavans said Tuesday.

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To grant or deny a preliminary injunction, courts use four requirements, according to Cornell Law School: the plaintiffs likelihood of prevailing on the merits; a showing of irreparable injury to the plaintiff if relief is not granted; the threatened injury to the movant is demonstrated to outweigh whatever damage the proposed injunction may cause the opposing party; and the balancing of equities.

Klavans said the plaintiffs in the Jan. 14 lawsuit  Pasquale Carannante, who owns Bella Napoli Italian Restaurant in Pasadena, and James Zimmerer, the owner of a fitness business in Annapolis  failed to meet all four of those requirements. Failure to prove just one is enough for a judge to deny the injunction.

The courts found the health officer had the authority to issue the order for public safety, which contains reasonable exceptions for disabilities and medical conditions and for people eating or drinking or exercising. The order is of limited duration and fully meets the needs of the community and current public health emergency concerning a communicable disease, so the plaintiffs have failed to meet likelihood of success based on merits, Klavans said Tuesday.

Klavans said Carannante and Zimmerer were correct that Kalyanaraman didnt act immediately about the COVID-19 omicron variant, but said the health officer did act swiftly after the County Council voted not to extend the mask mandate Jan. 7.

Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman on Tuesday voiced support for the courts decision to recognize Kalyanaramans authority to issue the order under his powers as health officer.

I hope and anticipate the expiration of the order on Jan. 31, as it has accomplished what Dr. Kalyanaraman intended  flattening the curve of the omicron wave during a critical moment for our hospitals and health care workers, Pittman, a Democrat, said in a statement.

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Kalyanaraman echoed Pittmans praise for the judgment.

I am grateful the court recognizes we have a duty to protect public health, he said in a statement.

Klavans said another factor that favored the defendants was that there is only six days remaining on the order.

No economic harm or harm to the plaintiffs could be found by the courts with the limited duration and adequate exceptions werent applicable to the two businesses involved, he said.

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As far as the requirement of irreparable harm, Klavans mentioned Schaeffers decision to decline the temporary restraining order on Jan. 19.

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The plaintiffs presented thin anecdotal evidence and involved assertions that customers wouldnt patronize their businesses if required to wear a mask, Klavans said Tuesday. Two witnesses testified to no constraints for them to wear a mask and the health club manager didnt seem aware of the order. And the restaurant owner said it is inconvenient and awkward to take orders from customers. I do not think any of this approaches irreparable injuries for the six days remaining.

Klavans said the defendants actions supported protecting public health during the pandemic and the recent surge of cases.

As of Tuesday, the county had a daily positivity rate of 63.7 cases per 100,000 people, and that number includes only PCR tests and those who report their positive tests to the county. That compares with a rate of 167.5 per 100,000 on Jan. 7 when the public safety order was issued. The countys overall positivity rate stands at 14.38%, a notable decrease from the beginning of the month when it was 30.23%, according to the Anne Arundel County Health Department.

Republican county executive candidate Herb McMillan, who along with Republican County Council member Nathan Volke had initially approached a lawyer about challenging the legality of the mandate earlier this month, said they plan to appeal the courts decision and continue the case in court.

Our constitutional and legal arguments are strong, and we believe that ultimately, the courts will uphold our view that an unelected county bureaucrat did not have the authority to overturn the vote of an elected County Council. This case is about democracy, not just mask mandates, McMillan said in a statement.
Things are going badly for the president and his party, and with midterm elections drawing nearer, Joe Biden and the Democrats need a reset. Paradoxically, the collapse of their plan for a comprehensive overhaul of the countrys voting laws could provide an opening  though Bidens posturing has made it harder to exploit.

The voting reform legislation would have set national standards intended to make voting as easy as possible. It was a worthwhile initiative, on the whole, and would have rolled back new state laws that in many cases needlessly tighten the rules. But the president didnt put it like that. He called them dangerous new Republican laws plainly designed to suppress and subvert voting rights. This is exactly the kind of overheated language that Biden needs to purge from his vocabulary if he wants to make progress.

If he does that, theres a good chance he can build bipartisan support for a narrower, less controversial and much more valuable reform  of the Electoral Count Act. If this new effort fails because of unyielding Republican intransigence, like last weeks did, persuadable voters should know whom to blame.

One of the oddities about the voting reform bills that just died is that they touched on countless minute aspects of election management while failing to address the constitutional crisis that almost happened last January. The most potent threat to American democracy wasnt the so-called insurrection, deplorable as that was. The greater danger was the possibility that Vice President Mike Pence might surrender to President Donald Trumps demands and set aside the popular vote in seven states. Pence stood his ground, but there was no guarantee he would. The same situation could easily arise again.

For years dispassionate critics have attacked the law that regulates disputes over counting and certifying votes  the Electoral Count Act of 1887. Experts agree its a mess, and recent events prove how dangerous this could be. The law is muddled, ambiguous and allows far too much leeway for Congress, the vice president or both to override the popular vote. These opportunities for constitutional breakdown need to be shut down. A recent report from a House staff committee says how this might be done.

The report has proposed raising the acts objection threshold, narrowing the vice presidents role at the count, ensuring that Congress receives each states timely, accurate electoral appointments, enacting new counting rules, addressing the denominator (i.e., defining the whole number of electors used in determining the majority), narrowing states ability to appoint electors after Election Day, and clarifying the scope of Election Day.

Yes, thats complicated. Theres plenty to fight over, for those inclined to fight.

Even so, this could and should be a bipartisan undertaking. Republicans are aware (or ought to be) that they too might find themselves on the receiving end of efforts to cancel popular votes, with a Democratic vice president standing in for Mike Pence.

Unfortunately, Biden and the Democrats have laid the groundwork for the next crisis by hyperventilating about the supposed onslaught of voter suppression. Biden was asked last week, before the comprehensive voting reform bills failed, whether he would consider the 2022 midterm election illegitimate if they didnt pass. He answered: Im not going to say its going to be legit. Its  the increase and the prospect of being illegitimate is in direct proportion to us not being able to get these  these reforms passed.

Trump couldnt have put it better. The risk that 2024 will be a repeat of 2020, with the teams swapping sides, is real.

Can a sufficient number of Democrats and Republicans in Congress agree that recurring constitutional crises might be, at the very least, problematic? If so, can they pivot from reflexive opposition to anything the other side suggests? As the passage of the infrastructure bill showed, allowing the enemy a share in success is often good government and occasionally even good politics.

If Biden is going to lead this effort, hell have to moderate the line he took in his Atlanta speech, where he likened opponents of his voting reform ambitions to outright racists. His attempt to clarify his position during last weeks news conference was comical  I think Mitch (McConnell) did a real good job of making it sound like I was attacking them  but its encouraging that hes denying, however absurdly, that he meant to cause offense.

What about Republicans? Some are already on board. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy might be willing. Rep. Jim Banks, who leads the biggest conservative caucus in the House, has said he is open to reforming the law so long as it isnt a Trojan horse for the Democrats bigger voting reform plans.

Now that those plans are dead, it wont be. So fix the Electoral Count Act.
ANACONDA  Gov. Greg Gianforte presented on Tuesday the Spirit of Montana award to employees at Anaconda Foundry Fabrication Company for their role in fixing the Hebgen Dam malfunction.

Working quickly and through the night, the Anaconda Foundry Fabrication Company manufactured the piece needed to fix the Hebgen Dam in less than 24 hours, Gianforte said in a press release. On behalf of a grateful state, it was my pleasure to recognize these employees for what they accomplished for Montana and our treasured Madison River ecosystem.

Following the Nov. 30, 2021 malfunction of Hebgen dam, AFFCO was contracted by NorthWestern Energy to fabricate a part to fix the dam. The team worked around-the-clock to manufacture the part, allowing flows in the Madison River to be restored thereafter.

The governors Spirit of Montana commendation recognizes Montanans for their accomplishments, dedication or service. Gianforte encourages Montanans to nominate members of their community for the Spirit of Montana commendation by contacting his office at (406) 444-3111 or submitting their nominee online at https://governor.mt.gov/Spirit-of-Montana-Award.

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A supervisor for AWARE who is a longtime resident of Uptown Butte is hoping to succeed Cindi Shaw on the Butte-Silver Bow Council of Commissioners.

Tommy Walker became the first non-incumbent to run for council when he filed for the District 11 seat on Monday. Shaw has represented the district for 16 years but is not running for a fifth four-year term.

Also on the area election front, first-term incumbent legislators from Deer Lodge and Anaconda have filed for second terms and a Republican from Buttes outskirts is challenging state Rep. Ken Walsh, R-Twin Bridges, in District 71 that includes all of Madison County and slices of Butte-Silver Bow and Jefferson counties.

Six of 12 council seats are on the ballot this year and four incumbents have filed for re-election: Michele Shea in District 2, Josh ONeill in District 7, Eric Mankins in District 9 and Bill Andersen in District 10.

Walker filed on Monday and cited Shaw, who has represented the district since 2007, as one of the reasons.

I just want to be available to our neighborhood, said Walker, who supervises nurses in AWARE group homes. When Cindi was in that position, you could call her day or night and she would answer and talk to you. I think Buttes used to that and I want to carry it on.

Walker said he also likes to look forward and would look for new ideas on bringing more businesses to Butte.

Im sure there are ways to do it, we just need to figure them out, he said.

The filing period opened Jan. 13 and runs through March 14. Several incumbent state lawmakers from Butte and southwest Montana filed on first day, including Walsh, Butte Democrat Reps. Donavon Hawk and Derek Harvey and Rep. Sara Novak, D-Anaconda.

Walsh won a first term in House District 71 in 2020, first in the primary over Republican Cindy Younkin, then in the general election over Democrat Ian Root. It looks like there will be a contested primary again since Republican Jackson Duprey, who lives southeast of urban Butte in Silver Bow County, filed for the seat Friday.

Gregory Frazer, a Republican from Deer Lodge, filed for a re-election bid last week in House District 78. Frazer helped pad a GOP majority in the Montana House in 2020 when he won the seat that Democrat Gordon Pierson had held for eight years.

In 2020, Pierson lost a bid for state Senate District 39 won by fellow Democrat Mark Sweeney of Philipsburg. Senate terms are four years and no districts covering Butte-Silver Bow or adjacent counties are on the ballot this year.

Republicans went into the 2020 election with a 58-42 majority in the Montana House and 30-20 advantage in the Senate. They picked up one Senate seat and nine seats in the House, which they now control 67-33.

As of late Tuesday, there were no contested races for the six Butte-Silver Bow council seats on the ballot.

The only countywide office on the ballot this year in Butte-Silver Bow County is for justice of the peace. Incumbent Judge Ben Pezdark has filed for re-election to that post.

There are county positions on the ballots in some adjacent or nearby counties. The Montana Standard will have a breakdown on those contests in February.

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Montanans love freedom. That is why many Americans have ocked to our as-close-to-perfect state as you can get.

Americans are seeking refuge to our state from policies that counter what Montana stands for: freedom, friendly business climate, and less government.

Last week in D.C., the Senate considered yet another habitual attempt to impose federal takeover of Montanas elections. This was not the rst time, and it wont be the last. Thank you, Senator Daines, for once again standing strong against President Biden and D.C. Democrats.

The foundation of our state and our country starts with our elections. As your Secretary of State, and in partnership with Governor Gianforte and the Legislature, Montana now has Voter ID, clean voter rolls, and has adopted best security standards. Montana also has incredibly high voter turnout, a high number of registered voters, and is outperforming the rest of the country.

So why do President Biden and other Democrats (including Montanas Democratic Senator) demonize Montana elections? The answer is to turn Montana into California by dictating a free-for-all when it comes to running our elections and eliminating Voter ID, clean voter rolls, and best security standards, all of which are common sense and supported by most Montanans. This is what makes Montana, Montana.

I am here to serve you and keep us who we are  MONTANA.

Christi Jacobsen is proud to serve as Montanas 22nd Secretary of State.

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By Alex Pologruto | Jan 26, 2022

Lilliputian Collisions, Raluca Iancu (artist book with etching and chine-collee, 2012)

Artist explores disaster, memory and vulnerability in work

MURRAY, Ky.  The Murray State University Galleries and the Department of Art & Design are pleased to present Roadside Attractions, the work of artist Raluca Iancu, on exhibition from now through Feb. 26 in the Clara M. Eagle Upper Gallery located inside the Price Doyle Fine Arts Building on Murray States campus.

Iancus work explores disaster, memory and vulnerability through different mediums, ranging from printmaking to performance, to edible art and printed objects. In her work, she questions the way we look at tragedy as well as the way we deal with its aftermath.

We depend on our technology (planes, trains, automobiles) and easily forget that it is just as fallible as our bodies. At the end of the day, all physical contact is a collision with permanent repercussions, whether visible or not. Most interactions we have with other people are just like these collisions; we are selfishly oblivious to our impact on others, said Iancu.

Iancu is an assistant professor in art, visual culture and printmaking at Iowa State University (ISU). Iancu earned her Master of Fine Arts in Studio Art, Printmaking, from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Printmaking from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Halifax, Canada.

Iancu has exhibited internationally at venues including the Domek Miedziorytnika Gallery & Museum in Poland, the National Museum Robevci in Macedonia, the Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca in Romania, and the CICA Museum in Korea; as well as nationally at the International Print Center of New York, New York, the Bradbury Art Museum in Arkansas and the Art Institute of Boston, Massachusetts. She has been an artist in residence in the United States at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts & Sciences in Georgia and the Vermont Studio Center in Vermont, as well as internationally at Art Print Residence in Spain, the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Fine Arts in Poland and St. Michaels Printshop in Canada.

Iancu also shares her creative scholarship and pedagogical research regularly at conferences such as Foundations in Art: Theory and Education, Mid America Print Council, Southern Graphics Council International and the Southeastern College Art Conference. In Spring 2021 she became a Miller Faculty Fellow at ISU as the principal investigator of a grant titled Pressing Letters: Integrating Printmaking into Graphic Design and Creative Writing.

For more information about Iancu and her work, please visit ralu.ca.

Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with extended hours on Tuesdays until 8 p.m. and Thursdays until 6 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

Murray State continues to adhere to state, federal and CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines for the health and safety of its campus and broader community. These include following the Racer Safe and Healthy Guidelines, including social distancing and the required use of face masks/coverings while indoors. The Racer Safe and Healthy Guidelines, along with additional information, is available online at murraystate.edu/racerrestart.
WARSAW, Poland  Russia has placed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraines border and ratcheted up war games in the region.

Moscow denies it is planning an assault, but the United States and its NATO allies fear that Russia is planning for war  and are making preparations of their own.

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[ Russia says US gives written response on Ukraine demands ]

Ukrainian servicemen greet each other as they patrol a street in Verkhnotoretske village in Yasynuvata district, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Jan. 22, 2022. (Andriy Andriyenko/AP)

Here are things to know about the international tensions over Ukraine, a crisis reminiscent of the Cold War.

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WHAT IS RUSSIAS LATEST MOVE?

Russia has increased its pressure on the West, warning that it would quickly take retaliatory measures if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continue their aggressive policies over Ukraine.

Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO never admit Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance roll back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries, a region Moscow still views as its sphere of interest.

Some of the demands, like the membership pledge, are nonstarters for NATO, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands. Those answers are expected this week  even though the U.S. and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands.

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WHAT DO UKRAINIAN LEADERS SAY?

Ukrainian officials have sought to calm nerves as tensions escalate.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive.

They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive, Kuleba told reporters.

He also noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraines financial system and launching cyberattacks.

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WHAT IS THE MOOD ON UKRAINES FRONT LINE?

Soldiers and civilians in eastern Ukraine are waiting with helpless anticipation to see if war comes.

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They understand that their fate is being decided by politicians in distant capitals. Even politicians in their own capital, Kyiv, have found themselves on the sidelines of several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy that so far have not yielded a breakthrough.

The battle-weary region has been fighting pro-Russia separatist fighters since 2014. It is an area close to where Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in a troop buildup that U.S. President Joe Biden says could mount the largest invasion since World War II.

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WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT?

Presidential advisers from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are holding diplomatic negotiations in Paris amid the growing worries that Russia could invade Ukraine.

The talks are taking place in the so-called Normandy format, which helped to ease hostilities in 2015, a year after Putin ordered the annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and the Russia-backed insurgency began in eastern Ukraine.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow expects a good frank talk at the Paris meeting.

Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to yield any breakthroughs, and tensions escalated further this week.

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WHAT DOES BRITAIN SAY?

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine, saying we would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine.

The U.K. has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in response to Russia massing troops near its border. It has ruled out sending combat troops, but Truss said Britain has ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions.

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In fact, well be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion, she told the BBC.

Whats important is that all of our allies do the same, because its by collective action, by showing Vladimir Putin were united, that we will help deter a Russian incursion.

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WHAT IS GERMANY DOING?

Among the NATO allies, Germany in particular has faced calls to help Ukraine more and been faulted for a perception that it is prioritizing its economic ties with Russia over Ukraines security.

Amid that backdrop, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Germany will deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine following a request from the countrys embassy. She said that it was a very clear signal that we stand by your side.

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Ukraines ambassador to Germany welcomed the planned delivery of the helmets but described it as a purely symbolic gesture. Andriy Melnik told German news agency dpa that this is only a drop in the ocean.

He added that Ukraine expects a 180-degree turn from the German government, a real paradigm change.

Germany has said that it wont deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Yet German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted Wednesday that the European Unions common goal in the Ukraine crisis is and remains the defense of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Daily Top Stories Daily Get the day's top news, sports, opinion, features and local events. >

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WHAT DOES POPE FRANCIS SAY?

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Pope Francis prayed that political leaders put aside personal interests and let dialogue prevail amid concerns of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Francis kicked off a daylong prayer for peace in Ukraine on Wednesday with a special appeal at the end of his weekly general audience. Please, never again war, Francis said.

May our prayer and invocations to the heavens touch the hearts and minds of those responsible on Earth, that they make dialogue prevail and that the good of all be put before interests of one side, he said. Let us insistently ask the Lord that in this land may fraternity overcome wounds, fears and divisions.

Noting that Thursday marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, Francis said Ukrainians had suffered tremendous cruelties during World War II.

They deserve peace, he said.
COLUMBUS JUNCTION  The 2021 Columbus Community School Districts Iowa School Performance Profile, which district curriculum director Kristen Payne distributed Monday to the school board, is like nearly all report cards, there was some good news and some bad news.

This is our report card for the school, Payne told the board, explaining all school districts had similar profiles released through the Iowa Department of Education (IDE) late last month.

Payne said the state developed the report by basing a schools performance on several accountability measures.

Among those measures are student participation on state assessments; academic achievement that measures proficiency and performance scores in English language arts (ELA), reading and math; student academic growth; high school graduation rates; progress in achieving English language proficiency; and conditions for learning.

Using the measures, the IDE then establishes a rating that places a school district in one of six rating categories: Exceptional, High Performing, Commendable, Acceptable, Needs Improvement; or Priority/Comprehensive.

Columbus Roundy Elementary, Junior High and High School each received a rating that was based on their accountability measures scores. Payne said that based on the scores, Roundy Elementary had received a commendable rating with a total score of 58.81, just slightly above its 2019/2929 score of 58.6.

Columbus Middle School had an Acceptable rating, with a score of 54.2. The middle schools rating category in 2019/2020 was also Acceptable, but its score had only been 50.94, Payne pointed out to the board.

The Columbus High School provided the report cards bad news, with a total score of 48.89, which dropped it into the Needs Improvement category. The high school had been ranked commendable in 2019/2020 with a score of 55.59.

Payne said the district staff would focus on assessment participation, math and ELA proficiency, school climate and other areas in the high school to move out of the Needs Improvement category.

She also reported the junior high would focus on math and ELA proficiency and school climate; while the elementary staff would concentrate on math growth and proficiency, ELA proficiency and other areas.

The board also accepted a $109,285 bid from Odessa Mechanical, Wapello, for an HVAC upgrade in the middle school gym and auditorium. The bid was the lowest of three submitted for the work.

Superintendent Jeff Maeder also reported the doors and other equipment for a replacement project had arrived, but no firm date had been set for work to begin. The $45,000 project is part of an effort to comply with a state fire marshal directive.

The board also:

Tabled a decision on transferring $152,267 from the Debt Service Fund to the Physical Plant and Equipment Fund after school officials differed on their reading of the Iowa Code;

Agreed to sell several pieces of surplus school property, including a water tank, tires and a wheelchair lift;

Agreed on a 3-2 vote to purchase a used van using federal ESSR funds up to $50,000;

Learned the districts swimming pool generated a $6,529 profit in 2021;

Accepted a $42,256 carpeting bid from Carriage House Carpet One, Muscatine, as part of an asbestos abatement tile replacement project in the high school.

In final action, the board agreed to a $9,750 upgrade of the districts Hudl Software subscription. The upgrade will provide additional cameras and other improvements.

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WAPELLO  The Louisa-Muscatine School District will create a school resource officer position under a cost-sharing plan endorsed by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Louisa County Supervisors Brad Quigley, Chris Ball and Randy Griffin met with L-M Superintendent Mike Van Sickle, Louisa County Sheriff Brad Turner, Louisa County Chief Deputy Brandon Marquardt, Wapello School District School Resource Officer Kody Aplara and Wapello Police Chief Ed Parker to discuss the proposal.

Quigleys first question to Turner dealt with funding.

We believe in it, (but) how do you think we will be able to finance this? he asked.

Turner said a full-time SRO with benefits and equipment would cost around $100,000; and under a preliminary, two-year 28E agreement, the school would pay 75% of that cost and the county would pick up the remaining 25%.

He said the L-M School Board had recently voted 4-1 in favor of the program.

He also told Quigley and the other supervisors the sheriffs fiscal year 2023 budget would likely be less than the current year because of a turnover of personnel in his department.

The turnover would generate some savings, since fewer of the new officers needed family health insurance coverage or they received coverage through other programs, Turner explained.

Van Sickle said a long-term funding source was now being considered by the Iowa Legislature, which would allow school districts to use the Instructional Support Levy to fund an SRO position.

Its in committee and the hope is it actually becomes law, Van Sickle told the group, adding he was also looking at the possibility of using federal COVID-19 relief funds for the position.

Meanwhile, Aplara assured the supervisors that he felt the program was working well in Wapello and helping to establish strong connections between law enforcement and students.

Quigley agreed and provided his own assurance to the group.

I think its such a great program. All three of us are in favor, he said.

The group agreed the next step would be to finalize the 28E agreement and present it for approval to the supervisors and the school board.

The board also:

Held a public hearing on transferring a flood buyout lot to the city of Fredonia;

Accepted a $130,000 bid from Jeanne and Jim Mott for the former public health office; and

Agreed to pursue a federal easement program on the Indian Slough Wildlife Area.

The board also held several departmental budget work sessions following its regular meeting. In addition to general budget discussions, the board reviewed proposals from the supervisors, zoning, auditor, recorder, county attorney, public health/environmental health, ambulance, libraries and several smaller spending plans.

A key issue, salaries, was discussed during the general budget discussions. The supervisors said they had tentatively settled with two union bargaining units, agreeing to a 3% salary increase and a 3% stipend for fiscal year 2023.

The supervisors had then used that formula to decrease the recommendation they were given in December by the county compensation board. That recommendation had called for an 18% hike for the sheriff, 12% increases for the auditor, treasurer, recorder and county attorney and 6% raises for the supervisors.

Cutting all of those by 75%, an equal reduction as required by law, left raises of 4.5% (sheriff); 3% (other positions); and 1.5% (supervisors), along with the 3% stipend.

However, county attorney Adam Parsons later met with the board to discuss his departmental budget and told the supervisors a stipend was likely not legal as a compensation substitute for elected officials.

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MUSCATINE  What began as a budget meeting for the Muscatine County Farm Bureau ended with a discussion about the happenings in Washington D.C. as Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst visited the bureau to discuss the coming term.

During the meeting Ernst discussed her issues like holding China accountable for trade commitments, stressing the importance of biofuel to the Biden Administration, returning to fairness in the cattle market, and pushing back on California's Proposition 12. She also took questions from farm bureau members. The visit was part of Ernsts 99 county tour of Iowa for 2022.

There is a lot going on right now, she said. We worked on a lot of legislation, primarily focused in the area of agriculture, but I am also on the Environmental Public Works committee and that is the committee of jurisdiction for biofuels so we have a lot going on.

For several years the Iowa Farm Bureau has endorsed Ernst for senator.

Ernst said the government continues to work on trade. She explained Sen. Tom Vilsack said last week that China had not been keeping up with the Phase 1 China deal, in which China had agreed to expand the purchase of certain U.S. goods. She said the U.S. needs to keep pushing China to live up to its obligations.

In working on the deal, Ernst said that she had spoken with senior Democratic trade advisor of the House Ways and Means committee, Katherine Tai, and had found the discussions unsatisfactory.

Ernst said the Biden administration is considering cuts to biofuel blending requirements. Since Iowa is the top corn-producing state in the nation, such cuts would impact corn prices and production.

Ernst said the proposed cuts play into the administrations climate agenda. She said most of the administrations focus is on electric vehicles.

She also argued against Proposition 12, a California ballot proposition in 2018 that prohibited the sale of Iowa pork in California unless Iowa farmers adopted California standards for confinement of farm animals.

Only about 4 percent of our pork producers actually meet the standards that California is setting on how we raise our hogs, she said. Its really unfair. We dont tell California how to raise their almonds or produce their wine.

Ernst said recently a judge ruled that Proposition 12 couldnt be implemented until six months after the rules were finalized. She said this gives time to see if the Supreme Court is going to rule on the issue.

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An Iowa-licensed physician who has questioned the use of vaccines and face masks in fighting COVID-19 says that each day she treats up to 40 patients from around the country and is staging jailbreaks that involve pulling patients out of hospitals against the medical advice of other doctors.

Dr. Mollie James, who operates a clinic in Chariton, is a surgeon and critical care specialist who trained at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines and the University of Minnesota. She has practiced in Des Moines, St. Louis and New York City. Her license is in good standing with the Iowa Board of Medicine.

Much of what James says about COVID-19 contradicts the federal governments advice on mitigation and treatment, a fact she readily acknowledges. She recently appeared on The Tamara Scott Show, a call-in talk show aired by Lindell TV, a video channel created by Mike Lindell, the My Pillow founder who has been active in spreading discredited claims of voting fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Scott is the Republican National Committeewoman for Iowa and has worked as a Statehouse lobbyist for Concerned Women for America and The Family Leader.

In her Jan. 18 appearance on Scotts program, James said she and a team of other health care professionals have arranged what she calls jailbreaks to get COVID-19 patients out of the hospital even if theyre still using bottled oxygen to help them breathe.

What we do is we make recommendations to the family and we get them ready to pull the patients out, against the medical advice of the hospital, when they hit 10 liters (of supplied oxygen), she said. Were confident enough in our treatment protocol that we know those oxygen requirements will drop fairly quickly once we get them in the home environment.

She said she recently coordinated with the family of one special-needs adult to get him out of the hospital and the man was at home and off oxygen the next day. Another man was removed from the hospital about a week ago, she said, and is now almost off of oxygen and he is sitting up eating eggs and bacon and playing with his grandkids. Hes totally fine.

During the program, James and Scott also discussed James use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19 for patients around the country. The FDA has not approved ivermectin for treating COVID-19 and says currently available data suggests it may pose a risk to some patients. As for hydroxychloroquine, the FDA says the drug has not been proven to be safe or effective in treating COVID-19 and might cause abnormal heart rhythms in some patients.

We hear the U.S. Postal Service has told their agency to stop packages coming from India that might have ivermectin, Scott said. So, is there any way that Americans can still get that?

I dont have any problem, James replied. My clinic has a network of pharmacies across the country that will fill (prescriptions). I can get it to anyone within three to five days. So, we definitely recommend our patients do a preventative consult and see us before they need it so that we can get the meds and they can have them in their cabinet.

Expect a call from me after the show, Scott said.

James also described for Scott how she uses ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine on patients in the early stages of infection.

At the onset of symptoms, we can treat with things like hydroxychloroquine, that direct suppresses viral replication, we treat with ivermectin, that blocks the virus ability to get into the cells and replicate, she said.

A Minnesota woman called in and asked whether we should be having ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in our medicine cabinet before we get sick.

Yes, you should, James responded.

Can they contact JamesClinic.com and set up a pre-interview? Scott asked.

They can certainly call us, James replied. We have actually been so busy taking care of sick patients we are doing our prevention consults as a group consult. So, basically what it is, you sign up ahead of time, we do an hour-long Zoom, and we review everything you need to know to take care of yourself. And then a doctor will review your medical history and send your prescriptions in. 

On James website, prospective patients can sign up for consultations by clicking on links that say, I am sick with COVID-19 and cant breathe: $790, or, I want to prevent COVID-19: $290.

James told Scott that other doctors who take her approach to treating COVID-19 are being targeted by the medical establishment. She told James that after the pandemic hit, she ran into problems with the hospitals that employed her due to her own views on the matter.

I left the hospitals, she said. One by one, my privileges were removed, or I was suspended or terminated, because I didnt get the vaccine. I didnt need it. I had natural immunity having been sick from one of the patients.

During the interview, Scott discussed the federal governments efforts to have all health care professionals in Iowas Medicaid-funded facilities vaccinated even though the governor said we wouldnt do it.

James said those Iowa professionals need to unite and fight the federal requirement.

What theyre doing is eliminating all critical thinkers from the hospitals, from the police force and from the military, she said. And so what you are going to be left with is people who just follow the rules or follow policy.

On Jan. 11, James was a guest on the podcast of conservative Iowa commentator Steve Deace, who said hes a patient of James and that he has referred friends and family to her clinic.

James told Deace that since September when she resumed her practice in Iowa, she has treated about 3,500 patients, which suggests an average of 30 patients per workday. Not all of them were COVID-diagnosed, she said, but they had symptoms. She said one of those patients died, and 30 to 40 required subsequent hospitalization. Most of her patients are in their 50s, she said.

James also told Deace her telemedicine team includes two full-time physicians, one full-time nurse practitioner and one part-time nurse practitioner who see patients. In one day, she said, her team saw 30 to 40 sick patients.

James views on COVID-19  as well her public statements on gun rights, critical race theory and immigration  have endeared her to conservative media outlets. With regard to ivermectin, the so-called horse de-wormer, she has said, Theres no medicine thats safer on the planet, adding that she prescribes it for her patients while other doctors refuse for fear of losing their license.

Kent Nebel, executive director of the Iowa Board of Medicine, told the Iowa Capital Dispatch last month that the licensing board cant comment on James specifically, but is currently looking at complaints involving Iowa doctors who are spreading questionable information about COVID-19.

The board respects the free-speech rights of physicians, he said, but its also aware that spreading misinformation impacts the public health and may intersect with a physicians treatment of specific patients.

James has not responded to messages the Capital Dispatch left with her clinic staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, saying reports of adverse events such as allergic reactions, myocarditis or pericarditis are rare and the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks.

One of James former websites  which bore the domain name IvermectinCan.com  stated that The James Clinic is a membership-based concierge practice for Iowans who are ready to take their health back.

Patients pay a membership fee and in return they are eligible for a multi-tiered array of services. The Platinum+ Members are entitled to a personal health concierge, a functional-medicine assessment, extended physician availability, monthly advanced infusions of something thats not specified, and unlimited treatments in the clinics new hyperbaric chamber.

According to the clinics website, treatment fees for COVID-19 range from $290 for those who simply want to prevent the virus, to $990 for those with long-haul symptoms of the virus. Those who are currently sick with the virus pay $490, and those who are sick and having trouble breathing are charged $790.

One of James posts on Twitter reads, We are winning! No mandates. No vax for kids  Were literally killing our kids because the boomers are scared. Pathetic. Another states, Where is your red line? In order to work will you let someone swab your nose weekly? Wear a market (sic) that youre unclean? Jab you? My rights come from God and require none of this nonsense.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence.

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Democrats ran in 2020 on a long list of policies they planned to enact and implement, and now they are going through the agony of trying to make good on their promises. Republicans have found a foolproof way to avoid that pain: Theyre not going to campaign on any ideas in the first place.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is perennially averse to having his party run on a legislative agenda. He discouraged Republican Senate candidates from campaigning on one in 2014, in the middle of President Barack Obamas second term, and has often told colleagues that the Republicans nine-seat pickup that year vindicated that strategic choice.

Republicans have been following the plan not to have plans ever since. In 2016, Donald Trump ran for president with the wispiest of proposals: Building a wall and somehow making Mexico pay for it was as detailed as he got. In 2018, Republicans had control of both houses of Congress and the White House. They did not say what they would do if the voters kept them in power, beyond confirming judges. Trump released no second-term agenda when he ran for re-election in 2020, and the Republicans did not even produce a platform at their national convention that year. McConnell has reportedly told Republican donors he will not get behind a legislative agenda for this years elections, either.

There are exceptions to the rule of Republican inactivism. Senators Mike Lee, Marco Rubio and Josh Hawley have advanced ambitious proposals on a range of issues, as has J.D. Vance, the best-selling author who is running for Senate from Ohio. Their ideas are often heterodox among Republicans: Vance wants to break up big tech companies, for example, where most Republicans would prefer just to complain about them. Such ideas may gain ground, especially in the absence of alternatives.

For now, though, most Republicans are sticking with the McConnell way. It seems to have worked electorally. Republicans nearly won in 2020, even with an unpopular incumbent president. They are in a strong position to take the Senate and House of Representatives this fall. Reticence on policy may help them do it. An agenda creates a target. It also creates opportunity for dissension. It distracts from the main Republican message: that Biden is a failure.

A degree of silence also fits with a conservative disposition. There are more bad ideas than good ones, more pieces of legislation that deserve defeat than support.

Theres nothing wrong with running for legislative office primarily to prevent mistakes. In the U.S. political system, which has evolved to center on the White House, theres a stronger case for running that kind of campaign during the midterms than in a presidential-election year. The presidential race sets the countrys political direction while the midterms function as a referendum on how the president is performing.

The main drawback to this strategy for Republican election victories is what happens after them, or rather what doesnt. The strategy makes it more difficult for Republicans to govern when they have the opportunity.

Consider the record of 2017-2018, the only two years within the last 15 when Republicans had unified control of the government. They spent months trying and ignominiously failing to move health-care policy in their direction. Among the reasons for their defeat: They hadnt spent the previous years thinking about what to do about health care or responding to criticisms of their proposals. They decided to wait for their presidential candidate to come up with an agenda, but he preferred to tweet.

Democrats proceed very differently. They always have ideas about what government should be doing, as you would expect given their political philosophy, and they often offer many proposals during campaigns. The Democrats worked out many of their differences over health care in the campaigns of 2006 and 2008 before trying to make law in 2009, for example, and the decision to make the issue a priority was effectively taken party-wide. This difference in approach probably helps explain why, over the last generation, Democrats have done more to shape federal policy than Republicans have.

Or, to put it another way, why Democratic rule has been more effective.

Ramesh Ponnuru is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is the editor of National Review and a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. 2022 Bloomberg L.P. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Construction crewmembers from Hawaiian Rock Products pave a section of the roadway Tuesday on Marine Corps Drive, heading north toward Andersen Air Force Base.
The Joint Information Center reported two more fatalities linked to Covid-19 at Guam Memorial Hospital. The island's only public hospital is shown on Jan. 9, 2022.
Del. Lesley Lopez, left, Sen. Susan Lee and activist Melissa Ladd raise their hands as they vow to pass a bill that would outlaw "ghost guns" in Maryland. Dozens of members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence prevention groups rallied on Lawyers Mall in Annapolis on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. (Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Sun)

Today in Maryland and in an increasing number of states, you cant swing a dead cat without hitting a craft beer joint. Although, hopefully, a delicious craft beer will take your mind off any ideas you might have about killing and swinging a cat. But even with many options of IPAs, Hefeweizens, porters and lagers, as well as vodka flavors and hard seltzers that didnt exist a few years ago, drunken driving rates are lower than ever.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, or MADD, was founded by Candace Lightener in 1980, after her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunken driver. This lone citizen created an international movement that changed minds about careless drinking. This movement changed laws about blood-alcohol levels for drinkers, and it spearheaded a sea change in societys willingness to embrace the concept of the designated driver. We also welcomed taxis, and now ride shares, to keep ourselves, our passengers, and the people around us, safe. Its a way to Back the Blue, to make it less likely police will arrive on the scene of an accident where drivers and passengers, adults and children, will never make it home because of a preventable act.

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[ Maryland advocates push for ban on unregistered ghost guns ]

This week, I joined another group of mothers and others from Moms Demand Action in Annapolis to lobby for safety and prevention of death and injury. Today, it is the flood of guns, often legal but unsecured and unregistered, that are killing us, our children, and our veterans. We demand safe storage and a prohibition on ghost guns.

There is a scourge of ghost guns, the build-it-yourself firearms finished with parts available on eBay. Police agree they are their most urgent problem. Three years after YouTube banned ghost gun tutorials, you still can find dozens of videos, complete with directions for building weapons. Ghost guns were used in the recent school shooting at Magruder High School in Montgomery County. Days later, a man was arrested trying to sell a ghost gun at Gaithersburg High. In August a 14-year-old used a ghost gun in a playground shooting. While school attendance was down in 2021, school shootings continued to break records. Some Maryland police jurisdictions report that seizures of ghost guns in all areas jumped fivefold from 2019 to 2021.

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Regardless of the type of weapon, whether a ghost gun or a conventional one, gun owners must embrace the responsibility of safe storage just as they embrace the idea of sober driving. No matter how many times children are told to leave guns alone, it only takes a curious toddler or a jealous teen to ignore that advice and act impulsively, filling lives with anguish and misery forever. To accept this responsibility, and embrace it, means another sea change; it means joining those who welcome the opportunity to lock up all firearms. No one wants the nightmare of metal and glass shards, skin and bone, blood and the smell of death, in their school, their home, or their streets. During this legislative session, demand that your representatives support safe storage and prohibit ghost guns.

Andrea Chamblee is the widow of Capital Gazette reporter John McNamara, who was murdered on June 28, 2018, in a shooting that took the lives of five staff members. She is a co-author with him and David Elfin of The Capital of Basketball. She writes from the pastoral splendor that is the Howard, Carroll County line. Email her at achamblee@yahoo.com.
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The American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation has been busy these past few weeks in preparation for its second annual Heart Your Parks month celebration, cutting up massive frames in the shape of a heart for local artists to decorate and set up around town.

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An initiative put together by the ACCPF to get locals out-and-about in the public parks system, Heart Your Parks month entails a slew of community events and fundraisers in addition to its mainstay exhibit  the Heart Walk  where love- and nature-themed displays will be put on view in Shenandoah Park, Community Park II and Wetlands Edge throughout February.

Community members can leisurely enjoy the embellished trails, or can pursue the ACCPFs walking search-and-solve challenge to hunt down all 40-some hearts. Those interested in painting their own mini hearts can also head to Shenandoah Park on Saturday, Feb. 5 for a community event, and java drinkers can join the ACCPF for morning coffee at Wetlands on Saturday, Feb. 19.

Heart Your Parks showcases our local artists, it encourages people to get outdoors and get active and healthy, and it promotes our local parks, said Janelle Sellick, executive director of the ACCPF. And, because we have the hearts spread out throughout parks, trails, and other locations in American Canyon, it might get people out to see a location that they had never seen before.

According to Sellick, Heart Your Park month initially began as a COVID response program back when most establishments were still shut down, and she and her colleagues were scratching their heads over how to get community members out in the parks.

We were trying to find ways to make walking more enjoyable and encourage people to get out and get healthy and get active together, but in a safe way, said Sellick. So now, in this current COVID spike, we want to provide an affordable way for people to get out in the community and exercise while also showcasing the work of local artists.

The inaugural Heart Your Park month featured work from 20 different artists, but this year, the ACCPF was able to more than double the amount. And according to ACCPFs program coordinator Andrea Long, they also were able to highlight artists hailing from Vallejo and Napa, in addition to American Canyon.

We give the artists a very broad theme, and then seeing them come back with their interpretation of that theme is just fascinating, Long said of the submission process. We asked them to have it be, first and foremost, positive in nature, but also reflect the environment or their interaction with the natural world.

But what comes back? Each artist's interpretation of that is different, and each one is unique and special  It comes together to make a really nice representation of how our community feels about the environment, about the outdoors, and how we connect with it, and especially during COVID, how it's helped us, she said.

This year, under-18 artists also have been folded into the Heart Your Park festivities. With submissions ranging from a class of kindergarteners to local seniors, the ACCPF was able to reach a greater subset of the artistic community through various programs, including the Youth Art Contest.

The Youth Art Contest we initiated this year, said Long. We reached out to the principals and the local PTOs at the three elementary schools and American Canyon Middle School, and we created a flyer and asked them to submit their design concepts  We had several hundred submissions come in across the schools.

From there, Long and her colleagues narrowed the submissions down to three stellar pieces from each school, before then handing over the final voting process to the respective student bodies. Andrea Sierra Funtes, a third-grader, won for Napa Junction Elementary; Kristen Bandang, a second-grader won for Canyon Oaks Elementary; Abram Ramos, a fifth-grader won for Donaldson Way Elementary; and eighth-grader Xochitl Gonzalez won for AmCan Middle.

Then at the end, when we auction them off, the money that's raised for their particular heart will be donated to their school PTO, said Long.

American Canyon High School students are also in on the fun, with ACHS Ceramics students creating customized hearts for ACCPFs contributing members, with funds raised going toward new glaze supplies for their studio.

In addition to all of this community fundraising, though, the ACCPF is also hoping to make some dough for themselves, too. In addition to selling the student-created hearts to benefit their schools PTO, the foundation will also auction off the other community members pieces to fund future arts in parks programs.

We're in the beginning stages of working on a permanent environmental sculpture to go out at our Wetlands trailhead, so a lot of the proceeds of the Heart Your Parks auction this year will go to help fund that permanent sculpture, said Sellick. The design is still being worked on, but it will be something that's made with repurposed materials and celebrates our appreciation for the wetlands and the wildlife out there.

The ACCPF also sells merchandise like magnets and sweatshirts both online and at Heart Your Park events, all with designs based on the artwork submissions featured in the Heart Walk. Above all else though, Sellick and her colleagues goal is simple: to increase awareness of the expansive and beautiful American Canyon parks system.

Soon we'll have the map up on our website, so people will be able to come down, and they can make sure they hit all the spots that they want to see, said Sellick.

Learn more about Heart Your Parks month and the American Canyon Community and Parks Foundation at acparks.org.

You can reach Sam Jones at 707-256-2221 and sjones@napanews.com.

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California is an island  at least thats what 17th-century cartographers would have told you.

Today we know they were wrong, but the maps they produced are still an essential part of Californias story. And St. Helenas Arader Galleries is here to tell it.

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Theres something here for every collector who cares about history, said proprietor Josephine Arader.

Josephines father, Graham, began collecting rare maps, atlases and natural history art when he was attending Yale. His collection became the basis of the first Arader Galleries in New York City and Philadelphia. The St. Helena gallery opened in October.

One wall showcases a series of maps in chronological order from left to right, demonstrating how knowledge of the Wests topography evolved.

At the far left is a 1690 map that shows the Sea of Cortez separating California from the mainland. By the time California became a state in 1850 and was carved up into counties, maps closely resembled the coastline were familiar with today.

In between are historic maps that were used by settlers heading west, and by the U.S. and Mexican governments to craft the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican War and ceded huge swaths of the West to the U.S.

Arader Galleries showcases not only maps but also rare books and art, including the work of naturalist and artist John James Audubon.

Audubons iconic images were produced when the U.S. was trying to find its identity, Arader said.

One way it could do that was by celebrating its flora and fauna, she said. John James Audubon did that on a magnificent scale.

Audubon broke with the then-standard practice of depicting wildlife in static poses. His work, based on his observations in the field, shows birds and four-legged critters (or quadrupeds, as Audubon would have said) going about their business in their natural habitat. One large illustration at Arader of a wild turkey hen shows her young poults investigating something under a bush, picking at ticks, and generally doing the things turkeys do.

Audubon did let his imagination take flight; one of his illustrations shows a rattlesnake climbing a tree to raid a mockingbird nest, which isnt a scenario that real mockingbirds need to worry about.

Audubon was eventually blacklisted by the American intelligentsia at the time because he took liberties and he imbued his animals with a sense of character and feeling and all these things that arent strictly science, Arader said. He depicted animals like real, living, breathing things.

Among the gallerys other treasures are botanical engravings created by Pierre-Joseph Redoute as a gift Empress Josephine, Napoleons wife, and 17th-century navigational aids that mariners used in conjunction with an astrolabe to determine their latitude.

The most valuable piece in the gallery is Virgil Williams 1885 painting of a pioneer family somewhere in St. Helena  probably north of town, from the appearance of the Mayacamas. The asking price is $230,000.

Williams (1830-1886) was among the artists who applied the principles of the Hudson River School to late 19th-century California. The state was blossoming culturally, especially in San Francisco, where Williams founded the California School of Design and was the first president of the Bohemian Club.

His works are on display at the De Young Museum in San Francisco, the Bancroft Library in Berkeley, and the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum on Library Lane. Williams wife, Dorah Norton Williams, was a friend of Stevenson and his wife, Fanny, and the only witness to their wedding in San Francisco.

Arader Galleries has teamed up with the St. Helena Public Library. During the month of February, Friends of the Library who buy something at Arader in St. Helena can donate 10% of the purchase to the librarys nonprofit Friends & Foundation.

Were well established in New York, but we try to ingrain ourselves into the communities that we are in, Arader said. If we could sell this amazing (Virgil Williams) painting for the library, that would be a great source of funds for them.

Paige Pohlers Meek, executive director of the Friends & Foundation, helps out at Arader on the weekends.

The library houses so many incredible books covering the same subjects that are in this gallery, so theres a real parallel there, Meek said.

You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.

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A June ballot measure could give St. Helena voters the chance to eliminate the position of a directly elected mayor.

St. Helena currently elects a mayor to a two-year term and four regular councilmembers to four-year terms. The City Council directed staff Tuesday to prepare a June ballot measure that, if approved, would require future councils to appoint a mayor from within their own ranks.

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The ballot measure would need a simple majority. If it passes, the office of directly elected mayor would expire at the end of Geoff Ellsworths current term and the city would elect three four-year councilmembers in November.

Cities that dont directly elect a mayor often let the job rotate among the councilmembers. If the ballot measure is successful, the council will then decide exactly how that process will work.

Councilmember Lester Hardy asked for the matter to be placed on Tuesdays agenda. He said hes heard concerns about the increasing cost of mayoral elections. He said having a council of equals could enhance collaboration.

Having five of us serve four-year terms would be very helpful in terms of stabilizing the decision-making for our community, Councilmember Eric Hall said.

The job of St. Helena mayor relative to the rest of the council is partly ceremonial, but it does have its perks. The mayor runs council meetings, sets council agendas in consultation with the city manager, and appoints people to boards, commissions and committees with the council's approval.

Ellsworth said he supports putting the ballot measure before voters, but he would like the measure to specify the mechanism by which the council would select a mayor. He said he favors a process in which an appointed vice mayor would later become mayor.

Vice Mayor Paul Dohring said he wants to put the proposal before voters, but hes not convinced about its merits.

We have a situation where people of privilege  generally white, often male  get on the council, Dohring said. If the measure passes, youd have three people of privilege, of means, selecting a mayor for some people who are underserved and underprivileged and dont have the same kind of access.

Dohring said the high cost of elections could be addressed through campaign finance reform. He said there is a need for continuity in the role of mayor to work productively on local and regional issues that typically span well beyond a potential one-year mayoral term.

St. Helena resident Pat Dell said having the council appoint a mayor could eliminate the "divisiveness," "backbiting" and rumor-mongering that marred recent mayoral campaigns.

"I would like to see our city work productively, both the citizens and the City Council," Dell said.

The St. Helena City Council chose its own mayor until a 1976 ballot initiative created the office of a directly elected mayor.

Napa Countys other cities directly elect their mayors. The Board of Supervisors typically rotates the position of chair according to district, although they deviated from that method this year by electing Ryan Gregory chair instead of Belia Ramos.

You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.

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St. Helena held a virtual community forum Thursday to gather input on the potential housing sites, in the face of a daunting state mandate and a proliferation of second homes.

The city has compiled a preliminary list of sites that could accommodate the 254 units contained in the city's latest Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA).

The map includes:

- 1447/1515 Spring St. (38 units)

- The Phelps property south of the future Farmstead hotel (36 units)

- The old City Hall property at Main and Pine streets (31 units)

- The temporary City Hall on Railroad Avenue (30 units)

- 821 Pope St. (20 units)

- The old A&J Vineyard Supply yard at 900 Crane Ave. (12 units)

- The empty lot at the corner of Main and Charter Oak (5 units)

- 1998 Spring St. (17 units);

- And the vacant lot on Pope Street next to Silverado Orchards (15 units).

The unapproved 87-unit Hunter Project, scheduled for public hearings in the next few months, is listed as a pending project, so those units are counted toward St. Helenas RHNA target.

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In order to meet the RHNA target for low-income units, the city would have to include one of these four optional sites:

- 709/741 McCorkle Ave. (28 units)

- The vacant lot on College Avenue in front of the St. Helena Montessori School (24 units)

- The vineyard on Spring Street between Hudson and Valley View (22-71 units)

- 1817 Spring St. (8-24 units)

The map will be a key component of St. Helena's next Housing Element, which assesses housing needs and outlines how the city is going to meet its goals.

A few members of the public questioned whether the owners of the listed properties are interested in developing them, including the vineyard on Spring Street.

Rick Crebs is a member of the nonprofit St. Helena Housing Coalition, which is trying to create workforce housing for workers in the missing middle making between $50,000 and $120,000 a year. He said his group has been turned down by many of the owners whose properties are on the citys list.

Your goals, while laudable, are not realistic, Crebs said.

Nancy Dervin was also skeptical.

I thought that we were doing this because were in dire need of housing in St. Helena, she said. It kind of feels like were really doing it so we dont get in big trouble with the state.

Members of the public also questioned the inclusion of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in the citys housing strategy, since many of them are never rented out.

The citys Adams Street property is not on the list of potential housing sites. City planner Aaron Hecock said it will ultimately be up to the council on whether to add the politically divisive site.

Twenty-nine members of the public participated in Thursdays Zoom meeting. Comments may be submitted at sthelenahousing.com.

The site list is scheduled to go before the Planning Commission and City Council at a joint meeting on Feb. 22. A first draft of the Housing Element will be released between May and July, and a final draft should be submitted to the state late this year.

You can reach Jesse Duarte at 967-6803 or jduarte@sthelenastar.com.

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Tuesday, Jan. 18

0023  Report of smoke in the Meadowood area.

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1328  Report of a reckless driver weaving on Highway 29 heading south toward St. Helena.

Wednesday, Jan. 19

0913  Report of possible sewer water running into a storm drain on Chiles Avenue. Public Works was notified.

0938  A van had reportedly been parked near Pine/Allyn for several weeks. Police sent a letter to its owner and marked to be towed in 72 hours.

1454  Medical aid for a woman having a seizure on Pratt Avenue.

1656  A large tree limb was hanging low on Main Street. The hazard was removed and Public Works was notified.

Thursday, Jan. 20

0306  Report of people being loud north of the library.

1118  Medical aid for a person passed out in a car on Hunt Avenue.

1624  Report of a large water leak near Howell Mountain/Silverado.

1720  Report of a woman trespassing on a Main Street property.

1726  A woman came to the lobby with a counterfeit $100 bill that was allegedly given to her at a bank. The matter is under investigation.

1739  Dispatch heard an audible crash outside. A full-size pickup had struck the citys electronic message sign on Main Street, and the driver was refusing to get out. Police arrested the 52-year-old St. Helena man on suspicion of DUI.

2037  Report of someone refusing payment at a local business.

Friday, Jan. 21

0438  Lift assist on Pope Street.

0943  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Dowdell.

1140  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on Main Street.

1148  Report of a loud leaf blower on Allyn Avenue.

1923  Following a traffic stop at Main/Elmhurst, police arrested a 21-year-old Santa Rosa man for two outstanding warrants.

Saturday, Jan. 22

0318  An officer cleared some hazards from Howell Mountain Road and Big Rock Road.

0339  The power went out and came back on. Police checked for blown transformers.

0736  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Vintage.

0801  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Elmhurst.

0805  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Vintage.

0826  A leaf blower had been going since 8 a.m. on Dowdell Lane.

0908  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop on Main Street.

1446  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Madrona.

1642  Report of a homeless woman on a Main Street property. Shes been asked to leave before.

1645  Report of a reckless driver in a Hummer near Main/Spring.

1805  Two necklaces were reported missing. They were last seen either on Pine, Madrona, Sylvaner, Hudson or Spring.

1842  Police were notified of a child custody issue.

2000  An officer on patrol found a small fire north of Deer Park. Cal Fire confirmed it was not a control burn day. Officers assisted the property owners with the fire. Cal Fire sent fire engines to assist.

2016  Two shots were heard in a park near Spring Street. Before the shots, people had been heard yelling at each other. Police checked the area.

2216  Report of loud music on McCorkle Avenue. The caller had asked for a man to turn it down, but he insulted her and then ignored her.

2233  Police found juveniles at Crane Park after hours.

Sunday, Jan. 23

0847  Report of goats in the roadway near Angwin. The call was transferred to the sheriffs office.

0920  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Dowdell.

1030  Someone smelled a natural gas-like odor on Magnolia Avenue. Cal Fire was notified.

1211  An officer advised a church congregation not to leave any personal items in plain sight in their vehicles, and to report any suspicious activity.

1619  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Main/Dowdell.

1741  Report of a reckless driver on Highway 29.

1917  Following a traffic stop at Fulton/Main, police arrested a 47-year-old Calistoga man for two outstanding warrants.

2230  Report of an ongoing problem with loud music on Saint James Drive.

2336  Report of a reckless driver in a white truck heading toward oncoming traffic on Main Street. Police checked the area and alerted surrounding agencies.

Monday, Jan. 24

0802  A pickup bed with a welder generator attached to it was reported stolen from Voelker Court.

0859  Report of traffic problems at the Pope Street Bridge caused by construction trucks parking near the bridge and blocking sightlines.

0952  A man on Pope Street needed help getting to the hospital for an appointment.

1032  Report of a leaf blower being used on Hunt Avenue.

1242  People came to the lobby to talk to an officer about Vineyard Valleys evacuation plans.

1451  A vehicle was broken into on Pratt Avenue Sunday night. Registration and other papers, as well as a garage door opener, were stolen.

1602  A person asked to talk to a sergeant about leaf blowers.

1715  Report of a red truck parked on Sulphur Springs Avenue for eight days. A man appeared to be living out of it.

2326  An electrical outlet was burning on College Avenue. Cal Fire was notified.

Tuesday, Jan. 25

0119  An officer cited someone during a traffic stop at Silverado/Deer Park.
Nature Select Foods is set to close at the end of January, citing a familiar problem for St. Helena's local-serving businesses: Not enough locals.

The Palmer family, who acquired the health emporium from Ivo Matijaca in 2016, announced the upcoming closure on Facebook last week.

While COVID-related lockdowns, cost increases, product shortages, and supply chain issues certainly had an impact on us, the decision to close was largely based on recent population trends. Over the last two years we like many other locals-serving businesses have lost too many of our customers. While some are sheltering at home due to COVID or have suffered financial distress, the majority have moved away."

Nature Select has been a mainstay of downtown St. Helena since 1997.

Before the pandemic, the Palmers had already started re-imagining the store in light of growing challenges to independent retailers.

However, after the 2020 wildfires, it became clear to us that we needed to add a component that was not sensitive to retail issues, the Palmers wrote.

This led to many conversations with local practitioners, trainers, therapists, and others in the health and medical field, with John offering the sweetest deal possible to save this store in some form. Unfortunately we never found the right person(s) to undertake this project.

The Palmers said they remain open to the possibility of a last-minute solution, like when Main Street Books became St. Helena Bookmine.

The other businesses based in Nature Select  the Napa Valley Organic Juice Bar, Maison Verte, and the private practices of nutritional consultant Aline Chene and regenerative detox specialist Lara Karakasevic  will continue and are looking for new homes.
Several public memorial events for Crystal Lea McCarthy, organized by her friends and family, have been coming together in the past few weeks.

McCarthy, an artist, musician, culinary worker and Napa resident  where she resided for roughly two years  went missing the night of Dec. 13, 2021, according to past reporting. Ten days later, after determined search efforts from McCarthys friends and Napa law enforcement, McCarthys body was found in the Napa River.

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The first upcoming memorial service is planned for Feb. 3, from 6-8 p.m. in the JaM Cellars Ballroom  the historic Napa Valley Opera House at 1030 Main St. in Napa  upstairs from Blue Note Napa, McCarthys former workplace.

Another memorial service is slated for Feb. 5, from 1-3 p.m., at the El Rio bar in San Francisco, located at 3158 Mission St. Deanna Reister, a friend and former coworker of McCarthy, said the SF event will be a celebration of McCarthys lifestyle, which she said the SF city life and culture is symbolic of.

Galine Tumosova, one of McCarthy friends organizing the SF event, said the event will involve music  she and McCarthy used to play music together, she said  and friends and family giving speeches.

We want to bring records, vinyl that she liked, music that we listened to, Tumosova said.

Another event, a benefit memorial show in honor of McCarthy, is being planned for Feb. 27, at the Red Museum at 212 15th St. in Sacramento.

Amanda Chavez, another of McCarthy's friends who's organizing the Sacramento event, said a few bands connected to McCarthy  who was highly involved in the Sacramento music scene  will be playing at the event.

And the event will include artists, Chavez said. One friend is painting a bunch of terracotta plant pots, she added, because McCarthy loved plants and flowers.

"Were just trying to make it kind of like a co-op style where everyone can contribute in some way," Chavez said.

Chavez said all money raised will be donated to McCarthys family.

"Its just been a big tragedy for everyone," Chavez said. "Its been hard for those that have, like myself, been friends with Crystal for 10 years. It's definitely going to be an emotional kind of event."

A GoFundMe to cover memorial expenses and support McCarthys family was launched in December, and so far has raised $14,815.

You can reach Edward Booth at (707) 256-2213.

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Transportation officials are finding ways to resolve Swainson's hawk issues to keep the $64 million Soscol Junction traffic relief project along Highway 29 on-track for a May start.

A hawk nesting tree and suitable foraging habitat exist near the planned project at Highway 29/Highway 221 just south of the city of Napa. The hawk is listed as "threatened" under state endangered species laws.

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Bulldozers cant begin moving dirt until Caltrans and the Napa Valley Transportation Authority satisfy the state Department of Fish and Wildlife over hawk mitigation requirements. Work is underway to do just that.

On Jan. 19, the Napa Valley Transportation Authority (NVTA) Board of Directors voted to spend $175,000 to buy a Swainsons hawk nesting tree credit at the Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank in Yolo County. The preservation area is located along the Sacramento River.

This nesting tree credit has been extremely difficult to find, said Danielle Schmitz of the NVTA. This one is the last one in California.

California allows developers to buy credits at mitigation banks as opposed to finding and preserving habitat on their own.

Buying the nesting tree credit at the Bullock Bend Mitigation Bank will save time and effort. An alternative is to identify, buy, restore and protect land that satisfies Fish and Wildlife, which could prove costly and delay Soscol Junction construction, an NVTA report said.

A Fish and Wildlife map doesn't show an active hawk nesting tree within the 50-acre Soscol Junction construction footprint. But one is located about 500 feet away and two historic nesting trees are about a quarter mile away.

To build Soscol Junction, the NVTA and Caltrans must compensate for the loss or abandonment of a Swainsons hawk nest, a Fish and Wildlife report said.

Theres more Swainsons hawk spending to come. Fish and Wildlife says the Soscol Junction project will disturb 17 acres of hawk foraging habitat.

Compensating for the loss could cost $2 million, a Fish and Wildlife report said. But Schmitz said a mitigation bank credit for foraging habitat could be available for $400,000.

Soscol Junction will be Napa Countys largest regional traffic project since the Highway 12 widening in Jameson Canyon finished in 2014. It is designed to bust the bottleneck at the signalized intersection where Highway 29, Highway 221 and Soscol Ferry Road converge.

The traffic signals are to be removed. A free-flowing Highway 29 is to be elevated. Beneath, two roundabouts are to regulate traffic getting on or off Highway 29 or continuing from Highway 221 to Soscol Ferry Road.

Local elected leaders on the NVTA Board of Directors discussed the Swainson's hawk situation on Jan. 19. American Canyon City Councilmember Mark Joseph called the hawk spending a pretty healthy chunk of change.

We have that massive marsh across San Pablo Bay and thats not suitable habitat, I guess? American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia said.

No, Schmitz answered.

Swainsons hawk breeds throughout much of the United States west of the Mississippi River and in California breeds in the Central Valley, according to the Caltrans environmental report for Soscol Junction. It nests in valley oaks, Fremont cottonwood, walnut, large willow and other trees.

The hawk historically probably frequented perennial grasslands and scrublands associated with riparian areas. Today, it forages in agricultural fields, such as alfalfa and grain, the report said.

Vineyards do not provide good foraging habitat. However, hawks have been seen following tractors during disking and mowing, presumably looking for fleeing rodents, the report said.

Habitat mitigation banks started appearing in the state about 30 years ago. The goal is to preserve large portions of wildlife habitat, instead of a patchwork.

California reported having 84 mitigation banks as of 2019. None are in Napa County, though neighboring Solano County has four and Sonoma County has 14. Some are for wetlands and some for uplands habitat.

You can reach Barry Eberling at 256-2253 or beberling@napanews.com.

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Top Maryland lawmakers vowed Tuesday to ban ghost guns in the state this year, hoping to disrupt the supply of unregistered and untraceable guns that can be bought easily online, sidestepping background checks.

Efforts to ban ghost guns have languished in Annapolis the past few years, but lawmakers and activists are making a renewed push for the ban as the weapons are becoming more common.

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It is clearer now than ever that we need to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous extremists, as well as those who are in crisis and pose a danger to themselves or others, said Melissa Ladd, state chapter leader for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Denise Reid of Baltimore holds a sign for Moms of Murdered Sons and Daughters United as she takes a group picture on the steps of the State House Tuesday at a rally in support of a bill that would outlaw "ghost guns" in Maryland. Dozens of members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence prevention groups rallied on Lawyers Mall in Annapolis on Tuesday. (Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Sun)

Ladd was among dozens of Moms Demand members in red T-shirts, jackets and surgical masks who gathered Tuesday in Annapolis to make a public push for the ban on ghost guns. The members planned to have video meetings with more than 140 of the states 188 lawmakers on Wednesday.

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Ghost guns are generally sold as kits that are 80% complete, typically with no serial number, that purchasers finish putting together themselves. Buying gun kits online allows purchasers to avoid Marylands requirements for gun ownership, including background checks and, in the case of handguns, a training course and a special license.

Opponents say banning ghost guns could cause otherwise law-abiding gun owners and hobbyists to be charged with a crime and that Maryland should wait on pending federal rules to restrict sales of the weapons.

Supporters of the ban pointed to a shooting Friday at Magruder High School in Montgomery County as an example of why theres a need to stem the supply of ghost guns. One teenager shot another in a school bathroom with a ghost gun.

The 17-year-old shooter bought the parts for the 9 mm gun online and built it with a friend, according to a prosecutor. The 15-year-old who was shot remains in the hospital fighting for his life.

Lilly Freeman, a student at Walt Whitman High School in Montgomery County, talks about the need to ban "ghost guns" in Maryland during a rally in Annapolis Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. "We do not deserve to bear the weight of gun violence on our shoulders," said Freeman, a leader with Students Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. (Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Sun)

Lilly Freeman, a student at Montgomery Countys Walt Whitman High School, said young people feel like their pleas for help that come after each school shooting  from Virginia Tech to Marjory Stoneman Douglas  arent heard.

It feels almost pointless to say that I am numb and I am devastated. Of course I am. Of course I am, said Freeman, a leader with the Students Demand Action group. But I have been made to feel that my emotions dont matter, students emotions dont matter, because we have seen such little change in our lives when it comes to gun violence.

The ghost guns ban has the backing of Democratic Attorney General Brian Frosh, and the chairs of the legislatures judicial committees pledged to pass the bills in their committees this year. That would lead to debates before the full House of Delegates and state Senate.

In the Judicial Proceedings Committee, were going to pass this bill this year, said Sen. William C. Smith Jr., a Montgomery County Democrat who chairs that committee.

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Its time to do this, added Del. Luke Clippinger, a Baltimore Democrat who chairs the House Judiciary Committee.

Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, has not offered a public position on the ghost gun ban and a spokesman said Tuesday that the governor will thoughtfully review any legislation that reaches his desk.

Hogan has supported past gun legislation, including a red flag program that allows for guns to be temporarily taken away if a judge finds a person might harm themselves or others. But Hogan is in his last year in office and weighing options for his political future, and gun control is not popular among Republicans.

Del. Lesley Lopez, left, Sen. Susan Lee and activist Melissa Ladd raise their hands as they vow to pass a bill that would outlaw "ghost guns" in Maryland. Dozens of members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence prevention groups rallied on Lawyers Mall in Annapolis on Tuesday. (Pamela Wood/The Baltimore Sun)

The ban has been considered in Annapolis for five years now, said Del. Lesley Lopez, the lead sponsor in the House of Delegates.

Its a full-court press, said Lopez, a Montgomery County Democrat. Weve got the momentum, weve got the movement and were ready to get this done.

The ghost gun bill would ban buying, selling and transferring an unfinished frame or receiver if it does not have a serial number imprinted by a licensed manufacturer starting June 1.

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Starting Jan. 1, 2023, it would be illegal to own a gun without the serial number, a misdemeanor punishable by up to three years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000. The ban would not apply to guns manufactured before 1968 or antique firearms

Lopez said those who already own handmade or ghost guns would be able to go to a federally-licensed firearms dealer to have a serial number and manufacturing information engraved on the weapon.

Police say they are recovering an increasing number of ghost guns at crime scenes. In the first three weeks of the year, 31 of the 187 guns seized by Baltimore Police Department officers have been ghost guns.

Last year, city officers sized 324 ghost guns, representing about 14% of all guns seized. Thats a steep increase from 128 ghost guns seized in 2020, and 30 seized in 2019.

In addition to the Magruder High School shooting, a Westminster teen was fatally injured by a ghost gun at a home in Dundalk last week. Police have charged a man with failing to secure the gun in the home and illegal possession of a gun because he is a felon and prohibited from having guns.

Advocates for gun rights are expected to register their opposition to the ban, saying bad actors who get ghost guns can  and should  be punished under existing gun laws.

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Sen. Justin Ready, a Carroll County Republican, said hes skeptical that banning ghost guns would make a dent in violent crime. He suggested that those with violent intentions who are determined to get their hands on untraceable guns still will find a way to do so.

I would have a lot more respect for these gun control groups if they came in strong supporting the bills cracking down on the people that commit violent acts, said Ready, who supports tougher sentences for certain gun crimes and has been trying to make theft of a firearm a felony.

Hobbyist gun owners could get caught up in the ban and risk losing their ability to buy firearms forever, said Mark Pennak, president of the advocacy group Maryland Shall Issue.

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What we cant have is the General Assembly passing laws that threaten to send away and permanently disqualify law-abiding people, when the states attorneys  particularly in Baltimore  dont enforce these laws, Pennak said in an interview.

If lawmakers insist on banning ghost guns, then they at least could improve the grandfathering provision, Pennak said. He suggests following Californias procedure, which requires ghost gun owners to send to the state information about the gun and the owners eligibility to own one. The state then sends the gun owner a serial number that has to be engraved or otherwise permanently marked on the weapon.

Better yet, Pennak said, the state should wait for the adoption of federal regulations proposed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives that would define the most common ghost gun kits as firearms. Thats likely to significantly curtail the sale of gun kits online.

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A lot of this problem is going to be addressed by the ATF regulations that will establish nationwide standards to address the interstate sale of these kits, he said.

Theres no need to wait for the federal government, said Sen. Susan Lee, lead sponsor of the ban in the Senate.

Were not going to wait around for the federal government to finally do it  The regulatory process takes 1,000 years, said Lee, a Montgomery County Democrat. Weve got to protect Marylanders now.

Baltimore Sun reporter Jessica Anderson contributed to this article.
Spanish police said on Tuesday they had detained seven suspected members of an international criminal gang that created and sold forged COVID-19 passports and negative tests, Reuters reported.

The Spanish arm of the ring, which advertised its services on "anti-vax" instant message groups, fraudulently added at least 1,600 people to the national vaccination register with the help of health workers, the investigation found.

European Union countries agreed last year to create a standardized COVID certificate with a QR code so vaccinated and tested people could travel and attend events.

That created a demand for forgeries.

Police arrested six people in Madrid and one in Barcelona, but they did not provide further information on them.

They will be charged with document forgery and offences against public health. "The investigation continues into the possible theft of passwords to (the register)," the national police added in a statement.

The gang divided customers into two groups based on income and charged either 200 euros or 1,000 euros for a fake COVID vaccination certificate, which would be sent within two days of payment. A negative PCR test cost 50 euros.

Police are now investigating the 1,600 people added to the register fraudulently.

The organization's leaders operated from France where, unlike most of Spain, a vaccination passport is mandatory to enter public spaces like restaurants or movie theatres.

Spanish police passed all the information to French authorities.
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AFP: EU proposes to impose sanctions on Patriarch Kirill

Arestovich says Israel could supply Ukraine with weapons Azerbaijan used in Karabakh war

Will Smith's Oscar speech disappears from official YouTube channel of film awards

Parliament speaker threatens Armenian opposition, clergy

Armenia opposition MP: Ex-President Serzh Sargsyan will not hold office in new government

Beijing closes over 60 subway stations due to COVID-19 outbreak

Bayramov, Roquefeuil discuss Azerbaijan-Armenia relations normalization process

Armenia FM meets with US National Democratic Institute president

Armenia ruling force MP: Opposition will not achieve its goal

Armenia 2nd president Robert Kocharyans son blocking road with citizens in Yerevan

Oklahoma bans almost all abortions

Premieres in May: Let's go to the cinema!

Number of children in Japan falls to record low

Karabakh President meets with of Free Homeland-UCA parliamentary faction members

Armenian judge waves Artsakh flag at Ironman Triathlon (PHOTOS)

There is still lot to do in 'October 27' case, says Armenia Prosecutor General

Ambassador Wiktorin to finance minister: EU ready to continue providing assistance to Armenia government

Inter reach agreement with Paulo Dybala

Armenia Prosecutor General admits there are difficulties in investigation of 'March 1' criminal case

Armens: Louisa Sharamatyan on cooking tolma on Food Networks Worst Cooks and being compared with Kim Kardashian

Copper price is stable

3 COVID-19 new cases confirmed in Armenia

American Armenian youth hold protest rally outside Armenia embassy in Washington

Scientists analyze unobvious consequences of wearing masks

Japan protests against North Korean missile

Klopp on par with Ferguson, Ancelotti and Lippi

Gold is getting cheaper

U.S.-Armenia Strategic Dialogue issues joint statement

4 surprising benefits of using Kiwi fruit daily in your diet

Roma intend to buy Atalanta forward

International premiere of animated film about Armenian Genocide survivor Aurora to be held during famous festival

Newspaper: Armenia Patrol Guard Service head to be summoned to Investigative Committee to give explanation

Armenia parliament regular sittings continue

Pregnant Rihannas statue appears at Metropolitan Museum of Art (PHOTOS)

Newspaper: Armenia opposition members falling into National Security Service trap by opening links

Civil disobedience protests resume in Yerevan

Liverpool set club record

Earthquake shakes Armenia-Georgia border zone

Microsoft urges to abandon Internet Explorer

Champions League: Liverpool reach final

Mark Milley: Potential for significant international conflict between great powers is increasing

Villarreal win Liverpool 2-0 (first half)

EU: Poland fines in rule of law dispute now top $170 million

Putin and Lukashenko discuss ongoing situation

Greece and Bulgaria say new LNG terminal will help reduce dependence on Russia

German vice chancellor calls for rapid construction of LNG terminals

Rally of Resistance Movement takes place in France Square

Robert Kocharyan takes part in opposition march

Ararat-Armenia defeat Noravank

Mario Draghi calls on EU to abandon requirement of unanimity in making foreign policy decisions

Finland and Sweden not yet decided whether to join NATO

What habits contribute to gaining excess weight?

50 Cent announces concert in Yerevan

Croatian president uses veto power to block Finland and Sweden from joining NATO

Slovakia will seek exemption from the EU embargo on Russian oil imports

NEWS.am digest: Blinken meets Mirzoyan in US, people detained during protests in Yerevan

Sergio Busquets receives offers from MLS clubs

Turkish Foreign Ministry on meeting of special envoys in Vienna

Opposition rally in central Yerevan starts with Sirusho's performance

Scientists create most accurate 3D model of female anatomy in history

Italy to face serious issues in winter if Russian gas supplies are cut off now

Johnson announces new military aid to Ukraine in amount of 300 million euros

Resistance Movement rally on France Square in Yerevan

EU hopes to adopt sixth round of sanctions against Russia at next EU Council meeting

Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Spitak

Spain extends OVID-19 entry restrictions

Popular TV series screenwriter lies for years about her terminal illness

Alashkert and Urartu play draw

Vayk joins demand for Nikol Pashinyan's resignation

Putin and Macron discuss Ukraine

Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block road from Vayots Dzor to Yerevan

Peaceful rallies of disobedience held in Vanadzor demanding PM's resignation

Citizens demanding Pashinyan's resignation block Gyumri-Yerevan highway

Sirusho: Today I will join our compatriots in France Square

Third meeting of Armenia and Turkey special representatives held in Vienna
YEREVAN.  Zhoghovurd newspaper of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: According to Zhoghovurd dailys information, noteworthy developments are expected in the criminal case initiated on the fact of buying useless missiles.

As it is known, the NSS [(National Security Service)] has announced the end of the investigation into the criminal case of Artak Davtyan, Chief of the General Staff of the RA Armed Forces, Davit Tonoyan, former RA Minister of Defense, Davit Galstyan, businessman engaged in arms supply (), and [several] others, and has sent it to court.

And, according to the information received by Zhoghovurd daily, the NSS has decided to separate the case regarding the above-mentioned officials and send [it] to court, whereas the investigation continues in the main criminal case initiated regarding the incidents of committing alleged misuse and especially large-scale embezzlements in the process of supplying ammunition for the needs of the [Armenian] Armed Forces.

It turns out that there will still be noteworthy developments and arrests in the criminal case.
There is no intention or interest or desire by US President Joe Biden to send troops to Ukraine. White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted about this during Tuesdays press briefing, VOA reported.

Psaki said that the United States was "working through NATO to plus-up support in our eastern flank countries," adding that the United States is "committed to the sanctity of that alliance."

Just to be clear, there is no intention or interest or desire by the President to send troops to Ukraine. NATO is a forum to support our eastern flank partners and countries, and thats what the focus has been on," Psaki said.

The White House spokesperson did not make any predictions about President Biden's possible public statements about the situation in Russia and Ukraine and about what efforts might be required of the US military.

Obviously, he [i.e., Biden] gave a two-hour press conference lastjust a few days ago where he answered a number of questions on Russia and Ukraine, and well continue to do that. But right now, a lot of our focus and his focus is on diplomacy, is on engaging with leaders, is on having conversations with members of his national security team, Jen Psaki added.
YEREVAN.  I am confident that changes will take place in three to four months. I have never made predictions, but I am confident that the limit of populism has expired. Former MP Rubik Hakobyan told this to a press briefing Wednesday in the National Assembly of Armenia.

"I, together with my supporters, will probably announce the day of the rally, that the one who comes to that rally shall not go home. Sadly, there is a precedent which should be made use of. He [i.e., incumbent PM Nikol Pashinyan] broke down the doors, entered a strategic facility, after that the people began to assemble at his side [in 2018] because they saw that there is no state [in Armenia].

If they enter a strategic facility and this cannot be prevented, they have the right to destroy. This is recorded even by international conventions. Yes. If necessary, then the same strategic facilities should be taken. There is no other way to get rid of them [i.e., the serving Armenian authorities]. Today the citizen is being born [in Armenia]," Hakobyan added.
The Saudis have carried out about 50 airstrikes on the territory of Yemen over the past 24 hours, TASS reported citing the Iranian TV channel PressTV.

It is noted that the strikes were carried out on targets in Yemen's provinces of Taiz, Sanaa, Marib, Shabwah and al-Jawf. There are no reports about casualties as a result of military operations.

In recent weeks, the coalition air force has stepped up attacks on Hussein military facilities in Yemen, particularly in rebel-controlled Sanaa. The most intense bombings began after supporters of Ansar Allah seized a UAE-blagged cargo ship near the Yemeni port city of Hudaydah on January 3, and on January 17 carried out an attack using drones and ballistic missiles on Abu Dhabi, which killed four people and injured at least five.
YEREVAN.  Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan on Wednesday received Swedish Ambassador to Armenia Patrik Svensson, Armenian News-NEWS.am has learned from the deputy PM's office.

Matevosyan welcomed the positive dynamics in Armenian-Swedish relations, and lauded the Swedish government's interest in contributing to the reform agenda of Armenia and the support rendered during the 44-day (Nagorno-Karabakh) war in the fall of 2020.

Ambassador Svensson, for his part, stressed the importance of partnership with Armenia, and expressed the Swedish government's readiness to contribute to the development of democracy, the rule of law, and human rights in Armenia.

Also, the interlocutors stressed the need for the immediate return of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian hostages being held in Azerbaijan. And they agreed that the resumption of talks on the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict should be carried out under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs.

Reference was made also to the humanitarian issues arising from the aforesaid 44-day war, the Armenia-Turkey relations normalization process, as well as the efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in the region.

While discussing the matters on the agenda of Armenian-Swedish cooperation, Deputy PM Hambardzum Matevosyan highlighted the presence of Swedish companies in Armenias economy, as well as the intensification of cooperation in judicial reform, fight against corruption, and human rights.
If a decision is made to nominate a presidential candidate from the opposition, it must be done jointly by the "With Honor" and "Armenia" Blocs. Hayk Mamijanyan, the secretary of the opposition "With Honor" Faction of the National Assembly of Armenia, told this to reporters Wednesday.

He noted that the respective consultations and discussions are underway.

"Our faction cannot nominate a presidential candidate with his votes alone. I do not claim that there will be a [presidential] candidate [from the parliamentary]. I am not mentioning names," Mamijanyan added.
Austria as of January 31 will cancel the lockdown for the unvaccinated against coronavirus, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced on Wednesday.

The decision was made due to the stabilization of the situation in hospitals, primarily in intensive care units, RIA Novosti reported.

However, the vaccinated, recovered rule remains for visiting most public places food establishments, stores, cultural and art events, which means that unvaccinated people are still barred from entering these places. There is also an obligation to wear an FFP2 mask.

According to Wolfgang Muckstein, head of the Austrian Ministry of Health, the vaccination certificate will be valid for six months for those vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine and nine months for those vaccinated with three doses.
Second President Robert Kocharyan will not be nominated for the office of the next President of Armenia. Agnesa Khamoyan, a member the opposition "Armenia" Faction in the National Assembly (NA), stated about this during a local television program.

"During the NA [press] briefings, too, we said that we did not have discussions on that issue, and we cannot have a decision either. But it is a news trick. The [respective] headlines went in such a way that [as if] the Armenia Bloc does not rule out the nomination of [its leader] Robert Kocharyan for the post of [the next] President. But since the topic was so exaggerated, let me say that Robert Kocharyan will not be nominated for the post of [the next] President of Armenia.

[PM] Nikol Pashinyan said at his [recent] press conference that they [i.e., the incumbent Armenian authorities] have an issue of the harmonization of institutions. And as they occupied the universities, it is clear that they will nominate from their narrow team for the post of President in the same way. And in these conditions, the nomination of President Kocharyan could not happen," Khamoyan said.
The Civil Aviation Committee of Armenia has exempted the passengers of the forthcoming Yerevan-Istanbul flights from the AMD 10,000 Departure Tax for three years.

In December 2019, the Armenian parliament amended the Law on State Duties and, accordingly, exempted from the AMD 10,000 Departure Tax those airline passengers who will travel from Armenia to newly opened destinations within three years.

The Departure Tax exemption is granted in Armenia for three yearswith the possibility of extension for two yearsfor those flights whose destination was not conducted 12 months before the start of these flights.

Airlines conducting the Departure Tax exemption destination flights must conduct these flights for at least one year.

And the Armenian government, in turn, has stipulated that these flights must be at least once a week, or at least 28 flights during the summer season and 20 flights during the winter season.
YEREVAN.  The Secretary of the Security Council, Armen Grigoryan, on Wednesday met with German Ambassador to Armenia Victor Richter, the Office of the Security Council informs Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The interlocutors discussed the Armenian-German cooperation and the current Armenia-EU cooperation.

Also, both sides stressed the importance of the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conflicts long-term political settlement within the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs framework.

In addition, they exchanged views on the process of demarcation and delimitation of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

And at the request of the German ambassador, the secretary of the Security Council presented the process of unblocking the regional transport routes.
The increase in the number of coronavirus cases in Armenia in recent days is due to the Omicron variant. Romella Abovyan, head of the Epidemiology Department of Nosocomial Infections at the National Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health, told this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

"The infectivity of the Omicron variant is higher than the Delta one. No statistics are conducted on what percentage of those infected are infected with the Omicron variant; only the alternative specimens are being examined to determine which variants are circulating. As a result of the research, it was found out that the Omicron variant is primarily being circulated in Armenia [now]," Abovyan said.

"In the last 14 days, the [coronavirus] cases have increased by more than 400% compared to the previous two weeks. We have not had such an indicator [before], "she added, in particular.

According to the Armenian official, the Covid-related death rates will be clear in two weeks.

"We had a decrease in the number of cases. Two weeks later, it was observed that the cases of death have also reduced. Now the cases of catching the coronavirus have increased. The statistics on the cases of death will be clear in two weeks. If there are no cases of death in two weeks, we can record that the Omicron variant is mild [in Armenia]," said Romella Abovyan.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has filed criminal complaints against two deputies from the main opposition People's Republican Party (PRP) on charges of "insulting the president," according to a new website Diken.

MPs Engin Ozkoc and Aykut Erdogdu are accused of insulting the Turkish leader in remarks made in a television program.

Turkish police on Sunday arrested journalist Sedef Kabas on charges of "insulting the president" over a statement she made during the same program on the TELE1.

According to the complaint, the statements of the MPs do not fall under the category of freedom of speech and constitute an insult and a violation of personal rights.

Turkey's media supervision service fined TELE1 on Monday for a program that criticized Erdogan and his government, BBC Turkish reported.

According to Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, insulting the president is a crime and carries a maximum penalty of four years in prison.

Investigations and convictions under Article 299 have increased dramatically since Erdogan became president in 2014.

According to a 2021 report based on data from the Justice Department, the number of lawsuits for insulting the president has increased 9,000 percent since 2010.
Russia should withdraw its forces from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, where they are deployed without consent of these countries, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

According to Stoltenberg, Belarusian and Russian troops near Ukraine are on high alert. "Russias military build-up in and around Ukraine continues, with more than 100,000 troops in position, and more on the way, including significant deployments in Belarus," he said.

"NATO firmly believes that tensions and disagreements must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy," he said.

At the same time, he noted that NATO would not compromise with Russia on the right of any country, including Ukraine, to join the alliance.

He added that hoping for the success of political negotiations, NATO is preparing for the worst. According to him, if necessary, an advance detachment of 5,000 people led by France will be deployed to the Black Sea region in a few days.
Students from the Yale University School of Management took top honors at the 2022 John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition, hosted by Emory Universitys Goizueta Business School. The culminating event for the competition was held Jan. 21. The University of Southern California team took second place, and the Georgetown University team took home the Audience Award.

The event is named for civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewis, who passed away in 2020. Lewis had a close relationship with Emory, including giving the Emory University Commencement keynote address in 2014, where he received an honorary degree.

Launched in 2021, the first-of-its-kind case competition was spearheaded by Goizueta MBA alumnus Willie Sullivan to examine how companies can address racial injustice within their organizations.

At Goizueta, we work to reimagine and redefine a different, better way of doing business to solve the worlds greatest challenges with ingenuity, integrity and grit, says Goizueta interim John H. Harland Dean Karen Sedatole. In all of my years of academia, this competition represents one of the most poignant examples of the power of student voice and the unbreakable intersection between business and society.

The whole point of the competition is for student teams to propose bold initiatives, says Lynne Segall, associate dean for management practice initiatives and the competitions faculty advisor. Once again, I am so impressed with the creativity of the recommendations and their grounding in evidence-based research. These student leaders have given our sponsors a lot to think about and act on.

Competing to support racial justice

In December, the 76 applicant teams from more than 40 universities were narrowed to 20 teams of students from leading universities across the country. For this years competition, entrants were invited to complete industry-specific applications for the categories of consulting and professional services; food and beverage; health care; technology; and transportation and logistics.

Competition winners will divide their monetary winnings between the team and the racial justice/inequality organization of their choice. Members Lewiss family were in attendance, with John Lewis nephew, Jerrick Lewis, presenting the awards.

First place ($20,000): Team JAVELN of Yale University worked with IBM/Call for Code. Half of the winnings will be donated to Black Women Tech Talk.

Second place ($10,000): Team Bridging the Business Gap of University of Southern California worked with Taco Bell. Half of the winnings will be donated to ONETEN.

Audience award ($10,000): Racial Justice League of Georgetown University worked with UPS. Half of the winnings will be donated to Dreaming Out Loud Inc.

The five finalist teams and their targeted industries were:

Emory University: Team Disruption, consulting and professional services

University of Southern California: Bridging the Business Gap, food and beverage

University of Florida: Team I.D.E.A., health care

Yale University: JAVELN, technology

Georgetown University: Racial Justice League, transportation and logistics

Business sponsors for the second-annual competition were Accenture, IBM / Call for Code, Moderna, Taco Bell, UPS, Momentive and Yahoo! Finance.

Goizueta was joined by university partners Cornell SC Johnson College of Business; Howard University School of Business; Rice Jones Graduate School of Business; and Yale School of Management. University partners hosted preliminary and semi-final events and recruited top students, sponsors and judges to participate nationwide.

Education and action

Andrew Young, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, civil rights leader and confidante to Martin Luther King Jr., delivered the keynote address at the culminating event as Goizuetas Robson Distinguished Lecturer. Young served as the 55th mayor of Atlanta and served as a U.S. Congress member from Georgia. He was a key strategist and negotiator during civil rights campaigns that led to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Business has taken the lead, Young shared, reflecting on how times have changed. He went on to say, Business is far more powerful than dealing with social change in government.

His two words to guide students in their question for racial justice? Vision and courage. On becoming leaders, he encouraged a balanced life for college students, reassuring them that You will know when your time comes.

Other ceremony participants included Emory University President Gregory L. Fenves; Goizueta MBA students Kegan Baird, managing director for the competition, and Jasmine Burton, co-managing director; and John R. Lewis Racial Justice Case Competition founder Willie Sullivan.

This competition is all about education and action, Baird said. It gives students like me really powerful, hands-on experience and organizations access to some of the brightest emerging leaders in business. Im really proud of what weve accomplished together.
The Twin Memorials Working Group is beginning the community-engagement phase of its charge to establish twin memorials on the Oxford and Atlanta campuses to honor the lives of enslaved individuals who helped build Emorys original campus and others who have historic ties to the community. A newly established website provides historical context as well as updates on the project and will be the locus for Emory and community members to provide input.

In the coming months, public meetings will be held for students, faculty, staff and neighbors, including members of the descendant community, to share concepts for the memorials. The first sessions, which will involve the Covington and city of Oxford communities, begin Feb. 3. Atlanta-based meetings will begin two weeks later. (See block below story for initial dates, times and locations.)

Posing questions, seeking knowledge

Someone with a head start in thinking through these matters is Rev. Avis Williams. A four-time Emory alumna and member of the descendant community associated with Emorys origins, she recalls a statement an architect made about the forced exodus of enslaved people from their homelands by ship. The only witness was the water, the architect said.

Williams  a pastor, member of the Twin Memorials Working Group and a consultant to Baskervill, the firm guiding Emorys community-engagement and design process  is grateful that bearing witness now invites us all into that process.

But she admits to having many questions about building a memorial to honor the labors of the enslaved, including How do we design something that celebrates life but honors the dead? And as our students and faculty continue to peel back layers on Emorys history, how do we memorialize something we havent fully grasped?

Her openness reflects the spirit evinced by the co-chairs of the Twin Memorials Working Group  Douglas A. Hicks, dean of Oxford College and William R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Religion, and Gregory Ellison II, an Emory College of Arts and Sciences alumnus and associate professor of pastoral care and counseling at Candler School of Theology.

In July 2021, Hicks and Ellison talked about the value of a learning journey. The idea, says Ellison, was how could we learn best practices from descendants, scholars and administrators at peer institutions so as not to duplicate some of the challenges?

As Hicks describes it, We wanted to hear all we could about engaging the descendant community. They are absolutely vital.

Beginning in the nations capital

Their first stop was the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where they met Eric Lewis Williams, the curator of religion, who helped them understand what needed to be done to bring this kind of institution to the national mall.

One key component: sanctifying the ground itself. There needed to be healing on those grounds before the museum was actually constructed, says Ellison. Curator Williams described people from around the country coming to the proposed site to meditate and pray.

Ellison and Hicks both are religious studies scholars. As such, says Hicks, we are called to think about ritualizing every step to name the spaces as sacred and to honor the lives lost. The sites we visited, and what Emory will eventually create, are sacred spaces and pilgrimage sites. To lift that up is important to the process.

The response of peers

Next stop was Georgetown University, where they met top administration officials. Prior to 2016, the university had acknowledged that enslaved people who belonged to Jesuit priests were sold to plantations in the Deep South to secure the universitys future. It took a New York Times article to foreground the issue not only for Georgetown but every university with slavery in its past.

The administrations commitment to the descendant community impressed Hicks and Ellison. Already, Georgetown has provided support for small-business owners and educational opportunities, with the vow that the support will be ongoing, central to the narrative of the university.

At the University of Virginia, Hicks called the Memorial to Enslaved Laborers a marvel for recognizing the labor of some 4,000 individuals who built and maintained the university. Even where names are not known, the work done by these laborers  tomato farmer or brick mason  is fully acknowledged.

The final stop was the University of Richmond, where in 2020 its president acknowledged that hundreds of enslaved people had worked on land on which the campus now sits, as revealed by the discovery of burial grounds. The universitys Burying Ground Memorialization Committee is currently engaging members of its campus and descendant communities.

Rev. Williams also has undertaken several learning journeys, traveling to the University of Virginia to talk with descendants and accompanying a class taught by Hicks to the Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. Although the students on the bus that day were diverse, they were united in asking Williams, as they contemplated the powerful narrative of slavery and lynchings, How could this happen?

The role of Baskervill

The Twin Memorials Working Group has partnered with the Baskervill firm for its community engagement and concept design work. One of the nations oldest continually operating architectural firms, Baskervill was established in 1897. The Baskervill of today has done work related to monuments and other forms of community remembrance, including William & Mary Universitys Memorial to the Enslaved as well as the Richmond Slave Trail and Reconciliation Plaza. The firm has also been involved in the University of Richmonds Burying Ground Memorialization.

Early in his life, Baskervill principal Burt Pinnock felt the consequence of decisions about monuments. A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, which is predominantly African American, Pinnock describes a monument in the town square erected to Confederate soldiers. The town square is deeded to the United Daughters of the Confederacy in perpetuity.

Just out of college, Pinnock started as an architectural intern with Baskervill. Five years on, Pinnock had established one of two African Americanowned architectural firms in Richmond. He came back to helm Baskervill in 2015 through a merger with his former firm.

As he thinks about the work with Emory, Pinnock says, I appreciate that Dean Hicks and Professor Ellison didnt come with a prescribed idea or process. For me, that also reflects sincerity and openness.

Ellison notes, In doing this work over the course of his career, Burt has sometimes been involved in volatile, hard conversations. He knows what he is doing.

We want to open up a robust dialogue at Emory so that everyone has an opportunity to express what the concept of twin memorials means to them. The result should reflect the hopes of everyone who provides us input, says Pinnock.
AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)--smartTrade Technologies, a leading provider of end-to-end multi-asset electronic trading solutions headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, France, has reported yet another year of success. 2021 saw the enhancement of a number of its core products and was capped by the acquisition in November of Toronto-based TickTrade Systems.

Heralding a new era of M&A activities for smartTrade, the acquisition brought together two complementary technology providers whilst expanding the group presence in North America.

The enlarged group share a joint commitment to innovation heralded by its AI driven analytics offering and crypto currencies trading capabilities.

Throughout 2021 smartTrade continued its relentless focus on R&D, delivering support for new asset classes such as FX options, money markets and precious metals. smartTrades flagship product LiquidityFX now supports an ever-growing number of customer needs, enabling access to hundreds of Algos and offering advanced OMS capability. In addition to creating a new DataAPI to support its customers own data endeavors, smartTrade capitalized on its AI expertise in 2021 to release a comprehensive Analytics solution fit for traders, sales traders and heads of business.

smartTrade continued to increase its global market share throughout 2021, further strengthening its senior management team. The companys remote implementation and support capabilities, coupled with the proven resilience of its technology, enabled it to continue to offer an outstanding level of service to its customers despite continued restrictions on global travel and face-to-face meetings.

smartTrade achieved market recognition in 2021 in the form of industry awards for Best FX Aggregator, Best Managed Services Solution, Most Innovative Use of Open Source/Cloud Technology and Best FX Trading Solution.

David Vincent, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder at smartTrade Group, said, The acquisition of TickTrade opened a new chapter of expansion for smartTrade. Joining forces brings new talent to the company and enables us to expand not only our product offering but also our geographical coverage. We are proud of what we achieved through innovation in 2021 and we look forward to building on this in 2022 to offer an even better service to existing and new clients across the globe.

About smartTrade Technologies:

smartTrade Technologies is a leading global provider of multi-asset electronic trading platforms, helping customers achieve business growth through our cost-efficient, technologically advanced secure private SaaS end-to-end solution.

smartTrade in-house hosted solutions support Foreign Exchange, Fixed Income, Crypto and Derivatives asset classes with connectivity to 130+ liquidity providers, enabling tailored aggregation, smart execution, risk management, order management, analytics, payments and multi-channel distribution.

smartTrade supports a variety of regulated and un-regulated Financial Institutions.

To learn more, visit www.smart-trade.net.
Singapore [Singapore]/Hyderabad [India], January 25 (ANI/PR Newswire): Darwinbox, Asia's fastest-growing HR tech platform, marks another milestone with a $72MN funding round led by Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV) along with participation from existing investors Salesforce Ventures, Sequoia India, Lightspeed India, Endiya Partners, 3One4Capital, JGDEV and SCB 10X. The company's valuation post this round will cross the $1B mark and takes the total investment raised thus far by the company to over $110Mn. The company has grown 200 per cent since the last fundraise from Salesforces Ventures, exactly 12 months ago. Founded in late 2015 by Chaitanya Peddi, Jayant Paleti and Rohit Chennamaneni, Darwinbox currently stands as the youngest and the only Asian-origin player on Gartner's Magic Quadrant for enterprise Cloud HCM. It is also rated the highest (4.8) globally on Gartner's customer reviews platform, Peer Insights, racing ahead of its peers like SAP, Oracle, and Workday - a position they secured on the back of innovative technology, deep understanding of market context, intuitive user experience and great customer traction. "We get most excited investing behind visionary founders that are fundamentally transforming large industries with a highly resonant product," said Gopi Vaddi, General Partner, TCV. "I am delighted to back an outstanding team that is doing exactly that in a highly impactful, fast-evolving HR technology space and partner with them on their journey to global HCM leadership." With a quarter century of investing experience, TCV is known for taking a long-term view on its investments and holds a record of 79 IPOs in their portfolio including the likes of Netflix, Facebook, Expedia, Spotify, Airbnb, GoDaddy and Gitlab. "This investment energizes our mission to continue building technology that enables organizations to unlock the highest potential of their people. We have done this by building a product that puts employees squarely at the center and crafting meaningful experiences for them. This has especially found resonance in this rapidly evolving world of work over the last 2 years with companies having to rethink how they attract, manage and retain their talent," shared Jayant Paleti, Co-founder, Darwinbox. The new funding will supercharge Darwinbox's global expansion plan by allowing the company to accelerate its platform innovation agenda, strengthen its product, engineering, and customer success teams along with scaling its go-to-market presence in South Asia, SEA, and MENA. The company is expecting the overall team to grow by 100 per cent and is also setting up to launch in the US in 2022. "Investing behind technology to manage talent has become inevitable for organizational success. Darwinbox's demonstrated ability to build agile, innovative, and user-friendly solutions along with deep customer-centricity has made them a platform of choice for several leading enterprises," added Jessica Neal, former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix, and a Venture Partner at TCV. 2021 represented one of the most entropic and pivotal years in defining the future of work. The world witnessed "remote" and "hybrid" become common words and the "Great Resignation" impacted organizations all over, forcing them to rethink their talent strategy. The result is a 3-5 year forward shift in digital-first thinking for all things talent. Darwinbox is at the heart and center of this movement, enabling more than 650 large enterprises to empower and engage their talent with its mobile-first HR lifecycle platform providing Workforce & Talent Management, Employee Engagement, Compensation and Benefits, People Analytics, HR service delivery suites amongst other offerings. More than 1.5 million employees from large conglomerates, fast-growing technology giants and leading global brands like Nivea, Starbucks, Dominos, T-Systems, AXA, Tokio, Cigna, JSW, Adani, Vedanta, Mahindra, Kotak, NSE, Ujjivan, Makemytrip, Swiggy and Tokopedia were able to adapt to the new normal with Darwinbox. Expanding on the product investments, Chaitanya Peddi, Co-founder and Product Head of the company shares - "Building for extraordinary agility and delivering stellar employee experience have been critical in defining success for Darwinbox's customers. We will continue to invest in new and innovative technology to deliver a frictionless experience for the work-from-anywhere workforce." "In addition, this year, we will be bolstering our platform offering with a host of ancillary services and solutions that enterprises can plug and play to compose an integrated HR tech ecosystem," he added. Darwinbox is a cloud-based HR Technology platform that caters to an organization's HR needs across the employee lifecycle including Recruitment, Onboarding, Core transactions (Leaves, Attendance, Directory), Payroll, Travel and Expenses, Employee Engagement, Performance Management, Rewards & Recognition and People Analytics. The new-age and innovative platform combines highly configurable workflows, intelligent insights and smart interfaces to help enterprises unleash the true potential of their workforce. Rated the highest globally among HCM players on Gartner's customer review platform, Peer Insights, Darwinbox is trusted by 650-plus global enterprises with more than 1.5 million employees spread across 90-plus countries and is backed by leading investors like Salesforce Ventures, Sequoia, Lightspeed, Endiya Partners, 3One4Capital, SCB 10X and JGDEV. More at www.darwinbox.com Founded in 1995, TCV was established with a clear vision: to capture opportunities in the technology market through a specialized and consistent focus on investing in high-growth companies. Since inception, the firm has built a track record of successfully backing public and private businesses that have developed into dominant industry players across internet, software, FinTech, and enterprise IT. TCV has invested over $16 billion to date and has helped guide CEOs through more than 145 IPOs and strategic acquisitions. TCV has invested in cutting edge technology companies including Airbnb, Believe, Brex, Dream Sports, FarEye, HireVue, Mollie, Nubank, Razorpay, Nerdy, RELEX Solutions, Revolut, RMS, Sportradar, Spotify, Trade Republic, The Pracuj Group, and Zepz. TCV has successfully executed over 350 investments of varying structures, including mid-stage, late stage and public company investments, and has offices in Menlo Park, New York, and London. For more information about TCV, including a complete list of TCV investments, visit https://www.tcv.com/. Image: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1733345/Cofoudners_Darwinbox.jpg This story is provided by PR Newswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PR Newswire)
New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI/PNN): The newly launched EdTech start up, Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) has launched an excellent curriculum. As knowledge is power, Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) is focused to provide the best of knowledge to students across the country. A cherry on the cake for all the parents and students is Praadis Institute of Education's (PIE) splendid educational programs at an affordable rate of INR 7,999/-. Students can now take the benefit of the effective curriculum from their formative years as Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) offers programs for Kindergarten (KG) -12 in CBSE,ICSE and State Board along with competitive exams (NEET and JEE). Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) has already achieved more than 3 lakh downloads and 1 lakh subscribers and it is going towards the peak of the EdTech Sector. Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) is a comprehensive learning app with the most up-to-date instructional content available. It has creative instructional 4D AR games for kids in junior and middle school. Seniors can also avail the feature or logical thinking questions to test their knowledge in an effective manner. It will also help them think critically and make better decisions. The PIE app ensures that children of all ages may always learn while having fun. Their diverse range of revolutionary curriculum for children from Kindergarten (KG) -12 develops the thinking ability of a child and helps them carve a remarkable personality with the knowledge. Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) has achieved excellence in various modes of learning which proves to be a boon for students across the globe. It recognizes the diverse learning requirements of every child and doesn't streamline education with the age-old rudimentary methods. Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) offers educational 3D videos and fun-filled animated stories that make the learning and grasping process for children seamless. The interactive environment and dynamic features adhere to the unique learning requirements of every child. It recognizes the fact that every child is different and hence has a plethora of features of provide cater to the different needs. Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) enables students to plan their schedule by setting daily and weekly goals on the app. It offers customized content that fits to the distinct requirements of every student. They can also avail reading a great variety of books through Praadis e-library. To boost the joy of learning, students are given challenges and rewards after solving them. Students can see their growth with the help of assessment tests. While attending a lecture, students are free to note down important takeaways in Praadis Notes and refer to it as per their convenience. A special general knowledge page has been integrated to keep the students updated with the facts of the world. Students can anytime connect with the teachers through the Praadis Chat section and get assistance on all the doubts and difficulties that they face. They have incorporated advanced technology to give students the adaptable range of various features. The founder and CEO of Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) Prashant Bhatia says "Being a parent he has realized that every child's requirements are different. While trying to educate my children I recognized the gap in the process of children gaining education. Roat learning is not equal to absorbing knowledge. Hence with extensive research and by visiting different nations of the world, I launched Praadis Institution of Education that provides effective education with a versatile approach. I wanted it to be accessible to students from all backgrounds and promote overall growth of a student. Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) therefore offers excellent educational programs for students of Kindergarten (KG) -12" Praadis Institute of Education's (PIE) effectiveness comes from the founders who are parents themselves and understand the requirements of a child. The Co-founder and CEO of Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) Aditi Bhatia stated "With the launch of Praadis Institute of Education, our aim is to give children the opportunity to learn in a dynamic environment. Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) focuses on imparting the true essence of knowledge and not letting the children mug it up. We have also made it accessible to parents and they'll get to know of their child's progress with the PIE Parent's app. The curriculum is divided after in-depth research of the worldwide curriculums. We have incorporated child psychologists and neuroscientists to identify the prime requirements of a child and have designed the courses and facilities accordingly" It surely seems that Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) is going to create and capture a great section of the market and run on the path of being an EdTech giant by providing the best form of education. The founders are dedicated towards global success. They aim to make Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) a platform where students from all around the world can choose to gain the true essence of knowledge. So what are you waiting for? Give your child the best education and enroll with Praadis Institute of Education (PIE) https://praadisedu.com/in This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
The IPO comprises fresh issuance of about 15.65 crore shares worth Rs 3,600 crore and the entire proceeds will go to the company. There will not be any secondary offering.

The price band has been fixed at Rs 218-230 a share for its public issue.

Investors can bid for a minimum of 65 shares and in multiples of 65 thereafter. Retail investors can invest a minimum of Rs 14,950 in one lot and their maximum investment can be Rs 194,350 for 13 lots.

The company's shares are expected to list on stock exchanges - Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) - on February 8, 2022.

After the IPO, the promoter's shareholding in Adani Wilmar will come down from the current 100 per cent to 87.92 per cent.

Adani Wilmar's flagship brand Fortune is the largest selling edible oil brand in India.

Adani Wilmar is a joint venture incorporated in January 1999 between the Adani Group, which is a multinational diversified business group with significant interests across transport and logistics, and energy and utility sectors, and the Wilmar Group, one of Asia's leading agri-business groups which was ranked among the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange as of February 2021. (ANI)
The European Union's executive commission has proposed phasing out imports of Russian oil within six months. That's one way to stop paying into the Kremlin's war chest as it wages war against Ukraine. Europe is Russian President Vladimir Putin's biggest customer for the oil shipments that support his budget. But Europe could face higher prices. And the move could send an oil shock through a global economy that's still rebounding from the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers are already seeing higher prices for fuel and heating. European officials are trying to soften the blow by phasing in the embargo. more >>
Grammy winner Cardi B extended her thanks to the jury and her legal team, following her win in a defamation lawsuit against YouTuber Tasha Kebe, who was sued by the star for hurting her reputation by posting fake content on the internet. The 'WAP' artist recently spoke to People magazine after she was awarded nearly USD 3 million in punitive damages and attorneys' fees in her lawsuit against YouTuber Tasha Kebe. "I thought I would never be heard or vindicated and I felt completely helpless and vulnerable," Cardi said in a statement shared with People magazine. As per Variety, the jurors ruled out on Tuesday that Kebe is responsible for USD 1 million in punitive damages for hurting the rapper's reputation. Her company Kebe Studios LLC was ordered to pay an additional USD 500,000. Kebe will also have to reimburse Cardi for the rapper's legal costs, which add up to USD 1,338,753.47. The latest award for Cardi B is in addition to the USD 1.25 million Kebe was ordered to pay the Grammy-winning star on Monday, bringing the total to more than USD 4 million, as per Variety. Kebe's attorney Sadeer Sabbak said, according to the outlet, that the defence "disagree[s] with the verdict" and "will be filing an appeal." Cardi also said in a statement shared with People magazine, "After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness. I appreciate Judge Ray for conducting a fair and impartial trial." "I am grateful for the jury and their careful deliberation over the past two weeks. I am profoundly grateful for the hard work and support from my legal team. Most importantly, thank you to my family and close friends who held my hand and helped me get the support I needed during this experience," she added. Cardi, who testified that Kebe's remarks caused her to be "extremely suicidal, said in her statement that fans have "learned about the darkest time in my life," and that it was "fueled by the vile, disgusting, and completely false narratives that were repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online." "I thought I would never be heard or vindicated and I felt completely helpless and vulnerable. I have never taken for granted the platform that my fame allows me to have, which is why for over three years I dedicated every resource I had to seek justice," Cardi added. Cardi said that she didn't want "justice" solely for herself, noting that "the intentional harm that was done to me, is done to countless others every day." "The only difference between me and the high schooler who is being cyberbullied and lied on by their classmates is the money and resources I have access to," she added. The mother of two shared she thinks that "We collectively have to say enough is enough. We can no longer be a society that turns a blind eye to blatant lies. The unchecked behaviour and provably false content on platforms like YouTube have to be addressed and removed. The constant harassment and lies that are reported as factual from journalists and bloggers have to end." The 29-year-old rapper shared that her career was launched on social media, "so I know the power it has," adding that while social media has forged movements from Black Lives Matter to Stop Asian Hate and Women's Rights, "we've also seen countless stories of children and adults deciding to take their own lives due to cyberbullying and intentional attacks." "So while I am very grateful that this trial has come to its conclusion and the jury has rendered a powerful and substantial message, literally--I really hope that my experience forces all of us, but especially the platforms who allow this behaviour to be a part of their communities, to re-think what moves us forward as a society versus what cripples us," Cardi said in a statement to People magazine. For the uninformed, Cardi B, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, sued Kebe in 2019 over dozens of videos that contained shocking claims about the rapper saying she contracted herpes, she had been a prostitute, that she had cheated on her husband, she had done hard drugs and more. The jurors on Monday sided with Cardi on her accusations that Kebe waged a "malicious campaign" to hurt the superstar's reputation. Cardi alleged the "degrading and harassing" remarks first began around April 2018, when Kebe shared a video, via her YouTube channel unWinewithTashaK, claiming Cardi's pregnancy with daughter Kulture, 3, could result in a child born with special needs. Kebe previously denied any wrongdoing and attempted to file her own lawsuit against Cardi for assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging that the rapper "began to publicly trash" her on the internet, resulting in Kebe allegedly being threatened. Judge William M. Ray II dismissed Kebe's allegations in July, as per People magazine. (ANI).
Disney has finally responded to the harsh criticism by Emmy-winning actor Peter Dinklage about the studio's upcoming live-action remake of 'Snow White'. The 'Game of Thrones' actor was a guest on Monday's episode of Marc Maron's WTF podcast, where he blasted the upcoming film based on the 1937 animated classic. The actor had condemned the existing hypocrisy about the drama and also criticised the casting of 'West Side Story' breakout star Rachel Zegler in the film. He said, "Literally no offence to anyone, but I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White -- but you're still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and look at what you're doing there. It makes no sense to me." "You're progressive in one way, but then you're still making that fu---ng backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together? What the f--k are you doing, man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I'm not loud enough," Dinklage, who is not involved with the Disney project, told Maron. The statements made by Dinklage made headlines within a few hours of being aired. In an attempt to set the record straight following the actor's remarks, a Disney spokesperson said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period." Still years from release, Snow White will have cultural consultants, just like other live-action films such as Aladdin and Mulan. The film has been in development for three years; the studio has been reimagining the dwarf characters since the earliest stages, as per The Hollywood Reporter. Marc Webb's directorial live-action reimagining of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' will feature Rachel Zegler in the titular role and Gal Gadot as the villainous Evil Queen. Tony Award winner Andrew Burnap will also star. Marc Platt, the Oscar-nominated producer who worked on the live-action rendition of 'The Little Mermaid' for the studio, is producing Disney's live-action 'Snow White' that will begin production this year. The studio has not announced a release date yet. (ANI)
Former actor Peter Robbins, who had voiced the character of Charlie Brown in the classic 'Peanuts' specials of the 1960s, has died at 65. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his family told a news outlet on Tuesday that he died by suicide last week. Born in Los Angeles on August 10, 1956, Robbins got his start as a child performer and, beginning at age nine, brought to life the beloved 'Peanuts' character Charlie Brown. His first project as the voice of the so-called "blockhead" was 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown', a 1963 television documentary about the life of 'Peanuts' creator Charles M. Schulz. Robbins went on to voice Charlie in six TV specials, including perennial holiday staples 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' and 'It's the Great Pumpkin', 'Charlie Brown', along with the 1969 feature film also titled 'A Boy Named Charlie Brown'. Additionally, he appeared as an actor on such '60s TV series as 'Rawhide', 'The Donna Reed Show', 'The Munsters', 'F Troop', 'Get Smart' and 'Blondie'. An appearance on a 1972 episode of 'My Three Sons' marked his final acting role before stepping away from Hollywood. After his time in the limelight, Robbins dealt with addiction issues and had been open about his mental health struggles, including suffering from bipolar disorder. In 2019, shortly after he was released from prison following a 2015 sentence for making criminal threats, Robbins told a news outlet that he felt "much more humble, grateful and thankful that I lived through the experience." At the time, he shared with the outlet that he had recently gotten some touch-up work done to a tattoo on his right arm showing Charlie Brown and Snoopy, as the characters remained so important to him. As per The Hollywood Reporter, back then, he said, "Charlie Brown fans are the greatest fans in the world. And everybody is willing, I hope, to give me a second chance." (ANI)
American rapper and songwriter Cardi B has honoured the life of beloved fashion designer Thierry Mugler following news of his death at 73. According to People magazine, Cardi recently shared a series of images on Instagram that showed her wearing Mugler's designs while performing and on the red carpet over the years. She recalled that the French innovator was "one of the FIRST designers to take a major chance on me" remembering their first fashion collaboration at the 2019 Grammys when she dropped jaws on the red carpet. She wore a vintage 'Venus' Mugler gown, featuring a blush satin and velvet skirt, sequin bodysuit, matching gloves and pearl embellishments, pulled straight from the archives from the label's Fall 1995 Couture collection. "Over the years me, him and Kollin [Carter] created even more fashion moments but nothing tops being able to finally meet him in person last year in Paris at his museum exhibit," she wrote. Cardi continued, "It's so crazy because I was second-guessing if I should go the whole time leading up to that trip. I had just given birth to my son like three weeks prior and wasn't feeling 100% like myself but something in my spirit kept saying 'GO.'" She added, "Maybe God knew that if I didn't go then I may have never had the opportunity to thank him for everything he did and the doors he opened for me." Cardi concluded her tribute by calling Mugler "a true inspiration for all of us." Her relationship with Mugler began after her stylist Kollin Carter direct messaged the brand on Instagram when on the hunt for her Grammys look. Mugler's passing was announced on his Instagram account on Sunday with a black square and a statement written in both French and English. He began designing in the 1970s. Mugler eventually became known for his dramatic, avant-garde creations. As per People magazine, his daring designs have also been worn by celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Kim Kardashian, Cindy Crawford, George Michael, Nicole Kidman, Megan Fox, Katy Perry, Rihanna and more. (ANI)
Amid the rumours that Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad changed his bio on Twitter on Tuesday after he was conferred the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award on the eve of Republic Day, the leader came up with the clarification that it is a "mischievous propaganda" to create confusion. "Some mischievous propaganda being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added to my Twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier," Azad tweeted. It is worth mentioning that Azad has been the target from the Gandhi family loyalists as he led the group of 23 leaders (G-23), and wrote a strongly worded letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking sweeping reforms in the party. Azad's name in the Padma award list evoked mixed reactions from party colleagues as Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said in a cryptic tweet, "Former WB CM Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee declines the Padma Bhushan award", said, "Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam." Ramesh has also tweeted a passage from a book about former bureaucrat PN Haskar's refusal of the award. "In Jan 1973, the most powerful civil servant of our country was told he was being offered the Padma Vibhushan on his leaving the PMO. Here is PN Haksar's response to it. It is a classic, and worthy of emulation," his caption read. Meanwhile, another Congress leader Raj Babbar congratulated Azad after the announcement of his name for the award and said that his "commitment to Gandhian ideals have always been an inspiration". "Congratulations @ghulamnazad Sahab ! You're like an elder brother and your impeccable public life & commitment to Gandhian ideals have always been an inspiration. The #PadmaBhushan is an ideal recognition of 5 decades of your meticulous service to the nation," Babbar tweeted. Padma Awards - one of the highest civilian Awards of the country, are conferred in three categories, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. 'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; 'Padma Bhushan' for distinguished service of high order and 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service in any field.The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March and April every year. (ANI)
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President and MP A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday announced that he would contest from the Kodangal constituency in the next Assembly elections. Revanth Reddy while thanking the Congress cadre for achieving membership of 75,000 in the Kodangal constituency said that Kodangal has emerged as an ideal constituency for the Congress party not only in Telangana but in the entire country. He felicitated the Congress leaders and workers who enrolled more than 500 members in their respective polling booths in a function at Kosgi on Tuesday. He also announced that these activists would also be honoured by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The TPCC Chief said that the previous Congress regime has introduced schemes like crop loan waiver, free electricity for farmers, Aarogyasri, 4 per cent reservation for Muslims, etc. After getting elected as MLA from Kodangal in 2009, he said he developed temples, schools, roads, 5,000 sub-stations, Kosgi Bus Depot and established a school in Maddur on his own land. He further said he had also brought a junior college in Kodangal, Kosgi and Maddur and a Degree College was established in Kodangal. The TPCC Chief said not a single person was harassed when he represented Kodangal as MLA for nine years. No one was implicated in false cases. The TPCC Chief alleged that the followers of TRS MLA attacked a young man in Hakeempet village. Cases of an attempt to murder were booked for a minor incident in Pole Palli. He warned police officials against misusing their powers. He said TRS would not remain in power forever. He warned that the Congress party, after winning the next elections, would not spare police officials who are not targeting Congress workers at the behest of TRS leaders. (ANI)
Like Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Samajwadi Party (SP) has also given a large chunk of tickets to OBCs in its first list of 159 candidates for the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The SP has given tickets to 66 OBC candidates. Besides OBC, the party has also fielded upper castes, Muslims, and Dalit candidates in its first list. Drawing a comparison between the BJP and SP on its lists, the former has fielded 76 OBC candidates while the latter -- 66. The first list of the Samajwadi Party has the name of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, who will contest from Karhal, while the list also includes the name of his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who will contest from Jaswant Nagar. If we look at the list of the Samajwadi Party, it has nominated 31 upper castes, 31 Muslims, 66 OBCs, 31 Dalits, and 12 women out of its 159 candidates. Whereas, till now BJP has announced the names of 196 candidates in which the party fielded 76 OBCs, 24 Brahmins, 34 Thakurs, 38 Dalits, 13 Vaishyas, 11 other castes, including candidates from castes like Punjabi, Vaish, and Tyagi. Jayant Chaudhury-led Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), which is contesting polls in alliance with SP, has also released the first list of 33 candidates in which 14 backward classes, 10 Jats, 5 Muslims, 3 Brahmins, 3 Gurjars, 2 Kshatriyas, 1 Saini, and 1 Vaish have been named. In fact, this time the caste equation has become very important in the UP elections. The way after BJP, SP has also fielded a large number of backward class candidates, it has proved that both the parties are wooing the vote back of backward classes in the state. In such a situation, the way Samajwadi Party has included Swami Prasad Maurya, a former minister in the BJP-led state, in its party, it has made the electoral equation more interesting. Elections for the 403 Assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases starting February 10. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27, and March 3 and 7 in seven phases. The counting of votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)
He has been honored with the Shaurya Chakra for killing three hardcore Naxals in an operation on July 25, 2018, in Gaya, Bihar, while being posted in 205 CoBRA BN.

President Ram Nath Kovind has approved awards of 384 Gallantry for armed forces personnel and others on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day celebrations, said the Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.

These include 12 Shaurya Chakras, three Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 81 Sena Medals (Gallantry), and two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry).

President's Medal for Gallantry and President's Medal for Distinguished Services as well as Gallantry Medal and Meritorious Services Medals are awarded to the personnel of armed forces and other services on Republic Day and Independence Day each year. (ANI)
Taking to Twitter, the Home Minister wished "Happy 73rd Republic Day to all" as India celebrated its Republic Day 2022 with much pomp and enthusiasm.

The Home Minister also lauded the efforts of soldiers for protecting the integrity of the country.

"...I bow to all the soldiers who have dedicated their lives to keep the pride, unity, and integrity of the Indian Republic intact. Let us all pledge today to ensure our commitment to the democratic values of freedom. Jai Hind!," Shah tweeted.

Republic Day celebrations are being held across the country, and the annual parade in New Delhi is the main event in which India showcases its military might and cultural diversity on Rajpath.

Apart from cultural performances by over 480 dancers from across the country, and as many as 21 tableaux, the Republic Day parade this year also features a grand 75 aircraft flypast by the Indian Air Force.

Republic Day signifies the right spirit of Independent and individual India. It was on this day in 1930 when the Indian National Congress revealed Purna Swaraj, the declaration of India's independence from colonial rule.

While India gained independence from the British Raj in 1947, it wasn't until January 26, 1950, that the Indian Constitution came into effect, and India became a sovereign state, declaring it a republic.

Dr BR Ambedkar headed the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. Additionally, Constitution Day is celebrated in India on November 26 every year, as on November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India adopted the Constitution of India. (ANI)
"I extend my greetings to all Indians on this Republic Day. I also pay tributes to all those brave soldiers who laid their lives for the country," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said to reporters today.

Prior to addressing the reporters, the Union Minister today unfurled the national flag at his residence on the occasion of Republic Day.

Like every year in the national capital, this year too, a glimpse of the country's strength and culture will be seen on the Rajpath.

The parade at Rajpath will start at 10:30 am, instead of the earlier timing of 10 am to provide better visibility to the parade and flypast.

The celebrations this year are special as Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country.

It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year. The celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs' Day. (ANI)
CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

As the omicron variant spread in Chicago, area hospitals saw more children testing positive for COVID-19 and hospitalized. Some were there because of illness and some for other reasons but happened to also test positive.

For many children who caught COVID-19 and remained asymptomatic or with mild illness, this was the first time their families faced a scenario where the child tested positive  but the rest of the family remained negative.

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These families enter a gray area of guidance because isolation and quarantine tips tend to be geared toward adults who can be left alone if needed. Its a different story when an infant or toddler needs to be isolated from other family members, especially if the family members are at higher risk.

Oak Park resident Shannon Craig Straw experienced this recently when her 2-year-old daughter tested positive for COVID-19 but the rest of the family initially remained negative.

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Her husband initially stayed with their daughter, wearing a mask. They decided he would be the one to isolate with the toddler because he was vaccinated, boosted and also had COVID-19 in August.

We had no idea which parent goes in with her, and how to make that decision and that calculus, she said. Eventually, she also tested positive for COVID-19 and she stayed with her daughter instead; the family has now finished its quarantine and isolation and her daughter was thrilled to go outside.

A mother administers a nasal swab test to her 4-year-old daughter at a COVID-19 testing site, Dec. 30, 2021, in Rancho Cucamonga, California. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

Families may soon have another vaccine option as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to the president, recently estimated that vaccines for children under age 5 could be available within months.

In the meantime, for advice, we talked to experts about navigating this scenario.

What should parents do if a child tests positive but they are negative?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, if someone tests positive they should isolate alone for five full days, followed by five days still wearing a mask around others. This guidance is typically geared toward adults.

For children, the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia offers recommendations, including to begin the five days one day after symptoms start, or without symptoms one day after the child was tested. Heres an online calculator that can guide isolation time. CHOP says breastfeeding moms can continue to nurse, but should mask while interacting with the baby.

Parents of children with immune system issues should contact a health care team, according to CHOP; those children may need a longer isolation time.

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Dr. Allison Bartlett, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at University of Chicago Medicines Comer Childrens Hospital, acknowledges the complexity of such a situation. She says how you handle it will depend on many factors: the age of the child, whether everyone else is vaccinated, whether anyone in the household is at higher risk for illness, and whether the child is experiencing symptoms and needs more hands-on care or is asymptomatic.

This is a really tricky situation, she said. Theres so many potential variables. It all comes down to, theres no way that we can eliminate all risk of transmission, but we can do our best to decrease the risk.

Ideally, a child age 2 or older should wear a mask around others if feasible.

Should families choose one parent to stay in the room and isolate with the child?

For an older child who might be vaccinated, and also able to walk around the house and wear a mask, they may need less hands-on care. If its an older child who wants to leave their room and go grab food in the kitchen and go back to their room, Bartlett said, they can wear a mask to decrease the risk for everybody else.

Younger children cant fend for themselves. So it may make sense to designate one person as the caregiver.

At the same time, Parenting a sick child solo is not easy either, Bartlett said. If youre lucky enough to have two parents and share the load, that doesnt have COVID-related benefits, but it has sanity-related benefits.

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Again, families should consider any unique and individual risks they carry.

Should parents wear masks around the child?

Yes, said Dr. Benjamin Levinson, a primary care physician at Nationwide Childrens Hospital. Besides decreasing the risk of virus transmission, if the parents do catch the virus from the child, this may decrease the viral load they are exposed to, he said.

How should parents explain the situation to the child?

This depends on how old the child is and their anxiety level, Levinson said. He advises a positive approach, saying that staying in their room can help keep everyone safe. But be careful not to phrase things in a way where the child must do everything right. Should others in the family get sick, you dont want a child feeling guilty.

This should not be portrayed as any sort of punishment, Levinson added. Parents can also talk to their child about planning fun things to do all together or think of a new toy or game to find once the isolation period is over.

For a younger child, or a sibling who might be separated temporarily, explain you will be doing things differently for a few days. It may help to say something such as, Were going to have things be a little different, and well try and have you hang out in this room more, he said.

abowen@chicagotroibune.com
In view of the students' agitation regarding alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board exam, the Railway Ministry has decided to suspend both the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests. According to a spokesperson, the Railway Ministry has constituted a committee that will listen to the views of the candidates who cleared or failed and following that the committee will submit its report to the Ministry of Railways. Only after that, the Railway Ministry would take a decision regarding the exam. The job aspirants blocked the New Delhi-Kolkata main railway tracks and some others protested in Bihar's Arrah and Sharif Railway station. The protesters also allegedly set a train on fire in Arrah.(ANI)
The Assam Regiment contingent, comprising exclusively of troops from all the seven North-Eastern states, is being commanded by Captain Gaurav Rana of 14 battalion the Assam regiment.

The contingent is attired in the Indian Army Uniform of the 1960s and carrying weapon point 3 nought 3 which has seen the Indo-Pak war of 1947-48.

The Assam Regiment was raised on June 15, 1941, at Shillong and earned its baptism by fire, in the battlefields of Burma during the Second World War, fighting the Japanese. The Regiment was awarded six battle honours and the Theatre Honour of Burma. Post-Independence, its third battalion won Theatre Honour Jammu and Kashmir in 1947-48, while the 5th Battalion has the distinction of being the only Infantry unit to have conferred the Battle Honour CHHAMB and Theatre Honour J&K in the 1971 war.

The Assam Regiment has to its credit one Ashok chakra, two Mahavir Chakras, eight Kirti Chakras, four Padma Shri, four Uttami Yudh Seva Medals, five Vir Chakras, twenty. Shaurya Chakras, 13 Yudh Seva Medals, 1871 Sena Medals, nine Param Vishist Seva Medals, eight Ati Vishist Seva Medals 35 Vishisht Seva Medals, 68 Mention-in-Despatches, 669 Chief of Army Staff Commendations and 1194 General Officer Commanding-in Chief's Commendations.

The Assam Regiment has also been a three-time proud winner of the Republic Day Parade.

India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day today.

As many as 21 tableaux including those 12 states and nine ministries or government departments are a part of the Republic Day parade. (ANI)
Ranging from bright Jamnagar Pagdi, Rajasthani safa, to a Kolhapuri style turban, the eye-catching choice of PM Modi's turban becomes a talking point every time he appears for special occasions.

However, dropping the idea of donning a bright turban with a long trail, PM Modi opted to wear a unique traditional cap of Uttarakhand on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day.

The cap was embellished with Brahmakamal inspired brooch. Brahmakamal is the state flower of Uttarakhand that PM uses whenever he visits Kedarnath for pooja.

He also honoured the tradition of Northeastern India by wearing a stole which was gifted to him during his visit to Manipur and teamed it up with his statement kurta-churidar and the traditional sleeveless jacket with a V-neck, as he paid homage to the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the National War Memorial on 73rd Republic Day.

He was also seen sporting a white face mask during the visit.

Last year, PM sported a 'Halari pagh' (royal head turban) which was gifted to him by Gujarat's Jamnagar Royal Family.

Republic Day is being celebrated across the country with great fervour.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended his greetings to the people on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day.

"Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!," PM Modi tweeted.

Celebrations will be held all across the country to mark the day. On this day, 73-year back, India officially adopted its Constitution. (ANI)
Congress leaders Kapil Sibal and Anand Sharma, on Wednesday, congratulated veteran leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for being conferred with the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award. In his congratulatory tweet, senior lawyer and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal called it "ironic" that Congress doesn't need his services when the nation recognizes his contributions to public life. "Ghulam Nabi Azad conferred Padam Bhushan. Congratulations bhaijan. Ironic that the Congress doesn't need his services when the nation recognizes his contributions to public life," Sibal said. Calling the award a "well-deserved recognition", Congress leader and Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, Anand Sharma, tweeted, "Heartiest congratulations to Ghulam Nabi ji for well-deserved recognition of his lifelong enriching contribution to public service and Parliamentary democracy." Azad's name in the Padma award list evoked mixed reactions from party colleagues It is worth mentioning that Azad has been the target of the Gandhi family loyalists as he led the group of 23 leaders (G-23), and wrote a strongly worded letter to Sonia Gandhi seeking sweeping reforms in the party. Rumors of Azad changing his bio on Twitter after he was conferred the Padma Bhushan were also making rounds, to which the veteran leader came up with the clarification that it is a "mischievous propaganda" to create confusion. "Some mischievous propaganda being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added to my Twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier," Azad tweeted. Azad was elected to Rajya Sabha for five terms and twice to Lok Sabha. He contested the Washim Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra's Washim in 1980. His Rajya Sabha term ended on February 16, 2021. An emotional bid adieu was given to the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha. Lauding the senior Congress leader's contribution to the causes dear to him, the Prime Minister said, "The person who will replace Ghulam Nabi ji (as Leader of Opposition) will have difficulty matching his work because he was not only concerned about his party but also about the country and the House." (ANI)
As part of India''s 73rd Republic Day celebration on Wednesday, cultural performances and the country''s military strength was displayed at Rajpath in the national capital. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at first paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial here prior to participating in the 73rd Republic Day celebrations. Later, President Ram Nath Kovind and PM Modi arrived at Rajpath to commence the Republic Day parade. President Ram Nath Kovind led the nation in celebrating the 73rd Republic Day. 2021 has been a year of special significance as the nation celebrated its 50th year of golden victory of 1971 Indo-Pakistan war; that led to the liberation of Bangladesh and is also commemorating the 75th year of the country''s Independence, gained with much blood, sweat and toil of our revered freedom fighters. The parade began as the contingents of CRPF, the Indian Coast Guard, IAF, Madras Regimental Centre among others marched at Rajpath to mark the occasion. Adding to the grandeur of the parade, as many as 21 tableaux including those 12 states and nine ministries or government departments were a part of the Republic Day parade. While India celebrates 75 years of Independence, Meghalaya celebrates its 50 years of statehood. The front part of the tableau depicts a woman weaving a bamboo basket and the several bamboo and cane products of Meghalaya. The tableau presented by Goa is on the theme "Symbols of Goan heritage" showcased its various historical and natural attachment. Similarly, the tableau of Haryana was based on the theme ''Haryana number one in sports''. Haryana has brought laurels to India by winning the maximum number of medals out of the total medals won by the several national and international sporting events. The tableau of Punjab for the Republic Day parade-2022 brought to the fore the immense contribution made by Punjab during the nation''s fight for independence. Uttarakhands tableu will represent ''Kedarkhand''- The front portion displays the state animal musk deer, state Bird monal pheasant and state flower Brahmakamal; and behind there is a model of Kedarnath temple with devotees. The tableau of Karnataka represented ''The Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts'', as 16 artifacts from the state possess Global Indicator (GI) Tag. The Central Public Works Department''s tableau paid a floral tribute to the martyrs of the Indian National Army (INA) led by Netaji on his 125th birth anniversary. It also depicts the historical occasion of the Moirang war, where the tricolor was hosted by INA for the first time on Indian soil. ''Vande Bharatam Nritya'' demonstration jointly organised by Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Culture as part of 75 years of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav; showcased ''Shastriya, Lok & Adivasi'' ''dancing traditions. The most awaited Pyramid formation by 33 BSF women officers striking an amazing balance was also witnessed at Rajpath today. One of the main attractions of the annual Republic Day Parade was its largest fly-past ever. For the first time ever, the fly-past included 75 planes/helicopters of the Indian Air Force that will fly in various formations. This year is marking `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`or the 75th year of Indian independence. (ANI)
Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General (IG) of South Bengal Frontier Anurag Garg on Tuesday said that the Indo-Bangladesh border has become a major challenge for the force due to lack of fencing. "Bengal is a vast area. South Bengal border runs from Sundarban to Malda. Although we have tried to fence the border, but due to lack of land, we are unable to do so," Garg said while speaking exclusively to ANI. He said that for fencing, an area of 150 metres is required to be free. "There are villages along the border. As we know 150 metres of the area is needed to be free but this does not happen here. It's difficult to understand who is Bengali and who is Bangladeshi. Even Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is concerned about drugs," Garg said. When asked if here were talks with the state government over the issue of land for fencing, the IG said, "In some areas, fencing is not possible. We are trying to obtain land as it is under the state government. There has been no obstruction from them. It's a challenge even for the state government as people living there do not allow the land to be taken." Regarding the sezure of fake licences of vehicles, Garg said it has become a concern when they enter the border area, so the BSF is now checking the licence of goods vehicles that move to and fro from the border area. "We have caught many vehicles with fake licenses and reported the names to the police to register an FIR," he said. (ANI)
Nearly three dozen eminent personalities have written a joint open letter to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai expressing their concern over the "frequent violence against religious minorities" in the state. "We are a group of senior scientists, writers, academics, artists, and lawyers, and we write with concern about Karnataka's deteriorating governance and the frequent violence against religious minorities," read the letter. The letter stated, "Over the past few months, the state has witnessed the brutal killing of youths in several districts, rampant 'hate speeches', public threats and disruptions of worship by religious minorities, 'honour killings', 'moral policing', misogynistic statements by legislators, and incidents of hostile and violent encounters between various religious groups. These trends have been encouraged by the callous and un-constitutional statements made by Legislators and the inability of the state machinery to rein-in fringe anti-social groups." The letter further alleged that such trends go against the long history of Karnataka as a progressive state that facilitated social harmony of a plural society and initiated model welfare programs for all sections of the population. "The state's cultural history celebrates the plurality of cultures and religious tolerance and our icons have long been Basavanna, Akkamahadevi, Kanakadasa, Purandaradasa, and Shishunala Sharifa. Our litterateurs, ranging from Bendre to Kuvempu, have celebrated a Karnatakatva that is based on multi-cultural identities that blend together to make a harmonious and rich social fabric, " the letter said. It added, "We note with both sadness and alarm that these traditions of tolerance and shared well-being are being torn asunder. Instead, the state is losing its identity on multiple fronts. On the fiscal, administrative, and political fronts Karnataka is losing its federal strength." "We call upon you all to seriously review these negative trends in the state and to ensure that the rule of law, the principles of the Constitution, the rights of all citizens, and the basic norms of humaneness prevail. It will be your abilities to address these challenges that will be the yardstick with which posterity will assess you," the letter said. On this special day, as India marks its national status as a 'Republic' and as a state within this federal republic, the personalities expressed hope that the government will initiate a period of social harmony, just legislations, and democratic functioning of the state machinery. Eminent personalities include Professor Vinod Gaur, who was the former Secretary at the Department of Science and Technology; Major General SG Vombatkere, VSM, retired among others. (ANI)
Bharatiya Janata Party Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, Jugal Thakor Lokhandwala on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Jairam Ramesh for his swipe at Ghulam Nabi Azad over Padma award announced by the Centre and said the party should not do politics over their own leader. Speaking to ANI, Jugal Thakor said, "The thinking of Congress is visible. Today we are giving Padma awards not to any person or party but to those who have done work for society, for the people who have devoted their lives." "This is the thinking of the Congress party. Those who are senior in their own party, who have served the Congress for decades, have served the public, if they are being awarded the Padma Bhushan, then politics should not be brought into it. But it is the thinking of Congress that efforts are being made to humiliate those who are their big leaders," Thakor further said. The mention of senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad's name among the Padma awardees drew a mixed response from his party colleagues. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh took an indirect swipe at Azad while welcoming former Bengal chief minister and CPI(M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's decision to reject the Padma award. Retweeting the news of Bhattacharjee declining the top civilian award, Ramesh tweeted, "Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad, not Ghulam." However, another party leader Shashi Tharoor welcomed the conferment of the award on Azad. Azad and Bhattacharjee are two opposition leaders who have been honoured with the Padma Bhushan, the country's third-highest civilian award on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day. (ANI)
Speaking on the occasion, the GOC said that upholding the Constitution is primary to Chinar Corps.

He exhorted all ranks to take inspiration from the devotion, resoluteness and sacrifices of the brave hearts and be prepared for all future challenges.

He also complimented the awardees for their outstanding service to the nation. This year, 103 Chinar Corps warriors have been awarded for their bravery and meritorious service.

The awards include one Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, three Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, three Shaurya Chakras, four Yudh Seva Medals, 73 Sena Medals, three Vishisht Seva Medals and 16 Mentioned in Despatches.

The GOC conveyed his good wishes for continued success to all ranks, veterans, defense civilian employees, and families of Chinar Corps. (ANI)
Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday unfurled the tricolour on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day and recalled the countless sacrifices made by freedom fighters during the country's Independence movement. Addressing the gathering here at Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Channi called the Doaba region the "heartland of martyrs". "This region was the epicentre of the Ghadar and Babbar movements which spearheaded the freedom struggle against the British imperialism," he said. The Chief Minister greeted the people of the state while recalling the names of several iconic revolutionaries such as Baba Maharaj Singh, Baba Ram Singh, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Lala Lajpat Rai, Shaheed Udham Singh, Shaheed Kartar Singh Sarabha, Madan Lal Dhingra, Diwan Singh Kalepani among others. "These freedom fighters envisioned an India free from the maladies of illiteracy, unemployment, social, economic and legal inequality. Thus, I bow my head in reverence to these great stalwarts imbued with patriotism from the sacred land of Jalandhar", said Channi adding Punjabi people made the maximum sacrifices in the fight for throwing off the foreign yoke. He also pointed out the yeoman's service rendered by the Punjabis especially the resilient farmers for the overall development of the country in the aftermath of Independence. The Chief Minister further said that the State contributed more than 60 per cent towards the national food bowl to make the country self-reliant in food production. Recalling the exceptional contribution made by Baba Saheb Dr Bhim Rao Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution of the nation, the Chief Minister said, "It was a humongous task to frame the constitution for a country as diverse as ours but Baba Saheb made strenuous efforts and accomplished the gigantic work with aplomb." He said that it took two years, 11 months and 18 days to draft the constitution which was handed over to the President of the Constituent Assembly Dr Rajendra Prasad on November 26, 1949, thus paving the way for the country becoming a Republic on January 26, 1950. Exhorting the people to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the unhindered developmental journey of the country, the Chief Minister assured that the communal harmony and peace in the state would be maintained at all costs. Earlier, the Chief Minister inspected the parade and took salute from the march past, led by the IPS Jasroop Kaur Baath, DSP Satbir Singh, comprising the contingents from the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Commissionerate Police (men and women), PRTC Jahan Khelan (three contingents), and Home Guard Wing of the Commissionerate Police. The Chief Minister also honoured the 135 people from different walks of life rendering selfless services to the society with the Appreciation Certificates besides honouring the members of march past contingents with the momentos. (ANI)
CTU workers direct vehicles lined up for COVID-19 testing outside of the Chicago Teachers Union on Dec. 30, 2021, in Chicago. CPS starts back to school on Monday following their holiday break. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

Chicagoans may be exhausted to hear anything related to a new variant or even subvariant of COVID-19, which has already killed hundreds of thousands of Americans, sickened many others and caused two years of disruption.

A post-holiday surge of the omicron variant already has stressed hospitals across the country, bringing them to their breaking points. Its also made many who are weary of coronavirus restrictions on their lives even more so. Now the World Health Organization is warning a new version of omicron is being seen in more countries and has said investigating it should be prioritized.

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So how big a worry is the so-called stealth omicron, which some experts have said could be better at evading detection in testing, giving it its nickname?

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Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, mentioned it in a news conference Tuesday, noting the omicron subvariant is something officials are watching.

Were keeping an eye on it. Theres nothing that weve seen at this point that is raising a high level of concern, but please rest assured were watching it, she said.

The good news? Stealth omicron may be surprising to Americans exhausted by COVID-19s twists and turns, but its already been on the radar for local scientists.

Hannah Barbian, Ph.D., is a virologist and a key member of Rush University Medical Centers genomic lab team tracking the omicron variant of COVID-19. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Dr. Hannah Barbian, a virologist at Rush University Medical Center, has been tracking various variants, including this one, which is officially known as BA.2. She said scientists arent using the stealth omicron moniker, and said she is awaiting more data from Europe, where it has spread the most.

Heres what Chicago experts had to say about what is known, and why not to panic.

What is it?

The World Health Organization monitors variants, and within omicron, scientists are watching sublineages, BA.1 and BA.2. The first is the original omicron variant and remains the most common in the U.S., and the second is the new version.

The WHO notes that most changes dont impact the virus much, but some do affect how easily it spreads or the severity of the disease. Thats what experts want to ascertain as more variants surface.

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The WHO separates variants into variants of interest, defined as having mutations that are suspected or known to be significantly different from the original strain, or variants of concern, which have hallmarks like spreading more rapidly, causing more severe disease or escaping the bodys immune response. Right now, omicron is a variant of concern.

Where is this new stealth omicron?

Denmark and Norway have both logged cases, and most eyes seem to be on Denmark.

Ramon Lorenzo Redondo, an assistant professor of infectious disease medicine at Northwestern Medicines Feinberg School of Medicine, said it is too soon to tell if this subvariant is something that happens to be circulating more in Denmark or if it is more contagious. Even if cases are rising, he emphasized those cases were few to begin with and continue to be a small portion of the worlds overall omicron cases.

Although some cases have been found in Texas, none have been identified in Chicago.

We have the ability to detect that subvariant here in Chicago, just like we do other types of subvariants, and Ive not seen anything at this point that gives me a lot of concern at all, Arwady said.

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Is it really stealthy?

Barbian said scientists sometimes use a specific type of PCR test to assess the genotype of the virus, and that while using this test, it can be hard to determine whether the virus is the delta variant, or BA.2. But, she emphasized, this is not a commonly used diagnostic test.

So if you go in for a COVID test anywhere, if you get a PCR test or an antigen test, thats still going to detect this variant, she said.

What should we know right now?

Its completely normal for viruses to change, Redondo said. In general, scientists are unsurprised to hear about new variants. We should expect viruses to mutate, and we should expect to monitor those mutations.

These viruses continuously evolve, he said.

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What do we not know right now?

Its too soon to tell if this is more severe or more contagious.

That doesnt mean it will be; it simply means studying variants is always a balancing act between alerting the public to potential new strains while knowing we wont immediately have enough data to thoroughly assess them.

That said, scientists will be watching data from Europe closely.

What do experts consider when they see new variants?

Barbian says when a new variant appears, she knows there will be unknowns. How it will behave, will it transmit more easily, will it evade immune responses, and if so will it evade those responses enough to be able to reinfect someone?

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She will be watching data from Europe through the next few weeks, noting that right now there are so few cases in the U.S. that its not enough to extrapolate useful data.

I think the really important message is even though its being called the stealth variant, it still is detected, she said. We know with omicron now that getting vaccinated, getting boosted, really helps prevent severe infection, so thats still the best thing you can do.

Tracy Swartz contributed reporting.

abowen@chicagotribune.com
After the protesting aspirants allegedly set a bogie of the Bhabua-Patna Intercity Express on fire in Bihar's Gaya, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Wednesday urged students not to take the law into their hands and assured them of addressing their concerns. Speaking to media persons, Vaishanaw first appealed to agitating students who appeared in Railway examination not to destroy or damage their own property because railway was theirs and they should keep it safe. "I request students not to take the law into their hands. We will seriously address the grievances and concerns raised by them. Whatever concern students want to share, they can share with the committee set up by Railway Ministry and we will take note of it but do not take law and order in your hand," said Vaishnav, on students' protest against alleged irregularities in Non-Technical Popular Categories exams. The Railway Minister said that all the Railway Recruitment Boards (RRB) have been asked to listen to the concerns of students, compile them and send them to the committee. "All RRB chairmen have been asked to listen to the concerns of students, compile them and send them to the committee. An email address has been set up for this purpose. The committee will go to different parts of the country and listen to grievances," said the Railway Minister. He said that the students can submit their grievances before the committee till February 16. "Students can submit their grievances before the committee till February 16. The committee will examine the grievances and submit its recommendations before March 4," he said. "Exam was held in transparent manner and our approach is pro-students and main issue is how many candidates are shortlisted," the minister added. Further reacting to political party raising issue of lathi charge on students, he said, "Somebody is taking wrong advantage and I am in regular contact with Chief Ministers of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and officials of Railways are also regularly speaking to the chief secretary and state officials regarding the agitation of students." The Ministry of Railway had earlier informed that the committee has five members including Deepak Peter Chairperson, Principal Executive Director (Industrial Relations), Railway Board, Rajiv Gandhi, Member of Secretary Executive Director Establishment (RRB), Railway Board, Aditya Kumar, Member of Chief Personnel Officer (Administration), Western Railway, Jagdish Alagar, Member of Chairperson RRB/Chennai, Mukesh Gupta, Member of Chairperson RRB/Bhopal Earlier today, aspirants protesting against the alleged irregularities in Railway Recruitment Board's exam allegedly set a bogie of the Bhabua-Patna Intercity Express on fire in Bihar's Gaya. The police had to release several rounds of tear gas to stop the miscreants. On Tuesday, students who appeared for Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories exam 2021 held a protest at the Bihar Sharif railway station alleging discrepancies in the results. Hundreds of students had blocked the Kolkata-New Delhi main railway line at Rajendra Nagar Terminal in Patna on Tuesday. Notably, the results of the RRB NTPC for the CBT-1 exam was released on January 15 for shortlisting the candidates for the CBT-2. Meanwhile, in view of the students' agitation regarding alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board exam, the Railway Ministry has decided to suspend both the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests scheduled to be held on February 15 and February 23, stated the Railway Ministry. (ANI)
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been moved in Delhi High Court seeking direction to the Centre, Delhi Government, and others to submit the plan for the distribution of essential supplies and services during the upcoming third wave of COVID-19. The plea also seeks direction to submit the plan for availability and distribution of oxygen during the upcoming third wave which is expected in the next 10 days. The petition further seeks direction from the Election Commission of India to postpone the election for a few months/weeks in all five states. It also seeks direction from Delhi Government to issue a direction for 14 days or less quarantine for the people returning from the poll-bound states, i.e. Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Goa. Petitioner Jagdish Sharma, a social activist, states that since the last few days Omicron is spreading among the citizen very fast and poses a grave threat of deadly infection among the population of the country. In the last two years, the country has faced two variants of COVID and to date, the country has lost 4,84,213 lives due to COVID as per government record, plea states. The plea further states that since the last few days the cases of COVID are increasing exponentially and as per the health experts the states like Maharashtra and NCT of Delhi could see the peak of cases in the coming days. "The head of the World Health Organization has already warned all the countries that Omicron is more transmissible and more resistant to treatment than other variants. Dr Tedors of WHO warned that while Omicron does appear to be less severe compared to Delta, especially in those vaccinated, it does not mean it should be categorized as 'mild'," the plea read. (ANI)
Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister said, "Ms Milena Salvini will be remembered for her passion towards Indian culture. She made numerous efforts to further popularise Kathakali across France. I am anguished by her passing away. My thoughts are with her family and well-wishers. May her soul rest in peace."

Kathakali patron Padma Shri Milena Salvini passed away on Wednesday. Salvini is a French national who had a great contribution in popularising the glory of Kerela's traditional dance form Kathakali in Western countries.

She was conferred with Padma Shri in 2019 by the Government of India for her contribution to the field of performing arts. (ANI)
Even after 75 years of Independence, Chandi village in the Bundi district of Rajasthan is one of those villages where a Dalit bridegroom could not sit on a horse as a part of his wedding ceremony. Previously, the incidents of Dalit grooms not being allowed to take out their marriage procession (baraat) on horses used to be really common. But the ages-old trend rooted in discrimination was challenged after a bridegroom decided to sit atop of a horse during his wedding and requested the district administration to intervene. Various administrative officers, including the District Collector Renu Jaipal, Superintendent of Police Jai Yadav became part of the wedding function of Draupadi Bai and Shri Ram, both graduates. Many rituals were performed at the wedding including the Basan worship. The marriage procession had come from Bakshpura. As a part of the procession, the bridegroom finally climbed on a horse as the family, friends and villagers danced to the tunes to DJ. The administration and Police joined the wedding function to ensure that full security was provided to the bridegroom and he could climb the horse without any discrimination or pressure, as a part of 'Operation Samanta'. Flowers were showered by administrators on people part of the marriage procession. Bundi SP Jai Yadav said on Operation Samanta: "We conducted a survey as a part of the operation and found 25-30 villages where Dalit bridegrooms could not climb on a horse during their weddings. We formed 'Operation Samanta Samitis' for each village in which police officers, 2-2 members from communities in each village, sarpanch etc are included. We got to know about this wedding in Chandi and made all possible arrangements. Police also decided to welcome the marriage procession itself. We will carry on this work in other villages we found during the surveys. Its aim is to eradicate such age-old social evils and customs. Villagers have also welcomed our move." District Collector Renu Jaipal said that the administration had received an application from the groom for police protection because he wanted to take out his marriage procession on a horse and the same was provided to him. The bride and relatives of both the families are really happy with the initiative of the administration and police and have not reported any inconvenience in the wedding so far. "I felt really good and am enjoying my wedding. It is being organised really well. We are getting support from everyone in the village. There is no discrimination or pressure of any sort," said the bride Draupadi Bai. A relative named Govind, said, "There is no pressure from anyone. The entire village is in our support and the wedding is going on really well. Our family is happy." The message that constitutional rights are for all and social evils like not allowing a person to carry out their marriage procession on a horse has no place in modern society has been sent loud and clear to all through this operation, the public support received by administrators and police carrying it out. (ANI)
The Chief Minister launched the 'Nirbhaya Squads' virtually while Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil and Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackeray attended the event in person.

Addressing the launch ceremony today, CM Uddhav Thackeray said, " "We will work to ensure that Maharashtra will be known as the saviour of women not only in India but in the entire world. Maharashtra is a 'Shakti Pujak' (worshiper of women power) state,"

He said that Maharashtra always worshipped and respected women.

"The squads consist of specially trained female and male officers stationed across Mumbai, 24/7. One can dial 103 for immediate assistance," said Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackeray during the event today.

Meanwhile, the State Home Minister stated that a society where women are not safe can never prosper.

"The safety of women is not only limited to herself and her family, but to the whole society. Women who visit police stations with a complaint should be listened to and action should be taken immediately," Patil said. (ANI)
Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on the occasion of Republic Day activated a citizen service to lodge an electronic-First Information Report for incidents of thefts and burglaries in the e-FIR application for registration of theft cases. "This activation is a milestone in the series of web applications developed by Delhi Police to help complainants register FIR and receive a copy of the same instantly without going to the police station. This will help in hassle-free registration, systematic documentation and speedy investigation, thus making lives of citizens simpler," says a release from Special Commissioner of Police, Crime, Devesh Srivastava. The objective of the service is to ensure immediate lodging/downloading of FIR for property stolen in the national capital via web. It aims to facilitate Investigating Officer to complete investigation steps and documentation. Lastly, it aims to ensure timely disposal of cases to reduce pendency at police stations and courts. "1. The Application shall apply section of law for the registration of FIR with the combination of choices in the dropdown menu for the place of incident, type of incident, time of the incident, number of suspects etc., as per the following details:- Event Section of Law applicable 1). Theft in public place/Luggage Lifting/Pick Pocketing 379 IPC (Already activated) 2). Theft (in building tent or vessel) 380 IPC (To be activated on January 26, 2022) 3). Theft in closed premises (house, office, shop breaking) during day hours 380/454 IPC (To be activated on January 26) 4). Theft in closed premises (house, office, shop breaking) during night hours 380/457 IPC (To be activated on January 26) 5). If suspects are more than two Add 34 IPC (Already activated)," added the release. The application will have the provision to add/delete section(s) of law in the CD module as per facts revealed during the course of the investigation. Coming to the basic features of the application, complainants can file their complaints anywhere without going to the police station. FIR will be lodged at e-Police Station, having jurisdiction over National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi established under Crime Branch. The digitally signed FIR will be instantly dispatched to the email of the complainant, area SHO, senior police officers and designated court. It will have the facility of guiding Investigating Officers to complete investigation and documentation. There is also a Management Information System for analysis and taking preventive measures. This application developed for lodging FIR of theft cases should be hosted at a technically suitable place for its smooth functioning, says the release. "Web Application URL shall have a link with the official website of Delhi Police www.delhipolice.nic.in," added the release. First-time users of the app will have to provide an email ID and mobile number for registration. Users will receive a one-time password (OTP) on mobile and web via SMS and email. As per the release, the Investigating Officer will be provided with a User ID with OTP to log in to a module carrying folder(s) of FIR(s). Assigned IO will also get a system generated OTP for accessing each FIR folder, every time, after which he will take the following action: Contact the complainant within 24 hours, obtain signatures on a printout copy of FIR. As per his duties, the IO will visit the crime scene and call DMCT/forensic help if needed. He will also have to inform SHO and other senior officers about the crime. The IO will carry out the enquiry/investigation, prepare a site plan, record statements of complainants, witnesses etc and collect available evidence. Efforts to trace the stolen property, identify the culprit will also be made by IO. He will have to fill in the information in an application for the generation of case diaries and update the complainant with progress in the case from time to time. (ANI)
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday said that there are 16 constituencies where the opposition parties are in strong position, adding that the party has decided to field senior party leaders for campaigning on those seats. Speaking to ANI, Harish Rawat, "During the meeting with senior party leaders, we have analysed Congress party and opposition parties' strength and weakness on the all Assembly constituencies. 16 seats have been identified where Congress may have a tough fight in the upcoming election. So we have decided to divide these among three senior party leaders. I will concentrate on eight seats, Pritam Singh and Uttarakhand Congress chief Ganesh Godiyal on four seats each." He also confirmed that he will be contesting the election from Ramnagar seat. In 2017, Rawat had unsuccessfully contested from Haridwar (Rural) and Kichcha. Polls to elect the 70-member state legislative assembly are scheduled to be held on February 14. The counting will take place on March 10. (ANI)
As the schools in the national capital remain shut in view of the COVID-19 situation, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and Education Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said that a generation of children will be left behind if the schools are not reopened. Earlier today, a delegation of parents of children studying in Delhi schools met Sisodia demanding the reopening of the schools that had been closed in view of the COVID situation. Taking to Twitter, Sisodia said, "I agree with their demands. We closed school when it was not safe for children but excessive caution is now harming our children. A generation of children will be left behind if we do not open our schools now. A delegation of parents of Delhi's children led by Dr Chandrakant Lahariya and Yamini Aiyar submitted a memorandum to me signed by more than 1,600 parents for reopening of schools. Why we are the last among major countries to decide on this?" Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) on December 28 directed to close all the schools with immediate effect till further orders. Following this, all the government, government-aided, unaided recognized, NDMC, MCDs and Delhi Cantonment Board Schools have remained closed till further orders. Notably, the national capital has witnessed a decline in daily COVID cases in the last few days. Following this, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal will chair a DDMA meeting on January 27 in which a decision may be taken to lift a few COVID restrictions in Delhi. Meanwhile, Delhi reported 7,498 new COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths in the last 24 hours with a positivity rate of 10.59 per cent. According to the state health bulletin, there are 38,315 active COVID-19 cases in the national capital currently. The death toll in Delhi due to the disease stands at 25,710. (ANI)
Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur addressed the gathering on Republic Day.

He said, "In these years, India has achieved a lot. Our constitution not only gave us fundamental rights but also fundamental duties that we must follow."

The L-G also said that tourist places in the Union Territory have been opened for the public and this will boost tourism in the sector. (ANI)
The camp was held under the aegis of PPO, Dharan for Bhu Puus of Indian Army and Assam Rifles.

In this camp, 32 Divyangjan Bhu Puus and their family members were provided with wheelchairs and walking aids.

According to the Indian Army, Bhu Puus and their family members who are suffering from age-related disability or infirmity and other health problems were proactively identified during pension documentation camps and rallies. Department of Orthopaedics, BPKIHS Dharan assisted in conducting the health checkup. Indian Army believes the mobility aid will restore near normalcy in their bodily functions and empower them to connect with mainstream society.

"Our efforts exhibit our concern and commitment towards the welfare of our Bhu Puus and the Nepali society. We were, we are and we will always be there for our Bhu Puus," said Indian Army.

Defence Wing has been undertaking numerous special measures in the interest of its Bhu Puus and the society during the pandemic times to ease their difficulties. Various efforts include timely payment of pension, virtual identification, digitalisation, blood donation camps, ration distribution, mask and sanitiser distribution, aid to local administration, wheelchair distribution, new docu rallies to cover maximum areas etc, said the Indian Army. (ANI)
Black Horizon Brewery's Alex Stankus, left, and Goose Island's Samuel Ross check on the color of a beer-in-progress they brewed on Jan. 9, 2022, at Haymarket Pub & Brewery in the West Loop. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

For the next six weeks, Illinois growing number of Black-owned breweries will be centered at Haymarket Pub & Brewery.

In celebration of Black History Month (and slightly beyond), the veteran West Loop brewpub will host a residency starting Tuesday and running through March 13 for four of the states few breweries with at least partial Black ownership.

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Among the beers available will be Chicago Uncommon Ale, made in the easy drinking California common style (think: the iconic Anchor Steam), made collaboratively between the breweries  their first together  as well as Haymarket and several other local professional Black brewers. Chicago Uncommon Ale will be tapped Feb. 13 at 3 p.m. at a Super Bowl viewing party.

During the residency, Haymarket will also have up to eight beers available from the four breweries: Funkytown Brewery, Moors Brewing, Black Horizon Brewing and Turner Haus Brewery.

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Black Horizon, based in Willowbrook, is the only one that has its own bricks-and-mortar operation, which makes the residency the rare opportunity for Funkytown, Moors and Turner Haus to have a home of their own. Black Horizon, Funkytown and Moors will also stage events at Haymarket during the six weeks.

Samuel Ross of Goose Island shovels out the grain while brewing with Haymarket's Pete Crowley, left, on Jan. 9, 2022, at Haymarket Pub and Brewery in the West Loop. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Mike Gemma, Haymarkets director of operations, said the idea was born from wanting to support Black brewery owners, who have traditionally been underrepresented in a beer industry with nearly 9,000 businesses nationally and about 250 in the Chicago area. In an October 2021 demographics analysis, the Brewers Association found 93.5% of owners among 500 randomly selected breweries were white and just 0.4% were Black.

With Black History Month upon us, we thought about what stories do we want to tell, and this seemed like the perfect fit, Gemma said. Were excited about the surge of Black-owned breweries, and its been wonderful to meet (the owners) and hear their stories.

Funkytown, which makes beer at Pilot Project Brewing in Logan Square, has had strong early returns since launching in October, including winning Brewbounds pitch slam and a $10,000 prize.

Moors, which launched last Juneteenth, has also seen strong early success; its beer is available in 130 accounts, including some Binnys stores, Wintrust Arena and Next restaurant. It launches this week in some Jewel-Osco stores, co-founder Jamhal Johnson said.

Jamhal Johnson of Moor's Brewing Company shovels out the grain while brewing. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Johnson said the residency and the collaboration beer are encouraging for the future of Black brewery ownership.

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Haymarket putting this program together gave us all the opportunity to bounce ideas off each other and get to know each others history and motivation, he said. Everyone has their own story and vision and it reminds me of a revolutionary time. Id compared it to when hip-hop started. Hip-hop in its purest form was just a cool thing to do and it turned into this multibillion-dollar industry.

Moors makes three brands at 18th Street Brewery in Hammond; a session ale, an IPA and an imperial porter. All three beers will be available in cans during the residency and in carryout four-packs. Johnson said he hopes to open a brewery and taproom this year on the South Side, perhaps in Bronzeville, Hyde Park, Woodlawn or Jackson Park.

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Also on tap for the residency will be Harolds 83 Honey Ale, a beer developed by two Black Chicago brewers to honor Chicagos first Black mayor, Harold Washington: Jay Westbrook, who is active in Chicago beer through his company, Black Beer Baron; and Sam Ross, a brewer for Goose Island Beer Co. Harolds 83 Honey Ale is made by Haymarket, and a business partnership between the brewery, Westbrook and Ross.

Black Horizon Brewery's Alex Stankus and Goose Island's Samuel Ross brew together. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

Beers available during the residency will range from lower-alcohol lager, pale ale and cream ale, to boozier double India pale ale, imperial stout and imperial porter.

Events are set featuring Moors on Feb. 5, Feb. 10 and Feb. 18; Funkytown Feb. 17 and Feb. 25; and Black Horizon March 11. Details will be available on social media accounts for Haymarket and the breweries. Westbrook and Ross will also host an educational event about the basics of beer Feb. 23 with Mickey Bryant, founder of Black and Brew Chicago, a nonprofit organization dedicated to diversifying the craft beer industry.

At least one more Black-owned brewery has popped up in recent months: Vice District Brewing, which closed in 2019 after shuttering a South Loop brewpub and production brewery in Homewood, relaunched in October. Vice District has produced one beer, a blonde ale made by Ravinia Brewing last fall that has been available only at 16th Street Bar in the South Loop. Among the owners of the brand is state Rep. Curtis J. Tarver II, who is Black.

jbnoel@chicagotribune.com
Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur met with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi and briefed him about the recent political developments in the state after RPN Singh joined BJP and the appointment of new AICC incharge for Jharkhand Avinash Pandey. Speaking to ANI over the phone, Thakur said, "There's so much political development in the state. So it is necessary to inform and discuss the current political situation with the high command. I have been briefing from time to time. In addition, it has been four months since my appointment as president and I haven't met. I met him (Rahul Gandhi) today. We discussed further strengthening the organization." A few members of Jharkhand Congress were unhappy with RPN Singh and had raised allegations against the former Union Minister in UPA II. On this, Thakur, "Workers and volunteers of Congress party have every right to raise their voice against the leaders. However, no discussion was done on this." (ANI)
"Don't give this invitation to me. Give it to all those 700 farmers' families whose houses you have destroyed," RLD chief tweeted.

His remarks came after Shah said that Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Jayant Chaudhary has chosen the wrong path.

Referring to the RLD-SP alliance for Uttar Pradesh polls, BJP MP Parvesh Verma after the meeting told ANI, "On (RLD chief) Jayant Chaudhary, he (HM Amit Shah) said that there are many possibilities after the polls. For now, he has chosen a party. People of the Jat community will speak to Jayant. BJP's doors are always open for him."

He further said that BJP wanted to welcome Jayant Chaudhary to the party but he has chosen the wrong path.

"We wanted to welcome (RLD chief) Jayant Chaudhary to our home (BJP) but he has chosen the wrong path," the BJP MP added.

Amit Shah's meeting with Jat leaders from Uttar Pradesh concluded at BJP MP Parvesh Verma's residence today.

Earlier, RLD formed an alliance with Samajwadi Party to contest Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections that are scheduled to take place in seven phases beginning on February 10.The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7. (ANI)
"A structure collapsed today in Behramnagar in Bandra East. A total of 8 people were rescued, 1 lady suffered a fracture and 1 man is in the ICU, others are all stable. I was on-site with Mumbai police, fire brigade, BMC & locals who carried out the rescue operations," tweeted MLA Vandre East Zeeshan Siddique.

The injured have been rushed to two hospitals and their condition is stable, said the BMC. (ANI)
According to the sources, Upadhyaya could contest the Assembly polls from the Tehri constituency.

Earlier, Congress released its third list of candidates for the polls which did not mention the name of Upadhyaya. This further increased the speculation of him joining the BJP.

Sources close to Upadhyay told ANI that he wanted the revocation of suspension from all party posts. He had conveyed this to Congress leadership too. Notably, Upadhyay was removed from all the party posts recently as a Disciplinary Action.

In a major turn of events in the state weeks ahead of the elections, Congress changed the seat of former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Singh Rawat who will now contest the election from Lalkuwa, instead of Ramnagar.

Interestingly, Congress has given the ticket to the daughter of Harish Rawat, Anupama Rawat from Hardwar Rural constituency defying its own policy of 'one seat, one family'.

Uttarakhand is slated to go to Assembly polls on February 14 and the counting of the votes will take place on March 10. (ANI)
A team of scientists has found the precise structural changes in the spike protein of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. The study has been published in the 'Science Journal'. "The findings provide a blueprint that researchers can use to design new countermeasures, whether they be vaccines or therapeutics, against omicron and other coronavirus variants that may emerge," said David Veesler, investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He led the research effort with Gyorgy Snell from Vir Biotechnology, Inc. in San Francisco. Matthew McCallum, a postdoctoral fellow in Veesler's lab, and Nadine Czudnochowski, a Vir Biotechnology scientist, were lead authors on the paper. The omicron variant, which was first identified in November 2021 in South Africa, is causing a surge of infections around the world. In addition to being highly infectious, the variant can evade antibodies against earlier variants leading to breakthrough infections among those who have been vaccinated and those who have been infected previously. The infectiousness of the virus is thought to be at least in part due to the large number of mutations in the amino acid sequences of the virus's spike protein. The virus uses the spike protein to latch on to and enter the cells it infects. The omicron spike protein has 37 mutations that distinguish it from the first SARS-CoV-2 isolates in 2020. Previous research by Veesler and colleagues have shown that antibodies generated by the six most commonly used vaccines, and all but one of monoclonal antibodies currently used to treat infections, have a reduced or abrogated ability to neutralize omicron. But many of the mutations in the variant affect the structure of the region of the spike protein that is responsible for attaching to and entering cells, a region called the receptor binding domain, and many expected the resulting changes in the receptor binding domain structure might impair the ability of the variant to bind to its target on cells. This target is protein called angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2. However, in their study, Veesler and his colleagues found that the changes had actually increased the ability of the receptor binding domain to bind to ACE2 by 2.4-fold. To understand how omicron accumulated so many mutations while retaining efficient interactions with the host receptor ACE2, Veesler and his colleagues used cryo-electron microscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies to unveil the 3D organization of the omicron spike protein. The approach allowed them to achieve a resolution of about 3 angstroms. At this resolution, it was possible to discern the shape of individual amino acid building blocks that make up the spike protein. The researchers also determined how the structural changes in the spike protein affected the ability of antibodies effective against previous variants to bind to Omicron. Using these techniques, the scientists revealed how the mutations changed how the protein interacts with antibodies so that the ability of almost all monoclonal antibodies against it is reduced, while, at the same time the ability of the spike receptor-binding domain to bind ACE2 is enhanced. The overall effect has been to make it possible for the receptor binding domain to evade antibodies targeting it and to bind to ACE2 even more tightly. The findings demonstrate what a formidable opponent SARS-CoV-2 is, said Veesler. "This virus has incredible plasticity: It can change a lot and still maintain all the functions it needs to infect and replicate," he noted. "And it's almost guaranteed omicron is not the last variant we're going to see," he added. The goal going forward should be to focus on and identify additional regions on the spike protein that cannot be changed without causing the protein to lose function, Veesler said. Because of their importance, these areas tend to remain conserved even as other parts of the protein mutates. Such conserved regions of viral proteins are therefore likely to remain unchanged in any new variant that might emerge. These regions would make ideal targets for new vaccines and therapeutics that could be effective not only against new variants but new sarbecoviruses, the group of viruses comprising SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, Veesler said. The research was supported by the National Institute of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Fast Grants, the University of Washington Arnold and Mabel Beckman cryoEM center, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Wellcome Trust and a Pew Biomedical Scholars Award. (ANI)
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said fundamental and life-saving primary health care services in Afghanistan are under severe threat due to a lack of external funding since the change of regime in August 2021. "Today, the population's health is seriously under threat. All the progress in health outcomes may be lost. WHO is urgently calling for international donors to step up and find an alternative funding mechanism for this crucial primary health care initiative.," the WHO said in a report. The global health organisation said primary health care is the foundation of the national health system, providing health services to millions of people across the country. The Sehatmandi programme is the backbone of Afghanistan's health system. It provides affordable health care for millions of people through 2,331 health facilities in 34 provinces, covering 64% of all public health facilities. As the health system continues to collapse in Afghanistan, Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health said it is working to attract more global aid to Afghanistan in the health sector. "If aid that is provided in the health sector is not distributed in coordination with the Ministry of Public Health, the crisis in the health sector may escalate and people may face many problems," said Javid Hazhir, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Health. This report by WHO comes as Paktia residents are complaining over the lack of health services in the province, and they ask the UN to provide them with health services, TOLONews reported. "We urge the United Nations to provide medical assistance and equipment to the country's hospitals," said Gul Karim, a resident of Paktia. (ANI)
UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Afghanistan Deborah Lyons and Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt will brief Security Council on the ongoing developments in the country.

"UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres and SRSG @DeborahLyonsUN will brief the Security Council on Afghanistan situation in a session chaired by Norway PM @jonasgahrstore - Wed. 26 Jan, 10:00 in New York, (19:30 Kabul local)," the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in a tweet.

This comes as Norway last week hosted a meeting in Oslo between a group of Afghans from various sectors of the society and the de facto authorities.

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the meeting was an opportunity to discuss pressing issues directly and to prepare the ground for further discussions.

Following the meeting between a Taliban delegation and several Afghan personalities in Norway, the participants' issued a joint statement by the two sides.

According to the statement, the participants affirmed that Afghanistan is the common home of all Afghans, and emphasized that all Afghans need to work together for better political, economic and security outcomes in the country.

The participants of the meeting recognized that understanding and joint cooperation are the only solutions to all the problems of Afghanistan, the statement added.

US special representative to Afghanistan, Thomas West earlier had welcomed Norway's initiative to bring Afghan civil society and Taliban together for dialogue.

He said US and allies will continue clear-eyed diplomacy with the Taliban regarding their concerns and abiding interest in a stable, rights-respecting and inclusive Afghanistan. (ANI)
Underlining threat posed to civilians from terrorism, India on Tuesday said the perpetrators of the 2008 Mumbai terror attack continue to enjoy the patronage of Pakistan. During a UNSC debate on "Protection of civilians in armed conflict, India said member states are well aware that Pakistan has had an established history of harbouring, aiding and actively supporting terrorists. The remarks by Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, R Madhu Sudan came at the UNSC debate on "Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflicts." The Indian Counsellor made these remarks after a Pakistani diplomat misused the platform provided by the UN to "propagate false and malicious propaganda" against India. "This is not the first time that the representative of Pakistan has misused platform provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country and seeking in vain to divert the world's attention from the sad state of his country, where terrorists enjoy free pass and likes of ordinary people and especially those belonging to the minority are turned upside down," he said. The Indian Counsellor noted how member states are well aware that Pakistan has had an established history of harbouring, aiding and actively supporting terrorists. "This is a country that has been globally recognised as a sponsor of terrorism and holds the global record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the Security Council. So much so, terrorist attacks around the world today, has its origin, in some form or other in Pakistan," he said. Madhu Sudan reminded the Security Council that Pakistan's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister have been called out for supporting terrorists including Osama Bin Laden but they continue to carry down the same path undeterred. "We are discussing the protection of civilians today. The biggest threat to civilians comes from terrorists. As we mentioned earlier, the perpetrators of the heinous terror attack in Mumbai in 2008, continue to enjoy the patronage of the state she represents," he added. On the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Indian Counsellor reiterated that the "entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are, and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India, irrespective of what Pakistan representative believes... We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation." Madhu Sudan said India desires normal and neighbourly relations with all countries including Pakistan and is committed to addressing outstanding issues if any peacefully in accordance with the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. "However, any meaningful dialogue can only be held in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere. Till then, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross border terrorism," he added. (ANI)
Kazem Gharibabadi, the secretary-general of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, made the remarks in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Gharibabadi, also the Iranian judiciary chief's deputy for international affairs, said that the Friday raids on a prison in Yemen killed 100 prisoners and wounded 260 others.

The coalition airstrikes came in response to the earlier attacks with missiles and armed drones launched by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen on the targets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Gharibabadi noted that in January alone, the "coalition of aggression" carried out over 839 airstrikes against the Yemeni civilians and their houses, as well as the country's infrastructure.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition has intervened in the Yemeni war since March 2015, aiming to support the Yemeni government led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi who was forced into exile after the Houthi rebels took over most northern provinces, including the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014. (ANI/Xinhua)
Amid the ongoing military buildup at the Russian-Ukrainian border, the Indian embassy in Kyiv has asked its citizens residing in Ukraine to register themselves in a bid to disseminate information in a swift manner. The embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation and asked Indian citizens to continuously follow its website for updates. "With an intent to coordinate with Indian citizens effectively, and disseminate information in a swift manner, Embassy of India, Kyiv requests all Indian citizens, including students presently located in the territory of Ukraine, to fill up the below form. Those students presently pursuing online education from India are directed NOT to fill-up the form," the Indian embassy said in a release. "Embassy of India in Kyiv is closely monitoring the situation. It is advised to continue to follow the Embassy website, Facebook and Twitter pages for further updates, which would be published as and when required," it added. Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country. White House spokesperson said on Tuesday said the US would welcome any country's attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India. "We certainly welcome any efforts to de-escalate and we are in touch with a range of allies and partners on this, but I don't have any specific conversations to read out that relate to Indian officials," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki a press briefing. (ANI)
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is eyeing at least three judges for an expected vacancy on the Supreme Court as he prepares to quickly deliver on his campaign pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the nations highest court, according to aides and allies.

With Justice Stephen Breyer planning to retire, early discussions about a successor are focusing on U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, according to four people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations. Jackson and Krueger have long been seen as possible nominees.

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Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, testifies before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on pending judicial nominations, April 28, 2021 on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Tom Williams/AP)

Since Biden took office in January 2021, he has focused on nominating a diverse group of judges to the federal bench, installing five Black women on federal appeals courts, with three more nominations pending before the Senate. Other possible candidates for the high court could come from among that group, Biden aides and allies said, especially since almost all of the recent Supreme Court nominees have been federal appeals judges.

He has a strong pool to select a candidate from, in addition to other sources. This is an historic opportunity to appoint someone with a strong record on civil and human rights, said Derrick Johnson, the NAACPs president.

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[ Justice Breyer to retire from Supreme Court, giving President Biden opening to fill vacancy ]

By the end of his first term, Biden had won confirmation of 40 judges, the most since President Ronald Reagan. Of those, 80% are women and 53% are people of color, according to the White House.

Jackson, 51, was nominated by President Barack Obama to be a district court judge. Biden elevated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Early in her career, she was also a law clerk for Breyer.

Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina, has been nominated but not yet confirmed to serve on the same circuit court. Her name has surfaced partly because is a favorite among some high-profile lawmakers, including Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

Kruger, a graduate of Harvard and Yales law school, was previously a Supreme Court clerk and has argued a dozen cases before the justices as a lawyer for the federal government.

Breyer, 83, will retire at the end of the summer, according to two sources who confirmed the news to The Associated Press on Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to preempt Breyers formal announcement.

But the Senate can confirm a successor before there is a formal vacancy, so the White House was getting to work and it was expected to take at least a few weeks before a nomination was formalized.

Biden said Wednesday he wasnt going to get ahead of Breyers announcement.

Every justice should have an opportunity to decide what he or she is going to do and announce it on their own, Biden said. Let him make whatever statement hes going to make and Ill be happy to talk about it later.

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When Biden was running for the White House, he said that if he had the chance to nominate someone to the court, he would make history by choosing a Black woman. And hes reiterated that pledge since.

As president, Id be honored, honored to appoint the first African American woman. Because it should look like the country. Its long past time, Biden said in February 2020 shortly before South Carolinas presidential primary.

Adding a Black woman to the court would mean a series of firsts  four female justices and two Black justices serving at the same time on the nine-member court. Justice Clarence Thomas is the courts only Black justice and just the second ever, after Thurgood Marshall.

And Biden would have the chance to show Black voters increasingly frustrated with a president they helped to elect that he is serious about their concerns, particularly after he has been unable to push through voting rights legislation.

At the same time, Breyers replacement by another liberal justice would not change the ideological makeup of the court. Conservatives outnumber liberals by 6-3, and Donald Trumps three nominees made an already conservative court even more conservative.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed.

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But Republicans in particular remain upset about Justice Brett Kavanaughs contentious 2018 hearing. Still, Democrats have the 50 votes plus a tiebreaker in Vice President Kamala Harris that they need to confirm a nominee.

Republicans who changed the Senate rules during the Trump-era to allow simple majority confirmation of Supreme Court nominees appeared resigned to the outcome. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, an influential Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said in a statement: If all Democrats hang together  which I expect they will  they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support.

Nonetheless, Democrats have also been unable to get all its members on board for Bidens social and environmental spending agenda or to move forward with a voting rights bill.

As a senator, Biden served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, overseeing six Supreme Court confirmation hearings from 1987 to 1995, including Breyers.

And one person who will be central to Bidens process is chief of staff Ron Klain, a former Supreme Court law clerk and chief counsel to that committee.

Two other Black women whom Biden appointed to federal appeals courts are also seen as contenders: Holly Thomas, a longtime civil rights lawyer he named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, a former public defender he named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.

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Biden could also choose someone from outside the judiciary, though that seems less likely. One contender would be the head of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Sherrilyn Ifill, 59. She has headed the fund since 2013 and has announced she is stepping down in the spring.

The Supreme Court has had three women on it for more than a decade, since 2010, when Obama named Justice Elena Kagan to the court to replace the retiring John Paul Stevens. Kagan joined Obamas other nominee, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the courts first Latina justice, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. When Ginsburg died in September 2020, Trump announced his choice of Amy Coney Barrett eight days later.

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Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
As per the electoral body of the Himalayan Nation, all necessary preparations for the election has been complete and voting would start from 9 am (local time) and end at 3 pm (local time).

The Nepal Election Commission has fixed eight voting centers and 14 polling booths across the nation to elect members. Provincial Assembly members and the mayors/chairperson and deputy mayors/deputy chairperson of local levels are the voters in this election.

The five parties in the ruling coalition have forged an alliance in the National Assembly election as well while the major Opposition party, CPN (UML), has fielded its candidates alone.

The Election Commission said the health safety protocols would be strictly adhered to at the voting centers and booths in view of the high risk of coronavirus infection. It has already issued a list of health safety protocols to be followed in the election before this. (ANI)
"On the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day of India, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Khadka have sent separate messages of felicitations to President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar," Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release.

"The President has also expressed congratulations and best wishes on the 75th anniversary of India's independence, being celebrated in India as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav," the release stated.

Nepali Prime Minister Deuba has also extended best wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of India. " The Prime Minister has expressed his confidence that the relations would continue to grow stronger in the days to come," the release further mentioned. (ANI)
Taliban has jailed a popular professor at Kabul University for criticizing the outfit, shot at women opposing restrictions on their rights, and publicly given Afghan males haircuts for the New Year, reported a Canada-based Thinktank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS). The recent arrest of a prominent Afghan University professor and outspoken critic in Kabul, Faizullah Jalal, a professor of law and political science at Kabul University, is yet another example of Taliban's return to old ways. Jalal, since the Taliban took over, has made multiple appearances on television talk shows, blaming the Taliban for the increasing financial crisis and criticizing them for ruling by force. In one television interview, Jalal referred to Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem as a "calf," a derogatory term in Afghanistan. This infuriated Taliban, which followed his arrest. According to the Taliban, Jalal is "trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people". The Taliban also said that they have arrested the professor so that others do not make similar senseless comments. Jalal's wife Massouda, who had run against former President Hamid Karzai in 2004 as Afghanistan's first woman candidate for the presidency, recently posted on Facebook that her husband had been arrested by Taliban forces and detained in an unknown location. "Dr. Jalal has fought and spoken out for justice and the national interest in all his activities pertaining to human rights," she said. Over 30,000 students in Kunduz have been deprived of schooling because their classrooms happen to be in a conflict zone between the former Security Forces of Afghanistan and the Taliban, the Thinktank said. The international community is making efforts to provide aid and assistance to the Afghans in the strife-torn country however United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) High Commissioner Filippo Grandi declared that the Taliban must keep some promises if their financial resources are to be unfrozen. According to International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS), this is possibly the strongest statement yet from a UN institution that the Taliban must change their methods. However, it is not clear if the Taliban is in any mood to change colours. Earlier, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the Taliban must allow Afghan women and girls to attend schools and minorities must be represented in the government, reported TOLO News. He also stated, "it is important to maintain that dialogue with the Taliban because all these systems will be temporary in nature, and how to ensure that Afghanistan is viable, is a viable country able to support its people, I think it will only be achieved through dialogue between the international community and the Taliban themselves,", reported the Thinktank. With all the messaging going on Taliban will have to mend its ways if it does not want to face any sanctions by the international community. Following the Taliban's takeover in mid-August, the US froze nearly $10 billion in assets and imposed sanctions on Afghanistan. The suspension of foreign aid has had a significant negative impact on the Afghan economy and people's livelihoods. Women and children are disproportionately affected. The international community wants to provide aid to the country but Taliban, on the other hand, still seems to be resorting to its old ways. (ANI)
The ambassador then read out the message of the President of India on the occasion and felicitated war widows and next of kin of deceased soldiers by disbursing dues of NRs. 6.35 crore and blankets, according to an official statement.

The celebration was part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate 75 years of India's independence and remarkable achievements by Indians in all spheres of human endeavour.

As part of the Mahotsav, many events will be held throughout the year and up till August 2023.

"In order to mark India@75 milestone in Nepal, it is planned to inaugurate 75 development projects implemented with India's assistance across the provinces and districts of Nepal this year.", said the official statement.

The Embassy will also be gifting 75 ambulances and school buses to various organizations and local authorities across Nepal.

The event was also live-streamed on Mission's social media handle. (ANI)
Nur-Sultan [Kazakhstan], January 26 (ANI/Sputnik): An anti-terrorist operation has been launched in one of the districts of Kazakhstan's Almaty on Wednesday, five participants in the attacks on state bodies have already been detained, the city's response center for combating terrorism said. "The city response center for combating terrorism announces the introduction of an anti-terrorist operation regime on the territory of the Turksib district of Almaty from midnight on January 26 [18:00 GMT on Tuesday] to midnight on January 27. In the course of the anti-terrorist measures, five leaders and members of an organized criminal group, who participated in a robbery attack on state institutions and commercial facilities of the city of Almaty from January 4-6, were detained," the authority said in a statement. (ANI/Sputnik)
After Lithuania, another member of the European Union - Slovenia - has shown the courage to stand against China and its aggressive political and economic moves, as the Central European country has openly disclosed its plan to establish a representative office in Taiwan. Lithuania and Slovenia are members of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and plan to set up their own representative offices in Taiwan, a close US ally. Their move has left China shocked and fuming. According to The Singapore Post, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa disclosed his plans to establish a representative office in Taiwan. He stated that he had visited Taiwan four or five times, and that Taiwanese should have the right to determine their future. "Taiwan is a democratic country that respects international democratic standards and international laws, the Slovenian Prime Minister stated in the interview whichis being talked about in the diplomatic circles," reported The Singapore Post. The modalities of the diplomatic relations are still not clear but PM has clearly stated that Slovenia and Taiwan are working on "exchanging representatives. "This will not be on the level of embassies. It will be on the same level as many of the EU member countries," The Singapore Post quoting Janez Jansa reported. Beijing into yet another diplomatic spat despite hopes of mending ties with the European Union. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian had stated that China was "shocked by this and strongly opposed to it." Describing it as a dangerous statement made by the Slovenian leader, Lijian said that the statement overtly challenges the One-China principle and supports Taiwan independence. Zhao literally warned that no one should underestimate the strong determination, firm will and strong ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity, according to The Singapore Post. Lithuania was the first to grant de-jure recognition to Slovenia, while Slovenia was among the first to recognize Lithuanian re-independence. Both countries joined NATO and the European Union at the same time, according to the media outlet. (ANI)
Notably, Representatives of small-and-medium-sized businesses organized a protest rally in front of the parliament building demanding laws be adopted to simplify the operation of businesses.

Protesters tried to break into the building but were stopped by the police.

Two criminal cases were initiated on charges of hooliganism and the use of violence against law enforcers reported by the news agency.

"Eighteen policemen and three protesters received bodily injuries of various degrees of gravity," Kyiv's police department said on its Facebook account.

Clashes broke out and several protesters were detained but the rally organizers said they would continue their protest.

According to the police, no protesters have been reported killed in the clashes. (ANI)
Women staged a protest in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul and called for the release of the central bank's assets, local media reported on Wednesday. The women protesters also urged for the recognition of the Islamic Emirate by the international community. "Women held a protest in Kabul on Wednesday and called for the release of the central bank's assets as well as the recognition of the Islamic Emirate by the international community" Tolo News tweeted. Some experts believe that the holding of Afghan assets is affecting the people of Afghanistan who are struggling with severe economic challenges. Ahead of winter season, political analyst Tajar Kakar had said: "The winter is on the way. The people are in a very bad condition with many lives under the tent. The children are in a critical condition. The world should think about the people of Afghanistan." Earlier, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had sent a letter to the US Congress, urging the lawmakers to free the Afghan assets, citing the intense economic and humanitarian crisis in the country. In response to the letter, the US special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West had said that the "Taliban's letter" misconstrued the facts regarding the country's economic and humanitarian crisis. The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating and along with that, the security situation has worsened since the Taliban took control of the country. Millions of Afghans will face starvation this winter unless urgent action is taken, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned. Nearly 23 million people, or 55 per cent of the Afghan population, are estimated to be in crisis or experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity between now and March of next year. In its latest situation report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern about "conditional humanitarianism" or attempts to "leverage" humanitarian assistance for political purposes. (ANI)
Dr. Acquino Vimal, Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India, unfurled the Indian flag and read out President Ram Nath Kovind's message to the country.

Taking to Twitter Embassy of India in Beijing said, "Cd'A Acquino Vimal unfurled the and read out President Kovind's (@rashtrapatibhvn) message to the nation. "

The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country.

It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year in India.

This year, the celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and will culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs' Day. (ANI)
WARSAW, Poland  Russia has placed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraines border and ratcheted up war games in the region.

Moscow denies it is planning an assault, but the United States and its NATO allies fear that Russia is planning for war  and are making preparations of their own.

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[ Russia says US gives written response on Ukraine demands ]

Ukrainian servicemen greet each other as they patrol a street in Verkhnotoretske village in Yasynuvata district, Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, Jan. 22, 2022. (Andriy Andriyenko/AP)

Here are things to know about the international tensions over Ukraine, a crisis reminiscent of the Cold War.

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WHAT IS RUSSIAS LATEST MOVE?

Russia has increased its pressure on the West, warning that it would quickly take retaliatory measures if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continue their aggressive policies over Ukraine.

Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO never admit Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance roll back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries, a region Moscow still views as its sphere of interest.

Some of the demands, like the membership pledge, are nonstarters for NATO, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands. Those answers are expected this week  even though the U.S. and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands.

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WHAT DO UKRAINIAN LEADERS SAY?

Ukrainian officials have sought to calm nerves as tensions escalate.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive.

They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive, Kuleba told reporters.

He also noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraines financial system and launching cyberattacks.

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WHAT IS THE MOOD ON UKRAINES FRONT LINE?

Soldiers and civilians in eastern Ukraine are waiting with helpless anticipation to see if war comes.

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They understand that their fate is being decided by politicians in distant capitals. Even politicians in their own capital, Kyiv, have found themselves on the sidelines of several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy that so far have not yielded a breakthrough.

The battle-weary region has been fighting pro-Russia separatist fighters since 2014. It is an area close to where Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in a troop buildup that U.S. President Joe Biden says could mount the largest invasion since World War II.

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WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT?

Presidential advisers from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are holding diplomatic negotiations in Paris amid the growing worries that Russia could invade Ukraine.

The talks are taking place in the so-called Normandy format, which helped to ease hostilities in 2015, a year after Putin ordered the annexation of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and the Russia-backed insurgency began in eastern Ukraine.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow expects a good frank talk at the Paris meeting.

Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to yield any breakthroughs, and tensions escalated further this week.

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WHAT DOES BRITAIN SAY?

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine, saying we would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine.

The U.K. has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in response to Russia massing troops near its border. It has ruled out sending combat troops, but Truss said Britain has ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions.

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In fact, well be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion, she told the BBC.

Whats important is that all of our allies do the same, because its by collective action, by showing Vladimir Putin were united, that we will help deter a Russian incursion.

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WHAT IS GERMANY DOING?

Among the NATO allies, Germany in particular has faced calls to help Ukraine more and been faulted for a perception that it is prioritizing its economic ties with Russia over Ukraines security.

Amid that backdrop, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Germany will deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine following a request from the countrys embassy. She said that it was a very clear signal that we stand by your side.

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Ukraines ambassador to Germany welcomed the planned delivery of the helmets but described it as a purely symbolic gesture. Andriy Melnik told German news agency dpa that this is only a drop in the ocean.

He added that Ukraine expects a 180-degree turn from the German government, a real paradigm change.

Germany has said that it wont deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Yet German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted Wednesday that the European Unions common goal in the Ukraine crisis is and remains the defense of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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WHAT DOES POPE FRANCIS SAY?

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Pope Francis prayed that political leaders put aside personal interests and let dialogue prevail amid concerns of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Francis kicked off a daylong prayer for peace in Ukraine on Wednesday with a special appeal at the end of his weekly general audience. Please, never again war, Francis said.

May our prayer and invocations to the heavens touch the hearts and minds of those responsible on Earth, that they make dialogue prevail and that the good of all be put before interests of one side, he said. Let us insistently ask the Lord that in this land may fraternity overcome wounds, fears and divisions.

Noting that Thursday marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, Francis said Ukrainians had suffered tremendous cruelties during World War II.

They deserve peace, he said.
ADB granted the amount to support food security and help sustain the delivery of essential health and education services for the Afghan people, reported Tolo News.

The grants are financed by the Asian Development Fund which provides grants to ADB's poorest and most vulnerable developing member countries.

Under its Sustaining Essential Services Delivery Project (Support for Afghan People), ADB will provide direct financing to four United Nations agencies which have presence and logistics in Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

Moreover, humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned of a severe crisis amid the cold winter in Afghanistan.

The grant announcement comes as over half of the Afghan population is in desperate need of life-saving aid especially during the freezing season of winter that has unfolded in the war-torn country.

The Taliban took over control of Kabul on August 15 last year and following this, the country has been battered by deepening economic, humanitarian and security crises. (ANI)
"The UK and India are tied by bonds that span over decades, through generations and across some of the greatest challenges we have faced," Johnson said in a tweet on Wednesday.

"I want to send my best wishes from the UK to the people of India, and to all British Indians, on India's Republic Day," he added.

India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday. The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. (ANI)
The Imran Khan government's recent bid to raise funds for the new rulers in Kabul has been shot down by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) amid fears that financing of the Taliban regime could invite international sanctions, according to a media report. Pakistan's Finance Ministry has been advised by the SBP against domestic and foreign donations to the government of Afghanistan Relief Fund that funnelling funds to the Afghan government without involving "international organizations of repute" could result in sanctions from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an international anti-money laundering and terror finance watchdog, reported Asia Times. FATF is set to review Pakistan's performance on various metrics next month. Notably, Pakistan has been on the Paris-based watchdog's "grey list" since June 2018. So far, two key FATF action items have not been met by Pakistan which are necessary to get the country removed from the grey list. It includes the prosecution and confiscation of assets of UN-designated terrorists. This is the first time that Pakistan's central bank autonomous SBP has stood stand against the government's relief fund plan since legislation was tabled towards making it more independent, said Asia Times. Pakistan's central bank is undergoing some autonomy-enhancing reforms under a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a USD 6 billion extended fund facility. The SBP in late December was approached by the Pakistan government through its finance division to open a collection account for its Afghanistan Relief Fund. It proposed that disbursements from the new fund to the Taliban could be made through banking channels. However, the SBP countered that the transfer of funds directly to Afghanistan "through banking channels could be challenging". The central bank proposed that instead of that disbursement from the fund could be made through international relief organizations or extended by the government as "in-kind" support to help Afghans who now face acute food shortages, according to Asia Times. The SBP also conveyed to the government that opening fund accounts at overseas bank branches would require the authorization of foreign regulatory bodies, a time-consuming and cumbersome process - particularly in light of Pakistan's FATF "grey list" designation. The Imran Khan government has continuously tried to soften the world's stance on the Taliban and has urged countries to recognise the new government in Kabul. But the countries have declined to give formal recognition. (ANI)
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Wednesday extended his warm wishes to India on its 73rd Republic Day as well as Australia Day. In a video message posted by Barry O' Farrell, Australia's High Commissioner to India Morrison said, "Namaste and Good Day, Australia and India are celebrating the day -- January 26 - Republic Day in India and Australia Day, here in Australia. We share a wonderful friendship between Australian and Indian people. We join with you celebrating democracy today, India and ours too. And celebrating the fantastic contribution of people with Indian heritage right here in Australia and all around the world." "PM @ScottMorrisonMP sends his best wishes to everyone celebrating India's Republic Day in this video message. #dosti @narendramodi @PMOIndia @MEAIndia @dfat," tweeted Barry O' Farrell, Australia's High Commissioner to India The Australian PM also reiterated about the shared vision of the two countries, i.e; the "open, free and resilient Indo-Pacific region". "The journeys of our two nations have been very different but we do share much in common, in particular, a common right ahead - we have a shared common vision for open, free and resilient Indo-Pacific region. The partners across so many fronts, working together to secure peace and freedom for our world and the region," said Morrison. He also talked about the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes it brought world-over. "I know the pandemic has tested so many of us, families separated but now families are reuniting, and students and travellers re returning to both our shores. So, better times are indeed ahead," said the Australian PM. "On this Republic Day, I join our Indian friends and Australians with a connection to India in celebrating your Constitution enactment on this day in 1950 as well as celebrating with you this year your 75th anniversary of Independence. Happy India Republic Day and Happy Australia Day," added Morrison. India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday. The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. (ANI)
Afghan women's rights activists on Tuesday submitted demands to the Taliban delegates visiting Norway and called for the release of two female activists who disappeared last week. They submitted a paper that included Afghan women's demands to the Taliban's delegation and representatives of countries attending the meeting on the second day of the Oslo meetings, which is the final day of the Oslo summit, reported Tolo News. Hoda Khamosh, one of the women's rights representatives at the meeting, once again called for the release of two female activists who disappeared last week. She further said that world is responsible for current conditions across Afghanistan. Another Afghan activist attended the meeting, Mahbouba Seraj, saying the Islamic Emirate should fulfil whatever they promise at the meeting, reported Tolo News. "If they continue this way, to tell us something and do something else, that's when the trust is going to break, completely. When the trust breaks completely, they should remember what happened to the ex-government of Afghanistan. We lost trust with them too. The people of Afghanistan could not find themselves in that government either," said Mahbouba Seraj. "Yes, they were listening. I should say that. They really were listening. We gave them a paper. We asked them what we wanted. They took it. They were very, very cordial about it," she said. "The representatives of the international community spoke their own concerns over human rights and the rights of women and stressed that the Taliban need to build trust," said Nazifa Jalali, a woman attending the meeting, reported Tolo News. At the same time, Amir Khan Muttaqi told reporters that the Islamic Emirate will inquire into the disappearance of female activists in Kabul. Meanwhile, the head of United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) met Serajuddin Haqqani, minister of interior affairs, and called for the release of Afghan female activists, reported Tolo News. Taliban characterized Norway's initiative as preliminary steps for the recognition of the Afghan government; however, the Norwegian foreign ministry said that the meetings were not a legitimation or recognition of the Taliban, as reported by Tolo News. (ANI)
The recent broad daylight murder of a crime reporter in Lahore in front of the press club has once again established the grim fact that journalists in Pakistan are getting increasingly prone to losing their life amid rising threat against them, reported local media. Hasnain Shah was shot by unidentified assailants on a motorcycle while sitting in his car outside the Lahore Press Club on Sunday. He died on the spot. The horrifying incident leaves little doubt about it being a case of targeted killing since two men riding a motorcycle were chasing Shah's car before they fired 10 fatal shots at him close to the local press club, reported The Express Tribune. The attack on Hasnain Shah might have meant to give a stern warning to all those associated with the dangerous profession of journalism -- one down, thousands to keep quiet, said the Pakistani publication. Soon after the incident, journalist bodies across Pakistan condemned the murder. The Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) on Tuesday strongly condemned the murder of journalists and demanded of the authorities immediately arrest and punish his killers. Pakistan remains among the five countries in the world most dangerous for journalists. Last year, nearly 63 journalists were killed in the line of duty in the country. Nearly 2,658 journalists have been murdered in Pakistan from 1990 to 2020. They have been targeted for exposing corruption, crime, reporting on environmental pollution and suchlike, said The Express Tribune. In some cases, journalists in Pakistan also faced detention and intimidation. Different ways are used in the country to threaten journalists and it ranges from the kidnapping of individual journalists or of family members and carrying out toxic propaganda against them. When it comes to female journalists, these cases are doubly imperilled: they receive both life threats and those relating to their modesty. Across the world, there are global organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Federation of Journalists, Reporters without Borders, and others to defend journalists. But these bodies are not invested with powers to punish perpetrators of crime. These bodies perform the function of raising awareness about violence against journalists and make efforts to influence authorities in the world to put in place improved mechanisms for the protection of journalists. However, Journalists in Pakistan currently face a spike in that attacks and are being intimidated for their revelations, according to The Express Tribune. (ANI)
Afghanistan has reaffirmed that it's committed to abiding by the water-sharing treaty signed with Iran. Two days after the complaint of Iran's foreign ministry saying that Iran did not receive its share of water from Helmand River last year, officials from the Afghan Ministry of Energy and Water said Iran will receive its share based on the water treaty signed by the two countries in 1973, according to Tolo News. According to the treaty, Afghanistan is committed to sharing the water from the Helmand River with Iran and will supply 26 cubic meters of water per second, or 850 million cubic meters per annum. The treaty was signed by the then-Prime Minister of Afghanistan Mohammad Musa Shafiq and his counterpart Abbas Hoveida, the then-Prime Minister of Iran, as reported by Tolo News. Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman of Iran's foreign ministry, on Monday at a press briefing said last year Iran only received five per cent of its share of water. "During the past water year, less than 5 per cent of Iran's share (of the Helmand river) based on the 1973 agreement has been given. And so far no share has been given to Iran (this year)." Meanwhile, officials from Afghanistan's Ministry of Energy and Water said the Islamic Emirate is committed to giving Iran's share based on the water treaty. According to the officials, in the past year, enough water might not have flown to Iran due to droughts in Afghanistan, as reported by Tolo News. (ANI)
Pakistan-based middleman, Muzamil, who hired hitman British Pakistani Gohir Khan, 31, to kill dissident blogger Ahmad Waqass Goraya had also mentioned future 'jobs', a UK jury heard on Tuesday. Voice clip played in court linked more assignments with blogger's murder plot success, reported Dawn. The prosecution said the first mention of a 'job' of this nature was in November or December 2020, but that no details were shared of the target. Then, a voice note shared on a messaging application was played in court, in which a man with a British accent could be heard saying -- "If the first one is done nicely within a month, then by the end of June you will get another one and the third one. You'll keep getting a cut of about Pound 20,000- Pound30,000 depending on the quality of work," reported Dawn. To this voice message, Khan responded with a laugh, "I don't guarantee quality, Inshallah we guarantee job to be done." In a follow-up text, the defendant referred to the murder plot using Muzamil's nickname, "Papa, your boys shine in the whole of the UK. Europe will be our best effort." Muzamil was nicknamed Papa, according to Khan, because of his resemblance to the cartoon character Papa Smurf, reported Dawn. The prosecution produced this evidence in court to challenge Khan's submission that he did not intend to kill Goraya and that he was in it just to extract money. Alison Morgan QC, leading the prosecution, said there would have been no more jobs if the defendant had ripped the middleman off, reported Dawn. Defendant Khan repeatedly said he did not intend to kill anyone, and that he told Muzamil lies in the hope that he could extract money from him. At previous hearings, Khan detailed how Muzamil was a fraudster who owed him money and was responsible for his poor financial predicament. However, the prosecution alleged that Khan was a habitual liar, who had lied to numerous individuals, including members of his family, immigration officials as well as his friends, in order to further his efforts in this plot, reported Dawn. Morgan said Khan sought to justify the killing to himself by seeking confirmation on three occasions from Muzamil that it was not a 'debt-related job'. She said this squaring of his conscience with the killing showed intention. She said the language used by the defendant in response to Muzamil when the deal was first mentioned demonstrated he was not pretending. When Muzamil was sending details of the target to Khan, he was not seen reacting in horror, pulling out of the plan or expressing outrage, the prosecutor said. She also stressed that the jury should think about the extent to which Khan had dragged his family into an alleged criminal activity, and whether he would have done so if it was for as he claimed a few thousand pounds. Morgan named a teacher Aziz, whom the defendant approached to write a fake letter of support for his travel to the Netherlands so he could defraud authorities. She also named an individual Akki, who helped him obtain a fake PCR test, reported Dawn. She brought attention to how the defendant persisted on travel to the Netherlands, and described how he told Dutch immigration authorities about a fictitious brother and argued with them about not letting him see his brother. If he was just pretending, she said, why did he then, upon being denied entry to Amsterdam, two days later then board the Eurostar to Paris to regain entry to the Netherlands. "His eye was on a much bigger prize. If the prize hadn't been that big he would obviously have stopped at that point," she said. Morgan then mentioned the knife that the prosecution alleged was the intended murder weapon. She said the knife was among the most expensive in the range available at the shop, something disguisable and one that could be kept close to his person, but also one that allegedly would be fit for his purpose. "This knife was not to cut up a three-day-old steak," she said, adding that he hid the purchase from police officers for most of the interviews. The defence will make its closing arguments on Wednesday after which the jury will deliberate and share its verdict, reported Dawn. (ANI)
A book describing the "transformation" of Uttar Pradesh under Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath is evoking curiosity among the diaspora in the United States, its author Shantanu Gupta has said. Shantanu Gupta, who started his US tour of the book on Yogi Adiyanath from New York and New Jersey last week, said many non-resident Indians were curious and wanted to know the Uttar Pradesh's growth story under a monk Chief Minister in the light of upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. The author said he is amazed to see the curiosity among diaspora to know more about the transformation of Uttar Pradesh under CM Yogi Adityanath and the book 'The monk who transformed Uttar Pradesh' provides the answers. Shantanu Gupta has written two books on Yogi Adityanath, the other being 'The Monk Who Became Chief Minister'. During the visit, he will attend multiple events organized by the Indian diaspora and talk about both books. Gupta said spiritual organization Om Kriya Yog and World NRI Association along with other Indian organizations are organizing the book discussion events in more than a dozen states and cities of United States - New York, New Jersey, Boston, Washington DC, North Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. Shantanu Gupta said he will attend multiple events for his book in community centres, think tanks, temples, universities, media studios, city libraries and will meet intellectuals from the Indian diaspora during his stay in the United States. "We have seen how Yogi Adityanath has brought Uttar Pradesh from a Bimaru Pradesh to a state which is first in the implementation of 45 central government schemes, which is second in GSDP, second in Ease of Doing Business and many such positive indices," he said. Shantanu Gupta said after the book 'The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh' was released in December, he did two big online launches of his book for the Indian diaspora in Europe and Australia. In the book discussion organized by Overseas Friends of BJP for the diaspora in 13 cities of Europe - BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi and BJP's foreign cell head Vijay Chauthaiwale - shared their thoughts along with Shantanu Gupta. Sudhanshu Trivedi applauded his college junior Shantanu Gupta's work and noted that Uttar Pradesh has seen a sea positive change in Yogi Adityanath's tenure. Ex-director at Infosys, Mohandas Pai has written the foreword for the book. "When Yogi Adityanath took over as CM, Lutyens Delhi--the name by which the power structure and supporters of the ancient regime are known--exploded in anger and derision. They questioned his capability to be CM, abused him roundly, and predicted the total failure of his regime. They forget that he was a 5-time MP, a person of great accomplishment as an MP going by his track record in Parliament, had toured most districts of UP and knew the living conditions of the people of UP more than any of his critics," Pai said. The book has been published by Garuda Prakashan. Mata Rajyalaxmi of Om Kriya Yog said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is training a new set of next-generation leaders under him and Yogi Adityanath is one of them. Asked how the NRI community is seeing the duo of PM Modi and CM Yogi, Shantanu replied that he always hears terms like 'Ram-Laxman ki Jodi', 'Ram-Hanuman ki jodi' and 'double engine ki sarkar' from the members of the Indian diaspora for them. He added that UP + Yogi = Upyogi, the term coined by PM Narendra Modi for the effective governance by Yogi Adityanath, has become quite popular among the Indian diaspora in the United States. The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held from February 10 in seven phases. (ANI)
Amid urea shortage and other economic hardships faced by the farmers in the country, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday announced a massive protest against the Imran Khan government. The PPP announced that it would stage a sit-in outside Karachi Press Club on Jan 30 to protest against a massive hike in the prices of essential products, including petrol and electricity, and also against shortage of gas and fertiliser in the country, reported The Nation. This announcement was made during the Kissan March which was held in Karachi and other parts of Sindh on the appeal of PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari to protest against urea shortage. The agricultural sector has been suffering in recent years, especially during the pandemic as Pakistan faces serious food insecurity challenges. Compounding these issues are the effects of climate change as crop yields have been adversely affected. The situation is made more severe by already strained water availability that is expected to worsen over the coming decades, reported The Nation. The PPP is attempting to spin the narrative that the Imran Khan-led PTI government is insensitive to the plight of farmers and is responsible for the current urea shortage. Leaders of the PPP have stated that these protests, along with the farmers, will continue in the province till February 27 when Bhutto-Zardari would lead a long march from the city to Islamabad against the grievances of the farmers. The demands of farmers are legitimate as they claim that they have not been getting adequate prices for their produce and are now being forced to stand in lines and pay high prices for sourcing fertiliser, reported The Nation. This strategy could work well for the PPP in terms of applying further pressure on the PTI government given the street power farmers possess. (ANI)
The Chicago Board of Education renewed contracts for five charter and two contract schools at Wednesdays monthly meeting, with some school leaders complaining they wanted longer terms.

Our position is that high-performing schools earn 10-year renewal. A standard renewal should be five years. And if theres any performance concerns, a shorter term should be three years, Andrew Broy, president of the Illinois Network of Charter Schools said at a news conference Wednesday before the board vote.

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Three-year renewals were awarded to Perspectives Charter Schools, which operates multiple campuses; Catalyst Maria Charter School in Chicago Lawn; Excel Academy Southwest; and Excel Academy of South Shore. Polaris Charter Academy on the West Side received a five-year extension. Legal Prep Charter Academy in West Garfield Park and the Montessori School of Englewood, a charter school, won two-year terms. Each schools agreement with the board of education is due to expire June 30.

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People pick up children after school at Montessori School of Englewood on Jan. 26, 2022, in Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Public Schools officials noted a lack of data when evaluating the schools performance because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They did find issues with each of the schools up for renewal, such as their approach to student discipline or the lack of services offered to diverse learners.

I think that the shorter renewals allow for support to be provided, which I think is essential to this process, to those schools that are struggling through one or more issues, board member Luisiana Melendez said.

Several people spoke in support of the charter schools at Wednesdays meeting. Legal Prep CEO and Principal Sam Finkelstein had asked for a five-year renewal at a CPS hearing for charter schools earlier this month. He said Wednesday his school has overhauled its approach to discipline and created an equity action team. The schools expulsion and suspension rates are now below the average for a CPS high school, he said.

Given our history of strong partnership and collaboration, I must say I was a little disappointed in the two-year length of our proposed renewal term, Finkelstein said. We have always been able to work together with our CPS partners to collectively solve any issue that comes our way.

Bryan Mackey, a recent Legal Prep graduate, stressed the importance of having a school with a law-focused curriculum.

Even if you have no interest whatsoever in entering the legal profession, it makes you think about everything differently. It opens up the youth to laws and makes us acknowledge something that we unknowingly use daily, said Mackey, who attends Oberlin College.

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Parent Ebonie Townsend, a member of the Montessori School of Englewood board of directors, said the cost of a Montessori education is out of reach for many Chicagoans.

My son and hundreds of children in our community have access to a level of education and a style of education that they otherwise wouldnt have access to through MSE, she said.

Broy said there are about 58,000 charter school students in Chicago. The schools that were up for renewal serve more than 4,000 students combined. About 330,000 students are enrolled at CPS, the nations third-largest school district.

Board members on Wednesday discussed increasing transparency of the charter renewal process so school operators and families would not be surprised about the districts recommendations. In talking with reporters, Broy emphasized the rigors of the renewal procedure.

Every time a charter school is up for renewal, it has to submit literally hundreds of pages of documentation to CPS and go through a monthslong process. So when youre doing that every two years, like Montessori School of Englewood will have to do, it really limits their ability to focus on academic improvement, Broy said.

Instead they get caught in this perpetual renewal treadmill that is bureaucratic in nature and detracts really from what we should be focused on, which is student learning and operational performance, he said.

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tswartz@tribpub.com
Representatives of Norwegian charities and organizations met with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, during his three-day visit to Oslo, and pledged assistance to Afghanistan in various fields, including health and education, as reported by Ariana News.

Afghanistan's foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi wrote on his Twitter account that the meeting was attended by seven Norwegian charitable organizations and associations.

He said that during the meeting, officials from Norwegian charities pledged humanitarian assistance in various areas, including health, education, agriculture and livestock, and demining.

According to Balkhi, Muttaqi assured the organizations of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's (IEA) full cooperation in the delivery of aid and equitable distribution, according to Ariana News.

Muttaqi led a 15-member delegation to Norway this week where they met with a broad range of officials and foreign representatives.

In addition to meeting Norwegian officials, the Taliban also met with dignitaries from the US, Canada and the United Kingdom, and with representatives of a number of European countries. (ANI)
General Bajwa, DG ISI Nadeem and Imran Khan held consultation over the upcoming visit to China, reported ARY News citing the sources privy to the details of the meeting.

Security and regional situations were also discussed in the meeting.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also attended the meeting.

In the first week of February, Imran Khan is scheduled to begin his three-day China visit, which Islamabad calls is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties.

Imran Khan will attend the opening ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Beijing at the invitation of the Chinese leadership. The Pakistani Prime Minister will be accompanied by a five members delegation including the Foreign Minister Qureshi.

Khan is also set to have bilateral interaction with the Chinese leadership focusing on advancing economic and trade relations.

Regional and international issues of mutual interest will also be discussed during the engagements. (ANI)
India is set to deepen its ties with Central Asian countries at the first of its kind India-Central Asia summit hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday where the key focus other than security and the Afghanistan issue will be trade and connectivity, development partnership, culture and people to people contacts. Head of states of Central Asian countries will join the summit virtually. India has very close bilateral ties with several countries of Central Asia. India-Kazakhstan trade is highest in the Central Asian region. The highest trade in the Central Asian region is between India and Kazakhstan (USD 1.9 bn in 2020-21); majorly oil imports. Kazakhstan is a strategic partner with 8,000 strong Indian communities including 5,000 medical students. Kazakh's first president Nazarbayev to India; PM visited Kazakhstan in 2015 and 2017 Both countries also implemented unique experiment in UN peacekeeping. Kazakh troops are participating as part of the Indian battalion in UNIFIL. The 6th rotation currently going on and there is also regular joint military exercise KAZIND. India also shares warm relations with the Kyrgyz Republic. There are six visits of Kyrgyz Presidents to India. PM Modi visited the Kyrgyz Republic in 2015 and 2019. Former Kyrgyz President Jeenbekov attended PM Modi's swearing-in in May 2019. There are 5 telemedicine centres established by India in the Kyrgyz Republic. Both countries also hold annual joint military exercises Khanjar. Relations with Tajikistan are no different. There have been six visits by President Rahman to India. The PM visited in 2015. Both nations have strong cooperation in defence. There is also the India-Tajik Friendship Hospital. India and Tajikistan share very similar positions on Afghanistan. With strategic partner Uzbekistan, there is good cooperation between the country's Andijan region and Gujarat. Bilateral trade stands around USD 300 mln. There is also India-Uzbek-Iran trilateral Working Group on Chabahar. Line of credit USD 1 billion was extended in 2018; 4 projects worth USD 450 mln were approved. There are several projects under High Impact Community Development under implementation. Indian universities like Sharda, Amity and Sambhroom are setting up campuses in Uzbekistan. Setting up of medical units and centres like Medanta, USD 50 mln worth investment by Cadila in setting up a pharmaceutical plant are also being done. Entrepreneurship Development Centre set up by India in 2019 shows the robust ties between the two countries. A look at India's relationship with Turkmenistan shows 3 visits by Turkmen Presidents to India. The PM visited in 2015. First Yoga and Traditional Medicine centre was established in Central Asia in Ashgabat in 2015. India established IT Centre in 2011 and an Industrial Training Centre in 2002. (ANI)
According to a notification issued in this regard, Abbasi will replace former adviser Mirza Shahzad Akbar who resigned from the post on January 24, as reported by Geo-TV.

A former deputy prosecutor for the NAB, Akbar was appointed as the special assistant to the Prime Minister on accountability in August 2018.

Earlier, Mirza Shahzad Akbar tendered his resignation on Monday but continues to have an association with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

Later, in December 2019, he was also given an additional portfolio of advisers to the Prime Minister on interior affairs, as reported by Geo TV.

In July 2020, the barrister was promoted as the adviser to the Prime Minister on accountability and interior with the status of a federal minister.

Further, the Pakistan cabinet division issued a notification in this regard after the president's approval, according to Geo TV. (ANI)
Indian Ambassador in Madagascar, Abhay Kumar, on Wednesday, unfurled the National Flag to mark the 73rd Republic Day of India. The event was attended by the Indian community in Madagascar. Kumar also hosted a reception on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day of India, in which the Foreign Minister of Madagascar Patrick Rajoelina was the Chief Guest. The President of the Senate of Madagascar also attended the reception besides the Ambassadors and the Heads of International Organisations in Madagascar. Speaking on the occasion of the reception hosted at the Embassy's Residence, Ambassador Kumar expressed condolences on the loss of precious Malagasy lives due to devastating floods in Antananarivo last week and said, "India and Madagascar have cordial and friendly bilateral relations since the time of Madagascar's Independence in 1960. India and Madagascar have several ongoing cooperation programs ranging across humanitarian assistance, education, health and capacity building which have been beneficial to Malagasy people." The Chief Guest of the evening, the Foreign Minister of Madagascar, Patrick Rajoelina said, "We congratulate India on its 73rd Republic Day and appreciate the strong India Malagasy bilateral relations. I also thank India for extending help to Madagascar." The celebrations also saw cultural performances by members of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) alumni in Madagascar. Congratulating India on the occasion, Madagascar's Foreign Minister sent a congratulatory tweet, "My warmest congratulations to the people and Government of #India on the 73rd Republic Day. On this occasion, I wish India and her people continued peace, progress and prosperity." The External Affairs Minister of India Dr S Jaishankar thanked his counterpart on Twitter and responded, "Appreciate your kind greetings FM @prajoelina. Our cooperation is embedded in India's Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) Mission policy." India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday. The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. (ANI)
"Serious and effective talks were also held with senior US Treasury officials on frozen assets, economic sanctions, humanitarian aid," Sputnik quoted the Taliban-led Afghan Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement on Wednesday.

"The talks also included expediting economic activities to ease restrictions on banking transactions and the free flow of money," the ministry added in a statement.

A delegation headed by the foreign minister of the interim Taliban government Amir Khan Muttaqi on Saturday arrived in Norway on a three-day visit to deliberate on the provision of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan as well as "political, educational and economic issues."

The ministry also said that as a result of this meeting Kabul was able to present its policies, achievements, and plans for the future in direct response to the concerns of the world and resolve many misunderstandings, according to Sputnik.

Currently, Afghanistan faces a dire situation as the country's foreign assets were frozen soon after the Taliban took control of the country. A number of the global organizations have also refused to release the country's assets despite multiple requests by the Taliban. (ANI)
Over 3,000 undocumented Afghans are returning on a daily basis from neighbouring Iran, and many of the returnees are forcefully coming back to their country, according to Tolo News.

In a report, IOM stated that over one million Afghans were deported or returned to Afghanistan in 2021, while thousands more are leaving the country in search of a better life.

The report adds that IOM Afghanistan has launched a program to support undocumented returnees in Afghanistan.

"IOM's Protection teams are providing emergency response to undocumented returnees, IOM is supporting them to access crucial protection services," said the report.

The organization further said that Afghanistan is experiencing a complex humanitarian crisis with rising unemployment, food insecurity and uncertain safety, as reported by Tolo News.

Meanwhile, Bilal Karimi, the deputy spokesman of the government, said the Taliban government in Afghanistan will seek to create employment opportunities for Afghan youth to prevent them from illegal travel.

"Afghanistan made serious efforts to prevent our compatriots and youth from illegally going to neighbouring countries to stay in their own country and use their energy for serving the people here," said Bilal Karimi. (ANI)
Punjab has asked the Indus River System Authority (IRSA) to look into exceptional water losses being reported because of under-reporting of inflows by Sindh province. Sindh Irrigation Department claimed to have measured as high as 60 per cent losses at Guddu Barrage if compared with outflows from Taunsa and Panjnad Barrages upstream. Meanwhile, Sindh has indulged in the practice of under-reporting water inflows to the tune of 60 per cent against 10 per cent conveyance losses determined by IRSA in Indus Zone for Rabi Season between Taunsa plus Panjnad and Guddu. Similarly, the Sindh Irrigation Department misreporting Indus water flows by 40 per cent between Sukkur and Kotri barrages, as reported by News International. Moreover, Punjab asked for considering losses in the Indus zone as zero, until the actual discharge measurement is not being done. Furthermore, Punjab stressed that the extra reported losses other than permissible losses should be accounted for in the respective provincial water account, according to News International. The demand for water in the Indus Basin system has been on the lower side for the last couple of weeks, prompting Punjab to extend annual canal closure by two weeks. Sindh is also observing canal closure and thus demand for irrigation purposes has been at the lowest ebb. In such a situation, it is hard to digest as high as 60 per cent system water losses from January 03, to January 20, 2022, as analyzed by News International. (ANI)
Nepal's active COVID-19 cases have crossed the mark of 90,000 in less than a month, the Ministry of Health and Population announced on Wednesday. In a regular media briefing about new cases of Corona Virus recorded in last 24 hours, director of Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel announced that Nepal's active cases now stand at 90,067. Out of the active cases, 88,248 are currently in home isolation and 1,819 are in isolation at hospitals. Amongst those admitted at hospitals are elderly people and those with prolonged illness. "Those admitted at the hospital are elderlies. If we talk about those in ICU, 6 out of 8 are patients above the age of 70. The oldest one is 90. Amongst those in ICU, two patients didn't take the jabs while the remaining were well inoculated. Except for one, rest are on oxygen and are recovering well," Dr Kijan Maharjan, Physician and in-charge of ICU at Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital in capital Kathmandu told ANI. As per the Ministry's data, there are a total of 251 patients undergoing treatment at ICU while 48 are on ventilator throughout the nation on Wednesday late afternoon. As per experts, the admission rate has dropped in the third wave in comparison to the earlier waves. "Upon seeing the situation now, the hospitalization rate stands low in comparison to the number of infections. Those admitted and undergoing treatment don't require high oxygen saturation nor ventilators," Dr. Maharjan added. Nepal has an infection rate hovering across the 40 percent mark which is fuelled by the Omicron variant of Corona Virus which started from Wuhan of China at end of 2019. The country in the last 24 hours recorded a total of 8,454 new cases while five people succumbed to the contagion. As many as 11,672 people have died in the country so far. Meanwhile, 4,432 patients have recovered from coronavirus in the last 24 hours. (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked world leaders for their greetings and wishes on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday. PM Modi said, "Thank you @PMBhutan for your warm wishes on India's Republic Day. India deeply values it's unique and enduring friendship with Bhutan. Tashi Delek to the Government and people of Bhutan. May our ties grow from strength to strength." The Prime Minister of Bhutan Lotay Tshering extended greetings to PM Modi and the people of India stating "On this Republic Day of India, the people of Bhutan and I send our best wishes to the people of India. While you witness the majestic parades in celebration today, please know that the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan rejoice with you in heart and spirit." PM Modi also thanked Prime Minister of Nepal Sher Bahadur Deuba for extending his greetings on Republic Day. "Thank You PM @SherBDeuba for your warm felicitations. We will continue to work together to add strength to our resilient and timeless friendship," PM Modi said in a reply to Deuba's tweet. Extending greetings to India on its Republic Day, Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth said Mauritius and India nurture a special kind of friendship which underpins a strong development partnership. In a reply, PM Modi said, "Thank you Prime Minister @JugnauthKumarfor your warm wishes. The exceptional and multifaceted partnership between our countries continues to grow from strength to strength." Taking to Twitter, President of Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also extended his greetings to PM Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind and the people of India on its Republic Day. "Greetings and good wishes to PM @narendramodi, @rashtrapatibhvn, and the people of India on the occasion of India's 73rd #RepublicDay ! India's republic, its democratic institutions and constitutionalism continue to inspire hope for democracies the world over," Solih tweeted. "Thank you President @ibusolih for your warm greetings and good wishes. The special and time-tested relations between India and Maldives are strengthened by our shared democratic values," PM Modi said in a reply to Solih's tweet. Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett also extended his greetings on Republic Day. "Thank you for your warm greetings for India's Republic Day, PM @naftalibennett. I fondly remember our meeting held last November. I am confident that India-Israel strategic partnership will continue to prosper with your forward-looking approach," PM Modi tweeted. Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa for wishing India on its 73rd Republic Day. PM Modi said that the year is special as both countries celebrate the 75-year milestone of Independence. "Thank you PM Rajapaksa. This year is special as both our countries celebrate the 75-year milestone of Independence. May the ties between our peoples continue to grow stronger," tweeted PM Modi. Earlier, Sri Lankan PM Rajapaksa wished India a "very happy 73rd Republic Day" and said that the relationship between the two nations continues to grow. "Wishing PM @narendramodi, the Government and People of #India a very happy 73rd Republic Day. May the relationship between our two nations continue to grow to mutually benefit our people so that our nations may prosper," tweeted Rajapaksa. India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday.The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. (ANI)
Chicago Public Schools is nearing its goal of being able to test 10% of unvaccinated students at each district-run school through its free, weekly COVID-19 testing program, CEO Pedro Martinez said Tuesday.

We are making sure that across our 515 schools that we have a minimum of 10% of students (who) are unvaccinated ... giving us consent for testing, Martinez said at a news conference. I can tell you right now that were now close to 90% of hitting that target, so our focus is going to be to get to 100%.

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Access to COVID-19 testing was a major sticking point in the disagreement between CPS and the Chicago Teachers Union that led to classes being canceled for five days this month. In its final proposal to the union, CPS said it will work with CTU to increase student participation in the school-based testing program and districtwide vaccination initiative with the goal of 100% participation by Feb. 1.

The district is not close to having all its kids vaccinated or registered for the testing program, which has been voluntary for students and mandatory for unvaccinated staff members.

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CPS said Tuesday more than 87,000 students signed up for testing, up from about 42,000 students in late December. The district administered some 53,000 tests last week  the most of the school year  after a slow start to the program. Around 270,000 students are enrolled in district-run schools.

As part of its agreement with CTU, CPS said it would focus its efforts on registering students at schools that were testing fewer than 10% of students in December.

Through a Freedom of Information Act request, the Tribune determined that about 40 of the district-run schools were below the 10% sign-up threshold as CTU prepared to vote on the safety agreement in mid-January. A few schools, such as Mildred I. Lavizzo Elementary School in the Roseland neighborhood and Mount Greenwood Elementary School, had fewer than 2.5% of students registered for testing at the time, according to CPS data.

CPS has not disclosed the percentage of children registered for the testing program who are unvaccinated.

About 53% of CPS students 12 and older are fully vaccinated, Martinez said Tuesday, while about a third of students 5 to 11 years old have received at least one dose.

Martinez announced Tuesday the district will shorten the quarantine and isolation period for students and staff members from 10 days to five days starting Feb. 1. Martinez said he hopes to restart the test-to-stay pilot after the omicron surge subsides. The program would allow unvaccinated students to avoid quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 several times.

Pedro Martinez, CEO of Chicago Public Schools, addresses reporters about COVID-19 during a news conference at Chicago City Hall on Jan. 5, 2022. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

Also Tuesday, Martinez defended a recent change to CPS public COVID-19 online dashboard amid criticism the district is withholding data. CPS stopped disclosing all reported cases on the individual school pages of the dashboard in favor of just showing cases that have been investigated and closed by the districts contact tracers.

Martinez said the shift was made to reduce instances of duplicate and false reports. CPS still notes all reported cases on the main district page of the dashboard, he said.

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One of the things were looking at now is ... are there strategies that we can try to maximize accuracy while still making sure that were providing complete and relevant data to our families? Martinez said while emphasizing that the dashboard is not the only source of district COVID-19 information. Families should be receiving prompt notification from CPS if their child has tested positive through school-based testing or encountered an infected person, Martinez said.

Martinez said the district may have reached its omicron peak last week. CPS reported 2,200 new student cases last week  the most of the school year  and 600 new adult infections, a decline from prior weeks.

tswartz@tribpub.com
Topeka's city government has been dropped as a defendant in the police use-of-force lawsuit Timothy C. Harris is pursuing seeking $1 million plus expenses and legal fees linked to an incident in which his jaw was broken.

Harris continues to pursue a separate part of the suit alleging unreasonable use of force by Topeka police officer Christopher Janes, who has his own legal counsel and is additionally being defended by the city.

The case is set to go to trial by jury beginning May 31 in Topeka, with the trial being expected to last two to three days, according to a pretrial order issued Jan. 14 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa J. James.

Harris is asking for $1 million in compensation and for payment of his expenses and attorney's fees, which total $197,120.55, according to the order.

It said Janes is seeking payment of his own expenses and attorney's fees he's paid to outside council, which total $37,688.05.

Andrew M. Stroth, managing director of the Chicago-based national civil rights law form Action Injury Law Group, in September 2018 filed the two-count suit contending that the constitutional rights of Harris, who is Black, were violated when he was arrested in January 2018 near 2600 S.E. 10th.

Stroth's firm also represents the families of Wichita residents Cedric Lofton, 17, who died in September after a struggle with officers at Sedgwick County's juvenile detention center, and Andrew Finch, 28, whom Wichita police fatally shot after they went to his home on a false report of an emergency in December 2017.

Earlier: No settlement reached at mediation conference in lawsuit involving Topeka police officer

Stroth said Wednesday: As captured on video, Timothy Harris was unjustifiably beaten by a Topeka police officer and sustained serious injuries. He will continue his fight for justice in the United States District Court in Kansas."

The first count of Harris' suit alleges excessive use of force by Janes. A federal judge has concluded Janes isn't entitled to qualified immunity in the case.

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Qualified immunity shields government officials performing discretionary functions from liability for civil damages if their conduct doesnt violate clearly established statutory or constitutional rights of which a reasonable person would have known.

However, Janes hasn't surrendered his qualified immunity defense as he continues to fight the lawsuit, according to the Jan. 14 court order.

The defendant in the second count had been the city, which the suit claimed provided deficient training and had inadequate policies, said Gretchen Spiker, the city's communications director.

More: State commission reprimands former Topeka police officer Niemeth for grabbing prisoner by throat

The count against the city has been "abandoned," according to the Jan. 14 order.

Still, Topeka's city attorney office continues to work with his outside counsel to defend Janes, Spiker said.

Janes continues to be employed by Topeka's city government as a police officer, she said. The city is self-insured in matters involving such employees.

"This is pending litigation and as such, the city has no further comment," Spiker added.

Timothy C. Harris said he wasn't resisting

A Topeka police body camera video captured this image of Timothy C. Harris during an incident in which he suffered a broken jaw. Harris is pursuing a civil lawsuit linked to the case against a Topeka police officer.

In the incident that triggered the suit, Topeka police said Harris and Janes got into an altercation as Janes sought to investigate an allegation that Harris had committed theft.

The Topeka Capital-Journal used an open records request to obtain a body camera video of the incident in September 2018.

In the video, Janes appears to approach Harris' vehicle because of a parking issue.

Janes, Harris and a woman in the car engage in an exchange about parking and another person's possessions, the video shows.

Eventually, Harris asks, "So what's going on sir?"

"You're being detained is what's going on," Janes replies.

The passenger asks, "Detained for what?"

Harris gets out of the car and the officer says, "I didn't ask you to get out of the car."

A few moments later, Harris is taken to the ground.

Janes tells Harris to stop trying to get up several times.

"I'm not trying to get up  you're laying on me," Harris says at one point.

"Why are you punching him?" the woman yells.

About six minutes into the encounter, backup arrives and an ambulance is requested.

An officer tells Harris he is bleeding.

Harris' face appears to have been pepper-sprayed and bloodied.

"This is ridiculous," Harris says. "I wasn't resisting or nothing."

"You absolutely were," Janes tells him.

Police said Janes acted reasonably

Then-Topeka Police Chief Bill Cochran, who is now interim city manager, said the department reviewed the incident and determined the amount of force used was reasonable for the situation involved.

Harris was arrested on an outstanding warrant charging him with violating conditions of probation, which had been imposed after he was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia and interfering with a law enforcement officer.

More: Population growth, COVID among concerns as Topeka mayor, city manager lay out vision for 2022

Harris was also charged with crimes involving his actions linked to the altercation. He was found guilty of interfering with a law enforcement officer and parallel parking more than 12 inches from the curb, according to Topeka Municipal Court records.

Other charges filed against Harris were dismissed, including battery of a law enforcement officer and disobeying a lawful police order.

The civil suit filed on Harris' behalf in September 2018 contends he was beaten and his jaw was broken. It alleges Harris' Fourth Amendment right regarding seizure and 14th Amendment right to due process were violated.

Judge rejected qualified immunity argument

Janes in April 2019 sought the dismissal of Harris' lawsuit count against Janes, saying he was entitled to qualified immunity because his use of force wasn't an "arbitrary governmental action" and didn't violate Harris' constitutional rights.

U.S. District Judge Sam Crow rejected that argument in an August 2019 ruling, saying Janes wasn't entitled to qualified immunity.

Crow wrote that a reasonable jury could conclude that Janes violated Harris' Fourth Amendment rights because of the amount of force he used on Harris while he was handcuffed and not resisting.

Janes should have known that, under legal precedent, It was unconstitutional to take down the arrestee face-first, to apply knee pressure to his back, to punch him in the face, and to pepper spray him when the arrestee is restrained by handcuffs, is cooperating by walking to the patrol car and is not resisting, Crow wrote.

Crows ruling was appealed to the Denver-based 10th Circuit Appeals Court.

It denied the appeal in July 2020, saying it lacked jurisdiction to consider Janes' appeal.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Suit alleging unreasonable use of force by Topeka officer continues
Law enforcement agents from South Carolina and York County issued 13 violations and citations late Tuesday for alleged underage sale of alcohol to minors, officials said.

A compliance check of businesses was done Tuesday by York County Alcohol Enforcement Team, which includes members of the county drug unit, Rock Hill Police Department, York County Sheriffs Office, and agents from South Carolinas State Law Enforcement Division, said B.J. Kennedy, commander of the York County drug unit.

The 13 businesses received violations of their alcohol licenses from SLED, Kennedy said. The persons who allegedly sold alcohol to minors working with law enforcement received citations, Kennedy said.

It is illegal in South Carolina to sell alcohol to anyone under age 21, state law shows.

Officials checked 100 businesses Tuesday, Kennedy said.

The citations, all misdemeanors, were given to businesses in Rock Hill, and Fort Mill, Kennedy said.. . The check is done to try and curtail underage drinking, Kennedy said.

According to information released by law enforcement, citations were given at the following businesses:

Rock Hill

Applebees, 2227 Dave Lyle Boulevard.

Chilis Grill & Bar, 630 Tinsley Way.

Rock Hill Brewing and Millstone Pizza, 121 Caldwell St.

Courtyard by Marriott, 1300 River Run.

Fuji Japan, 2455 Cherry Road.

TJs Family Restaurant, 1019 McConnells Highway.

Fort Mill

Spice Asian Kitchen, 251 Textile Way

Salmeris Italian Kitchen, 526 Mercantile Place.

Tru by Hilton, 120 Crisanto Avenue.

Panchitos Mexican Grill, 3695 Foothills Way.

Lets Crab, 501 Crossroads Plaza.

Blue Olive Lounge, 929 Crossroads Plaza.

Towne Place Suites, 3519 Lakemont Boulevard.
A 22-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in the slaying of a 6-month-old boy less than 24 hours earlier, Atlanta police said.

The man, Dequasie Little, was taken into custody in nearby Decatur on Tuesday morning on suspicion of murder and aggravated assault, police said.

Little is accused of opening fire Monday afternoon in a drive-by shooting near Atlanta's Anderson Park, striking the infant, who was in a nearby vehicle, police said.

The baby died at a hospital. The Fulton County medical examiners office identified him as Grayson Fleming.

Police said neither the baby nor his family were the targets.

It is not clear whether Little has an attorney. Atlanta public defenders did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Six-month-old Grayson Fleming. (Fulton County Sheriff's Office)

Little has been arrested multiple times in the region since 2019 on charges of assault, strangulation and battery, according to jail records, which do not show the disposition of each case.

In announcing the arrest, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Police Chief Rodney Bryant expressed anguish Tuesday over Graysons death, characterizing it as a needless loss for his parents and for the region.

"Every child in this city is our own," Dickens said.

Grayson is the third young child to be shot in the city this year.

In the two other incidents this month, a 1-year-old died three days after an apparent accidental shooting by another child who found an unsecured gun, and a shootout between drivers injured a 5-year-old who was nearby, police said.

Police alleged that adult negligence resulted in the shooting of the 1-year-old, and the victim's mother has been charged.

The children are bearing the brunt and losing their lives because adults are unable to settle their disputes without going to guns, Dickens said Monday at the scene of the shooting.

Bryant, who said Tuesday that the department swarmed Grayson's case with intelligence analysts, as well as the gang unit and the homeland security team, praised Little's swift arrest but said it is a relatively small consolation.

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"Im mad as hell that the incident occurred in the first place," Bryant said. "We are seeing too many instances where people dont know how to resolve a conflict. When the mayor and I were able to talk to the mother of this child, we were speechless. What can you say to a mother thats lost a child  to nonsense? To nonsense."

It is not clear what led police to arrest Little, but Bryant indicated that the release of security video that showed a vehicle of interest triggered valuable tips.

"As we put out information, people were calling in and giving us as much information as they could," Bryant said. "We're confident we have the shooter."

The vehicle was found by police in South Fulton, a city south of Atlanta, he said.

Investigators believe other people may be connected to the case, and more arrests could be forthcoming, Bryant said.

"We are still early in this investigation," he said. "Anybody who thinks they will commit violence in our city, were coming at you with everything we got."
The Mitchell Park Domes are back, reopening with the Domes' popular annual train show.

1. Mitchell Park Domes' 'Barrio Train' show

The Mitchell Park Domes, which have been closed since New Year's because of staffing issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic, are scheduled to reopen Jan. 29 with "Barrio Train," the Domes' annual train show, this year celebrating the park's south side neighborhood. The show, which runs through April 3, has timed-entry admission. Tickets are $8, $7 for Milwaukee County residents; $6 for students, kids ages 6 to 17 and people with disabilities ($5 for county residents); $8 for seniors ($5 for county residents); and free for children 5 and younger. Masks are required inside the Domes. Info (including tickets and hours): mitchellparkdomes.com.

RELATED: Whats going on in southeastern Wisconsin area in winter 2021'-22

2. Candlelight Hike & Ski at Lapham Peak

The Friends of Lapham Peak host a candlelight hike and ski event starting at 6 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Kettle Moraine State Forest Lapham Peak Unit's Homestead Hollow area, W329-N846 County Highway C, Delafield. A 2022 Wisconsin State Parks vehicle admission sticker or a $5 special event vehicle admission fee is required, along with free ticket vouchers for each car. Vouchers are first-come, first-served, available at the Lapham Peak office. Entrants should arrive during the time frame specified in the voucher. Call 262-646-3025 to confirm office hours. Info: laphampeakfriends.org.

RELATED: Candlelight hike, ski and snowshoe events around Wisconsin in 2022

3. Wicked Hop's ice bar opens in the Third Ward

The Wicked Hop's ice bar returns Jan. 28.

After a year off (stupid pandemic), the ice bar cometh back Jan. 28 to the Wicked Hop, the Third Ward spot at 345 N. Broadway. (Weather permitting, of course.) The outdoor bar will be serving up specialty cocktails for the hardy in spirit and wardrobe, along with other beverages from the Third Ward spot's menu. Info: The Wicked Hop Facebook page.

RELATED: The Wicked Hop in Milwaukee's Third Ward is bringing back its ice bar this month

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Contact Chris Foran at chris.foran@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @cforan12.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Things you probably should be doing in Milwaukee this weekend
Last week, the Caddo Parish Commission approved the construction of the Red River Express, a private road over the namesake river that would provide drivers crossing between Bossier City and Shreveport a route guaranteed to bypass Bossier Citys infamous train stoppages for a fare.

The Red River Express has already received approval from the Bossier Parish Police Jury, giving its construction all of the required clearance.

The bridge will be constructed by Tim James, Inc., a company based out of Alabama. Here are four things TJI Co-Owner Tim James, Jr. shared about the approved bridge.

It is a new option to get from downtown to South Bossier

It will be the fourth option drivers have for traveling between downtown Shreveport and South Bossier.

The Red River Express will be built between Flournoy Lucas Road in Caddo Parish and Louisiana Highway 71 in Bossier Parish and would be the most southern connection between the Parishes amongst the three other options, which include the Texas Bridge, the Shreveport-Barksdale Bridge, and the Jimmie Davis bridge.

The project is 100 percent privately funded

More: Caddo Parish Commission moves Ring doorbell vote, approves Red River tollway construction

James said the project will not receive any public funding. He also said all profits would go to TJI, which owns similar private tollways in Alabama. James said he realized the opportunity to bring his business to the area after being caught in a long traffic stoppage caused by a parked train.

All school buses and emergency vehicles can cross the bridge for free

Ambulances, state trooper cars, fire engines, other emergency vehicles and schools buses will be allowed to use the bridge for free.

8 new miles

The entire project will create about 8 miles of new road, most of which will be free to the public.

Travelers can use most of the roadway and never pay a toll," James said.

Kendrick Dante writes for the USA Today Network and is a government watchdog reporter in Shreveport, Louisiana. He enjoys cooking, concerts, and content. Email him at kdbrown1@gannett.com or connect on Twitter @kendrickdante.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: 4 things to know about the Red River Express tollway
Cambridge Municipal Airport officials met with Cambridge and Guernsey County leaders on Tuesday to continue discussions regarding needs at the general aviation facility on Brick Church Road south of the city.

After the City of Cambridge and Guernsey County contributed $65,000 apiece to help the airport with a projected budget shortfall for daily operations during 2022, Manager Terry Losego sought to discuss potential "in-kind" services by the city and county to address other issues at the airport.

"First, I want to say thank you for the appropriations by both the city and county that's going to save us and allow us to operate somewhat in a normal manner this year with the exception of some trees that we need to deal with and crack repairs," said Losego.

The trees and accompanying brush referred to by Losego are located in Chapman Run and create a safety hazard for pilots.

"The last 20 years I have taken care of those trees with community works from the (Guernsey County) common pleas court, but because of COVID we have not had those workers for the last five or six months," said Losego. "The trees are at the same level as the airport and the FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) is not happy."

According to Losego, FAA requirements prevent trees from being more than 6 inches higher than the runway for 250 feet from the centerline in each direction.

Portions of Chapman Run are located within 40 to 50 feet of the airport's runway.

The estimated cost in the airport's budget to remove the trees is $10,000, which all in attendance agreed would be significantly higher if professional tree crews are hired for the job.

Losego proposed the city, county and Guernsey County Community Development Corporation, which was represented at the meeting by Director Ron Gombeda, join forces to tackle the job and save funds for other needs at the facility.

Commissioner Dave Wilson said the county would need to work through Engineer Paul Sherry, as the engineer's office/highway department is the only county department that has the equipment to assist with the project.

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"We would need to get Paul involved because we don't have any authority over their budget," said Wilson.

Cambridge Service Director & Superintendent Tom Lanning and Gombeda agreed to take a look at the area along Chapman Run along with Sherry to determine what the project would require from each agency.

"We can help," said Gombeda. "That's not an issue, but I am concerned about the size of the trees and how far down in the run they are located."

The group is expected to visit the grounds before the next meeting in March.

The crack repairs on the runway and two taxiways that connect the runway with aprons, hangars, terminals and other facilities is expected to cost the airport $26,000 based on an estimate obtained by Losego.

The dilemma facing airport officials is a proposed $1.8 million grant by the FAA that would take care of most of the project, but requires a local match.

"The FAA is more than likely going to offer us a grant in the spring that could do everything," he said of the crack repairs.

Losego said the airport has $56,000 in funds that could be used toward an $87,000 local match that is based on an engineer's estimate. The project that requires a 10% match to receive FAA funding with the State of Ohio paying the other $87,000.

The airport would still be required to pay non-API eligible costs resulting from the FAA not paying for certain areas of aprons or taxiways.

A 50-foot area in front of the main hanger would cost the airport approximately $51,000 and a 27-foot section of taxiway that would cost the airport $84,000 to fix.

The FAA is also expected to offer a $1.3 million grant that would allow for the majority of the project to be completed, but not all of the necessary repairs.

The airport is facing a May 1 deadline to inform the FAA if they have the support and funding to move forward with the grant.

Losego also discussed infrastructure funding potentially available to the airport after five annual installments of $110,000 was approved. He said the problem is they don't know if the funds will requirement a local match or the requirements for project funding.

"We are trying to find those things out," said Losego.

The airport is also exploring other funding options potentially available to the facility.

The group agreed to meet again at 10 a.m. March 1 to further discuss the issues facing the airport.

In the meantime, officials will view Chapman Run and seek answers to some of the questions regarding potential funding sources and grant requirements.

In other business, commissioners approved the following resolutions:

Two projects by JERCO Mechanicals of Cambridge at the Guernsey County Jail. The projects include a sewer line excavation to include removal of a washer and dryer to repair or replace a cast iron pipe in the laundry area at a cost of $6,250 and replacing a 100 gallon high-efficiency hot water tank for $11,789. Both projects will be paid from the County Building Fund with an expected completion date of Feb. 3.

Amendments of $1,500 for Fair Housing and $37,100 for Home/Building Repair were approved for the county's Temporary Appropriations for 2022.

Established new Public Health Workforce Grant and COVID-19 Vaccination Grant funds at the request of the Guernsey County Auditor's Office. The funds will be administered by the Cambridge-Guernsey County Health Department.

Approved overtime for a county maintenance department employee.

Appoint Commissioner Dave Wilson to serve as an ex-officio member of the Guernsey County Visitors and Convention Bureau Board.

Appoint Commissioner Jack Marlin to serve on the Southeast Diversified Industries Board.

Guernsey County commissioners meet each Tuesday and Thursday in the County Administration Building, 627 Wheeling Ave. in downtown Cambridge.

To be placed on the agenda, call the office at 740-432-9200.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Airport officials continue funding discussions with county, city
Hospitals in Alabama need blood. Its essential to save lives, but right now, there isnt enough to meet demands.

We're in a very precarious situation, Alabama Hospital Association president Dr. Don Williamson said. We've certainly got places in the state that if we had a major trauma event, we would be very, very seriously challenged to be able to have enough blood to respond to that.

While the scarcity of blood concerns the entire state, Williamson said he worries most about trauma centers such as Baptist South in Montgomery, East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika and UAB Hospital in Birmingham.

AMERICAN RED CROSS: Check here for a nearby location or make an appointment

LIFESOUTH COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTERS: Find out more about donating blood

That's where patients are going to get routed to, and so those are the places where the blood shortage is going to be most dire, he said.

The largest blood supplier in the state, LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, had less than a full days supply of O negative on hand in Alabama as of Tuesday morning. Williamson called O negative the shock absorber for trauma events.

Because a person with O negative blood is known as the universal donor, the American Red Cross says it is usually the first type to run out during a shortage.

Including all types of blood, Alabama has, at most, a four-day reserve, Williamson said.

The situation first became problematic in November but has worsened to the point where doctors are calling it the worst shortage in the last decade.

Evidently, the shortage is another consequence of two years in the COVID pandemic. The Red Cross reports a 10% decline in the number of people donating blood since the pandemic began and a 62% drop in blood drives at schools and colleges.

A lack of staffing may be a contributing factor as well.

The current shortage is critical. Its unlike anything weve seen in years, CEO and president of East Alabama Medical Center Laura Grill said.

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Grill joined five other Alabama hospital executives in an urgent call for blood donations on Tuesday. The Alabama Hospital Association distributed the video on social media.

Having an adequate supply of blood is essential to providing care to some of our sickest and most vulnerable patients, and right now, we simply dont have enough, Dothans Flowers Hospital CEO Jeff Brannon said.

The lack of supply sometimes forces doctors into the position of deciding which patients will receive immediate transfusions and which will have to wait for more blood to become available. Williamson said elective procedures will be the first to go so that hospitals can prioritize blood usage for patients who have been shot or in car accidents.

For those looking to donate blood, visit LifeSouth.org or RedCrossBlood.org and locate a blood drive nearby.

During the month of January, donors through Red Cross will automatically be entered for a chance to win a trip to the Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, a home theater package or a $500 e-gift card.

Hadley Hitson covers the rural South for the Montgomery Advertiser and Report for America. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Blood shortage leaves Alabama hospitals begging for donations
The former Albertsons grocery store, located at 716 I-40 West, was approved for purchase by Amarillo College for $4 million Tuesday night.

The Amarillo College Board of Regents approved the purchase of a former Albertson's building during their meeting Tuesday night.

The former Albertsons grocery store, located at 716 I-40 West just off the interstate and Washington, was authorized for purchase at $4 million. The location includes 57,149 square feet of space to be utilized by the college.

Chris Sharp, vice president of business affairs for AC, described the benefits of purchasing the space in a news release.

"This is a very good deal at a very fair price. ...That, along with the opportunity it gives us to one day move some of our technical education programs to a more convenient location, one very near our largest campus on Washington Street, is what convinced us that this is an especially prudent acquisition for the College to pursue," Sharp said.

More: Texas Techs inaugural nursing program kicks off with 20 students in Amarillo

Amarillo College approved the purchase of a former Albertsons grocery store at 716 I-40 West, which spans over 57,000 sq. ft.

The board's unanimous vote of approval authorized Sharp to close the transaction on the property, which is currently under lease to a retail furniture business through August.

Amarillo College has no immediate plans for the space, but it has considered relocating some of the technical education programs from the East Campus to the new site within the next three to five years.

"The purchase of the building is really exciting because it could get us closer to the community and the students that we serve. ... It means that we could further our abilities in training the students to meet today's highly technical workforce," said David Hall, associate dean of Technical Education at AC.

Some examples of technical education programs that could one day be offered at the new location are machining technology, HVAC and welding, among others.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo College approves purchase of old Albertsons for $4 million
A memorial for 8-year-old Melissa Ortega grows Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022 at the corner of West 26th Street and South Pulaski Road where she was shot and killed Saturday in Little Village. Chicago police announced charges Wednesday against two suspects in her killing. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune) (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

A man and a 16-year-old boy were charged with murder Wednesday in the fatal shooting of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega, who was shot in the head as she walked through Little Village holding hands with her mother last weekend, Chicago police Superintendent David Brown and city leaders announced.

We have found the offenders responsible for taking Melissas life and they have been charged, Brown said at a news conference Wednesday at police headquarters. Our city has been shaken, and no one can make sense of this tragedy.

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Even in a city wracked by violence and by no means unfamiliar with heartbreaking headlines, Melissas death cut at the heart of Chicagos ongoing violence problem. A young family came to the city seeking a better life, and instead a child was cut down in broad daylight in a gang shooting.

The announcement of charges Wednesday included no less than Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Brown, two aldermen, Cook County States Attorney Kim Foxx and the Police Departments chief of detectives, among others.

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Imagine coming to Chicago to make a better life for your family and losing your child literally as youre walking down the street hand in hand thinking about lighter moments, Lightfoot said, appearing to hold back tears.

As a mother myself its hard for me to imagine the pain that Araceli (Melissas mother) feels, Lightfoot said. No one should have to endure this kind of pain.

Melissas family had immigrated to the U.S. last year.

The teenager, who was not identified, was charged as an adult with murder, attempted murder and two counts of discharging a firearm and was believed to be the shooter, Brown said.

The 16-year-old was expected in bond court Thursday. The Tribune is not identifying him before authorities announce his name, but a review of court documents showed he had a history of arrests, including for carjacking.

Xavier Guzman, 27, who was allegedly driving the vehicle used during the attack, was also charged with murder and attempted murder.

Pastor Matt DeMateo, of New Life Community Church, who has been helping Melissas mother, Aracelia Leanos, shared a statement on her behalf at the news conference.

New Life Church Pastor Matt DeMateo shares a statement on behalf of Melissa Ortega's mother, Aracelia Leanos, at a news conference on Jan. 26, 2022. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

God gained an angel but I will always remember her infectious smile, Leanos said in the statement. As DeMateo read, the room at police headquarter grew silent.

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To the aggressor. I forgive you. You were a victim too. As a 16-year-old, the community failed you, just like it failed my precious baby, Leanos said in the statement.

Words cannot describe the pain I am feeling. On January 22 I lost my greatest treasure in life. I lost my princess. She was the reason why I got up every morning.

Leanos family was filled with dreams and had high aspirations when they moved to the United States, her mother said. We imagined a better life here. We came in search of the American Dream we so famously hear of but instead I get to live a nightmare for the rest of my life.

Leanos pleaded that Melissas death not be in vain and that the community should be filled with sadness and anger too.

How is it possible that a little girl dies in broad daylight? How is it possible that we can send men to Mars but we cant fix the gun violence in our city? her statement read.

According to Brown, just before 3 p.m. Saturday officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert at 26th Street and Komensky Avenue. Three alleged gang members were standing at that corner when someone emerged near an alley to the south of them and fired a handgun, striking Melissa in the head and the intended victim, an unidentified 29-year-old man, in the back as he tried to run from the gunfire, Brown said.

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Officials said the 29-year-old was in fair condition after the shooting.

Detectives tracked the car used in the shooting using surveillance video. Video showed a passenger get out of the vehicle, fire shots then get back in the vehicle and flee the scene.

A man and his 9-year-old daughter were parked nearby and their vehicle was also hit several times by gunfire. The two narrowly escaped harm, Brown said.

The car used in the slaying was found Monday and officials identified the driver, Brown said. Detectives also found the handgun used in the shooting in the vehicle, which matched the shell casings and bullets found at the scene, Brown said.

In a rare appearance at police headquarters, Foxx called the killing horrific and said Melissas life was an American Dream lost.

Foxx and Brown said its important for community members to work with police to help charge shooting suspects as they did in this case.

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We could not be here without the commitment of the members of the community who are willing to step up and speak out on behalf of Melissa and those who have been impacted by her tragic death. We are grateful to the community, Foxx said.

In the statement read by DeMateo, Melissas mother related that moments before the shooting, she and the girl had been holding hands when the child asked Leanos to buy her a hamburger. Of course, her mother replied. You promise? Melissa said. Her mom asked her if she wanted one now or after they went to the bank. We can go later, Im not that hungry right now, Melissa said.

In that moment I promised her I would buy her that hamburger. However, I couldnt. I wasnt able to fulfill that promise. My daughter stopped holding my hand and without explanation, I found her on the floor with a puddle of blood and a bullet to her head Leanos said in the statement.

Lightfoot said she hopes the announcement of charges in the slaying will bring some solace to the community and send a message to criminals.

Little Village residents are afraid to leave their homes as the community has endured too much violence, Lightfoot said. She said city leaders need to work with stakeholders to end the violence.

Its way past time that we act, that we come together, that we bring peace to this beautiful, vibrant community of Little Village, Lightfoot said. We have to provide every possible support and resource that amplifies the strength and vibrancy of this community.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a news conference on Jan. 26, 2022, about the fatal shooting of 8-year-old Melissa Ortega. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Melissa was a third grader at Emiliano Zapata Academy. She and her family had moved to the Little Village neighborhood in August from her hometown of Los Sauces, in the Mexican state of Zacatecas, where she is expected to be buried, according to information from a verified GoFundMe account.

As of Wednesday morning, the online fundraiser had amassed donations totaling more than $68,000 from some 1,700 contributors hoping to help the family transport Melissa back to her native Mexico for burial.

In a statement at the time, the Chicago Teachers Union lamented the shooting of another innocent child and extended its condolences to the Ortega family and all those who knew Melissa from Zapata Academy, saying it sends its love to Melissas family and the Zapata Academy community, and wish them peace and healing from this heartbreaking tragedy.

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Chicago Tribunes Paige Fry and Gregory Pratt contributed.

kdouglas@chicagotribune.com

rsobol@chicagotribune.com

rsobol@chicagotribune.com

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mcrepeau@chicagotribune.com
Authorities are searching for convicted sex offender Bruce Orville Clifton, who on Jan. 21 absconded from the El Paso Multi-Use Facility in Horizon City.

He was allowed to go to work but never returned to the facility at 1650 Horizon Blvd. and his current whereabouts are unknown, the El Paso County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

Convicted sex offender Bruce Orville Clifton

More: Wanted sex offender arrested in South-Central El Paso after absconding from halfway house

More: El Paso man, 24, sentenced to prison for sex with 13-year-old girl

Clifton now is wanted on a parole violation warrant and an additional charge of sex offender's duty to register is forthcoming, the release said.

His last location according to his GPS monitor was the 600 block of South Santa Fe St. in El Paso.

Authorities said his sex offenses are two counts of sexual assault of a child, who was a 13- and 14-year-old girl, and the sexual battery of a 34-year-old woman.

He currently is on parole for the sexual assault of the child.

Anyone with information on his location should call the El Paso County Sheriffs Office at 915-538-2008.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso authorities seek convicted sex offender Bruce Orville Clifton
You can take the girl out of Savannah, all vaxxed, boosted, careful and cautious, yet there we are, peering through the tiny, double-hung wooden windows of the house on the hill, just down from the Crescent Hotel, watching the day unfold through the Ozark Mountains, waiting for the biscuits  and the sun  to rise.

Thats what happens when you play your cards right, when you bring the perfect hostess gift and, glory be, your hostess picks up the hint, opens the cookbook and while youre still asleep starts cutting the butter and heating the oven for biscuits from Cheryl Days Treasury of Southern Cooking. It was a quid pro quo moment. If you bring it, they will bake it.

If youre lucky.

What will she try tomorrow?

More: Learn to make the ultimate Southern biscuit with Cheryl Day of Back in the Day Bakery

Baking from 'Cheryl Days Treasury of of Southern Baking.'

Since Ive been visiting this tiny community of Eureka Springs, where I lived for nine years, tucked away in northwest Arkansas, Im aware of the usual problems facing many towns, including Savannah: not enough affordable housing, too many cars, inadequate public transportation, hordes of motorcycle aficionados disturbing the peace, an uneven tourist season.

But this trip I hear of a new problem  thousands of black vultures or red-headed turkey vultures or plain old buzzards. They arrive in September or October, roost all over town, leave their poop, go after anything that resembles rubber, such as windshield wipers, car door insulation, roofing material. They swoop, they circle, they dive, especially around sunrise or sunset. They chase away other birds. And then theres the noise employed to discourage their presence when people bang wooden spoons on cooking pots. Municipalities resort to the occasional sonic cannon.

Jane Fishman: The women of Re:Purpose Savannah are reclaiming wood and history without a man's help

Some folks love their choreographic beauty in the sky (Be sure to go down Ridgeway and Linwood streets, I am told). Others deplore everything about them: their droppings, their destruction, their persistence.

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But heres the rub. Vultures are a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. They cant legally be killed without permission from the federal government. Sigh. How nice, I think, not to have that problem in Savannah.

A black vulture is shown in flight. Note the white tips to the underside of the feathers, one of the tell-tale signs of a black vulture.

Other than that, there are the usual snags everyone faces in this game of life, like a couple of those innocent pink survey markers that appear seemingly overnight. Never a good sign, especially when they show up next to your isolated house in the country where youve put down your own stakes decades earlier. Really? Theyre building RIGHT NEXT TO our house?

There goes the view.

There goes the privacy.

There goes the neighborhood.

OK, OK, the conversation goes. In the whole scheme of things, its not so bad. There are worse things to complain about. It doesnt take long before the discussion moves on to turkey tail mushrooms (its trending and theyre not vultures), the virus (take your pick), to which restaurant has outdoor seating, to who you can trust, to the latest numbers. You trade stories, you trade masks. Ill give you three white N95s for one black one.

Jane Fishman: An ode to the mercurial nature of January and worrying. Maybe we need more time to reassess.

And then you sigh, get another cup of coffee and pile into the car for an outing. You take a day trip on the twisty mountain roads of the Ozarks to the two cultural game-changers for people who live in this part of the world. You visit the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and The Momentary  two contemporary art spaces that have put Bentonville on the map.

The Momentary, a contemporary art space in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Skeptics scoff and mock at anything related to Walmart  I couldnt possibly support anything having to do with them  in the same way they bash Jeff Bezos, all the while using Amazon to order whatever they want  until they visit either one of these museums. Like Savannahs Jepson Center for the Arts, Crystal Bridges was designed by architect Moshe Safdie. The collections rotate. Alice Walton, the Walmart heiress and brains behind the project, spares no expense to scour the country looking for undiscovered artists.

It doesnt stop there.

Now theres The Momentary, a satellite museum. It opened in February 2020 in an old nearby Kraft cheese factory. The retrofitted interior is stunning, spacious, cutting edge. P.S., both museums are free. Every day. Year-round. How many museums can make that boost?

Jane Fishman: Confusion ensues when weather and holidays collide

The town of Bentonville has also put its money behind beautifully maintained paved bike trails. The Razorback Greenway connects to Fayetteville, nearly 40 miles away.

Its a hard sell getting people to visit Arkansas. But its worth a visit. You might even get some of Cheryl Days biscuits.

Jane Fishman is a contributing lifestyles columnist. Contact her at gofish5@earthlink.net or call 912-484-3045. See more columns by Jane at SavannahNow.com/lifestyle/

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Looking for a nice family trip? Try Bentonville, Arkansas
Andrew Harnik/AP/Shutterstock

The Biden administration announced it was withdrawing its vaccine mandate for businesses with more than 100 employees, effective Jan. 26, according to a statement from the U.S. Department of Labors Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) on its website. The announcement follows the Supreme Courts decision, delivered earlier this month, to block federal vaccine mandates. The economic outcome of these moves, and the decisions to follow, remain to be seen.

See: As the US Awaits Pfizers Omicron Vaccine, Biden Administration Gets At-Home COVID Tests Privately Insured

Find: Employment: SCOTUS Blocks Vaccine Mandate for Large Employers  How Will It Impact the Labor Shortage?

Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard, the OSHA statement read. OSHA strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace.

Following the Supreme Courts decision, President Joe Biden said he was disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law. This emergency standard allowed employers to require vaccinations or to permit workers to refuse to be vaccinated, so long as they were tested once a week and wore a mask at work: a very modest burden, per a statement posted to the White House website on Jan. 13.

OSHAs announcement comes on the heels of a few bad weeks for biopharma stocks, which had previously soared. The Motley Fool reports that on Jan. 24, COVID-19 vaccine makers Novavax and Moderna suffered declines of 6.1% and nearly 2%, respectively, although at one point shares of Novavax were down by as much as 21%. Moderna was down nearly 14% during a trading session that at one point saw the S&P 500 in the red by 2.5% before it bounced back to close with a slight gain.

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Even with their partial recoveries, however, Monday extended a run of sizable declines by these companies over the course of the past several weeks. Novavax is now down 66% from last months peak, and Moderna is currently 68% below its August high. Most of their peers have suffered similar sell-offs, according to The Motley Fools report.

The Motley Fool adds that government mandates for vaccination which were proving a boon for vaccine manufacturers  or that were expected to do so  are also now hitting judicial branch roadblocks.

Learn: Senior Safety: Medicare Doesnt Cover Rapid Tests  Is Anything Being Done to Protect Seniors From COVID?

Explore: 5 Things You Might Not Know About Moderna

Just days after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Bidens plans to require large companies to require all employees to either get vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested for it regularly, many corporations have dialed back their own efforts to protect their employees and customers from exposure to the disease. Starbucks, for instance, abandoned its internal mandate for employees. Other organizations like workwear maker Carhartt continue to require vaccinations even in the absence of a federal mandate, but that company now faces a backlash as conservatives on social media are calling for a boycott of the brand, the report detailed.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Biden Admin Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate  Will the Decision Hurt Stock Prices?
President Joe Biden said Tuesday there could be some U.S. troop movements in the "nearer term" in Eastern Europe -- and that he would consider personally sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia invades Ukraine -- a day after 8,500 American forces were put on "heightened alert" in the region.

"If he were to move in with all those forces, it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world," Biden told reporters at an unannounced stop at a local business in Washington.

MORE: Biden meets with Europeans about Ukraine as US puts 8,500 troops on 'heightened alert' to be sent to region

Asked about what would lead him to deploy the troops staging nearby, Biden said that depends on "what Putin does or doesn't do" but he repeated that American forces would not move into Ukraine.

PHOTO: President Joe Biden talks to reporters about Russia and the crisis in Ukraine as he pays a visit to a small clothing and gifts store on Capitol Hill in Washington, Jan. 25, 2022. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

"I may be moving some of those troops in the nearer term, just because it takes time," Biden said, adding it's not to be "provocative" but to reassure NATO allies whom have reasons for concern.

"We have no intention of putting American forces, or NATO forces, in Ukraine. But we -- as I said -- they're gonna be serious economic consequences if he [Putin] moves," Biden added.

MORE: US accuses Russia of 'fabricating a pretext' to invade Ukraine

Asked whether the risk of an invasion is increasing, decreasing or steady, Biden compared assessing Putin's intentions to "reading tea leaves."

"The fact that he continues to build forces along Ukraine's border from Belarus, all the way around, you'd say, 'Well that means that he is looking like he's trying to do something.' But then you look at what his past behavior is and what everyone is saying on his team, as well as everyone else, as to what is likely to happen. It all comes down to his -- his decision-making," Biden said.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force Airmen from the 60th Aerial Port Squadron load cargo on to a 757 at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Jan. 22, 2022. (Nicholas Pilch/U.S. Air Force)

Amid the escalating tensions, Biden had a one hour and 20-minute conference call from the White House on Monday with the leaders of the European Commission, European Council, NATO, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the United Kingdom, according to the White House, which said they planned to "discuss diplomacy, deterrence and defense efforts" as well as what would constitute potential sanctions against Russia.

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MORE: DHS warns of Russian cyberattack on US if it responds to Ukraine invasion

The White House said after the call that Biden and European leaders "reiterated their continued concern about the Russian military build-up on Ukraine's borders" and also discussed "preparations to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia for such actions as well as to reinforce security on NATO's eastern flank."

"We're all on the same page," Biden said Tuesday. "You've got to make it clear that that there's no reason for anyone, any member of NATO, to worry whether or not we would, we NATO, would come to their defense."

Biden warns he would sanction Putin personally if Russia invades Ukraine originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
South Africas Sun Exchange, a solar power investing community that uses bitcoin to raise capital and to make payments to its investors, says it has completed the highest value crowdsourced project of any kind in Africa.

The Nhimbe Fresh project in Zimbabwe, a grower of berries and vegetables comprising 250 smallholder farmers, raised funds for about $1.4 million worth of solar cells, bought by more than 1,905 individuals across 98 countries, with most of them transacting in bitcoin.

Sun Exchange deployed the first bitcoin-funded solar project back in 2016, which was presented at CoinDesks Consensus event in New York that year. Sun Exchange has now funded more than 50 solar projects, raising over $9 million, and its one of the few ambitious projects from the early days to still be around and thriving.

Read more: Blockchain Startup Sun Exchange Raises $1.6 Million in New Seed Funding

These projects are mainly in schools, farms, supermarkets and retirement homes, many of them in South Africa, Sun Exchange founder Abe Cambridge said in an interview. These are organizations which otherwise wouldnt have the capital available to build their solar plant, nor would they really want to go and raise debt.

Workers at the Nhimbe Fresh farm in Zimbabwe. (Sun Exchange)

'Virtuous spiral

Sun Exchanges proposition provides a baked-in carbon offsetting component for environmentally conscious bitcoiners. (Projects like Filecoin Green have been looking at ways to meld carbon offsetting into crypto.)

In fact, there are parallel philosophies of democratization behind both cryptocurrency and solar, enabling access to finance and energy, Cambridge said.

A beautiful sort of virtuous spiral happens when you invest bitcoin into solar, Cambridge said. It takes about 320 megawatt hours of electricity to mine one bitcoin. But when you use that bitcoin to buy into solar energy, those generation assets youve just purchased with your one bitcoin will produce 3.6 gigawatt hours. So, over 10 times more energy.

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Sun Exchange allows any investor to own solar power assets, which are typically panels on roofs, which then earn back a yield over a 20-year lease period. The yield is around 11% in South African rand (ZAR), which is then converted into bitcoin for payment to the wallets of international investors.

Read more: One Man's Mission to Deploy Solar-Powered Bitcoin Nodes Across Africa

A system of dollar cost averaging, a way of smoothing out bitcoins price volatility by buying the cryptocurrency over time, is employed by the project to boost contributors yield potential.

BTC payouts are done monthly against the spot ZAR/BTC price at the time. So if BTC price drops by half one month, you would earn twice as much BTC over that if the BTC price had stayed the same as the prior month. As the BTC price recovers, that price gain acts to boost the value of accumulated BTC, a Sun Exchange spokeswoman told CoinDesk by email.

And there are other virtuous elements in this circle, such as the hardening of energy security, reliability and access in emerging markets, Cambridge said. The Zimbabwe project has a battery storage element in case of any vagaries relating to the national grid, while South Africa, where many of the platforms solar projects are based, experiences periodic rolling blackouts.

Sun Exchange also recently kicked off the crowdsale for the Karoo Fresh project, the first system to be completely off-grid.

For me, it seems like a tragic waste of energy if the value of bitcoin is not put to good use like this, Cambridge said. The fact that we actually built a portal to help unlock that value and good which bitcoin can do is I think why weve got the traction in the market that we have.
The outside of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston says it will not perform a heart transplant on a patient who refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19, as is required.

The family of DJ Ferguson, a 31-year-old father of three, says he was at the top of the list to receive a heart transplant, but the hospital has deemed him ineligible due to his refusal to get vaccinated. DJ's father, David, told CBS Boston that getting a COVID-19 vaccine is "kind of against" his son's "basic principles  he doesn't believe in it. It's a policy they are enforcing and so, because he won't get the shot, they took him off the list [for] a heart transplant."

In a statement, Brigham and Women's Hospital defended its policy, saying, "Like many other transplant programs in the United States, the COVID-19 vaccine is one of several vaccines and lifestyle behaviors required for transplant candidates in the Mass General Brigham system in order to create both the best chance for a successful operation and also the patient's survival after transplantation."

After any kind of organ transplant, the patient's immune system "is shut off," Dr. Arthur Caplan, head of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS Boston. "The flu could kill you, a cold could kill you, COVID could kill you. The organs are scarce, we are not going to distribute them to someone who has a poor chance of living when others who are vaccinated have a better chance post-surgery of surviving."

David Ferguson said his son has received quality care at the hospital, but the family is exploring moving him to another facility. "I think my boy is fighting pretty damn courageously and he has integrity and principles he really believes in and that makes me respect him all the more," he told CBS Boston. "It's his body. It's his choice."

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Brad Garrett has tied the knot with longtime partner IsaBeall Quella.

The former Everybody Loves Raymond star, 61, wed his bride, 37, on Nov. 11, 2021, in Montecito, California, the actors rep told People magazine.

"I married the love of my life, Garrett gushed in a statement, adding jokingly, "Her, not so much."

The couple, who met in 2008 and got engaged in 2015, had planned to walk down the aisle four times in the past but were forced to postpone their nuptials each time. Their first two dates were thwarted by the COVID-19 pandemic. A third date was scrapped because of forest fires, and a fourth didn't happen because of mudslides.

At their ceremony in November, Quella wore a gown designed by Reem Acra. Garrett wore a suit by Di Stefano. The couple also brought along their two beloved dogs, Ivy and Chester.

Over the years, Garrett has honored Quella in several sweet posts on Instagram.

Video: 'Everybody Loves Raymond' stars reunite

The three-time Emmy winner celebrated Quella's birthday last year by sharing a gallery of pics of her, including several that showed the couple cozying up to one another (and their adorable pooches). In one shot, the pair pose alongside Garrett's son, Maxwell, 23, and daughter, Hope, 22, whom he shares with ex-wife Jill Diven.

"To My Beautiful IsaBeall on your Hatchday. You are truly the most incredible human Ive ever met. As not to embarrass you because I know your humility Ill just say Thank You. For everything," Garrett wrote in his caption.

"Youre the love of my life even though youre free to date. Wish I had a time machine. And a new head," he continued, joking. "More and forever as the authorities allow. "

Two months later, the former "Single Parents" star called Quella his "wife" when he paid tribute to both her and his daughter in a post in honor of International Women's Day.

"To my daughter, Hope and my wife, IsaBeall: You are celebrated EVERY DAY. Thank you for making me better; inspiring me and teaching me the power of love," he wrote next to a gallery filled with photos of both women.

"Your kindness, compassion and grace makes this world a beautiful place. With love and endless admiration," he added.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday he will honor a campaign pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court this year, making history as he chooses a successor to replace retiring Associate Justice Stephen Breyer.

Though the president didn't tip his hand about who he will pick, he said he has already been "studying" the background and writings of candidates. Speaking at the White House, Biden said he will name a successor before the end of February.

"The person I will nominate will be someone with extraordinary qualifications, character, experience and integrity," Biden said. "And that person will be the first Black woman ever nominated to the United States Supreme Court. It's long overdue in my view."

Top contender: Who is Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson?

Biden raised the idea of choosing a Black woman during a debate before the presidential primary in South Carolina on Feb. 29, 2020. As his campaign struggled after losses in Iowa and New Hampshire, the pitch resonated with Black voters and probably contributed to his win in South Carolina  fueling his path to the nomination.

"Im looking forward to making sure theres a Black woman on the Supreme Court, to make sure we, in fact, get every representation," he said.

Months later, Biden said he was "putting together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be in the court." Aides to Biden's transition told The Wall Street Journal in 2020 that he would have a short list of candidates compiled by the time he was inaugurated.

Biden's Supreme Court hope:A Black woman on the Supreme Court

Three women serve on the high court  Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas is the only Black jurist, and Sotomayor is the first and only Latina.

Unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump, Biden has not formally unveiled a short list, but several names consistently surface as possibilities:

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Ketanji Brown Jackson

D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson was on President Barack Obama's short list after Associate Justice Antonin Scalia's death in 2016. At 51, she could serve for decades on the court. Jackson won Senate confirmation to the district court in D.C. by voice vote in 2013, signaling she was not controversial, but she has written several scathing opinions against Trump that could draw ire from Senate Republicans.

Jackson, a former Breyer clerk, was confirmed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on a 53-44 vote in mid-June. Three Republicans joined Democrats in supporting her, Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine.

Those opposing Jackson noted that she largely dodged a question in her confirmation hearing in April about whether she supports the idea of a "living Constitution," the idea that judges may adapt their reading of the founding document to the changing times. Jackson sidestepped the query, saying she hadn't had to confront it on the district court.

How Breyer changed Supreme Court: Pragmatist. Institutionalist. Optimist.

Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, noted the exchange when he announced his opposition.

"They take an oath to enforce the Constitution and interpret the law, not make law," Grassley told USA TODAY. "And it doesn't matter who you are. That's what your job is wherever you're coming from. That's what you gotta be."

Leondra Kruger

Leondra Kruger, an associate justice on the California Supreme Court, worked in the Justice Department for the Obama and George W. Bush administrations. Kruger, 45, argued a dozen cases at the Supreme Court during those years before then-Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, made her one the youngest ever named to the state's high court.

Michelle Childs

House Democratic Whip James Clyburn, the highest-ranking African American in Congress, suggested U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs of South Carolina. Childs, 55, has a less traditional background, serving as a state labor official before Obama nominated her to the federal trial court in 2009. She is the third woman to serve as a federal judge in South Carolina. Biden nominated Childs to serve on the D.C. Circuit in December.

Leslie Abrams Gardner and Danielle Holley-Walker

Citing unnamed lawmakers, The New York Times reported in February that Democrats brought at least two other names to the attention of the White House: Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on the U.S. district court in Georgia and Danielle Holley-Walker, the dean of Howard Universitys law school. Gardner, a former assistant U.S. attorney, is the younger sister of Stacey Abrams, a former Georgia gubernatorial candidate who worked to boost voter turnout in the state.

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., suggested U.S. District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs as a potential justice on the Supreme Court.

Appeals court pipeline

Biden's commitment to name a Black woman to the nation's highest court has drawn attention to a lack of diversity on the U.S. appeals courts  the pool from which Supreme Court justices usually are drawn.

Biden, a former Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, could expand his search beyond federal judges, which would significantly grow the pool of candidates.

Supreme Court nominees don't have to come from appellate courts, but they usually do. Only one current justice didn't hear appeals  Kagan  and she was the U.S. solicitor general. As the federal government's top lawyer arguing cases before the nation's highest court, the position is so closely intertwined with the court that it's sometimes referred to as the "10th justice."

Not only would Biden following through on his campaign promise put the first Black woman on the Supreme Court, assuming she is confirmed, it would also put four women on the court for the first time. And it would mark the first time two African Americans served simultaneously.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Breyer retirement is chance to name Black woman to Supreme Court
Brown County commissioners approved an agreement with local lobbyist Julie Johnson, but it did not meet with unanimous approval.

Commissioners discussed contracting with Johnson, who is a Brown County resident and South Dakota lobbyist, last week. But the board did not have a proposed contract, so the item was deferred to this week. During Tuesday's meeting at the courthouse, it was approved 3-2, with commissioners Dennis Feickert and Mike Gage opposed.

Johnson will represent the county on issues during the ongoing legislative session in Pierre.

Feickert, who was absent last week, took issue with the proposed contract, noting that the county already pays dues to multiple organizations that have lobbying representation in Pierre. He also felt the contract was too open-ended and could lead to higher-than-expected expenses. And, he noted, the Legislature has already been in session for two weeks.

The contract is for $3,000 during the session, but could pay $1,500 more per additional event.

Commissioner Mike Wiese, who proposed the lobbying agreement with Johnson after a recent trip to Pierre, said the $1,500 additional would require pre-approval from the county.

Following the meeting, Auditor Cathy McNickle said dues are paid to the South Dakota Association of County Commissioners; South Dakota Association of County Officials, which provides services for auditor, treasurer and register of deeds; South Dakota Sheriff's Association; and the South Dakota State's Attorney Association. Those those groups provide lobbying services as a component of the dues paid by the county.

Wiese said he agrees with Feickert's sentiment, but also noted that the lobbyists for the different statewide organizations represent counties as a collective group, not individually. Johnson will be able to lobby specifically on Brown County's behalf.

Commission Chairman Duane Sutton said the agreement with Johnson would cover a situation where a Brown County topic of interest became the subject of a summer study.

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Feickert said the discussion should have happened a month ago instead of after the start of the session and expressed concern that if the county continues to contract with Johnson for multiple years, the cost of that contract would increase. He added that the contract was not included in the county's 2022 budget.

Wiese said he would not favor future increases to the contract's cost.

Gage asked why the agreement was needed and why a task like this doesn't fall on the legislators elected to represent the local area.

With hundreds of bills up for consideration during a session, Wiese said, often legislators are focused on the bills being addressed in their committees.

Sutton, who served as a legislator, said it's difficult to track legislation that could affect Brown County. With different communities seeking the extra funding available this year because of federal COVID-19 money, it's a topic Brown County should stay on top of, he said.

Feickert, who also served as a legislator, said commissioners can always reach out to state lawmakers with their concerns.

Wiese noted House Bill 1101, which is seeking $10 million for a regional jail near Rapid City.

"We have needs we're not able to fill on our own right now," he said.

Brown County is awaiting the results of a study evaluating the need for a regional jail, and some commissioners expressed discouragement about not yet having the results

"Would you like a similar bill for Brown County and, if so, who is going to champion that?" Wiese asked.

Sutton said the first step would be contacting local legislators or asking them about it at Saturday's legislative cracker barrel, which is at the Northern State University Barnett Center starting at 10 a.m.

He said Gov. Kristi Noem is already proposing improvements to the state prison system in her budget.

"Prisons and additional cell space is clearly a priority for the state," Sutton said. "This would be the year to convince them that counties also have the same problem."

Other action

In other action:

Commissioners approved the $94,951 purchase of a low boy, which was included in the 2022 budget. Highway Superintendent Dirk Rogers said the purchase is through a state bid.

Commissioners briefly discussed the county highway department's approach on sanding after snow and ice recently left some county roads slippery Rogers said his department focuses on hills and intersections, with extra attention near Richmond Lake and Warner because of higher traffic counts.

Feickert reported that he reached an agreement with Brad Hart on the Elm dump site. Hart has agreed to $1,500 per year for three years for use of his land. Hart previously received $500.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Brown County approves lobbying agreement with Julie Johnson
Entrance to the Grand Plaza apartments on Aug., 8, 2017, in the Near North Side community. Trenton Cornell-Duranleau was killed in Wyndham Lathem's apartment. (Alyssa Pointer / Chicago Tribune)

A former Northwestern University professor was sentenced to 53 years in prison Tuesday for the violent slaying of his boyfriend.

Wyndham Lathem appeared at his sentencing hearing before Judge Charles Burns, more than four years after the fatal stabbing of Trenton Cornell, Lathems 26-year-old boyfriend. Lathem, 47, was convicted of first-degree murder in October after a nearly two-week trial.

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Burns said his sentencing range for Lathem was 20 to 60 years and that he believed 53 years to be most appropriate considering all of the factors at play, including the facts pointing to the killing being premeditated and gruesome. The judge said he also weighed Lathems seemingly upstanding disposition in his professional and personal life prior to the crime.

Wyndham Lathem arrives at a police station as he is escorted by police officers in Chicago on Aug. 19, 2017. (Jim Young / AP)

Obviously, he had a dark secret, Burns said. The Dr. Lathem that we saw walk through the doors to this courtroom obviously had a Mr. Hyde to him, and Im not sure when or why that occurred.

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The sentence, which Burns said he knows is an extreme sentence but for an extreme crime, also requires Lathem to serve three years of supervised release after he leaves custody. The defense made a motion for Burns to reconsider the sentence and their earlier motion for a new trial, which Burns denied at the beginning of Tuesdays hearing. Another court date has been scheduled for March 10.

We believe there are issues that are so meritorious that they may merit a new trial, said Adam Sheppard, one of Lathems defense attorneys. We agree that this was an extreme sentence, and we will be asking for a review of the sentence along with the other issues that we raised at our post-trial motion.

Charlotte Cornell, one of Trenton Cornells mothers, said in a statement after the hearing the family is forever grateful to the Cook County victim advocates, prosecutors and sheriffs office for their work.

This is nothing that we ever would wish on any family, and just know that we couldnt be more grateful to all the people in Cook County here who have helped justice be served, Charlotte Cornell said.

Trenton Cornells other mother, Mischelle Duranleau, took the stand during the sentencing hearing to give a victim-impact statement. Duranleau said their son was respectful, fell madly in love quickly and was always looking for the next adventure.

Duranleau said the family last saw Trenton Cornell in Chicago in November 2016 when they visited him to celebrate his birthday. Duranleau said he told them he was doing well having made it into transitional housing and finally taking medication for his HIV, as well as explaining to his family he had fallen in love with the most intelligent man.

His belief in the kindness and honesty of others is the one characteristic we wish Trenton left with us, Duranleau said.

Duranleau added that the family does not feel Lathem has shown any remorse for his actions.

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Lathem gave a statement during the hearing, in which he said he has been grief-stricken with remorse since the moment everything happened.

Every day I think about Trent, Lathem said. Every day I think about what happened. Im just filled with sadness. I want Trents family to know that as bad as I feel, I cant imagine how much worse it is for them, and Im so sorry for their loss.

Judge Burns said he does believe Lathem, whom he described as very intelligent and personable, is remorseful at this point in time, but Burns seemed unsure about Lathem feeling regretful immediately after Trenton Cornell was killed, because Lathem left the scene and went on the run.

Going to a hotel washing off the blood, going to different locations, making donations in his name, like a couple thousand dollars is going to wash the blood off his hands, Burns said. If there is any moral compass of Dr. Lathem, it was broken off.

Lathem is an accomplished microbiologist who was fired from Northwestern when he fled Chicago after the killing.

Prosecutors said Lathem and his co-defendant, Andrew Warren, had made a suicidal pact to kill each other, but instead killed Cornell. And whatever the motive, they said, the physical evidence pointed to Lathem having an active role in the slaying. He also sent a video to his parents in the days after the stabbing saying, I killed him, and that it was not an accident.

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Lathem ditched his phone and fled town with Warren for more than a week after Cornells death.

Warren pleaded guilty to Cornells murder in 2019 and agreed to testify against Lathem at trial in exchange for prosecutors recommending a sentence of 45 years.

The defense, meanwhile, said the slaying was entirely Warrens doing. Lathem escaped to another room while Warren, who had used meth, killed Cornell in what was supposed to be a kinky knife-play threesome gone terribly wrong, the defense argued.

Jurors in October took less than two hours to deliberate before convicting Lathem.
It was another busy week for businesses from hospitals receiving accreditation to faster internet coming to Shreveport. Business in the 318 has all your weekly news on business so do not fret.

Willis-Knighton achieves Center of Excellence accreditation

Willis-Knighton Pierremont in Shreveport.

Recently Willis-Knighton Health System was recognized for providing excellent care in robotic surgery as well as receiving honors for two physicians.

The Surgical Review Corporation (SRC) has recognized Willis-Knighton Health System as a Center of Excellence for providing the highest quality of care and patient safety for Robotic Surgery.

This distinction was also recognized Dr. Daryl S. Marx.

Dr. Phillip Rozeman was also named the recipient of the 59th annual Distinguished Service Award given by the Northwest Louisiana Medical Society.

Bossier City DiamondJacks casino gets reopening extension

Diamond Jack's is closed in Bossier City.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB) met in Baton Rouge Thursday to discuss DiamondJacks Casino in Bossier City.

DiamondJacks is at risk of losing its commercial gaming license in Louisiana if it is not re-opened by Feb. 25.

In October 2021, the casino laid off 349 employees and held a liquidation sale.

LSU Health Shreveport viral threat center gets $1.2 million gift

Adrian Almodovar and Dr. Krista Queen, CEVT Viral Genomics and Sequencing Lab at LSU Health Shreveport

LSU Health Shreveport Center of Excellence for Emerging Viral Threats (CEVT) received the largest private gift in its history.

Dewey and Gigi Corley through their Chaparral Foundation, together with Margaret Place Properties, Inc., Frances and William Comegys, III, and the Family of Aaron and Peggy Selber, committed a combined $1.2 million to establish the first endowment for CEVT.

The CEVT has processed 547,344 COVID-19 PCR tests, administered 118,307 COVID-19 vaccines, and sequenced more than 10,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes representing 48% of all genomic sequencing in Louisiana.

Louisiana man accused of issuing fraudulent paychecks to himself

Local businesses donated new collars and badges to Caddo Parish Sheriff K-9s on Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

A Bossier City man was arrested after being accused of issuing unauthorized paychecks to himself totaling more than $31,000.

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Robert Phillips Jr., 54, was reported to police by a local business for accessing the employer's payroll system and paying himself an extra $31,554.67.

AT&T announces faster internet for Shreveport, including 5G speeds

AT&T announced that faster internet speeds will be available for the Shreveport area over the next year.

The company has introduced its all-new 2 Gig and 5 Gig speeds on AT&T Fiber.

Tens of thousands of customers across AT&T's current fiber footprint will be able to receive Fiber multi-gig speeds, making for an internet experience that upgrades everything.

Be on the lookout Thursday and Sunday for Life in the 318 and The 318 to catch up on all the best stories you might have missed.

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Business in the 318: faster internet coming to Shreveport
CALIFORNIA  In response to the unrelenting omicron surge, COVID-19 sick pay was renewed in the Golden State, granting workers as much as two weeks paid time off, officials announced this week.

The legislature reached a deal Tuesday to extend supplemental paid sick leave for California's workers through Sept. 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom, along with Senate pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon announced.



On Jan. 10, Newsom previewed a $2.7 billion coronavirus response package, which called for new legislation to reinstate COVID-19 paid sick leave policies.

Under the new agreement, the state Legislature will act on Newsoms emergency budget request for COVID-19-related programs months before the regular budget is negotiated this summer.

The new leave only covers employers with 26 or more workers, and the state will provide tax credits to businesses and companies to offset associated costs.

"By extending sick leave to frontline workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive. We will continue to work to address additional needs of small businesses through the budget  they are the backbone of our communities and continue to be impacted by COVID-19," a joint statement read.

SEE MORE: CA Paid Sick Leave For Workers And Businesses: 3 Things To Know

The renewed policy comes as the omicron surge continues to wreak havoc on the state's workforce, creating labor shortages for the health care system, schools and public transit.

The number of Californians who were not working in the last month due to a COVID-19 infection spiked by 320 percent, according to a California Budget and Policy Center analysis of census data.

Millions of workers in California whose jobs don't provide paid sick days were forced to choose between their health and their paycheck as the omicron variant of COVID-19 continued to rake California this winter.

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Many employers created strong sick leave policies at the beginning of the pandemic, but much of were scaled back following the rollout of the vaccines. But the omicron variant has managed to drive up breakthrough cases in the vaccinated, creating a crisis for California's workforce.



"No worker should be forced to choose between earning a paycheck or going to work sick," the California Labor Federation tweeted earlier this month.



Newsom's newly proposed pandemic funding would also be allocated to rev up testing capacity, accelerate vaccination and booster efforts, support frontline workers, strengthen the health care system and battle misinformation.



The proposal would allocate $1.2 billion to bolster testing capacity by expanding hours at state testing sites, distributing COVID-19 antigen tests to local health departments and supporting the state's testing facilities. $583 million would go toward getting more Californians tested for COVID-19, among other things, while $614 million would be used to support healthcare workers and health care systems.

Earlier this month, health authorities around the U.S. and the Golden State took the extraordinary step of allowing nurses and other workers infected with the coronavirus to stay on the job if they have mild symptoms or none at all.

READ MORE: Free N95 Masks Available At CA CVS, Costco And Walgreens Soon

Health care workers who were infected and continued to work were advised to wear N95 masks and to interact mainly with COVID-19-positive patients, according to the new guidance.

Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's health secretary, said the new guidelines should not be viewed as a mandate and will hopefully expire on Feb. 1.

This is in no way a requirement," Ghaly told KCRA in a conference call. "Nobody at the state is requiring health care workers to come back who are infected or quarantined. It really is meant to give added flexibility to systems as we enter in or continue in a period of significant demand."



California's omicron surge was beginning to show signs of leveling off this week as the rate of COVID-19 infection dipped slightly. But hospitalizations, which tend to lag behind infections, remain astonishingly high.Cases were expected to drop in California in the coming weeks, according to researchers at Washington State University.

The state's positivity rate was 20.4 percent on Monday, down slightly from 21.2 percent last week.

"I think it's important to keep in mind though that, while thankfully we think the peak may have happened, we are still at higher levels of transmission than we have ever seen," said Dr. Erica Pan, California state epidemiologist, according to CapRadio.



SEE ALSO: CA Omicron Infections Dip As Hospitalizations Remain High





This article originally appeared on the Los Angeles Patch
The Daily Beast

FacebookKailia Posey, the child pageant star of Toddlers & Tiaras, died by suicide, her family has said.On Monday, it was reported that Posey, who turned 16 last month, had been found dead in a car at a Birch Bay State Park, in Washington state, but no cause of death was given.On Tuesday, Poseys deeply religious family told TMZ that she had taken her own life, saying in a statement, Although she was an accomplished teenager with a bright future ahead of her, unfortunately in one impetuous mome
A California man has been arrested in Tom Green County after a traffic stop revealed human smuggling, according to court documents.

SAN ANGELO  A California man has been arrested after a traffic stop in Tom Green County ended with a call to Border Patrol, according to an arrest affidavit.

About 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, a Texas Department of Public Safety official stopped a vehicle for a moving violation. The official spoke with the driver, who stated he, along with his six passengers, were traveling from San Antonio to California, records state.

The officer noted this "is not a direct route, and (is) used in an attempt to avoid Border Patrol checkpoints on Interstate 10 in Las Cruces," according to the arrest affidavit.

Others are reading: Second arrest made in San Angelo burglary turned homicide; new details reveal plan

When asked if the passengers were in the country legally, the driver stated he "did not know." The passengers said they did not have visas or identification, records state.

Border Patrol was called and determined they were not in the US legally, then detained the six people and the driver.

Others are reading: Details revealed in triple kidnapping, assault that ended with standoff in San Angelo

Americo Henriquez Diaz, 31, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of six counts of smuggling of persons and a miscellaneous Border Patrol hold. He remained in Tom Green County Detention Center in lieu of a $60,000 bond as of 12:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to online jail records.

Alana Edgin is a journalist covering Crime and Courts in West Texas. Send her a news tip at aedgin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on San Angelo Standard-Times: California man arrested for human smuggling in Tom Green County
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The killing last week at a hotel near Cancun of two Canadians with criminal records was likely sparked by a debt dispute linked to international criminal activities, Mexican state prosecutors said on Tuesday.

Prosecutors in Cancun's home state of Quintana Roo on the Caribbean coast said the two 34-year-old men killed had records in Canada that included crimes of drug and arms trafficking, and that their assailants followed them for several days.

The victims were part of a group of 10 tourists who had traveled to Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula to spend their vacations at the five-star Hotel Xcaret.

Oscar Montes, the attorney general of Quintana Roo, told a news conference that investigations showed that debts arising from criminal activities in which the victims were involved were likely behind the attack on the men.

Carlos Joaquin, governor of Quintana Roo, said the crime was orchestrated in Canada. "The violent acts have no relation with the state ... These debts are linked to international criminal groups," he said, speaking in an interview with local news outlet Milenio.

Authorities have arrested two people identified only as Christian 'R' and Nhu 'T'.

Christian 'R' was the Mexican hitman initially hired to kill the victims but another unidentified criminal traveled to Cancun when the first attempt failed due to the hotel security system, prosecutors said.

Nhu 'T' is linked to the planning of the crime as video footage showed she entered the hotel as a tourist and exchanged information with the prime suspect minutes before the killings.

A third person, a woman who was in a relationship with one of the victims, was wounded in the shooting and is still recovering in a hospital, state prosecutors said.

Authorities are still investigating who organized and financed the crimes.

Separately, state authorities said the bar manager of Mamita's Beach Club was shot dead on Tuesday. The governor of Quintana Roo said investigators did not believe the attacks were linked.

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"We are waiting for the result of the investigations and collaborating with authorities to clarify what happened," the bar said in a statement.

The two suspects of the crime fled the scene and local police confirmed on Twitter they are looking for the perpetrators.

(Reporting by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Sandra Maler and Kenneth Maxwell)
LONDON (Reuters) - An incursion of Taiwan's air defence zone by China's air force is not conducive to peace and stability in the region, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday.

"The Chinese military flights that have taken place near Taiwan in recent days ... are not conducive for peace and stability in the region," he told parliament. "And what we need is a peace treaty and constructive dialogues by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait."

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has complained for more than a year of repeated missions by China's air force. It reported the largest incursion since October on Sunday.

(Reporting by William James; writing by Kate Holton; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
The European Union is moving forward with plans to outlaw goods made using forced labour, senior officials said, citing allegations of widespread uses of such practices in the Chinese region of Xinjiang.

Testifying on Monday before the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, French Trade Minister Franck Riester said it was "perfectly clear that the Xinjiang situation is extremely serious".

"And that's why I will come back to this: we should have a specific instrument to block certain products which are the product of forced labour," said Riester, who was outlining Paris' trade priorities. France had assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU earlier this month.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

The ban was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September - a surprise move that caught other parts of the EU unaware.

Since then, von der Leyen has said little on the issue and, according to people familiar with the situation, provided very little guidance on how it should be implemented.

Now an internal battle is under way as to how it should be structured and under whose remit it should fall.

The European Commission's department of trade is adamant that the ban should not come in the form of a separate trade instrument, such as the path pursued by the United States in attempting to rid its supply chain of Xinjiang-made goods.

It would prefer to roll it into another piece of legislation, one that requires companies to conduct due diligence on their supply chains or face having their products excluded from EU markets.

The due diligence legislation falls under the remit of the commission's departments of justice, and internal market and industry.

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Facing the trade committee on Tuesday, the department's director general, Sabine Weyand, said that bundling the two laws would mean they are not "starting from scratch", with a draft of the due diligence proposal scheduled for next month after multiple delays.

"We're working to make sure that we do not have to start from scratch on a proposal which is intimately linked," Weyand said.

If a company already has full visibility of its supply chain then it can "use that investment in supply chains in order to demonstrate that your products are free of forced labour", Weyand said.

Sabine Weyand is director general of the European Commission's department of trade. Photo: Bloomberg alt=Sabine Weyand is director general of the European Commission's department of trade. Photo: Bloomberg>

The EU has studied the case of the United States, which has imposed a series of bans on companies linked to suspected abuses in Xinjiang, products from Xinjiang and which is now processing an outright ban on the importation of goods made in the far-western region.

In the US, the burden of proof is on the importer, meaning it needs to produce documentary evidence showing that goods that may have some components from Xinjiang are not tainted by forced labour.

Weyand described such a ban as "ineffective" because there is "no due diligence system in place".

"What is essential is that in order to determine the products that you want to ban from your market, you need to have insight into the supply chain. You have to rely on due diligence," Weyand said.

There is a "rebuttable presumption that something is done with forced labour", which the company then has to refute, producing "an enormous amount of documentation" - a path Weyand said Brussels was keen to avoid.

However, with supply chain auditing in Xinjiang becoming nearly impossible in recent years, it is unclear exactly how much due diligence European firms would be able to conduct.

Some quarters - particularly left and centre-left wings of the European Parliament - are calling for a separate ban on products made with forced labour, saying the problem is too serious to be wrapped up in other legislation.

Heidi Hautala, a Green Party MEP, said that embedding the forced labour ban within the supply chain law would "endanger it by making it more complex than the exercise already is".

Kathleen van Brempt of the Socialists & Democrats grouping in the parliament, told Weyand that finalising these supply chain issues were a "precondition" to progressing other parts of the EU's trade agenda, including the conclusion of free trade agreements.

"We should have a specific instrument to block certain products which are the product of forced labour," says French Trade Minister Franck Riester. Photo: AFP alt="We should have a specific instrument to block certain products which are the product of forced labour," says French Trade Minister Franck Riester. Photo: AFP>

The EU is also moving forward with other trade tools seen as targeting China.

Progress has been made on investigations towards launching a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against China over its alleged coercion of Lithuania.

French minister Riester said "the commission will be requesting a consultation in the WTO". This would be the initial steps towards a WTO case, which could take years to complete.

"We support that, and it's further evidence of the importance of having independent anti-coercive legislation," he said, referring to a powerful trade weapon, the anti-coercion instrument, the EU is developing to deal with cases of economic bullying.

The bloc is also hoping to conclude an international procurement instrument by the end of March. This would force countries that want access to the lucrative EU procurement market to reciprocate, and to open their markets to European companies.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Jan. 26PLATTSBURGH  Michael Powers, president of New York's corrections officers' union, sharply criticized the state and its corrections department Tuesday after reports of violence in state prisons reached an all time high in 2021.

Testifying virtually during the joint legislative budget hearing in front of state lawmakers, Powers noted that the pandemic, reforms to the discipline system and an influx of contraband entering prisons have contributed to unsafe work environments for corrections staff.

He said reported attacks on corrections officers by inmates reached a record 1,173, despite a 40-year low in inmate population of about 31,000.

"The environment inside correctional facilities is harsh and unforgiving and over the past decade, statistics show that living and working in prisons has become significantly unsafe," Powers said.

In 2012, only 524 assaults against DOCCS staff were reported with an inmate population of just under 55,000, according to the union.

In response to the violence, the corrections department's acting commissioner, Anthony Annucci, wrote a memo to inmates in November reminding them of the consequences they could face for assaulting staff and said many of the incidents were unprompted. Powers said DOCCS should go further to protect staff.

"After years of the department hand-waving these attacks as 'isolated incidents,' one would think NYSCOPBA would stand and applaud the state for finally admitting to the violence problem with our facilities. Regrettably, that is not the case," Powers said. "Despite this admission, the department still has not taken any significant, proactive steps to protect our members of this looming threat to their personal safety."

Testifying earlier in the hearing, Annucci said a task force to address prison violence has been formed and includes union representatives.

"We'll get their recommendations. We'll look at a number of different things to make sure we run the safest possible system," Annucci said. "We didn't just want superintendents or central-office types, we want the rank and file to be represented. We want to hear from them directly what they think."

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But Powers fears violence in prisons could get even worse once the HALT act, which limits solitary confinement for inmates to 15 days, implements alternative rehabilitative measures and eliminates solitary confinement for vulnerable inmates in state prisons, goes into effect.

"There are very few deterrents in place to dissuade incarcerated individuals from attacking staff. In a few months when HALT is fully implemented, the ability to remove and separate violent individuals from attacking more staff and other fellow inmates will be severely hampered. The incarcerated population is well aware of this," Powers said.

"The violent predators that lurk inside our prison facilities can't wait for HALT to be implemented, not because they believe they are capable of being rehabilitated with more programming and gold stars for good behavior, but because they know the state will no longer hold them accountable for their actions."

Powers said the union has a pending bill that for a violence study to be conducted in what he hopes will clarify why violence in prisons have increased.

"We strongly believe we know the reason for the skyrocketing violence, but this legislation will ensure that root cause behind the spike in violence is identified," he said. "Until that violence study is completed, and this safety issue is addressed, we request that any more changes to the state's incarceration model or policies that alter the disciplinary system be put on hold, including the implementation of HALT."

Annucci admitted during his testimony that he had his concerns about the HALT act initially and said the timeline to enact it is an "aggressive" one, but those concerns have been calmed, Annucci said.

"I can tell you we have marshalled tremendous resources in order for us to implement this law as the legislature intended. I created an executive steering committee, and I then created four sub committees. They have worked extremely hard to structure an elaborate program to go forward to implement it, from infrastructure to changing our disciplinary guidelines, to developing programming for the individuals when they come out of their [special housing units] and their [residential rehabilitation units,]" Annucci said.

"I'm very comfortable where we are and that we'll hit the ground running. I believe we'll change behavior for the better, especially when I heard the program's presentation. We're not just providing them out-of-cell time. We are really trying to focus on the behavior that got them into segregated confinement to begin with. I'm confident we'll be able to make some changes."

Powers also asked that the state's short lived secure vendor program, which eliminated care packages to inmates from friends and family and instead limited packages from an approved, online vendor service, return. Powers said reintroducing the program would stem contraband coming into state prisons.

Powers believes that corrections staff should also receive more recognition from the state as pandemic front-line workers.

"COVID ravaged New York's prison system, afflicting incarcerated individuals and staff at significantly higher rates than in the general public. This virus has also tragically claimed the lives of over a dozen of our members," he said. "Correction officers continue to stand on the front lines of this pandemic, being forced to work numerous stints of mandatory overtime shifts in order to meet minimum safety standards in our prison facilities."

"Currently, the state has engaged in several pilot programs within the health care industry to pay up to a 2.5 times overtime rate to combat staffing shortages, including staff nurses who work inside prison facilities," Powers continued. "While a small portion of our membership who work in mental health facilities and SUNY hospitals do qualify for this program, it's our strong belief that all correction officers be included in some sort of financial incentive program to make up for enduring severe staffing shortages throughout the past two years of this pandemic."

Powers concluded his testimony saying New York prisons could become grim if actions he outlined are not considered and called lawmakers to action to make those changes.

"There is no sugarcoating the current situation in our prison facilities. The working conditions inside our correctional facilities are abysmal. Acting Commissioner Annucci's memo to the incarcerated population has done nothing to quell the violence as attacks on staff in 2022 are already on pace to shatter last year's record. Contraband continues to run rampant. The implementation of HALT cannot move forward under these current circumstances," he said.

"Simply put, what New York City is experiencing with Rikers is the very near future for New York's prisons. The conditions will continue to deteriorate. The warning signs are there. If these issues go unaddressed by the State, more staff will be seriously hurt and it will be because of the inaction by policymakers and our elected officials."

Email Fernando Alba:

falba@pressrepublican.com

Twitter: @byfernandoalba
The Chicago Board of Education is slated Wednesday to vote on paying Trump Tower condominium owners about a quarter-million dollars after negotiating a property tax appeal from 2015.

The proposed settlement of $221,802, plus interest, follows a pending agreement between the education board and condo owners in the residential portion of Trump International Hotel & Tower at 401 N. Wabash Ave., Board of Education attorney Ares Dalianis told the Tribune.

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Despite the taxing body having to pay back the condo owners, Dalianis said the school board sees the settlement as favorable because the residents in Trump Tower were seeking far more when they appealed. He said the negotiations allowed Chicago Public Schools to avoid paying more than $1 million to the condo owners.

Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago on March 29, 2021. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

This is a very favorable settlement for the Board of Ed, Dalianis said. (The board is) preserving a huge amount of the property taxes that are at risk in this appeal.

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However, the board on Wednesday is also scheduled to vote on paying $2 million to another group of Chicago luxury high-rise condo owners, this one along North DuSable Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast. In both cases, the money will be taken out of the school boards tax revenues from 2021 or later.

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In the Trump Tower case, the condo owners collectively appealed their 2015 Cook County property tax assessments to the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board. They combined their 484 condo units and 676 parking spaces into one entity when arguing the county had assessed them too high.

Though Trump Tower, developed by former President Donald Trump, also contains a hotel and offices, those properties were not related to the case.

Represented by attorney Patrick McNerney, who has also done legal work for Trump, the condo owners argued their $647 million combined assessment was only worth $500 million. McNerney did not respond to requests for comment Monday.

If the condo owners had succeeded in that argument, the Chicago Board of Education would owe the condo owners $1,351,000, Dalianis said. Typically, Chicagos public school system gets about half of the citys property tax revenue, meaning it stands the most to lose if property owners nab a big refund.

The Chicago Board of Education intervened in the Trump Tower cases and managed to negotiate a pending settlement that only grants the condo owners $221,802 to split among all of them, Dalianis said.

Other taxing bodies, such as the city of Chicago and Cook County, will also have to pay some refund that would be equivalent to the portion of the settlement the Board of Education agreed on, Dalianis said.

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Several high-profile Chicagoans lived in Trump Tower at the time of the 2015 appeal or owned property there and were parties to the cases, including Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane, former Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, former United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek and Exelon CEO Christopher Crane, according to public records.

Condos in the building can sell for millions of dollars, and tech CEO Sanjay Shah in September listed the Trump Tower penthouse for $30 million. Shah bought the space in 2014 for $17 million. His 2020 tax bill was more than $250,000.

The downtown high-rise bearing the Trump name has been the subject of other high-profile tax appeal cases, such as when a government watchdog reported that the former executive director of Illinois PTAB deleted computer files related to whether Trump was due a $1 million property tax refund.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.

ayin@chicagotribune.com

tswartz@Tribpub.com
The Coast Guard continued searching the waters off Florida Wednesday for at least 38 people missing after a boat capsized during a journey from the Bahamas in a suspected human smuggling incident.

Rescue crews located the body of one person in the search for 39 people missing after the incident, which unfolded about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce, Captain Jo-Ann Burdian, commander of Coast Guard Sector Miami, told reporters Wednesday morning.

The sole known survivor was rescued by a commercial mariner who spotted them clinging to the overturned vessel, Burdian said.

The survivor told the Coast Guard he and 39 others had left Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night, but the craft experienced severe weather and capsized.

He was taken to a hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure. Burdian said he was in stable condition as of Monday morning and was being interviewed by the Department of Homeland Security. The identities of both the survivor and the good Samaritan who saved him have yet to be released.

The survivor told the Coast Guard no one on board the 25-foot vessel had been wearing life jackets.

Conditions at the time included 7- to 9-foot seas.

Bimini is an island on the western part of the Bahamas around 50 miles from Miami.

Burdian said the boat had been making its way along a known route.

The Coast Guard began its search for survivors after being alerted to the incident at around 8 a.m. Tuesday and has been searching from Fort Pierce Inlet to Bimini with ships and aircraft. They are about 140 miles apart.

The Coast Guard and other officials have warned migrants not to risk the dangerous trip by sea.

On Friday, the Coast Guard and the Royal Bahamas Defence Force intercepted 88 Haitians in an overloaded freighter near Great Inagua in the Bahamas, which is north of Haiti, the Coast Guard said.

Also Friday, 32 people were rescued from a capsized boat around 5 miles west of Bimini, the Coast Guard said.
OLD BRIDGE  A state appellate court has ruled that a special election to settle the 4th Ward Township Council seat will still be held on March 22.

On Tuesday, a state appellate court affirmed Superior Court Judge Thomas D. McCloskey's decision to throw out the general election results and hold a new election, rejecting an appeal filed by Democratic candidate Jill DeCaro.

"The court disposed of the entire case, which was treated as an emergent appeal, and affirmed the trial court's decision to order a new election," said attorney Tim Howes, the Somerset County Republican chairman who represents Republican incumbent Mark Razzoli in the case. "We won the appeal, and now we're going to win the election."

DeCaro was declared the winner over Razzoli by 11 votes, 1,554 to 1,543.

But on Dec. 29 McCloskey ruled that a new election should be held because of a mix-up in vote-by-mail ballots on one street.

But Razzoli contested the results in Superior Court, arguing that there were more than two dozen registered voters on the even-numbered side of Cymbeline Drive who were denied the right to vote in the 4th Ward because they received 2nd Ward ballots.

The odd-numbered side of the street is in the 2nd Ward.

Seventeen of those residents cast ballots in the election, but those ballots were later rejected.

Two days after the judge's ruling, DeCaro filed an appeal.

READ: NJ's biggest, smallest 2021 property tax hikes by town: One lucky place saw bill drop 12%

In the appellate ruling, Judge Carmen Messano wrote that the court affirmed the Dec. 29 ruling "substantially for the reasons expressed by (McCloskey)."

Messano wrote that while the court agreed with DeCaro that some Cymbeline Drive residents have been registered in the wrong ward for several years, "as we see it, those facts, accepted as true for purposes of summary judgment, were insufficient to defeat Razzoli's motion."

In his decision, McCloskey said that the Middlesex County clerk "did nothing wrong here. She relied upon what was in the SRVS (Statewide Voter Registration System)."

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The error can be traced to the SVRS, the judge ruled, that listed the wrong ward for the voters on the even side of the street.

McCloskey noted that because of changes in state laws, election officials at all levels of government were faced with "monumental challenges" because New Jersey was placed "in uncharted waters" and "unanticipated circumstances" prompted by the pandemic.

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ court blocks Old Bridge candidates appeal challenging new election
RgStudio / Getty Images

Under a proposal announced Jan. 25 by Gov. Gavin Newsom and Californias top legislative leaders, workers can get up to two weeks of paid sick leave if they come down with COVID-19 and businesses can get up to $6 billion in tax cuts and other assistance, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

See: California SNAP Payment Schedule for February

Find: Omicron Call Out  How Sick Days Could Hinder Economic Growth

Californias ability to take early budget action will protect workers and provide real relief to businesses reeling from this latest surge, said Newsom and legislative leaders in a statement. By extending sick leave to frontline workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce, while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive.

California had paid sick leave last year, which expired in September. However, labor unions pushed state officials to bring paid sick leave back.

The San Francisco Chronicle added that business groups have been opposed to extra sick leave as many industries are still trying to recover from the pandemic. Last year, many businesses were able to use a federal tax cut credit to make up for extra paid sick leave, but that credit is no longer available.

Newsom has also decided to end some tax increases on businesses, which were used at the start of the pandemic to prevent a major budget deficit. Funds are being redirected toward a state grant program for businesses and state taxes are not being charged for some federal grants. This amounts to $6 billion for businesses, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

See: How Much Do Masks Really Cost? From Cloth to KN95, Heres a Price Breakdown

Taxes 2022: Are Face Masks and Hand Sanitizer Deductible?

The proposal applies to companies with at least 26 workers. Workers would get one week of paid time off and an additional week if they or their family members test positive. Companies are required to provide and cover the cost of coronavirus tests. The proposal would expire on Sept. 30, 2022.

Story continues

More from GOBankingRates:

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: COVID-19 Omicron Variant Will Likely Lead to Reinstatement of California Paid Sick Leave
ALBANY, N.Y.  The number of New Yorkers hospitalized with COVID-19 is falling fast, dropping by 25% from last week alone, Gov. Hochul announced on Tuesday.

The governor provided a brief update on the states fight against the coronavirus during an appearance at the State Fairgrounds in Syracuse, used as a testing and vaccination site throughout the pandemic

This is a huge barometer of how were doing, and were still dropping, thank God, from the peak we were at two weeks ago, Hochul said, noting that earlier this month, there were nearly 13,000 people hospitalized with the virus.

That number is now below 9,800.

The states overall seven-day positivity rate continues to fall as well, dropping to 9.69% on Tuesday from a peak near 23% in early January.

The seven-day average plummeted to just 7.68% in the city, significantly lower than earlier in the month as the omicron-fueled winter surge swept through the state.

Despite the positive trends, the grim realities of the ongoing pandemic were apparent as the state recorded another 158 COVID-related deaths.

As a judge temporarily reinstated the states mask mandate following an earlier ruling declaring it unconstitutional, Hochul encouraged parents of school-age children to get kids vaccinated.

Hochul noted that only 26% of kids ages 511 are fully vaccinated against the virus.

Hundreds of thousands of kids have now been vaccinated, she said as she pushed reluctant parents to get their kids inoculated. It is safe to do so.

The governor also touted the states testing efforts and said that over 14 million COVID-19 testing kits will have been sent to schools across the state by the end of the week.

Another 2.2 million tests have been sent to nursing homes and other congregate settings, with 200,000 more expected to arrive this week.

We saw what happened a year ago, but it doesnt have to be our destiny. Now theres no reason not to be vaccinated. No reason not to be boosted. No reason not to understand that the masks are making a difference. And thats why were focused on all these tools, Hochul said. So the winter surge is not over, but we are in a far better position to deal with it.

This roller coaster is not over, she added.

______
The status of a contested right of way that activists believe has been blocked by the Weekapaug Fire District remains unsettled.

A subcommittee of the Coastal Resources Management Council voted on Tuesday to move forward with the process of designating five rights of way to the shoreline in Portsmouth.

But the thornier matter of potential rights of way in Weekapaug, Narragansett, and the Buttonwoods section of Warwick will require further research, said the council's attorney, Anthony DeSisto.

The public access points under consideration in Portsmouth are located at 1 Beach St., Cedar Avenue, and Fountain Avenue in Island Park; at the end of Cory's Lane between Green Animals and the Portsmouth Abbey School; and at the end of East Power Street, which runs down to the Sakonnet River in a neighborhood just slightly north of Clements' Marketplace.

Discrepancy with Portsmouth public access points

Oddly, several already have signs labeling them as CRMC rights of way, DeSisto said. But a review of the CRMC's records showed that they never actually received that designation.

Political Scene: How can shoreline access in Rhode Island be improved? Candidates weigh in

DeSisto said Portsmouth's town planner became aware of the discrepancy and "has done quite a bit of work" to demonstrate that the access points should have that official designation, so that access will be protected if issues arise in the future.

"What he said is, basically, everyone uses these as rights of way," DeSisto said. "But we want to make sure they are officially designated as such."

Roger Williams University law students who are helping the CRMC to establish new rights of way "did a lot of legwork" to gather the necessary documentation, DeSisto said.

The panel unanimously approved DeSisto's recommendation to hold a public hearing where residents can weigh in on the proposed rights of way, which is typically the final step before the rights of way subcommittee holds a vote and forwards its recommendation to the full council.

Several other closely watched efforts to formally establish public rights of way along contested parts of the coastline remain on hold for now.

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Narragansett shoreline access

One is the so-called "Mumford Road right of way" in Narragansett, a path near the William C. O'Neill bike path that leads to the Narrow River and has long been used as a kayak launch. In recent years, residents have reported encountering "No Trespassing" signs and other obstructions.

DeSisto said there was some confusion over whether the right-of-way had been accepted by the town of Narragansett along with the rest of the subdivision plat in 1965.

Narragansett: Council wants survey to look for encroachment on shoreline rights of way

"We did our research on it, but I really feel were going to have to do a bit more before it can be recommended for a public hearing," he said.

The subcommittee unanimously approved DeSisto's recommendation to hold off and conduct more research in the town's archives.

Potential rights of way in the Buttonwoods section of Warwick and the Weekapaug section of Westerly also will require further study, DeSisto said.

Weekapaug effort to block public access

In Westerly, a group of volunteers is making the case that the Weekapaug Fire District is illegally blocking a right of way called the "Spring Avenue Extension" in order to keep the public from using its beach.

Both sides have produced "very lengthy" memos outlining their legal arguments, DeSisto said. He acknowledged there was "a lot of public interest" and requested more time to analyze those memos and "come up with the appropriate legal position" before scheduling a public hearing.

Westerly: Armed with dusty old maps, activists fight to reclaim beach access in Weekapaug

Buttonwoods in Warwick maintains beach is private

DeSisto said there were "some similar issues" at play in Buttonwoods, where the Buttonwoods Fire District similarly maintains that it is a private beach community and its streets are not public rights of way.

In that case, there aren't any legal memoranda to comb through, but frequent fire district critic Richard Langseth has submitted quite a bit of research, DeSisto said.

Waterfront Warwick: Neighborhoods are full of 'No Parking' signs. Many aren't legal.

"What we do have is a lot of factual and historical data going back to the turn of the last century," DeSisto said. "Were sorting through that too."

Tuesday also marked the launch of a new CRMC map that's intended to make it easier to find existing rights of way.

RI CRMC designated rights of way to the shore

Produced in collaboration with Save The Bay, the map plots the location of each right of way and has a gallery that contains recent photographs and relevant legal documentation.

It can be accessed by going to www.crmc.ri.gov/publicaccess.html and clicking on the ArcGIS online map.

Providence: Neighbors scramble to soften impact of waterfront apartments

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI beach access: CRMC discusses Portsmouth, Narragansett, Weekapaug
By Hannah Lang

(Reuters) -Cryptocurrency exchange FTX US said on Wednesday it was valued at $8 billion after raising $400 million in its first funding round from investors including Japan's SoftBank Group Corp and Singapore's Temasek Holdings.

The Series A funding also includes investments from crypto investment firm Paradigm, Multicoin Capital, Tribe Capital, Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board, Greenoaks Capital, Steadview Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, among others, the company said in a statement.

"What this raise means to us is that we are officially establishing ourselves on the stage of the largest competitors of cryptocurrency exchanges in the U.S., and signaling to the world that we are going to continue to expand very rapidly," FTX US President Brett Harrison said.

With the cryptocurrency market growing, surpassing $3 trillion in November, venture capital investors are increasingly looking to put down stakes in the industry.

Venture capital firms invested $30 billion in crypto in 2021, according to research firm PitchBook.

Chicago-based FTX US was launched in 2020 by former Wall Street high frequency trading executives, and it competes with leading crypto exchanges Coinbase and Binance.

In October, FTX US acquired LedgerX in a move to expand into crypto futures and options trading.

FTX US had an average daily volume of about $360 million in the third quarter, according to the company. Its users increased by 52% quarter over quarter, though the company has declined to share how many users it has overall.

FTX US said it intends to use the funds to grow its user base and launch new business lines, and will also consider strategic investments and acquisitions.

It also plans to expand its 100-strong staff, said Harrison, who previously worked at Citadel Securities.

"By having this capital, we're able to go out and be competitive and hire the best people," he said.

(Reporting by Hannah Lang in Washington; Editing by Himani Sarkar and Cynthia Osterman)
By Dave Sherwood

HAVANA (Reuters) - Cuba rejected on Tuesday accusations by rights groups and diplomats that its court system had unfairly jailed protesters following widespread unrest on the island in July, defending recent trials as just and in line with Cuban law.

The July 11-12 protests - the largest such rallies since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution - saw thousands take to the streets in towns and cities across the island. Many voiced anger at the communist-run government and shortages of food, medicine and electricity at a time when coronavirus cases had soared.

The protests were largely peaceful, although state media showed some demonstrators looting and throwing stones at police.

They were followed by a flurry of arrests. The Cuban prosecutor's office said Tuesday it had thus far charged 710 people with crimes including vandalism, assault against people or property, and "grave public disorder."

Human rights groups, the U.S. government and the European Union have slammed the trials of the protesters, saying they lack transparency and that long jail sentences were disproportionate with the crimes committed.

Cuba's state prosecutor on Tuesday said those accusations were "manipulations of public opinion." It said it had "verified compliance with the rights and constitutional guarantees of due process" under Cuban law.

"The right to defense was guaranteed, lawyers presented evidence and had access to the case files," the office said in a statement.

The U.S. Embassy in Havana has for months called on Cuba to increase due process protections in the trials, tagging messages on social media with the hashtag "Prisoners, for what?"

Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Twitter late on Monday that its northern neighbor and long-time rival was seeking to discredit Cuba.

"The U.S. is well aware that current legal processes in Cuba are conducted in full compliance with the law and internationally accepted standards," Rodriguez said. "It lies to tarnish Cuba's exemplary work in the protection of its children and justify criminal coercive measures."

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Nearly 70% of those accused are being held in detention as they await their trials, the prosecutor's statement said, and 55 of the 710 facing charges are between the ages of 16 and 18.

Rights groups observing the process and advising those accused say penalties for dozens already sentenced, including for sedition, have ranged from four to 30 years behind bars.

The Cuban prosecutor said the penalties "correspond with the seriousness of the crimes, the level of participation (of the accused) and the damage caused to society."

(Reporting by Dave Sherwood, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
Good morning, Chicago.

What is stealth omicron? And how worried should we be about another COVID-19 mutation?

Chicagoans may be exhausted to hear anything related to a new variant or even subvariant of COVID-19, but the World Health Organization is warning a new version of omicron is being seen in more countries and has said investigating it should be prioritized.

Dr. Allison Arwady, commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health, mentioned it in a news conference, noting the omicron subvariant is something officials are watching.

Heres what Chicago experts had to say about what is known, and why not to panic.

 Alison Bowen

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.

COVID-19 tracker | More newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Daily horoscope | Ask Amy | Todays eNewspaper edition

Illinois students who are exposed to COVID-19 but already had a confirmed case of the virus in the past three months will no longer be excluded from the classroom and required to stay home from school, officials with the states health department said.

The updated guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education follows the latest quarantine and isolation recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for schools enrolling students in kindergarten through 12th grade, in particular those considered a close contact. Fully vaccinated students identified as close contacts were already exempt from quarantine if they were not showing symptoms.

A group within the Chicago Teachers Union is launching a new campaign to challenge President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates in the unions spring election.

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The movement by the Members First Caucus comes two weeks after the union narrowly voted to accept Chicago Public Schools COVID-19 safety agreement and end a dayslong work stoppage.

Mars Wrigley is closing a nearly century-old chocolate plant on Chicagos West Side once hailed as the most beautiful candy factory in America.

Built in a Spanish-style architecture in 1928, the sprawling plant in the Galewood neighborhood bordering Oak Park employs about 280 workers and will be phased out over the next two years, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

The Chicago Bears announced they have hired Ryan Poles, the Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel, as their new general manager.

At 36, he will jump into a front-office position that, under the Bears structure, offers great latitude and freedom to carry out his vision. He will be responsible for jump-starting a franchise that hasnt won a playoff game since the 2010 season and finished 6-11 in 2021.

Forecasters had been calling for the coldest temps Chicagoland has seen all winter  and the weather overnight delivered. In the far western suburbs, in places such as Dixon and DeKalb, the temperature felt like 30 below with the wind chill factor early Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
A petition asking the city of Chicago to clear sidewalks of snow and ice has gained traction, collecting more than 3,600 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon. A transit advocacy organization and disability service group have partnered in the campaign against what they call the inaccessible state of city sidewalks.

We dont assume that the adjacent property owners are going to go out with their shovels and take care of the streets, Laura Saltzman, transportation policy analyst with disability service organization Access Living, said. Why did we decide the sidewalk should be treated differently?

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Chicago-based Access Living partnered with Better Streets Chicago, the transit advocacy group, late last year. Reports of snow and ice on sidewalks are the most common transportation-related complaint the group gets in winter, Saltzman said.

Its a huge deal for people with disabilities, she said. For example, people who depend on mobility devices may have to turn around or take an Uber rather than navigate through piles of snow and ice, she said.

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Chicago currently says it is residents and businesses individual responsibility to shovel snow daily, or face citations up to $500, according to the citys website. They have received more than 3,200 complaints to 311 about snow on sidewalks this month alone, according to city data.

Ashley Eisenmenger, Access Livings public relations coordinator, is blind and a full-time white cane user. Snow and ice can impair her ability to identify places where the sidewalk turns into the street, or hear the sound of her cane tapping as it reverberates off surrounding buildings, she said.

As most Chicagoans know, the snow doesnt necessarily get to stop us from doing necessary things like going to the grocery store, Eisenmenger said. Disabled people still have to be able to get out and do that too, and quite frankly, might want to get out and do nonessential things.

A pedestrian navigates an unshoveled sidewalk on Jan. 25, 2022, along North Milwaukee Avenue in Logan Square. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune)

The citys transit systems make an effort to be accessible, even if theyre imperfect, Saltzman said. But these efforts dont matter if people with disabilities cant make it to a bus or train station in the first place, she said.

We have a great public park and sidewalk infrastructure, and you cant use it in February because ... youll get one neighbor who never cleans their walk, Elizabeth Monkus, a Lakeview resident who tweeted about signing the petition, said.

The campaign has not yet received a direct response from the city, Better Streets Chicago organizer Michael Podgers said. The petition specifically asks the city to develop a plan before next winter to clear snow and ice off sidewalks, and appropriate the necessary funds.

Though the campaign initially began late last winter, organizers from Better Streets strategized over the warmer months to develop more support for this winter, Podgers said.

The Department of Transportation, Department of Streets and Sanitation and the mayors office, which are all named in the petition, did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.

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Some other large cities in North America have some form of municipal snow clearance, including Rochester, New York. The city contracts individuals, many of them farmers, to plow sidewalks after heavy snowfall, according to citys Democrat and Chronicle.

Minneapolis studied the issue in a 2018 report, and found the possible cost could range from $4.5 million to $6 million annually for infrequent plowing, and up to $20 million annually for frequent plowing.

But the barriers to plowing sidewalks are priorities, not costs, advocates argued, citing the fact that the city already plows Chicagos streets.

There are also costs to having the sidewalks inconsistently cleared, said Steven Vance, a transportation and urban planner who said he knows the petitions organizers.

Having a patchwork of uncleared sidewalks is a detriment to so many Chicagoans, Vance said.

Some individuals who posted online about signing the petition said they were compelled to support it because they drive infrequently or not at all.

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We should never cater to the car driver over the pedestrian in such a walkable city as ours, said Ryan Patrick Clarke, a Bridgeport resident who uses the pronoun they and said they do not own a car.

Others described the sidewalks near their homes as unsafe or inconsistent.

Laurie Merrell, a Rogers Park resident who works in transit data and signed the petition, said her daily dog walk is dangerous.

There will be a perfectly clear sidewalk in front of one house, Merrell said, and then an inch of ice in front of the next.

oolander@chicagotribune.com
Matthew Leksell recently discovered Ariana Grande's old family portrait at Disney World.

He posted a video of the picture on TikTok; it shows Ariana, her brother, and parents in 2001.

The Leave a Legacy wall allowed parkgoers to commemorate their vacations in the early 2000s.

Ariana Grande might have gotten her career start with Nickelodeon, but she also has history with Disney.

Matthew Leksell, 25, was visiting Disney World in Orlando, Florida, last week when he discovered that a family portrait taken of the Grande family in 2001 is featured in Epcot's Leave a Legacy attraction. It shows Ariana next to her brother Frankie, as well as their parents.

He filmed himself after finding their photo, and later shared it to TikTok. His video now has nearly 300,000 views at the time of writing.

The Leave a Legacy attraction was active between 1999 and 2007. At the time, parkgoers could pay to have their family photos etched into granite panels to commemorate their vacations.

The stones originally greeted parkgoers who entered Epcot, as they sat in front of Spaceship Earth. In 2021, however, the original attraction was removed, and a new rainbow version was installed just outside the entrance.

The Leave a Legacy attraction at Epcot in 2003. Matt Stroshane/Stringer/Getty Images

Speaking with Insider, Leksell said his friend and his mom have a picture at the attraction, so they decided to look at it when they visited together last week. As they looked for their photo, Leksell scanned the QR code on the attraction and began looking through the website Disney provides so that you can easily find your spot on the wall.

Related video: 6 unique rides by independent engineers

Because you only needed to enter a last name to find a photo, Leksell said he had the idea to search for one of his favorite stars.

"I'm a big Ariana Grande fan and know that she would visit the parks frequently, so jokingly I put in her mom's name to see if anything came up," he said. "That's when I found the pictures of her and her family."

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Leksell said anyone who wants to see the picture in person simply has to visit the wall, scan the QR code, and then search for the Grandes to determine the exact location of their portrait.

"I know that *NSYNC has a spot on the wall too, so it's really cool to think that anyone who visited the parks at some time could be on that wall," he added.

Read the original article on Insider
Two medical advisers for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) implored the U.S. government on Wednesday to expand COVID-19 vaccination access and other mitigation measures at immigration detention centers, where infections have surged by over 800% in 2022, according to a whistleblower disclosure obtained by CBS News.

In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Scott Allen and Josiah Rich, two doctors who inspect detention facilities on behalf of the department's civil rights office, denounced the government's "slow and inconsistent" efforts to control the spread of COVID-19 among immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a division of DHS.

"In our own inspections of ICE facilities, for example, we have seen and documented inconsistent enforcement of mask use in detention centers, inconsistent testing and surveillance, and a failure to develop facility level infection control plans  all critical measures to control the spread of what we know is a highly transmissible, life-threatening illness," the medical consultants wrote.

Allen and Rich, who are represented as whistleblowers by the nonprofit Government Accountability Project, urged Mayorkas to ensure immigrants in ICE custody have access to booster shots, antiviral medication, monoclonal antibodies, N95 or KN95 face masks and counseling related to the efficacy of the vaccine.

"The failure to act with alacrity," the doctors wrote, "has contributed to the number of confirmed COVID cases skyrocketing since the emergence of the Omicron variant."

COVID-19 cases among immigrants in ICE detention have increased by 848% since the start of the year, government statistics show. On Wednesday, ICE was isolating or monitoring 2,702 detainees  or 12% of its detainee population  due to confirmed infections, compared to 285 active cases recorded on January 3.

The recent surge in infections is the largest system-wide coronavirus outbreak inside ICE's sprawling network of 200 for-profit prisons, county jails and detention centers, surpassing a previous record of active detainee cases in May 2021, according to an analysis of agency data by the Vera Institute of Justice.

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Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer to retire

What does Putin want from Russia-Ukraine crisis?

Blinken says the U.S. has delivered a written response to Russia's demands
Morrissey has written an open letter to his former bandmate in The Smiths, Johnny Marr, asking him to stop mentioning him in interviews.

In a post on his Morrissey Central website published on 25 January, the musician wrote: This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast. It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?

Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music? If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?

Morrissey continued: The fact is: you dont know me. You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts.

He added that the pair hadnt known each other for 35 years, something he describes as many lifetimes ago.

When we met you and I were not successful, he wrote. We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today. Can you not just leave it at that?

Must you persistently, year after year, decade after decade, blame me for everything from the 2007 Solomon Islands tsunami to the dribble on your grandmas chin?

He added that the British press will print anything Marr says about him as long as its cruel and savage.

Morrissey and Johnny Marr were bandmates in the Eighties (Shutterstock)

Move on, he said. Its as if you cant uncross your own legs without mentioning me. Our period together was many lifetimes ago, and a lot of blood has streamed under the bridge since then.

There comes a time when you must take responsibility for your own actions and your own career, with which I wish you good health to enjoy. Just stop using my name as clickbait.

Marr responded with a tweet: Dear [Morrissey]. An open letter hasnt really been a thing since 1953, Its all social media now. Even Donald J Trump had that one down. Also, this fake news businessa bit 2021 yeah ? #makingindiegreatagain.

Dear @officialmoz . An open letter hasnt really been a thing since 1953, Its all social media now. Even Donald J Trump had that one down. Also, this fake news businessa bit 2021 yeah ?#makingindiegreatagain  Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) January 26, 2022

Morrissey and Marr were in The Smiths together from 1982 to 1987 and released four albums during that time. Marr quit the band aged 23 after Morrissey fired several successive managers and Marr was given the responsibility of managing the group.

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Tensions had also been worsened by a premature Smiths to Split story that ran in the NME that summer, which Marr believed had been planted by Morrissey.

The open letter comes after Marr discussed Morrissey in a recent interview with Uncut magazine.

The guitarist had said: One of the reasons Ive been in so many bands was because I wanted to be loyal to them. It wont come as any surprise when I say that Im really close with everyone Ive worked with  except for the obvious one. And that isnt that much of a surprise because were so different, me and Morrissey.

But all of these different musicians, I can pick up the phone to any one, and just pick up from where we left off. So yeah, loyalty. But its not because Im so virtuous. Everyone Ive worked with has been great.

The only thing that turned to s*** was The Smiths. Which is a shame, but s*** happens. I hate talking about the group I formed in those terms, the group I loved. But, you know, lets get some perspective.

In an interview with The Independent in 2018, Marr was asked about the controversial views that had been espoused by the ex-Smiths frontman, including encouraging fans to vote for far-right party For Britain and expressing sympathy with jailed EDL founder Tommy Robinson. He said he opposed Morrisseys views and clarified that the pair are not mates.
File: Donald Trump Jr waves after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference held at the Hilton Anatole on 9 July 2021 in Dallas, Texas (Getty Images)

Donald Trump Jr went after Peter Dinklage on Tuesday night after the Game of Thrones star criticised Disney for its remake of the f***ing backward Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

The critically acclaimed actor recently lashed out at the studio for falling back on a story based on damaging stereotypes surrounding dwarfism, calling out double standards in the film industry.

While Disney responded to the criticism from Dinklage saying they are consulting with members of the dwarfism community, Mr Trump was not happy.

Sharing a New York Post story headlined Disney rethinking Snow White after Peter Dinklage calls out use of dwarves, Mr Trump tweeted: Lol This is getting so ridiculous. Also, it seems he was fine with the dwarf jokes in [Game of Thrones]. I guess its all good as long as youre getting paid? Disney consulting gig coming Spring 2022.

Mr Trumps comments have themselves been met with a backlash as some Twitter users came to Dinklages defence.

Don Jr. is nowChecks notes.. Attacking dwarves? wrote Twitter user William Buecker.

Don Jr. is now

Checks notes

Attacking dwarves? https://t.co/qksBPkeG0S  William Buecker (@wcbuecker) January 26, 2022

You obviously did not read the article and dont understand the title of the film, wrote another user.

You obviously did not read the article and dont understand the title of the film.  Mike W  (@mikeyw2k) January 25, 2022

The controversy took off when the actor, while discussing the concept of wokeness on the latest episode of the WTF with Marc Maron podcast, made his comments about the live-action remake, which will star Rachel Zegler as the princess.

I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White, he said.

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Youre still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Take a step back and look at what youre doing there. It makes no sense to me.

Youre progressive in one way and youre still making that f***ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*** are you doing man?

Responding to the criticism, Disney said: To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.
An East St. Louis man was sentenced to 11 years in prison on federal drug and gun convictions on Tuesday.

Anthony Wisham, 60, was sentenced in the U.S. Court for the Southern District of Illinois for distribution of fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and for the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys office.

Wisham admitted to distributing fentanyl on Sept. 25, 2020, in East St. Louis. He also admitted to the possession with the intent to distribute 21.3 grams of cocaine while possessing a firearm.

The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by the Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel T. Kapsak.
Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan criticized Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoots controversial ordinance aimed at fining gang members and seizing their property, saying it wont work to reduce skyrocketing crime.

Most gang members dont have any assets to speak of, said Duncan, who is considering a challenge to Lightfoot in the 2023 mayors race. His comments Wednesday follow an address to the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce on a series of proposals he said could reduce high crime.

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In September, Lightfoot unveiled a proposal called the Victims Justice Ordinance that, if approved, could allow judges or court officers to impose fines as high as $10,000 for each offense and seize any property that is directly or indirectly used or intended for use in any manner to facilitate street gang-related activity.

Former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, shown visiting Chicago Vocational Career Academy in 2017, said most gang members dont have any assets to speak of." (Keri Wiginton / Chicago Tribune)

It also calls for the seizure of any property that gangs obtained through illegal means such as drug-dealing or other crimes. The measure has been criticized by civil rights lawyers, who said the ordinance would invite civil rights abuses. Local Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara also said its a waste of everyones time to pretend she is doing something of substance.

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Lightfoot faces broader criticism of the ordinance.

Several aldermen pushed back on her asset forfeiture proposal, saying it would end up hurting working-class families rather than effectively zeroing in on gangs ill-gotten gains.

In an attempt to build more City Council support for the measure, the mayor last week brought forward a retooled ordinance that seeks to more narrowly target gang leaders for forfeiture to avoid harming low-level gang associates.

The Lightfoot administrations latest plan also gives families of people who get cars or other assets seized a way to appeal on the grounds that other family members need the vehicles for legitimate purposes.

Still, at a Public Safety Committee hearing on the ordinance Friday, several aldermen remained unconvinced, saying it seems like a solution searching for a problem. No committee vote has yet been scheduled on the measure.

For her part, Lightfoot has downplayed the civil rights lawyers concerns and said the ordinance will allow the city to go after gangs blood money.

On Wednesday, Duncan proposed sending more police officers to the departments patrol division and finding ways to shift responsibility for responding to calls about traffic accidents and community complaints from cops to social workers or other professionals. A former CEO of Chicago Public Schools under Mayor Richard M. Daley, Duncan later founded Chicago CRED, an anti-violence organization.

He also wants the city to spend $400 million a year on violence-prevention street outreach groups and find jobs for high school students and residents leaving prison.

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Some of Duncans proposals mirror actions already taken by Lightfoot. The mayor has expanded city funding for violence-prevention programs, for instance, though Duncan and others propose City Hall spend more.

Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.

For her part, Lightfoot has criticized Duncans push to spend more on community anti-violence measures, likening his proposals to defunding the police. Duncan in 2020 wrote an op-ed saying the city could take hundreds of millions from police vacancies and spend them on outreach and alternative response programs.

Asked about the criticism, Duncan denied the charge.

What we want to do is rethink the role of police. Having them focus on the violence, having them focus on homicides and shootings, trying to prevent the next one, trying to solve the one that just happened, thats the best use of their time and energy, Duncan said.

He also accused Lightfoot of defunding the police. Lightfoots 2020 budget eliminated hundreds of vacant police positions while hundreds more officers have been lost through retirements and attrition. Her next budget, however, boosted police spending.

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At an unrelated news conference, Lightfoot again attacked Duncan, saying anyone who wants to defund the Police Department isnt a serious person.

We know that the long-term play to end violence, to bring peace to neighborhoods, is to invest. And weve got billions of dollars in investments to prove just that, Lightfoot said. But defunding the police at the same time to take away resources, that makes no sense to me whatsoever.
Owen Farrell has been ruled out of the entire Six Nations by ankle surgery (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

Englands bumpy build-up to the Guinness Six Nations continued apace as Owen Farrell was ruled out of the entire competition through injury with Jonny May looking destined to share the fate of his captain.

Jonny Hill has emerged as a doubt for the opener against Scotland on February 5 because of a foot problem, while Eddie Jones is only hopeful that Courtney Lawes  the likely replacement for Farrell as skipper  will recover from concussion in time for the trip to Murrayfield.

And on a dramatic Tuesday, Joe Marler tested positive for coronavirus just hours before an electrical fire that erupted from a manhole on Brighton seafront forced the squad to evacuate their hotel and find new accommodation for the night.

Squad Update on Owen Farrell. pic.twitter.com/aWrP32zTIn  England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) January 26, 2022

Head coach Jones has embraced the extraordinary level of disruption faced by England as an opportunity to adapt, but acknowledged that Scotland are probably up in Edinburgh now not escaping fires and being able to train well.

Of all the setbacks, Jones will feel most acutely Farrells absence for the whole Six Nations due to surgery undertaken on Monday that will require eight to 10 weeks of rehabilitation.

The 30-year-old had been inked in to start at inside centre where he would assist fly-half Marcus Smith with the playmaking duties, but yet another midfield rebuild is now needed.

In a cruel twist, Englands goalkicker was poised to make his comeback from surgery to his left ankle when a training session at Saracens last Wednesday ended with him stepping on someones foot and rolling his right ankle.

30 - Owen Farrell has featured in each of @EnglandRugby's 30 Six Nations matches under Eddie Jones; he's the only player from any nation not to miss a single match in the Championship since the beginning of 2016. Doubt. pic.twitter.com/Jdoa9d1Ukt  OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) January 21, 2022

Owen is out of the Six Nations. Its a massive blow for him personally and for the team its a blow, Jones said at the official Championship launch.

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But its obviously an opportunity for other guys to step up into leadership roles and for other players to play for that 12 jumper. We see it more as an opportunity.

In todays rugby, having your best team on the field is a rare occurrence. Were pretty used to it. Theres an opportunity there to build a bit more leadership depth.

Another adjustment to the backline sees May more than likely to be out of the Six Nations with Jones revealing that he will probably have surgery on his knee, but it is the pack that could experience the greatest upheaval.

Lock Hill is touch and go to take on Scotland after just coming out of a protective boot for his damaged foot, Lawes has been unable to train since being concussed for Northampton against Ulster on January 16 and Marler might be back in training as early as Monday or miss out altogether.

Jonny May, one of Englands most prolific try-scorers, is set to miss the entire Six Nations (Adam Davy/PA) (PA Wire)

It is the second time in under three months that Marler has caught Covid after a positive test also forced him to watch autumn victory over Australia while self-isolating.

Joe seems to have a habit of catching Covid. I dont know what that is, Jones said.

While the treatment room was busy filling up, England were confronted by a fire outside the Harbour Hotel where they have been staying during their training camp in Brighton.

All nearby buildings were evacuated with fire crews attending the scene and the cause has been determined as an electric fault exacerbated by a gas leak.

There were billows of smoke coming out of a manhole and all of a sudden it lit up and a huge fire like a bonfire came out of the manhole, said Jones, who revealed that no players or staff were at risk.

We remain at the scene of a manhole fire on #Brighton seafront - steady progress is being made on attempts to isolate utilities. Gas is being burnt off by the fire. Please continue to avoid the area. Cordons remain in place. pic.twitter.com/pzK5I8wkiJ  East Sussex FRS (@EastSussexFRS) January 25, 2022

We had to evacuate the hotel and at one stage we were going to go to the Cotswolds and buy some sleeping bags! We got through the night and were here.

Its good disruption because everyone had to adapt. We enjoy these sorts of things. Every time we deal with it a little bit better.

We had a similar situation with the typhoon in the 2019 World Cup when we had to move hotels quickly, so the guys have been in that situation before and they lead the way.

We dont ask for it, but when it comes our way we accept it. I really like how the players handle it, take it in their stride, get on with it. The game of rugby teaches that.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP)  Ethiopias Council of Ministers has proposed ending the countrys six-month state of emergency now, citing recent developments in the war that has raged in the Tigray and neighboring regions for over a year.

Wednesdays proposal to end the state of emergency that was declared in early November must be approved by lawmakers. The proposal was announced by the government on social media.

The state of emergency was imposed as Tigray forces fighting Ethiopian and allied forces moved closer to the capital, Addis Ababa. They withdrew back into the northern Tigray region late last month under pressure from a drone-supported military offensive.

Witnesses, lawyers and human rights groups have said that thousands of ethnic Tigrayans were held under the state of emergencys sweeping powers of detention. An unknown number have been released after the shift in the war late last month.

Ethiopias government has sought to restrict reporting on the conflict and detained some journalists, including a video freelancer accredited to the AP, Amir Aman Kiyaro.
By Foo Yun Chee

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -The European Commission, in a global first, proposed a set of digital rights and principles on Wednesday that aim to protect people's rights, support democracy and ensure a fair and safe online environment.

Those rights and principles also cover digital devices, ensuring that the products support the bloc's sustainability and green transition goals, with details provided on their environmental impact and energy consumption.

The declaration of digital rights and principles "establishes once and for all that what is illegal offline should also be illegal online," EU industry chief Thierry Breton said in a statement.

The EU executive said the digital rights and principles, which are based on European values, aim to provide a guide for policymakers and companies when dealing with new technologies.

An EU document outlines the bloc's commitment to strengthening the democratic framework for a digital transformation that benefits everyone and technological solutions that, among other things, respect people's rights and promote inclusion.

EU digital chief Margrethe Vestager said while Europe was not alone in this effort, it aimed to be the torchbearer.

"We see similar discussions happen in Australia, in India and in the United States," she told a news conference. "We aim to be in the forefront of this global momentum."

"We also aim to promote these principles as a standard for the world," Breton said in his statement.

The Commission hopes to sign a declaration on these rights and principles with EU countries and the European Parliament by summer.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Bernadette Baum)




Jeff Flake, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey and former Arizona Republican senator, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday in his first official duties as the U.S. ambassador to the country.

The U.S. Embassy in Ankara tweeted that the former Arizona senator gave his credentials to the Turkish president at the country's presidential complex on Wednesday.

"It is an honor to represent the United States in Turkey. This is a critical relationship at a pivotal time," Flake said in a post on Twitter.

Flake was among a group of ambassadors who were confirmed by the Senate in late October after confirmations had been stalled by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) amid concerns over how a Russian gas pipeline was being handled by President Biden. Flake was sworn in in December.

A vocal critic of former President Trump, the former Republican senator decided against running for reelection in 2017 given the political headwinds he acknowledged he would have faced.

"It is clear at this moment that a traditional conservative who believes in limited government and free markets ... has a narrower and narrower path to nomination in the Republican Party," Flake said on the Senate floor at the time. "It's also clear to me for the moment that we have given in or given up on the core principles in favor of a more viscerally satisfying anger and resentment."

Since then, Flake has said that the former president "does not deserve reelection" in an op-ed published in The Washington Post in 2019 and told The Post in a separate interview in April 2020 that he would not be voting for Trump ahead of the 2020 presidential elections.

"This won't be the first time I've voted for a Democrat - though not for president. Last time I voted for a third-party candidate," he told the newspaper. "But I will not vote for Donald Trump."

Trump celebrated Flake's expected retirement in 2018 following the midterm elections.

"In Jeff Flake's case it's me, pure and simple. I retired him. I'm very proud of it, I did the country a great service," Trump said at the White House during a press conference.
TALLAHASSEE  A proposal aimed at limiting how various race-related concepts are discussed in classrooms and workplace training sessions received initial backing Wednesday in the House, inching forward Gov. Ron DeSantis push against critical race theory.

The Republican-dominated House Judiciary Committee approved the bill (HB 7) in a 14-7 vote. In part, the proposal seeks to prevent workers or students from being subject to training or instruction that compels them to believe a slew of ideas spelled out in the bill.

For instance, part of the bill dealing with workplace training would deem sessions discriminatory if they lead an employee to believe they bear "responsibility for, or should be discriminated against because of actions committed in the past by people of the same race or sex.

Similarly, the measure would attempt to shield public school students and employees from instruction or training that promotes concepts such as any person being inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or unconsciously.

Rep. Bryan Avila listens as Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls presents his opening remarks to the Florida House of Representatives on Jan. 11.

Critical race theory: What is it and how did it become a political dividing line?

Guest column: Misinformation about critical race theory bears resemblance to the past

Florida education commissioner: Dept. of Education's Richard Corcoran says he wants critical race theory out of Florida classrooms

DeSantis for months has called for lawmakers to prevent the use of critical race theory, which is based on the premise that racism is embedded in American institutions.

The House proposal and a similar Senate bill (SB 148) don't specifically mention critical race theory. But the measures came after DeSantis last month announced a legislative proposal dubbed the Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act, or Stop WOKE Act.

House sponsor Bryan Avila, R-Miami Springs, defended the measure as being geared toward ensuring people dont face hostility on the job or in school.

Floridas students and workers deserve to learn and earn in positive environments that value each individual, Avila said.

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Controversy surrounds proposal

But Democrats and other critics slammed the legislation as an overreach by Republicans.

Rep. Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, described the bill as an attempt by the Legislature to become the thought police and warned that it would tie the hands of businesses.

This bill is a classic example of a false equivalency, where were saying that individual freedom is the same as not feeling discomfort, guilt or anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of his or her race, Driskell said, quoting from a part of the bill. Individual freedom is not the same thing as being free from feelings. Those two things dont equate.

Democrats also questioned Avila about part of the bill that requires school instruction to be given in an objective manner.

Avila, who previously has worked as an adjunct professor at Broward College, responded in part by saying that the responsibility to ensure lessons remain objective would be left to teachers discretion.

Were leaning more and more on teachers to really kind of be a role model to our students," Avila said. "Certainly with parents working more and more because the cost of living is so high, students are really in a position where theyre relying heavily on teachers to serve as that role model. So, really, its incumbent on the teacher to show restraint, in terms of inserting any sort of belief or any sort of ideology that is not consistent with the values  that were trying to make sure that students feel like theyre learning in a positive environment.

Critical race theory: Taking aim at CRT, DeSantis unveils 'Stop WOKE Act' proposal at visit to The Villages

Legislative session: Florida moves to limit race discussion at school, workplace

"Euphemism for Black history": Florida district cancels seminar with Flagler College professor over race theory concerns

However, several opponents who testified Wednesday argued that requiring objectivity in instruction could not stop students from feeling emotions like guilt or discomfort.

Data elicits emotional response," said Danielle Irwin of the League of Women Voters of Florida. "Objectively presented data elicits subjective response. For example, if Im in a high school health class and Im presented with data  and that data shows the low infant birth rate of African American babies versus babies born to white women, that elicits a response.

Avila repeatedly argued that the measure does not attempt to censor teachers from discussing any historical events.

Part of the bill dealing with school curriculum said teachers are allowed to facilitate discussions on topics such as sexism, slavery, racial oppression and segregation. However, the measure prohibits those discussions from aiming to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view that is inconsistent with state standards.

The House bill needs to clear two more committees before it can be considered by the full House. The Senate bill needs approval from the Rules Committee before it could be teed up for floor action.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Bill to limit race-related discussion gets Florida House support
Michelle Li in the early 2010s, when she was a news anchor for WECT, emceeing at the the Daniel Pearl World Music Days Peace Through Music concert at St. Mary Catholic Church in Wilmington.

A former North Carolina TV news anchor is getting national attention after pushing back against the suggestion that she should "keep her Korean to herself."

Michelle Li, an Emmy-winning broadcast journalist, worked in the Wilmington area for about a decade, starting at WWAY TV-3 in 2003. When Li moved away in the early 2010s, she was working for WECT and its sister station, WSFX.

Earlier this month, Li, who is now a news anchor at the KSDK TV station in St. Louis, did a short segment about things people eat for New Year's Day. Li mentioned that she, and others who are of Korean descent, often eat tteokguk, or soup with sliced rice cakes, on New Year's. (Li said that she adds dumplings to hers.)

Li's story prompted a woman to call in to the station and leave a message saying that Li was "being very Asian" and that she should "keep her Korean to herself." (The woman also said that a white broadcaster would be fired for saying what they ate on New Year's, which was ironic since most of Li's short segment focused on what most Americans eat on Jan. 1.)

Id love to say something back. pic.twitter.com/zrXgiwQbR9  #VeryAsian Michelle (@MichelleLiTV) January 2, 2022

In response, Li posted a video to Twitter of her silently listening to the woman's message, with a caption that read, "I'd love to say something back."

Li's tweet went viral, prompting the #VeryAsian hashtag and drawing news coverage from CNN, the Washington Post and other outlets. Li has since changed her Twitter handle to #VeryAsian Michelle.

On Wednesday, Jan. 19, Li appeared on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" to talk about her experiences.

Li briefly talked about living in North Carolina, "Where I ate a lot of greens and cornbread." Li then told DeGeneres that her initial reaction to the message "was shock. Like, 'What in the world?'"

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But it didn't take long, Li said, for her feelings to start getting "really heavy. Like, going back to my childhood, all of these things that people have said to me."

Ultimately, Li said, the racist message was "a gift." After people started giving her positive feedback online, she realized, "Who can say that the world really stood up for you?"

Li said she called the woman who left the message, and that the woman ultimately apologized. Li said she accepted the apology, and that she wants to have a face-to-face meeting with the woman, whose name she still doesn't know, in the future.

"I don't want her to lose her livelihood," Li said. "I think she has learned her lesson."

Toward the end of the segment on "Ellen," DeGeneres presented Li with a check for $15,000 to help her raise money for the nonprofit Asian American Journalists Association. Li and a friend have created clothing with the "Very Asian" slogan, which they're selling to benefit the AAJA. To contribute, go to TisBest.org or EllenTube.com.

Hatred of and violence toward people of Asian descent has been in the news in recent months.

For far too long, Asian Americans have been made to feel ashamed of who we are and where we come from. We are inspired by @MichelleLiTV's courage in speaking up and encouraging others to do the same #VeryAsian #StopAAPIHatehttps://t.co/a0w3SAKq4L  Stop AAPI Hate (@StopAAPIHate) January 5, 2022

In 2021, the Stop Asian Hate movement began after people of Asian descent began to be targeted for verbal and physical abuse by people who wrongly tied their race to the spread of COVID-19.

Just this month, police in New York City arrested a man who they say pushed a 40-year-old Asian woman in front of a train. The woman died from her injuries.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or John.Staton@StarNewsOnline.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Former Wilmington anchor appears on 'Ellen' to address racist comments
Plastic bags are caught against a fence near Fort Collins Timberline Recycling Center in Fort Collins, Colo. on Sunday, Dec. 16, 2020.

Plastic bags and Styrofoam takeout containers aren't long for this world in Fort Collins.

First, the citys voter-approved ban on single-use plastic bags at large grocery stores will take effect May 1. City leaders are planning a few changes to that policy to align it with a state law that has broader scope. One of them will decrease the fee for paper bags from the voter-approved 12 cents to 10 cents.

As shoppers and grocers adapt to the new bag policy, two more changes from the state law will be on the horizon. Come 2024, plastic bags will be banned at most stores and restaurants, and expanded polystyrene/Styrofoam containers (including cups) will be banned at restaurants and other retail food establishments.

Small stores with three locations or fewer, if they're all in Colorado, will be exempted from the plastic bag ban but not the Styrofoam ban.

About 60% of Fort Collins voters approved the plastic bag ban in the April 2021 election. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed the state legislation, HB21-1162, into law in July. Local policy is allowed to be as strict or stricter than the state law, so the passage of the state legislation created uncertainty about the local policy. City staff have been reviewing the state law and speaking with community members about implementation and potential changes.

They came up with these proposed changes, which will get formal review by Fort Collins City Council in February:

Reduce the paper bag fee from 12 cents to 10 cents to align with the state law.

Split the paper bag fee 60-40 between the city and grocers, with the larger share going to the city, instead of the voter-approved 50-50.

Allow for more exemptions to the paper bag fee, such as for people with disabilities and people facing medical hardship. (The city already planned to exempt people who participate in federal, state and local income-qualified programs from the fee.)

Council members said they liked the staff-recommended changes during a discussion at their Tuesday work session.

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The city isnt planning to change the implementation date for the plastic bag ban at large grocery stores. Large grocers are retail stores at least 10,000 square feet in size that sell at least four of the following food types: staple foods, meat, produce, dairy, frozen food or other perishable items for human consumption. Beavers Market (which is being rebranded to Fresh Foods after the store was sold late last year) and Mountain Avenue Market are smaller than 10,000 square feet, for a size reference.

More city news: Fort Collins' annual State of the City event to be held virtually

The plastic bag ban applies only to single-use, point-of-sale plastic bags  the kind used to bag your groceries, not trash bags or bags for bulk items, produce or medicine, for example.

City staff want to change the split of the paper bag fee so the city would be aligned with the state's 10-cent fee but still get 6 cents per paper bag, which staff estimate would cover the cost of implementation. The program is meant to be revenue neutral for the city, creating neither profit nor uncovered expense.

The smaller portion for grocers would mean less money for the stores to cover the cost of paper bags. When staff spoke with grocery store representatives about the change, most said theyd prefer consistent policy throughout the state to getting more cents per bag, senior sustainability specialist Molly Saylor said. The state law also requires a 60-40 split.

Staff spoke with more than 40 grocers and disproportionately impacted community members to get feedback about the policy. They said most of the people they spoke with were ready for the change, some were supportive but wanted help with implementation and access to reusable bags, and a small portion disliked all or part of the policy.

Some people were dissatisfied with the ban because they prefer to use plastic bags or like to reuse them around the house. Others were concerned about the paper bag fee having a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities or medical needs. For example, someone who has their groceries delivered because of a disability or a medical condition wouldnt be able to use reusable bags and would therefore have to pay the paper bag fee. Some people with disabilities also have a harder time handling paper bags.

Council priorities: Here's what you can expect from Fort Collins City Council in 2022

Staff sought to address that concern by recommending an allowance for more exemptions to the bag fee. Its not yet clear exactly what those exemptions would look like. The exemption for people who participate in income-qualified programs is clearer cut, because they can show a benefits card to the cashier to qualify for the exemption. The city will need to figure out eligibility standards for other fee-exempt groups.

The allowance for exemptions is the only part of local policy that would be less stringent than state policy. Mayor Jeni Arndt said Tuesday that the city needs to consider the possibility of a state lawsuit over the less-strict condition, though council member Kelly Ohlson countered that he didnt think a lawsuit over the exemptions seemed likely.

Council and staff also talked about how the new policy will work for people who have their groceries delivered or do store pickup. The answer isnt clear yet, but Saylor said staff is exploring options such as having grocery store staff place groceries directly in car trunks without bags or using cardboard boxes. Another option could be a reusable bag deposit system, where customers pay a deposit for reusable bags that they get back when they return the bags to the store. Saylor said the city will keep working with grocery stores on how to tackle the bag issue for pickup and delivery.

Meanwhile, city staff have launched an education campaign called Bag to the Future to inform more residents about the coming change. They sent out the first wave of reusable cotton bags to 1,300 households, three per household, along with information and tips about the new bag policy. Distributing free reusable bags to lower-income people in particular will be part of the implementation plan.

The changes to the local policy will come back to council at an upcoming meeting, likely in February. Council members said they feel the community is largely ready for the change, which council had been working to place on the ballot since 2020.

"When I go shopping, I always look to see what people are bringing into the store with them, and there's a lot of folks who are bringing their bags with them," council member Susan Gutowsky said. "It's just evolved. (Reusable bags are) catching on. I don't think it'll be as big a shock as we might have thought a year ago."

Jacy Marmaduke covers government accountability for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @jacymarmaduke. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins to adjust plastic bag ban to align with Colorado law
Veterans and others who have complaints about the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs will have a new outlet to voice their concerns under a state law thats going into effect without Gov. J.B. Pritzkers signature.

The Democratic governor, whose reelection campaign this year will face tough questions over his administrations handling of a deadly 2020 coronavirus outbreak at a state-run veterans home in LaSalle, did not sign or veto the proposal within 60 days after it reached his desk, meaning it automatically becomes law.

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Republicans were quick to attack Pritzker for failing to act on the bill, a lapse the administration blamed on an internal miscommunication that allowed the proposal to fall through the cracks.

The Illinois Veterans Home in LaSalle on Dec. 14, 2020. The deadly coronavirus outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans Home has killed 33 veterans since early November. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune)

Pritzkers administration worked closely with the sponsors ... and he wholeheartedly supports the legislation becoming law, spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement Tuesday.

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Pritzker missed the signing deadline after a planned ceremony was delayed due to the most recent COVID-19 surge, she said.

We look forward to celebrating the enormous progress this new law will make in the weeks ahead once we can ensure we can hold an in-person event safely, Abudayyeh said.

The measure, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego and Democratic state Sen. Tom Cullerton of Villa Park, was approved in October without opposition in both legislative chambers.

It creates a veterans accountability unit within the state VA, with a director to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. While it will operate independently of the department, the new unit will be funded out of the agencys budget.

The new office will be responsible for hearing complaints and recommendations from veterans and others who receive services from the department, residents of the state-run veterans homes and their families, and agency staff, contractors and vendors.

The inspector general for the governors office will be responsible for investigating complaints, but the new unit will be charged with making sure all complaints are reported to the inspector general for review.

After a scathing inspector generals report last spring on the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in late 2020 that killed 36 residents of the LaSalle veterans home, Pritzker said he erred in hiring former Democratic state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia to lead the agency.

Chapa LaVia resigned in January 2021 and did not agree to be interviewed by the inspector generals office for its investigation.

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Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle took issue with the Pritzker administrations handling of the outbreak, but the criticisms from Republicans were particularly pointed.

During his successful campaign to unseat Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, Pritzker blasted the GOP incumbent for the deaths of veterans at the state-run home in Quincy during outbreaks of Legionnaires disease.

Republican Sen. Sue Rezin of Morris, a co-sponsor of the legislation whose district includes in the LaSalle home, said in a statement Wednesday that Pritzkers failure to act on the veterans accountability unit proposal is part of his administrations history of making careless mistakes when caring for veterans with catastrophic consequences.

Fortunately for them, this one didnt lead to 36 veterans dying, Rezin said.

Rezin and other Republicans have criticized the administration for taking more than a week to send state health officials to LaSalle after the 2020 outbreak began.

Pritzker administration officials have said local health departments have the primary responsibility for investigating outbreaks and that state public health officials were in regular contact with the state VA about the outbreak.

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dpetrella@chicagotribune.com
The news that Stephen Breyer, one of the three remaining liberals on the Supreme Court, is expected to retire soon has set off fevered speculation about who will replace him. On Wednesday, a pair of Fox News hosts had an unlikely suggestion: vice-president Kamala Harris.

President Biden pledged to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court during his 2020 campaign, and the vice-president has reportedly been unhappy with her role in the administration thus far.

This person has to be a woman. Shes got to be Black, and shes got to be younger. Anybody thinking what Im thinking? said Fox host Harris Faulkner on Wednesday. They dont know what to do with Kamala Harris in the White House right now. I cant be the only person who is seeing this.

The move would serve a double-benefit, argued Ms Faulkner: fulfilling a campaign promise and eliminating a 2024 rival for Joe Biden if he seeks re-election.

Former Trump administration Kayleigh McEnany agreed, calling the the theory credible, while acknowledging it doesnt yet have any factual basis.

That was playing in my mind from the moment we heard about this retirement. It is, politically speaking, if you are not happy with your vice-president and you want her in a different role, there is no greater role than on the Supreme Court. Its a role that anyone would be honoured to have.

Its not such a far out theory. The possibility of moving Harris, at least on the theoretical level, has been discussed in the Biden orbit since at least November, according to CNN.

Though the president has struggled to get key parts of his agenda through the Senate, he should be able to confirm a new Justice without much opposition, as even more centrist Democrats who oppose his other plans tend to vote with him on judicial appointments.

The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.

Since the Biden administration took office, there has been a steady stream of reports about dissatisfaction from within the vice-presidents office, as well as between president Biden and vice-president Harris.

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People are thrown under the bus from the very top, there are short fuses and its an abusive environment, an anonymous source told Politico in June of the dynamic inside the vide-presidents office. Its not a healthy environment and people often feel mistreated. Its not a place where people feel supported but a place where people feel treated like s***.

Later that year, scores of current and former aides and officials reported to CNN that the vice-president felt shed been sidelined in the administration on key issues like Afghanistan and passing Bidens domestic agenda.

"It is natural that those of us who know her know how much more helpful she can be than she is currently being asked to be," Eleni Kounalakis, lieutenant governor of California and a longtime friend of Kamala Harris, told CNN in November . "Thats where the frustration is coming from."

Top White House officials have pushed back against this characterisation.

I think its no secret that the different things she has been asked to take on are incredibly demanding, not always well understood publicly and take a lot of work as well as a lot of skill, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told The New York Times in December . You have to do everything except one thing, which is take credit.

The president himself has praised vice-president Harriss performance in recent days, telling her before an audience at a Democratic National Committee event that, I love you You always have my back. Youre really amazing. Youre the best partner I could imagine."

The president also said he would stick with Ms Harris as his VP if he runs again in 2024.

A sitting vice-president has never gone on to serve on the US Supreme Court, though former president William Howard Taft did.

Fifteen former US Senators have served on the high court.
PENNSYLVANIA  Throughout the omicron surge, many Pennsylvanians have tried to stock up on N95 masks, which were deemed the most effective at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

Pharmacies including Walgreens, Walmart, Wegmans and CVS will begin offering the highly coveted masks Friday for free at participating stores across the country.

"We are pleased to partner with the [Biden] Administration to make N95 masks in varying sizes available free of charge at participating Walgreens locations while supplies last," a spokesperson for the Illinois-based company told Patch.

Customers and patients can pick up a maximum of three masks per person.

The free masks are expected to be available by Friday and will continue on a rolling basis in the days and weeks following, according to Walgreens.



Some stores might see a later timeline for the masks.

"We anticipate masks will be available by the second week of February at the front of more than 5,100 Walmart stores and Sam's Clubs across the country," said a spokesperson with Walmart.

"Through our continued participation in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, well be offering access to free N95 masks at CVS Pharmacy locations in the coming weeks as we receive supply from the Federal Government," said a spokesperson with CVS.

Participating stores will have signage indicating mask availability.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed the pharmacy companies participating in the mask distribution including:

Costco

CVS Pharmacy

Rite Aid Corp.

ShopRite

Wegmans

Weis Markets

Walgreens (including Duane Reade)

Walmart (including Sams Club)

Find a full list of free mask giveaways on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

While Costco is on the CDC's list, a spokesperson with the company would not confirm if they are participating.

"Management has no comment at this time," said the Costco spokesperson.

Last week, the White House announced that 400 million N95 masks would be made available for free to all Americans. The masks are being released from the Strategic National Stockpile. In addition to pharmacies such as Walgreens, they can be picked up at local community health centers.

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The nationwide N95 mask distribution is part of a wider COVID-19 response plan that included last week's rollout of a website where Americans can sign up to receive free coronavirus rapid tests, the Associated Press reported.



The CDC updated its face covering guidance Jan. 14, clearly stating that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19, but it stopped short of recommending them over cloth masks.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week the best mask "is the one that you will wear and the one you keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings."

This article originally appeared on the Across Pennsylvania Patch
MAPLE GROVE, MN  Free N95 masks will be distributed to Minnesotans through multiple retail pharmacy chains in the coming weeks.

The federal government is working with different retailers in each state. Partners in Minnesota include Walgreens, CVS, Costco, Hy-Vee and more.



A full list of partners can be found on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Walgreens is expected to offer masks starting Friday, but other retailers have cautioned they may take longer to stock their stores with N95 masks.

Hennepin Co. Residents Must Apply By Friday For Rental Assistance

"We are pleased to partner with the [Biden] Administration to make N95 masks in varying sizes available free of charge at participating Walgreens locations while supplies last," a spokesperson for the company told Patch.

Customers can pick up a maximum of three masks per person.

CVS and Walmart anticipate masks arriving in stores in early to mid-February.

"We anticipate masks will be available by the second week of February at the front of more than 5,100 Walmart stores and Sam's Clubs across the country," a Walmart spokesperson said.

Students Return To Osseo Area Schools After Remote Learning Shift

Participating retail-pharmacy locations in the Maple Grove area include:

Walgreens 13611 Grove Dr., Maple Grove 6025 Shenandoah Lane N, Plymouth

CVS 6300 Wedgewood Road N, Maple Grove 15300 Grove Circle N, Maple Grove 7535 W. Broadway Ave., Brooklyn Park

Hy-Vee 18755 70th Way N, Maple Grove



The Federal Impetus

President Joe Biden and his administration announced last week they would provide 400 million free N95 masks to Americans. The masks all come from the Strategic National Stockpile and will be distributed by retail pharmacies and local health centers.

The nationwide N95 mask distribution is part of a wider COVID-19 response plan that included last week's rollout of a website where Americans can sign up to receive free coronavirus rapid tests, the Associated Press reported.

Story continues

The CDC updated its face-covering guidance Jan. 14, clearly stating that properly fitted N95 and KN95 masks offer the most protection against COVID-19. However, the agency stopped short of recommending them over cloth masks.

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said last week the best mask "is the one that you will wear and the one you keep on all day long, that you can tolerate in public indoor settings."

Reporting by Patch's Alexis Tarrazi was used in this article.

This article originally appeared on the Maple Grove Patch
Georgeanne White was named Fresnos new city manager on Tuesday, Mayor Jerry Dyer announced in a statement.

Whites appointment follows the retirement of Thomas Esqueda, who formally stepped down from the position over the weekend after 13 months on the job.

I am excited and honored to take the next step in my career as the city manager, White said in the statement. I am thankful for the opportunity that Mayor Dyer is providing me and I look forward to working with him and the entire City team.

Dyer said White was the clear choice to replace Esqueda, whose last official day comes Feb. 1.

Georgeanne is a strong leader with an incredible amount of knowledge about every department in the city, Dyer said in the news release. She is a sound decision maker who is fiscally prudent and very experienced in organizational management, government affairs and public policy.

White served as the assistant city manager before Esquedas retirement was announced Tuesday.

White has nearly two decades of experience in executive leadership with the city of Fresno. She has served as a council chief of staff, assistant department director, and chief of staff for former Mayors Alan Autry and Ashley Swearengin, city officials said in the statement. Most recently, White has been responsible for the City of Fresnos internal service departments- budget, finance, personnel, information services and facilities.

Esqueda is the latest of multiple departures in the Dyer administration.

Earlier this month, Dyers Chief of Staff Tim Orman announced he is leaving his post at the end of January. Orman also served as the chief of staff for former Mayor Lee Brand.

Last year, Dyer also hired a new director for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport after longtime Director Kevin Meikle announced his retirement.

Dyer also hired a new, permanent director of Parks, After School, Recreation and Community Services (PARCS) department last year after the former director, TJ Miller, transitioned to the personnel director, a position vacated last year by the former director Jeff Cardell.
Fox News

Geraldo Rivera on Tuesday took issue with Sean Hannitys portrayal of President Joe Biden as mentally in decline, calling the Fox News hosts video montage of the president and its implication deeply insulting and highly political.

As he has in recent broadcasts, Hannity made it clear to viewers that he seriously doubts whether Biden is fit for the job. After contrasting clips of Biden in past decades with a GOP ad designed to draw attention to his pauses during a press conference earlier this month, Hannity said he found the difference to be humiliating for our country.

Heres an obvious question that no one in the media mob will dare ask: Does Joe Biden have the mental strength and capacity to serve as the president of the United States? Hannity said. It appears to me to be very transparent, very obvious, very clear that Joe Biden is in a steep cognitive decline. It seems to be accelerating to me.

Later in his show, Hannity brought on two doctors to discuss the matter. But first he invited on two non-doctors who apparently took precedence: Geraldo Rivera and Dan Bongino.

Although Hannitys portrayal of Biden centered around an explicitly political video, the fact that Rivera called it highly political didnt sit well with Bongino, who called Rivera the designated leftist hack for the purposes of the primetime segment.

The evidence of the mans problems with his cognitive process to retrieve information are not weekly, they are not monthlythey are literally daily. He cant retrieve information. It is one of the basic symptoms of a frontal lobe-type dementia or the various categories of dementia we see out there, Bongino concluded. Admit the guy is cognitively compromised, drop the loss, and lets move on. It is a dying argument.

Rivera responded that Bongino was being shocking and outrageous and said his medical diagnosis was inappropriate. Hannity objected to that label, claiming Bonginos line about a specific form of dementia didnt amount to a diagnosis but was merely an obvious observation.

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Later in the conversation, Rivera claimed Bonginos comments were designed to prime the waters for discussion of the 25th Amendment, which outlines steps for the presidents removal from office.

Thats what you want to bring up here, just like they attacked Trump on the 25th Amendment, Rivera said. You want to make the case that [Biden] can be replaced.

I didnt bring that up, Bongino replied. You brought that up.

Riveras comments Tuesday night were similar to those he made on Fox airwaves earlier in the day. Appearing on The Five, he asked Dana Perino whether the hit on Biden about his alleged senility and losing his cognitive decline is a little much. The former Bush administration official sidestepped the question, saying she doesnt make those types of remarks.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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An instructor trains members of Ukraine's Territorial Defense Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, in a park in Kyiv. AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky

Germany's defense minister said her country would send 5,000 helmets to Ukraine amid rising Russian tensions.

It comes after Ukraine criticized Germany for refusing to send weapons.

The minister "made it clear" Germany "stands closely" with Ukraine, the defense ministry said.

Germany's defense minister said Germany will send Ukraine 5,000 helmets after it was criticized for not sending the country weapons despite the threat of a Russian invasion.

Christine Lambrecht told Germany's defense committee about the plans on Wednesday, the defense ministry tweeted.

The ministry said Lambrecht "also made it clear that Germany stands closely on the side of" Ukraine.

German officials previously said the country would not send weapons to Ukraine, but that it would send a field hospital. Its stance breaks with its NATO allies, some of which have sent defense weapons to Ukraine.

In response, Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv's mayor, accused Germany of a betrayal of friends." Ukraine has warned that Russia has amassed over 100,000 troops at the border, but Russia has repeatedly denied having any plans for an invasion.

Germany was also criticized by Ukraine after Germany's top navy officer said Russia "deserves respect" over Ukraine.

That officer later resigned. Germany then said on Monday it would help Ukraine by giving it financial aid, though it did not say how much.

Germany also refused permission to fellow NATO member Estonia to export old German-made D-30 howitzers to Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Last Friday, a Montgomery County teen used a ghost gun to shoot a fellow student at Magruder High School in Rockville. The wounded 15-year-old remains hospitalized. The 17-year-old gunman was arrested on charges including attempted second-degree murder. Police were fortunate to have a suspect as the gun lacked a serial number and thus was untraceable. The 9-milimeter handgun had been assembled from parts acquired through the internet. County officials were so staggered by the incident that they are now considering installing metal detectors in high schools as well as bringing more police or school resource officers back into buildings.

A more basic question needs to be asked: Why are ghost gun kits permitted at all? Whatever fun assembling ones own firearm may offer, the easy access to a deadly unregistered weapon they provide to criminals, kids and others who should not possess them badly outweighs any hobbyists delight. And this is surely not just about errant teens in Rockville. In Baltimore, the use of ghost guns to commit crimes is on the rise. City police report that they have seized 31 ghost guns during the first three weeks of the year, which puts the department on pace to seize 700 this year. And last year, Commissioner Michael Harrison reported that at least 69 acts of violence were traced to the 345 ghost guns recovered, and theres a lot more where they came from. According to the advocacy group Moms Demand Action, more than 12,000 ghost gun kits were shipped to Maryland between 2016 and 2019.

Enough is enough.

This week, advocates, experts and victims alike assembled in Annapolis to call on the Maryland General Assembly to pass legislation banning the purchase, sale or transfer of unfinished frames of guns if they are unregistered. If that idea sounds familiar, it should. We called on lawmakers to take that action last year as well. And the year before that. But so far, nothing. Proposed legislation offered by Attorney General Brian Frosh has so far received a positive reception from Democrats but this is also an election year so its difficult to predict what may happen. Republican Gov. Larry Hogan has neither endorsed nor promised to veto the measure. In either case, the proposal should not be regarded as especially controversial for Maryland given that at least 10 states and the District of Columbia have already taken similar action.

The usual suspects within the gun rights crowd hate such regulations, of course. But even they should acknowledge the harm caused by the proliferation of untraceable guns in criminal hands. The proposed legislation even offers the means for reputable owners to hold onto their handmade firearms. They would simply have to take their completed weapons to a federally-licensed dealer who would engrave a serial number on it. Antique firearms would be exempt. This is not an unreasonable burden given the terrible impact of gun violence in this state, particularly on Baltimore.

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Maryland should not act alone. While Congress is unlikely to approve gun control legislation given the split in the U.S. Senate, there Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ought to soon finalize a proposed rule offered last May that would similarly regulate ghost guns nationally  a process that might have been somewhat easier if President Joe Biden could get an appointee to head the agency approved by the Senate.

Would regulating ghost guns put an end to gun violence that plagues this nation, especially cities like Baltimore where the most recent victims include a popular restaurant manager and a grandmother earning a few extra dollars delivering meals? Of course not. But easy access to such lethal weapons  particularly those that cant be traced  is clearly a factor in the recent uptick of violence. Recent research shows that more than three-quarters of homicides last year were committed with a firearm. Often, the weapons used were purchased just seven months earlier. In other words, the rise in gun sales during the COVID-19 pandemic has fueled the subsequent rise in shootings.

What a shame that Governor Hogan state lawmakers have not acted sooner to close this loophole and keep ghost guns out of the hands of criminals whether on the streets of a city or the halls of a public high school.

Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.
Vivica A. Fox is updating the world on the well-being of her friend and sister Regina King, after King tragically lost her 26-year-old son, Ian Alexander Jr., to suicide on Saturday, Jan. 22.

While speaking to her co-hosts, Claudia Jordan, Syleena Johnson and LisaRaye McCoy, on Cocktails With Queens Fox tearfully spoke about getting the chance to hug and be with King shortly after the passing of her son.

Regina King and Vivica A. Fox, presenters 10227_MC_02021.JPG (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage)

In a clip released of their recent episode on Jan. 24, Fox, who was the last to speak out of the other women on the situation, said, So I was with Regina last night, and shes okay. I was able to hug her. I got a text saying Regina wants to see you, and I made a U-turn and immediately headed there. I didnt think about where am I going, what am I doing. I just had to go see my friend, my sister.

Continuing to cry, Fox admitted that she did call a few people because she was unsure of what to say to King. I dont want to say something wrong, she said. The Soul Food actress described the 51-year-old actress as so strong, adding that, More than anything Im glad I got to hug her. Im glad I got to look in her eyes. This has been absolutely one of the longest weekends Ive ever had in my life; its like I cant stop crying.

Fox also said that shes praying that if anyone sees any signs of someone being in distress to stop, take a moment and make sure that they are okay. Fox also revealed that she was not the only one present to support King. She did not name any names but said, If you never ever thought that the African-American actresses, actors, and talent supports and loves each other, I saw it last night.

She later said, But shes okay, and she wanted me to let everyone know that she appreciates the love and the texts, before calling the situation eye-opening and saying that weve definitely got to start bringing more awareness to mental illness.

Alexander was a musician and was Kings only child, whom she welcomed with her ex-husband, Ian Alexander Sr.

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A Mass held March 19, 2017 at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church in honor of Park Forest police officer Tim Jones, who survived being shot while making an arrest a year earlier. (Matt McCall / Daily Southtown)

The Chicago Archdiocese announced Monday that six south suburban churches will merge into two parishes, with the Homewood-Flossmoor area poised to become central to that cluster with the two remaining churches come July 1.

St. Anne in Hazel Crest, St. Emeric of Country Club Hills and St. Joseph in Homewood are to unite as a single parish with a new name, one pastor and one pastoral team, according to the archdiocese. St. Joseph will serve as the parish church. A document shared with the parishes also states the Early Learning Center at St. Anne will continue to be a ministry of the newly unified parish.

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Flossmoors Infant Jesus of Prague Parish and School in Flossmoor is to remain, as well. St. Irenaeus in Park Forest and St. Lawrence OToole in Matteson are to unite with the Flossmoor church, which will house both the united parishs church and school. That group will similarly take on a new name, one pastor and one pastoral team starting July 1.

The archdiocese said the Renew My Church operations support team and parish leadership are still looking into possibly retaining a portion of either the St. Irenaeus or St. Lawrence OToole campus for continuing outreach ministry, to avoid losing a Catholic presence in the southern section of what it calls its 294 South Corridor.

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St. Lawrence OToole posted a message to its Facebook page Tuesday afternoon informing people of the decision and asking them to consider their responses carefully.

A prayer held during a Catholics Come Home event Jan. 31, 2004, at St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church in Matteson including Bernie Karlic, from left, Gene Allen, Amanda Borkowicz and the Rev. Michael A. Nacius. The Catholics Come Home program was a model of reconciliation for bringing people back into the Catholic Church. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

It has sent a shockwave through our parish and our hearts, the statement reads. I urge people not to be ugly about the decision. I know the anger and frustration. If you care to comment, you should email Fr. Mike Novick directly, or simply respond praying for you at this time or something like that. Any ugly posts will be deleted. Be Christian and pray for all parishes that will be transitioning this July.

Charlotte Kelly, principal for the school at Infant Jesus of Prague, directed all questions to the archdiocese. Representatives from the other 294 South Corridor churches affected by the announcement did not immediately return messages Tuesday.

Timelines for transitioning Masses to St. Joseph and Infant Jesus of Prague are expected to be issued in the coming months by the pastors and parish leadership. The archdioceses priest placement board is still working on its recommendations for pastors of the newly unified parishes. The archdiocese said it will provide guidance to communities in identifying possibilities for new names for the united parishes.

The archdiocese explained some of its rationale for the 294 South Corridor decision in the document it sent to the parishes, noting first that the grouping team preferred a scenario that left the cluster with three parishes and pastors. But the Renew My Church Commission thought two parishes would provide a stable foundation to move into the next phase of the process, citing concerns about the sustainability of three in the face of parish trends, lower-than-expected future priest vocations and continuing declines in local populations.

Parishioners arrive for Mass at Infant Jesus of Prague Catholic Church on Dec. 11, 2007, in Flossmoor. (Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune)

The Rev. Jason Malave, who serves as the Cardinal Blase J. Cupichs liaison for Renew My Church, said the strength of Homewood and Flossmoor faith communities played a role in why those two church buildings will remain. Of the six parishes, Malave said St. Joseph and Infant Jesus of Prague were more than 50% larger.

Those were the two parish communities that, by far, hands down, had the two largest communities, Malave said.

The archdiocese also explained to parishes that while it understood the grouping team thought three or four total worship sites could best serve the area, the commission proposed just one for each united parish because additional worship sites come with more financial and administrative costs. That has been shown to negatively affect the time and financial resources for other efforts, according to the archdiocese.

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We have to share our faith with others  not just keep it to ourselves but share it with others in a very specific and unique way, so that when we meet the folks who are searching for meaning and Jesus in their lives, were able to meet them and welcome them into a community of faith, Malave said.

He said the concept of evangelization teams is new to the Catholic church, but they are integral to the efforts of both deepening the faith of existing parishioners and sharing their beliefs with others. He said that may be one of the most misunderstood aspects of Renew My Church.

Most people think its just a structural endeavor, that were uniting parishes and closing some, Malave said. The cardinal envisioned a structural renewal and a spiritual renewal, as well, whereby parishes really engage in building a culture of evangelization.

The archdiocese said its Renew My Church Accompaniment Team will work with pastors over the next few months to provide support during the transition. Malave said the archdiocese understands this phase of the process comes with some sadness and grief among those who see their parishes changing.

One of the reasons weve had any of the success weve had is we really encourage people  to really accompany and support one another through the changes, he said.

As part of the Renew My Church initiative, which since 2015 has placed parishes into geographical clusters with a mission of reexamining and revitalizing Catholic communities, the archdiocese closed Oak Lawns St. Louis de Montfort Parish last July. The same day, Our Lady of the Ridge in Chicago Ridge and St. Linus in Oak Lawn began the process of combining into one parish with one pastoral team, albeit with two buildings still in use.

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The archdiocese also closed three Southland Catholic schools last June: Christ Our Savior School in South Holland, St. Ann School in Lansing and St. Joseph School in Summit.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

The archdiocese makes the decisions after a feedback and discernment team, which has representatives from each parish community, discuss future parish and church structures. A feedback report is submitted to the Archdiocesan Standards and Recommendations Commission, which reviews it along with demographic data, financial summaries, and parish and grouping trends before making recommendations.

Purple bunting is draped across the entry to St. Emeric Roman Catholic Church in Country Club Hills June 7, 2018, as the parish held a funeral Mass for the Rev. John Rochford. (Ted Slowik / Pioneer Press)

Those recommendations are reviewed by Cardinal Cupich, the archdioceses auxiliary bishops and Presbyteral Council. The archdiocese said the decisions are based on those discussions and prayerful consideration.

The archdiocese examined a total of three clusters this round, with the others being the West Blest Side and Far Southside grouping. Susan Thomas, the public relations and communications manager for the archdiocese, said eight more groupings will be addressed in announcements later this week, including Evergreen, Crestwood-Palos-Alsip and Oak Forest.

Malave said after this weeks announcements, the archdiocese will be 85% complete with the decisions on its 100 total groupings. He said Renew My Church is actually ahead of schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic, while still giving parish groupings the same amount of time for discernment and feedback.

We did accelerate the timeline in which we would engage all 100 of the groupings, Malave said. We thought we would do that over six years. It turns out were going to do that in five years.

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For more information on the process, go to renewmychurch.org.

Bill Jones is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
Reuters

(Reuters) -U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday said the Supreme Court will investigate the leak of a draft decision indicating that a majority of the nine justices are set to overturn the constitutional right to abortion, a breach of the court's trust that he called a "betrayal." Underscoring the seriousness of the leak, Roberts said, "This was a singular and egregious breach of that trust that is an affront to the court and the community of public servants who work here."
Police in New Orleans are looking for three gunmen who stopped their car in rush hour traffic and fired at a passing pickup truck, injuring one person, authorities said.

The shooting occurred around 4:53 p.m. on Jan. 24 in the 3800 block of Elysian Fields Ave., according to the New Orleans Police Department.

It was caught on video.

While in traffic, the vehicle stopped. At that time, three unknown subjects emerged from the vehicle and began shooting at the victims vehicle as it passed through traffic, police said in a news release. The victim was struck by gunfire. The suspects re-entered the vehicle and fled the scene.

In the footage, the three gunmen appear to be shooting at a truck in the lane beside them behind their vehicle. The truck speeds up to bypass the gunmen and brakes hard, avoiding crashing into another vehicle up ahead. The three gunmen appear to shoot several more rounds at the stopped truck before ducking back into their vehicle and speeding away.

The victim was shot multiple times and taken to a hospital, WWL reported. The victims condition is not known.

The shooting occurred close to several businesses and schools in the area.

We need to do a better job at providing assistance to families that need help, but policing alone is not going to solve the problem. Peter J. Hamilton, an attorney who works at a law firm near where the shooting took place, told WWL.

Police identified the suspects car as a red Honda Accord and asked anyone with additional information to contact the NOPD Third District detectives at 504-658-6030 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111.

McClatchy News reached out to the New Orleans Police Department for comment on the case and did not receive an immediate response.

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Its a shame that you dont know Gary Paulsen, that his name was never as recognizable as a Beverly Cleary (Ramona the Pest) or an Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar), all of whom wrote books for children and all of whom died last year.

At least, Im assuming youve never heard of Gary Paulsen. Its a big assumption. His books sold more than 35 million copies, and if you came of age in the past four decades and had a thing for survival stories, chances are good you read him. Either way, your children will know him, and their children will know him. His best books appear timeless.

Still, nows a good time to catch up.

January in Chicago, February in Chicago, mud season, ice season, the doldrums of another pandemic winter, the settling depression of a fresh chance at normality already slipping away. A lake so slate and overcast you dont know where the sky begins. You just want to stay in and read stories about people who made calm out of chaos, and here you go. Paulsen grew up in Chicago, then crafted meaning out of hopelessness.

Im whining about icy sidewalks. This guy escaped into the Minnesota woods along the Canadian border and flourished. Sometimes literally, certainly spiritually, he rarely left.

He was often compared with Ernest Hemingway, who was also fond of the wilderness, wrote brisk sentences full of violence, and wore a white beard and weathered face; but Chicago cant claim two Hemingways, and I suspect Paulsen would have found Papa Hemingway kind of soft. After all, he once told NPR that Jack London  whose Call of the Wild and White Fang were obvious forerunners to Paulsens work  was a great writer but he didnt know what he was talking about. London had a modest childhood, though compared with what Paulsen lived, none of us know what were talking about.

Paulsen was a soldier, a truck driver, a paperboy, an actor, an alcoholic (sober for the last 50 years of his life). He was an animal trapper, and sometimes a farmworker. He also made cheese, and was a writer for the original TV series of Mission: Impossible. As an adult, he lived in the Minnesota woods for nearly 20 years, deeply impoverished. Youve only dreamed of leaving home to join the circus. At 14 years old, Paulsen did it.

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Read enough of Gary Paulsen and youll think: Well, of course he did that, too.

He did everything.

Mostly though, he wrote. He wrote a lot. He wrote many, many adventure tales, most of which were culled from the details of his own life. He was so prolific that sometimes it seemed we would reading something new by Gary Paulson indefinitely. He wrote more than 200 books, for young adults, and grown-ups, though that line was fuzzy. The children he wrote about were like himself, forced to grow up quickly. Indeed, he before he left Chicago, he had lived a childhood so harsh and cruel, Dickens would have paused. He left and faced down nature, then as an adult, he sought out adventure.

He died of cardiac arrest last fall at his home in New Mexico. He was 82. But he finished one last book, which plays like the culminating words of a life stuffed with incident. Northwind reads in an elemental, back-to-basics register. It is about a Nordic boy who escapes a cholera outbreak in a wooden canoe, setting off for the Pacific Northwest. In an authors note, Paulsen describes this setting as a mythical frontier, inspired by the North American coast I traveled as well as the Norwegian coast of my ancestors. Though it reads quite close to a fable or ancient Nordic legend, Paulsen then mentions that, oh, most of what happens to the boy in this, it also happened to him. For instance:

Once, in the middle of the night in bad weather where the Columbia River comes slashing out to the sea, I had been caught up in dodging half-sunken logs pushed out of the river into open water  many boats have been sunk by them over the years  and I accidentally moved between what I found to be a large male orca and his family pod.

Thats a footnote in the life of Gary Paulsen.

To be honest, read enough of him, some stories blur together. Last month I wrote a brief, year-end eulogy: His greatest hits are unmissable. He had three honors from the Newbery awards for childrens literature, for Dogsong (1985), The Winter Room (1989) and Hatchet (1986), his beloved classic, about the young survivor of a plane crash in the Yukon who learns to navigate the woods with only a hatchet. Which did not happen to Paulsen. Still, he wrote in 30th anniversary edition of the book, it came from the darkest part of my childhood, and when his character refuses to leave the fire he built behind, you suspect its more out of rare comfort than pragmatic survival. Paulsen often wrote straight memoir. If Northwind feels like a return to the core of Paulsens craft, Gone to Woods, which came out a year ago, read like a summation of his life and what he has learned. It was a third-person memoir, with Paulsen identifying himself only as the boy.

As I wrote last month: It recounted how he accompanied his mother to local bars, where she danced and flirted with strangers, who, in turn, would buy Paulsen fried chicken dinners so they could be alone with his mother. If no one was noticing her, he would stand on bar stools and sing for attention. That was the routine. She worked in a munitions factory, then took her son to local bars, daily. Eventually, she pinned a note on his shirt and put him on a train to Minnesota, to live with relatives in the North Woods.

I repeat that here because it helps explain why someone would escape into a forest. Paulsen once explained: The woods were the first place I knew I belonged, where I was capable and I felt competent. Its also a harrowing image of World War II-era Chicago. All of that singing and flirting  often in a dive bar cynically named The Cozy Corners  was how Paulsens hard-drinking mother fed her son. So he left for his extended family, many of whom were Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, the classic Midwestern immigrants who populate his novel The Winter Room. He would describe himself as the cousin who showed up at relatives farms. He flitted about, rarely living in one place for long. Eventually his parents  his father was on General Pattons staff during the war  returned to get him. After which, things got worse. They drank, fought. Paulsen told Terry Gross that: I would go down to the basement and hide from them. And around back of the furnace, there was an old easy chair with wires sticking up through the springs and a singe light hanging from the ceiling ... Ill never forget that corner.

Then again, he didnt forget much.

His grandmother was a cook for a crew building roads into Canada. Thats the backbone for his novel The Cookcamp. In Gone to the Woods theres a story so hard to shake you dont even mind you already read it in his 1993 memoir, Eastern Sun, Winter Moon. He and his mother took a ship to the Philippines to visit Paulsens father who was stationed there, and on their way, they witness a plane crash in the ocean and its passengers attacked by sharks. He writes: It took a long time for my eyes to close and stay closed and not make the pictures of the boats and the sharks and the screams and the woman putting her baby on the wing again and again while the sharks hit her.

He wrote a number of times about the Iditarod dog-sledding races though Alaska, because Paulsen himself ran it a number of times. He liked to describe it as primitive exaltation, an experience so close to nature that he started to feel like a cave painting.

He told interviewers that his publisher, expecting a new book on the races, once asked him to quickly finish the latest manuscript, since they didnt expect him to survive long.

Yet he lived long enough to write Westerns, and mysteries, books of humor and books about farm life, even several historical adventures. Woods Runner (2010) took his prototypical self-reliant 13-year-old and set the action during the Revolutionary War. He began writing novels in the mid-1960s, and it was slow burn; not until the mid-1980s was Gary Paulsen anything like a success. Even then he was never an ostentatious one, preferring, as his New York Times obituary noted, to live simply  if not off the grid, then right at its edge. He was, if nothing, consistent. He wrote of his adoptive Minnesota relatives treating him as a man, never a child, and his books continued that.

He repaid that gift.

He was given a library card when he seemed headed for a life of TV repair, and he never stopped forgetting, writing about the difficulty of surviving childhood with clarity, candor and hope. Read Gary Paulsen. Northwind is a good place to start. Gone to the Woods, too. Ask any kid who reads: Hatchet is hard to put down. Dont worry if youre an adult. Just read him. These are smart novels about cold, fire, hunger, exhaustion, being in over your head, then the realization, you are everything you need.
NEW YORK  Gov. Hochul called on New Yorkers to continue covering their faces Tuesday as the state appealed a court ruling striking down the states COVID mask mandate, sparking confusion among schools and businesses.

The state was granted a stay by Appellate Court Judge Robert Miller, keeping Hochuls mask mandate in place while the appeal process continues.

Im encouraging parents and students to continue doing what theyre doing because the last thing I want to see is a different trend because people gave up on the masks, Hochul said at an event in Syracuse.

In a statement following the stay order, the governor applauded Miller for siding with common sense and granting an interim stay to keep the states important masking regulations in place.

The governor said she expects the case to be settled shortly and stood by her belief that the Department of Health has the authority to require workers, shoppers and school kids to wear masks indoors.

Earlier, lawyers for the state faced off against attorneys representing Long Island parents challenging the mandate a day after a Nassau judge deemed it unconstitutional.

During the hearing, lawyers for the state argued that ending the edict would allow COVID to spread more easily in public indoor settings like schools, jails and nursing homes.

Disrupting the status quo like that will cause immediate and irreparable public harm, said Judith Vale, a lawyer for the attorney generals office representing the state Health Department.

But attorneys for the group of parents opposed to mandatory masking in schools argued the state simply does not have the authority to make such an order.

The law of the land is the law of the land, and there is no valid justification for violating it, said Chad Laveglia, arguing that the state Legislature would need to grant the Health Department the authority for a mask mandate.

In December, New Yorks current mask mandate, set to expire on Feb. 1, was put in place by Hochul as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations surged due to the highly contagious omicron variant.

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Tuesdays hearing followed Nassau County Judge Thomas Rademakers decision to toss Hochuls indoor mask mandate, ruling that such an order could only be implemented through the Legislature.

Lawmakers last year clawed back some of the emergency powers initially granted to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2020 as the pandemic ravaged New York.

Rademaker ruled that without those emergency powers in place, the Health Department simply does not have the authority to make law.

To be clear, this court does not intend this decision in any way to question or otherwise opine on the efficacy, need or requirement of masks as a means or tool in dealing with the COVID-19 virus, he added.

Attorney General Letitia James touted the importance of masks as she called Tuesdays reinstatement a win for the state.

This mandate and todays decision are critical in helping to stop the spread of this virus and protect individuals young and old, James said. We will continue to do everything in our power to prioritize the health and well-being of all New Yorkers.

The states mask rules for schools were put in place last August before classes started, raising the ire of parents across the state. Hochuls December mask order superseded the earlier rule and included an initial end date in mid-January. It was later extended through Feb. 1 as COVID cases skyrocketed over the holidays.

Hochul has repeatedly emphasized the importance of masks as vaccination rates among school-age children remain low.

Meanwhile, widespread confusion reigned Tuesday as some school districts told parents that masks would be optional going forward and others said they believed the state mandate remained in place while the appeal was pending.

The state Education Department initially told districts Monday night that the states appeal automatically triggered a stay, and that they must continue to follow the mask mandate in the interim.

Education officials shifted their message hours later, saying they were seeking to confirm whether a stay was issued, and softening their stance to say only that schools should continue to follow the mask mandate.

Following the stay order, Education Commissioner Betty Rosa clarified further that the mask mandate remains in effect for schools across the state for the time being.

We support Gov. Hochul and the state Department of Health as they continue with the appeal, Rosa said. We thank the members of our school communities for their patience during this process.

Long Island has become the epicenter of the anti-mask movement in recent weeks after newly elected Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman openly defied the state and allowed schools to decide whether students need to wear masks in classrooms.

Blakeman, a Republican, signed an executive order earlier this month, giving Nassau school boards the ability to opt out of the statewide student mask mandate.

On Tuesday, Blakeman said it was time for the governor to stand down.

Mask decisions should be made by families and school boards who have their finger on the pulse of their communities. Not Albany politicians, he said. Nassau is normal again, and our county will continue to lead the way as an example for the rest of the state to follow.

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(With Michael Elsen-Rooney)

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SEATTLE  A mixed update from the Washington State Hospital Association (WSHA) this week: Hospitalization trends in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties are on the decline for the first time in weeks, but their progress may be negated by increasing hospitalizations in Eastern Washington.

According to the WSHA's briefing Tuesday, Washington's hospitals averaged 2,286 COVID-confirmed patients over the past week, a six percent increase from the week before.

"This is an improvement, though, from the last few weeks, when we saw much larger increases from week to week," said WSHA Executive Vice President Taya Briley.

Included in those counts were an average of 216 new hospitalizations each day. Washington also saw between 18 and 30 confirmed COVID-19 deaths each day last week.

"These are really sobering numbers, and this is following what, unfortunately, has become something of a well-worn trend of the number of COVID cases goes, up then the number of hospitalizations goes up, the number of folks on ventilators go up, and then, unfortunately, we see more deaths," Briley said.

While the omicron wave hasn't peaked or plateaued yet, case counts and hospitalizations are not rising as quickly as they once were, and Washington may reach that peak soon, mirroring a nationwide trend that is seeing the omicron surge peak for much of the country. However, it's still too soon for Washington's health care professionals to celebrate, as they brace for a "second chapter" of the omicron surge in Eastern Washington and Idaho. According to the WSHA, Eastern Washington hospitals do not have the capacity to keep up with rising case counts, meaning some patients may be shipped west to hospitals that are already struggling to keep pace with demand.

"Increasing hospitalizations on the eastern side of our state will impact Western Washington hospitals that are already stretched and stressed," Briley said.

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Last week marked a 38 percent increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Chelan County, a 31 percent increase in Yakima County, a 23 increase in Spokane County and a roughly 15 percent increase in Kitsap and Clark counties.

Meanwhile, three health districts in southern Idaho have recently declared "crisis standards of care," meaning that hospitals there are so overwhelmed, they have begun rationing health care to patients who are most likely to survive. The last time that happened, Washington saw an influx of Idaho patients crossing the eastern border, looking for care when they couldn't find it in their home state.

"If an individual from Idaho presents on their own to a Washington emergency department, they cannot be turned away," Briley said. "In the prior crisis stage, when Idaho declared crisis standards of care, it began in the north and then spread south and Washington hospitals were definitely affected.

Compounding the issue, more caregivers are testing COVID-19 positive than ever before. According to Briley, Washington's health care system saw between 800 and 850 new COVID-19 cases among caregivers each day this past week.



All together, Washington hospitals remain in dire straights, but there is still hope that a reprieve is on the way. Last week, Washington State Department of Health Chief Science Offer Dr. Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett warned that the pandemic would "continue to be difficult" for the coming few weeks, but said that case counts appeared to be peaking in Western Washington. A federal analysis also found that most states would see omicron on the decline by mid-February. While the state waits for the wave to crest, Washington's top health leaders continue to urge residents to practice COVID-safe behaviors by avoiding crowds, wearing masks in public, and seeking vaccination or booster shots if they are eligible for either.

"It's more important than ever to do all we can to support our healthcare workers," Kwan-Gett said. "Hospitalizations and deaths are higher among unvaccinated than vaccinated individuals. Get vaccinated as soon as possible."





This article originally appeared on the Seattle Patch
Outside of Hy-Vee's newest Des Moines metro store, on Monday, Sep. 13, 2021, in Grimes. The store opens on Tuesday, Sep. 14.

A popular supermarket chain announced its plans to expand into Indiana on Tuesday evening.

Hy-Vee, which operates around 285 stores across the Midwest, plans to open a store in Zionsville, according to a news release from the company.

Previous coverage: Hy-Vee wants to sell groceries near Indy, but whether shoppers will benefit is debatable

The supermarket chain is finalizing plans to secure property at the southwest corner of Whitestown Parkway and S. 700 E. in Zionsville, according to the news release.

Plans call for a roughly 150,000-square-foot store at the 26-acre site.

We are excited that Hy-Vee has chosen Zionsville as a location to put down new roots, said Zionsville Mayor Emily Styron in the news release. With their commitment to quality of service, variety of products, selection of healthy food and an in-store pharmacy, Hy-Vee will benefit Zionsville residents, our neighboring communities and visitors.

More: Carmel is getting a new grocery store

In December, the West Des Moines-based grocery retailer announced that it was preparing to embark on a major expansion that would bring new stores to four new states, including Indiana, by 2023.

Additional information related to planned Zionsville location will be announced as details are finalized, according to the news release.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Hy-Vee supermarket chain plans store in Zionsville, Indiana
Shirley Wright, a 78-year-old cancer survivor and CHOICES resident at Renaissance Terrace, is just one of 45 seniors who will be forced to find a new place to live when the facility closes in April.

Like so many others, Laura Towe struggled with the decision to move her mother into an assisted living facility.

Towe has another difficult decision ahead as Renaissance Terrace, the assisted living facility her mother lives in, prepares to close in April because of "funding decisions by the TennCare CHOICES program."

She and the families of the other 44 residents are grappling with finding quality, affordable care for their loved ones.

"A lot of people that are losing a really, really good home," Towe said. "I think the state of Tennessee is failing the seniors that need them."

Renaissance losing thousands a month

Towe's 78-year-old mother, Shirley Wright, was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in May. She went through chemotherapy and was placed on a feeding tube. Living at home was no longer an option.

"It was a very hard decision to make," Towe said. "Just the decision alone for her to ... not be able to live by herself anymore in her home. She lived (alone) in her home for 26 years."

Renaissance Terrace closing: Affordable assisted living facility to close in Knoxville, citing a lack of state funding

In October, Towe found Renaissance Terrace and said "it was a godsend."

The Fourth and Gill facility provides 24/7 care for its residents, half of which participate in TennCare's CHOICES, the state-run Medicaid agency's program for seniors and adults with physical disabilities.

According to Renaissance Terrace CEO Tim Howell, the facility is losing $30,000 a month because of increased operation costs, and the Senior Citizens Home Assistance Services board voted in January to sell the building.

The Senior Citizens Home Assistance Services is helping residents find other care options in the area, but the task has left Towe and her mother frustrated and confused with TennCare.

Limited affordable options

Towe has two main care options for her mom: finding an alternative assisted living facility that accepts CHOICES residents, or opening up her own home to care for her mother.

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The TennCare CHOICES program provides reimbursements for both types of care. For residents living at an assisted care living facility, TennCare will reimburse the facility $1,305 per month per CHOICES resident. Because of federal regulations, all TennCare is permitted to cover is the actual cost of the services provided to a person in an assisted care living facility. Residents are responsible for their room and board.

Renaissance Terrace Assisted Living at 215 Bearden Place in Knoxville, Tenn. on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2021.

This is a recent reimbursement bump funded by the American Recovery Plan; until the pandemic, TennCare CHOICES reimbursement rate was $1,100 per month per resident and hadn't increased since the program started 12 years ago. Funding for TennCare and the CHOICES program is approved through the legislative budget process each year.

According to Howell, $1,305 per month for senior care is "not enough money to provide 24 hour a day care with qualified staff" at Renaissance Terrace, despite the care it provides is cheaper overall than private assisted living care facilities and typical nursing home care.

If she moved her mom into her home, Towe says TennCare will pay for up to 10 hours per day of in-home care services at a reimbursement rate of about $21 per hour, nearly $6,000 per month. According to Towe, TennCare will also pay for minor home modifications to help make her home more accessible for her mother.

"What I don't understand is if the state's willing to pay that, plus any kind of home improvement for her to be safe at home, why are they only reimbursing $1,100 a month for a place that's going to give her 24-hour care?" Towe said.

Patti Killingsworth, Tennessees chief of long-term services and supports, said in an email obtained by Knox News that TennCare "has faced difficult budgetary decisions (with double digit years of budget reduction requests)" and "prioritized services for people above higher payments to providers."

According to Killingsworth, nearly 9,000 more people have access to in-home care each year, "allowing them to receive services in the setting of their choice."

The in-home attendant would help with daily necessities, like getting out of bed, taking a bath and getting dressed, but they cannot administer medicine. And since the attendant is only there for 10 hours a day, Towe would have to care for her mother the other 14 hours.

"(Renaissance Terrace) has allowed me to go by there and be a daughter. To just hang out with her and enjoy her," Towe said. "And she's more at ease as well, because she knows it's not a burden on me anymore."

Shirley Wright, a 78-year-old cancer survivor and CHOICES resident at Renaissance Terrace, is just one of 45 seniors who will be forced to find a new place to live when the facility closes in April.

However, finding an alternative assisted care living facility is proving to be difficult for Towe.

"After I started calling around, a lot of places don't take the TennCare Medicaid plan," Towe said. "And if they do, they want an additional ... $1,600 to $1,700 a month. And (my mother) doesn't have it. And I don't have it. I mean, besides quitting my job and losing everything that I'm working for. Yeah, no, I can't care for her like that, you know?"

Towe is considering a facility in Loudon County that is willing to work with Wright's financial situation.

"But why do I have to move her from a county that she has lived in, voted in, paid taxes and worked in? She volunteered at the O'Connor Senior Citizens Center for 12 years," Towe said. "Why should I have to move my mother out of a county that she's lived in her whole life?"

TennCare Communication Director Amy Lawrence said TennCare health plans will work with any members who may be impacted by the agency's decision to arrange transition to an appropriate living arrangement.

Towe is still exploring the options, but she hasn't given up on Renaissance Terrace yet.

Still fighting for a miracle

Since she heard that Renaissance Terrace was closing, Towe has been calling everyone from Gov. Bill Lee to President Joe Biden to Congressman Tim Burchett to fight for it to stay open.

"I'm just desperate," Towe said. "I'm just very desperate for a donation from anybody in our community. And I know that there's money out there."

According to Howell, Senior Citizens Home Assistance Services hasn't received a donation to keep the assisted living care facility open past April.

Shirley Wright, a 78-year-old cancer survivor and CHOICES resident at Renaissance Terrace, is just one of 45 seniors who will be forced to find a new place to live when the facility closes in April.

"I guess we're not receiving any miracle funding at this point," Howell said.

For Towe, that would be the best case scenario: a miracle, tax-deductible donation that would temporarily keep Renaissance Terrace afloat.

"And then we could work on the state," Towe said. "And we would find a long-term solution where they're going to give this money to these people. Instead of them being at home with 10-hour care, they're (at Renaissance Terrace) with 24-hour care, and it's still saving money for the state. It only makes sense."

Rebecca Wright: Higher education reporter at Knox News

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Renaissance Terrace assisted living resident seeks affordable housing
Emergency personnel on the scene after a fatal accident in Round Lake Beach, Tuesday, Jan.25, 2022, Round Lake Beach, Joe Shuman/For The Lake County News-Sun (Joe Shuman / Pioneer Press)

A man was killed and six others were injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday night in Round Lake Beach, police said.

Police have not released the identity of the 41-year-old man who died.

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A man was killed and six others were injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday night in Round Lake Beach. Joe Shuman/For The Lake County News-Sun (Joe Shuman / Pioneer Press)

The crash happened at 8:33 p.m. at the intersection of Illinois Route 83 and Lexington Drive, Round Lake Beach police said. Officers responding to reports of a crash found two heavily damaged vehicles.

The motorist who died was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Equinox. The other six people were in a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado. They were transported by paramedics to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

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Their conditions were not available.

Round Lake Beach Police and the Major Crash Assistance Team are continuing to investigate the collision.

Police closed a stretch of Route 83 for several hours following the accident.
Navroze Mody left Hoboken's Gold Coast Cafe around 11 the night of Sept. 27, 1987. It would be the last minutes of his life.

The Jersey City resident was walking back home with a friend when he heard the taunts of Kojak and Baldy. The teenagers pursuing yelled racial slurs, too, then beat Mody unconscious with bricks and other objects.

His white friend, William Crawford, was unharmed. Mody was taken to a nearby hospital. He died four days later.

His death came during a dangerous time for Indian immigrants and people of Indian descent who settled in Jersey City. But it also rallied those newcomers in a way that could be instructive today, as Asian Americans face a new wave of attacks sparked by racist rhetoric and the coronavirus pandemic. Three days before Mody was beaten, Kaushal Saran, a 30-year-old physician, was walking out of an office building in the Jersey City Heights when a group of men beat him with a baseball bat.

The previous month, two men beat Bhered Patel with a metal pipe while he was sleeping in his Jersey City apartment.

In the six months from June to December of 1987, a dozen incidents against Indians were reported to police in the state's second largest city.

And the attacks continued into the next year, including a New York City taxi driver killed on a Jersey City street and a 28-year-old man beaten after being chased by youths, both happening in June 1988.

Many of these attacks were carried out by the "Dotbusters," a group of assailants, primarily white, who announced themselves in a letter to the Jersey Journal in the summer of 1987. The letter detailed how they planned to terrorize the new residents.

Dr. Vijaya Desai speaks to NorthJersey.com about the violence that took place in the mid-late 1980's against Asian Indians in and around Jersey City. Wednesday, November 17, 2021

The fear prompted some Indians to change their daily habits.

"We would not go out after 6 p.m. ... We did not know how to handle the situation," said Dr. Vijaya Desai, a pediatrician who came to Jersey City with her husband in 1976. "We were new to this country and scared of what would happen to you or your family or your friends."

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However, the recent immigrants  many of them spurred by Mody's death  soon banded together to protect each other, to protest for better protection from the police and to send a message that they would not be bullied.

The attacks subsided within a few years. Yet, they left a legacy of racist aggression that continues to be felt years later by Indians and other Asian immigrants.

A reference to the Dotbusters' campaign of terror was mentioned in coverage about racist signs that sprung up in protest of a Hindu temple proposed in an Atlanta suburb last year.

New Jersey: Gov. Murphy signs bill creating Asian American Pacific Islander Commission in NJ

New Jersey: Budget decision dashes hope for Indian Americans in NJ seeking green-card reprieve

In March, six women of Asian descent were killed by a white man, Robert Aaron Long, in shootings at three nail salons in the Atlanta area that claimed eight victims. Long pleaded guilty in four of the fatal shootings and is on trial for four others.

The advocacy group Stop AAPI Hate reported more than 10,000 anti-Asian incidents nationwide from March 2020 to June 2021. Those incidents included attacks on an 84-year-old Thai immigrant in San Francisco who died after being shoved to the ground and a 61-year-old Filipino American who was slashed on a New York subway.

Amidst the latest wave of violence, some of the Indian leaders who fought to stop the Jersey City attacks are speaking about how those incidents transformed them from passive onlookers to vocal proponents for justice.

Under attack but fighting back

The reality was much different in 1987 than it is now for Indian Americans in Jersey City.

The population was half of what it is now as Indians had first settled into the city in small numbers in the previous two decades.

Many worked in New York City, taking the PATH train to and from their homes in the Jersey City Heights and Journal Square neighborhoods. Others found work in town.

Dr. Lalitha Masson still practices medicine in Jersey City, 54 years after she began her residency at the old Jersey City Medical Center.

Masson, an obstetrician-gynecologist, remembered how Indians and other Asians who worked in the hospital were treated when they first worked in those places.

"There was some curiosity, and at the same time because we were occupying top positions, there was a lot of jealousy," Masson said. "And I remember very well because when I first came, [Jersey City Medical Center] hosted a big dinner for us in Atlantic City. The chief of my program was a German American and I refused to eat the filet mignon which was served, and he commented that the Indians are so uncouth they don't know good food."

However, despite the negative attitudes, Masson and her peers had not been subject to physical attacks, she recalled.

She said the first time she knew of those attacks was when she read the Dotbusters manifesto in the Jersey Journal.

The letter, in part, stated: "We are an organization called the Dotbusters. We have been around for 2 [sic] years. We will go to any extreme to get Indians to move out of Jersey City. If I'm walking down the street and I see a Hindu and the setting is right, I will hit him or her."

Additionally, the letter reflected a long-simmering resentment against Indians for moving into white neighborhoods, which also was reported in an October 1987 article for The Record. One source told a reporter he knew kids who went "Hindu hunting at night."

That's when Masson mobilized other prominent Indians to get the attention of the police, political officials and other organizations who were in a position to stop the attacks.

More than 500 people marched through the Journal Square area that October, many carrying banners and shouting, ''We want justice" and "No more racism." Later, they rallied in front of the Hudson County Administration Building on a cold December day to demand that four teens charged in Mody's death be tried as adults.

Desai, who still has a medical practice in Jersey City, joined Masson's efforts.

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"We needed protection, how to protect the community at that time. [The authorities] knew about it and they started helping us. They had police in the Five Corners area," Desai said referring to an area near Journal Square where several streets intersect.

Raju Patel is the president of Jersey City Asian Merchants Association. At the time of the attacks, he lived in Edison in central New Jersey, a growing enclave for Indians coming from Jersey City and New York.

He did business on a regular basis in Jersey City's Indian community as an insurance agent for local merchants and soon was involved in the protests. It was an intense and scary time for Indian business owners, he said, recalling how some were cursed out by aggressors.

More than 500 East Indian-Americans marched through the heart of Jersey City, N.J., at Journal Square on October 12, 1987 to protest a wave of racially motivated violence against members of the city's Asian Indian community.

"At one of the stores, there was a young fellow who opened the door and cursed at the guy he saw," Patel said. "Behind the counter, the guy picked up a pipe in his hand. He ran up to that fellow and that fellow ran like a ghost."

But he noted that the protests were effective and the attacks stopped by 1989.

"There was a lot of noise we made, and the people like the mayor and county officials started to look into the matter, and then the police did a good job and arrested some people," Patel said. "In any community, you will find some culprits."

Getting justice for victims

Jersey City police and political officials faced intense criticism from Indian leaders for not quickly making arrests in the attacks. At one point, Indian leaders invited the New York-based group Guardian Angels to help patrol the streets.

Then-Mayor Anthony Cucci and Paul DePascale, the city's acting police director, tried to counter the bad press, going so far as to hold a conference call with Indian reporters calling in from the subcontinent to address claims that little was being done.

Some key arrests were being made.

In March 1988, James Kerwin, then 21, and Peter Jester, 22, were arrested in the assault of Bhered Patel, who was beaten while asleep in his apartment on South Street.

DePascale, who was also the Hudson County prosecutor, identified Kerwin as the person who wrote the ''Dotbusters'' letter. DePascale defended the police response, saying they "had not ignored the situation" and that the arrests were proof.

Yet, it took nearly three years before there was any punishment. Kerwin and Jester took plea bargains instead of standing trial, which prompted outrage from some Indian leaders. Kerwin was sentenced to seven years in a juvenile correctional facility while Jester received a year's probation, 100 hours of community service and was fined $2,000 after he agreed to testify against Kerwin.

In Hoboken, four teens acting separately from the Dotbusters  Luis Acevedo, Ralph Gonzalez, Luis Padilla and William Acevedo  were all convicted of assault in the attack on Navroze Mody. Gonzalez, Padilla and Luis Acevedo were convicted of aggravated assault and William Acevedo was convicted of simple assault. Luis Acevedo served four years in jail while others served shorter sentences.

However, Mody's father, Jamshid, lost his civil suit against the city and Hoboken police. The suit alleged indifference toward acts of violence perpetrated against Indian Americans and the violation of his son's "equal protection rights" under the 14th Amendment.

In Jersey City, N.J., on March 16, 1988, Paul M. DePascale, Hudson County's prosecutor and the city's acting police director, announces the arrests of two men in the assault last August of Bhered Patel in his South Street apartment.

Kaushal Saran would never get justice for the attack on him that left him with memory loss. In September 1992, Thomas Kozak, Martin Ricciardi, and Mark Evangelista were brought to trial on federal civil rights charges in connection with the attack on Saran. However, the three were acquitted of the charges in two separate trials in 1993.

It didn't help Saran's case that at both trials he testified that he could not remember the incident. Saran could not be reached for comment for this article. But in an interview with the Hudson Reporter in 2009, he said he had flashbacks of the attack when he was in the hospital recovering, but recalling those flashbacks during the federal trial, they were like a dream.

There was also justice through legislation as the protests against the attacks led in part to the signing of New Jersey's ethnic intimidation bill into law by then-Governor Jim Florio in 1990. The measure was sponsored by several Several state Assembly members, including Robert Menendez, now a U.S. senator, sponsored the measure. It increased sentences in cases where an offender's actions are motivated by a victim's race, color, religion or sexual orientation.

Jersey City is now a different place

Now, Jersey City is a different place for Indian people.

The city is New Jersey's second-most populated with over 290,000 residents. Indian Americans make up about 10% of the population.

Their growing presence can be seen in the annual raising of the Indian national flag each August at City Hall.

A school in the city's Journal Square section is named for the legendary Indian freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi.

In October and November, the city celebrates the Indian holidays of Diwali and Navratri. A festival marking the latter shuts down an entire block.

It's the same block of Newark Avenue that is teeming with Indian grocery stores and restaurants known as India Square. The entrepreneurship has spread to neighboring blocks.

It is a place where Vijaya Desai knows any attacks now on Indian Americans will be met with a much faster response.

She noted, "It was not like now where if something like that happens, we can send an email to the mayor and we get help right away. That time it was slow."

Ricardo Kaulessar is a culture reporter for the USA TODAY Network's Atlantic Region How We Live team. For unlimited access to the most important news, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com

Twitter: @ricardokaul

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Indian immigrants in Jersey City recall fighting 'Dotbusters' terror
SINGAPORE  An injured hawk-eagle found at Jurong Island was nursed back to health by a veterinary team from Jurong Bird Park, and is now flying free again after being released last Friday (21 January).

The park attraction said in a media release on Wednesday that the changeable hawk-eagle - which is named as the species is known to come in two colour forms - was reported injured by a member of the public on 7 January. The native raptor was unable to fly due to burnt feathers in both its wings and tail.

It was rescued by the National Parks Board (NParks), and brought to the Jurong Bird Park's avian hospital the next day. While it was assessed to be good health aside from its damaged feathers, vets said it could take up to 12 months for the eagle to regrow its feathers and fly again.

Jurong Bird Park vets with the injured changeable hawk-eagle. (PHOTO: Jurong Bird Park)

Jurong Bird Park vets using the "imping" technique to affix new feathers on the injured changeable hawk-eagle. (PHOTO: Jurong Bird Park)

The injured changeable hawk-eagle after its operation to affix new feathers. (PHOTO: Jurong Bird Park)

As such, the vet team decided to use a technique called "imping" on the eagle's wings and feathers to speed up the bird's release back into the wild. The painstaking process involved replacing 50 feathers on the bird's wings and tail using bamboo sticks as "imping needles" to affix the new feathers.

For the procedure, Jurong Bird Park received two sets of donor wings  one of each colour of the eagle  from rescued eagles who had succumbed to severe injuries or diseases. The feathers were successfully imped on the injured eagle last Thursday afternoon.

The hawk-eagle was successfully released by NParks a day after its operation, and has adapted to its new feathers without a problem. A real-time tracking device attached on its tail showed that it has since flown out about 10 kilometres from its release site.

Jurong Bird Park's avian hospital sees about 200 wild avian patients every year for medical rehabilitation or treatment. Most of the birds were successfully released back into the wild.

The healed changeable hawk-eagle being released back into the wild after its operation. (PHOTO: National Parks Board)

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BEIRUT (AP)  U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said they wrestled control of the last section of a prison seized by Islamic State militants and freed a number of child detainees they had used as human shields. That ended a deadly, weeklong assault by the extremists on one of the largest detention facilities in Syria.

The attack was the biggest by IS since the fall of the groups caliphate in 2019 and came as the militants staged a number of deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq that stoked fears they may be staging a comeback.

In the week of clashes, dozens from both sides have been killed, the U.S.-led coalition has carried out nearly a dozen airstrikes and thousands of civilians living nearby have been displaced.

The whole prison is now under control, said Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The operation today was on the cells of the child detainees. We were able to surround a number of terrorists who had taken them as shields and we killed them."

Shami said the force was then able to enter the cells and the remaining militants surrendered. A large number of children were freed, he said, but had no specific number.

Shami said about 3,000 inmates have surrendered since the operation closing in on the northern wing began two days ago. He said the preliminary death toll among his force is estimated at 35.

The militants had used child detainees as human shields slowing down the effort to retake the facility located in the northeastern city of Hassakeh, Kurdish officials said.

After breaking into the prison late Thursday, IS militants were joined by others rioting inside the facility. Around 200 armed militants were believed to be holed up in the northern wing at one end of the prison complex, also holding hostages from among the prison staff.

The prison complex, known as al-Sinaa or Gweiran prison, houses more than 3,000 inmates, including around 600 minors. Children have reportedly been killed and wounded in clashes, rights and aid groups say.

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The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 124 IS militants, 50 fighters with the Kurdish-led forces and seven civilians were killed in the weeklong attack that extended outside the walls of the prison into residential areas.

The assault began Thursday just hours before another brazen attack on military troops in neighboring Iraq. Together, they signaled a new spike in violence by emboldened militants who had for months been carrying out low-level assaults, largely on security patrols, checkpoints and other mobile targets.

Eleven Iraqi soldiers were killed in their sleep after gunmen attacked an army barracks in Diyala province on Friday. It was the deadliest attack in months to target Iraqs military and was blamed on IS, which appeared to be exploiting a security vacuum in Iraq's north. The vacuum is perpetuated by territorial disputes between the federal government and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said earlier Wednesday it had freed 23 of its servicemen held hostage by IS militants.

The SDF, backed by U.S.-led coalition Bradley Fighting Vehicles and air support, had been closing in on the prison wing controlled by the armed militants. Fighters from the SDF and other security teams used loudspeakers to call on the militants to surrender.

The makeshift prisons throughout Syria are a breeding ground for Daeshs failed ideology, said Maj. Gen. John W Brennan, Jr., commander of the anti-IS coalition, referring to IS by its Arabic acronym. We must thoroughly investigate the circumstances that allowed this attack to happen, he added in a statement.

An estimated 10,000 suspected IS militants have been held since 2019 and prison riots have been common. But the attack launched late Thursday was the boldest and most ambitious.

The Islamic State group's territorial control in Iraq and Syria was crushed by a years-long U.S.-backed campaign, but some fighters remained at large in sleeper cells that have increasingly killed scores of Iraqis and Syrians in past months.

Newroz Ahmed, a senior member of SDF, told reporters Wednesday that about 200 armed militants attacked the prison with car bombs and suicide belts and activated other sleeper cells hiding in residential areas around the prison. In one video released by IS, vehicles that had been rammed against the prison walls could be seen. At one point, a car bomb was detonated in a petroleum warehouse near the prison, sparking a fire that lasted a couple of days and acted as a diversion.

Some inmates managed to escape. The SDF said the total number of fugitives remained unclear.

A recording obtained from inside the prison by a teenaged detainee described a violent onslaught that has left multiple children dead and many wounded inside the facility.

Shami said at one point the IS militants had seized control of the hospital inside the prison. The teenage boy who was injured in the head said medical assistance was not available. He described seeing children injured and killed.

On Wednesday, Iraqs prime minister made a rare visit to the countrys border with Syria in a show of support to troops and said Iraqi forces were capable of resisting the Islamic State group.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi was in Ninevah province to inspect security measures.

You must intensify your efforts and work around the clock, he said, addressing border officials and security forces, according to a statement from his office.

Al-Kadhimi said he was confident Iraqi security forces would be able to thwart IS. The group overran vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014 largely because Iraqi forces retreated.

Iraq shares a 599-kilometer (372-mile) border with Syria.

I say to the terrorists of Daesh: Do not test us, you have tried a lot and failed. You will try a lot and you will fail, he said.

___

Associated Press writer Samya Kullab contributed from Baghdad.
Military veterans and supporters watch an honor guard pass by during the 2015 Homeless Veterans Job Fair and Stand Down event.

For years they served their country in the U.S. military, then they stood down from service.

For some that departure leads to problems that escalate into loss of a job and even homelessness.

The city of Jacksonville is trying to help by hosting a Homeless Veterans Job Fair and Support Services, followed by a Stand Down event for other personal needs. The two-day event, organized in the city for about 20 years, will be Friday and Saturday at the Jacksonville Fairgrounds at 510 Fairground Place.

Surveys indicate there are about 200 homeless men and women in Jacksonville who served in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard and reserves.

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Resources: New Jacksonville housing planned for homeless veterans, other disabled adults

But Harrison Conyers, from the city's Military Affairs and Veterans Department, said it's much more than that. That's because those homeless surveys usually account for only the downtown area and not the suburbs. And because Jacksonville is a gateway to Florida, many homeless men and women stop there every winter on their way to other areas.

"Some of the wounds of war they suffered caused mental-health or substance-abuse issues that lead them to where they are," Conyers said. "But sometimes it's issues like divorce or family issues. Even with all that, they have served our country and helped provide the freedoms we enjoy regardless of where they are in their lives. So we feel very much that we owe them."

To "Stand Down" is a military term for when combat regiments returning from war were placed in safety zones, the city said. Troops could put down their weapons and concentrate on personal matters such as writing a letter home or just getting a shower and some hot food.

Story continues

Changing Homelessness: Homeless veterans goal still possible

Helping hand: Jacksonville nonprofit offers house for homeless women veterans

City assistance: Jacksonville continues to focus on homeless veterans as numbers decrease

Now, with U.S. Department of Labor support, this updated version of a "Stand Down" will give veterans the same opportunity to renew their spirit, health and overall sense of well-being, Conyers said.

About 200 to 600 homeless veterans have been helped annually by the city's military affairs department in recent years, he said.

Job Fair Friday

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, veterans will be offered information on jobs with about 30 employers expected to be on hand. Information on shelter and housing as well as medical and dental services also will be available."I can guarantee there's jobs available," Conyers said. "There are placements every single year. ... We will see dozens walk out of there with job opportunities that day."

Training will help a homeless veteran prepare for a job interview, while Wounded Warriors will do sessions of how to network, he said.

Mayor Lenny Curry (center) presents an unidentified veteran with a bicycle at 2015's Homeless Veterans Job Fair and Stand Down.

Stand Down Saturday

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, the Stand Down portion will offer information on Veterans Affairs services as well as TRICARE, a U. S. Department of Defense health care program for current and retired military personnel and their dependents.

COVID-19 tests will be available, plus food, hygiene kits and clothing and grooming services so veterans can "put their best foot forward" at a job interview, Conyers said.

"They have to go through every service station and get it checked off that they met with mental health, dental, VA and medical providers before they get access to that clothing at the end of the day," Conyers said.

For more information contact the city veterans department online at coj.net/departments/military-and-veterans-affairs or at (904) 255-5550.

dscanlan@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4549

More veterans news:

Virtual Veterans Town Hall

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System hosts a virtual town hall meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday to provide updates on VA operations and initiatives regarding health care and more.

To join the virtual town hall, access Webex at bit.ly/3tOegl6. Enter the access code, 2760 588 5525, in the text box. Then enter the password, NFSGVHS573!, and select "Join now." To join the virtual veterans town hall by phone, dial (404) 397-1596, then enter access code 2760 588 5525, followed by the "#" key.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville has held the homeless vets job fair for about 20 years




The Jan. 6 select committee's subpoena to former President Trump's legal team is likely to queue up a lengthy legal battle while escalating complications for Rudy Giuliani, who is already under federal investigation.

The committee has subpoenaed Giuliani and other lawyers who pushed the Trump agenda in court, including Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Boris Epshteyn, an attorney who served as a strategic adviser for the campaign.

The subpoenas go after the Trump legal team's strategy for denying President Biden the White House and could also open the door to a fight over whether they can skirt the committee by claiming attorney-client privilege.

It's a tactic already floated by Giuliani's attorney Robert Costello.

"Chairman Bennie Thompson, who is not a lawyer, should realize that Giuliani has a claim of executive privilege and a claim of attorney-client privilege," he told CNN.

The committee has asked the group about its efforts to convince state lawmakers to reject the election results and the circulation of a memo outlining a case for then-Vice President Mike Pence to buck his duty to certify the election. The subpoenas also note the baseless claims of election fraud that have since earned rebuke from bar associations and courts.

Subpoenaing Giuliani, whose office and home were raided by the FBI last summer, is a risky move both for the former mayor and the committee. It could complicate the investigation, as past inquiries have scored testimony by securing immunity for the witness. And for Giuliani, complying with the committee could mean undermining himself.

Pleading the Fifth in order to avoid self-incrimination brings its own issues. Giuliani has already had his New York law license temporarily suspended and making the plea would further complicate his professional standing.

Experts say claiming attorney-client privilege may be the best path forward for Giuliani and others since it could carry the fewest occupational consequences while potentially pushing the matter to the courts and draining the committee's time.

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"Stripping aside all of the other issues and all of the concerns that the committee has, the idea that there was actually legal advice that was being rendered here or that these discussions could have been privileged, I think that that is colorable depending on a lot of other facts," said John B. Harris, a partner in the professional responsibility group at Frankfurt Kurnit.

"A memo about what the Vice President's rights, duties and obligations are with respect to certification - that sounds to me like a kind of classic legal research and that you could absolutely give it to your client and not necessarily believe that you were committing a crime or fraud. It's a legal issue that somebody like the president could have been entitled to know," Harris said.

Giuliani, however, may struggle to make the case that his conversations with Trump were privileged.

Bruce Green, a law professor at Fordham University, said the conversations need to be relatively private to be considered privileged. If legal advice was given in a large meeting attended by those not central to the matter, there wouldn't be grounds to keep them from the committee.

Another major exception would be any legal advice given in the process of committing or with the intention of committing a crime or fraudulent act.

"I think there are people who think it would be a fraud to pressure election officials to certify somebody as the winner when they're the loser," he said. "So, if they're trying to influence state election officials to say that Trump was the winner in the swing states where he actually lost to Biden, there are people that think that would be fraud or conspiracy to commit fraud."

The Jan. 6 committee, which did not respond to a request for comment, would be likely to fight any blanket attorney-client privilege claims, as it has with other would-be witnesses.

Giuliani previously made attorney-client privilege claims following the FBI raid, with a judge in the case appointing a so-called special master to review his communications to determine what might be privileged and what might not.

A similar "in camera" review could happen with the latest subpoenas to Giuliani, Ellis and Powell, assuming either they sue to block the subpoena or face censure by the committee and then full House for failing to comply with a subpoena and the Justice Department prosecutes the case.

But such a move would take time, which could be of value for a "beat the clock" strategy tied to GOP hopes of winning back the House majority in November.

Giuliani could have some incentive to cooperate. Harris noted lawyers are allowed to release communications that might demonstrate that they were not a party to any illegal activity. Giuliani also may see the value in cooperating with the committee if he can secure immunity.

Experts warned that could lead to a repeat of the Oliver North situation, however, in which the National Security Council lieutenant colonel's 1987 testimony before Congress was used to help overturn his conviction for his role in the Iran-Contra affair.

Former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said Giuliani may have a well-grounded fear of prosecution for his role in the events of Jan. 6 and the larger "Stop the Steal" effort, something that might leave him again leaning toward taking the Fifth.

There are reasons that the Department of Justice (DOJ) might not want to offer Giuliani or others immunity, too.

Marjorie Peerce, a managing partner at the New York office of Ballard Spahr, said she thinks the DOJ would not want the panel to offer immunity given the risk of complicating its own legal strategy as anyone working on the case would need to be "hermetically sealed" from any details that might arise during the interview.

With immunity an unlikely option, Giuliani again might view an attorney-client privilege claim as his best option.

"You never know what sort of sympathetic ear you're going to get if you're challenging a subpoena so you probably spin the wheel and see what happens," Harris said, adding that he could get an amenable judge.

"So I assume that's going to be how they approach this - that 'We didn't know and we don't know that this was an illegal thing. We thought that this was a perfectly appropriate use of our legal skills.' And how that flies eventually, who knows, but it's going to take a long time to resolve," he said.
Spotify

Podcast host Joe Rogan once again courted controversy this week when he questioned the racial identity of a prominent African-American professor, saying it was very strange that anyone would call themselves Black unless theyre from the darkest place of Africa.

During Tuesdays broadcast of the immensely popular The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan brought on clinical psychologist and cultural commentator Jordan Peterson, a fellow charter member of the so-called Intellectual Dark Web. While the conversation went through many hilariously weird turnssuch as Petersons confident claim that there is no such thing as climateit was the pairs discussion on race that really raised eyebrows.

At one point in the interview, first flagged by Media Matters, Rogan noted that Peterson has become an extremely polarizing figure in recent years. After pointing out that many on the left have accused Peterson of intolerance, bigotry, and hatefulness, the podcaster then recalled an exchange between Peterson and liberal academic Michael Eric Dyson.

On Joe Rogan's Spotify podcast -- Jordan Peterson claims Michael Eric Dyson is "not Black"



Rogan replies: "Unless you are talking to someone who is like 100% African from the darkest place where they are not wearing any clothes all day ... the term Black is weird." pic.twitter.com/Wyk00WHwus  Alex Paterson (@AlexPattyy) January 25, 2022

What did Michael Eric Dyson call you? A mean, angry white man?! Rogan wondered aloud, referencing a 2018 debate that featured Dyson jokingly calling Peterson a mean, mad white man for whining about how repressed he was despite his personal success.

Hilarious. Youre not mean at all, Rogan continued. Thats whats dumb about that statement. Youre not mean at all.

Peterson, for his part, took issue with Dyson highlighting his race, insisting thats a lie to call him white.

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I am kind of tan, he declared. And he was actually not Black, he was sort of brown.

From there, Rogan and Peterson went back and forth over their own relative lack of whitenessall while asserting that the African-American Dyson isnt Black because his skin color isnt dark enough.

If youre tan then what the fuck am I? Because Im darker than you. Thats ridiculous, Rogan exclaimed.

Neither of us are white, Peterson replied, adding, And he was brown, not Black.

Rogan, meanwhile, took their argument on skin color and racial identity to its inevitable conclusion.

Well, isnt that weird, he stated. The Black and white thing is so strange because the shades are such a spectrum of shades of people. Unless you are talking to someone who is, like, 100 percent African from the darkest place where they are not wearing any clothes all day and they have developed all of that melanin to protect themselves from the sun, even the term Black is weird.

Rogan concluded, When you use it for people who are literally my color, it becomes very strange.

Reacting to the remarks made by Rogan and Peterson, Dyson told The Daily Beast that while both men were too funny, he took them seriously because they have an influential perch on the culture. Furthermore, he said he would relish the chance to go on Rogan's program to discuss race.

Clearly they havent kept up with discussion about how race isnt just about skin tone or color, but about a host of meanings determined in the social world, he added. "Blackness is not about shade, but about the shade provided by traditions of Black thought, culture, and resistance. But in a way, Blackness is about throwing certain kinds of shade, and Id love to go on Rogans podcast to share my thoughts and chop it up.

Dyson concluded, Im afraid he may be too afraid to engage me directly. Better to talk behind my ear than to my face. But lets see. We would have a blast of a time!

Spotify, which streams Rogans podcast, did not respond to an immediate request for comment on Rogans comments.

Rogan has found himself the center of controversy for months, largely over his willingness to give airtime to misinformation and fringe theories about COVID-19 and vaccines. Earlier this month, hundreds of doctors demanded that Spotify implement a misinformation policy after Rogan hosted a notorious anti-vaccine virologist who bizarrely claimed that mass formation psychosis is behind vaccinations.

Legendary rocker Neil Young has since asked his team to pull his music from Spotify in response to the fake information about vaccines that Rogans been peddling on his show. Its something thats really important to Neil, Youngs manager Frank Gironda told The Daily Beast. Hes very upset about this disinformation.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Jonah Hill has joked that Baby Yoda is responsible for his black eye.

The Superbad star showed off a black eye in an Instagram post that he shared today (26 January). In the caption, he clarified that the injury is from my surfboard.

It is not from a fist fight I got into with Baby Yoda because of our falling out, he wrote. That being said I do officially challenge Baby Yoda to a @verzuztv battle.

The actor quipped: And @disneyplus definitely did NOT pay me to protect the fact that one of their marquee stars has a big mouth and would definitely catch hands if he didnt sucker punch me with his little green fist.

Hill first spoke about his feud with the adorable Star Wars character during an interview with W Magazine.

The 38-year-old told the publication that his Dont Look Up co-star Leonardo DiCaprio had made me watch The Mandalorian.

It was like, Baby Yoda was so cute but I just didnt give a f*** because I didnt know anything that it was about.

Hills take on the popular Star Wars series went viral when Variety published an article titled Jonah Hill Says Leonardo DiCaprio Forced Him to Watch The Mandalorian but I Didnt Give a F***.

The piece was accompanied by a split image of Hill and the little green character.

Hill shared a screenshot of the article, joking that the publication is trying to create beef between me and Baby Yoda.

I wanna say this once on the record officially: Baby Yoda and I are dear friends and text at least once a week, he quipped.

We may not be text every day type of friends, and yes COVID put a strain on our friendship, but we are all good. And thats all I will say on the matter!
Editor's note: This story contains some graphic language.

On Wednesday morning, jurors in Kayla Giles' second-degree murder trial watched her sometimes explosive interview with an Alexandria Police Department detective just hours after she shot and killed her estranged husband.

Thomas Coutee Jr., 30, died in the parking lot of the Coliseum Boulevard Walmart on Sept. 8, 2018. Giles faces charges of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Giles told responding officers that she shot Coutee. The pair, who were in the middle of a divorce and custody battle, had met there so Coutee could pick up Giles' two daughters and bring them to their own daughter's second birthday party.

After the shooting, Giles was taken to police headquarters. Lead Detective William Butler had her sign a rights waiver before they spoke about the incident.

What followed was an interview that at times saw them yelling at each other as Butler pressed Giles on why she had shot Coutee, and Giles telling him she knew she was going to be arrested on a second-degree murder charge.

Thomas Coutee Sr. (right) looks at the memorial to his son, Thomas Coutee Jr., in the parking lot of the Walmart on Coliseum Boulevard in Alexandria. The younger Coutee was shot and killed near the pole on Sept. 8, 2018.

Jurors read along with a transcript because of the interview's poor audio quality.

Breakdown of Giles' interview with detective

In the beginning, Giles tells Butler that Coutee jerked open the door of her Dodge Durango while yelling. She said she was scared, so she shot him.

"I just wanted to leave," she said.

Giles alleged that Coutee had abused her in the past. Butler asked if she'd ever made a police report.

Butler already knew that Coutee had filed two reports, alleging Giles had hit him during child swaps. He told her it looked like Coutee was the one who had been injured.

"From what I'm seeing, Thomas is the one trying to do things the right way," he said.

Trial day 1 coverage: State says Kayla Giles is 'cold, calculating,' but defense says she was protecting herself

Trial day 2 coverage: Kayla Giles' defense requests, fails to get mistrial after gun purchase evidence

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She mentioned that both she and Coutee had protective orders against the other, but claimed Coutee had hurt her previous to that.

Butler talked to Giles about her military service and training, telling her she knew how to shoot a gun because of it. Giles said Coutee called her a bitch and "was coming after me."

"Seriously, you shot a man because he called you a bitch?" Butler asked.

Giles became upset and began cursing at him. Butler told Giles it sounded like she was the aggressor, prompting her to claim Coutee once punched her in the face in front of her children and knocked her out.

Then Butler asked her about the court papers she had been served just the day before. Coutee had filed a motion for a new trial over the custody of their daughter. A hearing had been set for October 2018.

"Yes, that had nothing to do with today," she replied.

Giles denied being the aggressor and again stated that she thought she was in danger.

"I thought he was going to hurt me," she said. "Every ounce of my body ..."

She said she just reacted when Coutee opened the door. She also claimed Coutee had been bringing a gun to recent child swaps.

Butler questioned whether she had time to grab her gun if Coutee had opened her door. Previous testimony showed that the Ruger LCP .380 was in a holster in a side pocket of the driver's door.

He asked her if she couldn't drive off with the door open, prompting Giles' to accuse him of twisting her words. She tells him she's trying to cooperate, but he doesn't believe her.

Then she begins telling Butler that Coutee had been following her, forcing her to install cameras around her home. She said he had gone through the mailbox of her tenants at the Pineville home the couple once shared.

When Butler questioned this, she again claimed Coutee had punched her and knocked her out. Butler asked her if she went to a doctor or dentist or called the police. She said no.

She did tell Butler she told friends about the abuse, but she refused to give him any of their names. Butler said her story wasn't making sense.

"It makes perfect sense," she replied.

Butler then grills her on when she bought her gun. She said she didn't remember and that's beside the point. Butler disagreed with her.

She retorted that she already was "going out on a limb" by talking to him without an attorney. The two end up yelling at each other so loudly that the audio played in the courtroom was slightly distorted.

Giles kept telling Butler that the whole incident was captured on Walmart's surveillance video. He asked her if she tried to help Coutee after the shooting.

"I didn't want to touch him because I was scared," she said, saying she had never shot or killed anyone before.

"Well congratulations, you just did," Butler replied.

Giles said she just wanted to go back home after dropping off her daughters so they could go to the birthday party. It sounds as if she is crying.

Butler comments that her youngest daughter now will remember her birthday as the day her mom shot her dad. He keeps asking her if she shot Coutee because he called her a bitch and asks her what else he said to her.

Giles doesn't answer him.

Then he begins telling her that there's no way her reaction could have been faster than Coutee's action of opening the door.

"Your story doesn't make any sense," he says. He alleges she was ready to kill him.

"You put a bullet dead center in his chest," said Butler. "I haven't seen the first tear and you've been crying for 30 minutes."

The two begin yelling at each other. Giles repeatedly states she was threatened and felt scared, but won't say what else Coutee said to her.

The interview ends with a final comment from Butler.

"And yes, you are under arrest for second-degree murder."

Louisiana Assistant Attorney General Joseph LeBeau asked Butler if he interviewed Giles' friends. He said he spoke with her mother, sister and friends, and that none of them mentioned any abuse.

He said Giles' boyfriend made an allegation that he called "hearsay."

Butler also testified that the department had no record of Giles ever calling to report any incident with Coutee.

LeBeau asked if he found evidence of Coutee on the home cameras that Giles said were installed at her home. Butler replied he did not.

Next, LeBeau played the audio from two telephone calls Giles made from the Rapides Parish Detention Center #1. The first call was to her sister the day after her arrest.

The two talk about Giles' kids, defense attorneys and something Giles calls "the flower thing" that she asks if someone can take away from her.

LeBeau later asked Butler if he was able to determine what that item was, and he said yes. It was Giles' computer inside a floral-print bag. Her sister ended up taking the computer to a friend in Ouachita Parish.

Butler said Giles' sister eventually told them about the bag, which was recovered by the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office. A search warrant was obtained for it, said Butler.

The second audio clip was a conversation with Giles' friend, Jennifer Dennis. The two often used Snapchat to communicate, and Butler testified that Snaps investigators wanted to retrieve already had been deleted.

LeBeau asked Butler if he did anything after getting the information about the computer. He said he sought to file an obstruction of justice charge against Giles, for which she later was indicted.

"Did you find a single piece of evidence that led you to believe the defendant was acting in self-defense?" LeBeau asked Butler.

"No," he replied.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Kayla Giles heated interview with Alexandria detective seen by jurors
WASHINGTON  Justice Stephen Breyer intends to retire at the end of the US Supreme Courts current term, giving President Joe Biden his first Supreme Court nomination and an opportunity to fulfill a campaign pledge to make history by appointing a Black woman to the court.

Breyer officially notified Biden of his intent to step down as an associate justice in a letter on Thursday. He wrote that he would retire once the court had wrapped up its business for the term, which typically happens in June or July, and that his retirement was contingent on his successor being confirmed by then. NBC News had first reported the news a day earlier.

Breyer, a justice since 1994 and member of the courts left-leaning wing, faced a growing chorus of liberals calling for him to retire early in Bidens first term while Democrats still control the Senate. They frequently invoked the late justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs decision to stay on the bench during the Obama years and how the liberal icons death in September 2020 allowed former president Donald Trump and Senate Republicans to swiftly confirm the conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

Breyer didnt directly engage with the advocacy groups and academics urging him to step down, but he did push back broadly against what he described as a dangerous politicization of the court. In a speech in April 2021 at Harvard Law School, he warned, If the public sees judges as politicians in robes, its confidence in the courts, and in the rule of law itself, can only diminish. Hammering his point home, that speech is set to be released in the fall as a book titled The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics.

But any Supreme Court nomination has massive political consequences, both in the moment and for decades after the president who made the nomination has left office. Breyers retirement instantly sets off what is sure to be one of the biggest political battles of the year. As the White House prepares to name a nominee and members of the Senate gear up for a confirmation fight, liberal and conservative advocacy groups are set to pour millions of dollars into rallying their supporters for or against Bidens pick.

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A Supreme Court spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment after the reports broke on Breyer's imminent retirement. White House spokesperson Jen Psaki addressed the reports in a tweet after multiple news outlets confirmed the original NBC News article but did not immediately confirm that he planned to step down.

"It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today. We have no additional details or information to share from @WhiteHouse," Psaki wrote.

The Senate is split 5050 between Democrats and Republicans, but Democrats effectively control the chamber because of Vice President Kamala Harriss tiebreaking vote. That gives the White House the upper hand in moving Bidens nominees through the confirmation process for now, but the administration has little wiggle room.

Breyers decision to retire now gives the Biden administration time to push through a nominee while the Senate is in his partys control, albeit with a slim majority. If Republicans retake the Senate in the 2022 midterms this fall, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell already has said he would block any Supreme Court nominee from Biden in 2024 because its a presidential election year. He left open the possibility that hed attempt to block a nominee in 2023 as well, depending on when the vacancy opened up.

Replacing Breyer with a liberal-leaning justice will likely preserve the status quo of the courts three-member liberal minority, which includes Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. The party of the president who nominated a particular justice isnt always a predictor of how they will rule, even in cases that are politically or socially fraught. But it is helpful in understanding how they approach decision-making and where they stand on issues that have historically divided the court along ideological lines, such as abortion, gun ownership and the Second Amendment, and voting rights.

Biden said during the 2020 campaign that he would nominate a Black woman for his first Supreme Court vacancy. That announcement focused a spotlight on a handful of judges who had already been considered contenders under a Democratic president, including Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who was confirmed last year to the influential US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit  historically a springboard to the high court  and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, who has served on that bench since 2015.

Jackson and Kruger both have resumes featuring Ivy League degrees and prestigious clerkships, including on the Supreme Court; Jackson clerked for Breyer and Kruger for the late justice John Paul Stevens. Their career paths then diverged: Jackson was a federal public defender and served on the US Sentencing Commission before she was confirmed in 2013 to the federal district court in Washington, DC. Kruger worked in the solicitor generals office at the Justice Department and as a senior official in the Office of Legal Counsel, which provides legal advice across the executive branch, before her appointment to Californias highest court.

Liberal advocacy groups have pushed Biden to tap judges from underrepresented professional backgrounds. His nominees to date  including Jackson for the DC Circuit  have prominently featured former public defenders and civil rights lawyers. A big question heading into the White House's announcement of Biden's first nominee: Will that trend continue for his most consequential judicial pick to date?

Breyer had spent the bulk of his career as a legal academic on the faculty of Harvard Law School before former president Jimmy Carter nominated him for the 1st Circuit in 1980; hed also served as an official in the Justice Departments antitrust section, as a member of the Watergate prosecution team, and as a lawyer to the Senate Judiciary Committee. His nomination to the Supreme Court under former president Bill Clinton enjoyed bipartisan support; the Senate confirmed him in July 1994 by a vote of 879.

Breyer didnt share the reputation that fellow Clinton appointee Ginsburg had as a liberal firebrand and standard-bearer, but he routinely joined with the courts liberal wing in high-profile fights. He was a proponent of the idea of a living Constitution that evolves along with society, a theory of legal analysis typically embraced by liberals; he would spar  collegially  with the late conservative justice Antonin Scalia, who was a leading voice in favor of originalism, which focuses on the meaning and intent of the Constitution and laws at the time they were adopted.

Breyer became a leading voice against the death penalty. He wrote dissents as the courts conservative majority rejected cases lodged by people on death row who were seeking a last-minute reprieve from the court. In 2015, he wrote a now-famous dissent in Glossip v. Gross that laid out the case for why the death penalty likely violated the Eighth Amendments prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment; the practice was unreliable, arbitrary, and involved long delays that caused individual suffering and undermined the supposed purpose of such a sentence, he wrote at the time. The following year, he wrote a book called Against the Death Penalty.

Breyer also wrote several landmark decisions on abortion. In 2000, he wrote the majority opinion in a case that dealt with a type of late-term procedure. In the 54 decision in Stenberg v. Carhart, Breyer wrote that a Nebraska law that criminalized the procedure, save very few exceptions, was unconstitutional and couldnt stand given the courts previous rulings in other abortion cases, including Roe v. Wade. In 2016 and 2020, he wrote back-to-back deciding opinions that struck down major abortion restrictions in Texas and Louisiana, respectively.

Most recently, he wrote the majority opinion this summer in one of the blockbuster cases of the past year: the latest Republican challenge to the Affordable Care Act, former president Barack Obamas signature healthcare law. Texas and other Republican-led states argued that the whole law had to fall after Congress eliminated the tax penalty on the individual mandate, which required most Americans to have health insurance. In a 72 decision that united the courts liberal wing with several conservatives, Breyer concluded that Texas and the other Republican challengers lacked standing to bring the case at all, leaving Obamacare intact.

This is a developing story. Check @BuzzFeedNews on Twitter for updates.
United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. AP Photo/Steven Senne

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring from the bench, multiple media outlets reported.

The 83-year-old justice is the oldest member of the court and the most senior member of the liberal wing.

CNN reported that Breyer won't step down until the Senate confirms a successor.

See more stories on Insider's business page.

Associate Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term, multiple news outlets reported.

The 83-year-old liberal justice's retirement clears a path for President Joe Biden to appoint a successor and comes amid mounting pressure from progressives to have him step down while the Senate is still under Democratic control.

Breyer, a California native who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, is the oldest member of the court and the most senior member of the liberal wing. Supreme Court justices have lifetime appointments, and Breyer has served on the bench for nearly 28 years.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki put out a statement shortly after news of Breyer's retirement broke.

"It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today," Psaki tweeted. "We have no additional details or information to share from @WhiteHouse."

CNN and NBC also reported that the White House and Breyer plan to announce his retirement from the high court as early as Thursday. Breyer won't leave the bench until the Senate confirms a successor and will serve the remainder of the current Supreme Court term, per reports.

The news brings reassurance to progressives, who had launched a months-long campaign urging Breyer to retire to ensure that Biden can choose his replacement and prevent Republicans from further expanding the 6-3 conservative majority on the court cemented by former President Donald Trump.

Progressives ramped up pressure on Breyer to step down after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested last year that he would block a potential Biden nominee to the Supreme Court in 2024 and possibly even in 2023 if Republicans regain control of the upper chamber after the 2022 midterms. The comments were reminiscent of McConnell's blocking of then-President Barack Obama's 2016 Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland.

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Despite the calls, Breyer did not comment publicly on his retirement plans. Last April, he emphasized the importance of keeping the federal judiciary independent from politics, telling an audience at Harvard Law School that jurists are "loyal to the rule of law, not to the political party that helped to secure their appointment."

Before the Supreme Court started its current term in October 2021, speculation swirled once again about Breyer's retirement. The justice had been promoting his new book that explored the Supreme Court's authority, and reporters asked whether he had any plans to step down from the bench. Yet Breyer remained quiet on the matter, repeatedly saying he will make a retirement decision in his own time.

Breyer has established himself as a moderate liberal through his decades-long judicial record and has played a pragmatic role on the Supreme Court among the liberal and conservative justices.

After Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death in September 2020, Breyer took the spotlight as the most senior member of the court's liberal wing. He wrote the majority opinions for influential cases in the court's last term, including one that upheld the Affordable Care Act against a Republican-backed challenge and a major free speech case that sided with a former high school cheerleader who had been punished over a profane rant on social media.

When asked during a virtual event in May hosted by Philadelphia's National Constitution Center what he has learned from his nearly three-decade tenure on the court, Breyer said he realized he had "less power to persuade people than I thought I might." However, Breyer called it a "privilege" to serve.

Breyer's retirement gives Biden the chance to fulfill his 2020 campaign pledge to appoint the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.

Calls from Democratic lawmakers to speedily confirm a Biden nominee came pouring in shortly after news surfaced about Breyer's retirement.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced that the Senate will move with "all deliberate speed" to confirm a Biden nominee to the Supreme Court.

Sen. Patty Murray, the third-highest-ranking Democrat in the Senate, said she's "ready to move as quickly as possible to consider and confirm a highly qualified nominee who will break barriers and make history as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court of the United States."

The timing of Breyer's retirement comes ahead of the 2022 midterms, in which Democrats face an uphill battle to protect their narrow House and Senate majorities, as history often gives power to the opposing party of the White House in off-year elections.

The news also comes as the Supreme Court is in one of its most consequential terms in recent years, dealing with a slew of highly contentious cases on abortion rights, gun rights, religious liberty, and more. The high-profile decisions are expected to come by the end of June.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Mr. Hartigan,

Dr. Li,

Mr. Meyran,

Mr. ODonnell,

I wish to welcome all of you to the Chinese Embassy and your visit brings fresh air to Washington DC. Thank you, Mr. Meyran, for presenting to me the plaque of recognition and for your warm remarks. Im very touched by your words. Thank you, Mr. ODonnell, for this jacket with the ILA (International Longshoremens Association)s logo. It reminds me of the longshoremen at my hometown Tianjin, also a port city, who are as proud, sincere and hard-working as you. I love workers. I have great passion for the working class, who work hard to support their families and their country.

Th honor you present to me belongs to Chinese companies. It is also shared by all those devoted to the cooperation between COSCO Shipping and the Port of Boston. This year marks the 20th anniversary for COSCO Shipping to open a direct vessel service to Boston. 20 years ago, the previous shipper closed its lines to the port. The historical Port of Boston was put on the verge of closure, and many workers faced job losses. With the joint efforts of various parties in Massachusetts and Boston, in particular Mr. Hartigan and Dr. Li, COSCO Shipping opened direct shipping line to Boston, and a new journey has been started in China-US business cooperation.

Now, COSCO Shipping has become the Port of Bostons biggest client, taking up over half of its market share. Their cooperation has not only saved 9,000 jobs in the regions shipping industry, but also created another 400,000 jobs and energized many trading companies. For COSCO Shipping, operation in the US is like a stress test in a high-standard, international environment. It has helped COSCO become better at management, more competitive and more productive. COSCO Shipping has passed this test.

COSCOs cooperation with the Port of Boston is an example of the win-win economic and trade cooperation between China and the US. In Chinas 40-plus years of reform and opening-up, the US has got deeply involved in Chinas development, and also benefited a lot from it. According to statistics, over 70,000 American companies have invested in Chinese market. 97% of them made profits in the past year, and 64% of them saw their revenue increase. China-US trade volume was over 580 billion dollars in 2020, and reached 750 billion dollars in 2021. Our trade has provided many quality but inexpensive products for American consumers, and supported 2.6 million American jobs. The US is one of the biggest sources of foreign investment for China, and China is the No. 2 holder of Americas treasury bonds. China and the US have long been bound together by our shared interests.

Friends,

This year marks the 50th anniversary of President Nixons visit to China. We have learned from the past five decades that China-US cooperation can deliver many things good for both countries and the whole world; it can also bring tangible benefits and opportunities to places like the Port of Boston, to our longshoremen, and to all of us. If China and the US enter into conflict and confrontation, if we fight a trade war or a new Cold War, it will be a political tragedy that benefits no one. It will cause unbearable cost to each of us, to people like you and me. Faced with all these global challenges, fighting the pandemic, restoring growth, stabilizing industrial chain and supply chain, and addressing climate change, China and the US have no better choice than solidarity and cooperation. This is also the expectation of the international community. Our two countries should keep in mind what brought us together 50 years ago, implement the agreement of the two Presidents, follow the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation and take our relations back to the right track. This is also to give the world some long-awaited stability and certainty.

In a few days time, we will celebrate Chinese New Year. Please accept my festive greetings to you. I wish you joy, health and every success!
Kid Rock is hitting the road for what might be his last tour, but he says he won't perform at venues requiring the COVID-19 vaccination or face masks.

The politically active musician slammed facilities for policing the pandemic in a video message posted Thursday on his social media accounts, telling fans that he eliminated Buffalo, New York; Toronto and several other cities from his upcoming Bad Reputation tour, which kicks off April 6 in Evansville, Indiana, because of their pandemic precautions.

"There's been a lot of talk about vaccine mandates and venues, people saying, 'I'm not going to that venue because there's a vaccine mandate' and this, that and the other," the "Don't Tell Me How to Live" and "We the People" singer said. "Trust me. We've done all our research on this ... If there are any of these venues  I'm not aware of any, but if there are any  they're going to be gone by the time we get to your city.

"If they're not, trust me, you don't have to worry. You'll be getting your money back because I won't be showing up, either. If you think I'm going to sit out there and sing, 'Don't Tell Me How to Live' and 'We the People' while people are holding up their (expletive) vaccine cards and wearing masks, that (expletive) ain't happening."

Elton John tests positive for COVID-19, postpones his Dallas concerts

Kid Rock is using his music as a political soapbox in a new song.

His vow came days after the release of "We the People," a fiery political anthem littered with criticisms of todays sociopolitical climate. In the song, Kid Rock voices his disdain for President Joe Biden, his chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, media outlets CNN and TMZ, social media platforms Facebook and Twitter, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

"Wear your mask, take your pills, now a whole generation's mentally ill," Kid Rock sings, referencing public health mandates of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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The Grammy-nominated singer also references border security in the lyrics, slamming the media for "embracing" Biden's approach to "shut our borders down," whereas when "Big Don does it, they call him racist," alluding to former President Donald Trump. Kid Rock has previously been vocal in his support of Trump.

"We the People" features numerous chants of the political slogan "Lets Go Brandon," which has been used as a code among conservative Republicans to express a more vulgar sentiment toward Biden.

In 2020: Kid Rock joined Donald Trump Jr. for Trump rally in Michigan

Kid Rock performed in a flag poncho during his Super Bowl XXXVIII set in 2004.

COVID-19 related: Public health in America at a breaking point. The question is now 'Can it recover?'

Despite the songs abrasive tone, Kid Rock sings "it's time for love and unity."

"If you down with love and wanna make things better, all we gotta do is just come together," he sings. "Weather the storm and take my hand, then follow my lead to the promised land."

The rap-rock tune even contains an excerpt of the preamble of the U.S. Constitution: "In order to form a more perfect union, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America."

In a Facebook video, Kid Rock said "We the People" is "about, well, all the craziness going on in our world in the last few years and the politics and the polarization and social justice."

"You know, constantly for just being a Trump fan attacked in the media day in day out," he said.

Neil Young wants Spotify to pull his music because of Joe Rogan's vaccine misinformation on platform

Along with "We the People," Kid Rock released two more songs las: Rockin  and The Last Dance. Kid Rocks 12th album, "Bad Reputation" is expected to be released later this year, according to Billboard.

To mark the albums release, Kid Rock is heading out on a 25-date tour that he says could be his last. "I want to be at my peak for this tour because I really dont know for the unforeseen future if well do a big tour again," he said in the video.

'jeen-yuhs': Netflix's new Kanye West documentary witnesses his grief, genius and mental illness

Contributing: Colleen Long, The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kid Rock tour won't stop at venues with COVID vaccine, mask mandates
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon is ready to resume negotiations over the demarcation of a southern maritime border that is disputed with Israel, President Michel Aoun said on Wednesday.

Long time foes Lebanon and Israel started indirect negotiations through a U.S. mediator in 2020 at a U.N. peacekeeping base in Lebanon's Naqoura, but the talks have stalled several times.

The maritime border dispute has held up exploration in the potentially gas-rich area.

(Reporting by Nayera Abdallah; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Activist Bridger Zadina wets his hands with water from a spring in the San Bernardino Mountains, much of which will be bottled and sold as Arrowhead water. (Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: I read, to my horror and shock, that the U.S. Forest Service is allowing a company named Blue Triton to continue accessing water from public land in the San Bernardino National Forest and bottling it as Arrowhead water.

As a lifetime resident of Los Angeles County, I spend precious leisure time in the San Bernardino National Forest. I conserve water, and I drink only from reusable bottles to decrease plastic pollution. These are the things every responsible Southern Californian should be doing, right?

We need our public agencies to lead the way. Providing a permit for a private company to take water from a drought-prone national forest does not make sense.

Blue Triton's ability to continue siphoning water from the San Bernardino Mountains will soon be decided by the California water board. As our water representative, the board should make the right choice and keep our public lands safe. It can send a strong signal and do the right thing by revoking Blue Triton's permit.

Kelly Lowry, Topanga

..

To the editor: This story told me two things that I did not know  first, that the water inside Arrowhead bottles is diverted from a drought-stricken national forest, and that the bottling company does so for free.

Because the $1,950 per year charged by the Forest Service is, for all intents and purposes, free.

It is obscene that we are being asked to reduce our water usage by 15%, yet this company takes more than its permit allows during a drought. The U.S. Forest Service took a laissez-faire approach to the long-expired agreement, then renewed it during the Trump administration, whose leader famously told California to rake its forest floors to stem wildfires.

We can only hope that California will prevail in its quest to stop giving away our most precious commodity. The least that the bottling company must be made to do is adhere to the limits on what it takes from the state.

In the meantime, I hope every Californian reads The Times' story and does what I vow to do. I will not buy a single bottle of Arrowhead while the company steals water from us and then sells it back to us at a profit. I'm not paying for my water twice.

Elise Power, Garden Grove

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Joan Marcus

Long Days Journey Into Night, Eugene ONeills play about the relentless descent of the Tyrone family in the duration of just one day, is never not tense. Theres Mary (Elizabeth Marvel), getting off her head on morphine or modern-day opioids upstairs, away from her husband James (Bill Camp, Marvels own husband), and two sons Edmund (Ato Blankson-Wood) and James Jr./Jamie (Jason Bowen).

For the men, there is booze, oh my goodness, endless boozewith bottles of Scotch getting opened and decanted and glugged with the fluent speed that Popeye used to imbibe cans of spinach. No good can come from such substance and alcohol abuse, and soon we are into the territory of words being said and dark emotions being shared that can never be taken back.

Jessica Lange Kills It on Broadway in Long Days Journey Into Night

But you always get the feeling with the Tyrones that while it may seem apocalyptic to usrather like Martha and George in Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?this is just what the Tyrones do. As even the worst insults are hurled, the most horrible and painful sentiments spewed, the quartet of actors also impart that the Tyrones have all been here before. The expressions on their faces are jaded, worn out, over it. Their wounds have been opened and closed over and opened again and they will close over once more. This may well seem like a long days journey into night for us. For the Tyrones its family business as usual. Theyll just get up tomorrow and do the same thing over again.

There are other things that ratchet up this Audible Theater production at the Minetta Lane Theatre (through February 20). The size and feel of the Minetta Lane is small but mighty. The audience is utterly focused and concentrated on the slaloming mini-tragedy happening in front of us. Director Robert OHaraTony-nominated for Slave Playhas also situated the action in an age of COVID, with the family coming in and out wearing masks, and with hand sanitizer liberally squirted on palms. Amazon boxes, with their sly upturned smile logos so perversely out of place in chez Tyrone, litter Clint Ramos spare-looking stage.

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There are no words added to reflect this modern setting, but the cooped-up family feels extra cooped-up thanks to lockdown. The gorgeous maritime setting is constantly invoked but feels millions of miles away as the households collective emotional strangulation intensifies.

Edmunds grave respiratory illness remains. It is presumed to be tuberculosis, but COVID adds a neat hovering menace to the repeated (by his drugged-up mother) mentions of his impending likely death. The play has also been cut and trimmed, and OHara also makes effective use of Yee Eun Nams projections, which when Mary is high are Gothic cartoon blow-ups of her bedroom wallpaper. At other times swirling patterns take shape. They are not pretty or whimsical; they feel like waves of nightmares and domestic nausea.

Rarely does an audience feel as trapped as the folks on stage, but OHara and his group of actors manage to keep us claustrophobically captive. For ONeill purists, the two significant changesthe cutting of text, and the wearing of masks in a present-day settingdo not feel egregious. Given the size of the theater and the intimate proximity of all the pain in front of us, it may feel too close to elements of lived experience over the last couple of years for some watching.

Marvel excels as Mary, her repetitious, fluttery concern for Edmunds wellbeing true, but also a cover for her own grief at the loss of an earlier childwhose death she squarely and bitterly places on Jamie. When she disappears upstairs to inject morphine we watch her do so through an open window, slumped forward on a chair. Everyone knows. It is not a secretneither her drug-taking nor her grief. She thinks it is, and everyone indulges her tragic pantomime and futile subterfuge. Everyone indulges that she is a mother, that she heads a household. They know she needs this. They live, day in day out, with the reality of the lie.

The Tyrone household is one where not only Mary is managedMarvel plays her beautifully as trapped between present day and past, empathy and pain, warmth and viciousnessbut where James and the boys are similarly contained in the boxes ascribed to them.

Mary recites over and againa pathetic, wrenching, broken-record Opheliahow the life of a nun was almost hers until she fell under James spell. At these moments she sounds like a curdled Cinderella, her eyes lit up and also dimmed, her spirit remembering a life of promise, but also crushed. Marvels performance is so good it is as unbearable to behold as ONeill intended. You are as frustrated as her husband and sons when she repeats her scattered soliloquies.

The men are Marys eggshell-treading satellites. James, an actor, mainlines whisky, and tries to maintain a gruff paternalism and bonhomie, but his drinking is as much a manifestation of helplessness as Marys morphine injections. Stop drinking, you think as yet another bottle is opened, another glass filled. Camp shows us adeptly how close to an edge James is, and how, while he has done all he can to protect Mary (in his eyes), his indulgence of her, his unthinking selfishness as an actor and a man, his own inability to grieve and confront the disabling depth of his wifes misery, has led to the implosion of his family around himand to his own abuse of his wife, even though he would be horrified to hear that.

Bowen plays Jamie as a sober lad-about-town, and then, when he returnspickled, obviouslyfrom one night out on the town, we see his own guilt, and his knowledge of his own shortcomings. He begs Edmund to stay away from him so he doesnt destroy him. ONeill based Edmund, and the dynamics of the family, on himself and his own experiences. The play was first performed three years after his death in 1956.

Blankson-Wood beautifully plays Edmund as the evenings watchful anchor. He is closest to us in the audience, watching on, mesmerized and horrified, as a familiar family collapse happens around him. He knows all that is projected on to himthe dangerously ill, vulnerable one. He knows the death of another sibling has preceded this. He knows his mother, father, and brothers frailties, and so, wracked by a foreboding cough, he sits swathed in blankets as the storm rages. He knows more of the same is to come.

The irony, of course, is that the forcefully coddled Edmund is the strong one. The cost of survival in this family is the doomful shadow that lingers as the lights finally come downand you, utterly enveloped in this raw and excellent production, finally exhale.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's 96-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who served for more than two decades in the top job, is recovering in hospital and has moved to a regular ward, his daughter said on Wednesday.

Marina Mahathir in a statement said her father has left the coronary treatment unit at the National Heart Institute and was "cheerful and eager to fully recover".

On Tuesday, the family said Mahathir had requested people not be too worried about his health.

Mahathir, who is still an active lawmaker, was re-admitted to hospital for treatment after undergoing an elective medical procedure on Jan. 8.

The hospital did not share information about the procedure.

(Reporting by Liz Lee; Editing by Martin Petty)
BAMAKO, Mali (AP) 

Malis junta has told Denmark to withdraw its soldiers from the country's north, saying no permission had been given for them to deploy there as part of a European counterterrorism operation, a government spokesman said Wednesday.

The demand for the Danish troop withdrawal comes just a week after a 90-person contingent from Denmark had arrived in the volatile West African nation for a one-year deployment. The Danish contingent includes a surgical team.

The request for their immediate departure comes as France already is reducing the number of troops it has had in the region for the past nine years to fight Islamic extremists linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The drawdown means Malian troops and their U.N. peacekeeping counterparts now will have more responsibility for fighting the jihadis than before, and some have questioned whether that may further destabilize northern Mali.

Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, spokesman for Mali's military-led government, said in a statement that Denmark has been asked to immediately withdraw the said contingent from the territory of the Republic of Mali.

A statement from the government in Bamako said that the Danish deployment was done without the Malian government's consent. European partners, though, insist that the deployment of the Danes was discussed beforehand.

The Danish Foreign Ministry said that in 2019 then-President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita had requested that Denmark send troops to join the Takuba effort. But less than a year later, Keita was deposed in a military coup by the man now in charge in Mali.

The ministry in Copenhagen said the Danish contribution also had been approved by the current transitional government led by coup leader Col. Assimi Goita.

Denmarks participation has taken place in accordance with the established procedures, it said in a statement.

After seizing power in August 2020, Goita initially pledged to uphold Mali's international agreements but recently has shown signs of reluctance, at one point even temporarily grounding U.N. peacekeeping flights in the north.

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Over the past 18 months, Goita has solidified his control, naming himself president of the government that was supposed to organize new democratic elections by the end of next month. Now Goita says that won't happen until 2024, prompting Mali's neighbors to impose punishing economic sanctions this month.

Mali has been battling an Islamic insurgency in the north since 2012, and former colonizer France led a military operation in 2013 to force from power in the major towns of northern Mali.

Other European forces also have helped train Malian troops in the years since. And in 2020, a special task force was created  known as Takuba, which means sword in Tamasheq, one of the languages spoken in northern Mali.

The task force currently numbers about 600 soldiers and is made up of special operations troops from various European countries including Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

___

Olsen contributed from Copenhagen, Denmark. Associated Press writer Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed.
Chances are good that you can get health insurance for $10 or less a month, according to Covered California, because two out of three Golden State residents qualify for premiums in that range in 2022.

Those rates are good through Monday, when open enrollment will end in California. After this, consumers can only sign up for insurance if they have a qualifying event such as a job loss, new baby or a marriage.

We want to make sure that people who need health insurance are not caught up in the final week of last-minute shoppers, said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California.

A record 1.8 million Californians already have signed up, taking advantage of new federal financial help aimed at getting Americans health care coverage to help them weather the COVID-19 pandemic. The government assistance was part of multi-pronged stimulus package known as the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

More than 7 million Californians have contracted COVID-19, and 80,000 state residents have died from the respiratory disease. The cost of treating a complex case of COVID-19  one that requires ventilation or an admission into an intensive care unit  averages roughly $127,000, according to data from FairHealth.org, the nations largest repository of statistics on private health care claims.

No one wants to end up in an emergency room or hospital for COVID-19 or for any other reason, but if you do, a health plan through Covered California provides financial protection and can save you tens of thousands of dollars, Lee said.

If you sign up for a health care plan this month, coverage will begin on Feb. 1. In addition to online enrollment at CoveredCA.com, consumers also can call (800) 300-1506 or enroll through thousands of licensed agents or via many nonprofits with offices all around the state.
As one of China's most renowned and prolific directors, Zhang Yimou is racing against time to realize three different but significant milestones in the country, as well as in his life and career.

It's quite a busy time for Zhang as he prepares for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games to be held on Feb. 4, having conducted initial rehearsals at the National Stadium on Jan. 22. However, one day before that, he was at a China Film Archive theater to premiere his new film, "Snipers."

The war film received positive feedback and is set to debut on Feb. 1, when China will be celebrating its Spring Festival. Zhang told the audience, "Winter Olympics is a national event, I can't afford to waste even one second on the preparation work. Now every second counts. So I have to go back for it and don't have too much energy and time to promote the film."

Promotion for the film will be left to his collaborators, studios and his own daughter, Zhang Mo, who co-directed it. Starring Zhang Yu, Chen Yongsheng, Zhang Yi and numerous young actors, "Snipers" is a fast-paced, breathtaking and heart-wrenching but heroic story depicting Chinese snipers in their fight against elite enemy snipers to win a small-scale but crucial battle.

"I invested most of my energy into Beijing 2022. But the story was so appealing to me. So I went to the leadership of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and asked for a two-month leave to shoot the film in the winter of 2021. They approved. Then I tried my best to make the film. After I made it, I felt that today's happiness was hard-won. Thanks to all those martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the war, we have today's peace and happiness, and of course the Winter Olympics," Zhang said.

Zhang, 71, still believes in originality when creating work across any artistic medium. "Working on a film or working on the Winter Olympics, the creative originality is the hardest. What we need for Beijing 2022 are three words: creativity, creativity, and still, creativity!"

About 14 years have passed since the Beijing 2008 opening ceremony was held at the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird Nest." Since then, the stadium has been upgraded with new technology. Zhang said they came up with the idea of tracking performers' movements with the ground screen to achieve an interactive effect as early as 2008, but that it was not technologically feasible back then. Now they can make it happen.

Zhang also revealed details about a warm-up Chinese-style square dance that will include participants ranging from five to over 70 years old and will take place 30 minutes before the opening ceremony. In line with Beijing's efforts to stage a "simple, safe and splendid" Games, there will be no long, large-scale performances. The number of performers has been cut from about 15,000 in 2008 to 3,000, with the length shortened to about 100 minutes due to cold weather and the COVID-19 pandemic.

As the chief director, Zhang and his team have been preparing for the opening ceremony together with the performers over the past two and a half years. He will become the first man to direct both Summer and Winter Games ceremonies.

Zhang also shared the differences between the openings of Beijing 2008 and Beijing 2022. "The opening ceremony of Beijing 2008 focused on letting more people know about traditional Chinese culture, while the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 will be about the spirit and ideas shared by all mankind and about the community with a shared future for mankind. This reflects cultural confidence, and together we as a global family are looking forward to the shared future."

Yiannis Exarchos, CEO of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) who saw the rehearsal, said that the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022 was "very different" from that of Beijing 2008 but "equally impressive".

From his last acclaimed film "Cliff Walkers" (2021) to the upcoming "Snipers" and the Winter Olympics, the backdrops of all three contain snow and ice elements. Zhang joked he has bonded with the winter.

After the Olympics, Zhang has new territory to conquer, the world of TV. The latest news suggests that his small screen debut will be based on "Protagonist," an award-winning novel by Chen Yan about a leading Shaanxi Opera star's life, her ups and downs and struggles.
The omicron variant of the novel coronavirus has severely impacted Michigan's restaurant industry, according to an industry survey released on Wednesday.

More than 80% of Michigan restaurants have seen demand drop in recent weeks for indoor dining because of a surge in cases from the omicron variant.

Three-quarters of restaurants say business conditions are worse than three months ago.

Without a new round of aid for restaurants hard hit by COVID-19, nearly 43% of Michigan restaurant operators feel it was unlikely they'd stay in business.

The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) on Wednesday released Michigan data provided by the National Restaurant Association (NRA) who surveyed more than 4,000 restaurant operators nationwide Jan. 16-18.

In Michigan, the survey results were just as somber for the hospitality industry as a previous survey released three months ago.

More: Some Michigan restaurants got millions in relief money  while others got nothing

More: Birmingham restaurant week kicks off Monday: Here's what's on menus

Our survey delivers reliable data to what everyone in Michigan already knows  that omicron is closing restaurants and significantly complicating our recovery, Justin Winslow, association president and chief executive, said in a news release.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the restaurant industry has been severely affected. Theyve faced several shutdowns of indoor dining, capacity limits and other restrictions.

Because of the recent omicron variant surge Michigan restaurants have:

Reduced hours of operation on days that they are open

Closed on days that are normally open

Reduced seating capacity

Changed to only offering off-premises for a period of time

Found business conditions for their restaurant are worse now than they were three months ago with only 4% saying business conditions improved during the last three months.

The group said that on top of the latest conditions, restaurants are still feeling the effects and challenges of the overall pandemic.

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According to the survey, since the beginning of the pandemic restaurants have:

Accumulated additional debt

Fell behind on expenses

Are less profitable

Other key findings:

The majority of restaurants surveyed have not experienced a complete sales recovery to prepandemic levels.

Sales volume in 2021 was lower than it was in 2019. And only 23% of operators reported a same-store sales increase between 2019 and 2021.

Higher menu prices attributed to sales growth in 2021 as operators were forced to offset sharply rising costs

Operators (80%) said total costs (as a percent of

sales) were higher in December 2021 than in December 2020.



Customer traffic levels also remained below 2019 levels for most restaurants.

Part of the survey also included findings of the impact the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, or RRF, had on restaurants that did or did not receive grants.

More: These Michigan businesses received the most federal COVID-19 relief funding for restaurants

The RRF was a more than $28 billion federal fund created to help restaurants nationwide recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Processing and dispersing of the funds was through the U.S. Small Business Administration and began in May 2021. The fund was depleted early on and many restaurants were left out.

Nationwide and in Michigan, some restaurants were promised a grant, but the SBA later rescinded the money after three restaurants sued the agency in federal court over how the agency dispersed funds.

More than $780 million went to nearly 3,300 Michigan restaurants. Nearly 9,000 Michigan restaurants applied for funding.

Industry associations and restaurants are pushing for the legislation on the Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of 2021, which seeks an additional $60 billion.

Nationwide, the NRA said 900,000 jobs were saved by the first round of funds granted to restaurants from the RRF, including 35,000 in Michigan.

The restaurants that applied but did not receive funding said a future grant would allow them to "retain or hire back employees that would otherwise have been temporarily or permanently laid off."

Winslow added that the RRF fund works and that the association is calling on Congress to support the fund.

The RRF was a critical lifeline to many of our restaurants, but far more remain on the sidelines, desperately looking for support before they are forced to close their doors forever," Winslow said.

Replenishing the fund the NRA estimates, Winslow said, would save an additional 50,000 Michigan restaurant jobs.

Contact Detroit Free Press food writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news to: 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

Support local journalism and become a digital subscriber to the Free Press.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan restaurants struggling from impact of omicron
MONROVIA  The town of Monrovia currently rents its municipal building along East Main Street.

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, members of the Monrovia Town Council discussed clogged sewer lines at the building caused by freezing water.

Others are reading: Hoosier Action brings environment, housing concerns to state officials.

Recently, the town had a plumber come and work to open the sewer lines.

According to the plumber, the line drains in the wrong direction and not all fluids are able to flow out to the main line.

The cost to fix the problem will be about $1,800.

The problem for the town is that while it pays $450 a month in rent, the town does not have a rental agreement with the owner of the property.

That lack of a rental agreement has resulted in the town being written up by the Indiana State Board of Accounts.

Council members expressed concerns the owners could raise the rent or evict them.

"We have to do something," town councilwoman Carol Youngblood said.

After more discussion, the council decided to have the sewer fixed and have its attorney research the matter.

Farming town property

Another problem that came up at the meeting involves the farming of land where the town's sewer plant sits.

In the past, a farmer has been using it to plant crops.

City honors 'Mr. Radio': Martinsville names street after late WCBK owner Dave Keister.

According to Monrovia Clerk-Treasurer Danny Chenault, the town does not have any type of agreement with the farmer for use of the land.

He said the farmer does not pay any rent for use of the land.

Chenault said the farmer has used the land for at least four years.

He said the farmer wanted to use the land again this year.

Council members were unhappy there was not rental agreement for the use of the land.

They were unhappy the town was not receiving rent on the property, and there were concerns about insurance.

They asked Chenault to look at coming up with a rental agreement.

For now, they said the farmer cannot use the land.

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In other business

The council approved an amendment to the town's internal control standards ordinance. The amendment requires the clerk-treasurer, utility clerk, plan administrator, town marshal and town council to complete the ICS training/certification.

The council discussed possible plans to run an 8-inch water line from an existing water line to the Latta Addition. The new line would be for fire protection. According to the council, there was a fire in the addition and water tankers had to be used to fight the blaze.The town will have to work with Morgan County Rural Water which owns the existing water line.

The council voted to approve the 2022 agreement with the Morgan County Economic Development Corporation. Several council members felt the town was not benefiting from the EDC but, felt the town needed "a place at the table" when it comes to economic development. The cost for the year will be $4,000.

There was a brief discussion on the possibility of the town losing its buffer zones and not being able to have a say in future economic development outside of the town's boundaries.

More: Mooresville Town Council members voice concern over appointment process.

Several council members and town officials held a zoom meeting with the Indiana Department of Transportation concerning the intersection of Ind. 39 and 42 in Monrovia. The state has plans to improve that intersection and the intersection of Keller Hill Road and Ind. 39. At this time, the projects are to be planned in 2027 and construction beginning in 2028.

The council was informed the county is conducting a drainage study for the area around the town. Due to the county doing the study, the town's cost for it's study has been reduced to around $12,000.

The town is reviewing its insurance coverage. While the policy runs through the end of the year, the town is looking at what it may need.

There are two agencies the town has been in discussion with. The current agency, Mayfield Insurance and Morgan Insurance Group.

The next scheduled Monrovia Council meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22 at a location that has not been determined.

This article originally appeared on The Reporter Times: Monrovia council worried owner of municipal building could evict town
Recognition reflects the Firms commitment to invest in new talents skill and career development

Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley was named one of Canada's Top Employers for Young People in 2022 by Canada's Top 100 Employers, a Mediacorp Canada Inc. project. The honour recognizes the firms commitment to helping students and recent graduates launch their career through exceptional learning environments and mentoring throughout their career. The firm was also commended for offering industry-leading benefits and work-life balance, making it a great workplace for those starting out their careers.

We are proud to offer a world-class, inclusive workspace where everybody can contribute, learn, and become who they want to be," said Alan Vesprini, Head of the Morgan Stanley Montreal office. Our marquee Technology Analyst Program, which was a determining factor for the election to the 2022 list of Canadas Top Employers for Young People, provides university graduates with the foundation for long-term career success by offering comprehensive technology training, mentoring and networking.

The firms largest presence in Canada, the Morgan Stanley Montreal office is one of its most prominent technology hubs globally. Its more than 2,700 world-class engineers and IT professionals support the firms leading technology platforms, including low latency electronic trading, cloud engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as digital technologies.

Canada is also home to Shareworks by Morgan Stanley. Based in Calgary with over 700 employees, the business offers comprehensive workplace financial solutions and services designed to help companies build a culture of ownership and drive workplace performance.

Morgan Stanley is one of North America's leading global financial institutions, providing institutional clients with a comprehensive array of financial services including investment banking, stockplan services, and equity and fixed income sales and trading.

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Learn more about Morgan Stanley employees experiences in an article by Canadas Top Employers featuring Montreal technologists : Top Employer: Morgan Stanley Services Canada Corp. (canadastop100.com)

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services. With offices in more than 41 countries, the Firm's employees serve clients worldwide, including corporations, governments, institutions, and individuals. For more information about Morgan Stanley, please visit www.morganstanley.com.

Media Relations Contact: Christine Alberti, Christine.Alberti1@morganstanley.com

View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Morgan Stanley on 3blmedia.com

View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/morgan-stanley-honored-as-one-of-canadas-top-employers-for-young-people-933157945
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, presides over a symposium, Jan. 25, 2022. The symposium was held to solicit opinions and suggestions from the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliations on a draft government work report. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed prioritizing stability in economic development as the Chinese economy continues to face downward pressure and complex domestic and international environments.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks on Tuesday at a symposium over which he presided.

The symposium was held to solicit opinions and suggestions from the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliations on a draft government work report.

The document will be deliberated at the top legislature's annual session in March.

Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium.

Hearing suggestions from the representatives, Li called for intensifying the implementation of macro policies to ensure stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas.

The "six fronts" refers to employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and expectations. The "six areas" refers to job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments.

Efforts should be made to carry out a combination of tax and fee cut policies and precise measures to reduce financing costs for medium, small and micro firms, as well as individual businesses and industries with difficulties, Li said.

He also called for support for research and development and innovation in the manufacturing sector, urging efforts on stabilizing market expectations and deepening reform and opening-up to better unleash market vitality.

Li stressed the importance of securing and improving people's livelihoods, as well as stabilizing the macroeconomy and keeping the economy running within an appropriate range.
A South Carolina woman and her boyfriend were sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to their roles in the death of her infant daughter, according to prosecutors and court records.

In July 2020, 7-week-old Luna Parton died at a Charlotte hospital, officials said. The baby had skull fractures and other injuries found in late June 2020 that were consistent with having been struck multiple times, according to a statement from John Anthony, 16th Circuit Deputy Solicitor.

Aaron Michael Doster, 24, of York, pleaded guilty to homicide by child abuse Tuesday afternoon in York County criminal court, according to Anthony and court records.

Doster admitted to York County Sheriffs deputies that he had struck the child, who was the daughter of his girlfriend, Hannah Geanette Parton, Anthony said in a statement after court. Doster was sentenced to 24 years in prison in a negotiated plea agreement, Anthony said.

Parton, 23, pleaded guilty to felony child neglect and was sentenced to three years in prison and five years probation in a negotiated plea, according to Anthony and court records.

Both Doster and Parton were arrested in October 2020 in the western York County town of Hickory Grove after an investigation by the sheriffs office, State Law Enforcement Division and the York County Coroners Office. SLED assists in all child death investigations in South Carolina.
Ukraines ambassador to the United Nations on Wednesday insisted that Kyiv and Washington are in agreement about the imminent threat of a Russian invasion, despite statements from top Ukrainian officials downplaying the potential for such a scenario.

There is no contradiction between the Ukrainian and American assessment of the position, Sergiy Kyslytsya, the Ukrainian envoy, told CNN. Thats basically playing with words. The invasion is possible, and we are all on record alert. So there is no different reading between the U.S. administration and the Ukrainian administration about whats going on at the borders of Ukraine.

Top U.S. officials have recently escalated their warnings about further Russian aggression toward Ukraine, and the United States has ordered the relatives of U.S. embassy staffers in Ukraine to leave the country.



White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week that the security situation was now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack in Ukraine, and she reiterated on Tuesday that the invasion threat remains imminent.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday that his government was strong enough to keep everything under control and derail any attempts at destabilization.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov also said on Tuesday that as of today, there are no grounds to believe Russia will invade imminently, telling the Ukrainian people: Dont worry, sleep well. No need to have your bags packed.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN that although Russias military buildup along Ukraines border and in occupied territories poses a direct threat, the number of Russian troops  estimated to be roughly 100,000  is insufficient for a full-scale offensive.

They also lack some important military indicators and systems to conduct such a large full-scale offensive, Kuleba said. We can say 100 times a day invasion is imminent, but this doesn't change the situation on the ground.

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Kyslytsya, the Ukrainian envoy, appeared to echo Kulebas position on Wednesday. We agree with the intelligence assessment that the Russian troops are amassed at the Ukrainian border at very impressive, unprecedented numbers  which is not still enough for the Russians to go in Ukraine and to hold the Ukrainian territory for a prolonged period of time, he said.



President Joe Biden, who predicted last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin will move in on Ukraine, told reporters on Tuesday that it was unclear how the security situation would play out.

Ill be completely honest with you: Its a little bit like reading tea leaves, Biden said. Ordinarily, if it were a different leader  youd say, Well, that means that he is looking like hes going to do something. But then you look at what [Putins] past behavior is and what everyone is saying in his team, as well as everyone else, as to what is likely to happen: It all comes down to his decision.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An internet antenna towers over the Santa Claus sculpture on Ventura Boulevard in Nyeland Acres on Jan. 25. The nonprofit Nyeland Promise and Rio School District have recently installed several towers in the unincorporated area near Oxnard to provide free internet access to 132 households with elementary and middle school children.

A nonprofit in Nyeland Acres wants to provide about 840 students in the community with free internet access.

Nyeland Promise joined with the Rio School District to connect about 132 homes in the unincorporated neighborhood of Ventura County near Oxnard, said Mary Anne Rooney of Nyeland Promise.

The goal is to get free internet access to approximately 600 Rio School District and 240 Oxnard Union High School District students in about 410 households.

About 70 homes are already connected to the free internet, Rooney said. Crews are currently working to connect the remaining homes to wrap up the first phase of the project.

We really want to improve the quality of life for our residents, and this is one really great way we see that could create generational change where they have access to the entire world, Rooney said.

Delma Mendez, a Nyeland Acres mother of three, walks past the front of her Almond Drive home on Jan. 25 after an internet antenna was installed for her youngest child. The nonprofit Nyeland Promise recently installed several internet towers and antennas throughout the unincorporated neighborhood near Oxnard to provide free internet access to 132 households of Rio School District children.

Delma Mendez, 45, was one of the first residents to be connected. She said through a translator she had been paying $220 each month for internet for her three children. The youngest, 12, is a student in Rio Del Valle Middle School and qualified for the program.

Mendez said the free internet is much faster than the internet package she had with her cable provider. The signal would often cut out while her kids were in Zoom meetings.

Her neighbors also had high internet bills, while others opted for free hotspots provided by the school district.

Read more: Ruling sets Nov. 8 ballot for Aaron Starr term-limit measure in Oxnard

Rio School District Superintendent John Puglisi said some hotspots in Nyeland Acres had trouble receiving a signal, leaving some to look elsewhere for internet.

The money Mendez saves each month goes to buying more groceries, she said.

It was a real good idea for the school district and (Nyeland Promise) to help out Nyeland Acres, especially during the pandemic, she said.

According to Nyeland Promise, the median household income in Nyeland Acres is $41,056. About 93% of the 2,809 residents are Hispanic, 35% of which are under the age of 19, according to Nyeland Promise.

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By contrast, the median household income in Ventura County is $88,131, according to U.S. Census data.

An internet antenna sits above a home on Almond Drive in Nyeland Acres on Jan. 25. The nonprofit Nyeland Promise has recently installed several internet towers and antennas throughout the unincorporated area near Oxnard to provide free internet access to 132 households for children in the Rio School District.

Nyeland Promise has identified about 260 households that qualify for free internet.

The internet signal travels from Rio Del Valle school to a signal tower on the John C. Zaragoza Community Center. The signal then bounces around five towers in the area. Small antennas on the houses pick up the signal and transfer it to a router.

In the first phase of the project, 132 houses will be connected. Rooney said she did not know when the first phase would be completed.

The remaining homes will be connected once the nonprofit is able to raise enough money.

Nyeland Promise raised over $25,000 for the project. The Rio School District did not respond to requests about their costs.

Read more: Here are all the unsolved Ventura County homicide cases from 2021

Once the first two phases have been completed, Nyeland Promise will work to extend free internet access to about 150 homes with high school students.

When schools transitioned to remote learning at the onset of the pandemic, Puglisi said the school district needed to ensure each of the districts more than 5,000 students had internet access. The district introduced internet hotspots to communities and sought out deals with internet providers.

The Nyeland Acres project also contributes to a state and federal effort to get internet access to every household, Puglisi said. Called the Last Mile, the program aims to help families overcome a lack of income or infrastructure to get internet access.

We certainly would love it if the federal and state government took care of this last mile, Puglisi said. This is something that people have been talking about and nibbling around the edges for a very long time, because it's quite a process to do.

Originally, Nyeland Promise wanted to connect everyone in their community to free internet. Rooney said the nonprofit surveyed the community and learned 70% of its residents could not afford internet access.

However, internet providers estimated it would cost over $1 million a year to offer the entire community free internet, Rooney said.

Nyeland Promise conducted another survey to determine whether residents could afford a $20 a month fee for internet. They could not.

The organization's leaders decided to phase in free internet access into the community, starting with households with students and reached out to the Rio School District, Rooney said.

Nyeland Promise was formed by Rooney and her partner Mike Barber in 2018. The two also run the nonprofit Santa to the Sea, which collects Christmas presents for underprivileged children in the county.

Brian J. Varela covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo. He can be reached at brian.varela@vcstar.com or 805-477-8014. You can also find him on Twitter @BrianVarela805.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Nonprofit to connect about 840 Nyeland Acres students to free internet
Jan. 25NORWICH  If resource officers return to the city's middle schools, they would have a lengthy list of duties set by school and police leaders: improve school safety, reduce suspensions and build trust with youths.

The Board of Education on Jan. 11 directed Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow to meet with police Chief Patrick Daley to put together a plan to restore the officers to the schools.

But the concept has raised concerns. Two board members want assurances that the officers would not steer youth into the criminal justice system.

As police and school leaders were meeting late last week to iron out the proposal, the Norwich NAACP Executive Committee also met to articulate members' concerns. Norwich NAACP President Shiela Hayes will send a letter to the Board of Education ahead of the board's meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 8, at Kelly Middle School auditorium. Public comment also will be taken prior to the board's discussion of the issue.

Hayes said among the NAACP's concerns was the quickness of the vote at the January meeting without prior discussion. She said it seems to be in response to recent jumps in behavioral issues and disciplinary problems, while the school system lacks classroom interventionists and behavioral therapists.

Hayes said when Norwich schools had SROs several years ago, before they were eliminated in budget cuts, they were community resource officers for students, families and school staff. She wants to ensure the new officers won't view student behavioral issues solely through a lens of discipline and referrals to the city's Juvenile Review Board.

"Are the SROs being looked at to replace interventionists and behavioralists?" Hayes asked.

Police Chief Daley, former SRO Lt. Anthony Gomes, Stringfellow and Assistant Superintendent Tamara Gloster met Thursday to work out logistics and goals for the new program.

They will propose hiring one SRO for the Kelly STEAM Magnet Middle School and one for Teachers' Memorial Global Studies Magnet Middle School. One of the officers also will be asked to become familiar with four elementary schools, and the other will have three elementary schools and the preschool program, Stringfellow said.

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"This year, it's just to get a foot in the door," Daley said. "Over the summer, we'll work on a more structured program."

The duties and goals are many, Daley and Stringfellow said. Stringfellow said each officer should be: "an educator, informal counselor or mentor and a law enforcement officer."

Over time, Stringfellow will look for declines in juvenile arrests, chronic absenteeism, out-of-classroom behavior referrals, expulsions and suspensions. She would like the officers to show up at times at school bus stops and on buses.

On the education side, Stringfellow wants programs on bullying prevention, internet and social media safety, alcohol and drug prevention and on what items are prohibited on school grounds.

Daley said officers also could offer programs on traffic safety, bicycle and especially scooter safety, an issue prevalent on city streets.

Stringfellow will ask that the officers qualify to train school staff in the ALICE  Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate  emergency preparedness program. She said it would avoid the cost to hire outside trainers for the program. SROs also should serve on their schools' crisis response teams.

Stringfellow would want the officers to wear full police uniforms and drive marked cruisers. "I want them to look like police officers," she said.

The Norwich school budget would pay the full cost for the rest of this school year, estimated at $90,000 to $100,000 from March 1 through June, with savings from substitute teacher and vacant teaching positions the district hasn't been able to fill, Stringfellow said.

The cost would be placed in the regular operating budget for the 2022-23 school year. Normally, the officers would work in the school system year-round, but Stringfellow said police would want them to return to regular duty this summer to help ease COVID-19 staff shortages. The budget would have to reflect the split, she said.

If the board approves the plan, Daley will post the positions immediately. He said some officers already have completed the National Association of School Resource Officers training program. He is confident the positions can be filled in-house, and he then would seek to replace them with new hires.

"We will get someone from the ranks," Daley said. "We have a lot of people who are interested in working with our youths."

Stringfellow and Gloster would serve on the selection committee.

Stringfellow hopes the selected officers can reflect the district's demographics  71% of Norwich students are Black, Indigenous, or people of color, and 19% of students are English language learners.

"It would be ideal for one or both to be bilingual," she said.

c.bessette@theday.com
Newport County seemingly is over the hump in regards to the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, with all six communities showing declines from the previous week.

According to the latest data released Wednesday from the state Department of Health, there were 1,137 new cases of the virus reported during the seven-day stretch of Jan. 20-26. That breaks down to roughly 162 cases per day.

It represents the lowest number of cases in a week since the start of the new year, and a significant drop from the 1,899 cases the county reported during the week of Jan. 13-19. The state Department of Health does not have a requirement to report positive cases from at-home tests.

Newport County followed a similar trend in January 2021, reaching a peak of 509 weekly cases from Jan. 7-13. That number dropped consistently before reaching 295 during the span of Jan. 27 to Feb. 3.

Get tested: Former Benny's store in Middletown to be new state-run COVID testing site

There were 367 cases reported in Newport during the week of Jan. 20-26, a drop from 609 the previous week, its single-week high. Middletown reported 269 new cases, down from 423 last week, while the 241 new cases in Portsmouth were down from 411.

Tivertons case total fell from 317 the previous week to 178, and the 49 new cases in Jamestown were down from the 109 last week. Little Compton identified 33 new cases down, from 49.

Since the start of the pandemic, there now have been 17,580 cases of the virus reporter across the county, with more than 6,000  or about 34%  coming since the start of 2022. Newport has reported the most total cases with 5,703, followed by Middletown (3,786), Portsmouth (3,512), Tiverton (3,237), Jamestown (891) and Little Compton (451).

Vaccination rates

Some 72% of people living in Newport County are fully vaccinated as of Jan. 25, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers someone fully vaccinated two weeks after they've been given a single-dose shot (Johnson & Johnson) or a second shot (either Pfizer or Moderna).

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Eat up: SPARE CHANGE: COVID continues to impact Newport restaurant industry

Rhode Island reported 334,581 total cases of coronavirus, an increase of 5% from the week before.

Here are the latest numbers on COVID-19 vaccinations in Newport County as of Jan. 25:

How many people in Newport County have received a COVID-19 vaccine?

86% of people in Newport County have received at least one dose of the vaccine, for a total of 71,275 people

72% of people in Newport County are fully vaccinated, for a total of 59,437 people

For a county-by-county look at the vaccination rollout, see our COVID-19 vaccine tracker, which is updated daily.

How many people in Rhode Island have been vaccinated so far?

94% of people in Rhode Island have received at least one dose of the vaccine, for a total of 996,328 people

79% of people in Rhode Island are fully vaccinated, for a total of 831,755 people

This article originally appeared on Newport Daily News: COVID-19 in Newport County: Cases dropping throughout region
California farmworkers weed a tomato field. Farms, greenhouses and factories employ many of America's lowest-paid workers. (Max Whittaker / For The Times)

The Supreme Court decision that killed the federal vaccine-or-test rule for large businesses is a defeat for employee health and safety. But even aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government doesnt devote sufficient resources to protect workers in high-risk environments.

The agency that monitors workplace conditions, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has the authority to send investigators to workplaces known to expose workers to occupational hazards and, if warranted, issue citations and levy substantial fines on business owners.

Yet, OSHA has only sparingly applied this authority to some of the countrys most dangerous workplaces.

Meatpacking plants, factories and greenhouses employ many of Americas lowest paid and most vulnerable workers. Many are immigrants and people of color laboring in crowded or otherwise hazardous conditions. The pandemic has shown how the front-line, essential work done by this brown-collar workforce is critical to keeping the economy and communities going. Yet on top of being at high risk of COVID-19 illness and death, these workers have always been exposed to higher occupational health and safety risks than those in other industries.

Long before the pandemic, greenhouse workers  such as those handling the hothouse tomatoes that brighten many American salads  suffered from a slew of health and safety violations, including lack of protective gear for handling toxic chemicals and lack of water breaks in temperatures above 100 degrees. When COVID-19 hit, greenhouses in Cochise County, Ariz., for example, did not require virus-related precautions, as my clinic learned while providing legal services to workers.

OSHA investigations are virtually unheard of in these and comparable workplaces. An October congressional hearing on COVID-19 infections and deaths among meatpacking workers at the countrys top five meatpacking companies revealed that at least 59,000 meat industry workers were infected with the virus during the first year of the pandemic and 269 died as a result. Among the horrors recounted at the hearing were stories of workers being given just one mask each and having to pull it down or remove it when it became spattered with blood.

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While the hearing highlighted COVID-19 risks at these plants, the work conditions of meatpacking  such as rigorous production quotas, crowded spaces and continuous repetitive motion with little respite  have long been hazardous, causing accidents, musculoskeletal disorders and exposure to chemical and biological hazards. Nevertheless, there was little accountability for these and other high-risk workplaces even before the pandemic.

One reason for this lack of enforcement is that OSHA does not have enough investigators. As of 2020, the agency had fewer investigators than at any time since 1975. This limits it to investigating a tiny fraction  under 40,000 annually  of the approximately 7 million workplaces OSHA is supposed to oversee. Even in 2004, when OSHA conducted substantially more investigations than it does now, the probability that a covered workplace would receive an investigation in any given year was below .001.

In 2020, the National Employment Law Project estimated that, at current staffing levels, it would take OSHA 165 years to inspect each of the workplaces under its jurisdiction just once.

But there is another, subtler reason OSHA does not issue more citations to high-risk workplaces: Like many agencies, it relies on worker complaints to determine which places to investigate.

The most vulnerable workers, however, rarely complain because of the ever-present threat of retaliation. Employers are known to punish those workers who dare to assert their rights with demotion, termination and immigration enforcement. This makes it unlikely that those workplaces most inclined to violate OSHA rules will be investigated and penalized.

And worker complaints do not always resolve safety concerns. In July 2020, meatpacking workers at a Maid-Rite plant in Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against OSHA alleging it failed to protect them following an imminent danger complaint they had submitted about their work conditions, to which the agency first responded with a letter asking Maid-Rite to address the problem itself. (OSHA later investigated and a federal judge dismissed the complaint, though workers reportedly planned to appeal.)

The pandemic and the recent Supreme Court ruling  which did recognize OSHAs power to regulate hazardous workplaces  offer the agency an opportunity to re-focus limited resources on the health and safety of Americas most vulnerable yet essential workers.

This will not be simple or happen overnight: It will require OSHA to increase its ranks and engage those states that have their own workplace health and safety agencies but are not adequately enforcing the law.

But there is one change OSHA can make immediately: Regularly investigate the industries most likely to harm workers even in the absence of worker complaints. The pandemic proved that the welfare of the nation is inextricably connected to the health and safety of essential workers.

Shefali Milczarek-Desai is associate professor of law, director of the Workers Rights Clinic and co-chair of the Bacon Immigration Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona. @shefalimdesai

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Registered nurse Jeffrey Toth administers a coronavirus PCR test to 18-year-old Marshall Ted Lingad outside Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton on Jan. 11. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

There is growing optimism that the overall Omicron surge has peaked in California, but progress across the state remains uneven.

The improvement is most pronounced in places like Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay Area, where health officials have voiced increased confidence in recent days that the coronavirus test positivity rate, and daily new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations have either stabilized or begun to convincingly decline.

"This downward trend is encouraging, and it signals that we're likely to have passed the peak of Omicron transmission and are beginning to see a real decline in the number of newly infected individuals," L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said.

One potential wrinkle, though, is the emergence of a subtype of Omicron.

The World Health Organization has said the appearance of the subtype, called BA.2, is increasing in many countries. Two cases have also been found in Santa Clara County, Northern California's most populous county.

"We don't really know what that means yet. We'll be learning that in the days and weeks to come," said Dr. Sara Cody, the county's health officer and public health director. "So far, we don't really know how it behaves."

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, a UC San Francisco infectious-disease expert, said Wednesday that there's nothing in the early data right now that makes him worried about BA.2.

"And the reason why I'm not worried is because I'm confident that, if you get boosted ... you wouldn't go to the hospital," Chin-Hong said. "I'm not worried about it as being more deadly," he said, based on early data out of Denmark, but added that he's "keeping an open mind. You never know what's going to happen. It has a few more mutations. But I'll be shocked if it makes you sicker."

BA.2 will still be a risk for infecting people who haven't been vaccinated and haven't had prior exposure to Omicron. "I think our vaccines and our boosters will still work," Chin-Hong said.

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Cody said she thinks more coronavirus waves are yet to come, but it's unclear what the next one will look like  whether it will be something little or another huge mountain.

"The road ahead still has a lot of uncertainty. We don't know what's going to come next," Cody said at a town hall Tuesday night. "The greatest challenge for all of us is that we can't quite see around every corner."

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Bidens chief medical advisor, said this week that he doesnt expect that the pattern of huge challenging variants emerging twice a year will last forever.

What likely happens when you have waves of this is that, after a while, there is enough background immunity  either from infection-plus-boost, or vaccine-plus-boost, or just plain infection-and-recover-from-infection  when you put it all together, you can have a degree of immunity in the community such that, even if new variants emerge, they dont take that surge effect that we've seen with the  five surges that we've seen since early 2020, Fauci said on MSNBC on Tuesday.

So I don't believe we're going to be seeing that indefinitely," Fauci said. "I think it's going to come down and down. And quite frankly, the more people that we get vaccinated and the more people we get boosted, the less the likelihood that we'll be seeing these return of variants that keep challenging us."

Even as case numbers improve, officials continue to urge caution.

Case numbers "are still extraordinarily high," and "there continue to be a significant number of people in L.A. County with severe illness," many of whom are unvaccinated, Ferrer said.

"Omicron was an eye-opener, in part because people who had gotten infected with Delta seem to have almost no protection against Omicron," Ferrer said Tuesday. "And I don't think Omicron is our last variant."

While it's true that unvaccinated people who survive Omicron are going to have some natural immunity to the variant, there's also evidence that doesn't last long, Ferrer said.

"We seem to have the science telling us we're all getting the better protection, obviously, from our vaccines and our boosters," she said.

Chin-Hong agreed that natural immunity hasn't been enough to protect people from re-infection. "Immunity from Delta doesn't protect you from Omicron," he said.

People who have survived a previous bout of coronavirus infection, but still decline to get vaccinated, will be at risk for future infection as natural immunity weakens. "They will continue to be at risk because they will run out of gas," Chin-Hong said of their immunity, similar to how a partially vaccinated person is at higher risk for infection.

Emerging data show that booster shots confer significant vaccine effectiveness against visits to the emergency room. Against Omicron, vaccine effectiveness against emergency room and urgent care visits more than half a year after the second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna shot is only 38%. But after a booster shot, vaccine effectiveness rises to 82%.

Vaccine effectiveness of the second dose of a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccination against emergency room and urgent care visits falls to 38% more than six months after that dose. But a booster shot raises vaccine effectiveness to 82%. (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention )

California's Omicron surge appears to have peaked in the week of Jan. 10-16, when the state was recording about 122,000 new coronavirus cases a day. That figure has since dropped to 94,000 cases a day, according to state data released Wednesday that reflect cases reported through Tuesday.

Still, the most recent rate remains roughly double the peak of last winter's surge, which maxed out at 46,000 cases a day.

Statewide, the number of coronavirus-positive hospitalizations has also stabilized in recent days and is no longer increasing dramatically. On Jan. 19, L.A. County recorded 4,814 patients  about 60% of last winters peak of 8,098. As of Tuesday, that census had fallen to 4,534.

Omicron's transmissibility has been so breathtaking in scope, it's hard to grasp just how many more Californians have been simultaneously infected over the last month.

Since New Year's Day, a staggering 2.5 million coronavirus cases have been reported in California. That's fast approaching the entire sum of coronavirus cases reported statewide all of last year: 3.1 million.

Compared with their Omicron peaks, daily coronavirus case rates have dropped by 32% in L.A. County, 35% in Orange County, 25% in San Bernardino County and 20% in Ventura County, according to a Times analysis of state data released Wednesday.

Regionally, Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area and the Greater Sacramento area have also observed declines of roughly 25%.

"We are past the peak," said Cody, the Santa Clara County health officer. "And we're just beginning to see early signs that our hospitals may be seeing a little bit of a reprieve."

"It's been an extraordinarily difficult several weeks. But I think that spread is beginning to come down. That being said, it's, of course, still quite high," Cody said.

Yet the San Joaquin Valley and rural Northern California have yet to begin a persistent drop. In Southern California, San Diego and Riverside counties have also yet to observe the same.

The Omicron wave has exacted a deadly toll. In recent days, L.A. County has averaged about 60 COVID-19 deaths a day over a weekly period, a rate that exceeds all past surges except for last winters.

While much has been made of Omicron's seemingly milder nature compared with other variants, Ferrer urged people to do all they can to avoid infection. That includes avoiding nonessential gatherings, especially in indoor settings where masks are not worn, such as restaurants and bars.

Doing so, she said, will help protect vaccinated people from breakthrough infections and vulnerable people  such as the elderly, those with underlying health conditions and children too young to be vaccinated  from illness.

"While we're finally turning the corner in the surge, we do need to remain cautious in order to reduce transmission to a low enough level that imposes less risk for those most vulnerable," Ferrer said. "The continued high rate of transmission creates a lot more risk."

Challenges remain. While 3 million L.A. County residents have received booster shots, another 3 million eligible people haven't yet. That's a problem, because "we continue to see that the booster significantly reduces COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, particularly with Omicron," Ferrer said.

Unvaccinated people are twice as likely to get infected compared with people who've been vaccinated but not yet boosted, Ferrer said. But a booster provides more protection. Unvaccinated people are four times more likely to be infected compared with those who have received their booster shot.

Unvaccinated people are also six times more likely to be hospitalized compared with vaccinated but not yet boosted people, and 24 times more likely to be hospitalized than those who have gotten boosted, Ferrer said.

Only a very small number of fully vaccinated people are dying of COVID-19, Ferrer said. Unvaccinated people are 15 times more likely to die of COVID-19 compared with fully vaccinated people.

Health officials are especially concerned about low vaccination rates among children ages 5 to 11. In L.A. County, just 30% of children in this age group have received at least one dose of vaccine. In the poorest neighborhoods, only 22% of these children have received at least one shot, while in wealthier areas the share is 44%.

There are also racial and ethnic disparities. In this age group, just 16% of Latino and 17% of Black children have received at least one dose of vaccine, compared with 37% of white, 45% of Native American and 53% of Asian American children.

L.A. County's immunization rates are far behind those of San Francisco, where 71% of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose of vaccine.

"Regrettably, this disparity can lead to higher rates of spread and illness in the very communities that have already been hardest hit by the pandemic," Ferrer said.

The county has dispatched the vast majority of its hundreds of scheduled mobile vaccination events into communities with the fewest resources, Ferrer said.

Even though hospitals in L.A. County are no longer reporting sustained increases in coronavirus-positive hospitalizations, the facilities remain challenged.

"Hospitals are still under immense stress due to staffing shortages," L.A. County Health Services Director Dr. Christina Ghaly said.

In the last couple of months, hundreds of licensed county nurses have been temporarily unable to work because of coronavirus-related isolation or quarantine periods.

That said, the county's public hospital system has not had to declare a crisis and hasn't used the option of sending asymptomatic, infected health workers with active coronavirus infections back into work, despite a state rule allowing hospitals to do so in critical situations. The county has been able to procure nursing help from the state and federal government, redeploying nurses in outpatient areas into the hospital, accelerating hiring and hiring temporary nurses.

"Even with these efforts, we have a shortage of nurses that are needed to open all of our available beds," Ghaly said. There are about 200 inpatient beds closed because of staffing shortages across L.A. County's four public hospitals, which have been forced to postpone a number of surgeries and procedures.

Hospitals are also continuing to face difficulties in transferring recovering patients elsewhere, such as facilities that take in mental health patients, Ghaly said.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.




The New Orleans health director said she will miss one of the earliest Mardi Gras parades due to safety concerns following recently reimplemented COVID-19 policies.

In a letter to the parade group, Jennifer Avegno said she would opt out of the event as officials were facing increased "negativity and hatred" following the reimplementation of COVID-19 procedures, NOLA.com reported.

"I do not want to create a security risk by my participation," Avegno wrote.

She added that "the best place for me this year is behind the scenes helping to continue protecting our community."

On Jan. 11, Avegno, who leads the city's health department, announced that masks would be required in indoor public spaces in New Orleans.

The theme for the parade, scheduled for Feb. 12, is "Vaxxed and Confused." The Krewe du Vieux said the float for Avegno, whom they consider queen of the festivities, will still be included in the parade, The Associated Press reported.

"Krewe du Vieux will spare no effort in making sure that her decision receives our Krewe's signature treatment during the parade," the group said following her decision, the AP added.

This year, Carnival will carry on despite increasing COVID-19 infections. As of Tuesday, Louisiana reported 9,104 new COVID-19 infections. Those who are not fully vaccinated accounted for 68 percent of cases between Jan. 6 and Jan. 12 and 71 percent of current COVID hospitalizations, according to the state's health department.

In 2021, city officials canceled parades, and officials have said they consider the events that occurred in 2020 a super spreader early on in the pandemic, the AP also noted.
China reduced taxes and fees by a further 1.1 trillion yuan ($170 billion) last year for businesses and individuals to support economic stability and growth, Wang Daoshu, the deputy head of the State Taxation Administration, said at a new briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.

Taxation authorities across the country authorized deferred tax payments of 216.2 billion yuan for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry, Wang said. SMEs in the manufacturing industry have faced mounting pressures in recent years as the COVID-19 pandemic upended supply chains, resulting in high raw material costs, energy price hikes and snarls in global shipping. The Chinese government has continued to lower taxes and fees and provide financial support to help the SMEs weather the storm.

Considering the pressure faced by power and heating companies due to the global energy shortages and price fluctuations in recent years, the government forgave 27.1 billion yuan of taxes through tax reduction, refunds and deferral measures.

In 2022, China will continue with the taxes and fees relief measures to support economic growth, focusing especially on support for SMEs, individual businesses and the manufacturing industry.
One of the men who killed the former partner of a New Jersey political power broker pleaded guilty on Wednesday in federal court to his part in the murder-for-hire plot.

Bomani Africa, 61, of Philadelphia admitted he killed Michael Galdieri, a Jersey City manwho had worked with Sean Caddle, a former adviser to political candidates, at Caddle's request and that he received thousands of dollars for the hit, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.

Africa was brought onboard for the bloody scheme by a third conspirator, yet to be named by the U.S. Attorney's Office, according to a complaint filed by the Department of Justice.

U.S. attorneys alleged that Africa and the third defendant traveled across state lines to Jersey City on May 22, 2014, and stabbed Galdieri (then 52, according to NJ Advance,) then set fire to the victim's apartment in an attempt to conceal the crime.

Caddle, who on Tuesday pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit murder for hire, met Africa and his partner in the parking lot of an Elizabeth diner and paid them thousands of dollars in exchange for the killing, he admitted.

Africa faces up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 7.

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Caddle, 44, was the executive director of the Committee for Economic Growth and Social Justice, which is said to have been affiliated with state Sen. Ray Lesniak, who represented Union County until his failed bid against Gov. Phil Murphy in the 2017 Democratic primary, according to Observer.

The outlet also associated Caddle with political victories in the Newark mayor's office and a runoff election in Bayonne the same year as the killing.

According to Open Secrets, a website that tracks political contributions, Sen. Bob Menendez paid $84,111 to Caddle during the 2004 election cycle, when Menendez served in the House of Representatives.

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But Justice Department officials have not made any public statements regarding Caddle's possible motives for having his former partner killed.

Nicholas Katzban is a breaking news reporter for NorthJersey.com. To get breaking news directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Email: katzban@northjersey.com

Twitter: @nicholaskatzban

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Philadelphia man in political op's Jersey City murder pleads guilty
Hyram Hill, 23, was shot and killed around 4:38 a.m. on Monday, according to the city district attorneys office.

Authorities in Philadelphia are looking for the two people they say fatally shot the adult son of a city police officer during an alleged robbery attempt that took place early Monday morning.

Hyram Hill, 23, was shot and killed around 4:38 a.m. on Monday, according to the city district attorneys office. The shooting took place in the 1400 block of West Allegheny Avenue in North Philadelphia.

Authorities in Philadelphia say Hyram Hill, 23, was fatally shot around 4:38 a.m. on Jan. 24, 2022. (Credit: screenshot)

Authorities said Hill, who was home from school, was shot a total of nine times, including eight shots in the back. He was transported to Temple University Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, the D.A.s office said.

Police told Fox29 that the shooting occurred in front of a bus stop after Hill stopped at a corner store near the intersection of Allegheny Avenue and Broad Street and in North Philadelphia.

Its believed Hill was targeted by two shooters that followed him from a nearby venue where he worked as a bouncer, police sources told the local news station.

The D.A.s office said the shooting was captured on video.

This investigation remains ongoing, Philadelphia District attorney Larry Krasner told reporters during a Monday morning press conference. No arrest has been made by [Philadelphia Police Department] at this time.

Philadelphia Police Officer Edweena Ferguson, Hills mother, spoke at a press conference on Tuesday about her sons death.

I wasnt even able to get to my baby. His father was there. His grandmother was there. His friends and family was there but his mother couldnt get to him fast enough, Ferguson said.

Ferguson also urged those who loved her son to stand down and allow the police to handle the investigation.

Philadelphia Police Officer Edweena Ferguson spoke on the death of her 23-year-old son Hyram Hill, who was shot 9 times on Monday. She urged loved ones to let police handle the investigation. She also said her son was expecting a baby girl in two months: https://t.co/Ke2wrG7C3L pic.twitter.com/Ykj4XT2Jwt  NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) January 25, 2022

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The post Philadelphia officers son shot 9 times during fatal robbery: prosecutors appeared first on TheGrio.
Jan. 25NORWICH  A 25-year-old man was shot to death inside a home in Norwich on Sunday night and his death has been ruled a homicide, officials said Tuesday evening.

Lawrence Beauford, whose last known address was in New York, died at the scene of the shooting at 40 School St. that left another man critically injured, according to the Norwich Police Department.

Beauford died from a gunshot wound to the torso, according to the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Blair Decou, 48, who lived inside the tan and white, multifamily home where the shooting took place, was injured in the incident and taken to Backus Hospital, where he was in critical condition as of Tuesday evening. He suffered one gunshot wound, police said, but it was not clear where on his body he was shot.

No further information about Beauford was immediately available, including where in New York he was from.

About 9:06 p.m. Sunday, officers responded to reports of a disturbance on School Street and found the two men shot inside the house, police said. The shooting appeared to be a targeted attack, police said in a statement, but was still under investigation. Detective Pete Karasuk said Tuesday evening that police were still trying to determine whether anyone else was involved.

"We're still trying to piece everything together," he said.

A portion of School Street was closed to traffic Sunday night through Monday evening as police investigated the crime scene. The area was cordoned off with crime scene tape and police vehicles lined the hill as officials in surgical masks and hazmat suits filtered in and out of the home.

Police were asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact Karasuk at (860) 886-5561, ext. 3155, or pkarasuk@cityofnorwich.com, or call the department's anonymous tip line, (860) 886-5561, ext. 4.

t.hartz@theday.com
A male armed with a knife robbed the Penny Mart in Hagerstown's West End on Tuesday, but no one was hurt, according to Hagerstown Police.

The store at 846 W. Washington St. was robbed around 2:30 p.m. by a young white male who threatened the cashier with a knife, police said. The robber then made off with an undisclosed amount of cash.

City surveillance cameras were unable to capture an image of the robber's face, but police are asking the public to help identify him by his distinctive clothing.

This image captured by Hagerstown's network of surveillance cameras shows the suspect sought by city police in the robbery of the Penny Mart at 846 West Washington St. on Tuesday.

Surveillance images show him wearing a gray hooded coat, gray pants with a lighter-colored stripe down the leg, and white shoes with a dark-colored top and stripe down the side.

"Particularly the shoes stand out," police spokeswoman Lt. Rebecca Fetchu said.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to contact Officer Emily Daveler at edaveler@hagerstownpd.org.

This image captured by Hagerstown's network of surveillance cameras shows the suspect in Tuesday's robbery of the Penny Mart outside the store at 846 West Washington St.

Last week: Masked gunman robs Sheetz store on Longmeadow Road; no injuries reported

More: Police arrest suspect in theft of leaf blower at knifepoint

The holdup comes less than a week after the Sheetz store on Longmeadow Road was robbed by a masked gunman on Jan. 19.

The suspect in that 3:43 a.m. robbery is described as a Black male wearing a black face mask, a black coat, dark blue jeans, dark-colored gloves and gray sneakers, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Department.

No one was hurt in that robbery, which is still under investigation, spokeswoman Sgt. Carly Hose said Wednesday.

Anyone with information on that case is asked to contact Detective Clayton Stottlemyer at 240-313-2885.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Penny Mart convenience store robbed by knife-wielding young white male
NEW YORK  Prince Andrew wants a jury to decide a lawsuit by a sexual assault accuser if he can't get the case dismissed altogether, his lawyers said in court papers Wednesday.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, 38, an American, has accused the British royal of sexually abusing her when she was 17 while she traveled with financier Jeffrey Epstein. The request from Andrew's lawyers was inside a line-by-line formal response to the lawsuit Giuffre filed against him in August in Manhattan federal court.

Andrew, 61, has strenuously denied Giuffre's allegations, and attempted to get the lawsuit tossed. Earlier this month, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected his attempt to win an early dismissal, allowing depositions and other evidence gathering by both parties to move forward.

Prince Andrew sexual abuse lawsuit: Queen Elizabeth removes the Duke of York's military titles, patronages amid scandal

Prince Andrew, seen here at a 2019 ceremony marking the liberation of Bruges in Belgium, wants the sexual abuse lawsuit filed against him to go to a jury trial.

Wednesday's response was filed by Los Angeles attorneys Andrew Brettler and Melissa Lerner. They said the lawsuit should be dismissed on several grounds, again citing Giuffre's permanent residency in Australia and a settlement more than a decade earlier between Epstein and Giuffre that Andrew's lawyers contend prevents her from suing the prince. They also argued that she consented to sexual activity and the statute of limitations has expired.

Brettler told USA TODAY that "obviously, the possibility of settlement is always on the table in any civil litigation, but we think our filing today makes our intentions pretty clear."

The document Andrew's lawyers filed consisted of a dozen pages of mostly boilerplate legal language in which the prince replies to each paragraph of the Giuffre lawsuit, with such phrases as "Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations."

David Boies, lead lawyer for Giuffre, told USA TODAY the filing is a "step in the legal process" that Andrew had to file as a formal response to the lawsuit. He said the filing does not mean that an out-of-court settlement is out of the question or off the table.

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For one thing, Giuffre has already demanded a jury trial, he said, and all that's required under the legal process is for one side to do so.

"I think this is a case that probably has to go to trial but not necessarily," Boies said. "What is important to Virginia Giuffre is vindication, which she can get through a trial but also through an appropriate settlement.  If it's possible to get an appropriate resolution that vindicates her, well do it and if not, were going to go trial."

Prince Andrew timeline: From official denials to stripped patronages, a look at key events so far

Virginia Giuffre, center, who says she was trafficked by sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has sued Prince Andrew, saying he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

The next step in the case will be to take depositions from Andrew and Giuffre and other potential witnesses. Boies said he intends to go to London to depose Andrew. He said he expects at least significant portions of those depositions will eventually be made public after being used at a trial.

If there is a trial, Boies said, it will be in person in New York, not virtual. Andrew can't be compelled to show up, because this is a civil case, but he would be at a disadvantage at trial if he didn't.

"His lawyers can argue for him and use his deposition but it just doesnt sit well with a jury for someone not to show respect for the (legal) process," Boies said. "My guess is that he does (turn up).  He doesnt want to lose this case and he loses it worse if he doesnt come."

Giuffre asserted that she met Andrew while she traveled frequently with Epstein between 2000 and 2002, when her lawyers maintain she was "on call for Epstein for sexual purposes" and was "lent out to other powerful men," including Andrew. Her lawsuit said she still suffers significant emotional and psychological distress and harm.

In the wake of the judge's decision earlier in January, Andrew  who had already stepped back from royal duties  was stripped of his honorary military titles.

Epstein, 66, took his own life in a Manhattan federal lockup in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Giuffre has also leveled allegations at Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's longtime companion, but was not part of the criminal case that ended recently with Maxwell's conviction on sex trafficking charges.

Contributing: Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press, and Maria Puente, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Prince Andrew seeks jury trial in Virginia Giuffre's sexual abuse suit
Presidential candidate Xiomara Castro of the Libre party acknowledges her supporters after general elections in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in November 2021. (Moises Castillo / Associated Press)

The inauguration this week of the first female president of Honduras was supposed to be a turning point for a country long beset by political dysfunction  and a fresh start for U.S. efforts to bring stability to the region and curb migration.

Xiomara Castro, who won in a landslide in November, has vowed to make a dramatic break from her predecessor, whose eight years in power were marked by unprecedented numbers of citizens fleeing for the United States and allegations of drug trafficking at the highest levels of government.

But as Vice President Kamala Harris, King Felipe VI of Spain and other dignitaries prepare to fly in for Thursday's swearing-in ceremony, it has become clear that Honduras will not so easily escape its past.

A new political crisis has pitted Castro against familiar foes and threatens to derail her ambitious agenda, spark instability in the streets and drive more migrants north.

The gravity of the crisis was apparent Tuesday, when two distinct groups of lawmakers each claiming to be the country's official legislative body held dueling sessions, one in the chambers of Congress, the other over Zoom.

The schism has its roots in the presidential election and a deal that is widely credited with helping Castro win.

Presidential candidate Xiomara Castro of the Libre party acknowledges supporters at a closing campaign rally in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, in November 2021. Accompanying her is running mate Salvador Nasralla, right. (Delmer Martinez / Associated Press)

Salvador Nasralla, a popular opposition figure, dropped his own presidential bid to support Castro. In return, she promised leadership of Congress to a lawmaker from his Savior Party.

But on Friday, nearly two dozen deputies from Castro's left-wing Libre party rebelled, electing one of their own as president of Congress by aligning themselves with the right-wing National Party of outgoing President Juan Orlando Hernandez.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, left, meets with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez in Taipei in November 2021. (Taiwan Presidential Office )

As they swore in Jorge Calix, a prominent Libre lawmaker with family ties to the Hernandez administration, fistfights broke out in the congressional chamber.

Decrying the rebellion as a "betrayal," Castro vowed to expel the legislators from Libre and said she would not recognize Calix.

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Later, lawmakers who still supported her met separately and elected Castro's preferred candidate, Luis Redondo, as congressional president. Experts say both factions appear to have violated procedural rules, and neither will be able to pass legislation without triggering immediate legal challenges.

The political drama disappointed many in Honduras, who saw Castro's election  which was free of violence and allegations of fraud, unlike other recent votes  as a victory for the country's democracy.

Modern democracy didn't arrive in Honduras until the 1980s, after a string of military dictators. But it was dealt a blow in 2009, when its president, Manuel Zelaya, was forcibly removed in a coup by the military and conservative forces.

In the aftermath of the coup, a new political career was born. At the helm of the resistance movement was Zelaya's wife, Castro.

President Obama criticized the coup, but his administration eventually recognized Porfirio Lobo Sosa, the president who was elected to succeed Zelaya.

During the subsequent years, which were dominated by Hernandez's National Party, migration from the country rose dramatically.

The mass departure of tens of thousands of children from Honduras as well as neighboring El Salvador became an explosive domestic policy issue during Obama's second term. He responded by pushing for a multibillion-dollar aid package to Central America to address what he called the root causes of migration.

The 2018 emergence of migrant caravans  in which large numbers of migrants banded together to reach the U.S. border  was used by then-President Trump to justify harsher border policies.

Many migrants were fleeing miserable economic conditions in Honduras, where more than 50% of people live in poverty, and spiraling crime, including high rates of extortion and homicide.

But there was no mistaking that political instability was also driving the exodus.

The caravans included many young people who said they had been violently suppressed during street protests that erupted in 2017, when Hernandez claimed reelection in a vote that many considered fraudulent. As they trudged north, migrants often sang songs or chanted slogans calling for the removal of Hernandez.

At the same time, many U.S. officials were losing faith in the president.

Juan Antonio "Tony" Hernandez, a former Honduran congressman and brother of the president, was sentenced by a U.S. federal judge to life in prison plus 30 years for drug trafficking last year.

In making their case against Tony Hernandez, prosecutors alleged that his brother also helped traffic drugs, with prosecutors claiming the outgoing president used his nations armed forces to protect huge shipments of cocaine in exchange for hefty bribes.

They quoted Juan Orlando Hernandez as saying he wanted to make the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration think that Honduras was fighting drug trafficking, but instead he was going to shove the drugs right up the noses of the gringos by flooding the United States with cocaine.

He has not been charged with a crime, but several U.S. lawmakers have called on prosecutors to bring charges against him after he leaves office Thursday.

The prospect of prison time may have played into his party's efforts to try to wrest control of Congress away from Castro.

In a session of the legislative group led by Calix on Tuesday, the lawmaker suggested that the justice system in Honduras, not in the U.S., should try officials accused of corruption, leading some to wonder whether he aims to protect Hernandez from possible extradition.

As the country's political crisis mounted this week, with Castro's supporters massing at the congressional headquarters in Tegucigalpa, the capital, many worried about the possibility of violence.

"Its all a potentially incendiary mix," said Tiziano Breda, Central America analyst for the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit watchdog organization.

"The country could experience another wave of social turmoil," he said. And that, he added, could eventually spark more migration.

Honduran media have reported that the U.S. Embassy has been involved in bringing the sides together to talk.

Speaking about the political crisis Monday, State Department spokesman Ned Price did not say whether the U.S. was mediating an agreement between the two congressional factions.

He said that decisions in the Honduran Congress were the sovereign purview of that country, but called on "political actors to remain calm, engage in dialogue and refrain from violence and provocative rhetoric."

A White House official said Harris is still scheduled to travel to Honduras on Thursday.

Times staff writers Tracy Wilkinson and Noah Bierman in Washington contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Mississippi Legislature voted Wednesday to legalize medical marijuana, one of the final steps in making cannabis available in the Magnolia State.

The Senate and House overwhelmingly passed an amended version of the bill, sending it to Gov. Tate Reeves' desk. Reeves can either sign the bill, let it become law without signing it or veto it.

Although Reeves has veto authority, more than two-thirds of lawmakers in the House and Senate voted for the bill, the margin required to override a veto.

Reeves has not said what he plans to do.

More: Mississippi House, Senate reach agreement on medical marijuana plan

Senators and representatives reached an agreement on a revised bill Tuesday. The final bill differs significantly from the ballot initiative voters approved in November 2020. The Mississippi Supreme Court in May struck down the initiative and the state's ballot referendum process.

Notably, the amount of cannabis a person can purchase per month is significantly decreased from the 5 ounces voters approved. The Senate passed a bill allowing medical marijuana patients to purchase cannabis seven times a week, up to 3.5 ounces a month.

The House revised the bill, lowering the amount to 3 ounces a month and allowing six purchases a week.

State Sen. Kevin Blackwell, R-Southaven, and Rep. Lee Yancey, R-Brandon, who worked on the bill together, said they expect the medical marijuana program to be updated often in the coming years.

"If we find out that three (ounces) isn't enough, we can come back and easily add," Blackwell said.

Lawmakers' decision to lower the amount of cannabis a person can purchase is a legislative win for Reeves, who repeatedly called on lawmakers to do so.

The House also removed the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce from any regulatory role in the program, something for which Commissioner Andy Gipson lobbied hard. The Mississippi State Department of Health will oversee the program.

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"I find it disappointing the department of health has to get in the agriculture business when they're already so stressed," Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said after the Senate approved the bill.

Some senators questioned why the department of agriculture needed to be removed, but still voted for the bill.

Gipson told lawmakers in September he would sue if his agency was included in the medical marijuana program.

"It's not what my oath of office required, and it's not what the people in Mississippi elected me to do, to be the marijuana kingpin of the state of Mississippi," he said then.

Because marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, people who receive medical marijuana cards will not be able to purchase new firearms. A person would be allowed to keep any guns and permits they had before becoming a medical marijuana patient, Yancey said.

The bill applies the state's 7% sales tax and a new 5% excise tax to cannabis sales. If a person bought $100 of cannabis, they would pay $12 in taxes.

Lee O. Sanderlin is an investigative and political reporter covering the state of Mississippi. Got a story tip? You can call him at 601-559-3857, send it to LSanderlin@gannett.com or message him on Twitter @LeeOSanderlin.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi one step away from legal medical marijuana
Rabbi Berl Zwiebel got a ride in a deputys car to the Broward County Jail. He was under arrest on a warrant from a traffic ticket.

He had to remove his belt. He had to take off one of two shirts.

Then he had to put his religious skullcap in a paper bag.

The yarmulke is going to have to go in here as well, sir, a Broward sheriffs deputy told the Orthodox Jewish man.

A yarmulke is something that has to be on the head, the observant Zwiebel told the deputy.

The deputys reply: Unfortunately in here they are not going to allow you to.

That was in April 2019.

Zwiebel is now suing the Broward Sheriffs Office in federal court, saying he was denied the ability to practice his religion. The suit, first reported by WPLG-Local 10, demands that the court intervene and stop BSO from forcing inmates to remove religious apparel. It also asks for costs and attorneys fees and punitive damages.

Kristen Montgomery, who filed the suit naming Sheriff Gregory Tony in August on Zwiebels behalf, said her clients constitutional rights were violated when he was stripped of his head covering.

A government agency like BSO cannot infringe on your constitutional rights, Montgomery said. If you wanted to see if the yarmulke presents a security risk, why dont you just pat it down or lift it up and see if there is anything under it. Why do you have to take it away and keep it away from him?

Montgomery said making the matter worse: Zwiebel was arrested a second time for the same offense in October 2021, after the suit was filed, and the same thing happened again.

The Broward Sheriffs Office does not comment on pending litigation, but shared the departments policy: All head coverings (hats, scarves, stocking caps, etc.) must be removed for security screening purposes. Religious head coverings will be searched by a deputy of the same sex out of sight of the public (i.e., in a restroom or behind a partition). At no time will head coverings other than approved religious apparel be allowed within the secure confines of a BSO detention facility.

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The policy also says that Inmates will be allowed to wear approved liturgical apparel in their cell, dayroom, and to and from religious services. Approved religious items or apparel identified as presenting a security risk will be used in areas designated by the facility commander. The facility commander will provide storage for these items.

An inmate guide on the sheriffs office website from 2019 says that inmates must get permission from the chaplain in order to wear religious garb.

The sheriffs office would not say whether this is still the practice.

Under the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000, state and local institutions cant place arbitrary or unnecessary restrictions on religious practice, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The DOJ cites several examples of religious freedom including diet, hair length, and religious texts. It does not specify head coverings.

The arrest

Zwiebel was driving in Coral Springs Nov. 15, 2018, when he was given a ticket for driving with a suspended license and driving without proof of insurance, court records show.

He went to court the day he was told, according to the lawsuit, but then said he never received a notice for the next hearing. A warrant was then issued for failure to appear at a March 6, 2019, hearing.

Then on April 25, 2019, Zwiebel was stopped in Coconut Creek because his brake light was out.

The body cam footage provided by Montgomery shows the entire encounter, including when the deputy brings Zwiebel to the main jail.

There the deputy puts on gloves and begins the process of getting Zwiebel ready for entering the jail.

At all relevant times, Rabbi Zwiebel was wearing his religious head covering until being involuntarily forced to remove it and remained without any alternative cloth material, yarmulke, head covering throughout the remainder of his being held by Defendant, the lawyer wrote in the suit.

He was there for 12 hours, and was not given his yarmulke back. Montgomery said without his head covering, Zwiebel was unable to pray, walk, eat or do anything without violating his religious beliefs.

When it comes to fundamental rights like religion our constitution fiercely protects those rights, Montgomery said.

Arrested again

On Oct. 21, Zwiebel was arrested again after a warrant was issued for the same reason.

Once again, Zwiebel was told to remove his yarmulke, video shows. He was told he could request it back at the chaplains office. Montgomery amended the suit shortly after to include this incident as well.

Rabbi Zwiebel protested the removal of his religious head covering and even informed [the deputy] and BSO staff of the instant lawsuit, the attorney wrote in the amended complaint.

Montgomery says they believe Zwiebel is not alone.

We are seeing that this is a widespread, rampant and egregious act by BSO and they simply dont care, Montgomery said. And because they treat the yarmulke with the same significance they would treat a baseball cap, what you have is a community that is being targeted. We are hoping with this litigation, BSO will change its policy.
You are here: China

A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority in Taiwan to immediately stop seizing and detaining mainland fishing boats.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks after the DPP authority forcibly boarded a mainland fishing boat and detained 14 crew members for alleged "trespassing" earlier this month.

Zhu urged the relevant authorities in Taiwan to respect the fact that fishermen from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have long been operating in the traditional fishing areas, stop rude and dangerous treatment of mainland fishermen and release them as soon as possible.

The spokesperson warned that the DPP will bear the consequences if it attempts to stir up trouble.
(Reuters) - Humanitarian aid to Tonga is ramping up after the airport was cleared of ash, making it safe for planes to land, the Red Cross said on Wednesday, days after a volcanic eruption and tsunami devastated the South Pacific archipelago.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that with the extra supplies, its staff and volunteers are stepping up deliveries of drinking water and setting up shelters across the country's many islands.

"This disaster has shaken the people of Tonga like nothing we have seen in our lifetime," Sione Taumoefolau, secretary general of Tonga Red Cross, said in a statement. "The tsunami has wiped out homes and villages, but we are already rebuilding amid the ashes."

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), said the United States is providing an additional $2.5 million in humanitarian assistance and the guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson, part of a multinational effort, arrived this week to support the efforts in Tonga.

The Australian government said on Wednesday it will provide an additional A$2 million ($1.43 million) in humanitarian funding to Tonga, bringing Australia's commitment to date to $3 million.

It also said that Australia is widening its support, including through the restoration of power and communications, and the storage and delivery of relief supplies.

An Australian warship arrived to coronavirus-free Tonga on Wednesday evening, delivering aid without human contact after about two dozen cases of COVID-19 have been recorded among the crew.

"The ship is undertaking an entirely contactless delivery of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief supplies," Austarlia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Defence Minister Peter Dutton and Minister for International Development and the Pacific Zed Seselja said in a joint statement.

Tonga's Broadcom Broadcasting radio cited Tonga's Health Minister Saia Piukala as saying that 29 positive cases had been reported onboard of the HMAS Adelaide, but all the positive personnel were asymptomatic.

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"Australians from the ship will unload their cargoes and sail from port," Piukala said.

The United Nations, Red Cross and other relief agencies on the ground in Tonga have warned that a COVID-19 outbreak in the island would be catastrophic at this time.

"There is an urgent need for people to have access to safe water sources in the days and weeks to come," Taumoefolau said.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano eruption triggered a tsunami that destroyed villages and resorts and knocked out communications for the nation of about 105,000 people. Three people have been reported killed, authorities said.

($1 = 1.3965 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly in Melbourne and by Kirsty Needham and John Mair in Sydney; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Gerry Doyle)
A New Rochelle teenager has been accused of shooting another teen to death on Tuesday, officials said.

New Rochelle police said a 16-year-old boy is suspected of killing another 16-year-old boy in a shooting that occurred on the corner of Fourth Street and Washington Avenue at 3:38 p.m.

The victim was found there with gunshot wounds. Officers administered first aid and the teenager was taken to a hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery before he died from his injuries.

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Police identified the 16-year-old boy as the suspect, and he was arrested near Glen Place and Beechwood Avenue, about a half-mile from where the shooting took place. They said he had a 9mm semi-automatic handgun with him.

Police said the victim and suspect are both New Rochelle residents, but their names were being withheld because of their ages.

"This is an active investigation and the charges and any potential new information or developments will be announced in a future press release," police said in a statement. "The City of New Rochelle and the New Rochelle Police Department offer their sincere condolences to the family of the victim."

Police urged anyone with information on the shooting to call them at 914-654-2300. The Westchester County District Attorney's Office said it is investigating with the police.

"Yesterdays shooting in New Rochelle is deeply upsetting & our thoughts are with the victims family & the entire community," the District Attorney's Office said on Twitter Wednesday.

It was not immediately clear if the victim or suspect were current students at New Rochelle High School. The City School District of New Rochelle released a statement in which it said the victim "previously attended New Rochelle High School." The district did not comment on the suspect.

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The district said "it learned Tuesday evening that a young person who previously attended New Rochelle High School was involved in an incident in the community that resulted in the student's death. Our hearts and deep condolences go out to the students family and friends, and we join in collectively mourning this tragic loss of such a young life.

"We understand that there may be a range of feelings and emotions as a result of this situation. To help support our high school community, our school district has mobilized a team of clinicians who will offer comfort and counseling in a supportive setting. We send our condolences to the young person's loved ones and thank our community for respecting the importance of privacy during this difficult time."

Tuesday's shooting occurred about four years after the community was rocked by a violent episode among teenagers that turned fatal.

A confrontation between two New Rochelle High School students ended with one of them stabbing the other to death on Jan. 10, 2018. Z'inah Brown, 17, admitted killing 16-year-old Valaree Schwab after school that afternoon. Brown was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Hudson Valley. Click here for his latest stories. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane. Check out our latest subscription offers here.

More: 5,100 kids shot, 1,300 killed: Gun violence affecting children erupts during COVID-19

More: Why we need to talk about gun violence affecting kids. Now.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: New Rochelle shooting ends with one teenager dead, another arrested




Russia deployed more forces to Belarus on Wednesday in preparation for joint military exercises set to be carried out next month as tensions between it and NATO continue to flare due to the buildup of soldiers along the Ukrainian border.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that it had deployed a paratrooper unit to Belarus, one day after artillery forces and marines were moved in for the upcoming exercises, Reuters reported. The ministry also said that it would be moving Su-35 fighter jets into Belarus.

As Reuters noted, this buildup of Russian military forces in Belarus creates a possible front for an attack against Ukraine, which borders Belarus to the south. Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv is about 100 miles away from the Belarusian border.

Russian artillery forces are also set to begin firing practice on Wednesday, the ministry said.

News of the buildup in Belarus comes as negotiators from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany meet in Paris to hold "Normandy format" talks regarding the military buildup at Ukraine's border. Though Russia has repeatedly denied that it will invade Ukraine, Western countries have warned of severe sanctions if it invades the former Soviet republic.

Last week, the U.S. allowed NATO allies to send American-made weapons into Ukraine in order to "expedite security assistance" to the country.

"We are in close touch with our Ukrainian partners and our NATO Allies on this and are utilizing all available security cooperation tools to help Ukraine bolster its defenses in the face of growing Russian aggression," a State Department spokesperson said.
Courtesy of Mike Brovont (Wolfe House Movers)

Moving an entire building from one place to another can cost upwards of $1 million.

Historic or valuable buildings are often relocated when faced with demolition or flood risks.

See how a 35-room Florida hotel, 850-ton Chicago apartment, and an entire homes are moved.

The Vautravers Building in Chicago was built in 1894, preceding the city's metro system (visible to the right of the apartment).

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

Source: Wolfe House & Building Movers

In August, the Chicago Transit Authority decided to move the three-story brick apartment building in order to "straighten and expand" the nearby train tracks.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

The historic structure weighed 840 tons and required "several layers of steel beams, unified jacking machines, X/Y skates, and push-pull rams" to slide it 30 feet west and 4 feet south, according to the moving company.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

Source: Wolfe House Building & Movers

Moving entire buildings like this one is a process known as "structure relocation." It can cost upwards of $1 million depending on the building's size and weight, the distance of the move, and any obstacles along the move route.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

While there are many reasons property owners choose to relocate buildings, Mike Brovont of Wolfe House Movers told Insider that "moving away from a busy road and/or saving it from demolition" are two of the most common reasons he hears from clients.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

This shelter house at Orchard Beach State Park was moved away from its perch on Lake Michigan due to the eroding shoreline.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

The historic landmark was moved 1500 feet on 27 Buckingham Dollies with "its two fireplaces, concession side room, restrooms, and concrete slab floor" intact, Wolfe House Movers said.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

Hurricane and flood risks have caused a surge in house-lifting projects this year, construction companies previously told Insider.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

Source: Insider

The 35-room Belleview Biltmore Hotel near Tampa, Florida, was "one of the heaviest frame buildings ever moved," weighing in at 1750 tons.

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Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

Source: Wolfe House & Building Movers

The 119-year-old structure included eight multi-story fireplaces. Wolfe House Movers rotated the hotel 50 degrees and moved it 350 feet.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

Most building relocations  both large and small  use the "self-propelled Buckingham Power Dolly System," Brovont told Insider. The dollies are remote-controlled and can move forward, backward, and jack the structure upward.

Courtesy of Mike Brovont / Wolfe House Movers

While some buildings just need to be moved or rotated on-site, other clients want their homes moved miles down the road.

Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

When this happens, the relocation company must coordinate with state or local police to shut down the roads.

An oversized pre-fab house on truck with police escort along state road route 50 in Florida. Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Below, you can watch the Pollocksville Depot in North Carolina move a quarter-mile down the street after it was flooded by Hurricane Florence in 2018.

For all moves, a "Cargo or Riggers" insurance policy is needed to specifically cover the house during relocation, Brovont told Insider.

Mike Brovont

Do you have a story to share about moving a large structure in one piece? Email the reporter at htowey@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
After a lengthy grilling on his merits and qualifications, the Senate Health Policy Committee voted  without its Democratic members  to recommend that Joseph Ladapo be confirmed as Florida's Surgeon General.

Frustrated by what she and her colleagues called a lack of honest answers from Ladapo after more than an hour of questioning, Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book of Plantation said Democrats on the panel would walk out of the room.

"We have an extreme amount of respect for process, but we are not getting any answers," Book said.

Jospeh Ladapo responds to questions posed by the Senate Health Policy Committee during a committee hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

After the four Democrats left the room, Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Jacksonville, called for a vote on recommending confirmation. Republicans, who make up six of the 10 members of the committee, all voted in favor of confirmation.

Appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the position in September, Ladapo's controversial views bucking the accepted wisdom of the medical and scientific community have been criticized from the start by state Democrats.

As expected, they questioned him about his qualifications to lead a state during a pandemic and run a statewide organization of 17,000 people, responsible for a wide range of health care issues in the country's third-largest state.

Recent coverage from the USA TODAY Network-Florida:

I'd like to thank the FL Senate's Health Policy Committee for the important discussions during today's confirmation hearing. I fully respect the importance of the legislature in our democracy, & I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve all Floridians as Surgeon General. pic.twitter.com/fMk4IfnzAz  Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD (@FLSurgeonGen) January 26, 2022

But they were frustrated that he gave long-winded, indirect answers to what they said were relatively simple questions. They included his experience in public health administration or details of the current state of the pandemic in Florida.

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He also gave murky answers about his criticism of the Biden administration and his ability to work with the federal government, and whether he had a plan for ending the pandemic in Florida.

Jospeh Ladapo responds to questions from the media as he leaves the Knott Building following a Senate Health Policy Committee hearing Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

"What I hear is arrogance and polite avoidance," said Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, adding that Ladapo seemed fond of his own rhetoric. "This is not a joke."

She said his answers to simple questions were "mired in words upon words and nonsense." She asked committee chair Manny Diaz to instruct Ladapo to provide concise, answers and Diaz obliged.

Shortly after, however, Book cut the proceedings short, mentioning the long list of bills to get through before the hearing was scheduled to end at noon. Immediately after the roll-call vote, Book was back on the dais presenting one of her bills.

Ladapo says vaccines of little use long-term, and masks not at all

Ladapo wouldn't give yes-or-no answers to Book's repeated questions about the effectiveness of COVID vaccines and masking to prevent the spread of COVID-19, saying those were nuanced, scientific questions that required unpacking a lot of data.

"I consider vaccines in the same way I consider other medical therapies," Ladapo said. "What we care about clinically is whether they are safe and effective and that is the lens through which I view all medical therapies."

Ultimately, he said vaccines have some benefit cutting down hospitalizations and deaths, but were not effective in preventing infections in the long term, and that masks were not effective at all, especially among children.

Book also asked Ladapo if he regretted his treatment of fellow Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton, who was undergoing cancer treatment at the time when he refused to wear a mask in her office at her request.

Senator Janet Cruz asks Jospeh Ladapo a series of questions during a Senate Health Policy Committee hearing Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

But he couldn't give a straight yes-or-no answer to that question either.

"I have sympathy for her and other people diagnosed with serious conditions," Ladapo said. "Despite the politics of our environment it is a human thing, and I sincerely wish her the very best."

He added it was important to respect people's personal preferences, including his own. "When preferences differ, the goal should be to find a mutual outcome that makes everyone comfortable," he said.

Immediately after that exchange, Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach, asked Ladapo if he saw apologizing as a sign of weakness.

"The question of apologies or weakness appears to be a personal value question, if I understand you correctly," Ladapo said, adding that he didn't think they were related to what people say and do.

Sen. Shevrin Jones, D-Miami, asked Ladapo to explain why Dr. Raul Pino, the Orange County Health Department chief, was placed on administrative leave after urging his staff to get vaccinated.

Before Democrats walked out, Senator Lauren Book whispers into Sen. Shevrin Jones' ear as Joseph Ladapo responds to a question during a Senate Health Policy Committee hearing Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.

Ladapo said he couldn't comment because the matter was under investigation, but Jones said, "Your office is the one who released him. Is that going to be a trend of others being let go because they are doing what they think is best for their department."

Ladapo replied, "That particular position was not placed on administrative leave for any reasons that were potentially political or anything other than policies that we have at the Department of Health."

During a press availability afterwards, Ladapo said, "My goal was to accurately answer their questions and I think I fulfilled that goal."

Ladapo has been criticized for issuing an order preventing schools from quarantining students exposed to COVID-19, promoting misinformation about the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines, issuing a ruling perceived as discriminatory against Black farmers applying for medical marijuana licenses, and refusing to wear a mask in the office of a senator who was receiving cancer treatments.

The governors office has repeatedly pointed to Ladapos pedigree with his medical degree and Ph.D. from Harvard University and his several years as a clinical researcher at the University of California at Los Angeles studying obesity and cardiac disease.

The only statutory requirement for surgeon general, a position created in 2007 by then-GOP Gov. Charlie Crist, is that the person be a physician licensed under state law with advanced training or extensive experience in public health administration.

'Grave concerns': Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's medical license OK'd in two days

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More: DeSantis mega-donor, UF Board of Trustees chair supplied Ladapo's resume, fast-tracking surgeon general's hire

Senate to vote on Ladapo confirmation

The 10-member Health Policy Committee was the first stop on the way to a full Senate vote. The Ethics and Elections Committee will have the next opportunity to interview Ladapo in what is sure to become a campaign issue in the governor's race.

The three major Democratic candidates for governor have called for Ladapo's removal and for the Senate to reject his nomination, including Sen. Annette Taddeo, D-Miami, co-chair of the Ethics and Elections Committee.

In a statement, Nikki Fried  the state's agriculture commissioner, only statewide elected Democrat, and another candidate for governor  said Ladapo "has proven himself time and time again to be anti-science and anti-public health. Hes a quack who shouldnt be anywhere near our states Surgeon General office, let alone running it."

Fried said she hopes the Senate can come together "in a bipartisan way to reject his nomination and protect our state from the dangerous policies and conspiracy theories he and Gov. DeSantis have been promoting.

Jeffrey Schweers is a capital bureau reporter for USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida. Contact Schweers at jschweers@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @jeffschweers.

Subscribe today using the link at the top of the page and never miss a story.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Senate health committee recommends Ladapo confirmation, without Democrats
Photograph: John G Mabanglo/EPA

Reports of hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the city of San Francisco increased dramatically last year, according to new police data, in what law enforcement called an alarming rise.

Related: San Francisco's 'Caren Act' makes placing racist 911 calls a hate crime

Preliminary data from the San Francisco police department showed reports of incidents where police believe an anti-Asian bias played a role jumped from nine in 2020 to 60 in 2021, a 567% increase, in the city of 875,000 people.

San Francisco police warn the figures are probably an undercount because hate crime incidents are underreported. The departments data is also considered preliminary since the California department of justice makes final determinations on data counts for hate crime reporting in the state.

One man is allegedly responsible for half of the reported incidents. According to local news reports, the man allegedly vandalized 20 separate stores across the city, mostly targeting Chinese-owned businesses.

The new data comes as several high-profile attacks and killings have placed renewed attention on violence affecting Asian Americans across the US. In March 2021, a gunman opened fire at several Atlanta massage parlors, killing eight people, including six Asian women. Reports of robberies, burglaries and deadly assaults on multiple elderly Asian Americans in the cities of Oakland and San Francisco left communities reeling.

Across the US more than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents were reported between March 2020 and June 2021. Reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans jumped during the pandemic, a rise experts have blamed in part on discriminatory rhetoric from Donald Trump, who repeatedly used racist terms in reference to Covid-19.

We had a campaign and administration that openly appealed to racial resentment and xenophobia, said Jack Chin, a professor at UC Davis law school. The administration was repudiated in the election, but that didnt go away just because Trump lost.

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In May 2021, Joe Biden signed the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act, aimed at combatting the rise by expediting the review of hate crimes at the justice department and making grants available to help local law enforcement. After the mass shooting in Atlanta, police across the US, including San Francisco, increased patrols in Asian American communities. That presence may have helped increase reporting of bias incidents, Chin said.

This is always the challenge to figure out whether an increase in reporting is an increase in incidents or whether its an increase in willingness to report, he said. Its hard to say, but its absolutely the case people are more likely to report if they believe its worth their time to report in that police and prosecutors will care and will do something.

Hate crimes have one of the San Francisco police departments highest clearance rates for any crime, Bill Scott, the police chief, said. We hope that sends a forceful message to would-be hate criminals considering any kind of bias-motivated attack in our city  San Francisco will hold you accountable.

Along with anti-Asian hate incidents, domestic violence and gun violence in the most underserved communities have also risen during the pandemic. The general level of resentment by everyone about everything is going up, Chin said. People are committing more acts of discourtesy, acts of violence. Everything from harsh language to shooting people over a parking spot.
Jeremy Alford

By January 2014, during the last open race for governor in Louisiana, the field of candidates was already hopping and bopping.

Gov. John Bel Edwards, then a state representative, had been raising money for months and building his name recognition. Former U.S. Sen. David Vitter had recently announced on YouTube and Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, who would go on to endorse Edwards the following year, already had an active website and was publicly campaigning.

As we enter the same pre-election cycle stretch in January 2022, ahead of the 2023 governors race, theres not a candidate to be found. The closest thing we have to a declared player is Treasurer John Schroder, who told supporters via text last week he will be entering the governors race, while telling reporters it was not an official announcement.

Why is this contest taking so long to take shape? There are obvious reasons, like our recent string of world-is-burning events, from hurricanes and flooding to COVID-19. Raw politics were neither welcomed nor appropriate at multiple junctures over the last two years.

The personalities are different as well. Eight years ago, everyone was eager to differentiate themselves from former Gov. Bobby Jindal and the disastrous budget he was leaving behind. Edwards might be a polarizing figure to some, but hes unlikely to fit the archetype of a final-term Jindal.

The closest thing we have to a declared player is Treasurer John Schroder, seen with his wife Ellie in 2019, who told supporters via text last week he will be entering the governors race, while telling reporters it was not an official announcement.

Right now, theres no clear benefit to being first, especially when politicos across the state have a good idea about who might make the field, aside from Schroder.

The biggest difference this time is that the worst kept secret in Louisiana politics is that (Attorney General) Jeff Landry and (Lt. Gov.) Billy Nungesser are going to jump into this race, said pollster and consultant John Couvillon of JMC Enterprises. But the fact that they arent announced yet may be giving other candidates pause.

Theres no doubting the seriousness of the two men. Landry has a top staffer, Solicitor General Elizabeth Murrill, whos telling people shes interested in running to replace the attorney general. Nungesser is also said to be staffing up.

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Other Republicans, like Sen. Rick Ward of Maringouin and Rep. Richard Nelson of Mandeville, have expressed interest in the race. But speculation is building about the plans of Sen. Sharon Hewitt of Slidell, who has kept her politics quiet and her fundraising aggressive.

We did get a bit of preview of the GOP side of the race recently when Landry sent a letter to one of his likely opponents, Schroder. In the letter, the attorney general asked Schroder to follow the lead of West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore, who announced last week his state would no longer invest with BlockRock, Inc. The company has been under fire from conservatives since its CEO wants to oversee a decarbonization of the global economy, Landry wrote in his letter. These net-zero goals dont sit well with Landry, an unapologetic champion of the oil and gas industry.

Then theres the other side. As has been the case for the past several months, all is quiet on the Democratic front. Aside from Sen. Gary Smith of Norco thinking about the race, no other Dems have emerged as likely candidates.

Right now all of the players involved are trying to run for governor without announcing and exposing themselves, said Democratic consultant and direct mail guru Trey Ourso. Seems like its mostly jockeying going on, he added.

Still, theres definitely less jockeying to the left of the field. When, exactly, will we finally see more action from the Democratic side of things?

I think people are just Actually, I really dont have a good answer for that, Ourso said with a laugh. I believe there are people who are interested in it, and theyre just trying to see if theres a reasonable path.

Those paths will have to make themselves known sooner than later, because the clock is ticking. After Washington Mardi Gras this month and redistricting and campaign finance deadlines next month, room for jockeying will start running out.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: A slow start for the big race
A convoy of truckers and protesters are travelling to Ottawa to protest mandatory vaccinations. REUTERS/John Morris

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), which represents 95,000 small businesses in the country, is calling on the federal government to reverse its vaccine mandate on truck drivers, saying the policy is making supply chain issues worse.

The CFIB issued a press release on Wednesday, saying small businesses are being driven "to the brink" by supply shortages and price increases that have been exacerbated by the government's vaccine mandate.

On Jan. 15, Ottawa implemented a policy requiring unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers to test and quarantine upon entry into Canada. Under the policy, foreign truck drivers who are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated are unable to enter Canada.

Unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers are also not permitted to enter the U.S. The United States implemented a policy on Jan. 22, barring unvaccinated individuals travelling for essential or non-essential purposes from entering the country. The U.S. policy was first announced in October.

"Small businesses were already facing a major supply chain crunch and cost increases on everything from fuel to building materials," CFIB president Dan Kelly said in a statement.

"This border policy threatens to exacerbate those issues at a time when small businesses can't handle any additional costs or uncertainty."

According to a recent CFIB survey, rising prices and supply chain challenges were cited as the biggest issues facing small businesses in 2022. The group also says the transportation sector has been among the hardest hit by an ongoing labour shortage, with 68 per cent of businesses unable to find enough staff for existing or expanding operations. Nearly 500 CFIB members are in the trucking sector.

The statement from the CFIB comes a day after Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said there has been no "measurable impact" on the number of trucks crossing the border since the vaccine mandate went into effect.

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Alghabra told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured the government that they have plenty of goods to provide customers, despite labour shortages and supply chain bottlenecks.

Metro president and CEO Eric La Fleche said on a conference call with analysts on Tuesday that vaccine mandates for truckers will raise the cost of merchandise coming from the United States, particularly when it comes to produce. However, he noted that the merchandise is still being delivered. La Fleche also says that a labour shortage made worse by worker absenteeism due to the Omicron variant has been driving sporadic outages of certain products.

A convoy of truckers and protesters is travelling to Ottawa to protest mandatory vaccinations. The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), which has condemned the protest, estimates that about 15 per cent of its members are not vaccinated.

The CTA released a joint statement with Alghabra, Labour Minister Seamus O'Regan and Employment Minister Carla Qualtrough on Tuesday, saying they will continue to work together to tackle the two major challenges facing the sector  supply chain constraints and labour shortages.

"These issues are not easy to solve, and they must be addressed by long-term strategies that will achieve real and lasting results," the statement said. "Moving forward, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the industry at large will continue our shared dialogue on the challenges facing this sector. By working together, we are confident we can find solutions that will help Canadians and industry alike."

With files from the Canadian Press

Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on Twitter @alicjawithaj.

Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android.
American forward Sebastian Soto was loaned from England's Norwich to Scotland's Livingston for the rest of the season on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old was recalled early from what was to have been a season-long loan to Portugal's Porto.

A native of Carlsbad, California, Soto scored one goal in eight appearances with Porto B in the Portuguese second tier.

Soto transferred to Norwich from Hannover in July 2020 and spent the first half of last season on loan to Telstar in the Dutch second tier, scoring seven goals in 12 league matches. He made three appearances in the second half of the season for Norwichs under-23 team.

Soto scored twice in his U.S. national team debut, an exhibition against Panama in November 2020.

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More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
MADRID (Reuters) - Russia would face massive economic consequences if it launched any kind of military intervention in Ukraine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Wednesday.

Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops near Ukraine but denies planning to attack its neighbour. It is seeking sweeping security guarantees from NATO including a pledge that Ukraine will never be allowed to join the alliance.

The European Union and the United States have threatened further crippling economic sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine.

"It's important to convey the message to Russia that any case of military intervention would have massive and serious consequences for its economy from EU sanctions," Sanchez told a joint news conference with his Finnish counterpart.

He did not specify what form the sanctions would take.

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin reiterated that her country had no immediate plans to join NATO but said that Russia had no veto over any such decision.

"We have the possibility of applying (to join NATO) in the future and it's very important that we keep this possibility open to ourselves. Nobody can say to us what to do. It's our own decision," she said.

Finland shares a 1,340 (830 mile) border with Russia and a difficult history that included clashes during World War Two.

Though not a NATO member, Finland cooperates with the alliance and it has enhanced its military readiness as Moscow has built up its forces along the border with Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Marin told Reuters Finland would stand with its European Union partners and the United States by imposing tough new sanctions on Russia if it attacks Ukraine.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Emma Pinedo; Editing by Nathan Allen and Gareth Jones)
A map of the Inland Empire shows where a man was fatally shot by a Riverside County gang task force in Hemet

State authorities are investigating after members of a Riverside County gang task force shot and killed a man suspected of selling fentanyl in Hemet last week.

The California attorney general's office announced Tuesday that it would independently investigate the shooting, which occurred at 11:36 p.m. on Jan. 18.

Deputies and officers from the Gang Impact Team of the Riverside County district attorney's office were surveilling the man, who was at a business in the 2600 block of West Florida Avenue, according to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department.

Task force members tried to contact the man, who was armed with a gun, but he fled on foot through the parking lot, according to the statement.

Officers and deputies used less-lethal weapons to try to disarm the man but weren't successful, Sheriff's Department officials said. They opened fire, hitting the suspect, and started first aid.

Paramedics arrived and continued first aid, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the statement. The man's gun was recovered.

His identity was not released by authorities as of Tuesday.

Authorities said Riverside County sheriff's deputies and police officers from Hemet and Riverside were involved in the shooting, but they did not specify which law enforcement officers fired the fatal shots.

Their names were not released.

"The involved deputies and officers will be placed on paid administrative leave per their department policies," according to the Sheriff's Department statement.

Further information about the shooting and investigation was not available Tuesday.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
ACROSS AMERICA  A new subtype of the omicron coronavirus variant, known as BA.2, has been reported in 40 countries worldwide, including the United States, but its unclear yet if its more of a concern than its highly transmissible parent.



BA.2 doesnt appear to be a variant of concern, the World Health Organization said this week, offering some potentially good news to a world worn out by a pandemic about to mark its second anniversary.

A variant within a variant, its sometimes called stealth omicron because some of the genetic traits arent as easily seen as the parent omicron variant, known as BA.1, in diagnostic tests.

And health experts arent sure what BA.2 portends, if it will fuel another surge of COVID-19 infections as the parent variant did, or if lockdowns and social distancing measures will be needed to control its spread.

The BA. 2 descendant lineage, which differs from BA.1 in some of the mutations, including in the spike protein, is increasing in many countries, the WHO wrote on its website. Investigations into the characteristics of BA.2, including immune escape properties and virulence, should be prioritized independently (and comparatively) to BA.1.

Here are things to know about the subvariant:

BA. 2 Is Dominant Strain In Denmark

The subvariant has been detected in Denmark, Britain and India, among other countries. BA.2 is widespread in Denmark and is now the dominant strain in the country of 6 million people, The Washington Post reported, but said that may be explained by the countrys robust program to sequence coronavirus genomes.

BA.2 accounts for 65 percent of new cases as the parent variant declines, Anders Fomsgaard, a virologist at Denmarks State Serum Institute, told The Post in an email.

We are not so concerned, he wrote, since we so far do not see major differences in age distribution, vaccination status, breakthrough infections and risk of hospitalization.

Also, despite the high infection rate of BA.2, the numbers of hospitalizations [in] ICUs are decreasing, he wrote.

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Britains Health Security Agency said BA.1 is still dominant there, but on Friday designated BA.2 a variant under investigation due to increasing case numbers both domestically and internationally. As of Friday, 426 U.K. cases had been reported.

Half Of U.S. States See BA.2

Reports are constantly changing, but in the United States, 22 states reported 100 BA.2 cases as of the close of the business day Tuesday, Newsweek reported, citing the GISAID database.

Of the reported 11 BA.2 cases in California, two were in Santa Clara County, Patch confirmed.

Its too soon to say if BA.2 will become a dominant coronavirus variant, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokeswoman Kristen Nordlund told The Post.

Although the BA.2 lineage has recently increased in proportion in some countries, it remains a very low proportion of circulating viruses in the United States and globally, she said. Currently, there are insufficient data to determine whether the BA.2 lineage is more transmissible or has a fitness advantage over the BA.1 lineage. CDC continues to monitor variants that are circulating both domestically and internationally.

Should You Worry?

That depends. Britains Health Security Agency said its early analyses suggest that BA.2 is more contagious than its parent, but it emphasized more analysis is needed.

James Musser, director of the Center for Molecular and Translational Human Infectious Diseases Research at Houston Methodist Hospital, told The Washington Post the subvariant is so new that health experts dont know how quickly it might spread or how ill people might become.

Omicron, he told The Washington Post, can clearly evade pre-existing immunity, whether from vaccines or exposure to other variants of the coronavirus.

What we dont know yet is weather son-of-omicron does that better or worse than omicron, Musser said. So thats an open question.

Dr. Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told USA Today that he doesnt think BA.2 will cause the same degree of chaos and disruption, morbidity and mortality as the omicron parent variant.

I'm cautiously optimistic that we're going to continue to move to a better place and, hopefully, one where each new variant on the horizon isn't news, he said.

Its not unusual for viruses to mutate, often in harmless ways, and theres no reason to believe BA.2 is any different, Tulane University School of Medicine virologist Robert Garry told The Post.

Variants have come, variants have gone, he said. I dont think theres any reason to think this one is a whole lot worse than the current version of omicron.

This article originally appeared on the Across America Patch
Jan. 25In a press conference last week announcing the dismantling of a drug-trafficking network blamed on overdoses of more than 100 people in September, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams stressed that the investigation didn't end with the arrests of 17 people and seizure of about a half-million dollars of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl.

The early morning raids on seven Berks locations on Jan. 19 by about 100 state, federal and local law enforcement officers as part of "Operation SmackDown" brought down the Reading-based operation that led to 101 people being hospitalized.

Among those taken into custody was Aurelio Carrazana-Sanchez, the suspected head of the ring. His home in the 100 block of North Third Street was one of the locations that was raided.

Adams said at the press conference that while the source of the tainted heroin was stamped out, the investigation would continue "until we can stamp out what we believe is the ultimate source."

On Friday, two days after he delivered those remarks, law enforcement agencies from Pennsylvania and New York served search warrants on several locations that were identified as "heroin mills"  the source of the supply.

Three locations were in the Bronx and the other was in Reading.

Large quantities of heroin/fentanyl and cocaine with an estimated street value of over $4 million were seized along with packaging material and cash believed to be proceeds from drug sales.

As a result of the expanded investigation, three main source suppliers, one from Reading and two from the Bronx, N.Y., were identified, Chief County Detective Michael J. Gombar announced Tuesday.

According to investigators:

Nelfi Castro-Gonzalez, 28, and Robert Melendez-Jimenez , 23, both of the Bronx, were named as the suppliers along with Roberto Mendez-Rodriguez, 48, of Reading.

Castro-Gonzalez was arrested in Bronx and is being detained at Rikers Island Housing Facility to await extradition to Pennsylvania.

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Mendez-Rodriguez was arrested in Reading and is being held in Berks County Prison in lieu of $2 million bail set by District Judge Alvin Robinson at his arraignment.

Oly Melendez-Jiminez remains at large.

All three men are charged with possession and intending to deliver heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and marijuana along with conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.




A California teen has been arrested and charged with murder, accused of selling a fentanyl-laced pill to a 12-year-old child.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney Office (SCCDAO) said San Jose Police Department officers arrested the teen on Tuesday.

Authorities found in the suspect's Google Photos page screenshots of public service warnings over fentanyl overdoses, according to the statement.

The 12-year-old girl was with two friends when she purchased the "M-30" pill from the 16-year-old suspect on Nov. 14, 2020.

Prosecutors said her friends then recorded a video of her lining up the crushed pill for ingestion.

After snorting the fentanyl-laced pill, the child passed out and began to snore, a sign of a fentanyl overdose, according to the statement.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fentanyl is a synthetic drug that can be 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The SCCDAO said that illicitly-made fentanyl is commonly made to resemble prescription drugs.

The girl was pronounced dead by medical officials after her friends brought her to the Regional Medical Center in San Jose, Calif.

This is the second time the SCCDAO has charged a someone with murder after a fatal overdose. A San Jose, Calif., man is also facing a murder charge after selling an opioid that led to a fatal overdose through social media platform Snapchat to an 18-year-old in 2020.

"After thousands of deaths, everyone should know that fentanyl is a deadly poison," District Attorney Jeff Rosen said in the statement. "Thanks to the San Jose Police Department, the Santa Clara County Specialized Enforcement Team, and our investigators, this child's tragically short life may help save others."

The charged minor is expected to face prison time for the charges against him, the statement noted.
GERMANY-US-AFGHANISTAN-DIPLOMACY-CONFLICT

Afghan refugees are being processed inside Hangar 5 at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on September 8, 2021. Credit - Photo by Olivier DoulieryGetty Images

Ahmad Naeem Wakili lives in a daze, his mind often drifting to his wife and 2-year-old, a little girl with big brown curls and green eyes.

Wakili escaped Afghanistan amid a flurry of evacuations that began in mid-August after the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban took Kabul. He now lives and works in Tucson, Ariz., but his wife and daughter remain trapped in Turkey. The U.S. government has twice rejected their applications to be reunited with Wakili through an ad-hoc channel called humanitarian parole. While the rejection documents cite a problem with the fees that Wakili attempted to paya total of $1,150U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the government agency in charge of processing such applications, provided no further explanation and no clear indication of when he might see his family again. (TIME reviewed the rejection letters sent to Wakili).

Wakili, a former assistant judge at a detention center at the American Bagram Air Base near Kabul, which detained members of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, is not alone in his heartbreak. His wife and daughter, who TIME agreed not to identify by name for their safety, are among tens of thousands of Afghan nationals currently trapped in the kludgy and understaffed U.S. immigration system. Their struggleboth to reunite with one another and to chart a clear path forwardillustrates the broader systemic failures of the U.S. immigration system.

Read more: Inside a Wisconsin Army Base Where Nearly 13,000 Afghans Await an Uncertain Future

Last summer, top officials at both the White House and the Department of Homeland Security made the decision to expand pathways to refuge in the U.S. to Afghan nationals fleeing their country. As part of that effort, they encouraged Afghans to apply for humanitarian parole. The idea was to help avoid the shortcomings of more traditional channels, including Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) processing and the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), both of which are severely understaffed and underfunded and it often takes months or even years to process applications. USRAP, in particular, which was gutted by the Trump Administration, regularly leaves applicants awaiting answers for years.

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The Biden Administration inherited a very broken, under-resourced, overburdened and over-complicated program, and humanitarian parole was the easy way out, says Mark Hetfield, president and CEO of HIAS (formerly the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society), a national refugee resettlement agency. But then it creates all of these new problems that the refugee program automatically resolves, like family reunification, and access to benefits and access to permanent residence and citizenship.

But if the decision to direct Afghans to humanitarian parole was made with good intentions, it has become precisely the bureaucratic quagmire that officials had hoped to avoid. While thousands of Afghans now safely reside in the U.S., the vast majority of humanitarian parole applications for Afghans who are still abroad have yet to be fully processed, according to a statement provided to TIME by a USCIS spokesperson. Of those that have been processed, rejection rates are high. Since July 2021, the agency has received more than 40,000 humanitarian parole applications; as of Jan. 12, the agency had conditionally approved roughly 145 and rejected 560, according to data provided by USCIS.

Those whose humanitarian parole applications are approved and admitted to the U.S. are hardly out of the woods. Humanitarian parole status is not the same as refugee status. Unlike refugee status, humanitarian parole does not confer immediate work authorization, access to health care, or a path to permanent residency. It also does not facilitate the process for people like Wakili who are trying to reunify with family members left abroad. Finally, because humanitarian parole is determined on an ad hoc basis, it isnt clear what is required for a person to be approved under the program, experts tell TIME.

I cannot explain how I feel [every day], Wakili says through an interpreter. When he was still living in Kabul, he was able to take trips to visit his wife and daughter, but now it has been nearly a year since he has seen them. I go to workI forget my uniform I forget my shoesI have become numb.

A Catch-22

In April 2020 the U.S. announced it would withdraw from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, and on August 29 it formed Operation Allies Welcome, an effort to resettle more than 76,000 Afghans who arrived after mass evacuations from Afghanistan after the countrys government fell. Images of operations airlifting Afghans out of Kabul were all over the news. But behind the scenes, the Biden Administration was quietly shifting gears.

A senior White House official tells TIME that humanitarian parole was deployed as a tool to move Afghans quickly and securely given the high-stakes circumstances. On Sept. 7, Administration officials asked Congress to include in its budget resolution a provision that would allow for Afghans granted humanitarian parole a legal avenue to change their immigration statusan indication that the Administration now considered humanitarian parole a viable alternative over USRAP for Afghans seeking refuge in the U.S.

But over the course of the next five months, the number of humanitarian parole applications soaredand U.S. officials, both at home and abroad, were entirely unprepared to handle the influx. In a typical year, USCIS receives fewer than 2,000 humanitarian parole applications total, and approves between 500 to 700. Since last summer, the agency received more than twenty times as many applications.

Afghans left behind were caught in a Catch-22: in order to be approved for humanitarian parole, Afghans were told they must go to a U.S. embassy for vetting and biometrics screenings. But the U.S. embassy in Afghanistan has suspended operations. When Afghans fled to nearby countries and reported to a U.S. Embassy there, USCISs response was if youre out of the country, youre not in danger anymore, and therefore youre not eligible for humanitarian parole, says Greg Siskind, an immigration attorney whose law firm has taken on pro bono cases for Afghans abroad applying for humanitarian parole.

Read more: Afghans Who Fled the First Taliban Regime Found Precarious Sanctuary in Pakistan. New Refugees May Get an Even Colder Welcome

On Jan. 12, Siskind received his first denial notice from USCIS for an Afghan woman who fled to Pakistan with her three teenage children. The woman who was rejected is a single mother who fears being a target of the Taliban because she worked with the World Bank, Siskind says. USCIS didnt provide any explanation as to why the woman was rejected; a line from the USCIS notice reads simply that the agency determined that parole is not warranted. Therefore we have denied your request for parole.

Reinventing the wheel

Researchers and advocates have openly questioned why the decision was made to turn to humanitarian parole rather than put resources back into USRAP, which was severely cut during the Trump Administration. Year after year that President Trump was in office, he brought the refugee cap down to historic lows18,000 by fiscal year 2020which lead to staff and budget cuts. During President Bidens first year in office the Administration raised the refugee cap to 62,500, but ultimately admitted only about 11,400 refugees that fiscal year, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic and because the previous Administration deliberately dismantled the refugee program.

It is bizarre to me that the Biden Administration didnt use the Afghan evacuation as an opportunity to kick the refugee resettlement program into gear, says Yael Schacher, deputy director for the Americas and Europe at Refugees International, a refugee advocacy organization. Instead the Biden Administration created another humanitarian pathway[that] could easily be challenged by people who oppose refugees.

Bill Frelick, director of the Refugee and Migrant Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, an international organization that investigates human rights abuses, says the Administrations decision to use humanitarian parole as an end-run around USRAP set the government back. It feels like we are reinventing a wheel that has already been invented and was running pretty smoothly for many years, he says. Now it feels like were starting over, and were feeling every bump in the road.

Researchers and experts who work with refugee resettlement tell TIME that the decision to utilize humanitarian parole came from the White House and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which leads Operation Allies Welcome. DHS referred TIME to the State Departments Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, but the State Department referred TIME back to DHS for comment.

Humanitarian Parole is not intended to replace established refugee processing channels such as the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, which is the typical pathway for individuals outside of the United States who have fled their country of origin and are seeking protection, a USCIS spokesperson tells TIME in a statement. In some limited circumstances, protection needs are so urgent that obtaining protection via the USRAP is not a realistic option.

A test of patience

Some Afghan advocates have attempted to aid in the humanitarian parole application process. In Washington, D.C. Jayson Harpster, an Army veteran, has raised nearly $48,000 to pay for the cost of living expenses of two Afghan men he worked with while on deployment in Afghanistan. The men have fled to Pakistan with their families in fear that their involvement with the U.S. military makes them a Taliban target. Both men are still waiting on a USCIS decision on their humanitarian parole applications.

In Tucson, where Wakili lives, Councilman Steve Kozachik has been personally advocating for Wakili, contacting Senators, the U.S. State Department and anyone else with connections who may be able to reunite Wakili with his family. The Department of State told me were counseling patience, just be patient,' Kozachik tells TIME. The Taliban is much more efficient at what theyre doing than what the United States government is doing right now.

Staying patient is not an option for Wakili, he says. Though he is now out of immediate danger, his wife and daughter are not. In Afghanistan, Wakilis job required him to read aloud prison sentences to people found guilty of their crimes, and they sometimes seek revenge. He says hes been physically assaulted by Taliban members twice and lost a kidney after one particularly vicious attack. In early 2020, after he was ambushed by the Taliban, he moved his pregnant wife to Turkey to protect her. Two years later, she and their daughter remain largely housebound, fearful of being identified by members of the Taliban.

Wakili hasnt been able to bring himself to tell his wife that their humanitarian parole applications were rejected for a second time. I just want [the government] to bring my wife and reunite me with her, Wakili says. I dont care if they dont give me a green card. I dont care if they dont give me asylum. Give me the humanitarian parole status for as long as they need tobut I need my family here.
Theodore Edgecomb testifies at his homicide trial Tuesday, showing how he said he told Jason Cleereman to stop advancing toward him.

Theodore Edgecomb told jurors during his homicide trial Tuesday he didn't mean to shoot immigration lawyer Jason Cleereman and that his gun "just went off" during their confrontation.

Edgecomb said he'd been trying to escape from Cleereman and his wife, who he testified had hit him with her vehicle as he rode his bike a few minutes earlier on Brady Street. He also testified he thought they tried to deliberately run him down a second time.

Edgecomb, 32, has raised self-defense to a charge of first-degree intentional homicide in Cleereman's Sept. 22 shooting death. But his own testimony that he didn't intend to shoot made the prosecutor question whether the jury should even hear the instruction about self-defense, since the privilege applies to someone who intentionally uses force when he reasonably fears death or great bodily harm.

Judge David Borowski agreed he was very surprised by Edgecomb's testimony, but after his lawyers argued that enough evidence of self-defense was raised, the judge said he was inclined to give the instruction before the jury gets the case Wednesday.

Edgecomb began his roughly three hours of testimony Tuesday with an account of his first encounter with the couple that differed dramatically from that offered by Evangelina Cleereman. She testified last week Edgecomb darted out into Brady on his bike, causing her to swerve.

Theodore Edgecomb testifies in Milwaukee court on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 during his trial for the first degree intentional homicide in the Sept. 22, 2020 shooting of Jason Cleereman, 54, on the Holton Street bridge. He was answering questions from the prosecution.

Edgecomb told jurors he was riding westbound on Brady when he heard a horn blare and looked back to see the Cleeremans' Kia Soul coming at him. He said he was struck and knocked onto a parked car. He said the horn was actually from an eastbound car the Kia had nearly hit before swerving back into his lane.

Edgecomb recalled someone in the vehicle hurling a racial slur laced with profanity at him.

More: Immigration lawyer's widow testifies at homicide trial of cyclist who shot husband near Brady Street

"I could have been killed," he said. "Then they insulted me. In my mind, I'm thinking maybe they're drunk. It was the only reason I could think of for someone throwing out an insult."

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Edgecomb wasn't hurt, so he rode hard after the Kia and found it stopped for the light at Holton Street.

Jurors were repeatedly shown surveillance video of Edgecomb leaning into the passenger window, asking if Jason Cleereman had been talking to him. The footage also shows Edgecomb punching Cleereman in the face when Cleereman responds.

After that, Edgecomb testified, "I just wanted to be done with the altercation altogether," and rode off around the corner onto the bridge.

Things didn't end there.

Edgecomb testified he heard the Kia accelerate and squeal its tires and that he saw it speeding toward him. So he jumped the curb onto the sidewalk.

"Fear overcame me," he said. "They had no remorse the first time, and now they were deliberately and intentionally trying to hit me."

Edgecomb said he headed toward a set of stairs that led from the bridge. His hope was the car wouldn't follow him that far. He then noticed Cleereman walking quickly toward him. Cleereman, Edgecomb testified, appeared to be carrying something in his hand and said "I'm going to kill you now, (N-word)."

More: Self-defense cleared Kyle Rittenhouse; will it work for a Black man who shot a white lawyer?

He said he thought about jumping the railing, but the drop was too far. He said he considered taking the stairs but didn't want to turn his back to Cleereman. So he pulled his gun and held it at his waist. He put up his other hand and said "stop." He said he heard Evangelina Cleereman yell, "He's got a gun."

Jason Cleereman didn't stop; Edgecomb said the immigration lawyer lunged, like he was about to tackle him or grab his weapon. Edgecomb said he pulled back and the gun fired. Cleereman was hit in the face and died at the scene.

"I was definitely defending myself," Edgecomb said.

A good portion of his direct examination then focused on why Edgecomb fled the state and remained a fugitive until he was arrested after a traffic stop in Kentucky six months later.

Edgecomb said he feared no one would believe his story and that the justice system would not be fair to a Black man who had shot a white attorney.

He said he spent much of his time on the lam trying to contact family to help him raise money for lawyers. He said he threw the gun, which he said belonged to his fiancee, out the window somewhere in Illinois or Indiana as he drove south after the shooting.

"I didn't want to be caught with it and give police or anyone reason to kill me and say I was armed," he said.

Edgecomb also admitted to changing his appearance while he was wanted and giving the fake name Agoo Newman to the Kentucky state trooper who stopped him. He said at the time he did so because he hadn't yet secured lawyers for his plan to surrender voluntarily.

"I never intended to hurt, harm or endanger anyone," he said. "It was a tragedy. I just wish it would never have transpired."

Before getting into the meat of his testimony, Edgecomb said he has five children, studied psychology in college, but remains a few credits short of a bachelor's degree. He worked for a Waukesha transformer factory before the pandemic and started a nonprofit mentoring organization.

Borowski denied defense attorney B'Ivory LaMarr's request to introduce photos of Edgecomb with his children.

Edgecomb was calm and deliberate on direct examination, but on cross started out trying to answer almost every question with the response, "I reacted to protect myself from being harmed," and Borowski warned him to answer questions, not make speeches.

Assistant District Attorney Grant Huebner questioned Edgecomb repeatedly about his claim to have thrown the gun in some water near the Indiana border, when he could have gotten rid of it in Milwaukee.

"You ditched the gun because you knew it could tie you to the homicide, correct?" Huebner asked. Edgecomb asked him to explain "ditched," before ultimately answering the question.

On redirect, Edgecomb claimed to have learned about "imminent threats" during courses for concealed carry and while working for a security firm alongside federal agents checking docks.

Huebner then asked if he'd had training in shooting firearms. Edgecomb said yes. "And they teach you how to hit your target, right?" the prosecutor asked, before ending his questioning.

The jury will hear closing arguments on Wednesday morning and then begin deliberations.

Contact Bruce Vielmetti at (414) 224-2187 or bvielmetti@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ProofHearsay.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bicyclist says gun 'went off' when he shot lawyer on Milwaukee bridge
A town supervisor in Seneca County who posted a cartoon about white supremacy on social media is now facing pressure to resign.

Don Trout, the supervisor in the Town of Waterloo, earlier this month publicly shared a cartoon listing "the warning signs of white supremacy," on his personal Facebook page.

The Jan. 13 post was shared more than 370 times within a week, and drew more than 100 comments, some of which supported the views while others sharply criticized and condemned the post.The post is no longer public on his page.

Waterloo Town Board member Mike Pfeiffer at Monday's town board meeting emphasized that Trout's post does not reflect the views of he and the other three town councilmen.

"Whatever his intention was, it was in poor taste," he said, adding that he has asked Trout for his resignation "in the best interest of the town."

Trout has not resigned and did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The controversy

In a letter to Trout and the rest of Waterloo's Town Board members, Rob Millis, a former New York resident who now lives in Oregon, called the post straight up racist.

"This is posted publicly by someone who is supposed to be representing and serving your community, Millis said. I cant imagine what it would be like to be a person of color living in or even visiting Waterloo after seeing this.

Trout, a Republican, defended the post and said he considered it "nothing more than political satire."

The post lists eight traits of a white supremacist, such as "no criminal record, "good credit rating" and "full time employment." Some people continued listing entries on the posts  others shared memes and comments blasting the post and the supervisor:

"Usually its a traitor and Nazi flag that give it away."

"Disgusting"

"Imagine being this racist and thinking youre not racist."

Millis said he came across the post on social media and couldn't "let it sit and fester online to hurt and exclude people public officials are supposed to be serving."

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Promoting such racist ideas is disgustingly supremacist, divisive and hostile to the public interest, Millis said.

Trout has been Waterloo's supervisor since 2018 and is also a member of Seneca County's Board of Supervisors. In November, he was re-elected to a second four-year term.

Waterloo, which has about 7,300 residents according to the 2020 Census, is about 50 miles southeast of Rochester, in Seneca County.

Contact Victoria Freile at vfreile@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @vfreile and Instagram @vfreile. This coverage is only possible with support from our readers.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Don Trout faces calls to resign over racist Facebook post in Waterloo NY
Virginia State Police said a Northampton County man died in a Tuesday collision on Route 13.

Troopers were called to the incident just before 5 p.m. A 2017 Volvo tractor trailer leaving the Royal Farms parking lot at 29214 Lankford Highway crossed the southbound lanes to merge into the northbound lanes of Route 13 when it was hit by a 2005 Chevrolet Silverado truck, according to police.

The Chevrolet driver, 60-year-old John David Eatherly of Cape Charles, was headed south on Route 13 and drove into the trailer portion of the Volvo semi truck, causing the Silverado to become lodged under the tractor trailer.

Police said Eatherly was the pickup truck's only occupant and died on impact.

More: Suspect charged with first- and second-degree murder in West Ocean City motel homicide

More: Family of Brandon Roberts files federal lawsuit claiming wrongful death by Milford police

The tractor trailer had to be lifted off the vehicle because of the severity of the crash. The semi truck driver had a seatbelt on at the time of the incident and was not injured.

State police reconstruction units responded to the scene along with motor carrier units to examine the commercial truck. The Virginia Department of Transportation detoured traffic around the crash and the road reopened around 10:50 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Cape Charles man died in crash that lodged his truck under a tractor
He thought I was this brilliant, talented writer, and I thought the world of him, said one of the women.

A former teacher at the acclaimed Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. is said to have groomed some of his underage female students for sexual relationships  though he has never been charged with a crime.

Mark Williams was head of the schools Literary Media and Communications Department before he resigned in January 2019 while under investigation following complaints to the school and police, in 2004 and 2018, about his misconduct, NBC 4 Washington reports.

A News4 I-Team investigation revealed his connection to two women who attended the school nearly a decade apart and who both allege they were sexually abused by him.

The women shared their stories for the first time with the News4 I-Team and describe similar allegations against Williams.

Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington D.C. / YouTube Screenshot

It ruins your whole life, it ruins it, said the first woman, 34, who graduated in 2005. I really trusted the people who worked there a lot, and it upsets me that nothing about this was really taken seriously.

Theres like a certain level of shame that will keep silence going on for a very long time, said the second woman, 25, who graduated in 2014. She was unaware of the allegations from the other woman until the I-Team interview.

The part of me that blamed myself for what had happened was lessened because I realized that he had a predatory pattern, she said.

The I-Team interviewed several former students who said Williams was beloved on campus.

His sexual relationship with the first woman began when she was a teenager, and she said there were late-night phone calls and texts almost every night, the outlet writes.

He thought I was this brilliant, talented writer, and I thought the world of him, she said.

Their intimacy began when Williams asked her to write more and more personal, intimate details about my life, and he ultimately shared with her his own erotic writings.

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Describing in very graphic detail himself and another woman  and he really wanted to know what I thought about them, she recalled.

To view the official statement on the upcoming Title IX Media Investigation, please visit our website: https://t.co/Bkc5k04Dqg pic.twitter.com/5a6CmNxqTV  Duke Ellington School of the Arts (@DukeEllingtonDC) January 24, 2022

Things turned sexual after that, she says. The student and Williams often had sex in his car and at a motel.

According to the report, the womans mother once overheard inappropriate phone conversations between Williams, a married man with children, and the then-teen. She reported it to the principal.

In 2004, that principal reported Williams to D.C.s Metropolitan Police Department and the school district, which placed him on administrative leave. The first woman told the I-Team she did not tell anyone that Williams was under investigation for their illicit relationship.

I couldnt live with myself if I would ruin his life, you know, the man I thought I was in love with, she said. He asked me to delete every email he had ever sent me. He asked me to call him from pay phones only.

The woman would go on to deny the relationship. Williams returned to the school and they continued sleeping with each other well into her college years, according to the report. Their affair ended in 2008.

The woman said she never considered coming forward until she realized there was nothing particularly special about her relationship with Williams and that there could be other former students with similar experiences.

He invited me to take a playwriting class with him, the second woman told the I-Team. She, too, was encouraged by Williams to write about intimate details of her life, and he did the same.

Much like the first woman, their sexual encounters often occurred in his car or in a motel room. She said the relationship continued for about two years. When she told her ex-boyfriend from high school about it, he reported the alleged abuse in an email titled Mark Williams is a Rapist and Predator that he sent to 100 school leaders, teachers and former students, the outlet writes.

I was not at the point where I felt like I could do it for myself. So, while I really did not appreciate how it was done at the time, I think ultimately it was the right thing to do, she said.

In 2018, following the mass email, Williams was once again placed on administrative leave and reported to the school district and police for investigation. The email did not mention the womans name, so she was never contacted by police or questioned, and it appears the accusations about Williams in the email were not properly investigated.

Williams resigned in January 2019 and has never been charged with any crime.

I feel like they didnt try very hard, said the woman of law enforcements handling of the case. Does that mean it ends because you cant [find me]  theres still a victim to be found.

When the ex-boyfriend, who also considered Williams a mentor, confronted him directly via email, Williams reportedly responded, I have cancer. Please leave me be.

The first woman is now suing the school and the school district for violating Title IX, a federal education law which requires a full investigation and protections for victims, the outlet writes.

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The post Two students accuse same D.C. high school teacher of sexual abuse nine years apart appeared first on TheGrio.
By Andrea Shalal and Timothy Gardner

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has threatened to impose devastating sanctions on Russia if leader Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine, but some big companies and business groups are pushing the White House and lawmakers to be cautious.

A trade group representing Chevron, General Electric and other big U.S. corporations that do business in Russia is asking the White House to consider allowing companies to fulfill commitments and to weigh exempting products as it crafts any sanctions. At the same time, big energy companies are pushing Congress to limit their scope and time frame.

The Biden administration and Congress need to "get the details right in case they must follow through on the threat of sanctions," Jake Colvin, president of The National Foreign Trade Council, told Reuters Monday.

"Those details should include consideration of safe harbors or wind-down periods to enable companies to fulfill existing contracts and obligations, as well as carve-outs for lifesaving medicines and other humanitarian considerations consistent with longstanding U.S. policy," Colvin said.

Energy companies have also reached out directly to U.S. lawmakers to press for a "cool down" or "wind down" period so their assets are not seized if they are unable to fulfill business agreements in Russia, a congressional aide told Reuters.

The American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S. lobbying organization for oil and gas drillers, has discussed sanctions on Russia with congressional offices. "Sanctions should be as targeted as possible in order to limit potential harm to the competitiveness of U.S. companies," an API spokesperson said.

Export sanctions are typically phased in, giving companies time to wind down their existing business, or ensure delivery arrivals, said William Reinsch, a former senior U.S. Commerce Department official.

But in this case, the sanctions are likely to be applied suddenly, in the middle of a crisis, making a "wind down" period more difficult to secure, he said.

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The U.S. Treasury in the past has provided some mitigation measures on financial sanctions, such as granting licenses https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-formalizes-guidance-allowing-personal-remittances-flow-afghanistan-2021-12-10 protecting senders of humanitarian aid and personal remittance flows to Afghanistan despite sanctions against the ruling Taliban.

A U.S. Treasury official declined to comment on any such measures regarding potential sanctions against Russia, but added: "We are prepared to deliver severe costs to the Russian economy while minimizing unwanted spillover."

CRIMEA SANCTIONS LEGACY

Oil companies felt the aftermath of the U.S. sanctions on some of Russia's more expensive drilling operations for years after Putin invaded Crimea in 2014.

The measures forced Exxon Mobil out of Russia's Arctic and ended the company's collaboration with Russian state oil company Rosneft, with which it signed a $3.2 billion deal in 2011 to develop the region.

Exxon's argued the sanctions, which slowed work on a major discovery in the Kara Sea above the Arctic Circle, unfairly penalized U.S. companies while allowing foreign companies to operate in the country, one of the world's largest oil producers.

The 2014 sanctions hit the easiest targets in Russia's high-tech exploration oil and gas projects in the Arctic, Siberian shale and deep sea.

New sanctions could be broader, but also tricky to pull off without damage to Western companies.

One possible "safe harbor" measure could protect companies from legal liability for sanctions violations if certain conditions were met, said Reinsch, such as showing that a shipment went to the sanctioned country without permission, perhaps from a third country.

Exxon did not immediately respond to a request for comment about any lobbying it is doing on the potential Russia sanctions.

A spokesman for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest lobbying group for American business, declined to comment on the topic.

U.S. goods and services trade with Russia totaled an estimated $34.9 billion in 2019, according to the U.S. Trade Representative's office.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal, Tim Gardner, David Lawder; Editing by Heather Timmons, Robert Birsel)
By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) -The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv urged American citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now, saying that the security situation in the country was "unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action."

The security situation in Ukraine "can deteriorate with little notice", the embassy said on its website https://bit.ly/3H932eH on Wednesday.

In Washington, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv would remain open but added that Americans in the former Soviet country should "strongly consider leaving."

Earlier this week, the United States urged its citizens not to travel to Ukraine.

The United States delivered written replies on Wednesday to sweeping Russian security demands, a key step in a fragile diplomatic process as Russia staged new military drills on land and sea near Ukraine.

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin, though a rare step, could be considered as part of a drive by Washington and its allies to convince Moscow that any new aggression against Ukraine would have swift and massive costs.

Russia warned on Wednesday that imposing sanctions on Putin personally would not hurt him but would be "politically destructive."

Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine but has denied that it plans to invade.

The United States has spent weeks trying to build agreement with European partners on a strong sanctions package if Russia attacks.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Howard Goller)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday issued a business advisory for Myanmar, warning of heightened risks associated with doing business in the country especially when the military is involved, nearly a year after a the army took power in a coup.

The advisory warned that businesses should be wary of illicit finance risks as well as reputational and legal risks of doing business and utlizing supply chains under Myanmar military control.

"The coup and subsequent abuses committed by the military have fundamentally changed the direction of the economic and business environment in Burma," the advisory said.

Myanmar's military seized power in a coup on Feb. 1 last year, after complaining of fraud in a November 2020 general election won by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi's party. Election monitoring groups found no evidence of mass fraud.

The junta has been fighting on multiple fronts since seizing power, cracking down with deadly force on protests while intensifying operations against ethnic minority armies and newly formed militias allied with the ousted government.

"The return of military rule in Burma brings with it high levels of public corruption and a deficient anti-money laundering regime," Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson said in a statement.

The advisory cited state-owned enterprises, gems and precious metals, real estate and construction projects and arms, military equipment and related activity as entities and sectors of greatest concern in the country, adding that they have been identified as providing economic resources for the junta.

The advisory said state-owned enterprises, including Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise and Myanma Timber Enterprise, played a large role in the country's economy and generate about half of the junta's revenue.

The advisory comes after oil majors TotalEnergies and Chevron Corp, partners in a major gas project in Myanmar, said last week they were withdrawing from the country https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/french-company-totalenergies-withdraws-myanmar-2022-01-21, citing the worsening humanitarian situation following the coup.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Chris Gallagher; Editing by Alex Richardson)




United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday said that Afghanistan is currently "hanging by a thread" months after the Taliban takeover, Reuters reported.

In a meeting with the U.N.'s fifteen-member security council, Guterres said the war-torn country is dealing with issues stemming from millions of citizens suffering extreme hunger and education loss as well as social services on the brink of collapsing in the country.

"We need to suspend the rules and conditions that constrict not only Afghanistan's economy, but our lifesaving operations. At this moment of maximum need, these rules must be seriously reviewed," Guterres said.

Guterres also said called for other countries to issue general licenses covering transactions necessary to all humanitarian activities, according to Reuters.

"We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of breaching sanctions," Guterres said.

Donors from a frozen World Bank-administered Afghan Reconstruction Trust Fund agreed in December to transfer $280 million to the World Fund Program (WFP) and to UNICEF to aid nutrition and health in Afghanistan, Reuters reported.

"We need the remaining $1.2 billion to be freed up urgently, to help Afghanistan's people survive the winter," Guterres added. "Time is of the essence."

Earlier this month, the U.N. appealed for $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan for this year, saying Wednesday it needed an additional $3.6 billion for necessities such as health and education, basic infrastructure and promotion of livelihoods and social cohesion, Reuters noted.
Church members attending a small group service via a pre-recorded mass in Singapore. (PHOTO: AFP via Getty Images)

SINGAPORE  Unvaccinated individuals can continue to attend private worship in groups of five, when expanded vaccination-differentiated safe management measures (VDS) for religious services kick in next month.

They may do so while interacting with a fully vaccinated religious worker, said the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) on Tuesday (25 January), in an update on the Crisis Preparedness for Religious Organisations (CPRO) website.

"Given the prevailing permissible group size of 5 for social gatherings, religious organisations can continue to allow one group of up to 5 persons (regardless of vaccination status) at any one time to conduct private worship in the place of worship," said the ministry.

While in the place of worship, private worshippers must remain masked at all times. There should also be no mingling between the private worship group and persons involved in worship services and other religious activities, which are subject to VDS.

Last month, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that from 1 February, all events must implement VDS. Events with less than 50 in attendance are currently allowed to proceed without VDS.

This means that only fully vaccinated individuals, those who are medically ineligible for vaccines or have recovered from COVID, as well as children aged 12 and below, can attend congregational and worship services.

Up to 1,000 worshippers may attend these services, but must be segregated into zones of no more than 100.

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The United States has shared 400 million coronavirus vaccine doses with the global population, more than any other nation, the Biden administration announced Wednesday.

White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients announced the milestone during a public health briefing on Wednesday, saying that 400 million vaccine doses have been sent to 112 countries "for free, with no strings attached."

"Today, we will hit a major milestone in our global effort," Zients said. He noted that the U.S. has shared four times more free doses with the world than any other country.

The U.S. sent roughly 3.2 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to Bangladesh and 4.7 million doses to Pakistan this week, according to a White House official, bringing the total doses shared to 400 million. The vaccine doses are being shared through COVAX, the World Health Organization-backed initiative to vaccinate lower-income countries.

President Biden announced in June that his administration would purchase 500 million Pfizer vaccine doses to share globally, and the 400 million shared doses are part of that promise.

In total, he has pledged to share more than 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses with other countries, something health experts say is critical to overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wednesday's announcement means that roughly a third of the doses Biden has committed will have been sent abroad by the end of the week.

Most of the vaccine doses are being shared through COVAX, but the administration is also allocating some of them to specific countries.

According to the White House official, 47.4 million doses have now been shared with Pakistan, the largest single number given to one country through the vaccine donation program.

Vaccinating the global population is necessary to eradicate the virus so that more severe variants do not emerge, experts say. While wealthier countries like the U.S. have higher vaccination rates, lower income countries have lagged behind.

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Biden has been under pressure to do more to vaccinate the global population, especially in the wake of the delta and omicron variants.

Zients also announced Wednesday that 70 percent of seniors and half of eligible adults in the U.S. have received their booster COVID-19 doses, describing it as "significant progress." About 80 percent of eligible Americans have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data.

"Vaccines remain our single most powerful tool," Zients said.

Updated at 11:46 a.m.




A plane carrying about 80 tons of U.S. military equipment landed in Ukraine's capital on Tuesday, part of a $200 million lethal aid package from the Biden administration to bolster Kyiv against a potential Russian attack.

The cargo was the third shipment of the total package and included Javelin anti-tank missiles, "other anti-armor systems, grenade launchers, munitions, and non-lethal equipment essential to Ukraine's front line defenders," Pentagon spokesman Marine Corps Lt. Col. Anton Semelroth said in a statement.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov thanked Washington for the lethal aid and released a picture of some of the launchers and missiles on Twitter. He said the country expects the arrival of a fourth batch of military equipment "soon."

The White House in December approved the $200 million package to Kyiv in a bid to avert an incursion from Russia, which has placed at least 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border. Moscow has denied it is planning an attack.

The United States, which has committed more than more than $2.7 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, including $650 million in 2021, has said a Russian invasion of Ukraine is "imminent."

In response, the Pentagon on Monday announced it had placed 8,500 U.S. troops on a heightened alert that they may be sent to Eastern Europe to bolster NATO defenses. The State Department also ordered the families of U.S. Embassy staff in Kyiv to leave and said nonessential staff could depart as well.

But President Biden on Tuesday stressed that no American forces would move into Ukraine.

Ukraine, meanwhile, has called the response "premature," with President Volodymyr Zelensky saying Monday that the situation was "under control" and that an attack was not imminent.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for consensus between his country's government and the central bank following the latter's recent call for an outright ban on crypto.

Speaking in a video conference with government ministers on Wednesday, Putin asked for "some kind of unanimous opinion" between his government and the Bank of Russia to be formed via discussions in the near future.

Russia's central bank called for a complete ban on crypto in a report last week, citing its volatility and use for illegal activities.

The Bank of Russia's crypto ban call has been opposed by the country's finance ministry on the grounds that it would undermine the industry's technological development.

"The central bank has its own position. It is connected with the fact that the expansion of this type of activity carries certain risks, and first of all for the citizens of the country, given the high volatility and some other components of this topic," Putin said.

This should, however, be offset against "certain competitive advantages" that Russia holds when it comes to mining, due to the country's surplus of electricity and "well-trained personnel," according to the Russian head of state.
Jan. 25PULLMAN  Ready or not, Washington State's season is resuming.

The Cougars have cleared COVID-19 protocols and will host Utah on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

WSU hasn't played since Jan. 15 and only conducted a couple of standard practice sessions  in which at least seven scholarship players were available  during its weeklong pause.

Coach Kyle Smith hopes his team isn't too affected by its lack of prep time.

"Long break for us, but not really an opportunity to improve on things," he said Tuesday.

"There's no handbook on how to do it, so I don't know what to expect Wednesday (versus Utah)," Smith added later. "I just know we're coming off a long layoff and that can be tricky."

The Cougs (10-7, 3-3 Pac-12) are "pretty much free and clear" of coronavirus-related issues, save one unspecified player who was still in the protocol as of Tuesday morning, Smith noted. The team's roster is nearing full strength, but will be without center Dishon Jackson for likely another two weeks because of an eye injury.

WSU announced Jan. 17 that the virus had infiltrated the program. Last week's road games against the Oregon schools were postponed, and several players were knocked out of all team activities for extended stretches. At one point, only four Cougs had the green light to participate in individual exercises.

"There's not much you can do," Smith said. "Early on (during the pause), we had to go one to a basket. We were just doing a lot of shooting and conditioning a little bit  basically 60-minute workouts where they're getting a lot of cardio, and then get in the weight room and just try to bide our time."

Most of the players who'd been sidelined by the virus had returned to the fold by Sunday.

"Some guys missed seven, eight, nine days," Smith said. "I think one guy missed 11 days."

The optimist in Smith says the Cougs might be rejuvenated after so much time off. But the third-year coach acknowledged concerns about his players' stamina and durability.

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"I think conditioning would be No. 1," Smith said when asked about the primary challenges of competing in a game coming off an idle week. "And physicality. Basketball's a physical, contact game. ... There's contact on every possession that you gotta get used to."

WSU will have to get tough underneath if Utah (8-12, 1-9) has its standout big man. Branden Carlson, a junior 7-footer, missed the Utes' previous five games  the first a 77-61 loss to WSU on Jan. 8 in Salt Lake City  but there's "definitely a chance" he returns from an appendix injury and plays Wednesday, according to Utah coach Craig Smith.

"They're going to be more motivated with the ball inside when he plays," Kyle Smith said. "Their other centers are solid ... but he's a difference maker. His ability to protect the rim is imposing."

WSU attacked the paint on pick-and-roll plays earlier this season against Utah to fashion an advantage in its second victory of all time in Salt Lake.

"We caught a break obviously, with Carlson being out, and we played with purpose," Smith said.

The Utes come to Pullman seeking to snap an eight-game skid. They're coming off hard-fought losses to the Los Angeles schools.

Utah has played in three games since WSU's most recent appearance, a gritty 65-57 win over Cal.

The Cougars will also entertain Colorado on Sunday at 7 p.m. The Buffaloes, who tipped WSU 83-78 on Jan. 6 behind strong efforts in the frontcourt, play two games before then.

Rescheduling games

The Cougars have three Pac-12 contests to make up: a home matchup with Washington and the road tilts in Oregon. WSU's program was forced to push back its in-state rivalry game on Dec. 29, about 12 hours before tipoff, due to COVID-19 protocols in its program.

Smith isn't sure whether the Cougars will play all three.

"I heard there's a rumor that it's going to be hard to get them in," he said. "Our league office does a great job with it. ... It seems like that one week with Washington (a Feb. 26 away game), we could probably squeeze two in there: the home game with Washington and maybe make one of the trips over to Oregon, then up to Seattle."
WAUKESHA - It doesn't take a post-graduate degree to see that school board races have become hotly contested, with the eight candidates seeking three seats on the Waukesha School Board as one notable example.

The eight candidates  the three incumbents Bill Baumgart, Greg Deets and Amada Medina Roddy and challengers Mark Borowski, Sarah Harrison, Karrie Kozlowski, Marquell Moorer and Jaymz Touchstone  will be pared down to six by voters in the Waukesha School District in the Feb. 15 primary. The remaining candidates will face off in the April 5 spring elections.

Based on their answers to two questions, it's clear they have varying views on how strongly politics are becoming a part of the local school board race as well as their roles on the board. Along those same lines, some are concerned about the quality of education some students have received in recent years.

Waukesha County Now sent candidates two questions focusing on those points. Here are their responses, which were limited to 100 words per question and subject to editing for length and/or clarity. (Note: Deets was unable to reply due to an illness.)

School board races have become politicized recently. How much is this a concern to you?

William Baumgart: This is a major concern to me. So much of our time is being spent in areas other than the education and safety of the children. In the years I have been on the board we have had disagreements, but never the lack of civility shown today in the community. School boards are meant to be non-partisan and have functioned well as such until recently.

Mark Borowski: It is a concern to some degree. The very nature of any elected office is political, unfortunately. Im not sure anything is improved when it is "politicized." We cant deny that school board candidates have some political affiliation due to shared values of that party and there is nothing wrong with that. However, its the hyper-focus on politics that leads to personal attacks, lies and divisiveness that is a problem. We need to focus on what we have in common  educating our kids to be as successful as they can be, specifically on course subject matter.

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Greg Deets: Did not respond by print deadline due to illness

Sarah Harrison: My priority is the well-being of our children, a goal that supersedes politics. We need to support and educate our students, rather than follow a political agenda. As I have listened to my Waukesha School District neighbors over past weeks, I have heard a common theme: People are concerned about the increasingly divisive rhetoric, scare tactics and political decision-making they see in our district. I will not seek endorsement from any political party in my candidacy for this nonpartisan office. As a member of the board, I will seek solutions alongside others, regardless of their political leanings.

Karrie Kozlowski: In politicized school systems, elections are politicized. Neither should be. Waukesha children continue to score below proficiency in all subjects, many failing at least one. Parents know why. For years, Waukesha school boards and administrators, tasked with overseeing fundamental education, have sabotaged academic proficiency with emotionalized, divisive and identity curriculums. The academic proficiency of our students is in crisis, and I'm gravely concerned. We must refocus resources on academic excellence in Waukesha. Approve and fund curricula that ensure students are academically proficient. District parents and students expect it both now and in the future.

Amanda Medina Roddy: School board races have always been politicized but in recent years have become more polarized and openly combative. The idea of politicizing them doesnt necessarily concern me; many groups advocate for their causes to school boards. What concerns me is when candidates and their supporters engage in contentious behaviors. Candidates cant lose sight of the students they will serve and the goal to provide a well rounded learning experience for them.

Marquell Moorer: I'm not concerned about this race becoming politicized. I believe we all want what is best for students, families and educators. I'm confident that people with differing beliefs and convictions can come to the table and find common ground on our district's issues.

Jaymz Touchstone: School board races should focus on how to educate our children, not politics. Children should be proficient in core subjects. The board's goal is to ensure that our students are proficient in the basics and equipped with the tools that allow them to pursue their dream careers. Public schools are an integral part of society, and, in many cases, offer quality education. But when public schools dont work  or dont work for everyone  parents deserve a choice, whether that be a magnet school, charter school, private school, virtual school, home school, etc. Choice is accomplished with school vouchers.

More: Nearly 28% of Waukesha School District high school students are failing at least one class, records show

What's your primary reason for running for the school board at this time?

Baumgart: I have been told by a number of others that I have brought a sense of reason to meetings. I spend time visiting schools so I can see what is happening. This is far better that the - I hear from that approach. And I will do my best to continue to serve for the purpose of educating our children, not our politics.

Borowski: To improve academic achievement of all students, plain and simple. The district's student proficiency scores are not nearly as good as they should be. Collectively, the school board, administration, teachers and students need to have a laser focus on one thing: student achievement. The purpose of schools is to produce students who are educated and prepared for the next phase of life, whatever that is. We are not achieving that goal when 50% to 60% of all students are not proficient. At the same time, we cannot lower our standards just to improve proficiency. Lets do the job right.

Deets: Did not respond by print deadline due to illness

Harrison: My goal is to help our children succeed. All of them. As the mother of two Waukesha students, I have paid close attention to policy and given my input in many Board of Education and subcommittee meetings over the years. Many of the current board members are slow to hold the administration responsible for enacting responsible policy. I am not satisfied with our school boards response to community members. I will work with our administration to close the achievement gap, to attract and retain quality educators, and to ensure the safety of all people in our school facilities.

Kozlowski: We need to re-raise our standards. Focus on core fundamental education standards. Eliminate divisive curricula and standards lowered in the name of equity. My primary focus is accountability. I'll insist that we hold our administrators and staff accountable for our children's educational proficiency and preparedness for their futures. It's up to us to empower our students' individual strengths and support their challenges; there is no "one size fits all" solution. Our kids need to know that they have what it takes to achieve their biggest dreams. We can Focus Forward together for their future.

Medina Roddy: Our school district, like many others, has just gone through historical times. We pivoted and implemented mitigation strategies beginning the 2020-21 school year. I switched the priority of education to safety for all at that moment in time. We are now seeing the outcomes of the past two years, and I understand the ins and outs of what our district went through. I want to be part of the solution getting our students back on track, providing resources for our staff and administration and caring for our students as a whole, not just their test scores.

Moorer: The Waukesha School District is in crisis. We were once a model school district for surrounding communities. We had what everyone wanted: good neighborhoods, families and schools. But priorities shifted, enrollment decreased and academic performance has declined. We must never tell students that because of their race or identity, they can't succeed. I firmly believe all students can achieve regardless of their skin color if given a quality education with high expectations. This school teacher and uncle of two district students would deem it an honor, a responsibility, and an obligation to serve the community I love.

Touchstone: Our school system is broken with approximately 60% of the students in the WSD below proficient in English and math, and it has been this way for over three years. The current board is either unable or unwilling to educate our children. The current board is either unable or unwilling to share this information openly and honestly with the parents. The current board is either unable or unwilling to lay out a clear plan to correct this horrendous trend and start educating our children. I will return education freedom to the parents in the form of vouchers.

Candidate profiles

William Baumgart

William A. Baumgart

ADDRESS: 612 Elk Lane, Waukesha

AGE: 80

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: School board member since 1995

OCCUPATION: Retired, formerly management in telecommunications and consultant in career management. Taught at Keller Graduate School of Management.

CONTACT INFO: wkbaumgart@sbcglobal.net

Mark Borowski

Mark Borowski

ADDRESS: (Candidate declined)

AGE: 58

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None

OCCUPATION: Bank branch manager

CONTACT INFO: borowskiontheboard@gmail.com

Greg Deets

CONTACT INFO: g.deets@sbcglobal.net

Sarah Harrison

Sarah Harrison

ADDRESS: 850 Golden Meadow Court, Brookfield

AGE: 44

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: First-time candidate for public office. Experienced as a volunteer for social issues such as hunger relief, tutoring at-need students and environmental causes.

OCCUPATION: Solution Consulting Manager at Dematic. Leads a team that designs ergonomic material handling systems in distribution and manufacturing environments.

CONTACT INFO: SarahHarrisonForSchoolBoard@gmail.com

Karrie Kozlowski

Karrie Kozlowski

ADDRESS: S52 W25449 Poppy Fields Road

AGE: 45

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None

OCCUPATION: CPA

CONTACT INFO: karriekozlowski@gmail.com

Amanda Medina-Roddy

Amanda Medina Roddy

ADDRESS: 2216 Sunkist Ave., Waukesha

AGE: 39

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Waukesha School Board Member, two terms

OCCUPATION: Event manager

CONTACT INFO: amandamedinaroddy@gmail.com

Marquell Moorer

Marquell Moorer

ADDRESS: 1711 Elder St., Waukesha

AGE: 26

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: Graduate public policy student

OCCUPATION: Elementary school teacher

CONTACT INFO: askformoorer@gmail.com

Jaymz Touchstone

Jaymz Touchstone

ADDRESS: 212 Fountain Ave., Waukesha

AGE: 53

PAST POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: None

OCCUPATION: Employment specialist

CONTACT INFO: JaymzForSchoolBoard@Protonmail.com

Contact Jim Riccioli at (262) 446-6635 or james.riccioli@jrn.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jariccioli.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Waukesha School Board candidates share views on politics, education
Channing Tobias, of Augusta, (far left) with a group in the early 1900s.

Before his death in 1961, Augusta native Channing Tobias was considered one of America's leaders for civil rights.

He was an educator  first at Paine College, a leader in the Black division of the YMCA and even a diplomat, appointed as an alternate United Nation's delegate.

He was modest, moderate and admired. He was respected and sought out by U.S. presidents for his advice and counsel.

After he died, he was almost immediately forgotten, perhaps because he was a genuinely modest man, who never made the mission about himself. He promoted the values of education, as well as self-reliance as the paths to success. If he had been able to do it, so could anyone, and his was a humble beginning.

Augusta native Channing Tobias

Born in Augusta on Feb. 1, 1882, Tobias and his sister were raised either by grandparents or family friends because both his parents had jobs working far from home.

The hard-working family valued education, and young Channing began to learn at Lucy Laney's Haines Institute. Then he went to Paine College and became a protege of Dr. George William Walker. When Walker died, Tobias left Paine for a wider mission  as a secretary for the Black division of the Young Men's Christian Association.

Blessed with an intellectual grasp of Christian virtues, and an engaging personality that impressed many he met, Tobias' talents and skills became well known as he traveled around the country.

Although the YMCA of that time followed a "separate but equal" tradition between its white and Black divisions, Tobias led respectful but effective boycotts of segregated functions, prompting its national leadership to change its practices. He called segregation "an insult to the Creator," which was indefensible because it was based on something the individual was powerless to remove.

He also began to be noticed outside the United States as he represented YMCA on trips to Egypt, Palestine, Ceylon, China, Japan and India, where he met with Mahatma Gandhi, who emphasized the power of nonviolence.

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In 1946, Tobias resigned from the YMCA at age 64 and worked for the Phelps-Stokes Fund, which focused on improving Black education.

He also became a member of the National Advisory Committee on Selective Service and the Joint Army and Navy Committee on Welfare and Recreation during World War II. President Truman appointed him to the President's Committee on Civil Rights in 1946-1947, tasked to make recommendations for ending segregation in the armed forces.

Tobias also began a 15-year effort with the NAACP, primarily focused on fundraising to help finance court challenges, and there were many. The most famous was the Supreme Court ruling of Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, a civil rights victory that ended a half-century precedent of "separate but equal" racial restrictions. It also sparked a political backlash, particularly in the South, which saw Tobias successfully pushing President Eisenhower to act in the Little Rock, Ark., school case.

Tobias also was nominated to serve as an alternate United Nations delegate, which he did proudly.

"I have been around the world and I can tell you that there is no other land quite like our own democratic America," he said. "She has her faults and weaknesses but we have the freedom and power to work and correct them."

At his confirmation hearings, some senators asked if he was a communist.

No, he told them. "Communists don't believe in God, and I do."

He became ill in 1961 and died that November.

His old friend and longtime colleague Dr. Benjamin Mays, of Atlanta, eulogized him this way:

"How grateful we are to Almighty God that Channing Tobias lived and moved among us for seventy-nine years. The community is better because he lived in it and America is better because he blessed it with his soul and mind."

Bill Kirby has reported, photographed and commented on life in Augusta and Georgia for 45 years.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Augusta's Channing Tobias represented America at United Nations
Who will be back for the Tennessee Titans in 2022? Whos headed elsewhere?

The Titans will have 31 free agents when the new league year begins in March, including 24 unrestricted free agents. Four players will be restricted free agents and three others will be exclusive rights free agents.

Unrestricted free agents, players with at least four accrued seasons (an accrued season is being on the roster for six or more weeks), are free to sign with any team. Restricted free agents, who have three accrued seasons but fewer than four, can be offered a one-year contract by their original team, which can retain the right to match an offer from another team. Exclusive rights free agents have less than three credited seasons (three weeks on the active roster) and can only sign a contract with their original team if tendered.

Here's an early prediction of who the Titans will re-sign or tender (in the case of restricted and exclusive rights free agents) for next season:

Unrestricted

C Ben Jones

Re-sign? Yes

The Titans offensive line had many issues in 2021  the unit could look very different next season  but Jones was not one of them. One of the most underrated centers in the NFL, Jones was one of two O-linemen to start every game for Tennessee. Coaches and players spoke glowingly of his toughness and leadership.

ILB Jayon Brown

Re-sign? Yes

Brown played just 10 games due to injury and saw his role diminished by the end of the regular season. Despite the down year, he might still be the Titans best coverage linebacker. He figures to be cheap to re-sign after 2021 struggles.

TE Anthony Firkser

Re-sign? No

Firkser had his opportunity to be the No. 1 tight end but didn't meet expectations. His numbers were down in targets, receptions and receiving yards in 2021. Geoff Swaim supplanted him as the top option at tight end.

ILB Rashaan Evans

Re-sign? No

Evans recorded his first two career interceptions this season, but his performance continued to decline in 2021 amid an injury-riddled campaign. He missed five games.

Story continues

The Titans core at inside linebacker appears to be set with Zach Cunningham, David Long Jr. and Monty Rice.

COACHING SHAKE UP: Tennessee Titans parting ways with inside linebackers coach Jim Haslett, three others | Source

ROSTER MOVES: Tennessee Titans sign WR Cody Hollister, 10 others to futures contracts for 2022

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TE Geoff Swaim

Re-sign? Yes

Swaim was Tennessees best and most available tight end this season, posting career-high receiving numbers in targets, receptions, yards and touchdowns.

OLB Harold Landry

Re-sign? Yes

This is a no-brainer, though Landry will be expensive and the Titans will have to sort out cap implications of bringing him back.

Landry has been the Titans sack leader for three consecutive seasons, including a career-high 12 in 2021.

LS Morgan Cox

Re-sign? Yes

Cox wasnt talked about this season and thats a good thing if youre a long snapper. The Collierville native received All-Pro votes.

WR Marcus Johnson

Re-sign? Yes

Johnson was the Titans best receiver in training camp and flashed promise in the regular season before landing on season-ending injured reserve in November. Tennessee needs depth behind A.J. Brown and Julio Jones.

LB Nick Dzubnar

Re-sign? Yes

Dzubnars 379 special teams snaps in 2021 (82.7%) led the Titans.

S Matthias Farley

Re-sign? Yes

Like Dzubnar, Farley is one of Tennessees core special teamers. He played 77.7% of special teams snaps, second to Dzubnar.

PK Randy Bullock

Tennessee Titans kicker Randy Bullock (14) kicks a field goal during the third quarter of an AFC divisional playoff game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 in Nashville, Tenn.

Re-sign? Yes

Bullocks 83.9% success rate on field goals ranked 21st in the NFL, but he was clutch for the Titans  he hit three game-winners  and provided long-awaited stability for Tennessees kicking game.

CB Buster Skrine

Re-sign? No

Skrine played well as a late-season fill-in, but his snaps dwindled down the stretch. The Titans have their nickelback of the future in Elijah Molden and the team could look to upgrade the outside cornerback spot, which will have 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley back next season.

OLB Ola Adeniyi

Re-sign? Yes

Adeniyi was one of the Titans best special teams players and provides strong depth at outside linebacker. He was Tennessees sack leader early in 2021.

CB Greg Mabin

Re-sign? No

The Titans should look to upgrade the cornerback spot.

LB B.J. Bello

Re-sign? No

Bello didnt play for Tennessee after landing on injured reserve in training camp.

LB Dylan Cole

Re-sign? Yes

There will be changes coming to the Titans special teams unit, but Cole was a bright spot in nine games. He forced a fumble on the second-half kickoff in Week 10 against New Orleans.

WR Chester Rogers

Re-sign? No

Rogers had some strong punt returns in the second half of the season, but he was inconsistent overall and underwhelmed as a receiver.

DT Kyle Peko

Re-sign? Yes

Peko was one of the underrated members of the defensive line, coming on late in the season. He had sacks in consecutive games in Weeks 17-18.

DT Trevon Coley

Re-sign? No

Coley had a strong training camp but didnt play in the regular season. He landed on injured reserve during training camp.

TE MyCole Pruitt

Re-sign? No

Coach Mike Vrabel noted Pruitt would be out for awhile after he suffered a gruesome ankle injury in Week 17 against the Dolphins.

RB Dontrell Hilliard

Re-sign? Yes

Hilliard helped stabilize the Titans running back room when Derrick Henry got hurt and provides value in the return game.

RB DOnta Foreman

Re-sign? No

The Titans would surely love Foreman back, but he probably earned himself a starters job after excelling as a fill-in for Henry.

WR Cameron Batson

Re-sign? No

Batson has found a way to stick around the last few seasons, but the Titans need more quality depth at receiver.

S Dane Cruikshank

Re-sign? No

Cruikshank could have an opportunity to start elsewhere. He excelled covering tight ends for Tennessee.

Restricted

FB Khari Blasingame

Tender? No

The Titans have an up-and-coming fullback in Tory Carter.

PK Sam Ficken

Tender? No

Bullock is the Titans kicker.

RT David Quessenberry

Tender? No

Tennessee could be in the market for both starting offensive tackle spots.

OLB Derick Roberson

Tender? No

Adeniyi should stick around and 2021 fourth-rounder Rashad Weaver will be back next season.

Exclusive rights

DL Teair Tart

Tender? Yes

Tart started 10 games for the Titans in 2021.

WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine

Tender? Yes

Westbrook-Ikhine has far exceeded expectations. He was the Titans second-leading receiver behind A.J. Brown in 2021.

QB Logan Woodside

Tender? No

The Titans need to bolster their quarterback depth.

Ben Arthur covers the Tennessee Titans for The USA TODAY Network. Contact him at barthur@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @benyarthur.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who will return? Predicting free agents Tennessee Titans will re-sign
BROCKTON  Thomas Koonce has been serving a life sentence in prison for nearly 30 years. It's easy for him to remember how long he's been there, because he was incarcerated one month after his son was born.

Now, after decades of no hope, 54-year-old Koonce has a chance at freedom.

Earlier this month, Gov. Charlie Baker commuted his sentence. The commutation still has to be approved by the Governor's Council, but if approved, he can apply for parole. If he is approved for parole, he'd be out of prison on parole for life.

The Governor's Council began its commutation hearing on Wednesday morning. Witnesses testified to Koonce's character, and Koonce was expected to testify Wednesday afternoon. Should the Governor's Council vote to commute his conviction from first-degree murder to second-degree, several steps remain before Koonce would be a free man. He must also go before the parole board. The various steps could take four or five months.

Koonce was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Mark Santos of New Bedford as a result of an incident in July 1987. Koonce and Santos were part of altercations between two groups of men from Brockton and New Bedford.

Thomas Koonce at his arraignment in July 1987 when he was 20 years old.

Eventually, Koonce shot Santos from the passenger seat of a car in New Bedford. He claims he meant to shoot the gun upward so as not to hit anyone.

Koonce was originally tried in 1990, but it resulted in a mistrial when the jury could not reach a verdict. In 1992, he was tried again and found guilty.

"I don't lose sight of the fact that somebody died and it was a reckless act, even if it was self-defense," Koonce's lawyer, Timothy Foley, said.

But Foley, who has represented Koonce since 2019, said he believes that Koonce shouldn't have been found guilty of first-degree murder, nor should he spend his life in prison.

Back-to-back Brockton commutations: 'Redemption and mercy': Why so many people fought for Brockton man's freedom

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Koonce was raised in Brockton. Foley said his goal growing up was to attend Northeastern University and study to become some sort of law enforcement officer. But without the money to do so, Koonce joined the military in the hope that it would help him pay for college.

Koonce enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after he graduated from Brockton High School in 1985. He served two years in the Marines before coming home for an extended period of time. It was during that time home that the altercation with Mark Santos occurred.

Thomas Koonce was a US Marine in 1987.

Koonce was incarcerated in 1987 for a few months, but in January 1988, his family posted bail. He continued serving in the Marine Corps, having been transferred to the Weymouth Naval Base, until he was incarcerated again in 1992 after the second trial.

'Helping people help themselves'

Since then, Koonce has had a stellar prison record, Foley said. In his nearly three decades, he's only had to face disciplinary action twice, and the last one was 20 years ago.

In 1994, Foley said, some older inmates asked him to take over the Second Thoughts program  a program in which prisoners mentor at-risk youth to try to prevent them from going down the same path as they did.

Foley said Koonce was the chairperson of the program for decades, but eventually stepped back to focus on a restorative justice program he and a handful of other lifers created at Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Norfolk (MCI-Norfolk) where he was imprisoned.

In 2010, Foley said, Koonce and other lifers were concerned about safety in the prison as more younger prisoners who liked to cause trouble were incarcerated there.

Foley said Koonce and others had been reading about restorative justice  an approach to justice where the focus is on repairing harm done by a crime, so they asked the warden if they could try to create a restorative justice program at the prison.

The warden gave the inmates a year to come up with a curriculum for the program, Foley said, and when they were done, it was approved.

"He's always trying to help people help themselves," Foley said.

'Always learning'

During his time in prison, Koonce has also helped other inmates by mentoring other men who were up for parole, Foley said. He's also kept a stable job in prison for decades.

Koonce also got a degree from Boston University's correctional program, and years later, was asked to speak at the program's graduation. Foley said the head of the program even spoke on behalf of Koonce at his commutation hearing.

"He was always learning," Foley said. "And this is a guy who was not scheduled to ever be released."

A mentor and role model

Foley said that before he decided to commit to helping Koonce, he asked several inmates whom he knew professionally what they thought of Koonce. Foley said they all said the same thing: there's something's wrong with the system if Koonce stays in prison the rest of his life.

Koonce first applied for commutation in 2014, but his petition was shelved. He tried again under Gov. Baker years later, but in 2020, Baker changed the guidelines for commutation.

Foley said Koonce fit squarely into the guidelines Baker had listed. So later that year, they filed a supplement to his petition. By August, he had a commutation hearing, and by January 2021, he was recommended for commutation.

Concern for victim's mother, while looking to the future

Out of respect for Mark Santos' mother, Virginia Santos, who does not want Koonce to get out of prison, Koonce and Foley did not start a public campaign for his freedom as some other prisoners do when they are up for commutation. Foley said they decided to rely on the strength of his petition to get his sentence commuted.

Even now that Koonce's sentence has been commuted, Foley said Koonce is thinking of Virginia Santos.

"First thing he said when he found out was 'It's a great day for myself. It's great for us, for my family, but we also have to keep in mind that Virginia Santos was against this, and it's gonna be a sad day for her.' That's the type of guy he is," Foley said.

Still, Foley and Koonce are feeling positive about Koonce's future.

"He's definitely a person who makes the world around him a better place," Foley said.

Enterprise staff writer Chris Helms contributed to this report.

Enterprise staff writer Susannah Sudborough can be reached by email at ssudborough@enterprisenews.com. You can follow her on Twitter at @k_sudborough. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Brockton Thomas Koonce: New Bedford Murder sentence commuted
ozzie, gorilla

zoo atlanta

The Zoo Atlanta family is mourning the death of its oldest male gorilla.

Ozzie, a Western lowland gorilla, was found dead in his enclosure by his care team at the age of 61 on Tuesday. He was the third-oldest gorilla in the world and the oldest at the zoo, the zoo said in an announcement.

RELATED: World's Oldest Living Gorilla Celebrates 60th Birthday at Zoo Atlanta

"This is a devastating loss for Zoo Atlanta. While we knew this time would come someday, that inevitability does nothing to stem the deep sadness we feel at losing a legend," Raymond B. King, president and CEO of the zoo, said in a statement.

"Ozzie's life's contributions are indelible, in the generations of individuals he leaves behind in the gorilla population and in the world's body of knowledge in the care of his species. Our thoughts are with his care team, who have lost a part of their lives and a part of their hearts."

While Ozzie's cause of death is not yet known, a necropsy  the animal equivalent of a human autopsy  will be performed.

RELATED VIDEO: First-Ever Gorilla Born at Cleveland Zoo in its 139-Year History

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The statement noted that Ozzie showed decreased appetite last week, and went on to present symptoms including facial swelling, weakness, and inability to eat or drink earlier this week.

The only surviving member of the original generation of gorillas who arrived at Zoo Atlanta with the opening of the Ford African Rain Forest in 1988, Ozzie made zoological history in 2009 when he became the first gorilla in the world ever to participate in a voluntary blood pressure reading.

Ozzie is survived by four children, one granddaughter and two great-grandchildren, all of whom live at Zoo Atlanta. His legacy also includes children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren living at other accredited zoos in the U.S. and Canada.

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RELATED: Watch the Adorable Moment a Baby Zoo Gorilla Born Prematurely Reunites with His Happy Family

Western lowland gorillas are a critically endangered species.

"According to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), over a 25-year period, the combined threats of poaching, illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade, habitat loss and emerging diseases have reduced western lowland gorilla populations by 60 percent, with declines of as much as 90 percent in some parts of their range in western Africa," the statement noted.

In June of last year, Ozzie celebrated his 60th birthday at the zoo, notably enjoying a multi-tiered ice "cake" full of frozen fruit and some extra love from staff.
Jan. 26The mother of a man fatally shot by a San Juan County Sheriff's Office deputy near Shiprock in July has filed wrongful death lawsuits in state and federal courts, contending the officer used excessive force because her son was unarmed.

The sheriff's office released a statement the day after the shooting that said two civilians and a deputy saw Shawn Marvin Thomas with a weapon before the shooting. The agency was unable to find one after afterward and believed Thomas had been in possession of a "replica gun" which was destroyed when his car caught fire immediately after the incident.

A spokeswoman for the San Juan County Sheriff's Office declined comment Tuesday, but confirmed Jon Gonzales, the deputy who shot Thomas, is still on the job.

Thomas  a 36-year-old father of two  was a citizen of the Navajo Nation, and the police pursuit which ended in his death started on the reservation after a woman called 911 to report he had nearly crashed into her and another person at a gas station, then become irate and brandished a weapon before taking off.

Sheriff's deputies pursued Thomas after he left the reservation, according to the lawsuit, and used a "stop stick" of spikes in the road to disable his vehicle.

Dash camera footage released by the sheriff's office shows Thomas stopped and got out of the vehicle after the tires blew out. He then got back in and was attempting to flee again when Gonzales began shooting through the vehicle's back window.

The video shows one officer  a more experienced sergeant, according to the lawsuit  pulled a stun gun when he got out to confront Thomas. According to the lawsuit, Gonzales ran up and began firing.

Gonzales did not have a clear view of Thomas, the lawsuit says, but shot him "despite Mr. Thomas posing no threat and having no gun."

Thomas suffered four gunshot wounds to his head and neck, according to the lawsuits.

His vehicle abruptly went off the side of an embankment and crashed into a tree after the shooting, video footage shows.

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Deputies removed Thomas' body from the vehicle, which then burst into flames.

No weapon was recovered.

San Juan County Sheriff Shane Ferarri said in a video statement the day after the shooting Thomas had been found in possession of a replica handgun in the past.

"We now suspect he was in possession of a replica handgun again during this incident," Ferarri said.

"The car fire destroyed the interior of the vehicle and all of its contents," Ferarri continued, adding the evidence had been sent to the state crime laboratory for analysis.

Thomas' mother Matilda Clah's lawsuits seek an unspecified amount of actual and punitive damages from the state of New Mexico, San Juan County and the sheriff's office.

"I just want justice for my son," Clah said in a phone interview. "The person that shot my son should have known better, to use a taser or talk him out of it  he would have listened  instead of shooting him in the back."

The Farmington Police Department investigated the shooting and sent its report to the 11th Judicial District Attorney's Office for review in October, a spokeswoman wrote in an email Tuesday.

Deputy District Attorney Dustin O'Brien said the office is still reviewing evidence in the case.

Depending on what the evidence shows, he said, the office will make a determination as to whether the shooting was justified or ask the New Mexico District Attorney Association to put together a panel of prosecutors from outside the region to conduct another review.
Members of YORKWISE and some of their kids stuff thousands of envelopes in March 2021 to support the YORKWISE auction.

YORK, Maine  YORKWISE is planning their 27th annual auction and is seeking donations from business owners and individuals.

Due to the pandemic, the annual auction will be held online again from March 16-19. Over the years they have auctioned off African safaris, gift certificates from community businesses, cords of wood, paintings from local artists, used cars, catered dinners and much more.

All the money goes to support programs and events that promote drug and alcohol prevention and education for York kids, their families and the community at large.

The auction has a tradition of offering an eclectic mix of items that attract a diverse group of bidders, said YORKWISE auction member Rick Mace.

Well take any items that folks can give  from something as big as a boat to a gently used bike or simply donating ones time  just about everyone in town has something they can give! said fellow auction committee member, Vicki Carr.

Due to the pandemic, the annual YORKWISE auction will be held online again March 16-19, 2022.

Carr shared that former Town Clerk Mary-Anne Szeniawski donated a monthly supply of cookies that generated a winning bid of nearly $300 last year.

YORKWISE President Joe Colwell spoke about the impact the auction proceeds have on the organizations mission to support initiatives that promote alcohol and drug prevention and education for York youth and the broader community.

COVID has amplified many peoples substance abuse issues as they grapple with the pandemic," Colwell said. "Nearly everyone in town has a family member or loved one struggling with alcohol or drug addiction."

YORKWISE focuses their efforts on initiatives that educate York kids about substance abuse prevention and they provide programs, such as Project Graduation, which they have organized for more than 40 years. YORKWISE even figured out how to ensure that the YHS Class of 2021 had an amazing Project Graduation despite the pandemic challenges.

Colwell said the the auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year and it allows us to move forward with finding ways to support the community as we come through the pandemic. He praised local businesses by saying we know that local owners get asked by many charitable groups and weve had some that have donated to our cause year after year for decades.

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YORKWISE is willing to accept any contribution to the auction though, not surprisingly, big donations raise the largest amounts.

Some families have given a weeks stay at their vacation property in a popular destination. Other examples of donations can be gently used furniture, tickets to sporting events, and professional services.

Anyone interested in donating should contact Vicki Carr at vcarr4911@gmail.com or Joe Colwell at lancecolwell76@gmail.com. This years auction will be held from March 16-19. Check out Yorkwise.org for details.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: YORKWISE seeks donations for 27th annual auction
Kasey Dungan, on Jan. 20, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz., talks about how she and her dog Sandy ended up homeless on the street for the first time in their lives.

Corrections & Clarifications: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the amount of flexible funding over three years in Maricopa County's deal with the Human Services Campus. In the deal, the county would provide $3 million.

Kasey Dungan sat in her wheelchair on the corner of 12th Avenue and Madison Street, in the middle of the state's largest homeless encampment, her 10-year-old dachshund Sandy cowering underneath her.

Last Wednesday was the 73-year-old's second night homeless. She spent her first night at HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center in Sunnyslope with a kidney infection.

The hospital discharged her Wednesday morning, and a social worker offered to call her a ride to Central Arizona Shelter Services, the 500-bed homeless shelter near downtown Phoenix.

"She said that if I didn't go to CASS and stayed on the street that I would be beat up and that those people were terrible and they would steal everything," Dungan said.

Still, she refused. She'd been to the Human Services Campus, where CASS is located, once before to have a procedure at the low-cost dental provider on the campus.

She remembered the lines of tents outside the campus where hundreds of people sleep every night. The thought of staying there terrified her, she said.

She searched through Sunnyslope to see if there was anywhere else for her and Sandy to stay. But she quickly realized CASS was her only emergency option.

Dungan and Sandy took a bus to the Human Services Campus, just south of downtown Phoenix. But by the time they made it to the campus welcome center at 6:30 p.m., all of the women's beds were full.

The sun had set, and her only option was the street.

"I felt like there was nothing there for me. They just want to say, 'Well you're old. Go in a corner and die,'" Dungan said through tears.

Elderly, sick and homeless

Dungan's situation isn't unique.

Human Services Campus Executive Director Amy Schwabenlender said people arrive at the campus from hospitals at least once per day, if not more often.

Story continues

"My thing would be, why do we let hospitals discharge people into homelessness?" Schwabenlender said.

The simple answer is, hospitals are full and they're not required to keep people if they don't have an emergency medical situation.

A spokesperson from HonorHealth John C. Lincoln Medical Center said the hospital works with its partners to provide care navigation for people who are homeless. The navigation team talks to the patient and arranges transportation to "respite care, shelter services or other types of lodging."

Dungan opted out of the hospital's offer to take her to CASS. If she hadn't, there may have been a bed available for her.

But by the time she arrived at the Human Services Campus at 6:30 p.m., after realizing there were no other shelter options, the shelter was full.

Every day, people are turned away from CASS and other shelters across metro Phoenix because there are no more beds.

Metro Phoenix has fewer than 2,000 emergency shelter beds and more than 7,400 people experiencing homelessness, according to the last point-in-time count in 2020.

Experts predict the true number of people experiencing homelessness is much higher now. Maricopa Association of Governments held its annual point-in-time count Tuesday and will release the updated numbers in February.

'We're not lazy': What people experiencing homelessness are saying in annual count

Increasingly, people arriving at CASS look like Dungan. They are older, experiencing homelessness for the first time and have medical conditions.

About a third of people who stayed at CASS in December were 55 or older, CASS CEO Lisa Glow said.

A recent CASS survey of clients 55 and older found that 86% of them have a medical condition and 63% have a mobility impairment.

During the first two years of the pandemic, Phoenix provided CASS with CARES Act funding to rent 65 rooms in a north Phoenix hotel, where it placed the most vulnerable older adults in private rooms with their own bathrooms. The organization later expanded the program with 20 additional rooms.

The temporary project ran out of funding late last year, but Phoenix and the Arizona Department of Housing provided funds for CASS to purchase and rehabilitate a hotel in northwest Phoenix for a permanent shelter for older adults.

The new shelter, dubbed "Project Haven" won't be open until the end of this year at the earliest.

"We are so eager to get the Project Haven hotel open. People are already asking to go there ... but we've got to figure out some interim solutions," Glow said.

She said she was disappointed to hear that Dungan was turned away from shelter last week and called on the homelessness service system as a whole to get more creative and find ways to not turn people out to the streets when shelters fill up.

"The safety net has to get stronger for people like this woman who is elderly and just released from the hospital," Glow said.

Kasey Dungan, on Jan. 20, 2022, in Phoenix, Ariz., cries as she talks about how she and her dog ended up homeless for the first time in their lives.

A lucky break

Dungan didn't end up staying on the street last week.

Community advocate Stacey Champion, who was visiting the encampment around the Human Services Campus to drop off supplies, saw Dungan crying in her wheelchair.

Champion, who frequently spends time in the encampment, said she didn't believe Dungan and Sandy were safe staying there. After unsuccessfully trying to get Dungan into the shelter, she paid for her to stay in a hotel in midtown Phoenix.

Champion started a crowdfunding link through her Twitter account and has been able to keep Dungan in the hotel while she tries to find her long-term housing.

"She is an angel from heaven. She told me, 'I'm not going to leave you here.' She just instantly made me feel like somebody cared about me," Dungan said.

Dungan became homeless last year after a falling out with her daughter. She stayed with a friend for a few months before ending up in a budget hotel in northwest Phoenix.

Last week, she ran out of money. A family member is rehabbing a trailer for her in Ashfork, but it's not finished, she said. Dungan was hoping to find a safe place where she could stay for a few weeks until she can move.

"There's need to be more help out there. There needs to be somebody who cares about us," she said.

Money galore, solutions sparse

Champion said she was relieved she found Dungan and could find a safe place for her to stay.

But sheltering homeless seniors shouldn't come down to chance meetings, she said.

She's pushing the city, county and homeless providers to offer hotel vouchers or other emergency overflow shelter for seniors and other vulnerable people who would not be safe sleeping on the street.

Jessica Spencer, who goes by Lefty, also does direct outreach to the homeless population. She said she's helped many people get into hotels for a few nights when they needed a safe place to stay. She also uses crowdfunding because the alternative  helping people go through the formal shelter assistance process  can take weeks.

More and more often, it's older adults that she finds needing assistance.

"Our disabled elders are just begin left out to dry," Spencer said. "I understand we can't house people forever, but we don't even have a temporary solution for people who are newly houseless."

Despite relying on crowdfunding, there's actually more money available to help people experiencing homelessness than ever because of federal COVID-19 stimulus packages.

Cumulatively, the city, county and state have allocated almost $100 million of federal relief funds to build new shelters. But those could take a year or more to get up and running.

Phoenix provided funds to purchase a sprung structure on the Human Services Campus that will add 100 beds to the campus. The heavy-duty tent-like building, which will have central air conditioning and heating, should be open this spring.

Maricopa County is currently inking a deal with the Human Services Campus to provide $3 million of flexible funding over three years that could be used to fund emergency hotel nights, Schwabenlender said.

It will also be used to fund other emergencies that can stand in the way of someone getting into shelter or long-term housing. For example, helping someone pay for car insurance so they can maintain a job and qualify for an apartment.

"We want to reduce barriers to housing," Schwabenlender said.

Coverage of housing insecurity on azcentral.com and in The Arizona Republic is supported by a grant from the Arizona Community Foundation.

Reach the reporter at jessica.boehm@gannett.com or 480-694-1823. Follow her on Twitter @jboehm_NEWS.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix homelessness: Sick, elderly people have few shelter options
When Rob Arnold started his post as Amherst County Public Schools superintendent on July, 1, 2018, the county was in recovery mode from a tornado that devastated parts of the Elon community several months prior.

Just less than two years into the position, a new storm engulfed the division, county and country unlike any seen before: COVID-19. And the effects are still very much in play on a daily basis.

As the pandemic continues to disrupt everyday life in the county, Arnold is in a six-month stretch of preparing for retirement while keeping the division of nearly 4,000 students and roughly 700 employees as well positioned as it can be for his eventual successor.

Theres no playbook with what we dealt with the past two years, Arnold said.

Arnold recently announced his intent to step down July 1 after three decades in public education, including the past four years in Amherst County. In a recent interview, he said the Amherst community understands the value of good public education and supporting their children.

You give a lot to public education if youre going to do it right, said Arnold of stepping away. After three decades, its time to do something else. I think its the right time for me and my family.

An unprecedented challenge

One of Arnolds most common words used in 2020 while addressing the community about the pandemic was unprecedented. In mid-March of that year, schools were ordered closed. The division set up a remote learning plan and bus outreach for meals to get children through while planning for the 2020-21 school year that consisted of a hybrid model of in-person and at-home learning, with the Amherst Remote Academy serving more than 30% of students.

The Amherst school division had national exposure on the Fox News channel in 2020 as Arnold appeared on a program explaining the school systems digital response, challenges and solutions in a rural county. He held Zoom calls with the community and posted videos on social media explaining the schools plan while holding the position that in-person learning is the most effective way to serve students and should be strived for as much as possible while maintaining safety.

Obviously the last couple of years have been hard on everybody and it makes education look a lot different and people have had to adjust and deal with that and theyve done that well, Arnold said. I do worry moving forward about educators.

In the first months of the pandemic that brought many changes, including the Amherst County High Schools commencement in cars graduation parade where students and families socially distanced in vehicles, Arnold said he asked anyone who listened about the need for grace in a difficult period.

As schools returned to full-time, five-day-a-week learning this year, COVID-19 cases continued to skyrocket and a whole new slate of pressures faced the division.

In general, folks have lost patience with one another  and I urge the community and remind folks educators are doing a great job and grace goes a long way, Arnold said. As far as community is concerned, I just thank them for accepting me and my family, being engaged in the process. One of my goals was to have the school system more engaged in the community. I think success in schools is reflective of the community.

Before the pandemic hit, ACPS had put a comprehensive plan  a roadmap for the division  in place, and Arnold said efforts are underway to pick that back up. He said all he has done in the past few years has been to help children be successful, including pushing for more internet access availability and making learning at home more accessible.

When they cant come to school, Im going to figure out a way to make school come to them, Arnold said of recent strides made in broadband expansion. Thats why I pushed so hard for that, because it benefits the kids.

The division also has provided hotspots for families struggling with internet availability.

Thats not a forever fix either, Arnold said. The real fix is fiber across the county and thats just one of those things that takes a while because the work needs to be done.

In February last year, the division also was instrumental in rolling out vaccines, first to division staff and later the entire community. Arnold said in an interview at the time the vaccine distribution was part of the county doing its part to in trying to get back to normal as much as possible.

While the return to full-time learning this year brought many challenges, Arnold said he is proud the schools have been open to children.

We need to be in school, said Arnold. Everybody at this point recognizes we need to be open for children.

Schools had to shut down for a week less than a month into the new school year as COVID-19 case counts became too much. Just more than a month earlier, the countys school board approved a plan to make face masks optional this year as Arnold recommended having a trigger point in place to reinstate them if cases grew, which they eventually did.

The school boards decision was later undone by then-Gov. Ralph Northam and is coming back up for discussion with Gov. Glenn Youngkin taking office and issuing an executive order to make masks optional for students.

After changes in the state legislature that tilted the majority to Democrat in 2020 and 2021, Amherst County School Board meetings felt the effects with more time spent discussing policies coming down from Richmond.

It became much more politicized, and unfortunately it put schools in the crosshairs when schools werent looking for that, Arnold said of policy matters and legislation the division has dealt with. These were things that happened in Richmond and all we were trying to do is open the doors of schools and that was a frustration. Away from all of it, what were trying to do is educate kids. Regardless of political beliefs, we can agree we can work for best interests of children.

Arnold has said the division doesnt teach critical race theory, a hot topic during the gubernatorial election of 2021, and during a meeting with county officials in June spent much time defending equity and social justice lessons that were rolled out in schools. A majority of school board members felt more review and vetting of the material was necessary.

Strides made in budgeting, CTE

Arnolds tenure has marked a welcomed change: less contentious budgets. One of his goals has been a more smooth budgeting process and two factors positively affected it, he said: more students enrolled in the division and increases in state funding.

The state last year got back to pre-recession dollars invested in public education, Arnold said. Now theres a lot of catch-up that needs to be done in terms of that investment.

He said often the conversation in budgeting is what a locality and its governing body can or cant do with education, but he feels the state has not invested enough in recent years while its finances grew.

We need to turn our attention to the state politics and demand the state invest in public education, Arnold said. I cant state it any more clearly: Our future is relying on well-educated citizenry. And public education educates the most kids. And if you want to make an investment, you invest in those things. Theres an increase [in state funding] this year. It needs to be sustained.

He said the teacher shortage in the county, Virginia and U.S. is magnified if salaries arent competitive. Each budget he has recommended in the past several years has had a pay increase and he will bring another one forward for board consideration this year, he said.

Another achievement hes proud of is the strides made in career and technical education, he said. The CTE Regional Academy started recently and allows local high schools to pool resources in partnership with Central Virginia Community College to give students more opportunities. It benefits the local workforce and helps students secure employment directly after high school, he said.

When we can give them opportunities to work toward a legitimate career  these types of jobs are careers our students can access, Arnold said. I cant stress enough how important it is and Im very thankful for our work. Our partners at CVCC have been amazing to make this a reality.

Arnold wont be serving when an addition and renovation to Amherst County High School gets in full swing and reaches completion, but it is a project he is pleased is moving forward. The Amherst County Board of Supervisors has authorized financing $19.4 million toward the project and Arnold is highly pleased.

Its something long overdue, Arnold said.  I certainly think our children and our staff in that building deserve that.

Abby Thompson, the Amherst County School Boards chair, during the boards most recent meeting publicly recognized Arnold for his service. Thompson said Arnold is appreciated and the board wishes him the best in his future endeavors.

You dedicated your whole life to education, Thompson said to Arnold. So thank you for that dedication. Thank you for giving of your time here in Amherst County.

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The Virginia Department of Health will stop contact tracing for every COVID-19 patient, acknowledging that it cannot continue in the face of astronomical case counts but embracing the fact that the practice is no longer effective.

Instead, the health department will refocus on monitoring outbreaks and cases in high-risk settings.

The omicron variant has caused case counts to balloon. In Virginia, cases peaked two weeks ago at about 18,000 per day  three times as high as Virginia's peak in Jan. 2021. But at the same time, almost 6 million residents have been vaccinated, and omicron has caused milder infection, lowering the need for contact tracing.

When the pandemic began, health officials made an effort to interview infected residents and locate their close contacts. Since September 2020, health workers have investigated 750,000 cases and notified 400,000 close contacts.

During omicron, however, such investigations became untenable. The VDH interviewed only 7% of infected patients the first week of January, according to its website. Less than two-thirds of those interviewed were called in the first 24 hours. Among the infected, staff contacted 35% of their close contacts.

"Omicron is now the most common COVID-19 variant and is spreading so quickly, it is not possible or fruitful to track every case," the department said in a statement Tuesday.

The health department also has responded to 6,500 outbreaks and will continue to watch for the virus spreading quickly in long-term care facilities, health care settings and other high-risk environments. It will continue developing prevention strategies for K-12 schools in order to keep schools open and safe.

"This response is more effective when a virus spreads very easily and quickly and many infected people do not have symptoms," the department said. "VDH's current staff are still critical in the fight against COVID-19 and are needed to continue with tracking COVID-19 and ensuring an adequate public health response."

Cases in Virginia have declined sharply the past two weeks, following national and international trends. There were 12,000 average cases in the state Tuesday, still significantly higher than any previous wave.

Hospitalizations appear to have peaked in the state. There were 3,754 people hospitalized with COVID in Virginia on Tuesday, down from 3,875 seven days ago.
Its not every day that you find a castle on stilts, let alone one on top of a rock on top of a mountain.

The Japanese Samurai were a high-risk bunch, but this unique architecture was just the kind of ticket the samurai clans needed to survive and protect the daimyo and their land. We visited two of Japans top samurai castle ruins to discover their rich history and a tale of one bad*$$ female samurai queen of the castle. More history of Naegi Castle and Iwamura Castle and the woman samurai (onna-musha) that ruled these central Japan plains????

???? Naegi Castle (, Naegi-jo)

A short distance from Nakatsugawa Station in the heart of Gifu, youll find the remains of a castle perched on top of naturally occurring boulders. The castle was built some 600 years ago as the ultimate fortress for the prominent Toyama Family due to its impenetrable wooded surroundings. As the castle was built during time of war, construction was rushed and so the ingenious use of boulders helped to expedite the build. Unlike most castles in Japan, Naegi did not have white exterior walls, earning it the nickname Akakabe Castle owing to the red (aka) clay used to build its walls (kabe). The castle remained under the rule of the Toyama clan for an impressive 12 generations before being dismantled in 1871 to pay off their debts. Visitors to the ruins can climb to the top of an observatory and see how precariously the castle was perched on these massive rocks and see remnants of the castle gate, prison, and walls.

If youre not a huge history buff, this Machu Pichu of Japan offers more than just a glimpse into Japanese history, but also the Kiso Valley below and Mt Ena beyond. You might also begin to understand why it gained its other nickname, The Misty Castle as it appears to float above the clouds. The architecture and stunning positioning of Naegi Castle makes it one of the most unique castles in Japan.

???????? Iwamura Castle (, Iwamura-jo)

Alongside Takatori Castle in Nara and Matsuyama Castle in Okayama, Iwamura is considered to be one of Japans 3 major mountaintop castles and the highest castle in Japan. Strategically located 717m up, its easy to understand why this castle was so hard to attack. But that isnt the only interesting point to note about the castle; it's famed for being ruled by a female samurai, Lady Otsuya, the aunt of the famous samurai Oda Nobunaga. When her husband fell ill and died, she protected the castle from the Takeda clan single-handedly & after it slipped into enemy hands, she strategically remarried to gain it back. Her warlord nephew did not take kindly on this and executed her, bringing an end to his good reputation, but still their legacies live on. Lady Otsuya is said to have possessed unmatched beauty and her image has since been used in tv dramas, manga, and video games.

Although all that now remains of her castle is its foundations, steep forested slopes, and a museum with a replica of its original white walls, the ruins are still impressive enough to earn it a place in Japans top 100 finest castles. Why not stop by the nearby castle town where you can pick up local award winning Lady of the Castle (onna joshu) sake and traditional Japanese snacks, too?
As Japan continues to impose strict entry restrictions, foreigners who have prepared to work there are being left outside ever longer, patiently waiting without losing hope, though frustrations over Tokyo's border controls are growing.

Japan closed the border to foreign nationals on Nov. 30, three weeks after a similar ban that had been put in place much earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, blocking foreign business travelers, students and technical intern trainees, was lifted on Nov. 8. Then, in mid-January, the government announced an extension of the ban on new foreign arrivals until end of February as it tries to stop the spread of the omicron variant.

The Japanese government introduced the residency status of "specified skilled worker" in April 2019 for foreign nationals willing to work in any of 14 industries. The proficiency test has been conducted in eight Asian countries outside Japan, and the number of successful applicants has exceeded 23,000. By industry, nursing care and the agriculture and food sector are the most common workplaces.

The number of successful applicants is below 13,000 in Indonesia and about 5,500 in the Philippines, together accounting for nearly 80% of the total. But most of them have not been able to enter Japan as technical interns. ...continue reading
The Nebraska Press Association has launched a new public website to provide greater public access and notification to the workings of all government entities and courts in Nebraska. The website  www.nepublicnotices.com  is a cooperative effort of all Nebraska newspapers and is managed through the NPA.

The free-access website was initiated in June 2021. Currently there are over 90,000 notices on the site and more are posted each day. The notices are fully searchable by keyword, type of notice, by date, by publication, by county, or by city or village. After public notices appear in print in newspapers  as required by state statutes  they are then uploaded by newspapers to the website within 24 to 48 hours of publication.

The executive director of the Nebraska Press Association, Dennis DeRossett, said the newspapers across Nebraska funded development of the site, as well as all costs involved with hosting and maintaining it; there is no additional cost to any government entity or court for notices to appear on this website. This is a true public service to the people of Nebraska, provided by community newspapers across the state, he said.

DeRossett said the goal is to have 100% of all public notices in Nebraska to be on the website after first appearing in print, which establishes the legal basis for statutory publishing requirements.

Through the cooperation of all newspapers across the state, and using advances in technology, we are confident we can achieve this self-imposed benchmark by June 2022  the first anniversary date of the site, he said. To back up its commitment to provide for expanded accessibility of public notices, the NPA board of directors recently amended its bylaws that makes compliance with uploading to the website a condition of membership.

Amy Johnson, owner and publisher of the Springview Herald and current board president of NPA, said the aggregation of all public notices from the units of government and courts in all 93 Nebraska counties did not exist before now.

This project has come together extremely well because Nebraskas newspapers are committed to the belief that public notices are an essential part of the foundation of a democracy. Through public notices, units of government at all levels notify taxpayers when, where and how they conduct the publics business. Nebraskans get their local news and information from printed newspapers and digital platforms and this new statewide public notice website enables a larger audience to have access to this important information.

Most people may only be affected by or concerned with notices from their local community but having access to all notices statewide is a valuable resource in many ways.

As an example, she said, bid notices will now get wider exposure, which could result in more bidders for projects and possibly more competitive pricing. She added, whether its a notice of a meeting or public hearing, or an ordinance that changes zoning requirements, or a request for bids, these involve use of taxpayer dollars. Public notices are the key in providing that information from the unit of government back to the taxpayers.

DeRossett said that state statutes spell out publication requirements for public notices to appear in newspapers, as well as rates newspapers can charge.

Public notices are not just advertising  they are an integral part of a legal process of notification and accountability by units of government, and the courts, to the taxpayers, he said. Im proud of the commitment Nebraska newspapers have made to ensure public notices are available to all citizens of Nebraska.
A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest:

OFFICE CLOSING: As a result of its remote work experience since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Iowa Department of Revenue will not renew its lease on office space in Cedar Rapids.

Director Kraig Paulsen told lawmakers Tuesday that with 80% of his staff working remotely 100% of the time or a hybrid work schedule, the department no longer needs the space.

The department also has given up some space in the Hoover Office Building on the state Capitol Complex.

Employees who had worked at the departments office at 3205 Williams Blvd. SW before the pandemic will continue to work remotely. The lease expires at the end of June.

Paulsen also said remote work has made it possible for the department to hire people across the state rather than draw only from people willing to work in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.

Since the start of the pandemic, only mailroom employees and accountants handling deposits have been working in the departments offices.

Paulsen said he has seen an increase in productivity and employees are happy with remote and hybrid arrangements.

Employees must have a dedicated workspace, Paulsen said. Work from home means work from home  not a coffee shop or a friends house, he told the House Administration and Regulation Appropriations subcommittee.

BE A POLL WORKER: On Tuesday, which was National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate encouraged Iowans to assist voters in the 2022 elections by becoming poll workers. Iowa deploys around 10,000 poll workers for each statewide election.

Poll workers are a crucial component of Iowas elections. They check-in voters, make sure they have the correct ballot, answer questions and help ensure elections run smoothly in each precinct. Theyre needed in all 99 counties for the June 7 primary and Nov. 8 general election.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission established National Poll Worker Recruitment Day in 2022 with the goal of encouraging citizens to sign up to help America vote. For more information, visit https://pollworker.iowa.gov/.

NO MORE CUTS: Attorney General Tom Miller made a plea to legislators for funding, telling the Judicial Systems Appropriations subcommittee that his departments general fund support has decreased by 33% since fiscal 2009.

The departments lawyers continue to provide excellent advice and representation on behalf of the state. However, further cuts will have serious consequences to the citizens of Iowa, including victims of crime, said Miller, a Democratic seeking re-election this year.

Democrats on the subcommittee called for an increase in funding for victim services, which serve nearly 50,000 Iowans a year. Miller asked for the same as last year, $5 million. He warned there has been a precipitous decline in federal funds and he expects a further reduction in the immediate future

Cost and demand for victim services have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, he said, and the funding cuts have meant fewer staff and fewer resources available to assist crime victims with comprehensive assistance.

Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, said victim services advocates say the system is broken for lack of funding.

But its hard for us to argue that we should put more in than governor and attorney general are requesting, she said.

Miller will support a funding request advocates plan to make to Gov. Kim Reynolds.

PREGNANCY ACCOMMODATIONS: A requirement that businesses provide reasonable accommodations for workers who become pregnant and give birth advanced in the Senate.

Some concerns were raised about SF 485, particularly from the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, which questioned the need for a new state law given already existing federal regulations.

Proponents of the bill said federal law may not cover everything in the bill, and that workers and businesses may prefer to see regulation and enforcement at the state level.

All three senators on the panel, two Republicans and a Democrat, signed off on advancing the legislation to the Senate committee on labor. But Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, and Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, said they would like to see some concerns addressed as the legislation moves forward.

PRIVATE TUITION: Taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school tuition would be available to current private school students under legislation approved by a Senate subcommittee.

Under SF 128, scholarships of roughly $3,500  half the state cost per pupil  would be available to all private school students.

Debate over the legislation was typical of previous debates over legislation that provides taxpayer funding for private school costs: Proponents advocated for financial assistance that helps students and families choose the school that best fits them, and opponents expressed concern with using taxpayer funds on private entities that are not subject to the same regulations and oversight as public schools, and the potential for constraining state funding for public schools.

SF 128 was approved by the Republicans on the subcommittee and is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate Education Committee.

CONVENTION OF STATES: Rick Santorum, winner of the 2012 Iowa Republican presidential precinct caucuses and a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, spoke in the Iowa Capitol rotunda at a rally supporting an Article V Convention of states.

Santorum leads Convention of States Action, which advocates for a convention of states in order to enact amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The group proposes using a process in the Constitution by which two-thirds of all state legislatures approve a convention where states could propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Those proposals would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of states. The U.S. Constitution has never been amended this way.

Iowa has a chance to join 15 other states in calling for the first-ever Article V Convention to limit federal power and spending, and impose term limits on federal officials, Santorum said in a news release.

Multiple Republican state legislators also spoke at the rally.

 Gazette Des Moines Bureau
When the Masonic Manor  now Elmwood Tower  opened in 1964, it was believed to be the citys tallest building (arguable). On one of the highest spots in the city.
An effort by the Lewis Township Fire Department to have a traffic light installed outside its station off Iowa Highway 92 continues.

At Tuesdays Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors meeting, Lewis Township Board of Trustees Chairman Al Wegman and fire department EMS Deputy Chief Jacob Hardiman asked for help in navigating the process. The departments headquarters sit at the highways intersection with Pine Terrace Drive.

Wegman noted morning and evening traffic is heavy on the highway, going west in the morning as area residents head to work and east in the evening as they return home. When the fire department enters Highway 92 for calls, things can get dicey. Especially in the evening, as the intersection is at the crest of a hill for eastbound traffic.

The fire department is working to install a traffic light that the department would be able to control when its entering the highway for service calls.

This stoplight issue has been a serious safety concern for a long time, said Hardiman, who is the departments full-time emergency medical services employee. Every time we pull onto the highway, we have to pull out in front of traffic to go to a call.

Hardiman said the department uses lights, sirens and even a special deep bass siren to try to alert oncoming traffic, but there are still issues.

Theres only one eventual outcome  theres going to be a wreck there, Hardiman told the board.

Hardiman said they know semis wont be able to stop in time even without a traffic light there, so the department will wait for a semi to pass before turning on lights and sirens and heading to a call.

Thankfully, there have been few major accidents at the intersection. But because of that, the department has failed in attempts to secure grant funding from the Iowa Department of Transportation to install a light.

Our benefit/cost ratio isnt good  there arent a lot of wrecks. It doesnt fit the grant system well, Hardiman said.

After the meeting, Wegman said a study funded by the Iowa Department of Transportation for the township and fire department completed in May of 2018 put the estimated cost for traffic lights at the intersection at $200,000 to $300,000. Hardiman said he and Wegman have discussed the possibility of bidding out the project to get a more concrete number.

During the meeting, Supervisor Justin Schultz said he grew up in that area and, while the accident history is not there, thats probably one of the most dangerous intersections in the county. Ill stand firm on that statement. I think weve been incredibly lucky we havent had anyone hurt.

Complicating matters is the question of who would have ownership of the light, and who would pay for it.

Its state highway, in city limits, and its a county issue. And a township trustees issue, Schultz said. This has been brought up multiple years in a row. I do think we should have involvement with this.

Supervisor Brian Shea said hes in favor of putting up a light and asked how the county gets to next steps to make it a reality. He also noted the traffic light would help the department increase its response times, which in turn would improve insurance rates for area residents.

Wichman asked Hardiman about the townships leveeing powers. Supervisors also asked about a capitol campaign for the project. Wegman and Hardiman noted its coffers are dedicated to maintaining adequate staffing, which has been a struggle.

Safetys our No. 1 concern, for the public and our responders. Weve had several, several instances where cars, I dont know if they dont see us, if they are distracted, but instances where there are very close calls, Hardiman said after the meeting. Were trying to get ahead of the curve. Weve been incredibly lucky, trying to avoid (crashes) before it happens.

I think its maybe hard for the general public to understand that. For us, we go out that road 700 times a year. Its a different in that aspect for us, we see it every time. Its amplified for us. We can see the forest through the trees for whats on the horizon. We really dont want anything (catastrophic) to happen.

The board agreed to revisit the issue at its Feb. 8 meeting as stakeholders look to figure out a path to securing funds to implement the project.

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CEDAR RAPIDS  As she pushes for a more forceful response to Russian aggression toward Ukraine, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, draws on a personal perspective.

This hits me very hard, said Ernst, who as a college student lived on collective farm while on an agricultural exchange in Ukraine in 1989.

The one thing that we took away from there was not just the differences in our agriculture, but the fact that Ukraine at that time wanted to be an independent, free nation, she said Tuesday in Cedar Rapids.

So yes, I have strong feelings about this, she said about threats by Russian President Vladimir Putin to invade his independent neighbor. It is extremely disheartening to see his actions and the buildup as he prepares for a potential invasion.

Ernst has been calling on the Biden administration to impose tougher sanctions on Russia now as a deterrent to an invasion. Russia has amassed weapons and more than 100,000 troops on Ukraines eastern border.

Put those sanctions in place. We can ratchet them up even higher if he does invade, she said. We need to start pushing back now and letting President Putin know that we do mean that we are actually going to follow through on what were saying were going to do. We need to prevent an invasion.

Once an invasion happens, lives are lost and (Putin) gains territory, Ernst said, adding that Russia has not moved out of Georgia and Crimea after invading those former Soviet states.

Ernst, an Army combat veteran, is not calling for U.S. military involvement beyond providing lethal weapons to help Ukraine defend itself. Congress has allowed for $450 million of aid to Ukraine.

Diplomacy always must be the first answer. When diplomacy fails, thats when all of those actions will be considered, she said. But I think its imperative we start putting the sanctions in place now to try to prevent that.

Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has criticized President Joe Biden for a doctrine of appeasement toward Putin.

Its not just the fate of Ukraine and Ukrainians at stake, according to Ernst.

Russia invading Ukraine matters to Americans  not only for the safety and security of our partners in Europe, she told CNN. When we have a stable Europe, when we have democracy around the globe, it makes our country safer. This matters.
A statewide strategy to battle rampant use and distribution of methamphetamine in Nebraska will aim to create a network of collaborative policing and education efforts accessible in every corner of the state.

The new campaign, announced at a Wednesday afternoon press conference in Kearney, will bring together federal and statewide law enforcement agencies to serve as a resource for local police departments and sheriff's offices as Nebraska's major criminal justice power brokers come together in an attempt to solve the state's meth problem, which has persisted for more than 20 years.

The livestreamed press conference, which featured Attorney General Doug Peterson alongside representatives from the FBI, DEA, Nebraska State Patrol and U.S. Attorney's office, marked the beginning of the campaign, titled "It's a matter of Life or Meth."

Addressing reporters at the Kearney Police Department headquarters, Peterson compared the campaign to a previous effort to prevent opioid use and overdoses, pointing to campaign as "not only a law enforcement effort, but it's also a public awareness effort."

"Much like in the opioid approach that we took four years ago in the coalition that we created there, it's a three-prong approach of both prevention, treatment and law enforcement," Peterson said.

Nearly every official who spoke at the news conference  including Peterson, Acting U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp and Special Agent Justin King of the DEA  described meth as "the No. 1 drug" problem facing the state, casting the increasing distribution of the substance as the primary in Nebraska's battle against drug use.

The officials conceded that meth has been the state's most prevalent drug for the last two decades, but recent trends in the amount of meth being seized in Nebraska have ushered the drug to the top of law enforcement's priority list.

"We hear a lot today about fentanyl and opioids and what they're doing," said King, who has worked for the DEA for close to 20 years. "But it's important that we don't lose sight of the fact that methamphetamine continues to be our No. 1 drug threat."

He said the amount of meth seized had surged close to 300% in the last five years, with agencies combining to seize 768 pounds in 2021.

The distribution of meth has evolved over the last two decades, the officials said, making meth more accessible at a lower cost in Nebraska today than it was in 2005.

Sharp, who has served as the acting U.S. Attorney since last February, said meth was initially largely distributed by biker gangs in the late 1980s before moving on to locally operated drug labs.

Now, the officials said, nearly all the meth circulating in Nebraska is manufactured in other parts of the country or world, often linked to Mexican cartels.

And the product, once only prevalent in metro areas, is now being used and seized indiscriminately in the state, found in Nebraska's biggest cities, smallest towns and within the state's Native reservations, Sharp said.

As the state rolls out its collaborative response, Eugene Kowel, a special agent in the FBI's Omaha Field Office, said the campaign's primary focus is "to reduce the supply of meth coming into the state of Nebraska."

Kowel said state, local, tribal and federal partners will work together to track, apprehend and bring criminal charges against Nebraska's most prolific drug traffickers.

He said law enforcement will also work to identify the source of each trafficker's supply and hold meth manufactures accountable, too.

"Like all our our partners, we will not stand idly by as we watch meth degrade our communities and our neighborhoods here in Nebraska," he said.

The officials drew a line between meth users and meth distributors, acknowledging that the prosecution of people who are addicted to meth is and has been an ineffective pathway to solving the state's meth problem.

Instead, the new campaign will aim to create a link between every law enforcement agency in Nebraska, providing a network of shared information that might link local meth users to more regional distributors, while enhancing education and treatment effort, the officials said.

"Frankly, you can't arrest your way out of this problem," Peterson said.

The statewide collaborative will mirror the work of metro-area narcotics tasks forces, which Sharp called "the lifeblood" of the fight against meth thus far.

In Lincoln, meth was the prevalent drug when Ryan Dale joined the city's police force nearly two decades ago.

Now the captain overseeing the Lincoln-Lancaster Narcotics Task Force  a group of investigators from LPD, the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol  Dale has watched the local distribution of the substance evolve over the last 20 years, and its pervasiveness soar over the last five.

In all of 2017, the task force seized about 5.7 pounds of methamphetamine. In 2021, that figure ballooned to 94.5 pounds  more than 16 times the meth seized just four years prior.

But in the same time frame, felony arrests made by the task force  for all drug-related crimes, not just for the distribution of meth  increased only gradually.

The task force made 369 felony arrests in 2017, 404 in 2018 and 408 in 2019.

In 2020, Dale's task force made 319 such arrests  a five-year low for the group of investigators he said coincided with a decrease in the local supply of meth. It seemed to be a turning point, progress made in the local fight against the substance.

But in 2021, the number rose again, though only moderately over the five-year average. The task force made 435 felony arrests  66 more than in 2017  while seizing 88.9 more pounds of meth in 2021 then they did four years prior.

It's impossible to "illustrate how the supply of meth has gone up," Dale told the Journal Star.

Dale said the task force has altered tactics over the last half-decade, holding off on initial arrests of local distributors, instead monitoring the sellers in an effort to track down regional distributors.

In that way, the task force has been successful, arresting more dealers on felony charges and seizing more drugs than every before. But the challenge posed to the local task force by the recent flood of methamphetamine isn't a lack of information, but a lack of resources, Dale said.

"If we had staffing to have double the size of a narcotics task force, these numbers would go up way more," he said. "Because we've kind of reached our threshold of efficiency. And you can only do so much with  there's not enough hours in the day to deal with every drug dealer that there is."

It's not clear how the local task force stands to benefit from the new statewide campaign. Peterson acknowledged that the metro-are task forces, like the ones in Lincoln and Omaha, would largely be the model for what the state is trying to accomplish elsewhere.

"Frankly, those groups are pretty well developed," the attorney general said. "As I see the lay of the land, I thought we we were looking very strong in Omaha and Lincoln. ... I think it's working very well in the metro area."

While it's true that arrests and meth seizures have increased in Lincoln under the direction of the task force, those outcomes haven't changed the prevalence of the drug itself  nor has it affected the number of overdoses, which hit a seven-year high in 2021.

Dale said the best effect of the campaign may be an increase in meth users seeking treatment, a development that would both improve the quality of a user's own life while helping curb the local demand of the drug. And he said an increase in local narcotics investigators would help, too.

But even as statewide and federal officials unveiled a new plan, Dale's outlook on meth use in Nebraska remained grim on Wednesday.

"I honestly think it will continue to be the prevalent drug for my entire career," he said. "I don't see it changing anytime soon.

"You have to keep perspective and be willing to appreciate small wins, because it's probably a war that's never gonna end."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7223 or awegley@journalstar.com. On Twitter @andrewwegley
Nebraska gubernatorial candidates Charles W. Herbster and Jim Pillen are trading barbs over the importance of parenthood as a qualification to be the state's next top executive.

Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and livestock producer, and his wife Suzanne have four children and seven grandchildren. Herbster, a Falls City businessman, and his late wife Judy didn't have children. Judy Herbster died in 2017 of a heart attack.

Considered front-runners in the Republican primary race, the campaigns have sparred before. But the subject matter this time was personal: How and to what extent do the differences in their biographies bear weight in the race.

Herbster took issue with Pillen's comments at a recent press conference during which term-limited Gov. Pete Ricketts officially announced his endorsement. Pillen was asked what distinguishes him from Herbster, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Part of his answer: "If you don't have a family, it doesn't make you a bad person but it's a distinct, significant difference in how you view life when there's more to the world than just you."

Herbster released a scathing statement on Twitter Monday afternoon criticizing that take.

"His statement shows a complete disdain for the many Nebraskans who have chosen not to have children or who have encountered challenges when trying to start a family," Herbster said in the statement. "Jim Pillen does not know their stories, and he clearly does not know mine."

Pillen's comments demonstrated a "lack of empathy" for families that "don't look like his," Herbster asserted.

"A century ago, if you were not married or did not have children, parts of society shunned you," he said. "Thankfully, our attitudes about family structure and extended families have changed. God has blessed me mightily, but not with children. My late wife, Judy, and I stepped up and stepped in to help single parents, friends, colleagues and neighbors as they raised their children."

He framed the comments as so offensive that Pillen should pull out of the race and that Ricketts should drop his support. But Pillen dismissed Herbster's comments, calling them "fake-news hogwash."

Herbster, Pillen said in a statement, has himself cited his lack of immediate family as an asset.

Among examples the Pillen campaign included in its response was a radio interview from last May: "I have no wife, we lost Judy in 2017," Herbster said then. "We were not blessed with children, so I have no children. I have no grandchildren. I have zero family left. I've buried everyone ... I'm the perfect person to leave and go somewhere else. But I'm not going to do that ... because I'm just like you. If you cut me, I'm gonna bleed red. I'm gonna bleed Nebraska."

"On multiple occasions, Charles Herbster has publicly stated he believes he is more qualified to be governor because he has no family," Pillen said. "Now, hes attacking me when I say that parenting is an important perspective for our next governor to have. All Nebraska parents know what it takes to protect  and provide for  our children in a changing world. Weve been raising our children here for over 40 years. Our youngest is a junior in high school. We know what it takes to protect our kids in todays world and give them the best life we can. Twisting my comment into an attack is just peddling fake-news hogwash."

Former state Sen. Theresa Thibodeau, who briefly served as Herbsters running mate before deciding to launch her own gubernatorial campaign, criticized Pillens remark. In a campaign video released on social media, Thibodeau called the comments an outlandish attack that should disgust everyone.

People without a family could be parents who lost a child or could not bear one, widowed spouses, even Catholic clergy. Jim, whats your problem with these Nebraskans? Thibodeau said in the video. In a time when liberal Democrats try to label and separate us, divisive comments like this should disqualify any Republican candidate.

World-Herald staff writer Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.
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U.S. President Joe Biden reiterated Tuesday that there is no intention in his administration or within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to send troops into Ukraine, but that Russia will face serious economic consequences if it invades the former Soviet republic.

"We have no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine," Biden told reporters when he was at a store in Washington buying gifts for his wife and grandson. "But I said there are going to be serious economic consequences if (Russian President Vladimir Putin) moves" Russian troops into Ukraine.

Biden's remarks came one day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin placed some 8,500 U.S. troops to be on "heightened preparedness to deploy" to Europe, citing "Russia's continuing provocations along its border with Ukraine."

Biden told reporters that the ready-to-deploy action is a "NATO operation" rather than "a sole U.S. operation," and that it is a manifestation of Washington's commitment to NATO's Article VI collective defense obligation.

Biden said if Putin "continued to build up" Russian forces along Ukraine's border or if he "was to move" the troops into Ukraine, the United States will be "reinforcing" its troops.

Asked whether he is considering sanctioning the Russian president personally if he orders the invasion of Ukraine, Biden said: "Yes, he would receive that."

The president didn't give a definitive answer to whether the possibility of Russia invading Ukraine is increasing, decreasing or steady, saying what's in Putin's mind remains vague, and that "it all comes down to his decision."

Earlier in the day, White House press secretary Jen Psaki called a Russian invasion of Ukraine "imminent."

"But again, we can't make a prediction of what decision President Putin will make. We're still engaged in diplomatic discussions and negotiations," she said during a press briefing at the White House.
Four opponents of a 11,600-head cattle feedlot in northeast Iowa have filed an Iowa Senate ethics complaint against Sen. Dan Zumbach, saying Zumbach used his position to pressure state employees to approve the feedlot owned by his son-in-law.

The complaint alleges Zumbach, a Ryan Republican who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, met with Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials at least twice about the feedlot between 2017 and 2020, despite neither the feedlot nor the owners being in his district.

The complaint was filed Wednesday by Steve Veysey of Ames; Wally Taylor of Marion, Larry Stone of Elkader and Jess Mazour of Des Moines, all members of the Committee to Save Bloody Run Creek.

According to the complaint, Zumbach weighed in with the DNR before critical decisions about the project. These included:

 The DNRs 2017 decision to allow an earthen manure storage basin to be classified as an industrial wastewater treatment lagoon. Earthen basins are not allowed in the porous, karst terrain of northeast Iowa.

 When the DNR was considering in 2017 issuance of a federal stormwater permit for construction at the site near Monona. Feedlot owners got the permit after two face-to-face meetings including Zumbach and DNR staff, the complaint states.

 The DNR legal staff argued in 2018 stormwater permit violations at the feedlot should be handled the Iowa Attorney Generals Office, which may pursue higher penalties. The state Environmental Protection Commission in July 2018 failed to take a vote, leaving the matter with the DNR.

 The DNRs 2020 decision to approve a nutrient management plan for the feedlot.

Zumbach acknowledged to The Gazette last spring he had a phone conversation with DNR Director Kayla Lyon on Oct. 2, 2020, about Supreme Beef, owned by Mike Walz, Dean Walz and Jared Walz.

Jared Walz is the husband of Zumbachs daughter, Chelsea, and father of Zumbachs grandchildren.

Since I sit on the Natural Resources Committee, Im in communication with the DNR, and I simply asked Kayla to get the right folks in contact with Supreme Beef so they could continue working through the permitting process, Zumbach said.

I dont know the players at all, he said. Thats not part of my concern or my responsibility. I simply asked the director if she could help this constituent get to the right folks.

The Walzes do not live in Zumbachs District 48, which includes Delaware County and portions of Linn, Buchanan and Jones counties, nor is the Supreme Beef site near Monona in Zumbachs district.

Zumbach said earlier this year that was irrelevant.

When anyone from the state of Iowa calls you, we represent all of Iowa when were down here (Des Moines), not just our districts, he said.

The complaint says Zumbach broke the Senate Code of Ethics, which says members should strive to avoid both unethical and illegal conduct and the appearance of unethical and illegal conduct.

Further, the code says:

Whenever a senator appears before a governmental agency or board, the senator shall carefully avoid all conduct which might in any way lead members of the general public to conclude that the senator is using the senators official position to further the senators professional success or personal financial interest.

The complaint does not allege Zumbach had any financial stake in the feedlot.

The group is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate, including interviewing DNR and legislative staff, and, if a violation is found, to sanction Zumbach.

The committee is chaired by two Republicans, Sen. Carrie Koelker of Dyersville and Sen. Jim Carlin of Sioux City.

Zumbach has 10 days after receiving the complaint to respond if he wants to do so. Zumbach did not immediately respond to The Gazettes request for comment Wednesday.
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Poland has started construction of a 186-kilometer barrier along its border with Belarus, the Polish Border Guard said on Tuesday.

The project will cost 1.6 Polish billion zloty (395 million U.S. dollars).

Work started near the Mielnik Border Guard post. The Polish construction company Budimex has been contracted to erect a 105.5-kilometer stretch of the barrier, while Unibep, another firm, is to build the remaining 80.7 kilometers.

The barrier will consist of five-meters-tall steel posts holding concrete slabs with electrified barbed wire on top.

The barrier is being built on the basis of a law on border security, which entered into force last October. It was voted through Poland's Parliament in reaction to large numbers of migrants attempting to cross into Poland from Belarus.

The barrier is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
Libyas Health Minister and his deputy have been imprisoned for their involvement in supplying oxygen factories at a price 1000% higher than the market price, Update Libya reports citing the countrys top prosecutor.

Siddiq al-Soor indicates that health minister Ali al-Zanati, and his deputy, Samir Koko, contracted by way of direct assignment to carry out some works after the date of their actual receipt.

Al Soor also added that Al Zanati and his deputy contracted with companies that had been established on August 10, 2021, despite their lack of capital or experience.

The minister, Libya Observer reports, was arrested at Mitiga International Airport, after his refusal to comply with the investigation order of the Public Prosecutors Office on charges of financial corruption.

Al Zanati is the fourth minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibeh to be investigated for corruption.

In December, Culture minister Mabrouka Tougi was arrested over accusations of corruption in administration and finance transactions.

Early the same month, Education Minister Musa Al Maqrif, was reportedly arrested over his ministrys failure to authorize the spending of allocated funds for school textbooks.

Dbeibeh, in power since February last year, himself, has been accused of promoting corruption.
Bringing Lee Bird Field into North Platte can be done while accommodating nearby hunting and agricultural activities, Planning Commission members were told Tuesday.

It also offers local governments a chance to collect future property taxes on business improvements at the North Platte Regional Airport, said Mike Jacobson, chairman of the North Platte Airport Authority.

The panel voted 7-0 to recommend city limits be stretched east to bring in nearly 2,000 acres, with the 103-year-old airport accounting for the lions share.

Members Lee Davies and Tristen Winder were absent from Tuesdays initial public hearing and vote in an annexation process expected to last until at least mid-March.

The City Council will hold its own hearing and first-round debate on four annexation ordinances Feb. 15, Planning Administrator Judy Clark said after the panels vote.

Each ordinance will deal with a different part of the annexation area, she said. All need three yes votes, and state law forbids the council from waiving any votes as it can with most ordinances.

Instead of splitting the annexation area into three parts  each to be covered by a separate ordinance  Clark now is recommending a four-way split, she said.

 The western segment still would cover land owned by businessman Alan Erickson between North Bicentennial Avenue, Orscheln Farm & Home, East Fourth Street and the Union Pacific Railroad.

 Croell Inc.s sand and gravel plant between the railroad, the North Platte River and U.S. Highway 30 would remain the next segment to the east. It touches city limits at and just east of the East Fourth-Newberry Access intersection.

 The North Platte Regional Airport forms the third segment. It touches Croells land but not Ericksons, Clark noted, meaning Croells land must be annexed or Lee Bird cant come inside city limits.

 Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District land between the airport and the north river now would be annexed under a fourth ordinance, Clark said.

Central holds that land in connection with the operation of its Tri-County diversion dam just east of the Platte River forks.

Mike Drain, Centrals natural resources and compliance manager, said the district doesnt anticipate opposing annexation but also hasnt finished reviewing the plan.

No one opposed the annexation at Tuesdays hearing. But Clark said hunters along the North Platte have voiced concerns because city ordinances forbid discharging firearms inside city limits.

Clark said the city can approve an overlay district specifying permitted recreational activities  especially hunting  in that area whether its annexed or not.

She plans to present such a proposal at the Planning Commissions Feb. 22 meeting, she said. If members back it, the council could consider it in March.

Clark said shes fielded concerns from farmers and a feedlot near the airport that the citys 2-mile zoning jurisdiction outside its limits would be extended to cover them.

But the council can skip extension entirely or choose to extend it less than 2 miles, she said. Clark has recommended the question be tabled for a year after annexation.

Jacobson offered the first official Airport Authority comments on the annexation, which his board requested in a Sept. 21 letter to the city.

He said access to tax increment financing was an important factor, one that led council members Donna Tryon and Mark Woods to vote against a Jan. 4 council resolution to start the annexation process.

But city leaders hope to add jobs to North Plattes economy by developing an industrial air park on airport land west and south of the terminal, Jacobson said.

Seen that way, he added, annexation comes down to a choice between collecting future property taxes at Lee Bird or none at all.

Land ownership is split between the Airport Authority and the city, meaning its exempt from property taxes. The city could collect some sales taxes, especially at the airport restaurant, if Lee Bird is annexed.

If the authority issues bonds to build hangars or other buildings and then leases them, that user does not pay any property taxes on the land, buildings or business equipment, Jacobson said.

But if clients lease just the land  probably for 40 years  any buildings and equipment they put atop it would be taxable. Once the land lease runs out, the airport would own the buildings, he said.

NebraskaLand Bank, where Jacobson is founder, president and CEO, pays property taxes on a hangar it built on leased airport land, he said.

With Lee Bird inside city limits, he added, the city could offer TIF  assuming the airport later is declared substandard and blighted  to encourage air-park clients to lease land and build on it themselves.

Though TIF would divert building and equipment property taxes for up to 15 years, that leaves 25 years for local governments to collect taxes on them afterward, Jacobson said.

It seems to make sense to make (the airport) part of the city, he said. Its really up to the City Council whether they want to proceed with it. Well operate one way or the other.

In other business, Planning Commission members:

 Re-elected Marilyn McGahan as their chairwoman and Nelson Jett as vice chairman. McGahans last term on the panel expires July 1.

 Learned theyll be asked to join the City Council in a joint nonvoting work session in early February to discuss the Planning Commissions proposed updates to city residential zoning regulations.

Clark said she wants to ensure council members are fully informed of whats being proposed, reducing the chance the planning panel would have to start over.

Among other features, the updates would reduce the number of types of residential zoning districts from four to three while adding new suburban residential and mobile home residential districts.

More by Todd von Kampen

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History Nebraska is now accepting nominations for the 2022 History Nebraska Awards, according to a press release.

History Nebraska annually recognizes people that provide significant contributions to the preservation and interpretation of Nebraska history.

Nominations are due Feb. 18. Winners will be notified on Feb. 25.

The History Nebraska Awards will be presented March 15, during the History Nebraska Foundations Legislative Luncheon at the historic Kennard House in Lincoln.

History Nebraska is accepting nominations for three awards.

The Champion of History Award is given annually to recognize outstanding contributions by an individual or organization who helps to preserve or interpret Nebraska history.

The History Nebraska Excellence in Teaching Award is presented annually to a teacher who excels in teaching Nebraska history through creativity and imagination in the classroom by using documents, artifacts, historic sites, oral histories and other primary sources.

Finally, the History Nebraska Advocacy Award is given annually to recognize outstanding contributions or assistance by an individual or organization to History Nebraska through volunteerism, advocacy or donation.

For more information and to view the nomination form, please visit history.nebraska.gov/awards.
Photo: Ron Sachs/CNP/Getty Images

Justice Stephen Breyer has cultivated a reputation as a pragmatist on the bench. With reports today that he intends to retire, hes shown a willingness to be a realist in the realm of politics, too. The decision, made while Democrats still hold a narrow majority in the Senate, paves the way for President Biden to make good on his promise to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.

The 83-year-old Breyer, who clearly enjoys his position on the highest court, had previously hemmed and hawed about the timing of his exit, and the progressive advocates who openly called for him to step down were scolded for being either uncivil or counterproductive.

But Breyer, who in a prior life was chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, could see for himself what happened when Ruth Bader Ginsburg, having declined to retire during the Obama administration, died weeks before the Trump presidency ended. This is a huge step in preserving his legacy in a way that Justice Ginsburg failed to do, said Leah Litman, a law professor at the University of Michigan. He saw what happened to his friend, to her jurisprudence and all the things that mattered to her when she didnt step down while she was able to. It is a credit to him that he made this decision even though hes doing a job that he obviously very much loves.

Trump had his campaign-era list of justices who he promised would overturn Roe v. Wade, while Bidens pledge served other coalition goals. It was clearly intended as a gesture toward representation from an older white man who won on the strength of Black votes, who chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee during the Clarence Thomas hearings, and who took far too long to apologize to Anita Hill for how she was treated there. During the 2020 election, Representative Jim Clyburn, who was instrumental in securing Biden the Democratic nomination, told PBS, I long for an African American woman to sit on the United States Supreme Court.

Alongside Bidens choice of running mate, the pledge resonated, law professor Melissa Murray told me just before Biden was inaugurated. That it wasnt an either-or, that it could be a both-and, she said. To the extent that women of color and Black women in particular supported this ticket, it was on the strength of what they saw as a commitment to lift up a group that has historically been overlooked.

Biden has already nominated a history-making eight Black women to the appeals courts, including Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer clerk who is widely considered a front-runner to the Supreme Court nomination. If confirmed, Breyers replacement would join a court dominated by newly emboldened conservatives, who are expected to decimate abortion rights before the end of this term and have picked new fights on the separation of church and state and affirmative action.

The Courts conservatives have sometimes differed on priorities, preferred pace, and precise judicial philosophy. But they seem united in hostility to reproductive rights and remedies to racial injustice. Now is an important time for a Black woman to be in the room when those decisions get made, said Litman. Even if its certain shell be outnumbered in more ways than one.
2021 delivers strong growth and business momentum, with 13 percent revenue increase YoY

BURLINGTON, Mass., January 26, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Veracode, the largest global provider of application security testing solutions, has secured its leadership position in the market for another year, closing 2021 with 13 percent revenue growth year over year. Once again, the company outperformed the "rule of 40"a key success metric for SaaS businesses that analyzes growth rate plus profit margindemonstrating the solid performance of a best-in-class software company.

"This past year weve seen the continued acceleration of digital transformation, with software development teams under more pressure than ever to deploy quickly. The need for security in the software supply chain has never been greater," said Sam King, CEO of Veracode. "Our analysis shows that customers have shifted security left and are integrating continuous software security testing into their development lifecycle. They are also paying increased attention to securing the extended software supply chain of open source and third-party software."

Veracode focuses on bringing development and security teams together by streamlining AppSec workflows to make DevSecOps a seamless experience while simultaneously providing a 360-degree view of security posture through powerful reporting and analytics. In 2021, the company bolstered its executive leadership to accelerate innovation and growth worldwide with the appointments of Brian Roche as Chief Product Officer and Pete Harteveld as Chief Revenue Officer. Alison Bayiates was also promoted to Chief Human Resources Officer. Each executive brings more than 20 years of experience and deep expertise in their field.

Innovation in Action

Through a cost-effective, scalable, cloud-native SaaS architecture, Veracodes customers benefit from anonymized, aggregated scan data that enables them to find and fix flaws earlier in the software development life cycle. Notable innovations from 2021 include:

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An advanced API scanning tool that allows organizations to find and fix vulnerabilities in application programming interfacesthe fastest-growing attack surface

Expanded integrations with dozens of technology providers through the Veracode Technology Alliance Program

Complimentary trial option of Veracode Security Labs Enterprise Edition, the companys hands-on developer training solution

European Region, a cloud-based instance in Germany, for organizations that require their data to reside geographically in Europe

The Hacker Games, a competition launched to help tackle the global cybersecurity skills gap by challenging university student coders to find and fix dangerous security flaws

Public listing on the AWS Marketplace, enabling the company to sell its solutions through AWS Marketplace private offers

Cybersecurity Takes Center Stage

The past year has seen prominent data breaches and zero-day exploits put software security firmly in the spotlight. Headline-grabbing global attacks, such as those on the Colonial Pipeline and Microsoft Exchange, drove the White House to release an executive order on cybersecurity. More recently in early December 2021, arguably the most serious zero-day vulnerability ever, Log4j, left millions of people and organizations worldwide wondering how to reduce their risk exposure. "The increase in impact and volume of cyberattacks has highlighted the importance of a standardized and structured security program that minimizes systemic risk in software," King said.

Seventy percent of application code comes from open source components,* yet according to Veracodes State of Software Security report, 79 percent of the time third-party libraries are never updated after being included in software. Forrester, a leading global research and advisory firm, predicts software composition analysis (SCA) will experience the greatest growth in security scanning tools, at 25 percent CAGR from 2020 to 2025.*

Derek Costa, Vice President of IT Infrastructure at pharmacy integrator and care provider, Shields Health Solutions, said, "Making our software secure couldnt be simpler with Veracode. Not only does Veracode software composition analysis reduce false positives by prioritizing vulnerabilities, it also looks for vulnerabilities in dependencies several layers deep. The product has saved us many hours of work by enabling us to detect open source vulnerabilities with extreme ease and accuracy, making DevSecOps a seamless experience."

Blazing a Trail in Software Security

In 2021, Veracode customers scanned nearly 25 trillion lines of codea 109 percent increase year on yearand fixed more than 16 million security flaws. With nearly two-thirds of its revenue coming from large enterprise companies and nearly 750 new customer accounts added in the past year, the business has outpaced forecasts for spending growth on application security in 2021.

Business highlights from the year include:

Named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Inc. Magic Quadrant for Application Security Testing for the eighth consecutive year, and recognized again by Gartner Peer Insights as a 2021 Customers Choice for Application Security Testing

Positioned as a "Strong Performer" in The Forrester Wave Software Composition Analysis report, with the Forrester report stating, "Veracode is a strong choice for customers that are most interested in remediating vulnerabilities in open source components." The report also noted, "Veracode has concentrated its SCA solution on finding and remediating open source vulnerabilities, with dependency graphs and guidance on a fixs likelihood to break the code  one customers reference called the dependency graph amazing."

Named a 2021 Top 100 Women-Led Business in Massachusetts by the Boston Globe Magazine and the Commonwealth Institute, ranking No. 1 among all software companies

Ranked No. 5 in the Largest Cybersecurity Companies and No. 11 in the Largest Software Development Firms in Massachusetts by the Boston Business Journal

Crowned winner of the 2021 Peer Award for Application Security Testing (AST) by IT Central Station

Awarded several leadership accolades for CEO Sam King, including EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Boston Business Journals Women Who Mean Business and Mass Technology Leadership Council Tech Top 50

Collaborated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology to help shape detailed software security guidelines as part of the U.S. executive order on cybersecurity, and invited to discuss systemic risk in the software supply chain at the Aspen Institutes sixth Aspen Cyber Summit

King closed, "In 2021, as always, we listened closely to our customers and prioritized their needs by investing in automation and developer enablement initiatives. Im proud that we continue to strengthen our leadership position in the AppSec market with a comprehensive, easy-to-use software security platform and look forward to driving further innovation in the year ahead."

* Forrester Analytics: Application Security Solutions Forecast, 2020 To 2025 (Global), Forrester Research, Inc., Sandy Carielli with Amy DeMartine, Isabelle Raposo, and Peggy Dostie, September 22, 2021.

About Veracode

Veracode is the leading AppSec partner for creating secure software, reducing the risk of security breach, and increasing security and development teams productivity. As a result, companies using Veracode can move their business, and the world, forward. With its combination of process automation, integrations, speed, and responsiveness, Veracode helps companies get accurate and reliable results to focus their efforts on fixing, not just finding, potential vulnerabilities.

Veracode serves thousands of customers worldwide across a wide range of industries. The Veracode solution has assessed more than 45 trillion lines of code and helped companies fix more than 68 million security flaws.

Learn more at www.veracode.com, on the Veracode blog and on Twitter.

Copyright  2022 Veracode, Inc. All rights reserved. Veracode is a registered trademark of Veracode, Inc. in the United States and may be registered in certain other jurisdictions. All other product names, brands or logos belong to their respective holders. All other trademarks cited herein are property of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005270/en/

Contacts

Katy Gwilliam

kgwilliam@veracode.com
 Flash

Israeli President Isaac Herzog will make a "historic trip" to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, his office announced on Tuesday.

"For the first time in history, the President of the State of Israel will conduct a presidential visit to the United Arab Emirates," the Israeli president's office said in a statement.

During the two-day visit on Jan. 30-31, Herzog is scheduled to meet with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the de facto ruler of the UAE, and other senior UAE officials as well as representatives of the local Jewish community, it said.

Herzog, who will travel with his wife, Michal Herzog, will also inaugurate Israel's national day at the Expo 2020 Dubai, the office said.

The visit comes as Israel and the UAE are strengthening ties amid rising regional tensions and the intensified efforts by the world powers to renew the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran despite Israel's opposition.

"This important visit comes as the Israeli and Emirati nations are busy laying the foundations of a new shared future," Herzog said in the statement.

"I believe that our bold new partnership will transform the Middle East and inspire the whole region," he said.

The Israeli presidency is a largely ceremonial post in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett visited the Gulf country in December 2021, about a year after the two countries normalized ties under a U.S.-brokered peace accord.
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Ive really been loving it so far. My only gripe is I dont looooove the gag about the principal harassing Gregory, kinda hoping they move past that or address it at some point. I know shes meant to be shitty but still.

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yeah that's my only gripe with the show as well because I'm just like where are they going with this gag?

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Yay! Its such a cute, funny show.

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I just heard about this a few days ago and want to watch it.



Speaking of ABC sitcoms, has anyone been watching Home Economics?

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I like it

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yay! i am glad someone else out there does.

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Home Econ and Abbott are the only shows I tune into live when they air. So glad Sasheer is finally getting her shine and Im glad Jimmy Tatro got the role of the rich brother, I actually enjoyed him when he was a Viner and hes super funny in the role.

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Imma watch whenever the season ends. I dont like the fact that TJW an adult now tho lol. Hell always be Chris to me.

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I feel the same about as TJW!

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I've been watching but omg same, coming on the screen with all that bass in his voice had my face screwed up.

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everytime i see his name i think about how he's super famous in Brazil

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wait what?

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And for a long time, it had him bothered because he thought they were just trolling him, seeing the thousands of Portuguese comments. It's simultaneously cute and sad that he seemed to not get or believe that he was big-time famous and admired in Brazil cos the States has no taste so he never was up here. But they really traumatized that man with their enthusiasm  Till this day, the comments on most of his IG posts are either limited or off, which has my sides booking a flight. I love Brazilians istg.

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Brazil may just be the greatest country on earth. They love everyone and everything and I find that really heartwarming.

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i really don't like how deep his voice is. it's disturbing.

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CHRIS!! GETN THE BATHROOM AND WIPE THE PEE OFF THE TOILET SEAT!!!

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i love this show so much. i'm so glad that it's doing well ratings wise. barbara is my favorite character

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omg I didn't know quinta hit the big time. I support her greatly bc we're the same height. Slay my tiny queen.

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Lmfao I remember finding buzzfeed bc of Quinta fanfic and being horrified to realize my fav author was writing rpf

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Lmfaoooo

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omg lmao that has gotta be a surreal experience

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QUINTA FANFIC?



Based on what, the He Got Money sketches, or like, shipping her with old BF coworkers?

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Its so weird bc a girl I know from high school is (or maybe was now that Quintas probably making a lot more money) roommates/good friends with her.

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That's where she's from? I knew she looked familiar but I couldn't figure out why! Thank you!

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FUCK YES QUINTA!!! Im going to binge on my day off tomorrow.

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I've been meaning to check this out!

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You should. I watched the first episode and it's cute

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I'm planning to watch the episodes this weekend.

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Gonna start this series over the weekend!

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I love this show! Its so funny and I really connect to the Philly-isms. Im glad its doing well

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Absolutely love how many Philly specifics they work in, lol.

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I'm really curious if Quinta is just so on top of it all or if there are multiple Philly based writers on this show because it really is so good.

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i wouldn't be surprised if its just Quinta, us Philly people love to point out how Philly we are lol.



but i do like how specific it is, especially for a lighthearted show centered around black kids in the city. showing the kids read out young boul and jawn made me laugh

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The jim gardner obsession was hysterical

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the jim gardner bit was great

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Yessssss!!!!! Ive been too scared to check the ratings because so often shows I love have shit ones but yessssssssss 

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I like this show, its basically the office with less Michael (the principal.) Love the cast.

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"ONTD, are you watching Abbott Elementary?"



Yes, ironically, right now.

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wearing big name designers is so overrated when there's so many cooler emerging ones out there instead. i don't understand how people who can actually afford this stuff don't bother to actually seek out better/cooler items.



Edited at 2022-01-26 07:08 am (UTC)

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In her case, the thing is that S. Korea is ridiculously obsessed with brands. The logo it's what matters, not the design.

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I remember a survey from the OECD that asked respondents from different OECD countries what was the most important thing to them and material possessions was #1 for South Korea while it wasn't in the top 5 for most countries. It stood out for me.

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not sure why you're telling me something i already know. i'm just saying the whole obsession with brand over design is ridiculous and silly.

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Most of it also looks very tacky to me like I see a legit Balenciaga sweater and I am like that surely must be fake, would they really put their logo all over the sweater, so tacky but nope. Its real!



Edited at 2022-01-26 07:43 am (UTC)

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Because they're interested in the appearance of wealth and not actual fashion.

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I understand why this is a big deal to some Koreans, at the same time ... meh. Most famous people are projecting an image - we only know it's fake if they get found out.

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"forcing Jia to confess on wearing counterfeit items"



Vomitocious! Throw her to the poors!







No but seriously is she just being for wearing fake designer or being wearing designer AND trying to say she's comes from wealth? Vomitocious! Throw her to the poors!No but seriously is she just being for wearing fake designer or being wearing designer AND trying to say she's comes from wealth?

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Being wealthy while passing off fakes as real while saying she buys real bc she ~deserves it~ and ~doesnt care abt the price~ lol and posing w fakes in ads for those same companies

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If that's the case then I can't feel too too bad for her lol.

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Isnt her being from a wealthy family / golden spoon also a rumor and something shes never confirmed? I thought people were only saying that because shes signed to a company.



Edited at 2022-01-26 02:17 pm (UTC)

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it's always so fascinating to see what knetz will get angry at next!

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knetz are so intense and cruel. They can bring you up and then take you down in 2 seconds flat.

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For real. I used to work with luxury and designer brands at my old job and they were fucking annoying and obnoxious to deal with. Anything to scam them I support lol.

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So I feel the same way but with Jia the most problematic thing IMO was she was giving reviews on the fakes as if they were real and supposedly posing in ads with fake products. As ppl pointed out, some of these brands are sue happy so she jeopardized not just herself but Netflix by wearing fakes. LV for example does care who you are, if you wear a fake they will sue you (e.g. Britney Spears fake LV pattern in her do something video caused a lawsuit). I don't know how sue happy Dior or Chanel are but I think it is an embarrassing situation that she wore fake dior in a dior ad lol

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Oh. Huh.



So, as an outsider, is it less that they feel bad for poor baby Chanel losing a sale to counterfeiters and more that they're angry she broke the illusion? Since most idols and influencers will have a lot of clearly fake or exaggerated elements to their image and people don't care, but it seems like breaking the illusion by slipping up or not performing it well enough (this, idols getting caught dating, etc) is what incites a feeling of betrayal. Is that right or am I off base here?



Anyway, she has (or draws on, I'm not looking that closely) a rly pretty lip shape. The dramatic downward angle on her upper lip is cute on her.

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A mix of both? People get bashed over piracy and counterfeiting all the time esp when they work as a creative. It's more the principle of respecting artist rights than necessarily feeling bad for any one of these brands. But yeah I also think there's some dishonesty abt this really being about the delusion. And some of the fakes were reallyyyy bad.



The thing that really ended her though was the chinese subbed vlog bc it made her look like a "greedy sellout".

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I think it was also because she was saying the things were real, and even made review videos with the fake stuff on her youtube channel. she then posted an ad for a dior perfume, where she had fake dior stuff. so people are basically mad at her for lying.

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I hope she's doing okay. The apology video she posted freaked me out. I've been following this and people are being brutal to her. Death threats, threatening her family and dog...there are abusers who don't get treated this way.



Edited at 2022-01-26 07:36 am (UTC)

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Those South Korean netizens scare me so much. I can understand why so many celebs there suffer with mental health issues. The fear of slipping up and have them foaming at the mouth gives me so much anxiety even though I'm so far away from ever being considered a celebrity in South Korea.

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it's embarrassing and lowkey funny (going that far just to try and look rich and ON TV????? lol) but I don't think she's deserving all of all the OTT hate she's getting

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She (and her management company) weren't very smart about letting her wear all those fake clothes on a tv show. It was bound to come back and bite her in the ass. Knetz are literally honorary PI's lol.

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Not Korean and I don't care about how wealthy other people are, but I despise fakes. So tacky and tasteless and you're probably financing human trafficking and other crimes. Authentic clothing is often also unethical, but not as much. I can't afford high-end brands, so I just don't buy them - real or fake. If it's just the design of something you like, cheap and mid-end brands will make a version of it anyway without the fake logo.

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fakes are tacky and tasteless, but by this measure so is fast fashion and that is also supporting human trafficking and other crimes. so poor and rich people are participating in this.

in many cases authentic brand clothing is made in the same workshops as fast fashion brands, the items are just sold with a markup. Like Prada, YSL, etc. clothes are made in sweatshop, with many supply chains in India where they dont compensate workers properly.



Whats "ethical" are brands that dont make their clothes in a workshop; for example, those that produce their clothes in an EU country and follow the legislation, while paying living wages and are 100% transparent with their supply chain (e.g., where they source the materials). like finding a needle in a haystack and not everyone can afford to spend 150 eur on a pair of wool pants.



edit: not all EU countries tbh since italy has its own sweatshops.



Edited at 2022-01-26 10:40 am (UTC)

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Thank you. The OC is ridiculous.



The fashion industry from top to bottom is built and thrives on slave labour and human trafficking. Prada, Zara etc aren't more ethical than Canal Street vendors, they're just pretending to.



The fact that Italian sweatshops exist (aka factories based in Italy which use trafficked labour to make handbags so they can slap a 'Made in Italy' label on it and charge you $$$) shows you the lengths this industry is going to fool people.

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Yes, the reason so many fakes are like spot on perfect is because they are made in the same (deplorable) factories as the real luxury items.



It is *so* hard to avoid unethical production in most larger clothing retailers at any price point, for that reason I try to only buy second hand, which still isn't perfect but is at least one step removed from the exploitative and unethical manufacturing practices of the modern fashion industry.

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Sometimes I am actually glad I live in Berlin, I can go out in sweatpants from Aldi (I dont) and still look cool

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San Francisco is like that, kinda wild how intentionally underdressed everyone seems to be (I mean the clothes themselves probably cost more than anything I own, but still). on the one hand that takes the pressure off (when I lived in DC I was told off for not wearing "business formal" clothing during my commute and changing into the uniform at work because what if one of our clients recognized me as we were headed to the same place and had to see me *gasp* wearing something too casual??? in the middle of summer when it's 90 degrees out in a city built on a swamp??), on the other it means I'll show up to a first date here in a cute little dress and the guy will be wearing a fucking fleece vest!!!

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wow. i am from the west coast and i'm used to the loungewear/streetwear look. i'm trying to move to the east coast and i've been told they actually dress up there. i wonder how pervasive this really is???

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i feel like germans kinda take it too far lol, the difference in how people dress between Germany, even big cities, and neighbouring countries like Switzerland and even Poland is so stark. Like people don't have to be wearing designer stuff, but wearing nice looking clothes that fit is so much nicer lol. I saw so many sweatpants and fleece jackets in Germany, sth people in Warsaw or Zurich wouldn't be caught dead in hahaha.

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Moving to Berlin was so great because 90% of my outfits consist of a hoodie/sweater, jeans, and my Levis jacket and I feel perfectly comfortable with that in most situations here, lmao. I know so many Americans who think Berlin is some street fashion capitol and there is a lot of that, but most of us are not and it's totally fine.

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One thing I really appreciated about Berlin is that men put a lot more effort in their shoewear. Sure, you might have on jeans and a pullover but they are often wearing expensive shoes/sneaks that just set the whole look off. I love seeing men wearing something other than nasty ass dirty tennis shoes.

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I think this whole scandal is embarrassing for her but her image was also embarrassing. The scandal is probably people realizing how bad it makes them look.



There's also some stuff about her dad allegedly running room salons (a hostess bar?) so her and her company really should've nipped this in the bud faster.

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i think the scandal is rooted in jealousy tbh. like they cant stand someone looking as pretty as her and living a "luxurious life" and it not being them too. once they found something they could use to "expose" her, the netizens really sunk their teeth in and are blowing it out of proportion. and now this gossip youtuber is spreading rumors about her fathers job... which may or may not be true. It's excessive.



and the demographic of the knetz doing the witchhunt is mostly 40 somethings. embarrassing for them that theyre bullying a young girl.



they dont have the same energy for celebrities who assault women or get DUIs.

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I can see it as jealousy to an extent but I think more realistically it's just that they're disappointed they got exposed as superficial fools. Quite frankly Jia didn't earn her wealth. The majority of popular celebrities in their 20s now are people who were already upper middle class or wealthy who are now just parading their wealth and playing dress up with other famous people. People idolize and admire them for it bc they want to be them. So ofc when it turns out that she's encouraging thing mindset for her own profits but even she won't waste her money with it, people are embarrassed and outraged.



It's kind of like how people get on the Kardashians/influencers for getting surgeries for their looks then selling fake pills and saying they actually use them. The difference for me is that conspicuous consumption of luxury goods as a source of self-esteem is so unempathetic that even though I get the issue I honestly dont even care lmao.

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Not folks my age trying to tear down a young girl for...wearing fake clothes? WTF. Don't these people have anything better to do than try to make someone else's life as miserable as theirs?

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It's such a dumb scandal, but at the same time I'd be so embarrassed to be caught wearing fake brand clothes. Especially if I did review of the items! I think she could've had the same rich girl image without wearing high end brands, but she bit more than she could chew and here's the result.

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Girl was tacky for what she tried to pull but the amount of hate shes getting is way overboard. For a wannabe influencer, the best medicine for her deceit is to just ignore her and let her fade into obscurity not death threats!

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Knetz stanning that incel Sehoon and hating on Soyeon for speaking her mind... Soooo predictable

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The entire show was a waste of time. Even the guy Jia was with is pathetic.

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True lol. And ya he was pretty pathetic, though I did laugh at how he spent more time in Inferno than Paradise

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Over several analysis clips on my FYP, I am hardly surprised lol. I dont even check any guys, too predictable. I clocked them out the minute they talked about her skin and liked pale girls. I just want to talk about Jin-Taek lmao. In particular because of colorism in SK really sealed the deal when that emoji messages controversy hits. It shows a lot. It got swept under the rug reaaal quick but it does seem that he definitely experienced it himself and dealt with it on the inside.

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as soon as he introduced himself as a good guy who likes cooking and doing the laundry i just knew he would turn out to be a douche

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Ugh Sehoon seemed promising in the first episode but then he revealed himself to be an obsessive incel and i hate that the show gave him a redemption arc. He made me so uncomfortable just watching the show, i can't imagine how Jiyeon felt. Soyeon was so right in calling him out, and I wanted to slap him when he started whining about how she made him feel bad. Soyeon remains an absolute queen tbh.

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omg why did i think this was about exo sehun for a second

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Me either, sis.

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kill off the men first. they can't sing or dance. pierce sounded like a dying rat trying to sing his songs



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I tried watching the first movie years ago and turned it off after half an hour. I don't understand its appeal.

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The second one is better, try that one

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If they make a 100 I will watch them all. I often have them on in the background because its somehow comforting lol

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I will watch her in anything

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Well she wants to fly to Greece and get paid for it. Girl take a flight by yourself. Enjoy life! Have some feta cheese.

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Exactly what I was thinking while reading this. Just go vacation in Greece if you want to!

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Exactly what I was thinking. Sounds less like she wants to film the movie and more that she wants to vacation in Greece. I get that it is paid for if she is filming, but she can afford a vacation!

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Ugh, now Im craving feta.

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Yeeesss I'm here for it. Every time a local theatre does a sing along for either of the films I go see them. They're such fun!

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BITCH ME TOO

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I will buy midnight release tickets for mama three-a if they ever make it lol

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Anyone with taste should mind.

Even Benny and Bjorn should mind.

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No lily James this time, please

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i didnt know a mamma mia 2 existed

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european celeb tag? lol

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Greece is fabulous!

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I prefer soundtrack of these movies over original songs

I know its bad, but I cant help it

It always takes me back to bright, warm and summer vibes of the movies

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Lol I remember hearing about this!!

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OMG all the way back in 2007!! 

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He looked like that in 2007? How is he still alive

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Good for her! He can go to jail (I assume, dont ask why)

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His case was dismissed either in 2007 or 2008, and he's gone back to India with no problems, because he's a man.

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I remember this, i always thought it was insaneee!!!

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Who the fuck filed this complaint?!?

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A radical/conservative Hindu group, who claimed that she didn't 'protest' enough.

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Wow.

Was it Shiv Sena or a similar Hindutva group?

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This took them.. a while.

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On the cheek and not against her will. How was this even a case? Must be nice to have that kind of money to throw away

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What on earth

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wow almost everything i can understand about this i don't like.



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I remember when this happened. Shilpa looked pretty surprised/uncomfortable and Richard was putting his hands all over her.







Edited at 2022-01-26 03:59 pm (UTC)

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he's so fucking gross what the fuck. grabbing her so she can't get away, constantly kissing her and lowering the placement of his hands. literally assaulting her. die



Edited at 2022-01-26 04:15 pm (UTC)

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Is he drunk?? Wtf is he doing??

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He definitely seems drunk.

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Gross, men feel so entitled to women's bodies.

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Whoaaa what a creep! Honestly if anyone is to blame, it's his gerbil ass.

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Omg. Never heard about this incident until this threadand having seen this video, Im now PISSED that this poor woman was made to deal with the whole legal rigamorole because stupid Richard Gere is a handsy, disrespectful idiot! Wtf is he even doing in this clip??!

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I remember when this happened and everyone was mad at Shilpa Shetty. It was basically the Indian version of Justin Timberlake ripping off Janet Jackson's clothes at the Super Bowl. It wasn't expected or agreed upon. What was she supposed to do?

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I can't believe this is still going on.



Also tbh I thought he kissed her on the mouth. Him bending her over like that and continuing to kiss her cheek (/ear?) after the hug is still inappropriate af though.

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Indian conservatives are the absolute fucking worst. Burn in hell.

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Despite the positive response to the auctions, some question whether Scotland is missing out by leasing seabeds to foreign companies instead of establishing a national wind-energy company.

Laying the foundations for companies to establish as much as 25GW of offshore wind capacity, Scotland is to rapidly expand its renewable energy sector

Scotland has auctioned off parts of its seabed to wind energy companies, raising $951 million and propelling the countrys renewable energy industry. But some are questioning whether its the right move to sell Scotlands significant wind energy potential to private companies.

As part of the auction, 17 projects were selected from 74 applications for an area of seabed totaling 7,000km2as part of the Scottish Governments Sectoral Marine Plan. This marks the first offshore leasing round in over a decade. Scottish Power Renewables invested $194.2 million across several sites, while Shell spent almost $161.2 million on one 2,000MW site. BP Alternative Energy Investments and SSE Energy also invested, each offering funds of $116 to construct 2,907 and 2,610 MW projects. The total potential energy from these auctions equates to powering approximately 23 million U.K. homes a year.

Laying the foundations for companies to establish as much as 25GW of offshore wind capacity, Scotland hopes to rapidly expand its renewable energy sector. At present, the U.K. produces around 10GW of offshore wind, with plans to expand this figure to 40GW by 2030. Auction revenues will go back to the Scottish Consolidated Fund to finance the Scottish government. In addition, the successful bidders agreed to invest around $1.34 in materials and services from Scotland for every 1GW of offshore wind capacity, supporting local companies.

CEO of Scottish Power, Keith Anderson, explained, This is a colossal investment opportunity which could make this the biggest industrial investment programme in history for Scotland. He also highlighted the potential for massive opportunities for universities and technology innovators to work alongside the wind energy industry.

Shell and Scottish Power will be working together on won two sites with wind energy totaling 5GW off the east and north-east coast of Scotland under two joint ventures - MarramWind and CampionWind. This could help provide power to 6 million homes.

Anderson stated of the partnership, Offshore wind is set to become the backbone of the UKs energy mix and will do the heavy lifting as we ramp up the production of clean electricity on the journey to net-zero. Our ScotWind projects will make the best use of our fantastic natural resources to help power the UKs transition from fossil fuels to renewables and a better future, quicker. Adding, this is a pivotal moment that will reinforce the UKs position as the global leader in offshore wind and give a significant boost to the economy. Were excited to have the green light to kick start our plans and look forward to working with Shell and our supply chain partners  who can get in touch now  to bring the worlds first large-scale floating windfarms to UK waters, he concluded.

As the U.K. pledges to move away from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives, aiming for net-zero by 2050, this marks an important moment in the shift. Scotland hopes to independently achieve net-zero even earlier, by 2045, aiming to decreases its major greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent by 2030.

As the government attracts a high level of private investment in wind farms, they could produce enough wind power to meet much of the countrys energy demand. The Scotsman newspaper suggested that the capacity up for sale at the recent auction could mean the production of ten times as much much energy as the former Longannet power station.

Claire Mack, CEO of Scottish Renewables, tried to explain the significance of the auction, It is hard to illustrate the scale of the opportunity by discussing gigawatts alone, but the numbers are remarkable. Just before Christmas, the Longannet power station chimney in Fife was demolishedFor almost 50 years, Longannet generated around a quarter of Scotlands electricity with 2.4GW of capacity. She highlighted the need to ensure the necessary grid capacity for the new energy production, to carry out studies and manage projects to decrease the potential impact on wildlife such as birds and marine life, and to collaborate across the supply chain.

Related: Its Full Speed Ahead For The Worlds Most Exciting Oil Play

Despite the generally positive response to the auctions, some are wondering whether Scotland is missing a trick by leasing its seabeds to foreign companies rather than establishing a national wind-energy company. Common Weal, a pro-independence think tank, believes that Scotland is repeating the mistake of its oil history by selling the rights rather than setting up a national energy giant to manage its energy portfolio.

Common Weals Craig Dalzell stated, Had Scotland launched a national energy company capable of owning ScotWind, it would have been well placed to deliver billions in profits to Scotland every year that will now instead be shipped overseas to private shareholders or invested in the public services of those countries who have deployed their own nationalized companies in Scotland.

One thing is certain, it is vital that private wind energy projects consider the supply chain carefully, providing jobs and economic growth to a Scotland that is moving away from oil and gas. The country continues to rely heavily on fossil fuels to provide jobs and bring in revenues. In the shift to renewables, it is important that those working in oil and gas are given the opportunity to retrain and transition to the green energy sector. By redeveloping the countrys energy sector with strong investment from oil majors working alongside Scottish Power, Scotland could see significant opportunities across its economy as its wind sector expands exponentially.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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Venezuela appears to be following in Irans footsteps by starting to ignore U.S. sanctions on its oil industry to once again develop its substantial crude reserves. After years of stalling and losing out on international investment as well as vital revenues, Venezuela looks to be set to increase its oil production, fostering relationships with key export markets that are willing to risk U.S. retaliation to the move.

Over the last few weeks, Iran has built upon the foundations it made in 2021 to re-establish its international position as a major oil producer. This move saw Iran develop key partnerships with China and Russia in a bid to overcome U.S. sanctions in order to increase its oil production and recommence exports. Now it seems that Venezuela is taking similar action, finding ways to overcome its oil sanctions to help support its weakening economy.

Venezuelas ruling political power, the Socialists United Party (PSUV), is working with China and Indonesia to kick-start the countrys oil industry after years of halted operations. But despite the fact that oil prices are rising around the globe as demand is continuing to rise, the U.S. is unlikely to drop its sanctions on Venezuela while the current political power maintains its rule, even with the potential for oil prices to improve upon an influx of Venezuelan crude.

According to Lloyds List Intelligence, in 2020 around 150 ships transported Venezuelan oil to Asia, mainly via Malaysia to be moved to China and Indonesia. With Asian oil demand expected to increase by 1.7 million bpd in 2022, the region is not so picky about where it comes from. If it can get lower cost and reliable oil imports from Iran or Venezuela it will.

China is thought to have purchased a total of 324 million barrels from Iran and Venezuela in 2021, an increase of 53 percent on 2020, the highest quantity since 2018. It has achieved this level of imports through several means. Firstly, sanctioned oil often arrives on old ships that are set for the scrapyard. Secondly, oil comes in tankers that have gone dark  their transponders are turned off to avoid detection. And, thirdly, oil cargoes are transferred at sea from tanker to tanker to avoid knowledge of where the oil came from. Much of the oil is rebranded to make international authorities believe it came from Oman and Malaysia, with imports from these countries increasing significantly since 2020.

China seems largely unphased by the potential repercussions of buying sanctioned oil. Private Chinese refiners, AKA teapots, are the most common purchasers of Iranian and Venezuelan crude. They benefit from the lower prices and availability since U.S. allies in Asia, such as Japan and South Korea, stopped purchasing from the sanctioned states.

In 2021, Venezuela is thought to have almost doubled its oil output from the previous year. This comes as state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) gained the support of several small drilling companies thanks to rolling over their debts. In addition, the firm imported a dilutant from Iran to refine its extra-heavy crude, after initially worrying about shortages of the dilutant. Output totaled around 824,000 bpd in November, much higher than that of previous months. And at the end of 2021, Venezuela reached 1 million bpd, marking a huge turnaround, although nowhere near its 3.2 bpd peak in 1999.

But Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice Universitys Baker Institute in Houston, believes there is a cap on PDVSAs production potential. The lack of foreign investment and drilling equipment in the country, largely in relation to ongoing U.S. sanctions, means that the firm has limited oil output capabilities. He explains, base production in 2021 was way below PDVSAs production capacity. And We are reaching that capacity now. To see an output increase during 2022, investment in new wells and upgrading infrastructure is needed, he stated.

Much of this success is linked with the socialist countrys recent partnership with Iran. The dilutants, such as naphtha, purchased from Iran are essential to reducing the viscosity of the Venezuelan crude in the Orinoco heavy-oil belt. The thinners are transported from Iran to Venezuela via complex routes to avoid U.S. detection. Juan Fernandez, former Executive Director of Planning at PDVSA, explains, Oil production estimates for the belt currently add up to 450,000 to 500,000 barrels a day and that is due mainly to Irans help.

Following in Irans footsteps, Venezuela is once again profiting from its long-established oil industry. But while its recent oil output looks promising, Venezuela still relies on the U.S. dropping its sanctions on the countrys oil industry to gain greater foreign investment and maintain its currently high oil output.

By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com

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The OPEC+ group is expected to decide next week whether it should continue unwinding the oil production cuts by another 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March, as global demand holds resilient despite record COVID cases in major oil-consuming countries, OPEC+ delegates told Bloomberg on Wednesday.

The alliance is meeting online on February 2 to decide on production levels and quotas for March, having approved 400,000-bpd monthly production hikes each month since August.

For next week's meeting, expectations of OPEC+ delegates from around half of the coalition's producers are that the same increase will be approved for March, largely in line with analyst expectations that the group would continue to add more supply to the market.

Analysts, however, have started to point out that OPEC+ has been unable to deliver on the cuts each month since August, undershooting its collective target, which has essentially made market balances tighter than expected.

Even OPEC officials admit that OPEC+ will struggle to increase supply as much as the nameplate monthly increase allows, and prices could spike to $100 a barrel, some officials from OPEC producers have recently told Reuters.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) noted in its January monthly report last week that global oil supply inched up by just 130,000 bpd in December, to 98.6 million bpd, "as outages in Libya and Ecuador and a smaller than scheduled increase from OPEC+ wiped out much of the expected growth."

OPEC+ producers delivered total gains of 250,000 bpd last month, well below the allocated amount, and were 790,000 bpd below the group's target due to under-production in Nigeria, Angola, and Malaysia. For the first time since the cuts were introduced in May 2020, Russia also pumped below its quota, the agency said.

At the same time, OPEC's take on current demand suggests the market will absorb incremental barrels. The cartel said in its monthly report last week that the effect of the Omicron variant on demand had been weaker than expected a month ago, and the oil market is set to be well-supported throughout 2022 despite monetary tightening policies.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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U.S. natural gas prices surged by 6 percent early on Wednesday as frigid weather in many parts of the United States lifted demand, and commodity markets eyed the Russia-Ukraine crisis, fearing disruptions of natural gas flows to Europe in the event of a conflict.

At 9:57 a.m. EST on Wednesday, the U.S. benchmark price, Henry Hub, was rising by 5.90% to $4.298 per million British thermal units (MMBtu).

Natural gas prices reflected expected high to very high demand for space heating and electricity in the United States in the coming days. According to estimates from NatGasWeather.com for the week January 26 to February 2, national natural gas demand is expected to be strong through the weekend as a series of frigid blasts sweep across the Midwest, Plains, and East with snow showers and frosty lows of -20s to 20s. Lows between teens and the 30s in Texas and the South, along with rain and snow showers, will also lift demand for natural gas. The colder Mountain West will see highs in 10s to 40s with lows of -0s to 30s. Overall, NatGasWeather predicts high to very high national demand through the weekend.

Moreover, higher American LNG exports with more cargoes going to energy-starved Europe is also tightening domestic U.S. supply, which has been relatively flat recently.

Natural gas production in the United States has not seen a major ramp-up, Nick Hillman, Associate - Market Analytics at AEGIS Hedging Solutions, told Natural Gas Intelligence earlier this month.

Its another reason this market is tighter than people are giving it credit for, Hillman added.

U.S. natural gas prices cannot be completely decoupled from the European gas prices, which surged again on Tuesday, as the market fears disruptions in the case of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. A conflict could double Europes benchmark natural gas prices and send them exceeding the all-time high set in December 2021, Goldman Sachs said earlier this week.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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 Flash

China and five Central Asian countries vowed on Tuesday to build an even closer community with a shared future, as Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five countries.

As China's first major diplomatic activity involving Central Asia this year, the summit was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on," Xi said, reaffirming China's commitment to the region.

Model ties

Hailing the development of China-Central Asia relations over the past three decades as "a good example of fostering a new type of international relations," Xi pointed out that the keys to the successful cooperation are mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit.

The leaders of the five Central Asian countries spoke highly of the fruitful results of cooperation with China, praising the development of relations between Central Asian countries and China that has not only promoted their respective development and prosperity, but also effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability.

Li Yongquan, head of the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has always treated the five Central Asian countries equally, and has carried out practical cooperation with the five countries to help them resolve their most urgent problems.

Both sides said they viewed the summit as a significant milestone.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the heads of state of the six countries reviewed the past, summed up their experience, discussed cooperation, and reached many important consensuses, which will inject new impetus into the future development of relations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told media after the summit.

Closer community with shared future

"China stands ready to work with Central Asian countries to build on the good momentum and strive shoulder-by-shoulder to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future," Xi said in his speech, also making some proposals to realize the objective.

He announced that China will continue to provide vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies to Central Asian countries, and will step up joint production and technology transfer with respect to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

In 2022, China will provide an additional 50 million doses of vaccines as aid to Central Asian countries, and set up traditional medicine centers in countries where they are needed, Xi added.

The Central Asian leaders said they will work with China "together for a shared future," echoing the motto for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and said they eagerly look forward to attending the opening ceremony of the sporting event next week.

High-quality cooperation

Trade between China and Central Asian nations has grown by more than 100 times in the past 30 years, and the stocks of China's direct investment in the five countries exceeded 14 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Jan. 17.

Analysts said that the complementarity between China's economy and the economies of the five countries provides huge space and potential for them to expand their pragmatic cooperation.

In his speech, Xi suggested that the two sides should speed up high-quality cooperation, and strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and other high-tech sectors.

According to a joint statement released after the summit, China and the Central Asian countries agreed to strengthen the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative with the five nations' own development strategies.

"I believe the summit will open up broad prospects for Central Asia and China to further strengthen pragmatic cooperation," said Yerlan Madiev, an expert at the Institute of World Economy and Politics in Kazakhstan.
Brent crude oil prices rose on Wednesday to $90 a barrel, as low Cushing and distillate inventories combine with supply jitters in Europe, Russia-Ukraine tensions, and falling Russian seaborne crude imports from the Baltics.

As of 11:00 a.m. EST on Wednesday, even after the weekly U.S. inventory report from the EIA showed a build in crude oil inventories, WTI Crude prices were up 1.96% at $87.27, while Brent Crude briefly hit $90, up nearly 2% on the day.

Brent crude hit the highest level since 2014 as inventories at the Cushing hub in Oklahomathe delivery point for WTIsunk by another million barrels on Tuesday, according to API data, to the lowest point since 2012more than 30% below the five-year average.

Distillate inventories also saw a large draw, according to EIA data, of 2.8 million barrels, sending inventories to 2014 lows.

On top of U.S. fundamentals, the tension between the West and Russia over Ukraine continues to push prices up.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said, commenting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis: I have made it clear to  early on to President Putin that if he were to move into Ukraine, that thered be severe consequences, including significant economic sanctions, as well as Id feel obliged to beef up our presence  NATOs presence in  on the eastern front: Poland, Romania, et cetera.

Fears that sanctions on Russia could cause a shortage of crude oil and natural gas have rattled the commodity markets in recent days.

The final upward pressure in this oil price scenario is Russias exports from its Baltic Sea ports, which are set to drop next month to the lowest level in five months. The concern here is that Russia is unable to ramp up crude oil output as much as its OPEC+ agreement has allowed.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

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Exports of Russias flagship crude grade from its ports on the Baltic Sea are set to drop in February to the lowest level in five months, at a time when Russia is also thought to be struggling to raise its oil production as much as its OPEC+ quota allows.

Russia is expected to send from its Baltic ports next month 1.31 million barrels per day (bpd) of its flagship Urals grade popular with European refiners, according to loading data compiled by Bloomberg.

This would be the lowest volume of Urals shipments from Russias Baltic Sea ports since September 2021, Bloombergs estimates show.

The lower planned exports of Urals by sea could be the result of higher refinery runs in Russia and possible higher pipeline shipments of crude to Europe via the Druzhba oil pipeline, analysts have told Bloomberg.

Prices of the Urals grade have strengthened in recent months in northwestern Europe amid good refinery margins, JBC Energy analysts told Bloomberg.

While Russian Urals exports are expected to drop next month, Russia has seen setbacks recently in its attempt to pump to its OPEC+ quota.

Russia will likely continue to lag in the coming months, analysts told Bloomberg last week. Russia may be able to raise its output by 60,000 bpd each month in the first half of 2022just over half of the monthly production growth of 100,000 bpd it is entitled to, according to a Bloomberg survey of analysts.

Russian supply will level off in the next two months, Francisco Blanch, head of global commodities at Bank of America, told Bloomberg earlier this month, saying that triple-digit oil is in the works for the second quarter this year.

Demand is recovering meaningfully, while OPEC+ supply will start leveling off within the next two months, Blanch said, noting that it will be only Saudi Arabia and the UAE that can produce incremental barrels to add to the market.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Saudi Arabia, the worlds largest oil exporter, is expected to lift the official selling prices of all its crude grades sold in Asia next month on the back of solid demand and refining margins, refining sources told a Reuters survey this week.

Saudi Arabia usually sets the official selling prices (OSPs) of its crude for the following month around the fifth of each month, typically after the monthly OPEC+ meeting, which is scheduled for February 2.

The Kingdom is expected to increase all its prices for Asia for March, seven refining sources told Reuters in a flash survey on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The expected price hike would follow a cut for the February prices announced in early January, when Saudi Arabia lowered its OSPs to the lowest premium to regional benchmarks in three months, amid the rapid spread of Omicron and higher OPEC+ supply.

Expectations for March, however, are for an increase in the Saudi OSPs, due to higher Middle East benchmarks off which the crude going to Asia is priced, resilient demand in the Omicron wave, and strengthened refining margins for jet fuel and gasoil, the Asian refining sources told Reuters.

Saudi Arabias flagship Arab Light crude grade for the Asian market in March could be lifted by around $0.60 per barrel from the February price, the sources added.

For February, the Saudis had reduced the price of Arab Light for Asia by $1.10 a barrel to $2.20 per barrel over the Oman/Dubai benchmark, off which Middle Eastern exports to Asia are being priced. The premium over Oman/Dubai is the lowest for the Arab Light grade in three months.

For March, Reuters refining sources expect the price of Arab Light to rise by between $0.45 and $0.80 per barrel from the February price to a premium of $2.65 to $3.00 a barrel over Oman/Dubai.

Stronger jet fuel and gasoil margins suggest that the lighter grades could see higher price hikes than the heavier crude varieties, the refining sources told Reuters.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Some of the largest U.S. companies, including the biggest oil lobby, called on the Biden Administration and Congress this week to tread carefully with potential new sanctions against Russia that could hit American firms and their competitiveness.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden said, I have made it clear to  early on to President Putin that if he were to move into Ukraine, that thered be severe consequences, including significant economic sanctions, as well as Id feel obliged to beef up our presence  NATOs presence in  on the eastern front: Poland, Romania, et cetera.

President Biden was talking to reporters on one of the hottest geopolitical topics these daysthe threat of Russia invading Ukraine.

The standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine continues amid the Russian military buildup on the border with Ukraine. Amid the continued threat of possible Russian aggression against Ukraine, the Biden Administration is seeking to reassure Europe about its natural gas supply at a time of record-high gas and power prices amid low gas inventories and lower-than-normal supply from Russia.

Still, trade groups and the American Petroleum Institute (API) told Reuters this week that the Administration should carefully pick its fights in a possible new round of sanctions to limit the impact on U.S. companies.

The Administration and Congress need to get the details right in case they must follow through on the threat of sanctions, Jake Colvin, president of The National Foreign Trade Council, told Reuters.

API, via a spokesperson, also told Reuters that Sanctions should be as targeted as possible in order to limit potential harm to the competitiveness of U.S. companies, an API spokesperson said.

In a previous round of sanctions against Russia, U.S. supermajor ExxonMobil had to pull out of a project in the Arctic in Russia.

Following the U.S. and EU sanctions against Russia over the annexation of Crimea back in 2014, Exxon shelved its plans to take part in the exploration and exploitation of Russias Arctic shelf. Exxon was estimated to have lost more than $1 billion from the sanctions.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

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Top Vietnamese, Chinese leaders exchange Lunar New Year greetings

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping exchanged their letters of Lunar New Year greetings on January 25.













Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (left) and Chinese Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping (Photo: VNA)

In the letters, they stressed the important meaning of 2021 to both parties and nations, as Vietnam successfully organised the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam and China celebrated the 100th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of China.



Looking forward to 2022, the top leaders agreed to maintain regular exchanges, and orient further developments of the Vietnam - China relations in the spirit of neighbourliness, friendship, comradeship and partnership.



They requested Vietnamese and Chinese ministries, sectors and localities to seriously implement the nations high-level common perceptions; bolster practical economic, trade, and investment cooperation; diversely promote people-to-people exchanges; and tightly collaborate in disease prevention and control.



The leaders also ordered good control and tackling of differences between the sides based on peaceful negotiations in line with international law, helping develop the Vietnam-China relations of neighbourliness, friendship and comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in a healthy and sustainable manner, serving fundamental and long-term interests of the two parties, countries and peoples, for peace, stability, cooperation and prosperity in the region and the world over.



They wished Vietnamese and Chinese parties, states, and peoples a peaceful, happy, and successful New Year of the Tiger./.
The ink had just dried on a judges order upholding the City of Omahas mask mandate Tuesday when an attorney opposed to the mandate set eyes on whether they could get the issue before another set of robes.

Dave Lopez, a private-practice attorney and former assistant Nebraska attorney general representing three Republican members of Omahas City Council, said he was exploring how, and how quickly, this case could get to Nebraskas Supreme Court.

The short answer: It probably will not be quick or easy.

In the vast majority of cases, the Nebraska Supreme Court requires that any appeals be based on a final order. Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman merely declined to issue a temporary restraining order on Tuesday  and isnt close to a full hearing on the case.

Stratman pointed to Nebraska Supreme Court decisions that say a judges ruling on a temporary injunction is not an appealable order.

Additionally, in her 30-page decision, Stratman emphasized that both sides will present evidence at a yet-to-be-scheduled permanent injunction hearing. At such a hearing, the state could present additional information that would change her mind regarding who has the power to enact measures related to communicable diseases in the City of Omaha. The state had argued that such mandates require approval from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

For now, Stratman rejected that argument. Siding with the city and county, she pointed out that the plain language of the Omaha municipal code requires that the health director shall take all measures necessary to prevent the introduction ... of malignant, contagious and infectious diseases.

The Omaha City Council gave Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse the authority to act as the citys health director. In turn, the judge decided, she had a right to impose a mask mandate to try to quell the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases.

This plain text appears, at least at this stage, to support the authority (the city and county) assert Dr. Huse possesses, Stratman wrote.

Lopez, who represents council members Aimee Melton, Brinker Harding and Don Rowe, said that although we respectfully disagree with the Courts conclusion, we appreciate the attention the Court devoted to this case on such a short timetable.

This is, as the Court recognized, a critically important case about the balance of governmental power, Lopez said. As such, we believe it should ultimately be decided by the States highest court and as quickly as possible.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said his office disagrees with the decision but recognizes the high bar required to put a stop to a law.

A very important question still needs to be resolved in this case, Peterson said in a statement. That question is whether our laws allow one unaccountable official to unilaterally impose these kinds of mandates on individuals and businesses backed by the threat of fines or imprisonment.

No date has been set for a permanent injunction hearing.

In a two-hour hearing Monday, attorneys had pointed out that Huse, desperate to combat COVID-19, had sought the counsel of city and county attorneys to see if she had a path to a mask mandate.

Huse then gave a report to the Douglas County Board on Tuesday morning suggesting that COVID-19 cases appear to be starting to come down off of hopefully the peak of this omicron spike.

By noon Tuesday, she got word that the judge had upheld the mandate.

We felt we were on solid legal ground and were pleased with the judges decision, Huse said in a statement. The Health Department has and will continue to work tirelessly in this battle against COVID-19, and we hope that with everyones cooperation we can soon return to normal.

Stratman rejected the argument that Huse had to get approval from the HHS director. Huse would have had to get such approval had she been acting as Douglas County health director. But Huse was acting in her de facto position as city health director, appointed by the Omaha City Council.

Historically, rejecting a restraining order doesnt bode well for the states attempts to overturn the mandate. While judges can change their mind, they rarely deviate from what they decide as far as a temporary restraining order.

Any hearing on a permanent injunction likely would be weeks away. Though omicron may pass by then, attorneys say the issue is still important.

Judge Stratman put it this way: This matter involves weighty disputes between the parties about the balance of power between the City of Omaha and the State of Nebraska to regulate matters pertaining to health within Omahas city limits.

The judge also noted that a lot can change as the case progresses. The City Council could pass a resolution on masks. Or it could rescind its assignment of health director duties to Huse. Its not clear whether the City Council would do so  just three of the seven members had joined the state in attempting to stop Huses mandate.

In making this difficult decision, the Court takes into consideration the fact that even as litigation progresses, intervenors, as members of the City Council, maintain legislative power, Stratman wrote. To the extent that immediate action needs to be taken in this matter, it can and should be taken by the city and states respective legislative powers.

A state senator has proposed a bill that would require all local health departments to hold public hearings, and seek HHS approval, before issuing health directives. It is unclear whether that bill will proceed to a vote this year.

During Mondays hearing, the state argued that Huse didnt have a right to issue a mandate without HHS approval. The state also noted that in August, Huse sought to issue a mask mandate for the county but was denied by the HHS director.

The state suggested that Huse was trying to do an end-run around the requirement that she get HHS approval. They also suggested that her mandate could cause irreparable harm because of the threat of jail or fines for those who violate the mandate.

Under Huses order  which is similar to one passed by the City Council in 2020  masks are required for people over age 5 in indoor public venues, such as schools and many businesses. Exceptions include religious services and places where it is possible to maintain 6 feet of distance. Before it went into effect Jan. 12, Huse said it could expire after four weeks.

In roughly the two weeks since the mandate went into effect, Omaha police officers have issued no citations or written warnings.

Officer Michael Pecha, an Omaha police spokesman, said that as of Monday  the 13th day with the mask mandate in place  Omaha police fielded five complaints regarding mask wearing. Officers followed up on the calls and went to three grocery stores, a retail store and a gas station. Pecha couldnt provide more detailed information on the complaints.

Comparatively, in the first five months of Omahas mask mandate enacted Aug. 11, 2020, there were 389 logged complaints and officers issued only six citations.

Robert Slovek, an Omaha attorney hired to defend Huse, had rejected assertions that Huse was acting out of anything but a desire to combat a global pandemic. Slovek said city and county attorneys laid the foundation for Dr. Huse to do her work.

The judges ruling demonstrates that Dr. Huse was acting in good faith on behalf of the citizens of Omaha, Slovek said.

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Todd Cooper Reporter - Courts Todd Cooper covers courts, lawyers, trials, legal issues, the justice system and government wrongdoing for The World-Herald. Follow him on Twitter @CooperonCourts. Phone: 402-444-1275. Follow Todd Cooper Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
A federal judge has dismissed two of four claims in a lawsuit filed by a Council Bluffs man against Sarpy County, alleging that his constitutional rights were violated after he was shot in the eye by a pepper ball while observing a May 2020 Omaha protest after George Floyd was killed.

U.S. District Judge Brian Buescher last week dismissed the 14th Amendment and negligence claims while upholding the First Amendment claim. Sarpy County did not seek to dismiss a claim related to the Fourth Amendment.

Adam Keup filed the federal lawsuit against Sarpy County, Sheriff Jeff Davis and four deputies in August after he initially filed a tort claim against the county.

The lawsuit claims that the deputies were not trained to use pepper ball guns and acted unreasonably by exacting excessive force. Keups right eye is barely functional because of a blind spot and a torn sclera, which causes additional problems like double vision. He also has said he has suffered emotional pain and works with a therapist to treat his post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident.

Keup is seeking an unspecified amount of money to pay for his medical care and cover compensatory and punitive damages and attorneys fees.

Similar instances of police force during protests have occurred in other cities. On Monday, the Denver City Council approved a $500,000 settlement to a college student who was shot with a foam projectile during the citys protests over Floyds death, the Denver Post reported. That student needed stitches and has vision problems, his attorneys said.

Keup and his partner had gone to the first night of Omahas protests at 72nd and Dodge Streets on May 29, 2020, about 11:30 p.m. His partner, Grady Brodigan, had wanted to take photos of the lingering demonstration, and Keup stood on a sidewalk on Cass Street near 72nd, about 100 feet from law enforcement and peaceful protesters.

Keup said that, as his partner took photographs, four Sarpy County sheriffs deputies wearing riot gear walked through the Walgreens parking lot toward him. One deputy raised a pepper ball gun and fired  hitting him in the right eye and in the shoulder.

Keup fell to the ground and deputies grabbed him and flushed his eye out with water without his consent, according to the lawsuit, causing more pain.

Attorneys for Sarpy County argued that because Keup was standing idly when he was hit, he was not involved in any expressive conduct that the First Amendment would protect.

Judge Buescher disagreed, saying that prior case law has demonstrated a constitutional right to record and observe police activity in public.

... (T)he ability to watch and assist in taking photographs of a protest is activity protected by the First Amendment, Buescher wrote in his 15-page order. When Keup was observing the protest and assisting his partner in photographing the event, he was engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment.

But Buescher rejected the 14th Amendment claim because of redundancy with the First and Fourth Amendment claims and dismissed the negligence claim, agreeing with Sarpy County that the government is entitled to sovereign immunity.

Sovereign immunity bars Keups claim of negligence against Sarpy County and Sheriff Davis in his official capacity, the judge wrote.

Davis personal attorney, Jeff Kirkpatrick, said he was pleased with the judges order because it simplifies the lawsuit and got rid of some unnecessary claims.

It does simplify things going forward for discovery and trying to resolve the matter, Kirkpatrick said.

Robert Keith, an attorney representing the county, declined to comment because of the pending litigation.

Keups attorney, Brian Fahey, said in a statement that he and Keup were content with the judges order.

We are very pleased the court recognized Adams First Amendment right to observe police and protest activity at the moment he was shot without warning, Fahey wrote. We will continue demanding accountability for Adams disabling injury as his case progresses.

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Jesse Eret, who has been serving as the acting director of emergency management for Sarpy County, has been named to fill the position.

The Sarpy County Board on Tuesday approved his selection.

Eret has been with the agency since 2016 and was involved in the county's 2019 flood fight. The Sarpy County Emergency Management Agency coordinates efforts to address man-made and natural disasters.

Sarpy County Board Chairman Don Kelly said Eret proved himself with the flood.

Eret helped establish the Sarpy County Long-Term Recovery Group after the flood. He chairs the Sarpy County Local Emergency Planning Committee and the Emergency Management Committee for the Tri-County Homeland Security Working Group.

Before coming to Nebraska, he worked in the New Mexico Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, where, among other duties, he directed the State Emergency Operations Center during numerous disasters.

Eret has served as the acting director in Sarpy County since September. The previous director, Lynn Marshall, died last year.

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Downtown Omaha would see a signature new high-rise corporate headquarters and the long-discussed midtown streetcar line would become a reality under a blockbuster development plan set to be announced by Mutual of Omaha and the City of Omaha.

Mutual of Omaha will reshape the downtown skyline with its planned skyscraper headquarters that could become the citys tallest at more than 40 stories, according to sources close to the project.

As recently speculated, it would go up on the site of the current main city library at 14th and Douglas, which the city is relocating to make way for redevelopment of the block.

Meanwhile, Mayor Jean Stothert told The World-Herald on Tuesday that the city is announcing plans for a three-mile streetcar system that will run from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to Omahas riverfront.

A streetcar system has been talked of for more than two decades, but it has never gotten on track because of questions of how it will be financed.

Stothert said she will unveil a streetcar plan on Wednesday that was developed by a Greater Omaha Chamber working group dedicated to Omahas urban core. The plan includes a plan for financing the system that wont rely on city taxpayers.

Its the right time for Omaha to support a streetcar, Stothert said. The momentum we have to change our urban core forever is undeniable.

The Mayors Office has scheduled a press conference for 11 a.m. Wednesday where Stothert will announce a pair of significant urban core development announcements.

Stothert told The World-Herald recently that more than half a dozen developers were interested in the site where the 45-year-old W. Dale Clark Library sits.

In November, the mayor announced the relocation of the librarys public and administrative services ahead of a demolition that is expected to wrap up by the end of the year.

Mutual, a Fortune 500 company headquartered employing some 4,000 workers at its current headquarters at 33rd and Dodge Streets, was one of the companies rumored to have been interested in the site. It recently announced that it had launched a facility needs study that could reshape its headquarters.

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Downtown Omaha would see a stunning new high rise corporate headquarters and the long-discussed midtown streetcar line would become a reality  with no projected tax increase  under a blockbuster development plan announced by Mutual of Omaha and Mayor Jean Stothert.

Mutual of Omaha will reshape the downtown skyline with its planned skyscraper headquarters that could become the citys tallest. An architects concept rendering depicts a glassy 40-plus story building rising above the block currently occupied by the downtown library at 14th and Douglas Streets.

The tower would sit along the route of a three-mile city streetcar line that would run from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to Omahas riverfront.

Stothert said vetted projections show the $225 million cost of building the streetcar system would be completely paid for by using tax-increment financing, harnessing the new property tax dollars generated by new developments along the line.

Those new developments would include not only the new Mutual headquarters but the sizable redevelopment of Mutuals current midtown campus once the company vacates it to move its 4,000-employee Omaha workforce downtown.

Its the right time for Omaha to support a streetcar, Stothert said. Mutual of Omahas plan to build a new downtown headquarters is the first example of what is possible, and why now is the time. The momentum we have to change our urban core forever is undeniable.

Indeed, while a number of rounds of city approvals are ahead over the next year, the plans jointly announced Wednesday by Stothert and Mutual of Omaha CEO James Blackledge carry the potential to visually and economically transform the landscape of both downtown and midtown Omaha.

The new Mutual tower will be the first significant addition to downtown Omahas skyline in almost a generation. There also may never have been a bigger single infusion of workers into Omahas downtown core.

And at a time businesses across the nation are crying out for skilled workers, Mutual and the city said the new developments will attract young professionals, talent and other new businesses into Omahas urban core.

It about knocked me off my feet, Stothert said of the first time she saw an image of Mutuals new building. We knew that site was prime real estate, and we knew whatever was going to go there had to be something really great. Because in the future when you see the skyline or picture of Omaha, this is what you're going to see.

Plans call for construction to begin on both projects by next year, with both open and functioning by 2026.

While the two proposals are not technically linked, Blackledge said the citys commitment to a modern streetcar line was critical to the decision of the Fortune 500 company to locate in the heart of downtown.

Not only does Mutual value having its new headquarters on the line, he said, the streetcar system brings enhanced financial value to the redevelopment of its current campus. Not only does that assure the midtown area will be viable without Mutuals workforce, he said, it helps make possible the downtown skyscraper that will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build.

Stothert agreed the two plans work in tandem. James has made it very clear that they would not be able to build this tower . . . if the streetcar wasn't part of the plan, she said. That's why this is so important to announce these together.

Proposals to build an Omaha streetcar system date back a quarter century to the administration of then-Mayor Hal Daub. But the lack of a plan to pay the massive cost of building the system has kept the idea from ever getting on track.

Stothert on Wednesday unveiled a streetcar financing and route plan that was developed in recent years by a Greater Omaha Chamber working group dedicated to enhancing Omahas urban core.

The streetcar system will primarily run east and west along Farnam and Harney Street and will be bookended by two major developments that are in the works: the $400 million riverfront parks and science museum to the east; and UNMCs $2.6 billion Project NExT medical facility to the west.

But Stothert said its the new private developments in between that will be the key to paying for both the systems construction and ongoing operating costs. There will be no charge to ride the streetcar.

Everywhere streetcars have been built, they have attracted private development along the route that tends to exceed expectations, Stothert said. The city expects extraordinary development along the streetcar line, she said.

The city will then use tax-increment financing, or TIF, to capture a portion of the enhanced property tax dollars generated by the new developments to pay the startup costs for the streetcar system. Under TIF, the extra tax money from such projects is diverted to underwrite the redevelopment efforts, rather than boosting the property tax revenue that supports schools and other local governments.

While the estimated cost of building and launching the streetcar system is estimated at $225 million, Stothert said federal guidelines call for a 35% contingency in case of unexpected costs, so the city would need to raise $306 million.

But she said that should be more than covered by an estimated $354 million in generated TIF dollars. Those dollars come from three pots.

New developments on three blocks either side of the streetcar would contribute 25% of their TIF proceeds. That element alone is projected to generate $218 million.

Under authority it has under state law, the city also plans to extend the timeline of already existing TIF projects along the route from the current 15 years to 20 years. Those five additional years of payments would generate $50 million.

The third part will come from existing properties that see increased valuations within a special TIF district that will be established by the city, raising $86 million.

Stothert said the city will issue special revenue bonds and private placement bonds to pay for the systems construction. The buyers of those bonds will be paid back over time by the TIF taxes paid each year by property owners.

The buyers of the bonds assume any risks with their investment, leaving little or no risk for taxpayers, she said.

Stothert said the city had the chamber groups finance plan vetted both by a finance team at First National Bank of Omaha and the citys bond counsel. She said both affirmed that it can be funded without any kind of tax increase.

If as expected there are additional TIF funds left after payments to bondholders, she said those dollars could be put to other good uses, including developing affordable housing, the cost of converting one-way downtown streets to two-way and improved pedestrian access.

Then theres the estimated $6.4 million cost of operating the system annually. Stothert said that would be covered by parking revenues related to the new developments, including new parking garages planned along the streetcar route.

Given the lack of risk to taxpayers with the vetted plan, Stothert said she is comfortable going forward without first seeking some kind of voter approval  an element she has previously said a streetcar plan would need to have to earn her support.

I understood the value of a streetcar, but nobody has told me how to pay for it and how to operate and maintain it without a tax increase, she said. The urban core committee has presented a funding plan to me that works.

Stothert said the streetcar system would be run as a city enterprise, overseen by a new city authority whose representatives would be appointed by the city, Metro Transit and the chamber. Since the city owns the system, Stothert said it makes sense for the city to operate it, with Metro as a partner. She said Metro officials have signed on to that plan.

All the elements of the plans are just proposals at this point, subject to City Council approval, Stothert said. The first elements of the plan could go to the council by March.

I truly believe that this is the right thing for all of Omaha and truly the right thing for downtown right now, Stothert said. And it's going to be of great benefit to the city now and far, far into the future.

One of the key developments along the streetcar route will be the new Mutual tower.

Mutual's new headquarters will arguably be the first major addition to the downtown Omaha skyline since Union Pacific announced its headquarters building in 2001, which opened in 2004. First National Tower, which at 45 stories is the citys tallest building, was announced in 1998 and opened in 2002.

While the current library site has been discussed previously as a possible redevelopment site, it was only within the last four months that Mutual emerged as a potential occupant for that block, Stothert and Blackledge said.

Mutual for years has been studying its facilities needs and a potential new headquarters. Mutual was approached a year ago by developer Jason Lanoha, who proposed Mutual build its new headquarters downtown.

The developers focus, though, was putting the tower on the long-vacant block at 14th and Dodge where Union Pacific had its former headquarters.

Lanoha also suggested that Mutual ask the city if it would be willing to reroute its developing streetcar system to include the new headquarters site along its path. So Mutual approached the city in September with just such a plan.

At the time, the city was in the process of relocating the downtown library and considering a half dozen potential developments for the site.

Rather than mess with the streetcar route, the city instead offered up the library site to Mutual. Stothert credits the city economic development team of Troy Anderson and Kevin Andersen with hatching the idea, which she endorsed.

We just felt like Mutual had a plan, it was viable and they were ready, she said. And I love that they have Omaha in their name.

The rendering of the new headquarters released Wednesday shows a glass tower more than 40 stories tall. That makes it similar in size to the First National Tower.

Blackledge said the exact number of floors wont be known until Mutual completes an ongoing study of its space needs in a post-pandemic world, when its believed many workers will continue to work remotely or in hybrid ways.

But given the size of Mutuals current campus and Omaha workforce, he said, he believes the new building will be on the scale of the First National Tower or taller.

Just what takes shape in the redevelopment of Mutuals current midtown campus will be up to the developer, though Mutual officials say they foresee the possibility of housing, corporate offices and retail, either in existing buildings or new ones.

In addition to its campus, Mutual developed the neighboring Midtown Crossing complex and owns land between Turner Park and Interstate 480 that is primed for development.

Blackledge said the tower is the chance to create an inspiring workplace for Mutuals workers while contributing to making downtown Omaha vital. He said hes excited that the new building will face Omahas new downtown and riverfront park redevelopment.

We are inspired by the energy in downtown Omaha, he said, and recognize the importance of a vibrant urban core for the citys future.

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Relocation of a Fortune 500 company and a new streetcar route will help to spur development in the downtown corridor and should be a perk for young professionals in the community, according to a trio of development experts.

Omaha officials unveiled plans Wednesday for Mutual of Omaha to move its headquarters from midtown to the site of the W. Dale Clark Library in downtown Omaha. Also announced were plans for a 3-mile streetcar system that would run from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to Omahas riverfront.

The president of the Omaha City Council said the project represents an investment in the citys urban core but also noted that the project still has to go through the necessary approvals.

An Omaha resident was wary of the project, citing concerns about workplaces shifting to remote or hybrid options and the relocation of the downtown library.

W. Todd Johnson, senior vice president of economic development with the Greater Omaha Chamber

The move should accelerate development along the streetcar route and in the heart of downtown, Johnson said.

Young professionals, especially, should benefit, and the plans should help retain and recruit young people. Some of the young professionals involved with the chamber were briefed Tuesday evening, Johnson said. The plans were well received.

Young professionals want to live somewhere cool. Streetcars are cool. Towers and parks and mobility are cool, Johnson said. This  even just having a rendering and a picture  this is wind in our sail.

Scott Dobbe, executive director of Omaha by Design, and modern streetcar advocate

The streetcar project is about more than transportation, Dobbe said. It also should help incentivize businesses to move or open downtown as well as help retain and recruit talented young professionals.

Omaha is at an advantage in being able to see how other cities run their streetcar programs, Dobbe said. The east-west route  and eventual extensions north and south  should help to spur mixed-use development and provide more walkable, vibrant and healthy neighborhoods, he said.

From housing to businesses to restaurants and neighborhood watering holes  mixed use and mixed income is the key to more inclusive, thriving communities, Dobbe said.

Mutuals move is a vote of confidence in the way the citys downtown core is headed, he added.

A strong and vibrant core is kind of like a beating heart. If thats healthy, the region is healthy, Dobbe said. To have that vote of confidence from Mutual that they see the trajectory were on as a city is thrilling to me.

Jay Noddle, president and chief executive officer of Noddle Cos.

Plenty of big announcements come along in the evolution of a city, Noddle said, but few change the trajectory of the city.

Mutuals move and the streetcar project are among such announcements and are part of a domino effect resulting from the riverfront and downtown park revitalization, he said.

The streetcar will connect the bookends of the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus with downtown and the riverfront. Noddle said he expects to see the project bring more jobs and more housing to the citys core.

Im 100% confident were not going to recognize this part of Omaha 10 years from now, he said.

Already, Noddle said hes aware of interest and activity in developing downtown. He expects to see several types of residential developments and a dramatic redevelopment of the land where Mutuals current headquarters sits.

Its already a pretty remarkable place, but this city will be a first-choice city, and it will be a world-class city when all this is complete, Noddle said.

Jay Lund, developer and modern streetcar advocate

This has been the work of so many over a very long time, and I couldnt be happier to see it become a reality. The streetcar will be a catalyst for more density, which will bring new jobs and housing back into the core, Lund said. World-class cities have world-class transit systems and, most importantly, they are walkable. Midtown and downtown are the heart of Omaha, and these neighborhoods will now have yet another mode of transportation for people to choose.

Nicole Wheeler, Omaha resident and co-owner of the Dundee Book Co.

Before moving forward with the project, the city should study the long-term impacts of tax-increment financing, Wheeler said.

We should have some analysis of this at some point before continuing to go all-in on it, she added.

Many companies have shifted to remote or hybrid workplaces because of the pandemic. Building a corporate headquarters at the end of a park may not pack the same punch as it did 20 to 30 years ago, Wheeler said.

We are moving our library in a seemingly hasty manner, so that we can try and build downtown features that are not modern, she said.

Brinker Harding, Omaha City Council member

The health of a community is dependent on its core, Harding said. He cited Mutuals earlier investment in midtown, which spurred development and investment in Blackstone and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Now Mutual of Omaha is committed to making a similar investment in our downtown. I am confident that this venture will yield incredible results for Omaha and the metropolitan area.

Pete Festersen, Omaha City Council president

City Council members were briefed late last week with general details of the planned announcement, including Mutuals involvement, Festersen said.

A new skyscraper, 4,000 jobs and an associated streetcar are transformational economic development projects that represent a major reinvestment in our urban core, Festersen said. The City Council looks forward to reviewing all the details and the proposed financing, which will still require many public hearings and City Council approval in coming months.

The mayors announcement came the morning after council members heard from Omaha residents on the move of the W. Dale Clark Library. The council is expected to vote on lease agreements for two new library locations Feb. 1.

Council members do still have practical questions on the new branch locations, Festersen said, but this does add a lot of context regarding the proposed move. I do think this information and its relationship to the proposed leases should have been shared with the council and the public earlier.

David Brown, CEO of the Greater Omaha Chamber

Brown called the twin developments a big, big deal.

History was made today, he said. Not just because Mutual of Omaha is putting down new stakes and shouting from the mountaintops to say, We are here to stay and were proud of it. But were also putting in place a really important piece of infrastructure that will help us retain and attract talent for a long time to come.

Dr. Jeffrey Gold, chancellor of the University of Nebraska Medical Center

The streetcar would aid in the development of UNMCs Project NExT, a planned $2.6 billion medical and training facility on campus, Gold said.

The younger generation who will be the future employees of Project NExT want that type of public transportation, they want a direct connection to the urban core of the city, he said.

Gold said he envisions the possibility of an enclosed terminal at UNMC where the trains would turn around to head back downtown. It could be developed on land that UNMC is developing on the west side of Saddle Creek Road and connected to the campus by a skywalk.

Hal Daub, former Omaha mayor

All good things come with time, said Daub, who first proposed a streetcar system in Omaha in the 1990s. You have to be tickled by both of those announcements. And I give the mayor very high marks. Shes bold and courageous, and shes got vision.

Laura Marlane, executive director of the Omaha Public Library

Marlane said the streetcar and revitalized park should help to draw more people downtown and the move opens up more opportunities for the library system.

The new downtown branch isnt meant to be a main library, Marlane said. The 30,000-square-foot branch will meet the needs of the downtown community.

We need to look at the possibilities that are being offered to us now and really jump on these opportunities, she said. In more than 30 years of library work, Ive not been a part of a building project, and I dont know many librarians who have. Its a rare thing, and its certainly not something you want to pass up if the opportunity is there. To have a brand-new, 21st-century building that really meets our needs and the communitys needs, I think this is going to be a tremendous gift to the city, and I hope people realize that.

Aimee Melton, Omaha City Council member

The announced projects are wins for the city, Melton said. Added to that are the riverfront development and reshaping the city skyline.

Its very exciting for the economy of Omaha and also to spur future economic development, she said.

Economic development will benefit everyone in the city, regardless of whether they live near the streetcar route. These projects will make the city more attractive and will help keep young people in the city, she said.

Melton said that ways to retain young professionals include being property tax friendly and being attractive by offering the ability to live, work and play.

Its a breath of fresh air of continued revitalization of our downtown area, she said.

Vinny Palermo, Omaha City Council member

Palermo said public transportation is key, and it works best in highly populated areas, like the urban core. Expanding to South Omaha and North Omaha would be a logical next step, he said.

Palermo said hes done research on streetcars in other cities and his big takeaway is that the project can benefit all ages, especially seniors who are ready to hang up the car keys.

We see a lot of people up in age who live or want to live in the urban core. How do we keep them there? Get transportation, he said.

Palermo stressed that hes happy the city will retain Mutuals 4,000 employees. But he wants to see jobs created by these new projects given to people who already live in the city.

I love this investment of the urban core, Palermo said. A lot of these skilled jobs come from people in my district. We need to make sure those jobs are available to them. As we build Omaha, we have to have Omaha citizens build Omaha.

Danny Begley, Omaha City Council member

Begley, whose district includes the downtown library site, called the announcements earth-shattering news for economic development.

Mutual is choosing to stay in Omaha and do something spectacular downtown, Begley said. Im looking forward to getting the details and listening to the process of finances that are laid out. Well certainly dive in and Ill hear from my constituents on it.

As the Mutual and streetcar plans move forward, Begley said hes still not sold on the 1401 Jones Street building proposed by the Mayors Office for the new location of the downtown library branch.

Were a city that can do a lot of great things at once, and I dont think that theres any reason we need to rush into 14th and Jones to build a library, Begley said. We can find better than that location.

Don Rowe, Omaha City Council member

Rowe said he supports both projects and that they can contribute to a strong urban core.

I think that if we let opportunities like this get away from us, our core is at risk, Rowe said. If our core is at risk then the rest of our city would be, as well.

The District 5 councilman said that as the move of the W. Dale Clark Library is finalized, he thinks people will be very pleased with the result.

The staff thats working (at W. Dale Clark) day in and day out, theyve said theyre excited about the potential of what could be a world-class library system for Omaha, Rowe said.

World-Herald staff writers Jessica Wade and Henry Cordes contributed to this report.

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A bill to create innovation hubs that support burgeoning businesses in economically distressed areas of Nebraska sailed to the second round of debate on Wednesday with overwhelming support.

State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha had designated Legislative Bill 450 as his priority, increasing the likelihood it would be debated.

Under the bill, universities, banks, local economic development departments, nonprofits, business incubators and other entities could collaborate to create the iHubs, which would offer support to entrepreneurs. Such a group would have to apply to the director of the states Department of Economic Development to get the official designation. The department would oversee and assist iHubs.

The iHubs could offer help sorting through legal requirements, business planning, financing, marketing, taxes, budgeting and bookkeeping, as well as other important aspects of running a business. They could host workshops and conferences or facilitate partnerships.

Current hubs across the country include tech entrepreneurship programs, accelerators, economic development initiatives, nonprofits joining to become philanthropy collectives, and small businesses creating informal hubs to network amongst themselves, McKinney said.

Most of the half-hour, first-round debate on the measure consisted of senators asking and answering questions about the hubs and where they could be located. They have to be within designated economic redevelopment areas or enterprise zones.

Economic redevelopment areas are specified in the bill as areas of high unemployment and high poverty (using census data), and enterprise zones are areas of economic distress designated by the Department of Economic Development. Thats defined as conditions of high unemployment, poverty and declining population.

There are currently enterprise zones in Omaha, South Sioux City and Otoe County, and the department is accepting applications for up to two more.

McKinney pointed to a need in North Omaha, where he said businesses have lacked investment and economic sustainability for decades. But he also listed off other areas of the state that could potentially benefit, including Adams, Buffalo, Dodge, Keith, Madison, Sarpy and Scotts Bluff Counties.

He said the act will foster entrepreneurial innovation that, in turn, will promote economic growth, grow opportunities and help communities thrive.

Many ask what can be done to improve my district and other economically impoverished communities across our state. Innovation hubs can serve as a catalyst to do this, McKinney said.

An adopted amendment to the bill would allow iHubs to make loans. Sen. Matt Williams of Gothenburg, who chairs the Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee and supports the bill, said hell be talking to McKinney about how to make sure thats handled in a proper manner.

The bill passed on a 43-0 vote. Sens. Bruce Bostelman of Brainard and John McCollister of Omaha were present but didnt vote, and four lawmakers were excused. LB 450 will need to pass through two more rounds of debate before it heads to the governors desk to become law.

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Gov. Pete Ricketts proposal for spending $1.04 billion in federal pandemic relief funding would send money to a broad range of initiatives. And, in a hearing that lasted nearly eight hours Tuesday, groups that would benefit from his ideas praised the plan.

It was the causes that wouldnt get funding  or at least enough of it  that fueled some objections at the Appropriations Committee's hearing, including the state's public schools and areas of Omaha with large populations of Black and Latino residents.

Ricketts spending plan for money from the American Rescue Plan Act includes items in five categories: public health response; response to negative economic impacts; premium pay for essential workers; water, sewer and broadband infrastructure; and administrative costs.

Funds would go toward workforce housing, assistance for meat processors, expanding the law enforcement training center in Grand Island, grants for shovel ready projects, expanding health care facilities, replacing old ambulances in rural areas and more.

One by one, the Appropriations Committee ticked through mostly positive testimony on the list of spending items.

A proposal that attracted some opposition would send money to low-income families affected by learning loss. The $60 million pilot program would allow families to put that money toward private school or toward resources like tutoring and digital-learning subscriptions.

Jeremy Ekeler, associate director of education policy for the Nebraska Catholic Conference, testified in favor of the proposal.

The education recovery accounts will, in a targeted and efficient fashion, get assistance into the hands of low-income families whose children have been hit hardest during this pandemic, he said.

The funds would be available to students in public, non-public and home school, he said, and the pilot program would collect data to gauge its impact on students. Nebraskas 110 Catholic schools have lost almost 1,500 students since the COVID-19 pandemic began, he said, and theyd like to retain them.

The money wouldnt go to a school, it would go to a parent. But Ekeler rejected the idea that it would essentially be a voucher program, saying it goes into an account for a family to use on a wide menu of options.

Tanya Santos, a parochial school administrator in Omaha, also advocated for the program.

But several testifiers from the public school side of education felt differently.

Tim Royers with the Nebraska State Education Association and others expressed concerns about the funding actually delivering support for students.

The question that we need to ask ourselves today is this: How are we making sure that students are receiving additional support services on top of their regular schooling? said Royers, a former Nebraska teacher of the year.

State Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard asked Royers if he thought a child could be better off in a private school than a public school, and Royers acknowledged that could be the case.

Ill tell you right now, public schools are not the answer for every child, Erdman said.

But Royers and other testifiers urged the committee to instead send funding toward school psychologists and speech language pathologists, third parties that provide support via school programming, after-school programming, child care, summer school, retention measures for teachers and school counselors, incentive pay for mental and behavioral health professionals, school-based health clinics, tuition credits for teachers and more.

Instead of supporting the programs we know our students need most, we're busy trying to figure out how to divert funds into private school tuition dollars," said public school teacher Jared Wagenknecht.

A bill from Sen. Joni Albrecht of Thurston, Legislative Bill 1240, also includes the controversial pilot program.

It and some other spending items in the governors proposal that are also in separate bills will get their own public hearings.

That includes Ricketts' proposal to invoke a 1923 compact to build a canal that diverts water from the South Platte River in Colorado and connects to a reservoir system in Nebraska, as well as proposals from the Statewide Tourism and Recreational Water Access and Resource Sustainability (STAR WARS) special committee that include a 4,000-acre lake between Omaha and Lincoln.

This isn't the first time the concept of school choice has caused ripples this session. A bill aimed at using state tax breaks to help more low-income students attend private and parochial schools died this session after falling five votes short of ending a filibuster. The same proposal died last year, too. Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon has re-introduced the proposal, in LB 1237.

Another source of objections: Throughout Thursday's hearing, multiple testifiers said that the governors plan didnt send enough money to North and South Omaha.

"This once in a lifetime infusion of federal funding should offer this lifeline to South Omaha and North Omaha," said Marcos Mora, the secretary of the Latino Economic Development Council in South Omaha.

Lawmakers who represent those areas have introduced bills with ideas that would target federal funding for those communities, and those bills will also get their own hearings.

A few testifiers spoke to the governor's spending plan as a whole, including Laurel Sariscsany with the OpenSky Policy Institute and James Goddard with Nebraska Appleseed. While they supported some items, both raised objections.

Among other issues, Sariscsany pointed out that projects such as the canal could be wrapped up in litigation, and that some of the water projects may be better funded by the federal infrastructure bill or other sources. Goddard said there needs to be a balance between spending on causes like infrastructure and funding that supports struggling people.

"Overall, this bill does not strike that balance," he said. "It skews heavily towards buildings and waterways ... it doesn't do enough to help people facing serious difficulty."

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Monthly cash payments to poor mothers favorably impacted their babies brain activity, according a study that included infants from Omaha and Lincoln.

The study conducted in four U.S. metropolitan areas was funded in part by two Omaha-based groups  Weitz Family Foundation and the Sherwood Foundation.

Researchers wanted to test the connections between poverty reduction and brain development among very young children.

Mothers with newborns at Omaha and Lincoln hospitals were randomly selected to receive either $333 or $20 a month.

The mothers all had income below the poverty line  averaging just over $20,000 a year.

There were no restrictions on how mothers could spend the money.

After one year, brain activity was measured in 435 children using electroencephalography, a technique in which a cap is placed on an infants head.

Past research has linked high-frequency  fast  brain activity to the development of thinking and learning. Infants whose mothers received the higher payment had more high-frequency brain activity, researchers said.

Greg Duncan, one of the researchers, said the difference was not huge but significant.

Were cautious, but its a respectable difference, he said.

The difference, on average, was comparable to 20 points on the SAT or about one-third of the score gap between Black and White children on a national kindergarten entry test, he said.

Researchers are still gathering information on how moms spent the money, whether for food, utilities, rent or something else. They are studying how having more money may have changed parenting behaviors, family relationships and family stress.

Duncan said the findings so far will help inform debate on the pluses and minuses of a government safety net for families.

What our study is showing, I think, for the policy discussion, is that there may be these cognitive benefits for kids from such payments, he said.

Duncan is a professor in the School of Education at the University of California, Irvine. He grew up in Ames, Iowa, and attended Grinnell College.

The ongoing study, Babys First Years, is a collaboration by researchers from Teachers College, Columbia University; the University of Wisconsin, Madison; the University of California, Irvine; Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy; New York University; and the University of Maryland.

Professors at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been consultants on the study and will assist with later stages, he said.

Duncan said Omaha was drawn into the study because he had a connection with Katie Weitz, the foundations executive director, who was a former graduate student of his at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

She really worked hard to try to make Omaha a place where we could do the study, he said.

The moms in the study were not available for media interviews because of a confidentiality agreement with them, he said.

He said the moms were surprised to learn of the payments at the hospital.

As you would expect, they were incredibly thankful, and a lot of them thought it was miraculous that this is actually happening, he said.

Payments to families will continue until at least their childrens fourth birthdays.

The indications are that moms spent the money on essentials, he said.

Its a lot of basic needs, Duncan said. Its diapers. Its food on the table. Its making sure that the rent gets paid so we dont get evicted, or the utilities dont get shut off.

The researchers plan to have a more definitive analysis of that in the future.

Its possible, he said, that the money helped alleviate stress thats getting in the way of a child developing in a normal way.

He noted that there was diversity in the brainwave measurements in both groups.

There are a lot of the low-cash kids who are doing better than the high-cash kids, and a lot of the high-cash kids are doing worse than some of the low-cash group kids, he said.

He said that the differences dont suggest a gloom and doom future for the low-cash group.

The numbers just show relative differences between the groups, he said.

Researchers dont know if those differences will persist, or whether they will lead to differences in childrens cognitive or behavioral development, he said.

We know a lot of cases  and it shows up in the literature research studies  where kids overcome adversity and early poverty and end up being quite successful, he said.

Poverty has frequently been associated with differences in childrens brain development.

Kimberly Noble, professor of neuroscience and education at Teachers College, Columbia University, said until now, we havent been able to say whether poverty itself causes differences in child development, or whether growing up in poverty is simply associated with other factors that cause those differences.

Noble, the lead neuroscientist on the Babys First Years project, notes that childrens brains naturally adapt to their experiences.

All healthy brains are shaped by their environments and experiences, and we are not saying that one group has better brains, she said. But, because of the randomized design, we know that the $333 per month must have changed childrens experiences or environments, and that their brains adapted to those changed circumstances.

The study is funded by numerous government and private sources. Besides the Weitz and Sherwood Foundations, others included the Bezos Family Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Other metropolitan areas involved were New Orleans, New York City and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

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More news is good news  real journalism is a critical benefit to democracy and society.

The words of Hartley Burr Alexander over the grand north entrance to the Nebraska Capitol  The salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen  are foundational to my beliefs about government and central to my career.

Along with Nebraskas motto, Equality before the law, the Capitol inscription reminds us that the state derives its power from the people, and must be fair and transparent. As journalists, its our mission to be constantly watchful of how well our government and its agents  from the governor to police officers to tax clerks  meet those ideals.

Journalists set out every day to find stories that capture the character of the place they cover and help inform the citizenry on civic life. At its core, the latter involves questions of how our public money is spent and how elected officials and public employees form and carry out policy in our name.

Its no secret that local journalism has faced dramatic change in recent decades. Everything has. Banking, telephone service, health care and other aspects of daily life have all undergone technological and economic upheaval.

Since introduction of the smartphone in 2007 changed how information is delivered, Google and Facebook have captured hundreds of billions of dollars in advertising revenue that used to support local media. About half of newsroom jobs have been lost since the Great Recession.

Scores of small local papers have shuttered and many radio stations have little local reporting anymore, creating news deserts around the country that are at best ill-served by the growth of partisan and social media. Its important to appreciate that social media is merely a vehicle to deliver information thats both useful and useless, with the latter often disguised as the former.

Some, such as the Epoch Times, seek to fill that growing void with agenda-driven information dressed up to look like news. Outside of the propaganda/fake news world, two big things are happening in journalism. One is the digital transformation and business remodeling that legacy media is working through. This is where The World-Herald is, along with most of the rest of traditional media. The other is the rise of nonprofit journalism organizations, two of which have emerged in the past year in Nebraska with broader ambitions than niche digital nonprofits such as NOISE Omaha, meant to serve a specific community.

Journalists are mission-driven. Besides being inveterate storytellers, we believe mightily in government accountability. We believe people should be treated fairly and we believe in finding help for those who need it. A person doesnt have to be in journalism long to see how our work can serve those ends.

So the more than 300 members of the Institute for Nonprofit News around the country are generally created and staffed by dedicated, experienced journalists seeking to find sustainable ways to pursue their mission.

The World-Herald and I, then, welcome Nebraska Examiner, launched Tuesday; and Flatwater Free Press, which was introduced last summer. Both are led by journalists who honed their trade for some years at The World-Herald, so we are confident in their standards.

The Examiner is the nations 26th state-capital operation launched by States Newsroom, a national nonprofit funded by grants and tax-free donations. It is staffed by four World-Herald alumni.

Flatwater is led by two former World-Herald journalists, who work with a network of freelancers and two full-time reporters.

Ideally, the advent of these nonprofits is additive and can be collegial. For example, The World-Herald this month began an occasional series, Paying the Price, on Nebraskas prison crisis led by senior reporter Henry Cordes. Flatwater, at the same time, published a couple of strong pieces on worker pay and conditions corrections staff face. Weve talked and plan collaboration going forward to provide Nebraskans with more comprehensive shared coverage of this critical issue.

Are these nonprofits the solution to civic journalisms transition? No, but they can be part of the answer and can help citizens be watchful. Groups such as Flatwater and States Newsroom recognize they need the established reach of legacy media to get their work before a large audience.

For our part, we remain by far the most comprehensive media in Nebraska. Nowhere else will customers find nearly as much coverage of state government, the Huskers, Bluejays and Mavs, Nebraska education and high school sports, local government issues such as Omahas library debate, local development stories, restaurant news  the list goes on. We value exclusive journalism and deep reporting, such as our series in the fall on The State of Beef, showing that ranchers are getting a historically small cut of record consumer beef prices as packing consolidation rises. The reporting must have been good  The New York Times replicated our main story a few months later, and Sen. Deb Fischer cited it when she was among sponsors of a bill on transparency in beef pricing.

The World-Herald each week publishes more than 200 state and local items on our digital platforms and more than 150 in print.

Every day, we are dedicated to our mission of helping Nebraska citizens be watchful. To the degree that any other news organization helps that cause, we welcome them.
SPRINGFIELD  The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to decide whether public officials who are under investigation or charged with crimes may use their campaign funds to pay for their legal defense.

The court heard oral arguments last week in a case involving a former Chicago city alderman, Daniel Solis, then chairman of the City Councils Zoning Committee, who was being investigated by the FBI for allegedly taking campaign donations from developers in exchange for official action.

Solis did not run for re-election in 2019 and was succeeded by Byron Sigcho-Lopez, who filed a complaint over the matter with the Illinois State Board of Elections.

On May 21, 2019, the day after Sigcho-Lopez was sworn into office, the 25th Ward Regular Democratic Organization, which Solis chaired, used $220,000 to pay the law firm Foley & Lardner, LLP, for defending him. The purpose of the payment was first reported by local media.

Solis was not prosecuted in the case. Instead, he entered a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department in exchange for agreeing to wear a wire and aid in the investigation of another Chicago city alderman, Ed Burke, who is the husband of Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne Burke.

Anne Burke has recused herself from the case, as has Justice Mary Jane Theis. Neither gave an official reason for their recusal.

That leaves only five justices left to decide the case, but the Illinois Constitution still requires four justices to agree on a decision.

ISBE dismissed the complaint, saying the Illinois Campaign Disclosure Act prohibits the use of campaign funds to satisfy personal debts, but it specifically permits the use of campaign funds to defray the customary and reasonable expenses of an officeholder in connection with the performance of governmental and public service functions.

The question before the court is whether the cost of a criminal defense lawyer is a personal expense or an expense directly related to Solis governmental or public service functions.

Are we at that point in Illinois where we're going to say that that's an ordinary expense of holding public office? Justice Michael Burke asked during oral arguments. Michael Burke is not related to Anne or Ed Burke.

The Illinois statute itself does not define the difference between personal and official expenses. But Adolfo Mondragon, the attorney for Sigcho-Lopez, argued that criminal defense costs cannot be considered part of an elected officials governmental functions.

The purpose of the campaign Disclosure Act of the Illinois election code is to deter and mitigate public corruption, he said. Consequently, any interpretation of the Campaign Disclosure Act that allows for the use of campaign funds to pay for public office holders criminal defense against investigations or charges of public corruption, the very evil the law was designed to combat, is antithetical to the legislative intent.

But Michael Dorf, attorney for the 25th Ward committee, argued that public corruption investigations are, by definition, directly tied to an officeholders official duties, so attorney fees should be considered an allowable use.

The expenditure was not for strictly personal use and would not have occurred if Alderman Solis we're not a public official, he said.

Nearly 10,000 women traveled from out of state to have an abortion in Illinois in 2020 The data shows roughly a 29% increase compared with the previous year, according to the most recent Illinois Department of Public Health data available.

Most political campaigns routinely incur legal expenses, and payments to attorneys frequently appear on campaign finance statements without any specific explanation of the type of legal work being performed.

Modregon conceded that it was through only news reports that the public learned of the purpose of the 25th Ward committees payment to Foley & Lardner, but he said that assertion was uncontested at the administrative hearing before the State Board of Elections.

Dorf, meanwhile, argued that if lawmakers want to ban the use of campaign funds to pay for criminal defense attorneys, they could write that into the statute, and he noted there are two bills pending in the General Assembly to do just that.

One of those is House Bill 2929, by Rep. Deanne Mazzochi, R-Elmhurst, who called on Democrats to consider the bill in light of the Supreme Court case.

"This shouldn't be a matter of ambiguity in Illinois state law, she said in a news release Tuesday. Regardless of how the court eventually interprets current campaign law, this shouldn't remain a statutory loophole. Letting this continue sends the wrong message: that literally, corrupt and unethical public officials who abused their office don't have to pay for their misdeeds, they can just continue to abuse their office to troll for campaign funds and keep the insider game going.

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100 years ago

Jan. 26, 1922: Second Christian Church (now defunct) at Evans and Mulberry streets is two years into a five-year improvement program. At the annual meeting, parishioners felt a lot of good was accomplished both for the physical plant and the spiritual needs of the congregation.

75 years ago

Jan. 26, 1947: Al Capone died last night, four days after suffering a stroke at his Miami Beach mansion. Capone was a Prohibition-era gangster the feds never could catch until they charged him with income tax evasion. He was such a powerful figure that, for some people, he defined Chicago.

50 years ago

Jan. 26, 1972: Obituaries today include retired circus aerialist and Bloomington native Harry Foreman, 78. Foremans circus name was Harry La Marr, and his troupe was the Flying La Marrs. His most unusual booking may have been for the 1951 Saybrook homecoming.

25 years ago

Jan. 26, 1997: Bloomington businessman and entrepreneur Richard Hundman died yesterday at age 85. His business rivals and local government leaders had praise for his character and ethics. Hundman was a developer and home builder who once ran a gas station and heating oil service.

Compiled by Jack Keefe; jkeefe@coldwellhomes.com.
STC Chief Executive Officer, Nana Akomea has called on the State authorities to apply the country's laws to save the citizens and society.



Addressing the tragic incident that occurred in Apiate at Bogoso killing more than dozens of the residents and over 170 sustaining various degrees of injuries, Nana Akomea opined that this should be a wake-up call.



He noted that obedience to the laws can keep tragic incidents as the Apiate explosion under considerable control.



His reason, he explained, is that there are laws governing the transportation of explosives, therefore believing the explosion could have been averted if the carrier of the explosives had complied with the laws.



Speaking to Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', he asked the authorities to take a cue from the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Dampare, who to him, is setting a good example.



''Ever since Dr. Dampare came, what has he been doing? He's applying the laws, that's all! He hasn't introduced anything new. So, you can feel that Ghanaians are crying for the laws to be obeyed. That's all!...All he's doing is just to apply the laws...but we wait for things to get messy resulting in a disaster before we quote the laws. So, what has happened, it should not be in vain'', he said.



He added that the Apiate explosion should serve as lessons to the nation saying ''the lesson is that, from today, if we will let the law about transport of explosives work, that will be a lasting testimony; a lasting legacy of this tragedy that's befallen Ghanaians at Apiate and not just that, let's try and make the laws work. The society will change''.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye (MP) has charged the new board of the TDC Company Limited to reinvert their operational strategies and focus on the governments new Affordable Housing Programme that aims to increase access to safe, secure, adequate, and affordable housing to the low to middle-income earners across the country.



He made this known during a short ceremony to inaugurate the new Governing Board of the TDC Company Limited here in Accra on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.



Governments new affordable housing policy direction is to leverage on private sector investment by facilitating the provision of secured land, along with the requisite infrastructure, as well as work with relevant state institutions to grant tax exemptions, with the private sector providing the funding to undertake the actual construction works.



With the Ministry having completed the modalities for the implementation of the affordable housing programme, the Asenso-Boakye indicated that the Ministry of Works and Housing is ready to collaborate with the TDC on proposals that relate to the provision of affordable housing, adding that the success of this noble objective would be an enduring legacy of the government of H.E President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



The Minister expressed his appreciation to the management of TDC Limited for the demonstration of consistent demonstration of operational viabilities over the years, which has seen the company increased its profit margins and by extension, impacting the socio-economic development of the country.



I am also aware of the companys 4% revenue returns between 2018 and 2019. The Minister added.



Acknowledging the contribution of TDC in the provision and development of infrastructures such as social housing, industrial enclaves and maintenance and construction of roads and public buildings, Asenso Boakye indicated his confidence in the new Board to consolidate the gains of the past, optimize the efficiency of the company, and make governments affordable housing programme successful.



It is my hope and expectation that, it would never be said anywhere that it was during the tenure in office of this Board that TDC was unable to make any significant contributions to government receipts or played that critical role required in support of government agenda to increase access to safe, secure, adequate, and affordable housing across the country. Asenso Boakye added.



The Minister further reiterated the importance for the Board to focus on their mandate of providing strategic direction to the management and desist from engaging in the direct day to day administration of the company, indicating that such undue interferences have in the past, created problems in the smooth operations of institutions.



The Chairperson of the Board, Hon. Kofi Brako, on behalf of members, expressed his profound gratitude to the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo for honouring them with the opportunity to serve on the AESL Board.



He assured the Minister of the Boards commitment to providing excellent leadership to ensure that TDC plays an impactful role in the Presidents Affordable Housing Programme. We are mindful of the sacred trust impose in us and this is an opportunity to serve our country and much work awaits us to further transform TDC, he added.



The rest of the members of the Board are Ms. Alice Abena Ofori-Atta, Mr. Seth Abladey, Ms. Valerie Barbara Ashitey, and Hon. Davis Ansah Opoku, Mr. Nicholas Arthur and Surv. Samuel Abakah.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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An Ashanti regional chairman hopeful, Mr Odeneho Kwaku Appiah has been honoured with a Presidential Globe African Heroes Award for Hope and Reliance leadership honours.



The award was presented to him on Friday, January 21, 2022, at the Accra International Conference Centre by the Rectitude International Mission (RIM) and the Bureau of Research on Governance, Commerce and Administration (BORGCA).



Mr Odeneho Kwaku Appiah was awarded in recognition of his contributions to society over the past years.



He has presented a plaque with the inscription, Hope and Reliance Honors.



In a letter addressed to him about his selection for the award, the organizers wrote:



BORGCA and WODIF jointly write to acknowledge your immense contribution to Socio-Economic development of Ghana since Nana Akufo-Addo administration.



Your profound dedication, commitment and relentless devotion to be fair, free and firm in balance decision making have earned you this great compliment, commendation and accolades.



After Careful considerations on all nominations were evaluated and deliberated on for several hours in over thirteen weeks by the selection committee, you came up tops in the final top shortlist, the letter said.



Odeneho after receiving the award thanked the organizers for the recognition, adding that We pray for strength to continually be of help to society. I believe with the help of God, this and more can be done. God is our only hope.



Rectitude International Mission is a subsidiary organization of the Bureau of Research on Governance Commerce and Administration [BORGCA].



It is the International Relations Unit of BORGCA, acting in all internationally related affairs as well as events/programmes on behalf of all BORGCAs subsidiary agencies.



BORGCA is a research centre for governance, commerce and administration related issues.



The Bureau basically observes, monitors and collates information on selected interests aimed at purposes of effectiveness/recognition and performance in its competitive analysis.



It was formed to give a new look and direction focusing more closely on individual activities and the administrative performance of corporate institutions in African societies.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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The Hilla Limann Foundation on Sunday, January 23, donated assorted items to the Tamale Children's Home in the Northern region to commemorate the 24th anniversary of the passing of the late Dr Hilla Limann, president of the 3rd Republic of Ghana.



Led by Dr Zilla Limann, a daughter of the late former president, the Foundation presented assorted items including provisions, detergents, stationery and water.



Dr Zilla Limann exhorted the inmates and staff of the orphanage to model their lives after the late former president who, being an orphan himself, strived to attain the highest levels of education and eventually the highest office of the land.



She was hopeful that the donation would go a long way to help address some of the challenges of the orphanage and the children.



The Head of the orphanage, Madam Janet on behalf of the staff and children expressed gratitude for the donation and appealed for further support to fence the foundation and refurbish their playground.







The Hilla Limann Foundation, a public nonprofit organisation run on donations, was formed in 2006 but launched in 2018. It has since engaged in a number of educational and philanthropic activities after the character of the late former president  a great philanthropist, scholar, statesman and diplomat.



Speaking to the media after the donation, Dr Zilla Limann reiterated the resolve of the Hilla Limann Foundation to preserve the legacy of the late former president by pursuing its four simple yet all-encompassing objectives:

"To create awareness about true democracy, to raise awareness about human rights, to promote human development for the poor vulnerable, and to eradicate the abuse of human rights through education"



She expressed gratitude to all individuals, the Government of Ghana, corporations, and private foundations that have supported and provided funding for the activities of the Foundation, thus helping to achieve the ultimate vision of empowering Ghanaians for excellence.



Dr Hilla Limann was President of Ghana from 1979 to 1981. A military junta led by the late former President Jerry John Rawlings toppled his administration. Dr Limann died on January 23, 1998, leaving behind a wife and seven children.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Five of the six-member car snatching syndicate arrested in connection with a robbery incident in Tamale last Sunday were convicted on their own pleas by the Circuit Court in Tamale on Tuesday, January 25.



Yussif Mustapha, 23; Ibrahim Issah, 27; Seram Addo, 34; Adjei Benjamin, 23, and Vivor Christopher, 27, are facing five counts of conspiracy to rob, robbery, possession of fire arms and ammunition without lawful authority and possession of police and military accoutrements.



A sixth accused person, Alhassan Mohammed, 29, a teacher who is said to be an informant to the robbery gang, pleaded not guilty to the charges.



The court, presided over by Mr Alexandra Oworae, deferred the sentencing of the five to Friday, January 28, 2022, while Mohammed was remanded into prison custody.



He is to reappear on February 9, 2022.



The court also issued a bench warrant for the arrest of three other suspects said to have been supplying the accused persons with arms and ammunition.





Background



The six, believed to be members of a syndicate operating in the Tamale Metropolis and its environs, were arrested by the police for allegedly snatching a car from its owner at gunpoint at Jonshegu, a suburb of Tamale last Sunday.

Five of the suspects initially bolted with their booty, but were pursued and arrested at Sawaba, near Buipe, in the Savannah Region.



The sixth suspect, Mohammed, a teacher of Kanvile R/C Primary School, who is said to be an informant for the robbers, was later picked up at a hideout.



The police retrieved a G3 riffle with a magazine loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition, a pistol, a pair of gloves, a military cap, two military scarfs, a catapult, a coil of cellotape and military ID cards from the suspects.



Upon interrogation, Mustapha Yussif, who was in military uniform, named a source that provided them with guns and ammunition.



The police then proceeded to a house and retrieved a G3 rifle fitted with a magazine loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition.



According to the police, while the suspects were being interrogated, a victim of the robbery gang identified a black Toyota Camry robbed in August 2021 on Tamale-Nanton road.



The said vehicle was subsequently impounded by the police.





Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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An application by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro, Dorcas Afo Toffey, praying a Sekondi High Court for leave to amend her answers to a petition in which she is being challenged to produce evidence of her renounced Ivorian citizenship before contesting and winning the 2020 election, has been granted by the court.



The MP has filed some documents she says is evidence of her renunciation, but the document is in French.



The court subsequently, ordered the NDC MP to file the amendment of her answers to the petition within seven days.



Earlier Ruling



It would be recalled that at the last sitting, the court, presided over by Justice Dr. Richmond Osei Hwere, struck out the application on grounds the MP had failed to comply with the courts earlier order to exhibit proof of renunciation certificate as ordered by the court in its June 22, 2021 ruling.



The court said the application by the MP was as if there was no order to be obeyed.



It said the Applicant has completely disregarded the order to produce documents evidencing her alleged renunciation of her Ivorian citizenship.



The court therefore, did not dismiss the MPs application but struck it out and indicated that the applicant was at liberty to reapply.



French Issue



At the court sitting yesterday, counsel for the MP, Godwin Edudzi Tamakloe, told the court that his client has filed an evidence of her renunciation as an Ivorian national.



The evidence, which is in a form of a letter and purported to have been written to the Ivorian government about the MPs intention to renounce her Ivorian citizenship, is written in French.



Lawyer Tamakloe, therefore, prayed the court to grant their reapplication to amend his clients answers.



However, Bright Okyere Agyekum, counsel for the petitioner who wants the MP to vacate her seat, opposed the request by the counsel for the MP and explained that the purported evidence of renunciation should be translated into the English language before the application could be considered.



Counsel for the MP, however, appealed to the court to grant the application and stressed that they would be able to file the amendment and the translated version of the evidence of renunciation together to fast track proceedings.



The court therefore, granted the request and ordered the respondent to file the amendment within seven days.



The Story



One Joshua Emuah Kofie from Nuba-Mpataba in the Jomoro Constituency is challenging Dorcas Toffey, to produce evidence of her renounced dual citizenship in court.



According to Kofie, the MP was not qualified to contest as the peoples representative in the countrys legislative assembly.



The Sekondi High Court on June 22, 2021 subsequently ordered the MP to within 10 days produce for inspection and copying of the renunciation certificate of her Ivorian citizenship or any document evidencing renunciation of her Ivorian citizenship.



The MP, the respondent in the case, appealed against the ruling of the court and followed it up with a motion for stay of execution pending appeal before the Court of Appeal in Cape Coast in the Central Region.



The Court of Appeal on July 26, 2021, unanimously dismissed the MPs motion for stay of execution pending appeal.



With the view to obtaining compliance of the High Court ruling, the Registrar of the court served hearing notices on the parties to appear before him on September 23, 2021 for production, inspection and copying of the documents, as ordered by the High Court.



The respondent failed or refused to turn up before the Registrar as summoned and also failed to produce the document at any other forum for any inspection and copying as ordered.



On August 10, 2021, the MP filed an application praying the Sekondi High Court for leave to amend her answer to the petition. After a number of adjournments, the application was moved.



The MP, who was the applicant in that case, in her affidavit in support averred that per Article 48 of the nationality code and law on identification of persons, once someone who holds an Ivorian nationality expresses an interest in not being an Ivorian national again, in order to become a national of another country, the person forfeits his or her Ivorian nationality.



However, Joshua Kofie, the respondent in this case indicated in his affidavit in opposition that unless the applicant complied with the order of the court for production of the documents, the MP is undeserving of any favourable order of the court.



He continued that the instant application for amendment by the MP was in bad faith and seeks to circumvent the orders of the court.



In his ruling at the last court sitting, the judge, Justice Dr. Osei-Hwere made it clear that what the Appeals Court ruling meant was that the June 22 order of the High Court must be complied with.



Justice Dr. Osei-Hwere mentioned that the applicant claimed her said renunciation happened in 2019.











Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Eastern Regional Chief Imam, Alhaji Yussif Amudani Sulemana, has urged Ghanaians, especially the youth, to desist from calling their aged mothers witches.



The youth, according to him, should rather accord such women with dignity and respect.



He indicated that the practice of tagging old women with witchcraft should be stopped immediately.



In an interview with the Daily Graphic at his Koforidua Zongo residence last Saturday, the Chief Imam explained that those who called their mothers' witches did that because their mothers did not allow them to engage in negative activities such as stealing, smoking of harmful substances and prostitution.



Disgraceful

According to Alhaji Sulemana, those who engaged in such disrespectful acts must stop now since it frowns on most religions, especially Islam.



If indeed, old women, as well as our old mothers, are truly witches, they would have killed us at infancy. We will not have even gotten the chance to live or grow, he stated.



Alhaji Sulemana therefore appealed to teachers, community leaders, chiefs as well as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to carry out educational programmes to teach children as well as adults, to refrain from calling old women witches.



He also advised women to take good care of their children and urged the police to deal drastically with anybody, particularly the youth, reported to have called an old woman a witch.









Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mr. Koku Anyidoho has assigned reasons for distancing himself from the activities of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a party he once served as the former Deputy General Secretary.



According to Mr. Anyidoho, there is a frosty relationship between him and the current General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.



He said he took a back seat from all activities of the party because Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia once told him in the face that he (Koku) had no locus in the party.



Mr. Anyidoho assigned this reason for distancing himself from all activities of the NDC in an interview with Accra FM on Tuesday, January 25, 2022.



He said: Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia in the middle of a media interview at the Police Criminal Investigations Department head office in Accra at the time of the arrest of the National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo over the supposed treasonable tape walked to the media personnel and told them to shun my company because I have no locus in the party after losing my position as deputy General Secretary.



Mr. Anyidoho said that act by Mr. Asiedu Nketia was disrespectful to him.



He told the reporters to disregard me because I have no locus indicating that I am nobody in the party, he stressed.



He added that he was shocked when the man, who was once his boss at the partys headquarters did that.



Mr. Anyidoho explained that this is the reason Ive distanced myself from the partys activities and now focusing on building the Atta Mills Institute, showcasing the legacies of the late President John Evans Atta-Mills.



Who am I to speak for a party of which I have no locus? he quizzed.



He explained that Mr. Asiedu Nketia seems not to have forgiven him for taking the bold decision to contest him in the last national executive election.



Explaining why he contested his former boss, Mr. Anyidoho said: Mr. Asiedu-Nketia had an earlier arrangement with me saying he was not interested in contesting for the position and that he had given me his blessings.



For some reason, he made a U-turn that he was still interested in the position so I took the decision to go all out not to disappoint my supporters in the party.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President John Mahama who was ousted from power after his shameful defeat in 2016 elections for taking Ghana to the International Monetary Fund, IMF that led to the collapsing of most businesses has turned the heat on President Akufo-Addo  Bawumia government for collapsing the economy.



According to Mr. Mahama, who suffered the second defeat in 2020 elections on poor policies announced by his party, claimed the Ghanaian economy has been collapsed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, hence resorting to borrowing.



He claimed the debt crisis, for which there are very few tangible projects to show, and the worsening economic hardship of Ghanaians amply demonstrate the negative impact of a collapsed economy.



Mr. Mahama lamented that these burdensome taxes will erode business capital, especially at a time when Government has crowded out the private sectors access to credit by its ferocious appetite for borrowing.



He made these known in a post on his Facebook page, after having a Retreat with the NDC Minority Members of Parliament for the closing session of their 2022 Caucus Retreat held on Monday at Ada, in the Greater Accra Region.



He said the retreat was a good session as they prepare to resume sittings, and after a year in which they demonstrated their commitment to pushing the desires and interests of their constituents and Ghanaians generally in the House.



He applauds the MPs for holding the government accountable and on behalf of the general membership of the National Democratic Congress.



It is important for MPs, as stressed by other speakers and the leadership, to always remember that they are representing the people and are also in the House to represent the NDC.



Mr. Mahama added that  the NDC remains opposed to the imposition of the numerous fresh taxes on Ghanaians at a time when the Government is living large and unwilling or unable to trim expenditure, cut waste and check corruption.









Source: Daily Guide









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President John Dramani Mahama has said the National Democratic Congress(NDC) will not soften its stance on its opposition to the controversial e-levy and other nuisance taxes by the government.



The NDC remains opposed to the imposition of the numerous fresh taxes on Ghanaians at a time when Government is living large and unwilling or unable to trim expenditure, cut waste and check corruption, the former leader said in a Facebook post a while ago.



He insisted these burdensome taxes will erode business capital, especially at a time when government has crowded out the private sectors access to credit by its voracious appetite for borrowing.



For him, the Ghanaian economy has been collapsed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia following the debt crisis, for which he says there are very few tangible projects to show for.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority in Parliament says the controversial Electronic Transaction Levy (E-levy) will not occupy the attention of Parliament as it reconvenes this week.



Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Ibrahim Ahmed, disclosed that the business committee has not scheduled the bill for consideration this week.



According to the Banda MP, the government wants to consult the Minority, the NDC, the NPP and the telecommunication networks before the bill returns to the house.



Let me state emphatically that clearly contrary to the expectation of many Ghanaians that the almighty E-levy, which brought fighting, commotion and chaos in our Parliament. And held the name of Ghana to public ridicule is not in the business statement of agenda in Parliament from Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday.

Source: kasapafmonline.com









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Lawyer Godwin Edudzi Kudjo Tamakloe, a Private Legal Practitioner with close ties to former President John Dramani Mahama, has hit back at another stalwart of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the latter's recent remarks that many considered as an attack on the personality of the former President.



He has cautioned Mr Bonsu to be mindful of his utterances as he seeks to make his flagbearer ambitions a reality.



Former Chief Executive Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), Kojo Bonsu, who is seriously pursuing an ambition to be flagbearer of the NDC, is reported to have described Mr Mahama as not fit to lead the party because his opponents have sullied his name with corruption and womens affairs to the extent that he has become unattractive to the floating voter.



The former Kumasi Mayor, in an interview, however pointed out that his desire to run for the presidency on the ticket of the NDC should not be misconstrued as hatred for Mr. Mahama because he genuinely does not have anything personal against him.



Its so sad...He [Mr. Mahama] is a great gentleman, speaks very well, very affable but he has been put in the mud so much, he bemoaned.



They have tagged him with corruption, womens affairs, and we the NDC have not been able to defend it and get him out of it, he complained.



But speaking on Okay Fm's "Ade Akye Abia" Programme, Lawyer Tamakloe counseled the NDC capo to refrain from making such comments about his former boss.



"When John Mahama appointed you, Kojo Bonsu as a mayor of Kumasi, the opposition from the party, especially in the Ashanti Region; in fact, I remember that even convincing assembly members to even vote for him was a huge task, and JM (John Mahama) was personally involved....



"So why do you want to now bite a hand that once fed you? If you want to contest, do so without attacking the personality of the former president other than that we will return fire if you go that way," he warned.



"But in any case why will a man accuse his fellow man of promiscuity when you are equally guilty of the same offence, it is only an unwise man who will say that to his fellow man," he added.



He maintained that though Kojo Bonsu has his constitutional right to partake in any NDC internal contest since the party is opened to a democratic, free and fair elections, it should not be at another's expense.



"But any attempt to denigrate the former first gentleman of the land for one's parochial pursuit would be met in an equal measure....you must go about your business in a very civil and decorous manner," he advised.



Watch Video Below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Today, Queens:- A voluntary group which is at the forefront of canvassing and mobilizing grassroot support for Hon Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen has responded to the concerns of the Kumasi Central Market women.



The group has donated 200 bags of cement and trips of quarry stones to the Kumasi Central Market women to help improve their newly allocated market space for business.



You will recall that, not too long ago, the market women at the Kumasi Central market were relocated to some satellite markets to create space for the construction of the phase II of the Kejetia Central Market by the NPP government.



The ultramodern market is financed by the Deutsche Bank of Germany, with export credit guarantee from the United Kingdom Export Finance (UKEF).



Receiving the materials on behalf of the executives and the market women, Madam Sarkina, the queenmother of the mud fish sellers expressed her appreciation and thanked the voluntary group for the delightful treat. She further extended the appreciation to H.E Nana Akufo-Addo for the free senior high school policy and juxtaposed that to how market women are able to save the school fees of their wards for other profitable ventures.



According to Madam Sarkina, although the market women are not certain on who becomes the next leader for the NPP, they wholeheartedly stand with Queens and support the candidate the voluntary group is canvassing support for thus Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen. She added that, all the market women are ready and willing to raise funds for the honourable minister when the NEC of the party finally opens up for nominations because they believe Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen understands the market women and appreciate their industry better with his years of experience at the ministry.



It's not the first time Queens has made such a donation. The voluntary group in the not too distant past donated 200 bags of cement and trips of quarry stones to the Kumasi Race Course Market Women.



Background

On their routine visitations and consultations to mobilizing a stronger support base for the NPP into the 2024 elections, Queens, a women voluntary group met up with the executives of the Kumasi Central Market to preach the great strides chalked by the Trades and Industry Ministry under the able leadership of Hon. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen and also check up on how the market women are faring since their relocation.



The market women shared some of their concerns and challenges and prayed the NPP government to make sure each original shop or store owner gets an allocation upon completion of the new market. The women also made an appeal to the government to support them with some building materials to help improve their current space for their trading activities.



The phase II of the Kejetia Central Market is set to be completed in 2023.





Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former President Mr John Mahama has accused the government of mismanaging the countrys economy since assuming office.

In a Facebook post last Tuesday, Mr Mahama said Ghanaians are reeling under the impact of the countrys current debt crisis and the worsening economic hardships imposed on them by the government.



The Ghanaian economy has been collapsed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. The debt crisis, for which there are very few tangible projects to show for and worsening economic hardship of Ghanaians amply demonstrate the negative impact of a collapsed economy, he claimed.



Borrowing



The 2020 flag bearer for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) further indicated that the governments voracious appetite for borrowing and the imposition of burdensome taxes will erode business capital.



According to him, the Akufo-Addo-led administration had also crowded out the private sectors access to credit.



The NDC remains opposed to the imposition of the numerous fresh taxes on Ghanaians at a time when the government is living large and unwilling or unable to trim expenditure, cut waste and check corruption, he stressed.



Appreciation to NDC MPs



Mr Mahama commended the leadership and members of the Minority group for holding government accountable and demonstrating their commitment to protect and push for the interests of Ghanaians.



It is important for MPs, as stressed by other Speakers and the leadership, to always remember that they are representing the people and are also in the House to represent the NDC.





Source: graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Dr. Sarah Bernstein spoke out on Twitter about what it looks like to live with an underlying health condition, sparking a viral hashtag. (Marko Marinkovic)

For months, many people have couched news of COVID-19 deaths by mentioning that the majority of those who died from the virus had some sort of underlying health condition. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is one of them  and she found herself in hot water earlier this month after making similar comments during an ABC News interview.

During the Jan. 7 interview, Walensky pointed out that most people who are dying of COVID-19 are those with preexisting medical issues. "The overwhelming number of deaths  over 75 percent  occurred in people who had at least four comorbidities," she said. "So, really, these are people who were unwell to begin with." (A comorbidity, in case you're not familiar with the term, means that someone has one or more diseases or conditions, according to the CDC.) Walensky also said that this was "really encouraging news in the context of Omicron."

The CDC's list of comorbidities that increase a person's risk of developing a severe form of COVID-19 is staggering and includes everything from having a history of cancer to heart conditions and diabetes.

Walensky and other CDC officials spoke out after the interview and pointed out that her comments were taken out of context. A longer clip later released by ABC News had Walensky stating a "really important study" of 1.2 million vaccinated people found that only 0.003 percent of them died of COVID-19. Of those who died, most had underlying health conditions, she said. She also tweeted about people with underlying health conditions, writing, "We must protect people with comorbidities from severe #COVID19. I went into medicine  HIV specifically  and public health to protect our most at-risk. CDC is taking steps to protect those at highest risk, incl. those w/ chronic health conditions, disabilities & older adults."

We must protect people with comorbidities from severe #COVID19. I went into medicine  HIV specifically  and public health to protect our most at-risk. CDC is taking steps to protect those at highest risk, incl. those w/ chronic health conditions, disabilities & older adults.  Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH (@CDCDirector) January 9, 2022

Days after Walensky's comments, one doctor decided to speak out on Twitter about what it looks like to live with an underlying health condition.

Story continues

"Hi, I'm Sarah. I'm 35 and a doctor. I also have a heart condition that puts me at an increased risk for serious complications from covid. #IHaveAPreexistingCondition Does the face of #chronicIllness look different than you thought?" Dr. Sarah M. Bernstein, assistant professor of pediatrics, division of neonatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine wrote alongside a photo of herself sitting on a couch, smiling. "My life matters and so do the nearly 10,000 Americans who died from COVID last week. Please feel free to add your own image/story so we can show people what chronic illness really looks like. #IHaveAPreexistingCondition."

Hi, Im Sarah. Im 35 and a doctor. I also have a heart condition that puts me at an increased risk for serious complications from covid. #IHaveAPreexistingCondition - Does the face of #chronicIllness look different than you thought? pic.twitter.com/RCfyEBnyqm  Sarah Bernstein, MD, MHA, FAAP (@sbernsteinmd) January 24, 2022

My life matters and so do the nearly 10,000 Americans who died from covid last week. Please feel free to add your own image/story so we can show people what chronic illness really looks like. #IHaveAPreexistingCondition  Sarah Bernstein, MD, MHA, FAAP (@sbernsteinmd) January 24, 2022

Bernstein's tweet took off, earning nearly 60,000 likes, more than 8,000 retweets and plenty of comments from other people who have underlying health conditions.

Bernstein, who works in a neonatal intensive care unit, tells Yahoo Life that her work inspired her tweet. "Every patient that I care for in the NICU starts their life off with a compromised immune system," she says. "They cannot get vaccinated. They cannot protect themselves. I wish that I could share their pictures and tell their stories so that people could see who they are hurting when they choose not to wear a mask or wash their hands, but I cant, so I chose to share my own."

Bernstein has a heart arrhythmia called supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and has had heart surgery to try to correct her irregular heartbeat. She says she also takes medications twice a day to help control the rhythm of her heart.

"I think it's easy for people to dismiss numbers and statistics, but it's much harder to dismiss an individual," Bernstein says. "When people say, 'Only 0.4 percent of COVID deaths occur in children,' I hear, 'over 12,000 children have died a preventable death.' When people say, 'well, they had chronic conditions,' I hear, 'people with underlying health problems don't matter.' I have a chronic condition. This is my face, and my life matters. I am worth fighting for, and so are they."

Many people who responded in the comments of Bernstein's post shared similar sentiments. One of them is Teresa Pollack, a 33-year-old with type 1 diabetes, who included a photo of herself smiling while noting that she wants "to stay healthy today and tomorrow."

I love my life, over 22 years with #type1diabetes and want to stay healthy today and tomorrow. #ihaveapreexistingcondition and am at risk for serious complications from Covid. pic.twitter.com/RqeP2Pb8Pb  Teresa Pollack (@tderbia) January 24, 2022

Pollack, who lives in Illinois, tells Yahoo Life that she decided to share her story after seeing Bernstein's tweet. "I saw that she looked like me," she says. "I was even sitting on my couch like her when I read it. I've had type 1 diabetes for a very long time. It's always something that seems to be invisible to the average person."

Pollack points out that "the general public's assumption is that people with preexisting conditions look a certain way, but there are so many of us out there, and we're all different. You have no idea what people are living with, going through or what they've been through."

Bernstein's message also resonated with Kit Chase, a 27-year-old with asthma living in Illinois. "Empathy for others is declining as more and more people get fed up with restrictions," he tells Yahoo Life. "The idea of, 'Well, it's not affecting my life, so it's not really a problem,' has the potential to cause so much damage."

Chase says that the "disregard for the lives of people who have preexisting conditions is horrific." He adds, "Sickness doesn't always look like hospital beds and IVs and ventilators. Sometimes it looks like a healthy, active, young adult or an innocently happy child. Why should our lives matter less because of things outside our control?"

Chase says the pandemic has meant "a lot of isolation" for him. "I've been a martial artist for 22 years [and] I have not been able to train the way I used to or attend my karate classes," he says."When I go for walks, I often wind up in the middle of the road to avoid people who refuse to properly maintain an acceptable level of distance when they pass me while maskless. I do not go out for food. If my family goes out, they either bring me back something, or I find food some other way because I am uncomfortable being around people who aren't masked."

Bernstein says it has been a "balance" for her to navigate the pandemic safely. "Because Im a physician, I was never able to isolate at home or work remotely," she says. "Working in the hospital and seeing patients with COVID automatically puts me at higher risk, so I do my best to take as many precautions as I can  I wear a mask, avoid enclosed spaces when possible, wash my hands a lot and got the vaccine as soon as I was eligible, including the booster. I have also limited my social circle to people who are taking similar precautions so I can minimize my chance of exposure."

Pollack says she has learned to make decisions based on her personal risk. "I'm taking advantage of mitigation measures like vaccines and masks," she says. "Am I ready to go to a concert with a million people? Probably not. But I am able at this point to assess personal risk and make informed decisions about being in a small gathering of friends and family who I know have also been vaccinated and are practicing safe public-health measures."

Bernstein says she has "loved watching people share their stories and pictures and seeing the way they support each other" in the wake of her tweet.

"Living with chronic illness, especially an invisible one, can be extremely isolating, so watching people connect over shared experiences has been a really meaningful experience for me," she says. "If one person feels less alone, changes their perspective on how they view chronic illness or takes extra precautions before going out in public, then it's more than worth it."

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Credit: NASA/SDO/AIA/LMSAL

Through analyses of ice cores from Greenland and Antarctica, a research team led by Lund University in Sweden has found evidence of an extreme solar storm that occurred about 9,200 years ago. What puzzles the researchers is that the storm took place during one of the sun's more quiet phasesduring which it is generally believed our planet is less exposed to such events.

The sun is a prerequisite for all life on Earth. But our life-giving companion can also cause problems. When there is strong activity on the surface of the sun, more energy is released, something that can give rise to geomagnetic storms. This in turn can cause power outages and communication disturbances.

Predicting solar storms is difficult. It is currently believed that they are more likely during an active phase of the sun, or solar maximum, during the so-called sunspot cycle. However, the new study published in Nature Communications shows that this may not always be the case for very large storms.

"We have studied drill cores from Greenland and Antarctica, and discovered traces of a massive solar storm that hit Earth during one of the sun's passive phases about 9,200 years ago," says Raimund Muscheler, geology researcher at Lund University.

The researchers scoured the drill cores for peaks of the radioactive isotopes beryllium-10 and chlorine-36. These are produced by high-energy cosmic particles that reach Earth, and can be preserved in ice and sediment.

Analyzing ice cores led the researchers to their surprising results. Credit: Raimund Muscheler

"This is time consuming and expensive analytical work. Therefore, we were pleasantly surprised when we found such a peak, indicating a hitherto unknown giant solar storm in connection with low solar activity," says Raimund Muscheler.

If a similar solar storm were to take place today, it could have devastating consequences. In addition to power outages and radiation damage to satellites, it could pose a danger to air traffic and astronauts as well as a collapse of various communication systems.

"These enormous storms are currently not sufficiently included in risk assessments. It is of the utmost importance to analyze what these events could mean for today's technology and how we can protect ourselves," concludes Raimund Muscheler.

Explore further Traces of enormous solar storms in the ice of Greenland and Antarctica

More information: Chiara I. Paleari et al, Cosmogenic radionuclides reveal an extreme solar particle storm near a solar minimum 9125 years BP, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Chiara I. Paleari et al, Cosmogenic radionuclides reveal an extreme solar particle storm near a solar minimum 9125 years BP,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-27891-4
An artists depiction of NASAs James Webb Space Telescope, which will peer into the very early years of the universe and the atmospheres of nearby exoplanets. Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA's latest and snazziest mission, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on Christmas Day, deployed its 21-foot-wide mirror a mere two weeks ago and reached its orbital destination earlier this week. With a flashy new telescope now nearly a reality, astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, are chomping at the bit to start observing.

After months of anxiety about whether the $10 billion telescope25 years in the making and the successor to the highly successful Hubble Space Telescopewould even survive launch, let alone unfold from its chrysalis into a gold-blinged telescope, these astronomers feel confident enough to plan summertime observations of nearby galaxies and of some of our closest neighbors in the solar system.

"I'm so thankful that it launched and everything appears to be working. I think it's going to be just incredible," said Ned Molter, a UC Berkeley doctoral student working with campus astronomer Imke de Pater, who leads one of 13 teams given the chance to make early observations with the JWST. "I speak for many of us to say we're over the moon about the launch."

"What a beautiful Christmas present to have the James Webb Space Telescope launch on Christmas Day," echoed Dan Weisz, a UC Berkeley associate professor of astronomy who leads another team awarded observing time as part of the "early release science" program. "The whole of 2022 is going to be a Webb extravaganza. The first part of the year we'll get the telescope up to speed and commissioned, and in early summer and fall we'll start observing and then publishing a slew of papers about the first results. It is going to be the year of Webb. It's fantastic."

After its launch exactly one month ago, on Dec. 25, the JWST began coasting through space to its final destination, a point referred to as L2: a special place in the solar systema Lagrange pointwhere the gravitational pull on the telescope by Earth is exactly balanced by the gravitational pull of the sun. The JWST settled into orbit around L2 on Monday, Jan. 24, where it will remain forever, looking outward into the cosmos from the side of Earth that is opposite the sun.

Six-month commissioning

As the telescope transited to that point945,000 miles from Earth and four times farther from Earth than the moonscientists began aligning the primary mirror, which is a cluster of 18 smaller, gold-plated hexagonal mirrors, with the secondary mirror to get the sharpest images possible. Other scientists tested the many instruments onboard to make sure they work properly to record infrared light from objects in space.

Following the six-month-long commissioning phase, 13 teams chosen by NASA will take the new telescope for a spin, putting its instruments through their paces by targeting astronomical objects that will be the major focus of scientists during the telescope's planned 10 years of operation, and probably much longer.

"To have two of the 13 led by people at Berkeley was pretty exceptional," said de Pater, a Professor of the Graduate School who wrote her proposal in 2017 before her retirement from teaching last year.

Given the JWST's primary mission to study dim, distant galaxies and faint exoplanets, the observations planned by de Pater and her team of about 50 astronomers may seem out of character: They will turn the telescope on one of the brightest objects in the sky, Jupiter.

"They (NASA) wanted to get involvement from the astronomy community to see what is feasible, what Webb can do, and really pushing it to the limits," de Pater said. "We came up with the idea to look at the Jovian system, because Jupiter is extremely bright, but next to Jupiter, you have these really faint rings and some really faint satellites. Moreover, we will look at faint spectral features on Io and Ganymede while they are eclipsed in Jupiter's shadow, a quite challenging experiment since the two bodies will be very close to Jupiter and invisible at visible wavelengths. We thought it would make a really nice proposal to look at these large differences in brightness."

During her decades-long career, de Pater has used radio telescopes and optical and infrared telescopes, such as the pair at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawai'i and the Hubble Space Telescope, to study the atmospheres of our solar system's large planets, with particular attention to Jupiter's large storm, the Great Red Spot; the volcanoes of Jupiter's moon, Io; the icy surface of another Jovian moon, Ganymede; and Jupiter's rings. She is particularly eager to take advantage of the JWST's ability to detect mid-infrared light, which will give her access to different layers of Jupiter's atmosphere, ones she has not been able to explore using earthbound telescopes.

Credit: University of California - Berkeley

"We hope to find out more about the dynamics in the Great Red Spot and the aurora over the South Pole, and the chemistry and physics of the troposphere and into the stratosphere," she said.

Molter, who expects to graduate in August and remain with de Pater as a postdoctoral fellow to work with the JWST, plans to use the telescope's Aperture Masking Interferometer to study the individual volcanoes on Io. With new mid-infrared data, he hopes to accurately measure the temperatures of the volcanoes, which will allow comparison with volcanoes on Earth.

As a new graduate student back in 2017, he had hoped to write his thesis using JWST observations of Io's volcanoes, but as the launch date was pushed further and further out, he elected to study the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune instead.

"We sort of pivoted away from the Io science when Webb was being delayed so much," Molter laughed. "I had to graduate in a certain amount of time, so I found other projects."

Galaxy formation and dark matter

Weisz, an associate professor of astronomy, and his team will use their allotted time with the JWST to observe the Milky Way Galaxy and its nearby satellite galaxies. Weisz's main interest is galaxy formation, and in particular, the role of dark matterthe still mysterious stuff that makes up 85% of the matter in the universein galaxy formation.

He and his team of about 50 astronomers are focused on three different targets. One is M-92, one of the oldest globular clusters in the Milky Way and one of the most photographed by Hubble. The hope is that the JWST can detect the oldest and faintest stars and thus provide a more precise age for the clusterpreviewing what the JWST could do for all of the 100 or so globular clusters in the Milky Way.

Another target is an ultrafaint dwarf galaxya satellite of the Milky Way 98,000 light years from Earththat has surprisingly little normal, visible matter, but instead appears to be mostly dark matter. The JWST should be able to detect the galaxy's very faint stars and, with data from Hubble, map their motions in 3D, allowing astronomers to precisely weigh the dark matter and plot its distribution, constraining some of the theories of what dark matter may actually be.

Even farther away3.26 million light yearsis a star-forming galaxy that Weisz hopes will test the resolution of the JWST, and perhaps improve the cosmic distance ladder used to measure the expansion of the universe. All three targets will require exploring the capabilities not only of the telescope, but of the detectors that produce the data.

"We're building the software needed to basically take the JWST images and turn them into scientifically useful data products, like radiation fluxes, luminosities of individual stars, and galaxies and star clusters in our Milky Way and nearby universe," he said. "And then, we're releasing all the analysis software, the pipelines used to reduce it, the catalogs we're makingall of that stuff is just going to be made public as soon as we're done, so the community can immediately take it and apply it to their use observing or use it to plan future proposals."

While Weisz expects the JWST to help advance his field of galaxy formation in the local universe and refine distance measurements in the cosmos, he predicts the greatest discoveries will be about the very early universe and the conditions on planets around other stars, which were NASA's primary goals for the JWST. Some key questions about the history of the universe and of life in the universe could be answered in the next few yearsall potentially worth the price of the JWST.

"I think Webb has gotten a lot of negative attention because of its $10 billion price tag when it was only supposed to be a couple billion," Weisz said. "But at the end of the day, you look at this and you say, "Boy, if this is now going to last 10, 15 years, and it's going to open windows onto planets and ancient stars in the early universe and tell us about how we got here, it really is just kind of in line with all the other amazing things that NASA has done." You look at it in terms of its discovery potential, and I really think it's a great value."

Explore further Giant NASA telescope to open new vistas of space
A SpaceX rocket carrying a NASA weather satellite blasts off in February 2015 from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

A chunk of a SpaceX rocket that blasted off seven years ago and was abandoned in space after completing its mission will crash into the Moon in March, experts say.

The rocket was deployed in 2015 to put into orbit a NASA satellite called the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR).

Since then, the second stage of the rocket, or booster, has been floating in what mathematicians call a chaotic orbit, astronomer Bill Gray told AFP Wednesday.

It was Gray who calculated the space junk's new collision course with the Moon.

The booster passed quite close to the Moon in January in a rendezvous that altered its orbit, said Gray.

He is behind Project Pluto, software that allows for calculating the trajectory of asteroids and other objects in space and is used in NASA-financed space observation programs.

A week after the rocket stage whizzed close to the Moon, Gray observed it again and concluded it would crash into the Moon's dark side on March 4 at more than 5,500 miles per hour (9,000 kilometers per hour).

Gray appealed to the amateur astronomer community to join him in observing the booster, and his conclusion was confirmed.

The exact time and spot of impact may change slightly from his forecast but there is widespread agreement that there will be a collision on the Moon that day.

"I've been tracking junk of this sort for about 15 years. And this is the first unintentional lunar impact that we've had," Gray told AFP.

'Time to start regulating'

Astronomer Jonathan McDowell told AFP it's possible similar impacts have taken place unnoticed.

"There're at least 50 objects that were left in deep Earth orbit in the '60s, '70s and '80s that were just abandoned there. We didn't track them," he said.

"Now we're picking up a couple of them... but a lot of them we're not finding and so they're not there anymore," he added. "Probably at least a few of them hit the moon accidentally and we just didn't notice."

The impact of the SpaceX rocket chunk weighing four tons on the Moon will not be visible from Earth in real time.

But it will leave a crater that scientists will be able to observe with spacecraft and satellites like NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter or India's Chandrayaan-2, and thus learn more about the geology of the Moon.

Spacecraft have been intentionally crashed into the Moon before for scientific purposes, such as during the Apollo missions to test seismometers.

In 2009, NASA sent a rocket stage hurling into the Moon near its south pole to look for water.

But most rockets do not go so far from Earth. SpaceX brings its rocket boosters back through the Earth's atmosphere so they disintegrate over the ocean. The first stage is recovered and reused.

Gray said there could be more unintentional crashes into the Moon in the future as the US and Chinese space programs in particular leave more junk in orbit.

The US together with international partners is already planning a space station to orbit the Moon.

McDowell noted these events "start to be problematic when there's a lot more traffic."

"It's actually no one's job to keep track of the junk that we leave out in deep earth orbit," he added. "I think now's the time to start regulating it."

SpaceX did not immediately respond to request for comment from AFP.

Elon Musk's company is currently developing a lunar lander that should allow NASA to send astronauts back to the Moon by 2025 at the earliest.

 2022 AFP
Image of an alien drawn by a student from the UAE. Credit: Kharkhurin AV and Yagolkovskiy SR

Researchers from HSE University have found that people from different cultures evaluate other people's creativity differently. Russians tend to believe that the more unusual a drawing is, the more creative it is, while participants from the United Arab Emirates tend to believe just the opposite. The paper was published in Frontiers in Psychology.

Cultural specifics determine the way an individual evaluates other people's creative products. People unconsciously perceive ideas of creativity and creative work through their cultures. These, in turn, impact the evaluation of creative products. But it is still unclear how cultural differences manifest in the assessment of such products. To find this out, Anatoly Kharkhurin, Associate Professor at the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences (assisted by Sergey Yagolkovsky, Associate Professor at the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences) carried out a study as part of a project by the Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre.

In the first stage of the study, the researchers used the Thomas Ward's Structured Imagination Test. The participants were students of HSE University and American University of Sharjah (UAE). The students were asked to imagine, draw and describe a creature living on another planet. This test was used to evaluate the respondents' ability to think outside the box.

The images were analyzed for three characteristics: bilateral symmetry, two eyes and four limbs. Alien creatures with all three properties resemble familiar depictions of humans and animals on Earth. However, an alien could be drawn without conforming to these rules.

Then, the drawings were evaluated by jury members from Russia and the UAE. The Russian jury included 53 students aged 1720, while the UAE jury included the same number of participants aged 1726. One hundred drawings were selected in equal numbers from both countries. The jury's task was to evaluate the drawings' creativity on a scale from 1 to 5.

Image of an alien drawn by a student from Russia. Credit: Kharkhurin AV and Yagolkovskiy SR

The researchers supposed that representatives of different cultures would evaluate the drawings differently.

The Russian jury awarded points much more generously than their Emirati counterparts, regardless of the nationality of the author. Drawings by Russian students garnered 3.12 points from the Russian jury and 2.54 points from Emirati judges, compared to 2.33 and 1.94 points respectively for drawings by the UAE students.

Data analysis showed that the differences in scores were related to how familiar the aliens looked. In the first stage of the study, when drawing aliens, UAE students generally deviated from typical features less frequently than Russian students. This might be because Emirati students were less approving of a creative task that called for breaking the rules. The group from the UAE saw the more unusual drawings as less appealing and, therefore, evaluated them as less creative. The Russian participants, on the contrary, believed that the less an alien looked like a terrestrial animal or a human, the more creative the drawing.

"People from different cultures evaluate creative work differently. Representatives of 'western' countries value innovation and originality in artwork, while people from 'eastern' cultures value esthetics and authenticity of artwork. That's why in western countries, violation of common standards are appreciated, whereas in eastern ones, they are viewed with disapproval," said Anatoly Kharkhurin.

But, despite all the cultural differences in the perception of creativity, both the Russian and the UAE juries evaluated the creativity of the drawings by Russian participants more highly. This may be related to the fact that the rules of esthetics, unlike perceptions of creativity, are universal for different cultures, and both groups found the drawings by the Russian participants more esthetically pleasing.

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More information: Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin et al, Cultural Variations in Evaluation of Creative Work: A Comparison of Russian and Emirati Samples, Frontiers in Psychology (2021). Journal information: Frontiers in Psychology Anatoliy V. Kharkhurin et al, Cultural Variations in Evaluation of Creative Work: A Comparison of Russian and Emirati Samples,(2021). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.764213

Provided by National Research University Higher School of Economics
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Shown four images of hypothetical peersa boy playing with cars and trucks, a girl playing with cars and trucks, a boy playing with a Barbie and dollhouse, and a girl playing with a Barbie and dollhousechildren from Thailand and China were then asked a simple question: Would you want to be their friend?

Their answers depended on which country they were from.

Doug VanderLaan, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Toronto Mississauga, and his colleagues found that children from Thailand, which traditionally has a culture more open to non-binary/diverse gender expressions, were more open to being friends with gender non-conforming peers. By contrast, children from China, which has traditionally viewed gender in binary terms, masculine or feminine, were more biased against non-conforming peers.

The researchers' findings, which could have implications for advancing acceptance of gender diversity, were recently published in the journal Developmental Science.

"I thought this would be interesting ... because of this difference between Thai society and many other societies, where there isn't as much visibility and tolerance of gender diversity," says VanderLaan, the study's principal investigator and study site leader in Thailand.

"Specifically, I was curious about whether children from Thailand show the same biases against gender non-conformity that have been observed in the U.S., Canada, Netherlands, and now China. And the answer was no, they don't."

The researchco-authored by one of VanderLaan's former graduate students, as well as collaborators from China and research assistants at VanderLaan's field site in Thailandincluded Chinese and Thai children between the ages of four and nine. VanderLaan and his colleagues also found that children from China preferred to be friends with other children of the same gender at a much earlier age, while Thai four-to-five year-olds showed no clear gender-related preferences.

However, VanderLaan says that Thai children between six and nine years-old preferred children who were of the same gender or who displayed same gender-typed toy play. Specifically, he says boys liked the boy playing with cars and trucks, or to a somewhat lesser extent, the girl who was playing with the cars and trucks. Meanwhile, girls in this age group liked the girl playing with the Barbie and dollhouse.

"I was surprised that the four- and five-year-olds in Thailand didn't show any gender-related peer preferences whatsoever," he says. "This is something that's often repeated in the literature and textbooks. When I teach my second-year course in developmental psychology and we talk about gender, the textbook says children very early on form gender-related peer preferences and they often gender segregate when they play, but all that work had been done in a limited set of cultures. I would've expected that to replicate in Thailand, but it didn't," he says.

VanderLaan says he wanted to research this topic because he has previously studied children's gender expressions and mental health within western countries.

He says those studies consistently showed him that children whose behavior doesn't align with gender stereotypes for their culture tend to experience poorer peer relations, which correlated with mental health risk.

"It occurred to me that maybe understanding a little bit more about how children think about their peers' gender and their appraisal of peers' gender expression might be a way where we can start to think of possible roots for improving peer relations among kids of varying gender expressions, and that might help to ameliorate some of these mental health issues we're observing in these studies," he says, adding that the research also suggests that greater societal acceptance is related to how children think about gender diversity in their peers.

VanderLaan hopes the study will show the importance of our cultural values and beliefs about genderand the importance of accepting gender-diverse people and making them more visible, which could create an environment where children will grow to be more accepting of their gender-diverse peers.

"Maybe somehow, (that would) contribute to ameliorating mental health risk for gender-diverse individuals," he says. "Children observe a lot about their world, and they're constantly observing and they have agency. Children are making sense of things on their own, drawing their own conclusions, and that's partly guiding their behavior."

More information: Yang Wang et al, Culture influences the development of children's genderrelated peer preferences: Evidence from China and Thailand, Developmental Science (2021). Journal information: Developmental Science Yang Wang et al, Culture influences the development of children's genderrelated peer preferences: Evidence from China and Thailand,(2021). DOI: 10.1111/desc.13221
Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Taking the emotional temperature of your co-workers is easier when you spend your days in an office. Bursts of laughter, uncomfortable body language and flashes of anger are easy to see when you sit across the table from your co-worker.

But as remote work is taking off, tracking the emotions of remote workers can be a challenge. Video calls can only go so far.

"We read lots of anecdotal reports about mental stress during the pandemic," said Qiaozhu Mei, professor of information.

Without face-to-face interactions, it's difficult to tell how your co-worker is doing, he said.

"You can see they're still replying to emails, you can see that they're chatting on Slack channels, but you don't know how they feelyou cannot see smiles, you cannot see anxiety," Mei said.

Mei and colleagues at the University of Michigan School of Information developed a strategy to not only monitor the emotional health of workers, but even predict work behaviors. In a new study in PLOS ONE, the team tracked emoji use as a marker of emotions, and tracked how the use of emoji in work communications can predict remote worker dropouts.

"We saw a report from GitHub about the status of developers at the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic," said study lead author Xuan Lu, research fellow at UMSI.

Developers were showing signals of burnout at the start of the pandemic. The report spurred the team to look at how to better track the state of mind of remote workers, she said.

Face-to-face emotional clues can be limited with remote work or easily masked during brief video calls. To counter this, the team turned to nonverbal cues in online communication to interpret emotional health.

Because Lu and her colleagues have studied emoji use for some time, they wondered if emoji could be used as sensors of the emotional status of developers.

The team turned to GitHub for their remote-worker communications data, using the immense catalog of communication data on software collaborations. Using millions of GitHub posts (from before the pandemic, to avoid any added stressors of a global health crisis), the team employed machine learning to track the use of emoji in work-related online conversations. They trained their model to predict potential dropout of remote developers based on their emoji use.

The fraction of GitHub posts that contained emoji, as well as the type of emoji, were tracked in the machine learning program. They found that on average, more than 5% of GitHub posts contain emoji. They also found that certain emoji were used more than othersand they differed from typical emoji used in social, nonwork communication.

Lastly, using computational tools, the team assigned sentimental scores to emoji.

"People use emoji for different reasons," said Mei, adding that a smiling face has more positive weight than a simple check mark.

They found that workers who regularly use emoji to express emotionpositive or negativein their work may have better emotional health and are naturally less likely to drop off the platform one year later. The researchers also found another interesting correlation between emoji and work.

"Those who don't use emoji are three times more likely to drop out of remote work," Mei said.

The team found that by using their machine learning model, they could predict dropouts with 75% accuracy.

"You can make fairly accurate predictions of whether people will drop out just based on how they use these pictographs," Mei said. "You don't even need to look at their work productivity or the actual words they sayjust look at how they use emoji."

Mei notes this work can be helpful for all organizations that support remote workers.

"If you can track the emotions of your employees or your co-workers by how they use emoji, then you can identify early signals that they may be experiencing mental problems like burnout," he said.

Explore further Patterns in the use of emojis could predict the dropout of remote workers

More information: Emojis predict dropouts of remote workers: An empirical study of emoji usage on GitHub. PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261262 Journal information: PLoS ONE Emojis predict dropouts of remote workers: An empirical study of emoji usage on GitHub.
Credit: University of Toronto

Six homicides were recorded in Toronto during the first two weeks of 2022a statistic that led some to wonder if Canada's largest city, which typically experiences the highest number of annual homicides in the country, would see more violence than usual in the year ahead.

While it's too early to draw conclusions, a new report and interactive map from The Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (the CRIB) provides insight into where homicides often happen, the factors that place Black communities at increased risk and the location of resources available to support those affected by homicideincluding families and friends who are faced with the devastating challenge of grieving the violent death of their loved ones.

"To our knowledge, this is the first project of its kind to map the disproportionate impact of homicide on African, Caribbean, Black (ACB) communities in Toronto, while providing context for the root causes of homicide and recommendations for an action plan," says Tanya Sharpe, an associate professor at the University of Toronto's Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and founding director of the CRIB.

"The absence of and lack of access to race-based data collection obstructs our ability to comprehend and respond appropriately to the chronic and cumulative impact that homicide has on Black communities. The CRIB aims to change that."

The CRIB's Homicide Tracker is an interactive GIS map that marks where homicides occurred in Toronto between 2004 and 2020 relative to African, Caribbean, Black (ACB) communities and service organizations that exist to serve them. Accompanying the map is a report on the social determinants of homicide, which identifies the key factors that put Black communities at an increased risk of homicide. The report includes recommendations for an action plan to not only reduce the inequitable conditions that contribute to the disproportionate number of homicides within Black communities, but to also increase the availability of culturally responsive trauma-informed care.

Racialized Ontarians account for 75 percent of the 600 homicide victims each year in Canadawith 44 percent of those victims being African, Caribbean or Black (ACB). Ontario itself averages around 232 murders per year and Toronto accounts for 77 of those murdersthe highest number of any Canadian city.

The CRIB's Homicide Tracker depicts the disproportionate prevalence of homicide in ACB neighborhoods across Toronto and illustrates the availability of resources to assist family members and friends of murder victims. Compared to downtown neighborhoods, Black survivors in the city's northwestern neighborhoods have less access to grief and bereavement supports.

"It is vital that we consider the systemic way that anti-Black racism permeates the very fabric of our society, infecting a plethora of systems and services that survivors of homicide victims engage with on a daily basis, as well as the ones they need and interact with as a result of experiencing the murder of a loved one," says Sharpe.

Included in Social Determinants of Homicide is an overview of the educational, employment and income inequalities and mass incarceration rates experienced by Black communities in Toronto. For example, Black Torontonians are four times more likely to be charged with a crime than their white counterparts, while one in 15 young Black men in Ontario have been incarcerated, compared to one in 70 young white men.

The CRIB's report also highlights parallels between COVID-19 and homicide. Neighborhoods in Toronto that are chronically experiencing homicide are also experiencing high infection and death rates due to COVID-19. The social determinants of homicide are the same determinants that disproportionately place Black people at risk of COVID-19 infection, Sharpe says.

"Eliminating structural inequities is essential," says Sharpe. "Addressing these inequities requires advancement in the policies we design, the services we deliver, and the culturally responsive research infrastructures we build."

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Fig. 1: Branched aliphatic side chains form a barrier to ions within the conduction pathway. a Ribbon representation of the KirBac3.1 pore (cyan); for clarity, only two subunits are shown. The side chains of Leu124, Tyr132 and Thr96 are depicted (yellow sticks). A scale bar indicates the distance (A) from the center of mass of Thr96. SF indicates the location of the selectivity filter. Insert shows a longitudinal section depicting the accessible surface of the pore interior, highlighting the steric barrier provided by the Leu124 cluster. Potassium ions at binding sites are depicted in purple. b Profile of the pore radius through the transmembrane domain of KirBac3.1 calculated using HOLE. Distances are relative to the molecular axis. c Schematic of the ACMA assay. A lipid-soluble proton-sensitive dye (ACMA) is equilibrated with proteoliposomes (green circle) in isotonic solution (K+ in /Na+ out ), prior to addition of the protonophore, carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP). Protons moving into the liposome via CCCP bind ACMA to form ACMA-H+, which does not fluoresce, resulting in a decrease in total fluorescence emission. Proton influx is balanced by K+ efflux through Kir. Protonated ACMA cannot pass out through the membrane. Limiting fluorescence is determined by addition of the specific K+ ionophore valinomycin. The total fluorescence change measured in the assay is summed from individual proteoliposomes. d Summary functional assay data for the Leu124M (n = 5 independent samples) and Tyr132I (n = 3) point mutants represented as mean  SEM. Values of n for control samples are 5, 6 and 3 for liposome-only, KirBac3.1 and KirBac3.1-SCS samples respectively. Data analysis was by two-sided t-test analysis of variance and refers to pairwise comparisons to KirBac3.1-SCS as indicated (ns = non-significant; *p  0.05). Comparative p-values for KirBac3.1-SCS to Y132I and L124M are 0.265 and 0.249, respectively. Dunnetts test was applied to adjust for multiple comparisons to each control. e PMF along the molecular axis, oriented to match the inset in (a). Distances along z are relative to the center of mass of the four Thr96 sidechains. Source data are provided as a Source data file. Credit: DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28148-4

Scientists have found a missing 'key' that unlocks critical channels responsible for potassium ions to flow across cell membranes in a process that is essential for life. The discovery overcomes a major barrier to the development of novel drugs targeting a host of diseases, including some cancers.

The research team from WEHI and La Trobe Institute of Molecular Sciences (LIMS) have identified the 'key' to opening a molecular gate controlling currents of potassium ions across cell membranes. Ion currents transmit nerve signals in the brain and nervous system, regulate the heartbeat, and facilitate a host of critical cellular and tissue processes.

Dysregulation of ion channels has been implicated in the development, progression and spread of some cancers, as well as neurological, cardiac and kidney disorders including epilepsy and diabetes. Sadly, while ion channels are widely considered to be important druggable targets, it has proved difficult to exploit them.

The research, led by Dr. Jacqui Gulbis from WEHI and Professor Brian Smith from La Trobe University, resolves a decades-old problem, making a conceptual breakthrough in understanding how the channels are gated. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications, with first authors Dr. Ruitao Jin and Sitong He from LIMS and Dr. Katrina Black from WEHI.

Myth-busting

Potassium ion channels are tiny, gated, pores in cell membranes that permit controlled potassium flow in and out of cells. Potassium conduction is regulated by an internal gate in the channel; when it opens, potassium flows across the membrane, transmitting electrical signals essential for life.

Dr. Gulbis has been studying ion channels for around 25 years.

"Ion channels facilitate all cell biology," Dr. Gulbis said. "They set up the cellular environment and, as well as the electrical signaling that causes the heart to beat and allows nerve impulses and muscle contractions. They set off cellular signaling pathways, so conduction through these channels is tightly controlled. In some medical conditions, this goes awry. Until now, we didn't know how to even start to fix this."

A previous discovery of the team had overturned a widely accepted theory that potassium channels must physically widen to allow ions to cross the membrane, Dr. Gulbis said.

"In a paper released last year, we showed that the channel continues to function even when rendered incapable of physically widening. So, while we knew that the prevailing theory was incorrect, it is only with this new paper that we begin to explain what is really happening."

The missing key

Dr. Gulbis said the research team discovered that the cell membrane in which the ion channel is embedded held the missing 'key' that controls the flow of potassium ions.

Credit: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

"We applied structural biology, using data collected at the Australian Synchrotron, and other biophysical methods to show that specific fatty lipids from the membrane interact tightly with the channel to open a gate that allows potassium ions to pass through. The answer was hiding in plain sight," she said.

"There is a physical gate, but it is not located where others have thought it was. Potassium ions have their electrical charges shielded by a 'cloak' of water molecules, and for decades, scientists believed there must be a widening of the channel to allow ions, enlarged by this tightly held mantle of water molecules, to traverse the cell membrane. Last year we showed that this was not the case, demonstrating that potassium can shed some of its water molecules to pass through a very narrow opening. Disproving the conventional understanding was the first step in providing an alternative explanation for how potassium flow across membranes is controlled.

In this new study we have identified the gate, described its nature, and showed how specific membrane lipids engage with the channel to operate it. Not only is the gate in a different place than previously thought, it operates by a subtler, and completely different, process. Once you see it, it's obvious," she said.

Dr. Gulbis said that together these discoveries overturn and redirect our basic understanding of how potassium channels work.

Professor Smith said it provided evidence of how dynamic the cell membrane was.

"The cell membrane is often thought of as inert or passive, but we have shown that it is actually incredibly dynamic, and lipids that are bound within the cell membrane have a much more active role in controlling proteins and signaling than is typically considered."

Professor Smith said the team made the discovery using sophisticated computer simulations of the channels using the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI) Australia and the LIEF HPC-GPGPU Facility at the University of Melbourne.

"We used millions of hours of high-performance computing to run mathematical simulations to make this discovery, using the type of hardware that is typically used for gaming or mining bitcoin," he said.

Drug discovery

Professor Smith said the discovery should reignite the search for drugs that target ion channel deregulation to treat diseases.

"Disorders of ion channelschannelopathieshave been implicated in many conditions including cardiac diseases, neurological and nerve disorders, kidney disease and diabetes. Dysregulation of these channels has also been implicated in the progression and spread of some cancers, because it favors the tumor microenvironment," Dr. Gulbis said.

"For more than 20 years the search for pharmaceuticals that can exploit ion channels to treat disease has been in hiatus, because drug companies were laboring under a folkloric conviction as to how these ion channels work. This new information on how potassium channels are controlledor at least the nuts and bolts of itwill open up new avenues and ideas for the rational discovery and design of new treatments."

Explore further New study challenges 'established' mechanism about selectivity of cellular ion channels

More information: Ruitao Jin et al, Ion currents through Kir potassium channels are gated by anionic lipids, Nature Communications (2022). Journal information: Nature Communications Ruitao Jin et al, Ion currents through Kir potassium channels are gated by anionic lipids,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28148-4
Senior biologist Allan Jan feeds Methuselah, a 4-foot-long, 40-pound Australian lungfish that was brought to the California Academy of Sciences in 1938 from Australia, in its tank in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Meet Methuselah, the fish that likes to eat fresh figs, get belly rubs and is believed to be the oldest living aquarium fish in the world.

In the Bible, Methuselah was Noah's grandfather and was said to have lived to be 969 years old. Methuselah the fish is not quite that ancient, but biologists at the California Academy of Sciences believe it is about 90 years old, with no known living peers.

Methuselah is a 4-foot-long (1.2-meter), 40-pound (18.1-kilogram) Australian lungfish that was brought to the San Francisco museum in 1938 from Australia.

A primitive species with lungs and gills, Australian lungfish are believed to be the evolutionary link between fish and amphibians.

No stranger to publicity, Methuselah's first appearance in the San Francisco Chronicle was in 1947: "These strange creatureswith green scales looking like fresh artichoke leavesare known to scientists as a possible 'missing link' between terrestrial and aquatic animals."

Until a few years ago, the oldest Australian lungfish was at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. But that fish, named Granddad, died in 2017 at the age of 95.

"By default, Methuselah is the oldest," said Allan Jan, senior biologist at the California Academy of Sciences and the fish's keeper. Methuselah's caretakers believe the fish is female, although it's difficult to determine the species' sex without a risky blood draw. The academy plans to send a tiny sample of her fin to researchers in Australia, who will try to confirm the sex and figure out the fish's exact age.

Methuselah, a 4-foot-long, 40-pound Australian lungfish that was brought to the California Academy of Sciences in 1938 from Australia, rests at the bottom of its tank in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Jan says Methuselah likes getting rubbed on her back and belly and has a "mellow" personality.

"I tell my volunteers, pretend she's an underwater puppy, very mellow, gentle, but of course if she gets spooked she will have sudden bouts of energy. But for the most part she's just calm," Jan said. Methuselah has developed a taste for seasonal figs.

"She's a little picky and only likes figs when they are fresh and in season. She won't eat them when they're frozen," said Jeanette Peach, spokeswoman for the California Academy of Sciences.

Organic blackberries, grapes and romaine lettuce are rotated into her daily diet, which also includes a variety of fish, clams, prawns and earthworms, said Charles Delbeek, curator of the museum's Steinhart Aquarium.

The academy has two other Australian lungfish that are younger. Named for their sizes, "Medium" arrived at the museum in 1952 and "Small" in 1990, both from the Mary River, in Queensland, Australia, said Delbeek. They weigh about 25 pounds (11 kilograms) and 15 pounds (7 kilograms), respectively.

Visitors look at Methuselah, a 4-foot-long, 40-pound Australian lungfish that was brought to the California Academy of Sciences in 1938 from Australia, in its tank in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Methuselah, a 4-foot-long, 40-pound Australian lungfish that was brought to the California Academy of Sciences in 1938 from Australia, swims in its tank in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Senior biologist Allan Jan feeds Methuselah, a 4-foot-long, 40-pound Australian lungfish that was brought to the California Academy of Sciences in 1938 from Australia, in its tank in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Senior biologist Allan Jan holds Methuselah, a 4-foot-long, 40-pound Australian lungfish that was brought to the California Academy of Sciences in 1938 from Australia, in its tank in San Francisco, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

The Australian lungfish is now a threatened species and can no longer be exported from Australian waters, so biologists at the academy say it's unlikely they'll get a replacement once Methuselah passes away.

"We just give her the best possible care we can provide, and hopefully she thrives," Jan said.

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 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A big brown bat, a common North American species and a member of the yang group of bats with highly specialized inner ears. Photo by Sherri and Brock Fenton. Credit: Sherri and Brock Fenton.

Lots of bats echolocatethey emit high-pitched squeaks, and based on how those sound waves bounce off their surroundings, they're able to navigate in the dark and find insects to eat. But a lot about how bats evolved these sonar capabilities has been a mystery to scientists, until now. A new paper in Nature is the world's first study to compare the inner ear structures of the two main groups of bats. By examining the microscopic inner ears of bats from 19 of the 21 known bat families, the researchers were able to show that the presence of extra neurons and specialized ear structures align with a split in bat evolution revealed by DNA.

"This is the first physical evidence we have to support what genetic data tell us about the split of bats into two major groups," says Bruce Patterson, the Field Museum's MacArthur Curator of Mammals and one of the study's authors. "It represents the greatest structural innovation in mammalian ears since the Jurassic, and it helps solve the mystery of how bats evolved the echolocating abilities we see today."

"Biologists have always speculated that two major groups of bats have different ways of seeing the world through sound," says the study's lead author Benjamin Sulser, a Ph.D. student at the American Museum of Natural History and graduate of the University of Chicago, where he worked with Patterson and UChicago Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy Zhe-Xi Luo. "This is the first time we found different neuroanatomies in the inner ear, which give these bats different ways of processing the echolocating signal."

For a long time, scientists divided bats into Megachiroptera, the big fruit bats reliant on vision, and Microchiroptera, the little bats that use echolocation to find bugs. Genetic analyses in the past couple decades showed that this categorization needed an update, because there were some little echolocating bats that were more closely related to big fruit bats than to their fellow echolocaters. So researchers proposed a new way to classify bats, based on how closely related they are to each other. Bats have since been split into two main groups: Yinpterochiroptera and Yangochiropterathe yin and yang of bats.

An illustrations showing the inner ear of a bat. Credit: April Neander/University of Chicago

"It's become clear that genetic analysis is the best way for us to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these bats, but we had such a clear genetic signal that there were two groups, we thought there had to be some physical traits that aligned with this striking genetic split," says Patterson.

The researchers set about looking for physical traits that separated the yin bats from the yang. One clue lay in the bats' methods of echolocation. "Yin and yang bats echolocate differently," explains Patterson. "Not all yin bats echolocate, but the ones that do use a constant wavelength frequency, and they make a lot of these calls about a third of the time, they're actively emitting sounds in hopes of something bouncing back," says Patterson, "whereas Yangochiroptera will emit a signal and be silent for a long period of time, but the sounds they make vary in pitch and frequency." Since ears are the organ that processes those echolocation signals, the researchers' first stop was the bats' inner ears.

The researchers CT scanned 31 bat skulls from the Field Museum's collections, along with several from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. The bats represented 39 different species from 19 of the 21 known bat families. Most of the bat skulls the scientists examined were about the size of a large blueberry, meaning that the tiny organ in the inner ear responsible for hearing, the cochlea, was about the size of a poppy seed. And deep inside this tiny poppy seed-sized cavity lay the key physical differences between yin and yang bats.

Diagram showing variation in the tunnels in the inner ears of different kinds of bats. Credit: April Neander/University of Chicago

All mammals, including bats, are able to hear thanks to tiny hairs deep inside their cochlea. When sound waves cause these hairs to vibrate, swirled masses of nerve cells connected to those hairs pick up the signal and translate it into an electrical impulse that gets transported to the brain.

CT scans of the bats' brains revealed huge differences in these tiny structures. The yin bats' ears were a lot like ours, including a thick bony canal wall packed with nerve endings to protect the spiral nerve cells. The yang bats, one the other hand, had extra neurons for processing sound waves and were missing the protective bony canal. The extra space afforded by the missing canal walls gives the nerve cells room to evolve into increasingly complex shapes.

"All mammals going back to the mid-Jurassic have these bony canal walls, but yang bats are missing them," says Patterson. "The evolution of yang bats without this canal is the greatest structural innovation in all mammalian ears that we've ever seen."

A big brown bat, a common North American species and a member of the yang group of bats with highly specialized inner ears. Credit: Sherri and Brock Fenton.

"We hypothesize that by developing this new configuration, without the space constraint on the inner ear ganglion, the yang bats have a greater capacity for the ganglion cells to multiply and different ways to connect to the brain, unlike most other mammals," says Luo. "A greater size of the ganglion and a greater number of neurons may have contributed to this big evolutionary diversification of bats relying more on frequency modulating echolocation." The hypothesis might account for why there are so many more species of yang bats than yin: the ability to evolve more specialized inner ears could open them up to a wider variety of habitats and prey.

Patterson says that the study is important because it deepens our understanding of how bats came to be such a diverse group. "In the 52 million years since the earliest known bats lived, they've exploded into one of the most successful mammals on Earth. Twenty percent of mammal species are bats, and they're crucial for our planet and for human activities like agriculture, since they eat so many pest insects." says Patterson. "This study helps explain how they were able to diversify so much and so rapidly."

Explore further What did the katydids do when picking up bat sounds?

More information: Zhe-Xi Luo, Evolution of inner ear neuroanatomy of bats and implications for echolocation, Nature (2022). Journal information: Nature Zhe-Xi Luo, Evolution of inner ear neuroanatomy of bats and implications for echolocation,(2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04335-z
NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland airborne mission found that Greenland's glaciers that empty into the ocean, like Apusiaajik Glacier shown here, are at greater risk of rapid ice loss than previously understood. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

To learn how ocean water is melting glaciers, NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland mission extensively surveyed the coastline of the world's largest island.

The most important thing to remember about NASA's Oceans Melting Greenland mission, which ended Dec. 31, 2021, may be its name: OMG proved that ocean water is melting Greenland's glaciers at least as much as warm air is melting them from above. Because ice loss from Greenland's ice sheet currently contributes more to the global rise of the oceans than any other single source, this finding has revolutionized scientists' understanding of the pace of sea level rise in the coming decades.

These new, unique measurements have clarified the likely progress of future ice loss in a place where glaciers are melting six or seven times faster today than they were only 25 years ago. If all of Greenland's ice sheet were to melt, global sea levels would rise by about 24 feet (7.4 meters).

But that's just the tip of the iceberg in the story of this small plane- and boat-based mission. In six years of operations, OMG made the first scientific measurements along many miles of the most remote coastline in the Northern Hemisphere. The mission performed the most complete survey of the seafloor around Greenland's coastline, including dozens of previously uncharted fjords (cliff-lined inlets clogged with icebergs from disintegrating glaciers), and measured how the ocean temperature changed from place to place, year to year, and top to bottom. To get this unique dataset, mission planes logged enough air miles around and over Greenland to circle the globe more than 13 times.

Preparation

More than 220 glaciers flow from Greenland into the ocean. Before OMG, scientists figured the ocean water swirling around and under these glaciers had to be contributing to their ice loss. But how much?

OMGs six-year field campaign in Greenland has changed scientists understanding of how fast the global sea level will rise in coming decades. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Satellite observations of sea surface temperature weren't much help in answering that question. Around Greenland, the top layer of the ocean is extremely cold and not very salty, containing a lot of water from the Arctic, the freshest of oceans. A shallow glacier that only touches this layer melts slowly. But hundreds of feet below, the ocean is warmer and saltier. A deep-seated glacier is eaten away by the warmer water, losing ice four or five times as fast as a shallow one.

The only way to find out any glacier's risk is to go to Greenland and measure the glacier and the seafloor and water in front of it. Scientists had been studying individual glaciers that way for years, but Josh Willis, principal investigator of OMG at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, wanted to get the complete picture: To measure all 220-plus glaciers for five yearsthe length of time available to missions funded by NASA's Earth Ventures airborne research program.

"When we started to design OMG, we asked ourselves, 'Can we do an experiment in five years that will tell us about the next 50?'" Willis said. Results have proved that they could. NASA even allowed them a sixth year of fieldwork to observe unexpected, rapid swings in water temperatures off Greenland's west coast.

NASA's Gulfstream III was one of several research aircraft that OMG used during the mission's six-year field campaign. Airports in Greenland, Iceland, and Norway served as bases for research flights. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Operation

The mission's first job was to map the seafloor around the island to see where deep, warm water can reach glaciers. A contractor completed most of the mapping using a research boat, and OMG Deputy Principal Investigator Eric Rignot of JPL and the University of California, Irvine led smaller surveys in following years to fill in missing sections.

To measure the ocean temperature and salinity down to the seafloor, Willis ran a summer airborne campaign that dropped about 250 probes each year into the ocean at strategic locations around the entire coastline. Six summers of flying over the remote Arctic may sound more like an adventure than a research project, but, Willis said, "It's only an adventure in retrospect. While you're in it, you have your head down and you're working as hard as you can." For the scientists, the data streaming into their computer from the probes was excitement enough.

The detailed maps and temperature data collected by OMG show that two to four times as many glaciers sit in water that is several degrees warmer than previously thought, and thus are at higher risk than anyone knew. Researchers understood that about a third of Greenland's glaciers account for half of its ice loss; OMG found that all of these culprits reach down into warm water. Climate models that don't account for the warm water's effects underestimate glacial ice loss by at least a factor of twoin other words, missing half the sea level rise from this source.

Collaboration

OMG's groundbreaking data has influenced many kinds of Arctic studies besides oceanography. For example, Kristin Laidre of the University of Washington is an internationally known expert on narwhals, Arctic whales with a tusk-like protruding tooth. She and Ian Fenty, an OMG co-principal investigator at JPL, developed a project that benefits both marine biologists and oceanographers: a research cruise to place OMG probes and acoustic sounders that record the presence of narwhals in front of West Greenland glaciers.

The probe data provides a close-up view of how much ocean conditions can vary in a small area, and Laidre hopes that in combination with the sounder data, it will help explain why certain glacier fronts are especially attractive to narwhals. "We biologists can get a better understanding of animals and populations by working with physical scientists," she said, referring to the OMG team. "To have a group of scientists who want to collaborate is really great."

Continuation

The end of the mission doesn't mean the end of all new data from the Greenland ocean. In 2021, the team dropped a few longer-lived probes in areas where changes in ocean temperatures or circulation are not fully understood. These probes "winter over" below the surface, continuing to bob up and down through the water to collect data that will be read remotely when the ice melts next summer.

And scientists in many fields will continue to draw on OMG's observations for their research. To date, about half of peer-reviewed journal articles using the data are written by researchers outside the mission's science teaman unusually large portion. "We're seeing a lot more science than we originally planned," Willis said. "Those papers aren't going to stop."

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Salt precipitation in the Soldevila stream in Sallent (Barcelona). Credit: Jordi Badia / Montsalat

The increasing salinity in freshwater habitatsrivers, lakes, wetlands, etc. is a global threat to the conservation of biodiversity and the natural habitats of the world. Human activities such as mining and intensive agriculture, as well as the rise of the sea level caused by the climate change, are placing the concentration of salt in continental waters up to the highest levels to date. Salt pollution alters the natural habitat causing the loss of species, dispersal of invasive organisms and the alteration of the cycle of nutrients, for instance. Also, it has another inconvenient: it damages the ecosystem services that provide society with lakes, streams and basins. Despite the evidence of the dramatic effects of salinization, there is not enough scientific knowledge to predict the consequences on freshwater ecosystems.

A scientific team in which ten countries took part, has joined efforts to analyze the current knowledge on this topic and set a guideline to improve the understanding of the effect of salt in water ecosystems worldwide. The paper has been published in the journal Trends in Ecology & Evolution. Its first author is the postdoctoral researcher David Cunillera-Montcusi, and one of the co-authors is the Serra Hunter lecturer Miguel Canedo-Arguelles, both members of the Freshwater Ecology, Hydrology and Management Research Group (FEHM) of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Barcelona. The article counts on the participation of the teams from the University of VicCentral University of Catalonia, the Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA), and the National Museum of Natural Sciences (MNCN-CSIC), among other institutions.

Specifically, the team proposes a research agenda for the international scientific community that tackles the most urgent needs from a global, regional, local and temporary perspective, with new approaches covering specifically the main shortages in this field of research.

The dangers of water salinization in the environment

According to the authors, globally, the current knowledge on salinization is unequal depending on the geographical area (for instance, the effect of salt applied to the roads in order to prevent ice formation has not been studied in Europe while it has been largely studied in North America). Moreover, the most forgotten areas of Africa and South America, where the salinization factors are increasing, have not studied the topic yet. In general, a great part of the current works ignores the small freshwater habitats such as ponds, which are important ecosystems in the regional biodiversity.

There is a lack of information on the effects of the different types of salts in the water environment, as well as about its environmental impact at a regional and landscape scale, and in processes at an ecosystem scale (greenhouse gas emissions, nutrient removal, etc.). Also, most of the studies focus on water invertebrates, while there is still a lack of knowledge on the effect of salinization on microorganisms that drive the cycle of nutrients and are at the top of the water food pyramid (fish, reptiles and amphibians).

"Within the study, we worked on a research agenda with the most urgent gaps to fill and proposed several ways to tackle them from several perspectives. For each perspective we mention three main focuses and suggest experiments, methods and aspects that will foster new studies to advance in this field," says David Cunillera-Montcusi, principal author of the study and postdoctoral researcher at the FEHM of the University of Barcelona.

"The global tendency of lakes and streams is a great challenge for freshwater biodiversity, the functioning of ecosystems and human societies that depend on them," says Miguel Canedo-Arguelles, Serra Hunter professor at the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences of the UB and member of FEHM and the Water Research Institute (IdRA) of the University of Barcelona.

"To address this challenge, we need a joint effort of the scientific community, practitioners, local communities and policy makers," says ICREA researcher Sandra Brucet, from the University of VicCentral University of Catalonia. Miguel Matias, researcher at MNC-CSIC, concludes that "with the collaborative effort of the international team of scientists that published the review paper, we want to promote this global effort in order to advance towards this direction and raise interest for this global problem that will lead us to a saltier world with many salinized lakes and rivers, and for which we must prepare."

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More information: David Cunillera-Montcusi et al, Freshwater salinisation: a research agenda for a saltier world, Trends in Ecology & Evolution (2022). Journal information: Trends in Ecology & Evolution David Cunillera-Montcusi et al, Freshwater salinisation: a research agenda for a saltier world,(2022). DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.12.005
Thomas Pesquet of ESA (European Space Agency) conducts a session for the InSPACE-4 physics study, which could provideinsight into how to harness nanoparticles to fabricate and manufacture new materials for Earth and space applications. Credit: NASA

A retired microscope and samples from studies on colloids and cellular signaling are among the cargo returning from the International Space Stationaboard the 24th SpaceX commercial resupply services mission. The Dragon craft, which arrived at the station Dec. 22, 2021, was scheduled to undock Jan. 22 with splashdown the next afternoon off the coast of Florida.

These quick return flights allow scientists to make additional observations and analyses of their experiments at Kennedy Space Center, minimizing the effects of gravity on samples. Investigators then can conduct more in-depth analyses back at their home labs.

Last light for LMM

A state-of-the-art light imaging microscope, the Light Microscopy Module (LMM), launched to station in 2009 and returned to Earth aboard Dragon for a well-earned retirement. Sponsored by NASA's Biological and Physical Sciences division, this powerful diagnostic tool enabled novel research of microscopic phenomena in microgravity, providing the capability to remotely acquire and download images and videos at many levels of magnification.

LMM made it possible to observe and record the way matter is organized and moves on the microscopic level. Scientists employed this tool for microgravity research on colloids, tiny particles suspended in a liquid, that contributed to advances in formulations and the shelf life of consumer products such as toothpaste and shampoo, 3-D printing, and technology for detecting shifting sands on Mars. The LMM also contributed to studies of plants in microgravity, including the CARA investigation, and supported thermophysics research, including CVB and CVB-2, studies on heat transfer systems in microgravity.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei uninstalls the Light Microscopy Module from the station. The instrument returns to Earth after more than a decade of supporting scientific investigations. Credit: NASA

Tiny structures, assemble

InSPACE-4 studies assembly of tiny structures from colloids, or particles suspended in a liquid, using magnetic fields. Colloidal structures change the properties of the assembled material, such as its mechanical response to or interaction with light and heat. Microgravity offers a unique opportunity to observe assembly in ways and over time scales not possible on Earth.

Results could provide insight into how to harness nanoparticles to fabricate and manufacture new materials and lead to more advanced materials for space applications, including thermal shields, protection from micrometeorites, energy production, energy-transfer, and actuators and sensors for robotic and human missions. Other potential applications include advancing the manufacturing of materials on Earth for applications such as thermal shields, sound damping devices, camouflage, and medical diagnostics. The technology also could support larger-scale applications such as building foundation stabilizers for areas prone to earthquakes.

Investigators monitored the experiment via video downlink and vials containing the colloidal structures are returning to Earth for additional analysis.

ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer sets up for the Cytoskeleton investigation. Credit: NASA

Cell signaling in microgravity

Scientists continue to study how microgravity affects mammalian cells. Cytoskeleton, an investigation from ESA (European Space Agency), examines whether microgravity affects the function of cellular signaling molecules known as RhoGTPases. These molecules function as "molecular switches" and are involved in the control of cell proliferation, programmed cell death, gene expression, and organization of the cytoskeleton (the network of protein filaments and tubules that give cells their shape).

This investigation contributes to our understanding of how the human body responds to microgravity and could support development of countermeasures to help crew members maintain optimum health on future missions. The work also may expand knowledge about cellular function on Earth and contribute to future medical research here on the ground. Cell cultures are returning to the ground for analysis.

Explore further SpaceX CRS-24 launching multiple life science investigations to the International Space Station
European building activity changes are shown by compiling annual felling dates of construction timbers from the thirteenth to seventeenth century, which are presented as index values in green. Distinct phases of building activity are highlighted by a black line whereas major decreasing or increasing changes building activity are indicated by red arrows. Credit: F. Ljungqvist, A. Seim, W. Tegel et al.

Tracking building activity across the years, estimated from felling year of timber from historical buildings, can yield an unrivaled economic record for premodern Europe. That is the conclusion from a vast study by a consortium of scientists across Europe, published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. By dating timber from tree ringsto the exact year of fellingfrom historical buildings, and statistically analyzing the distribution of building years, the authors deduce multiple periods of socio-economic prosperity and downturn between 1250 and 1699, independent from other historical data. Crucially, they show how different European regions were differentially affected, and at different times.

When historical records are too scant to reconstruct large-scale demographic and societal changes, environmental measures can be used. For example, numbers of shipwrecks have been used in past research to chart trade intensity, pollen to reconstruct agricultural production, and anthropometric measures of skeletons to estimate living standards. Here, researchers used felling dates to track changes in building activity as a measure of macroeconomic development.

Times of 'crisis and prosperity'

"The ability to reconstruct changes in building activity in time and space, independent of written sources, provides valuable new insights into times of crisis and prosperity in the past. Here we show that felling dates are a good indicator for changes in societal wellbeing and demographics," said first author Dr. Fredrik Ljungqvist, associate professor of both History and Physical Geography at Stockholm University, Sweden.

Ljungqvist et al. analyzed felling dates from 54,045 georeferenced pieces of building timberoak, fir, pine, larch, and spruce. They exclusively used wood for which the outermost (youngest) tree ring was preserved, allowing precise determination of the felling year through comparison to the dendrochronological record.

Example of type of buildings the felling dates are obtained from: log houses in the Lotschental Valley in Valais, Switzerland. Credit: Willy Tegel

They compared changes in building activity between the British Isles, the Nordic countries, France, the Benelux countries, Switzerland, and the northern and southern parts of central Europe throughout the late medieval and early modern era. They also looked for associations with other reconstructed economic and environmental measures, for example the price of grain and wine, consumer price indices, growing season temperature, soil moisture availability, and groundwater level.

The authors find clear evidence in the record of felling dates for the so-called 'Late Medieval Crisis', the devastating Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), and known economic boom periods in the late 13th century and around 1500. They show that building activity tracks the historical price of grain, a staple whose price had a major impact on the economy and standard of living. Periods of intense building also coincided with known peaks in lead pollution in ice-cores, a proxy for historical mining activity.

Basis for new historic and prehistoric research

"Building activity showed an unprecedented decrease in much of Europe during the Thirty Years' War. Differences in the magnitude of the decrease agree remarkably well with the known magnitude of the population decrease due to war in different regions of Germany. This shows that our reconstructed building activity history accurately captures demographic changes," said Ljungqvist.

Example of type of buildings the felling dates are obtained from: Roof truss of the Chapelle Saint-Denis in Marmoutier in Alsace, France, from the 16th century. Credit: Willy Tegel

A key finding is the low overall degree of synchronicity in building between regions, except for a strong assocation between southern and northern parts of central Europe, and southern central Europe and the British Isles. Another is that periods of low building activity occurred during known alpine glacier maxima (c. 1300-1370 and 1600-1670) during the Little Ice Age.

Second author Dr. Andrea Seim, from the Institute of Forest Sciences at the University of Freiburg in Germany, looks ahead: "Future work could compare felling dates with a variety of historical documentary sources and environmental proxies to understand past forest management and resource utilization. Moreover, felling dates from wooden archeological material, which can be preserved for millennia, can provide new insights into settlement dynamics in prehistoric times where we lack written sources."

More information: Regional patterns of late medieval and early modern European building activity revealed by felling dates, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution (2022). Journal information: Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Regional patterns of late medieval and early modern European building activity revealed by felling dates,(2022). DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.825751
A composite of Comet Leonard images captured 15-16 December in visible light by the Metis instrument onboard the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The comet transited across the field of view with its dust and ion tails pointing towards the instrument. Credit: ESA/Solar Orbiter/Metis Team

For the second time in its mission so far, the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft has flown through the tail of a comet. Predicted in advance by astronomers at University College London, UK, the spacecraft collected a wealth of science data that now awaits full analysis.

For a spacecraft designed to conduct unique studies of the sun, Solar Orbiter is also making a name for itself exploring comets. For several days centered on 1200-1300 UT on 17 December 2021, the spacecraft found itself flying through the tail of Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard.

The encounter captured information about the particles and magnetic field present in the tail of the comet. This will allow astronomers to study the way the comet interacts with the solar wind, a variable wind of particles and magnetic field that emanate from the sun and sweep through the solar system.

The crossing had been predicted by Samuel Grant, a post graduate student at University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory. He adapted an existing computer program that compared spacecraft orbits with comet orbits to include the effects of the solar wind and its ability to shape a comet's tail.

"I ran it with Comet Leonard and Solar Orbiter with a few guesses for the speed of the solar wind. And that's when I saw that even for quite a wide range of solar wind speeds it seemed like there would be a crossing," he says.

This plot series represents data collected by the Solar Wind Analysers Heavy Ion Sensor as the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft passed through Comet Leonards tail in December 2021. The data cover 11-20 December, with the first and last plot before and after the tail crossing, respectively, marked by an absence of singly ionized ions. During the tail crossing the instrument detected particles that are attributable to the comet rather than the solar wind, for example ions of oxygen, carbon and molecular nitrogen, and molecules of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and water. (Ions are atoms or molecules that have been stripped of one or more electron and now carry a net positive electrical charge.) The plot illustrates the accumulation of hits of different cometary and solar particles over the course of each day, and records the time it takes for individual particles to travel through the core of the instrument (time of flight), along with its energy/charge. In general, heavier particles take longer to travel than lighter ones. Particles of different mass/charge distribute along specific lines in the plot. The regular solar wind particles cluster along one line (labelled Vsw) in high numbers (indicated by the red and green colours). Boundary lines are also marked for particles travelling twice as fast as solar wind particles (2Vsw) and 0.8 times as fast (0.8Vsw). The density of green colours in distinct bands in the right hand side of the plot reveals particles that have different charge characteristics to those expected in the solar wind, and, in addition, molecules simply not found in the solar wind. Data like this collected over many days helps profile the comets ion tail. The data are used to determine the rate at which the solar wind is stripping material from the comet, for example by comparing the abundances of parent molecules (e.g. carbon monoxide, CO), with the individual atomic components (in that case, carbon and oxygen). Combined with magnetic field data, scientists will also be able to explore local space plasma instabilities generated by the interaction of the newly created ions with the solar wind itself. Credit: ESA/Solar Orbiter/SWA team

At the time of the crossing, Solar Orbiter was relatively close to the Earth having passed by on 27 November 2021 for a gravity assist maneuver that marked the beginning of the mission's science phase, and placed the spacecraft on course for its March 2022 close approach to the sun. The comet's nucleus was 44.5 million kilometers away, near to the planet Venus, but its giant tail stretched across space to Earth's orbit and beyond.

So far, the best detection of the comet's tail from Solar Orbiter has come from the Solar Wind Analyser (SWA) instrument suite. Its Heavy Ion Sensor (HIS) clearly measured atoms, ions and even molecules that are attributable to the comet rather than the solar wind.

Ions are atoms or molecules that have been stripped of one or more electron and now carry a net positive electrical charge. SWA-HIS detected ions of oxygen, carbon, molecular nitrogen, and molecules of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and possibly water. "Because of their small charge, these ions are all clearly of cometary origin," says Stefano Livi, Lead Investigator of SWA-HIS from Southwest Research Institute, Texas.

As a comet moves through space, it tends to drape the sun's magnetic field around it. This magnetic field is being carried by the solar wind, and the draping creates discontinuities where the polarity of the magnetic field changes sharply from north to south and vice versa.

This data plot uses solar wind speed and direction data from the Solar Wind Analysers proton and alpha sensor (SWA-PAS) to estimate how close the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft approached to the centre of Comet C/2021 A1 Leonards ion tail during December 2021. The plot records how close each packet of solar wind detected by SWA-PAS is thought to have got to the comets nucleus during its journey from the Sun to the spacecraft. The left axis gives the scale in astronomical units (au), where 1 au is the distance from the Sun to the Earth, and the same distance is shown in kilometres on the right axis. Changes in the solar wind flow speed and direction are responsible for the variations in the plotted distance. There are short data acquisition gaps on 15 and 17 December. Data like these can help determine the timing of the tail crossing. Comet ion detections from another SWA sensor (the Heavy Ion Sensor) lasted several days, demonstrating that the tail was millions of kilometres across. Homing in on the mid-point of the tail-crossing based on the first analysis puts it from the end of 16 December (according to the data plot shown here) to 1200-1300 UT on 17 December (based on the preliminary analysis of signatures from other instruments). Credit: ESA/Solar Orbiter/SWA team & S. Grant (UCL)

The magnetometer instrument (MAG) data does indeed suggest the presence of such draped magnetic field structures but there is more analysis to be done to be absolutely sure. "We are in the process of investigating some smaller scale magnetic perturbations seen in our data and combining them with measurements from Solar Orbiter's particle sensors to understand their possible cometary origin," says Lorenzo Matteini, a co-investigator on MAG from Imperial College, London.

In addition to the particle data, Solar Orbiter also acquired images.

Metis is Solar Orbiter's multi-wavelength coronagraph. It can perform ultraviolet observations that see the Lyman alpha emission given out by hydrogen, and it can measure the polarization of visible light. During 15 and 16 December it captured the distant head of the comet simultaneously in both visible and ultraviolet light. These images are now being analyzed by the instrument team. "The visible light images can hint at the rate at which the comet is ejecting dust, while the ultraviolet images can give the water production rate," says Alain Corso, a Metis co-investigator at the CNR-Istituto di Fotonica e Nanotecnologie, Padova, Italy.

The Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI) also captured data. These images show large parts of the comet's ion tail taken while the spacecraft itself was inside the tail. As the image sequence progresses, changes in the tail can be seen in response to variations in the solar wind speed and direction.

A composite of Comet Leonard images captured 15-16 December in ultraviolet light by the Metis instrument onboard the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft. The comet transited across the field of view with its dust and ion tails pointing towards the instrument. Credit: ESA/Solar Orbiter/Metis Team

And it was not just Solar Orbiter that was watching the crossing. The ESA/NASA SOHO mission and NASA's STEREO-A and Parker Solar Probe spacecraft were observing from afar. This means that not only do astronomers now have data from inside the tail, they also have contextual images from these other spacecraft (see image gallery above).

Comet tail crossings are relatively rare events. Of those that have been detected, most have been noticed only after the event. The ESA/NASA Ulysses mission encountered three comet ion tails, including that of C/1996 B2 Hyakutake in May 1996, and C/2006 P1 McNaught in early 2007. Solar Orbiter itself crossed the tail of fragmenting comet C/2019 Y4 ATLAS in May and June 2020, shortly after launching.

Whereas the early crossings were a surprise, both of Solar Orbiter's encounters were predicted in advance thanks to the computer code developed by Geraint Jones, University College London Mullard Space Science Laboratory, and extended by Samuel.

"The big advantage is that for basically no effort on the spacecraft's part, you get to sample a comet at a massive distance. That's pretty exciting," says Samuel, who is now looking at archive data from other spacecraft looking for comet tail crossings that have so far gone unnoticed.

NASAs Parker Solar Probe was almost on the opposite side of the Sun from the ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft when its WIPSR instrument recorded images of Comet Leonard on 7 December 2021. From Parker Solar Probes viewpoint the comet appeared to pass directly between Venus and Earth. Credit: NASA/USNRL/G.Stenborg/K.Battams

The work also helps build experience for ESA's Comet Interceptor mission, for which Geraint is the Science Team Lead. The mission will visit an as-yet undiscovered comet, making a flyby of the target with three spacecraft to create a 3D profile of a 'dynamically new' object that contains unprocessed material surviving from the dawn of the solar system.

In the meantime, the instrument teams on Solar Orbiter are busy analyzing the Comet Leonard data not only for what it can tell them about the comet but about the solar wind as well.

The ESA/NASA Solar Orbiter spacecraft flew through the tail of Comet C/2021 A1 Leonard in December 2021, collecting images and in-situ solar wind and particle data. At the same time, SOHO (ESA/NASA), Parker Solar Probe (NASA) and STEREO-A (NASA) were also watching the comets evolution from other angles. The graphic shows the approximate relative positions of the planets, comet and spacecraft on 17 December 2021 and is not to scale. Very approximate fields of view are indicated for selected instruments: SoloHI on Solar Orbiter and SECCHI on STEREO-A. Credit: G. Jones & S. Grant (UCL)

"This kind of additional science is always an exciting part of a space mission," says Daniel Muller, ESA Project Scientist for Solar Orbiter. "When the comet ATLAS crossing was predicted, we were still calibrating the spacecraft and its instruments. Also, the comet fragmented just before we got there. But with Comet Leonard we were totally readyand the comet didn't fall apart."

In March, Solar Orbiter make its closest pass to the sun yet at a distance of 0.32 au (approximately one-third of the Earth-sun distance, or about 50 million kilometers). It is one of almost 20 close passes to the sun that will occur during the next decade. These will result in unprecedented images and data, not only from close up, but also from the sun's never-before seen polar regions.

"There is so much to look forward to with Solar Orbiter, we're only just getting started," says Daniel.

Explore further Views of comet Leonard from two sun-watching spacecraft
Taken by the Himawari 8 satellite, this red-filter visible image of a volcanic eruption in Tonga was taken on 15 January 2022 at 04:50 (UTC) 5:50 PM (Tonga Local Time). This volcanic eruption produced a 3.9 foot (1.2 meter) tsunami which struck Nukualofa, the capital of Tonga. The volcano also triggered tsunamis across the Pacific Ocean affecting countries and territories like Fiji, Samoa, Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Russia, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile and Ecuador, and explosions and the shockwave from the eruption could be heard as far as Alaska and Canada. Also visible in this image is the remnants of Tropical Cyclone Cody to the southwest. Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency/NASA SPoRT. CC BY 4.0

The recent violent volcanic eruption on the Pacific island nation of Tonga is believed to be one of the strongest ever recorded, and future eruptions could be possible, according to a Texas A&M University geophysicist.

Andreas Kronenberg, professor and holder of the Michael T. Halbouty Chair in Geology at Texas A&M, said the eruption on Tonga likely ranks among the strongest in at least 30 years. The Polynesian country has about 170 islands, and is 500 miles east of Fiji.

The eruption caused a huge ash cloud to form on many of the islands, killed at least three people, and could be heard in New Zealand and seen from space.

"In general, the volcanoes around the Pacific Rim are much more powerful and explosive than Hawaiian-type volcanoes, mostly because of the volatile content and magma compositions in them," Kronenberg said.

"This is why we are concerned about the volcanoes in the Oregon, Washington and Alaska regions," Kronenberg said. "However, the Tonga subduction zone is a large one and the entire Southwest Pacific has what we call 'stratovolcanoes.' These are extremely powerful volcanoes and are also the kinds that include Mt. Vesuvius that covered Pompei in Italy and Mt. St. Helens, which exploded a few decades ago."

Mt. St. Helens, which exploded in 1980, is considered the most powerful volcanic eruption in U.S. history and killed 57 people.

The largest eruption ever is believed to be the eruption of Krakatoa, which exploded near Indonesia in 1883 and killed more than 36,000 people.

Some have compared the Tonga eruption as similar to Krakatoa, and NASA has said the Tonga explosion was at least 500 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

"Krakatoa was truly epic, and Tonga was obviously devastating," Kronenberg said. "And it appears that water entering into the volcano internally added to its explosiveness. The result can be tsunamis because they can be triggered by any disturbance of the seafloor that quickly moves large volumes of seawater, such as faults that suddenly change the shape of the seafloor."

Could the Tonga explosion mean future eruptions in the area are possible?

"It is possible such an eruption could trigger nearby activity," Kronenberg said. "But it is not necessarily guaranteed. This is a controversial topic when discussing earthquakes and subsequent eruptions, especially in areas over 10 to 15 miles from the original eruption."
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new analysis by David Geary at the University of Missouri and Gijsbert Stoet at the University of Essex in the United Kingdom finds career aspirations from nearly 500,000 adolescents shows consistent sex differences across 80 nations, suggesting biologically-influenced preferences can play a role in gender segregation in the workplace later in life. The researchers also found a tendency for larger differences to appear in gender-equal countries, such as Finland, Norway or Sweden.

"Sex differences in career choices and outcomes are often blamed on social factors, such as stereotypes and bias," said Geary, Curators Distinguished Professor of Psychological Sciences in the MU College of Arts and Science. "Our study shows that many of these differences are universal and larger in equalitarian societies, suggesting there are biological influences on peoples' occupational preferences."

Geary said this study confirms what the researchers call a "gender-equality paradox," or where increased levels of gender equality in a country lead to larger sex differences, such as in occupational aspirations.

"The sex differences in interest in things- and people-oriented occupations were not only found throughout the world, but mirror those found in a study done more than 100 years ago," Geary said. "The results are consistent across time and place, in keeping with inherent sex differences that make some activities more attractive to adolescent boys than girls and others more attractive to girls than boys."

Using data from the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the analysis showed more boys than girls in each countryabout a 4-to-1 ratiowanted to go into "things-oriented" occupations, such as a carpenter, engineer or mechanic, while more girls than boysabout a 3-to-1 ratiowanted to go into a "people-oriented" occupation, such as a doctor or teacher.

For example, in the U.S. and U.K., researchers found more than five boys for every girl aspired for a things-oriented occupation. That ratio was even greater in Sweden, where more than seven boys for every Swedish girl aspired to a things-oriented occupation. On the other hand, in countries such as Morocco or the United Arab Emirates, where women experience less empowerment in politics, education, or health, the ratios were typically lower, or around two boys for every girl.

"Teenage boys and girls differ considerably in what they expect to work on at around age 30," said Stoet, psychology professor at University of Essex. "The effects are largest in the countries where most people would expect the smallest differences. Their choices are likely a reflection of deeply built-in tendencies we see all over the world, but which express them most strongly in countries where adolescents are least constraint by economic limitations."

Explore further Boys' poor reading skills might help explain higher education gender gap

More information: Gijsbert Stoet et al, Sex differences in adolescents' occupational aspirations: Variations across time and place, PLOS ONE (2022). Journal information: PLoS ONE Gijsbert Stoet et al, Sex differences in adolescents' occupational aspirations: Variations across time and place,(2022). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261438
A livestock helicopter pilot rounds up wild horses from the Fox & Lake Herd Management Area on July 13, 2008, in Washoe County, Nev., near the town on Empire, Nev. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West. Credit: AP Photo/Brad Horn, File

The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the American West.

Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, known as an ally of conservationists on several public land fronts when she was appointed in the fall, says the agency plans to permanently remove at least 19,000 horses and burros this year.

That's 70% more than the previous high a year ago.

Critics say it's a continuation of a decades-old policy that kowtows to ranchers who don't want horses competing with their cattle and sheep for limited forage on agency rangeland in 10 states.

"It didn't take long for Tracy Stone-Manning to sell out America's wild horses," Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral said.

In Nevada, home to about half the 86,000 horses roaming federal lands, three groups have filed a lawsuit challenging what they say is the illegal, inhumane roundup of more than 2,000 horses that's already underway near the Utah line.

Of the hundreds gathered so far, 11 have died, according to the agency's website.

At least one death was a colt that continued to be pursued by a low-flying helicopter driving the herd toward a holding pen even though it had a "clearly broken" leg, according to the lawsuit. It says the colt suffered for at least 29 minutes before it was euthanized.

Free-ranging wild horses gallop from a watering trough on July 8, 2021, near U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before in a single year, drawing outrage from mustang advocates who were counting on the Biden administration to curtail the widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually. Credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File

"It is more than disappointing that BLM will continue the charade that they care about wild horses," said Laura Leigh, president of the Reno-based Wild Horse Education, one of the plaintiffs.

Bureau spokesman Jason Lutterman declined to comment in an email to The Associated Press.

Stone-Manning said in announcing the 2022 roundup plans earlier this month the animals' population has declined since 2020 but is still triple what the government claims the land can sustain ecologicallysomething horse advocates dispute. The agency permanently removed 13,666 animals from the range in 2021.

The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Reno says the agency is exaggerating drought conditions and exploiting legal loopholes with 10-year plans that combine multiple horse management areas without the necessary site-specific assessments.

Mustangs, recently captured on federal rangeland, roam a corral at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's holding facility north of Reno, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, in Palomino, Nev. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West. Credit: AP Photo/Scott Sonner, File

Meanwhile, it says taxpayers continue to finance subsidies for the livestock industry through below-market grazing fees for millions of cattle and sheep causing more ecological harm than horses.

"Using drought as a fig leaf for its illegal actions, the bureau ... is depopulating the West of its wild horses and burros herd by herd and burning through taxpayer dollars with their endless roundups and holding facilities," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, lead co-plaintiff with the New York-based CANA Foundation.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the horse activists are threatening the future of rangeland ecosystems and the well-being of the horses themselves.

"Groups who file lawsuits like this continue to prove that they'd rather draft emotional press releases than contribute to meaningful solutions," said Kaitlynn Glover, the association's director of natural resources.

Horses stand behind a fence at the BLM Palomino Valley holding facility on June 5, 2013, in Palomino Valley, Nev. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West. Credit: AP Photo/Scott Sonner, File

Free-ranging wild horses gallop from a watering trough on July 8, 2021, near U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West. Credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File

Roundups are an important part of the process of bringing the horse herds into balance with the range, she said.

The agency's 2022 strategy includes treating at least 2,300 animals with fertility control and releasing them back to public landsan approach supported by some but not all horse advocatesto stem the growth of herds that otherwise double about every five years. That's nearly double the previous high of 1,160 in 2021, the bureau said.

The agency acknowledges that, due partly to a sharp decline in demand for captured horses offered for public adoption over the past 10 years, it has been left in "the unsustainable position of gathering excess horses while its holding costs spiral upward."

The lawsuit says the environmental assessment the bureau approved in May for the Nevada roundup described plans for a series of "phased gathers to remove excess animals" over a 10-year period, not "at once."

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
ALBANY  A Pottersville man was sentenced to nearly 17 years in federal prison on Wednesday for possessing child pornography and asking a minor to falsely claim responsibility for the crimes.

Terry Lajeunesse, 50, had pleaded guilty last August in U.S. District Court in Albany to possessing and receiving images and videos of child pornography on his cell phone. He also admitted that he asked a minor to indicate they committed the crime, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Lejeunesse was arrested in October 2019 after a Warren County probation officer discovered the pornography during a check of Lajeunesses phone.

Lajeunesse was on probation for a 2015 felony conviction for possessing a sexual performance by a child less than 16 years old.

Prosecutors said Lajeunesse mailed letters from the Rensselaer County Jail in September 2020 to persuade another person to admit to possessing the child pornography that Lajeunesse had.

In the letter sent on Sept. 14, Lajeunesse wrote that Feds play dirty and all they care about is getting a conviction. I need to beat them and am asking for your help, court documents showed.

Lajeunesse wrote that he wanted to create some reasonable doubt and asked this person to claim that the person used his phone because theirs was broken and the person went to the file sharing site and downloaded some files by accident, documents show.

The person confirmed receiving the letters and the individual said they did not have access to his phone, did not know the password and had never viewed child pornography, according to court documents.

In addition to the 198-month prison sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 20-year term of post-release supervision. Lajeunesse will also be required to register as a sex offender.

This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of the New York State Police, and the Warren County Probation Department, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.

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More than 800,000 rapid COVID-19 tests passed their expiration date recently in a Florida warehouse, prompting concerns that they would go to waste.

But the manufacturer, Abbott, obtained a three-month extension on the expiration date after supplying additional data to the FDA.

Such tests  which work by detecting antigens (pieces of viral proteins) on the patient's swab sample  will eventually expire. But the exact date in each case is an open question, in part because some of the manufacturers are new at this game.

Even Abbott, which has years of experience making similar tests for other purposes, has extended the expiration dates on its COVID tests several times, after demonstrating that the components remain stable.

For a crash course on what is meant by expiration in this context, and how to make sure your test is still OK, we spoke to Emily Volk, president of the College of American Pathologists, and Matthew Pettengill, director of clinical microbiology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

Why the tests expire

The chemistry behind the antigen tests typically depends on two key components: a liquid reagent that is used to extract protein fragments from the patient sample and customized antibodies that are painted on the test strip.

If coronavirus proteins are present in the sample, the antibodies bind to them in such a way that the strip changes color, said Volk, chief medical officer of Baptist Health Floyd Hospital in New Albany, Ind.

Both components, the reagent and the antibodies, start to degrade at some point, Pettengill said. They won't go bad the very day of the printed expiration date, but eventually the accuracy of the test may start to decline.

To be on the safe side, use a test that has not expired.

"It's really no different than when your medications expire," Volk said. "They have a shelf life. Afterward, they don't work as well."

But be aware that with the COVID antigen tests, the expiration date may be a moving target.

How to tell if expiration date has changed

Generally, the expiration dates are stamped on the back of the package. In the case of Abbott's BinaxNOW tests, the date is printed alongside a small icon of an hourglass.

A second, earlier date  the day the test kit was assembled  is typically printed below that, next to a mysterious-looking icon with a jagged line. Make sure you're looking at the expiration date.

But for certain tests, that expiration date may have been extended beyond what is stamped on the package, provided the manufacturer has demonstrated to the FDA that the components remain stable.

The type of Abbott tests in the Florida warehouse are now deemed to have a shelf life of 15 months, up from 12. The shelf lives for tests from some other manufacturers have been extended as well.

In some cases, the companies have inserted notices into the packages with the updated info. In others, new expiration dates are posted on company websites, organized by lot number, but finding them can be a challenge.

If there is any doubt, stick with the date on the package. With the number of cases still high, you'll likely be using the test long before that date anyway.

Says Pettengill:

"Most of these antigen tests have a pretty good shelf life," he said. "They're pretty stable for over a year."

How to store tests so they last longer

It may seem obvious, but read the instructions.

Generally, the tests are designed to be stable at a wide range of temperatures.

Abbott says its tests can be stored between 36 and 86 degrees Fahrenheit, but that the kits should be at room temperature at the time they are used. Another test, called the QuickVue SARS Antigen Test, is designed to be stored at 59 to 86 degrees.

What if packages are exposed to temperatures outside those ranges for short periods, such as during shipping?

They are still fine, according to WHEC, the NBC affiliate in chilly Rochester, N.Y., which posed that question to manufacturers. But stick to the recommended temperatures as much as possible. That guidance is based on how the products were tested.

And when it's time to use the test, read the instructions carefully then, too. They are not all the same, and they can be confusing.

ECRI, a Plymouth Meeting-based nonprofit that evaluates the safety and quality of health care, recently ranked seven common tests on their user-friendliness, at www.ecri.org/covid-at-home-testing.
GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP  Stockton University has reeled in a new scholarship born from a fathers love of fishing.

Gordan Grguric, an associate professor of marine science at Stockton, is creating a $200,000 scholarship for students doing research in marine science. The scholarship will award two $3,500 grants per year. The funding will enable students to dedicate their summers to marine biology research, the university said in a news release.

A number of students want to do research in the summer, Grguric said. But if they also have to work, it can be difficult. I wanted to give them a stipend so they can take the time to do the research.

Grguric said the scholarship was in part a way to honor his father, Petar. An electrical engineer, Petar used to take his family to the island of Silba in the Adriatic Sea, where he would spend hours fishing.

The scholarship will be named the Silba Distinguished Scholarship.

He would talk to the professional fishermen and get hints on techniques and where the best fishing sites were. He would rent or borrow a boat and lay down a line for a four- or five-hour trip, Grguric said. My career evolved from his interest. That island is such a part of my heritage.

Grgurics scholarship was also motivated by a desire to financially support Stocktons Marine Field Station and new generations of marine biologists.

I do the chemistry of the ocean, the salinity and oxygen levels, Grguric said. But I want to support the marine biologists. I see what Steve Evert is doing at the Marine Field Station, and I know funding is an issue.

Evert, director of the Marine Field Station, said the endowment will provide critical support to students. He noted the importance of aspiring marine biologists to be able to take time for research in the summer, which helps further their educations and lets students build strong resumes.

So many do have to work in the summer to help pay for college, Evert said. But in marine science, it is so important to get field experience and do research, and a lot of that is done in the summer. Being able to do this will greatly strengthen a students opportunities for a job or graduate school. I tell students that there are jobs in this field, but they will go first to those with field experience.

Evert said the Silba Scholarship will route a steady stream of funding to the program each year, helping with recruitment.

That will also help us attract students to do the research, Evert said.

There also will be an emphasis on communication, with Grguric asking that students prepare a presentation on their research.

In this field, communication skills are also important, Grguric said.

Jennifer Kosakowski, interim executive director of the Stockton Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and executive director of development, corporate and foundation relations, said the Silba Scholarship would help the university keep making headway in the field of marine science.

Dr. Grgurics generosity will benefit generations of Stockton students who are dedicated to the ongoing research of marine life and science, Kosakowksi said. Such a scholarship will not only assist students financially but will ensure that the groundbreaking research that Stockton conducts regionally will continue to thrive through the recruitment and retention of talented student research assistants.

The first Silba Scholarships will be awarded in the 2023-24 school year.

Contact Chris Doyle: cdoyle@pressofac.com

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UPPER TOWNSHIP  When Francine Shimp moved to the Pine Hill Mobile Court 19 years ago, her kids were grown, heading to college or starting careers of their own.

Her double wide in the 55-and-older community in Marmora was affordable and a good size for her.

It was very, very hard to get in here, she said, sitting in her kitchen at the front of the home.

Its called a mobile home park, but the homes in Pine Hill do not travel. Once they arrive, they are placed on cinderblocks and connected to utilities. Many of the owners have sunrooms attached, while Shimp has a screened-in deck and concrete steps.

But Shimp and other residents fear their homes will not remain affordable much longer. In the community, the residents own their homes but rent the land the homes stand on. That rent has been climbing.

Shimp is 79. She said residents older than her depend on Social Security. With the costs of fuel, food and other necessities also climbing, they are rapidly being priced out of their homes, she said.

One year after tornado, Marmora neighborhood mostly back to normal UPPER TOWNSHIP  A year after a tornado spun off from Tropical Storm Isaias tore a winding p

Shimp and several others have turned to the township for help. On Monday, they pleaded with Township Committee to enact a rent control ordinance to put the reins on future hikes.

Dan Young, the township attorney, told the committee Monday that the state neither authorizes nor prohibits rent control ordinances. Usually, he said, communities that enact rent control do so in response to an emergency.

There should be some sort of study that verifies that situation, if it exists, he said. Thats how its challenged by landowners in most of the cases, as to whether or not it was reasonable to adopt it.

He said court cases have found that landlords have a legal right to expect a reasonable return from rents.

Township Committee members agreed to send the issue to the Planning Board for a recommendation.

The problem is were going to have to fund that, Mayor Curtis Corson said.

Climate change links stronger storms to Jersey Shore, but not more South Jersey has been the landing spot for three tropical systems in the past decade. While 

Corson also wanted to make sure the potential ordinance only applied to year-round residences. The townships Strathmere section has a large number of weekly rentals in the summer.

Could it be limited to just the senior complexes? asked Committee member Kim Hayes. It could, Young replied, as long as it was based on information and not an arbitrary decision.

The committee unanimously approved asking the Planning Board to undertake a study of the proposal, and plans to include funding for a study in the 2022 budget.

Were going to move forward on this. Its not going to take a week. Its not going to take two weeks. Its going to take time, Corson said.

Multiple Pine Hill residents had signed a petition requesting the township take action. Many were at the meeting.

One man, who did not go to the microphone or give his name, just called out rent control from his seat.

Officials assess damage after tornado 'like a chainsaw' touched down in Upper Township UPPER TOWNSHIP  Rick Bricker and his family had just gotten a tornado alert and made it to 

We got it, Corson said.

Speaking to the committee, Shimp described the most recent increase as unconscionable.

Since they purchased the park, they have increased our rent each year, she said.

The latest increase is $45 a month. Shimp said that puts her cost at $520 a month, not including utilities. She estimated someone buying her home today would spend about $140,000.

Residents told the committee there have been several increases already. Some of their ire was directed at the tone of the most recent notice of an increase, which they said read more like an eviction notice.

Attorney Greg Greenberg, who said he was representing Pine Hill, and Will Widmer, the regional manager for Lakeshore Management, told the committee the increases have not been extreme and cited investments in the property.

Greenberg said the consumer price index is increasing and said rents in other communities are higher. He said there is a waiting list to get into Pine Hill.

We were excited to take over that property, Widmer said. He cited hiring full-time staff and making improvements to the property, including upgrading electrical systems and replacing pipes that dated to the 1960s and 70s.

Multiple homes in Pine Hill were damaged, and some destroyed, in 2020 when a tornado, rare for the area, cut through the park. No serious injuries were reported when the twister spun off from Tropical Storm Isaias in August of that year. Storm repairs included replacing fences and removing unsafe trees, Widmer said.

For a resident appreciation day, he said, the company brought in an ice cream truck.

Nobody likes an increase. Were sympathetic to the situation that some people are in. But I do believe we are there for our residents. I think that weve added value to the community since we acquired it in 2018, Widmer said.

Greenberg declined to comment further after the meeting.

He did not seem to convince the residents. Larry Trulli, a resident of Pine Hill, described the company as out-of-town carpetbaggers who cared little for the residents. The residents spoke fondly of the former owners, who lived locally.

The company is based in Skokie, Illinois. There are 118 residents in Pine Hill, according to Widmer. After buying its first community of manufactured homes in 1998, Lakeshore now has facilities in nine states.

Our objective is to provide high-quality housing that is affordable and offer family communities along with our 55+ retirement communities, reads a statement on the companys website.

Contact Bill Barlow: 609-272-7290 bbarlow@pressofac.com Twitter @jerseynews_bill

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Meet Methuselah, the fish that likes to eat fresh figs, get belly rubs and is believed to be the oldest living aquarium fish in the world.
The Easter Bunny was representing the prosecution in several hundred Polk County criminal cases.At least thats what Iowa Courts Online, the court systems official, statewide web-based repository of court records, indicated for most of April.On April 4, the online docket sheets for hundreds of Polk County cases  primarily misdemeanors and drunken-driving cases  were revised to indicate the prosecution of those cases had been transferred from one particular assistant county attorney, Kailey Gray, to another prosecutor in the county attorneys office by the name of Easter Santa Bunny.And thats where the cases remained as of Thursday morning.Bret Lucas, an assistant county attorney, said Thursday the situation stemmed from a recent realignment of cases within the county attorneys office. Gray took over a colleagues cases, and Iowa Courts Online accurately reflects the transfer of those cases. But Grays old cases, he said, were transferred to the Easter Bunny until all of the work on the digital case transfer could be completed.We had contacted the Judicial Branch and they worked with their information technology department to facilitate the mass transfer of cases, Lucas said. Apparently, the Judicial Branch and the IT department decided to put that placeholder in there because, obviously, no one else would have that name.  So they were all aware of that, and it sounds like they must still be in the middle of that transfer process.Stacy Curtis, a supervisor for the criminal division of the Polk County Clerk of Courts Office, said the references to the Easter Bunny should not be visible to the public either through a name search or in the docket sheets for the individual cases. She said the office took extra steps to make sure members of the public didnt see any reference to the Easter Bunny and only clerks, lawyers, judges and others with higher security clearance could see it. It appears that the opposite may have occurred, as the Easter Bunny references could be seen by members of the public who werent even logged into the site.This has been a nightmare for me, Curtis said. We moved everything from Kaylie to the Easter Bunny, and those should have all been cleaned up so you wouldnt be able to see that.Many of the cases that were publicly assigned to the Easter Bunny are open, active cases, but hundreds of others are dormant, though not technically closed because of probationary sentences that have yet to be completed or fines that have yet to be paid.The only practical effect of the Easter Bunny designation is that some defendants may see that information online and not know who to contact at the county attorneys office about their case.After being contacted by the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Thursday, court officials were working to erase from the website any mention of the Easter Bunny, and by late afternoon it appeared they had succeeded.Santa bailed out by RudolphThe Easter Bunny cases are not the only criminal matters listed on the court systems official website to have featured nonexistent lawyers or defendants. In what appear to be training exercises for clerical staff, fictitious test cases are sometimes created and then posted to the public website but never removed.For example, a December 1997 case shows Santa Claus being convicted of felony burglary and kidnapping, with a charge of assault on a peace officer dismissed by the court. The court records indicate a sentence of 999 years in prison was imposed.As part of that same test case, the court imposed a no-contact order prohibiting Santa from having any contact with Mickey Mouse. Santas bail  listed as one million bucks in a possible punning reference to Santas reindeer  is stated to have been posted by Rudolph.In 2014, Santa Claus was charged with second-degree robbery in Scott County, according to the Iowa Courts Online site. Although theres no record of a conviction in that case, Claus right to carry a gun was revoked.The court systems website also shows that in 2014, Mickey Mouse filed a small claims case against Donald Duck in Marion County.For more information, visit iowacapitaldispatch.com.
CHICAGO  Nearly 10,000 women traveled from out of state to have an abortion in Illinois in 2020, a roughly 29% increase compared with the previous year, according to the most recent Illinois Department of Public Health data available.

State health statistics show 9,686 out-of-state women terminated a pregnancy in Illinois in 2020, comprising about 21% of all 46,243 abortions performed statewide. This was over 2,000 more than the 7,534 women who came here from another state in 2019. State data from 2021 was not available.

The rise in travelers was anticipated by reproductive rights advocates and opponents of abortion alike, attributed largely to nearby states with increasingly stringent abortion laws, including those mandating waiting periods, gestational limits and more regulations on clinics.

Reproductive freedoms are increasingly under fire in much of the country, particularly many Midwestern states that surround Illinois as well as southern portions of the nation.

The U.S. Supreme Court by midyear is expected to rule on one of the most influential abortion cases in decades: Dobbs v. Jackson will determine the legality of a Mississippi law that bars abortion past 15 weeks gestation. The case could also dictate the fate of Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that established the right to terminate a pregnancy nationwide.

If Roe were to be overturned or significantly curtailed, the matter of abortion rights would be resolved at the state level. Experts predict that roughly half the nation would ban or severely restrict abortion, including every state adjacent to Illinois.

At the same time, Illinois has ensconced abortion rights in state law. In 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Reproductive Health Act, which established terminating a pregnancy as a fundamental right for women in Illinois.

Ameri Klafeta, director of the Womens and Reproductive Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said the 2020 Illinois abortion numbers reflect two undeniable realities.

First, Illinois has taken steps through the Reproductive Health Act  to assure (access) to reproductive health care, she said. The other truth is that this time period has been marked by escalating activity in many other states  including many in the Midwest  to choke off access to such care. Banning abortion and other reproductive health care in these surrounding states does not erase the need for access to critical health care  despite the magical thinking of anti-abortion politicians inside and outside Illinois borders. It is hopeful and helpful that some number of those affected by these regressive laws are able to get care in our state.

The number of women crossing state lines to come to Illinois for the procedure has risen every year since 2014.

Former state lawmaker and prominent abortion opponent Peter Breen called the trend disturbing.

When you look at the way Illinois has legislated, it makes sense that folks from out of state would stream into Illinois to get abortions, said Breen, vice president and senior counsel with the Chicago-based nonprofit public interest law firm the Thomas More Society. I dont think the people of Illinois wanted our state to become known as the abortion capital of the Midwest, but our legislators and government have decided to move us in that direction.

New abortion clinics had also recently opened near state boundary lines: An 18,000-square-foot Planned Parenthood facility opened in 2019 in Fairview Heights right by the Missouri border and another Planned Parenthood opened in May 2020 in Waukegan near the Wisconsin border.

Another factor might have been several states that intermittently halted abortion services in 2020 citing the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving patients scrambling to find an appointment elsewhere.

The Chicago-based American Medical Association had decried these temporary bans as government intrusion in medical care.

While many physicians and health care workers are on the front lines in the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unfortunate that elected officials in some states are exploiting this moment to ban or dramatically limit womens reproductive health care, labeling procedures as non-urgent, the organization said in a March 2020 written statement.

Overall, the total number of abortions in Illinois decreased slightly during the same period, from 46,517 in 2019 to 46,243 in 2020. There was a decline in the number of Illinois residents who terminated a pregnancy, from 38,756 in 2019 to 36,174 in 2020.

Breen pointed out that the national birthrate also declined during that same period, which might account for the decrease in in-state abortions. The number of births in the U.S. decreased from more than 3.7 million in 2019 to about 3.6 million in 2020.

National abortion figures have not been released for 2020. Nationwide, 2019 saw a slight increase in terminated pregnancies compared with 2018, after many years of decline, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Experts on both sides of the abortion debate predict the number of out-of-state travelers will continue to rise in the future.

Last month, Pritzker signed a law repealing parental notification requirements for minors seeking an abortion in Illinois. Supporters of the change say repeal was needed to protect the rights and health of vulnerable young people, particularly those from unsafe households.

Opponents, however, were alarmed that parents could be kept in the dark about the health care decisions of their children. Breen predicted that the repeal will draw more minors from other states to Illinois, since every state surrounding Illinois has some form of a parental notice requirement.

Minor girls will be brought to Illinois by the thousands in order to avoid notifying their parents of their pregnancies, Breen said.

The Food and Drug Administration in December permanently eased previous restrictions on shipping abortion pills via mail; this allows patients in Illinois and some other states to get a prescription through a telemedicine visit and then get the medication shipped to their home, another means to access abortion services.

Illinois abortion providers say they expect more women will be traveling here from other states for reproductive health care in the future.

As Illinois continues to break down barriers to health care, we will remain a needed haven in the Midwest, said Jennifer Welch, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Illinois. We are planning for Illinois out-of-state numbers to continue to increase as long as other states are allowed to enact harmful and unconstitutional abortion bans and restrictions.

Last week, two abortion providers in southern Illinois opened a new resource for out-of-state travelers called the Regional Logistics Center, where designated case managers will help patients book transportation, find lodging and connect them with funding resources to help pay for the procedure and other associated costs.

The center  which is inside the Planned Parenthood clinic in Fairview Heights  is a joint project by Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Hope Clinic for Women in Granite City.

In September, a Texas law went into effect barring abortions as early as about six weeks gestation, before many women even know theyre pregnant, all but banning the procedure in the second-largest state in the nation.

Dr. Erin King, executive director of Hope Clinic for Women, told the Tribune her clinic now sees several patients who travel from Texas each week. She described one recent patient who found out she was pregnant on a Wednesday, made the appointment on Friday and flew in on Saturday to have a medication abortion. King recalled that the patient flew back to Texas that same day, and that trip had been her first time on an airplane.

The volume of patients fleeing to Illinois will only grow, said Yamelsie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, at the centers opening. If Roe is overturned, we expect to see 14,000 patients from outside our service area in the first year.

But to foes of abortion, the role of Illinois as a reproductive rights oasis in the Midwest has long been considered a disgrace.

Illinois is drastically out of step with the rest of the Midwest, said Kevin Grillot, executive director of March for Life Chicago. The last five years, Illinois legislators have prioritized the abortion industry over the people that they represent.

Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League, added that theres nothing inevitable about the rise of Illinois as a major abortion state.

As we continue to see the impact of the governments aggressive expansion of abortion in Illinois, especially abortions performed on minors  from out of state, we may see more willingness on the part of voters to rein in this abortion license, he said.

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DES MOINES  A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed the state of Iowa to enforce a law that prevents local schools from imposing mask mandates, except for schools attended by students whose disabilities make them more vulnerable to severe illness if they get COVID-19.

The court found that a mask requirement is a reasonable accommodation for students with such disabilities and allowed a group of parents of disabled children to pursue a lawsuit that seeks to strike down the law.

Two members of a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Omaha found a previous federal judge's decision to issue an injunction that blocked the state ban on mask mandates was too broad because it applied to all schools. The court sent the case back to the judge to narrow the injunction to apply to the 10 school districts the students attend.

"The issues presented by plaintiffs involve a discrete group of students: those whose disabilities require accommodations in the form of mask requirements in order to safely be present in their schools," the court wrote. "To remedy plaintiffs' injury, an injunction is necessary only as applied to their schools and districts."

The judges sided with the parents and a disability rights group in concluding that their lawsuit can proceed in federal court denying motions by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo to dismiss the case.

The panel found the parents likely will succeed because mask requirements constitute a reasonable modification and schools' failure to provide this accommodation likely violates the federal Rehabilitation Act.

The parents, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and disability rights organizations, filed the lawsuit in September 2021 against Reynolds and Lebo that sought to strike down the law that bans schools from requiring masks.

"This decision is an enormous victory for students with disabilities across Iowa," said ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen.

The decision was signed by Judges Jane Kelly, a Barack Obama appointee, and Duane Benton, appointed by George W. Bush.

Judge Ralph Erickson, a Donald Trump appointee, dissented saying he would not have allowed the case to proceed. He contended the parents had not exhausted other avenues for challenging the law before filing a federal lawsuit.

"This case is about children's ability to receive instruction while attending school. Courts should not act so quickly to intervene in the resolution of conflicts which arise in the daily operation of school systems," he said.

The lawsuit involves children who are too young to be vaccinated and have disabilities that make them susceptible to potentially severe COVID-19 cases. Their parents argue the law effectively excludes them from in-person learning in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

The schools are Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Des Moines, Iowa City, Johnston, Linn Mar and Waterloo.

Tuesday afternoon, the Davenport Community School District issued a statement about the ruling signed by district school board President Daniel Gosa.

"As a result of todays ruling, the Davenport Community School District will remove all universal mandatory masking requirements for students and staff throughout the district effective immediately per Iowa law," the release states. "Students and staff who choose to mask may continue to do so. In compliance with the Presidents Executive Order on all domestic transportation, students are still required to wear a face covering while on the school bus or while utilizing other District provided transportation."

The decision comes as the rate of Iowa COVID-19 spread reached an all-time high and hospitalizations were at the highest level since early December 2020. The omicron variant has resulted in more infected children being hospitalized, with the most recent state data showing 32 children under age 17 in hospitals. All but six are unvaccinated.

On Sunday, Mormon Trail Schools in southern Iowa announced that its superintendent "lost his battle with COVID."

Kerry Lee Phillips, 61, died at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City. Most of the district is in Wayne County and Decatur County, which have the second and third lowest vaccination rate in Iowa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that in the two counties about 56% of the population remains unvaccinated.

The district's return to learn plan for the year says masks are not required.

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A Davenport man on parole out of the Illinois Department of Corrections on a methamphetamine trafficking conviction was arrested Monday on a warrant alleging he sold methamphetamine to undercover agents with the Quad-City Metropolitan Enforcement Group twice in December.

Charles Edward Whittinghill Jr., 52, of Davenport, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver less than 5 grams of methamphetamine. Each of the charges is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of 10 years.

According to the arrest affidavit, on Dec. 1 at his residence, Whittinghill sold 1.7 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover MEG agent for cash. Then on Dec. 13, he sold 1.6 grams of meth to an undercover MEG agent for cash from his residence.

Police have said that the common dose of meth is one-tenth of a gram, and therefore Whittinghill sold 33 doses of meth to the MEG agents.

Whittinghill was booked into the Scott County Jail at 3:02 p.m. Monday.

After a first appearance Tuesday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Catherine Cartee set a preliminary hearing date of Feb. 11. She also released Whittinghill on his own recognizance with a promise to appear at all future court proceedings.

Whittinghill is currently on parole out of the Illinois River Correctional Center.

During a hearing Dec. 20, 2018, in Rock Island County Circuit Court, Whittinghill pleaded guilty to a charge of possession with the intent to deliver at least 15 grams but less than 100 grams of methamphetamine. The charge is a Class 1 felony under Illinois law that carries a possible prison sentence of four to 15 years.

Rock Island County Associate Judge Norma Kauzlarich sentenced Whittinghill to 7 years in prison.

According to Illinois Department of Corrections electronic records, Whittinghill was placed on parole and released from the Illinois River Correctional Center on June 8, 2021. He is scheduled to be released from parole on June 8, 2023. However, Illinois officials could revoke his parole and send him back to prison.

According to Rock Island County Circuit Court electronic records, Whittinghills criminal record spans back to 1989 when he had a Class 4 felony drug conviction for which he was sentenced to 18 months on probation.

In 1993 he was convicted on two counts for forgery and sentenced to one year on probation. In 1998, he was convicted of residential burglary and sentenced to five years in prison. In 2003 he was convicted of drug possession and sentenced to 30 months on probation. However, he violated his probation and was sentenced to two years in prison. In 2007 he was convicted of theft and sentenced to 30 months on probation. In 2010 he was convicted of burglary and sentenced to four years in prison. In 2012 he was convicted of retail theft and sentenced to 18 months on conditional discharge.

According to Scott County District Court records, in 2016, Whittinghill pleaded guilty to felony charges of forgery and second-degree theft and an aggravated misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of a credit card. During a hearing March 10, 2016, he was sentenced to two years on probation. However, he violated his probation and on Dec. 15, 2016, a Scott County District judge sentenced him to concurrent prison terms of five years on each of the felony convictions and two years on the aggravated misdemeanor.

Whittinghill was released from the Iowa Department of Corrections and placed on work release on Nov. 21, 2017. He was placed on parole on Feb. 23, 2018. His parole in Iowa ended April 20, 2021, while he was still in prison in Illinois.

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A new trial date has been set for the man accused in the July 10, 2020, kidnapping and murder of 10-year-old Breasia Terrell of Davenport.

The trial for Henry Dinkins was to have begun Feb. 14.

Public Defender Miguel Puentes on Jan. 20 filed a motion to have the case continued, stating in his motion that, an assessment of our defense case indicates we are admittedly unprepared to proceed as currently scheduled; therefore, necessitating this filing.

Puentes said he had advised the Scott County Attorney's Office of his plans to seek a continuance and that some informal discussions had begun relating to rescheduling at which time some prospective dates were offered.

A hearing on the motion was held Tuesday.

Scott County District Judge Henry Latham scheduled the trial for May 9, with a final pretrial hearing set for May 4.

Dinkins, 49, of Davenport, is accused of kidnapping Breasia on the morning of July 10, 2020. He is alleged to have shot her to death.

Her remains were found March 22, 2021, by two fisherman in a Clinton County pond.

Davenport police confirmed the remains were Breasia in a news conference March 31, 2021.

On May 5, Dinkins was charged with first-degree murder and first-degree kidnapping.

Each of the charges is a Class A felony under Iowa law that carries an automatic sentence of life in prison.

Dinkins has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In a letter he sent to Latham that was received Aug. 20, Dinkins requested a meeting in chambers to discuss the case off the record.

I am writing you in regards to fairness, Dinkins said in his letter. "I am only gonna speak the truth. I know that the state has put a lot on the table against me. They know and I know 80% of this information is false hearsay but cuts like a knife. There has been so much false information allow [sic] to where theres no possibility of fairness beyond a reasonable doubt unless the right person get the right information.

Dinkins, who is the father of Breasias half-brother, said in his letter that he has condolence to her family sympathy and lost [sic].

I do pray that my voice be heard in your heart, Dinkins said in his letter. I do have 18 kids whom I truly love with all my heart and will protect in all circumstance, and I believe youll do the same.

I am not a saint by far and I do have flosses [sic], and I do have a heart on the same token, Dinkins said.

Dinkins, a registered sex offender, also is charged with three counts of sex-offender registration violations in Scott County. Each charge is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years. A pretrial conference is scheduled in that case for March 25 in District Court.

Dinkins also is charged in Bureau County, Ill., in connection with a meth trafficking case. According to Bureau County Circuit Court electronic records, Dinkins is facing one count of manufacture and delivery of more than 200 grams of amphetamine or an analog of amphetamine, and one count of delivery of more than 900 grams of methamphetamine.

Each of the charges is a Class X felonies under Illinois law that carries a prison sentence of six to 30 years. No court dates have been set.

Dinkins is being held without bond in the Clinton County Jail.

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Eastern Iowa Community Colleges is one of several Iowa schools that has received grants from the state to fund counselors who will help high school students plan their futures.

The three-year, $50,000 grants will fund college and career transition counselors meant to help students learn about different professions and what steps they need to take to shift into career training or college after high school, according to a news release from the Iowa department of education release. The counselors will begin in the 2022-2023 school year.

For EICC, the counselor will work with students at North Scott Community School District, Naomi DeWinter, EICCs vice chancellor for student development and Muscatine Community Colleges president, said.

The job will solely help students with education and career planning, DeWinter said. It will supplement the existing counselors who work with students.

While education and career planning is part of the existing counselors job description, they also have a number of other tasks, DeWinter said, including helping students with their mental health.

The counselors will work with young people during their junior and senior years of high school, the summer after graduation and during their first year of college or career training, according to the department of education release.

This is the second year the grants have been issued, according to the department of education release. Besides EICC, Des Moines Area Community College, Indian Hills Community College, Iowa Central Community College and North Iowa Area Community College received grants this time. Iowa Central and North Iowa both received two.

The program is meant to be sustainable after the grants are used up, with the school districts and the community colleges providing the funding, according to the release.

DeWinter said the post-grant funding for Eastern Iowas new counselor will have several sources, including general fund dollars.

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A group within the Chicago Teachers Union is launching a new campaign to challenge President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates in the unions spring election.

The movement by the Members First Caucus comes two weeks after the union narrowly voted to accept Chicago Public Schools COVID-19 safety agreement and end a dayslong work stoppage.

The current leadership of the CTU sees work stoppages and strikes as the first step, and not the last one. They are far more focused on being in front of the camera and advancing their own political careers than delivering for us, the caucus says in a minutelong video posted to its website and on social media Tuesday.

CTU and CPS spent months negotiating a set of safety protocols beyond indoor mask-wearing for this school year, but had not reached an agreement by the time the highly transmissible omicron variant fueled a surge in CPS student and staff cases. Students returned from winter break for two days of school before the union, with 73% of the vote, approved a measure to work remotely for nearly two weeks.

CPS school psychologist Mary Esposito-Usterbowski, a Members First presidential candidate, said in a statement that if the CTUs leadership was proactive, rather than reactive, we would have had a plan in place before winter break to be safe from COVID upon returning to our schools.

With about 56% of the vote, after days of canceled classes, the union accepted CPS safety proposal that included COVID-19 metrics that would spur a school to transition to remote learning; KN95 masks for students and staff members; and more COVID-19 testing opportunities beyond the weekly program thats mandatory only for unvaccinated staff members.

In a phone interview Tuesday, Davis Gates said the split in the latest rank-and-file vote wasnt about union leadership, but had everything to do with our boss and the frustration and the exhaustion that our members feel when they dont have partnership.

She said shes encouraged by the unions work over the last decade.

We lost scores of Black kids (for) years prior to 2010 through school closings and school turnaround. Right now we have a moratorium on school closings thats legally binding, Davis Gates said. We just settled a lawsuit with the Chicago Board of Education, which will give about $10 million to Black teachers that were fired as a result of racially disparate school turnarounds.

Responding to accusations that CTU leaders are more interested in advancing their own political careers, Davis Gates emphasized her priorities are being a mom to three CPS students and advocating for students and CTU members through her union leadership role. However, she didnt rule out a mayoral run Tuesday.

She did deny Members Firsts claims about CTU financial mismanagement. The caucus said the union had $8.8 million in cash reserves in January 2015 that has since been depleted. Davis Gates said there was a surplus last year, and there may be one this year as well.

CTU has about 25,000 members. Its unclear how many of these educators align with Members First, but about 5,600 people belong to the caucuss Facebook group. The Members First slate includes vice president candidate Sandi Hoggatt, a case manager at Kenwood Academy High School; recording secretary candidate Maria Soto, a clerk at George Washington High School; and financial secretary candidate Philip Weiss, a social worker at Rickover Naval Academy.

The union election is scheduled for May 20. The Caucus of Rank and File Educators slate, led by Sharkey, won 66% of the vote in the last election, three years ago. Members First had put forth a different set of challengers at that time.

Every three years, our union has something akin to an inter-squad scrimmage where teammates get to debate on the issues that are important to our school communities, Davis Gates said. I really value and appreciate the intensity of our democracy within our union.

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A former Northwestern University professor was sentenced to 53 years in prison Tuesday for the violent slaying of his boyfriend.

Wyndham Lathem appeared at his sentencing hearing before Judge Charles Burns, more than four years after the fatal stabbing of Trenton Cornell, Lathems 26-year-old boyfriend. Lathem, 47, was convicted of first-degree murder in October after a nearly two-week trial.

Burns said his sentencing range for Lathem was 20 to 60 years and that he believed 53 years to be most appropriate considering all of the factors at play, including the facts pointing to the killing being premeditated and gruesome. The judge said he also weighed Lathems seemingly upstanding disposition in his professional and personal life prior to the crime.

Obviously, he had a dark secret, Burns said. The Dr. Lathem that we saw walk through the doors to this courtroom obviously had a Mr. Hyde to him, and Im not sure when or why that occurred.

The sentence, which Burns said he knows is an extreme sentence but for an extreme crime, also requires Lathem to serve three years of supervised release after he leaves custody. The defense made a motion for Burns to reconsider the sentence and their earlier motion for a new trial, which Burns denied at the beginning of Tuesdays hearing. Another court date has been scheduled for March 10.

We believe there are issues that are so meritorious that they may merit a new trial, said Adam Sheppard, one of Lathems defense attorneys. We agree that this was an extreme sentence, and we will be asking for a review of the sentence along with the other issues that we raised at our post-trial motion.

Charlotte Cornell, one of Trenton Cornells mothers, said in a statement after the hearing the family is forever grateful to the Cook County victim advocates, prosecutors and sheriffs office for their work.

This is nothing that we ever would wish on any family, and just know that we couldnt be more grateful to all the people in Cook County here who have helped justice be served, Charlotte Cornell said.

Trenton Cornells other mother, Mischelle Duranleau, took the stand during the sentencing hearing to give a victim-impact statement. Duranleau said their son was respectful, fell madly in love quickly and was always looking for the next adventure.

Duranleau said the family last saw Trenton Cornell in Chicago in November 2016 when they visited him to celebrate his birthday. Duranleau said he told them he was doing well having made it into transitional housing and finally taking medication for his HIV, as well as explaining to his family he had fallen in love with the most intelligent man.

His belief in the kindness and honesty of others is the one characteristic we wish Trenton left with us, Duranleau said.

Duranleau added that the family does not feel Lathem has shown any remorse for his actions.

Lathem gave a statement during the hearing, in which he said he has been grief-stricken with remorse since the moment everything happened.

Every day I think about Trent, Lathem said. Every day I think about what happened. Im just filled with sadness. I want Trents family to know that as bad as I feel, I cant imagine how much worse it is for them, and Im so sorry for their loss.

Judge Burns said he does believe Lathem, whom he described as very intelligent and personable, is remorseful at this point in time, but Burns seemed unsure about Lathem feeling regretful immediately after Trenton Cornell was killed, because Lathem left the scene and went on the run.

Going to a hotel washing off the blood, going to different locations, making donations in his name, like a couple thousand dollars is going to wash the blood off his hands, Burns said. If there is any moral compass of Dr. Lathem, it was broken off.

Lathem is an accomplished microbiologist who was fired from Northwestern when he fled Chicago after the killing.

Prosecutors said Lathem and his co-defendant, Andrew Warren, had made a suicidal pact to kill each other, but instead killed Cornell. And whatever the motive, they said, the physical evidence pointed to Lathem having an active role in the slaying. He also sent a video to his parents in the days after the stabbing saying, I killed him, and that it was not an accident.

Lathem ditched his phone and fled town with Warren for more than a week after Cornells death.

Warren pleaded guilty to Cornells murder in 2019 and agreed to testify against Lathem at trial in exchange for prosecutors recommending a sentence of 45 years.

The defense, meanwhile, said the slaying was entirely Warrens doing. Lathem escaped to another room while Warren, who had used meth, killed Cornell in what was supposed to be a kinky knife-play threesome gone terribly wrong, the defense argued.

Jurors in October took less than two hours to deliberate before convicting Lathem.

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A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest from Tuesday:

OFFICE CLOSING: As a result of is remote work experience since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Iowa Department of Revenue will not renew its lease on office space in Cedar Rapids.

Director Kraig Paulsen told lawmakers Tuesday that with 80 percent of his staff working remotely 100 percent of the time or a hybrid work schedule, the department no longer needs the space.

The department also has given up some space in the Hoover Office Building on the state Capitol Complex.

Employees who had worked at the departments office at 3205 Williams Blvd. SW before the pandemic will continue to work remotely. The lease expires at the end of June.

Paulsen also said remote work has made it possible for the department to hire people across the state rather than draw only from people willing to work in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.

Since the start of the pandemic, only mailroom employees and accountants handling deposits have been working in the departments offices.

Paulsen said he has seen an increase in productivity and employees are happy with remote and hybrid arrangements.

Employees must have a dedicated workspace, Paulsen said. Work from home means work from home  not a coffee shop or a friends house, he told the House Administration and Regulation Appropriations subcommittee.

BE A POLL WORKER: On Tuesday, which was National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate encouraged Iowans to assist voters in the 2022 elections by becoming poll workers. Iowa deploys around 10,000 poll workers for each statewide election.

Poll workers are a crucial component of Iowas elections. They check-in voters, make sure they have the correct ballot, answer questions and help ensure elections run smoothly in each precinct. Theyre needed in all 99 counties for the June 7 primary and Nov. 8 general election.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission established National Poll Worker Recruitment Day in 2022 with the goal of encouraging citizens to sign up to help America vote. For more information, visit https://pollworker.iowa.gov/.

NO MORE CUTS: Attorney General Tom Miller made a plea to legislators for funding, telling the Judicial Systems Appropriations subcommittee that his departments general fund support has decreased by 33 percent since fiscal 2009.

The departments lawyers continue to provide excellent advice and representation on behalf of the state. However, further cuts will have serious consequences to the citizens of Iowa, including victims of crime, said Miller, a Democratic seeking re-election this year.

Democrats on the subcommittee called for an increase in funding for victim services, which serve nearly 50,000 Iowans a year. Miller asked for the same as last year, $5 million. He warned there has been a precipitous decline in federal funds and he expects a further reduction in the immediate future.

Cost and demand for victim services have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, he said, and the funding cuts have meant fewer staff and fewer resources available to assist crime victims with comprehensive assistance.

Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, said victim services advocates say the system is broken for lack of funding.

But its hard for us to argue that we should put more in than governor and attorney general are requesting, she said.

Miller will support a funding request advocates plan to make to Gov. Kim Reynolds.

PREGNANCY ACCOMMODATIONS: A requirement that businesses provide reasonable accommodations for workers who become pregnant and give birth advanced in the Senate.

Some concerns were raised about SF 485, particularly from the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, which questioned the need for a new state law given already existing federal regulations.

Proponents of the bill said federal law may not cover everything in the bill, and that workers and businesses may prefer to see regulation and enforcement at the state level.

All three senators on the panel, two Republicans and a Democrat, signed off on advancing the legislation to the Senate committee on labor. But Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, and Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, said they would like to see some concerns addressed as the legislation moves forward.

PRIVATE TUITION: Taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school tuition would be available to current private school students under legislation approved by a Senate subcommittee.

Under SF 128, scholarships of roughly $3,500  half the state cost per pupil  would be available to all private school students.

Debate over the legislation was typical of previous debates over legislation that provides taxpayer funding for private school costs: Proponents advocated for financial assistance that helps students and families choose the school that best fits them, and opponents expressed concern with using taxpayer funds on private entities that are not subject to the same regulations and oversight as public schools, and the potential for constraining state funding for public schools.

SF 128 was approved by the Republicans on the subcommittee and is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate Education Committee.

CONVENTION OF STATES: Rick Santorum, winner of the 2012 Iowa Republican presidential precinct caucuses and a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, spoke in the Iowa Capitol rotunda at a rally supporting an Article V Convention of states.

Santorum leads Convention of States Action, which advocates for a convention of states in order to enact amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The group proposes using a process in the Constitution by which two-thirds of all state legislatures approve a convention where states could propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Those proposals would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of states. The U.S. Constitution has never been amended this way.

Iowa has a chance to join 15 other states in calling for the first-ever Article V Convention to limit federal power and spending, and impose term limits on federal officials, Santorum said in a news release.

Multiple Republican state legislators also spoke at the rally.

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CEDAR RAPIDS  U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst became emotional as she talked with people involved in refugee resettlement in Cedar Rapids  some of them refugees themselves.

There are so many incredible people involved here, Ernst said Tuesday while touring the Catherine McAuley Center in downtown Cedar Rapids.

The center has received about 205 Afghan refugees since October and is expected that to grow to at least 250 this year. Thats in addition to an expected 150 typical refugees, according to Sara Zejnic, director of Refugee and Immigrant Services.

Iowa has such a rich history of bringing immigrants into our state when they have been turned away by so many other places, the Iowa Republican said. It does give me a great sense of pride. I love the fact that we are opening our doors and our hearts to people who have struggled.

Afghanistan refugees have been so special because of the large number of Iowans in the military who have served there, Ernst said. So that has a special significance to so many Iowans.

So I think it's an ongoing campaign of compassion, Ernst said.

Her visit was about more than a feel-good opportunity, however. Ernst spoke to staff and refugees, including some from Afghanistan, about the challenges faced by the new arrivals.

Among the greatest challenges, she learned, are language, housing and employment. For some, especially the Afghanistan refugees, Zejnic added, there are security concerns. Refugees who had fears about their names or images appearing in the media because they have family and friends still in Afghanistan met privately with Ernst during her visit.

Overall, Zejnic said, there has been an outpouring of support from the community, including employers looking to fill jobs.

However, among the barriers, Rosa Kombwa, business development manager, told Ernst is getting a drivers license. Several of the refugees the center works with have truck driving experience  and there is high demand for truck drivers. However, permit tests are offered in only a few languages, and applicants cannot use an interpreter.

Another high-demand employment are is health care, so the center works on familiarizing refugees and immigrants with the terminology so they can enter a certified nurse associate program, for example. Overall, recertification is a challenge for those refugees who have skills, but must be licensed to work in those fields in Iowa.

The input from McAuley staff and refugees will help her in developing policies when she heads back to Washington next week, Ernst said.

We want to make sure that their transition is as smooth as possible, she said about employment opportunities, health care and overall integration into the community.

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DES MOINES  A second attempt by Gov. Kim Reynolds to create a statewide ethanol requirement got less push back during a hearing Tuesday than it did last year  meaning that her revamped attempt to increase sales of the crop-based biofuel appears to, at the very least, have better prospects.

Most Iowa gas stations would be required to offer the E15 ethanol blend  a higher blend than whats typically available now  on at least half of their pumps under Reynolds proposal, which received its first legislative hearing at the Iowa Capitol.

The plan also allows a waiver process for stations with equipment that is incompatible with offering E15, and contains tax credits and incentives for ethanol and biofuels.

Any new equipment installed at gas stations starting in 2023 would be required to be compatible with E85 ethanol  for cars designated for flex-fuel  and B20 biodiesel, under the proposal.

Iowa has been a leader on renewable fuels, and this bill sends a strong message to continue that leadership, Molly Severn, the governors legislative liaison, said during Tuesdays hearing.

The proposal is watered down from last years. Reynolds had pitched a requirement that gas stations provide E15 at all but one pump. That bill failed to pass when parties from the renewable fuels and retail gas station sectors did not reach an agreement.

During Tuesdays hearing on Reynolds new proposal, renewable fuels industry representatives generally spoke in favor.

This gives consumers more freedom to purchase E15 across the state. Thats not happening right now, said Sara Allen, a lobbyist for the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

Representatives of gas stations were more hesitant to express approval, but also did not give signals that they plan to oppose the legislation. Those officials did have concerns, but expressed hope they will be addressed by amending the proposed legislation.

We need to get this right on the compatibility side so we get this right for everybody, said Mark Beltrame, a lobbyist for Fuel Iowa, which represents the states fuel industry. At the end of the day, and I say this with respect, this is not a market-based approach. This is the governor dictating an access point. Thats a fact. But were willing to do our part.

The most firm opposition to the new proposal came from Americans for Prosperity, the national conservative organization that advocates for limited government and free market policies. The group also opposed last years proposal.

We think that the state should be moving toward being less onerous, said Drew Klein, the organizations lobbyist. This bill doesnt accomplish that.

The proposal, House Study Bill 594, was approved by the three-member House subcommittee and is now eligible for consideration by the full Houses tax policy committee.

Under the proposal, stations that do not have equipment built for containing and dispensing E15 ethanol would be able to apply for a waiver through the state agriculture department.

The proposal also would extend current promotional tax credits for various ethanol blends and contains other financial incentives for renewable fuels producers.

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DES MOINES  The line of succession plan for when an Iowa governor is no longer in office would be clarified under a proposed amendment to the state constitution.

The plan received its first legislative approval Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol, the first step in the laborious process of amending the Iowa Constitution.

The proposal would amend the state constitution to say that if the governor is temporarily unable to fulfill the offices duties, the lieutenant governor will act as governor until the governor can resume his or her duties. And if the governor leaves the office permanently or dies, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the governors term.

Under the proposed amendment, if the lieutenant governor becomes governor, the lieutenant governor position becomes vacant. That would clear the way for the new governor to appoint a new lieutenant governor.

We think (the proposal) has landed in a pretty good place, said Nathan Blake, with the Iowa Attorney Generals Office.

Senate Joint Resolution 15 was approved Tuesday by a three-member Senate subcommittee, with two Republicans, Sens. Roby Smith of Davenport and Chris Cournoyer of LeClaire, and one Democrat, Sen. Claire Celsi of Des Moines, expressing their support. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said the Houses intention is to approve the proposed amendment this session.

To amend the Iowa Constitution, the proposal must pass two separate sessions of the Iowa Legislature with an election held between, then be approved by a public vote.

In 2017, Gov. Terry Branstad was appointed U.S. ambassador to China. When then-Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds replaced Branstad as governor, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued a formal ruling that stated upon her move, Reynolds did not have the authority to name a new lieutenant governor.

Reynolds eventually named Adam Gregg her acting lieutenant governor. He served in the role without holding the offices official responsibilities. Most notably, he was not officially in the line of succession. Had Reynolds been forced to leave office, Gregg would not have become governor.

Under the proposed constitutional amendment, any lieutenant governor who became governor would be able to appoint a new lieutenant governor who would hold the official office and be in the line of succession.

Ambiguity in the state constitution propelled legislators to begin clarifying that line of succession language through a constitutional amendment.

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Illinois students who are exposed to COVID-19 but already had a confirmed case of the virus in the past three months will no longer be excluded from the classroom and required to stay home from school, officials with the states health department said Tuesday.

The updated guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education follows the latest quarantine and isolation recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for schools enrolling students in kindergarten through 12th grade, in particular those considered a close contact. Fully vaccinated students identified as close contacts were already exempt from quarantine if they were not showing symptoms.

IDPH spokeswoman Melaney Arnold said in a Tuesday statement that an individual who tested positive for COVID-19 within 90 days before the date of exposure to a new case of COVID-19 is no longer considered a close contact who requires exclusion from in-person learning.

In addition, Arnold said persons who are fully vaccinated or who have recovered from COVID-19 in the prior 90 days should be exempted from screening testing.

At New Trier High School in Winnetka, officials said they are already following the 90-day guidance, with any student who shows proof of a prior COVID-19 infection exempted from testing for 90 days, a high school spokeswoman said Tuesday.

In a recent letter to parents, officials at Oriole Park School on the citys Northwest Side said based on the new guidance, students with a documented COVID case within the last 90 days are exempt from remote learning.

If your child is currently quarantined, or quarantined in the future, but had COVID within the last 90 days, you can submit proof to the office, and your child can return to school, officials said.

The school will accept a positive PCR test or positive lab rapid test as proof, but not at-home tests, the letter said.

We hope that this change will mitigate the effect of quarantining for some of our students, officials said.

This month Chicago Public Schools has been reporting its highest quarantine and isolation numbers of the school year thanks to the omicron variant. About 19,400 students and 800 adults were in quarantine or isolation Monday evening, according to CPS.

A CPS spokeswoman said Tuesday the new protocols are based on CDC guidance saying that once a person tests positive, they do not need to retest for 90 days because they can continue to test positive but not be contagious.

Dr. Robert Murphy, executive director of Northwestern Universitys Institute for Global Health and a professor of infectious diseases at the Feinberg School of Medicine, said after having COVID-19, you have enough immunity not to get reinfected for at least 90 days.

That said, its not true if you had COVID-19 from the delta variant, then got omicron. But now, everyone has omicron, Murphy said.

In addition to changing its guidance around quarantine requirements for close contacts, CPS is shortening the quarantine and isolation period from 10 days to five days to align with new CDC guidance. Those changes take effect Feb. 1, CPS said Tuesday.

Under the guidelines, students and staff members who test positive for the virus could return to school after five days of isolation if they dont have symptoms. Unvaccinated students directed to quarantine because they encountered an infected person could also return after five days if they are asymptomatic.

We want to be extra careful to make sure that everybody understands that anyone who has symptoms cant come to school in that day six to 10 period. And thats important because people may hear, Oh, Ive been out five days. Im fine now,  Chicago public health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said at a news conference Tuesday.

If (an infected person is) still having a fever, I dont care how many days it is, they need to be home. We need to have extra attention on both the isolation and the quarantine side around symptom screening and making sure parents, staff, everybody has that awareness, she said.

Arwady emphasized that students and staff who return to school after five days need to be vigilant about wearing masks for five additional days, and they may have to limit extracurricular activities if they cant socially distance. Masks are required indoors at CPS schools regardless of vaccination status for students and staff.

The changes come as Illinois has seen a drop in the number of new infections reported each day for school-age children.

For those ages 5 to 11, there had been a sharper rise in the average number of new cases, peaking at nearly 3,400 a day, on average, on Jan. 13, before beginning a moderate drop.

For Illinoisans ages 12 to 17, the average number of new cases also peaked Jan. 13, topping 3,000 in that age group, and has begun to drop more sharply.

But officials with the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a statement Tuesday that reported cases of COVID-19 among children continue to rise across the United States, with more than 1.1 million children diagnosed with the virus during the week ending Jan. 20.

Nearly 1,151,000 child COVID-19 cases were reported that week. It was a 17% increase over the 981,000 added cases reported the week ending Jan. 13 and a doubling of case counts from the two weeks prior, officials said.

As we approach the two-year anniversary of the pandemic, cases of COVID-19 among children and adolescents are the highest they have ever been. These numbers are staggering, said Dr. Moira Szilagyi, the 2022 president of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 10.6 million children have tested positive for COVID-19, with more than 2 million of the cases reported in the past two weeks, AAP officials said.

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Veterans and others who have complaints about the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs will have a new outlet to voice their concerns under a state law thats going into effect without Gov. J.B. Pritzkers signature.

The Democratic governor, whose reelection campaign this year will face tough questions over his administrations handling of a deadly 2020 coronavirus outbreak at a state-run veterans home in LaSalle, did not sign or veto the proposal within 60 days after it reached his desk, meaning it automatically becomes law.

Pritzker spokeswoman Jordan Abudayyeh said in a statement that the administration worked closely with the sponsors ... and he wholeheartedly supports the legislation becoming law.

She blamed the missed signing deadline on an internal miscommunication after a planned signing ceremony was delayed due to the most recent COVID-19 surge.

We look forward to celebrating the enormous progress this new law will make in the weeks ahead once we can ensure we can hold an in person event safely, Abudayyeh said.

The measure, sponsored by Democratic state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit of Oswego and Democratic state Sen. Tom Cullerton of Villa Park, was approved in October without opposition in both legislative chambers.

It creates a veterans accountability unit within the state VA, with a director to be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. While it will operate independently of the department, the new unit will be funded out of the agencys budget.

The new office will be responsible for hearing complaints and recommendations from veterans and others who receive services from the department, residents of the state-run veterans homes and their families, and agency staff, contractors and vendors.

The inspector general for the governors office will be responsible for investigating complaints, but the new unit will be charged with making sure all complaints are reported to the inspector general for review.

After a scathing inspector generals report last spring on the handling of the COVID-19 outbreak in late 2020 that killed 36 residents of the LaSalle veterans home, Pritzker said he erred in hiring former Democratic state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia to led the agency.

Chapa LaVia resigned in January 2021 and did not agree to be interviewed by the inspector generals office for its investigation.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle took issue with the Pritzker administrations handling of the outbreak, but the criticisms from Republicans were particularly pointed.

During his successful campaign to unseat then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, Pritzker blasted the GOP incumbent for the deaths of veterans at the state-run home in Quincy during outbreaks of Legionnaires disease.

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For Bitterroot residents interested in seeing more fuel reduction work complete in the wildland-urban interface, the third time is a charm

The Bitterroot National Forest and Natural Resources Conservation Services Hamilton field office learned last week they had received the USDAs Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Award.

It was the third year the two agencies had submitted its Fire Adapted Bitterroot plan that looks to address forest health concerns and reduce wildfire threats to communities and landowners in Ravalli County on both public and private lands.

The award comes with millions of dollars of funding that will be used to treat an estimated 10,000 acres of national forest lands and private lands.

We are talking about a lot of work in high priority areas in the WUI near homes and communities, said Bitterroot Forest spokesperson Tod McKay.

Were trying to do the work before we have another Roaring Lion with a fire that comes ripping off the forest and onto private (land), McKay said. If we can treat our side and private landowners can treat their side, we think we could have an impact on slowing fires down and getting them to drop to ground like what we saw on private lands in Roaring Lion.

The 2016 Roaring Lion fire was started on national forest lands by an unattended campfire. It consumed 8,658 acres of standing timber, 16 homes and 49 outbuildings. It cost about $11 million.

The Montana Forest Action Plan recently identified the project areas as having high wildfire risk to communities and infrastructure and significant forest health needs. Ravalli County currently has the greatest risk from wildfires in Montana, with six communities in the top 10 of all Montana communities with structures at risk from wildfire.

The Fire Adapted Bitterroot plan calls for treating 1,350 acres on the east side of the valley between Gold and Daly creeks this year. The work will link earlier projects completed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks at the Calf Creek Wildlife Management Area and the DNRCs Gird Creek Stand Improvement Project.

The award set aside $1.4 million to accomplish that work.

The work will move south in the second year where an estimated 3,250 acres will be treated between Piquett Creek and Painted Rocks Reservoir. That will tie into a 3,000-acre state-funded fuels reduction project around Piquett Creek south of Connor.

In the third year, the plan calls for about 4,000 acres of fuel reduction work on the west side of the Bitterroot between Roaring Lion and Trapper Peak.

The monies set aside for years two and three have not yet been determined.

We are excited to begin this important project in partnership with NRCS, said Bitterroot Forest Supervisor Matt Anderson. It will enable us to work across boundaries to improve forest health and wildlife habitat, reduce fire risk to communities, provide for public and firefighter safety, and contribute to community viability with forest products and jobs. This project includes the right work, in the right place, at the right scale.

NRCS District Conservationist Stacy Welling agreed.

Fire Adapted Bitterroot is an excellent example of interagency partnerships and collaboration, Welling said. Were excited for this opportunity to continue to work with forestland owners in Ravalli County and expand on cross-boundary treatments to improve forest health and reduce fuel loads. The need for treatments is significant and this opportunity will really give us the resources to get treatments on the ground.

Welling said the award will help pay for projects this year that were already in place on private lands on the east side of the valley but hadnt been completely funded.

NRCS will administer its grants to private landowners through its Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). While the grant deadline for this year has passed, Welling said private landowners can apply for the second and third years of the funding.

I think theres a lot of interest out there, its just a matter of getting comfortable with implementing something, she said. This should help get that momentum going.

Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Developments community forester Byron Bonney has been working with private landowners interested in reducing fuels on their lands for years. He saw first-hand how those efforts helped slow the Roaring Lion fire.

Those areas that were treated did not see as intense a fire as what came over the hill, Bonney said.

The goal of the work is to protect both life and property, including protection of the men and women called to fight wildfires, he said.

There are so many places in Ravalli and Missoula counties with one way in, one way out, Bonney said. If you dont treat the wildlands, you compromise that escape routeWe know that if the winds are blowing 40 mph, its 95 degrees and 10% humidity and a fire is coming, then all bets are off.

Youre never going to fireproof anything but you do what you can, he said. If it works, great. If it doesnt, then well pick up sticks and go again.

Project partners include Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Ravalli County, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), Bitterroot Conservation District, Bitter Root Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Montana Wild Sheep Foundation, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), Ravalli County Collaborative and the Ravalli Resource Advisory Committee.

For additional information please contact Steve Brown, Stevensville District Ranger at 406-777-5461 or Stacy Welling, NRCS District Conservationist at 406-361-6186.

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Police made a grisly discovery in the summer of 2019 after being called to a Chesterfield County construction site by workers who found what appeared to be human remains. Arriving officers observed the charred remains of a small woman who had been stuffed inside a suitcase and set ablaze.

Because she had been so badly burned, it took several more months for the state medical examiners office to positively identify the victim: Helena M. Swigert, 24.

After many months of investigation, Chesterfield police unraveled the mystery of Swigerts Aug. 26, 2019, death and arrested two gang members: Shykeem Shoot Em Delaney, 33, and Phaheem Peterson, 28. Detectives determined that Swigert was stuffed into the suitcase and set on fire after she overdosed on heroin provided by the two men.

Addicted to heroin, Swigert was used by the Denver Lane Bloods as a prostitute to earn money for the gang that engaged in sex trafficking and drug distribution in the Richmond area.

On Wednesday, Peterson, the second of the two defendants, pleaded no contest in Chesterfield Circuit Court to charges of racketeering, gang participation, enticement into a bawdy house, conspiracy to conceal a dead body and concealment of a body in the 2019 sex trafficking death of Swigert.

Swigert was still alive when she was set on fire, but unconscious from the heroin overdose, and would not have survived medical intervention, a medical examiner determined.

Circuit Judge Jayne Pemberton followed the terms of a plea agreement and sentenced Peterson, a local associate of the Denver Lane Bloods who lived in Henrico County, to a total of 50 years in prison with 42 years suspended, giving him 7 years to serve. Peterson had been charged with eight other offenses, including murder, abduction and arson, but prosecutors withdrew those counts Wednesday because of insufficient evidence.

Henrico Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Susan Parrish, who was appointed special prosecutor in the case, noted the prosecution had only one witness who was willing to testify about what happened to the victim the day she died, and she had a supervisory role in the trafficking operation.

Others are fully aware of what happened to [the victim], but throughout this investigation, they have evaded us and refused to cooperate, Parrish said.

The prosecutor said detectives went to great lengths to secure their cooperation, but people who were more than happy to profit from Helena and feed her addiction care even less about her now.

Parrish said from a legal standpoint, the testimony of one witness is sufficient for a jury to return a guilty verdict. However, the prosecution had nothing else  no cellphone location data, no text messages, no toll records, no DNA, no other witnesses  to corroborate the testimony of the one witness willing to testify.

We felt it important to gain convictions to hold [the defendants] responsible, but recognized the hurdles of proceeding with a case that relied on the testimony of one witness, she said.

In February 2020, Peterson was sentenced in Henrico County Circuit Court to serve five years in prison after pleading no contest to three sex trafficking charges stemming from offenses in 2019. The time he received Wednesday in Chesterfield will be served consecutively to the punishment he received in Henrico.

Delaney, Peterstons accomplice in the Chesterfield case, pleaded no contest on Jan. 6 to the same five charges and was sentenced  pursuant to a plea agreement  to 50 years in prison with 40 suspended. Delaney, who lived in New York, was a ranking member of the Denver Lane Bloods. Peterson took directions from Delaney, authorities said.

According to the prosecutions summary of evidence, Swigert had been staying in hotels in Chesterfield, Henrico and Richmond and worked on behalf of the gang, along with several other women.

Detectives were able to ascertain that on Aug. 26, 2019, Delaney, Peterson, Swigert and a fourth person, Maya Hubbard, acquired some heroin and checked into the Red Roof Inn on Commerce Road in Richmond, about a mile from the Chesterfield line. All four entered the room, and Delaney and Peterson provided the heroin to Swigert.

The defendants told Swigert that she had a play, or customer, and would be receiving money for sexual services. Swigert stayed in the room while the others left and sat in a car in the parking lot. When Swigert didnt answer the door for her date, Hubbard entered the room and found Swigert unconscious and not breathing.

Delaney attempted to wake Swigert by smacking her but didnt get a response. Had the case gone to trial, Hubbard  the prosecutions only witness  would have testified that she told the defendants they should call the police, but Delaney and Peterson indicated they couldnt because Delaney was on the run.

Hubbard also would have testified that Delaney and Peterson emptied a suitcase that Hubbard had provided, and placed Swigert inside. They got into Delaneys car and drove to Hubbards house with the suitcase containing Swigerts body to retrieve a can of gasoline, and then to a construction site in the Kingsland Glen neighborhood of Chesterfield.

Their goal was to dispose of what they believed to be her corpse, Parrish told the court. They put the suitcase in the vacant lot, doused it with gasoline and set it on fire.

Due to the carboxyhemoglobin levels in Swigerts blood taken during her autopsy, the medical examiner determined that she was still alive when she was set on fire, and died as a result of the fire. However, the medical examiner would have testified that due to the levels of illegal substances in Swigerts body, she would have died of a drug overdose.

The day after she died, police responded to the construction site after being summoned by workers about the body. On the suitcase that contained Swigerts remains, detectives found an airline tag with Hubbards name.

The entirety of the Commonwealths case rested on Ms. Hubbard, Defense attorney Craig Cooley told the court. Ms. Hubbard was identified .... as being a manager of the young ladies involved in the prostitution, much of the evidence came from her home [and] was tracked back to her. The gasoline came from her home as well.
JAKARTA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Joko Widodo and visiting Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong signed agreements Tuesday on economy, travel bubbles and the extradition of fugitives.

At a press conference with Lee after their meeting in Bintan city, Riau Islands province, Widodo said the two leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation to recover the economies of the two countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The meeting noted new investments worth 9.2 billion U.S. dollars, including those in the field of renewable energy, as well as a construction of a logistics hub at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta," Widodo said in a speech broadcast by his official YouTube account.

Singapore is Indonesia's largest investor with an investment value of 7.3 billion U.S. dollars from January to September last year, Widodo noted.

The two leaders also welcomed the signing of defense cooperation, reopening of quarantine-free cross-border travels in Batam and Bintan, extension of a bilateral extradition agreement from 15 to 18 years, and continuation of the Jakarta Flight Information Region (FIR) and Singapore FIR agreements. 
Come Thursday, Chesterfield County Public School students will no longer be required to wear a mask in school buildings.

Less than a week after voting to uphold its mask mandate despite an executive order from Gov. Glenn Youngkin giving parents the autonomy whether or not their child would wear a mask in school, the Chesterfield School Board reversed course Tuesday night, voting 3-2 to honor the executive order by amending its COVID-19 mitigation plan.

Last Thursday in another split vote, the School Board voted to uphold its mask mandate until further guidance was handed down from Youngkin. On Friday afternoon, Youngkin provided said guidance and in response, Chesterfield called for an emergency School Board meeting Tuesday evening, immediately following a planned budget work session.

Chesterfield Chair Ann Coker wasted no time Tuesday night making a motion to amend existing COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place, to give parents a choice. Coker made the motion last week to pause on lifting the mask mandate until more guidance was provided.

The guidance we receive states that parents are in charge of their childrens health, well-being and education, Coker said Tuesday. I understand that there is a lot of mixed emotions and opinions in our community about masks.

By federal law, masks are still required on school buses.

Chesterfield now joins Hanover County Public Schools, where its School Board unanimously voted Monday night to follow the executive order. Hanover is implementing the order on Jan. 31, providing time for school officials to provide guidance to teachers and principals.

The governors order went into effect on Monday.

In August when the School Board unanimously voted for students to return for the 2021-22 academic year in masks, School Board members Debbie Bailey, Ryan Harter and Coker all expressed disappointment in the decision.

Harter, who has not responded to reporter questions for a week regarding emailing a parent in December that masks would be gone once Youngkin took office, on Monday appeared on The John Reid Show, a conservative radio show, where he discussed Chesterfields ongoing mask debate.

When Gov. Youngkin issued his executive order, which I kind of figured was going to come, it really was speaking directly to parents and not necessarily to school officials. And parents should have that right, Harter said on the radio show.

Unlike the rest of his fellow board members, Harter made it clear during last weeks vote that he wanted to implement the governors order on Monday and not wait for the additional guidance.

My fear on waiting ... [was that], we would have confrontations between staff, administrators, parents because this order went directly to parents, it didnt come to the School Board, Harter said on Monday. The other School Board members I think wanted to proceed a bit more cautiously and I felt, you know, Im going to say ripping the Band-Aid off because we do [sic] know that the additional guidance was going to be falling within the next couple of days.

School Board Vice Chair Dot Heffron, who voted against removing masks, said Tuesday night that the overwhelming amount of feedback she has received in recent days is that parents want masks to stay.

The vast majority of stakeholders, parents, teachers, students are imploring us to maintain our universal mask policy, which is consistent with [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommendations, Heffron said. I struggled to reconcile the motion before us with our obligation to create a policy that does not conflict with state or federal law.

The CDC recommends that students and staff wear masks at school, and a 2021 state law requires schools to adhere to the agencys COVID-19 guidelines to the maximum extent practicable.

According to an analysis by the Chesterfield Education Association, of the thousands of comments sent in during last weeks mask vote, 1,728 comments were in favor of keeping masks while 583 were in favor of parental choice.

We owe it to the families of 63,000 children, entrusted to the care of the school division seven hours a day, five days a week to make the safety of those children our top priority. Now is not the time to rescind our mask policy, Heffron said Tuesday.

All School Board members wore masks during Tuesdays meeting. While there was no public comment Tuesday night, community members were welcome to attend and were encouraged but not required to wear a mask.

Although Chesterfield and Hanover decided to honor Youngkins order, their neighboring school districts in Richmond and Henrico County are defying it. On Monday, Richmond Public Schools joined a lawsuit with six other school divisions, including Fairfax County, the states largest school district, to block the executive order of optional masks in schools. Last week, a group of parents from Chesapeake filed a separate suit seeking to block the executive order in the state Supreme Court.

The National Education Association and Virginia Education Association filed briefs Monday evening in support of the Chesapeake parents who filed suit against Youngkin, as did Christopher B. Seaman and Elizabeth Lyons, whose two children are enrolled in Albemarle County schools.

One of their sons is a third-grader who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2018. He is immunocompromised and not medically cleared to get a COVID-19 vaccine, the filing said.

He is currently being educated at home because of cancer treatments, but his younger brother, in kindergarten, attends school and wears a mask.

If the younger brother attended school with children who are unmasked, he has an increased risk of contracting COVID and spreading it to his brother, the filing said. The parents said the 2021 state law requiring schools to adhere to CDC guidance is crucial to many families across the Commonwealth and that Youngkin didnt have the power to overturn it.

In other business, Chesterfield schools chief Merv Daugherty unveiled his $846.8 million budget proposal on Tuesday. Daughertys spending plan has an additional $85.6 million in needed education funds from the current budget. The school system is projecting increases in state funding at $46.3 million and $15.7 million in local funding from the county, leaving a $23.8 million gap in the proposal.

After working through the budget in various work sessions, the School Board is slated to vote on the proposal on Feb. 25, before sending the budget to the Board of Supervisors.

jnocera@timesdispatch.com Twitter: @jessmnocera Staff writer Patrick Wilson contributed to this report.
Virginia is on track for yet another record-breaking number of drug deaths, with the Richmond area at the epicenter, according to data released this week by the state medical examiners office.

More than 2,000 Virginians died of drug overdoses through the first nine months of 2021, a 17% increase over the same time frame in 2020. Virginia is on pace to record nearly 2,700 overdose deaths in 2021, a figure nearly four times higher than when the state began tracking overdoses in 2007 in response to the painkiller epidemic.

The spike in overdose deaths  2021 is poised to be the eighth year in the past nine that Virginia saw record highs  has been driven almost entirely by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl deaths have increased every year since 2012, while deaths not related to the opioid have declined in each of the past five years.

State data show that 1,551 people died of fentanyl overdoses through September 2021  nearly as many as in all of 2020. In 2012, fentanyl was present in just over 6% of all fatal overdoses. Kathrin Rosie Hobron, Virginias statewide forensic epidemiologist who compiles the overdose data, said the drug is now present in 77% of all statewide overdose deaths.

The Richmond area is the center of the overdose epidemic in Virginia. Within city limits, where more people die of fentanyl overdoses than anywhere else in the state, 9 out of every 10 fatal overdoses involve the drug. Henrico and Chesterfield counties also rank in the top five in the state for the most fentanyl deaths.

While the highest death tolls in Virginia are in population centers around Richmond and Virginia Beach, fentanyl overdoses are spiking around the state and across the country. Death rates from prescription opioids are highest in southwestern Virginia, but fentanyl kills more than three times as many people in the region, according to the state data. And the CDC estimates that more than 101,000 Americans died of overdoses during the 12-month period ending in June 2021  almost 65,000 of them involving synthetic opioids.

Fentanyl, originally a prescription drug used to treat severe pain in cancer patients, is now more commonly produced illicitly and sold on the streets.

Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard said that drug dealers are lacing everything from methamphetamine to marijuana with fentanyl because the easy availability, low cost and high potency boost profit margins.

The pills are fentanyl, the powder is fentanyl, Leonard said. Its all fentanyl.

And the fact that fentanyl is killing people at unprecedented rates is not scaring users away. Lacie Slack, 27, an inmate in the Chesterfield County Jail who is currently participating in its Helping Addicts Recover Progressively program, said that when her childrens father overdosed on her supply in 2020 and died, she lied to her dealer so that he wouldnt cut her off.

You couldnt tell me I wasnt invincible, she said. I sold my soul for that drug.

Slack estimated that she had overdosed at least 30 times. Stephanie Crowder, another Chesterfield inmate participating in HARP, said she had also overdosed multiple times.

Crowder, 29, started using prescription opioids heavily at 14 after a car accident and began using heroin at 18. She said that withdrawal symptoms  which often last for three to four days after heroin use  persisted for more than two weeks with fentanyl.

Jennifer Hamiel, 41, also an inmate in the HARP program, said her life spiraled completely out of control after she started using fentanyl.

Youre not really living or surviving, she said. Youre just existing.

Data from the Richmond Ambulance Authority show that administrations of naloxone, a medication commonly known as Narcan that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, have been increasing since 2019. But fentanyl is so potent that one dose isnt always enough. Slack and Crowder said they had each experienced overdoses that required several doses of Narcan to revive them.

Hobron cautioned via email that the half-life of Narcan is shorter than many opioids  meaning that it would be possible for an overdose victim to use Narcan, then begin to overdose again as the medication wears off.

That is why all overdoses are encouraged to go to the hospital, she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the problem of increasing overdoses. Hobron said the medical examiners office started to see spikes in fentanyl overdoses within weeks of the pandemics start in early 2020.

Crowder said that fentanyl became especially ubiquitous around that time, when pandemic restrictions may have disrupted the supply of heroin.

As measures designed to mitigate the spread of the virus limited in-person contact, drug users lost many of the face-to-face interactions, like Narcotics Anonymous meetings or other support groups, that could have prevented some overdoses from happening  or at least stopped them from being fatal. And for those who were either active users or relapsed during the pandemic, the isolation posed an additional danger  the possibility that if they overdosed, there might not be anyone who could get to them in time.

Isolation is one of the worst things for someone in recovery, Leonard said. Crowder, Hamiel and Slack all agreed, emphasizing how important support systems are to users who want to sustain their recovery efforts.

Once you build a network and a foundation, it gets easier, Slack said. Thats the stuff that makes you want to keep coming back.

Honesty Liller, CEO of The McShin Foundation, a Richmond-based recovery community, said the organization has had to be resourceful to adapt to the pandemic while still providing residential services to more than 100 people. In addition to continuing in-person treatment, McShin has used grant money to support the development of a podcast series called Get In The Herd.

Host Alex Bond, a McShin alumnus, talks to guests ranging from fellow recovering users to Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, who joined the show in November to discuss a bill she sponsored that would require states receiving block grants for substance abuse treatment and prevention to allocate at least 10% of that money to recovery services.

However, Liller  a recovering heroin user herself  said there is no substitute for person-to-person interaction, especially with someone who can relate to a drug users lived experience.

Theres nothing like being in recovery and getting a hug, she said. Theres so much more to life in recovery than just not using drugs anymore.
Democratic senators put a halt to a key part of new GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares agenda on Wednesday, spiking a bill that would have given Miyares new powers to prosecute crimes even after he scaled back his bill in the face of broad opposition from Virginia prosecutors.

The issue stemmed from last years campaign when Miyares called out a Fairfax County plea agreement of 17-years for a man who molested a child, saying that as attorney general he would prosecute cases himself when liberal prosecutors failed to do an adequate job.

Republican lawmakers sponsored legislation this year that would have allowed an attorney general new powers to start a prosecution of violent crimes at the request of a police chief or sheriff. But the states elected commonwealths attorneys, who carry weight at the legislature, opposed the proposal.

Miyares scaled it back to simply add child sex crimes to a list of issues his office can directly prosecute. But even that, while supported by police and some prosecutors, was opposed by the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys. The committees legal expert, Steve Benjamin, said theres already a mechanism in the law that would allow a local prosecutor to request help on a prosecution from the attorney general.

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 8-7 to reject the bill, which was carried by Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover. A House version from Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, remains active. Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, joined Republicans in supporting Miyares plan.

In a statement, Miyares said he was glad the bill received bipartisan support and hopes the House version will move forward and we hope that additional senators will take note of the overwhelming law enforcement support and join us as well. This bill is about making sure the most vulnerable victims are not overlooked, ignored or fall through the cracks.

Surry County Commonwealths Attorney Derek Davis, speaking on behalf of the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys, said: We dont believe the legislature should be centralizing local criminal justice. The commonwealths attorney in each county is elected and is held responsible to their constituents.

Norfolk Commonwealths Attorney Ramin Fatehi, a Democrat, opposed the bill on behalf of prosecutors in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Charlottesville, Loudoun County, Fairfax County, Albemarle County and Henrico County, saying it was really about Miyares political feud with Fairfax County prosecutors.

It is, in short, even in its amended version, a vendetta that is being prosecuted through legislation, Fatehi said. Any commonwealths attorney may ask for the attorney generals offices help. What this does is create a big government power grab where there can be a race to the courthouse by competing prosecutors deciding who indicts first and who controls a case.

But Chuck Slemp, chief deputy attorney general and the former commonwealths attorney in Southwest Virginias Wise County, said as a prosecutor he relied on the resources of the attorney generals office on child pornography cases, one of the crimes the attorney general can currently prosecute.

This would allow the attorney generals office an opportunity to create, over time, a class of  forgive my language  but super prosecutors focused on child sexual assault cases, Slemp said.

Law enforcement groups backing the bill include the Virginia Police Benevolent Association and the Virginia State Police Association.

Rusty McGuire, the GOP commonwealths attorney in Louisa County, spoke to the committee in support of the bill. He said the bill could allow the attorney generals office to take some burden off local prosecutors handling child sex crimes.

I would like to have that help if it was available, McGuire said. My position is it would absolutely help children.

But he acknowledged the bill, if law, would allow the attorney general to start such a prosecution even without consent of the local elected commonwealths attorney.
Facing opposition from commonwealths attorneys to his request for broad new power to prosecute cases in circuit courts, new GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares is scaling back his proposal.

A major part of Miyares agenda  legislation to give him new powers to prosecute violent crimes at the request of a local police chief or sheriff  is widely opposed by the states commonwealths attorneys. So Miyares and lawmakers are rewriting the proposal to give the attorney general new prosecution power only in sex crimes involving minor victims.

Members of the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys, which represents the 120 elected prosecutors across Virginia, held a virtual meeting Jan. 19 to discuss legislation that would grant Miyares the new power.

The associations administrator told prosecutors during the meeting that a vote by commonwealths attorneys on the proposal showed 91% of them opposed, 9% neutral and none in support, according to two prosecutors in the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity because prosecutors dont publicly comment on internal association deliberations.

The group has influence with members of the General Assembly, and opposition to the bills from the prosecutors would put the legislation in jeopardy.

Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Miyares, said by email Tuesday afternoon that the bill is being rewritten and a new version will be offered Wednesday.

Nate Green, the president of the prosecutors association and the Republican commonwealths attorney for James City County and Williamsburg, did not respond to questions about why there was such strong opposition by prosecutors to the original legislation.

Republican Commonwealths Attorney Colin Stolle of Virginia Beach, the associations past president, could not be reached for comment on his stance.

In a tough-on-crime campaign last year, Miyares called for legislation that would allow him to prosecute certain cases if a commonwealths attorney failed to be tough enough. Miyares is a former assistant commonwealths attorney and state delegate from Virginia Beach who defeated Democrat Mark Herring in the attorney generals race in November.

One case Miyares cited was a plea deal in Fairfax County in which a child molester was sentenced to about 17 years.

When an elected commonwealths attorney publicly states that he will not prosecute a crime, citizens should have a backup plan to ensure that victims get their day in court, Miyares wrote in a Washington Examiner column after his election. I will work with law enforcement officials to prosecute criminals when commonwealths attorneys make pre-determined decisions not to prosecute particular types of violent crimes.

Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, and Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, are sponsors of the legislation that the commonwealths attorneys opposed.

Current law says that unless requested by the governor, an attorney general cannot conduct criminal prosecutions in the states circuit courts except in certain circumstances, including violation of alcohol, election and child pornography laws and theft of state property.

The Senate version of the legislation would amend the law to allow an attorney general to conduct a prosecution of violent crimes like murder, abduction, malicious wounding and robbery if a police chief or sheriff makes the request  cases that are handled by elected commonwealths attorneys across the state.

The vote last week by the members of the Virginia Commonwealths Attorneys Association shows that even conservative prosecutors in rural areas dont want local police or sheriffs going directly to the attorney general to start a prosecution.

The new version of the bill, according to Miyares spokeswoman, would give the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute only sex crimes in which a minor is the victim, not a broad group of violent crimes, as originally proposed.
China, Central Asian countries vow to build community with shared future

Xinhua) 08:05, January 26, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

-- Hailing the development of China-Central Asia relations over the past three decades as "a good example of fostering a new type of international relations," Xi pointed out that the keys to the successful cooperation are mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit.

-- The Central Asian leaders said they will work with China "together for a shared future," echoing the motto for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and said they eagerly look forward to attending the opening ceremony of the sporting event next week.

-- Analysts said that the complementarity between China's economy and the economies of the five countries provides huge space and potential for them to expand their pragmatic cooperation.

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China and five Central Asian countries vowed on Tuesday to build an even closer community with a shared future, as Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five countries.

As China's first major diplomatic activity involving Central Asia this year, the summit was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on," Xi said, reaffirming China's commitment to the region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

MODEL TIES

Hailing the development of China-Central Asia relations over the past three decades as "a good example of fostering a new type of international relations," Xi pointed out that the keys to the successful cooperation are mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit.

The leaders of the five Central Asian countries spoke highly of the fruitful results of cooperation with China, praising the development of relations between Central Asian countries and China that has not only promoted their respective development and prosperity, but also effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability.

Li Yongquan, head of the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has always treated the five Central Asian countries equally, and has carried out practical cooperation with the five countries to help them resolve their most urgent problems.

Both sides said they viewed the summit as a significant milestone.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the heads of state of the six countries reviewed the past, summed up their experience, discussed cooperation, and reached many important consensuses, which will inject new impetus into the future development of relations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told media after the summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

CLOSER COMMUNITY WITH SHARED FUTURE

"China stands ready to work with Central Asian countries to build on the good momentum and strive shoulder-by-shoulder to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future," Xi said in his speech, also making some proposals to realize the objective.

He announced that China will continue to provide vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies to Central Asian countries, and will step up joint production and technology transfer with respect to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

In 2022, China will provide an additional 50 million doses of vaccines as aid to Central Asian countries, and set up traditional medicine centers in countries where they are needed, Xi added.

The Central Asian leaders said they will work with China "together for a shared future," echoing the motto for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and said they eagerly look forward to attending the opening ceremony of the sporting event next week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

HIGH-QUALITY COOPERATION

Trade between China and Central Asian nations has grown by more than 100 times in the past 30 years, and the stocks of China's direct investment in the five countries exceeded 14 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Jan. 17.

Analysts said that the complementarity between China's economy and the economies of the five countries provides huge space and potential for them to expand their pragmatic cooperation.

In his speech, Xi suggested that the two sides should speed up high-quality cooperation, and strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and other high-tech sectors.

According to a joint statement released after the summit, China and the Central Asian countries agreed to strengthen the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative with the five nations' own development strategies.

"I believe the summit will open up broad prospects for Central Asia and China to further strengthen pragmatic cooperation," said Yerlan Madiev, an expert at the Institute of World Economy and Politics in Kazakhstan.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech, delivered at a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries, has charted course and injected impetus for an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, experts have said.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on," Xi made the remarks in his address on Tuesday.

Timur Shaimergenov, deputy director of the Library of the First President of Republic of Kazakhstan, fully agreed with Xi's words, saying that Kazakhstan and China have seen great vigor in their mutual support and cooperation.

Noting that the two countries have been keeping close coordination within multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Measures in Asia, Shaimergenov said the two sides have also supported each other's major cooperation initiatives, jointly practiced multilateralism, and played important and constructive roles in ensuring regional security.

Sayfullo Safarov, chairman of the National Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan, said that the successful hosting of the virtual summit has witnessed the solid friendship between China and Central Asian nations, and further elevated bilateral cooperation to a new level.

Central Asian countries share many common interests with China, and the Tajik people hold a strong bond with the Chinese, Safarov said, adding that the Tajikistan-China relationship enjoys a solid foundation, the all-round cooperation has been deepened, and the two countries have conducted extensive and effective cooperation in various fields.

With close-knit relations and high-level political mutual trust, China and the five Central Asian countries are seeing increasingly frequent economic and trade cooperation, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

During the summit, Ruan continued, the five Central Asian countries' heads of state said that they are eagerly looking forward to attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics next week, which has shown solidarity and mutual trust between China and the countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and former SCO Secretary General Muratbek Imanaliev said that over the past 30 years, Central Asian countries and China have deepened relations as good neighbors and friends, while cooperation in various fields has also yielded fruitful results.

Noting that China does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs, Imanaliev said that China has actively provided help for developing countries, which is welcomed by Central Asian countries. 
A Republican state senator says the office of Gov. Glenn Youngkin notified him that the new governor will sign a bill to end campaign donations from regulated electric monopoly Dominion Energy should the legislation reach his desk.

I can confirm that it was relayed to me by the governors office that he will sign those bills that Chap and I have and he supports them, said Sen. Richard Stuart, R-King George, regarding legislation he and Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax City, are carrying. Stuarts bill would bar contributions to candidates by any public utility.

Asked if he had been notified that the governor would sign his bill if it clears the assembly, Petersen said, Thats the buzz Im hearing.

Petersen last week called on Youngkin to support the bipartisan effort to scale down the political influence of Virginias largest electric utility, which for years has been a top donor to state lawmakers who have then written utility-friendly laws that led to hundreds of millions of dollars in excess profits for the company, paid for by customers.

Del. Lee Ware, R-Powhatan, is carrying legislation in the House.

Youngkin, through a spokesperson, declined to comment on Wednesday. But Petersen and Ware told The Associated Press that Youngkins office told them he supported their bills.

Dominion spokesman Rayhan Daudani has said of the bills: Campaign finance laws should apply to all equally. Dominion declined to make CEO Bob Blue or another executive available for an interview Wednesday.

Dominion Energy had close allies in Democratic former Govs. Terry McAuliffe and Ralph Northam.

But Stuart said more lawmakers are scrutinizing Dominion following the utilitys $250,000 in contributions to a secretive federal political action committee last fall that funded attacks on Youngkin designed to make conservative voters in rural areas believe he wasnt supportive of the Second Amendment. The ads were meant to undercut Youngkin with his Republican base by painting him as weak on the Second Amendment.

In addition to money from Dominions company PAC, the federal PAC that attacked Youngkin received personal donations from Blue; Ed Baine, the utilitys president; Carlos Brown, its general counsel; and Bill Murray, its head lobbyist.

Stuart said a growing number of lawmakers want to curb Dominions influence, especially given the surreptitious activity.  There were certainly four high executives which gave to that PAC.

Blue said last year that the company didnt properly vet the federal PACs activities before donating.

Said Stuart: I think people question, you know, did you really not know what you were doing?

House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, said his Republican caucus hadnt yet discussed the legislation as a group. House Majority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott  one of Dominion Energys closest legislative allies  declined to comment on his position on the bill.

The move to scale back Dominion campaign contributions gained steam after a Democratic activist, Josh Stanfield, started a pledge in 2017 asking candidates and elected officials not to take money from the utility or another regulated utility, Appalachian Power Co.

A group called Clean Virginia in 2018 began providing campaign money to candidates who wouldnt accept those utility donations. That group is bankrolled by hedge fund manager Michael Bills.

Dominion Energy successfully engineered major pieces of utility legislation through the General Assembly in 2015 and 2018. Even as a growing number of Democrats distanced themselves from the utility, Dominion still helped rewrite a major law in 2020 during Democratic control of the General Assembly, the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which transitions the state away from fossil fuel electricity generation to help the environment.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch and ProPublica reported in 2020 on how Dominion Energy utilized its lobbying influence to make major gains for its bottom line in the legislation, and although lawmakers had initially said it would lower electricity costs, state regulators said the final product will increase customer bills.

Theres nothing more expensive than allowing Dominion to control all decisions around the green economy, said Ron Cerniglia, director of strategic alliances at NRG Energy, which operates across the country and supplies renewable electricity in Virginia.

But while the opposition to Dominions influence has been bipartisan, Virginias legislators have resisted any efforts to limit the money lawmakers can receive and theres bipartisan opposition to the bills as well.

Asked what he thought about the chances Youngkin would get to sign a bill, Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, D-Fairfax, simply said, It isnt going to get to him.
Eunice Wilder, who was Richmonds city treasurer for more than 25 years and the former wife of L. Douglas Wilder, died Sunday at 83 after a brief illness.

In late 1992, Richmonds circuit court appointed Ms. Wilder, a certified public accountant, as the citys treasurer, succeeding former longtime Treasurer Franklin J. Gayles. Ms. Wilder won six elections to the post before she chose not to seek re-election in 2017.

The Wilders married in 1958 and divorced in 1978. Doug Wilder later became the nations first elected Black governor, serving from 1990 to 1994.

Eunice Montgomery, a Philadelphia native, graduated from The Philadelphia High School for Girls and received a degree in Accounting from Howard University in 1959. She and Doug Wider met at Howard, where, after earning a Bronze Star in Korea, he used the GI Bill of Rights to earn a law degree.

The Wilders had three children, daughters Lynn and Loren and son Larry.

According to a family obituary notice, Ms. Wilder started her career at Consolidated Bank & Trust Co. After taking time to raise her family, she became a cost accountant at Reynolds Metals Company in 1976 and held the position for 10 years. In that period she also obtained a real estate brokers license and worked at Fowlkes & Ricks, Inc.

After becoming a CPA, Ms. Wilder worked at Coopers & Lybrand accounting firm before she was appointed Richmonds treasurer.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported in 2017 that the citys treasurers office had no tax collection authority. As treasurer, Ms. Wilder provided a free public notary service and prepared federal and state tax filings for people who sought help.

There wasnt a requirement, but Ive tried to busy myself and busy the office, because you cant just be in a place and not have work, OK? Ms. Wilder said.

Doug Wilder did not discuss the couples divorce at length in his 2015 memoir, Son of Virginia, but he expressed regret that he spent so much time on his law practice and politics, to his familys detriment.

At the time, I felt I didnt have a choice, he wrote. I feel differently about that now.

Ms. Wilder was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Association of Realtors, the Treasurers Association of Virginia as well as Leadership Metro Richmond. She was also a member of The Richmond Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and the National Epicureans. This year marks her 50-year membership in The Girl Friends, Inc.

Ms. Wilder was preceded in death by her parents, Eugene and Lucy Montgomery, and her three sisters, Jean, Jeannette and Sandra. She is survived by daughters Lynn D. Wilder and Loren D. Wilder and son Lawrence D. Wilder Jr., as well as two grandsons and nieces and nephews. A private funeral and interment will be held.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that gifts be made to Howard University in support of the Eunice Montgomery Wilder Scholarship Fund.
Armed with a damning report from the states inspector general, members of a legislative subcommittee are pushing to remove members of the Virginia Charitable Gaming Board over alleged conflicts of interests and take away the panels regulatory power.

Four legislators have asked House Speaker Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah, to replace three members of the 11-member board who serve at his pleasure, including Chairman Chuck Lessin, a Richmond businessman who participated in drafting regulations for Texas Hold Em poker tournaments while starting a business to run the new gaming opportunity.

They cited a report issued last year by the Office of the Inspector General that found there were financial conflict of interest violations by members of the board.

Our joint subcommittee listened to testimony and came to the same conclusion, states the letter, signed by Sens. John Bell, D-Loudoun; Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania; Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria; and Paul Krizek, D-Fairfax.

Lessin, a longtime operator of charitable bingo games, denied a conflict of interest in his ownership of Pops Poker Parlor in South Richmond and accused both the inspector general and the legislative subcommittee of bias in their investigations.

The conflict of interest accusation is really unfair, he said on Monday, after legislators held a news conference on their findings and publicly released the letter to Gilbert.

Gilbert had no immediate comment on the request. The Speaker has received the letter, spokesman Garren Shipley said. He looks forward to speaking with the authors directly and learning more about their concerns.

Bell, vice chairman of the subcommittee, said legislators plan to send similar letters to Gov. Glenn Youngkin to replace the six members who serve by gubernatorial appointment and to the Senate Rules Committee to appoint new members to two seats it controls on the board.

He said they began with the three seats under the authority of the Speaker because one of them is held by Lessin. Another is held by Lasonya Black and the third is vacant.

We have lost faith in the leadership on the board, Bell said in an interview Tuesday. We need a fresh board.

The inspector general alleged a conflict of interest by Lessin, who participated in the drafting of state regulations for charities to run Texas Hold Em poker tournaments under legislation adopted two years ago.

Lessin said he declared his financial interest in a new company that would operate the tournaments and followed the advice of the assistant attorney general who advised the board.

Im going to appeal to the Speaker, he said.

The regulations were supposed to take effect on March 23, 2021, but were blocked by an amendment to the state budget that froze charitable gaming regulations that were already in place. It also directed the inspector generals office to undertake the study.

The inspector general made more than a dozen recommendations, including one to remove the charitable gaming boards regulatory authority by making it solely an advisory board to the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Currently, the board is an independent policy board and has a contentious, litigious relationship with the oversight agency.

Krizek, chairman of the legislative subcommittee, and Reeves have introduced legislation that would change the boards status, which Lessin opposes.

What youre going to see is legislation to stop it, reel it back in and take away the regulatory authority of the board, Reeves said Monday.

Lessin said the legislative subcommittee is biased against the board, which he said includes members of the industries it regulates as required by state law.

Bell said members of the subcommittee have submitted six pieces of legislation to carry out recommendations of the inspector general, but want to act now to replace members of the board.

We felt this is where we needed to start, he said.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. has a breakthrough case of COVID-19 and is experiencing mild symptoms, according to his office.

He is glad that he has been vaccinated and boosted, and at this time his symptoms are extremely mild, Warners communications director, Rachel S. Cohen, said in a statement Tuesday evening.

Warner, a senator since 2009 and Virginias governor from 2002 to 2006, will be working from home in accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Office of the Attending Physician for the duration of his isolation period, Cohen said.

Since early 2020, a number of Virginia officials have either been diagnosed with COVID-19 or been forced to alter their routine because of close contact with someone who had been diagnosed.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears did not preside over the state Senate on Thursday or Friday after coming in contact Wednesday with someone who has COVID-19, spokesman Chris Saxman said.

Rep. Ben Cline, R-6th, announced Jan. 10 that he had tested positive.

Then-Gov. Ralph Northam announced in September 2020 that he and first lady Pam Northam had tested positive for COVID-19.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in May 2020 that he and his wife, Anne Holton, had tested positive for coronavirus antibodies.

A number of Virginia legislators have either had COVID-19 or worked virtually because of close contact with someone who had tested positive.

State Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, died of COVID-19 complications on Jan. 1, 2021.
Andrew Wheeler, Gov. Glenn Youngkins lightning rod Cabinet nominee, told state senators Tuesday that he is qualified to find the money to help Virginia fight climate change in a bipartisan manner and blamed the press for not accurately reporting his record while he was head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Scientists and other former EPA directors have raised alarms about Wheeler for trying to roll back environmental protections as EPA director under President Donald Trump. Wheeler is the Republican governors choice for Virginia natural resources secretary. Senate Democrats who control the chamber have appeared ready to scuttle the appointment.

Wheeler spoke Tuesday to the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. The General Assembly has not yet made a decision on his appointment.

Wheeler told senators he didnt apply to be the secretary, but while he was assisting with Youngkins transition, the incoming governor offered him the job.

As a lobbyist, Wheeler said, he worked for a coal company but his main priority in doing so was boosting retirement and health care benefits of former coal mine workers.

As EPA director, he said, he reduced air pollution 7% by the end of 2019 and more in 2020, cleaned up 82 sites from the Superfund National Priorities List, finalized new lead and copper rules for drinking water, and finished regulations to address greenhouse gases. And he faulted Congress for not passing laws on climate change, which he said forced the EPA to work within the confines of the laws that we had on the books.

Should he get to remain in the post, he said, his priorities would include the bipartisan initiatives of Chesapeake Bay cleanup, beyond what previous administrations have done, and speeding up the timeline for the city of Richmond to stop dumping raw sewage in the James River. He had scheduled a meeting for Wednesday with Mayor Levar Stoney to discuss the river; Stoney recently tested positive for COVID-19 so Wheeler said he hopes to meet when the mayor is in the clear.

The governor believes that with my unique background of having run the EPA and working in a senior leadership position in the U.S. Senate, that I know how to access federal funding and assistance and make a difference for this state, he said. I have been a strong proponent for the bay and I can get the job done.

He said he wants to support former Gov. Ralph Northams Coastal Resiliency Plan released in December.

Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, asked Wheeler about Youngkins support for removing Virginia from a multi-state program called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative . That program, funded by electricity customers, funds prevention of sea-level rise in coastal areas and inland flooding across the state.

If Virginia removed itself, there would be no money in the Community Flood Preparedness Fund to deal with all of these planning and project issues, Lewis said. So where are we going to find the money for those important efforts?

I am not prepared to address where we are going to find the money today for that program but I am committed to working with the legislature to make sure that we have the funding for that, Wheeler responded. Coastal resiliency is very important.

He said he knew the differences between legislating and executing the laws. If confirmed as secretary, he said, I will executive the laws that the legislature passes. I will not create new laws on my own.

Executive power surfaced early in Youngkins term. The new governor said in December he would pull Virginia from RGGI through executive action, but on day one he backed off that plan and instead issued an executive order that asks members of a state regulatory board to consider doing it. Environmental groups say even that would be illegal.

Youngkin this week filed a budget amendment asking the General Assembly  which passed the law to join RGGI in 2020  to pull out.

In 2020, the Democratic-controlled legislature passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which puts the state on a scheduled transition to renewable electricity generation by 2050. Youngkin has said he opposes the law.

Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, asked Wheeler if he or the governor would seek changes to the Clean Economy Act.

We have not had any conversations about what changes he would seek, Wheeler said. But it is the law of the state and as the law of the state I will implement it.

While Wheeler said the national press refused to report positive news about the EPA under Trump, he has come under criticism from scientists and former administrators at the EPA, including Republicans.

The Union of Concerned Scientists in 2019 created a list of 80 Trump administration attacks on science and called Wheeler a driving force behind many.

Three former EPA administrators who served under Republican presidents expressed concerns in 2019 about Wheeler.

Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, said Wheelers comments sounded good, and asked Wheeler why hes such a lightning rod  and why he was unable to persuade Trump that climate change is real and devastating to the environment.

Wheeler said his discussions with Trump were about specific standards and rules.

My conversations with the president are still under executive privilege, Wheeler said.

As far as the controversies, Wheeler said, I dont think the things that I did at EPA were covered very well by the press.

He said that when the EPA held a news conference to announce a new grant program for clean school buses, several national news organizations showed up, although I dont think any of them actually wrote stories about it, and one national newspaper would not attend. Positive things were never covered.
Being born and raised in Rockbridge County, whenever theres a discussion about issues facing rural Virginia, its hard not to recall my own upbringing, or think about family and friends I still have living in the mountains.

As Ive traveled around the state during the last 18months as chair of the commonwealths Manufacturing Development Commission, Ive had the opportunity to talk with people about a wide range of topics. Invariably, a long-neglected issue comes up in conversation.

Whether expressed as a concern about the basic educational needs of their children or as a way to make the community an appealing place for new businesses, school construction is at the forefront of the minds of parents and policymakers across the commonwealth.

In 2020, we finally began to truly understand the full scope of the problem.

The Democratic-led General Assembly took action, passing Senate Bill 888 , which created the Commission on School Construction and Modernization. That commission now has completed its analysis, made more than a half-dozen recommendations and identified 322 school projects that would cost approximately $3.2 billion above current capital plans.

As an outcome of this study, outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam proposed $500 million for school construction in his final budget. While this is commendable and 10 times more than any previous state commitment, it falls short. More than half of the states 2,000 public school buildings are more than 50 years old, and the total cost to address the problem could be closer to $25 billion.

Every budget we pass is about our shared priorities and a vision of what we want for Virginias future. With more than $13.4 billion in projected surpluses over the next three years, we must take advantage of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the problem of school construction that for too long has been ignored.

In 2014 , then-Gov. Terry McAuliffe worked with a Republican-led General Assembly to create Virginias nationally recognized Smart Scale program and make nonpolitical decisions about transportation funding. Up until that time, the limited tax dollars for transportation were moved around by political winds in Richmond, resulting in questionable investment decisions being made to address Virginias critical transportation needs.

In the 2022 session, I will borrow from the successes of the Smart Scale concept and introduce two budget amendments: one to develop a  Smart Scale for School Construction Program and another to capitalize a  Smart Scale for School Construction Fund with $6 billion of the $13.4 billion surplus. We can build on Northams proposed $500 million investment to reach my $6 billion proposal with only a few budgetary changes. And these proposed changes wont adversely affect Virginias AAA bond rating.

First, start with Northams proposed $500 million for school construction and add in the $564 million currently allocated as voluntary deposit to the reserve funds . This change would leave them stocked well ahead of the goal set by Northam when he first took office.

Second, Northams team proposed paying cash for capital improvements that could be paid for with Virginias low-interest, AAA bonds. By bonding for these capital investments instead of using cash, this provides an additional $2.8 billion that could be redirected to school construction.

These two changes, along with $2.1 billion from other parts of the states $13.4 billion surplus would capitalize the SMART Scale for School Construction Fund with $6 billion in grants. This, combined with an equal amount of local funding, could provide $12 billion to address a $25 billion problem.

Creating a data-driven prioritization process for school construction, like we did for transportation, will take the politics and regionalism out of the discussion. Instead, we will be able to focus our limited tax revenues on communities with the greatest needs.

We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to establish a well-defined, nonpartisan process. Combined with an unprecedented surplus, we can finally address the issue of school construction, and provide children all across the commonwealth with a healthy, modern learning environment.
New administrations always take some time to figure out how Richmond operates. But when it comes to education  a key part of the new governors agenda  its clear the learning curve is going to be steeper. A lot steeper.

Education is a key reason Gov. Glenn Youngkin won the last election. Between September and October, education rose by 9 points to become the most important issue in the race. That was particularly true for late deciders.

Parents whose kids were at home  and Virginias schools were closed longer than all but seven other states  were worried. One poll of parents found 69% said their children fell behind in their learning because of the COVID-19 outbreak. And 36% said their children had fallen behind a lot.

It therefore was not a surprise that the governor would take quick action on education. The surprise was that he focused on eliminating mask mandates, since two-thirds of parents support them. In lawyer-rich Virginia, where litigation can be a contact sport, a group of Chesapeake parents rushed to court to overturn the executive order before the ink even was dry.

As of this writing, its not clear how that court case, and the others that surely will follow, will turn out. But I can offer some thoughts on how a new governor can more successfully move a policy agenda.

First, Virginia has school divisions, not school districts. (The best way to show you are not from here is to talk about school districts.) Thats not just splitting hairs  the term is taken from the Constitution of Virginia. Its rare for a state constitution to address local school governance at all. Fewer than half of states deal with governance in their constitutions, and of those, most delegate authority to the state board of education.

Virginia is an anomaly. Article VIII, Section 7 states, The supervision of schools in each school division shall be vested in a school board, to be composed of members selected in the manner, for the term, possessing the qualifications, and to the number provided by law. (Emphasis is mine.)

Constitutional authority gives boards additional policymaking heft. As former Virginia Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling recently said , Local School Boards do not work for the Governor. ... As such, the Governors ability to direct the actions of a local school division through an Executive Order is very suspect as a matter of law.

As a nonlawyer , I wont predict how this specific litigation will be decided. However, in general, school divisions are given a great deal of latitude in the courts.

Second, some issues have overtones that dont always show up in a Google search. Thats true of charter schools.

Many Virginians do not need a lesson in critical race theory to understand the history and impact of Massive Resistance. They remember it.

In 1956, Virginia voters approved the Gray Plan amendment, which repealed the commonwealths compulsory attendance laws, allowed the governor to close schools rather than integrate them and provided vouchers to parents whose children enrolled in new segregated private schools. Prince Edward Countys school closures extended into the 1960s, causing U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy to observe, the only places on earth known not to provide free public education are Communist China, North Vietnam, Sarawak, Singapore, British Honduras  and Prince Edward County, Virginia.

Those publicly funded segregation academies are part of the lived experience of too many people. And it is the echoes of Massive Resistance that are heard every time Virginia considers charters. (In the interest of full disclosure, I did support a proposed Fairfax charter. But strong public testimony compelled me to change my mind.)

Third, its not all bleak for Virginia governors, who have a great deal of power. The successful ones also learn how to work with the General Assembly, whose members can serve unlimited terms. (Del. Ken Plum, D-Fairfax, currently is serving with his 12th governor.) That long-term view gives legislators a perspective on why a popularly elected governor deserves to pass at least part of his legislative agenda. That is, as long as the governor is appropriately willing to engage in legislative give and take.

Gov. Bob McDonnell, a longtime member of the House of Delegates, was. His platform was simple: Bobs for Jobs. From the first day in office, he laid out legislation linked to that goal. He talked and he schmoozed and he compromised. The bulk of his jobs agenda met remarkable legislative success, including passage of a badly needed transportation funding bill.

Voters know who they voted for. In the case of Youngkin, suburban parents thought they were voting for someone who would keep schools open. Looking for ways to do that (Illinois has an excellent set of policies) probably is the best way to rack up some wins. Because a steep learning curve, as educators know, still can be climbed.
As students attended school across Virginia on Monday, they continued to wear cloth, surgical and even medical-grade masks. Roughly two years after the first recorded COVID-19 case in the U.S., face coverings continue to be visible symbols of an invisible virus that has upended everyday life.

This month, Gov. Glenn Youngkins Executive Order 2 sought to eliminate the stress associated with mask mandates in classrooms. He vowed to reaffirm the rights of parents in the upbringing, education, and care of their children by granting them the ability to decide whether their child should wear masks for the duration of the school day.

The order, which took effect Monday, set off a slew of litigation from some parents and school boards opposed to the policy change. Those who support it declared Jan. 24 as Mask Off Monday. One parent in Page County even was charged with making an oral threat on school property in defense of ending the mandate.

Youngkins attempt to restore normalcy in classrooms might have been well-intentioned. But his execution of the mask mandate order sparked more division than unity, and it overlooked the role public schools play in keeping children safe. They are responsible for setting standards, not upholding choice.

The governors order cited the futility of a universal mask policy: Wearing them virtually every moment in school is ineffective and impractical. He argued that mandates fail to keep pace with evolving science, led by vaccines for children 5 and older. He questioned kids ability to follow universal and correct mask use, leading to bacteria and parasites building up on dirty cloth masks.

Masks inhibit the ability of children to communicate, delay language development, and impede the growth of emotional and social skills. ... Masks have also increased feelings of isolation, exacerbating mental health issues, which in many cases pose a greater health risk to children than COVID-19.

Masks might be impractical, but so are the premise and delivery of Youngkins order. Putting a critical policy in the hands of parents alone leaves public health and public education institutions with greater confusion, as they balance individual concerns and desires of families with the collective demands of the pandemic response.

The Chesterfield County School Board offered an excellent blueprint of the multilayered challenges schools face in the months ahead. In an emergency Jan. 20 meeting, the board voted 3-2 to uphold universal masking until receiving more information from the governor and his team.

Whether for or against masks in class, board members seemed to agree on two things: Schools have a larger COVID mitigation role than enforcing parental choice, and more guidance was necessary from the administration. Weary from virtual learning, illnesses, teacher shortages and other hurdles, school systems are in need of concrete policies that address complex front-line concerns.

I hear a lot of frustration out there due to a broken public health system that issued guidance that was rarely targeted to meet the needs of kids, said board member Kathryn Haines of the Midlothian District. We masked kids outside. We were told to keep kids 6 feet apart when school administrators knew that this would prevent a 5-day-a-week return in most, if not all, large school districts. And we waited too long as a state and country to affirm the vast majority of kids need to learn in person.

Hastily removing a masking standard does not make up for that lost time. If anything, it raises a host of issues moving forward. Even some backers of parental choice called for more time and thought.

I want to unmask the kids, and its going to happen, said board member Debbie Bailey of the Dale District, who served as a teacher for 34 years. Parental choice is what Im in favor of. But people need to understand, from an operational standpoint, as someone who has been in a school, this is a difficult thing for schools to navigate.

How will staff members handle contact tracing and quarantine situations? What about accommodations for students with special needs and for medically compromised children? What about parents who fear quarantine policies in mask-optional environments will lead to the economic fallout of having to miss time at work?

Schools need to assert standards. In math, English, science and more, Virginia has Standards of Learning  principles that establish minimum expectations for students knowledge in core subjects. Exams are a method of measuring SOLs, and high-stakes testing is not without issue.

But imagine if the commonwealth operated under Choices of Learning. Would students advance to the next grade because they did well in their favorite subject alone? Could they pitch independent studies to place out of academic requirements? What is schooling without standards?

Well-intentioned parents have long-term concerns well beyond their pro or con views on masks. Theyre desperately seeking a vision that creates stability  or better yet, progress  in this dark COVID chapter.

We all want whats best, Bailey said. We just dont always know how to get there, and we dont want to take the same paths all of the time to get to the same place.

But what is public health without standards? Perhaps the pandemic has taught us that Virginia public schools will need clearer Standards of Health going forward  policies that fold the lessons of COVID into the ongoing safety of school settings. If we ever are to reach an off-ramp from masks, we have to set minimum expectations for balancing learning and health in a postpandemic period.

Last Friday, the Youngkin administration responded by releasing a 14-page document on interim guidance for COVID prevention in pre-K-12 schools. It included 33 mentions of masks, including some capturing the nuances the Chesterfield School Board alluded to, as well as the role masks can play in keeping children safe.

But as Haines said in the board meeting: Public confidence is maintained by the majority when changes are guided by science, not politics. Process is important.

The constitutional, supervisory responsibilities of Virginia school boards, and the public health guidance of national, state and local bodies, have to be part of the process. Parental choice alone is not a COVID mitigation strategy. Schools are responsible for setting standards in response to this virus, and the governor is responsible for helping them make good choices.

 Chris Gentilviso
For more than a year, the man seen on video surveillance wearing a white cowboy hat emblazoned with the words TRUMP 2020 during the U.S. Capitol riot was known to law enforcement only as AFO-324.

AFO stands for assault on a federal officer. The suspect was pictured in photograph number 324 on an FBI website. Federal authorities urged anyone with information on who the man might be to contact them.

On Wednesday morning, they found him.

Markus Maly, 47, was arrested at his Fincastle home and charged with assaulting police officers and eight other crimes during an insurrection in which thousands of supporters of former President Donald Trump forced their way into the Capitol as Congress was meeting to certify the 2020 election.

According to court documents, Maly pointed and sprayed a chemical irritant at a line of police officers who were attempting the secure the Lower West Terrace area as the horde approached.

Maly also handed a canister of pepper spray to another protester, authorities say, and was later seen leaving the area with what appeared to be a police riot shield.

At a bond hearing Wednesday afternoon in Roanokes federal court, FBI special agent Megan Effing testified that comments on Malys Facebook page indicated that he was involved in the insurrection.

There were lots of pissed off patriots there and we wanted our voices to be heard. I myself [sic] one of them, a Jan 7, 2021, post included in court records read.

We were there to support President Trump and the voting process. A voting process that was hijacked and stolen from us.

Courts have found no credible evidence of the widespread voter fraud that Trump denounced while urging a large crowd of supporters to fight like hell shortly before the uprising began.

After hearing evidence that Maly has twice been convicted of assaulting a police officer in Pinnellas County, Florida, Magistrate Judge Robert Ballou ordered that he be held without bond. Future hearings will take place in Washington, D.C.

More than 725 people from across the country have been charged with participating in the events of Jan. 6, 2021, including four others from Western Virginia  two off-duty Rocky Mount police officers who have since been fired, and men from Elliston and Covington.

Some of the arrests were made quickly. But for others, it took time to find out who these people were, Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene Day said during Wednesdays hearing.

Effing testified that the FBI recently received a tip from the D.C. Metropolitan Police that AFO-324 could be a man living in Botetourt County. She compared the photos from Jan. 6 with other law enforcement images, including a 2020 booking photo taken of Maly by the Roanoke County Sheriffs Office.

After making a tentative match, Effing obtained Malys cell phone number, which was later identified as having been used from a site that provided service to the Capitol. The FBI also used the number to track down their suspects email and social media records.

A review of Malys Facebook account revealed several incriminating posts, Effing testified.

In one, he told a friend: I stood my ground and went back for seconds and even thirds, according to court documents. And in a conversation with a woman believed to be Malys girlfriend, he allegedly said: We took the f-ing Capitol...Ive got stories though... I was so fun.

Armed with a search warrant, federal authorities showed up early Wednesday morning at Malys home. He admitted wearing the TRUMP 2020 cowboy hat, Effing testified, but denied having the pepper spray seen in the surveillance footage.

Maly was arrested, and several hours later appeared in the video conference hearing in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

Probation officer Ryan Thayer told Ballou that he had found a large number of criminal convictions on Malys record, including two charges of assaulting a police officer.

Thayer also testified that Maly told him that he once belonged to a Skinheads group in Florida. There was no mention of the group, which is affiliated with the white supremacy movement, in charging documents filed Wednesday.

Online records show about 50 charges against Maly in Pinellas County, some of them dating back to the 1990s. Other charges include burglary, domestic assault and a number of traffic offenses.

More recently, Maly has been charged with failure to appear for court hearings related to traffic offenses in Bedford and Franklin counties.

Day asked that Ballou order the 47-year-old held without bond, arguing that he was both a risk to flee and a danger to the community. Assistant federal public defender Benjamin Shiffelbein said his client could safely be released on home electronic monitoring, arguing in part that there was no evidence he ever entered the Capitol.

Maly did not testify, although he interjected questions and comments several times during the hearing.

I do find that Mr. Maly is a danger, Ballou said in announcing his decision.

Who am I a danger to? Maly asked, to which the judge responded:

Mr. Maly, Ive made my decision.
Solitary confinement at two high-security prisons in far Southwest Virginia is used to warehouse prisoners in cells that were never needed, a federal appeals court was told Tuesday.

Lawyers for the American Civil Liberties Union are asking that the practice be discontinued at Red Onion and Wallens Ridge state prisons.

Last year, U.S. District Judge James Jones denied a request by the Virginia Department of Corrections to dismiss the lawsuit. Jones ruled that officials at the two Wise County prisons were not entitled to qualified immunity, a defense that would protect them from liability if there was a showing that a reasonable person would not have known their actions violated the constitutional rights of another.

VDOC appealed that decision, which put the case before the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

In oral arguments Tuesday, senior attorney Vishal Agraharkar of the ACLU maintained that prison officials knew that long periods of solitary confinement was harmful to prisoners, and that there was no reason for it other than to fill unneeded prison beds.

You cant knowingly harm people for no good reason, he told a three-judge panel considering the case.

Written opinions from the court usually come about two to three months after oral arguments.

In their class-action lawsuit, the ACLU contends that holding inmates in cells about the size of an automobile parking space for up to 23 hours each day causes neurological damage, severe sensory deprivation, post traumatic stress disorder and other emotional problems.

Bright lights are kept on 24 hours a day, according to the lawsuit, and outdoor recreation is limited to one hour in a small cage that resembles a dog kennel and has no exercise equipment.

Inmates have lived in such conditions for years with no meaningful way of being transferred to less restrictive housing, the lawsuit claims.

Assistant Attorney General Margaret OShea told the court that that VDOC established a policy, known as the Administrative Segregation Step Down Program, that allows inmates to re-enter the general population by exhibiting good behavior.

Since 2012, the number of inmates being held in restrictive housing has decreased from 511 to 37 at the two prisons, OShea said.

The policy includes a detailed structure that has been lauded by a number of outside organizations. Any reasonable officer looking at the Step Down program would have believed that their conduct was lawful, OShea said.

But two of the Fourth Circuit judges raised questions about the program, noting complaints from inmates  which at this preliminary stage in the proceeding are presumed to be true  that reviews of their behavior were conducted in cursory visits and that denial forms had already been pre-filed.

The policy looks really good on paper, but the question is the practice, Judge Henry Floyd said. There has to be more than just checking a box and walking by a jail cell, he said. That cant possibly count as meaningful review.

Chief Judge Roger Gregory pointed out that some of the factors used to keep inmates in solitary confinement  such as apathy, attention deficit, poor grooming and failure to maintain an orderly cell  could in fact have been caused by their placement in isolation.

Isnt that the ultimate vicious cycle? Gregory asked.

While solitary confinement has traditionally been assigned to inmates who commit assaults or other disruptive behavior, the lawsuit claims that some wind up there for minor infractions such as not shaving a beard, using disrespectful language or other behaviors that could be caused by mental illness.

When Red Onion and Wallens Ridge were built around the turn of the century, prison officials described them as the final destination for the worst of the worst offenders in the prison population.

At a 1998 opening ceremony for Red Onion, then VDOC director Ron Angelone shot down a question from a Roanoke Times reporter about what rehabilitative services might be offered at the supermax facilities.

What are they going to be rehabilitated for? he said. To die gracefully in prison? Lets face it; theyre here to die in prison.

However, it soon became clear that the state did not have enough truly disruptive inmates to fill two supermax prisons with about 1,200 beds each.

Corrections officials began to loosen the criteria for getting into a supermax, the lawsuit claims, and wound up importing prisoners from other states to fill them up.

The Step Down program was initiated in 2012, which the lawsuit notes was the same year that the U.S. Department of Justice threatened an investigation of the prisons.

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TEHRAN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The defense ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan met on Wednesday in Iran's capital Tehran to discuss regional issues and military cooperation, official news agency IRNA reported.

Thanks to historical and cultural commonalities between Iran and Azerbaijan, the two neighbors should develop relations and reinforce cooperation in defense and security sectors, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad Reza Ashtiani said following meetings with his Azerbaijani counterpart Zakir Hasanov.

"Given their place and special geopolitical features, the two countries have great capacities and opportunities for the enhancement of relations in all fields," Ashtiani added.

For his part, Hasanov expressed gratitude to the Iranian government for supporting Azerbaijan's territorial integrity.

Lauding Iran's military capabilities and progress in the defense industry, the Azerbaijani minister also called for the expansion of relations with Iran.

Heading a high-ranking military delegation, Hasanov arrived in Tehran on Tuesday for talks on military cooperation between the two neighbors. 
RICHMOND  Facing opposition from commonwealths attorneys to his request for broad new power to prosecute cases in circuit courts, new GOP Attorney General Jason Miyares is scaling back his proposal.

A major part of Miyares agendalegislation to give him new powers to prosecute violent crimes at the request of a local police chief or sheriff  is widely opposed by the states commonwealths attorneys. So Miyares and lawmakers are rewriting the proposal to give the attorney general new prosecution power only in sex crimes involving minor victims.

Members of the Virginia Association of Commonwealths Attorneys, which represents the 120 elected prosecutors across Virginia, held a virtual meeting Jan. 19 to discuss legislation that would grant Miyares the new power.

The associations administrator told prosecutors during the meeting that a vote by commonwealths attorneys on the proposal showed 91% of them opposed, 9% were neutral, and zero in support, according to two prosecutors in the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity because prosecutors dont publicly comment on internal association deliberations.

The group has influence with members of the General Assembly, and opposition to the bills from the prosecutors would put the legislation in jeopardy.

Victoria LaCivita, a spokeswoman for Miyares, said by email Tuesday afternoon that the bill is being rewritten and a new version will be offered Wednesday.

Nate Green, the president of the prosecutors association and the Republican commonwealths attorney for James City County and Williamsburg, did not respond to questions about why there was such strong opposition by prosecutors to the original legislation. Republican Commonwealths Attorney Colin Stolle of Virginia Beach, the associations past president, could not be reached for comment on his stance.

In a tough-on-crime campaign last year, Miyares called for legislation that would allow him to prosecute certain cases if a commonwealths attorney failed to be tough enough. Miyares is a former assistant commonwealths attorney and state delegate from Virginia Beach who defeated Democrat Mark Herring in the attorney generals race in November.

One case Miyares cited was a plea deal in Fairfax County in which a child molester was sentenced to about 17 years.

When an elected commonwealths attorney publicly states that he will not prosecute a crime, citizens should have a backup plan to ensure that victims get their day in court, Miyares wrote in a Washington Examiner column after his election. I will work with law enforcement officials to prosecute criminals when commonwealths attorneys make pre-determined decisions not to prosecute particular types of violent crimes.

Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Hanover, and Del. Rob Bell, R-Albemarle, are sponsors of the legislation that the commonwealths attorneys opposed.

Current law says that unless requested by the governor, an attorney general cannot conduct criminal prosecutions in the states circuit courts except in certain circumstances, including violation of alcohol, election and child pornography laws and theft of state property.

The Senate version of the legislation would amend the law to allow an attorney general to conduct a prosecution of violent crimes like murder, abduction, malicious wounding and robbery if a police chief or sheriff makes the requestcases that are handled by elected commonwealths attorneys across the state.

The vote last week by the members of the Virginia Commonwealths Attorneys Association shows that even conservative prosecutors in rural areas dont want local police or sheriffs going directly to the attorney general to start a prosecution.

The new version of the bill, according to Miyares spokeswoman, would give the attorney general concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute only sex crimes in which a minor is the victim, not a broad group of violent crimes, as originally proposed.
RICHMOND  Radford students visiting the Virginia State Capitol this week witnessed firsthand the workings of their state government, inspiring some of the young people to say theyll pursue future involvement in political processes.

A body of 19 students from Radford University explored the Capitol on Monday and Tuesday, meeting with elected representatives, touring the Executive Mansion and learning about lawmaking, among other activities, said Del. Jason Ballard, R-Giles, who introduced them during Tuesdays house session to the applause of fellow House members.

Michaela Baker, a junior studying for degrees in political science and sociology, said this year was her second visit with Radford to the Capitol, and she wants to become even more involved in politics as a result of her experiences.

It was very enlightening being able to see the entire process, the background of our Virginia politics, Baker said.

Its really amazing being able to have this opportunity to come to the Capitol, to see all these people, and to see our history.

Reed Yearwood, a senior majoring in sociology, said: This was a brand new experience for me. I was inspired by the reception that our delegates and senators are having toward Radford University.

The school usually brings upward of 50 students who apply for Radfords annual Richmond visit, said Susan Trageser, vice president for Student Affairs at the college.

Last year, we werent able to come here in person, so its exciting to be able to come back, Trageser said.

Its a powerful experience for the students. They love the opportunity to continue to learn and build their networks.

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RICHMOND  Andrew Wheeler, Gov. Glenn Youngkins lightning rod Cabinet nominee, told state senators Tuesday that he is qualified to find the money to help Virginia fight climate change in a bipartisan manner, and blamed the press for not accurately reporting his record while he was head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Scientists and other former EPA directors have raised alarms about Wheeler for trying to roll back environmental protections as EPA director under President Donald Trump. Wheeler is the Republican governors choice for Virginia natural resources secretary. Senate Democrats who control the chamber have appeared ready to scuttle the appointment.

Wheeler spoke Tuesday to the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee. The General Assembly has not yet made a decision on his appointment.

Wheeler told senators he didnt apply to be the secretary, but while he was assisting with Youngkins transition the incoming governor offered him the job.

As a lobbyist, Wheeler said, he worked for a coal company but his main priority in doing so was boosting retirement and health care benefits of former coal mine workers.

As EPA director, he said, he reduced air pollution 7 percent by the end of 2019 and more in 2020, cleaned up 82 sites from the Superfund National Priorities List, finalized new lead and copper rules for drinking water and finished regulations to address greenhouse gases. And he faulted Congress for not passing laws on climate change, which he said forced the EPA to work within the confines of the laws that we had on the books.

Should he get to remain in the post, he said, his priorities would include the bipartisan initiatives of Chesapeake Bay cleanup beyond what previous administrations have done and speeding up the timeline for the city of Richmond to stop dumping raw sewage in the James River. He had scheduled a meeting for Wednesday with Mayor Levar Stoney to discuss the river; Stoney recently tested positive for COVID-19 so Wheeler said he hopes to meet when the mayor is in the clear.

The governor believes that with my unique background of having run the EPA and working in a senior leadership position in the U.S. Senate, that I know how to access federal funding and assistance and make a difference for this state, he said. I have been a strong proponent for the bay and I can get the job done.

He said he wants to support former Gov. Ralph Northams Coastal Resiliency Plan released in December.

Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, asked Wheeler about Youngkins support for removing Virginia from a multi-state program called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). That program, funded by electricity customers, funds prevention of sea-level rise in coastal areas and inland flooding across the state.

If Virginia removed itself, there would be no money in the Community Flood Preparedness Fund to deal with all of these planning and project issues, Lewis said. So where are we going to find the money for those important efforts?

I am not prepared to address where we are going to find the money today for that program but I am committed to working with the legislature to make sure that we have the funding for that, Wheeler responded. Coastal resiliency is very important.

He said he knew the differences between legislating and executing the laws. If confirmed as secretary, he said, I will executive the laws that the legislature passes. I will not create new laws on my own.

Executive power surfaced early in Youngkins term. The new governor said in December he would pull Virginia from RGGI through executive action, but on day one he backed off that plan and instead issued an executive order that asks members of a state regulatory board to consider doing it. Environmental groups say even that would be illegal.

Youngkin this week filed a budget amendment asking the General Assemblywhich passed the law to join RGGI in 2020to pull out.

In 2020, the Democratic-controlled legislature passed the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which puts the state on a scheduled transition to renewable electricity generation by 2050. Youngkin has said he opposes the law.

Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, asked Wheeler if he or the governor would seek changes to the Clean Economy Act.

We have not had any conversations about what changes he would seek, Wheeler said. But it is the law of the state and as the law of the state I will implement it.

While Wheeler said the national press refused to report positive news about the EPA under Trump, he has come under criticism from scientists and former administrators at the EPA, including Republicans.

The Union of Concerned Scientists in 2019 created a list of 80 Trump administration attacks on science and called Wheeler a driving force behind many.

Three former EPA administrators who served under Republican presidents expressed concerns in 2019 about Wheeler.

Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, said Wheelers comments sounded good, and asked Wheeler why hes such a lightning rodand why he was unable to persuade Trump that climate change is real and devastating to the environment.

Wheeler said his discussions with Trump were about specific standards and rules.

My conversations with the president are still under executive privilege, Wheeler said.

As far as the controversies, Wheeler said, I dont think the things that I did at EPA were covered very well by the press.

He said that when the EPA held a news conference to announce a new grant program for clean school buses, several national news organizations showed up, although I dont think any of them actually wrote stories about it, and one national newspaper would not attend. Positive things were never covered.
RICHMOND  Virginia is on track for yet another record-breaking number of drug deaths, with the Richmond area at the epicenter, according to data released this week by the state medical examiners office.

More than 2,000 Virginians died of drug overdoses through the first nine months of 2021, a 17% increase over the same time frame in 2020. Virginia is on pace to record nearly 2,700 overdose deaths in 2021, a figure nearly four times higher than when the state began tracking overdoses in 2007 in response to the painkiller epidemic.

The spike in overdose deaths  2021 is poised to be the eighth year in the last nine that Virginia saw record highs  has been driven almost entirely by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl deaths have increased every year since 2012, while deaths not related to the opioid have declined in each of the last five years.

State data show that 1,551 people died of fentanyl overdoses through September 2021  nearly as many as in all of 2020. In 2012, fentanyl was present in just over 6% of all fatal overdoses. Kathrin Rosie Hobron, Virginias statewide forensic epidemiologist who compiles the overdose data, said the drug is now present in 77% of all statewide overdose deaths.

The Richmond area is the center of the overdose epidemic in Virginia. Within city limits, where more people die of fentanyl overdoses than anywhere else in the state, nine out of every 10 fatal overdoses involve the drug. Henrico and Chesterfield counties also rank in the top five in the state for the most fentanyl deaths.

While the highest death tolls in Virginia are in population centers around Richmond and Virginia Beach, fentanyl overdoses are spiking around the state and across the country. Death rates from prescription opioids are highest in southwestern Virginia, but fentanyl kills more than three times as many people in the region, according to the state data. And the CDC estimates that more than 101,000 Americans died of overdoses during the 12-month period ending in June 2021  almost 65,000 of them involving synthetic opioids.

Fentanyl, originally a prescription drug used to treat severe pain in cancer patients, is now more commonly produced illicitly and sold on the streets.

Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard said that drug dealers are lacing everything from methamphetamine to marijuana with fentanyl because the easy availability, low cost and high potency boost profit margins.

The pills are fentanyl, the powder is fentanyl, Leonard said. Its all fentanyl.

And the fact that fentanyl is killing people at unprecedented rates is not scaring users away. Lacie Slack, 27, an inmate in the Chesterfield County Jail who is currently participating in its Helping Addicts Recover Progressively (HARP) program, said that when her childrens father overdosed on her supply in 2020 and died, she lied to her dealer so that he wouldnt cut her off.

You couldnt tell me I wasnt invincible, she said. I sold my soul for that drug.

Slack estimated that she had overdosed at least 30 times. Stephanie Crowder, another Chesterfield inmate participating in HARP, said she had also overdosed multiple times.

Crowder, 29, started using prescription opioids heavily at 14 after a car accident and began using heroin at 18. She said that withdrawal symptoms  which often last for three to four days after heroin use  persisted for more than two weeks with fentanyl.

Jennifer Hamiel, 41, also an inmate in the HARP program, said her life spiraled completely out of control after she started using fentanyl.

Youre not really living or surviving, she said. Youre just existing.

Data from the Richmond Ambulance Authority show that administrations of naloxone, a medication commonly known as Narcan that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, have been increasing since 2019. But fentanyl is so potent that one dose isnt always enough.

Slack and Crowder said they had each experienced overdoses that required several doses of Narcan to revive them.

Hobron cautioned via email that the half-life of Narcan is shorter than many opioids  meaning that it would be possible for an overdose victim to use Narcan, then begin to overdose again as the medication wears off.

That is why all overdoses are encouraged to go to the hospital, she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the problem of increasing overdoses.

Hobron said the medical examiners office started to see spikes in fentanyl overdoses within weeks of the pandemics start in early 2020.

Crowder said that fentanyl became especially ubiquitous around that time, when pandemic restrictions may have disrupted the supply of heroin.

As measures designed to mitigate the spread of the virus limited in-person contact, drug users lost many of the face-to-face interactions, like Narcotics Anonymous meetings or other support groups, that could have prevented some overdoses from happening  or at least stopped them from being fatal.

And for those who were either active users or relapsed during the pandemic, the isolation posed an additional danger  the possibility that if they overdosed, there might not be anyone who could get to them in time.

Isolation is one of the worst things for someone in recovery, Leonard said. Crowder, Hamiel and Slack all agreed, emphasizing how important support systems are to users who want to sustain their recovery efforts.

Once you build a network and a foundation, it gets easier, Slack said. Thats the stuff that makes you want to keep coming back.

Honesty Liller, CEO of The McShin Foundation, a Richmond-based recovery community, said the organization has had to be resourceful to adapt to the pandemic while still providing residential services to more than 100 people. In addition to continuing in-person treatment, McShin has used grant money to support the development of a podcast series called Get In The Herd.

Host Alex Bond, a McShin alumnus, talks to guests ranging from fellow recovering users to Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, who joined the show in November to discuss a bill she sponsored that would require states receiving block grants for substance abuse treatment and prevention to allocate at least 10% of that money to recovery services.

However, Liller  a recovering heroin user herself  said there is no substitute for person-to-person interaction, especially with someone who can relate to a drug users lived experience.

Theres nothing like being in recovery and getting a hug, she said. Theres so much more to life in recovery than just not using drugs anymore.
" " The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is intended to safeguard millions of seeds in case future generations need to overcome the challenges of climate change or other cataclysmic disasters. Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Located on a remote island halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, deep inside a mountain, is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. It may not have instant name recognition around the world, but it's described as "the ultimate insurance policy for the world's food supply" in the event of a catastrophic disaster, like nuclear war.

The Doomsday Vault, as it's also known, is intended to secure millions of seeds representing every important crop variety available today, in case future generations need to "overcome the challenges of climate change and population growth." But according to recent news, one of the very scenarios the vault is intended to safeguard against could destroy it.

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A report compiled by Norway's leading climate researchers says anticipated future temperature increases on the Arctic island group of Svalbard could bring rain, flooding and landslides. The potential changes are predicted to be "dramatic" and among the "most frightening" yet. The report states that in a worst case scenario, Svalbard could become 18 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) warmer by year 2100.

Researchers note that the damage is already occurring due to recent warmer temperatures that have led to avalanches and landslides in the area. The increased rain in place of snow has caused environmental changes that required buildings on the island to be reinforced  including the Seed Vault. The most distressing piece of this might be that the Vault itself, while intended to withstand a full-on nuclear war, is falling victim to climate change after just two decades.

"The findings are very dramatic," senior researcher at the state Meteorologic Institute, Inger Hanssen-Bauer, told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). "We're facing enormously large changes. I'm afraid we'll also get more surprises."

Because Svalbard is north of mainland Norway, scientists say climate change has a greater impact there. The decrease in glaciers and permafrost (ground that remains completely frozen for two years straight) will increase the amount of erosion and endangered species. The reason, according to Hanssen-Bauer, is that as temperatures rise, snow and ice are reduced, leading to less reflection of sunlight. This also means more solar energy is absorbed by darker surfaces that have been uncovered.

The numbers are undeniable: In 1900, the annual mean temperature in Svalbard's central town, Longyearbyen, was 18 degrees Fahrenheit (-7.8 degrees Celsius). It's risen by almost 7 degrees Fahrenheit (3.7 degrees Celsius) since, more than more than triple the global average of about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius).

But while Norway's government minister in charge of climate and environmental issues, Ola Elvestuen, stated that the country should immediately cut carbon emissions to reduce the monumental impact, the government has also been criticized for refusing to regulate offshore oil and gas exploration and production. Restrictions are in place around the Arctic ice cap and some island settlements, but environmental organizations continue to push for more comprehensive rules and limitations.

"We are very good at setting goals for ourselves," hydrologist and division chief at Norway's state waterways and energy agency NVE, Hege Hisdal, told the website Views and News from Norway. "But in practice we are quite far from reaching the goals."

Now That's Sad While global warming is causing glaciers to melt, it's also destroying unprecedented amounts of coral reefs  we've lost half of the planet's reefs in just the last three decades.
The time has come for us to do a self- assessment of our behavior toward each other in the home, school, faith houses, work places, organizations, political arenas, and other areas of our lives. Is our behavior meeting the standards set by God, or are we seeking to satisfy worldly expectations?

Despite evidence that shows a declining interest among some in our society to adopt righteous living as a daily lifestyle, the fact remains That ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what that is good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:1, 2 King James Version) This by no means is to be interpreted as our being perfect as human beings. It does mean, however, that we are to be intentional in our efforts to follow the Word of God.

Seemingly the focus of some men and women in our society is about power, money, and sex. Notice, if you will, the strategies, words, and advertisements used to attract certain persons or groups in order to get elected, buy certain products, or create fear and sow seeds of dissension. Words like socialist, conservative, liberal, Democrat, Republican, Independent, black, white, Asian, Latino, and other adjectives and nouns used in too many instances to sow hate rather than love. Unfortunately some of our faith houses are slow to seek common ground instead of dwelling on faith differences. Families need to be on one accord more as it relates to who orders their steps.

Proverbs 16:1-3 of the King James Version of the Bible tells us, The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are clear in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established. We need not be so concerned about Russia nor North Korea and its leadership and weaponry. The fact of the matter is that if the United States of America does not re-establish itself on moral foundations such as honesty, truth, love, and righteousness, we will destroy ourselves from within.

What makes some of us think that in order to achieve power, we have to be uncooperative and insensitive toward a particular person or political group? That behavior negatively affects the people that are supposed to be positively served, irrespective of their residence. To those of us who serve in positions of authority, do we ask the question relative to purpose and impact in our decision making? Do we care or are we so intoxicated with power that we have become insensitive? Why do we think that a product will sell at a greater pace if we use men and women scantily dressed in the commercials? What does one gain by conducting themselves in a manner that disrespects one or more persons or groups?

We sometimes hear the chant USA, USA! Yet, when we view the behaviors of some of our representatives in government, their actions betray many of US in the USA. It is some of US who need access to medical resources that are denied on some state and national levels. It is some of US who need to have relief provided to our children who have attended colleges, universities, and graduate schools and are now saddled with financial obligations that are insurmountable. It is some of US who for years have been denied the right to vote, and now that we utilize that right, laws are being written to make that right more difficult to exercise. I read somewhere in Scripture, that if you do this to the least among you, you have done it unto me. Each of these needs and more transcend color, faith, gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic status.

We need leadership and committed citizens to build moral foundations for unselfish service, honesty, truth and righteous behaviors that transcend the labeling of persons, places, and things in a derogatory manner. More godly relationships and commitments need to be established and maintained in answer to the question, Where do we go from here? Route 66, the Bible, teaches us that love is the only action capable of having an enemy become a friend. Let us allow God to touch more of our hearts in a manner that He expects of us. Let us commit to being instruments of peace rather than conflict and turmoil.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies. Dr. Martin Luther King

Allie E. Brooks Jr. is the former superintendent of Florence School District One and past principal of Wilson High School.
Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, attends a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese mainland spokesperson said on Wednesday that the upward momentum in cross-Strait economic, trade cooperation and integrated development is unstoppable, citing the growth figures for cross-Strait trade over the past 10 years.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a press inquiry regarding the rising trend of exports from Taiwan to the mainland, as well as the investment on the mainland by Taiwan businesses.

In light of the unstoppable momentum, Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority should remove barriers that thwart economic and trade cooperation across the Strait and create a better climate for such exchanges, said Zhu.

According to official statistics, the trade volume between the mainland and Taiwan rose to over 328.3 billion U.S. dollars in 2021, more than doubling the figure for 2011. The mainland still remains Taiwan's largest export market and source of trade surplus, said Zhu.

The total amount of Taiwan-invested business projects on the mainland reached 123,781 by the end of 2021, with over 71.3 billion U.S. dollars in actual investment. In stark contrast, the amount of investment in Taiwan by mainland businesses stood at around 3.7 billion U.S. dollars by the end of last year due to a series of new hurdles created by the DPP authority, Zhu added.

However, the solid basis, necessity and dynamism of cross-Strait economic and trade cooperation, as well as the well-being yielded by it, can never be altered by these politically-motivated barriers or the impact of the pandemic, Zhu said. 
SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Community School District has indefinitely delayed the construction of a permanent space for its virtual academy due to much higher construction costs than anticipated.

The school board rejected the low bid of $1.93 million from W.A. Klinger of Sioux City for the remodeling of Career Academys second floor for the Vibe Academy.

Tim Paul, the district's director of operations and maintenance, recommended the board reject all bids due to the higher than the estimated costs.

FEH Design of Sioux City originally estimated the VIBE Academy construction to cost $1.48 million. Additional costs include $365,380.53 for furnishings and $50,000 for building security and IT.

Matt Basye said there were a variety of factors that led to higher than expected bids, including the short project timeframe, the bid period being over the holidays, construction material cost increase over the first of the year and the use of Davis Bacon Act wages for the projects.

Three bids were received, with Klinger coming in at the lowest. L&L Builders Co. of Sioux City bid $2.06 million and Nelson Commercial Construction of Sioux City bid $2.15 million.

Paul said he is working with Basye to remove aspects of the project to reduce the price, and he will approach the board again to restart the bidding process.

Currently, the virtual academy teachers are housed on the fourth floor of the Ho-Chunk Centre. To continue leasing that space for 10 years would cost the district $1.49 million, according to school board documents.

Paul said the current lease with the Ho-Chunk Centre may need to be extended due to this delay on the project.

Basye presented the layout plan to the board in November.

Around 14,000 square feet of the second floor of the Career Academy will be used for the VIBE Academy. The space will include training rooms, open layout for around 40 instructors, specialty rooms  such as counseling, music, art and physical education - a break room and work room.

Basye said his team didnt want it to look like a call center. More windows will be added for natural light and most of the division will be through furniture. Basye said currently there is an example display of the layout with the proposed headsets and microphones at the current career academy for teachers to try out.

Elementary and secondary school emergency relief III funding will be used to construct the space. The ESSER funding is currently being used to pay for the present space and can only be used through 2024.

In one of its final decisions prior to seating two newly-elected members, the board voted 4-3 to approve the remodeling project. Two of the four who voted yes, Jeremy Saint and Ron Coling, have since been replaced by Bob Michaelson and Jan George. Dan Greenwell, the new board president, and Taylor Goodvin both voted no.

Goodvin said the VIBE Academy ranks low in his priorities for the use of Education and Secondary School Relief, or ESSER, funds the federal government allocated to the district for COVID relief.

A survey done by board members, teachers and community members ranked construction of the space as a low priority, while Superintendent Paul Gausman's administration ranked it as the No. 1 priority.

Greenwell agreed with Goodvin, stating there other options for the VIBE Academy, including continuing to lease space in the Ho-Chunk Centre, until it's certain the online academy will continue on a long-term basis.

The ESSER funding set aside for the remodeling project, for instance, could have been used to address the ongoing substitute recruitment shortage, he said.

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SIOUX CITY -- Paul Gausman, who has led the Sioux City school district for the last 13 years, has emerged as one of four finalists for the superintendent's job in the Lincoln, Nebraska Public Schools.

Gausman, Iowa's second-highest-compensated public school executive, is seeking the position as he faces increased scrutiny by a school board led since last fall by Dan Greenwell, a longtime critic of his administration.

A Fremont, Nebraska native, Gausman has ties to Lincoln, where he graduated from the University of Nebraska with a bachelor's in music education and played drums in the Cornhuskers marching band.

"It is an honor to be a finalist for the position of superintendent of the Lincoln Public Schools," Gausman said in a statement Wednesday. "Nebraska is my home state. The opportunity to consider returning to my Nebraska roots, to serve education in a community where I spent much of my early professional career and continue serving students in a large Midwestern district were opportunities I felt I could not ignore.

"I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished in the Sioux City Community School District, and I know we can achieve even more together. Yet, I am also compelled to consider additional and equally viable paths for my professional future. Whether in Sioux City or Lincoln, I remain committed to ensuring that all students receive a remarkable and lasting education."

Gausman was previously a finalist for the superintendent job at Omaha Public Schools in March 2017. But he and the other remaining finalist both removed themselves two days before one was to be picked to head the 51,000-student district. In a joint statement at the time, Gausman and Khalid Mumin, then-superintendent of Reading School District in Pennsylvania, said they felt neither gained support from the Omaha board of education.

The Lincoln board of education named its four finalists at Tuesday night's board meeting, which marked another step in its process to find a replacement for the most-recent superintendent, Steve Joel, 67, who announced in September that he will retire after the end of the school year after more than 11 years at LPS.

The other three candidates to make it as far as Gausman are:

* Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools.

* Antwan Wilson, an assistant professor of education at Nebraska Wesleyan University and chief executive officer of Schoolwise Educational Consulting.

* Peter Licata, a regional superintendent of the Palm Beach County school district in Boca Raton, Florida.

Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the Illinois-based superintendent consulting firm heading up the district's search, presented the shortlist of candidates to board members Tuesday. The slate is based off recommendations from the search firm, but board members ultimately had the final say on who made the cut.

"It's a great slate," board president Connie Duncan told the Lincoln Journal Star. "We're very impressed with all of them. They all bring great characteristics to the community."

The board will interview the four finalists on Feb. 1 and Feb. 4 and each candidate will meet with students, staff, parents and community members.

The public also is invited to hear from each candidate at public town halls Feb. 1 and Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at LPS district office, which will also be livestreamed. There will be no public comment at the meetings, but an online survey will be available.

The board expects to name a new superintendent at its Feb. 22 meeting.

Gausman served as the superintendent of the West Central School District in Hartford, S.D. prior to being named in 2008 as superintendent of the Sioux City district, the third-largest in the state with about 15,000 students and over 2,000 employees. Earlier in this career, he also was coordinator of middle school education and coordinator of fine and performing arts for the Sioux Falls School District. He also served as director of bands at Millard West High School in Omaha and marching percussion instructor for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Gausman, who earned his master's in administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, as named one of three finalists for the National Superintendent of the Year from the National Association of School Superintendents in 2018 and was the 2014 Iowa Superintendent of the Year as recognized by the School Administrators of Iowa.

In December, Gausman was selected to lead the Urban Superintendents Association of America, a group of more than 150 public school superintendents who serve mid-size urban districts in the United States and Canada.

As the Sioux City superintendent, Gausman has been lauded for his leadership as the district replaced its aging middle and elementary schools and improved benchmarks such as literacy rates and test scores.

In recent years, he has clashed with Greenwell and some other board members over the budget, administrative salaries and some other issues.

Counting insurance benefits, a travel stipend, retirement fund contributions and dues for professional organizations, Gausman's annual compensation totals $351,999. In fiscal 2021, that was the second most for a public school superintendent in Iowa, behind only the $408,133 for Tom Aharton, superintendent of the Des Moines district, the state's largest, according to a Journal analysis of public data.

Finalists to be LPS' next superintendent Name: Paul Gausman Current position: Superintendent, Sioux City Community School District Location: Sioux City, Iowa Name: Peter Licata Current position: South regional superintendent, Palm Beach County School District Location: Boca Raton, Florida Name: Jami Jo Thompson Current position: Superintendent, Norfolk Public Schools Location: Norfolk Name: Antwan Wilson Current position: Assistant professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University and CEO of Schoolwise Educational Consulting Location: Lincoln

Lincoln Public Schools began accepting applications for superintendent in November, followed by public forums, an online survey and meetings with various focus groups -- such as students, teachers and parents -- to gauge community feedback.

That input then was summarized in a 22-page leadership profile report -- essentially a road map for finding the ideal candidate -- presented to the board at its Jan. 11 meeting.

Wilson, a Lincoln native, is a graduate of Lincoln High and previously served as the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in California. In 2017, he became the chancellor of the 48,000-student school system in Washington, D.C., but was forced to resign after a little more than a year amid controversy over the district's competitive school lottery process.

The controversy came after it was learned that Wilson's daughter was improperly transferred to one of the district's top-achieving public schools over other students on a wait list, violating a policy he put in place. Wilson later said he'd told an official about the transfer months before his resignation, which the official denied.

Thompson, another candidate with Nebraska ties, previously worked for Beatrice Public Schools as a special education teacher, staff development coordinator and director of student programs before becoming the Norfolk superintendent in 2013.

She earned her bachelor's in special education and master's and doctorate in administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Licata is the lone finalist selected from outside the Midwest. The native of South Florida served as superintendent of the Palm Beach County school district's South Region, which serves 65,000 students. He was previously a teacher, principal, curriculum director and assistant superintendent in Florida.

Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @zach_hammack

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DES MOINES  A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed the state to enforce a law that prevents local schools from imposing mask mandates, but the court also allowed a group of parents of disabled children to pursue a lawsuit that seeks to strike down the law.

Shortly after the ruling, the Sioux City school district announced it would not be moving forward with a newly-adopted policy that would have allowed temporary mask mandates in school buildings with high absentee rates due to COVID-19.

"As the District has from the beginning, we will continue to adjust our practices and protocols to ensure we both abide by the law and keep our students and staff safe, the district said in a statement.

Two members of a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Omaha found a previous federal judge's decision that blocked the state ban on mask mandates was too broad. They sided with the parents and a disability rights group in concluding that their lawsuit can proceed in federal court.

The panel found the parents likely will succeed because mask requirements constitute a reasonable modification and schools failure to provide this accommodation likely violates the federal Rehabilitation Act.

The parents, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and disability rights organizations, filed the lawsuit in September 2021 against Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo that sought to strike down the law that bans schools from requiring masks.

This decision is an enormous victory for students with disabilities across Iowa," said ACLU of Iowa Legal Director Rita Bettis Austen.

In rejecting the earlier decision that stopped enforcement of the ban as too broad, the judges said only schools attended by the disabled students may impose mask mandates. That allowed the mandate ban to be enforced in most districts.

The issues presented by plaintiffs involve a discrete group of students: those whose disabilities require accommodations in the form of mask requirements in order to safely be present in their schools, the court wrote. To remedy plaintiffs injury, an injunction is necessary only as applied to their schools and districts.

The decision was signed by Judges Jane Kelly, a Barack Obama appointee, and Duane Benton, appointed by George W. Bush.

Judge Ralph Erickson, a Donald Trump appointee, dissented saying he would not have allowed the case to proceed. He contended the parents had not exhausted other avenues for challenging the law before filing a federal lawsuit.

This case is about childrens ability to receive instruction while attending school. Courts should not act so quickly to intervene in the resolution of conflicts which arise in the daily operation of school systems, he said.

The lawsuit involves children who are too young to be vaccinated and have disabilities that make them susceptible to potentially severe COVID-19 cases. Their parents argue the law effectively excludes them from in-person learning in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

The individual schools are Ankeny, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Denver, Des Moines, Iowa City, Johnston, Linn Mar and Waterloo.

At its meeting Monday night, the Sioux City school board unanimously approved an addition to the districts public emergency policy to allow Superintendent Paul Gausman to implement mask mandates for specific buildings that may be seeing high outbreaks of the virus. The mask requirements would have applied to students, teachers, staff and visitors.

Gausman said a temporary mask mandate at specific buildings, at a time when the omicron variant is rapidly spreading in the community, could have mitigated having to temporarily close schools.

The court ruling comes as the rate of Iowa COVID-19 spread reached an all-time high and hospitalizations were at the highest level since early December 2020. The omicron variant has resulted in more infected children being hospitalized, with the most recent state data showing 32 children under age 17 in hospitals. All but six are unvaccinated.

The Journal's Dave Dreeszen contributed to this story.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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SIOUX CITY -- Using a flexible camera smaller than a pencil, Dr. Kosta Antonopoulos, a podiatrist at UnityPoint Clinic Foot and Ankle, was able to treat Tanya McPeek's painful ankle in November in a procedure room right in his office.

Rather than go back into the operating room for a second surgery, Antonopoulos suggested that McPeek have a minimally invasive procedure performed with the NanoScope, an operative arthroscopy imaging system. The Sioux City woman said it took a couple of conversations with Antonopoulos before she felt comfortable with the idea.

"It's scary when you say office instead of the operating room, but I really didn't have anything to lose. He's a great doctor. If he says he can do it, let's give it a try," said McPeek, who manages Hot Topic in Southern Hills Mall. "I work 70 hours a week and I have kids. I just didn't have that much time to put down again for operating room surgery."

McPeek first injured her ankle three years ago, while interacting with her Chihuahua, Jack Russell Terrier and Norwegian Elkhound in her backyard.

"We were moving too fast with the dogs and I tripped," she recalled. "I suppose I had the injury for a good 10 days before I saw my physician and, then, she referred me to Dr. Antonopoulos."

Antonopoulos found that McPeek had a "really bad" ankle sprain, or tearing of the ligaments, and some tendonitis on the outside of her ankle, as well as some swelling within it. Antonopoulos said he tried some nonoperative treatments on McPeek, but she wasn't getting any better, so he performed surgery at that time to clean out the swelling and inflammation and stabilize McPeek's ankle, as well as repair the tendons on the outside.

"She was doing good and, then, started to have pain again. Most of the pain this time was along her tendons," Antonopoulos said. "At that point, we, once again, did physical therapy. We did bracing. We did a boot. It just was not getting better."

Antonopoulos said he has been doing procedures with the NanoScope in the operating room for several years. But, in the last year, he said it was granted in-office approval. He said the procedure room is made to be a sterile environment, just like the operating room.

"Equipment's a lot smaller. In the next year, it's going to get even smaller," Antonopoulos said of the reason why such a procedure can now be done in the office. "Patients do so much better when it's in the office. They're not having to undergo anesthesia."

Sometimes, Antonopoulos said an MRI before the procedure can be avoided to further reduce costs. That was the case for McPeek. During her procedure on Nov. 15, Antonopoulos said he was able to visualize her tendons and clean them out. Whether a patient is a candidate for an in-office procedure or not, all depends on what Antonopoulos needs to do to treat the patient.

"A lot of times, if it's just doing an ankle scope, cleaning out the ankle or a joint, or even like this tendon work, yes, they're good for the office," he said. "When I have to do other things, like stabilize the ankle, I can't do that in the office because it's different equipment."

When Antonopoulos pitches the idea of doing the procedure in the office, he said patients usually "freak out" at first and would rather be under general anesthesia in the operating room.

"What they don't realize is they do really, really well here. It's so much easier. You're not having to recover from anesthesia on top of my surgery," he said. "A lot of times, you're walking that day."

When McPeek arrived at Sunnybrook Medical Plaza for the procedure, she was given medication to calm her and reduce pain. Then, Antonopoulos numbed up her ankle twice, before making four total tiny incisions in her ankle -- two on the front and two on the right side.

"It's a little incision in the front of the ankle and then another incision on the other side in the front of the ankle. Then, I stick the camera in and I look at the ankle," he said. "A lot of times, we have synovitis (an inflammation of the tissues that line a joint) within the ankle, so I fully clean out the ankle. Anybody who has problems on the outside of their ankle, 92% of them, according to the literature, have problems within the ankle, too."

McPeek described her recovery from her first surgery as "very rough." She didn't walk for 51 days. She said the in-office procedure, which took between 30 and 45 minutes, was "a piece of cake." She wore a boot for about a week after the procedure, before transitioning into shoes.

"With my first surgery, my foot had to be elevated. I couldn't put my foot anywhere close to the floor for a couple of weeks. With this one, if I'm honest, I went back to work two days later," she said. "I was back the next week for Black Friday."

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BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China will push for the high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) pact and deepen reform via high-level opening-up, stated a guideline from the government released Wednesday.

The country will align the opportunities provided by the trade pact with local development strategies, and help enterprises adapt to a more open and competitive environment, according to the guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and other five departments on high-quality RCEP implementation.

The guideline outlines measures in six areas -- high-quality development in trade and investment, manufacturing upgrade, standards cooperation, financial support, business environment and supporting services for enterprises.

China will further improve trade and investment facilitation, boost the role of RMB settlement in supporting trade and investment, and strengthen cooperation in high-end industrial chain and manufacturing projects to foster a diversified global supply chain network, the guideline stated.

The country will also help the relatively backward central and western regions become more competitive in the international market and allow the RCEP agreement and the Hainan free trade port policies to reinforce each other, according to the guideline.

The RCEP agreement, the world's largest free trade agreement, entered into force on Jan. 1. After it took effect, more than 90 percent of merchandise trade among members that have approved the accord will eventually be subject to zero tariffs.

The RCEP was signed on Nov. 15, 2020 by 15 Asia-Pacific countries -- ten members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand -- after eight years of negotiations that started in 2012. 
Two Texas brothers were arrested Sunday for allegedly beating their stepfather to death because they believed he was sexually abusing an underage family member, Pharr police said.

Alejandro and Christian Trevino, along with their friend Juan Eduardo Melendez, all 18, were charged in connection with the death of 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla.

Police said they found Quintanilla's body, which was badly beaten, in a McAllen field on Jan. 20.

Pharr Police Chief Juan Gonzalez, speaking at a press conference posted on YouTube, said an underage girl related to Alejandro and Christian Trevino made an outcry earlier that day that Quintanilla had touched her inappropriately at an RV park.

Gonzalez said the brothers became enraged when they learned about the accusations of sexual abuse and confronted their stepfather at their home.

"A physical fight ensued between the three, and the victim, Quintanilla, left the location on foot," Gonzalez said.

Police believe that Christian Trevino chased Quintanilla to a nearby apartment complex, where a second assault occurred involving the three suspects, the chief said. Melendez is accused of driving Alejandro Trevino to the second assault in a red Dodge Charger.

Police said the three suspects then left Quintanilla, changed vehicles to a white Ford F-150 and drove back, where they found Quintanilla walking alone and injured. The three then assaulted Quintanilla a third time, using brass knuckles and causing severe head trauma.

Police believe Quintanilla was placed in the bed of the truck and dropped in a field near the intersection of McColl and Walen roads. Police believe Quintanilla was alive at that time.

Christian Trevino and Melendez, who are accused of delivering the fatal blows, were charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity.

Alejandro Trevino was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity.

Gonzalez said this case is complex with "a lot of moving parts," including multiple scenes and jurisdictions. He did not provide details on how investigators developed their theory of the case.

***

(c)2022 the San Antonio Express-News Visit the San Antonio Express-News at www.mysanantonio.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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OMAHA  Douglas County District Judge Shelly Stratman rejected the states attempt to overturn a public health directors mask mandate for Omaha.

The Omaha City Council gave Lindsay Huse the authority to act as the citys health director. In turn, the judge decided, she had a right to impose a mask mandate to try to quell the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases.

Stratman rejected the argument that Huse had to get approval from the director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Huse would have had to get such approval had she been acting as Douglas County health director. But Huse was acting in her de facto position as city health director, appointed by the Omaha City Council.

Rejecting a restraining order doesnt bode well for the states attempts to overturn the mandate. While judges can change their mind, they rarely deviate from what they decide as far as a temporary restraining order.

On top of that, any hearing on a permanent injunction likely would be weeks away  possibly making such a hearing a moot point. Huse has said she would review the mask mandate within four weeks of its Jan. 11 issuance and renew it or end it depending on COVID-19 numbers.

Huse issued the mask mandate in the midst of the current, continual surge of COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant.

During a two-hour hearing Monday, the state argued she didnt have a right to issue a mandate without HHS approval. The state also noted that in August, Huse sought to issue a mask mandate but was denied by the HHS director.

The state suggested that Huse was trying to do an end-run around the requirement that she get HHS approval.

The city had argued that the Omaha City Council delineated public-health decisions to Huse, as a de facto city health director. They noted that Huses predecessor, Adi Pour, who retired last year, was designated the city health director and provided COVID-19 reports to the Omaha City Council.

Under Huses order, masks are required for people over age 5 in indoor public venues such as schools and many businesses. Exceptions include religious services and places where it is possible to maintain 6 feet of distance.
A 37-year-old Nigerian man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for wire fraud, including a scheme involving an Omaha couple.

Jude Uzochukwu Ifeanyi was sentenced Monday in Omaha to three years and five months in prison, according to a spokesman for the U.S. attorney for Nebraska. After his release from prison, he will begin a one-year term of supervised release and must pay $262,895 in restitution to several victims. He will be deported to Nigeria after serving his sentence, officials said.

The sentencing today of Jude Uzochukwu Ifeanyi sends a strong message to criminals who carry out business email compromise schemes," Omaha FBI Special Agent in Charge Eugene Kowel said.

An investigation by the FBI determined that in May 2018, Ifeanyi and his co-conspirators developed a scheme in an effort to defraud an Omaha couple of $700,000. Ifeanyi and his co-conspirators, who were located in Nigeria, compromised an email account used by the Omaha couple.

The conspirators identified a financial transaction that was to take place relating to the purchase of property in Florida and sent fraudulent emails that appeared to come from the sellers of the property. The emails directed the Omahans to use "alternate wiring instructions" when making payment for the property.

As a result of the scheme, the Omahans were induced into making a $700,000 wire transfer to an unauthorized third-party bank account. When the fraud was discovered, the couple were able to recover a portion of the wire transfer but suffered a loss of $131,485.

During the course of the investigation, the FBI determined that Ifeanyi and his co-conspirators were involved in similar schemes to defraud nine other people, with losses totaling $1,581,655. In December 2020, Ifeanyi was extradited from Spain.

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Nebraska gubernatorial candidates Charles W. Herbster and Jim Pillen are trading barbs over the importance of parenthood as a qualification to be the state's next top executive.

Pillen, a University of Nebraska regent and livestock producer, and his wife Suzanne have four children and seven grandchildren. Herbster, a Falls City businessman, and his late wife Judy didn't have children. Judy Herbster died in 2017 of a heart attack.

Considered front-runners in the Republican primary race, the campaigns have sparred before. But the subject matter this time was personal: How and to what extent do the differences in their biographies bear weight in the race.

Herbster took issue with Pillen's comments at a recent press conference during which term-limited Gov. Pete Ricketts officially announced his endorsement. Pillen was asked what distinguishes him from Herbster, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Part of his answer: "If you don't have a family, it doesn't make you a bad person but it's a distinct, significant difference in how you view life when there's more to the world than just you."

Herbster released a scathing statement on Twitter Monday afternoon criticizing that take.

"His statement shows a complete disdain for the many Nebraskans who have chosen not to have children or who have encountered challenges when trying to start a family," Herbster said in the statement. "Jim Pillen does not know their stories, and he clearly does not know mine."

Pillen's comments demonstrated a "lack of empathy" for families that "don't look like his," Herbster asserted.

"A century ago, if you were not married or did not have children, parts of society shunned you," he said. "Thankfully, our attitudes about family structure and extended families have changed. God has blessed me mightily, but not with children. My late wife, Judy, and I stepped up and stepped in to help single parents, friends, colleagues and neighbors as they raised their children."

He framed the comments as so offensive that Pillen should pull out of the race and that Ricketts should drop his support. But Pillen dismissed Herbster's comments, calling them "fake-news hogwash."

Herbster, Pillen said in a statement, has himself cited his lack of immediate family as an asset.

Among examples the Pillen campaign included in its response was a radio interview from last May: "I have no wife, we lost Judy in 2017," Herbster said then. "We were not blessed with children, so I have no children. I have no grandchildren. I have zero family left. I've buried everyone ... I'm the perfect person to leave and go somewhere else. But I'm not going to do that ... because I'm just like you. If you cut me, I'm gonna bleed red. I'm gonna bleed Nebraska."

"On multiple occasions, Charles Herbster has publicly stated he believes he is more qualified to be governor because he has no family," Pillen said. "Now, hes attacking me when I say that parenting is an important perspective for our next governor to have. All Nebraska parents know what it takes to protect  and provide for  our children in a changing world. Weve been raising our children here for over 40 years. Our youngest is a junior in high school. We know what it takes to protect our kids in todays world and give them the best life we can. Twisting my comment into an attack is just peddling fake-news hogwash."

Former state Sen. Theresa Thibodeau, who briefly served as Herbsters running mate before deciding to launch her own gubernatorial campaign, criticized Pillens remark. In a campaign video released on social media, Thibodeau called the comments an outlandish attack that should disgust everyone.

People without a family could be parents who lost a child or could not bear one, widowed spouses, even Catholic clergy. Jim, whats your problem with these Nebraskans? Thibodeau said in the video. In a time when liberal Democrats try to label and separate us, divisive comments like this should disqualify any Republican candidate.

World-Herald staff writer Martha Stoddard contributed to this report.

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The art of deconstructing an argument by refutation and holding a person accountable for previous statements that the person now contradicts was once an honored tradition. It has now mostly gone the way of other traditions in favor of sound bite statements formulated in political party meetings and used to confuse the public.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) unpacked this once great technique when he responded to some of President Bidens outlandish claims over his first year in office that included his inaugural address and remarks made at his news conference last week and in an Atlanta speech about minority voting rights.

McConnell said the Biden on display at these events was not the Biden he has known for decades. Anyone who has known or observed Biden during his 50 years in politics would have to agree.

McConnell began his Senate floor speech by recalling Bidens promise in his inaugural address to unite the nation. Instead, said McConnell, that very same man delivered a deliberately divisive speech that was designed to pull our country further apart.

One year ago, said McConnell, Biden said we should not see ourselves as adversaries, but as neighbors. Now he calls millions of Americans his domestic enemies.

McConnell noted a year ago the president called for lowering the rhetorical temperature, but now says, if you disagree with him, youre George Wallace. If you dont pass the laws he wants, youre Bull Connor. And if you oppose giving Democrats  one-party control of the country, well, youre Jefferson Davis. He might have mentioned that these, as well as many other elected officials who opposed civil rights legislation, were Southern Democrats and that it was mostly Republicans, beginning with Abraham Lincoln, who supported racial equality.

McConnell went on to recall that Biden has said disagreement must not lead to disunion, but then invoked the bloody disunion of the Civil War to demonize Americans who disagree with him. He compared a bipartisan majority of senators to literal traitors. How profoundly unpresidential.

McConnell said he has known, liked and personally respected Joe Biden for many years. I did not recognize the man at (his news conference).

The president acts as if he has a mandate for all the far-left policies he has been pushing, but McConnell noted the 50-50 Senate and the bare majority Democrats hold in the House: the narrowest majorities in over a century and that he did not get a mandate to transform America or reshape society.

McConnell said the president did get a mandate to do one thing: bridge the political divide, lower the temperature and end the perpetual era of crisis in our politics. He has done the opposite.

He called Bidens rant  incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office.

The president again mentioned Jim Crow 2.0 to assert Republicans are attempting to make it more difficult for minorities to vote, which is untrue. As McConnell noted there are more ways for people to vote in Georgia than Bidens state of Delaware. Jim Crow laws, it should be noted, were also created by Democrats, a fact the major media regularly ignores.

There is much more in his remarks. His entire 16-minute address can be viewed here:

Too many of todays journalists sound like shills for the Democratic Party, crafting their questions and writing their stories as if they are channeling that partys talking points and worldview.

McConnell did their job for them in his deconstruction of recent remarks by the president. Polls show Biden voters are expressing buyers remorse. They can be expected to reverse course in November.

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NAIROBI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations children's fund (UNICEF) on Wednesday kicked off an eight-week campaign to help boost COVID-19 vaccinations across Africa.

UNICEF said the first ever U-Report Challenge which comes a week after COVAX delivered its billionth dose in Rwanda, calls on all 13.3 million U-Reporters in Africa to help get vaccines to the unvaccinated.

"Through improving access and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines, the #GiveItAShot challenge aims to activate young people in motivating those eligible in their community to get vaccinated," it said in a statement issued in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

U-Report is a messaging tool that empowers young people around the world to engage with and speak out on issues that matter to them.

The U-Report is currently active in 88 countries worldwide, with 19.3 million U-Reporters all over the world, and works with SMS, Facebook Messenger, Viber, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

According to UNICEF, COVID-19 information and advocacy messages have been packaged and disseminated via SMS, Facebook Messenger and other communication channels.

UNICEF said the campaign dubbed "U-Report #GiveItAShot challenge" which will initially focus on six countries on the continent, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, will be rolled-out for eight weeks.

It said weekly messages will be sent on U-Report to encourage young people to learn about COVID-19 vaccines. They will be engaged in community actions (both online and offline).

It is estimated that about 10 percent of the adult population on the African continent is vaccinated. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa reached 10,609,112 as of Tuesday, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC).

It said the death toll across the continent stands at 237,197 and 9,534,559 patients have recovered from the disease so far. 
THE MINI: As a senior citizen I'm told by government TV ads I need to get the COVID shot as it's safe and effective. Then I'm told after 3-5 months I need a booster. The other day a Sioux City TV station reported that local hospitals have many more seniors admitted who had the shot and now are being treated for COVID than seniors who didn't get the shot. -- Roger L. Wilson, Moville, Iowa
It seems highly improbable, given the nations extreme polarization and the supermajority of states required to approve a constitutional amendment, that the United States will amend our Constitution any time in the foreseeable future, if ever.

We may find a need to fill some gap in the document that guides the nations legal and electoral system, such as the 25th Amendment, which created a way to fill a vice presidential vacancy. But the issues that animate modern American politics lie far outside the bounds of consensus required.

In that context, we are disappointed that the Nebraska Legislature has given first-round approval to a resolution calling for an unpredictable convention of the states to propose amendments to the Constitution.

In a short legislative session, whose agenda includes allocating huge sums of COVID relief money in addition to perennial, complex issues, this is the definition of a waste of time.

Its also a bad idea whose most likely outcome is to further sour our politics for years to come without resulting in change.

Convention of states proposal passes first-round test in Nebraska Legislature

Adding an amendment to the Constitution requires approval from three-quarters of the states  38.

With the exception of the 27th Amendment, originally proposed in 1789 and finally ratified in 1992 and barring members of Congress from giving themselves pay raises within the same session, the Constitution has not been amended for 50 years.

While 38 states have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment, only 35 states OKd the ERA before deadlines set by Congress. Some, including Nebraska, revoked approval, an unlitigated but now moot issue. (The Constitution itself is mute on the question of rescinding approval and sets no deadline for ratification, which is why the 27th Amendment became part of the official document after more than 200 years.)

The point is that, as a country, we cannot agree to this: Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

Setting aside how you may feel about that proposition, if we cant agree on that, what can we agree on?

The lesson of the ERA, whose language is straightforward on its face, is that any proposal beyond clearly needed housekeeping would be quickly subsumed by our generations-old culture war.

It is in this environment that groups on the right and left  mostly the right  are pushing for a convention of the states.

The Constitution establishes two means to amend the document: Proposals passed by Congress and submitted to the states for ratification or a call for a convention from two-thirds of the states, which rounds up to 34.

Fifteen states have approved the call. Nebraskas resolution, which requires two more rounds of approval, parrots model language from the American Legislative Exchange Council, a conservative powerhouse that drafts model legislation thats then submitted in legislatures around the country.

While supporters in Nebraska and elsewhere say the convention of states would be limited to fiscal matters and term limits, the resolution is broader and the Constitution itself offers no limits on what can be proposed.

The resolution says amendments would be limited to proposing amendments to the Constitution of the United States that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.

Clearly, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government opens the entire document and our entire system of governance to radical change. For example, what prevents amendments barring the federal courts from overturning state laws or ending the Electoral College? Under the umbrella of limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, what would stop a full rewrite of the Constitution? The only other constitutional convention in our history was called to rewrite the Articles of Confederation, but resulted in a wholly new document.

We do not live in times when people in political power show self-restraint, Georgetown University constitutional law scholar David Super notes.

Experts warn about lack of limits on proposed convention of states

The bright side, such as it is, is that any amendment emerging from what certainly would be an angry, rowdy clustermess of the states would need approval from 38 states to be ratified. Extremely unlikely.

But that doesnt mean the process and resulting proposals would be harmless. The certain outcome would be to amplify for years to come some of the most contentious issues we face, with no likely resolution.

Calling such a convention would only deepen our division. The only winners would be politicians who benefit from an agitated base.

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This evening in Sioux City: A few clouds from time to time. Low 22F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. It will be a cold day in Sioux City Thursday, with temperatures in the 30s. The forecast calls for it to be a cold 36 degrees. Expect a drastic drop in temperatures though, with a low reaching 5 degrees. Expect periods of sun and clouds. Thursday's winds could be brisk, with forecast models showing 16 mph wind conditions coming up from the north. This report is created automatically with weather data provided by TownNews.com. Visit siouxcityjournal.com for more weather updates.
The past months of activists work to get paid leave for parents into President Joe Bidens Build Back Better agenda, and then to defend its presence there, have produced a litany of searing essays from mothers about the postpartum experience. This is writing from the front lines, blood-on-the-page testimonials. So, where are the fathers voices? Of course, there are the classic misogynists who dont see newborn care as their labor (or, frankly, labor at all). But theres also been silence from fathers who participate fully in the postpartum experience, who understand its beauty and difficulty, yet who still cant, or wont, find the language to tell that story. Theres no tradition in place for this; attempting it, especially when youre in a hetero marriage like my own, feels like demanding a trophy for work that should be normal. Safer to be the silent allyin awe of, in solidarity with, mothers. But as the Build Back Better bill languishes, with paid family leave one of the first policy items on the chopping block, silent, self-effacing allyship is useless. All parents are being failed by our government and need relief, and should find the words to say so. Heres one attempt.

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My daughter didnt take to breastfeeding. For the first month, it was emotionally and physically excruciating for my wife. Neither of us knew how common this is; the classes offered by our doula and our hospital emphasized the natural wonder of breastfeeding, focused on combating decades of medicine decentralizing its value. Our doula was great, these classes were really helpful, and yet the inborn magic, the promised bonding, just didnt happen. In the hospital, my wife ended up squeezing every precious drop of colostrum out of blistered nipples while I fed our daughter with a 1-milliliter syringe, holding my pinkie in her mouth to trigger a sucking reflex. None of us slept. When our insurance-allotted stay ended, we were in a daze.

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At home, nights went in shiftsmy wife waking to pump, then waking me so I could immediately use that supply in the bottle Id feed our daughter, then me waking my wife for more pumping. Over and over, our burdens separate, but shared and communicated in brief moments of passinga hand on a shoulder, a nod. Even in writing that sentence, Im uncomfortable with the idea of burden being applied to my role, the way it so obviously should be to my wifes. Its the same way I hesitate to think of my mental space in those weeks as postpartum depression, occurring alongside hers, or often moving in waves where one of us would feel the call to be the positive voice for a week or so, afraid, I think, at just how low the other seemed. At various points, we both broke down from sleeplessness and fear, said things about regretting our daughter that we still carry shame over. I cannot imagine the weight of that shame if one of us wasnt physically there.

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I dont say this to emphasize the unique hardship of our experienceby medical standards, everything went smoothly, and my wife and I were fortunate to have (some) paid leave we could take at the same time. She stretched hers past three months with a Rhode Island state program that counts birth as a temporary disability and covers 60 percent of salary. I took unpaid leave for a semester at my university, but cobbled together six years worth of banked sick time to cover my teaching days, while theoretically staying on the clock for my publishing responsibilities, which I ignored. In this way, I was able to stay home for a few extra months when my wife returned to work, which felt like a wild indulgence, though its the bare minimum in every other developed nation on Earth.

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These were the most important, transformative months of my life. Also, Ive never been more physically and emotionally exhausted. My daughter struggled when she wasnt in motion, and her preference was to walk strapped to me in the carrier, which would sometimes work to keep her sleeping, as long as she didnt feel me stop. As I tried to transition her to napping in her crib, shed howl until I thought she was choking. Id give up, rock her frantically, leave again. One night, I went for a run to decompress, and my sciatic nerve blew out. My wife had to take two days off work right after her return because I couldnt lift anything. I was ashamed; we worried her boss would take it as some subconscious indication that she couldnt really stay away from the kid. For both of us, there were the literal challengeskeeping our daughter alive, keeping my wifes job, hoping my back wasnt irreparablebut also the harder-to-quantify pressure of societal expectations built into a country where a basic right is treated as a luxury, and that luxury is almost always associated with mothers. Was I somehow programmed to fail at primary caregiving? Was my wife somehow destined to see her career slip away?

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Outwardly, my coping move was to emphasize the particular pathetic dadness of the whole situationgettin old, life comes at you fast. In retrospect, holding a helpless, angry baby all day can literally break anyone when they rush back to anything resembling their normal life. My situation wasnt the same as my wife pumping herself to exhaustion at work, then battling arthritic wrist pain while cluster-breastfeeding at night, but it was an experience that wasnt a joke, further proof that the weight of caregiving, even as two parents shoulder it, can make life periodically impossible. In the weeks after I injured myself, Id set the baby down and try to stretch my back as fast as I could outside her room. After a few seconds of silence, shed explode into tears, a sound so familiar that I began to imagine it when it wasnt happening.

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In public, surrounded by people, my daughter was a dream. I sought out those moments for her sake, but also for my own ego. This brings me back to the weirdness of trying to express the isolation and pain of infant care, when a dad caring for an infant in public gets cartoonish overpraise. Before fatherhood, I dont think Id ever had a stranger bless me on the street, but out with the baby, this happened at least three times in as many months. I felt doted upon in the pediatricians waiting room, even as I was panicking. Later, as I held my cold, writhing daughter on the table in the examination room, the doctor said, Youve got such a perfect helpless dad look right now, with the expression one gives a dog who deserves a treat.

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I love our pediatrician, and this was just a throwaway observation, but built in was that familiar, destructive double-bind of the tone extended to a caregiver father: On one hand, youre given too much credit; on the other, youre treated like (and then feel compelled to perform as though) your experience is only adorable, and therefore somehow unreal. Infant caregiving is a thing that your father wouldnt have thought to do, that many jobs do not offer space to support a man doing, and therefore a temporary kindness, as opposed to a matter of your kids survival and your life-defining responsibility. Mostly, I felt terrified. And alone. And angry at my own failure, always wondering what was wrong with me. When a fever wouldnt breakwhy did tenderness give way to frustration so fast? In that period of sudden bottle refusal, when she looked up at me, mouth open in a wail around the rubber nipplewhy couldnt I get the simplest thing right? At 3 a.m., as my wife and I whispered viciously about whether to soothe her or let her sufferhow could I feel such resentment? Wasnt the experience, or at least the emotion, supposed to get easier? These were thoughts I never spoke, questions I never asked.

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I can in no way empathize with the physical toll of birth or early motherhood, nor with the judgment thrown at mothers around whether they return to work or not (or how long they take time off). But I feel irrevocably changed by the first six months of my daughters life, and not in a grand, wedding-speech way. I still think of all the joy I failed to appreciate, still hold onto a nebulous sense that my daughter deserved better. Returning to work, after that stretch, was so much harder than I expected, like walking into your childhood home and realizing that everything is the same except you, and therefore nothing makes sense. I couldnt write, couldnt focus on anything outside the moments I was directly speaking to students. We were still sleeping terribly, I still felt like an exposed nerve, I wasnt taking care of myself physically. My daughter refused to nap at day care, so every day Id call to check in and hear her overtired screams from across the room. Picking her up was an even mix of wanting to hold her as soon as possible and wanting nothing more than an extra minute without her. Again, more luxury: dropping a child off later than opening time, picking her up before closing. When I dropped her off, babies smaller than her would already be down for a nap, having arrived when the sun was still rising. All of this is common, of course; that doesnt make it any less untenable, nor do any parents relative privileges abdicate their responsibility to scream that fact again and again.

Ive read this essay over a lot, still with lingering questions of whether its a worthy or productive story to tell, still enacting the exact issue that Im trying to write against. But ultimately, I think its simple. The burdens of postpartum life shouldnt belong only to mothers; neither, then, should the act of giving voice to the experience.
On Wednesday, NBC News reported that Justice Stephen Breyer is planning to retire from the Supreme Court. The report follows months of pressure from progressive activists who expressed concerns that President Joe Biden would not be able to appoint Breyers successor should Democrats lose their narrowest of Senate majorities in the 2022 midterms.

For the next several weeks, there is one question that will animate the conversation around the future of the court: Who will the next justice be?

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Biden has narrowed the field through a campaign pledge to nominate the courts first Black woman justice. There is also a clear front-runner: United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Its no certainty that Brown Jackson will be the nominee, but after a successful 5344 circuit court nomination vote last year and a good amount of speculation around her elevation, it seems likelier than not that the former Breyer clerk will soon sit on the nations highest court.

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For his part, Biden said during his campaign that he had put together a list of a group of African American women who are qualified and have the experience to be on the court and suggested he might share that list with the public, as Donald Trump did with a list of possible Supreme Court nominees during his winning presidential campaign in 2016. Ultimately, though, Biden never made his list public, saying after Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death near the end of 2020when it was still unclear if Trump would be able to force through an appointment on his way out the doorthat naming the potential nominees would be a disservice to them.

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Brown Jackson is likely near the top of Bidens list for a few reasons. She meets the criteria he has set out and she is also someone who could likely win a Senate confirmation fight in a Senate controlled by moderate Democrats Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin. Still, Bidens short list also reportedly includes California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger and South Carolina District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs.

Brown Jacksons 201213 confirmation process to the D.C. District Court after being appointed by President Barack Obama and to the D.C. Circuit last summer went relatively smoothly. In 2013, she was confirmed by voice vote of the Senate. Last year, three RepublicansSens. Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowskijoined all 50 Democrats in voting for her circuit court confirmation, with 44 Republicans in opposition and three abstaining.

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While any fight over Brown Jacksons possible Supreme Court nomination would be likely to generate more sparks, the stakes are lowered by the fact that even if Bidens nominee is approved, conservatives have a crushing 63 advantage on the court that is likely baked in for years to come. Also, Brown Jackson has bipartisan bona fides, with former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryanwho is a family member of Brown Jacksons by marriagehaving praised her during her December 2012 district court nomination hearing.

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Our politics may differ, but my praise for Ketanjis intellect, for her character, for her integrity is unequivocal, Ryan said at the time. Shes an amazing person, and I favorably recommend her consideration.

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Further, GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee struggled to come up with any decent line of attack on Brown Jackson during last years appellate court confirmation hearings. The best that Sens. Ted Cruz and Chuck Grassley could do at the time was to vote against her because, to their minds, she did not endorse originalism as a judicial doctrine strongly enough. (Grassley had previously praised Brown Jacksons work to come up with more just sentencing policies as part of a federal sentencing commission.) Brown Jackson replied that she had not had any cases that have required me to develop a view on constitutional interpretation of text in response to a question from Cruz about the idea of a living Constitution. Ultimately, Cruz cited this as a reason to vote against her.

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Sen. Thom Tillis, meanwhile, criticized Brown Jackson because MSNBC host Rachel Maddow praised her for a major ruling in a Trump-era case on the limits of presidential power. I have no control over what reporters say about my rulings, Brown Jackson responded at the time. Sen. Josh Hawley used a similar guilt-by-association attack on Brown Jackson, questioning whether she supported statements opposing abortion rights and marriage equality made by a shuttered Christian school on whose board she previously served. Hawley said he agreed with the statements of the Christian school, and Brown Jackson responded she had served on many boards and might not agree with all of the statements that those boards might have in their materials. If this is all the ammunition Republicans intend to bring to a Supreme Court nomination fight, then its unlikely to break a united Democratic conferencewhich Brown Jackson could need to be confirmed if she loses the support of the Republicans who were open to her appellate-level nomination.

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Brown Jackson, through her place on D.C. courts, has had a critical hand in some of the most important cases checking the presidential overreach of the Trump era. In a 2019 opinion, Brown Jackson issued a ruling saying that White House Counsel Don McGahn did not have absolute immunity from congressional testimony discussing any abuses of office he witnessed as documented by the Mueller report. In doing so, Brown Jackson issued one of the most thorough and forceful rulings against Trump of his entire time in office. Stated simply, the primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings, she wrote. She added that the Trump administrations broad claims of absolute immunity distort established separation-of-powers principles beyond all recognition and that she refused to abide DOJs less-than-subtle suggestion that, under our constitutional scheme, the Legislature and the Judiciary are both hopelessly stymied when it comes to addressing alleged abuses by the Executive branch, such that, ultimately, the President wields virtually unchecked power.

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More recently, Brown Jackson was part of a three-judge circuit court panel that issued a ruling in December that said that Trumps claims of executive privilege as part of his effort to block the National Archives from turning over materials to the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack was overly broad. Last week, the Supreme Court vindicated that decision as well, refusing to stay the circuit courts ruling and allowing the archives to turn over the materials (while also implying disagreement with the circuit courts suggestion that a current presidents decisions on executive privilege generally override those of a former president). The strength of these anti-Trump rulings, and how well they were received at the appellate and Supreme Court levels, also makes them a weaker point of potential attack for Republicans in any new nomination fight.

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In these cases, Brown Jacksons rulings have been vindicated in some of the most important issues on executive power that the Supreme Court has ruled on in years.

Brown Jackson also brings her experiences working to make the justice system fair and equitable. Earlier in her career she worked as a public defender, helping indigent defendants navigate the criminal justice system. She also brings expertise from her time as vice chair of the federal sentencing commission from 2010 to 2014. As part of that commission, Brown Jackson helped to make retroactive a reduction in penalties for crack cocaine, resulting in over 12,000 people being eligible to request reduced sentences, the legal activist group Demand Justice has reported. In announcing the decision, Brown Jackson said: Today the commission completes the arc that began with its first recognition of the inherent unfairness of the 100:1 crack/powder disparity all those years ago. I say justice demands this result.

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During her time on the district court, Brown Jackson ruled in more than 550 cases. Those included progressive rulings on abortion rights, labor law, immigrant rights, and the rights of the disabled.

While Brown Jackson seems to be in the strongest position to receive the nomination, there are two other possibilities that have garnered serious attention. Some have argued that in the interest of diversity on multiple fronts, Biden should nominate California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger. While her background as a deputy solicitor general of the United States is certainly in line with the experience of other recent nominees, such as Justice Elena Kagan, she also brings unique experience as state court judge. Nobody on the current courtand nobody since Justice David Souters retirement in 2009has served on a state court. Kruger would also be only the fifth justice from the countrys largest state, California, and just one of two justices on the court from a state west of the Mississippi.

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South Carolina District Judge J. Michelle Childs, meanwhile, was nominated to the D.C. Circuit last month and would offer educational diversity to the court, having attended University of South Florida for undergraduate studies and having received her law degree from University of South Carolina School of Law. Currently, every member of the court except for Justice Amy Coney Barrett has received a bachelors, a law degree, or both from an Ivy League school. No current justices have these degrees from state schools. (Kruger received her bachelors from Harvard and went to law school at Yale, while Brown Jackson received both degrees from Harvard.) Childs also has going for her the support of House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, whose endorsement in the South Carolina Democratic primary in February 2020 was critical to Bidens eventual elevation to the presidency.

If for some reason Biden decides to go another direction than these top three candidates, he will be able to pick from an expanded pool of possible candidates, having appointed a record number of Black women to the federal judiciary in his first year of office. As the 19th reported last week, Biden has nominated eight Black women to 13 U.S. Courts of Appeals openings with five already confirmed, an effort that will double the number of Black women to have ever served on the judiciary at the circuit level.
On Wednesday, multiple news outlets reported that Justice Stephen Breyer will announce his intent to step down from the Supreme Court at the end of its current term this summer. The 83-year-old justice has served for more than 27 years, voting often, though not always, with the courts liberal bloc. His announcement gives the White House ample time to select his successorlikely, Judge Ketanji Brown Jacksonand affords the Senate months to confirm her. It also ensures that Democrats can replace Breyer while they retain control of the Senate, maintaining the courts current 63 split between conservatives and liberals.

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Although he served as a judge for decades, Breyer has always been a professor at heart. He taught at Harvard Law School for 13 years before President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 1980. After President Bill Clinton elevated him to the Supreme Court in 1994, he joined its progressive wing, but distinguished himself with idiosyncratic votes and a desire for compromise. At Harvard, Breyers specialty was administrative law, focusing on executive agencies that implement federal statutes. He adored the intricacies of regulatory rule-making and applied that approach to his work on the court, developing elaborate balancing tests and multifactor analyses to decide major controversies.

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This style of judging put Breyer increasingly out of step with the court. He joined in the midst of Chief Justice William Rehnquists conservative revolution, which sought to overturn many civil rights decisions of the 1960s, narrow the scope of congressional authority, and expand states rights. Abetted by Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, Rehnquist sought to revive a preNew Deal jurisprudence that took a dim view of federal power and civil liberties (outside of property rights). This conservative bloc believed that the Supreme Court had betrayed the Constitution by establishing an endless series of judge-made tests that emphasized reasonable, workable rules over constitutional text and original meaning. Such flexible tests, conservative justices argued, created a back door through which judges could smuggle their own preferences into the law.

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For years, Breyer helped to slow down the Rehnquist revolution by allying with Justices Sandra Day OConnor and, to a lesser extent, Anthony Kennedy. Both justices enjoyed the broad latitude of their new colleagues flexible style. Breyer grew especially close to OConnor and sometimes joined her in 63 decisions that inched the law rightward while holding off a more radical outcome. After Justice Sam Alito replaced OConnor, the court began reversing centrist precedent that Breyer and OConnor had crafted together. It is not often in the law that so few have so quickly changed so much, he lamented from the bench at the end of the first full term without OConnor, when the court sharply restricted affirmative action with Alitos vote.

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The rejection of Breyers compromises that began after OConnors retirement accelerated after Kennedy stepped down in 2018. It sped up once Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Today, the Supreme Courts 63 conservative supermajority is efficiently shredding Breyers entire jurisprudence. It has rejected not only a great deal of precedent that Breyer holds dear, but also his entire approach to judging, and his conception of the judiciarys role in American democracy.

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So Breyer was dealt a difficult hand in his final years on the bench. But in truth, he did not play it very well. Even after Alito replaced OConnor and the five conservatives plowed over his most prized decisions, he continued to seek compromises with the uncompromising majority. He cast the decisive fifth vote in several catastrophic Fourth Amendment decisions, including one that expanded law enforcements ability to collect DNA without consent and others that authorized more warrantless searches. He feebly sought a middle ground on religious liberty that the conservatives swiftly weaponized to bulldoze the separation of church and state. He granted a courtesy vote to prevent a transgender student from using the proper bathroom at schoola courtesy that the conservative justices did not return when he later tried to pause lower court decisions.

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In recent years, it appeared that Breyer held onto a fantasy of the Supreme Court that no longer existed. He really believed that he could reason with his hard-right colleagues to secure trade-offs that would serve the greater interests of the court and American democracy. Time and again, he tried to prove his good faith by voting with the conservative wing. Time and again, his Republican-appointed colleagues rebuffed these olive branches, plowing ahead with their agenda over Breyers increasingly desperate pleas for moderation.

The justices endless yearning for compromise rendered him a rather ineffective leader of the liberal wing after Ginsburgs death. He frequently seemed adrift, asking rambling questions at oral argument that lost their purchase with the conservative faction long ago. His dissents were hazy and incongruously mild, even in huge cases involving abortion, COVID, and capital punishment. No one would envy Breyers position, but its hard to deny that he failed to meet the moment. The courts progressive bloc needs a powerful dissenter who pulls no punches, condemning the majoritys lawless excesses with blunt candor. Yet even as the court blew up Breyers most prized precedents, he remained oddly muted. He even published a book defending the court whose trajectory he decried, then embarked on a publicity tour to shore up SCOTUSs reputation and legitimacy. When the nation needed brutal truths about the Republican Partys capture of the courts, Breyer provided laughable bromides about the judiciarys independence.

Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor have brilliantly filled the void that Breyer left, but they deserve better. After Breyer steps down, Sotomayor will become the senior-most liberal member of the court, and no one doubts her ability to call out the majoritys corruption of the law. Its notable that neither Kagan nor Sotomayor embraces Breyers flexible, administrative lawinspired approach to judging; when he departs, that tradition will disappear with him. His style of judging is largely extinct, and the substance of his decisions is in ever greater jeopardy.
Justice Stephen Breyer has announced that he will retire effective this June, signaling that he wants President Joe Biden to replace himand for a Senate controlled by Democrats to confirm that replacementbefore the midterm elections in November. Typically, retirements are announced at the close of the courts term, but the January announcement appears to confirm that Breyer, whos served on the Supreme Court for 27 years, wants to give the president ample time to select and confirm a replacement.

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It is ironic that the sitting justice who has staked his career on the proposition that justices are not political actors, not partisan shills, and not, in his parlance, a bunch of junior varsity politicians is choosing to leave the court in a move timed precisely to coincide with a closing window of opportunity for the president and the Senate. He hasas recently as this past fallargued vigorously that the odor of political partisanship does brutal damage to the judiciary. In his most recent book, The Authority of the Court and the Peril of Politics, Breyer wrote that if the public comes to see judges as merely politicians in robes, its confidence in the courts, and in the rule of law itself, can only decline. In what seemed at the time like a prayer, but now reads more like an elegy, he worried that with that, the Courts authority can only decline, too, including its hard-won power to act as a constitutional check on the other branches.

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For progressives who have been pressuring Breyer to step downterrified that he would replicate Ruth Bader Ginsburgs error in waiting too long to retire only to be replaced by someone who will toil to undo her entire legacyBreyers decision to both step aside and to do so in a spectacularly calculated political fashion will feel like the end of a successful campaign. He had said only recently that he was not yet ready. But they may have ripped the blinkers off an 83-year-old man who believed he was modeling civics and collegiality when he was in fact being rope-a-doped by smiling Trump appointees, who were civil and collegial in person while also beavering away to end voting rights, the ability to organize, the administrative state, reproductive freedom, the separation of religion and government, and reasonable gun regulation. All that has happened in just under a year. It will pick up speed in the coming weeks and months.

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Breyer was romantic, perhaps to the point of self-delusion about the court, but he has been anything but a fantasist.

So progressives have a point. But Breyer had his own priorities. In his most recent book, his prescriptions for depoliticizing the court were very much of the glacially slow variety: He argued to improve civics education and participation and help the public practice the skills of cooperation and compromise in order to learn them and to keep them. When I interviewed Breyer last winter, he suggested that, as he learned from decades on the bench and his time working for Sen. Edward Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, the best is the enemy of the good: If you have a choice between achieving 20 or 30 percent of what youd like or being the hero of all your friends, choose the first. He also told me that in public life, dont worry about credit. Credit is a weapon. You give the other person the credit. His time on the bench was profoundly shaped by both of those values.

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Progressives sometimes tore their hair out at Breyers willingness to compromise, split the difference, and take what he could get, notably in the first challenge to the Affordable Care Act but also in ways that increasingly marked him as different from Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor, who often dissented together or alone. For those who believed that he was working far too hard to make his own aspirational dreams about judicial independence and collegiality stick in the public mind, long after the Trump judges were rammed onto the court in hyperpartisan ways, one point is worth emphasizing: Breyer was romantic, perhaps to the point of self-delusion about the court, but he has been anything but a fantasist in his nearly three decades of judicial work on that body. He focused on mundane details of the administrative statea field too arcane and boring for most judicial big shotsbecause he is a passionate believer in the government as an entity that exists to solve problems in workable and efficient ways. He thinks about cost/benefit, pragmatic solutions in a manner that is almost entirely absent from the thought processes of the current supermajority, that is so in love with a centuries-old mythology of government and power that it can be blind to exigent climate health and environmental reality.

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And while Breyer was possibly a hopeless romanticright to the bitter endabout the need for civics, cooperation, mutual respect, and dignity on the bench, he has proved to be the most realistic about assessing the moment in which we now find ourselves: a judiciary committee that may deadlock 1111 and be saved by parliamentary maneuvers; two Democratic senators who are not all that interested in preserving voting rights; and the prospect that a July retirement might not have afforded the president enough runway to get someone confirmed by November. That is the world we now inhabit. That the justice for whom the notion of constitutional and judicial hardball has always been anathema has just ended his Supreme Court career with the most hardball Supreme Court retirement in recent history speaks volumes about the current moment, even if it does so in the spaces between the words he speaks aloud.
On Feb. 28, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the first of an expected wave of cases challenging governmental action to address the climate crisis. The courts grant of four petitions seeking review in this casetwo by coal companies and two by statesportends that the six conservative justices will erect significant barriers to meaningful climate policy and will continue to interfere with democratic governance in disregard of the rule of law.

The issue presented in the case, West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, concerns the EPAs authority to regulate pursuant to its mandate in the Clean Air Act. Oddly, theres no regulation in effect for the court to review; instead, it will ostensibly review the interpretation of the act adopted by the Obama administration nearly a decade ago, which gave the EPA the authority to regulate greenhouse gases from power plants by requiring plants to implement measures targeting polluting energy sources and not just backend carbon emissions. While moving away from these energy sources is precisely what is necessary to respond to catastrophic climate disruption, it also conflicts with what remains the fossil fuel industrys core business of fossil fuel production.

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Following an initial proposal in 2014, the Obama EPA did issue such a potentially impactful rule, known as the Clean Power Plan, but it was short-lived because five justices granted fossil fuel companies and other industry groups and states petitions for an emergency stay in 2016. The justices took this extraordinary measure in a brief order on the courts shadow docket, and without full briefing, oral argument, or a reasoned opinion. Notably, this was the first time the court had stayed a rule before a federal appellate court had the chance to review it. That move represented a sweeping assertion of judicial power and a harbinger of what we can expect in West Virginia v. EPA, particularly given the courts now stronger conservative bent.

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Indeed, the courts grant of certiorari in the case is nearly as notable as its 2016 stay of the CPP. The court will be reviewing the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuits decision invalidating the Trump administrations repeal of the CPP on the ground that the administration was wrong to conclude that a specific section of the Clean Air Act unambiguously precluded the EPA from regulating emissions in this way. Although the D.C. Circuit vacated the Trump administrations rule, it did not reinstate the CPP. Thats because the Biden administration noted it was working on an entirely new power plant rule by that point.

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The absence of a rule to review, coupled with the questionable nature of the courts 2016 stay, suggests that at least some of the conservative justices are not interested in a narrow decision. And the petitioners briefs, as well as the courts own recent shadow-docket precedents, provide the justices with a pathway for potentially gutting the EPAs authority to address the climate crisis in any meaningful way.

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Crucially, all of the petitioners briefs rely on some variation of the so-called major questions doctrine. As the Supreme Court recently described this area of jurisprudence: We expect Congress to speak clearly when authorizing an agency to exercise powers of vast economic and political significance. When, though, is an agencys delegated authority of vast economic and political significance? And what is the requisite level of clarity with which Congress must speak in order to give an agency such authority?

The high court has yet to answer either. That is so even after it applied the doctrine this month to justify an emergency stay of the Occupational Safety and Health Administrations rule requiring large employers to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for workers or regular testing and masking.

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Petitioners have pushed broader arguments than merely challenging the EPAs interpretation of one section of the Clean Air Act underlying the CPP alone as a violation of the murky major questions doctrine. Ultimately, the argument pushed by the fossil fuel industry and its political backers is that any assertion of agency authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissionsnot the EPAs specific application of that authority in this now obsolete ruleraises a major question.

By focusing primarily on the nature of regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and shifting away from fossil fuels more generally, the petitioners arguments involve a rhetorical sleight of hand that opens the door for the six conservative justices to limit the EPAs authority to a much broader extent. At the very least, they invite the justices to lay the precedential foundation for such a ruling in the inevitable next round of anti-climate cases.

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In very recent shadow-docket rulings, the conservative justices appear to have developed a sort of major questions continuum that seems to provide them with multiple avenues to gut climate regulation. In the OSHA case, the unsigned majority opinion interprets the governing statute as not providing the agency with the asserted authority on the ground that it raised a major question. But Justice Neil Gorsuchs concurrence in the case, joined by Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, suggests that the major questions doctrine and whats known as the nondelegation doctrine are basically interchangeable. Gorsuch writes, Whichever the doctrine, the point is the same. Both serve to prevent government by bureaucracy supplanting government by the people  (emphasis added).

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The nondelegation doctrine holds that Congress cannot delegate its legislative power to administrative agencies; rather, it can only give agencies the authority to implement legislation with guidance by an intelligible principle.

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The court has applied the doctrine to strike down congressional legislation only twice, both times in the early New Deal era. After that, the significance of those two cases diminished significantly, as the court repeatedly upheld broad grants of agency authority to provide public health and safety protections requiring extensive expertise and the ability to respond to scientific, technological, and other societal developments. Ultimately, this amounted to a recognition that, in the modern era, a workable government requires this type of flexibility, and the judiciary should guard against stringent limits that would amount to second-guessing of complex policy decisions made by the two politically accountable branches. Alarmingly, Gorsuch cites a concurring opinion from one of that pair of nine-decade-old nondelegation cases.

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In West Virginia v. EPA, there is a significant risk that the court will again obscure its own sweeping assertion of authority by purporting to merely be policing the limits on the other branches authority. As Gorsuch put it in the OSHA case: On the one hand, OSHA claims the power to issue a nationwide mandate on a major question but cannot trace its authority to do so to any clear congressional mandate. On the other hand, if the statutory subsection the agency cites really did endow OSHA with the power it asserts, that law would likely constitute an unconstitutional delegation of legislative authority. Hiding in plain sight is the tremendous expansion of judicial power that this represents: to define a major question.

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With this upcoming case, the future of vitally important U.S. climate regulation, and potentially climate legislationwhich almost certainly will have to pass some as-yet-unknown higher level of judicial scrutiny to be of sufficient clarityappears tragically bleak.

The sort of climate ruling that the conservative justices have telegraphed would amount to a tremendous arrogation of judicial power that jeopardizes the lives of everyone, as well as our system of democratic governance. As Justices Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan, and Sonia Sotomayor put it in their dissent in the recent OSHA COVID-19 case, this approach substitutes judicial diktat for reasoned policymaking.

As evidence mounts that this is a Supreme Court majority determined to rule by judicial fiat, though, it is becoming past time to actually reform the court itself.
Parents will do anything to keep their kids safe, but some of our policies in pursuit of safety are harming children. In particular, as long as omicron or a similarly lethal strain is dominant, testing asymptomatic school-age kids, a policy currently widely in use in many school districts, is ineffective at best and damaging at worst.

Vaccinated or not, healthy children face very low serious long-term risk from COVID. An analysis from Germany shows that among infected kids, the risk of going to the ICU was 8 per 100,000, and the risk of death was 3 in a million, with no deaths from ages 5 to 17. These were the risks before vaccination and before omicron, both of which are likely to further reduce these numbers. Moreover, these probabilities are lower than risks kids face in a typical year from automobile accidents or drowning.

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Most importantly: The vaccine is unable to stop breakthrough infections, and omicron is highly transmissive. For these reasons, Anthony Fauci says omicron will eventually infect us all. Its spread may be slowing in many parts of the country, but its still out there. If you havent been infected with it yet, you likely willand the immunity you get from it will be valuable. New variants that successfully outcompete omicron in the future will almost certainly share its ability to evade vaccines, so even those who somehow manage to escape the current wave will not be protected from infection forever.

Best-case scenario, routine testing and quarantining of kids may slow the spread among these ages, but it will not avoid it entirely. One of the common arguments in favor of testing kids is that it will protect teachers. But testing kids without symptoms and then isolating those who test positive is unlikely to meaningfully bend the trajectory of the pandemic. Simply put, it means that all this testing wont significantly delay when students, teachers, staff, or parents get sick, unless all of us stay home entirely and indefinitely, which very few people are willing to do nearly two years into the pandemic. In fact, modeling suggests that omicron is so transmissive that even aggressive mitigation across all of society will barely slow its spread.

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The short-term health benefits of asymptomatic testing also depend on what kids do when some of them are inevitably pushed out of school for testing positive and who watches them during these hours. Recently, Chicago Public Schools preemptively closed due to teacher union demands. When kids were out of school, cases among students increased as the omicron wave hit the city. This further suggests that keeping a kid out of school is not enough to halt spread; what kids do when theyre out of school matters at least as much. In fact, asymptomatic testing might actually fuel community spread. Given the heavy reliance on informal child care arrangements among working parents, sending infected students home could cause them to spread the virus to older, higher-risk adults instead.

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The tests themselves may not even be fit for the task. Although PCR tests provide the gold standard, they take too long to be much use for omicron. And there is considerable disagreement about the performance of rapid tests, particularly in kids at young ages and particularly for detecting asymptomatic, early disease. Some analyses find that rapid tests miss one-third of kids with the coronavirus. Testing isnt as accurate when the person is less willing to cooperate with sampling, if the sampler is less aggressive in swabbing, and if instructions are not followed exactlyall of which can happen with kids.

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Given the learning losses kids have already suffered, our focus now must be on making up lost ground. Aggressive testing policies that send a substantial number of students home are compounding the losses instead. Disrupting kids routinesparticularly keeping them out of schoolhas potential to worsen their mental health, and has been shown to lead to learning losses, a potent predictor of life course outcomes. Indeed, regardless of ones view about specific mitigation strategies, few serious people would dispute that missing school harms kids. Further learning interruptions are also disruptive for parents, particularly for working mothers who bear the brunt of child care. And unlike in early months of the pandemic, when other social safety net programs stepped in to fill the gaps, keeping kids home today creates additional hardships unrelated to learning. For example, most states are no longer providing food stamp benefits to families of children who are eligible for free lunch at school but who cannot access these meals due to quarantines and isolation.

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For much of the pandemic, our well-meaning efforts to protect children from the virus ultimately ended up doing more harm than good and remained in place far too long even in the face of new evidence. In many places, schools stayed closed long after it was clear that doing so did not meaningfully slow disease spread and that children themselves faced low risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and many school districts insisted on maintaining an impractical 6 feet of social distancing in the classroom late into last spring, forcing many students to stay home half of the week, even as emerging evidence showed that much closer spacing worked just as well. At the start of this academic year, many districts adopted aggressive quarantining policies even as randomized data from Britain showed that using post-exposure testing allowed most affected kids to stay at school, minimizing lost learning time. Testing exposed students may have made sense with earlier variants of the virus, but it doesnt work with the new omicron realityagain, aggressive mitigation efforts are unlikely to slow the spread of disease. On Jan. 14, nearly 1 million people in the U.S. tested positive. Many more tested positive on home kits. Many more were sick and did not test.

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With explosive spread like that, a child who participates in the world is assured to have exposure in the course of day-to-day life. Punishing students who happen to have their exposure at school by sending them home is unlikely to make much difference. Documenting a very specific classroom exposure is like using a magic eight ball to decide when to test: Its a random occurrence that does not capture the cumulative risk of exposure. Moreover, when we truly accept Faucis message that we will all be exposed, the price of disruption so quickly overwhelms the price of delaying exposureparticularly when its unclear how much delay such testing actually buys us.

Massachusetts is the first state to adjust policy in response to this reality. Earlier this month, policymakers there gave districts the opportunity to end their test-to-stay programs, replacing them with optional at-home tests instead. Its time for other states and districts to follow their lead.

Testing has always seduced the American public. The idea that any information is always good information fuels American ideas about health care. We market direct-to-consumer genetic testing. We have rapidly adopted new cancer screening tests. But in recent decades, we have learned, often painfully, that more testing does not always lead to better outcomes. When it comes to testing kids routinely, repeatedly, we are embarking on an unproven intervention whose odds are against us.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
This article is adapted from Law and Policy for the Quantum Age by Chris Jay Hoofnagle and Simson L. Garfinkel, Cambridge University Press.

Headlines regularly hail what appears to be an imminent arrival of large-scale quantum computing. Honeywell spinoff Quantinuum recently announced a performant ion-trap quantum computer. Startups are projecting that they will build ever-larger quantum computing processors and devices. A group of quantum computing companies now make their devices available as cloud services through Amazon. In 2021, the first quantum computing startup went public, listing on the NYSE as IONQ.

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Meanwhile, governments are pumping billions into quantum information science. In the U.S., much of this support flows through Department of Energy National Laboratories, meaning that a great leap forward in quantum computing could occur in secrecy and potentially give the U.S. government an advantage over all other actors.

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Companies and governments have been pouring money into quantum computing since the 1990s, when computer scientist Peter Shor came up with a mathematical proof showing that a fully functional quantum computer could rapidly crack messages encrypted with the RSA encryption algorithm. Systems based on advance quantum sensing might be able to literally see through walls and detect underground installationspossibly from orbit! And quantum cryptography and quantum networking offer the possibility of being able to send messages encrypted with the physics of quantum mechanicsa code that would be truly unbreakable, not just by regular computers and quantum computers, but by anything else that we can conceive of that is consistent with the law of physics as we understand them.

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Are we facing a future where governments dominate quantum technologies, and use them to collect and make sense of information about us? Or might the future bring some other landscape, where quantum technologies protect the communications of the average person and quantum sensing helps us diagnose and treat illness?

We think that there are several possible scenarios for future quantum technologies, as we discuss in our new book Law and Policy for the Quantum Age. The first, Government Superior and Dominant, is a world where the Department of Energy National Laboratories succeed against skeptics predictions and create a working quantum computerbut these machines are so fantastically expensive and complex that they are only available to superpower governments, enabling unprecedented capabilities for eavesdropping, surveillance and prediction. An alternative scenario is the Private/Public Utopia, where quantum technology is developed in both sectors, and an alternative outcome where quantum technology becomes yet another controlled technology in the battle between East and West.

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This essay explores our final scenario, one that we assess is likely. Quantum computing skeptic Mikhail Dyakonov, a prominent professor of physics in France, thinks that the technical challenges will prevent technologists from ever realizing the elusive promise of quantum computing. No, we will never have a quantum computer, he says. Instead, we might have some special-task (and outrageously expensive) quantum devices operating at millikelvin temperatures. What if, as some critics like Dyakonov argue, quantum computing is just too complicated and too hard a problem to solveat least for the next few decades? What if, as happened in artificial intelligence in the 1970s and in cold fusion, quantum technologies experience a winter, a period where enthusiasm and funding for the entire class of technologies lags?

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In this scenario (call it Quantum Winter), quantum computing devices remain noisy and never scale to a meaningful quantum advantage. It seems likely that even if quantum computers never succeed at cracking codes, we will be able to use them to improve artificial intelligence/machine learning applications. But even so, quantum computers might never be as fast as conventional systems, which would remain faster, more manageable, and more affordable. In this scenario, quantum might remain a serviceable marketing term. But as is the case today, supercomputers, simulators, and optimizers significantly outperform their quantum counterparts. After a tremendous amount of public and private monies are spent pursuing quantum technologies, businesses in the field are limited to research applications or simply fail, and career paths wither.

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If that happens, funding eventually dries up for quantum computing. Academics and scientists in the field either retool and shift, or simply appear irrelevant, even embarrassing. As the winter proceeds, hiring priorities shift to other disciplines, further sidelining quantum technologies as a field. Even where important developments are made, they are given short shrift, viewed with skepticism, or simply seen as irrelevant to computing praxis.

One of the greatest risks of a short-term failure scenario is whether we are willing to recognize it. One sign that quantum winter is approaching would be for quantum technology advocates to continually move the goalposts, and insist that grand discoveries are around the corner if we just keep funding the dream. The politicians, military leaders, scientists, and CEOs who invest in quantum technologies will become diehard defenders of themuntil they stop or are replaced.

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If we do not recognize failure, investment in quantum computing will continue to be at the expense of other, more promising fields. For example, the billions of dollars invested in precision medicine have not delivered on promises of revolutions in therapy or life extension. Its advocates, perhaps because their professional reputations are tied to its promise, keep the faith. Meanwhile, public funding for precision medicine has appeared to come to the detriment of tried-and-true investments, such as public health interventions.

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But the primary danger of a quantum winter isnt the wasted resources and careersits that research abruptly stops, resulting in economic dislocation and delaying discoveries that arent around the corner, but may be just over the horizon. The AI winters (there were two, one in the late 1970s, one in the late 1980s) stunted some research efforts that eventually proved successful, and killed others outright. The AI we have now lacks two hallmarks of the earlier AI waves: systematic approaches for knowledge representation (which represents semantic information symbolically, like a database of facts, rather than as huge corpus of text that is mined for the correct answers) and explainability (in which the AI algorithm can explain why it came up with a particular conclusionfor example, that one person is likely to re-offend and should be kept in prison, while another should be released on parole).

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A quantum winter would be in keeping with the boom/bust cycle of many technologies in the West. Before the bust, there is general technology optimism, boosterism from news media and investors, emphasis on growth over sustainable operations, and inability to critically judge innovationsall could contribute to a refusal to recognize failure. Then comes the bust.

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Quantum technologies, because of their complexity and the secrecy surrounding their research and development, are well poised to fall victim to these dynamics. Consider the relatively recent failures among firms that have presented themselves as technology companies such as oice-space-leasing firm WeWork and German payments company Wirecard AG. Sometimes investors give traditional companies a pass by if they are seen as technology companies instead of ordinary ones that use technology. This regulatory misclassification, with looser scrutiny because of technology, appears to have helped Wirecard AG evade earlier detection. Private companies also enjoy less transparency, and in some cases, loose norms that enable inventive accounting. Ordinary investors might be confused by these norms, because publicly traded companies have more defined benchmarks and different scrutiny from regulators.

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Throughout history, publics have fallen victim to secretive, cultlike profitmaking claimsand we seem not to be able to learn from these patterns. From Charles Ponzis international postal stamp arbitrage scheme to Elizabeth Holmes drop-of-blood-testing Theranos, these schemes work because of the same elements currently present in technology generally: optimism, boosterism, secrecy, and a network of people invested who could make a fortune if the company succeeds in the short term. In-the-know insiders often cannot whistle-blow because companies pressure them with nondisparagement agreements and threats from lawyers (and sometimes even the government).

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Many of the elements that obscured the dead-end truths about other technologies are present in quantum technologies. Quantum technologies complexity, the elite nature of the fields scientists, secrecy mandates, incentives to maintain funding, incentives to appear innovative and profitable, and lack of third parties in a natural position to inspect and report on performancetogether, they all could combine to obscure the prospects of quantum technologies. Worse, the concepts of indeterminacy and entanglement provide endless fodder for philosophical exploration and even breathing room for strained religious doctrines, such as mindbody dualism. (Deepak Chopra has written several books tying quantum physics to healing, and specifically the remission of cancer. Chopra was awarded the Ig Nobel prize in 1998 for his unique interpretation of quantum physics as it applies to life, liberty, and the pursuit of economic happiness.)

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The failure scenario has different implications for quantum communications and sensing. These related categories of quantum technologies can succeed even if large-scale computing is not realized. In quantum communications, quantum effects are used to generate and share encryption keys that are invulnerable to cryptanalysis. (These systems are vulnerable to other kinds of attacks, just as existing encryption systems are.) Quantum sensing uses quantum effects to measure other phenomena, giving us wonderful technologies such as the MRI, and in state-of-the-science devices, remote sensing of magnetic and gravimetric fields, with many military and scientific applications.

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In communications, many of the underlying technical achievements have been made to support deployment of commercial technologies. Quantum key distribution-based hardware is commercially available today for militaries and companies interested in it. If quantum communications fails, it wont be because the technology doesnt work: It will be because the technology isnt needed, or because its use is limited due to network effects, other market conditions, or prohibitions on its use that cause firms not to adopt it.

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In sensing too, the failure scenario does not mean that quantum technology is a complete bust. Quantum sensors have worked for decades in the form of medical imaging devices, and sophisticated, well-heeled entities will continue to invest in them. For instance, the oil and gas industries, also early patrons of the supercomputing industry, are already poised to take advantage of quantum sensing in order to detect natural resources underground. Governments will continue to create demand for satellite-based sensing, and for sensing to counter electronic warfare capabilities. They just might avoid using the word quantum.

This means that even in a quantum computing failure scenario, quantum sensing technologies would still likely create national winners and losers. In part this is because the military and intelligence agencies will benefit so much from quantum sensing. Quantum sensing, particular for nations with space programs, will give governments a bigger aperture on other countries activities, and help detect even low-observable stealth technologies.

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Yet the public might be a loser in the failure scenario, which will lack the virtuous cycle of competition, research, and price reduction that gave rise to the personal computer. Instead, we are likely to see a much slower growth cycle of quantum sensors and communicationsjust as we saw with AI from the early 1990s through the mid-2010s. Cutting-edge industries will be willing to invest and experiment because the payoff could be high. But the advantages of quantum encryption and quantum sensing will more slowly diffuse to other players. Industries that depend deeply on sensing, such as health care, will be willing to invest in quantum sensors. But without a virtuous cycle, these sensors will never enter the consumer marketplace and will only remain in reach of businesses.

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Other losers include big-ticket government investments. The billions spent on quantum technologies and artificial intelligencepriorities voiced by both the Trump and Biden administrationscome at a cost to the budgets of the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. As such, the quantum science and artificial intelligence priorities displace the priorities that would have been identified by expert program oicers at those agencies. The commandeering of such a large amount of money also assumes that American research universities and companies have the capacity to perform so much research in quantum information science. Where does a quantum failure scenario leave the people and institutions who have invested their money and careers into quantum technologies? Nevertheless, the outlook for these people will remain bright even in the failure scenario. The skills and training required, and the multidisciplinary of the quantum technology enterprise will be adaptable to other fields.

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Even faced with winter, governments will prefer to be both technologically superior and dominant in quantum technologies, and they will use this advantage to supplement military power. But we are no longer living in the Cold War military/industrial research era. The private sector competes with governments in development, and there is good reason to believe that the private sector could build a quantum computer before or soon after a government does. Unlike stealth jets and bombs, development in quantum technologies is likely to have many potential buyers and many unforeseen uses, much like the modern personal computer. Private companies seeking economic return will broadly democratize access to quantum computing services. Yet we must also contemplate the possibility that it is simply too soon for the quantum age: Perhaps investments will pay off not in the near term, but decades in the future instead.

The views expressed in this book excerpt are those of the authors and do not represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or the U.S. government.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Forces loyal to the Yemeni government on Wednesday achieved military progress in ongoing battles against the Houthi rebel group in the country's oil-rich province of Marib, a military official told Xinhua.

"Units of the pro-government Giants Brigades captured the whole district of Harib from the Houthis in Marib following days of intense battles and intensified airstrikes," the local military source said on condition of anonymity.

"The Houthis lost other key areas besides Harib in Marib as the pro-government forces are continuing military progress in the strategic province," he added.

Soldiers of the pro-government forces were heavily deployed in and around Harib following the defeat of Houthis, the official noted.

With direct support from the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, the pro-government Giants Brigades continued advances on the neighboring district of Al Jubah in Marib which is still controlled by the rebels, according to the official.

The recent military operations against the Houthis in the oil-rich provinces of Marib and Shabwa prompted the rebel group to intensify its cross-border missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Iran-backed Houthi militia vowed to expand their missile attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE "in retaliation for the military escalation conducted by the coalition in Yemen."

During the past hours, the Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah television network reported more than 20 airstrikes launched by the Saudi-led coalition against Yemen's capital Sanaa and its neighboring areas.

According to the official Saudi Press Agency, the Arab coalition said its aerial operations against the Houthi-held sites in Sanaa and numerous Yemeni provinces came in "response to the threat and military need of protecting civilians from hostile assaults."

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile. 
New fine for drivers overtaking cyclists in Spain



New Road Safety Law will come into force in Spain in March

In a national plan to drastically reduce road traffic accidents in Spain, the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) will introduce several new driving regulations in a modification to the Traffic and Road Safety Law on March 22, 2022.

One such law aims to penalise motorists who jeopardise cyclists by failing to ensure an overtaking distance of 1.5 metres. From March, drivers travelling on a road with more than one lane will be obliged to completely change lanes before overtaking a cyclist or a moped.

Up to six penalty points for infractions

Current regulations establish that you have to overtake a bike maintaining a distance of at least 1.5 metres and the opposite lane can be occupied if necessary, as long as conditions allow it. Drivers can cross the continuous line as long as they dont endanger other road users coming in the other directions.

See also: Spain driving licence penalty points explained

With the new law, it will be mandatory to change lanes to overtake cyclists and mopeds whenever the road has more than one lane in the direction of travel, and drivers could lose six points from their licence for endangering cyclists by failing to maintain the appropriate safety distance, an increase on the existing four points.

In addition, the DGT explained on social media that parking or stopping in a bike lane could land drivers with a fine of up to 200 euros.

En la nueva #LeySeguridadVial (21/03/2022)



Adelantar poniendo en peligro o entorpeciendo a ciclistas o sin dejar 1,5 m sube de 4 a 6 puntos.

En vias con 2 carriles x sentido, obligatorio cambiar de carril para adelantarles.

Parar o estacionar en carril bici 200. pic.twitter.com/hF5z7Mk4Ku  Dir. Gral. Trafico (@DGTes) January 16, 2022

Image: DGT
Interested in sending your child to an international school? Here is a guide.

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Who can study at international private schools, what conditions do applicants need to meet, and what is the typical graduate profile of these schools? The Slovak Spectator put together some answers to questions related to international schools.

Who can study at an international private school?

Everyone eligible to study at a public school in Slovakia. Some schools offer education from an early age up until the student's graduation from secondary school.

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Are only the children of expats allowed to study at international private schools?

No. Usually, there is a mixture of Slovak and expat students. Some schools even have a higher share of Slovak students.

What conditions do children have to meet to be enrolled?

For the youngest students applying to kindergartens and the first few grades of primary schools, parents are usually required to fill in an application that is later evaluated.

Older children (applying for the higher grades of primary schools and places in secondary schools) usually have to pass an entrance test that evaluates their knowledge of English and in some cases maths, or their general knowledge and abilities.

It is also necessary to pay an admission fee and, if required, submit some additional documents (the lists can be found on the respective schools websites).

Those attending international schools from a very young age can proceed smoothly to other grades, but there is usually no problem transferring from a different school if the child meets the conditions.

Are secondary school leaving exams from international private schools recognised abroad?

Yes. International schools issue secondary school diplomas that are recognised both in Slovakia and abroad. All of those The Slovak Spectator spoke with say they have students at various universities across the globe.

In which Slovak towns and cities are international private schools located?

Most international private schools are situated in Bratislava. There are also schools in western Slovakia (Samorin and Trnava), and Kosice.

What are the languages of instruction?

International private schools are usually either bilingual (English and Slovak) or offer education primarily in English. Some have an even wider offer, providing education in other world languages, usually German, Spanish or French.
Mandatory vaccination not to be introduced for now.

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The effects of the Omicron wave can already been seen in the Covid statistics.

Our paywall policy: The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope.

Even though the number of hospitalisations has been decreasing even this week, the number of new cases identified through PCR tests has increased significantly, and so did the share of positive tests on the total number of tests carried out.

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The Omicron wave started prevailing in Slovakia, said Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky (OLaNO nominee), adding that they are getting ready for the increase in daily testing, as well as raising special tents to distinguish between people coming to the hospitals so the main entrance is not overburdened. Our prognoses are coming true.

Daily cases up, hospitalisations down

The average daily caseload increased by 135 percent compared to the previous week, from about 3,600 to 8,500. The share of positive PCR tests rose as well, from 28 percent to 37 percent.

7-day incidence of new Covid cases (Source: Health Ministry)

As many as 14 districts reported three times the number of cases than the week before, and there are altogether 67 districts where the daily caseload went up by more than 100 percent compared to last week.

Four districts report an incidence of Covid cases exceeding 2,000 cases, meaning that about 2 percent of their inhabitants tested positive in the past week. These are namely Namestovo, Tvrdosin (both in the Zilina Region), Stropkov (Presov Region) and Dunajska Streda (Trnava Region).

The number of hospitalised Covid patients continued dropping, but stopped at about 1,500 people this week. About 150 people require mechanical ventilation, also lower than a week before.

On the other hand, the number of ambulance dispatches grew again, the most in the Presov Region.

Omicron send thousands of uninfected students and their parents into quarantine Read more

No mandatory vaccination for now

Nearly 1.5 million people in Slovakia have been boosted so far, meaning that as many as 60 percent of those who were fully vaccinated received the additional shot.

In the 60+ age group, as many as 87 percent of fully vaccinated people have been boosted.

Even though the legal analysis, which the Health Ministry was tasked to prepare in cooperation with the Justice Ministry, says that it is possible to introduce mandatory vaccination in Slovakia, there are no plans for such step now.

Home isolation will be shorter Read more

Both Lengvarsky and PM Eduard Heger said that this possibility will be discussed only if there is a new variant that will send many people to the hospital or lead to a serious course of the disease and a high number of deaths.

It wouldnt be appropriate or wise to force people into mandatory vaccination during the Omicron wave, Lengvarsky said.

Heger said that they will start discussing the vaccine mandate only after the Omicron wave is over.

Possibilities on how to introduce a mandate include through a separate law, an amendment to the law on public health or an amendment to selected ordinances issued by the Health Ministry or the Public Health Authority.

More on the coronavirus developments in Slovakia:
Omicron wave gains strength. Parliamentary committee to discuss Russia-Ukraine situation. Disney+ coming to Slovakia.

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Good evening. Read the Wednesday, January 26, 2022, edition of Today in Slovakia to catch up on the main news of the day in less than five minutes. We wish you a pleasant read.

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Omicron wave already visible

7-day incidence of new Covid cases (Source: Health Ministry)

The Omicron wave will be short, rapid and will impact many sectors, said Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky (OLaNO nominee) after the January 25 session of the central crisis staff.

His department informed the crisis staff members about predictions and measures that need to be adopted to fight the new variant.

We have to test people to the maximum, use work from home to the maximum, and meet with other people at a minimum, Lengvarsky said, as quoted by the SITA newswire, stressing the need of getting vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the Omicron wave has already translated into statistics. The average daily caseload increased by 135 percent compared to the previous week, from some 3,600 to 8,500 cases, and the share of positive PCR tests rose as well, from 28 percent to 37 percent.

As many as 14 districts reported even three times the number of cases than the week before, and in four districts (Namestovo, Tvrdosin, Stropkov and Dunajska Streda), about 2 percent of inhabitants tested positive.

The Omicron wave started prevailing in Slovakia, Lengvarsky noted after the Wednesday cabinet session, adding that they are getting ready for an increase in the daily testing, as well as raising special tents to distinguish between people coming to the hospitals so the main entrance is not overburdened. Our prognoses are coming true.

Meanwhile, Omicron is impacting education in schools  more than one fifth of all schoolchildren in Slovakia have to attend remote education, while almost 79 percent are continuing with in-person learning, according to the Education Ministry.

Under the current rules, in-person education for the entire classroom stops after detecting a positive case, in order to protect the other children from a further spread of infection and prevent the suspension of in-person education for the entire school. As a result, one infected pupil in a classroom sends 25 classmates and 25 working parents into quarantine. The parents receive the benefit for care of a family member (OCR in Slovak) in this case.

This rule, however, cannot stop the infection of pupils with the Omicron variant, as experts confirmed to the Sme daily.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry said it does not plan to introduce mandatory Covid vaccination for now, even though the legal analysis, prepared in cooperation with the Justice Ministry, showed that it is possible to introduce the vaccine mandate.

Both Lengvarsky and PM Eduard Heger (OLaNO) said that this possibility will be discussed only if there is a variant that will again send many people to the hospital or cause a serious course of the disease and a high number of deaths.

It wouldnt be appropriate or wise to force people into mandatory vaccination during the Omicron wave, Lengvarsky said.

If you like what we are doing and want to support good journalism, buy our online subscription. Thank you.

More on coronavirus and vaccination

Illustrative stock photo (Source: TASR)

13,840 people were newly diagnosed as Covid positive out of 32,328 PCR tests performed on January 25. The number of people in hospitals is 1,505 , and 27 more deaths were reported on Tuesday. The vaccination rate is at 50.75 percent , 2,791,225 people having received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here.

out of 32,328 PCR tests performed on January 25. The number of , and were reported on Tuesday. The vaccination rate is at , 2,791,225 people having received the first dose of the vaccine. More stats on Covid-19 in Slovakia here. The pandemic has significantly cut life expectancy in Slovakia ; by 0.9 year in the case of men and by 0.7 year in the case of women. The main reason was the higher probability of death while at an old age, according to the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV).

; by 0.9 year in the case of men and by 0.7 year in the case of women. The main reason was the higher probability of death while at an old age, according to the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAV). The state will reimburse the costs of transporting people who died of Covid back to their place of residence. It will pay their relatives up to 1,000 if the Covid patients, who later died, had to be transported to a hospital that was at least 100 kilometres away due to the shortage of hospital beds in a nearer facility.

Picture of the day

Slovak PM Eduard Heger met with President of the European Council Charles Michel in Bratislava on Wednesday. The two discussed the disinformation surrounding the Slovak-US Defence Cooperation Agreement and the situation in Ukraine, among other issues.

President of the European Council Charles Michel and Slovak PM Eduard Heger during a joint press conference in Bratislava. (Source: TASR)

Feature story for today

The Statistics Office has started to publish the first more detailed results of the 2021 census. The data that the inhabitants of Slovakia reported on themselves between February and October of last year show that there are more women than men living in Slovakia; that the Slovak population is ageing and that the number of people with no religious faith has increased since the last census in 2011. Find more detailed statistics results in a story below:

Slovak, Catholic, and ageing. But some of the 2021 census is a surprise (+graphs) Read more

In other news

Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok (SaS nominee) will visit Ukraine on February 7-8 , as stems from a document approved by the cabinet on Wednesday. The situation in Ukraine will also be the main subject discussed at the special session of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee scheduled for January 27, where Korcok will be talking about the rising tension at the Russian-Ukrainian border and the outcome of the Security Council meetings, as well as the defence deal with the USA.

(SaS nominee) will visit , as stems from a document approved by the cabinet on Wednesday. The situation in Ukraine will also be the main subject discussed at where Korcok will be talking about the rising tension at the Russian-Ukrainian border and the outcome of the Security Council meetings, as well as the defence deal with the USA. Tax fraudster Ladislav Basternak will be conditionally released from prison , as stems from the decision of the Trencin Regional Court. The court only confirmed an earlier decision of the district court, meaning that it is now valid. Originally, Basternak was supposed to stay in prison until March 2024. (JOJ)

, as stems from the decision of the Trencin Regional Court. The court only confirmed an earlier decision of the district court, meaning that it is now valid. Originally, Basternak was supposed to stay in prison until March 2024. (JOJ) The police found the dead body of the former head of the now-defunct Military Intelligence Service, Peter Bucka , in a quarry near Bratislavas Devin borough. The National Criminal Agency (NAKA) is investigating the case as a murder. (JOJ)

of the former head of the now-defunct Military Intelligence Service, , in a quarry near Bratislavas Devin borough. The National Criminal Agency (NAKA) is investigating the case as a murder. (JOJ) Altogether 7,500 people died in Slovakia in December 2021 , up 43 percent compared with the average from the previous five years. The higher number of people who died in a single month was reported in early 2021, according to the Statistics Office data. Covid was the second most frequent death cause, after circulatory system diseases.

, up 43 percent compared with the average from the previous five years. The higher number of people who died in a single month was reported in early 2021, according to the Statistics Office data. Covid was the second most frequent death cause, after circulatory system diseases. The Walt Disney Company confirmed that it will launch its streaming service Disney+ this summer in 42 countries and 11 territories of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Among the newest recipients of the popular streaming service are Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.

of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Among the newest recipients of the popular streaming service are Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. The Grafobal Group company, owned by tycoon Ivan Kmotrik, has sold the private news channel TA3 to Czech businessman Michal Voracek and his Blueberg Media. The price has not been disclosed.

More on Spectator.sk:

University reform does not go far enough, employers warn Read more

Money in your account in seconds. Instant payments are about to become reality Read more

Whats the buzz in Dolna Krupa? Read more

If you have suggestions on how this news overview can be improved, you can reach us at editorial@spectator.sk.
https://sputniknews.com/20220125/worlds-oldest-male-gorilla-dead-in-georgias-atlanta-zoo-1092516127.html

World's Oldest Male Gorilla Dead in Georgia's Atlanta Zoo

World's Oldest Male Gorilla Dead in Georgia's Atlanta Zoo

The cause of the gorilla's death remains unknown. The statement said that a necropsy, or the non-human equivalent of an autopsy, will be performed through the... 25.01.2022, Sputnik International

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The death of the world's oldest male gorilla Ozzie was announced by Zoo Atlanta, located in the state of Georgia's capital city, on Tuesday. According to the statement, Ozzie died at the age of 61, quite a venerable age for the species, which tend to live just 35-40 years in the wild, per scientists. Ozzie was the oldest gorilla at Zoo Atlanta and the third-oldest gorilla in the world, according to the statement.Ozzie's body was discovered on Tuesday by his care staff. The zoo said that last Thursday, January 20, he showed signs of diminished appetite, and the Animal Care and Veterinary Teams provided him with supportive care to encourage the gorilla to eat and drink. The teams are said to have treated him for the past 24 hours after he displayed symptoms such as face swelling, weakness, and an inability to eat or drink. Zoo Atlanta stated that in his long lifetime, Ozzie had become a "true living legend," symbolizing along with his peer Willie B., a renowned gorilla who died in 2000, the zoo's revival in the 1980s. Ozzie was the solitary survivor of the first group of gorillas who arrived at Zoo Atlanta in 1988 with the establishment of The Ford African Rain Forest. In 2009, he made zoological history by becoming the first gorilla in the world to take a voluntary blood pressure reading. At the time of his achievement, he was at the age of 48 and considered geriatric by officials. The geriatric distinction is given after gorillas reach 40.Ozzie is survived by his daughter Kuchi, sons Kekla, Stadi, and Charlie, granddaughter Lulu, great-granddaughter Andi, and great-grandson Floyd, who are also Zoo Atlanta residents. His children, grandkids, and great-grandchildren live at different accredited zoos around the US and Canada.Last September, the gorillas at Zoo Atlanta contracted COVID-19. The zoo said then that it had used monoclonal antibodies to treat gorillas that were in danger of having complications. Officials said there were no indications that the gorillas could transmit the virus to humans, and that since tourists are already kept at a far distance from the primates, there were no added concerns of spreading the respiratory illness.Western lowland gorillas are on the verge of extinction. Over a 25-year period, the combined threats of poaching, illegal bushmeat hunting, habitat loss, and emerging diseases have reduced western lowland gorilla populations by 60%, with declines of up to 90% in some parts of their range in western Africa, according to the zoo, citing the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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https://sputniknews.com/20220126/1-in-4-holocaust-survivors-in-israel-live-in-poverty-state-does-little-to-help-1092522126.html

1 in 4 Holocaust Survivors in Israel Live in Poverty, State Does Little to Help

1 in 4 Holocaust Survivors in Israel Live in Poverty, State Does Little to Help

Although 54,000 victims are getting an assistance package worth up to $2,000 per month, the vast majority are forced to live off a stipend of roughly $105, a... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T08:32+0000

2022-01-26T08:32+0000

2022-01-26T08:42+0000

israel

holocaust

poverty

survivors

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On Thursday, the world will commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day, in honour of the millions who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators during World War II.Ceremonies are expected in Germany, Poland, the United States and even the United Arab Emirates. In Israel, President Isaac Herzog will attend a special event at the national Yad Vashem museum, dedicated to the six million Jewish victims of the Holocaust.Dire ConditionsIsrael is home to some 175,000 Holocaust survivors. Their average age is 85. Shir Cohen, Director of the Aid for Life programme at Latet, an Israeli NGO that aims to provide assistance to those in need, says "a quarter of them live in poverty".54,000 of Israels Holocaust survivors live off a state assistance package that ranges from $773 to almost $2,000 per month. A small minority get a stipend of up to $3,500. But the vast majority of them receive only $105, making it impossible for them to stay afloat. An average pension in Israel stands at $1,680. The minimum wage is approximately $1,710.Israel has long been aware of the dire economic situation of its many Holocaust survivors, and throughout the years there have been attempts to improve their conditions.Holocaust survivors are entitled to psychological, social and legal assistance free of charge. They get discounts on water, electricity, phone and internet bills as well as subsidies for any medical aid they might require.However, for many that is far from enough. In 2020, a State Comptroller report found many grievances regarding the way Israel was treating its Holocaust survivors. The monthly stipend they were given hasn't risen, despite the constantly rising prices in the country. The Holocaust Survivors' Rights Authority hasn't conducted a proper survey that would unveil the needs of that population, and relevant government bodies have failed to work out a plan that would make the flats of those victims more accessible."This is exactly where Latet comes in," says Cohen. "We are giving those Holocaust survivors a holistic package to ease their lives."Improving LivesAs head of the Aid for Life programme, Cohen is responsible for providing those in need with monthly food provisions which are handpicked by a nutritionist, that include fruit and vegetables, eggs and dairy products.They are also provided with eyeglasses, fans during the hot summers and blankets for winter. They provide them with dental assistance and repair their homes and make them more accessible.Latet is only one of the organisations which render assistance to the victims of Nazi crimes. Israel currently boasts dozens of groups and NGOs that aim at assisting Holocaust survivors and improving their lives.Just as in the case of Latet, the money for their projects come from Israeli and foreign donors as well as organisations that understand the difficult situation facing those Holocaust survivors and their continued suffering. However, that money, says Cohen, cannot reach every person who needs help.This is why Cohen is calling on all relevant bodies to step up their efforts and help those victims, before it's too late."There is so much that can be done. We can increase their monthly stipends. We can reduce their rent and other bills and we can improve their living conditions. One shouldn't forget: these people are old and pretty soon only a few will remain. What will be left from them is just the memory."

https://sputniknews.com/20220120/un-general-assembly-adopts-by-consensus-resolution-rejecting-any-denial-of-holocaust-1092402425.html

israel

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israel, holocaust, poverty, survivors
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/abundance-of-caution-us-envoy-blames-putin-for-evacuation-of-diplomats-families-from-kiev-1092530806.html

Abundance of Caution: US Envoy Blames Putin for Evacuation of Diplomats Families From Kiev

Abundance of Caution: US Envoy Blames Putin for Evacuation of Diplomats Families From Kiev

After spending weeks falsely accusing Russia of slowly evacuating its diplomatic personnel from Ukraine, the US and several of its NATO allies themselves... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T13:51+0000

2022-01-26T13:51+0000

2022-01-26T16:14+0000

ukraine

evacuation

diplomats

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Russian President Vladimir Putin is personally responsible for the evacuation of the families of US diplomats in Ukraine, and their removal was taken out of an abundance of caution, Kristina Kvien, acting US ambassador to Ukraine, has said.In a rare note of disagreement with their Western patrons, Ukrainian officials criticized the State Departments decision to start evacuating on Sunday, saying it was premature and excessively cautious. This week, a number of Ukrainian officials, including the countrys defence minister and the head of the National Security and Defence Council, have also dismissed Western claims about an imminent Russian invasion and even criticised foreign media for blowing up war fears.Kvien claimed that the presence of an estimated 100,000 Russian troops near Ukraine means that Russia could do anything at any moment, and compared that Russian deployment to a gun to the head of Ukraine.Last week, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell assured that European diplomats would not be leaving Ukraine en masse amid the Russia-NATO tensions over Ukraine. The American, British, Canadian, Australian, and German embassies have announced the withdrawal of diplomats and/or members of their families, with the Netherlands saying Dutch diplomats can leave if they wish to do so.Western diplomats began evacuating Ukraine about a week after US media claimed that Russian diplomats were slowly evacuating the country. Both Russian and Ukrainian officials have dismissed the reports, with the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry indicating that it was not aware of any plans by Russia to evacuate Embassy staff, and saying that it would not remove its diplomatic workers from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, or Novosibirsk at this stage.In a related development, Russia's Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov has downplayed rumours that Moscow was evacuating its embassy in Washington, saying that the Russian diplomatic offices in Washington, New York and Houston were working as normal and that claims to the contrary were an utter lie.A shipment of part of the $200 million in fresh US military aid to Ukraine arrived in Kiev on Tuesday, carrying over 270 Javelin anti-tank missiles, 800+ SMAW-D shoulder-fired bunker-buster missiles, 170,000 rounds of 50-calibre ammunition and bomb disposal equipment. Kvien called the delivery a demonstration of Americas absolute, rock-solid support for Kiev.Kvien has served as acting ambassador to Ukraine since 2019, with the Biden administration taking flak from Democrats after mysteriously failing to find a replacement for her over one year into Joe Bidens term in office.The evacuation of Western diplomatic officials comes amid the continued escalation of tensions between Russia and NATO over Ukraine, with the US and its allies spending months claiming that Russia is preparing to "invade" its Western neighbour. Moscow has dismissed the allegations, and accused Washington of playing up the threat of the Russian bogeyman as a pretext to beef up NATO's military footprint in Eastern Europe and justify attempts to incorporate Ukraine into the Western bloc.Moscow delivered a pair of security proposals to the US and NATO last month in a bid to cool tensions, calling for dramatic reductions in troop, missile, warship and aircraft deployments in areas where they may be considered a threat to either side, and demanding firm, treaty-bound guarantees from the West that it will not try to incorporate Ukraine or any other former Soviet republics into NATO.

https://sputniknews.com/20220123/us-state-department-officially-orders-diplomats-families-non-essential-staffers-to-leave-ukraine-1092472680.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220126/pelosi-trying-to-rush-through-ukraine-defense-bill-with-crippling-anti-russia-sanctions---reports-1092517267.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220126/moscow-says-received-some-answers-to-security-guarantee-proposals-but-not-in-written-form-1092524198.html

ukraine

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Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

ukraine, evacuation, diplomats
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/anti-asian-hate-crime-up-567-percent-in-san-francisco-data-from-police-shows-1092539127.html

Anti-Asian Hate Crime up 567 Percent in San Francisco, Data From Police Shows

Anti-Asian Hate Crime up 567 Percent in San Francisco, Data From Police Shows

Anti-Asian Hate Crime up 567 Percent in San Francisco, Data From Police Shows

2022-01-26T21:28+0000

2022-01-26T21:28+0000

2022-01-26T21:28+0000

us

hate crimes

san francisco

san francisco police

asians

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In San Francisco, California, hate crimes against Asians and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) increased by more than 567 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, according to statistics released by the city's police department on Wednesday.The data shows that the police recorded 60 anti-AAPI hate crimes over the last year, compared to eight in 2019 and nine in 2020.According to San Franciscos police chief Bill Scott, one man was responsible for half of the crimes. He was reportedly arrested and his name wasnt revealed.According to the police data, other hate crimes also increased over 2021, including anti-Black (27 percent) and anti-LGBTQ+ (50 percent) hate crimes as well as crimes against Jewish people (60 percent).San Francisco has long been in the spotlight for an unprecedented crime surge that has been recorded amid declining living standards statewide, the global pandemic and skyrocketing rates of people dying from armed violence across the US.The city's homicide rate went up 17 percent in 2021, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Burglaries shot up 87 percent in 2020 and another 6 percent in the first 11 months of 2021. Over January this year, cases of burglary nearly doubled in comparison with last years data, according to the San Francisco police.Such crimes, according to the police, are more difficult to track as people do not always contact the police.According to a poll conducted in June last year, more than 40 percent of local residents said they plan to move out of San Francisco within the next few years. The situation, aggravated by the lack of law enforcement personnel, has also forced many big businesses to leave the city.California, along with New York, New Jersey, Michigan, and Illinois, has seen a massive exodus of around 4 million residents between 2010 and 2019, according to Forbes. The Golden State, which has the largest delegation in the US House of Representatives, is set to lose a congressional seat for the first time in its history due to the dramatic decline in population.

https://sputniknews.com/20211209/we-cant-guarantee-your-safety-la-detective-warns-against-visiting-city-over-crime-surge-1091382583.html

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Alexandra Kashirina

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Alexandra Kashirina

us, hate crimes, san francisco, san francisco police, asians
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/forbes-trumps-cash-holdings-of-93-million-much-less-than-his-earlier-claims-1092516610.html

Forbes: Trumps Cash Holdings of $93 Million Much Less Than His Earlier Claims

Forbes: Trumps Cash Holdings of $93 Million Much Less Than His Earlier Claims

Forbes: Trumps Cash Holdings of $93 Million Much Lesser Than He Claimed Earlier

2022-01-26T00:38+0000

2022-01-26T00:38+0000

2022-01-26T00:37+0000

investigation

donald trump

lawsuit

us

tax evasion

trump organization

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Donald Trump had $93 million last year in liquid assets, far less than the sums he had revealed earlier, according to a Forbes analysis based on recently released data by the office of NY Attorney General Letitia James.Apart from property, shares, bonds and other tough-to-value holdings, Trump had $114 million in 2016, when he was running for the US presidency, with his assents later plummeting to $76 million in 2018 before rising to $87 million in 2019.In 2015, the Trump Organization declared $302 million in cash and marketable securities as of June 2014, when Trump claimed his net worth was nearly $9 billion. At the same time, the figure dropped between $78 million and $232 million as of mid-2015, when the former president provided a financial disclosure to the federal government.His lone example: the Miss Universe pageant, recently sold for less than $30 million. Heres your cash number hereor market value: 793, he said, according to Forbes, whose experts held steady at about $300 million.The Trump Organization has been investigated jointly by the New York Attorney General's Office and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office since 2019, when the former president refused to disclose his tax returns. Prosecutors have suspected Trump of fraudulently overstating the value of his assets to secure bank loans and underestimating them in other cases to reduce taxes.Trump stepped down as CEO of the Trump Organization in 2017 after taking office, passing the business on to his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, as well as longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg.Trump said that the investigation against the company was launched for political reasons and was promoted by the Democratic Party. In an attempt to strike back, Trump filed a lawsuit against James and accused her of political animus and a desire to harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent.Meanwhile, James earlier announced that her office has collected significant additional evidence indicating that the Trump Organization used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations to obtain a host of economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions, and took legal action last week to force Trumps children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka Trump, to testify in the case.

https://sputniknews.com/20220112/netizens-mock-eric-trump-complaining-about-mean-lady-suing-his-dad-amid-letitia-james-probe-1092201695.html

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Alexandra Kashirina

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Alexandra Kashirina

investigation, donald trump, lawsuit, us, tax evasion, trump organization
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/french-politician-puzzled-by-us-warmongering-france--germany-trying-to-avoid-eu-militarisation-1092511324.html

French Politician: Puzzled by US Warmongering, France & Germany Trying to Avoid EU Militarisation

French Politician: Puzzled by US Warmongering, France & Germany Trying to Avoid EU Militarisation

Normandy format talks between Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine are expected to be held in Paris on 26 January; France and Germany are trying to de-escalate situation amid warmonging Pentagon and NATO rhetoric.

2022-01-26T05:00+0000

2022-01-26T05:00+0000

2022-01-26T05:00+0000

france

europe

us

russia

ukraine

germany

nato expansion

nato

nord stream 2

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Radio France Internationale reported on Monday that French President Emmanuel Macron suggested an initiative along the lines of the Normandy format talks amid the reinvigorated US-NATO scaremongering rhetoric about Moscow's plans to "invade" Ukraine. Last week, Macron called upon EU member states to draw up proposals for a new security deal with Russia and hold a "frank dialogue" with Moscow.According to Vereycken, Macron  who is preparing for re-election and took the rotating presidency of the EU for the first six months of this year  "wants to demonstrate he and the EU still have a role to play on the geopolitical map."The situation escalated on 23 January as The New York Times reported that US President Joe Biden was considering beefing up NATO military presence in Eastern Europe and the Baltics. The Pentagon signalled on Tuesday that 8,500 US troops were put on standby for possible deployment to Europe.It's not the first time that Macron has advocated the EU's "autonomy" from Washington. At the February 2021 Munich Security Conference Macron stressed that Europe has "an agenda that is unique." He placed an emphasis on Europe's "strategic autonomy," suggested that NATO's new blueprint should involve "a dialogue with Russia" and promoted the idea of an EU Army.France is puzzled by the alarmism of the US and UK who insist that Russia's attack on Ukraine is "imminent," according to Le Monde. The newspaper's reporter Philippe Ricard on 21 January quoted his Elysee source as saying: "We see the same number of lorries, tanks and people. We have observed the same manoeuvres, but we can't conclude offensive is imminent from all that." If France's British and US allies have any evidence backing their assumptions, they should share it with Paris, added the newspaper's source.Will Olaf Sholz Follow in the Footsteps of Willy Brandt?New German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is not buying into the US-NATO warmongering, according to Vereycken.Even though the head of the German navy, Vice-Admiral Kay-Achim Schoenbach  who had said Russia's "invasion" of Ukraine is nonsense  was forced to resign late on Saturday, he was strongly defended by the former Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Harald Kujat, notes Vereycken. According to the French politician, Kujat's stance reflects what many German politicians think.Addressing a Monday meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that Berlin's priority is to deescalate the situation over Ukraine. She brushed away criticism from Ukraine, the UK, and US over Germany's unwillingness to provide military support to Kiev and impose swift new sanctions against Moscow.At the same time, Berlin's decision to help German embassy staff family members leave Ukraine does not mean that the chancellor has been convinced that the Russian "threat" is real, says Vereycken. It's more likely that Scholz is pretending to be playing along with the US and NATO to avoid giving up the North Stream 2 gas pipeline project, argues the French politician. Despite suspending the pipeline's certification and even discussing a possible halting of the project, Berlin by no means wants to abandon it altogether, according to Vereycken.In November 2021, the German Embassy warned American congressmen that banning Nord Stream 2 would "damage the transatlantic unity" and "weaken the credibility of the US government."

https://sputniknews.com/20220124/embassy-evacuations--european-troop-deployments-how-us-led-militarism-makes-ukraine-crisis-worse-1092485044.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211128/germany-warns-us-congress-nord-stream-2-sanctions-will-damage-transatlantic-unity-docs-show-1091089295.html

france

russia

ukraine

germany

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Ekaterina Blinova

Ekaterina Blinova

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Ekaterina Blinova

france, europe, us, russia, ukraine, germany, nato expansion, nato, nord stream 2
CAIRO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has released 2,337 prisoners upon a presidential pardon, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The decision was made to mark Egypt's 70th annual Police Day which fell on Tuesday.

The Egyptian president, according to the country's constitution, can issue pardon decrees for prisoners who had received final unappealable court rulings.

The president usually issues a pardon decree on public holidays, including two religious Muslim festivals, the holy month of Ramadan, and the July 23 Revolution Day. 
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/german-chancellor-expects-russia-to-make-steps-to-de-escalate-situation-around-ukraine-1092520136.html

German Chancellor Expects Russia to Make Steps to De-escalate Situation Around Ukraine

German Chancellor Expects Russia to Make Steps to De-escalate Situation Around Ukraine

BERLIN (Sputnik) - German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he expects Russia to make steps to de-escalate the situation around Ukraine amid the latest spike in... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T04:11+0000

2022-01-26T04:11+0000

2022-01-26T04:10+0000

russia

ukraine

us

germany

olaf scholz

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"An important issue is also how to act jointly in relation to a very serious situation along the Ukrainian-Russian border. There are a lot of military personnel stationed there, so everything must be done so that the situation develops differently than the way it is sometimes feared," he said at a conference after meeting French President Emmanuel Macron.Scholz noted that he welcomes negotiations in numerous formats with Russia, including within the Normandy format.Scholz's remarks came after German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock sidestepped questions on whether Germany would be sending troops to eastern Europe amid the latest spike in regional tensions. "As an alliance, we stand in solidarity with Ukraine and, at the same time, we naturally stand together as an alliance, but we should not confuse Ukraine with the alliance's territory," she said at the time.Over the last several months, the US has repeatedly accused Russia of planning to invade neighboring Ukraine, a claim that Moscow has rejected as "nonsense." While Russia has acknowledged troop movements, it has underscored that it has a right to move soldiers within its territory freely, and that it has no desire to invade Ukraine.

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russia, ukraine, us, germany, olaf scholz
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/johnson-personally-approved-evacuation-of-pets-animals-from-afghanistan-emails-reveal-1092531098.html

BoJo Approved Priority Evacuation of Pets & Animals From Afghanistan, Emails Reveal

BoJo Approved Priority Evacuation of Pets & Animals From Afghanistan, Emails Reveal

Late last year, the prime minister dismissed reports about the prioritisation of a charter flight carrying animals out of Kabul during August's chaotic... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T14:08+0000

2022-01-26T14:08+0000

2022-01-26T16:59+0000

animals

animals

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https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/1d/1083742969_0:167:3048:1882_1920x0_80_0_0_31be43399ddc16f61b2ec5701827e0c9.jpg

Prime Minister Boris Johnson approved the priority flight of animals and pets out of Afghanistan, despite his claims to the contrary to reporters in December, emails released by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on Wednesday have revealed.The first piece of correspondence, released by the Committee as part of its broader investigation of the Afghanistan debacle, is dated 25 August 2021, was sent by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs with responsibility for the Pacific Zac Goldsmith and addressed to an official in the Foreign Secretary's private office (name redacted)."The [charity] staff can all be guaranteed employment in the UK by [details redacted]. The head of the charity can also guarantee their safe passage to the airport- just let me know if you need me to do anything to facilitate this (as I'm in contact with [details redacted] directly)," Goldsmith adds.A second email, sent by an unnamed Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office employee, also on 25 August, and addressed to an official in the Foreign Secretary's private office, similarly points to Johnson's direct involvement."The [animal charity -name redacted] contributes to HMG objectives in a broad sense. The [details redacted] are the most vulnerable in the [animal charity -name redacted] group. Having regard to the Prime Minister's Nowzad decision, the Foreign Secretary might consider the [details redacted] vets and their dependents should be included. They might be able to get to the airport with their dependents in time," it adds.The damning emails appear to confirm allegations made earlier by former Foreign Office official-turned whistleblower Raphael Marshall on the prioritization of animals over people during the hectic final days of the UK's evacuation from Afghanistan in August, codenamed Operation Pitting.The whistleblower had complained about the use of "considerable capacity" to evacuate dogs and cats from the Nowzad animal shelter, run by former Royal Marine commando Paul Farthing, saying the space aboard aircraft could have instead been used to take Britons and Afghans who had assisted the UK during its 19+ year operation in Afghanistan to safety.Nowzad proudly boasts on its website that it managed to evacuate "67 staff plus...founder Pen Farthing and 94 dogs and 68 cats [who] undertook a hazardous journey to escape Afghanistan" aboard a charter flight in a mission dubbed "Operation Ark."Farthing's behaviour became the subject of scrutiny in late August amid revelations that he lambasted British military officials in a series of expletive-filled tirades so they would clear the Kabul runway for the plane carrying him and his animals. Upon making it back to the UK, the ex-commando apologized for his behaviour and blamed "emotions" for getting "the better of [him]."Prime Minister Johnson had dismissed Marshall's claims as "complete nonsense" in remarks to reporters in December and insisted that the evacuation was "one of the outstanding military achievements of the last 50 years or more" for Britain. The prime minister praised the "absolutely outstanding job" done by the Foreign Office, the Border Force and Home Office officials during the operation, and the airlifting of some 15,000 people out of Kabul.Over 122,000 people total were evacuated out of Kabul by the US, the UK and other allies in the final two weeks of August 2021 following the sudden and unexpected collapse of the Afghan government and army  four months after US President Joe Biden announced that all US troops would be removed from the country by the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. The execution of the evacuation has met with controversy in the US amid reports that officials weren't certain of the security status of many of the evacuees, and revelations that priority seats were reserved for CIA-allied commandos suspected of execution-style killings of civilians.

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Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

animals, animals
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/kremlin-us-calls-for-anti-putin-sanctions-are-politically-destructive-1092525130.html

Kremlin: US Calls for Anti-Putin Sanctions Are Politically Destructive

Kremlin: US Calls for Anti-Putin Sanctions Are Politically Destructive

Earlier, US President Joe Biden said that President Putin would face "sanctions he has never seen" in the event that he decides to "invade" Ukraine. 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T09:44+0000

2022-01-26T09:44+0000

2022-01-26T11:37+0000

putin

us

sanctions

dmitry peskov

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US calls for "anti-Putin" sanctions are politically destructive, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said."It is not painful but it is politically destructive," Peskov said.Commenting on calls for freezing Putin's assets, the official said that the Russian President keeps money in the Rossiya Bank, which is already under sanctions.Earlier this month, US President Joe Biden did not rule out imposing sanctions targeting President Putin personally. This question was also discussed in the US Senate. Biden was echoed by other Western leaders, who also have pledged "grave consequences" for Russia should it attack Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly slammed what it described as "anti-Russian hysteria" in the West, saying that it has no plans to invade any country and stressing the fact that NATO's military build-up close to Russian borders was posing a threat to the country's national security. Russia has also explained numerous times that it has the right to move its own army wherever it wants within its own borders and this should not be a matter of concern to anybody.

https://sputniknews.com/20220126/uk-developing-bill-to-tighten-sanctions-against-russia-that-will-be-presented-in-coming-days-1092522526.html

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2022

Sofia Chegodaeva

Sofia Chegodaeva

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Sofia Chegodaeva

putin, us, sanctions, dmitry peskov
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/nato-about-to-give-written-response-to-russias-security-guarantees-proposals-report-claims-1092536255.html

NATO Has Delivered Written Responses to Russian Security Proposal, Stoltenberg Says

NATO Has Delivered Written Responses to Russian Security Proposal, Stoltenberg Says

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, NATO's written responses will be delivered not long after Washington sent its own responses to Russia, which... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T17:45+0000

2022-01-26T17:45+0000

2022-01-26T19:13+0000

nato

russia

ukraine

antony blinken

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The Russian Foreign Ministry said NATO's responses had been handed over to the Russian ambassador in Brussels on Wednesday evening."We call on Russia once again to immediately de-escalate the situation. NATO firmly believes that tensions and disagreements must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy," NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg told reporters on Wednesday evening, adding that the Brussels-based alliance was ready to listen to Russian concerns."We are proposing mutual briefings on exercises and nuclear policies in the NATO-Russia Council," Stoltenberg added.The NATO chief said that NATO is a defense alliance that does not seek confrontation and hoped for the best outcome, but was also preparing for the worst. To that end, he noted a 5,000-strong response force had already been formed and could be ready to deploy within days and that NATO was strengthening its presence in the Baltic and Black Sea regions.Blinken emphasized that while Ukraine is not a NATO ally, its leaders were consulted in the drafting of the US' response, as was US President Joe Biden.In addition to NATO's 5,000-strong force, Biden said a separate US force of 8,500 troops had been readied for deployment to Europe in five days' time, if they are needed. However, he said the troops would not be sent to Ukraine.Moscow's Seeks End to Eastern NATO ExpansionMoscow delivered a series of security proposals about Eastern Europe in mid-December that were aimed at defusing the present crisis on the Ukrainian border, where NATO claims thousands of Russian troops are poised for an invasion of Ukraine. However, both Russian and Ukrainian leaders have dismissed the notion that the troops, which are involved in drills, could constitute a strike force.The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was formed in 1949 by several Western European and North American capitalist powers as a collective security pact designed to avert a potential Soviet invasion. It was opposed by the Warsaw Pact signed between the Soviet Union and its socialist allies in Eastern Europe in 1955. After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Eastern European socialist governments, NATO leaders promised Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that the alliance would not expand further east than a reunited Germany, but in the 1990s and 2000s, several former Warsaw Pact members and even several former Soviet republics joined the alliance, bringing NATO troops to the Russian border.After the US-backed nationalist coup in Kiev in 2014 and the subsequent breaking away of several Russian-speaking regions of Ukraine, including Crimea's declaration of independence and referendum to rejoin Russia, NATO began to take a more bellicose tone toward Russia, forming an Enhanced Forward Presence force in its eastern member states and regarding Moscow as an aggressor. Washington's 2018 reorientation toward "great power competition" with China and Russia went still further, naming Moscow as a "malign actor" that directly threatens the United States' position at the head of the post-Cold War global order.

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Morgan Artyukhina https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/04/17/1082703728_0:0:800:800_100x100_80_0_0_0b6ce8daa7411284d60c8a0b6d84186d.jpg

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nato, russia, ukraine, antony blinken
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/piers-morgan-roasts-wannabe-pm-liz-truss-who-doesnt-have-a-clue-about-foreign-policy-1092531262.html

Piers Morgan Roasts 'Wannabe PM' Liz Truss Who 'Doesn't Have a Clue!' About Foreign Policy

Piers Morgan Roasts 'Wannabe PM' Liz Truss Who 'Doesn't Have a Clue!' About Foreign Policy

Earlier, as London echoed unproven US claims alleging that Moscow was planning an "invasion" of Ukraine, Russian diplomats questioned UK Foreign Secretary Liz... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T14:42+0000

2022-01-26T14:42+0000

2022-01-26T16:07+0000

russia

ukraine

liz truss

piers morgan

uk

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Piers Morgan, the former Good Morning Britain host, has roasted UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on social media, labelling her interview on LBC as "excruciating." Morgan blasted Truss as someone who "doesn't have a clue" about "foreign policy" following her comments about how the UK would respond to an alleged "attack from Russia."The sharp-tongued television personality also shared a short clip of LBC host Nick Ferrari interviewing the foreign secretary. Morgan also mocked the politician who he claims wants to be prime minister and has been suggested as a potential challenger to scandal-plagued Boris Johnson. In the LBC interview which aired on Wednesday, Truss was asked about the defensive aid the UK recently sent to Ukraine. Amid heightened tensions between the US and Russia fuelled by unproven claims from America and its NATO allies, including the UK, that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is an increasing possibility, earlier reports suggested that London had sent around 30 elite troops to Ukraine to train the local forces to use anti-tank weapons transferred to Kiev by London."We've been sending, I understand, some kind of kit. What exactly have we sent to date?" queried the host. To this, Truss responded by saying, "We've sent defensive weapons, so anti-tank weapons." The radio host continued, saying, "Right, can I note, you've used the word incursion on three occasions, foreign secretary. What is the difference between an incursion and an invasion?" A seemingly flustered Truss attempted to clarify, saying:Earlier, Truss was called out by Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova after her speech at independent think tank the Lowy Institute in Australia. As Truss elaborated on how nations such as the UK and Australia should respond to threats to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, she happened to mention that Ukraine  "a proud country with a long history"  had withstood invasions "from the Mongols to the Tatars."Responding to Truss' statement, Zakharova wondered exactly how many years the foreign secretary believes passed between the two invasions  that by Tatars and another by the Mongols.

https://sputniknews.com/20220121/russias-zakharova-nudges-uks-truss-over-remark-about-invading-forces-faced-by-ukraine-1092431884.html

ukraine

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2022

Svetlana Ekimenko

Svetlana Ekimenko

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Svetlana Ekimenko

russia, ukraine, liz truss, piers morgan, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/qatar-reportedly-has-little-spare-capacity-for-eu-amid-us-search-for-alternatives-to-russian-gas-1092527515.html

Qatar Reportedly Has 'Little Spare Capacity' for EU Amid US Search for Alternatives to Russian Gas

Qatar Reportedly Has 'Little Spare Capacity' for EU Amid US Search for Alternatives to Russian Gas

On Tuesday, Biden press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the White House was "working to identify additional volumes of gas" for Europe from North... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T11:03+0000

2022-01-26T11:03+0000

2022-01-26T12:05+0000

gas

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Qatar has little spare gas capacity to reroute to Europe, and would need assistance from Washington to persuade its existing long-term customers to reroute LNG supplies to America's allies if Russian supplies were disrupted, a source said to be familiar with negotiations has told Reuters.The gas rerouting issue is expected to be broached in the upcoming meeting between President Biden and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani on 31 January, according to the source.The US State Department raised the issue of finding alternatives to Russia - which provides roughly 40 percent of Europe's natural gas, in the event that Russian gas supplies to the region are interrupted due to an escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Earlier this month, energy companies told US officials that replacing Russian gas supplies would be next to impossible, given Russia's immense weight in the global gas market.On Tuesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration was "engaging with a range of countries and partners to discuss what could be shortages" of Russian gas supplies -including those transiting through Ukraine.Psaki said that Washington was searching for sources of additional supplies of gas from North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the United States itself, and that US officials were "in discussion with major natural gas producers around the globe to understand their capacity and willingness to temporarily surge natural gas output and to allocate these volumes to European buyers".The spokeswoman did not go into detail about which countries specifically the US was talking to on the matter.Europe is already facing its worst energy crisis in decades, with a perfect storm of factors, including a colder than expected winter and spring of 2021, fierce competition for supplies with Asia, a failure by many countries to stock up their reserves, over-dependence on short-term supply contracts, and the poorer than expected performance of new alternative sources of energy such as wind and solar power blamed for the shortages. The supply shortfall has caused a dramatic jump in energy and heating prices in many EU countries.The United States, which contributed to the crisis by spending over two years trying to torpedo the new Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, and rerouting its LNG supplies to Asia, has blamed Russia for the European gas crisis, claiming that Moscow is deliberately squeezing the continent. Moscow has dismissed the allegations, and has stressed repeatedly that it is prepared to deliver as much gas to Europe as is needed through long-term supply contracts. Russia has also called on Germany to unfreeze the certification of Nord Stream 2, saying the new 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year capacity pipeline could ease shortages and lead to a drop in energy prices.Ukraine pumps some 40 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Europe through its infrastructure, receiving several billion dollars in compensation each year from Gazprom in the form of transit fees.In recent weeks, Western officials and media have expressed concerns that these energy supplies could be at risk after spending months claiming that Russia has amassed troops on the border with Ukraine and is preparing an invasion. Moscow has dismissed the allegations and accused the West of deliberately exacerbating tensions to justify the further beefing up of NATO's presence along Russia's western frontiers and new sanctions. In recent days, Ukraine's defence minister, the secretary of the country's National Security and Defence Council, and the prime minister issued a series of statements dismissing the "invasion" fears, calling for calm and issuing a rare rebuke of foreign media for ramping up war fears.

https://sputniknews.com/20220125/us-studying-alternatives-to-russian-gas-in-north-africa-amid-ukraine-spat-white-house-says-1092512990.html

https://sputniknews.com/20211006/cold-winter-drained-europes-gas-reserves-helping-to-create-current-crisis-putin-says-1089709034.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220125/ukraines-defence-minister-slams-foreign-media-for-whipping-up-russian-invasion-fears-1092512473.html

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Ilya Tsukanov

Ilya Tsukanov

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Ilya Tsukanov

gas
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/romania-vows-to-take-steps-to-increase-nato-presence-in-country-1092533431.html

Romania Vows to Take 'Concrete' Steps to Increase NATO Presence in Country

Romania Vows to Take 'Concrete' Steps to Increase NATO Presence in Country

CHISINAU (Sputnik) - The Supreme Security Council of Romania will take steps to increase NATO presence in the country, President Klaus Iohannis said on... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T15:57+0000

2022-01-26T15:57+0000

2022-01-26T15:59+0000

romania

nato

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"We discussed the situation in the Black Sea region at a meeting of the Supreme Security Council. We decided to take a number of important measures: to take concrete steps to increase the presence of NATO allies in Romania, the government will continue making preparations for potential arrivals of a wave of refugees," the president told a briefing.This comes amid growing tensions between NATO and Russia over the situation in Ukraine, with the West accusing Moscow of preparing a military invasion of Ukraine, an allegation Russia has repeatedly rejected as baseless. Russia insists it has no intention to attack anybody and moves it troops within its borders which should not be a matter of concern for anyone. Earlier this week, Croatia said it would withdraw its military from NATO forces deployed in the region in case of a conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

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romania, nato
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/russian-echr-envoy-place-from-where-missile-launched-that-downed-mh17-was-controlled-by-kiev-1092524816.html

Russian ECHR Envoy: Place From Where Missile Launched That Downed MH17 Was Controlled By Kiev

Russian ECHR Envoy: Place From Where Missile Launched That Downed MH17 Was Controlled By Kiev

STRASBOURG (Sputnik) - Russia is confident that a place from where a missile that downed the MH17 plane was allegedly launched was controlled by Ukrainian... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T09:45+0000

2022-01-26T09:45+0000

2022-01-26T12:35+0000

european court of human rights (echr)

russia

ukraine

mh17

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The ECHR on Wednesday started considering complaints of Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia related to the case of the MH17 plane crash in Donbass in 2014.The diplomat also said that Moscow regrets the refusal of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to combine its complaint against Kiev with the complaints of the Netherlands and Ukraine against Russia on the MH17 crash in eastern Ukraine in 2014 as such a move would serve proper justice. He expressed regret that the sides in the MH17 case had little time to present their arguments.Vinogradov also called on the ECHR to reject combined complaints by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia, which the court is examining on Wednesday, for consideration on the merits.According to the envoy, Russia has responded to 28 out of 29 from the Netherlands for legal assistance in the MH17 plane crash case, one more is in progress.The Russian envoy said during his speech that the Dutch authorities are clearly misleading the ECHR, claiming that their requests were completely or partially left unanswered by Moscow.Vinogradov stressed that actions in Donbass described in the complaints of the Netherlands and Ukraine to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on the MH17 crash case do not fall under Moscows jurisdiction. While speaking before the court in Strasbourg, he voiced his intention to outline the key provisions of article 1 of the Convention on Human Rights, in line with which Russias jurisdiction does not involve events in the complaints filed in by the Netherlands and Ukraine.A Dutch complaint against Moscow on the ineffective investigation of the MH17 case in Russia is unfounded and should be rejected, Russias representative to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said. The diplomat said that while the Netherlands accuses Russia of the ineffective probe into the crash, The Hague itself interferes with the investigation in Russia. Moscow does not agree that legal proceedings are ineffective, Vinogradov added.Russia will publish all documents sent to the Netherlands related to the case of the MH17 plane crash in Ukraine in 2014 so that everyone can see for themselves where the truth is, Vinogradov also said.The Netherlands is abusing the right to appeal to court in relation to the complaint about Russia allegedly failing to provide legal assistance in the MH17 plane crash case, the envoy said. He also noted that Dutch prosecutors lied to the Russian competent authorities about the existence of a warrant for the arrest of Vladimir Tsemakh, a former Donbass militia commander and a key witness in the case.Vinogradov expressed condolences to relatives of victims of the MH17 crash, which occurred in eastern Ukraine in 2014, adding that the incident was a great tragedy. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam, crashed on 17 July 2014 in eastern Ukraine amid military clashes between the Ukrainian government and local self-proclaimed republics. All 298 people on board, mostly Dutch citizens, died.After the tragedy, Kiev and the self-proclaimed republics in Donbass put the blame for the crash on each other. The EU and the US, for their part, called Russia responsible for the incident and hit Moscow with sanctions. The Netherlands established a special Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the crash but Russia was denied any access to the investigation. Then Moscow started its own investigation and handed over evidence to the JIT, including radar data showing that the plane had been shot down by a Ukrainian Buk missile that had been stored in Ukraine since 1986 and never went back to Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The JIT did not pay attention to this evidence and continued to insist that the Buk missile had been owned by the Russian military.

https://sputniknews.com/20211221/only-buk-missile-system-could-have-downed-flight-mh17-dutch-prosecutors-say-1091692017.html

ukraine

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european court of human rights (echr), russia, ukraine, mh17
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/san-jose-city-becomes-first-to-pass-gun-owner-insurance-and-fee-law-1092540689.html

San Jose City Becomes First to Pass Gun Owner Insurance And Fee Law

San Jose City Becomes First to Pass Gun Owner Insurance And Fee Law

After hours of debating on Tuesday night, the city council of San Jose, California has decided to move forward with a gun safety law requiring gun owners to... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T21:53+0000

2022-01-26T21:53+0000

2022-01-26T21:53+0000

san jose

news

us

school shooting

california

gun law

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The new measure, which officials are saying is the first of its kind, has been broken into two mandates. The first is a liability insurance requirement for gun owners, covering losses or damages caused by neglect or accidental use of a firearm. The damages would include death, injury, or property damage. If the gun is lost or stolen, the owner of the gun would be liable unless the theft or loss was reported to authorities.The second mandate would make it so gun owners have to pay an annual fee of 25 dollars. That fee would then be collected by a nonprofit, which is yet to be disclosed, and would pay for firearm safety and training, suicide prevention, domestic violence and mental health services.The gun insurance will be purchased through homeowners insurance or renters insurance, and will cover every person in the gun owners household, reported CBS SF Bay Area News. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said those without insurance wont lose their guns or face any annual charges.During the city council meeting, council members listened to more than an hour and a half of opposing views towards the mandates, some were vehemently for, and others were against.Others in San Jose have voiced opposition, saying the law assigns the blame of gun violence to lawful gun owners. Several gun rights groups have threatened to sue, hoping to prevent the law from going into effect. The executive director of Gun Owners of California, Sam Paredes, said his group would sue, deeming the law unconstitutional.But Margaret Russel, a constitutional law professor at Santa Clara University, is confident the law should go into effect. Twenty five dollars and liability insurance, and articulated public interest in that the money is actually going to go toward the enormous cost to taxpayers of gun violence, that actually seems like it will pass a legal test to me, she said to ABC 7 News.Members of the San Jose City Council include several of those who have lost a friend or have been affected by gun violence. Councilmember Raul Peralez lost a childhood friend last year to gun violence, and Councilmember Maya Esparza also says her family was touched by gun violence, referring to the Gilroy Shooting in Gilroy, CA, which saw 3 people die, including a 6 year-old boy, a 13 year-old girl, and a 25 year-old man.Mayor Liccardos proposal also has support from the San Jose City Council in light of the May 26, 2021 shooting at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard, when an employee opened fire on their colleagues, killing 8 people.The mayor said gun violence costs San Jose taxpayers 40 million dollars a year in emergency response services.Gun laws are a hot button topic for Americans. Even though 90% of Americans agree that there should be some stricter gun laws like universal background checks, the Second Amendment makes it a third rail issue, putting potential progress to a standstill. And while the United States only holds 4.4% of the worlds population, it still accounts for about 43% of the worlds guns, according to a 2007 Small Arms Survey.Between 2009 and 2018, 1,121 people were shot and killed in a mass shooting, with 836 more shot and wounded.The Oxford High School shooting, which occurred on November 30, 2021, also saw some unusual lawful effects. The parents of the school shooter were charged with manslaughter, and are currently being held on a $500,000 cash bond. James and Jennifer Crumbley were accused by prosecutors of negligence in regards to gun safety. Prosecutors say they were aware of their sons mental health issues and fascination with guns, and even refused to take their son home the day of the shooting, even though the school guidance counselors urged them to do so. The son was also arrested and charged with murder and terrorism.An assessment by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found that guns involved in 76% of school shootings came from the home of a parent or relative. In half of these, the firearms were easily accessible. Its highly unusual for parents of a school shooter to be charged with crimes involved in school shootings.San Joses Gun Harm Reduction proposal now needs another approval which it will face at a second reading on February 8th. If it passes, the measures will go into effect on August 8th.

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san jose, news, us, school shooting, california, gun law
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/scholz-biden-will-reportedly-meet-in-washington-on-7-february-1092533003.html

German Chancellor Scholz, Biden Will Meet in Washington in February

German Chancellor Scholz, Biden Will Meet in Washington in February

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The German cabinet has confirmed that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Washington in February, a government spokesperson told Sputnik on... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T15:29+0000

2022-01-26T15:29+0000

2022-01-26T16:01+0000

joe biden

olaf scholz

nord stream 2

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"I can confirm that Chancellor Olaf Scholz will travel to Washington in February," the spokesperson said. Earlier in the day, Bild reported, citing government sources, that Scholz will meet with US President Joe Biden in Washington on 7 February.According to the publication, the meeting will be held at the White House. The parties will discuss the reaction to the allegedly possible Russian aggression against Ukraine, it said.This is going to be Scholz's first meeting with Biden since he was elected German Chancellor in early December to succeed Angela Merkel. Germany has found itself in the epicentre of tensions between Russia and NATO over Ukraine as the West has repeatedly threatened Moscow with unprecedented sanctions should it invade Ukraine. Among other measures, Washington has been reportedly planning to persuade Berlin not to put the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline into service.

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joe biden, olaf scholz, nord stream 2
HANOI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The Vietnamese capital city Hanoi, the country's current COVID-19 hotspot, has confirmed the first case of Omicron variant infection in the community, according to the municipal health department on Wednesday.

The patient had come in contact with 13 imported cases of the Omicron variant in the city, Vietnam News Agency cited Vu Cao Cuong, deputy head of the municipal health department, as saying on Wednesday.

There was a risk of community transmission of Omicron in Hanoi, Cuong warned, adding that in the coming weeks, the city could see a slight drop in daily cases as people traveling back home for the Lunar New Year festival, but it would return to 3,000 cases per day as in the past few weeks or even higher if people do not adhere to prevention measures.

As of Tuesday, the capital city had logged a total of 114,795 cases, ranking third among Vietnamese localities with the highest number of COVID-19 infections, according to data from the country's Ministry of Health.

To curb the spread of the pandemic, Hanoi will raise awareness among citizens, as well as reduce large gatherings. The capital will not organize its usual Lunar New Year's Eve firework display over COVID-19 concerns, according to a recent announcement.

By Tuesday, Vietnam had confirmed 2,171,527 cases over four waves of COVID-19 infections. 
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/so-stupid--so-dumb-alex-jones-met-with-january-6-panel--pleaded-the-fifth-almost-100-times-1092518616.html

'So Stupid & So Dumb': Alex Jones Met With January 6 Panel & Pleaded the Fifth 'Almost 100 Times'

'So Stupid & So Dumb': Alex Jones Met With January 6 Panel & Pleaded the Fifth 'Almost 100 Times'

A House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol issued subpoenas for former President Donald Trump's advisers and Alex Jones, the... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T03:58+0000

2022-01-26T03:58+0000

2022-01-26T03:57+0000

democrats

alex jones

us

house

panel

conservatives

us capitol

riot

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Alex Jones, a right-wing radio show host, held a virtual meeting with the House select committee investigating the January 6 riot on Monday, it has been revealed.Jones reportedly said that he had pleaded the Fifth Amendment "almost 100 times," citing his lawyer, who is said to have counted the usage, and that he had been ordered to do so "on advice of counsel." Jones claimed he wanted to answer the questions but was reluctant to do so because he feels the committee, particularly Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff of California, would twist his comments, and he was concerned about not answering all of them accurately and thus perjuring himself.Jones claimed he was shown "a bunch of emails" he had never seen before. He also believes the committee has accessed his phone since he was shown text conversations from it, including messages with rally organizers Cindy Chafian and Caroline Wren, who have also been subpoenaed by the committee. He also admitted that seeing the huge crowd that had gathered at Trump's ellipse speech made him reconsider spearheading a march to the Capitol. He thought to himself, "You know, maybe we just won't do this," per Politico's report. When Secret Service agents arrived and opened the gate, he said he continued. Jones was seen on some of the footage repeatedly attempting to guide the mob away from police lines after arriving at the Capitol and witnessing some of the ongoing mayhem.According to the right-wing activist, the committee inquired about his interactions with the right-wing organizations Proud Boys and Oath Keepers. He reportedly claimed on his show that following a pro-Trump rally in Atlanta prior to the events at the Capitol, he ate at a Hooters with some members of the Proud Boys. He said he did not utilize Proud Boys or Oath Keepers as security and did not consider them a serious paramilitary danger. According to CNN, Jones said the committee had asked him if he had heard of any plans for violence on January 6. Jones stated that the only mention of possible violence he had heard was through news reports, and that he had no insider information. "You always hear about politics in America," he said, describing it as "background noise."He vehemently refuted any idea that he was involved in the planning of violence at the Capitol.Moreover, Jones reportedly said on his broadcast that he tried to keep people out of the Capitol, but that managing the crowd was "mission impossible." He went on by saying that those near the building found out "there were a bunch of people inside the Capitol."According to earlier reports, in December, Jones filed a lawsuit in federal court in the District of Columbia that the court's subpoena of AT&T phone records violates his First Amendment rights as a journalist, and that the committee is illegally organized according to House rules.The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol has faced significant opposition in obtaining materials since its formation in the summer of last year, with Trump filing multiple lawsuits aimed at preventing the release of his documents by the National Archives under the guise of executive privilege.Several subpoenas have been issued, however, while several figures have chosen to ignore them.

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Kirill Kurevlev

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https://sputniknews.com/20220126/stored-blood-samples-reveal-covid-19-may-have-reached-norway-as-early-as-2019-1092520273.html

Stored Blood Samples Reveal COVID-19 May Have Reached Norway As Early as 2019

Stored Blood Samples Reveal COVID-19 May Have Reached Norway As Early as 2019

According to Norwegian researchers, the very surprising findings from the same time the disease was officially discovered in China change the history of the... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T05:25+0000

2022-01-26T05:25+0000

2022-01-26T05:28+0000

news

europe

china

norway

scandinavia

wuhan

covid-19

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Researchers at Akershus University Hospital (Ahus) have found antibodies against COVID-19 dating back to December 2019, a month before the first case was detected in Europe.The first case in Europe was detected on 27 January 2020. Officially, the virus didn't spread to Norway until 24 February of the same year. Ahuss discovery thus stems from the same period as the first proven case was found in China.The researchers themselves described the discovery as very surprising.The researchers searched for antibodies in anonymously stored blood samples, in accordance with the Infection Control Act. The samples were taken from pregnant women in the first trimester and as part of maternity care and stored to monitor potential infectious diseases.Antibodies were detected in 98 of the 6,520 samples analysed. Even if a certain proportion of false-positive results must certainly be taken into account, the conclusions hold water, the researchers say. Furthermore, there are many indications that they were infected abroad, Esklid noted.According to the Ahus researchers, this indicates that the infection was widespread in large parts of the world earlier than we have thought so far.There are probably few other countries that have access to stored blood samples at a population level, and therefore there are few or no other retrospective studies, Eskild concluded.According to an Italian study from Milan, the coronavirus was present in Italy in 2019, too, as early as September.Earlier, researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, with colleagues at the University of Arizona and Illumina, estimated, using molecular dating tools and epidemiological simulations, that the SARS-CoV-2 virus was likely circulating undetected for at most two months before the first human cases of COVID-19 were described in Wuhan, China in late-December 2019.

https://sputniknews.com/20211228/norways-health-boss-stoltenberg-accuses-rich-countries-of-contributing-to-prolonging-covid-pandemic-1091853446.html

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Igor Kuznetsov

news, europe, china, norway, scandinavia, wuhan, covid-19
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/sweden-loses-control-as-over-10000-deportees-stay-illegally-each-year-1092523349.html

Sweden 'Loses Control' as Over 10,000 Deportees Stay Illegally Each Year

Sweden 'Loses Control' as Over 10,000 Deportees Stay Illegally Each Year

The debate about the extent of Sweden's parallel society flared up when an illegal immigrant with no residence permit appeared to work as a cleaner at none... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T09:16+0000

2022-01-26T09:16+0000

2022-01-26T09:16+0000

deportation

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Despite political promises made for deportations to be carried out, Sweden has been struggling to clear up its growing shadow society. 2021 became at least the fifth year in a row when over 10,000 people with rejected resident permits avoided deportation and are wanted by the police, according to national broadcaster SVT.We have people in our society that we don't know and that no one has control over, Cajsa Velden, the head of the National Border Police told SVT.Neither the Swedish Migration Board nor the Police can answer how many people are actually involved in the shadow society as undocumented residents. Velden pointed out the lack of detention sites as a problem and argued that more of them would make the border police better equipped to solve the task, as people would be kept in custody while waiting for expulsion.According to the opposition Sweden Democrat leader Jimmie Akesson, the fault lies with the government.According to Akesson, the police are ill equipped with resources and powers to perform the necessary alien checks.Immigration Minister Anders Ygeman emphasised that the Migration Agency now has the right to perform fingerprints and facial recognition during internal alien controls. Still, he agreed that more needs to be done.We need reception centres where we have a comprehensive asylum management so we can avoid people running away when they get a 'no', Ygeman mused.The debate about the scope of Sweden's parallel society blossomed anew when an illegal immigrant with no residence permit appeared to work as a cleaner and was detained at Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson's home, despite her explicit oaths to combat black labour market.According to the Red Cross, however, there may be many for the deportees to abscond, including fear for their own and their families' safety and lives.I don't think anyone would choose to live as paperless if they had considered that the alternative was better, Red Cross migration expert Alexandra Segenstedt told SVT.With no reliable data, the number of illegal immigrants in Sweden was estimated at some 35,000 in 2010 and some 50,000 in 2018, with at least 42,000 more in a 2022 forecast.

https://sputniknews.com/20220110/inconceivable-scandal-as-illegal-immigrant-hired-to-clean-swedish-prime-ministers-villa-1092145633.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220126/taiwanese-us-vice-presidents-in-honduras-for-xiomara-castros-inauguration-wont-meet-us-says-1092539996.html

Taiwanese, US Vice Presidents in Honduras for Xiomara Castros Inauguration Wont Meet, US Says

Taiwanese, US Vice Presidents in Honduras for Xiomara Castros Inauguration Wont Meet, US Says

As world leaders send delegations to Tegucigalpa for the inauguration of Honduras first female president, Xiomara Castro, two attendees stand out... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T21:27+0000

2022-01-26T21:27+0000

2022-01-26T21:27+0000

honduras

manuel zelaya

inauguration

taiwan

kamala harris

xiomara castro

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Lai left Taipei for Honduras on Tuesday, saying at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport that he was taking along tools to help the Central American nation fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It is his first trip overseas since taking office in 2020.We will use concrete action and specific measures to show our support for deeper ties and the new government, he said, adding that ties would continue based on pragmatism and reciprocity, according to Taiwans Central News Agency."As President Castro prepares to promote new policies, Taiwan will uphold the spirit of pragmatic diplomacy and mutual assistance, deepen cooperation with Honduras, and overcome various difficulties to benefit both countries' peoples," Lai added.On the campaign trail, Castro had promised to end her countrys diplomatic relations with Taiwan and to recognize the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) as the legitimate government of all of China. However, since winning the election, her transition team has signaled that such a switch is by no means imminent.Formally calling itself the Republic of China, the government in Taipei is all that remains of the republican state that ruled China from 1912, when the last Chinese emperor abdicated the throne, until 1949, when the communist Red Army emerged victorious in a civil war and seized all of the Chinese mainland. Both governments claim to be the sole legitimate Chinese government, but over the years, all but 14 of the worlds nations have switched over to recognizing Beijing, which regards Taiwan as a part of China governed by a rebel force.Taiwan is looking to strengthen its relationship with the few remaining countries that support it, nearly all of which are small Caribbean and Pacific states under Washingtons thumb. Last week, Sputnik reported that Taiwan had footed the $900,000 bill for a lobbyist in Washington to represent the interests of Guatemala, one of the 14 nations that recognize Taiwan.Harris will also be attending the ceremonies, although US officials suggested to Reuters that she and Lai would not meet, as such an incident would anger Beijing. The US provides open but informal support to Taiwan, including advanced military equipment, which Beijing regards as US intervention in Chinese internal affairs.The US vice presidents presence is a reminder of the 2009 constitutional coup against Castros husband, Manuel Zelaya, that was carried out with US approval after Zelayas left-wing government pushed ahead with social programs and association with the regional trading block ALBA, organized by Cuba and Venezuela. Accompanying Harris is Samantha Power, director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), a US State Department agency that worked hard to orchestrate support for the right-wing government that took power after Zelayas removal.That government catered to US corporate interests and extensively privatized the governments functions, turning municipal administrations, schools, energy services, and security services into private corporate charters. Those security forces have been blamed for skyrocketing violence against indigenous Hondurans and LGBTQ people, fueling a massive exodus of refugees whove fled north toward the United States over the last decade.However, other nations have also sent their vice presidents to attend Castros inauguration, including Argentinas Cristina Kirchner and Cubas Salvador Mesa. Felipe VI, King of Spain, is also due to attend the ceremonies. Honduras was a Spanish colony for centuries before gaining independence in 1821 as a part of Mexico, from which it split two years later.

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honduras, manuel zelaya, inauguration, taiwan, kamala harris, xiomara castro
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/thousands-left-stranded-at-istanbul-airport-after-heavy-snowfall-prompts-flight-cancellations-1092517421.html

Thousands Left Stranded at Istanbul Airport After Heavy Snowfall Prompts Flight Cancellations

Thousands Left Stranded at Istanbul Airport After Heavy Snowfall Prompts Flight Cancellations

Turkeys largest city recently got hit by unusual and heavy snowfall, bringing flight and road transportation to a complete halt that ultimately left thousands... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T00:32+0000

2022-01-26T00:32+0000

2022-01-26T00:31+0000

flight cancellations

turkey

heavy snowfall

istanbul airport

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Turkeys Istanbul Airport was forced to shut down due to snowfall and blizzards, causing passengers to take to Twitter to air out their grievances and voice their frustrations at the airport and Turkish Airlines.Videos posted to Twitter show passengers chanting, We need hotel and walking in circles. Passengers also tweeted, stressing that they had been stranded for over 30 hours at the airport without food or water from the airports staff. Chants were met with Turkish police who were briefly deployed to the scene.The snow began hitting Istanbul on Sunday, but it wasnt until Monday that the airport began to announce a suspension of flights through Tuesday morning - the same day authorities in the area started shutting down roads, shopping malls, and food delivery services. Nonessential government officials were also told to stay home.However, it was later determined that the airports suspension of flights would be extended until midnight on Wednesday while the airports staff and crew made efforts to clear the accumulated 16 inches of snow from their runways.The heavy snowfall saw Antalya, a city located on Turkeys coast, experience its first snowfall in 29 years. In other parts of Istanbul, up to 31 inches of snow fell, stranding drivers and motorists who were then forced to either sleep in their vehicles or else abandon them altogether.Highways and roads reopened on Tuesday afternoon, according to an announcement from Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu on Twitter.By Tuesday, the airport tweeted that they were giving stranded passengers free Wi-Fi access, 27,500 lunch boxes, and 3,600 blankets at no cost. The airports spokesperson Seyda Yilmaz spoke to The Washington Post in a Tuesday phone interview and relayed that the situation was under control. In response to passengers demanding hotels, she said the responsibility to provide hotels fell under the authority of each passengers airline, not the airport.Istanbul Airport is supposed to become the worlds largest international airport once its construction is completed, which would make it the largest infrastructure project Turkey has yet to take on.Athens struggled with the impacted weather, as well, with more than 3,500 people having to be rescued on Monday, but with about 300 drivers forced to sleep in their cars overnight on the Attiki Odos motorway. The storm, which is named Elpida, will persist until Wednesday.

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flight cancellations, turkey, heavy snowfall, istanbul airport
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/two-more-men-arrested-in-uk-over-texas-synagogue-standoff-1092527259.html

Two More Men Arrested in UK Over Texas Synagogue Standoff

Two More Men Arrested in UK Over Texas Synagogue Standoff

LONDON (Sputnik) - Two more men have been arrested in Manchester, northern England, as part of the ongoing investigation into the attack carried out by a... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T11:04+0000

2022-01-26T11:04+0000

2022-01-26T11:03+0000

us

synagogue

uk

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"As part of the local investigation, two men have been arrested this morning in Manchester. They remain in custody for questioning," the Counter Terrorism Policing North West division said in a statement.On January 15, a man who was later identified as British citizen Malik Faisal Akram took four people hostage in the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, during Sabbath services.After a standoff that lasted for several hours, the hostages managed to escape and Akram, who had reportedly arrived in the United States via New York Citys JFK International Airport two weeks earlier, was shot dead by the police.US media reported that the hostage-taker claimed to be the brother of convicted terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani woman who allegedly had ties to al-Qaeda (terrorist group, banned in Russia). He was reportedly demanding freedom for his sister, who is serving an 86-year sentence in a US federal prison for trying to kill American officers in Afghanistan.On 20 January, the UK counter-terror announced the arrest of two men in Manchester and Birmingham as part of the investigation into the events in Texas.

https://sputniknews.com/20220120/two-men-arrested-in-uk-over-texas-synagogue-hostage-taking-1092391440.html

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us, synagogue, uk
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/uk-developing-bill-to-tighten-sanctions-against-russia-that-will-be-presented-in-coming-days-1092522526.html

UK Developing Bill to Tighten Sanctions Against Russia That Will Be Presented in Coming Days

UK Developing Bill to Tighten Sanctions Against Russia That Will Be Presented in Coming Days

Tensions between NATO and Russia have been rising in recent months, with the West accusing Moscow of plotting an "invasion" of Ukraine, a claim Russia has... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T07:51+0000

2022-01-26T07:51+0000

2022-01-26T08:40+0000

russia

uk

sanctions

liz truss

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The UK is developing a bill to tighten sanctions against Russia that will be presented in the coming days, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said. Truss said on Monday in a televised appearance for UK broadcaster Sky News that London had prepared "a strong package" of economic sanctions against Russia, adding it is ready to use it in the event of further escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.Earlier, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country was working "together with partners around the world" on a package of economic sanctions against Russia.Moscow has repeatedly denied Western allegations about Russia's 'plans' to invade Ukraine, adding that it does not threaten anybody and is not going to attack anyone. The Russian Foreign Ministry repeatedly stressed that speculation about "Russian aggression" is being used as a pretext to deploy more NATO troops close to Russia's borders.

https://sputniknews.com/20220126/pelosi-trying-to-rush-through-ukraine-defense-bill-with-crippling-anti-russia-sanctions---reports-1092517267.html

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russia, uk, sanctions, liz truss
https://sputniknews.com/20220126/ukraine-flooded-with-us-nato-weapons--advisers-russian-mission-to-un-says-1092518701.html

Ukraine 'Flooded' With US, NATO Weapons & Advisers, Russian Mission to UN Says

Ukraine 'Flooded' With US, NATO Weapons & Advisers, Russian Mission to UN Says

Ukraine 'Flooded' With US, NATO Weapons & Advisers, Russian Mission to UN Says

2022-01-26T02:24+0000

2022-01-26T02:24+0000

2022-01-26T02:23+0000

russia

un

nato

war in syria

russian diplomats

ukraine

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According to Russian representatives in the UN , "cultivating Russophobia among its citizens and like-minded states, talking about the accumulation of Russian troops as almost the root cause of all problems, [the US] forgets to clarify that the talk is about Russian forces on Russian territory."In the meantime, US President Joe Biden confirmed earlier in the day that there is no intention to deploy American or NATO forces to Ukraine.The Russian mission also said in the statement that the US supports militants in Syria's Idlib and strengthens the positions of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham* terrorist group."Under the pretext of caring for the Syrians forcibly held by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham in Idlib as a human shield, American diplomacy, at the expense of its taxpayers, actually supports the militants," it said. "By strengthening the positions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Washington is shooting itself in the foot, declaring its commitment to the territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic."Russian diplomats also added that Moscow regrets that Washington considers drawing dividing lines and containing other countries in the UN to be one of its achievements in the organization in 2021.The document was published in response to a press release from the US Permanent Mission to the UN dated January 20, in which American officials presented so-called facts about the alleged restoration of American leadership in the UN in the first year of Joe Biden's presidency.Tensions between Russia and NATO have increased recently, as Kiev and a number of the alliances members have expressed concerns about the alleged concentration" of Russian troops near its borders with Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is moving troops within its own territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone.Amid speculation of possible provocations, Moscow has repeatedly denied any allegations of its planned aggression and warned that arming Kiev could encourage it to use force against the breakaway Russian-speaking area of Donbas.*Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (formerly known as Jabhat al-Nusra) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other states.

https://sputniknews.com/20220125/ukraines-defence-minister-slams-foreign-media-for-whipping-up-russian-invasion-fears-1092512473.html

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https://sputniknews.com/20220126/us-allies-reportedly-mull-sending-thousands-more-troops-to-natos-eastern-flank-1092532889.html

US-led 'Coalition of the Willing' Reportedly Mulls 'Thousands More Troops' for NATO's Eastern Flank

US-led 'Coalition of the Willing' Reportedly Mulls 'Thousands More Troops' for NATO's Eastern Flank

The crisis in Ukraine and months of claims by Western officials and media that Russia may be preparing to "invade" its neighbour have created divisions within... 26.01.2022, Sputnik International

2022-01-26T15:15+0000

2022-01-26T15:15+0000

2022-01-26T17:20+0000

nato

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The United States and a "handful of allies" are negotiating the possible deployment of as many as "thousands more troops" in NATO's eastern flank as a "show of support" to Kiev against the supposed threat of Russian aggression, CNN reports, citing three US officials said to be familiar with the content of the negotiations.One official characterised the potential deployment as a "coalition of the willing" including the US and countries Washington is negotiating with on a bilateral basis.The "coalition of the willing" phrasing is an apparent throwback to the force the US and the UK put together ahead of the 2003 invasion of Iraq -with many of America's NATO allies in Europe refusing to become involved in that act of aggression. The CNN report follows the Pentagon's announcement on Monday that 8,500 US troops stationed in the United States had been placed on high alert and prepared for deployment to Ukraine, possibly alongside a larger NATO response force.Western officials and media have spent months alleging that Russia has built up a 100,000 troop-strong presence on its border with Ukraine and is poised for an imminent invasion. Russian officials have dismissed these allegations, and accused NATO of artificially ratcheting up tensions as a pretext to beef up their foothold in Eastern Europe. CNN's reporting, if verified, would appear to confirm the veracity of Moscow's concerns.Ukrainian officials have made a series of uncharacteristically frank statements in recent days dismissing their Western patrons' "Russian invasion" claims. On Wednesday, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told reporters that while the number of Russian troops "along the border of Ukraine and its occupied territories is large... this number is insufficient for a full-scale offensive along the entire Ukrainian border."Separately, other senior officials, including Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, National Security and Defence Council chief Oleksiy Danilov and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal have each dismissed claims of an imminent Russian invasion in recent days, and even criticised Western media for its hyperbolic fearmongering.The causes for the U-turn in rhetoric is unclear, with most officials, apart from Danilov, spending much of the past two months echoing claims made by US and European officials about Russia's alleged invasion plans. However, some Ukrainian observers have expressed concerns that the constant artificial whipping up of tensions has put a dent in the country's economic well-being, causing investors to flee and threatening total economic ruin unless the tone of the war hysteria is scaled back.Moscow has said repeatedly that it has no plans to invade Ukraine or any other country, and has called on Kiev to implement the political portion of the Minsk Agreements on peace in the Donbass - the civil war-torn region which broke off from Ukraine in 2014 in the wake of a Western-backed coup. Russia has also sent a pair of proposed security agreements to the US and NATO - demanding that the West scrap its plans to integrate Ukraine or any other former Soviet Republic into the Western bloc. US and alliance officials have dismissed Russia's demands and said that NATO's "open door" policy will remain unchanged.

https://sputniknews.com/20220126/romania-vows-to-take-steps-to-increase-nato-presence-in-country-1092533431.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220126/cnn-labels-ukrainian-city-of-kharkiv-as-part-of-russia---video-1092524695.html

https://sputniknews.com/20220110/stoltenberg-will-never-compromise-on-nato-open-door-membership-policy-ahead-of-russia-talks-1092151168.html

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Collaborating on three recent research papers on a nutraceutical called Gs Formula, Dr. Wendy Pearson, PhD Associate Professor at the University of Guelph, has been very busy.

Approached by GS Organic solutions out in B.C., Pearson has been investigating the potential for Gs Formula to improve gastric health, particularly for horses with a history of lower severity colic episodes.

In the first study, we found that there was actually a significant increase in contractility of gastric smooth muscle when the smooth muscle was exposed to the Gs Formula, said Pearson of the first in vitro study. The smooth muscle strips became more sensitive to a contractile stimulus (acetylcholine), which may indicate an application of the product to increasing contractility of the GI tract.

A feed additive that can accelerate transit time of food through the horses digestive tract could prove hugely beneficial to horses at risk for developing impaction colic.

The second in vitro study also pointed to a role in accelerating gastric transit time, noting that small pieces of gastric mucosa cultured in the presence of Gs Formula produced an increased amount of a hormone (gastrin), which promotes contractility of the stomach.

Watch the following video interview as Dr. Pearson elaborates on the research and shares what happened in the third study involving Standardbred racehorses.

Dr. Pearson has been involved in Nutraceutical studies since 1997 and can attest to the progress in the field as far as regulations go, including there is now oversight from Health Canada. When asked the hallmarks of a supplement backed by research, Pearson said, A horse persons best protection is to buy products from companies that invest in objective third party research. Pearson goes on to explain efficacy research is still a big problem. A lot of the research thats used to scientifically back products is not on the actual product; its on research that other companies have done on similar products, or from research on individual ingredients. But there are a few equine supplement companies making substantial investments in their product line by conducting evidence-based product research.

The future of nutraceuticals is very exciting, and the sky is the limit, said Pearson. The interest and the availability of research funding for this type of research is growing and thats really coming from the manufacturers, so they deserve a big shout out.

(With files from Equine Guelph)
BUDAPEST, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Hungary on Wednesday reported a record of 20,174 COVID-19 cases in a 24-hour span, raising the national total to 1,471,276.

In the past 24 hours, 69 people died from the disease, taking the toll to 41,087 in the country, while 1,224,813 have recovered. Currently, 3,145 people are hospitalized, including 164 on ventilators, figures from the government's coronavirus information website showed.

The previous record of 12,637 daily infections of last November was broken on Jan. 19, with 14,890 cases, and the numbers have been on the rise since then.

At that time, the number of patients being treated in hospitals was much higher: 6,840, including 644 on ventilators.

The figures still seem to back up the calculations of Hungarian health officials, who expected a sudden increase in the number of infections but a much milder increase in the number of severe cases needing hospital care.

To date, more than 6.34 million people in Hungary have received at least the first shot of a vaccine, while over 6.08 million had two jabs. Some 3.57 million got their booster shot, according to the website.

The Hungarian government has also started administering the fourth vaccine dose. 
Kimball junior Xavier Thomas-Lewis was touring colleges on the East Coast while visiting his brother Nicholas over winter break when he got the news.

Nicholas was outside of his apartment at the time, and so my mom gave him a message saying that he needed to check on me, like, right now, Xavier said. So, it kind of scared him to death.

I mean, he was panicked. I didnt mean to do that, mother Carrie Tabor said.

The news was that Xavier got a perfect score on his ACT.

My mom had gotten an email or something that told her that the scores were in, but it didnt tell her what the scores were, he said. So, she told me to check it, and so I did, and I saw that I got a perfect score, and so I told her.

It was then that Tabor sent her son Nicholas rushing back to his younger brother in a panic. Luckily, the news was much better than Nicholas had thought.

I really thought it was awesome, Xavier said. I didnt really know what to do.

Tabor said, It was actually a pretty cool experience that Xavier found out that he got a perfect score while he was there with his brother.

Xavier had taken the test earlier in December, and it was only the second time he took it. The first time he took it was in August 2021 just as his junior year of high school was starting, and he had gotten a 35. He was perfectly happy with that score, Tabor said, but the school would be paying for it, so he and his mom thought he might as well shoot for the perfect score.

I was like, lets just go ahead and take it again, Tabor said. Because our school was actually super supportive, and so Kimball High School said that they would pay for all of the juniors to take an extra ACT, so he decided to go ahead and take it since the school was paying for it. And then 10 days later, he found out that he got a 36.

Xavier will still have to take the test one more time since it is a state test for Nebraska juniors, but because he took those previous tests, he will know what to expect.

I knew I would have to take it as a junior anyway, so I wanted to take it once or twice beforehand to see what it was like, he said.

The perfect ACT score wasnt the only good news in the Tabor/Thomas-Lewis household this school year. Xaviers older brother Nicholas, the one he was visiting over winter break, was selected as one of two Rhodes Scholarship recipients for the U.S. district encompassing around seven different states.

I think all oxygen left my body. I was just so happy, Nicholas said.

The Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and one of the most prestigious scholarship programs in the entire world, according to the Rhodes Trust. The scholarship pays all expenses for up to four years of study at the University of Oxford in England.

Nicholas, a 2018 Kimball graduate, is now a senior at University of Pennsylvania double-majoring in cognitive science with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience and health and societies with a concentration in public health, along with a minor in neuroscience.

Nicholas was at home for Thanksgiving break when he was going through the final interview via Zoom. With five other siblings in the house, he stayed on the call from a room in his attic. He said the interviews of the roughly dozen District 13 finalists occurred over the course of two days, and then all the finalists were put in a breakout Zoom room while the panel of judges deliberated.

I was in this Zoom meeting with all the other Rhodes finalists from District 13 for three hours, just waiting to hear back, Nicholas said. Then they pulled us back to the main room and said, Alright, weve selected our two scholars, and were going to announce them in alphabetical order.

Nicholas said in hindsight he should have known he was selected after the first person was announced; alphabetically, his name was the only one of the finalists that could have come after the first Rhodes Scholar.

The first winner ended up having an S last name and I was T, so I was basically the only one left at that point, he said. I didnt even think about it in the moment just because my heart was racing so much. Its funny in retrospect.

After the announcement was made that Nicholas was the second Rhodes Scholar for District 13, which encompassed the states of Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, North Dakota and South Dakota, the two scholars, the panel of judges and other Rhodes Scholar alumni held a kind of virtual social reception. The moment he got off the Zoom call, he had to share the news.

 From my attic, I ran downstairs and my mom was standing in the kitchen, and she turned around and I just yelled, I got it, he said. And then immediately we both started crying and ran to each other. But yeah, it was just an amazing feeling.

According to the Rhodes Trust, about 100 Rhodes Scholars will be selected worldwide this year from 60 different countries. This year, more than 2,300 American students began the application process and 235 applicants made it to the final stage. Nicholas was one of the 32 ultimately selected from the U.S. He said he plans to get his masters degree in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation while at Oxford.

Between the accomplishments of Xavier in high school and the accomplishments of Nicholas in college, Tabor said she is proud to be their mom.

Its pretty humbling actually, and I feel very honored that I get to say Im their mom, she said. Through this process, people are like, Oh my gosh, congratulations. You must have done something right. And I was like, Oh, this is not me. I got out of their way and helped them clear roadblocks along their path so that they can do what they do best.

Tabor said both Nicholas and Xavier forged their own paths throughout high school and college to get exactly what they wanted out of the experience, and thankfully, Kimball Public Schools administration was supportive with that.

Nicholas (was) a pioneer in his high school. He kind of just said, this is what Im doing, and administration just kind of helped him make it happen, Tabor said. He created a lot of pathways in his high school to help him get to where he wanted to be. And, I look at where our high school is now, and I see the foundation that Nicholas helped laid for them, which, I think, is also why Xavier has been able to be successful as a high school student here. Its because of the pushing and determination that Nicholas, and actually the rest of his class, had to make sure that Kimball was a good school for those that came behind them.

Tabor also attributes her sons success to their high school principal at Kimball.

Danielle Reader, the current principal of Kimball High School, played a tremendous role in the success my boys have had, she said. Had it not been for her support and willingness to push for more opportunities, they might not be where they are today.

Reader said both students continue to make the school proud.

We are very proud of both of the Thomas-Lewis boys, she said. Nicholas took full advantage of all Kimball Public Schools had to offer. He is a very motivated and disciplined student and we know he will continue to represent Kimball well at Oxford University in the fall. Xavier is a very talented young man, both in and out of the classroom. We are very excited to see what the future holds for him.

Xavier said he doesnt know where he plans to go to school yet, but hopes to go into something like mechanical engineering. He stays involved with just about everything he possibly can be in high school, including choir, show choir, band, jazz band, cross country, track and field, cheer, student council, NHS, speech, One Act and quiz bowl, along with taking four college courses this semester.

I was a little nervous about him as a junior high student, because he was so reserved and in a shell, and I wasnt sure that he would be able to forge the path that he wanted academically because he is very, very smart, but not always the greatest advocate for himself, Tabor said. So, I was a little nervous that maybe he wouldnt get the high school career he wanted, but he has proved me wrong.

As for Nicholas, he was just as involved in high school, and currently, he is enjoying his last year in college participating as a member of the cheer team, member of the speech and debate team, vocalist with the Penny Loafers, campus guide with Kite & Key Society, and co-chair of the Admissions Deans Advisory Board, along with working as a mentor and tutor in West Philadelphia elementary schools through the Netter Center for Community Partnerships. He was also named a Deans Scholar at U-Penn, of which only nine students are selected, and hell graduate with a 3.98 GPA before heading overseas in the fall.

Nicholas said that while he accomplished a lot in his academic career so far, its thanks to one of his  and his brothers  most important supporters.

I think my mom almost certainly sells herself short when she said, I just got out of the way. Like, no, that is not true at all, Nicholas said. She is an incredible woman, and, I mean, our circumstances havent always been the easiest thing, but I never once in my life had to want for something because she has always fought to give me and my siblings every opportunity that we could ask for, and its because of her that weve been able to have the success that we do.

NOTE: Stay tuned to an upcoming issue of the Star-Herald for a story on Scottsbluffs Riley Ibero, who also received a perfect ACT score this school year.

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After a lengthy search process, the Twin Cities Development board has found their new executive director. On Monday, Jordan Diedrich officially began work in that capacity. He had previously served for five years as the Deputy Director of Public Works for the City of Scottsbluff.

Diedrich takes over the TCD position from Rawnda Pierce, who had been the executive director for the last 20 years. Pierce left the role in November, shifting her focus to serve as the TCD housing director. Diedrich said hell turn to her for advice about the role as a resource going forward.

Diedrich said he had a 90-day plan to learn how TCD operates and what might need to be tweaked before he makes any major changes.

I am going to meet with community members, community leaders first of all from Gering, Scottsbluff, some of the schools. ... TCD has business members that Ill meet with too, he said.

He plans to ask them about what their previous experiences with TCD have been like and what their expectations and goals with TCD will be for the future.

... Then we can work with those members to accomplish those goals, he said.

It was due to a love of community engagement and interaction that Diedrich got involved with community service in the first place. He said his new executive director position will help him do more of what he loves across a larger area.

Diedrich has lived in Nebraska for the last decade, and for the last six years has been a resident of the Panhandle.

When I moved here, the one thing that really got me going was the Leadership Scotts Bluff program. I started that probably within a year or two of moving here, and every month they have a different topic or a different sector like agriculture, government and things ... and that last meeting that we had really spoke to me. The idea was get involved, get on a board, dont say you dont have enough time for it, and it spoke to me, and I did it.

Over the years, Diedrich has gotten involved with a multitude of community service organizations. These include NEXT Young Professionals, the United Way of Western Nebraska and the Downtown Scottsbluff Association. One of his goals is to have TCD work with these and other groups to tackle issues together.

At this point in time my vision is to kind of unify this area, to work together and pull a lot of these organizations together because we have a lot of different talents and ideas, he said. A lot of them work together already, but pool them together and we can really share our talents, share ideas, share our resources and make a big impact on this community like a lot of these organizations already do.

Diedrich credited his time working with the city and community groups like these for his interest in the vacant TCD position.

Through those years doing public works, Ive done a lot of economic development projects with (Scottsbluff economic development director) Starr Lehl and things like that, and I really took an interest to it and really enjoyed it, he said. It was something I was kind of looking at in going that direction. When the TCD job came up, I thought Thats the perfect opportunity and Im going to apply.

He interviewed for the role on Jan. 13 and the board selected him the same day. I was really excited about it. It was quick. I was like, Oh, awesome. I really appreciate that this community is investing in people who live here and want to be here.

Its important, Diedrich said, for the communities of Scotts Bluff County to attract individuals who have a desire to live and work in the area. Some specific plans he has to accomplish this are to increase housing opportunities and improve the areas quality of life by providing more to do during the winter.

Theres a couple projects that the inside staff are working on. Theyre starting to send me some of that information, so I just have a lot of things to read through and work through. Im going to be doing a lot of reading, Diedrich said. Im trying to set up some meetings maybe this week or next week to meet with leaders in this area and talk with some of these people and learn as much as I can as fast as I can.

TCD was founded in 1985 with the goal of expanding workforce development in the Platte Valley area. It primarily focuses on recruitment, housing, entrepreneur assistance and business retention and expansion. The group helps provide resources and training for people who want to learn new skills to get new jobs. It also partners with communities and businesses to allocate TIF funding and work on LB 840 projects.

With the addition of Diedrich, TCD now has five full-time staff members.

Theyre opening their arms to me and welcoming me, he said. They have great talent and great skill so its a good team to work for.

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The first half of 2021 couldnt have gone much better for Nicci Carr, the actor who found sudden acclaim as one of the stars of the funny Scoop, There It Is Geico commercial.

As far as exposure, that has been the biggest, Carr said of the commercial, which was named by industry trade publication Adweek as the No. 1 ad of 2021. The success of the commercial left her, she says, on cloud nine.

And then?

All of a sudden, she said, this happens.

This arrived in July when she felt a lump in her breast. In years past, she had been diagnosed with benign cysts, but, this, she thought, feels different.

In early September, Carr, 50, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease, and, as you might expect, the news hit hard.

I was like, for real, God? This is how its going to go down? she recalled.

It felt so overwhelming and so unfair and, well, like a death sentence, she said, acknowledging now she was in a dark and scary place back then. At first, she didnt even want to proceed with treatments.

I was so deeply depressed, she said.

Her outlook has shifted entirely from that initial panic, as she describes it, when she was afraid of what people might think about her for being sick. Which doesnt make sense, I know, she says.

Now? She is in a much different place. She is deep into weekly chemotherapy treatments, which will continue until surgery  likely in the spring  to remove whats left of the shrinking tumor.

Now, Im just a woman whos conquering it, she said, part of a legion of women and men who are doing the same. Im stronger and more courageous than I thought I was.

Carr moved to Richmond from New York when she was about 8.

She taught school in Washington and moved to Los Angeles, where she scrambled to find acting jobs (which included roles as an extra in Beauty Shop and The West Wing, among other films and shows), completed a masters degree in student development in higher education, worked at UCLA and the University of Southern California, burned out on acting as a career, moved to Atlanta and settled into a job at Georgia State University.

In Atlanta, she relaunched her acting career, landing gigs on shows such as Atlanta, Good Girls and P-Valley, which led to the Geico commercial. It was shot in November 2020 and debuted on Christmas Day.

The commercial opens with Carr as the apron-wearing Tasha in a kitchen, cutting vegetables, but by the end she has joined in the dancing with the hip-hop duo Tag Team as they joyfully scoop ice cream in a comical version of their 1990s hit Whoomp! (There It Is).

The upbeat commercial, which couldnt help but make you smile, was produced by Richmond-based The Martin Agency, whose senior vice president and creative director, Sean Riley, said Carr brought so much energy and humor to the spot. Just a perfect performance.

Riley said all of us at Martin are thinking about Nicci and wishing her the best.

The success of the commercial left Carr at the top of my game, making her feel she was turning the page on a new chapter in her life.

At Georgia State, Carr was undergraduate coordinator in the biology department, but she was also a student, seeking a bachelors degree in film. She was planning to graduate in August after completing her final project: production of a documentary about James Solomon Russell, founder of her alma mater, Saint Pauls College, and a major figure in the history of Southside Virginia. The college closed in 2013.

Carr is producing the film for the James Solomon Russell-Saint Pauls College Museum and Archives in Lawrenceville, which hopes to use it as an introductory orientation video for visitors, said Bobby Conner, a founder and vice chairman of the museums board who has become a friend of Carrs in the short time he has known her.

When she came [to Lawrenceville] to work on the documentary, everywhere we went  people recognized her from the commercial, Conner said. People may not know her personally, but they connected with her, and they just love that commercial.

However, her diagnosis put the documentary on hold  and everything else in her life, which was already in a state of flux as she had quit her job, sold her house in Atlanta and relocated a 90-minute drive east to Athens, where she enrolled in a graduate theater program.

The dark days after the diagnosis eventually gave way to a more clear-eyed view. And hope.

I shouldnt have doubted myself, she said. Shouldnt have doubted the process.

A turning point proved to be in a meeting with one of her professors when she and a classmate were performing a scene from August Wilsons The Piano Lesson. As she immersed herself in a poignant part of the scene, she began to think of the hard stuff she has endured throughout her life  her difficult younger days, her divorce, fighting for her health in a new city  and the emotions poured from her.

I felt so alone, she said, and I left it in that scene.

In that moment, I thought, I want to win an Oscar, Carr said with a laugh. How crazy is that? But in order for that to happen, I have to live.

It was the hope I needed in such a dark place.

As she started treatment, she also remembered what her sister, Adrain Walls, herself a survivor of breast cancer, told her soon after the diagnosis: Do you think for one minute that what youve gone through is just for you? Its for you to help somebody else.

At the time, Carr was having none of it. She had no interest in telling anyone, as she put it, the Geico lady got cancer. But everything is different now, and shes pleased to use whatever platform a funny commercial has afforded her to provide encouragement and comfort or simply a little assurance to others.

She knew chemo was going to take her hair, so she cut it all off on Oct. 31  after the first clump of hair fell out while she was on a Zoom call  and in late November she went public with her battle on her Facebook page.

She has been gratified by the support she has received and by those who say she has inspired them when it comes to their own health. She even enlivens chemo treatments by making fashion statements, wearing bold and bright clothes from Philthy Ragz, a company operated by a California friend and designer, and posts pictures on her Facebook page.

She is out of work at the moment and some days the chemotherapy leaves her feeling awful, but she is embracing the challenge and is able to look back on the roller coaster that was 2021 and say, My year was pretty good. As she enters 2022, she begins a new, even more intense round of chemo.

I dont know what to expect, she said. I just know Im ready to live.

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An increase in the theft of copper wiring used for streetlights along Interstate 80 exit ramps in Omaha is concerning and frustrating city officials.

The cost of the work to replace the missing miles of cables will total more than $170,000.

Its turning out to be quite a price tag, said Jeff Riesselman, Omahas city traffic engineer. The scope of this keeps increasing each week.

Riesselman said workers have been aware of the copper cable thefts since early December. The thefts continued into mid-January.

One of the first instances was on Dec. 1, when a worker found that 1,500 feet of underground copper wiring was stolen near the eastbound I-80 off-ramp to 42nd Street. The wiring was valued at roughly $17,000, according to a police report.

Then, on Jan. 5, a worker realized that 2,500 feet of wiring had been pulled out near 42nd Street and the on-ramp of eastbound I-80 until 36th Street, costing almost $38,000.

And on Jan. 10, three more thefts were reported along I-80 at 42nd, 60th and 84th Streets, totaling 4,600 feet, a value of $71,000.

In all, a dozen spots between 42nd and 84th Street I-80 interchanges and the westbound lanes of the Interstate near 36th and 50th Streets will need to be fixed.

The thieves are cutting the cables and then pulling the wiring from underground, and even the wires up into streetlights, Riesselman said. They then strip the valuable copper wire of its protective rubber covering and take the wiring.

Some workers found spools of the rubber coverings left underneath the I-80 bridge at 42nd Street.

The thieves likely try to sell the wiring, which recently has increased in price, to scrap recyclers or salvage businesses.

It kind of coincides with that increase in salvage prices, which coincides with the cost of everything going up, Riesselman said. I sure hope that they try to sell it locally because I think thats probably the best chance of getting caught.

Although the wiring powers streetlights that illuminate parts of the Interstate, Riesselman said state statute says major metropolitan areas like Omaha are responsible for owning and maintaining the Interstate lights.

Shannon Ankeny, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Transportation, confirmed that the streetlights are in the citys jurisdiction. But she said the agency is helping raise awareness of the thefts in order to deter criminals.

The Nebraska State Patrol is planning additional patrolling in the area, she said, and Ankeny urged people to call authorities if they see anything, even what appears to be workers on-site. She said the thieves could be impersonating contractors or city workers.

In addition, Ankeny said, scrap businesses should question sellers and contact authorities if people come in with spools of copper wiring.

The thefts also pose a safety hazard because the lights are out until workers can fix them.

When this copper was stolen, it takes those lights out that are along that route, so people no longer have those safety lights, Ankeny said. For everybody, that cost is taxpayer money that has to replace all of the wiring and the damage.

Riesselman said he hopes that the replacement work will prevent future thefts because some parts of the cables will be buried under the ground instead of in a plastic conduit that makes the wiring easy to remove. The drawback, he said, is that method takes longer and is more expensive.

Officials have noticed that thieves have targeted lights in less-populated areas near the off- and on-ramps of the Interstate.

It seems to be going west, Riesselman said. If (residents) see anything suspicious, Id love for them to report it to the police.

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If Russian forces invade Ukraine in the coming weeks, some Offutt-based air crews may be among the first to know.

Two RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft from Offutt Air Force Bases 55th Wing (plus a third from Great Britains Royal Air Force) are part of a growing wave of reconnaissance aircraft from U.S. and allied nations flying just beyond the Russian frontier, watching and listening for signs of war.

Collectively, these planes  both manned and unmanned  can pick up many kinds of electronic signals. The Rivet Joints carry teams of interpreters capable of translating radio communications from the ground at a range of up to 300 miles, said Robert Hopkins III, who flew RC-135s in the Gulf War and is now a historian of Air Force reconnaissance missions.

They are the eyes and ears of Americas national command authority  people who live next door to you in Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion and Plattsmouth, Hopkins said. Anyone on the front lines is going to have a front-row seat to whats happening.

Since late December, reconnaissance planes from the U.S., Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and Norway have logged more than 100 flights near the Russian border  especially near Ukraine, where Russia has reportedly massed up to 100,000 troops for a possible invasion. Rivet Joints have flown at least 19 of those missions.

Theres been a spike in the RC-135 operations in Eastern Europe, and over Ukraine, said Rep. Don Bacon, who commanded the 55th Wing a decade ago and who now serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Both the frequency and types of aircraft have ramped up over the past two months, according to aircraft monitors who track the flights through websites such as ADSBexchange.com. There were eight flights Monday and 12 Tuesday, marking two of the heaviest back-to-back days of the past month.

The frequency has gone from three or four times a week, to multiple flights a day, said Hopkins, co-author of Crowded Skies: Cold War Reconnaissance in the Baltic, slated for publication in March. All of a sudden, this is from the south of Europe to the north of Europe; from Yalta to St. Petersburg.

Russia and Ukraine have a long history of domination and conflict. The territory that is now Ukraine has been fought over by Russia and other powerful neighbors such as Austria and Poland for centuries.

Much of Ukraine was absorbed into the Russian empire in the 1600s and later was a republic of the Soviet Union. The region was a target of Stalinist terror, including a forced famine and large-scale political purges in the 1930s.

Along with other former Soviet republics, Ukraine declared its independence during the USSRs 1991 collapse.

Since Vladimir Putin's rise to power in 2000, he has sought to permanently return Ukraine to Russias orbit  including by force, as when he engineered the annexation of Crimea and occupied eastern Ukraine with a proxy army in 2014.

That conflict has simmered ever since, with pro-Russian militias occupying provinces in Ukraines far east, as well as Crimea.

In recent months, Putin has demanded that NATO permanently exclude Ukraine. President Joe Biden has said thats a nonstarter. Last week he predicted that Russia would soon invade, though Putin has denied any plans. Earlier this week, Biden alerted 8,500 troops that they might be deployed to nearby countries, though not Ukraine itself. Hes also pledged strong sanctions against Russia and its leaders.

For years, the U.S. has flown routine Rivet Joint missions in the region from forward-deployed bases in England and Greece. The routes have primarily focused on Kaliningrad (a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea dense with military facilities) and Crimea (a Ukrainian peninsula in the Black Sea, seized by Russia in 2014).

Recently, the planes have expanded routes over Poland, eastern Ukraine, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The last couple of months, things have been slowly escalating, said Amelia Smith, an online aircraft tracker who lives near Boston. Its definitely new and interesting to see these flights over Ukraine itself.

Smith, 25, is part of a small army of internet sleuths who have taken advantage of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) network that monitors civilian and military air traffic around the world.

She works for an office-supply retailer and has had no degree or special training in defense issues. But she has a hobbyists avid interest in intelligence and aerial reconnaissance  and a knack for digging up information online.

Open-source intelligence is available to anyone, she said. Anyone can do this.

Smiths daily updates on reconnaissance flights over Eastern Europe  posted on her Twitter account, @ameliairheart  have drawn a following on social media. Her posts mapping the flights draw hundreds of likes and dozens of retweets among her following of military intelligence and aviation enthusiasts  including experts like Hopkins, who described them as "credible and reliable."

Smith is the first to map out each planes surveillance range, using colorful bubbles that show the distance their crews can see and hear.

Smiths data shows that 19 of the flights involved Rivet Joints. Her post Monday, for example, showed a 55th Wing RC-135 operating out of Mildenhall flying a U-shaped track around Kaliningrad over Poland and Lithuania.

She has also tracked flights by several other crewed aircraft types, including Air Force E-8 JSTARS and E-3 AWACS and Navy P-8A Poseidons, plus unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawks and MQ-9 Reapers.

All can intercept different types of electronic and communication signals.

Rivet Joints and P-8s are ears. E-8 JSTARS are ground eyes, and E-3 AWACS are aerial eyes, Hopkins said.

The unmanned aircraft can operate at very high altitudes, and for long periods of time.

The Army has contributed RC-12X aircraft along with its new ARTEMIS system, both of which operate at lower altitudes.

The Rivet Joints, built in the early 1960s for Cold War-era reconnaissance and upgraded in the 21st century, are among the militarys most sought-after surveillance tools because they can give real-time information about whats happening on the ground.

The higher they go, the farther they can see, Hopkins said. The Rivet Joints are going to have the largest range. Theyre going to be able to hear well into Russia.

The crews have been flying missions in the Middle East continuously since August 1990, just days after Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait. They have flown frequently during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also along the tense border between North and South Korea. For the crews, these missions are routine.

Bacon, who has flown on planes like these in combat zones, said there's an added element of risk on the Ukrainian frontier  a new region for 55th Wing crews.

These guys probably have had to up their game, he said.

Hopkins said it would be hard for the crews to forget that in 2014, during an earlier Russia-Ukraine showdown, soldiers in eastern Ukraine used a surface-to-air missile to shoot down a Malaysian Airlines jetliner, killing all 298 civilians on board.

During the early Cold War years, the Soviet Union sometimes shot down U.S. reconnaissance flights in the fierce defense of its borders. Thats not the way Russia conducts itself now, and Hopkins thinks the odds are low of a repeat.

But not quite zero.

I dont think the Russians would take any action that would put an American or NATO aircraft at risk, he said. But you cant rule out the possibility that a Russian separatist group could shoot a plane at random.

If youre a crew member, he said, You cant just ignore the threat. You have to take it seriously.

Even absent that fear, there's the certainty that war and peace hang in the balance as the Rivet Joint crews carry out their missions.

There's a sense of gravitas that's not there on a day-to-day basis, Hopkins said. Theyre gathering intelligence with the knowledge it will go straight to the top, and it will be acted on.

The world is watching, and waiting.

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In the mid-1400s in France, Joan of Arc, a teenage woman who was continually engaged in prayer, began hearing what she said were the voices of angels, which she called her counsels. She claimed that the Archangel Michael told her that God had given her a critical mission that would involve the fate of France.

Michael told her she was needed to help expel Frances enemies, the English, and install Charles VII as the rightful King. In her visions, Joan was instructed to meet with Charles the VII.

After many failed attempts, she finally gained entrance to Charles VII court and promised him that she would soon witness Charles crowned the King of France. Against his better judgment, Charles gave Joan armor, weapons, a horse, and a whole army to lead. After leading her soldiers into many swift battles and helping to strategize with French military commanders, the English were expelled from France. Charles VII did become King just as Joan said he would, and this all occurred before Joans 19th birthday.

In 1829 a former congressman from Tennessee, Sam Houston.

A white man who was an adopted member of the Cherokee tribe and married a Cherokee woman was leaving his home state of Tennessee forever. On the deck of a riverboat bound for Texas, he felt depressed and empty; he was about to commit suicide. At that time, he said, I was in an agony of despair, strongly tempted to leap overboard and end my worthless life. At that moment, an eagle swooped down near my head, and then, soaring aloft with the wildest screams, was lost in the rays of the setting sun. I knew then that a great destiny waited for me in the West.

After the fall of the Alamo to the Mexican Army led by Santa Ana, Sam led an undisciplined army to win a stunning victory over Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, and he became the first President of Texas.

During the late 1870s, a confederation of northwestern Native American Tribes was at war against the U.S. Army. Sitting Bull, a great Lakota warrior, and Chief, gave thanks and sought guidance from his creator while performing what was called The Sun Dance. He described a vision in which he saw American soldiers as thick as grasshoppers. Falling upside down into the Lakota camp, which he and his people took as a sign that a major victory would be won against the U.S. Army.

One fateful day in 1876, General George Armstrong Custer badly miscalculated. With a couple hundred men, Custer charged on horseback into a Native American village in southern Montana, which encamped an estimated 2,000 warriors, armed with superior repeating rifles, led by Sitting Bull. After a brutal fight that lasted about 2 hours, Custer and his men suffered a bloody defeat, which became known as Custers Last Stand or The Battle of Little Bighorn.

People search for signs, symbols, and visions in desperate and unsure times. Caught in a difficult situation, wanting to make the right decision, hoping to meet the right person, worried about choosing the right career path, many of us will seek guidance from above. Unfortunately, or maybe, fortunately, some of us never receive the sought-after sign, which itself could be a sign.

History is littered with people who have claimed to see signs and visions that confirmed they would do great things. Did Joan of Arc speak to the Archangel Michael, or was she insane? When Sam Houston was saved from suicide by a screeching eagle, did that mean he was meant for great things, or did he derive false meaning from a random event? Is it true that Sitting Bull saw a vision from the spirit realm, or was he just visualizing an outcome for what he hoped would happen?

One thing is for sure. They were wholeheartedly convinced of the success of their mission. When you find yourself at the crossroads looking for a sign, no matter how you move forward, do so with unwavering faith, dont look back. As you move closer to the target, do not back off, stoke the fire inside, cast aside all doubt, and press forward with confidence in your every step.

Toby Moore is a columnist, the star of Emmy - Nominated A Separate Peace, and the CEO of Cubestream Inc
KIEV, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine's first deputy parliament speaker Oleksandr Kornienko said assistance from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, the Ukrainian parliament's newspaper Golos Ukrainy reported on Wednesday.

"We are grateful to those partner countries that already support Ukraine, the Alliance in general - for systematic assistance in the development of our army, which will strengthen the defense capabilities of our country," Kornienko said at a briefing following a meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Interparliamentary Council.

Kornienko invited foreign parliament members to attend the NATO Parliamentary Assembly slated for May this year in Kiev.

A meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Interparliamentary Council was held in Brussels on Jan. 24-25.

Last week, the United States sent two batches of military assistance to Ukraine as part of a military package worth 200 million U.S. dollars. Another batch of U.S. defensive aid arrived in Kiev on Tuesday.

Last week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also received anti-tank defensive weapons from Britain, while Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania pledged military support for Ukraine. 
Southport, NC (28461)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms. Low 68F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
Nestled behind Fifth Street Ministries are two tiny homes which are the culmination of a vision, one that started with a few people and grew to that of a community.

Vision was a keyword in many of the comments made at the Tiny Home celebration held Tuesday, a celebration of a community project for veterans in transition collaborated on by Fifth Street Ministries, Piedmont Veterans Assistance Council and Purple Heart Homes. It was a day to see dreams come to fruition, helping those experiencing homelessness to continue in their transition to live independently, shared Michele Knapp, executive director of Fifth Street Ministries.

In a release, it was noted that the tiny homes were moved from manufacturing at Purple Heart Homes to Fifth Street Ministries this month. During the ceremony, John Gallina, co-founder of Purple Heart Homes and a combat wounded veteran, passed two sets of keys for the tiny homes to Knapp, as he said, to allow her to welcome somebody home very soon.

The celebration began at 11 a.m. on the ground where the homes were placed with music by Rockie Lynne who noted that on this day, its our honor to pay tribute to our veteran community, and shared a special song which he noted gives a long overdue thank you and welcome home to those veterans who served in Vietnam.

Brad Border with Purple Heart Homes led the group in prayer, thanking God for his providing and praying for his blessing on the two homes and the day, the outworking of our love through a lot of people, celebrating as a family and a community.

Various speakers shared the long road from the beginning of Fifth Street Ministries some 30-plus years ago, a vision of Gary and Patti West, to this special day sharing how the community came together to make it happen.

Gallina expressed his thanks to the entire community for acceding veterans back. You play a vital role to be able to help veterans be able to re-enter.

He shared that he received much support when he returned; however, for so many they didnt even get a thanks. Thus the forming of an organization that would help, he said. And the community came together, he noted, building relationships, building bonds and people being restored through it.

Fifth Street Ministries, Gallina said, was a dream to help people that were homeless, a dream to help people that were lost, hungry, cold. And because of this ministry, countless lives have been transformed. He continued by telling how he met a Korean veteran, who had a vision to be able to expand that, to see a community come together in a different way to help veterans that were experiencing homelessness coming out of the shelter, to be able to pull the community together.

Retired Major Gen. James Mallory shared about that veteran, Pete Meletis, who upon his return from Korea, was shocked to find out how many homeless veterans there were camping out under bridges or encampments throughout community. He was just not going to accept that, and thus pulled together those with like minds and established the Piedmont Veterans Assistance Council and wanted to address the issue of homelessness.

Gallina shared that lots of organizations have partnered together including Fifth Street, Statesville Housing Authority, PVAC, Bronze Star Homes, and have made this happen.

Funds from these groups as well as individuals have given to help this happen not only for the sticks and the bring and the crane and all that, but even down to furnishing to be able to help provide a safe haven for people to be able to lay their head down at night to be able to understand that theyre valued, theyre appreciated and not forgotten. You cant put a price on it. So it is with a heartfelt thank you and much gratitude that were today to be able to present these homes.

In addition to the vision that Meletis had, Mallory noted the vision of the Wests in addressing the needs of homelessness and the hunger and the need for clothing and the vision of Dale Beatty and Gallina to make the homes of veterans with disabilities accessible.

All of these were visions of individuals that this community has rallied around and lifted up and put legs on and you see the results with the Fifth Street complex here, the veterans transitional home, and also the homes renovated or built by Purple Heart Homes, Mallory said, and speaking of the tiny homes he said this is the culminating event as far as a transition process for those veterans that have been through the veterans transition home and he concluding by thanking each for coming together and giving their support, for the community putting their money where their mouth is and their shoulder to the wheel.

After being presented with the keys to the homes, Knapp shared her thanks and appreciation.

This has been a long time coming and I want to thank everyone for being here today, she said. We are here to celebrate today, celebrate these two tiny homes that will be added to our mix of programs here at Fifth Street to help those who are homeless and who are experience homelessness, veterans and nonveterans alike.

Knapp said that day would not have been possible without the partnership between them and Purple Heart Homes and PVAC and as prior speakers noted, the support, whether financially, by volunteering or other ways the community has rallied to help.

The program at the transitional home, Knapp said, is a comprehensive programs, offering case management, life skills, transitional house and all that is needed to prepare the homeless for independent living.

And these two tiny homes will also be an extension of that program. So we will be moving veterans into these transitional homes and further helping them to be able to live independently. While in the tiny homes, she said, they would have access to the shelter and off it offers.

Over these past six years, since we have opened the veterans house in 2016, we have served 67 veterans thru the shelter program. Of those 67, 17 have moved over to the transitional house program. And those 17 we placed successfully, 94% into independent living.

We could not do it without the community, and we are just so thankful everything this community does for us, Knapp concluded.

Patti West shared with the crowd noting how all this came about and that as with everything, things happen in Gods time, and not in our time and that looking back, I can see how everything moved to this moment.

She said the story of how they acquired the land, which she called holy ground was a true God-thing.

She likewise gave thanks to the community for how they helped and rose to the challenge and how they continue to rally and provide support whenever the need arises.

It wasnt done without a whole lot of people having a vision, having a heart wanting better for those veterans who have served us so well and have often gone so, so unnoticed. And youre a part of that, she shred.

With great emotion, West looked to Gallina and to Vivian Meletis thanking them for all they have done. And then looking to Knapp, she said, and my beloved Fifth Street, dont ever stop, because there are people who lives will be changed and who will look back on your and all of you as that person who was there in their time of need. So thank you for this, thank you for whats to come and just know when you walk right here, it really is holy ground.

As Patti concluded, Gallina presented her and Meletis with awards, two mounted hard core hammers to these two hard core families that are absolutely changing peoples lives. Thank you for your help and all your support.

Mayor Costi Kutteh spoke last expressing his thankfulness for the community and that Statesville spirit.

From my vantage point, we live in the finest and best community in the world. It is because of things like this. While its true that each of these organizations started because of a vision of one person or two people, those visions would not have been able to grow and flourish without all of us and thousands of other people just like us, he said.

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting and a final song, God Bless America after which everyone was given the opportunity to tour one of the homes.
A woman who was trying to save her dog when it ran into traffic was hit and killed by a vehicle Saturday night on Interstate 40 in Morganton.

Dana Baile, 29, of Morganton, was killed when she stepped in front of a vehicle just before 8 p.m., said Sgt. D.J. Wakefield with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.

Wakefield said a trooper had been dispatched to the area between Exits 100 and 98 on I-40 west to check on a disabled vehicle.

The vehicle was about 25 feet off the road against the guardrail, and its lights were off, Wakefield said. The trooper didnt see the vehicle on his first pass. As he was turning around to check again, callers started reporting a pedestrian had been hit in the same area.

The trooper then found two vehicles with their hazard lights on and a woman lying on the shoulder about a half mile west of mile marker 99.

The trooper performed CPR on Baile, but emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene, Wakefield said.

Investigating troopers learned that she and her boyfriend had pulled over on the side of the road. At some point, her dog ran into traffic and she tried to follow, stepping in front of a vehicle in the process.

Bailes dog did survive the crash, Wakefield said. The crash still is under investigation.

A GoFundMe page set up to help with funeral costs for Baile said she moved to North Carolina from Arizona in the last year to live with her sister.

Dana loved the outdoors and spending time with family, especially her nieces and nephews, the page says. She lived life to the fullest and always wanted to get her hands dirty. She loved helping people. She also loved to think outside the box with her creativity.

Dana was and will always be loved and truly missed, from her infectious smile to her chaos.

Chrissy Murphy is a staff writer and can be reached at cmurphy@morganton.com or at 828-432-8941. Follow @cmurphyMNH on Twitter.
China's fiscal revenue jumps 10.7 pct in 2021 on stronger economic recovery

Xinhua) 08:18, January 26, 2022

Xu Hongcai (R), vice minister of finance, attends a press conference held by the State Council Information Office on China's fiscal revenue and spending in 2021, in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's fiscal revenue rose 10.7 percent year on year to hit 20.25 trillion yuan (about 3.19 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2021, Xu Hongcai, vice minister of finance, said Tuesday.

The fiscal revenue in 2021 nearly doubled from the 2012 figure of 11.73 trillion yuan, Xu said at a press conference.

The central government collected about 9.15 trillion yuan in revenue, up 10.5 percent year on year, while local governments saw revenue up 10.9 percent to 11.1 trillion yuan.

"The recovery of economic growth and higher producer prices helped drive up fiscal revenues of central and local governments," Xu said.

China's GDP expanded 8.1 percent year on year in 2021, surpassing the government's target.

"The steady growth of GDP has laid a sound foundation for the growth of the country's fiscal revenue," Xu said.

Buoyed by rising commodity prices, upstream enterprises reported significant revenue and profit increases last year, driving the growth of fiscal revenue, he said.

In the first 11 months of last year, the total profits of major industrial enterprises surged 38 percent from a year earlier.

However, the fiscal revenue growth averaged 3.1 percent over the past two years, lower than the country's average GDP growth of 5.1 percent for the two-year period. The share of fiscal revenue in GDP kept falling during the period, which indicated fiscal support for economic and social development remained under relatively high pressure, Xu warned.

The country's fiscal spending edged up 0.3 percent year on year to 24.63 trillion yuan in 2021.

TAX, FEE CUTS

China will take stronger measures to cut fees and taxes to support market entities this year with a combination of fiscal incentives, Xu said.

The measures will be more precise and sustainable to meet the needs of market entities, he said.

Incentives will be given to support the high-quality development of the manufacturing sector, such as tax deductions for research and development expenses of enterprises to aid technological advancement, Xu said.

The country will also extend the tax and fee cuts due at the end of 2021 for small, micro and individual businesses to further ease their operating pressure.

The central government will step up transfer payments to local governments to ensure sufficient funds for local tax and fee cuts, Xu said.

On the basis of 7.6 trillion yuan of tax and fee cuts over the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), China cut another 1 trillion yuan in taxes and fees in 2021, which helped mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on market entities.

Xu said the country will set appropriate deficit and debt targets, guard against risks and enhance coordination between fiscal policies and monetary, employment, industrial, investment, consumption and regional policies.

China will continue implementing proactive fiscal policies and prudent monetary policies for steady economic progress in 2022, according to the annual Central Economic Work Conference held in December.

China will work to improve the effectiveness of its fiscal policies, enhance financial transfer payments, make good use of local government bonds, and strictly control government spending this year, Xu said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
by Yosley Carrero

HAVANA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Xu Han, a student at Havana's Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine, was overjoyed on Tuesday to receive a Spring Festival package from the Chinese Embassy in Cuba.

The 31-year-old Chinese majoring in epidemiology told Xinhua that she is filled with nostalgia for her homeland after receiving the package ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2022.

"I feel very touched by these presents," Xu said. "The Spring Festival is a symbol of fraternity and friendship for Chinese people."

Like Xu, around 100 Chinese people in Cuba have received Spring Festival packages from the Chinese embassy.

The packages include face masks, disinfecting wipes, medicines, cooking oil bottles, and Chinese New Year souvenirs.

Su Haotong, who pursues a bachelor's degree in the Spanish language at the University of Havana, said that he felt very grateful for the gifts.

"The Chinese embassy takes care of us. During these days, I very much remember my relatives and friends in China," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui sent his best wishes to Chinese residents in the island country on the occasion of the Spring Festival.

"China made important economic achievements in 2021 while successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic," he said, adding that the embassy will continue supporting Chinese people in Cuba.

Amid the pandemic, the Chinese embassy has instructed Chinese nationals to abide by COVID-19 safety protocols to minimize the risk of contagion with the virus.

Ouyang Chaofan, a Chinese Ph.D. student at the University of Havana, said that the Spring Festival package would provide him with better protection from the novel coronavirus.

"We are eagerly expecting the beginning of the Year of the Tiger," he said.

He Zhen, a Chinese tourist stranded in Cuba due to the ongoing pandemic, also received the package.

"The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government are very supportive. I have no words to express my deep gratitude," he said. 
China has finally gained its first export customer for jet fighters. After fifteen years of discussions and negotiations Pakistan has purchased some of the new Chinese J-10CE fighter-bombers. Technically the first Chinese made jet fighter to be exported was the JF-17, but that aircraft is not used by the Chinese air forces. Currently two jet fighters designed in China are offered for export; the J10 and the JF17, which is technically a Pakistani aircraft. The JF17 was designed as a joint effort with Pakistan, mainly so Pakistan could claim to have developed and manufactured a jet fighter on its own. Until 1989, when the U.S. imposed sanctions, an American aircraft firm was also involved. After 1989 China and Pakistan continued alone. While prototypes and most of the components for the JF17 were Chinese built, the main export customer was Pakistan and China never bought any, mainly because by the time the JF17 was in service (2007) the J10 was already in production and was considered a superior aircraft.

Technically the JF-17 is a Pakistani aircraft because most were eventually assembled there. Pakistan has exported some to Burma and Nigeria because Russia agreed to supply and support the RD-93 engines required. In return, Pakistan has been buying more Russian weapons. Pakistan was not interested in the J10 because it also had F-16s, and was very satisfied with the locally assembled JF-17. China had to offer a J10 of equal capability and lower price to get sales from Pakistan.

The Chinese solution was to develop a version of the J10 expressly for export and priced to sell. This led to the J10CE, and for the last few years China has conducted a major effort to sell this special version. The J-10CE is basically an export version of the Chinese Air Force J-10C. It was prominently featured at a November 2019 air show, along with eager sales reps looking for customers. There were some nibbles but nothing serious. The E designates an export model, with some advanced or highly-classified, items left out. The J-10CE appeared to have all its major new features and apparently the only items left out were Chinese IFF (Identify Friend or Foe) transponders and similar China-specific features of the communications or defensive systems. Sales reps touted the J-10CE as having the same capabilities as the latest version of the F-16; the F-16V. The salesmen pointed out that the J-10CE had all the advanced electronics in the F-16V as well as some stealth features like radar absorbing surfaces and stealthy air intakes. Every sales pitch ended with an emphasis on the fact the J-10CE cost only $40 million, half of what the F-16V was selling for. That was also a lot less than modern European jets like Eurofighter or Rafale as well as the latest Russian offerings like the MiG-35 or the latest Sukhoi models. India is now buying Rafales and already has a lot of upgraded SU-30s.

What the J-10 sales reps did not want to discuss was what most potential customers already knew; the F-16 had an exceptional service and combat record and was the most widely exported post-Cold War fighter. In contrast, the J-10 first flew in 1998 and entered service six years later. Less than 500 J-10s have been produced so far and none have been bought by export customers. The F-16 entered service in 1978, four years after the first flight and nearly 5,000 have been produced so far. Over a third of F-16s were purchased by export customers and sales are still brisk.

The reputation of the J-10 is less attractive. The J-10 is considered less safe to operate with at least ten of them crashing since 2014. The F-16 has a much better safety record. The Chinese J-10 sales force was also had to deal with the fact that the Middle East is full of satisfied F-16 customers, including Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Iraq and several Persian Gulf states. This satisfaction was expressed by repeat orders for F-16s and resistance to sale pitches from European and Chinese competitors.

The F-16V Block 70 is similar to the F-16E Block 60 Desert Eagle the UAE (United Arab Emirates) has been using since 2005. The Israeli version of the F-16 is in the same class as the Desert Eagle and uses a lot of Israeli developed tech. Since 2020 Israel and the UAE has established diplomatic and trading relationships, including the first UAE purchases of Israeli defense tech.

The Chinese are undeterred and keep seeking export customers for the J-10 while also improving it. China finally got the J10C into service in mid-2017, 13 years after the first J10s in 2004. This in itself was after a long (since 1988) effort to get an original modern Chinese fighter design operational. The J-10C version uses more composites in the airframe and has improved electronics. This includes a new AESA radar. J10s are the most widely used modern Chinese-designed jet fighter and it is still in production. More numerous are several different models of modern Russian jets, many of them legal and illegal clones produced in China. China does not try to export these clones. Russia was willing to tolerate China using its illegal copies of Russian aircraft, but not exporting them. A more practical reason for not exporting them is that makes them vulnerable to Russian lawsuits for tech theft.

By mid-2019 China finally formed its first J10C squadron. There were about 40 J-10Cs in service then and a full-strength fighter squadron has 24 aircraft. The J-10C began arriving at the new squadron in May 2019 and many were still being used for training and testing.

China produced a lot of J10s because, well, they were a Chinese, not Russian, design. That meant it took longer to get the J10 into service and China used the J10 to advertise its new aircraft development capabilities. Chinese developed electronics includes a glass cockpit, helmets with built-in HUD (head-up display), look and shoot capabilities and AESA radar. J10s got the first Chinese fire control systems that handled smart bombs (satellite or laser-guided). The J10 was the first to receive targeting pods, ECM (electronic countermeasures) pods and improved fly-by-wire systems. The J10 was also the first Chinese jet fighter to switch to Chinese-made engines rather than ones bought from Russia. Until 2019 the J10 still depended on the more reliable Russian made AL-31 engines. That has now changed with the WS10 standard on all newly built J-10s and for those in need of an engine replacement.

Partly because of the Russian engine, China has not been able to get any export orders for the J-10. China has to get Russian permission for the AL-31 engines used in exported J-10s and the Russians would not automatically cooperate. Before the J10 entered service China began buying the most modern Russian fighters (Su-27/30) in the 1990s and were able to buy and steal a lot of Russian aircraft tech during the 1990s because Russia was broke and the only thing keeping the Russian military aviation producers in business was export sales. China and India were the biggest customers and China, unlike India, had more advanced aircraft production capabilities and fewer scruples when it came to stealing foreign technology. Before the 1990s ended China had created an illegal copy of the Su-27, calling it the Chinese developed J11. Russia knew better and despite China continuing to claim the J11 design is Chinese, and that it just happens to resemble the Su-27, China has not tried to sell the J11 to export customers.

The J10 looks something like the American F-16 and weighs about the same (19 tons). Like the F-16 the J10 has only one engine and the aircraft is longer than the F-16 to accommodate the larger Russian/Chinese engines. It's no accident that the J10 resembles the F-16 because Israel sold China the technology for their Lavi jet fighter, a "super-F-16" design that Israel abandoned in 1987 because it was too expensive. China always insisted the J10 was an original Chinese design but after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 a lot of Russian engineers and scientists who assisted China in developing the J10 revealed details about how the Chinese had access to the Lavi design data and used it extensively. Israel wont comment because the U.S. cracked down on Israeli sales of military technology to China during the 1990s.

Despite the J10 being the first Chinese-designed modern fighter and the most produced model, China has purchased more legal and illegal versions of the Su-27/30. Russia is still selling China improved versions of the Su-30 design with an understanding, part of it in writing, that any tech stolen from these aircraft will not be offered for export. The understanding is that if China tried to export the stolen tech, Russia would make a fuss, sue and make China look bad.

China has gone on to develop several stealth fighter designs that are sufficiently Chinese (and not obviously stolen foreign tech) to be offered for export. Not many takers, not yet anyway. China appears to feel their new stealth designs are not ready for active service or export customers. Getting all the new tech working together, as well as developing a powerful enough engine, were major obstacles. Until recently a Russian engine, or a less powerful Chinese engine was being used temporarily. While China declared its J-20 stealth fighter ready for service in 2019, the reality was it was still in development. China finally put the J20 into service during 2021 with the arrival of a mass-produced Chinese engine that could equal the performance of the best Russian engines. While J20s are now actively used by Chinese pilots, the availability of an exportable J20 will have to overcome some of the same problems that delayed the J-10 from becoming the salable J-10 CE.

Despite the help from Israel and Russia, the J10 turned out to perform poorly in air-to-air combat. In response, the Chinese concentrated on reconfiguring the design to operate as fighter-bombers (the J-10B). This version carries over five tons of bombs and missiles and has been equipped with a fire control system for delivering missiles and smart bombs. The J10B didnt enter service until 2014 and did not get its solid-state AESA radar until the J10C, basically, an upgraded J10B, appeared and was declared as capable as late-model F-16s. That was not true and potential export customers knew what they were talking about, so Chinese salesmen had no suitable response until the J10CE came along. China will eventually find export more customers, besides Pakistan, for its jet fighters. The flawed J-10 has been a hard sell but China is persistent and upgrading the aircraft to J10CE standards and then offering it at half the price of a J-16 equivalent gave it a chance. Meanwhile China is concentrating on new UAV models and weapons systems designed for them. China already has many satisfied export customers for its large armed UAVs. These are similar in performance to the American Predator and Reaper but a lot cheaper. China is poised to move past the Americans in terms of UAV capabilities and China always has an edge in sales tactics; they will sell to anyone who can pay.
Caribbean

T he Antigua and Barbuda Hotels and Tourism Association (ABHTA) says many resorts are reporting a significant decline in occupancy rates and that the trend is likely to continue unless the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled in the key source markets of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.



We will continue to keep an eye on the performance of our members, understanding very well that we are a long way from full recovery. The volatility of this period is all too evident as we continue to fluctuate being uncertainty and optimism, said ABHTA Executive Chairman Vernon Jeffers.



Should cancellations continue at this pace, we will see the effects trickling down to employees in the sector where reduced work weeks and rotations will have to be employed. This a fear we do not want to see realised, he said.



He said one hotel had already reported more than US$2 million in losses as a result of cancellations out of the United States for December, January and February, as well as a further US$1 million for visitors coming from the United Kingdom.



But in a statement, the ABHTA said there could be a glimmer of hope with potential visitors opting to re-book for future dates.






Caribbean

Seven-year-old Nayla often prayed God would keep her mother, 25-year-old Shadae Foster, safe.



Now the young girl and the rest of her family are looking to Him for strength to cope with Foster's gruesome murder.



According to the Jamaica Observer, her body was found by residents of Petersfield Tuesday morning. There was a chop wound to her head. Her body was discovered in Bastard Cedar Walk, just metres from the Petersfield Wesleyan Holiness Church.



Mi cyaah believe dem kill Shadae and leave her a roadside. My husband just died in August from COVID and then this happens, her distraught grandmother Melva Myrie told the Jamaica Observer.



She said although Foster lived on Wharf Road in the parish, she visited often.



She come here every day and her mother makes sure she never leaves without a bag. She usually come with two of her children because her oldest one [Nayla] lives here. But she didn't come yesterday, Myrie said.



Shadae was a very bright girl, very smart. Her mother was even planning to send her back to school. Mi sorry she dead this way. Mi sorry for the children, to know they lost their mother this way, she added.



Myrie said Nayla would pray for her mother each day during family devotion.



Every day the little girl pray for her mother. Every single day she ask God to keep her mother safe and to help her to stop drinking, she said.



The family believes Foster was drinking the night before she died.

She drink you know; but whatever happened, she never deserve fi dead that way. The mother saw her last night and sent her home but she [Foster] seh she never ready and she left and went to Petersfield, with who I don't know. I don't know why they kill her, Myrie said.



A family friend, who only gave his name as Anthony, said he was gutted at the news of Foster's death.



Mi a town man, but when mi come Westmoreland a dis here house mi come and them people here feed mi and take care of mi, so a mi and Shadae grow up and she used to look out fi mi. Mi cry man when mi hear seh she dead. Dem never haffi kill har, he railed.



One resident of Strathbogie who asked not to be named said he was enraged when he heard the news.



Jah know, mi feel a way. A nice girl enuh and mi nuh condone wah happen to her. Mi bex man cause mi cyaah believe somebody woulda really do dat. Is a girl weh nuh really stay pon roadside like we yah suh but you always see har pass wid har babyfather pon him bike, or you see her wid the two children. See, all dem deh pickney deh a guh grow without mother now. Cyaah believe wah a happen inna Jamaica now, he said.



Foster's body is the second one found in the Petersfield area this week.

Another unidentified female was found in Hertford Monday night. The body was decomposed.



The Westmoreland police are investigating both incidents.






Todd Christensen was one of two founding fathers of The Crooked Road: Virginias Heritage Music Trail.

That tourism trail and economic development project began with a chance meeting of Christensen and the late Joe Wilson in Asheville, North Carolina, in 2002.

Christensen was a housing and development guy with ties to Richmond, Virginia  where he lives today. And, about 20 years ago, he worked to get the Ralph Stanley Museum open at Clintwood, Virginia.

Wilson was a longtime concert promoter who helped develop the Blue Ridge Music Center at Grayson County, Virginia.

About a decade ago, I sat down with these men at what was then known as Heartwood in Abingdon, Virginia.

The pair told me how they started the music trail with a series of ideas that would link the Blue Ridge Music Center to the Ralph Stanley Museum.

Officially founded in 2004, The Crooked Road follows across Washington County on U.S. Highway 58  from Whitetop to the Scott County line near Ketron and Pullontown.

This month, I caught up again with Christensen, who lived for eight years in Abingdon while helping nurture the new creative economy of Southwest Virginia.

At 71, Christensen recalls The Crooked Road  and Weldon  with a lot of laughs.

For one, the businesslike Christensen had to hire somebody to live with the often-dreamy Wilson to encourage Wilson to finally finish writing a guidebook on The Crooked Road.

It seems Wilson was in love with Grayson County but not so familiar with Wise, Dickenson and Buchanan counties  until he finally made a push to visit those locations, Christensen said.

Ultimately, that book was released in 2006.

Joe helped us a lot in making sure we got the history right, Christensen said. Joe was the king of content. He just gave us so much time.

The Crooked Road survived and thrived. But the two founding fathers would ultimately leave the project.

Wilson died in 2015.

I loved Joe, Christensen said. I loved him so much.

Christensen left the organization a couple of years after Wilsons death and now keeps busy with consulting work  actually, helping other folks start their own music trails in other localities.

What began as a chance meeting in Asheville and became headquartered in Abingdon was eventually emulated by tourism promoters in Tennessee and West Virginia, promoting their own musical heritages.

And while Christensen says The Crooked Road was a plan to develop communities with a new economy, he knows that the ticket to success was built on the celebration of musical traditions and the down-home hospitality of Southwest Virginia.

We never made any pretense that we were making up stuff out of Mount Olympus, he said. We were trying to help Southwest Virginia do some economic [restructuring].

In the end, Christensen wanted Southwest Virginia to be a brand, he said.

You can call it things like Heart of Appalachia, and thats fine. But nobody knows what that means.

Christensen laughed.

A lot of it was to get that brand established, he said.

And the music is the key to branding yourself.
Jeri Ward was crowned Mrs. Virginia at Hotel Roanoke on Saturday, Jan. 15, and will now compete in Mrs. International 2022 at the Meadowview Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport, Tennessee, from July 18-23. Jeri was raised in Emory, Virginia, and attended Patrick Henry High School, Virginia Highlands Community College, King University, and East Tennessee State University. Jeris charitable platform, Stroke of Luck, was founded after Jeri suffered a massive ischemic stroke at the age of 30, which cost her the ability to speak, move, read and write. After months of therapy, Jeri regained her mobility and is now educating in over 26 countries on stroke prevention and has passed stroke transportation laws in three states.
DAMASCUS, Va.  Two Washington County residents have been hired to help grow outdoor recreation and tourism in Damascus.

Julie Kroll of Abingdon has been named recreation program director, and Jason Justice of Damascus will act as recreation project manager for the Southwest Virginia tourism hot spot thats long been dubbed the friendliest town on the trail.

According to Kroll, the Town of Damascus has reinvented its recreation department to strengthen its position as the top outdoor destination in the Southwest Virginia region.

This strategic action follows in the footsteps of the new state-level Office of Outdoor Recreation formed by former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam in 2019. The new Office of Outdoor Recreation was created to highlight and promote the outdoor recreation industry in Virginia and to recruit new outdoor businesses to the commonwealth.

As program director, Kroll plans to highlight a recent honor received by the town when it recently was named Top Tiny Town by the Blue Ridge Magazines 2021 list of top adventure towns.

Were so excited about this recognition, she said.

Katie Lamb, mayor of Damascus, said she is pleased that new developments in town have created a need for the new employees. It shows the growth of our town and the good things going on, such as our new Appalachian Heritage Distillery and the Brinkwaters Hotel.

The fact that we had to hire extra people to help us manage recreation and to bring more people to town is really exciting.

Lamb said the hiring of Kroll and Justice will take the burden off town officials who had to multitask in order to carry out recreational projects. Part of the roles had traditionally been split among the town manager, clerk and treasurer, Lamb said.

Residents and tourists can expect to find new events throughout town in addition to community favorites, including Trail Days, Beaverdam Friday Jams and the Damascus Farmers Market.

Their role as new employees, according to Kroll, also will be to strengthen community image and sense of place.

Damascus is a wonderful town with many recreational opportunities, said Kroll.

Damascus is the top outdoor destination in the Southwest Virginia region. The town is well known for its recreational access, including the Creeper Trail, Appalachian Trail and Mount Rogers.

The new program director believes the pandemic wasnt all bad news for the region.

Local businesses have reported growth despite the pandemic, which can likely be attributed to an increase in staycations and family road trips on weekends, Kroll said.

Justice, who grew up in the town, said hes excited to see new growth and maybe a little bit of improvements along the way.

Kroll will assist with tourism and marketing, coordinating programming for recreational facilities in town including the new Laurel Creek Park and the Appalachian Trail Center that is scheduled to open later this year.

The new trail center will feature pop-up style events, workshops and socials as ways to get the local residents more involved in the town, she said.

The recreation department also will network with nonprofit organizations such as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Creeper Trail Conservancy, both of which protect, manage and advocate for those trails.

Kroll will be responsible for publishing a quarterly newsletter, an additional tool for informing the community about upcoming events in town. She plans to publish an electronic newsletter in February.

Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at news@washconews.com.
BRISTOL, Va.  A divided Planning Commission voiced some reservations Monday before voting 4-2 to forward a rezoning request for a proposed hotel to the Bristol Virginia City Council.

The commission spent nearly 30 minutes discussing different aspects of a developers plan to locate a 30-room hotel on less than a half-acre lot, next to the planned Hard Rock Resort and Casino Bristol. The plan, put forward by Soft Rock LLC, asks the city to rezone a 0.385-acre parcel at 2016 Veda Drive from R-2 residential to B-3 general business.

The lot currently contains a single-story brick house with frontage on Gate City Highway  but as the front lot of a residential subdivision.

Plans call for a three-story, 30-room hotel with a ground-level parking structure.

Mayor and commission member Anthony Farnum voted against moving forward.

There is a lot of planning going on behind the scenes now with the city, Bristol Virginia Utilities and the Virginia Department of Transportation about that stretch through there, Farnum said. I just want to make sure we slow down and do it right and everything is cohesive.

Work is just beginning on the temporary casino at the former Bristol Mall site, but the major construction is still months away.

During the discussion, Farnum asked what would happen to that site if a future traffic analysis showed additional access lanes or turn lanes would need to be added to Gate City Highway to improve access from the interstate.

A public hearing was held during last weeks City Council meeting, and it is expected to go back before the council at its Jan. 25 meeting.

Screening  trees or bushes  would be required to separate the business from residential areas, but that would be addressed in the site plan process, City Planner Jay Detrick said.

Currently Gate City Highway is running well below capacity; however, that will change with the opening of the casino, Detrick said. A traffic impact analysis is scheduled to be performed for the Gate City Highway corridor, as well as portions of I-81, and the I-81 exits all the way down to the intersection of West State Street. That should be performed in the next 12 months.

BVU said a sewer capacity analysis would have to be conducted prior to any construction, and the developer would be responsible for those costs, Detrick said.

This is the first of, we hope, many satellite developments arising from the casino, attorney John Kiefer, who represents the developers, told the commission. I think this is what everybody had in mind when we approved the casino; its consistent with all of the land uses that exist out there, and we should all be very hopeful about its success.

By unanimous vote, the Planning Commission also forwarded a request to rezone 12 acres off Island Road from R-2 residential to R-3 mass residential to allow a proposed residential apartment complex to locate there. The project, expected to be 300 units, would primarily be built on the Tennessee side of the development, which is located behind the I-81 Virginia welcome center.
Thanks for a successful event

The Rotary Club of Kelso in partnership with Cowlitz PUD thanks the volunteers, sponsors and attendees of the First Annual Kelso Rotary Lights in the Park drive through lighted Christmas display.

The event held Dec. 16-23, 2021, at Tam OShanter Park in Kelso, Washington, raised $8,900 in donations to support the Cowlitz PUD Warm Neighbor Fund.

Thank you volunteers from Kelso Rotary, the Longview Rotary Club, the Longview Early Edition Rotary Club, the Longview Lions Club, the Cowlitz PUD, the Lower Columbia Professionals, Lower Columbia College, Kelso High School, R.A. Long High School, and Mark Morris High School.

Thank you to the following sponsors: Cowlitz PUD, D&C Lemmons, Dick Hannah Toyota, Futcher Group, Renaud Electric, Rightline Equipment, an anonymous extension cord donation, Express Employment, AJ Fencing, Amy and Larry Sides, Brittany Howells (Life Mortgage), Catlin Properties, Eureka Engineering, Jessica Wade (State Farm Insurance), Kelso McDonalds, Kiwanis, R. Tom Lee, Stewart Title, The Pet Works, Larry and Veryl Anderson, Bob Beal (State Farm Insurance), Canterbury Park, Cascade Eye Care, Child and Adolescent Clinic, Ecological Land Service,

Frontier Rehabilitation, Hampstur Corp., Kalama Auto Supply and Repair, the Kelso Business and Community Association, Lance McDaniel (PNWR), Noelle McLean PS, Red Canoe Credit Union and Waste Control.

Thank you community members who came to see the light displays.

The Kelso Rotary Lights in the Park will continue again in December 2022. We look forward to increasing the scope of this exciting event in its second year.

Lisa Nathan, chair

Kelso Rotary Lights

in the Park

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Editors note: Information is provided by the Cowlitz County Corrections Department and local law enforcement agencies. Each individual named in this report is presumed to be innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Drugs, assault  Kelso officers Monday arrested Mauricio Eleazar Bazan, 22, of Kelso, on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to deliver, fourth-degree assault, hit and run and driving while license is suspended in the third degree.

Assault  Cowlitz County deputies Monday arrested Debra Julianne Deane, 60, of Longview, on suspicion of first-degree assault, fourth-degree assault and third-degree malicious mischief.

Fraud  A Longview man reported Monday a W-2 and new debit card were stolen from his mailbox, and fraudulent charges were made with the card at a Kelso gas station.

Fraud  A Longview woman reported Monday $4,000 was taken out of her account via a money transfer app.

Fraud  A Woodland man reported Monday a debit card was stolen from the mail and used at a Woodland gas station and apps including Uber and Lyft.

Assault

3100 block of Lewis River Road, Woodland. Monday. Report of neighbor hitting someone with a stick.

Burglaries

8000 Lewis River Road, Ariel. Monday. Report of equipment worth more than $15,000 taken.

900 block of Washington Way, Longview. Monday. Report of someone smashing a window in a business and taking items.

1400 block of Guild Road, Woodland. Monday. Tools worth $4,500 reported taken over the weekend.

Stolen vehicles

200 block of 23rd Avenue, Longview. Monday. Black 2002 Honda Shadow 750 motorcycle with dead battery. Washington 2F5945. Estimated worth of $1,700.

900 block of Castleman Drive, Longview. Monday. Green 1998 Honda Civic DX four-door. Washington 788YDD.

3100 block of Maple Street, Longview. Monday. 2021 Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Washington 4J6664.

Thefts

200 block of Barnes Street, Kelso. Monday. Report of theft from garage sale.

100 block Bergly Lane, Longview. Monday. Report of construction tools and equipment taken Jan. 15.

3100 block of Ocean Beach Highway, Longview. Monday. Dog food, shoes and other items reported stolen.

1000 block of Lewis River Road, Woodland. Monday. Hats reported stolen from a store.

300 block of Rosewood Street, Woodland. Monday. Blue bicycle.

Vandalism/malicious mischief

700 block of Harmony Drive, Longview. Monday. Report of cutting trees on private property.

500 block of Main Street, Kelso. Monday. Report of an attempt to break into a store the night before and breaking the outer layer of glass on a door.

500 block of Main Street, Kelso. Monday.

Vehicle prowl

400 block of Pacific Avenue, Kelso. Monday. Wallet reported taken from vehicle Sunday, and fraudulent charges made to bank card.

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A St. Helens man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for recording himself raping a child, as well as secretly videoing another child using the bathroom.

Anthony Wayne Dewey, 60, was sentenced to nearly 27 years in prison in the U.S. District Court of Oregon, according to prosecutors. Dewey pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting a child on Nov. 7, 2019, reports the U.S. District Court of Oregon.

St. Helens police arrested Dewey in 2017 after an 11-year-old told officials Dewey inappropriately touched the minor at age 6, according to a previous report by The Daily News.

Officials found videos of Dewey abusing the child from the ages of 4 to 11 years old at Deweys homes in Oregon and Washington state, following a search warrant, report prosecutors. Police also discovered hidden camera footage of a different minor using the bathroom, says the U.S. District Court of Oregon.

This case was investigated by the FBI, and the Longview and St. Helens police departments, according to the U.S. District Court of Oregon.

Dewey was also convicted in 2009 after hiding a camera inside the bathroom of his Cowlitz County home, report prosecutors.

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday that they had recovered the body of one of the people that were missing after a vessel capsized off the southeastern U.S. state of Florida, while the search for the rest of the 38 people was underway.

"We did recover one deceased body who will be transferred to shore today in Fort Pierce, and we continue to search for other survivors," said Jo-Ann Burdian, the Coast Guard's sector commander for Miami, at a press conference Wednesday morning.

She said the Coast Guard cutter crew and aircraft had been searching for survivors throughout the day on Tuesday and into the night, and had searched an area of roughly 7,500 nautical miles, or about the size of the state of New Jersey, adding that searching conditions on Wednesday "are very good."

The Coast Guard in a statement on Tuesday said "a good Samaritan" rescued a man clinging to a capsized vessel approximately 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet in Florida.

"The survivor reported he left Bimini, Bahamas, with 39 other people Saturday night and encountered severe weather, causing the vessel to capsize. According to the survivor, no one was wearing a life jacket," the statement said.

Burdian said the survivor was retrieved by Coast Guard vessel and transferred ashore for medical care. The survivor's condition was stable.

The Coast Guard suspected that it was a "human smuggling venture." Burdian said the Department of Homeland Security is leading an investigation of the facts and backgrounds surrounding the incident. 
Students left one Longview school warmer than when they arrived Tuesday  and not just because of a change in the weather.

Free winter coats were handed out to all of the roughly 380 students at Mint Valley Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon. The coats were provided through Operation Warm, a national nonprofit that makes the jackets themselves and partners with local agencies to provide them to children for free.

Its tough to be a great learner when youre worried about being warm and fed, Mint Valley principal Brian Mitchell said. Helping them to get these coats makes the whole school better.

Operation Warm reached out around Thanksgiving to Lori Carpenter, Mint Valleys family liaison and coordinator for charitable programs. The nonprofit has a longstanding partnership with Molina Healthcare to provide outreach to communities in Washington, and the two agencies were looking for a school to work with in Southwest Washington.

Carpenter said Mint Valley was selected because they have a large total enrollment and a high percentage of students who would benefit from the free clothes. According to the most recent report by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 68% of Mint Valley students come from low-income families.

For a lot of our families and students, its one less cost on their plate when they dont have to buy a new coat. And some of our families have two or three students here, Carpenter said.

The coats were laid out on tables in the schools central courtyard and sorted by size. Classes came through one at a time to have students pick out their favorites of the available coats. Many students filled out permission slips ahead of time, which included their coat sizes.

Volunteers from Operation Warm and Molina Healthcare helped the students grab coats, wrote the kids initials on the coat tags and put them in a drawstring bag for them to carry home.

Students who were absent Tuesday will receive coats they can pick up from Carpenters office later in the week.

After school let out Tuesday, Mint Valley transitioned into a second event organized by Operation Warm and the Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation. The agencies organized a community resource fair starting at 3:45 p.m., where they provided free food boxes to hundreds of families and a vaccine clinic for COVID-19 shots and booster shots available to anyone in the community.

District spokesman Rick Parrish said the resource fair is not officially held by or endorsed by the Longview School District. Parrish said the district was just offering space for the event. The neighboring Longview Presbyterian Church was listed as the primary area for the resource fair.

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The MediaTek Dimensity 9000 benchmark scores show faster CPU performance than Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Exynos 2200.

Which is the fastest chip you can have in a smartphone? The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 thats already in use on the Xiaomi 12? The newly launched Exynos 2200? Or, MediaTeks Dimensity 9000? With not many phones around using these chips, this is hard to find out. However, a benchmark chart shared by tipster Ice Universe shows Geekbench scores of these chips, and it is MediaTeks chip that takes the top spot.

The Dimensity 9000 in this chart achieves a single-core score of 1278, which is slightly higher than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and much higher than the Exynos 2200. In terms of multi-core score, the Dimensity 9000 obliterates the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 with a score of 4410, compared to the latters score of 3752. That said, the Apple A15 has them all beaten with both its single core and multi core scores.

Dimesnity 9000 takes the top spot

Note that the Dimensity 9000 and Exynos 2200 havent been used in any commercial smartphone yet. The Exynos 2200 is expected to be a part of the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S22 series smartphones whereas the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 could find home in a few high-end smartphones.

The Dimensity 9000 has the same kind of cores and as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 but differs with its GPU. It remains to be seen how much of a performance is offered by this chip in the real world and how phone manufacturers optimise it for their respective handsets.

On the other hand, Samsungs Exynos chip is using a custom design AMD RDNA 2 based GPU that promises superior overall performance over its rivals. The Exynos 2200 is expected to debut on the Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22 Plus, and Galaxy S22 Ultra, all of which are launching sometime in February.

The next generation chips are yet to debut in India but it could iQOO taking the lead with its iQOO 9 Pro running on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip. Samsung could follow it soon after with the Galaxy S22 series, with rumours suggesting the Indian version using the Snapdragon chips this year instead of the Exynos chips.
Falcon 9 rocket was launched by Elon Musk led SpaceX and it will crash into the Moon on March 4; a NASA satellite will watch the impact on the Moon.

Elon Musk first launched the Falcon 9 rocket through his space technology company SpaceX in 2015. Now, seven years later, it is on its way to collide with the Moon on March 4th, according to astronomers. Notably, the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft will watch the event take place. The Falcon 9 booster has been floating around in space for a while now. It all began after Falcon 9 was first launched. Falcon 9 is a two-stage-to-orbit medium-lift launch vehicle. The first stage rocket successfully took the ship to space, the second stage rocket was left with not enough fuel to either complete the mission or escape the gravitational pull of the Moon.

What will happen to Elon Musk commissioned Falcon 9 SpaceX rocket?

Earlier in January, Bill Gray, creator of the famous Project Pluto software that tracks NEO (near Earth objects), asteroids, comets and more, shared a message to the astronomy community to focus on Elon Musk commissioned Falcon 9 rocket. Gray believes that the upper stage of the SpaceX rocket will hit the far side of the Moon, close to its equator.

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Gray further said that it is difficult to pin-point the collision zone as sunlight may slightly alter the orbit of the rocket. These unpredictable effects are very small but they will accumulate between now and March 4, he added.

Why is this event important?

While there have been multiple deliberate crashes into the Moon for observation purposes to gain more knowledge about the surface, unintentional crashes are extremely rare. Elon Musks Falcon 9 will be crashing onto the far side of the Moon, increasing the interest of the astronomy community. Both the impact and the subsequent crater formed will be observed by scientists to gain more information about the Moon. The failed mission of SpaceX may give the community something interesting to look forward to.

Gray said that if his predictions were correct, it would allow satellites revolving around the Moon to observe the event and collect information. Two satellites that have the best chance to view the event according to the astronomer include NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft. The rocket, which weighs about 4,000 kilograms, is currently approaching the Moon at 9,000 kilometres per hour.
Real estate developer Hillwood is making a large bet on autonomous trucking taking off.

Global autonomous driving tech company TuSimple is getting a 1-million-square-foot facility at Hillwood's 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development in North Fort Worth. It will have launch pads and landing pads for autonomous trucks that use TuSimple's Autonomous Driving System.

TuSimple trucks drive on their own, but for now, a safety driver and test engineer sit in the vehicles, according to the company. On Dec. 22, the company completed its first fully autonomous semi-truck run on public roads without anyone inside on an 80-mile trip from Tucson to Phoenix.

The new AllianceTexas facility will be part of the development's Mobility Innovation Zone, an area that allows companies to test, prove and commercialize their technologies. The site off Interstate 35 near Fort Worth Alliance Airport provides a centralized location for TuSimple, which went public in 2021 and is valued at about $3.9 billion.

AllianceTexas is home to other innovative companies, including Bell, Wing, BNSF and Deloitte.

"We partnered with TuSimple, a leader in autonomous trucking, to provide the guidance and technical parameters required to prepare this new facility for the rapid adoption and expansion of autonomous trucking operations throughout the region and beyond," Hillwood chairman Ross Perot Jr. said in a statement.

TuSimple, which is headquartered in San Diego and has offices in Tucson and Fort Worth, said the new facility will serve as a stop along its Autonomous Freight Network. The network was first announced in July 2020 and includes autonomous trucks, digitally mapped routes and strategically placed terminals along high-volume freight routes.

The company's goal is to improve trucking safety as well as increase efficiency, operational costs and trucks' carbon footprint, according to its website.

"Hillwood's investment in these properties will make it easier for companies to adopt, integrate and scale autonomous trucking operations," said TuSimple CEO Cheng Lu in a statement.

TuSimple's infrastructure specifications will be implemented into other AllianceTexas buildings in the future so they can work within the freight network, according to the companies' announcement.

In June 2021, TuSimple opened a 2.5-acre logistics hub in AllianceTexas' innovation zone that created 50 jobs. The site supports shipping routes along the highway system connecting Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.

Texas has been a popular testing destination for autonomous vehicles due to its climate and flat roads. Kodiak Robotics, based in Mountain View, Calif., has a facility in Dallas-Fort Worth for freight testing and operations. In December, Amazon-backed self-driving vehicle firm Aurora said it would integrate its driverless tech with Uber Freight's logistics platform to haul shipments between Dallas and Houston.

And earlier this month, Dallas City Council approved a package of tax incentives and grants totaling more than $3 million to help attract a $160 million Ford Motor Co. and Argo AI self-driving vehicle facility.

Explore further Autonomous trucker TuSimple logs first no-human road test

2022 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
This photo provided by Boom Supersonic shows an artist's rendition of United Airlines Boom Supersonic Overture jet. A Colorado-based aviation company wants to build a plant for next-generation supersonic passenger jets at a central North Carolina airport, government officials said Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022 as local and state boards approved incentives for the parent of Boom Supersonic. Credit: Boom Supersonic via AP

A Colorado-based aviation company wants to build a plant for next-generation supersonic passenger jets at a North Carolina airport, government officials said Wednesday as local and state boards approved hefty financial incentives for the parent company of Boom Supersonic.

If successful, the manufacturing and testing operation at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro could generate at least 1,750 jobs in the region by 2030, according to local and state officials, while cutting flight times significantly for a post-Concorde generation of consumers.

A state incentives panel voted to provide cash incentives over 20 years to Boom Technology Inc. should the company meet plant investment and job-creation goals. The award explanation describes a $500 million investment by the end of 2030.

Jacksonville, Florida, and Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, were also in the running for the plant, according to a state Commerce Department official who briefed the committee in public. Greensboro's city council also identified Boom Technology on Wednesday morning while approving local incentives.

A company spokesperson declined comment on the incentives until a formal announcement. Gov. Roy Cooper scheduled an economic development announcement at the airport for Wednesday afternoon.

Boom is one of several companies trying to revive supersonic passenger travel, which died with the grounding of the Concorde nearly two decades ago. Boom has built a one-third-size demonstrator aircraft called the XB1, but now it faces the daunting challenge of bulking that up.

Many technical and manufacturing hurdles still must be overcome to offer to airline companies Boom's Overture plane, which would carry 65 to 88 passengers, consume so-called sustainable aviation fuel and cruise at 60,000 feet (18,290 meters) at 1,300 mph (2,090 kph)twice the speed of today's passenger jets.

Local and state incentives identified Wednesday totaled $121.5 million, not including $107 million the state legislature set aside for Piedmont Triad airport road improvements, hangar construction and other site work, should an airplane manufacturer choose to expand in Guilford County. A lawmaker at the time the airport money was approved referred to "Project Thunderbird"a name the state commerce official also mentioned Wednesday.

The Piedmont Triad airport is already the headquarters of Honda Aircraft Co. and the production of its seven-passenger HondaJet Elites.

Boom boasts of "pre-orders" from several potential customers including United Airlines, which last year announced plans to buy 15 copies of the Overture and take options for another 35. United, however, said any orders hinge on Boom meeting certain financial and operational targets, which it declined to describe in any detail.

Skeptics say that if supersonic passenger travel were really feasible, Boeing and Airbus would be building the planes instead of leaving the market to start-ups like Boom.

The Concorde flew over the Atlantic and was barred from many overland routes because of the sonic booms, and any new supersonic planes will face the same hurdles. Another factor that helped kill the Concorde was its high cost of operation. The company's founder and CEO, Blake Scholl, has said technology will help solve both of those challenges, and tickets should be in the range of current-day business-class fares.

Explore further United Airlines sees a supersonic future

 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Germany has seen regular, sometimes violent, protests against Covid-related government restrictions.

The German government is considering a ban on encrypted messaging app Telegram after it was repeatedly used as a channel for spreading anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and even death threats.

The app has also played a key role in mobilising turnout at some of the most violent protests in opposition to the German government's Covid-19 policies since the start of the pandemic.

And with the government now considering compulsory vaccination, authorities fear that the controversial issue could risk firing up another wave of rage.

The BKA federal police said Wednesday they have set up a Telegram task force with a view to investigating messages that contain death threats or hate speech, identifying and prosecuting their authors.

"The coronavirus pandemic in particular has contributed to people becoming radicalised on Telegram, threatening others or even posting calls for murder," said BKA president Holger Muench.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has suggested that if Telegram fails to cooperate with efforts to stamp out illegal behaviour, the government could ban the service completely.

Faeser told Die Zeit newspaper that Telegram could be deactivated in Germany if it failed to comply with local laws and "all other options have failed".

Telegram chat groups, which can include up to 200,000 members, have been used by some anti-vaccine protesters to share false information and to encourage violence against politicians.

In December, German police seized weapons during raids in the eastern city of Dresden after a Telegram group was used to share death threats against a regional leader.

The same month, Telegram was used to mobilise a group of coronavirus-sceptics to mass outside the house of Petra Koepping, the health minister of Saxony state, armed with flaming torches.

A message viewed by 25,000 people had called for people opposing Covid restrictions to share private addresses of German "local MPs, politicians and other personalities" who they believed were "seeking to destroy" them through pandemic curbs.

New avenues

At the height of a refugee crisis that erupted in 2015, online social networking tools Facebook and Twitter fell foul of the authorities as they were seized by the far right to spread virulent anti-immigrant content.

In 2017, Germany passed a controversial law that requires the social network giants to remove illegal content and report it to the police.

Berlin is considering banning the Telegram encrypted messaging app after it was used as a channel for spreading anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and even death threats.

Facebook said in September it had deleted accounts, pages and groups linked to the "Querdenker" (Lateral Thinkers), a movement that has emerged as the loudest voice against the German government's coronavirus curbs.

But that pushed opposing voices to other platforms, with Telegram emerging as the app of choice.

"Since the big platforms like Facebook no longer allow racist, anti-Semitic hate and far-right content like Holocaust denial, people who want to spread this are looking for new avenues," Simone Rafael, digital manager for the Amadeu Antonio anti-racism foundation, told AFP.

"Currently, the most popular one in Germany is Telegram," Rafael said.

While Facebook has an interest in maintaining a presence in Germany and has gradually submitted to national legislation, this is not the case with Telegram, the expert said.

"Telegram is not cooperating with the judicial or security authorities, even on indisputably punishable and reprehensible matters such as child pornography," a behaviour that "deprives the state of any capacity for action", Rafael said.

'Very bad signal'

One option for the government could be to require Google or Apple to remove Telegram from their app stores. However, this would not affect users who have already downloaded the app.

For Rafael, the only solution is to ban the app completely.

That would make Germany the first Western country to outlaw Telegram, created in 2013 by Russian brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, two opponents of Russian President Vladimir Putin who sought to avoid surveillance by their country's secret services.

The company is currently headquartered in Dubai, with its parent group in British Virgin Islands.

Telegram is already banned or heavily regulated in China, India and Russia.

But a move against the app could also spark further dissent in Germany.

Such a drastic step would "send a very bad signal", according to digital journalist Markus Reuter.

"On the one hand we are celebrating Telegram's lack of censorship and its importance for democratic movements in Belarus and Iran, and on the other, we are then disabling the service here" in Germany, he said.

Explore further Germany seeks to fine operators of Telegram messenger app

 2022 AFP
The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot can perform laparoscopic surgery on the soft tissue of a pig without human help. Credit: Johns Hopkins University

A robot has performed laparoscopic surgery on the soft tissue of a pig without the guiding hand of a humana significant step in robotics toward fully automated surgery on humans. Designed by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR) is described today in Science Robotics.

"Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery: the reconnection of two ends of an intestine. The STAR performed the procedure in four animals and it produced significantly better results than humans performing the same procedure," said senior author Axel Krieger, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins' Whiting School of Engineering.

The robot excelled at intestinal anastomosis, a procedure that requires a high level of repetitive motion and precision. Connecting two ends of an intestine is arguably the most challenging step in gastrointestinal surgery, requiring a surgeon to suture with high accuracy and consistency. Even the slightest hand tremor or misplaced stitch can result in a leak that could have catastrophic complications for the patient.

Working with collaborators at the Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C. and Jin Kang, a Johns Hopkins professor of electrical and computer engineering, Krieger helped create the robot, a vision-guided system designed specifically to suture soft tissue. Their current iteration advances a 2016 model that repaired a pig's intestines accurately, but required a large incision to access the intestine and more guidance from humans.

The team equipped the STAR with new features for enhanced autonomy and improved surgical precision, including specialized suturing tools and state-of-the art imaging systems that provide more accurate visualizations of the surgical field.

A robot has performed laparoscopic surgery on the soft tissue of a pig without human help. Actual surgery clip toward end of video. Credit: Original Johns Hopkins University video

Soft-tissue surgery is especially hard for robots because of its unpredictability, forcing them to be able to adapt quickly to handle unexpected obstacles, Krieger said. The STAR has a novel control system that can adjust the surgical plan in real time, just as a human surgeon would.

"What makes the STAR special is that it is the first robotic system to plan, adapt, and execute a surgical plan in soft tissue with minimal human intervention," Krieger said.

A structural-light based three-dimensional endoscope and machine learning-based tracking algorithm developed by Kang and his students guides STAR. "We believe an advanced three-dimensional machine vision system is essential in making intelligent surgical robots smarter and safer," Kang said.

As the medical field moves towards more laparoscopic approaches for surgeries, it will be important to have an automated robotic system designed for such procedures to assist, Krieger said.

"Robotic anastomosis is one way to ensure that surgical tasks that require high precision and repeatability can be performed with more accuracy and precision in every patient independent of surgeon skill," Krieger said. "We hypothesize that this will result in a democratized surgical approach to patient care with more predictable and consistent patient outcomes."

The team from Johns Hopkins also included Hamed Saeidi, Justin D. Opfermann, Michael Kam, Shuwen Wei, and Simon Leonard. Michael H. Hsieh, director of Transitional Urology at Children's National Hospital, also contributed to the research.

More information: Hamed Saeidi et al, Autonomous Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery for Intestinal Anastomosis, Science Robotics (2022). www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abj2908 Journal information: Science Robotics Hamed Saeidi et al, Autonomous Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery for Intestinal Anastomosis,(2022). DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.abj2908
Brazos County tax officials are reminding residents to submit full payment of their 2021 property taxes in advance of the Jan. 31 deadline due to staffing shortages at the Brazos County Tax Office.

Local taxpayers planning to make that annual property tax payment in person are encouraged to consider planning ahead or taking advantage of various payment options to avoid what is expected to be standing room only at the Brazos County Tax Office, Kristeen Roe, the Brazos County tax assessor/collector, said in a press release Tuesday.

I understand that people have certain thought processes and ways that they want to handle their business and we want to do everything we can to provide the service they want, Roe said. But I need them to understand that it is very busy right now and we are very shorthanded, and the wait times are going to be extreme if they are going to come in person; if they could come early in the day instead of late in the day that would be helpful.

Roe said if for some reason taxpayers have a balance and cannot come up with all of the money, if they pay what they can before the deadline, then any penalty and interest for late payment accrues only on the balance and not on the full amount.

Depending on the day and time, she said the tax office may have 8-10 staff members out.

We appreciate patience on their part. We are seeing a lot of COVID exposure if nothing else. For peoples safety, if they will take advantage of another option [rather than coming in person], that would be great, she said. While many choose the drive-thru lanes for convenience, some prefer it for additional safety. This has created extended wait times and frustration among taxpayers.

Roe said taxpayers can shorten their wait time in line if they allow 10-15 minutes for each vehicle in line ahead of them.

The office added a walk-up payment box located near the front door for payments to be made during the day. A second payment drop in lane one of the drive-thru area is for after-hour payments and will be considered next-day payments.

Taxpayers are reminded to place payments in an envelope and seal them before using either of the payment boxes.

The office released recommendations on how taxpayers can protect themselves from late payment fees.

Know what you need to pay. The tax office must rely on you to tell them what properties you need to pay. Bring statements or a list of property account numbers. This will save time, simplify the process and make sure everything is paid timely, the release stated.

If statements have been misplaced, additional information is on the tax office website at www.brazostax.org.

According to the press release, payments can be submitted on the website as well by e-check, credit card, debit card, PayPal and PayPal Credit.

Roe also said credit, debit and e-check payments can be made by calling 1-888-254-4339. Taxpayers must have their property ID number and should provide a valid phone number for contact.

When mailing payments, local taxpayers should allow for any delay in postmark by the postal service due to the routing of mail to the processing center in Houston. Payments mailed on the last day run a greater risk of receiving a delayed postmark. The tax office is required to use the postmark as the payment date, Roe said in the release.

Roe urged residents to come the day before and drop it in the tax office drop box.

Your post mark on your envelope determines your payment date; so many people drop it in their mail on the last day, the mailman is going to pick it up and it goes to Houston before it is postmarked, and people end up with penalty of interest, and I completely understand their frustration, she said.

This deadline is not for people who are participating in the split payment option.

If they made their first-half payment in November, they have until June to make their next payment. This deadline is for full payment of taxes. Not split pay or quarter pay, Roe said.

Taxpayers are encouraged to call before the deadline to make sure their questions are answered at 775-9930.

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United States Navy veteran Hugh Gravitt IV has been awarded a Quilt of Valor by Cindy Manfre, group leader of the Quilting Sisters of Florida. Gravitts quilt was designed, pieced and quilted by Renea Butler.

According to the Quilts of Valor Foundation website, A Quilt of Valor (QOV) is a quality, handmade quilt that is machine or hand quilted. It is awarded to a Service Member or Veteran who has been touched by war. The Quilt says unequivocally, Thank you for your service and sacrifice in serving our nation. To use the term Quilt of Valor, Quilts of Valor or QOV, the quilt must be a specific size, must have a label with required information, it must be awarded (it is not a gift) and it must be recorded.

Gravitt was born in Franklin County and graduated from Bassett High School in 2004. He served in the Navy from 2004-2008 when he was honorably discharged due to injury. He was a field medical hospital corpsman (medic), starting in Great Lakes, Illinois before going to Yuma, Arizona and Camp Pendleton, California. He completed his service at Camp Lejeune, School of Infantry Camp Geiger where he worked with Marines who were receiving training beyond boot camp.

The veteran said his grandmother, Cecelia Talbott of Rocky Mount, arranged for him to receive the quilt. Talbott and his mother Angela Talbott-Shore found out about QOV through the Hallmark movie Wrapped Up in Christmas and then through QOV books from the Franklin County Public Library.

Not being able to find QOV groups in Virginia, Talbott pursued the quilt through a group in Florida where Gravitt lives. In describing his experience in receiving the quilt, Gravitt said, It was very nice of these ladies to think of me and the other service men and women that they make these for, and I am extremely grateful to them for making me this beautiful quilt. I never have received anything for my service because I dont feel I did anything different than anyone else that has served our great nation.

Gravitt said he has always looked up to his uncle George Talbott who served in the United States Navy from 1984 to 1995. He said enlisting in the Navy gave me the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. While Gravitt originally wanted to be a Marine, his uncle told him about the opportunity to get a skill in healthcare as a hospital corpsman while also getting to work and play with the Marines in the United States Navy.

Following his time in the service, Gravitt returned to Rocky Mount where he worked as a medical assistant for Carilion before moving to Florida to continue working in health care.

After almost not graduating from high school, Gravitt got serious about his education and received a bachelors degree in health administration from the University of Phoenix. Using his GI Bill, he obtained his masters degree in health administration also from the University of Phoenix. He lives in the Orlando area where he works as director of operations for Primary Care at AdventHealth.

Through his involvement with the Wounded Warriors Project and interest in entrepreneurship, Gravitt had the opportunity last fall to be a part of the first inaugural Syracuse University Institute for Veterans and Military Families partnership with Wounded Warriors Project for Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans.

Gravitt said, I am always looking for opportunities to grow. I found this to be an opportunity to continue my growth in business and give me the tools to one day open my own business. Veterans are some of the most successful people to adventure into entrepreneurship. The program exceeded my expectations. I am planning to start venturing into business ownership in the next year while continuing my career in executive health care administration.

With an increasing interest in the Quilts of Valor program locally, Quilts of Valor Stitchers #80780 was formed in Roanoke last October. The group awarded several quilts in December. The group is led by Carolyn Zaleski who may be reached by email at: vaquiltercz@comcast.net.

Zaleski would like to give credit to the Lake Quilters Guild for their involvement with QOV by providing numerous blocks for QOV throughout the years.


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The Legislature on Tuesday advanced a bill to phase in full exemption of Social Security payments from the state income tax, with an expectation that the proposal may be parked at second-stage consideration pending further development of state revenue and budget projections.

The bill (LB825), introduced by Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, moved forward on a 42-0 vote.

Meanwhile, sharp debate erupted over a bill (LB723) designed to secure an additional $200 million in property tax relief for Nebraskans in 2024 by eliminating an earlier $375 million cap on a refundable income tax credit created in 2020.

"We had a deal," Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha objected, "and it was $375 million."

Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, sponsor of the bill, argued that his proposal was needed to "prevent a nearly $200 million tax increase" for Nebraska's property taxpayers.

Prior to adjournment for the day, Briese reached out to Sen. John Stinner of Gering, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, in an effort to seek "a reasonable compromise" that could be tied to "measurable and fixed" budget and revenue expectations.

Stinner earlier had expressed concern that "this could get out control and squeeze out other initiatives."

It would be wise, he suggested, to "freeze where we're at" until the full revenue and budget picture becomes clearer.

Lathrop said he believes it is unwise to vote for tax cuts prior to knowing state government's anticipated revenue and budget needs.

Sen. John McCollister of Omaha also suggested a delay in consideration of the bill "until we have a better picture of the budget and revenue forecasts."

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln offered a proposed amendment to the bill that would set the the credit at $262 million, beginning in 2024.

The bill originally was designed to provide a 25% rebate on local school property taxes.

Social Security income tax exemptions contained in LB825 would be accelerated and phased in with 20% increments until full exemption is achieved in 2025.

The resulting loss of state revenue is estimated at $40 million in fiscal 2022-2023, eventually rising to $73 million.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon
YORK  The York County Commissioners meeting room filled in record time this week, as a large contingency of people from the McCool Junction/Lushton area arrived to hear information about the proposed and likely upcoming K-Junction Solar Project.

So many people arrived that the over-flow was directed to the old commissioners meeting room in the courthouse basement, where the crowd could watch and listen to the proceedings via Zoom.

On hand to explain this project were three representatives of the EDF Renewables company which is pursuing this large project: Pervez Agwan, project developer from Houston, Texas; Evan Mallett of Houston, Texas, who is the land acquisition manager; and David Levy, an attorney from Omaha working with the company.

We want to thank everyone for coming to this meeting, Agwan said to the crowd. And thank you to the commissioners for taking the time to hear the information we are here to provide about the K-Junction Solar Project. I know there are a lot of questions and we are here to answer those questions, tell you more about us. I want this to be conversational and open. We will talk about what this project is and how it will affect the community. I want to apologize for not coming here earlier; we are still in the early stages. Over the course of the last year, we have been trying to meet with landowners to see if we can get enough land for the project.

He said the K-Junction solar project is to be a 310 MWac solar field  which Agwan said will be able to generate enough electricity to power up to 100,000 homes.

The solar project is designed to need approximately 5,000 acres and the area of interest (see accompanying map) is a very large span of land west of McCool Junction nearly to Lushton and then south to the county line.

The project development timeline, Agwan explained, includes for land easements to be acquired in the years of 2021-22; for environmental analysis to take place in 2022 and 2023; and for the construction and interconnect with the McCool substation to happen in the time period of 2024-2026.

Agwan told the commissioners and the crowd this project would provide significant tax income to local governmental taxing entities (including school districts and the county) over the life of the project  totaling about $43 million. He noted about 65% of that would go to the York and McCool Junction School Districts and 19% would go to the county itself.

He also added that approximately $84 million would be paid to the participating landowners by the 35th year of the project.

And Agwan said the project would also create 150 temporary construction jobs (as it is being built and connected).

Commissioner Daniel Grotz asked how the $43 million figure, pertaining to the tax income local entities would experience, was derived.

Bennett said there is a flat excise tax per megawatt and some physical assets of the project will be taxed as real property, which are all paid by the owner/operator.

He also noted that Nebraska law says county assessors, when determining valuations around the project, must ignore the solar project so it does not affect valuations/property taxes of the land/properties around it. And the valuations of the land on which the project sits continue to be determined as if they were still ag producing and the uses had never changed.

This will be a new net revenue to the county and the schools, Levy said, also noting the tax is based on the 100% generation capacity of the project, regardless if generation goes up or down.

Levy was asked if eminent domain could be used in order to gain easements. EDF is a private company and thereby does not have eminent domain authority. All easements must be completely voluntary.

We want all community members to feel involved and informed in this project, Agwan said. If anyone wants to get involved or ask questions, please reach out.

The commissioners asked how many landowners have agreed to easements so far.

Mallett said currently they have 22 under contract and nine in late stage negotiations. We contacted about 50 during our land campaign to see if they want to be part of the project or have more information. I have talked with a couple of landowners who were concerned about the removal of land from farming and that will be the case; we will be able to have natural grasses on the land and livestock grazing on the properties. We will also keep the areas clean and will not introduce any new fertilizers to the ground.

The commissioners also asked about the decommissioning process at the end of the life of the solar field. Bennett said that issue is addressed at length, in the lease agreement, which requires the developer to remove the project in its entirety. He also added that in the course of the zoning process, the company would enter into a decommissioning agreement with the county, as well.

The company will be spending $300 million on this project, they will not build unless they can sell the product at a fixed price for a long period of time, so they will keep operating as long as possible to recoup that investment. The decommissioning agreement is done before construction even takes place, Levy said.

Energy companies change hands, we see that happen all the time, said Commissioner Kurt Bulgrin. Say the energy company is sold. Are the new owners still responsible for that decommissioning?

Levy said yes, they would be. Regardless of the company that owns the project, the agreements are with K Junction Solar.

You said you have 22 properties under contract and nine that are tentative, said Commissioner Bill Bamesberger. Where are you at in the percentage that you need?

Mallett said they are currently at about 65-70% of what they need for the entire 5,000-acre goal. Right now, they are at the minimum target for making the project move forward.

When we are talking 5,000 acres, how many of those acres are actually covered by the solar panels themselves? Bulgrin asked.

The company representatives said about 3,000 acres of the 5,000 total acres would have panels on them. It was also noted the panels would be set in rows and would slowly move throughout the day to follow the movement of the sun. The motors moving the panels would run on solar power and would be extremely quiet with no sound to be heard from the roads or really even when driving between the rows themselves.

It was also noted the panels would stand about 8-9 feet tall and the panels would be of a no-glare surface as they dont want the light to bounce off but rather be absorbed to create energy.

They also suggested the public take a look at a 5MW solar field west of Lincoln, as this solar field is hardly noticed by the traveling public.

Id like you to give us a commitment that you will hold a public gathering, so all these people can talk to you one on one, said Commissioner Randy Obermier. I think that would be positive for you to do.

Absolutely, we would want to do that, Agwan said.

Obermier said he would also like more information about other projects they have done so conversations can be had with county boards in those areas. We will want to make sure we have all our zoning in place pertaining to projects like this.

Levy said they want to be avid participants in the zoning process with the county as things move forward.

My question is how on earth does a company in Houston find 5,000 acres by McCool Junction, Nebraska? Bulgrin asked.

Mallett said a lot of research goes into seeking viable areas, looking at transmission lines and for land suitable for solar that is close to that transmission line. We have to find land that works. This land is flatter and is close to the substation which reduces our connection costs. We also look at load centers.

We are in tornado alley and hail comes every year, Commissioner Grotz said. How do the panels hold up to that and who is responsible for cleaning up damages if that happens?

Its fully insured, very insured, Mallett said.

The company representatives also said they have the technology to turn the panels on their sides, up and down to avoid damage to their surfaces, if there is a warning issued for hail. And it was noted the panels are made of high-tech material that will not shatter and scatter.

You mentioned $84 million in land payments, Grotz continued. One comment that came to me was that highly productive farm ground is being taken out of production. So take 5,000 acres and using a conservative figure of about 200 bushels an acre, thats about one million bushels of corn a year and thats about 35 million bushels of corn over 35 years. And there is nowhere in the county to regain that production. Thats fairly significant. If you put a number on that, over 35 years, at an average of about $4.50 a bushel, thats $157 million. And I have to mention that with the $84 million (paid to landowners), some of that money will go to landowners who do not live in York County, as some live out of state. As I was saying, so then $73 million in revenue in York County is gone and thats an interesting number to me. Thats money that wont be here any longer, you agree?

The company representatives noted that landowners would be making that money, paid by the company, without having to accrue any expenses for things like machinery use, seed, fertilizer, fuel, etc.

Thats exactly my point, Grotz said. Thats money that goes to the local seed salesmen and the co-ops, etc. That affects a small community like York County.

Mallett noted again that grazing would be able to take place on the land  and they will be providing more information as to how that could generate further income for the landowner.

Do you have any requirements, any requests coming, for roads to be closed? Bulgrin asked.

We havent designed any road closures, Mallett said.

Levy added there will be some requests for underground road crossing permits, which will come to the county board.

Ive also heard comments about what it will be like for people who are living in an area with this type of a project, Grotz noted. Can you talk about that?

No one will be living in a solar field, Mallett said. There will be set-back requirements and it will be just like rows of corn, just more spread apart.

He reiterated the lack of noise, glare and movement in and from the solar fields.

I highly encourage you to have a public meeting, sooner than later so a lot of people can attend, because planting season will start soon, Obermier said.

Absolutely, Levy responded. An open house format is a great idea.

There will be more meetings with the county board as the project moves forward, pertaining to zoning  and when the company sets a public open house, that information will be published.
Pfizer is enrolling healthy adults to test a reformulated COVID-19 vaccine that matches the hugely contagious omicron variant, to see how it compares with the original shots.

Pfizer and its partner BioNTech announced the study on Tuesday.

COVID-19 vaccine-makers have been updating their shots to better match omicron in case global health authorities decide the change is needed.

The Biden administration is withdrawing its Covid-19 vaccination and testing regulation aimed at large businesses, following the Supreme Court's decision to block the rule earlier this month.

The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday it will be withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard for businesses with 100 or more employees, according to a statement on the agency's website.

The COVID-19 booster drive in the U.S. is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious omicron variant.

Just 40% of fully vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the U.S. has plummeted from a peak of 1 million in early December to about 490,000 as of last week.
Top 10 Billboard American Roots Artist Grant Maloy Smith and Kevin Lucas have released a new video of Cahokia Winds, a song Lucas wrote in 2007.

Grant is a very well-known musician in the American folk genre, Lucas said. Hes very good.

He added that Smith is folk with country crossover. He has an old-school passion and country style.

Smith, of Rhode Island, first heard the original version of Cahokia Winds when Lucas asked him to play with Lucas in Hollywood. Smith had worked on a smaller scale on projects with Lucas.

I played guitar and did a little singing, Smith said.

Smith decided to do a new arrangement of the song, and asked Lucas for permission. Lucas joined the project as a musician. Smith said he played many of the instruments, except the ones Lucas plays.

Hes a very creative person and puts all of his energy in everything he does, Smith said.

Many fans of the Kevin Lucas Orchestra will remember Cahokia Winds. The song was a favorite at live shows.

Lucas wrote the song after a visit to Cahokia Mounds in 2007. He lived a mobile home park in Carbondale at the time, and it was a warm spring day. When he returned home, strong winds were rocking his home back and forth.

The song and lyrics flowed into my head and it took me about five minutes to write. I feel like I didnt write the song. It was writing itself, Lucas said.

Smith produced the new version of the song and the video. Dan Johnson, a local filmmaker, shot the video.

They filmed at Fort Defiance in Cairo, on the beach where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers converge. They also filmed at Inspiration Point, near Wolf Lake.

Smith is not a fan of heights, so Inspiration Point was about 349 feet too tall for him (It is on top of a 350 foot bluff). He said Lucas was playing drums and dancing around at the location.

The song and video pays tribute to the Cahokia Native American civilization, formed about 1000 years ago in the Mississippi River Valley in Edwardsville. The Cahokia civilization mysteriously vanished about 600 years ago.

Lucas sent the new version of the song and video to the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society in Edwardsville. He said they contacted him praising the project.

They loved it. It felt really good, Lucas said.

To have an artist of the caliber of Grant Maloy Smith remake my song all these years later is such an honor. It is what makes being a musician such a blessing, and it is an even greater blessing being able to perform with him," Lucas said.

Lucas and Smith are scheduled to perform the song at Carnegie Hall in New York City in April as part of the Indie Collaborative organization.

Lucas was supposed to perform at Carnegie hall in 2020, but the event was postponed for the past two years because of the pandemic. He said he not overly disappointed because many people have experienced much worse from COVID-19.

"COVID has affected everybody's lives, but its going to be awesome to perform Cahokia Winds this April with Grant at one of the most prestigious venues in the world," Lucas said.

Smith also is producing a new song by Andy Waldron and Lucas. He said it 99% complete. He started recording a new album on the Mississippi River, from "top to bottom," to be finished in 2023.

For more information, visit Smiths website, www.grant-maloy-smith.com.

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In 1985, I was one of a group of concerned citizens who launched a decade-long battle for the last Shawnee blocks of 100-year-old grandparent hardwood trees and thousands of acres of Loblolly Pines. The pines, which were planted in the 1930s to heal a burned out land, are now fostering a regenerating hardwood tree and songbird nursery. We learned the United States Forest Service, in the 1970s and 1980s, had been decimating the only national forest public land habitat in Illinois! It had been a refuge for nesting neo-tropical migratory songbirds, federally endangered Indiana bats, rare plants and insects, a place of soothing inspiration, tourism economy, and our greatest natural ally for carbon sequestration! The USFS had already cleared Alexander County, in southwestern Illinois, of Shawnee Hardwood ridgetops and hollows, with no public input. In 1990, the USFS set their sights on Fairview, the northern end of the last contiguous public land hardwood forest corridor on the west side, in Jackson County. It was the disastrous Fall of 1991, as they hauled Fairview away. In 1992, the USFS logged the Whoopie Cat Lake Hardwood Habitat in Hardin County, and in 1995, the USFS logged Cripps Bend, which was the heart of the west side Shawnee Forest corridor. Then Federal Judge Phil Gilbert, with his landmark federal court ruling, stopped the USFS in their tracks. After years of appeals, law suits, protest camps, widespread media coverage, public arrests, lobbying trips to Washington D.C., and growing public support for preservation, Shawnee logging was halted.

For the last 26 years, we've enjoyed a logging free Shawnee peace. I regret to say the USFS is back with devastating plans. With the deadly Fall of 2021, they have cleared Huge Loblolly Pine stands and are planning Huge Hardwood timber sales, including the Lake Kinkaid woodlands! The triple threat plan includes tax-payer funded commercial logging of the last left-standing public Shawnee Forest habitat, massive burn projects, and widespread poison herbicide applications.

But wait! There is a way to stop the USFS! President Joe Biden could and should quickly proclaim Shawnee peace with a presidential proclamation of the Paul Simon Shawnee Songbird National Monument, honoring his old friend, Senator Paul Simon and his beloved 263,000 acre Southern Illinois forest jewel. Biden witnessed his former partner, President Obama, as he aggressively utilized the presidential authority granted him by the Antiquities Act of 1906! He preserved one half billion acres which are rare, scientifically rich, culturally valuable and irreplaceable natural sites, rescuing them from destructive industrial threats. Seventeen presidents have stepped up to the plate since President Teddy Roosevelt saved the Grand Canyon from mining management in 1908. They each chose to preserve a wide variety of fragile forest ecosystems and other national treasures, resulting in a lasting legacy of 129 national monuments across the nation. The Antiquities Act gives Biden the power to proclaim permanent protection for historical landmarks and irreplaceable environmental riches. It's an action that our Illinois elected officials could and should support. They could and should unite with one voice to ask Biden to act now, to add his name to the list of presidents who have done the right thing for endangered natural wonders, while preserving a priceless heritage treasure for our children and grandchildren!

As a concerned citizen, you can encourage Biden to proclaim the Paul Simon Shawnee Songbird National Monument to save what we have left of our Shawnee heritage, with a focus on pro-forestation instead of de-forestation, emergency climate change mitigation, and research. The national monument would forever be a living memorial for the Shawnee National Forest heritage sites that we fought for and lost in that legendary decade of 1985 to 1995! Go to the website: whitehouse.gov/contact Ask our president to act now!

I humbly thank everyone for considering this option in solidarity for peace in our Shawnee!

Thank you Biden, for realizing the urgent need to respect and reserve our left standing eastern national forests as endangered nesting habitat for migratory neo-tropical song birds! Our forests are efficient carbon repositories! Keeping our national forests standing is pro-active and cost effective! Save tax-payers money! Save the national forest heritage! Save carbon! No congressional legislation, no agency change needed! Only a quick presidential proclamation!

For a more complete understanding of the historic battle for the Shawnee, You're invited to attend a Paducah premier screening of an hour-long film "Shawnee Showdown, Keep the Forest Standing." It will be shown at 7 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Maiden Alley Theater in Paducah. This film is produced by Cade Bursell, Professor of Cinema & Photography at SIU, Carbondale!

Jan Wilder is one of the Shawnee Activists featured in the film Shawnee Showdown Keep the Forest Standing, recently shown in Carbondale. She can be reached at wilderbatlady@gmail.com.

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Between constantly changing entry requirements, mandated quarantines, testing rules and vaccine provisions, traveling during the COVID-19 pandemic isnt easy. If youre not vaccinated, it's even harder. Some countries flat-out dont admit unvaccinated travelers, while others require a mandatory quarantine and extra tests.

If you plan on traveling and aren't vaccinated, heres what you need to know.

Domestic travel for unvaccinated travelers

As recently as Jan. 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues to recommend delaying travel until youre fully vaccinated. If you choose to travel, the CDC reminds travelers that "wearing a mask is required on planes, buses, trains and other public transportation within and out of the U.S."

However, any additional requirements are up to each city and state. Hawaii, for example, requires that unvaccinated travelers submit a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of departure. It's the only way to bypass a five-day quarantine.

While Illinois doesnt have statewide restrictions, its recommendations differ based on the daily COVID-19 case rates of the state the traveler is arriving from. Unvaccinated travelers arriving from states with higher case rates are encouraged to secure a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of travel to Illinois. At the city level, unvaccinated travelers going to Chicago are asked to get tested for COVID-19 before and after arrival and to quarantine upon arrival.

Meanwhile, all travelers 16 and older who enter California via Los Angeles International Airport, Van Nuys Airport or Los Angeles Union Station are required to fill out a City of Los Angeles Traveler Form, agreeing to follow CDC travel guidance  or face up to a $500 fine.

Other states may be more flexible and have no recommendations or requirements related to vaccination, quarantine, forms or testing for visitors.

Tips for traveling domestically without a vaccine

If the required time frame for getting a COVID-19 test ahead of travel is less than 24 hours, check if an urgent care center near you offers a rapid results option. In addition, check if a PCR and/or antigen test will be accepted. Generally, results from an antigen test can be provided faster. If you have insurance, the test may be covered.

Before heading to your intended destination, check the city and state requirements and recommendations, because they may differ (like Chicago and Illinois). Find out if your destination has any special requirements based on the state youre arriving from.

Some businesses require proof of vaccination for entry. Be prepared to be turned away from restaurants, bars, stores and other establishments if this is the case.

Check if there are any ongoing testing requirements. For example, unvaccinated travelers staying in Puerto Rico longer than a week must submit weekly COVID-19 test results.

International travel for unvaccinated travelers

Traveling internationally may present a greater number of obstacles, especially due to different systems and a potential language barrier. Some countries don't allow unvaccinated travelers to enter, period. For example, travel to the majority of European countries is possible only to those who are vaccinated. If youre not vaccinated, make sure the country you want to visit will allow you entry.

In addition, before returning to the U.S., youre required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within one day of the flight's departure. While abroad, youll need to go to a COVID-19 testing center. Unlike getting tested in the U.S., COVID-19 tests abroad aren't covered by insurance, so you'll need to budget for the out-of-pocket cost.

Furthermore, you should book your accommodations wisely. Does the hotel you want to stay at allow unvaccinated guests? Will you be able to dine at the hotel restaurant? Can you use the spa or gym facilities? These are important questions youll need to consider before booking an international hotel stay.

Scrutinize your access to activities and other places youd like to visit during your trip, too, like restaurants and museums. On my recent trip to Germany, I had to show my proof of vaccination and identification in every bar, restaurant, shop and hotel I entered.

If youre unvaccinated, you may be refused entry to all these places, which can ruin your trip.

Tips for traveling internationally without a vaccine

Get travel insurance with Cancel For Any Reason coverage since entry requirements are changing constantly. What happens if you book a nonrefundable flight and hotel, and a week before your departure, your destination stops allowing in unvaccinated travelers? If you have travel insurance with CFAR, youll be able to cancel your trip and get your nonrefundable deposits back so long as changes arent made at the last minute. For example, with CFAR coverage from Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, "you may only be eligible if you purchase CFAR at the time of your base policy purchase, insure your full trip cost, and cancel more than 48 hours prior to departure," according to the company's website.

Confirm entry eligibility for your must-have experiences, like restaurants, museums, shopping malls or bars and clubs. Double-check that your hotel will allow you entry as well.

Research COVID-19 testing sites in the area before departure. Will you need to travel far to get your test? Consider travel time when making a test appointment.

Check if there's an app that your destination country uses that will accept your pre-departure negative COVID-19 test result. This step could make it easier to visit any bars, hotels, shops, restaurants and museums youd like to check out.

Final thoughts on traveling without a COVID vaccine

Traveling domestically and internationally may pose a new set of challenges for those who are unvaccinated. Be sure to keep up to date with the latest requirements to make sure that your trip goes smoothly. International travel may result in many more difficulties, so if youre not prepared to deal with all the uncertainties of being abroad, consider travel to a location within the U.S.

Elina Geller writes for NerdWallet. Email: egeller@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @themissmiles.

The article Ask a Travel Nerd: Can I Travel Without a COVID Vaccine? originally appeared on NerdWallet.

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ST. GEORGE  A groundbreaking ceremony was held in St. George on Tuesday for the Lake Marion Regional Water Systems Winding Woods Reach and elevated water tank.

This new reach and elevated storage tank will supply water to the Winding Woods Commerce Park, Woodland High School, the Dorchester County Courthouse and the greater St. George area.

Throughout my Congressional tenure, I have made it my mission to fix the water issues in this region. Without adequate potable water, residents in this area will continue to have significant health care and economic opportunity challenges, Congressman James E. Clyburn said at the ceremony.

Todays groundbreaking for the Winding Woods Reach builds on the tremendous progress the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency has made over the last two decades and will help ensure that current and future generations continue to benefit from this life-changing project, he said.

The Winding Woods project includes a 7.8-mile waterline reach from Harleyville to St. George, which is scheduled to be completed in January 2023, and a 500,000-gallon water tank, scheduled to be completed in November 2022.

The project also includes the installation of 28 fire hydrants along the new reach.

Lake Marion Regional Water Agency Chairman Johnnie Wright said, The Winding Woods Water Tank and Winding Woods Reach project will make an important connection to the Lake Marion Regional Water System, and it will complete the agency's goal of bringing water to the St. George area.

Wright is also chairman of Orangeburg County Council.

The anticipated cost of the project is $17.6 million, which includes $12.8 million for the Winding Woods Reach and $4.8 million for the Winding Woods elevated water tank.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is funding 75% of the project and Dorchester County is funding 25%.

Santee Cooper, which owns and manages the water system, helped acquire the property for the agency and worked with consultants from Hazen and Sawyer on engineering and design, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is constructing the project.

We are proud to help bring a reliable water supply to the some of the rural areas in this part of the state with our partners at the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency and Santee Cooper, said Lt. Col. Andrew Johannes, commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.

Providing this type of environmental infrastructure and watching the development and economic growth for the residents and businesses has been very rewarding, he said.

Jane Campbell, senior director of Environmental and Water Systems with Santee Cooper, said, An ample supply of clean water is important for a healthy, prosperous community. It is critical for the people who live here, and it is a game changer for economic development.

Calhoun, Berkeley, Dorchester and Orangeburg counties and the Town of Santee are the members of the Lake Marion Regional Water Agency.

The LMWRA, working in partnership with Santee Cooper and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has constructed over 45 miles of water transmission lines to provide clean drinking water, enhanced fire suppression and economic growth.

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The Orangeburg County School District has received a six-month school resource officer grant from the S.C. Department of Public Safety.

Under the $568,692 grant, six school resource officers will be funded through June 30.

The grant will bring SROs to Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School, Elloree K-8, Marshall Elementary School, the Cope Area Career Center, the Orangeburg Technology Center and the Lake Marion High School Technology Center.

The SROs could be placed in other schools if needed.

The grant will pay for salaries, equipment, training and vehicles.

It is renewable for five years and would total about $3.5 million over five years, if desired.

The district plans to apply for a renewal for an additional year running from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

The district currently has a total of 10 SROs.

Instructional policy

During their Jan. 11 board meeting, district trustees gave unanimous first reading to the district's instructional policies.

There was some discussion on whether cursive writing programs are offered in the district's elementary schools in light of the fact that the district instructional policies stipulate that students should be able to read cursive writing by the end of the fifth grade.

The district currently does not have cursive writing requirements across all its elementary schools.

Several trustees expressed a desire to offer cursive writing. Some trustees also wanted to make sure that the district does in fact provide courses and programs as stipulated in the district's instructional policy.

I think this is so very, very important that if it is a part of our instructional policy that we are actually doing the things we are supposed to be doing and not just passing a policy to say that we have an instructional policy, Dr. Debora Brunson said.

Trustees were asked to bring back recommendations on the policy before second reading.

Orangeburg Advanced College

The Orangeburg Advanced College program provides ninth graders with the opportunity to enroll in both high school and at Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College to receive both their high school diploma and associate degree.

The program allows students to earn more than 19 hours of college credits while in high school.

Students are able to participate in their high school activities while taking the dual enrollment classes.

The application window for students to enter the program ends Feb. 28 and any eighth-grade student is encouraged to apply.

The students and parents go through an interview process to participate in the program from March 1 through April 15. Students must have completed Algebra I and English I in middle school with a C average or higher, submit a 250-word essay and have no discipline infractions.

There is no cost to the families and officials estimate that by earning early college credits, students can save about $2,340 over a semester.

About 20 students are currently in the program. The goal is to add 75 additional students to the program.

Students can apply at www.ocsdsc.org/OAC

Other business

 The district has started an employee perk program that allows teachers and staff to benefit from discounts at local and national businesses. Information is available on the district's website at ocsdsc.org/PERKS.

 The school district's total revenue for the month of December was $15.4 million, with $9.5 million in expenses.

 Trustees unanimously approved the district's procurement code to bring it in line with the state's procurement code. The procurement code creates a set of procedures the board is required to follow when bidding out projects of various dollar amounts.

 Trustees gave unanimous second and final reading to a board policy establishing and clarifying the purpose of the district's receipt of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Funds, which is part of the federal Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.

The district has thus far received $53 million ESSER funds.

 The board recognized trustee Mary Ulmer for her 15 years of service to the South Carolina School Boards Association.

 The Lake Marion Technology Center's masonry department students donated concrete picnic tables to board members.

Board members will be able to choose what school they would like the tables to go to and will be able to choose a concrete table for themselves as well.

Trustees also received a concrete flower planter.

There are 61 students in the school's masonry department.

 The district recognized Cope Area Career Center health science instructor Adrienne Wood as Rookie Teacher of the Month of December.

 Trustees signed the board's annual ethical pledge for member conduct, actions, responsibilities and duties.

 Superintendent Dr. Shawn Foster announced he is an official resident of Orangeburg County. Foster has been traveling from Aiken County since he was named superintendent over a year ago.

 Trustees entered into closed session to discuss personnel recommendations and a contractual matter. No action was taken following executive session.

 The next board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 8. The meeting will be streamed on the district's website at www.ocsdsc.org.

Contact the writer: dgleaton@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-533-5534. Follow "Good News with Gleaton" on Twitter at @DionneTandD

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Claflin University announced Tuesday it is one four recipients of the inaugural Getty Images Photo Archive Grant for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, an initiative aimed at preserving and amplifying the invaluable visual history of HBCUs.

Funding from the grant will help digitize roughly 50,000 archival photographs from Claflin Universitys library, including stories about the Charleston hospital workers strike; the Conference of Black Mayors collection; and photos from Briggs v. Elliott, a case that paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education.

It will also expand Getty Images collection of photos from renowned photojournalist and Claflin alumnus Cecil Williams, including his personal library, which Williams will help curate.

Jackson State, North Carolina Central University and Prairie View A&M University were also selected as recipients of the grant.

We are enormously grateful to receive the Getty Images Photo Digitization Grant for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Claflin University President Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack said.

This partnership will help Claflin preserve its illustrious history in photographs documenting the universitys emergence as one of the nations premier liberal arts universities. These images provide compelling visual narratives of how Claflins dedicated and visionary administrators, distinguished faculty and staff, and high-achieving scholars made indelible contributions to Orangeburg, the state of South Carolina and the world, he said.

Launching on gettyimages.com, the Historically Black Colleges & Universities Collection will see thousands of images added throughout 2022.

Archivists and librarians from Claflin University will work alongside Getty Images team of archivists and Adnet Global, a post-production agency that specializes in the digitization, restoration and discoverability of visual analog historic libraries, in the photo digitization process.

The Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs were created to honor the vast history of HBCUs and their contribution to American history, said Cassandra Illidge, vice president of partnerships at Getty Images. We are committed to preserving the visual narrative of all cultures and communities to ensure these vital artifacts are accessible to storytellers around the world.

Claflin University will retain all copyright of its photos and, once digitized, the historical content will be placed in a newly created, stand-alone Getty Images photo collection dubbed the HBCU Photo Collection, which will be made available for licensing in early 2022.

All revenue generated from the images that are preserved through the grants will be funneled back into impact programs: 50 percent will go to grant recipients; 30 percent of revenue will be used for a financial donation to a scholarship fund focused on furthering the education of students at HBCUs and 20 percent will be reinvested to fund the Getty Images Photo Archive Grants for HBCUs each year.

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BEIRUT  Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian officials signed documents Wednesday consolidating a deal under which Jordan will supply electricity to Lebanon by way of Syria, but key details, including the financing of the plan, are still in question.

This is a historical moment and this deal renews our coordination with other Arab countries and we hope that we will coordinate on other issues, Energy Minister Walid Fayad said at a ceremony to mark the deal's signing.

On his end, the Jordanian Energy Minister Saleh Ali Hamed al-Kharabsheh said that the deal comes at the hardest times that the Lebanese are facing  and we have orders to give as much as we can to help Lebanon.

The agreement, along with a separate deal that is still under negotiation for Lebanon to receive gas from Egypt by way of Jordan and Syria  both of which are being brokered by the United States and are expected to be partially financed by the World Bank  have been touted by international and local officials as a crucial step toward solving Lebanons electricity woes.

Fayad has said that the Jordanian deal will provide Lebanon with up to 250 megawatts of electricity, or about two additional hours of power per day and that the power should begin flowing in about two months.

In total, officials are aiming to increase the amount of electricity provided by state utility Electricite du Liban to eight to 10 hours a day. The cash-strapped utility currently provides about two hours of power a day, with consumers relying heavily on private generators to make up the difference.

However, there are a number of potential bumps in the road ahead. Some are financial; some are logistical, such as repairs needed to the pipeline that will transport the gas; and some are political, particularly related to the issue of sanctions on Syria.

While Fayad has said that Lebanon has already secured $300 million worth of financing from the World Bank for the projects, in fact, the loan is not yet a done deal.

The World Bank's regional director, Saroj Kumar Jha, told LOrient Today that the World Bank is considering requests submitted by the Lebanese government to finance both the Jordanian electricity deal and the Egyptian gas deal, on the condition that the government would first adopt a reform plan for the electricity sector.

The exact amount of financing has not yet been determined, but the governments initial request was $250 million, Jha said.

We want World Bank engagement to help Lebanon to become financially sustainable in terms of whatever they buy from Jordan or from Egypt, so they are able to pay on their own in the medium to long term, Jha said. And this will require essentially a complete reform of the sector.  So, a precondition for us to go to our board of directors for approval is a comprehensive electricity sector reform program of the government, adopted by the [Lebanese cabinet], and disbursement of the World Bank funds only when they move into implementation.

He added that the conditions should give comfort to everyone in Lebanon, that World Bank financing essentially will be used for bringing systemic change in the sector, in terms of more transparency, better accountability, independent and better regulation, better cash revenue management in EDL, so that would allow Lebanon over a period of time to be able to pay the Egyptians and Jordanians from their own resources and they will not need more Bank money after, let's say, 18 months, which is our projection.

Jha noted that the reform plan must be adopted before the financing package goes to the World Banks board for approval, which he projected could happen in late February or early March.

The deal must then be approved by Parliament. Changes made by Parliament last year to another World Bank-funded project, the Emergency Social Safety Net program, resulted in substantial delays in implementation.

Attempts to reform the energy sector in Lebanon have stalled multiple times in the past and some of the measures required might be politically controversial  particularly if the plan includes an increase of EDL tariffs.

However, a senior US State Department official who has been involved in the discussions of the two energy deals said he did not anticipate substantial delays as a result.

We are not asking and the World Bank is not asking for the kinds of reforms that are not doable, he said. We're being very realistic, and it is very discreet and specific reforms that are necessary here that I believe are entirely doable, and I believe will not delay the project. I believe that the government will pass them."

In the meantime, while the World Bank funding has not yet been secured, Lebanon has been moving forward with repairs to the pipeline that would bring the gas from Syria on its own dime.

Following the signing of the deal, Fayad told LOrient Today that repairs to the Lebanese side of a pipeline needed to import gas from Egypt would cost around $1 million and that Lebanon would cover this amount.

Chairman of the board of directors and general manager at Electricite du Liban Kamal Hayek told LOrient Today that the section of pipeline that needs to be repaired on the Lebanese side extends for around 30 km.

Hayek also spoke about the anticipated World Bank loan to fund both activities under the deal signed Wednesday and the import of gas from Egypt, saying, Although the number is not final, the loan will be worth around $250 million.

On the political front, US sanctions on Syria have been the main hurdle to the energy deals. The US administration has taken the position that the deals do not fall under the purview of the sweeping Caesar Act sanctions or other US sanctions on Syria because the Syrian government will not receive any financial compensation; rather, it will take a cut of the energy.

However, there has been ongoing pushback from some, particularly from Republicans in Congress, who see the deals as a step toward normalization with the Syrian regime.

Meanwhile, another controversy erupted earlier this month after Israeli media reported that the United States had brokered a secret agreement to bring Israeli gas to Lebanon. The two countries are officially at war and Lebanese law mandates a boycott of Israeli products. Both US and Lebanese officials have denied the reports.

In a call with reporters on Tuesday, Amos Hochstein, the US State Department's senior advisor for global energy security, denied again that any Israeli gas would be sent to Lebanon.

There is no deal done between Israel and Lebanon on gas from Israel to Lebanon, and no Israeli gas is intended to go into this system to get to Lebanon, he said. I foresee no Israeli gas actually ending up in the Lebanese system, regardless of how we do this."
The Wyoming Department of Corrections has apologized after Dale Wayne Eaton was not transported to a sentencing hearing in Natrona County on Friday.

A statement from department director Dan Shannon said on Wednesday that there will be an internal investigation to determine if fault lies with the department or other state or county agencies.

I would like to express my deepest apologies to the family of (victim) Lisa Kimmell, Shannon said. I cannot imagine the feelings of betrayal the family must feel added to the trauma and victimization they have had to deal with surrounding inmate Eaton.

A Natrona County jury convicted Eaton in 2004 for the murder, rape and kidnapping of Kimmell while she was driving through Wyoming on her way to Billings. She disappeared in 1988, but it wasnt until 2002 that a break in the case led to charges against him. That summer, investigators found Kimmels car buried on his Moneta property.

For years, he was the only person on death row in Wyoming.

Court records show a transportation order for Eaton was entered in November, indicating he needed to be brought to the Casper court on Friday.

Kimmells family traveled to Casper for the hearing on Friday, which was already postponed from November, only to find Eaton was not present. They planned on giving a victim impact statement to the court, but will have to wait until the new hearing date in March to do so.

It is inexcusable that something as important as this has occurred, Shannon said. We will release an update on our investigation, and if it determines a failure on the part of the department we will take swift and decisive action.

The court hearing, mostly a formality, will determine the remainder of Eatons sentence now that he has been ruled unfit for the death penalty.

Eaton, 76, is already serving a life sentence, plus a few decades, and so will spend the rest of his life behind bars either way. He is currently incarcerated at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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A former Casper police officer gouged a mans eye during a fight that stemmed from a protest over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, authorities allege in a court document released Tuesday.

Jesse Jones, who was with the Casper Police Department for five years before resigning in the midst of an investigation, now faces a single misdemeanor charge of reckless endangerment. He pleaded not guilty to the charge during his initial court appearance Tuesday.

The mans injuries required him to be flown to a Denver hospital.

An affidavit filed in Natrona County Circuit Court states that while off-duty, Jones was picketing outside of Seton House on Oct. 1 when the alleged victim, the husband of the organizations director, approached him. While the alleged victim told police Jones threw the first punch, Jones and three other witnesses said that the other man was the aggressor.

The investigation concluded that the alleged victim instigated the fight, but that Jones gouged the mans eye after he stopped posing a threat to Jones.

The alleged victim told investigators, according to court filings, that Jones also pulled a handgun on him during the fight, and stuck his finger in (his) eye, prompting him to be flown to a hospital in Denver to treat his injuries.

Jones said that he told the alleged victim to stop, and backed away from him on H Street until Jones pulled out a gun, according to the affidavit. As a crowd began to gather, court filings state that the alleged victim and Jones ended up fighting on the ground. One witness reportedly said Jones had overcome the alleged victim during the fight and was punching his face into the ground.

Jones told investigators that he then took his finger, hooked it into the mans eye socket and yanked his eye out of its socket. He then said, according to the affidavit, that he backed away.

A video taken on Jones phone obtained by investigators shows the alleged victim talking about Jones pulling out his gun while coming towards him as Jones backs away, the court document states. The alleged victim said, according to court filings, that he was not charging Jones but just trying to reach his truck.

The protest, which appeared to consist only of Jones with a sign, was reported to police before multiple calls reported a fight outside of Seton House that afternoon, the affidavit states. The director told police she had previously received threatening emails from Jones.

Seton House, which runs a self-sufficiency program and provides housing for single parents who are homeless, implemented a vaccine mandate in September, requiring families staying in their units to be vaccinated by Nov. 1 and mandating masks for anyone in their offices.

Jones was placed on administrative leave while the incident was investigated by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. Following an internal investigation, Casper Police Department officials said they found his actions were not in line with (their) Code of Conduct and began the process to terminate him. Jones reportedly resigned before the process was complete, and told a judge Tuesday that he is not currently employed.

Citing a conflict of interest, the Natrona County District Attorneys office turned over the decision to prosecute to Josh Stensaas, a deputy county and prosecuting attorney in Johnson County. Stensaas declined to comment on the case Tuesday.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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The Wyoming Supreme Court affirmed a Casper mans murder conviction on Wednesday, but the court ruled that his sentence was illegal and will need to be corrected.

Andrew Steplock had appealed to the high court on claims that he was unprepared for trial since he wasnt given funding to complete a second mental evaluation in order to plead not guilty by reason of mental illness.

The court ruled Wednesday that Steplock did not show that the second evaluation would have changed the trials outcome.

The sentence in his case, life in prison with several shorter sentences running at the same time, will be sent back to district court. According to the Supreme Courts ruling, adding a 10- to 15-year sentence for aggravated burglary on top of the life sentence for murder was improper.

Steplock, who was convicted of breaking into his parents house in Casper and murdering his mother in 2019, also said in his appeal that his defense attorney was ineffective by not securing the second evaluation. He asked for a new trial in Natrona County District Court in December 2020, but a judge denied the motion the following month.

At trial, Steplock admitted to breaking into the home and killing his mother, Deborah. He said he was hallucinating and a demon had convinced him to do it.

However, the court states, Steplock had told police following the incident that he broke in to steal money from the cellar, and did not mention any hallucinations or a demon at that time. According to court filings, Steplock first mentioned the demon during his mental evaluation at the Wyoming State Hospital.

The Wyoming Supreme Court said that these inconsistent versions of the events weakened his NGMI (mental illness) defense, and reiterated that the second evaluation would not have likely changed the ruling in his case.

A jury found Steplock guilty of felony murder, second-degree murder, aggravated burglary and possession of a deadly weapon. He is now serving his sentence at the Wyoming Medium Correctional Institution in Torrington.

Follow city and crime reporter Ellen Gerst on Twitter at @ellengerst.

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Former Wyoming Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau and 15 others are suing Gov. Mark Gordon, the Wyoming Republican Party, the partys chairman and the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee over the recent state superintendent selection process.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court, claims that the process of selecting the superintendent spot left vacant by Jillian Balows resignation is unconstitutional because a political partys central committee  which is made up of one county chairman, one county committeeman and one county committeewoman  is responsible for nominating replacements, thereby defying the one man-one vote principle in both the Wyoming and U.S. constitutions.

More specifically, the number of votes each county gets in the process is not proportional to its population, meaning Laramie County, population 99,500, has the same number of votes as Niobrara County, population 2,400, even though its roughly 41 times the size. That, according to the plaintiffs, is unconstitutional.

In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs request that the court temporarily and permanently prohibit Gordon from making a decision on one of the three candidates, which he is statutorily required to do within the next few days.

The suit, however, extends its focus beyond the superintendent vacancy alone, and asks that the court disallow the defendants from taking any actions to select candidates for vacancies in Statewide or federal offices in any way that violates the one man-one vote principle.

Gordon intends to make a decision on a candidate by Thursday, his spokesman told the Star-Tribune.

[The governor] will carry out his duty within the five-day window according to the law, said Michael Pearlman, director of communications for Gordon.

Lubnau, whos a practicing attorney and the current Campbell County state committeeman, is joined by 15 other plaintiffs. They include Dave Northrup, a former state lawmaker and an unsuccessful candidate for the superintendent position, Doug Camblin, the Campbell County GOP committeeman, Rex Arney, a former state lawmaker as well as a dozen voters from all across the political spectrum.

Lubnau sent a letter detailing his concerns over the constitutionality to Frank Eathorne, the party chairman, and Brian Shuck, the partys lawyer, on Thursday, two days before the meeting in which the central committee selected the superintendent.

Considering the extreme differences in population among Wyomings 23 counties, any vote on a county basis would disenfranchise voters in the more populated counties and would constitute a violation of constitutional principles, the letter read.

Party counsel didnt mince words when asked about the letter Saturday.

Tom Lubnaus position is absolutely preposterous, Shuck said.

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan also took office in this manner, as did U.S. Sen. John Barrasso.

Buchanan told the Star-Tribune on Monday that when he was going through the selection process, he was not approached about the constitutionality of the situation.

According to state statute, when the position of state superintendent is vacated, the central committee of the political party that person is affiliated with is responsible for nominating three candidates. The governor is then responsible for choosing one of the three.

At the end of the day we all need to follow the Constitution, Crank said.

Lubnau was not present at the Saturday meeting when the GOP officials voted on the three candidates, but the issue was raised at the meeting.

This is not an election, its a selection process, Joey Correnti, the Carbon County GOP chairman, told the Star-Tribune. Why didnt he address it when he was Speaker of the House?

Eathorne later echoed those sentiments to the entire body. Eathorne also told the Star-Tribune that he was advised by two party lawyers, Mitch Edwards and Shuck, that he should go ahead with the process.

If it gets challenged in court, it gets challenged in court, he said Saturday.

Because Lubnau was the Speaker of the House, the most powerful position in the House, Republican party leadership questioned why Lubnau was bringing up the issue now as opposed to years ago.

I think everybody in the room is asking, Why now? Eathorne said.

Crank argued that if something is unconstitutional, its not always ruled unconstitutional right off the bat, like being read your Miranda Rights when youre arrested.

As we have more and more of these types of selections, thats why its coming up now and it didnt come up later. It has reached a boiling point, Crank said.

The state superintendent of public instruction is the chief education officer in the state and sits on a number of other important state boards.

The superintendent of public instruction sets education policy and funding, Crank said. Its a real critical office.

The candidate who is ultimately chosen by Gordon will serve out the remainder of Balows term, which ends in January 2023. But theyll also have a head start if they choose to run to keep the office. Incumbency offers benefits like name recognition.

Three out of 11 candidates were selected in a landslide vote Saturday. The committee chose Thomas Kelly, with 67 votes, Marti Halverson, with 56 votes, and Brian Schroeder, with 52.

The fourth-place candidate, Megan Degenfelder, the former chief policy officer for the Wyoming Department of Education, received only 19 votes.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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A federal judge on Wednesday ordered Gov. Mark Gordon to hold off appointing a state schools superintendent until the court issues a ruling Thursday.

In a brief ruling, U.S. District Judge Scott Skavdahl ordered Gordon not to act on any of the three nominees for schools superintendent until the court decides on a motion for a temporary restraining order, which is being sought by the former Wyoming Speaker of the House and others, who contend the selection process was unconstitutional.

Skavdahl wrote that he would issue his order no later than noon Thursday.

The Governor will comply with the court order and has not made a decision on a candidate, said Michael Pearlman, Gordons director of communications.

The temporary halt is the most recent development in a lawsuit filed by former Wyoming Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau and 15 others against Gordon, the Wyoming Republican Party, the partys chairman and the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee over Saturdays state superintendent selection process.

The plaintiffs and their lawyer, former Wyoming Attorney General Pat Crank, allege that the process for filling the vacancy violates the Wyoming and U.S. constitutions.

To select a new superintendent, the Republican State Central Committee  which is made up of three people from each county  is responsible for nominating three candidates. The governor is then tasked with choosing one of the three. Under state late, Gordon is required to make the decision by Thursday.

Because each county, regardless of population, has three votes in the matter, the plaintiffs argue that the process violates the one man-one vote principle laid out in both the state and federal constitutions.

More specifically, the number of votes each county gets in the process is not proportional to its population, meaning Laramie County, population 99,500, has the same number of votes as Niobrara County, population 2,400, even though its roughly 41 times the size. That, according to the plaintiffs, is unconstitutional.

But Skavdahls ruling Wednesday doesnt indicate that hes found that argument convincing.

I think its positive not for one side or the other, but its positive that [Skavdahl] is taking the time to examine what people believe is an important issue, Crank said.

Depending on the judges decisions over the next few days, its possible that the case drags out.

I am willing to serve in the interim capacity for the time needed, said Kari Eakins, the interim superintendent of public instruction. Everyone at the Wyoming Department of Education is committed to continuing to serve students and support schools during this transition. We know that this is a temporary situation and will continue to implement the law as required by state education agencies.

The post of state superintendent of public instruction is open due to the resignation of Jillian Balow, who resigned with a year left on her term to take a job in Virginia.

Follow state politics reporter Victoria Eavis on Twitter @Victoria_Eavis

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SMALL business owners in three Caribbean countries will get the opportunity to showcase how their enterprises are transforming their communities, and themselves, due to support from the social enterprise, Nudge Caribbean.

The opportunity comes tomorrow, at an event called Nudge Now, which is being organised by Nudge Caribbean, which was founded by Anya Ayoung-Chee, design strategist and social entrepreneur, and Julie Avey, Massy Groups senior vice president of People and Culture.
A POINT Fortin man and his teenage son were among four people detained yesterday by residents of Beach Road, Fullerton Village, Cedros, who fought back against cable theft on their street.

The suspects, of Techier Village, Mahaica, were blocked by villagers from leaving the street and nabbed in the bushes as they attempted an escape.
Arizona regulators have again killed rules that would require Tucson Electric Power and other state-regulated power companies to reach 100% carbon-free energy generation by 2070.

The latest twist in the years-long effort by the Arizona Corporation Commission to revamp the states clean-energy rules drew fire from supporters who say the rules are crucial for Arizonas future.

The commission voted 3-2 on Wednesday to reject the proposed energy rules, with all three Republican commissioners voting against the measure. The commission had advanced the rules to the final rule-making stage last May, a few weeks after initially rejecting the proposal.

Then, first-term Republican Commissioner Jim OConnor voted in favor of the draft rules after he and Democrat Commissioner Anna Tovar forged a compromise to extend the date for compliance with the 100% carbon-free rule to 2070, from 2050 approved in an earlier draft.

On Wednesday, OConnor said that after much reflection, he decided the rules were unnecessary because utilities such as TEP and Arizona Public Service already have made major commitments to shifting to carbon-free energy sources.

OConnor said he supports clean energy and has voted in favor of things like battery-storage contracts to support renewable energy, but he said he now viewed the rules he had previously advanced as unneeded and risky.

During this long process and after years of opposition, our states major electric utilities have embraced clean energy and our proposed rules, said OConnor, a retired Scottsdale businessman.

I concluded that they do not need these state-level energy rules at this time, which can pose risks for ratepayers, he said, citing pressures the utilities are facing from sources including Wall Street and the federal government to move to cleaner energy sources.

Officials of TEP and APS had reiterated their support for the proposed clean-energy rules, saying they were consistent with their own plans.

Huge setback

OConnor was joined in voting down the rules by fellow Republican Commissioner Justin Olson, a staunch conservative who has consistently opposed the rules on grounds they would raise costs to ratepayers, and ACC Chairwoman Lea Marquez Peterson, a Tucson Republican.

Some supporters of the rules, which were backed by an array of environmental, business, consumer and faith-based groups, denounced the commissions action.

The failure of the ACC to adopt a robust energy rule is a huge setback for clean energy and holding utilities accountable for their climate-harming pollution, said Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter, specifically citing a lack of leadership by Marquez Peterson and OConnors about face.

Arizonans have repeatedly and frequently voiced their support for transitioning away from fossil fuels that harm our health and the climate to a clean, and sustainable energy system, including in communities most impacted by coal plants and their pollution, Bahr said. The commission just did not listen.

Marquez Peterson said Wednesday she had agreed to move the rules along earlier pending cost studies and has supported nonbinding clean-energy goals, but she could not support a statewide mandate.

Democrat members Tovar and Sandra Kennedy said they were shocked and disappointed by the failure of the energy rules, which were initially drafted in 2020 after a process started in 2016 to replace the states renewable-energy standard and related rules on energy efficiency.

The failure of the rules leaves Arizona with the renewable-energy standard adopted in 2006, which requires utilities to get at least 15% of their energy from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2025.

In contrast, Oregon has mandated reaching 100% clean power by 2040, while California, Washington and New Mexico have targeted 2045, and Nevada plans to reach that goal by 2050.

Efficiency rules orphaned

Tovar noted that after a lengthy process of stakeholder meetings, the rules had won bipartisan support from local officials, medical organizations and small and large businesses across the state, as a way to protect public health while supporting economic growth.

We as commissioners should be ashamed because we let politics get in the way of doing what is right, she said. Im disappointed for our state moving forward.

Kennedy said she was shocked by the failure of the proposed rules, noting that TEP and other utilities have already complied with the current renewable-energy standard.

Somewhere, weve lost our way; weve lost sight of why were here, Kennedy said, adding that technology is expected to improve rapidly in the future and that accelerating the adoption of renewable energy will protect ratepayers from rapidly rising natural-gas prices.

Achieving a clean-energy future in Arizona is cost-effective with todays technology, she said.

Officials of the nonprofit Southwest Energy Efficiency Project and the Arizona Public Interest Research Group Education Fund also denounced the commissions action.

The commission failed to advance key consumer protections to eliminate energy waste and make everyones bills more affordable, said Ellen Zuckerman, utility program co-director for SWEEP.

Besides setting new clean-energy mandates, the proposed rules would have increased the states energy-efficiency standards, prompting utilities to adopt enough energy-saving measures by 2030 to offset 35% of their 2020 peak demand, up from an existing 22% requirement.

After years of hard work and careful study, billions in potential cost savings and thousands of local jobs are now in jeopardy, Zuckerman said, urging the Commission to immediately revisit its decision.

By voting against the energy rules, the commission voted against providing certainty for businesses and ratepayers that want to see electric bills decrease and clean energy increase, and instead has put voluntary decisions in the hands of the utilities, said Diane Brown, executive director of AzPIRG.

Planning rules advanced

After killing off the energy rules, the Corporation Commission voted to open a new case to formulate rules on a new integrated resource planning process, part of which was included in the rejected energy rules.

Under current rules, TEP and other utilities have developed their own resource plans based on expected demand and a mix to serve that demand cost-effectively. But the ACC rejected the last plans TEP and APS filed in 2018, citing an over-reliance on natural-gas generation.

In 2019, the commission chairman at the time, Republican Bob Burns, had proposed a new resource-planning process that relied less on utility demand forecasts and set up an all-source request for proposals process for new generating resources, which could include sources like natural gas as well as carbon-free renewables like solar.

Marquez Peterson said she supports the all-sources approach and wants to develop the resource-planning as part of a new rule-making process, which could take up to nine months to draft and another nine months to bring to a final vote, ACC staffers said.

Kennedy suggested that the panel strip the carbon-free energy mandates from the rejected energy rules and vote on the rest as a package including the new resource-planning process.

But the ACCs chief legal counsel said that would require an unlikely reconsideration of the previous vote or launching a whole new rule-making process anyway, since stripping out the mandates would substantially change the rules as published.

The commissioners agreed to start a new rule-making process for resource planning, initially based on work by stakeholders as part of the energy-rules process.

Contact senior reporter David Wichner at dwichner@tucson.com or 520-573-4181. On Twitter: @dwichner. On Facebook: Facebook.com/DailyStarBiz

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Orange bags of Hawaiian rolls are the first thing that greet me at my local grocer, so its no surprise that sliders are regulars on my meal plan. This week Im serving a classic: ham and cheese sliders. These sliders have it all: sweet slices of ham, irresistibly gooey Swiss cheese, squishy Hawaiian rolls, and a savory butter drizzled over top. In addition to dinner, theyre perfect for lunch boxes, game-day spreads, picnics and parties (meaning, you can enjoy them as often as you please).

A brush with butter

After the soft Hawaiian rolls are split and layered with deli ham and gooey Swiss cheese, youll brush them with a savory flavored butter, then top with a shower of poppy seeds.

This mixture of melted butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and kosher salt adds savoriness to the sliders, perfectly complementing the salty-sweet flavors of the ham and cheese.

Bake time

These sliders need about 28 minutes in the oven, but how you bake the sliders is just as important as the time. Youll start by covering the dish with foil and baking for 20 minutes, which gives the sandwiches time to heat through to the center while preventing the bread from browning too quickly. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the tops of the Hawaiian rolls brown and the cheese melts.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Makes 12 sliders

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (12-ounce) package Hawaiian sweet rolls, such as Kings

12 slices Swiss cheese (about 7 ounces), divided

12 thin slices deli ham (about 10 ounces)

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350F.

2. Place 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, 20 to 30 seconds. (Alternatively, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.) Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and whisk to combine.

3. Without separating the rolls, cut 1 package Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the rolls in a 9-by-13-inch or 7-by-11-inch baking dish.

4. Arrange 6 slices of the Swiss cheese on the rolls, overlapping the slices as needed to completely cover. Fold and arrange 12 thin slices ham over the cheese, arranging a slice on each roll. Layer the remaining 6 slices Swiss cheese over the ham. Place the top half of the rolls over the cheese.

5. Brush the butter onto the top of the rolls, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon poppy seeds. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

6. Bake until the sandwich is heated through and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the rolls are lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the slab to a cutting board, then cut into individual sliders with a serrated knife before serving.

Recipe notes

The sandwiches can be assembled and the butter mixture prepared up to one day in advance and refrigerated separately. Melt the butter again before using, 30 to 35 seconds in the microwave.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

(Patty Catalano is a contributor to TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)

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Records pertaining to allegations of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of Arizonans with developmental disabilities must be released by the states welfare agency, a Maricopa County judge has ruled.

Judge Sally Duncan ruled in the Arizona Daily Stars favor last Wednesday and ordered the Arizona Department of Economic Security to hand over the records.

Duncan also dismissed a motion to end the case.

We are grateful that Judge Duncan agreed the Star should have access to these records, which our reporters requested in May of 2020 to better understand how the state handles allegations of abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of Arizonans with developmental disabilities, said Star Editor Jill Jorden Spitz.

The case centered on reporting by reporter Amy Silverman for the Star and ProPublica and her project State of Denial, which was published in 2020. Silverman and the Star have continued to seek public records related to the series.

While a spokesperson for the DES said the agency doesnt comment on pending litigation, it is expected to appeal the ruling. The agency said it continues to evaluate all options related to this matter.

According to Gregg Leslie, the executive director of the First Amendment Clinic at ASU who helped represent the Star in court, agencies like the DES usually arent trying to obfuscate or road-block information when it comes to record requests. At least, not always.

This may reflect a lack of resources to devote to disclosure, or it may mean that the agencies do not want the public to know whether they are meeting the needs of the citizens they are there to protect, he said.

However, its up to journalists to make sure the information comes out regardless.

Journalists have always played a critical role as a watchdog on government operations, and the judge in this case recognized this and is allowing our clients to keep up this important work, Leslie said.

Edward Celaya is a breaking news and marijuana reporter. He has been on both beats since May 2021.

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PHOENIX  State senators quashed legislation designed to ensure that parents and others can protest outside school board meetings without fear of arrest.

SB 1010 was killed Tuesday on a 4-4 vote as Sen. Tyler Pace, R-Mesa, sided with the three Democrats on the Senate Education Committee who were opposed to the measure.

But what apparently doomed the proposal was not so much the questions about protest rights but a bid by its sponsor, Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, to also convert all future school board races to partisan affairs. She said that was designed to address a problem she sees with the current system.

"I'm not sure that parents know exactly what these school board members believe, what they think,'' Ugenti-Rita said. She candidates having an R or a D, or whatever, behind their names would make a difference.

"Having to identify yourself with your party helps communicate to a potential voter where you stand,'' she said. "And that voter can ask questions.''

Pace, who has on occasion balked at toeing the party line, said the proposal was based on a faulty assumption that those who are registered Republican, as he is, will all vote the same.

Tuesday's vote, however, may not be the end of the issue of protecting protest rights.

Sen. Christine Marsh, D-Phoenix, said she thinks parents and others have been abused by school boards who want to keep protesters far away. "I, too, have been relegated to street corners,'' she said.

Marsh indicated she would support a resurrected version of the measure  one that wouldn't change how school board elections are conducted.

What Ugenti-Rita wants is an an exemption, if people are engaged in "peaceful protesting after school hours," from state laws that make it a crime to interfere with operation of an educational institution.

Her bill also spells out that those who want to protest would not have to first obtain a permit or any other permission from the local school board.

The vote by the Senate Education Committee comes amid heightened tensions both in Arizona and nationally as school boards debate controversial issues ranging from masking and remote learning to teaching of what some refer to as "critical race theory.'' That has at times resulted in protests by parents unhappy with the decisions made by board members.

Ugenti-Rita said there have been situations where school boards call police to have protesters removed from the campus. "So we were not allowed to protest on the property,'' she told colleagues.

She said that undermines the reason for turning out in the first place.

"The whole point is that they see you, we make some eye contact, they read the sign that I made with my daughter, which is why my whole kitchen is full of glitter,'' she said. "I want you to know that I'm there, I want you to see me, I want you to see the numbers.''

She said the issue is not academic. "I've experienced it. They call the cops,'' Ugenti-Rita said.

The ability of school boards to kick protesters off of property "gets weaponized and gets used as a tool,'' she said.

Other lawmakers said it's not that simple, due to issues of liability to the district if something happens on school property.

Marsh suggested one option would be to require those who want to protest on campus to get a permit and insurance, just like anyone else who wants to have an event on school property.

But Ugenti-Rita said protests often happen on short notice, such as after parents see a particular item on a board agenda and then reach out to others to express opposition.

"The whole point of spontaneous protest is it's spontaneous,'' said Sen. Paul Boyer, R-Glendale.

Marsh remained unconvinced, at least partly because of questions about what would be considered "peaceful'' and automatically allowed.

SB 1010 says a protest is peaceful if it does "not pose an obvious threat to persons,'' does not damage property, and does not interfere with or disrupt activities on school property where a school board or other meeting is taking place.

"Who defines 'peaceful'?'' Marsh asked.

Ugenti-Rita conceded there is no good hard-and-fast line. "You kind of know it when you see it,'' she responded.

The real heartburn for some lawmakers was over partisan elections for school boards.

Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Phoenix, pointed to the 12 years he served on the Coolidge school board. Had elections been partisan, it is unlikely that the community, with its Democratic edge, would ever have supported him, he said.

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In the days after Dino Chonis died in April 2020, longtime customers and friends filled an outer wall of his pizzeria with hand-written tributes and memories of the man who had tossed their pies for generations.

The Chonis family, which closed Tinos Pizza for two days after its patriarch died of an aggressive and rare cancer at the age of 59, was overwhelmed by the outpouring.

Our staff came to us on the second day and said we are ready to rally; lets work, recalled Chonis daughter Morgan.

In early January, though, the family made the painful decision to close Tinos Pizza at 6610 E. Tanque Verde Road on Wednesday, Feb. 2.

Its hard to let go, said Morgan Chonis, the familys spokeswoman. Its been amazing, and the community and love and outpouring of support has been unreal. But ultimately it came down to the familys decision to retire my fathers legacy.

That legacy goes back to Chonis foray into the business in the early 1980s at the long-closed Frankies Pizza on East Tanque Verde Road, where he learned the art of being a pizzaiolo. When Frankies closed, Chonis took over the location and rebranded it as Tinos.

In 1984, he moved up the road to his current location. His clientele moved with him as did his crew, many of them teens from nearby high schools.

On the east side, it was a rite of passage to work here, said his daughter, recounting the number of her friends and classmates who worked at the restaurant over the years. If you went to high school around here, it was the rite of passage to work here. We have kids working here now whose parents worked here.

Morgan Chonis described her father as a mentor, a quiet dude who knew and supported all of the mom-and-pop restaurants in the area.

My dad was never in competition with anybody. He was the type of person who mentored so many people over the years, so hearing all the stories of how many lives were changed, to be able to continue that legacy was really important, she said. And now its at a beautiful place where the family is ready to retire that legacy and let it live as the beautiful thing that it was.

Not long after the family posted their decision to close on social media in early January, a longtime customer approached Chonis widow, Shiela, who has been running the business with her son Dimitri since Dino died.

I have a really serious question to ask you, maam: Where am I going to get my pizzas? he asked her.

Where am I gonna get my pizzas? Shiela Chonis retorted, according to her daughter.

Its a question Morgan Chonis said she has asked herself as the restaurant enters its final days.

Pizza is one of those things you dont really think about; you just have your spot, she said. Everybodys got their pizza spot. It will definitely be weird.

Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch

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Theres the reality of schools these days, and then theres what Arizona elected officials say and do about them.

Rarely have the two been so disconnected.

The reality of the moment, in schools across the Tucson area and Arizona, is stretched to the breaking point. With the omicron variant of COVID-19 surging through schools, waves of absences have marked the restart of classes in 2022.

For teachers in many schools, that has meant skipping their prep period to cover for a class where the teacher is out and no substitute is available. Counselors, administrators and other staff members also find themselves called into a class at a moments notice, leaving their jobs undone.

For elementary students, that has sometimes meant having your own class split in two, with other teachers absorbing half of your class due to absences. In some high schools, dozens of students have even been herded into auditoriums to be overseen as a bigger group.

Its been a tough start to the year.

Even though were contracted to teach five periods a day, weve taught six just about every day weve been back, said Paul Cunningham, a Tucson City Council member and physical education teacher at Gridley Middle School. I really want to give a hand to the teachers who have gutted this out every single day.

By email, Flowing Wells Unified School District Superintendent Kevin Stoltzfus described how that districts schools have been forced to take sometimes drastic measures, including converting three sixth-grade classrooms to remote learning for three days due to teacher absences.

Although our employees are team players and want to support their colleagues and students, the uncertainty and disruption is taxing on people, he added.

Its also exacerbating an already untenable staffing situation at many schools, noted Margaret Chaney, president of the Tucson Education Association.

This year, people are just burnt out, she said. A lot of people have left and resigned or retired early. That leaves a permanent hole for the rest of the year.

On top of the severe staff shortage, exacerbated by omicron, all Arizona public schools are facing the threat of a massive spending cut March 1. The aggregated spending cap, a relic of the 1980s, needs to be lifted in February, or it will lead to cuts of about $1.1 billion in Arizona school spending beginning March 1.

Neither the governor nor the legislative leadership has said much of anything about how they plan to avert that disaster.

GOP playbook

That isnt to say they arent talking about schools, though. No, no, no. Thats practically all theyre talking about  a nightmare vision of schools as filtered through focus groups and political messaging tests.

You see, the GOP won a surprise victory in Virginias gubernatorial election last year, thanks in large part to candidate Glenn Youngkin railing against the conjured threat of critical race theory in public schools.

This came on top of growing discontent over how schools performed during the pandemic. So, attacking public schools has become the Republican way to reverse their loss of suburban voters, which cost them the 2020 election.

Gov. Doug Ducey knows all about this strategy. He is the chairman of the Republican Governors Association, which helped guide Youngkin to victory.

Ducey has applied this strategy in his own way. In August, he announced a new program that would allow schools following all state laws to receive part of a $163 million pot of federal money. The state laws reference was to the law, since invalidated by the courts, prohibiting mask mandates by schools.

In essence, he created that and other funds to reward schools that did not impose mask mandates. This was a shocking move because it punished schools for following the guidance of the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Centers for Disease Control on protecting school children.

The Treasury Department told Ducey he could not use the money that way and would have to return it. But this is a motivating issue on the right. So Ducey has pushed on, harvesting continued political benefits by using taxpayer money to sue the Treasury Department over the conflict.

He has also attacked teachers unions for allegedly trying to force schools to revert to virtual learning. That happened in Chicago, but Ive seen no evidence of any Arizona teachers union doing so.

None of this is really about improving education, of course  its about political power. The governor is trying to punish those who defy him while garnering political benefits for his side. Hes touted the support of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, his steady allies, on this.

Fake outrage

The Legislature, too, has swerved into politically beneficial irrelevancies on education policy, introducing cookie-cutter bills proposed by Republicans around the country. In Arizona:

HB 2112 attempts to ban a caricature version of critical race theory, by prohibiting teachers from teaching that an individual, by virtue of their race, ethnicity or sex, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive among other things.

HB 2439 would get Arizona into the book-banning business by requiring school boards to approve all book purchases in advance and to publicize for 60 days what books the school libraries plan to buy while allowing public comment on the planned purchases, among other things.

HB 2161 would prohibit schools from interfering in parents upbringing of their children, giving parents the right to sue the school district if they feel their rights have been violated.

HB 2495 would prohibit schools from using or referring to any sexually explicit materials or conduct including the blanket category homosexuality. This broad-brush bill could be used in all kinds of nefarious ways, from banning books to limiting health education.

Now, one of my children graduated from public high school in Tucson last year, and another is attending public high school in Tucson now. Overall, their educations have been good.

None of these bills would address my principal concern, and neither does Gov. Duceys attention-seeking fight with the Treasury Department. In fact, they aggravate the main real problem Im seeing, which is insufficient high-quality staffers and teachers.

New Mexico and Colorado are in the midst of jacking up teacher pay to attract and retain school workers. Arizona is acting as if the 20 by 2020 plan  a pay-raise plan approved in 2018  is enough. In this job market, with the added stresses of the pandemic, it simply is not.

Ducey has proposed modest increases in spending on schools, which is good. But as Robert Robb wrote in the Arizona Republic this week, the money is there for the various sides to strike a grand bargain of another sustainable, large surge in school spending this year while also cutting taxes.

This is a wonderful opportunity, but thinking well take advantage is probably naive.

The problem is that those in charge have little incentive to solve the actual problems afflicting schools these days. Their incentive is to conjure and solve imaginary school problems that preserve their political power.

Tim Steller is an opinion columnist. A 25-year veteran of reporting and editing, he digs into issues and stories that matter in the Tucson area, reports the results and tells you his conclusions. Contact him at tsteller@tucson.com or 520-807-7789. On Twitter: @senyorreporter

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While there are many distinctions in the Church between different groups, the non-Christian public is often largely unaware of the differences. This means that the reputation of the Church tends to be impacted together, but when Christians are confronted with the failings of one branch, all too often, a game of blame shifting begins.

Blame Hinders Love



One response I often see to this is to work harder at making the distinctions clear to others. However, this often comes down merely to statements like this Oh no, those were group X; I am from group Y and we would never do something like that. While I am sure this response is appropriate in some cases, I think it is overused.

Deferring the blame often just makes us look evasive or even vindictive towards others. Where we have a different doctrine to another Christian group, it is almost certainly better to explain the differences in a way that doesnt throw the other side under the bus (at least not too badly). To do this ideally may require a great deal of knowledge though.

For instance, to explain why the Russian Orthodox Church holds one view while the Roman Catholic Church holds another will be beyond many laypeoples understanding. In many cases, we will need to rely on being respectful and kind in our words rather than having the exact knowledge.

Being respectful towards our fellow Christians is also part of our obedience to Jesus. In fact, we are called to do more than merely respect each other because Jesus command is to ...love one another as I have loved you. (John chapter 15 verse 12)

Christians Even in Error



Even when we are not certain that another group claiming to be Christians really are followers of Christ, it is still better to be cautious lest we speak ill of Gods chosen people. Even among groups which officially hold a stance which you think is errant or even heretical, I think it is possible you may find individuals who are legitimately following Jesus.

I know some Christians hold that the requirements to be a follower of Jesus are quite high, but I think it is hard to hold such a view given how it is described at various points in the scriptures. Jesus call to follow him seems to be quite open.

Of course there is a great deal that we should do as Christians to live consistently with our faith, but the things which are necessary to be Christian are, at least in a sense, simple and straight forward. For instance, consider these statements in John:

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John chapter 3 verse 46, ESV trans.)

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. (John chapter 5 verse 24, ESV trans.)

Jesus has done the hard parts in saving his people, so I think we will find many supposedly errant branches of the Church will still have a good number of Christians in them.

Failed Church?



Gods Church on earth is made up of people.While those people are forgiven and are, in a sense, perfect due to the work of Jesus, they are not yet consistent with their new identity. Sin and poor judgement continue. As a result, the Church is prone to problems. The initial divisions in the Church all stem from this. All denominations and all congregations have issues.

Each part of the Church should seek to be better aligned with our identity as Christians, but Gods plan for the Church continues. God is still sovereign and in his plan we know that he will not fail; he will not waste the sacrifice of his son. As with our state as individual Christians, the Churchs destiny is secure. We will be gathered with all Gods people to live with him forever.

No Pride



It will seem shameful when we realise that we have demeaned other members of Gods chosen people. In doing so we will have broken Jesus command to love one another and we may have even besmirched Gods wisdom in choosing to use that part of his Church.

Taking pride in divisions within the Church can be a sign of immaturity in the faith. As Paul writes:

But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ  For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way? For when one says, I follow Paul, and another, I follow Apollos, are you not being merely human? (1 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 14, ESV trans.)

Pauls words are quite harsh here to his fellow Christians, and there is certainly room for rebuke in Christianity. However, it does us little good, if any, to engage in a race to the bottom by putting ourselves over others. We should disagree without demeaning. Distinctions do not have to be made pridefully. It is sad, not sport, when our fellow Christians have fallen into error.

Next time you find yourself facing the impulse to bag out another section of the Church, I hope you will be able to think more lovingly toward your fellow Christians. Show your disagreements in a way that elevates. Do not let pride get the better of you!
The Department of Homeland Security began requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination over the weekend for essential as well as nonessential travel across the U.S.-Mexico border.

The tougher requirement that took effect Saturday had been expected since last fall, when the government reopened the border to nonessential travel after nearly 20 months of pandemic restrictions. But it raised concerns anew among officials in border towns, who are still reeling from the economic hit they took during the previous shutdown.

Unfortunately, from an economic perspective this could negatively impact businesses and our local community, which will hinder essential workers that play key roles in keeping our economy going, Douglas Mayor Donald Huish said in a statement Monday.

Huish acknowledged that the stricter vaccination requirements make sense on a larger scale to prevent transmission of COVID-19 between countries, a point echoed by some shopkeepers in border towns.

It is good that they are going to ask for vaccine documents, said Evan Kory, an owner of Nogales clothing store La Cinderella, adding that business is a little better right now because they finally opened.

But most of his customers were already taking precautions, he said.

We have seen here in the store that many people, the majority, come with a mask, and they are very respectful of that, Kory said. So, its all we can do while the situation improves.

The U.S.-Mexico border was closed to nonessential travel from March 2020 through Nov. 8, 2021. While returning U.S. citizens, truckers and health care workers were among those considered to be essential travelers, tourism and recreation travel were defined as nonessential and barred for those 20 months.

As a result, tourism travel from Mexico to Arizona fell 43% from 2019 to 2020, and tourist spending fell by more than half, from $1.37 billion to $613 million in the same period, according to data from the Maricopa Association of Governments.

The number of people crossing the border at Arizona ports of entry fell from 24.8 million in 2019 to 15.8 million passengers in 2021, said Edith Serrano, a spokesperson for the Customs and Border Protection office in Tucson.

Nonessential travelers have had to have proof of vaccination since the border reopened to them in November, but the latest restriction expands that requirement to essential travelers.

Serrano said Monday that wait times at the border could increase slightly as officers adjust to the new rule, but that otherwise traffic at ports has been moving smoothly since being opened for nonessential travel.

At (primary inspection), thats when the officers will ask for vaccination status, she said. If an officer feels that a vehicle and those occupants of the vehicle require further inspection  they get referred to a secondary inspection where the officers can ask travelers for proof of vaccination.

The rule exempts those 18 and under who are traveling with a vaccinated adult, those with medical conditions that prevent them from getting vaccinated and those who are participating in COVID-19 clinical trials.

The new rule comes as Arizona is seeing a surge in new COVID-19 infections, driven by the omicron variant. New daily cases more than tripled from 8,220 on Jan. 1 to 27,681 on Saturday. Infection rates over the past two weeks rose by 131% in Cochise County and by 203% in Santa Cruz County, according to a New York Times analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

The Arizona Department of Health Services said 56.1% of state residents were fully vaccinated as of Monday, while Homeland Security said said 55.9% of Mexicans had been fully vaccinated by October, with rates approaching 72% in communities near the border.

Kory said it is frustrating that there are many people who do not want to get vaccinated, but he hopes that improves over time. In the meantime, he said, he is optimistic for the economic and physical health of his town.

We just have to keep taking care of ourselves and see what happens, day by day.

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Cronkite News reporter Brenda Munoz Murguia contributed to this report. For more stories from Cronkite News, visit cronkitenews.azpbs.org.

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PHOENIX  School boards, city councils and boards of supervisors that dont provide enough seats for people expected at public meetings could end up facing fines under terms of legislation approved Wednesday by the House Committee on Government and Elections.

The proposal by Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, comes as residents have crowded into school board meetings across the state  or at least tried to  amid debates over everything from masks to how children should be taught about matters of race and discrimination. What happens, he said, is that people find themselves left on the outside as the room chosen for the event is too small to let in everyone who is interested.

As crafted, HB 2070 says that public bodies must provide a reasonable amount of seating to accommodate the anticipated attendance of anyone seeking to be at the meeting.

The measure has teeth: The head of the public body who does not comply is subject to a civil penalty for violating the states Open Meeting Law.

That penalty is not specified for a first offense. But a second violation carries a $500 fine, and $2,500 for a third and subsequent offense.

And the measure says the fine has to be paid by the person who knowingly violates the law and cannot be paid by the government agency or board.

Kavanagh said that officials who run these meetings need to recognize when there are controversial issues that they are likely to bring out more people than normal run-of-the-mill business.

All that drew questions from House Minority Leader Reginald Bolding, D-Laveen, on how a public official seeking to avoid a fine would know how many people to expect.

How would they estimate whether or not they should have a large room, a small room? he asked.

Kavanagh said its a matter of whats reasonable.

They would look at the totality of the situation, Kavanagh said.

For example, Kavanagh said a town council might be talking about a major rezoning, opening an area up for something like apartment buildings. He said officials can look at the level of public interest by looking at the news coverage and even the letters to the editor.

I mean, people can get a feel for it, Kavanagh said.

Ditto, he said, when a school district is going to be discussing a real hot-button issue.

So if a school board is anticipating public interest, they should move a meeting to a larger space, like an auditorium.

Rep. Jake Hoffman, R-Queen Creek, said he can attest to this being a real issue. He told of a meeting in the Higley Unified School District during a debate last year about mask mandates where the crowd exceeded the capacity of the room where it was held.

In this case, he said, seating capacity was reduced by 80% of what would normally be allowed.

And they refused to allow anybody in, Hoffman said.

Hoffman, who had previously served on the board, said he was allowed in as a matter of courtesy as a sitting state representative that is over their district.

Kavanagh did agree to add language to HB 2070 that makes the requirement for sufficient seating contingent on whether it is feasible.

What that means, he said, is that a small fire district that normally meets in a small room would not be required to rent a hall just because a crowd was expected. But he said there is no excuse for a school board with access to an auditorium to refuse to move a meeting.

The same is true, he said, for city councils and county supervisors, saying they would be required to make use of larger facilities that are available.

Kavanagh rejected a suggestion by Rep. Lorenzo Sierra, D-Avondale, to allow governing boards, anticipating a large crowd, to instead provide virtual access through things like a Zoom feed.

I wouldnt mandate virtual if they can provide a room big enough, he said. Kavanagh said he wants to stick to the original intent of his bill to require meetings to be moved if they reasonably anticipate a bigger crowd, and if its feasible for them to get a bigger room.

Wednesdays vote comes a day after the Senate Government Committee rejected a related proposal which would have prohibited school governing boards from precluding people from demonstrating on school property outside of where a meeting is taking place.

Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita, R-Scottsdale, complained that some boards relegate protesters to sites off the campus. She said that undermines the purpose of the event, which is to ensure that board members see those who are protesting and how many of them there are.

But the measure, SB 1010, failed on a tie vote amid concerns with another provision of the bill which would have scrapped the nonpartisan elections that now govern school boards and instead force candidates to identify their party affiliation.

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PHOENIX  Teachers who keep certain student confidences from their parents  like a disclosure the youth is gay  can be punished by the state, a House panel voted Tuesday.

HB 2161 would make it illegal for a government employee to withhold information that is relevant to the physical, emotional or mental health of the parents child. And the measure specifically bars withholding evidence from parents about a students purported gender identity or a request to transition if that identity is incongruous with the students biological sex.

Teachers that fail to call a parent could lose their certification. And parents can sue school districts that dont provide them with that information.

Rep. Steve Kaiser, R-Phoenix, who is sponsoring the measure, said he is mainly targeting surveys given to students without the consent of their parents. He told members of the House Education Committee those questions can include personal information of families, such as how many guns there are at home and whether their parents get along.

But it was the language about keeping secrets  and the penalties against parents and schools  that caused some concern, even among some of the Republicans on the panel.

The sponsor said nothing in the legislation affects existing laws that require teachers and counselors to report suspected cases of child abuse to police and other authorities. But Rep. Joel John, R-Arlington, said there may be situations where a student is just more comfortable confiding in a teacher with the admonition please dont tell my parents.

Kaiser, however, said it is simple: If it doesnt rise to the level of reportable abuse, then the parents should be notified, regardless of the issue.

Rep. Michelle Udall, R-Mesa, who teaches high school math, said she understands the desire to keep parents involved. She said, though, that its not that simple.

For example, she said, a student may come to her and say she is pregnant, information she has not disclosed to parents.

My advice is always to talk to them, Udall said. But she said she didnt want to end up facing discipline if she didnt immediately call the parent and instead gave the child some time to do it.

But it was the question of things like sexual orientation and transgender issues that caused the most concern of some who testified against the measure.

There is data to show that transgender children in particular face an increased risk of harm if their parents find out, said Russell Toomey, an associate professor of family students and human development at the University of Arizona.

And there is data to show that these students are more likely to wind up homeless or commit suicide, he said.

Those allegations drew questions from Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley.

It seems like youre driving a wedge between my children and myself, he said. And he said that the legislation is about a lot more than gay and transgender children.

There are many other problems I want to know about as a parent, he said.

Rep. Daniel Hernandez, D-Tucson, said that is based on a false assumption of family support.

Only one third of LGBTQ youths found that their homes were LBGTQ-affirming, Hernandez said.

The place where they found the most affirmation was online, Hernandez continued. But the second place was school.

And he said those who say they dont see an issue of telling parents are mocking or trivializing the experience of LGBTQ students.

Udall, however, said she has to side with requiring disclosure.

She acknowledged that there are situations where parents are going to react badly to such information. But Udall said that withholding it denies parents the opportunity to be supportive.

That is the parents responsibility, she said.

The measure, which was approved by the Republican-dominated panel on a party-line 6-4 vote, now needs approval of the full House. But John, who went along, said he may seek changes, particularly in the language about teachers outing students over the sexual orientation or gender identity, if they want his vote.

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The following is the opinion and analysis of Robert Cook, a longtime member of regional planning committees:

Its time for Tucsons mayor and council to decide the citys future participation in the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA).

On the face of it, the choice of staying in another 20-year regional sales tax transportation program would seem clear. Everyone benefits when we cooperate as a region. The reasonable way forward is to stick with the current process, work together and ensure equitable distribution of revenues. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, the saying goes. Unless, of course, there is no whole.

Tucsons requests for representational equity and fair funding reflect a long-standing deeper concern: how the RTA responds to changing planning assumptions and future projections.

The most obvious piece missing is the issue of climate. Our regions climate is both a driver of economic success and the greatest source of risk going forward. The citys intersectional planning addresses this but only Tucson and Pima County have declared climate emergencies to signal their intent to work on this existential challenge.

The lack of regional coordination and unity is threatening our capacity to respond to the unprecedented challenges we face. Leadership at RTA is unconcerned that climate is relevant to the whole. For 15 years, the Pima Association of Governments (PAG) and RTA have shown little interest in doing the work that is theirs to do: facilitating critical regional conversations about growth, survival and adaptation.

Tucson has already developed a comprehensive vision through an extensive community listening process. The Move Tucson masterplan is responsive to the whole and adapts to the future, unlike PAG/RTA-led regional planning.

There is widespread aversion to the prospect of another 20 years fruitlessly lobbying the RTA to adapt projects to a rapidly changing reality. Voters sense this resistance to change has unnecessarily cost the city.

Exiting the RTA is a serious decision. But staying offers no satisfactory assurances and could actually make it harder for the city to receive critical funding. In the end, voters will have the final say.

Instead, Move Tucsons projects are well-suited for funding through the new federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which will prioritize projects that are sustainable, resilient to climate change, equity-centered and address environmental and social justice.

The federal guidelines for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law clearly signal its time to move beyond traditional RTA auto-dominant projects. Without fundamental changes, RTA would likely fare badly in this competitive federal process.

In addition to this advantage, the city has close connections with federal officials. Just last week Tucson Mayor Regina Romero met with both the U.S. transportation secretary and the secretary of labor. These types of relationships were critical in securing competitive funds for the Tucson Modern Streetcar, a project which has led to unprecedented investment and transformation of Tucsons center.

Winning this federal funding will be the lifeblood of paying for major projects, significantly augmenting local tax contributions to address Tucsons intersectional needs.

Leaving the RTA doesnt mean leaving PAG nor does it mean the city turning its back on the other jurisdictions. The ambition to address the fate of the region as a whole will intensify in the next few years as our critical challenges come into better focus and are more commonly felt. This is what leadership looks like.

Reinventing PAG could bring wholeness back to our region. PAG can again become the great data center to inform and communicate the full spectrum of critical challenges and opportunities facing the region and how these intersect. As our designated metropolitan planning organization, PAG could and should become the celebrated common provider effectively serving the needs for regional planning coordination.

For more than 20 years, the city of Tucson, in partnership with the community, has promoted its priority needs and visions of better alternatives to automobile transportation, electrification of mobility and now complete streets. Its time for the region to join in.

Cook is a four-term current member of the Pima County Planning and Zoning Commission; two-term past member of the Regional Transportation Authority's Citizens Accountability for Regional Transportation Committee; and past chair of the Tucson-Pima Metropolitan Energy Commission. He has been a Tucson resident for 60 years.

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The Oklahoma Corporation Commission approved a financing order on Tuesday linked to the securitization of $1.357 billion in Oklahoma Natural Gas costs arising from the extended cold spell in February.

The measure, which passed 2-1 with Commissioner Bob Anthony dissenting, mandates that ratepayers will incur the costs over the next 25 years, equating to a monthly impact of as much as $7.82 for a residential customer.

The $7.82 amount, for patrons who use more than 50 dekatherms monthly, represents 75% to 80% of residential customers.

Its estimated that the natural gas costs owed would have cost an average residential consumer $15.32 per month without securitization, Corporation Commission Chair Dana Murphy said.

Securitization allows the cost to be spread out over up to 25 years, dropping the monthly payment to an estimated $7.82 for the majority of ONG customers.

Costs for ONG, which has about 895,000 customers in the state, soared in February as temperatures in Oklahoma and much of the country plunged to the single digits and below zero during a roughly 10-day period. The extreme weather resulted in a shortage of natural gas supply, the failure of certain infrastructure and enhanced demand for natural gas and electric power.

As a result, ONG and other regulated utilities operating in the state purchased energy on the spot market at exorbitant prices.

In contrast to last Februarys $1.357 billion gas costs, ONG spent roughly $222 million on gas purchases during the entire year of 2020, documents show.

Last year, Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a securitization measure that creates bonds and allows utilities to spread the fuel costs from the deep freeze over a much longer span, reducing the monthly impact of the charge on their customers.

Artificial, 180-day deadlines imposed by the legislature are no excuse for rushing through bad policy, and the more I study and consider the details of these deals, the more devils I find, Anthony wrote in a lengthy dissent.

AARP has expressed legitimate concerns about so-called securitization and has called for more transparency. Especially if utility company management is found to have acted imprudently, utility shareholders should share in a portion of the extraordinary costs, instead of automatically being made whole.

In my opinion, these stipulated Ratepayer-Backed Bond proposals are ill-conceived, unconstitutional, and bad for residential ratepayers.

Worse, they also appear to be an attempt to prevent thorough and open examination of questionable, possibly negligent utility management decisions and imprudent fuel/service purchases made during the storm, as well as an excuse to line the pockets of special interests on Wall Street and their local counterparts.

Oklahoma Natural Gas said it was pleased with the OCCs approval.

The company prioritizes keeping its customers safe and warm during these weather events and appreciates the Commissions work to address the unprecedented costs from the high natural gas prices from the storm with fairness and in a manageable manner for Oklahoma Natural Gas customers, ONG said in a statement.

Also Tuesday, the commission rejected a nearly $700 exit fee proposal that would have imposed a fee on ONG customers who terminate their natural gas service to switch to a different fuel source.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Oklahoma Attorney General are investigating what happened to the market, and if something is found that could lower costs to ratepayers, that will be instituted, Murphy said. (Tuesdays) decision also orders the company to credit to customers any proceeds, government grants or other funding sources the company receives for the costs of the February 2021 winter weather event.

Commissioner Todd Hiett said that at the cases core is the fuel-cost recovery by a utility allowed by law.

All parties to the case had access to all documentation concerning those costs, including the Commissions Public Utility Division, which conducted a full audit on those costs to determine that ONG did not make a profit on the fuel costs to be recovered and that other requirements were met, he said.

Sean Voskuhl is the states AARP director.

While the removal of the exit fee is a positive step, AARP Oklahoma is disappointed in yet another ruling by a majority of the Corporation Commissioners that does not include any shared sacrifice from the utility companies, he said in a statement. While the assessed annual fees represent only a fraction of utility companies profits, it can be a substantial burden to older Oklahomans, especially those with fixed incomes.

We are urging action by the Attorney Generals office to bring those who bilked Oklahomans out of more than $6 billion to justice. In light of the pending corporation commission orders, Oklahomas seniors and small businesses need relief from the harm brought about by illegal price gouging.

To address price volatility in the future, ONG has agreed to evaluate and assess its use of natural gas storage services and physical and financial hedging related to natural gas procurement. It also said it will consider possible revisions to its gas supply plan in place since February.

Hiett said that there is no getting around the fact that under state law, regulated utilities can pass fuel costs to the consumer.

The costs incurred during the storm were part of an all-out effort to keep lights on and furnaces working, he said.

Without the securitization law, the costs would be even higher for ratepayers. Of key concern now is what is being done to reduce the chances of this happening again. The Commission has held a number of hearings on this since the storm, and its an ongoing effort.

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The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture issued a release to share the news that Tulsa was ranked fifth among top small cities and towns on MovieMaker Magazines list of the best places to live and work as a moviemaker in 2022. Tulsa ranked seventh the previous year.

To see Tulsas film industry growth over the last year has been phenomenal, Abby Kurin, executive director of Tulsa FMAC, said.

Tulsa is home to many incredible filmmakers and a talented crew base  this honor is shared with them and their dedication to film in our city. Our office strives to showcase Tulsa as a premier filming destination  from our easy permitting process to a variety of beautiful locations  and this recognition from MovieMaker greatly helps our mission. We look forward to continuing to assist all creatives who choose to film their next project in Tulsa.

Tulsa FMAC worked with a record 41 productions in fiscal year 2020-21. Past numbers: 11 productions in 2017, 20 productions in 2018 and 32 productions in 2019.

Theres no greater endorsement of Tulsa than Martin Scorseses decision to shoot his latest, Killers of the Flower Moon, locally, MovieMaker editor-in-chief Tim Molloy said in the release. (Killers of the Flower Moon was shot primarily in Pawhuska, but filming also took place in Tulsa and other Oklahoma locales.)

Oklahoma deserves a lot of credit for last years Filmed in Oklahoma Act, which adds attractive new incentives for film and TV productions, Molloy said. Moviemakers are obviously taking note, and we expect the phenomenal growth of the Tulsa film industry to continue. The Tulsa Office of Film, Music, Arts and Culture, as well as state film officials, have done an amazing job of getting Hollywoods attention  and dollars.

It is not only exciting to see Tulsa named on this list a second year in a row, but to be named among the top five small towns is an extraordinary honor, Tulsa Regional Tourism President Ray Hoyt said. This recognition would not be possible without the countless hours of hard work from so many individuals and organizations working collaboratively in our region, and the support of our city, county and state leadership.

Production highlights include the trailblazing television series Reservation Dogs, co-created by Tulsas Sterlin Harjo and featuring an all-Indigenous cast and creative team. The series, available on FX on Hulu, is returning for a second season.

Tulsa has been a great home for me personally and creatively for the last 17 years, Harjo said. It wasnt always easy, but artists have stayed and built a great community that is now thriving. Tulsa has always had a great music and art history, and today we are seeing that blossom into sustainable careers.

Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum offered this quote in the release: Tulsa has inspired or served as the setting for so many stories and films, from past cult-classic hits like The Outsiders, which now has its set preserved as a museum here in town, to Academy Award-nominated Minari. Today we applaud our city being recognized among the top 5 small cities and towns to live and work in as a moviemaker and look forward to seeing our film industry flourish in 2022 and beyond.

MovieMaker compiles its annual lists based on surveys, production spending, tax incentives, additional research and personal visits, whenever possible. Oklahoma City was ranked 13th on a separate list of larger cities.

Glenpools Sten Joddi talks about Reservation Dogs role
Ken Johnson has a relatively simple philosophy about the food he serves at Chippers Seafood and Southern Fusion.

I like to take ordinary things and do extraordinary things with them, he said. I enjoy being creative with food, coming up with things like sauces and seasonings that give you a little something extra.

Need to know info Food: 3 stars  Service: 3 stars  Atmosphere: 3 stars

Chippers Seafood & Southern Fusion opened in December, in the space that for many years was home to Michael Vs, and which for a time last year was where The Hungry Buffalo briefly roamed.

Johnson, a graduate of Broken Arrows Rhema Bible College who also runs Kenneth Johnson Ministries, started Chippers several years ago in Erie, Pennsylvania. This restaurant, which is still in operation, features such items as seafood boils and sandwiches such as the Erie Polish Boy.

He and his wife, Carrie, relocated to the Tulsa area to care for Carries father in his final years. While in Tulsa, he became friends with local chef Michael Meydag, who encouraged Johnson to bring his culinary ideas to the Mother Road Market.

I did some pop-up events at Mother Road Market, he said. We had two concepts that wed feature  Chippers, and Mr. Wonderful Chicken & Waffles. It was a way to get a feel for what would appeal to the people here.

The success of those trial runs helped convince the Johnsons to open their own restaurant.

I had thought about doing the same menu we had in Pennsylvania, with the seafood boils, Johnson said. But the cost of crab more than doubled, so we decided to rework the menu.

While crab boils may not be a part of the Tulsa Chippers menu, a variety of other aquatic proteins, such as catfish, salmon, tilapia and shrimp, is available, in preparations that range from the fairly straightforward to the rather extravagant.

For example, the tilapia New Orleans ($19) centers on grilled or fried fillets served on a bed of rice and liberally doused with a Cajun Shrimp and Crab Alfredo sauce.

We chose the grilled option; the fish was nicely cooked, although some bites carried a muddy taste where the fillet had not been properly trimmed. The sauce, however, was richly flavored, with a mild spiciness, and stocked with tender, juicy shrimp.

This sauce is used to top a number of items, from chicken tenders to baked potatoes to one of Chippers more unusual creations, the stuffed smoked turkey leg.

Thats something I came across in Texas, and I thought it would work well here, Johnson said. It was always a popular thing when we were at Mother Road Market, and its been fairly popular.

The legs can be stuffed with everything from dirty rice ($22) to shrimp, crab and spinach Alfredo ($35), or one can have them unstuffed, and topped with one of the signature sauces available, including peach- and blueberry-based barbecue sauces, and a honey-lemon concoction called Sweet Jesus.

This latter sauce gets drizzled over such things as the fried chicken ($15), which is a half-chicken cut into four pieces, and served with two sides.

The chicken itself needs no augmentation  it is cooked to order, with a light dredge that fries to shattering crispness. The meat is juicy and the Sweet Jesus sauce adds a bright sweet note that accentuates, rather than obscures, the taste of well-made fried chicken.

The sticky ribs ($17) were slathered with the restaurants blueberry sauce, and were so tender that, when we picked one rib up, the meat literally fell off the bone.

From among the dozen or so side dishes available, we selected the collard greens and Slambo pasta ($5 each when purchased separately) to go with the chicken. The pasta was linguine in a marinara-style sauce that was quite sweet, with a touch of hot pepper and herbs to give it a bit of balance.

The greens, however, could not have been tastier, with shreds of smoked turkey larded throughout the greens that were cooked to a perfect texture.

Other sides we enjoyed included the candied yam souffle, which is really roughly mashed sweet potatoes; the sweet basil corn; and the gouda macaroni and cheese, another creation that is incorporated in a number of preparations.

Chippers also offers several sandwiches, including ones that use vegan ingredients; pasta dishes; and appetizers. Desserts include what is billed as The Best Ever Banana Pudding. Ive not sampled every banana pudding ever made, but this one is pretty darn good.

I call it Southern Fusion because were fusing flavors together in ways that I think may surprise people, but in a good way, Johnson said. We take old school things and mix them up with a contemporary spin, but in a way that still gives people the satisfaction they want from good ol comfort foods.

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As the tug-of-war over pandemic-related school closures, safety mandates and emergency funding use continues among lawmakers, parents, school boards, superintendents and even courts of law, a group of Oklahoma high school students weighed in on Tuesday.

What do kids think?

Its time to accept that there is a new normal and to move forward in education with those new realities in mind.

Even after two years of this, were still really unprepared. I think thats because the goal has always been to return to how things were, said Latta High School student Elizabeth Crawford. Instead of moving forward and accepting a new normal, everyone is trying to go back  and I hate to say it  but Im not sure thats realistic anymore.

Crawford is among the 75 or so high school students from across Oklahoma serving on the 2022 Student Advisory Council, the seventh such body convened to advise State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister and the Oklahoma State Department of Education on policy matters.

They will meet again in March.

These students are among the top high school leaders in our state, and it is imperative to get their feedback, said Hofmeister. The insight we receive from this council is incredibly valuable, and their thoughtful reflection and fearless vision is instrumental to our decision-making.

Pandemic challenges were chief on the minds of Student Advisory Council members.

Crawford said that last year, her high school near Ada offered students the option of in-person or online instruction or a combination of the two and it worked really well. But this year, the alternatives to in-person were scrapped altogether, and she thinks that has proven disastrous in the face of the omicron surge.

The bouncing back and forth (because of temporary closures) is really harmful to students and teachers, she said. I think that both students and teachers need help accepting that changes in our learning are inevitable and that, possibly in the future, we might need to consider an alternate hybrid form of learning so we can all finally move on.

Mental health supports

Several students said they had noticed that the addition of mental health counselors on their high schools faculties had more students seeking help and other types of counselors freed up to help students with career and college planning.

And nearly 10 students said more state funding for in-school mental health support for students is still needed.

Several spoke of benefitting from such help personally or suffering when it was unavailable in times of crisis  including from the suicides of classmates.

Trinity McFadden of Seminole High School said the professional help she received after she began acting out after the death of her father helped get her back on the right track.

I think with a lot of kids that would help and if we had more funding for people for these kids to talk to, she said.

Dealing with discrimination

Addison Roberts of Deer Creek Public Schools said social media videos of classmates using racial and homophobic slurs are commonplace but that school staff seem ill-equipped to deal with the issues that creates within the school setting.

We have a racism problem definitely in my school system, Roberts said. We need to foster safer spaces for students of color to combat racism in schools.

Hofmeister responded by telling her anytime a student has an issue related to discrimination, it should be reported to the state Department of Education, which can work with districts to ensure that they have the right tools to investigate and deal with such issues.

Vaping education, second-hand exposure

William Conway of Lone Grove High School was one of several to mention how pervasive vaping has become among todays high-schoolers.

It is the new epidemic. We really need to hit hard on that, not just on the education of the dangers of vaping, but another high school close to mine has sensors in the room to tell if somebody was in fact vaping or not, he said.

Job skills needed

Leslie Clark of Prague High School thinks Oklahoma high schools need to provide students with the skills needed to enter the workforce immediately rather than preparing them only for additional education.

Were living in a new era; were living in a new generation, and the world around us just has yet to adapt or has yet to conform to the way the world is changing, she said.

A lot of people do not get the basic knowledge to be able to go out after high school to be able to fend for themselves and be able to survive,  to be able to leave high school and to go and get a real-life job. Thats a huge issue.

Access to hygiene products

Ben Ball of Choctaw-Nicoma Park Public Schools said he would like Oklahoma to join at least four other states in having a legislative requirement for all secondary schools to provide feminine hygiene products at no cost to students.

Its an issue that is really weird to hear about from a 17-year-old male, but due to my biomedical sciences capstone this year, Ive seen the importance, he said.

New York City Public Schools in their first year increased attendance by 2.4 percent among female students  which is something I would love to see not just in my district but in schools across the state.

Ball estimated that the first-year cost for his school district would be $8,000.

Teachers quitting

Jonathan Menzel of Inola Public Schools was among a few students who mentioned the impact of the significant uptick in teacher resignations and retirements.

A lot of my teachers are feeling unsupported. My mom was a teacher for 20 years and recently quit, Menzel said. Our best teachers are leaving next year. Temporary solutions are just a slap in the face. Im not sure what the state can do, but something needs to be done.

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Temperatures could result in snow mixed with rain in the areas north of I-40 and just rain south of I-40.
Various traditional Tet plants including peach blossoms, kumquat trees, and potted chrysanthemums have been transported to Ho Chi Minh City from across Vietnam to serve local buyers as the biggest holiday of the year is less than one week away.

Vietnamese people often shop for such flowers and plants as yellow apricot, peach blossom, chrysanthemum, and kumquat to decorate their houses during the Lunar New Year (Tet) festival, which falls on February 1 this year.

Nguyen Ngoc Nam from northern Nam Dinh Province said he had transported more than 300 peach blossom trees to Ho Chi Minh City on Monday night.

About 500 to 600 more trees would be brought to the metropolis over the next few days, Nam added.

His peach blossom trees are being sold at Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap District.

A man sells peach blossom trees at Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: N.Tri / Tuoi Tre

Thanks to favorable weather conditions, the peach blossoms bloom at the right time and are of good quality this year, Nam elaborated.

However, prices are expected to decrease by about five percent compared to last year.

A small-sized peach blossom tree sells for VND400,000 (US$18) to VND1 million ($44), while a tree of medium and large size is priced at VND1-4 million ($44-176), the merchant said.

Nguyen Quoc Ca, who hails from Gia Xuyen Village in northern Hai Duong Province, said he and other people in his village have brought approximately 10,000 peach blossom trees to Ho Chi Minh City ahead of this years Tet holiday.

Kumquat trees are sold at Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: N.Tri / Tuoi Tre

The trees from Gia Xuyen Village are offered at VND1-15 million ($44-662), depending on their size.

Ca also expects a 10 to 15 percent drop in prices compared to previous years.

Although the flowers are of good quality, we decided to lower our prices because many people have tightened their spending due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seller explained.

From south-central Phu Yen Province, Bui Phu Dinh has carried more than 200 kumquat trees to the southern metropolis, charging VND1-3 million ($44-132) apiece.

Kumquat trees are sold at Gia Dinh Park in Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: N.Tri / Tuoi Tre

The wholesale prices of kumquat trees remain the same this year, while the retail rates will depend on the actual market demand, Dinh stated.

Kumquat trees stemming from the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre are also available for sale in Ho Chi Minh City at up to VND10 million ($441) a pair.

Residents can also shop for potted chrysanthemums originating in south-central Khanh Hoa Province at Gia Dinh Park, as well as 23/9 Park in District 1 and some other major parks in the city.

The potted chrysanthemums sell at VND1.5-10 million ($66-441) a pair, depending on their size.

Potted chrysanthemums are for sale at a park in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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The Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued a document allowing kindergarteners and first to sixth graders to resume offline studying from February 14 on a voluntary basis, given approvals from their parents.

From February 7, educational institutions will make preparations for the school reopening, according to the timeline set out in the dispatch issued on Monday.

From February 10 to February 13, educational institutions will hold a meeting with parents to inform them of issues that need to be noted in child care and education, and the organization for students to study offline, as well as train officials, teachers and staff in the prevention of COVID-19 at schools.

From February 14, kindergarteners and students from first to sixth grades will return to schools, beginning their in-person studying activities with instructional sessions of COVID-19 prevention protocols for school conditions.

In case of disapproval from parents, the students will continue studying via the Internet and on television, taking self-study lessons under the guidance of the municipal Department of Education and Training.

The municipal Peoples Committee assigned the education department to actively coordinate with the Department of Health to review and give further advice on the safety criteria for educational institutions when necessary.

Schools at all levels in Ho Chi Minh City have intermittently closed and reopened in light of the complicated developments of the COVID-19 fourth wave since early May 2021.

The southern metropolis has reported 512,970 patients, including 88 Omicron infections, in this bout.

More than 8.1 million of the citys nine million people have received at least one dose while upwards of 7.5 million have been injected twice.

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Two years after Japan locked down its borders to block the coronavirus, some 150,000 foreign students still aren't able to enter the country, left in limbo by a policy that has disrupted lives and caused headaches for universities and businesses.

The absence of the foreign students and researchers is being felt from big laboratories to small, private universities, highlighting the importance of overseas talent - and their tuition fees - as Japan grapples with a shrinking population.

While the policy to stop the virus has proved popular for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, some business leaders have warned about the economic impact, particularly as the labour market is tight.

What is less clear is the longer-term hit on Japan's "soft power" - in particular its academic reputation around the world.

At research institute Riken, geneticist Piero Carninci says he sees the impact first-hand. Japan has a shortage of bioinformatic researchers critical for genomic studies but he has not been able to fill the gap with foreign talent over the past two years.

"My lab, for sure, is slowing down and our centre for this type of analysis. We are struggling," Carninci, a deputy director at Riken, whose prize-winning research in genetics has been cited in 60,000 papers.

"Internationalisation in science is definitely critical, because you don't have all the expertise in the same country."

Many countries sealed borders to keep the coronavirus at bay.

The United States saw international student enrolment drop 43% in the fall of 2020 from the previous year, while some 80,000 immigrant worker visas expired unused last year.

But Japan stands out with the strictest borders among Group of Seven countries, effectively banning all new non-residents since March 2020. Only China, with its zero COVID-19 target, has been more closed off among major economies.

The stakes are high. A government-affiliated study showed Japan last year fell to 10th place globally in publication of noteworthy scientific papers, just behind India. Twenty years ago, it was number four.

'Own-goal'

Nearly half of Japan's four-year private universities failed to fill all places for first-year students in 2021, up 15 percentage points from the previous year, according to an official at the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan, which represents private educators.

While the biggest reason was a drop-off in the number of Japanese students, the decline in foreign students was also felt, the official said.

More than 100 academics and international relations experts signed a letter asking Kishida to reopen borders last week. People shut out have protested outside Japanese embassies and an online petition calling for students and workers to be let in has more than 33,000 signatures.

The government said last week it would make an exception and allow 87 state-sponsored students in.

"It's a giant own-goal for Japan after decades of masterful use of soft power," said Wesley Cheek, a sociologist who recently left Japan for a research post in Britain.

"People like me, who'd usually be applying for grants to continue our research in Japan, just have to take a pass for the foreseeable future."

International students can work part-time in Japan and have traditionally provided a pool of what Japanese refer to as "odd-job" workers in places like convenience stores, in a country long wary of letting foreign workers in.

Even before the coronavirus, there were not enough foreign students to meet labour demand, said Yohei Shibasaki, an international hiring adviser to service and tech companies

He estimated there were about 170,000 students from trade and language schools in Japan before the pandemic, most of whom worked part time.

Hiroshi Mikitani, chief executive of e-commerce group Rakuten, which hires foreign engineers, has said the curbs should be reconsidered as they were not practically effective and were "only a minus for the economy".

The plight of international students, some dreaming for years of study, can be heart-wrenching.

On social media and in interviews, they described paying tuition for classes they took online in the middle of the night, losing scholarships, and months of stress waiting for change.

Some have exhausted savings. Some have given up and gone elsewhere.

Japan is no longer the main destination for study and research in East Asia, with more students now going to South Korea, said Davide Rossi, who runs an agency promoting study abroad.

Sujin Song, 20, a science major from South Korea, has lost her scholarship but tries to do lab work for her classes online. She was blocked again from entering Japan in November.

"I really liked Japan but now I feel betrayed," Song said.
Rescue crews searched late into the night on Tuesday for 39 people reported missing in the Atlantic off Florida by a man found clinging to a boat that capsized in what the U.S. Coast Guard called a suspected human smuggling attempt gone awry.

The survivor told authorities that he had left the Bahamas' Bimini islands, about 50 miles (80 km) east of Miami, in a boat with 39 other people on Saturday night, the Coast Guard said in a statement posted online.

According to the survivor, the group's vessel capsized on Sunday morning when it hit rough weather about 45 miles (72.4 km) east of Fort Pierce Inlet, off Florida's Atlantic coast about midway between Miami and Cape Canaveral, but no one was wearing a life jacket, the Coast Guard said.

The accident coincided with a small-craft advisory posted in that area, with steady winds clocked at up to 23 miles (37 km) per hour and 9-foot (3-meter) seas, according to the Coast Guard.

A good Samaritan found the man perched on the mostly submerged hull of the overturned boat on Tuesday morning and rescued him before alerting the Coast Guard, which dispatched rescue vessels and aircraft to look for more victims.

The survivor was taken to hospital for treatment of dehydration and sun exposure.

Through Tuesday, Coast Guard cutter crews, helicopter teams, search planes and a U.S. Navy air crew criss-crossed an area spanning more than 1,300 square miles (3,367 square km), about the size of Rhode Island, between Bimini and Fort Pierce Inlet, the statement said.

"Air and surface crews will continue searching throughout the night," the Coast Guard's Miami-based southeastern district office said on Twitter late on Tuesday.

A man, who says he was one of 40 people who left Bimini, Bahamas, on Saturday before encountering severe weather, sits on a capsized boat off the coast of Fort Pierce Inlet, Florida, U.S., in this photo released by the U.S. Coast Guard on January 25, 2022. Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard/Handout via REUTERS

The agency said in an earlier Twitter message that the incident was under investigation as "a suspected human smuggling venture." However, the nationalities of those who were aboard the vessel has yet to be determined, a Coast Guard spokesperson, Petty Officer Jose Hernandez, said.

It came on the heels of another ill-fated migrant crossing attempt that ended with 32 people rescued from a capsized vessel last Friday, west of Bimini, which has become frequent transit point for sea-going smugglers, Hernandez said.

Incidents of overturned or interdicted vessels crowded with people, many of them Haitians or Cubans seeking to reach the United States, are not uncommon in the waters off Florida.

In May of 2021, 12 Cuban migrants perished and eight were rescued after their boat flipped over off Key West, Florida.

At least 557 Cuban migrants in all have been picked up at sea by the Coast Guard since October, in addition to nearly 7,400 Cubans interdicted during the previous five years, according to the agency.

Vessel crossings of Haitian migrants have likewise grown more frequent as the Caribbean island nation deals with economic and political crises, as well as gang-related kidnappings. The Coast Guard said it had intercepted at least 159 Haitian nationals this fiscal year.

Last week, 90 people were repatriated to the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, following rescue and interdiction of three illegal voyages across the Mona Passage near Puerto Rico.
Read what is in the news today:

Society

-- A 66-year-old man drowned with a married couple after a failed attempt to rescue the latter in a pond of his house in northern Yen Bai Province on Tuesday.

-- A barge carrying concrete collided with the girder of the Thai Binh Bridge crossing over the Tra Ly River in northern Thai Binh Province, leaving some cracks on the bridge on Tuesday.

-- The Peoples Committee of northern Hai Phong City technically opened to traffic the Rao Bridge across the Lach Tray River on Tuesday after building it within 13 months with a total investment of VND2.26 trillion (US$99.8 million).

-- The Department of Transport of Ho Chi Minh City announced on Tuesday traffic flow adjustments on some routes in District 1 and District 3 from Friday through February 16 to serve the train operation at the Saigon Railway Station and organize the Lunar New Year celebration activities.

-- Vietnam received 4,000,230 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine donated by Germany via the international vaccine sharing platform COVAX on Tuesday.

Business

-- The ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) has estimated that Vietnams economy will grow by 7.5 percent this year, after posting a modest growth of 2.6 percent in 2021 due to COVID-19.

-- Tan Thanh border gate, a major link for the exportation of fruits and agricultural products from Vietnam to China in northern Lang Son Province, officially reopened on Tuesday after more than a month of suspension for COVID-19 prevention.

-- Over 8,500 foreign tourists had travelled to Vietnam under the pilot program to resume international tourism as of January 23, according to the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

Education

-- The Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has issued a document allowing kindergarteners and first to sixth graders to resume offline studying from February 14 on a voluntary basis given approvals from their parents.

Lifestyle

-- Cable car routes at Ba Den Mountain, an attraction in southern Tay Ninh Province, have reopened to visitors starting Wednesday, after a long time of suspension due to COVID-19, according to its operator - Sun World BaDen Mountain.

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A 66-year-old man drowned with a married couple after a failed attempt to rescue the latter in a pond of his house in the northern Vietnamese province of Yen Bai on Tuesday.

Duong Kim Hung, the chairman of Kien Thanh Commune in Yen Bais Tran Yen District, confirmed the deadly incident involving Sung A C., 66, Sung A D., 42, and D.s 38-year-old wife Giang Thi S. later the same day.

As S. slipped while collecting mud in a pond of C.s house to sow seeds, D. rushed in to save his wife but failed.

After C.s grandchild saw the married couple struggling in the pond and told him, C. tried to rescue them but also drowned.

At the time of the incident, everyone else was working in the fields, so there were no adults left to save the three victims, chairman Hung said.

Functional forces handed the victims bodies to their families on Tuesday afternoon, before local authorities paid condolences to the families later the same day, according to Hung.

The chairman added that D. and his wife have two children, who are in fifth grade and ninth grade.

They are Hmong ethnic people and are considered near-poor.

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Nearly 6.3 million COVID-19 vaccine doses donated by Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, and the UK have arrived in Vietnam, UNICEF said in a press release on Tuesday.

The vaccine donation was made via the COVAX Facility, an international partnership created to ensure global equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.

COVAX is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness and Innovations (CEPI), GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF as a key delivery partner.

The latest delivery in Vietnam includes 4,000,230 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine donated by Germany, 99,450 shots of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine supplied by Luxembourg, 159,120 jabs of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine gifted by Portugal, and 2,012,960 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine presented by the UK.

With this new shipment of over four million vaccine shots, Germany continues its ongoing support for Vietnam to control the COVID-19 pandemic, said German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner.

Germany will continue to show solidarity with Vietnam in the fight against the effects of the pandemic and provide further vaccines through the international vaccine platform COVAX, Hildner stated.

The European nation has so far provided over 10 million vaccine jabs for Vietnam.

According to British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward, the latest donation is part of the UKs assistance for Vietnams road map of opening the economy.

It also marks the third bilateral vaccine commitment by the UK to Vietnam after the arrival of more than 727,000 doses in 2021.

In 2022, the UK will continue supporting Vietnam to build a resilient health system by providing more vaccines and medical supplies, while facilitating knowledge exchange opportunities between the two countries, the ambassador said.

With the delivery of vaccines donated by the governments of Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, Vietnam has received 51,024,180 doses via the COVAX Facility.

As of Tuesday, health workers in Vietnam had administered more than 177 million vaccine doses, according to the Ministry of Health.

Over 78.9 million of the countrys 98 million people have received at least one dose while more than 73.8 million have been injected twice.

The number of third doses  including additional primary shots for immunocompromised people, boosters, and third jabs of Cubas Abdala vaccine has topped 24.7 million.

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Vietnam reported 15,954 more COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, in addition to 20,540 hospital discharges and 155 virus-linked mortalities.

The newest cases, including 69 imported and 15,885 domestic transmissions, were confirmed in 61 provinces and cities, the Ministry of Health said, elaborating that 10,571 contracted the coronavirus in the community.

Hanoi recorded 2,884 of the latest local cases, Da Nang 991, Hai Phong City 702, Thanh Hoa Province 587, Quang Nam Province 572, Vinh Phuc Province 465, Hoa Binh Province 425, Hai Duong Province 370, Quang Ninh Province 297, Thua Thien-Hue Province 255, Lam Dong Province 229, Khanh Hoa Province 145, Ha Tinh Province 131, Ho Chi Minh City 121, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province 115, Yen Bai Province 100, Binh Thuan Province 87, Can Tho City 44, and Ninh Thuan Province 29.

Vietnam had documented 15,699 locally-transmitted infections on Tuesday.

The country has detected 2,180,679 community transmissions in all its 63 provinces and cities since the fourth virus wave erupted on April 27, 2021. Over 1.92 million of them have recovered from COVID-19.

Ho Chi Minh City stays on top of the case count with 513,091 patients, followed by Binh Duong Province with 292,440, Hanoi with 117,470, Dong Nai Province with 99,756, Tay Ninh Province with 87,571, Ca Mau Province 55,337, Dong Thap Province with 47,175, Can Tho City with 44,250, Long An Province with 41,475, An Giang Province with 35,409, Tien Giang Province with 35,272, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province with 30,581, Binh Thuan Province with 29,049, and Da Nang with 28,124.

Vietnam registered only 1,570 locally-transmitted infections in total in the previous three waves.

The health ministry announced 20,540 recovered patients on Wednesday, lifting the national count to 1,924,609.

The toll has increased to 37,165 deaths after the ministry logged 155 fatalities on the same day, including 19 in Hanoi, 11 in Dong Nai Province, nine in Vinh Long Province, eight in Ho Chi Minh City, seven in Khanh Hoa Province, seven in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province and the remainder in 25 other provinces and cities.

Vietnam has reported 2,187,481 patients in total, including 166 imported and community-based Omicron infections, since the COVID-19 pandemic first hit the country in early 2020.

The Omicron cases consist of 92 in Ho Chi Minh City, 27 in Quang Nam Province, 14 in Hanoi, 11 in Khanh Hoa Province, eight in Da Nang, four in Kien Giang Province, two in Thanh Hoa Province, two in Quang Ninh Province, one in Hai Duong Province, one in Hai Phong City, one in Long An Province, one in Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, one in Binh Duong Province, and one in Lam Dong Province.

Health workers have given more than 178.8 million vaccine doses, including 1,442,562 shots on Tuesday, since vaccination was rolled out nationwide on March 8, 2021.

Upwards of 78.9 million of the countrys 98 million people have received at least one dose while over 73.9 million have been injected twice.

The number of third doses  including additional primary shots for immunocompromised people, boosters, and third jabs of Cubas Abdala vaccine has topped 25.9 million.

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The Vietnamese company whose CEO was arrested for hiking COVID-19 PCR test kit prices has been found having imported rapid test tools from China at a rate 21 times lower than its selling price, the central customs agency reported.

The unit price for the rapid coronavirus test kits imported by Ho Chi Minh City-based Viet A Technology Corporation (Viet A Corp) from China was US$0.955 (some VND21,600) apiece, the General Department of Vietnam Customs reported on January 20.

This price is 21.7 times less than the VND470,000 ($20.75) that the corporation charged the Hai Duong Provinces Center for Disease Control (Hai Duong CDC) last year.

This is among the latest findings in the case against the corporations founder and CEO Phan Quoc Viet and the director of the Hai Duong CDC, Pham Duy Tuyen, who were arrested and prosecuted last December for allegedly colluding to inflate the price of COVID-19 PCR test kits and pocket the difference.

They have been charged with violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences.

From September to December 2021, Viet A Corp spent VND64.68 billion ($2.85 million) importing three million rapid COVID-19 test kits from China at the cheaper price, the customs force reported.

Investigation results revealed that the Ministry of Health introduced Viet A Corps extreme sales price ($20.75 per kit) to different local entities.

In April 2020, the ministry granted a circulation license for Viet A Corps one-step RT-PCR test kits, the first-ever made in Vietnam.

The corporation has since provided such kits to many CDCs and medical facilities in 62 provinces and cities and earned a revenue of nearly VND4 trillion ($177.35 million), thereby making an illegitimate profit of over VND500 billion ($22.02 million), investigators said.

Given the increasing demand for COVID-19 test kits amid a serious outbreak that has hammered Vietnam since late April 2021, Viet colluded with the CDC directors of some localities to hike the prices of the tests to illegally make a huge amount of money, according to police documents.

Viet provided the kits for hospitals and CDCs in different localities for use in advance, knowing that pandemic control regulations streamlined the process to choose medical equipment providers.

The CEO then conspired with the buyers to carry out supplier appointment procedures in a manner that artificially inflated test kit rates.

Viet confessed to investigators that he, in conjunction with his companys partners, hiked the price by 45 percent against the imported rate and that he had paid around VND800 billion ($35.26 million) as commissions to such partners, said Lieutenant General To An Xo, spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security.

From February to December 2021, the Hai Duong CDC paid nearly VND152 billion ($6.61 million) to Viet A Corp through five contracts for test kits using the provinces budget allocated to the center for COVID-19 control missions, investigators said.

Viet paid Tuyen kickbacks totaling some VND30 billion ($1.32 million) in the period.

The Ministry of Public Security has expanded its investigations and has prosecuted a total of 19 defendants for the crimes of "violating regulations on bidding, causing serious consequences," "giving bribes and taking bribes," and "abusing positions and powers while performing official duties."

Police have seized 28 pieces of real estate, blocked bank accounts worth more than VND320 billion ($14.09 million), and temporarily seized over VND4.8 billion ($211,700) voluntarily handed in by the individuals involved.

The General Department of Vietnam Customs is coordinating with relevant agencies to investigate seven companies related to Viet A Corp, namely Technique Import Export JSC, Biomedic Science Material JSC, Vietnam Applied Biology and Technical JSC, Lan Oanh Science Equipment Co. Ltd., Viet Hoang Long Trading Co. Ltd., Vina Chemistry Biology Science Equipment Co. Ltd., and TBR Technology JSC.

The Government Inspectorate on Thursday issued a decision to inspect the purchase of medical equipment and supplies, biological products, COVID-19 vaccines and medicines by the Ministry of Health and some of its units.

Earlier on December 31 last year, police indicted Nguyen Minh Tuan, director of the Department of Medical Equipment and Construction under the health ministry, over his alleged involvement in the case.

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The Peoples Committee of Hai Phong City in northern Vietnam techinically opened the Rao Bridge to traffic across the Lach Tray River on Tuesday after building it within 13 months with a total investment of VND2.26 trillion (US$99.8 million).

The bridge connects Hai Phong Citys center with Do Son tourism area and is also a trade gateway linking directly with the highway systems of Hanoi - Hai Phong and Hai Phong - Quang Ninh.

It is meant to replace the old Rao Bridge, which degraded after more than 40 years in operation and posed safety risks, given the increasing density and volume of vehicles using it, according to Do Tuan Anh, a representative of the investor of the project.

The new Rao Bridge is a permanent structure built of steel, reinforced concrete and prestressed concrete.

The main part of the bridge is about 456.5 meters long and 30.5 meters wide, including three steel arches and six spans supported by hollow beams.

It is divided into six lanes, directly connecting 353 Street with Lach Tray Street leading to the citys center.

The auxiliary part of the bridge is nine meters wide with two lanes that can divert traffic to Ngo Gia Tu Street, Thien Loi Street, Bui Vien Street and Lach Tray Street.

On both ends of the bridge are landscape parks while a synchronous, modern lighting system that provides artistic lighting and traffic safety signals is installed on the bridge arch as well as along its route.

The construction progress of such a large-scale project with high technical and artistic requirements was completed quickly in just about 13 months, from December 2020.

The new Rao Bridge promises to be a highlight to help Hai Phong expand its socio-economic development and a driving force to increase the property value and attract investment resources to Duong Kinh, Do Son and Kien Thuy Districts.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has thanked the United States, Great Britain, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and the Czech Republic for providing additional "defense support" for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"Despite the fact that our state is not a member of NATO, and Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty does not apply to Ukraine, we are grateful to the United States, Great Britain, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and other NATO members for providing additional defense and security support to our Armed Forces," Kuleba said at an online briefing on Wednesday.

The minister noted that this support makes Ukraine's negotiating position much stronger.

"This force is necessary precisely so that it does not have to be used," Kuleba stressed.

The Foreign Minister of Ukraine drew attention to the fact that each partner can help Ukraine in its own way.

"Someone by its readiness for the coordinated imposition of sanctions against Russia. Someone is strengthening the Ukrainian army with weapons and military equipment. Someone is strengthening cybersecurity. Someone helps us to keep the financial and economic system calm and stable. We are grateful for the support of our partners at this time of challenges, but it will be in vain if we, Ukrainians, do not do the same," Kuleba said.
As well as acting in shows including "Star Trek: Voyager," "This Is Us" and "Hacks," Kamala Lopez campaigns for womens equality in the US Constitution. She is the founder of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Education Project and directed the documentary Film "Equal Means Equal." This week she is rallying at the White House to establish women as fully equal under US law. Lopez has helped mobilize women and their allies to rally outside the White House on 27 January, followed by a march to the Department of Justice, where petitions will be handed to the Attorney Generals office.

The date marks the two-year anniversary of Virginia becoming the 38th and final state needed to ratify the ERA. But in 2020, the Trump Administration's Office of Legal Counsel published a memo instructing the Archivist not to publish the Equal Rights Amendment if Virginia ratified. Kamala talks about how theyre putting pressure on President Biden to validate the ERA and why it will help women across America.

27 January 2022

Sabina Nasic: Kamala, please tell us why 27 January 2022 is such an important day?

Kamala Lopez: 27 January marks the two-year anniversary of Virginias ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and, as it was the final ratifying state necessary, the ERA becomes Federal law and is enforceable.

Activists will be holding actions to commemorate this day and to pressure the Department of Justice and Administration to rescind the OLC memo and publish the ERA. At noon, activists will meet and rally outside the White House in Washington, DC, followed by a march to the Department of Justice to drop off petition signatures to Attorney General Garland, demanding that he rescind the OLC memo and direct the Archivist to publish ERA.

Women as fully equal persons under the US Constitution

What will this mean for women?

The ERA will establish women as fully equal persons under the US Constitution for the first time in history. This will compel all courts to enforce all laws equally on women's behalf, something that has never been required, literally since the birth of our nation.

In practice, this means that laws promising equal pay, for example, will have to require actually equal pay. Under the current Constitution, without the ERA, courts are free to interpret equal pay laws to allow less than equal pay because the constitution permits unequal enforcement regardless of what the law says. The ERA will force state and federal governments to more carefully design all laws and policies to ensure they will have no discriminatory effect on women. Without the ERA, government officials need not concern themselves with fear of being sued for excluding women or treating them differently. For example, women are excluded from protection under many hate crime laws, while other categories, such as race and religion, are protected.

This is currently legal, but will become illegal under the ERA.

What are your next steps?

We have many ideas for how to validate the ERA, including putting pressure on the Biden administration, lobbying Congress, and relentlessly filing lawsuits until all three branches of government embrace the ERA and declare their unmitigated support for women's full constitutional equality, once and for all.

Equal Means Equal

What particular actions will you take?

Here are two actions we are taking as Equal Means Equal prepares our Litigation Strategy. Well ask President Biden to instruct the Archivist to publish the ERA as the 28th Amendment to the US Constitution. And ask Attorney General Merrick Garland to withdraw the politically motivated, and legally unsound, Trump Administration Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memo on the ERA, to be consistent with the Biden Administration's agenda, as soon as possible.

How to support ERA

How can other people support ERA?

They can go to Equal Means Equal site and sign up for our weekly newsletter to get the latest information on events surrounding the ERA. We need as many individuals and organizations to partner up with us as possible. We cannot do this alone. They can watch the film Equal Means Equal and learn why we need the ERA and what it does for all Americans. They can host watch-parties, organize film screenings, write letters, support our social media and reach out to journalists to expose the problem and educate the public.

What is your goal with ERA?

The goal of ERA adoption is to fix systemic inequities based on sex-discrimination, and provide women with equal rights and protections under Federal law.

How can people follow the rally?

People can join ERA activists from across the nation outside the White House in Lafayette Park, Washington DC at 12pm to rally for the Equal Rights Amendment. If you cannot attend, sign up to watch the rally virtually. Speakers will address the Constitutional Crisis at hand and then march to the Department of Justice where petitions will be given to the Attorney Generals office. Also, on the night of the 27th, Generation Ratify will be hosting a slumber party outside of the Department of Justice to let Attorney General Garland know that young people wont rest until he does his part to certify the ERA into the Constitution. They will be hosting a virtual kick-off 8pm to 9pm EST.
Chinese premier stresses prioritizing stability in economic development

Xinhua) 08:58, January 26, 2022

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, presides over a symposium, Jan. 25, 2022. The symposium was held to solicit opinions and suggestions from the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliations on a draft government work report. Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium. (Xinhua/Wang Ye)

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has stressed prioritizing stability in economic development as the Chinese economy continues to face downward pressure and complex domestic and international environments.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, made the remarks on Tuesday at a symposium over which he presided.

The symposium was held to solicit opinions and suggestions from the non-Communist parties, the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, and personages without party affiliations on a draft government work report.

The document will be deliberated at the top legislature's annual session in March.

Vice Premier Han Zheng, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, attended the symposium.

Hearing suggestions from the representatives, Li called for intensifying the implementation of macro policies to ensure stability on the six fronts and security in the six areas.

The "six fronts" refers to employment, the financial sector, foreign trade, foreign investment, domestic investment and expectations. The "six areas" refers to job security, basic living needs, operations of market entities, food and energy security, stable industrial and supply chains, and the normal functioning of primary-level governments.

Efforts should be made to carry out a combination of tax and fee cut policies and precise measures to reduce financing costs for medium, small and micro firms, as well as individual businesses and industries with difficulties, Li said.

He also called for support for research and development and innovation in the manufacturing sector, urging efforts on stabilizing market expectations and deepening reform and opening-up to better unleash market vitality.

Li stressed the importance of securing and improving people's livelihoods, as well as stabilizing the macroeconomy and keeping the economy running within an appropriate range.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Ovarian cancer death rates are predicted to fall by 17% in the UK this year compared to 2017, a study suggests.

The data indicates the rates will fall by 7% in EU countries, with researchers suggesting the falls are mainly due to the use of oral contraceptives.

This also accounts for the differences between countries, the experts say.

Carlo La Vecchia, a professor at the University of Milan, Italy, said: The earlier and greater use of oral contraceptives in the UK than in most EU countries for generations of women born since the 1930s has a major role in these trends.

In Italy, Spain, Poland etc, oral contraceptives were made available considerably later, and hence the favourable trends in these countries started later and are smaller.

The study also predicts death rates from the 10 most common cancers will continue to fall.

Around 4,000 women in the UK are predicted to die from ovarian cancer in the UK in 2022.

Across the EU countries the researchers predict 26,500 women will die from the condition.

Prof La Vecchia explained: Long-term use of oral contraceptives reduces the risk of ovarian cancer by 40% in middle-aged and elderly women.

Other factors may also be partially responsible, such as a reduced use of hormone replacement therapy.

He added that while improvements in diagnosis, surgery and better treatments may also contribute to improved survival, these factors are minor compared to the long-term protective effect of oral contraceptives.

We expect these favourable trends in ovarian cancer deaths to continue, Prof La Vecchia said.

Research suggests that in the 1970s the UK had the highest death rate in Europe at nearly nine per 100,000, but then there was a steep decline.

Death rates in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain were all lower but showed a rise until the 1980s when they started to decline.

Annwen Jones, chief executive of Target Ovarian Cancer, said: We can be cautiously optimistic about this news.

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However, whereas ovarian cancer death rates are falling in the UK, our survival rates still lag behind, and numbers diagnosed are set to increase because of an ageing population.

We now need to see a major increase in investment in ovarian cancer research.

Eleven women still die every day in the UK and we urgently need to find better ways to detect the disease earlier and develop new treatments.

The new study predicts death rates from the 10 most common cancers will continue to fall in most European countries in 2022, although the numbers of people dying will go up due to ageing populations.

They suggest that in the UK there will be 176,800 deaths from cancer, corresponding to a fall of 7% in men and 6% in women.

The research indicates that lung cancer deaths continue to rise in EU women (up 2%), and womb and cervical cancers deaths are up 5% in UK women.

The researchers analysed cancer death rates in the EU 27 member states as a whole, and separately in the UK in order to be able to compare with previous years when the UK was still a member of the union.

Data was collected from the World Health Organisation and Eurostat databases from 1970 to 2017, or to 2016 for the UK.

This is the 12th consecutive year the researchers have published these predictions, published in the Annals of Oncology journal.

It is estimated that nearly 5.4 million cancer deaths have been avoided between 1989 and 2022 in the EU.

In the UK, just over a million deaths were avoided over the same period, including 73,000 in 2022.

However, the scientists warn that their predictions should be interpreted with caution and that they could be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic this year.
Frances law banning conversion therapy has passed its final stages, with president Emmanuel Macron declaring being yourself is nothing to be cured.

The sweeping ban, which gives no exemptions for religious conversion therapy, was voted in by parties on both sides of the political spectrum in December 2021, and has now been formally approved by Macron.

The bill bans all practices, behaviours, and repeated statements with the intent of modifying or repressing a persons real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity, and having the effect of a material alteration to their mental or physical health.

Macron tweeted after the bill was passed: The law prohibiting conversion therapy is adopted unanimously!

Lets be proud, these unworthy practices have no place in the Republic. Because being yourself is not a crime, because there is nothing to be cured.

La loi interdisant les therapies de conversion est adoptee a l'unanimite !

Soyons-en fiers, ces pratiques indignes n'ont pas leur place en Republique. Parce quetre soi nest pas un crime, parce quil ny a rien a guerir.  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 25, 2022

Conversion therapy will now carry a potential penalty of two years in prison and 30,000 (around 25,000) in fines. If the victim is a minor, or otherwise considered vulnerable, or the person practicing conversion therapy is a parent or grandparent of the victim, the punishment increases to three years in prison and a 45,000 (around 38,000) fine.

Medical professionals found guilty of conversion therapy in France could have their medical licence stripped for ten years.

In 2016, Malta became the first European country to ban conversion therapy. Germany, Albania, Brazil and Taiwan have all passed such a ban in recent years.

A ban on conversion therapy in the UK has been on the table since 2018, when the Conservative government promised the LGBT+ community that it would ban the traumatising practice.

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A UK consultation on ending the practice was intended to run for six weeks to gauge public opinion on the specifics of legislating the ban with the aim of bringing a draft to parliament by spring 2022. Since then, the ban has been hit with a series of delays, and in December 2021, the consultation was extended by a further eight weeks.

Campaigners have accused the Tories proposed ban of falling short by including a loophole for religious counselling.

At least two per cent of LGBT+ Britons have undergone conversion therapy, according to the UK governments 2018 National LGBT Survey.

Of them, 51 per cent had it conducted by faith groups.
Over the past 10 years, France's leadership in the fight against corruption has stagnated, according to Transparency International, in its annual global report of 180 countries on the perception of graft. And many African countries are failing in the struggle against endemic clientelism and fraud.

According to the report France isnt the only country to have rested on its laurels when it comes to tackling corruption. Sub-Saharan Africa - as a region made up of 49 countries on the continent - hasn't made much progress over the past decade either.

The Corruption Perceptions Index cited positive measures implemented under previous president Francois Hollande, but has noted worrying signals as President Emmanuel Macrons first term of office comes to an end this April.

Coming in at 22nd in the list, France is ahead of the United States at 28th place, but lagging far behind Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, who are the top three when it comes to dealing with corrupt practices.

The report also reveals that France has only improved by one point in the past 10 years.

According to the president of Transparency International's French chapter, Patrick Lefas, France has a "lack of resources allocated to justice and to the economic and financial police," indicating that fighting corruption "is not a priority, and it is a concern that may explain the relative stagnation in which we find ourselves in."

Global apathy in the fight against corruption has been highlighted in the 2022 report, with 131 territories having made little or no progress since 2012, although Angola and South Korea make up two of 30 countries that have made more of a concerted effort in the fight against graft.

Sub-Saharan Africa

As a whole, Sub-Saharan Africa scores in the lowest third of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) with a 33 rating. While a few countries improved slightly in the group, most have stagnated or dropped.

Covid-19 and political upheaval - be it coups detat, displacement due to armed conflict, terrorism, or civil war - have skewed the numbers into a less favourable position.

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The Seychelles usually grabs the best position for the African continent, with a current score of 70 - up 18 points over the last 10 years - but its work as an offshore banking hub and lack of transparency could mar future rankings.

Middle class Cabo Verde and Botswana rank in the mid-50s in a distant second and third, although the southern Africa diamond center has notably dropped 10 points.

One factor of Botswanas fall in the ratings is how citizens of perceive impunity.

According to the 2019 Global Barometer survey conducted by Transparency International, Botswana thought corruption and impunity increased, specifically citing the alleged looting of the National Petroleum Fund.

Liberia lowdown

Similarly in Liberia, the issues of impunity remain a constant for many Liberians, as allegations of corruption remain unresolved.

The country dropped 12 points since 2012, due in part to a weak judiciary, as well as Liberia's anti-corruption agency having seen its credibility "dented".

Investigations made by RFI into the wealth of incumbent President George Weah demonstrates a lack of transparency, with an apparent accumulation of assets since coming to power.

These factors are in line with the rest of the continent, according to surveys done by Afrobarometer, that show sub-Saharan Africans believe corruption has risen.

Unfortunately the countries that continue to languish at the bottom are Somalia, South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea, which are dealing with corruption on a daily basis.

Thanks to work by investigative journalists exposing endemic corruption in the Equatorial Guinea, the country's Oil Minister Gabriel Mbega Obiang Lima, who is President Teodoro Obiangs son, allegedly took kickbacks and a cut of public funds meant for public projects.

The presidents other son, vice-president Teodorin, was convicted in French court last year for ill-gotten gains.

Still reeling from the graft of previous administrations

Meanwhile, South Africa continues to deal with the effects of corruption under the administration of former president Jacob Zuma.

Zuma was indicted on corruption charges, but refused give testimony and is currently serving a jail term for contempt of court.

High-level corruption was exposed with the Zondo Commission, but many feel that not enough has been done.

And a new corruption report on Covid-19 tenders out this month has continued to erode public confidence in the government.

A mining scandal from the Democratic Republic of Congo, revealed within the Congo Hold-Up report, indicate that ex-president Joseph Kabilas cronies allegedly embezzled funds from the countrys central bank, the state-owned mining company and the tax authority.

The investigation, thanks to a consortium of investigative journalists around the world, including RFIs Sonia Rolley, has traced the trail of corruption to the top levels of government.

Some Angolan positives

The most positive improvement on the anti-corruption chart is Angola, up seven points since 2012 at number 29.

President Joao Lourenco, who was elected in 2017, has a hand in this, in an effort to clean up the widespread corruption stemming from the family of the former president.

Isabel dos Santos, the ex-presidents daughter and the head of state oil company Sonangol, was once considered Africas richest woman.

Thanks to a series of leaks and corruption investigations, dos Santos asserts were frozen one year ago.
Imran Khan during an interview with CNNs Max Foster (CNN/PA) (PA Media)

The prime minister of Pakistan has added his weight to a call from Gordon Brown asking the international community to find billions of pounds for a UN emergency appeal to prevent the starvation of the Afghan population.

More than 5,000 people have signed a Save The Children on line petition, launched on Monday, urging the Government to lead the relief efforts and convene an emergency conference.

Imran Khans intervention marks the launch today of a new social media campaign, to #SaveAfghanLives which will escalate the wide spread concern about the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Afghanistan

An estimated five million children and four million adults are now suffering from the acute effects of malnutrition and 23 million people will face severe famine in the coming months unless the aid the UN is appealing for is forthcoming within days.

I will add my voice also and want people to join an international initiative to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, putting at risk of starvation millions of Afghans, especially children. #SaveAfghanLives pic.twitter.com/HFrsAOfZSm  Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 23, 2022

Mr Brown believes the government should convene an emergency aid conference of the 40 nations in the US-led coalition whose departure, on top of harvest failure and Covid, has left Afghanistan facing catastrophe.

The former prime minister wrote to Foreign Secretary Liz Truss earlier this month with his proposal for the urgent humanitarian aid conference, saying he has not had a reply.

Mr Khans tweet in support of #SaveAfghanLives, which is trending in Pakistan, says: I will add my voice also and want people to join an international initiative to raise awareness about the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Afghanistan, putting at risk of starvation millions of Afghans, especially children.

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Handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of members of the UK Armed Forces leading evacuees past ZZ171 (nearest camera), an Royal Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, at Kabul airport (LPhot Ben Shread/MoD/PA) (PA Media)

Mr Brown said: The TV pictures coming out of Afghanistan are harrowing and heart-breaking.

But you no longer just have to sit watch them and not know how to help.

Together we can show the UK government that we the people understand that not a moment is to be lost if lives are to be saved.

Kirsty McNeill, executive director of policy, advocacy & campaigns at Save the Children UK said: Time is running out to get Afghan children the urgent support they desperately need.

Families are doing everything they can just to survive, even making the impossible decision of giving up their own babies because they cant afford to feed their other children.

The number of malnourished children visiting our mobile health clinics in Afghanistan has more than doubled since last August, with some dying before they can even reach the hospital.
The McLennan County Sheriffs Office has arrested a Paris, Texas, man who officials say is part of widespread auto theft rings that employ fraudulent, expertly forged identification documents and are responsible for the thefts of at least eight vehicles in Waco valued at a combined $500,000 or more.

McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said two alleged auto theft rings operating in Houston, Dallas, Waco and beyond likely stole five vehicles from AutoNation Chevrolet Waco, 1625 N. Valley Mills Drive, two from Greg May Honda, 1601 W. Loop 340, and one from Waco Mitsubishi, 4717 W. Waco Drive, from mid-December to Jan. 14.

Sheriffs office investigators staked out the AutoNation dealership for 17 hours over two days earlier this month while waiting on the suspected auto thieves to show up. McNamara said investigators arrested Jason Robinson, 49, a Paris, Texas man out on parole for a felony drunken driving conviction, on Jan. 14 when he and three other men showed up to take possession of a pickup truck.

He said Robinsons arrest saved at least two vehicles from being stolen in Waco because the men intended to go to at least one other dealership that day and drive away in new vehicles, including a $140,000 Mercedes G-Class.

While only one arrest has been made, McNamara said there could be as many as eight to 10 men working in two theft rings.

Its a scam to buy new autos from dealers with false IDs, McNamara said. These are using identification documents of real people, but they have different pictures on them. So they come into a dealership with drivers licenses, insurance cards, credit reports in the name of a real person, but they are not that person. So if the dealerships check their credit rating and it shows up they have an A-plus rating, they get a loan from whoever and they drive off in a brand new vehicle, and its all a big scam.

Its sort of an ingenious way to scam these dealerships out of a brand-new vehicle, and they take them and they are gone and either they sell them or chop them up or whatever. But the names on these documents are real people. They have no idea these lowlifes are using their identification and their names to purchase these vehicles falsely, McNamara said.

Of the eight vehicles stolen from the three Waco dealerships, only one, a used Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, has been recovered. It was recovered in Houston, McNamara said.

Robinson, who was charged with multiple counts of ID theft and theft of vehicles, remains free on bond.

This may just be the tip of the iceberg, McNamara said. We are not going to let up. We are watching this kind of activity and we are trying to get all the dealerships to use every precaution to make sure the identifications of these people are who they are and to contact the people whose name is on the ID, because the ones we have contacted have said absolutely that is their name but they had no intention of driving to Waco to buy a vehicle.

McNamara said it remains unclear how the identifying information was obtained. Investigators were able to catch Robinson before he bought the two vehicles on Jan. 14 because he sent insurance information to the dealerships, and investigators contacted the people whose identifies were stolen, Detective David Johnson said.

The documents looked real, McNamara said. They were very, very good forgeries.

McNamara urged dealerships to be more vigilant in checking identification information to make sure it is accurate.

If they feel they are being scammed, they can call us and hopefully we can catch some more of these creeps and throw the book at them, McNamara said.

A spokesperson for AutoNation declined comment on the thefts. Messages left at the Greg May and Waco Mitsubishi dealerships were not returned.

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A convicted sex offender within days of being released from prison is headed for a state treatment facility instead of freedom after a McLennan County jury determined Tuesday that he is a sexually violent predator.

Jurors in Wacos 54th State District Court deliberated about 30 minutes Tuesday before finding Robert Anthony Fluke, 39, who has spent the past 20 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old Waco girl, should not be released back into society because he is a repeat sexually violent offender who suffers from a behavioral abnormality that makes him likely to engage in a predatory act of sexual violence.

Attorneys with the State Special Prosecution Units civil division filed a motion last year in 54th State District Court seeking to have Fluke civilly committed to a West Texas sex offender treatment facility before his release from prison early next month.

The jury agreed. Fluke will be sent to a treatment facility in Littlefield, where his case will be reviewed every two years to see if he can be released or if his multi-tiered treatment plan needs to be modified.

The attorneys offered evidence Tuesday of at least four alleged incidents of sexual misconduct while Fluke was in prison. A psychologist testified that Fluke is a sexually violent predator.

Fluke, who was represented by attorneys from the State Counsel for Offenders, testified Tuesday that he was written up 121 times during his 20-year prison stint, including several times for sexual misconduct. He said he was just too lazy to participate in any sex offender treatment programs while he was in prison but told the jury he would not reoffend if released from prison.

Ive grown up, he said. I was a kid. I did stupid things.

When his attorneys asked him how he feels about what he did to the young girl in 2002, Fluke said terrible, despicable.

Fluke, who said he abused marijuana and inhaled gasoline in a bottle when he was younger, testified he suffered from a few mental health problems, including depression, after the death of his grandmother while he was in prison. He said he underwent complete and utter torment at the hands of other prisoners after they learned why he was in prison and that he also is gay.

Fluke pleaded guilty when he was 18 to sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl on Summer Avenue. The girl told Waco police she asked Fluke to get her a drink from the kitchen and said she noticed some white stuff floating in her drink but drank it anyway. She told police her eyes starting rolling back in her head 10 minutes later and she was unable to get up, according to police reports.

She said someone carried her to bed, where she said Fluke sexually assaulted her.

Fluke is the fourth person to stand trial in McLennan County under the civil commitment statute. Two others were committed for sex offender treatment and the third case ended in a hung jury and a mistrial. However, the jury approved the inmates civil commitment at a retrial in October 2019.

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As the Freedom Fountain gurgled nearby, Charles Cummings approached a stranger outside the Waco Convention Center. His eyes betrayed a look of desperation, and he softly inquired about getting a bicycle.

Homeless since his girlfriend sent him packing about four weeks ago, Cummings, 60, now faces life on the streets. He admits to a weakness for wrong choices, including substance abuse triggered by cocaine.

I tried it one time, and Ive been hooked ever since. I cant shake it, Cummings said, wearing a stocking cap and bundled against the cold.

He is seeking help wherever he can find it. On Tuesday that meant a trip to Project Homeless Connect, a one-stop event hosted by advocates.

Just inside the Waco Convention Centers entrance off Franklin Avenue, several volunteers from First Baptist Church of Waco set up a makeshift bike repair shop. They applied elbow grease and hand tools to donated two-wheelers. Cummings said he needs transportation to get around to my case managers, and thought a solution might be found inside.

Such encounters energize the Heart of Texas Homeless Coalition, the force behind Tuesdays three-hour extravaganza targeting locals chronically without a place to stay and others temporarily seeking shelter due to circumstances.

Coalition Chair Nicole Wiscombe said many people are one or two paychecks away from slipping through personal safety nets. A health scare or job loss can produce a life crisis individuals may not be equipped to handle. Poverty and rising housing costs serve to aggravate the problem.

Social service groups and houses of worship staffed booths at Tuesdays event, displaying bedrolls, backpacks, jackets, caps, gloves and gently used clothing for the taking. Attendees sorted through the items, choosing what might best keep them warm and dry on a chilly night outdoors.

Wacos Animal Birth Control Clinic also had a presence. Wiscombe said the homeless often have four-legged companions.

David Kendrick, 35, took in the sights accompanied by Hershey, a pit bull-lab mix with a light-brown coat, sweet disposition and blue leash. Kendrick said he grew up in Hood County, has had brushes with the law, and suffers from an array of health problems, including worsening vision. He moved to Central Texas, where relatives are trying to get him back on the right track.

Until then, he and Hershey are making do, he said. Kendrick applauded local efforts to make life better for the homeless and their pets. He said he availed himself of blankets and a backpack. Hershey received chow and a medical checkup, getting his shots and getting chipped, Kendrick said.

Hershey temporarily ignored a pizza slice someone placed near him.

I think the shot may have made him sleepy, Kendrick said.

Its great, great, said Sally DeLeon, 61, upon leaving Project Homeless Connect carrying multiple bedrolls and tote bags. A friend asked if she picked up everything she hoped to collect during her visit to the Waco Convention Center. She assured that she had, then announced her departure to a nearby church, which reportedly had a gift card waiting for her.

Project Homeless Connect has become a twice-yearly event. Referrals and services include those relating to employment, health screenings, pet care, veterans benefits and housing availability.

Haircuts were not available this year because of COVID-19 restrictions. But COVID-19 screening, testing and vaccinations were available to all comers.

Wiscombe said social service agencies use the occasion to meet federal guidelines related to counting the homeless. She said the event is heavily advertised in the target population, including at shelters delivering services. She said about 150 people attend the sessions, a number in line with estimates that 180 to 220 people locally experience homelessness or housing instability at any given time, most staying downtown.

Tuesdays event was supposed to start at 9 a.m., but people were gathering outside the center when she arrived at 6:30 a.m., said Candice Burroughs, a specialist with Heart of Texas MHMRs Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness program.

Waco, unlike many larger urban areas, is not plagued by reports of aggressive or threatening behavior by people who are homeless interacting with others, Wiscombe said. She said most of Wacos homeless are from this area, they are neighbors.

Homelessness among those under age 25 has become a growing problem, typically involving people exiting foster care or having been barred from their homes because of mental health issues or substance abuse, she said.

Waco becoming more popular as a tourist destination means more interaction between the homeless and out-of-town visitors, but downtowns homeless situation existed before tourist attractions arrived, occupying space within walking distance of shelters, Wiscombe said. She said an attitude of mutual respect, or tolerance, benefits all involved.

She said she finds no fault with The Salvation Armys possible move from downtown to La Salle Avenue, calling it a reasonable approach to the organizations goal of placing as many services as possible in a single location.

Wiscombe said she has concerns about low-rent hotels closing near downtown, eliminating housing for the poor. She said she does not blame property owners for selling as demand skyrockets for downtown lots, driving up prices, but the trend does not bode well for the poor and marginalized who would like to live near social service agencies if possible.

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COVID-19 testing sites

The Waco-McLennan County Public Health District is offering free drive-thru community COVID-19 testing. The PCR test is a self-administered, shallow nose swab.

Testing at McLennan Community College is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday in Parking Lot M, 4601 N. 19th St. Registration is required at dashboard.mylabsdirect.com/insurance or by calling 877-355-7978.

Testing at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, 1300 Columbus Ave., is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Registration is required at mycovidappointment.com or by calling 469-536-0807.

Convention center reception

The Waco Convention Center, 100 Washington Ave., is turning 50 years old. A come-and-go reception will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesday in the WCCs Brazos Ballroom. Remarks and a retrospective on its history will take place at 4 p.m.

Voter registration drive

The McLennan County Republican Women and McLennan County Republican Party will host a voter registration drive from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday at 539 N. Valley Mills Drive, in the Westview Village breezeway.

The registration deadline for the March 1 primaries is Monday.

For more information, call 254-772-6955.

Literacy coalition meeting

The Central Texas Literacy Coalition will meet at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Greater Waco Advanced Manufacturing Academy, 2401 J.J. Flewellen Road.

GWAMA Dean Dale McCall will be the guest speaker.

Grocery giveaway

Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, in conjunction with Shepherds Heart Food Pantry, will have a grocery giveaway from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at 2625 S. 18th St.

The giveaway will include meat, dry goods, canned goods, produce and drinks.

For more information, call 254-722-7429.

Submit printed or typed items to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco, 76702-2588; or email goingson@wacotrib.com.
Grocery giveaway

Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, in conjunction with Shepherds Heart Food Pantry, will have a grocery giveaway from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at 2625 S. 18th St.

The giveaway will include meat, dry goods, canned goods, produce and drinks.

For more information, call 254-722-7429.

Democratic candidates speak

Candidates in the March 1 Democratic primary for statewide and local offices will speak and meet with voters at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Harrison Senior Center, 1718 N. 42nd St.

Statewide candidates will include candidates for governor, attorney general, land commissioner, railroad commissioner, agriculture commissioner and judicial offices. Local candidates will include candidates for the Texas House and justice of the peace. State and local party leaders will also attend.

Doors open at 5:30. Masks are required. For more information, call the McLennan County Democratic Party office at 254-301-7648.

Free income tax help

Free income tax preparation will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Tarleton State Universitys Waco outreach campus, in Room 202 of the Michaelis Academic Center at McLennan Community College.

Taxpayers with income below $60,000 are eligible for help, including e-filing.

Assistance will be offered first come, first served, with no appointment required. Participants should bring their ID, Social Security card, W-2 and other relevant documentation.

For more information, contact Dan Puhl, accounting instructor and program coordinator at Tarleton-Waco, at 254-299-8252 or puhl@tarleton.edu.

Assistance also will be available from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 19.

Submit printed or typed items to Briefly, P.O. Box 2588, Waco, 76702-2588; or email goingson@wacotrib.com.
DA off base

I cannot imagine voting for a district attorney candidate whose chief criticism of an opponent is that he is a criminal defense attorney. I do not know our current district attorney, nor the other two candidates, but I have practiced law over 42 years, have been a prosecutor in Houston and now live in Waco. Tommy Witherspoons Friday story about our DA, Barry Johnson, should alarm you.

On Jan. 20, Johnson apparently claimed his primary opponent, criminal defense attorney Josh Tetens, defends child molesters, wife beaters, perverts and violent criminals apparently to incite anger or encourage fear, which suggests a DA who wants a justice system in which those accused of certain crimes are not provided representation.

If Johnson has an actual complaint about the competence or actual character of one of his opponents, such as they are a liar or cheater, then he should show us where a judge held them in contempt for lying or cheating, and I will consider that when casting my ballot.

Until then, all people have the right to a competent defense attorney; I would hope Johnson understands that. Johnson has implied that people accused of certain crimes apparently are not entitled to a defense, and correspondingly the attorney providing that defense is somehow inferior. The chief law enforcement officer in our county should not be someone who holds and apparently proudly expresses such a Neanderthal view of our criminal justice system.

If our district attorney finds defense attorneys inferior in some way because they participate in the criminal justice system but are on the other side, then he should quit immediately. If not, I hope the citizens of this county will not fall to fear tactics but instead look for evidence of expertise and fair-mindedness in our chief law enforcement officer.

Brad Beers, Waco

Voter drive unity

Our local Republican Party is commended for hosting a voter registration drive this Thursday. Political parties are the engines of our democracy. Our county, state and national Republican and Democratic parties are far from perfect, but they are the best options we have. Given recent political divisiveness, wouldnt it be super if both local parties hold a joint voter registration effort?

Gayle Avant, Woodway

Riding the tiger

Thank you, Charles Reed, for your enlightening letter, titled Speak for me [Sunday Trib].

So true that American evangelical leaders who support Donald Trump and others like him would do well to heed the words of JFK, those who foolishly sought power by riding the back of the tiger ended up inside.

Where are those Republicans of yesteryear whom we did respect for their values? Why cant they use their power to build back a respectable party? Why do they cling to a person who represents lying and cheating and destruction to get ahead? Why cant they learn to reason with their coworkers in Congress? Dont people, especially those trying to lead a nation, know that the best policy is to work together for the good of all, not just some, people?

We all wonder why some of our young people choose paths of destruction. Just take a look at the petty, pitiful actions of our supposed leaders.

Joanne Hueske, Waco
LINCOLN  After AltEn went into operation in January 2015, residents of Mead and the surrounding area started reported a wide range of health conditions doctors couldnt explain.

Those living close to the biofuel plant developed persistent coughs, watery eyes or bloody noses, while others living downwind experienced mouth sores and uncommon infections in their digestive systems.

Many assigned the changes in their well-being to AltEn, where unplanted corn and soybean seed coated with pesticides was turned into ethanol, leaving behind solid and wastewater byproducts contaminated with high concentrations of hazardous chemicals.

Researchers at the University of Nebraska and Creighton University have launched a 10-year study to examine the long-term effects on human health and the environment stemming from AltEns practices.

If research links the contamination stemming from AltEn to any negative health outcomes experienced by the people living near the plant, a bill introduced in the Legislature this year would grant individuals more time to sue the plant and the seed companies that supplied it.

The bill (LB694), sponsored by Sen. Carol Blood of Bellevue, extends the statute of limitations for Nebraskans who fall sick after an exposure to toxic chemicals from four years to 10 years.

It would also extend the time for the family of individuals whose illness or death is linked to exposure to seek compensation.

Blood said her bill  the first of a handful introduced this year in response to the environmental and health crisis at AltEn  was meant to address what she called a raw deal thrust upon Mead.

How long is too long before we pull the plug on these big companies making Nebraskans collateral damage? Blood asked the Legislatures Judiciary Committee on Friday, where the bill received a public hearing.

The neonicotinoids found in high concentrations in the wet distillers grain stockpiled at AltEn, as well as in the wastewater held for years in damaged lagoons, were designed to be persistent and highly mobile, Blood said.

Recent research has pegged their half-life  the time it takes for them to break down in the environment  at nearly four years, while some of the degraded products are believed to be more toxic than their parent compounds.

The ultimate health effects are far from understood, Blood said, but scientists suspect neonicotinoids could be linked to organ damage, reproductive issues and some cancers.

Janece Mollhoff, a nurse and retired Army colonel from Ashland, which is downstream from AltEn, told the Judiciary Committee that LB694 was not specifically about the village of Mead, a rogue ethanol plant or one specific chemical.

There are hundreds of thousands of artificial chemicals encompassing everything from fertilizers to flame suppressants that are easily available to consumers, Mollhoff said.

The rapid rate at which novel chemicals are being produced compared to the snails pace at which governments assess risks and monitor impacts leaves society largely flying blind to chemical threats, she said.

Extending the statute of limitations would give scientists  like those from NU and Creighton  more time to investigate the health outcomes created by exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals, Mollhoff added, and provide the individuals affected more time to seek damages.

Bloods bill was also backed by environmental groups such as the Nebraska Sierra Club and Bold Alliance, as well as by the Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, which said it provided more time for those who fall ill to seek recompense.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry testified in a neutral capacity, voicing concerns about language in the bill outlining how a doctor would connect exposure to a chemical to a health condition, as well as how the legislation could be misinterpreted.

The Judiciary Committee did not take any action on the bill Friday.

Blood said she planned to make LB694 her priority bill this year, which will help its chances of reaching the full Legislature for debate.
MEAD  A few hundred sacks of contaminated solid waste will remain at AltEn for the time being after state regulators intervened in the former ethanol plants plan to sell biochar to a Kansas landowner.

The biofuel plant, where seed coated with pesticides was turned into ethanol along with highly contaminated solid and liquid byproducts, told the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy it found a buyer for the charred distillers grains in December.

But the Topeka-area landscape company owner who initially agreed to remove the biochar from AltEn told the Journal Star he wasnt aware of the ethanol plants operations and history of running afoul of state environmental regulations until this month.

AltEn is the site of a massive environmental cleanup after it was ordered to shut down last year following years of warnings issued by the state. The cleanup is being led by six agricultural industry giants that previously disposed of their unplanted seed at the facility south of Mead.

Once I learned it was under investigation, it was just a no, said Brady Yingling, owner of B. Cole Agriculture, which was identified by AltEn as the buyer in records kept by the state.

Yingling said he has long been interested in biochar as a substitute for chemical fertilizers, using the natural product  most often, biochar is wood turned into charcoal  in place of anhydrous ammonia, nitrogen or petroleum-based products.

His plan, he said in a phone interview, was to apply biochar to the fields surrounding his home north of the Kansas capital, measure the results and promote the method to farmers as a cheaper organic option for improving soil health.

In the market for the product, he said he reached an agreement with AltEn to purchase the biochar in November.

Tanner Shaw, AltEns president, told the state in a Dec. 27 letter the biochar would be land applied to corn and soybean acres. He disputed an analysis of the product that found it heavily contaminated with neonicotinoids, pesticides commonly used in seed treatments.

The March 2021 sample showed levels of clothianidin, which can be found in high levels in solid and liquid byproducts at AltEn, reaching 8,790 parts per billion.

The Environmental Protection Agency has established a benchmark of 630 ppb as safe in drinking water, while the Minnesota Department of Health has set that level at 200 ppb.

Shaw suggested in his letter the finding reported by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy was an outlier.

NDEE received a positive test on its lab analyses and has advised that the biochar must be handled and disposed of as solid waste, Shaw wrote in his letter. This positive result is likely due to unreacted material, as the biochar process, based upon our testing to date, successfully changes the contaminants to non-detectable.

The next day, Dec. 28, Tom Buell, the head of monitoring and remediation at the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, phoned his counterpart at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

Kansas officials quickly called Yingling to tell him they concurred with Nebraskas environmental regulators in considering the biochar solid waste unless B. Cole Agriculture planned to apply the product to farm ground using the recommendations on the seed bag labels.

Yingling told both states he had reconsidered.

It was not disclosed in any manner of the risks associated with this project, he wrote to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Jan. 6. We have made a decision to NOT take delivery of any of the products.

Yingling told the Journal Star the ethanol company did not provide any information about the biochar he was interested in purchasing.

I was not given a label or a complete analysis of what I was going to buy, he said.

According to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, about 600 sacks of biochar are being stored in one of two hoop buildings at AltEn.

The ethanol plant, which initially planned to sell its wet cake as a soil amendment to farmers in Saunders County, began running the byproduct through a biochar system it brought to its campus in February 2018.

Owned by Green Disposal Mead LLC, a subsidiary of the same Kansas-based company that owns AltEn, the biochar system was intended to heat organic matter to a few thousand degrees, creating a charcoal-like substance.

AltEn would deliver a few dozen tons  a truckload or two  of wet cake to the biochar kiln per day to begin, state records indicate, before ramping up that process to more than a hundred tons daily.

But the system was prone to breaking down, according to state records.

After the Nebraska Department of Agriculture stripped AltEn of its soil conditioner license, leaving the company with limited options for disposing of its pesticide-contaminated wet cake, it indicated that it planned to turn the byproduct into charcoal.

Environmental regulators questioned how effective the biochar process would be in removing or reducing the level of pesticides in the wet cake, indicating their concern that incineration would release the chemicals into the air.

Testing done by the state ultimately found trace amounts of pesticides in air emissions coming from the biochar system, while a sample of the biochar itself showed concentrations well above the recommended rate set by the chemicals manufacturers.

Therefore, NDEE continues to consider the biochar to be a solid waste, the agency told AltEn in a March 26, 2021, letter. Due to the nature of the pesticides contained in the waste, NDEE is prohibiting land application.

Green Disposal Mead later told the department in October 2021 it was decommissioning the biochar unit, leading to questions from the state on what was happening to the machine, as well as the sacks of charred wet cake remaining at AltEn.

AltEns response, in turn, brought Yingling to the states attention.

The last thing I want is to bring a product to this community that would harm anyone, he said. Im glad I didnt get in the middle of it.
RAYMOND  Raymond Centrals Board of Education has looked at the data, and theres evidence that the district would be wise to prepare its facilities for long-term enrollment growth.

The board is considering either updating its current facilities to accommodate an expected influx of students, or pursuing an expanded centralized campus that would move the districts elementary school and pre-K students onto the current MS/HS property.

The route the board will take is yet to be determined. But as it explores its options, the board has hired First National Capital Markets (FNCM) as a municipal advisor to help determine the districts next steps.

The board voted 4-1 at its Jan. 12 meeting to hire FNCM to aid in the districts future facility planning.

Their role is just to assist the district and help to kind of craft the road ahead, and give different perspectives on options with planning the financial side of any potential future projects, said Superintendent Lynn Johnson.

FNCM has worked with dozens of school districts throughout the state as a municipal advisor, recently helping districts like Tekamah-Herman, Newman Grove and Summerland pass bond issues for building projects.

But that does not mean a bond issue election is sure to take place, said Tobin Buchanan, FNCMs vice president of public finance. He said his companys relationship with Raymond Central Public Schools is strictly fiduciary, meaning FNCMs role as municipal advisor would bar it from any involvement with the districts financing if the board chose to pursue a bond election.

Any guidance or advice we give is supposed to be in the board or districts best interest, Buchanan said.

Part of FNCMs duties will be to help the board facilitate meetings with a community group of Raymond Centrals patrons who will give input and ask questions about the districts options going forward. Buchanan said the group would ideally be made up of people with diverse backgrounds, such as ag producers, business owners, homeowners and people with and without children attending Raymond Central Public Schools.

We arent, as a municipal advisor, trying to provide or drive what the solution is, Buchanan said. (Raymond Central) just asked us to help share our experiences with other schools who started at the same point to figure out what the steps are to move forward and engage a community group.

Johnson said the Board of Educations members were tasked with selecting a broad representation of voters from each of their respective wards to be part of the community group. She said the board is aiming to have between 35 and 50 community members in the group, and hopes to hold meetings beginning in early February.

The community group meetings are meant to help the board make an informed decision about the districts next steps with consideration to the publics input and concerns.

Were asking them to identify what are some of the questions, concerns and next steps we should take, Johnson said. This group is just to kind of give us some steering direction.

That direction is yet to be established, Johnson said.

We need to gather more information in. Regardless of where we stand, at the end of the day, we have to make informed decisions moving forward, Johnson said.

Sam Crisler is a reporter for the Wahoo Newspaper. Reach him via email at samuel.crisler@wahoonewspaper.com.
There is a rift in sentiment since Nord Stream 2, Russia's owned gas pipeline could provide Mr. Putin with an easy route to sway Germany's oil needs and loyalties.

Germany's allies are starting to question the price Berlin is ready to pay to deter Russia, as well as the nation's ability to be a trusted partner, as the country backs away from tough measures.

As the standoff between the United States and Russia over Ukraine worsens, the US and its NATO allies seek to raise military deployments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe.

As part of its reaction to the situation in Lithuania, Denmark is sending fighter jets and a cruiser to the Baltic Sea. France has offered to send troops to Romania if the nation requests them. A Spanish frigate has been sent to the Black Sea. As a precaution, President Biden has ordered hundreds of US troops to remain on "high alert."

Then there's Germany to think about. Rather than for what it is doing, Germany has lately made headlines for what it is refusing to do.

Germany is the most significant European country to European unification and the Western alliance. As Germany attempts to overcome its post-World War II reluctance to take the lead on European security concerns and set aside its proclivity to accommodate rather than confront Russia, Europe's most influential nation has tripped in the first major test for Chancellor Olaf Scholz's new government.

Because of Germany's apparent reluctance to take decisive action, questions have been raised about the country's dependability as an ally  a reversal of the trend seen in recent years with the United States  and concerns have been raised that Moscow could use the country's hesitation as a wedge to divide a united European response to Russian aggression.

On Tuesday, while Russia conducted military exercises near the Ukrainian border, Mr. Scholz met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Berlin. He warned Moscow that "a military intervention calling into question Ukraine's territorial integrity would have catastrophic ramifications."

However, the German government has ruled out additional weapon deliveries to Ukraine. Still, it has also halted the delivery of nine Soviet-era howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine.

When asked whether the contentious Nord Stream 2 underwater gas pipeline from Russia to Germany will be included in a list of prospective penalties against Russia, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and several prominent Social Democrats in her cabinet and party have been evasive. They have argued that the pipeline is a "private-sector initiative" that is "independent" of the Ukrainian war.

According to Friedrich Merz, the party's predicted next leader in the face of opposition leader Angela Merkel, Germany's economic interests would be "harmed" if Russian banks were prevented from participating in the Swift payment processing network, which handles international financial transfers.

Ukraine and a number of Germany's eastern neighbors have been especially concerned by Germany's unclear stance on the crisis. Ukraine's foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, has accused Berlin of "supporting" Russian aggression by "actively encouraging" it. Others were as scathing in their condemnation.

Mr. Scholz is under pressure from Washington to take a more forceful position against Berlin. The White House has attempted to emphasize its confidence in Berlin while privately pressing him to do so.

President Biden sent a number of envoys to Berlin. William J. Burns, the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, briefed the chancellor with the most recent intelligence on Ukraine. On Sunday, Mr. Blinken, who visited Berlin before meeting with his Russian counterpart in Geneva, said that Germany had "no reservations" about standing up to Russian aggression.

Following Ms. Merkel's 16-year tenure as German chancellor, a new government has been created, divided on how hard it is to draw a line with Russia.

The new Green Party foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been more vocal in her support for tougher sanctions on Russia. On the other hand, Angela has drawn a line in the sand in terms of providing German armaments to Ukraine.

In many ways, Germany's arms export policy exemplifies the present German problem of a nation that sees the need to assume increasing global leadership duties but is not yet prepared to engage in that capacity.

The government has grown even more divided with the development of Nord Stream 2, a natural gas pipeline controlled by Gazprom, Russia's state-owned energy company. Many others feel that the channel will provide Mr. Putin an easy way to wield influence on America's European allies.

Russia is Europe's principal natural gas supplier. Once Nord Stream 2 is fully operational, Gazprom will sell more gas to European customers, enabling the corporation to avoid paying transit charges to the Ukrainian government.

While the Green Party's foreign minister, Annegret Baerbock, has been outspoken in her opposition to the project, Ms. Merkel and Mr. Scholz have defended it based on economic and energy security. They have long ruled out using it as leverage in negotiations over sanctions against Iran and other countries.

Michael Crowley: Germany and France' Stand To Lose A Lot From An Economic war With Russia'
INDEPENDENCE  An Independence woman has been sentenced to prison for allegedly embezzling from the mental health workers union.

Maureen Mo Shiela Kimmerle, 57, was sentenced to up to 10 years in prison Tuesday on charges of first-degree theft and first-degree fraudulent practices in Buchanan County District Court. She was also ordered to pay restitution.

She has until Friday to turn herself in to begin serving her time.

According to prosecutors, Kimmerle was treasurer for AFSCMEs Independence Mental Health Employees Local 2987 from 2011 to 2016 and then president from 2016 until 2020. She allegedly took $71,933 from the union and altered the organizations records to cover up the crime, according to authorities.

Union officials notified Independence police in September 2020 after they werent able to meet their rent obligations and noticed suspicious withdrawals, according to court records. Authorities determined she withdrew money from the unions bank account.

She was arrested in February 2021.

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WATERLOO  A Waterloo man has been arrested in connection with a shootout outside a Waterloo nightclub Jan. 16.

Officers with the Violent Crime Apprehension Team arrested Ezekiel Robert Menteer, 22, of 6125 Stardust Drive, on Monday for reckless use of a firearm, felon in possession of a firearm, carrying weapons and use of a weapon in a crime. He was also arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver while in possession of a firearm.

The charges stem from a Jan. 16 gun battle around 1:15 a.m. outside Club Legacy, 120 Sumner St. No injuries were reported, but officers found eight .45-caliber shell casings by the door and 24 9-mm casings across the street.

The shootout was captured on a nearby surveillance camera, and Menteer can be seen firing a gun in the footage, according to court records.

Police searched Menteers apartment and vehicle around 3 p.m. Monday and found a .45-caliber Kimber pistol, marijuana, THC edibles, THC vape cartridges and a digital scale, according to court records.







Photos: Guns in Northeast Iowa crime cases

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WATERLOO  A growing COVID-19 positivity rate among students during recent weeks has caused Hawkeye Community College to plan for a possible mask mandate.

President Todd Holcomb told the board of trustees Tuesday that students were testing positive for the virus at the highest rates ever during first three weeks of the month.

According to the colleges online COVID-19 dashboard, there have been 96 new student cases and another 19 among employees during January as of Sunday. That reached 46 students and five staff in the weekly report for Jan. 10-16. It dropped to 30 students and grew to 11 employees Jan. 17-23.

Last week (Jan. 10-16) was the highest numbers we had seen as a college, said Holcomb. In addition, hospitalizations of people being treated for coronavirus infection across the state surpassed 1,000 during the week and Black Hawk Countys 14-day positivity rate was 41.8%.

In our evolution of COVID responses, we thought that we may need to implement a mask mandate, he noted. Im just saying we had some really frank discussions last week. Were trying to look at multiple factors.

College spokeswoman Mary Pat Moore said the high point of new positive tests among students this month was still under 1% of enrollment. However, Hawkeye officials set a 3% rate of student positive tests as the threshold to require masks. The college also began handing out KN-95 masks from its supply to staff and students who were interested in them.

The concern was omicron is more contagious than previous variants of the the virus, said Moore. And so were concerned about the safety of our campus.

She noted Hawkeye hasnt had protocols in place with face-to-face classes and no social distancing requirements this year. With vaccinations widely available and offered at the colleges clinic, 75% of full- and part-time employees have gotten the shots.

Holcomb said officials feared numbers would continue going up when they were reported this week. But for both for the college and the broader county and state measures, they declined.

Positive rates for Hawkeye are gathered through testing on campus, contact tracing, self-reporting and data from Black Hawk Countys Public Health Department.

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WATERLOO  Stephanie Jones said her experience in public school systems as an educator and parent have prepared her for the role of leading Waterloo Community Schools.

As the chief officer in the Chicago Public Schools office of diverse learner supports and services, she oversees matters related to special education. When her three daughters  now adults  were growing up, she navigated the school system from the perspective of a parent.

I understand how those operate, she said during a phone interview, of the districts special and regular education systems. As a district leader, she is driven by how I support a student, how I support a family, how I support administrators and just the school district as a whole.

Jones, 45, is one of four Waterloo Schools superintendent finalists, all of whom will visit the district Thursday for a day of interviews. She has a masters degree from Lewis University and a doctorate in educational administration from Capella University.

She is the only one without ties to Iowa or the Cedar Valley. But the Chicago native and graduate of the school system she now works for insisted as a Midwesterner here in the state of Illinois she is not far removed from this state. Iowa is just our next-door neighbor, Jones noted, and shes taken opportunities to visit over the years.

As superintendent, she would model a high level of transparency and said all stakeholders should have a voice. Jones also wants to continue to create opportunities for our students.

She has worked in her current position a little less than three years, overseeing programs that serve more than 70,000 students in 638 schools. That includes students with special needs in private and parochial school settings within the districts boundaries.

I support over 10,000 staff members in my position, Jones noted. I support the largest department in the district.

Chicago Public Schools had more than 340,600 students in fall 2020, according to its website. Waterloo Schools had just over 10,100 students this fall and about 1,700 regular full- and part-time employees.

Jones started her career as a special education teacher and case manager in Chicago Schools, working at Air Force and George Washington Carver Military academy high schools.

After five years, I left for an administrator role in a suburban district, she said. She spent six years as the director of special services and liaison for homeless students with South Holland School District #151.

The district, much smaller than Chicago, includes only elementary schools. For someone who had only worked at the high school level this gave me a great opportunity, said Jones. It helped her to understand and build the capacity for our students from pre-K to high school.

It was the right time to become an administrator, as her youngest daughter was in the last couple years of high school, she noted. As raising her children became less of a focus, it meant she could take on the new role.

Its important that I give 100% and more in everything I do, she said.

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A roundup of campaign news items of interest from Tuesday:

VANDER PLAATS ENDORSES GRASSLEY: Bob Vander Plaats, president and CEO of the Iowa Christian conservative advocacy organization The Family Leader, endorsed longtime Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassleys re-election campaign.

Grassley is running for an eighth six-year term in the U.S. Senate. He faces a challenge from Republican state Sen. Jim Carlin of Sioux City.

In offering his endorsement, Vander Plaats cited Grassleys work to confirm three conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sen. Grassley is a champion for life. He is a champion for family, Vander Plaats said at a Family Leader event Tuesday, according to a news release.

Right now, if you take a look at the landscape under the Biden administration, this is not a seat you want to risk going into Democrat hands. You want to keep it safe and secure, and you want Sen. Grassley to continue to punch well above Iowas weight class.

OMALLEY ENDORSES VAN LANCKER: Martin OMalley, the former Democratic presidential candidate and Maryland governor, endorsed Eric Van Lanckers campaign for Iowa secretary of state.

Van Lancker, from Clinton County, is one of two county auditors in the Democratic primary, along with Linn County Auditor Joel Miller. They are campaigning for the partys nomination to face Republican incumbent Paul Pate.

Eric has been a tireless voter advocate and voting rights champion, OMalley said in a news release. His wins in a red county both in (2016 and 2020) prove hes the candidate that can deliver a win for Democrats in November.

UNION ENDORSES MATHIS: Liz Mathis campaign for Congress in Eastern Iowas new 2nd Congressional District was endorsed by the Iowa United Auto Workers State CAP Council.

Mathis, a state senator, nonprofit leader and former TV journalist from Hiawatha, is one of two Democrats running for the partys nomination to face Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson. The other Democrat in the race is Joseph Kerner, of Colfax.

Liz has fought for Iowa workers rights in the Iowa Statehouse and joined our UAW members at the picket line to fight for fair wages, retirement benefits and a better work environment, Kelli Harrison, with the union, said in a news release.

Liz values Iowas working families and her actions clearly support the growing labor movement to bring equity to more Iowa workplaces.

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A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest from Tuesday:

BE A POLL WORKER: On Tuesday, National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate encouraged Iowans to assist voters in the 2022 elections by becoming poll workers. Iowa deploys around 10,000 poll workers for each statewide election.

Poll workers are a crucial component of Iowas elections. They check in voters, make sure they have the correct ballot, answer questions and help ensure elections run smoothly in each precinct. Theyre needed in all 99 counties for the June 7 primary and Nov. 8 general election.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission established National Poll Worker Recruitment Day in 2022 with the goal of encouraging citizens to sign up to help America vote. For more information, visit https://pollworker.iowa.gov/.

NO MORE CUTS: Attorney General Tom Miller made a plea to legislators for funding, telling the Judicial Systems Appropriations subcommittee that his departments general fund support has decreased by 33 percent since fiscal 2009.

The departments lawyers continue to provide excellent advice and representation on behalf of the state. However, further cuts will have serious consequences to the citizens of Iowa, including victims of crime, said Miller, a Democratic seeking re-election this year.

Democrats on the subcommittee called for an increase in funding for victim services, which serve nearly 50,000 Iowans a year. Miller asked for the same as last year, $5 million. He warned there has been a precipitous decline in federal funds and he expects a further reduction in the immediate future

Cost and demand for victim services have increased during the coronavirus pandemic, he said, and the funding cuts have meant fewer staff and fewer resources available to assist crime victims with comprehensive assistance.

Rep. Mary Wolfe, D-Clinton, said victim services advocates say the system is broken for lack of funding.

But its hard for us to argue that we should put more in than governor and attorney general are requesting, she said.

Miller will support a funding request advocates plan to make to Gov. Kim Reynolds.

PREGNANCY ACCOMMODATIONS: A requirement that businesses provide reasonable accommodations for workers who become pregnant and give birth advanced in the Senate.

Some concerns were raised about SF 485, particularly from the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, which questioned the need for a new state law given already existing federal regulations.

Proponents of the bill said federal law may not cover everything in the bill, and that workers and businesses may prefer to see regulation and enforcement at the state level.

All three senators on the panel, two Republicans and a Democrat, signed off on advancing the legislation to the Senate committee on labor. But Sen. Dawn Driscoll, R-Williamsburg, and Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, said they would like to see some concerns addressed as the legislation moves forward.

PRIVATE TUITION: Taxpayer-funded scholarships for private school tuition would be available to current private school students under legislation approved by a Senate subcommittee.

Under SF 128, scholarships of roughly $3,500  half the state cost per pupil  would be available to all private school students.

Debate over the legislation was typical of previous debates over legislation that provides taxpayer funding for private school costs: Proponents advocated for financial assistance that helps students and families choose the school that best fits them, and opponents expressed concern with using taxpayer funds on private entities that are not subject to the same regulations and oversight as public schools, and the potential for constraining state funding for public schools.

SF 128 was approved by the Republicans on the subcommittee and is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate Education Committee.

CONVENTION OF STATES: Rick Santorum, winner of the 2012 Iowa Republican presidential precinct caucuses and a former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, spoke in the Iowa Capitol rotunda at a rally supporting an Article V Convention of states.

Santorum leads Convention of States Action, which advocates for a convention of states in order to enact amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The group proposes using a process in the Constitution by which two-thirds of all state legislatures approve a convention where states could propose amendments to the U.S. Constitution. Those proposals would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of states. The U.S. Constitution has never been amended this way.

Iowa has a chance to join 15 other states in calling for the first-ever Article V Convention to limit federal power and spending, and impose term limits on federal officials, Santorum said in a news release.

Multiple Republican state legislators also spoke at the rally.

OFFICE CLOSING: As a result of its remote work experience since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the Iowa Department of Revenue will not renew its lease on office space in Cedar Rapids.

Director Kraig Paulsen told lawmakers Tuesday that with 80% of his staff working remotely 100% of the time or a hybrid work schedule, the department no longer needs the space.

The department also has given up some space in the Hoover Office Building on the state Capitol Complex.

Employees who had worked at the departments office at 3205 Williams Blvd. S.W. before the pandemic will continue to work remotely. The lease expires at the end of June.

Paulsen also said remote work has made it possible for the department to hire people across the state rather than draw only from people willing to work in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids.

Since the start of the pandemic, only mailroom employees and accountants handling deposits have been working in the departments offices.

Paulsen said he has seen an increase in productivity and employees are happy with remote and hybrid arrangements.

Employees must have a dedicated workspace, Paulsen said. Work from home means work from home  not a coffee shop or a friends house, he told the House Administration and Regulation Appropriations subcommittee.

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CEDAR RAPIDS  U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst became emotional as she talked with people involved in refugee resettlement in Cedar Rapids  some of them refugees themselves.

There are so many incredible people involved here, Ernst said Tuesday while touring the Catherine McAuley Center in downtown Cedar Rapids.

The center has received about 205 Afghan refugees since October and expects that to grow to at least 250 this year. Thats in addition to an expected 150 typical refugees, according to Sara Zejnic, director of Refugee and Immigrant Services.

Iowa has such a rich history of bringing immigrants into our state when they have been turned away by so many other places, the Iowa Republican said. It does give me a great sense of pride. I love the fact that we are opening our doors and our hearts to people who have struggled.

Afghanistan refugees have been so special because of the large number of Iowans in the military who have served there, Ernst said. So that has a special significance to so many Iowans.

So I think it's an ongoing campaign of compassion, Ernst said.

Her visit was about more than a feel-good opportunity, however. Ernst spoke to staff and refugees, including some from Afghanistan, about the challenges faced by the new arrivals.

Among the greatest challenges, she learned, are language, housing and employment. For some, especially the Afghanistan refugees, Zejnic added, there are security concerns. Refugees who had fears about their names or images appearing in the media because they have family and friends still in Afghanistan met privately with Ernst during her visit.

Overall, Zejnic said, there has been an outpouring of support from the community, including employers looking to fill jobs.

However, among the barriers, Rosa Kombwa, business development manager, told Ernst is getting a drivers license. Several of the refugees the center works with have truck driving experience  and there is high demand for truck drivers. However, permit tests are offered in only a few languages, and applicants cannot use an interpreter.

Another high-demand employment are is health care, so the center works on familiarizing refugees and immigrants with the terminology so they can enter a certified nurse associate program, for example. Overall, recertification is a challenge for those refugees who have skills, but must be licensed to work in those fields in Iowa.

The input from McAuley staff and refugees will help her in developing policies when she heads back to Washington next week, Ernst said.

We want to make sure that their transition is as smooth as possible, she said about employment opportunities, health care and overall integration into the community.

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DES MOINES  The line of succession plan for when an Iowa governor is no longer in office would be clarified under a proposed amendment to the state constitution.

The plan received its first legislative approval Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol, the first step in the laborious process of amending the Iowa Constitution.

The proposal would amend the state constitution to say that if the governor is temporarily unable to fulfill the offices duties, the lieutenant governor will act as governor until the governor can resume his or her duties. And if the governor leaves the office permanently or dies, the lieutenant governor becomes governor for the remainder of the governors term.

Under the proposed amendment, if the lieutenant governor becomes governor, the lieutenant governor position becomes vacant. That would clear the way for the new governor to appoint a new lieutenant governor.

We think (the proposal) has landed in a pretty good place, said Nathan Blake, with the Iowa Attorney Generals Office.

Senate Joint Resolution 15 was approved Tuesday by a three-member Senate subcommittee, with two Republicans, Sens. Roby Smith of Davenport and Chris Cournoyer of LeClaire, and one Democrat, Sen. Claire Celsi of Des Moines, expressing their support. Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, said the Houses intention is to approve the proposed amendment this session.

To amend the Iowa Constitution, the proposal must pass two separate sessions of the Iowa Legislature with an election held between, then be approved by a public vote.

In 2017, Gov. Terry Branstad was appointed U.S. ambassador to China. When then-Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds replaced Branstad as governor, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller issued a formal ruling that stated upon her move, Reynolds did not have the authority to name a new lieutenant governor.

Reynolds eventually named Adam Gregg her acting lieutenant governor. He served in the role without holding the offices official responsibilities. Most notably, he was not officially in the line of succession. Had Reynolds been forced to leave office, Gregg would not have become governor.

Under the proposed constitutional amendment, any lieutenant governor who became governor would be able to appoint a new lieutenant governor who would hold the official office and be in the line of succession.

Ambiguity in the state constitution propelled legislators to begin clarifying that line of succession language through a constitutional amendment.

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SIOUX CITY  A Sioux City man accused of taking part in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol is scheduled to appear before a Washington, D.C., federal judge later this week to face criminal charges.

Kenneth Rader, 53, is charged in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with four charges: knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly conduct in a capitol building and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a capitol building.

He is scheduled to appear via a zoom video conference Thursday for a hearing that will take place in Washington.

An FBI agent arrested Rader on Thursday on a warrant in Sioux City. Rader made his initial court appearance later that day in U.S. District Court in Sioux City, where Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Kelly Mahoney informed him of his charges and released him on a personal recognizance bond. Among Raders conditions of release are that he may travel only to Washington, D.C., for court hearings or to meet with his attorney. He must first receive permission from the U.S. Probation Office or Pretrial Services to travel.

His attorney, federal public defender Brad Hansen of Des Moines, did not return an email message requesting comment.

A call to Raders cellphone immediately went to an automated message saying that his number has been changed, disconnected or is no longer in service.

According to a criminal complaint filed Jan. 11 in Washington, D.C., Rader told FBI agents during an interview in September that he had attended the Jan. 6, 2021, rally and walked to the Capitol grounds after hearing a boom. He told agents he looked inside the Capitol, but never entered.

Rader is charged with illegally entering the Capitol and spending about three minutes inside during the insurrection, in which hundreds of supporters of former president Donald Trump gathered to protest and contest the results of the November 2020 election in which Joe Biden had defeated Trump. The mob gathered outside the Capitol and then hundreds of protesters broke into the building in an effort to prevent Congress from certifying the electoral college results declaring Biden the winner.

According to the complaint, security footage shows Rader, dressed in a blue Trump 2020 hoodie entering the Capitol at 2:14 p.m. through the Senate wing door that had already been broken by protesters. A screen shot from the video shows Rader standing near the door. According to the complaint, the video shows Rader enter the building, stand near a broken window, speak with several unidentified men and then exit.

In an interview with FBI agents, two of Raders relatives identified him as the person shown in the screen shots and in a photo taken outside the Capitol.

Just two days after the insurrection, a family member tipped the FBI to Raders alleged participation in the insurrection, reporting My radicalized (family member) Kenneth Bruce Rader Jr. from Sioux City, IA has been sharing videos of himself on Capital (sic) grounds and inside the building and has verbally articulated a full rage (sic) of threats against VP Mike Pence, stating that Were not done! ... watch what we do after Trump is gone.

In August, the FBI sent a preservation letter to Facebook to preserve Raders account, which included profile pictures showing a burning American flag on the date of the Nov. 7, 2020, election, and a large Q, a reference to QAnon conspiracy theorists.

The original tipster and a second family member told the FBI in September that Rader traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 with an unknown group and made several recordings of his activities that the two family members shared with law enforcement.

The complaint said that the FBI confirmed Raders presence in Washington through cellphone records and the video footage of him inside the Capitol.

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LOS ANGELES (AP)  A California judge decided this week to delay enforcement of part of a new farm animal welfare law that critics said would cause price hikes and supply shortages for bacon and other fresh pork products in the state.

The law that went into effect Jan. 1 stemmed from a 2018 ballot measure where California voters set the nations toughest living space standards for breeding pigs.

Industry lawsuits opposing the initiative failed, but grocers and restauranteurs then sued to put off enforcement of the new law.

Sacramento County Superior Court Judge James Arguelles ruled Monday that retailers and restaurants would not be subject to enforcement of the new restrictions on whole pork meat sales until six months after the state enacts final regulations.

The California Grocers Association, which sued along with other business groups, said Tuesday it was pleased by the decision.

The courts decision to ensure regulations are finalized before the enforcement provisions of Proposition 12 take effect was the correct one, the association said in a statement. California restaurants and families are already struggling with rising food costs and the haphazard implementation of Proposition 12 without any clear rules or certification process in place would have only made it worse.

The California Department of Food and Agriculture said Tuesday it and the attorney generals office were evaluating the decision.

It should be noted that the judges ruling is a narrow one that applies only to retailers, including grocers, and not to pork producers providing pork products to California, the department said in a statement.

Pork producers and suppliers remain subject to enforcement if they violate square-footage requirements that went into effect on Jan. 1, the department said.

Rebecca Cary, senior staff attorney at the the Humane Society of the United States, which supported Proposition 12, decried business groups seeking to overturn or delay a law that prevents cruelty to animals.

This order means that pork producers who were hoping to continue to confine mother pigs in cages so small theyre unable even to turn and then sell meat from those animals in California have lost yet again, Cary said in a statement Tuesday.

The law requires that breeding pigs, egg-laying chickens and veal calves be given enough space to stand and turn around. For pigs, that means they no longer can be kept in narrow gestation crates and must have 24 square feet (2.23 square meters) of usable space.

Producers of eggs and veal appear able to meet the new law, but hog farmers argued the changes would be too expensive and couldnt be carried out until the state approved final regulations for the new standards. An estimate last year from North Carolina State University found the new standard would cost about 15% more per animal for a farm with 1,000 breeding pigs.

Since voters approved Proposition 12 by a 2-to-1 ratio in November 2018, state officials missed deadlines for releasing specific regulations covering the humane treatment of animals that provide meat for the California market.

While groups worked to delay the measure, the state eased the transition to the new system. It allowed pork processed under the old rules and held in cold storage to be sold in California in 2022, which could prevent shortages for weeks or even months.

California is the nations largest market for pork, and producers in major hog states like Iowa provide more than 80% of the roughly 255 million pounds that Californias restaurants and groceries use each month, according to Rabobank, a global food and agriculture financial services company.

Joining the California Grocers Association in the lawsuit were the California Restaurant Association, California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, California Retailers Association and Kruse & Sons, a meat processor.

Associated Press journalists Robert Jablon in Los Angeles and Scott McFetridge in Des Moines contributed to this report.

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The art of deconstructing an argument by refutation and holding a person accountable for previous statements that the person now contradicts was once an honored tradition. It has now mostly gone the way of other traditions in favor of sound bite statements formulated in political party meetings and used to confuse the public.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, unpacked this once great technique when he responded to some of President Bidens outlandish claims over his first year in office that included his inaugural address and remarks made at his news conference last week and in an Atlanta speech about minority voting rights.

McConnell said the Biden on display at these events was not the Biden he has known for decades. Anyone who has known or observed Biden during his 50 years in politics would have to agree.

McConnell began his Senate floor speech by recalling Bidens promise in his inaugural address to unite the nation. Instead, said McConnell, that very same man delivered a deliberately divisive speech that was designed to pull our country further apart.

One year ago, said McConnell, Biden said we should not see ourselves as adversaries, but as neighbors. Now he calls millions of Americans his domestic enemies.

McConnell noted a year ago the president called for lowering the rhetorical temperature, but now says, if you disagree with him, youre George Wallace. If you dont pass the laws he wants, youre Bull Connor. And if you oppose giving Democrats ... one-party control of the country, well, youre Jefferson Davis. He might have mentioned that these, as well as many other elected officials who opposed civil rights legislation, were Southern Democrats and that it was mostly Republicans, beginning with Abraham Lincoln, who supported racial equality.

McConnell went on to recall that Biden has said disagreement must not lead to disunion, but then invoked the bloody disunion of the Civil War to demonize Americans who disagree with him. He compared a bipartisan majority of senators to literal traitors. How profoundly unpresidential.

McConnell said he has known, liked and personally respected Joe Biden for many years. I did not recognize the man at (his news conference).

The president acts as if he has a mandate for all the far-left policies he has been pushing, but McConnell noted the 50-50 Senate and the bare majority Democrats hold in the House: the narrowest majorities in over a century and that he did not get a mandate to transform America or reshape society.

McConnell said the president did get a mandate to do one thing: bridge the political divide, lower the temperature and end the perpetual era of crisis in our politics. He has done the opposite.

He called Bidens rant ... incoherent, incorrect and beneath his office.

The president again mentioned Jim Crow 2.0 to assert Republicans are attempting to make it more difficult for minorities to vote, which is untrue. As McConnell noted there are more ways for people to vote in Georgia than Bidens state of Delaware. Jim Crow laws, it should be noted, were also created by Democrats, a fact the major media regularly ignores.

There is much more in his remarks.

Too many of todays journalists sound like shills for the Democratic Party, crafting their questions and writing their stories as if they are channeling that partys talking points and worldview.

McConnell did their job for them in his deconstruction of recent remarks by the president. Polls show Biden voters are expressing buyers remorse. They can be expected to reverse course in November.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub.com.

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Weather Alert

...MORE WINDY DAYS ON THE WAY, WITH COLDER TEMPERATURES AND RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS FOR MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND... --Thursday and Friday-- * A pair of systems brushing through the region will bring gusty winds both days, with Friday looking to have the strongest peak winds. Anticipate wind gusts of 35-45 mph Thursday, and 35-55 mph Friday, locally stronger in wind prone locations. Winds will bring travel difficulties both in the air and on the ground. Travel restrictions for high profile vehicles are possible. Check with CalTrans/NDOT for the current road information. * Area of blowing dust are possible both afternoons downwind of the Carson Sink, possibly affecting portions of I-80, US 50, and Highway 95. In addition, backcountry and ski recreation could be impacted along with choppy conditions on area lakes. * A few light showers with minimal liquid totals are possible in far northern Nevada and northeast California. --Mother's Day Weekend into Early Next Week-- * It will remain breezy throughout the weekend, with a secondary max in wind speeds on Sunday due to a strong cold front. This front will usher in a much colder air mass and high temperatures on Mother's Day will be 15-20 degrees below normal. * There will be rain and snow showers with the front, but again, liquid amounts will be minimal. There are solid chances for snow levels to fall to all valley floors by Sunday evening, which may catch many off guard, though it is hard to get snow to stick to roadways in lower elevation valleys this late in the spring. * Well below normal temperatures and chances for light showers will continue into Monday and Tuesday next week. While still some uncertainty due to winds and cloud cover, it's possible we could have frost and freeze concerns Sunday and Monday nights.
The Cowboy State has been part of my life since the mid-1980s, and part of my husbands since childhood, when his parents hauled him and his two brothers across country in an un-air-conditioned Ford Galaxy 500 each summer to visit their grandparents. My family always vacationed in northern New Mexico, where my anthropologist mother had attended an archaeology field school in the late 1960s and fallen under the spell of Taos Peak, revered (in our family anyway) as one of the seven spiritual centers of the Earth. I fell in love there, too. With the hippies and hot springs. The turquoise and silver. The sunbaked adobe. The thin, dry mountain air. The West with a capital W. Turning east toward Texas at the end of our visits always made me teary  and not just because the speed limit was 55 and my parents stopped for every historical marker.



Horsing around

Persuading me to forsake New Mexico for Wyoming was never going to be easy. But my husband, Van, came up with quite an effective lure: the chance to rekindle a girlhood obsession with horses at the guest ranch of my choice. That turned out to be Bitterroot Ranch  and the Bitterroot changed our lives.

We dont have to stay if you hate it, Van told me as we bumped down the 16-mile washboard road to the ranch for the first time, in August 1987.

He neednt have worried. Cantering across sagebrush flats, smelling the warm scent of sweaty horses, cresting a ridge to see a herd of elk, I rediscovered my joy. The fact that legendary French futurist Andre Courreges was a longtime ranch guest only further cinched the deal. We returned the same week each year like kids to summer camp, as delighted to reunite with horse friends as human ones.

Of course, fashion didnt entirely exit my life in Wyoming. My wardrobe simply expanded to suit the new locale. Gaultier and Gucci stayed home in the closet. Into the suitcase every summer went vintage bandannas, snap-front shirts, riding britches and Ralph Lauren sweaters scored at the brands outlet store (regrettably now a T-shirt emporium) on Jackson Holes town square. The Italian brand Miu Miu became an unexpected, if ridiculously expensive, source for Wyoming-appropriate footwear. The morning I woke up to find a field mouse nesting in one of my embroidered suede Miu Miu moccasins I had to respect her taste level  those moccasins cost more than most mice make in a lifetime. But I evicted her nevertheless.

Hard to say goodbye

Friends and colleagues find all this a bit curious. Understandably. For those who know me chiefly from a world of air kisses and shopping sprees, photo shoots and fundraising galas, its hard to envision me do-si-do-ing at the Tuesday night square dances at the Rustic Pine Tavern, or digging through musty T-shirts at Dubois Opportunity Shop thrift store, aka the Opp Shop. But with each visit to Wyoming, saying goodbye only became more difficult. Boarding a return flight to Dallas I once cried so hard an attendant stopped to ask if she could help. When I explained I was just sad to be leaving, she leaned down and gently asked, If you love it so much, why dont you stay? Upon which I turned to my husband with an accusatory stare and wailed, Yes, why dont we? I dont recall his exact answer, but it likely made note of Wyomings greater call for forest rangers than fashion editors.

Though I still relished my work, the pull of the West followed me even on biannual trips to cover the seasonal designer collections in the worlds fashion capitals. In Paris one year, I distinctly remember walking the cobblestoned streets from a Chanel fashion show in the Cour Carree du Louvre to my Saint-Germain-des-Pres hotel marveling at the City of Lights beauty. Immediately followed by the thought But its no Wyoming. I was utterly serious.
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En espanol

Older adults will soon be able to get training to improve their digital skills, thanks to a $10 million grant AARP Foundation has received from Google.org. The training will focus on the skills older adults need to find jobs, get hired and enhance their careers.

Over the past two years, as many businesses have shifted to remote work, the ability to use the internet well has become essential for workplace success. Many older adults improved their online skills during this period by, for example, learning how to videoconference with their families or order groceries online.

But overall, there still are significant gaps between how adept people ages 50 and older are at using digital tools compared to younger adults. According to a report the Urban Institute released near the end of last year, the digital skills of older workers lag behind those of workers under age 50 in nearly all occupations. The gaps are particularly large among clerical support workers; business and administrative professionals; and legal, social and cultural professionals. Among older Americans, the skills of people of color tend to lag behind those of white people, women tend to have less-advanced skills than men, and rural residents tend to have less-advanced skills than urban dwellers.

Through the grant from Google.org, AARP Foundation aims to address some of these disparities and help 25,000 lower-income older adults  particularly women and people of color  improve their technology skills. Through the Digital Skills Ready@50+ initiative, AARP Foundation, in collaboration with Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP, will provide programs and services that offer training designed to build workplace skills, including how to use online job search and networking tools as well as how to use various types of office productivity software. The funding also will support digital training in tools for starting a business, such as social media marketing, crowdfunding, mobile payment services and graphic design.
The money is for the automaker to build an electric vehicle and battery plant in the Lansing area. The $2.6 billion facility is GM's third battery plant and is expected to employ about 1,700 people.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer plans to retire, giving President Joe Biden a chance to nominate to the bench, a well-placed source familiar with the matter told CNN.


Sayona Expands Northern Quebec Lithium Hub with 121 New Claims

Brisbane, Jan 25, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging lithium producer Sayona Mining Limited ( ASX:SYA ) ( FRA:DML ) ( OTCMKTS:SYAXF ) has significantly expanded its Northern Quebec lithium hub by acquiring 121 new claims west of the Moblan Lithium Project, with demand intensifying for this strategic battery metal.Located 3.5km west of the Moblan project, the new claims, known as the Lac Albert Project, span 6,592 hectares and will be assessed for lithium pegmatite occurrences during the upcoming Northern Hemisphere summer. The Moblan project covers around 433 ha for a total of 20 claims, with Sayona holding a 60% interest (SOQUEM Inc. 40%). The new claims are separate to the current Moblan joint venture agreement.The Moblan deposit is host to spodumene pegmatite mineralisation and the additional claims at Lac Albert are located in the same proven lithium mining province, Eeyou-Istchee James Bay, which hosts established lithium resources such as Nemaska Lithium's Whabouchi mine. It is well serviced by key infrastructure and transport, namely the Route de Nord, and has access to low cost, environmentally friendly hydropower.Drilling is currently underway at Moblan in partnership with SOQUEM Inc., acting as operator. The planned 55 diamond drill hole program for nearly 9,000m aims to identify extensions to the Moblan deposit and define mineralisation in nearby spodumene pegmatites, such as the Moleon prospect.Sayona's Managing Director, Brett Lynch welcomed the new claims as signifying the Company's commitment to expanding its Northern Quebec lithium resource base."Moblan and Lac Albert are located in a proven lithium mining district, with potential to become a significant northern growth hub for Sayona, adding to our Abitibi lithium hub in the south," Mr Lynch said."The drilling program shows our commitment to further expanding our lithium resource base, further solidifying Sayona's leading position in the North American lithium sector."Geological summaryPast work has been limited and the geology of the new claim area at Lac Albert is poorly understood, with much of the area obscured by glacial moraines. Exploration is targeting greenstone areas within the mapped monzogranite, along strike of the east-west trend of the Moblan deposit.The identified pegmatites occurrences are located in an area afforded favourable access by its proximity to the Route Du Nord, an all-weather regional highway. The area of the new claims is displayed in Figure 1* below.The Moblan project is located about 100km north of Chibougamau and around 85km from the Cree (First Nations) community of Mistissini. The project is located in the Eeyou-Istchee James Bay lithium mining province and is host to other lithium deposits, including the Whabouchi mine, as shown in Figure 2* below.The acquisition of new claims near Moblan and the current drilling program at the project adds to Sayona's other expansion plans in Quebec in 2022, including increasing the lithium resource base at the Company's Authier Lithium Project and North American Lithium (NAL) and progressing the resumption of spodumene production at NAL, targeted from 2023.Lithium demand in North America continues to accelerate on the back of increased EV investments by U.S. automakers such as Ford, General Motors and Stellantis in Ontario, Canada, together with planned battery investments in Quebec by Britishvolt, Lion Electric and StromVolt."2022 is showing no sign of a slowdown in the global momentum towards the electrification of transport.Sayona's North American lithium resource base is a key part of this transformation and we look forward to delivering on the potential of our assets," Mr Lynch added.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Sayona Mining Ltd

Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is an Australian, ASX-listed (SYA) company focused on sourcing and developing the raw materials required to construct lithium-ion batteries for use in the rapidly growing new and green technology sectors. The Company has lithium projects in Quebec, Canada and in Western Australia.

Please visit us as at www.sayonamining.com.au


Drilling Update

Brisbane, Jan 25, 2022 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Central Petroleum Ltd ( ASX:CTP ) ( FRA:C9J ) ( OTCMKTS:CNPTF ) provides the following drilling update.NORTHERN TERRITORY EXPLORATION DRILLINGAs previously advised, Central has contracted Ensign Rig 963 for the Palm Valley and Dingo exploration drilling program in the Amadeus Basin.The rig was expected to mobilise to Palm Valley from its current drilling program (Buru Energy) in the Canning Basin in late January.Ensign has now advised Central that as a result of recent unforeseen issues with Buru's current drilling operations, there will be a delay in the order of a month to the rig's mobilisation date. Ensign 963 is now expected to mobilise to the Palm Valley Exploration well site in late February 2022, followed by spudding of the well in March 2022.RANGE PILOT DRILLINGAs previously advised, Silver City Drilling Rig 23 has been contracted to drill the Range 9 and 10 step-out wells. After unusually heavy rainfall over December 2021 and early January 2022, civil works have begun, with drilling now expected to commence in early February 2022.About Central Petroleum Limited

Central Petroleum Limited ( ASX:CTP) is a well-established, and emerging ASX-listed Australian oil and gas producer. In our short history, Central has grown to become the largest onshore gas producer in the Northern Territory (NT), supplying industrial customers and senior gas distributors in NT and the wider Australian east coast market.

Central is positioned to become a significant domestic energy supplier, with exploration and development plans across 180,000 km2 of tenements in Queensland and the Northern Territory, including some of Australia's largest known onshore conventional gas prospects. Central has also completed an MoU with Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) to progress the proposed Amadeus to Moomba Gas Pipeline to a Final Investment Decision.

We are also seeking to develop the Range gas project, a new gas field located among proven CSG fields in the Surat Basin, Queensland with 135 PJ (net to Central) of development-pending 2C contingent resource.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico reported 3,354 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, which marks a downturn from last week when the state set records with more than 6,000 cases on consecutive days.

The state also announced 25 additional deaths, bringing the toll to 6,317 since the start of the pandemic  which is about the same as the population of Taos or Aztec.

The deaths included a Bernalillo County man in his 20s and three men in their 30s. The Department of Health has reported that, in the past year, nearly 90% of the people who died werent vaccinated.

The states test positivity for the last week is at 30% and health officials have acknowledged that it can be difficult to find a COVID test. Bernalillo County announced Tuesday that it would be distributing free COVID tests at sites around the county beginning Wednesday.

New Mexico is in the midst of a surge of the highly contagious omicron variant. State health officials last week said they were hopeful the wave might be cresting and cases would fall by the end of this week or early next month.

Though New Mexico has been seeing a high number of new cases, deaths have not been following the same trend, which local health officials have said is preliminary evidence that the new variant is not as lethal as previous ones.

There was a slight uptick in hospitalizations, with 678 people hospitalized with COVID throughout the state Tuesday, up from 639 the day before.

Bernalillo County, the states most populous, has seen a high number of cases in recent days. The county accounted for 864 of the new cases reported Tuesday. In the past week, Bernalillo County has had 14,889 confirmed cases and 41 deaths, according to the CDCs website.

On Tuesday, the county announced it had received 30,000 COVID tests that are available for free for local residents.

Tom Thorpe, a county spokesman, said the tests are intended for folks who live in ZIP codes with a high number of cases and high vulnerability, based on certain measures. The zip codes cover much of Downtown, Old Town, the South Valley, the International District, the West Side and Southeast Albuquerque.

Thorpe said the county will be giving out test kits in sets of four per household and they will not be checking addresses.

Heres a list of locations where people can pick up a COVID test Monday through Friday:

n Los Padillas Community Center, 2117 Los Padillas SW, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

 Mountain View Community Center, 201 Prosperity SE, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

 South Valley Multipurpose Senior Center, 2008 Larrazolo SW, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

 Westside Community Center, 1250 Isleta SW, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

 Pajarito Mesa Community Building, 9550 Pajarito SW, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

 Gutierrez-Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta SW, 10 a.m.-Noon.

 Bernalillo County Department of Behavioral Health Services, 5901 Zuni SE, 1-7 p.m.

 Bernalillo County Department of Housing, Bernalillo County Midtown Public Health Office, 2400 Wellesley NE, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Other locations where test kits may be picked up are:

 Casa del Rey, 2500 Corona NW, 505-342-2272

 Casa de Salud, 1608 Isleta SW, 505-907-8311

 Rio Bravo Senior Center, 3910 Isleta SW, 505-873-6647.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is investigating graffiti vandalism at a site near Santa Fe with petroglyphs that date back 8,000 years.

The federal agency believes the vandalism at the La Cieneguilla petroglyphs occurred on Jan. 17 or 18.

At least 10 petroglyphs created by Keresan-speaking Puebloan people were defaced with graffiti of swastikas and human anatomy.

Pamela Mathis, BLM Taos Field Office manager, called the damage egregious, outrageous and appalling.

Its disrespectful to the heritage of New Mexico, and disrespectful to our future generations, Mathis said. Were charged with protecting these sites so that future generations can learn their cultural history, and each time one of these events happens, it chips away at that.

The BLM manages the site west of the Santa Fe Regional Airport as an Area of Critical Environment Concern.

Hikers at La Cieneguilla Recreation Area on Tuesday expressed disgust and disappointment at the vandalism.

Jose L. Villegas Sr., who lives near the site, is a member of the Texas Band of Yaqui Indians and the Petroglyphs Por Los Ninos Coalition, which formed in 1991 to preserve cultural sites for future generations.

Villegas, 64, called the location a cultural patrimonial site and said the act was sacrilegious in nature, and it is unacceptable.

It was painful, it was hurtful, he said. It broke my heart.

Visitors should not attempt to remove any of the paint themselves, but they can volunteer to help with BLM-supervised cleanup.

Weve ordered a product which has had some success throughout the bureau because we can apply it and then very carefully, and with instruction from an expert, remove the graffiti and protect petroglyphs without further harming them, Mathis said.

The graffiti marks the third vandalism incident at the petroglyphs in the last year. New Mexico SiteWatch volunteers who regularly patrol the area found fresh carvings on the rocks last year.

Mathis said Tuesday that BLM law enforcement officers are following up on an eyewitness tip that may or may not be related to the graffiti incident.

Arianna Cadlub of Colorado and Catherine Gibbs of Kentucky were visiting the area looking for a hike when they heard of the vandalism.

I think its very sad and unfortunate when it happens, Cadlub said. People take advantage of historical stuff and it ruins it for the rest of us.

Katie, who did not want to give her surname, recently moved to Santa Fe from Minnesota and went to the petroglyphs to hike and meditate when she encountered the graffiti.

I felt like it was a mockery of ancient wisdom, Katie said. Whoever did it seemed not to really honor and respect and understand what this area means and what it means to have the language of ancient wisdom carved here for us to learn from and be with.

Damaging the cultural sites is a felony with a potential punishment of up to two years in prison and a $20,000 fine for each charge.

Petroglyphs near Santa Fe vandalized

Report vandalism

Visitors who witness vandalism on public lands should report details about the individuals appearance, vehicle and license plate to the BLM dispatch line at 1-800-637-9152.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A sweeping elections bill backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is a little less hefty than expected.

The version of the legislation introduced Tuesday wouldnt authorize a straight-party voting option, extend the mail-back deadline for absentee ballots or expand early voting by a day  all of which were components of the proposal announced earlier this month.

The bill, nevertheless, calls for a host of changes to New Mexicos election laws, including allowing 16-year-olds to vote in local elections and establishing a permanent absentee voter list.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat up for reelection this year, described the bill Tuesday as an important step toward expanding and protecting voting rights.

The proposal is supported by Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, and its co-sponsors include the Democratic floor leaders in both chambers, Sen. Peter Wirth of Santa Fe and Rep. Javier Martinez of Albuquerque.

Even as weve seen attempts around the country to make voting more difficult for eligible voters, Toulouse Oliver said, here in New Mexico we continue to be a leader in how to balance the demands for voter access with the needs of maintaining our high levels of election security.

Republicans say the proposal would lead to fraud and confusion. Republican Party Chairman Steve Pearce said it would damage the security and integrity of New Mexico elections.

As it stands now, the election bill would:
Detectives have arrested a young man who they say robbed a massage parlor with an accomplice and killed the owner in a gunfight Monday evening in Northeast Albuquerque.

Jorge Rivera-Ramirez, 18, is charged with an open count of murder, kidnapping, armed robbery with a deadly weapon, tampering with evidence and conspiracy in the death of 45-year-old Sihui Fang, owner of Wonderful Massage.

Rivera-Ramirez is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds at a local hospital. The second robbery suspect fled the scene and is still on the loose.

Authorities suspect the case may be connected to a string of two-man robberies at massage parlors around the city.

Police responded around 8:45 p.m. to the strip mall, near Menaul and Alvarado NE, after a man reported being shot. Officers found Rivera-Ramirez shot multiple times outside the business.

Rivera-Ramirez told police his sister dropped him off to get a massage but he doesnt know what happened after he went inside. An officer followed a blood trail into the massage parlor and found Fangs body inside a bullet-riddled office.

Fang had been shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. A handgun was found beside her body and bullet casings littered the business.

Fangs boyfriend told police she is very careful when working alone and kept a gun in a desk drawer in her office. Surveillance video showed Rivera-Ramirez appear to pay Fang for a massage and follow her into a room inside.

The video showed the pair emerge from the room moments later with Rivera-Ramirez holding a gun to Fangs head. Rivera-Ramirez led Fang to the front door and forced her to let in another man.

The video showed Fang tried to run but the men forced her inside, knocked her to the ground and Rivera-Ramirez dragged her by the hair to the back office. Police said the video cut out at that point as the cameras were disconnected.

Detectives believe Fang was able to get to the gun in her desk and fire at Rivera-Ramirez multiple times. Police say Rivera-Ramirez ran into another room before shooting back at Fang, striking her multiple times.

Detectives discovered $500 was missing, and Rivera-Ramirezs shoeprints were found all over the business. During the investigation, detectives learned police had been investigating a series of armed robberies at massage parlors around Albuquerque.

The suspects in the robberies were two men who would take the victims phones, cash and would disable video cameras.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexicos two largest permanent funds will deliver a record $1.3 billion  an 11% increase  for state spending on public schools and other operations in the next budget year, according to the State Investment Council.

State Investment Officer Steve Moise shared the figures Tuesday in a meeting of the investment council and said the spending power is equal to a savings of about $1,630 in annual taxes for each New Mexico household.

The coming distribution for the budget year that starts in July is about $125 million higher than this years.

State Land Commissioner Stephanie Garcia Richard said each of the last three years has been a record-breaker for revenue.

This money goes to support vital services, such as education, but it also saves taxpayers and working families from having to come up with this funding, she said in a written statement.

The money comes from the land grant and severance tax permanent funds, which operate as an endowment of sorts, growing with oil and gas royalty contributions and investment returns.

The land grant permanent fund alone is now valued at about $25.8 billion, and per the state Constitution distributes 5% of its recent average annual value to support spending on schools, universities, hospitals and other beneficiaries.

The record value of the land grant fund, Garcia Richard said, demonstrates that we have sufficient resources to provide for both current educational needs while also preserving financial security for future generations to come.

State officials credited record-high oil and gas income from state lands for the strong year, as New Mexico recently overtook North Dakota to become the nations second-highest oil producing state behind only Texas.

In December, for example, the State Land Office broke its record for monthly earnings, reaching almost $142 million. Three other of the highest-earning months also came last year.

Contributions into the land grant permanent fund exceeded $1.3 billion, or $400 million higher than any other year, according to data released by the council.

This years inflows blew past the last two years inflows substantially, Moise said.

The state also had a strong year for investments, generating roughly 17% in returns, or twice its target, the SIC said.

Ballot measure

How best to harness the power of the massive endowments is a perennial debate at the Roundhouse.

A proposed constitutional amendment heading to voters Nov. 8 would boost the annual distribution out of the permanent school fund  a component of the broader land grant permanent fund  from 5% to 6.25%.

It would generate an additional $211 million a year for early childhood education and K-12 schools.

Supporters say the plan would sharply increase funding for programs with evidence of success in New Mexico, such as prekindergarten, extending the school year and enhanced instruction for students at risk of failure.

Opponents, in turn, say the land grant permanent fund is already a critical source of revenue for the state and that pulling more heavily on it now will actually leave the state with smaller annual distributions in about 20 years  because the growth of the fund will be slower.

The proposed amendment, House Joint Resolution 1, cleared the Legislature last year, sending it to voters.

Past rates

A previous proposal to increase the distribution rate from the land grant permanent fund to fund a three-tier minimum pay scale for teachers narrowly won voter approval in 2003 after being pushed by former Gov. Bill Richardson.

It raised the annual distribution rate from 4.7% to 5.8%, but the rate was gradually reduced to the current 5% by 2017 under the terms of the approved proposal.

Overall, New Mexicos sovereign wealth fund is the third largest in the United States, just behind Alaska and Texas. Its also one of the 30 largest such funds in the world, according to the Sovereign Wealth Fund Institute.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

Like a lot of New Mexicans, Shawn Medlock suddenly had a lot of time at home after the COVID-19 pandemic reached the state in March 2020.

Local business restrictions kept the tattoo parlor, High Hands Tattoo in Los Ranchos where he worked with his wife, closed for a chunk of the year. And even during periods it was able to operate, Medlock felt like he was ready for a new challenge.

Even before the pandemic, I was already  trying to envision something else I wanted to do, Medlock said.

A home baker for much of the past decade, Medlock decided he wanted to start making pizzas. It began as a hobby, but, after he got a portable oven in November 2020, gradually evolved into an on-demand business out of the back of Medlocks garage where in-the-know New Mexicans could order and pick up pies. Rumor Pizza  so called because of the companys speakeasy-like origins  was born.

Dont be fooled by the shops bare-bones menu: Rumor is bringing a novel approach to taking orders and making pizza, one he believes may be a small slice of whats to come.

Its just a different kind of pizza and a different kind of outlook on it than a lot of other local places, Medlock said.

Medlock had reserved a business license by that point, but acknowledged that the operation wouldnt receive health licensing until later. After two or three weekends making pizzas on his own out of his garage, Medlock realized he needed help. He linked up with Nick Vacca, a business partner whose family worked in food distribution in Chicago, and the concept took off.

We work well together, and we feed off each other, Medlock said. He has a lot of big-city experience when it comes to pizza, and thats something that I lack.

Initially, the company spread through social media, hosting pop-ups at local breweries like Ex Novo and Gravity Bound. Medlock said they would deliver pizzas in his van and set up under a canopy. It was fun, but not a permanent solution.

In August, the company began making pizza out of a brick-and-mortar location just north of Downtown. The small shop, in a building at 724 Mountain NW that Medlock said dates back to the 1940s, doesnt offer table service, though it has a seating area outside where customers can linger over an 18-inch pizza.

It gives people a nice little space to hang out, but not to where its a formal setting, he said.

Building a businesses from the ground up is almost always a team effort, and Medlock credited support from a pair of outside organizations for helping the company transition from a mobile operation to a brick-and-mortar one. Medlock said the company worked with the Albuquerque-based economic development organization WESST to secure a $30,000 loan that allowed the company to buy new ovens, a necessity to become more of a full-blown pizzeria.

The same week in late summer, Rumor received a $10,000 restaurant grant from the city of Albuquerque that facilitated power upgrades for the new storefront.

It all happened at the perfect time for us to get completely up and going, he said.

So what can working as a tattoo artist teach you about running a pizza restaurant? More than you might think.

Medlock said his time doing tattoos helped him bring creativity  and a bit of an edge  into his new business model.

You wont find green chile on the menu when it isnt in season, and unlike more traditional pizzerias, the company encourages customers to order online and pick up rather than calling or ordering in the store. Its a model born from operating with a small staff during a pandemic, but Medlock said it fits with where he sees the restaurant industry moving in the future, as the pandemic prompts restaurateurs to move away from spaces with large dining rooms.

Were throwing a wrench into some peoples ideas, but I think in a good way, Medlock said.

Great Resigners

Did you leave your job in 2021? If so, you certainly arent alone. In November alone, 4.5 million Americans  roughly 3% of the countrys workforce  quit or changed jobs, the highest figure on record. In many ways, people leaving their jobs for higher pay, more flexibility or a higher calling proved to be the dominant business story of last year. As a new year begins, the Journal will be posting stories throughout January from New Mexicans who left their jobs to follow their dreams or build new ones.
FARMINGTON  Serving as a handler for a certified search-and-rescue dog may sound like an appealing job, especially for someone who loves dogs and is inclined toward community service.

But Jon Bonnette, president of the newly founded Trinity K9 Search and Rescue (S&R) nonprofit organization in Aztec, warns that the role isnt for everyone. Hes a canine handler himself and said the requirements of the job can be considerable.

To be the handler, it takes quite a bit of dedication, said the Marine Corps veteran who relocated to New Mexico with his wife in the fall of 2020 after spending much of his life in Guam.

To begin with, Bonnette said, every handler must own the dog with which he or she is paired. Handlers also must be willing to work the dog tirelessly, even after it has undergone the 1,000 hours of scent training it must undergo to be ready to engage in search and rescue work.

They go nuts if you just leave them locked in the house, he said of canines certified for S&R operations. They require constant engagement and exercise.

Many of the dogs used by Trinity K9 Search and Rescue are American Belgian malinois rescue canines, which are especially well-suited for the kind of work they do with the organization. They are animals that want to be challenged both physically and mentally, Bonnette said.

Technically, theyre not the kind of dogs that want to lay on the couch and eat Cheetos, he said. Theyve got to be doing something or they go crazy.

That means they arent ideal pets. Bonnette acknowledged that even he can get exasperated with the demands his S&R dogs make on him sometimes, especially when all he wants to do is relax in a recliner and lose himself in a movie. A dog that is impatient to be worked doesnt really understand that, he said, and will be inclined to make a nuisance of itself until it gets what it wants.

Theyre high-drive dogs, he said.

But Bonnette said that, once you get hooked on working with such animals, its not something you can easily leave behind.

On the flip side of that, if you do love dogs, the bond you build with that animal is second to none, he said, adding that the rewards of doing S&R work are the best feeling in the world.

Bonnettes organization, which began operation Jan. 1, is designed to assist local, state and federal agencies in the search for and recovery of lost or missing people. Bonnette hastens to explain that Trinity is not the only canine-assisted S&R team in the Four Corners, but he said there is plenty of need for all those teams.

After all, a single trained dog can take the place of 30 to 40 people in a search party, he said, covering the same amount of territory as all those people in much less time. In terrain such as found in the Four Corners, which is mostly wilderness, dog teams are an invaluable asset.

That really ups the chances of finding a missing person, he said.

And if that person has been injured and requires medical attention, that time saving can be the difference between life and death, Bonnette said.

Bonnette is retired and said his work as head of Trinity is essentially his full-time job. The organization has five team members and five dogs, and is eager to recruit new volunteers, he said.

Of course, not everyone who has an interest in such work is cut out to be a handler, but Bonnette said there are plenty of other ways volunteers can contribute. For example, every search team needs a navigator and a base camp operator, as well, he said.

Since the dog and its handler are responsible for searching a specific grid, usually a 160-acre plot, it is the navigators job to keep the dog and handler on course as they conduct a methodical search of that territory, Bonnette said. The base camp operator keeps track of the canine teams progress and remains in communication with the incident commander, who oversees the entire S&R operation, he said.

Bonnette also wants to add drone operators to his team, as well as dog training professionals, he said, adding that all the dogs need to be worked at least two or three times a week.

Theres a lot of different things they can do, he said of anyone who volunteers for the organization. If you love dogs, and love being outdoors, and love being involved with your community, its a great way to do it.

Being a handler is especially rewarding, Bonnette said. But the job can be physically demanding, in addition to requiring great time and patience, he said.

Bonnette said that before he launched Trinity, he was involved in an S&R operation on the Navajo Nation. His canine, Izzy, traveled 30 miles in one day searching for the missing individual and Bonnette said he covered 10 miles that day  much of it up and down hills and arroyos. He said he was spent by the time the day was over.

Many dogs move extremely fast and youre at their mercy, so you have to keep up with them, he said. Its taxing.

If you dont have the time or inclination to volunteer, Bonnette said that Trinity, as a new organization, has a great many needs, and welcomes donations of cash or equipment. Trinity is especially in need of kennels and a response vehicle, he said.

Bonnette can be reached by phone at 702-333-8154 or via email at trinityk9sar@gmail.com. More information about the organization can be found on its website at trinityk9sar.com.

Trinity was the beneficiary of a recent fundraiser by the owners of Farmingtons Cabana Tans, and Bonnette said it went very well, with the event raising far more money than its organizers set as a goal. The money generated from that event will allow Trinity to bring in other S&R groups for cooperative training sessions, he said, and help build camaraderie between them.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

An ongoing staffing shortage at the county jail has officials seeking assistance from the New Mexico National Guard and exploring the use of interns from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine.

The Bernalillo County Commission on Tuesday approved an emergency resolution outlining several potential ways to boost the ranks at the county-run Metropolitan Detention Center, from better funding recruitment efforts to requesting outside manpower.

The county has had persistent difficulty hiring enough correctional officers to fully staff the facility, a problem only exacerbated by the pandemic.

And even more recently, a former jail nurse called into question the quality of medical care at the jail. She alleged in a federal court filing earlier this month that the countys contracted jail medical provider  Corizon Health  has insufficient personnel to properly care for the inmate population.

The new emergency resolution vaguely notes that the present staffing shortage has impacted some operations at the facility, but does not provide specifics.

A county spokesman was unable Tuesday to provide details about how many positions are currently vacant in the facility.

Per the resolution, the county will ask the New Mexico National Guard to return 13 jail correctional officers who are currently out on National Guard duty, and to provide help carrying out non-correctional officer duties at the jail.

It also calls on the county to explore additional personnel boosts, such as temporarily transferring other county employees to the jail to help with administrative tasks and potentially requesting interns from the UNM School of Medicine. Such interns may perform their internships at MDC and assist with medical needs, the resolution says.

Officials will also consider options to increase funding for jail technology upgrades and the jails recruitment efforts.

The legislation also states that the jail will no longer hold out-of-county inmates unless they have a Bernalillo County hold and will require other jurisdictions to retrieve such inmates currently at the facility.

A county spokesman was unable to answer a Journal question about how many such inmates are presently at MDC.

The commission unanimously approved the resolution after a brief discussion during its Tuesday meeting.

Commissioner Charlene Pyskoty said the new MDC emergency resolution reflected ongoing, behind-the-scenes work and discussion about how to keep the jail running amid not only a staffing shortage, but also a recent ransomware attack that took many county systems offline and prompted a temporary lockdown at the jail.

The county as a whole has been discussing this, finding through a very complicated complex situation the best way to go for the health and safety of our inmates and our staff, she said.

While the county administration has not commented on the allegations that Corizon is insufficiently staffing MDC, Pyskoty briefly referenced the circumstances leading up to its contract last fall. She said the county was under a crunch because its previous jail medical contractor was pulling out of the facility early, but that the contract was vetted and went through its due diligence.
WASHINGTON  The Biden administration and NATO told Russia on Wednesday there will be no U.S. or NATO concessions on Moscows main demands to resolve the crisis over Ukraine.

In separate written responses delivered to the Russians, the U.S. and NATO held firm to the alliances open-door policy for membership, rejected a demand to permanently ban Ukraine from joining, and said allied deployments of troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe are nonnegotiable.

There is no change, there will be no change, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Also not up for negotiation will be the U.S. and European response to any Russian invasion of Ukraine, he said, repeating the mantra that any such incursion would be met with massive consequences and severe economic costs.

The responses were not unexpected and mirrored what senior U.S. and NATO officials have been saying for weeks. Nonetheless, they and the eventual Russian reaction to them could determine whether Europe will again be plunged into war.

There was no immediate response from Russia but Russian officials have warned that Moscow would quickly take retaliatory measures if the U.S. and its allies reject its demands.

Seeking possible off-ramps that would allow Russia to withdraw the estimated 100,000 troops it has deployed near Ukraines border without appearing to have lost a battle of wills, the U.S. response did outline areas in which some of Russias concerns might be addressed, provided it de-escalates tensions with Ukraine.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, Blinken said Russia would not be surprised by the contents of the several-page American document that U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan delivered Wednesday to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

All told it sets out a serious diplomatic path forward. should Russia choose it, he said. The document weve delivered includes concerns of the United States and our allies and partners about Russias actions that undermine security, a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised, and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground.

Blinken said he hoped to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov about the response in the coming days. But he stressed the decision about pursuing diplomacy or conflict rests with Russia and, more specifically, with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Well see how they respond, he said. But theres no doubt in my mind that if Russia were to approach this seriously and in a spirit of reciprocity with a determination to enhance collective security for all of us, there are very positive things in this in this document that could be pursued. We cant make that decision for President Putin.

Shortly after Blinken spoke, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels that the alliance had sent a separate reply to Russia with an offer to improve communications, examine ways to avoid military incidents or accidents, and discuss arms control. But, like Blinken, he rejected any attempt to halt membership.

We cannot and will not compromise on the principles on which the security of our alliance, and security in Europe and North America rest, Stoltenberg said. This is about respecting nations and their right to choose their own path.

Russia should refrain from coercive force posturing, aggressive rhetoric and malign activities directed against allies and other nations. Russia should also withdraw its forces from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, where they are deployed without these countries consent, he said.

While flatly refusing to consider any changes to NATOs open-door policy, its relationship with non-ally Ukraine, or allied troop and military deployments in Eastern Europe, Blinken said the U.S. is open to other ideas to ease Russias stated concerns.

The U.S. proposals, echoed in the NATO document, include the potential for negotiations over offensive missile placements and military exercises in Eastern Europe as well as broad arms control agreements as long as Russia withdraws its troops from the Ukrainian border and agrees to halt inflammatory rhetoric designed to deepen divisions and discord among the allies and within Ukraine itself.

Moscow has demanded guarantees that NATO will never admit Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance will roll back troop deployments in former Soviet bloc nations. Some of these, like the membership pledge, are nonstarters for the U.S. and its allies, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it has plans to attack Ukraine, but the U.S. and NATO are worried about Russia massing its troops near Ukraine and conducting a series of sweeping military maneuvers.

As part of the drills, motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia practiced firing live ammunition, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea performed bombing runs, dozens of warships sailed for training exercises in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers arrived in Belarus for joint war games.

Speaking to Russian lawmakers Wednesday before the U.S. and NATO responses were delivered, Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise Putin on the next steps.

If the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures, Lavrov said.

But he indicated Russia wouldnt wait forever. We wont allow our proposals to be drowned in endless discussions, he said.

Amid the tensions, the U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany and Canada have moved to withdraw some of their diplomats and dependents from Kyiv, a move President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to play down Tuesday as part of a complex diplomatic game.

On Wednesday, the U.S. urged Americans in Ukraine to consider leaving, saying the security situation continues to be unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action and can deteriorate with little notice.

In 2014, following the ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in the countrys eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled.

Envoys from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany met Wednesday for more than eight hours in Paris on the separatist conflict. Although there was no breakthrough, they promised to meet for new talks in two weeks in Berlin.

The French presidents office said afterward in a statement that the parties support unconditional respect for a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.

The talks focused on the 2015 Minsk peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict, and the statement didnt address the current concerns about a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Those are different issues, and we didnt discuss it, said Kremlin envoy Dmitry Kozak.

The Ukrainian representative, Andriy Yermak, was cautiously optimistic about Wednesdays talks, which he said marked the first major advance since December 2019. He also acknowledged they did not directly address current tensions at the border or resolve past differences.

Of course, I wouldnt be honest if I said that we all want faster and bigger results, Yermak said. And of course there is nothing bigger than the desire of Ukrainian people to stop the war, to bring back our territories and our people.

Yermak also said the Ukrainians repeatedly raised the issue of troops now massed on the border. This is the real threat, he said. I have clearly said today that we expect de-escalation not only around occupied territories but also in general de-escalation around Ukrainian borders.

Kozak said varying interpretations of the Minsk agreement have remained a major stumbling block. He said the the four parties will make another attempt to reach consensus on the issue in two weeks.

Kozak reaffirmed that Russia isnt a party to the conflict and emphasized that Ukraine is reluctant to engage in talks with separatists as stipulated in the Minsk document. He said there has been no progress on key aspects of the agreement that Ukraine must grant special status to the rebel regions, followed by elections.

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Isachenkov reported from Moscow. Yuras Karmanau in Kyiv, Ukraine, Lorne Cook in Brussels and Lori Hinnant and Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed.
BURQA, West Bank  The Jewish settlement of Homesh, built on privately owned Palestinian land deep inside the occupied West Bank, was dismantled in 2005 and cannot be rebuilt.

At least, thats what Israeli law says.

But when a group of settlers drove up to the site last week, they were waved through army checkpoints that were closed to Palestinian vehicles and arrived at a cluster of tents on the windy hilltop. There, dozens of settlers were studying in a makeshift yeshiva, or religious school.

Empty wine bottles and bags of trash stood out for collection, the remains of a holiday feast attended by hundreds of settlers the night before and documented on social media.

The settlers ability to maintain a presence at Homesh, guarded by a detachment of Israeli soldiers, is a vivid display of the power of the settler movement nearly 55 years after Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war.

Their strength has also been on display in a wave of attacks against Palestinians and Israeli peace activists in recent months, many in plain view of Israeli soldiers, who appear unable or unwilling to stop them, despite Israeli officials promises to maintain law and order. The worst of the violence has been linked to hard-line settler outposts like Homesh.

That Israeli authorities have not cleared Homesh  which under Israeli law is blatantly illegal  makes it nearly impossible to imagine the removal of any of Israels 130 officially authorized settlements as part of any future peace deal. Nearly 500,000 settlers now live in those settlements, as well as dozens of unauthorized outposts like Homesh.

The Palestinians view the settlements as the main obstacle to any two-state solution to the century-old conflict, and most countries view them as a violation of international law. But in an increasingly hawkish Israel, the settlers enjoy wide support.

We are privileged, thank God, to live here and study Torah, and we shall continue to do so with Gods help, said Rabbi Menachem Ben Shachar, a teacher at the yeshiva.

The people of Israel need to hold onto Homesh, to study Torah here and in every other place in the Land of Israel, he said, using a biblical term for what is today Israel and the West Bank.

Israel dismantled the settlement in 2005 as part of its withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the law prohibits Israeli citizens from entering the area. Israels Supreme Court has acknowledged that the land belongs to Palestinians from the nearby village of Burqa.

But the settlers have repeatedly returned, setting up tents and other structures on the foundations of former homes, now overgrown with weeds.

The army has demolished the structures on several occasions, but more often tolerates their presence. The Jan. 16 party was just the latest in a series of marches, political rallies and other gatherings held at the site over the years, some attended by Israeli lawmakers.

The Israeli military said in a statement that it did not approve the event and took steps to prevent civilians from reaching the area, including setting up checkpoints. The settlers appear to have walked around them. The military declined to discuss the larger issues around Homesh, and a government spokeswoman declined to comment.

The killing of a yeshiva student by a Palestinian gunman near the outpost last month has become a rallying cry for the settlers, who say evacuating Homesh now would amount to appeasing terrorism. But the survival of the outpost after 16 years is rooted in a deeper shift in Israel that makes it nearly impossible to rein in even the settlers most brazen activities.

Israels parliament is dominated by parties that support the settlers. The current government, a fragile coalition reliant on factions from across the political spectrum, knows that any major confrontation with the settlers could spell its demise. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is a former settler leader and is opposed to Palestinian statehood.

The consequences are felt by Palestinians in Burqa and surrounding villages.

Over the weekend, masked settlers descended on another village in the northern West Bank, attacked a group of Palestinians and Israeli peace activists with stones and clubs, and set a car on fire. Israels public security minister, Omer Barlev, called the attackers terrorists but said police have struggled to catch them because they flee before authorities arrive.

The owners of the land where Homesh was built risk being attacked by settlers if they try to access it. Yesh Din, an Israeli rights group that represents the residents of Burqa in court, has documented at least 20 attacks and seven incidents of property damage since 2017.

A 15-year-old Palestinian said he was kidnapped and tortured by settlers in August. Six farmers were hospitalized after settlers attacked them with metal batons and stones in November, according to BTselem, another Israeli rights group.

Ben Shachar, the teacher at the yeshiva, said farmers should coordinate their entry with the Israeli military. He said hes open to dialogue with any Arab who accepts that the Land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people, but that terrorism is part of the DNA of Arab society.

Yesh Din is currently petitioning the Supreme Court on behalf of the Palestinians, hoping it will pressure authorities to remove the outpost and allow them to access their land.

Its a funny petition, right? said Lior Amihai, the director of Yesh Din. We have a petition to enable Palestinians to enter their land, but according to the law they (already) have access to their land.

Ghalib Hajah, who was born and raised in Burqa and now runs a prosperous construction firm inside Israel, is putting the finishing touches on what he had hoped would be a quiet country home for him and his wife. The balconies look out over rolling hills and olive terraces.

The day after the yeshiva student was killed, a group of settlers pelted Hajahs house with stones, shattering several of the newly installed windows as well as tiles from Italy stacked outside. Others smashed gravestones in the village cemetery.

I hid inside, like a thief in my own house, he said. Its not the first time theyve been here  Before you leave your house, you have to see whether there are settlers outside. They block the roads, they throw stones at cars.

He and other residents say settlers have attacked the village on more than a dozen occasions in recent years, with the army appearing powerless to stop them.

Instead, he has turned his new home into a fortress, with cameras mounted on the roof and heavy aluminum shutters on all windows and doors.

Theres no stability here, he said.

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Associated Press Writer Alon Bernstein contributed to this report.
WARSAW, Poland  Russia has placed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraines border and ratcheted up war games in the region.

Moscow denies it is planning an assault, but the United States and its NATO allies fear that Russia is planning for war  and are making preparations of their own.

Here are things to know about the international tensions over Ukraine, a crisis reminiscent of the Cold War.

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THE U.S. SAYS NO

The U.S. has made no concessions to the main Russian demands over Ukraine and NATO in a long-awaited written response delivered to Russia on Wednesday in Moscow, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Blinken said the U.S. response, delivered to the Russian Foreign Ministry by U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, gave up no ground on core principles such as NATOs open-door membership policy and the alliances military presence in Eastern Europe.

Blinken said the document made clear that the U.S. is standing by its oft-stated positions. There is no change, there will be no change, he said. But, he said the written response to Russia also contains serious offers for a diplomatic path to de-escalate soaring tensions over Ukraine by addressing Russian concerns on other matters.

The U.S. response comes as Russia is warning that it would quickly take retaliatory measures if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continue their aggressive policies over Ukraine.

Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO never admit Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance roll back troop deployments in former Soviet bloc countries, a region Moscow still views as its sphere of interest.

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WHAT DO UKRAINIAN LEADERS SAY?

Ukrainian officials have sought to calm nerves as tensions escalate.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive.

They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive, Kuleba told reporters.

He also noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraines financial system and launching cyberattacks.

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WHAT IS THE MOOD ON UKRAINES FRONT LINE?

Soldiers and civilians in eastern Ukraine are waiting with helpless anticipation to see if war comes.

They understand that their fate is being decided by politicians in distant capitals. Even politicians in their own capital, Kyiv, have found themselves on the sidelines of several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy that so far have not yielded a breakthrough.

The battle-weary region has been fighting pro-Russia separatist fighters since 2014. It is an area close to where Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in a troop buildup that U.S. President Joe Biden says could mount the largest invasion since World War II.

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WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE DIPLOMATIC FRONT?

Envoys from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany met Wednesday for more than eight hours in Paris to discuss the separatist conflict in Ukraines eastern industrial heartland. Although there was no breakthrough, they promised to meet for new talks in two weeks in Berlin.

The French presidents office said afterward in a statement that the parties support unconditional respect for a cease-fire in eastern Ukraine.

The Ukrainian representative, Andriy Yermak, was cautiously optimistic. He also acknowledged Wednesdays talks did not directly address current tensions at the border or resolve past differences.

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WHAT IS BRITAINS STANCE?

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine, saying we would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine.

The U.K. has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in response to Russia massing troops near its border. It has ruled out sending combat troops, but Truss said Britain has ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions.

In fact, well be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion, she told the BBC.

Whats important is that all of our allies do the same, because its by collective action, by showing Vladimir Putin were united, that we will help deter a Russian incursion.

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WHAT IS GERMANY DOING?

Among the NATO allies, Germany in particular has faced calls to help Ukraine more and been faulted for a perception that it is prioritizing its economic ties with Russia over Ukraines security.

Amid that backdrop, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Germany will deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine following a request from the countrys embassy. She said that it was a very clear signal that we stand by your side.

Ukraines ambassador to Germany welcomed the planned delivery of the helmets but described it as a purely symbolic gesture. Andriy Melnik told German news agency dpa that this is only a drop in the ocean.

He added that Ukraine expects a 180-degree turn from the German government, a real paradigm change.

Germany has said that it wont deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Yet German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted Wednesday that the European Unions common goal in the Ukraine crisis is and remains the defense of Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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WHAT DO ITALIAN BUSINESSES WANT?

Like Germans, some Italians are suspected of putting business ties with Russia ahead of solidarity with Ukraine.

On Wednesday, Italian business leaders held a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin even though the Rome government asked that the conference be canceled, or at least that companies with government stakes not participate.

During the call, Putin underlined Italys role as its third-largest EU trading partner, with $5 billion invested by Italian companies in Russia and $3 billion by Russian companies in Italy.

The president of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, Vincenzo Trani, said the two countries have always been able to overcome challenging outside factors in recent years  through dialogue.

Participants included Marco Tronchetti Provera, CEO of Pirelli tires, who is president of the Italian Russian entrepreneurs committee. La Repubblica said the CEO of the oil company ENI and the SNAM energy infrastructure company, which are partially state-owned, canceled.

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WHAT ABOUT THOSE COMMENTS IN CROATIA?

Croatias prime minister sought Wednesday to defuse an uproar after the countrys president said Ukraine does not belong in NATO and Croatian troops should not be part of any Western response force in case of a war.

President Zoran Milanovic is known for populist-style and undiplomatic statements. His remarks Tuesday angered Ukraine, which summoned Croatias ambassador in response.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described Milanovics comments as unreal in many ways and said Croatia, a member of NATO and the EU, will continue to have friendly and partner relations with Ukraine.

I can speak for the Croatian government, Plenkovic said. Croatias core position is respect of Ukraines territorial integrity.

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WHAT IS CANADA DOING?

Canada is extending its mission to train Ukrainian soldiers by three years. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that Canada will also expand the mission, known as Operation UNIFIER.

Trudeau said he has authorized the Canadian Armed Forces to deploy 60 personnel to join 200 troops already on the ground, with further capacity to increase that number up to 400. He said Canada will also provide nonlethal equipment, intelligence-sharing and support to combat cyberattacks.

We are seeing around the world right now a backsliding of democracy, an attack on democratic principles in many different forms, Trudeau said. But the direct threat of a Russian invasion, to take control of Ukraine, to take away the choice of Ukrainian people to chose their future  . Its something that concerns all of us who cherish democracy.

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WHAT DOES POPE FRANCIS WANT?

Pope Francis prayed that political leaders put aside personal interests and let dialogue prevail amid concerns of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Francis kicked off a daylong prayer for peace in Ukraine on Wednesday with a special appeal at the end of his weekly general audience. Please, never again war, Francis said. Let us insistently ask the Lord that in this land may fraternity overcome wounds, fears and divisions.

Noting that Thursday marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, Francis said Ukrainians had suffered tremendous cruelties during World War II.

They deserve peace, he said.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla.  The Coast Guard battled time and currents Wednesday as its planes and ships searched for 38 people missing off the coast of Florida, four days after a suspected human smuggling boat capsized in a storm.

The accident killed at least one person and left a single known survivor, and U.S. authorities launched a criminal investigation.

Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian said the survivor told rescuers that the boat capsized Saturday evening shortly after sailing from the Bahamas into a storm. The Coast Guard was alerted Tuesday morning after the crew of a merchant vessel spotted the man sitting alone on the overturned hull of the 25-foot boat. He was taken to a hospital with symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure and turned over to Homeland Security officials, who said he is conscious and lucid.

Burdian said finding other migrants alive is urgent.

With every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely that survivors will be found, she told a news conference.

Crews searched around the clock, extrapolating from where the wreck was spotted about 40 miles (64 kilometers) off Fort Pierce. By Wednesday morning, crews on at least four ships and five aircraft scanned a vast area about the size of New Jersey, Burdian said. The Coast Guard posted on Twitter Wednesday evening that crews would continue to search through the night.

We are using every piece of information we can to make sure we are exhausting our search efforts, Burdian said. But we cant search forever.

The weather forecast through Thursday calls for scattered rain and thunderstorms in the search area, with swells cresting at 2 to 3 feet (1 meter) and winds blowing at 12 to 15 mph (19 to 24 kph). The National Weather Service described conditions as relatively benign until a strong cold front arrives on Friday.

Homeland Security Investigations opened the criminal probe, said Anthony Salisbury, special agent in charge of agencys Miami office. The effort includes U.S. agents in the Bahamas.

Youre dealing with criminal organizations that have no value for human life or safety. Its really victimizing the migrants. Its just about the money, he said.

Agents have interviewed the survivor, but Salisbury would not identify the man or his nationality, nor reveal the nationalities of any others believed to have been on the vessel.

The rescued man told the Coast Guard he was part of a group of 40 people who left Bimini in the Bahamas, Burdian said. The man said the boat capsized shortly thereafter, and no one aboard was wearing a life jacket, she added.

A small craft advisory had been issued as a severe cold front blew through the dangerous passage on Saturday and Sunday, with winds up to 23 mph (37 kph) and swells up to 9 feet (3 meters). Tommy Sewell, a local fishing guide, said there were high winds and fierce rain squalls from Sunday into Monday.

Burdian would not provide any more details, saying hes now in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.

Bimini is a small cluster of islands about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Miami and about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of where the survivor was found. The capsized boat was apparently pushed north by the Gulf Stream, a warm, swift current that wraps around the Florida peninsula and flows north along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

Migrants from around the world have long used the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

For the most part, these migrants are from Haiti and Cuba, but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

The Bahamas and nearby Turks and Caicos Islands have in recent years stepped up their anti-smuggling enforcement efforts in cooperation with the Coast Guard.

In May, a Canadian man was sentenced in the U.S. to more than two and a half years in prison for his role in an operation that smuggled people from Sri Lanka by plane to Haiti, then by boat to the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas before heading to South Florida. The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Department, which is also looking into the operation behind the capsized boat.

The Coast Guard constantly patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas. On Friday, its crews pulled 88 Haitians from an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached. The survivors said they left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.

In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the Coast Guard said it apprehended 838 Cubans, 1,527 Haitians and 742 people from the Dominican Republic in the region that includes Florida and the Caribbean. The agency also apprehended migrants from other nations, but it did not provide a breakdown of the other nationalities.

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Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Washington and Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.
BEIRUT  A distressing series of voice notes sent by an injured Australian teenager from a prison in northeast Syria underscores the plight of thousands of forgotten children who remain trapped in overcrowded detention facilities in Syria and Iraq.

Hundreds of minors are believed to be holed up in Gweiran Prison, which has been at the center of a violent standoff between Islamic State group militants and U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters that began a week ago.

The Kurdish-led forces said Wednesday they took control of the last section of the prison controlled by Islamic State militants and freed a number of child detainees they said had been used as human shields. That ended a weeklong assault by the extremists on one of the largest detention facilities in Syria. But the fate of hundreds of boys remained unclear.

We are talking about nearly 800 children who are probably some of the most vulnerable children in the world right now. The recent violence in the prison has made things for them much much worse, said Juliette Touma, Middle East regional spokesperson for the U.N. childrens agency.

IS fighters stormed the prison on Thursday, aiming to break out thousands of comrades who simultaneously rioted inside. The attack is the biggest by IS militants since the fall of the groups caliphate in 2019.

The fighting appears to have left multiple child inmates killed or wounded, though numbers are not known.

Human Rights Watch provided The Associated Press with a series of audio messages sent by the 17-year-old Australian from inside the prison in which he appealed for help, saying he was injured in the head and was bleeding. The boy says his friends got killed and he has seen bodies of kids aged 8 to 12.

But who are these kids, and why are they there?

CUBS OF THE CALIPHATE

Some of the kids were children when their parents plucked them from their own countries after they decided to join the so-called Islamic caliphate declared in 2014 over parts of Syria and Iraq. Others were born there. Many attended IS-run schools where they were trained for combat.

While IS carried out massacres against residents and enslaved many of the women and girls, they also sought to re-educate young boys and tried to turn them into jihadi fighters. They recruited teens and children using gifts, threats and brainwashing. Boys were turned into killers and suicide bombers. IS videos showed kids carrying out beheadings or shooting captives in cold blood.

It was all part of a concerted effort to build a new generation of militants. They called them cubs of the caliphate.

Most were later captured by Kurdish-led forces during the U.S.-backed campaign that brought down IS three years ago, thrown into squalid, overcrowded detention centers and where they continue to languish.

Others were put in squalid camps in northeast Syria that hold families of suspected IS fighters, where they are exposed to violence, exploitation and abuse. Once they become teenagers deemed old enough to separate from their mothers, they are transferred to one of the detention centers where they join the fighters. The age cut-off rules are not exactly clear. Some as young as 12 were reportedly in Gweiran Prison.

Letta Tayler of Human Rights Watch estimates 600 minor boys, around half of them Iraqis and other non-Syrians, were inmates in the prison. Most are between 14 and 17 years old, though some are as young as 12, Tayler said. It is not clear how many of the boys in prison were trained by IS or whether any have committed any crimes.

WHY THEY ARE STILL THERE

Mostly because their governments have refused to repatriate them.

Kurdish authorities have asked countries to repatriate their nationals, saying keeping thousands of detainees in cramped facilities is putting a strain on their forces and creating a new generation of militants.

None has even been brought before a judge to determine whether they should be detained, Tayler said. These children should never have been placed in this squalid overcrowded prison where their lives are clearly at risk to begin with. Their countries should have brought them home to help them rebuild their lives long ago.

But home governments often see the children as posing a danger rather than as needing rescue.

Some former Soviet bloc states have let some of their citizens back in, but other Arab, European and African countries have repatriated only minimal numbers or have refused.

Kurdish authorities run more than two dozen detention facilities scattered around northeastern Syria holding about 10,000 IS fighters. Among the detainees are some 2,000 foreigners, including about 800 Europeans.

In addition, some 27,500 children of 60 different nationalities are locked up at the sprawling al-Hol camp, which houses families of IS members. Most of them are Iraqis, followed by Syrians.

Most of them not yet teenagers, they are spending their childhood in limbo under miserable conditions with no schools, no place to play or develop, and seemingly no international interest in resolving their situation.

There needs to be collective responsibility to get these children out of these prisons and out of these camps, Touma, of UNICEF, said. That responsibility, she added, lays mostly with the countries that have the highest number of children there.

They all deserve to get out of that part of Syria and be home and safe.

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Associated Press writer Sarah El Deeb contributed from Beirut.
WASHINGTON  Longtime liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, numerous sources said Wednesday, giving President Joe Biden his first high court opening, which he has pledged to fill with the historic naming of the courts first Black woman.

Breyer, 83, has been a pragmatic force on a court that has grown increasingly conservative, trying to forge majorities with more moderate justices right and left of center. His retirement will give Biden the chance to name and win confirmation of a replacement before next falls election when Republicans could retake the Senate and block future nominees.

Biden and Breyer are expected to hold an event at the White House Thursday to formally announce Breyers plans to retire, according to a person briefed on the planning who was not authorized to publicly discuss it in advance. Democrats are planning a swift confirmation, perhaps even before Breyer officially steps down, which is not expected before summer.

He has been a justice since 1994, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Along with the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he opted not to step down the last time the Democrats controlled the White House and the Senate during Barack Obamas presidency. Ginsburg died in September 2020, and then-President Donald Trump filled the vacancy with a conservative justice, Amy Coney Barrett.

Breyers departure wont change the 6-3 conservative advantage on the court because his replacement will almost certainly be confirmed by a Senate where Democrats have the slimmest majority. It will make conservative Justice Clarence Thomas the oldest member of the court. Thomas turns 74 in June.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed. A White House decision on a nominee could take several weeks, Biden aides and allies said.

Republicans who changed the Senate rules during the Trump era to allow simple majority confirmation of Supreme Court nominees appeared resigned to the outcome.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a Republican who previously chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement: If all Democrats hang together  which I expect they will  they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support.

Liberal interest groups expressed relief. They have been clamoring for Breyers retirement, concerned about confirmation troubles if Republicans retake the Senate.

Justice Breyers retirement is coming not a moment too soon, but now we must make sure our party remains united in support of confirming his successor, Demand Justice Executive Director Brian Fallon said.

Among the names being circulated as potential nominees are California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, prominent civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill and U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs, whom Biden has nominated to be an appeals court judge. Childs is a favorite of Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who made a crucial endorsement of Biden just before South Carolinas presidential primary in 2020.

Bidens pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court was made during the 2020 presidential campaign. Since he took office a little more than a year ago, he has been focused on increasing racial, ethnic and experiential diversity in the lower federal courts. He has doubled the number of Black women who serve on appellate courts just below the Supreme Court, with three more nominees pending.

Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said, We know that when Americas boardrooms, legislatures and even the Supreme Court start to resemble America, we all benefit.

Nomination of a Black woman could also help Biden politically with some of the Democratic Partys most important Election Day supporters. He has been criticized by black leaders and groups for failing so far to persuade the Senate to pass legislation shoring up voting rights that are being restricted in a number of Republican-led states.

Change comes slowly to the Supreme Court. Of the 115 justices in U.S. history, there have been just five women, beginning with Sandra Day OConnor in 1981. One of the five, Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a Latina. Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall are the only two Black men who have served on the court.

The president wouldnt address reports of Breyers retirement on Wednesday.

Every justice should have an opportunity to decide what he or she is going to do and announce it on their own, Biden said. Let him make whatever statement hes going to make and Ill be happy to talk about it later.

Often overshadowed by his fellow liberal Ginsburg, Breyer authored two major opinions in support of abortion rights on a court closely divided over the issue, and he laid out his growing discomfort with the death penalty in a series of dissenting opinions in recent years.

Breyers views on displaying the Ten Commandments on government property illustrate his search for a middle ground. He was the only member of the court in the majority in both cases in 2005 that barred displays in two Kentucky courthouses but allowed one to remain on the grounds of the state Capitol in Austin, Texas.

In more than 27 years on the court, Breyer has been an active and cheerful questioner during arguments, a frequent public speaker and quick with a joke, often at his own expense. He made a good natured appearance on a humorous National Public Radio program in 2007, failing to answer obscure questions about pop stars.

He is known for his elaborate, at times far-fetched, hypothetical questions to lawyers during arguments and he sometimes has had the air of an absent-minded professor. He taught antitrust law at Harvard earlier in his professional career.

He also spent time working for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy when the Massachusetts Democrat was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. That experience, Breyer said, made him a firm believer in compromise.

Still, he could write fierce dissents, as he did in the Bush v. Gore case that effectively decided the 2000 election in favor of Republican George W. Bush. Breyer unsuccessfully urged his colleagues to return the case to the Florida courts so they could create a constitutionally proper contest to decide the winner.

At the end of a trying term in June 2007 in which he found himself on the losing end of roughly two dozen 5-4 rulings, his frustrations bubbled over as he summarized his dissent from a decision that invalidated public school integration plans.

It is not often that so few have so quickly changed so much, Breyer said in a packed courtroom.

His time working in the Senate led to his appointment by President Jimmy Carter as a federal appeals court judge in Boston, and he served there for 14 years. His 87-9 high-court confirmation was the last with fewer than 10 dissenting Senate votes.

Breyers opinions were notable because they never contained footnotes. He was warned off such a writing device by Arthur Goldberg, the justice for whom Breyer clerked as a young lawyer.

It is an important point to make if you believe, as I do, that the major function of an opinion is to explain to the audience of readers why it is that the court has reached that decision, Breyer once said. Its not to prove that youre right. You cant prove that youre right; there is no such proof.

Born in San Francisco, Breyer became an Eagle Scout as a teenager and began a stellar academic career at Stanford, graduating with highest honors. He attended Oxford, where he received first-class honors in philosophy, politics and economics.

Breyer then attended Harvard Law School, where he worked on the Law Review and graduated with highest honors.

He worked in the Justice Departments antitrust division before splitting time as a Harvard law professor and a lawyer for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Breyer and his wife, Joanna, a psychologist and daughter of the late British Conservative leader John Blakenham, have three children  daughters Chloe and Nell and a son, Michael  and six grandchildren.

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Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Zeke Miller contributed to this report. Sherman reported from Bradenton Beach, Florida.
APACHE JUNCTION, Ariz.  A hiker camping on a peak in the Superstition Mountains east of metro Phoenix was found dead after apparently slipping while taking a photo and falling hundreds of feet, authorities said Wednesday.

The body of Richard Jacobson, 21, was recovered after a hiking companion called 911 at approximately 12:45 a.m. Monday, the Pinal County Sheriffs Office said in a statement.

Jacobsons body was found nearly 700 feet (213 meters) below where the hikers were camping on top of Flatiron near Lost Dutchman State Park, the office said.

An Arizona Department of Public Safety helicopter helped recover Jacobsons body, the office said.

No additional information was released.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden is eyeing at least three judges for an expected vacancy on the Supreme Court as he prepares to quickly deliver on his campaign pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the nations highest court, according to aides and allies.

Biden and Justice Stephen Breyer are expected to hold an event at the White House Thursday to formally announce Breyers plans to retire, according to a person briefed on the planning who was not authorized to publicly discuss it in advance.

Early discussions about a successor are focusing on U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, U.S. District Judge J. Michelle Childs and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, according to four people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss White House deliberations. Jackson and Kruger have long been seen as possible nominees.

Since Biden took office in January 2021, he has focused on nominating a diverse group of judges to the federal bench, installing five Black women on federal appeals courts, with three more nominations pending before the Senate. Other possible candidates for the high court could come from among that group, Biden aides and allies said, especially since almost all of the recent Supreme Court nominees have been federal appeals judges.

He has a strong pool to select a candidate from, in addition to other sources. This is an historic opportunity to appoint someone with a strong record on civil and human rights, said Derrick Johnson, the NAACPs president.

By the end of his first year, Biden had won confirmation of 40 judges, the most since President Ronald Reagan. Of those, 80% are women and 53% are people of color, according to the White House.

Jackson, 51, was nominated by President Barack Obama to be a district court judge. Biden elevated her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Early in her career, she was also a law clerk for Breyer.

Childs, a federal judge in South Carolina, has been nominated but not yet confirmed to serve on the same circuit court. Her name has surfaced partly because she is a favorite among some high-profile lawmakers, including Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C.

Kruger, a graduate of Harvard and Yales law school, was previously a Supreme Court clerk and has argued a dozen cases before the justices as a lawyer for the federal government.

Breyer, 83, will retire at the end of the summer, according to two sources who confirmed the news to The Associated Press on Wednesday. They spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to preempt Breyers formal announcement.

But the Senate can confirm a successor before there is a formal vacancy, so the White House was getting to work and it was expected to take at least a few weeks before a nomination was formalized.

Biden said Wednesday he wasnt going to get ahead of Breyers announcement.

Every justice should have an opportunity to decide what he or she is going to do and announce it on their own, Biden said. Let him make whatever statement hes going to make and Ill be happy to talk about it later.

When Biden was running for the White House, he said that if he had the chance to nominate someone to the court, he would make history by choosing a Black woman. And hes reiterated that pledge since.

As president, Id be honored, honored to appoint the first African American woman. Because it should look like the country. Its long past time, Biden said in February 2020 shortly before South Carolinas presidential primary.

Adding a Black woman to the court would mean a series of firsts  four female justices and two Black justices serving at the same time on the nine-member court. Justice Clarence Thomas is the courts only Black justice and just the second ever, after Thurgood Marshall.

And Biden would have the chance to show Black voters increasingly frustrated with a president they helped to elect that he is serious about their concerns, particularly after he has been unable to push through voting rights legislation.

At the same time, Breyers replacement by another liberal justice would not change the ideological makeup of the court. Conservatives outnumber liberals by 6-3, and Donald Trumps three nominees made an already conservative court even more conservative.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed.

But Republicans in particular remain upset about Justice Brett Kavanaughs contentious 2018 hearing. Still, Democrats have the 50 votes plus a tiebreaker in Vice President Kamala Harris that they need to confirm a nominee.

Republicans who changed the Senate rules during the Trump-era to allow simple majority confirmation of Supreme Court nominees appeared resigned to the outcome. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, an influential Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement, If all Democrats hang together  which I expect they will  they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support.

Nonetheless, Democrats have also been unable to get all their members on board for Bidens social and environmental spending agenda or to move forward with a voting rights bill.

As a senator, Biden served as chairman of the Judiciary Committee, overseeing six Supreme Court confirmation hearings from 1987 to 1995, including Breyers.

And one person who will be central to Bidens process is chief of staff Ron Klain, a former Supreme Court law clerk and chief counsel to that committee.

Two other Black women whom Biden appointed to federal appeals courts are also seen as contenders: Holly Thomas, a longtime civil rights lawyer he named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, a former public defender he named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit.

Biden could also choose someone from outside the judiciary, though that seems less likely. One contender would be the head of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Sherrilyn Ifill, 59. She has headed the fund since 2013 and has announced she is stepping down in the spring.

The Supreme Court has had three women on it for more than a decade, since 2010, when Obama named Justice Elena Kagan to the court to replace the retiring John Paul Stevens. Kagan joined Obamas other nominee, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the courts first Latina justice, and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. When Ginsburg died in September 2020, Trump announced his choice of Amy Coney Barrett eight days later.

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Associated Press writer Mark Sherman contributed to this report.
Health care workers in about half the states face a Thursday deadline to get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine under a Biden administration mandate that will be rolled out across the rest of the country in the coming weeks.

While the requirement is welcomed by some, others fear it will worsen already serious staff shortages if employees quit rather than comply.

And in some Republican-led states that have taken a stand against vaccine mandates, hospitals and nursing homes could find themselves caught between conflicting state and federal demands.

We would like to see staff vaccinated. We think that its the safest option for residents, which is our biggest concern, said Marjorie Moore, executive director of VOYCE, a St. Louis County, Missouri, nonprofit that works on behalf of nursing home residents. But not having staff is also a really big concern, because the neglect that happens as a result of that is severe and very scary.

The mandate affects a wide swath of the health care industry, covering doctors, nurses, technicians, aides and even volunteers at hospitals, nursing homes, home-health agencies and other providers that participate in the federal Medicare or Medicaid programs.

It comes as many places are stretched thin by the omicron surge, which is putting record numbers of people in the hospital with COVID-19 while sickening many health workers.

Nationwide, about 81% of nursing home staff members already were fully vaccinated as of earlier this month, ranging from a high of 98% in Rhode Island to a low of 67% in Missouri, according to the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The data is unclear about the vaccination levels in hospitals and other health care sites.

The mandate ultimately will cover 10.4 million health care workers at 76,000 facilities.

It is taking effect first in jurisdictions that didnt challenge the requirement in court. Those include some of the biggest states, with some of the largest populations of senior citizens, among them: California, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania.

There absolutely have been employee resignations because of vaccination requirements, said Catherine Barbieri, a Philadelphia attorney at Fox Rothschild who represents health care providers. But I think its relatively small.

At Wilson Medical Center in rural Neodesha, Kansas, three of the roughly 180 employees are quitting, and several others have sought exemptions from the vaccine mandate, said hospital spokeswoman Janice Reese.

We are very fortunate that that is all we are losing, she said, noting that the hospital was not in favor of the mandate. We didnt feel like it was our place to actually try to tell a person what they had to do.

Reese said the vaccine requirement could also make it more difficult for the hospital to fill vacancies.

In Florida, medical centers find themselves caught between dueling federal and state vaccination policies. They could lose federal funding for not adhering to the Biden administration mandate, but could get hit with fines for running afoul of state law.

Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has waged a legal campaign against coronavirus mandates, last year signed legislation that forces businesses with vaccine requirements to let workers opt out for medical reasons, religious beliefs, immunity from a previous infection, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear. Businesses that fail to comply can be fined $10,000 to $50,000 per violation.

Asked if the state would pursue fines against hospitals that enforce the federal mandate, a spokeswoman for the Florida attorney general said all employee complaints will be thoroughly reviewed by our office.

Some states already have their own vaccine requirements for health care workers. In California, for example, they have been required to be fully vaccinated since Sept. 30 and must get a booster b y Feb. 1.

The federal mandate is better late than never, said Sal Rosselli, president of the National Union of Healthcare Workers, which represents about 15,000 people in California. But if it happened sooner, we wouldnt have gone through the surge, and a lot more people would be alive today.

The government said it will begin enforcing the first-dose vaccine requirement Feb. 14 in two dozen other states where injunctions were lifted when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the mandate two weeks ago. The requirement will kick in on Feb. 22 in Texas, which had filed suit separately.

In Missouri, one nursing home served notice this week that it intends to take advantage of a state rule that allows facilities to close for up to two years if they are short-staffed because of the vaccine requirement.

Obviously we are proponents of vaccines, said Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. But throughout all of this, we knew that mandating it would be a negative impact really on our health care system  just because of crippling staffing levels.

Cox identified the facility that was closing as Cedarcrest Manor, in the eastern Missouri city of Washington. She said there are just 42 patients in the 177-bed facility amid the staffing shortages. A woman who answered the phone at the facility took a message but couldnt immediately comment.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ultimately could cut off funding to places that fail to comply with the mandate. But it plans to begin enforcement with encouragement rather than a heavy hand.

CMS guidance documents indicate it will grant leniency to places that have at least 80% compliance and an improvement plan in place, and it will seek to prod others.

The overarching goal is to get providers over that finish line and not be cutting off federal dollars, said MaryBeth Musumeci, a Medicaid expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

The states affected on Thursday are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.

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Associated Press writers Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Anthony Izaguirre contributed to this report.
In trenches dusted with snow and tinged with soot, men search for enough cellphone signal to hear the latest from the distant capitals that will decide their fate.

Moscow, Washington, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna. Sometimes Kyiv. But only sometimes.

These Ukrainians are far from the Russian ships headed to a naval exercise off the coast of Ireland, from the American-built fighter jets streaming to the Baltics and from the U.S. aircraft carrier steadily sailing the Mediterranean.

As Western-supplied weapons land by the planeload in Kyiv, soldiers and civilians alike wait here with helpless anticipation for decisions made by people who know little about the lives of those on the eastern front lines  a battle-weary region near where Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in a troop buildup that U.S. President Joe Biden said could mount the largest invasion since World War II.

The soldiers in Zolote 4 have been defending against Russian encroachment for years. They are just a few hundred meters from pro-Russia separatist fighters, who are on the other side of a checkpoint that no one can safely cross. The soldiers assume thats where the snipers are, though theyve never seen any gunmen.

After three days with no shooting, all of a sudden they opened up with grenade launchers and firearms. One mortar shell flew over and fell in the field behind us. Two more hit between ours and the next position. In 15 minutes, everything was quiet again. Why? What for? Nobody knows. And thats how it is around here, said Oleh Surhov, a Ukrainian soldier who fled Crimea in 2014 after the Russians seized the peninsula. He joined the fight soon after he evacuated his wife, children and grandchildren to western Ukraine.

Zolote 1 through 5 got their names decades ago during the Soviet era  the name means Golden  when they were labeled as units of the local coal mining operation. Now 1 through 4 are in Ukraine and 5 sits less than a kilometer (half-mile) away, across the checkpoint.

The sense of waiting for someone elses decisions has also infected the nearby village of Katerynivka, which bears the scars of eight years of shelling. It has newer trenches, which are heated by rough wood stoves whose warmth draws nearly as many dogs and cats as soldiers. The luckiest trench cats get taken back by soldiers when they rotate off the front.

We joke that hope is the last thing to die. All of us are waiting for peace. Neither our children nor grandkids can visit us, said Liubov, a local woman who wouldnt give her last name. We talk on the phone and thats enough. Lets wait until peace comes!

If war comes instead, it is as likely as not to strike first in eastern Ukraine, where the pro-Russia separatists have been in control since 2014. In Russia, across the border, more than 100,000 troops are gathering, and thousands more are going into position for what Russia says are military exercises on Ukraines border to the north with Belarus.

Moscow denies it is planning an assault, but the United States and its NATO allies are preparing for a possible war, bolstering their presence in the Baltics and putting 8,500 American troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. Britain and the U.S. have sent multiple planeloads of weapons to Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials have accepted the help but found themselves on the sidelines of several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy that so far have not yielded a breakthrough. Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said early this month after one such meeting.

But Ukraines president was left to fume on Twitter last week when Biden mused aloud about how to respond to a minor incursion.

We want to remind the great powers that there are no minor incursions and small nations. Just as there are no minor casualties and little grief from the loss of loved ones, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote.

On Monday, the White House summoned European leaders, including NATOs secretary-general, to a videoconference about Ukraine to discuss U.S. ideas on how to respond to Russias demands.

We have shared those ideas with our European allies and partners. We are taking their feedback. We are incorporating that feedback into the written response, U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

Ukraine wasnt invited to the videoconference, but American officials said their feedback was also key.

Ukrainian and Russian representatives met Wednesday in Paris to discuss the prospects for a stalled 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany to end the conflict in eastern Ukraine. The meeting went longer than expected and ended with agreement to meet again  in Berlin.

If Ukraine sometimes seems to be an afterthought for the powerful countries deciding its fate, the countrys east is even farther from the centers of power.

In Vesele, a separatist area in the eastern Donetsk region, little has changed since the fighting in 2014. Signs still warn about minefields. Concrete block buildings have only crumbled further in the years since they were shelled, and no one has come to tow away the cars hastily abandoned under gunfire.

There is practically no one here, because everything is broken. There is light, gas, water supply, but there is no life, said Vladimir, a local man who refused to give his last name. He estimated Ukrainian troops were about a kilometer (half-mile) away, and he wanted them gone so people could decide their own fates.

If they would completely leave and liberate the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, then we could decide. I think nobody wants (to be a part of) Ukraine here, he said.

But he, like most in the east, believed those decisions were in someone elses hands.

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Hinnant reported from Paris.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  High-profile proposals to change New Mexicos pretrial detention system are finding little traction at the Roundhouse amid pushback against their legality and potential impacts.

The sponsor of one bill backed by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham that would make it easier to hold certain defendants behind bars until trial requested Wednesday it be pulled back from its first assigned House committee so that concerns could be addressed.

And another Republican-backed measure was voted down by the same panel, prompting its sponsor to accuse majority Democrats of hypocrisy.

With a 30-day legislative session in its second week, Rep. Marian Matthews, D-Albuquerque, said the Legislature must come up with a response to a surge in violent crime in New Mexicos largest city.

There were 117 homicides in Albuquerque last year and nine homicides have already been reported this month, along with two others in outlying parts of Bernalillo County.

This problem of violence is not going to go away, Matthews told members of the House Government, Elections and Indian Affairs Committee after requesting a vote on her bill be postponed. We need solutions. She also said in an interview later Wednesday she was willing to consider changes to the bill, but said New Mexicans are sick and tired of high crime rates.

Critics of the proposal have raised concerns about whether the proposed changes would be constitutional. Some advocates have also expressed concern the proposal could disproportionately affect minority communities, including transgender individuals.

Were not following the data

During Wednesdays hearing, Rep. Daymon Ely, D-Corrales, peppered Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney James Grayson with questions about the prosecutors claim that the Case Management Order, which imposes deadlines prosecutors must meet, was tying up law enforcement officers and keeping them off the streets.

In an interview, Ely said the legislation is not well thought-out and would be quickly challenged in court if enacted.

He also questioned why lawmakers would make changes to New Mexicos pretrial detention laws after recent reports found low arrest, prosecution and conviction rates may have contributed more to Bernalillo Countys crime problem than releasing defendants awaiting trial.

I do not know why were not following the data, Ely told the Journal. None of us wants to have violent offenders on the streets.

The Bernalillo County District Attorneys Office has disputed some data and conclusions in that report.

Rep. Greg Nibert, R-Roswell, also expressed skepticism about lawmakers authority to revise pretrial detention laws after voters approved a 2016 constitutional change that overhauled New Mexicos cash bond system.

In my view, its the people of New Mexico who are going to have to make the change, Nibert said.

He supported a separate GOP-backed proposal, House Joint Resolution 3, that would change the Constitution to allow the Legislature to decide when bail should be denied in criminal cases.

But that measure was tabled on a 5-3 vote and is unlikely to be revived during the 30-day session that ends Feb. 17.

That vote prompted Rep. Bill Rehm, R-Albuquerque, to criticize Democrats for blocking Republican-led efforts to address crime issues.

I am so disappointed that the progressives flat out refuse to provide not only justice, but also common-sense reform for this crime problem that their caucus has already refused to address for at least two decades, Rehm said.

Change may cost jails $13.8M a year

The proposed pretrial detention bill, House Bill 5, would create a rebuttable presumption of dangerousness for defendants charged with certain violent crimes  including murder, child abuse and assault on a peace officer. If prosecutors file detention motions in those cases and are able to meet the probable cause standard for the crime, the defendants would then have to convince a judge why they should not be held in jail until trial under the presumption they pose a danger to any other person or to the community.

Under current law, prosecutors have to file motions and show evidence why such defendants should be held until their trial date. Prosecutors must also show there are no conditions of release that would safeguard the public.

A Legislative Finance Committee analysis of the bill suggests the proposed change could lead to 1,262 additional defendants being held until trial per year, at an estimated annual cost to county jails of $13.8 million.

But there would be benefits, too, as detaining those defendants could lower the statewide violent crime rate by 1.4% and prevent an estimated 190 crimes per year, including one homicide, according to the analysis.

The bill is part of a package of tough on crime bills pushed by Lujan Grisham, a Democrat who is running for reelection this year.

Top Albuquerque city and law enforcement officials are backing the effort, which comes in the wake of some high-profile crimes in which the suspects had been released pending trial on other charges.

A group of family members of Albuquerque crime victims has also been present at the Roundhouse for recent committee hearings and urged lawmakers to keep violent criminals off the streets.

But Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque, said opposition to the bill should not be construed as callous indifference, adding, those of us who have concerns about the bill are not unsympathetic to victims family members.
PHOENIX  A Democratic proposal to create a new tax credit for working low-income Arizonans that Republican Gov. Doug Ducey adopted as part of his budget proposal was approved by an Arizona Senate committee Wednesday.

The proposal from Sen. Sean Bowie, a Phoenix Democrat, did not make it out of the Finance Committee with the full support of majority Republicans. GOP Sens. Vince Leach and Michelle Ugenti-Rita opposed the measure, a sign that the proposal could have a difficult time in the narrowly divided Legislature.

But Bowie said hes optimistic, noting that it passed the Senate on a 26-3 vote last session before stalling in the House. And he said its inclusion in the governors new spending plan could sway him to give the budget a rare Democratic vote.

I like the chances. I mean, I liked the governors budget proposal a lot, Bowie said. If were able to do this  and its included in the budget, that would go a long way towards getting me on the budget.

The $74 million plan is the first tax proposal the governor has backed in his eight legislative sessions that specifically aims to benefit lower-income workers. Tax cuts Ducey has championed, including a nearly $2 billion income tax cut passed last year, have instead mainly flowed to businesses or the wealthy.

The Earned Income Tax Credit proposal mirrors the federal credit, which provides refunds to the working poor. It sets the credit at 5% of the federal amount, and the average family would get $128 per year. A family with three children would get more than $300 a year.

The proposal would benefit about 577,000 taxpayers, according to the governors office.

The idea is to provide extra cash to working families who could use the money for food, utilities, gas and other necessities. And Bowie said that money would flow right back into the economy.

Its been a very effective measure to reduce poverty throughout the country, Bowie told the committee, with the federal credit lifting 5.6 million Americans out of poverty. Its something that can really help a lot of families throughout the state.

The proposal didnt sit well with Leach, who said the tax credits were a move toward the government providing basic income for everyone, an idea championed by some progressives that Bowie said he does not support.

This gets precariously close, one step closer, to guaranteed income, which is floating around again, Leach said. And I think we should all be concerned about that.

A lobbyist for the Free Enterprise Club, an advocacy group that backs limited government and lower taxes, said the proposal forces some taxpayers to subsidize others.

The Legislature should never be considering refundable tax credits, lobbyist Amy Yentes told the panel. Weve opposed this for very large businesses, special interests industries  and we oppose it in this form, too, as basically straight welfare.

The committees 7-2 vote sends the bill to the full Senate for consideration.

The Senate Finance Committee also approved a property tax cut for most business property. The cut from Republican Sen. J.D. Mesnard adds to a proposal enacted last year that phased in rate cuts from 18% of assessed valuation to 16% in 2025.

The new proposal cuts another percent off the full assessed value that is used to assess business property such as telecommunications facilities and shopping centers. Business interest groups have long argued that Arizonas business property taxes are too high.
New Mexico State Police officers found nearly 500 pounds of marijuana, along with various quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, cannabis edibles and psychedelic mushrooms, during a recent semitractor-trailer inspection in Gallup.

The truck driver, Brandon A. Johnson, 39, of LaPlace, Louisiana, and passenger, Terrance C. Hicks Jr., 46, of Houston, Texas, were arrested and booked into the McKinley County jail on multiple drug trafficking and distribution charges, State Police said in a news release.

The truck inspection took place around 8 a.m. Friday, Jan. 21, at the Gallup Port of Entry.

As the officer conducted a safety inspection on the (commercial motor vehicle), the officer observed 17 black duffel bags, three cardboard boxes, two plastic totes and a trash bag within the CMVs cab and trailer, State Police said. The officer detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from the trailer.

State Police said 489.5 pounds of marijuana, 2.5 pounds of fentanyl, 23.5 pounds of cocaine, 28.5 pounds of cannabis edibles and a pound of psychedelic mushrooms were found in the bags, boxes and such. Two handguns were also seized from the cab.
Copyright  2022 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  New Mexico would establish new rules for poll challengers and same-day voter registration under a bipartisan election proposal moving forward at the Capitol.

In a hearing Wednesday, the bill triggered a clash over whether a student identification card should be acceptable as ID when someone registers to vote on Election Day  a debate lawmakers are expected to pick up later.

State law now requires a photo ID for same-day voter registration.

The proposal, Senate Bill 6, would clarify that a drivers license or other government-issued ID would be required, not simply a student ID.

But Democrats who objected to the provision said they will try to amend the bill at a future hearing or revise the ID requirement in separate legislation.

The 250-page proposal would update a host of procedures outlined in New Mexico election laws. In some cases, it would make permanent temporary election provisions started during the pandemic, including an 11 p.m. halt to absentee-vote counting on election night, with work resuming the next morning.

The legislation is backed by county clerks and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver. Its jointly sponsored by Sens. Daniel Ivey-Soto, D-Albuquerque, and Crystal Diamond, R-Elephant Butte.

Under the proposal, training would be required for poll watchers and challengers. It would also prohibit someone from serving as a watcher or challenger if they had previously been removed from the role by election officials for violating election rules.

Debate over voter identification ignited the most debate Wednesday.

Sen. Mark Moores, R-Albuquerque, won approval for an amendment  accepted by Ivey-Soto  that would clarify that someone must show a government-issued ID, not one from school or college, to register and vote on Election Day.

Some Democrats objected, contending younger voters may not have a drivers license and that allowing student IDs would protect their right to vote.

Moores, in turn, accused Democrats of refusing to compromise with Republicans on a bill otherwise positioned to pick up bipartisan support and strengthen confidence in elections.

If you guys dont want to work with us, dont even bring us to the table next time, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Peter Wirth, D-Santa Fe, said the voter ID provision is a reasonable policy question and that Moores himself had proposed language adjusting the rule.

Theres legitimate discussion about how to do this, Wirth said.

The language supported by Moores, in any case, is now part of the bill, though amendments could surface as the proposal moves forward.

The measure cleared the Senate Rules Committee without opposition and heads next to the Senate Finance Committee, potentially its last stop before reaching the full chamber.
Instagram Celebrity

The Rae Sremmurd member, whose real name is Aaquil Iben Shamon Brown, is reportedly being held in Miami's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $1,500 bond.

Jan 26, 2022

AceShowbiz - Slim Jxmmi's recent run-in with the law upset his girlfriend. Insisting that the Rae Sremmurd member never laid a finger on her, Kae blasted police who arrested the rapper ahead of their son's first birthday.

Kae called out the Miami-Dade Police Department on Tuesday, January 25 through her Instagram account. "Oh wow. This is cap. Dade County y'all are wrong for this. I told you guys he did not hit me. Every officer you guys had in my face are wrong for this," she argued.

"No hands were put on anybody, I stated it more than once. It was a loud argument and the police were called. You guys turn nothing into something," she fumed. "It's our sons first birthday tomorrow, what's wrong with y'all?"

Slim Jxmmi, whose real name is Aaquil Iben Shamon Brown, was taken into police custody on Tuesday morning following an alleged altercation with Kae. He has since been charged with one count of battery.

According to multiple reports, Slim Jxmmi and Kae had an argument about a woman that he followed on social media. After Kae confronted the emcee, he allegedly left their apartment and told her he was going to the gym. However, one of her friends said he saw him and his music producer drinking at a bar.

It was unveiled that the two men went home smelling of alcohol. Things allegedly turned physical when Kae asked the rapper to help her move a playpen where their child was sleeping, but he declined. After she tried to take their kid into another room, the hip-hop star grabbed her hair and pulled her extensions out.

Police were then called to the scene. Officers arrived at the apartment, which was located in the 1600 block of Northeast 1st Street, around 5 A.M. He was then arrested and is being held in Miami's Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on a $1,500 bond.
Instagram Celebrity

While the 'Bodak Yellow' hitmaker thanks the judge and jury for the 'fair and impartial' trial and decision, a lawyer for the blogger says they 'disagree with the verdict.'

Jan 26, 2022

AceShowbiz - Cardi B has spoken up after she won in a libel case against Latasha Kebe a.k.a. Tasha K. Leaving federal court in Atlanta on Tuesday, January 25 after a hearing, the Bronx femcee thanked the jurors for reaching a "fair" decision and the media for encouraging her during the trial.

Claiming that it's been "hard" for her, the 26-year-old star said in a video obtained by TMZ that reporters helped keep her strong while dealing with the "emotional distress." She also expressed her gratitude to her attorneys for their nearly 3 years of work on the case.

On Tuesday, Cardi was awarded nearly $3 million in addition to the $1.25 million that the jurors awarded on Monday. The federal jury in Georgia awarded $1 million on Monday to cover the raptress' pain, suffering and reputational damage, as well as another $250,000 for medical expenses. On Tuesday, the jurors ordered Tasha to pay an additional $1.5 million in punitive damages, plus $1.3 million for her attorney's fees.

Following the decision, Cardi released a statement to Variety that read, "After almost four years of repeated libel and slander against me, being able to walk away from this victorious brings me great happiness. I appreciate Judge Ray for conducting a fair and impartial trial. I am grateful for the jury and their careful deliberation over the past two weeks. I am profoundly grateful for the hard work and support from my legal team. Most importantly, thank you to my family and close friends who held my hand and helped me get the support I needed during this experience."

"During this trial, all of you have learned about the darkest time in my life," she continued. "That moment in time was fueled by the vile, disgusting, and completely false narratives that were repeatedly and relentlessly being shared online. I thought I would never be heard or vindicated and I felt completely helpless and vulnerable. I have never taken for granted the platform that my fame allows me to have, which is why for over three years I dedicated every resource I had to seek justice."

Meanwhile, Tasha's attorney said that they would appeal the decision. Sadeer Sabbak, who represented the YouTuber in the case, said in a statement, "We disagree with the verdict and we will be filing an appeal."

Tasha was found liable on three separate claims for "defamation of character, invasion of privacy through portrayal in a false light, and intentional infliction of emotional distress" after a two-week trial in Atlanta.

Following the verdict, Tasha wrote on Twitter, "My Husband, Attorney's, & I fought really hard. I want to thank them for their long hours and sleepless nights." Remaining positive, the gossip blogger added, "Winos it's only up from here. See y'all in a few days. Back to work."
Instagram Celebrity

In the latest episode of 'The Real', the first-time mom shares how she feels about becoming a mom to her firstborn, noting that it's the part that she's 'still just so overwhelmed with.'

Jan 26, 2022

AceShowbiz - Jeannie Mai has revealed the sex of her first child, whom she shares with her husband Jeezy (Young Jeezy). The co-host of "The Real" unveiled baby Monaco Mai Jenkins' gender in the latest episode of the talk show.

In a preview clip for the Wednesday, January 26 episode of "The Real", the first-time mom shared that her newborn baby is a girl. The 43-year-old also told the audience and her co-hosts how she felt about becoming a mom to a daughter.

"That's the part that I'm still just so overwhelmed with," Jeannie said. She added, "I can't explain to you how many visions jumped into my head this moment I put that little girl into my hands. I thought about my relationship with Mama Mai. That already, I can't wait to have that bond with Monaco."

Jeannie went on saying, "I also thought about all the things that I didn't learn as a little girl, that I can't wait to teach my daughter now. There's just so many reasons why raising a little girl is such an honor to me." She then explained that she "would have been happy with anything, but to have Monaco, I can't tell you, I feel chosen." She added that becoming a mom is "emotional" and that she "can't wait to raise a really strong, loving, empathetic, humorous, fashionable, fly, little girl."

Just days earlier, Jeannie, who announced her first child's arrival on January 11, divulged her newborn baby's name. In the January 20 episode of her YouTube series, the TV personality gave her fans an extensive tour of her firstborn's nursery. Then at one point, she revealed her baby's name while showing the wall decoration.

"I thought Baby J's name should be a J name because obviously Jeannie and Jeezy make sense, but that wasn't the name that came to us," Jeannie explained in the 13-minute video. "What really came to us was how baby J came to fruition for us when we were dating."

Jeannie further recalled a meaningful trip to Monaco, where they discussed their goals for the future and "established what was going on for us." The TV hostess added, "That's really the theme of the nursery, what Monaco is about. Family, moments, traveling, discussions, important key points in my life and Jeezy's life, that brought Monaco here."

More recently, Jeannie has candidly shared her motherhood journey after welcoming baby Monaco. In her latest Instagram post, she showed off her postpartum body as she opened up about her tough recovery.

In it, Jeannie admitted that the "fourth trimester" has been the "hardest" yet. She further elaborated that "being a new mom is the most exhilarating moment [she has] ever experienced in [her] life- nothing prepared [her] for postpartum."



"NOTHING. No book I've read, advice I've gotten, that could have compiled ALL the things I'd need just to sit, lay down, walk, or even hold our baby," Jeannie confessed. The new mom further explained a photo that saw her rocking a pair of gray high-waisted briefs and black bra while holding a baby bottle and sitting on a couch, "This was me a few days postpartum and my God, I've been LIVING in these @fridamom briefs."
Instagram TV

Bravo previously announced that the reality TV star had been fired from the show following backlash over her racially-insensitive posts on Facebook back in 2020 that saw her criticizing Black Live Matter movement.

Jan 27, 2022

AceShowbiz - Jennie Nguyen is ready to share her side of the story after being removed from "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City". Taking to her Instagram page, the reality TV star promised to "speak my truth."

"I will be finally speaking my truth tomorrow now that I am allowed to," she wrote on her Instagram Story Tuesday night, January 25. "I will be taking questions after! Thank you to all who supports [sic] me."

Her post arrived hours after Bravo announced that she had been fired from the show following backlash over her racially-insensitive 2020 posts on Facebook. "Bravo has ceased filming with Jennie Nguyen and she will no longer be a cast member of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," so Bravo wrote in a statement. "We recognize we failed to take appropriate action once her offensive social media posts were brought to our attention."

Concluding the statement, the network added, "Moving forward, we will work to improve our processes to ensure we make better informed and more thoughtful casting decisions." In the caption of its Instagram post, it wrote, "Thank you for doing what is right!"

Jennie previously issued an apology on Instagram. "I want to acknowledge and apologize for my deleted Facebook posts from 2020 that resurfaced today," Jennie began her statement on January 19. "At the time, I thought I was speaking out against violence, but I have since learned how offensive and hurtful my words were."

She went on to note that it was the reason "why I deactivated that account more than a year ago and why I continue to try to learn about perspectives different from my own." The mom of three added, "I regret those posts and am sincerely sorry for the pain they caused."
Celebrity

From the evidence photos, it can be seen that the former star of '19 Kids and Counting' might have spent hours at his office to download the 'worst of the worst' child pornography on his desktop.

Jan 26, 2022

AceShowbiz - Josh Duggar's lair, where he allegedly spent hours surfing the dark web for the "worst of the worst" in child porn, has been revealed for the first time. Among the evidence photos, it could be seen that the former "Counting On" star used his family photo as a wallpaper of his computer.

On Tuesday, January 25, Daily Mail published evidence photos taken in Wholesale Motorcars, where the disgraced reality star worked. In one of the pictures, it's seen that the 33-year-old's computer displayed his family photo, which showed his wife, Anna Duggar, as well as their seven children.

From the evidence pictures, it could be understood that Josh might have spent hours in the garbage-ridden space at the used car dealership in Springdale, Arkansas to download child pornography images and videos. According to the investigators, the HP computer had been set up with a complicated "dual-operating" system called a Linux partition which created a secret parallel worktop within the same device.

The worktop could also only be accessed by rebooting the device and entering the password, intel1988, which is also the same code as the reality star's internet banking and his family's Instagram and Twitter accounts. Authorities revealed that by setting up this secret system, he was able to download the "worst of the worst" of child pornography prior to the police enacting a sting operation.

Josh was found guilty in December by a jury. During his trial, the prosecutor told the jury that the "19 Kids and Counting" alum downloaded "images of children, some as young as [seven years old]" being "sexually assaulted, violated and exploited." He also had one movie file of 7-to-9-year-old girls on his computer, which he protected by using his name as the password.

Josh is currently trying to get an acquittal and new trial. His lawyers insisted that there's "no evidence" that the TV personality, who faces up to 40 years in prison, "personally viewed" the explicit contents.

In the court documents, it's said that the prosecutors "failed to adduce any evidence that Duggar 'knew that the visual depictions were of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct' -- a necessary element for conviction of each count." The motion added, "The evidence at trial established that certain files allegedly found on the HP desktop computer were never viewed by any user of the computer and that all the files at issue had been deleted shortly after being downloaded."

The attorneys went on to note that "the jury had no evidence that Duggar personally viewed any specific portion of any of the files allegedly found on the computer." In addition, Josh's legal team claimed they were unable to call ex-worker Caleb Williams, who they believe had access to the car lot and desktop computer, on which the content was downloaded, at "relevant time periods."

His team insisted that Caleb used the computer in the weeks leading up to when the child sex abuse content was downloaded and that prosecutors "disregarded" this alleged evidence. The lawyers also believed James Fottrell, one of the expert witnesses, was "unqualified" to testify. On the reason why, they stressed that James has "no knowledge about how geolocation, EXIF data, or GPS coordinates work."
The Dark Proteome

Chemical & Engineering News

When the human genome sequence was unveiled two decades ago, scientists predicted that there were about 20,000 protein-coding genes. To date, researchers have found evidence for more than 18,000 of them. The remainder, as well as modified proteins and those with unknown structures and functions, comprise the dark proteome. A cover story in Chemical & Engineering News, an independent news outlet of the American Chemical Society, describes how scientists are looking for these hidden proteins.

Using mass spectrometry and other analytical techniques, researchers have found traces of just over 90% of the proteins predicted to exist, writes senior editor Laura Howes. Some of these unknown proteins could play important roles in health and disease, but they might evade detection because they are expressed sporadically, at low levels or only in certain tissues. Alternatively, these proteins could lack features, such as trypsin digestion sites, that allow detection by current techniques. Researchers are developing new approaches  for example, digesting proteins with enzymes other than trypsin to prepare samples for mass spectrometry  but the payoff isnt guaranteed, and there are still other regions of the dark proteome to explore.

One dark region includes known proteins that have multiple forms and modifications. Messenger RNA from a single gene can sometimes be spliced together in multiple ways, producing different versions, or isoforms. Isoforms of a protein can do slightly different things in different parts of the body. Proteins can also be chemically modified in different ways, like adding sugar molecules or methyl groups. Researchers are developing new analytical tools to more sensitively explore this area of the dark proteome. Yet another region includes proteins with unknown structures or functions. Artificial intelligence (AI)-based methods are helping to predict some dark structures, which scientists hope will provide clues to the proteins functions. Other clues to function can come from gene silencing experiments and AI algorithms that predict protein interaction partners. There could still be areas of the dark proteome that scientists dont even know about, experts say, which will keep researchers intrigued about these mysteries for years to come.
The Federal Council

Bern, 26.01.2022 - On 26 January, the Federal Council adopted the 2021 Foreign Economic Policy Report. Its Key Chapter shows how Switzerland's efforts in economic development cooperation are contributing to greater sustainability and crisis resilience, and are helping to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2021 Foreign Economic Policy Report provides an overview of developments in Switzerland's foreign economic policy over the reporting year. The report's Key Chapter focuses on the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for developing and newly industrialised countries, where in addition to its impact on health and society, the pandemic has had a severe effect on local economies. The pandemic has accentuated existing structural problems and increased pressure on public finances and the need for reform and funding. Economic recovery goes hand in hand with overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation in developing and newly industrialised countries remains tense; jobs are being lost and poverty is on the rise.

Until it has been brought under control on a global level, this crisis will not be over for Switzerland either. For Switzerland, it is important that partner countries such as South Africa or Colombia also recover as quickly as possible. In addition to combating the crisis, however, opportunities should be seized with a view to the 2030 Agenda's sustainability goals. Switzerland's activities in economic development cooperation, along with efforts being made by its bilateral and multilateral partners and other federal agencies, also contribute to achieving these goals. By promoting solid frameworks for economic policy and innovative initiatives in the private sector in its partner countries, Switzerland can help strengthen the latters resilience in these times of crisis.

Address for enquiries

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info@gs-wbf.admin.ch, +4158 462 20 07

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The Federal Council

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Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research

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State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

Bern, 26.01.2022 - The 14th European Space Conference from 25 to 26 January 2022 focused on the theme 'A New Era for European Space: Turning Vision into Action'. It was organised by key European space actors from politics, the public sector, science and industry. At the conference, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education Research and Innovation, offered Switzerlands point of view as a founding member of the European Space Agency (ESA) and mentioned the contribution Swiss academic and research institutions as well as industry have made and intend to make in the future to the success of promising European space ventures.

These days space-based applications are essential for everyday life: weather forecasts, navigation instruments, global climate and environmental monitoring, disaster and crisis management and, in particular, global communications would not be possible without space infrastructure. Satellite data and applications are increasingly used in Switzerland, too  in science, navigation, telecommunications, earth observation and natural disaster prevention and control.

Switzerland participates in institutional space activities in particular as a member of the European Space Agency (ESA) and through participation in its programmes. This ensures it access to acquisitions, data and services. At the same time, it has an extensive network of competitive space actors from science, industry and small and medium-sized enterprises.

At the conference in Brussels, which was held as a hybrid event, State Secretary Hirayama emphasised Switzerlands desire to continue its longstanding contribution to European space exploration in cooperation with ESA and the European Union. She pledged Switzerlands commitment to future ESA programmes and to the implementation of the Matosinhos Manifesto unanimously adopted by the ESA member states at their Intermediate Ministerial Meeting in Portugal in November 2021. The manifesto defines three priority areas for ESA in the coming years: space for a green future, rapid and resilient crisis response, and the protection of space assets.

Referring to the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope by a European Ariane 5 launcher, Ms Hirayama noted that success unites and connects. She further said that Switzerland was a reliable partner in European space exploration, contributing to its success with its expertise. It intended to continue this commitment in the future.

Switzerland is a founding member of ESA and contributes CHF 185 million annually to its programmes and activities. These investments enable Swiss universities and industry to participate in space missions at various levels. Scientific excellence and technical innovation in the national space sector, as well as close cooperation between research institutes and industry are essential for economic growth. Thanks to its membership in ESA from the beginning and its participation in EU programmes, Switzerland makes a significant contribution to European space exploration and can compete in this field on the international stage.

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Communication

State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI

T +4158 462 96 90

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State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation

http://www.sbfi.admin.ch




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News

Man allegedly opens fire after daughter is insulted

A man claiming he was defending his daughter after he fired five shots toward a woman was arrested on Jan. 18.

Sweetwater Police Officer Daniel Johnson said he was contacted by Det. Kevin Watson who sent him a video of the alleged shooting on Monroe Street and told him to go check on it.

Watson said he went to the home and talked to a man and a woman and the woman said she had been outside smoking a cigarette when she saw a white SUV sitting in the road. She said she thought it might be turning in, so she didnt pay much attention, but then the driver of the SUV stuck a gun out the window and began firing.

They told Johnson they believed the driver to be Gordon Scott McKenzie because he and his wife had been texting the man threatening messages and threatening him over the phone.

Johnson said he read the messages and had the man read them out loud for his body camera to record, then he and other officers looked for bullet holes and casings on the property before heading to McKenzies home on County Road 313.

Johnson said he made contact with McKenzies wife who invited him in and told him McKenzie was in bed. After they were both in the living room, he read them their Miranda Rights. Both waived their rights and agreed to talk.

After separating the two, Johnson talked to the wife first and she said they had both been drinking and McKenzie got upset over the alleged male victim allegedly talking bad about their daughter. She said several text messages were sent before they drove to Monroe Street where McKenzie pulled out a gun and shot five times while the alleged female victim was in the yard.

Johnson said after getting McKenzie to the police department, the suspect said he was a father and he was just protecting his daughter. He then said he used a five shot .45 caliber Judge revolver that he threw out of the car somewhere between his house and the victims house.

Johnson said officers found a 9mm casing in the floor of the Kia he was driving and two 9mm pistols in the house and 12 other long guns and pistols.

McKenzie, 56, was charged with aggravated assault and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
China publishes five-year plan for construction industry

Xinhua) 08:59, January 26, 2022

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- China unveiled a development plan on Tuesday for its construction industry over the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) to push the pillar sector of the country's economy onto a greener, smarter and safer path.

The industry will maintain a 6-percent share of the country's GDP into 2025, according to the document from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

The plan states that the industry will more greatly modernize its industrial chain, form the preliminary stages of a green and low-carbon production mode, see more widespread application of information technologies, and steadily improve the safety and quality of buildings.

Specifically, prefabricated buildings, which are partially or wholly manufactured in factories and then transported to construction sites for assembly, will account for more than 30 percent of the country's new construction. Building waste at new construction sites will be lower than 300 tonnes per 10,000 square meters.

The government will promote the use of information technologies, such as the Internet of Things and big data, in the building sector by encouraging cooperation between construction companies, internet enterprises and research institutes.

The plan highlights the mass application of construction robots in some fields by 2025.

Efforts will be made to promote parts-producing robots, accelerate research and development on construction-site robots, and explore the application scenarios for robots used for operations and maintenance.

Looking to 2035, the plan anticipates that the construction sector will realize comprehensive industrialization, with great improvements to the quality of buildings and its business-innovation capability, while exhibiting world-leading competitiveness, especially in intelligent construction.

China's construction sector has played an increasingly important role in bolstering the economy and stabilizing employment. In the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the sector expanded 5.1 percent annually in added value, accounting for over 6.9 percent of GDP. In 2020, the sector provided jobs for 53.66 million people.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
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Because of the huge demand, steamship lines have put all their emphasis and all of their available space on the inbound side, and theyre not always paying attention to the export side.
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In many ways, the secular Left and Islam appear to be diametrically opposed: the Left is sexually promiscuous, Islam isnt; the Left believes in countless genders, Islam doesnt; the Left believes in all sorts of freedoms, Islam believes only in draconian sharia -- and so on and so forth.

When it comes to Islams views on Christianity, however -- that it is an inferior faith to be subjugated and discriminated against (Koran 9:29) -- the Left appears to be in agreement.

For example, a 61-year-old Christian woman who escaped to Britain from her Nigerian homeland -- where a genocide against Christians is currently underway -- experienced something similar in her adopted nation. Mary Onuoha, formerly a nurse at Englands Croydon University Hospital since 2002, was over the years repeatedly harassed by management and finally bullied out of her job for refusing to remove her small cross necklace, which she has worn for 40 years. As Mary explained in an interview:

This has always been an attack on my faith. My cross has been with me for 40 years. It is part of me, and my faith, and it has never caused anyone any harm... At this hospital there are members of staff who go to a mosque four times a day and no one says anything to them. Hindus wear red bracelets on their wrists and female Muslims wear hijabs in theatre. Yet my small cross around my neck was deemed so dangerous that I was no longer allowed to do my job.

Her bosses eventually claimed that her cross necklace harbored bacteria even though many colleagues were allowed to sport other items expressing their religious beliefs, be they turbans, hijabs or bracelets. The question she often responded with, and which her superiors never answered, was why I should hide my faith while others were allowed to show their own.

The worst incident occurred in November 2016, when a manager actually called her away during surgery to berate her about her cross: I said I cannot leave the patient, but the manager insisted. I was so embarrassed. Theatre [operation room] is a pressured environment, and I was astonished that senior staff were prepared to potentially endanger a patients life in order to intimidate me to remove it [her cross].

In the end, because she refused to take it off, Mary was moved to clerical duties and became subject to what she describes as a sustained campaign of bullying that left her unable to work. She took her case to court and only recently, according to a January 8 report, won. Ruling in her favor, the judge found that management had forced Mary to work in a humiliating, hostile and threatening environment and that when Mary complained, their response had only been offensive and intimidating.

And all because she wore a small cross necklace. As Andrea Williams, who represented Mary in her lawsuit, explained:

From the beginning this case has been about one or two members of staff being offended by the cross -- the worldwide, recognised and cherished symbol of the Christian faith. It is upsetting that an experienced nurse, during a pandemic, has been forced to choose between her faith and the profession she loves. Why do some NHS [National Health Service] employers feel that the cross is less worthy of protection or display than other religious attire?

Marys victory has, however, continues the report, been achieved at a high price. Many Christians in the NHS and other workplaces have had to hide their crosses and Mary had to persevere through two years of incessant harassment by her managers. Nor is this phenomenon limited to Britains NHS. According to a 2013 report,

A British Airways check-in worker's right to express her religion was unfairly restricted when she was prevented from wearing a cross at work, the European court of human rights (ECHR) has ruled. In a landmark judgment defining the limits of religious freedom, Nadia Eweida, 60, a practising Coptic Christian, was awarded 2,000 (1,600) in compensation by the court in Strasbourg after it ruled against the United Kingdom.

In both of the above cases, the cross-wearing women came from nations -- Nigeria and Egypt -- where Muslims persecute and discriminate against Christians. There, they were willing to face the abuse for wearing their crosses, these tiny emblems of hope. Accordingly, and as I know from talking to such people, they are often shocked beyond belief to discover that the Western nations they fled to -- and which they mistakenly assumed were Christian nations -- share in Islams well-documented aversion for the Christian cross.

Nor are Christian immigrants the only ones to face such discrimination in Britain. So do natives -- and they, perhaps unsurprisingly, rarely get vindicated. For example, the same report discussing Coptic woman Nadia Eweidas victory adds:

But three other Christian applicants  Lilian Ladele, a local authority registrar who also lives in London, Shirley Chaplin, 57, a nurse from Exeter, and Gary McFarlane, 51, a Bristol marriage counsellor  who also claimed they had suffered religious discrimination lost their appeals. Secular groups welcomed the four decisions

The three aforementioned other cases also concerned Christians who were disciplined or fired from their jobs for religious reasons. Shirley Chaplins case was near identical to Mary Onuohas case: she too was a nurse at an NHS hospital who was disciplined and demoted for refusing to remove her cross necklace: In her case, however, continues the report, the Strasbourg judges considered the fact that hospital authorities had asked her to remove it for the protection of health and safety and to prevent infections spreading on a ward was inherently more important. Hospital managers, the judges agreed, were well placed to make decisions about clinical safety.

It seems ridiculous to me, was Shirleys response:

I wore it [the crucifix] on my confirmation when I was 16, I've been a nurse since 1978. I've worn it without incident, I've nursed a very wide range of patients, I've been bitten, I've been scratched, I've had computers thrown at me, but no-one has ever, ever grabbed my crucifix. To say it's a health and safety risk, I really don't agree with that at all.

The same sort of thing is happening right here in the United States of America -- and at the highest levels. Most recently, according to a December 23, 2021 report,

A Texas-based religious business that makes specialty dog tags [identifier necklaces for soldiers] with Bible verses and Christian imagery has filed a lawsuit against the United States Department of Defense over its decision to prohibit the company from selling religious tags with U.S. armed forces trademarks For over 20 years, Shields of Strength had been allowed to include the military trademarks alongside Bible verse quotes and Christian imagery, such as a cross. The business boasts of having sold or donated around 4 million dog tags.

First Liberty Institute, which represents Shields of Strength, said the military's policy is unconstitutional, arbitrary and capricious, adding, Its a cruel insult to our service members to deny them a source of inspiration, hope, and encouragement simply because it contains a religious message. DOD officials caved to the empty threats of those who make their living by being offended. Theres no legal reason for the military to discriminate against Shields of Strength.

In conclusion, if Islam and the left are dissimilar in many ways, they certainly share the same hostility for one particular thing -- to the point that some might argue that is the whole impetus behind their being, contradistinction, opposition to that one thing: Christianity, especially visible and proud reminders of it, such as the cross.

Islam, beginning with its prophet, who had such a repugnance to the form of the cross that he broke everything brought into his house with its figure upon it, has been responsible for destroying countless crosses, past and present. Islam, however, is at least honest and open about its hatred. As for the so-called left, perhaps it is high time to take the sage advice first uttered by the one behind the cross: You will know them by their fruits.

Raymond Ibrahim, author of Sword and Scimitar: Fourteen Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum, and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Gatestone Institute.

Image: RawPixel
When the COVID vaccines received their Emergency Use Authorization in December 2020, I was glad my elderly parents could finally emerge from their home quarantine. Many of my same-age friends had been long awaiting their turn to get the jab. Personally, I felt no urgency.

In California, first vaccine priority was given to front-line health care workers (HCW) and nursing home residents  and I observed from the sidelines the rollout process with line-jumping. Walgreens pharmacy staff administered vaccines to staff and residents at nursing homes while hospitals were allocated vaccines to distribute to their HCWs. On the first day of vaccine distribution, Stanford Hospital medical residents protested being left out of the initial allotment of 5,000 doses.

Based on priority, a young internist on active hospital staff became vaccine-eligible in mid-December, an elderly community physician (courtesy staff) in mid-January. A few days later, vaccines were made available to the 75+ general public. Hospital translators and billing personnel who hadn't stepped into the hospital for ten months could get vaccinated prior to the elderly. With vaccine clinic appointments quickly snatched up in wealthy neighborhoods, wealthy residents drove several hours to access shots in other neighborhoods where demand was lower.

Teachers in wealthy Los Gatos line-jumped to get shots at a nearby hospital after providing 3,500 meals for hospital staff. A few weeks later teachers line-jumped the 65+ group by demanding vaccines as another condition prior to returning to the classroom. As the parents revolted against distance learning in January my local school board's promise to reopen in February got pushed back to mid-April to allow each teacher to be fully-vaccinated. In one weekend, vaccine distribution sites gave first priority to any K-12 teacher so any teacher wanting a vaccine could get vaccinated that weekend.

Many in my family and workplace pressed me to get the vaccine, but I persisted in not preceding my 80+ parents in the queue. In any case, I had been working steadily through the pandemic so the arrival of the vaccines wasn't a "magic bullet" for me. Other than those jumping the queue, many agreed that those at the highest risk of hospitalization and death should be prioritized to be offered the vaccine first. After all, COVID deaths would fall if the elderly were vaccinated first. Whether the vaccine provides a public or private benefit continues to engage debate.

Some family members pushed the public benefit from my taking the vaccine, while I contend that the private benefit of any elderly personally gaining 95% protection supersedes an unlikely transmission event arising from healthy me. Scientific studies confirm that asymptomatic spread of respiratory infections is rare  a JAMA meta-analysis of 78,000 people in households measures an asymptomatic index case transmission rate of 0.7% compared with a symptomatic transmission rate of 18%. In the 10-million-resident Wuhan study, they found 300 asymptomatic cases (0.3%), and no re-infections of their close contacts. When others fall ill, I almost never get sick, so I'm unlikely to transmit.

After my parents got vaccinated, I followed. Within five hours of my shot, I had a severe headache and was unable to multitask. I retired to bed early, and the next morning, every joint was achy and stiff, making me wonder if this is how I'd feel at age 100. My headache persisted along with difficulty concentrating. For the next six weeks, I was fatigued, with my body wanting to sleep at 6 rather than 9 P.M. When the 28-day mark passed, my brain was still processing slower, and I wondered if I'd ever return to my usual self. My antibody test was positive, and I wasn't planning another shot.

Three weeks later, the employee health department was liquidating its vaccine inventory from lack of demand. Meanwhile, local pharmacies couldn't maintain supply. The unremitting fatigue had finally lifted, so I went to request a booster dose and left with my second jab.

This time, I developed a fever within an hour of the jab and went to bed at 5 P.M. Around midnight, my husband found me burning hot with fever and shaking uncontrollably, so he woke me to give me ibuprofen. By the next morning, I was fine. However, a few months later, I developed a tingling pain in my back that ran from my shoulders to my hips that recurs when I overheat. Although I didn't initially attribute this to the vaccine, my symptoms match the prickling, burning pain described post-vaccine. Every day when I run or lift weights, I get this pain, and I'm reminded. I regret getting the vaccine.

When the FDA approved the EUA vaccines for children 1215 and 511 years old, the vaccines became neither "safe" nor "effective." By authorizing a shot that may temporarily reduce mild or asymptomatic infections while causing medical harm (myocarditis or stroke), the shots became unsafe. With the risk of COVID infection lower than the risk of influenza to children, no emergency exists that requires expedited approval. Since vaccine efficacy wanes and doesn't block transmission, giving a vaccine provides a private benefit without any public benefit. Forcing a shot to someone at no risk (a child) to protect someone else is wrong, but mandating a shot that doesn't protect produces false security.

By ignoring natural immunity, public health is anti-science. By authorizing shots and boosters for 12- to 17-year-olds without clinical data or toxicity studies, public health loses public trust.

Strangely, once the fearful got vaccinated, the vaccine supply exceeded demand. The state initially pushed vaccines by offering bribes and then by coercion.

While most who survived the jab without disability would probably encourage others to get vaccinated, the coercion tactics, censorship of harms, and outright lies increased my vaccine remorse. I refused to frequent venues that promoted open discrimination against the unvaccinated. When proof of vaccination was requested, I wouldn't divulge my vax status, whether as a public school volunteer or attendee for a fancy dinner or play. I spoke against segregation, denial of natural immunity, and false security  and occasionally, the vax requirement was waived. If everyone would decline to let America divide us into two classes of citizens, mandates could not be imposed.

The booster is now being mandated for hundreds of college students and HCWs everywhere. An existing exemption will prevail, but no new exemptions are being accepted. Following the prevailing dogma has replaced critical thinking  vaccinated students are locked out of their college experience, and hospitals are firing staff who are staying home with a mild cold and positive test for refusing the booster.

I've personally experienced and seen serious side-effects from the vaccine. I've had prolonged exposure to symptomatic, infected COVID individuals without developing any symptoms. I've seen the truth about the vaccine, and I cannot unsee it. My job may be on the line, but I will not succumb.

Image: torstensimon via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
Will Biden finally secure the border amid threats from China, Russia, Islamic terror, and drugs?

Back when he assumed office, President Biden essentially implemented an open borders policy. It's been a disaster on top of his other disasters, with millions of illegal invaders flooding into the country from around the world in the middle of a pandemic. Day by day, additional threats are emerging that illustrate that he needs to change course before it's too late.

In the words of former acting ICE director Tom Homan, Biden's border policies are "killing people."

Under President Trump last year, there was a total of 254 migrants (that) who died crossing that border  the first year under President Biden, that is more than doubled to 557. That's a 119% increase[.] ... Add to that over 100,000 overdose deaths, most of it from fentanyl that the DEA says, "come across the border." Add to that 59 CBP officers who die from COVID because Joe Biden is ignoring Title 42.

The world is getting more dangerous by the day, with bad actors from around the world gearing up to take full advantage of Biden's weakness, if not downright dementia. The open southern border would be the perfect avenue to wreak havoc with law enforcement tasked with babysitting over border security. Even worse, the coyotes running the smuggling operations along the border can simply distract the Border Patrol at one point to bring in far more dangerous people or contraband at another.

From the start, Biden's open border policy didn't make any sense in the context of the COVID pandemic, the existential crisis of our time according to the media and the Democrat party. The same people who insisted that everyone wear a mask and get the latest booster and prove it with a vaccine passport didn't seem to care that millions of untested and unvaccinated people from around the world were flooding into the country. The Biden administration even made sure to secretly disperse potential carriers of COVID to the conservative parts of the country, in some cases, using arrest warrants as ID for that extra bit of ironic outrage.

The Texas synagogue attack also reminded everyone of the threat of terrorism despite the FBI's best efforts in covering it up. The Border Patrol has arrested terrorists at the border, despite attempts at deleting these notices. An open southern border is an inviting prospect to any terrorists wanting to enter the country. We were lucky in catching some of them; what about all the others?

What is going to happen in confrontations with China and Russia for worldwide dominance? The wide-open southern border would be the first target for any ground incursion by our enemies. We have no idea what might happen if they decide that we are too weak with Biden or Harris ostensibly at the helm. Any marginally intelligent leader of a nation-state would see the value in securing a border in this situation. In the case of Harris or Biden, they can't even rise to that level of competence.

Moreover, we have the ongoing threat of the fentanyl surge at the border. Florida attorney general, Ashley Moody, recently wrote a letter to the administration:

It's no secret that President Biden's immigration policies are an unmitigated disaster, but it now appears that Biden's abdication of his duty at our southwest border is allowing criminals to smuggle even larger amounts of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into our country  fueling the nation's deadly opioid crisis. ... According to data available from Biden's first year in office, enough fentanyl has been seized to kill the entire U.S. population six times over  it is terrifying to imagine how much of this extremely deadly drug is being trafficked into our country undetected.

So why are they doing this? Why have they opened the country to a devastating flood of disease, invaders, terrorists, and drugs? Why are they trying to destroy the country from within? The answer is simple: power. They know they are going to lose in November, and if there were any justice, that would be the end of their party. They know they won't be able to exploit the COVID crisis, so they need to pull another rabbit out of the hat.

If they can't get U.S. citizens to vote for them, they will just bring in a new set. They have already telegraphed their intentions. The New York Times made the case for everyone having a vote because, why not? Democrats have already floated the idea of non-citizens voting in local elections. Gavin Newsom wants to offer free health care to everyone; this will only incentivize the illegal invasion. Kamala Harris wants to grant amnesty and the right to vote to millions.

The Democrats' other plan is to make it easy for anyone to vote in our elections. Their Orwellian "Freedom to Vote act" would destroy the right to vote by rendering it irrelevant. It's a multi-vectored attack on free and fair elections. Mail-in voting, ballot-harvesting, and eliminating voter ID will make it child's play for the Democrats to cheat  a simple matter of having their cadres of illegal invaders vote for the promised free stuff paid with other people's money.

That is why they are willing to sacrifice your safety and your liberty. They don't care that its absolute insanity to have an open border in these circumstances. It's more important for them to maintain their power than perform their constitutional duties in protecting the states from invasion.

D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history  a writer in the communications field and a longtime contributor to the NOQ report.

Image: BBC World Service via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Leftism truly hates the Bible. Their creed is inconsistent with the Bible's commitment to the worth of the individual, its focus on justice, and its insistence on moral standards. In the old days, leftists imprisoned clerics and destroyed houses of worship. Now, though, they have a new technique for Christianity, which they still view as their greatest enemy: they are trying to silence the Bible through LGBTQ-based hate speech charges, and they are insisting that Jesus was transgender and that the Church must embrace the LGBTQ spectrum. Both these things have really taken off in Europe and Canada.

The first line of attack against the Bible is that it's hate speech. Most Christians aren't calling for witches to be burned, but devout Christians are wont to say homosexual behavior is sinful and that transgenderism runs counter to the belief that God created man and woman, not "it" or 122 variants of "it." (Those who claim it-ness are making gods of themselves, a very dangerous thing to do.)

In England, street corner preachers have often been arrested for saying homosexuality is sinful. (The most recent example is described here.) However, the two biggest recent attacks on Christianity have taken place in Canada and Finland.

Canada's Bill C-4 went into effect early this month. The bill ostensibly bans what's called "conversion therapy." By that, you're meant to think of happy gay men being kidnapped in the dark of night by their fanatic Christian parents, locked in a dark, fetid cell, and then harangued for days or months to give up the sin of homosexuality.

In fact, the bill is written so broadly that it means that no one, including parents, can even mention to an LGBTQ+++ person the sanctity of the male-female relationship. Moreover, the law explicitly describes the Bible as a "myth." Matt Walsh explains it well:

Although the bill doesn't name only Christianity, we all know that Canada's government won't go after the small number of synagogues or the burgeoning number of mosques.

In Finland, the government has put on trial a member of Parliament and a Lutheran bishop for "hate speech" because they publicly stated the Bible's stance on sex and marriage. The prosecution's evidence was to read from the Old Testament. It's noteworthy that Christianity is Finland's official religion and one of Helsinki's biggest tourist attractions is Temppeliauko Church, a literally sunken church. Sunken, indeed!

Several Republican senators and House members have publicly weighed in on Finland's attacking the Bible.



Image: In D.C., pastors showed their "pride," by Alex Guerrero. CC BY 2.0.

Meanwhile, in England and Germany, priests are insisting that Christ was transgender. In England, a priest announced that Christ "transgenders himself" several times in the Bible.

For example, said the preacher, Christ was being a woman when he is described as "lamenting after Jerusalem, longing to gather Jerusalem as a mother hen gathers her chicks." The preacher, apparently, is unfamiliar with similes. Likewise, when Christ washed people's feet, which the preacher claimed was a woman's job, that too meant Christ was being a woman. The concept of Christ showing humility seems foreign to this man of the cloth. To a hammer, everything is a nail:

Here's the wider context. From a panel on "Queer Theology" last summer. Speaker is Simon Woodman, of London's Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church. https://t.co/63hZrhmhgO pic.twitter.com/fOdieJKo49  Woke Preacher Clips (@WokePreacherTV) January 20, 2022

But that was just one priest. In Germany, over 100 Roman Catholic priests and other church employees officially came out as gay, lesbian, or non-binary and demanded recognition of the "queer" Body of Christ:

More than 100 Catholic church officials in Germany came out as LGBT, queer or non-binary on Monday, adding to calls for reform within the crisis-hit church. [snip] The 125-strong group, which includes priests and workers in education and administration, published a statement demanding an end to the "discrimination and exclusion" they had experienced. "I don't want to hide my sexual identity any more," Uwe Grau, a priest in the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, was quoted on the group's website as saying. "We are part of the church," added Raphaela Soden, who works in pastoral care for young adults and identifies as queer and non-binary. "We always have been. It's time to finally make it clear that we exist and how wonderfully queer the body of Christ is."

I am not a religious person, but I strongly believe that the Judeo-Christian tradition, especially as practiced in America before the leftists began challenging those norms, created the best possible country for the greatest number of people. No wonder leftists hate it  and with the LGBTQ+++ movement, they think they've found the tip to the spear attacking Christianity.
A history professor, Michael Kazin of Georgetown University, just wrote a blistering attack in The Nation on the best-selling book of the year, Mark Levin's American Marxism.

It's titled "Haters." Mr. Levin, a Republican and therefore a hater, of course, had the gall to fight for the survival of America under the true existential assault we face with deep scholarship and compelling arguments. That threat would not be climate change, income inequality, systemic racism, separate boys' and girls' bathrooms, statues of Robert E. Lee, trans rights, or the unvaccinated, but the evil of the virulent and deadly virus of an American form of Marxism that infects millions of citizens coast to coast.

Professor Kazin writes that Mark Levin's book constitutes a "screed," which, he argues, amateurishly "slaps the label of Marxism on the various political phenomena he detests." Dr. Kazin said it suggests the "depth of the Right's commitment to depicting its opponents as not just wrong-headed but as sworn enemies of the nation itself."

As the Bible says, by their fruits shall you know them. So let's see the fruits of Mr. Levin's teaching to tens of millions of Americans and Professor Kazin's product with his Georgetown students.

Mr. Levin's ideas produce millions of mature, strong, free, adult American men and women with their feet firmly planted on the ground and their heads screwed on tightly. He helps produce millions of wise and smart Americans who passionately love our country and its expansive liberty above all else. These are the folks who have learned to deeply love and understand this country, its exceptionalism, founders, history, mores, traditions, flaws, symbols, heroes, our soldiers, police, Constitution, and Western Judeo-Christian value system. These are the folks oozing with American values, who follow the rules, get up each morning to do what Americans do, work hard, pay their taxes, give thanks to God for all our gifts, get married, raise good kids, take care of themselves, their families and neighbors  people who would be ashamed to take a knee to America or receive a dime from someone else. These are the millions who typically have a Bible close at hand as the best guidepost to wisdom. Nearby is usually also a very assaulting gun, because they know the nature of man  his natural lust for power over others.

And these too are the millions of his students who have learned through him how we are under existential assault by an Americanized form of Marxism. This is a counter-revolution to what occurred in 1776, an attempt to bring us back to the default position of most of human life, the default of tyranny, poverty, and the few strong oppressing the multitude of the weak.

On the flip side, what is the typical fruit of the work of professors like Mr. Kazin from the halls of Georgetown, Yale, Penn, Brown, and Harvard today? Almost all of our campuses have now been turned into essentially Marxist indoctrination centers. Just stand at the end of the graduation line when these precious American kids receive their degrees and listen to their utterly illiberal, destructive, moronic nonsense, attacking every pillar of American civilization. Men give birth. Capitalism needs to be abolished. Saying we are a colorblind nation is racist. There are 100 genders. We need socialism or communism. Traditional Western bourgeois values like the nuclear family, delayed gratification, merit, hard work, protection of private property, respect for authority and traditions, patriotism, and religion are forms of white, European patriarchy. America is systemically racist. Big government is kind and compassionate. We need to get rid of our republican form of government and replace it with a pure democracy. Open borders are great. Our Founders were slave-holders. America began in 1619. Hate speech needs to be banned. Our Constitution is a document to promote slavery. Human life on Earth will be eradicated if we don't stop using fossil fuels.

So, indeed, it's no surprise Professor Kazin despises Mark Levin's bestseller American Marxism. It reveals too much truth, too much clarity about the fruit of one's labor. Mr. Levin produces massive amounts of good, and our normative professors produce cosmic levels of bad. Mark produces millions of free, strong, brave adult American men and women. The fruits from almost any campus today are slavish, weak, immature, foolish, ungrateful, demanding Marxists, howling for their next government handout, bemoaning this benighted place they were assigned to at birth, in love with Mommy and Daddy Big Government, uncaring about liberty, keenly focused on their pronoun of the day and next pillar of American civilization to topple.
Few things delight me more than watching climate cultists with Big Plans to change the way we live running headlong into reality and discovering that their ideas just don't work. When those people are elected officials (or former ones) or when they hold leadership positions in NGOs, the schadenfreude meter redlines.

The story of Heidi Harmon, who stepped down from being mayor of San Luis Obispo, California last August to battle climate change, is one to savor. For those unfamiliar with it, San Luis Obispo is a lovely coastal community of just under 50,000 people, founded as a Spanish mission town before the American Revolution, located roughly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It is home to California Polytechnic State University ("Cal Poly"), a well regarded state university campus of about 22,000 students that accepts roughly one in four applicants.

Heidi looks pretty much like what you would expect:



YouTube screen grab.

One would think that the mayor of such an academically and technologically sophisticated city would pick up elementary knowledge of batteries. But according to Karen Velie of CalCoastNews.com (hat tip: Eric Warrall of wattsupwiththat), evidently, she knows nothing about the batteries of electric cars, for which she is a passionate advocate:

Former San Luis Obispo mayor and climate change activist Heidi Harmon attempted to "do the right thing," and travel to a rally in San Francisco in an electric car. After multiple attempts to find a working charging station in San Jose, Harmon realized charging the car would take up to seven hours and there was no way she could make the rally. Harmon posted multiple videos about her difficulties in traveling in an all-electric vehicle. She discusses calling the police or asking someone to send a helicopter to rescue her. Many of the posts have now been deleted.

Here is a collection of some of the videos she posted. It is two minutes' worth of air-headed frustration with the reality of her starry-eyed ideals:
The Houthi rebels of Yemen are a terrorist group. If it wasn't clear enough from the missile attacks targeting civilians in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is official international confirmation.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) saw it. "Houthi forces have used banned antipersonnel landmines, recruited children, and fired artillery indiscriminately into cities such as Taizz, killing and wounding civilians, and launched indiscriminate ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia."

President Joe Biden, in early 2021, said, "[Our policy] has nothing to do with our view of the Houthis and their reprehensible conduct, including attacks against civilians and the kidnapping of American citizens. We are committed to helping Saudi Arabia defend its territory against further such attacks."

Unfortunately, President Biden's astute description came as he removed the Houthis from the designated terror organization list, the result of which is being played out now in Saudi Arabia and the UAE  American friends and allies.

This is a point to emphasize: the UAE took an enormous step in choosing to establish diplomatic, economic, and security relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. The UAE, the other Abraham Accords countries, and countries considering making the leap should be at the forefront of American attention and assistance.

Instead, the administration gave Houthi terrorists a pass, and the world has seen an increase in attacks on cities and production facilities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and now a deliberate Houthi missile attack on the American Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, home to 2,000 servicemembers. Central Command reported that American and UAE armed forces "combined successfully" and "prevented both missiles from impacting the base." But it was the second time in a week that American airmen were forced into bunkers.

Houthi rebels are attacking American air bases with missiles with no American response? This cannot be separated from America's ignominious and bloody departure from Afghanistan last summer, reducing the confidence of our friends and allies in our reliability  and increasing the brazenness of our adversaries.

Wars used to be attached to territory. Hold the territory, win the war; lose the territory, accept terms of surrender. But across the Middle East and parts of Africa today, war is a transnational operation, and territory is fungible. President George W. Bush was not wrong in his designation of a "war against terrorists and the states that harbor and support them." There is a symbiotic relationship between terrorists and their state sponsors. Each needs assets the other has.

Terrorists need land to train and land to hide, weapons, and the political support of governments. They also like ungoverned or under-governed space  like Afghanistan after the American departure, or Syria, or Gaza, or Lebanon.

States need the occasional ability to create mayhem without a return address.

The state sponsor of Houthi terror and crimes is Iran.

If the United States is unwilling a) to name the Islamic Republic and b) hold Tehran accountable, Iran pays no price, and the terror continues. This is from the State Department press briefing following the most recent Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE:

The United States condemns the overnight attack by the Houthis on the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, which resulted in civilian injuries in Saudi Arabia and follows a similar Houthi incursion last week that killed three civilians in Abu Dhabi. We reaffirm our commitment to help strengthen the defense of our Saudi and Emirati partners. These attacks on the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as recent airstrikes in Yemen that killed civilians, represent a troubling escalation that only exacerbates the suffering of the Yemeni people. We call on all parties to the conflict to commit to a ceasefire, abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law, including those related to protection of all civilians, and The Yemeni people urgently need a diplomatic solution to the conflict, a diplomatic solution that improves their lives and allows them to collectively determine their own future.

The State Department official statement noted, "The Houthis have claimed responsibility for this attack." And White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Washington would work to hold the Houthis accountable.

None mentioned Iran. And none will.

The unwillingness of the Biden administration to connect the Houthi dot to the Iranian dot is the result of the president's determination to restore the Obama administration's flawed, abused, and expiring JCPOA (the "Iran deal"). American officials are determined to skip over Iran's ballistic missile program, human rights violations, and support for proxy terror armies and militias, including the Houthis, but also Shiite militias in Syria and Iraq, plus Hamas in Gaza and Hezb'allah in the wreckage of Lebanon. In September, the U.S. withdrew U.S. air defenses from Saudi Arabia. The administration is not to enforcing sanctions on China for its Iranian oil purchases. And last week, Washington arranged for South Korea to pay Iran's U.N. dues out of frozen funds.

There is talk about restoring the Houthis to the terror sponsorship list. OK, fine. But as long as Iran, the actual sponsor of a criminal terror organization, is not brought to account by the United States, the people of the region have no ability to "improve their lives" or "collectively determine their own future." And those who would stand with us have every reason to fear for their security.

Image: Chickenonline via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
"Many on the political left are so entranced by the beauty of their vision that they cannot see the ugly reality they are creating in the real world."

 Thomas Sowell

The Dem/leftmedia hysteria over Ukraine and the possible incursion into that country by Russia would be akin to a SNL sketch if it were not our reality. Suddenly, all those talking heads in Congress and on TV are apoplectic over the notion that Ukraine's border might be breached. They want to send thousands of American troops thousands of miles away to protect Ukraine's border with Russia while our own southern border is being breached by over two million migrants since Biden took office.

Over just the last two nights, hundreds of adult male migrants have been welcomed into the U.S., bused to airports, where they are then flown to parts unknown throughout the country. This has been the Biden "immigration policy" since he took office. They are not subjected to COVID tests or vaccines but are shipped to unsuspecting cities and towns throughout America.

The U.S. is enduring an invasion while our left is drumming up a war to protect another nation's border. Putin is surely laughing at Biden's upside-down leadership that is benefiting every country but ours.

It's almost as if Xi and Putin have some heavy-duty goods on the Biden family, so he must do their bidding, not ours. He is doing their bidding, not ours. From blocking the Keystone Pipeline and approving Putin's Nord Stream pipeline, to encouraging the invasion of millions of unvetted migrants, the U.S. is being intentionally submarined. We've been shifted from Obama's "management of our decline" to Biden's wholesale destruction of America as founded.

When Bill Clinton bombed an aspirin factory in Sudan as alleged retaliation for the catastrophic bombing of two American embassies, he did not fool anyone. The whole world knew that it was to distract the media from his affair with Monica Lewinsky. It was stupid and foolish and killed one and injured eleven innocent people.

What Biden and his mindless supportive media forces are doing by ginning up fear of WWIII is beyond evil. Of course, Russia does not want Ukraine to be a member of NATO. And NATO does not want Ukraine to be a member  so what is this all about?

It is about Biden's low approval polls. It's about new business for our defense contractors; they need wars. If there is a tipping point, how will anyone know who is responsible for it, they or we, false flags being the Deep State's thing and all? Anyone who watched the film JFK Revisited will be struck by the fact that the FBI and the CIA have a long, long history of soul-destroying skullduggery. Given what we know about the Russia hoax, the Michigan kidnapping hoax, and the January 6 event, they are still at it.

The leftmedia are currently enraged at Tucker Carlson, who they say advocated being on "Russia's side" in the current probably faux crisis. Carlson said nothing of the kind. He simply asked, "Why is Ukraine a sufficiently vital interest to the U.S. to risk lives, resources, and potentially war with Russia in defense of it?"



YouTube screen grab.

Glenn Greenwald has written the definitive article about how the old neocons have joined ideological forces with the left because they are all pro-war. The names are all familiar  David Frum, Max Boot, Bill Kristol, most prominently. They are all of a piece, single-minded in their zest for war, which is one reason they loathed President Trump. He didn't start any wars. In fact, he strove to keep the U.S. out of foreign wars. To explain the neocons' love of military exploits, Greenwald quotes Adam Smith from The Wealth of Nations in 1776:

In great empires the people who live in the capital, and in the provinces remote from the scene of action, feel, many of them, scarce any inconveniency from the war; but enjoy, at their ease, the amusement of reading in the newspapers the exploits of their own fleets and armies. To them this amusement compensates the small difference between the taxes which they pay on account of the war, and those which they had been accustomed to pay in time of peace. They are commonly dissatisfied with the return of peace, which puts an end to their amusement, and to a thousand visionary hopes of conquest and national glory from a longer continuance of the war.

So the David Frums and Max Boots are a type that has long been with us. Depending on the era, they can make strange bedfellows. Our neocons were and remain NeverTrumps and so find comfort in getting together with leftist radicals on CNN and MSNBC, where they now all meet to hammer with vitriol the former president, who was so much more the leader than the hapless, demented Biden. They claim we must go to war to protect Ukraine. Why? They do not really say. Who benefits? The arms-dealers. They are besotted by their own self-perceived brilliance, but they are just tedious and dangerous, as the men Adam Smith predicted would always be with us. Read all of Greenwald's fine column.

"Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

 Groucho Marx
The way I prepare for writing is to read everything I can and then line up the tabs that strike me as "story possibilities." Today, I have multiple tabs about vaccines, COVID treatments, and some governments' responses to COVID. Taken together, the reports create a powerful narrative: in America, the government continues to block COVID therapeutics; as people warned when mRNA vaccines came out, they are dangerous; and governments at home and abroad continue to use the vaccine as a pathway to total power.

Here are the reports I've been following:

One: Nurse Nicole Sirotek testified before the House regarding the way the medical establishment is mistreating COVID patients, who aren't dying from COVID but, instead, die from medical malpractice, including the insistence on vaccines and Remdesivir and the refusal to provide safe, affordable therapeutics:

My sense is that the huge cohorts of recently graduated and, therefore, leftist doctors; the economic pressures from Medicare and Medicaid; and the pressure (financial?) from the pharmaceutical companies all make inevitable the medical professionals' willingness to follow government guidelines, no matter how bad.

Two: A large, peer-reviewed study shows that ivermectin works. The trick is to start treatment early, before the patient is in extremis. Wait too long, as happened to the man in Minnesota who was going to be taken off the ventilator until a judge ordered him released for transfer to a Texas hospital, and the patient may be too fragile to recover. Notably, as with England's Liverpool Care Pathway (i.e., involuntary euthanasia), the man seemingly had been deprived of fluids and nutrients, for he arrived in Texas badly dehydrated and malnourished and, sadly, died.

The government makes it impossible for doctors and hospitals to prescribe ivermectin or hydroxychloroquine, even if they want to. If they do so, it will yank their Medicare and Medicaid money, which they require to be solvent. This is why I say we already have socialized medicine in America. You just didn't notice.

Three: The FDA abruptly announced that it was revoking monoclonal antibody treatments. The explanation is that the antibody treatments are "unlikely to be active against the omicron variant." Instead, it now wants everyone to take Pfizer and Merck pills, which happen to be extremely difficult to obtain.

Florida was forced to shut down its successful monoclonal treatment sites. An angry Governor DeSantis accused the FDA of being "reckless" and rightly pointed out that patients should "have a right to access these treatments."



Image: Vaccine passports. Freepik license.

Four: Alex Berenson published an urgent post stating that the data from Denmark, Australia, and Israel make it patently clear that, the more highly vaccinated a population, the more people become infected with COVID. He made four points:

(a) People who are vaccinated are more likely to get omicron.

(b) The same people are more likely to be hospitalized or die from omicron.

(c) It's unknown whether mRNA vaccinations protect people from developing natural immunity.

(d) The third shot temporarily protects against omicron, but it's unclear if it increases other vulnerabilities.

Regarding point (c), a study from Oregon claims that people who have been fully vaccinated but catch COVID (which, of course, means they're not vaccinated) end up with "super immunity." This would be nice, if true, although it doesn't explain the fully jabbed Facebook friend who is suffering his third bout of COVID.

Keep in mind, of course, that the CDC acknowledges that the shots do not prevent people from catching or spreading COVID.

Five: Various governments are going mad with the power they've acquired from COVID. Austria is making the shots mandatory, complete with police enforcement, never mind that there's increasing evidence that the way to address COVID is through treatment, not mRNA jabs. The same is true in Quebec, which has become a police state with the "unvaccinated" treated as pariahs (they can enter stores only for groceries and pharmaceuticals), while even the vaccinated are still being subject to extreme lockdowns. And of course, Victoria, Australia has made vaccines mandatory, also with police force.

America is seeing both liberty-oriented and tyrannical approaches to COVID. Biden has been trying for tyranny, but the Supreme Court blocked his effort to use OSHA to make 85 million Americans get vaccinated if they want jobs. (Congress can reverse that.) California's Governor Newsom mandated that all children be vaccinated to attend school  and no, this isn't like tried-and-true polio, measles, or other vaccines, which actually work, and do so against diseases that are especially dangerous to children.

So there's the pattern: the federal government systematically making it impossible for people to get therapeutics, so-called "vaccines" that don't prevent disease and may worsen it, and governments around the world using COVID as an opportunity to achieve total power. We in America are at a crossroads. Without a resounding no to vaccines and a demand for people to have therapeutic choices, we may find ourselves looking like Israel, Austria, or Quebec.
We throw massive amounts of money at public schools, and test results aren't good, so the solution is to stop testing to hide the truth.

There are "too many" Asians in gifted programs, so the solution is to cancel the gifted programs.

Vouchers helped the poor and minorities have better opportunities to get a better education, and the Democrat solution is to block vouchers. They certainly don't want competition for their political supporters, the teachers' unions.

When minorities don't get good grades or test scores, they are told it is not their fault. They have been oppressed since birth because of their color. They are told that their poor results are because of systemic racism and that people of another color succeed because they have "white privilege." In other words, they are indoctrinated with Critical Race Theory. Minority children are probably confused that some white people are poor and not as smart as they are, since they were born racists and privileged. We should do a study of all the stupid white politicians and journalists to see where the "white privilege" gene didn't work.

Children are at a very low risk of getting seriously ill from COVID, yet we locked them out, canceled sports, caused them to socially distance, and forced them to wear masks. It is not a surprise that so much mental, physical, and financial damage has been caused to the children, whom the media and other Democrats pretend to care about.

"Too many" Asians score high on college entrance exams, so many high-cost colleges race-normed the scores to intentionally discriminate against people of no color (the colorless? the transparent?). Since the colleges have been called out for the discrimination, their new solution is to stop looking at test scores so they can subjectively discriminate.

Is it any wonder that we are falling academically so far behind other countries when supposedly intelligent people are doing so much to dumb down society?

It is causing great damage, short- and long-term, to women and girls to have men compete with them in sports, so why are Democrats so silent? I do not mind transgender people competing on Jeopardy or The Voice, but males shouldn't be allowed to dominate women in sports. A person with a penis should also not be allowed to expose himself in girls' locker rooms and health facilities. I thought journalists and other Democrats cared about women's rights and privacy, but I guess not.

The government throws massive amounts of money at colleges, and the results are exactly what you would think. The prices have skyrocketed and debt ballooned. The Democrat solution is not to lower costs or stop throwing money at the greedy colleges. Nope, it is to have other people, the taxpayers, pay the debt. The results will be more debt and higher costs.

Democrats elect leftist D.A.s supported by radical leftist George Soros. Then those D.A.s let career criminals roam the streets, and crime skyrockets. I wonder what went wrong!

Politicians pass laws to get rid of cash bail and to simply excuse small thefts like shoplifting and crime, and shoplifting skyrockets. What a surprise!

For years, cops have been trashed and called racists. The media and others spread a false narrative: "hands up, don't shoot." It is no surprise that so many cops are injured and killed by criminals when the narrative has been intentionally misleading.

Biden immediately stopped enforcing immigration laws that Congress passed. The result was massive illegal immigration, more gang members, more illegal guns, more illegal drugs like fentanyl infecting the public. The result is more crime and skyrocketing drug overdoses and deaths. Biden, the Democrats, and most journalists don't even visit the border, and there is very little reporting on the problem. The Democrats clearly don't care about the disastrous results of their open border policy.

The Great Society and anti-poverty programs are meant to keep the people dependent on the government to mask poverty, not reduce it. The programs essentially encouraged the breakup of the family, and one of the greatest indicators of who will end up on poverty is single-parent households

Trump's low-tax, smaller-government policies, which the media and other Democrats fought against every step of the way, reduced poverty to record lows by giving everyone an opportunity to move up the economic ladder.

Trump's energy policies gave the U.S. energy independence and reasonable prices, so Biden reversed those policies as soon as he took office, and prices skyrocketed. This especially harms the poor and middle class, whom Democrats pretend to care about.

Trump's lower tax rates across the board have achieved great revenue increases for the government, so why are the Democrats so anxious to raise rates?

Why are Democrats so anxious to demolish policies that worked? Why do most journalists support policies that give us the worst results?

I would challenge anyone to name Biden policies that are meant to make the private sector grow versus making the government more powerful. The list would be extremely short. I can't think of any.
Columnist Dana Milbank of the Washington Post, calls the story about parents being investigated as terrorists at school board meetings a smear when the reality is, Fox News and Republicans tell the truth.

He wrote this:

How Fox News and Republicans devised one Biden smear For three months, Republican officeholders and Fox News personalities have been shouting it from the rooftops. The attorney general announced the FBI would investigate moms who dared to complain at school board meetings as potential terrorists,

Heres the truth: It's false. The best that can be said is that it is possible that Milbank doesnt know that that really happened because the Washington Post rarely reports about Biden corruption and incompetence because they dont care:

First:

President Biden's Education Secretary Miguel Cardona apparently solicited the controversial letter from the National School Boards Association that said threats made by protesting parents should be taken as seriously as domestic terrorism, according to emails released on Tuesday.

Second: The White House colluded with NSBA to concoct a letter about the dangers of parents.

WH aided school board groups domestic terrorism letter before Garland sicced FBI on parents Top officials of a national school board group talked to the White House days before Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered the FBI to investigate complaints of threats from parents, newly released emails reveal.

Third: Within a few days of getting the letter from NSBA, and without any investigation or evidence, Bidens partisan hack AG garland sent a memo throughout the country to watch out for dangerous parents.

It is laughable, and deplorable when smear merchants at WP and elsewhere claim they care about the truth when they are targeting others. They spread lies and smears to destroy anyone who dares disagree with the leftist agenda to destroy America. They are especially vigilant in their attempt to silence Fox News and others they disagree with. They cant stand to have competition to their indoctrination.

Most journalists and other Democrats pretend they want to unite the country and tell the truth but they are lying.

The examples of their lies and smears are endless:

The WP and others sought to destroy white Christian boys with lies by calling them racists for the crime of wearing MAGA hats. The boys were disposable.

How many people, especially young people, stay silent because they dont want to be destroyed by the media

The media and other Democrats, without evidence, colluded to defeat Kavanaughs nomination to the supreme court. They smeared the judge with no evidence.

Many in the media, Joe Biden and others repeatedly sought to smear Trump and gin up racial hate and division by saying Trump never denounced white supremacy even though it was a known lie.

Somehow, we never saw demands for Biden and others to denounce the violent leftist groups that main, kill and destroy cities. We also see little, if any, focus at the Justice department on those groups for their criminal activity.

For years, most of the media, Democrats, and the Justice department smeared Trump with lies about Russian collusion with no evidence. There were endless investigations to intentionally weaken Trump and delegitimize his presidency. Then in 2018, the Washington Post essentially said never mind, we made it all up. Why didnt journalists get fired for their false smears? Because they didnt care. They did their job to weaken Trump in the minds of a significant portion of the public.

Meanwhile, the same media that smeared Trump knew that Hillary Clinton and the DNC paid for the fake dossier, but the WP claimed it was a lie to say Hillary was involved. It is astonishing how the smear merchants will destroy anyone they disagree with while hiding the truth about corrupt politicians like the Bidens and the Clintons.

In 2014, a young black criminal tried to take a white officers gun, and he was shot and killed. Instead of the media investigating, the fictional hands up dont shoot narrative started to smear the white cop. He was disposable. The narrative started to gin up racial hate and violence.

How many cops have been injured or killed because so many smeared the with cop and spread the false story?

In 2006, rich white boys were smeared by much of the media following a fake rape allegation. No investigation was necessary before the story was endlessly reported. The boys were disposable because the story fit an agenda.

Most people accused of crimes are guilty, attorney Brad Bannon recalls in a new film on the scandal that shook the foundation of college sports. I had absolutely no problem believing that rich, white, elite young men would take advantage of a young African-American woman that they had hired to come and perform for them.

Despite having no evidence, the media was willing to repeat a lie about Romney and taxes. After all the media was campaigning for Obama and the truth didnt matter.

The media and other Democrats support Dr. Anthony Fauci, the CDC, and the WHO no matter what misinformation they spread. They never go after Democrat governors no matter how bad their results are.

But they smear truth tellers such as Dr. Scott Atlas, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Sen. Rand Paul, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and anyone else who dares disagree.

Washington Post Says Gov. Ron DeSantis Just Sank To A Jaw-Dropping New Low The newspapers editorial board said DeSantis, a Donald Trump loyalist, had sunk to a jaw-dropping level of cynicism by aligning himself with misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines, campaigning against mask mandates and announcing fines for local governments that mandate vaccines for staff.

Here's another about Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and mask mandates.



Democrats used the filibuster 327 times in 2020 as they were obstructing Trump every day and not once do I remember the media calling the Democrats racist.

Yet now, when the whiny journalists and other Democrats dont get their way passing a dictatorial, unconstitutional federal takeover of elections, the Republicans, Sinema, and Machin are now smeared as racists because Democrats always play the race card.

Tea party members were smeared as the party of anger even though they were peaceful and just wanted smaller government and lower taxes. They were also illegally targeted by swamp creatures at IRS who were not punished by the swamp creatures at the Justice department.

As I said, the examples of lies and smears are endless. A significant amount of purported news by mainstream media outlets are essentially talking points pushing an agenda. The smears and lies to destroy political opponents started long before Trump.

What should we call supposed journalists who will smear and destroy people who disagree with their agenda, to destroy or remake America, with lies? Wouldnt enemies of democracy and the American people be a proper description?

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
So much for "Rocking in the Free World."

Geriatric rocker Neil Young, whose scratchy chalkboard singing style never appealed to my musical tastes, has demanded that Spotify remove his music over what Young called "false information about vaccines," presented in a recent Joe Rogan podcast.

"They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young...not both," said Young in a letter excerpted in a Rolling Stone tweet. The angry letter demands that Spotify either remove all of Young's discography from the platform or censor Joe Rogan.

Unlike fine wine, leftism only worsens with age, I suppose.

"I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about the vaccine, potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them. Please act on this immediately today and keep me informed of the time schedule."

Young's tantrum stems from a December 31 episode featuring Dr. Robert Malone, who discussed the phenomenon of Mass Formation Psychosis, a form of mass hypnosis. Malone explained that the syndrome works like this.

The conditions to set up mass formation psychosis include lack of social connectedness and sensemaking as well as large amounts of latent anxiety and passive aggression. When people are inundated with a narrative that presents a plausible "object of anxiety" and strategy for coping with it, then many individuals group together to battle the object with a collective singlemindedness. This allows people to stop focusing on their own problems, avoiding personal mental anguish. Instead, they focus all their thought and energy on this new object. As mass formation progresses, the group becomes increasingly bonded and connected. Their field of attention is narrowed and they become unable to consider alternative points of view. Leaders of the movement are revered, unable to do no wrong. Left unabated, a society under the spell of mass formation will support a totalitarian governance structure capable of otherwise unthinkable atrocities in order to maintain compliance. A note: mass formation is different from group think. There are easy ways to fix group think by just bringing in dissenting voices and making sure you give them platforms. It isn't so easy with mass formation. Even when the narrative falls apart, cracks in the strategy clearly aren't solving the issue, the hypnotized crowd can't break free of the narrative. This is what appears to be happening now with COVID-19. The solution for those in control of the narrative is to produce bigger and bigger lies to prop up the solution. Those being controlled by mass formation no longer are able to use reason to break free of the group narrative.

The episode not only triggered Young, but also ignited the ire of some 270 doctors, shortly after the original podcast, calling for Spotify to censor Rogan.

It was later uncovered that many of the "doctors" were not actual physicians, but instead nurses, pharmacists, physician assistants, Ph.D.s and even a veterinarian. Of course, when the left mobilizes AstroTurf public outrage, that means that truth has been revealed that threatens the leftist narrative.

Young's theatrics seem to be the latest salvo to punctuate the previous effort by the left. I guess it is hoped a legendary rocker will somehow add more weight to the outrage. It will be interesting to note whether Spotify cancels Rogan, its top-rated podcast, or tells Young to leave town on the "Crazy Horse" he rode in on.



Neil Young in 2011. Photo credit: Ross, CC BY 2.0 license.

Update from Thomas Lifson:

Misanthropic Humanitarian makes a great point:

If Young had any guts he would contact Rogan and request a chance to meet him and discuss vaccinations.

Dex Bahr is a freelance writer and author of the book No Christian Man Is an Island: Leading the Spiritual Quest in America's Culture Wars.
In early June, a Vermont high school student who spoke out against toxic Critical Race Theory in his school was summarily dismissed from his position as a lifeguard for the school. The brave and articulate student had dared state a fact that his town found intolerable: "This is why we have fifth-graders coming home and saying they wish they were black." The liberal press in Vermont did not criticize the town's unconstitutional violation of this student's clear rights  it approved! But because the actors knew that it was patently unconstitutional to fire Alex Katsnelson for his speech, they paid him his full wages for a fifty-hour week for the entire summer!

In the initial dismissal, deranged town management fled the constitutional reservation faster than Geronimo in a jet:

We have made the determination that your public comments cause legitimate concern around your ability to equitably look out for the safety of everyone who attends our pools. In addition, we feel that your public comments are likely to cause future disruption with our residents. Your comments have already begun to cause disruption amongst your peers who have seen them. Your position by its very nature requires a degree of public trust, not often found in other instances of public employment. We cannot create an unsafe environment at our pool, nor can we create a situation where any of our residents feel unsafe or unwelcome at our pool.

Instead of berating a minor about public trust while erasing his off-work liberties to have an opinion regarding his high school, perhaps these miscreants should reflect on their "positions of public trust, not often found in other instances of public employment": do they not owe as much to the public as the high school lifeguard they bullied?

An out-of-state bureaucrat was recruited for the task of unifying the Vermont municipalities of the Village of Essex Junction and the Town of Essex. In claiming the credentials to effectively merge the towns, Unified Manager Evan Teich had this to say in 2018:

However thorny merger discussions become, Teich said, he'll attempt to frame them in terms of a more effective business model that also "has the right feel." Creating an open, honest inventory of the obstacles will be a priority, he continued. "Whether it's rules, controls, or trust  something is making you pause," Teich said of the greater community. "Maybe it's territorial. It could be fear. It could be money. But you've got to get to the bottom of it," he added. "Ultimately, for sustainability, you owe it to the taxpayer to provide the services at the best possible cost."

But Mr. Teich has done the opposite. Maybe it was territorial, or fear, that motivated Evan Teich to abuse his power and position to betray the community to bully a teenage lifeguard. In his "more effective business model" that "has the right feel," he paid nearly $5,000 to Alex Katsnelson to not save lives at the pool  all summer. I guess this is how Teich "provides services at the best possible cost." However, crushing a kid's liberties while charging taxpayers for an invisible lifeguard seems a bit unsustainable.

In a July 8 letter to lifeguard Alex, "Unified Manager" Teich wrote:

I am writing to follow up on our June 23, 2021 meeting regarding your employment status as a lifeguard for EJRP. I have decided to continue your paid administrative leave until the end of the summer. Paid administrative leave will end on the last scheduled day of your employment with the Village, August 21, 2021, unless you are notified otherwise prior to that date.

Presumably, had Alex notified the media of his payments, or spoken further against the Village, he would have been "notified prior to that date" of a termination of roughly $600/week of public hush money.

Will the Vermont attorney general, or any other public authorities, investigate Teich's actions? Essex receives state and federal funds, so it was not Essex Junction money that was paid to Alex  it was everyone's.

It is unclear whether residents of Essex approve of Teich's actions. Are they happy their town illegally oppressed Alex and then illegally paid him off? Or are they upset he wasn't silenced more harshly, and that he was financially rewarded for speaking truth to power? Perhaps Teich will solicit their opinions now that they know the truth.

Sometimes it pays to oppose toxic Critical Race Dogma. That is what Essex Village Teiches.

Image via Picryl.
(Image source from: PTI)

KCR opposes Centre's amendments for AIS:- Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) opposed the amendments that are announced by the Centre for the All India Services (AIS) Cadre Rules, 1954. The new amendments will allow the Centre to choose the AIS officers without the consent of the governments of the respective states. KCR penned a letter addressing the Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling that the amendments are against the federal structure. He said that the government of Telangana strictly opposes the amendments made and proposed by the Centre. KCR demanded the Centre to cease and desist the proposed amendments at the earliest.

CM Sri KCR in a letter to the Prime Minister @NarendraModi ji has expressed strong protest against the proposed amendments to the All India Services (Cadre) Rules stating that the extant provisions are adequate to ensure harmonious and balanced deployment of officers. pic.twitter.com/ZFay0Dmjjg  Telangana CMO (@TelanganaCMO) January 24, 2022

"Considering the functions of the AIS officers in the respective states, the new rule will unilaterally disturb the position and fame of the officials. The power of the officers will be taken on deputation without the involvement of the state government. This would be a dangerous move and is against the Indian constitution. This would destroy the spirit of federalism. This move would give the Centre an indirect control on the officers that are working in the Indian states. This move also interferes into the functioning of the state governments and there would be harassment of the officials. This would also have an impact on the accountability of the AIS officials" wrote KCR in his letter.
Ram's The Warrior: Record price for Hindi Rights:- Energetic Star Ram is quite famous across the circles of Bollywood and his Hindi dubbed films have done exceptional on small screen and YouTube. The actor is shooting for The Warrior which is an out and out action entertainer. Tamil director N Lingusamy is directing this action entertainer which is shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages. Uppena fame Krithi Shetty is the leading lady and Aadhi Pinisetty is the lead antagonist. The movie is 60 percent complete and the pending portions will be completed soon. Srinivasaa Chitturi is the producer of The Warrior.

The makers sold off the Hindi dubbing rights for a record price of Rs 16 crores which is a record and is the highest price among Ram's movies. Ram's last movie Ismart Shankar is a smashing hit on YouTube and there is a huge demand for the Hindi dubbing rights of his films. Ram plays a ruthless cop in The Warrior and the film will have several high voltage action episodes. Ram is the only Tollywood actor who did sign any new films. He is not in a hurry and the actor is keen to expand his market in Tamil. Ram will announce the release date of The Warrior very soon.
A few days ago, we came up with a report revealing that Motorola was working on a mysterious phone, which is not the Edge series phone. It was codenamed Frontier.

Now, WinFuture has shared the complete specifications of the upcoming flagship from Motorola. Moreover, the device has been allegedly code-named Motorola Frontier 22.

As per the leaked specifications, the device could become the first smartphone in the world to come with a 200MP camera. In terms of other specifications, the Motorola Frontier 22 will have a 6.67-inch FHD+ slightly curved AMOLED display. It will come with a 144Hz refresh rate and HDR 10+ support

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Under the hood, the phone will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon SM8475 processor. This, according to WinFuture, could be the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset.

Basically, it will be the overclocked version of the current flagship SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This is a common trend where Qualcomm releases an overclocked version of its flagship chipset.

The Motorola Frontier 22 will be offered with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage. So, you will experience fast data transfer speeds.

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Motorola may pack the Frontier 22 with a 200MP camera with optical image stabilization

Furthermore, the leaks suggest that the company is paying special attention to the camera module on the Motorola Frontier 22. Reportedly, the phone is expected to rock a 200MP camera with optical image stabilization.

Additionally, there are two more cameras on the rear of the phone, a 50MP ultra-wide-angle, and a 12MP telephoto camera. For selfies, you will get a 60MP camera. You can expect crisp and sharp selfies, as well as video calls with the Frontier 22 phone.

The report claims that the phone will come with a 4,500 mAh battery. The Frontier 22 will support 125W wired charging. Not sure what Motorola will call this ultra-fast charging technology. There will be the provision of 50W wireless charging as well.

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Motorola is speculated to pack an in-display fingerprint scanner. Hopefully, something like the ultrasonic fingerprint scanner found on the Samsung Galaxy flagships.

The Frontier 22 will come with stereo speakers, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. Besides, rumors suggest that the device could be launched in July 2022.

Due to the lack of credible information, we would advise our readers to take this information with a pinch of salt.

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As of now, there is no clarity under what name Motorola is planning to bring this device to the market. Moreover, there is no information regarding the pricing of the device.
Google has noticed the external DAC compatibility issue in the Pixel 6, and a fix is on the way, Android Police reports.

The Pixel 6 series has been one of the most controversial Google devices. Only a few weeks after launch, some owners reported strange problems and bugs in the phone. Incompatibility with some external DACs was found in Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro right after the initial launch.

As per the reports, using an external DAC leads to the app crashing. Also, this happens in some certain apps like Poweramp. The problem has caused users to hear a scream in the output sound, which is certainly unpleasant. Manipulating settings could solve the problem for some users, but Google must provide a proper update for the problem.

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The fix for external DAC compatibility wont arrive any time soon

Google has confirmed that it is working on a fix for the issue. However, users shouldnt expect it any time soon. According to AndroidPolice, the fix wont be available until later this summer. Googles community managers on Reddit have confirmed the news, stating Hey GbEBliss. Were sorry youve been experiencing this issue, and thank you for reporting it. Weve identified a fix and will roll it out this coming summer.

Most people now use wireless headphones, and solving the DAC incompatibility is not a priority for Google. However, you dont expect to see such issues when you pay piles of money for a flagship smartphone. Anyway, if you own a Pixel 6 or 6 Pro device, wait until summer to receive the update.

Google has just rolled out the January 2022 update for Pixel devices, from Pixel 3a (XL) to Pixel 6 Pro. The update includes some bug fixes and overall improvements. Some network and system bugs were also resolved.

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In the January 2022 update, Google also released some fixes for audio problems. Fix for issue occasionally preventing audio playback from the speaker in certain conditions and fix for issue preventing Now Playing to search for unrecognized music, and four other bugs were resolved. However, there was no news of any fix for the DACs compatibility issue.

Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro are dealing with many software bugs, and the company has to address them in monthly updates. Ghost calling random contacts was one of the most bizarre problems in devices. Later, the company announced that Google Assistant was behind it. Pixel 6 devices also have some problems with Android Auto.
TCL has released a new software update to its Google TV-powered televisions. The company hasnt published a detailed release note online, so it could be a minor update. A one-line release note on the TV itself mentions optimize product experience and performance improvements, which is a generic pointer for almost every software update. But considering the recent issues TCLs 5-Series and 6-Series TVs have had, these optimizations and performance improvements could go a long way in improving the user experience.

According to 9to5Google, who first reported this rollout, the new software package doesnt bring any immediately noticeable difference to the user experience. However, they have spotted that their TCL TV has been updated to the January 2022 Android security patch. It is the latest available SMR (security maintenance release) available currently. So the TCL TVs are now some of the most up-to-date Google TV devices in the market.

Of course, television sets dont require as frequent security updates as your smartphone. Google itself doesnt seem to care too much about security updates for its Chromecast with Google TV, releasing a new patch every six months or so. But its still nice to see TCL setting a bold precedent. Perhaps these small things are what set its devices apart from the competition, helping it sell more than ten million Google TV and Android TV devices in a year.

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TCL had released a major software update to its Google TV devices last month

As mentioned before, TCLs 5-Series and 6-Series TVs had a wide variety of issues early on. Users reported a buggy and sluggish experience, with a general lag in response. There were also other issues such as apps crashing and devices freezing, forcing users to unplug the TV. The problems were so grave that TCL temporarily stopped selling the TVs. Third-party retailers such as Best Buy also removed the listings for the TCL 5-Series and 6-Series TVs.

The company last month released a software update to fix those issues. It soon resumed the sales as well. Now, it is rolling out another update to further polish the software.

If you own any of TCLs Google TV models, you should receive the latest update soon. Your TV should automatically install the new software package when available. But you can also manually check for it by pressing the Settings button on the remote control and then navigating to Settings > System > About > System update and selecting the Network Update option.
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WASHINGTON  A year into his presidency and with his central greenhouse gas-cutting legislation stalled in Congress, President Joe Biden finds his climate agenda moving in fits and starts as the U.S. is on track to miss the carbon reduction goals his administration set.

Biden said last week he may have to break off pieces of that bill, a roughly $2.2 trillion amalgam of climate and social programs, and pass them in chunks, a prospect that carries its own risks.

With opposition from Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia, whose home state is synonymous with fossil fuel-centered energy, and fellow centrist Democrat Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, prospects for passage are murky, legislatively hobbling a president who campaigned on curbing the emissions of the biggest carbon polluter of all nations in history.

Senators push Biden to fight to preserve the child tax credit The credit, which ended in December, was included in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law in March.

Still, Biden has shepherded along some climate regulations at federal agencies, sought to imbue an all-of-government approach to the crisis and engaged foreign leaders diplomatically, though Earth continues to warm, spawning more powerful hurricanes, increasingly acidic oceans and more destructive wildfires.

His decision to rejoin the Paris climate agreement of 2015 and other steps to rejoin and lead international climate remediation efforts are incredibly important, said Lena Moffitt, campaigns director at Evergreen Action, a climate remediation advocacy group.

But, she said, the onus is on Congress to pass legislation to support Bidens international climate pledges.

So much of the credibility of American commitments depends on the ability of Congress to pass legislation, she said in a phone interview.

To back up a pledge Biden made at the U.N. in September to help developing nations mitigate and adapt to climate change and its repercussions, for example, he will have to rely on congressional funding.

Getting hotter

All the while the climate threat becomes more pronounced. Earth experienced its sixth-hottest year on record in 2021. Climate scientists warn Antarcticas Thwaites Glacier, the size of Florida, could soon break into the ocean and trigger a 2-foot sea level rise. Emissions in the U.S. grew 6.2 percent last year compared to 2020. The Mauna Loa observatory in Hawaii, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility, recorded record-high carbon dioxide readings in May. More than half of the country entered 2022 in either drought or abnormally dry conditions, federal data show.

Its certainly warmer now than any time in the past 2,000 years, Russ Vose, a NOAA scientist, said this month. All this is driven by increasing concentrations of heat-trapping gases, like carbon dioxide.

In his first address to Congress, Biden touted an early iteration of his infrastructure bill as a tool to combat climate change, saying, When I think about climate change, I think jobs.

Though Congress passed and the president signed into law an infrastructure bill that provides about $7.5 billion for electric vehicle projects and $17 billion for a loan program for advanced vehicle manufacturing through the Energy Department, that sum was a fraction of what the White House wanted.

Biden took many climate steps unilaterally. On his first day in office, he began the process to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, fulfilling a campaign promise. He also revoked a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, irking Republicans, who have needled the president over that decision since.

After rejoining the Paris accord, Biden pledged the U.S., historically the most prolific greenhouse gas emitter on the planet and currently the second-largest behind China, would slash its emissions 50 percent to 52 percent percent from 2005 levels by 2030 and zero them out by 2050.

Thats the most important climate commitment that he made, Moffitt said.

When he ran for the White House, Biden pledged to phase out fossil fuel activity on federal lands and revoke a federal permit needed to complete the now-mothballed Keystone XL pipeline. He also said on the campaign trail that he would prod the Department of Justice to strategically support climate lawsuits against large fossil fuel companies, like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, BP and Shell, though the DOJ has not taken public action to that end.

Evergreen assembled a list of 46 climate-related pledges made by Biden while he was a candidate in 2020. The administration has completed 10 of those commitments and made great progress on five more, while the others remain outstanding, according to Evergreen.

In four years, the Trump administration rolled back about 80 environmental or energy regulations, according to a tally the Environmental & Energy Law Program at Harvard Law School maintains.

John Larsen, a partner at Rhodium Group, an independent policy research firm, said the Biden administration began last year with a depleted federal workforce  a hurdle to reinstating climate policies.

Bad hand

They got handed a really bad hand in the sense that potentially the most destructive term in presidential history for climate came right before, Larsen said. He gave the administration high marks for its work in reestablishing climate rules and regulations in the wake of the Trump term, which I think in normal times would be a substantial accomplishment.

But because climate change is an all-encompassing threat that requires significant federal intervention to address, reversing Trump-era decisions isnt sufficient, he said: Just undoing the bad choices of the past administration is not enough.

Since Biden was sworn in, congressional Republicans have criticized his climate agenda and sought to tie it to price spikes in gasoline and heating.

Energy prices are soaring to seven-year highs and American families are suffering, Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., said at an Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on Jan. 19. If it is not already clear to everyone, we rely on fossil fuels.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said at the same hearing that Jan. 20 would mark one year of President Joe Bidens energy crises.

Biden also faces a threat from the Supreme Court, which agreed in November to hear a legal challenge from a group of Republican attorneys general and coal companies that could undercut the EPAs power to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, a bedrock federal law written in the 1970s.

A ruling against the EPA could hamstring the Biden administration as it tries to regulate greenhouse gases from the power sector, the second-largest source of emissions in the country behind transportation.

Even the threat of a Supreme Court ruling overturning the EPAs prerogative to regulate carbon emissions could crimp what the agency does on climate this year, Sean Hecht, an environmental law professor at UCLA, said in an interview. Its going to be much harder for EPA to complete a new rulemaking in this unstable environment with the Supreme Court pending, he said.

The agency is expected to release a proposal this year to lower emissions from the power sector, after the Trump administration rescinded an Obama-era plan to do so.

As the Biden administration enters its second year, the most promising avenue to lower emissions could be the Kigali amendment, an international treaty pending in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Chairman Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has said he thinks it will get strong bipartisan support in the committee and full chamber. Bringing the treaty into force worldwide would phase out the use of potent chemicals called hydrofluorocarbons and could avert as much as 0.5 degrees Celsius in warming by 2100, experts say, potentially the difference between manageable and severely debilitating climate change.

A time-buying treaty aside, perhaps the biggest climate impression of Bidens first year is that the president focused on it during his transition to office and early months in office.

No president has ever really done that before, Larsen said. He didnt have to make it a priority but he did.
Covid: UAE donate one million Sputnik doses to Gaza 'Majority for immunization in schools', ex-minister

(ANSAmed) - GAZA, JANUARY 26 - One million doses of the Sputnik vaccine, donated by the United Arab Emirates, reached the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Local media reports said the initiative was organized by Mohammed Dahlan, a former member of al-Fatah from Gaza who has been living abroad for the past few years. During a ceremony of thanks, the director general of the minister for development Ghazi Hammas noted that UAE aid (including the construction of a field hospital to treat Covid patients) arrived when the local healthcare system was under severe strain.



Ex-health minister Jawad Tibi said most of the vaccines that arrived will be used for a major immunization campaign in schools.



According to local media reports, over 560,000 people have been vaccinated in Gaza out of a population of over 2 million people. At the moment, 2,500 active infections have been registered there. (ANSAmed)
Migrant hosting center evacuated after Turin fire 80 people relocated, firefighters at work

(ANSAmed) - TURIN, 26 GEN - A fire in a warehouse in Viale Thovez, on a hill in Turin, led to the evacuation of a migrant hosting center.



Smoke from the small fire invaded the rooms above the warehouse that the migrant center. A reported 80 migrants were evacuated by firefighters, as a precaution. Several teams of firefighters intervened and operations are still underway.



According to initial reports from firefighters, the flames, which were quickly extinguished, developed from material stored in the warehouse on the ground floor of the building, which is managed by a social cooperative. Smoke invaded the rooms on the first floor where migrants were staying. No injuries or intoxication cases were reported. (ANSAmed).




(ANSAmed) - ISTANBUL, JANUARY 26 - Raphael Esrail, known as 'Turkey's Schindler' for helping many Jews avoid death at the hands of the Nazis, has died, Turkish media reported. He was 97.



Esrail was born in 1925 in Manisa, a Turkish seaside resort on the Aegean, from a Sephardic family that subsequently emigrated to France where he spent his life.



In 1943, he joined the resistance against the Nazis and was able to save many Jews by forging identity documents so they would not be sent to concentrations camps. However, in 1944 Esrail was unable to escape the Nazis: he was arrested and deported to Auschwitz.



He tried to flee unsuccessfully but he was able to survive until the end of the war and he subsequently became the president of the Union of Auschwitz Deportees (UDA) in France.



(ANSAmed)
Syria: prison stormed by ISIS retaken, Kurdish forces Assaulted Thursday by militants

(ANSAmed) - ROME, JANUARY 26 - Kurdish forces in Syria announced that they have regained control of the prison of Gweiran, in Hasake, the main center of northeastern Syria, stormed on Thursday by ISIS militants and so far held by militants and a group of detainees.



Quoted by Rojava information center (RIC), the media platform of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces, the political-military umbrella headed by the PKK, Syrian Kurdish-Arab sources meanwhile reported the arrest of about 1,000 ISIS militants, including assailants and detainees who took part in the uprising starting on Thursday.



For its part, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said military operations are about to end and that some 1,300 ISIS militants and detainees have surrendered. The reports cannot be independently verified on the ground. (ANSAmed) (ANSA).




Israel: Khan al-Ahmar Bedouins to be 'moved', media Village to be demolished and rebuilt 300 meters away

(ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, JANUARY 26 - The Israeli government is about to examine a new project concerning the Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar (West Bank) which could be demolished.



According to reports broadcast by private network Channel 12, the defense ministry has drafted a plan based on which the village located on the sidelines of the highway connecting Jerusalem to Jericho and in which the 'Rubber Tyre School' built with the contribution of an Italian NGO is located - will be dismantled. It will be rebuilt 300 meters away, in a more internal area, on state property, the report said.



According to the broadcaster, this project will be examined on March 6 by Supreme Court judges, who in September granted authorities a six-month extension before proceeding with the demolition of the settlement considered illegal as it was built without construction permits.



Members of the Bedouin tribe of the Jahalin have meanwhile said that they were not consulted on new projects by Israeli authorities. The UN and European Union in the past have vigorously opposed the demolition of the village. (ANSAmed)
Qatar emir to meet Biden Jan 31 with energy security on agenda Amid the Ukrainian crisis

(ANSAmed) - WASHINGTON, JANUARY 26 -Qatar's ruling emir, Tamin bin Hamad al Thani, will hold talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House on January 31, the White House said on Tuesday. The meeting's agenda will focus on issues including Afghanistan, the promotion of security and prosperity in the Gulf and the wider region of the Middle East and the stability of global energy provisions.



Qatar is among countries potentially more interested in selling gas to Europe to deal with potential cuts in Russian gas supplies in case of an attack against Ukraine. (ANSAmed) (ANSA).




An aristocrat who became embroiled in a Supreme Court battle after separating from his wife has called on judges to allow their empty shell of a marriage to finally be dissolved.

Charles Villiers, who is in his late 50s, and estranged wife Emma Villiers, who is in her early 60s, hit the headlines after becoming involved in an argument over whether they should fight over money in a Scottish or English court.

Mr Villiers argued they were divorcing in Scotland and should therefore fight over money in a Scottish court.

But Supreme Court justices ruled against him.

Three Court of Appeal judges are now analysing the latest stage of the legal battle, which began seven years ago.

Lord Justice Moylan, Lord Justice Coulson and Lord Justice Arnold were told on Wednesday the couple are still legally married, a decade after separating.

A barrister representing Mr Villiers said it is time to put the litigation to bed.

Mrs Villiers wants appeal judges to overturn rulings about money made by a judge based in the Family Division of the High Court in March 2021.

She says Mr Villiers has not given full details of his finances.

Mr Justice Mostyn had concluded Mr Villiers could not afford to pay the maintenance Mrs Villiers said she should get.

He said Mr and Mrs Villiers had been left financially ruined by the terrible litigation and he suspected both were also psychologically damaged.

Emma Villiers has appealed against rulings made by a High Court judge in 2021 (Yui Mok/PA)

Michael Horton QC, who is leading Mr Villierss legal team, argued Mrs Villierss appeal should be dismissed.

It is now time to put this litigation to bed, and to allow what has been an empty shell of a marriage since 2012 finally to be dissolved by a Scottish court, he told appeal judges, in a written case outline.

 the appeal should be dismissed.

Philip Cayford QC, who led Mrs Villierss legal team, said decisions made by Mr Justice Mostyn should be overturned.

The hearing of this matter has been blighted by (Mr Villierss) continued failure to provide full and frank disclosure of his financial position, he said, in a written case outline.

The effect of the learned judges finding is to permit (Mr Villiers) to profit from his ongoing breach of court orders.

Judges have heard how Mr and Mrs Villiers had lived near Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire.

They had separated in 2012 after 18 years of marriage  Mr Villiers still lives in Scotland and Mrs Villiers lives in London.

Another London-based judge, who considered the litigation at an early stage, had concluded in 2015 that Mr Villiers should pay Mrs Villiers 2,500 a month in maintenance pending the conclusion of the dispute.

Mr Villiers had not paid and Mrs Villers said she was owed several hundred thousand pounds.

But Mr Justice Mostyn did not order Mr Villiers to pay the money Mrs Villiers says she is entitled to.

He concluded Mr Villiers was not able to pay.

Mr Justice Mostyn said both Mr and Mrs Villiers had made accusations against the other after love turned to hatred.

Judges have heard Mr Villiers is a relative of the Duchess of Cornwall.
A man charged with the murder of Irish teacher Ashling Murphy has appeared in court.

Jozef Puska, 31, of Lynally Grove in Co Offaly, appeared before Cloverhill District Court, Dublin, on Wednesday via video link.

Puska is accused of killing the 23-year-old school teacher, who was attacked while out running along a canal near Tullamore, on Wednesday, January 12.

Puska confirmed his name to the court through a Slovakian interpreter during his second hearing.

A woman lays flowers near to the Grand Canal in Tullamore, Co Offaly (Damien Eagers/PA)

Puska, who has been granted legal aid, appeared before District Judge Victor Blake.

He removed his mask and spoke to confirm he could hear and see the court.

Judge Blake asked if the DPPs directions were available.

Garda Sergeant Olwyn Murphy said they were not and requested a four-week adjournment to prepare the file.

Defence solicitor Roy ONeill agreed to a two-week adjournment and said the services of an interpreter were required at the next court hearing.

Mr ONeill also told the court he wanted to consult with his client after the hearing, with the services of the interpreter.

Judge Blake told Puska that he was remanded into continuing custody and would appear before Cloverhill District Court on February 9 for formal DPP directions.

The court also heard that the DPP has to complete its book of evidence.

Last week, large crowds gathered in the village of Mountbolus, Co Offaly, and outside St Brigids Church, where her funeral was held.

Mourners included Irish President Michael D Higgins and premier Micheal Martin.

Vigils have been held across Ireland and the world to remember Ms Murphy, and to call for a change in tackling gender-based violence.
An Irish junior minister has written to the Russian ambassador to warn that planned naval exercises could threaten to damage marine life.

Malcolm Noonan, a junior minister in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said that he was deeply concerned about the planned military exercises, which have prompted public criticism from the Irish Government.

The Russian artillery drills, at the start of February, will take place in international waters but within Irish-controlled airspace and the countrys exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In a statement, Mr Noonan said: While we do not know the nature of these exercises, we do know that underwater sounds such as active military sonar can have devastating consequences for cetaceans including some of our rarest marine mammal species, notably the deep-diving and rarely-seen blue whale, sperm whale and beaked whales.

It can cause significant disruption to their hearing systems and normal behaviour, and may lead to permanent or even lethal injury.

Junior minister Malcolm Noonan (Dominic McGrath/PA)

Mr Noonan said that he had written to Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and the Russian Ambassador Yury Filatov to express his concerns.

The minister said that Irish scientists have been mapping and surveying Irish marine mammals closely for several years.

Irelands marine mammals have been the focus of considerable research efforts over the last three decades and the understanding of species occurrence, abundance and distribution has improved markedly in that time, Mr Noonan said.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said on Tuesday that planned Russian navy exercises off the Irish coast are not welcome.

Mr Martin told the Dail: Holding military exercises in international waters off our coast is not welcome. And there is an ecological issue here.

Mr Martin rejected any suggestion such training exercises are a regular occurrence.

In compliance with legal requirements, Russia informed Irelands aviation authorities of the planned activities in advance.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said there would be no impact on the safety of civil aircraft operations.
John Boyega said he personally requested to work with the late Michael K Williams in his latest film and the experience had been incredible.

The Star Wars star said Williams, who died last year, brought good energy to the project and he was extremely appreciative to be involved.

The pair appear together in US thriller drama 892, based on the true story of Lance Corporal Brian Brown-Easley and his difficult transition back to civilian life.

The Star Wars star said Williams, who died last year, brought good energy to the project and he was extremely appreciative of his involvement (Ian West/PA)

The film made its debut at the 2022 Sundance film festival, which is being held completely online this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking on Deadlines Scene 2 Seen podcast, Boyega said: I personally requested Michael.

I didnt think hed do it but I really wanted him to do it.

When I found out that without hesitation he signed on to the gig, a gig that he really didnt even need to sniff at, I was just really appreciative of that.

He continued: Obviously Id been a big fan since The Wire so I saw this man, this demeanour and this nuance in character and I thought Id love to play off against Michael K Williams.

So to see him come on set and to get involved this was a commitmentMichael would still make it a point to come in on days when he wasnt needed.

It just goes to show, good energy, good guy, probably the greatest smelling man in Hollywood. A lovely lad.

Williams was found dead aged 54 at his home in Brooklyn, New York, in September.

The actor, who had a distinctive facial scar from a bar fight on his 25th birthday, was best known for playing the charismatic Omar Little in acclaimed HBO crime drama The Wire, as well as for his role in gangster series Boardwalk Empire.
Boris Johnson has risked heightening tensions with the EU after accusing Brussels of implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol in an insane and petty way.

The Prime Minister told MPs he never thought when negotiating the agreement that scores of businesses would stop supplying Northern Ireland.

He adopted a noticeably more abrasive tone than Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, who told MPs earlier this week there is a deal to be done to resolve the deadlock over the post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The protocol is aimed at avoiding a hard border with Ireland but has created a series of economic barriers on Irish Sea trade.

Speaking in the House of Commons, DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: The Prime Minister will know that many families across the United Kingdom are struggling with the increased cost of living and rising energy costs, but in Northern Ireland that is compounded by the protocol.

Twenty-seven per cent is the increase in the cost of bringing goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland  when we can get access to those goods.

It is costing business 2.5 million every day, which is almost 1 billion a year. That is the cost of the protocol.

The Prime Minister talks about uniting this nation and levelling up; he could do that by removing the Irish Sea border and restoring Northern Irelands place fully within the UK internal market.

Mr Johnson replied: I support passionately (Sir Jeffreys) indignation.

Yes, I never thought, when we negotiated, that it would mean 200 businesses would stop supplying Northern Ireland, foods being blocked and Christmas cards being surcharged.

Frankly, the EU is implementing this in an insane and pettifogging way. We need to sort it out and I completely support what he says.

Earlier, Conservative former Northern Ireland secretary Theresa Villiers urged the Government to replace the protocol in its entirety.

She told Northern Ireland questions: The Northern Ireland Protocol is clearly causing political instability.

Will the Secretary of State agree that it needs replacing, not just a few amendments?

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said Ms Villiers makes an important point, adding: The protocol is not working and, clearly, the feedback we get from businesses across Northern Ireland is that it is not sustainable in its current form and needs to be dealt with, it needs to be fixed, and thats what the Foreign Secretary and I are working together on to ensure we can do, and do well, for the people in Northern Ireland.

Conservative MP Peter Bone (Wellingborough) later made a similar call, saying: The Secretary of State says the Northern Ireland Protocol isnt working and he is right. Why dont we scrap it?
People are blaming high energy bills on energy company profiteering, the Russian government cutting supplies, and a growing demand for gas globally, a survey suggested.

Just 13% of those quizzed thought green levies and taxes were among the factors most to blame for high energy bills, polling for the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) revealed.

That compares with more than a third (34%) who pointed the finger at profiteering by energy companies as one of the main factors behind rising bills, the survey of more than 2,000 people by Opinium Research found.

Some 29% thought the Russian government reducing the supply of gas to Europe was among the factors most to blame, while almost as many thought growing demand for gas around the world (28%) was a key issue.

Just one in eight (13%) thought the best short-term solution to the issue was removing the green levies on bills which fund renewable energy, insulation, and low-income support.

The most popular option for tackling high bills was cutting the rate of VAT on energy, which was backed by nearly a quarter (24%), and a windfall tax on large energy companies, which nearly a fifth (19%) supported.

When it came to long-term solutions, the most popular was decreasing dependence on gas and moving to more use of renewable energy, with more than a third of people (36%) backing that move.

Some 15% thought the best thing was to improve home insulation rates, while just nine percent backed more drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea, eight percent supported fracking, and five percent wanted to open more coal mines to expand coal energy.

High energy bills have prompted calls in some quarters for cuts to green levies, and questions about whether targets to cut greenhouse gases to zero overall  known as net zero  by 2050 is affordable.

But the poll showed nearly three-quarters (73%) of people supported the climate goal and only 14% opposed it.

Less than a third (29%) thought we cant afford policies to address climate change, but more than half (54%) thought we cant afford not to implement measures to tackle the problem.

A majority of people supported zero-interest loans for home insulation, government grants of 5,000 to replace boilers, grants of up to 2,500 for electric vehicles, ending sales of new petrol and diesel cars, and phasing out gas boilers in favour of heat pumps.

Responding to the findings, Tory MP Chris Skidmore said: Whilst we need government support for struggling households now, we also need a long-term solutions which protect UK bill payers from future price spikes driven by international volatility, including Russian interference.

The simple answer is for us to use less gas.

Mr Skidmore said more support is needed for schemes to make homes more energy efficient, while more also needs to be done to boost British renewables.

Dr Simon Cran-McGreehin, head of analysis at the ECIU, said: The publics finger is clearly on the pulse, correctly identifying Russian interference and global gas demand as causes of the current gas crisis, while also spotting that gas companies profits are rising in line with gas prices.

They understand that gas bought in the UK is part of an international market, the price of which is driven by international forces.

He added: Net zero measures such as insulation and boosting British renewables are saving people money during this gas crisis.
The International Monetary Fund wants El Salvador to drop the highly volatile cryptocurrency Bitcoin as legal tender and strictly regulate the electronic wallet the government has pushed adoption of across the country.

The global lenders board urged the authorities to narrow the scope of the Bitcoin law by removing Bitcoins legal tender status, the IMF said in a statement.

The adoption of a cryptocurrency as legal tender, however, entails large risks for financial and market integrity, financial stability and consumer protection, the IMF statement said.

President Nayib Bukele led the push to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender alongside the US dollar.

El Salvadors Legislative Assembly made the country the first to do so in June.

After nearly doubling in value late last year, Bitcoin has plunged and on Tuesday was slightly below where it was when the congress voted June 9.

The Bitcoin law went into effect in September.

From the start there were concerns that a digital currency created to be beyond the control of governments would attract criminal activity.

Mr Bukele promoted the adoption as way for thousand of Salvadorans to avoid money transfer fees when relatives living outside the country sent home remittances.

The Divine Saviour of the World statue towers over the Las Americas Square as the sun rises in San Salvador, El Salvador (Salvador Melendez/AP)

El Salvadors law called for all businesses, with the technological ability, to accept Bitcoin as payment.

The rollout was glitchy, but seems to have smoothed out.

Mr Bukele became a darling of the cryptocurrencys promoters and has since spoken of building a Bitcoin city and issuing Bitcoin-backed bonds, something else some IMF directors expressed concern over.

Mr Bukeles office said it did not immediately have a comment on the IMFs statement.

El Salvadors treasury minister Alejandro Zelaya, however, noted the IMFs agreement that boosting financial inclusion was important and that an e-wallet could help, to which he added via Twitter: It appears to work for financial inclusion, but you mustnt do it.

The future waits for no one. #Bitcoin.

The IMF did commend Mr Bukeles government on its management of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country is currently experiencing a surge in infections, but it was aggressive in vaccinating the population and kept a relatively low death toll.

It also noted that the economy was projected to grow 10% in 2021 after contracting 7.9% the year before.

The board did see other problems on the horizon, however, if the government does not tighten up its spending.

Persistent fiscal deficits and high debt service are leading to large and increasing financing needs, the statement said.

Under current policies, public debt is expected to rise to about 96% of GDP in 2026 on an unsustainable path.
A mother-of-two stabbed to death in the street by her abusive ex-husband told a friend two years ago I think he will kill me.

Yasmin Chkaifi said in 2020 that her former partner, Leon McCaskre, had put cameras in her flat and had stolen her mail and phone in order to get her personal information.

The 43-year-old was stabbed to death in front of horrified onlookers in Chippenham Road, Maida Hill, west London, on Monday, with a driver mowing down McCaskre in order to stop the attack.

Her friend Adele-Sara Richards, who knew her as Yaz, told the PA news agency that in April 2020, Ms Chkaifi messaged her to say: Hes had cameras in my house recording me for months.

She went on: Hes stolen my mail, my phone, has access to all my personal data.

I think he will kill me. Ive tried everything.

Messages between Ms Chkaifi and her friend Adele-Sara Richards in April 2020 (Adele-Sara Richards/PA)

One of her sons told MailOnline that she had been continually harassed by her ex-husband, who had made her life hell.

He said: It was a very abusive relationship which got worse after the divorce.

My mother was continually being harassed and intimidated by this man.

He made her life hell.

I was always in touch with the police but they did nothing to help her.

There was even a panic alarm installed in our flat  thats how scared she was of this man.

He was a monster.

Yasmin Chkaifi was described as the most pure and genuine soul by her family (Metropolitan Police/PA)

The Independent Office for Police Conduct watchdog is now deciding if it will open an investigation into the contact between Ms Chkaifi and officers before she died.

A spokeswoman said: We can confirm that we have received a referral from the Metropolitan Police regarding their contact with Yasmin Chkaifi prior to her tragic death in Maida Vale, London on January 24.

We are currently assessing the available information, and have requested more, to determine what further action may be required from us.

Tributes have been paid to Ms Chkaifi, who was a qualified childminder, had worked in a school and was studying for a masters degree.

Ms Richards, who described how she supported her after her mother died, said: She was a good soul. Its very rare in life you come across a good soul. She always had a happy disposition.

She was just a lovely person.

Another friend, American PhD student Olivia Jones, 30, who lives in Brent, said: I didnt know Yasmin well, but she made me feel as though I did. A year ago, Yasmin opened her doors to my partner and I at the time and hosted us for a meal.

She was incredibly kind, hospitable and an amazing cook and dancer. She had a bubbly personality and a confidence about her that was so attractive.

She was proud of her Moroccan heritage and a spiritual woman. We spoke about Islam, identity and social justice. She was a good person.

A police officer at the scene on Monday (Aaron Chown/PA)

Family members paid tribute to Ms Chkaifi, who was also known as Wafat, in a statement on Facebook.

They said: She was full of life, always stayed positive and always saw the best in everyone.

Wafat loved to laugh, dance and leave a special impact on everyones life that got to share it with her. She has indeed left many broken from this awful and tragic news.

Wafat was the most pure and genuine soul you would meet. She has left two amazing boys who will continue her legacy of being pure souls.

Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for the driver not to face criminal charges and describing him as a hero.

Members of Ms Chkaifis family have also reportedly praised him for driving his blue Renault at McCaskre in an attempt to save her.

The 26-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder and has been released on bail until late February while the police investigation continues.
People in some settings in England will continue to be asked to wear masks despite the legal requirement for face coverings coming to an end.

From Thursday, face coverings will no longer be required by law as the Government returns to plan A measures.

The end of plan B restrictions also means the removal of the legal requirement for NHS Covid passes for entry to large venues and nightclubs.

But some supermarkets will continue to either ask or suggest that shoppers don a mask, with one large chain saying safety remains our highest priority.

A spokeswoman for Sainsburys said safety remains our highest priority (Danny Lawson/PA)

Public health guidance, which suggests people wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where they come in to contact with strangers, will stay in place.

Both Sainsburys and John Lewis said their customers will be asked to wear masks, though the latter acknowledged it will ultimately come down to personal choice.

A spokeswoman for Sainsburys said: Safety remains our highest priority. From Thursday, were asking our customers and colleagues in England to continue to wear a face covering in our stores if they are able to.

She said stores continue to have a range of safety measures including screens and sanitising stations.

A spokeswoman for John Lewis and Partners, which includes Waitrose supermarkets, said: We value the safety of our customers and partners and continue to follow the latest Government guidelines.

From Thursday January 27, well be suggesting people wear masks in our stores, although it will be down to individuals to make a personal choice.

A spokeswoman for Morrisons said: We will be continuing to follow the Government guidelines.

Usdaw welcomed the retention of Covid-safety measures in some stores.

The shop workers unions general secretary Paddy Lillis said: It is deeply disappointing that the Government has ploughed on with ending mandatory face coverings in shops tomorrow, despite the concerns of shop workers.

So we welcome early indications from some in the retail industry that they will keep Covid safety measure in stores, and we hope all retailers will continue to put staff and customer safety first.

Downing Street said Boris Johnson would exercise his judgment on whether to wear a mask.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: Like everyone else, it will be a matter of personal judgment, so he will continue to exercise his judgment on where he might find himself.

Passengers on Transport for London services will still be required to wear face coverings (James Manning/PA)

Meanwhile, commuters on Londons public transport network will still be required to wear face coverings, with the citys mayor Sadiq Khan calling on people to do the right thing.

In a statement last week, he said: If we have learnt anything from this pandemic, it is that we must not get complacent and undo all our hard work and sacrifices.

Thats why face coverings will remain a condition of carriage on Transport for London (TfL) services. Im asking everyone in our capital to do the right thing and continue to wear a face covering when travelling on TfL services to keep us all protected and to prevent further restrictions from being necessary later down the line.

The withdrawal of the requirement for Covid passes has been welcomed by those within the industry.

Covid passes will no longer be required by law for entry to nightclubs (Richard McCarthy/PA)

Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said:

Businesses across the night time economy will celebrate the withdrawal of plan B restrictions on January 27.

In particular, we will celebrate the withdrawal of Covid passports, which have not only directly impacted trade but have left a legacy of misplaced blame on a sector which fought to avoid the implementation of this debilitating and divisive mitigation.

Mr Kill said the impact of the measure has left many businesses now concerned that they will struggle to survive beyond February and called for more Government support.

Shaun Hinds, chief executive at Manchester Central, which describes itself as one of the UKs leading events venues, described the end of plan B as a very positive move.

He said a number of significant enquiries for events in 2022 and new bookings for 2023 indicate a real appetite and eagerness in the live events sector as it continues in its recovery.

The Government said organisations will be able to choose whether to require NHS Covid passes from Thursday.
Two men have been arrested in Manchester as part of the investigation into the Texas synagogue attack by British hostage-taker Malik Faisal Akram.

Akram, 44, who was originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, was shot dead when the FBI entered the place of worship in Colleyville on January 15 following a 10-hour stand-off.

He held four people hostage during the incident, but they were later released unharmed.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Counter Terrorism Policing North West said: Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are continuing with their investigation following the events in Texas. They are working closely with and are supporting US law enforcement.

As part of the local investigation, two men have been arrested this morning in Manchester. They remain in custody for questioning.

We continue to work closely with colleagues from other forces.

Two men arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on January 20 as part of the same probe have been released from custody with no further action.

The incident occurred at the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas (Brandon Wade/AP)

FBI director Christopher Wray called the stand-off an antisemitic incident, while US President Joe Biden said it was an act of terror.

In a press conference held in Texas last Friday, the FBI said Akram was not known and had no prior contact with US intelligence services.

The bureau said it is conducting rigorous analysis of Akrams associates, his online presence and his devices.

Akram had flown to New York on December 29 before he later travelled to Texas and entered the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue.

Akram  understood to have a criminal record  was investigated by MI5 in 2020 but deemed not to be a credible threat to national security at the time, official sources previously confirmed to the PA news agency.

It is not yet clear how he was able to travel to the US despite his UK criminal record.

The FBI said it is working hard to learn more about how Akram acquired the firearm he possessed.
Aziz Ansari's latest jokes take aim at Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his controversial stance against the COVID-19 vaccine.

"It's like, alright. Calm down. He's a football player," Ansari said in clip released Tuesday from his latest Netflix special, Nightclub Comedian. "He read some articles. He got skeptical. He did some research. Are you stunned he came to the wrong conclusion? Did you really think he was gonna crack the case? Did you think Fauci was gonna be out there, like, 'I just got off the phone with Aaron Rodgers?' This poor guy. It's like we're all in high school and we're making fun of the quarterback for doing bad on the science test."

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers play against the Detroit Lions on Jan. 9 at Ford Field in Detroit. (Photo: Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

Later, Ansari joked, "This guy makes a living getting hit in the head. Can we cut him a break?"

Rodgers, of course, has chosen not to receive the vaccine. While he had said in August 2021 that he was "immunized" against the virus, he confirmed his status in November. He said then that he was allergic to an ingredient in the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech shots, and decided against the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because of possible side effects. Instead, he underwent his own method of immunization.

Ansari noted that Rodgers, the NFL's reigning MVP, "did kinda lie" initially. He equated the athlete saying he had been "immunized" to saying, "My doctors gave me some powders from Jamba Juice."

Our first stand-up special of 2022: @AzizAnsari  Nightclub Comedian, out now. pic.twitter.com/FIhTCWcyNN  Netflix Is A Joke (@NetflixIsAJoke) January 25, 2022

Rodgers's future with the Packers is up in the air, following the team's playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday, as he considers retirement and the team plans for next year.

At the same time, his personal life might be headed for a change, too, with People reporting that he and his brother, former Bachelorette star Jordan Rodgers, have "started talking a little bit." (Jordan had said during his time on the 2016 season of the dating show that Aaron was estranged from the rest of the family.)

"They're just very different people with different outlooks," an unnamed insider told the magazine. "But they're family and they know that."

And yet his relationship with his fiancee, actress Shailene Woodley, is still going strong. An "insider" said the two have decided to keep political issues out of their relationship: "They are not talking about their politics, and they never really have. They disagreed on a lot of things. Early on, they decided to agree to disagree about things and not debate them."
SALES

BBC Studios has scored a raft of sales on all seasons of smash hit series Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson. Amazon Prime Video will take non-exclusive SVOD global rights to all four series of the series and the special, The Abominable Bride, excluding the U.S., Australia, and greater China. In China, the series will be available exclusively on Tencent Video, while Japanese broadcaster Mystery Channel has acquired the exclusive pay TV license for its AXN Mystery channel. In Russia, the series will have co-exclusive SVOD home on Yandexs Kinopoisk. Cosmote has secured exclusive Pay TV and non-exclusive SVOD rights for Greece and public broadcaster RTVE in Spain has picked up non-exclusive FVOD rights for its RTVE Play service. In Canada, non-exclusive agreements with CBC Gem and BBC First are in place.

Written and created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss and inspired by the works of Arthur Conan Doyle, the series, produced by Hartswood Films, has won 12 BAFTAs and nine Emmys.

Meanwhile, the BBC has acquired short-form comedy-drama Cheaters, from The End of the F***ing World producer Clerkenwell Films, a wholly owned BBC Studios indie production partner. The eighteen-episode story told in ten-minute chapters is written and created by Oliver Lyttelton (The Listener), directed by Elliot Hegarty (Ted Lasso) and produced by Alex Walsh-Taylor (Lovesick).

Cheaters tells the story of a chance meeting after a cancelled flight that leads to an unlikely night of drunken airport-hotel sex between two strangers in their late twenties, Fola and Josh. The next morning, as they rush to make the rescheduled flight, both admit they are with other people. The series stars Susan Wokoma (Enola Holmes), Joshua McGuire (Industry), Callie Cooke (Britannia) and Jack Fox (Sanditon).

MENTORING

U.K. broadcaster Channel 4 is launching RISE, a new mentoring initiative for mid and senior level disabled talent working in TV production. The broadcaster is looking for six deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent off-screen freelancers working in TV production to become mentees. Mentors will then be selected according to the person they are supporting, to make sure they are a good match and have the requisite skills. The scheme is devised in partnership with TripleC/DANC (Disabled Artists Networking Community) who support and advance deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent people in the arts and media.

Meanwhile, Channel 4s reality competition The Bridge returns for a second season in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam. A.J. Odudu presents the eight-part series in which 16 strangers come together for the chance to win a cash prize of 200,000 ($268,900). In the series, made by Banijay U.K.s Workerbee, the contestants face a race to build a bridge over 1,000 feet of water in just 12 days to reach the cash held on top of Fortune Rock. Adventurer and explorer Aldo Kane oversees the challenges that will test the teams nerves and ability.

FESTIVAL

The International Film Festival Rotterdam, which was forced to move online because of a resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, will have a physical component after all. Mijke de Jongs Along the Way, which was originally announced as the opening film, will now play in cinemas during the festivals closing weekend, as the Dutch government has allowed reopening of theaters from Jan. 26. Physical screenings of the film will take place at Rotterdam, Groningen and Amsterdam.

Festival director Vanja Kaludjercic said: It is sadly impossible for us to shift back to a physical event on such short notice. However, now that cinemas are allowed to open again, we are committed to supporting Mijke de Jongs poignant and timely film by presenting the world premiere on the big screen as part of the IFFR 2022 program.

Distributor September Film will release the film in Dutch cinemas later this year.

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In a new series called My Journey to the Oscars, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what theyve learned so far, and whats taken them off guard.

Asghar Farhadi, a two-time international Oscar winner for A Separation and The Salesman, is in the running for a third time with A Hero, which marks the Iranian auteurs return to shooting in his country.

Its a drama about a man named Rahim (Amir Jadidi) who, while on furlough after being imprisoned for debt, returns a lost handbag full of gold coins. This apparently heroic act spirals out of control due to social media, which plays an important part in the pic as it exposes the pitfalls of media manipulation in Iran but also, by extension, the world.

Congratulations! What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar, after already winning this prize twice before?

The fact that the movie made it up to this stage creates curiosity for audiences to watch the film. It expands the films audience around the world.

Whats been the most challenging aspect of your campaign thus far?

The hardest part is traveling a lot, traveling to different countries. Some of the trips are very short. You have to hop around from one country to another. But, all in all, getting feedback from audiences that are watching the film all over the world is great. Its great that you get a chance to talk to different audiences around the world and find out how they relate to the film.

Social media plays an important part in the narrative of A Hero. Is this an aspect of the film that you think can help it connect with global audiences?

Yes, one of the subplots of the film involves social media. And in all the countries that Ive been to, this is one of the topics people talk about. Which goes to show that social media is part of everybodys life these days.

Although you are shortlisted in the international feature category, the best picture category has historically been devoid of non-English language features. Parasite (2019) was the first winner in history. Do you feel international films are siloed in U.S. media and film criticism? If so, a re there ways to improve this process when it comes to awards season?

Basically, because there is an increased number of international members of the Oscar committee these days, the focus on international movies is increasing. Every year, the number of international [Academy] members who get to vote for the Oscars is growing. This is gradually bringing more focus on international films. Another sign of progress is that the name of the category has changed from foreign to international. All of this helps to shift attention towards non-American films. And Im very happy that there is plenty of curiosity around them.

When trying to get consumer Western audiences to watch an international feature, there seems to be a focus on the length of a movie. In other words, reviewers often chastise foreign films for being too long. But when something like Avengers: Endgame gets a three-hour runtime, Marvel fans are ecstatic and say they could go longer if they wanted to. Do you find that fair?



I feel that more important than the length of a film is the films quality. If a movie is interesting, we dont think about its length. Sometimes we watch even a short film  15 or 20 minutes  and it feels longer. To make sure a film connects with an audience I dont think its length is necessarily the most important aspect. Its the story that tells you how much time you need to put it on the screen. Although, in general, audiences like fast-paced movies, I still dont believe you can say the length of a film is the only factor that tells us if the movie will connect with the audience or not.

The Academy has favored European countries, with Italy and France winning triple the number of times than a country like Japan. Of course, thanks to you, Iran has a good batting average. Still, do you feel that more diversity from all countries globally should be encouraged? If so, how?



I feel like this is something that is happening right now. And there are many countries that are working towards this. And I believe that over the next few years the international category will become one of the pillars of the Oscars. This helps raise the quality of films higher and higher. But aside from what country a film comes from, I think the quality of the film will determine whether a film will remain in film history or not.

You are representing your country, Iran, to an American awards body (although there are voters who are international). Over the years, this has put you in situations that have nothing to do with your movies. In 2017, you decided not to attend the Oscars ceremony to protest against President Donald Trumps visa ban for citizens from Iran and other predominantly Muslim countries. How do you feel about being put in tough positions as that representative?

More than anything else, I consider myself a filmmaker. And I try to focus on the films that I make. In the past, things have indeed happened outside the world of the film. But I always try to make sure film isnt overshadowed by these things and that people watch my films without any preconceptions. But I have to say that I am also a citizen and when things happen, I react as a citizen. If these events make people in my country happy, it makes me happy as well. I experienced this after winning two Oscars. People in Iran were very happy. And this has been one of the gifts of my life; one of the happiest moments in my life.

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Peter Robbins

Valerie Macon/Getty Images

Peter Robbins, the original voice actor for Charlie Brown in the early animated Peanuts specials, has died. He was 65.

Robbins' family confirmed the news to Fox 5 San Diego, saying that he died by suicide last week. PEOPLE could not immediately reach his relatives for comment.

Robbins, whose real name was Louis G. Nanasi, was born in Los Angeles in 1956, Deadline reported. He began voicing the beloved cartoon character in 1963, lending his talents to iconic specials including A Charlie Brown Christmas, A Boy Named Charlie Brown and It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

RELATED: Celebrities Who Died in 2022

Peter Robbins

Valerie Macon/Getty Images

Beyond his four-year run voicing the Charles M. Schultz character, Robbins' other credits include the comedy Blondie and guest spots in The Munsters, Get Smart and The Donna Reed Show, among others, in the 1960s. He stepped away from acting in 1972, per the outlet.

Robbins previously spoke about his struggles with bipolar disorder, and was sentenced to prison in 2015 for making criminal threats, the Associated Press reported. He served 80 percent of a five-year sentence, according to Fox 5.

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Robbins' family has asked for privacy as they continue to grieve and told the network they plan to hold a memorial at a later date.

Fox 5 journalist Phil Blauer, who has been close friends with the actor for 25 years, says Robbins will be dearly missed.

"Rest in peace Charlie Brown, say hi to Linus for me up in heaven," he told the station.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
By the end of This Is Us current and final season, The Big Three likely will lose their mom. And in this weeks episode, an amuse-bouche of the sadness to come, Pearson patriarch Jack loses his.

The hour takes place entirely in flashback, with Jack leaving Rebecca and the kids in Pennsylvania while he treks to Ohio to attend Marilyn Pearsons funeral. All of that alone time kicks up lots of capital-F Feelings for Jack; relatedly, Milo Ventimiglia is pretty damn great throughout.

Read on for the highlights of Dont Let Me Keep You, and make sure to check out our post-episode chat with Ventimiglia, too.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE | As Jack looks through his closet for something appropriate to wear to his mothers funeral, he muses about their weekly Sunday phone calls, which she always would end by saying, Dont let me keep you. As is the way of these things, he cant quite believe shes gone. It doesnt seem real, he tells Rebecca.

Marilyn had been living with her relative Debbie in Ohio, where Jack moved her after she left his father all those years ago. Hes going to make the trip alone; its a long drive, and theres a snowstorm coming in. Rebecca protests, wanting to be there for him, but he gently shuts her down, saying the kids didnt really know his mom at all.

When he arrives in Ohio, Debbie  his moms cousin, played by The Practices Camryn Manheim  doesnt exactly shower him with her condolences. Look who finally showed up, she says. Only took you 13 years.

this-is-us-recap-season-6-episode-4

As we learn during Jacks stay at Debbies, shes right: He never visited his mother after she left Pittsburgh. And, partially because she was afraid to be in Jacks abusive dads physical radius, she only came to stay with him and Rebecca when the kiddos were about a year old. Jack is surprised to learn that, rather than the mess he expected, his mother had already seen to everything regarding her memorial service. The only major task left is for someone to write a eulogy, and Jack says hell do it.

MARILYNS OTHER LIFE | Jack soon finds out that his mom had a boyfriend named Mike, who lived nearby, and they shared a cat named (and forgive my enthusiasm, but this is perfection) Cat Benetar! Mike has a fun moustache and is super into WWF, and he surprises Jack by knowing all about Rebecca and the kids. Marilyn was proud of her family, he tells Jack. She looks happy, Jack says, uneasily poring over the snapshots Mike hands him. She was. We were, Mike says, tearing up. He then tells Jack that Marilyn thought her older son was her hero, because You were the one that got her out of that house. This rankles Jack, who mutters that he knew nothing about her life and then leaves.

The next day, Jack joins Debbie, Mike and another of Marilyns friends for a round of her favorite drink  7&7s  at the local bar. Everyone but Jack shares happy stories of the woman they loved; later, a slightly inebriated Jack goes back to Debbies and does the thing hed said he didnt want to do: He calls his father.

Three days ago, Mom had an aneurysm and she died, he says bluntly. His dad, clearly affected, asks when the funeral is. I wasnt inviting you, Jack spits back. With the alcohol loosening his tongue, Jack unleashes on his pop. My whole life I never really knew her. She had a real life out here, and I never saw it, he says. And now shes dead, and I missed the whole thing because of you. Jack then forbids Stanley from attending the funeral. Ill do what I damn well please, his dad says, hanging up.

this-is-us-recap-season-6-episode-4

SURPRISE GUESTS

| Jack is having a tough time writing the eulogy, and a phone call to Rebecca jogs some more of his memories. He recalls a wintry day when he broke his sled on a steep hill, then his mom helped him hide it from his dad and she made him tomato soup and hot dogs for lunch. He also remembers her telling him that he should bring the kids for the visit so they can go ice-skating on the pond near Debbies home.

Still, on the day of the service, its not clear what hes actually prepared to say  and the idea of his dad showing up has Jack on edge. Hes just started speaking at the lectern when the door opens but its Rebecca and the kids, whove surprised him. Jack then gives a brutally honest speech about his tough upbringing, and how he went on to create a better life for himself. So did Marilyn, he goes on, adding that she filled her life with new details worth remembering. He points out how Rebecca and the kids gave him a new sense of home, and he thanks everyone there for doing that for his mom. OK Ma, he says in closing, dont let me keep you.

this-is-us-recap-season-6-episode-4

I DONT HAVE A MOM

| With the service and his speech behind him, and with his family nearby, Jack is visibly relieved. Mike plays WWF with the kids. Debbie embarrasses Jack by noting that his mom read the racy Clan of the Cave Bear three times. (I think it was issued to you if you were female in the 1980s.) They all take the kids skating on the pond, with The Big Three wearing skates their grandma bought them for a visit just like this. Its sweet.

Back in Pennsylvania, Jack makes tomato soup and hot dogs for Kate, Randall and Kevin, flashes back to eating the same meal with his mom, and hastily exits the kitchen before his kids see him cry. Rebecca follows him. I dont have a mom anymore, is all he can get out before he starts sobbing. She holds him for a moment before he inhales sharply a few times and wipes his eyes, and then pulls himself together as quickly as hed come apart. They walk back into the kitchen and sit with the kids, who are oblivious.

Now its your turn. What did you think of the episode? Sound off in the comments!

Launch Gallery: <I>This Is Us</I> Wish List: The Moments We'd Love to See Happen in the Final Season
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo says it's high time for lawmakers to pass legislation that helps end a crippling pandemic-fueled semiconductor shortage that has been going on for a longer than a year.

"It's a crisis," Raimondo said of the shortage on Yahoo Finance Live.

Findings from a new Commerce Department survey underscore the extent of that crisis.

The median inventory of semiconductor products highlighted by buyers has fallen from 40 days in 2019 to less than five days in 2021. Inventories in key industries are even smaller, the report contends.

"This means a disruption overseas, which might shut down a semiconductor plant for 2-3 weeks, has the potential to disable a manufacturing facility and furlough workers in the United States if that facility only has 3-5 days of inventory," the report explains.

Low levels of inventory reflect the rapid buying of semiconductors throughout the pandemic to power demand for work-from-home technologies such as PCs. Demand for chips surged 17% in 2021 from 2019, the report finds.

"What we need is to make more chips in America," Raimondo said.

To that end, it would be helpful to the cause if lawmakers pass the CHIPS for America Act.

The industry's biggest players such as Intel are now waiting for the U.S. government to do its part and pass the $52 billion CHIPS for America Act. In June 2021, the Senate signed off on the legislation  which aims to incentivize U.S. manufacturing of semiconductors. But, the bill is still being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives.

FILE - U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo speaks during the announcement on Friday Jan. 21, 2022 in Newark, Ohio, that Intel will invest $20 billion to build two computer chip factories on a 1,000-acre site in Licking County, Ohio, just east of Columbus. The U.S. supply of computer chips has fallen to alarmingly low levels, raising the prospect of factory shutdowns, the Commerce Department reported Tuesday, Jan. 25.(AP Photo/Paul Vernon, FILE)

Chip giant Intel isn't waiting around for lawmakers to act, however.

Intel recently broke ground on two chip-making foundries in Arizona that are projected to cost $20 billion. Intel expects both plants  dubbed Fab 52 and Fab 62  to be completed by 2024. The company said last week it will invest $20 billion in a new chip plant in Ohio.

The investments couldn't come quick enough as everyone from automakers to smart gadget makers work overtime to source chips and avoid crushing production shortfalls.

"The chip crisis going on is probably the biggest supply shock I have seen in my career," Ford CEO Jim Farley said on Yahoo Finance Live.

In November, Ford inked a deal with chip-maker GlobalFoundries to supply it with more chips as it attempts to avoid plant downtime and delivery delays.

Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

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Lori Harvey opens up about insecurities and facing negativity online. (Photo: Getty Images)

Lori Harvey made her way into the spotlight at 20 years old after making her runway modeling debut for Dolce and Gabbana in 2017. In the five years since, the stepdaughter of Steve Harvey has worked to pave her own path in Hollywood, as she built a resume and social media presence through her work as a model. But the pressure has admittedly been a lot to handle.

"When I was younger, I really paid attention to what people thought about me and how people thought my body looked," she told PopSugar, reflecting on the insecurity that she faced in the beginning of her public career. "When I started modeling, I felt like I had to get super skinny because I wasn't tall. I'm naturally more curvy, so I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a certain size and look a certain way. It took such a toll on me mentally."

While Harvey seems fit for the incredible level of celebrity that she has, the young woman told the publication that being in the spotlight wasn't always her plan. In fact, she was training to be a competitive equestrian before suffering a back injury at 18, which forced her to quit the sport.

"That was a life-shattering moment for me," Harvey said. "I had this plan in my mind for so long that this is going to be my life; this is going to be my career. I felt a little lost trying to figure out, 'OK, what am I going to do now?'"

She went on to college, but quickly realized that she "felt a little out of place." Even as she pivoted to become an influencer and model, Harvey wasn't sure of what her ultimate career aspirations would be.

"There's the feeling like, 'I have to be successful because my dad is this successful giant,' and of course wanting to impress your parents and make them proud," she explained. "Then there's the societal pressures of social media: Everything has to be perfect. There are times I've gotten insecure or you start comparing yourself to other people. You see what they're doing on social media, and you're like, 'Oh my god, I'm not doing enough.'"

Even today, social media and living a public life can be burdensome for the 25-year-old. "It can be a breeding ground for negativity  it can get really toxic and just take a toll on people's mental health," Harvey said. "I had to start prioritizing my mental health as I got older with things that were affecting me negatively."

Luckily, a budding relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan has provided Harvey with a distraction from the negativity.

"Mike doesn't know a ton about skin care  everything he's learned, he learned when we got together. He used to just wash his face with a warm rag and walk out the door, and it would make me cringe," she joked of her boyfriend.

But even more impressive than upping Jordan's skincare routine was the model's launch of her own skincare line called SKN by LH. It's even given Harvey some clarity about the real impact she can make.

"There aren't a lot of big skin care brands that are headed up by or have been founded by Black people or, specifically, Black women, so I wanted to add to that list," Harvey said. "When the next generation is coming up and there's that little brown girl who wants to get into skin care or start her own company, she can see me and be like, 'I can do it, too.'"

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Ariana DeBose, who takes over the role of Anita from Rita Moreno in the new "West Side Story," imbues the character with a powerful physicality. (jd)

Ariana DeBose is not Anita. She doesn't even speak Spanish. Hearing her, seeing her in her civilian guise (really, how long before she becomes a Marvel heroine?), it becomes almost humorously clear just how much of a performance her star-making turn in Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story is.

Then again, talking with DeBose, you learn just how much Anita is her.

"One of the first conversations we had when I was auditioning  Tony [Kushner] was there (Im such a big Tony Kushner fan; Angels in America changed my life), Steven was there," DeBose says via Zoom, lounging behind large eyeglasses under a modern, asymmetrical haircut. "So, yikes, wow. They asked me if there was anything I wanted to know. I said, Im Afro-Latina, and that would inform everything about this character, by virtue of how she would walk through her community. If youre not interested in exploring that, you shouldnt hire me. And Tony was like, OK, lets go.' "

Those who've seen her only in her 1957 Puerto Rican-immigrant onscreen persona may be surprised DeBose has no discernible accent. She doesn't even have a Carolinian one, despite being a Wilmington native raised in small towns in North Carolina. She and her schoolteacher single mother lived with DeBose's grandmother; the women started the young girl in dance classes at age 3.

"When I think of growing up, I see dance, I hear music and I think of teachers. When I dance now, its very spiritual to me. I see color. I dance colors. Music shows me colors. I frequently say, I dance music; the music does not dance me.

"When I need to process, I move. In my childhood, it was the thing that helped me process whatever I was seeing," she says, citing "microaggressions" she experienced as a brown child with a white mother.

If Anita werent a dancing role, DeBoses stamp on her would still be indelible because of the life bursting from her version of the character, how her fierce love for Bernardo and her maternal leanings toward Maria bend the ambitious young woman's trajectory. But  Anita does dance. Boy, does she dance.

DeBose, who has been featured on "So You Think You Can Dance" and in "Bring It On: The Musical" and received a Tony nomination for "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," imbues Anita with powerful physicality.

I speak dance better than I speak English, she says, screwing up her face, laughing. That is a reality. I understand body language.

That fluency in physical vocabulary shows up in her acting. Her kitchen scene with boyfriend and Sharks gang leader Bernardo, his younger sister Maria, and Chino, the friend he wants Maria to date, is a lesson in conveying relationships, intention and status  off the text. The way Anita shifts tone, inflection, depending on to whom she's speaking; the way she cajoles or scolds reveals much.

"You should feel her in the room before you hear her. You dont need to hear her to know how she feels about something. That was a conscious decision  although I will say, nonverbal communication does come naturally to me. If theres something I want you to know, you will see it right here. DeBose chuckles, pointing behind those glasses.

In perhaps DeBose's finest moment as Anita, she manages to navigate the difficult turn in the song "A Boy Like That." Anita goes from rage at Maria for consorting with the man who killed Bernardo, to accepting that Maria has to be with him, all in the space of a 5 -minute duet.

The actress says it was all about "separation of church and state, because if Maria said to Ariana DeBose, You were in love, or so you said / You should know better, I would have smacked the crap out of that little girl. But Ariana is not Anita. Anita knows the greatest act of love is to exhibit forgiveness in the face of extreme grief. At the heart of everything, Anita was trying to build pure love. She and Bernardo chose each other; you see it at the end of America. That turn was about forgiveness."

DeBose was braced for the challenge of reinterpreting a role that had won an Oscar for Rita Moreno's beloved performance in the 1961 film. "When I first met her, I had a full panic attack and was very awkward," DeBose says of meeting Moreno, who has a new role in the updated film. "But she was incredibly gracious with me. She empowered me, she made space for my anxiety. She said, What do you want to know? I said, I want to know whatever you want to tell me. She said, Youve got this. Give her everything that makes you unique and special."

The entire production made it all about joy. "This was one of the most accepting experiences Ive ever had. I got to fully embrace my Hispanic heritage ... and no one was hating on me because I didnt speak Spanish. They took my hand and said, 'Let's learn this Spanish!'

"You always hear people say, I spent six months on this film, and we were in the trenches and I was depressed  thats not what this was. This was joy every day we got to go to work."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The announcement Wednesday that 83-year-old Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire comes as something of a relief to Democrats, many of whom are worried that their chances of replacing him with a liberal justice would be dashed if they lost control of the Senate in the 2022 midterm elections.

But much still has to play out in Washington, where partisan tensions are ratcheted up during Supreme Court confirmation hearings, before the party can celebrate not losing further ground to conservatives on the high court.

The White House confirmed Wednesday that President Biden will nominate a Black woman as his first pick to the court, but, as with nominees for any high office, the journey from being picked to being confirmed to the Supreme Court can be difficult. Here are the key political players who will help determine how smooth, or rough, the nominee's path will be.

White House chief of staff Ron Klain

Ron Klain testifies on Capitol Hill in 2020. (Nicholas Kamm/AFP via Getty Images)

The president's chief of staff is well versed in Supreme Court nomination battles and will play a central role in deciding who will be nominated to replace Breyer. A former Supreme Court law clerk, Klain served as chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1989 to 1992, working closely with Biden, the then chairman of the committee, during the explosive confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas. Klain worked in Bill Clinton's White House as associate counsel to the president, overseeing his judicial nominations, including that of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

25 yrs ago today: the FIRST mtg w @BillClinton on picking his FIRST nominee to #SCOTUS. On the "short list" (in @algore's hand) is the name of the woman Clinton ultimately selected: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (#NotoriousRBG) pic.twitter.com/6nzjkBkC1m  Ronald Klain (@RonaldKlain) March 20, 2018

Klain also advised President Barack Obama on picking Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. In fact, Klain's experience with navigating Supreme Court picks has been cited as perhaps the most important reason he was chosen for the chief of staff role.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)

At least until the midterm elections in November, Democrats are clinging to a razor-thin majority in the U.S. Senate, which will decide whether Biden's nominee will be confirmed to the high court. Under current Senate rules, the president's pick needs just 51 votes to be confirmed. With the chamber split evenly  50 Democratic senators and 50 Republicans  Vice President Kamala Harris would break a tie vote on the nomination. As majority leader, Schumer will be in charge of setting an aggressive timetable, both in the Judiciary Committee and for a vote on the Senate floor, for confirming whomever Biden selects to replace Breyer.

"President Biden's nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed," Schumer said in a statement Wednesday.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

In June 2021, McConnell announced he would seek to block Biden from naming a justice to the high court in 2024, under the rationale that it was too close to the presidential election. (This concern did not stop McConnell from confirming Justice Amy Coney Barrett, appointed by then-President Donald Trump, a fellow Republican, just before the 2020 election.) McConnell did not commit to giving a hypothetical Biden nominee a vote in 2023 either. While Democrats decried those statements as arbitrary, they also added pressure on Breyer to retire before 2023. Assuming the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings go without a major hitch, and Democrats stay united in support of the nominee, McConnell lacks the votes to block her confirmation. But those are two big ifs.

Attorney General Merrick Garland

Attorney General Merrick Garland. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

While the principal duty of an attorney general of the United States is to "represent or supervise the representation of the United States Government in the Supreme Court of the United States," they also counsel presidents on whom to pick to fill vacancies. That responsibility now falls to Garland, whose own nomination by Obama to the high court in 2016 was blocked by Senate Republicans, led by McConnell, because of the impending election.

"The American people are perfectly capable of having their say on this issue, so let's give them a voice. Let's let the American people decide," McConnell, explaining his rationale for the new standard, said on the Senate floor. "The Senate will appropriately revisit the matter when it considers the qualifications of the nominee the next president nominates, whoever that might be."

That experience was bitter for both Biden and Garland, and now they will now work together on picking a nominee they hope won't be denied confirmation to the high court, let alone a vote.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. (Ting Shen/Pool via Reuters)

Durbin, D-Ill., has served on the Judiciary Committee for 22 years, participating in seven Supreme Court confirmation battles. In his first as chairman, however, he will be tasked with the delicate role of keeping the nomination on track through a protracted hearing in which the opposing party will question and seek to expose flaws or scandals that could turn the tide against the nominee. Durbin's job will be to maintain order and leave the public with the perception that the inevitable attacks on the nominee are either unwarranted or partisan in nature.

I look forward to moving the presidents nominee expeditiously through the committee," Durbin told reporters on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Whether he will be able to achieve that remains to be seen.

Sen. Joe Manchin

Sen. Joe Manchin speaking to the media. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Fresh off refusing to join his party's attempt to bypass the filibuster to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, Manchin, D-W.Va., now becomes something of a question mark for Democrats who need his vote to confirm Biden's Supreme Court nominee.

On Wednesday, Manchin said he looked forward to evaluating the qualifications of the president's pick.

I take my Constitutional responsibility to advise and consent on a nominee to the Supreme Court very seriously," Manchin said in a statement. "I look forward to meeting with and evaluating the qualifications of President Bidens nominee to fill this Supreme Court vacancy.

The question is whether Manchin will find Biden's pick to be too liberal for his liking. From blocking the Build Back Better spending bill to nixing changes to the filibuster, the staunch centrist has shown no reluctance to take on Biden and his party.

"I would like to hope that there are still Democrats that feel like I do," he recently told a Virginia radio station. "Now, if there's no Democrats like that, then they'll have to push me wherever they want me."

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema after a meeting with fellow Democratic senators. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Another Democrat who may worry the Biden administration is Sinema of Arizona. Like Manchin, she has refused to go along with the idea of ditching the filibuster, drawing a censure resolution from Arizona Democrats as a "result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy."

With liberal donors abandoning Sinema, members of her own party voting to censure her and tensions with colleagues in Washington, the timing of the Supreme Court nomination fight comes at a precarious time.

On the other hand, Sinema, who has called John Lewis her "hero," may also be looking for a way to bridge the divide with her party. Voting in favor of Biden's nominee would certainly be a start, while voting against her could spell the end of a tenuous relationship.

Sen. Susan Collins

Sen. Susan Collins. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images)

A frontrunner for the pick to fill Breyer's seat is U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who has already been confirmed in the Senate. Collins, R-Maine, was one of three members of her party to vote to confirm Jackson to the D.C. Circuit Court. A pro-abortion-rights Republican whose measured questioning and votes to approve the confirmations of Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh have been criticized by abortion rights advocates, Collins won reelection in 2020, meaning she will not face the heat of another campaign until 2026. Biden's nominee will be pro-abortion-rights, potentially putting a yes vote from Collins in play.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski

Sen. Lisa Murkowski at a Senate hearing on Capitol Hill. (Greg Nash/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Along with Collins and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Murkowski, R-Alaska, voted to confirm Jackson to her current position on the federal bench. Unlike Collins, she is up for reelection this November. Another centrist, Murkowski already has a primary challenger, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump following Murkowski's decision to support his impeachment for "incitement of insurrection" stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. Murkowski is pro-abortion-rights and was ranked by the New York Times as the second most liberal Republican. If either she or Collins were to support Biden's nominee, it would give the Democrats much-needed breathing room.

Cover photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
While many Democratic activists may regard Mitch McConnell as an all-powerful bogeyman, there is little that the Republican Senate minority leader from Kentucky can do to stop President Biden from nominating the next Supreme Court justice.

Justice Stephen Breyers impending retirement comes none too soon for Democrats. As soon as several months from now, it might have been impossible to replace Breyer with a justice chosen by Biden.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer. (Steven Senne, AP)

Republicans hope to take back the Senate majority in the midterm elections this fall, and McConnell had already signaled last summer that if that were to happen, he would likely block any attempt by Biden to nominate a justice to an open Supreme Court seat.

McConnells position does not have precedent, despite his claim to be an institutionalist. It is a rule he created for himself over the last few years, as he engaged in a series of power plays that ratcheted up partisan tensions in the Congress.

But as long as Democrats have the majority in the Senate, Biden can nominate justices to the Supreme Court. Thats because McConnell abolished the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees in 2017, in order to appoint Neil Gorsuch to the bench.

In other words, there is no 60-vote supermajority requirement to confirm a judge to the federal bench, as there is to pass legislation.

McConnell was quiet on Wednesday as news of Breyers retirement rippled out across the country. That was a clear contrast to the way McConnell reacted to the unexpected death of Justice Antonin Scalia in 2016.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images)

When Scalia, a conservative justice, died almost six years ago, McConnell  who controlled the Senate at that time as majority leader  moved with lightning speed. Within an hour, he issued a statement saying he would not even allow a hearing for any nominee put forward by then-President Barack Obama.

The American people should have a voice in the selection of their next Supreme Court Justice. Therefore, this vacancy should not be filled until we have a new president, McConnell said on Feb. 13, 2016. The election was almost nine months away.

Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, and McConnell was true to his word. Garland was never given a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The seat went unfilled for more than a year, until 2017, when President Donald Trump nominated Gorsuch and the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed him by abolishing the filibuster for such votes.

McConnells constitutional hardball kept Democrats from pushing the court further to the left than it already was at the time. It remained a 4-to-4 split with Justice Anthony Kennedy as the swing ninth vote in many decisions. When Kennedy retired in 2018, Trump replaced him with Justice Brett Kavanaugh, which pushed the court to the right.

And then, in September 2020, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a liberal, died at 87. Under McConnells rationale for blocking the Garland nomination in 2016, he would have left the seat open and allowed the American people to have a voice in the selection.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images)

Instead, McConnell reversed himself. President Trumps nominee will receive a vote on the floor of the United States Senate, he said. The confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett moved the court solidly to the right, giving conservatives a 6-3 majority in some cases and a 5-4 majority even in cases in which Chief Justice John Roberts did not rule their way.

Breyers retirement comes a few months before the justice will celebrate his 84th birthday. His advanced age, combined with McConnells ruthless track record regarding the court, is why a liberal group paid for a billboard truck to drive around the Supreme Court building last year with a large sign saying, Breyer, retire.

His retirement now, rather than a year from now, will prevent conservatives from dominating the court even more than they already do. And it may end up being the only Supreme Court vacancy filled by Biden.
In this May 27, 2021, file photo, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo speaks during a news conference honoring nine people killed by a coworker in San Jose, Calif. Gun owners would be required to carry liability insurance and pay a fee under a proposed ordinance in the city of San Jose that officials say would be the first of its kind in the United States. (Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group via AP)

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A California city voted Tuesday night to require gun owners to carry liability insurance in whats believed to be the first measure of its kind in the United States.

The San Jose City Council overwhelmingly approved the measure despite opposition from gun owners who said it would violate their Second Amendment rights and promised to sue.

The Silicon Valley city of about 1 million followed a trend of other Democratic-led cities that have sought to rein in violence through stricter rules. But while similar laws have been proposed, San Jose is the first city to pass one, according to Brady United, a national nonprofit that advocates against gun violence.

Council members, including several who had lost friends to gun violence, said it was a step toward dealing with gun violence that Councilman Sergio Jimenez called a scourge on our society."

Having liability insurance would encourage people in the 55,000 households in San Jose who legally own at least one registered gun to have gun safes, install trigger locks and take gun safety classes, Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

The liability insurance would cover losses or damages resulting from any accidental use of the firearm, including death, injury, or property damage, according to the ordinance. If a gun is stolen or lost, the owner of the firearm would be considered liable until the theft or loss is reported to authorities.

However, gun owners who don't have insurance won't lose their guns or face any criminal charges, the mayor said.

The council also voted to require gun owners to pay an estimated $25 fee, which would be collected by a yet-to-be-named nonprofit and doled out to community groups to be used for firearm safety education and training, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and mental health services.

In this May 27, 2021, file photo, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo stops to view a makeshift memorial for the rail yard shooting victims in front of City Hall in San Jose, Calif. (AP Photo/Haven Daley)

The proposed ordinance is part of a broad gun control plan that Liccardo announced following the May 26 mass shooting at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard that left nine people dead, including the employee who opened fire on his colleagues then killed himself.

At an hours-long meeting, critics argued that the fee and liability requirements violated their right to bear arms and would do nothing to stop gun crimes, including the use of untraceable, build-it-yourself ghost guns."

You cannot tax a constitutional right. This does nothing to reduce crime, one speaker said.

The measure didn't address the massive problem of illegally obtained weapons that are stolen or purchased without background checks.

Liccardo acknowledged those concerns.

This wont stop mass shootings and keep bad people from committing violent crime, the mayor said, but added most gun deaths nationally are from suicide, accidental shootings or other causes and even many homicides stem from domestic violence.

Liccardo also said gun violence costs San Jose taxpayers $40 million a year in emergency response services.

Some speakers argued that the law would face costly and lengthy court challenges.

Before the vote, Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said his group would sue if the proposal takes effect, calling it totally unconstitutional in any configuration.

However, Liccardo said some attorneys had already offered to defend the city pro bono.
The Norwalk elections official who police say fatally shot her tenant during an argument last week said she fired at the man because he had come after her, police reports show.

Ellen Wink, a city deputy registrar of voters, also said that she had enough of the tenant, Kurt Lametta, and that he was driving me nuts, the reports say.

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The police reports paint an alternate picture of Wink, 61, a one-time city clerk and candidate for state representative who said public safety was her top priority. She remained in custody Tuesday on $1 million bail at the York Correctional Institution after her arraignment on a charge of murder, and she is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Stamford Friday. Kevin Black, the lawyer who police say represents Wink, declined to comment.

Lametta, 54, died Jan. 20 on the floor of the unfurnished living room at 16 Nelson Ave., a house owned by Wink. The two have a history of disputes, one of which spurred her to throw out his personal belongings and lock him out of the house for failure to pay rent in September, say police, who arrested her after the incident.

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[ Norwalk elections official faces murder charge after police say she fatally shot her neighbor ]

Winks boyfriend, James Gavin, confirmed for police that Lametta didnt pay rent, the reports say. He also said Wink had told Lametta and a second tenant to move out because she wanted to sell the house.

Arguments normal

According to the police reports, the second tenant heard Wink and Lametta arguing the morning of the homicide, which is normal, he said. He also said he heard Lametta yell, Call the police and a loud noise like loud banging or door slamming or maybe gun shots.

Ellen Wink, 61, was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Kurt Lametta, 54, in Norwalk. (Norwalk Police Department)

Despite that, Wink is the one who called 911, the police reports say. She told the dispatcher she was involved in a verbal argument with her tenant, and that she has a gun and that her tenant came after her because she was cleaning up a little and he was all over the place, the reports say.

I am so tired of this guy, he is on the floor, she told the dispatcher, according to the reports, which added Wink said that she kept telling him to get out and had enough.

When officers arrived at 16 Nelson Ave., they saw through a front door window that a man was on the floor, bleeding, the reports say. Not knowing where the mans attacker was, they retreated, called for backup and later got in with a key.

The officers saw Wink walking down the driveway of her neighboring house at 18 Nelson Ave. They told her to stop and show her hands, and she did, saying, Im Ellen, I called. My gun is empty, the reports say. Asked if she used the gun, she said, Yes, I did. Five times.

Police later found five bullet holes in Lametta, the reports say.

Asked who was in the house at 16 Nelson Ave., Wink said a second-floor tenant and Kurt Lametta, hes been my tenant and hes [expletive] driving me nuts, the reports say. Police placed her in handcuffs.

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Her boyfriend, Gavin, came out of 18 Nelson Ave. and police questioned him. He told police Wink told him something like, Kurt got in my face and I shot at him, according to the reports. When he asked if she hit him, Wink said, I dont think I missed. Wink, who has a pistol permit, then dialed 911, Gavin told police.

Gavin later told investigators that Lametta stopped paying rent around September 2021. Wink recently changed the locks, he told police, because Kurt wasnt paying rent and she wanted him out, the reports say.

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Ellen is afraid of him

Gavin also told police that Kurt is a big bully and a big guy and Ellen is afraid of him, according to the reports. Lametta once had a problem with another tenant, who Lametta referred to by a derogatory name and threatened to kill, Gavin told police.

Gavin and the other tenant at 16 Nelson Ave. both told police that Wink and Lametta were not known to be physically violent during their arguments. They just yelled at each other, the reports say.

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Neither Wink nor Lametta has a history of violent crimes on their records from state court: Winks charges from the Sept. 18 landlord-tenant dispute were first-degree criminal mischief; fourth-degree larceny and criminal lockout, police say. The case has not been resolved.

Lametta has a 2019 conviction for possession of more than a half-ounce of marijuana and interfering with police, records show. He paid a $15 fine.

A Norwalk city spokesman confirmed Tuesday that Wink had been fired from her position as Republican deputy registrar of voters.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
The U.S. Coast Guard ship Bernard C. Webber, leaves the coast guard base, Monday, July 19, 2021, in Miami Beach, Fla. The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for 39 people after a good Samaritan rescued a man clinging to a boat off the coast of Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

MIAMI (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard searched on Tuesday for 39 people missing for several days after a boat believed to be used for human smuggling capsized off Floridas coast en route from the Bahamas.

A good Samaritan called the Coast Guard early Tuesday after rescuing a man clinging to the boat 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Fort Pierce, the maritime security agency reported on Twitter.

The man said he was with a group of 39 others that left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night. He said the boat capsized in severe weather and that no one was wearing life jackets.

The Coast Guard is calling it a suspected human smuggling case. Officials said on Twitter that they are searching by both air and sea over a roughly 135-mile (218-kilometer) area extending from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet.

A cold front late Saturday brought rough weather to the Bimini area. Tommy Sewell, a local bonefishing guide, said there were 20-mph (32-kph) winds and fierce squalls of rain on Sunday into Monday.

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

The Coast Guard patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.

For the most part, the migrants are from Haiti and Cuba but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

On Friday, the Coast Guard found 88 Haitians in an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Navigating the Florida straits, Windward and Mona Passages ... is extremely dangerous and can result in loss of life, the Coast Guard said in a statement last weekend.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.

The survivors said they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.

___

Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Washington contributed to this report.
MIAMI (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard searched on Tuesday for 39 people missing for several days after a boat believed to be used for human smuggling capsized off Floridas coast en route from the Bahamas.

A good Samaritan called the Coast Guard early Tuesday after rescuing a man clinging to the boat 45 miles (72 kilometers) east of Fort Pierce, the maritime security agency reported on Twitter.

The man said he was with a group of 39 others that left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night. He said the boat capsized in severe weather and that no one was wearing life jackets.

The survivor was brought to a hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure.

The Coast Guard is calling it a suspected human smuggling case. Officials said on Twitter that they are searching by both air and sea over a roughly 135-mile (218-kilometer) area extending from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet.

A cold front late Saturday brought rough weather to the Bimini area. Tommy Sewell, a local bonefishing guide, said there were 20-mph (32-kph) winds and fierce squalls of rain on Sunday into Monday.

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for 39 people after a good Samaritan rescued a man clinging to a boat off the coast of Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

The Coast Guard patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.

For the most part, the migrants are from Haiti and Cuba but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

On Friday, the Coast Guard found 88 Haitians in an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Navigating the Florida straits, Windward and Mona Passages ... is extremely dangerous and can result in loss of life, the Coast Guard said in a statement last weekend.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.

The survivors said they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.
The controversial unit of Customs and Border Protection that trawled through the travel and financial records of journalists and lawmakers is still monitoring Americans, according to documents obtained by Yahoo News.

The Counter Network Division, a part of CBPs National Targeting Center, monitored U.S. citizens in the run-up to the anniversary of the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol and in the days and weeks after, according to bulletins produced by the Department of Homeland Security Office of Intelligence and Analysis this month.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer in Buffalo, N.Y., checks a tractor-trailer for clearance after crossing from Canada. (Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images)

The division continues to monitor social media and open source for threats related to 6 January, states a DHS situation report. It notes that the division will continue to communicate daily with CBP regarding any threat and incident reporting of any relevance to the upcoming anniversary of 6 January 2021, US Capitol Riot.

Another bulletin shows the division was tracking right-wing groups that were planning events.

Those events appear to be non-violent in nature, according to a Jan. 8 DHS situation report, which says the CBP division was also tracking a planned Proud Boys event scheduled for Jan. 20, 2022. The type of event is unknown at this time and there are no current overt or implied threats to the general public, CBP employees, law enforcement or members of the Federal Government, the document states.

Despite determining that the events posed no threat to CBP employees or civilians, the unit continued to monitor these groups and report back on their activities, according to later bulletins reviewed by Yahoo News. The Jan. 6 anniversary at the Capitol took place without any major incidents.

This is domestic surveillance, this is spying on Americans, said a former high-ranking DHS official who worked at the National Targeting Center.

The Counter Network Division is part of the National Targeting Center, which resides within CBP. While the National Targeting Center was set up after the Sept. 11 attacks to focus on foreign threats entering the United States, its mandate has expanded in recent years to internal domestic threats. But the former high-ranking DHS official argued that CBP is not authorized to monitor Americans who pose no violent threat and have no connection to a threat crossing a border.

The Customs and Border Protection National Targeting Center in Sterling, Va. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty)

CBP is not allowed to do this, its that clear, the former official said.

Civil liberties groups also expressed alarm over the divisions monitoring of Americans.

For years, CBP has engaged in mission creep, but this foray into surveillance of domestic individuals and groups is a disturbing and dangerous leap for an agency with a history of abuses, said Scarlet Kim, an attorney for the ACLU National Security Project.

CBP is not an intelligence agency, and it has no place spying on people and activities absent any legitimate connection to its limited mission at the border, she continued.

CBP defended its monitoring but declined to answer questions from Yahoo News about the authority under which it was doing this work.

CBPs Counter Network Division is under scrutiny by Congress after reporting by Yahoo News last month revealed that the unit regularly used the countrys most sensitive databases to investigate the travel, finances and personal connections of journalists, congressional members and staff, NGO workers and other Americans not suspected of any crime.

The divisions work included Operation Whistle Pig, a sprawling leak investigation launched by the division that ensnared journalists from Politico, the New York Times, the Associated Press and other news outlets. This reporting was based in part on a DHS inspector general investigation into the activity, which concluded with criminal referrals for prosecution for three CBP employees.

The Department of Justice declined prosecution, citing, among other reasons, the lack of policies and procedures governing the work of the Counter Network Division. The three CBP employees remain in their jobs.

A Customs and Border Protection checkpoint at the Miami airport. (Lynne Sladky/AP)

Reporting by Yahoo News prompted the launch of four congressional probes and an internal review by CBP. The congressional oversight investigations have been stalled, however, because theyve been unable to obtain the report from the DHS inspector general.

Neither Senator Wyden nor the Senate Finance Committee have received the full inspector general report, Keith Chu, Wydens spokesperson, told Yahoo News.

It is not acceptable that the executive branch has failed to provide this report, or even a timeline for when it will be available, more than a month after the committees of jurisdiction requested it. Senator Wyden will consider taking additional steps to ensure CBP is accountable to congressional oversight if the report is not forthcoming soon, Chu added.

The DHS Office of Inspector General defended itself in response to a request for comment from Yahoo News.

Consistent with Attorney General Guidelines and CIGIE quality standards, reports of investigation are reviewed to ensure protection of witnesses and other information that may not be disclosed by law, a spokesperson wrote. That includes review by all entities that have equities in the report, before release to committees of jurisdiction.

It is unclear when or if the congressional oversight committees will receive this report.

In response to Yahoo News initial reporting in December, the DHS told Yahoo News it was launching a review of the activities at the Counter Network Division and working to ensure First Amendment rights were safeguarded.

Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. (Craig Hudson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Less than a week after providing these statements, however, the Counter Network Division was involved in monitoring social media postings that were  according to its own description  peaceful in nature.

The former senior DHS official who worked with the unit described the Counter Network Divisions focus on domestic activity is a failure in oversight. This is not what Counter Network Division was set up to do. Its supposed to be looking at whats coming across the border, the former official said.

CBP defended its domestic monitoring work in a statement to Yahoo News.

DHS has strengthened its efforts to prevent, detect, and mitigate threats to the homeland, including through enhanced information analysis, a spokesperson wrote. As part of this critical mission, CBP and other DHS agencies conduct lawful searches of open source, publicly available information to help identify potential threats to our communities, including those posed by domestic violent extremists. All of these efforts are conducted with rigorous oversight, consistent with our commitment to protecting First Amendment and privacy rights.

Another former high-ranking DHS official also questioned CBPs authority to investigate Americans in matters that have no connection to a border crossing, but said it could be authorized if it was tasked by, for example, the White House.

Yet the focus on domestic surveillance raises a critical question, the former official said: What are you not doing when youre focusing on that?

If youre looking at domestic, the former official added, youre not looking at the border.
WASHINGTON  The Office of Congressional Ethics said Monday that Reps. Marie Newman, D-Ill., and Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., may have violated federal law and recommended that the House Ethics Committee further investigate their cases.

The congressional watchdog's investigative report on Newmans case alleges she may have promised federal employment to a primary opponent for the purpose of procuring political support. If Rep. Newman used her candidacy to promise federal employment, she may have violated federal law, House rules, or standards of conduct.

Image: Rep. Doug Lamborn (Bill Clark / CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images file)

The ethics office alleged in its report on Lamborn that he may have misused official resources for personal and non-official purposes," potentially violating House rules and standards of conduct. Lamborn also "may have solicited or accepted improper gifts from subordinates, which could also violate federal law, the report continued.

The House Ethics Committee, which can reprimand lawmakers and recommend punishment for misconduct, said it would investigate the allegations in the reports.

Newman allegations

When Newman started her 2020 campaign, she made certain promises to her foreign policy adviser for the campaign, Iymen Chehade, about future employment in her congressional office, the report said. Both parties signed a contract, and in 2021, Chehade sued to enforce the agreement after the congresswoman didnt hire him, alleging that he decided not to run for the 2020 congressional seat in reliance of her promise to hire him as a foreign policy advisor and either District Director or Legislative Director in her congressional office," according to the report.

Newman ultimately settled the case with Chehade, and they both signed nondisclosure agreements, the report said.

An attorney for the congresswoman said in a letter to the Office of Congressional Ethics in November that the office fails to present grounds for investigation and added that virtually every element of the allegation is false.

Newman didnt violate any laws, rules or standards of conduct because she made the offer of employment to Chehade before she was a candidate and not in exchange for political support and because he was not a primary opponent, he said.

The ethics office said Chehade refused to cooperate with its review, and he did not immediately return NBC News' request for comment. The office recommended the House committee subpoena him and a political consulting group, LBH Chicago.

Newman's spokesperson said Monday that the ethics committee's review resulted from a right-wing organization's politically-motivated complaint and that the "materials produced during the OCE's review overwhelmingly demonstrate that the ethics complaint is completely meritless."

Lamborn allegations

The ethics office's report on Lamborn alleges that his wife, Jeanie Lamborn, has had access to an official House email account and that while it is not unusual for spouses to play a role in a congressional office or have an official email account, evidence obtained by the OCE indicated that Mrs. Lamborn had a role in the office that exceeded what is permissible for spouses.

The report said Lamborn's wife, for example, regularly visits his office, often sleeping there with the congressman, and "was deeply involved in all personnel aspects of Rep. Lamborns office, including but not limited to hiring, firing, and promotions." She received all daily reports from the Washington, D.C., and district offices summarizing what staff were working on each day, the report said. She also "regularly made requests of staff, which generally fell into two categories: (1) campaign-related matters, such as picking up mail and (2) personal errands or services," it said.

A former staffer told the Office of Congressional Ethics that Lamborns chief of staff, Dale Anderson, said the congressmans wife could overrule decisions and "had precedence."

He would explain that, and then Mrs. Lamborn would say, if mama aint happy, nobodys happy, the former aide said, according to the report.

The ethics office said Anderson refused to cooperate with its review, and he did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment.

The ethics office's report also alleges that staffers would host celebrations for the Lamborns on special occasions and would provide them with gifts. While current aides interviewed by the ethics office said those gifts were given voluntarily, some former staff said the gifts were obligatory, the report said.

An attorney for Lamborn told the office in December that most of the areas it examined do not reveal a single violation of House ethics rules. The "one and only possible questionable incident" was that Anderson helped move a heavy piece of furniture at Mrs. Lamborn's request, he said.

The attorney said Mrs. Lamborn was "committed to her husband's success" and her conduct did not have any ethical implications. He added that staff never performed campaign activities on official time or with government resources, were paid by the campaign for the work they did, and did not perform personal errands. Further, the attorney said Lamborn never solicited gifts from staff and noted that gifts for special occasions are allowed from subordinates for special occasions.

Lamborn intends to cooperate fully with the Ethics Committee and expects to be vindicated because he conscientiously follows ethics rules to the best of his ability, his attorney said.

The congressman did not immediately return NBC News' request for comment.

A former staffer of Lamborn, Brandon Pope, sued the congressman in May for allegedly firing him for complaining about Lamborn's "reckless and dangerous approach to Covid-19" in his congressional offices. The lawsuit, which the ethics office cited in its report, also alleged that Lamborn used staff to perform tasks for his family, such as moving furniture, and at one point gave his son, who was moving to Washington for work, "the necessary access to live in a storage area in the basement of the U.S. Capitol for a period of weeks."

Lamborn's communication director Cassandra Sebastian denied the allegations in the lawsuit at the time it was filed, saying the workplace safety allegations were "unsubstantiated" and "did not result in the termination" of the aide.
Time to generate a new antibody cocktail.

Popular antibody treatments for COVID-19 from Regeneron and Eli Lilly are no longer authorized because they dont work against the omicron variant, the Food and Drug Administration said Monday in a press release.

Both treatments had been effective for treating previous strains of the virus. Then-President Donald Trump famously got the Regeneron antibody cocktail in October 2020 after getting infected. The FDA gave it full approval weeks later, and millions of Americans have been treated using the steroid regimens in the past 13 months.

A doctor holds a Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusion bag during a news conference Aug. 19, 2021 at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.





A doctor holds a Regeneron monoclonal antibody infusion bag during a news conference Aug. 19, 2021 at a hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Joe Cavaretta/)

But since omicron became the dominant variant in the U.S. in mid-December, the two antibody treatments have proven ineffective. The FDA said Regenerons treatment was 1,000 times less effective against the new variant and Eli Lillys was 3,000 times less effective. Even before the FDAs announcement, both companies had admitted their drugs no longer worked and pivoted to developing treatments to target omicron.

If the drugs prove effective against future variants, the FDA said it would reconsider its authorization. In the meantime, the regulator said the side effects werent worth it when the treatments didnt work.

The federal government, which had been buying and shipping the treatments, halted those purchases and shipments Monday.

With the Regeneron and Eli Lilly drugs no longer effective, hospitals will rely more on the antiviral medication remdesivir, which has proven to work against omicron. COVID treatment pills produced by Merck and Pfizer have also shown promising results, but are in short supply because they werent approved until the final days of 2021.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who built a lot of his states pandemic response around the antibody treatments and has railed against vaccination requirements, whined about the FDAs decision on Tuesday.

With News Wire Services
ALBANY  Law enforcement officials and representatives from nine Northeastern states gathered Wednesday near Albany to discuss violence, crime and the spread of illegal guns.

Gov. Hochul hosted the first meeting of the new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns at the New York State Intelligence Center in East Greenbush following a wave of high-profile shootings, including a Harlem incident that left two NYPD officers dead.

We have a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight the scourge of illegal guns on our street, the governor said ahead of the sitdown. Too many lives have been lost because of illegal firearms that should never have been on our streets.

By convening law enforcement officials from across the region, we can share intelligence and strategies that stem the flow of illegal guns and keep New Yorkers safe, she added.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul (right) with Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin in the background, delivers remarks at the first meeting of the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns in East Greenbush, N.Y. on Jan. 26, 2022.





New York Governor Kathy Hochul (right) with Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin in the background, delivers remarks at the first meeting of the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns in East Greenbush, N.Y. on Jan. 26, 2022. (Mike Groll/)

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin joined Hochul and representatives from the New York State Police, the NYPD, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies from New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Mayor Adams joined a premeeting news conference virtually.

According to the governor, the task force will focus on setting up information-sharing systems and finding ways to share intelligence and tactics while partnering with prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in different states and regions.

What we have to focus on is real-time gathering of intelligence. Not wait a couple of days, not wait until a lab is finished analyzing, real-time, immediate response, Hochul said.

The governor also announced the appointment of Calliana Thomas as the director of the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

The new office will be a subsidiary of the Health Departments Center for Community Health. It will work with the Division of Criminal Justice Services and other agencies to coordinate efforts and direct resources to existing and emerging gun violence hotspots.

Hochul also highlighted several of her budget proposals to tackle gun violence, including nearly $9 million in funding for the New York State Police to hire new recruits, gun crime tracing analysts, social media analysts and computer crime experts.

The governor has also called for nearly $4 million to invest in equipment and software for a computer and cybercrimes unit within the state police.
With the announcement that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, the White Houses plans to replace him are likely to be shaped by relatively little-known comments that then-candidate Joe Biden made under intense political pressure during the make-or-break South Carolina presidential primary.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer in 2017. (Steven Senne, AP Photo)

It was Feb. 25, 2020, the night of a crucial Democratic presidential debate in South Carolina  and Bidens campaign was on the ropes, in serious danger of being knocked out of the race. The former vice president had been trounced in the Iowa caucuses (where he finished fourth) and the New Hampshire primary (where he came in fifth). South Carolina was his firewall, and Biden was counting on a promised endorsement from the most powerful figure in the states Democratic politics, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, the former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, to revive his campaign.

But Clyburn was extracting a firm promise from Biden: that he would name an African American woman to the Supreme Court. There have been only two Black Supreme Court justices, and only five women on the court  none of them Black.

Clyburn raised the issue with Biden on the night before the debate, and he expected that Biden would make the commitment during the debate. But as the debate unfolded at Charlestons Gaillard Center concert hall, Clyburn grew more and more frustrated, according to an account presented by the journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes in their book Lucky. Why wont he say it? Clyburn asked himself.

At that point, the authors add, Clyburn  during a break in the debate  took the matter into his own hands and headed backstage to confront Biden.

So Clyburn gets up from his seat in the debate hall in the audience, and he makes a beeline for the exit, Allen said during an appearance on the Yahoo News Skullduggery podcast last March. When he found Biden, he unloaded, Allen added. He says, Look, I told you that I wanted you to say that you were going to name a Black woman to the Supreme Court. You havent done it yet. Youve had a bunch of opportunities. Dont you dare leave this stage without doing it.

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., listens to then-presidential candidate Joe Biden speak in North Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 26, 2020. (Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

Biden took the message  or warning  from his most important political backer to heart. When the debate resumed, Biden delivered. Everyone should be represented, he said when asked about his personal motto and the biggest misconception about him. The fact is, what we should be doing  we talked about the Supreme Court. Im looking forward to making sure theres a Black woman on the Supreme Court, to make sure we in fact get every representation. And then he added: Not a joke.

Clyburn officially endorsed Biden the next morning  and Biden went on to a resounding triumph in the South Carolina primary, putting him back on the path to the nomination.

The commitment made in the heat of the political campaign  in order to placate a crucial political patron  now seems likely to kick in. Initial reports in the aftermath of Breyers announcement cite two leading contenders as the White House nominee to replace him: U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson (a Harvard-educated former federal assistant public defender who wrote a key opinion arguing that Donald Trumps former White House counsel Don McGahn had to testify to Congress) and California state Supreme Court judge Leondra Kruger (a former deputy U.S. solicitor general). Both are African American.

There is nothing certain in Supreme Court politics, but if either of them is appointed, theyll have Clyburn  and his demands to a desperate candidate  to thank. And without naming any names, on Wednesday White House press secretary Jen Psaki reaffirmed the president's pledge to name a Black woman to the Court.

It shows you how politics works, in a way, Allen explained during his appearance on Skullduggery. It wasnt a quid pro quo, per se  using all my Latin phrases at once. But there was a ton of pressure on Biden to do this, from the guy who could help deliver him some votes a few days later.
The retirement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has given President Biden the opportunity to fulfill his promise of appointing a Black woman to the nations highest court.

The retirement of Breyer, 83, was reported Wednesday afternoon and followed months of pressure from Democrats for him to step down. Breyer is a leader of the courts liberal wing, which is now outnumbered 6 to 3 by conservatives.

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer in his office in Washington, D.C. (Bill OLeary/the Washington Post via Getty Images)

Biden promised during the 2020 campaign that hed appoint a Black woman to fill any vacancies, and Ketanji Brown Jackson and Leondra Kruger are seen as two of the likeliest contenders.

Biden nominated Jackson, 51, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit last summer. Jackson had served as a district judge in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia since 2013, previously working as a public defender, the vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and a clerk for Breyer.

Jackson was confirmed to her current post by the Senate in a 53-44 vote, with Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina voting in her favor. Centrist Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, whove been at loggerheads with the White House on a number of key issues, were also yes votes on Jackson last year.

During her confirmation hearing for the U.S. Court of Appeals, Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked Jackson how race would affect her job.

I dont think that race plays a role in the kind of judge that I have been and would be. Im doing a certain thing when I get my cases, Jackson replied. Im looking at the arguments, the facts and the law. Im methodically and intentionally setting aside personal views, any other inappropriate considerations, and I would think that race would be the kind of thing that would be inappropriate to inject into my evaluation of a case.

Ketanji Brown Jackson at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on April 28, 2021. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

One of Jacksons most prominent rulings was a 2019 decision in which she ordered former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn to testify in the impeachment inquiry against then-President Donald Trump.

Kruger, 45, is an associate justice of the Supreme Court of California. Having previously served in the Office of the Solicitor General during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama presidencies, she argued 12 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court. She previously clerked for former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. Then-California Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, appointed Kruger to the state Supreme Court in 2014 when she was 38 years old.

Leondra Kruger is one of the handful of the most brilliant attorneys with whom Ive ever worked, Neal Katyal, who was acting solicitor general during Obamas first term, told the L.A. Times in 2020. I asked her to be my principal deputy solicitor general because I knew the advice shed give me would be meticulous and deeply thought out, and most of all, honest: I cannot imagine a better justice.

Liberals had been urging Breyer to retire since Biden won the presidency, concerned that if Republicans were to retake the Senate in the 2022 midterms and Breyer were to die, GOP Senate leader Mitch McConnell would not allow a replacement to reach the bench.

Obama had reportedly nudged Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire when a Democratic Senate could have confirmed a replacement, but she rejected the entreaties, dying in the final months of the Trump presidency. The process for her replacement was quick: Ginsburg died on Sept. 18, 2020, Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement on Sept. 26 and Barrett was confirmed on Oct. 26.

Leondra Kruger addresses the Commission of Judicial Appointments during her confirmation hearing to the California Supreme Court in San Francisco in 2014. (S. Todd Rogers/AP)

In a statement, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Breyers replacement would be confirmed with deliberate speed.

Bidens promise to appoint a Black woman was key to his winning the Democratic nomination for president. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the South Carolina Democratic power whose endorsement helped Biden turn his fortunes in the 2020 primary, said that the pledge was central to his decision.

"The president has stated and reiterated his commitment to nominating a Black woman to the Supreme Court, and certainly stands by that," press secretary Jen Psaki said at Wednesday afternoon's White House briefing.
"a lightbar on top of a police car during a traffic stop in Anahiem,CA." (aijohn784 via Getty Images)

HOUSTON (AP)  A 51-year-old man who had been on the run after being accused of fatally shooting a Houston-area deputy during a traffic stop this past weekend has been arrested in Mexico, authorities announced Wednesday.

Oscar Rosales was taken into custody by Mexican law enforcement early Wednesday morning, Houston police said on Twitter.

We are working with our law enforcement partners to begin the process of returning Rosales to Harris County, Houston police said.

Rosales was found in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, located across the U.S.-Mexico border from Del Rio, Texas, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. A reward of $60,000 had been offered for information leading to his arrest.

Harris County Precinct 5 Cpl. Charles Galloway, 47, was shot and killed around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday after pulling over a Toyota Avalon.

Authorities allege Rosales got out of his vehicle, fired multiple shots at Galloway with some type of assault rifle and then got back in his car and drove away. Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said Galloway had no time to respond or defend himself.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said at a news conference earlier this week that authorities had video evidence of Rosales shooting Galloway.

Prosecutors have filed a charge of capital murder against Rosales.

Authorities said that Rosales common law wife, Reina Marquez, 40, and her brother, Henri Marquez, 42, have each been charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the case.

Both are accused of tampering with Rosales car in an attempt to cover up his involvement in Galloways shooting death, according to Finner and court records.

Court records don't list an attorney for Reina Marquez or her brother.

Galloway had been with the constables office for about 12 and a half years, Heap said. The deputy mentored and trained numerous younger officers, who Heap said were broken up over the death.

Galloway is survived by a daughter and a sister, Heap said.

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Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the U.S. made no concessions in its written response to Russias demand that NATO ban Ukraine from joining the powerful military alliance.

In a press briefing at the State Department, Blinken announced that, after consultation with U.S. allies and partners, including Ukraine, the formal response to the Kremlins security demands was delivered earlier that day to the Russian government.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken during a Wednesday briefing on the crisis in Ukraine. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

The back-and-forth between Washington and Moscow represents the latest attempt to defuse the crisis, which was ignited in recent weeks as Russia amassed an estimated 100,000 troops on Ukraines border.

Blinken said the written response to Russia would not be released to the public, but he told reporters that it reiterates what weve said publicly for many weeks regarding mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine. He said the letter sets out a diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose to use it.

That path forward, Blinken said, did not include concessions on the Kremlins primary demands, including the withdrawal of NATO troops from Eastern Europe and the guarantee that Ukraine and other former Soviet-bloc countries would be prohibited from joining the alliance. But he said the response from Washington outlines areas for potential negotiation with Russia, such as arms control and other reciprocal measures to increase transparency in the region.

There is no change, there will be no change, Blinken said when asked whether the formal response delivered to Moscow includes any alteration to NATOs open door policy, which states that membership in the alliance is open to any European country that is in a position to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.

Blinken said the U.S. rejected Russia's demand to bar Ukraine from NATO but offered what it called a new path out of the crisis. (Brendan Smialowski/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Blinken clarified that decisions regarding NATOs admission policy are made by its members as an alliance, not the U.S. unilaterally. But, he said, from our perspective, I cant be more clear: NATOs door is open, remains open, and that is our commitment.

In the past, Ukraine has pressed for membership in NATO, which already includes ex-Soviet countries like those in the Baltic region. Such a move would add to the risk of a military conflict between NATO countries and Russia, which invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea in 2014. But the alliance has no plans to add Ukraine soon.

On Wednesday, Blinken also noted that, in addition to the U.S. response, NATO plans to deliver to Moscow its own paper outlining proposals and concerns about collective security in Europe.

Blinken said he expects to discuss next steps with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the coming days, after the Kremlin has had a chance to read the U.S. response.

Right now the document is with them and the ball is in their court, Blinken said.

Blinken reiterated that while it would be preferable to resolve the dispute peacefully, the U.S. and its allies are preparing for the possibility of renewed aggression by Russia. He pointed to the Monday announcement by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that 8,500 U.S. troops had been placed on heightened alert to assist with defending NATO allies. Blinken also noted that three deliveries of U.S. military assistance have already arrived in Kyiv this week, with more deliveries expected in the coming days.

During the press briefing, the secretary was asked about President Bidens comments on Tuesday that he would consider personally sanctioning Russian President Vladimir Putin if he authorizes an attack on Ukraine.

Everything is on the table, Blinken said.
Two teams of heavily armed officers swarmed a Wethersfield motel Tuesday to take into custody a convicted felon wanted on kidnapping charges, police said.

Edward Casares, 42, whose last known address was on Roger Street in Hartford, eventually surrendered, they said. His charges included two counts of kidnapping, risk of injury to a child and third-degree assault. He was in custody on $150,000 bail at the West Hartford Police Department early Wednesday and was scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Hartford later in the day.

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According to police, about 10:20 a.m. Tuesday, dispatchers got a call from a woman who said Casares was in Room 131 at Motel 6, 1341 Silas Deane Highway. Officers learned that West Hartford police had a warrant for Casares arrest on a kidnapping charge.

Casares would not cooperate with officers, police said. Based on that, the severity of the charges and the possibility he was armed, police called the Capitol Region Emergency Services team. West Hartford police said they sent their Emergency Services Unit as well.

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CREST negotiators talked to Casares and took him into custody about 12:50 p.m., police said. No injuries were reported.

In December, West Hartford police said, Casares assaulted an adult and drove away with the victim and a juvenile, both of whom he knows. Due to the nature of the case and the childs age, police declined to release further information about the alleged crime.

In addition to the kidnapping, risk of injury and assault charges, Casares was charged with second-degree breach of peace and operation while under suspension, police said.

Casares has seven convictions in state court from 2012-2019, the most recent for criminal possession of a firearm, a Class C felony, judicial records show. He was sentenced to seven years in prison, suspended after two, followed by three years of probation for the gun crime.

Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
President Biden at a White House event last year marking the start of monthly child tax credit relief payments. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press)

Five Democratic senators urged President Biden on Wednesday to continue to fight hard to extend the child tax credit, which he suggested last week might have to be dropped from a revamped version of his sweeping climate and domestic spending package.

The credit, which delivered monthly payments of $250 or $300 per child to more than 35 million families last year, was included in the $1.9-trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law in March. The payments ended in December, and a one-year extension that had been included in Biden's domestic spending bill is in jeopardy as lawmakers look to revamp the package in order to secure the 50 Senate votes needed to pass it.

In a letter to Biden, Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet of Colorado, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Raphael Warnock of Georgia and Ron Wyden of Oregon called the child tax credit "a signature policy achievement of this administration" and "the biggest tax cut for low- and middle-income families in modern American history."

Last year's payments, they noted, "are projected to reduce child poverty by more than 40%, [and] kept an estimated 3.7 million children out of poverty in December 2021 alone."

The issue is yet another point of tension between the White House and an increasingly fractious Senate Democratic caucus as they seek to move past recent setbacks to salvage what they can of Biden's ambitious domestic agenda, contained in a $1.75-trillion spending package that had been dubbed "Build Back Better."

Although the legislation passed the House, it was derailed in December when Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) announced he was a firm no on the bill.

In a lengthy news conference last week marking his first year in office, Biden expressed optimism that he could save "chunks" of the legislation, primarily the $550 billion aimed at investments to address climate change and subsidies for preschool  the components Manchin has said previously he supports.

Manchin, the conservative Democrat whose vote would give his party the 50 votes necessary to pass the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, has been reluctant to extend the child tax credit.

In July at a White House event touting the child tax credit, Biden labeled it "a middle-class tax cut" and predicted it would engineer "the largest-ever one-year decrease in child poverty in the history of the United States of America." But given the necessity of securing Manchin's support for elements of his package, Biden was noncommittal last week about the prospects of renewing the child tax credit as part of any sort of legislative compromise.

"There's two really big components that I feel strongly about that I'm not sure I can get in the package: one is the child care tax credit and the other is help for cost of community colleges," Biden said during the news conference on Jan. 19. "They are massive things that I've run on, I care a great deal about, and I'm going to keep coming back at in whatever form I get to be able to try to get chunks or all of that done."

With negotiations on a reconstituted spending package yet to begin in earnest, the five Democratic senators who wrote to Biden and were the primary backers of the child tax credit urged the president to dig in on the policy, noting that the monthly payments, which averaged $444 for participating families in December, "helped families cope with pandemic-induced price increases."

Not extending the tax credit, they argued, would amount to a tax increase for families.

"The consequences of failing to extend the CTC expansion are dire, particularly as families face another wave of the COVID-19 pandemic," the senators wrote. "Without the expanded credit, nearly 10 million children will be thrown back into or deeper into poverty this winter, increasing the monthly child poverty rate from roughly 12% to at least 17%. After historic progress, it is unacceptable to return to a status quo in which children are Americas poorest residents and child poverty costs our nation more than $1 trillion per year. Raising taxes on working families is the last thing we should do during a pandemic."

The senators also addressed one of Manchin's main complaints about the tax credit  that it might be abused by parents to buy drugs. They pointed to census data showing that "91% of low-income families spent their payments on basic necessities like groceries, utilities, housing and school-related costs."

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster holds up a bill banning almost all abortions in the state after he signed it into law on Feb. 18, 2021, in Columbia, S.C. An appellate court is preparing to hear arguments over a lawsuit challenging South Carolinas abortion law, as states around the country await U.S. Supreme Court action in another case that could dramatically limit abortion rights overall. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins, file) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP)  An appellate court is preparing to hear arguments over a lawsuit challenging South Carolinas abortion law, as states around the country await U.S. Supreme Court action in another case that could dramatically limit abortion rights overall.

On Thursday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set to hear arguments in Planned Parenthood's case against South Carolina's measure.

Signed by Republican Gov. Henry McMaster last year, the law requires doctors to perform ultrasounds to check for a so-called fetal heartbeat," which can typically be detected about six weeks into pregnancy. If cardiac activity is detected, the abortion can only be performed if the pregnancy was caused by rape or incest, or if the mothers life is in danger.

Opponents have argued that many women do not know they are pregnant at six weeks. And, they say, with such an early deadline, the law gives women little time to consider whether to have an abortion.

Medical experts say the cardiac activity is not an actual heartbeat but rather an initial flutter of electric movement within cells in an embryo. They say the heart doesnt begin to form until the fetus is at least nine weeks old, and they decry efforts to promote abortion bans by relying on medical inaccuracies.

The new law does not punish a pregnant woman for getting an illegal abortion, but the person who performs the procedure can be charged with a felony, sentenced up to two years and fined $10,000 if found guilty.

South Carolina has three clinics that provide abortions in its largest metropolitan areas  Charleston, Columbia and Greenville  and none of them perform abortions after the first trimester. Two of them perform abortions only twice a week, according to Planned Parenthood.

The 4th Circuit had originally planned to hear the case the week of Dec. 6, a week after the U.S. Supreme Court heard a challenge to a new law in Mississippi, which wants the high court to uphold its ban on most abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. The state also asked justices to overrule the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case and the follow-up 1992 decision that prevents states from banning abortion before viability, the point around 24 weeks of pregnancy when a fetus can survive outside the womb.

South Carolinas law has been blocked, pending the outcome of that case. If the court simply upholds Mississippis ban, other Republican-governed states would likely enact similar measures, while the demise of Roe could prompt more sweeping bans.

Texas' abortion law, the most restrictive in the nation, also bans abortions as early as six weeks but has no exceptions for rape or incest. Legal challenges against the measure are ongoing, but the U.S. Supreme Court has allowed it to remain in effect.

In July, 20 mostly Republican-led states went on record in support of South Carolinas law, arguing that a federal judge was wrong to pause the entire measure instead of just the provision being challenged. Several months later, 20 Democratic attorneys general voiced support for the legal challenge to South Carolinas law, arguing that the restrictive measure could harm their states by taxing resources if women cross borders to seek care.

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Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP.
Break out the gloves and hats: the Midwest is enduring its lowest temperatures of the winter on Wednesday.

The wind chill -- what temperature it feels like -- plunged Wednesday morning to about minus 19 degrees in Chicago, minus 30 in Minneapolis, minus 23 in Green Bay, Wisconsin and minus 7 in Indianapolis.

MORE: Deep freeze slams Midwest before taking aim on Northeast: Latest forecast

Then the deep freeze turns to the Northeast. Thursday morning the wind chill is forecast to fall to minus 4 degrees in Boston, 6 degrees in New York and minus 10 degrees in Watertown, New York.

Here is your cheat sheet for how to brave the frigid weather, from what to wear outside to what to remember when driving.

PHOTO: With the Washington Monument in the background, the reflecting pool by the Lincoln Memorial begins to turn to ice during frigid temperatures on the National Mall, Jan. 21, 2019, in Washington D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP)

PHOTO: Snow blanketed the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, 2022. (T.J. Kirpatrick/The New York Times via Redux)

This story was originally published in the winter of 2017 - 2018.

How to stay safe outside

Those with prolonged exposure or those not dressed appropriately for the weather are in danger of frostbite and hypothermia, National Weather Service meteorologist Jay Engle told ABC News.

Frostbite results in the loss of feeling and color in affected areas -- usually the nose, ears, cheeks, fingers, toes or chin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Frostbite could potentially cause permanent damage and, in severe cases, can lead to amputation, the CDC said.

PHOTO: People walk through a frigid Manhattan, Dec. 28, 2017, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Someone suffering from frostbite can be unaware of it because tissues that become frozen are numb, the CDC said. These are all signs of frostbite: numbness, white or grayish-yellow skin, or skin that feels unusually firm or waxy.

"Don't rub your hands -- if you have frost-nip or frostbite, rubbing actually causes tissue damage," Dr. Randall Wexler, professor of family medicine at Ohio State University, told ABC News.

PHOTO: A thin layer of ice covers ornamental plants, Jan. 4, 2018, in Plant City, Fla. Growers spray water on the plants to help protect them from extreme cold temperatures. (Chris O'Meara/AP)

If you think you are developing frostbite, "keep the area covered if you can ... because if you have frostbite on your hand and you pull off your glove, you may cause tissue damage," Wexler said.

He added, "That's also when you want to start trying to raise your core body temperature -- get rid of wet clothes, put on clothes that are warm and dry."

There's also hypothermia -- or abnormally low body temperature -- which can impact the brain, "making the victim unable to think clearly or move well," the CDC said. "This makes hypothermia especially dangerous because a person may not know that it's happening and won't be able to do anything about it."

PHOTO: A boy has his face bundled against temperatures in the teens on the National Mall, Dec. 28, 2017, in Washington. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

Warning signs for adults are shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. Warning signs for infants are bright red or cold skin and very low energy, the CDC said.

Engle recommends to "dress in three or more layers. One big thick winter coat tends not to do the trick. You have to have a thick sweater underneath and then a lighter jacket on top of that and then your winter coat."

"People really should keep their heads covered because that's where majority of heat gets lost," Engle added.

PHOTO: Workers remove snow from the East Front of the US Capitol on Jan. 4, 2022 in Washington, D.C., on the day after a heavy snowstorm. (Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images)

Wexler said moving can generate heat. But try to avoid sweating.

"If you are overheated and start to sweat, that lowers your body temperature and makes you more susceptible to cold injury," he said. "You want to be able to adjust your layers, zip and unzip."

Wexler also recommended staying hydrated because "dehydration can help promote cold injury."

PHOTO: Icicles hang from the fountain at Town Center in Virginia Beach, Va., Dec. 28, 2017. (L. Todd Spencer/The Virginian-Pilot via AP)

The young and elderly should be especially careful in the cold.

"Their ability to maintain core body temperature is harder than mid-age and younger adults," he said. "Kids, especially babies, lose a disproportionate amount of heat from their head -- that's why you want to have a hat on their head when you're out there. Older people are more at risk simply because it is more difficult to regulate our core body temperature as we get older."

It's also more difficult to maintain your core temperature if you are diabetic or taking decongestant antihistamines or certain blood pressure medications, Wexler said.

PHOTO: A man cleans a sidewalk with a snowplow during snowfall in Chicago, Dec. 24, 2017. (Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

How to keep your car safe

When the temperature dips, getting behind the wheel can prove to be a challenge. Problems include dead car batteries, iced-over windshields, broken car locks and driving with no traction.

Audra Fordin, founder of Woman Auto Know and the owner of Great Bear Auto Repair in Queens, New York, provided these tips:

1. Before you hit the road, check under the hood.

"If it's really cold outside, you want to make sure that your battery is going to be good in the freezing cold weather," Fordin said. "If you see any snow or blue stuff that's growing off your battery, that's an indication you want to go to the shop to have your battery checked."

PHOTO: Cars, covered with snow, are seen during snowfall in Chicago, Dec.24, 2017. The most snowfall the Chicago area has seen on December 24 was in 1918, when more than 7 inches of snow accumulated. (Bilgin S. Sasmaz/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

2. Iced out windshields? Turn to your wallet for help.

"If you get to your car and can't see, pull out a credit card, and you can just wipe that frost away," Fordin said.

3. Fighting a stubborn car lock? Get sanitizing.

"If your lock is frozen, put the sanitizer on the key, and then put the key into the lock," Fordin said.

4. If your car can't gain traction, let your floor mat give an assist.

"Grab your floor mat, you're going to put it underneath the wheel," Fordin said. "That will give you enough traction to pull your car out and hit the road."

How to stay safe in cold as frigid temperatures hit originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the Supreme Court's 83-year-old liberal pragmatist, plans to retire this year, clearing the way for President Biden to make his first appointment to the high court.

Breyer, a 1994 appointee of President Clinton, is the senior member of the three-justice liberal bloc, and his retirement is unlikely to change the court's ideological balance.

But it should allow Democrats to replace him with a younger and possibly more assertive progressive. The confirmation process is likely to dominate Democrats' agenda in 2022.

President Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed," Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said.

Breyer's plans were first reported Wednesday by NBC News. Court and White House officials had no comment.

Biden has pledged to appoint the first Black woman to the court, and the leading candidates are Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, 45.

Jackson, who serves as a federal appeals court judge in Washington, was a Supreme Court clerk for Breyer in 1999 and 2000. In March last year, Biden nominated her to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to fill the seat vacated by Atty. Gen. Merrick Garland.

Last month, she joined a three-judge ruling of the court that rejected President Trump's claim of executive privilege over the White House records that were sought by the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. And last week, the Supreme Court turned down Trump's appeal of that decision with only one dissent.

Kruger served as a law clerk for the late Justice John Paul Stevens in 2003 and 2004. White House sources say Kruger was asked to serve as U.S. solicitor general for the Biden administration but declined to step down from the state high court and return to Washington. They said that might dim her chances of being nominated now to the high court.

Others who have been cited as potential nominees are J. Michelle Childs, a federal district judge in South Carolina who is a favorite of Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), and Sherrilyn Ifill, the outgoing president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Asked Wednesday whether Biden might select Vice President Kamala Harris, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the president has "every intention" of keeping Harris as his running mate in 2024.

Justice Stephen G. Breyer, bottom right, in 2017 with fellow Justices, from left, Samuel A. Alito Jr., Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch. (Matt McClain / Washington Post)

In recent weeks, Breyer has sounded increasingly frustrated by the court's turn to the right. When the justices heard arguments on Biden's plan to require vaccinations or regular testing in most private companies, Breyer said it would be "unbelievable" for the court to overturn such a rule in the midst of a pandemic. But the court did just that a week later by a 6-3 vote.

The timing of his departure was probably affected by the Democrats' narrow hold on control in the Senate. By leaving well before the 2022 midterm election, Breyer ensures Democrats will have plenty of time to replace him before the election, when Republicans hope to recapture control of the Senate.

The last time Republicans held the Senate under a Democratic president, Senate GOP leaders simply declined to act on the nominee. In 2016, then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) refused to hold hearings or a vote on Garland, President Obama's nominee to fill the seat of Justice Antonin Scalia, who had died suddenly.

Breyer has been under heavy pressure to resign from liberals pointing to the example of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She declined to step down when Democrats held the White House and Senate during the Obama administration, and died when President Trump and Republicans were in control, shifting the court's ideological balance.

And even before the 2022 election, with a Senate split 50-50, some progressives worry that an unexpected shift of one seat due to death or resignation on the Democratic side could restore control to McConnell.

Breyer replaced Justice Harry Blackmun, the author of the Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion. He reliably joined Ginsburg and the court's liberals on the major issues that divided the justices. He supported abortion rights, college affirmative action and gay rights, and he dissented when the conservative majority struck down the limits on campaign spending and severely restricted the Voting Rights Act.

However, Breyer never achieved great prominence on a high court that was dominated by its conservatives and the right-leaning moderates who cast the deciding votes, including Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Anthony M. Kennedy. Meanwhile, liberals cheered for Ginsburg and the more outspoken Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Obama's first appointee.

Breyer is a California native, having grown up in San Francisco, and attended Stanford University as an undergraduate. But he spent most of his working life shuttling between Boston and Washington. He taught law at Harvard University and became a protege of Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and served for a time as one of Kennedy's top aides in the Senate. Kennedy played a key role in winning him an appeals court seat in Boston in 1980 and a Supreme Court appointment in 1994.

Breyer brought to the high court his belief in government as a force for good, and he saw the court's role as helping to make government work effectively. He has been the justice most likely to uphold the laws passed by Congress and regulations that were issued by federal agencies. He also focused more on the practical impact of a decision rather than on how it fit into an ideological approach to the law.

Despite his low public profile, Breyer had influence within the court because he could work with O'Connor and other moderate conservatives to shape middle-ground decisions or to limit the reach of a conservative ruling.

In 2019, for example, Breyer joined a court opinion that upheld as constitutional a 40-foot Latin cross that stood for nearly a century in a Maryland suburb as a memorial to local soldiers who died in World War I. As a condition for joining the opinion, Breyer had insisted the court not endorse erecting new religious symbols on public property, but instead accept long-standing monuments whose purpose was to honor soldiers, not to promote a religious viewpoint.

Breyer was particularly fond of O'Connor, a former state legislator, and like her, he brought a pragmatic approach to the law.

He spoke for the court in 2016 to strike down a Texas law that would have shut down most of the state's abortion clinics because their physicians did not have admitting privileges at a local hospital and because their facilities did not have the wide hallways of an ambulatory surgical center.

Breyer's opinion carefully explained that the evidence showed these restrictions would hurt, not help to protect, the health of the patients, some of whom would be forced to drive hundreds of miles in search of an open clinic. The approach was the kind of opinion that would appeal to swing-vote Justice Kennedy, who joined to form the majority.

Breyer's openness to compromise did not always work. He was dejected by the 5-4 ruling in Bush vs. Gore, which halted the hand recount of punch-card ballots in Florida and preserved a narrow presidential win for then-Gov. George W. Bush.

"The court was wrong to take this case. It was wrong to grant a stay" that halted the recount, Breyer wrote in dissent. While he agreed that ballots should be recounted under a "uniform standard" for deciding whether it was a legal vote, he said it was a mistake for the court to end the recount. "We do risk a self-inflicted wound  a wound that may harm not just the court, but the nation," he wrote on Dec. 12, 2000.

Breyer was the only justice to have worked for years in Congress, and he argued for interpreting the law in a way that carried out the intent of the legislators who wrote them. As an aide to Sen. Kennedy, he played a key role in the passage of the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978. He also helped shape the federal sentencing guidelines with the aim that prison terms should reflect the severity of the crime, not the judge who handed down the sentence.

At the court, he and Scalia were regular sparring partners, and the two carried on a long-running debate over how to decide cases that turned on the meaning of a federal law. Scalia, a conservative who was skeptical of Congress, said the court should rely strictly on the words of a statute.

Breyer, by contrast, insisted the court should be guided by the purpose of the law and interpret its provisions in line with what Congress intended. He was the justice most likely to uphold a law and the federal regulations that enforced it. Where conservatives complained of "unelected bureaucrats" and an all-powerful "administrative state," Breyer spoke of agency officials as smart, serious-minded experts who were seeking to implement the law that came from Congress.

"The hardest problem in real cases is that the words 'life,' 'liberty' or 'property' do not explain themselves. Nor does the freedom of speech say specifically what counts as 'the freedom of speech,'" he said in 2011. While Scalia thought money spent on political campaigns was fully protected as speech, Breyer disagreed and voted to uphold the limits on spending and contributions set by Congress.

Breyer voiced despair over the lingering challenge of capital punishment. Writing in dissent in the 2015 case of Glossip vs. Gross, Breyer argued that recent decades had revealed the death penalty system was broken beyond repair. He said DNA testing had shown that a significant number of defendants were wrongly convicted and some were sentenced to death for crimes they did not commit.

Breyer concluded that the death penalty had proved to be arbitrary, unreliable and unworkable, and he said the court should declare it is "cruel and unusual punishment." Only Ginsburg signed on to his dissent.

Breyer's usual tone was hopeful and optimistic. In a 2010 book called "Making Our Democracy Work," Breyer said informed citizens, elected officials and judges must constantly work together with the aim of improving government. Yet from his Supreme Court chamber, he watched each year as Congress grew ever more divided, with members unwilling to work with or even speak with those on the other side of the aisle.

Over the years, several justices  but not Breyer  quit attending the annual State of the Union speech in which the president addresses the House and Senate in a joint session. His colleagues complained the speeches had turned into partisan pep rallies. Breyer believed that attending was a symbol of the different branches of government joining to work together in the year ahead.

Though he was often on the losing side when the justices were closely split, Breyer disputed the view that the outcomes turned on the political views of the justices. Asked in a 2020 interview about what most people get wrong about the court, he replied: "I think the most common perception, which is wrong, in my opinion, is they think that we're just junior-league politicians and they think that all these cases are decided on political grounds. We won't always get it right, but we're trying to do our best to figure out how law applies in this situation. And that's sometimes pretty tough. And the decisions people think are so obvious, they're not so obvious."

Stephen Gerald Breyer was born Aug. 15, 1938, in San Francisco, where his father, Irving, served as the legal counsel for the San Francisco Board of Education. He graduated from Lowell High School in 1955 and earned an undergraduate degree from Stanford. He was awarded a Marshall scholarship to study at Oxford and then returned to the U.S., where he earned a Harvard law degree.

He first came to Washington in 1964 to be a Supreme Court clerk for Justice Arthur Goldberg and then joined the Justice Department in the antitrust division. In 1967, he married Joanna Freda Hare, a child psychologist who was a member of the British aristocracy. They had three children: Chloe, Nell and Michael. Breyer's younger brother Charles was a federal district judge in San Francisco.

Breyer missed his first shot at the Supreme Court. In 1993, shortly after Clinton moved into the White House, Justice Byron White announced his plan to retire. Democrats were eager to fill their first Supreme Court seat in 26 years. Clinton set out to select a prominent Democrat with experience in the political world, but New York Gov. Mario Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, a former federal judge, declined the offer. He had initially declined to consider Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg because she had given speeches in which she criticized the Roe vs. Wade ruling.

Breyer had the support of top White House lawyers as well as Sen. Kennedy, and Clinton invited him to the White House. But Breyer had been badly injured in a bicycle accident and suffered broken ribs and punctured lung. Nonetheless, he traveled to Washington for what turned out to be a difficult and painful interview. Clinton and Breyer had differing views on antitrust law, and the president did not come away impressed. After more weeks of delay, Clinton invited Ginsburg for an interview and immediately decided to nominate her to the court.

A year later, however, Justice Harry Blackmun retired. And while Clinton again reached out to several prominent figures, he relented and nominated Breyer, who appeared to face no real challenge in the Senate. He won confirmation on an 87-9 vote.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Around nine in 10 young teenagers in the UK are likely to have Covid-19 antibodies, new analysis suggests.

The estimates, which are for children aged 12 to 15, range from 88.0% in Wales to 91.7% in Scotland, with 90.9% in England and 90.7% in Northern Ireland.

It is the first time figures have been published for this age group.

The presence of coronavirus antibodies suggests someone has had the infection in the past or has been vaccinated.

It takes between two and three weeks after infection or vaccination for the body to make enough antibodies to fight the virus.

Antibodies then remain in the blood at low levels, although these levels can decline over time to the point where tests can no longer detect them.

(PA Graphics)

The figures have been calculated by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and are based on a sample of blood test results for the week beginning January 3 2022.

The very high level of antibodies among young teenagers reflects both the prevalence of coronavirus in this age group in recent months and also the impact of the vaccination programme.

First doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been available for 12 to 15-year-olds since September 2021, with jabs being offered in schools as well as local vaccination centres.

Second doses are now being rolled out to this age group.

The ONS said said there is a clear pattern between vaccination and testing positive for Covid-19 antibodies but the detection of antibodies alone is not a precise measure of the immunity protection given by vaccination.

A persons immune response is affected by a number of factors, including health conditions and age.

For the first time, weve provided estimates for the percentage of children who would have tested positive for #COVID19 antibodies. Latest percentages ranged from  88.0% to 91.7% for ages 12 to 15 years 37.9% to 60.1% for ages 8 to 11 years  https://t.co/c6uruqohrJ pic.twitter.com/lY5jmKdmiI  Office for National Statistics (ONS) (@ONS) January 26, 2022

Antibody levels are expected to decrease over time irrespective of vaccination or natural infection, especially when exposure to the virus is reduced, because our bodies stop making antibodies when they are not needed, the ONS added.

Estimates of Covid-19 antibodies for children aged eight to 11 have also been published for the first time.

These are much lower than the estimates for 12 to 15-year-olds, ranging from 37.9% in Northern Ireland to 60.1% in Scotland, with 58.8% in England and 53.3% in Wales.

Only a very small number of children under 12 are likely to have received any Covid-19 vaccine, with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommending just last month that five to 11-year-olds in clinically vulnerable groups should now be offered two doses, delivered eight weeks apart.

All ONS estimates are for people in private households and are subject to uncertainty, given they are based on samples that are part of the wider population.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has said the UK is not ruling out support for personal sanctions against President Vladimir Putin in the event of a Russian incursion into Ukraine.

Ms Truss made the comments after US President Joe Biden suggested moving to penalise the Russian president could be an option in the case of an invasion.

When asked on Tuesday if he could see himself sanctioning President Vladimir Putin in those circumstances, Mr Biden told reporters: Yes, I would see that.

Asked if the UK would support personal sanctions against the Russian president, Ms Truss told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Wednesday that the Government had ruled nothing out.

We have ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions, and in fact well be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies, and banks, in Russia in the event of an incursion, she said.

Whats important is that all of our allies do the same, because its by collective action, by showing Vladimir Putin were united, that we will help deter a Russian incursion.

She also called on the UKs allies to do more to support Ukraine.

Asked if she was worried about united action, she said: We would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine and also put those sanctions in place.

We have made huge progress. I hosted the G7 in Liverpool in December and all of the G7 agreed that there would be severe economic costs if Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine.

Ms Truss told Sky News that Russia would face severe sanctions in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.

Russian president Vladimir Putin could face personal sanctions (Matt Cardy/PA)

We are already supplying support to Ukraine. Were supplying defensive weapons. Were providing economic support, she said.

We are urging Russia to desist from an incursion and were making it very clear that if they were to do that there would be severe economic cost to Russia  severe sanctions.

On what these sanctions could look like, she said: They would target individuals, they would target financial institutions and they would be co-ordinated with all of our allies across Europe, the United States and others.

Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that Britain was prepared to deploy troops to protect Nato allies in Europe should Russia invade Ukraine, as he warned Mr Putin faced ferocious Ukrainian resistance.

Asked about this on BBC Radio 4s Today, Ms Truss said: We already deploy troops in Estonia as part of our enhanced forward presence. We are looking at what more we can do. Were working very closely with allies.

I had a meeting with the Nato secretary general in Brussels earlier this week to discuss that, but the UK is already at the forefront of providing forces in Estonia and providing broader support across eastern Europe.

But be in no doubt, Nato is determined to increase support on the eastern flank to support our Nato allies, who of course we have strong obligations to.

The Prime Minister also said on Tuesday that the UK and its allies stood ready to impose heavy economic sanctions on Russia and voiced fears that any invasion would result in bloodshed comparable to the first war in Chechnya or Bosnia.

Mr Johnson told the House of Commons: If Russia pursues this path, many Russian mothers sons will not be coming home.

The response in the international community would be the same and the pain that would be inflicted on the Russian economy will be the same.

Putins aggression threatens peace in Europe and runs counter to Labours core values of internationalism and the rule of law. We must stand firm and united in our support for Ukraine. https://t.co/8WrRp73SnT  David Lammy (@DavidLammy) January 25, 2022

He made an appeal for diplomacy to resolve the tensions and avoid a war that would earn and would deserve the condemnation of history.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Tuesday that his party stands resolute in supporting Ukraines independence and sovereignty.

Mr Johnson, making a statement to the Commons, went on to say: The British Army leads the Nato battle group in Estonia and if Russia invades Ukraine, we would look to contribute to any new Nato deployments to protect our allies in Europe.

He also told MPs the UK could not bargain away the vision of a free Europe which emerged between 1989 and 1991, adding: We will not reopen that divide by agreeing to overturn the European Security Order because Russia has placed a gun to Ukraines head, nor can we accept the doctrine implicit in Russian proposals that all states are sovereign, but some are more sovereign than others.

The draft treaty published by Russia in December would divide our continent once again between free nations and countries whose foreign and defence policies are explicitly constrained by the Kremlin in ways that Russia would never accept for herself.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a statement on the Ukraine in the House of Commons (House of Commons/PA)

He went on: There is nothing new about large and powerful nations using the threat of brute force to terrify reasonable people into giving way to otherwise completely unacceptable demands.

But if President Putin was to choose the path of bloodshed and destruction, he must realise that itd be both tragic and futile, and nor should we allow him to believe that he could easily take some smaller portion of Ukraine  to salami-slice  because the resistance would be ferocious.

Russian troops have massed at the border with Ukraine and intense diplomatic activity has failed to ease tensions.

Sir Keir said: For too long the implicit message to Moscow has been that President Putin can do what he likes and the West will do little to respond.

We must now change course and show Russia that any further aggression will result in severe real-world consequences.
Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Sunny. High 91F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies this evening will give way to mostly cloudy skies overnight. Low 56F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.
Bask Steakhouse is an upscale, white tablecloth restaurant with a focus on prime meats and seafood. It is expected to open next to From the Earth inside the Connexion Plaza on Holcomb Bridge Road in mid to late spring.
The Children's Museum in West Hartford, an institution in town, will be moving to an unannounced temporary location nearby in June now that the property has been sold to an apartment developer. The museum is still searching for a permanent home in Hartford, where it was founded in 1927. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

West Hartford  An apartment developer active in Greater Hartford plans to purchase The Childrens Museum property near West Hartford Center -- seen as prime for redevelopment -- with the museum now looking to move to a temporary location in June as it searches for a permanent home in Hartford.

Continental Properties of New York has reached an agreement with the museum propertys owner, the neighboring Kingswood Oxford School, and plans upscale apartments. A purchase price and detailed plans were not announced Tuesday. Formal plans are expected in late spring or early summer.

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Howard S. Rappaport, a Continental principal, said, in a release, that he envisioned bringing a beautiful, new walkable residential community to the edge of West Hartford Center.

The iconic Conny the Whale has graced The Children's Museum's grounds since the 1970s. But the 45,000-pound concrete sculpture won't be moving with the museum. A new caretaker, museum officials say, will be found. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

A redevelopment of the 3.5-acre property at 950 Trout Brook Drive near the intersection of Farmington Avenue will mean the relocation of the museum after more than six decades on the site.

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Michael J. Werle, the museums executive director, said Tuesday the museum has two temporary locations in mind, both within a few miles and no more than 8 to 10 minutes away.

A lot of people are a bit upset about [the museum] moving but, to be honest, were kind of excited about the future and what it is laying out for us, Werle said. Weve been in these buildings 60 some years, and they show it.

The Children's Museum property near West Hartford Center has a buyer but the sale has not yet closed. (Courtesy of Colliers International)

One thing that appears to be for sure is that Conny the Whale -- a 45,000-pound concrete sculpture -- that has graced the museums grounds since the 1970s will not be moving with it.

The iconic Conny -- now synonymous with the museum and incorporated into its logo -- isnt owned by the museum, Werle said. It was built by volunteers on behalf of the state to both recognize the sperm whale, Connecticuts state animal, and to call attention to the indiscriminate killing of the creatures.

Werle said it could cost $200,000 or more to move the sculpture and with the prospect of the museum moving twice, it wasnt financially feasible for Conny to stay with the museum.

Garrett Phillips, animal curator at The Children's Museum, feeds the museum's rabbits. The museum is moving in June to an unannounced temporary location. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

The museum is in negotiating with a handful of potential new caretakers for the sculpture, but it remains uncertain who would pay for the move and any needed repairs, Werle said.

News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m >

The museum sold the property to Kingswood Oxford in 2002 and has leased it ever since, with the intention of eventually finding a new site.

Werle said he expects the museum also will announce in the very near future its permanent location in Hartford -- where the museum was founded in 1927. Once it does, Werle said, it would be two or three years before the museum opens in the permanent location. Fundraising for the permanent site is continuing, Werle said.

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A rendering shows an upscale apartment building proposed for Farmington Avenue diagonally across from The Children's Museum site. (Jasko Development; Zelman Real Estate; Jaz-1 Investments)

Redevelopment of the museum site would further strengthen the gateway to West Hartford Center and the Blue Back Square area, where apartment occupancy is tight. Diagonally across Farmington Avenue from the museum site, a project is planned that would demolish two forlorn buildings and replace them with 48 upscale apartments.

This is a highly sought-after property in the heart of town, and we believe its sale will enable Kingswood Oxford to invest in its future as Continental Properties brings its vision to life in a vibrant West Hartford, said John Cafasso, a broker at commercial real estate services firm Colliers International, which represented the school.

Founded more than 65 years ago, Continental has built 25,000 units of housing in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York, Florida, California and elsewhere. In Connecticut, Continental has developed and managed four projects: One Glastonbury Place, Glastonbury; Temp at The Promenade Shoppes at Evergreen Walk in South Windsor; and Montage and Alterra in Rocky Hill.

Tom Dillow, Kingswood Oxfords head of school, said Tuesday the planned development will fit well with the school and the proceeds will be reinvested back into Kingswood Oxford.

Kenneth R. Gosselin can be reached at kgosselin@courant.com.
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YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The US Embassy in Kyiv has called on US citizens to consider leaving Ukraine "now", ARMENPRESS reports, says the statement of the diplomatic mission.

"The security situation in Ukraine remains unpredictable in the face of the growing threat of military action by Russia The US Embassy urges its citizens in Ukraine to consider leaving the country now, using commercial or other private transportation means," the embassy said in a statement.

Earlier, the US State Department said that since January 24, it has allowed some of the diplomatic staff in Ukraine to leave voluntarily, obliging all family members to leave the country.
YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan had a meeting with the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Xavier Bettel on January 26 within the framework of the state visit to Luxembourg.



As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, recording that 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the sides expressed satisfaction with the establishment of friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries in the past three decades.



Ararat Mirzoyan and Xavier Bettel referred to the development prospects of Armenia-Luxembourg relations anchored on common values, mutual trust, respect, both expressing readiness to deepen the political dialogue, cooperation at multilateral platforms, economy, information technology, cooperation in scientific-educational fields.



Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan conveyed the invitation of the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan to visit to Armenia.

After the meeting the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia and the Prime Minister of Luxembourg toured the capital, where the state flag of Armenia was raised in honour of the official visit of the Foreign Minister of Armenia. During the tour Ararat Mirzoyan and Xavier Bettel continued the exchange of thoughts concerning important issues of bilateral agenda.
YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan arrived at the Russian Foreign Ministry on January 26 at 19:30 local time, ARMENPRESS reports the correspondent of TASS said.

The diplomat entered the Foreign Ministry without detailing on the purpose of the visit.

Earlier, CNN had reported that the USA intends to send a written response to Russia's proposals on security guarantees on January 26.
RTHK: Biden threatens Putin with personal sanctions

The United States warned Moscow on Tuesday of damaging sanctions, including measures personally targeting Vladimir Putin, as Russian combat troops massing around Ukraine launched new exercises.

Tension appeared to be only increasing, with the White House saying the risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine "remains imminent".

Warning that would prompt "enormous consequences" and even "change the world," President Joe Biden said he would consider adding direct sanctions on Putin to a raft of measures being drawn up.

"Yes. I would see that," Biden said when asked by reporters in Washington about targeting Putin, whom opponents have long accused of holding gigantic, secret wealth.

A senior US official laid out economic sanctions "with massive consequences" that go far beyond previous measures implemented in 2014 after Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimea region, warning that "the gradualism of the past is out".

New measures would include restrictions on exports of high-tech US equipment in the artificial intelligence, quantum computing and aerospace sectors, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"What we're talking about are sophisticated technologies that we design and produce," and cutting them off would hit Putin's "strategic ambitions to industrialise his economy quite hard," the official said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed the threat, saying sanctions would be "heavier than anything we've ever done".

In a bid to break the growing tension, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would talk by telephone with Putin on Friday, seeking "clarification" on Moscow's intentions.

A day after Washington said it was putting 8,500 US troops on alert for possible deployment to bolster Nato forces in Europe, the Russian military announced it was conducting new drills involving 6,000 troops near Ukraine and within the Crimea region.

The drills included firing exercises with fighter jets, bombers, anti-aircraft systems and ships from the Black Sea and Caspian fleets, the defence ministry said.

According to Western officials, the Kremlin has already deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, with reinforcements arriving from all over Russia. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Fast expansion of Chinas courier sector mirrors vitality of Chinese economy

09:11, January 26, 2022 By Li Xinping ( People's Daily

Chinas courier sector handled a total of 108.3 billion parcels last year, which represented a surge of 29.9 percent from a year earlier and accounted for over half of the parcels handled across the world, according to the State Post Bureau (SPB).

Workers assign parcels to robots at the logistics center of Fast Fish, a fast fashion retailer, in a smart logistics park in Deqing county, Huzhou city, east Chinas Zhejiang province, Jan. 4, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/ Wang Shucheng)

Many of these 108.3 billion parcels made arduous journeys to remote areas of China and even foreign countries.

Thanks to the hard work of couriers, packages from north Chinas Beijing, east Chinas Shanghai and south Chinas Guangdong province can arrive in Zhaxizom township, Tingri county, southwest Chinas Tibet autonomous region, which is located at an altitude of over 4,000 meters at the foot of Mount Qomolangma, within five days.

Meanwhile, parcels sent from Shenzhen, Guangdong province, can fly across the Pacific Ocean and arrive in Los Angeles the next day.

After four years of construction, Ezhou Huahu Airport in Ezhou city, central Chinas Hubei province, recently completed calibration flights, which means that the first cargo airport in China is one more step closer toward official operation.

The airport is without doubt a major project in Chinas courier sector in recent years. It represents the first time that Chinese courier companies have expanded investment to airports, a result of the fast development of the industry as well as consumers high requirements for delivery timeliness.

The airports 1.5-hour flight circle will cover 80 percent of Chinas population. And flights departing from the airport can reach major airports in China within one night and those in foreign countries the next day.

The annual cargo and mail throughput of Ezhou Huahu Airport is expected to reach 3.3 million tonnes by 2030.

The fast expansion of the courier sector has provided opportunities for the rapid development of the logistics equipment industry.

As express delivery business volume continues to grow, parcels cant possibly all be sorted through manual work. The industry is in urgent need of a boost from technologies.

Wayz Intelligent Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd., a high-tech enterprise engaging in the in-depth research on core technologies of the logistics industry, was listed on the sci-tech innovation board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange on Oct. 26, 2021, the same year when it celebrated the 5th anniversary of its founding.

Workers operate robots remotely to sort parcels at the logistics center of Fast Fish, a fast fashion retailer, in a smart logistics park in Deqing county, Huzhou city, east Chinas Zhejiang province, Jan. 4, 2022. (Peoples Daily Online/ Wang Shucheng)

By then, the company had delivered 300 sets of cross-belt sortation system. As of the end of 2021, its products had been exported to many countries and regions. The company plans to continuously strengthen the construction of overseas market channels and expand its business to more markets.

Multinational pharmaceutical company AstraZenecas supply base in Wuxi city, east Chinas Jiangsu province, has significantly improved efficiency in sending off goods by connecting its order system to SF DHL Supply Chain, a leading supply chain service provider in China.

After entrusting the comprehensive management of its high-bay warehouses to SF DHL Supply Chain, the supply base can now send off up to 20,000 to 30,000 boxes of products a day, compared with merely 2,000 to 3,000 in the past.

Chinese logistics company Suning Logistics has taken on after-sales services of manufacturing industry. Its employees not only deliver furniture consumers purchase online to their homes, but install the furniture for them.

The fact that more and more courier companies have started to establish cooperative relations with manufacturing enterprises shows that besides providing delivery services express delivery companies are also trying to embed facilities, systems and services in the production, sale and even after-sales links of manufacturing enterprises, becoming inseparable from the production and circulation process of manufacturing.

Cranes unload containers at a container terminal of a port in Huzhou city, east Chinas Zhejiang province, Dec. 21, 2021. (Peoples Daily Online/ Xia Pengfei)

Cross-border courier services make it easier for consumers to purchase products from across the world and for companies to sell their products to various countries and regions.

In November 2021, the seven distribution centers of Cainiao Network, the logistics arm of Alibaba Group, in Belgiums Liege, Spains Madrid, Frances Paris, Germanys Bremen, Italys Rome, Hungarys Budapest and Russias Moscow were officially put into operation.

Besides, Cainiao Network has also launched more than 300 charter flights, with an estimated cargo capacity of more than 30,000 tonnes.

In fact, many Chinese courier companies have accelerated the business expanding in overseas markets in recent years, building a total of 240 overseas warehouses with a total area of nearly 2 million square meters.

The vigorous development of the courier sector not only helps the manufacturing industry reduce costs and increase efficiency through integration with it, but also stimulates the overseas sales of domestic products, facilitates the cross-border flow of commodities, and brings more opportunities to the sector and other related industries.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
Andre Rochester will administer the Albany Avenue beautification project sponsored by the City of Hartford and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. (Courtesy Leslie Gomez / LMG Photography)

Hartford  Hartford artists have a chance to show off their work on bus shelters and electrical switching boxes on Albany Avenue in a new initiative by the City of Hartford and Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

The hARTford Love project will be administered by local artist Andre Rochester.

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This project will add to the amazing development and revitalization that is coming into this neighborhood, said Luz Holmes, president and chair of the Upper Albany NRZ. This art project will really give our residents, merchants, social services and creatives so much pride and energy to be a part of the advancement and beautification of this community.

No fewer than 17 and no more than 34 artists will be chosen to decorate nine bus shelters and 25 electrical boxes in the Albany Avenue and Clay Arsenal neighborhoods, Rochester said.

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Each artist will get $500 per design. Members of the Upper Albany and Clay Arsenal Neighborhood Revitalization Zones will spearhead the selection process.

The application period ends Feb. 15. Artists can apply at hartfordct.gov/artproject. Artists must submit sample artwork and a brief biography and explain their connection to the neighborhoods.

Artists must live in Hartford or neighboring towns. Selected artists will have three weeks to submit draft sketches and another three weeks to submit the final artwork.

News @3 Daily Catch up on the days top headlines sent directly to your inbox weekdays at 3 p.m >

Rochester said the chosen artworks will be submitted in computer files and printed on weather-proof wraps, which will be wrapped around the bus shelters and electrical boxes.

Theyll be easier to repair if needed. Theyll be easily replaceable, he said. If someone directly paints on a bus shelter and someone comes and marks it up, the artists have to come back and fix it. Thats a headache. This way, we just have to go to the file and print out another one.

Rochester said artists can create any imagery they want, but he hopes many of them choose to focus on the area and its residents.

Wed like it if they would highlight the neighborhood and the culture of the neighborhood as much as possible, he said. Albany has a large West Indian population. Some people might want to highlight that. Maybe play off businesses in the area, or something that connects the work to the community.

Rochester said when the weather gets warmer, he hopes to arrange a meet-and-greet event with the artists involved in the project.

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The project, part of Love Hartford, a Citywide Resiliency and Civic Pride Initiative, will be expanded to other neighborhoods in the city, according to a Tuesday news release from Mayor Luke Bronin.

Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com.
Vijay Kumar Mishra, an Ati Vishisth Seva Medal awardee and a second- generation Army officer, is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy

New Delhi: Heralding this year's Republic Day parade is Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra while the second in-command is of Major General Alok Kacker.

Vijay Kumar Mishra, an Ati Vishisth Seva Medal awardee and a second- generation Army officer, is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned into the 17th Battalion the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in December 1985. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and has attended the Higher Command Course at the Army War College, Mhow as well as the prestigious National Defence College at New Delhi.

The General Officer has a very rich and varied operational experience spanning over more than three decades, be it serving on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, where he was also wounded in operations, or the challenging, counter insurgency operations at various levels, including tenures with Rashtriya Rifles in South Kashmir or in Tripura with Assam Rifles.

Major General Alok Kacker is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, He was commissioned in the 2nd Battalion of the 9th Gorkha Rifles in December 1985. A second generation Officer, he commanded the Battalion in Counter Insurgency area in North East.

The officer commanded the brigade in the Western Theatre and has rich experience of serving in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast. For his distinguished service, the officer has been awarded the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and General Officer Commanding -in-Chief Army Training Command.
A total of four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shris were awarded this year

New Delhi: Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister late Kalyan Singh and India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash recently, were awarded Padma Vibhushan on Tuesday.

Krishna and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech, who developed and produced India's indigenous Coronavirus vaccine Covaxin, and Cyrus Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, which manufactured the Covid-19 vaccine Covishield, were given the Padma Bhushan.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai were conferred also Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award.

A total of four Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan and 107 Padma Shris were awarded. Among the Padma Shris were three from Telangana  Darshanam Mogilaiah, Padmaja Reddy and Sakini Ramachandraiah, all of them from the arts group.

Mogilaiah, popularly known as Kinnera Mogilaiah, has become hugely popular with his title song for Pawan Kalyan-starrer upcoming film Bheemla Nayak. The song has garnered 84 million views and 1.4 million likes on YouTube since its launch four months ago.

The 12-fret Kinnera folk artiste, who hails from Amrabad forest reserve in Mahbubnagar district is popular for singing ballads often interspersed with simple and short monologues.

Kuchipudi dancer G. Padmaja Reddy is known for reviving the dance form Kakatiyam that existed 1,400 years ago in the Kakatiya dynasty.

Padmaja had been working on Kakatiyam, which reflects the essence of Telangana, for the last seven years. She was introduced to the forgotten dance form by renowned musicologist Dr Pappu Venugopala Rao, who translated Jay Senapatis Nrtta Ratnavali into English.

Padmaja Reddy researched on the subject for six months and studied the sculptures of Thousand Pillar Temple, Ramappa Temple, Warangal Fort, and around 50 other temples with a team of archaeologists and eventually introduced the dance form to people here which, otherwise, as she believes, would have remained in the books.

Sakini Ramachandraiah who comes from tribal Koya community excels in dhol playing. He hails from Kunavaram village in Manguru mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem district. He specialises in telling tribal history by playing dhol. He thanked Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao for taking steps to preserve tribal arts and culture in Telangana.

Dr Krishna Ella, awarded the Padma Vibhushan, was born in 1969 into a Telugu-speaking agriculturist family in Tamil Nadu. He started off his career by joining the pharmaceutical and life sciences company Bayer, as part of its agricultural division. Later, he left to the United States to pursue his education. He returned to India and set up a small lab in Hyderabad in 1996 and named it Bharat Biotech. At present, he is the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech International Limited.

A research scientist in Molecular Biology, Dr Ella strongly believes that innovative technology in vaccine development is essential to solve public healthcare problems caused by infectious diseases.

Under Dr Ellas leadership, Bharat Biotech has grown to become a global leader in innovative vaccine. A serial entrepreneur with a passion for innovative ideas, Dr Ella has also ventured into veterinary vaccines, food processing, and developing biotechnology infrastructure in the country.

He has been confered with many awards including J.R.D. Tata Best Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Marico Innovation Award and University of Southern California  Asia-Pacific Leadership Award. Ellas company is the first to manufacture a preservative-free vaccine (Revac-B mcf Hepatitis B Vaccine), and launch Indias first cell-cultured swine flu vaccine. They also manufacture the worlds cheapest Hepatitis vaccines. Bharat Biotech is the first in the world to find a vaccine for the Zika virus.

On the other hand, Padma Vibhushan winner Suchitra Ella, Joint Managing Director of Bharat Biotech and wife of Dr Krishna Ella. is a strong pillar of support and guidance at Bharat Biotech. She oversees a wide range of operations in the company and has a vast experience in experience in customer operations, finance, marketing and business development related work.

Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella, awarded the Padma Bhushan, hails from Bukkapuram in Anantapur district. He had his education in Hyderabad.

Nadellas father Bukkapuram Nadella Yugandhar is a native of Bukkapuram village in Yellanur mandal in the district and is retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of 1962 batch who served in the Prime Minister's Office and the Planning Commission.

The Nadella family retains had its close attachment with the native village and still owns agricultural land there. Yugandar initiated development of the village by providing drinking water and other needs of native village.
The Republic Day, falling in the 75th year of Independence is being celebrated as 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country

Rajpath, the ceremonial boulevard for Republic Day parade leading to landmark war memorial India Gate, is barricaded on the eve of Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: The grand parade on Rajpath in the national capital on the country's 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday is set to showcase India's military might and cultural diversity as the country marks the day its constitution came into force.

The Republic Day, falling in the 75th year of Independence is being celebrated as 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country.

The R-Day parade on Rajpath will commence at 10: 30 am, half-and-hour later than its earlier timing at 10 am "to provide better visibility to the parade and flypast," according to the Defence Ministry.

Delhi Police has increased security around the area and has closed roads and metro gates near Rajpath.

Cultural performances by over 480 dancers from across the country will be showcased at the parade. A total of 21 tableaux and a grand flypast by the Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft will also be showcased.

Large LED screens have been placed on each side of Rajpath for spectators at the location. With the parade being held during the coronavirus pandemic yet again, the guest list has curtailed to ensure necessary COVID protocols.

The Republic Day Parade celebrations will commence with the homage ceremony at National War Memorial, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the nation in paying homage to the martyrs.

As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

The President will posthumously award Ashok Chakra to ASI Babu Ram of Jammu and Kashmir Police. His wife Rita Rani will receive the biggest gallantry medal in peace time.

Many unique initiatives have been included to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'.

A total of 21 tableaux, 12 of various states and Union Territories, nine of ministries will be showcased this year.

Special arrangements have been made keeping in view the current COVID-19 situation. The number of seats for spectators has been significantly reduced and people are being encouraged to register online to witness the live celebrations.

According to the Ministry of Defence, for the first time, an Indian Air Force (IAF) will show grand flypast by 75 aircraft or helicopters.

A drone show by 1,000 indigenously developed drones has been planned for the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony, along with projection mapping will be shown for the first time at the Republic Day parade. For the first time, 480 dancers who will perform during the cultural programme at the parade have been selected through a nationwide Vande Bharatam dance competition.

The main parade for the first time will also see the launch of 'Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman' programme by National Cadet and a display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the 'Kala Kumbh' event and installation of 10 large LED screens for a better viewing experience of spectators.

Republic Day celebrations commenced from January 23 with PM Modi on the occasion of Netaji's Subhas Chandra Bose 125th birth anniversary, unveiled the hologram statue of the freedom fighter at India Gate in the national capital. The week long celebrations will culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs' Day.
"I I appeal to everyone, especially educators and families, to foster in the new generations an awareness of the horror of this black page of history". "I ask you to pray the Our Father for peace in Ukraine, now and throughout this Day. Let us ask the Lord to grant that the country may grow in the spirit of brotherhood, and that all hurts, fears and divisions will be overcome."

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - An appeal to parents and educators to teach young people so that "the horror" of the persecution of the Jews is not repeated and an invitation to pray for peace in Ukraine "and to do so often", made in all languages, concluded today's general audience.

The Pope said: "Tomorrow is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is necessary to remember the extermination of millions of Jews, and people of different nationalities and religious faiths. This unspeakable cruelty must never be repeated. I appeal to everyone, especially educators and families, to foster in the new generations an awareness of the horror of this black page of history. It must not be forgotten, so that we can build a future where human dignity is no longer trampled underfoot.".

Francis then asked the five thousand people present in the Paul VI Hall to join in the day of prayer for peace. He said: "II ask you to pray the Our Father for peace in Ukraine, now and throughout this Day. Let us ask the Lord to grant that the country may grow in the spirit of brotherhood, and that all hurts, fears and divisions will be overcome. We have spoken about the Holocaust. But let us think too that [in Ukraine] more than five million people were killed during the period of the last war. They are a people who have suffered; they have suffered from hunger, suffered from much brutality and they deserve peace. May the prayers and supplications that today rise up to heaven touch the minds and hearts of world leaders, so that dialogue may prevail and the common good be placed ahead of partisan interests. Let us pray for peace with the Our Father: it is the prayer of children who turn to the same Father, it is the prayer that makes us brothers, it is the prayer of brothers who implore reconciliation and harmony".

Earlier in his address, the Pope, continuing the cycle of catechesis on St Joseph, had spoken of him as a "man who dreams", recalling that "in the Bible, as in the cultures of ancient peoples, dreams were considered a means by which God revealed himself."

He explained, "The dream symbolises the spiritual life of each of us, that inner space that each of us is called to cultivate and guard, where God manifests himself and often speaks to us. But we must also say that within each of us there is not only the voice of God: there are many other voices. For example, the voices of our fears, the voices of past experiences, the voices of hopes; and there is also the voice of the evil one who wants to deceive and confuse us. It is therefore important to be able to recognise the voice of God in the midst of other voices. Joseph demonstrates that he knows how to cultivate the necessary silence and, above all, how to make the right decisions before the Word that the Lord addresses to him inwardly."

Francis then dwelt on Joseph's four dreams. "In the first dream (cf. Mt 1:18-25), the angel helps Joseph to resolve the drama that assails him when he learns of Mary's pregnancy" and he is told not to be afraid to take Mary with him, which he does. "MIn fact, very often it is prayer that gives us the intuition of the way out. Dear brothers and sisters, the Lord never allows a problem to arise without also giving us the help we need to deal with it. He does not cast us alone into the fire. He does not cast us among the beasts. No. When the Lord shows us a problem, or reveals a problem, he always gives us the intuition, the help, his presence, to get out of it, to resolve it".

Joseph's second dream comes when the life of the child Jesus is in danger and he tells him to flee to Egypt with his family. In life," commented Francis, "we experience dangers that threaten our existence or that of those we love. In these situations, praying means listening to the voice that can give us the same courage as Joseph, to face difficulties without succumbing".

In the third dream "the angel revealed to him that those who wanted to kill the child were dead and ordered him to leave with Mary and Jesus and return to his homeland (cf. Mt 2:19-20). Joseph "arose, took the child and his mother and entered the land of Israel" (v. 21). But on the return journey, "when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there" (v. 22). Here then is the fourth revelation: "When he heard about it in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee and went to live in a town called Nazareth" (vv. 22-23). Fear is also part of life and it too needs our prayer. God does not promise us that we will never be afraid, but that, with his help, we will not be afraid.

In the third dream "the angel reveals to him that those who wanted to kill the Child are dead and orders him to leave with Mary and Jesus and return to his homeland (cf. Mt 2:19-20). Joseph rose the Gospel says, and took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel (v. 21). But on the return journey, when he heard that Archelaus reigned over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there (v. 22). Here then is the fourth revelation: Being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth (vv. 22-23). Fear is also part of life and it too needs our prayer. God does not promise us that we will never have fear, but that, with His help, it will not be the criterion for our decisions."

Here Francis, in a long consideration, addressed a thought "And I am thinking, too, of parents in the face of their childrens problems: Children with many illnesses, children who are sick, even with permanent maladies.  how much pain is there!  parents who see different sexual orientations in their children; how to deal with this and accompany their children and not hide in an attitude of condemnation. Parents who see their children leaving because of an illness, and also  even sadder, we read about it every day in the newspapers  children who get into mischief and end up in a car accident. Parents who see their children not progressing in school and don't know how... So many parental problems. Let's think about it: how to help them. And to these parents I say: don't be scared. Yes, there is pain. A lot. But think of the Lord, think about how Joseph solved the problems and ask Joseph to help you. Never condemn a child. It fills me with compassion  it did in Buenos Aires  when I got on the bus and it passed in front of the prison. There was a queue of people who had to go in to visit the prisoners. And there were mothers there. And I was so touched by this mother who, faced with the problem of a son who has made a mistake and is in prison, doesnt leave him alone, puts her face forward and accompanies him. This courage; the courage of a father and mother who always, always accompany their children. Let us ask the Lord to give this courage to all fathers and mothers, as he gave it to Joseph. And to pray, no? Pray that the Lord will help us in these moments."

"Prayer, however, is never an abstract or purely internal gesture, like these spiritualist movements that are more gnostic than Christian. No, its not that. Prayer is always inextricably linked to charity. It is only when we combine prayer with love, the love for children in the cases I just mentioned, or the love for our neighbour, that we are able to understand the Lord's messages. Joseph prayed, worked, and loved  three beautiful things for parents: to pray, to work, and to love  and because of this he always received what he needed to face life's trials. Let us entrust ourselves to him and to his intercession."

Pope Francis finally told those present that he would not be passing among them at the end of the audience, as he usually does, "I have - he explained - a problem with my right leg, a ligament in my knee is inflamed". "It's - a passing thing, - he added jokingly - they say this comes to old people, so I don't know why it came to me".
Lee In-young praised the Catholic Church's commitment to reconciliation. Archbishop Chung, who is also apostolic administrator of Pyongyang, announced a Synodal Path of Peace for 2022 centred on memory, communication and communion, together as well as new humanitarian initiatives.

Seoul (AsiaNews)  The new archbishop of Seoul, Mgr Peter Chung Soon-taick, reiterated the Korean Catholic Church's commitment to peace in the peninsula by meeting South Korean Unification Minister Lee In-young. The ministry was created in 1969 to manage relations with North Korea.

Archbishop Chung is also apostolic administrator for Pyongyang. Since 1949 the Catholic Church has had no official presence in the Communist-ruled part of the country, following the arrest and subsequent death of Bishop Francis Hong Yong-ho.

Over the years, South Korean Catholics have kept alive the desire for unity between the two Koreas, nourishing it through solidarity initiatives promoted by the local Caritas, even north of the 38th parallel.

For the past 26 years, Mass has been celebrated every Tuesday evening in Seoul cathedral with the intention of reconciling the Korean people and showing closeness to the Christians of North Korea.

During the meeting at the archbishop's residence in Myeongdong, Archbishop Chung expressed the Church's gratitude to President Moon Jae-in for asking Pope Francis, on his recent visit to the Vatican, to pray for peace on the Korean peninsula.

For his part, Minister Lee thanked the Catholic Church for the assistance and humanitarian aid offered to North Korea through various channels and to North Korean refugees who fled to the South.

He also praised the initiatives of the Korean Church for peace education, such as the pilgrimage held every year with young people in the demilitarised zone along the 38th parallel.

Archbishop Chung also spoke to the minister about The Korean Peninsula and the Synodal Path of Peace, an initiative to be held this year centred on memory, communication and communion.

The prelate also asked the South Korean government to work with the Church on some new humanitarian assistance initiatives that it is organising for North Korea.
Protesters attacked a train and disrupted some railway lines over first session of online exams. More than 12.5 million people have applied for 35,000 jobs. The government put the next exam on hold to vet the issue.

Patna (AsiaNews)  As India marked Republic Day with celebrations, protest broke out over the recruitment process by Indian Railways.

The government-owned company employs more than 1.25 million people, making it one of the largest Indian public corporations.

The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) plans to hire about 35,000 non-technical workers, but 12.5 million people have applied.

The results from the first exam were released last Saturday; the second exam for those who passed is set to start on 15 February.

This has sparked anger among young applicants who say that the process is biased and that they will be shut out of the selection. Protests were especially intense in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where several railway lines were occupied.

The worst incident is reported in Gaya (Bihar) where protesters set fire to the train that connects Bhabhua to Patna.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw slammed the protest, urging protesters not to destroy their own property. Meanwhile, the government has set up a committee to examine the issue.

For its part, the RBB said it had acquired the footage of the riots, warning that anyone who took part in unlawful activities would be barred for life from working for the company.
Two senior United Nations officials sound the alarm about the escalating war. The death toll from the Saudi air raid on Saada prison hits 91. More and more civilian sites (schools, hospitals, power plants) are being targeted. Houthi rebels driven out of a district in Marib governorate

Sanaa (AsiaNews)  The recent escalation of violence in Yemen has reached alarming levels. It is almost certain that January 2022 will have the highest number of civilian casualties since the start of the conflict.

In a joint statement, the UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grunberg and the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Yemen David Gressly reiterate the condemnation by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres of then escalation of violence, following an air strike by the Saudi-led Arab coalition.

The updated toll of the attack against the Saada prison is 91 dead and 226 wounded, the worst incident involving civilians in the past three years.

In recent weeks, air and missile attacks have hit hospitals, telecommunications infrastructure, airports, a water plant and a school.

At the same time, Houthi rebels have renewed their attacks, with rockets and drones, against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, killing civilians and damaging infrastructure.

According to the UN special envoy, the escalation is exacerbating an already serious humanitarian crisis and complicating relief operations.

In December, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that they were running of funds to provide food assistance to 13 million needy people.

Grundberg and Gressly insist on the importance of accountability for violations of international humanitarian law and on the need to jumpstart talks between the parties to reach a truce.

In the interest of the Yemeni people and of peace, We urge all parties to engage with these efforts immediately and without preconditions, Grundberg and Gressly said.

However, despite the appeals, fighting continues and Houthis seem to be losing ground, especially in Marib, a strategic area with huge mineral resources.

The Giants Brigade have driven the Shia rebels out of Harib, a district south of Marib and the last government stronghold in the north, following a missile attack against Abu Dhabi.

The Brigade, a militia trained and backed by the UAE, said in a statement that, hundreds were killed and wounded on both sides in battles that lasted for more than two weeks, following the sudden escalation.

The Brigade also claims to have seized the neighbouring Shabwa governorate. There was no official comment from the Houthis.
by Melani Manel Perera

Prageeth Eknaligoda was investigating the government's alleged use of chemical weapons against the Tamil Tigers. He had already been seized a year before his disappearance. His wife Sandhaya said she wants to continue to fight against the Rajapaksas.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Sandhya Eknaligoda shaved her head and asked for divine intervention so that she can have justice for her husband who went missing 12 years ago.

She is convinced that Rajapaksa supporters kidnapped her husband, Prageeth, a journalist who was investigating into allegations that the government had used chemical weapons against Tamil Tigers.

Prageeth Eknaligoda went missing in 2010 when Mahinda Rajapaksa was president; his brother, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is the current president.

Recently, the Eknaligoda Forum organised a puja to mark the 12th anniversary of the disappearance of the Sri Lankan cartoonist and reporter. The ceremony began on Monday at the Nawagamuwa Pattini Devalaya monument and continued at the Kaali Kovil temple in Mutwal on Tuesday.

Sandhaya Eknaligoda told reporters that she did not trust the Sri Lankan judicial system. I believe Kaali Mani (Mother Kaali) can punish those who perpetrate such a thing in this country, she said. So, today I'm going to shave my head for Kaali Mani [. . .] until I get justice.

Refusing to give up, she said, I have walked all over this country looking for my husband. There is evidence that my husband was abducted. I have filed a lawsuit.

The Rajapaksa returned to power in 2019. This is why I have no faith in what will happen in court. Witnesses who say they spoke to my husband now say they lied. They have become a joke. So how can I expect justice from the courts.

In 2017 Sandhaya Eknaligoda received the International Women of Courage Award for her relentless fight.

She accuses the Rajapaksa administration of being involved in her husbands abduction. He has not been seen since 24 January 2010, two days before presidential elections.

At the time, he was working as a freelance journalist for a pro-opposition website and had participated in the presidential campaign of candidate Sarath Fonseka.

"I would like to say one thing to the Rajapaksas, Sandhaya Eknaligoda noted. Even if you kill a man named Prageeth Eknaligoda, that man's genes, that man's creations, that man's thoughts, what that man built, will be passed on to his children.

What is more, the struggle is for people seeking justice, the rule of law, and building a better country," she added during the puja.

The government has always denied the allegations, but in 2008 the reporter had started investigating the governments use of chemical weapons against Tamil Tigers in the north of the country.

Before he disappeared, he was seized once, in August 2009, and released after 24 hours.
President Joe Biden has nominated Vanessa Avery of the state attorney general's office to be the next U.S. Attorney for the state of Connecticut. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

President Joe Biden has nominated associate state Attorney General Vanessa Avery to be Connecticuts next U.S. attorney, the states top federal law enforcement officer.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Avery, an associate state attorney general, will be the first African American woman to serve as U.S. attorney in Connecticut.

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Avery would replace former U.S. Attorney John Durham, who left office following Bidens election, and Leonard Boyle, who has held the office since on an interim basis.

Avery was one of six U.S. attorney nominees announced by the White House early Wednesday.

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These individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice, the White House said in a statement.

Avery has been chief of the Division of Enforcement and Public Protection at the Connecticut Attorney Generals Office since 2021, and an associate attorney general in that office since 2019.

She was an assistant U.S. attorney in the offices civil division from 2014 to 2019.

From 2006 to 2014, Avery was a litigation attorney at the Hartford law firm McCarter & English.

She received a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1999 and an undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1996.

Averys current boss, Attorney General William Tong, praised the nomination

She is universally respected by every colleague she has worked with and has deep connections across the Connecticut legal community, Tong said. In our work together, Vanessa always leads with integrity and a strong commitment to justice, and she insists on accountability and respect for the rule of law.

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I will miss her leadership and guidance here in the Office of the Attorney General, but am so proud of this achievement and look forward to working closely with her in this new well-deserved role should she be confirmed, Tong said.

Gov. Ned Lamont joined Tong in applauding Averys nomination. Its a really good choice  I talked with the senators about it and theyre very enthusiastic, Lamont said Wednesday morning in New Britain. I think its a good thing for Connecticut.

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Tong said Avery grew up in New Haven and is a proud graduate of the New Haven Public Schools.

Vanessa earned her law degree at the Georgetown University Law Center, after completing her undergraduate studies at Yale University, he noted.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who also noted Averys Connecticut roots, said she has dedicated her career to advancing fairness and equity in the judicial system.

I was proud to recommend her nomination to the Biden administration. Her vast legal experience and deep commitment to justice for all will prepare her well to serve in this new role leading the District of Connecticut as United States Attorney. I look forward to her confirmation in the Senate, Murphy said in an email.

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From 2004 to 2005, Avery served as a trial attorney at the U.S, Department of Justice in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division, according to the White House.

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U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, also D-Conn. pointing out that he has held this job myself, added, Im particularly proud of this nomination.

Vanessa Avery is a proven prosecutor  tough and fair  who has deep roots in her community and a lifetime of service. A champion and fighter for Connecticuts people with broad trial experience and solid, good judgement, shell follow the facts and law to deter and punish wrongdoers and fight discrimination, Blumenthal said. Im proud to have recommended her nomination to the White House with Senator Murphy and I look forward to advocating for her confirmation in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where I anticipate strong bipartisan support.

Edmund H. Mahoney can be reached at emahony@courant.com
The news that Oscar Moreno Ricardo was arrested in Medellin, Columbia, earlier this month made headlines . You can bet that Hollywood will soon make a movie about this man because his life really is greater than fiction. After starting out as a speedboat pilot, he eventually began building semi-submersibles for Mexican cartels and Columbian armed groups back in 2005. Over the years, he became so famous that he was nicknamed the king of narco submarines.Of course, Ricardos activity was just one small piece of the puzzle. According to InSight Crime, these types of vessels have been used for cocaine transportation for over three decades, and their design and performance have constantly increased, which makes them harder to detect. In 2021, 31 of these vessels were seized in Columbia.The fact that experienced builders, such as Ricardo, are developing drug submarines that are more and more sophisticated was proven two years ago when a rare narco submarine powered by electric motors was seized. At that time, the Columbian Navy, together with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, discovered a high-capacity submarine that was surprisingly sustainable, being equipped with two electric motors and ten tons of powerful batteries. It had a six-ton capacity for illegal cargo and the ability to fully submerge.According to the U.S. Naval Institute (USNI), that advanced vessel probably cost $1.5 million to build. Most narco submarines are typically worth around $30 million, have a smaller payload of 1.6 tons, and can only go partially underwater.The fact that these illegal vessels are so technically advanced shows that those who build them are just as wanted by authorities as to the drug cartel leaders themselves. One legendary narco submarine developer went down, but these stealthy ships remain a major threat.
BEV

EV

Bentley stated that it would reconfigure its UK plant in Crewe to develop its first all-electric vehicle. The automaker, however, did not disclose any details of what form its pioneerwill take, Reuters reported.The firm initiated a Beyond100 strategy that involves exclusively building electric vehicles and becoming carbon neutral by 2030. It started the campaign in 2020.According to the automakers Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, securing the production of the vehicle is a milestone moment for Bentley and UK as a whole. He added that It would enable a long-term sustainable future for Cheshire.The British automakers Beyond 100 is the boldest campaign in the manufacturers illustrious history and the luxury segment.Bentley is not only looking to become a benchmark automaker for luxury car manufacturers or for sustainability credentials but the entire scope of their operation. According to figures acquired from the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Trader), plug-in vehicles account for one in every six new cars registered in the UK.The UK plans to be climate positive, which involves investing in renewable energy and forestation projects. They are also transitioning into a plastic-neutral territory, which involves removing more of the material from the environment than it produces. The UK will ban the sale of new gasoline and diesel vehicles from 2030.Recently, SMMT warned that even though the UK has registered more electric vehicles in 2021 than in the last five years combined, there was a need for charging infrastructure.UK recorded a 75% surge in electric car registration, from 108,000 in 2020 to 191,000 in 2021. The best-sellingin the country was the Tesla Model 3.
EV

After more than a decade of Tesla dominance, more and more start-ups are mushrooming into themarket. The world is embracing renewable energy, and BEVs are taking center stage for the future of mobility.Baidu and Geely announced on Wednesday that they are pumping in nearly $400 million into Jidu, in what they called Series A financing. This financial injection comes less than a year after Jidu came into the limelight with $300 million initial capital from undisclosed investors, CNBC reported Baidu currently enjoys a larger share of the pie at 55%, while Geely owns the remaining 45% stake. Neither company disclosed how much each injected in their latest funding round.Over the last two years, the EV market has experienced exponential growth, and more and more companies are rushing to develop BEVs that will soon replace ICEs. Chinas tech giants are also rising to the occasion , each reaching out for a piece of that EV industry cake. Huawei, Xiaomi, Didi, have all announced plans to venture into the recently lucrative mobility market.The Chinese government is equally supportive of start-ups looking to impact the domestic industrys growth.In 2021, EV deals in China tripled to $6.61 billion from $2.17 billion in 2020. Meanwhile, in the U.S., deals more than doubled to $924 million last year from $353 million in 2020.Last year, Baidu announced its plans to launch Jidu alongside Geely and named co-founder of Mobike (bike-sharing start-up) Xia Yiping as CEO of the newly formed electric vehicle company.China-based Geely acquired Swedish auto manufacturer Volvo in 2010, which initially belonged to Ford. It also runs other EV brands, including Zeekr and Polestar.
As far as we know, this is the only planet where such a thing happens, simply because we havent been able so far to detect a civilization, at least comparable to ours, elsewhere. But that isnt stopping us from imagining things, especially now that we have easy access to info on and images of other worlds. Mars is one of the favorite fields on which our imagination runs wild, with dreams, hopes and rants being fueled by the countless images the hardware we have there keeps sending back.Todays trigger for an unlikely imagination exercise is this image here, captured by the HiRISE camera from an altitude of 252 km (157 miles) all the way back in 2010. It shows a portion of the large Cross Crater (65 km/40 miles in diameter) located in the Terra Sirenum region of Mars, with its features so altered by natural forces that it now seems like the result of an alien hand carving the environment.Cross is a region of interest for scientists here on Earth because its mineralogy is different from other surrounding terrains and Martian basins - more to the point, it contains alunite and kaolin-bearing sediments.Whats more, the place seems to have once been filled with water, which was likely supplied by regionally upwelling groundwaters as well as through an inlet valley.We are not being told exactly what processes shaped the area in the way seen in the photos above, but even if it looks utterly dead, Mars still is a very active place.
The long-vacant Knights of Columbus hall in Berlin will be razed for senior housing. (Don Stacom)

Twenty years after buying the closed Knights of Columbus hall, Berlin is on the brink of using the property for a new multimillion-dollar senior housing complex.

The state recently awarded $193,000 toward the cost of demolishing the building, and the Housing Authority is arranging financing to do construction in 2023.

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The result will be 50 apartments for senior citizens. The project wont be restricted to current Berlin residents, but they are expected to make up the vast majority of potential tenants.

That would be a major benefit in a community with many older residents holding onto single-family houses because they cant afford market rate rents, Housing Authority Chairman Joseph Bajorski said Monday.

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We maintain 70 (senior) apartments in town, and we currently have 50 people waiting. Our wait list is closed, Bajorski said. So we anticipate there will be a waiting list for the new property as well. Theres a significant demand for affordable housing options.

We have seniors in town who cant afford to rent in this market, so theyre staying in their properties for much too long. We have single people in 2,000-square-foot range homes with no viable option to go anywhere and downsize, he said.

The Housing Authoritys plan is to build two three-story buildings along Percival Avenue with a substantial investment in green energy.

Bajorski anticipates that demolition, construction and all related costs will be in the $26 million to $33 million range, and will develop a more precise budget before going to bid in the summer.

Gov. Ned Lamonts administration awarded the $193,000 grant as part of a statewide brownfields remediation program. State Sen. Rick Lopes and Berlins legislative delegation credited the department of economic and community development for the money.

Building affordable housing for our seniors has been a sought-after goal of numerous community members in Berlin, said Lopes, co-chair of the General Assemblys housing committee and a vice chairman of its aging committee. This new funding will be a big help in getting this project off the ground.

Town records show the Knights of Columbus completed the 12,000-square-foot meeting hall in 1962. The building was out of use by the time Berlin paid $575,000 for it 40 years later.

The Housing Authority began discussing the property as a senior housing site in 2011, and started planning in 2014, Bajorski said. But funding has been an obstacle all along.

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The Planning and Zoning Commission initially approved the project in 2015, and unanimously agreed last June to renew that approval.

The Housing Authority will demolish the building and use its 5 acres  along with an adjacent 3-acre parcel  for the new apartment complex.

The new complex will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments.

A schedule of rents hasnt been set yet, but Bajorski expects there will be multiple tiers targeted to those who earn only a small percent of the regions average income, tenants who can afford a larger percentage and those who can pay market rate.

Were looking at Berlin people who have spent their entire adult lives in this community. They have churches and routines, they dont want to move to another community, he said.

While empty-nester retirees on fixed incomes remain in single-family homes better suited to young families, they often cannot pay for maintenance because their budgets are stretched to cover utilities, insurance and taxes, he said.

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The Housing Authority wants to finalize funding plans by June and seek contractors to begin site work in late fall, with most construction targeted for 2023.
Well this just happened! Two of our #NikolaTreFCEV alphas took their first road trip from AZ to CA on a single fill with plenty of hydrogen to spare once we reached our destination. pic.twitter.com/nZpowdm0Vz  Nikola Motor Company (@nikolamotor) January 26, 2022

Nikola talked about that in a tweet published on January 26. According to the company, the trucks made the trip on a single hydrogen tank, and they still had plenty of gas to spare when they reached their destination. Nikola also shared pictures of the two Tre FCEV (fuel cell electric vehicle) prototypes. Unfortunately, the company did not reveal multiple relevant aspects of the trip.We have contacted Nikola to learn how big its hydrogen tanks are. We would also love to know if they use cryogenic hydrogen (in its liquid state) or the gas under high pressure. Talking about a trip to California  a neighboring State  is very vague.The shortest distance to California would be Blythe, which is right on the border with Arizona. From Phoenix  where Nikola has its headquarters  until that Californian city, were talking about 150 miles (241 kilometers). Keeping on the same I-10 W highway, the closest hydrogen station in California  around Los Angeles  is 325 mi (523 km) away from Phoenix.The Nikola Tre FCEV prototypes could have traveled more to the north of California, where there are also some hydrogen stations around San Francisco. Weve randomly selected one of them, and it is 724 mi (1,165 km) distant from Arizonas capital. That shows how AZ to CA is imprecise.Another critical question is how much hydrogen the tanks can carry. If they hold liquid hydrogen, they can retain more energy, as Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus has shown with its Hydrogen Fuel Cell Boot Zero-Emission . It is more likely that it will use the gas under high pressure.Learning the precise distance they ran and how much hydrogen they used would give us an excellent idea of what the Tre can do. Considering it is still in the alpha stage and Nikola may not want to disclose too much to competitors, we are not sure we will get the answers we need. At least Nikola talks to the press, even if it is to say it has no comments about something.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

AWD

Back in March 2017, the Japanese company received a field report related to harness connector damage located in the driver-side kick panel area. Nissan and the supplier determined that water infiltration led to this outcome, but nevertheless, the actual root cause couldnt be determined.The issue was pretty much ignored until December 2019 when Transport Canada mailed Nissan over a thermal event related to harness corrosion. The automaker then started collecting harnesses for analysis. In the process, Nissan confirmed two thermal incidents and two incidents with localized thermal damage to the corroded connector in the Canadian market alone.Over in the United States, the company is aware of three unconfirmed incidents that may be related to the subject condition. Documents filed with thereveal that Nissan made a change after the 2016 model year at each of the plants where the Rogue is produced, removing the harness tape. This information potentially implies the Yokohama-based carmaker knew of the issue since eons ago.The remedy is currently under development, which is why interim notification letters will be delivered to affected customers on March 2nd. A second notice will be mailed once the remedy becomes available. Nissan North America, Inc. expects the repair to be available this coming spring.The Rogues in question are 2014 to 2016 models produced from July 25th, 2013 through December 31st, 2016. If the harness connector becomes corroded, electrical current may continue to flow, causing many errors that includewarning light illumination, battery discharger, inoperative power windows, and  in the worst-case scenario  a raging vehicle fire.
Paris Hilton, alongside Matt Damon and Reese Witherspoon and a slew of other celebrities , was recently named by Forbes one of the 50 most influential NFT personalities, and shes living up to that reputation. At the end of last year, she launched her own island in the metaverse  Paris World (duh!) on Roblox, where guests can visit, party, and buy clothes from her closet, all of it virtually, in exchange for real, non-digital money.This week, shes launching the first of her series of NFTs. She is also one of the most famous celebrity collectors of these pieces of digital art, having bought some 140 of them. Non-fungible tokens are one-of-a-kind digital assets on the blockchain, and theyve become a status symbol among proponents of the technology. The Bored Ape NFT, for one, is particularly popular right now: Paris got herself one, as did Jimmy Fallon. Paris was on Fallons show the other night, for what Forbes describes as a very awkward exchange over their ape NFTs, one that perfectly sums up the disconnect between NFT believers and skeptics who call it a pyramid scheme. Equally awkward was the historic moment in which Paris announced that she was gifting everyone in the audience, including Fallon, a copy of her own NFT, which is yet to drop. Its a partnership with SuperPlastic, a company that deals in vinyl toys and digital collectibles, and its actually a digital version of a photo collage that Paris made herself.The collage, which comprises photos of Paris and her now-husband Carter Reum, took her six months to put together and is called My Forever Fairytale. Its basically your teenage-years collage of pics of your first love, but turned up to the level of art, because this is Paris were talking about. SuperPlastic then took it and turned it into an NFT, and now everyone in the audience owns one. Uproxx notes that audiences at the show had to be told to applaud and oooh and aaah, because they were confused and bored to tears about the giveaway and the interview. Reactions on Twitter arent any more favorable, with some even saying that, if they happened to wander onto the set where Fallon was shooting his show and they were handed the Paris NFT, they would sue. Talk about the contrast between enthusiasm and skepticism over NFTs.Controversy aside, though, this is a historic moment, and it belongs to Paris: the worlds first televised NFT giveaway. Iconic , as she would say. Its also a glimpse into the future , because Paris believes the metaverse is the future of partying.
According to the law commissions for England, Wales, and Scotland, drivers in autonomous vehicles need redefining as a user-in-charge with significantly different responsibilities. If anything happens, the company behind the system needs to be responsible, not the driver.The law commissions jointly proposed the creation of an Automated Vehicle Act to reflect the profound legal consequences of autonomously driven vehicles. The individual in the driver seat would no longer be liable for how the car drives; instead, the company that obtained the authorization of the self-driving car would face regulatory sanction if anything went wrong, the BBC reported.The report published on Wednesday stated that while the car is self-driven, humans need not respond to events in the absence of a transitional demand. It further noted that it was unrealistic to expect the driver not paying attention to the road to react to sudden events like a closed road sign or tire burst.The commissions also requested a new regime to define what vehicle qualifies as self-driving. Automakers need to be clear about the difference between driver-assist features and autonomous driving.Also, if any monitoring is necessary, for instance, in extreme conditions, then it should not carry an autonomous label, and the current driving rules need to apply.The commission said it should be permissible for an autonomous car to create a transition demand for the driver behind the wheel to take control if it confronts an issue it cannot deal with. However, It needs to make the demand clear, giving the driver enough time to respond and mitigate the risk.
The military knows these things and tries to exploit the natural attraction people feel for military hardware to bring more soldiers to their ranks. For the USAF , one of the best ways to do that is to constantly release images of its aircraft  and we kind of fell for it, as for some time now, weve been using these picks to give you a closer look at the hardware currently flying over our heads.As one of the most widespread military airplanes currently in action (the USAF alone fields over 1,000 of them in active duty), the F-16 Fighting Falcon is a constant presence in our coverage. Most of the time, we get to see them in their natural environment, flying freely.Not this time, though, as we get to see a number of them sitting quietly on the tarmac of the Boca Chica Naval Air Station in Florida. About six of these beasts line up on the side of the runway, some with their canopies open, others still sealed shut, but all looking almost serene in their early morning sleep.The planes are deployed with the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard. The unit, which has been around since 1962, was on location in Florida earlier this month, when the photo was snapped, to take advantage of the weather and fly numerous training sorties.The sorties take place in preparation for an Agile Combat Employment demonstration training event which will take place at Muniz Air National Guard Base in Carolina, Puerto Rico, later this year.
Not everyone was pleased to see the peculiar butterfly design of the steering wheel Tesla introduced on the redesigned Model S and Model X. The new system was Elon Musks saying the car will soon not need a steering wheel at all, why not just make it harder to use one now. Nevertheless, the new design started to appeal to other carmakers, too. This includes Toyota, which presented its version with the introduction of the electric bZ4X People who used the new yoke steering started to complain about it being unpractical at low speeds and when maneuvering in tight spaces. Another gripe concerns the touch-sensitive horn button that is hard to find in emergency situations. To be sure, Tesla implemented an alternative way to activate the horn, by covering all buttons on the right side of the steering wheel with your hand. But this is just as inconvenient and, sometimes, even dangerous.In short, people wanted to have a normal steering wheel or, at least, a regular airbag horn, like all other cars. Of course, Elon Musk disagreed, famously tweeting almost all input is an error, but it turns out he might be willing to budge. At least when it comes to the horn button, for now.A new picture shared on Reddit shows the same infamous yoke steering but with a twist. A sticker reading Airbag horn enabled in SW-352573 was attached in the upper part. The Redditor that shared the picture says the car he snapped was a refreshed Model S with manufacturer plates , so we figure is a test car to try new features. Or, in this case, revisit old ones.Hopefully, the test drivers will find out how natural it is to honk the horn of a vehicle by just leaning towards the airbag. Who knows, they might even conclude a round steering wheel is not such a bad idea, after all. This is also the conclusion most people came to after driving the new Model S and Model X
Some millionaires like to flex their good fortune, while others prefer to stay away from the public spotlight. Terry Taylor would have all the reasons to brag, as he is unofficially considered Americas largest private owner of automotive dealerships, owning between 100 to 200 of them. A few years ago, media sources claimed the number was 115. Whats certain is that his company, Automotive Management Services, is one of the most successful ones in the industry and one of the top Florida businesses.The beautiful Mie Elise II wasnt custom-built for Taylor, but he took a liking to the 197-foot (60 meters) American-made superyacht, with a classic, wood interior. Some might not be attracted to this interior decorating style, but its luxury is undeniable, displaying mahogany and madrone paneling, white marble floors, and silk carpets in neutral tones.Although quite a venerable boat (delivered in 2012), Mia Elise II boasts an impressive size and performance. At 916 GT, it boasts the volume of two 164-foot (50 meters) yachts. With a 9-foot (2.8. meters) draft, its one of the biggest yachts in the world able to access the Bahamas.And its performance has been put to the test multiple times  according to the seller, Fraser Yachts , this superyacht has crossed the Atlantic at least 12 times over the past seven years. Mia Elise II can also hit a maximum speed of 15 knots (17 mph/27.7 kph) and is equipped with zero-speed stabilizers for optimum comfort.A jacuzzi, a sauna, and a gym are the perfect spots for relaxation, as well as a classic-style library onboard. The family-friendly master suite includes his and her bathrooms, plus a study that can be converted into an extra cabin. Also located on the owners deck are a kids room, a VIP stateroom, and a luxurious sky lounge.Having benefitted from a recent refit and packed with fun water toys, the Mia Elise II is ready to take another millionaire on transatlantic journeys, as the dealership king is willing to part with it for $38 million. A steep price, considering the yacht s age, but one that matches its performance and elegant look.
Although production at Volkswagens Chattanooga facility ended last December, the German carmaker officially acknowledged Passats demise just now. The model has sold more than 1.8 million units since 1974, when the Passat B1 was introduced to the U.S. under the Dasher name. It was a revolutionary car for Volkswagen, being the first water-cooled VW, first front-wheel-drive model, and first vehicle designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.Looks like Volkswagen fiddled for a while with its medium-sized sedan naming, since the second generation was named Quantum in 1982. This one was short-lived too, ending its career in 1990 when the first Passat entered the market. For the Americans, the next major milestone was 2011, when Volkswagen localized Passat production in Chattanooga, TN. The Passat built here was bigger, being specifically designed for the U.S. market. The car has been exported around the world ever since.Volkswagen didnt bother to update its latest-generation American Passat, with only a minor redesign in 2015 and a refreshed look in 2020. With sedans falling out of grace with the customers , Volkswagen finally decided it is wiser to pull the plug than to give the nameplate another go. It was the end of the line for Passat, but also the chance for a fresh start both for Volkswagen of America and the Chattanooga assembly plant.Volkswagen is investing a further $800 million there for the production of electric vehicles. This is in addition to the more than $2.6 billion that the Germans have invested in the area. Besides the Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport SUVs, Volkswagen will build the electric ID.4 in Chattanooga, along with the battery packs that power it, starting later in 2022.
PONTIAC, MI - The new 2022 Toyota Tundra pickup truck, the first Toyota truck to offer a hybrid powertrain, is shown at the 2021 Motor Bella auto show on September 21, 2021 in Pontiac, Michigan. (Photo : Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Don't look now, but there appears to be a new challenger in the full-size off-road pickup truck market. Toyota is throwing its hat into the ring again, with the Japanese automaker reportedly developing a high-speed off-road version of the 2022 Tundra. The vehicle, which some are calling the Toyota Tundra Raptor Truck, will look to grab a bigger share of the pie in America's lucrative full-size truck market.

According to a report from The Drive, Toyota is planning to release an off-road-focused version of the all-new 2022 Toyota Tundra. The website got that information from a "tipster with inside knowledge," with that source claiming that the vehicle will sit above the TRD Pro variant in Toyota's lineup.

Toyota developing an off-road version of the Tundra is not a complete surprise considering the Japanese company showed a similar concept in last year's SEMA Show. Toyota Racing Development captured the imagination of truck fans everywhere when it showed a special Desert Chase Tundra concept vehicle in the 2021 SEMA Show.

Truck draws inspiration from TRD Desert Chase Tundra concept

The TRD Desert Chase Tundra build is based on the 2022 Tundra TRD Pro, packing a stock 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 and hybrid system under the hood. That engine can generate 437 horsepower and 583 lb-ft of twist with TRD pairing it with a standard 10-speed automatic transmission.

Its special long-travel suspension setup made the Desert Chase Tundra different from the Tundra TRD Pro. TRD designed this suspension setup to help the truck absorb big bumps more easily. The Desert Chase Tundra also features several off-road lights.

The Desert Chase Tundra utilized rear coil springs to go along with the truck's 37-inch all-terrain tires. General Tire's Grabber X3 all-terrains were fitted to 18-inch forged aluminum wheels, helping the pickup truck save some unsprung weight.

Related Article: Toyota Land Cruiser Buyers in Japan Face Possible 4-Year Wait in Delivery Time

Toyota planning to come for Ford's crown

That concept design came last year, so expect more upgrades from Toyota for its newest truck offering. The road to the top won't be easy for the Japanese automaker as it tries to establish itself in the niche market.

Ford has been the king of this category ever since the US automaker launched the popular F-150 Raptor in North America in 2010. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, now part of Stellantis, tried to challenge Ford with its Ram 1500 TRX. Rumors are also swirling that Chevrolet will also enter the off-road pickup truck market with the all-terrain Silverado ZRX.

It will be interesting to see the Japanese firm's next moves regarding the "Toyota Tundra Raptor Truck." According to The Drive's tipster, Toyota plans to send the vehicle desert racing for its much-awaited debut. Toyota allegedly will enter the pickup truck in the stock class of an as-yet-unspecified event, following Ford's strategy before when it released the F-150 Raptor.

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General Motors made a bold claim on Tuesday, January 25, saying it will overtake Tesla as the top US-based seller of electric vehicles by the mid-2020s. General Motors issued the direct challenge after announcing a massive $6.6 billion investment in its home state of Michigan to build a new EV battery cell plant and increase electric pickup-truck production through the year 2024.

The vast outlay is part of GM's plan to increase its production capacity in North America and build 1 million electric vehicles by 2025. General Motors is dead serious with its electrification plans, with the automaker now pledging to spend $35 billion on the development of EV cars.

GM CEO Mary Barra released a statement about her company's big investment, saying, "We will have the products, the battery cell capacity, and the vehicle-assembly capacity to be the EV leader by mid-decade."

GM's task to dethrone Tesla definitely would not be easy

Accomplishing that feat in just three years certainly won't be easy for GM, with Tesla already establishing its foothold at the top of the US EV market. Tesla showed its might just last year, selling a total of 936,172 electric vehicles globally.

Tesla does not release its US sales specifically, but it is way ahead of the competition at this point. General Motors is not even in second place in EV sales in the United States last year, with that distinction falling to Ford, which managed to sell 27,140 Mustang Mach-E EVs. GM, for that matter, failed to hit the 25,000 mark in EV sales last year.

Tesla is not resting on its laurels. The company is expected to increase its production capacity in the United States to 1 million later this year once its second domestic plant in Texas goes fully online. GM wants to grab a bigger share of the pie, and its latest investments will go a long way in boosting its sales of EV cars.

Related Article: Panasonic to Mass Produce Tesla 4680 Battery Cells By 2023; Will Reportedly Invest $700 Million

GM to build new battery plant in Lansing

Through a joint venture with LG Energy Solution, General Motors will invest $2.6 billion for a new battery plant in Lansing, Michigan. The automaker will also invest $4 billion to convert its Orion Assembly plant in suburban Detroit to produce GM's upcoming electric trucks. The plant is expected to develop future versions of the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado starting in 2024.

In addition to those two large investments, General Motors will also upgrade its two Lansing-area assembly plants for non-electric vehicles to a tune of $510 million. That pushes General Motors' investment in four Michigan manufacturing sites to more than $7 billion.

That is great news for the state of Michigan, as General Motors' latest move will create jobs. With the influx of capital, GM is expected to retain 1,000 current employees and create 4,000 new jobs.

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Dr. Radenka Maric, UConn vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, has started a biotech company, owns four patents, speaks four languages and earned her PhD at a Japanese university. Today she was named the universitys new interim president. (Mark Mirko / Hartford Courant)

The UConn Board of Trustees voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint Dr. Radenka Maric, the schools vice president for research, innovation and entrepreneurship, as the universitys new interim president.

If we all think that we are here to give the skills, the knowledge and the opportunities to our students, we are going to be successful, Maric told the board at Wednesdays meeting.

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Maric has overseen great strides in the universitys research funding since starting as vice president for research in 2017.

The $375.6 million in new awards secured for UConn researchers in the 2020-21 fiscal year surpasses the previous years then-record of $285.8 million, and is a 103% increase since 2017.

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UConn now ranks first among New England public universities in external research funding, but still lags behind some other public flagships. Maric and the trustees have previously spoken of the need to raise research funding further to compete with the countrys premier research universities.

At a board meeting in October, Maric estimated that UConn would likely need to generate award dollars in the $500 million range to be considered for membership with the Association of American Universities, an invitation-only group of 66 of the countrys top research institutions.

Maric came to UConn in 2010 as a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering, and has worked closely with students to help them secure research funding, incubate their projects and eventually secure patents.

Since coming to Connecticut, all three of her children have graduated from UConn.

Maric was born in Yugoslovia and educated at Kyoto University in Japan  as such, shes fluent in four languages: Croation, English, German and Japanese.

A painter, pianist and amateur chef, Maric also designs and sews many of her own clothes.

Maric worked as a program manager for Canadas Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation prior to joining UConn, and is a highly-regarded expert in clean energy innovation.

Her efforts to elevate UConns reputation as a quality research institution have won her popularity among the trustees. Dan Toscano, board chair, described her Wednesday as a great voice for the engine of the university.

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Once I got over the knowledge that [Agwunobi] would be leaving, I felt much better when I had the opportunity to sit down with Dr. Maric talking about the path ahead for UConn, Toscano said.

UConn is incredibly fortunate to have the talented and unflappable Dr. Radenka Maric to steer UConn on an interim basis, Gov. Ned Lamont, who appointed Maric to the Connecticut Innovations Board of directors, said in a statement. Our Huskies will remain in good hands.

I am going to depend on the feedback of many of you, Maric told the trustees. We all care, we want to present excellence, and we want to provide opportunity to all of our students.

With undergraduate students set to return to campus soon, Maric will be tasked with steering the university ahead in what officials hope are the final weeks of the omicron-driven surge of COVID-19.

Five Things You Need To Know Daily We're providing the latest coronavirus coverage in Connecticut each weekday morning. >

Maric succeeds Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, who the university announced is leaving in February to take a top management role with insurance giant Humana. Agwunobi had served as CEO of UConn Health since 2014, and was named interim president in July following the resignation of Thomas Katsouleas.

Trustees on Wednesday applauded Agunobis leadership, particularly as the pandemic strained the university and UConn health.

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His vigilance to keep us moving forward, and his compassion for our constituents in particular, is unparalleled, Toscano said.

The university will soon launch a committee to consider applicants for the permanent position, and hopes to hire someone by next fall.

Maric will begin as interim president on Feb. 1. Agwunobi will stay with the university to oversee the transition through Feb. 20.

Dr. Bruce Liang, dean of the UConn School of Medicine, is expected to be selected as interim CEO of UConn Health.

Seamus McAvoy may be reached at smcavoy@courant.com
BMW Group has produced an interesting twist to its popular Minis with the launch of the Mini Recharged. The British brand first revealed this electric concept back in 2018 at the New York Auto Show, putting batteries inside a classic Mini. The company got hugely positive feedback with the electrified Mini, and the BMW Group has decided to make this concept a reality.

Mini is inviting owners of its classic vehicles to do an electric conversion and turn their cars into emission-free machines. The British automaker has not yet announced how much this process of putting modern electric powertrains inside classic Minis will cost owners, but the good thing about this conversion is that the switch is not permanent.

Only reversible changes are made to the classic Minis, meaning the combustion engines removed from the vehicles can be switched back again depending on the owner's preference. These combustion engines will be marked and stored by Mini to be used again by the owners in the future.

Mini Recharged more powerful than classic Minis

What makes the Mini Recharged such an enticing option for classic Mini owners is the performance it promises to provide. The Mini Recharged comes with an electric motor that can generate a maximum of 120 horsepower. It takes approximately nine seconds for the Mini Recharged to reach 62 miles per hour from a standstill position, which is three to four seconds quicker than a stock Mini's 0-62.

Recharged and electrifying . An electric motor for the original @MINI combines tradition with pioneering technology  launching the classic Mini into the future: https://t.co/T6nXxrYpAk #BMWGroup #MINI #electrification pic.twitter.com/qcvHGPzCLI  BMW Group (@BMWGroup) January 26, 2022

Mini has not given any details yet regarding the vehicle's battery capacity, but the British firm did say that the predicted range of the car at full charge will be around 100 miles (160 kilometers).

The original center instrument cluster on the Mini's dashboard will be kept in its original form, but it will now display information regarding the car's drive temperature, selected gear, speed, and range as part of its transformation. A dedicated team from Mini Plant Oxford will handle the development and retrofitting of the electric powertrain to the classic Minis.

Related Article: Man Uses 4.3 Liters Lexus V8 Engine, Turbocharger in Toyota Subaru WRX STI Showing Amazing Results!

Mini's sales increase in 2021

Mini has proven to be a valuable brand for the BMW Group, with the British premium carmaker increasing its worldwide vehicle sales in 2021 by 3.3 percent. Mini sold 302,144 units last year, with its electrified models experiencing a boom in demand. The carmaker sold 53,243 electric vehicles in 2021, a 64.3 percent increase compared to its 2020 numbers. That accounted for around 18 percent of Mini's total global sales in 2021.

Last year, Mini's most popular vehicle was the fully electric Mini Cooper SE. Mini sold 34,851 units of the Mini Cooper SE worldwide in 2021, meaning every third customer of a Mini 3-door chose an emission-free model. Mini's plug-in hybrids enjoyed significant sales as well, with the Mini Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 recording 18,392 deliveries.

READ MORE ON AWN:

Shakeup at Tesla as Company's Top Black Executive Steps Down as HR Chief

Maserati To Race in Formula E for 2023 Season; Provides Major Boost to All-electric Series
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Continued turmoil in Haiti is causing a growing number of Haitians to try to make it to American shores  and some advocates say the Biden administration isn't supporting this community in its time of crisis.

The big picture: Haitian-American activists in South Florida told Axios Today they feel like President Biden has gone back on campaign promises he made to the community to stand up for them.

He has definitely failed us, said Tessa Petit, co-executive director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. Joe Biden came to Little Haiti and said, We will protect you. Weve never seen this before. Literally, it feels like an attack towards Hatitians.

Driving the news: Although most Haitian migrants come into the U.S. through the Southern border, a growing number are attempting the dangerous trip by sea.

In the last three months, three large boats with Haitian migrants have landed in Key Largo, Fla. Its the first time in over two years that boats have evaded the U.S. Coast Guard. The most recent, a 60-foot vessel crammed with 176 people, no lifesaving equipment and no navigational lights, landed on Jan. 9.

By the numbers: The U.S. Coast Guard says it intercepted 1,527 Haitian migrants off the Florida Keys in 2021, up from 418 in 2020 and 932 in 2019.

The Coast Guard says it has intercepted 557 Haitian migrants since Oct. 1, when the current fiscal year began. In that same time period, 9,007 Haitian migrants crossed the U.S.-Mexico border, according to Customs and Border Protection.

After thousands of migrants crossed into Del Rio, Texas in September, Democratic senators, immigration advocates and lawyers have urged the Biden administration to stop the deportations of Haitian migrants, who face political instability and violence in their home country.

Migrants crossing by land were often expelled under Title 42, the Trump-era pandemic provision that allows for migrants to be automatically deported without any hearings.

A spokesperson with the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the Biden administration has not applied Title 42 to migrants arriving in Florida by sea.

What they're saying: For immigration attorney Friendly Julien, this is bigger than President Biden: We have lost our illusion when it comes to not only the Biden Administration, but the Democrats in general.

The other side: An administration official said the federal government has taken a number of steps to aid Haitian migrants in the U.S.

The Biden administration extended Temporary Protected Status to Haitians who were already in the United States before July 29, 2021, because of the current turmoil in Haiti.

But that doesnt apply to any new migrants, and the government's policy is to expel anyone who enters into the U.S. "irregularly," regardless of their country of origin.

Between the lines: While so much recent attention has been paid to the U.S.-Mexico border, South Florida has also been its own border town for decades, Juan Carlos Gomez, the Director of Florida International Universitys Immigration Rights Clinic, told Axios.
Bashing Republican Gov. Mike DeWine for his work to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 has become a litmus test for Republican Senate candidates in Ohio vying for Donald Trump's endorsement.

Why it matters: The intra-party attacks underscore how opposition to masking and COVID mandates has snowballed into a powerful political force, not just at the federal level but also in state races.

What we're watching: Former Ohio state Treasurer Josh Mandel  the early front-runner in the crowded and expensive GOP Senate primary  was the first to make attacking DeWine a regular part of his stump speech.

Unfortunately, Republican governor, RINO Gov. DeWine, decided he was going to lead the charge in shutting down Ohio before any state in the nation, Mandel said last March, using the acronym for "Republican in Name Only."

DeWine, who took early actions to lock down his state, was among a small group of Republican officials who didn't fall into lockstep with former President Trump when it came to the pandemic response.

DeWine is up for re-election this year. Trump has yet to endorse in the Senate race, but its candidates are auditioning, in part, at the governors expense.

Other Republican Senate candidates  who've all supported DeWine in the past  have since changed their positions to compete with Mandel.

They're all vying for the seat of Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who's retiring.

Former Ohio GOP Chair Jane Timken and tech company executive Bernie Moreno both moved from praising DeWine at the start of the lockdown to taking markedly less-supportive stances.

As Moreno stated during one of several Republican forums where DeWines name repeatedly came up, "Its one of the most popular things to do on this circuit, to say nasty things about DeWine."

Author and venture capitalist J.D. Vance endorsed DeWine for governor in 2018 but said after he entered the Senate race that DeWine has not done enough to really protect the interests of children throughout the pandemic.

Even DeWine's gubernatorial opponent, former Rep. Jim Renacci (R-Ohio), said in a statement, "If Mike DeWine won't support families and keep these schools open, then he should step aside and let someone who actually cares take the lead.

Between the lines: Opposing DeWine could be another way for the candidates jockeying for Trump's endorsement to signal their loyalty.

Last year, the former president hosted a "Hunger Games"-style dinner where he was fixated on the Republican Senate candidates opinion of DeWine.

Politico reported Mandel "said the governor was politically vulnerable" but Timken argued "hed be hard to beat."

What they're saying: Asked about the attacks, DeWine told local Fox affiliate WJW, Yeah, well, none of them are running for governor  first of all. They're running for Senate, and well see who emerges from that.

The Ohio Democratic Party jumped on the feuding.

In order to chase Trumps endorsement, all of the leading GOP Senate candidates are willing to escalate Trumps petty feud with Mike DeWine that will only deepen the divisions within the Republican Party heading into 2022," party spokesperson Michael Beyer told Axios.

What's next: Axios Columbus reporter Tyler Buchanan said pro-DeWine ads are starting to run on the airwaves.
Toivo Klaar, the EUs special representative for the South Caucasus, reacted to Pashinians televised interview aired on Monday.

I was pleased to see several positive and forward-looking remarks in the interview given by Prime Minister Pashinian on January 24, 2022, in particular on his vision for the future of the region, normalization of relations between neighbors and conflict-related rhetoric of the 1990s, Klaar told RFE/RLs Armenian Service.

A lot more needs to be done by the sides when it comes to dealing with the past and the legacy of conflict, he said in written comments. This is indeed a long but certainly a crucial process that needs to involve the societies on both sides.

In his interview, Pashinian avoided condemning Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyevs bellicose statements directed at Armenia and claims that Azerbaijans victory in the 2020 war put an end to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and that Yerevan and other parts of the country are historical Azerbaijani lands.

Pashinian drew parallels between Aliyevs aggressive rhetoric and statements made by politicians in Armenia and Karabakh after the Armenian victory in the first Karabakh war.

Statements frequently voiced from Azerbaijan mirror statements that were made in Armenia after 1994  Those statements [by Aliyev] contain a certain element of revenge and we must take this into account, he said.

Pashinian also reaffirmed strong support for opening transport links between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They will contribute to regional peace and earn Armenia economic benefits, he said.

Klaar and a senior French diplomat visited Baku and Yerevan last week to discuss with the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders ongoing efforts to de-escalate tensions along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

The EU envoy reiterated on Wednesday that he is satisfied with the results of the talks. But he did not go into details.

Our discussions last week were positive and we are looking forward to continuing our engagement with the sides to help them build a safe, stable and prosperous South Caucasus, he said.
House Speaker Matt Ritter of Hartford and Republican leader Vincent Candelora of North Branford say they can codify the governor's executive orders or extend his emergency powers - but not both. Here, they confer in June in the historic Hall of the House in Hartford. (Mark Mirko/The Hartford Courant)

HARTFORD  The state legislature is expected to allow Gov. Ned Lamonts emergency powers to expire next month, but is also crafting language to preserve more than $50 million in all-important federal funding that the state needs, lawmakers said Monday.

House Speaker Matt Ritter said that he agrees with House Republican leader Vincent Candelora that the legislature could either codify Lamonts 11 remaining executive orders into law or extend his emergency powers  but not both.

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The governor is saying to us that he doesnt need the same emergency powers he has had in the past  as long as you codify these things, Ritter said in an interview. I dont think it makes a lot of sense to codify and then say you get your same powers back.

[ Gov. Lamont wants to extend these 11 COVID-19 mandates in Connecticut after his emergency powers expire ]

The legislature would likely vote to codify the executive orders for only 30 to 60 days because the fast-changing virus could change the public health landscape again.

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No one knows whats going to happen in the future, Ritter said. There could be other concerns that arise.

The House Democratic caucus was scheduled to meet Monday night to discuss the issue, and no votes are expected until the 2022 regular session starts on Feb. 9. Lamonts emergency powers are currently scheduled to end on Feb. 15. All Republican legislators and some Democrats have been strongly opposed to extending Lamonts powers for a seventh time as the first six extensions have covered nearly two years since the virus began spreading in Connecticut in March 2020.

But Paul Mounds Jr., Lamonts chief of staff, said that Lamont never asked for his emergency powers to be extended. Instead, he only asked for the states public health and civil preparedness emergencies to be extended.

The governor didnt ask them to extend his powers, Mounds said. We didnt say the declared emergency has to have orders in which the governor has attributed to it.

Some lawmakers said they did not clearly understand Lamonts six-page letter on Friday night, and some officials said the issue of the executive orders and public health emergency had been misconstrued.

If the pandemic gets worse, lawmakers could always vote once again in the coming months  such as in May or June  to reinstate Lamonts powers if the state faces a sudden emergency with another variant or other problem, Ritter said.

A critical point for Ritter, who represents Hartford, is that Connecticut cannot afford to lose $32.6 million in federal funding for food stamps, along with $20 million more from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, known as FEMA. Lamont had originally said that he needed an extension of the emergencies to preserve the federal funding, but now Ritter and Candelora both say that the legislature could declare the emergency  rather than Lamont.

I would never, ever, ever  no matter how politically unpopular it was to continue his emergency powers, which I dont think is that unpopular, by the way  sacrifice $32 million in SNAP benefits for some of the poorest residents in the state of Connecticut, Ritter said. I would take the heat  as much as you want to put on me. It would be an absurdity to not try to avail yourself of that funding because of political purposes.

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For eligible households, the average additional supplement would be nearly $155 per month.

Because we are continuing the emergency rules, if the legislature adopts this broad umbrella of emergency with executive orders, our understanding over the weekend is they do believe the funding would continue, Ritter said. What you cant do is declare an emergency for the sole purpose of getting this funding. The feds dont want that. But there is language that we can adopt that is acknowledging that were in some sort of a state of emergency.

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Candelora and other Republicans had been pushing that point months ago, saying that Connecticut could still receive the funding. He said that the federal agriculture department says you dont need a governors emergency declaration to do it. We can legislate it.

Candelora also opposes Lamonts original proposal for codifying the executive orders and extending the emergency orders at the same time.

The legislature and the public are growing weary of more of the same, Candelora said. Why would we go through the exercise of codifying anything if the governor can just change it, anyway? ... Republicans have always been concerned about this continued delegation of authority to the governor. The governor is trying to eat his cake and save it for later at the same time. I dont know how you do both.

Senate Republican leader Kevin Kelly of Stratford said Lamonts powers should not be extended for the seventh time. Even though the session starts Feb. 9, he believes there is still time to hold public hearings to get feedback from the general public.

Weve got 22 months of experience under our belt, Kelly said. I think we could have public hearings. The state of Connecticut would be better for it. The legislature can do this in two weeks. Its absolutely doable.

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Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Stefanowski launched his television ad campaign in the 2022 race for governor. Here, he makes a point during the Connecticut Broadcasters Association debate as Democratic candidate Ned Lamont listens at Infinity Music Hall in downtown Hartford in 2018. (Cloe Poisson / )

BLOOMFIELD  With less than 10 months before Election Day, Republican Bob Stefanowski kicked off a $1 million television ad campaign Tuesday that essentially marked the start of the race for governor.

Stefanowski, who lost by 3 percentage points to Democrat Ned Lamont in 2018, is reintroducing himself to Connecticut voters with largely biographical information in the commercials. He unveiled 15-second, 30-second, and one-minute versions of the commercials that were cut from a broader video crafted for his announcement in his second run for the office.

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Lamont did not seem concerned about the start of a potentially expensive ad war and said he had no immediate plans to start buying commercials to compete against Stefanowskis message.

Not in the near term, Lamont said when asked by the Courant. Weve got a lot of work to do between now and politics. Not yet, no.

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Lamont has already spent more than $40 million of his own money in three statewide races in 2006, 2010, and 2018. He is expected to spend millions more this year. When asked for his views on Stefanowskis pledge to spend $10 million, Lamont said, I have no reaction to that.

Political insiders say they believe that Stefanowskis early declaration of $10 million might be designed to scare former House Republican leader Themis Klarides out of the governors race and prompt her to run against U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat who this year is facing three lesser-known Republican candidates who have never held major offices.

Klarides, 56, has not been giving interviews recently as she ponders her political future, but she said in a text message Tuesday that she is not concerned about the size of Stefanowskis campaign war chest.

Right now, Im continuing to talk to the voters across Connecticut as I consider my run for governor, said Klarides, who has spent nearly $400,000 of her own money as she explores the race.

In the opening salvo of the campaign, Stefanowski has already purchased more than $450,000 of air time, including $190,000 on WFSB Channel 3; $147,000 on WVIT Channel 30; and $71,000 on WTNH Channel 8. With the amount of advertising purchased, the $1 million will last about a month.

As part of the package, Stefanowski is reaching out to a broader spectrum of voters by unveiling a 30-second commercial in Spanish. He has purchased $32,000 worth of air time on Telemundo and more than $18,000 on Univision  two well-known Spanish language networks.

Stefanowski, 59, is trying to break a 15-year losing streak by Republicans in major races in Connecticut. In 2006, then-Gov. M. Jodi Rell and then-U.S. Rep. Chris Shays of Bridgeport both won reelection. But Shays lost in the Democratic wave that swept in Barack Obama as president in 2008, and no Connecticut Republican has won a seat for Congress or governor since then.

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When you have one party controlling every level of government as has been the case in Connecticut for years, it becomes easy for those in charge to maintain the status quo, rather than listening to frustrated residents who are desperate for their voices to be heard,' Stefanowski said. I will change that immediately by listening and doing what the Democrats leading our state have been unwilling or unable to do  put the interests of Connecticut residents ahead of politics.

Regarding one-party rule, Lamont, 68, responded, Come up with good, constructive ideas, and youve got a ready listener in this governor.

In his commercials, Stefanowski notes that he grew up in New Haven in a middle-class family before becoming successful in a corporate career at Price Waterhouse and General Electric. The announcer notes that his grandparents landed at Ellis Island like many other immigrants and became oyster shuckers.

I know what its like to start with nothing, Stefanowski says.

But state Democratic Party chairwoman Nancy DiNardo said that many of Stefanowskis views were left out of the commercials.

While Gov. Lamont provides strong, steady leadership through a once-in-a-century pandemic, continues to deliver record surpluses in our budget, and has our rainy day fund reaching all-time highs  all without tax increases  Bob Stefanowski is far outside of the mainstream of Connecticut, and voters wont buy what hes selling, DiNardo said. Its no wonder then that a far-right candidate who is too extreme for our state has to put $1 million on TV in January.

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Gary Rose, a longtime political science professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, said that trying to scare an opponent out of a race due to a huge fundraising advantage is a very, very old trick, but he does not believe that Klarides will bail out.

Ive seen her speak, and she certainly is a very strong-willed individual and has very strong views on issues Rose said. She is not one to shrink from controversy. Shes never struck me as one that would cower from someone. Shes a tough cookie. She really is. I dont think Bob Stefanowski scares her. I dont see it that way.'

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
Sometimes I just sit and get overwhelmed by the goodness of my God. I realize its so easy to miss when He has blessed me, when He has answered my prayers, when He has turned my mourning into joy.

Recently, my husband and I were talking to a friend we met in college. Our conversation turned to that of how we ended up living in San Antonio. Its a tale of a thousand small coincidences that all had to take place in order for us to be where we are now.

Its a story in which I cried for months, not wanting to leave the city and the life I loved. And yet through it all, God has turned my tears into some of the best laughter; my loss of friendship into some of the best life-long friends; and my loss of job into a brand-new educational journey and career.

Oftentimes, when it seems as if God is taking things from you, He is really just clearing a place for what you had no idea you wanted or needed.

And yet, somehow, we still miss it when He speaks to us through His gifts and His blessings. Something bad happens and we blame God, but we dont credit Him for anything good.

In fact, oftentimes we simply take the credit ourselves.

James 1:17a says that every gift God freely gives us is good and perfect (The Passion Translation). His desire is for our good. He freely pours out mercy and grace and forgiveness in our imperfection. God is not a God who rewards us for good behavior and punishes us every time we do wrong. But as His child He corrects, uplifts, extends mercy and blesses us with what we do not deserve.

If youve ever read Psalms, you know that its a constant shift between a psalm of weeping and a psalm of joy. I used to laugh at that when I was little, thinking David couldnt remember what happened just one chapter before. And yet I find myself doing the exact same thing in my own life.

Just as David said in Psalm 31:22, I find myself humbled and having to say, I spoke hastily when I said, The Lord has deserted me. For in truth, you did hear my prayer and came to rescue me (The Passion Translation).

We just finished a holiday built around giving thanks, and yet we so often forget. Schedule thanksgiving into your daily life, not just one day a year.

Praise God for the ways He hears us, for the answers He gives, and for His unending love and faithfulness to us through it all.
Cut Bank, MT (59427)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. High 66F. Winds WSW at 15 to 25 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 46F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak speaks to reporters at the Kuala Lumpur High Court after he was convicted on corruption charges linked to the 1MDB financial scandal, July 28, 2020.

Corruption worsened in most Asia-Pacific countries last year, with Malaysia and Thailand both falling at least five spots on Transparency Internationals 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index, the Berlin-based watchdog group said in a report issued Tuesday.

Malaysia dropped from 57 to 62 in the corruption rankings of 180 countries by TI, while neighboring Thailand went from 104 to 110. The Philippines fell two places to 117, while Bangladesh, the second lowest-ranked nation in South Asia, dropped one place to 147.

Only Indonesia, Southeast Asias largest country, which is notorious for deep-seated corruption in the public sector, performed better this year, climbing six places to 96.

Peoples across Asia-Pacific have led mass movements calling for action against corruption, but little has changed in the last 10 years, Ilham Mohamed, Transparency Internationals regional adviser for Asia, said in a statement announcing the report.

Instead, populist and autocratic leaders co-opt anti-corruption messaging to stay in power and restrict civil liberties to stop people from taking to the streets.

Since 1995, Transparency International has compiled its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, ranking countries and territories by their perceived levels of corruption in the public sector on a scale of zero  meaning highly corrupt  to 100  which means being free of corruption.

A concerning trend across some of these nations is a weakening of anti-corruption institutions or, in some cases, absence of an agency to coordinate action against corruption, the report said.

TIs report drew links between the COVID-19 pandemic and corruption, saying many Asian governments responded by rolling out large-scale economic responses, which conducted without adequate checks and balances, inevitably lead to corruption.

Wrongdoing in emergency procurement has led to price inflating, the theft of medical supplies, and sales of counterfeit medicines and materials. This left many citizens more vulnerable to COVID-19  and almost certainly cost lives, it said.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at an independence rites ceremony in Bulacan province, Philippines, June 12, 2021. [AP]

ASEAN countries stagnate, decline

TI ranks nations from 1 (best) to 180 (worst) based on their scores. The higher the score, the better the ranking.

The Philippines, which scored 33, and Thailand, which scored 35, were at historic lows this year, TI reported.

Since taking office in 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has been cracking down on freedom of association and freedom of speech, making it harder to speak up about corruption, the watchdog said. Duterte will leave office following the May 9 general election.

In 2020, it was the country with the second-highest number of murdered human rights defenders, with a total of 25 deaths, TI said.

Meanwhile, countries including Malaysia and Indonesia, which are stuck in the middle of the index, face a more complex challenge: grand corruption, the report said.

This is the abuse of high-level power that benefits the few at the expense of the many, and which can destroy whole sectors, create recessions, and end democracies, it said, adding, In such cases mere technical interventions, useful in addressing petty corruption, are not enough.

Malaysia has been battling government-corruption scandals for years, including the alleged embezzlement of billions of dollars from the state development fund 1MDB that brought down Najib Razak, the former prime minister.

In July 2020, a Kuala Lumpur court convicted and sentenced Najib to 12 years in prison on abuse of power and other charges linked to SRC International, a subsidiary of the state fund. He is appealing that ruling but is also standing trial on charges linked to the alleged theft of at least $4.5 billion (18.8 billion ringgit) from 1MDB.

The situation we are in is deeply worrying and will be difficult to turn around unless the government takes decisive and affirmative action to accelerate the institutional reforms, Muhammad Mohan, TIs chief for Malaysia, said Tuesday while presenting the index.

There has also been an acquittal or a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to high-profile personalities in several corruption cases with no clear clarification from the Attorney-Generals Office, and there is also no closure yet on the two high-impact cases to the country  the SRC International and the 1MDB case, he said, referring to cases against Najib and others.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it was giving serious attention to the report, noticing a downward trend.

The leader of Malaysia Crime Watch, meanwhile, said the government should take steps to improve the nations standing.

Malaysias further drop in the CPI is not something that we should be proud of, said Jais Abdul Karim, president of the not-for-profit group, using an acronym for the Corruption Perceptions Index.

The government has to make quick improvements  especially on issues involving political funding. The government also needs to speed up institutional reform to combat corruption, Karim told BenarNews.

In Indonesia, a researcher at the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies at of Gadjah Mada University said the nations six-point improvement in the rankings from 102 in 2020, to 96 last year, is not significant.

Researcher Zaenur Rohman pointed out that both figures are worse than the 85 ranking in 2019.

The one-point improvement in the countrys score amounts to stagnation, he told BenarNews.

Its fair to say that Indonesian business executives have seen improvements. But many aspects are in decline, including democracy.

Declining democracy means less oversight, he said. President Joko Widodo must demonstrate his commitment to eradicating corruption  with clear and measurable programs, including law enforcement reform and support for legislation to combat corruption.

Bangladesh: Disappointing

Elsewhere, Bangladeshs score has been stuck at 26 for the last four years, which is very unfortunate and shameful for the nation, said Iftekharuzzman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh. The nations rankings fell between 146 and 149 during those years.

It is disappointing. The reason behind it is the failure to transform high-profile anti-corruption pledges into reality, he said, adding the governments zero-tolerance policy toward corruption  remains only [on paper].

A section of those who are supposed to eradicate corruption are themselves involved with corruption, he said.

Ghulam Rahman, former chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, said there was no doubt that the top government officials want to curb corruption, but on the ground, the scenario is different.

Preventing corruption by ACC alone is not possible. All the authorities concerned should be functional to make the country corruption-free, Rahman said.

Bangladesh Law Minister Anisul Huq told BenarNews that he had not seen the report and would not comment.

Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur, Tria Dianti in Jakarta, and Ahammad Foyez in Dhaka contributed to this report.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that he had invited Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the Myanmar junta chief, to an upcoming summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) provided he implements conditions to end the political crisis in the country.

Hun Sen, who is serving a term as chairman of the 10-member bloc, made the comments during a video call with Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, according to a statement posted on the Cambodian leaders Facebook page. Min Aung Hlaing must first act on promises he made to end violence in his country at an emergency ASEAN meeting in April 2021 after leading a military coup two months earlier, the statement said.

Hun Sen said that he had invited His Excellency Min Aung Hlaing to the ASEAN summit if there is progress in implementing the unanimously agreed upon five-point consensus, but if not, [Myanmar will] send non-political representatives to the ASEAN meeting instead, the statement said.

The prime minister said that ASEAN has a lot of work to do and cannot allow itself to become a slave to Myanmar by becoming too focused on the latters internal politics, the statement said.

Following the meeting, Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary of State Kao Kim Hourn told government mouthpiece Fresh News that Hun Sen would hold a video conference with Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday to discuss what developments the junta had made on the five-point consensus.

On Tuesdays call, Ismail Sabri stressed to Hun Sen the need for an urgent de-escalation of violence in Myanmar, inclusive political dialogue, and the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, according to a statement released by Malaysias Ministry of Defense. He also called for an ASEAN envoy to be granted full access to all parties concerned as part of a bid to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

But the ministry said that Ismail Sabri had remained firm on Malaysias earlier stance to refrain from inviting representatives of the junta to ASEAN meetings until the military regime had lived up to its commitments.

Earlier visit to Myanmar

Earlier this month, Hun Sen met with Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar to discuss international and regional issues, marking the first visit by a foreign leader to the country since the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup, despite protests over what is seen as his support for the military regime and its repressive policies.

After the meeting, the two sides released a statement that sought to highlight that the inclusion of a special envoy in talks to deescalate tension in Myanmar was an important step in meeting ASEANs five-point consensus. The junta has failed to implement any of the steps and ASEAN had declined to invite its delegations to several high-profile meetings, including its annual summit.

During his Jan. 7 and 8 visit, Hun Sen also failed to meet with any of Myanmars prodemocracy leaders, including jailed National League for Democracy (NLD) chief Aung San Suu Kyi  another condition of the five-points  in a move that observers say shows the prime minister intends to treat the junta with kid gloves as chairman of ASEAN.

Since deposing the democratically elected NLD in February, junta forces have killed nearly 1,500 civilians and arrested more than 8,780  mostly during nonviolent protests of military rule  and are engaged in multiple offensives against ethnic armed groups and anti-junta militias.

In the weeks since Hun Sens visit, Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to four years in detention and the military has deployed air strikes during clashes that have displaced thousands of civilians.

Approach criticized

Hun Sens video conference with Ismail Sabri on Tuesday came days after he lashed out at Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah in a phone call with Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo for being arrogant by criticizing Phnom Penhs strategy to deal with Myanmar. Abdullah had earlier told reporters that Hun Sen should have consulted with other leaders from ASEAN before going to Myanmar to meet with Min Aung Hlaing.

The visit also prompted criticism from the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), which was later rejected by Cambodias National Assembly in a statement attacking the groups chair Charles Santiago.

On Tuesday, the APHR urged Cambodia to prioritize its efforts on finding the solutions needed to address the tragic crisis engulfing Myanmar, citing what it said are more urgent humanitarian and human rights needs in the country.

Now what is needed is for the ASEAN chair to work closely with the rest of its members to hold the junta leader accountable towards the Five-Point Consensus that he himself also agreed to, Santiago said in a statement.

Amidst all of this, lets not forget the people of Myanmar, who continue to be subjected to the terror and violence of this junta, and yet bravely continue to voice their rejection of the military.

Iskandar Zulkarnain in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
Lincoln, NE (68508)

Today

Cloudy early, then off and on rain showers for the afternoon. High 57F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Rain showers early becoming a steady light rain overnight. Low 49F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Former Philippine Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. waves to supporters in Manila after filing paperwork to run for president in May 9 General Election, Oct. 6, 2021.

The son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos says he would dismiss any potential offer of help from longtime ally the United States in negotiations with China over the South China Sea, if elected president in May.

To seek to enforce a 2016 international arbitration court ruling that dismissed Beijings historical claims to the disputed waterway is no longer be feasible because China has rejected the verdict, presidential candidate Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr. said during a taped television interview broadcast by the ABS-CBN network on Tuesday.

The problem is between China and us. If Americans come in, it is bound to fail, he said, when asked if the Philippines was strong enough to engage in a defensive war with China and how he planned to deal with Beijing.

Going to war with China over the South China Sea would not be an option and should be considered a ludicrous idea, he said.

Rodrigo Duterte, the outgoing Filipino president, has credited the U.S. with brokering a deal between the Philippines and China after Beijing effectively seized control of Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea in 2012. The Philippines left the area while China did not budge.

The United States has neither confirmed nor denied Dutertes statement.

During the interview, Marcos Jr. erroneously pointed out that China had not signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a binding international treaty ratified by Beijing.

[A]rbitration is no longer available to us, he said, adding that the Philippines should continue to engage China.

I would go back to the premise that we must not allow diplomacy to fail, Marcos said. It is the only option that we have.

Marcos Jr., the current front-runner in local opinion polls, did not participate in weekend TV interviews with other leading presidential candidates  namely Vice President Leni Robredo, senators Panfilo Lacson and Manny Pacquiao and Manila city Mayor Francisco Domagoso.

On Wednesday, Robredo said the relationship with China should be based on mutual respect and adherence to international law. The 2016 courts ruling for the Philippines was a major victory, she said.

First, we have an arbitral ruling that found in our favor. The main summary of that ruling is that the West Philippine Sea is ours, she said, using Manilas name for its territories in the South China Sea.

That is ours and we will fight for that. Having said that, the focus of all the efforts is what will be in the best interest of the Filipinos, Robredo said in an interview that also aired on ABS-CBN. This is not just about sovereignty, but about the livelihoods of our fishermen.

Robredo said the Philippines should use the 2016 ruling as leverage to create a coalition of nations who are with us in protecting the West Philippine Sea.

If we dont act, why should we expect others to act on our behalf?

Earlier this week, Lacson said he would seek to keep Manilas South China Sea territories safe while maintaining a relationship with the U.S.

I would ask the Philippine Coast Guard to escort our fishermen. I will also call for joint military exercises with either Australia or the U.S. since they are willing, Lacson said during his own interview with ABS-CBN, the largest broadcaster in the Philippines.

A Filipina holds a sign protesting against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte-Carpio running for president and vice president in front of the Commission on Human Rights in Manila, Nov. 14, 2021. [Basilio Sepe/BenarNews]

No to ICC probe

Marcos Jr., who lost to Robredo in the vice presidential race in 2016, has teamed up with Dutertes daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, as his running mate.

Analysts have said that the two might try to protect President Duterte, whose six-year term is about to end, from the prospect of being investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over thousands of extrajudicial killings tied to his administrations war on illegal drugs.

On May 9, Filipinos will vote to elect a new president and vice president, fill 12 of the 24 Senate and all 316 House seats along with about 18,000 official positions ranging from governors to mayors and town councilors.

Asked on Tuesday if he would allow ICC investigators here if he won the election, Marcos Jr. insisted that the countrys courts were a functioning judiciary.

Thats why I dont see the need for a foreigner to come and do the job for us, do the job for our judicial system. Our judicial system is perfectly capable of doing that, he said, adding that the investigators presence would raise questions about jurisdiction and sovereignty.

What is their jurisdiction to come here to the Philippines and conduct an investigation? Is that not a violation of our rights as a sovereign nation in the community of nations? Marcos Jr. said.

Rights violations

Asked to comment on the documented human rights violations under his fathers dictatorship, including torture and forced disappearance, Marcos Jr. said he was unaware of them.

I do not know how they generated those numbers and I havent seen them, he said in the interview, a comment that enraged rights activists on Wednesday.

Butch Olano, the Philippine director of Amnesty International (AI), stressed that tens of thousands of torture victims have been documented, while martial law implemented under the rule of the candidates father had caused intense suffering across the nation.

The elder Marcos, a close Southeast Asian ally of the United States, ruled the Philippines from 1965 to 1986 when he fled the country amid a democratic uprising.

Anyone running for president who says they do not know how public information on human rights violations during martial law were generated is blatantly denying history, Olano said in a statement. This makes us question the kind of leadership they offer to bring to Malacanang Palace.

Urging Marcos to acknowledge atrocities committed under his fathers regime, Olano said the local Amnesty office would furnish him with copies of the reports in the 1970s and 1980s.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has no regard whatsoever for the victims of martial law, Olano said.
An F-35C Lightning II and an F/A-18E Super Hornet fly over the Philippine Sea, Jan. 22, 2022.

The U.S. Navy says it is working to recover the F-35C Lightning II fighter jet that crashed in the South China Sea  a tough mission likely to play out under the watchful eyes of China.

While attempting to land Monday on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, the fighter jet skidded over the side and tumbled into the sea. The pilot safely ejected and was recovered by a U.S. military helicopter.

Lt. Nicholas Lingo, spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet, told media late Tuesday that the U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35C aircraft.

Lingo said he could confirm the aircraft impacted the flight deck during landing and subsequently fell to the water but did not specify the location of the crash site or the search area.

Seven servicemen were injured in the accident that happened during a joint operation conducted by the USS Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln strike groups in the South China Sea. All the injured are in stable condition.

The South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCPI), a Beijing-based think-tank, alleged that based on satellite imagery the crash occurred within the U.S. exercise area some 100 nautical miles from Luzon Island of the Philippines, and 50 to 70 nautical miles northeast of Scarborough Shoal inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

The SCPI also said that on Wednesday morning, the U.S. sent at least six intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance aircraft including one MQ-4C, a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, to the area, presumably to assist the crashed fighters search.

The wreckage could contain many technological secrets, and analysts say the U.S. would not want them to fall into Chinas hands.

I think its obvious that the Chinese would be looking for the wreckage as well, said Richard Bitzinger, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

He said pieces of wreckage can provide valuable information about the F-35, such as its skin, stealth sensors, and data processing.

That said, Im sure that the U.S. Navy is surrounding the area where the plane went down and trying to cordon it off until salvage ships arrive. So I dont know if the Chinese could pull it off overtly and covertly. I dont know if the Chinese have the means, Bitzinger added.

The 7th Fleets spokesman, Lt. Lingo, when asked, said: We cannot speculate on what the PRCs (Chinas) intentions are on this matter.

Multi-million-dollar fighter jet

Chinese military observers nevertheless have been monitoring the accident closely.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy of the Peoples Liberation Army, was quoted in the state-run Global Times newspaper as saying that the U.S. militarys operations aimed at containing China exhaust American military personnel physically and mentally.

Accidents would be unavoidable under this situation, Zhang was quoted as saying.

Ten F-35Cs, including the one that crashed, are aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

The $100-million F-35, developed by the American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp., is a state-of-the-art aircraft with superior stealth performance that is difficult to catch on radar.

Janes Defence Weekly magazine reported this month that the Thai military is considering buying new fighter aircraft to replace its air forces ageing fleet. One option is the F-35 Lightning II strike fighter.

Lockheed Martin said the F-35C variant is the first and worlds only stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations. The first F-35C was put into operation only in 2019.

Recovery of the fighter jet from the sea presents a formidable challenge.

The U.S. military has not provided detailed information about where the plane might be, but the area of the dual-aircraft drills where it went down is near the so-called South China Basin, where the maximum sea depth exceeds 5,000 meters.

At least four F-35 aircraft of all kinds have crashed so far.

An F-35 from Britains HMS Queen Elizabeth crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in November, though the pilot safely ejected.

In April 2019, a Japanese F-35 crashed in the Pacific Ocean close to northern Japan, killing the pilot. The F-35 was recovered from the sea.

Just earlier this month, a South Korean F-35A fighter had to make an emergency landing during training due to malfunction.

Mondays crash was the second major accident involving the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea in recent months. Last October, the nuclear submarine USS Connecticut hit an uncharted seamount and suffered significant damage.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha (left) meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at the Royal Court, Al Yamamah Palace, in Riyadh, Jan. 25, 2022.

Thailand and Saudi Arabia have agreed to normalize diplomatic ties and work toward mending a decades-old rift, with analysts and officials saying the thaw will benefit the Thais economically and allow Riyadh to cultivate new non-Muslim allies.

In a joint statement released by the Thai foreign ministry Wednesday, the two countries announced the breakthrough. It happened as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha became the first Thai leader to visit Saudi Arabia in more than 30 years. The bilateral relationship froze after a Thai janitor stole millions of dollars worth of jewels from a Riyadh place in 1989, and a string of unsolved murders followed within months of the heist.

[T]he two sides agreed to fully normalize their diplomatic relations, according to the joint statement, which also said that they reaffirmed their mutual determination to resolve all pending issues between Thailand and Saudi Arabia.

The two sides discussed means and ways to strengthen and enhance economic and trade relations between the two Kingdoms by exploring investment and other opportunities, it added.

Prayuths visit to Riyadh on Tuesday came at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabias first deputy prime minister, who is considered the Saudi kingdoms de facto ruler.

At the end of their meeting, the two countries also agreed to appoint ambassadors in the near future, the statement said.

[Thai Foreign Minister] Don Pramudwinai affirmed that we will appoint an ambassador as soon as possible, Tanee Sangrat, a spokesman for Thailands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters in Bangkok on Wednesday.

Tanee said labor export was one of the key issues that the two governments focused on during Prayuths visit.

Saudi Arabia informed us it wants 8 million skilled workers, Tanee said.

It is a good opportunity for Thai workers in the services sector, as well as hotel, health, and major constructions.

Saudi Arabia was once a major destination for Thai workers.

Before diplomatic ties were degraded, there used to be 300,000 workers [in Saudi Arabia, who] generated nine billion baht, Tanee said, adding that Riyadh was planning to frame an agreement on labor within two months.

Riyadh had restricted travel between the two countries, impacting tourism and remittances by migrant workers. Thailand now hopes to benefit in the areas of trade and tourism.

For instance, Saudia, Saudi Arabias national airline, said on Wednesday that direct flights to Thailand would begin this coming May.

Explore Thailand  The Land of Culture, said the advertisement posted on Twitter.

Saudi Arabia stands to gain as well through restoring its ties with Thailand, said Haneef Salam, a researcher at the Center for Ethnic Studies and Development at Chiang Mai University.

Saudi Arabia is trying to lessen its dependence on the United States for the past 4-5 years, due to its tumultuous relationship, Haneef told BenarNews.

He was referring to an international outcry that followed the killing of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi at Riyadhs consulate in Istanbul in October 2019.

Its likely the Saudi royalty is feeling insecure, and so it is expanding relationship with countries it once shunned, and is ready to cooperate with other countries so that it does not have to completely depend on the U.S., Haneef said.

Saudi Arabias strategy is evident from the thousands of scholarships Saudi Arabia is giving away to non-Muslim countries, including Thailand, he added.

Historic breakthrough

Ahead of Prayuths meeting with Saudi Arabias Salman, Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told local media that the Thai PMs visit was a result of six years of behind-the-scenes work.

This historic breakthrough is a result of long-term efforts on many levels from both sides to restore mutual trust and friendly relations, the joint statement also said.

The diplomatic rift began after a Thai-born palace worker, Kriangkrai Techamong allegedly stole jewels from the home of a Saudi prince in August 1989.

The stolen precious stones included a rare 50-carat blue diamond, which authorities never recovered.

In early 1990, months after the heist, two Saudi diplomats and a telex operator assigned to Riyadhs embassy in Bangkok were killed in separate murders in the Thai capital. A Saudi businessman sent by Riyadh to Thailand to investigate the jewelry theft disappeared soon after, deepening tensions between the two kingdoms.

The killings and the businessmans disappearance remain unsolved.

According to the joint statement, Prayuth expressed his sincere regrets for the tragic cases that took place in Thailand between 1989 [and] 1990.

Kriangkrai was arrested in 1990 and confessed to his crime. Thai police returned some of the jewels. However, Saudi officials claimed most were fakes. There have been allegations that senior Thai officials took the stolen gems.

The Thai janitor, who had sold most of the gems before his arrest, was sentenced to three years in jail. He became a monk in 2016.

Separately in 2014, a Thai court dismissed the case against five men, including a senior Thai policeman, who were accused of involvement in the Saudi businessmans disappearance in 1990.

Prayuth on Tuesday reaffirmed that Thailand had exerted utmost efforts to resolve the cases and that it stands ready to bring the cases to the consideration of the competent Thai authorities if new well-founded evidence relating to the cases should emerge, the statement said.

He also reaffirmed Thailands commitment to providing appropriate security to members of the mission of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Bangkok.

Nontarat Phaicharoen in Bangkok and Kunnawut Boonreak in Chiang Mai contributed to this report.
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A Newport News man who wore a Camp Auschwitz shirt at the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol. (EOG/EOG)

Robert Keith Packer, the U.S. Capitol rioter best known for wearing a shirt with the words Camp Auschwitz emblazoned on it, pleaded guilty Wednesday to joining the crowd as it stormed the building.

Packer, 57, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of parading, demonstrating or picketing during a hearing presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington. Sentencing is scheduled for April 7.

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This photo provided by Western Tidewater Regional Jail shows Robert Keith Packer of Newport News. Packer was arrested Wednesday Jan. 13, 2021 on federal charges related to the riot at the U.S. Capitol. (Western Tidewater Regional Jail via AP)

The crime  the most common that Capitol rioters have pleaded guilty to  carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine. Packer, of Newport News, has agreed to pay $500 in restitution, which has also been typical in U.S. Capitol riot cases, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst said during the video conference hearing.

According to a summary of the evidence provided by prosecutors, Packer attended a rally for then-President Donald Trump on Jan. 6, then marched to the U.S. Capitol with thousands of others rally attendees.

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While inside, Packer went into the U.S. House of Representatives chamber, and was nearby when a U.S. Capitol Police officer shot and killed rioter Ashli Babbitt, Furst said. He also was in a hallway when a sign for U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was removed and destroyed. He spent about 20 minutes in the building, the prosecutor said.

Packer has agreed to cooperate with the FBI in its investigation, Furst said. More than 700 people have been charged to date, including 12 from Hampton Roads and neighboring cities and counties.

[ A year after the Capitol riot, what happened to the defendants from Hampton Roads? ]

Packer appeared at the video conferencing hearing from his home in Newport News. He doesnt have a license to drive, defense attorney Stephen Brennwald said. Brennwald said he recently drove to Packers house and spent several hours going over the plea agreement with him.

Packer was allowed to remain free on bond while his sentencing is pending. Furst said he has abided with all the conditions of his bond, and has been compliant throughout the process.

Jane Harper, 757-222-5097, jane.harper@pilotonline.com
READER QUESTION

Q: I am in my late 70s now, and when I was a kid, I spent most of my time in the woods and must admit they were thinner than they are today, and wonder if this might be the reason why we never saw even one Pileated Woodpecker out in West Pittsfield? Today, we visit, even if to only to enjoy The Pittsfield State Forest.

 Sid, Springfield

A: It does have something to with the numbers and size of trees then and the numbers and size now. History tells us that looking back closer to the days when The Ghost of the Forest was so named it was very rare. I recall refreshing my knowledge of this largest of our woodpeckers from a most interesting nature book Still Speaking of Nature the second of two volumes by, a man who Pittsfield High School students would address as their biology teacher, Mr. Danielson. I came to call him by the cover title, Bill Danielson. In his chapter on "Winter," he examines subjects like Endurance, Frozen Water, a few mammals, various birds like Dark-eyed Junco, Common Redpoll, and yes, The Pileated Woodpecker. And why this species became ghost of the forest is explained, By the time of the Civil War, a substantial portion of the Northeast had been cleared for farmland. At one point 70 percent of southern New England had been converted to agriculture, leaving precious little forest left for wildlife. The farms and pastures have, for the most part, returned to forests and through the years the forests have become mature second growth. A good example may be found on the internet if you visit: https://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/diorama-series/landscape-history-central-new-england.

With mature trees, the woodpeckers that include the pileated now provide both food (often carpenter ants. especially) and just as often large enough trees to allow their hollowing out nest sites that over one hundred years ago existed infrequently. Come to think of it, even 70 years ago they were far less frequent than today.

SOME HISTORY OF THE LOG COCK (PILEATED)

1867: "Birds of New England," by E. D. Samuels: This species is a resident in northern districts of New England throughout the year. It has been a known breed in Massachusetts; but, as a general thing, it is not found south of the northern border of this State.

1900: "The Birds of Berkshire County," by Walter Faxon and Ralph Hoffmann: Very rare, permanent resident. Doubtless this bird was once commoner here than it is now.

1950: "Berkshire Birds," by Bartlett Hendricks: Faxon and Hoffmann called the most spectacular of woodpeckers a very rare bird. Today, while they cannot be called common, pileateds have increased so that they are distributed from the lowest to the highest parts of the county ...

1955: "The Birds of Massachusetts," by Dorothy Snyder: Formerly a common resident of heavy forests, extirpated by civilization and logging. Its range is limited to stands of good second growth, with nesting trees of the necessary size.

1994: "Birds of Berkshire County," by Bartlett Hendricks: "At the start of the century our largest woodpecker was a very rare species, but today, with so much more of the country forested, they are widely distributed.

2017: "Annotated List of The Birds of Berkshire County," by David P. St. James: By 1937, Hendricks notes that it had become more evident but still uncommon. It has a status today as a regular resident.

READER COMMENT

Fran C., of Pittsfield wrote: My black squirrel is back again! He/She loves my black oil sunflower seeds.

HISTORY OF THE BLACK SQUIRREL

As I understand the story of black squirrels, in 1948 there were only two black squirrels brought to Westfield from the state of Michigan by sales representatives of Stanley Home Products, in business since 1931. Today the company is known as Stanhome, Inc. There are different stories that the first two escaped or died, and others replaced these first two. The rest is news, because they eventually were conditioned to the area and released on the property.

Forty-eight years later, Westfield was a mecca for the melanistic strain of the common gray squirrel. In fact, they interbreed! Some say it is simply a melanistic version. While others believe them to be a mutation. Regardless, they are gray squirrels just black in color. And there is no dominant over the other, although some local observers believe the black are dominant over the gray. Although, they may mate with a gray and offspring can be either gray or black.

Through the years Naturewatch has conducted informal counts within the county.

In 1987, 50 black squirrels were counted from Adams south to Great Barrington with nine towns in between.

In 1988, 40 black squirrels were counted from Clarksburg and North Adams to Stockbridge, with eight towns in between.

In 1995, 56 black squirrels were counted from North Adams to Monterey, with 14 towns reporting, including Otis and Williamstown.

And 49 black squirrels were counted in an undated count with 40 towns reporting, including Pittsfield and North Adams. Even Mount Washington and Florida sent in reports.

An undated count found 88 black squirrels in 19 towns.

Not many readers have sent in sightings to Naturewatch as of late, so if you do see them, please email Naturewatch41@gmail.com with your name, street and town, date and number of Melanistic (black) gray squirrels seen!

It is time for another count, dont you think?
Investigations editor

Larry Parnass joined The Eagle in 2016 from the Daily Hampshire Gazette, where he was editor in chief. His freelance work has appeared in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Hartford Courant, CommonWealth Magazine and with the Reuters news service.
Cops and Courts Reporter

Amanda Burke is Cops and Courts Reporter for The Berkshire Eagle. An Ithaca, New York native, she previously worked at The Herald News of Fall River and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise.
Many Western Massachusetts residents are well aware of what mud season does to dirt roads, but a proposal from Western Massachusetts lawmakers asks the state Legislature to take a look at the issue.

Temperature and precipitation create impassable conditions, but insufficient state funding prevents many small towns from properly maintaining those and other roads  a finding from State Auditor Suzanne Bumps October report on public infrastructure.

Auditor: Poor rural towns in Massachusetts arent getting the help they need to keep up with wealthy ones Its rescue time for rural Massachusetts, state Auditor Suzanne Bump declared Monday, as her department releases evidence of inequitable government investment in the western part of the state.

In the worst cases, impassable dirt roads make it difficult for school buses to take children to school or for residents to get to work and back home, forcing some to abandon their cars and walk the final stretch. If ambulances or firetrucks need to get to a residence on an impassable road, the conditions pose a safety issue.

Three Western Massachusetts lawmakers have filed legislation to establish a working group to look at the issue, an effort by state Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, and state Reps. Natalie Blais, D-Sunderland, and Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton.

While the bill would not send funds to local governments, it calls for the working group to identify potential funding gaps to support the safe, efficient and environmentally sound maintenance and improvement. Department of Transportation would convene the working group in conjunction with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

In the thick of mud season, study gives traction to South County dirt roads' plight SANDISFIELD  David Hubbard once had to drive his backhoe down Dodd Road to bring his wife home because her truck got stuck in the mud.

Blais said at a Tuesday hearing before the Joint Committee on Transportation that Massachusetts can look to Pennsylvania for an example of what such a working group could accomplish.

Pennsylvania established a similar task force in 1993, Blais said. Four years later, a law allocated $5 million per year as part of the Dirt and Gravel Road Maintenance Program. Pennsylvania now puts $35 million into that program each year, including up to $8 million for maintaining low-volume roads.

Mr. Chair, Im not here today to ask you for $8 million, although I wouldnt turn it away, Blais said. Im just asking for a favorable recommendation on H.3411.

Town officials in Goshen and Shutesbury testified to share their communities experiences with dirt road maintenance.

Dirt roads in recent years have become sites for some of the more affordable housing units in Shutesbury, and the lack of suitability for year-round use of those roads is a challenge for younger families with school-aged children, said Susie Mosher, a member of the Shutesbury Finance Committee.

State funding for roads fails to meet local needs, Western Mass. observers say State dollars do not fully cover the transportation needs of Berkshire County, observers say. Several lawmakers, though, say they believe federal relief money can help meet infrastructure needs.

Angela Otis, who chairs the Goshen Select Board, said that Goshen applies for state grants but often has its applications denied.

Were told that even though we qualify, the competition is very good, and please reapply again next year, Otis said. Engineering design fees are very difficult to cover with the very small appropriated budget that we can muster up, and that is even after we do debt exclusions and overrides.

In written testimony, Ashfield Town Administrator Paul McLatchy III cited estimates that rebuilding a mile of dirt road would cost $300,000 to $400,000, and paving a mile would cost up to $1 million  money that most small, rural towns cannot come up with.

Both the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and the Franklin Council of Regional Governments submitted written testimony in support of the legislation.

While rural dirt roads are widely understood as an important cultural aspect of western Massachusetts communities, it is widely acknowledged that the effects of extreme storm events is placing additional burden on rural infrastructure, public services, and the environment, BRPC Executive Director Thomas Matuszko said.

Raymond Bradley, a climate scientist from Leverett, said that more severe weather due to climate change has surpassed what the outdated culverts can handle on the dirt road where he lives.

We dont really need a Big Dig, Bradley said, referring to the Boston-area highway project that is considered the most expensive in U.S. history. We dont need $14 billion, but wed like to have some money to repair and maintain our roads systems.

State Sen. John Keenan, a Quincy Democrat who co-chairs the committee, replied, Thank you. Certainly, $8 million is less than $14 billion.

For the proposal to advance this legislative session, the committee would need to report it out favorably. The deadline to act on bills is Feb. 2, although committees also can extend reporting for a bill.
Kremlin says U.S. actions escalate tensions around Ukraine

Xinhua) 09:19, January 26, 2022

MOSCOW, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Russia is deeply concerned about recent U.S. actions that are fueling tensions around Ukraine, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

"We are watching the actions of the United States with great concern," TASS news agency said, citing the spokesman.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday that some 8,500 U.S. troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment due to escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, with no decision on formal deployments.

When asked about this possibility, Peskov noted that these claims will not affect the current negotiations on Moscow's security guarantees.

Russia "needs to get the written response from the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization" to the recent security proposals, the spokesman said, hoping that this would happen this week.

(Web editor: Peng yukai, Liang Jun)
Anne Wyatt Ford-Cox, 56, the daughter of retired Hampton Circuit Court Judge Walter J. Ford, was killed when her home on Aspenwood Court was fired upon on July 7, 2020. (Trial exhibit, Hampton Circuit Court)

Hampton  It was close to midnight on July 7, 2020 when dozens of rounds from an assault rifle tore into a home on Hamptons Aspenwood Drive.

One round struck 56-year-old Anne Wyatt Ford-Cox, who was asleep on a living room couch near the front of the house. Additional rounds sprayed into other bedrooms, with one bullet striking the mattress on which Ford-Coxs adult daughter was sleeping. .

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Ford-Cox  the daughter of retired longtime Hampton Circuit Court Judge Walter J. Ford  was hit in the head and died hours later.

Hampton Police charged David L. Andrews, of Hampton, with the shooting. But following a two-day trial last week, a 12-member Circuit Court jury acquitted the 37-year-old on all charges.

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The jury, made up of seven Black jurors and five white jurors, deliberated for about two hours before finding Andrews not guilty of second-degree murder and two counts of shooting into an occupied dwelling.

The cases prosecutors, Joshua Jenkins and Molly Newton with the Virginia Attorney Generals Office, contended that Andrews shot up the house to get back at Anne Ford-Coxs husband, Vincent Bubba Cox, over an argument 16 days earlier.

There was no evidence the shooting had anything to do with Fords time on the bench. The jurist, now 93, retired in 2000 after 16 years as a judge, though he heard cases for decades on an on-call basis and still presides over settlement conferences.

The prosecutions key trial witness  the uncle of Andrews babys mother  testified that Andrews showed him an assault rifle on the evening of July 7, saying he was going to shoot up the home down the block.

This is the home on Aspenwood Drive in Hampton that was hit with 28 bullets on July 7, 2020. (Hampton Circuit Court file/Hampton Police Division)

According to multiple sources who attended the trial, that witness testified that Andrews told him he was doing so because Cox, who is white, had called him the N-word during the prior argument.

The witness testified that he then watched as Andrews, who is Black, walked over to the house where Cox and Ford-Cox lived, south of West Mercury Boulevard in Aberdeen. The witness said Andrews opened fire with the assault rifle and ran away.

The prosecution introduced Ring home security footage that showed a dark-colored car fleeing the area within seconds of the shooting. Prosecutors also introduced evidence that Andrews had his gray car painted white within days of Ford-Coxs slaying.

Also during last weeks trial, a neighbor testified that on June 19  16 days before the fatal shooting  Cox and Ford-Cox had a small Fathers Day gathering at their home, while another family was having a cookout down the street.

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But Cox got into an argument with people attending the other gathering, apparently over a parking issue or people cutting through his yard, the neighbor testified.

Hampton police placed tape by several bullet holes on the exterior of a residence at 113 Aspenwood Drive, where a woman was hit by gunfire and later died. (Daily Press Staff)

The neighbor testified that Cox was acting belligerently during the altercation, and that she overheard him using the N-word toward others.

But the neighbor also testified that she did not witness an argument between Cox and Andrews and did not hear Cox directing a racial epithet toward him.

Another neighbor testified that Cox would often drink heavily and say racist things.

But Andrews attorney, Joshua Goff, asserted that Andrews former girlfriends uncle  the only eyewitness tying Andrews to the shooting  simply made up the story that Andrews shot up the house.

The lawyer said the witness and Andrews didnt get along, as evidenced by a significant physical altercation they had in a car during a trip to Georgia days before the shooting.

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Moreover, Goff contended that police investigators didnt follow up on the possibility that the witness might have been protecting his own brother from being investigated for the shooting.

Goff showed the jury a silent cell phone video clip of an apparent argument  also on Fathers Day  between the witness brother and a man who was out of the cameras view but that a neighbor said was Cox. Goff pointed out that the witness brother was holding a gun.

Our argument was that that was a suspect who was never investigated, Goff said in an interview with the Daily Press after the acquittal. He appeared to be having a heated argument with Mr. Cox the same day, and was holding a gun.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

No shooting occurred that day. It was more than two weeks later, on July 7, that someone fired more than 28 rounds at the home.

That night, Ford-Cox was working on her laptop on her living room couch when her husband and daughter went to bed before the 11:30 p.m. shooting.

Aside from the round that struck Ford-Cox, another bullet tore through the bedroom where Cox was sleeping, and three rounds flew into Ford-Coxs adult daughters bedroom, striking the mattress where she was sleeping.

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An obituary from Ford-Coxs family said she graduated from Peninsula Catholic High School, earned her degree as a practical nurse and was working at Krogers at the time of her death.

She was known to have a kind word and smile on her face for everyone, the obituary said. She loved animals and had the kindest heart, ready to help anyone in need.

Andrews is expected to be released after completing a federal probation in the coming months. Ford did not attend the trial and could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Peter Dujardin, 757-247-4749, pdujardin@dailypress.com
ADAMS  When pressed Tuesday on his qualifications to run a proposed cannabis dispensary, Kerry Raheb leaned on the two decades he spent working as a stockbroker.

At times, Raheb found himself raising his voice over those asking questions at a community outreach meeting, which around 20 people attended in the Adams Visitors Center.

Would-be Adams cannabis merchant, a vaccine critic, seeks Senate seat in Vermont A Vermont man who seeks to open a retail cannabis business in Adams is also a candidate for U.S. Senate who has falsely claimed that vaccines spread COVID-19 and that the District of Columbia is short on testosterone. He goes before a community outreach meeting Tuesday at the Adams Visitors Center.

Raheb, of Vermont, is the sole owner of Indica LLC and is looking to open a retail store at 127 Columbia St. While the Adams store would be his first in the industry, Raheb plans to open three stores in Massachusetts, three in Maine and three in Vermont.

As far as running a business, this is simple, Raheb said. I can run 10 of these. I plan on running 10 of these.

Raheb said he ran a private jet business and pointed to his experience as a stockbroker as evidence of his credentials.

Some residents, however, pushed Raheb on his background and whether he could run the business successfully.

I took the liberty to Google your name, and its not very attractive, nor is it from the Vermont Political Observer, said one man, who said his name was Art after Raheb asked.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority website shows four customer disputes for excessive or unauthorized trading from Rahebs time as a broker. Two were settled, one was closed without any action, and another was withdrawn. The site also lists a civil judgment from 2013 and a criminal matter from 1993 in which all charges were dropped.

Raheb has denied any wrongdoing in the complaints, alleging that customers complained after suffering losses due to market conditions.

When the man asked Raheb about tax liens listed on another online database, Raheb asked, Seriously?

This article is all lies, Raheb said of what political blogger John Walters wrote in the Vermont Political Observer, and of a story in The Eagle, he said, Its a scam.

I wouldnt be opening up a marijuana business and also running for the U.S. Senate in Vermont if I had anything to hide, Raheb said.

Raheb made frequent reference to his greater-than-required promised donations to the town, which would total $15,000 in the first year of operation, $20,000 in the second and $25,000 in the third. Raheb also said he plans to donate a to-be-determined percentage of his profit to the town.

This is the same business if I opened up a stock business, Raheb said.

Myra Wilk pushed Raheb on his ability to run the business, characterizing his business experience as minimal.

Adams has been fed a lot of things by a lot of people who are going to come in and just create things in this town, and youve listed thousands of dollars [in donations], Wilk said.

Raheb repeated his private jet business experience and investment banking experience and asked Wilk, Are you here to hurt me or trying to help the community?

This to me is easy, Raheb said of running the business. Its a piece of cake. Its not a challenge at all. The challenge is getting your license from the state.

Wilk serves as the town moderator and is a former Select Board member.

Before he can operate the business, Raheb would need to receive a retail license from the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission. From the Planning Board in Adams, he needs a special permit and site plan approval.

When asked how he would balance the work of running for Senate in Vermont with operating a business in Adams, Raheb responded that his focus is the store.

Residents also asked Raheb how he has gauged the demand for a dispensary in Adams. Unless visitors come to Adams from the east, they would have to pass dispensaries north of Adams, either in Williamstown and North Adams, or south of Adams in Lanesborough.

Raheb said he expects to pull in more revenue than Silver Therapeutics in Williamstown and Clear Sky Cannabis in North Adams, adding: You have to pass us to get there from the south, so I think were going to do more than they do."

Raheb said he does not expect any issues with odor, security or traffic for the town. All products are prepackaged and kept under lock and key, there will be 24/7 surveillance, and the parking lot and adjacent lot will provide sufficient space to accommodate visitors, he said.

He has a three-year lease for the first floor at the Columbia Street building, with an option for another five, he said.

Raheb added that he plans to help beautify the street as well as allow artists to sell their work at the store when it opens.
NORTH ADAMS  The fate of the Mohawk Theater is not yet clear, but the public can soon weigh in on it.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey announced Tuesday night that she is rejecting the sole proposal from Veselko Buntic and Dowlin Building LLC to purchase the building and is instead planning to restart the process over again with more community input.

Most of my decision is based on process, she told the City Council at a Zoom meeting Tuesday, and the fact that weve discovered theres an existing loan on the Mohawk Theater with a remaining balance of close to $52,000 in interest. Im hopeful we will put forth a new RFP (request for proposals) in the next 30 to 45 days.

She said she spoke to Buntic about her decision.

He was a little discouraged, but we had a great conversation. Im hopeful he will submit when the new RPF comes out. So again, this is no reflection on Mr. Buntic and his proposal. Its solely based on process and other aspects of developing a sound RFP that move North Adams in the best direction it can for this property.

Last year when the city put out a request for proposals to redevelop the theater, Buntic submitted the only pitch. He proposed buying the building for $21,000 and turning it into a multipurpose event and performance space. Then-Mayor Tom Bernard wanted to move a sale to Buntic forward. After multiple meetings, including a special meeting where the public asked Buntic questions, the City Council decided to wait until Macksey was in office to make a decision on the sale. The council also decided it would need to approve the purchase of the building.

Bernard and Macksey did not agree on this issue, and Macksey last month said that the first time she met with Bernard, she asked him not to sell it.

This process has been very rocky, Macksey said at a City Council meeting in mid-December. It absolutely makes no sense to make a decision of this magnitude in the last days of Mayor Bernards term.

Bernard disagreed.

I would respectfully disagree this has been a rushed process, he said last month. I do believe this is a project I took on and it is one Id like to see to completion.

On Tuesday, Macksey said she wants to see more community involvement.

I would like to have a couple focus groups with the community and then craft an RFP in conjunction with someone on the committee, the City Council, in joining my team to craft an RFP with exact expectations and timeline for the respondent, she told the council.

Councilor Michael Obasohan asked Macksey for more details on the focus groups role.

Id like to have a couple focus groups before we craft the RFP to talk to the community, as well as business people, about what we think that property can be, Macksey said, And use that information to craft an RFP with some set expectations of how we want it develop, keeping in mind that we all have to realize that we cant go backwards and that it may never be the Mohawk Theater as we knew it.

Macksey hopes to have focus groups open to the public in February and then to release a new RFP in March. She wants to see a member of the City Council and a person from the public to join the city committee that reviews submitted proposals.

Id like to have some kind of plan by July 1, to be quite frank, she said.
GREAT BARRINGTON  State regulators are asking Housatonic Water Works Co. to find out why water samples showed high levels of a compound linked to cancer, as the company works to fix this latest in a series of water woes that has residents clamoring anew.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said in a letter Monday to water works treasurer and co-owner James Mercer that while levels of haloacetic acid, a chlorine byproduct also known as HAA5, does not rise to a violation, the company will have to study its system and eliminate the problem.

The company will have to file a report about this with the agency by March 9.

When it learned of the elevated levels, the company began reducing chlorine, it said in a Jan. 10 statement that was sent to customers and posted to its website. The company also said the situation is not an emergency or hazard for most people.

If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water, the statement said.

It was water sampling in 2020 that revealed average levels of the compound at 65 parts-per-billion; and 73 ppb in 2021. The maximum level that regulators say are within safe limits is a 60 ppb average of a years worth of test results.

The public water supply is tested for the compound four times a year, in each quarter. From October 2020 to the present, the range of the compound was 44 ppb to 103 ppb, according to the company. In October 2021, levels were highest at 103 ppb.

The compound can possibly cause cancer and other health problems, according to the DEP. In its Tap Water Database, Environmental Working Group says haloacetic acids are also harmful during pregnancy, and genotoxic, which means that they induce mutations and DNA damage.

Haloacetic acid risk level "Based on the animal data, at the current HAA5 regulatory level, the cancer risk is estimated to increase by about 1 in 60,000 for every 10 years of exposure," according to a fact sheet from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services.

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Haloacetic acid forms when chlorine, used to disinfect the water, binds to materials in the water source. Levels are affected by seasonal changes in source water quality or by changing amounts of disinfection added, according to the DEP.

Town Health Agent Rebecca Jurczyk spoke to the Select Board about the elevated levels at its Monday meeting. She said she had gathered the test results from each quarter over the last two years. She told The Eagle she is surprised that the DEP waited until January to issue its notice.

"I am not sure why DEP is sending out a Notice of Non-Compliance now for the Haloacetic Acid 5 violation, when the 3rd quarter sample exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (60ppb) at 65ppb," she wrote in an email. "The last sample taken in December again exceeded the MCL at 73ppb."

The issue stirred a new wave of wrath among a number of the water companys 850 customers. They have long struggled with discolored water and worries over the aging system. The outcry reached a crescendo in the last few years, prompting town officials to step in and weigh a buyout of the private utility.

The problem has also caused a dust-up at Flag Rock Village, a low-income housing complex run by the Great Barrington Housing Authority. Because the authority pays the water bill, it alone gets water notices. The notice about the HAA5 levels wasnt posted to the community board by authority staff, said Marlene Koloski, president of the tenant association. Koloski said she had to do it herself.

Authority Executive Director Tina Danzy could not be reached to comment on this, as she is out of the office. Mercer, who also is chairman of the authoritys board, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

The authority's staff do not drink from the tap. The authority office, located at the Flag Rock property, has purchased a bubbler for Berkshire Springs water. This has inflamed matters, Koloski said.

Some tenants, particularly those with health problems, have purchased reverse osmosis filtration systems, which are advertised as removing the compound, she added. Many cant afford them, noting that water quality issues are ongoing.

I get almost daily complaints about roily water, she said.

As far as elevated HAA5 levels, the water company isn't alone. In Massachusetts, 168 utilities serving more than 5 million people have levels of HAA5 that exceed health guidelines, according to the EWG.
FILE - Massachusetts state Sen. Bill Owens, D-Boston, center, speaks during a news conference on City Hall Plaza, in Boston, April 6, 1976, the day after the assault on Ted Landsmark at an anti-busing demonstration. Owens, the first Black state senator in Massachusetts who fought for racial justice and economic equality, and was one of the first to call for reparations for the descendants of Black slaves, died Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022, his family said in a statement. He was 84. (Ted Dully/The Boston Globe via AP, File)
"James" is written and directed by Chethan Kumar. (Photo: Twitter/@NimmaShivanna)

Mumbai: Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar, who died in October last year, will be seen in the role of a soldier in his swansong "James".

The late actor's elder brother Shiva Rajkumar on Wednesday unveiled the first look of the film on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day.

Taking to Twitter, Shiva Rajkumar shared the poster of Puneeth's movie James and wrote, "Appu as James.. Happy Republic Day to all."

Puneeth Rajkumar, who was popularly known as 'Powerstar' for his strong performance in a number of commercially-successful Kannada films, passed away at the age of 46 after suffering a cardiac arrest in October 2021.

"James" is written and directed by Chethan Kumar.

The movie also stars Anu Prabhakar, Srikanth, R Sarathkumar, Tilak Shekar, and Mukesh Rishi, among others.

According to media reports, the film is set to release on March 17, coinciding with Puneeth Rajkumar's birth anniversary.

The Kannada star's last big screen release was action-thriller Yuvarathnaa in April 2021.

Meanwhile, streaming service Prime Video recently announced that they would release three of Puneeth's home production films -- Man of the Match, One Cut Two Cut and Family Pack -- directly on their platform.
The Scientific and Technical Communication minor is the perfect choice for students who are working toward a career that requires skilled communicators or for students who simply want to enhance their skills in professional writing, editing, and document design.

What is Scientific and Technical Communication?

Scientific and Technical Communication (STC) centers around creating documents, websites, and

other media that efficiently serve the needs of their intended audience. These media are most often produced for organizations centered around advanced technologies, complex scientific subjects, and other professional disciplines. Individuals working in STC are involved in nearly every step of the documents creation, from preliminary outline to published product. Research, writing, editing, document design, and website development all fall under the STC umbrella.

Coursework

The STC minor is designed to help students excel as professional communicators. Our core courses (Introductory Technical Writing, Professional Editing, and Writing for the Web) focus on the subjects most beneficial for students wanting to enter this field. Nearly every core course culminates in a client-based project that emulates the work students will complete in their professional careers. Students will leave the STC minor with a refined portfolio of work they can present to potential employers.

Students enrolled in the STC minor will also have the opportunity to choose from numerous electives within other majors. Courses in visual communication technology, computer science, technology education, communications, and other disciplines allow students the freedom to study subjects in which they are truly interested while also developing an individualized skillset that will set them apart from their peers.

Internship Opportunities

The STC minor provides students the opportunity to participate in an internship that will help build their resumes while also earning course credits. Previous students have interned in areas such as learning design, grant development, content development, editing, and copywriting for a range of industries and organizations.
MOSCOW - Jamal Lyksett, a Moscow-based college instructor and attorney, has announced he will run for the Idaho House of Representatives for District 6 House Seat B. The District will include part of Nez Perce County, Lewis County, and Latah County.

A fifth-generation Idahoan, Lyksett was born and raised in the potato farming community of Blackfoot. He and his wife, Carolyn, settled in North Idaho to raise their family.

Lyksett, who filed an official C1 candidacy form in December, said his decision stemmed from a desire to give back and ensure that all Idahoans are afforded the same opportunities no matter where they live.

I have always felt called to service and I am asking the fellow citizens of my district to champion our shared values and elect me as their representative in the Idaho Legislature, he said. As a public servant, I will do all that I can to move our state forward.

Lyksett said his top priority is education with an emphasis on early childhood learning and K-12 education.

As a parent and homeowner, I feel the squeeze of childcare costs, grocery costs, and property taxes, he said. Families should not have to decide between groceries and work. Childcare and preschool should be affordable for all and voters should not have to decide between quality schools and affordable property taxes.

Some of the other core issues Lyksett said he intends to focus on if elected include:

State and tribal relations, particularly involving the Nez Perce Tribe

Voting rights and polling access

Hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation

Tax policy that works for everyone, not just the wealthiest Idahoans

This year, the legislature has the opportunity to help our schools and reduce property taxes, but the House began the session offering high-earners a one-time give-away followed by ongoing tax cuts that will not benefit the vast majority of Idahoans. This fiscally irresponsible decision makes the tax relief most of us are asking for  property tax relief and food tax relief to help counter rising grocery prices  much more difficult. It avoids the Idaho Legislatures constitutional responsibility to fund schools and infrastructure by forcing local governments and homeowners to foot the bill.

Lyksett moved from his hometown of Blackfoot, Idaho to Moscow to attend U of I. He and his wife Carolyn lived on the Palouse for several years before heading briefly back to southeastern Idaho.

During this period, Lyksett worked at Pocatello High School, assisting students with emotional and psychological difficulties. He also taught adult basic education at Idaho State Universitys Technical College before returning to Moscow to attend U of Is College of Law, which led him to an internship with then Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis and an opportunity to temporarily serve as the assistant secretary of the Senate.

After graduation, he worked at a Lewiston organization providing legal representation to Idahoans near or below the poverty line and also practiced in the Nez Perce Tribal Court. Lyksett maintains a small law practice to help people with civil or criminal matters when needed, but primarily works as an instructor at U of I teaching ethics and related courses, including business ethics.

Lyksett also is active in the local recovery community and the Idaho State Bar Well-Being Task Force. He credits the recovery community with helping him address his own alcoholism several years ago, and now he gives back to help others do the same.

Spending time with my family throughout the district  whether enjoying time outdoors, experiencing our regions incredible history, or attending community events throughout the region  has given me a deep love and appreciation for this place and the people that reside here. But many of us have been negatively impacted by Idahos lack of early childhood education, unfair tax policy, and rising property taxes. We can do better, he said. My Christian faith guides me to always consider caring for, supporting, and helping others. I ask that the people of my district, including those who are often overlooked, give me the chance to serve them and create a better tomorrow for this community and the entire state.

Lyksett's website can be found at lyksettforidaho.com.
According to his purported WhatsApp status, Sagar said that he took the decision as the state government job notifications for which he was waiting did not appear to be coming. (Representational Image/ DC File)

Khammam: Mutyala Sagar, 25, of Bayyaram, died by suicide at the railway tracks here on Tuesday. His body was found near the Mondithoka bridge in Mamillagudem.

According to his purported WhatsApp status, Sagar said that he took the decision as the state government job notifications for which he was waiting did not appear to be coming. "It seems there is no chance of issuing job notifications. It upsets me," he said in the purported message.

It was stated that Sagar took part in various agitation in the Telangana statehood movement as a student.

Sagar was preparing for competitive exams for government posts and was staying here in a rented room for the last three years, police said. A former student of the DRS Degree College in Khammam, police said Sagar used to do part-time jobs to meet his expenses.

Sagars parents working as labourers in Mahbubabad. They were informed of the suicide and came to Khammam.

The Congress and the BJP demanded ex gratia for the family of Mutyala Sagar who died by suicide over government job notifications not being issued. Tension prevailed here after BJP activists staged a dharna to protest the suicide.

Congress activists staged dharna at the government hospital and demanded that the state announce ex gratia to the family of Sagar. Congress Khammam town president Javed Mahammad said that the TRS government should be held responsible for the death of Sagar.

Bharatiya Kisan Morcha state president K. Sridhar Reddy and BJP district president Galla Satyanarayana demanded Rs 50 lakh ex-gratia to the family of Sagar. They asked the government to provide a job to his sister. They staged dharna at district headquarters hospital demanding to issue job notifications immediately.

Sridhar Reddy said that the youth should not get frustrated and should fight for the job notifications. "BJP government will come to power in the next elections and the youth should not lose heart and confidence. The BJP government will fill up all the vacancies", he said.

BJP district president Galla Satyanarayana said that the lakhs of unemployed youth were in distress for not issuing job notifications by the TRS government. He said that the government killed Sagar and the TRS will pay the price for it. "The people of Telangana are ready to dethrone KCR from Chief Minister post", he said.
On Tuesday's No Spin News Bill excoriated the current crop of left-wing big-city prosecutors who are letting criminals get away with murder, sometimes literally.

Enhance your life  become a Premium Member for complete access to the No Spin News and get a FREE COPY of Killing the Killers.
Indian biopharma industry HITS Rs 33K Cr WITH 13% GROWTH in 2020-21

Amidst the pandemic, the Indian Biopharma Industry, with over 300 companies, has witnessed a good growth of 13 percent, 2 percent less than the previous years 15 percent growth rate. This growth was largely driven by the performance of the Indian biopharma companies which have done very well as against multinational companies. As a result, the Indian Biopharma Industry has crossed the Rs 33,000 crore mark for the year 2020-21 over the previous years figure of Rs 29,176 crore. The Indian Biopharma industry, comprising hormones, insulin, blood products, and vaccines recorded a sales revenue of Rs 33,067 crore for the year 2020-21.
Seriti Institute, in partnership with the Industrial Development Corporation, has contributed to the sustainability of Mamelodi Community Radio Station (Mams Radio) in Northeast of Pretoria, Gauteng. Through the grant allocation of over R200,000, Mams Radio will be able to be supplied with broadcasting equipment, remain operational and be more viable.

Mams Radio, like small businesses, was not insured when the lootings left the station in a compromised state.The lootings broke our hearts. We experienced huge loss, but the worst was human capital because we had to let go of more than 12 people while we were trying to recover and bring the station back to operation. We had already been having a hard time with the Covid-19 lockdown regulations, so the lootings just added salt to the wound. The station was badly ransacked and we lost a lot of expensive equipment says Sam Mfaladi, Mams Radio station director.The unrest negatively affected the informal business sector with the expectation of small and medium-sized businesses, which contribute to more than 18% of employment in this country, never re-opening again and those that would remain in business would have a difficult time keeping their doors open.Seriti Institutes intervention is remarkable for businesses that were affected by the lootings. This grant affords us an opportunity to create and maintain jobs, buy essential the required production and broadcast equipment which means that our community will benefit from receiving valuable and informative content. We are licenced and with promise of curbing issues of drugs, crime, poverty, abuse and HIV/Aids amongst the others, so Seritis contribution in this regard, is immeasurable, said Mfaladi.We are excited to be allocating over R2m in the next week to help businesses get back on their feet. This is a small portion of the grant which is why we would like to encourage all small businesses that were impacted by the lootings to apply for the grant. Small businesses have been under immense pressure since the advent of Covid-19 and the unrest has certainly not helped. With this grant, small businesses have an opportunity to re-open, be more sustainable and to contribute to South Africas economy again notes Juanita Pardesi, CEO at Seriti Institute.
After two years of unexpected events, how will 2022 stack against what is becoming a much more sophisticated approach to cybercrime? While cloud technology enjoyed an unprecedented increase in its adoption, entire industries were held back after major cyberattacks. To cap off an eventful 2021, many organisations entered the festive season with some form of threat from the Log4J vulnerability hanging over their heads too. Awareness is, in effect, a form of prevention and understanding the increasing trends, which set the tone for the year to come in cybersecurity can only help build appropriate defence mechanisms.

Steve Flynn

As the world continues to move towards the increasingly common distributed workforce and the steady shift towards the cloud, ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, says that there has been a greater and understandable demand for reliable end-point security with increases in targeted ransomware attacks. Despite the concern that remote computing has caused, it does present an opportunity for many organisations to modernise their infrastructure and move more of the workloads into the cloud. The result, in many instances, is a more reliable, recoverable and scalable infrastructure set not only for its clients but for ESET too.Although more of a gradual upgrade rather than a dramatic shift, organisations are moving their infrastructure off-premise as they opt for more reliability, the scalability offered from cloud solutions that can adapt to the needs of the business.Employees are returning to work, but it seems more likely that the new workplace will be more hybrid, necessitating unique security requirements. A far greater emphasis on protecting end-point devices is required as security to The Edge is only reasonable in on-premise solutions. As a result, In 2022, it will be necessary for every organisation to evaluate their return to work policies and ensure that the security measures they have in place suit the needs of a hybrid workforce and the protection of their data. Many of the existing security technologies that organisations have in place are inapplicable.Cyberattacks on small businesses had a massive impact in 2021. Upwards of 60% said they could not recover financially from a severe cyber or ransomware attack. And the massive cyberattacks on the Department of Justice and another South African parastatal, Transnet, in 2021, showed that even large organisations could suffer irreparable harm.Consequently, there will be increasing demand for high-quality, reputable security software for laptops, which are the backbone for many SMBs and end-user mobile devices.ESET LiveGuard is a feature that adds a layer of cloud-based protection specifically designed to mitigate threats that are new in the wild by intelligently moving to a protected cloud-based sandbox, virtually eliminating any threat of malware or suspicious scripts unknowingly being opened.In the partner landscape, ESET provides efficient tools to enable how its partners solution their customers with the best support and cloud-based security products.The pandemic continues to unsettle activities that partners and clients relied on previously: face-to-face get-togethers and engagements, training and other on-premise support. Support services and training  typically delivered in-person in the past  will continue to become the norm to facilitate online, but still, several systems at organisations need to be adapted to facilitate this move.The benefit of this shift to online-based interactions is that many organisations, including ESET, have found new ways of providing customer support, training and business development, forcing a critical review of many systems and processes.This fundamental shift will improve efficiency and efficacy in how ESET engages with its partners, clients and customers.Recently IDC MarketScape acknowledged ESET for the continued reinvestment of its profits into software development, core threat research, and threat hunting. The acknowledgement is a cornerstone of why ESET remains Europes favourite cybersecurity brand and fast becoming a significant player in South Africa, too.ESET Southern Africas engagement with its partners continues to deliver results. Successful partnerships are the core of a vendors success. ESETs re-imagined engagement platform increased support and dedication to helping managed services providers and resellers achieve their sales goals is expected to build on the success that the company enjoyed in 2022.We expect this to be helped by excellent new products in the consumer and enterprise cloud space.Organisations large and small saw  to some extent  the effects of not having adequate protection in place. Cyberthreats are sophisticated, and cybercriminals will stop at nothing to hold a business or individual to ransom, acquire data, or steal funds. And cybercrime is increasing unabated.Sophisticated attacks are going to become more personalised, which will drive an even greater need to protect vulnerable proprietary applications from attack.Organisations cannot operate today without some form of a protective solution in place regardless of where the infrastructure is located or what device it is on.
This week we go behind the mask of Thule Ngcese, creative director at Boomtown Johannesburg.

Thule Ngcese, creative director at Boomtown Johannesburg

Could you briefly explain what your role entails?

Whats really behind your mask - literally and figuratively speaking?

Growing up, what did you want to be?

How did you end up in the creative industry?

You joined Boomtown as creative director towards the end of 2021. What has the journey been like?

What excites you most about your career?

What has been the highlight of your career?

When you're not busy working, what do you do? How do you socialise these days?

How will you be kickstarting 2022?

Do you have any New Years resolutions?

My role is to build Boomtowns presence in Johannesburg by recruiting, mentoring and growing a team of amazing creative talent. And, collaborate with the agencys other teams, problem-solving within the categories our clients are active in and be a thought leader across the company.I also help iterate and improve the category processes and resources to enable amazing creativity across a wide range of projects and customer use cases. In addition, I am a trusted advisor on strategic accounts, articulate and present work and creative direction when needed, provide insight and leadership to successfully grow and develop our customers. I also aim to drive learning and development and build and deliver training and initiatives to continuously grow and upskill the team.Behind the mask is Thule Ngcese, a father to Sierra, an entrepreneur and creative from Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape. A creator. An artist. A dreamer. An investor. A product builder. A curious being who loves to build and create things. Someone who loves technology and mentoring young black creatives. The founder of Yumo, a digital platform for small businesses to advertise for free. A Barca and Orlando Pirates fan. Painful, I know. Someone who loves F1, architecture, music and solving problems.Growing up I really wanted to be an entrepreneur and architect. I fell in love with architecture at a young age and would draw big houses from my grandmother's house in Mdantsane NU3. The desire to be an entrepreneur comes from my grandfather and grandmother, and from just the pure love of building my own products.I really didn't know I would end up in the creative industry. I wanted to study something in computer science, but I loved art. My aunt was the one that got me into the creative industry (UNM - formerly PE Tech) and I fell in love with it, starting my career in Cape Town and ending up in Johannesburg.The journey has been both great and challenging. Getting Boomtown Joburg running harder and faster amid the pandemic. Finding the right talent. Getting clients to be brave. Solidifying an agile business model.Our Boomtown Joburg vision to build brands that make consumers lives better is more attainable now than ever. This helps us solve business and everyday life challenges by translating them to design, technology, experience, commerce and advertising.What excites me is building brands that make consumers lives better through design, technology, experience, commerce and advertising. Also, nurturing young Black creative talent and seeing them win in this industry is a passion.My career highlights have included being awarded locally and internationally for the work I have done. And having the opportunity to collaborate with the creative industry's most gifted talent.When I am not busy working, which is never, I spend time with my daughter or with a few friends - Mpume Mgavu, Sifiso Nkabinde, Andile Khambule and Rebaone Makodi. This could be anything from going to each other's places or going somewhere that's not too crowded.We are kickstarting this year by setting ourselves some goals - winning awards with the work, doing brave work that delivers great business results and being disruptive in everything.I don't believe in New Year's resolutions  Im still not done with the things I want to do from five years ago.
In recent memory, the Mumbai terror attacks epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that we had to mount against jihadi terrorists, when our police personnel had to put their lives on the line to secure the city's safety, Tirumurti said. (Representational Image)

United Nations: Perpetrators of the heinous 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks continue to enjoy Pakistan's patronage, India has told the UN Security Council, saying that most terrorist attacks around the world have their origin, in some form or the other, in that country.

India strongly hit back at Pakistan after Islamabad's envoy to the UN Munir Akram raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during an UNSC Open Debate on Protection of civilians in armed conflict: Wars in cities - protection of civilians in urban settings' on Tuesday.

"Member States are well aware that Pakistan has an established history of harbouring, aiding and actively supporting terrorists. This is a country which has been globally recognised as a sponsor of terrorism and holds the ignoble record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council, Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN R. Madhu Sudan said.

So much so that most terrorist attacks around the world today have their origin, in some form or the other, in Pakistan, he said. His statement came days after a siege at a synagogue in Texas, US, that ended with the killing of British hostage taker of Pakistani heritage, Malik Faisal Akram.

Madhu Sudan said he is constrained to take the UNSC floor again, after India's envoy T S Tirumurti had delivered the national statement at the debate, only because the Representative of Pakistan chose to sully this august Council through his Pavlovian and frivolous remarks against my country. While his statement deserves our collective contempt, it is important for me to set the record straight.

He said even as the Council is discussing protection of civilians at the meeting, the biggest threat to civilians comes from terrorists.

"As we mentioned earlier, the perpetrators of the heinous terror attack in Mumbai in 2008 continue to enjoy patronage of the state which he represents, Madhu Sudan said, referring to the Pakistani envoy.

Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks. Saeed has been serving jail sentence at the Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore in Pakistan for his conviction in terror financing cases.

In his remarks earlier in the debate, Tirumurti said any debate on protection of civilians in urban areas would be incomplete without taking into account the carnage wrought by terrorist forces, especially those backed by State actors.

The dastardly terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008 which resulted in the killing of 166 innocent civilians of 15 nationalities is still a ghastly reminder to the entire international community. In recent memory, the Mumbai terror attacks epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that we had to mount against jihadi terrorists, when our police personnel had to put their lives on the line to secure the city's safety, Tirumurti said.

Slamming Pakistan, India told the Council that this is not the first time Islamabad's envoy at the UN misused platforms provided by the world organisation to propagate false and malicious propaganda against it. Akram also referred to the abrogation of Article 370 in his remarks, which almost entirely focussed on India.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of the country. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

Madhu Sudan said Pakistan's envoy is seeking in vain to divert the world's attention from the sad state of his country where terrorists enjoy free pass while the lives of ordinary people, especially those belonging to the minorities, are turned upside down.

Categorically stating India's position, Madhu Sudan said the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India, irrespective of what the representative of Pakistan "believes or covets".

This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation, Madhu Sudan said.

He said India desires normal neighbourly relations with all countries, including Pakistan, and is committed to addressing outstanding issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore declaration.

However, any meaningful dialogue can be held only in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere. Till then, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorism, Madhu Sudan said.
New Delhi: Heralding this year's Republic Day parade is Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra while the second in-command is of Major General Alok Kacker.

Vijay Kumar Mishra, an Ati Vishisth Seva Medal awardee and a second- generation Army officer, is an alumnus of the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned into the 17th Battalion the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in December 1985. He is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, and has attended the Higher Command Course at the Army War College, Mhow as well as the prestigious National Defence College at New Delhi.

The General Officer has a very rich and varied operational experience spanning over more than three decades, be it serving on the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, where he was also wounded in operations, or the challenging, counter insurgency operations at various levels, including tenures with Rashtriya Rifles in South Kashmir or in Tripura with Assam Rifles.

Major General Alok Kacker is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, He was commissioned in the 2nd Battalion of the 9th Gorkha Rifles in December 1985. A second generation Officer, he commanded the Battalion in Counter Insurgency area in North East.

The officer commanded the brigade in the Western Theatre and has rich experience of serving in Kargil, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast. For his distinguished service, the officer has been awarded the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff and General Officer Commanding -in-Chief Army Training Command.
Quebec's new insane vaccine passport scheme banning the unvaccinated from big-box stores like Walmart and Costco provides exceptions only for "groceries and pharmacies," though you'll apparently need to be escorted around by an employee to make certain you're not buying anything else, at least for the pharmacies.



This CBC newsreader said the policy requires the unvaxxed to be followed around while buying groceries or medicines "to make sure they do not go and buy other products or other items that might be in the store."



WATCH:

So, if youre unvaccinated in Quebec and walk into big box store you will need to be accompanied by an employee who will make sure youre not there to buy socks or a toaster oven. pic.twitter.com/zaxEmuFxSB  Colin Korol (@colin_korol) January 24, 2022



The CBC on their website seems to be saying the store escort is only for the pharmacies:

In a bid to persuade COVID-19 vaccine holdouts to get the jab, Quebec has expanded the vaccine mandate to include all businesses with surface areas of 1,500 square metres or more -- with the exception of groceries and pharmacies.



The province's health ministry released a ministerial decree detailing the parameters of the new directive Sunday night.



For pharmacies located in big-box stores, such as Walmart or Costco, an unvaccinated person must be "accompanied at all times during his or her travels by an employee of the business, the pharmacy or any other person mandated by them for this purpose," the decree reads. This person may not purchase products other than those related to the pharmaceutical service they are receiving.



Gas stations affiliated with big-box stores and vehicle service stations are also exempt from the vaccination requirement.

The media is working to manufacture compliance with propaganda pieces like this:







"Some people are scared, some people are reluctant for other reasons, so sometimes they need a little push to get their vaccines," Dr. Karl Weiss, Chief of Infectious Diseases at Jewish General Hospital, told the CBC, endorsing the scheme.



The leftists running Walmart, who endorsed the Black Lives Matter movement during the Floyd riots of 2020 and championed their stance against "discrimination," are happily going along with the government's plan to discriminate against the unvaxxed to "ensure a safe and efficient customer experience."





Hi. As directed by the Government of Quebec, we will implement the vaccine passport at our stores in Quebec. We ask for our

customers patience and understanding as we continue to ensure a safe and efficient customer experience.  Walmart Canada (@WalmartCanada) January 24, 2022



Daily covid cases in Canada appear to have peaked just over two weeks ago -- after tons of fully vaccinated and boosted people caught symptomatic covid and spread it like wildfire to others -- and have since been falling off a cliff.







Despite the surge in cases, daily deaths are down from the previous peak as Omicron is basically just a relatively mild cold.







Nonetheless, the government is choosing to implement this control scheme now purely to punish purebloods for not obeying the regime's dictates and make them suffer.



This is what they call "liberal democracy."



[Header image by Xchap1x, CC BY-SA 3.0]



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Via: Reuters:

Austrias lockdown for people not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus will end on Monday because the pressure on hospitals has eased, the government said on Wednesday.

New daily coronavirus infections are rising, driven by the extremely contagious Omicron variant. They hit a new record above 30,000 on Wednesday, Health Minister Wolfgang Mueckstein told a news conference, adding that they would peak in the next two weeks at around 35,000 to 40,000.

The occupancy rate of hospital and intensive-care beds, however, has been falling.

We came to the conclusion that the lockdown for unvaccinated people in Austria is only justifiable in the event of the threat of an imminent over-burdening of intensive-care capacity, Mueckstein told a news conference, adding experts no longer saw it as necessary.
VIJAYAWADA: Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan has said the government is creating new districts from Ugadi to render better services to the people of Andhra Pradesh.

In spite of the severe financial crisis, the government has sanctioned 27 per cent interim relief and implemented the 11th PRC. AP is the first state to increase the retirement age of government staff to 62 years, he said.

The governor hoisted the National Flag at IGMC Stadium on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday.

Notably, the governor had mentioned the Three Capitals plan of the YSRC government in his R-day speech last year. The governor said employees are an integral part of the government and their services are vital for the implementation of various welfare schemes and public services to the people, especially those belonging to the poor, vulnerable and downtrodden sections.

In spite of financial difficulties, the government has sanctioned an unprecedented 27 per cent IR which cost an additional burden of Rs 17,265 crore on the government. In spite of the Covid- induced economic distress, we are implementing the 11th Pay Revision Commission recommendations, which will put an additional financial burden of Rs 10, 247 crores on the exchequer.

As part of the 11th PRC implementation, the government has given a fitment benefit of 23 per cent to the employees. In addition, ours is the only government in the entire country to increase the retirement age of government employees to 62. Gratuity has also been increased from Rs 12 lakh to Rs 16 lakh.

On 13 new districts, Harichandan said, In line with the election manifesto promise, for the delivery of more efficient services to people and for good governance, we will be creating 13 more districts in AP on the auspicious day of Ugadi. Two districts will be exclusively for the tribal population. With this, the total number of districts in the state will go up to 26.

The governor said inclusive growth is an integral part of the UN-inspired Sustainable Development Goals in our state. The implementation of related programmes and inclusive growth are one of the top priorities of the government in order to eradicate poverty through several welfare schemes. Under this, a noteworthy initiative is Navaratnalu, he said.

The government has fulfilled 95 per cent of the promises made in the manifesto. In an unprecedented initiative, the state government has distributed a record sum of Rs 1,67,798 crore to 9,29,15,170 beneficiaries under both Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and Non-DBT during the last 32 months. Out of these, an amount of Rs 1,27,173 crore in financial assistance was directly credited to the bank accounts of 6,80,62,804 beneficiaries under DBT. The government has given assistance and assets worth Rs 40,625 crore to 2,48,52,366 beneficiaries under non-DBT, he added.


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Karnataka tableau on display during the full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day Parade 2022, at the Rajpath in New Delhi. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: From skillfully made pots, carefully sculpted sandalwood miniatures to hand-woven sarees, Karnataka's rich tradition of handicraft was on grand display at the Republic Day parade here on Wednesday.

A massive Asiatic elephant sculpted out of Mysuru rosewood with ivory inlay carvings, eye-catching Bidriware, bronze statues and lacquerware toys from Channapatna were the highlight of the tableau which was based on the theme -- 'Karnataka: The Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts'.

The tableau also featured Kamaladevi Chhatopadhyay, the acclaimed freedom fighter from Karnataka, who is also hailed as the 'mother of traditional handicrafts in India'.

She is seen offering 'baagina' that includes a sandal box, peacock shaped lamp pots, banana fibre bags from Sandur among others.

Terracota, sandalwood carving and the art of ivory carving is unique to Karnataka and the state government was making special efforts to ensure that the 55,000 artisans in the state get access to markets in this digital age, officials said.

Karnataka was the only state from southern India whose tableau was selected for the Republic Day parade.

The tableau showcased 16 traditional handicraft products that have received the Geographical Indicator tag.

The coastal traditions of the state also find a place on the tableau in the form of Yakshagana models and bronze face masks used in 'bhootha aradhane' (devil worship).

The tableau has been designed by a team of 100 artists led by art director Shashidhar Adapa.

A minute-long special song eulogising the state's folk arts and craft has been composed by music director Praveen Rao.
Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday said the youngest State of Telangana is making rapid strides in different areas.

Delivering the Republic Day speech at Raj Bhavan here after hoisting the tricolour, the Governor said Hyderabad is fast emerging as the Pharma Hub, IT Hub, and Medical Hub and is witnessing the establishment of offices by many global corporate organisations.

I wish Telangana State to emerge as the leader in quality higher education, and consolidate its position as the Innovation Hub through constant efforts by promoting Innovation Eco-System and take the lead in contributing for the realisation of Self-Reliant India, she said, according to an official release.

Expressing happiness and appreciating the bountiful crop production in Telangana, the Governor said in the process, Telangana has emerged as the Rice Bowl of India.

I salute the farmers for their toil, despite the pandemic conditions; they have produced a bumper harvest thus ensuring food security to millions of people, Soundararajan said.

The Governor noted that India is moving forward and witnessing transformational changes in many sectors with the true spirit of Atma Nirbhar Bharat', as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Getting stronger day by day, India is successfully facing numerous challenges internally and at the borders, she said adding We are also on a firm path to emerge Atma Nirbhar in our major defence requirements. Owing to the relentless efforts of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, India is now considered one of the important global powers.

The development, production, and free distribution of country's indigenous COVID vaccine are a true testimony to our spirit of self-reliance, she said.

It is high time that we all contribute our bit in shaping our country self-reliant in our respective fields.

The Raj Bhavan has also launched a series of initiatives to reach out to the unreached and the Nutritional Intervention to improve the nutritional status of the people belonging to the Primitive Tribal Groups in select districts like Adilabad, Bhadradri-Kothagudem, and Nagarkurnool is one such special initiative.

At another event, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao unfurled the national flag at Pragathi Bhavan here. At the Parade Grounds at Army Memorial, Rao paid floral tributes to the martyred army personnel by lighting a lamp, a release from the CMO said.

Telangana High Court Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, unfurled the tricolour at the premises of the court. He honoured slain Colonel B Santosh Babu's father B Upendar and mother Manjula on the occasion.

Santosh Babu was among the 20 soldiers who were killed in Galwan Valley during a clash with Chinese troops in 2020.

Similarly, the national flag was unfurled at party offices of TRS, Congress, BJP and other political parties here and across Telangana.
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Mumbai: Mumbai Police on Wednesday booked Google CEO Sundar Pichai and five other company officials for Copyright Act violation.

"On directions of a court, a case has been registered against Google CEO Sundar Pichai and five other company officials for Copyright Act violation," said Mumbai police.

The case has been registered following the complaint lodged by film director Suneel Darshan who has alleged that Google allowed unauthorized persons to upload his film 'Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha' on YouTube.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.
Organizers have pulled the plug on the 2022 Ag Days due to COVID-19 public health restrictions and scheduling conflicts.

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FILE George Van Eaton, of Maryfield, Sask., climbs on a John Deere tread while visiting a previous Manitoba Ag Days at the Keystone Centre with his dad.

Organizers have pulled the plug on the 2022 Ag Days due to COVID-19 public health restrictions and scheduling conflicts.

The cancellation of the show will have social and economic impacts on Brandon and the agricultural industry as a whole, said Ag Days general manager Kristen Phillips.

The event was slated to take place from Jan. 18-20 at the Keystone Centre and was previously postponed owing to restrictions.

Canadas largest indoor farm show encompasses a diverse cross-section of the industry, Phillips said, bringing together exhibitors accompanied by the latest technologies, speakers celebrating the sector and sponsors supporting agriculture.

"We always joke that people gather on the red carpet at Ag Days," Phillips said. "The networking and socializing that happens throughout the three days of our event have been a really huge part of the show."

She noted the timing of Ag Days played a role in preventing the event from moving forward in 2022. As a January show, it is well situated during a period that is slow for both livestock and grain producers.

The organizers explored hosting a potential three-day event in February or March but due to the limited availability at the Keystone Centre, it was near impossible to find a time that worked.

Organizers did not want to push the show into April or May because it is an extremely busy time for producers, and if the event moved into the summer, it would be competing with other agriculture conventions.

"There is really not a lot of time between April and October where farmers will have the opportunity to take in a farm show," Phillips said. "January really is the best time to host an ag show."

The event attracts visitors to Brandon and fills the Keystone Centre with 10,000 to 18,000 guests each day.

Ag Days is a key driver for Brandon and Westmans economy  it contributes about $350 million annually to Manitoba and Western Canada, and each year there is about $300 million generated in agriculture equipment sales and related services, and about $50 million in ancillary spending, such as tourism and shopping in Westman.

Phillips noted Ag Days remains committed to finding ways to have an impact in the industry, including through its Ag Gives Back program, which provides funding to communities where patrons and exhibitors live.

"We know COVID has impacted so many communities," Phillips said. "We really want to focus on community development, community support and helping those that are being affected in these trying times during the pandemic."

Ag Days will still crown its 2022 Innovation Showcase champions but at a later date. The show has 33 entries vying in seven different categories. Visit agdays.com/innovations for more information.

Rivers grain producer Ron Krahn has been attending Ag Days for more than two decades.

"Ag Days has been a tradition since my last year of university, [in January 1999]  I havent missed one since," he said.

"Sometimes weve got a list of things that we are wanting to buy or do for the farm and going to Ag Days is the place to meet those people."

Seeing the event cancelled two years in a row does have an impact on his operation, Krahn said, even if the results are tangibly difficult to measure. One of the major effects is the loss of a one-stop-shop for supplies and equipment.

He will now have to make multiple day trips to different businesses across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

"Theres more time, theres a lot more fuel and time spent in the vehicle," he said.

The cancellation is also a forfeiture of face-to-face connections and in-person information sharing.

"Its hard to recreate that just by going online."

Blair McRae, of Mar Mac Farms, based 10 miles south of Brandon, has not missed a show in 25 years, excluding the cancelled events in 2021 and 2022.

The connections forged each year are critical in helping build and maintain his business, McRae said. The pure-bred cattle producer hosts a bull sale each March and the show is an important place to meet new people and showcase his products.

"If they see something they like, then that translates into business for us because theyll come and buy a bull at the sale," McRae said. "Theres really nothing like Ag Days in this area. There are similar things out in Alberta and northwestern Saskatchewan. But Ag Days for us, its local and its close and this is where we get the most bang for our buck."

Wilco van Meijl, the director at Farm Credit Canada (FCC), echoed these sentiments.

"Ag Days is just such an integral part of the ag industry coming together for ideas and perspective and connection  thats probably the biggest loss," he said.

FCC is proud to be partners with Ag Days because the company is invested in all things agriculture.

"Its a chance to connect with absolutely everyone we work with," van Meijl said.

The cancellation has been understandable given the pandemic, he said, adding he knows it was a tough decision for the organizing committee.

For now, he is looking forward to 2023 Ag Days, and appreciating how people are finding new and unique ways to stay connected.

"Theres still that ability to connect, it just becomes harder without everyone at that one-stop-shop. Were still encouraging people to make those connections that you would normally make, it just becomes a little bit more work for everybody."

Ryan Boyd, of Boyds Beef, located north of Brandon near Forrest, tries to attend Ag Days every year.

"You never know what you are going to find wandering around the halls of the Keystone Centre," he said. "Theres still lots of networking going on throughout the industry at smaller meetings or online meetings or simple phone conversations, but I do think there is no replacement for a face-to-face conversation."

 ckemp@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @The_ChelseaKemp
Hundreds of Westman residents endured extreme temperatures Tuesday morning to support the Freedom Rally that travelled through Brandon on its way to Ottawa.

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TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Westman residents gathered along the Trans-Canada Highway Tuesday to show support for truckers driving across the country as part of the "Freedom Rally," a movement opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Hundreds of Westman residents endured extreme temperatures Tuesday morning to support the "Freedom Rally" that travelled through Brandon on its way to Ottawa.

The fleet of big rig trucks started rolling through the Wheat City around 11:30 a.m., with a large group of supporters already lining both sides of the Trans-Canada Highway near 18th Street.

TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN The "Freedom Rally" convoy trucks make their way through the Grand Valley, just west of Brandon, Tuesday.

The next hour featured a sustained cacophony of horns and cheers from the crowd and drivers, who all appeared to support the main idea behind the gathering  that the federal government should do away with COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Killarney resident Ann Foote told the Sun she attended Tuesdays rally in Brandon to honour her late father, who was a lifelong trucker and would back the nationwide protest if he were still alive.

"For me, its not about the [COVID-19] shot. Its about the freedom and choices we get to make," Foote said. "I do have the vaccine, but I would have loved to have done it on my own choice, not to be forced [to keep] my job."

TIM SMITH/THE BRANDON SUN Westman residents gathered along the Trans-Canada Highway Tuesday to show support for truckers driving across the country as part of the "Freedom Rally," a movement opposed to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Meanwhile, fellow Killarney resident Cindy Kempthorne revealed she lost her part-time job as a bartender at the local Legion Hall due to her unvaccinated status.

"Both my grandfathers would be rolling over in their graves if they knew what was going on," she said.

The federal government established the vaccine mandate on Jan. 15 that requires truckers to be fully immunized against COVID before crossing the Canada-U.S. border for work.

The order falls in line with a similar policy in the United States that requires all essential foreign travellers, including truck drivers, who cross the border to be fully vaccinated.

According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, the new mandate could force around 12,000 to 22,000 workers off the job, which would put a massive strain on an industry that already lost 20,000 drivers last spring.

In response to the new mandate, a group of truckers departed from Prince Rupert, B.C., this past weekend, with the aim of travelling to the nations capital so they can lobby government officials in person.

After passing through Brandon on Tuesday, driver Chris Scott estimates the convoy has grown to include 500 to 600 vehicles, excluding the drivers who are travelling to Ottawa from southern Ontario and the east coast.

To Scott, who has generated a sizeable online following because of his outspoken views on COVID mandates, the "Freedom Rally" highlights the fact that the tide is turning in terms of public opinion on pandemic restrictions.

"Ive been talking with people for two years about this stuff and the majority of them are completely done with this, and the last straw [was] when they started taking peoples jobs away," he told the Sun over the phone.

"So Im not surprised at all the amount of support were getting. Im humbled by it. But Im not surprised because its been two years and theyve had enough."

Scott also mentioned that the growth in their movement can be measured in the amount of money theyve raised through a GoFundMe campaign, which has generated over $4.7 million as of Tuesday afternoon.

"If that doesnt send a message as to what the majority wants in this country, and they dont pay attention to it, now we have a bigger problem," he said. "Because now we have an elected minority government who is not listening to the people."

Despite voicing their disapproval of the new vaccine mandate for truckers, the CTA  which represents 4,500 carriers, owner-operators and industry supplies  does not support the "Freedom Rally."

In a Saturday news release, CTA officials said they "strongly" disapprove of any protests on public roadways, highways or bridges, believing that such actions are "not how disagreements with government policies should be expressed."

"Members of the trucking industry who want to publicly express displeasure over government policies can choose to hold an organized, lawful event on Parliament Hill or contact their local MP," the CTA wrote on its official website. "What is not acceptable is disrupting the motoring public on highways and commerce at the border."

Even without this institutional support, Scott said he believes the rally will still make a massive impact when the convoy rolls onto Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus doorstep this coming weekend.

"I know Trudeau is a pretty arrogant fella, but arrogance only takes you so far," he said. "And when hes got thousands of trucks showing up at his doorstep saying were representing these people who are cheering us on along the way  I dont know how he could do anything except back down."

Earlier this week, Trudeau told reporters almost 90 per cent of truckers in Canada are vaccinated against the virus.

"The reality is that vaccination is how well get through this," he said.

 kdarbyson@brandonsun.com

 Twitter:@KyleDarbyson
After six years as Manitobas deputy Speaker, a Westman MLA says the collaborative experience he received has set him up to become a cabinet minister for the first time.

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After six years as Manitobas deputy Speaker, a Westman MLA says the collaborative experience he received has set him up to become a cabinet minister for the first time.

When Premier Heather Stefanson shuffled her cabinet on Jan. 18, Turtle Mountain Progressive Conservative MLA Doyle Piwniuk was elevated from the backbenches to become minister of infrastructure and transportation.

He took over from Brandon West PC MLA Reg Helwer, the new minister of labour.

Im very honoured the premier has entrusted me with looking after the portfolio, Piwniuk said during a Tuesday phone interview. I was with her during her leadership race all over the southwest corner of the province, all the way from Roblin to Notre Dame, so she saw all the highways.

According to him, the premier sees good relationship builders in himself and new Municipal Affairs Minister Eileen Clarke, who is returning to cabinet after resigning as Indigenous affairs minister last summer.

Coming from a financial background as an insurance broker and financial planner, Piwniuk also said he was seen as someone who understands the importance of economic development and what role infrastructure plays in that process.

The minister took over his riding, formerly known as Arthur-Virden, when current Brandon-Souris MP Larry Maguire resigned from the provincial legislature to run for federal office. Piwniuk said since then, hes noticed a lot of neglected roads in his constituency and around the province that need to be fixed and improved.

He would like to see some of Manitobas most important trade corridors, like the Trans-Canada Highway, built up to a level where theyre almost regarded as American interstate highways.

One of the best opportunities for economic development that we have is growing our food-processing opportunities and bringing things to market, he said. I have a lot of hog operations in the southern part of the province, like in my constituency, and we have to get those products to market. Corridors like Highway 5, Highway 10 and Highway 3, we have the oil industry.

So these industries can move their goods to the right place, Piwniuk said Manitobas highways must be ready to accommodate heavy truck traffic. Eliminating seasonal weight restrictions on some highways will also improve revenues for certain industries and by extension, improve the provinces tax revenues.

The minister also wants First Nations communities to be included to make sure they have access to future economic opportunities.

On the subject of Brandons biggest ongoing provincial infrastructure project, the replacement of the Daly Overpass, Piwniuk said hes been informed that the contractor will begin mobilizing for the next phase of work in February and start construction in March.

The overpass is scheduled to be completed by summer 2024 with the majority of the work happening in 2023. In December, the province announced that Redi-Mix Concrete out of Russell had been awarded the contract for the work.

Asked what progress would be made on repairing structures, like the Rapid City Dam, which were damaged in the massive rainfall event in late June and early July 2020, the minister didnt provide a timeline but said the work was a priority and the department is working on figuring out how to rebuild them in a way that will make them more resistant to large-scale events brought on by climate change.

Last week, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Piwinuk had spent a month in Florida over the Christmas holidays, leaving the country before the premier asked her partys MLAs to avoid non-essential international travel.

It was announced on the 17th; if we had planned on going on the 20th, we wouldnt have gone, he said. The fact is, we have this property that for two years we havent seen it. I would have discontinued that if it was announced before I left.

After testing positive for COVID-19 in November, Piwniuk said he experienced mild symptoms and is now in good health.

 cslark@brandonsun.com

 Twitter: @ColinSlark
The southern vacations of a pair of western Manitoba MLAs that were taken in and around the Christmas holidays have been held up to public scrutiny through reporting in the media over the last few weeks.

FILES Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt (left) and Turtle Mountain MLA Doyle Piwniuk (right).

The southern vacations of a pair of western Manitoba MLAs that were taken in and around the Christmas holidays have been held up to public scrutiny through reporting in the media over the last few weeks.

And readers may well ask why they need to be singled out for questions over their vacation plans, especially considering theyve done nothing to violate pandemic restrictions. Its a fair question.

If youre like me, and you have a presence on social media, you will likely have scrolled past the vacation photos of at least one relative, friend or simple acquaintance on your Facebook feed within the past few weeks. Look, theres Jim in France eating a croissant on a balcony, and oh look, its Samantha taking a selfie outside the Parthenon in Greece.

But thats just the point, really  most of our social media "friends" are not public figures  well, at least many of mine are not.

While there was nothing unlawful about taking a plane outside the country for a little R&R down south in the month of December last year, it seems strikingly tone-deaf for a politician to do so when their own government is asking Manitobans to stay home, batten down and limit holiday gatherings.

Recall that the Government of Canada issued a global travel advisory on Dec. 15, cautioning Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside of Canada, due to the risk of the omicron variant.

It was advice that Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson echoed only two days later, Dec. 17, when she advised members of her cabinet and caucus not to leave the country.

As the Winnipeg Free Press reported this week, Riding Mountain MLA Greg Nesbitt travelled to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Dec. 15  the same day federal Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos advised against all non-essential international travel.

Mr. Nesbitts trip had been booked well in advance according to a statement from his office.

"I had left very early that morning, and the federal travel advisory was not issued until later that afternoon," Nesbitt wrote. "Upon my return, I followed all safety protocols and isolation requirements."

We have no reason, at this point, to doubt his claim to following safety protocols. And clearly, he was able to travel down south without any impediments from the Canadian or Mexican governments. Nor was he unable to return to Canada.

Last week, the Free Press also reported that newly-minted Westman cabinet minister Doyle Piwniuk spent nearly four weeks in Florida. Mr. Piwniuk, who was sworn in as transportation and infrastructure minister in the recent Manitoba government cabinet shuffle, drove to the United States on Dec. 11 to tend to the maintenance of his property.

"The federal advisory on non-essential travel went out on Dec. 15, and the [Manitoba] premiers orders against international travel on Dec. 17," read a statement from his press secretary last week. "The minister had departed [before] both directives were issued, otherwise he would not have travelled."

In his interview with the Sun yesterday, Mr. Piwniuk stuck with that explanation, stating he would not have left the country had he been given those instructions from the premier prior to the start of his journey.

Again, we have no good reason to doubt the veracity of that statement. It is, perhaps, worth noting that the Turtle Mountain MLA had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in late November, and had gone into isolation as a result. He said he was double vaccinated at the time, and did not have any symptoms of the virus.

Generally speaking, it would appear the two MLAs were following the rules as they knew them  again, foreign travelling was not and is not illegal at this point in the pandemic. The vast majority of Canadians are fully vaccinated, and other countries have the right to decide whether they want to continue to have Canadians pass through their borders.

The concern over MLAs travelling beyond our borders on vacation  or if youre Mr. Piwniuk, to check on property that he had been unable to see over the past two years in the Sunshine state  is not whether they did something illegal or against public health orders. Its the political optics of their decisions that go against the spirit of what Manitobans and Canadians were being asked to do at the time.

For its not like there wasnt any warning before they left. The World Health Organization signalled in early December that the omicron variant was quickly spreading around the world, prompting Minister Duclos to issue a warning that the variants advance "should be a serious alarm bell."

"There is uncertainty and risks with travelling in other countries over the next few weeks," he said

We should expect our elected officials to heed such warnings because when they dont, they make it look like theres one set of rules for the public and another for the so-called "ruling class."

Not only does that make for very bad politics, it shows poor leadership. And we have a right to expect better.

 Matt Goerzen, editor
K-12 school curriculum has been under a spotlight lately. Debates often surround diversity, equity, and inclusion trainings, Critical Race Theory, and other instructional methods.

Meanwhile, another view has entered the conversation: A conservative push against a proclaimed "false, divisive, and radical, anti-American curriculum," one supported by the activist group known as 1776 Action.

1776 Action shares principles and takes inspiration from the 1776 Commission, a project of the Trump administration that was dissolved by an Executive Order under the Biden administration. The core principles include alignment with God, the Founding Fathers, and patriotism.

The group has found support with some conservative politicians, including Pa. Governor candidate Lou Barletta, who recently pledged his commitment to the 1776 Action mission. The organization is currently circulating 1776 Pledge to Save our Schools in an effort to implement changes to K-12 curriculum.

Barletta, upon signing the pledge, said, " I am proud to sign The 1776 Pledge and make this promise to every Pennsylvanian  our state will once again be a shining example of patriotism and traditional American values.

The 1776 Action is intended as a direct response to recent developments in K-12 curriculum. According to the 1776 Action website, the organization opposes a proposed "action civics" curriculum that emphasizes personal experience and direct community engagement.

The organization claims "anti-American indoctrination" in forms such as open discussion of race and gender in a classroom setting, encouragement of current political movements, and challenges to traditional principles and leaders.

A spokesperson for Attorney General and Pa. Governor candidate Josh Shapiro responded to Barletta's 1776 pledge, saying Josh Shapiro "will ensure our children receive the best possible education  one that is grounded in American exceptionalism and patriotism, and has the integral involvement of parents and local communities.

1776 Action has previously criticized one educational concept in particular: Critical Race Theory. 1776 Action writes that this curricular effort, among others, intends to "radicalize America's youth."

Barletta noted his opposition of "indoctrination campaigns in K-12 classrooms that teach their children to hate their own country and each other through racist ideologies like Critical Race Theory."

Contemporary discussions of race, gender, and identity are often conflated with the legal academia concept of Critical Race Theory. Though Critical Race Theory is not being taught as a legal theory to K-12 students, its ideas can be applied.

Related reading: Resolution opposing Critical Race Theory dies with Montoursville School Board non-vote

Barletta stressed his commitment to "no longer teach children that they are either oppressed, or the oppressor, depending on the color of their skin." Critical Race Theory would view this oppressor/oppressed logic as a historical relationship that operates on a systemic level today.

The controversial 1619 Project, a New York Times journalism series, is another example of Critical Race Theory ideas at work. The project reframed the origin story of America with central focus upon racism and inequality, their development, and their persistence over time.

Both 1776 Action and alternative perspectives share one question: how should our history inform our current reality? The debate lies in how American history should be interpreted.

In other words: is history a product of its time, or is it timeless?
New Delhi: In another major blow to the Congress, which is trying to revive its organisational base in the politically crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, yet another prominent member of its youth brigade and a Gandhi loyalist, former Union minister R.P.N. Singh, joined the BJP on Tuesday ahead of the upcoming Assembly polls. Mr Singh, who was considered close to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, termed his quitting the Congress and joining the saffron fold as a new beginning and claimed the Congress, with which he was associated for 32 years, has not remained the same as it was before.

However, his former party labelled him as a coward while maintaining that the battle against the BJP can only be fought with courage and bravery. The Congress had on Monday named Mr Singh, who was the partys incharge of Jharkhand, as one of the star campaigners for the coming Assembly polls, including his home state UP. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is incharge of UP.

To welcome him in the BJP, along with the partys leaders, including union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Anurag Thakur and UP deputy chief ministers (Keshav Prasad Maurya and Dinesh Sharma), former member of the Congress youth brigade and now a Union minister in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, Jyotiraditya Scindia, was also present at the party headquarters. Mr Scindia had joined the BJP last year, followed by another former member of the Congress' youth brigade, Jitin Prasada.

I spent 32 years in one political party (Congress). But that party has not remained the same as it was before. I will work as a karyakarta towards fulfilling PM Modi's dreams for India, Mr Singh said after joining the BJP.

Mr Singh, who belongs to the OBC Kurmi caste, said he looked forward to his contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership and guidance of PM Modi, BJP president J.P. Nadda and Union home minister Amit Shah.

This is a new beginning for me and I look forward to my contribution to nation building under the visionary leadership & guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, BJP president Shri @JPNadda ji & Honourable Home Minister @AmitShah ji, Mr Singh tweeted before joining the BJP.

He also uploaded his resignation letter to the Congress on his social media handle with the tweet: Today, at a time, we are celebrating the formation of our great Republic, I begin a new chapter in my political journey. Jai Hind.

Welcoming the former Congress leaders into the BJP fold, the partys incharge of UP and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that he had been personally pursuing Mr Singh to switch to the party.

Since 2004, I was after (Jyotiraditya) Scindia, and told him that hes the right person in the wrong place. When I met Mr Singh, who was then a minister... I told him that he should be with Narendra Modi and take the country forward. I thank both of them for joining the party as this is a good sign, Mr Pradhan said.

Speculation is rife that Mr Singh could be fielded by the BJP from Padrauna Assembly seat against SPs Swami Prasad Maurya, who had quit the BJP recently. Mr Maurya had defeated Mr Singh from the same constituency in the last election.

Reacting to Mr Singh quitting the Congress and joining the BJP, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said, This battle (against the BJP) can only be fought with courage and bravery and Priyanka Gandhi ji has said that a coward cant fight it... Only a coward can jump to a party with a completely opposite ideology.
Biotech giant CSL makes countless life-saving therapies, but theres one medicine it hopes gets thrown out before it ever has to be used.

Each year the companys vaccine division, Seqirus, co-ordinates with venom suppliers across the country to collect poisons from Australias deadliest creatures and generate antivenoms.

CSLs vaccine arm Seqirus collects venom from suppliers across Australia to make antivenom products.

Antivenoms are generally an insurance policy. The preference is we stock the shelves, and then you throw it out because its expired and people havent had to need it, says executive director of manufacturing at Seqirus, Jonah Smith.

The products are a small part of the companys overall portfolio, but obviously very critical, Smith says.
The boss of ASX-listed biotech Atomo Diagnostics says the company wont be considering onshore production for the COVID rapid tests it has in development because of the lacklustre response it has had from governments.

Atomo makes rapid diagnostic tests, including for coronavirus and HIV.

Under a deal with Korean producer Access Bio, the company has been importing professional and at-home tests for the Australian market. Atomo is also trying to gain Australian approval for another rapid self-test for the virus, as well as working on commercialising a more precise swab-based rapid test device.

Atomo Diagnostics founder John Kelly and investor Lang Walker with the companys flagship product, a HIV test. Credit:Kate Geraghty

Chief executive John Kelly told investors in a recent update it was unlikely the company would be making its products onshore. He said the company had discussed onshore manufacturing for rapid test kits with state and federal governments but the conversations were lacklustre and disappointing.
David Finchers 1999 Fight Club is at the centre of a social media firestorm in China after a new version of it replaced the original ending with a terse message saying all criminals were apprehended and the authorities triumphed.

Tencent Video subscribers mocked the newly abridged and altered ending for distorting the original films message and intent. Based on Chuck Palahniuks book by the same name, Fight Club culminates in the unnamed narrator killing off his alter ego Tyler Durden and setting off a chain of explosions destroying all bank and credit records, resetting the economy. None of that is present in the new Chinese version, which treats the movies Project Mayhem undertaking as a thwarted and misguided attempt at criminality.

Through the clue provided by Tyler, the police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding, the Tencent Video version tells viewers, before adding its own creative twist: After the trial, Tyler was sent to lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment.
A Queensland retiree and former NSW detective who hunted Nazis after World War II and caught the Butcher of Bosnia was among those to receive Australia Day honours this week.

Bob Reid AM - the Queensland retiree and former NSW detective who hunted international war criminals for almost 30 years.

Robert Reid joined the NSW Police Force in 1975 and became a detective in 1981, spending four years attached to the homicide squad.

He then worked in several capacities for the federal Attorney-Generals office, which included the Special Investigations Unit - set up to investigate people who entered Australia in the 1940s and 1950s who were potentially working with the Nazis during World War II.

The unit was set up by the Hawke government in response to pressure from the Jewish community over an ABC News report Yugoslavian and Latvian immigrants had come to Australia after working with the Nazis during the war.
Students will begin returning to school amid the Omicron wave on Thursday, as several Sydney private schools open their doors for face-to-face learning with or without the governments supply of rapid antigen tests.

Oscar Avedissian, 11, will be one of the first through the gates for his first day of year 7 at Reddam House in Woollahra. Im feeling excited because I get to see all my friends and get to know my teachers and see them in person. And starting high school so I can be more independent, he said.

Oscar Avedissian, who is ready to start year 7 at Reddam House in Woollahra, with his mother, Cheryl and dad Jason. Credit:Janie Barrett

His school was still awaiting deliveries of rapid tests from the state government and hopes to distribute them to parents from next week, so families have to source their own before children enter classrooms on day one.

Oscar said he was prepared for the twice-weekly swab up the nose. At least Ill be safe from COVID, he said. And because Ill be wearing my face mask and hand sanitising, I think Ill be fine.
NSW has exceeded 1 million COVID-19 cases as an expert warns about a potential spike in infections from Australia Day celebrations.

The state recorded 21,030 new COVID-19 infections and 29 deaths on Wednesday, bringing the states total number of cases since the pandemic began to 1,015,495.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet has extended restrictions for another month.CREDIT: Credit: James Alcock

More than half a million of those infections have been recorded in the past 15 days.

There are 2794 people in hospital with the virus, down from the record 2943 on Tuesday. Of those people, 175 are in intensive care units.
One of the countrys most powerful Aboriginal land councils has accused the Northern Territory government of failing Central Australia as COVID-19 spreads through communities and the local Health Minister raised the alarm over low testing rates in the region.

The Central Land Council has called for a lockdown in the area to reduce the spread of the virus in vulnerable communities where many people live with complex health issues and in overcrowded housing.

The Northern Territorys Chief Minister, Michael Gunner. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The calls came as the NT recorded 626 new cases on Thursday, and Wednesdays numbers were revised from 492 to 778 after additional rapid antigen tests were processed by authorities.

The plan was to evacuate people who had tested positive, this isnt happening and we need a viable alternative to save lives, CLC chief executive Les Turner told ABC Radio National. We need a rapid response team in our communities who can go door-to-door with testing, vaccinating, health care and advice.
A device developed in part by Brisbane experts that can extend the preservation time of donor organs played a key role in the recent successful transplant of a pigs heart into a human in the United States.

During the world-first surgery at the University of Maryland this month the pigs heart was transplanted into 57-year-old David Bennett, who had end-stage heart disease and was not considered a viable candidate for a human heart or an artificial heart device.

Members of the Baltimore surgical team transplant a pigs heart into David Bennett. Credit:AP

The scientific team behind the procedure used cutting-edge genetic techniques to prevent rejection of the new heart. Earlier this week, two weeks after the operation, Mr Bennetts body had not rejected the heart, and he remained in relatively good health.

The lead surgeon on the transplant team, Bartley Griffith, had previously collaborated with the Critical Care Research Group (CCRG) at Brisbanes Prince Charles Hospital, funded in part by The Common Good, an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.
Police are searching for a girl who has been missing since before Christmas and have called on the public for help.

The 15-year-old Calamvale girl went missing from a Lewis Street address on December 18 last year.

The girl was last seen in mid December. Credit:Qld Police

Police say they hold serious concerns for the girls welfare because of her age.

She is described as Caucasian, 160 centimetres tall, slim, with short brown hair and blonde steaks, brown eyes and an olive complexion.
The Premier says she didnt ask the head of Queenslands corruption watchdog to step down, a day after his shock resignation following a damning parliamentary committee inquiry and a string of failed court cases.

Crime and Corruption Commission chairman Alan MacSporran QC will officially finish in the role on Friday, with the potential for an overhaul of the CCC hanging over his successor.

CCC chair Alan MacSporran, pictured with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at his appointment in 2015. Credit:Dan Peled

The calls for Mr MacSporran to resign had intensified in recent days.

At a press conference on Wednesday, where she delivered the days COVID-19 case tally, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was asked: Did you ask Alan MacSporran to stand aside?
Commentary: 30-year cooperation energizes China, Central Asian countries for brighter future

Xinhua) 09:20, January 26, 2022

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a virtual summit on Tuesday to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the five Central Asian countries of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The past 30 years have witnessed remarkable development of their ties, which have served as an example of a new type of international relations. Building on past breakthroughs and achievements, China and Central Asian countries are embracing a brighter future.

Three decades ago, China was among the first countries to set up diplomatic ties with the five countries following their independence, heralding a new era of friendly exchanges based on mutual respect and equal treatment. Over the years, they have firmly supported each other's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and respected the countries' exploration of their own development paths.

From good-neighborly and friendly relations to strategic partnerships, China and Central Asian countries have witnessed deepening mutual political trust and increasing connectivity.

In the common pursuit of security and development, they have joined hands to combat the "three forces" of terrorism, separatism and extremism as well as drug trafficking and transnational organized crime within the Shanghai Cooperation Organization mechanism, creating a favorable environment for the economic development and the well-being of the people in the region.

The past three decades also mark booming trade and economic cooperation. According to data released last week by China's Ministry of Commerce, trade between China and Central Asian nations has grown by more than 100 times from 30 years ago, with the stocks of China's direct investment in the five countries exceeding 14 billion U.S. dollars.

It was in Kazakhstan that Xi proposed the building of the Silk Road Economic Belt, a component of the landmark Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) which also includes the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, steering partner countries on a fast lane of common development under the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

Over the years, the BRI cooperation has unfolded with a number of landmark projects, for example the China-Kazakhstan crude oil pipeline, the China-Central Asia Gas Pipeline, the Central Asia's largest wind farm in Kazakhstan and the China-Europe freight trains transiting through the region.

And cooperation remains unimpeded despite COVID-19. China and Central Asian countries have stood together and supported each other in response to the common challenge. From offering medical supplies to sending expert teams and providing vaccines, they have been building a community of health with concrete actions.

Over the 30 years, thriving people-to-people and cultural exchanges have been carried out among universities, think tanks and media, and in cultural heritage preservation, literary and art works translation as well as films and publishing cooperation.

Xi stated at the virtual summit that principles of mutual respect, good neighborliness and friendship, solidarity, and mutual benefit are the keys to the successful cooperation between China and five Central Asian countries, and valuable experience and shared wealth for the countries.

At a historic starting point, China stands ready to work with Central Asian countries to build on past achievements, forge ahead and rise to common challenges such as persisting hegemony, rising protectionism and unilateralism, and interference of external forces.

Amid the global COVID-19 pandemic and changes unseen in a century, it is in the common interests of China and Central Asian countries to work in solidarity as a builder of world peace, an advocate of multilateralism, a defender of the international order, and a practitioner of mutual benefit and win-win results, and actively promote the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
HYDERABAD: Shifting gears in the runup to the state polls, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, a Lok Sabha member, said that he would contest the next Assembly elections when they are held.

Making the announcement on Tuesday, he said that he would enter the battle from Kodangal constituency, which he had earlier represented for nine years.

Revanth Reddy turned emotional at a function in Kosgi while thanking the Congress cadre for registering 75,000 members in Kodangal constituency. He said that with such an auspicious start, Kodangal has emerged as an ideal constituency for the Congress not only in Telangana but also in the country.

Revanth Reddy marked the occasion by felicitating party leaders and workers who had each enrolled more than 500 members in their respective polling booths. He said that all of them would also be honoured by AICC leader Rahul Gandhi at a separate function.

The TPCC chief recalled that the previous Congress regime had introduced schemes like crop loan waiver, free electricity for farmers, Aarogyasri and four per cent reservation for Muslims.

As an MLA from Kodangal, he developed temples, schools, roads, 5,000 sub-stations, the Kosgi bus depot and a school in Maddur on his own land, he said. He lamented that the development process had come to a standstill after TRS won the Kodangal seat in 2018.

He said that IT minister K.T. Rama Rao had assured adoption of Kondangal but ignored the promise after the elections. He said that the foundation stone for Kosgi bus depot was laid in 2018 by five ministers but there was not much of further progress. He wanted to know why only Siddipet and Gajwel were being developed and Kodangal was left in the lurch. He challenged TRS leaders for an open debate on development in Kodangal.

He said that not a single person was harassed when he represented Kodangal for nine years. No one was implicated in false cases. He alleged that followers of the ruling party legislator had attacked a youngster in Hakeempet village. Cases of attempt to murder were booked for a minor incident in Pole Palli. He warned police officials against misusing their powers and cautioned them that TRS would not remain in power forever.

He said the Congress party, after winning the next elections, would not spare police officials who are targetting Congress workers at the behest of TRS leaders.
Thousands of people have marched through the streets of the national capital on Australia Day protesting Indigenous human rights issues as part of the Aboriginal Tent Embassys 50th anniversary.

The peaceful protesters marched from Canberras city centre to the lawns of Old Parliament House, with many chanting demands for Indigenous land rights.

Protesters in Canberra march through the city for the 50th anniversary of the Tent Embassy. Credit:Rhett Wyman.

What do we want? Land rights! When do we want it? Now! they chanted, as they walked through the citys roads.

As the crowds rallied at Garema Place, in Canberras CBD, organisers also protested against Indigenous deaths in custody and colonialism. Many also spoke about their hopes for the younger generations to continue their fight.
The immediate backlash from conservative men in power in response to Grace Tames photos with the Prime Minister has exposed how they are the gatekeepers of Parliaments sexist culture.

Grace Tames unforgiving expression next to the Prime Minister became iconic the moment the image was shared.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison and 2021 Australian of the Year Grace Tame during the Australian of the Year awards morning tea at the Lodge. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It also drew swift criticism that can be put straight in the sexist folder. Queensland Liberal Senator James McGrath wrote a Facebook post that criticised Tame as childish  an infantilising, belittling word for a courageous Australian of the Year.

Journalist Peter van Onselen offered in his opinion piece for The Australian the tone-deaf, yet telling advice, If your disdain for [Scott Morrison] is so great ... then just dont go.
This would mean a person overseas wanting to get home via Sydney would likely need Western Australian approval, which Abrams said would be unworkable for airline staff to administer at check-in as had proven to be the case for other states when they had home quarantine. This situation is shaping up as chaotic for Western Australians overseas, he said. How can an international passenger be deemed eligible for home quarantine if they fly to Perth via Sydney but not if they took a direct international flight into Perth? Abrams said it would take airlines 75 weeks to clear the backlog of passengers that had booked tickets in anticipation of the February 5 reopening. A state government spokeswoman did not commit the government to selecting which Australians could fly directly into WA and instead said that they looked forward to the construction of a permanent quarantine centre by the federal government to house international arrivals.

Once complete, WA can operate it and ensure the States hotel quarantine system can operate as safely as possible, she said. Its so vital this can be done sooner rather than later given the risk Omicron currently poses in the WA community. Professor Greg Dore, an infectious diseases expert at the Kirby Institute, told this masthead that WAs indefinite border closure was futile, given the small outbreak of Omicron in Bunbury, which Mr McGowan has conceded the government will not be able to contain. Loading The current outbreak in Western Australia demonstrates the difficulties with maintenance of an elimination strategy, Professor Dore said.

Its extremely unlikely that control will be maintained to allow 80 per cent booster coverage. The continued stranding of many thousands of Australians overseas and interstate is an ongoing factor that needs to be considered in the overall public health response. Its time to revert to the previously proposed opening date of February 5. Kim Brown gave birth to her premature daughter in March last year and has surgery scheduled on February 9. Her parents and mother-in-law, all triple vaccinated, were due to arrive on February 7 to help the family as she recovered from her operation. But having already missed the birth of their granddaughter, they cannot now come because even in the unlikely event that they secured a seat, they would not be out of hotel quarantine in time for the surgery.

Families not holidays These werent just holiday plans, Ms Brown said. These were grandparents meeting grandchildren for the first time, these were parents being present to support and help their children and their families. I am in pieces and emotionally spent having endured one of the toughest years of our life without our parents here to help and support us. And now we have nothing  no plan, no date, no target  I see no light at the end of this tunnel. Rebecca, 42, a Perth mother who lives in Canada with her husband and their two sons, said her worst fears came true when she watched Mr McGowans press conference in which he reneged on his promise to reunite the state with the rest of the country and the world.

Perth mother Kim Brown with her daughter, who was born prematurely, pictured in Perth Childrens Hospital in May 2021. We havent booked anything, I want to see the first plane go off, the wheels reach the tarmac of the first plane before I book anything because its too hard for our boys, she said. The idea of trying to explain to them that theyre going home and see nanna and grandpa and uncle and aunty and cousins and then to tell them cant  itd be too devastating for them to have that expectation and then it not happen. Loading The family have not been home since the pandemic started because the costs of the flights and quarantine would be more than $20,000.
There is concern in Britain about where the defrocked prince would find the money, including whether the Queen or even the public might somehow end up footing the bill. And questions about Andrews financial situation have drawn renewed attention to his business financial dealings over the past three decades. Queen Elizabeth must decide if she can use private funds to help her second son with his legal costs and any settlement, or risk royal family humiliation in a trial. Credit:AFP Pool In that span, Andrew sold an estate to a Kazakhstani oligarch for millions above the asking price and was linked to secret offshore accounts with a British financier. He faced criticism from members of Parliament for extravagant travel expenses while serving as an official trade representative and was accused of using the position to advance close friends financial interests, if not his own. He is somebody who has famously relied upon being a royal to get subsidies, special travel and free services and arrangements, said a former senior British official who at times engaged with the royal family, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The prince was forced to step down from his position as trade envoy in 2011 as part of the early fallout from his association with Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, a predatory power couple whose record of abusing underage women is directly linked to Andrews downfall.

In accounts over the years and a suit filed in federal court last year, Virginia Giuffre, 38, alleges that at 17 she was trafficked to Andrew by Epstein and Maxwell, and that the prince forced her into sex acts on three occasions - at Maxwells home in London, Epsteins mansion in New York and on the financiers private island in the Caribbean. Andrew has insisted he has no recollection of meeting Giuffre. He has been unable to explain a photo, reportedly taken in 2001 at Maxwells residence in London, that shows him and Giuffre smiling together, his hand on her waist. Prince Andrew pictured with Virginia Giuffre, at the home of recently convicted sex-trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell (right) in London in 2001. Credit: Legal and financial experts said it is highly unlikely that any portion of Andrews legal bills will be borne by British taxpayers, who subsidise the royal family through annual contributions that have totalled as much as $116 million in recent years. Whats known as the Sovereign Grant is earmarked for palace upkeep, the Queens official duties and official travel by members of the family. A detailed report is released annually. Andrew hasnt been listed since 2019, when the Epstein controversy forced him to give up his public role.

Instead, his case is likely to create a profound dilemma for the Queen. Some commentators have argued that she cant afford to risk the possible public outrage that might accompany use of her private fortune to pay off a woman who has accused her son of sexual assault. Others believe she may have little choice. There has been speculation that it would be embarrassing to the Queen if she had to pay a settlement, said David McClure, author of The Queens True Worth. But it would be far more embarrassing if she didnt do something, McClure said, and failed to head off a trial almost certain to produce more shameful revelations about her son. Its in their interests to help him, McClure said. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

Andrews finances are so murky that little is known about whatever wealth he has accumulated, according to McClure and other experts. The Times reported last week that a company controlled by Andrew and used to manage his investments is more than $US260,000 in debt. The move to sell the chalet certainly suggests he is short of money, McClure said. His only known source of ongoing income is a modest 20,000 military pension from his service as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Navy, which included missions in the Falklands War. In the past, he has reportedly relied on largesse from the Queen, with an allowance drawn from income on the Duchy of Lancaster estate, a sprawling collection of revenue-generating properties in England. Andrew and Ferguson, though divorced, live together at Royal Lodge, a property leased to the prince under terms that required him to invest in renovations but not to pay rent.

The Kazakhstan connection Andrews most lucrative known transaction remains one of the most controversial: the sale of Sunninghill Park, a 270-hectare estate near Windsor Castle given to him as a wedding present by the Queen. The 12-bedroom complex sat on the market for five years following Andrews divorce. Then, in 2007, Timur Kulibayev, the son-in-law of Kazakhstans then-ruler, purchased the property for 15million, inexplicably paying about 3 million over the asking price, according to land registry figures. Timur Kulibayevs above-the-market purchase of Prince Andrews Windsor property is under renewed scrutiny. The Sunninghill estate was given to Prince Andrew by the Queen as a wedding gift. Credit:Syndication International

Andrew defended the sale when it became public, telling the London Telegraph newspaper: Its not my business the second the price is paid. If that is the offer, Im not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and suggest they have overpaid me. Kulibayev, through a spokesman, has denied use of corrupt funds in the Sunninghill purchase. But the transaction came under new scrutiny this past week when Kulibayev announced he was stepping down as head of a Kazakhstani business lobbying group amid allegations of corruption. Kulibayev was also deeply implicated in the Unaoil scandal and named in US diplomatic cables published by Wikileaks as exercising incredible control over Kazakhstans oil industry. The helpful banker In the years following the sale of Sunninghill Park, Andrew reportedly entered a series of controversial arrangements with David Rowland, a British banker and developer, who in 2010 was tapped as Conservative Party treasurer, but bowed out amid criticism he had avoided paying taxes for decades.

That summer, Rowland was, according to British media reports, invited by Andrew to Balmoral, the Scottish holiday home of the royal family, for a visit that included a meeting with the Queen and tea with Prince Charles. Months later, Rowland paid about 44,400 to assist Andrew in his efforts to help Ferguson clear millions of dollars in debts, according to media reports in which a spokesperson for Ferguson acknowledged contributions from supportive friends. Loading (Epstein, too, helped Ferguson to pay off her debts, giving about $US24,000. She later said she regretted accepting the money and would return it when she could.) Andrew brought Rowlands son and business partner, Jonathan, on trips to China, Saudi Arabia and other countries he was visiting as part of his taxpayer-funded role as trade envoy, in some cases facilitating participation in meetings with potentially lucrative clients, according to a 2019 investigation by the Mail on Sunday, citing documents reporters had reviewed. Andrew has also faced questions about whether he had a secret stake in a company established with David Rowland in the British Virgin Islands. The offshore firm was called Inverness Asset Management, a possible reference to Andrews Earl of Inverness title, according to the Mail report.

Andrew has consistently denied he ever used his position as trade representative for personal gain. In a written statement, Forsters, a law firm representing Rowland, said Inverness was used by David Rowland to make personal investments and that Andrew was never a shareholder nor did he have any financial interest in it at all. A more recent allegation surfaced that Andrew had taken out a loan of nearly 1.5 million in 2017 from Banque Havilland, a Luxembourg-based bank controlled by Rowland, and that the debt was paid off within days by companies associated with the financier. The alleged loan and payoff were first reported by Bloomberg News. Forsters said the Rowlands have no ongoing relationship with Andrew, and have not contributed to his legal bills. The Swiss chalet - the only known property that Andrew still possesses - is located in a mountainside village where other high-profile residents include airline and media tycoon Richard Branson. Andrew and Ferguson rented the property for a year or more before moving to buy it, de Rouvre said in an interview, in a transaction that involved a large mortgage and a later cash payment of approximately $US8 million.
New York: Prince Andrew raised consent and unclean hands as defences against Virginia Giuffres lawsuit claiming he sexually abused her when she was a teenager.

In the formal answer he filed on Thursday AEDT to Giuffres suit in Manhattan federal court, the British royal said her claims were barred by her own wrongful actions. He didnt specify the conduct to which he was referring.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre. Credit:AP, BBC

It also wasnt clear from the filing what Andrew meant by consent. He denies having sex with Giuffre, who claims he was one of several men to whom Jeffrey Epstein lent her for sexual abuse.

Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage alleged in the complaint, Giuffres claims are barred by the doctrine of consent, Andrew said in Wednesdays filing.
The is likely to hand over to the on Thursday, nearly 69 years after it was taken from the conglomerate, officials said on Wednesday.

After a competitive bidding process, the government had on October 8 last year sold to Talace Private Limited - a subsidiary of the Tata Group's holding company - for Rs 18,000 crore.

Meanwhile, two airline pilot unions - Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) - on Monday warned Air India's CMD Vikram Dev Dutt of legal action as "multiple deductions and recoveries have been projected" on the dues owed to pilots.

"This recovery exercise is entirely illegal, and we demand that this anomaly is rectified and the amount due is repaid with immediate effect," the letter sent by the two unions said.

Additionally, two other unions have opposed the carrier's January 20 order to check grooming and measure the body mass index (BMI) of cabin crew members at the airports just before their flights.

These unions - Employees' Union (AIEU) and All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) - on Monday wrote to Dutt opposing the order on the grounds that it is dehumanising and in violation of rules prescribed by aviation regulator DGCA.

"BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness," stated the website of US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Three days after Air India's sale was announced on October 8 last year, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued to the confirming the government's willingness to sell its 100 percent stake in the airline. On October 25, the Centre signed the share purchase agreement (SPA) for this deal.

Officials said on Wednesday that the airline will most likely be handed over to the conglomerate on Thursday as all the formalities are close to completion.

As a part of the deal, the will also be handed over Air India Express and a 50 percent stake in ground handling arm Air India SATS.

Tatas had on October 8 beat the Rs 15,100-crore offer by a consortium led by SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh and the reserve price of Rs 12,906 crore set by the government for the sale of its 100 percent stake in the loss-making carrier.

While this will be the Centre's first privatisation since 2003-04, Air India will be the third airline brand in the Tatas' stable as it holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines Ltd.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government will hand over the control of debt-laden national carrier to the group on Friday.

Business Standard can confirm that the board of and Sons will meet on Thursday to formalise the handover the process. The existing board of Air India, which includes four functional directors, two government-nominee directors, chairman, and managing director (CMD), will resign and a board, consisting of group executives, will take charge of the airline.

Sources said that from the Tatas side Nipun Aggarwal, senior vice president at Tata Sons, Saurabh Agrawal, CFO at Tata Sons, Suprakash Mukhopadhyay, group corporate secretary at Tata Sons, Eruch Noshir Kapadia, former CFO at Tata Sons and Sunil Bhaskaran, CEO of AirAsia India are likely to be inducted in the restructured board of the company.

All of them have the requisite regulatory approvals from the regulators to become members in the board, said a person aware of the development.

had submitted their closing balance sheet on January 20 to the for review.

The handover will culminate a long process of governments attempt to transfer the ownership of the loss-making airline to a private owner. The airline has never made profit since its merger with Indian Airlines in 2007-08 and has reported a loss of Rs 7,017 crore in FY 21.

The salt-to-software conglomerate won the bid for Air India from the government for Rs 18,000 crore on October 8, 2021 after a competitive bidding process. After that, a letter of intent (LoI) was issued to the on October 11 and the share purchase agreement (SPA) for the deal was signed on October 25.

The has meanwhile started the process of familiarisation with Air Indias operational and commercial process. People aware of the development said that an integrated team from Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, TajSATS AirAsia India has started interacting with departmental heads of Air India, including finance operations, in-flight services, catering, and human resources. The changes in the first phase will be small and more to fine tune the existing process and customer amenities.

There is a focus to change the softer aspect of the product initially like meals, On Time Performance, call centre, cabin service improvements. These are simpler things like identifying and training the crew and rostering the best ones on key sectors like the US and Europe. More improvements, like refurbishment of the cabin and aircraft will come later, after operational takeover, the person said.
Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Wednesday launched an e-FIR app where people will be able to instantly lodge complaints about incidents like house and burglary, police said.

Asthana said lodging of FIRs online for property will help police to quickly solve such cases.

"Immediate online lodging of the FIR for the property stolen in Delhi through web facilities investigation officers to complete investigation and documentation as well as timely disposal of cases to reduce pendency at police stations and courts," he said.

E-FIR application for registration of cases'' is a milestone in a series of web applications developed by the to enable complainants to register FIRs and receive a copy of the same instantly without physically going to a police station, police said.

"These transformations -- hassle-free registration and speedy investigation and systematic documentation -- have made the life of citizens simpler," Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Devesh Chandra Srivastva said.

Listing out the features of the app, police said through it complaints can be lodged anywhere at any time without actually going to a police station.

After the registering of a complaint, an FIR will be lodged at an e-police station established under Crime Branch and has jurisdiction all over Delhi, they said.

It will also lead to instant dispatch of a copy of digitally signed FIR to the email-id of the complainant, area SHO, senior officers, designated court, police said.

"It (app) has the facility of guiding investigating officers to complete investigation and documentation along with management Information system (MIS) for analysis and take preventive measures," Srivastva said.

According to the senior police officer, this application developed for lodging FIRs in theft cases shall be hosted at a technically suitable place for its smooth functioning while the web application URL shall have a link with the official website of www.delhipolice.nic.in. The application can be found under the Citizen Services section of the website.

"First-time users for app shall have to register by providing a mobile phone number and an email id. A One-Time-Password (OTP) shall be received by the user on mobile and web through SMS and email respectively," he said.

Investigating officer (IO) concerned will also have a user-id with password (OTP) to log in to the module carrying folder(s) of FIR(s). Assigned IO will also get a system-generated OTP for accessing each FIR folder every time, Srivastav said.

"This way the assigned IO can contact the complainant within 24 hours. Obtain signatures on the printout copy of FIR. He can also visit the crime scene and if required call DMCT or other forensic help.

Inform SHO and other senior officers. Conduct enquiry, prepare a site plan, record statement of complainant and witness. Collect available evidence and make efforts to identify the culprit and trace the stolen property," the senior officer added.

Police said the IOs will have to update the complainant about the progress in the case from time to time.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Continuing its demand to lift the weekend curfew and odd-even rule for opening shops, the traders' fraternity here on Wednesday shot a letter to the lieutenant governor, ahead of the DDMA meeting.

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), the highest decision-making body on COVID-19-related issues, is slated to meet under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor on Thursday to review the COVID-19 situation.

In its letter, the Confederation of All India (CAIT) asked the lieutenant governor to relax COVID-19 restrictions in Delhi in view of the decreasing number of cases.

CAIT, secretary general, Praveen Khandelwal said the retail trade in Delhi has suffered a loss of about 70 per cent in the last 25 days due to the restrictions.

Non-vaccinated persons should not be allowed to move out of their home, whereas on the other hand, the odd-even system and weekend lockdown should be abolished, Khandelwal stated in the letter.

Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) chairman Brijesh Goyal, too, on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to Baijal requesting him to ease restrictions for .

Nearly 20 lakh of the city are troubled due to the weekend curfew and odd-even restrictions on shops. COVID-19 cases have come down considerably in Delhi, Goyal stated in the memorandum asking the lieutenant governor to consider the traders' demands during the Thursday meeting.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In view of the 73rd celebrations, Delhi has been brought under a heavy security cover as the city police has intensified patrolling and sealed the borders of the capital in coordination with its counterparts from the neighbouring states to thwart any untoward incident amid a terror alert by intelligence agencies.

Over 27,000 police personnel have been deployed on security duties in Delhi and anti-terror measures intensified, officials said.

According to the officials, the police personnel deployed include deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, inspectors and sub-inspectors. Armed Police Force personnel and commandos, officers and jawans of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also been deployed.

CCTVs fitted with a facial recognition software and anti-drone equipment have also been installed, police said.

All major border points of Delhi, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, have been sealed to ensure incident-free and smooth celebrations unlike last year. Extra pickets have been deployed and patrolling has been intensified at the border points, the officials said.

On January 26 last year, thousands of farmers protesting against three agriculture laws of the Centre entered Delhi on tractors and wreaked havoc on the city roads. They clashed with police and even hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, a privilege reserved for the Indian tricolour.

"We have sealed the borders and put up extra pickets in coordination with our counterparts. No commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter the capital. Only permitted vehicles and those engaged in essential services will be allowed. Non-permitted vehicles will be sent back while at some borders, traffic diversions and alternate routes are also in place," a senior police officer said.

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over the venue, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

"We are fully prepared. We have been preparing for almost two months now. Elaborate arrangements with multi-layered security have been made all around the district. Vehicle checking would start at the borders of district and it would become more and more stringent as you move towards the venue," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said.

Only vehicles with authorised passes or control passes that have already been issued will be allowed to move towards the function area, he added.

All the high-rise buildings have been covered with rooftop arrangements and anti-drone equipment has been installed on a number of these structures, the DCP said.

"With the help of multiple agencies, we have taken adequate measures against any kind of a drone attack or anti-social elements. At the same time, we have also briefed our staff to take adequate precautions to curb the spread of COVID-19. At the time of entry and exit, the staff have been briefed to ensure that it is done in a phased manner and there is no crowding at the entry and exit points," he said.

Briefing the media on Saturday about the security arrangements, Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had said a total of 27,723 Delhi Police personnel, including 71 DCPs, 213 ACPs and 753 inspectors, have been deployed for the Republic Day parade. They are being assisted by 65 companies of the CAPFs.

Police said anti-terror measures have been intensified in coordination with other security agencies.

"Since the last two months, we have intensified our anti-terror measures. These measures have been taken on 26 parameters very intensively. It is also because Delhi has always been a target for terrorists and anti-social elements. This year too, we have been very much alert," Asthana had said.

He mentioned that the anti-terror measures include blockades (naka bandi) at various places, checking of vehicles, hotels, lodges and dharamshalas and various verification drives like that of tenants, servants and labourers.

Counter-drone technology is being used for air space security. Security in and around the area where the Republic Day celebrations will take place has also been beefed up, Asthana said.

Security arrangements for the Central Vista project have also been made in coordination with the officers of the agencies working on the project, he added.

Besides the Delhi Police, other agencies have also been deployed to ensure foolproof security. About 200 teams have been working towards it.

About traffic arrangements, the police commissioner said an advisory was issued detailing specific restrictions on routes so that no inconvenience is caused to the public.

According to a recent order, the operation of sub-conventional aerial platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), paragliders and hot air balloons, over Delhi has been prohibited in view of the Republic Day celebrations.

The order came into effect on January 20 and will remain in force till February 15.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eight people succumbed to COVID-19 and 801 fresh cases were registered in in 24 hours, pushing the death toll to 3,944 and the total case tally to 2,63,914, a health official said on Wednesday.

A 21-year-old woman from Kangra was the youngest among the six men and two women that passed away due to the virus on Wednesday, he said.

Four of the eight deaths were reported in Kangra, two in Solan and one each in Sirmaur and Mandi, he said.

Of the fresh cases, Solan registered the highest number with 173 infections, followed by 110 in Bilaspur, 109 in Kangra, 96 in Shimla, 86 in Sirmaur, 71 in Mandi, 67 in Hamirpur, 51 in Una, 25 in Kullu, 12 in Chamba and one in Lahaul-Spiti.

The number of active COVID-19 cases in the state decreased to 11,141 from 13,260 on Tuesday. As many as 2,912 patients recovered from the infection, taking the total number of recoveries in the state to 2,48,802, according to the official.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hong Kong may only reopen in early 2024 because of its stringent Covid-19 policies, which could trigger an exodus of foreign firms and staff and jeopardise its role as a financial hub, the city's European Chamber of Commerce said in a draft report.

The limited effectiveness of locally developed vaccines is forcing mainland China to maintain tight restrictions on travel, the chamber said in the draft which was reviewed by Reuters but has not been made public. The European Chamber of Commerce declined to comment on the report.

The most likely scenario for Hong Kong would be that it would not reopen until China rolls out its mRNA vaccine across its 1.4 billion population, which could take until late 2023 or early 2024, it said. If that was the case, the chamber said there was a risk of a "cascade effect" of firms leaving the Asian financial hub.

"We anticipate an exodus of foreigners, probably the largest than Hong Kong has ever seen, and one of the largest in absolute terms from any city in the region in recent history," it said.

While Hong Kong has succeeded in keeping the virus under control for much of 2021, it has become one of the world's most isolated places because of its travel restrictions and intermittent lockdowns that have accelerated a brain drain from the former British colony.

Hong Kong saw a surge of infections in January, which authorities have been struggling to control. Given the scenario, multinational firms would increasingly relocate China-focused teams to the mainland or shift their Asian regional teams to Singapore or Seoul, the chamber said.

Hong Kong could lose its appeal as an international business hub as well as its potential to contribute to China's economy.

The departure of international talent could also undermine the city's "potential to maintain world class universities", it said.

(Reporting by Farah Master)

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India has initiated an probe against of a certain type of tiles, used for covering the floors in residential and commercial buildings, from China, Taiwan and Vietnam following a complaint by domestic players.

The commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) is probing the alleged dumping of "Vinyl Tiles other than in roll or sheet form".

India Ltd, Flooring Ltd and Global Brands Ltd had filed a petition before the directorate to impose duty on the from China, Taiwan and Vietnam, according to a notification of the DGTR.

The applicants, it said, have alleged that the dumping of the product is materially affecting the domestic industry which started commercial production in September 2019. They have submitted that the industry and the product are at a nascent stage.

The directorate said "on the basis of the duly substantiated written application by or on behalf of the domestic industry, and having satisfied itself, on the basis of the prima facie evidence submitted by the industry about the dumping...the authority hereby initiates an investigation."

If it is established that the dumping has caused material injury to the domestic players, the DGTR would recommend the imposition of duty on these . The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose the duties.

Countries start anti-dumping probes to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

As a countermeasure, they impose these duties under the multilateral regime of the Geneva-based World Trade Organisation (WTO). The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters.

India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to tackle cheap imports from various countries, including China.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
External Affairs Minister on Wednesday thanked several of his counterparts who extended greetings to him and the people of on its 73rd .

Maldivian foreign minister Abdulla Shahid, in his message, described as his country's "most trusted friend & closest neighbour".

"May the long standing #MaldivesIndiaPartnership continue to flourish & thrive, delivering mutual benefits for our peoples," he tweeted.

Jaishankar thanked Shahid and said "our special friendship will continue to prosper".

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia and are comprehensive strategic partners and they share many things -- democratic values, a national day and close economic and diaspora links.

"Happy to our Indian friends. Australia looks forward to continuing work with India on our shared vision for the #IndoPacific," she tweeted.

Responding to her tweet, Jaishankar extended warmest greetings to her and the government and the people of Australia on Australia Day.

"Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership benefits our people & promotes peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," he tweeted.

Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji extended the warmest felicitations to the people of India on the joyous occasion of 73rd of India.

"Wishing India greater peace, progress and prosperity," he said.

Jaishankar thanked him and said, "greatly value our unique and time-tested relationship".

Colombia Foreign Minister Marta Lucia Ramirez said on Twitter, "A happy 73rd Republic Day of India to Pres Kovind @rashtrapatibhvn, PM @narendramodi and Minister @DrSjaishankar and all the people of India, as they celebrate the enactment of a constitution, which continues to guide the destinies of the world's largest democracy."



Jaishankar said, "Thank you for your warm sentiments, VP and FM @mluciaramirez. Our multi-faceted cooperation will keep advancing."



The foreign minister of Madagascar, Patrick Rajoelina, wished India and her people continued peace, progress and prosperity.

Appreciating the greetings, Jaishankar said cooperation is embedded in India's SAGAR policy.

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics, Romanian Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu and Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani also extended greetings.

"Value your greetings FM @edgarsrinkevics. Confident that 2022 will see our partnership progress further," Jaishankar tweeted in response to the Latvian minister.

Jaishankar thanked Aurescu and said "will continue to work together for a stronger India-Romania relationship".

"Thank you FM @DZalkaliani for your kind wishes. After a memorable 2021, here's to another year of closer India-Georgia ties," the minister tweeted.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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The COVID-19 tally in rose to 9,24,161 on Wednesday after detection of 9,966 new cases, while death toll increased to 10,591 after eight more patients succumbed to the infection in the state, a department official said.

The positivity rate reduced to 12.3 per cent from 13 per cent on Tuesday, when the state had registered 9,451 cases, he said. The rate indicates the percentage of people who test positive for the virus of those overall who have been tested. The recovery count stood at 8,41,346 after 8,604 people were discharged from hospitals during the day, he said. The state is now left with an active tally of 72,224, the official said. Bhopal and Indore, the two worst coronavirus-hit cities of Madhya Pradesh, registered 2,095 and 1,992 cases, respectively, during the past 24 hours, he said. With 81,016 swab samples examined during the day, the number of tests in MP went up to 2,55,48,370, the official added. A government release said 10,89,18,064 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state, including 12,512 on Wednesday. figures in MP are as follows: Total cases 9,24,161, new cases 9,966, death toll 10,591, recoveries 8,41,346, active cases 72,224, number of tests so far 2,55,48,370.

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Prime Minister ditched his traditional turban look on Republic Day this year and wore a traditional cap from with an image of the brahmakamal, the state flower, and sported a stole from .

Official sources said Modi uses the brahmakamal whenever he offers prayers at Kedarnath.

Turbans have been a highlight of the prime minister's sartorial choices at Independence Day and Republic Day events.

Last year, he sported a a special turban from Gujarat's Jamnagar on 72nd Republic Day. On Independence Day last year, he chose a saffron headgear with red patterns and a long plume.

For his maiden Independence Day speech in 2014, he had opted for a bright red Jodhpuri bandhej turban with green at the tail.

In 2015, he chose a yellow turban covered with multi-coloured crisscross lines, and a tie and dye turban in hues of pink and yellow in 2016.

The prime minister's turban for 2017 was a mix of bright red and yellow with crisscrossed golden lines all over. He donned a saffron turban for his appearance at the Red Fort in 2018.

Both and are headed for polls next month.

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A prominent Hindu lawmaker from Prime Minister Imran Khan's ruling party on Wednesday urged India to issue visas to a delegation of pilgrims to visit the country as part of his faith tourism initiative between the two neighbouring countries.

Patron-in-chief of the Hindu Council and Member of National Assembly Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani said on Monday that he would lead a delegation of Pakistani pilgrims to India on January 29 on a special chartered flight of the Airlines International (PIA).

In a video message shared with PTI, he said that a group of 170 pilgrims who were ready to go to India by a special flight of the PIA were waiting for New Delhi's approval.

"I hope that approval will come from India by tomorrow. I have written a letter today to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs. I have urged (India) to issue tomorrow, in one day, pilgrimage visas to 170 people or they should be given visas on arrival, he said.

In New Delhi, there was no official word on the proposal from the Indian side.

Vankwani said that the schedule of travel on January 29 should not be disturbed as all arrangements have been made, including chartered PIA planes. So there should not be any change in the plan, he urged.

He also said the pilgrims would visit Ajmer Sharif, Jaipur, Agra, New Delhi and Haridwar and then fly back on February 1 by using the PIA flight. He said that a delegation of 170 devotees from India would travel to Pakistan on February 20, followed by another delegation from India on March 1.

Vankwani claimed that the religious tourism initiative had already begun on January 1 when a delegation came to Pakistan from India.

He said that the faith tourism initiative has the potential to deepen bilateral relations and in days to come, it will expand from religious tourism to trade and travel and finally work as a big bridge to improve ties between the two countries.

His video message came a day after diplomatic sources in Islamabad told PTI that the Indian government has not formally consented to Vankwani's proposal.

"It is purely a private initiative by Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, but he needs consent of the Indian government, which has not been granted as yet, according to the sources here, amidst a chill in bilateral ties between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism.

To a question about the approval of Pakistani authorities to the idea of Vankwani for launching religious tourism with India, the sources just said that "Foreign Office is on board" about the proposal.

Vankwani said that he would lead the group of Pakistani devotees to India as part of faith tourism between the two countries.

"We have started faith tourism. Every month a flight will go from here (Pakistan) to there (India) and vice versa, he said in a voice message shared with PTI.

Devotees from India would come to Pakistan by Air India flight and travellers from Pakistan to India would fly by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), he said.

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passed off peacefully in the Northeast, with colourful parades and functions held in all state capitals.

Most state Governors and chief ministers spoke of the long-awaited solution to issues between the states, many of which are now near finalisation.

After a turbulent winter which saw several bomb blasts and militant attacks in Manipur, Meghalaya and elsewhere, a peaceful with many militant organisations including Assam's ULFA (I) shunning their traditional 'bandh' calls, was seen as a sign that work on peace pacts in various states was finally paying off.

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi said while hoisting the Tri-Colour in Guwahati, pointed out that work on resolving the Assam-Meghalaya conflict was nearing fruition with committees submitting their reports for six areas of difference during the first phase to Chief Ministers of both the states."



Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma in his speech at Shillong pledged to resolve the dispute in its entirety. We will work to ensure that the remaining 6 areas of differences are also followed (up) with, he said.

We (the state government) have laid the foundation and Meghalaya will become one of the top 10 states in the country in the next 10 years. We will do it, Sangma added in his rousing speech.

Mukhi also pointed out that since the border clash between the armed police of Assam and Mizoram, the two states - Assam and Mizoram have signed a joint resolution at Aizawl on August 5, 2021, following which all out efforts are being made to normalize movement of traffic between the states.

Talks are also on with other states to settle the long running boundary between the states, the Governor indicated.

Mukhi also announced the creation of Tamulpur district from Baksa in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).

He also said more than 98 per cent of the fencing along the Bangladesh international border in Assam has been completed.

In Imphal, Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Wednesday said the people of Manipur should work unitedly for a peaceful, prosperous and developed state at a function at the Manipur Rifles Parade Ground.

"We are able to celebrate this day because of the efforts of our forefathers who fought for India's freedom," Singh said. Manipur which witnessed a sudden spike in militancy including a horrific ambush of an Assam Rifles convoy In November last year, where among others the Colonel commanding the unit, his wife and young son were killed, was peaceful.

The state will be going to the polls later next month and peace talks with both the Naga groups which impact both Manipur and Nagaland are being seen as reasons for the improved security situation in the region. Attempts are also being made by the government to reach out to other militant groups of the region for a final peace settlement.

At a colourful function at Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig Dr B D Mishra (Retd) on Wednesday said the decades-old inter-state boundary dispute with Assam, was nearing settlement.

Under the guidance of Prime Minister and Home Minister, both the states are sincerely working for a permanent solution.

On January 24, Chief Minister Pema Khandu met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati and the boundary resolution talks are progressing in the right directions, Mishra said.

In Agartala, Tripura Governor Satyadeo Narain Arya unfurled the flag at the Assam Rifles Ground on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day.

Arya said the Tripura government gives priority to three Ns Niyat (Intention) Niti (policy) and Niyam (rule)," The governor also said that the law and order situation has improved in the state and the government has taken firm steps to put an end to drug menace.

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The flypast witnessing 75 and helicopters of the and displaying a number of formations left people stunned at Rajpath during the parade on January 26.

Vintage as well as current modern and helicopters like Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mi-17, Sarang, Apache and Dakota displayed different formations, including Rahat, Meghna, Eklavya, Trishul, Tiranga, Vijay and Amrit.

Precision at tremendous speeds was on display and thundering aerobatics done with professional skills at Rajpath in the national capital.

The Rahat formation comprising five LHA flew in five 'Arrowhead' formations. The formation flypast over the water channel North of Rajpath.

The Meghna formation comprising CH-47 Chinook in lead and four Mi-17 1V in echelon, flew in the five 'Arrowhead' formation.

The Eklavya formation consisting of Mi-35 in lead with four Apache heptrs in echelon flew in five 'Arrowhead" formation.

The Tangail formation comprising a Dakota in lead with two Dornier in echelon flew in Vic' formation.

The Traan formation comprising 1C17 with two C 130A in echelon flew in Vic formation.

Netra formation would comprise one x AEW & C with two MiG 29 UPG and two Su-30 MKI in echelon flew in the Arrowhead formation, after Traan formation.

Vinaash formation comprising five Rafale flew in Arrowhead formation after Netra formation.

Thereafter, Baaz formation consisting of one Rafale, two Jaguar, two MiG-29 UPG and Su-30 MI in seven 'Arrowhead' formations.

Trishul formation comprising three Su-30 MKI flew in Vic formation, one minute after Baaz formation approached the dias. The formation pulled up and outward for the Trishul maneuver.

Varuna formation comprised one P8-i with two MiG-29K in echelon and flew in Vic formation behind Trishul formation.

Five Sarang (ALH) flew in ladder formation streaming Tricolour after Varuna formation.

One Rafale flew in at 900 kmph behind Tiranga formation. Approaching the dias, the pulled up for Vertical Charlie and carried out 21/2 turns.

In the end, the Amrit formation comprising 17 Jaguar made a figure of 75 aircraft and helicopters.

The parade culminated with the national anthem and the release of Tricolour balloons.

#WATCH Amrit formation comprising 17 Jaguar aircraft make a figure of 75 on #RepublicDay



(Source: Ministry of Defence) pic.twitter.com/caNQTnNHoK  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2022

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: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, also known as KCR, on Wednesday instructed the Department to form a special narcotic and organised crime control cell (counter intelligence cell) headed by the DGP with 1,000 members in it.

The Chief Minister held a review meeting in this regard with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP Mahendar Reddy, Hyderabad Commissioner CV Anand and other senior officials.

Also, the Chief Minister instructed the officials to act sternly against the use of narcotic drugs and ensure they are eliminated, an official press release said.

KCR decided to hold a conference State and Excise Conference on January 28 to take up measures and action to stop use of narcotic drugs, the release said. For this, a special action plan should be prepared, it added.

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R-Day: Magnificent flypast at parade, celebrations scaled down due to Covid

The grandest flypast with 75 aircraft to mark the 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' celebrations was the highlight of the 73rd Parade on Wednesday where India displayed its military might and vibrant cultural heritage on Rajpath, with the ceremonial event this year being drastically scaled down in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Showcased at the parade were the Centurion tank, PT-76 tank, 75/24 Pack howitzer and OT-62 TOPAZ armoured personnel carrier that played a major role in defeating Pakistan in the 1971 war. Read more

likely to be handed over to Tata group on Thursday

The Indian government is likely to hand over to the Tata Group on Thursday, nearly 69 years after it was taken from the conglomerate, officials said on Wednesday.

After a competitive bidding process, the government had on October 8 last year sold to Talace Private Limited - a subsidiary of the Tata Group's holding company - for Rs 18,000 crore. Read more

'Each dose of Covishield, Covaxin may cost Rs 275 after regular market nod'

The price of Covishield and Covaxin, the Covid vaccines which are expected to soon get regular market approval from India's drug regulator, is likely to be capped at Rs 275 per dose plus an additional service charge of Rs 150, official sources said.

According to them, the Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has been directed to start working towards capping the price to make the vaccines affordable. Read more

Global share sell off pauses in Asia as investors await Fed policy update

Asian share markets steadied on Wednesday after three sessions of losses as investors awaited any hints about faster tightening of monetary policy from the U.S. Federal Reserve later in the day.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan slipped 0.1% on Wednesday, after sharp losses earlier in the week which have left the index off 2.8% this year. It is testing mid-December's one-year low. Read more
The country showcased might as well as soft power during the 73rd celebrations. It was a cocktail of tradition and the future but Shivani Singh, Indias first woman Rafale Fighter Jet pilot, flew with the show.





President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh bid farewell to Virat, the Presidents Bodyguard Commandants black horse, after the 73rd parade | PTI Photo

An Indian soldier salutes during the Parade at the Rajpath



The Indo-Tibetan Border Polices Himveers were once again a breath-taking sight on the bike



Army showcases Indias main battle tank Arjun Mark 1, which is designed and developed by the DRDO and is equipped with a massive 120 mm rifled gun and the Kanchan armour



Indias first woman Rafale Fighter Jet pilot Shivangi Singh was part of the IAF tableau



Students dressed as Indian Army soldiers present an act in Lucknow





The Indian Air Forces Sarang fly in the Ladder formation, streaming the Tricolour during the flypast
The has been informed that the Forensic Laboratory (WFL) will become operational shortly in .

An assurance to this effect was given by the State top officials when a public interest writ petition came up before a Division Bench of Justices V Bharathidasan and N Satish Kumar on Tuesday.

Originally, the PIL was filed before the Madurai Bench of the praying for a direction to the government to establish the lab in . According to the petitioner, there was no established forensic laboratory for research and conduct of DNA sequencing of wild animals and now the government was outsourcing DNA sequencing and other tests to other States.

When the matter came up on January 21, a counter affidavit was filed by Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and the Director of Advance Institute for Conservation stating that the government had established an advance institute for conservation at Vandalur near Chennai in 2013 and the same was formerly inaugurated in 2017 and it started operations in 2019.

The lab was in the initial phase of setting up and handling DNA samples up to the level of sequencing and the sequencing part was being outsourced as they did not have the requisite equipment.

Considering the fact that for more than two years the lab was in operation and so far it was not fully equipped and appropriate personnel had not been appointed, the secretary to Environment, Climate Change and Forest Department was directed to appear before the court through video-conferencing and accordingly, Additional Chief Secretary Supriya Sahu and others appeared on Tuesday.

They stated the required machinery for the lab had been procured and only suitable scientific personnel to do all the testing needs to be appointed. Due to the pandemic, they were not in a position to appoint scientific personnel and now the government was taking steps to make appointments. The personnel would be appointed and the lab would become operational shortly, they assured the court.

Recording this, the Bench adjourned the matter till March 4.

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The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Wednesday notified a drone certification scheme to ensure minimum safety and quality requirements as it will boost indigenous manufacturing, an official statement said. "The drone certification scheme notified on January 26, 2022, under Rule 7 of the liberalized Drone Rules, 2021 will help in simpler, faster and transparent type-certification of drones," the MoCA said on Twitter. Along with the liberalised drone rules, airspace map, the PLI (production-linked incentive) scheme and the single window DigitalSky Platform, this will help drone manufacturing industry in India, grow, it stated. "Another step in making India the drone hub of the world by 2030," it mentioned. The MoCA had on September 16 last year approved a PLI scheme for and drone components with an allocation of Rs 120 crore spread over three financial years. The PLI scheme came as a follow-through of the liberalised Drone Rules, 2021, released by the MoCA on August 25, 2021. The certification criteria mention in the drone certification scheme (DCS) -- which was notified on Wednesday -- will be applicable to indigenous drone manufacturers, assemblers as well as importers, the MoCA noted. The objective of this DCS is to provide the minimum requirements for airworthiness -- safety and security requirements -- for and enable their evaluation for certification, it mentioned. A multi-stakeholder steering committee (MSC) chaired by a known professional, who is respected by government and industry alike, will oversee the scheme, along with a QCI (Quality Control of India) secretariat, it stated. This MSC will also be supported by a technical committee (TC) and a certification committee (CC) that will be constituted by the QCI, the MoCA mentioned. The manufacturer, while submitting an application for certification of a drone, will have to submit various data and test results on topics such as weight, type of launch and recovery mechanism installed, speed, range, endurance, battery performance, type of material used in construction, according to the MoCA.

Along with the liberalised drone rules, airspace map, the PLI scheme and the single window DigitalSky Platform, this will help drone manufacturing industry in India, grow. Another step in making India the drone hub of the world by 2030. (2/2) Link:- https://t.co/1mfRtH61P7  MoCA_GoI (@MoCA_GoI) January 26, 2022

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Even as the ruling continues to attack the over its affinity for criminals, the president has now accused the of fielding candidates with criminal background.

Yadav said the ruling party's captain, vice-captain and 82 of the 195 candidates declared, so far, have criminal background.

Without taking names, Akhilesh went on to say that in BJP's Delhi team, things are no different. In an apparent reference to Union minister of state for home Ajay Misra, who is said to have cases pending against him and belongs to Lakhimpur Kheri district, Akhilesh said, "In his honour, the should declare Lakhimpur as the state capital instead of Lucknow".

He said that as per affidavits filed by BJP candidates so far, the party was 'way ahead' of SP in fielding criminals.

The SP's alliance partner and SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar also attacked BJP on the issue, claiming that he knows how many of the BJP MLAs have criminal cases pending against them.

--IANS

amita/dpb

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SAD chief on Wednesday announced that senior party leader and his brother-in-law Bikram Singh Majithia will also fight the state from Amritsar East against Congress chief .

Sukhbir Badal also announced the candidature of his 94-year-old father and five-time state Chief Minister from the Lambi assembly seat.

The SAD chief made the twin announcements while talking to reporters in Amritsar.

Majithia will ensure that Sidhu would forfeit his security deposit, said Badal. He had already been announced as the SAD candidate from the Majitha seat earlier.

Booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act last month, Majithia has been trying to secure an anticipatory bail from courts.

Majithia was denied relief by the and Haryana High court early this week but was given three-day protection from arrest to move the Supreme Court to challenge the high court order and seek the reprieve.

With the announcement of candidates for two more seats, the SAD has declared candidates on all 97 seats on which it is going to contest the February 20 assembly polls.

The SAD has tied up with the BSP for the coming elections.

According to the seat-sharing arrangement between the two parties, the BSP will field candidates on 20 of the 117 assembly seats in while the rest will be contested by the Shiromani Akali Dal.

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Taking a dig at former union minister RPN Singh for quitting the party, chief Ajay Kumar Lallu on Wednesday said only those willing to fight for the people will stay in the new .

He is a raja-maharaja'. He did not like a poor man like me being the state president of the and perhaps this is the reason why he quit the party, Lallu told reporters here.

This is the new Congress wherein only those who struggle will survive. Thousands of workers gathered with Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to fight for relief from issues pertaining to the common people of . They faced sticks, went to jail and faced trial. I, too, was jailed several times. But, RPN Singh was never even seen in protests, Lallu said.

Quelling rumours on his exit from the party, Lallu said, Every drop of my blood is indebted to the Congress party I will remain a soldier of Rahul Gandhi till my last breath.

Recalling an incident from 2013 to target Singh, Lallu said the police had brutally beaten up a Congress worker. When he protested against the police action, Singh pressured him to stay mum, but he said he did not.

Continuing his tirade against Singh, Lallu said when he was detained by the police for staging a protest in support of sugarcane farmers, Singh neither visited him in jail nor opposed his detention.

Former union minister of state for home, Singh left the Congress and joined the BJP on Tuesday, just a day after he featured in the Congress list of 30 star campaigners for the first phase of elections in .

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US President has threatened to impose devastating sanctions on Russia if leader invades Ukraine, but some big companies and business groups are pushing the White House and lawmakers to be cautious.

A trade group representing Chevron, General Electric and other big US corporations that do business in Russia is asking the White House to consider allowing companies to fulfill commitments and to weigh exempting products as it crafts any sanctions. At the same time, big energy companies are pushing Congress to limit their scope and time frame.

The Biden administration and Congress need to "get the details right in case they must follow through on the threat of sanctions," Jake Colvin, president of The National Foreign Trade Council, told Reuters Monday.

"Those details should include consideration of safe harbors or wind-down periods to enable companies to fulfill existing contracts and obligations, as well as carve-outs for lifesaving medicines and other humanitarian considerations consistent with longstanding US policy," Colvin said.

Energy companies have also reached out directly to US lawmakers to press for a "cool down" or "wind down" period so their assets are not seized if they are unable to fulfill business agreements in Russia, a congressional aide told Reuters.

The American Petroleum Institute, the largest US lobbying organization for oil and gas drillers, has discussed sanctions on Russia with congressional offices.

Export sanctions are typically phased in, giving companies time to wind down their existing business, or ensure delivery arrivals, said William Reinsch, a former senior US Commerce Department official.

But in this case, the sanctions are likely to be applied suddenly, in the middle of a crisis, making a "wind down" period more difficult to secure, he said.

The US Treasury in the past has provided some mitigation measures on financial sanctions, such as granting licenses protecting senders of humanitarian aid and personal remittance flows to Afghanistan despite sanctions against Taliban.

A US Treasury official declined to comment on any such measures regarding potential sanctions against Russia, but added: "We are prepared to deliver severe costs to the Russian economy while minimizing unwanted spillover."

Oil companies felt the aftermath of the US sanctions on some of Russia's more expensive drilling operations for years after Putin invaded Crimea in 2014.

The measures forced Exxon Mobil out of Russia's Arctic and ended the company's collaboration with Russian state oil company Rosneft, with which it signed a $3.2 billion deal in 2011 to develop the region.

Exxon's argued the sanctions, which slowed work on a major discovery in the Kara Sea above the Arctic Circle.

Russia threatens to send more arms to separatists in Ukraine

Russia suggested it could send certain weapons to the separatists it backs in Ukraines Donbas region, signaling a potential escalation in the tensions with the West.

The proposal came from Andrey Turchak, a top official of the pro-Kremlin ruling party whos also a senior member of the Senate, though there was no immediate public comment from the government. Russia has backed the separatists since the conflict first broke out in 2014 but denies Ukrainian and Western allegations it provides military support.

Taking A Hit Firms are asking the White House to consider allowing them to fulfil commitments and to weigh exempting products as it crafts any sanctions

Big energy companies are pushing Congress to limit their scope and time frame

Details should include consideration of safe harbors or wind-down periods to enable companies to fulfil existing contracts and obligations

Carve-outs for life-saving medicines and other humanitarian considerations consistent with longstanding US policy

Energy firms have also reached out to press for a 'cool-down' period so their assets are not seized

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
President will host the ruling emir of Qatar at the White House on Monday, a visit that comes as US and European allies are scrambling to put together contingency plans to meet Europe's energy needs should supplies be impacted by Russia further invading Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani planned to discuss Middle East security, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies and the situation in Afghanistan, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in the aftermath of the US military withdrawal and Taliban takeover last year.

Qatar is one of the world's larger suppliers of liquefied natural gas and is among countries that the US is hoping could aid should a Russian invasion of Ukraine lead to Moscow stemming the flow of energy.

Some 100,000 Russian troops are massed near the Ukraine border. Biden has repeatedly warned that Russia will face severe consequences if it further invades Ukraine. US officials believe Russian military action could be imminent.

If needed, could look to natural gas supplies in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the US. The effort would require "rather smaller volumes from a multitude of sources" to make up for a Russian cutoff, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke about internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity.

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The COVID-19 booster drive in the US is losing steam, worrying health experts who have pleaded with Americans to get an extra shot to shore up their protection against the highly contagious Omicron variant.

Just 40 per cent of fully-vaccinated Americans have received a booster dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And the average number of booster shots dispensed per day in the US has plummeted from a peak of one million (10 lakh) in early December to about 4.9 lakh as of last week.

Also, a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that Americans are more likely to see the initial vaccinations -- rather than a booster -- as essential.

"It is clear that the booster effort is falling short," said Jason Schwartz, a vaccine policy expert at Yale University.

Overall, the US vaccination campaign has been sluggish. More than 13 months after it began, just 63 per cent of Americans, or 210 million (21 crore) people, are fully vaccinated with the initial rounds of shots. Mandates that could raise those numbers have been hobbled by legal challenges.

Vaccination numbers are stagnant in states such as Wyoming, Idaho, Mississippi and Alabama, which have been hovering below 50 per cent.

In Wyoming, 44 per cent are fully vaccinated, up just slightly from 41 per cent in September. To boost numbers, the state has been running TV ads with healthcare workers giving grim accounts of unvaccinated people struggling with COVID-19.

"Certainly we would like to see higher rates. But it would be wrong for anyone to think that the rates we have are due to lack of effort," Wyoming Health Department spokeswoman Kim Deti said on Tuesday.

And in neighbouring Idaho, which also has one of the country's lowest vaccination rates, the number of people getting their first vaccine dose has remained under 1,000 almost every day this year and the number getting booster shots is also declining. Still, officials say they will not give up.

"I do not like to use the word resigned," said Elke Shaw-Tulloch, administrator of the Idaho Division of Public Health. "I think we just need to keep saying it over and over again, how important it is."



At the other end of the spectrum, Vermont is a national leader in the percentage of people who have been fully vaccinated and received a booster shot. About 60 per cent of the population over 18 has gotten a booster. But it is not enough, said Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine.

"I would love to see that percentage much closer to 90," Levine said.

The US and many other nations have been urging adults to get boosters because the vaccine's protection can wane. Also, research has shown that while the vaccines have proved less effective against Omicron, boosters can rev up the body's defences against the threat.

As for why an estimated 86 million (8.6 crore) Americans who have been fully vaccinated and are eligible for a booster have not yet gotten one, Schwartz said public confusion is one important reason.

"I think the evidence is now overwhelming that the booster is not simply an optional supplement, but it is a foundational part of protection," he said. "But clearly that message has been lost."



The need for all Americans to get boosters initially was debated by scientists and at first, the government recommended that only certain groups of people, such as senior citizens, get additional doses. The arrival of Omicron and additional evidence about falling immunity showed more clearly a widespread need for boosters.

But the message "has been lost in the sea of changing recommendations and guidance", Schwartz said.

The AP-NORC Center poll found that 59 per cent Americans think it is essential that they receive a vaccine to fully participate in public life without feeling at risk of COVID-19 infection. Only 47 per cent say the same about a booster shot.

Keller Anne Ruble, 32, of Denver, received her two doses of the Moderna vaccine but has not gotten her booster. She said she had a bad reaction to the second dose and was in bed for four days with a fever and flu-like symptoms.

"I believe in the power of vaccines and I know that is going to protect me," said Ruble, the owner of a greeting card sending service. But the vaccine "just knocked me out completely and freaked me out about getting the booster."



She said she does plan to get the booster in the next few weeks and in the meantime, wears an N95 mask and tries to stay home.

"I just do not want to get COVID in general," she said. "It does scare me."



Blake Hassler, 26, of Nashville, Tennessee, said he does not plan to get the booster. He received Pfizer's two doses last year after having a mild case of COVID-19 in 2020. He said he considers himself to be in a low-risk category.

"At this point, we need to focus on prevention of serious illness at the onset of symptoms rather than creating a new shot every six weeks and more divisive mandates," he said.

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Foreigners are cutting and running in some key Asian emerging amid turbulent trading ahead of this weeks US Federal Reserve meeting, where policymakers are expected to signal an interest-rate lift-off in March.

Overseas funds have sold a net $3.1 billion worth of shares in Taiwan, South Korea, and India so far this week, according to the latest available data compiled by Bloomberg. That follows $4.9 billion of withdrawals last week  the largest since August.



Coupled with the rise in geopolitical risks (RussiaUkraine) that may keep energy costs high in the near term, risks are fairly high for now and its not surprising to see money being taken off the table, said Lorraine Tan, director of Asia equity research at Morningstar.



The MSCI Asia Pacific Index has lost more than 5 per cent in two weeks, as rising bets on faster-than-expected monetary tightening and heightened tensions over Ukraine roiled global

stock .





Benchmarks in Taiwan and Korea have suffered with their large technology (tech) exposure, with the sector bearing the brunt of the sell-off as bond yields rose.  seem to have started reducing risky assets as they gauge the Feds monetary tightening, said Hyun Choi, head of equity at Baring Asset Management Korea.
France's daily number of Covid-19 cases hit a new record after 501,635 cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, according to data from the country's Public Health Agency.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care had fallen by 35 on Monday to 3,741 on Tuesday, but a further 364 deaths had been registered, showed the data on Tuesday. To date, the country has recorded a total of 102,086 deaths related to Covid-19 in hospitals.

The vaccine pass came into effect in on Monday, and is now mandatory for people over the age of 16 years to enter public venues, Xinhua news agency reported.

Children between the age of 12 and 15 years are not obliged to have the vaccine pass, but must present a health pass, and from Monday can receive the booster vaccine.

Minister of Health, Olivier Veran told French news channel LCI on Tuesday that 9 million French citizens could lose the pass if they do not have the booster dose by February 15. As of this date, vaccination is considered complete if the booster dose has been received within 4 months of the second injection.

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on January 20 that certain restrictions would be lifted in February. The wearing of masks outdoors will no longer be required outdoors from February 2 and nightclubs will re-open from February 16.

Also on Tuesday, Portugal reported 57,657 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 2,312,240 since the start of the pandemic, according to official data.

Portugal's death toll related to Covid-19 rose by 48 to 19,661. Currently, 2,320 people are hospitalised for complications from Covid-19, including 158 in intensive care.

--IANS

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French President Emmanuel Macron, along with several European leaders and heads of European Union (EU) institutions, held a video conference with US President Joe Biden, said the Elysee in a press release.

During the video conference on Monday evening, Macron expressed his deep concern about the situation on the borders of Ukraine, and stressed the need to work collectively for a rapid de-escalation, Xinhua news agency reported.

The de-escalation, according to the press release on Tuesday, requires constant coordination between European partners and allies, as well as an enhanced dialogue with Russia. It also requires negotiation efforts within the framework of the Normandy format.

Macron underlined that the EU can play its full part in an appropriate response to Russia's proposals raised in December 2021 on measures to ensure the security of Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.

The Elysee also announced that Macron will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the coming days.

--IANs

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Corp. won a historic victory in its fight in the courts over a record 1.06 billion-euro ($1.2 billion) antitrust fine.

The EU General Court ruled Wednesday that EU regulators made key errors when they slapped with the penalty for allegedly squeezing out rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Judges said the European Commission provided an incomplete analysis when they fined the chip giant, saying the decision at the time does not make it possible to establish to the requisite legal standard that the rebates at issue were capable of having, or likely to have, anti-competitive effects.

The judgment follows a 2017 ruling from the blocs top court, which criticized the General Court -- the EUs second-highest tribunal -- for not properly checking all factual and economic evidence when it previously weighed Intels appeal.

The European Commission in 2009 hit with the blocs biggest antitrust fine at the time. It represented about 4% of Intels $37.6 billion in sales in 2008. Since then, Santa Clara, California-based Intel has been locked in a non-stop legal dispute with the EUs antitrust arm.





ALSO READ: Intel's $20 billion Ohio factory could become world's largest chip plant

The blocs lower tribunal in 2014 rejected Intels first challenge. Three years later, the EUs top court told the lower tribunal to examine all of Intels arguments regarding a test to check whether the rebates used by the company were capable of harming competition.

The EU top court didnt rule in 2017 on three other parts of Intels appeal, including the amount of the fine and the EUs characterization of some of the rebates.

When the case was shunted back to the EU lower tribunal, Intel urged judges to look at the entire case afresh.

In the investigation paving the way for its record fine, the EU commission said it found evidence that Intel hindered competition by giving rebates to computer makers from 2002 until 2005 -- if they bought at least 95% of PC chips from Intel.

It said Intel imposed restrictive conditions for the remaining 5%, supplied by AMD, which struggled to overcome Intels hold on the market for processors that run the devices.

The case is: T-286/09 RENV - Intel Corporation v. Commission.
The ambitious America COMPETES Act of 2022, which was introduced in the US House of Representatives on Tuesday, proposes to open up new vistas for talented individuals from across the world with a new startup visa.

President Joe Biden, who supports the legislation, said the America Competes Act, 2022 is an important step forward in advancing legislation that will make the supply chains stronger and reinvigorate the innovation engine of the country's to outcompete China and the rest of the world for decades to come.

The Act, among other things, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to create a new classification of "W" non-immigrants for entrepreneurs with an ownership interest in a startup entity, essential employees of a startup entity and also their spouses and children.

According to the provisions of the bill released by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the bill when signed into law directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for foreign nationals with an ownership interest in a startup entity to self-petition for lawful permanent resident status as an immigrant entrepreneur if the entity demonstrates a proven track record of success through job creation and significant revenue generation or receipt of investment capital.

It also directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish procedures for foreign nationals with an ownership interest in a startup entity to self-petition for classification as a W-1 non-immigrant and to receive extensions of such classification for up to eight years if the entity meets certain growth benchmarks.

It also provides for a limited number of W-2 visas for personnel who are essential to the growth and success of the startup entity if the startup serves as the basis for the W-1 status of a founder.

The bill exempts from the numerical limits on immigrant visas certain foreign nationals (and the spouses and children of such aliens) who have earned a doctoral degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) from a qualified US research institution or a foreign institution if the degree is the equivalent to a doctoral degree issued by a qualified US research institution.

The bill provides the Secretary of Homeland Security discretion to classify an individual as a W-1 non-immigrant for a three-year period initially if the individual possesses an ownership interest of not less than 10 per cent in a startup entity, the foreign individual will play a central and active role in the management or operations of the startup entity or the applicant possesses the knowledge, skills or experience to substantially assist the startup with the growth and success of the business.

During the 18-month period preceding the filing of the petition, the startup entity needs to have received at least USD 250,000 in qualifying investments from one or more qualified investors or at least USD 100,000 in qualifying government awards or grants, the bill notes.

In a statement, Biden said the proposals laid out by the House and Senate represent the sort of transformational investments in American industrial base and research and development that helped power the to lead the global in the 20th century and expand opportunities for middle-class families.

"They will help bring manufacturing jobs back to the and they are squarely focussed on easing the sort of supply chain bottlenecks like semiconductors that have led to higher prices for the middle class," he said.

"Building on the historic investments in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I signed last year -- and on signs of progress like last week's Intel announcement and today's GM announcement -- comprehensive competitiveness legislation will power our to create good-paying jobs for all Americans, no matter where you live or whether you have a college degree, and will help tackle the climate crisis," Biden said.

"Today, the House takes action to transport our nation into the future, with the America COMPETES Act: bold, results-oriented legislation that will strengthen America's national and economic security and the financial security of families, and advance our leadership in the world," Pelosi said.

"America COMPETES makes historic investments to strengthen America's economy, security and global leadership. To compete effectively with the People's Republic of China (PRC), the legislation leverages our core strengths and values, and presents a positive, whole-of-government agenda that rises to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century," said Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee.

To bolster economic competitiveness, America COMPETES has provisions to secure critical supply chains, shape the rules and standards that govern global commerce and development, empower American workers and businesses, and invest in science and innovation, he said.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the introduction of the vital America COMPETES Act of 2022 in the House is an important step forward to setting up a conference with the Senate-passed US Innovation and Competition Act, so that they can quickly negotiate a final bill for the president to sign into law.

"We have no time to waste in improving American competitiveness, strengthening our lead in global innovation and addressing supply chain challenges, including in the semiconductor industry," he said.

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US President has reiterated that there is no intention in his administration or within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to send troops into Ukraine, but that will face serious economic consequences if it invades the former Soviet republic.

"We have no intention of putting American forces or forces in Ukraine," Biden told reporters on Tuesday when he was at a store in Washington buying gifts for his wife and grandson, Xinhua news agency reported.

"But I said there are going to be serious economic consequences if (Russian President Vladimir Putin) moves" Russian troops into Ukraine.

The US President's remarks came one day after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin placed some 8,500 US troops to be on "heightened preparedness to deploy" to Europe, citing "Russia's continuing provocations along its border with Ukraine."

Biden told reporters that the ready-to-deploy action is a " operation" rather than "a sole US operation," and that it is a manifestation of Washington's commitment to NATO's Article VI collective defense obligation.

HE said if Putin "continued to build up" Russian forces along Ukraine's border or if he "was to move" the troops into Ukraine, the US will be "reinforcing" its troops.

Asked whether he is considering sanctioning the Russian President personally if he orders the invasion of Ukraine, Biden said, "Yes, he would receive that."

The President didn't give a definitive answer to whether the possibility of invading Ukraine is increasing, decreasing or steady, saying what's in Putin's mind remains vague, and that "it all comes down to his decision."

Earlier in the day, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki called a Russian invasion of Ukraine "imminent."

"But again, we can't make a prediction of what decision President Putin will make. We're still engaged in diplomatic discussions and negotiations," she said during a press briefing at the White House.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Army chief Gen met Prime Minister on Wednesday and discussed "professional matters" pertaining to the armed forces, amidst renewed attacks on the government by the opposition parties over its inability to control corruption.

The meeting was held in the Prime Minister's Office.

"Professional matters pertaining to the Army were discussed in the meeting, according to a brief official statement.

The statement, however, did not provide any details about it.

The meeting comes a day after Transparency reported a rise in corruption in Pakistan, showing the country dropped by 16 places to 140 position in the 2021 report of the anti-corruption watchdog, which graded 180 countries on the basis of various indicators.

The report came as the PM Advisor on Accountability Shehzad Akbar resigned over failure to bring to justice various opposition leaders allegedly involved in corruption.

Opposition parties termed the resignation of Akbar and the report as indications of Khan's failure to tackle corruption and demanded his resignation.

To put pressure on the government, the Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of nearly a dozen opposition parties, announced to launch a countrywide protest on March 23 to force him to resign and call new elections.

Khan has rejected the calls by the opposition as a gimmick to divert attention of the government from the cases of corruption against them. He has also warned that he would be more dangerous if ousted from power.

It is believed that Khan's outburst was aimed as much against the opposition as the powerful army which indirectly controls the political system.

The Pakistan Army, which has ruled the country for more than half of its 73 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy.

Political leaders are seldom removed from office without tacit consent of the military establishment.

In this context the meeting between Gen Bajwa and Khan has been interpreted as an important move to show that the civilian and military leadership were on the same page.

Earlier today, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid dismissed rumours of a rift between the prime minister and the establishment', asserting that the premier enjoyed excellent ties with the military.

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Representatives from the interim government of and a group of Afghans from various sectors of society called on all Afghans to work together for better outcomes in the war-torn country, according to a joint statement released after a meeting in Oslo of Norway.

"The participants of the meeting held on Tuesday recognised that understanding and joint cooperation are the only solutions to all the problems of Afghanistan," said the statement on the official website of the Norwegian government.

All the participants, according to the statement, with one voice, declared such meetings to be in the interest of the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The participants affirmed that is the common home of all Afghans, and emphasised that all Afghans need to work together for better political, economic and security outcomes in the country," it added.

The meeting, taking place on January 23, was hosted by Norway. Norway has invited representatives of the Taliban to Oslo on January 23-25 for meetings with the Norwegian authorities and representatives of the community, as well as with other Afghans from a range of fields within civil society.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said that one of the key principles underpinning Norway's peace and reconciliation efforts is the willingness to talk to all parties. Norway has been in dialogue with the Taliban for many years.

"These meetings do not represent a legitimisation or recognition of the Taliban. But we must talk to the de-facto authorities in the country. We cannot allow the political situation to lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster," the Ministry added in a statement before the meetings.

Meanwhile, the Taliban delegation hailed the Oslo meeting as "a major breakthrough."

"We have had very fruitful conversations in Norway ... We have not negotiated, but have had interesting exchanges of views on the situation in Afghanistan," Norwegian national broadcaster NRK quoted an anonymous representative of the delegation as saying on Monday.

"The fact that Norway arranged for us to come here and share the stage with the community is a major breakthrough," he added.

Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) described sanctions imposed on since the Taliban took power as "devastating."

"The sanctions are holding us back. We cannot save lives without lifting the sanctions. They are harming the same people that NATO spent billions of dollars on defending until August," Egeland told Norwegian news agency NTB on Tuesday.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President on Tuesday warned of severe consequences if it were to move into Ukraine as he welcomed any efforts to de-escalate the tensions in the region.

"I have made it clear early on to President (Vladimir) Putin that if he were to move into Ukraine, there would be severe consequences, including significant economic sanctions, as well as I would feel obliged to beef up our presence -- NATO's presence on the eastern front: Poland, Romania etc.," Biden told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Biden had a meeting with his national security team. "There has been no change in the posture of the Russian forces. They are along the entire Belarus border," he said.

At the same time, Biden said the US has no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine. "But as I said, there are going to be serious economic consequences if he (Putin) moves," he asserted.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that there are one lakh Russian troops at the border, bellicose rhetoric, and actions, including false-flag operations to try to spread misinformation throughout the region and even the world, setting up the predicate for an invasion.

"So, while, of course, our preferred path is diplomacy -- and we cannot predict where the mind of President Putin is -- we have certainly seen aggressive actions and preparations increasing at the border," she said.

Responding to a question, Psaki welcomed any efforts to de-escalate the tensions in the region. "We certainly welcome any efforts to de-escalate and we are in touch with a range of allies and partners on this. But I do not have any specific conversations to read out that relate to Indian officials," she said.

The Pentagon said it has put some troops here domestically on a heightened alert posture.

"They have not been ordered to deploy. The NATO Response Force has not been activated and General Walters has resources already, I mean, tens of thousands of troops that we have stationed in Europe, again, some on rotational orders, that he could move around in consultation and coordination clearly with the allies," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a separate news conference.

Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss to take stock of recent engagements to deter from its troubling military build-up in and near Ukraine.

"The United States and the United Kingdom are coordinating with each other, as well as with NATO and European allies and partners, to encourage to de-escalate tensions and commit to a path of diplomacy," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

"The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Truss also discussed coordination to stand firmly against economic coercion by the People's Republic of China, and how to reach a successful conclusion on talks with Iran on mutual return to implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," he added.

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British companies are poised to gain from a "first mover" advantage ahead of the US and European Union (EU) in India as a result of a free agreement (FTA), which has the potential to overshadow other major UK deals, a new UK think-tank analysis said on Wednesday.

The Resolution Foundation is examining the economic impact of the UK's new pivot towards the Indo-Pacific region following Brexit.

In A presage to India?', its latest report for "The Economy2030 Inquiry" with the London School of Economics (LSE) funded by the Nuffield Foundation, it noted that the economic benefits of a trade deal with India could eventually be even bigger than the now defunct trade deal with the US.

"UK firms exporting to India currently face far higher tariffs (19 per cent, on average) than they do to the US (2 per cent), so there is far more scope for trade liberalisation. Securing an with India could also give UK firms a first mover' competitive advantage over exporting firms in the US and EU, which don't have preferential access to the Indian economy, notes the Resolution Foundation.

"India is forecast to become the world's third largest import market by 2050, while its demand for business, telecommunications and computer services sectors where UK export firms already perform well is expected to treble over the course of the 2020s. UK business services exports currently under-perform in India relative to other Indo-Pacific regions accounting for just 1.8 per cent of imports to India, compared to 3 per cent in China, and 4.2 per cent in Malaysia so the potential for future growth is huge, it notes.

The UK and India announced the launch of negotiations earlier this month, with the first round of talks between officials kick-starting virtually last week.

The latest analysis finds that much of the focus around the UK's pivot towards the Indo-Pacific is around its ambition to become the first European nation to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) an agreement that could cover eight per cent of current UK trade. However, as the UK already has free trade agreements (FTAs) with the majority of CPTPP members, with 95 per cent of CPTPP trade already covered by FTAs, a trade agreement with India could have a "far bigger impact", the report says as India is a faster growing than the CPTPP bloc.

The think-tank also flags that while there are clear potential benefits of trade liberalisation with India, UK firms will also be exposed to far more uncertainty about competition from Indian exporters.

The Indian has already developed a comparative advantage in exporting some business services, and is changing far more rapidly than more advanced economies, with eight sectors emerging as new comparative advantages for India including pharmaceuticals and R&D compared to just one in the US in the past 10 years, the analysis finds.

"Having raised trade barriers with Europe, and given up on a new US trade deal, the UK's trade strategy has now pivoted towards the Indo-Pacific region," said Sophie Hale, Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation.

"While much of the focus has concentrated on becoming the first European country to join the huge CPTPP region, the far bigger potential economic gains and risks lie in more trade with the huge, rapidly growing, but still relatively closed Indian . Trade liberalisation with India is expected to boost UK manufacturing in the short term, but could also benefit business services, where UK firms already enjoy a competitive advantage, and where demand is set to soar, she said.

"But India is changing as well as growing, so any trade deal means accepting uncertainty about the competition that will face UK firms, as the price for access to a fast-expanding market, she added.

A successful pivot towards a closer trade relationship with India rests on the idea that the UK can, in services, emulate the German goods success in exporting high value manufacturing to China, while avoiding a new "India shock" similar to the "China shock" that hit US manufacturing in which business services firms in the UK are undercut by Indian imports with lower labour costs, the think tank warns.

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Britain's embattled Prime Minister is on Tuesday facing fresh allegations in the ongoing partygate scandal as details emerged of a surprise 56th birthday cake party, organised for him at the peak of the first COVID lockdown in June 2020.

The scandal continues to spiral out ahead of an internal Cabinet Office inquiry report, which has now been delayed to an unspecified later date as Scotland Yard confirmed that the Metropolitan Police will investigate potential lockdown breaches related to alleged parties at Boris Johnson's office-residence at 10 Downing Street, as well as other government offices in London.

"As a result firstly of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team and secondly by the officers own assessment, I can confirm that the Met is now investigating a number of events that took place at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years, Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee at the Mayor of London's office.

I should stress that we are now investigating does not mean fixed penalty notices will necessarily be issued in every instance and to every person involved. We will not be giving a running commentary on our current investigations but I can assure you we will give updates at significant points," she said.

This criminal investigation, which could result in fines being issued on Downing Street and government officials, means that the internal Cabinet Office inquiry being led by top civil servant Sue Gray will deliver its report only after the police probe.

Paymaster General Michael Ellis told the House of Commons that there is "ongoing contact" between the Met Police and Gray, who will meanwhile continue with her separate investigation.

He said the government cannot comment on "what is an ongoing police investigation" and asked MPs "not to preempt its conclusions".

Earlier, Downing Street said Johnson, who turned 56 on June 19, 2020, was present at an event "for less than 10 minutes" as his staff "gathered briefly" to wish him a happy birthday.

The strict lockdown rules imposed at the time to contain the spread of banned most indoor gatherings involving more than two people. But ITV News' reported on Monday night that up to 30 people attended the event, sang Happy Birthday and were served cake.

The event reportedly took place in the Cabinet Room of Downing Street just after 2pm local time that day and had been arranged as a surprise for Johnson by his then fiancee and now wife, Carrie Symonds, after he returned from an official trip to a school in Hertfordshire.

"A group of staff working in Number 10 that day gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room after a meeting to wish the Prime Minister a happy birthday. He was there for less than 10 minutes," a Number 10 Downing Street spokesperson said.

The ITV report also claimed that the same evening, family friends were hosted upstairs in the Prime Minister's official residence in apparent breach of the rules.

However, Number 10 denied that claim: "This is totally untrue. In line with the rules at the time the Prime Minister hosted a small number of family members outside that evening."



A number of his ministers spoke out in his defence even as the rebellion among backbench MPs continued to mount.

"It obviously was the Prime Minister's birthday, he'd been given a cake earlier in the day, that's the picture in the newspapers," Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News'.

And he was clearly given a cake by staff when he got back to the office. These are staff he would have been working with and was working with all day long, and will have been many a time in the same room with them working on the response to . They come in, give him a cake, I understand I think it lasted for 10 minutes and that was it," he said.

The minister reiterated that it was ultimately for Gray to decide whether this was appropriate.

"I think we can be pretty clear that the Prime Minister didn't present the cake to himself, he added.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said in a tweet: "So, when people in an office buy a cake in the middle of the afternoon for someone else they are working in the office with and stop for 10 minutes to sing happy birthday and then go back to their desks, this is now called a party?"



But Opposition Labour Party leader, Sir Keir Starmer, repeated his call for Johnson, 57, to resign in the wake of the latest revelations.

The Prime Minister is a national distraction and he's got to go," he said.

It comes as Johnson meets his Cabinet for a regular weekly meeting on Tuesday amid the growing threat of war in eastern Europe.

A Conservative backbench rebellion against Boris Johnson's leadership is likely to continue intensifying.

A total of 54 Tory MPs must write letters of no confidence in Johnson as a leader to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the party's powerful backbench 1922 Committee, to trigger a leadership contest.

Most were said to be waiting for the inquiry report to make up their minds, with the latest developments involving the police likely to renew their activities.

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has been "flooded" with weapons from the United States and NATO, as well as "countless" advisers from Western countries, the Russian Permanent Mission to the UN said in a statement on its website.

"Cultivating Russophobia among its citizens and like-minded states, talking about the accumulation of Russian troops as almost the root cause of all problems, [the US] forgets to clarify that the talk is about Russian forces on Russian territory," the mission said.

"This is in contrast to the American and NATO weaponry and countless advisers that have flooded and some other states close to the Russian borders. There is also no explanation for what the American navy, increasing tension in the Black Sea region, is doing near the Russian coast," it said.

has repeatedly rejected accusations by the West and of "aggressive actions", stating that it does not threaten anyone and is not going to attack anyone, and that claims about "Russian aggression" are used as a pretext to deploy more NATO military equipment near Russian borders.

Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in "aggressive actions" by near the borders of Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said is moving troops within its territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and should not worry anyone.

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As the Russia- tension escalates, the United States (US) has said that it would welcome India's role in de-escalating the situation between the countries, a White House spokesperson said.

"We certainly welcome any efforts to de-escalate and we are in touch with a range of allies and partners on this, but I don't have any specific conversations to read out that relate to Indian officials," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said at a press briefing on Tuesday.

While India has diplomatically maintained a silence over the matter, it has urged its citizens in to register themselves with the Indian embassy in Kyiv.

The US statement comes after received a new package of military assistance from the Biden administration that includes modern equipment and ammunition. Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border, according to Sputnik.
The seems divided on the Padma Bhushan award conferred on its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, party leader has come out in open support of Azad after cryptic tweets by Jairam Ramesh.

Sibal tweeted, " conferred Padam Bhushan, Congratulations bhaijan, Ironic that the doesn't need his services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life".

After the announcement of Padma awards, Jairam Ramesh taking a cue from the rejection by West bengal former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya took a jibe at his party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has also been awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Ramesh tweeted on Bhattacharya's refusal to accept the award: "Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam."

The comment was indirectly aimed at his party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was conferred the Padma Bhushan in the field of Public Affairs.

Azad is also a former Union minister and till recently, he was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Azad was one of the first in the to stoke the leadership issue in the party.

Former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, on Tuesday refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award conferred upon him by the government of India.

Bhattacharya was given the award for his contribution in the field of Public Affairs.

A statement issued by the veteran CPI-M leader read: "I don't know anything about the Padma Bhushan award, nobody told me about it. If I were awarded the Padma Bhushan, I would reject it.

The Congress division with reagrds to Azad's award is witness to the internal rift within the party as Azad was one of the leaders who had raised the leadership issue in the party and had demanded organizational elections.

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West Bengal Chief Minister on Wednesday greeted the people of the country on the 73rd Republic Day and urged them to take a pledge to protect the basic structure of the Constitution, including and particularly its federal character.

She saluted the freedom fighters and jawans who have sacrificed their lives to protect the country and ensure the safety and security of the citizens.

The Trinamool Congress supremo also called on the country, whom she described as pillars of the Indian democracy, to protect, preserve and follow the ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.

"Heartiest greetings to all on the Republic Day. On this day, let us once again take pledge to protect the basic structure of the Indian Constitution, including and particularly its federal character," she tweeted.

"Let us strive to protect, preserve and follow the ideals of Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, as enshrined in our Constitution, which, among other things, gives us our inalienable rights," Banerjee said in another Twitter post.

"I salute all our freedom fighters and jawans whose valiant sacrifice and their selfless duty protect our country and ensure our safety and security. My heartiest congratulations to all the countrymen who are the pillars of our democracy. Jai Hind," she added.

A short programme was held on the Red Road in the heart of Kolkata to celebrate the day with strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols, amid the presence of Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, the chief minister and Assembly Speaker Biman Banerjee.

Dhankhar exchanged pleasantries with the chief minister and the speaker.

A tableau each on the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and Kolkata Police's road safety awareness programme 'Safe Drive, Save Life' were taken out.

Contingents of army, air force and navy, besides that of the state police, took part in the parade.

People attending the programme wore masks and maintained physical distancing. The day was also celebrated in a restricted manner in other parts of the state.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A day after he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and veteran on Wednesday sought to scotch speculation about his future political plans.

Reports had claimed that he had changed his Twitter profile, but Azad, who has been critical of his party leadership and is the lone leader to be awarded this year under the Modi dispensation, denied it.

"Some mischievous propaganda being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added to my Twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier," Azad said on Twitter.

Azad's Twitter profile has nothing written on it and there is no reference to the party.

In the age of social media, the Twitter profiles of leaders are keenly watched as many tend to change them before formally switching parties.

Azad, the former Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, is a prominent member of the G23 dissident leaders who have been demanding an organisational overhaul in the Congress and has faced backlash from a section of the party.

After the announcement of the Padma awards on Tuesday evening, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, while commenting on CPI (M) leader Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's refusal to accept the award, said, "He wants to be Azad not Ghulam".

However, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, who is also in the G23, said on Wednesday that it was ironic that the Congress does not need Azad's services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had showered praise on Azad during his farewell speech for the Congress leader in the Upper House and the latter had returned the sentiment.

Azad has recently travelled extensively in villages of Jammu and Kashmir and has received an encouraging response. He is again planning to visit Jammu and Kashmir in the coming days, sources said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday urged job aspirants not to destroy public property and assured them that their grievances would be resolved as candidates went on a rampage over alleged irregularities in a recruitment exam by the public transporter.

Earlier in the day, the ministry suspended the Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB NTPC) and the Level 1 exams after reports of vandalism by job aspirants from different parts of the country came to light.

"I am telling the aspirants that this is their own property. Why are they destroying something that is their own? However, authorities will follow due process if public property is damaged," the minister said at a press conference.

His comments came after violent protests by job aspirants erupted in Bihar and poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

Vaishnaw said the Railways is in touch with chief ministers and the issue is being handled "sensitively".

"I urge the candidates to put forth their grievances formally. Our intention is to resolve this issue quickly. A committee has been formed and it will examine representations by the candidates," he said.

A passenger train was set on fire and another was pelted with stones in Bihar on the third day of unrest in the state.

Students can submit their grievances before the committee till February 16. The committee will examine the grievances and submit its recommendations before March 4: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw pic.twitter.com/FFTcwlxIvD  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2022

"I request students not to take the law into their hands. We will seriously address the grievances and concerns raised by them," Vaishnaw said, adding all Railway Recruitment Board chairpersons have been asked to listen to the concerns of candidates, compile them and send them to the committee.

"An email address has been set up for this purpose. The committee will go to different parts of the country and listen to the grievances," the minister said.

This came a day after the transporter said that railway job aspirants found involved in vandalism and unlawful activities while protesting will be 'debarred for life' from getting recruited in the railways.

Candidates went on a rampage in a couple of states over the alleged irregularities in the recruitment exam.

A crowd stormed the Gaya Junction on Wednesday, raising slogans, and set fire to the Bhabhua-Patna InterCity Express, though nobody was injured.

East Central Railway CPRO Rajesh Kumar told PTI-Bhasha that demonstrations were also witnessed at Taregana, on the outskirts of Patna, and at Jehanabad though agitators there were pacified without much trouble.

The candidates are opposing the Railways' decision to hold the exam in two stages, claiming the second stage for final selection is tantamount to "cheating" those who appeared and cleared the first stage of the RRB-NTPC for a computer-based test which was released on January 15.

Around 1.25 crore candidates had applied for the exams that had advertised over 35,000 posts from level 2 to level 6.

Officials said that in Sitamarhi, police fired in the air to disperse demonstrators at the railway station. Protests were also reported from Patna, Nawada, Muzaffarpur, Buxar and Bhojpur districts.

Several trains were cancelled or ran on alternative routes on Tuesday on account of the protests.

The controversy over the exams arose as candidates protested against the screening process of the recruitment drive in Railways' Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) alleging that the exam is designed to favour those with a higher qualification, even in jobs that require lesser qualification.

"We cannot legally bar graduates from applying to posts which require 10+2 qualification," the railway minister said.

While out of the total vacancies, 24,281 posts are open to graduates, 11,000 are for under-graduates. These posts are segregated into five groups based on the 7th CPC pay-scale levels (Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

These posts included that of train assistant, guard, junior clerk, timekeeper and station master across its various zones verticals in its zones.

While to get a Level 2 job, where the starting pay is about Rs 19,000 one requires to be a Class 12 pass, for a level six post like station master, who gets a starting pay of about Rs 35,000 being a graduate is mandatory.

Aspirants have alleged that during the Computer Based Test -1 which were held last year, candidates with higher qualification have sat for exams meant for Level 2 jobs.

The Railways has said that no candidate can be recruited for multiple posts thereby ensuring that every deserving candidate gets selected.

It said shortlisting of candidates has been done separately for each level based on options exercised and the educational qualifications of the candidates.

"For second stage computer-based test of each level, candidates have been called 20 times the community-wise vacancies notified against each RRB," the minister said.

Based on merit obtained in second stage CBT, the candidates will be shortlisted for the third stage exam in which eight times the number of vacancies will be called.

The final result will contain a unique list of 35,281 notified vacancies and no candidate will be appointed against more than one post.

Earlier, the shortlisting was done 10 times the vacancy, however, this time it is 20 times the vacancy for the second stage, officials said.

According to the RRB NTPC exam dates, the CBT 2 exam for which 7 lakh candidates have been shortlisted, was scheduled to be conducted on February 14 and 18. They now stand suspended.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The grandest flypast with 75 to mark the 'Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav' celebrations was the highlight of the 73rd Parade on Wednesday where India displayed its military might and vibrant cultural heritage on Rajpath, with the ceremonial event this year being drastically scaled down in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Showcased at the parade were the Centurion tank, PT-76 tank, 75/24 Pack howitzer and OT-62 TOPAZ armoured personnel carrier that played a major role in defeating Pakistan in the 1971 war.

India in 2021 celebrated the Swarnim Vijay Varsh (Golden victory year) to commemorate the country's win over Pakistan in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh. The mechanised columns of the Army showed one PT-76 tank, one Centurion tank, two MBT Arjun MK-I tanks, one OT-62 TOPAZ armoured personnel carrier, one BMP-I infantry fighting vehicle and two BMP-II infantry fighting vehicles.

The ceremony began with Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the nation in paying homage to the martyrs by laying a wreath at the War Memorial, a monument to the soldiers who have made supreme sacrifice for the country.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the three service chiefs were present at the solemn ceremony.

The prime minister ditched his traditional turban look on this year and wore a traditional cap from Uttarakhand with an image of the brahmakamal, the state flower, and also sported a stole from Manipur.

Official sources said Modi uses the brahmakamal whenever he offers prayers at the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand.

Turbans have previously been a highlight of the prime minister's sartorial choices at Independence Day and Republic Day events.

There was no chief guest at the parade this year. However, Swachhagrah, frontline workers, auto rickshaw drivers, construction workers and labourers who prepared the majestic tableaus were among special guests invited this year to the Republic Day parade.

The parade started at 10:30 am this year, half-an-hour later than usual for better visibility.

Commanded by Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Mishra, with Maj Gen Alok Kacker as the second-in-command, the parade began with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. The flag was unfurled followed by the anthem, synchronised with a 21-gun salute.

Horse-mounted soldiers of the Indian Army's 61 Cavalry Regiment, the only active horsed cavalry unit in the world currently, was the first marching contingent at the parade. This regiment's contingent was led by Major Mrityunjay Singh Chouhan.

The parade saw the launch of 'Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman' programme by the National Cadet Corps and a display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the 'Kala Kumbh' event besides installation of 10 large LED screens for a better viewing experience of spectators.

The contingents of security forces were followed by tableaux from states that showcased India's cultural diversity, with themes ranging from the freedom struggle to biodiversity.

Several government ministries and departments also took out tableaux, highlighting flagship initiatives such as the Jal Jeevan Mission. The Central Public Works Development tableau paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary.

The Lok Adalat tableau made its debut on Rajpath this year. The theme of the float by National Legal Services Authority was "Ek Mutthi Aasman (Inclusive Legal System): Lok Adalat". The front part of the tableau showcased 'Nyay Sabke Liye', a hand gesture of fearlessness, guarantee and protection.

Martyrs and independence movement was the theme of poll-bound Punjab's tableau while the Department of Post's tableau displayed the robust outreach and the modern face of India Post as well as all-women post offices to showcase the steps taken towards gender equality.

Dancers from the Kunbi community, the original inhabitants of Goa, and glimpses from the liberation struggle were the highlight of the tableau of the coastal state while Karnataka's skillfully made pots, carefully sculpted sandalwood miniatures and rich tradition of handicraft were on display in the state's tableau.

Known otherwise to witness huge bustling crowds across many age groups, the annual ceremonial event at Rajpath was scaled down this time in view of the coronavirus pandemic, with spectators' size drastically cut to 5000 from the 25,000 last year.

In the pre-pandemic times, over one lakh spectators used to witness the parade.

From members of contingents to spectators, everyone wore masks. The audience maintained the mandated distance while sitting, and standing spectators were not allowed.

Only double vaccinated adults and children above the age of 15 who have taken at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine were allowed to enter the venue. Children below 15 years were not permitted to attend.

There was tight security with personnel maintaining strict vigil. Chairs were placed at a distance to ensure social distancing. Participants also received a white cap with "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav" printed on it.

Delhi was brought under a heavy security cover as the city police had intensified patrolling and sealed the borders of the national capital in coordination with its counterparts from the neighbouring states to thwart any untoward incident amid a terror alert by intelligence agencies.

Over 27,000 police personnel were deployed on Republic Day security duties in Delhi and anti-terror measures intensified.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eminent Tabla player Pandit Anindya Chatterjee has declined to receive the Padma Shri honour.

Chatterjee is the second person from Bengal's vibrant musical world who was offered the Padma award this year and refused it.

The eminent percussionist, who has been 'jugal bandis' (duets) with classical maestros like Pandit Ravi Shankar, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan said on Wednesday he had recieved a phone call from Delhi on Tuesday seeking his consent to accepting the honour.

"However I politely declined. I said thank you but I am not ready to receive Padma Shri at this phase of my career. I have passed that phase," Chatterjee who received the Sangeet Natak Akademi award in 2002 said.

A disciple of PanditJnan Prakash Ghosh, he has performed at the Rastrapati Bhavan in the past and was the youngest tabla player to perform in the British Parliament's House of Commons in 1989.

Chatterjee said he would have accepted the honour with gratitude had it been conferred on him 10 yeats back. "Many of my contemporaries and juniors were given Padma Shri years ago. Anyway I said with all humbleness, that I am sorry but I cannot accept it (award) now."



Singing legend Sandhya Mukherjee similarly turned down the offer of the Padma Shri Award offered to her by the Centre on Tuesday evening.

"At the age of 90, having regaled generations of listeners for around eight decades, she deserved something more," her daughter said.

Besides Mukherjee and Chatterjee, CPI(M) leader and former Chief Minister also turned down an offer to award him Padma Bhushan on Tuesday.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Li Nan, the co-founder and former Vice President of Meizu has claimed that is working on a new pair of "8K glasses."

The former Chinese smartphone maker's executive shared the information on his official Weibo account (a Chinese microblogging website), reports GizmoChina.

In the social media post, Li Nan shared this news to address those who still "had doubts" regarding the Metaverse. In other words, this product from the Cupertino based giant will be a a VR/AR headset that will allow users to enter the metaverse.

The upcoming headset will be similar to the Oculus Quest, and some prototypes being tested include external cameras to enable some AR features.

It may feature at least 15 camera modules, eye-tracking, possibly iris recognition, and could cost between $2,000 and $3,000.

The AR headset is expected to sport a sleek design so that it is lightweight and comfortable for the wearer to roam around for prolonged periods.

It is also expected that the device will sport a high-resolution display, allowing users to read small bits of text while seeing other people in front of them at the same time.

--IANS

wh/shb/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India's annual Budget will go green this year too, cutting down on the vast printing of documents that was associated with the presentation of tax proposals and financial statement of Asia's third largest economy.

The Budget documents will be available mostly digitally, with only a handful of physical copies, officials said.

The printing of several hundred copies of the voluminous Budget documents was such an elaborate exercise that printing staff had to be quarantined inside the printing press in the basement of North Block -- the seat of the finance ministry -- for at least a couple of weeks.

This quarantine and the beginning of the printing would begin with a traditional 'Halwa ceremony' attended by finance minister, deputy finance ministers and senior officials in the ministry.

Since coming to power, the Modi government has curtailed printing of the Budget copies -- initially cutting copies distributed to journalists and outside analysts and then reducing those provided to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs citing outbreak of the pandemic.

This year, the outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant has brought more curbs.

As a result, the symbolic halwa ceremony is being given a go-by, sources said, citing the prevailing pandemic.

However, a small group of staffers will undergo mandatory quarantine for the compilation of the digital Budget documents.

The Budget documents usually include the finance minister's speech in Parliament, highlights, annual financial statement, finance bill containing tax proposals, memorandum explaining the provisions in financial bill, and macroeconomic framework statement.

They also include the medium-term fiscal policy cum fiscal policy strategy statement, outcome framework for schemes, customs notification, implementation of previous Budget announcements, receipt budget, expenditure budget and statement of budget estimates.

The documents are so bulky that a cotton bag used to be provided with each set to carry them.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who in her maiden Budget presentation in 2019 shunned the long-standing practice of carrying the speech and Budget document in a briefcase in favour of a 'bahi-khata' holding the papers, used a handheld tablet to read her speech on the last occasion on February 1, 2021. She came to Parliament carrying the gadget inside the red-coloured 'bahi-khata' cloth.

She will present her fourth Budget on February 1, 2022.

The 'halwa ceremony' was usually held 10 days prior to the Union Budget.

Last year, it was the first time since the presentation of independent India's first Budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing income and expenditure statement of the Union government along with the finance bill, detailing new taxes and other measures for the new financial year, were not physically printed.

Also, for convenience, the finance ministry had in 2021 launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public.

As part of the ritual, 'halwa' was prepared in a big 'kadhai' (large frying pot) and served to the entire staff involved in the Budget making the exercise of the ministry.

The significance of the event is that after the sweet dish is served, a large number of officials and support staff who are directly associated with the Budget making are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget in the Lok Sabha.

They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication, including e-mail.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI/NewsVoir): Seeking to reposition itself as a market leader in Sanitary Ware and Bathroom Accessories segments, the leading brand Pearl Precision Products (Pearl Precision) has kick-started a massive rebranding exercise.

The company has successfully established itself among the topmost players in the market as 'Sparsh Pearl' through this ongoing campaign: Pearl Precision Products is now Sparsh Pearl: Sparsh se aaye..Pearl ka ehsaas!

Through rebranding initiative, Sparsh Pearl offering a slew of high quality bathroom accessories and faucet collection is all set to create major footprints in India. Revolving around the company's vision and core value system, it's also looking to increase its brand presence all over the country. A renowned brand 'Pearl Precision' manufactures top-of-the-line Cisterns, Seat Covers, Kitchen Sinks, Cabinets, P.T.M.T. Bath Fittings, Bathroom Accessories and Sanitary Ware products among others.

Naresh Kumar Garg, Managing Director, Pearl Precision said, "Pearl Precision has been rebranded as Sparsh Pearl and the need for rebranding arose to provide the brand more vibrant look aimed at building strong brand recall and reposition it as a market leader in Sanitary Ware and Bathroom Accessories segments. Our rebranding initiative is bolstered by a successful campaign with the message highlighting the core communication that the brand conveys: Sparsh Pearl: Sparsh se aaye..Pearl ka ehsaas!"

After registering a strong nationwide presence across tier-I-II cities, Sparsh Pearl is in fact on a mission to further strengthen its foothold in new and emerging markets through this initiative. The company has also unveiled its new Logo focussed on modern and elegant looks and moreover, it is there in the market with a new tagline "Sparsh Pearl: Sparsh se aaye..Pearl ka ehsaas!" which truly represents its unmatched range of state-of-the art immunity Sanitary Ware and Bathroom Accessories. As per the plans "Sparsh Pearl" is already in the process of launching several new products in the coming months.

'Pearl Precision' that's now 'Sparsh Pearl' has In-House Tool Room which is equipped with all modern machineries like CNC, WIRECUT, VMC etc. and it is capable of developing moulding dies for delivering premium quality products. To manufacture its exclusive collection, Pearl Precision has used latest technology which helped it flawlessly create sustainable design for this unique environment friendly product line. Moreover, this haute collection is maintenance free and promises unbeatable durability with high performance.

Pearl Precision Products Pvt. Ltd. (Pearl Precision) began its activity as a company in 1986 that made Sheet Metal Components & Heat Sinks. After these first radiators, the firm expanded its portfolio with the production of Plastic Molded items.

In 2011, Pearl Precision entered into an extensive line of residential and commercial products which incorporate style and innovation into Cisterns, Seat Covers, Faucets, Showers, Sinks, Household and Accessories for the consumers. Pearl Precision has already spread its presence across India as well as in UAE & Nepal with the Brand name of "Pearl".

Pearl Precision has also been approved by "Bureau of Indian Standards" to use ISI mark on the products manufactured by it. With ideas from the technical and experienced human minds in the organization and through the process of continuous product development, it has established itself as an entity which can deliver products with immaculate precision within time bound schedule.

For more Information, please visit (https://www.pearlprecisionproducts.com).

This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)

DISCLAIMER

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Bill is a statute in draft. It has to receive the approval of both the houses of Parliament and also the Presidents nod to turn into a law.

Procedurally, bills can be divided into four parts. They are ordinary bills, money bills and bills, Ordinance Replacing Bills and Constitutional amendment bills

Apart from the money and bills, the other two bills can be presented in either of the houses. But the money and bills have to be introduced in Lok Sabha. The Upper House of the Parliament has limited power over it.

Let us understand this through an example. Before it turned into an Act in 2016, the Aadhaar Bill was introduced as a in Lok Sabha, where it easily sailed through as BJP enjoyed a majority in the lower house of Parliament.

It also led to a row, as the opposition didnt agree with the governments classification of the Aadhaar Bill as a money bill, in which the Rajya Sabha has no power to veto. Then in 2018, a five judge Supreme Court bench had held its Constitutional validity. The bench was led by the then chief justice of India, Deepak Mishra. And the sole dissenter was Justice Chandrachud J.

Let us now understand what a is. Defined in Article 110 of the Constitution, contains tax proposals of the government, telling about the new taxes and changes in rates of existing taxes. It also contains governments expenditure, revenues, and borrowings.

According to the Constitution, a money bill contains the imposition, abolition, remission, alteration or regulation of any tax.

But the imposition of local taxes doesnt come under the purview of the money bill.

The regulation of the borrowing of money by the Union government also comes under its ambit. The payment of moneys into or the withdrawal of moneys from Consolidated Fund or the Contingency Fund of India also come under this bill.

As explained in an earlier episode, the consolidated fund of India contains direct and indirect taxes and loans taken by the government. Loans or interest given to the government are also put in this fund. The Union government needs Parliamentary approval to deposit or take out money from it. And this is done through the introduction of the money bill. While the contingency fund of India is an emergency fund.

The appropriation of money out of the Consolidated Fund of India and the declaring of any expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund of India or the increasing of the amount of any such expenditure comes under money bill.

So, for example, if the government wants to increase the salary of the President of the country -- which is drawn from the Consolidated Fund of India -- it will have to introduce a money bill. The same process will have to be followed if the government wants to raise the salaries of the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

The receipt of money on account of the Consolidated Fund of India or the public account of India or the custody or issue of such money or the audit of the accounts of the Union or of a state comes under the money bill.

And the last but not the least point. Any matter incidental to any of the matters specified above also comes under the money bill. There is no exact definition of the word incidental given in Article 110. So for long the governments have been allegedly misusing this clause to expand the ambit of the money bill. The Opposition alleges that it happened in the Aadhaar case.

The Speaker of the Lok Sabha takes the final call if a bill is a money bill or not. And his decision cannot be challenged in any court of the country.
Whats new: Chinas top banking and insurance regulator vowed to prevent the disorderly expansion of capital in the financial sector and set up traffic lights for capital.

In its 2022 work meeting Monday, Chinas Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission (CBIRC) said the stop light for the financial sector aims to curb the use of funds by banks and insurers for blind overleveraging, financial monopolies and unfair competition, and unlicensed financial business.
FILE - A driver places a swab into a vial at a free drive-thru COVID-19 testing site in the parking lot of the Mercy Fitzgerald Hospital in Darby, Pa., Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. A requirement to get vaccinated against COVID-19 kicks in Thursday, Jan. 27, for millions of health care workers in about half the states. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Water covers part of Front Street on the Beaufort waterfront in a banner graphic advertising the Resilient Beaufort initiative. (Beaufort town staff graphic)
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For Sissi Shupp, painting is life! Born in 1948 in Vienna, Austria into a family interested in art, she quickly realized she had a special relationship with contemporary art. At a very young age, and as a reflection of her favourite artist, the French Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), she drew and painted a lot before a romantic encounter, an equally early marriage and the birth of four children put a parenthesis around her vocation as an artist. Then the desire to create returned to her thirty years later. While she did not go to university, she attended the summer International Fine Arts Academy in Salzburg (Austria), which allowed her to hone her skills at a high level. She was able to develop internationally and visited the Zhou Brothers Art Gallery (Chicago) and worked with Jacobo Borges, an artist from Venezuela. These were defining moments in her artistic career.

Her favourite technique is a mixed technique, combining collage and acrylic and inserting many photos into her works that tell of moments, instants of life. She likes to paint quickly and intuitively. Although she also deals with design and interior design, painting remains her main creative field. Her work addresses the drama of humanity, the contrast between youth and age and the question of inevitable physical decline: ""Man, who must face life, is full of drama,"" she is known to say. Thus she transforms these existential questions into objects, installations and photos series in order to make stories. Her painting, figurative only, also addresses more intimate topics such as her relationship with her mother. She now regularly exhibits her creations in Carinthia where she lives, but also in Italy and Slovenia. Although still inhabited by doubt, Sissi Shupp methodically continues her work: ""In the coming years, I want to progress. But one cannot force things; we must do things step by step. Step by step...""
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World Records Fewest Guinea Worm Cases in History of Eradication Campaign

A village resident in South Sudans Eastern Equatoria State uses a pipe filter to drink water safely. The device filters out tiny crustaceans that harbor Guinea worm larvae. (All photos: The Carter Center)

Editors note: About one month after this press release was published, a parasite that emerged from a patient in Chad in November 2021 was determined to be a Guinea worm, thus revising the annual total of cases to eight in Chad and 15 overall. It remains the lowest total ever recorded. -14 cases in 2021 mark 48% drop from previous year

-Animal infections also decline sharply

-Eradication is an approaching reality, Carter Center CEO says (en francais) ATLANTA  Just 14* human cases of Guinea worm disease occurred worldwide in 2021, drawing nearer to the goal of global eradication, The Carter Center announced Wednesday. It is the lowest annual case total ever recorded, and the cases occurred in just four countries. When The Carter Center assumed leadership of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1986, about 3.5 million human cases occurred annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. The 14 cases mark a 48% decline from the 27 cases reported in 2020. Guinea worm infections in animals fell 45% in 2021, the Center reported. Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 with his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, was pleased with the news. Rosalynn and I are encouraged by the continued commitment and persistence of our partners and the citizens in the villages to eradicate Guinea worm, he said. Because of their persistence, this dreadful disease will be eradicated. Today we are closer than ever, and I am excited at the prospect of seeing the job finished. Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander said: Eradication is an approaching reality. The national ministries of health, with our support, have implemented interventions that are working, and the result is a measurable reduction in human suffering and animal infections. Thats what this work is all about. We need to keep pressing to the finish line. The announcement came during a World Health Organization-hosted webinar to celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of the 2030 Neglected Tropical Disease Road Map. The webinar comes in advance of the third annual World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, conceived by the United Arab Emirates, this Sunday, Jan. 30.

A Guinea worm is slowly and carefully extracted from the foot of a person at a case containment center where patients receive care in Wau, South Sudan.

Case and Infection Numbers by Country During 2021, seven* human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in Chad, a dramatic 42% reduction from 12 the previous year. Four* cases were reported in South Sudan, two* in Mali, and one* in Ethiopia. Angola and Cameroon, which each had one human case in 2020, had none in 2021. Chads Ministry of Health made significant strides against both human and animal cases in 2021, said Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center Guinea Worm Eradication Program. Everyone in Chad, from the national leadership to the village volunteer, has shown a strong commitment to carrying out the interventions and protecting everyone against this disease. As for Guinea worm infections in animals, Chad reported infections in 790 domestic dogs and 65 domestic cats, Cameroon reported 10 infected dogs along its border with an area endemic in Chad, and Mali reported 16 infected dogs and one cat. Ethiopia reported two infected dogs and one cat. Significantly, Ethiopia found no infections in baboons in 2021, compared to four infected baboons in 2020. The worms that infect animals are the same species (D. medinensis) as those that infect humans; therefore, eradication requires stopping infections in both. Case and infection details can be found in the latest issue of the joint CDC-WHO-Carter Center publication Guinea Worm Wrap-Up. (*All annual figures are considered provisional until officially confirmed, typically in March.) Reductions Come Despite Coronavirus and Insecurity The sharp reductions are especially notable in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and significant security challenges  military coups, civil conflict, insurgencies  in some endemic countries. While international health workers and researchers are vital to the success of the program, the day-to-day leadership and work of maintaining community awareness and education about Guinea worm, along with monitoring for infections, filtering drinking water, and protecting water sources from contamination, are largely the domain of community and family members. So, while travel restrictions have had an impact, the campaign has not been interrupted. Much of the great progress we are seeing is directly attributable to these committed communities that embrace the idea of looking after their own health and then act on that idea, said Dr. Donald R. Hopkins, Carter Center special advisor for Guinea worm eradication. Combine that commitment with frontline health workers daily acts of courage and devotion, and these are the results. People in endemic countries helpfully reported thousands of possible Guinea worms. Health workers promptly investigated all such rumors, which are key to finding actual cases and infections. Rumor reporting remains strong and at par with previous years, said Dr. Kashef Ijaz, the Carter Centers vice president for health programs. This is really important because it demonstrates the strength of surveillance and that the decline in numbers is not an aberration.

Left photo: A health worker extracts a Guinea worm from the knee of a South Sudanese woman. Right photo: In Chad, Dollar Taissou (bottom right) pulls a Guinea worm from the leg of 2-year-old dog Martoussia. Controlling infections in animals is necessary to eradicate the disease.

Center Focuses on Neglected Tropical Diseases The WHO has raised World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day to the level of an official observance under the leadership of Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. Despite the pandemic, this historically low number of cases illustrates what can be achieved with the unwavering commitment of countries and the thousands of volunteers, as well as partners who work tirelessly often in difficult terrain, said Dr. Ren Minghui, WHO assistant director-general for universal health coverage/communicable and non-communicable diseases. We need to maintain this momentum to rid the world of this disease of poverty that disproportionately affects women and children. For over 35 years, The Carter Center has been a pioneer in 0; eradicating, eliminating, and improving control of five NTDs: Guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, river blindness, trachoma, and schistosomiasis, as well as uniquely addressing and integrating mental health and malaria. Additional Detail About Guinea Worm Disease Guinea worm disease is usually contracted when people consume water contaminated with tiny crustaceans (called copepods) that eat Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) larvae. After about a year, a meter-long pregnant female worm emerges slowly through an excruciatingly painful blister in the skin, often of the legs or feet. A sufferer may seek relief by dipping the affected limb in water. However, contact with water stimulates the emerging worm to release its larvae and start the cycle all over again. Guinea worm disease incapacitates people for weeks or months, reducing individuals ability to care for themselves, work, grow food for their families, or attend school. Guinea Worm Interventions and Robust Research Agenda Without a vaccine or medicine, the ancient parasitic disease is being eradicated mainly through community-based interventions to educate people and change their behavior. Tethering dogs to keep them out of water and not allowing them to eat potentially contaminated fish entrails are key factors in improving Guinea worm infection figures in animals, particularly in Chad and Ethiopia. Fishermen, market women, and consumers burn or bury discarded entrails to keep dogs from consuming Guinea worm-contaminated copepods (water fleas) the entrails might contain. Other interventions to stop transmission include community-based health education, using filters (donated by Vestergaard's LifeStraw) for all drinking water, keeping people and animals with emerging Guinea worms from entering water sources, and targeted use of the larvicide ABATE (donated by BASF) in stagnant water sources. (See About Guinea Wormsection below.) To boost surveillance at this critical point in the global campaign, all national programs offer cash rewards for reporting potential cases and animal infections. Scientists from The Carter Center and other agencies continue to conduct intensive research and testing of new interventions in the quest to eradicate the disease. Genetic profiling of worms to help trace infections, and serological tests developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are two other important new tools being used.

Carter Center ambassador Regina Natube leads a lively song and dance to spread the word about cash rewards for reporting possible Guinea worm cases in South Sudan.

Eradication a Monumental Challenge Eradication means a disease has been eliminated worldwide, with no possibility of return. The final cases are extremely difficult to track down, requiring persistence, ingenuity, and enormous amounts of money. Only one human disease has ever been eradicated; that was smallpox, in 1980. For a disease to be declared eradicated, every country in the world must be certified free of human and animal infection, even countries where transmission has never taken place. To date, WHO has certified 199 countries free of Guinea worm; only seven have not been certified, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where no case has been reported since 1958. Sudan and DRC intend to submit its dossier for certification in 2022. After three consecutive years of indigenous transmission, Angola was added, as the 22nd country, to the list of endemic countries in 2020; however, the country reported zero human and zero animal infections in 2021. Cameroon was certified by the World Health Organization as Guinea worm-free in 2007; that country reported one case in 2019 and one in 2020 (both likely imported from Chad) but is not endemic because it has not had three years of indigenous transmission. Key Implementing Partners Roles The Carter Center works closely with national programs, the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and many other vital partners. The Carter Center provides technical and financial assistance to national Guinea worm programs to help interrupt transmission of the disease. For remaining endemic countries, when transmission is interrupted, the Center continues assisting surveillance and helps them prepare for official evaluation by the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication and certification by the WHO. WHO also provides technical and financial support to improve surveillance, particularly in cross-border areas, including countries that have already been certified to help them maintain Guinea worm-free status. The CDC provides technical assistance and verifies that worm specimens truly are Guinea worms. The presence of Guinea worm disease in an area usually indicates abject poverty, including lack of safe drinking water; UNICEF mainly assists countries by helping governments provide safe sources of drinking water which provides significant other benefits to priority areas identified by the national Guinea worm eradication programs. Partnerships Many generous foundations, corporations, governments, and individuals have made the work to eradicate Guinea worm disease possible, including major support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; the Children's Investment Fund Foundation; and Alwaleed Philanthropies. Major support from the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, began with His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and has continued under HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. BASF has donated ABATE larvicide (temephos) since 1990, and Vestergaard's LifeStraw has donated pipe and household cloth filters since 1999. The DuPont Corporation and Precision Fabrics Group donated nylon filter cloth early in the campaign. Guinea Worm Eradication Challenge Fund Matches Generous Gift John and Kathleen Schreiber, who partner with The Carter Center personally and through their family foundation, recently donated $2 million toward Guinea worm eradication. That donation was matched by the Carter Center Board of Trustees Challenge Fund, which matches donations of $100,000 or more. The Challenge Fund seeks to raise and match $20 million in donations, for a total of $40 million, by August 2022. ###

Contact: Emily Staub, Emily.Staub@CarterCenter.org, (404) 420-5126 Translation Le monde enregistre le plus bas nombre de cas de dracunculosedepuis le debut de la campagne d'eradication  Related Resources
Photo: Contributed

Out of an abundance of hope to go out for some late winter activities, or maybe optimism for an early spring now that there is still a sliver of sunshine in the sky at 5 p.m., heres an anticipatory list of places to go and things to do till patio season arrives.

That all said, do check or reserve in advance for the latest updates for these events and enjoy safely.

Dine Around: Take advantage of special three-course meals ranging from $15 to $65 throughout the region (and elsewhere, with 100 restaurants participating), until Feb. 6. Recommendations  19 Okanagan Grill + Bar in West Kelowna; Home Block at CedarCreek Winery or Waterfront Wines Restaurant in Kelowna; The Bear, The Fish, The Root & The Berry in Osoyoos; Time Winery & Kitchen in Penticton; Shaughnessys Cove in Summerland.

Details: dinearound.ca/

Okanagan Hot Chocolate Fest: Until Feb. 14, pick from 20 businesses in 25 locations around the valley and head out for hot chocolate, both non-boozy or "alcochocolate" versions, then vote for your favourite. Theres also a colouring contest.

Details: okanaganhotchocolatefest.ca/

Chefs Dinner Series, Mission Hill in West Kelowna: in addition to a Valentines dinner options on Feb. 12 and 14, make a date for wine-paired dinners on Feb. 25 or 26, showcasing Ocean Wise Seafood with a focus on bivalves for those who crave mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters.

Details: missionhillwinery.com/events-calendar/

Fondue for Two, Liquidity Winery in Okanagan Falls: Book a cheese fondue paired with glasses of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, available throughout the month of February from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays. The winery is also part of Dine Around.

Details: liquiditywines.com/Tasting-Room/Experiences

Love is Blind, Township 7 in Penticton or Langley: Give your blind tasting skills a try with your choice of wine flight  red, white, or mixed  paired with charcuterie and sweet treats. Reserve in advance for Feb. 11, 12, or 13.

Details: township7.com/events/

Build a Board, Road 13 in Oliver: Part of its Sunday workshop series (note, How to Tartare is delicious fun), enjoy a glass of wine while learning how to build the perfect mix of cheese, cured meats, pickles, and chutneys for a charcuterie board.

Details: road13vineyards.com/event/sunday-workshops/

Cooking Classes, The Okanagan Table in Kelowna: Set to return in February, "cheffing" classes range from vegetarian to Italian classics, to French cooking, to canapes and platters. Book now to save your spot, and bring your significant other.

Details: theokanagantablestore.com/catalogue/cooking-classes

Finally, if you really, really want to plan ahead, Noble Ridge in Okanagan Falls has just announced the return of its Vine Dining series, with dinners scheduled for July 15, Aug. 5., and Sept. 10 with Backyard Farms.

Details: nobleridge.com/Wines/Event-Tickets.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: The Canadian Press Signs are posted along the Pacific Rim Highway in between Tofino and Ucluelet, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. Four people suffered undetermined injuries when a passenger vessel with six people on board ran aground near Tofino, B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Melissa Renwick

Four people suffered undetermined injuries when a water taxi with six people on board ran aground near Tofino, B.C.

Navy Lt. Pamela Hogan, a public affairs officer, says the coast guard vessel Cape Ann responded to a report of a 7.6-metre vessel aground about 14 kilometres north of Tofino.

She says four of the six people on board the taxi were initially taken to hospital in Tofino for treatment, and their injuries are unknown.

Hogan says the Cape Ann towed the damaged water taxi to Tofino after the occupants were transported to the community dock on board another vessel.

The incident was reported at about 9:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Hogan says the nearby Ahousaht Coast Guard Auxiliary received the original report that the taxi had run aground, prompting the coast guard to dispatch the Cape Ann.
Photo: file photo

A Canadian man will spend four years in prison for exporting methamphetamine and cocaine to Australia hidden inside furniture.



Matthew Medina, 55, pleaded guilty after 45 kilograms of methamphetamine and five kilograms of cocaine were found in Australia in a shipment from his Port Coquitlam warehouse.

All the drugs were worth a reported $35 million and had a higher street value in Australia than in Canada, heard Vancouver Provincial Court Judge Glenn Lee.

Crown prosecutor Anita Chan told the court that Medina had gone to Australia in 2012 and purchased a furniture store in Port McQuarrie from John King, with the latter agreeing to keep running the business.

Back in Canada, Medina rented a Port Coquitlam warehouse where drug pressing and other gear were later found by police.

He was a higher-up who left the riskier tasks to others, Chan said.

The warehouse was the starting point for a container shipment containing the illicit drugs hidden inside furniture. The container left for Australia by sea from Vancouver, arriving in late 2012.



Once there, the Australian Federal Police intercepted the shipment and found the methamphetamine and cocaine. King was arrested when he showed up for the container.

King soon cooperated with police and made calls to Medina that were taped, including one where the pair spoke about an arrangement to pick up the furniture from storage.

Australian authorities allowed the furniture to then be delivered to a residence and another two Canadians arrested.

Back in Canada, the Port Coquitlam warehouse was raided and Medina became the subject of a multi-province manhunt.

Medina evaded authorities until 2016 when he was captured in the Dominican Republic on an INTERPOL notice. While awaiting extradition, Medina spent two years in prison there.

His lawyer, Ken Beach, told Lee the time in the Dominican prison was hard. Vicious violence was not uncommon. There were murders there, he said.

Lee gave Medina credit for his time in the foreign prison meaning what would have been a six-year sentence has four left to be served.

Medina expressed sorrow and regret for his behaviour, which Lee accepted as genuine.

I am grateful to be in this country where justice actually means something compared to a place where it means nothing, he said.

The court heard Medina has degrees in arts, economics and commerce and had a successful business real estate career.

Apart from the charge to which he pleaded guilty, Medina had also been charged with a second count of importing/exporting a controlled substance and two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Photo: U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard battled time and currents Wednesday as aircraft and ships searched for 38 people missing in the Atlantic off Florida, four days after the capsizing of a suspected smuggling boat killed at least one and left one known survivor.

Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian told a news conference that finding the other migrants alive is their highest priority. She said the survivor told rescuers that they capsized shortly after sailing into a storm from the Bahamas Saturday evening. The Coast Guard were alerted Tuesday morning after the crew of a merchant vessel spotted the man sitting alone on the overturned hull of the 25-foot-long boat.

It is dire. The longer they remain in the water ... exposed to the marine environment ... with every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely that survivors will be found, she said.

Crews searched throughout the day and night, extrapolating from where the wreck was spotted about 40 miles off Fort Pierce, Florida. By Wednesday morning, crews on at least four ships and five aircraft scanned a vast area about the size of New Jersey, Burdian said. They planned to keep searching throughout the day and then reevaluate.

We are using every piece of information we can to make sure we are exhausting our search efforts, Burdian said. But we cant search forever.

The man said he was part of a group of 40 people who left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday evening in what the maritime security agency suspects was a human smuggling operation, she said. The man said they capsized shortly thereafter, and none of them were wearing life jackets, she added.

The Coast Guard said a small craft advisory had been issued as a severe cold front blew through the dangerous passage on Saturday and Sunday, with winds up to 23 mph and swells up to 9 feet high. Tommy Sewell, a local bonefishing guide, said there were high winds and fierce squalls of rain on Sunday into Monday.

The survivor was brought to a hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure. Burdian wouldn't provide more details about him, saying he's now in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.

Bimini is a small island about 55 miles east of Miami and about 100 miles south of where the survivor was found. The capsized boat was apparently pushed north by the Gulf Stream, a warm and swift current that wraps around the Florida peninsula and flows north along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

For the most part, these migrants are from Haiti and Cuba, but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

The Coast Guard constantly patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas. On Friday, its crews pulled 88 Haitians from an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Navigating the Florida straits, Windward and Mona Passages ... is extremely dangerous and can result in loss of life, the Coast Guard said last weekend.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.

The survivors said they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Fresh off the heels of creditor protection, Reitmans (Canada) Ltd. has announced plans to launch an online marketplace for women's clothing.

The Montreal-based company says RCL Market will be available online this fall and feature its three brands, Reitmans, Penningtons and RW&CO.

Reitmans says the marketplace will also offer "hand-picked quality value products offered by partner brands" and is inviting interested vendors to apply to sell clothing on its new site.

Jackie Tardif, president of the Reitmans brand, says the company's e-commerce business has grown exponentially in recent years and RCL Market will further transform the way its customers shop online.

Reitmans said earlier this month it had paid $95 million and exited creditor protection after nearly two years.

The company said it paid court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young Inc. to distribute funds to creditors according to the plan of arrangement.

Reitmans filed for creditor protection and obtained an initial order under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act in May 2020.

The women's clothing retailer operates 412 stores consisting of 241 Reitmans, 93 Penningtons and 78 RW&CO locations.
8th batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines arrives in Laos

Xinhua) 13:35, January 26, 2022

VIENTIANE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities.

Chinese ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong, when handing over the 1.5 million doses of vaccines Tuesday to Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, said the anti-epidemic work in Laos has made positive progress, as the country has exceeded the target of vaccinating 50 percent of its population and COVID-19 infections have reduced significantly.

Phankham said since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Laos, China has provided 8.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to Laos, which fully reflects the deep friendship and valuable support.

Laos has met its vaccination target in 2021 with the help of China and is confident to vaccinate 80 percent of its population in 2022, Phankham said, adding, "On behalf of the Lao party, government and the people, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Photo: The Canadian Press Subway trains in a TTC yard in Toronto.

Canada's big-city mayors are calling for the federal government's help to make up huge shortfalls in transit revenue that threaten to derail the nation's transit systems.

The Big City Mayors' Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities released a statement Wednesday asking the Liberals to cover transit shortfalls for the year, or else risk major service reductions, postponed construction on new projects, and property tax hikes.

The pandemic has wrought havoc on city's transit revenues, with many riders instead working from home and avoiding tight, crowded spaces.

The federal government has given extra funds to provinces throughout the pandemic, and provinces have passed some of that cash on to cities to keep their transit systems running.

This time, though, the mayors say the need is more urgent as massive transit shortfalls are projected for the third year in a row.

Dominic LeBlanc, minister of intergovernmental affairs, infrastructure and communities, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Photo: The Canadian Press

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants says Canada produced just over 1.1 million light vehicles last year for the lowest level of production since 1967.

The low production numbers, down from 1.4 million in 2020 and close to two million in 2019, came as the auto sector globally was hit by a shortage of semiconductor chips caused by pandemic-related production issues and a surge in demand for electronics.

Canadian production was hit especially hard as automakers prioritized chips for their more profitable models like pickups and SUVs, pushing down Canada's share of production to under nine per cent.

Canada's share of North American production has been on the decline for years, from 17 per cent in 2009 to 14.1 per cent in 2014 to around 10 per cent before the pandemic.

DesRosiers said Toyota led production among the five big automakers in Canada with about 427,000 units, while at the other end of the spectrum GM produced about 36,500.

GM, however, did restart production in November at the Oshawa assembly plant it had closed in 2019, and just this week announced it had added a second shift to the plant that now produces the Chevy Silverado. The company also plans to retool its Ingersoll, Ont., operation this year to produce electric delivery vehicles.

Andrew King, managing partner at DesRosiers, said Canada's auto industry is going through both short-term transitory difficulties and long-term structural change as plants announce revised mandates and companies start to embrace the wave of electrification.

"While it seems unlikely that Canada will, in the near term at least, fully recover lost production ground, there does exists a clear opportunity to revitalize and adapt this critically important sector.
Photo: The Canadian Press Fred Chartrand / La Presse Canadienne

Ottawa police say they have been in touch with leaders of a trucker convoy over weekend protest plans in the capital and are getting ready for several scenarios  including violence.

Chief Peter Sloly told the police services board Wednesday that he is working with the RCMP and intelligence bodies to prepare for the protests against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers.

Sloly said the convoy organizers have been co-operative in telling police about their plans for the protest, which he predicts could last several days, but the situation is evolving rapidly.

Deputy Chief Steve Bell said police are "tracing parallel groups" that are preparing to join the truckers, as well as counter-protesters, and are monitoring social media.

Ottawa police estimate there could be up to 2,000 demonstrators, but this number is shifting quickly, and warn residents against travelling downtown during the event.

Sloly said while police support the right to peaceful protest, officers will be prepared to move protesters out of the demonstration zone should the situation become violent or threatening.

Some supporters of the convoy, including some Conservative MPs, have taken to social media to warn the vaccine mandate for truckers will leave store shelves empty. Some have gone so far as to predict Canadians will starve.

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra has assured Canadians there's no reason to fear food shortages will result from a small minority of truck drivers refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate.

In an interview, Alghabra said the large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured him they have plenty of goods to provide their customers, despite some labour shortages and supply chain bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, he said there's been no "measurable impact" on the number of trucks crossing the border since the vaccine mandate went into effect on Jan. 15. Last week, he said almost 100,000 trucks crossed the border  about the same as usual for this time of year.

"I don't want to minimize the fact that we have to remain vigilant and work together to address these issues (of supply chain disruptions)," Alghabra told The Canadian Press, adding he plans to hold a summit on the issue with retailers on Monday.

"But this notion that we're going to starve is really unfortunate and does disservice to Canadians, to Canadian society and to the debate that we need to be having."

Others with more extreme, far-right views have latched onto the protest. One online video includes a man expressing hope the rally will turn into the Canadian equivalent of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Donald Trump Jr. took to social media Tuesday to endorse the Canadian truck convoy's fight against "tyranny" and to urge Americans to follow suit.

A group called Canada Unity is organizing the movement, which its members refer to as the "freedom convoy."

A "memorandum of understanding," posted on the Canada Unity website, says its coalition is opposed to restrictions and mandates related to COVID-19, rules it deems are "unconstitutional, discriminatory and segregating."

The memorandum's goal, it says, is to form a committee with the Senate and Governor General that would override all levels of Canadian government to stop the use of vaccine passports, waive fines linked to COVID-19 and reinstate employees who were fired for breaking COVID-19 rules.

If the Senate and Governor General refuse to join such a committee, the group says they should "resign their lawful positions of authority immediately."

Carissima Mathen, a professor of law at the University of Ottawa, said seeking to override all levels of government policy would not work, because the body who initially put the policy in place must be the one to reverse it. Alternatively, that policy could be undone by Parliament passing a law.

Mathen, who specializes in the Constitution, added the Governor General has very little involvement with the legal system in Canada.

Alghabra said he is "concerned about the small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting much of our political debate."

"It's something that we all need to be aware of, we all need to call out," he said.

"But at the same time, let's not lose sight of this, that the vast majority of Canadians are vaccinated, the vast majority of truckers are vaccinated. Truckers as you and I are speaking today are delivering goods for Canadians."

The Canadian Trucking Alliance has estimated that about 15 per cent of truckers  as many as 16,000  are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It has strongly denounced any protests on public roadways, highways and bridges and has urged all truckers to get inoculated.

Alghabra said representatives of large grocery chains and other retailers have assured him the truckers' vaccine mandate has had no measurable impact on their ability to stock their shelves.

"They are offended and hurt by this perception that people are trying to create that they are not able to deliver for their customers."

Alghabra took particular aim at Conservative MPs, some of whom have offered full-throated support for the truck convoy. Some Conservatives have posted pictures of empty grocery store shelves, at least one of which turned out to be a stock photo of a British store.

"It's irresponsible for anybody to spread fear  for political gains," Alghabra said.

A day after refusing to say whether he supported the truck convoy heading to Ottawa, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole appeared in a Facebook live event Tuesday evening to say he understands why many truckers, especially independent ones, are upset.

"You can understand why there's some frustration and why people are protesting," O'Toole said.

On Wednesday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business also urged the federal government to reverse its vaccination policy for truckers. The organization represents 95,000 small- and medium-sized businesses, including about 500 in the trucking sector.

Earlier, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce had urged the government to give truckers more time to get vaccinated while the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition has also called for the vaccine mandate to be scrapped entirely.

But Alghabra said it would accomplish nothing to postpone or scrap the requirement that truckers entering Canada be fully immunized, since the United States has imposed the same requirement on truckers entering that country.

"It won't really make a difference. The U.S. has a mandate," he said.

The best way to end supply chain disruptions is to end the pandemic and the best way to do that is to get vaccinated, which is what the vaccine mandate is all about, he argued.
Photo: CPAC screengrab

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has dismissed the protest convoy headed for the nation's capital as a small fringe minority that holds unacceptable views.

The convoy, which rolled out of B.C. on Sunday, is expected to arrive in Ottawa this weekend. It was originally sparked by resistance to a vaccine mandate for truckers crossing the U.S./Canada border, but has since evolved into a general airing of grievances related to pandemic restrictions and Trudeau.

The Prime Minister addressed the convoy during an unrelated announcement Wednesday.

We know the way through this pandemic is by getting everyone vaccinated, and the overwhelming majority close to 90% of Canadians have done exactly that, he said.

The small fringe minority of people who are on their way to Ottawa are who are holding unacceptable views that they're expressing do not represent the views of Canadians who have been there for each other who know that following the science and stepping up to protect each other is the best way to continue to ensure our freedoms, our rights, our values as a country, he continued.

Estimates of how many convoy participants will actually roll into Ottawa this weekend vary widely. Organizers say hundreds of thousands of people will descend on Parliament. Police, meanwhile, say there could be up to 2,000 demonstrators.
Women staged a protest in Afghanistan's capital city Kabul and called for the release of the central bank's assets, local media reported on Wednesday.

The women protesters also urged for the recognition of the Islamic Emirate by the international community.

"Women held a protest in Kabul on Wednesday and called for the release of the central bank's assets as well as the recognition of the Islamic Emirate by the international community" Tolo News tweeted.

Some experts believe that the holding of Afghan assets is affecting the people of Afghanistan who are struggling with severe economic challenges.

Ahead of winter season, political analyst Tajar Kakar had said: "The winter is on the way. The people are in a very bad condition with many lives under the tent. The children are in a critical condition. The world should think about the people of Afghanistan."

Earlier, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi had sent a letter to the US Congress, urging the lawmakers to free the Afghan assets, citing the intense economic and humanitarian crisis in the country.

In response to the letter, the US special representative for Afghanistan Thomas West had said that the "Taliban's letter" misconstrued the facts regarding the country's economic and humanitarian crisis.

The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating and along with that, the security situation has worsened since the Taliban took control of the country. Millions of Afghans will face starvation this winter unless urgent action is taken, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned.

Nearly 23 million people, or 55 per cent of the Afghan population, are estimated to be in crisis or experiencing emergency levels of food insecurity between now and March of next year.

In its latest situation report, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) expressed concern about "conditional humanitarianism" or attempts to "leverage" humanitarian assistance for political purposes.

(ANI)
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) parliamentary leader in the Senate Sherry Rehman took the government to task as the country under Imran Khan government slides to 16 places in the Corruption Perception Index in just one year.

Senator Rehman said that Imran Khan's single agenda in government was to do corruption and to arrest and derail the opposition.

She was speaking on a call-attention notice on the growing trade deficit in Senate when he slammed the government and held it responsible for Pakistan's bad scoring on Transparency International's corruption index.

"The PTI ran its entire election campaign and post-election narrative on a single-issue promise: to end corruption in Pakistan. Despite the media frenzy of 'tabdeeli', it has become obvious that even on its favorite beaten dead horse of an issue the government has not just failed disastrously but also exposed Pakistan and itself to a shameful verdict of its own burgeoning corruption by its own yardstick of Transparency International (TI) surveys. When we used to question some of the local findings of this organization, Imran Khan would cite it as a holy grail in bashing the opposition," she said.

Additionally, the PPP leader pointed out that instead of cracking down on the genuine corruption that is rife in Pakistan, the ruling PTI has put Pakistan in the 140th position out of 180 nations in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for 2021.

She questioned the government, "According to the yardstick of the TI which was embraced by the PTI, in 2020 Pakistan stood at 124 but in 2021 our position worsened by 16 spots to 140. In 2017, Pakistan was at 117 in this index and since then we have fallen by 23 spots. If this is the transparent and anti-corruption government, where has Pakistan's corruption profile reached in three years?"

(ANI)

Also Read: After US withdrawal, terror in Afghanistan-Pakistan return as bigger 'threat'
Malaga resumes cement export

ICR Newsroom By 26 January 2022

Following a stop since September 2021, the export of cement from Malaga, Spain, has resumed. With a frequency of between 1-2 cargoes leaving the port per month, activity is expected to remain similar to that seen before the suspension of exports.



Until September, five different ships by Berge Condeminas completed 18 loading operations with cement exported to the port of Banjul in Gambia, according to Malaga Hoy.



Last Friday Grit Cement III docked at Pier 6 to take 8000t of cement on-board. By Sunday evening it completed its loading operations.

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SONOCC announces resumption of production

ICR Newsroom By 26 January 2022

Societe nouvelle des ciments du Congo (SONOCC) will restart its production of cement from 31 January after several weeks of work stoppage, said the companys Director General, Il Xingtao.



It is expected that the additional output will help alleviate the cement shortage in the Republic of Congo and put an end to soaring cement prices. Prices have jumped to XAF120,000 (US$206.67) to date from XAF70,000 in November 2021. At present only Forspaks plant is operating but is unable to cover national demand.



On the Sonocc side, the cable car is down, because of the health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the order we placed in France is slow to arrive. But, we are looking for vehicles to transport the limestone from the quarry to the factory, II Xingtao said.



He also envisages an agreement with the general manager of Dangote to that SONOCC can obtain supplies of limestone from the Dangote factory. "That's the way to solve the problem right now. For Sonocc, we will resume production next Monday in order to lower prices, he said.

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Holcim divests Northern Ireland cement business

26 January 2022

Holcim has sold its Northern Ireland cement business to Cookstown Cement Ltd for more than GBP55m, reports the BBC. Cookstown Cement Ltd is a new local business that has acquired all of the business of Lafarge from Aggregate Industries (Holcim group).

The deal includes a cement plant and limestone quarry in Cookstown, a shale quarry in Dungannon and a facility at Belfast Harbour. The new owners have committed to invest GBP12m in the facilities to upgrade environmental capabilities and processes, and improve efficiency. Cookstown Cement has about 100 employees, and its two shareholders are David Millar and the LCC Group.



Miljan Gutovic, Holcim region head EMEA, said: "This divestment advances our Strategy 2025  Accelerating Green Growth with a focus on consolidating our leadership in core markets to become the global leader in innovative and sustainable building solutions. With Cookstown Cement Ltd, we are pleased to have found a strategic and trusted owner for the business, better positioned to continue investing in its long term growth. We are delighted about Cookstown Cement Ltds vision, offering a solid platform for the team to continue to thrive."

Cookstown Cement Ltds Managing Director, David Millar, said: "We have acquired a great company with a strong team and excellent products, and the investment we are making will allow us to expand further in the years to come.

"The staff were informed of the acquisition on Friday past and in the coming days I will be meeting the team and our customers and suppliers and telling them more about the investment in the business and processes we are going to make.

"While some change is inevitable and environmental improvements are essential, my aim is to very quickly create a solid foundation for the business to grow as the construction industry evolves."

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Akkermann Cement receives funds to acquire Akhangaracement JSC

26 January 2022

Gazprombank has allocated funds for the acquisition by Akkermann Cement CA (part of the USM group) for a 98.6 per cent stake in Akhangaracement JSC in Uzbekistan.

The transaction was implemented with the attraction of financing from Gazprombank, is not just a creditor but a strategic financial partner of Akkermann Cement LLC.

The group of companies under the Akkermann Cement brand is part of the diversified Russian holding USM. In 2021 Akkermann Cement produced about 4Mt of cement. The main assets of the company are cement plants in Novotroitsk (Orenburg region) and Gornozavodsk (Perm region). Now Akhangarancement located in Uzbekistan will join them.

At the end of 2021, the Akhangarancement plant put into operation an innovative dry-process cement production line with a capacity of 2.5Mta of cement.

The implementation of the transaction allows to significantly strengthen the position of Akkermann Cement by entering a new market, commented Alexei Belous, deputy chairman of the Management Board of Gazprombank.

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Georgia state health officials reported on Tuesday there have been 78 additional deaths due to the coronavirus. The current total is 27,191.

There are 11,573 new cases reported on Tuesday, as that total reaches 1,777,459 confirmed cases of coronavirus.



Hospitalizations with the virus are at 101,328, which is an increase of 229 since Monday.

Here are the numbers by county:



Catoosa County: 11,163 cases, up 83; 104 deaths, down 1



Chattooga County: 4,843 cases, up 32; 100 deaths



Dade County: 2,294 cases, up 11; 23 deaths, up 1



Walker County: 12,180 cases, up 96; 149 deaths, up 2

Whitfield County: 25,587 cases, up 132; 340 deaths, up 1
The Dalton Police Department promoted one young officer and honored a veteran lieutenant on Tuesday at the monthly meeting of the Public Safety Commission. Mollie Parker was promoted to the rank of sergeant Tuesday by unanimous vote of the commission and Lieutenant Ricky Long was honored as the department's officer of the month for December.

Sergeant Parker has been a member of the police department for more than eight years, joining in the summer of 2013 first as a non-sworn records technician and then earning her law enforcement certification and becoming a patrol officer later that year. Sergeant Parker has served in an administrative role since September 2020, service as the department's accreditation manager. Sergeant Parker is a northwest Georgia native, graduating from Murray County High School in 2009 and earning her bachelor's degree from the University of North Georgia in Dahlonega in 2013.

Lieutenant Long was honored as December's officer of the month for his outstanding work to make the Christmas holidays a little brighter for some deserving Dalton kids. Lt. Long oversaw the agency's "Shop With A Hero" event, managing both the year-long fundraising effort and also planning for the event. Lt. Long was also one of the top individual fundraisers for the project. The annual event matches kids selected by Dalton Public School staff with a police officer or Dalton firefighter for a shopping trip to Walmart using funds raised by the police and fire departments. The event is an annual highlight for both agencies. The 2021 event was the most successful to date, as the agencies were able to raise enough funds to provide Christmas for 20 kids in need.

As Tuesday's meeting was the first of 2022 for the Public Safety Commission, the body also voted on its officers for the year. Chairman Terry Mathis and Secretary Anthony Walker were both re-elected to continue serving in those roles for another year.

The Dalton Public Safety Commission is comprised of Chairman Terry Mathis, Alex Brown, Anthony Walker, Bill Weaver, and Truman Whitfield.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Alice Marie Baker Spence, was born on December 29, 1932, in Rocky Face, Georgia, and departed this earthly realm on January 19, 2022, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Upon death, she was reunited on the celestial shores of heaven with her husband, Robert Langston James Spence Sr., with whom she had a blessed union of 57 years until his death on January 14, 2012. She is now also with their daughter, Dr. Fannie Spence Leake, who preceded her in death on October 16, 2008, along with two grandchildren: Paul and Mary Alice Evans. Five surviving children feel blessed to have had her in their lives as the matriarch for more than the "three score and ten" we are promised. She lived a life dedicated to her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Alice Spence was a spiritual woman who led by example and gave her children a strong religious foundation rooted in the teachings of Jesus. She was a lifelong member of St. John Baptist Church in Chattanooga, primarily under the guidance of her father-in-law Reverend Samuel R. Spence. Upon moving to Memphis in 2006, she joined Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church, where she studied under Rev. Dr. Frank A. Thomas and Rev Dr. J. Lawrence Turner.

She made it her lifes work to ensure that each of her children was educated, fervently believing that education was the key to a better life. All of her decisions, along with those of her husband Robert, were based on achieving that goal. As a result, she was proud to share that all of her children have college degrees with five of them having advanced degrees. Alice attended Spelman College for two years and later attended Chattanooga State Technical College, graduating in 1971 with a degree in computer science. She spent 25 years working for the City of Chattanooga, first as a systems analyst and then as the assistant administrator of Human Resources, until her retirement in 1998.

Her life of service to her family is exemplified through the care and support she provided them throughout the years, especially during times of physical and emotional distress. There are many notable examples of her selfless acts made on behalf of her children and grandchildren; however, three that stand out most involve the support she provided her daughters during life-altering challenges; from the loss of infant children, to a post-natal emergency, to a terrible, life-ending cancer battle, she offered strength, companionship, and unconditional love. In 2000, she stepped in the gap to help rear one of her granddaughters as a daughter healed. Until the day Alice left this life, she never wavered from these types of commitments to her family, which defined her life.

To her grandchildren, she was affectionately known as Grandma Nu, a reference to having spent most of her adult life in Chattanooga.

Alice had an insatiable thirst for knowledge and spent her life educating herself on various topics and issues. To fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a college graduate she returned to college at 70 years of age and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2004 with a Bachelors in Sociology. Upon graduating, she was able to achieve another one of her lifelong goals when she was initiated into the Beta Epsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha in 2005.

Alice Spence was the oldest of six children born to Clara and Earven Baker, Sr., who both preceded her in death along with a sister, Charlotte Baker, and brothers Earven Baker, Jr. and Melvin Baker, as well as a stepson and stepdaughter. Left to cherish the memories of their beloved mother are Harold (Cindy) Spence (of Atlanta, GA), Paula Spence-Evans, Robert (Dorchelle) Spence, Rhonda Spence (all of Memphis, TN), and Reginald Spence (of Baltimore, MD) as well as one surviving stepdaughter, Rosalyn Spence (of Chattanooga, TN). She is also survived by 19 grandchildren; 16 great-grandchildren; one sister: Mable Holmes, and one brother: Charles Baker (both of Chattanooga, TN); sisters-in-law: Josephine Kelley (of Tuskegee, AL) and Geraldine Baker (of Chattanooga, TN) and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, friends, and extended family to celebrate her life, love, and legacy.

Services will be held in both Memphis and Chattanooga. On Tuesday, Jan. 25, in Memphis, at M.J. Edwards Funeral Home, Stage Road Chapel, visitation will be from 10-11:55 a.m., with services immediately following at noon. On Friday, Jan. 28, in Chattanooga, at Taylor Funeral Home, visitation will be from 9-9:55 a.m., with funeral services immediately following at 10 a.m. Burial will be in Chattanooga at Forest Hills Cemetery.

The family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through the Alice Spence Memorial Fund via https://tinyurl.com/alicespencememorialfund.
The recent eight inches of snow in Middle Tennessee (Nashville primarily) and the usual stoppage of inclement weather from the North by the Cumberland Plateau at Monteagle raised the question of the origin of the term blizzard.

Actually, the term was not used to mean a snowstorm until around 1870.

However, the word had been used for about 50 years without any particular meaning.

A creative newspaper editor in town needed a word to describe a particularly fierce spring storm.

The word had previously been used to describe a vicious physical attack either with fists or guns.

Due to severity of the weather he decided to apply blizzard to his description of the storm in his weather report!

* * *

Jerry Summers



(If you have additional information about one of Mr. Summers' articles or have suggestions or ideas about a future Chattanooga area historical piece, please contact Mr. Summers at jsummers@summersfirm.com)




Businessman, philanthropist, and Cleveland City School alumni Allan Jones announced Wednesday his Allan Jones for Better Schools initiative and said he is calling for the current board chair, Dawn Robinson, to step down.

Mr. Jones said, "In 2006 I was tasked with rebuilding the Cleveland High wrestling team. Today, the team is ranked number one in the state and has become an elite powerhouse. However, the Cleveland City School system is ranked in the lower 24 percentile of school systems in the State and only outperforms Meigs County locally according to schooldigger.com.

This is outrageous. Our school system is a mess due to the failed leadership of Board Chair Dawn Robinson. The future of Cleveland depends on the success of our teachers and our students.

"I am not the only one who feels there needs to be a change with school board leadership. In a recent poll of Cleveland City voters, over 79 percent of voters believed it is time for new leadership on the school board.

"I agree and I have a plan for new leadership on the school board and believe it is time for Chairman Dawn Robinson to step down and not seek re-election. In fact, when voters were asked 'Do you believe Dawn Robinson has performed her job well enough to deserve re-election or do you think it is time to give a new person a chance to do better?' 78 percent of voters polled said it was time for a new person while only 13 percent believe Dawn Robinson should be re-elected. In the same poll, over 80 percent of voters believe accomplished alumni are the missing link to lead Cleveland City Schools to one of the top systems in Tennessee.

"Allan Jones for Better Schools seeks to recruit and support accomplished alumni to give back to their community and invest in the school system which set the foundation for their success."

Mr. Jones is a native of Cleveland. He left college at age 20 to help his father stabilize the familys small business, the Credit Bureau of Cleveland. He purchased the business from his father in 1977 and developed it to become the largest credit bureau databases in the state. Mr. Jones sold the credit reporting side of the business to Equifax in 1988, although he retained the name and the companys collection agency division. The sale to Equifax set a record for the highest price per file paid for a credit reporting business, he said. Mr. Jones then built the collections company to be the largest in Tennessee with offices from Memphis to Atlanta. He sold the company in 1998.

Mr. Jones founded Check Into Cash in 1993 and grew it to include at one point 1,300 locations nationwide. In 2014, he stepped in to save Hardwick Clothes  Americas oldest tailor made clothing manufacturer. He rescued more than 200 jobs and lead the company back to profitability before selling it in 2019.

In 2011, Mr. Jones and Tennessee businessman Randy Boyd made history by starting Tennessee Achieves Scholarship program (also called the College of Knowledge) that provided full scholarships for every graduating senior from Cleveland High, Bradley Central High School and Walker Valley High. The program ended in 2015 after it was adopted statewide by Governor Bill Haslam and renamed Tennessee Promise. Today, millions of students across Tennessee have benefited from the program.

He said his Foundation has planted hundreds of trees on Cleveland streets and more than 300 on school campuses. He has been called the largest individual supporter of high school wrestling in the United States and was the funder of the Jones Wrestling Center at Cleveland High School and was also the sole funder of the wrestling building at Bradley Central. Mr. Jones is a lifelong fan of the Tennessee Volunteers and was the sole funder of the Allan Jones Aquatic Center on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus.

If you would like to join the Allan Jones for Better Schools initiative please contact Toby Pendergrass at tpendergrass@jonesmanagement. com .

The issues facing our school system are the direct results of failed leadership of the current school board, not the teachers and principals who work tirelessly each day for our students. I believe our children deserve better, our teachers deserve better, and our city deserves better, said Mr. Jones.
Hamilton County is set to possibly receive millions of dollars in a settlement with three manufacturers and distributors of opioids, attorney Ronnie Berke told members of the County Commission on Wednesday.

In late December, a federal judge rejected a proposed $4.5 billion settlement with Purdue Pharma that would have given the Sackler family a full release from any liability.

That rejection by the bankruptcy judge will have zero effect on our proposed settlement on what weve done so far, attorney Berke said.

The settlement was with three distributors and a subdivision of Johnson and Johnson. The numbers are not completely decided yet.

He told the commission that the defendants have until mid-March to reject details, but that the county expects to receive $10.8 million from two different funds.

It will not be paid immediately and will be paid over 18 years, attorney Berke said. Our best estimate will be that the county will receive $900,000 over the first three years, and then the next 15 years the county will receive between $500,000 or $600,000.

The attorney expects for the county to start receiving payments in May or June, and that the city of Chattanooga will also receive a small amount of money as well. He said there are restrictions on what $7 million of those payments can be used for.

The $7 million will be an abatement fund to take care of problems caused by the opioid crisis, but those guidelines have not been finally determined yet, attorney Berke said. What we fully expect is that what the county is already spending money on will be able to be shifted over into this abatement fund. Even though there will be some restrictions, it will still be used for things the county is spending on.

While he said there is nothing set in stone right now, the settlement could also bring in what he called more millions for the county. Whether there will be a settlement or a trial is yet to be determined.




U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over U.S. Supreme Court nominees, released the following statement on the retirement of Justice Stephen Breyer.

Justice Stephen Breyer has served 27 years on the Supreme Court, and I thank him for his service to our nation, said Senator Blackburn. It is telling that the opportunity for President Biden to nominate a new justice will be right before an election when the President is already facing record-low approval ratings. A majority of the country has lost confidence in his leadership, and he has proven incapable of serving as Commander in Chief.

"I will not stand by as President Biden attempts to fill our courts with activist judges who are beholden to progressive interests. I look forward to thoroughly vetting the nominee to see if they are a person of high character who will strictly interpret the Constitution and not make law from the bench.

Justice Stephen Breyer is expected to retire in June 2022 at the end of the current SCOTUS term.
The Tennessee Department of Education announced on Wednesday that all 147 Tennessee school districts have received approval on their required ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) plans to spend more than $3.5 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funding to benefit K-12 public school students in their districts. Per U.S. Department of Education guidelines, all districts were required to develop plans that outlined their local spending strategies for their portion of the historic amount of federal funding.

Tennessees education leaders recognize the opportunity and responsibility our state has with these historic funds to benefit Tennessees students, said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. Were incredibly proud of the hard work both districts and the department have committed to building smart, strategically aligned plans to ensure the greatest impact for students outcomes and the future of our state. The importance of community engagement, surveying local needs, and planning for the future were key components of this process, and we are committed to supporting the great work ahead for our schools and systems.



Beginning in 2020, the U.S. Congress responded to the global COVID-19 health pandemic by passing several pieces of relief-focused legislation, and as a result Tennessee is benefitting from over $4.5 billion for K-12 education to be spent between spring 2020 and fall 2024. Through three rounds of funding referred to as ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 funds, over $3.58 billion will flow directly to local school districts to decide how to spend.



While states nationwide have varied in their processes and approach for reviewing district plans, Tennessee has been recognized as a leader in the field. National institutions and outlets have noted Tennessees intentional review of each plan to ensure accuracy, compliance, and strategic approach.



The department has maintained a comprehensive review process to ensure the strongest fiscal decisions were made to provide student-focused supports and outcomes statewide.



Districts were required to submit five components to the department including an ESSER Public Plan, ESSER 3.0 Funding Application, Health and Safety Plan, Needs Assessment, and Community Engagement Checklist, which totals over 700 plans completed by districts across the state. To support districts in their planning, the department offered early resources, templates, webinars, planning documents, office hours, weekly calls, and targeted support, generating numerous avenues of support to meet the various nature and needs of districts statewide.



The department remains focused on academic achievement and acceleration, and is making deep, strategic investments to provide the most-needed support for students. In May, the Tennessee Department of Education shared the overall spending strategy for the states portion of the federal COVID-19 relief and economic stimulus funding. Tennessees state plan outlines the departments spending strategies for its set-aside portion of the funding, including grant opportunities and resources to support districts, schools, teachers, students and families and solicited feedback from over 150 organizations statewide. The U.S. Department of Education approved the state plan on July 15.



The department subsequently released the opportunity for districts to participate in the Best for All District Recognition program, sharing benefits awarded to Tennessee school districts that planned to spend historic amounts of federal COVID-19 relief and stimulus funding directly on student achievement and improving academic outcomes. To qualify for the Best for All recognition program, a district must spend 50 percent of its ESSER 3.0 award amount on proven, research-based strategies to raise student academic achievement and participate in the TN ALL Corps tutoring grant program to provide students with high-dosage, low-ratio tutoring opportunities. The Best for All Districts will be publicly announced in February.



Elected officials and district leaders have commented on this historic amount of funding available to Tennesseans for Pre-K12 education, recognizing the importance of these investments for student support:



The pandemic has presented many challenges for schools across our state. This unprecedented funding will provide new educational opportunities as well as additional, urgent resources that will support the needs of every student in Tennessee, said House Education Administration Chairman Mark White. We are optimistic that well see significant achievement gains as a result of this investment as we work toward our goal of leading the nation in education.



The ESSER relief funding provides an unprecedented opportunity to ensure all students in our district are provided the opportunity to achieve academic excellence, said Annette Tudor, director of schools, Bristol City Schools. Our plan is tailored to meet the specific needs of students, staff, and families using innovative, research-based practices. The targeted initiatives will help us improve student proficiency, strengthen teacher-student connections, reduce learning loss gaps, and increase opportunities for learning acceleration.



Henry County Schools are focused on excellence in all we do, and these historic ESSER funds will further our ability to support every student, every day, said Leah Watkins, Director of Schools, Henry County Schools. Following intentional community engagement and a robust needs assessment, our districts plan prioritizes investments that will deliver on the development and outcomes our children deserve. We appreciate the continued support of the department to review and recognize districts visions to thoughtfully invest in their communities, and we are optimistic about the great work ahead.



It is critical that we use these funds strategically, said Senate Education Chairman Jon Lundberg. Used wisely, these funds will become educational assets to not only put our students back on track but propel them all educationally.



With the approval of our ESSER plans, our district will be able to move forward in implementing programs and services that will greatly benefit the students of Murfreesboro, said Trey Duke, director of schools, Murfreesboro City Schools. This funding will help us reach our district goals around increasing academic performance, providing whole child supports, and ensuring every student has access to highly effective educators.



Dyersburg City Schools is committed to an excellent education for our students, and the historic federal funding will strengthen the ways we prepare our students to reach their full potential, said Kim Worley, director of schools, Dyersburg City Schools. Our funding strategy is focused on accelerating academic achievement, enriching opportunities, and removing barriers for success. Our district is eager to continue the great work on behalf of our students experiences, communitys future, and states progress.



Cannon County recognizes full well the importance and opportunity of these federal funds, said William Curtis, director of schools, Cannon County. Our mission is focused on providing opportunities for all students to succeed and reach their full potential. With the approval of our ESSER plan, we are ready to invest in those key strategies, steps, and actions necessary to meet the needs of our students. Further, we are grateful for the opportunity to engage with community stakeholders and families to hear firsthand their priorities to serve students, advance their achievement, and provide every pathway for a childs future success.


Four Jewish-themed, award-winning documentary films produced in the United States, Israel, France and Canada will be shown virtually on four consecutive weeks beginning at Tuesday, Feb. 15, and continuing through March 11. Each film will be available from noon on Tuesday for 72 hours, concluding at noon on Friday.

To register to view films visit www.jewishchattanooga.com. A subscription for all five films is $36. Films can be viewed one film at a time for $12 each. Virtual screenings must be pre-paid in advance by visiting www.jewishchattanooga.com. You will receive the login code the first morning of the screening and a Zoom code for discussions, if one is scheduled, on Thursday.

These films have garnered international film awards and nominations, and have received recognition at film festivals throughout the United States, Europe and Israel.

The DOC Series schedule is as follows:

Feb. 15-18: Yerusalem, The Incredible Story of Ethiopian Jewry For 2,500 years, the Jews of Ethiopia believed that they were the last Jews on Earth. Deeply connected to their faith, Yerusalem brings to life the long, dramatic and tumultuous journey of this community as they finally find their way back to the heart of the Jewish people, Jerusalem. Hebrew, Ethiopian, subtitles 90 minutes

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JHtf-B5rM0

Feb. 22-25: Mish Mish

In a basement near Paris a treasure - trove of Egyptian animated films has been found. The films show the work of the Arab worlds pioneers in this genre, the Frenkel brothers: three exceptional young film - makers, creators of Mish-Mish Effendi, the Mickey Mouse of the entire region, which disappeared from Egyptian screens when the State of Israel was created. English, Hebrew, French, subtitles 74 minutes

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPL5oTU9RzM



March 1-4: Outremont and the Hasidim

The challenges of accommodating the "Hasidim", or ultra-Orthodox Jews, in the affluent Montreal borough of Outremont highlight the need for relationship building. After settling there more than 70 years ago, the Hasidim are a rapidly growing minority group which today represents about 23% of Outremont's population. The growing presence of the Hasidim and their believed refusal to integrate causes distrust and fear. English, French, Yiddish, subtitles 53 minutes

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS-g9xbPWjc



March 8-11: The Legacy of Aristides

In June 1940 in Bordeaux, France Aristides de Sousa Mendes saved tens of thousands of Jews and non-Jews by issuing them visas for Portugal. As the Portuguese consul to France in the early years of the Second World War, Sousa Mendes found himself continually more restricted by the policies of Portugal's prime minister, who had assumed a position of neutrality in his desire not to offend Hitler. French, subtitles 72 minutes

Trailer: https://vimeo.com/662428381



A committee of dedicated volunteers reviews an average of 25 documentary films each year in order to choose four films. Films screened at major national and international film festivals, those recommended by peers throughout the United States, and those brought to the committees attention by filmmakers are included in the selection process.




Even though Willie Garsons death seemingly came as a total shock to many Sex and the City fans, And Just Like That  showrunner Michael Patrick King probably knew about the grave nature of his illness.

A background actor who worked on the series recently reflected on his experience shooting the series. He shared that the Sex and the City spinoff was shot out of sequence. While shooting out of sequence isnt that uncommon, the actor, who asked to remain anonymous said Garsons scenes were front-loaded to the schedule because he thinks King knew Garson didnt have much time left.

Garson was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer during the filming process. Garson died in his home in Los Angeles on September 21. He was 57.

And Just Like That  was shot out of sequence for Willie Garson

So I venture to say that Willie Garson informed Michael Patrick King that he was dying. And thats why they front-loaded the scenes that he needed to record, the actor said on the Hot Takes and Deep Dives with Jess Rothschild podcast.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Willie Garson | James Devaney/GC Images

I assume thats why they were shooting so massively out of sequence right away is they needed to get as much Willie Garson as possible, he continued. And so they front-loaded a bunch of his scenes. Because Im assuming all of the scenes that you see with Carrie and Anthony were meant to be with Carrie and Stanford. It has to be.

Actors said they didnt know he was sick

While Garsons death took fans by surprise, many of the actors working on the series claim they also didnt know Garson was ill. For a long time not knowing he was sick, and then things got bad enough that we were informed, Kristin Davis said during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Cynthia Nixon, who appeared alongside Davis clarified that they learned about Garsons illness before he left the set. Were also very grateful that we had a few days with him knowing that he was sick. And we could talk to him about it and he could talk to us about it, she said. And that was a really important thing for all of us. Its hard. I wish he was here. You know?

RELATED: Sex and the City Star Willie Garson Says And Just Like That Is Nothing Like the Original

King told The Hollywood Reporter, We lost Willie [Garson], which was a shock, too. Adding, We had a whole journey that we werent able to do, but what he did is fantastic.

Willie Garsons character wasnt honored in a proper way

The background actor also believes that the final scene where Stanford leaves Anthony to move to Japan was rewritten. Like I bet you they just rewrote that one scene where Stanford goes off to Japan to manage the TikTok [star], he said. They probably just threw that in when he died. Because they probably had thought, oh we dont know how long were going to have him with us. So lets attempt to shoot all of this.

And away we go pic.twitter.com/Tbn5XWA2Dz  Willie Garson (@WillieGarson) June 11, 2021

He and host Jess Rothschild agreed with many fans, agreeing they did not like how Garsons character departed the series. I feel like they didnt honor the character in the proper way. Like, yeah, I just felt like there could have been a better way, he said.

But he added that other aspects were problematic too. It was an uphill climb from Kim Cattrall not coming back, which, you know, put a dent in storytelling for them, he reflected. I think Chris Noth not wanting to be a part of it and then deciding, OK, lets kill off him. But then having to have to remove part of his character because of the allegations. And then obviously, as we have, weve been texting back and forth. I mean, people are up in arms over Miranda this season.
The Derricos are returning to TLC, and life might be crazier than ever for this family of 16. A trailer for the new season of Doubling Down With the Derricos teases more adventures for Karen and Deon Derrico and their many children, including trips to Myrtle Beach and Disney, potty training for the youngest kids, new health challenges, and more. Plus Karen faces the stress of being a mom to multiple multiples. She and Deon also consider making a major move that could see the family leave Las Vegas behind.

Doubling Down With the Derricos returns Feb. 22

The Derrico family from TLCs Doubling Down With the Derricos | TLC

RELATED: Doubling Down With the Derricos Star Karen Derrico Reveals How Hard It Is to Grocery Shop for 14 Kids

Doubling Down With the Derricos Season 3 premieres Tuesday, Feb. 22 on TLC. In the new episodes, Karen and Deon are dealing with a fresh set of challenges as they parent their 14 kids, who include quintuplets, triplets, and two sets of twins.

The couples oldest child, 15-year-old Darian, is ready for more independence  and a drivers license. Meanwhile, Derrick, 11, and Dallas and Denver, 10, are experiencing their first crushes. Diez and Dior are starting preschool, and triplets Dawsyn, DeAren, and Dyver are in the potty-training stage. Amid all the chaos, Karen and Deon are seriously considering a cross-country move from Nevada to South Carolina so they can be closer to Karens extended family.

Deon urges Karen to talk to someone in Doubling Down With the Derricos Season 3

Highs, lows, and big moments are a given when youre a family of multiple multiples! From potty training to first dates and everything in between, the Derrico family has plenty of new adventures to share. Watch the season premiere of #TheDerricos on Tuesday, February 22 at 10/9c! pic.twitter.com/CPjLjySHPn  TLC Network (@TLC) January 25, 2022

With more than a dozen kids ranging in age from 2 to 15, full-time mom Karen has a lot on her plate. Extra stressors such as Diezs skull surgery and her own health challenges (as seen in Doubling Down With the Derricos Season 2) only add to her burden.

Having 14 children  it is so exhausting, she says in the teaser. Especially when you have multiple multiples.

In the teaser, its clear shes close to her breaking point.

I am just so like I cant calm down, she tells Deon.

Deon is worried about his wifes health. He urges her to talk to a therapist.

Karen has endured a lot. And to see that she is still struggling, it is heartbreaking, he says in a confessional.

How much do you think you can handle before something starts to go? her therapist asks when she sits down for her appointment.

The Derrico family considers a big move

Despite Karens challenges, she and Deon are also considering making a huge life change this season. A move to her home state of South Carolina  which they discussed in season 2  is still on the table. But are their city-raised kids ready for a country lifestyle? And what about Deons mom GG? Shes made it clear she has no interest in moving to the South.

Moving to South Carolina is going to be a hard sell, Karen admits. Thats especially true if it means leaving her kids beloved grandmother, who has health problems of her own, behind in Las Vegas.

GG is a part of all of us, a tearful Derrick says. I dont want to leave her behind [and] then something happens and were not there  GG is that missing piece. Shes that glue.

Doubling Down With the Derricos Season 3 premieres Tuesday, Feb. 22 at 10 p.m. ET on TLC.

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RELATED: Doubling Down With the Derricos: A Guide to All 14 Derrico Family Kids
Love Island USA Season 3 runners-up Will Moncada and Kyra Lizama broke up in Nov. 2021 after three months of dating, presumably due to his behavior while on vacation in Mexico. However, a couple of months after announcing their split, fans believe the two are leaving breadcrumbs on social media of their rekindling.

Love Island USA Season 3 runners-up, Will Moncada and Kyra Lizama | Sara Mally/CBS/Getty Images

Are Love Island USA Season 3 runners-up Will Moncada and Kyra Lizama back together?

In Jan. 2022, former couple Will Moncada and Kyra Lizama began leaving hints on their social media that the two rekindled their romance following a two-month break.

In one instance, they both posted pictures of what looked like the same vegan breakfast. While Wills included a recipe, Kyra focused on the food and used a different angle.

Kyra doesn't have the words. But she DOES have the words to describe the words she doesn't have. #LoveIslandUSA pic.twitter.com/1vZUjaoAAs  Love Island USA (@loveislandusa) July 23, 2021

RELATED: Love Island Season 3 Episode 25: Kyra Gets an Awakening Regarding Her Relationship With Will

Some Reddit users didnt believe it was the same meal and noticed they posted several hours apart. However, others have noted other Instagram stories featuring similar backgrounds they have uploaded around the same time.

Due to fans opinions of their relationship, several think the couple is going to lengths to hide their rekindling to avoid the backlash.

Will and Kyra previously broke up in Nov. 2021

A couple of months after nearly winning Love Island USA Season 3, Will and Kyra announced they were officially dating before he celebrated a friends birthday in Mexico.

He was caught on-camera behaving questionably with several women, upsetting many fans who felt his actions disrespected Kyra. However, Will quickly responded to the rumors, claiming the couple was still together.

A few weeks later, she went public with their split in a Nov. 2021 Instagram story. Acknowledging the speculation surrounding her romance with Will, the Love Island runner-up noted the explanation she felt she owed the viewers.

According to Kyra, the couple split and have begun working through the stages of heartbreak and healing. She also seemed to hint at Wills behavior in Mexico playing a role in their breakup before thanking her followers for their support. He also acknowledged their split and asked for privacy.

Fans have changed their opinions regarding their relationship several times

Coupled since the beginning of season 3, many fans rooted for Will and Kyra as they quickly established a strong connection. However, they turned on the couple when Will spent a lot of time with newcomer Flo Mueller at Casa Amor.

The two kissed several times and shared deep conversations, leading viewers to believe he might couple up with her over Kyra. Ultimately, Will chose to focus on his connection with Kyra.

True or false? Kyra is excited for the men.  #LoveIslandUSA pic.twitter.com/iQkIlgW68Z  Love Island USA (@loveislandusa) July 4, 2021

However, he wasnt candid with what happened at Casa Amor, upsetting fans and a few other Islanders, including Shannon St. Clair, who confronted him. However, Kyra sided with Will, annoying some fans who felt she didnt want to see the truth.

Several viewers changed their minds about the couple after their time on the show, admitting they might have misjudged Will. They quickly switched back after the videos featuring his vacation made their rounds and were happy when Kyra called it quits. Love Island is available to stream on Paramount+.

RELATED: Love Island: Will and Kyras Exit Interviews Have Some Fans Changing Their Minds About Them
Former Disney actor Brenda Song and Home Alone star Macaulay Culkin are officially engaged! The couple welcomed their first child together less than a year ago. Here are all the details we know about Culkin and Songs engagement and family.

#5Newz



Our fave child stars are ENGAGED!



A Big Congratulations To Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song! pic.twitter.com/DAeKpOYfkd  5FM (@5FM) January 26, 2022

Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song are engaged after dating for four years

Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin have decided to marry after dating for about four years. Song is best known for her role as London Tipton on Disneys The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, while Culkin famously starred as Kevin McCallister in the first two Home Alone movies.

People reported that on Jan. 24, Song was spotted wearing a large diamond ring on her left hand while running errands in Beverly Hills, California.

The actors met in Thailand while working on the movie Changeland. They were first romantically linked in 2017 after being seen on a dinner date at Craigs, an Italian restaurant in Los Angeles.

The Home Alone actor previously married Rachel Miner in 1998 when they were both 18 years old. After his divorce in 2002, Culkin was in a relationship with Mila Kunis for about nine years.

Song has never been married before, but she was engaged to Trace Cyrus, Miley Cyrus brother. The former couple dated on and off from 2010 to 2017.

Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin | Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Macaulay Culkin and Brenda Song welcomed their first child 9 months before getting engaged

Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkins engagement news comes nine months after the couple welcomed their first child, a son born in LA on Apr. 5, 2021. They named their baby Dakota Song Johnson after Culkins late sister, who died after being hit by a car in 2008.

The American Horror Story: Double Feature star shared with Esquire in 2020 that he and song were trying to have a baby.

We practice a lot, Culkin told the publication. Were figuring it out, making the timing work. Because nothing turns you on more than when your lady comes into the room and says, Honey, Im ovulating.

On Nov. 8, 2021, Song posted an Instagram photo of herself and Culkin posing with the LA Rams mascot. She captioned the image, Very few things can get us out of the house and away from our son.

Brenda Song and Macaulay Culkin Are EngagedAnd Her Ring Is Huge https://t.co/dPI94D18Gk  ELLE Magazine (US) (@ELLEmagazine) January 26, 2022

Fans are reacting to the engagement news on social media

Culkins and Songs fans have been congratulating the acting couple on social media. One fan referenced Songs former Disney role by tweeting, LONDON found love so happy for her!!! followed by a pleading face emoji and a red heart emoji.

Another fan mentioned Culkins Home Alone movies by tweeting, Home alone guy found someone to share a home with.

Several social media users expressed disbelief that two of their favorite child stars from separate works are engaged. One fan wrote on Twitter, My brain will never process them as a couple, while another tweeted, Most random couple ever, but im happy for them.

RELATED: Macaulay Culkin from Home Alone to American Horror Story: Everything Hes Done In Between
Navalny is a riveting and powerful documentary about the political and social battles worth fighting for. Director Daniel Roher approaches the subject of Alexei Navalnys journey in a suspenseful, yet remarkably tender fashion. Navalny is a must-see documentary, regardless of how much viewers already know about his opposition to the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin.

Navalny details Alexei Navalnys journey

Alexei Navalny | Sundance Institute

Its August 2020. A plane traveling from Siberia to Moscow suddenly made an emergency landing as a result of Navalny being on the brink of death. They manage to save his life but confirm that he was poisoned with a nerve agent that the Russian government used in the past called Novichok.

Rohers documentary follows Navalny and his team through the aftermath. He already had a large social media following with many people around the world watching his story unfold. Navalny works with journalists and news organizations to uncover the truth behind this attempted assassination and expose it to the world.

Director Daniel Roher explores anti-corruption and the fight for whats right

Sundance adds a surprise screening of 'Navalny,' a documentary about the Russian opposition leader. https://t.co/gSe2Nmhxso  Collider (@Collider) January 24, 2022

Rohers Navalny explores his journey in the face of possible death or life imprisonment, but it also touches on how the media spun the story. Russian news outlets spout dangerous lies and offensive rhetoric to diminish Navalnys image and credibility. However, Putin wont even dare say his name in public, often calling him that person or the patient. Navalny believed that remaining in the public eye was keeping him alive, but that wouldnt prove to be entirely correct.

After the assassination attempt, the investigative efforts proved difficult. It occurred on Russian soil so it was near impossible to perform a proper investigation. Nevertheless, Roher speaks with insiders to paint a comprehensive picture of their findings. Navalny displays the fight for whats right. If people arent willing to keep going, then all hope is lost.

Navalny naturally brings the documentarys subject back to Russia. Hes an enthralling speaker who clearly means and feels every word of what he says. Roher speaks to his family to fully understand their perspective and the impact that his fight for an entire country has on them. Navalny is political and social, but its also emotional and grounded.

Navalny is a must-see documentary

L-R: Daniel Roher and Dasha Navalny | Sundance Institute

The opening scene explores the intention of making this documentary in the first place. Navalny doesnt want the film to be a boring account of his life if he were to end up dead. Rather, he has a message to share with the world that he wants to live on, even if he were to end up dead or imprisoned. Navalny is about making a statement and using evidence to turn words and ideas into action.

Roher doesnt spread himself thin with his amount of participants. However, he incorporates news footage, social media excerpts, and talk show airings to show how the international press covered the story. Navalny tells its viewers to not be afraid and to never stop fighting back against corruption. Hes referred to as the symbol of Russias freedom, but his story is a human one that extends past Russias borders.

Navalny is a robust piece of documentary storytelling. Its an investigative thriller that elicits a profound emotional reaction. Rohers film is lively, well-edited, and thoroughly enthralling. Its a must-see documentary, particularly for audiences fascinated by the modern social and political climate. Navalny is the type of documentary that is both emotionally resonant and nail-bitingly suspenseful.

RELATED: 892 Movie Review [Sundance 2022]: John Boyega Gives an Awards-Worthy Performance in Abi Damaris Corbins Thriller
Prince Harry made it known that hed like to return to England for a visit in 2022 with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children. But their upcoming trip is facing a major obstacle after the Duke of Sussex was denied the private police protection he is requesting for his family while in the country.

Heres more on why Harry is being refused private security that he even offered to pay for, and what a royal expert is suggesting about the delayed trip having to do with Meghans feelings on wanting to return to the U.K.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attending their last royal engagement at Commonwealth Day Service in 2020 | Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Prince Harrys legal battle to return home

It was recently revealed that Prince Harry previously applied for police protection for his future visits to England but was denied. A legal spokesperson for the duke released a statement on Jan. 15 regarding his application for judicial review after the Home Offices decision that read:

Prince Harry inherited a security risk at birth, for life. He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats. While his role within the Institution has changed, his profile as a member of the royal family has not. Nor has the threat to him and his family. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed while in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home.

The Daily Mail reported that When Harry left The Firm the terms [of his exit] were clear. Like other members of the public, he and his wife are not able to hire armed cops at will  no matter how much they offer to pay. Therefore, the security the Sussexes have in the U.S. could not be replicated in the U.K. because they dont allow people to walk the streets with guns.

Expert questions if Meghan wants to go back to England again

Meghan Markle donning a red dress as she smiles at Prince Harry upon arrival in Tonga | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

After it was insisted that Harry and Meghan knew the rules when they left their roles in the family, royal expert Camilla Tominey suggested that perhaps the duchess just categorically doesnt want to return to the U.K.

Yet as many royal commentators, and indeed former royal bodyguards have pointed out, the couple will automatically be enveloped into the Mets policing of [Queen Elizabeths] Jubilee because its an official event, Tominey said. It was the same when Harry came over for Prince Philips funeral. What this seems to be about is the policing of the couples private visits to the U.K.  but surely by their very nature, they pose no significant security risk.

The royal expert added that while its believed Harry had wanted to return home maybe what the Sussexes are really trying to tell us is that Meghan categorically doesnt. Only time will tell.

Prince Harry traveled back to England twice since moving to California. Meghan has not been back at all since attending their final royal engagement in March 2020.

RELATED: Meghan Markle Is Completely Unrecognizable From the Woman Harry Met and Fell in Love With, Royal Author Claims
Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon were once one of Hollywoods star couples. Their relationship went the distance for several years before they would divorce in 2008. But initially, Phillippe recalled having a difficult time with the split. So much so the star admitted he stopped taking care of himself because of it.

How did Ryan Phillipe and Reese Witherspoon first meet?

Ryan Phillippe and Reese Witherspoon | S. Granitz/WireImage

According to US Magazine, Reese Witherspoon first met Ryan Phillipe at her 21st birthday party in 1997. Witherspoon ended up making the first move, teasing Phillipe with a line she would find embarrassing years later.

I dont know what came over me. Maybe the seven Midori sours  but I told [Ryan], I think youre my birthday present, Witherspoon told Jane Magazine. He thought it was so flattering, and now that I think about ithow embarrassing!

Witherspoon and Phillipe would tie the knot with each other in 1999. But their marriage wouldnt last, and in 2006, the couple put out a joint statement announcing their breakup.

We are saddened to announce that Reese and Ryan have decided to formally separate, a rep said on behalf of the two. They remain committed to their family and we ask that you please respect their privacy and the safety of their children at this time.

Ryan Phillippe was a physical wreck after his break-up with Reese Witherspoon

It was difficult for both Phillippe and Witherspoon to move on after the split. Phillippe shared how the end of his marriage took the actor to some particularly dark places. It not only impacted him emotionally, but physically as well.

After the divorce I wanted to die, Phillippe once told Man About Town (via Daily Mail). I was ready to kill myself. I was not taking care of myself at all. I would wake up and cry and vomit.

Witherspoon also confided in an interview with 60 Minutes the divorces effect on her.

That was a tough year that followed, Witherspoon confided. I got divorced next year, and I spent a few years just trying to feel better. Yknow, you cant really be very creative when you feel like your brain is scrambled eggs.

This would take a bit of a toll on the Legally Blonde stars career, who found herself going through the motions.

And then I was kind of floundering career-wise because I wasnt making things I was passionate about, I was just kind of working, she said.

Reese Witherspoon didnt regret marrying Ryan Phillippe

Although many things can cause the end of a marriage, Phillippe believes that their youth played a huge part in their own split.

I think more of a problem was age, Phillippe once told Larry King. We got together so young.

Phillippe later confided that the two at least were able to remain friends over the years.

Despite how things might have ended up between the two, Witherspoon didnt have any regrets about marrying her Cruel Intentions co-star.

I got married when I was 23 and I had two kids by the time I was 27. So I dont know, you know, sometimes its good to know yourself, Witherspoon said to Lorraine. I would never change anything. Ive said to my daughter, I think, you know, 25, you start to know yourself a little bit better.

How to get help: In the U.S and Canada, text the Crisis Text Line at 741741 to reach a crisis counselor for support.

RELATED: How Old Was Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde?
Once fans learned that This Is Us Season 6 Episode 4 would focus on Jack dealing with his mothers death, they knew that they were in for an emotional ride. Milo Ventimiglia had a heartbreakingly beautiful performance in the episode. But it was the final scene that tugged at the heartstrings the most, and, thankfully for Ventimiglia, Mandy Moore helped him immensely on the day of filming.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from This Is Us Season 6 Episode 4, Dont Let Me Keep You.]

Milo Ventimiglia as Jack and Mandy Moore as Rebecca | Photo by: Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Jacks mother dies in This Is Us Season 6 Episode 4

Jack learned at the end of This Is Us Season 6 Episode 3 that his mother, Marilyn, died. So, in episode 4, he traveled alone to Ohio for the funeral. But once Jack got there, he realized that there were many things that he didnt know about his mother. Marilyn had a cat named Cat Benatar, a loving boyfriend, and a community that supported her.

Of course, this made Jack feel guilty for not visiting more. But, as the episode went on, it was clear why Jack and Marilyn couldnt have much of a relationship once he moved her out of his abusive fathers house. His father, Stanley, would always hover over them. And they had to create homes for themselves once they left him. Jack had Rebecca and the kids, and Marilyn had Debbie and Mike.

The last scene of This Is Us Season 6 Episode 4 showed Jack and Rebecca returning home with the kids. Jack made Kevin, Kate, and Randall tomato soup and hot dogs  his mothers specialty. But once he served the food, Jack became overwhelmed with emotions. He had to excuse himself, and Rebecca followed him into the other room. She put her hand on his shoulder, and Jack, with tears in his eyes, said, I dont have a mom anymore.

Mandy Moore helped Milo Ventimiglia in the final scene of This Is Us Season 6 Episode 4

After Dont Let Me Keep You aired, Milo Ventimiglia discussed the emotional episode with TVLine. And the actor revealed how Mandy Moore supported him while shooting the final scene.

I remember when we moved to the next sequence where Jack actually has to excuse himself, and hes in the other room, I remember Mandy just saying like, Milo, what can I do for you, what do you need?' Ventimiglia shared. And I was like, Just let me know that youre there, you know?'

He added, But I think the man that Jack is, the product of the 40s that he is, the man who went to war in the early 70s, you know, hes never going to show his emotion. So, knowing that his kids are in the other room and his wife is in there and all of that, hed still keep his back to them because hed never want them to see it.

Ventimiglia even equated the final scene of season 6 episode 4 to another moment in This Is Us. He said, Its like season 3, I think, when theyre in the car and Rebeccas singing a song, and he has to turn away because he doesnt want her to see how emotional that makes him. Thats just 100 percent Jack.

So I was like, Hey, just let me know that youre there, and cameras rolled and we stepped in, and I think I was on edge to begin with because of what wed already filmed for the episode and working myself up for it, Ventimiglia continued. And Mandy walked in and put her hand on my shoulder, and I turned around, and that was the scene.

Think we could all use a big hug right now.



Thanks for watching another episode of #ThisIsUsFinalChapter with us. We'll see you next Tuesday on @NBC. pic.twitter.com/9boLeqVZUL  This Is Us (@NBCThisisUs) January 26, 2022

Milo Ventimiglia teases Jacks ending

Since This Is Us is ending after season 6, fans want to know if more revelations about Jacks character will arise after episode 4.

Milo Ventimiglia told Variety, I think Jack is just consistently there no matter what. Hes there in the kids behavior. Hes there in the kids actions, whether theyre talking about him or not. There may not be much were going to learn about Jack, but I think the thing to know is that hes always there. And going toward the end, we saw Jacks end, well get to understand where the true Jacks end is when we get there in April.

This Is Us Season 6 airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

RELATED: This Is Us Stars Milo Ventimiglia and Mandy Moore Promised One Another  Im Not Going to Be Happy Unless Youre Happy
Viewers of This Is Us found themselves on an emotional rollercoaster during Dont Let Me Keep You, where Jack (Milo Ventimiglia) came to terms with the death of his mother Marilyn (Laura Niemi). After years of weekly phone calls where Jack and Marilyn quickly caught up but never really got to know one another, her sudden death became a catalyst for learning more about the woman he saved from an abusive marriage. Viewers were left crying during the episodes final scene where Jack, in the arms of his family, comes to the realization his mother was truly gone. They agreed it was one of the best episodes ever of the acclaimed NBC series.

Milo Ventimiglia on the set of This Is Us | Ron Batzdorff/NBC

Dont Let Me Keep You allowed fans to learn even more about the character of Jack Pearson

Jack was always a significant presence in the Pearson family after his untimely death. However, his story was never fully fleshed out. This Is Us writers took fans into a deeper look at a love story between a mother and son in the episode Dont Let Me Keep You.

In a series of flashbacks, the series traveled 13 years in the past as Jack took Marilyn out of the home she shared with his father, her husband Stanley (Peter Onorati). After settling Marilyn at her cousin Debbies (Camryn Manheim) home in Ohio, Jack appeared to keep his mother at arms length. As his life revolved more around Rebecca (Mandy Moore) and their three children, he seemed to be less involved in his weekly phone calls with his mother.

The series writers ran with this detail as they demonstrated just how much Jack did not know about his mother during her life in Ohio, where she found a new family and a happy life.

Fans called the storyline one of the best episodes ever

In the comments section of an Instagram post, fans reacted to the emotional storyline.

They called it one of the best episodes ever of the six-season NBC series.

Cried my eyes out. One of the best episodes to date wrote one follower.

The last three minutes. To anyone that has lost a mom, it hits the most, claimed a second viewer.

That was so well-written and the best acting from Jack Ive seen. Gut-wrenching, still crying thinking about it all. I dont have a mom anymore gutted me. This is the best show ever, exclaimed a third Instagram user.

Incredible episode!! Hats off to Milo Ventimiglia, Bravo! I was crying, penned a fourth fan of This Is Us.

Will viewers learn more about Jacks past throughout the series final season?

Milo Ventimiglia in a scene from NBCs This Is Us | Ron Batzdorff/NBC

In an interview with People Magazine, Ventimiglia put a period on Jacks backstory.

He explained, I think it was just an important piece to, I dont want to say wrap up Jack, but I dont know if theres much more were gonna learn about Jack. I think at this point; hes still just gonna serve as a memory and as this foundation for his kids.

This Is Us airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. EST on NBC.

RELATED: This Is Us Star Laura Niemi Relates to Marilyn Pearsons Tough Journey as Jacks Mom
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Public health expert Tyler VanderWeele, who coauthored the cover story for our November print issue, recently analyzed how four school categoriespublic, private, religious, and homeschoolmight affect the long-term well-being of adolescents.

VanderWeele and his team at Harvard examined a large swath of data, collected over more than a decade, which tracked the development of 12,000 nurses children into their young adulthood. The longitudinal study surveyed social, physical, and mental health trends across the grouplike substance abuse, anxiety/depression, community engagement, and sexual activity.

The teams analysis was published recently in PLoS ONE, and some of their findings were surprising.

In comparing key health indicators, the researchers found little difference between the long-term well-being of adolescents who attended public school and those who went to private school. (All of the kids who participated were between the ages of 9-14 when the study began.)

We didn't go in having any clear expectations, but we certainly didn't expect to find basically nothingwhich is what we found, VanderWeele said. We found relatively little difference comparing public and private schools across a whole host of outcomes.

There was, however, a noted difference between the kids who attended public school and those who were homeschooled.

We found a lot of positive, beneficial outcomes of homeschooling, VanderWeele said.

Their data showed that homeschooled kids were more likely to volunteer, forgive others, possess a sense of mission and purpose, and have notably fewer lifetime sexual partners.

Homeschoolers were also 51 percent more likely to frequently attend religious services into their young adulthood. It is quite possible that a lot of homeschooling parents were religious or did this for religious reasons, but we unfortunately dont have data on the content of the curriculum, VanderWeele said.

The researchers found only one adverse effect of homeschooling: those children were 23 percent less likely to attain a college degree than public and private school kids (who had similar college completion rates in this sample). This may point to the need [to] focus more on college preparedness, VanderWeele commented.

Another surprise was how the public-school experience compared to private religious education. In the long list of health metrics, the team found only a marginal difference on a few outcomesaround 1015 percentbetween the kids who were sent to public school and those who attended schools with faith affiliations.

The kids who went to religious schools were marginally more likely to register to vote, less likely to be obese, and more likely to have fewer lifetime sexual partners by the time they became young adults.

On the other hand, they were slightly more likely to engage in binge drinking.

It might be that some children feel they want to rebel if theyre going through religious schooling all of their life, VanderWeele said. We werent really able to determine why, but something like that could be the explanation.

In adulthood church attendance, homeschooled students also came out ahead of others. The kids who went to faith-based schools were only slightly more likely to attend religious services as young adults than those who went to either secular private or public schoolsand much less likely than those who were homeschooled. (Worth noting: The study did not look at faith retention among Christian students, only religious attendance among the whole group.)

Demographer Lyman Stone cautions not to interpret the results of this single study as proving a definitive causal linkto say, for instance, that homeschooling or religious schooling alone are direct causes of higher religious attendancebut to recognize that this data set is related by association.

Article continues below

The link between religious schooling and adult religious service attendanceand probably homeschooling toois causal. This study doesnt show that its causal, but it is. And we know that from other studies, Stone says, referencing older research that analyzed Catholic education in France and Islamic education.

The environment that a child is exposed to does cause changes in their adult religious behaviors, Stone says, and the results [of this study] are consistent with that.

Yet the differences between public and religious schools were much less than VanderWeele expected, based on trends hed discovered in previous research using the same data set.

Our prior work had indicated that religious service attendance during adolescence was really important and shaped health and well-being in all sorts of ways, VanderWeele said. That conclusion still holds. But the effects were much smaller with religious schooling, which was not exactly what we expected.

What we found was that religious service attendance makes a bigger difference than religious schooling, he said. Religious service attendance has beneficial effects across the different school types and has stronger effects than religious schooling.

In other words, the kids who grew up attending church regularly rated far higher in overall well-being as young adults than those who went to a religious school but did not go to religious services during their formative years.

And while the effect of religious schooling itself did not seem to dramatically differ comparing those who attended religious services versus not, Vanderweele explained, for those who went to both, religious service attendance in youth was clearly the more dominant force in shaping health and well-being, at least as this pertains to the data and experiences 20 years ago.

In previous studies, VanderWeele had discovered that weekly service attendance in adulthood was associated with about 30 percent reductions in all-cause mortality, 30 percent reduction to the incidence of depression, [and] fivefold reductions in suicides.

Furthermore, regular service attendance helps shield children from the big three dangers of adolescence: depression, substance abuse, and premature sexual activity, VanderWeele writes in his latest article for Christianity Today. People who attended church as children are also more likely to grow up happy, to be forgiving, to have a sense of mission and purpose, and to volunteer.

So regardless of school type, VanderWeele says, its beneficial to go to religious services, both as an adolescent and as an adult.

[ This article is also available in Portugues, , and . ]
Modern Israeli leaders are unequivocal about the importance of Jerusalem to the state of Israel.

It has been proved without a doubt that Jerusalem is the main artery of our national consciousness, former Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in 2017. The root of Zionism is in Zion.

This wasnt always the case. In the early years of the Zionist movement, the Jewish diaspora considered recreating a homeland in many places, from the United States to Uganda. Palestine was on the list, but many Zionists, who tended to be secular, viewed Jerusalem as a backward and superstitious placeexactly the opposite of the forward-thinking socialist nation they envisioned.

The story of how that changed starts, oddly enough, with a 19th-century Congregationalist minister from Connecticut named Edward Robinson.

When Robinson visited Germany in the 1830s, he was shocked by the discipline of biblical criticism then flourishing in Protestant universities there. Instead of treating Scripture as divine revelation, German academics subjected the Bible to the same textual criticism as other ancient documents.

Robinson was deeply concerned these scholars were calling into question what he cherished as the revealed truth of Scripture. He was worried the theological disease would spread from Germany to liberal-minded Harvard University and from there infect American Christians.

To combat this trend, Robinson hit on the novel idea of proving the veracity of places, names, and events described in Scripture. He would use the tools of science to oppose what he saw as a dire threat to the Christian faith. So in 1838, he arrived in Jerusalem armed with a compass, measuring tape, telescope, and the Good Book as his guide.

From the earliest childhood I had read of and studied the localities of this sacred spot; now I beheld them with my own eyes, he wrote later. And they all seemed familiar to me, as if the realization of a former dream.

His specific goal was to pinpoint what he called indisputable remains of Jewish antiquity. He hoped to see some evidence of the reign of Solomon. Or at least Herod the Great. This was no easy task, given the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 and the subsequent centuries of war, regime change, and religious upheavals.

He was disappointed by what he foundor, rather, didnt.

The glory of Jerusalem has indeed departed, he wrote. Long under the rule of Ottoman Turks, it was by then a small town crowded with the shrines of three faiths.

Undeterred, he scoured the city and surrounding countryside to match the names of buildings, wells, and villages that betrayed an echo of the nomenclature used in the Bible. He wanted to map the Holy Land, pinpointing the sites of Scripture in contemporary geography.

When he returned to New York City in 1841, Robinson and his collaborator Eli Smith published a book with the sonorous title of Biblical Researches in Palestine, Mount Sinai and Arabia Petraea. It laid out their case for the Bibles geographical accuracy.

Image: Illustration by CT / Source Images: Union Theological Seminary / Unsplash

The tome was perhaps not an obvious bestseller, but people snatched it up on both sides of the Atlantic. For some, it wasnt just interesting; it was divinely inspired.

They were obeying an impulse from on High, one British reviewer wrote. "Jehovah meant them to be witnesses of His truth.

Whether or not their trip was divinely guided, this novel marriage of science with religion proved irresistible to millions of Christian believers. It also put Jerusalem back on the physical map for Westerners at a moment when steamships and trains made it more accessible. Robinson and Smith had laid the basis for an entire new scholarly, religious, and political enterprise in the Holy Land, notes historian Neil Asher Silberman.

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It was an enterprise that would reshape the Middle East.

One of those inspired by Robinson was a Disciples of Christ missionary from Virginia named James Turner Barclay. After settling in Jerusalem in 1851, he heard marvelous tales about its subterranean passages, galleries, and halls. An Ottoman official assured Barclay that beneath the city were the magnificent subterranean remains of the gorgeous palaces of King David, Solomon, and various other monarchs of former times.

Barclay didnt find many Jews interested in converting to Christianity, so he spent his time surreptitiously exploring various caves and wrote a popular book about his adventures.

A dozen years later, in 1863, the Ottoman sultan in Istanbul issued the first license to excavate in Jerusalem. It went to a French senator named Louis Felicien de Saulcy.

A devout Catholic and confidante to French Emperor Napoleon III, de Saulcy quickly discovered an ancient sarcophagus in the Tombs of the Kings, the citys largest tomb complex, located just north of the walled Old City. Despite complaints from Jerusalems Jews, who accused him of robbing their ancestors graves, the Frenchman declared he had discovered the bones of an ancient Judean queen. He had them shipped to the Louvre. His claim later proved false, but the exhibition of the worlds first purported biblical artifact proved a public sensation.

Not to be outdone by their French Catholic rivals, British Protestants quickly organized the Palestine Exploration Fund to bring back biblical remains for the British Museum. Their star explorer was an Anglican military officer named Charles Warren, who was also a dedicated Freemason fascinated by Solomons temple.

Scholars presumed that templesaid to have been destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCEhad once stood on the citys acropolis. Muslims call this vast rectangle held up by massive stone walls the Noble Sanctuary, while Jews know it as the Temple Mount. Digging in what has long been Islams third-holiest site was strictly forbidden, so Warren tunneled his way around the enormous walled enclosure, sometimes using dynamite to remove underground obstacles.

This did little to endear him to Arab Muslims, who suspected the Englishman, quite plausibly, of attempting to undermine their holy site.

Soon enough, the residents of Jerusalem saw an unexpected side effect of all this excavation: tourists. Bevies of visitorsmostly American Protestantsstarted flocking to the city.

Like Robinson, early Western visitors often found themselves disappointed by the Holy City. Most Jews spoke Arabic, and Muslim imams jostled past Christian priests in the narrow alleys. The place seemed at odds with the Jerusalem they had learned about in Sunday school. One contemporary guidebook warned that little was left of the far-famed capital of the Jewish Empire.

Image: Illustration by CT / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons / Unsplash

The Westerners were happier underground. Warrens tunnels, exposing passages and rooms from the days of Herod the Great, became major attractions, satisfying tourists appetite for what Jerusalem was supposed to look like.

Soon, German and Russian archaeologists joined the British and French in probing for evidence of the ancient Judean past. These explorers sought more than proof of Jerusalems biblical role. They also wanted to unearth remains that were valuable materially as well as spiritually. In 1909, a British aristocrat named Montagu Brownlow Parker even assembled a team of European psychics, code breakers, and engineers to seek out the temple treasuresincluding the ark of the covenantrumored to lie beneath the city.

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Parker estimated the artifacts were worth $5.7 billion in todays currency. He and his peculiar excavation team tunneled for two years but failed to find anything beyond a few potsherds. Desperate to pay off investors, he used bribes to obtain access to the Dome of the Rock on the Noble Sanctuary. Discovered hacking away at the sacred stone beneath the dome, the team fled for their lives. It was rumoredfalselythey had made off with Solomons riches. The incident soured Arab Muslims on both Western explorers and the citys Ottoman rulers. The scandal that ensued nearly brought down the Ottoman government in Istanbul.

European Jews were no more pleased with the ongoing excavation efforts than the local Muslims. From their perspective, Christians were attempting to abscond with important remnants of their heritage.

Image: Illustration by CT / Source Images: WikiMedia Commons / Unsplash

We, who should be the most interested party in these archaeological excavations, do almost nothing in this field and leave to whomever else wants it: Germans, Americans, British, one writer complained in a 1912 Russian-Jewish newspaper article.

Edmond de Rothschild, a French-Jewish banker, launched his own expedition to find the ark of the covenant in 1913. It was the first Jewish-led effort in the Holy Land. Rothschild, who also was working to settle displaced European Jews in Palestine, was eager to beat out Christians in the hunt for ancient Jewish treasures.

Excavations be d___, he told a friend. Its possession that counts.

That dig ended without success when World War I broke out the following year. Yet the attention lavished on subterranean Jerusalem by the early Western explorersand the tremendous press coverage accompanying each findnourished a growing interest in the city among those Jews seeking an independent homeland for their people.

By the time the British conquered the city in 1917 from the Ottomans, Western Jews saw Jerusalems ancient sites as more than simply places of prayer. They became symbols of a Jewish nation. And what had begun as a Christian effort to prove the veracity of biblical history led to the beginnings of the state of Israel.

In the wake of World War II, the British relinquished the territory to the United Nations, and the nation of Israel was born. By then, in the aftermath of the Holocaust, many Jews felt a deep yearning to make Jerusalem their capital.

After 1967, when Israel captured the Old City from Arab forces, excavations continued but under the auspices of the Israeli government. These have focused on the Judean past, and Israeli politicians have often cited archaeology to claim all of Jerusalem as Israeli territory. This has drawn complaints, prompted protests, and sparked riots by Palestinians who see the Holy City as their own.

The search for biblical Jerusalem begun by Robinson continues to stir political and religious controversy. In fact, it is this very search that has made Jerusalem the contested city that it is today.

Andrew Lawler is the author of Under Jerusalem: The Buried History of the World's Most Contested City.

[ This article is also available in espanol. ]
When Alia Dewees conducts seminars about the scourge of sex trafficking and its prevention, theres one group of people more likely than others to quiz her about the furniture and decor company Wayfair selling missing children or kids being smuggled through tunnels under New York City: Christians.

These stories are among the conspiracies that were popularized by the QAnon movement and have captured the imaginations of countless Americans and more than a quarter of Christians.

What myth-believing Christians dont want to hear is Deweess experience as a trafficking survivor. When her experiences dont match what theyve read on the internet, some trust the internet rather than the survivor in front of them.

My voice is invalidated; my experience is invalidated, said Dewees, who now works as the after care development director for Safe House Project, an anti-trafficking organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. That was so true for me in my trafficking experience for so many years that its a triggering experience. It triggers a trauma response of feeling like I want to shut down.

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and anti-trafficking groups are struggling to combat not just an international multibillion-dollar industry but also misinformation that distracts from real survivors.

Anti-trafficking advocates have always encountered misconceptions, often formed from media portrayals of trafficking like the film Taken. Its common for people who know nothing about trafficking to assume traffickers work by kidnapping unsuspecting victims off the street. And Dewees said that most people will abandon their misconceptions when they learn the facts through education and training.

Those who believe conspiracies are different, though. Dewees says they are far less eager to abandon their misconceptions when they hear information from experts in the field.

Kristi Wells, Safe House Projects CEO, recently spent 90 minutes after a North Carolina training event answering questions about why Safe House Project isnt fighting the conspiracy theories attendees had read on the internet, like about US government operatives smuggling children.

Wells tells conspiracy enthusiasts that every day people call Safe House Project for help. If were constantly focused on looking for conspiracy theories and survivors that we cant impact, were ignoring the opportunities to identify and respond to the children in our communities that are being trafficked and are right under our nose, she said.

Anti-trafficking advocates understand that those under the spell of conspiracy theories almost always have good intentions and want to help. Stephanie Simpson, communications and training manager for Restore NYC, said some of its most devoted supporters contacted her with questions about the Wayfair trafficking conspiracy. But they have believed a myth about trafficking that flattens complicated situations into good-guy/bad-guy scenarios.

Its human naturewe want so badly for there to be a bad guy, Simpson said. But the truth is far more nuanced, and nuance isnt sexy.

Rather than fighting bad people, Restore NYC focuses on bad systems that force labor- and sex-trafficking victims to feel as if they have no other options. Housing inequality, employment discrimination, racismthese systemic issues are harder to see and believe and even harder to dismantle.

And by focusing on the bad guy, not only do conspiracy believers not see the complex roots of trafficking, but they often miss the victims too.

Pat Bradley, founder of Crisis Aid, said trafficking myths get people interested in an exciting rescue, but not the long road of healing that survivors must walk. Crisis Aid has moved away from using eye-popping statistics about trafficking to keep the focus on survivors.

Lots of people are interested in the rescue, but we are more focused on the victim and getting Christian, trauma-based care to those leaving trafficking, he said. Crisis Aid provides wraparound support for survivors and their families and walks survivors through the healing process, even over the course of several years.

Polaris, the anti-trafficking agency that operates the US National Human Trafficking Hotline, saw its phone traffic dramatically increase in 2020.

Today, we see a new urgency around awareness, the organization said in a statement on its site. It is more important than ever before to move past the myths, stereotypes, and unfounded fears that feed panics and conspiracy theories, which manifest in real harm to victims and survivors.

Bradley said he commonly encounters people who wrongly believe their communitiesno matter how smallare hubs for traffickers. This just isnt true. He doesnt believe in awareness campaigns anymore. It goes in one ear and out the other.

As an article in The Atlantic this month noted, the recent panic over sex trafficking has been perpetuated by social media.

On Facebook and Instagram, friends and neighbors share unsettling statistics and dire images in formats designed for online communities that reward displays of concern, the story read. Because todays messaging about child sex trafficking is so decentralized and fluid, it is impervious to gatekeepers who would knock down its most outlandish claims.

Some anti-trafficking advocates dont mind the counterfeit stories because they are a means of getting people to pay attention to the cause. Elizabeth Fisher Good, founder of The Foundation United, said if the rumors open more eyes to the issue of trafficking, thats fine with her. Fisher Good said churches need to be better equipped to spot abuse in the church, since experiencing abuse makes people more vulnerable to being trafficked.

Sandra Morgan doesnt even like the term conspiracy theories; its too politically charged. Instead the director of the Global Center for Women and Justice at Vanguard University talks about counterfeit stories.

As anti-trafficking advocates do the work of educating and advocacy while combating counterfeit narratives, Morgan likens them to the Israelites in the book of Nehemiah, building Jerusalems walls with their tools in one hand and swords in the other to fend off marauders.

You could spend your whole time putting out fires, and that distracts from what we need to be doing every single day, she said.

Even now Morgan, based in Orange County, California, is dealing with the Super Bowl myth, the misconception that the host city Los Angeles will see a dramatic increase in sex-trafficking business next month.

Instead of investing time debunking counterfeit narratives, she urges churches to spend time educating themselves with truth so they can easily spot counterfeits and identify real victims.

Shes developed the Ending Human Trafficking podcast and a curated set of interviews with survivors. She also cowrote the forthcoming book Ending Human Trafficking to give churches a resource for the work for which they are uniquely suited: prevention.

Restore NYC has added a module about counterfeit myths to its Trafficking 101 training since questions about conspiracies came up so often in these settings. And while Christians might not see the systemic issues that push the vulnerable toward trafficking, Simpson said believers do see people made in Gods image and are eager to help fellow image bearers in need, regardless of what brought about their difficult situations to begin with.

In the 2021 fiscal year, Restore NYC distributed $940,000 in emergency relief to trafficking survivors.

Dewees of Safe House Project noted that some of the most devoted, effective advocates she works with in the anti-trafficking field are Christians.

Those really solid faith-based leaders in this field are the ones having the most incredible impact because theyre taking the Christlikeness that they have and extending it to the survivors they work with, she said.

To see the truth of human trafficking, Wells says Christians need to abandon their savior complex.

The idea that we see the most rampant in the church is if theres a perfect victim, theres a person we can go out and save, and were going to be the heroes of the story.

But just as Christians arent the heroes in their own salvation stories, they are not the heroes in the stories of survivors leaving trafficking and entering a path of healing.
America needs to answer Ukraine with a biblical foreign policy

Back in August, I argued in Christian Post that the collapse in Afghanistan signaled the disintegration of Americas post-Christian empire, and that four successive American presidents had failed to count the cost of war, as Christ warned us to in Luke 14:

Which of you, wishing to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost to see if he has the resources to complete it? Otherwise, if he lays the foundation and is unable to finish the work, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, This man could not finish what he started to build. Or what king on his way to war with another king will not first sit down and consider whether he can engage with ten thousand men the one coming against him with twenty thousand? And if he is unable, he will send a delegation while the other king is still far off, to ask for terms of peace.

The same thing is happening today in Ukraine. As I stated in my Afghanistan article, Christ was speaking within the historical context of the nearby revolt in Sepphoris, whose leaders revolted against Rome, did not count the cost of that revolt, did not sue for peace, and whose city was then destroyed. The scenario Christ laid out is not about rebellion specifically, and so has application to the situation surrounding Ukraine.

While its far too late for Afghanistan  the nation has already been destroyed by our benevolent butchers in Washington  there is time to count the cost of engaging in a European war before we stumble into another catastrophe. To anyone not possessed by the ruling class' ideology of nation building, it is abundantly transparent that the United States of 2022 lacks the internal stability, will, competence, and conviction to be involved in a major war. Any attempt to do so would make our decline all the more obvious.

From the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, Americas domain of responsibility has exceeded its leaders' competence. The ruling elite has left a trail of broken nations in its wake, all the while presenting themselves as harmless bureaucratic administrators, simply spreading the universal values of democracy, human rights, and liberty. (If these values are truly universal, why do they have to be imposed down the barrel of a tank?) At least the pre-modern empires were honest about destroying nations.

When we pulled Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania into NATO, we signaled to a humiliated and resentful Russia that they were on borrowed time. When we backed the Ukrainian revolution (some might say when we instigated the Ukrainian coup) we signaled that Russias entrance into the international community of liberal democracies was imminent  whether they liked it or not. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, we surrounded Russia with an explicitly hostile nuclear-armed military alliance. Leave right or wrong aside  is our ruling class truly so ignorant and arrogant that they thought they could corner the Russian bear and not get bit? Russia did not and does not want to be part of the decadent liberal system. Culturally, Russia is Slavic, not Anglo-American; autocratic, not democratic; Orthodox, not post-Christian. As I explained in my piece on Afghanistan, the Bible and Christian political philosophy emphasizes that the order of nations is divinely appointed. See Romans 13:

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.

Acts 17:

From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their lands.

And Deuteronomy 32

When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when He divided the sons of man, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the sons of God.

Not that the people running America's foreign policy read their Bibles; they've forgotten what America's founders knew, that the powers (nations) that be are ordained of God  they are not toys to play with. Even if they were, America's ruling class simply lacks the ability to manage the informal empire they constructed. They act like God, but they cant govern like Him.

The United States believed we would always hold the status of global superpower, that we would simply become freer and more tolerant while we dragged every other country along with us, kicking and screaming. In other words, we expected to live forever while we created heaven on Earth. Does Kabul look like heaven to you?

This internationalist narrative is and was a rogue religious narrative, a departure from America's biblical roots - except instead of working out our salvation with fear and trembling, we work out our salvation with shock and awe.
Biden admin. withdraws COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large businesses

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has withdrawn its emergency vaccine mandate proposal for businesses with at least 100 employees, though it is still pursuing a permanent rule on the requirement.

In a decision made official on Wednesday, OSHA withdrew its emergency temporary standard issued last November to require large businesses of 100 employees or more to get more of their employees vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo regular testing and wear masks.

In a Federal Register entry, the administration withdrew the emergency measure in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this month to block its enforcement through a temporary stay while a lawsuit against the policy is litigated.

Notwithstanding the withdrawal of the Vaccination and Testing ETS, OSHA continues to strongly encourage the vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace, stated OSHA.

The decision was first announced on Tuesday, with OSHA explaining that they are not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule.

The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard, OSHA said on Tuesday.

The First Liberty Institute, a legal nonprofit that represented Daystar Television Network, the American Family Association and Answers in Genesis in legal challenges against the mandate, celebrated the news.

The Supreme Court made it clear that the President Biden administrations attempt to federalize the nations workforce is blatantly unconstitutional, said First Liberty President Kelly Shackelford in a statement.

We will continue to fight on behalf of our clients and the American people to protect them from being forced to violate their faith.

In announcing its temporary standards in November, the agency determined that many employees in the U.S. who are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19 face grave danger from exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in the workplace.

This finding of grave danger is based on the severe health consequences associated with exposure to the virus along with evidence demonstrating the transmissibility of the virus in the workplace and the prevalence of infections in employee populations, the statement reads.

In the Jan. 13 per curiam decision granting a temporary stay in the case of Ohio et al v. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the majority of the U.S. Supreme Court determined that Applicants are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Secretary lacked authority to impose the mandate.

Administrative agencies are creatures of statute. They accordingly possess only the authority that Congress has provided, the ruling stated.

The Secretary has ordered 84 million Americans to either obtain a COVID19 vaccine or undergo weekly medical testing at their own expense. This is no everyday exercise of federal power.

The courts three justices appointed by Democratic presidents  Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan  dissented from the unsigned majority opinion.

In our view, the Courts order seriously misapplies the applicable legal standards. And in so doing, it stymies the Federal Governments ability to counter the unparalleled threat that COVID19 poses to our Nations workers, the dissent argued.

Acting outside of its competence and without legal basis, the Court displaces the judgments of the Government officials given the responsibility to respond to workplace health emergencies.

Thousands rallied in protest of vaccine mandates on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on Sunday.

Last week, a federal judge in Texas issued a preliminary injunction halting an executive order by President Joe Biden requiring COVID-19 vaccinations for federal employees and contractors. Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown, a Trump appointee, proclaimed that the order is "a bridge too far" as it required millions of "federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment" without consulting U.S. Congress.

Earlier this month, another Texas judge sided with a group of Navy personnel seeking religious exemptions to the Department of Defense's vaccine mandate.
Pastor David Jeremiah urges Christians to be stewards of biblical truth in a 'post-truth world'

Pastor David Jeremiah of the multisite Shadow Mountain Community Church in El Cajon, California, warned that Christians are living in a post-truth world where biblical truth is slowly vanishing.

In part two of Stewardship, a three-part sermon series, Jeremiah, the founder of Turning Point Radio, preached that God has put Christians in charge of the Gospel as stewards of the truth, but Christians will have a harder time in life if they don't take the truth of the Bible seriously.

Jeremiah suggested that truth is "disappearing from our culture" and disappearing from "television," "magazines" and "newspapers."

We live in a post-truth world, which means the Word of God is more important than it has ever been, Jeremiah said. Post-truth means it used to be truth, but its not truth now to us. Post-truth is a word that describes our culture today.

Truth, he added, has largely become what many people make it to be. Its definition has become what people have manufactured themselves and not based upon any objective foundation.

However, Jeremiah said, Christians should know the difference between knowing what the Bible says and incorporating it in one's life.

I want the Word of God to be in your heart. ... If you dont get the Word of God in your heart, theres coming a day in the near future where you will have a very difficult time surviving as a Christian. We have got to get serious about the truth, Jeremiah continued.

Jeremiah said that as the head of a school based out of his church with 1,500 students enrolled, and as the chancellor of The Jeremiah School of Biblical Studies at Southern California Seminary, he's found that it's been challenging for him to be a steward of the truth while helping run Christian schools.

Are you watching whats going on in the schools of our nation?  We used to study reading, writing and arithmetic, Jeremiah said. But its way down the list now for all of the sociological stuff that theyre stuffing into these kids minds starting in kindergarten. And if were not careful, that can slip into our Christian school.

Jeremiah urged the congregation to pray for the Christian school as they stand in the middle and adhere to biblical truth. "By the grace of God," he declared that he'll stand like a warrior with a sword in front of the front door of the school to prevent any deviation away from biblical truth being taught.

We need to teach [students] how to think, but I have no apologies whatsoever for teaching the Word of God in our classrooms, Jeremiah maintained. For instance, did you know that History was His story? History is meaningless if you dont have God at the core of it.

You need to pray for us. This year we have had constant pressure not to stay in the center of the road when it comes to truth.

Preaching on the topic of stewardship, Jeremiah reminded his congregation and those watching online that God has ownership of everything.

Stewardship means we are managers of that which belongs to God, Jeremiah said. We are under His constant authority as we do what He tells us to do with that which belongs to Him. Its not our own. Its His. We do not manage it for ourselves. We manage it for Him.

The Bible simply is pregnant with the truth of the ownership of God, of everything that we say is ours. Isnt that interesting? We say its ours, but its Gods, he explained.

To give an example from Scripture, Jeremiah pointed the congregation to Deuteronomy 8:18, which says: But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your ancestors, as it is today.

Oftentimes, Jeremiah said, Christians do not think everything belongs to God because they believe that when they work and make money, the money becomes something that belongs to only themselves.

The Bible says you cant go to work and make money if God doesnt give you the power to do it, Jeremiah declared.

He then read from 1 Chronicles 29:12, which says: Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all.

And Proverbs 10:22, which states: The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, without painful toil for it.

You know how you get rich, the blessing of the Lord, Jeremiah continued. And my favorite is James 1:17: Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

Lets take a deep breath, disabuse ourselves of the great things weve accomplished and how much we have that we think is ours and realize what we have is what God has allowed us to have. What He has given to us, what He puts in our hands [is] to manage on His behalf and we become stewards of that, he added.

Stewardship, he stressed, is more than what a Christian gives, but it is how they live.

The Bible tells us that we are stewards of truth.  This is Gods truth. And Im a steward of this truth.  Is this my truth? No, its Gods truth, Jeremiah said while holding up his Bible. But God has given that truth to me, to you, to others, and He wants us to manage it on His behalf. He wants us to make sure its protected and proclaimed.

Isnt it interesting that in a day when truth is disregarded, this book still reigns, he continued, while lifting up his Bible again.

Managing time and money, giving and serving are all things that Jeremiah said Christians should take part in to be stewards of the truth.

Have you ever delivered? Have you ever been where people needed the Word of God and shared it with them and seen what happens when their lives are changed?  Stewardship is more than youre giving, its your living, Jeremiah reiterated.

If we mismanage our money, we try to make more of it.  Theres no mismanaging time. We can borrow moments.  You want to make sure you dont waste your time.  You cant manage time. You cant say to the clock, slow down, go faster.  Time goes on without anything we can do about it, he explained. Ladies and gentlemen, we only have one life to live.  Only one way to spend your time. God has given us time. He wants us to steward it.

Managing time according to Gods truth, Jeremiah said, means having a spirit of willingness to spend time serving God every day.

Time is an invisible reality created by the eternal God as a vehicle in which to fulfill His will as you travel through life.  Most of us can probably find ways to spend our time more effectively for the Kingdom, he suggested.

Jeremiah said he was a senior in high school when God called him into ministry to be a preacher. He said he remembers that his response to God was: yes. At the time, he had already been preaching at a small country church in Columbus, Ohio, every Sunday to a congregation of about 30 people.

I said yes. Did I have any idea that He would take me on the journey that Ive been on in my life? Of course not. But if I hadnt said yes, I never would have found out.  Theres an initial yes to God that opens the door to things you would never dream possible, said Jeremiah, whose in-person Sunday services average 10,000 people each week.

Every time a Christian says yes to God, it wont always result in a mega-career, Jeremiah said, but obeying Gods calling will never leave a Christian with regrets.

I am telling you that you cannot say yes to God and ever look back and be disappointed with what He does for you. He will show you what to do. If youd be willing, Jeremiah said. Are you available to God? Are you ready for God to say to you, Heres something I have equipped you to do? Will you do it? And if you say yes, get ready for a journey. Hell take you places you never dreamed.
Feminist groups push for ERA's addition to Constitution as pro-life groups insist it's dead

Feminist groups are urging the Archivist of the United States to publish the Equal Rights Amendment as the 28th Amendment to the Constitution while pro-life organizations insist that the ERA is dead.

In a statement Friday, the National Organization for Women announced that it was one of several feminist organizations participating in a virtual press conference on Thursday, which is the day they argue that the Equal Rights Amendment should take effect. Thursday marks the second anniversary of Virginias ratification of the ERA, which made it the 38th state to approve the amendment.

Speakers at the press conference will include Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., Carol Jenkins of the ERA Coalition and Fund for Womens Equality, Christian Nunes of the National Organization for Women, Eleanor Smeal of the Feminist Majority Foundation, Donna Lent of the National Womens Political Caucus and Sophia Armen of the Feminist Front.

The Equal Rights Amendment, billed by supporters as a necessary step to enshrine equal rights for women in the Constitution, was approved by Congress in 1972 but failed to take effect because three-fourths of the states did not ratify it by the seven-year deadline imposed by Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives approved the ERA by a vote of 354-24 in 1971, far exceeding the two-thirds majority required for passage. The Senate followed suit in 1972, approving the ERA by a vote of 84-8.

From there, the ERA went to the states for ratification. While 35 states had approved the ERA at the time of its 1979 expiration, which was later extended to 1982, that number fell short of the 38 required by the Constitution for the amendment to take effect. Many conservatives attribute the defeat of the ERA to the efforts of the late conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly.

As political commentator Ann Coulter explained in an obituary she wrote for Schlafly upon her death in 2016, When Schlafly turned her attention to the E.R.A., no reasonable person would have supposed that the amendment could have been stopped. She recalled that Thirty states had approved it in the first year after it was sent to the states for ratification. Only eight more states were needed, within the next seven years.

There was little question that the E.R.A. was about to become our next constitutional amendment, she added. Coulter pointed to Schlaflys concerns that the ERA would end the female exemption from the draft as her strongest argument that resonated with the American people.

The push to ratify the ERA has gained a resurgence in recent years. Three additional states have ratified the ERA in the past decade: Nevada, Illinois and Virginia.

The attorneys general of those states have filed a lawsuit asking the Archivist of the United States to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution as the 28th Amendment. The press conference will take place two weeks after the groups participating in the press conference and other feminist organizations filed an amicus brief supporting the lawsuit.

Publication by the Archivist is an important step forward. To be sure, the legal effect of an amendment does not depend on any action by the Executive Branch, which has no role to play under Article V, the brief states. But the Archivists current refusal to publish the ERA is itself an inappropriate intrusion of the Executive Branch into the ratification process.

Signatories to the amicus brief made a series of statements elaborating on their point of view that the ERA is still valid. There is no time limit on equality, said Jenkins. Supporters of the ERA have fulfilled all the requirements set forth for an amendment in the Constitution so the time is now to publish the 28th amendment.

This amazing amicus brief reviews the nearly 100 years of feminist struggle for the ERA as well as its need, relevance, and popularity today, explained Smeal. It clearly makes a strong case that the ERA has met the requirements for adoption and should be certified and published in the Constitution by the National Archivist.

Last year, the House of Representatives approved a measure that would have removed the ratification deadline from the original ERA on a largely party-line vote, but the bill failed to pass the Senate. In addition to the lawsuit filed by the attorneys general of the most recent states to ratify the ERA, feminist organizations sought relief from the courts in a separate legal challenge. So far, the judicial branch has ruled against their efforts to force the archivist to add the ERA to the Constitution.

While 38 states, equivalent to three-fourths of the total, have approved the ERA at one time, five states voted to rescind their ratification of the ERA, further calling into question the insistence that three-fourths of the states have signed onto the constitutional amendment. Supporters of the ERA have dismissed the reversal of the ratifications, which occurred during the 1970s, as a political nullity.

The National Right to Life Committee, a pro-life organization that views the ERA as an effort to insert the right to abortion into the Constitution, pushed back on the analysis offered by the amendments proponents. The measure is manifestly unconstitutional  its premise is that it is possible to amend the Constitution with bait-and-switch tactics executed across generations, without a single Congress ever agreeing, by the required two-thirds votes, on the same legislative proposal, asserted NRLCs Doug Johnson.

The National Right to Life Committee had previously warned about the ERAs implication for abortion law in the U.S. in a report published early last year. Specifically, the pro-life group expressed concern that pro-abortion groups were deploying the ERA as a constitutional stealth missile to air-drop into the U.S. Constitution a provision that they believe, and pro-lifers fear, could be used to entrench and expand a constitutional right to abortion.

The pro-life organization cited a quote from NARAL Pro-Choice America maintaining that With its ratification, the ERA would reinforce the constitutional right to abortion by clarifying that the sexes have equal rights, which would require judges to strike down anti-abortion laws because they violate both the constitutional right to privacy and sexual equality. According to Johnson, The ERA is a stealth missile with a legal warhead that could be used to attack any federal, state, or local law, that in any way limits abortion.
The Jesus church (pt. 1)

So many churches, yet so much violence, observed Fox reporter Eli Steele as he rode with two pastors through the south Chicago community they served[1].

Steeles comment took my memory back to 1974, and a conference room adjacent to a prison wardens office.

On the other side of the table sat inmate Charles Colson, former member of the inner circle of President Richard M. Nixon. Colson had been sentenced to prison on Watergate-related charges.

I had also worked as a junior aide in the Nixon White House and had known Colson only from a distance.

Just days before, a mutual friend called from Washington, telling me Chuck had given his life to Christ. I confess that I was tempted to disbelieve for joy.

The caller said Colson was jailed a couple of hours from my house. Would I visit and encourage him?

I soon sat before a man who had been high on the White House totem pole. However, I knew something was different when Chuck had been brought to the prisons visitor lobby that morning. The former haughty presidential advisor ran toward me and gave me what felt like a bone-crunching hug.

Chuck would write later in his book, Born Again, that the warden had allowed us to use his personal conference room in the hope we would talk about Watergate. But all they got was a couple of guys praying and a stabbing rhetorical question of a man just re-awakened to Christ and the importance of the Lords church: If there are so many churches in America why is the nation in such a moral and spiritual crisis?

When I met with Chuck that day in 1974, I had just become pastor of a small church in south Alabama. I read many books in that age when the church growth movement was gathering steam. I was bewildered by all the sure-fire strategies laid out before me.

Then it hit me: If the church is the body of Christ, it ought to do what Jesus did in His body. The problem Jesuss disciples faced was not how to get larger numbers, but how to accommodate the crowds that came to Jesus.

I realized that what I would come to call the Jesus Church is the way the Lord walks and ministers now throughout the world as much as He did backwaters and bustling urban areas two thousand years ago.

I reset my strategy from accruing numbers to building ministry. I wondered: What did Jesus do in His incarnate body two thousand years ago that He would do in His incarnate body the church  today?

As I studied the lifestyle and ministry actions of Jesus as revealed in the Bible, His daily functional routine emerged:

Jesus worshipped

The Lord began His day with a worship focus, recognizing and yielding Himself to the transcendent Being of His Father.

Jesus interceded

Jesus also launched His day with intercessory prayer.

Jesus proclaimed Gods Kingdom.

His message centered on the importance of people yielding themselves to Gods Kingdom and its grace through repentance and acknowledgment of His lordship.

Jesus discipled those He reached

Making disciples was a crucial element of Jesuss ministry and would be basic in the Great Commission where He instructed His followers to go into the world and make disciples, teaching them to do everything He had taught the first disciples to do. (Matthew 28:18-20)

Jesus served human need in the name of the Father (Matthew 25)

Jesus engaged with people and their needs daily with works that revealed the love and power of God. He lifted burdens from struggling people, ministered to their pains, and healed them. Then He commissioned His followers to do the same.

These actions were empowered by the Holy Spirit Who had anointed Jesus at His baptism. Walking in this model in the twentieth century caused me to re-examine and consider the doctrine and work of the Holy Spirit in this post-apostolic age.

I applied the Jesus Church model to three churches I served as senior pastor. Growth happened, sometimes at levels that brought new challenges. A greater emphasis on the ministry of the Holy Spirit disturbed some who thought I was leading the church away from its doctrinal identity. Church governance became a concern as we transitioned to a biblical elder-led style. And, in the Deep South in 1974, there was still upheaval as we opened the doors to people of all races.

In 1986, two churches were interested in calling me as senior pastor. One had 4,000 members and the other less than 120. The smaller church was dying, while the large church was booming, poised, and ready to pursue dramatic growth.

My wife and I sensed the Holy Spirit leading us to the smaller congregation, in Houston. I knew it would be the perfect place to develop the Jesus Church model. If they are going to die, lets go die with them, I told my wife in an attempt at grim humor.

Yet it did not die but grew through twelve years to an average attendance of a thousand with broad-sweeping ministries. It was indeed the perfect place to apply the Jesus Church model.

I really do believe that the local church is the hope of the world, South Chicago pastor Corey Brooks told Eli Steele. Hes right because everything Jesus touches is transformed, including individual humans, their institutions, and communities. How can churches apply the Jesus ministry model in communities today?

We examine the practicalities of the Jesus Church in Part II.

[1] https://www.foxnews.com/us/rooftop-revelations-churches-everywhere-on-the-south-side-yet-so-much-violence
Now they want to send the National Guard on the unvaccinated

In a recent Salt Lake Tribune editorial, readers were greeted with a chilling proposal: Were Utah a truly civilized place, the governors next move would be to find a way to mandate the kind of mass vaccination campaign we should have launched a year ago, going as far as to deploy the National Guard to ensure that people without proof of vaccination would not be allowed, well, anywhere.



This was published around the same time as an alarming Heartland Institute and Rasmussen Reports poll that showed that roughly half of Democratic voters (48 percent) believe government should be able to imprison those who question the efficacy of vaccines. Additionally, roughly 59 percent of Democratic voters support confining the unvaccinated to their homes at all times. Virtually none of the mainstream news sources have offered even a hint of critique. Combining these trends with rising similar bigoted rhetoric from the Biden administration, America is moving toward the same horrendous internment of citizens as in World War II, and this must stop.

First, its important to understand the context of Americas decision to intern fellow Americans 80 years ago. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (and the declarations of war against America by Axis powers Germany and Italy), the rhetoric against Americans of enemy descent prevailed. Due to the shock of Pearl Harbor, many on the US West Coast assumed they would be attacked next. Unreasoned panic ensued and calls for security, even over Constitutional protections, predominated. Though most know about Japanese internment, the controversial order was wide-ranging. According to the National Constitution Center:

"Roosevelt issued Presidential Executive Order 9066 on February 19,1942, after fears generated by the Japanese attack made the safety of Americas West Coast a priority. He directed the military to isolate any citizen, if needed, from a 60-mile-wide coastal area from Washington state to California and extending inland into southern Arizona. The executive order didnt specify Japanese-Americans as a group, but the U.S. military detained more than 100,000 people in the next six months and moved them to camps and facilities with armed guards and barbed wire. ...



About two-thirds of them were Japanese-Americans who were born in the United States. People of Italian and German heritage were also detained."

This was one of the most shameful orders in American History. It came through unreasoned fear driving the deprivation of the rights of fellow citizens.

Similar to the rhetoric and arguments leading to Order 9066, the Biden administration has ratcheted up hyperbole against the unvaccinated. Since taking office, Biden has called the current crisis the pandemic of the unvaccinated. Thats despite the transmission being known to occur through both the vaccinated and unvaccinated. Biden has also claimed our patience is wearing thin with the unvaccinated. Mainstream news commentators have proffered similar opinions.



As parts of Australia have moved to extreme measures against the unvaccinated, US media celebrities have commended those draconian lockdowns and mandates. MSNBCs Joy Reid even proposed that the unvaccinated should be fined regardless of whether they are lockdown or not.



And many Democratic city mayors have moved to extreme infringements of individual rights. In late December, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser ordered that establishments including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, gyms, events and meeting spaces require proof of COVID-19 vaccination. She has told DC residents they must carry vaccination status and identification everywhere outside their homes. Similar mandates are in place from New York City to Los Angeles.

Important to note is the racial impact of the Lefts proposals: We know Order 9066 had a disproportionate impact on Japanese Americans, and we know these orders have a similar racially disproportionate impact. According to Bloomberg News, in nearly half of U.S. states, Black and Hispanic vaccination rates lag White ones by 10 percentage points or more. The CDC vaccination numbers continue to show these racial minorities lag behind the white majority with vaccinations.

Its time for all Americans to speak out against demonizing rhetoric and mandates. Though Franklin Delano Roosevelt issued Order 9066, his first inaugural address provides excellent guidance for protecting Constitutional rights during COVID-19: the only thing we have to fear is...fear itself  nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes.. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves.



The Bible similarly exhorts us to drive out fear with love: There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18). Its time we love fellow Americans enough to end unreasoned fears, so we can again be the land of the free and the home of the brave.
'Bringing Up Bates canceled by UPtv after 10 seasons; family thanks God for the experience

UPtv will not air the 11th season of Bringing Up Bates and is canceling the series based on the large Christian family because the network has decided to go in a new direction.

According to Us Weekly, the new episodes of the reality show that were scheduled to begin airing in February will not get screen time after all.

We will not be premiering Bringing Up Bates season 11 on UPtv as planned as we will be focusing our programming in 2022 on movies and a new scripted series to be announced soon, a UPtv statement reads.

The show documented Gil and Kelly Jo Bates, their 19 children and almost 20 grandchildren.

When we premiered Bringing Up Bates, the series was focused on parents with 19 kids who were teenagers and young children. The cameras were there to capture the love, laughs and big life moments, as the family continued to grow. Thank you to Gil and Kelly Jo Bates for welcoming viewers into your familys home over the past ten seasons, the network concluded.

The statement ended with UPtv thanking the fans who tuned in every Thursday night to be part of the journey.

The family says that the show was canceled because the network is going in an alternate direction. However, UPtv promises to continue to uplift with its future programming.

As the next year begins, our family will be experiencing a lot of new changes, the Bates family shared in a separate statement. One of the biggest changes for us is that the network will be moving toward producing more scripted family shows and will not be renewing a contract to film new Bringing Up Bates episodes.

Bringing Up Bates found themselves at the center of controversy recently after Carlin Bates Stewart shared a video of a family gathering in which a game of charades went too far.

In the clip, Lawson Bates tries to portray hunting to his family by motioning that he is shooting one of his younger brothers, and someone in the background shouts the name of George Floyd, an unarmed African American killed by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020. The death sparked nationwide racial justice protests.

As a result, people online called for the shows cancelation. Stewart removed the video and issued an apology. However, UPtv did not comment on whether the video played a factor in the cancelation.

Nevertheless, the family maintained that they trust God for what is to come.

We realize Gods timing is always perfect, and we are looking forward to what the future holds for our own family, as well as the network!

The family said the last 10 seasons on UPtv have been part of an amazing journey.

We never expected or aspired to be on TV, but we are forever grateful to UP for all of the friendships we have formed as a result, the family statement continued. Filming and opening up our home has been both rewarding and challenging, but there are not enough words we could say to show appreciation for the amazing film crew and all of the staff who have invested so much time into making this show possible.

The network crew has officially become a part of their large family, and the Bates said crew members have impacted them forever.

The family also expressed gratitude to their fans and supporters who have watched, contacted and prayed for them over the years.

Most of all, we are thankful to God for the experiences weve shared together as a family and for the lessons weve learned along the way, the familys statement adds. We feel very blessed to have these memories. We look forward to the next chapters of life unfolding before us with lots of new adventures. We promise to keep you updated on our lives in the days ahead and pray that God will richly bless each of you. Our greatest desire is that we would each strive to learn more about God and to grow in His grace.

The most recent season of the series concluded with Bates daughter Katie proposing to Travis Clark. The couple was wed in Tennessee in December 2021.
Equal Rights Amendment failed to meet deadline, too late to ratify: Justice Department

The Equal Rights Amendment has failed to reach the necessary number of states to support ratification by its deadline, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Multiple state legislatures have considered legislation to give the ERA the necessary super-majority to be added to the U.S. Constitution.

However, Assistant Attorney General Steven Engel issued a memorandum Monday explaining that the ERA has already failed to meet a previously determined deadline by Congress.

Congress has constitutional authority to impose a deadline for ratifying a proposed constitutional amendment, Engel wrote.

It exercised this authority when proposing the Equal Rights Amendment and, because three-fourths of the state legislatures did not ratify before the deadline that Congress imposed, the Equal Rights Amendment has failed of adoption and is no longer pending before the States.

Engel added that even if one or more state legislatures were to ratify the proposed amendment, it would not become part of the Constitution, and the Archivist could not certify its adoption under 1 U.S.C.  106b.

Kristen Waggoner of the conservative legal group the Alliance Defending Freedom expressed support for the DOJ's opinion, noting that the ERA not only falls far short of the requirements to amend the Constitution, but also undermines womens rights and opportunities.

Women deserve to be treated with equality and fairness under the law, but thats not what the ERA does. If its proponents wish to convince the American people of its merits, they must follow the process laid out in the Constitution, Waggoner said Wednesday.

Following that process by starting over respects the American people and the integrity of the Constitution. And thats good no matter what side of the aisle we find ourselves.

Toni Van Pelt of the progressive group the National Organization for Women, denounced the DOJ's opinion, arguing that it was part of the Trump administrations ongoing opposition to womens rights and gender equality.

Legislation is pending in Congress to remove the 1979 deadline which appears in the preface to the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1972 resolution. NOW and our grassroots activists are working hard to assure that this happens, Van Pelt said.

The DOJ's opinion on the ERA came as the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose new legislative session included a Democrat majority, looked to possibly become the 38th and final state needed to pass the amendment.

In 1972, Congress passed the ERA and sent it to the states for ratification with a seven-year deadline. Even with deadline extension to 1982, the ERA failed to get 38 states for ratification by three states.

Conservative groups have long been opposed to the ERA, with recent concerns surrounding the belief that the ERA would be used to advance abortion and LGBT policy positions.

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, told The Christian Post in an interview last year that he believed if the ERA passed, it could be used as a hammer against religious organizations, including churches, to provide abortion or abortion-inducing drugs or devices.

I think also the ERA now would include an LGBT agenda that would conflict with churches and religious organizations with respect to biblical doctrines and beliefs of male and female in uniquely created and complementary sexes, Staver said at the time.

So I think in both the abortion area and in the LGBT arena, the ERA Amendment would be a direct assault on religious liberty, against religious organizations and churches.

Pro-ERA organizations like the Alice Paul Institute have argued that the deadlines previously imposed could be changed by Congress.

Congress may be able to accept the validity of state ratifications that occur after 1982 and keep the existing 35 ratifications alive, according to the FAQ paper by the institute.

Five states  Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, and South Dakota  have attempted to withdraw their approval of the Equal Rights Amendment. However, according to precedent and statutory language, a state rescission or other withdrawal of its ratification of a constitutional amendment is not accepted as valid.

This week, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Legal Counsel announced an important opinion on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), declaring the ratification expired and no longer pending in the States for action. In a Memorandum for the General Counsel of the National Archives and Records Administration, DOJ declares dead any effort by Virginia to become the 38th state as the new Democrat-controlled legislature pledged in its opening session. It also overrules congressional efforts to revive the ERA ratification by removing the deadline as proposed in legislation pending on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

In a statement to CP, Penny Nance, CEO and president of Concerned Women for America, said the "DOJs opinion declaring the ratification dead underscores what even Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has already concluded: if the ERA has any future, the process must start over.

Concerned Women for America says, 'R.I.P ERA.' Women deserve fairness and equality under the law, but Congress should not waste its time on an ERA that could in fact undermine the progress weve made over the last 40 years. If legislators are truly concerned about women, they should spend their efforts focusing on measures to uphold the dignity and status of women as uniquely female, not turn back the clock on gains weve made and ERAse women.
Would the Equal Rights Amendment threaten religious liberty?

A renewed push for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment has led to concerns that the measure would curb religious freedom.

The much-debated amendment states that Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.

However, some have expressed concern how this amendment will be interpreted, especially in regards to issues like religious liberty and abortion.

Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the Liberty Counsel, told The Christian Post that he believed the ERA would absolutely threaten religious liberty if passed.

Staver believes that if the ERA is passed, it could be used as a hammer against religious organizations including churches to provide abortion or abortion-inducing drugs or devices.

I think also the ERA now would include an LGBT agenda that would conflict with churches and religious organizations with respect to biblical doctrines and beliefs of male and female in uniquely created and complementary sexes, added Staver.

So I think in both the abortion area and in the LGBT arena, the ERA Amendment would be a direct assault on religious liberty, against religious organizations and churches.

Staver also told CP that his organization and others are going to watch and see what kind of traction it gets, noting that we would definitely be opposed to it.

The Virginia Catholic Conference also expressed concern over the ERA, warning that, if passed, the amendment would have unintended consequences.

Legal challenges and uncertainty would arise over the lawfulness of programs and facilities that serve and assist women exclusively, stated the Conference.

The ERA at first glance appears to be a neutral measure advocating for the equality of women which is a worthy endeavor; however, the ambiguity of the language disguises significant negative consequences and legal uncertainty particularly when it comes to protecting the unborn.

The ERA traces its history back to 1923, when womens rights activist Alice Paul first introduced the amendment, then known as the "Lucretia Mott Amendment."

In 1972, Congress passed the ERA and sent it to the states for ratification with a seven-year deadline and then an extension to 1982. When the deadline hit, the ERA failed to get the necessary 38 states for ratification by three states.

Conservative religious groups have been critical of the ERA, warning that it could be used to undermine the distinctions between men and women found in Scripture.

For example, in 1980 the Southern Baptist Convention adopted a resolution that, while urging employers to seek fairness for women in compensation, advancement, and opportunities for improvement, also denounced the ERA.

 this Convention, reaffirming the biblical role which stresses the equal worth but not always the sameness of function of women, does not endorse the Equal Rights Amendment, concluded the resolution.

Recently, the effort to pass the ERA experienced a resurgence, with the Nevada Legislature approving the ERA in 2017 and Illinois legislative branch doing so last year.

Earlier this month, the Virginia Senate approved the ERA. A Virginia House of Delegates subcommittee voted against the measure on Tuesday. However, it could still go to a full Privileges and Elections Committee vote.

Krista Joy Niles of the Alice Paul Institute, which supports the ERA, told CP that there was indeed a renewed push for the federal ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, adding that several states have been very active in moving the ERA forward for state ratification.

Niles directed CP to a 2018 Frequently Asked Questions paper which noted that the time limit on ERA ratification is open to change, meaning that the previous 35 states that approved the ERA can still count as part of the ratification process.

Congress may be able to accept the validity of state ratifications that occur after 1982 and keep the existing 35 ratifications alive, according to the FAQ paper.

Five states  Idaho, Kentucky, Nebraska, Tennessee, and South Dakota  have attempted to withdraw their approval of the Equal Rights Amendment. However, according to precedent and statutory language, a state rescission or other withdrawal of its ratification of a constitutional amendment is not accepted as valid.

When asked by CP about the concerns some have about the ERA being used to curb religious liberty, Niles responded that these concerns were unwarranted.

Religious freedom in the United States is a constitutionally protected right. The Equal Rights Amendment will have no negative impact upon those protections, continued Niles.
Michael Youssef says blaming tragedies on sin is 'pagan thinking,' says it's natural to question God

Megachurch pastor and author Michael Youssef advised his congregation Sunday not to give in to false guilt when asking God why a tragedy occurs, insisting that questioning God is OK. But, he warned listeners not to believe that all tragedies are caused by sin, a mindset that he says is found in some churches today.

For the third sermon in a multiple-part sermon series titled The Visible Hand of the Invisible God, the 73-year-old founder of The Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, insisted that the storms of life arent always caused by sin and warned against pagan thinking.

He warned that this type of thinking impacted disciples during Jesus time and some of His followers to this day.

Youssef directed the audience to John 9 when the disciples asked the Messiah why a man was born blind.

The disciples questioned Jesus if the man was born blind because he had sinned or if his parents had sinned. Jesus replied in John 9:2-3: It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.

How do you sin in the womb? Youssef preached, reiterating that this man was born blind. This type of erroneous thinking is even prevalent in some churches today. Jesus said: neither him nor his parents. Its just that God would be glorified in this.

We are very quick to draw conclusions about other members of the body. We are quick to pass judgment on other members of the body. We are quick to connect dots. These dots dont even exist, Youssef emphasized. We are quick to tie all sin to calamity. Thats wrong.

The Egyptian-born preacher said another thing that happens in society and culture today is that many are angry with God because of the tragedies happening in their own lives.

Frequently, he said, people in these scenarios might not even acknowledge God or believe in God. But in times of calamity, they become furious with Him.

Youre fighting someone who doesnt exist? Youssef said he once asked someone he talked with who didnt believe in God but was angry with God.

Over his nearly four decades of pastoring, Youssef said that congregants often take their anger out on him when they are angry with God.

In households, Youssef said he has noticed that when a family member is angry with God, they tend to take out their frustration on the godliest member of the family. This happens because anger is often accompanied by guilt, which causes them to act a certain way.

All the anger that we see from people who are in a homosexual lobbying group or the transgender lobby; Im not talking about those who are caught up in the lifestyle who really dont know how to get out; Im talking about those who are expressing anger, and they are hell-bent on teaching that stuff to our children as young as 5 years old, Youssef reasoned.

That comes out of guilt. That anger is out of guilt. They are created in Gods own image. And they know what theyre doing is contrary to creation.  And that's guilt; they dont know it. Their burning with guilt, Youssef proclaimed. [They] show anger towards God because God is invisible, and they vent on Gods children  the believers  call them bigots, call them every name in the book.

Sometimes, the guilt that people experience is due to the death of others, which always brings guilt to the surface.

When a loved one dies, Youssef said, people tend to wonder what they should have done or what they should not have done or what they should have said or what they should not have said.

The pastor has seen people grieve at funerals not only over the loss of their loved ones but also over their sense of guilt and failure in the face of the inevitability of death for everyone.

Youssef assured that God is not the author of evil, but he permits tragedy to happen to His Children to allow for His glory to be displayed. And while there are tragedies, he said, there are always blessings.

At the beginning of the sermon, he said he often finds that blasting of lifes storms and the blessing of God sort of go hand-in-hand almost.

Lifes high and low, they are close companions, he said. The triumph and the tragedy often follow each other.

He finds that lifes tragedies are always accompanied by blessings because God specializes in restoring fragments of life into something more beautiful and more meaningful.

Most of us have been through some storms in life. Some have experienced storms that are very shattering.  And yet many of us can testify to the fact that with the blasting of the storms of life, there was a blessing from the Hand of God, he said.

Our God specializes in remaking beauty out of ash. Our God specializes in giving garments of praise instead of sackcloth, he preached. God is not through with any of us yet. If youre sitting here breathing, God is not through with you yet. Hes got some great plans for you. (33:58)

Youssef assured that people should not feel guilty when they question God.

The question why is very natural.  Dont let a legalist tell you, Oh, you should not question God. All of the great heroes of the Bible  it would take me a day to name them all  all have asked why, Youssef explained.

In Judges 6, Youssef said that when the Midianites were desecrating Israel, Gideon asked God why He allowed this to happen.

And when Job, who was a man of wealth with a large family who had considerable influence, lost his fortune and family overnight, he asked God why he was not stillborn.

He added that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, questioned God while dying on the cross: Why have you forsaken me?

Please do not put yourself under false guilt when you ask why. When you see your highest dreams [being] crushed, when you see your highest hopes crash, when you find yourself hanging upside down in life as it were, [the] natural question is why. Its OK, Youssef rationalized.

This question pounds on the doors of Heaven a million times a second  from hospital beds, from lonely bedrooms, from graveyards, from pillows that are stained with tears, from places where individuals and families are experiencing their own private Gethsemane. And God hears them all, and God receives them all, and God answers them all.

He said that God hears a person questioning why right away, and other times, He will not seem to hear the question immediately and will not respond for many years. Youssef said God will sometimes say: wait until you come home to glory.

While many people know, experience and live in Gods abundant blessings, the pastor said that life often takes a turn that is unexpected and often tragic.

Youssef said there have been several times he experienced an unexpected series of events in his life that was Gods blessing and then Gods blasting.

In March of 1964, Youssef said he went through a period when he turned away from God because he was running away from Gods calling on His life. Despite what he described as his period of rebellion, on March 4 of that month, Youssef said he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ.

And the joy and the ecstasy  yes, it is ecstasy and the joy of my salvation  I was on high, Youssef recounted. In July of that year, my mother, who risked her life to have me [and] had prayed me into the Kingdom, died at the age of 55.  Gods blessings and lifes blasting.

On another occasion in 1990, Youssef said his church had been active for a few years, and he had witnessed the amazing blessing of God, and many souls were coming to Christ every week. The church had been growing in leaps and bounds. But over two weeks, he watched his 15-year-old hovering between life and death in the Childrens Hospital Intensive Care Unit.

And soon, God intervened and heard the prayer of the congregation, and He was so gracious to us, and she came out of [the] hospital, and we rejoiced in Gods blessing, Youssef said. The following week, we checked my wife into another hospital nearby for a serious operation.

You see, Gods blessings and lifes blasting go hand-in-hand. Im never going to tell anyone how I prayed during those weeks because it will not edify you.  I didnt even tell my wife. I didnt tell anybody, he continued.

But the thing that I can testify to you today is that God did not fall off his throne because of my sorry prayer. He didnt. Hes still on the throne, he added.

Youssef said it was amazing grace that in the middle of his sorry prayers, he felt the love and embrace of the Lord in ways he never had before.

Its the grace of God, he said. Gods blessings and lifes blasting all at the same time.
Phyllis Schlafly Dies at 92; Remembered for Her Influence on Conservative Movement

Iconic conservative activist and author Phyllis Schlafly has died at her home in Ladue, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri, on Monday. She was 92 years old.

Schlafly died of cancer while surrounded by her family. According to her official Facebook page, she is survived by her six children, 16 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

"Phyllis Schlafly spent an astounding 70 years in public service of her fellow Americans. Her focus from her earliest days until her final ones was protecting the family, which she understood as the building block of life," noted the post on her Facebook page.

"Phyllis Schlafly was a courageous and articulate voice for common sense and traditional values. She authored 27 books and thousands of articles. She spoke tens of thousands of times across the United States. Her joy in life was evident to all through her smile and wit. Funeral arrangements are pending."

Born Phyllis McAlpin Stewart on Aug. 15, 1924, Schlafly paid her way through Washington University by working a full-time defense job during the World War II.

In 1949, she married a lawyer named Fred Schlafly. Their marriage would produce six children and last until 1993 when her husband died. Throughout the second half of the 20th century and into the 21st century, Schlafly was involved in conservative politics.

"Mrs. Schlafly fought feminists and three presidents to bring the Equal Rights Movement to a screeching halt. During the 1950s and '60s she helped build the anti-Communist movement in the United States," reported the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

"She was a pioneer in the anti-abortion movement and helped send Ronald Reagan to the White House.  If Mrs. Schlafly's glory days seemed decades behind her, conservative audiences didn't seem to care. She drew standing ovations in recent years with her star power, and introduced Donald Trump at a rally in St. Louis in March. She also attended the Republican National Convention in July."

Schlafly is most remembered for her successful campaign to defeat the Equal Rights Amendment, which during the 1970s was on track to be ratified.

Schlafly is credited with helping to defeat the ERA, who believed that the amendment would cause much harm to American society.

"Since the women are the ones who bear the babies and there's nothing we can do about that, our laws and customs then make it the financial obligation of the husband to provide the support," remarked Schlafly at a speech in 1973.

"It is his obligation and his sole obligation. And this is exactly and precisely what we will lose if the Equal Rights Amendment is passed."

In recent years, Schlafly was part of the growing opposition to the Common Core education standards, which she labeled in a June column as a "fraud" and "deceptive."

The death of Schlafly has resulted in many condolences brought forth by conservatives and organizations, including the Family Research Council.

"I have little doubt that the political and cultural landscape of America today would have long ago been devoid of true conservatism if not for her leadership. She never surrendered her principles and she never gave in to intimidation," said FRC President Tony Perkins.

"Her love for God and this country drove her to fight for the Constitutional principles that founded this nation. We honor Phyllis for the lessons that she taught us all. I'm proud to have stood alongside her for faith, family and freedom."
March for Life speaker recalls hemorrhaging in school after abortion, feeling deceived by clinic

For Black Lives Matter to be true, it must start in the womb, an African American pro-life activist speaking at the annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., said Friday as she recalled her abortion when she was in high school.

Toni McFadden, an author and founder of the organization Relationships Matter, spoke to the thousands gathered at the National Mall about her decision to have an abortion when she was a teenager.

There was a time in my life that I believed my life was more valuable than my unborn baby, she said. My senior year of high school, I selfishly ended the life of my child.

I believed the lie that if I aborted my child, my boyfriend would stay with me, my parents would never find out about my secret, and my life would go along as planned, she added. And the abortion facility led me to believe the same.

Instead, she was given pills that caused her to experience severe hemorrhaging while at school, and her boyfriend left her soon after the abortion.

I believe all lives matter, McFadden stated, receiving loud cheers from the crowd during the rally before the march that is typically held each year during the same week as the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision that made abortion a national right.

Those who advocate for black lives to matter and demand equal rights for black men and women, that needs to start in the womb.

McFadden, who founded Relationships Matter to educate the children on the degradation of sex in our culture and equip them to live out healthy relationships, contends that the very act of abortion is wiping us out.

As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, it is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people, and not in favor for justice for all people, she said. And that includes preborn babies.

McFadden said she is thankful that we have a God who redeems and said that the boyfriend returned nine years later to apologize. The two are now married with children.

We are on the right side of history in this battle, she added. I needed all of you then, and these babies still need you now.

The 2022 March for Life included speakers like actor Kirk Cameron, Duck Dynasty star Lisa Robertson, Alliance Defending Freedom attorney Kristen Waggoner and Down syndrome advocate Katie Shaw.

Father Mike Schmitz, the host of the popular Bible in a Year podcast, was the keynote speaker for this years March for Life Rose Dinner. He also spoke at the rally.

Schmitz spoke about his pro-life roots and stressed the importance of every life, including those who had previously chosen abortion.

Every person matters. Every life matters, said Schmitz. I know that were surrounded by men and women who have chosen abortion. Listen, you need to know [that] youre supposed to be here. You matter.

You belong here. No matter what your past is, you are still loved, he said. You need to know this: you are still loved and you still matter.

Billy Grahams granddaughter Cissie Graham Lynch conducted a closing prayer and contemporary Christian star Matthew West performed music.

Lord, we know that You are the author and Creator of all life, that Youve created us in Your image, Graham Lynch prayed. We know as a nation that we have sinned. We humble ourselves before you asking for forgiveness. We know that You are a God who loves. You are a God who forgives, and You see us right where we are.

The theme for this years March for Life was Equality Begins in the Womb, which was unveiled last October at an event at the Heritage Foundation headquarters in Washington.

While nearly everyone seems to agree that the topic of equality is important, theres little agreement on what the definition of [what] equality is, and who it applies to and how that should be applied to important policy questions, March for Life Education and Defense Fund President Jeanne Mancini said at the October event.

We want to expand this debate, this rigorous debate, about equality to include unborn children who are often overlooked because they cannot speak for themselves.

The March comes at a time when many Supreme Court watchers believe that the high court will finally overturn Roe v. Wade as it considers whether to strike down or uphold a Mississippi law that bans most abortions after 15 weeks into a pregnancy.

Last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the March for Life held a virtual event, with a small number of pro-life leaders gathering in D.C. and performing the march in person.
Is Sex Outside of Marriage Moral? Is Jesus Birth a Myth? 3 Questions  and Answers  About Faith and Life

Do you struggle with knowing what to say and how to say it when a controversial topic comes up? Challenging Conversations, hosted by best-selling author and worldview expert Jason Jimenez, is a conversational podcast designed to help Christians overcome their fears and learn to respectfully engage people of a different view or belief system.

Here are just some of the episodes you wont want to miss:

What's Wrong With Having Sex Outside of Marriage? We're living in a time where 60% of professing Christians don't see anything morally wrong with casual sex outside of marriage. But is that true? On today's show, Jason has an open and honest conversation with his long-time friend, Sean McDowell, about what the Bible has to say about sex and how to help those engrossed with sexual sin. Hear the episode here.

Is the Birth of Jesus a Myth? With the resurgence of Copycat Christianity making its rounds on social media, Christians must know how to counter the lies perpetrated by this secularized movement. In this episode, Jason uncovers the inaccuracies and inconsistencies made by atheists when attempting to link the stories of Jesus to Greek Mythology. Listen to this episode of the podcast.

Is Progressive Christianity Biblical? Would you say what progressive Christians believe about Jesus and salvation aligns with Scripture? In this episode, Jason Jimenez and Lucas Miles, author of "The Christian Left," discuss several key tenets of Progressive Christianity and explain why they are not biblical truths. Listen to this episode.

Stay tuned every Friday for more episodes; you can subscribe on Edifi, Apple, Google, Stitcher, Spotify and other platforms!

Plus, want other Christian podcasts you can binge? If so, youre in luck  from explorations of spiritual warfare to daily devotionals and deeply-inspiring conversations, six additional new podcasts on The Edifi Podcast Network will help you grow in your faith:

PLAYING WITH FIRE PODCAST: Evil is real. But are demons active today? Can evil inhabit human beings? Is exorcism real? Join investigative journalist Billy Hallowell as he delves into the strange phenomena of supernatural activity through the harrowing stories of people who believe they have experienced ultimate evil, fought a battle they never expected  and have found healing. Listen to Playing With Fire on Edifi today!

CANCEL THIS!: Its time to talk with open hearts, open minds and an open Bible about the pressing topics Christians want to discuss  without the fear of being canceled. Join author and veteran firefighter/paramedic Jason Sautel as he explores current events, eternal truths and transformational lessons alongside some truly captivating guests. In the age of rabid cancel culture, Cancel This! isnt afraid to ask  and answer  the tough questions. Listen to Cancel This! right now on Edifi!

COMPELLED: Compelled is a seasonal podcast using gripping, immersive storytelling to celebrate the powerful ways God is transforming the lives of Christians around the world. These Christian testimonies are raw, true, and powerful. Be encouraged and let your faith be strengthened! Listen to Compelled right now on Edifi!

LIVING FEARLESS DEVOTIONAL: Andy, a former Anaheim Police Officer and Hedieh, a former Muslim and Counterterrorism expert who became a Christian, share their real life joys and challenges of following Jesus, with the help of various daily devotional authors. Listen to Living Fearless Devotional right now on Edifi!

BOLD AND BLUNT: Washington Times online opinion editor Cheryl Chumley brings her no-holds-barred take on the big issues of the day. Listen to Bold and Blunt right now on Edifi!

CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS: Do you struggle with knowing what to say and how to say it when a controversial topic comes up? Challenging Conversations, hosted by best-selling author and worldview expert Jason Jimenez, is a conversational podcast designed to help Christians overcome their fears and learn to respectfully engage people of a different view or belief system. You will gain insight as Jason and his guests get into deep conversations about the Christian faith and discuss how Christians ought to be defending the gospel as they speak the truth in love to those around them. Hear Challenging Conversations right now on Edifi!

Download the Edifi app on the Apple and Android stores to hear thousands of great Christian podcasts today. And be sure to also check out other shows in the Edifi Podcast Network!
Federal judge blocks Biden's enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal employees

Just over a week after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for large businesses, a federal judge in Texas blocked the Biden administrations vaccine mandate for federal employees Friday.

Judge Jeffrey Vincent Brown for the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction halting the executive order issued in September requiring that most federal employees and contractors get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Brown, a Trump appointee, argued that President Joe Biden doesnt have the authority to require federal workers to get vaccinated. Although the judge agreed that Biden does have the authority over federal employment policies, those authorities do not permit him to require the federal workforce to get vaccinated.

The question before the court was whether the President can, with the stroke of a pen and without the input of Congress, require millions of federal employees to undergo a medical procedure as a condition of their employment, Brown wrote in the 20-page ruling.

That, under the current state of the law as just recently expressed by the Supreme Court, is a bridge too far, Brown, who assumed office in 2019 after serving as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Texas, wrote.

The President certainly possesses broad statutory authority to regulate executive branch employment policies. But the Supreme Court has expressly held that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate is not an employment regulation. And that means the President was without statutory authority to issue the federal worker mandate.

Bidens order allowed for certain exemptions and excluded members of Congress and employees of the U.S. Postal Service. In principle, individuals who had a valid religious or medical reason were also exempt though some in the U.S. military complained that religious exemptions were nearly impossible to obtain.

The order also required businesses with over 100 employees require their workers to get vaccinated or submit to regular testing, which was estimated to impact as many as 80 million Americans. But enforcement of the requirement for large businesses was halted by the U.S. Supreme Court last week in a temporary stay.

Applicants are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim that the Secretary lacked authority to impose the mandate, the Supreme Court ruling stated. Administrative agencies are creatures of statute. They accordingly possess only the authority that Congress has provided.

The Secretary has ordered 84 million Americans to either obtain a COVID19 vaccine or undergo weekly medical testing at their own expense, the ruling added. This is no everyday exercise of federal power.

However, the nations high court allowed the administration to continue enforcing the requirement for healthcare facilities that wish to participate in Medicare and Medicaid.

Critics contend that the mandates are examples of federal overreach and failed to adequately respect religious objections to the COVID-19 vaccine.

The Justice Department said it would appeal Browns ruling.

We are confident in our legal authority, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during a press briefing Friday.

The White House has said that over nine out of 10 federal workers had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Indian bishops urged to take a stand as violence against Christians continues to rise

A group of Catholic clergy and laity in India has said that the complete silence of Indias bishops despite a rise in attacks on Christians and other minorities is shocking and urged the Catholic Bishops Conference of India to speak out.

The Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace wrote a letter to CBCI President Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai calling for Indian bishops to do more to advocate for religious minorities facing a rising trend of persecution in India at the hands of Hindu extremism, Crux reports.

In the year 2021, there were 486 incidents of violence against the Christian community in India, according to the United Christian Front. What shocks us is the complete silence on the part of the official Church, the CBCI, the letter reads.

The letter specifically cited seven "well-planned attacks on Christian institutions" between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2021.

The letter was sent weeks after a United Christian Front report that showed 2021 was the most violent year for Christians in the countrys history.

The violent acts against the Christian community and Muslim community or any other minority group are in complete violation of the law of the land and the Indian Constitution, the letter states. If we do not respond to such acts, the secular fabric of India will be lost causing irreparable damage to the people of India, and an inclusive, democratic and pluralistic India as envisioned in the preamble of the Indian Constitution could be lost forever.

In its report, the United Christian Front noted that in nearly all cases reported nationwide, vigilante mobs composed of religious extremists have been seen to either barge into a prayer gathering or round up individuals that they believe are involved in forcible religious conversions.

The organization attributed the high incidence of Christian persecution to impunity, saying such mobs criminally threaten, physically assault people in prayer, before handing them over to the police on allegations of forcible conversions.

The Forum of Religious for Justice and Peace contends that Catholic leaders cannot remain silent spectators when the drama of violent attacks against the minorities is unfolding before us. The forum argues that Indias Catholic leaders need to act and fulfill our prophetic role before it is too late.

The forum calls on the bishops conference to send a letter to President Narendra Modi, urging him to call on governments in states where such attacks are occurring to prevent attacks in the future and hold those responsible accountable. The forum also wants the national bishops' conference to urge regional conferences to send memorandums to government leaders in their states urging them to protect Christians from attacks and open cases against perpetrators.

Additionally, CBCI is urged to respond quickly after attacks on Christian institutions and individuals by state actors or Hindu nationalist groups and provide legal assistance to help victims seek justice in the courts.

Sister Dorothy Fernandes told Crux that the forum was motivated to send the letter because of "well-planned actions that took place around Christmas. She said she is often asked why Catholic leadership is silent and wants the leadership of our Church to wake up.

We have also suggested a number of doable actions which is inclusive and will sustain the secular fabric of our beautiful nation," she was quoted as saying. "We would believe that our inclusiveness will reach out to the Muslims, Sikhs, Dalits, Tribals, women and children. This is our prophetic calling, and we can no longer afford to sit on the fence and wait till they come for us."

Christians make up just over 2% of Indias population and Hindus comprise nearly 80%, while Muslims account for just over 15%, according to the Pew-Templeton Global Religious Futures Project.

Rights groups have warned there has been an increase in Hindu radical mob attacks on Christians and other religious minorities since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power with the election of Modi in 2014.

In recent years, Christian groups and leaders have been accused by Hindu nationalists of violating laws barring forcible conversion and detained.

Several Indian states have enacted anti-conversion laws barring the use of financial benefits or other forms of allurement to encourage Hindus to convert to Christianity. Hindu nationalist groups often abuse these laws and make false charges against religious minorities.

Earlier this month, a mob of some 200 Hindu nationalists attacked a house church during its worship service in the Odagoan village of Kondagaon District in Indias eastern state of Chhattisgarh, according to the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern. The pastor was reportedly injured along with two other Christians, and a Christian woman was allegedly converted to Hinduism.

This month, police in Madhya Pradesh reportedly arrested nine Christians, including pastors, in the villages of Padalya and Bisoli located in the Jhabua district on accusations of illegal conversions.

Open Doors USA, which monitors persecution in over 60 countries, again ranked India as the 10th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on its 2022 World Watch List, which was released last week.

The group warns that Hindu radicals often attack Christians with little to no consequences.

The persecution of Christians in India is intensifying as Hindu extremists aim to cleanse the country of their presence and influence, Open Doors stated in a factsheet on India.

The driving force behind this is Hindutva, an ideology that disregards Indian Christians and other religious minorities as true Indians because they have allegiances that lie outside India, and asserts the country should be purified of their presence.

ICC warns that the pace of Christian persecution only seems to be accelerating with the arrival of 2022, and adds, Whether 2022 will be as violent of a year as 2021 is yet to be seen.
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Court documents allege a suspect in multiple drive-by shootings was involved earlier this month when a bullet struck a home with a child inside while guns were fired from a Conroe day cares parking lot.

Quinton Travion Jones, 21, of Conroe, is charged with the third-degree felony offense of deadly conduct by discharging a firearm, according to jail records. Jones is being held on a $100,000 bond at the Montgomery County Jail, according to information on his custody.

Investigators think the gunfire was an act of retaliation for a previous shooting incident, court records show. As the case continues, investigators have said there are many others involved in the shootings.

Jones is an immediate neighbor of a church struck by multiple bullets only a couple of days before the day care parking lot shooting. City and county authorities have assured the house of worship was not a target and court documents do not show Jones current charge is related.

A probable cause affidavit filed Jan. 12 by a Conroe Police detective, however, does mention Jones was already being investigated for incidents similar to the Jan. 10 parking lot shooting.

Deshandrea Marquez Jones, 20, of Conroe, is also being charged with deadly conduct by discharging a firearm after surrendering himself at the Montgomery County Jail following efforts to locate him as a suspect in the drive-by shootings. Shortly after his arrest, Deshandrea Jones was no longer listed by jail records as being in custody.

In addition to detailing how investigators zeroed in on Quinton Jones following the parking lot incident, the probable cause affidavit mentions a second shooter.

It is unclear if Deshandrea Jones is the second shooter at the day care parking lot. Conroe PD has not confirmed what specific shootings Deshandrea Jones is a suspect in.

A witness to the weekday afternoon shooting described seeing several males running off after shots were fired at 1230 S. Frazier, where Kids Only Child Care is located, according to Quinton Jones criminal affidavit.

The detective reviewed another witnesss cell phone video showing four males at the parking lot, two of whom were shooting westbound before they all fled in a silver Kia Forte investigators later traced back to Quinton Jones, according to the affidavit.

A surveillance camera at an apartment captured four unknown males near a black car close to the complex. The group in the video appeared to be the targets of gunfire from the silver Kia at the front of the apartments, court records show.

Bullets from multiple cars in the parking lot and from two apartments were recovered. The detective spoke to one apartment resident who said he was home with his underage daughter when he heard a bullet hit his apartment front door, charging documents detail.

The criminal affidavit did not specify which apartment complex the gunfire was directed at in this shooting.

In the course of the investigation, it was learned a drive-by shooting took place 15 minutes prior at 1101 S. 7th, where Tall Timbers Apartments is located. Reviewing surveillance video, the detective saw a silver Kia Forte entering the complex and then a black car slowly passing on the street with its door seemingly ajar as shots were fired from the vehicle, according to the affidavit.

The video also shows six males meeting at the apartment complex parking lot with four boarding the silver Kia, including a pair wearing the same clothing as the day care parking lots shooters, and two getting into a white Mitsubishi car, the affidavit details.

The affidavit states the detective suspected the shooting on Frazier Street was a retaliation for the shooting on 7th Street.

On the following day, an officer pulled over the Mistubishi from the video, recognizing the driver as an associate of Quinton Jones. The driver admitted he was at the 7th Street apartment complex when the shooting occurred and fled with Quinton Jones, according to court documents.

Though dated the same day as the day care parking lot shooting, Desandrea Jones single paragraph arrest warrant does not mention the address where his alleged offense was committed.

The Conroe-based Multi-County Crime Stoppers promoted the search for both men. Deshandrea Jones turned himself in Jan. 27 at the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office headquarters in Conroe, according to the nonprofits coordinator, Montgomery County Sheriffs Specialist Steve Squier.

Quinton Jones was arrested Jan. 14 at Conroe Police headquarters on Plantation Drive, according to jail records. His arrest was a result of a tip to Crime Stoppers, Squier noted.

On Monday, the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office said it was uncertain whether both men were related.

As of Tuesday afternoon, court records did not list a defense attorney for Deshandrea Jones. That information on Quinton Jones case file was unavailable.

Arrest records show Quinton Jones lives directly behind Hopewell Community Church, located on Avenue F in Conroes Dugan subdivision. Jan. 7 and Jan. 8 shooting incidents left the house of worship riddled with bullets.

Conroe PD has repeatedly denied the church was a target. The DAs Office on Monday also said the Conroe church was not thought to have been targeted in the shootings.

Congregants found damage to the church, including the childrens ministry room, on Sunday morning Jan. 9. Daisy Taylor, wife of HopeWell Pastor Milton Taylor, has said there has been increased patrolling in the neighborhood since the shootings.

Repairs to the church have already begun, Daisy Taylor said on Monday. Prospective donors to the churchs repairs are being asked to call 936-539-4255.

Reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, Conroe PD spokesman Sgt. Jeff Smith quoted an investigator when asked if the department was still seeking arrests in the church and the 7th Street apartment complex shooting incidents.

There were multiple people involved in the shootings. That investigation is still ongoing, Smith said.

jose.gonzalez@chron.com

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Former United States President Donald Trump allegedly employed the assistance of "fake electors" during the 2020 presidential elections to cast their various states' Electoral College votes for the Republican businessman.

The House Select Committee is now investigating the issue as the latest part of its efforts to uncover the former president's attempts to overturn the election results. Many of Trump's efforts to paint himself the winner of the 2020 presidential elections were made public for the American people to see.

Fake Electoral Certificates

The Republican businessman talked about it, his advisers talked about it, and even his lawyers talked about the attempts. However, even as the plans took hold, many saw Trump's efforts as pathetic rather than dangerous.

The majority of Trump's attempts, including the pro-Trump slates of electors in states that he lost against Joe Biden, were dismissed as simply "political stunts." However, the former president and his allies weren't trying to put on a show, and they were trying to win the elections, MSNBC reported.

Now, federal prosecutors are reviewing the fake Electoral College certifications that declared former President Trump, the winner in various states he lost in 2020. On Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said that her office had received the referrals and her prosecutors were looking into the case.

Read Also: Donald Trump Says Russia-Ukraine Tensions Wouldn't Have Happened If He's POTUS

The fake certificates were sent to the National Archives by Trump's allies in mid-December 2020. The incident has attracted public criticism as the House Select Committee investigates the former president and his allies and their alleged involvement in the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riot and their attempts to overturn the 2020 elections.

Furthermore, Monaco did not detail what other issues prosecutors were looking at from the partisan attempts to subvert the 2020 vote count. The deputy attorney general said that the Justice Department was more broadly investigating and following the facts and the law wherever they lead in an attempt to address the conduct of any kind, CNN reported.

Overturn 2020 Election

The situation comes as other lawmakers and officials call for increased efforts to investigate fake electoral certificates. Wisconsin Democrat Rep. Mark Pocan wrote a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday where he demanded an investigation into the same issue in his state.

Members of the House Select Committee said the panel wanted to look at the fraudulent activity contained in the preparation of the fake Electoral College certificates. Maryland Democrat Rep. Jamie Raskin said that the committee wanted to see to what extent the attempts were part of a comprehensive plan to overturn the 2020 election results.

In a separate interview, Raskin added that there was no doubt that the people involved committed acts of constitutional fraud on the public and on democracy. The false slates were put forth in seven contested swing states and appear to have been part of Trump's plan to disrupt the normal workings of the Electoral College.

Despite election officials sending official lists of electors who had voted for Biden to the Electoral College, the fake slates claimed that the Republican businessman was the rightful winner, the New York Times reported.

Related Article: Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Issues Executive Order Allowing Parents To Decide Whether Their Kids Should Wear Masks in School

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According to a spokesman for the South Carolina Department of Social Services, emergency SNAP food aid allotments for February have been granted.

Food purchases are now more affordable thanks to the program. It's not clear, though, if the advantages will be accessible after February. This help is going to more than 300,000 households in South Carolina. It's roughly $179 each month on average. South Carolina was granted an extension into January about a month ago. Governor Henry McMaster's office acknowledged that the program will be decided on a month-by-month basis going forward, as per WMBF-TV via MSN.

What to do to earn extra EBT payments?

Additional food stamp payments of up to $1,504 will be given to Americans who are in need. After the state Department of Social Services stated that it will distribute emergency cash to eligible families this month, more food stamp beneficiaries will be accessible in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

On Sunday, January 16, the department announced that benefits will be automatically credited to the recipients' Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards. SNAP, which assists qualified low-income individuals and families, is used by about 41.5 million people to put food on their tables.

At the same time, individuals in six states receive up to $157 in food stamps. Food stamps will be available to people of California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, and Washington who are eligible. Depending on your state, benefits are paid on a specified day each month. In the state where you live, you must apply for SNAP benefits.

Because each state has its application form and process, each state also has its deadline for depositing SNAP payments into eligible accounts. On the Department of Agriculture's SNAP store locator tool, you can identify approved retailers that take food stamps. Pay stubs or income statements are frequently requested by states that manage SNAP programs to ensure that you still require assistance.

You risk losing your benefits if you don't recertify your food stamps on time even if you're still qualified. If you are deemed eligible, you will be notified about how long you will be eligible for SNAP benefits. This is the time frame during which you will be able to receive your certification.

You will be notified again before the end of your certification term that you must recertify in order to continue receiving benefits. You may find out how to recertify by contacting your local SNAP office, according to Marca.

Read Also: Fourth Stimulus Check Update: $1400 Petition for SSS Recipients Growing; $3600 Payments Still Available

You may use food stamps in some restaurants

Rhona Reiss, a Maryland resident, began speaking out about the food stamp program's flaws the day she found out it wouldn't cover rotisserie chicken. Benefits cannot be used to buy cooked or prepared dishes under long-standing federal rules, even for 77-year-old Reiss.

In Maryland and other places around the country, however, the approach is changing. Six states have opted for a little-used federal program that permits older folks to utilize their food benefits on a limited number of low-cost restaurant meals in the last two years.

People with impairment and those who are homeless are also covered by the Restaurant Meals Program, as it is known. California and Arizona are the most popular locations for the program, with newer states like Maryland and Illinois still in the early stages of implementation.

The sudden expansion of the program, according to nutrition experts and advocates, is part of a larger push to expand access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or "SNAP" during the pandemic, as well as an overdue reckoning around home-cooking and federal nutrition aid.

The greatest approach to feed needy people in the United States has historically been to encourage them to cook for themselves. A growing number of advocates and academics have warned that many Americans lack the time, skills, resources, or physical ability to prepare the kinds of recipes that lawmakers envisioned when the nutrition assistance program, which will distribute $108 billion in benefits in 2021, was launched.

Reiss, who now works for the Montgomery County Food Council in Maryland, has spoken before the Maryland legislature about friends who can't handle a knife due to arthritis and acquaintances who don't have a fully functional kitchen in their houses, Daily Montanan reported.

Related Article: Here's What Kind of SNAP Benefits You Can Receive Next Month Based on Where You Live

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HOUSTON (AP)  A Houston man accused of stabbing a police dog and wanted for questioning in the death of his father, whose body was found hidden in his home's garage, was arrested Tuesday after evading capture for several hours, according to authorities.

Police say Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, is considered a person of interest in his father's death and had warned he should be considered a public threat given his recent actions over the past few days, including charges related to trying to steal a car and attacking the police dog.

Given his previous charge and what were looking at now, I think it goes without saying he has a tendency for violence, Houston police Commander Kevin Deese said. I would say hes considered to be dangerous, certainly.

After disappearing in a wooded area in Houston following a police chase early Tuesday, authorities said Smith was located around 2 p.m. about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Houston, walking along a highway in Waller County. Police said a tip led authorities to Smith's location. He is facing a charge of evading arrest.

It is the second such charge Smith is facing since police allege he attempted a carjacking Saturday morning. After fleeing the scene of the carjacking and allegedly stealing merchandise from a store, Smith went to a nearby apartment parking garage, according to police.

At the garage, a Houston police dog named Nate caught up with Smith, who is accused of stabbing the animal. Smith was arrested on charges of robbery, interference with a police service animal and evading arrest.

Police said Nate underwent surgery and was recovering at home.

Smith was released Sunday from the Harris County Jail after family members posted his bonds, according to Deese.

Family members of Smiths father became concerned Monday when they had not heard from him. Both Smith and his father were staying at the same west Houston home, Deese said.

After only finding the fathers cellphone in the home, family members called police, who searched the house but found nothing.

As officers continued searching the home Monday evening, they noticed the fathers truck parked nearby, Deese said. Officers approached the truck and saw Smith behind the wheel.

Smith fled the scene and led officers on a chase that ended early Tuesday after he crashed the truck near a park, Deese said. Officers lost track of Smith after he ran into a wooded area. A weapon was found in the truck, he said.

Homicide detectives continued searching the home and found the fathers body in the garage.

He was hidden in a location that made it very difficult for anybody to find him, Deese said.

An autopsy is pending to determine a cause of death, but Deese said it appears the father did not die of natural causes.

Ralph Manginello, Smiths attorney, declined to comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing the ongoing investigation.

___

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With the danger of Russia cutting off fuel imports in the intensifying crisis over Ukraine, the Biden administration declared on Tuesday that it was working with gas and crude oil producers from the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia to strengthen supply to Europe.

If Russia invades Ukraine, European allies have been wary in public about how far they will go to impose heavy sanctions on Moscow. Germany has been particularly cautious, closing several of its nuclear power reactors and increasing its reliance on imports of natural gas to generate energy.

US seeks to protect Europe's energy supplies

The current issue amid winter has been blamed on President Vladimir Putin, who believes that threatening to cut off the Russian gasoline supply to Europe will increase his influence in the long run. The European Union imports nearly a third of its gas and crude oil from Russia.

According to industry estimates, Russia supplied roughly 128 billion cubic meters of gas to Europe last year, with nearly a third of it flowing through a pipeline that goes through Ukraine. Russian efforts to complete the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Siberia and Germany, which would transport petroleum across Ukraine and strengthen European reliance on Russian supplies, have decreased that flow this winter, according to The New York Times.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine might have a big impact on the global energy markets. After the United States, Russia is the world's second-largest oil production. Russia also supplies a significant quantity of natural gas to Europe through Ukraine, and conflict and the destruction of crucial energy infrastructure would most certainly significantly impair those exports.

According to Eurostat, the European Union's statistics agency, Russia presently contributes more than 40% of Europe's natural gas supply. Europe has a store of liquified natural gas that it could dip into in certain circumstances, sources said, and European authorities have been looking into how much of a buffer that may give.

When the U.S. and its allies threatened to put export controls on Russia if it invaded Ukraine, another senior administration official said the U.S. and its allies were prepared to deny Russia "technology that it needs and cannot readily replace" if it invaded Ukraine, as per CNN.

Read Also: Europe's Plan To View the Virus Like a Flu or Measles as New COVID-19 Strategy Remains at Odds in Other Countries

Biden warns Putin of fresh sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine

If Russia invades Ukraine, US President Joe Biden says he will consider personal sanctions on Vladimir Putin. If Russia made a move on the country, which sits on its south-western border, it would have "enormous ramifications" for the globe, according to Biden. His remarks came as other Western leaders reiterated their warnings that if Russia invaded, it would have to pay a severe price. Russia denies that it intends to enter Ukraine and has blamed the United States and others for "escalating tensions" over the subject.

Moscow, on the other hand, has increased its presence at the border, with 100,000 Russian soldiers stationed there. When asked if he could envision himself personally putting sanctions on the Russian president in the case of an invasion, Biden said "absolutely" to reporters.

It would have enormous global ramifications and maybe the greatest invasion since World War Two, Biden warned, adding that he would feel obligated to strengthen NATO's position in Eastern Europe. Western allies will respond to any intrusion with serious economic sanctions, according to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and Britain was prepared to deploy troops to safeguard NATO members in the region.

According to top Russian officials, the decision to exclude Russia from the Swift international payments system would make it impossible for Europe to pay for and receive Russian goods. Meanwhile, President Emmanuel Macron of France has stated that talks with Moscow would continue. On Friday, he said that he'd call Putin and ask for clarification on Russia's intentions regarding Ukraine, BBC News reported.

Related Article: US Puts 8,500 Troops on Heightened Alert, Possibly for Deployment in Eastern Europe Amid Russia-Ukraine Tension

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Feature: Spring Festival packages bring warmth to Chinese in Cuba

15:18, January 26, 2022 By Yosley Carrero ( Xinhua

HAVANA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Xu Han, a student at Havana's Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine, was overjoyed on Tuesday to receive a Spring Festival package from the Chinese Embassy in Cuba.

The 31-year-old Chinese majoring in epidemiology told Xinhua that she is filled with nostalgia for her homeland after receiving the package ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year 2022.

"I feel very touched by these presents," Xu said. "The Spring Festival is a symbol of fraternity and friendship for Chinese people."

Like Xu, around 100 Chinese people in Cuba have received Spring Festival packages from the Chinese embassy.

The packages include face masks, disinfecting wipes, medicines, cooking oil bottles, and Chinese New Year souvenirs.

Su Haotong, who pursues a bachelor's degree in the Spanish language at the University of Havana, said that he felt very grateful for the gifts.

"The Chinese embassy takes care of us. During these days, I very much remember my relatives and friends in China," he said.

Chinese Ambassador to Cuba Ma Hui sent his best wishes to Chinese residents in the island country on the occasion of the Spring Festival.

"China made important economic achievements in 2021 while successfully managing the COVID-19 pandemic," he said, adding that the embassy will continue supporting Chinese people in Cuba.

Amid the pandemic, the Chinese embassy has instructed Chinese nationals to abide by COVID-19 safety protocols to minimize the risk of contagion with the virus.

Ouyang Chaofan, a Chinese Ph.D. student at the University of Havana, said that the Spring Festival package would provide him with better protection from the novel coronavirus.

"We are eagerly expecting the beginning of the Year of the Tiger," he said.

He Zhen, a Chinese tourist stranded in Cuba due to the ongoing pandemic, also received the package.

"The Communist Party of China and the Chinese government are very supportive. I have no words to express my deep gratitude," he said. 

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Liang Jun)
Chinese leader Xi Jinping shows solidarity with Russian naval forces in Arabian Sea drills, including Iranian forces that are shaking up an effective response.

In the backdrop is the Ukraine border, where Joe Biden has shown no real leadership in convincing the Kremlin to stand down.

Instead, Kyiv is faced with a mixed-up NATO that is not unified, and Washington seems to have little knowledge of the dynamics in eastern Europe.

Russia, China military drills

Washington insists its intel is correct that 106,000 Russian troops will invade, but Moscow says these are exercises, reported the Express UK.

White House disseminated satellite images of the troop and equipment buildup it touts as alleged invasion plans.

Interfax news agency mentioned the Russian and Chinese maritime forces were in drills. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the exercise was done last Tuesday.

Iranian state media revealed that its naval forces were part of the trilateral maritime military drills, as they practiced as a group in the Indian Ocean.

Last Friday, official state sources said 11 Iranian ships joined the drills with three Russian ships, including a destroyer and two Chinese vessels. The Revolutionary Guard had smaller vessels and helicopters as part of the exercises.

UK urges west to work together

On a visit to Australia, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss made the bold assertion that Beijing's aggression in the Indo-Pacific won't be far behind if Kyiv is invaded.

Xi joining the Arabian Sea drills was hit by the west as aggressive despite incursions of US and NATO planes on faux nuclear runs close to the Russian borders.

Read Also: EU Needs to Develop Own Army After AUKUS Deal Casts Division With US Alliance

She said that Moscow is working with China more than ever, calling them aggressors allegedly moving in, adding that western countries should oppose them as individuals as they have the biggest armies.

The former Australian Prime Minister, Paul Keating, said that Truss' comments are demented for unsound claims, according to the South China Morning Post.

Calling what the British Foreign Secretary whacked that China would attack in the Pacific theatre, all because the Kremlin moved to capture Ukraine, which is irresponsible rhetoric but irrational and demented.

Claims of Xi Jinping's requests untrue

On Saturday, TASS was told by China's embassy in Russia about reports that the Chinese President Xi Jinping requested the Russian President Vladimir Putin not to rollout the invasion during the Olympic games, which is a lie.

Embassy officials were livid at Bloomberg for spreading lies about the two leaders, which was untrue and malignant, called it the west creating a hoax and worse provoking intentionally. Chinese want to resolve by dialogue and consultations via the Minsk agreements as a method to peace.

Zhao Lijian of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the report is pure thin air, taking a shot at the west's ploy to sow confusion.

He added that the west wants Beijing and Moscow apart and politicize the Beijing Winter Olympics, calling it heavy-handed and crude that is so obvious to other countries.

Washington is mobilizing troops, and NATO is arming up at the border with hardware. But Russia said it is the fault of NATO and the US why it has gotten worse.

Xi Jinping's PLA in the Arabian Sea drill with Russian maritime forces signals the East is not backing down, especially with Tehran participating signals that the western alliance will need better leadership than what Washington can provide.

Related Article: Putin Reveals Plans To Organize Asian NATO Countries; AUKUS Deal has Destabilized the Fragile Security in the Indo-Pacific

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A teen transporting migrants led state police on a chase before rear-ending a civilian vehicle and injuring several people, including two children, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Cristian Escobar Jr., 17, was served with multiple warrants on Jan. 22 charging him with five counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, six counts of smuggling persons: likelihood serious bodily injury or death, and evading arrest with a vehicle.

The case dates back to Dec. 30, when troopers received information about a blue Dodge Ram involved in human smuggling in the City of Rio Bravo. A trooper then observed the vehicle traveling south on U.S. 83 and then toward Espejo Molina Road.

DPS said the vehicle was traveling at 90 mph in a 65-mph zone. The trooper tried to pull over the Ram for speeding. However, the driver of the Ram accelerated, disregarded a red light and rear-ended a maroon Dodge Caravan.

Authorities identified the driver of the Ram as Escobar. His seven passengers were determined to be migrants who had crossed the border illegally. Once in custody, Escobar allegedly stated that he was being paid $170 per migrant. Angel Care EMS took him to Laredo Medical Center for an evaluation.

Four civilians in the Caravan  male, 35; female, 32; boy, 13; boy, 2  were also taken to a local hospital due to injuries sustained in the crash. They were later discharged after being medically cleared.

Escobar was later taken to University Hospital in San Antonio due to fractures on his back he sustained in the crash. He was served with the warrants over the weekend.
A free, nonprofit preschool program launched by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is coming to Houston this fall. The City of Houston announced the 10-year lease agreement with Bezos Academy on Wednesday for a Montessori-inspired preschool in the Denver Harbor area.

The Houston City Council approved a ten-year lease agreement for a 4,967 square-foot building space and an additional 6,345 square-foot outdoor space located in the Denver Harbor Multi-Service Center at 6402 Market Street. The school will operate year-round, five days a week, for children 3-5 years old and will feature two classrooms, according to a Wednesday news release.

"When we look for partners to host Bezos Academy preschools, we try to find opportunities that meet more than just the educational needs of the child," said Mike George, Bezos Academy president, in the release. "The City of Houston helped us identify a site at Denver Harbor that will situate our tuition-free preschool in the midst of residential support programs for families ranging from a food pantry to health education. We couldnt be more excited to join and support this community."

Admission to the academy is based on a lottery and eligibility is determined by household income. Families earning up to 400% of the federal poverty limit with children aged 3-4 are eligible. Families that are interested can apply on the academy's site once the school's opening date is set.

Mayor Sylvester Turner in the release called the partnership a "game-changer" for low-income families. "Underserved children will have access to education that inspires their creativity and challenges them to succeed in the classroom," Turner said. "By focusing on underserved communities, we are ensuring that every child will have equitable opportunities for education that propels them to a meaningful and successful future."

Houston city council member Karla Cisneros said the partnership will help support the development and success of some of the city's neediest children and help the future workforce be prepared for jobs. "We are helping women get back to work, and we are giving young children a good shot at a better life," Cisneros said in the release.

The Bezos Academy opened its first school in Des Moines, Washington in October 2020. The preschool program has three other locations opening in Texas this year, including two in Dallas.
Johnny Hanson/Houston Chronicle

During routine testing, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez tested positive for COVID-19 Tuesday, January 25, according to a press release from the judge. Cortez has had two rounds of the COVID-19 vaccine as well as a booster shot.

He is presently conferring with his doctors to determine the prescribed course of treatment. This is the second time Cortez has tested positive for the coronavirus. He first tested positive on December 10, 2020.
Amid alleged paper shortages and a flurry of vote-by-mail rejections, the cutoff for voter registration ahead of the March 1 primaries is fast approaching. Only six days remain until the Jan. 31 deadline for signing up to cast a ballot in the upcoming party showdowns, where residents will decide which candidates face off in November's district-level and statewide races.

These contests include the primary races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner, comptroller and one of three seats on the Railroad Commission.

Texans, unlike residents in 40 other states, do not have the option to register to vote online. Instead, Texas law requires voters to fill out a paper application that must be turned in to a voter registrar office, by mail or in person. New rules under Senate Bill 1 require voters to provide their full driver's license number or, if they don't have one, the last four digits of their Social Security number, on applications for ballots.

Mail-in ballot applicants must provide their driver's license number or Social Security number, and this identifying figure must match the information listed on their voter registration file. This is a new distinction in Texas' voting laws, and as reported by KHOU 11's Melissa Correa, it has led to a rash of application rejections that Harris County election officials are racing to correct.

"Were running on coffee and donuts to make sure that voters are able to vote, regardless of these new laws in place, said Isabel Longoria, Harris County elections administrator, during an interview with Correa. "Harris County, luckily, is very large and so we have the resources, thanks to Commissioners Court, to call voters and email them. Not every county has that capacity."

Further requirements stipulate that applications sent by mail be postmarked no later than the Jan. 31 voter registration deadline. In Harris County, applications can be submitted in person to any one of 10 Office of the Election Administrator locations listed here.

The Secretary of State's office has stated that voter applications scribbled on old forms could still be submitted, despite advising officials and groups to not distribute the old version anymore. "In other words, using last year's form in and of itself is not fatal to the voter's registration application," confirmed Sam Taylor, spokesman for the Texas secretary of state. "Old forms will be accepted as long as the application is otherwise valid."

People can also print out their own application from the secretary of state's site and mail it in. The application can be downloaded here. Texans' only option for registering online is through the Texas Department of Public Safety when updating information on their driver's license or state ID card.

As of Monday, 17,163,774 individuals are registered to vote in Texas, Taylor said. Residents can check whether or not they are already registered to vote on the secretary of state's site.

In order to register to vote in Harris County, voters must be 18 years of age or older; a U.S. citizen; not have been determined by a final judgment of a court exercising probate jurisdiction to be totally mentally incapacitated or partially mentally incapacitated without the right to vote; not have been finally convicted of a felony; and be a resident of the county in which application for registration is made.

Feb. 18 is the deadline to apply for mail-in ballot for the primary election. Hundreds of mail-in ballot applications have been rejected in some of the state's largest counties for not meeting new ID requirements state Republicans enacted last year.

In Harris County, 208 applications were initially rejected based on the new rules, and 137 were rejected because voters had not filled out the new ID requirements, according to Alexa Ura of the Texas Tribune. As of Jan. 14, county officials said they had rejected another 172 applications that lacked ID numbers.
"U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw sends mail-in ballot applications to voters after Texas banned the practice for local election officials" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, is taking heat this week for sending out campaign mailers containing unsolicited mail-in ballot applications to voters who are 65 and older.

Last year, Texas Republicans in the Legislature passed an elections law that banned local election officials from that very same practice under the banner of protecting election integrity. However, the law made an exception for candidates and political parties to continue the practice, which has long been a popular get-out-the-vote tactic typically employed by both parties, but especially by Republicans.

Democrats this week said Crenshaws mailer highlights hypocrisy in the new voting law and shows that Republicans who railed against vote-by-mail expansion efforts last year were only concerned about the ways it could benefit Democrats. Crenshaws mailer includes a prefilled mail-in application and instructions that tell the recipient to simply sign, stamp, and mail it and to be sure to vote for Dan Crenshaw when the ballot comes.

The hypocrisy here is absurd, said Chris Hollins, the former Harris County Clerk, who inspired the provision in the Texas legislation because of a hotly contested plan to send mail-in ballot applications to all of the countys registered voters during the pandemic. Voting by mail is a safe way that is utilized for people to exercise their right to vote.  We should be promoting the right to vote by mail for all those who are eligible, not making it illegal to inform voters of their right.

The Texas voting law  which Republicans passed after Democrats walked out on bill negotiations twice  contains several measures that restrict the expansion of voting by mail, in addition to banning 24-hour early voting and drive-thru voting. The law, which went into effect last month, creates a state jail felony penalty for local election officials  but not politicians or other third parties in the voting process  who send applications for mail-in ballots to voters who dont request them.

Justin Discigil, Crenshaws campaign spokesperson, said sending unsolicited applications is normal practice, and the campaign did it in 2020. Asked how Crenshaws support of mail-in voting for candidates squares with the new Texas law, Discigil distanced Crenshaw from the Texas Legislature.

That was a state Legislature decision.  Discigil said. Dan did not write the bill.

But Crenshaw has been a strong supporter of the voting law, defending it on Twitter and criticizing Democrats who have characterized it and similar rules in other states as voter suppression.

In a 2020 interview with The Texas Tribune, Crenshaw likened expansion of voting by mail to playing with fire and said that it could increase voter fraud, raising concerns about states such as Nevada that have more expanded mail-in ballot options than Texas.

Discigil said Crenshaws criticism of mail-in ballots applies to states other than Texas that provide insufficient safeguards for voter integrity. Crenshaw said during the interview that the mail-in ballot process in Texas  which requires identification and an application for the absentee option  was fine.

Crenshaws 2020 comments came at a time when Texas Republican leadership resisted expanding vote-by-mail eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people sought to vote through absentee and nontraditional methods more than normal.

State Rep. Briscoe Cain, R-Deer Park, a co-sponsor of the GOP elections bill, defended the use of politicians sending applications for mail-in ballots despite making it illegal for local officials to do the same.

It is my understanding that rural counties did not and do not have the resources to send out unsolicited applications, Cain said. That section helps bring equity and uniformity to our election laws.

Cain did not respond to a follow-up question about whether the provision addressed voter fraud, which Republicans said the law would prevent during the debate over its passing. There has been no evidence nationwide or in Texas of widespread voter fraud.

The laws restriction on sending unsolicited applications takes aim at an initiative spearheaded in 2020 by Hollins, whose plan to send mail-in ballot applications to all of the 2.4 million registered voters in his jurisdiction during the pandemic was stopped by the all-Republican Texas Supreme Court.

Hollins said he believes the law targets election officials  especially those in large cities  since theyve increasingly invested in efforts to increase voter turnout, which favors Democrats in urban areas.

Theyve done the math, and theyve determined that in those larger cities and counties, the votes are less likely to go their way, Hollins said. Every single thing that theyre doing is not about American democracy.

As Texas heads into primary election season, local election officials have rejected hundreds of mail-in ballot applications because the new law requires a state identification number, like a drivers license or a partial Social Security number, on the form. These numbers must match information in the state voter registry, or the application can be rejected.

State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez, a Democrat from Dallas and vice chair of the House Committee on Elections, also said Crenshaws use of the mailers was hypocritical, especially since he has supported former President Donald Trump, who falsely claimed that mail-in ballots were less secure than voting in person.

This shows that they dont want Democrats to vote, Gonzalez said, noting that allowing local elections officials to send mail-in ballot applications to registered voters doesnt target one party over another. Theyre not basing that off of what political party you belong to. When you allow elected officials or candidates to do that, they only want to be able to target people from their party.

Gonzalez, one of the Democrats who fled to Washington, D.C., during this years Legislative sessions to block passage of the bill, said this provision of the new law particularly impacts Texans who have disabilities or may not otherwise know about their voting options.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/01/26/dan-crenshaw-texas-mail-in-ballot-voting-law/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
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A juvenile from Detroit was detained in connection with a murder in Oak Park, Michigan, after reportedly returning to the crime scene.

For his alleged participation in the shooting death of Desmount Dixon, 33, of Detroit, Derrion Deandre Walker, 18, of Detroit, faces charges of felony murder, armed robbery, and two counts of felony firearm. Judge Michelle Friedman Appel of the 45th District Court in Oak Park arraigned him. Bond was not granted to Walker.

Officers were sent to the 15000 block of Northgate Boulevard at the Loop Apartments at around 11:15 p.m. on Thursday, January 20, according to a news release supplied to Newsweek by the Oak Park Department of Public Safety investigations section.

Suspect returns to the crime scene during the investigation

On Greenfield Road, not far from Interstate 696, lies the apartment complex. Officers arrived to find a car that had collided with the residential complex. The accident shattered an apartment unit's front glass. In the driver's seat, a male victim with a gunshot wound was found.

After being identified as Dixon, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. According to police, Dixon had been shot in the 25000 block of Lincoln Terrace and attempted to flee. That's when his car collided with the aforementioned residential building.

According to Taylor, investigators on the scene were able to get information on the shooting suspect. Walker and two others returned to the area around 3 1/2 hours after the incident happened while cops and other employees were still there. Investigators interrogated all three of them, Newsweek reported.

A witness was able to "build suspect information" while police were on the scene. "The suspect and two others showed up at the site" more than three hours after the incident, according to Taylor. During the incident, it is alleged that Walker pulled out a firearm with the intent to rob the victim and fired it at Dixon, hitting him.

Investigators interrogated all three of them before arresting Walker. Police said the other two persons were freed pending further investigation.

Dixon died from the gunshot wound he received not from the collision. A ground-floor window of an unoccupied flat was broken out when Dixon's Cadillac crashed.

There were no further injuries. Walker's next court date was still pending, according to the Oak Park 45th District Court late Monday afternoon, as per Tribune.

Read Also: Brian Laundrie's Bombshell Journal Confesses Killing Girlfriend Gabby Petito Before His Death, FBI Ends Investigation

Woman shot in Detroit while driving

On the Southfield Freeway in Detroit, a motorist contacted police early Monday morning to report that someone had shot her. She was traveling on the southbound side of the motorway at Joy Road shortly after midnight when someone shot at her, according to authorities. Bullet holes were discovered at the back of her car by Michigan State Police officers.

The situation is being investigated by the police. The reported circumstances were not made public. Anyone with information regarding the incident is requested to call the police at 734-287-5000. The suspect car was described as an older model gold Chevrolet Malibu, according to Fox2.

Related Article: 8-Year-Old Chicago Girl Shot in Head During Gang Battle; Residents Raise $55,00 For the Bereaved Family

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Florida, US (34429)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. Thunder possible. High 89F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 66F. Winds light and variable.
A group of Conservative GOP lawmakers went after the vaccine mandates of Joe Biden, who viewed his administration as detrimental to getting a proper pandemic response.

The Republicans see the Democrats using the pandemic to enact unconstitutional changes like forcing them to take the vaccine.

The Biden administration cannot force these unlawful mandates ahead of the February government shutdown where they want the funds to dry up.

Vaccine mandates used to control Americans

In a pre-emptive strike by the GOP reported by Fox News, more than twelve house members of the Republicans say it's a no vote on the opportunistic and unconstitutional Dems, forcing Americans to take the vaccine because they will lose their livelihood and access to services.

So far, the administration has been able to pass four of the controversial mandates which are pestering Americans.

The Supreme Court shellacked Biden by not passing the 5th, which says any firm with 100 or more employees, Occupational Health and Safety Administration cannot decide on these matters.

Most affected will be medical personnel, soldiers, federal employees, and federal contractors are still in play.

Rep. Chip Roy (Texas GOP) stated that Congress should not rely on the Supreme Court to stop these illegal mandates, reported the Blaze.

He sent a letter to Kevin McCarthy (California GOP) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) they want to have the Republicans stand against those agencies that enforce it.

It glossed over the fact that it's impossible to ignore Article 1 there is no assurance the Supreme Court will choose to ignore it. The conservative GOP lawmakers say these vaccine mandates should be actively opposed.

Read Also: Joe Biden Abandons Britain in the North Ireland Protocol, Threatens Similar Appeasement in Favor of the EU

He added that any support from the federal government that will be used to enforce oppressive mandates should not be allowed.

President Biden and the oppressive Dems have blamed the unvaccinated on more than one occasion. His policies were the source of division for the US, and his mixed messaging made distrust of the vaccine worse, getting a low grade in polls.

Defunding vaccine mandate

Last December, conservatives in the House asked the GOP of heads to consider the vote on February 18. But the Senate would not allow the shutdown of the government to pressure the Democrats to reconsider.

Instead, the Senate voted on an amendment to defund the federal vaccine mandate, which failed. Nineteen Republicans voted for a continuing resolution that kept the government open, averting a shutdown, cited US News.

Roy and his allies intend to force 10 of the Senate GOP to use the filibuster to thwart the next vote to fund the administration before the deadline. If successful, the 60 votes will be taken away and shut down by the president.

He added that Republicans should decide not to allow these mandates and decide to stop it once and for all on the 18th, in a statement.

Saying of the ten from the 19 senate Republicans should consider the welfare of healthcare workers, who are under attack from the Biden administration.

The letter in Capitol Hill has added several Republicans who have signed it.

Biden's vaccine mandate is under assault by conservative GOP lawmakers tired of the government's shenanigans compounding the worsening pandemic due to the mismanagement of the White House, constantly blaming everyone except itself.

Related Article: Joe Biden Sucks According to Twitter User Due to Dismissive Attitude to Brexit While He Favors Brussels

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Minister Fraser: IRCC still developing its Express Entry strategy for 2022 Meeting notes between Canadian immigration lawyers and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser add nuance to discussions on Express Entry in 2022.

Minister Fraser: IRCC still developing its Express Entry strategy for 2022 Meeting notes between Canadian immigration lawyers and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser add nuance to discussions on Express Entry in 2022.

Minister Fraser: IRCC still developing its Express Entry strategy for 2022 Meeting notes between Canadian immigration lawyers and Immigration Minister Sean Fraser add nuance to discussions on Express Entry in 2022. Kareem El-Assal Shelby Thevenot Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif

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Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is still in the process of evaluating its Express Entry strategy for 2022, according to Immigration Minister Sean Fraser.

Express Entry is the main way Canada welcomes economic class immigrants. Candidates that meet the eligibility criteria of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), Canadian Experience Class (CEC), or Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) are able to upload an Express Entry profile onto IRCCs website. They get a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score based on the likes of their age, education, language skills, work experience, among other criteria. Approximately every two weeks, IRCC invites candidates to apply for permanent residence. Prior to the pandemic, FSWP candidates were the main recipients of Express Entry Invitations to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence.

During the pandemic, CEC candidates have received the most invitations. However, since September, IRCC has only been holding Express Entry draws for Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates in an effort to reduce its backlogs. IRCC continues to hold regular biweekly Express Entry draws, including most recently on January 19.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

Fraser: IRCC still weighing its Express Entry options; has no plans to cancel applications

The recent public revelation of an internal IRCC briefing memo, signed on November 24, 2021, has fuelled speculation about Canadas Express Entry strategy for this year. The memo explores the possibility of extending the pause on Express Entry invitations to FSWP, CEC, and FSTP candidates until the middle of this year to give IRCC more time to cut backlogs. However, due to the heavily redacted nature of the memo, much of its context is missing, leaving readers guessing how IRCC will manage Express Entry moving forward. The total immigration application backlog stands at 1.8 million people waiting in the queue as of December 2021, of whom some 120,000 fall under Express Entry.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser put some of the speculation to rest in a meeting with the Canadian Bar Associations Immigration Section on January 20. The CBAs Immigration Section is an association that represents Canadian immigration lawyers and meets with the Canadian government regularly to discuss how to improve the immigration system.

The minister stated that IRCC has yet to schedule its next FSWP and CEC draw, but they are still looking at their Express Entry draw options for 2022.

Fraser explained to the CBA that IRCC does not plan to cancel and refund already-submitted permanent residence applications in order to reduce its backlogs. This has been speculated on social media since it is something the Canadian government did about 10 years ago to reduce its inventory.

Minister Fraser pointed out that IRCC is working to stabilize application processing so that it can reduce its backlogs and noted the Canadian government has recently allocated an additional $85 million to support this goal.

Occupation-specific draws a possibility in the future

Fraser explained that IRCC is exploring the possibility of holding occupation focused [Express Entry] draws responding to labour needs, according to CBA notes.

The Canadian governments Budget 2021 alluded to this possibility noting the governments desire to reform Express Entry to select those candidates who best meet Canadas labour market needs.

Issuing Express Entry invitations based on occupational background would be novel for Express Entry, but it would also harness a longstanding approach that has been employed by IRCC and the provinces and territories for decades.

In the past, FSWP candidates needed to fall under a National Occupational Classification (NOC) code that was in-demand in order to be eligible for the FSWP. Today, under various federal and provincial pathways, you need to fall under an eligible NOC in order to pursue immigration through the pathway.

Since its launch in 2015, Express Entry has managed FSWP, CEC, and FSTP candidates based on their CRS score, and more so during the pandemic, based on program of eligibility. Prior to the pandemic, IRCC typically invited candidates with the highest CRS scores to apply for permanent residence irrespective of their program of eligibility. The rationale for this approach was that those with the highest CRS scores had the best likelihood to integrate into the Canadian labour market.

IRCC last held an all-program draw in December 2020. Between January and September 2021, IRCC issued invitations to CEC and PNP candidates eligible for Express Entry. The rationale for focusing on CEC candidates is they are most likely to be in Canada, and therefore they would not be impeded by travel restrictions or other public health measures. The rationale for inviting PNP candidates is so that IRCC can assist the provinces and territories in addressing their labour market needs.

Introducing an occupation-based approach to Express Entry invitations would provide IRCC with an additional tool in alleviating labour shortages. Express Entry already awards 50 or 200 CRS points for arranged employment but most candidates are able to earn a permanent residence invitation without a job offer. In 2020, only 16 per cent of those who received an ITA had arranged employment.

Discover if You Are Eligible for Canadian Immigration

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Theres no shortage of challenges CIOs face each day, from meeting customer and employee expectations, to mitigating complex security risks, to evaluating and integrating new tech solutions, to managing their own people and ensuring resilient business systems.

Good guidance and experienced counsel has always been vital to IT leaders  even more so in a fast-moving, often uncertain business environment. According to the 2021 State of the CIO survey, 88% of IT leaders agree that the CIO increasingly needs to rely on trusted advisors to help navigate new technologies, processes, and methodologies.

Relationships with trusted advisors are critical, as no one has all the answers, says David Levine, vice president of corporate and information security and CSO at Ricoh USA. Whether you are looking for recommendations on products, metrics, approaches, technologies, or seeking validation  or even invalidation  leveraging trusted advisors and good relationships can be invaluable.

CIOs look to a number of trusted advisors  strategic vendors, consultants, former colleagues, CIO peers  for help. Sometimes, they serve as a sounding board or empathetic listener. Ideally, they enable IT leaders to consider new points of view. My relationships with my trusted advisors are very important, says Michael Ringman, CIO of TELUS International . I look to these people to challenge my thoughts and bring new, different perspectives to the table. Over the years, I have learned so much from these individuals and these diverse points of view are the catalyst to growth and driving innovation.

As most IT leaders will tell you, they lean most on trusted advisors in times of crisis. In fight or flight situations, when youre up against the wall and only have time to make one phone call, says Todd Bandauski, CIO at Crew Carwash , you need to know who you can count on.

IT leaders cant wait until theyre facing an emergency to find out wholl have their backs. CIOs must establish and nurture these relationships over time  and leverage them thoughtfully.

Creating a relationship with an advisor you trust doesnt happen overnight. People dont automatically trust you because you have the title of CIO, says Jay Upchurch, CIO at SAS. Youve got to be willing to invest the time  listen, learn, and be empathetic. As with any relationship you value, it requires ongoing nurturing and consistent decision-making. And its 100% worth it.

Following are some tips from CIOs on how they identify, grow, and make best use of their trusted advisor networks.

Become a joiner

For those CIOs seeking to establish a network of trusted advisors, Ricohs Levine advises attending and participating in peer groups.

My peers are some of my closest trusted advisors. I belong to a large number of peer groups and organizations and actively participate in roundtable and webinar discussions, Levine says. Peer recommendations are great. I am one hundred times more likely to take solution recommendation from a peer than just about any other source. Sometimes just validating an approach, methodology, or maturity level can be a huge benefit.

Levine recently leaned on his trusted advisors when reviewing a suite of products his internal team was anxious to install. By reaching out to trusted advisors for their opinions and advice, I was able to validate my concerns, Levine says. In working with them, we identified an alternative approach that allowed us to move forward with the project.

Pay attention to who shows up when the chips are down

Establishing a network is one thing; knowing who you can to turn to in a pinch is crucial, says Crew Carwashs Bandauski.

I turn to advisors that I can rely upon, he says. Partners who will not only be there when everything is going great, Monday through Friday, but more importantly in an emergency, where every minute counts.

Here, its critical to distinguish between vendors and partners. A true partner will provide trusted advice whether its in their best interest or not, for the greater benefit of both parties and forging a long-standing relationship, says Ricoh USAs Levine. A vendor will frequently only be looking out for what is in their best interest.

Seek out truth tellers

Ringman of Telus International isnt looking for yes people to become his trusted advisors. In fact, theyre more likely to tell him no.

I rely on these individuals because they have a view of my blind spots, give me constructive feedback, and together we can create robust and effective solutions that drive impactful change and progress for our teams, Ringman says.

Brittany Hamm, global director of managed services at Kalypso, also looks for those who are comfortable being honest. Background and experience level vary  from technical to functional, junior to senior, Hamm says of her trusted advisors. But those that give, and welcome, candid feedback are the common thread.

Thats not to say vendors cant be impactful. For many CIOs, trusted and truthful  vendor advisors helped save the day dealing with the pandemics impact on the supply chain. We will get a reliable answer, along with suggested alternatives, and with that knowledge we can act accordingly, says Bandauski of his experience reaching out to trusted vendors during the pandemic. When stock counts are either bottlenecked or depleted and you need to make alternative plans, you need to be working with the facts.

In most cases, Crew Carwashs trusted vendors have gone above and beyond what market conditions might reward to help the IT organization avert crises, Bandauski says.

Think long-term

Trust must be built over time  particularly with vendors. Its often the little things that add up to create a value-added relationship, Bandauski says. I like to start small, watching how a new partner delivers on their commitments. In reality, its these tells that indicate how well a partner is going to perform long-term.

It doesnt happen overnight, notes J.P. van Loggerenberg, CTO at SYSPRO. The depth of a relationship evolves, starting with service offering before transitioning to needs-based, relationship-based, and finally trust-based, van Loggerenberg says. To build that relationship, your advisor needs to show credibility, consistency, competence, and compatibility.

Take the initiative

Its important to proactively carve out time to connect and share with a trusted advisor. Those trusted advisors that I connect with at a regular cadence are the most helpful, says Hamm of Kalypso. Not just having an open door, but actively staying connected helps the most. While sometimes I wait to check in with a trusted advisor until a specific issue arises, afterwards Ive always wished I engaged them sooner.

IT leaders who want to build these relationships dont wait for their would-be partners to present them with wisdom; they come with a perspective and questions. A little preparation makes it worth it for both of you, says Hamm, who checks in with her trusted advisors to make sure shes on the right track.

Use them early  and often

While trusted advisors can be helpful during crises, they are even more valuable when they can help you avoid one. A trusted advisor can save countless hours of research and work from CIO teams who might arrive at a conclusion that, as well intended as it may be, is not based on multiple scenarios and/or has not been trialed and errored in a meaningful way, says Ron White, CIO of Avanade. A trusted advisor can provide a shortcut to perspectives that can streamline decision-making and add legitimacy to strategic positioning.

Shivkumar Gopalan, CIO at Unit4, calls on trusted advisors for insight into whats happening outside of his organization. We find their inputs most useful when we are doing something new  for example, introducing a new business process, technology, or supplier, says Gopalan, who turned to advisors when deciding to insource IT operations during the initial pandemic lockdown. We were not confident about that decision, he says. Conversations with our partners gave us insight and knowledge into what we needed to strengthen our in-house IT operations.

Ensure reciprocity

To thrive, trusted advisor relationships cant be all take and no give, says Ringman of TELUS International. These relationships need to be nurtured; you must make time for them and they need to be a two-way street, he says. I have found great relationships with trusted advisors on my team, across my organization, as well as with peers in the industry. We have been able to help each other, share best practices and celebrate each others IT success stories.

Be clear

To make the most of vendor advisors, its important to provide clarity, CIOs say.

Businesses need to be transparent about projected timelines and ensure they manage expectations to achieve the delicate balance between resources, capacity, and funding, says van Loggerenberg of SYSPRO. CIOs need to ensure that they always understand what their trusted advisors are capable of, what they can deliver, and how you leverage their abilities to obtain the maximum value.

Bandauski of Crew Carwash says his partners thank him for his candor. The majority of the time people are truly looking to help. Ambiguous answers lead to wasted time, confusion, and ultimately frustration for both parties, he says. If something is not a fit, say so. If you dont understand, ask questions. Ive found this helps to foster a relationship faster than anything else.

And dont be afraid of potential conflict. Take the time to have the challenging conversations so you and your peers and your teams are in alignment, says Penelope Prett, CIO of Accenture. Those are always the toughest discussions to have, but sometimes the most worthwhile.
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It took a jury in Manhattan federal court a scant eight hours last week to convict former New York assembly speaker Sheldon Silver on a range of corruption charges. Whether the verdict stands on appeal remains to be seena 2015 conviction was tossed on technicalitiesbut even if it does, its clear that the corrupt culture Silver so masterfully exploited has survived him.

There likely never will be another Shelly Silver. For two decades one of the most powerful politicians in the Empire State and arguably the most consequential elected official since Nelson Rockefeller, Silver extended his influence far beyond the legislative chamber that he adroitly commanded. Through a combination of wit, guile, opportunity, and circumstance, he placed personal friends and political allies atop both New Yorks expansive court system and its principal education policy panel, the state Board of Regents. Brazenly exploiting lawmakings officially part-time status in New York, he made millions in the employ of a top trial-law firmwhile, not coincidentally, looking out for the interests of the states robust litigation industry. (Its no accident that medical-malpractice insurance in New York is among the most expensive in America.)

It was Silvers rainmaking work for Weitz & Luxenberg, one of the nations leading asbestos litigators, that ultimately led him to legal griefand to the attention of then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara and on to criminal court, where he is scheduled to return for sentencing July 13. His original conviction produced a 12-year prison sentence, so the 74-year-old former lawmaker could well spend the rest of his life in federal custody. That may seem like harsh punishment, but it would hardly be unwarranted given Silvers self-serving exercise of the virtually unique powers of his office. It is a fair measure of the cynicism that defines government in New York that since Silvers fall there has not been a serious proposal advanced to reform the institutions that he exploited so baldly.

By law and custom, an assembly speaker controls everything in that bodylegislation, of course, but also committee assignments and the so-called leadership stipends that go with them, down to the allocation of member parking spaces and office supplies. Incur the leaders displeasure, and a rank-and-file member risks losing everything from pork-barrel projects for constituents to the office postage meter. None of that has changed. Incumbent Speaker Carl Heastie of the Bronx is still feeling his wayit takes time to learn how to play the system like a concert pianobut he adroitly installed a teachers union ally as chancellor of the state Board of Regents when no one was looking, effectively killing any hope of meaningful public school teacher accountability in New York. So he already knows the ropes pretty well.

And because the speaker also functionally controls appointments to empty constitutional offices, Heastie became the man of the moment when Eric Schneiderman resigned as attorney general last week, reportedly cutting a quick deal with New York City Democratic bosses to name Public Advocate Tish James to the post. The quid quo pro? Institutional support for Bronx borough president Ruben Diaz Jr.s presumed mayoral campaign in 2021. That deal appears to have fallen apartthis time, people were lookingbut it could well come back in a different form. Meanwhile, other AG aspirants continue to troop to Heastie, heads bowed and CVs firmly in hand.

But the larger point remains: Silvers disgrace has had no discernible effect on the way Albany conducts the publics business. And no one should have expected it to, given the record.

Since 2006, more than 30 New York lawmakers have been forced from office for one malefaction or another, and several remain in prison. Silvers state senate counterpart, former majority leader Dean Skelos, is awaiting retrial on corruption charges of his own. Joseph Percoco, until his own fall Governor Andrew Cuomos closest aide, was convicted on bribery charges last year, along with several others. A second round of Cuomo-related corruption prosecutions are expected to begin shortly. And now comes word that federal prosecutors in Manhattan have opened an investigation into some $400,000 worth of highly suspect contributions to Cuomos reelection accounts in 2013.

All this structural corruption goes on without one serious reform proposal put forward in Albany. Talk, yes; action, no. In fact, Cuomo four years ago went out of his way to impede the work of an anti-corruption commission that he himself had established.

This behavior is no surprise. Neither is the bedrock reason for it. Shortly after Silvers 2015 conviction, an upstate college polled New Yorkers for their views on the situation. As might be expected, almost 90 percent of respondents expressed concern about corruption, but a scant 18 percent thought that fighting it should be a high priority.

Shelly Silver understood this dichotomy, and he dined out on it for decades. If the people dont really care about rapacious politicians, why should the politicians themselves?

Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call to seek clarification on Moscow's intentions towards Ukraine after the latter amassed troops at the border with the Eastern European country.

Both Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have expressed their support for Ukraine in a joint news conference that was held on Tuesday in Berlin. The two officials again emphasized their position that the Russian government would pay a high price if it moved to aggressively attack Ukraine.

Macron and Putin

The two leaders spoke ahead of the resumption of the so-called "Normandy format" talks that will include political advisers from Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany. The talks will be held in Paris on Wednesday.

The French president said that he was hopeful that the phone call with Putin scheduled on Friday would lead to "demanding dialogue and obtain clarifications." On Monday, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said that it was placing troops on standby and planned to reinforce eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets. However, Russia called the movie Western "hysteria" despite building tens of thousands of troops at the Ukrainian border, Reuters reported.

Macron said that the call was vital to continue a clear dialogue with Russia and understand the situation to avoid any misunderstanding or ambiguity. The French president's overtures to the Russian president came shortly after United States President Joe Biden held a phone call with numerous European leaders on Monday night.

The Democratic leader's call included Macron and was an attempt to showcase the Western allies' unity against Russia. However, after the call, an Elysee official noted that the French president was planning on making his own diplomatic entreaty to the Russian leader.

Read Also: Biden Camp Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Businesses; But OSHA Warns Need for Vaccination Amid Omicron Variant

Last week, French President Macron announced a new European security proposal that aimed to be a potential longer-term negotiation channel to defuse tensions with Russia. On Tuesday, he defended the value of having multiple formats for talking with Moscow even if none of the channels have been successful in defusing tensions surrounding Ukraine, Politico reported.

Tensions Over Ukraine

The situation comes as U.S. President Biden said his administration was considering imposing economic sanctions that personally targeted Russian President Putin. The sanctions would seek to deter the latter of any aggressive moves against Ukraine.

On the other hand, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged European allies to prepare sanctions against Russia if Moscow chooses to attack its smaller neighbor. In a statement sent to parliament on Tuesday, Johnson said that they had a hard-hitting package of sanctions that was ready to be imposed against Russia.

The prime minister said that he believes it was fair to say that they wanted to see European allies have similar packages prepared. Furthermore, the West has placed 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe.

The move comes as other NATO member states have bolstered their security presence in the region in anticipation of Russia's potentially aggressive actions against Ukraine. However, Moscow responded by saying that the U.S. was escalating tensions surrounding the issue, Aljazeera reported.



Related Article: Donald Trump Says Russia-Ukraine Tensions Wouldn't Have Happened If He's POTUS

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The 93-year-old Polish citizen Andrzej Sitkowski, who was named "Righteous Among the Nations" by Yad Vashem in 1995 talks to the Associated Press during an interview in Durach, Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 Andrzej Sitkowski was 15 years old when his mother told him that she had been asked by a neighbour to hide a little Jewish girl from the Nazis at their home. This year, as the world commemorates the 77th anniversary of the liberation of the German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp on January 27, 1945, Yad Vashem and the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany have teamed up to highlight the stories of "Righteous Rescuers" the people who risked everything, even their own lives, to save Jews from getting murdered by the Nazis and their henchmen.
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Employers in New York must disclose electronic monitoring, such as internet access and videoconferencing, to new hires under a new law taking effect in May, as workers contend with an employment landscape thats increasingly dependent on technology.

The new law comes amid a worldwide push for greater privacy protections for consumers and workers, adding compliance obligations for businesses that must contend with general consumer privacy laws and employee-specific statutes.

White-collar companies in recent years, and especially during the coronavirus pandemic, have turned to online toolsvideo-conferencing, workflow management software, and the liketo increase worker productivity.

Over the last 20 years, weve gone through an unprecedented electronic and digital transformation in the workplace, said Mark Goldstein, a partner at Reed Smith LLP in New York. This is an attempted counterbalance at that.

The lawwhich takes effect May 7requires disclosures to employees hired on or after that date. It applies to phone calls, internet searches, and online calls conducted through platforms such as Zoom Video Communications Inc.

The New York attorney general may seek penalties of up to $500 for the first offense, $1,000 for the second offense, and $3,000 for the third offense.

Compliance Obligations

Businesses should review hiring and onboarding documents and use standardized language that tracks to the statute if appropriate, said Katharine Liao, a partner at Squire Patton Boggs in New York.

Practically speaking, this is a reminder to make your policies clear in employee handbooks, and to review offer letters or employment agreements, confidentiality agreements, and electronic communications policies, Liao said. Small and large employers, even those with strong practices may want to fine-tune the text of their policies.

Large companies with robust legal teams and employment law expertise are likely already aware of the law, but smaller businesses may not know of the statute or the fact that it applies to them, said Anne Patin, a partner at Seward & Kissel LLP in New York.

The law applies to all non-state employers engaged in electronic monitoring with a place of business in New York, regardless of the number of employees or their annual revenue.

Closer to May we will remind clients of their new obligations, Patin said. For larger companies, well also reach out to HR departments to make sure the requirements are included in their onboarding procedures.

Potential Litigation

The law doesnt contain a private right of action, which means plaintiffs are unlikely to be successful in bringing suit against companies that violate the New York law.

Still, that doesnt mean attorneys wont try to bring claims under the law, said Kristin Bryan, a senior associate at Squire Patton Boggs in Cleveland.

In the privacy arena especially, plaintiffs have sought to piggyback various privacy statutes, and some plaintiffs will argue that those laws impose various obligations and duties on employers, Bryan said. By alleging that a defendant failed to meet its statutory obligations, employees could seek to bring common law tort or related claims, she said.

New York isnt viewed as a forum thats particularly friendly for class action plaintiffs, though, Bryan said.

While there is still a risk, I dont see it as becoming the next California or Illinois in terms of privacy litigation, she said. Its unlikely that violations of this new law could be used as a predicate for creating new theories of liability in data privacy class actions.

The statute itself is short, and there has not been additional guidance posted since the law passed, said Victoria Jaus, an associate at Vedder Price P.C. in New York. Enforcement once the statute takes effect may help companies better understand the technical specifications of the law, she added.

The passage of the law in New York may inspire other states, such as California and Illinois, to pass similar legislation, said Jonathan Wexler, a partner at Vedder Price in New York.

Connecticut and Delaware already have similar workplace monitoring laws.

New York City is becoming one of the most employee-friendly jurisdictions in the country, and New York state is not far behind, Wexler said. This may be a trend to a limited extent in states that are like-minded, but I dont see it sweeping the nation.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
ISTANBUL (AP)Rescue crews in Istanbul and Athens on Tuesday cleared roads that had come to a standstill after a massive cold front and snowstorms hit much of Turkey and Greece, leaving countless people and vehicles in both cities stranded overnight in freezing conditions.

Highways and roads in and around Istanbul became clogged on Monday after the storm pounded the city of about 16 million people that straddles the European and Asian continents _ accumulating more than 80 centimeters (31 inches) of snow in some areas.

Stranded motorists either spent the night in cars, abandoned their vehicles to walk home or crowded subways and other public transportation.

All highways and main roads were reopened by Tuesday afternoon, Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Adil Karaismailoglu announced on Twitter, while Istanbul Gov. Ali Yerlikaya said that restrictions placed on vehicles traveling into Istanbul was lifted.

Authorities also cleared a runway at Istanbul Airport on Tuesday, allowing limited flights to resume. Flights were suspended on Monday for safety reasons at the airport, where the roof of a cargo facility collapsed from the weight of the snow. Istanbuls second airport, Sabiha Gokcen, was also operating limited services.

Hundreds of passengers stranded at Istanbul Airport shouted we need (a) hotel in protest at their ordeal, Cumhuriyet newspaper reported.

In Athens, rescue crews freed around 200-300 drivers who were trapped on a major highway that runs across Athens and connects the Greek capital with the citys international airport.

Drivers there had similarly abandoned their cars and walked home. Others had trekked to a nearby train station, jumping over the barriers at the side of the road to reach the platform after spending the night in their cars. The train service had been suspended, but a train was there Tuesday morning to pick up those who had made it to the station from the highway.

The army was sent out overnight to deliver food and water to those trapped and to help free as many as possible.

The heavy snowfall had mostly stopped on Tuesday, but many streets in Athens remained blocked by trees whose branches snapped under the weight of the snow. Several neighborhoods in the Greek capital, particularly in the northern part of the city, remained without power.

Authorities had ordered all but essential public and private businesses shut on Tuesday, and have extended that for Wednesday as well in the wider Athens area and several other regions of Greece. Coronavirus vaccination appointments for Wednesday were also being rescheduled for later dates.

Istanbuls Disaster Coordination Center, or AKOM, said an Icelandic low-pressure system is behind the cold front and precipitation affecting most of the country.

Rescue teams in the city worked overnight to clear snowy roads and highways, but abandoned vehicles hampered their operations.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the snowfall in and around Istanbul would continue until Thursday and urged people not to venture out in private cars unless necessary. He said many of the stranded vehicles werent fitted with snow tires.

Nothing is moving. The snow ploughs cant even reach us, Ahmet Odabasi, 40, one of thousands of travelers who was stranded overnight on a highway west of Istanbul, told The Associated Press by telephone earlier.

Authorities in Greece had warned people to limit their movements to the essential only and to use snow chains on city streets, but many people had set out for work in the morning when the snowfall was much lighter and became trapped in their cars as the day wore on. Some of the problems were reportedly caused by trucks that slipped and jack-knifed across the road, blocking traffic.

The snowstorm, complete with thunder and lightning, hit the wider Athens area late in the morning Monday, dumping large amounts of snow on the city. It is the second year in a row that Greece has experienced a freak snowstorm. Last year, similar weather in February left tens of thousands of trees felled by the weight of the snow on city streets, parks and woodland around Athens.

Officials said the Greek prime minister contacted the highways administration and asked for each trapped driver to receive 2,000 euros ($2,265) in compensation, which the highway administration accepted.

It was a very difficult night and we faced unprecedented conditions, Civil Protection and Climate Change Minister Christos Stylianides said. I want to again express an apology from the state for all the difficulties that the (stranded) drivers faced.

The severe weather also brought rare snowfall to vacation resorts in Turkeys southwest region, including Bodrum and Datca, with snow and slippery conditions blocking a highway linking the provinces of Mugla and Denizli. Antalya city center, on Turkeys Mediterranean coast, saw its first snowfall in 29 years, the private NTV television reported.

On Monday, authorities in Istanbul had suspended intercity bus services and blocked travel to the city from Turkeys northwestern Thrace region. Civil servants were given leave until Thursday, except for those employed in security, health and transportation sectors. Schools across Turkey were already closed for a winter break and universities decided to close until Jan. 31.

Imamoglu said the Istanbul municipality has provided shelter to around 1,500 homeless people. Teams have left some two tons of food for stray cats and dogs, Imamoglu said.

The mayor said he hoped the snow would fill dams and bring relief to the region, which has been suffering from a dry spell.

The Balkans was also gripped by freezing weather, with temperatures dropping way below freezing in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Croatia.

Montenegrin authorities said the lowest ever temperature was confirmed in the northern Kosanica village, plunging to minus 33.2 C (minus 27.7 F). Previously, the lowest recorded temperature was minus 32 C (minus 25.6 F), registered back in 1985 in the northern town of Rozaje.

In Croatia, authorities urged people to be careful, dress warmly, avoid physical strain and watch their step on icy streets and roads. In Bosnia, ice formed on a part of the Miljacka river after minus 15 C (5 F) was recorded in the capital, Sarajevo, on Tuesday morning.

Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, and Jovana Gec in Belgrade, Serbia, contributed to this report.

About the photo: Firemen push a trapped vehicle at a motorway, after a snowstorm, in Athens, on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Rescue crews in Istanbul and Athens scrambled on Tuesday to clear roads that came to a standstill after a massive cold front and snowstorms hit much of Turkey and Greece, leaving countless people and vehicles in both cities stranded overnight in freezing conditions. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Federal prosecutors have charged 23 people in an alleged scheme that they say claimed nearly $1 million in damages from staged automobile accidents.

The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced the unsealing of a 138-count federal indictment on Monday. The indictment charges 22 defendants with mail and wire fraud. A 23rd defendant is accused of obstruction of justice.

In a press release, U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref said the accused staged 14 automobile accidents. In at least three instances, there were no occupants in the vehicle when one of the accused deliberately drove the alleged at fault vehicle into another car.

The defendants lived in Washington, British Columbia, California, Nevada and Michigan. They allegedly defrauded State Farm Group, Geico, the Travelers Cos., Farmers Insurance Exchange, Country Financial, MAPFRE Group and Allstate Insurance Group.

According to the indictment, the defendants defrauded insurers in a scheme that began in July 2017 and lasted until September 2020. They would visit a Washington State Department of Motor Vehicles office and transfer ownership of a vehicle as a gift, the indictment says. Shortly latersometimes on the same daythey would stage an accident on a remote road at night. There would be no witnesses other than the conspirators.

On at least one occasion, the conspirators placed weighted materials on the unoccupied front passenger seat to cause the airbag to deploy and tampered with the seat dashboard panel as part of the staging, the indictment says.

The conspirators allegedly sought emergency room treatment for fictitious injuries allegedly suffered in the staged accidents. They lied to police, medical providers and insurance companies to further the scheme, the indictment says. The conspirators hired personal injury attorneys, who are not identified in the indictment, to help them pursue their claims.

Six of the accused conspirators tried to obstruct the investigation by accusing the FBI agent in ch are of soliciting a $22,000 bribe. Three of the conspirators allegedly threatened physical force to prevent communication about their crimes, the US Attorneys Office said.

The indictment charges:

Ali Abed Yaser, 51, Kennewick, Wash.

Hussein A. Yasir, 39, Kennewick, Wash.

Insaf A. Karawi, 52, Kennewick, Wash.

Hasanein A. Yaser, 20, Kennewick, Wash.

Ahmad K. Bachay, 35, El Cajon, Calif.

Mashael A. Bachay, 31, El Cajon, Calif.

Mohammad Bajay, 39 El Cajon, Calif.

Hussain K. Bachay, 32, Vancouver, B.C. Canada

Noor Tahseen Al-Maarej, 32, El Cajon, Calif.

Ali F. Al-Himrani, 40 Temecula, Calif.

Rana J. Kaabawi, 38, Temecula, Calif.

Amar F. Abdul-Salam, 40. El Cajon, Calif.

Ameer R. Mohammed, 45 Kennewick, Wash.

Mohammed F. Al-Himrani, 33 Kennewick, Wash.

Maria Elena Sanchez, 41, Kennewick, Wash.

Seifeddine A. Al-Kinani, 37 Las Vegas, Nev.

Abdullah Al-Dulaimi, 30 Detroit, Mich.

Firas S. Hadi, 41, El Cajon, Calif.

Farooq S. Yaseen, 32, Kennewick, Wash.

Khalil Abdul-Razaq, 40 Kennewick, Wash.

Jesus George Sanchez, 56, Eltopia, Wash.

Sinan Akrawi, 44 La Mesa, Calif.

Mohammed Naji Al-Jibory, 54, Kennewick, Wash

Al-Jibory is not charged in the alleged staged-accident scheme, but he is accused of obstructing proceedings after learning that the FBI was investigating.
Gun owners in San Jose, California, will be required to have insurance coverage for their weapons after city lawmakers passed an ordinance believed to be the first of its kind in the United States.

City Council members on Tuesday night passed a measure requiring San Jose gun owners to have a homeowners, renters or gun liability insurance policy that covers losses or damages resulting from negligent or accidental use of their firearm.

Gun owners will also be required to pay a small annual gun harm reduction fee that will go to evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun violence and gun harm, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said in a statement.

Thank you to my council colleagues who continue to show their commitment to reducing gun violence and its devastation in our community, Liccardo said. He said his city is the first in the United States to have such an ordinance.

Guns are a politically sensitive issue in the United States, which has the highest rate of gun ownership of any country as well as a higher incidence of gun violence than other wealthy nations.

The California Rifle & Pistol Association said on Twitter that it is preparing to challenge the law, saying it is unconstitutional and will not affect criminals with guns.

A Twitter user who goes by the name of John Phillips said that as a San Jose business owner and lifelong resident, he opposes the legislation, calling it tyrannical, virtue signaling to infringe on our 2nd amendment constitutional rights. It is messy and wrong.

The decision still needs to be approved next month at its final reading to take effect in August, local media reported.

California became the first state to ban assault weapons in 1989 after a school shooting in which five children were killed. Six other states and the District of Columbia have an assault weapons ban in place, according to the gun safety group Giffords.
Claremore, OK (74018)

Today

Thunderstorms likely this morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms this afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High near 65F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. Low 61F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
In her libel case against celebrity gossip vlogger Tasha K, a jury in Atlanta awarded Cardi B almost $4 million in punitive damages and lawyers' costs on Tuesday.

Tasha K, whose true name is Latasha Kebe, was found responsible of defamation charges, invasion of privacy, and imposition of emotional distress on Cardi B, whose actual name is Belcalis Almanzar, by jurors on Monday, who gave her $1.25 million.

Cardi B wins against Tasha K.

To promote Kebe's celebrity gossip website for personal financial advantage, Cardi B's 2019 lawsuit claimed the YouTuber had started a campaign of "blatantly defamatory claims" against the rapper. Her unborn kid may have intellectual problems, according to one of Kebe's videos from 2018, as well as the rapper's assertion that she was a prostitute, had herpes, and used drugs such as heroin.

On Instagram, Kebe said that Cardi B was "just a Grammy Nominated Prostitute, roaming around spreading her herpes" and that the YouTuber has gotten obsessed with slandering Plaintiff, according to the lawsuit. Kebe has released at least twenty-three videos about the plaintiff in the previous 14 months.

A federal jury in Georgia's northern district, where Kebe lives, awarded Cardi B $1 million for her pain and suffering, as well as $250,000 for medical expenses, on Monday.

According to People Magazine, Cardi B filed a lawsuit against Kebe, also known as unWinewithTashaK on YouTube, on March 19 after the YouTuber reportedly accused her of being a prostitute, using cocaine, cheating on her husband, Offset, and having numerous STDs. Cardi B also claimed that while she was pregnant with her now-3-year-old daughter, Kulture, Kebe made remarks about the kid having special needs.

According to Billboard, throughout Cardi's two-week trial, she told the judge she felt "very damaging" and "helpless" owing to Kebe's videos. According to the complaint received by People Magazine, the blogger released at least 38 videos about the musician, according to NBC News.

Read Also: Adele Addresses Disappointed Fans Over Postponed Las Vegas Show via FaceTime; Reports Say Singer's Team Were a 'Total Nightmare' to Work With

Jury awards Cardi B $4.1 million in a lawsuit

Kebe was "obsessed" with slandering Cardi B's "Bodak Yellow" rapper, according to her attorneys, and persisted to publish disparaging information because it generated more views than her previous postings.

Juries ordered Kebe to pay an extra $1 million in punitive damages and $500,000 to her firm Kebe Studios LLC on Tuesday. In addition, Kebe must pay $1,338,753.47 to Cardi B for the legal fees she incurred in filing the action. According to Cardi B's lawyer, Lisa F. Moore, the total verdict now stands at approximately $4.1 million. "We disagree with the verdict and will be launching an appeal," said Sadeer Sabbak, who represented Kebe in the case.

Cardi B stated in a statement to Variety that being able to walk away from this triumph provides her immense satisfaction after nearly four years of persistent libel and slander against her. Moore and William A. Pequignot of Moore Pequignot LLC, Gary P. Adelman, and Sarah M. Matz of Adelman Matz PC represented Cardi B in the trial while Sabbak and Olga Izmaylova of Sabbak & Izmaylova PC defended Kebe, as per Variety.

Related Article: Taylor Swift Slams Damon Albarn's "False and Damaging" Claim That She Doesn't Write Her Own Songs

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Today

Cloudy skies. A stray severe thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph.

Tonight

Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Low 69F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 60%.

Tomorrow

Thunderstorms likely in the morning. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High 79F. SSW winds shifting to WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%.
Beachwood, OH (44122)

Today

Cloudy with occasional light rain throughout the day. High 52F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable.
After police opened an investigation into the Partygate affair yesterday, Ten Downing Street is now a crime scene.

After Whitehall investigator Sue Gray presented a dossier of rule-breaking claims to the Met, Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be interviewed by the police over alcoholic parties during the lockdown. After the Met Police opened their inquiry of drunken lockdown bashes at No10, the Prime Minister swore he had not breached the law.

Police party investigation puts more pressure on the Prime Minister

The startling statement by Dame Cressida Dick threw the independent inquiry by top civil servant Sue Gray into confusion. Gray's report, which is expected today, is said to include images of the PM sipping wine with aides as part of the charges of rule breaking.

After obtaining a portion of Ms. Gray's Cabinet Office report, the Met launched an inquiry. Boris Johnson now faces weeks of embarrassment and the possibility of being the first sitting Prime Minister to be interrogated by the police in 16 years. Even his closest allies recognize that if cops discover that he broke his own COVID-19 regulations, he will be doomed.

His plan to use Ms. Gray's findings to re-establish his leadership and confront Tory's dissidents was shattered. Last night, officials and attorneys debated whether the complete findings of the Gray investigation should be released without jeopardizing the police investigation.

The Prime Minister is likely to deliver a groveling Commons apology immediately after releasing a version of the bill today. While speaking to the police and crime committee of the London Assembly, Dame Cressida made a startling intervention, as per The Sun.

In order to "rescue his career," according to a political observer, Boris Johnson must radically reinvent himself, abandoning the image that worked for him before the epidemic and scandals rocked Downing Street. Every day, the Prime Minister is confronted with new scandals surrounding his leadership, with calls for his resignation becoming louder and louder.

The director of the Orthodox Conservatives Group, Joseph Robertson, detailed how Johnson's previous policies are now failing him in his hour of need. He noted that the Prime Minister has a strong public image, a consistent stream of media attention, and a strong image as a symbol of Britishness in the past.

Johnson has to re-evaluate why his previous techniques aren't working to re-enter disaffected supporters, according to Robertson, in light of the scandals and regular leaks from Downing Street. The Prime Minister's only genuine hope of political survival, he continued, is to take a step back from that strategy and be honest about the reality.

Johnson would have to acknowledge the mistakes and failures that have occurred in the previous two years and enlist the help of experts who are focused on the most pressing concerns facing the country, he added, as per Express.

Read Also: New Jersey Reports Over 8,000 New COVID-19 Cases, 13 Deaths Following a Surge in Omicron Cases; Majority of Residents Remain Unvaccinated

Tory MP claims Boris Johnson was just suprised with cake on his birthday

Conor Burns didn't inspire faith in the prime minister's tactical expertise when he claimed he was "ambushed with a cake" when he was taken by surprise by the baked birthday treat, and then apparently unable to flee it when he was accused of breaking severe lockdown restrictions. According to him, it was not a "premeditated party" because up to 30 people, including the designer refurbishing Boris Johnson's flat, gathered inside and sang Happy Birthday. The majority of individuals would not describe the gathering as a party.

However, many others today posted their own experiences on social media, claiming that their own - or their children's - birthdays were nothing like regular celebrations. In place of being allowed to invite their pals over, several parents shared photographs of their children serving cake to a room full of teddy bears. To avoid breaking the regulations by going to the toilet inside a friend's or relative's house, some recalled needing to go to the toilet in a bush or a bucket, according to Metro.

Related Article: British PM Boris Johnson Accused of Bullying, Blackmailing Government Officials Amid 'Partygate' Scandal

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Prince Charles is giving a massive olive branch to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, but it's uncertain if they'll take it.

The pair has been attempting to figure out how to go to the United Kingdom for Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee this spring. Costs of security are the problem at hand. Despite the couple's high-profile status, taxpayers will no longer pay for their protection.

Prince Charles urges to reconcile with Prince Harry

If the couple brings their two children, Lilibet Diana, who is 7 months old, and Archie Harrison, who is 2  years old, the expense would likely be significantly greater. Although Prince Harry has promised to pay for his own police security, it appears that this is a difficult path to take. Charles wants to make things a little easier for Harry and Meghan by letting them stay at his house.

The divide between Harry, Meghan, and the royal family has to be bridged, according to Prince Charles. Harry has made it plain that he and his family will not be able to return to the United Kingdom until they are protected by the police. He's in the midst of a court dispute about whether or not he can pay for his family's security services on his own, rather than burdening taxpayers, as per Little Things via MSN.

Despite concerns over what the Duke of Sussex's biography would say about Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Charles is said to have extended an olive branch to his son, Prince Harry. The Prince of Wales has already stated that he wants to spend time with his grandkids as often as possible.

It is thought that the heir suggested getting the family together for the first time since Harry and his wife Meghan opted to leave their royal responsibilities and move to California in the build-up to Christmas. However, after Harry argued that returning would be "too huge a personal danger" owing to his security condition, Charles's good-natured intention to mend the divide between him and his son has been called into doubt.

According to the insider, inviting Harry to stay with Charles suggested a hope that they would be able to discuss about the book while also allowing him to view the grandkids. A "wholly-truthful and authentic" narrative of Prince Harry's life thus far is due to be released this year, according to Mirror.

Read Also: Prince Andrew To Protect Assets Against Sex Abuse Case After Reports Reveal Duke Snapped Partying with Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell

Prince William to remain neutral between Prince Charles, Prince Harry

In a battle between his father and brother overcharges made about Camilla in Harry's upcoming biography, Prince William is thought to desire to remain impartial. The Duchess of Cornwall's upcoming book, Prince Charles allegedly warned advisers, will be an "excoriating takedown" of his younger son, particularly in the early years of the couple's courtship.

Harry shocked the monarchy last year when he announced that he had signed a book contract to share his experience. It's unclear what the book will expose, and it's also unclear how harmful it will be to Charles and Camilla's relationship.

However, in a possible dig at Charles' handling of Diana's death when he was just 12 years old, Harry has previously stated that he endured "pain or suffering" as a result of his parent's deaths.

The royals are expecting Prince Harry to return from his California home to commemorate Her Majesty's 70 years on the throne, but he may not be accompanied by Meghan Markle, Archie, and Lilibet. The Sussexes are immersed in security issues over the government's decision to take away their police protection when they stepped aside from royal responsibilities two years ago, The Sun reported.

Related Article: Prince Harry Launches Legal Action To Ensure Family's Protection When They Return to the UK with Lilibet

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Alice Stuedemann, 89 of Camanche, formerly of Clinton, passed away April 30th at Mercy One Hospital. Visitation and services are being planned for Monday, May 9th at St. John Lutheran Church. Pape Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Proper COVID-19 testing and home management once positive can help stop the virus from spreading further, according to an infectious diseases expert.

"Yung iba kasi ang ginagawa nila, bumibili sila ng sariling rapid antigen test. Nagtetest sila sa sarili na, hindi sila marunong gumamit masyado ng tests na ito... So ang posibilidad noon ay dahil hindi sila marunong gumamit at mali yung ginawa, they will presume they are negative," Dr. Benjamin Co told CNN Philippines Wednesday.

[Translation: What others do is they buy their own rapid antigen test. They test themselves without fully knowing how to do it... So what could happen is they will presume they are negative.]

Co said a wrong diagnosis might lead to a person thinking they are safe and then go out while actually carrying the coronavirus.

READ: Pediatric vaccination side effects manageable at home experts

Co added that proper home isolation can still be done even in small living areas.

"The smaller the area is... the chances of getting infected among each other is higher. With that said, you can still  hopefully  mababawasan ang transmission ng infections kung nakamask po lahat ng nakatira doon, infected or not infected," he said.

[Translation: The smaller the areas is... the chances of getting each other infected is higher. With that said, you can still - hopefully - this can lessen the transmission of infections if everyone living there is wearing a mask, infected or not infected.]

He also advised against using air conditioners.

"Padaloy niyo ang hangin, kasi ang mangyayari niyan ay lalong umiikot yung virus sa loob ng maliit na lugar... at ang chances ng mahawa ang iba na nakatira ay mas mataas."

[Translation: Let air flow, because what will happen there is the virus will circulate even more in small places and the chances of infection are higher.]
Turkey now calls itself Turkiye as some sectors have batted for the change for some time, especially as other countries have done the same.

Another reason is that the changed spelling shows how the word is not acceptable as it is used in anglicized countries. Hopefully, the new name is a rebranding that is to separate it from the west.

Turkey's significant name change

This new name is to make it recognizable from Turkey, which has certain connotations, this change will affect how other countries see it and the labeling of goods, reported Express UK.

All the products that will be exported from Turkey will be labeled with the new name, 'Made in Turkiye.'

To date, the Turk government has been rebranding itself, like the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Republic of Turkiye. A new online social media campaign adds the name change from Turkey to Turkiye.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan spoke about the move as the change of name as an expression of culture, civilization, inherent values of the Turk nation, cited TRT World.

United Nations is involved as the Turkish leader is in discussions to make the name change official and be recognized globally.

Before getting official, the UN has to authorize it to be done and finalized.

Reasons countries change names

Senior Turkish officials note that having the letter 'U' in Turkiye is a snag for a smooth change since 'U' is not part of the Latin alphabet.

Read Also: Turkey Sour Over Biden's Accusing Ankara of Armenian Genocide

Some political commentators have perceived the decision as a change from the country's history of embracing English-speaking countries. It is also not the first time a country or city has changed its name as opinion changes its cultural connotations.

The Indian city of Mumbai was originally known as Bombay only until the 1990s, once it switched to Mumbai to escape the colonial associations of the prior name.

Another is Myanmar, or as it used to be called Burma, which was changed in 1989 by the country. One of the primary reasons for the change is that it is a contemporary nation, different from its colonial past.

Similar nations formerly under colonial control did the same to remove the shackles of their past. Political reasons are also the reason for a name change, for example, North Macedonia changed from Macedonia due to a problem with Greece.

The renaming of North Macedonia was done and official earlier in February 2019. The change enabled the country to separate itself in name as a distinct, noted CNN.

One more instance was in earlier historical times when it concerned Iran, its ancient name Persia was adopted to the modern-day world.

In 1935, its ruler thought that the name change was appropriate to recognize Iran in its borders, not from the outside. Iran is now well known as a country.

This change from Turkey to Turkiye is now underway as the Turkish government decided they should name the country as it is known within its borders.

Related Article: Putin Against No Veto Rights for Permanent UN Security Council Members; Organization's Reversion to League of Nations is Dangerous

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Tighter restrictions await both the unvaccinated and partially unvaccinated workers who make use of their work as a reason to board public utility vehicles or PUVs, government agencies agreed on Wednesday.

In a joint statement issued by the Department of Transportation, Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Interior and Local Government, only fully vaccinated workers will be allowed to ride in PUVs in Metro Manila starting Feb. 25  but only if the region stays under Alert Level 3.

The agencies said workers who are unvaccinated or have not completed their primary vaccination series can still commute for now, but they will not be allowed to ride in PUVs if their vaccination remains incomplete within 30 days.

The 30-day count for the full implementation of the "no vaccination, no ride" policy starts Wednesday, Jan. 26.

"DILG stands by the policy na after this 30-day window, full implementation tayo nitong 'no vaxx, no ride' policy because it is a valid exercise of the police power of the state to promote public welfare by restraining and regulating the use of liberty and property," Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a media briefing.

DOTR said there is no need to issue a new order since all three agencies have agreed on it.

Once it takes effect, commuters need to present their vaccination card and valid identification card before taking the PUV.

The government is prohibiting unvaccinated and partially vaccinated commuters to make use of PUVs while Metro Manila is under Alert Level 3 or higher, except if they are traveling for work or essential errands.

The Inter-Agency Task Force reiterated on Wednesday that the no vaccination, no ride policy cannot be enforced if the capital region eases to Alert Level 2.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Wednesday appealed to a fellow Commission on Elections official to release the decision on three disqualification cases against Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos amid a prolonged delay.

All eyes are on the Comelec's First Division as voters await the outcome of three disqualification cases against the presidential hopeful. The division aired live its pre-conference on the case on January 7, and the case was deemed ready for resolution two days later.

Guanzon appeared in an unannounced Facebook live feedher second in two weeksto explain the delay. She admitted that she was not the commissioner assigned to pen the decision despite being the presiding officer of the division.

It's either of Guanzon's two colleagues in the division: Commissioners Aimee Ferolino or Marlon Casquejo.

"Anxious na kayo, marami nang haka-haka kasi as of today, Jan 26, kung Jan. 10 na-raffle (ang ponente) ay 16 days na, hindi pa lumalabas ang resolusyon [I know you are all anxious and there are already a lot of speculations because as of today, Jan. 26, it's been 16 days since the raffle was held (to identify the ponente) on Jan. 10 and the resolution has not been released," the senior commissioner said.

Guanzon cited an "internal" Comelec rule wherein commissioners ideally resolve pending cases within 15 days. The Second Division, however, took a month to decide to junk the plea to cancel Marcos' certificate of candidacy, which is now under appeal.

"January 17 po naglabas na ng decision ang Second Division, sana po nakisabay kami doon pero hindi po nangyari kasi hindi pa po ready ang ponente. Ayon sa kanya, na-COVID 'yung kanyang abogadong in-assign at siya'y nag-quarantine din dahil close contact," Guanzon said.

"Kung ang dahilan nga ay may sakit yung kanyang lawyer, eh tapos na rin naman yung quarantine nila... Pagbigyan naman natin siya ng ilang araw pa para maisumite na niya at makaboto na kami," she added.

[Translation: The Second Division released its decision on Jan. 17, we would have released ours on the same day but the ponente wasn't ready yet. According to the ponente, the lawyer working on the case got COVID and the commissioner also had to undergo quarantine as a close contact. If that's the reason, they should have already completed their quarantine... Let's give them a few more days to submit and for us to vote.]

Guanzon earlier committed to release the decision on or before Jan. 17.

She has denied allegations that she was bribed to delay the proceedings. Guanzon is set to retire next week, together with Second Division Commissioner Antonio Kho, Jr. and Comelec chairman Sheriff Abas.

"Tapos na po ang separate opinion ko. Alam na po ng ponente ang boto ko, alam na rin ng isa pang commissioner ang boto ko," Guanzon said.

"By Friday po o at the latest Monday, promise ko po sa inyo zero backlog ako sa aking mga kaso na sa akin in-assign ang pagsusulat," she added. "Huwag naman sanang exception itong Marcos disqualification case kasi katungkulan ko ito eh."

[Translation: My separate opinion is ready. The ponente and the other commissioner know my vote. By Friday or Monday at the latest, I promise I will have zero backlog for cases assigned to me. I hope this Marcos disqualification case won't be an exception because this is part of my duties.]

LIST: Petitions against Bongbong Marcos' 2022 presidential bid
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) The House of Representatives has recalled the move to recommend criminal charges against Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque over the governments policies on COVID-19 treatment.

The motion recalling the adoption of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountabilitys report was approved during Wednesdays plenary session.

Committee chairman Mike Aglipay explained the panel will conduct more hearings to get Duques side since he was absent in previous hearings.

The House of Representatives has always followed the rule of law. And in the Constitution [is] enshrined the principle of due process, Aglipay said in a statement. The resource persons remain such and cannot be respondents unless they are able to attend all hearings and defend themselves.

In its earlier report, the House panel recommended charges against both Duque and resigned Food and Drug Administration chief Eric Domingo. It said the two violated the Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Executive Order 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987.

It remains unclear if the recommendations against Domingo will stay.

What lawmakers said in their report

Lawmakers pinned Duque for the Department of Healths supposed inconsistency in adopting the World Health Organization's recommendations on the use of certain drugs to treat COVID-19.

They noted that while the DOH advised against the use of ivermectin for COVID-19, it recommended the use of remdesivir for treating COVID patients despite contradictory advice from the WHO.

"Members of the Committee and medical experts also lamented the openly negative view of DOH and FDA on ivermectin despite the different levels of evidence that have been presented on the effectiveness and safety of ivermectin," said the 55-page committee report.

The DOH has repeatedly said theres not enough evidence to prove ivermectins effectiveness in treating COVID-19, saying this could even lead to harmful effects. The FDA also warned that the use of ivermectin veterinary products for COVID-19 should be avoided since their benefits and safety have not been established.

The WHO said evidence on the use of ivermectin to treat COVID-19 patients is inconclusive. Until more data is available, WHO recommends that the drug only be used within clinical trials.

Solons also questioned the DOH reliance on recommendations from the Philippine Society for Microbiology and Infectious Diseases on drugs that should be given emergency use authorization for COVID-19.

They claimed the society had "excessive influence" over the policies and decisions of the agencies. They said the DOH and FDA adopted the Living Clinical Practice Guidelines without any review or update based on the latest information from WHO, therefore neglecting their duties and showing a lack of professionalism.

"This presents a great danger considering most clinicians simply adhere to the recommendations of the DOH, which is of course accountable to the people for the policies and issuances it lays down," the solons said.

The House panel added DOH and FDA failed to regulate the supply and prices of drugs used for COVID-19 treatment.

The committee also recommended the filing of charges against Duque, Domingo and FDA Director Joyce Cirunay for violating the Ease of Doing Business Act for their alleged failure to approve drug companies applications for automatic renewal within the prescribed period.

Domingo said he performed his duties as FDA chief while ensuring that only safe and effective drugs are approved for use of Filipinos.

"All applications for COVID drugs were evaluated properly and approved in a timely manner based on scientific evidence of quality, safety and efficacy," he told CNN Philippines.

CNN Philippines correspondent Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The House of Representatives has ratified the bicameral conference report on the bill regulating the manufacture, use, and sale of vape products.

It was also ratified by the Senate on Tuesday and will now be forwarded to President Rodrigo Duterte for his signature.

The measure lowers the age of those allowed to purchase and use vape and e-cigarettes from 21 to 18.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Final Word, Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) president Dr. Maricar Blanco-Limpin said this provision is one of their main concerns as it makes the products more accessible to many.

The provision also makes the bill pro-industry and not pro-health, as supporters claim, she added.

RELATED: DOH, doctors oppose Senate passage of vape regulation bill

"We have been telling all the legislators that making these more available at a younger age is making these e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products more available to all including the non-smokers," she said.

Another key issue for PCP is the transfer of regulatory powers from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industry to whom manufacturers should register their products.

The DTI is also in charge of setting technical standards for the safety, consistency, and quality of these smoking alternatives.

Limpin said vape products could lead to health concerns and the "mandate to protect the health of the country falls under the FDA, not the DTI."

Meanwhile, prescribing guidelines on raising awareness about the impact of smoking and vaping will be done by the Department of Health.

When asked about compromising, Limpin said: "There is no more compromise. That is basically the main feature of this bill. Therefore, what we really want is to have this bill vetoed entirely."

If the President signs the measure, she said they would consider all actions - including bringing the issue to the Supreme Court.

CNN Philippines' Xianne Arcangel contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The countrys standing in Transparency Internationals Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has dropped two places, ranking 117th out of 180 countries for 2021.

According to Transparency International, the Philippines earned a score of 33 out of 100, its lowest since 2012 and below the global average of 43 and the Asia Pacific regions average of 45.

With a score of 33, the Philippines is a significant decliner, having lost five points since 2014. Since the election of Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines has also seen a sharp decline in freedom of association and freedom of expression, making it harder to speak up about corruption, Transparency International reported.

The CPI uses a scale of 0 to 100, wherein 100 indicates that a country has a very clean record while 0 means a government is highly corrupt. The country scored 34 in 2020 and 38 in 2014, its highest.

Also at the 117th spot are Algeria, Egypt, Nepal, and Zambia.

Denmark, Finland, and New Zealand topped the CPI after all scoring 88. Meanwhile, Singapore led the Southeast Asia region after ranking 4th globally with a score of 85.

Peoples across Asia Pacific have led mass movements calling for action against corruption, but little has changed in the last 10 years. Instead populist and autocratic leaders co-opt anti-corruption messaging to stay in power and restrict civil liberties to stop people from taking to the street, said Ilham Mohamed, Asia regional advisor of Transparency International.

With weakening anti-corruption institutions, or in some cases none at all, the region is failing to uphold human rights and address corruption, she added.

The CPI ranked the 180 countries "by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, according to experts and business people."

"The CPI 2021 is calculated using 13 different data sources from 12 different institutions that capture perceptions of corruption within the past two years," the report read.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Vice President Leni Robredo vowed to cancel President Rodrigo Duterte's executive order (EO) that allows the government to enter into new mining agreements if she wins the presidency this year.

"Ipapawalang bisa ko. Para sa akin, napakahalaga pagdating sa usapin ng environment na binibigyan o ini-empower 'yung maapektuhan," she told talk show host Boy Abunda.

[Translation: I will revoke it. For me, it is very important when it comes to the environment that we should empower those who will be affected.]

Duterte signed EO No 130 in April last year, lifting the nine-year ban on new mining agreements.

The EO stated the mining industry can support the current administration's massive infrastructure program and create more employment opportunities, especially in areas where there are mining activities.

However, Robredo said "sustainable mining" should be the way to go.

The presidential aspirant added the communities affected should have a say about the use of their land for mining purposes.

"'Yung sustainability ma-a-attain lang kung may maayos na mekanismo, para 'yung mga nakatira dun ay bibigyan natin ng boses," Robredo said, noting people on the ground have been raising concerns about "superficial" consultations.

[Translation: Sustainability can only be achieved if there is a proper mechanism, so we could provide a voice to those who live there.]

She also stressed that Filipinos residing in these areas, especially indigenous peoples, should secure the most benefits from the mining deals.

Asked on how she intends to carry this out, Robredo shared she was the principal author of the proposed People Empowerment Act when she was still a lawmaker at the House of Representatives. She said the measure seeks the creation of people's councils in local government units and government agencies.

Important stakeholders in the people's councils must have voting rights, she added.

"Sisiguraduhin natin na 'yung tunay na boses ng mamamayan ay pinapakinggan," the Vice President said.

[Translation: We will make sure that the real voice of the people is heard.]
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As your nose and ears freeze on the way to class and the weather forecast continues to be a perpetual snowstorm, theres nothing better than a mug of hot chocolate to warm up the dead of winter.

This week, I set out in the cold to rank hot chocolate in State College cafes in a search to find the best of the best. Heres what I found.

5. Websters Bookstore Cafe

As I watched the barista prepare my drink in front of me, I noticed its made by mixing hot milk with Hersheys chocolate syrup.

Sure enough, it tasted exactly like the low-effort hot cocoa I make for myself in my apartment.

Considering Websters prides itself on its commitment to freshly made food, this disappointed me. I expected something homemade or at least a little more involved.

Still, this is not meant to put down Websters. After all, the people who own it are in the business of books, music, coffee and community building  not delivering the most spectacular mug of hot chocolate.

Regrettably, I must place Websters hot cocoa at the lowest ranking in the list. But dont take this as a sign to never again patronize the cafe  youre just better off checking out Websters other offerings (I know from firsthand experience that the chai latte is to die for).

4. Starbucks

Good ol Starbucks  convenient, reliable and mass-produced. I could instantly tell that the hot chocolate is made from a syrup, and the puddle of saccharine sludge at the bottom of my cup only confirmed my suspicions.

However, thats perfectly fine, considering Starbucks is a quick-service chain restaurant. I dont expect the employees to have time to melt baking chocolate for each customer who orders a hot cocoa.

Despite its menu claiming Starbucks hot chocolate has a 2% milk base, I found it to be rather thin and watery even after mixing in the whipped cream  not exactly the indulgent, mouth-coating experience Im looking for in a treat like hot chocolate, and certainly not something Id go out of my way to buy.

I also burnt my tongue.

I was neither surprised nor disappointed that Starbucks fell so low on the list. Still, if youre in a hurry to class, and youre in the mood for a quick hot cocoa to satisfy your sweet tooth, Starbucks has your back.

3. Irvings

Unless the customer specifies otherwise, Irvings hot cocoa comes with whole milk, making the drink richer than some of the others I sampled.

My mug was topped with a thick layer of foam, but the drink itself was smooth and rich, albeit lukewarm.

It was also evenly mixed, with no syrupy sludge on the bottom (my beverage pet peeve and all too common in cafe drinks).

My one gripe about Irvings hot chocolate is that it had a weaker chocolate flavor than its competitors  but while I prefer my hot cocoa to be akin to a pure molten chocolate bar, this might be an upside for those with not as much of a sweet tooth.

At almost $5, hot chocolate from Irvings is priced steeply, but this is par for the course for Irvings.

2. Vibe Coffee Co.

Vibe Coffee Co., located in the same building as The Graduate apartments, is inconveniently remote for anyone who lives on campus or even many places downtown.

However, my long trudge through the snow was well worth it.

My hot cocoa arrived at my table piled high with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. It was served in a mug as chic and sleek as the cafes venue  unlike all of the other cafes on this list, which still serve beverages in disposable containers due to the coronavirus.

The drink was thick and rich with a strong but not overpowering chocolate flavor and had no sludge at the bottom.

Vibes hot chocolate was going to be my pick for No. 1. That is, until I tried the next place on the list.

1. Crust and Crumb Cafe

As opposed to the other restaurants on the list, which all offer plain chocolate hot cocoa by default, Crust and Crumb Cafe offers a toasted marshmallow hot chocolate.

A thick, marshmallowy layer of foam served as the prelude to the beverage, which carried the same sweet, toasted flavor throughout. And of course, no sludge.

It was also served at the ideal temperature: While it was hot enough to sufficiently warm me up on a 7 degree morning, my tongue also remained unscathed.

While hot cocoa in the real world will never be as good as it appears in The Polar Express, this is the closest Ive experienced thus far in State College  and the $3 price tag for a 16 ounce hot chocolate is surprisingly reasonable for an artisan bakery.

Disclaimer

As with any of my food rankings, its impossible for me to try to rank every single hot chocolate offered in State College. If you have a favorite that isnt on this list, feel free to harass me about it through my Twitter or Instagram DMs. Ill be sure to check it out.
For the 27th annual Mark Luchinsky Memorial Lecture, Penn State's Schreyer Honors College welcomed ABC News correspondent and host of "What Would You Do?" John Quinones to the The State Theatre in downtown State College on Monday.

The annual lecture series is endowed by Schreyer Scholar alumni who keep the legacy of Mark Luchinsky, a former Schreyer Honors scholar, alive by honoring his memory and life.

Schreyer Honors College Dean Patrick Mather welcomed the audience and shared the story of Luchinsky's life and then asked the audience to take a moment of silence for him.

Mather then introduced Quinones, a seven-time Emmy award winner, who began his lecture by talking about his experiences with adversity in his childhood and reflecting on how his early years as a migrant farm worker led him to pursue a better life.

I would work all day in the Michigan fields picking cherries, making only 75 cents a bucket, Quinones said. I knew that I did not want to look down at the field the rest of my life.

He spoke about how his mother told him to lead with his heart  his corazon  and to not worry about what others said about him or his family.

Quinones said many people look back on their family's financial status and say "they didn't know they were poor," but he joked "we knew we were poor."

Despite facing this adversity, Quinones  now an author, broadcast journalist and motivational speaker  knew he wanted to be a reporter very early on, when he would listen to the radio station.

I grew up in San Antonio, Texas, speaking primarily Spanish, Quinones said. Everyone around me, including my teachers, had no faith in me.

When he was 14, he said his talents for journalism recognized, leading him to join his school newspaper and eventually become the chief of editorials.

Quinones shared his internship experience at a radio station where he was in charge of cleaning the station's horses' "poop" at the end of the day, but he would stay overnight to practice recording his own shows.

He said he would ask the overnight janitor how he sounded, even though the janitor only spoke Spanish, who would respond "mas o menos"  more or less.

Then, he said without the Upward Bound program  a federally funded educational program in the United States  he would not have been able to attend college.

After I completed my undergraduate education, I pursued higher education at Columbia University, Quinones said. Here, I was under a fellowship program with CBS.

He said one of his most memorable moments as a reporter was crossing into the United States through the Rio Grande river.

I convinced my boss at CBS to let me pose as a Mexican immigrant trying to cross the [United States] border, Quinones said. I was able to obtain a fake social security number and birth certificate from a smuggler for $300.

Quinones said the experience inspired him to talk to the moven and the shaken" in America  an opportunity he was given on his show, "What Would You Do?"

We set up a scene where someone would be stealing a bike, Qunones said. When the white man was stealing the bike, there was not a huge commotion. When the African American man was stealing the bike, a crowd of people gathered around to stop him. When a beautiful woman was stealing the bike, other men offered to help her.

For Quinones, he said journalism can be seen as a "candlelight in the darkness," and reflected on how journalists can "shine a light on untold stories," which is what he strives to do on his show.

Quinones said he never expected the show would air for 15 years, and it's planning on returning this summer.

I honestly thought that the show would run out of ideas, Quinones said.

After the lecture, Carolyn Donaldson, former WTAJ-TV news anchor and current community engagement manger for WPSU, moderated a Q&A session with questions submitted by audience members.

What is the hardest and most inspiring story you have covered? Donaldson asked Quinones.

Quinones told the audience his most challenging story was during his coverage in Panama.

My producer was taken hostage, Quinones said. [Panama] ended up releasing him, but we did not know if he was going to come out alive.

Quinones left the audience with a words of wisdom on how to be inclusive to others.

Continue looking for the good, Quinones said. Always look for the good.

At the end of the lecture, Dean Mather returned to gift Quinones a blue vase and thanked him for sharing his story with the audience.

After the lecture, students mingled and chatted at in the lobby of The State Theatre.

Alexys Lyons said she heard about the event through Penn State stall stories advertised in the dorm bathrooms.

I thought it would be a good way to start my week. Lyons (freshman-political science) said. Its John Quinones, so I couldnt miss it.

The stall stories also attracted Sean Haroutunian to the lecture.

I watch his content on Youtube all of the time, Haroutunian (freshman-psychology) said. He keeps me on my guard."

Haroutunian said he felt inspired by Quinones words.

We need to do what is right, Herotunian said. We need to learn and understand what an inclusive society looks like.

Though Melena Carrano said she did not have many expectations going into the lecture, she ended up being affected for the better.

It was really moving, Carrano (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said. I feel much more aware of what people in our society are going through.

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Penn State professor Erin Kitt-Lewis teamed up with College of Medicine student Natasha Sood to create a course through the Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing focused on teaching students about climate change and its impacts on health through storytelling.

The class titled Climate Change and Storytelling, NURS 497D, strives to teach students how to tell the stories of the real-life effects of climate change through artistic means  including videos, plays, graphic novels and short stories.

To create a connection between students who may not have seen the effects of climate change firsthand and the content of the course, Kitt-Lewis said she tries to instill a level of empathy in her students  while also showing them the effects are already present because there really isnt anywhere not affected by climate change.

Our goal is to really look at the science and get them to think about things like severe weather, Kitt-Lewis said. Theres not anywhere in the United States that hasnt been affected by the severe weather issue.

Professor and Director of Arts and Design Research Incubator at Penn State Bill Doan said he was working with other nursing staff members to get a course like this introduced.

When he was recommended to help on the theatre side of teaching Climate Change and Storytelling, he said he immediately hopped on board as a co-teacher.

Despite it being a 400-level nursing course, students of any major are welcome to enroll, according to the course instructors, who said diversity in the classroom is beneficial.

To me, this is the best of what Penn State and a university can be, Doan said. When you have different voices in the room, different perspectives, that interdisciplinary perspective  Im excited because I think this is what a university education should be about.

The course is a part of Penn States Reflection Project, which, according to the organizations website, Provides students with opportunities to embody the true essence of the phrase of We Are by investigating themselves and their identities at Penn State through engagements within the arts.

Cheri Jehu, Reflection Project coordinator at Penn State, said shes currently creating five interdomain courses that involve the performing arts.

As the person who facilitates the approval process, Jehu said when the idea for Climate Change and Storytelling was brought to her attention, It blew [her] away.

MORE NEWS COVERAGE

Penn State professor charged in December assault sentenced Evangelos Manias, a Penn State professor, who was charged Dec. 10, 2021 for allegedly assaul

Since the course focuses on climate change, students are also being exposed to current artists who are using their voices and activism in their personal communities, according to Jehu.

We work with the artists and instructors to create unique engagements specific to those classes, Jehu said. Artists are going to be coming into [Climate Change and Storytelling classes] to talk about their role of artists in activism to combat climate change.

The classs education in climate change and theatre culminates in a final project in which students create and share their own stories of health and climate change.

Anthony Jefferson, a student in the class who hopes to be a real estate developer, said he hopes the class helps him create new structures that are positive or beneficial to the environment.

Jefferson (senior-integrative arts) said he thinks Climate Change and Storytelling is a gateway class to understanding the complexities of the environment.

Jefferson said storytelling is an essential tenet of the class. On the first day of class, Kitt-Lewis told students to introduce themselves by telling their life stories and how the class might relate to where they want to go.

The course appealed to Isaac Brackbill because he needed general education credit and was interested in the class topics. He heard about the class from his mother, who is a professor in Penn States department of biology.

To Brackbill (sophomore-psychology), Kitt-Lewis and Doan seem really nice and knowledgeable about both climate change and storytelling.

Even prior to the class, Brackbill said hes always been interested in climate change and sustainability.

At the end of the day, thats what matters.

MORE NEWS COVERAGE
Donald Trump's lawyer, John Eastman, did not follow the ex-POTUS's previous claims about invoking the Fifth Amendment.

During the 2016 presidential election, Trump likened pleading the Fifth Amendment to mob behavior. He said that a person who's innocent has no reason to plead the fifth.

But just this week, it was confirmed that Eastman pleaded the Fifth Amendment nearly 150 times after he received a subpoena pertaining to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

Eastman did not attend the insurrection, but he spoke at the "Stop the Steal" rally that took place just hours before the siege. The gathering was attended by approximately 10,000 Trump supporters.

John Eastman invoked his Fifth Amendment due to fear

While he was there, Eastman claimed that there was election fraud two years ago. He also alleged that even dead people voted in favor of Joe Biden.

"Dr Eastman has a more than reasonable fear that any statements he makes pursuant to this subpoena will be used in an attempt to mount a criminal investigation against him," Eastman's lawyer, Charles Burnham said via The Independent.

John Eastman's former employer subpoenaed by committee

But even if Eastman pleaded the Fifth Amendment in relation to the Capitol riot, he could still be forced to respond to another set of questions pertaining to a second subpoena, which was sent to his former employer, Chapman University.

Eastman and his lawyer previously tried to block Chapman University from handing over 19,000 emails to the committee. But the subpoena means the committee can finally gain access to the emails.

Read Also: Donald Trump Protective of 'Favorite' Child Ivanka Trump, Slams Capitol Riot Panel For Targeting His Daughter

John Eastman has ties to Capitol riot, election fraud claims

Federal Judge David Carter determined where exactly Eastman was while Trump was devising a plan to overturn the 2020 election result.

Eastman's lawyer also told the judge that his client worked for Trump during a slew of controversial moments leading up to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.

For instance, Eastman was with Trump when he told state legislators they needed to fix things before Biden heads to the White House on Jan. 2. Eastman was also with Trump and his other contacts when they met Mike Pence on Jan. 3. During that time, they discussed how they could block the congressional certification of the 2020 vote, according to CNN.

Earlier this week, Carter also dismissed some of Eastman's arguments, including his claims that the committee lacked the authority to issue subpoenas in the first place.

Judge dismisses John Eastman's arguments

Trump's lawyer also said that several of the documents that the committee is seeking would reveal important information about his other clients at Chapman University.

However, the judge dismissed all of Eastman's arguments pertaining to the documents that he doesn't want to release, according to Politico.

As of press writing, the Jan. 6 committee has already issued more than 60 subpoenas against Trump and his supporters. However, the ex-POTUS has not been charged because he still hasn't cooperated with the committee.

In fact, Trump previously cited his executive privilege while trying to block the committee from getting their hands on his White House documents. But his request was denied by the investigating panel.

Related Article: Donald Trump Says Russia-Ukraine Tensions Wouldn't Have Happened If He's POTUS

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On May 10, Penn State President-elect Neeli Bendapudi will officially enter office, according to a release.

Penn State's Board of Trustees unanimously appointed Bendapudi as the university's 19th president  making her the first woman and person of color to hold the position  in a "special, off-cycle meeting" on Dec. 9, 2021.

According to a release, Bendapudi will be joined by Michael Wade Smith, former chief of staff and vice president for external affairs at the University of Louisville, who will serve as senior vice president and chief of staff at Penn State, the release said.

Before entering office, Bendapudi will meet with the Presidents Council during the first quarter of the year to learn university "critical initiatives," the release said.

Additionally, Bendapudi will attend meetings with Penn State President Eric Barron and other university leaders during a transition period starting in March until her start in May.

According to a release, Barron went through a similar process at the start of his tenure, and Bendapudi "officially move from Kentucky to State College, along with her family."

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Evangelos Manias, a Penn State professor, who was charged Dec. 10, 2021 for allegedly assaulting his wife in a domestic dispute, has been sentenced to 18 months of an Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition program, according to court documents.

On Jan. 12, Common Pleas Judge Johnathan Grine sentenced Manias to be considered into an Addiction Awareness Program  which is administered by the Centre County Probation and Parole Department.

Manias was also sentenced to two days of community service which will be decided by the Centre County Court program coordinator.

According to court documents, if Manias is admitted into AAP, he will be expected to complete the program and pay for the cost of the program.

Additionally, Manias will be required to participate in "standard conditions of supervision for domestic violence offenders" and complete an online educational course from Advent eLearning, court documents said.

Manias was charged with one misdemeanor simple assault charge and one harassment  subject other to physical contact charge and had a $10,000 bail set against him, court documents said.

Manias and his wife allegedly got into a verbal dispute over a "disagreement about pizza for dinner," the criminal complaint said.

The altercation turned physical after Manias wife said she did not want to be in the house any longer, according to the criminal complaint.

Manias allegedly grabbed her and attempted to force her outside, but she threw herself to the ground to resist. Then, Manias allegedly wrapped his hands around her throat and applied pressure in response, the criminal complaint said.

According to Lisa Powers, Penn State spokeswoman, Manias "remains a faculty member" in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences as of Jan. 25.

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Waking up at 6 a.m., turning on the local weather channel, spending minutes watching the ticker scroll  finally spotting your school district with the words closed below it.

The art of a snow day morning for students in K-12 education is akin to Christmas morning. A stressful start to the day quickly turns into a breath of relief consisting of returning to bed and eventually going out to enjoy the snow.

Regardless of the possible makeup work to follow, the chance of snowfall leaves children believing in superstitions with the hope of increasing their chances of having off from school.

But, as students get older and move on to college and the workforce, a snow day becomes nothing more than shoveling out your driveway and nearly slipping while getting in your car. After all, the world continues regardless of inclement weather.

When winter time finally rears its frigid head, Penn State and the community are typically prepared for snow at any given notice. Being located in central Pennsylvania tempers the expectations of possible cancellations. Two inches of snow in State College doesn't yield the same reaction of two inches in Texas.

In a vacuum, snow days arent important in college. But with the implementation of wellness days for the spring 2021 semester, its clear a few days off during the semester wont derail the progress of classes. Wellness days are unlikely to make a return, meaning a day with a few inches of snow can serve the same purpose for students.

With the topic of mental health becoming more commonplace amid the pandemic, snow days could provide students with an opportunity to better their mental health. At the very least, they can catch up on assignments or well-needed rest.

At their core, wellness and snow days serve the same purpose  providing time off from class. While students could look forward to scheduled wellness days last spring, snow days are sporadic and cant be built into the semester.

However, an unplanned wellness day is more effective than one thats already determined, as due dates for classwork wouldnt need to be changed to work around the time off.

Theres also the possibility of injuries and the overall concern for public safety that comes along with snowy weather. While there is an attempt to clear the sidewalks and roads downtown, not every area gets the same treatment. Off-campus living areas may not have plows come through in time for students to commute to campus safely.

Students arent the only people who commute to campus. Professors and faculty can also benefit from snow days in both a mental health and safety facet. This time can be used to catch up on grading and emails from students, especially for professors with larger classes.

Or, maybe they can find solace in having a day off just like their students.

While colleges may not experience many snow days, local school districts usually still do. Faculty members may struggle to find someone to look after their young children or just want to spend time with their family.

Additionally, campus being clear doesnt equate to everywhere being clear. This isnt on Penn State, but the university should consider the travel issues off-campus students may face. State College as a whole could also improve on better salting and plowing areas that are not named Beaver and College Avenue.

However, its true that snow days can have adverse effects on the finances of Penn State with the costs of contract plows and shovelers. If it can avoid enacting a snow day to circumvent these costs, it will do so.

Theres also the aspect of schedules being set and the fear of getting behind with work. But if anything has been learned from the past two years, its that work can be completed asynchronously.

Education as a whole has shifted as a result of Zoom. K-12 classes can now opt to remote learning sessions rather than take an entire day off. If professors want to avoid falling behind on work, the option for asynchronous classwork can serve as an effective alternative to a day off.

Zoom sessions may also encourage students who typically dont go to class when it snows to still attend in the comfort of their own housing rather than brave the elements. Its not as if Zoom is a foreign concept to Penn State, making a one day transition to virtual learning seamless.

Ultimately, the university has adapted enough that one snow day really wont hurt it  and students will thank Penn State for it, too.

Daily Collegian Opinion Editor Joe Eckstein can be reached at jce5179@psu.edu.
Colorado Democratic legislators, with backing from the governor and secretary of state, aim to reduce the amount of fees new businesses pay when forming.

Dubbed the Colorado Business Fee Relief Act, House Bill 1001 would reduce common filing fees for new business registrations, annual renewals, trade name registrations and others. Some would be cut to as low as $1, saving an estimated $17 million in a year.

Reps. Lisa Cutter and Tom Sullivan, with Sens. Brittany Pettersen and Chris Kolker, introduced the bill as a collaboration with Gov. Jared Polis and Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Our top priority this session is saving Coloradans money, and thats what this bill will do by significantly cutting fees to start a business, Rep. Cutter, D-Littleton, said in a news release. HB22-1001 will reduce a number of filing fees with the Colorado Department of State, keeping more money in the pockets of Colorado's entrepreneurs and small businesses who are the backbone of our economy.

Asked about the potential effect to the states budget, Cutter said in an interview the general fund has flexibility.

We want to use every tool to reduce business costs, including reducing the cost of starting your own business, said Cutter.

A total of 39,252 new entities, or businesses, were filed at the Colorado Secretary of States Office in the second quarter of 2021, up 25.7% year-over-year, and 157,300 in the 12 months ending in that quarter, according to the Quarterly Business and Economic Indicators for Q3, prepared by the Leeds Business Research Division at CU Boulder in conjunction with the Secretary of States Office.

Business groups are expected to support the legislation, but they're also looking relief on several fronts, notably at ways to ensure the unemployment trust fund, now $1 billion in the red but shored up with a federal loan, receives substantial investments to avoid sticker shock through big premium hikes to small businesses.

Republican candidate for Secretary of State Mike O'Donnell said in a news release the measure is well-intentioned but misses the mark.

Despite the fact that the savings to each eligible businesses arent significant, the revenue that the office will forgo as a result of the legislation will need to be replaced with $16.71 million in taxpayer funds during 2022/23, O'Donnell said.

The proposed legislation affects businesses and O'Donnell noted in the release very few of these result in the formation of businesses that will create the jobs that are so badly needed in Colorado.

Cutter disagreed.

Listen, people cant have it both ways. You cant tell me you want to save money for businesses, then criticize the way that money is saved," Cutter said. Fifty dollars matters. Its disingenuous to say it doesnt matter to people.

Cutter referred to $50 new business filing fees being dropped to $1.

These fee reductions will keep money in the pockets of Colorados small business owners, many of whom have faced adversity and uncertainty over the last few years, said Griswold in the news release. Thank you to Representatives Cutter and Sullivan, and Senators Pettersen and Kolker for introducing this bill. I look forward to working together to push forward this important proposal which would provide support to the small businesses that keep our communities thriving.

Bill sponsors explain the funding this way: the Secretary of States office would utilize general fund dollars to offset the foregone revenue from the fee reductions. The reduction in filing fees under this fee relief program would remain in place during Fiscal Year 2022-23 until the amount of the general fund transfer is exhausted.

A link to the full bill is at the Colorado General Assemblys website leg.colorado.gov.
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A rhino rampage nearly kills two pensioners who did not expect the mad beast to attack them without provocation.

Reports say the two individuals were brought to the hospital for treatment when they were attacked in Nepal a week ago. They were sunbathing somewhere in the West Chitwan district on January 19 when the animal went after them.

Quiet Rhino's Unprovoked Attack

In Nepal, over 700 of these large horned mammals are found, and they are usually quiet, making an attack rare on some occasions like this, reported the Daily Star.

Local police informed the media that Budana Mahato, 70, and Dhodhari Mahato, 80, were the victims gored by the large herbivore. They were caught unaware, outside their residence, when it attacked them.

Authorities took them to the Chitwan Medical College hospital, the closest nearby, where the doctored declared them safe.

Recent Fatal Attacks

Another attack by a large mammal happened earlier in January this year, which led to the tragic death of an individual.

According to reports from Kenya, a lone fisherman was killed by getting disemboweled by a vicious hippopotamus that attacked him.

The victim Michael Osano, 54, was fishing on January 5 when he did not return to his residence that night. His family was worried that something had happened to him, so they searched for the missing man the next day, cited Popstar One.

Other fishermen joined the search along with Osano's family members when they came upon his wrecked boat. They later found his mangled corpse in Lake Victoria. His remains showed severe injuries believed to have been inflicted by hippo bites.

Read Also: Zookeeper Fatally Wounded As He Tried to Escape Rogue Siberian Tiger That Leapt From Its Cage

Last January 7, Samuel Osendo, the head of the West Karachuonyo Beach Management Unit chairman, stated the boat was attacked by a wild hippo that killed the victim.

He adds that the animal chomped and smashed the man's leg, eviscerated him, took away all the internal organs, and disappeared.

The severity and frequency of these deadly hippo assaults left many killed and severely injured. Osendo asked the Kenya Wildlife Service to do something about the fatal human-hippo interaction resulting in deaths.

Nelson Omwenga, Rachuonyo North deputy police commander, told the locals to avoid going to areas the hippos have invaded, citing the loss of life in these areas due to the fatal attacks.

He also thanked all those who helped in the sweep and search. The family was shocked at how the animals mauled the corpse.

Hippos Are Dangerous Mammals

According to A-Z Animals, the horrible hippo has tusks, and its immense weight is deadly to other animals. Possessing tusks that are equivalent to a person's front incisors, that is, a foot or more.

They are hardened ivory that is harder than an elephant's and keeps on growing and stays sharp. For dominance and attacking, a male weighs more than three tons.

The rhino attack left two pensioners still alive, but the ones attacked by a hippo would not be as lucky. However, one must be careful since both mammals are equally dangerous.

Related Article: Horrific Hippo Nearly a Killed Woman, Ripped Cousin's Stomach Trying To Free Her From Deadly Attack

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The Missourians Opinion section is a public forum for the discussion of ideas. The views presented in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Missourian or the University of Missouri. If you would like to contribute to the Opinion page with a response or an original topic of your own, visit our submission form
As the Cubs were beating the Braves 6-3 Wednesday night Steve left to see the game with his mom and dad, Reva and Harold, brother Ron and baby niece Elizabeth Henney. He left behind to run the store his wife Kathleen (Knight), Amelia (27), Nathan (24) and his beloved cat Lewis Black. His sis
Bancassurance activities will have to strictly comply with the provisions of the Law on Insurance Business, according to the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV).

Under a newly-issued directive, the SBV has required banks, which provide bancassurance products, to strengthen their inspection and supervision on bancassurance activities to strictly handle violations.

The move was made after it was reported that despite unwillingness, some customers were forced to buy insurance products introduced by bank staff to get bank loans as the purchase was allegedly made mandatory in a few banks as part of the conditions of their loans.

The SBVs direction, therefore, is aimed to stop the insurance cross-selling mechanisms.

According to the SBV, it will strengthen the management and supervision of insurance sale activities of banks agents to ensure compliance with the law.

The SBV required banks not to forcefully sell insurance to their customers. Any actions related to compulsory insurance in order to get loans will be strictly handled.

Earlier, the SBV also issued a document, requiring bankers to thoroughly explain the terms and conditions of insurance products to customers, and help customers fully understand their rights and benefits. It also asked banks to disseminate the prevailing regulations on insurance business to their employees to avoid violations.

Among many activities that became popular service income sources for banks, bancassurance - an arrangement between a bank and an insurance company allowing the insurance company to sell its products to the bank's client base - has become a crucial growth driver.

In the context of closer control on credit growth and more limited room to expand net income margins, many banks have been trying to boost service income from bancassurance activities. Bancassurance has become a strategic focus of many banks, especially under the retail banking strategy. This is not only to serve individual customers comprehensive financial needs but also to diversify banks service income sources.

Bancassurance activities in Vieht Nam have increased significantly, with both local and foreign insurers proactively expanding their bancassurance network by initiating tie-ups with lenders. Some typical bancassurance deals included VietinBank and Manulife, ACB and Sun Life, and Vietcombank with FWD.

According to the Vietnam Insurance Association, new insurance premium revenues through the bancassurance channel in 2019 accounted for 29 per cent of total new premium revenues, increasing from 10 per cent in 2016. In 2020, premium revenue from this channel continued to grow and accounted for more than 30 per cent of the total new premium revenue.  VNS
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data that showed the Omicron coronavirus variant caused more hospitalizations across the United States but with the upside of shorter stays.

The health agency revealed a new graph that showed the difference of the current wave caused by the highly transmissible variant compared to previous coronavirus outbreaks. The Omicron variant pushed the daily death toll in the country to nearly 2,000. The number is believed to be lower than at other points in the pandemic.

Omicron Variant's Effects

The figures released by the CDC showed that the United States observed seven-day averages of more than 2,000 deaths in mid-April of 2020. Additionally, the country recorded an average of 3,400 deaths throughout much of the 2020-2021 winter season.

The CDC's data also showed that while the Omicron variant caused relatively fewer deaths than previous times throughout the pandemic, the number of people sent to hospitals and emergency departments has hit record-highs. The situation has caused hospitals and healthcare systems to feel the strain of increased admissions amid employee and ICU bed shortages, Business Insider reported.

However, federal health officials released a report on Tuesday that suggested the Omicron variant caused less severe illness in hospitalized patients compared to previous outbreaks. Researchers from the CDC said that people infected with the new variant and who were sent to the hospital had shorter stays compared to people infected with other strains of the virus.

Read Also: Biden Camp Withdraws COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for Businesses; But OSHA Warns Need for Vaccination Amid Omicron Variant

The percentage of hospitalized patients with severe illness is lower compared to previous pandemic waves despite the Omicron variant causing record infections and hospitalizations. The lower disease severity is partly the result of immune protection from higher vaccination rates among people aged five and older, the use of booster shots, previous infection and subsequent recovery, and the believed lower virulence of the new variant.

Fight Against the Pandemic

However, the pattern continues to spread from person to person at an alarming speed. The situation has caused a significant number of hospitalizations and deaths throughout the United States, The Washington Post reported.

Additionally, the situation comes as New York State's indoor mask mandate will remain in place after an appeals court judge temporarily blocked a lower-court ruling on Tuesday. The ruling from a day before abruptly struck down the rule and created confusion among schools and businesses in the region.

The decision released on Tuesday came after a ruling given out on Monday by Justice Thomas Rademaker from Nassau County's State Supreme Court said the rule requiring masks violated the State Constitution. Rademaker's ruling nullified part of the rule that Gov. Kathy Hochul imposed last month when a surge in COVID-19 cases was driven by the Omicron variant.

Hochul vowed to fight Rademaker's decision with the help of State Attorney General Letitia James by filing a motion to stay the ruling in an attempt to put it on hold while the state filed a formal appeal. Justice Robert J. Mille on Tuesday afternoon sided with the state and granted the stay, the New York Times reported.



Related Article: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul Vows To Fight for Mask Mandates in All Public Spaces Despite Ongoing Backlash

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
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To say that Android tablets have been a letdown might be the understatement of the century.

When you step back and think about it, the fact that Android tablets are such an underemphasized afterthought is almost shocking. Android is the world's most popular operating system, after all  by a pretty hefty margin. It's easy to forget sometimes, but more humans carry Android-powered smartphones than any other type of device in the universe.

And yet, for all of those advantages, Google has year after year failed to turn Android tablets into a compelling, sought-after type of technology that's more than a mere blip on the mobile-tech radar. It's reached the point where I flat-out tell folks to stay away from Android tablets and consider convertible Chromebooks instead  'cause unlike the typical Android tablet, any Chromebook you buy will actually get updates. It'll be supported with the latest privacy, security, and performance standards for years after its purchase. And it'll provide a truly great all-around experience.

Plain and simple, it'll bring all the qualities you want from an Android tablet into a more productivity-minded, work-friendly setup  one with plenty of perks and without all the standard Android tablet disadvantages.

Here's what's fascinating, though: Android tablets didn't have to be this way. Nearly 12 years ago, Google bought a buzzworthy software startup that was doing incredibly interesting things with interface design. The company had all sorts of wild ideas about the future of large-screen touch interaction, and Google seemed destined to bring those concepts into the land of Android.

[Get fresh Googley insight in your inbox with my Android Intelligence newsletter. Three things to know and three things to try every Friday!]

This is the story of an alternate future for Android tablets  a future that could have seen Android-powered tablets charting new territory and shaking up the way we thought about large-screen computing experiences.

This is the story of the Android tablet interface that could have been.

The Android tablet origin story

Before we get into the meat of this zesty tech sandwich, we need to step back for a sec and set the scene of what was going on with Google in the early part of the 2010 decade.

The Android tablet saga technically started in the fall of 2010, just months after Apple launched its first Magical and Revolutionary iPad. At that point, for context, Google didn't have a great way for Android to exist in a "big-screen" form. (I put "big-screen" in quotes because the earliest Android tablets weren't much bigger than our current Android phones. Hey, it's all relative.) So with everyone and their mother suddenly gushing over Apple's inaugural slate-shaped creation, Android device-makers who were desperate to compete scrambled to slap together their own half-baked setup.

Most prominently, Samsung spewed out its first-ever Galaxy Tab  a 7" slate that ran Android 2.2, worked exactly like a phone, and even let you make and receive calls with your own SIM card in certain scenarios. So in other words, yeah: It was more or less just a big phone.

Samsung The 2010 Galaxy Tab 7.0, with the requisite promo-shot mirror effect at its bottom.

Early the next year, in 2011, Google came out with its Android 3.0 Honeycomb software  a tablet-only release that introduced a totally new foundation and prepared Android to exist in a large-screen form. The first true Android tablets, including the classic Motorola Xoom, followed.

Android 3.0 was actually an admirable framework for a whole new kind of mobile-tech experience  one in which the core Android interface was completely reimagined to take advantage of the newfound screen space and create a more efficiency-optimized, productivity-minded environment.

(Be sure to make a mental bookmark of the name shown in the notification on that video thumbnail, by the way. It'll be relevant in a minute.)

But that mindset wouldn't last for long. Apple had already made a serious splash with its iPad, and Google did its usual Google thing  first, failing to get developers on board quickly enough to make a good first impression with how apps operated in its newly scaled-up environment, then eventually losing its focus, pivoting away from its original vision, and ultimately just letting the idea of the Android tablet languish without any meaningful movement forward.

By 2016, Google had by all counts given up on the idea of the Android tablet. Android tablets still existed, of course, but Google wasn't doing much to advance or promote 'em.

And that's to say nothing of the Android tablet possibility that never made its way to the surface or had any chance to shine.

An Android tablet acquisition

Time to fly back now to May of 2010  just a few short months after Apple's first iPad splashed its way into the world. Google, presumably hard at work on the early efforts around Honeycomb, quietly bought a company called BumpTop. Rumor has it the deal cost a cool $25 to $35 million  no small chunk of change, to say the least.

There was no formal announcement or fanfare from Google about the acquisition, but BumpTop alerted its existing users that its current software would no longer be sold or supported and that it'd be taking the app "in an exciting new direction" within Google's famed walls.

So what exactly was BumpTop? In short, it was a dramatically different take on the traditional computing interface. The software made your desktop look and act like a physical desk, with all sorts of multitouch gestures and clever systems for interacting with your stuff.

In a 2007 TED Talk, BumpTop's founder, Anand Agarawala  remember that name from a minute ago?  said he believed we were still in "the cave-painting era of computer interfaces" and that it was high time for someone to try something new.

"One kind of information space I ... take inspiration from is my real desk. It's so much more subtle, so much more visceral  you know, what's visible, what's not. And I'd like to bring that experience to the desktop," he said.

BumpTop evolved into a much more touch-centric interface in the months that followed. And it's really something you have to see to appreciate. This 2009 demo video shows the basics of the BumpTop desktop and how the software reinvented the act of getting around a computer:

Once BumpTop became a Google entity, most folks assumed its approach was bound to become the future of Android in its larger-screen form. As Fast Company put it at the time:

Most upcoming tablets will be looking to Android. ... But on a bigger screen, Androids rough edges are pretty obvious. A skin, like HTCs Sense or Dells Stage, is one option, but BumpTop might be a better solution. Itll need some tweaking (it doesnt have any of Androids hallmark and completely essential UI features, like the notification shade or app drawer) but it has the potential to offer something really different for an Android tablet.

It made sense  almost too much sense.

But, as you can probably imagine, things didn't exactly play out in the way anyone anticipated.

The Android tablet path

Aside from the big BumpTop purchase, something else significant happened inside Google in the month of May 2010. Toward the end of that very same month, just a few weeks after the BumpTop deal went through, a well-respected designer joined Google as its first user experience director for Android.

That designer was none other than Matias Duarte  the guy who'd led development of Palm's webOS interface and earned accolades for his efforts on the Danger-made Sidekick (a.k.a. the Hiptop) before that.

And who had Duarte worked alongside at Danger? Major nerd points if you know the answer: It was a certain Andy Rubin, who co-founded the company and then went on to co-found Android and oversee its evolution within Google all the way through 2013.

Rubin's legacy is now much more complicated, to put it mildly, but at the time, he was the grand commander of all things Android  and Duarte was his new deputy entrusted with bringing a greater focus to design for the platform. Thus far, powerful as Android had been, the software had generally veered more toward utility, with design taking a back seat to sheer power and function.

Under Duarte's direction, we saw a noticeable shift. First came the software known as Honeycomb  though with its efforts already underway at the time of Duarte's arrival, the seven-months-later Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich release is generally considered to be more representative of Duarte's full influence.

Either way, the concepts from BumpTop barely made a blip in the operating system. You can see what seems to be a slight touch of BumpTop inspiration in the Honeycomb-era accordion widgets, which followed a similar sort of stacking and flipping model to what we saw all throughout BumpTop...

...but aside from that, there isn't much obvious inspiration from BumpTop anywhere in Android  at least, outwardly  and it seems like most of its concepts got lost over time.

As for BumpTop's founder, Anand Agarawala, he worked at Google for about four and a half years, according to his LinkedIn profile  starting with the moment of BumpTop's acquisition and going all the way through October of 2014. His profile indicates he played some manner of role in Android interface development for the Android 2.3 Gingerbread release that came out in December of 2010 as well as the subsequent Honeycomb and Ice Cream Sandwich updates. After that, he apparently spent time working on "next-generation AR assistant applications" at Google X as well as on the Google+ mobile apps and on the Google Photos "automatic story creations" feature.

Agarawala left Google in 2014 and has been heading up his own new startup in the years since  a company called Spatial that brings some very familiar-feeling interface concepts into the realm of augmented reality.

And BumpTop itself is now available as an open-source project, with a note from Agarawala that states:

We really believe were just scratching the surface of what's possible with the way we interact with technology. As touch and virtual reality interfaces rapidly evolve, we think some of the ideas we explored might be relevant now more than ever. The future of BumpTop is now in your hands, the community of passionate fans and developers of BumpTop who supported our mission of a bold new, physical dimension of UIs since the beginning.

And so it goes.

The Android tablet future

There's one more fascinating footnote to this story  and, perhaps, to the future of Android tablets and where things could go from here.

In a move that seems to have gone largely unnoticed by the Google-watching masses, a fella by the name of Rich Miner appears to have joined Google last March in order to take on a new role with the title of "CTO, Android tablets."

In case his name doesn't ring an immediate bell, Miner was one of the original co-founders of Android  right alongside Andy Rubin. I interviewed him in 2016 for my (no-longer-publicly-available) podcast and heard all about his winding path through the mobile-tech universe. He played a key role in Android's birth and helped shape its direction over the first several years of its existence, and while he may not be a household name today, his influence undeniably helped Android grow into what it's become.

(I tried reaching out to Google to request additional info on the nature of Miner's new role and to see if he'd be available for an interview, but I never heard back. I've also tried to contact Agarawala a couple times over the years without any response.)

Miner left Android in 2010 and went on to work at Google's venture capital branch. In 2016, he took a position heading up some mysterious new Google education project that may or may not have ultimately resulted in any tangible products. And now, it seems he's come back to his roots to pursue another new beginning under the Android umbrella.

The tale of Android tablets has already had more than its share of twists, turns, and missed opportunities. But maybe, just maybe, the story isn't over yet. Maybe another chapter will emerge.

If there's one thing you learn from spending enough time watching Google, it's that you never truly know what might come next.

Sign up for my Android Intelligence newsletter to get zesty Google-flavored knowledge in your inbox every Friday.
The Indian government is hoping to spur the nation's private sector to create a national mobile operating system that can compete with Googles Android and Apples iOS.

Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), said this week his agency plans to encourage the tech industry and academic institutions to collaborate on a home-grown Indian mobile OS, according to a report in The Economic Times of India.

"There is no third one," Chandrasekhar said. "Therefore, in a lot of ways there is tremendous interest in MeitY and in the Government of India to even create a new handset operating system. We are talking to people. We are looking at a policy for that."

Industry analysts were immediately skeptical that an indigenous OS in India could compete with the likes of Apples or Androids mobile platforms.

Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates, said that while its laudable India is trying to create a competitor and launch more tech industries within the country, its very unlikely that it can produce a true competitor to Android especially and also iOS.

This is not Indias first attempt to create its own operating system nor would the country be the first to attempt it now, Gold noted. For example, Chinas Alibaba Group developed a local-services arm and debuted the Alibaba Local Services Operating System.

Since [China has] a huge population base, much like India does, they thought it could be a real game changer for the local market," said Gold. "But the truth is, most users of smartphones are drawn to specific apps they use regularly (e.g., Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), and if those apps arent available on the OS powering a specific device, then users wont buy it.

Thats not to say that a localized OS for lower-end devices cant grab some market share," he said, "but as a general rule, its highly unlikely that you can change the dynamics of users wanting to interact with specific apps  and if they arent available on your device, then they wont want it.

Additionally, theres no incentive for major app vendors to port their apps to a locally created OS, Gold said, noting there just isnt enough volume to do so.

So, its a chicken and egg situation  apps dont get ported due to low volume of devices, and people dont buy the devices due to lack of popular apps. This is what caused the downfall of BlackBerry, Symbian, WebOS, etc., Gold said.

In 2010, Indias government worked to create a new computer operating system with an eye to enhancing the security of its computer systems.

As for the latest push, Chandrasekhar said developing an Indian OS would not only "create an alternative to iOS and Android, but like the latter OSes, the platform could drive a native handset hardware market.

In October, Chandrasekhar announced plans for India to become an electronic manufacturing hub and supply chain to the world. We see India being very a significant provider of trusted goods and service to the global market, he said at the time while speaking at the Public Affairs Forum of India. There is an opportunity and we are acting on it.

By 2024 or 2025, Chandrasekhar said he wants to see Indias electronic manufacturing worth roughly $250 billion to $300 billion.

While a top-end, native smartphone is not likely to gain momentum in India, especially if the government backs it to specific subsidized phones and brands, what could gain some traction are phones in the low-end market, according to Nabila Popal, research director for IDCs World Wide Tracker Group for Consumer Devices.

But I highly doubt it will make a huge global impact, or even challenge Apple within India, as the Apple brand name carries a huge premium/luxury image and is aspirational for the common folk, as due to the high price point, it is something only with the rich/elite class of the population, Popal said.

Indias mobile phone market lags behind that of other developed nations, according to IDC. For example, about 30% of the market is still represented by press-button type feature phones. The top three brands in India are Xiaomi, Samsung, and Vivo with 23%, 17%, and 16% share, respectively, according to IDCs Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker. (Apples share of the smartphone market in India hovers around 3%.)

In the US, Canada, and the UK, feature phones make up less than 5% of all mobile devices.

In terms of price segments, up to 80% Smartphones cost less than $200, and almost 95% are under $400 in any given quarter, according to IDC.

In general, globally, its been hard for other OSes to succeed in the presence of iOS and Android. We have seen it with Blackberry, Windows, and now Harmony OS, Popal said, "despite the massive branding and investments put into it.

There is one possibility for the success of an Indian OS: the possibility it could run in compatibility mode to enable Android apps or iOS apps to work on it, Gold said. It's highly unlikely Apple would ever allow that.

Even attempting to port apps from a generally open-source Android would be a stretch, Gold said. Here too, those apps that are owned by Google are very popular (e.g., Google Assistant, Maps, Waze, Google Workspace, etc.).

So bottom line, I dont see how a local Indian OS can have any real impact on the market share of either Android of iOS," he said. "In my opinion, India would have more success in trying to build a locally designed smartphone that uses Android, much like China did. But India at this point doesnt have the infrastructure that China has to manufacture and distribute to the rest of the world, so even this is a long shot for them.
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Events are subject to change. Check with the venues prior to attending to confirm COVID protocols or for potential cancelations or postponements. For more upcoming events visit connecticutmag.com/calendar.

Coming Out for Art  This group show celebrates the work of LGBTQ+ artists in southern Connecticut and Rhode Island with different mediums including paintings, graffiti and sculpture. Artists include Casey Moran, Sheila Barbone, Jackie JackStar Rivera, Guido Garayacochea, Amy Hannum and others. Free. La Grua Center, 32 Water St., Stonington. 860-535-2300

Mutable: An exhibition of inkjet prints  Longtime West Cornwall resident and digital art pioneer Mark Wilson shows works generated using his proprietary software and printed on canvas with large-format archival inkjet printers. Free. The Cornwall Library, 30 Pine St., Cornwall. 860-672-6874

Through March 18

Adger Cowans: Sense and Sensibility  Celebrated as one of the founding members of the Black photographers group Kamoinge, Cowans work, represented here in more than 50 works, is wide-ranging in subject matter, featuring jazz musicians, artists, Hollywood celebrities, Harlem Street scenes, and personal artistic studies of the human form, water, and light. Free. Fairfield University Art Museum, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield. 203-254-4046

Through June 18

Lennart Anderson: A Retrospective  Displaying more than 25 paintings and drawings from both public and private collections, this exhibition features Anderson (1928-2015), who The New York Times described as one of the most prominent and admired painters to translate figurative art into a modern idiom. Free. Chauncey-Stillman Gallery at Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, 84 Lyme St., Old Lyme. 860-434-5232

Wed., Jan. 26-Sun., Jan. 30

What the Constitution Means to Me  Direct from Broadway, the 2019 Tony-nominated Best Play and Pulitzer Prize finalist by famed writer Heidi Schreck breathes new life into the Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans. $32-$89. Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, 860-987-5900

Fri., Jan. 27-Sun., Jan. 30

Sun Wine & Food Fest The festival features tastings of premium wine and spirits, celebrity chef appearances and cooking demonstrations, and samplings of food from restaurants around the region. Robert Irvine, Aaron Sanchez and Nyesha Arrington are among those expected to attend. See website for daily schedule and ticket prices. Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville,

Fri., Jan. 28

Get the Led Out: The Philadelphia-based group brings the hard-charging, mystical music of Led Zeppelin to the concert stage. 8 p.m. $32-$52. Warner Theatre, 68 Main St., Torrington, 860-489-7180

Fri., Jan. 28-Sat., Feb. 19

Today Is My Birthday  The Yale Rep season opens with a new production, a critically acclaimed comedy about loneliness in the age of connectivity written by Susan Soon He Stanton. Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven, 203-432-1234

Fri., Jan. 28-Sun., March 13

Concealment exhibit  Featuring original abstract and representational artwork that explores the theme of concealing. Free. Spectrum Art Gallery, 61 Main St., Centerbrook. 860-767-0742, spectrumartgallery.org

Fri., Jan. 28-Sun., May 22

The Poetry of Nature: Hudson River School Landscapes  Drawn from the collection of the New-York Historical Society, this array of more than 40 paintings created between 1818-86 illustrates Americas scenic splendor as seen through the eyes of leading Hudson River School artists including Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand, John F. Kensett and Albert Bierstadt. New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St., New Britain, 860-229-0257

Wed., Feb. 2

Martin Luther King Jr.s legacy  This annual convocation commemorates Kings life and work and begins a weeklong series of virtual events focused on racial justice. This years speaker is Robin D.G. Kelley, an author and the Gary B. Nash professor of American history at UCLA. 7 p.m. Free. Registration required. Fairfield Universitys Quick Center for the Performing Arts, 1073 N. Benson Road, Fairfield.

ONGOING

Mummies of the World  This traveling exhibition is the largest collection of real mummies (40) and artifacts (85) ever assembled. The assemblage includes ancient mummies from South America, Europe and ancient Egypt, dating as far back as 4,500 years. Connecticut Science Center, 250 Columbus Blvd., Hartford, 860-520-2160

THROUGH JAN. 31 // Seasons by Thomas Adkins  An exhibit of recent works by the Southbury landscape painter showing plein-air paintings of rural northwestern Connecticut scenes that capture his imagination, as well as works from trips to Vermont and Monhegan Island and the Midcoast of Maine. Gregory James Gallery, 93 Park Lane Road (Route 202), New Milford, 860-354-3436

THROUGH FEB. 6 // Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous  This joyous journey of discovery tells the story of four African American women in their 20s, 40s and 60s who each have a unique perspective on feminism, art and activism. $30-$100. Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford, 860-527-5151

THROUGH FEB. 6 // Fires in the Mirror In 1993, playwright Anna Deavere Smith performed her oral history play about the Crown Heights, Brooklyn, riots of 1991 at Long Wharf Theatre. Now, Smith brings the celebrated work back, with a new production directed by Nicole Brewer. See website for showtimes and tickets. Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven, 203-787-4282

THROUGH FEB. 19 // Photography exhibit  Carriage Barn Arts Centers annual photography exhibition, featuring the work of amateur, professional and student photographers, will be juried by New Canaan resident Platon, an internationally renowned photographer and human rights advocate. Carriage Barn Arts Center, 681 South Ave., New Canaan, 203-594-3638

POSTPONED

NEW DATE: MAY 20, 2022 // The Magic of Michael Carbonaro  The magician and star of TVs The Carbonaro Effect brings his Lies on Stage act, in which hell conjure up a concoction of magic and offbeat shenanigans. 7:30 p.m. $49-$69. Foxwoods Resort & Casino, 350 Trolley Line Blvd., Mashantucket (Rescheduled from Jan. 28)
01/26/2022

Photo (c) mikroman6 - Getty Images The semiconductor chip shortage that first ravaged the automotive industry and grew to touch a variety of things that consumers buy  smartphones, game consoles, computers, home appliances  isnt going away, says the U.S. Commerce Department.

On Tuesday, the agency stated that it is looking high and wide for viable chip producers. Unfortunately, it has come up empty so far. That means consumers will have to sit and wait until production improves, which could take as long as six months.

That left Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo with little choice but to take the issue head-on to look for an answer. She said chipmakers didn't really get what we needed" in some instances and that her agency is "going to go company by company and do personal engagement and get what we need." To satisfy that goal, Raimondo said shes spoken to "all of the CEOs in the supply chain  including Samsung -- and all of the CEOs have pledged to me that they will be submitting robust and complete data flows to us."

Raimondo said theres no evidence of other countries hoarding chips, but the U.S. is essentially stuck in the mud. The available chip inventory for consumer products has plummeted from 40 days in 2019 to less than 5 days in 2021.

"Five days of inventory. No room for error," Raimondo said. "That tells you how fragile this supply chain is."

Congress is also working towards a solution

Not wanting to frustrate consumers any longer, both the Senate and House of Representatives stepped up to do their part in triaging the situation. The Houses move came in the way of the America Competes Act of 2022  a.k.a. the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology, and Economic Strength Act of 2022.

The proposed legislation's primary goal is to create incentives to produce semiconductor chips. It also puts great weight behind what it calls supply chain resilience, which it hopes will counter threats to supply chains such as the countrys dependence on China for chips.

President Biden hammered that independence home in comments about Congress' efforts, saying the proposed legislation will make our supply chains stronger and reinvigorate the innovation engine of our economy to outcompete China and the rest of the world for decades to come.

On the business side of the equation, Intel also announced plans for an initial investment of more than $20 billion in building two new chip factories in Ohio. Having also suffered through the chip shortage, General Motors thinks it might have a solution to its problem. The automaker said its partnering with seven chip supplier partners to design chips that handle more processes than the current chips, and are made in North America.

At a recent industry conference, GM president Mark Reuss said his company and its chip partners are already trying out several families of microcontrollers that will lower the number of chips by 95% on cars and trucks.
01/26/2022

Photo (c) rrocio - Getty Images The attorneys general of three states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against Google, charging the search giant deceives internet users about how it tracks their physical locations.

Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine charges that Google has systematically deceived consumers about how their locations are tracked and used since 2014. His suit charges that the company has also misled consumers to believe that they can control what information is collected.

In reality, Racine says there is effectively no way for consumers to prevent Google from collecting, storing, and profiting from their location data.

Google falsely led consumers to believe that changing their account and device settings would allow customers to protect their privacy and control what personal data the company could access, Racine said. The truth is that contrary to Googles representations it continues to systematically surveil customers and profit from customer data. Google's bold misrepresentations are a clear violation of consumers privacy.

Google denies the charges

In a statement, a Google spokesperson denied the allegations, labeling them as inaccurate and outdated.

We have always built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data, the company said. We will vigorously defend ourselves and set the record straight.

Racine and the three other attorneys general have filed individual lawsuits against Google in their respective state courts, meaning the company must contest four lawsuits instead of just one.

In his suit, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges that Google provides a setting called Location History and tells users that, if they turn it off, the places you go are no longer stored. But Paxton says Google still tracks users location through other settings and methods that it fails to adequately disclose.

Googles founding motto is Dont Be Evil. And yet it systematically lies to millions of consumers in order to stack billions of dollars into its coffers, said Paxton.

Erode the American way of life

Paxton charges that Googles actions are not just an invasion of privacy -- theyre against the law.

Big Tech companies like Google continue to erode the American way of life and often break the law to maintain their overwhelming dominant market position. This lawsuit is just another part of my fight against Big Tech," he stated.

How does Google accomplish all of this? According to Racine, Paxton, and their colleagues from Indiana and Washington who also filed lawsuits, the main tool is the companys Android operating system.

They say consumers with an Android smartphone are tracked when they move from one cell tower to another. The location tracking is so precise that Google can even determine the businesses a consumer visited.

According to the lawsuits, Google uses the data to target advertisements and to compile extensive profiles on millions of internet users.
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As a punishment, he was packed off to Rangoon and then to the Andaman Islands, where, apart from serving the local people, in 1937 he established a Gurdwara . The Imperial Japanese Navy captured the island in 1942, and a year later, Dr Diwan Singh was arrested on charges of espionage. After suffering brutal torture for 82 days, he died on January 14, 1944.Pointing out that Netaji visited Andaman when Dr Diwan Singh was languishing in the cellular jail, Dhillon in his The Tribune article titled "The unknown massacre at Andamans: A Slice of History", said, "Posterity will ask uncomfortable questions about the vandalism of the Japanese and the role played by them for the freedom of India in collaboration with Subhas Chandra Bose.According to Dhillon, Ironically, Bose was in Port Blair between December 29-31, 1943. He visited the cellular jail where Diwan Singh, the president of the Indian Independence League and hundreds of his companions, were languishing, but he did not visit them. After wining, dining and dancing in the Ross Island he went back to Singapore.He commented, "This is how Tojo helped Bose to get freedom for India from the British, insisting, Japanese barbarism must be unfolded to convince the world about the dirty war waged by the Japanese, but lamented, The boundaries of Japanese misdeeds are wide and scattered."According to Dhillon, who last served as education adviser to the Punjab government, the "massacres carried out by the Germans and Japanese" was well documented, but historians have failed to do justice to all that occurred in East and South-East Asia."

Mohinder Singh Dhillon

He added, "For Asians, World War II started in 1931 with the occupation of South-East Manchuria; for Africans in 1935 with the attack on Abyssinia; for Europeans in 1939 and for Americans in December 1941. For the Chinese, 1930s were most terrible as they suffered humiliation and horrors. They underwent the worst tortures that Japanese soldiers indulged in, and were made victims of their indescribable ruthlessness."Pointing out that "the story of China, particularly that of Nanking, would have gone into oblivion but for a few Americans and Europeans who were witnesses to crimes committed by the Japanese", he wondered as to why the massacre of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands has failed to stir the consciousness of mankind."Stating that the story of the Japanese carnage in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was "unknown" to its countrymen and the government is indifferent to this important event of history", Dhillon wrote, it all began with 20,000 Japanese soldiers landing at different places in South Andamans on March 23, 1942.Pointing out how groups of Japanese soldiers "pounced like hungry wolves on shops, looting everything they could lay their hands on", he added, "A young man Zulfikar Ali picked up his BB gun and fired a few shots in the air to scare them away. The Japanese ran away but came back soon with a large armed force and laid siege of the town. In the meantime Zulfi, as he was called, somehow escaped to another area to avoid the Japanese wrath."Continued Dhillon, who died at the age of 86 in 2007, "They ransacked the whole town and misbehaved with women and young girls. They asked the villagers to produce the boy (Zulfi) next morning, failing which they would have to face the consequences. While they were leaving they set fire to the house, and in no time the rising flames engulfed the nearby houses too as they were made of wood."At that time, Dr Diwan Singh was Director, Health, and President of the Indian Independence League (IIL), Azad Hind Faujs peace committee and Seva Samiti. He would meet the Governor to seek intervention for the mitigation of peoples misery. He was arrested on October 23, 1943 after he lodged complaint to the Governor about how the Japanese had arrested eight high-ranking Indian officials in a spy case in October 1943 and tortured to death.On entering the jail, said Dhillon, Dr Diwan Singh was jeered, abused and beaten mercilessly. In a weeks time, all his 2,000 associates who were the members of the peace committee, the IIL, Azad Hind Fauj and the Seva Samiti were also arrested and huddled in the jail.The Japanese beat and tortured them with water treatment, electric shocks, hanging them upside down, and burning heaps of paper under their thighs. A very large number of them died, some committed suicide and a few made false confessions to save their lives. They were taken to a far-flung place, killed and buried, Dhillon noted.He continued, Dr Diwan Singh was brutally tortured for 82 days, a parallel of which is difficult to find in human history. He was hung with his hair from the ceiling. At other occasions, his ankles were tied to ceiling, water was pumped through his mouth and nostrils, and he was tied to a stake, and his bones were crunched and subjected to electric shocks... He died on January 14, 1944.According to him, after Dr Diwan Singhs death the Japanese let loose a reign of terror, which turned the island into an inferno. He estimates, Out of the total population of 40,000 in Port Blair, 30,000 were annihilated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urges residents to keep calm while the rest of the world is panicking over the possibility of Russia launching an attack.

According to reports, Zelensky recently addressed the nation during a televised broadcast and assured everyone that they've got everything under control.

"We are strong enough to keep everything under control and derail any attempts at destabilization," he said via the Associated Press.

Joe Biden gears to attack Russia

However, the United States and some countries in Europe are already preparing to hit out at Russia if they would indeed attack Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Joe Biden said that Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to build forces along Ukraine's border. If the country launches an attack, it would be the largest invasion since World War II, and it would change the world.

As a result, the United States ordered 8,500 troops on high alert for potential deployment to Europe as part of a response force.

United Kingdom, Germany, France weigh in the tensions

Other than the United States, the United Kingdom also said they are prepared to send their troops to protect their NATO allies in Europe.

Berlin and France have also been calling for the peaceful easing of the critics. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron both released a statement urging Russia to rethink their next move.

Read Also: Joe Biden Considers Sending US Troops to Romania, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia To Broaden NATO's Efforts Amid Ukraine-Russia Tensions

Scholz said that he wants clear steps from Russia that will contribute to a de-escalation of the situation.

Macron, on the other hand, said that the consequences would be grave if Russia engaged in aggressive tactics.

Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told the parliament that there's no indication that Russia has plans to invade Ukraine soon. After all, the country's troops have not formed a battle group that would force its way over the border.

Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin's 50-minute phone call revisited

According to the BBC, Biden also said that he would impose sanctions on Putin personally in the event of an invasion. He also said he would feel obliged to beef up NATO's presence in eastern Europe if Russia invaded Ukraine.

Last month, Biden and Putin spoke on the phone for almost an hour. Following their conversation, Putin's spokesman, Yury Ushakov, said it would be a colossal mistake if the US imposed sanctions on Russia.

Biden's spokesperson, Jen Psaki, revealed that the POTUS urged Putin to de-escalate the tensions in Ukraine.

Even if this was the case, Ushakov also said that Putin and Russia were satisfied with their conversation with Biden.

"We are in principle satisfied with the contact that took place, with the negotiations, because they were frank, substantive, and specific. I would say that the general direction of the conversation was quite constructive," Ushakov said via DW.

The spokesman added that it was important for them that America was willing to understand the logic and essence of Russia's concerns which they outlined in two documents.

Amid the incessant back and forth, Russia remains firm in its desire to keep Ukraine as part of the country.

Related Article: Donald Trump Says Russia-Ukraine Tensions Wouldn't Have Happened If He's POTUS

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EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article contains descriptions of rape and sexual assault. If you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to the RAINN hotline at 1-800-656-4673.

In the late 2000s, a purity ring was the must-have accessory for every teen pop star. A trend seemingly sparked by Jessica Simpson, who famously waited until after she married Nick Lachey to have sex (and also apparently question whether Chicken of the Sea was fish or chicken), and on a broader scale, Hillary Duff, who proved Disney Channel stars could translate into profitable pop acts, many of the late aughts' teen idols had one uniting feature  their outspoken commitment to chastity. A promise physically represented by silver purity rings, many of which read true love waits, nearly all of Disney Channel's stars spent a good chunk of the late aughts discussing their dedication to waiting until marriage to have sex, some even encouraging fans to do the same.

I like to think of myself as the girl that no one can get, that no one can keep in their hand, a teenage Miley Cyrus told TV Guide in 2008, roughly two years into Hannah Montana's run. Even at my age, a lot of girls are starting to fall, she continued. "And I think if is a commitment girls make, thats great."

Selena Gomez, the star of Disney Channel's Wizards of Waverly Place also sported a purity ring, speaking candidly about her decision in a 2008 interview with Extra. I said, Dad, I want a promise ring,' the then 18-year-old actress recalled. He went to the church and got it blessed. He actually used me as an example for other kids, she continued. "Im going to keep my promise to myself, to my family, and to God."

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Although she may have been used as an example in her community  and later in the eyes of the entire world  Gomez seemingly adopted a more private approach to this promise later in her life, telling Daily Mail in 2010 that she'd rather not publicly address her choice. I never want to put any pressure on my fans," she said, adding that the ring is not important for anyone else but myself."
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Well folks, it seems the day fans of The Office have long awaited is finally here. Nearly a decade after the NBC sitcom's 2013 finale, it seems we're finally getting an Office reunion  well, that is if you really, really stretch what, exactly the term Office reunion actually means.

Earlier this week, Deadline reported that Steve Carrell, who played everyone's favorite bankruptcy declaring boss, Michael Scott, and John Krasinski, who portrayed the prank-war igniting Jim Halpert, will appear on screen together in an upcoming Paramount film entitled If. Marking the pair's first time working together since their Dunder Mifflin days, Carrell and Krasinski will both star in the film, with the latter also serving as the project's writer, director, and producer. Although If's team has remained tight-lipped surrounding the plot, the film is based on Krasinskis original idea about a childs journey to rediscover their imagination, according to the publication and is scheduled to hit theaters on November 17, 2023.
Georgia police announced the arrest of the suspect involved in a gunfight near a school in Atlanta that resulted in the death of a six-month-old baby who was struck by a stray bullet while riding a car with his mother.

City officials identified the suspect as 22-year-old Dequasie Little who officers tracked down less than a day after the shooting. During a press conference, Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant said that authorities involved in the hunt for the shooter included the city's police, its gang unit, the Georgia State Patrol, the U.S. Marshalls, and community residents.

6-Month-Old Infant Killed

Bryant condemned the crime that he called a "pandemic" of violence that he argued was taking place within the city. In his remarks, the police chief said that he was furious that the incident occurred at all. The official noted that authorities were put in a place where violence in major cities and across the United States has gotten out of control.

Authorities also identified the infant victim as Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray who was riding in the backseat of a vehicle driven by his mother. The incident resulted in a stray bullet piercing through the trunk of the car in broad daylight and hitting him. Reports said that the vehicle was stopped due to two other cars engaged in a gun battle in the open streets, The Daily Beast reported.

Read Also: Michigan Teenager Arrested for Felony Murder, Armed Robbery After Returning to Crime Scene Amid Investigation

Officials noted that the horrific incident is the third time that a child has been shot in the city this year alone. It was also at least the second fatal shooting that involved a stray bullet in the Atlanta area in the last nine days.

Bryant noted that he would not cheerlead the Atlanta police's arrest of the suspect in a short period of time. Officials found the suspect in Decatur, located just east of Atlanta after the incident. Authorities revealed that Little will be facing felony murder and aggravated assault charges over what police officials referred to as a drive-by incident.

Gun Violence

Currently, it remains unclear whether or not Little has obtained an attorney to represent him in the case. The Atlanta police chief said that they were confident that Little was the shooter in the horrible death of the six-month-old infant. He added that they will continue to look for the other suspects involved in the shooting, CNN reported.

Authorities reported that the incident occurred on Monday shortly before 2:40 p.m. at a convenience store near a school that was roughly 4.5 miles west of downtown. Bryant noted that the gunfight was between two people involved in gun violence and that the child was an innocent victim.

The Atlanta police chief noted that tips and support from the community helped authorities locate Little and arrest him less than 24 hours after the incident. Bryant added that as a community, the city of Atlanta cannot just leave the case on the shoulders of the police department or the DA's office or the Mayor's office or government as a whole. Bryant argued that it would take the help of every resident to stop the foolishness that was observed within the city, People reported.



Related Article: 'Significant' Cyber Attack Hits Canadian Foreign Ministry, Causes Widespread Network Disruption

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Margaret Pearl Blaylock, age 85, of Crossville, TN, passed away at her home on May 3, 2022. She was born on November 18, 1936, in Crossville, TN, daughter of the late William Wyatt and Alice (Hale) Wyatt. Margaret was a homemaker and attended Stephen Gap Church of Christ. She is survived by 
Several schools in Illinois decided to return to remote learning on Wednesday due to severe weather conditions.

According to reports, wind chills as low as -30 were reported on Wednesday morning, causing school officials to be alarmed. Joliet Township High School District 204 was one of the first to make the official announcement.

"This means that students complete assignments online and staff work from home. Students and staff should not report to school tomorrow except for maintenance staff who should check with their direct supervisor," the school said in a statement via NBC Chicago.

Illinois schools announce changes due to cold weather

River Forest Community High School Corporation also announced their return to e-learning on Wednesday, saying that all assignments will be posted on Google Classroom.

Classes at Joseph Academy in Des Paines and Melrose Park were both canceled due to the weather conditions. And classes at Horizon Science Academy Southwest and Gary Community School Corporation also switched to remote learning.

Duneland Schools, on the other hand, postponed their opening by two hours because of the weather.

Read Also: Chicago Public Schools Forced To Cancel In-Person Classes Amid Surge in COVID-19 Cases; Union Says Students' Safety Should Be Prioritized

Danville Schools 118 worried about students' safety

Danville Schools 118 also released a statement saying that their premises will be closed due to the weather and the lack of school bus drivers.

"This is a dangerous combination for our students waiting outside at the bus stop and for those walking to school. With this information, it is necessary to have a weather-related school closing," they said via the Illinois Newsroom.

According to reports, a wind chill advisory was released on Tuesday evening across the entire Chicago area. This prompted the various school districts to rethink their plans, especially after getting wind chill readings at -15 to -25 degrees below zero.

As of press writing, it's still unclear whether or not classes will still be conducted remotely on Thursday and Friday.

Illinois schools quarantine rules changed

Elsewhere, the COVID-19 quarantine rules among students in Illinois have changed.

According to reports, students who have already tested positive for COVID-19 and are again exposed to the virus will no longer be required to quarantine for a long time.

The updated guidelines from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois State Board of Education follow the latest quarantine and isolation recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The new recommendations state that fully vaccinated students identified as close contacts are already exempted from quarantine as long as they don't have any symptoms.

IDPH spokesperson Melaney Arnold explained that a student that tests positive for COVID-19 within 90 days before the date of exposure to a new case is no longer considered a close contact.

Individuals that are fully vaccinated and those who have recovered from COVID-19 in the 90 days prior should also be exempted from screening and testing, according to Pantagraph.

Some schools in Chicago have already started following the directives from the IDPH. Oriole Park School officials have already sent out a letter to parents regarding the 90-day guidance.

A spokesperson for Trier High School in Winnetka also confirmed that they are already following the IDPH and CDC's guidance.

Related Article: Maryland Teen Charged as an Adult, Held Without Bond Following Attempted Second-Degree Murder of His Schoolmate

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Data residency laws require that companies operating in a country keep data about its citizens on servers located in that country. For companies that have customers or employees in multiple countries, the regulatory requirements can be onerous and difficult to keep up with.

Previously, "safe harbor" laws or tokenization-based approaches helped companies address the issue, but recent regulatory changes have made both approaches less workable. Meanwhile, countries like China, Russia and Brazil have been making changes to their data residency requirements.

In 2020, European courts upended the previous data transfer mechanisms -- the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield and standard contractual clauses. In summer 2021, new guidance was released, and companies now have until the end of 2022 to switch to new standard contractual clauses that comply with the new requirements.

In summer 2021, China passed a new data security law, which went into effect in September, with significant financial penalties for companies that violate its new cross-border data transfer rules. This was soon followed by a personal information protection law, China's answer to the EUs General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which took effect in November.

Brazil passed its own version of the GDPR in fall 2020 and began enforcing it in August 2021.

Russia adopted a data localization law in 2014, then upped the fines on violations significantly in 2019. Last summer, a new law required companies with significant numbers of Russian users to have not just servers but physical offices in Russia. That law went into effect at the start of 2022.

According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, 133 countries have legislation in place to protect data and privacy and another 20 are working on draft legislation. As a result of these and other changes, companies now either set up local servers for the jurisdictions where they do business and residency laws apply, use cloud providers that offer residency support, or work with a newly emerging class of vendors called residency-as-a-service providers.

Meeting data-residency requirements a pain point for CISOs

Last fall, when Jason Rader started his new job as senior vice president and CISO at Insight, he had to face the problem head-on. The Fortune 500 company provides technology services in 19 countries around the world. "A CISO's job is crazy from that perspective," he says. "Everybody thinks we automatically understand every privacy law." But the laws vary greatly from country to country -- and in the United States, from state to state.

Rader says that he relies on relationships with legal and compliance experts who have deep expertise in specific jurisdictions. Take China, for example. "China is going to be the biggest market on the planet and theyre probably the most restrictive of anyone I've dealt with," he says. "If you're going to do business in a country, you have to observe the laws. You need to prove you're doing everything possible to comply -- especially if it's a market that you're making a big investment in."

Setting up dedicated servers inside those countries is the old approach, he says. "It's super expensive and you need on-prem resources, human resources," he says. "I don't think anybody starting off fresh is trying to approach it that way, unless there's some giant restriction associated with it." Defense industry-related operations, for example, may require a secure local presence, he says.

For many companies, the quick way to address the issue is with residency-as-a-service providers. "You transfer the data residency aspect to an organization that has its own data centers," he says. "Or you work with cloud providers with in-country data processing. Most of the major cloud providers have a way of doing data residency in places like Brazil and China."

The one major exception is Russia, he says. None of the major cloud providers do business in Russia.

Since the laws keep changing, companies must be flexible, Rader says. "A law can change, and it can change your entire way of doing business." Using cloud providers or residency as a service can help offer that flexibility. "I just point to a particular location, API or IP address, and those guys handle the data residency requirements."

Insight currently uses on-premises resources that came with companies it has acquired around the world, in combination with cloud providers. In China and Brazil, Insight operates through business partners, he says. "We do very limited business in those countries and don't have data facilities there," Rader says.

"Partnerships are a way for us, as a U.S.-based organization, to have a more global presence," Rader says. "Especially in the EU, where there are lots of different country requirements, you have to make sure your partnerships are solid."

Insight does not operate in Russia at all. "In Russia, they have a very paranoid regime," says Ilia Kolochenko, member of the Europol Data Protection Experts Network and CEO at cybersecurity vendor ImmuniWeb. "Personal data must be physically stored in Russia, which is why LinkedIn has been banned in Russia."

Google, Meta and Twitter have all been hit with fines in the past two years as well for violating Russias data residency rules. "But the Russian market is pretty small," Kolochenko says.

Data is the new oil, and data sovereignty is the new protectionism

Countries look to data-residency laws for many reasons, says Michael Bahar, partner at Eversheds Sutherland, a global top ten law firm. He is the co-lead of the firm's global cybersecurity and data privacy practice, with a team of 150 people in 35 different offices around the world.

"I've been calling it the rise of data sovereignty," Bahar says. "It's troubling. Data is a bit like the new gold bullion or even oil. Countries are trying to get their hands around their own data at the expense of other countries. On the surface, the reason is national security, to protect their citizens' personal data."

Data is also fuel for advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), Bahar says. "The more personal data you have, the greater your AI capabilities."

Finally, there are repressive regimes. Some countries want to have access to information about their citizens, and don't want anyone else to have that information because they see the power of it.

What the world needs, Bahar says, are international agreements. Until then, companies need to operate on a country-by-country basis. "Some countries are okay with exporting data as long as they keep a copy and theres consent," he says. "Or they may trust data to flow to this country and that country but not that one. You have to take time and care to map all this stuff out."

Countries will also have different rules about encrypting data, Bahar says. Some will want to sign off on the encryption used, or restrict how it is used, or ban non-local encryption outright.

The rules may also be different for customer data and for employee data. "It also depends on the type of company and the industry you're in," Bahar says.

Even worse, it's not enough to just know the letter of the law. "You need to take local implementation into account," Bahar says. "The law can say one thing and can be implemented differently on the ground. I cant stress that enough."

Navigating global data privacy and sovereignty laws is an enormous issue, Bahar says. "It's probably one of the most important issues facing companies today."

Perfection is not attainable, Bahar says. "There are degrees of compliance, and every company is going to have a different risk tolerance and risk profile. When youre complying with one countrys laws it may force you to be out of compliance with another countrys laws."

The biggest concern for companies right now has to do with the recent changes in European laws. It's known as the "Schrems II'' decision, named after a complaint filed by Max Schrems against Facebook. The first Schrems decision challenged the transfer of data of European citizens to the United States and invalidated the Safe Harbor arrangement in 2015. It was replaced by the Privacy Shield arrangement -- which was, itself, invalidated by the Schrems II decision in July of 2020.

"We are anticipating that the fines for violating this are going to become more predominant and more expensive," says Bahar. "It's going to have a humongous impact. That's what we're spending the biggest time on -- how to navigate the Schrems II decision."

Tokenization? Regulators aren't buying it

A few years ago, many companies saw tokenization or anonymization as the way out. By replacing personally identifiable information with tokens, companies could still collect the rest of the data in a centralized way for processing and analysis.

Today, this approach is largely insufficient to comply with data sovereignty laws, says Bahar. "If you can put it back together, it can be used to identify who you are," he says. "It's still personal data." Regulators have caught on.

Tokenization, anonymization and encryption do have roles to play in cybersecurity, he says, in protecting data in transit and data at rest. "No matter what you call it, if you can put it back together to identify somebody, then it's not a way to avoid data sovereignty laws."

Data privacy, residency laws make data a strategic business issue

The evolving data protection landscape does have one benefit, says Mark Sangster, author of the book, "No Safe Harbor," and vice president and industry security strategist at eSentire. Although it increases operational costs and efforts, and may lead to hefty fines, all these laws do take data and information security and make it a business issue instead of a technology issue. "They force cybersecurity leaders, privacy experts, compliance judges and business leaders to come together," he says. "These laws do not fall, under the purview, of one group or the other."

Moreover, the laws do have some elements in common. By creating a holistic, enterprise-wide approach to compliance, by focusing on the spirit of the law and the purpose of these regulations, companies can get ahead of the problem.

Companies need to start with identifying all the critical data they collect, based on the definitions of protected data available in GDPR, the new Chinese regulations, and other data privacy laws. Sangster suggests that companies use asset management to control and classify the data and create access and privilege rules, as well as to enable geographic controls on data use or transfer.

"Perhaps five years ago, these laws were more about local compliance and less about strategic infrastructure decisions," Sangster says. Today, these privacy and residency laws are central to massive decisions about technology infrastructure. More and more often, they have fundamental impact on core business models as well.

Residency-as-a-service vendors

The major cloud providers all offer some degree of data localization for their enterprise customers. However, some new companies specialize in residency as a service, offering more comprehensive data location services, compliance, and expertise. They include:

InCountry covers more than 90 countries with its country compliance research center and works with all major global cloud providers as well as Alibaba Cloud in China and Yandex Cloud in Russia.

Odaseva helps companies address data residency requirements for Salesforce, including in China and Russia, with general availability planned for 2022. The company plans to support other SaaS platforms as well, such as Workday.

Skyflow offers data residency as a service with data vaults that can be located anywhere in the world, using zero trust security, polymorphic encryption, tokenization and redaction.
Edge is the concept that moves computing from a centralized model to a decentralized one, away from datacenter consolidation across cloud and infrastructure, applications, and workloads and closer to where data is generated or consumed. According to a new report from AT&T Business, edge network definitions and usage are in a state of flux across industries as organizations search for effective security strategies that address edge-related risks and allow them to explore its opportunities. Secure access service edge (SASE) is on the radar of some businesses seeking to augment traditional security controls, bring the network and security closer together, and allow for broader, more centralized visibility across an edge network attack surface.

Edge use cases differ across industries, cyber risks felt by all

The report showed that while the mechanics of edge network usage differ significantly for businesses across the healthcare, finance, public, manufacturing, retail, and energy sectors, edge cyber risks are being felt by all. The networks chosen for edge use cases included public and private cellular 5G, non-5G cellular such as 4G and LTE, remote office/branch office, cloud, and both industrial and consumer IoT networks.

Private 5G and cloud were cited as the preferred edge network overall, with the former expected to be the leading-edge network environment used to support use cases for the next three years. Almost three-quarters (74%) of companies surveyed said the likelihood of compromise is 4 or 5 (5 being very likely), with retail and energy/utilities having the highest perceived risk across the six industries.

Ransomware was the top cyberthreat concern across all sectors, while attacks against associated cloud workloads, sniffing attacks against user endpoint devices and components, and attacks against servers/data were cited as the most likely attack vectors for the healthcare, finance, and public sectors, respectively. As for manufacturing, retail, and energy/utility companies, attacks against user and endpoint devices and sniffing attacks against the radio access network (RAN) were named as the most likely attacks vectors, respectively.

Edge cybersecurity controls a priority for businesses

AT&Ts report illustrated a clear focus among organizations in investing toward better cybersecurity controls for their maturing edge environments. However, The decisions about which controls to use where vary and are dependent on several factors, including whether edge is an extension of cloud or on premises, the edge network environment, whether controls are on or in the edge network, familiarity, regulations, and benefit cost, it read.

SASE was cited as the standout growth engine due to the increasing number of organizations moving to cloud-based solutions and its ability to bring the network and security closer together. But certain industries may not want to route all of their data through cloud, so on-premises security solutions will continue to exist in areas such as OT, the report stated.

Cost-benefits key in edge security investments

While edge security decisions are dependent on differing factors, the cost-benefits of controls are integral to decision making around investments, the report found. Decision makers at all levels and departments of organizations routinely compare benefits with costs. Overall, firewall at network edge (43.8%), intrusion/threat detection (30.5%), and network access restrictions device-device (25.9%) were cited as providing the most significant cost-benefit for edge security. In contrast, network access control, patching, and DDoS mitigation were considered the least worthwhile. As for individual sectors, the data discovered:

Intrusion and threat detection, multi-factor authentication (MFA), data encryption at rest, and endpoint and device monitoring are the most efficient and effective security controls for healthcare.

External traffic encryption at a gateway or proxy, data encryption at rest, firewall at the network edge, and application proxy monitoring are the most efficient and effective security controls for finance.

Zero-trust network access control, data encryption at rest, traffic encryption (internal to the network and external at a gateway/proxy), MFA, and device authentication are the most efficient and effective security controls for the public sector.

Intrusion and threat detection, device authentication, and data leakage monitoring are the most efficient and effective security controls for manufacturing.

Network access restrictions (device to device), intrusion and threat detection, and traffic encryption (both internal to the network and external at a gateway or proxy) are the most efficient and effective security controls for retail.

Intrusion and threat detection, network access restrictions (device to device), encrypted traffic (internal to the network), and firewall at the edge are the most efficient and effective security controls for energy/utility.

Decision makers will need to ponder whether cost drives benefit or benefit drives cost, the report said.

Proactive, preventive approach key to edge security

Edge network security ultimately requires a proactive, preventive approach that considers a hybrid network model that is likely to persist for a long time, AT&Ts report concluded. 5G adoption is increasing, but organizations can leverage legacy networks where it makes sense to do so for specific use cases and as dictated by the realities of existing communications infrastructure, regulations, and location, it stated.

This is where combining SASE with legacy, on-premises solutions can be particularly advantageous, it added. When SASE and legacy on-premises solutions are combined, they have capability beyond security. The security focus of these two together revolves around traditional firewall, VPN, and IDS functionality for general cybersecurity needs; special-purpose functionality like data loss prevention for privacy-oriented data; and application firewalls for more distributed ephemeral application architectures.

Further edge security recommendations AT&T presented include:

Communicate with and educate stakeholders along a journey that will be both thrilling and challenging.

Emphasize the importance of security by design throughout all stages of edge network discussions and use case implementation.

Talk with service providers and network operators prior to making decisions about edge networking.

Delve into the shared security responsibility model with public-cloud service providers and carriers to clarify roles and responsibilities at every stage of use case implementation.

Classify data and maintain processes and procedures related to data privacy and data sovereignty.

Evaluate the benefit cost of security controls before implementing them, keeping in mind the necessity of visibility across the entire attack surface.

Conduct frequent security control reviews based on data travel routes and storage locations, beyond whats required for regulatory compliance.

Use multi-sourced, enriched threat intelligence to keep up with attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures.

With edge network adoption comes a transition in data accessibility, agility, scale, and user/customer access  a change that can enable innovative use cases and business differentiation, the report stated. But new and different risks also are part of the transition, and decision makers need to determine how to address them.
NEW HAVEN  When it comes to food, the city is best known for its pizza, but now a leading Connecticut manufacturing firm has begun making another type of pie in the Elm City.

An affiliate of Middlefield-based Lyman Orchards acquired a trio of buildings late last year and has now moved its wholesale pie making operations to New Haven. Middlefield Real Estate Holdings LLC paid $3 million for the buildings, two in the Food Terminal on Long Wharf and a third building at 724 Grand Ave.

John Lyman, executive vice president of Lyman Orchards, said the company got into the wholesale pie making business in 1996 using kitchen space in the companys Apple Barrel retail store, which opened in Middlefield in 1972. The wholesale business has grown over time, Lyman said.

We never envisioned the wholesale pie making business getting as big as its gotten, he said. The company makes fruit pies for the regional supermarket chain Big Y and also for other grocery chains using the private label of its client retailers.

Lyman said search for space to expand elsewhere in Connecticut began in earnest a couple of years ago.

We really couldnt expand in Middlefield because we dont have access to city water or sewer, he said.

The three industrial buildings Lyman Orchards has moved into in New Haven were once home to a bakery, Something Sweet, that filed for bankruptcy in 2021.

Having the three buildings will allow Lyman Orchards to expand into a new pie baking line while still continuing to make fruit pies. The Grand Avenue facility will be used to make creme pies, which Lyman said includes pumpkin and custard pies.

We believe that the same customers that buy fruit pies from us will be interested in buying creme pies, he said.

The new product line will mean hiring more people, according to Lyman. In addition to the workforce of between 30 and 35 people making fruit pies, Lyman Orchards is hiring between 20 and 30 new employees to make creme pies, he said.

Weve already hired some of the people who worked for Something Sweet, Lyman said.

The creme pie making operations at the Grand Avenue facility has been operating since late December, he said, but Monday was first day that fruit pie operations had gotten underway in New Haven.

Steve Fontana, New Havens deputy economic development director, said city officials have long viewed food manufacturing as an important business cluster.

We have bread bakers, we have manufacturers like Hummel that are in meat business, Fontana said. This move is more really good news for us.

luther.turmelle@hearstmediact.com
H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media

The latest wave in the COVID-19 pandemic showed further signs of easing when the state reported Monday a drop in the positivity rate and 200 fewer hospitalizations through the weekend.

On Monday, the state said the weekends positivity rate was 11.36 percent with 12,057 new COVID-19 cases among 106,153 tests. The positivity rate was the lowest since right after the Christmas holiday.
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Gov. Ned Lamont can see the end of school mask mandates and other COVID-mitigating strategies in sight. But, he said Monday, weve been here before.

The end isnt calendar-related, its infection-related, Lamont said during a gathering at Bridgeports Blackham School. I thought we were near the end in November. But if the (positivity rate) trend keeps up, I think we could be nearing the end.

Lamont spent about an hour touring the school and speaking with Superintendent Michael Testani, Principal Marcie Julian and numerous classroom teachers. The visit came just days after the school distributed self-test kits to all students and KN-95 masks to staff members.

We distributed 1,085 test kits, two tests per kit, Julian said. Our staff was waiting for the masks. The teachers are feeling more safe with the new masks.

Lamont touted the COVID-19 safety measures, including mask mandates and the air purifiers running in the schools classrooms, with driving down the viruss positivity rate. Currently at 11 percent, Lamont said, the rate is much higher than it was in November, but half what it was two weeks ago.

Testani said he appreciated any state help Lamont could provide.

We all know we face challenges here in Bridgeport, he said. For example, hiring and retaining teachers is an ongoing problem, he said.

We do have plenty of vacancies, he said. We have the greatest kids in the world, but unfortunately, we face many challenges.

For example, compared to neighboring suburban districts, Bridgeports financial constraints mean teachers end up leaving for better-paying jobs in the suburbs, Testani said.

Forty percent of our staff is in their first six years, he said.

Teachers reaching six years on the job typically are at an age where they are considering buying a home and starting a family, and tax credits and mortgage assistance could be tools to encourage they to stay in the city rather than seek jobs in other districts where the pay scale could be easily five figures higher, said Eric Marshall, the Connecticut Education Associations Bridgeport representative.

COVID magnifies the problem, Marshall said.

In an urban district, that just created such a strain with things like social distancing, and when we went full-remote in March of 2020, we had kids that dont have (internet) service. They dont have problems like that in Westport or Darien, he said.

Between pay, working conditions and newer facilities, it was no wonder teachers tend to head for the suburbs after a few years, Marshall said.

Kate Dias, the CEA president, thanked Lamont for the allocations of funds and equipment for Bridgeport schools, and said his visit was a chance to double down on supporting education in the city.

Bridgeport is an exciting, vibrant community that deserves to be celebrated, she said.

For his part, Lamont agreed the state should look at ways to create incentives for teachers to remain in urban school districts. He acknowledged the class sizes at Blackham  at around 28  were too high, but added that the city school was an illustration that students could safely attend schools in person.

The classrooms are crowded, but I love that theyre filled with kids, he said. Were doing everything we can to give people confidence that we can keep schools open safely.

Still, he and Testani both expressed a desire to return to the pre-pandemic schools where students could go unmasked. Lamont said he would be amenable to allowing communities to set their own mask policies if the positivity trends continued to decline.

The (COVID data) will tell us something pretty soon, he said. By early to mid-February, we ought to have a good idea where we stand.
A United States appeals court upheld the conviction of the notorious Mexican drug cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for massive drug conspiracy.

El Chapo's Appeal Rejected

The ruling of the United States' 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday dismissed accusations that Guzman's 2019 trial was tainted by Judge Brian Cogan's rulings allowing a jury to hear erroneous evidence, per AP News report.

The panel of judges in their ruling concluded that Cogan had conducted the three-month trial "with diligence and fairness, after issuing a series of meticulously crafted pretrial rulings."

According to CNN, the 64-year-old drug lord was sentenced to life imprisonment plus 30 years due to tremendous drug schemes and firearms charges that caused murders and mayhem within more than 20 years. He was also ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

His lawyers claimed on appeal that the guilty decision was flawed because some jurors allegedly searched out news accounts about sex abuse claims against Guzman that were not allowed to be heard in the trial and that Cogan erred by not holding a hearing on the reports.

But the appeals court found that Cogan was correct in ruling that the jury "was not prejudiced by any extraneous information to which they might have been exposed."

The panel of judges also found that "Any possible prejudice was harmless in view of the overwhelming evidence of Guzman's guilt."

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also denied other arguments Guzman made in requesting a new trial due to certain reasons, including deplorable conditions he experienced in prison and misconduct by the jury.

Marc Fernich, the defendant's lawyer, said that they would seek Supreme Court review, per Fox News.

Read Also: El Chapo's Wife Apprehended in the US, Charged With Helping Run the Notorious Sinaloa Cartel

Mythical Criminal

Before his high-profile trial in Brooklyn, Guzman had reached a near-mythical reputation by escaping from prison twice in Mexico in 2001, the second time through a tunnel built into his cell's shower in 2015.

In 2016, he was recaptured and transferred to the United States, where he was incarcerated in solitary prison.

According to officials, Guzman led one of the world's biggest drug trafficking groups, the Sinaloa Cartel, for more than two decades. The syndicate was responsible for numerous murders and the smuggling of drugs, including cocaine, into the United States.

Guilty of Heinous Crimes

Jurors sat through nearly three months of testimony in court about unspeakable torture and heinous murders, incredible corruption at almost every level in the Mexican government, narco-mistresses and naked subterranean escapes, and guns decorated with diamonds and other expensive gems.

Prosecutors also said before that Guzman had hitmen who were under orders to kidnap, torture, and kill people who obstruct his drug operations.

At trial, Guzman's defense lawyers argued that "El Chapo" was just a scapegoat for other drug lords, who were better at bribing top Mexican officials and authorities for protection.

Guzman was found guilty of all ten accusations brought against him by the jury. He is anticipated to serve the remainder of his term in Florence, Colorado, the United States' most secured prison.

Last year, his wife, ex-beauty queen Emma Coronel Aispuro pleaded guilty to charges of drug trafficking and money laundering in connection to Guzman's drug organization. The court sentenced her to three-year imprisonment.

Related Article: Asia's El Chapo: Authorities Nab World's Most Wanted, Head of Biggest Meth Supplier Globally

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
CLINTON  A Clinton man battling brain cancer, who won the hearts of his hometown and beyond, has died, according to the Paul Dostie KARE Foundation.

James Forchielli, 46, was diagnosed with glioblastoma in June 2020. He died Monday, Jan. 24, according to Linda Dostie Kelly, president of the Guilford-based foundation.

Kelly said she received the news from Paula Heser, a friend of the Forchiellis, at 5:30 a.m. Tuesday via text message.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive and one of the most lethal forms of brain cancer. The median survival of a person with GBM is 12 to 15 months. Without treatment, which may include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, survival is three to six months, according to glioblastomafoundation.org. There is no cure.

This disease is a beast and it leaves a lot of people grieving in its wake, Kelly said in a text message.

The Dostie family is grieving, along with the Forchielli family.

(Its) just sad, Kelly said in her text. (It) brings up all those emotions again

It just stinks, she added. We know this is something we will be faced with a lot, since GBM is a horrible beast. However, our mission is to help those inflicted with the disease AND their families.

KARE was created to honor the life of Kellys brother, Paul Dostie, who died May 25, 2021, of glioblastoma.

The foundation donated $2,500 to cover a mortgage payment for the Forchielli family.

Other groups that helped include American Legion Riders Post 66, Clinton Rotary, Clinton Volunteer Fire Department, Connecticut Hospice, Families Helping Families, Hearts healed by horses, The Hole in the Wall Gang, Hunters Ambulance Service, The Paul Dostie KARE Foundation, Powder Ridge Ski Patrol, Smilow Cancer Hospital - Yale New Haven, Sons of the American Legion and Yale New Haven Health Heart & Vascular Center Outpatient Services.

Contributions have helped the family with paying the mortgage, gas and electricity bills, and grocery shopping.

In addition, a GoFundMe account is active to help with the family expenses. To date, $32,000 has been donated. Heser, a friend of the Forchiellis, set up the account.

Earlier in the month, Forchiellis wife, Danee Forchielli told the ShoreLine Times about how much she appreciated the community support.

I just dont know how we would do this, she said, breaking down in tears.

I just dont know how we would have gotten through all of this, thus far, without the help of just everybody, she added. I dont know how we would have survived.

Contact Sarah Page Kyrcz at suzipage1@aol.com.
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BRIDGEPORT  Whether a statewide school mandate expires or not, masks are likely to stay through the end of the school year in the Park City.

The state indicated this week that it could end a statewide mask mandate in schools, but Bridgeport at present seems unlikely to make its own changes  a move that could appease parents and teachers in favor of the strategy.

Regardless of how I feel about it personally, I think its a very difficult decision to make mid-year to remove masks, Superintendent Michael Testani told the school board.

Gov. Ned Lamont said at Blackham School on Monday that he would be amenable to letting districts set their own mask policies if positivity rates continue to decline, Hearst Connecticut reported. The governors visit came a few days after the school distributed KN-95 masks to staff members, plus test kits to all students.

The current school mask mandate is set to expire on Feb. 15, alongside Lamonts emergency pandemic powers. The order gives state education and health officials the authority to require masks in schools  but they could also end the mandate, modify it or give authority to local school boards.

The executive order is likely to be extended for at least 60 days by the General Assembly, top Democratic and Republican leaders said Wednesday.

Apart from state action, the Bridgeport superintendent was hesitant to rid the COVID mitigation measure too soon, and raised concerns about implementing all parents wishes to have their kids wear or not wear a mask.

Who is going to police that? Who is going to then spend all that time  teachers or staff  trying to make sure that the kids whose parents want them to wear masks wear them, and those who dont, dont have to wear them? Testani asked.

Any extra burden would come as the school district, already short-staffed, has seen many teachers absent due to the virus over the last two months. As of Wednesday, 904 students and 219 staff reported having COVID-19 this school year, according to district data. Roughly half of those infections were from the last month alone, and a few hundred were from December as well.

Ana Batista, president of the Bridgeport Education Association, said on Wednesday that the local teachers union has yet to have those conversations about changing mask policies.

I personally do believe that masks protect, Batista said. Most of the kids are not vaccinated, and it protects the teachers too.

In Bridgeport, 21 percent of 5-11 year olds and 63 percent of 12-17 year olds have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the most recent state data. Statewide, those shares are 39 and 76 percent, respectively.

Also a consideration on the superintendents mind was differentiating between the students whose families want them to wear a mask or not and the problems that could cause.

I think its unfair to put the kids in that position, where they have to be different than their peers. I think its hard enough right now, he said.

To be honest with you, I dont think the masks have impacted our students one bit... I think this is more of a parent-generating concern.

Overall Testani prepared the board members for the possibility the health and safety decision may fall into their laps.

There is some talk about the possibility of putting it on local school boards to make decisions for their own school districts. I think thats a very difficult decision to be passing along to others.

I think we should stay the course, Testani said.
BRIDGEPORT  A few days after ex-Police Chief Armando Perez, who last year was convicted of cheating to get that job, was released early from federal prison, Mayor Joe Ganim has formally launched a nationwide search for a new permanent top cop.

Whoever gets the position has a big job on their hands. They will take over a department that is down by around 100 officers and has been rocked over the last few years by scandals and controversies: Perezs arrest; lawsuits alleging excessive force; accusations of racism; internal divisions; and, just in the past few weeks, community criticism and national media attention over the investigation into the death of Lauren Smith-Fields, a 23-year-old woman found dead in her home in December.

The success of the Bridgeport Police Department rides on this, said the Rev. Stanley Lord, who runs the Greater Bridgeport Branch NAACP. The success and failure and building back the trust of the community.

Ganims office announced Tuesday that he sent the required letter to Personnel Director Eric Amado to initiate an open and competitive civil service examination that will, per the municipal charter, at maximum last 150 days and result with a list of three finalists for police chief being forwarded to the mayor.

Ganims pick for a five-year-contract will then be forwarded to the City Council for final approval.

Amado, the mayors office continued, will hire an expert recruitment and psychometric firm to help manage the search, including meeting with community stakeholders, members of the City Council and city staff over the job description, and designing a fair, open and competitive examination to candidates that apply and meet the qualifications.

The mayor will announce a process involving public and stakeholder input that will aid him vetting the top three candidates, Tuesdays announcement concluded.

That is the same process the Ganim administration followed back in 2018 that resulted in the mayor giving the job to his longtime friend, Perez, in November 2018.

But just short of two years later, on Sept. 10, 2020, Perez and then-Personnel Director David Dunn were arrested and charged with conspiring to help the former cheat to become a finalist.

According to federal documents made public at the time of his arrest, Dunn had claimed that the mayor wanted Perez to be in the top three.

Ganim and Perez, who joined the force in 1983, have a long friendship dating back to when Ganim was first mayor from 1991 until 2003. Perez, then a captain, campaigned for him when Ganim waged his successful comeback in 2015.

But Ganim was never charged with a crime and has maintained that he knew nothing about the effort to give Perez an advantage.

Perez and Dunn later pleaded guilty. They were sentenced last April  Dunn to four months and Perez to one-year-and-a-day in prison. Perez was released early last Thursday.

Following Perezs and Dunns arrests, Ganim faced pressure from some in the community to either install one of the other two 2018 finalists  Capt. Roderick Porter or former New Haven Assistant Chief Luiz Casanova  or immediately launch a chief search. Instead the mayor promoted Assistant Chief Rebeca Garcia to acting top cop and then focused on finding a permanent replacement for Dunn.

Amado, who had been juggling his regular duties running the labor relations office with filling in as personnel head, competed for and was made permanent personnel director in December. And earlier this month City Council President Aidee Nieves had told Hearst Connecticut Media she expected Ganim to launch the chief search by the end of January.

Meanwhile Garcia has faced challenges to her leadership. The union last March voted no confidence in her. And a state Superior Court judge in November ruled Garcia was improperly promoted from captain to assistant chief in 2019, raising questions about her ability to continue as acting top cop.

City Councilman Matthew McCarthy has for months been calling for a search for a permanent chief. On Tuesday he said of Ganims announcement, It is about time.

Perez is out of jail and the search hasnt even started yet, McCarthy said. We should have had someone in place already.

McCarthy said there should and will be plenty of public scrutiny of the process given what happened in 2018.

The last search seemed to be a dog and pony show, he said.
American actress Cheryl Hines distanced herself from her husband, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., following his comments about anti-vaxxers, the Holocaust, and the late Anne Frank.

In her statement, the "Curb Your Enthusiasm," actress stressed that her husband's opinion is not a reflection of her own.

"My husband's reference to Anne Frank at a mandate rally in D.C. was reprehensible and insensitive. The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything," Hines said via CNN.

Cheryl Hines says she, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. don't always agree

Hines added that even though she and Kennedy love each other deeply, they have different points of view on current issues.

Last Sunday, Kennedy spoke at a rally about anti-vaccine mandates. While there, he compared the COVID-19 vaccine requirements in the US to what happened to Nazi Germany.

Kennedy said that even Hitler had the option to cross the Alps into Switzerland. Others were also able to hide in the attic like Anne Frank. The young girl died at the age of 15 after she was caught by the Nazis hiding in an attic and was sent to a concentration camp.

Robert Kennedy Jr. issues an apology

Following the backlash that he received, Kennedy issued an apology via Twitter. He explained that he referenced Frank and those who were victims of the Holocaust as an example of past barbarism and not hurt or offend anyone.

However, this wasn't the first time Kennedy likened vaccine mandates to the Holocaust. In 2015, he claimed that the number of children injured by vaccines was like a holocaust.

At the time, Kennedy also helped spread false claims that vaccines can cause autism. He also apologized for making these remarks years ago.

Read Also: Aaron Rodgers Dubbed As 'Selfish,' 'Dishonest' For Lying About His COVID-19 Vaccination Status

Robert Kennedy Jr's sister slams him

Kennedy's sister, Kerry, also lashed out at him following his comments. She accused Kennedy of lying and said that his fear-mongering was sickening and destructive.

Kerry also said that she's strongly condemning her brother's hateful rhetoric, according to NBC News.

The Auschwitz Memorial in Germany also slammed Kennedy for what he said about the Holocaust victims and accused him of exploiting the tragedy of those that suffered under the regime of Nazi Germany.

Robert Kennedy Jr. faced more criticisms

Jonathan Greenblatt, the CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, called Kennedy's comparisons inaccurate, deeply offensive, and deeply troubling.

"The Daily Show" host Trevor Noah also gave a sarcastic response to Kennedy by saying that Frank must have had a wonderful time hiding in the attic because she had a free room and was able to write her story.

According to USA Today, Kennedy has been invoking the specter of Nazis and the Holocaust every time he talks about the public health measures announced by Dr. Anthony Fauci and other health officials.

Last month, he published a video that shows Fauci with a Hitler mustache.

In October, he also compared the public health measures to Nazi propaganda meant to scare people into forgetting their critical thinking.

But in his apology, he did not mention these references and only focused on Frank.

Related Article: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Speaks at 'Defeat the Mandates' Protest, Says Anti-Vaxxers Are Like Holocaust Victims

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Here are seven key features that should be a part of every credit union website.

SMART Content is a MUST on Any Credit Union Website

One of the biggest trends in online shopping is the expectation by consumers that their experience will be personalized to their specific interests and needs. People might not realize this, but personalization is everywhere and its not going away. This is why credit unions need to be in this game with website content. A robust content management system (CMS) will allow your marketing department to customize what individual users see based on known characteristics or recent digital behavior, and this kind of SMART content is an absolute MUST for any successful credit union website.

For example, if someone has recently visited your website and is a known member, you might want to show them a specific rate promotion for a product they dont already have. Or if they are not a known member, but have been on your mortgage page, why not show them mortgage content the next time they visit your homepage.

Gone are the days when a homepage rotating banner was all you needed to vary the content on your website. Instead of randomly rotating content use digital behavior and known member information to actually show them information that might be more interesting to them.

Lead Capture Should Be on All Website Pages, Including Product Pages

In todays digital world, consumers are spending more and more time online researching products and services before they ever reach out to a business for more information. But there are ways to take advantage of this increased online traffic and still capture leads for your sales team to follow-up with.

We recommend that all credit unions have some form of lead capture on EVERY page of their website in addition to any Apply Now types of calls to action. Lead capture opportunities can include payment calculators that offer to send results to users via email, downloadables like eBooks or checklists, or contact us forms that are specific to the product or service on the page that ask for more qualifying information for sales follow up.

Keep in mind that not all visitors to your website are ready to Apply Now which is why its so important to have a secondary call to action or lead capture. We also recommend payment calculators with email me results as a great way to capture leads when people are ready to learn more or possibly hear from a lending specialist. Heres an example below:

This way you can collect contact details for people who might be in the middle of their buying journey and then nurture them further in hopes of bringing them back to Apply Now when they are ready.

Create a Robust Resource Center for Your Credit Unions Website

In recent digital branch builds we have added a nice feature to several credit union websites that would be nice to see more widely adopted. A resource center is a nice way to summarize all the various kinds of content your credit union is creating and organize it in one place for ease of access. We recommend having a way for people to select the topic they are interested in learning more about as well as the type of content they would like displayed.

Below you see the resource center for Copper State Credit Union in Phoenix, Arizona.

There are featured pieces of content that can be set at the top of this page and then a section where you can select topics and type of content youd like to see displayed. Its interactive and efficient.

Live Chat and Chatbot (And Video Banking, If At All Possible)

The need for live chat support on websites has been growing for some time, and Covid has only increased the interest in online support. Credit unions have not escaped this important and increasing consumer demand. People simply expect that if they cant find an answer quickly on your website there will be a fast and easy way to get more assistance. And that comes with robust live chat and a chatbot.

If set up properly, a well-designed and continually updated chatbot can actually reduce the amount of inquiries fielded by your call center and branch staff members. Furthermore, you can track the popularity of topics viewed to better understand what users are looking for and use this information to update your website, chat support, and better train your live call center team. And if you dont have a call center then reducing unnecessary calls to your branch staff will be a huge time saving benefit from implementing a chatbot.

We also recommend working toward implanting video banking on your digital branch/website. Again this feature is more in demand than ever, and offers a personalized way for people to learn more about your products and services. People are going into branches less and less, and for this reason, being able to continue to interact with them in a face-to-face manner, even online, should be a goal of every credit union.

Integrated CRM to Kick-Off Sales Automation Based on Real-Time Digital Interactions

Your website is no longer a glorified digital brochure. Rather it should be your highest performing branch, open 24/7, and be an optimized lead generating machine. But, if your marketing team is driving leads in the door, its only logical that the next step is to connect those leads with sales follow up, and the only effective way to do this is via automated nurture and a sales team with a robust and connected Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool.

Some website platforms not only provide an amazingly user friendly Content Management System (CMS) to maintain your website content, but also include a built in CRM. This feature allows you to track the digital behavior of a user and provide them with personalized content on the site, as well as behavior triggered sales follow up if a known user takes a specific action you have deemed key in their buying journey.

For example, if you have a known member who is on your website checking out content around auto loans or mortgages we would recommend that within 20-30 minutes you send that individual an email with more information. These follow ups are timely and relevant to the user, and we have found them to be by far our best performing marketing emails. The messaging should be education and helpful, offering additional information or resources, while also mentioned any special rates or promotions. All with the goal of nurturing that consumer back to your website to Apply Now.

Without a great system in place to host and operate your website, this kind of marketing nurture isnt possible. So, make sure you select wisely when evaluating your next website redesign options.

Rates Tables on Product Pages Rather than on Rates Pages

Many credit unions still have huge rates pages that basically list every rate available for their products. Then this page is linked from product pages for access to the information, but the actual rates are not available right on the product pages themselves. This should be avoided for a few reasons.

First, you are giving competitors easy access to your entire rate sheet, which makes it easier for them to compete with your offerings. Second, you are adding a click to the consumers buying experience and taking them away from the page that typically offers the most information about the product and will drive a user to apply online.

Finally, youre not including rates in a meaningful and authentic manner on other pages of your website. Often rates pages are done to limit the number of places rates need to be updated when they change. But with a good CMS you should be able to handle rates in a more efficient manner. Your system should allow you to update rates in one place in the backend of your website and have those changes populate throughout your website. If your CMS doesnt do this, and your web developer cant build you a better way to update rates, you should consider a different solution altogether.

FAQs Answered by Real Customer Testimonials

Recently weve seen a rather creative way to answer FAQs on a credit unions website. Typically, we suggest accordion styled FAQs that pop open when clicked. These must be designed for ADA compliance and offer all the basic information a consumer might be looking for. Working with your frontline staff and call center team to identify your FAQs is the easiest way to generate this content, and it can also be used in your chatbot.

But presenting the answers to these questions is where you might consider getting a little more creative. Why not find actual customer testimonials that address some of your FAQs and use those in place of just a basic answer.

So if someone asks how long the mortgage process takes from start to finish, why not ask a member to answer this for you? They could say something like working with XYZ Credit Union was easy and efficient. The entire process took about 45 days and was so much less stressful than I was expecting. Generating these kinds of answers might take a little more time, but they are so much more impactful when read by potential new members.

We hope youve found some good value in our list of website must-have features, and wed be happy to work with your credit unions on your next website redesign project. Feel free to contact FI GROW today to learn more about how our team can help your credit union grow!
The Biden Administration plans to release a government-wide strategy for digital assets, outlining digital assets opportunities and risks. Senior government officials have held multiple meetings to discuss the plan, which is being drafted as an executive order. This plan would help streamline the federal governments efforts to regulate digital assets, including stablecoins, and identify regulatory and national security challenges related to cryptocurrencies.

In December, the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) published its annual report and in that report urged Congress to pass a comprehensive legislation addressing stablecoin-related risks. NAFCU will continue to monitor updates from FSOC on digital asset security in the future.

Last week the Federal Reserve released a discussion paper examining the pros and cons of a potential U.S. central bank digital currency (CBDC). The paper invites public comment and marks the next step in the Federal Reserves discussion of whether and how a CBDC may improve the safety and effectiveness of domestic payments systems.
Cullman, AL (35055)

Today

Partly to mostly cloudy with isolated thunderstorms developing this afternoon. High 83F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 63F. Winds light and variable.
Thousands of protesters across Germany launched a movement to support the government's restrictions and proposed vaccine mandate, which is set to be debated by lawmakers on Wednesday.

The activists have signed manifestos against illegal anti-vaccine demonstrations in cities including Leipzig, Bautzen, and Freiberg. While other groups have formed human chains to push back far-right protesters. Several medical students held a silent vigil outside a medical facility in Dresden as a protest to vaccine naysayers.

The majority of Germans, particularly those at high risk of COVID-19 infection, have decided to adopt health protocols such as social distancing, vaccination, and looking out for one another to protect themselves. However, there is a vocal minority that denies the reality of the pandemic, per AP News.

However, a portion of the anti-vaxxers recognize the ongoing pandemic, but they fear the potential side effects of the vaccines. Some of them think that the authorities have been aggressive in imposing restrictions.

Read Also: Germany's Daily COVID-19 Cases Surpass 100,000; Health Official Says Numbers Have Not Peaked Yet

Silent Majority Versus the Loud Minority

The new counter-protesters state that the radical vaccine refusers have gained too much media coverage and have attained too much influence over the public discussion on how Germany should manage the surge in COVID-19 infections.

On Monday, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier encouraged the country's silent majority to stand up and "become politically recognizable."

"The silent center must become more visible, more self-confident, and also louder," President said on in a panel in Berlin.

Debate on Vaccine Mandate Kicks Off

The pro-vaccine activists' demonstrations happened at a period when Germany's society may become even more divided as parliament debates a universal COVID-19 vaccine requirement.

Previously, German politicians of all stripes have insisted that the government would not implement a vaccine mandate. However, the large number of resistance have obstructed the country's fight against the coronavirus, and the number of infections swelled significantly last year, which turned the table.

Before becoming chancellor in December, Olaf Scholz expressed his support for a vaccine mandate, implying that it would be enforced in February or March, per ABC News.

Lawmakers are due to start the proceedings with an "orientation debate" on Wednesday. However, it is unclear when the legislators will cast their votes. But observers predict that it could be well into the spring before any law takes effect.

Scholz's three-party ruling coalition has so far come up with three suggestions.

One proposal indicates a vaccine requirement for everyone over the age of 18, which would be valid for two years and cover a maximum of three injections, with fines for those who refuse. A competing proposal calls for mandatory counseling sessions for the unvaccinated, followed by a vaccine mandate for those over the age of 50 if progress is insufficient. One group, on the other hand, is opposed to any mandate.

The measures on how compliance would be checked are not yet defined as Germany lack a central vaccination register.

Last month, the German government passed legislation requiring hospital and nursing home employees to produce proof of full vaccination or recovery from COVID-19 by mid-March.

At least 73.5 percent of Germany's 83 million citizens have already been adequately vaccinated, with 50.8 percent receiving a booster dose, per Reuters.

Related Article: Germany Could Impose Stricter Rules on Unvaccinated Residents; Proof of Vaccination, Negative COVID-19 Test Required To Ride Public Transportation

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Everything students learn in 3DE strengthens at least one of six core competencies, said Nelmaris Alvarez, director of development and corporate relations for Junior Achievement of Georgia. Those core competences  creativity and innovation, cultural agility, critical thinking, effective collaboration, self-direction and engaging communication  are critical to success post-high school, and everything theyre learning is continuously tied together.
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Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 78F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tonight

Overcast. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 67F. Winds ENE at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

Cloudy skies during the morning hours followed by scattered showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon. A few storms may be severe. High around 85F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
United States President Joe Biden said he would consider imposing personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if Kremlin moves to invade Ukraine.

Biden issued the threat on Tuesday as NATO started setting-up forces on standby and sending out ships and fighter jets to Eastern Europe in preparation for the possible incursion of Russian forces on Ukraine.

Russia, with more than 100,000 troops placed on borders surrounding Ukraine, denies the allegations of the US and its European allies. Moscow also demands security guarantees, including the rejection of Ukraine's motive to join NATO, per CNBC report.

On Tuesday, Biden said all the NATO members in the region, including Poland, Hungary, and Romania, are expected to join the alliance to defend Ukraine.

"There's no reason for anyone, any member of NATO to worry whether or not we, NATO, would come to their defense," Biden said.

After the multiple rounds of fruitless U.S.-Russia talks over Ukraine, Biden, who has long warned Moscow of serious economic repercussions, warned Putin may face sanctions personally.

Biden warned if Russian military advances into Ukraine, it would be the "largest invasion since World War II" that would "change the world."

He also told the media that he would see himself imposing sanctions directly on Putin if the invasion happens.

Historically, the United States has personally sanctioned some nation leaders such as Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, Bashar al-Assad of Syria, and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya.

Read Also: NATO Sends Fighter Jets, Ships to Eastern Europe After US Alerts 8,500 Troops on Possible Russian Invasion of Ukraine

Russia Is Not Threatened

However, Russia shrugged off Biden's threat on Wednesday, saying that personal sanctions on Putin would not hurt him, but it would be "politically destructive."

Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Russian government, said that US senators were ignorant that they were constitutionally prohibited from owning residences, assets, or bank accounts in other countries, per Reuters.

According to reports, Russia is set to conduct military drills with Belarus next month. It had already started sending troops and military assets to the country north of Ukraine.

Diplomatic Talks Still Continue

Despite the heightened tension in Eastern Europe with the military preparations on concerned parties, efforts to resolve the crisis diplomatically continue.

Top officials of Russia and European countries are set to meet in Paris this week to resume talks on reviving a ceasefire agreement in Eastern Ukraine. While the Biden administration prepared written responses to the demands of Moscow, per CNN.

Ukraine has been seeking membership in NATO since 2002. The coalition's Article 5 clause states that an attack on one member country is considered an attack on all members.

Ultimately, Biden stated that Putin's actions would determine the next steps of the US and NATO forces.

According to reports in the media, the Biden administration is nearing the completion of the process of determining which military units it would send to Eastern Europe.

The US State Department has already advised all family members of diplomatic officials and US citizens in Ukraine to leave the country as soon as possible, citing the risk of a Russian invasion.

Amid the tensions, the Biden administration has promised to provide Kyiv with an additional $200 million in military aid to help enhance its defensive capabilities. Some of the support, including military equipment, began arriving in Ukraine over the weekend.

Related Article: Joe Biden Predicts Russia Will Attack Ukraine Anytime But Vladimir Putin Will Face Stiff Price; Volodymyr Zelensky Rebukes Gaffe

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Lunchtime in the Commons and all of a sudden there came a blissful reprieve. Gone were the howls, the heckles and the piggy squeals of recent weeks. Anger was adjourned and indignation postponed.

Opposition MPs, who for the past few weeks have flapped their hands and waggled their tonsils, now sat bolt upright with their expressions rearranged to express a profound sense of concern. Clownish actors suddenly auditioning for weightier roles.

The Prime Minister had come to the House to issue a statement on the increasing prospect of war in Ukraine. It was as though the whole Chamber had at last found some perspective on what truly matters.

The Prime Minister had come to the House to issue a statement on the increasing prospect of war in Ukraine. It was as though the whole Chamber had at last found some perspective on what truly matters

Boris Johnson too projected a sense of gravitas  one that has rather gone walkabout during the Partygate hullabaloo.

It helped that he had written his script himself. You can always tell when words have come from someones own quill  and especially from this wordsmith.

Boris informed the House that should Russia invade, he would be issuing sanctions heavier than anything we have done before.

The UK and its allies were not prepared to bargain away the vision of a free Europe.

Should Russia unleash its destructive firepower on the Ukrainian people, I shudder to contemplate the tragedy that would ensue, he said, voice reduced to a quiet whisper.

The Chamber listened with a respectful hush. The Prime Ministers voice was interrupted only by the faintest of sounds  a squeak of green leather, a scratch of a clerks pen nib. Beside him sat Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, knitting his brow furiously.

Midway through, a breathless Foreign Secretary Liz Truss had arrived, her peony cheeks flushed with anxiety.

Narrowing those droopy eyes, Boris predicted worse bloodshed than anything in Europe since 1945 should Vladimir Putin continue on his path to war.

Catastrophe would be felt by all, not just Ukrainians. Many Russian mothers sons will not be coming home, he said. As he resumed his seat, members whispered their appreciation. It was an excellent speech.

Sir Keir Starmer did not seek to squabble with the Government. He had his own four-point plan for Ukraine apparently. Get a load of the global statesman in waiting!

Creaky old Colonel Bob Stewart (Con, Beckenham) agreed that sanctions were the best way forward. No better way of hurting Putin than by hitting him in the pocket. Sir Iain Duncan Smith (Con, Chingford and Woodford Green) stressed the importance of letting Russia and China nowhere near our key infrastructure.

To think it was only two years ago that MPs were debating whether to let state-affiliated Chinese firm Huawei build our 5G network.

There was a quibble from Alison Thewliss (SNP, Glasgow Central) who made a jibe about iffy Russian cash floating around London so much of which ends up in Tory coffers. Cue a barrage of outraged guffaws from Conservative MPs.

Boris informed the House that should Russia invade, he would be issuing sanctions heavier than anything we have done before

Otherwise, the session was remarkably consensual  a marked contrast to scenes just an hour before when Angela Rayner was granted an urgent question on the Downing Street parties scandal.

Opposition MPs worked themselves into the usual soapy lather, but more notable was how many Conservative backbenchers were now willing to come to the Prime Ministers aide. When the last urgent question on Partygate was raised two weeks ago, most sat in embarrassed silence.

It would be tempting to assume the whips had cracked a few skulls together, were it not for independent-minded souls such as Sir Edward Leigh (Con, Gainsborough) who dared to suggest that there might be more pressing issues for MPs to consider than whether or not the PM had been served a piece of birthday cake in the office.

No  it was more likely, I suspect, that many had returned to their constituencies last weekend and were told by voters to belt up, hunker down and get on with addressing the important matters of state.
Many argue that the Metropolitan Police are right to investigate the parties which took place in Downing Street in apparent contravention of Covid regulations.

They say the police are showing that in Britain no one  not even the Prime Minister  is above the law. Such a process couldn't happen in Putin's Russia, or even in Macron's France. Thank God we're British!

It is a superficially attractive argument, but wrong. Needless to say, if there were evidence of serious criminality in No 10, or even Buckingham Palace, the police should carry out whatever inquiries they deemed necessary.

There is, however, no such evidence. There are allegations, some of which appear cast-iron, that illegal parties took place. But shameful though these parties undoubtedly were, they constitute in legal terms an offence roughly on a par with a parking ticket.

Many argue that the Metropolitan Police are right to investigate the parties which took place in Downing Street in apparent contravention of Covid regulations

Moreover, the senior civil servant Sue Gray has spent weeks looking into partying claims, and as I write is about to produce her report. What she concludes is likely to settle the fate of several people, not least the Prime Minister

Moreover, the senior civil servant Sue Gray has spent weeks looking into partying claims, and as I write is about to produce her report. What she concludes is likely to settle the fate of several people, not least the Prime Minister.

One can't rule out the possibility, however faint it may be, that a more substantial offence was committed which the police should examine. But to announce an investigation before the report has been published suggests lop-sided reasoning.

The Met inquiry will soak up thousands of hours, and cast a shadow over the workings of government for weeks, or months. Dozens of people will be interviewed, many of whom have already been scrutinised by Sue Gray.

Why has Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, decided on a course of action which she had previously rejected when she said her officers wouldn't investigate breaches of Covid rules retrospectively?

Her defenders will claim she doesn't wish to be seen favouring the powerful. This may form part of her calculations. But I submit that this is yet another example of the police being grotesquely wasteful, overbearing, bone-headed and out of touch.

The denizens of Downing Street can probably look after themselves. What I deplore is that the Met has once again demonstrated a lack of proportionality and an absence of common sense that make me despair of the country's largest police force.

Let's examine the contention that the boys in blue must show the same even-handedness with the powerful as with ordinary people. I'd look at it another way. Hasn't the Met, as have other forces, shown excessive zeal in enforcing draconian Covid rules against everyone?

In October 2020, Scotland Yard sent a letter to owners of pubs and restaurants encouraging them to snoop on customers to make them obey lockdown rules. Its subsequent withdrawal of the ill-judged advice is no defence.

No 10 should be expected to respect Covid rules, as we all are. There is another point, though  which is that, throughout the pandemic, the police have displayed a lack of proportionality towards the general public which they have demonstrated again by announcing this unnecessary investigation

Of course, such officiousness wasn't limited to the Met. During lockdown in January 2021, the chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Martin Hewitt, issued a statement which gave police the green light to interrogate anyone who had left home.

He wrote: 'It is right for officers to be inquisitive about why individuals may be away from home.' That's the path towards a police state. It was liable to instil anxiety in law-abiding citizens, who should have nothing to fear from the police.

Many will remember how, at the beginning of the first lockdown in March 2020, Derbyshire Police used drones to film people in pairs who were rambling in the middle of nowhere. This was intended to intimidate  to make upstanding people far away from Derbyshire frightened in their own country.

So, yes, No 10 should be expected to respect Covid rules, as we all are. There is another point, though  which is that, throughout the pandemic, the police have displayed a lack of proportionality towards the general public which they have demonstrated again by announcing this unnecessary investigation.

Consider, too, the huge cost of putting Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors and her team on the case. Miss Connors is notorious for ardently enforcing Covid rules. In that cause, she defended officers after they strong-armed mourners who gathered last March for a vigil for Sarah Everard, murdered by a policeman

Consider, too, the huge cost of putting Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors and her team on the case. Miss Connors is notorious for ardently enforcing Covid rules. In that cause, she defended officers after they strong-armed mourners who gathered last March for a vigil for Sarah Everard, murdered by a policeman.

I won't be surprised if this needless delving into parties costs millions. It is bound to if it drags on many months and involves many officers. Is this a sensible way to spend public money when Sue Gray, who seems perfectly competent, has already conducted her own inquiry?

If your house is burgled in London, or indeed anywhere else, it is unlikely that you will get much assistance from our supposedly hard-pressed police. They can nevertheless find time to interview dozens of people in Downing Street, whose 'crime' is to have attended a party that they shouldn't have.

In fact, in 2017 the Met issued officers with guidelines informing them that they no longer need to investigate lesser incidents of grievous bodily harm or car crime unless a victim identifies a suspect. Meanwhile, a victim of a non-violent 'hate crime' is likely to have concerned officers on the phone.

This is what I mean by a lack of proportionality. Money and officers can always be found to mount high-profile investigations such as the one in Downing Street, while the real crimes which concern us in our everyday lives are often ignored.

There have been other expensive Met inquiries in recent years which betrayed incompetence and produced few results. Scotland Yard assembled dozens of detectives at an estimated cost of 20million to investigate payments allegedly made by journalists to public officials. A trickle of convictions followed

There have been other expensive Met inquiries in recent years which betrayed incompetence and produced few results. Scotland Yard assembled dozens of detectives at an estimated cost of 20million to investigate payments allegedly made by journalists to public officials. A trickle of convictions followed.

And then there was Operation Midland, in which the implausible ravings of the fantasist Carl Beech led to the hounding of several public figures. One of them was Lord Bramall, a World War II hero and former Chief of the Defence Staff, whose Hampshire home was searched for ten hours by 20 police officers.

By the way, the same Cressida Dick who has turned her attention to parties in No 10 was instrumental in Operation Midland, which cost 2.5million, every penny of which was wasted. Not one police officer involved in persecuting these innocent people received an official sanction.

When politicians, leading public figures and journalists are accused of wrongdoing, the police can always find time and resources. In 2014, numerous officers from South Yorkshire Police raided Cliff Richard's Berkshire home with a police helicopter flying overhead. He was never arrested or charged.

Officers are supposed to be approachable, and to police by consent. They used to be different from their Continental counterparts. Thirty years ago, when I saw a policeman I thought I saw a friend.

Alas, this is often no longer the case  especially not after the overbearing and officious enforcement of Covid rules. The police increasingly seem to occupy another planet. I don't deny that individual officers can be pleasant and helpful. But their bosses have retreated into their own world.

Something has gone very wrong. If the Met's poking about No 10 opens the eyes of our rulers to police shortcomings  and the need to find a balanced and sensible successor to Cressida Dick when she retires in 2024  perhaps some good can still come out of this silly and ill-judged investigation.
A pair of best-selling leggings have been dubbed 'perfect' activewear by thousands after more than one million pairs sold in the past year.

The Amy leggings are Lorna Jane's top selling tights thanks to two handy phone pockets, four-way stretch fabric and squat proof 'nothing to see here' fabric.

They are also high rise with medium waist support and currently on sale for $70 from $112.99.

However if your name is Amy, you can buy the famous 'buttery' tights for just $35.

A pair of best-selling leggings have been dubbed 'perfect' activewear by thousands after more than one million pairs sold in the past year

The Amy leggings are Lorna Jane's top selling tights thanks to two handy phone pockets, four-way stretch fabric and squat proof 'nothing to see here' fabric

The deal is available in stores globally, and all you need to do is prove your name is Amy by showing your ID at the counter; Amy spelt in all variations is accepted.

The must-have staple also has more than 430 five-star reviews and has been dubbed a game-changer by those who participate in HIIT training, yoga and Pilates.

'These are the perfect pants. They are the only tights you need! I've had Amy tights for years and finally upgrading them and I love them just as much as my old pair,' one customer wrote.

'These tights are my favourite. I have four pairs! They feel gorgeous, have great stretch, squat proof, pockets, and for my 160cm, they are the perfect length for me. I feel amazing in these tights so they are great for my self esteem too,' another added.

The must-have staple also has more than 430 five-star reviews and has been dubbed a game-changer by those who participate in HIIT training, yoga and Pilates

'These are the perfect pants. They are the only tights you need! I've had Amy tights for years and finally upgrading them and I love them just as much as my old pair,' one customer wrote

'They are very comfy, soft buttery material and the perfect length.'

Lorna Jane Active was launched more than 30 years ago by Lorna Jane Clarkson, an aerobics instructor in Brisbane.

She was frustrated with the 'boring and unflattering' workout fashion of the 1980s so she took a pair of scissors to her favourite swimsuit to discover how it was made, and the first ever piece of Lorna Jane Activewear began to take shape.

Her students took notice of her designs and started asking for custom orders, this then lead to the opening of the first store and she never looked back.
An American woman has gone viral with a video questioning whether it's normal for British people to keep their pyjamas under their pillow.

Real estate agent Chloe Tucker Caine lives in New York with her British husband Leone Caine and has built up a 15,400-strong TikTok following with light-hearted clips about their lives.

In one recent video, which has been viewed more than one million times, Chloe explained her husband has a 'really weird' habit of putting his pyjamas under his pillow and asked: 'Is this normal? I need to know'.

Chloe admits she doesn't know where her husband should put them instead, but viewers were quick to suggest they should be folded away in a drawer at the end of each day - or simply thrown on the floor.

Real estate agent Chloe Tucker Caine lives in New York with her British husband and has built up a 15,400-strong TikTok following with light-hearted clips about their lives

In one recent video , which has been viewed more than one million times, Chloe explained her husband has a 'really weird' habit of putting his pyjamas under his pillow (pictured)

Chloe was inundated with responses from TiKTok users who said it was 'totally normal', while others questioned where else people keep their pyjamas.

One wrote: 'I do this too, from Scotland. it's so they're not in the wash coz they're not dirty but not in the drawers coz they're not clean [sic].'

Another posted: 'Yeah sometimes. To hide them so the bed looks nice. I fold mine at the end of the bed.'

Chloe, pictured, wanted to know if it was a 'normal' place for Brits to keep their pyjamas

Chloe was inundated with responses from TiKTok users who said it was 'totally normal', while others questioned where else people keep their pyjamas

A third wrote: 'Well where would you put your PJs?? They go under the pillow so you know where they are at bed time.'

Others jokingly told Chloe not to complain about where he stored his pyjamas because their boyfriends simply threw them on the floor.

Chloe, a former stage performer, followed up with a second video asking if most British people use the phrase 'dog lead' instead of 'dog leash'.

Chloe, a former stage performer, followed up with a second video asking if most British people use the phrase 'dog lead' instead of 'dog leash', pictured

In a third video, she said she couldn't get over her husband saying 'ice lolly', describing it as 'the cutest'. Pictured, Chloe's husband with an ice lolly

In a third video, she said she couldn't get over her husband saying 'ice lolly', describing it as 'the cutest'.

Once again, followers were quick to tell her that both phrases are completely normal.

One wrote: 'Ice lolly. A Lolly made of Ice. Its not a sickle made of Pop, so its NOT a popsicle.'

Another added: 'Yep that's definitely an Ice lolly or Lolly Pop depending on which part of the UK you're from.'

On the dog lead, one follower argued: 'It's a dog lead because it leads the dog.'
A young woman claims she almost lost her top lip after filler injections went horribly wrong.

Chandra Morton, 26, from Johnson City, Tennessee, claims she is lucky to still have her top lip after filler was accidentally injected into an artery in her face.

The waitress says her face changed colour and white blisters began to appear due to vascular occlusion - which happens when circulation of oxygen is blocked from the area.

She claims she has lost a small chunk of her top lip, but says that she is grateful that the doctor eventually manage to fix the issue before she lost even more of her lip to necrosis.

Chandra Morton almost lost her top lip after a hyaluronic acid filler treatment went terribly wrong

Chandra prior to getting her lip fillers was insecure about her top lip which inspired her to get the treatment done

Chandra a few days on from her lips fillers having gone wrong, her face had started turned white

Chandra added: 'I wanted to get lip fillers because I had always felt insecure about my top lip.'

'So many people have had their lips done and I thought it would be fine. I was looking forward to having fuller lips.

'However, as soon as I had the procedure done, my lips felt so numb and started turning white.

'Eventually the colour of my face changed and more and more white blisters kept appearing.'

Chandra's lips and face started to turn worrying shades of white and blue from the blockage in her blood vessel before she received medical attention

Before receiving treatment, her tissue was turning necrotic and causing her severe pain due to the lack of blood flow

'I was absolutely terrified and I was in so much pain.'

'I was told that if I waited a day longer I would have lost my entire top lip to necrosis.'

'I lost a small part of my top lip and I have some scarring around my mouth, but eventually the doctor managed to reverse the damage using hyaluronic acid.'

'I just want to raise awareness of the risks that come with these procedures.'

Pictured after healing, Chandra's lips are now getting back to normal, despite a small part of her top lip falling off

Now Chandra's lips are healed (pictured) she has been left with some minor scarring above her top lip

Chandra's face blistered after the treatment and she was in a considerable amount of pain, which lead her to phone the doctor

In March 2021, Chandra saved up for a month to have the $750 procedure done.

She had 0.5ml injected into her top lip and couldn't wait to see the results.'

Chandra, who has decided not to name the doctor, said: 'Although I am scared of needles, I was so excited to have it done.

'The procedure was super quick and over within 15 minutes but it was so painful I almost passed out.'

Prior to receiving medical attention, Chandra kept noticing more white patches appear when she looked in the mirror

During her treatment to dissolve the filler, Chandra received a total of 13 shots of hyaluronic acid in her face. Pictured once her healing had started

Chandra's procedure was over within 15 minutes but was so painful she almost passed out, then she noticed her lips were white the next day (pictured) and freaked out

'On the way home my lips were still so numb and I noticed them going white. I wasn't sure if this was normal but I tried not to think too much of it.'

'Later on my face became so painful and stung. I kept checking the mirror and more white spots were appearing.'

'I was panicking so I emailed them during the evening but as it was a Saturday I didn't hear back. I cried the whole way through the night.'

'The next morning my face was even whiter and I was freaking out. It kept getting worse.'

Chandra cried through the night after a painful sleep, and waited for her doctor's reply about what could be wrong

Now Chandra has healed (pictured) she decided she'll never get her face injected again, and warns others of the dangers

Despite Chandra's doctor not replying the day after her treatment (pictured) he kept in touch with her for two months afterwards to make sure everything was okay

'On Monday I eventually managed to have a call with the doctor and he video called me to see how my face looked.'

'As soon as he saw me he started freaking out and said that in 12 years of doing filler, he had never seen anything like this.'

Chandra claims the phone call worried her as the doctor revealed she would probably need to have it dissolved.

She says that she called other clinics for a second opinion, and after emailing over pictures she was told to get seen immediately.

Chandra pictured the day after her treatment, she claimed to have no medical support until two days after the pain started

To help heal her lips post medical care, Chandra received cream and medication to help with scaring. Pictured after healing

The day after receiving her lip filler Chandra was unaware that the pain she was suffering was caused by a vascular occlusion

Chandra added: 'A doctor from a different clinic told me that I had vascular occlusion and that I could have necrosis setting in.'

'I went back to the doctor who done my filler and he injected four shots of hyaluronic acid to try and fix the issue.'

'It was so painful and I was screaming while it was happening.

'I went back home thinking that it seemed better but more blisters were appearing and my face was still going whiter.'

After being in pain for some time, Chandra revealed the phone call with her doctor worried her as it became clear she needed to have her dissolved. Pictured during the treatment

Chandra's lips began to heal following the treatment of four shots of hyaluronic acid to try and fix the issue

Before receiving the treatment to fix her lips, Chandra's face continued to turn white and become more painful

Before receiving medical help, Chandra could barely eat any food due to the amount of pain the condition was causing her

'The next day I had to go back again for nine more shots of hyaluronic acid in my face.'

'My whole face was so swollen and I hadn't eaten for almost a week because of the amount of pain my mouth had been in.'

'The doctor had finally corrected his mistakes and after also going to trauma care, I was told I luckily didn't need to use a hyperbaric tank, and I was given some numbing cream and medication to help with scaring.'

'A little chunk of my lip did fall off and I still have some scarring around my lips but it is a reminder to never put anything in my face again.'

'The doctor kept in touch with me for two months to make sure everything was okay. He took care of me afterwards and tried to make things right.'

'I'm not trying to scare people, I just want to raise awareness of the risks that come with getting filler injected into your face.'

'I will never do anything like this again.'

The doctor - who has not been named on the request of Chandra - has been contacted for a right of reply.
The United States government jumpstarts the distribution of free high-quality N95 masks to the public this week in its efforts to curb the COVID-19 outbreak in the country.

According to Amy Simmons Farber, spokesperson for the National Association of Community Centers, 100 centers will participate in the program's initial rollout. The program will begin incrementally, providing N95 masks to around 100 to 200 health centers in its initial stages, per CNN.

The organization expects the health centers would start distributing the masks "before the end of January 2022."

Meijer announced on Monday that more than 250 groceries and pharmacies throughout the Midwest had received around 3 million masks.

Read Also: Conservative GOP Lawmakers Oppose Vaccine Mandates That Are Considered Tyrannical, Say These Should Not be Funded

Where To Get Free Masks?

The company said the N95 masks would be inside boxes on a table near the Meijer Greeter stand of the grocery entrance.

Kroger stores with pharmacies will also participate in distributing masks throughout its Midwest and Southwest outlets. According to company spokesperson Kristal Howard, the first batch of N95 masks will arrive on Thursday.

Walgreens is also going to join the dole out of protective masks. Its spokesperson Scott Goldberg informed NPR that the masks would be available starting on Friday.

According to its spokesperson Matt Blanchette, CVS Pharmacy will also be giving away free N95 masks in its locations in the coming weeks.

How Many Mask Can One Get?

The HHS flyer that was distributed along with the free masks indicated that every person in the US could get up to three masks. Pharmacies consider monitoring the number of masks that people take to ensure that they get just the allocated number.

According to Hy-Vee, so far, there have been no problems with people trying to get extra masks at their locations.

Christina Gayman, the spokesperson for Hy-Vee, said that each of their stores had designated employees to give away three masks per person.

"We haven't had an issue with people attempting to take more than the limit of three provided by HHS. Additional N95 masks are also for sale at our pharmacy locations if people want/need more," Gayman mentioned in her email.

Due to the limited number of N95s allocated to each person, users may need to prolong the lifespan of the personal protective equipment.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), N95 masks should not be worn more than five times. But Anne Miller of nonprofit Project N95 has some tips. You can think of the five wearings as eight-hour days, totaling 40 hours of wear - so a 20-minute trip to the shop counts as 20 minutes off the 40-hour lifespan of the mask.

Project N95 helps communities acquire personal protective equipment, COVID-19 diagnostic tests, and other important medical supplies, per Vox.

The other way to extend the life of N95 masks is what the CDC and other experts recommend. It is called the "brown bag decontamination method."

Miller suggests you could store an N95 in a breathable paper bag for one week to kill off the viral particles that stick on it. And then reuse it.

Related Article: Biden Administration To Distribute Free Highly Protective Masks Starting Next Week: Here's Where To Get Them

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Angela Rayner has ditched her trademark curls in favour of a poker straight set of hair extensions to show off her 'confidence and personality', a stylist has revealed.

Labour's deputy leader, who is known for her unique sense of style, usually opts to wear voluminous hair extensions to add length to her ginger locks and curls them into a distinctive bouncy style.

However earlier this month she debuted a new look in the House of Commons when she appeared opposite Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions.

The 41-year-old MP for Ashton-Under-Lyme straightened her extensions for added effect and length, meaning they almost reached her waist.

Angela opted for the same look again yesterday as she took to the dispatch box, with celebrity stylists telling FEMAIL there is 'a sense of playfulness' about her new style.

Tom Smith said it was a 'drastic' change, explaining: 'Angela is not afraid to express herself and she is empowered to make her own choices and she is not trying to fit a stereotype.

'She is clearly comfortable in her own skin and likes to look after her appearance.'

Angela Rayner, 41, has ditched her trademark mane of tight curls in favour of a poker straight do, which she showed off in the Commons this week

After treating herself to hair extensions, Angela has been rocking a bouncy main with cascading curls around her shoulders

Last July, Angela, who once described herself as a 'gobby northern ginger lass, appeared to proudly show off her natural hair.

During a visit to the Social Enterprise Hub near King's Cross, the MP opted for a shorter cut, with her straight ginger locks falling just below her shoulders.

Meanwhile she sported a similar look during an interview with Sky News that same month.

Celebrity hair stylist Tom said that Angela's natural hair appeared 'fine' and said the politician was opting for a 'formal-looking' style at the time.

During a visit to the Social Enterprise Hub near King's Cross last summer, the MP opted for a shorter cut, with her straight ginger locks falling just below her shoulders

Last July, Angela, who once described herself as a 'gobby northern ginger lass, appeared to proudly show off her natural hair length (pictured in an interview with Sky News)

He added: 'I suspect she has always wanted longer hair but as her hair is thin it can be hard to grow out.'

By September, just months later, she showed off a lengthy mane of red hair which reached her waist, which she regularly styled into tight curls.

Since then, she has rarely been seen with a different style and has become known for her big and bouncy hair-do.

Celebrity stylist Tom said: 'Her extensions are mixed colour which gives the illusion of highlights.

However months later, the 41-year-old debuted a much longer bouncier mane of red locks and it has since become known as her trademark look (pictured)

Angela has since regularly off a lengthy head of red hair which almost reaches her waist, which she regularly styles into tight curls (left, at the Labour Party Conference in September, and right, earlier this month)

'This is a common choice when having extensions as it allows people to get a colour change and length all in one go.

'When she first had the extensions put in, she may have been excited to style her new hair which is why she curled them initially.'

Following in Theresa May's footsteps? Angela Rayner is known for her love of unusual and VERY bold shoes The politician appears to have a love of bold and unusual shoes, regularly stepping out wearing 'flatforms and creepers, which tend to be popular with goth and punks. She has pairs in many different styles, including a black pair featuring a leopard print upper which she wore in April 2021 for a visit to Hartlepool College of Further Education. Meanwhile she donned a similar pair of flatform shoes, which wouldn't have looked out of place in the 90s, during a visit to Manchester with Sir Keir Starmer last year. The MP also owns a selection of Dr Marten boots, including a tartan pair which she wore in January with a vibrant red coat and white shirt. In 2015, Angela caused controversy after she became so incensed at missing out on a limited edition pair of Star Wars shoes she complained on Commons headed notepaper (pictured, Angela's choice of shoe) In 2015, Angela caused controversy after she became so incensed at missing out on a limited edition pair of Star Wars shoes she complained on Commons headed notepaper. She believed her name had been on a pre-order list for the Irregular Choice shoe, but wasn't notified when the shoes went on sale, so she wrote a letter of complaint to the head office on House of Commons notepaper. In the letter, which was later leaked, Angela wrote: 'I have only ever brought your shoes and I am loathed to do so again [sic]. 'I am writing to let you know that treating customers in that way will only cost you more in the long term.' Angela's aides were said to have 'hit the roof ' when they heard about the comment from MP McMahon, but kept it from her to avoid fuelling the problems even further. Advertisement

Meanwhile Ava Holland, artistic director for Gielly Green, explained Angela may have styled the extensions into bouncy curls to 'cover up the disconnection from her natural hair and the extensions.'

However in recent weeks, the MP has been seen on two occasions with her hair in a poker-straight style.

Tom explained: 'There is a sense of confidence and playfulness about Angela's new look.

'Usually, extensions are undetectable, but her extensions are quite a long design choice and a drastic change.

'She may have opted for this length to show more of her personality.'

Meanwhile he added that Angela's straightened hair might be 'less effort' to style each day.

He said: 'After time the motivation to put the effort into styling each day decreases which is why in newer photos her hair is straight.

'Straight is the way the extensions are cut when put in and require effort into managing them.

'The novelty has essentially worn off which is not unusual.'

Angela has also ditched the usual politician's wardrobe of stuffy grey suits or simple shift dresses, for a bolder style, with clashing colours, bright pink ankle socks and tartan skirts.

And as her profile has risen at Westminster, she has been unafraid to tone down her outfit choices.

She showcased her bold sense of fashion as she was snapped stepping out of her London home alongside married MP Sam Tarry last week.

The grandmother was spotted emerging from her 30,000-a-year taxpayer-funded property with shadow minister Sam, 39, in tow one morning last week.

Opting for a vibrant look, Angela, who is known for her unique taste in clothes, mixed the unusual combination of blue leather, leopard print and fake fur for the outing.

She donned a ribbed top with a matching 249 Pure Collection pencil skirt, with a clashing pair of her trademark 95 vegan leopard print boots from Office.

The MP added a touch of glamour by wearing a 65 Beaverbrooks pendant with a bee charm. The worker bee is known to be the symbol of the city having been added to Manchester's coat of arms in the mid 19th century and represents the industrial heritage of the region.

Angela wrapped up against the cold in a vintage faux fur jacket and could be seen clutching her face mask, as well as a 180 black Fossil backpack.

Meanwhile Ilford South MP Sam attempted to keep a low profile in a grey wool baker boy cap for the outing, which appears to cost 40 from Savile Row Company.

Leaving his pink shirt unbuttoned, he appeared to coordinate with Angela in a vibrant blue three-piece suit, over which he wore a black overcoat.

It marked the first time the pair have been captured on camera together for the first time together in public away from the office, after rumours of their deepening friendship ran rife in Westminster.

Angela, now the most powerful woman in the Labour Party, was first reported to have grown close to Corbynite Sam, her former campaign manager when she was running for the party's deputy leadership in 2020, three months after splitting from her husband of ten years, trade union official Mark Rayner.

However earlier this month, Angela debuted a new look in the House of Commons when she appeared opposite Boris Johnson at Prime Minister's Questions

The 41-year-old, whose natural hair could be seen beneath her hair extensions, opted for a poker-straight hairstyle

One of the most powerful figures in the Labour Party, she holds four titles including deputy leader, shadow first secretary of state, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and shadow secretary of state for the future of work.

She has spoken openly in the past about her rise to power within the Labour Party  that begins with a troubled childhood, growing up on a council estate in Greater Manchester.

She has told interviewers about how she became a carer for her mother, who could not read or write and suffered from bipolar disorder.

She recalled how her mum once came back from the shops with dog food, thinking it was stewing steak, because she couldn't read the label.

Yesterday, Labour's deputy leader opted for a similar hairstyle as she took to the dispatch box (pictured)

The 41-year-old's shorter natural hair could be seen falling down her back beneath a few strands of much longer extension

A teenager when her parents divorced, she talked of having suffered years of dysfunctional home life marred by her father's affairs and her parents' 'explosive' relationship. She described her childhood existence as 'feral'.

By the age of 13 she was clubbing in Manchester, looking for 'the wrong sort of affection from the wrong sort of people', and was pregnant at 16. The birth of her son Ryan, however, proved a turning point.

Determined to provide for her son and become a role model to him rather than conform to the single teenage parent on benefits stereotype, Mrs Rayner trained as a Samaritan, then became a carer.

Through her work, she discovered the trade union movement, becoming a rep, which gave her the introduction to politics.
A Paralympic swimmer who has a common form of dwarfism called achondroplasia has defended Disney's remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - after Peter Dinklage blasted it as 'backward'.

Will Perry, 21, from Northamptonshire, appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain today to discuss whether the studio's live-action production - which is in its third year of development - should be cancelled to avoid reinforcing stereotypes.

Game of Thrones star Dinklage criticised Disney for remaking the 1937 film - which sees the comic dwarf characters living in a cave together - questioning: 'Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soap box? I guess Im not loud enough.'

In response, the American company said it is taking a different approach with Snow Whites seven companions and has been consulting with members of the dwarfism community throughout the early stages of production.

Will said he welcomes Disney's consultation, and admitted certain aspects of the film, such as its name and the little people's home could be tweaked, but insisted the 'much loved fairy tale' shouldn't be 'cancelled'.

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A Paralympic swimmer (pictured left) who has a common form of dwarfism called achondroplasia has defended Disney's remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - after Peter Dinklage (pictured right) blasted it as 'backward'

Will Perry, 21, from Northamptonshire, appeared on ITV's Good Morning Britain today to discuss whether the studio's live-action production - which is in its third year of development - should be cancelled to avoid reinforcing stereotypes. Pictured, the 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

He appeared on GMB alongside Fats Timbo, a TikTok sensation, comedian and model, who was born with dwarfism but prefers the term 'little people'.

She said even the title 'isn't appropriate at all', adding 'dwarfs, the name dwarf, is a medical term, and it's called a mythical creature. So people don't know how to differentiate either one.'

However, Will, who represented Great Britain at the last Paralympic Games, said he was 'strongly against cancel culture and wokeism'.

He said: 'I welcome Disney's choice to consult people but why didn't they do that at the start, because I've read all sorts of things about when they create different movies, they've consulted people of different cultures and different races, down to the smallest detail.

But if they're going to, then fantastic. I don't think we should cancel a fairy tale that's so loved, so many people... love the story, and innocently as well.

'I don't think it should be cancelled, it's brilliant to have a little look and say "OK let's consult people with dwarfism, get their opinion, we might have to make some tweaks" but I don't think it should be cancelled at all.

Peter Dinklage (left) expressed his displeasure towards Disney for remaking their 1937 animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. He slammed Disney for remaking the 'backward' film and applauding the casting of West Side Story breakout star Rachel Zegler (right) as Snow White

Will appeared on GMB alongside Fats Timbo (pictured together), a TikTok sensation, comedian and model, who was born with dwarfism but prefers the term 'little people'

The TikTok star (pictured) said even the title 'isn't appropriate at all', adding 'dwarfs, the name dwarf, is a medical term, and it's called a mythical creature. So people don't know how to differentiate either one.'

'Even if it's just adjusting the name slightly, or we're not in a cave, we're in a house, we're not depicted as mindless stupid characters, we're sentient beings, we have feelings, we have opinions.'

Fats suggested the lack of storylines for the seven dwarfs in the original animation was a 'bit weird'.

'As soon as they see a little person, they think we're a mythical creature, they think that we don't have a personality,' she said.

'And the thing is with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, they're just catering to Snow White and they don't have their own stories and it's a bit weird, seven dwarfs living in a cave.

Will added: 'Of course, we're all about positive role models and positive images, and as much as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a loved and very well known fairy tale it can lead to obviously misconceptions for people with dwarfism.

Diseny said it is taking a different approach with Snow Whites seven companions (pictured in the original) and has been consulting with members of the dwarfism community throughout the early stages of production

'....Midget is incredibly offensive, it's the n-word for people with dwarfism, it's really bad, so even though it doesn't sound as mythical, Snow White and the Seven Little People, it produces a more realistic image of people with dwarfism to the kids who read and watch and love the fairy tale that is Snow White.'

How Disney's classic cartoons became 'sensitive viewing' Disney in 2020 began slapping racism warnings on some of its most iconic movies, including Peter Pan and The Jungle Book, to alert viewers to sensitive scenes. The media conglomerate believes some of its older cartoons contain outdated racial or ethnic stereotypes, and now opens some films with a disclaimer. It reads: 'This program includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures.' Movies with warning include the 1970 musical comedy The Aristocats, 1955 canine love story Lady and the Tramp and 1960 adventure Swiss Family Robinson. In relation to The Aristocats, Disney warns viewers about a scene where one cat, voiced by a white actor, yells out stereotypical Chinese 'words' while playing the piano with chopsticks. Peter Pan viewers are warned that Native Americans Indians are referred to as 'redskins'. Disney says scenes in which Peter and The Lost Boys dance in native American headdresses are a 'form of mockery and appropriation of Native peoples' culture and imagery.' The Jungle Book has also been highlighted, namely for its depiction of the ape King Louie, which was accused of perpetuating a stereotype of African Americans. Elsewhere 1941 release Dumbo comes under fire for its references to racist segregationist laws in the deep south, as well as its use of affected African-American voices. The lead crow in the film is also called Jim Crow - a reference to the segregation laws in late 19th and early 20th Century America. Lady And The Tramp has been placed on the list due to its perceived stereotyping of Asians courtesy of Siamese cats Si and Am, while a dog pound features canines with largely ethnic names and accents Advertisement

The paralympian added that little people in films are either 'too mythical or presented in a comical fashion'.

'For instance, in Wolf of Wall Street, where we're used as darts, we're used as projectiles, we're not even portrayed as living things,' he said.

'Then you've got Oompa Loompas in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, we're only really presented to the public and society, as comical characters.'

Fats added: 'Ever since I was growing up, people would say to me, you're one of the Snow White of the Seven Dwarfs, or an Oompa Loompa, or some people would try and pick me up because they think i'm an object to throw about because of what they've seen in the media.

'A lot of little people have had similar things. That's why I think it's so important to have more positive representation for little people.'

A Disney spokesperson said in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday: 'To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community.

'We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.'

The response came after Dinklage blasted Disney for remaking the 1937 film and shared he was surprised by the casting of West Side Story breakout star Rachel Zegler as Snow White.

'Literally no offence to anyone, but I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White  but youre still telling the story of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,' Drinklage, 52, told Marc Maron on his WTF podcast.

'Take a step back and look at what youre doing there. It makes no sense to me. Youre progressive in one way and youre still making that f***ing backward story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f*** are you doing man?'

Disney said the film, which is still years from release, will have cultural consultants, just like its life-action remakes of Aladdin and Mulan did.

The studio also claims it has been working on reimagining the dwarf characters since its earliest production stages.

Disney did not immediately respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

Dinklage was promoting his new movie Cyrano on the podcast with Maron where they were discussing 'wokeness' when he discussed the Snow White reboot.

'Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soap box? I guess Im not loud enough,' Dinklage questioned.

He added he didn't know what studio was remaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but he recalled, 'they were so proud of it.'

'All love and respect to the actress and all the people who thought they were doing the right thing. But I'm just like, what are you doing?' he added.

Will said he welcomes Disney's consultation, and admitted certain aspects of the film (pictured), such as its name and the little people's home could be tweaked, but insisted the 'much loved fairy tale' shouldn't be 'cancelled'.

Dinklage has a form of dwarfism known as achondroplasia, which affects bone growth, causing him to have shorter limbs.

He said the story of Snow White can still be told, but it needs to be updated to reflect today's standards.

'If you tell the story of "Snow White" with the most f***ed up, progressive spin on it? Let's do it. All in,' he stated.

WHAT IS DWARFISM? Dwarfism is general term used to cover a swath of conditions that result in the medical term of restricted growth. There are two main types of restricted growth: Achondroplasia is a DSS type of dwarfism and is the most common cause of the condition. As well as having short stature, some people with restricted growth also have other physical problems, such as bowed legs or an unusually curved spine. However, most people don't have any other serious problems. They can often live a relatively normal life and have a normal life expectancy. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement

The original animated film was based on an 1812 fairy tale from The Brothers Grimm, though the dwarfs in that story lived in a cottage, not a cave.

Dinklage's concerns were shared by some charities, including the Restricted Growth Association in the UK.

'I very much stand with Peter Dinklage on the disappointment and irritation towards Disney for the remake of Snow White,' Rhonda Cutmore, a member of the association, told The Telegraph. 'As a 46-year-old woman with restricted growth, this story has always had a negative impact on me. Not just the physical characteristics, but the labelling of "Dopey" and "Bashful", were not helpful in the playground.

She added: 'People with restricted growth are in majority born to average height parents - they never live in gingerbread houses, have little bear beds nor live in homogeneous groups together.'

Dwarfism writer Steph Robson said she hoped film producers make an effort to avoid stereotypes in its retelling of the classic movie.

'It is my hope that the latest live action remake, and Disney, will, at the very least go some way to redress the decades of the one-dimensional stereotypes that our disability continues to experience, especially within arts and cultural settings,' she told the outlet.

The story has also been criticised as being ableist for portraying the dwarfs with lesser intelligence and Snow White seeing them as children.

Zegler will star alongside Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen with Marc Webb directing from a script by Greta Gerwig and Erin Cressida Wilson.

Oscar-nominated producer Marc Platt, who also worked on Disney's live-action rendition of The Little Mermaid, is set to produce the film.

Meanwhile, Dinklage will next be seen in American Dreamer with Shirley MacLaine, Danny Glover, Matt Dillon and Danny Pudi, which is in post-production.

He has a number of projects currently filming like Hitpig, The Toxic Avenger and Brothers.
A mother-of-one who was trafficked to the UK reveals how she was forced to have sex with up to 20 men a day and only escaped after suffering internal bleeding as a result of injuries sustained at the hands of her violent captors.

Elena, a mother of one, was forced into prostitution by a man she thought she loved who threatened to harm her one-year-old son and mother unless she flew to the UK.

On arrival, she was taken to a flat in the West Midlands where she was held captive with two other victims and was starved, beaten and burned by her Romanian traffickers.

The women made up to 20,000 a day for their captors by having sex with a stream of punters, including drug addicts, sometimes for hours at a time.

Speaking on last night's BBC Two documentary Sold: Sex Slaves Next Door, Elena, who is now in a safe house, explained she only escaped after she began to bleed internally as a result of the abuse she had suffered, prompting her captors to flee.

Mother-of-one Elena, who was trafficked to the UK from Romania by her so-called boyfriend, was starved, beaten and burned while kept as a sex slave in a West Midlands flat

Elena, who has since been placed in a safe house, appeared on last night's BBC Two documentary Sold: Sex Slaves Next Door exploring women who have been trafficked from Romania to the UK for sex work

'I started bleeding internally, I simply couldn't walk or crawl on my knees. I was about to die,' she said.

She was rescued by police and was taken to hospital where a consultant said she was just hours away from death.

Simone Lord, who works for Medaille, a charity providing refuge to victims of modern slavery, said: 'I've never seen anyone in that state before.

'She was repeatedly beaten she had been malnourished, she had burns, lots of wounds on her body, One of the consultants in there estimated she only had 48 hours to live.'

Elena was tricked using a tactic called 'lover boy', where members of criminal gangs pretend to be in a relationship with the victim before sending them abroad for lucrative sex work.

She was forced to leave her one-year-old son behind in Romania when the man she thought she loved threatened to harm her son and mother if she didn't travel to the UK.

'I didn't have any other choice but to come to the UK,' she said. 'He threatened to hurt my child and kill my mother. In that moment I got scared.'

When Elena began haemorrhaging as a result of her atrocious injuries her traffickers fled and she was rescued by police and placed into a safe house by a charity

As soon as she arrived she was locked in a flat with two other women where she was forced to endure sex with multiple strangers, sometimes for up to five or six hours.

'There were three of us - me and two other girls,' she said. 'I had to do the same thing every day - sleep with different men.

'I would say 10 or 20 every day. There were some who'd stay even five or six hours, especially the drug addicts.'

Elena was forced to advertise herself as a prostitute online, with her captor taking all the money she made.

'I was spied on from every angle. He knew everything - when I went to sleep, what time I woke up, how much money we all made, how we made it,' said Elena.

'In a day I was making 20,000. Sometimes I made more. All the money I made I gave to him.'

Simone Lord, who works for a charity providing refuge to victims of modern slavery, said: 'I've never seen anyone in that state before'

Despite Elena providing evidence to the police, her case has been dropped after her trafficker fled back to Romania.

'I feel frustrated,' she said. 'I feel angry. They wanted more concrete evidence but I didn't have any because he knew how to manipulate everything to make sure I didn't have any evidence.'

Despite her frustration at her criminal case, Elena said she has finally been able to 'enjoy her freedom' and dreams of 'having a little house to be able to work and save money, to give my son a better future.'

There were nearly 6,000 recorded sex trafficking victims in England and Wales between April 2018 and December 2020 and police say these numbers are likely far lower than the reality.

Detective Colin Ward, from Greater Manchester Police, who runs a specialist modern-slavery unit, said: 'Sex-trafficking is rife in the UK'

Detective Colin Ward, from Greater Manchester Police, who runs a specialist modern-slavery unit, said: 'Sex-trafficking is rife in the UK.

'We don't have anywhere near the true picture of how many victims there are. It must be miles bigger than what we know already.

'People will have neighbours who are victims of sex trafficking. It's got harder for us because they could be anywhere.'

He says Romanian women often lack trust in police, meaning they are too afraid to reach out to law enforcement when they arrive in the UK.

'Romanian women, in general, have very little trust in the police,' he said. 'The experience they have with the police in their own country can be really poor.'

Iana Matei, who runs the only shelter for trafficked children in Romania revealed that criminal gangs send recruiters into schools to enlist girls as young as 13 into sex work abroad

Inside the shelter for trafficked children in Romania. Some victims become convinced their captors are in love with them and tell police they want to be with their 'lover boy' recruiter

'I've been doing this for 14 years now and I can count on one hand how many victims have said "I'm a victim, I need help".'

Iana Matei, who runs the only shelter for trafficked children in Romania revealed that criminal gangs send recruiters into schools to enlist girls as young as 13 into sex work abroad.

'The lover-boy method is the most horrible method of recruiting girls,' she said.

'There are recruiters in the school yards and they talk to the girls. I have a 13-year-old girl, Daniella, right here who is desperately trying to get back to her 52-year-old lover boy.

'When she runs away she tells the police, "I want to go to my lover boy, he's 52-year-old and I love him".'

A loophole in Romanian law means that if a girl says she wants to go with the trafficker by choice, families have no way of getting their children home.

Sold: Sex Slaves Next Door is available on BBCiPlayer
Nigella Lawson has given the Tory MP who suggested the Prime Minister had been 'ambushed by cake' short shrift on social media, after he responded to her joke that the bizarre phrase might inspire the title of a future cook book.

Yesterday Bournemouth West MP Mr Burns' comments sparked widespread ridicule online when he defended the Prime Minister over an alleged birthday party - with a Union Jack cake and singing - in the Cabinet Room on June 19th, 2020.

The Northern Ireland minister said Mr Johnson was working in the room before people came in and presented him with the baked treat, adding: 'He, as far as I can see, he was in a sense, ambushed with a cake.'

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TV cook Nigella Lawson joked to followers on Twitter on Tuesday evening that she was thinking of calling her next book 'Ambushed by Cake' after Northern Ireland MP Conor Burns coined the phrase while defending the Prime Minister's alleged 56th birthday party in June 2020

Yesterday Conor Burns, MP for Bournemouth West, defended the Prime Minister after it was revealed he attended a gathering, complete with a Union Jack cake and singing, that was organised by his wife Carrie in the Cabinet Room on June 19, 2020 - he later responded to Ms Lawson's tweet saying she was welcome to use the phrase for a future book

Boris Johnson holding a birthday cake presented to him by staff during a socially distanced visit to Bovingdon Primary School on June 19, 2020 - the same day as the birthday bash

On Twitter, Nigella found her name trending on Tuesday evening after the popular television cook suggested the phrase 'just has to be the title of my next book!'

Mr Burns responded an hour later to Ms Lawson, saying: 'Its yours if you want it! Could I include my Grannys Christmas cake recipe?'

He was given short shrift by the domestic goddess...who riposted: 'This is too meta. Plus, you think its a joke? Says it all.'

Social media had earlier erupted with #ambushedbycake hashtags poking fun at the remark, with one picturing a Colin the Caterpillar cake alongside the caption: 'Eyes of a killer.'

Another tweet photoshopped an advert of an injury lawyer holding a cake, asking: 'Have you had an accident or been ambushed by cake in your place of work?'

And a third meme capturing a megaphone being stuck out of a police car towards a passerby was accompanied by the words: 'I'd be careful, Madam. There are reports of people being ambushed by cake.'

A day of high drama and chaos in Westminster yesterday started when Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick announced that the Metropolitan Police will finally probe alleged lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Senior Cabinet ministers including Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries downplayed the seriousness of the PM attending the bash.

They insisted that the gathering of around 30 people specifically to mark the PM's 56th birthday in June 2020 could be seen as a extension of the workplace.

Mr Burns told Channel 4 News on Tuesday evening: 'You can characterise these things in different ways. My understanding of that, from what I know of it, and I know as much as you do or your viewers at home know, the Prime Minister was out on a visit.

'He came back, he was working in the Cabinet Room. People came in and presented him with the cake on his birthday, they sang happy birthday. He was there for about 10 minutes.

'It was not a premeditated, organised party in that sense, that the Prime Minister himself decided to have sent out.

'He, as far as I can see, he was in a sense, ambushed with a cake. They came to his office with a cake, they sang happy birthday, he was there for 10 minutes.

'I don't think most people looking at that at home would characterise that as a party.'

Questioned over whether his defence of the PM was 'farcical', the MP for Bournemouth West said: 'He's our leader, I support him. I want him to continue as Prime Minister.

'I want him to show the British people what we can do in government to make their lives and their communities better.

'Of course, we want to draw a line under this, and that's why we want the Sue Gray report to come forward as soon as she is ready.

'We want the Met to get on with looking at whatever they're looking at, and then to make their findings public and then the public ultimately will judge.'

Downing Street has conceded staff 'gathered briefly' in the Cabinet Room following a meeting after it was alleged 30 people attended and shared cake despite social mixing indoors being banned
The Queen has been spotted being driven in her Land Rover in Norfolk after making a special pilgrimage ahead of the 70th anniversary of her father's death next week.

Her Majesty, 95, is staying in Prince Philips's beloved Wood Farm cottage on the Sandringham estate for the first time without him after spending the festive period at Windsor Castle.

Wearing her signature silk head scarf, the Queen opted for a red and gold look while also wearing glasses.

She opted for a simple make-up look, with a touch of light foundation and a pink lip stick.

The Queen has been spotted being drive in her Land Rover in Norfolk after making a special pilgrimage ahead of the 70th anniversary of her father's death next week

Her Majesty, 95, is staying in Prince Philips's beloved Wood Farm cottage on the Sandringham estate for the first time without him after spending the festive period at Windsor Castle

The monarch usually spends the festive period at Sandringham, but has remained at Windsor Castle since the autumn as a Covid precaution and held muted Christmas celebrations with Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex.

In preparation for the anniversary of her father George VI on February 6, 1952, the Queen has made a special trip by helicopter followed by a short drive by car to Norfolk.

A source told the Mail on Sunday last week: 'Everything is being put in order for the Queen's visit.

'We've been told that she will stay at Wood Farm, rather than the main house, which is nice as that always had a special place in his heart.'

Wearing one of her signature silk head scarves, the Queen opted for a red and gold look while also wearing sunglasses

Wood Farm (pictured), an unassuming cottage on the edge of the Sandringham Estate close to the Norfolk coastline

The Queen has stayed in the cottage before, but it will be the first time since Philip died in April last year.

She last visited the estate in early November and would normally have spent the weekend after Halloween at Sandringham with Philip and did not want to miss the occasion.

She is expected to spend Accession Day, on February 6, with her family during an extended break at the cottage and will mark her Platinum Jubilee in private.

The Queen was only 25 and on holiday in Kenya with Prince Philip at the time of her father's death - making her the first monarch to ascend the throne while aboard in 200 years.

The monarch usually spends the festive period at Sandringham, but has remained at Windsor Castle since the autumn as a Covid precaution and held muted Christmas celebrations with Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex. She is pictured with Prince Philip last year

The monarch usually spends the festive period at Sandringham, but has remained at Windsor Castle since the autumn as a Covid precaution and held muted Christmas celebrations with Prince Charles, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex.

At Sandringham, there will be plenty of fond memories of 'we four', as the Queen's father used to refer to his happy nuclear family  himself, his wife (the Queen Mother), Elizabeth and her sister Margaret - all pictured, along with Philip

Her Platinum Jubilee will be celebrated with four days of public holiday in June.

When Philip retired from public duties in 2017 at the age of 95  the age of the Queen today  Sandringham was the place he called home.

With typical enthusiasm, he set about improving Wood Farm as a retirement bolt-hole.

He oversaw a project to install a new kitchen and spent his days reading, writing and painting.

On visits to Sandringham, the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret would cycle around the estate and join their mother and father overseeing the harvest. (Above, Elizabeth with her father, George VI, at Sandringham in 1943)

The Queen, when she wasn't on duty in London, would travel up to stay with Philip at the cottage and it was there that the two could live more like a 'normal' couple than at any other time of her reign.

Dispensing with liveried servants, Philip had insisted that Wood Farm staff  a page, housekeeper, chef and footman  wore ordinary clothes.

Whether by helicopter or by car, the 140-mile journey from Windsor to Sandringham is one to be endured rather than enjoyed  particularly for a 95-year-old.

So the decision to travel will not have been made lightly and must be taken as a sign that, if she is not robust, she is in reasonable health.

The Queen's jubilee celebrations have been tainted by her son Prince Andrew's controversy surrounding his friendship with late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein and a court case being brought against him in the US.

At Sandringham, there will be plenty of fond memories of 'we four', as the Queen's father used to refer to his happy nuclear family  himself, his wife (the Queen Mother), Elizabeth and her sister Margaret - all pictured, along with Philip

In 2020, on the anniversary of VE Day, the Queen gave a national broadcast recalling her father's address to the nation 75 years earlier

Andrew could lose his round-the-clock police protection as early as next month after he was exiled as a frontline royal.

Sources say a full review of his security is being carried out by Scotland Yard and the Home Office following last week's decision by the Queen to strip her son of his remaining military and charitable affiliations and stop him using his HRH title.

A close associate of the Duke has now claimed he could have his royal patronages restored if he wins the civil case against him while The Queen is alive - but it would be 'less predictable' if Charles was the monarch.

Andrew is currently facing a court battle in New York as a private citizen after being banned from using the styling 'HRH'.

Judge Lewis Kaplan earlier this month sensationally ruled that the Queen's second son can be tried over claims he sexually assaulted Ms Giuffre when she was 17  allegations which Andrew has categorically denied.

Andrew has remained holed up at Windsor as his legal team fought his case in the US and was today seen driving through the estate with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson who also lives at his Royal Lodge home.
Queen Letizia of Spain appeared effortlessly elegant as she attended a meeting in Madrid today.

The mother-of-two, 48, was joined by president of the AECC Ramon Reyes, as she met with members of the National Council of the Spanish Association Against Cancer, an organisation which is dedicated to showing the realities of cancer in Spain and contributing to the fight against the disease.

She cut an elegant figure in a recycled fur-trimmed cape from Carolina Herrera, teamed with a blouse and leather skirt from Boss.

Letizia completed the look with a Nina Ricci clutch bag and leather pumps from Magrit, which have both been worn for previous engagements.

Queen Letizia, 48, (pictured) attended a meeting with members of the National Council of the Spanish Association Against Cancer today in Madrid

Letizia (pictured) refreshed her previously worn Carolina Herrera fur-trimmed cape by teaming it with a blue blouse and leather skirt from Boss

The royal brought attention to her eyes with a black eyeliner, while using an eyebrow pencil to thicken her brows and frame her face.

She kept makeup on her skin light by opting for a very subtle highlight and perfectly matched foundation.

Despite her face mask, she looked glamorous with her glossy brunette hair swept back and her signature off-centre parting.

The meeting provided an opportunity for Letizia to learn about the achievements of the association throughout 2021, while also discussing future projects and challenges that may be faced in the year ahead.

She last visited in July 201 as the association celebrated 50 years of researching cancer.

Letizia was joined by President of AECC Ramon Reyes (pictured right) as the association reflected on their past achievements

Letizia (pictured), who visited the association last July, was given an opportunity to learn about the challenges they are aiming to tackle in 2022

Continuing their hard work, they have since planned to create a campaign to highlight the inequalities experienced by people with cancer in Spain.

Another challenge for the year ahead involves setting up the Cancer Epidemiological Information System in Spain together with the Network Biomedical Research Center Consortium (Ciber) of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII).

The association is also hoping to increase care for patients and their families by promoting digital care and volunteering.



Queen Letizia (pictured) was told by the association that 'we are not all the same when it comes to cancer'

The vice-treasurer of the AECC National Council and president of the AECC Appointments and Remuneration Committee Carmen Recio, the vice president of the AECC Scientific Foundation Nieves Mijimolle and the member of the National Council of the AECC Maria Cortin were among attendees.

The associated made clear to Queen Letizia that 'cancer is the same for everyone, but we are not all the same when it comes to cancer.'

Having been a permanent Honorary President of the AECC since 2010, Queen Letizia frequently attends meetings and shows interests in their ongoing projects.

Today's engagement is part of a busy week for the royal, who has presenting the 'Luis Carandell' Journalism Awards tomorrow as part of her agenda.
A woman who was dubbed a real life Eliza Doolittle after growing up in a council flat before being taken in by a wealthy family during World War II has died aged 94.

Patricia 'Pat' Wood had humble beginnings in south London but was evacuated to a wealthy house in Fittleworth near Chichester during the war.

While there, she taught herself how to speak with a posh accent - just like Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.

And later she married two millionaires - Leonard Berney, the director of Rembrandt Clothing and Ken Wood, of the Kenwood manufacturing brand, and rubbed shoulders with royalty.

Her son John, 62, has now paid tribute to her following her death.

A woman who was dubbed a real life Eliza Doolittle after growing up in a council flat before being taken in by a wealthy family during World War Two has died aged 94. Patricia 'Pat' Wood had humble beginnings in south London but was evacuated to a wealthy house in Fittleworth near Chichester during the war. She is pictured as a teenager

Pat, pictured, married two millionaires - Leonard Berney, the director of Rembrandt Clothing and Ken Wood, of the Kenwood manufacturing brand, and rubbed shoulders with royalty

'She was a city kid with a cockney accent and next minute she was riding horses with a well-to-do family. She taught herself to speak posh because she knew she wouldn't get anywhere with her 'Cor blimey',' he explained.

'She used to put eyeliner on the back of her legs to pretend like she was wearing stockings because you couldn't buy them in the war, and she was asked out by everybody - all the Lords and successful businessmen.

'On several occasions, she was taken to dinner by a Lord or a Sir or whoever and then was dropped home in their chauffeur-driven car.

'But mum would ask to be taken to Eaton Square or similar, not wishing to reveal that she really lived in Camberwell, and then walk all the way home.'

Born to parents Lily and Herbert Purser on 7 December 1927, Patricia grew up in humble beginnings in a council flat in Camberwell.

When the war broke out, her dad, who had fought in the First World War as a sniper, was one of the first to sign up to the Home Guard.

Patricia was evacuated to a Fittleworth near where the young Londoner experienced a dramatic class change.

John explained Patricia knew her background could hold her back both socially and professionally, but she found work as a switchboard operator at the British newspaper publishing company Amalgamated Press on Fleet Street,

Oh so glam! Patricia and Ken Wood, the founder of Kenwood manufacturing at a party. Born to parents Lily and Herbert Purser on 7 December 1927, Patricia grew up in humble beginnings in a council flat in Camberwell.

When the war broke out, her dad, who had fought in the First World War as a sniper, was one of the first to sign up to the Home Guard. Pat with Norman Hartnell surrounded by other models including Leslie Berker, June Oaks, Lady Cobham.

With the idea of becoming a model still stuck in her mind, Patricia decided to enter into a beauty contest which was hosted by the Merchant Navy in 1946. She won.

The success of the competition catapulted her into the world of fashion and before she knew it, Patricia had become a model for leading British fashion designer, Sir Norman Hartnell.

Best known for being the royal dressmaker for Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II, Sir Norman Hartnell had a troop of young ladies, which now included Patricia.

According to John, his mum made lots of friends while modelling in London, but her closest friend was a woman called Gina Egan, who later married Jagaddipendra Narayan or 'Bhaiya', the Maharaja of Cooch Behar in 1956.

Gina, who later became an Indian princess, remained lifelong friends with Patricia and was later asked to be John's Godmother when he was christened in 1960.

Patricia also found love and one day while swimming at Royal Automobile Club, she bobbed her head above the water to see Leonard Berney - a successful businessman who worked for a clothing manufacturing company called Berketex in Plymouth.

The idea of becoming a model still stuck in her mind, Patricia decided to enter into a beauty contest which was hosted by the Merchant Navy in 1946. She won. Pictured in the contest

Patricia holding her son John, at 10 days old. John has now paid tribute to his mother who has passed away

The two immediately hit it off and after dating, Patricia followed Leonard to Devon where they got married in Plymouth Register Office in 1951.

John added: 'They built a luxury apartment on the edge of the factory which was where mum and dad lived, and where they had my two older brothers.'

Although they lived hours away from London, the pair made regular trips back and forth for work and social events.

John explained that on one occasion his parents attended a party hosted by Gina and Bhaiya where they met a man called Ken Wood.

He said: 'After that party, they didn't meet again until she was pregnant with me.'

John's family stayed in Plymouth for about a decade until his father decided to set up his own business in London.

He said: 'I was six weeks old when we moved in the New Year of 1960 to a big house in New Malden in Surrey.

'Dad started his own haute couture dress company, making dresses for people like Cilla Black.'

Patricia Wood, who had grown up in south London, put on a posh accent to fit in with London's riches. She is pictured as a teen

Patricia and her second husband, Ken - the founder of Kenwood manufacturing - standing outside the Kenwood plane.

Leonard's work brought the family back to the fashion capital, but while he shot to success as the director of Rembrandt clothing, behind closed doors, their marriage was falling apart.

John explained that his father had lived two lives; one as a businessman and the other as a Jewish-born British Army officer, who led the clean-up of the infamous Bergen-Belsen concentration camp during World War Two.

Leonard, who was from an anti-aircraft regiment with the 8th Corps 21st Army that helped defend London during the Blitz, was one of the very first to witness the atrocities of the Holocaust and only started speaking about his war activities much later on in his life.

While not being very emotional, John described him as the 'complete opposite' of his mum and wasn't sure whether the war made him like he was.

After the marriage fell apart Ken, the gentleman from the party, started to get close to Patricia and bought her a clothes-dryer as a present to help with the extra laundry loads.

Soon after, they became more than 'just friends' and a romance blossomed.

The Lewisham-born businessman was the household name and founder of Kenwood manufacturing.

Despite their subsequent divorce, Leonard and Patricia remained on good terms.

Speaking about that time, John said: 'They were so different. Dad was tough and intelligent while mum, although she was a smart cookie, mum was such fun and loved to argue, so maybe it was their differences that caused it all.

Ken and Patricia later in life. The Lewisham-born businessman was the household name and founder of Kenwood manufacturing

Pat Wood with Richard Attenborough at the premiere of Brighton Rock (1948) in Leicester Square.

'When Ken entered our lives, he bought us a house round the corner and we spent years travelling with him on amazing holidays to Spain and the Bahamas on the Kenwood plane.

'We moved down to West Wittering together and would often be delivered fresh mangoes from the Kenwood factories in India - I have just fantastic memories from that time.

'Ken was absolutely besotted with mum and they were so happy together.'

After a happy and luxurious life together, Ken died in October 1997, as John remembered.

He said: 'On Ken's deathbed he made me promise to look after her.

'Two days before he died, he asked for a pen and paper and he poured his heart out about how much he loved her. I fulfilled my promise and did everything I could to look after mum.

'I moved in with her on two occasions after she had had a fall and then when she had a stroke in 2001 which made her wobbly but she was tough and didn't want a stairlift until she really needed it.'

'It became more difficult to look after her so there was no choice but to move her into a home.'

Patricia's family carried on visiting her until the very end and as the family's archivist, John now hopes that his mother's story can live on forever.

He said: 'My dearest mum - a real character, loved by all, always glamorous, and the kindest, warmest and most generous person you could ever wish to meet - passed away.

'What a fantastic life she led and what a wonderful mother she was to me. I love her dearly and will always miss her - her warm heart, her smile, her kindness, her love, and most of all, her sense of fun.'
Prince Charles has hailed seven portraits of some of the nation's last remaining Holocaust survivors a 'powerful testament' to their lived experience.

The Prince of Wales, 73, commissioned the paintings of the elderly men and women, to be displayed inside Buckingham Palace, to stand as a lasting reminder of the horrors of the Nazi regime.

The Duke of Cornwall was joined by Camilla, 74, as the images were unveiled at the Queen's Gallery in London and was moved after meeting Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert.

The 98-year-old, whose portrait will hang along six others in the gallery, showed the Prince her concentration camp tattoo and a golden pendant she hid from camp guards in her shoe then later in her daily bread ration.

The Prince of Wales met Auschwitz survivor Lily Ebert as he unveiled seven portraits of some of the nation's last remaining Holocaust survivors

Charles, 73, commissioned the paintings of the elderly men and women, including survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, to be displayed inside Buckingham Palace

Lily Ebert shows tattoo on her arm from Auschwitz

The Duke of Cornwall was joined by Camilla, 74, as the images were unveiled at the Queen's Gallery in London. She is pictured meeting survivor Manfred Goldberg

Lily was on one of the last trains carrying Hungarian Jews to enter Auschwitz in 1944, enduring months at Birkenau before being transported to Altenburg, a sub-camp of Buchenwald.

She made headlines last year when, with the help of her great-grandson Dov, she was reunited with the American soldier who penned her a heartfelt note on a German banknote after she was liberated from a Nazi Death March in 1945.

She told the prince during the event held on Monday: 'Meeting you, it is for everyone who lost their lives,' and Charles replied: 'But it is a greater privilege for me,' and touched her shoulder.

In the foreword for a catalogue accompanying the exhibition, Charles wrote we are all 'responsible for one another, for our collective history'.

The Duke and Duchess of Cornwall are pictured speaking with German-British cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, a surviving member of the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz

Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker Wallfisch holds up a photo of herself playing the cello in Berlin before the outbreak of WWII

Anita was 18 in December 1943 when she was deported to Auschwitz. Her portrait was unveiled as part of the exhibition to be displayed at Buckingham Palace to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

Lily, whose portrait will hang along six others in the gallery, met the Duchess alongside grandson Dov, who has written a book with Mrs Ebert about her experience titled Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz

The Prince of Wales meets Holocaust survivor Arek Hersh as he attended the opening of the exhibition at The Queen's Gallery on Monday

Charles, who is patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, met Holocaust survivor Helen Aronson and her family at the exhibition

He added: 'One of the starkest reminders of this was the Holocaust, when a third of Europe's Jews were brutally murdered by the Nazi regime as it sought to extinguish not just the Jewish people, but Judaism.

'Seven portraits. Seven faces. Each a survivor of the horrors of those years, who sought refuge and a home in Britain after the war, becoming an integral part of the fabric of our nation.

'However, these portraits represent something far greater than seven remarkable individuals. They stand as a living memorial to the six million innocent men, women, and children whose stories will never be told, whose portraits will never be painted.'

The prince went on to say about the portraits: 'They stand as a permanent reminder for our generation - and indeed, to future generations - of the depths of depravity and evil humankind can fall to when reason, compassion and truth are abandoned.'

The Prince of Wales is pictured chatting with Holocaust survivor Rachel Levy as her portrait was unveiled among six others as part of the

Zigi Shipper spoke with the Duchess of Cornwall as his portrait was unveiled as part of the 'Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust' exhibition

The Duchess of Cornwall is pictured speaking to guests at the unveiling of Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust on Monday

The Duchess shared a sweet moment with Holocaust survivor Manfred Goldberg at the unveiling of Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust

The 98-year-old Mrs Ebert showed the future king her pendant and rolled up the sleeve of her jacket to reveal the tattoo on her left forearm A-10572 - A for Auschwitz, 10 her block number and 572 her prisoner number.

In July 1944, a 20-year-old Mrs Ebert and her family - mother and five siblings - were transported to Auschwitz.

Her parents and some of her siblings were condemned to death in the gas chamber after encountering the infamous Josef Mengele, notorious for his experiments on those in the camp, while the remaining family members were put to work.

Speaking about her pendant in the shape of angel she said: 'This necklace is very special. It went through Auschwitz and survived with me. Auschwitz took everything, even the golden teeth they took off people. But this survived.

Camilla posed with Holocaust survivors Zigi Shipper and Manfred Goldberg as their portraits were unveiled on Monday as part of an exhibition to mark Holocaust Memorial Day

The Prince of Wales studied the portrait of Holocaust survivor Zigi Shipper at The Queens Gallery, Buckingham Palace

The Duchess of Cornwall posed with the family and artist Peter Kuhfeld of survivor Anita Laskar-Wallfisch at the The Queens Gallery, Buckingham Palace on Monday

Duchess of Cornwall posed with survivor Helen Aronson and family plus artist Paul Benney (right) at the exhibition on Monday

'I put it in the heel of my shoe but the heel wore out so... I put it every day in the piece of bread that we got to eat. So that is the story of it. I was five years old when I got it from my mother for my birthday.

'My mother did not survive. My little brother and little sister did not survive.

Auschwitz survivor Zigi Shipper at the age of two

'They arrived and they saw Dr Mengele, he took them straight away. I have worn my necklace every day since I survived.'

Later her great-grandson, Dov Forman, who has written a book with Mrs Ebert about her experience, Lily's Promise: How I Survived Auschwitz And Found The Strength to Live, said of the encounter with Charles: 'The prince was very, very moved.'

Among the seven survivors whose portraits are hung in the gallery is Helen Aronson who, with her mother and brother, was among a group of around 750 people liberated from a Nazi-run ghetto in Poland out of 250,000 people sent there.

The family had been separated from her father who had been murdered by the Nazis.

Today she shares her experiences with groups across the country, and she said about her painting: 'The portrait was just excellent, absolutely true to life.

'It has been such an experience.

'I talked to the prince about life in the concentration camp and the exterminations.

'It is something that I didn't talk about for a long time but I have gone on to have a very happy life. My family is everything to me.

The Prince of Wales with the family of Zigi Shipper and the artist Jenny Saville (right) at Monday's exhibition of Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust

The Duchess of Cornwall with artist Peter Kuhfeld and Holocaust survivor Anita Laskar-Wallfischof (front right) and her family at an exhibition on Monday

Artist Peter Kuhfeld with his painting of Holocaust survivor Anita Laskar-Wallfisch at the unveiling of the 'Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust' exhibition

Holocaust survivors Manfred Goldberg (left) and Zigi Shipper (right) pose for a photograph at the unveiling of 'Seven Portraits: Surviving the Holocaust'

'It has been a very special and unforgettable day.'

Charles, who is patron of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, also commissioned portraits of Manfred Goldberg, Arek Hersh, Anita Lasker Wallfisch, Rachel Levy and Zigi Shipper.

The prince called on the talents of seven acclaimed artists involved to take part in the year-long project: Paul Benney, Ishbel Myerscough, Clara Drummond, Massimiliano Pironti, Peter Kuhfeld, Stuart Pearson Wright and Jenny Saville.

The project is the subject of a 60-minute BBC Two documentary, Survivors: Portraits of the Holocaust, which will be screened on January 27 - Holocaust Memorial Day.
A disabled man who is in a wheelchair and his able-bodied wife have stripped down to their underwear while opening up about their sex life and the ignorant comments they receive from men who insist she can't be sexually satisfied in their marriage.

Shane Burcaw, 29, and his wife Hannah, 26, reflected on their love story and the misconceptions they have faced as an interabled couple on the latest episode of StyleLikeU's Whats Underneath: Couples series.

The YouTubers, who document their lives on their popular 'Squirmy and Grubs' video channel, shared that the validity of their relationship is constantly being questioned by strangers, particularly heterosexual men.

'We definitely get a lot of comments from straight men thinking it's not fair that I'm with Shane, and that I should be with them,' Hannah told the cameras.

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Shane Burcaw, 29, and his wife Hannah, 26, opened up about being in an interabled marriage on StyleLikeU's Whats Underneath: Couples series

In the nearly 23-minute interview, Hannah removed both of their clothing, piece by piece, while sharing their love story and the misconceptions they have face

'They perceive that I can't have sex in their very limited, missionary, man f**ks woman [way],' Shane explained. 'They think that is the be-all-end-all of sex.'

Hannah noted these guys will often describe to her 'in great deal' how they would have sex with her because they assume Shane can't be physically intimate.

'Little do they know,' he said.

Shane was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease that causes muscles to deteriorate over time. He has been in an electric wheelchair since he was two years old and can barely move his legs, arms, and hands.

Their relationship started nearly six years ago when Hannah reached out to him after watching a documentary that 'The Office' actor Rainn Wilson produced about his life.

In the email, the then college student complimented Shane  a writer and a public speaker  on his sense of humor and his writing before admitting that she thought he was very cute.

Shane was born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease that causes muscles to deteriorate over time, and is in an electric wheelchair

The YouTubers, who document their lives on their 'Squirmy and Grubs' channel, said the validity of their relationship is constantly being questioned by strangers

'Almost every email I received told me that I was an inspiration  and not in a good way,' Shane recalled. 'Hannah's email didn't reference my disability at all.

'She complimented my humor and what we had in common. She used parentheses in her email in a way that like just did it for me.'

When Shane responded, he gave Hannah his phone number, and they started texting. He admitted that he 'didn't believe she was real' at first because she was beautiful as well as funny and smart.

The couple got to know each other through text messages and FaceTime calls and eventually fell in love, despite living in different states.

Shane, who lived at home with his parents at the time, admitted he struggled with Hannah being at college and going to parties in Minnesota at the start of their relationship.

'I felt like a cliche, like the jealous disabled guy who can't be there and is worried his mega-hot girlfriend is gonna find a better mega-hot guy,' he said.

Hannah explained they get comments from jealous 'straight men' who wrongly assume that Shane can't have sex with her and think she should be with them

Shane noted that sex for them doesn't 'look like what you see in the movies,' but he 'can totally do it' and is usually the one to initiate it

'Our intimacy benefits from my disability,' he said. 'A big thing for me is that our intimacy is not just me enjoying it, and that relates to my burden complex

But he realized she was serious about him when she got jealous of one of his female friends. After four years of dating, they married in September 2020.

Hannah said she never had a serious boyfriend before she met Shane because there wasn't anyone she ever wanted to spend a lot of time with.

While he dated in college, he explained those relationships all ended because his partners' friends and family would convince them he was a burden, something he has been made to feel his entire life.

Shane told Hannah early on in their relationship that he needs help with almost every aspect of his daily life, and she made it a point to learn how to care for him  including taking him to the bathroom  so they could be alone together.

During the episode, she helped him take off his clothes piece by piece. When it was time to remove his pants, she lovingly carried him to a couch to pull them off before returning him to his wheelchair.

Most people assume that Hannah is either Shane's relative or caregiver, and they are often met with awkward comments and gushing when they reveal they are married.

When it was time to remove Shane's pants, Hannah lovingly carried him to a couch to pull them off before returning him to his wheelchair

Their relationship started nearly six years ago when Hannah reached out to him after watching a documentary that 'The Office' actor Rainn Wilson produced about his life

'When I do say, "No, this is my wife." People's jaws hit the floor,' Shane said, 'and they say, "Oh, wow, good for you."'

Hannah recounted how one woman started crying and called her an 'angel' for being with Shane, which made her feel 'super uncomfortable.'

'That insinuates I am an angel because Shane is a terrible choice and I'm remarkable for choosing that,' she explained.

Shane and Hannah said they have to deal with misconceptions like that on a daily basis, but they both try to laugh it off.

'There's a huge assumption that people who disabilities like mine don't have any value, don't have any quality of life, and would not be worthy partners,' he said.

'I developed a very thick skin early on. I think that's kind of where my sense of humor and my sarcasm were born from because otherwise I'd be upset every day.'

The couple got to know each other through text messages and FaceTime calls and eventually fell in love, despite living in different states at the time

Shane told Hannah early on in their relationship that he needs help with almost every aspect of his daily life, and she made it a point to learn how to care for him

'If my partner was someone who got very upset by those types of things, it wouldn't work,' he added.

However, Hannah admitted that she does get bothered by the online comments that accuse them of faking their relationship whereas her husband is able to shrug them off.

Shane noted there are also a number of people who believe they are a couple but assume 'Hannah must be deeply damaged in some way to want to be with a disabled man.'

The couple insisted that their relationship  including their sex life  is fulfilling for both of them.

'Our intimacy benefits from my disability. A big thing for me is that our intimacy is not just me enjoying it, and that relates to my burden complex,' he said. 'It doesn't look like what you see in the movies, maybe, but I can totally do it.'

The couple has previously spoken about their desire to have children together, with Shane explaining in an old blog post that he is 'perfectly capable of having sex.'

Shane and Hannah got married in September 2020 after four years of dating

'I feel for the first time in my life like I am not a burden because Hannah is wholly there for me and doesn't feel burdened by me,' Shane said

In their latest interview, Shane said he tends to initiate sex more than Hannah does.

'A non-disabled man might come up to Hannah and start rubbing her shoulders. I will just say, "Hey, you want to go have sex?" I know that would probably strike people as, "Oh that must be unromantic," but take our word for it. After I ask that, we're romantic.'

Communication is key in every aspect of their relationship, including when they are in the bedroom. If Shane wants to touch Hannah in a certain area, he has to ask her to move his arm.

'We have a shorthand for all of these things,' she explained. 'You're not saying, "Can you please put your legs up under my legs." We just know. I feel like I know his body and preferences as well as I know my own.'

They both agreed they feel their sexiest when they are naked in their bedroom together, and like many couples, their biggest fear is the other person dying.

'The best part about our partnership is the comfort that we have with each other,' Hannah said. 'I cannot overstate how like little space I need from Shane.'

'I know that our life is and will continue to be hilarious and fun and full of adventure,' he added. 'I feel for the first time in my life like I am not a burden because Hannah is wholly there for me and doesn't feel burdened by me.'
Come to any of my yoga classes and youll be surprised how much of my life I choose to spend upside down.

Whether online, which is my preferred way to teach at the moment, or back in those far-off, pre-pandemic days when we all gathered in a studio or church hall, one thing has remained unchanged: you are likely to spend a sizeable chunk of time looking at the world from the other way up.

Upside down  or head below heart, as I prefer to call it  is a wonderful way to hang out. I couldnt imagine a day without spending at least two minutes in my blissful, topsy-turvy world.

And the message seems to be catching on: the evidence is there for all to see.

Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke, teaches yoga and says having your head below your heart can bring a rich dose of oxygenated blood to the head

Last week it was Holly Willoughby who posted pictures of herself at an outdoor yoga studio, suspended from the rafters in an inverted butterfly pose during an aerial yoga session.

The 40-year-old TV presenter was doing it to promote her new womens lifestyle website, Wylde Moon, but shes in good company. There have been many before her, including Elizabeth Hurley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Millie Mackintosh and Geri Halliwell, channelling their inner bat  and getting a good picture to share on social media.

Aerial yoga differs from traditional yoga in that instead of performing poses on a mat, participants use silk hammocks or slings to support themselves. Either way, the principle and health benefits  both mental and physical  are the same.

Head below heart provides a wonderful dose of rich, oxygenated blood heading straight to the head, plus a stretch of the spine and shoulders, which leaves you feeling as if youre walking on air.

In fact, ask any of my four children or the cameramen Ive worked with over the years, and they know that I have been banging on about this for more than a decade.

Holly Willoughby in an inverted butterfly yoga position, which is said to boost circulation, promote healing and detoxify tissue, as well as decompress the spine

Yoga came to my rescue shortly after the birth of my fourth child, when I was finding life overwhelming. I rented a church hall near our second home in South-West London, and was soon teaching 24 yoga classes a week.

Of course, this all moved online during lockdown, when up to 300 people at a time would join a class from their own front rooms and patios.

Yoga is all about movement, but also about breath. We take control of our body, which always breathes for us, second after second, minute after minute. Controlling our breath gives us an opportunity to breathe deeper, ideally from the belly, to inhale and exhale longer and give our blood an almighty injection of oxygen.

Put this together with a forward fold  the simplest of yoga moves, where you literally fold in half from the waist and hang your head gently upside down, between your knees, for a few breaths  or a full unsupported headstand, or being suspended from the ceiling, and there are so many benefits for the head.

Personally, I feel the head is a hugely overlooked body part when it comes to exercise and well-being.

It does so much for us and the poor thing is always on top and never gets a proper break, as our legs do when we flop on the sofa or lie down to sleep. Hanging your head below your heart is the equivalent of putting your feet up after a long day, and we all know how good that feels.

There are no strict rules as to how you do it. I always tell my students and my children to do it for a minimum of two minutes a day, but ideally any time you feel stressed, tired, or your head and/or back hurts. Just drop and hang. Oh, and dont forget to breathe  that controlled breath.

Not only does getting a good dose of oxygenated blood to the head help nurture the brain, but I always think of it as a free facial, too, as blood pours into the face, plumping and enriching it.

Julie Montagu, pictured, says being upside down and allowing blood to rush to you head is the equivalent of putting your feet up after a long day

It feels like an internal massage of the face: you can actually feel the blood flow moving around your shoulders, neck, head and face. Its wonderful.

Plus, at the same time, you are creating space between your vertebrae. All day long with the head on top, the spine has no choice but to feel a little compressed. When we go upside down it begins to elongate again, making space between each back bone. You know the saying: healthy spine, healthy life  in which Im a big believer.

And lastly, when you come up again, everything feels a bit lighter. Perhaps, like me, you find you have more space between your thoughts. Life doesnt feel so heavy or chaotic and you can carry on with your meeting, difficult conversation or to-do list with more clarity.

Try it today  just two minutes  and I promise you, youll never see life the same way again.
Following the misinformation about COVID-19 that The Joe Rogan Experience podcast air on Spotify, musician Neil Young gave the audio streaming app an ultimatum to choose between his music or the mentioned podcast.

Apart from Neil Young, several medical practitioners also wrote an open letter to take down Joe Rogan's show.

Musician Neil Young Called Out Spotify: My Music or Joe Rogan's Podcast?

According to CNET, musician Neil Young gave Spotify an ultimatum.

The audio streaming platform has to choose between broadcasting Neil Young's music or airing the comedian Joe Rogan's program.

The musician and songwriter posted a now-deleted message disagreeing with Rogan's podcast for spreading COVID falsehoods.

In the said letter, Rolling Stone reported last Monday, Jan. 24, that the songwriter wrote to his manager and record label that "I want you to let Spotify know immediately TODAY that I want all my music off their platform."

The musician further wrote: "I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines - potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them."

Young's management and Spotify did not reply to demands for comment instantly.

For those who do not know, the audio streaming app is the exclusive platform for Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, with a $100 million deal.

Several anti-vaccine activists and conspiracy theorists have appeared on Rogan's show in the last year. These people promoted untested therapies like ivermectin and circulated misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccines.

With regards to the stand of Spotify, Slashgear stated that the company does not have a disinformation policy, which means they cannot speak out against Rogan's podcast's content.

Despite the fact that the podcast contains a lot of anti-vaccine propaganda that drives anti-vax movements, it has millions of listeners and this was also shared on numerous social media platforms.

For the second time this month, Spotify and podcaster Joe Rogan have been reprimanded for distributing incorrect facts that experts claim are hazardous to the public's health.

Read Also: Are Tesla EVs Around the World Hacked? Teen Hacker Explains How He Gained Access To All Tesla Models

Numerous Medical Practitioners Protest Against The Joe Rogan Experience

Vaccines are proven to be effective against the widely spread of COVID-19.

However, On Rogan's podcast, strong vaccine protester Dr. Robert Malone guested.

He compared the current condition of the pandemic to Nazi Germany and claimed that those adopting COVID-19 measures were suffering from "mass formation psychosis," a medical-sounding term that medical specialists have dismissed.

Following the said podcast episode, more than 270 doctors and scientists have signed a statement to Spotify, requesting the platform to remove or restrict Joe Rogan's podcast.

The said letter defined Malone's remarks as "baseless conspiracy theories."

With that, it appears that Neil Young is not alone in his request, but he does appear to be the only musical artist (with music hosted on the Spotify music platform) taking specific initiative in refusing to support Spotify until The Joe Rogan Experience was removed.

On the other hand, most medical experts have agreed that getting vaccinated, rather than depending on "natural immunity" or any other option, is critical, especially today, as the Omicron version of the new coronavirus spreads rapidly.

Through the initiative of Young, there is a possibility that more musicians might do the same and ask Spotify to cease supporting Joe Rogan.

Neil Young's music is still available on Spotify as of Tuesday, Jan. 25.

Related Article: YouTube Music 2021 Recap: How to Know Your Personalized Stats
January isnt normally a month when we find much to celebrate in the short, cold days. But for Jo OConnell, the start of a new year eight years ago was cause for excitement  as it marked the long-awaited end to a month of sexual abstinence.

As the PR business owner planned a New Year party at her Bournemouth home, she and her husband, also called Jo, looked forward to a night when they could finally be intimate again.

The reason they had put lovemaking on ice for so long? Jo was determined her second child would be born in September. We had deliberately waited and not had sex during December, she says.

Full-time mum Daria Jordan, 34, pictured with baby Alina, was firmly advised by her mum to give birth during September. She says: Mum is a primary school teacher and she has seen a big difference in children according to when they are born'

Id done the calculations and in order to ensure my son was a September baby, we needed to hold off. I wanted it to be a January conception. Luckily, the evening was such a success our son was conceived that very night.

Jo is one of a rising number of women who aim to conceive in January, or just before, to guarantee their children are born in September  at the start of the academic year  in the hope it gives them a head start in life.

She says: I did my own research and learned that summer babies often have a hard time keeping up in school, as they are often the youngest in their year. Just as some parents hire tutors so their children get ahead, Im open about my rationale for ensuring neither of mine were born in July or August.

On average, 2,000 babies a day are born during September, compared with 1,800 a day throughout the rest of the year  and the month has been the most popular in the calendar for two decades now.

While statisticians ascribe this quirk to parents having more sex over the Christmas and New Year period, education specialists confirm the academic advantage of being one of the eldest in the class.

Katie Howell, 34, says her partner, Miles, is a summer baby and believes his birth date has cast a long shadow over his life. Pictured with their daughter Aurora, now four months old

Georgina Durrant, a former teacher and author of 100 Ways Your Child Can Learn Through Play, says: A September-born child has had almost a whole extra 12 months practising motor skills, social skills, emotional regulation and communication before they start school.

Academic researchers call this the birthdate effect and, in 2010, the Institute for Fiscal Studies found a significant penalty associated with date of birth in the results of national achievement tests  one that persisted to the age of 16 and beyond.

A 2013 report found autumn-born children were 25 per cent more likely to get an Oxbridge place. Little wonder, then, that so many mums go to eyebrow-raising lengths to ensure their child is born in September.

If this is your goal, now is the perfect time to conceive. Dr Ellie Rayner, an obstetrician and founder of The Maternity Collective, says: If you are hoping for a September or early October baby, the ideal time to try is from the middle of December to the end of January.

Jo, now 52, firmly believes her children  Bethany, nine, and Bo, seven  have both benefited from being among the eldest in their classes.

Mature student Carmen Antohe, 27, pictured with her son Patrick, three, is another proud mum who has noticed how advanced her September-born son

I did notice a difference between Beth and her friends when she started nursery, she says. You could tell who the younger ones were and those who struggled.

Spa consultancy director Katie Howell, 34, feels the same. Her partner, Miles, is a summer baby and believes his birth date has cast a long shadow over his life.

He was very anxious that we didnt have an August baby, says Katie. His confidence wasnt great at school and thats because Miles was born in July. He found it incredibly difficult to keep up with his classmates.

His friends born in September were so much more confident and physically stronger, too. It took Miles years to gain confidence.

In December 2020, Katie and Miles, who live in Chelmsford, Essex, conceived their daughter Aurora, now four months old.

We booked a weekend staycation to Southampton. We had some lovely, stress-free date nights and I fell pregnant that weekend.

We discovered our due date was September 3. The following nine months were an anxious time because it was so close to our daughter being an August baby.

When we passed September 1, we breathed a sigh of relief. Yes, I wanted a healthy baby  but I also wanted to give her a good start in life. Miles was genuinely happy shed be the oldest in her year. Its why I would try for a September baby again.

Full-time mum Daria Jordan was firmly advised by her mum to give birth during September.

She says: Mum is a primary school teacher and she has seen a big difference in children according to when they are born.

I also found out being pregnant during summer was a good thing for both mother and baby, as the body gets more vitamins, especially vitamin D, via sun exposure.

In one 2015 study from Cambridge University, scientists discovered that getting more sun in pregnancy can lead to higher birth weight and later puberty for girls.

The other advantage is that children born in September are faced with all the bugs that surface during the colder weather and so they develop strong immunity early, which lasts for life.

Daria, 34, gave birth to daughter Alina 16 months ago in September 2020. She says she and her husband, who live in Leicester, tried especially hard in the window that would mean having a September baby. We got married in November 2019 and that same month, I stopped taking my contraception, she says.

In the end, I conceived my daughter on Christmas Eve. My husband was happy he was going to be a father and that it would be a September birth. I was given a due date of September 15 and she arrived a day early.

Daria Jordan said she found out being pregnant during summer was a good thing for both mother and baby 'as the body gets more vitamins, especially vitamin D, via sun exposure,

Already Daria feels her plans have paid off. Alina is really advanced for her age. Her communication skills are better, too.

Mature student Carmen Antohe, 27, is another proud mum who has noticed how advanced her September-born son Patrick is: I can see already that he is very intelligent. Hes only three, but recently my car broke down and Patrick piped up that I needed tools to repair it.

She says it was her husband, who works in construction, who pushed for their child to be born at the start of the academic year. He and his father are September babies and they are both very smart. My husband was keen for our child to be born in the same month.

We conceived in December 2017, the first month wed started trying. I was only 23 and my husband was more aware of the days we needed to have sex than I was.

He went into seduction mode and was very charming, knowing just what to say and do to flatter me and get me into bed.

On our first scan, the doctors told us the due date  September 14, 2018, the same day as my husbands birthday. We were both shocked. It was like winning the Lottery. In fact, Patrick arrived on September 20.

Before Covid, I could see how advanced he was in comparison with other children. Just watching him at birthday parties  he is articulate and confident when he plays with his peers.

Recently, he was mixing flour with water at nursery and was the first one to have a go, and also to finish it.

I did check his astrological sign, too. Virgos are healthy and successful; they rarely take medicine and are typically a star sign that doesnt often go to hospital.

Patrick is smart, loyal, practical and organised. He puts his toys away unasked and gives me a lot of love. Its why were now trying for another September baby.
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Prince Albert of Monaco was joined by his twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques today the royal family marked St Devote Day without Princess Charlene.

The monarch, 63, wrapped up warm in a black coat and mask as attended the national celebrations with his sister Princess Caroline of Hanover, his nephew Louis Ducruet, and cousin Melanie-Antoinette de Massy.

But Princess Charlene, who turned 44 yesterday, was no where to be seen as she continued to get medical treatment outside the country.

Yesterday, the royal a slideshow of photos to mark the occasion, including candid snaps of her husband and children.

Prince Albert of Monaco was joined by his twins Princess Gabriella and Prince Jacques today the royal family marked St Devote Day without Princess Charlene. The monarch, 63, wrapped up warm in a black coat and mask as attended the national celebrations with his sister Princess Caroline of Hanover, his nephew Louis Ducruet, and cousin Melanie-Antoinette de Massy. From left: Louis Ducruet, Princess Gabriella, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques, Princess Caroline of Hanover, and Melanie-Antoinette de Massy attend the Sainte Devote festivitie

Princess Caroline of Hanover and Prince Albert II of Monaco, share a moment with Princess Gabriella (centre), and Prince Jacques during the symbolic burning of a sailboat at the Sainte Devote festivities, in Monaco

St Devote Day marks yet another milestone without her family, after she missed her twins' birthday and Christmas last month.

The former Olympic swimmer was admitted to an undisclosed treatment facility in November, within days of her return to Monaco following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa.

Albert has remained vague as to the exact cause of Charlene's illness, although he has said she is suffering from 'emotional and physical exhaustion'. Last month it emerged she is still 'months away' from a full recovery.

Albert took their children to visit their mother over the Christmas holidays but it is not known whether they saw each other on her birthday yesterday.

Dressing up for the occasion, both Jacques and Gabriella wore all black ensembles and stayed Covid-safe with face masks.

Their aunt Princess Caroline of Hanover, 65, also sported a dark ensemble.

Meanwhile, Louis Ducruet, 29, the son of Princess Stephanie of Monaco and her former bodyguard Daniel Ducruet opted for a smart suit and tie.

They were joined by Melanie-Antoinette de Massy, 36, the daughter of Elizabeth-Ann de Massy - Prince Albert's late first cousin.

St Devote Day marks yet another milestone without Charlene has spent without her family, after she missed her twins' birthday and Christmas last month. Pictured: Prince Jacques of Monaco and Prince Albert II of Monaco set alight a sailboat during the Sainte Devote festivities

Princess Caroline of Hanover, background and Princess Gabriella set alight a sailboat during the Sainte Devote festivities,

Members of the Monaco royal family set alight a sailboat during the Sainte Devote festivities - which marks a 4th century martyr

Sailboat is symbolically burned during the Sainte Devote festivities - another celebration that has gone on without Princess Charlene

Princess Caroline of Hanover, Princess Gabriella, Louis Ducruet, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques, and Melanie-Antoinette de Massy watch the symbolic burning of a sailboat during the Sainte Devote festivitie

St Devote's Day is a national holiday in Monaco in remembrance of their patron saint, a Christian martyr who was killed and tortured for her faith in the 4th century.

Louis Ducruet, Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques of Monaco, Princess Caroline of Hanover and Melanie-Antoinette de Massy attend the Sainte Devote festivities

Louis Ducruet, Princess Gabriella of Monaco, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Prince Jacques of Monaco, Princess Caroline of Hanover and Melanie-Antoinette de Massy attend the Sainte Devote festivities

According to legend, Christians saved Saint Devote's body and cast it off in a boat to Africa in the hope that once there she would receive a Christian burial. The royal family are pictured

In line with the legend, Prince Albert and his children took part in an annual ceremonial ritual remembering the Saint's final journey last night.

Princess Charlene of Monaco is celebrating her birthday away from her family as she continues to receive treatment for 'emotional and physical exhaustion

The video, originally posted by her charity the Princess Charlene Foundation, features photos of Albert and the twins, pictured, alongside ones of Charlene meeting world leaders and royals including the Obamas and Prince Harry

Timeline: Prince Albert and Princess Charlene's 12 months' apart January 27 - Charlene is pictured with Albert for the Sainte Devote Ceremony in Monaco. March 18 - Charlene is pictured at the memorial for the late Zulu monarch, King Goodwill Zwelithini at the KwaKhethomthandayo Royal Palace in Nongoma, South Africa April 2 - Charlene posts an Instagram picture of herself, Albert and their twins Jacques and Gabriella for Easter. It is unknown where the image was taken. May 8 - Albert, Jacques and Gabriella attend a Grand Prix event in Monaco without Charlene May 10 - Albert attends Monaco Gala Awards in Monaco without Charlene May 18 - Charlene shares her first picture from her conservation trip in South Africa June 1 - Prince Albert II, Jacques and Gabriella attend event at Oceanic Museum in Monaco June 3 - New photos emerge of Charlene on her conservation trip June 5- Charlene puts on a united front as she shares a photo with her family to mark her niece's fifth birthday with her brother's family and Albert and the twins in South Africa June 7 - Albert and the twins attend the World Rugby Sevens without Charlene June 17 - Prince Albert attends Red Cross Summer concert in Monte Carlo with his sister Princess Caroline of Hanover June 18 - Prince Albert appears alone Monte Carlo TV Festival June 24 - Charlene's foundation releases a statement saying the royal is unable to travel and is undergoing procedures for an ear, nose and throat infection July 2 - Charlene and Albert mark their 10th anniversary separately. 'This year will be the first time that I'm not with my husband on our anniversary in July, which is difficult, and it saddens me,' Her Serene Highness Princess Charlene said in a statement. July 3 - Albert appears with glamorous niece Charlotte Casiraghi at the 15th international Monte-Carlo Jumping event, which is part of the Longines Global Champions Tour of Monaco, July 27 - Prince Albert attends Olympics alone in Tokyo August 13 - Charlene undergoes a four-hour operation. The reason is not announced August 25 - Charlene shares photos of Prince Albert, Gabriella and Jacques visiting her in South Africa September 1 - Charlene is admitted under an alias to the Netcare Alberlito Hospital after suddenly 'collapsing' September 2 - She is discharged, with a statement from the Palais Princier reading: 'Her Highness is closely monitored by Her medical team who said that Her condition was not worrying' September 23 - Prince Albert attends the 2021 Monte Carlo Gala for Planetary Health September 29 - Prince Albert is joined on the red carpet by actress Sharon Stone for a first look at the eagerly anticipated James Bond release September 30 - Charlene releases a stylish video promoting her anti-poaching campaign from her South African bolthole October 3 - Princess Charlene shares a photograph of herself smiling in front of a bible in her first snap since being discharged from hospital following her health scare October 5 - Prince Albert attends Sportel Awards Ceremony in Monte Carlo with nephew Louis Ducruet October 6 - Albert tells RMC radio Charlene is 'ready to come home' October 8 - Princess undergoes surgery in South Africa November 8 - Charlene arrives back in Monaco. Prince Albert said within hours it became clear she was 'unwell' November 13 - Prince Albert attends Expo 2020 in Dubai without Princess Charlene Following his return from the trip, Prince Albert holds an intervention with Charlene's brothers and a sister-in-law in which Charlene 'confirmed' she would seek 'real medically framed treatment' outside of Monaco November 16 - Royal household confirms Princess Charlene will not attend National Day celebrations on November 19 - Prince Albert attends a Monaco Red Cross event without Princess Charlene November 17 - Prince Albert reveals Princess Charlene has left Monaco and is recovering in a secret location November 19 - Prince Albert reveals Charlene is in a treatment facility 'elsewhere in Europe' after a family intervention January 25 - Charlene celebrates her birthday alone outside of Monaco January 26 - Prince Albert is joined by his children and sister without Charlene at St Devote's Day Advertisement

St Devote's Day is a national holiday in Monaco in remembrance of their patron saint, a Christian martyr who was killed and tortured for her faith in the 4th century.

According to legend, Christians saved Saint Devote's body and cast it off in a boat to Africa in the hope that once there she would receive a Christian burial.

A dove then flew from her mouth and guided the boat to Monaco where it ran aground and the Saint has helped the principality in times of peril ever since.

In line with the legend, Prince Albert and his children took part in an annual ceremonial ritual remembering the Saint's final journey last night.

The couple made their way through the crowds following a church service and stopped to shake hands with locals on their way.

They also helped set light to a fishing boat - a tradition that's been going strong since the reign of Prince Louis II in 1942.

They were given torches which they used to set fire to a fisherman's boat like the one that the Saint's body was carried on.

Shortly before Christmas it was revealed Princess Charlene is still several months away from making a full recovery.

In November, Charlene was admitted to a treatment facility in an undisclosed location within days of her return to Monaco following a 10-month absence in her native South Africa .

Her husband spoke out to say she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical', while friends told Page Six that the mother-of-two 'almost died' while she was in her hometown of Cape Town.

A palace statement released on December 23 revealed Albert and the couple's children were planning to visit Charlene during the Christmas holidays, as well as asking for the family's privacy to be respected.

It added that the princess 'is recuperating in a satisfactory and reassuring manner, although it may take a few more months before her health has reached a full recovery.'

Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014.

Charlene returned to her husband and twins Jacques and Gabriella in November following almost a year in South Africa.

While on a solo charity trip to the country, she contracted a severe sinus infection which prevented her from travelling. She subsequently needed surgery to treat the medical condition, which again delayed her return to Monaco.

In the weeks after her arrival, Charlene remained absent from public duties.

Albert later revealed the family reunion had gone 'pretty well' in the first few hours, but it then became 'pretty evident' that Charlene was 'unwell.'

He said the former Olympian 'realised she needed help', adding: 'She was overwhelmed and couldn't face official duties, life in general or even family life.'

Albert explained: 'I'm probably going to say this several times, but this has nothing to do with our relationship. I want to make that very clear. These are not problems within our relationship; not with the relationship between a husband and wife. It's of a different nature.'

He went on to tell a magazine her current state was a result of 'several factors which are private'.

Albert continued: 'She hadn't slept well in a number of days and she wasn't eating at all well. She has lost a lot of weight, which made her vulnerable to other potential ailments. A cold or the flu or God help us, COVID.'

He said it is 'not cancer-related or personal relationship issue' and later said she is suffering from 'exhaustion, both emotional and physical'.

He later confirmed Charlene has been admitted to a treatment facility for undisclosed medical issues, as she works through a period of ill health. The location of the facility was not confirmed, though several sources claim it is in Switzerland.

However friends of the princess spoke out to suggest the issues were more physical than Albert appeared to suggest.

Speaking to Page Six, a source described as the royal's friend said: 'It is unfair that she is being portrayed as having some kind of mental or emotional issue.

'We don't know why the palace is downplaying that she almost died in South Africa.'

The source explained the royal had a severe ear, nose and throat infection, which resulted in 'severe sinus and swallowing issues stemming from an earlier surgery'.

Elsewhere friends of Princess Charlene gave Tatler a rare insight into what the royal is really like, insisting that the former swimmer is a force to be reckoned with.

One source rubbished any public perception that Charlene is 'naive' and trapped in an unhappy marriage with Albert, saying: 'I don't for one second think she did not know what she was doing when she married him.'

But one warned the mother of Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella, seven, is not the type to be blindly controlled by the Monaco royal household.

'Charlene is no Princess Di.' one said. 'She may come across as being extremely naive, but nothing could be further from the truth. She is very good at keeping her smarts under wraps.'

Doubts about the central relationship of Monaco's royal family are not new.

Several residents living in the narrow medieval alleys of Monaco Ville confirmed to MailOnline that before she left for South Africa Charlene was spending most of her time outside the Palace, living in a modest two-bedroom apartment above an old chocolate factory about 300m away, rather than in the 12th Century Palace itself.

'We often saw her outside the Palace and she would usually be alone or with a bodyguard,' said one source, 'but she was never with Albert - it was obvious she chose to spend most of her time in the apartment rather than the palace.'

Princess Charlene met Prince Albert in 2000 during a swimming competition in Monaco and the pair married in 2011, before welcoming twins Gabriella and Jacques in 2014.

Born in Rhodesia- a previously unrecognised state in Southern Africa colonised by the British, she relocated to South Africa aged 11.
Memory loss in middle-age could be predicted through routine heart scans taken in your early thirties, doctors believe.

Scientists who tracked volunteers for 25 years discovered subtle heart changes were linked to declines in memory and thinking.

Experts at the University of California, San Francisco say the risk markers can appear even before tell-tale signs of heart disease strike.

Lead researcher Dr Laure Rouch said: 'Our findings are of critical importance in the context of identifying potential early markers in the heart of increased risk for later-life cognitive decline.

'Such abnormalities are common and often underdiagnosed as they do not produce any obvious symptoms.'

Dozens of studies have already found a clear link between high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes with cognitive impairment.

But Dr Rouch and colleagues said much less is known about how the heart structure and function impacts brain health.

Scientists at the University of California, who monitored 2,500 Americans from their 30s to middle age, found those whose hearts grew faster than average had worse memory later in life. The team said the finding could mean people at higher risk of cognitive problems later in life could be identified by a simple heart scan (an echocardiogram, pictured) in young adulthood

The experts tracked 2,653 people for 25 years. Volunteers were aged 30, on average, when they signed up to the study, published in the medical journal Neurology.

Participants had echocardiograms, ultrasound images of the heart, at the start of the study, as well as 20 and 25 years later.

The team used the scans to examine their heart's diastolic function  when it rests between beats and the chambers fill with blood.

Routine eye tests can flag up people at risk of suffering a heart attack in the next year, experts say A routine eye test at the opticians could be used to flag patients at risk of having a heart attack, a study suggests. Scientists have developed an AI programme that can analyse routine eye scans for early warning signs of a heart problem. It works by looking at changes to tiny blood vessels at the back of the eye, which evidence suggests contains key information on heart health. Problems with blood circulation can cause cells in the retina to become damaged and die, leaving behind a permanent mark. University of Leeds researchers were able to accurately identify patients who had a heart attack within a year with up to 80 per cent accuracy. The study of 3,000 patients was published in the journal Nature Machine Intelligence. Cardiovascular disease is the second largest killer in the UK, causing 160,000 deaths each year  an average of 460 fatalities a day. In the US, heart disease kills 659,000 people each year. Advertisement

They measured the weight of the participants' left ventricle  one of four chambers of the heart  as well as how much blood filled the chamber and how well the left ventricle pumped blood out of the heart.

On average, the volunteers' left ventricle weight increased by roughly 0.27g/m2 each year.

And their left atrial volume increased by 0.42ml/m2 annually.

In the last year of the study, participants' had their thinking and memory skills tested. Tasks included recalling words from a list 10 minutes after looking at it and drawing lines connecting alternating letters and numbers.

Results revealed the participants whose left ventricle increased in weight more than average were more likely to perform worse on the tests.

This group scored an average of 22.7 out of a possible 30 marks on the brain tasks, compared to 24 among the others.

And those whose left atrial volume increased more than average had lower global cognition  which includes attention, memory, verbal fluency and language  by midlife.

But no similar link was found when the experts compared the measurements of how well the left ventricle pumped blood out of the heart.

Dr Rouch said: 'Our results were similar after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity.

'As early as young adulthood, even before the occurrence of cardiovascular disease, there may be heart abnormalities that could be risk markers for lower thinking and memory skills in middle age.

'In the future, a single echocardiogram may help identify people at higher risk of cognitive impairment.'

The researchers didn't examine whether the heart changes they detected directly caused brain decline.

But larger left ventricle volume is a sign of vascular ageing, which is associated with cognitive impairment.

And deformations in this exact chamber of the heart have previously been linked to dementia.
Robots performing delicate and complicated life-saving surgery was once an idea that belonged exclusively in science fiction.

But it has now moved one step closer to being reality.

Johns Hopkins University experts got a robot to perform one of the most 'delicate' types of operation on four pigs, tasking it with reconnecting two ends of a severed intestine.

Results showed the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot (STAR), as it has been dubbed, was actually better than humans.

It marks a world-first, being the first time a machine has carried out keyhole surgery without the guiding hand of a human.

Senior author of the project, Professor Axel Krieger, said: 'Our findings show we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery.'

Connecting two ends of an intestine is one of the most challenging gastrointestinal ops, requiring a surgeon to suture with high accuracy and consistency.

Even the slightest hand tremor or misplaced stitch can result in a leak which could have catastrophic complications for the patient.

The Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot in action as it ties together two segments of pig intestine, through a tiny hole in the creature's abdomen, without human assistance. While robots have been used in surgery before they have struggled to advance in the field of soft tissue operations due to the need to adapt quickly to unpredictable factors during the procedure

Robot with a pair of claws at the end of humanoid-shaped arms is used to perform surgeries at three US medical facilities A robot with a pair of pinching claws attached to two humanoid-shaped arms is used to perform hysterectomies, which is the removal of the uterus, in three US medical facilities. Called Hominis, this surgical system is operated by a human controller who maneuvers the robotic arms while watching the procedure happening on a screen in real time. The robot features shoulder, elbow and wrist joints to provide human human level dexterity and 360-degree articulation. An additional arm guides a laparoscopic video camera through a small, separate incision, to help visualize the internal procedure. Hominis enters through the vagina to perform the hysterectomy and then wraps its arms around the uterus to perform the operation. The robot was developed by Israel-based Memic Innovation Surgery, which announced the technology is being used at Florida Healthcares Kendall Regional Medical Center, AdventHealth Celebration and The Womens Hospital at Jackson Memorial. Advertisement

Robot-assisted surgery is not new, with the NHS already using the machines to assist in a range of operations, including complex urological procedures.

But the machines that carry out keyhole surgery still require the guiding hand or watchful eye of a human, which is what makes the STAR unique.

Keyhole surgery, also called laparoscopy, involves making a tiny cut into the body to allow surgeons to access the abdomen and the pelvis.

Surgeons feed a tube that comes with a camera and a light that relays images to a TV monitor, allowing them to watch what they are doing.

The procedure is used to treat a variety of ailments including the removal of gallstones or the appendix, and repairing hernias.

Before the advent of keyhole surgery, medics needed to make larger incisions to see what they were operating on. It increased the risk of complications and led to longer recovery times for patients.

The current STAR is an advanced version of the machine created in 2016, which also successfully in reconnected a pig's intestine.

But then it needed a large incision and more guidance from human operators to do so.

The new findings were published in the journal Science Robotics.

Robots have struggled to perform soft-tissue operations, such as those involving the organs in the lower abdomen.

This is because of the highly complex and unpredictable nature of this area of the body during surgery as tissues and organs move as the patient breathes.

However, STAR's developers have provided it with a system enabling it to adjust its surgical plan on the fly, like a human surgeon would.

Professor Jin Kang, another STAR developer, said this was done by giving the robot an endoscope capable of producing 3D images of the interior surgical environment and an advanced learning programme to help it make the necessary decisions.

'We believe an advanced three-dimensional machine vision system is essential in making intelligent surgical robots smarter and safer,' he said.

The authors did not detail any next plans for the robot and when it might be used to perform surgery on humans.

The number of robots currently in use by NHS in the UK is unknown,

But an investigation by Imperial College London researchers found that of November 2019 there were 61 surgical robots in use in the NHS in England.

Between them they had performed at least 10,000 operations in 2019, with the vast majority of these being urological procedures.
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Covid deaths in the U.S. are on the rise, and are approaching worrying levels not reached since the tale end of last winter's surge - which is still the deadliest of the pandemic. The nation is averaging 2,259 deaths per day this week, the highest total since February 17, 2021.

Hope could be on the horizon, though, as deaths often lag behind Covid cases, which have been on a decline in recent weeks - especially along the east coast.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, daily cases have dropped by 13 percent over the past seven days, down to 639,723 per day from 773,771 per day. It appears that the U.S. is beyond the peak of the Omicron surge - with cases eclipsing 800,000 per day last week then coming down again quickly.

The drop in cases has not been as pronounced in the U.S. as it has in peer nations like the UK and South Africa, though, due to the large size and spread out nature of the country.

The recent decline in cases has been long predicted by health officials. Omicron arrived in the U.S. around the time of its discovery in late-November, and quickly caused cases to spike - especially in major population centers like New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Cases are starting to decline in these areas as the variant is burning out. The highly infectious, vaccine resistant, strain of the virus infected so many people so quickly that it started to run out of people to transmit to.

All across the east coast , cases are falling. New York and New Jersey - which both suffered massive surges of cases last month due to rampant transmission in the Big Apple. Both states are now recording case drops of around 70 percent over the past two weeks.

Even southern states like Georgia, Florida and South Carolina that were among those hardest struck by the variant when it arrived stateside at the end of last year are either recording declining cases or significantly smaller increases than they were in previous weeks.

The Omicron variant is more mild than previous strains of the virus as well, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data Tuesday highlighting the low mortality rate of the variant when compared to previous strains.

A study published by the CDC found that despite the peak of the Omicron variant including 400 percent more cases at its peak, deaths were actually down four percent when compared to the height of the Delta-fueled outbreak.

'COVID-19 disease severity appears to be lower during the Omicron period than during previous periods of high transmission, likely related to higher vaccination coverage, which reduces disease severity, lower virulence of the Omicron variant, and infection-acquired immunity,' researchers wrote.

Despite the relatively lower mortality rate, the high volume of Covid cases can still strain hospital systems, and cause deaths to rise to worrying levels. While a lower proportion of virus patients are dying now when compared to previous surges, the more than 2,000 Americans succumbing to the virus every day has still alarmed some experts.

Another threat could be around the corner as well. Across the pond in the UK, a sub-variant of Omicron that is believed to be even more infectious is starting to spread. While it still accounts for less than one percent of sequenced cases in the nation, officials are on alert for the new 'stealth' strain that can not be detected by PCR tests.

The plummeting of cases in the UK has tapered off, starting to slowly grow once again after dropping from 180,000 infections per day in early January to just over 96,000 on January 26.

South Africa, the nation where the variant was first discovered, was the first country to experience a massive surge in cases. Case quickly rose from around 500 per day to over 23,000 per day in late 2021, before reaching a peak and making a sharp decline. The country is now down to just over 3,000 cases per day in late January.

While cases are declining in the U.S., Dr Anthony Fauci, America's top infectious disease expert, warns that it is too early to totally 'return to normal'.

We are not there right now,' he said during a briefing Wednesday morning.

When you have over 2,000 deaths, 150,000 hospitalizations and you have people who are now getting infected to the tune of somewhere around 700,000 a day, were not there yet

He explained that in order to control the virus, and stop it from disrupting every day life, it will take a combination of mass development and distribution of vaccines, tests, masks and antiviral therapeutic treatments. All those together can get the situation under control.

'A level of control that does not disrupt us in society, that does not dominate our live and does not prevent us from doing things that we generally do under normal existence,' he said.

Like the UK and South Africa, regions of the U.S. that suffered Omicron surges in December are seeing case levels come back down after reaching record levels. Nearly half, 21, states are now recording a declining of cases over the past two weeks.

Of those states, 19 are east of the Mississippi river, with Louisiana - which borders the west side of the river - is also among the group. No state east of the Mississippi is recording a case increase of more than 50 percent.

New Jersey is the leader in case decline over the past two weeks, dropping 71 percent over the past two weeks. Its neighbor, New York, has seen a 69 percent drop in cases over the last 14 days as well. Both states were sequencing Omicron cases at a rate four times the national average in mid-December, signaling how quickly the variant took hold in those states when compared to elsewhere.

The duo also saw cases increases seven-fold during that period, and are now seeing those figures finally come back down after peaking in recent weeks.

Maryland was struck by the variant quickly as well, and like its peers just to the north, is now experiencing a massive 63 percent drop in cases over the past two weeks. The state also has the lowest infection rate in the U.S., with only 74 of every 100,000 residents testing positive for the virus every day.

Other states along the east coast are experiencing substantial declines as well, like New Hampshire (27 percent), Vermont (eight percent), Pennsylvania (48 percent), Delaware (39 percent), Virginia (29 percent), Georgia (13 percent) and Florida (49 percent).

Illinois is firmly in the Midwest, but its major population center in Chicago makes the state often match east coast trends. The Prairie state is recording a 25 percent drop in cases over the past two weeks. Other states like Wisconsin (17 percent) - the leader in case growth at one point last week - Ohio (24 percent), Mississippi (two percent) and Louisiana (27 percent) are experiencing declines as well.

Out west, cases are continuing to grow, though, as the Great Frontier is yet to have reached its peak yet. States in the plains region are recording massive case increases. Idaho (127 percent) and Montana (100 percent) are the only states in America recording cases increases of 100 percent or more over the past two weeks.

Also in the region, Minnesota (96 percent) and North Dakota (84 percent) are leading in cases increases as well.

These are less densely populated regions of the country than the major metropolitan hubs on the east coast, meaning it took much longer for Omicron to take hold in these regions. Now that it has, cases are starting to jump, though still not at the same rapid pace seen eastern states.

Other plains states like Wyoming (66 percent), Oklahoma (64 percent) and Kansas (61 percent) are recording sharp case increases over the last 14 days as well.

Colorado has proved to be an outlier among its peers, actually recording a 26 percent decline in cases over the past two weeks.

Many of the states recording declining cases are still among the leaders in Covid mortality rate. While cases are coming down in these states, the lagging of death totals behind case totals is causing the figures to remain high, though there is hope deaths will soon come down just as cases did.

Ohio is the national leader in Covid mortality rate, recording 1.52 deaths per every 100,000 residents daily. The state has recorded a 25 percent drop over the past two weeks, a sign that things could soon reverse for the state.

Ten states are now recording more than one death per every 100,000 residents every day. Many are along the east coast, like Massachusetts (1.39 deaths per 100,000 residents), New Jersey (1.25), Pennsylvania (1.22), Maryland (1.06) and New York (1.03) are all among the leaders in mortality rate.

Illinois (1.23) and neighboring Indiana remain among the leaders in mortality rate as well, though Covid cases seem to be beyond their peak in both of those states as well.

Across the pond, the UK has seen new daily cases start to slightly increase once more, up to 94,326 a day after reaching down into the low 80,000s last week. It is a far fall from the case peak at around 180,000 cases per day earlier this month and a surge that once looked devastating has quickly been controlled.

Similar to the U.S., the UK still had daily deaths slowly increase even as cases in the nation began to plummet. Things seem to have leveled off, though, with the nation steadying at around 440 daily deaths over the past week. It is likely cases will soon start to decline, just as cases did.

London, like New York City, has proved to be the national pandemic hotspot in England. The city in the southwestern region of the nation was slammed early and hard by the Omicron variant, with cases skyrocketing so quickly some feared the region would have to reenter lockdowns.

Cases in London quickly began to decline, though, and the new restrictions and overwhelming of hospitals that some experts predicted never materialized. The virus started to move northward and eastward afterwards, though, with cases declining in London and other nearby neighborhoods while the virus surged elsewhere.

Nearly every region of the UK is experiencing case declines now, though, as it appears that the Omicron variant has run its course in the country. Only a month ago, some experts feared the nation's healthcare system would be overrun, but now its fortunes have totally reversed and the leaders are even beginning the transition to post-pandemic life.

Last week, mandates put in place to combat Omicron, like work from home orders, mask mandates, vaccine checks for certain events and capacity restrictions were lifted. Requirements for travelers into the nation to test upon arrival were lifted Monday as well.
Dr Anthony Fauci (pictured), warned Wednesday that it is too early to consider the COVID-19 pandemic controlled despite recent drops in cases

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, issued a warning Wednesday that it is too early to consider Covid 'controlled' in the U.S.

During a Covid briefing Wednesday, the director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease warned that the current Covid situation is not as optimistic as some officials and experts are saying.

Covid cases are starting to decline in the U.S. after skyrocketing at the end of 2021 and reaching a peak of 800,000 cases per day earlier this month - more than triple the previous case record set last winter.

The rapid spread of Omicron, combined with the relatively mild nature of the variant has many experts and officials hopeful that this strain will be what transitions the pandemic into an endemic.

Fauci has often given more pessimistic outlooks about the future of the pandemic than many other experts, though some of his more grim predictions have come to fruition.

He also mentioned that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for young children - which he believes could be available soon - will require three doses of the shot instead of the standard two dose regimen.

Fauci also reaffirmed his confidence the the Pfizer vaccine will be available to children under the age of five as early as next month. The vaccine regimen will feature three doses that are much smaller than the ones currently used for adults. Pictured: A young girl in Cranston, Rhode Island, receives a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on November 2021

'Where we want to be is that sufficient control. Not eradication that's unreasonable. Not necessarily elimination but a level of control that does not disrupt us in society,' Fauci said.

'That does not dominate our live and does not prevent us from doing things that we generally do under normal existence.'

He added that the U.S. is not yet there and it still recording high daily case and death figures.

According to most recent data from Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. is averaging 639,723 cases per day - a 13 percent decrease over the past week.

Deaths are on the way upwards, though, jumping 28 percent over the past week to 2,259 per day.

He does believe that it is possible to reach the point of control, though, and it would take the use of vaccines, masks, tests and antiviral therapeutics.

The eligibility of vaccines could soon be expanded as well. Fauci reiterated Wednesday that he thinks approval of the jab for children under the age of five will come as early as next month.

Pfizer, which manufactures the most popularly used jab in the U.S., plans to soon submit data to regulators for a three dose vaccine used in children under the age of five.

The shots would be significantly smaller. Adults and kids over 12 currently receive a 30 microgram dose of the vaccine, and children five to 12 receive a 10 microgram shot.

The jab for children younger than five will be three micrograms, a third of the size of the smallest available dose.

Antiviral Covid treatments, that help a person limit symptoms after infection - unlike the vaccines that have the main job of preventing infection - have managed to become a controversial topic in recent weeks.

Pfizer and Merck have both developed antiviral pills that are easy to administer, and considered to be effective at preventing the most severe of Covid symptoms.

The White House has made large purchase orders of both drugs to distribute to patients around the country, though Pfizer's Paxlovid has been of short supply.

Jeff Zients, White House Covid response coordinator, assured the public that the drug will be available for use.

'We've purchased 20 million treatment courses of the Pfizer pill and we accelerated delivery of the first 10 million from September to the end of June,' he said.

'We have hundreds of thousands of pills across the first quarter of 2022 per month, and that moves to millions in order to complete the first half of the 20 million by the end of June.'

Monoclonal antibody drugs, a favorite of some Republican figures like Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, have had their use paused in the U.S. for the time being.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made the controversial decision to pull its authorization for two drugs made by Regeneron and Eli Lilly after data from the National Institute of Health revealed neither had much effect against the strain.

Monoclonal antibody drugs are expensive and resources intensive to administer, and the move was made in an effort to prevent the wasting of valuable health care resources.

DeSantis, unhappy with the decision, said Tuesday that the Biden administration made the decision 'without a shred of clinical data to support its decision.'
Electric car owners face a 'postcode lottery' for charging costs when using council-owned devices, according to new research.

Research by British Gas found that just 21 councils across England and Wales allow motorists to top up their batteries for free when other authorities are charging EV drivers up to 4 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

To charge a typical electric vehicle from flat to 100 per cent at that rate would cost 240, the analysis found. While the same charging session at home using a dedicated off-peak EV tariff would be around 3.90.

Electric car owners face a 'postcode lottery' for charging costs when using council-owned devices, according to new research by British Gas

The staggering difference in charging costs at public devices will make difficult reading for those with plug-in cars who do not have driveways or off-street parking at their property, which represents a third of UK households.

These drivers are therefore reliant on public charging points.

British Gas found that drivers in the South generally have access to more devices but have to pay more to use them.

21 councils that provide free EV charging 1. Arun 2. Bracknell Forest 3. Bradford 4. Bridgend County Borough Council 5. Crawley 6. Daventry 7. East Riding of Yorkshire 8. Hambleton 9. Lancaster 10. Leeds 11. Lichfield 12. Lincoln 13. Oadby and Wigston 14. Southampton 15. Staffordshire 16. Stevenage 17. Stockport 18. Swindon 19. Tunbridge Wells 20. Warrington 21. Woking Source: British Gas

The average cost per kWh at the cheapest charging points across East Anglia, London, the South East and the South West is 32p, compared with 25p in the Midlands, the North East, the North West, Yorkshire and the Humber and Wales.

The figures were obtained following Freedom of Information requests to more than 400 councils.

Those offering free charging include Bridgend, Leeds and Woking.

The most expensive fees are charged by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council on the south coast, and Cotswold District Council, Gloucestershire, at 4 per kWh.

The figures do not take into account the speed of the charging points.

British Gas issued a warning over the 'postcode lottery' of fees after commissioning a survey of 2,000 motorists, which indicated one in three are nervous about switching to EVs due to charging costs.

The most expensive fees are charged by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council on the south coast, and Cotswold District Council, Gloucestershire, at a staggering 4 per kWh

The energy firm's head of EV enablement, Lucy Simpson, said: 'The latest figures released today demonstrate the need for all UK councils to play their part in supporting the transition to electric vehicles.

'Currently, we have 21 progressive councils that have decided to support local EV adoption, so we would expect a greater uptake of EVs to come through in these areas than in councils where it is expensive to charge.

'If charging doesn't become more accessible in these areas, we could see a slower rate of adoption.

'Whilst the Government does offer certain financial incentives at the point of purchase, charging costs are still a barrier to electric vehicle adoption.'

She added: 'It's unfair that those who don't live in areas with either free or low-cost charging are being discriminated against based on their address.

'If this continues, we risk leaving a huge number of drivers behind in the transition to electric cars.'

The British Gas investigation comes after official figures released by the Government a week ago suggested a growing North-South divide in terms of charging availability.

Records for 2021 showed that 7,600 new public charge points were installed last year, taking the total to 28,375 plug-in points across the country.

However, the data shows that London has benefitted from a much faster expansion of its charging infrastructure than any other region, with 102 devices per 100,000 of its population, while areas like the North West have just 24 per 100,000 people.

It also raised fresh concerns that infrastructure is failing to keep pace with the number of electric cars entering the road, with one new public device added for every 24 zero-emission vehicle registered last year.
Mike Lynchs long legal and media campaign, to avoid extradition to the US over fraud allegations arising from the 7.6billion sale of his software group Autonomy to Hewlett Packard, is running out of rope.

The software tycoon is more than aware that American regulators, prosecutors and courts are far less forgiving of white collar and financial misdeeds than their British counterparts.

Watchers of financial fiction, from The Wolf of Wall Street to Billions and Succession, will be familiar with the cold chills of the principals when windcheater-clad FBI teams arrive on the trading floor.

Wanted: Software tycoon Mike Lynch is aware that American regulators, prosecutors and courts take a far less forgiving approach to white collar crime than their British counterparts

US financial justice recently was seen in action with the conviction of well-connected Silicon Valley entrepreneur Elizabeth Holmes over the implosion of her biotech start-up Theranos. Lynchs fate now rests with Home Secretary Priti Patel.

The Autonomy founders case against extradition is based on legal niceties as well as substance. Britains extradition treaty with the US was designed to bring terrorists to justice not financial offenders.

It was used in similar circumstances with the Natwest Three. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) declined to prosecute in the UK and the Three were eventually convicted in the US as part of the fallout from the Enron scandal.

Lynchs substantive point is that his former colleague and Autonomy financial officer Sushovan Hussain, who was convicted in the US in 2019, was not fairly tried. Defence witnesses failed to appear because they feared arrest.

It would be much better if the trial was held in Britain  trying the case in the UK would serve as a deterrent to others.

That horse bolted in 2015 when the SFO said that its Autonomy/HP investigation was closed.

The barriers to successful fraud and accounting cases brought against individuals in Britain are inordinately high even if the company is found wanting  as in the accounting debacle at Tesco in 2014.

There needs to be no reminder of how slowly the wheels of UK City justice move.

The drawn-out saga over management culpability for the HBOS failure in 2008 goes on, and the slow-motion probe of the implosion in Neil Woodfords financial empire in 2019 has yet to reach first base.

Sending Mike Lynch off to the US may seem extreme. But it may be the only way of seeing justice done.

Nuclear winter

Never has the need for new nuclear been more obvious.

Surging wholesale gas and oil prices and the confrontation between Russia and Nato have underlined why Britains just-in-time energy supply chain, with virtually no gas storage, has left the nation vulnerable to brown-outs and turbulent prices.

New nuclear isnt going to happen quickly. EDFs Hinkley Point wont be finished until at least 2025 and if previous, less complex big infrastructure projects are a clue, much later.

Nevertheless, the Government has recognised the importance of developing a nuclear baseload, hence the 210million put into Rolls-Royces small modular reactors.

Now, a further 100million has been paid towards a new reactor at Sizewell C. The dragon from the past  of the Government refusing to use its balance sheet to back valuable projects  has been slain with backing for Sizewell and British Volt.

Nuclear eventually will assist the UK in hitting Cop26 carbon emission targets but does not address current energy needs.

Granting new North Sea licences to BP and backing the new Cambo field in Shetland would deliver more quickly, and storage needs to be bolstered.

Waiting for new nuclear is not enough.

House Wizard

The great challenge for publisher Bloomsbury is what to do when its one-person creative industry, aka JK Rowling, loses special powers.

Harry Potter has been its mainstay but there is some concern that the authors failure to follow the woke agenda over transgender rights might affect her hold over teenage readers.

It doesnt seem to have done the Potter brand any harm at theme parks or on Broadway. Currently supportive at Bloomsbury is Tanzanian Nobel prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah.

A tilt towards online academic publishing through the recent purchase of California-based Abc-Clio also helps.

An upbeat projection for future sales sent the shares sharply higher.

There is still magic to be conjured.
Budget airline Wizz Air's losses more than doubled at the end of last year despite a hefty recovery in passenger numbers.

The Hungarian company recorded a 267.5million loss for the final three months of 2021 compared to 116.4million during the same period last year as the Omicron variant and renewed restrictions impacted international travel.

It still managed to carry over 5 million more passengers and saw traveller and capacity levels exceed their pre-pandemic levels over the peak holiday travel period, while its load factor grew by 14 percentage points to 77.1 per cent.

Heavy Loss: Wizz Air recorded a 267.5million loss for the final three months of 2021 as the Omicron variant and renewed restrictions impacted international travel

Less stringent curbs on global travel by European governments helped revenue from passenger tickets surge by 137.7 per cent to 162.3million and ancillary revenues triple to 246million.

But the group's expansion measures, which included hiring and training extra staff, increasing its bases across Italy, and boosting aircraft based at destinations such as London Gatwick and Abu Dhabi, caused its losses to widen.

Wizz Air was also impacted by increasing fuel and maintenance costs, a 31.1million foreign exchange loss resulting from a strengthened dollar, and much larger airport, handling and en-route charges.

Chief executive Joszef Varadi warned that the firm expects demand in the next couple of months to remain impacted by 'ongoing travel uncertainty' and for this quarter's operating loss to be higher than the previous quarter as a consequence.

He said the air carrier was 'cautiously optimistic' about travel rebounding over the Spring period before achieving 'near-full utilisation' over the summer.

Varadi added: 'We continue to back our strategic choices to invest in our fleet, grow our bases and routes, and lower our unit cost in order to take advantage of the market created in the wake of Covid-19.'

Troubles: Wizz Air chief executive Joszef Varadi warned that the firm expects demand in the next couple of months to remain impacted by 'ongoing travel uncertainty'

As part of expansion plans to triple its aircraft fleet by the end of the decade, Wizz Air had eight new A321neo aircraft delivered during the third quarter and expects to have 179 in total by the end of this year.

In November, it purchased over 100 extra Airbus aircraft at an estimated price of 74.5million each, which it hopes to have delivered between 2025 and 2027. The deal remains subject to shareholder approval.

And after letting go 1,000 staff in April 2020, the airline revealed today that it had brought on another 1,500 staff to its ranks since last summer and now has a greater number of employees than it did prior to the pandemic.

But while Wizz Air's latest data suggests a rebound from the depths of 2020, it still carried more than two million fewer passengers in the last three months of last year than it did in 2019.

Good Future: 'Fortune favours the brave, and there are growing signs that Wizz Air, and other airlines, could be in a stronger position in the coming months,' said AJ Bell's Russ Mould

AJ Bell's investment director Russ Mould said Wizz Air's performance 'perfectly illustrates the sector's predicament. Passenger numbers are picking up, and there are more bums on seats per available plane.'

He added: 'Wizz Air remains ever the optimist, which it must be when you consider it has picked up more airports slots at Gatwick airport and ordered more aircraft.

'It has bet hard that recovery will pick up soon and that its investments will help it secure an even bigger slice of the aviation market.

'Fortune favours the brave, and there are growing signs that Wizz Air, and other airlines, could be in a stronger position in the coming months.'

Shares in the airline closed trading 0.2 per cent lower at 42.50 on Wednesday, meaning their value has only slightly risen over the last 12 months.
Tullow Oil's boss has hailed a 'year of positive change and transformation' as his firm revealed slashed debts and expectations that cash flow will exceed previous guidance.

Rahul Dhir said the company was 'progressing well' with implementing its decade-long strategy to exploit its West African assets and had seen major improvements in drilling performance, safety and efficiency.

The energy exploration firm said its net debts at the end of 2021 fell to around $2.1billion from $2.4billion the prior year and were about 25 per cent lower than in 2019.

Financially stronger: Tullow Oil said its net debts at the end of 2021 fell to around $2.1billion from $2.4billion the prior year and were about 25 per cent lower than its levels in 2019

It also predicts underlying operating cash flow will be around $700million while free cash flow will be about $250million thanks to the rebound in oil prices over the second half of last year and cost controls.

For this current year, the London-listed group anticipates to continue reducing its debt pile as it ramps up capital spending to about $350million, with just under three-quarters of that amount focused on its projects in Ghana.

Tullow intends to drill three wells at the offshore Jubilee field - its largest site - as well as two strategic development wells in the TEN field's Ntomme riser base area and another one in the Enyenra area.

Across these two sites, the company expects to produce between 102,000 and 110,000 barrels of oil on average per day in 2022, even though it plans to shut the Jubilee field down for a fortnight for maintenance reasons.

Outside Ghana, the business forecasts expanding production at the Simba field in Gabon by 40 per cent this year following the successful installation of an offtake pipeline and a drilled infill well.

Dhir said: '2021 was a year of positive change and transformation for Tullow, and we ended the year on a firm financial and operational footing.

Dangers: Oil prices are at a seven-year high as economies have reopened, OPEC has set tighter production limits and weather-related events have caused disruption

'The delivery of our long-term business plan is progressing well with significant improvements in safety, operating efficiency and drilling performance.

'In 2022, we will build on these firm foundations and focus on investing in our producing assets in West Africa...There is much to look forward to this year.'

Based on an average oil price of $75 per barrel, Tullow forecasts a higher operating cash flow of $750million but lower free cash flow of around $100million this year.

This weaker free cash flow reflects greater investment and a scheduled $75million payment from oil giant Total for purchasing its Ugandan assets and increased expenditure on decommissioning.

It has hedged around three-quarters of its anticipated sales volumes up to March 2023, followed by 50 per cent for the subsequent year for output of an estimated 60,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day of between $51 and $78 a barrel.

The value of Brent Crude oil plummeted in early 2020 as coronavirus spread across the globe, a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia erupted and travel restrictions led to a significant drop-off in demand for petrol.

This sent Tullow Oil to a $1.3billion loss for the first half of that year as it was forced to make a $941million write-off on its exploration assets, mainly those based in Uganda and Kenya, but also its Peruvian Marina-1 well and other assets situated in certain African countries.

Since then, prices have rebounded to a seven-year high as economies across the world have reopened, OPEC has set tighter production limits and weather-related events have caused disruption.

At the same time, wholesale gas prices have shot up due to a supply shortage caused by high demand from Asia, outages at French nuclear power plants and Russia's Gazprom limiting its gas exports to Europe, amongst other factors.

Shares in Tullow Oil closed trading up 0.3 per cent at 57p on Wednesday, meaning their value has shot up by 83 per cent over the last 12 months.
A return freight train, loaded with 90 TEUs of white cardboard weighing 828 tons, left Warsaw, Poland at 7:33 am local time on Monday for Hefei in east China's Anhui province.

Warsaw is the second destination following Berelast of Russia that has been reached by China-Europe cargo trains from Hefei since the beginning of 2022.

The city has operated 48 trains Since Jan 1, up 50 percent from the same period last year, despite facing grim international epidemic situation and competitive pressure from shipping.

The Chinese landlocked city has been expanding rail cargo links with Europe as well as Central and Western Asia since it launched the China-Europe rail transport service in 2014.

China-Europe cargo trains from Hefei arrived in 63 cities in 15 foreign countries including Germany, Russia and France, statistics showed.




Finnish violinist and conductor Pietari Inkinen speaks during a press conference at KBS Art Hall in Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap



By Dong Sun-hwa



Since January, Finnish violinist and conductor Pietari Inkinen has been leading the KBS Symphony Orchestra as the new music director, succeeding Romanian-born conductor Yoel Levi.



"I want to bring people together and communicate with them through our universal language, music," Inkinen, who also serves as the chief conductor of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie and Japan Philharmonic Orchestra, said during a press conference at KBS Art Hall in Yeongdeungpo District in Seoul, Wednesday. "I will strive to raise the international profile of the KBS Symphony Orchestra and help it solidify its position as a leading orchestra in Asia."



He added that he also wants to perform in different countries, including North Korea, saying, "I hope we have a chance to send a message of peace via our music in North Korea."



The 41-year-old maestro is set to stage his first concerts following his inauguration at the Seoul Arts Center on Jan. 28 and at Lotte Concert Hall on Jan. 29. Inkinen, who will take the helm of the KBS Symphony Orchestra for the next three years, will conduct "Karelia Overture, Op.10" and "Lemminkainen Suite" by Jean Sibelius, the iconic Finnish classical composer. Inkinen will unfold some hidden stories of Finland and Sibelius with his performance, KBS Symphony Orchestra said.



Inkinen will also collaborate with Russian pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, the winner of the XVI International Chopin Piano Competition in 2010, to perform Tchaikovsky's "Piano Concerto No.1." This is the first time for Avdeeva to perform with a Korean orchestra in public.





Conductor David Reiland turns to the audience during his inauguration concert at the Seoul Arts Center, Jan. 23. Courtesy of the Korean Symphony Orchestra
A British tech entrepreneur could be extradited to the US within days after he lost a key court battle.

Mike Lynch, who was once dubbed Britains answer to Bill Gates, faces fraud charges in America over the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 2011.

The US has accused him of cooking the books at his former firm before it was sold to HP for 8billion.

Extradition: Mike Lynch, who was once dubbed Britains answer to Bill Gates, faces fraud charges in America over the sale of his software company Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard

The 56-year-old, who denies the allegations, could spend a decade behind bars if he is found guilty.

Lynch had asked a High Court judge to overturn a previous ruling in which another judge refused Priti Patels request to delay making a decision on his case.

The Home Secretary has the final say on whether he is extradited. Patel wanted to push back delivering her verdict until March in order to see the outcome of a civil lawsuit brought against Lynch, which is expected to be released within weeks.

The multi-millionaire argues that this could clear his name. Patel will now have to make a final decision by the end of this week after the latest ruling.

However, lawyers said Lynch would appeal if the Home Secretary agrees to extradite him, leading to another lengthy court process in the UK.

Lynch, a married father-of-two, would be among the most high-profile businessmen to be sent to the US since the so-called Natwest Three were extradited in 2006 as part of the Enron scandal.

Bankers Giles Darby, David Bermingham and Gary Mulgrew were each sentenced to 37 months in prison after reaching a plea deal.

Lynch hired Alex Bailin, the star QC who successfully defended Pentagon hacker Lauri Love from extradition, to spearhead his legal fight.

The tech tycoons team has called for the extradition to be blocked on grounds that the claims against him mostly concern actions in the UK and must be dealt with by the British justice system.

Lawyers for the US government say he aimed dishonest activities at the USA on a monumental scale and should not be immune from the American justice system.

Lynch has been accused of inflating the value of Autonomy and making misleading statements about its performance before it was sold to HP.

Within months of the sale completing HP was forced to write down its value by 6.8billion. The Cambridge graduate founded Autonomy in 1996 and grew it into a FTSE 100-listed software developer.

US authorities have charged him with more than a dozen counts of wire and securities conspiracy.

He denies all the charges against him and claims that HP failed to do proper research when it bought Autonomy.

His lawyers have claimed he faces degrading treatment in a US prison if he is extradited  warning that he suffers from unspecified complex health problems and that if he was forced to share a jail cell with other inmates without private space he risks developing infections.

In the separate civil action Lynch is fighting a High Court battle with HP Enterprise, a company that was formed when it split from HP in 2015.

HP Enterprise has launched a 3.7billion damages claim against him.
Oil rush: Brent crude rose as high as $90.38 as Western leaders threatened to impose sanctions on Moscow

Oil hit $90 a barrel for the first time in more than seven years as mounting tensions in Europe and the Middle East raised supply concerns.

Brent crude rose as high as $90.47  a level last seen in October 2014. US president Joe Biden and other Western leaders have threatened to impose crippling sanctions on Moscow after Russia began building up troops on the Ukrainian border.

The Middle East is on edge after Yemens Houthi movement launched missiles at a United Arab Emirates base.

In an already tight market, the US is more than 1m barrels short of its record level of daily output, and major oil producer network OPEC+ is having trouble meeting monthly production targets.

OPEC+ meets on February 2 to consider another output rise.
Energy bills are surging alongside fuel and food prices, while many will be facing up to higher council tax, bigger broadband and mobile bills, and the National Insurance crunch come April.

With that in mind, savvy Britons will be looking for ways to help negate the cost of living crisis.

Switching bank account can be one such way of making easy cash gains for minimal effort - and two of Britain's biggest banking names have relaunched bribes.

NatWest is offering 150 and Santander 140, the latter of which also offers cashback on a raft of household bills, including utilities and council tax.

Ofgem's price cap is due to increase by as much as 600 from its current level of 1,277 as wholesale prices continue to soar, fueling the energy crisis and leading to increased bills.

Switching itself is simple with the Current Account Switching Service pledging to transfer your account and any direct debits over in seven days.

NatWest is offering 150 to new and existing customers who switch their main current account by 7 April.

Similarly, Santander is offering 140 cashback to both new and existing customers who switch to one of its current accounts using CASS.

Both banks also offer some additional perks. For example, Santander offers customers ongoing cashback on household bills, while NatWest offers monthly cashback if certain requirements are met.

What is Santander offering?

Santander's 140 offer is on top of the cashback already offered by the bank on household bills such as gas and electricity for its 1I2I3 and 1I2I3 Lite customers.

Its customers can earn 2 per cent cashback on their gas and electricity bills up to a cap of 5 each month as well 3 per cent cashback on water bills with an additional cap of 5 each month in place.

The average annual cost of a water bill is 408, according to Water UK meaning the 5 monthly cashback cap is unlikely to be reached.

Santander will be offering 140 cashback to customers who switch to a Santander current account.

Given the average bill, a typical Santander customer could expect to get about 12 cashback on their water bills.

The average three bedroom home uses 1,163 of energy a year, according to EDF Energy.

However, those coming off fixed deals onto new ones have found their estimated bills are increasing by hundreds of pounds with many reporting their annual bill is expected to reach over 2,000  a massive jump.

For someone facing an annual gas and electricity bill of 2,000 a year, 2 per cent cashback could end up being worth 40.

Santander is the only bank to offer customers ongoing cashback on household bills.

For those paying their council tax, mobile and home phone bills, broadband and TV packages though one of these two current accounts they can also earn 1 per cent cashback up to a maximum of 5 each month.

The average Band D council tax set by local authorities in England for 2021-22 will be 1,898, according to government figures.

Even 1 per cent cashback on the average council tax bill could therefore be worth 19 after a year.

However, Santander's 1I2I3 and 1I2I3 Lite account come with a 4 and 2 monthly charge respectively.

This means an average Santander's 1I2I3 and 1I2I3 Lite account holder could expect to earn an additional 23 or 43 with accounts costs included.

Given that a Santander mortgage product will also be eligible for 1 per cent cash back and a Santander home insurance product could be eligible for 2 per cent, it may be possible for some to make more/

Santander 1I2I3 customers can also earn 0.3 per cent interest on balances up to 20,000, meaning those who maintain a balance of 20,000 in their account could expect to earn an extra 60 over the course of the year - although better returns are possible by moving your cash into a top paying easy-access savings account.

How to qualify?

To qualify for the 140 cashback, within 60 days of requesting the switch, you will need to complete the switch and set up and maintain two direct debits.

You will also need to deposit at least 1,000 into the account and log in to your account using either online or mobile banking.

The cashback will be paid directly into your Santander account 30 days after this.

Existing customers who have previously opened a 1I2I3, 1I2I3 Lite, Everyday, Select or Private Current Account can still benefit from the cashback, as long as they complete a full switch from an account they hold elsewhere to their Santander current account via the CASS.

However, it's worth noting that anyone who has benefitted from a previous switching offer from Santander won't be eligible.

NatWest is offering 150 to new and existing customers who switch their main current account.

What is NatWest offering?

NatWest's 150 offer is available to those switching to either a Select or Reward account. Although, existing customers can also switch to Reward Silver, Reward Platinum or Reward Black accounts to benefit.

The Reward account gives customers 4 per month for two Direct Debits and an additional 1 for logging onto online banking.

However it does come with a 2 monthly fee equating to an extra 36 per year for customers.

This means someone taking advantage of NatWest's switching offer could expect to earn 186 in total after the first yea if they switched to its Reward account.

The Select account comes with no monthly charge, however, nor does it offer the extra cashback.

How to qualify?

Switchers are required to use the Current Account Switch Service, close their existing account and transfer their main current account to NatWest by 5pm 7 April 2022.

You must pay 1,250 into the account and log into online or mobile banking through the NatWest mobile app before 12 May 2022.

After these conditions are met, 150 will be credited to the account by 9 June 2022.

It's worth noting that switchers must have not received a switcher offer from the NatWest Group for opening a new current account and switching since October 2017.
Josh Duggar is seen in his May 2021 booking photo following his arrest at his Springdale, Arkansas used car dealership

Josh Duggar's flustered responses to child porn investigators can be heard for the first time in bombshell audio obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

'I'm not, you know, I'm not denying guilt,' the disgraced reality TV star stammers as he's cornered by FBI agents and quizzed over his illegal downloads.

'I'm not saying that I'm, you know, I mean, as far as anything goes, I don't wanna be, I don't wanna say the wrong thing  I don't wanna say that I'm guilty or not.'

Duggar's garbled defense came at the end of a 51-minute grilling during the November 2019 swoop on his used car dealership in Springdale, Arkansas.

Feds returned on April 2021 to arrest the 19 Kids and Counting alum on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography. He was found guilty by a federal jury in December and faces up to 20 years imprisonment and fines of up to $250,000 on each count.

During his trial, defense lawyers contended that a former employee or hacker could have exploited Duggar's lax internet security to hijack his work computer and remotely download the material without anyone knowing.

Scroll down for audio clips

DailyMail.com has obtained evidence photos of Duggar's office at his business where he is said to have secretly downloaded a sick trove of child porn

This is the HP computer where Duggar secretly scoured the dark web for illegal footage of child sex abuse. On the surface, the desktop looks like a typical computer featuring a wholesome family wallpaper of father-of-seven Duggar, his wife Anna and their kids

Duggar was arrested and charged with possessing and downloading child pornography in April 2021 after investigators traced the sickening footage to the IP address at his dealership

But prosecutors branded their arguments a 'fantasy' and used texts and images to place the accused at the keyboard; jurors unanimously agreed with them.

Duggar's trial heard the father-of-seven used the HP desktop in his office to access the dark web in May 2019 to search for warped movies such as 'Pedo Mom' and 'Playtot Sweetie.'

But his device also made a 'digital handshake' with special police software that detects illicit downloads and traces them back to an IP address.

Feds tracked it to 33-year-old Duggar via his internet provider and raided his Wholesale Motorcars business, where agents Gerald Faulkner and Howard Aycock persuaded Duggar to speak with them voluntarily.

Before they had told him anything about their investigation, he blurted out: ''Has someone been downloading child pornography?'

At that point the pair read Duggar his rights and asked if they could make an audio recording of the ensuing interview, which DailyMail.com has obtained via the Freedom of Information Act.

The conversation begins with a friendly tone as Duggar is asked about his work. 'I own this business. I also do some real estate as well,' he tells them, in a calm, confident voice.

The 33-year-old was released from jail days later on conditional bond ahead of his December trial

Among the evidence found in the FBI raid of the property was a selfie of Duggar that placed him at the scene on the same day a sales receipt for a vehicle was drawn up and saved behind a secret partition of his work computer that contained illegal material

The exclusive images reveal the workplace of Jim Bob Duggar's eldest son as chaotic and shabby, with the unpaved forecourt littered with clapped out motors

Authorities raided the property in November 2019 and seized multiple of Duggar's devices

'My dad has commercial properties so I help with the management. I dabble in a lot of things. This is, you know, this is probably my primary income as far as that goes.'

As the trio sit together in a police truck, the agents ask Duggar about his internet setup, his cell phones, and for a list of people with access to his computers.

They then ask Duggar if he's familiar with 'peer2peer' programs such as Tor Browser that can be used to anonymously share movies, music and other files.

The software was created as a legitimate tool to protect privacy but it's also used by criminals and pedophiles to search for outlawed items on the dark web.

'I mean, I'm familiar with, I guess you could say,' Duggar replies. Asked how many of his machines have such software downloaded on to them he responds: 'Probably all.

'We upload stuff for our cars and things like that. I've had a friend of mine that came and set us up with file sharing so we could do, you know, more encrypted type stuff. He just said, it's safer that way. He got me onto it to be safer.'

Agent Faulkner turns the pressure up a notch by outlining to Duggar the sorts of crimes he and his colleagues typically investigate such as narcotics and illegal immigration.

'Part of the other stuff we do is child exploitation,' he adds. 'So we're, we kind of work with saving kids essentially.

Duggar's trial heard he was using a peer2peer program called uTorrent (green logo) which lets users share encrypted files behind the secrecy of the dark web

A screengrab shows the uTorrent application on his desktop computer

'A lot of times we'll find, through internet tips, that people have, you know, downloaded child pornography, stuff like that.'

Duggar begins to stumble over his words as he pleads for more clues.

'Is that what you're saying? Is that what you're saying is going on?' he repeats. 'Is there some, is there something going on, on my devices, where that's been something accessed or something downloaded or uploaded or something like that?

'Does it, does it include, so did it mark this IP address? Is that basically what you're saying? Yes. Okay. So does it, so I guess in the scope of your investigation, is there going to be, I guess, I mean, you'll narrow it down?'

Faulkner then cuts in to warn Duggar: 'That's what you see all these other guys running around doing. They are computer forensic analysts.

'So even if something's on a computer that someone might have downloaded and then deleted, they're gonna be able to find it.'

Duggar in his most recent booking photo after he was convicted in December

As the conversation becomes ever more tense, Faulkner explains how a task force investigator detected child porn being shared in the Western Arkansas area and was able to connect directly with the computer involved.

That investigator was able to retrieve a video, 65 images and an IP address which the FBI traced back to Duggar's business by subpoenaing his internet provider, OzarksGo.

'These are somebody's little boy or little girl at the end of the day. Our main objective is to find out who's doing it,' Faulkner adds.

'I appreciate the work you guys do,' replies Duggar, becoming more flustered.

'I guess I have, I mean, I have quite a few questions about it, but I don't know, you know, how much you can divulge. I'm just, I'm curious, you're saying there's images being uploaded or images being downloaded?'

Faulkner gives Duggar the opportunity to come clean about anything that will be found on his computers, warning him: 'Once we leave here today, it's the end of our conversation.'

Duggar chooses not to cooperate further, adding in a stuttering voice, 'I've watched my friends, you know, answer things and they get them for conspiracy or for something.

Duggar is seen with his wife Anna heading into court at the beginning of his child pornography trial in Fayetteville, Arkansas in December 2021

He was found guilty by a federal jury in December and faces up to 20 years imprisonment and fines of up to $250,000 on each count. He is pictured being booked after the guilty verdict

'And I'm just, I'm not, federal statutes are broad and there's a lot of things to it. And I'm not gonna say anything that's gonna incriminate me or anything at all.

'I'm not denying guilt and I'm not, I'm not saying that I'm, you know, I mean, as far as anything goes, I don't wanna be, I don't wanna say the wrong thing.

'I don't wanna say that I'm guilty or not. I'm just not saying, you know, on searching, finding, accessing inappropriate content at some point, right, at any point in my life.'

The FBI's computer forensics experts got the answers they were seeking when they examined Duggar's HP computer.

Investigators found it had been set up with a complicated 'dual-operating' system called a Linux partition which created a secret, parallel worktop within the same device.

It could only be accessed by rebooting and entering the password intel1988 - the same code as Duggar's internet banking and his family Instagram and Twitter accounts.

It's behind this partition, that prosecutors say Duggar used the file-sharing software highlighted by Faulkner and Aycock to download and view 'worst of the worst' videos of prepubescent kids being abused.

There was no evidence of child porn on Duggar's other computer, an Apple MacBook Pro, but it contained backed up data from an old iPhone 8 that allowed investigators to access his old texts and pictures.

Duggar and his wife share seven young children, with his youngest being born last year

The cache provided dates, times and GPS coordinates for Duggar throughout 2019, placing him at the car dealership when the porn was downloaded May 14 through 16.

Defense lawyers argued that a former employee or hacker could have exploited Duggar's lax internet security to hijack his computer and remotely download the material without anyone knowing. But prosecutors branded their arguments a 'fantasy' and used texts and images to place the accused at the keyboard.

Duggar's trial also heard from a close family friend who shed new light on the molestation scandal that engulfed his famed evangelical family in 2015, tarnishing their wholesome image and leading to the cancellation of their hit TLC show.

Bobye Holt choked back tears as she revealed how Duggar had confessed at age 15 to groping and penetrating his younger sisters during 'bible time' and while they slept.

Duggar, the eldest of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's nine daughters and ten sons, will be sentenced in the spring.

His lawyers have asked for a retrial, arguing that the government withheld evidence and overstated the expertise of their forensic computer scientist.
Two-thirds of people in England who had Covid at the start of 2022 may have been reinfected, official data suggests.

One of the country's largest surveillance studies  which randomly tested 100,000 people in the fortnight ending January 20  found 4.4 per cent had the virus.

Imperial College London experts, who carry out the project, said it was the highest rate ever recorded, mirroring other swabbing surveys which showed how Omicron triggered infections to reach pandemic highs.

The team also claimed England's Covid outbreak was now starting to plateau after the Omicron wave 'rapidly' dropped off on its own.

Analysis of the data showed 2,315 (64.6 per cent) of the 3,582 people who tested positive and were asked about whether they had previously had Covid claimed to have been struck down before.

And a further 267 (7.5 per cent) suspected they had caught Covid previously, even though their case was not confirmed with a test at the time.

Graph shows: 2,315 of the 3,582 positive tests in the sample (64.6 per cent) were people who said they had Covid before. And a further 267 (7.5 per cent) suspect they had been infected before, even though the case was not confirmed with a test at the time

Government-backed REACT-1 data, based on more than 100,000 tests, found more than 4.4 per cent of people in the country had the virus from January 5 to 20. Prevalence was at its highest ever level and infections are now starting to plateau after 'rapidly dropping' off throughout the month

Overall, despite high prevalence last month, cases have been dropping in all age groups other than those 17 and under

It was highest in those aged five- to 11-year-olds over the course of the month (7.81 per cent) and lowest in those aged 75 and over (2.43 per cent)

Regionally, Covid was most prevalent in the North East, where 6.85 per cent of residents had the virus during the month

Inly 2.93 per cent of people in the South East ended up testing positive during the month

Getting Covid after being fully-jabbed triggers 'super-immunity' Fully-vaccinated people who catch Covid end up with 'super immunity', scientists have claimed. Oregon Health and Science University experts say the same is also true for people who get infected before getting two jabs. Academics took blood samples from more than 100 fully-vaccinated volunteers and exposed them against three different strains of coronavirus. Volunteers with 'hybrid' immunity produced an 'amazingly high' antibody response, tests showed. Their antibodies were 10 times more potent than proteins made by participants who managed to dodge Covid completely. Despite the study being carried out before the emergence of Omicron, the authors believe the findings will hold up against the highly-transmissible variant. And the high levels of protection among those with hybrid immunity could see the virus become a 'mostly mild' infection and bring about the end of the pandemic, the researchers said. Advertisement

Professor Paul Elliott, director of the REACT programme, told a press briefing: 'What we are essentially seeing is the same sort of people catching Covid before are catching it again.'

The REACT-1 data suggests one in 23 people in England were infected with the virus over that two-week period.

Despite extremely high prevalence last month, cases have been dropping in all age groups other than under-18s.

It was highest in those aged five- to 11-year-olds over the course of the month (7.81 per cent) and lowest in those aged 75 and over (2.43 per cent).

Professor Elliott added: 'There is good news in our data in that infections had been rapidly dropping during January.

'But they are still extremely high and may have recently stalled at a very high prevalence.

'Of particular concern is that there is rapidly increasing prevalence among children now they are mixing more following the start of the school term.

'And, compared with December, prevalence in older people aged 65 and over has increased seven- to 12-fold, which may lead to increased hospitalisations.

'It's therefore vital that we continue to monitor the situation closely to understand the impact of the Omicron variant, which now makes up almost all infections in the country.'

Regionally, Covid was most prevalent in the North East, where 6.85 per cent of residents had the virus during the month.

In comparison only 2.93 per cent of people in the South East ended up testing positive during the month.

Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'It's reassuring to see Covid infections beginning to slow across the country, as we move back to Plan A.

'Covid rates are still high so as we learn to live with the virus it is vital we continue to be vigilant  wash your hands, let in fresh air, get tested and, if you haven't already, get boosted now.'
Anti-vax mandate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is walking back a comment that Anne Frank had it better than future Americans after his wife condemned his 'reprehensible' rant.

The politician's son received a huge backlash over the controversial comments he made during a Washington rally Sunday, organized by his anti-vaccine mandate nonprofit group.

He expressed remorse Tuesday on Twitter saying: 'I apologize for my reference to Anne Frank, especially to families that suffered the Holocaust horrors,' Kennedy said in a tweet. 'My intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control. To the extent my remarks caused hurt, I am truly and deeply sorry.'

His wife Cheryl Hines, of HBO's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' distanced herself from her husband in her own tweet about 20 minutes later. She called the reference to Anne Frank 'reprehensible and insensitive.'

'The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything. His opinions are not a reflection of my own,' Hines tweeted.

Robert F. Kennedy was widely criticized after saying Sunday that the future America will be worse than Nazi Germany because of 5G, vaccine mandates, digital currency, and more

He's pictured speaking to the anti-vax crowd during an anti-vaccine rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on January 23

He later apologized for his rant, saying 'my intention was to use examples of past barbarism to show the perils from new technologies of control'

Kennedy's wife Cheryl Hines condoned his comments, saying: 'The atrocities that millions endured during the Holocaust should never be compared to anyone or anything'

'My husband's opinions are not a reflection of my own,' she tweeted

During his conspiracy theory-ridden speech, he shared concern for a future world where vaccine mandates, 5G technology, digital currency and low orbit satellites would be used to establish authoritarian rule.

'What we're seeing today, what we're seeing today, is what I call turnkey totalitarianism,' Kennedy told the rally.

'They are putting in place all of these technological mechanisms for control we've never seen before. It's been the ambition of every totalitarian state from the beginning of mankind to control every aspect of behavior, of conduct, of thought, and to obliterate dissent. None of them have been able to do it. They didn't have the technological capacity.'

He then compared this future to that of Nazi Germany.

'Even in Hitler's Germany, you could cross the Alps into Switzerland, you could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did,' Kennedy continued. 'I visited in 1962 East Germany with my father, and met people who had climbed the wall and escaped, so it was possible  many died doing it, but it was possible.'

He made the comments during a Washington rally on Sunday that was organized by his anti-vaccine nonprofit group

His comments were widely condemned as offensive, outrageous and historically ignorant. Anne Frank is pictured in Amsterdam at age 12 in 1940

Frank hid in a cramped Amsterdam attic with seven other persecuted Jews for 761 days during the Nazi regime before she and her family were rooted out and sent to die in concentration camps.

Kennedy's comments were widely condemned as offensive, outrageous and historically ignorant.

It's the second time since 2015 that Kennedy has apologized for referencing the Holocaust during his work sowing doubt and distrust about vaccines.

Kennedy, the son of former U.S. attorney general Robert F. Kennedy, complained during that the rally that the nations leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, was orchestrating 'fascism.'

'Even in Hitlers Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did,' he told the crowd.

Pictured: The house where Anne Frank lived in Amsterdam and where she hid with her parents to escape the Nazis between June 1942 and August 4, 1944

An investigation by The Associated Press last month found that Kennedy has invoked the specter of Nazis and the Holocaust when talking about public health measures meant to save lives during the pandemic, such as requiring masks or vaccine mandates.

Last month, for example, he put out a video that showed Fauci in a Hitler mustache.

In an October speech to the Ron Paul Institute, he obliquely compared public health measures put in place by governments around the world to Nazi propaganda meant to scare people into abandoning critical thinking.

Kennedy apologized in 2015 after he used the word 'holocaust' to describe children whom he believes were hurt by vaccines.

In his Tuesday apology, Kennedy did not address his past invocations of Nazis, Hitler and the Holocaust when discussing vaccines. Representatives of his nonprofit, Children's Health Defense, did not return emails asking about his past comments.
Two people linked to the assassination of two Canadian drug dealers at a luxury Mexican resort have been arrested - including a women who went on the vacation with the victims.

A shooter approached the intended targets and shot Robert James Dinh and Thomas Cheruka, both aged 34, as well as Ceara Jessica Sahadee, 29.

Dihn and Cheruka were rushed to a local hospital, where they were declared dead. Sahadee remains hospitalized, but has not spoken to investigators.

The killings were sparked by a debt between international criminal organizations involved with drug and weapons smuggling, the Quintana Roo State Office of the Attorney General revealed during a press conference Tuesday.

Oscar Montes, the Quintana Roo chief prosecutor, identified the two suspects as Christian 'R' and Nhu 'T', a Canadian national. Nhu vacationed with the two men killed, and is now accused of passing information to members of the unidentified cartel who killed the men.

A spokesperson with the Quintana Roo State Office of the Attorney General told DailyMail.com that the arrests were made Monday.

Their last names were withheld from the public due to Mexico's due process laws.

Christian 'R', of Mexico City, was contracted to hired the assassins to kill the victims but another unidentified criminal traveled to Cancun when the first attempt was aborted by the hit squad due to the security system at Hotel Xcaret in Playa del Carmen, prosecutors said.

Nhu 'T' is linked to the planning of the crime as video footage showed she entered Hotel Xcaret in Playa del Carmen as a tourist, then exchanged information with the prime suspect minutes before the killings.

Christian 'R' (left) and Nhu 'T' (right), a Canadian national, were taken into custody Monday by authorities in Mexico. Both are linked to the murders of two Canadian men, including one with a record for drug trafficking. The killings were allegedly ordered by a cartel or gang due to a debt between international criminal factions tied to drug and weapons smuggling

Robert James Dinh and Thomas Cheruka died Friday at a Playa del Carmen, Mexico, hospital after they were shot inside a restaurant at Hotel Xcaret last Friday

The suspect in the shooting, pictured, was also apparently a guest at the Xcaret Hotel

Two Canadian men with a long criminal record died after they were shot at the Playa del Carmen resort Xcaret Hotel last Friday

'The investigations indicate that this attack was motivated by debts that arose from transnational illegal activities that the victims participated in,' said Oscar Montes, the chief prosecutor of the Quintana Roo state. 'The information (is) that they were involved in weapons and drug trafficking, among other crimes.'

Montes indicated that the hit job plotted for almost a month by a cartel or gang that had not previously been known to operate in the area. But in keeping with standard procedure, he declined to name the gang.

The attack shootings took place Friday. The attackers apparently had guest wrist bands to enter the resort.

Ceara Jessica Sahadee, 29, was wounded in Friday's attack at Xcaret Hotel in Playa del Carmen

The gunman and a person who drove to the hotel to provide him with the murder weapon remained at large as of Wednesday.

The Office of the Attorney General said Dihn and Cheruka had an extensive criminal background that included robbery, drug trafficking and money laundering.

Dinh was reportedly wanted by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for allegedly laundering money for a Vietnamese mafia organization that is reportedly led by a family member identified as Cong Ding.

The U.S. federal law enforcement agency said Canadian authorities have sought to arrest Cong Ding since 2019 after accusing him of money laundering and drug trafficking.

Montes described Christian 'R' as a professional kidnapper who reached a deal with group of assassins to kill the Canadians earlier in January, but the hired killers abandoned the job because there was too much security. A second assassin flew to Cancun to carry out the killing, he said.

A surveillance camera at Hotel Xcaret in Playa del Carmen captures the shooting suspect walking around the premises with a handgun, the same one that was allegedly used to gun down two Canadian men who had a lengthy criminal history

Forensic technicians and hotel employees stand near a scene where two Canadian men were killed

Nhu 'T', Montes alleged, who was apparently part of the group of 10 Canadians who were vacationing at the resort. Montes said she 'cared for the children' of the victims and allegedly met with the killers and may have been providing them information on their activities.

Last week's killings are just part of a series of brazen acts of violence along Mexico's resort-studded Mayan Riviera coast, the crown jewel of the country's tourism industry. Several rival drug gangs are fighting for control of the area's lucrative drug market.

Federico Mazzani, the general manager of the popular Mamita's Beach Club restaurant in Playa del Carmen, was shot and killed inside one of the restaurant's bathrooms.

In November, a shootout on the beach of Puerto Morelos left two suspected drug dealers dead. Authorities said there were some 15 gunmen from a gang that apparently disputed control of drug sales there.

The shooting suspect was caught on camera sitting on a poolside chair before he opened fire on three hotel guests, killing two Canadian

In late October, farther south in the laidback destination of Tulum, two tourists - one a California travel blogger born in India and the other German - were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers and killed.

Following those events, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador sent nearly 1,500 members of the National Guard to reinforce security in the area.

If Canadian gangs were involved in Quintana Roo, it would not be shocking. The Caribbean coast state, because of its huge flow of foreigners, has seen a number of crime rings with international connections.

A Romanian gang has long operated in the state, using ATM machines to clone credit cards or make illegal withdrawals. And this week authorities arrested two Ukrainians for their alleged involvement in a fuel theft ring. Immigrant traffickers have long used Cancun as base for smuggling Cuban migrants.
A statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon that was toppled and nearly destroyed in Puerto Rico by protesters of the 'gringo invader' was pieced back together and raised before the arrival of Spain's King Felipe VI.

The explorer's bronze figure was knocked down before dawn Monday by demonstrators who opposed King Felipe VI's visit to the San Juan, the capital of the U.S. territory.

Authorities patrolling the San Jose Plaza in the San Juan historic district of Old San Juan found the statue lying on the ground and split in half around 4:30 a.m.

A group known as the Boriken Libertarian Forces claimed responsibility, according to local media outlets.

'Faced with the... visit of the King of Spain, Felipe VI, to Puerto Rico and the escalation of 'gringo' invaders taking over our lands, we want to send a clear message: Neither kings nor 'gringo' invaders,' the group wrote in a statement.

The gringo reference is to non-native Puerto Ricans who go to the area for business opportunities.

Ponce de Leon, the first governor of Puerto Rico, is viewed by the group as a colonizer who oppressed those who lived on the island at the time.

The incident comes after protesters in the US and Canada toppled statues of other controversial historical figures, including monuments to Confederate General Robert E. Lee in Virginia; Christopher Columbus in Pennsylvania, and Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II in Canada.

A statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon was knocked to the ground in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Monday before dawn by demonstrators who opposed the visit of Spain's King Felipe VI. However, authorities were able to piece the figure back together and placed it on top of the concrete pedestal by the time the king arrived in the U.S. territory

The Juan Ponce de Leon statue stood in the San Juan historic district of Old San Juan dating back to the 19th century. The bronze statue was toppled Monday by a group of protesters who are against the visit that Spain's King Felipe VI made to San Juan on Monday as part of celebrations that will mark the 500th anniversary of the city's founding

King Felipe VI (left) was given the key to the city of San Juan by mayor Miguel Romero (right) on Tuesday

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Christopher Columbus landed in Puerto Rico in 1493 accompanied by Ponce de Leon, who became the island's first governor and quelled an uprising by the native Tainos, a subgroup of the Arawak Indians.

Puerto Rico remained a Spanish colony until 1898, when Spain transferred the island to the United States at the end of the Spanish-American war.

Authorities were delayed in placing the statue back on the pedestal after several demonstrators showed up and blocked their path.

Rafael Capo, a 35-year-old history teacher, climbed on top of the pedestal in protest.

'They are defending a criminal. He murdered our Tainos and that is what you are defending right now, you should go back to school and study history,' Capo said, as quoted by Puerto Rican newspaper El Nuevo Dia.

Authorities secure the site where a statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon was toppled from the base of its monument

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero told reporters that the statue would be repaired and back in its original place Monday afternoon

The King of Spain Felipe VI greets the sisters of the Siervas de Maria Convent in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday

For him, there is a direct link between the veneration of the Spanish colonial past, and Puerto Rico's current political relationship with the United States.

'Five hundred years later, history continues to repeat itself... They keep importing people from outside to get rid of the locals,' he said, referring to current government policies that offer tax benefits to foreigners, mostly wealthy Americans.

The Juan Ponce de Leon statue was created in 1882 in New York with bronze obtained from British cannons captured after a failed attack on the Spanish in Puerto Rico in 1797.

It features the Spanish explorer facing south with his left hand on his hip and right finger pointed toward Caparra, the first settlement he founded in 1508. Ruins still mark the spot of the island's first Spanish capital and are a U.S. National Historic Landmark

A statue of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon lays in a truck as municipal workers recover its pieces

A demonstrator holds a protest sign that reads in Spanish 'Monarchy go to hell! Hypocritical government' in reference to the visit made by Spain's King Felipe VI at Plaza de Armas in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Tuesday

The statue also pointed in the direction of the nearby San Juan Bautista Cathedral, a popular tourist spot that holds Ponce de Leon's remains.

King Felipe VI arrived in San Juan at 5:35 p.m, an hour before the Ponce de Leon statue was in its original place.

He traveled to Puerto Rico to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the founding of San Juan  the third oldest European-established capital city in the Americas.

Two years ago, activists marched through the streets of Old San Juan as they joined a nationwide movement to eradicate symbols of oppression and demanded that Spain's legacy in Puerto Rico be erased. While some statues have been defaced with graffiti, police said this is the first time such a statue was toppled.

The Caribbean city's origins date back to 1521, but the official celebrations were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

San Juan Mayor Miguel Romero presented King Felipe VI with the key to the city during a ceremony Tuesday.

'With deep affection and emotion I receive the key to the very noble and loyal city of San Juan, which has kept the hearts of Puerto Ricans open to all Spaniards for 500 years,' King Felipe VI said.

He met with Governor Pierluisi at La Fortaleza, Pierluisi's official residence and visited the Siervas de Maria Convent.

The King of Spain Felipe VI visited the Museum of San Juan, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday. The king is in Puerto Rico to commemorate 500th anniversary of the founding of the capital San Juan, the third oldest European-established capital city in the Americas

King Felipe VI, who had not visited Puerto Rico since 2017, toured Old San Juan and visited the Museum of San Juan,

Pierluisi viewed King Felipe VI's visit as the perfect timing to strengthen relations with Spain and its business developers.

'Spanish tourism has great potential for growth in Puerto Rico, particularly as a result of the new direct flights to Spain,' Pierluisi said.

Puerto Rican Independence Party Secretary General Juan Dalmau Ramirez was among those who opposed Felipe VI's three-day trip, calling it an act of colonization.

King Felipe VI is scheduled to bestow upon Romero and Pierluisi the Order of Isabella the Catholic on behalf of the Spanish government. The order acknowledges extraordinary services to the homeland, or the promotion of international relations and cooperation with other nations.
A disgraced former Geography professor at Mormon-founded Brigham Young University in Utah who was charged with sexually abusing a female students after allegedly telling her she needed to straddle him in order to align her 'crotch chakra,' has been hit with five new counts.

Michael James Clay, 47, who was the head of Urban and Regional Planning in the Geography Department, faces seven counts of forcible sexual abuse in all after two new victims recently came forward.

The educator, who had the ability to hire interns and teaching assistants, was fired in 2020 after he was charged with two counts of forcible sexual abuse when a different student accused him of sexual assault.

He is scheduled to appear in court on all the seven counts, which are a second-degree felony, on February 14.

Former Brigham Young University Geography professor Michael James Clay, 47, faces seven charges of forcible sexual abuse

Clay, of Springville, Utah, was first accused of sexual assault by an international student in March 2020. The professor, she said, would play 'meditation music' during their sessions, told her that his office was a 'safe place' and that 'she that she should not tell anyone what went on there.'

Clay met with her a few times each week between January 2017 and March 2020, according to court documents, over 20 times in total. He allegedly convinced the student to straddle him during their therapy sessions, telling her that she needed to align her 'crotch chakra.'

He explained that there were three major influences on a woman's life: the Heavenly father, the mortal father and the husband, according to court documents. Since she didn't have a husband, he said, she was out of balance - but, he said, he could act as a substitute.

That victim ultimately told BYU police that Clay then 'touched her in places no professor ever should.'

Clay reminded her that he held a position of authority over her when she expressed her discomfort, and authorities said that he would 'use religion to manipulate her into feeling a certain way.'

'(Clay) has the authority to hire interns and teaching assistants in connection with this program. (He) told the victim that if she trusted him more, he might be able to hire her but that he wanted to wait to see how she improved. (Clay) told the victim that he is very powerful in the victims field of study,' read court documents.

When that student mentioned seeking counseling from a mental health professional, Clay told her that if she did so, they would stop meeting, and that 'she could continue meeting with him because he actually understood and cared for her.'

On one occasion, he told this victim that he prayed for her, and that he felt inspired by God to touch her physically.

BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins told Deseret News that Clay has not been an employee of the university since about mid-April 2020 and referred all other questions to the Utah County Attorneys Office

One of the more recent victims interned for Clay between January 2018 and December 2019. He told her he had 'single-handedly put together the broken pieces of many girls and that if she wanted to feel Heavenly Fathers love again she would need to come and talk to him in his office,' according to court documents.

He allegedly asked her about her sex life and whether she masturbated, according to court documents.

Another student was a member of the department that Clay headed, and was also his employee in a private firm. She began working for him in 2017. Like the first victim, he told the student that their meetings were a replacement for work with a licensed therapist.

He also gave her priesthood blessings and asked her about her sex life, according to court documents.

The alleged sexual abuses took place between 2017 and 2020 at Brigham Young University in Utah

The student was afraid to speak out about the abuse because Clay held power over her career aspirations, according to the charging documents.

It is unclear when the abuse began, but it only stopped when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented their face-to-face meetings, the court papers said.

BYU spokeswoman Carri Jenkins told the Deseret News that Clay has not been an employee of the university since about mid-April and referred all other questions to the Utah County Attorneys Office.
A top Justice Department official has confirmed that prosecutors are reviewing fake slates of electors that Donald Trump supporters submitted to the government before Congress met to count the electoral votes.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said federal prosecutors were 'looking at' the matter  using careful language to avoid providing details of any investigation.

'We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations,' she told CNN in an interview.

Her statement comes as lawmakers and outside groups have drawn new attention to the 'alternate' electors submitted from seven states where Trump was claiming election fraud amid his overturn effort, even as state officials ascertained the results based on ballots cast.

Federal prosecutors have charged hundreds of people with violent offenses and wrongfully entering the Capitol or destroying property during the Capitol riot. But it was only when prosecutors filed charges against members of the Oath Keepers alleging seditious conspiracy in recent days that the government signaled any kind of a probe that might go after planners of the events of Jan. 6th or other election related offenses.

'We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those,' said Deputy AG Lisa Monaco when asked about submissions of fake electors

Trump and his allies publicly discussed efforts to submit 'alternate' electors from Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan, Arizona, Wisconsin, Nevada and New Mexico, the same states where Trump allies claimed fraud occurred, but where courts tossed out their claims.

The group American Oversight published the documents after obtaining them from the government.

The idea was to present Congress with conflicting slates, which could set off a clash over rightful electors which would ultimately go to the House  where Republicans could try to prevail by controlling a majority of the state delegations.

Last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she thought there was sufficient evidence to charge 16 Republicans who submitted false certificates stating Trump won Michigan's electoral votes. Joe Biden won the state by more than 100,000 votes.

AG Merrick Garland said on the anniversary of Jan. 6th: 'The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.'

Sources told CNN last week that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani coordinated the effort by Trump backers in states where Trump and his allies were claiming fraud

Last week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said she thought there was sufficient evidence to charge 16 Republicans who submitted false certificates stating Trump won Michigan's electoral votes

Monaco referenced 'referrals' regarding the fake electors

She said her office had been looking at the issue for a year before referring it to DOJ.

'Under state law, I think clearly you have forgery of a public record, which is a 14-year offense, and election law forgery, which is a five-year offense," the Democrat told MSNBC. She said DOJ was best suited to prosecute.

Monaco also echoed Attorney General Merrick Garland and used boilerplate language to describe the investigation, saying prosecutors are 'going to follow the facts and the law, wherever they lead, to address conduct of any kind and at any level that is part of an assault on our democracy.'

The documents that various state 'alternate' electors submitted to the National Archives in December 2020 before Congress met to count the votes bear similarities in language.

Officials swore the were 'duly elected and qualified Electors for President and Vice President of the United States' and signed the documents. But their efforts weren't signed by governors or the top state elected officials whose approval was needed.

Those officials ended up backing the electors who went along with the votes certified by states, even in instances where top election officials were Republicans, such as Georgia and Arizona.

Sources told CNN last week that Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani coordinated the effort.

The documents didn't change the outcome. In the end, Congress ended up accepting the electors certified by states, with enough sufficient to make Biden the winner.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said on the anniversary of Jan. 6th: 'The Justice Department remains committed to holding all January 6th perpetrators, at any level, accountable under law, whether they were present that day or were otherwise criminally responsible for the assault on our democracy.'

But the DOJ has faced criticism for appearing to focus on lower-level defendants who breached the Capitol and battled law enforcement. The House January 6th Committee in a series of subpoenas has sought information on people who helped develop a theory and strategy where Congress might fail to accept votes certified for Biden.

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) wrote DOJ to provide the names of 10 fake pro-Trump electors.

'Ive had people in my district ask me whats being done with these folks, he told the New York Times. 'Enough people kept bringing it up. If people think they can get away with some scam, theyll try another and another.'

The House Jan. 6th committee is also probing the matter. 'We want to look at the fraudulent activity that was contained in the preparation of these fake Electoral College certificates, and then we want to look to see to what extent this was part of a comprehensive plan to overthrow the 2020 election,' said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), a member of the select committee.
Retail investors stage a protest in front of the building of the Korea Exchange in Seoul, Jan. 18, calling for the resumption of drugmaker SillaJen stock trading. Yonhap



By Lee Min-hyung



The Korean stock market is losing trust from local retail investors, as they feel increasingly burdened by the unexpected ups and downs of even some promising large-cap stocks, they said Wednesday.



The benchmark KOSPI gained rare momentum for a rally in 2020 on the pandemic-sparked liquidity expansion, but is showing signs of losing steam in recent weeks. This has sparked fears among individual investors, rekindling the long-held distrust of the local stock market. The main bourse reached a record high of 3,300 points back in June 2021, but fell to below the 2,800-mark as of Wednesday.



The rise of mobile platforms also made it easier for them to transfer their capital into U.S. stocks, which they picked as another key reason behind the money transfer.



"Retail investors did not have enough knowledge on how to invest in U.S. stocks, but this is not the case anymore particularly among tech-savvy young people," a retail investor surnamed Lee who is in his 30s said.



"They can easily buy and sell U.S. stocks with their smartphones, and on top of that, there is a widespread perception that major U.S. large-cap stocks are less volatile and guarantee better returns. It is natural for them to be more interested in U.S. stocks at a time when major Korean stocks extend losses due to unpredictable issues  such as the spinoff of cash-cow businesses or leadership risks."



Up until recently, Kakao shares have been on a steep decline, after the nation's dominant mobile platform operator was mired in a leadership controversy, with some top management of the firm's key affiliates selling off their shares worth tens of billions of won soon after their market value reached its peak after going public.



LG Chem, one of Korea's representative large-cap tech stocks, was also hit by its decision to spin off its battery business. The physical division raised woes among investors that the company may end up losing growth momentum. LG Chem shares were traded at over 1 million won in early 2021, but fell below 700,000 won ahead of the market debut of its battery subsidiary, LG Energy Solution.



Another retail investor surnamed Kim also expressed distrust in the Korean stock market for such unpredictable risk factors.



"A general view among retail investors is that almost all Korean shares are exposed to more risks than major U.S. stocks," Kim said. "With the Fed and the Bank of Korea on track to increase key rates, few investors would be willing to take risks, and my view is that preference for safer assets will remain in place among retail investors for the next few months."



According to data from the Korea Exchange, the daily average short-selling of local shares between Jan. 3 to 21 reached 569 billion won, up by 58 percent a month earlier. The figure is also the highest since May 2021 when the exchange partially resumed the practice after banning it in March 2020 due to the then pandemic-induced stock fall.


A motorcycle rider is suing a Texas police officer after dashcam captured the officer running him over when he attempted to flee from them on foot.

Dustin Bates filed the federal lawsuit on Monday claiming that Lake Worth Officer Jonathan Granado injured him after he struck him with his squad vehicle on November 23, 2020.

The chase had been captured on Granado's dashcam which saw Bates fleeing from the officer after he attempted to pull him over at the intersection of Lake Worth Boulevard and Boat Club Road.

Granado has since claimed he did not intend to hit Bates with his vehicle which caused him to fracture his spine, three ribs and his right leg in two places, according to the suit.

Bates has requested a jury trial and has asked for unspecified punitive damages.

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Dustin Bates (left) filed the federal lawsuit on Monday claimed that Lake Worth Officer Jonathan Granado (right) hit and injured him after he struck him with his squad vehicle on November 23, 2020

Bates filed the lawsuit on Monday with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas

Police dashcam footage captured the moment motorcycle rider Dustin Bates was struck by Lake Worth Officer Jonathan Granado on November 23, 2020

In the video, Bates was seen on a motorcycle in front of Granado's squad vehicle while they were waiting at a red light at the intersection.

After running the bike's license plate, Granado noted that the number did not match that of the motorcycle.

The officer turned on his lights and chased Bates who sped up and crossed to another lane. Bates continued to make his way down the highway before cutting over to the exit.

Granado followed Bates and merged onto Interstate Loop 280 with the cyclist continuing to evade him.

He continued his pursuit and tailed him off on another exit towards Marine Creek Parkway where Bates was then seen attempting to flee from him on foot.

As Bates ran towards the other side of the exit, Granado hit him in the back with his vehicle after pulling off to the side.

Officers are then heard barking commands at Bates before taking him into custody.

Granado attempted to pull Bates over after noticing that his license plate did not match those of the numbers for the motorcycle

Bates led the officers on a high speed chase which included veering off of a couple of exits

Off the exit towards Marine Creek Parkway, Bates was seen fleeing from the officers on foot

One of the officers in the footage can be heard yelling at him to put his hands behind his back or risk being shot.

Bates also had to undergo surgery as a result due to the injuries he sustained from the crash which is said to have left permanent scarring.

He has since filed the suit with the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

A criminal investigation was opened following the crash with the details being given to a grand jury in March of last year who then ruled against taking any kind of action in the case.

Lake Worth Chief of Police JT Manoushagian spoke at a Monday press conference to further address the incident.

'What I saw on the video is not in keeping with the actions we expect our officers to take,' he said, according to NBC DFW.

'We caused injury to someone and it was due to the officer's poor judgment. I was disappointed. I was sad.'

Manoushagian said that the department opened up their own investigation and discovered two violations had been committed in terms of operating a vehicle without injury.

However, Granado was found to have not broken any policy in relation to the pursuit.

He was hit with an 80-hour suspension and was to perform administrative duties until the grand jury made their decision. He had briefly resigned in December before they ruled against taking action.

Granado also had to undergo training in relation to properly operating emergency vehicles.

'We believe that using progressive discipline and procedural justice is important when dealing and administering justice for our officers,' Maoushagian also said at the conference. 'We do have to take into account that everyone makes mistakes in their job.

'Considering this is a young officer very early in his career  we would never have seasoned, tenured officers who had had the opportunity to learn from mistakes if we fired them all after their first mistake.

'So, after a review of the circumstances, knowing that this was an accident, the officer did not intentionally mean to strike Mr. Bates with his car, he accepted responsibility for that, he was disciplined for that. I believe that was the right decision given the circumstances.'

Granado then pulled over off to the side of the paved exit to catch up to Bates

Granado was said to have been going about 45mph when he had hit the grass

Granado, however, struck Bates in the back and caused him to fall to the ground

The chief also added that Bates previously had a criminal history and was found to have a parole warrant and was also in possession of drugs.

'He had a lengthy criminal history,' Manoushagian said. 'He committed a felony by fleeing in the motorcycle.

'He was also committing a felony by being in possession of half an ounce of methamphetamine and then on top of all of that had a parole warrant.'

The charges against Bates have since been dropped, according to one of his attorneys.

Manoushagian said that Granado stopped the chase after he says he saw a cloud of dust which was assumed to be a result of Bate's motorcycle crashing.

'As he tracked Mr. Bates with his eyes, he began to veer off the roadway,' he continued. 'Just as many people do, where your eyes go the wheel of your car follows.'

He also said that Granado was going at a speed of 45mph when he hit Bates but was already applying his brakes before pulling over and striking him.

The vehicle continued to slide as the chief claimed that the grass was wet when Granado pulled over.

The suit, however, claimed that Granado's brakes had not been applied before striking Bates.

Bates' attorney said that Granado and the other officers at the scene had violated his client's constitutional rights to be free from excessive deadly force during the course of his arrest which 'was objectively unreasonable under the circumstances and inflicted unnecessary injury, pain, suffering, and permanent physical disfigurement upon Mr. Bates.'

He also added that Bates fleeing on foot did not present any type of threat towards the officers.

Lake Worth Police Chief JT Manoushagian spoke at a press conference in relation to the incident on Monday

The suit had also claimed that an officer identified as James O'Bannon made scathing comments towards Bates after he had been hit.

'Probably shouldn't have run. A lot of people think we can't chase motorcycles,' O'Bannon allegedly said. 'That's wrong. We can and we will. Welcome to Lake Worth.'

'This is what happens when your run from the law. If you would have just stopped it would have been fine.'

'I'm not going to sugar coat it for you, you run from us this is what happens.'

Manoushagian has since apologized for O'Bannon's alleged comments and said that he had been reprimanded for his actions.

'The quote by the officer on (the) scene does not reflect the attitudes and principles of our department. Specifically, the insinuation, of 'Welcome to Lake Worth,' he said in his statement.

'We are a police department that takes tremendous pride in providing excellent service and protection to the public and to the people that we arrest.

'We take great pride in treating all people with dignity and respect. The statement by this officer does not reflect that. We have and we will continue to address that. All people are welcome here.'
A New York appeals court judge on Tuesday granted a stay in an appeal over mask mandates in the state - keeping the rule in effect during the legal process, to the delight of Governor Kathy Hochul.

A day earlier, a judge had struck down Hochul's mask mandate, one week before it was due to expire.

The state attorney general, Letitia James, had filed a motion to stay the ruling in an attempt to put it on hold while the state filed a formal appeal, and on Tuesday James's request was approved.

Justice Robert Miller of the state appeals court temporarily blocked the lower-court ruling, siding with the state.

The requirements in New York state, home to around 20 million people, include wearing masks in schools, on public transit and other public indoor spaces.

Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, on Tuesday praised the temporary stay on the ruling that face masks indoors were unconstitutional, thanking the appeals court 'for siding with common sense and granting an interim stay to keep the state's important masking regulations in place'

People take a selfie inside Grand Central Station in Manhattan on January 13. Face masks must be worn on public transport

New Yorkers are seen in Times Square on January 25, wearing face masks even outdoors - which is not compulsory, but which is widely seen

Judge Thomas Rademaker of New York State Supreme Court on Long Island ruled on Monday that the governor overstepped her authority in imposing a rule that needed to have been passed by the state legislature.

In March, lawmakers ruled that New York was no longer under a state of emergency, limiting the governor's and the health commissioner's powers - but Hochul still re-introduced the mandate in December 2021.

Judge Rademaker said that legislators' decision to declare New York no longer in a state of emergency means Hochul's measures forcing residents to wear masks in all indoor spaces, which carry fines of up to $1,000 for those who do not comply, are unenforceable and are now void.

It is unclear how many businesses, if any, have been fined for failing to enforce the mask mandate.

Hochul, a Democrat, had vowed to fight back, saying in a statement, 'We strongly disagree with this ruling, and we are pursuing every option to reverse this immediately.'

On Tuesday, she commended Justice Miller for his ruling.

'As Governor, my top priority is protecting the people of this state,' she said.

'These measures are critical tools to prevent the spread of COVID-19, make schools and businesses safe, and save lives.

'I commend the Attorney General for her defense of the health and safety of New Yorkers, and applaud the Appellate Division, Second Department for siding with common sense and granting an interim stay to keep the state's important masking regulations in place.

'We will not stop fighting to protect New Yorkers, and we are confident we will continue to prevail.'

The next hearing in the case has been set for January 28.

Hochul had declared a state of emergency almost immediately after the World Health Organization named Omicron as a variant of concern on November 26.

When Hochul imposed the rule on December 31, she called it temporary.

She later extended the original expiration date of January 15 until February 1.

New York state has passed the Omicron peak, and case numbers are now dropping.

The seven-day positivity average was 9.64 percent on January 24, down from 22.2 percent on January 7.

There were 9,854 hospitalizations, Hochul said on Tuesday, and 158 new deaths reported.

Disagreements and court action over mask mandates in a number of states have become a flashpoint of the pandemic response in the United States, often dividing Democrats and Republicans.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden's vaccination-or-testing mandate for large businesses.

A judge in Texas last week ruled that Biden could not require federal employees to be vaccinated.

On Monday, New York state education officials told schools to keep enforcing Hochul's indoor mask mandate even after the Long Island judge struck down the requirement.

'While these legal steps occur, it is NYSED's position that schools should continue to follow the mask rule,' said education department spokesperson Emily DeSantis.

The New York State Education Department advised schools to keep following Gov. Kathy Hochul's re-introduced indoor mask mandate. Above, students at White Plains High School in April 2021

A Long Island judge ruled on Monday that Hochul's law was 'void and unenforceable', but on Tuesday an appeals judge overrode that decision. Above, students leave the New Explorations into Science, Technology and Math (NEST+m) school in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan on December 21
The Health Secretary has suggested that controversial plans to force all NHS staff in England to get jabbed are under review.

Sajid Javid said that because Omicron is less severe, unvaccinated employees pose less of a threat to patients than when the policy was introduced while the Delta variant was dominant last year.

But he insisted yesterday during an appearance before MPs on the Commons health committee that it was still their professional duty to get jabbed.

Mr Javid said 77,000 NHS staffers have not yet had the vaccine, about 5 per cent of the workforce, meaning they could be sacked if they are not vaccinated before the April deadline.

But he noted that the risk of getting severely ill with the virus has reduced since the decision to make jabs mandatory was made.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid has suggested that controversial plans to force all NHS staff in England to get jabbed are under review

The dominant variant at the time was Delta. The dominant variant now  in fact, almost all cases are Omicron, Mr Javid said. I think it is right in light of Omicron that we reflect on all this and keep all Covid policies properly sort of under review.

There are fears mandatory jabs will exacerbate workforce shortages in the NHS. Hospitals have been told to prepare dismissal proceedings for unvaccinated staff from February 4, the day after workers would need to have a first jab to meet the deadline.

Mr Javid said representations had been made to him about Omicron being very different to Delta, in that while the former is more transmissible it is intrinsically less severe.

He said while some people had urged him to add boosters to the mandatory requirement, others have called for it to be scrapped altogether.

NHS workers demonstrated in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, holding signs declaring 'medical apartheid is wrong'

Mr Javid has previously said universal vaccination is unethical, but that it should be compulsory in healthcare settings, and stood firm this month on a hospital visit when confronted by an anaesthetist who is refusing to have the jab.

Scotland and Wales are not planning to make jabs mandatory for NHS staff, and the issue is the subject of a public consultation in Northern Ireland.

Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford has suggested that unvaccinated workers from England would be welcome there.

NHS protesters left their scrubs in Trafalgar Square during Saturday's rally against mandatory vaccines

Mr Javid also told MPs yesterday he will set up a National Vaccination Service to free up GPs as Britain learns to live with Covid.

Vital health checks for vulnerable and elderly patients have been suspended until April so GPs can deliver boosters.

Mr Javid said: What we cant have is asking GPs to stop doing their regular work, that can be an emergency response now. In future weve got weve got to have a National Vaccination Service that is able to deal with Covid vaccines, as well as other vaccines, without drawing in workforce from the rest of the NHS.

Yesterday 94,326 Covid cases were recorded in the UK, as well as 439 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result.
Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell offered rare praise for President Joe Biden on Tuesday, saying he was 'encouraged' by signals that his administration was preparing for action before any Russian incursion into Ukraine.

It comes after the Pentagon announced it was putting 8,500 troops on high alert to deploy to the region - a number that it said could rise.

McConnell has frequently accused Biden of weakness in his foreign policy and demanded a more aggressive response.

On Tuesday he said he had been in contact with the White House about Ukraine.

'I read that the president was huddled at Camp David Sunday with his team and what I've been hearing since then is encouraging that they're prepared to take steps before an incursion not afterwards,' he said.

With 100,000 Russian troops camped close to Ukraine's northern, eastern and southern borders, McConnell has accused Biden of waiting to act after Moscow invaded.

'My advice to the White House from very beginning was that whatever steps we are going to take, and I'll outline the steps that I think ought to be taken, need to be taken before an invasion, not afterwards,' he said during a visit to the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center at the Kentucky National Guards headquarters.

'Once the Russians have grabbed a piece of Ukraine or tried to overthrow the entire government. It's really too late.'

Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell has frequently demanded that Biden do more to protect Ukraine. 'I read that the president was huddled at Camp David Sunday with his team and what I've been hearing since then is encouraging that they're prepared to take steps before an incursion not afterwards,' he said on Tuesday

Instead he said he wanted the White House to send ground-to-air missiles to the government in Kiev, and the immediate deployment of NATO troops - 'including some of our own' - to Poland, Romania, and the Baltic states.

'I've not been near the news this morning, so I'm not sure what additionally may have occurred,' he concluded, 'but it appears to me the administration is moving in the right direction.'

His comments came as Western leaders prepared for any Russian military action with talks on protecting energy supplies to Europe.

Meanwhile, Biden said he would consider imposing direct sanctions on President Vladimir Putin.

With the drumbeat of war mounting, McConnell's tone struck a contrast with a week ago. Then he blasted Biden's press conference performance, when the president was widely criticized for appearing to suggest that a limited incursion might generate only a modest international response.

'This was a moment to deliver a powerful warning to the Kremlin that Ukraines sovereignty is inviolable. That we would stand with her people. That the costs of escalation would be devastating,' he said.

'It was a moment to reassure our partners in Kiev and our allies along NATOs Eastern Flank that America had their back.

'It was a moment to call for NATOs unity, not to expose and appear hamstrung by NATOs divisions.'

Moscow insists it not planning an assault. But Russia is holding military drills and has moved troops close to the Ukrainian border in recent weeks.

Whale of problem: It would be 'the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world' if Putin moved in, President Biden said of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine. He spoke at a D.C. gift store

President Biden picked out a necklace and a sweatshirt, then spoke of developments in Europe

Biden told reporters that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'continues to build forces along Ukraine's border," and an attack 'would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.'

The president was asked about Ukraine during a visit to a Washington gift shop.

'There would be enormous consequences if he were to go in and invade, as he could,' said Biden, as he stood in front of racks of T-shirts and a tote bag featuring a blue whale.

'If we were to move in with all those forces, it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.'

He also threatened to impose personal sanctions on Putin.

He also provided his most detailed explanation to make preparations for sending U.S. troops to bolster NATO forces if needed, with 8,500 troops already ordered on 'heightened alert.'

'Id feel obliged to beef up our presence, NATO's presence, on the eastern front,' Biden said, with Russia having amassed more than 100,000 of its own troops on its western border and in Belarus.

'I may be moving some of those troops in the near term just because it takes time,' Biden said.

That remark came after Pentagon spokesman Adm. John Kirby told CNN he would 'not rule out the possibility that we could be putting additional forces on heightened alert in the coming days and weeks' beyond that 8,500 number, while perhaps 'moving troops around Europe that are already there.'

'Ive spoken with every one of our NATO allies. Were all on the same page,' Biden said.

He said the potential reinforcements were 'not provocative.'

'I dont think even his people know for certain what he is going to do,' Biden said of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to a giftshop

The European Union depends on Russia for around a third of its gas supplies, some of it running through the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline seen here. Western leaders have begun talks to find alternative supplies in the event of a Russian invasion of Ukraine

He said there was not a lot of concern for the security of allies in western Europe. 'But in Eastern Europe theres reason for concern. Theyre along the Russian border, the Belarus border,' he said.

He also warned of the potential for 'spillover effects.'

As he has in the past, Biden says he does not know Putin's intensions. 'I dont think even his people know for certain what he is going to do,' the president said.

His photo-ready trip out of the White House with a press pool in tow came after a new Harvard CAPS/Harris survey poll put his overall approval at just 39 per cent.

He made his remarks at HoneyMade, a gift store in Washington, D.C. He picked out a sweatshirt and mentioned a grandson in California, a possible reference to Beau Biden, Jr., Hunter's son.

He also told reporters he picked out a necklace for first lady Jill Biden.

And in the latest indication that he will keep Vice President Kamala Harris on the ticket, Biden picked out a $20 coffee mug with her likeness on it. 'I'll get this one, too,' he said.

The store is located in Southeast Washington, DC, near the Navy Yard and a Marine barracks.

The store website says it 'began as a local maker and designer of fashion and accessories for women, babies, and children before finally taking the plunge and opening HoneyMade.' It features a 'rotating cast of items by our favorite artisans, artists, and designers, including the fun and fashionable gifts that we make ourselves in our studio behind the store.'

According to the White House, 'This afternoon, the President is visiting local small business Honey Made, owned by Viboonrattana 'Moo' Honey. Honey Made opened its doors in 2021, which highlights the tremendous growth in new small business applications since the start of the Biden-Harris administration.'

After his shopping trip, Biden visited Jeni's Ice Cream, a favorite store, and bought a cone, which he showed to reporters on the way out.

His decision to get out of the White House came during a day of high tension in Washington with pressure coming from four sides.

North Korea launched two cruise missiles tests on Tuesday, for the fifth time this month in a huge ramping up of their efforts that comes as the leaders have their eyes fixed on Europe.

Iran-backed rebels launched a rocket attack on an air base housing 2,000 US soldiers on Monday in the United Arab Emirates, forcing Patriot defense system to swing into action. Two inbound missiles were knocked out of the sky.

And China is testing US resolve over Taiwan and free passage through the South China Straits to the extent that the US has deployed two aircraft carriers to the area to ensure that Beijing does not try to exploit the potential Ukraine invasion.

The USS Carl Vinson and Abraham Lincoln as well as a huge strike group are now on patrol in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile Ukraine's foreign minister on Tuesday warned world powers not to make any backdoor deals with Putin as Russia inches closer to invading Ukraine and the U.S. weighs troop deployment.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned against world leaders making deals 'behind Ukraine's back' as Russia continues to build-up forces at the border amid rising concerns of an invasion

Ukraine "will not allow anyone to impose any concessions on us" as part of efforts to deescalate the threat of conflict with Russia, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told @clarissaward in an exclusive interview. https://t.co/unwDx7ZM9f pic.twitter.com/M406uOBWfg  New Day (@NewDay) January 25, 2022

Russia has already built up a force of more than 100,000 troops at the eastern border of Ukraine and has thousands stationed elsewhere as tensions escalate and concerns rise over a potential Russia invasion of Ukraine

U.S. politicians are pressuring Biden to impose preemptive sanctions on Russia ahead of any potential invasion. Russia's President Vladimir Putin holds a video meeting with students of leading Russian universities in Moscow on Tuesday, January 25, 2022

'If anyone makes a concession on Ukraine behind Ukraine's back, first, we will not accept that,' Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told CNN. 'We will not be in a position of a country that speaks on the phone, hears the instruction of the big power and follows it. No.'

'We paid a lot, including 15,000 lives of our citizens, to secure the right to decide our own future, our own destiny, and we will not allow anyone to impose any concessions on us,' he added.

Kuleba added that if anyone comes to Kiev demanding further concessions he will kick them out of the country and 'personally arrange' for an escort to the airport.

Leaders in Ukraine have 'turned the page' on Biden's comment from his press briefing last week suggesting the U.S. would not act if Russia just commits a 'minor incursion' against Ukraine, Kuleba insisted.

The faux pas, which the White House later walked back on, sparked Republican complaints claiming there is no such thing as a 'minor incursion' when it comes to a potential Russian invasion.

U.S. officials have privately reaffirmed to Ukrainian officials, said Kuleba, that they are committed to 'slashing Russia if any type of incursion, invasion, interference takes place.'

Ukrainian leadership is not happy with the way the Biden administration is responding to the threat of Russia invading  specifically as the State Department evacuated embassy staff and their families from Kiev.

Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby announced Monday that 8,500 U.S. troops have been put on standby. He declined to give details on what units would make up the troops for possible deployment to Eastern Europe

Volodymyr Zelensky is confident that there is not an 'imminent threat' to Ukraine, according to a source close with the Ukraine president.

The source, speaking with BuzzFeed News on Monday, also took aim at the administration telling American citizens in Ukraine to leave the country and pulling embassy staff.

'The fact that the U.S. was the first one to announce this is extremely disappointing,' the source said.

'Quite frankly these Americans are safer in Kyiv than they are in Los Angeles  or any other crime-ridden city in the U.S.,' the Zelensky source added in taking aim at the spiking crime rates in U.S. cities.

On Sunday, the United States ordered the families of its diplomats in the Ukrainian capital Kiev to leave the country 'due to the continued threat' of a Russian invasion, the State Department said.

The administration also warned American citizens in the country to leave on their own, claiming the U.S. government will not be able to evacuate citizens should Russia invade.
Michael Rapaport filmed the moment a bold thief sauntered out of a Rite Aid on the Upper East side of New York City with two shopping bags full of stolen goods, calling it 'pathetic' that brazen crime continues to spiral in the Big Apple because of soft-on-crime policies.

The actor and comedian, who posted footage of the incident on Instagram, told DailyMail.com that he was disgusted and surprised when he saw the thief stocking up on items from three different sections of the pharmacy before deciding he was satisfied.

'These criminals know there are no ramifications. We have to put more of these mfers in jail,' he said.

The Rite Aid in the video, on 80th Street and 2nd Avenue, is hit with thefts of the same nature on an almost daily basis, a security guard told Rapaport. The store will be closing on February 15, and 63 other locations will close in the coming months with thefts a major reason, the pharmacy chain announced in late December.

You see all these videos on Instagram of people shoplifting like theyre going for a walk in the park. Its pathetic that this is happening in the greatest city in the world, Rapaport said.

Actor and comedian Michael Rapaport, who posted footage on Instagram of a bold thief going for a shoplifting spree in NYC on Tuesday, said he was 'disgusted' by the brazen crime

Rapaport told DailyMail.com he was disgusted and surprised when he saw the thief stocking up on items from three different sections of the pharmacy before deciding he was satisfied

Rapaports video, which has since garnered more than 276,000 views, starts with Rapaport filming the thief sauntering out of the Rite Aid, while the exasperated actor fumbles with his words before shouting, I cant believe Im seeing this s**t!

Hes walking down the street like s**t is Gucci, he looked me in the face like ''whats good.'' I was watching him the whole time! My man just went Christmas shopping in January.

The Heat star captions the video: Duke just went CHRISTMAS SHOPPING at @riteaid Im TRIPPING this happened in broad day like it was nothing. New @iamrapaport discusses it all. I was just informed this Rite Aid is closing 2/15 because of this, leaving the workers JOBLESS. @ericadamsfornyc YO,' tagging the drug store chain and New York City Mayor Eric Adams.

He told DailyMail.com that he initially thought the thief was an employee because he was just so deliberate and casual.

Rapaport put the blame on former Mayor Bill de Blasio, who embraced soft-on-crime policies such as bail reform and police budget cuts.

However, Rapaport said that new Mayor Adams could right the ship: I think Eric Adams knows whats going on, he knows how to deal with crime. Im just hoping he lives up to our expectations.

The actor said he relies on that Rite Aid, where he buys his mood stabilizers, and that he and many others in the community are now losing their neighborhood pharmacy  and its workers are losing their jobs  because of the rampant shoplifting.

These people are gonna be out of a job because of guys like this scumbum, he said, using the invented word as a combination of scumbag and bum.

Rapaport said the man in his footage filled two bags with stolen goods before nonchalantly strolling past security and leaving

The Rite Aid in the video, on 80th Street and 2nd Avenue, is hit with thefts of the same nature on an almost daily basis, a security guard told Rapaport

The Rite Aid in the video will be closing on February 15, with thefts a major reason, the pharmacy chain announced late December

Rapaport, 51, an actor-turned-podcaster, began his career in the early 1990s and has starred in films including The Heat, Deep Blue Sea, Dr. Dolittle 2 and True Romance. He was born and raised in Manhattan, where he currently lives with his wife Kebe Dunne.

The two married in 2016. Rapaport was previously married to Nichole Beattie from 2000 to 2007, when they divorced. Rapaport and Beattie have two children: Maceo Shane, 20, and Julian Ali, 22.

Rapaport has been outspoken on a number of issues and has had his fair share of celebrity feuds, most recently with Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.

In March 2021, Rapaport took to social media to share a private conversation in which Durant unleashed a string of homophobic slurs while threatening to spit on him. Their disagreement started in December after Rapaport criticized an awkward post-game interview Durant had on TNT.

Speaking about the Rite Aid incident on Tuesday, Rapaport said it was the first time he saw such blatant theft in person, but that the security guard in his video is all too familiar.

He told Rapaport that, just yesterday, two men walked in and took a six-pack of beer before acknowledging the security guard and leaving without paying anyway.

The security guard is seen in Rapaports video nonchalantly watching the thief walk out with his bags of looted goods. It is unclear what Rite Aids security policy is, but chains like Walmart have insurance over stolen products and discourage their security guards from trying to engage with the thieves and risking injuring themselves or others.

A similar theft at a Rite Aid in New York City went viral on TikTok in October after a woman named India, who was a security guard at the store, posted footage of thefts pilfering Halloween candy before fleeing.

People asked in the comments why she isn't stopping the thieves if she is supposed to be a security guard, to which she replied: 'Because it's illegal to touch, grab or use any physical force to stop them.'

Instead, she said, her job is to 'observe and report.'

A similar theft at a Rite Aid in New York City went viral on TikTok in October after a woman named India, who was a security guard at the store, posted footage of thefts pilfering Halloween candy before fleeing

People asked in the comments why she isn't stopping the thieves if she is supposed to be a security guard, to which she replied: 'Because it's illegal to touch, grab or use any physical force to stop them.' Instead, she said, her job is to 'observe and report'

Robbery in New York City has spiked by about 33% in the week ending on January 23, the NYPDs most recent data, with 944 incidents as compared to the 709 incidents reported in same duration last year

When asked what he thinks needs to be done to curb the spike in shoplifting incidents, Rapaport said that there needs to be more ramifications and penalties for shoplifting.

Criminals know they could get away with it. This whole thing is just a mess, he said.

Robbery in New York City has spiked by about 33 percent in the week ending on January 23, according to the NYPDs most recent data, with 944 incidents compared to 709 incidents reported during the same timeframe last year.

Overall crime has gone up by nearly 39 percent, with 7,230 incidents this year as compared to last years 5,211.

Meanwhile, in the latest shocking episode of New York City crime, a gunman opened fire in a Bronx hospital waiting room on Tuesday afternoon - shooting another man four times before fleeing.

The unidentified suspect was waiting to be seen by nurses when he 'exchanged looks' with another man in the waiting room at Jacobi Hospital.

Harrowing video of the shooting shows the gunman standing to look at the victim then opening fire without warning, right in front of the reception desk.

He then fled, leaving the victim standing in disbelief while blood spurted from his arm.

It is unclear if it was a random shooting or if the pair knew each other. A little girl was sitting next to the man who was struck; her mother shielded her throughout the incident.

The gunman remains armed and at large. The NYPD has not offered any kind of description for him.

In the latest shocking episode of New York City crime, a gunman opened fire in a Bronx hospital waiting room on Tuesday afternoon  shooting another man four times before fleeing

The gunman started to flee, clutching his gun, while stunned onlookers watched. A mother who was with her child in the corner shielded the girl as the incident unfolded

The victim survived and was treated at the scene for a gunshot wound to the arm. It's unclear if anyone else was harmed.

On Monday, a day before the hospital shooting, Adams vowed a crackdown on gun violence, claiming he would protect New Yorkers from the 'sea of violence' currently plaguing the city.

'I won't let that happen,' he vowed.

Police unions and residents say it's already too late. They are, however, embracing Adams, who has promised to be tougher than his predecessor.

On Tuesday, Pat Lynch, the head of the NYC Police Benevolent Association, the largest police union, also lauded Adams and said they would embrace having an 'ally' in City Hall.

'For years, we've been calling for real solutions to our violent crime crisis. Mayor Adams has acknowledged the problem and outlined the beginnings of a plan,' he said.

'The message on the streets is that there are no consequences for carrying and using illegal guns... it has to change immediately because we've already lost more than we can bear.'

Tuesday's shooting in the Bronx was within hours of an NYPD cop dying from gunshot wounds inflicted in the line of duty last week.

Wilbert Mora, 27, (right) died on Tuesday - four days after the attack. His partner Jason Rivera, 22 (left) was killed in the shooting

Officer Wilbert Mora died on Tuesday, four days after he was critically injured in an ambush attack that also killed his rookie partner.

The 27-year-old had been hospitalized since being gunned down along with his 22-year-old partner Jason Rivera in Harlem on Friday while responding to a domestic violence call. They are the first two officers to be killed by gunfire in the city since 2017.

Mora needed two surgeries after he was shot in the head and a bullet became lodged in his brain, but he could not be saved. He died at NYU Langone Hospital after being taken off life support.

He was placed on life support so that his organs could be harvested for donation, according to the New York Post.

'Some lucky person got a hero's heart today,' a cop told the newspaper.

Mora was a four-year veteran of the department after he graduated from CUNY John Jay College for Criminal Justice in 2018.

Career criminal Lashawn McNeil, 47, who was out on probation and carried out the attack, was shot in the head and arm by a third officer responding to the call, Sumit Sulan. McNeil, who had shared anti-cop propaganda and anti-government conspiracy posts on Facebook, died from his injuries on Monday.
In one week, Karen and Mike Malherbe will essentially be homeless.

When the pair sold their NSW Illawarra home and bought a new one near Busselton, in Western Australia, they were elated.

The move west would reunite them with family for the first time in three years.

They would be able to meet their first grandchild and be there to welcome their second.

'We were so excited,' Ms Malherbe said.

Karen and Mike Malherbe face homelessness after selling up in NSW and buying a new home in WA

Mark McGowan had promised to reopen the borders on February 5, but backflipped

But their excitement soon turned to despair, after the West Australian premier in a late-night press conference on Thursday announced the state's borders would not open as planned on February 5.

Instead they will remain shut to domestic travellers indefinitely.

Mark McGowan had promised to reopen the borders once the state's double-dose vaccination rate reached 90 per cent. It is now 89 per cent.

The backflip shattered the Malherbes, who now have to wait even longer to hug their grandson for the first time.

'We're not seeing any of the milestones, the talking and the walking, and we've never even held him,' she says.

'I'm so upset that I didn't sleep all night long. I'm on the brink of tears still.'

But adding to their distress is the fact they have to be out of their house by Friday, and now have no idea when they will be able to move into their new one in WA.

Travel is currently limited to returning West Australians, a small class of approved travellers like parliamentarians, and those travelling on compassionate grounds - for funerals or to see dying relatives.

Despite owning a property in Western Australia, the couple have been left homeless due to Mark McGowan's border rules

The state emergency co-ordinator or chief health officer may also hand out special consideration exemptions in what they deem extraordinary circumstances.

Travellers must be fully vaccinated and undergo two weeks of quarantine.

But the Malherbes - who are triple-vaccinated - say they have no clue if they fit into any of those categories.

'It's all very unclear. The way forward is a mystery,' Ms Malherbe said.

'We have based our planning on the premier's previous promises, and now face a very uncertain immediate future.'

A state government spokesperson did not clarify whether the couple would be eligible for an exemption when directly asked by AAP.

'Directions for the new border settings need to be drawn up as they are tailored to the new border arrangements, and will be finalised soon,' they said in a statement.

The Malherbes have rented a motorhome, and were planning to drive through South Australia and cross the WA border on February 5.

Domestic travellers have been banned from WA indefinitely after Mr McGowan abandoned plans to reopen the border on February 5

'We have no option but to take the van, head south and west, and hope for the best,' Ms Malherbe said.

'Despite having family and owning real estate in WA, we're homeless and aimless.'

They face the prospect of 'hanging around' in South Australia indefinitely, as their bills mount.

'Motorhomes are quite expensive (and) that is definitely a bit daunting,' Ms Malherbe said.

'Obviously, like most people, we have finite funds.'

She appealed to Mr McGowan to change his mind, arguing the cost of keeping borders shut despite great vaccination coverage is too high.

'I just really don't understand why we're being basically banned from entering a state of our own country,' she said.

'Please reconsider.'
The father of a teenage girl who died after allegedly being hit by a car in a cul-de-sac on a quiet housing estate has been charged with her murder.

Nigel Malt, 44, is said to have driven his daughter Lauren Malt, 19, to hospital after the collision near a play area in Leete Way, West Winch, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

Norfolk Police said they were called to reports of a disturbance in the road and a teenager being hit by a car just before 7.30pm on Sunday.

Lauren, who has been provisionally identified by police, was pronounced dead soon after she arrived at the 515-bed hospital.

Mr Malt, of Lynn Road, King's Lynn, was initially arrested at the hospital on suspicion of murder, drink-driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

He was charged tonight after being questioned at the Police Investigation Centre in King's Lynn and will appear before Norwich magistrates on Wednesday.

Residents of Leete Way said they heard the sound of an argument before a car allegedly ploughed into Lauren.

Norfolk Police said a Home Office post-mortem examination carried out today established her preliminary cause of death as chest and abdominal injuries.

Police were called following reports that a 19-year-old girl, who has been named locally as Lauren Malt (pictured), had been hit and killed by a car

The incident happened shortly before 7.30pm near a play area in Leete Way, West Winch, near Kings Lynn, Norfolk (pictured) on Sunday

It is believed that the driver of the car, who was 'known' to Lauren, drove her five miles to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King's Lynn. Pictured: Leete Way, Norfolk

One resident of Leete Way, who asked not to be named, said: 'We heard a loud bang and a load of people shouting and screaming, followed by the sound of a car speeding off.

'I went out and asked a neighbour what had happened. I was told that a girl had been hit by a car. There was signs of a collision in the road, but the girl was not there.'

Another woman neighbour said: 'It's horrendous. I saw the flashing lights of the police cars late in the evening.

'I looked out of the window and thought, 'What the hell is going on?' Then this morning they were scrubbing the road round the corner.

'It is awful to think what has happened to this girl. This is normally a really quiet place. You don't expect anything like this.'

Another resident said: 'I got home from work at 9pm and found the area all taped off by the police. I heard this morning that there had been a huge argument.'

Houses on Leete Way, Norfolk are worth around 180,000 and detached properties can sell for an average of 250,000.

A friend of Lauren paid tribute to her in a Facebook post, saying: 'You my dear angel meant the world to me and I'm so sorry you're gone.

'I can't quite get my head around it. My rock. My little bean. My best friend. We had so many plans, but now we're apart. I will miss you every waking moment my love.'

A second friend posted: 'She was funny and nice and pretty. I will miss her so much.'

One described her as 'such a lovely polite girl' and another added: 'She had a heart of gold. Fly high my angel.'

Another said: 'She truly was one of a kind and will be missed by so many - such a wonderful caring young person taken from us too soon. My heart goes to her family xx.'

One resident of Leete Way who asked not to be named said: 'We heard a loud bang and a load of people shouting and screaming, followed by the sound of a car speeding off'

Norfolk Police staff are making house-to-house inquiries, asking residents if they had any relevant CCTV images or video from doorbell cameras.

Officers said the incident in West Winch was unconnected to a second murder investigation launched just eight miles away after a man aged in his 30s died from serious head injuries on Sunday night at a house in Bulrush Avenue, Downham Market, Norfolk.

A Norfolk Police statement said: 'Police have launched a murder investigation following an incident near King's Lynn on Sunday evening.

'Officers were called to Leete Way in West Winch shortly before 7.30pm following reports of a disturbance in the street and that a woman had been hit by a car.

'Units were deployed to the scene and following further information, officers were also dispatched to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where the casualty, a woman in her late teens, had been taken. The woman was pronounced dead a short time later.

'A man aged in his 40s was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of murder and causing death by dangerous driving. He has been taken to King's Lynn Police Investigation Centre where he will be questioned.'

Norfolk Police staff were today making house-to-house inquiries, asking residents if they had any relevant CCTV images or video from doorbell cameras

The statement said that Leete Way was initially cordoned off to allow 'collision scene investigations' to be carried out. The road was later reopened.

Norfolk's local policing commander Superintendent Wes Hornigold said: 'We have a team of experienced detectives on this case who are working to establish the full circumstances of the incident.

'Officers are working to build a picture of what's happened, and the victim's family are being supported by our liaison officers.

'I can confirm all those involved are known to one another and we're confident the wider public were not at risk.

One described her as 'such a lovely polite girl' and another added: 'She had a heart of gold. Fly high my angel.'

'This is one of two murder investigations launched in the west of the county last night. A separate team of detectives continue to investigate a murder in Downham Market in which a 39-year-old man died. These are both tragic incidents and our thoughts are with those affected.

'We recognise the timing and proximity of both incidents may lead to wider concern in our communities. However, I would stress they are separate investigations and are not connected in any way.

'Such circumstances are unusual for Norfolk and we will have additional high-visibility patrols in both areas over the coming days.'

Officers have spoken to a number of witnesses already, however anyone who believes they may have information or CCTV relevant to the enquiry, should contact the Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team on 101 quoting Operation Redmere.
Social media influencers are using their platforms to share tips on how young people can support First Nations people on Australia Day - and the activities revellers should avoid.

In the lead up to January 26, a slew of TikTok stars have flocked online to explain why they do not celebrate Australia Day.

January 26 - which marks the raising of the British flag on Australian soil in 1788 after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour - is regarded as 'invasion day' by many First Nations people.

In viral videos, popular creators have made 'tutorials' offering advice to their thousands of followers on how to approach the day with cultural sensitivity.

Their suggestions include declining Australia Day party invitations and donating wages to charity if you have to work on the day.

Wiradjuri, Gomeroi and Awabakal user Meissa Mason (pictured) has suggested people working on 'Invasion Day', who wish to support Indigenous people, donate their bonus public holiday rates

Wiradjuri, Gomeroi and Awabakal user Meissa Mason, who boasts more than 110,000 followers, encouraged those who work on Australia Day to give their additional earnings to charity.

'Ive had a couple of people DM me and say that they dont celebrate Invasion Day, and theyd rather work, but they also feel uncomfortable profiting off Invasion Day by getting time-and-a-half or double rates,' she said.

'Something you can do is working out your payslips to see what you got on your regular rates, and then taking that percentage that you got for double pay or pay-and-a-half and donating it to an Indigenous organisation, movement or group.

'That way you are not profiting off of Invasion Day and you are directly supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.'

Barkindji, Wakawaka and Birrigubba Tiktok influencer Emily Johnson shared a 'tutorial' titled 'no pride in genocide', showing her 78,000 followers how to decline invitations to events held on the public holiday.

'For me personally, its ok if you want to enjoy the public holiday, but titling your event "Invasion Day" is just yuck,' she wrote in a caption.

Non-Indigenous activist Ella Jae offered her 60,200 followers a 'reminder' we should not 'celebrate genocide', calling for the date to be changed from January 26 to May 8.

Barkindji, Wakawaka and Birrigubba Tiktok influencer Emily Johnson (pictured) shared a tutorial on how to turn down Australia Day party invitations

'If we want to celebrate Australia it should be on a day that's inclusive for everyone so that everyone can have fun,' she said in the video which has been seen more than 100,000 times.

She compared having a party on Australia Day to skipping a loved one's funeral and going straight to 'kick ons' and refuted common argument atrocities against Indigenous people 'happened so long ago'.

'Trauma tracks down through generations, that pain is still felt by First Nation people's children, grandchildren, great grandchildren,' she said.

'And second, you do not get to decide what is offensive or hurtful to a community that you are not a part of.

'If you choose to be ignorant and not get educated, you are part of the problem.'

Change-the-date advocate Jaz Karati, described how she and her Maori family used to celebrate the public holiday until they learned of its cultural significance.

'When we first moved here 10 years ago, we were ignorant to the history of that date, so we were celebrating with a lot of our Australian friends,' she said.

Ella Jae (pictured) explained trauma can be handed down for generations - and celebrating on January 26 is not ethical

Jaz Karati, a self-described Aboriginal ally, admitted she used to celebrate Australia Day until she realised the historical and cultural significance of the date

'As soon as we learnt the real history and the reason why that date is significant for Aboriginal people, it became a no-brainer for us to stop celebrating.'

Ms Karati said white Australian friends have justified celebrating the holiday, because they were 'not racist' as they do not 'hate Aboriginal people'.

'I said "you're wrong. You think racism is rooted in hate, but it isn't. It is rooted in ignorance - wilful ignorance - because you know the history and you continue to celebrate".

'If you care about Aboriginal people, you would not be celebrating invasion, genocide, rape, murder, and colonisation.

Comedian Tilly Langford, a Gumbaynggir woman, frequently shares content with her more than 38,600 TikTok followers, advocating a number of social justice causes, including class inequality, sexism and racial injustice.

The political commentator said the national holiday, for her, represents ongoing disparities between Indigenous Australians and other members of the community.

'Invasion Day, to me, symbolises a lot of my personal conflictions with "Australia",' she told News.com.au.

'I want to love this Country. I want to care for it and cherish it just as my ancestors did. But I cant, because of the way it is now, the blood, and the carnage, and the pure indifference.'

Comedian and Gumbaynggir woman Tilly Langford (pictured) says she 'cannot love Australia' because of ongoing racial injustice and the brutal history of colonisation

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, she sent strength to fellow Indigenous Australians

Australia Day, held on the date British Royal Navy vessels raised a Union Jack at Sydney Cove, called Warrane by the Aboriginal people who fished and lived there, remains divisive among young and older generations.

In recent years the day has been marked by widespread protests in cities across the country as thousands of Indigenous supporter mourn the culture's painful history and call for the holiday's date to be changed.

A recent survey by Core Data found 'a generational and gender divide among Australians over the significance of the day and its position in the calendar'.

The research consultancy asked whether people planned to celebrate, whether they supported moving the holiday to another date and how their opinions had changed in recent years.

Overall, 54 per cent of respondents said they planned to mark the occasion, with 30 per cent saying they would be celebrating the history and achievements of Australia and 15 per cent 'just because it was a public holiday'.

More than two-thirds of respondents aged 26 and under say they won't be celebrating on January 26, with just over 30 per cent saying they will.

But more than 80 per cent of them support moving the date for the sake of improving relations with the Indigenous population, as do more than 70 per cent of those aged 27 to 41.

Support for change dropped among older respondents, with just over 30 per cent of those 56 to 75 and 25 per cent of those older supporting a change in date.
Leader of the House of Commons and Conservative party MP Jacob Rees Mogg has claimed that there would need to be a general election if Boris Johnson were to be ousted as Prime Minister.

Rees Mogg yesterday argued on BBC Two's Newsnight that any would-be successor to the Prime Minister should call an election to receive the public's backing.

There is no rule in British law stipulating that a new Tory leader would be required to call a general election after winning a party leadership race.

But Rees Mogg told Newsnight's Kirsty Wark that Britain's parliament has moved to 'an essentially Presidential system' and declared that any new PM would be 'well-advised' to seek a fresh mandate.

Rees Mogg's public declaration comes after The Times reported yesterday that a group of MPs loyal to the Prime Minister are warning Tory party rebels they will call for a general election in an attempt to discourage any attempt to topple him.

Johnson's supporters are claiming that it is now parliamentary convention that the winner of a party leadership race must call an election to win the public's seal of approval, pointing to the example of Johnson himself and his predecessor Theresa May, who both called early elections.

It comes as the Prime Minister and the Tory party await the findings of Whitehall ethics inquisitor Sue Gray's report into 'partygate' and the alleged lockdown-breaking No10 gatherings.

Johnson could also become the first Prime Minister to be interviewed under police caution after it emerged yesterday that Scotland Yard is opening a criminal investigation into the parties.

Rees Mogg yesterday argued on BBC Two's Newsnight that any would-be successor to the Prime Minister would be forced to call an election to receive the public's backing, although there is no law that supports his claim

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson (C) is driven from Parliament in London, Britain, 25 January 2022. The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into parties held in No 10 during the coronavirus pandemic

Some Conservative MPs have already publicly called for the Prime Minister's resignation, but others have said they will await the publication of the Gray report before trying to trigger a vote of no confidence.

But Rees Mogg's Newsnight interview suggests that supporters of Johnson among the party are keen to dissuade any attempts from rebel Tory MPs to bring down the Prime Minister by piling on the pressure of a potential general election.

The Commons leader said: 'It is my view that we have moved, for better or worse, to essentially a presidential system and that therefore the mandate is personal rather than entirely party, and that any Prime Minister would be very well advised to seek a fresh mandate.'

When asked whether the Prime Minister should resign if there is a photograph of him at a drinks party in No 10, Rees Mogg urged people to wait for Gray's report to be published and denounced what he described as 'gossip' around the issue.

'Trying to speculate on bits of gossip and tittle-tattle around the report doesn't really get us anywhere,' he added.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Liz Truss leaves from 10 Downing Street in London on January 25, 2022, after attending a meeting of the Cabinet. Truss, who is one of the Tory MPs tipped to succeed Boris Johnson should he resign over the partygate affair, is due to face broadcasters this morning and is likely to field a flurry of questions about the Gray report, the police investigation, and whether she believes Johnson should remain

British Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries arrives at the Cabinet Office in London, Britain, 24 January 2022. Dorries is said to be one of the senior Tory MPs allied to Boris Johnson amid the partygate scandal

Rees Mogg's public support for any would-be Tory leader to call an election is likely the latest step in a ploy designed to help Boris Johnson maintain some stability amid the 'partygate' scandal threatening his premiership.

Under Tory party rules, 54 MPs - representing 15 per cent of the party - would need to submit letters of no confidence to the 1922 Committee which oversees party rules in order to trigger a confidence vote over Johnson's premiership.

It is not known how many Conservatives have already submitted, or intent to submit, letters of no confidence.

It emerged yesterday that Johnson could become the first Prime Minister ever to be interviewed under police caution, while Sue Gray told Number 10 that she expects her findings into whether Downing Street gatherings broke lockdown rules to be released in full within 'hours' of them being delivered to the Government.

Scotland Yard announced yesterday that it is opening a criminal investigation into gatherings, and police sources told The Times that it was 'inevitable' that the PM would have to speak to detectives.

This would make Johnson the second sitting Prime Minister to be interviewed after Tony Blair was quizzed over the cash-for-honours scandal 15 years ago.

However Blair was interviewed as a witness - and no sitting Prime Minister has ever been interviewed under caution which requires officers to read them their rights before the questions begin.

Meanwhile, the delivery of Sue Gray's report into the Downing St parties is understood to be imminent and could see the report released to the public after PMQs later today.

Sky News last night claimed that she had been handed photographs of Boris Johnson next to wine bottles at an alleged lockdown breaking party, and has identified eight parties that breached the rules.

Many Tory MPs are awaiting the findings before deciding whether to submit letters of no confidence in Johnson that could topple him as prime minister and trigger a Tory leadership contest.

Northern Ireland minister Conor Burns defended Johnson's presence at a surprise birthday bash in the Cabinet room on June 19 2020 when social events indoors were banned, saying he had been 'ambushed with a cake'.

Burns said it was 'not a premeditated, organised party', adding: 'They came to his office with a cake, they sang Happy Birthday, he was there for 10 minutes.

'I don't think most people looking at that at home would characterise that as a party.'

But Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, one of those tipped to succeed Mr Johnson should he resign over the partygate affair, is due to face broadcasters this morning and is likely to field a flurry of questions about the Gray report, the police investigation, and whether she believes Johnson should remain.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has stunned the crowd at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony by reciting a poem written by his daughter Lily.

At the National Citizenship and Flag Raising ceremony in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Morrison included the patriotic words penned by the 13 year old in his speech.

The words pay tribute to the relentless spirit of Australians in the face of hardship, and the beauty and ancient history of the sun-soaked land.

And it even includes a reference to the great Aussie myth of drop bears, the scare story often told to visiting foreigners as a national in-joke.

'I could not express my love for this country better than the young girl who wrote this verse  It's called My Land Australia,' he told the audience before later revealing it was the work of his own daughter.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured with wife Jenny and daughters Lily, front left, and Abbey) included his daughter's poem in his Australia Day speech

'My land called Australia. My heart soiled in loving grace. My cherished home filled with love and ancient dreaming. The high mountain ranges in between my gazes with the outback on the horizon we can see new beginnings.

'Through fire, famine, flood and pandemics, it's going, going, going. We will never tire out. We'll keep our flags up and let it fly, fly, fly. Australia, my land, my country of hardship, my country of grace, my country of stars.

'Don't care how much you try to persuade me, give me books, money and lovely birch trees. Nothing can take my love from this land.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) has stunned the crowd at the Australia Day citizenship ceremony by reciting a poem written by his daughter Lily.

'Nothing can take the smile off my face when we get a sunburn and lie for a bit, my friends and family can ride together down to the river, beach or bay, we can sit and reminisce about the time the sun sprays.

'Yes, of course you can do that anywhere but can you see the drop bears there?'

The poetic tribute to Australia came as the PM hailed the relentless battle the nation has faced over the past 12 months in the ongoing fight against the Covid pandemic.

'These have been some of the toughest years, if not the toughest, we have known since the times of war and the Great Depression,' he added.

The touching poem was penned by daughter Lily, left, seen here with sister Abbey, mum Jenny and proud PM dad Scott Morrison.

The poetic tribute came as PM Scott Morrison (pictured) hailed the relentless battle the nation has faced over the past 12 months in the ongoing fight against the Covid pandemic

'At such times we are sustained by many things. Our family, our friends, our community, our faith, and we are thankful. But today I am just filled with thanks and gratitude for the nation we are blessed to live in as a people.'

The words were echoed by Governor -General David Hurley.

He added: 'I know there are challenges, I see them every day. I know there are tough days, we've wept with people, we've comforted people, but we are at heart a good people.

'We're the product of our past, and the sum of each of our individual stories and you, our newest citizens, add to that rich mix and add to our story with your own.

'That, I believe is worth celebrating here on Australia Day.'
FSS Governor Jeong Eun-bo speaks at a meeting with representatives of financial platform businesses held in Seoul, Wednesday. Jeong said that supervision guidelines for financial platform businesses will be set up under the principle that the same regulations should apply to both IT companies and traditional financial businesses, as long as they are engaged in the same functions. Yonhap
A wife of a gravely ill father-of-two slammed a Boston hospital for taking her husband off the heart transplant list because he's unvaccinated, stating they have been pushed into a 'corner' and 'pressured' to 'choose a shot that could kill him.'

Heather Dawson, wife of DJ Ferguson, 31, who has a hereditary heart condition that causes his lungs and heart to fill with blood and fluid, has slammed the Boston Brigham and Women's Hospital for denying a life-saving organ transplant to her husband because he is unvaccinated.

The hospital said it removed Ferguson from the donor list because all transplant recipients needed to be vaccinated in order to 'create both the best chance for successful operation and also the patient's survival after transplantation.'

Dawson said Ferguson was already 'high risk' for the vaccine due to his swollen heart.

'He is at extremely high risk of sudden death if it does,' she wrote, of fears his heart could swell. 'We are literally in a corner right now. This is extremely time sensitive.

'We're being pressured to choose a shot that could kill him.

'This is not just a political issue. People need to have a choice!' she said.

DJ Ferguson, 31 (pictured) has a hereditary heart condition that causes his lungs and heart to fill with blood and fluid without intervention from intravenous medication. He has been denied a life-saving heart transplant because he refuses to get vaccinated against COVID-19

Ferguson (right) is pictured with his wife, Heather Dawson, and their two children. His wife is now saying that the vaccine could cause more heart swelling and could cause his death and that the hospital has put them in a 'corner' to 'pressure' them to 'choose a shot that could kill him'

Ferguson's family is considering moving him to another hospital, but he may not be able to be moved in his condition

'After almost 50 days in the hospital with no answers, DJ was finally seen by some of the best cardiac specialists last week,' Dawson updated on GoFundMe.

'After running countless tests and scans we learned that DJ is now in severe end stage heart failure, meaning that he is going to need a heart transplant to live.

'On top of the heart failure his heart is extremely swollen and dilated. Which puts him at high risk of cardiac arrest,' she said. 'The bad news is that the transplant board will not actively list him due to his vaccination status.'

Factors that can disqualify patients from organ transplants Not being vaccinated for COVID

Untreated psychological disorders, like schizophrenia, that could prevent the patient from properly caring for themselves after the transplant

A high risk of abusing alcohol after the transplant

Active cigarette smoking within six months of the prospective transplant

Substance abuse

Obesity

Severe local or systemic infection

Cancer in the last 5 years except localized skin (not melanoma) or stage I breast or prostate

HIV/AIDS

Age appropriateness (for example, heart transplant recipients should not be more than 70 years of age, according to John Hopkins University guidelines)

Inability to make a strong commitment to transplantation

Insulin-requiring diabetes mellitus with end-organ damage

Irreversible renal failure

Acute pulmonary thromboembolism

Inability to pay for transplant or post-operative care Advertisement

However, Ferguson's father, David, said earlier that getting vaccinated is 'kind of against his basic principles' and that his son 'doesn't believe in it.'

'I think my boy is fighting pretty damn courageously and he has integrity and principles he really believes in and that makes me respect him all the more...It's his body. It's his choice.'

The hospital, which has a list of protocols for transplant candidates that includes a ban on lifestyle choices like smoking and alcohol, said requiring the COVID-19 vaccine is common at many medical center's throughout the country.

The mortality rate for transplant recipients who fall ill with COVID is more than 20 percent, according to UCHealth.

'It's a policy they are enforcing and so because he won't get the shot, they took him off the list of a heart transplant,' David told CBS Boston.

'My son has gone to the edge of death to stick to his guns and he's been pushed to the limit.'

Ferguson's family is considering transferring him to another hospital, but his wife said that he may be too weak to move.

'At this point DJ is unable to leave the hospital until he gets the heart surgery he needs. Without the surgery his lungs and heart will continue to fill up with blood and fluid (on top of everything else that's going on),' said Ferguson's wife, on Facebook.

Dr. Arthur Caplan, the head of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS Boston that vaccination is a requirement for transplants because, after receiving a new organ, patients' immune systems are essentially switched off.

'The flu could kill you, a cold could kill you, COVID could kill you. The organs are scarce, we are not going to distribute them to someone who has a poor chance of living when others who are vaccinated have a better chance post-surgery of surviving,' he explained.

Ferguson isn't the first patient in need of a transplant who has been denied due to their vaccination status.

In October, Leilani Lutali of Colorado, 56, was taken off the transplant list at a University of Colorado Health hospital because she and her prospective kidney donor Jaimee Fougner, 45, hadn't gotten the COVID-19 vaccine.

'It's a policy they are enforcing and so because he won't get the shot, they took him off the list of a heart transplant,' Ferguson's father David told CBS Boston

The pair were placed on a list for those who are 'non-compliant by not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.'

Born-again Christian Lutali has refused to get inoculated because of the use of stem cells in developing some vaccines.

Boston Brigham and Women's Hospital (pictured) removed Ferguson from its donor list because has not gotten the COVID-19 vaccine and said in a statement that their aim is to 'create both the best chance for successful operation and also the patient's survival after transplantation'

'As a Christian, I can't support anything that has to do with abortion of babies, and the sanctity of life for me is precious,' Lutali said.

Fougner, Lutali's friend and potential donor, has also denied the vaccine citing religious reasons.

Cells taken from elective abortions have been used to develop effective vaccines since the 1960s including current vaccines for rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis A, and shingles.

None of the COVID-19 vaccines contain aborted fetal cells, like some social media users have been falsely claiming. But they did utilize fetal cell lines in their development.

Ohio man Mike Ganin, who is vaccinated against COVID, was denied a kidney transplant last October because his donor hadn't received her shot.

'I don't want to get the vaccine. I've got reasons  medical, religious, and also freedom,' the donor, Sue George, told WKYC.

In October, Leilani Lutali of Colorado, 56 (pictured), was taken off the transplant list at a University of Colorado Health hospital because she and her prospective kidney donor hadn't gotten the COVID-19 vaccine

UCHealth, which operates hospitals and urgent care facilities throughout Colorado, said that the COVID-19 vaccine was one of several measures patients needed to take to give the organ the best chance of not being rejected.

'An organ transplant is a unique surgery that leads to a lifetime of specialized management to ensure an organ is not rejected, which can lead to serious complications, the need for a subsequent transplant surgery, or even death,' UCHealth told The Post at the time.

'Physicians must consider the short and long-term health risks for patients as they consider whether to recommend an organ transplant.'
Companies should ditch 'woke capitalism' or risk derailing the UK's post-pandemic recovery, a report argues.

Efforts to wade into social issues are taking the focus away from making profit, according to the Adam Smith Institute, which will be crucial to generating wealth and bolstering the economy in the coming years.

The think-tank's statement comes as City investment titan Terry Smith lashed out at consumer goods giant Unilever for being 'obsessed' with its sustainability credentials.

Report by Adam Smith Institute said efforts to wade into social issues are taking the focus away from making profit. (Stock image)

Mr Smith said Unilever  which makes Dove soap and Ben & Jerry's ice cream  had 'lost the plot' for trying to define 'the purpose' of some of its brands like Hellmann's mayonnaise.

The institute said: 'Companies should stick to traditional profit-driven shareholder capitalism rather than pursuing 'woke capitalist' social objectives that often require political action and leave firms facing accusations of hypocrisy.'

The group added that woke Capitalism was blurring the lines between business and Government at a time when the boundaries needed to be clearer than ever.

It said the Government now risks falling into a habit of 'disaster corporatism' that sees it frequently intervene in business - as it did during Covid by providing furlough payments and company loans.

Rother Valley Conservative MP Alexander Stafford said: 'Many on the left are exploiting the pandemic to make the case for a bigger state and restrictions on the private sector.

'However, this paper argues powerfully that for a successful recovery, we must allow our liberal free market system to flourish by business and government playing their proper roles.'
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Disgraced Merrill Lynch financier James Iannazzo, who was arrested and fired after hurling a smoothie at a Robeks worker and branding her a 'f**king immigrant loser,' was seen for the first time since his arrest at his Connecticut home.

The 48-year-old was spotted wearing black sweatpants, a windbreaker hoodie and a hat while carrying what appeared to be a bottle of detergent outside his $2.64m five-bed, five-bath colonial-style mansion in Southport, Connecticut on Monday.

He was joined by another man wearing an orange jacket. Iannazzo and the man seemingly entered the house through the side garage door and not the main entrance.

The newly unemployed financier triggered public outcry after a TikTok showing him going on a racist rant at a Robeks smoothie store in Fairfield went viral on the social media platform.

Disgraced Merrill Lynch financier James Iannazzo was seen for the first time since his arrest at his Connecticut home on Monday

The 48-year-old was spotted wearing black running pants, a windbreaker hoodie and hat while carrying what appeared to be a bottle of detergent

He was joined by another man wearing an orange jacket. Iannazzo and the man seemingly entered the house through the side garage door and not the main entrance.

Iannazzo was seen outside his $2.64m five-bed, five-bath colonial-style mansion in Southport, Connecticut on Monday

Iannazzo was arrested on charges of intimidation based on bias, breach of peace and criminal trespass after his racist tirade at a Robeks was caught in video

Iannazo has claimed he lost his temper and 'his paternal instinct kicked in' after staff prepared a smoothie containing peanut butter, which caused his 17-year-old son to go into anaphylactic shock.

He claimed he had warned staff that his son was allergic to nuts, while staff claimed that he requested there be no peanut butter but failed to mention an allergy.

Iannazo was fired from his job at Merrill Lynch - where he had worked since 1995, most recently as a vice president of wealth management - after the clip was widely-shared online.

Iannazzo was arrested on charges of intimidation based on bias, breach of peace and criminal trespass on Saturday, before being released.

In a statement shared with DailyMail.com Monday, Iannazzo said: 'I had returned to Robeks to determine what ingredients were in the smoothie that I had previously ordered. I made my regrettable comments because my 17-year-old son was taken to the hospital suffering from life threatening anaphylactic shock.'

'It was kind of scary, I'm not going to lie because I'm like 'I don't know his intention or what he was going to do,' 18-year-old Gianna Miranda, who works part-time at the Robeks told local news station WFSB.

'He started to call her racial slurs. He threatened to kill us multiple times,' Hill, who is 17 according to the social media platform, also told the outlet. 'I understand and we are sorry on behalf of Robeks for how the smoothie was made, but it gives you absolutely no right to act out like that.'

The footage, which was posted on TikTok by @cjjbreezy, was recorded by one of the young girls working at the store, after Iannazzo stormed inside demanding to know who was responsible for adding peanut butter to his smoothie order

Iannazzo then returned to Robeks and confronted employees, demanding to know the ingredients of the smoothie and who made it

Full rant of dad arrested and fired over smoothie shop meltdown 'I want to speak to the person who made this f**king drink. Is that you? You dont know who made it? Stupid f**king ignorant high school kids. I want to speak to the f**king manager. Get the f**k out of here you f**king bitch. Give it to me now.' (Hurls drink which strikes worker, prompting screams from staff and order to leave from female worker) F**k you, you f**king bitch. I want the telephone, right now. Shut the f**k up, you f**king stupid (inaudible). I want the f**king phone. Shut up. You f**king immigrant loser. I want the f**king telephone. Advertisement

Meanwhile, the disgraced former Merrill Lynch financier, who was ranked the 24th best wealth advisor in Connecticut by Forbes in 2021, has been slammed with one-star ratings on Google by furious reviewers.

'I would rate zero stars if I could. Enjoy being in the unemployment line while the 'immigrants' are out here actually earning their money,' a person commented online.

Others called out Iannazzo and called him a 'terrible guy' for abusing his power as an adult and yelling at the young Robeks workers.

'So wish I was there to help. What a big man, yelling at 3 or 4 school girls,' one reviewer wrote.

'He collapsed at our home while drinking the smoothie from Robeks, which contained some sort of nut product, after I had advised them of his nut allergy when I ordered his drink,' Iannazo said on Monday.

He added: 'My son lost the capacity to breathe properly; his lips and face swelled up, and he required an EpiPen shot, but it did not offer him relief.

'I called 911. My son then went to the bathroom, threw up and fell unconscious to the floor. He threw up again. My wife gave him another EpiPen while I called 911 again. Thank God, he is doing okay.'

Iannazzo then returned to Robeks and confronted employees, demanding to know the ingredients of the smoothie and who made it.

Fairfield Police say Iannazzo purchased the smoothie at the store around 1pm on Saturday and left without incident.

Less than an hour later, things took a turn for the worse and Iannazzo was on the phone with 911 for his 17-year-old son who was suffering from life-threatening anaphylactic shock after drinking the smoothie.

He said it was the stress of that medical emergency that tipped him over the edge.

Robeks haven't admitted to prepping the drink with a nut product, but Iannazzo is adamant that the drink triggered the reaction.

Attorney Frank Riccio, who is representing Iannazzo, said his client was not racist but his 'paternal instinct' had kicked in

Iannazzo has since been fired from his position as wealth advisor and director at Merrill Lynch Management, where he had been working since 1995

In 2021, Iannazo was ranked the 24th best wealth advisor in Connecticut by Forbes, Blaze media reported

The disgraced former Merrill Lynch financier, who was ranked the 24th best wealth advisor in Connecticut by Forbes in 2021, has been slammed with one-star ratings on Google by furious reviewers

Others called out Iannazzo and called him a 'terrible guy' for abusing his power as an adult and yelling at the young Robeks workers

'Disgusting behavior,' a reviewer wrote

He was caught on camera roaring: 'I want to speak to the person who made this f**king drink. Is that you?

You dont know who made it? Stupid f**king ignorant high school kids. I want to speak to the f**king manager. Get the f**k out of here you f**king bitch. Give it to me now.'

At that point, he hurled the drink, which hit Miranda and spilled all over her, before staff told him to leave while calling the police.

Iannazzo continued: ' F**k you, you f**king bitch. I want the telephone, right now. Shut the f**k up, you f**king stupid (inaudible). I want the f**king phone. Shut up.

You f**king immigrant loser. I want the f**king telephone.

'I was out of my mind with fear for him when I returned to Robeks, and I wish I had not done so,' Iannazzo said afterwards.

'I also wish they had been more careful preparing my son's beverage. I will be extending my apologies personally to the Robeks organization, particularly the staff that was working there that night.'

He has instructed a lawyer, although has yet to say if he'll sue over the peanut incident, but also conceded that his behavior went too far.

Iannazzo added: 'My actions at Robeks were wrong, and I deeply regret them. They do not reflect my values or my character. I feel terrible that I lost my composure so completely.

The Robeks employees said that Iannazzo had asked for no peanut butter in the smoothie, but never mentioned an allergy.

A Robeks spokesman has issued a condemnation of Iannazzo's behavior, but has yet to confirm that staffers had added peanut butter to the drink.

The footage, posted on TikTok by user @cjjbreezy, was recorded by one of the young girls working at the store, after Iannazzo stormed inside demanding to know who was responsible for adding peanut butter to his smoothie order.

The incident happened at the 2061 Black Rock Turnpike store in Fairfield, Connecticut

Speaking to WFSB afterwards, 18-year-old Gianna Miranda - the worker struck with the drink - said: 'It was kind of scary, Im not going to lie because Im like "I dont know his intention or what he was going to do."'

Iannazzo left the store before police arrived but turned himself to authorities later on Saturday, police said. He was released and is scheduled for a court hearing early February.

He has since been fired from his position as wealth advisor and director at Merrill Lynch Management, where he had been working since 1995.

'Our company does not tolerate behavior of this kind. We immediately investigated and have taken action. This individual is no longer employed at our firm,' the company said in a statement after the video became viral.

Iannazzo is scheduled for a court hearing on February 7.
A former Northwestern professor was sentenced to 53 years in prison on Tuesday after he brutally stabbed his boyfriend to death during a violence-infused sexual fantasy almost five years ago.

Wyndham Lathem, 47, was sentenced by Cook County Judge Charles Burns on Tuesday after he was found guilty of first-degree murder in October.

The ex-microbiology professor had stabbed his hairstylist boyfriend Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, 26, more than 70 times at their Chicago apartment, with the help of Oxford University financial officer Andrew Warren.

Lathem, who was fired from his position following the killing, testified during his trial that Warren alone stabbed Cornell-Duranleau during a methamphetamine-fueled threesome.

According to Lathem's attorney, him and Cornell-Duranleau would engage in sexual fantasies involving fetish, restraints, leather bondage, and a variety of sex toys,' noting that they would use meth or knife play during sex 'to heighten the pleasure'.

Warren pleaded guilty to murder in 2019 under a plea agreement that called for him to testify against Lathem in exchange for receiving a 45-year prison sentence.

The former financial officer testified that he flew from England to Chicago to meet Lathem and take part in a pact to kill each other before agreeing to kill Cornell-Duranleau at Lathems suggestion.

He also testified that he did, in fact, stab Cornell-Duranleau, but only after Lathem had already begun stabbing him.

Former Northwestern University professor Wyndham Lathem, 47, was sentenced to 53 years in prison on Tuesday after he was previously found guilty of murdering his boyfriend in October

Wyndham Lathem, 47, was sentenced by Cook County Judge Charles Burns on Tuesday after he was found guilty of first-degree murder in October

Lathem had recruited former Oxford University financial officer Andrew Warren to help him carry out his sexual fantasy of a murder suicide. Warren (above) pleaded guilty in 2019 and was handed a 45-year prison sentence in exchange for testifying against Lathem

Lathem's boyfriend Trenton Cornell-Duranleau was stabbed more than 78 times

Cornell-Duranleau was stabbed 78 times while he slept in Lathem's Chicago high-rise condominium on July 27, 2017.

A doorman at the Grand Plaza Apartments previously told the court that a resident had reported hearing screams.

The front desk at the condominium later got a call from someone who said that a crime may have been committed inside Lathem's apartment. Chicago Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said the call was placed by Lathem, from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, while he was on the run.

The condominium contacted the police who arrived to perform a welfare check. Officer Mark Beam, with the Chicago Police Department, found Cornell-Duranleau lying in a pool of blood with stab wounds all over his body.

He said that the copious amount of blood on the floor led him to believe that the victim was already dead.

A search of Lathem's condo yielded a bag of 'crystal-like' substance and suspected drug paraphernalia, along with a drywall knife and two bloody kitchen knives, one of which was broken in half, according to a police evidence technician.

Police arrived to the Grand Plaza Apartments after the condominium's front desk received an anonymous call about a welfare check. The call was said to be placed by Lathem

Lathem (pictured in 2017) was arrested in August of that year after he and Warren were found by the police following an eight-day manhunt

Arrest warrants were then issued for Latham and Warren who were found and taken into custody in the San Francisco Bay Area following an eight-day manhunt.

The pair had stopped in Lake Geneva to drop off a $1,000 for Cornell-Duranleau before fleeing for California.

The prosecution argued that Lathem took advantage of a 'young man just trying to make his way in Chicago' to fulfill an apparent sexual fantasy.

However, Lathem's attorney painted a different picture, saying that Warren committed a crime against both the defendant and the deceased.

'This was nothing more than a crime of opportunity that had two victims,' defense attorney Kenneth Wine.

'Andrew Warren took the life of Trenton Cornell and ruined the life of Dr. Lathem.'

Wine, declining to comment on pending litigation, provided a copy of his opening statement to DailyMail.com. In the statement, he explained that Lathem and Cornell-Duranleau had a sexual relationship that often involved 'three way sex with people they met online,' as well as 'bondage and submission and other sex toys, including knife play'.

Wine claims that Warren joined the couple in their bedroom the night of the murder and attacked them. Lathem allegedly went to the bathroom after having been stabbed by Warren and 'heard fighting going on' in the bedroom.

Lathem and Warren, pictured in this earlier courtroom sketch, dropped off an $1,000 donation in Cornell-Duranleau's name after fleeing the scene of the murder

'Andrew Warren will get on the stand and admit he smashed Trent Cornell over the head with metal bedroom lamp. The evidence will show that Andrew Warren viciously stabbed Trent Cornell to death with two knives,' Wine said.

'Dr. Lathem was shocked to discovery his lover's dead body. He was at a loss as to what to do. He felt responsible for putting Trent Cornell in harm's way. He believed  and still believes to this day  he bears responsibility for Trent's death. It was Dr. Lathem, after all, who brought Andrew Warren into their lives.'

Wine continued, saying that Warren killed Cornell-Duranleau because he was jealous of the couple's relationship.

'The evidence will show that Andrew Warren told Dr. Lathem that he  Andrew Warren  killed Trent Cornell so they could be together,' he said.

'Andrew Warren, who had just been told by Dr. Lathem the night before that Dr. Lathem had no romantic interest in him, killed Trent Cornell out of the most common of human emotions - jealousy, but it was more than mere jealousy, it was a jealous rage of a murderous psychopath. Andrew Warren had a motive and a perfect alibi. Dr. Lathem had no motive.'

However, Assistant State's Attorney Matthew Thrun argued that Lathem and Warren devised the murder plan together as part of a fantasy that was supposed to end with them killing each other.

'This defendant may have shown one face to the world  respectable, prestigious doctor, but Trenton saw another face,' Thrun said in court on Monday, according to WTTW.

The prosecutor continued, arguing that the evidence that Lathem orchestrated and took the lead in the murder is 'clear and overwhelming'.

'He provided the crime location. And when he was on the run, he was behind the wheel... he decided where to go,' he said.

Thrun also argued that Lathem's blood was found in the condo and on two knives. He also allegedly confessed to the crime on video.

'He's going to tell you, "I killed him, I did do it, it wasn't an accident, it was a mistake  and I will regret it with every fiber of my being,"' Thrun said, quoting the footage.
A Virginia woman has been placed under a restraining order and told to stay at least 200 yards from the house of Apple CEO Tim Cook, after she was found to have sent hundreds of emails to him, claiming he was the father of her twins.

Julia Lee Choi, 45, from McLean, began tweeting about Cook in Halloween 2020, firing off a 18 messages calling him her husband and 'my bed man.'

Cook in 2014 came out as gay.

Posting only on that one day, she referred to the 61-year-old as: 'My bed MAN! My bathroom MAN! My kitchen MAN! My Cleaning MAN! My Husband! My MAN is Tim Cook ! My kids Daddy~!'

Choi, who called herself Julia Lee Cook, took offense at the CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, tweeting: 'You should unfollow my husband Tim Cook as soon as possible.'

Julia Lee Choi, 45, from McLean, Virginia, has been harassing Cook (pictured in September 2019) since October 2020, according to his lawyers

Choi on October 31, 2020 opened a Twitter account using this profile photo. She fired off 18 tweets that one day, and the account has been dormant ever since

She also took issue with the CEO of Google, Sundar Pichai.

'While we two of us reached our love final decision, and in progress, Sandra Pichia, CEO of Google insisting to interrupt Cook's love and tried to hurt me several times.

'Julia Lee Cook totally understand my husband's past and relationships with unexpected parties.'

In another, she declared: 'My husband, I am not cleaning, cooking, or I am just waiting for my husband! My heart is tingling.'

She emailed Cook approximately 200 times from October to November 2020, sending him messages which included photos of what appear to be loaded handguns, according to documents.

Court documents said the emails demonstrated 'a significant escalation in tone.'

Some of the messages, described by Cook's attorney as 'threatening and highly disturbing,' were sexual in nature.

One of the messages reportedly read: 'What you have done is criminal defense, murdered.'

Cook's lawyers state, in their petition for the restraining order, that on November 3, 2020, she emailed him a photo of a package of ammunition: the following day, she wrote: 'I warned and told you stop trying to kill me. You made me to buy this instead of going for Christmas. I will NEVER forgive forget you.'

Cook, seen in September 2021, received over 200 emails from Choi

Choi also began registering fake corporations, some of which were described in the restraining order application as 'highly offensive.'

All these fake corporations, opened in California, New York and Virginia, had Cook as a chief executive or director and used his home address or an Apple corporate address.

In September 2021, Choi allegedly sent Cook an email telling him that she is 'applying [to be] your roommate in palo alto.'

Choi declared that she was moving to Palo Alto to be Cook's room mate

According to the restraining order, she drove from Northern Virginia to Palo Alto twice within two months in a Porsche Macan; the second time, in October 2021, she showed up at Cook's home and told security officials that she wanted to speak to Cook.

She remained on the property until Palo Alto police arrived on the scene, and said she 'could be violent'.

Choi appeared to have rented an Airbnb in San Jose for some time.

On December 18, 2021 she emailed him and said: 'we do not have to meet. give me 500 millions cash. then I will forget and forgive all better listen to me.'

Afterward, she allegedly continued sending Cook concerning tweets and emails, with one threatening to burn Cook's home.

The request for a restraining order was filed Thursday and granted Friday, as first reported in Mercury News.

Apple believes that the woman is still in the South Bay and could possibly be armed.

The temporary restraining order requires her to stay away from any Apple employee or any Apple-owned building.

'Given the respondent's erratic, threatening, and bizarre behavior, including her direct contact with Apple's Executive team, Apple's CEO, and with Apple's Corporate and Security teams, all Apple employees should be protected by this restraining order,' the document states.

A hearing is scheduled for March 29.
The cousin of slain underworld figures who police fear is the next target in Sydney's family blood feud has been charged along with six other men in an alleged kidnapping and stabbing in western Sydney.

Ibrahem Hamze, 27, is also charged with shooting with intent to murder and soliciting a murder following the attack outside a Prospect gym in November 2021.

He is the cousin of jailed Brothers 4 Life gangster Bassam Hamzy and has seen at least five family members executed in what NSW Raptor Squad police believe is part of an ongoing war between the Hamze and Alameddine families.

Hamze arrived under police escort back in NSW after being extradited from the Gold Coast by detectives who have repeatedly warned him his life is in danger.

The war between the two Middle Eastern Australian families was reignited in earnest in October 2020, when Ibrahem's cousin Mejid Hamzy was gunned at Condell Park.

Just weeks ago, Ibrahem's cousin Ghassan Amoun was shot dead in a brazen lunchtime execution after he was ambushed on leaving the Lady Laser salon in South Wentworthville just days after being released from prison.

Ibrahem Hamze has been charged along with Haissam Hamzy, 27, and Tareek Hamzy, 24, and four others for allegedly detaining and stabbing a man in Sydney's west last year.

Ibrahem also faces charges of large commercial drug supply, and directing the activities of a criminal group.

Ibrahem Hamze (above in pale grey hoodie) has faced court charged with solicit murder. shooting with intent to murder and with the alleged kidnap of a man last September

Ibrahem Hamze (above) is escorted by NSW Police Raptor Squad at Bankstown Airport in Sydney after his extradition from Queensland to face charges of kinapping and soliciting murder

Hamze, 27, was arrested and charged by police who have warned him that he risks being the next target in the ongoing Sydney underworld blood feud between two families

Haissem and Tareek, who were arrested at Condell Park after police raids, are also related to Mejid Hamzy and the other slain family members.

Bilal El-Chamy, 21, and Ahmad El-Chamy, 27 were arrested at Thirlmere in relation to the incident at Merrylands last year.

A 24-year-old man walking in Merrylands last September was allegedly assailed by five men who forced him into a white Toyota van parked nearby.

Police say the man was driven to a vacant unit in Auburn and held captive for several hours, before he was found in Birrong with a stab wound to his shoulder and taken to Liverpool Hospital.

Hamze has seen at least five relatives gunned down in brazen executions (above, cousin Ghassan Amoun is buried after being shot dead in January) in violent blood feud with the Alameddine family

Ibrahem Hamze is charged over the alleged kidnapping (above) in Merrylands last September of a 24-year-old man later found with stab wounds to his shoulder

Hamze is also charged with soliciting murder in relations to the shooting at the World Gym at Prospect last November when shots were fired from a car and a man, 33, was wounded

Two men arrested following the incident have been refused bail to appear before Fairfield Local Court on February 17.

Following further investigations, police charged Ibrahem Hamze, Haissem Hamzy, Tareek Hamzy, Bilal El-Chamy and Ahmad El-Chamy and who were all due to face Parramatta Bail Court on Wednesday.

Ibrahem Hamze's other charges stem from a shooting outside the World Gym at Prospect in western Sydney on November 29 last year.

Ibrahem Hamze (above in white mask) has been warned by police he is at risk and is considered the 'last man standing' after the series of brazen daylight executions of his family

CCTV of the alleged kidnapping (above) and stabbing of the 24-year-old man in Merrylands was released by police who have just charged seven men including Ibrahem Hamze

Ghassan Amoun (above left, blue jacket), whose older brother is jailed Brothers 4 Life gangster Bassam Hamzy (above, right) was ambushed and shot outside the lady Laser salon in January, four days after his release from prison

As with the alleged Merrylands kidnap, police released CCTV of the incident which shows four men walking to the gym's entrance on Rowood Road around 11.35am when a volley of shots were fired at them.

Police escort Ibrahem Hamze to a vehicle to transport him to Parramatta court where he would face a magistrate formally charged over two incidents in Sydney last year

The bullets struck the gym's exterior and a staircase and entered a daycare centre next door, narrowly missing the children and staff inside.

The cameras also captured speeding from the scene a dark-coloured Mazda, which was later found burnt out 5km away in Blacktown.

One 33-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to his leg, although the other three men were uninjured.

Bilal Hamze is laid to rest at Rookwood after he was gunned down execution style in Sydney's CBD in June last year, just nine months after his cousin Mejid died in a similar attack

Ibrahem Hamze (pale grey hoodie) embraces a mourner at the funeral of Bilal Hamze, who was murdered execution style in Sydney's CBD in June last year

Two men, aged 23 and 19, were arrested last December by strike force detectives and charged with offences including shoot with intent to murder.

NSW Police sought to extradite Ibrahem Hamze who was detained on the Gold Coast on Monday before a Queensland magistrate granted the request.

Police believe Ibrahem Hamze has narrowly avoided being killed twice, the first time on January 30 last year when Mustafa Naaman was shot dead in Hurstville in a suspected mistaken identity attack.

Police believe the shooter mistook Naaman, drove a car similar to Hamze, for Ibrahem.

Police also foiled a a targeted hit on August 14 last year when two gunman clad in balaclavas drove a stolen Mercedes to a North Sydney street close to where Hamze was living in North Sydney.

Mejid Hamze, 44, (above, left) was shot dead in Condell Park in October 2020 and his cousin Salim Hamze, 18, (above right) was executed with his father as they left home last October

A burnt out car used in the shooting of Ghassan Amoun in early January was found abandoned and burnt soon after the fatal shooting (above)

In June last year, Bassam Hamzy's cousin and underworld boss Bilal Hamze was killed in a 'brutal, execution-style murder' in Sydney's CBD outside a restaurant.

In October last year, 'baby-faced gangster' Salim Hamze, 18, and his innocent father Toufik Hamze were gunned down outside their home in Guildford

Stolen cars used in the shootings and then abandoned and burnt nearby are a feature of the executions murders of Hamze family members.

Ibrahem's cousin Mejid Hamzy who was gunned down outside his southwest Sydney home in Condell Park in October 2020.

A grey Toyota RAV4, believed to be used in Hamzy's murder, was found burned out in a nearby street.

A burnt out car used in the shooting of Ghassan Amoun in early January was found abandoned and burnt soon after the fatal shooting.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has mocked Scott Morrison after his awkward photo opportunity with sexual assault survivor and Australian of the Year Grace Tame.

Ms Tame stood, stony faced, next to Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his wife Jenny for an obligatory photo opportunity at The Lodge in Canberra.

Aussies were quick to point out the glaring difference on how Ms Tame reacted to Mr Albanese compared to the Prime Minister

She reluctantly shook Mr Morrison's hand without meeting the prime minister's eyes.

As thousands reacted to the photos on social media, Mr Albanese shared a picture of himself and a very happy Ms Tame taken at an event.

'The extraordinary 2021 Australian of the Year, Grace Tame,' a caption on Albanese's image said

Many Aussies were quick to point out the glaring difference on how Ms Tame reacted to Mr Albanese compared to the Prime Minister.

Anthony Albanese shared a photo with a beaming Grace Tame shortly after her awkward encounter with the PM

Grace Tame has been a sustained critic over the Morrison government's track record when it came to the treatment of women

Ms Tame, a child sexual abuse survivor, and advocate for women and children, was awarded Australian of the Year in 2021 for leading a campaign for a legal change that allowed sex abuse survivors to speak out.

She has been a vocal and sustained critic of the Morrison government's track record.

The past year was marked by a series of political fiascos for the Morrison government when it came to the treatment of women.

This including former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins going public about her alleged 2019 rape by a colleague in a federal minister's office.

The coalition was roundly criticised for failing to pass all legislative reforms recommended by Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins.

The commissioner's review of federal parliament's workplace culture painted a damning picture after one-third of people surveyed said they had been sexually harassed.

As the sitting year drew to a close, cabinet minister Alan Tudge was forced to stand aside over allegations of emotional and physical abuse from his former staffer Rachelle Miller.

The allegations are subject to an ongoing investigation by the prime minister's department.

Mr Albanese thanked Ms Tame for her 'quite extraordinary courage and her fierce advocacy'.

'You've inspired countless Australians and you've earned enormous respect,' he said during an address to the National Press Club.

'The events that occurred in parliament ... constituted a powerful wake-up call.'

'But we've had so many wake-up calls. We have no excuse to wait for another.'
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An artist poured fake blood outside Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office to protest the newly-elected DA's 'woke policies' as the Big Apple is racked by a spike in crime and violence.

Scott Lobaido was recorded on camera Tuesday outside Bragg's office in downtown Manhattan splashing stage blood on a pink toddler's coat, a pair of girl's footwear, and a police officer's hat displayed on the sidewalk.

'This is the blood of the innocent people of New York City getting slaughtered because of DA Bragg,' Lobaido, a self-proclaimed patriot activist and artist, said as he poured the fake blood.

'Eleven-month-old girl shot in the face because of woke criminal-loving district attorneys like Alvin Bragg!' he said, in reference to a January 19 incident in which a baby girl was struck by a bullet during a shooting in the Bronx.

The staged protest featured symbolical items which represented the most recent victims of a staggering rise in violence in New York City, which has been widely blamed on Bragg's 'bail-reducing, woke policies.'

The shoes Lobaido displayed on the sidewalk seemingly represented a Deloitte consultant who was pushed in front of a train in the Times Square subway station on January 15.

The police hat likely represented slain officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, the first NYPD officers killed in the line of duty by a gunman since 2017.

Laboido, of Staten Island, also took aim at NY Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Adams and President Biden for their performative promises to tackle violence and failure to toughen up on legislation.

'Hey Joe Biden, Governor Hochul, Mayor Adams, STOP with your 'Hearts and Prayers' BULLS##T!!! GET THESE WOKE F#CKING DISTRICT ATTORNEY MURDERERS OUT OF OFFICE!!!' flyers depicting a bloody-handed Bragg on the sidewalk read.

Scott Lobaido was recorded on camera Tuesday outside Bragg's office in downtown Manhattan splashing stage blood on a pink toddler's coat, a pair of girl's footwear, and a police officer's hat displayed on the sidewalk

'This is the blood of the innocent people of New York City getting slaughtered because of DA Bragg,' Lobaido, a self-proclaimed patriot activist and artist, said as he poured the fake blood

The staged protest featured symbolical items which represented the most recent victims of a staggering rise in violence in New York City, which has been widely blamed on Bragg's 'bail-reducing, woke policies'

'He's got blood on his f***** hands, So does the governor, so does the president,' Lobaido said at his protest Tuesday.

'Take the guns off the streets? It ain't the f****** guns. It's the a****** who use the guns that Alvin Bragg lets loose on the f******* street.'

'This happens everyday; little kids shot in the face, people pushed on the f****** subway, cops being killed because of this f***** guy.'

Lobaido was taken into the building and given a summons, FOX reported.

Lobaido later claimed on Twitter he had been arrested, but an NYPD spokesperson told FOX that no arrests had been made in connection to the incident.

The outlet also reported that Bragg's office claimed they were not aware of the protest.

'Got arrested ( my fault- not the good cops of this city's faul) for calling out these WOKE, bleeding heart, criminal loving District Attorney's especially Alvin Braggs,' Lobaido tweeted on Tuesday.

It is not the first time the Trump-supporting artist has focused his craft on controversy. In October 2021, LoBaido unveiled his piece 'Portrait of the Scam Artist' depicting Hunter Biden, next to the George Berges Gallery in NYC, where Biden made his New York art exhibition debut.

Laboido, of Staten Island, also took aim at NY Governor Kathy Hochul, Mayor Adams and President Biden for their performative promises to tackle violence and failure to toughen up on legislation

The shoes Lobaido displayed on the sidewalk seemingly represented a Deloitte consultant who was pushed in front of a train in the Times Square subway station on January 15. A police hat seemed to represent slain NYPD officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora

Meanwhile, overall crime in New York City since the beginning of the year is up 38 percent compared to the same time last year, with robbery up by 33 percent and felony assault up by nearly 12 percent

Manhattan DA Bragg has come under heavy criticism after he directed his staff to no longer seek jail time for many offenses and to downgrade certain felonies, including armed robberies of commercial businesses.

The shoes Lobaido displayed on the sidewalk seemingly represented a Deloitte consultant who was pushed in front of a train.

Michelle Alyssa Go, died after she was shoved off the platform at West 42nd Street and Broadway by 61-year-old Simon Martial at around 9.40am on January 15.

Martial, who was charged with second-degree murder, told reporters that he committed the senseless act 'because I'm God, I can do it.'

His sister told outlets that he had been battling with schizophrenia for two decades and that he belonged in a mental health facility. Simon had been convicted of two felonies for attempted robberies in 1999 and 2019.

Simon was being sought by police for violating his parole on a 2019 robbery case when Go was killed.

According to records from the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Simon served fewer than 20 days at the Downstate Correctional Facility before being released on parole on August 27, 2019.

Jason Rivera (left), 22, who joined the NYPD a little over a year ago, was shot and killed on Friday night and his partner Wilbert Mora, who signed up in 2018, died on Tuesday

Bragg has dismissed criticism that he's naive about public safety after he circulated a day-one memo earlier this month vowing to stop going after some low-level offenses, including subway turnstile jumping, prostitution, and trespassing.

The January 3 memo also outlines a number of circumstances in which charges should be downgraded, including certain cases of armed robbery and drug dealing.

Meanwhile, overall crime in New York City since the beginning of the year is up 38 percent compared to the same time last year, with robbery up by 33 percent and felony assault up by nearly 12 percent.

The Democrat has said that offenses like marijuana misdemeanors, prostitution, resisting arrest and fare dodging will no longer be prosecuted.

He will continue his predecessor Cyrus Vance Jr's policy of declining to prosecute marijuana possession.

Robbers wielding guns or other deadly weapons to steal from stores and businesses will be prosecuted only for petty larceny - a misdemeanor - provided no victims were injured and there is no 'genuine risk of physical harm,' according to Bragg's memo.

Also, convicts who are caught with weapons other than guns will have their charges downgraded to misdemeanors, as long as they are not also charged with more serious offenses, though the felony would normally see crooks jailed for seven years.

Drug dealers suspected of 'acting as a low-level agent of a seller' will only be charged with misdemeanor possession.

Nearly a dozen lawyers quit Bragg's office in the first two weeks of Bragg's term.

A pink toddler's coat displayed at Lobaido's protest on Tuesday was eerily reminiscent of 11-month-old Catherine Rose Ortiz's blood-stained pink coat seen at the scene where she was struck by crossfire while inside a car with her mother.

The baby spent her first birthday in the hospital undergoing brain surgery after she was shot in the head by a stray bullet in the Bronx, January 19 attack.

Police released heart-stopping video footage showing the moment a gunman shot baby Catherine in the face while chasing a rival.

In the recording, the suspect - dressed in dark clothing, including a black Nike hoodie - races around a corner in Bedford Park with a gun in his hand.

He can be seen opening fire, while a rival dashes away, and disappears from the camera shot. The gunman can be seen pausing and firing shots close to two pale cars.

It is unclear which vehicle Catherine was in, but she was struck while sitting next to her mom, who mistook the bullet for a rock hitting their parked car.

Moments later, the gunman can be seen running back down the street and out of sight. His tiny victim was rushed to hospital in a critical but stable condition. Her blood-stained pink coat was photographed lying on the ground afterwards.

Catherine Rose Ortiz survived being shot in the head and celebrated her first birthday in the hospital on Friday after undergoing brain surgery

Cones mark evidence from the scene of the January 19 shooting, with the 11-month-old victim's pink coat stained red with blood

Just two days after baby Catherine was shot in the face, two NYPD officers were shot while responding to a domestic violence call in Harlem.

Officer Jason Rivera, 22, died that night while his partner, Wilbert Mora, 27, succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday.

The gunman, 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil, who was out on probation at the time of the shooting on a 2003 felony narcotics charge, died on Monday afternoon after he was shot by a third officer at the Friday altercation.

Also in January, Winston Glynn, a 30-year-old homeless man, was arrested over the cold-blooded murder of a 19-year-old Burger King cashier during a robbery.

He was free to kill after being released without bail for menacing another man with a screwdriver little more than a month before the murder.

Glynn was out on the street following his arrest on November 30 because his crime was 'not bail eligible.'

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York, on Monday unveiled his plan to combat soaring gun crime

Just in 2022, five NYPD officers have been shot, with shootings increasing 16percent this year compared to the same period in 2021.

Bragg has largely blamed the spike in violent crimes in the city on guns.

A spokesperson for Bragg said on Monday: 'Amidst this incalculable flood of trauma and loss from the Covid-19 pandemic, violence has spiked across the country.

'Gun violence in particular spanned red and blue cities, states with criminal justice reforms laws and those without, jurisdictions with progressive prosecutors and those old-school conservative DAs.'

On Monday, Adams vowed to end the scourge of gun violence plaguing his city - reviving the disbanded NYPD anticrime unit, injecting cash into community projects, and vowing to dismantle weapon-trafficking networks.

'We are going to do a lot more than pray. We are going to turn our pain into purpose,' he said in a City Hall press conference. 'We will not surrender our city to the violent few.'

There have been 73 shootings so far this year in the city - an increase of 23.7 percent last year.
A Mississippi mayor is allegedly withholding $110,000 in funding from county libraries unless they remove all 'homosexual materials' from their shelves.

Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee had refused to send the Madison County Library System its first quarterly payment of 2022, which was already approved by the city.

When Director Tonja Johnson asked why he was withholding the funds, she says he told her it was because the libraries carried LGBTQ books that 'went against his Christian beliefs.'

'He explained his opposition to what he called "homosexual materials" in the library, that it went against his Christian beliefs, and that he would not release the money as the long as the materials were there,' she told the Mississippi Free Press.

Johnson rebuked the mayor by saying that the library system is a public entity rather than a religious institution and serves the whole community.

'I explained that we are a public library and we serve the entire community. I told him our collection reflects the diversity of our community,' she said.

Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee is allegedly withholding $110,000 in funding from county libraries because of their 'homosexual materials'

McGee told Madison County Library System Director Tonja Johnson that the libraries' LGBTQ books 'went against his Christian beliefs.' Above is the Canton Public Library in Ridgeland

'He told me that the library can serve whoever we wanted, but that he only serves the great Lord above,' she added.

The Daily Mail reached out to McGee's office, but did not immediately hear back. The mayor's officer also did not respond to multiple interview requests from the Mississippi Free Press and McGee was absent from a Board of Alderman meeting on Tuesday at 5pm at Ridgeland Library, the news outlet reported.

The board confirmed that the funding was already set aside for the library in a contract with the city and that the mayor did not have the legal authority to remove it as part of an ultimatum over the libraries' contents.

Asked by an attendee at the meeting if the mayor could override the contract without approval of the Board of Alderman, Bob Sanders, simply said, 'Uh, no.'

Johnson said that removing the $110,000, which is roughly 5% of the library system's annual budget, would 'definitely impact services.'

'I can tell you that there's a potential for staff members to lose their positions if the board is not able to move funding from something else to keep those positions open,' she said.

Grandad's Camper is one of the books with which McGee takes issue. It features a young girl taking a road trip with her grandfather after the death of her other grandfather

One book, titled Heather Has Two Mommies, was first published in 1989 and is one of a number of LGBTQ children's books written by gay author Leslea Newman

Stella Brings the Family is about a girl with two fathers who brings them to her class Mother's Day celebration

Other classic young adult/adult novels that the library carries include Perks of Being a Wallflower, Giovanni's Room and The Color Purple

Johnson said that if the mayor was able to usurp the city board and cut its funding, that the library would consider legal action.

'This is taxpayer money that was already approved by the board of aldermen. It was included in the city budget for 2021-2022. It's the general-fund appropriation that the City of Ridgeland sends every year for daily operation of the library. That money goes to everything from purchasing materials to supporting programs and staff salaries,' she said.

'I asked the mayor specifically on the phone call if this had been decided by the board of aldermen. And he told me no, but (that) he could have them make that decision,' Johnson added.

The mayor's decision could also be in violation of rights based on court cases regarding LGBTQ book bans, such as Sund v. City of Wichita Falls.

'As a library, our mission is to serve our community and to provide everyone in the community with the information and resources that they need  Anyone can walk into a library and find something that they don't agree with,' Johnson told the Mississippi Free Press. 'But the book that's not quite right for you is exactly what someone else needs. And my job is to make sure that (everybody) has access to that.

'And I think it's important to understand that LGBTQ+ books and materials are not just for the LGBT community. Those books are for all of us: whether we can see ourselves reflected in those materials or so that we can develop understanding, empathy and respect for someone else.'

The library carries a number of books for varying age groups that include LGBTQ characters. One book, titled Heather Has Two Mommies, was first published in 1989 and is one of a number of LGBTQ children's books written by gay author Leslea Newman.

It's about a young girl who brings her two mothers to a playgroup and is upset that she doesn't have a father, but learns that love is what makes a family. Another, titled Stella Brings the Family, is about a girl with two fathers who brings them to her class Mother's Day celebration.

Other classic young adult/adult novels that the library carries include Perks of Being a Wallflower, Giovanni's Room and The Color Purple.

One book that Johnson said has specifically been the subject of complaints is called 'Granddad's Camper,' a children's book by nonbinary author Harry Woodgate about a young girl learning about her late grandfather by taking a road trip with her surviving grandparent.

The money had already been set aside for the Madison County Library System by the city's Board of Alderman. Members said that McGee did not have the legal authority to remove the funds without their approval

Woodgate told the Mississippi Free Press in a statement that the story's intent was to represent the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ individuals, especially queer elders, who are rarely depicted in fiction.

'From the beginning it was important to me that (Grandad's Camper) featured truly meaningful LGBTQ+ representation whilst also speaking to broader universal themes such as the beauty of restorative intergenerational relationships, the joy of shared adventures and the experience of losing a loved one,' they said.

Asked by the news outlet about the mayor's actions, Woodgate commended the library for standing up for LGBTQ representation. 'To suggest that limiting access to diverse literature will somehow prevent or dissuade queer children from being queer is simply preposterous, let alone deeply, thoroughly cruel,' they said.

'I take great heart in everyone whose tireless dedication to challenging these bans and similar anti-LGBTQ+ legislation across the globe is making such a positive difference to young people and their communities. I firmly believe in the power of books and libraries to change lives so am incredibly thankful for all that they do and anyone who champions and defends them.'
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A sole survivor has been found after a boat smuggling 40 people capsized just off the Florida coast over the weekend.

The Coast Guard are still searching for other survivors after the boat, which left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night, overturned about 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet State Park.

They were alerted by a Good Samaritan who found the surviving passenger clinging to the upturned vessel approximately 60 hours after it capsized. The survivor told the Coast Guard that the boat turned over after encountering severe weather conditions.

No one on the vessel was reportedly wearing life jackets.

The Coast Guard have called it a suspected human smuggling case.

Officials said on Twitter that they are searching by both air and sea over a roughly 135-mile area extending from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet.

The US Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission for 39 people after a human smuggling boat capsized off the Florida coast on Saturday night

Crew members with the Coast Guard began their search after a Good Samaritan reported that one of the survivors was found clinging to the boat

The boat turned over about 45 miles from Fort Pierce Inlet State Park

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States.

They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

The Coast Guard patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas.

For the most part, the migrants are from Haiti and Cuba but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

On Friday, the Coast Guard found 88 Haitians in an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

'Navigating the Florida straits, Windward and Mona Passages ... is extremely dangerous and can result in loss of life,' the Coast Guard said in a statement last weekend.

The Coast Guard are continuing their search and are calling it a suspected human smuggling case

Officials said on Twitter that they are searching by both air and sea over a roughly 135-mile area extending from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet

The boat left from the island of Bimini in the Bahamas before the boat turned over on Saturday evening

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.

The survivors said they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.

Another boat smuggling 18 immigrants last May capsized off the California coast which killed one and injured 11 others.

The people on the vessel were reportedly wearing 'flotation devices', according to San Diego Lifeguard Chief Gartland.

'We had a smuggling event this morning, we have coast guard on scene, customs and border control on scene,' Gartland said.

'They dropped people off in the water, then the vessel decided to come into the beach and capsized on the beach.'
This combined photo, released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 13, 2021, shows a long-range cruise missile being fired, as Pyongyang test-fired new long-range cruise missiles on Sept. 11 and 12. Yonhap



By Kang Seung-woo



The absence of coverage of North Korea's cruise missile launch by its state media is largely due to its lower strategic importance than that of ballistic missiles, according to Pyongyang watchers.



However, others also assume that the test may have ended in failure.



According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea launched two cruise missiles, Tuesday, marking its fifth show of force for 2022, following its firing of ballistic missiles on Jan. 5, 11, 14 and 17.



Traditionally, North Korea has broken the news of its missile launches the following day through the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) or the Rodong Sinmun, a North Korean newspaper and mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party, but neither of them covered the incident, sparking speculation here.



"The North Korean military is currently holding winter drills and it seems to have fired cruise missiles as part of them. In addition, cruise missiles are of less interior and exterior influence than ballistic missiles in terms of strategic value. In that respect, the North Korean regime appears to have decided not to report the launches," said Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.



"When the KCNA or the Rodong Sinmun report military activities, the coverage is aimed at showing off its new military weapons under development or military hardware that has strategic or tactical value."



In fact, North Korea did not report its cruise missile tests in April 2020 and March 2021, but its latest launch of cruise missiles was publicized.



However, Cheong Seong-chang, the director of the Center for North Korean Studies at the Sejong Institute, said North Korea may have failed its missile test, so the regime did not make it public.



"Ahead of the 80th birthday anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's late father Kim Jong-il on Feb. 16, North Korea needs to create a festive mood and extend it until that time. For this reason, the country should have promoted the successful test-firing albeit briefly," Cheong said.



"No coverage of the missile test means that it did not live up to expectations or ended in failure."



Experts believe that North Korea will continue to test-fire its missiles, but its frequency would decline during the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, scheduled to kick off, Feb. 4, in order not to irk China, the North's lone economic pipeline and diplomatic protector.



"Although North Korean missiles will be launched, they will not be as frequent as now," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.



"Along with the KN-23 and KN-24 missiles that it launched earlier this year, North Korea may also test-fire a long-range cruise missile and the KN-25."



The KN-23 is a variant of Russia's Iskander, while the KN-24 is the North Korean version of the U.S.' Army Tactical Missile System. The KN-25 is a super-large caliber multiple rocket launcher.



Hong also said North Korea's missiles are likely to be on full display in April.



"North Korea will mark the 110th birthday anniversary of North Korea founder Kim Il-sung on April 16 and to mark the event, it is expected to carry out a weapons test," Hong said.



"In addition, the U.S. government is engrossed in other diplomatic issues such as Ukraine and China, while China and Russia still stand up for North Korea against the United States at the United Nations Security Council, so the North is expected to take advantage of the 'strategic vacuum' in developing and testing its missiles."






A large number of single, adult illegal immigrants were released from federal custody in Texas on Tuesday.

The group of young male immigrants were filmed by Fox News getting transported on buses in Brownsville, Texas, into a small office in a parking lot marked 'border patrol drop off' after being released by ICE on Tuesday.

After emerging from the office, the migrants were seen being put into taxis that took them to Harlingen Airport - roughly 250 miles away from San Antonio - where the men were flown to places like Houston, Miami, and Atlanta.

They are now being transported to their final destinations, the City of Brownsville told Fox News.

No women or children were seen among the migrants in Brownsville.

A large group of men were transported on buses to a 'border patrol drop off' station in Brownsville, Texas, on Tuesday before being taxied to the airport where they were flown to Houston, San Antonio, Miami, and Atlanta

They were released by ICE and no women or children were seen among the group

NEW: We witnessed the federal gov mass releasing single adult migrants, almost all men, at a parking garage in Brownsville. Taxi cabs were then called for them. We followed the taxis to Harlingen airport, where the migrants were dropped off to get on flights around U.S. @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/HcSSwtjMnR  Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) January 25, 2022

Some of the migrants reportedly said that they paid $2,000 to illegally cross the border through cartel smugglers, Fox News reported.

Almost 180,000 migrants crossed the US border in December, surpassing previous December numbers. Only around 75,000 crossed the border in December 2020.

The Biden Administration has been struggling to control the border, which saw thousands camping out earlier this year and recent images of overcrowded facilities in Arizona.

A senior border patrol agent, who recently retired, told Fox News' Hannity show that 'what is happening on the border is being purposely done by the Biden administration and their hands are tied behind their backs.'

After leaving the border patrol station, they were taken to Harlingen Airport to be fly to their final destinations

'What I'm seeing now is something that I have never seen before,' the unidentified former border patrol agent said. 'This career is always ups and downs. But what I see now, is something that - like I have never seen before, like I said.

'And that most concerning thing is that it is being done on purpose. In my opinion, before, like, you work under different administrations. And they have their feelings and the policies regarding the border.'

The agent, who worked under the Obama Administration, said in his 'opinion' the Biden administration is doing a 'dog and pony show' of bringing 'politicians down here' but not fixing the problem.

'It is like they double down and they continue on,' he said. 'We keep screaming. Like look at this: Look at a processing center, look at the border, look at all this, but nothing is done,' he told the Hannity show.

'All we do is cleaning up and moving people around.'

He went on to say that the Biden Administration 'feigns' concern for the 'population,' and it makes the border patrol agents seem 'demoralized.'

The Biden Administration has been been criticized for their handling of the border crisis as almost 180,000 immigrants crossed the US border in December

'People think that border patrol agents are demoralized,' he said. 'Because we sign up to protect this border, to protect this nation. And we are not being allowed to do that.

'And when this suffering is being brought - you know, brought on by the very same people that feign so much concern about that population, it makes it even worse. These policies, like I said, they are successful for them. Because this is what they want from the get-go.'

Yuma, Arizona, has recently had a surge in immigrants, with 65,000 coming from Mexico during September and November.

Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls declared a state of emergency on December 9 after 6,000 people were taken into custody by Border Patrol in the course of five days. The behemoth figure equates to the number of migrants intercepted in an average month over the past two decades.

More than 65,000 non-citizens were caught illegally crossing into Yuma from Mexico between September and November, which is higher than encounters in typical years.

The US has seen an influx of immigrants (pictured in September) making the dangerous journey to the States. A former border patrol officer, who spoke to Fox's Hannity show, said agents are being 'demoralized' and the Biden Administration is putting on a 'dog and pony show'

New images released earlier this month show migrants living in overcrowded facilities and living in foil tents.

Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris called Guatemala President Alejandro Giammattei after a barrage of criticism continues over her handling of the southern border crisis.

During the call, Harris 'reaffirmed the administration's commitment to working together with Guatemala on a broad agenda that includes the root causes of migration, trafficking, economic development, and anti-corruption,' according to a statement from her office.

The call came after Giammattei went public with his dissatisfaction regarding communication over the last several months with the vice president and White House.
Pauline Hanson has claimed people who complain about Australia Day need to 'get over it' and shouldn't take the public holiday off work.

The outspoken One Nation leader issued the blunt message on her Facebook page, while Australia Day protests erupted across the country.

Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island flags filled streets across the nation, as thousands of protesters called for the date of Australia Day to be moved because of growing tensions over what it celebrates.

January 26 - which marks the raising of the British flag on Australian soil in 1788 after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour - is regarded as 'invasion day' by many First Nations people.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson claims people protesting about Australia Day need to 'get over it'

January 26 - which marks the raising of the British flag on Australian soil in 1788 after the First Fleet arrived in Sydney Harbour - is regarded as 'invasion day' by many First Nations people

'I hear so often those people who have a go at us. [They say] the land was invaded - and all the rest of it,' Senator Hanson said.

'You know what, get over it, move on. Stop making yourselves victims. It's not about victimhood. Everyone has a choice in life - you actually move on with your life and get over the problems that have happened in the past - we're talking about over 200 years ago,' she explained.

'You choose what you want your future to be. You've got that many people out there wanting to give you a hand up - a helping hand.

'If you give a person a fish, you feed them for a day. If you teach them how to fish, you feed them for a lifetime and that's what we need to do with the people that are called disadvantaged in this nation.

The Senator went on to say Australia Day should be a day of celebration.

'Whether you were born here or you are holding your citizenship ceremony today and pledging your loyalty to our great nation, Australia Day is a time to celebrate everything that is great about our country,' she said.

'If you don't like Australia Day, don't take the public holiday.'

Pauline Hanson said Australia Day should be a day of celebration

Hanson's comments come as protesters gathered at Invasion Day demonstrations across the country in solidarity with Indigenous people.

A speaker at the Sydney event told the crowd that it was time to change the date of Australia Day.

'I pay my respects to all First Nations here, to all of us feeling proud to be here today but yet sad in knowing why we have to stand here,' they said.

'Why do we have to promote our invasion to make sure Australia sees us, to make sure our murders stop, the raping of our women, the stealing of our children, the poisoning of our land and rivers, the denunciation of our languages. Its disgusting.'

Thousands of people took part in a march to Old Parliament House in Canberra, marking the 50th anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, with attendees travelling from across the country.

In Melbourne, a statue of Captain Cook was vandalised with red paint in a gesture to support Invasion Day.

The Invasion Day event in Hobart was moved online due to COVID-19.

With demonstrations and marches held in most major cities, a new poll found nearly 60 per cent of respondents backed either changing the date, or keeping the day but establishing a separate day to recognise Indigenous people.

Meanwhile, a separate Roy Morgan poll showed 65 per cent believe January 26 should be considered as Australia Day.

However, the figures were reversed among young people, with 64 per cent viewing it as Invasion Day.
A tradie who viciously bashed his bosses' three-month-old kitten to death after a four-hour drinking session has walked free from court.

Bibek Katwal, 26, had been to a work Christmas party at a Surry Hills pub on December 20, 2020 when he caught an Uber back to his bosses' Bronte unit with a colleague.

His boss realised he had left his phone in the Uber and went back outside with his girlfriend to wait for the driver to return, court documents seen by Newscorp state.

A group of other men then arrived at the unit after Katwal had been alone inside with the Bengal kitten for about two minutes.

Tradie 26-year-old Bibek Katwal plead guilty to beating his bosses' pet kitten to death after a work drinking session (stock image)

They witnessed Katwal walk outside holding the bleeding kitten by the back of the neck.

One of the shocked group said: 'You killed the cat'.

'It was already dead,' Katwal replied before he raised the dead kitten in the air and slammed it against the ground.

Minutes later he again threw the cat against a brick wall, the court documents state.

'What the f*** is wrong with you,' one of the men said.

The man's boss and his distraught girlfriend rushed to an emergency vet in Rosebery who unsuccessfully tried to revive the kitten.

Police were also called but could not properly interview Katwal because he was intoxicated.

The 12-week old Bengal kitten was thrown against a wall in front of shocked colleagues (stock image)

He was then arrested the next night at a backpackers in Pitt Street in the Sydney CBD when he told investigators he could not remember the incident.

He fronted Downing Centre Local Court in January after pleading guilty to recklessly beating and killing an animal.

Katwal was sentenced to 18-months to be served as an intensive corrections order in the community along with a $2,200 fine, a ban on alcohol for 18-months and a ban on owning any animal for 10 years.
Major airlines Qantas and Virgin Australia have refused to participate in Australia Day celebrations.

Both air carriers failed to acknowledge the nation's official day on their social media channels, and left it in the hands of the air force and navy to draw eyes to the skies.

In previous years, Qantas sent an A380 over Sydney Harbour to mark January 26 and handed out iconic Tim-Tam biscuits to passengers at baggage carousels.

Virgin Australia has delighted past travellers after serving meat pies and lamingtons in its lounges, according to The Australian.

It is understood increased levels of sensitivity around the contentious date is one reason why Australia Day was ignored.

Challenges stemming from the Covid pandemic were also said to be a factor.

Major Australian airlines Qantas (pictured) and Virgin Australia have refused to take part in Australia Day celebrations this year

Virgin Australia has delighted past travellers after serving meat pies and lamingtons in its lounges on January 26

Lamingtons are a famous Aussie treat, but they are said to be actually from New Zealand (stock image)

It was a different story with the Royal Australian Air Force, who scheduled a handful of fly-pasts in the skies above NSW as well as a flying display over Sydney Harbour on Wednesday.

The defence force said they were 'proud to participate in Australia Day 2022 events'.

'Australia Day is held annually on January 26 to reflect on our nation's past and celebrate the Australian spirit, mateship and sense of community,' a statement read.

The Covid outbreak from the Omicron strain of the virus in December has created further headaches for the likes of Qantas, Virgin and Rex, with countless flight cancellations and reduced demand from passengers.

Qantas is tipped to experience a loss of close to $300 million when they deliver their half-year results for the 2022 financial year in February.

Daily Mail Australia approached Qantas for comment, with Virgin Australia confirming in a statement they would not be 'acknowledging todays public holiday on social media or in our (travel) lounges.'

Earlier this month, Qantas relinquished its title as the world's safest airline for the first time since 2013 due to Covid pilot losses and a 'serious incident'.

Australia's flagship airline had a sharp drop in Airline Ratings' annual safest airline list down to seventh place, and was replaced at the top by Air New Zealand.

The ratings website looks at a number of factors including the incident rate of airlines in the last two years, safety innovations, crashes in the last five years, and Covid-19 safety protocols.

In 2018, an incident in Perth where a 737 crossed a runway into the path of another jet that was commencing takeoff proved crucial in their demise.

The report into that complex and serious incident was not issued until late 2020, and was too late to be included in the 2021 safety rankings.

Qantas was ranked the world's safest airline from 2014 to 2017 as well as 2019 to 2021.
A woman has died and four people have been rushed to hospital after a boat capsized on a river in Sydney's west.

Emergency services were called to the Nepean River, near Bruce Neale Drive in Penrith, about 12.40pm Wednesday after reports a boat with five people on board had overturned.

Two men and two teenagers were rescued from the water and taken to Nepean Hospital in a stable condition for treatment of minor injuries.

A woman was pulled from the water unconscious and treated by paramedics; however, she died a short time later.

A woman has died after a tinny carrying five people capsized in the Nepean River (pictured), in Penrith

Emergency services were called just after 12.40pm and launched a rescue operation (pictured)

She is yet to be formally identified, but is believed to be aged 33.

The rescue effort involved multiple agencies, officers from Nepean Police Area Command, PolAir, NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Ambulance paramedics.

NSW Ambulance Acting Superintendent Greg Marshall said the incident was 'tragic'.

'This is a tragic ending for this family on what should have been a fun day out on the water this Australia Day,' he said in a statement.

'It was a complex rescue operation with several people in the water when paramedics arrived on scene.'

Four others - two men and two teenagers - have been rushed to hospital with minor injuries

Mr Marshall said paramedics worked closely with Police, Fire and Rescue and the SES to get the group out of the water 'as quickly and safely as possible.'

'This is a reminder to everyone out on the water this summer on how quickly things can turn,' he said.

'Paramedics are urging people to take care.'
The worlds oldest male gorilla, 61-year-old Ozzie, was found dead by his care team in his habitat at Zoo Atlanta on Tuesday.

Ozzies cause of death is not yet known and zoo officials are still awaiting the results of a necropsy, though the western lowland gorilla, who is also the third-oldest gorilla in the world, was diagnosed with COVID-19 this past September.

His symptoms at the time were mild and he had since recovered from them, but it is unclear if the virus played a role in his death.

Veterinary staff reported that Ozzie started experiencing a decrease in appetite last Thursday and it was increasingly difficult to get him to eat, according to a press release from Zoo Atlanta. Over the 24 hours leading to his death, he exhibited worsening symptoms including facial swelling, general weakness, and the inability to eat or drink.

Our hearts are broken at the passing of a legend. Zoo Atlanta is devastated to share that Ozzie, the world's oldest male gorilla, has died at 61, Zoo Atlanta posted on Twitter on Tuesday.

Ozzie, 61, the world's oldest male gorilla, was found dead by his care team in his habitat at Zoo Atlanta on Tuesday. He is pictured above on his 60th birthday with a giant cake zoo staff made for him

Ozzies cause of death is not yet known and zoo officials are still awaiting the results of a necropsy. He is pictured above celebrating his 52nd birthday in 2013

Ozzie was the only surviving member of the original group of western lowland gorillas who arrived at Zoo Atlanta with the opening of The Ford African Rain Forest in 1988.

He made zoological history in 2009 by becoming the first gorilla in the world to voluntarily take a blood pressure test.

Ozzie was the third oldest gorilla in the world, as the oldest is 64-year-old Fatou, of the Berlin Zoo in Germany, and the second oldest is 63-year-old Helen, of the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky.

This is a devastating loss for Zoo Atlanta. While we knew this time would come someday, that inevitability does nothing to stem the deep sadness we feel at losing a legend, Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement.

Ozzies lifes contributions are indelible, in the generations of individuals he leaves behind in the gorilla population and in the worlds body of knowledge in the care of his species. Our thoughts are with his care team, who have lost a part of their lives and a part of their hearts, he added.

The zoo attributed Ozzies incredible longevity to the care, expertise, and significant innovations of the Zoos Gorilla Care Team

Ozzie was one of 13 gorillas at Zoo Atlanta who tested positive for COVID-19 this past September. His symptoms at the time were mild and he had since recovered from them, but it is unclear if the virus played a role in his death

Ozzie was one of 13 gorillas at Zoo Atlanta who tested positive for COVID-19 this past September, zoo officials announced at the time. Employees noticed that the gorillas had been coughing, had runny noses and showed changes in appetite. A veterinary lab at the University of Georgia returned positive tests for the respiratory illness.

Zoo officials said they believed a vaccinated employees who cares for the gorillas passed on the virus while asymptomatic. The employee was wearing protective equipment such as a mask and gloves.

Dr. Sam Rivera, the zoo's senior director of animal health, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Atlanta's gorillas appeared to be the second group of great apes infected by COVID-19, after eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park were treated for the virus last January.

Ozzie's death comes just weeks after Choomba, another gorilla at Zoo Atlanta and the fourth oldest in the world, was euthanized at 59

Because the gorillas live close together, Rivera said it's impossible to keep infected animals isolated. He said the Atlanta zoo will vaccinate the gorillas with a veterinary vaccine. Zoo Atlanta is vaccinating its Bornean and Sumatran orangutans, its Sumatran tigers, its African lions and its clouded leopard.

Ozzies legacy lives on at Zoo Atlanta with his daughter Kuchi; his sons Kekla, Stadi, and Charlie; his granddaughter Lulu; his great-granddaughter Andi, and his great-grandson Floyd. He is also survived by a number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren living at other accredited zoos in the U.S. and Canada.

The zoo attributed Ozzies incredible longevity to the care, expertise, and significant innovations of the Zoos Gorilla Care Team and its experience caring for senior gorillas, which are considered geriatric after turning 40.

Ozzie's death comes just weeks after Choomba, another gorilla at Zoo Atlanta and the fourth oldest in the world, was euthanized at 59.

Veterinary staff had been monitoring Choomba following a marked decline in her physical condition due to advanced arthritis and other age-related complications, read a statement from the zoo.

Given her poor prognosis and with concern for her comfort and quality of life, the teams made the extremely difficult decision to euthanize her on January 13," the statement continued.

Western lowland gorillas are critically endangered and over a 25-year period, the combined threats of disease, poaching, habitat loss and illegal hunting for the bushmeat trade have reduced western lowland gorilla populations by 60 percent, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Gladys Berejiklian has resurfaced for the first time since her anti-corruption hearing, hitting the campaign trail for her successor.

The former NSW premier resigned last year after the Independent Commission Against Corruption investigated her over allegations she breached public trust and encouraged corrupt behaviour from her former lover Daryl Maguire.

Ms Berejiklian made a surprise appearance in a promotional video for Liberal candidate Tim James, who is running for her vacant seat of Willoughby in the upcoming election.

'I love this community and I know Tim James, the new candidate for Willoughby loves it just as much,' she said.

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured left) has resurfaced for the first time since her anti-corruption hearing, hitting the campaign trail for her successor Tim James (right)

Ms Berejiklian, who held the seat across nearly two decades from 2003 to 2021, before resigning from Legislative Assembly on December 30.

There have been rumours she could resurface on the federal level, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison repeatedly throwing his support behind the former premier who he said had 'suffered terribly'.

'If she wished to put herself forward, of course I would welcome her,' Mr Morrison said in December.

'That's a decision for Gladys, ultimately, and she may choose not to go ahead here, I suspect. That's a matter for her, and I respect her choice.'

Ms Berejiklian instead said she will seek a career in the private sector and looks forward to 'a much less public life'.

The former NSW premier resigned last year after the Independent Commission Against Corruption investigated her over allegations she breached public trust

Instead she has started helping her former party secure her old seat, with the country moving towards key state and federal elections in May.

She appeared in the video alongside Mr James, who sits in the right faction of the Liberal Party while she came from the left.

Ms Berejiklian said he will 'do a great job in representing all of us in moving forward together' after winning the party's preselection earlier this month.

The two hit the campaign trail in Northbridge on Wednesday, a key area for the seat.

Mr James did an interview with the Daily Telegraph last week admitting he has 'big shoes to fill'.

Ms Berejiklian said Mr James will 'do a great job in representing all of us in moving forward together' after winning the party's preselection earlier this month

'Gladys was an outstanding local member and in a lot of ways my focus is to continue her great work by protecting and enhancing the many things that make Willoughby such a great place,' Mr James said.

'I'm aware I have big shoes to fill. I've known Gladys for a long time, she was about five years ahead of me in the Young Liberals and for almost two decades she did a remarkable job.'

He said he was 'surprised' by her resignation but said he was ready to 'carve out' his own direction for the seat if elected.

Gladys Berejiklian (pictured right) is under investigation by ICAC for her conduct while NSW premier in relation to her former boyfriend, ex-MP Daryl Maguire (pictured left)

In October, Ms Berejiklian made the unexpected announcement as ICAC carried out an investigation into her relationship with former Liberal MP Daryl Maguire.

The ICAC revealed it was investigating whether she had breached the public's trust or had a conflict of interest during the relationship.

She spent two days in the witness box during the hearing, which also saw testimony from Mr Maguire and former premier Mike Baird.

During a phone call revealed during the hearing, Ms Berejiklian was heard boasting to Mr Maguire she got '$170 million in five minutes' when speaking about funds for a new Australian Target Association headquarters being built in his electorate of Wagga Wagga/

The former state leader has denied any wrongdoing and the anti-corruption body is yet to hand down its findings on the matter.

The ICAC will give its submissions to relevant parties by February 15, with responses due by March 28.

The findings will not be made public.
A New Mexico woman was arrested after she allegedly used Snapchat to lure a man to his kidnapping and schemed a ransom payment that led to the murder of his brother.

Anna Bella Dukes, 18, was charged with murder, kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery and tampering with evidence in connection to the February 2021 killing of 24-year-old former corrections officer Elias Otero in Albuquerque.

Dukes, who was charged in December, turned herself in Monday after evading capture for nearly a month, the Albuquerque Police Department said.

The young woman reportedly used Snapchat to lure Elias's brother, 20-year-old Nicholas Otero, to Alvarado Park on the morning February 11, 2021, where he was kidnapped and carjacked by three men, including Dukes' purported boyfriend Adrian Avila, 17.

The suspects then drove to the home of his brother, Elias, in Southwest Albuquerque and FaceTimed him asking for a $1,000 ransom, police said.

While the suspects held Nicholas at gunpoint during the call, they told Elias they would kill his younger brother if he didn't pay the ransom.

Elias Otero went outside his home with a gun to confront the suspects but was immediately killed by Avila, police said.

The teen turned himself in last month and is facing the same charges as Dukes. It remains unclear who the other two kidnappers were and whether police have identified them.

Anna Bella Dukes, who was charged in December, turned herself in Monday after evading capture for nearly a month, the Albuquerque Police Department said

Dukes, 18, was charged with murder, kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery and tampering with evidence in connection to the February 2021 killing of 24-year-old former corrections officer Elias Otero

Former corrections officer Elias Otero was killed after he went outside his home in Albuquerque to confront the kidnappers of his 20-year-old brother Nicholas

Elias Otero had gone outside his home in Southwest Albuquerque with a gun to confront the suspects but was immediately killed by Dukes' alleged 17-year-old boyfriend, Adrian Avila

Elias Otero was allegedly killed by Dukes' 17-year-old boyfriend, Adrian Avila (pictured), police said. Avila turned himself in last moth. He is facing the same charges as Dukes

Police said Dukes connected with Nicholas Otero on Snapchat, and the pair agreed to meet. He picked her up in his red Lexus and took her to Alvarado Park in the early hours of February 11.

Albuquerque Journal reported that Nicholas grew suspicious after Dukes asked him where he kept his money, if he had any gun, and complimented him on his diamond-encrusted chain.

Then, another car pulled up behind Nicholas' Lexus carrying armed men. The suspects dragged the 20-year-old out of his car, and one of them held a gun to his head.

After robbing the victim of money and jewelry, the carjackers forced Nicholas back into his car and drove to his brother's home in the 450 block of Timothy SW.

They then demanded Elias Otero to come outside the house to pay the ransom for Nicholas' release.

Elias reportedly emerged brandishing a gun and threatened to shoot the attackers, before he was taken down by Avila.

Nicholas Otero, 20, Elias' younger brother who connected with Dukes on Snapchat, escaped unharmed during the shooting

Elias, who was engaged to be married, was shot outside his home and pronounced dead at the scene in the early hours of February 11, 2021

Nicholas and Elias' sister called 911 at around 2.20am, reporting that her brother had been shot. The 24-year-old Elias was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nicholas managed to escape unharmed, while the suspects fled on foot and in a second car they allegedly had stolen the day before, also using Dukes to lure the victim an Snapchat.

The brothers' mother told KRQE that while she was relieved Dukes had turned herself in to authorities, she wished it had happened sooner.

'My youngest son was carjacked and they wanted more than my car. They wanted his jewelry,' Alicia Otero told abc. 'They stripped him down. They took his credit cards and took whatever he had on him, but they wanted more money.'

'Every day we wish that we get justice and, you know, someone to pay for what they did to him and knowing they finally turned themselves in, it just feels good that is not going to go unsolved,' Alicia Otero told the outlet.

'I'm confident that justice is gonna be served,' she added.

Since her son's murder, Alicia has been meeting regularly with other families who have lost their loved ones to violence - in hopes they can help stop the violence or just to have a shoulder to lean on

Elias Otero's mother, Alicia, said he was doing well at work, he had his own place and he and his fiance were starting to make plans to settle down

Elias Otero's death has been a nightmare for his parents, his siblings, his fiance and the rest of their close-knit family, his mom told the Associated Press in 2021.

She said he was doing well at work, he had his own place and he and his fiance were starting to make plans to settle down.

'He was very protective, his whole life. He was a correctional officer for years,' Alicia said.

Since her son's murder, Alicia has been meeting regularly with other families who have lost their loved ones to violence - in hopes they can help stop the violence or just to have a shoulder to lean on.

'Me and the other moms feel like no one is listening to us. No one is listening, like if their lives didn't matter,' said Otero in 2021.

'They're not just a number - they're everything to us.'
A vaccine hesitant NHS worker has tragically died with Covid just days after she decided to get the jab.

Fila Lutu, 37, had expressed concerns about the vaccine after reportedly suffering bad reactions to jabs for other diseases.

However, the Covid-19 support administrator from Chadwell Heath, east London changed her mind after the Government unveiled plans to force NHS staff to get vaccinated before April or get sacked.

Sadly, Miss Lutu tested positive for the virus in December and died several days later, following complications from the virus.

Her devastated family were prevented from travelling with her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital due to strict Covid rules  meaning the NHS worker passed away before they could say goodbye.

Fila Lutu, 37, had expressed concerns about the vaccine after reportedly suffering bad reactions to jabs for other diseases

The NHS Covid-19 support administrator changed her mind after the Government unveiled plans to force NHS workers to get vaccinated before April 2022 or get sacked

Miss Lutu started working for North Middlesex University Hospital in July 2020, before becoming an Employee Relations Officer a year later.

The hospital trust is planning to build a bench in dedication to her amazing impact on the community, Essex Live reported.

Lauren has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the funeral cost. Setting a 2,000 target, the crowdfunder has raised more than 6,000, and the excess funds will be donated to North Middlesex University Hospitals charity.

Miss Lutu was laid to rest on Friday, January 14, at City Gate Church, Ilford. There, her coffin was carried to the church in a white carriage and doves were released.

Miss Lutu started working for North Middlesex University Hospital in July 2020, before becoming an Employee Relations Officer a year later

Miss Lutu was laid to rest on Friday, January 14, at City Gate Church, Ilford

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The NHS worker, who was born in the Congo and first came to the UK in 1993, started feeling unwell when she came back from France on December 12. She later tested positive for Covid and her symptoms worsened.

After five days, she struggled to eat and was in a great deal of pain, according to her younger sister Lauren.

She told local media that she found Miss Lutu experiencing cold sweats and crying God help me as she suffered chest pains.

Paramedics conducted an ECG reading and told Lauren and her mother that Miss Lutu was showing signs of someone having a heart attack.

The NHS worker was rushed to King George Hospital in Ilford but sadly they could not go with her, due to strict Covid restrictions in place.

Lauren and her mother exchanged their goodbyes with Miss Lutu and went back into the house, not knowing that it would be their last ever goodbye.

Miss Lutu called her mother from hospital early on December 19 to tell her that the medication she was on was not easing the pain.

Later that day, Miss Lutus mother was told her daughter was being transferred to a London hospital before she went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated.

Lauren, one of her older brothers, and their mother rushed to hospital and waited for an update on Fila.

While the trio was there, Christopher, 28, and their brother Jessie, 24, waited anxiously at home. About 30 minutes later, they received the heartbreaking news that she had passed away.

Lauren said: One of them had tears in her eyes and I just knew. They sat and started with We did everything we could.

When I heard that I was like no. My mum just fell on the floor and she cried. I was just crying, I cried so much my eyes were already puffy. If I cried anymore, I felt like I would have exploded.

Christopher said: It was just very traumatising, it just felt so real, very painful.

George Agass, head of Communications, Engagement and Fundraising at North Mid Hospital, said: Fila was exceedingly well-loved by her close colleagues at North Mid, and impressed everyone she worked with on different projects with her kindness, her positivity, and her selflessness.

Its incredibly cruel that she has been taken away far too early, and in line with her faith, we ask for Gods blessing for her and all her family and friends.

Her family were prevented from travelling with her in the ambulance on the way to the hospital due to Covid rules  meaning the NHS worker passed away before they could say goodbye

Filas team described her as exceptionally caring, and that she was always bright, and could light up the room with her kindness.

So it felt fitting to commemorate her too-short life with something that could continue to provide support and space to reflect, rest, and recover, which is why we plan to install and dedicate a memorial bench in Filas name.

Her brother, Christopher, added: When we heard about the bench we were happy to know that she had continued leaving a positive impact wherever she went.

So to hear that the hospital wanted to make a bench for her was just a reminder that she had left such a good impression there in a short time as she had only been working there for a year.

She was always smiling through every situation.

When she was having her own struggles and difficulties in life, she would always just keep on smiling and always trying to encourage every single one of us.

A lot of my siblings would always go to her for advice and shed always just be there, giving as much effort as possible because she always liked helping other people.
Actress Vivica A. Fox last night shared a heartfelt message from Regina King after she spent the weekend comforting the star, whose son killed himself last week.

Speaking on Fox Soul's 'Cocktails with Queens', the tearful 57-year-old said she'd just been through 'one of the longest weekends that I've ever had in my life' with her devastated friend, after King's son Ian Alexander Jr. died last Wednesday.

'She said to tell everybody that she's gotten y'all texts,' Fox said, passing King's message along. 'The outpouring of love for her, her family and her son. She appreciates it.'

Alexander Jr., the only child of the award-winning actress and director whom she shared with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr., had just turned 26 on the day that he took his own life.

'I was with Regina last night,' Fox told her chat show last night. 'She's okay.'

Speaking on Fox Soul's 'Cocktails with Queens', Actress Vivica A. Fox (pictured) said Regina King, who is mourning the loss of her son, is 'surrounded by so much love', adding that her friend was grateful for the messages of support she has received

She told her three-co hosts that when she got a text saying Regina wanted to see her, she 'made a U-turn and immediately headed there.'

'I didn't think about where am I going and what am I doing, I just had to go see my friend. My sister,' Fox said, bursting into tears.

'On the way there I had to call and ask people, "What do you say? I'm scared, I don't want to say something wrong." She is so strong,' she continued.

'More than anything else, I'm glad I got to hug her and look in her eyes,' she told her co-hosts. 'This has been absolutely one of the longest weekends that I've ever had in my life. It's like I can't stop crying.'

Fox went on to urge people to pay attention to their children and anyone else who might be struggling with mental health issues, especially during hard times.

She said: 'I've never thought about suicide in our community. How so many people are taking their own lives, that don't want to be here. That's the scary part. That they just are deciding to check out.'

Ian Alexander Jr. (pictured left with his mother Regina King), the only child of the award-winning actress and director whom she shared with ex-husband Ian Alexander Sr., had just turned 26 on the day that he took his own life

Pictured: Vivica A. Fox (left) and Regina King arrive at Wilmer Valderrama's 30th birthday party at Eve Nightclub on January 30, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada

She blamed 'Covid and everything' for many people being 'in a dark spot, in a dark place,' and causing them to struggle and even consider the extreme.

'If y'all see any signs, any signs of anyone being in distress, or if somebody reaches out to you that's just maybe not having a good day or something - stop, take a moment to make sure that they're ok,' she said, fighting back tears.

She also gave a message of hope, saying that when she arrived to the home of the director of 'One Night in Miami', she witnessed something amazing.

'She is surrounded by so much love, y'all,' Fox said. 'That was the beautiful thing that when I got there, our community is right there for her,' Fox said, in a reference to other Black actors and media personalities. 'I saw it last night. It made me so proud.'

She added: 'We're gonna get through this. We're gonna get through this. But she's OK, and she wanted me to let everybody know that she appreciates the love.'

King's spokesman confirmed her son's death in a statement on Saturday, reading: 'Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian.

The 'One Night in Miami' director Regina King (left) shared Alexander with her former husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr. The two divorced in 2007 after 10 years of marriage. The younger Alexander was a musician and DJ who often accompanied King to red carpet events

Regina King arrives with her son, Ian, at the premiere of 'Daddy Day Care' in the Westwood section of Los Angeles, Sunday, May 4, 2003. She starred along-side Eddie Murphy

Five days before his death, Ian took to Twitter comparing his mental state to that of seemingly distressed cartoon character Spongebob Squarepants

'He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time.'

Haunting last messages posted to Twitter in the days ahead of Ian Alexander Jr.'s death reveal Regina King's only child felt he was 'losing his s**t.'

'You know that episode of SpongeBob where they go inside his brain and it's a bunch of mini spongebobs just losing their s**t..yea that one really hits home,' Ian tweeted five days before his took his life.

The DJ - who performed under the stage name desdune - added, in a separate message: 'I don't think instagram is healthy for me.'

The 'One Night in Miami' director shared Alexander with her former husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr. The two divorced in 2007 after 10 years of marriage.

The younger Alexander was a musician and DJ who often accompanied King to red carpet events.

He told E! News at the 2019 Golden Globes: 'Shes just a super mom. She doesnt really let bad work days or anything come back and ruin the time that we have. Its really awesome to have a mother who I can enjoy spending time with.'

The pair had matching tattoos reading 'unconditional love' in Aramaic.

'We were taking Kabbalah classes,' King said on The View in 2017.

'He said, lets choose three designs each and not tell each other which ones they are and whichever one is matching, thats the one were going to get tattooed - and we both chose unconditional love.'

For his mother's 50th birthday last year, Alexander posted a tribute on Instagram that read in part: 'To be able to watch you take this lifetime by its neck and make it yours is something i (sic) will forever be grateful for. But to have you as my mother is the greatest gift I could ask for.'

On Instagram a week ago, King shared a clip of her son's latest track, 'Green Eyes,' urging her followers to check it out. In an interview with People, she once called her son 'an amazing young man' and spoke of the love between mother and child.

'You dont know what unconditional love is. You may say you do, but if you dont have a child, you dont know what that is,' said the Oscar, Golden Globe and four-time Emmy winner. 'When you experience it, its the most fulfilling (thing) ever.'
A monitor at the disaster control center in Songpa District Office in Seoul shows an all-time high of 13,012 new daily COVID-19 infections for Tuesday. Yonhap



Daily new COVID-19 cases exceed 13,000



By Lee Hyo-jin



Korea saw the number of daily coronavirus infections surpass 10,000 for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic, driven up by the highly transmissible Omicron variant.



The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said Tuesday's tally stood at 13,012, including 12,743 local transmissions, breaking the all-time record of 8,571 daily infections set the previous day.



Of the total cases, 8,154 were reported from Seoul and its surrounding areas, with 3,110 cases in Seoul, 4,184 in Gyeonggi Province and another 860 in the western port city of Incheon.



The highly contagious Omicron variant took over as the dominant coronavirus strain last week, less than two months after it was first identified in the country on Dec.1.



"In just a few days since Omicron became the dominant strain, the number of daily infections has exceeded 13,000," Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said during a COVID-19 response meeting on Wednesday morning.



Cautioning against both excessive anxiety as well as complacency, Kim said, "From now on, the government's response measures will prioritize decreasing critical cases and deaths."



Later in the day, President Moon Jae-in presided over a closed-door meeting with health authorities to review the government's Omicron response measures.



The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Kim as well as the minister of interior safety, health minister and KDCA chief joining virtually due to virus precautions, according to Park Soo-hyun, the senior presidential secretary for public communication.





A person receives a rapid antigen COVID-19 test at a testing station in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. Yonhap




A California beauty queen who was accused of bigamy has been ordered to repay more than $13million to her former husband's family after losing a protracted Supreme Court battle in Italy.

Former Miss USA Johnine Leigh Avery, 75, was left half of the Colonna family's $33.3million (25million) inheritance after her aristocrat husband, Prince Ugo Colonna, died in 2004.

The couple married in Florida in 1991 with widower Prince Colonna coming from Italian nobility that dates back to the 12th century and counts former Pope Martin V among its rich history.

But Colonna's son, Prince Oddone Colonna, 60, claimed that Avery was still married to South African businessman Arthur van den Heever at the time when she wed his father in 1991.

After Ugo's passing in 2004, half of the family estate went to his son Prince Oddone - who had long contested the validity of his father's will because of his stepmother's alleged bigamy.

Avery was twice cleared of fraud and bigamy after producing divorce documents that were reportedly signed in the Dominican Republic in 1980.

But the documents were found to have been forged after the case was heard at the Italian Supreme Court last October.

Former Miss USA Johnine Leigh Avery, 75, was left half of the Colonna family's $33.3million (25million) inheritance after her aristocrat husband, Prince Ugo Colonna (left) died in 2004. The pair are pictured together in Rome in 1985, above

But Colonna's son, Prince Oddone, 60, claimed that Avery was still married to South African businessman Arthur van den Heever at the time when she wed his father in 1991. Prince Oddone is pictured, left, with Princess Alessandra del Drago in 1985

Prince Oddone's lawyer, Michele Gentiloni Silveri, has argued his client is now owed a stake of around $13.5million (10million) in inheritance, including a Roman palazzo with a view over the city's historic forum.

Gentiloni Silveri described the Supreme Court ruling as 'unusual' when speaking with The Times.

'It's an unusual ruling because it is one of the first occasions that the Supreme Court has overturned two opposite verdicts by the lower courts,' he explained.

Avery and Prince Oddone have been trading blows during the case that had filtered through to Italy's highest court and spanned more than a decade.

The ex-California beauty queen has long accused her stepson of trying to forcefully obtain his father's fortune.

Former California beauty queen Johnine Leigh Avery (pictured left) has long accused her stepson of trying to forcefully obtain his father's fortune

She had claimed in court that Prince Oddone was suing his father before his death in 2004, and had 'sought to delete his residency status'.

But the Italian aristocrat shot back at his stepmother, arguing he felt compelled to take action after watching Avery take over his father's affairs, despite rumours persisting that she was still already wed at the time of her marriage to his father.

'She married my father when he was quite ill, and pretty soon she had taken power of attorney and was making him sell property', Prince Oddone claimed.

Prince Ugo Colonna had bequeathed the famous Palazzo Colonna to Avery, but the historic property is now owned by another family member who has transformed it into a huge private art collection.

The palace, which is located in central Rome, has belonged to the family for over 20 generations and is said to have hosted the likes of Dante as well as Cardinals Giovanni and Giacomo Colonna.

It was also the home of Cardinal Oddone Colonal before he was declared Pope in 1417.

Avery (pictured) had claimed in court that her stepson Prince Oddone was suing his father before his death in 2004, and had 'sought to delete his residency status'

Prince Ugo Colonna had bequeathed Rome's famous Palazzo Colonna (pictured) to Avery, but the historic property is now owned by another family member who transformed it into a huge private art collection

Avery had previously beat off challenges from Prince Oddone in the lower Italian courts that saw her awarded the historic palace in 2018.

But the aristocrat had always challenged the validity of her claim to the family fortune after he was informed at a cocktail party that his stepmother was allegedly committing bigamy.

'If she never divorced her previous husband, then that means her marriage to Prince Colonna was not valid,' Prince Oddone's lawyer previously argued during the trial.

'So she can't inherit his wealth, and it all goes to his son.'

The Colonna family, which was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, dates back to the 13th century.

It supplied one Pope as well as a slew of cardinals and leaders in both church and politics.

Avery, who was born in San Diego, represented USA in Miss World in 1968 before she launched an acting career and starred alongside Bob Hope in a number of comedies.
Good Morning Britain showed an empty chair today after no Tory minister turned up to defend Boris Johnson - even though Liz Truss was happy to appear on Sky News and Today.

'We've got cake', joked presenter Adil Ray, in a reference to the Prime Minister meeting with staff to celebrate his birthday party in the height of lockdown when indoor gatherings were banned.

His co-host Susanna Reid said they had asked for a minister to appear on the programme but had not been able to get anyone to agree. 'We'll keep you updated on that situation - the chair is empty,' she added.

GMB presenter Adil Ray gestured to an empty chair as he and Susanna Reid explained that no minister had agreed to appear

This was despite Foreign Secretary Liz Truss doing broadcast rounds elsewhere this morning, including on Today and Sky News

Mr Ray weighed in, joking: 'If any government ministers are around, we do have some cake over here if you'd like to come in. We can ambush you with a slice of cake.

'Some cheese and wine are around as well, so lots of reasons for you to perhaps pop in if you would like to.'

On her broadcast round elsewhere this morning, Ms Truss indicated that some of the contents of Sue Gray's report into the Partygate scandal - which is set to be released imminently - might be held back for 'security' reasons.

Asked if the report will be published in full, the Foreign Secretary told Sky News: 'We have been absolutely clear that we will publish the findings of the report.

'We don't know the content of the report, so there could be, for example, security issues that mean parts of it are problematic to publish. But we will absolutely publish the findings of the report.'

Ms Truss said the government had to acknowledge 'public anger'. But she said: 'I think the PM should continue in office. I think he is doing a great job... I support him 100 per cent.'

'We've got cake', joked Mr Ray, in a reference to the Prime Minister meeting with staff to celebrate his birthday party in the height of lockdown when indoor gatherings were banned

On her broadcast round elsewhere this morning, Ms Truss indicated that some of the contents of Sue Gray's report into the Partygate scandal might be held back for 'security' reasons

It comes as Mr Johnson faces a day of reckoning, with allies desperately mobilising to shore up his position and Jacob Rees-Mogg warning that MPs getting rid of him would almost certainly trigger a snap general election.

Ms Truss scorned this suggestion this morning, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was 'complete hypothetical speculation'.

She also said Mr Johnson has her '100% support' as the prime minister faces calls, including from some of his Conservative MPs, to resign over the 'partygate' revelations.

'I believe the PM should continue in office, I think he's doing a great job,' she said. 'He's apologised and he's admitted that mistakes were made.'

Asked if she wants to one day lead the Conservative party, she replied: 'I want the PM to continue in his job, I support him 100 percent.'

Boris Johnson (pictured running this morning) is facing the release of Sue Gray's report into alleged Downing Street lockdown breaches as soon as today

The Foreign Secretary also discussed the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, vowing that Russia would face 'severe sanctions' if it invaded.

She told Sky: 'We are already supplying support to Ukraine. We're supplying defensive weapons. We're providing economic support.

'We are urging Russia to desist from an incursion and we're making it very clear that if they were to do that there would be severe economic cost to Russia - severe sanctions.'

On what these sanctions could look like, she said: 'They would target individuals, they would target financial institutions and they would be co-ordinated with all of our allies across Europe, the United States and others.'

Asked if the Government would support individual sanctions against President Vladimir Putin, Ms Truss said she was not 'ruling anything out'.
Boris Johnson did not tell his Cabinet about the Metropolitan Police launching a formal investigation into Partygate despite having been made aware of the probe before he met with his senior ministers.

Number 10 said Mr Johnson did not discuss the police investigation at yesterday's Cabinet meeting but confirmed he did already know the probe was going ahead.

The Prime Minister's Official Spokesman said the investigation 'was confirmed by the police while Cabinet was taking place so he didn't reference it specifically'.

Boris Johnson did not tell his Cabinet about the Metropolitan Police launching a formal investigation into Partygate despite having been made aware of the probe before he met with his senior ministers

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick yesterday announced that officers are investigating a 'number of events' in Downing Street and Whitehall

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick yesterday announced that officers are investigating a 'number of events' in Downing Street and Whitehall.

The move came after the police were passed information from the Cabinet Office Partygate probe which is being led by senior official Sue Gray.

Dame Cressida made the announcement while Mr Johnson and his Cabinet were meeting.

Cabinet ministers are required to leave their mobile phones outside the Cabinet room during meetings which means they found out about the police investigation after the general public.

Mr Johnson has said he welcomed Scotland Yard's investigation and hoped officers would 'help to draw a line under matters' after his leadership was plunged into deeper jeopardy by the development.

The PM convened his Cabinet yesterday morning but did not discuss the police probe with his ministers.

The PM's Official Spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister was made aware shortly before Cressida Dick announced that in her session.'

Asked then if Mr Johnson knew about the investigation before Cabinet, the spokesman replied: 'Yes.'

The spokesman said: 'That was confirmed by the police while Cabinet was taking place so he didn't reference it specifically, he alluded to that at the end of Cabinet but beyond that no.

'He made those comments about ensuring the Government is not deterred from getting on with the job, he didn't go into detail about the Met given that Cressida Dick made her comments while Cabinet was taking place.'

Asked why Cabinet ministers were not told about the police investigation, the spokesman said: 'From what I understand it's important not to pre-empt a police statement on this sort of issue at any point.

'That was the judgment the Prime Minister made. It was at that stage unclear exactly at what point the Met would make that statement and obviously the Prime Minister will continue to discuss any relevant issues with his Cabinet.'

The spokesman added: 'I think it's understandable that, given the sensitive nature of what the Met were due to announce, it's right that wasn't pre-empted in any way.'

Mr Johnson told ministers during the Cabinet meeting that he will 'not be deterred from getting on with the job'.

The PM convened his Cabinet yesterday morning but did not discuss the police probe with his ministers

He ended the session by 'emphasising there was more work to do to deliver for the public and that the Government would not be deterred from getting on with the job', according to a Number 10 spokesman.

The Cabinet also discussed the Government's net zero strategy, and Mr Johnson noted that next week marks two years since the UK left the European Union.

The spokesman said: 'He outlined how we have used our freedom to seize many opportunities, but there is more to do and we must be bold to unleash growth and innovation, and show the British people, businesses and investors that things are changing for the better.

'The Chancellor and the Business Secretary spoke about our future approach to regulation and the Prime Minister urged the Cabinet to go further and faster in driving forward the Government's reform agenda.'
Officeworks has firmly announced it will not be allowing anti-vaxxers to print off unauthorised vaccination certificates in its stores.

An image posted to Reddit showed a large sign that had been placed in a Sydney Officeworks store, informing customers they will not be able to take advantage of staff.

'In line with our Print and Copy terms and conditions, our team are unable to print unauthorised vaccination certificates. Thank you for understanding,' the sign read.

The image which has circulated online prompted many to question what happened for the stationary store to tell customers such services were not allowed.

A Sydney Officeworks put up a sign informing customers they are not able to print off unauthorised vaccination certificates

'How ignorant do you have to be to ask a business to participate in fraud,' one Reddit user commented.

'You know this sign exists because someone has thrown a tanti at a retail worker,' another said.

Another claimed the signs had been up for 'months' and that 'dealing with antivax customers has been absolutely tiring'.

Poll Do you agree with Officeworks' stance? Yes No Do you agree with Officeworks' stance? Yes 197 votes

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'Imagine being so chicken s**t of vaccines that you'd rather openly commit fraud to such frequency that a company needs to put up an official sign than take a few free potentially life saving shots,' one fed up person said.

It's unclear which store this sign has been put up in and if this is was an isolated incident.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Officeworks for comment.

At the end of October, NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard signed off on a new law which bans residents from using fake vaccine certificates.

Those found breaching the health order could face six months behind bars or an $11,000 fine.

Security experts had earlier warned fake documents could be forged in just ten minutes as people were able to alter the name shown on the certificates.
Counter terrorism police have arrested two men in Manchester as part of the investigation into the Texas synagogue attack by British hostage-taker Malik Faisal Akram.

Akram, who was originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, was shot dead when the FBI entered the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville on January 15 following a 10-hour stand-off.

Akram, 44, held four people hostage, but they were later released unharmed during the incident - described by US President Joe Biden as an 'act of terror'.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Counter Terrorism Policing North West said: 'Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are continuing with their investigation following the events in Texas. They are working closely with and are supporting US law enforcement.

'As part of the local investigation, two men have been arrested this morning in Manchester. They remain in custody for questioning.

Malik Faisal Akram is seen in this photo taken at a faith-based daytime outreach center in Dallas, Texas, USA, January 2, 2022

The Congregation Beth Israel synagogue is shown, Jan. 16, 2022, in Colleyville, Texas, where Akram held four people hostage before being shot by FBI and SWAT teams

'We continue to work closely with colleagues from other forces.'

Two men arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on January 20 as part of the same probe have been released from custody with no further action.

FBI director Christopher Wray called the stand-off an antisemitic incident, while US President Joe Biden said it was an 'act of terror'.

In a press conference held in Texas last Friday, the FBI said Akram was not known and had no prior contact with US intelligence services.

The bureau said it is conducting 'rigorous' analysis of Akram's associates, his online presence and his devices.

Akram had flown to New York on December 29 before he later travelled to Texas and entered the Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue.

Akram - understood to have a criminal record - was investigated by MI5 in 2020 but deemed not to be a credible threat to national security at the time, official sources previously confirmed to the PA news agency.

It is not yet clear how he was able to travel to the US despite his UK criminal record.

The FBI said it is 'working hard' to learn more about how Akram acquired the firearm he possessed.
Italy's former royal family have demanded the return of their crown jewels, believed to be worth 250million, that were taken away from them when the country abolished its monarchy.

The royals, who were exiled from Italy after the Second World War until 2002, want their collection of tiaras, necklaces, brooches and earrings returned to them from a vault in the Bank of Italy in Rome.

The royal House of Savoy's collection, comprising of 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls, was taken away when Italians voted to abolish the monarchy after the war, with the then King Umberto II fleeing to Portugal.

The Italians were punishing the royal family for first collaborating with fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and then fleeing Rome in 1944 to avoid an invading German army.

Ever since, the jewels have been kept by the Bank of Italy and reports suggest they are worth up to 250 million (300 million).

But now, the former royal family are calling for the jewels, which were worn by Italian queens and princesses, to be returned to them 78 years later.

'Italy should do what is right and fitting and restore the jewels to my family,' Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 49, told the Telegraph.

Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, 49, (pictured with Princess Clotilde Courau in 2014) is calling for the jewels to be returned to his family

Crown Prince Umberto of Italy with his bride Princess Marie Jose of Belgium, in 1930

Queen Marie Jose's diamond and pearl tiara inherited from Empress Charlotte of Mexico

He added: 'The monetary value of the jewels doesn't interest us. What is more important is the historical and sentimental value that they have for the family.

'Italy is about the only republic in the world where the private property of the ex-royal family is still in the hands of the State. It's shameful. Even Russia and Yugoslavia restored private possessions to their royals.

'The jewellery has been hidden away in a chest for more than 70 years. Unlike the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, these have never ever been on display to the public.

'It is about time that they were returned to the heirs of the royal family.'

A mediation meeting was held between lawyers for the Savoys and representatives of the Bank of England on Tuesday - but the meeting was inconclusive, the newspaper reported.

Italian Queen Marie-Jose's emerald and diamond necklace, made by Van Cleef and Arpels

Italian Queen Marie-Jose's antique diamond tiara, made by Faberge around 1895

The process will be long and it is believed that the Bank, which was given the 'custody' of the jewels, will have to defer the decision to Italy's government.

Sergio Orlandi, the family's lawyer, told the Corriere della Sera newpaper: 'The Savoy family will get the jewels back.'

Asked if his family would display the jewellery collection in a museum, Prince Filiberto said: 'We have to take this step by step. First, the Bank of Italy must return them and then the heirs of the royal family will decide what to do with them.'

Prince Filiberto is well-known in Italy, where he now lives in Milan.

He now runs a catering business called Prince of Venice and has lead a colourful life in the public eye, claiming to have undergone a six-month affair with Kate Moss and starring on Ballando Con Le Stelle, Italy's version of Strictly Come Dancing.

Prince Filiberto is also known as the 'Pasta Prince', due to his career running food trucks in LA.

Prince Filiberto is also known as the 'Pasta Prince', due to his career running food trucks in LA

After the Second World War, the men of the once illustrious House of Savoy were sent into exile when Italians voted to end the monarchy.

The then King Umberto II fled to Portugal and never set foot in Italy again. He died aged 78 in 1983 in Geneva, where he was being treated for cancer.

The royal family returned from 56 years in exile in 2002, with Prince Vittorio Emanuele, the son of Italy's last king, his wife Marina Doria and their son Filiberto arriving back into Rome from their home in Geneva, Switzerland, on December 23 2002.

The Italian government had ruled in October of that year that the royal family could return back to Italy after parliament voted to end the exile imposed on male heirs of the family.
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Civil servants are defying orders to 'lead the way' and return to the office this week as the Government attempts to crackdown on working from home.

Thousands of workers are failing to return to their desks in Whitehall and other buildings across the UK, despite Cabinet Office enforcer Steve Barclay telling top officials that Government offices should see 'maximum use' from this week.

Whilst ministerial departments saw a slight rise in attendance from last week, many welcomed as few as 10 per cent of staff back to their desks on Monday morning, a Daily Mail audit found.

At Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs' cavernous 6,500-capacity building in Longbenton, North Tyneside, reporters counted just 227 people arriving for work between 7.30 and 11am  3 per cent.

On Friday, Mr Barclay, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, revealed that civil servants would now be expected to return to the office full-time following the easing of Plan B restrictions as the country 'learns to live with Covid'.

Transport for London told MailOnline that this morning up to 10am, there were around 1.17million entry and exits on the Underground - up 10 per cent on the previous Wednesday and 51 per cent of normal pre-pandemic levels.

On London buses, again up to 10am this morning, there were around 1.2million boarding taps  up 1 per cent compared to last Wednesday and 70 per cent of normal.

At Tube stations with close links to the City of London, such as Mansion House, Aldgate, Canary Wharf and Holborn, there were 115,000 entries and exits this morning, which represents just 36 per cent of normal demand.

Specifically at Shopping and West End stations, such as Stratford, Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Circus, there were around 113,800 entries and exits this morning, which represents 49 per cent of normal demand.

Yesterday, 2.08million Tube journeys were made, which is around 51 per cent of pre-pandemic levels and up 7 per cent week-on-week. On buses, 4.35million journeys were made, which is 71 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

But congestion on London's roads has been almost unchanged compared to last week, with a figure between 8am and 9am in the morning rush hour of 68 per cent on Monday compared to 69 per cent the previous Monday.

The figure from TomTom was 73 per cent yesterday compared to 74 per cent the previous Tuesday; and 71 per cent today compared to exactly the same figure last Wednesday.

The data represents the extra travel time for drivers on average compared to baseline uncongested conditions - so a 30-minute journey will take 21 minutes longer with a 71 per cent congestion level.

It comes as Citibank revealed today that it will completely refurbish its 42-story office tower in London's Canary Wharf district in a three-year project that signals that US lender is keen to keep staff coming into the office.

The overhaul of 25 Canada Square, which was purchased for 1billion in 2019, is set to be completed by 2025 and will cost more than 100million with all staff based there having to relocate to other offices while it takes place.

Bosses at Citibank, whose new building will house 9,000 employees, are known to be keen to get employees back in having told staff in London last week that they expect them to now come in for at least three days a week.

On Monday, at the seven-floor, 2,000-capacity Westminster headquarters of the Department for Education, at least 238 staff were recorded entering the main entrance. This was a marked improvement from a turnout of 63 recorded on Friday, but still little more than 11 per cent of all employees

At the Treasury headquarters on Horse Guards Road, Westminster, around 215 people were recorded arriving for work on Monday morning at the main entrance. The true total is likely higher, as there are a number of entrances into the building, however the attendance is just a fraction of the 2,200 employees the building holds

At the Department for Work and Pensions' central London site, 173 people were recorded getting to work between 7.30 and 11am. The figure was an improvement on the 94 people recorded arriving for work on Friday, but still represented just 10 per cent of the 1,700 employees the building can hold

Ministers hope private firms will follow the lead back to the office with the mass return of employees boosting ailing city centres which have been damaged by the work-from-home culture.

However the move has been met with consternation by trade unions, with Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA civil service union, branding the plans a 'distraction' from 'partygate' scandals engulfing Downing Street.

On Monday, at the seven-floor, 2,000-capacity Westminster headquarters of the Department for Education, at least 238 staff were recorded entering the main entrance.

This was a marked improvement from a turnout of 63 recorded on Friday, but still little more than 11 per cent of all employees.

While one security official admitted attendance remained very low, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi attempted to lead by example, arriving at the office for departmental business at 9.15am.

At the Department for Work and Pensions' central London site, 173 people were recorded getting to work between 7.30 and 11am.

Commuters travel on a Jubilee line train on the London Underground during the morning rush hour at 7.30am today

Underground commuters board a train at Finchley Road station in North West London at about 7.30am this morning

Commuters sit on a Jubilee line train this morning as they make their to work in Central London at about 7.30am this morning

Underground commuters wait for a train at Finchley Road station in North West London at about 7.30am this morning

Commuters sit on a Jubilee line train this morning as they make their to work in Central London at about 7.30am this morning

Commuters sit on a Jubilee line train this morning as they make their to work in Central London at about 7.30am this morning

This included Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey, who arrived in her chauffeur-driven Government Jaguar at 7.47am.

The figure was an improvement on the 94 people recorded arriving for work on Friday, but still represented just 10 per cent of the 1,700 employees the building can hold.

Speaking to a reporter, Miss Coffey acknowledged the office is yet to return to capacity, adding: 'We're going to start getting back to normal very soon.' The reluctance to return to the office has been slammed by past and present senior MPs.

Former business secretary and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Vince Cable on Monday warned of the 'damage' that can be caused by 'mass absenteeism', pointing to the Foreign Office's shambolic handling of the Afghanistan evacuation.

A graph from Transport for London shows how Tube usage fell off in December 2021 but is now recovering again this month

This Transport for London graph shows how Underground usage has changed over the last two years, split by type of station

He said: 'There is a lot of evidence that semi-permanent working from home reduces the efficiency and productivity of the civil service and other companies.'

Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'The signal this sends to the rest of the country is 'do as we say, not as we do'.'

At the Treasury headquarters on Horse Guards Road, Westminster, around 215 people were recorded arriving for work on Monday morning at the main entrance.

The true total is likely higher, as there are a number of entrances into the building, however the attendance is just a fraction of the 2,200 employees the building holds.
A company manager who stole 40,000 from his employers to fund cocaine fuelled encounters with escorts following the breakdown of his marriage has been jailed.

George Smith, 33, was working for Cheshire-based Bromborough Paints - now known as Paintwell - when he committed the offence, a court was told.

The father of two, who earned 27,000 a year as a branch manager, had been found selling pots of paints and rolls of wallpaper to tradesmen for cash before cancelling the transaction and pocketing the money for himself.

His offending was discovered when the company carried out an audit and, when police later checked his bank statements, they found Smith had made regular purchases from food outlets, nightclubs and hotels.

When confronted by his company, Smith said he had squandered all the money he stole as he had become 'addicted to drink, cocaine and prostitution'.

At Manchester Crown Court, Smith, of Winnington, Northwich, admitted theft by employee and was jailed for 21 months.

Afterwards, Giuseppe Alfonso, finance director of Paintwell, described Smith's offending as 'incredibly shocking'.

George Smith (pictured), a former branch manager at a paint firm, has been jailed for 21 months after admitting theft by employee

Manchester Crown Court heard Smith was appointed manager of Bromborough Paint's Trafford Park branch in September 2016 before the thefts began in January 2018

Manchester Crown Court heard the thefts began in January 2018 after Smith was appointed manager at the firms Trafford Park branch, near Manchester in September 2016.

Rachel Widdecombe, prosecuting, said Smith's offending did not come to light until May 2019 when Mr Alfonso undertook an audit and noticed stock adjustments were being made 'in an unusually high amount'.

Mr Alfonso found all the erroneous adjustments had been made by the defendant, Ms Widdecombe told the court, and organised a meeting with Smith to discuss the discrepancies in which he accepted he was responsible and 'had got himself in a rut'.

Ms Widdecombe added: '[Smith] went on to say that he was glad he had been caught as it would put an end to his offending.

'He told Mr Alfonso that he had been stealing paint to order since before March 2018 and suggested he had developed an addiction to drink, drugs and prostitution. He did not expand on whether that was an addiction that only developed after he became employed as the branch manager.

'The defendants bank statements indicated he was far from being in debt.

'In fact he chose to make numerous cash withdrawals and regular purchases from restaurants or food outlets, nightclubs, hotels often making multiple purchases at the same venue during the same day.

'His wages from the company were paid into that account with no obvious reference to outgoings such as rent or a mortgage.

'The vast majority of the 40,000 or so that he accepts he stole cannot be traced.'

After the meeting, Smith was suspended, but when quizzed by police he gave no comment and claimed he had no idea why he had been suspended, the court heard.

Mr Alfonso concluded that during the 17 months Smith had stolen from the company, 4,813 items, including paint and wallpaper, had gone missing, the court was told.

Manchester Crown Court was told that when tradesman came in to the store and bought items, Smith would offer a cash price free of VAT then cancel the sale voiding the transaction. It meant the stolen paint would then not show up as being sold on company records.

In mitigation defence counsel Mr Simeon Evans said: '[Smith] was unfortunately not the only person who stole from the company in this way. In fact not long after this defendant was caught, there was another staff member detected.

'However he accepts that he took 40,000 for himself and he feels shame for his offending.

'He was not claiming that money because he was in debt, he in fact frittered it away in the ways that have been disclosed, having felt pressure from the breakup of his marriage which many people have to suffer.

'He is a man of good character who had invested in his marriage and his children but the end of the marriage was the fault line that sparked this. There was a background of alcohol abuse and other substances which has played a significant part in this offending.

'It came as an enormous shock to his family and they have struggled with that. They do not condone it but are supporting him. His shame is going to be very public indeed.'

Smith, who earned 27,000 a year as a branch manager, had been found selling pots of paints and rolls of wallpaper to tradesmen for cash before pocketing the money for himself

Sentencing Smith, Judge Hilary Manley told him: 'You stole stock and sold it to customers at a reduced price to keep the cash for yourself. You spent the cash on meals at restaurants, prostitutes and cocaine and its all gone.

'The difficulties in your marriage may well cause you anguish and stress but that is no excuse for this behaviour.

'It is not even like you were in poverty or debt, you were living a high life on the proceeds and a high degree of trust and responsibility placed in you. This thieving went on over a long period of time for what was a wholly selfish lifestyle.'

In a statement, Mr Alfonso said: 'This theft shook our business. The sheer amount and volume that had been moved around by Smith was incredibly shocking.

'I previously regarded Smith as a friend, not just a work colleague and I am appalled by the lack of integrity and respect shown - and I still cannot fathom the level of dishonesty he showed in his actions. I personally was left in tears, when I found out as I trusted George.

'I actually broke down interviewing him when he admitted his guilt. He had supported me on charity events and he could clearly see he had upset me.

'He also asked me to take him home and explain the thefts to his mother and brother and I had to break the news to them that George had been caught stealing. His mum was distraught at the time.'

At Manchester Crown Court, Smith, of Winnington, Northwich, admitted theft by employee and was jailed for 21 months

Mr Alfonso added: 'As with all processes in companies, there are systems in place to ensure theft does not happen.

'However a small number of staff take it upon themselves and abuse the position given to them, to not only steal from their employer but their colleagues they work with, day in and day out.

'This then had a ripple effect on every single employee - trust was well and truly broken and as such we as a business had to restrict the access of our employees to certain systems, in an effort to ensure the same did not happen again. This is at odds with the way this business is run as it pushes out an environment of distrust on the many innocent people we have working for the business.

'This had an impact on every employee, as we had to look to protect our interests and as such had to limit monetary bonuses to everyone.

'As the financial director, I have found myself becoming an ad-hoc detective since this incident. This has caused me undue stress.

'Smith, when he was dismissed, stated that he had stolen the items to pay for a drug and sex worker habit he had fallen into following the breakdown of his marriage.

'I was going through my own break up at the time and found Smith's actions to be appalling, that he had decided to be deceitful and dishonest to those that had supported him through his times of hardship.'
Do you know the hero driver? Would you like to pay tribute to the victim? Email tips@dailymail.com

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Thousands of people have signed a petition branding a Chechen electrician a 'hero' and demanding he does not face charges after mowing down and killing a 'monster' knifeman as he brutally stabbed his ex-wife to death.

The 26-year-old was arrested on suspicion of murder after ploughing into Leon McCaskre, 41, as he stabbed his ex-partner Yasmin Chkaifi to death in the street in front of horrified witnesses.

A number of people had desperately tried to stop McCaskre before the driver hit him with his blue Renault in Maida Vale, north west London on Monday morning.

Relatives of Ms Chkaifi, who had two sons, have also praised the driver for attempting to stop the fatal attack. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and has since been released on bail until late February while the police investigation continues.

On Wednesday nearly 5,000 people had signed a petition on Change.org entitled: 'Maida Vale driver is a hero and shouldn't be charged with murder'.

A friend of the driver, who did not want to be named, said that he is married with two children and a pregnant wife.

He said: 'My friend is in shock and is trying to process what's happened. He was driving to work and saw a woman being attacked. At first he shouted at the attacker but when that didn't make a difference, he locked his car doors and drove at him.

The friend added that the driver is of Muslim origin from Chechnya and has only been in the UK for around four years. He said that the driver was going to work in Bayswater and was driving through Maida Vale when he saw the attack unfold.

He said: 'My friend is very humble and doesn't see himself as a hero. He was only doing his duty as a good Muslim.

'He's devastated by what happened because he wanted to save this woman's life. He stood up for what is right and should not be punished. He hasn't done anything wrong, doesn't want any glory and his prayers are with the dead woman's family.'

Ms Chkaifi's family branded the driver a hero for trying to save her - and even called for him to get a medal from the Queen as they took aim at the police for not doing enough to help her.

A family spokeswoman told The Sun: 'The man who killed my sister is a demon. The man who killed him is a hero. He deserves a medal from the Queen.

'There is no way he should go through the justice system for what he did. He tried to help her and for my sister and our family he is a hero.

'If anything we want to thank him for what he did. The man responsible is called Leon. He was supposed to be in court last week for breaching a stalking order but didn't show up.

'He was a demon. He was a monster but the driver is a hero. He saw what was happening and tried to stop it. I want to say thank you again.'

A warrant is believed to have been issued for the arrest of McCaskre three weeks after he failed to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on a charge relating to Ms Chkaifi.

Yasmine Wafah Chkaifi's family members have alleged that Maida Vale knifeman Leon McCaskre was the mother-of-two's ex-husband and had 'harassed and intimidated' her after their divorce

Yasmin Chkaifi is pictured on YouTube making a Moroccan lamb tagine at her home in Maida Vale in a video posted on the This Food Bangz channel

Ms Chkaifi's family branded the driver a hero for trying to save her - and even called for him to get a medal from the Queen as they took aim at the police for not doing enough to help her

People believed to be family weeping today as they lay flowers at the scene of a horrific double killing in Maida Vale

A woman believed to be Miss Chkaifi's first cousin is pictured laying flowers at the scene of the killing on Chippenham Road in Maida Vale, north-west London this morning

Forensic officers stand near a blue Renault as they carry out investigations in Maida Vale, West London

A body bag is taken away by private ambulance on Chippenham Road in Maida Vale yesterday

A car is taken away from the scene of a double killing at Chippenham Road in Maida Vale, north-west London last night

Police officers and emergency services cordon off the scene in Maida Vale, West London. Bystanders had tried to stop the knifeman after he pounced on his 43-year-old victim, stabbing her more than ten times

McCaskre had an anti-stalking order against him from the Met Police with Ms Chkaifi, a mature student of Moroccan descent, securing a restraining order and even installing a panic alarm in her flat because she was so frightened of her ex-husband, one of her sons has claimed.

Despite the order, she was horrifically attacked by McCaskre on Monday, with the 'monster' stabbing her more than 10 times.

A Met Police spokesperson said: 'A 26-year-old man, the driver of the car, remained at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of murder.'

Do you know the 'hero' driver who tried to stop attack? Get in touch Email tips@dailymail.com Advertisement

'He was fully cooperative with the investigation and has been bailed to return to a police station on a date in late February while the evidence is evaluated.'

Ms Chkaifi's son, who asked not to be named, accused Scotland Yard of 'doing nothing' to help her in the years before the horrific murder on Chippenham Road in north-west London despite repeated warnings about McCaskre.

Responding to the allegation, the Met Police said: 'A Stalking Prevention Order had been obtained against the deceased man, as a matter of course there will be a review by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards NPTD further.'

The revelation that the killer was the subject of a stalking order is the latest in a string of failures to hit the Met on a day headlines focused on Scotland Yard announcing its criminal probe into lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Bystanders tried to stop McCaskre after he pounced on Ms Chkaifi at around 9am yesterday, stabbing her more than ten times. But the savage attack was only halted when a passing motorist ran over the knifeman on the pavement, also hitting the mother-of-two. Police last night said a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

'It was a very abusive relationship which got worse after the divorce. My mother was continually being harassed and intimidated by this man. He made her life hell,' the son told MailOnline.

He added: 'I was always in touch with the police but they did nothing to help here. There was even a panic alarm installed in our flat  that's how scared she was of this man. He was a monster.'

Ms Chakaifi's son and other relatives revealed that her ex was supposed to appear in court last week for breaking a restraining order but failed to show.

One said: 'He was ordered to keep away from her but recently had started stalking her, which got worse over the past few weeks.

'The whole family was worried about her ex because he could be very violent. The police should have done something when he didn't turn up to court last week.'

Ms Chkaifi's relatives also praised the motorist who tried to stop the attack. Her cousin Hafiza said: 'He's a hero and our family would like to meet him to express our gratitude. He was driving past, saw a woman being attacked and tried to stop it.

'This man should not be arrested but given an award for his bravery. He tried to save Wafah's life and we can never forget what he's done.'

Laying flowers at the scene of the crime today, Ms Chkaifi's heartbroken aunt Haida said she was a mother to two sons aged 16 and 18.

She said: 'She had a heart of gold, she was a beautiful, wonderful girl. She had friends from all cultures and we are still trying to understand what all this is about. The whole family is shocked. Her mother has been taken to hospital because of this. It's devastated us all.'

Earlier, her tearful son said: 'She didn't deserve to die please keep her in your prayers. Everyone who knew her knew she was a good person.'

Scotland Yard issued this picture of Yasmine Chkaifi today

Video footage shows paramedics and police battling to save the attacker and the woman. Both died at the scene. A man who claimed to have seen the attack in Maida Vale said: 'The driver said to me 'what have I done?'. I told him 'you had to do that'.

The man, who did not want to give his name, added: 'The driver had both of them under his car  the guy and the girl. Me and two geezers had to lift the car up and drag her body out. We were giving her CPR but she had stab wounds everywhere. We couldn't stop the blood.'

Raad Jiyad, who also witnessed the bloodbath, said: 'I woke up to drive my child to school and I heard some noise, someone saying 'Please help me, please help me'. I opened the door and saw a girl in the street on the floor and a guy with a knife.'

The 52-year-old father of two ran out to try to distract the attacker who he said was brandishing a 4in kitchen blade. Another onlooker who tried to intervene was chased off by the knifeman.

Mr Jiyad said the man sat on his victim, shouting 'take it' and 'nobody come to me' as he stabbed her repeatedly.

Witnesses said the attacker was left pinned under the vehicle and the woman was also hit, with her coat trapped under a wheel.

Mr Jiyad said the driver's actions were heroic and described how he himself tried to save the woman: 'I tried to speak to her as she was bleeding and held her as she took her last breath. I have blood on my hand from it.'

His wife, who asked not be named, added: 'The driver wasn't driving very fast but nothing could take the guy from the lady. The driver was the only one who could do anything.'

Another witness, Mulugeta Asseratte, said: 'I was coming up from the bakery to Chippenham Road and suddenly heard shouts of 'stop it, stop it' and it was a girl being attacked by a gentleman.

'All of a sudden it moved to the street and no sooner than they reached the street than a driver came and hit both of them. We were all shocked and shouting.'

Police arrived within minutes and were seen leading the driver into the back of a police van.

Officers said a 26-year-old man was being questioned on suspicion of murder. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood said: 'This was a terrible incident that occurred in broad daylight on a busy London street. It also appears that a number of members of the public bravely tried to intervene to stop the attack.

'A man has been arrested in relation to the case; we are not aware of any links between this man and the two deceased. I can also confirm we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection to this incident.'

Police said the families of the man and woman who died have been informed and that post-mortem examinations will be arranged in due course.

In a statement, the force said: 'Enquiries are under way to establish the full circumstances, but at this early stage it is believed the two deceased were known to each other.'

Forensic tents at the scene in Maida Vale after the incident which caused five bus routes to go on diversion

Forensic officers carry out investigations after a woman and man died in Maida Vale, West London

Forensic officers carry out investigations after a woman and man died in Maida Vale, West London

Forensics officers in Maida Vale after a woman was stabbed to death and a man was killed after being hit by a car

Photographs taken at the scene yesterday showed forensic teams investigating and taking photographs amid a huge police presence with a large cordon in place that was causing five bus routes to go on diversion.

Two vehicles - a Vauxhall and the Renault Clio- were in the cordoned area alongside two London buses and a lorry. Three forensic tents were set up inside the cordon as detectives in forensic gear searched for clues.

Local MP Karen Buck said what happened was 'horrific' and 'devastating' for both relatives of those killed and the surrounding community.

A resident said he heard 'awful screams coming from kids' attending a nearby secondary school.

The incident happened on Chippenham Road which has an average house price of 497,000 and features a row of traditional townhouse terraces mostly now converted into flats as well as a park including a children's playground.

Local roads were closed with buses 31, 36, 228 and 328 all on diversion.

Westminster North Labour MP Ms Buck, whose constituency address is just 200 yards away, tweeted: 'Horrific events this morning in Elgin Avenue, which will be devastating for family and friends of those killed and also for the local community.'

Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Neil Smithson earlier said: 'This morning an incredibly serious incident has unfolded in the Westminster area which has seen two people pronounced dead. Our officers are on scene and are working to establish exactly what has happened.

'As soon as we have more information will keep the public updated but for now we must avoid speculation and allow investigators to do their work.

'What I can say at this time is that the incident is contained and we do not believe there to be any wider threat to the community. We have spoken to a number of people already but anyone else who witnessed the incident, or who has information that could help us, is urged to make contact immediately.'

Metropolitan Police officers on the scene following the double death in Maida Vale, West London

Detectives investigate after the double death happened in Maida Vale, West London

Forensic officers look at a blue Renault as they carry out investigations in Maida Vale, West London

Councillor Tim Roca, who represents the Harrow Road ward on Westminster City Council, tweeted: 'Just hearing about the tragic events on Chippenham road this morning.

'Absolutely awful news and fair to say the community is in shock.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 9.02am today to reports of an incident on Chippenham Road, W9.

'We sent a number of resources to the scene, including two ambulance crews, two clinical team leaders, an advanced paramedic, two tactical response units, a medic in a car, an incident response officer, and members of our hazardous area response team.

'We also dispatched by road London's Air Ambulance. Despite our medics' efforts, two people died at the scene.'

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'Firefighters were called to a road traffic collision on Chippenham Road in Maida Vale this morning. One car had been in collision with a pedestrian and a man was trapped under the vehicle.

'Crews released him from under the car but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Another woman was also sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

'The Brigade was called at 9.10am and the incident was over for firefighters by 9.47am. Two fire engines from North Kensington and Paddington fire stations and a fire rescue unit from Paddington fire station were at the scene.'

The incident happened on the junction of Chippenham Road and Elgin Avenue which is located four roads away from the BBC's famous Maida Vale studios.

Police said witnesses can call them on 101 quoting the reference 1496/24jan, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online
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Temperatures could be set to triple in the parts of the country this weekend with forecasters predicting double digit figures for Saturday after a near-freezing week across much of the UK.

The historically warm start to 2022 seemed a distant memory this week as temperatures plunged to as low as 35.6F (2C) in parts.

But the weather is set to get milder this weekend for the southern parts of the country with London and other parts of the south predicted to see temperatures as high as 57.2F (14C).

The BBC's Kate Kinsella said: 'It will be a bright start for Friday morning with some sunshine but by Friday afternoon coming in from the west, milder air and more cloud and that milder air is going to move in as we head into the weekend.

'We're looking at temperatures getting potentially up to 14C but it is going to be a little more unsettled.'

Elsewhere in the UK, Manchester, Norwich and Cardiff could also see temperatures in double digits with highs of between 11C (51F) and 12C (53.6F) predicted for Saturday.

Temperatures could be set to triple in the parts of the country this weekend with forecasters predicting double digit figures for Saturday after a near-freezing week across the UK. Pictured: Dawn at St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay this morning

Meanwhile, Scotland could be set for snow this weekend with forecasters predicting wintry showers across the northern isles on Saturday and Sunday.

Alyssa Smithmyer from Accuweather said there was a chance of as much as three inches of snow falling by the weekend.

She told the Daily Express: 'On Saturday and Sunday, a separate low-pressure system will bring the possibility of rainy spells over north and central regions of the UK, as well as the chance for wintry showers across northern Scotland, south-central Scotland and the higher ground in northern England late Sunday.'

Meanwhile, the chief meteorologist for Weathertrending, John Hammond, also predicted snow from as early as tomorrow.

He told the Sun: 'Briefly on Thursday a pulse of Arctic air will clip some northern and eastern areas, bringing some wintry showers to the Scottish mountains and perhaps the highest parts of northern England.'

The Met Office has issued yellow weather warning for the Scottish Islands as strong winds are expected this evening.

West or southwesterly winds will gust to 65 mph at times, and perhaps around 75 mph along exposed coasts.

The strong winds are expected to move eastwards during the early hours of Thursday morning.

Pictured: St Mary Redcliffe church in the Redcliffe area of Bristol before the sun rises over the city on Tuesday morning

Much of the UK has seen near-freezing temperatures in the past week with frosty mornings. Pictured: Dunsden, Oxfordshire

Despite frosty temperatures for much of the past week, the UK could see milder figures this weekend. Pictured: Dunsden

Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said: 'It will be breezy in the far north with some showers for the northern isles.

'As we start of Wednesday, we will keep that breeze and for many its a dry start once any frost and fog clears.

'It's actually looking like a brighter day for England and Wales compared to recent days. A bit more of a breeze will help to stir the cloud up and lift it a bit higher and there will even be a few breaks with some sunny spells across parts of central England.

'That will allow temperatures to be a touch higher as well around average across England and Wales.

'In Scotland and Northern Ireland, here the cloud thickens through the day and there will be some steady and in places heavy rain arriving across northern and western Scotland by the end of the afternoon, along with a freshening breeze.

'In fact that wind really picking up for the second half of the day as this cold front moves through.'

Forecasters are predicting bright spells on Friday however thick cloud will build in from the north-west bringing rain during the evening which will be heavy and persistent across the north-west.

As well as the milder temperatures on Saturday, it will be overcast and cloudy with heavy and persistent rain across northern Britain but drier further south.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Choi Young-sam speaks during a press briefing at the ministry headquarters in central Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis



By Jung Da-min



The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has raised the travel-alert level for 12 provinces in southeastern Ukraine to Level 3, the second-highest in the four-tier system.



On Tuesday, the foreign ministry held an emergency online meeting with the Korean Embassy in Ukraine and other ministries to discuss how to protect Korean residents there amid a heightening chance of a Russian military invasion.



The ministry decided to issue a Level 3 travel alert for the 12 provinces, including the country's capital Kiev, Volyn, Rivne, Zhitomir, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Odessa and Mykolaiv. The Level 3 alert, or red alert of recommending withdrawal, had already been effective in three other provinces  Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk.



The foreign ministry encouraged Korean residents in the 15 provinces to leave Ukraine for other safe areas as soon as possible unless they are staying there for an urgent issue. It also recommended Korean residents in other regions of Ukraine where travel is banned under the special travel warning for the COVID-19 situation do the same, considering the variability of situation there.



The Level 3 travel alert for recommending withdrawal is a level just below the highest Level 4 alert for total ban of travel where Korean residents in the designated region are ordered to evacuate immediately.



The presidential National Security Council was held to discuss the Ukraine situation the same day, presided over by National Security Advisor Suh Hoon.



"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Intelligence Service have also been closely watching the situation in Ukraine for over a month and have taken safety measures for the Korean people there in preparation for a possible actual military clash," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Park Soo-hyun said.



"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of National Defense, and the National Intelligence Service are in-depth discussions with the United States on this issue," Park said.




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Britain's fourth wave of Covid deaths peaked in mid-January, according to official figures that debunk fears over 'soaring' fatalities.

The UK yesterday posted 439 virus deaths, marking the highest tally since February. It was quickly jumped on by campaigners as proof 'Plan B' restrictions in England should not be relaxed from tomorrow.

But there are often lengthy delays between someone dying from Covid and their death being officially registered, which makes interpreting daily reported deaths more complicated.

Looking at fatalities by date of death, however, shows that the number of people actually dying each day has been falling since around January 15  and has never risen above 270 during the Omicron wave.

Using that dataset there were around 255 Covid deaths per day in the UK on average on January 14, but the most up to date figures show that three days later it had dropped to 240.

Covid deaths this winter have hovered at barely a fifth of the levels recorded during the depths of last year's crisis, and below the up to 400 daily fatalities registered during a bad flu year.

Statisticians suggest the true daily Covid death numbers might be even lower because figures suggest a fifth of victims are dying 'with' Covid rather than directly from it.

Dr Raghib Ali, an epidemiologist at the University of Cambridge, argued it was 'irresponsible' to say deaths were still rising when 'more important date of death' data 'shows that deaths have peaked and are falling in the UK'.

Despite deaths now pointing in the same direction as hospitalisations, cases have already flattened off at around 90,000 a day. MailOnline analysis suggests outbreaks are now starting to tick up across half of authorities in the country.

Rising cases among primary school children, who went back to school earlier this month and are largely unvaccinated, are thought to be contributing to the plateau, as well as the end of working from home guidance.

It comes amid the backdrop of rising cases caused by the BA.2 sub-lineage of Omicron, which virologists fear is even more transmissible than its ancestral strain.

The above graph shows Covid deaths according to the Government's dashboard. It shows that they are now starting to head downwards, in a sign they have also peaked

Britain yesterday recorded 439 Covid deaths, its second highest toll since February (left). But the time taken to register a fatality means interpreting these figures can be complicated. But looking at fatalities by date of death (right) shows that they now appear to have peaked

But it comes as Covid cases again start to rise across most of England and Northern Ireland, and in a few areas in Scotland and Wales. Experts have warned there will likely be an uptick when schools return

Pictured above are maps showing the infection rate across the UK in the two latest weeks that data is available for. It suggests cases have plateaued across the country

Now Wales caves in over Covid isolation Wales abandoned its tough stand on Covid today as its self-isolation period was cut to five days in the face of plummeting From Friday people will be able to end their isolation as long as they have two negative lateral flow tests on days five and six. Health minister Eluned Morgan confirmed the changes would come into force from January 28, the same day the country is expected to complete the move to alert level zero. It will bring the nation in line with the measures already in place in England and Northern Ireland. And it comes the day after Nicola Sturgeon drastically softened Scotland's Covid rules, including ending working from home guidance. Baroness Morgan said: 'After carefully reviewing all the available evidence, we believe that testing on days five and six together with five full days of isolation will have the same protective effect as a 10-day isolation period. 'But it is really important everyone self-isolates and uses lateral flow tests in the way advised to ensure they protect others from the risk of infection.' The minister said that while isolation was important to prevent transmission of the virus, long periods of isolation could 'have a negative impact on our mental health and can be damaging for our public services and the wider economy'. Those who test positive on either day five or day six will still have to continue to self-isolate until they have two negative tests taken 24 hours apart or until day 10, whichever comes first. Advertisement

Reams of promising statistics gave Boris Johnson the confidence to start easing 'Plan B' restrictions in England last week, with work from home guidance and face masks in schools already shelved.

Vaccine passports and face mask requirements in public places are set to be eased from tomorrow, the Prime Minister has said.

And Mr Johnson last week signalled his intention to lift isolation rules for Covid sufferers by the end of March.

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have followed in the Prime Minister's footsteps, and are now also starting to abandon some of their strictest curbs as the UK pivots towards 'living with' the virus.

But Britain is still currently recording an average of 244 Covid deaths every day by date reported, according to the latest figures from the UKHSA up to January 17.

Statisticians at the Office for National Statistics suggest, however, that the true toll may be even lower because fewer people are now dying from the virus.

They found 312 out of 1,382 death certificates registered in the week to January 14, the latest available, mentioned Covid but did not say it was main cause of death.

Some experts have suggested these fatalities should be pulled from the national tally.

But officials have argued they should still be included because Covid may have exacerbated the condition that led to the death.

Yesterday's Covid death toll was held up as proof by some that restrictions should not be eased.

NHS palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke, based in Oxford, took to Twitter to say: 'How has dying on this scale from a single disease been so utterly normalised and ignored'.

And Tony Blair's former spokesman Alistair Campbell said: 'Are their (ministers) thoughts and prayers still with those who sadly lost their lives?

'Or (are we) all too busy on Operation Save Big Dog?'

Amid the spread of Omicron, deaths have not surged to the levels seen last winter when they hit 1,300 a day at the peak, or even reached the 400 a day recorded in a bad flu year.

Scientists credit the successful booster drive for these figures with more than nine in ten over-70s  who are most vulnerable to the virus  having already received three doses.

But the mildness of Omicron has likely also had an impact, with people who catch the virus less than half as likely to need intensive care treatment as those who catch other variants.

But official figures also show Covid cases have plateaued over the last three days, with 94,326 registered yesterday which was barely a change from 94,432 last Tuesday.

MailOnline analysis of UKHSA figures showed 179 out of 380 local authorities, or 48 per cent, saw their infections rise last week, the most recent period data is available for.

The infection rate was rising fastest in East Cambridgeshire (up 60 per cent in a week), Winchester (up 50 per cent) and Lisburn and Castlereagh (up 45 per cent) in Northern Ireland.

On the other end of the scale, the rate was dropping quickest in the Shetland Islands (down 50 per cent), the Orkney islands (down 43 per cent) and the Isle of Anglesey (down 41 per cent).

Experts had warned Covid cases could rise at the start of January as children returned to school from the holidays, with infections then likely to spill over into parents.

The above shows the number of BA.2 lineages detected by the Sanger Institute  one of the UK's largest Covid surveillance centres  over the week to January 8 (left) and January 15 (right) broken down by local authority. BA.2 is an offshoot of the Omicron variant that some scientists say is likely slightly more transmissible

The Prime Minister is now looking to thrash out a plan for 'living with' the virus which would aim to shield the vulnerable in the winter rather than locking down swathes of society.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid told MPs on the Health Select Committee yesterday that the Government will be setting out a plan by spring on how to live with Covid through vaccines, treatments and testing.

Mr Javid said: 'We've got to find a way to live with it (Covid) in the same way, let's say, we live with flu, you know, and I'm not for a second sort of saying it's like flu, you know, look at sadly all the deaths we've had from Covid  over 150,000 from the start.

'It's about understanding we do now have defences which we didn't have before and just as sort of flu doesn't stop society and stop life, we mustn't let Covid do that anymore.'

Mr Johnson has already started easing restrictions across England amid reams of promixing data.

And the devolved administrations have followed in his footsteps with Scotland's First Minister announcing yesterday that work from home guidance would be lifted from next week.

Wales has cut self-isolation to five days to bring it into line with England, while in Northern Ireland vaccine passports to enter bars and restaurants will be scrapped from midday.
The heirs of Pablo Picasso, the famed 20th-century Spanish artist, are vaulting into 21st-century commence and joining the NFT craze by selling 1,010 digital art pieces of one of his previously unseen ceramic bowls.

Picasso's granddaughter Marina Picasso and her son Florian Picasso are looking to cash in on and ride a wave of interest in non-fungible tokens (NFTs) - a kind of unique digital asset that exploded in popularity in 2021.

They will be selling more than 1,000 digital art pieces of Picasso's ceramic piece, which is about the size of a large salad bowl.

'We're trying to build a bridge between the NFT world and the fine art world,' said Florian, Picasso's great-grandson, from their family apartment in Geneva, Switzerland.

An NFT is a unique digital token encrypted with an artist's signature and which verifies its ownership and authenticity and is permanently attached to digital art - or anything else that comes in digital form such as audio files.

It allows 'original' versions of digital content - like the 1,1010 digital art pieces of Picasso's ceramic bowl - to be sold as if they were physical pieces of art.

Picasso's granddaughter Marina Picasso and her son Florian Picasso with the ceramic artwork of Pablo Picasso on Tuesday at their home in Geneva

They will be selling more than 1,000 digital art pieces of Picasso's ceramic piece, which is about the size of a large salad bowl

What are NFTs? What is a NFT? A Non-Fungible Token (NFT) is a unique digital token encrypted with an artist's signature and which verifies its ownership and authenticity and is permanently attached to the piece. What do they look like? Most NFTs include some kind digital artwork, such as photos, videos, GIFs, and music. Theoretically, anything digital could be turned into a NFT. Where do you buy them? At the moment, NFTs are most commonly sold in so-called 'drops', timed online sales by blockchain-backed marketplaces like Nifty Gateway, Opensea and Rarible. Why would I want to own one? There's an array of reasons why someone may want to buy a NFT. For some, the reason may be emotional value, because NFTs are seen as collectors items. For others, they are seen as an investment opportunity similar to cryptocurrencies, because the value could increase. When were NFTs created? Writer and podcaster Andrew Steinwold traced the origins of NFTs back to 2012, with the creation of the Colored Coins cryptocurrency. But NFTs didn't move into the mainstream until five years later, when the blockchain game CryptoKitties began selling virtual cats in 2017. Advertisement

Picasso's family have only shown a sliver of the underside of the ceramic bowl linked to the NFTs in an effort to drum up interest and protect - for now - a family heirloom.

The exposed part of the bowl show forms like a thick yellow line, a dribbling green splotch, and a brushed-on number 58 at the base.

Marina Picasso says the cherished pottery piece, which has never been seen before publicly, dates to October 1958, when she was a child.

'It's a work that represents a face, and it's very expressive,' she said. 'It's joyful, happy. It represents life. It's one of those objects that have been part of our live, our intimate lives - my life with my children.'

Cyril Noterman, a longtime manager for Florian Picasso, and Kathryn Frazier, a publicist for the project, told The Associated Press that Sotheby's would host an auction in March that will include a unique NFT as well as the actual ceramic bowl.

But Matthew Floris, a spokesman for Sotheby's, contacted the AP on Wednesday and said in a statement: 'Sotheby's has clarified that it will not be selling an NFT of a work by Pablo Picasso.'

Noterman and Frazier said a first-phase, online sale of more than 1,000 other NFTs starts Friday through the Nifty Gateway and Origin Protocol platforms.

Florian said they agreed on the colorful ceramic piece because it was 'a fun one' to start.

An NFT Picasso brings with it almost epochal symbolism, something like when the Beatles collection was finally put up on iTunes. The family and its business managers say the aim is to create a younger community of Picasso fans.

'Everything is evolving,' said Florian, insisting that the NFT honors the great artist.

'I think it fits within Picasso's legacies because we are paying tribute to him and his way of working, which was always being creative,' he said.

In Picasso's career, he would simply doodle on a napkin as payment for a restaurant meal - his handiwork supposedly carrying a value far in excess of the cost of the food and drinks he had enjoyed. But now, his work will be vaulted into a world of NFTs.

Some of the proceeds from the sale will be donated - one portion to a charity that aims to help overcome a shortage of nurses, and another to a nongovernmental organization that wants to help reduce carbon in the atmosphere.

The NFTs will also come with music put together by Florian Picasso, who is a DJ and music producer, along with songwriter John Legend and rapper Nas.

Even a full rendering of that track isn't being publicly released just yet: Florian played a snippet for a reporter, then turned it off.

'And to hear more, you gotta purchase the NFT,' he quipped.

Spanish artist Pablo Picasso in front of one of his paintings at home in Cannes

Picasso's family have only shown a sliver of the underside of the ceramic bowl linked to the NFTs in an effort to drum up interest and protect - for now - a family heirloom. The exposed part of the bowl show forms like a thick yellow line, a dribbling green splotch, and a brushed-on number 58 at the base

Picasso is widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century.

He is best known for his role in founding the Cubist movement  in which subjects are broken up and reassembled in an abstract form that combines multiple viewpoints  as well as for inventing the art forms of collage and its 3D counterpart, 'constructed sculpture'.

While his early works  the recently-reproduced 'The Lonesome Crouching Nude' included  tended towards the naturalistic, his style became more experimental after 1906, taking inspiration from the works of the French painter Henri Matisse.

Picasso was born in Malaga, southern Spain, on October 25, 1881, but spent much of his adult life in France. He passed away on April 8, 1973  at the age of 91.

Marina Picasso, right, granddaughter of artist Pablo Picasso, and her son Florian Picasso, left, at their home in Geneva

NFTs - sometimes pronounced 'nifties' - are a unique digital token encrypted with the creator's signature which verifies its ownership and authenticity and is permanently attached to the piece.

The tokens are similar to cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum in that they live on blockchain networks - a decentralized, distributed ledger that records transactions of digital assets.

But unlike traditional cryptocurrencies, NFTs are non-fungible, meaning that one cannot be exchanged for another. The digital assets have collectors value, and can represent items including still images, GIFs, videos, music and more.

The art world has been taking to NFTs since last year, with the British Museum earlier this month putting 20 of artist JMW Turner's paintings up for sale in digital form.

The artworks will be sold NFTs - but those buying the digital tokens at next month's auction will not have physical ownership of the paintings, and will not be allowed to touch them.

The 20 paintings from Joseph Mallord William Turner come from a collection left to the museum by Robert Wylie Lloyd, a former director of the auction house Christie's, who died in 1958.

The British Museum is cashing in on the NFT boom by putting 20 of JMW Turner's paintings up for sale in digital form. Pictured: Trafalgar painting by James Mallord William Turner

Conway Castle, North Wales, a painting by JMW Turner was left to the museum by Robert Wylie Lloyd, a former director of the auction house Christie's, who died in 1958

The rarely exhibited paintings up for auction next month include A Storm (Shipwreck), completed in 1823, Messieurs les voyageurs, from 1829, and The Colosseum.

JMW Turner was born in 1775 and died in 1851. He was known as 'the painter of light', because of his interest in colours in his landscapes and seascapes.

His works included watercolours, oils and prints, and his use of watercolour was considered by some to be the 'most inventive and varied' ever devised for the medium.

The British Museum will be selling NFTs of the artwork in collaboration with LaCollection, a French start-up providing a platform to buy NFTs of artworks from museums.

In September, they worked together on the sale of NFTs of paintings by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai which attracted an audience from more than 120 countries.

The popularity of NFTs has now reached new highs. Sales volumes recorded on the largest NFT trading platform, OpenSea, hit $3.4billion in August last year, compared to March's $148 million. In January 2021, the monthly volume recorded on the platform was just over $8 million.

On average, more than $10 million in NFT transactions were taking place daily by the end of 2021, according to the website DappRadar.
A van carrying New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was chased and driven off the road by anti-vaxxers who branded her a 'Nazi' just days before she launched a new wave of Covid restrictions across the country.

Footage shared online showed the moment the 41-year-old PM's van was forced off the road in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, by motorists who shouted 'shame on you'.

Diplomatic Protection Service officers watched on as those recording the video cried out 'we do not consent' and accused the premier of 'hiding in the back' of a silver Mercedes van on Friday, January 21.

Ardern was branded a 'wussy' and 'Nazi' amid a stream of obscenities as the footage showed the anti-vaxxers drive closer to the van and force the vehicle onto the curb.

The PM later shrugged off the car chase, telling reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that 'at no point was I worried about my safety'.

It comes after Ardern announced a swathe of new measures under the country's Covid Red Alert system, meaning a return to universal mask-wearing and stricter quarantine requirements for New Zealanders.

The PM rolled out the restrictions after just nine cases of the Omicron variant were detected in a single family that flew to Auckland for a wedding earlier this month.

Critics slammed the return of draconian curbs on everyday life, pointing to the fact other countries have started to reopen despite reporting thousands of new cases.

MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton hit out at the 'terror and paranoia' that has enveloped New Zealand since implementing its drastic zero-Covid policy while the rest of the world learns to live alongside the virus.

His deeply personal column prompted support from a host of British and New Zealand readers, including former All Black star Zinzan Brooke, who tweeted: 'Completely agree with Dan here'.

Shocking video footage shared online showed the moment a silver Mercedes carrying Jacinda Ardern was forced off the road in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand, by motorists who shouted 'shame on you'

The anti-vaxxers used their car to block the road, forcing the Mercedes carrying the New Zealand PM up onto the curb (above)

Jacinda Ardern later shrugged off the car chase, telling reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that 'at no point was I worried about my safety'

In the clip, which was shared across social media last week, one of the group identifies the 7-seater Mercedes said to have Ardern in the back.

'Look at her hiding in the f****** back', a woman says, before calling the PM a 'wussy b****'.

Video shot from inside the vehicle then shows the anti-vaxxers chase the Mercedes through Paihia. At one point, a woman can be heard joking about potentially being arrested.

Inside the pursuing vehicle one woman says: 'This is fun. We're on a chase!' Another adds: 'We're in pursuit for the Prime Minister'.

Those recording the video are then seen stopping directly in front of the van, which makes a quick evasive maneuver by darting up onto the curb, before driving away.

Writing in his column this week, Dan Wootton said of his country of birth: 'Many Kiwis have become so brainwashed by Ardern's incessant spin  swallowed whole by a compliant liberal media  that they reacted with a mere shrug when her Government at the weekend revealed citizens who are household contacts of anyone who tests positive for Covid will have to self-isolate for a whopping 24 days as part of her "stamp it out" policy approach.

'After just nine confirmed Omicron cases, Ardern then plunged the entire country into red alert, a form of lockdown that bans large gatherings, enforces mask mandates, makes Covid passports compulsory if you want to live normally as part of a "two-tier society", and reintroduces work from home orders.

'Ardern even cancelled her long-planned wedding to TV star fiance Clarke Gayford in the ultimate act of virtue signalling aimed at showing New Zealanders she's going through the hell of lockdown too.

'While the rest of the world is finally waking up to the need to live with Covid long-term, New Zealand remains trapped in March 2020, with terror and paranoia enveloping a country that was once famous for producing hard men like Everest conqueror Sir Edmund Hillary, fearless rugby giant Jonah Lomu and bunjee jump inventor AJ Hackett.

'Rather than preparing for the inevitable over the past two years, socialist Ardern is hamstrung by a creaking health system with less than 200 intensive care beds to service five million citizens.'

Cases in New Zealand are starting to plateau at around 14.4 per 1 million people, meanwhile that figure is just under 100 times higher in the UK - standing at 1362 cases per 1 million. The UK has faced minimal restrictions on public life for months, while mask mandates have returned and public events are being cancelled in New Zealand

Diplomatic Protection Service officers watch on as those recording the video cry out 'we do not consent' and accuse the premier of 'hiding in the back' of a silver Mercedes van

Critics warn the extreme Zero Covid policy is 'unworkable' and could lead to more cases with greater number refusing to be tested in order to avoid the lengthy quarantine period (pictured, anti-vaxxer protesters at a Covid vaccination clinic in Auckland)

Covid curbs introduced by New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern March 16, 2020: Mandatory self-isolation for all new arrivals, including New Zealanders into the country. March 19: All non-residents or citizens are banned from entering the country under an international border ban. March 25: Nationwide lockdown enforced, with only essential services allowed to open. At this stage, NZ has recorded 102 cases and 0 deaths. June 8, 2020: Ardern announces no new community transmissions within the past fortnight and says NZ has eliminated transmission of Covid. August-September 2020: Auckland's 1.7million residents endure two months of lockdown measures after 4 new cases are initially recorded. February-March 2021: Auckland re-enters lockdown as three new Covid cases are recorded in the community. 17 August: All of New Zealand re-enters Level 4 lockdown measures for two weeks as one new community case is recorded. October: Traffic light system is created, barring unvaccinated residents from entering businesses, gyms and barbers in 'red' or 'amber' alert areas. January 2022: Public backlash as major events and sporting fixtures are capped at a maximum of 100 people under Covid Red Alert measures. January: Ardern announces she has cancelled her own wedding after nine new Omicron cases were recorded. Advertisement

Under limits incurred by New Zealand's My Vaccine Pass, those who are unvaccinated will be unable to eat at indoor restaurants or visit gyms or hairdressers.

Any Kiwis working in health and disability, education, fire and emergency, police, defence, and corrections must be able to show proof of having vaccines.

From February 3, the wearing of bandanas, scarves or t-shirts pulled over the nose in public places such as gyms and cafes will be banned.

And under new Covid curbs enforced by Ardern, all residents must wear face masks in public areas such as shops and there are limits on gatherings to a maximum of 100 people from Monday after a cluster of Omicron cases were detected in the country.

The changes mean Ardern was forced to postpone her own wedding.

Anyone testing positive must now isolate for 14 instead of ten days - and household contacts have to isolate for an additional ten days on top, leaving them to stay indoors for 24 days.

Ardern has faced a slew of criticism from campaigners and members of the public after imposing strict Covid curbs since the start of the pandemic.

International borders were promptly closed on March 19, with a nationwide lockdown enforced on March 25 after 102 cases, and no deaths, were recorded in the country.

On June 8, the PM announced there had been no new community transmissions within the past fortnight and says she is 'confident New Zealand has eliminated community transmission of Covid'.

But within two months, Auckland was placed under strict lockdown measures after just four new cases were recorded in the city area.

A draconian 'Zero Covid' goal was then implemented across the country, with New Zealand aiming to completely eradicate the virus from its shores.

But this policy was met with ridicule as the Delta variant ripped through the world in the summer of 2021, prompting a return to multiple weeks of lockdown for Auckland's 1.7million residents.

The car chase comes amid a recent rise in the number of public protests and incidents involving anti-vaxxers.

Ardern was again met by anti-vax protestors during a visit to Waitangi last week, in which the decision as made to cancel in-person Waitangi Day events.

Last November, a press briefing in Kawakawa was interrupted by a singing protestor who was holding her baby and claimed Ngapuhi had not ceded its sovereignty.

In another instance, American pharmacist Shane Chafin blasted Ardern over the country's Covid-19 vaccinations.

New strict measures were imposed by the New Zealand premier after a cluster of Omicron cases were detected from a single family who attended a wedding in Auckland earlier this month.

New Zealand reported 24 community cases and 47 infections at the border in the latest 24 hour period. In the UK, where cases have been falling in recent weeks, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data shows another 76,807 positive tests were logged in the last 24 hours.

New Zealand's cases, which had no link to the border, prompted Ms Ardern to announce her wedding would be postponed because she 'was no different to other New Zealanders'.

'Such is life,' she told reporters during a press conference in which she reiterated the country was not entering a lockdown.

'My wedding will not be going ahead, but I just join many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic.'

The new restrictions have also meant that major events across New Zealand have been cancelled, after sporting fixtures and events were limited to a maximum of 100 people.
Pharmacies could become 'one-stop shops' for healthcare within the next decade under ambitious new plans to alleviate pressure on the NHS.

The Alitam Group  a private firm which runs 140 small pharmacies in the UK and Ireland  wants to transform High Street stores into all-purpose medical hubs.

Patients would be able to book a range of operations, dental care, cosmetic work such as breast enlargements and liposuction  and even give birth in the 'super pharmacies'.

Eye and blood pressure tests and counselling would also be available on a walk-in basis under the 1billion privately-funded project.

The firm is eyeing up empty retail spaces of shops that were forced to close during the Covid pandemic, including Debenhams, Peacocks and Jessops stores, to build around 500 new hubs.

By 2032, the group says half of its pharmacies should be operational, with midwifery offered in at least five cities including London and Dublin.

Alitam says basic procedures will be provided free-of-charge on the NHS if referred by a GP, with a wider suite of services available to private and walk-in patients.

MailOnline has approached NHS England and the Department of Health to see if they would get involved with the scheme. It's not clear how the 1bn will be raised.

Feisal Nahaboo, the multimillionaire founder of Alitam, said making pharmacies more convenient will free up more time for hospital and GP surgeries to see the needy.

He said: 'Pharmacies have been at the heart of the community for decades and are ideally placed to provide the public with fast, convenient and affordable healthcare.

The chemist will see you now: High Street pharmacies could become Britons' 'one-stop shop' for health within the next decade  offering a range of healthcare on top of standard prescriptions

The Alitam Group runs 140 small pharmacies in the UK and Ireland. One of those is Temple Pharmacy in Ealing, West London

'The infrastructure already exists for pharmacies to deliver more primary care services.

'Their evolution was inevitable in light of the pandemic, which pushed an already-struggling NHS almost to breaking point.'

Sajid Javid hints that controversial 'no jab, no job' Covid rule for NHS staff in England is under review The Health Secretary has suggested that controversial plans to force all NHS staff in England to get jabbed are 'under review'. Sajid Javid said that because Omicron is less severe, unvaccinated employees pose less of a threat to patients than when the policy was introduced while the Delta variant was dominant last year. But he insisted yesterday during an appearance before MPs on the Commons health committee that it was still their 'professional duty' to get jabbed. Mr Javid said 77,000 NHS staffers have not yet had the vaccine, about 5 per cent of the workforce, meaning they could be sacked if they are not vaccinated before the April deadline. But he noted that the risk of getting severely ill with the virus has reduced since the decision to make jabs mandatory was made. 'The dominant variant at the time was Delta. The dominant variant now  in fact, almost all cases are Omicron,' Mr Javid said. 'I think it is right in light of Omicron that we reflect on all this and keep all Covid policies properly sort of under review.' There are fears mandatory jabs will exacerbate workforce shortages in the NHS. Hospitals have been told to prepare dismissal proceedings for unvaccinated staff from February 4, the day after workers would need to have a first jab to meet the deadline. Mr Javid said 'representations' had been made to him about Omicron being 'very different' to Delta, in that while the former is more transmissible it is 'intrinsically less severe'. He said while some people had urged him to add boosters to the mandatory requirement, others have called for it to be scrapped altogether. Advertisement

He added: 'We are speeding this natural process up and over the next decade will transform more than 500 High Street premises into state-of-the-art wellness and medical centres offering cosmetic, dental, and ophthalmological procedures, primary care advice and diagnosis, and living aids and medicines all under one roof.

'This will dramatically reduce footfall at NHS hospitals and GP surgeries, and enable people everywhere to access the healthcare they need far faster and far cheaper than ever before.'

Mr Nahaboo has appointed businessman Sir Ken Olisa OBE, a former Lord-Lieutenant of Greater London and a senior adviser to the Queen, as the company's chairman.

Mr Nahaboo added: 'Pharmacies are already providing some GP services, and it is our intention to expand that offering to its fullest potential.

'We can be the first nation whose healthcare system can operate on a preventative care basis rather than the current remedy care system'.

'This will improve well-being, reduce deaths and reduce our citizens' tax liability with less hospitals and less GP surgeries needed to be built.'

Under Alitam's 'Pharmacy of the Future' scheme, up to 5million people could be treated in the custom-built 'super pharmacies' every year,

The Group, which only launched in 2020, estimates that the all-purpose stores could slash waiting times, which have soared during the pandemic.

Figures by NHS England show that waiting lists for routine operations have hit a record 6million.

More than 300,000 of them had waited over a year  often in pain  for ops like hip and knee replacements or cataracts surgery.

A further 18,500 had queued for at least two years  seven times more than last summer.



Each of Alitam's stores will be staffed by nurses, dentists, opticians, midwives, physiologists, and pharmacists.

Where specialist treatment is not possible on-site, it claims it will arrange it with partner service providers nearby for the same cost and wait times.

Following their consultation, pharmacies will electronically update a patient's records so GPs are kept informed.

Appointment times will be kept to an 'absolute minimum' and range from around four weeks for breast enlargement to just a few days for corrective eye surgery.

The Group's 100 existing pharmacy stores will be retained with many upgraded into super pharmacies, depending on their location and suitability for refurbishment.
Revellers were seen soaking up the atmosphere and having beer bong contests

Police kept crowd numbers under control and prevented vehicle access

A wild Australia Day party on the water featuring yachts, beer bongs, plenty of booze and scantily clad women hosted by two social media influencers forced police to intervene prior to the event even starting.

Businessman 'Candyman 2.0' Troy Williams joined forces with OnlyFans millionaire Jackson O'Doherty to host an Australian Day bash at The Spit on the Gold Coast and issued an open invitation for everyone to attend on what promised to be 'a fun day'.

Revellers came out in force as Williams shared an insight of the seven hour celebrations to his 204,000 Instagram fans of partygoers drinking and dancing on boats to music played by DJs.

Many partygoers ended up in the water to cool off with drinks in hand while others challenged each other to beer bong contests and roamed the water on jet skis.

Gold Coast revellers gathered at The Spit to celebrate Australia Day at a bash co-hosted by influencers 'Candyman 2.0' Troy Williams and OnlyFans millionaire Jackson O'Doherty

Many of the partygoers let their hair down by challenging each other to booze bongs

Many revellers uploaded similar photos and footage celebrating the national public holiday.

Police kept crowd numbers under control and prevented vehicle access by barricading roads and setting up checkpoints.

Officers enlisted the help Gold Coast Waterways Authority prior to the day to ensure public safety in the popular precinct on Australia Day after they became aware of the event advertised online.

'Due to the expected number of people, the gate at Moondarewa Spit will be closed on Australia Day, 26 January 2022, to ensure pedestrians can safely enjoy Moondarewa Spit on Australia Day,' the authority posted on Tuesday.

'We wish everyone an enjoyable day and remind all park and waterways users to follow the park instructions and stay safe.

'We are working closely with the Queensland Police Service to ensure the safety of the community on this busy day.'

The Australia Day bash at The Spit was co-hosted Troy 'Candy' Williams (pictured)

Partygoers on the Gold Coast accepted an invitation to enjoy what promised to be 'a fun day', forcing police to close off vehicle access to the precinct to ensure public safety

Police warned they would keep a close eye on festivities to ensure celebrations didn't get of hand.

'What we've done is just close off vehicle access out to the point itself,' Acting Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

'We're trying to reduce risk of having young kids, families, large groups of people in the area and mixing it with vehicle traffic.'

It's understood police were generally happy with overall crowd behavior.

'All reports from the Gold Coast is that there were no events of note,' a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

Gold Coast revellers spent the day dancing and drinking on boats and yachts

It's understood police were generally happy with overall crowd behavior at the celebrations

The police presence prompted Williams to take a time out from the celebrations and post a video urging fans to stay safe and drink responsibly.

'Just remember to be please safe on this day and don't be drunk operating a vessel, we don't want any accidents,' he pleaded.

'We just want people to come out to have a good time, listen to music and hang out.

'So everyone, please be safe and don't do the wrong thing. Don't f*** it up for everyone.'

The party hosts were hoping for a big turn out to the celebrations.

'Let's get everyone out on the water! Whether you have a boat, ski , canoe , tinny etc we don't care just get out and meet us on the water,' Candy posted on Facebook prior to the event.

'Let's get the Gold Coast together for a fun day out.'

Festivities not only on the water but also on dry land (revellers pictured) as crowds soaked up the atmosphere

The event comes three years after Candy celebrated Australia Day with scantily clad women at a winery in Victoria's Yarra Valley.

It's also not the first time in recent weeks YouTube prankster turned adult content creator O'Doherty has been in the headlines for hosting wild celebrations.

The internet star and OnlyFans millionaire hosted a New Year's Eve extravaganza dubbed Australia's 'wildest' New Year's Eve party as celebrities and scantily-clad models descended on his luxurious mansion.

O'Doherty, 27, hosted the lavish celebration at his octagon-shaped home on the Gold Coast which he named 'Playboy Mansion 2.0' - hoping it will rival Hugh Hefner's sex-fuelled Los Angeles estate.

His 300 guests at the X-rated white-themed shindig were 'greeted by dwarfs', before being entertained by acrobats and offered 'unlimited alcohol'.

This reveller donned a green and gold bikini for the Australia Day party
Wales abandoned its tough stand on Covid today as its self-isolation period was cut to five days in the face of plummeting

From Friday people will be able to end their isolation as long as they have two negative lateral flow tests on days five and six.

Health minister Eluned Morgan confirmed the changes would come into force from January 28, the same day the country is expected to complete the move to alert level zero.

It will bring the nation in line with the measures already in place in England and Northern Ireland.

And it comes the day after Nicola Sturgeon drastically softened Scotland's Covid rules, including ending working from home guidance.

Health minister Eluned Morgan confirmed the changes would come into force from January 28, the same day the country is expected to complete the move to alert level zero.

It will bring the nation in line with the measures already in place in England and Northern Ireland (Boris Johnson pictured today)

Baroness Morgan said: 'After carefully reviewing all the available evidence, we believe that testing on days five and six together with five full days of isolation will have the same protective effect as a 10-day isolation period.

'But it is really important everyone self-isolates and uses lateral flow tests in the way advised to ensure they protect others from the risk of infection.'

The minister said that while isolation was important to prevent transmission of the virus, long periods of isolation could 'have a negative impact on our mental health and can be damaging for our public services and the wider economy'.

Those who test positive on either day five or day six will still have to continue to self-isolate until they have two negative tests taken 24 hours apart or until day 10, whichever comes first.

Conservatives as well as many businesses have been calling for the reduction of the self-isolation period to reduce pressure on the workforce created through Covid-related staff absences.

Financial support through the Self-Isolation Support Scheme will still be available but will return to an offer of 500 reduced from 750 in recognition of the shorter isolation period.

Anyone who needs support with essentials such as shopping and pharmacy goods will be able to access the fund through their local authority and voluntary organisations.

Scottish First Minister Sturgeon bowed to pressure to axe working from home rules last night as she revealed a 'phased' return to the office for millions of Scots.

She told MSPs the Scottish Government is updating its guidance to take effect from next Monday.

Ms Sturgeon has said a requirement for two-metre physical distancing in settings where face coverings are exempt is being reduced to one metre.

The change will apply to settings such as religious services and those carrying out receptionist duties.

Updating MSPs at Holyrood yesterday, the First Minister also announced a change affecting organised activities for children.

She said: 'From Friday, face coverings will no longer be required for any adult taking part in organised activities when they are directly interacting with children under the age of five.'

The requirement for secondary school pupils to wear face masks will receive 'careful consideration'.

Scottish Conservative Leader Douglas Ross said: 'While some people will still want to work from home, why doesn't the First Minister leave that decision up to employers and workers?

'And what does she think this means for the many businesses who rely on workers being in the office and back in our town and city centres?'
A man accused of murdering his teenage daughter in a Norfolk cul-de-sac at the weekend appeared in court today.

Nigel Malt, 44, allegedly hit his daughter Lauren Malt with his car near a play area in West Winch, near Kings Lynn.

The tragedy is believed to have happened around 50 yards from the home of the 19-year-old's grandmother in Leete Way.

Malt spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth when he appeared wearing a red, white and black tracksuit top in a four minute hearing before Norwich Magistrates' Court.

He walked with a pronounced limp when he entered the dock after the court clerk stated that he had 'limited mobility'.

Malt was not asked to enter a plea after he was told he had been charged with the murder of Lauren on Sunday. He was remanded in custody to next appear before a judge tomorrow at Norwich Crown Court.

Nigel Malt allegedly hit his daughter Lauren Malt (pictured) with his car near a play area in West Winch near Kings Lynn on Sunday night

Malt (pictured) spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth when he appeared wearing a red, white and black tracksuit top in a four minute hearing before Norwich Magistrates' Court

Police called to reports of a disturbance in the road and a teenager being hit by a car just before 7.30pm. Miss Malt was pronounced dead soon after she arrived at the hospital

The incident happened near a play area in West Winch, near Kings Lynn on Sunday evening

His defence solicitor Michael Cole described today's hearing as 'just a formality'. Mr Cole added: 'There are 46 pages of disclosure, but we are waiting for an awful lot more.'

Norfolk Police said they were called to reports of a disturbance in Leete Way and a teenager being hit by a car just before 7.30pm on Sunday.

Miss Malt was pronounced dead soon after she arrived at the 515-bed hospital.

Her father was initially arrested at the hospital on suspicion of murder, drink-driving and causing death by dangerous driving.

Malt was charged last night after being questioned at the Police Investigation Centre in King's Lynn.

Norfolk Police sad a Home Office post-mortem examination established her preliminary cause of death as chest and abdominal injuries.

Houses on Leete Way, Norfolk (pictured) are worth around 180,000 and detached properties can sell for an average of 250,000

Norfolk Police said a Home Office post-mortem examination established Miss Malt's preliminary cause of death as chest and abdominal injuries

The teenager's friends have paid tribute to her on Facebook post, with one writing: 'You my dear angel meant the world to me and I'm so sorry you're gone. I can't quite get my head around it.

'My rock. My little bean. My best friend. We had so many plans, but now we're apart. I will miss you every waking moment my love.'

A second friend wrote: 'She was funny and nice and pretty. I will miss her so much.'

One described her as 'such a lovely polite girl', while another added: 'She had a heart of gold. Fly high my angel.'

Another friend said: 'She truly was one of a kind and will be missed by so many  such a wonderful caring young person taken from us too soon. My heart goes to her family xx'.

Houses on Leete Way, Norfolk are worth around 180,000 and detached properties can sell for an average of 250,000.
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Russia has for the first time moved elite paratroopers close to its border with Ukraine amid fears of a military operation to grab capital Kiev.

A train with the crack troops and their equipment was spotted moving west towards the potential war zone and appears to be the 217th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 98th Airborne Division.

The deployment was seen passing through Russia's Bryansk region which borders both Ukraine and Belarus, as shown in a video posted on TikTok.

An analysis by respected independent Russian researchers known as the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) indicates the tarpaulin-covered armoured vehicles in the video are BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles and BTR-MDM airborne armoured personnel carriers.

'The train includes five passenger carriages, which can carry more than 250 people,' said the CIT.

It was also loaded with eight shortened two-axle Kamaz-43501 trucks, as used by Russia's Airborne Troops.

The train originated from Tekstilny station in Ivanovo region, according to railway records, which is close to where the elite airborne forces are based, said the analysis.

'This is the first confirmed video of paratroopers moving closer to the border with Ukraine,' said CIT.

'In any large-scale attack on the territory of Ukraine, the Airborne Forces should play a decisive role.'

They would act 'either in a landing operation to capture strategic objects in the rear, or as shock infantry'.

It comes as an 80-tonne shipment of US anti-tank missiles arrived in Ukraine - just the latest delivery of high-tech weapons aimed at inflicting maximum death and destruction on Putin's forces if he decides to invade.

A plane loaded with 300 Javelin missiles worth some $50million landed in capital Kiev late Tuesday, the third part of a $200million shipment of American military aid that is being sent to help its ally.

The shipment also contained grenade launchers and ammunition, as well as other non-lethal weapons systems, and comes in addition to anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons already sent by the UK, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Javelins are American-made missiles that use infrared technology to lock on to targets, rising high into the air before slamming down - making them especially deadly against tanks because their armour is thinnest on top, though Javelins can also be used to blow up buildings.

In addition to the Javelins, Ukraine has been given American Stinger missiles which use similar technology to take out aircraft and helicopters, as well as British-made NLAWs - another kind of anti-tank rocket.

While such weapons are unlikely to tip any conflict decisively in Ukraine's favour, they are designed to inflict punishing losses on Putin's forces to make any invasion as costly and bloody for Moscow as possible.

Russia has massed some 127,000 troops along with tanks and artillery on Ukraine's border, issuing a list of security demands that has prompted a flurry of high-level diplomatic talks in an attempt to head off an all-out war.

Elsewhere today...

Biden said Ukraine invasion would be the 'biggest since World War Two' and that Putin could be personally targeted by sanctions, prompting the Kremlin to warn that would destroy America's relations with Russia

NATO said it has almost completed a written response to Russia's security demands which is due to be delivered this week, a make-or-break moment for security talks

F-16 fighter jets under command of NATO arrived in Estonia, with four more F-16s flying from Denmark to further reinforce the Baltic region

Presidential advisers from Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine met in Paris for so-called 'Normandy talks' aimed at ending the war with Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine's east

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov warned that Moscow is ready to quickly take 'retaliatory measures' if its security demands aren't met, saying it will not wait forever for a response

The US embassy in Ukraine urged its citizens to 'consider departing now', saying the situation could quickly deteriorate and it cannot guarantee their safety

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman suggested the invasion is likely to come before mid-February, though could be delayed by the Beijing Winter Olympics to avoid upsetting Xi Jinping

Russia continued to deploy forces to border regions, with paratroopers and fighter jets sent to Belarus - ostensibly for training exercises due to take place next month

Russia has for the first time moved elite paratroopers close to its border with Ukraine amid fears of a military operation to grab capital Kiev. A train with the crack troops and their equipment was spotted moving west towards the potential war zone and appears to be the 217th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 98th Airborne Division

The deployment was seen passing through Russia's Bryansk region which borders both Ukraine and Belarus, as shown in a video posted on TikTok. An analysis by respected independent Russian researchers known as the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) indicates the tarpaulin-covered armoured vehicles in the video are BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles and BTR-MDM airborne armoured personnel carriers

An American shipment of 300 anti-tank Javelin missiles worth $50million landed in Kiev overnight, the third batch of a $200million military aid package designed to bring death and destruction to Russia's forces if Putin invades

Ukrainian ground crews unload part of the military shipment, which also included grenade launchers and other hardware. It will now be distributed to troops on the frontline, as they face off against 127,000 Russian troops and tanks

The Javelins come in addition to previous shipments of American Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, which are designed to shoot down planes and helicopters, as well as British-made NLAWs which are another kind of anti-tank weapon

American Javelin missiles are unloaded from an American transport plane in Kiev overnight, designed to inflict punishing losses on Putin's force if he decides to invade

Diplomats from Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine are meeting in Paris today for talks in the so-called 'Normandy format', which was originally aimed at ending the war between Ukraine and Russian-backed rebels who have been fighting in the east since 2014.

Talks got underway this morning with a press conference due in the afternoon, and while little is expected in the way of a breakthrough it is hoped the discussions can buy some extra time so a compromise can be found.

Jean-Yves Le Drian. the French foreign minister, told senator that France is working 'flat-out' with its European allies to find ways to de-escalate the situation and avoid war.

'The Ukraine situation is very tense but we are taking all the necessary initiatives to trigger a de-escalation process,' Le Drian said.

Russia is demanding that Ukraine be banned from ever joining NATO and that troops are withdrawn from former Soviet states. The alliance has described those as non-starters, but are hoping Moscow can be talked down into accepting limited concessions.

In the meantime, Russia has continued to move troops around border zones and rattle its sabres - with more soldiers and fighter jets deployed to Belarus today.

Moscow says paratrooper units have been deployed - joining artillery forces and marines that have already been stationed there, ostensibly for joint military drills to be held next month.

The Russian defence ministry added that Sukhoi-35 fighter jets are also being moved. The build-up of forces in Belarus is particularly threatening to Ukraine, because it puts them within easy striking distance of Kiev.

Researchers from Conflict Intelligence Team tracked what appears to be the same paratroopers travelling through Russia by train towards the front, along with armoured vehicles.

'The train includes five passenger carriages, which can carry more than 250 people,' analysts said, adding that it also spotted BMD-4M armoured troop transports and smaller BTR-MDM transports.

'This is the first confirmed video of paratroopers moving closer to the border with Ukraine,' analysts added.

Separately, Russian artillery forces in the southern Rostov region that borders Ukraine were set to carry out live-fire drills as part of a combat readiness inspection of the Southern Military District.

In the far north, Russian warships entered the Barents Sea to practice protecting a major shipping lane in the Arctic, the Northern Fleet said. Moscow announced sweeping naval exercises last week.

The US and its European allies have promised swift and severe punishment for Russia in the event that Ukraine is attacked, including unprecedented sanctions targeting its economy.

Joe Biden has even suggested that Vladimir Putin could be personally targeted with financial penalties, putting him on a slim list of despots and demagogues - including the likes of Bashar al Assad, Muammar Gaddafi and Nicolas Maduro - who have been hit in the past.

The Kremlin has responded by saying such sanctions would have almost no effect on Russia or the situation in Ukraine, but would be hugely damaging to relations between the two world superpowers.

'Politically, it's not painful, it's destructive,' Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

US Javelin missile vs Russian T-72 tank: How 'curveball' killer is designed to destroy Putin's war machines The FGM-148 Javelin is a US-made missile that is primarily designed to destroy tanks, using a combination of 'curveball' attack - meaning it comes down on its targets from above - and dual high explosive warheads to take them out. Javelins, which cost $175,000 each just for the missile, were developed in the 1990s and have been in service since 1996 - coming up against Russian-designed T-72 tanks during the Second Iraq War, where they proved particularly effective. Russia still uses T-72 tanks - with dozens of T-72Bs now deployed near Ukraine - and while they have undergone several rounds of improvements since Saddam's day, they are still thought to be vulnerable to the missile. Javelins work by using infrared systems to lock on to their targets, meaning troops do not need to keep aiming after pulling the trigger. Once the missile is fired, it ejects from the tube using a small charge - so it can be fired in a confined space - before the main rockets ignite. The missile then flies up to 490ft into the air before slamming down on its target from above - known as a 'curveball' shot. Javelin missiles use a 'curveball' shot - approaching their target from above - which makes them especially deadly against tanks which have less armour on the top. They also have two warheads which are designed to overcome 'reactive' armour that Russia uses A Russian T-72 tank is pictured on training exercises near Ukraine last week. Visible on the turret are 'reactive' armour plates - the rectangular boxes filled with explosives that detonate when struck, throwing incoming missiles off course Russian T-72s are known to be fitted with up to 850mm of armour on their bodies, with the Javelin only able to penetrate through 800mm. But the armour on the top is significantly thinner, meaning the Javelin is easily able to breach it. In order to combat this weakness, Russian tank turrets are typically fitted with 'reactive' armour, made of metal sheets layered with small explosive charges that detonate when they are struck. Simply fitting thicker armour would make the tanks too heavy and slow. Explosions from 'reactive' armour are too small to damage the tank, but large enough to throw incoming projectiles off course. The system is thought to add as much protection as up to 800mm of conventional armour. But the Javelin has an answer to this, in the form of a high-explosive 'tandem' warhead. This means it is fitted with two charges that strike the exact same spot in quick succession. The first is a small charge designed to set off the reactive armour, which is then ineffective. Then a second, much-larger charge, punches through the conventional armour underneath. Putin's generals are clearly worried about this, because last November T-72 tanks began appearing on the frontlines with Ukraine with strange umbrella-like modifications over their main turrets - seemingly designed to defeat Javelins. It is unclear whether such armour would even work, and what effects it might have on the tank's ability to manoeuvre and shoot, but most tanks seen on the Russian frontlines in recent weeks don't appear to have it fitted - meaning they are still vulnerable to attack. Javelins can also be fired conventionally with a range of up to two and a half miles, meaning they can also be used to blow up buildings, shoot troops hiding in tunnels or caves, and can even attack low-flying or hovering helicopters. And because Javelins are relatively small, lightweight, and can be carried by troops, it means they can be quickly transported to battlefields and deployed without the need to move or deploy accompanying vehicles. Putin's generals are clearly worried they are vulnerable to Javelins, because in recent months tanks have appeared on the frontlines fitted with makeshift armour over the main turret that appears designed to protect against them - though it is not clear this will work A Ukrainian soldier aims a Javelin launcher from the top of an armoured vehicle during a military parade in Kiev in 2018. The weapons can also be carried into battle by troops and fired over-the-shoulder Advertisement

A Pentagon spokesman said the delivery would also include 'anti-armour systems, grenade launchers, munitions, and non-lethal equipment essential to Ukraine's front line defenders'

The US-made FGM-148 Javelin missile uses infrared guidance to track its target and has been used in conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria

So far there have been three shipments of military equipment to Ukraine, although the country's Defence Minister confirmed he was expecting at least a fourth. Pictured: Senior Airman Cameron Manson inspects cargo netting onboard a plane at Dover Air Force Base

Vladimir Putin speaks via video-link with Italian business leaders, warning them of the importance of Russia to the country's energy sector amid fears he could choke European supplies if an invasion goes ahead

'Javelins in Kyiv! A new cargo of security aid - launchers & missiles - with a total weight of about 80 tons,' Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted

UK urges allies to send more weapons to Ukraine British foreign secretary Liz Truss has urged Ukraine's allies to send more military support to Ukraine to help the country fend off the threat of Russian invasion. Ms Truss spoke as she announced she will travel to the country next week 'to offer more support to the Ukrainians' in a bold move which will be seen as the UK stepping up its backing for Kiev. The trip will inevitably reignite comparisons between Ms Truss and former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher. Ms Truss memorably channelled Mrs Thatcher in November last year when she posed for photographs while riding in a tank as she issued an early warning to Vladimir Putin not to launch an incursion into Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary today said the UK has not ruled out hitting Mr Putin with personal economic sanctions if he opts to invade. Advertisement

'US congressmen and senators who are not quite familiar with this topic are speaking about freezing the assets of representatives of Russia's leadership,' Peskov added, pointing out that high-ranking Russian officials are barred from holding assets abroad and accusing the politicians of lacking 'expert knowledge'.

Ukraine is also continuing to downplay the immediate risk of any invasion, with foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba saying the Kremlin has not massed enough troops for a wide-scale attack and what troops it has brought are not yet battle-ready.

Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, 'their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive.'

'They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive,' Kuleba told reporters.

As others have, he noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by 'spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraine's financial system and launching cyberattacks.'

'President Putin would be happy to see that plan succeed so that he doesn't even need to turn to military force to put Ukraine in a vulnerable position,' he said.

His comments were latest from Ukrainian officials who have sought to reassure their citizens.

Speaking late Tuesday in the second televised speech to the nation in as many days, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was 'strong enough to keep everything under control and derail any attempts at destabilization.'

Meanwhile, NATO says it is close to completing its written proposals for Moscow after Russia issued a raft of security demands, and should deliver them this week, alliance diplomats said Wednesday.

'Many of the Russian demands are unacceptable or unrealistic, but the response identifies a number of issues on which it is possible to work on their concerns,' a Western diplomat told AFP.

'The question is whether this is what the Russians want.'

Moscow blindsided the West by publishing two draft treaties for the United States and NATO in December that would see Washington's influence rolled back in eastern Europe.

The demands were issued as tensions soared after Moscow massed some 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine in a move the West warns could be the prelude to a large-scale invasion.

The Kremlin wants NATO to guarantee pro-Western Kyiv will never join the military alliance and commit to pulling back forces from its eastern European flank.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the alliance is willing to listen to Russian 'concerns'. But he insists NATO will not compromise on its 'core principles' - including the right of its partners to chose their own path.

He has instead laid out a list of areas that the alliance is willing to discuss with Moscow, including arms control, disarmament, transparency on military activities, and risk-reduction mechanisms.

Stoltenberg told CNN Tuesday that NATO would deliver its proposals to the Kremlin this week 'in parallel' with a separate response being drafted by Washington.

Russia has said it is waiting to see those written responses before deciding whether to proceed with more talks after meetings with US and NATO failed to make a breakthrough.

Joe Biden has suggested that Putin could be personally targeted for sanctions in the event of an attack on Ukraine, something the Kremlin said would 'destroy' relations between the two

A member of Ukraine's armed forces fires an anti-aircraft weapon during drills to test their readiness for a Russian invasion

An anti-aircraft missile is fired from the top of a Ukrainian armoured vehicle during combat readiness drills taking place today

Russian missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov takes part in exercises in the country's Arctic region today, the first part of massive naval drills that will span five seas an involve 140 ships

Russian missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov departs its home port in the country's arctic region to take part in military drills

Russia has been massing forces on Ukraine's border for months, sparking fears that an invasion is imminent - and is now sabre-rattling across Europe including a new set of naval drills due to take place near Ireland (left)

But in a sign that talks could be about to hit a wall, Sergei Lavrov - Russia's foreign minister who has been leading the negotiations - told lawmakers today that Moscow is prepared to quickly take 'retaliatory measures' if its security demands are rejected and NATO continues with what it called 'aggressive' policies.

Speaking to lawmakers Wednesday, Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands.

'If the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures,' he said.

Lavrov also indicated that Russia will not wait forever for a response: 'We won't allow our proposals to be drowned in endless discussions,' he said.

Asked by lawmakers if Russia could expand military cooperation with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, Lavrov responded that Moscow has close ties with those countries.

Earlier this month, Lavrov's deputy pointedly refused to rule out the deployment of Russian military assets to Cuba and Venezuela - far closer to the U.S. than Ukraine - if Moscow's security demands aren't met.

NATO said this week it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. Western nations have also sent planeloads of weapons to help Ukraine strengthen its defenses.

Britain is also promising sanctions, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine.

The U.K. has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, though it has ruled out sending combat troops.

'We'll be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion,' she told the BBC. 'What's important is that all of our allies do the same.'

Amid the soaring tensions, the U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany and Canada have also moved to withdraw some of their diplomats and dependents from Kyiv.

America also took the step of advising citizens to leave Ukraine today, saying the situation could deteriorate rapidly and it would be unable to guarantee their safety in the event of a Russian attack.

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (left), attending a meeting of the state Duma in Moscow today amid the tensions

Mr Lavrov speaks in front of the Duma, having previously warned that Russia would not wait forever for an American response to its security demands

A member of the Ukrainian armed forces drives an armoured vehicle through an undislcosed location in the Luhansk region, close to where government forces are fighting Russian-backed rebel groups

A Russian-backed rebel soldier walks through a trench close to the frontlines where a war with the Ukrainian government has been going on since 2014

A Russian-backed rebel soldier mans a machine-gun nest in the Luhansk region close to the border, where fighting has been ongoing since the 2014 invasion of Crimea

Meanwhile US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman said the timing of the Beijing Winter Olympics - due to take place throughout February - could affect the timing of any Russian attack on Ukraine.

Sherman, who led a U.S. delegation in talks with Russian officials in Europe earlier this month, said she did not know whether Putin had made the decision to invade, but that indications suggested an invasion could come between now and mid-February.

'We all are aware that the Beijing Olympics are beginning on February 4th, the opening ceremony, and President Putin expects to be there.

'I think that probably President Xi Jinping would not be ecstatic if Putin chose that moment to invade Ukraine,' Sherman said during a virtual conversation hosted by Yalta European Strategy.

'So that may affect his timing and his thinking.'

Putin on Tuesday weighed in on a diplomatic boycott of the Games by the United States and other Western nations over China's human rights record, saying he opposed the 'politicization of sport.'

The United States and its allies have warned Russia of harsh sanctions if it goes ahead with an invasion of Ukraine, but some 100,000 Russian troops remain near the border with no signs of de-escalation.

Russia says the crisis is being driven by NATO and U.S. actions, and is demanding security guarantees from the West, including a promise by NATO never to admit Ukraine.

Sherman said the United States was preparing for all kinds of scenarios, including a 'full-on invasion,' but said even a single Russian soldier entering Ukraine would be a very serious matter.

'It breaches all of the principles of international security and says that another country can act with impunity, which has tremendous consequences for Ukraine and Europe,' Sherman said.
Scott Dummer (pictured) raced officers for 12 miles before crashing his 20,000 BMW into their squad car - causing 7,000-worth of damage

A law student who led police on a 115mph chase while high on cocaine has been spared jail.

Scott Dummer raced officers for 12 miles before crashing his 20,000 BMW into their squad car - causing 7,000-worth of damage.

The 21-year-old from Caerphilly, hit a stinger before police nudged him off the road at around 4.40am.

Dummer was slapped with a nine-month suspended sentence and 240 hours unpaid work at Cardiff Crown Court.

The judge also told the law student he has 'blighted any future career' in the industry.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how police had tried to pull him over in central Cardiff on June 13, 2021.

But Dummer, who was working at Hugh James solicitors in the city at the time, accelerated away in his orange BMW One Series and the officers raced after him.

They pursed him for 12 miles at over double the speed limit and deployed stingers before they were forced to nudge him off the road.

Dashcam footage showed police pursuing him at 115mph in a 50mph section of the A470 in south Wales.

Prosecutor Nick Stobl said of Dummer: 'He told the arresting officer, ''I am so sorry. I apologise for any injuries I have caused to you or your colleagues''.'

The student pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drug driving and failing to stop at Cardiff Crown Court.

The judge, Recorder Paul Hopkins QC, told Dummer's barrister: 'I bet this is devastating for his parents.'

The 21-year-old from Caerphilly, hit a stinger before police nudged him off the road at around 4.40am

James Evans, defending, replied: 'He comes from a very respectable family. The defendant's mother is here today and she is a very sensible person.

'We can come across some mothers who feel their sons can do no wrong. She is not like that at all and is very concerned today.'

Recorder Hopkins handed Dummer a nine-month suspended sentence and ordered him to carry out 240 hours unpaid work.

He told him: 'This was a moment of madness on you part because it goes against the grain of your life so far.

'You are in many ways a talented young man. By the skin of your teeth, I am just persuaded that your sentence will not be activated immediately.'

Dummer was also ordered to pay costs and a victim surcharge. He no longer works for Hugh James.
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Liz Truss today suggested the UK could follow the US and hit Vladimir Putin with personal economic sanctions if Russia invades Ukraine as the Foreign Secretary announced she will visit the country next week.

US President Joe Biden said last night that direct action could be taken against Mr Putin if he gives the green light to an incursion.

Ms Truss said this morning that 'we have ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions' when she was asked if the UK could follow suit.

But Russia hit back, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing the threats as worthless because senior Russian officials are barred from holding assets abroad.

It came as four-way 'peace talks' involving officials from Russia, France, Germany and Ukraine, were due to take place in Paris today as they try to hammer out a solution to a rumbling conflict in east Ukraine between Kiev forces and Russia-backed separatists.

The talks have been going on for years without making any real progress but the fact that diplomatic efforts are continuing against the backdrop of the build-up of Russian forces on the border with Ukraine is likely to be viewed as a positive sign.

Ms Truss said she will travel to Ukraine next week 'to offer more support to the Ukrainians' in a bold move which will be seen as the UK stepping up its backing for Kiev.

The trip will inevitably reignite comparisons between Ms Truss and former Conservative prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Ms Truss memorably channelled Mrs Thatcher in November last year when she posed for photographs while riding in a tank as she issued an early warning to Mr Putin not to launch an incursion into Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary also today urged Britain's allies to do more to supply Ukraine with 'defensive support' after the UK sent a selection of high-tech weaponry and an 80-tonne shipment of US anti-tank missiles arrived in Kiev.

Liz Truss today announced she will visit Ukraine next week despite growing fears of an imminent Russian invasion

The Foreign Secretary said she will travel to the country 'to offer more support to the Ukrainians' in a bold move which will be seen as the UK stepping up its backing for Kiev. Ms Truss is pictured riding in a British tank in Estonia in November last year

Mrs Thatcher, the former Tory premier, was memorably photographed riding in a British tank in West Germany in 1986 as she visited UK troops

The Foreign Secretary today said the UK has not ruled out hitting Vladimir Putin with personal economic sanctions if he opts to invade Ukraine

300 reasons for Putin to think twice about invading Ukraine: US sends Kiev a plane-load of lethal Javelin anti-tank weapons - each with Vlad's name on them An 80-tonne shipment of US anti-tank missiles has arrived in Ukraine - just the latest delivery of high-tech weapons aimed at inflicting maximum death and destruction on Vladimir Putin's forces if he decides to invade. A plane loaded with 300 Javelin missiles worth some $50million landed in the capital Kiev late on Tuesday, the third part of a $200million shipment of American military aid that is being sent to help its ally. The shipment also contained grenade launchers, ammunition and other non-lethal weapons systems, and comes in addition to other anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons already supplied by the UK, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Javelins are American-made missiles that use infrared technology to lock on to targets, rising high into the air before slamming down - making them especially deadly against tanks because their armour is thinnest on top, though Javelins can also be used to blow up buildings. In addition to the Javelins, Ukraine has been given American Stinger missiles which use similar technology to take out aircraft and helicopters, as well as British-made NLAWs - another kind of anti-tank rocket. While such weapons are unlikely to tip any conflict decisively in Ukraine's favour, they are designed to inflict punishing losses on Mr Putin's forces to make any invasion as costly and bloody for Moscow as possible. Russia has massed some 127,000 troops along with tanks and artillery on Ukraine's border, issuing a list of security demands that has prompted a flurry of high-level diplomatic talks in an attempt to head off an all-out war. Advertisement

Russian troops have massed at the border with Ukraine but the Kremlin has repeatedly denied it is planning an invasion.

NATO nations have warned Mr Putin that Russia will face 'severe' economic consequences if he does launch an incursion.

Mr Biden said last night he would consider personal sanctions against Mr Putin if he invades Ukraine. The US has also threatened restrictions in a range of areas, including on artificial intelligence, quantum computing and aerospace.

But Russia hit back, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissing the threats as worthless because senior Russian officials are barred from holding assets abroad.

Direct US sanctions on foreign leaders are rare but not unprecedented, with Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro, Syria's Bashar al-Assad and Libya's Muammer Gaddafi having all been targeted in the past.

Measures have previously included blocking property and transactions related to the leaders' countries, and targeting inner circles.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Biden was asked if he could see himself imposing sanctions on the Russian President directly if there is an invasion and he replied: 'Yes, I would see that.'

But Mr Peskov told reporters: 'Politically, it's not painful, it's destructive.'

The Kremlin has previously said any US sanctions personally targeting Mr Putin would be akin to crossing a red line, warning the move could result in a rupture of bilateral ties.

Mr Biden also said an invasion of Ukraine by Russia would have 'enormous consequences' for the world.

Asked about Mr Biden's comments, Ms Truss said: He is absolutely right to say this. We are seeing a threat to a free democracy in Europe from an aggressive regime and of course that would have huge implications for Europe if Vladimir Putin was to stage an invasion.

But it would also have huge implications for aggressive regimes around the world which is why it is so important that the UK is working with our allies to make it clear that a severe cost would be imposed in terms of economic sanctions.

We are supplying defensive weapons to Ukraine and we are also working to help wean Europe and Ukraine off Russian gas.

Asked if the UK would support personal sanctions against Mr Putin, Ms Truss said: We have ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions and in fact we will be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion.

What is important is that all of our allies do the same because it is by collective action, by showing Vladimir Putin we are united, that we will help deter a Russian incursion.

Ms Truss was told this morning that there are fears in Ukraine that the UK and the US could pull staff out of embassies if Russian forces breach the border.

A batch of US cargo including anti-tank missile systems and ammunition have landed in Ukraine as part of a $200million security package

The new cargo of security aid including launchers and missiles weighs around 80 tons and will help bolster Ukraine's defences

The United States has committed more than $650 million of security assistance to Ukraine in the past year and more than $2.7 billion in total since 2014

What kind of sanctions can be imposed? Technical sanctions The US is considering imposing export restrictions on Russia to limit its ability to produce technology vital for its economy and military. The move could see Russia cut off from international software that powers planes and phones, while artificial intelligence and quantum computing could also be targeted. Operation of the controversial Nord Stream 2 could also be blocked by sanctioning its operators. Financial sanctions Russia could be blocked from access to US dollars, which Biden could impose unilaterally. The move would bar Russians from carrying out many routine transactions and have a major economic effect. Putin could also be cut from the SWIFT global financial system, which would see it losing profits from oil and gas production - 40% of the country's revenue. Personal sanctions Direct sanctions targeting Putin could see his and his inner circle's foreign assets seized, although this is disputed by the Kremlin. Advertisement

Confirming her visit to Ukraine, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'Well, we need to make sure that we have the right support in our embassy for any eventuality and that we are fully prepared for any eventuality.

Our embassy in Ukraine is fully functioning. I am due to visit Ukraine next week to offer more support to the Ukrainians.

In fact the Ukrainian government have been very appreciative of the support the UK has offered, both economic support and the defensive support that we have been offering.

Ms Truss issued a plea to other NATO allies to do more to back Ukraine in the stand off with Moscow.

She said: We would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine and also put those sanctions in place.

We have made huge progress. I hosted a G7 in Liverpool in December and all of the G7 agreed that there would be severe economic costs if Vladimir Putin invades Ukraine.

Ms Truss issued a warning to Mr Putin over Ukraine when she attended a NATO summit in Estonia in November.

She said at the time that it would be a 'strategic mistake' for the Russian President to invade the country.

The Foreign Secretary fuelled Tory leadership speculation during that visit as she recreated images of Mrs Thatcher who was photographed riding in a British tank in West Germany in 1986 when she visited UK troops.

Boris Johnson yesterday said the UK is prepared to deploy more troops to the region to protect NATO allies in Europe should Russia invade Ukraine. Ukraine is not a member of NATO.

The Prime Minister also said the UK and its allies stand ready to impose 'heavy economic sanctions' on Russia and voiced fears that any invasion would result in 'bloodshed comparable to the first war in Chechnya or Bosnia'.

The US and the UK have been sending Ukraine weapons in a bid to deter a potential Russian invasion.

A massive $200million US shipment of arms including Javelin anti-tank missiles, launchers and other military hardware has now arrived in Ukraine to help shore up its defences.

Three planes have landed in Kiev in recent days to offload the valuable cargo in the latest offering from the US of military aid donations totalling $2.5billion since 2014.

A U.S. plane carrying military equipment and munitions landed in Kyiv, the third installment of a $200million package to shore up Ukraine's defenses

Speaking to reporters at a store Tuesday in Washington, D.C., President Joe Biden was asked if he would see himself imposing sanctions on Putin directly if Russia invaded Ukraine. 'Yes,' he responded. 'I would see that.'

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted: 'Javelins in Kyiv! A new cargo of security aid - launchers & missiles - with a total weight of about 80 tons. We expect the arrival of the 4th from the big flock of birds soon. Thanks to our strategic partner.'

NATO has been bolstering its presence in the region with more ships and fighter jets in response to Russia's troop build-up on the border with Ukraine.

Russia has rejected accusations it is planning to invade and has claimed the crisis is being driven by NATO and US actions - claims which have been rubbished by London and Washington.

Moscow is demanding security guarantees from the West, including a promise from NATO never to admit Ukraine to the alliance.

Moscow sees the former Soviet republic as a buffer between Russia and NATO countries.

If Russia were to move into Ukraine with the estimated 100,000 soldiers it has massed near the border, Mr Biden said it would be the 'largest invasion since World War Two' and would 'change the world.'




Senior diplomats of South Korea and Russia talked over the phone Wednesday to discuss North Korea's recent missile launches and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, the foreign ministry said.







Noh Kyu-duk, special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, spoke with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov amid rising tension after the North last week hinted at lifting its yearslong self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests.







"The two sides exchanged in-depth views on the latest situation on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea's spate of missile launches, and discussed ways to prevent the situation from further aggravation," the ministry said in a release.







Noh emphasized the need to restart the stalled talks with Pyongyang to address the rising threat from its nuclear and missile program and called for Russia's "constructive" role in defusing tension on the peninsula, it noted.







Tensions have ratcheted up in recent weeks after the North conducted four ballistic missile tests  including two of what it claims to be a hypersonic missile  since the start of the year. (Yonhap)


A new helpline for the victims of harassment and bullying in the music industry was announced today.

The charity Help Musician's initiative, which is supported Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, will provide emotional support, advice and guidance on how to raise and resolve issues.

The helpline, which launches in March, will also collect anonymous data to shed more light on issues experienced in a bid to bring about permanent change across the industry.

The Musicians' Union, a UK based body, said it has received hundreds of reports to its SafeSpace service, where those in the business share instances of sexism, sexual harassment and sexual abuse.

Many musicians have recently spoken out about their struggles with bullying and harassment in the industry.

X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson previously demanded a parliamentary inquiry into the music industry and called for greater regulation to protect artists from 'bullying' agents and managers.

She said that she had been sexually harassed by a music executive and, in a series of tweets, claimed she knew two women who had been raped and others who had been driven close to suicide by the industry.

X Factor star Rebecca Ferguson (left) previously demanded a parliamentary inquiry into the music industry and called for greater regulation to protect artists from 'bullying' agents and managers. Lily Allen (right) also accused a music boss of sexually assaulting her while they were on a work trip in 2018

She also accused unnamed executives of 'covering up sexual assault for your seedy friends' and 'grooming 17-year-old boys who are confused about their sexuality'.

Lily Allen also accused a music boss of sexually assaulting her while they were on a work trip in 2018 - and later said her record label failed to act when she reported him.

X Factor duo Jedward also took aim at the music industry in a series of fiery tweets, claiming that eating disorders and depression are 'very common' and bosses don't care about health of musicians.

They have also faced online abuse with Zayn Malik saying he was targeted because of his race with trolls calling him a 'terrorist' while he was a member of One Direction.

Last year, former Little Mix member Jesy Nelson released a documentary called 'Odd One Out' which discussed the effect of cyberbullies on her life and mental health.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme last April, Naimi Pohl, Assistant General Secretary of the Musicians' Union, was asked why the industry was yet to have its MeToo moment.

'I think we've only scratched the surface to be honest,' she said. 'We've had about a hundred reports to our Safe Space service at the Musicians' Union. Reports have ranged from sexism to sexual assault.'

James Ainscough, Help Musician's chief executive, said: 'Bullying and harassment is an industry-wide challenge that requires a collaborative response.

'The creation of the helpline is a vital first step and Help Musicians is well placed to provide this service, as an independent charity.

The charity Help Musician's initiative, which is supported Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, will provide emotional support, advice and guidance on how to raise and resolve issues

'But this is only one part of the solution, and we look forward to seeing industry-wide standards and culture change that eventually leads to our service becoming redundant.

'The anonymous insight we will gather through this service will shed more light on the issues being experienced and help to target the collaborative efforts for positive and permanent change across the music industry.

'This is a vital service, and we ask for everybody's help in promoting awareness once we go live in March, to ensure that individuals who need it will know that they can call for support at any time.'
Getting vaccinated against Covid can halve your risk of suffering long Covid, real-world UK data suggests.

A study of 6,000 people found those double-jabbed with Pfizer or Moderna were 49.6 per cent less likely to have lingering symptoms such as fatigue three months after infection.

Two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine gave slightly lower protection, slashing the chance by 37.7 per cent.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) report did not look at boosters and did not cover the Omicron wave.

In total, 1.3million people in the UK were estimated to be living with long Covid  defined as having virus symptoms for more than 12 weeks.

The condition was reported in 9.5 per cent of people who had two jabs compared to 14.6 per cent of the unvaccinated.

The ONS analysis was based on people aged 18 to 69 and included people who had a positive test by November 30 last year. It relied on people self-reporting their own symptoms, meaning they were not clinically diagnosed.

While it's still not entirely clear how vaccination protects against Covid, people who get severely ill with the initial infection often go on to suffer lingering symptoms.

Jabs greatly reduce the risk of serious disease in the first place by priming the immune system and training it how to recognise and fight the real Covid.

Separate analysis suggests NHS staff in England have taken around 1.8million sick days because of long Covid since March 2020.

Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures suggested two doses of AstraZeneca's jab reduces the risk of long Covid by 37.7 per cent compared to being unvaccinated (bottom). And two doses of either Pfizer or Moderna's jabs have an even greater protection, slashing the chances by 49.6 per cent (middle). Graphs show: The chance of having long Covid after doses of a vaccine compared to being unvaccinated

What is Long Covid? As of October 2, an estimated 1.2 million people in the UK were estimated to have long Covid, according to the NHS. Long Covid is an informal term, used to describe ongoing symptoms following a Covid infection that go on longer than 12 weeks. A dizzying array of symptoms have been attributed to long Covid, including: extreme tiredness (fatigue)

shortness of breath

chest pain or tightness

problems with memory and concentration ('brain fog')

difficulty sleeping (insomnia)

heart palpitations

dizziness

pins and needles

joint pain

depression and anxiety

tinnitus, earaches

feeling sick, diarrhoea, stomach aches, loss of appetite

a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, changes to sense of smell or taste

rashes There is no cure for the condition though the NHS does recommend a number of treatments designed to help alleviate the symptoms. Advertisement

A vaccine mandate for all frontline NHS is due to come in effect on April 1, with 77,000 facing the sack.

After weeks of bullishly defending the controversial plan, Health Secretary Sajid Javid yesterday hinted the Government could still back down.

For the latest report, the ONS asked participants whether they had suffered long Covid 'of any severity' since April 2020, or if their activity was limited by the condition.

It linked their answers to NHS Immunisation Management Service (NIMS) vaccine data to check which jab they were given, or if they were unvaccinated.

The ONS estimated two doses of either vaccine reduced the risk of getting long Covid by 41.1 per cent. And the jabs reduced the risk of having 'activity-limiting' long Covid by 40.7 per cent.

Some 8.7 per cent of unvaccinated survey participants said they suffered debilitating long Covid.

In comparison, just 5.5 per cent of people jabbed twice with any company's vaccine reported the same.

Dr James Doidge, a senior statistician at the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC), said: 'There is one crucial factor that the analysis does not control for: Covid variant.

'Most of the unvaccinated group were infected during the wild or Alpha-dominant periods whereas most of the vaccinated group were infected during the Delta wave.

'We already know from other research that Delta is associated with about a 31 per cent lower odds of having symptoms persisting to 28 days.

'This analysis indicates a 41 per cent difference at 12 weeks so it seems likely that much of this difference is explained not by vaccination but by differences in the variant to which each group was exposed.'

Experts have previously cast doubt over the ONS's long Covid sufferer findings, with some saying they are likely to be an overestimation given symptoms like headaches and fatigue can be linked to a variety of conditions.

The figures come after a report by the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus which found thousands of NHS staff have been off work with long Covid since the start of the pandemic.

Nearly 80,000 frontline NHS staff are still yet to have a single dose of the vaccine.

All staff need to have had two doses by April 1 or face losing their job, under plans laid out by the Department of Health. It means they must get their first jab by next week in order to meet the target.

But Mr Javid yesterday said the policy was being kept 'under review', insisting it is 'right' to reflect on proposals as the pandemic changes.

He said that plans for compulsory jabs for frontline workers were made when the Delta variant was the dominant strain in the UK, but now 'almost all' cases are the Omicron variant which is 'intrinsically less severe'.

The APPG report found despite the lack of severity, an estimated nearly 2million sick days were taken by NHS staff for 'long Covid' between March 2020 and September 2021.

They based their estimate on 200 Freedom of Information requests sent to NHS Trusts in England, of which 70 responded with relevant data on absences.

The true figure could be higher, with the condition not known in the early months of the pandemic and therefore unlikely to appear in the trusts' records.

The group called for the condition to be recognised as an occupational disease.

Layla Moran, chair of the APPG on coronavirus, said: 'While much of the focus of the past two years has been on fighting the pandemic, the government has paid almost no attention to Long Covid and the severe impact it is having on our vital public services.

'Thousands of frontline workers are now living with an often debilitating condition after being exposed to the virus while protecting this country.

'They cannot now be abandoned.'
Dead seals have begun washing up on an English shore - just months after thousands of perished crustaceans were found piled up on the same coastline.

Worrying pictures show the marine mammals lying dead on beaches in the North East, near to the mouth of the River Tees.

It comes four months since reports first emerged of crabs, lobsters and even octopuses being found dead on beaches stretching from Whitby to Hartlepool.

The 'ankle-deep' piles of crustaceans sparked an investigation by concerned environmental bosses.

The probe came amid claims by local experts and fishermen that deep dredging in the mouth of the River Tees had exposed local marine wildlife to previously buried underwater toxins.

But the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) bosses have since ruled out dredging as a cause. And they say Environment Agency (EA) testing on the dead crustaceans has showed no signs of poisoning.

Defra says it remains a mystery how the marine creatures died. And as of yet there is no known link between the seal deaths and those of the crustaceans four months ago.

The investigation into the October mass wash-up remains ongoing and MailOnline understands findings could be published 'within weeks'.

But with dead seals now being discovered on beaches in the area, pressure is growing on to crack the mystery sooner-rather-than-later.

Academic and lobster fisherman, Joe Redfern, who holds a Masters in marine biology and works for the Association of Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authorities, says a lack of information about the investigations by Defra has fuelled speculation.

Worrying pictures show the marine mammals lying dead on beaches in the North East, near to the mouth of the River Tees

It comes four months since reports first emerged of scores of crabs, lobsters and even octopuses being found dead on beaches stretching from Whitby to Hartlepool

The 'ankle-deep' piles of crustaceans, which washed up along with large piles of seaweed, sparked an investigation by environment chiefs. The probe came amid claims by local experts and fishermen that deep dredging at the mouth of the Tee had exposed local marine wildlife to previously buried underwater toxins

Pictured: Hundreds of dead and dying crabs along the shore between Saltburn and Markse

Joe, who has been researching inshore marine life in the region for around two years and fishes for lobster off Whitby, said: 'What has happened isn't natural from my perspective, something has happened and we need to get to the bottom of it.

What seals can be found in UK waters? Only two types of seal are typically found in UK waters  the harbour seal (also known as the common seal) and the grey seal. The Grey seal is one of Britain's largest native carnivores Adult female gray seals are about 7.5 feet long and weigh about 550 pounds, while adult males can reach 10 feet long and weigh about 880 pounds. And they live for a significant period of time as well, with males often living for more than 25 years and females living up to 46 years. The UK coast is home to roughly 38 per cent of the worlds population of grey seals  some 110,000 individuals. The other resident seal species is the smaller harbour seal, also known as a common seal. The UK is home to approximately 5 per cent of the worlds population of harbour seals. There are at least 33,400 harbour seals in UK waters. Adult harbour seals typically weigh 220 pounds and they can live 20-30 years. Advertisement

'We need answers and the fishing community needs answers.

'There has been a really massive impact on fishing and at the end of the day, that is people's livelihoods - and more than that, it is a whole community, a whole way of life for these people who have been fishing for generations.'

Joe, who is also involved in the Whitby Lobster Hatchery project to raise and release juvenile lobsters back into the sea, believes better communication is needed between the investigating agencies and the fishing community.

He said: 'I think it is unusual for an investigation to be taking this long.

'There have been a lot of unanswered questions and there has not been enough transparency from the agencies to the industry and not enough effort has been made to ask the fishermen questions.

'The fishing community knows about the populations of the animals and the species more than the vast majority of these researchers who are sat behind desks all over the country.

'They are the first people to see the warning signs and to know what is happening.

'I think a lot of fishermen feel let down by the agencies and there is an element of mistrust there as well and it really comes from this vacuum of not having any answers and not enough information from the agencies.

'It creates this vacuum where people are forced to speculate.'

The calls come after dead seals were found on beaches at South and North Gare, Sandsend and Whitby.

Four months ago thousands of dead crabs and lobsters were found piled-up along the Teeside coast, between Marske and Saltburn.

One woman said she had lived in the area for 21 years and had never seen anything like the scenes in October - even after a rough high tide or a storm.

The Environment Agency confirmed in October that it has launched an investigation into the mysterious occurrence, and find out if high emissions are to blame

Dead and alive crabs, lobsters and other crustaceans washed up on beaches between Saltburn and Markse

It is unclear whether the seal deaths are linked to the crustacean wipeout in October.

What is a 'Freeport'? Freeports are special areas within the UKs borders where different economic regulations apply. The facility allows goods to be imported without tariffs, excise duties and other taxes being paid before materials are shipped on again. Freeports in England are centred around one or more air, rail, or seaport, but can extend up to 45km beyond the port. The Teeside Freeport consists of the Teesworks, Wilton Engineering, Liberty Steel, Teesside Airport, LV Shipping, Teesport and the ports of Middlesbrough and Hartlepool. At the March 2021 Budget, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced 8 successful prospective freeports locations in England, as selected a bidding process. Locations selected to progress to the next stages of designation were: East Midlands Airport, Felixstowe & Harwich (known as Freeport East), Humber, Liverpool City Region, Plymouth & South Devon, Solent, Teesside and Thames. The Teeside Freeport is one of Tees Valley's flagship projects, which is hoped will create 18,000 jobs and provide 3.2 billion boost to local communities. Advertisement

Some experts and fishermen remain convinced the deaths could be linked to dredging of the Tees to create a greater depth for the Teesside Freeport - which opened in November.

They believe this may have dislodged long-dormant chemicals from the riverbed which have entered the sea and poisoned marine life.

But Defra, which is leading the multi-agency investigation, has ruled this out as a possible cause.

It says that nothing in the testing of sediment or evidence from Environment Agency sampling suggests a chemical contaminant is a cause.

They claim sediment at the Inner Tees disposal site took place in April 2021 and there was no evidence of significantly elevated contaminants.

The investigation continues. Today a Defra spokesperson again confirmed that sediment testing has ruled out dredging as a likely cause of the dead crabs and lobsters.

She added: 'Our priority is to understand the cause of the issue and investigations are ongoing.'

A spokeswoman for PD Ports, which is the Statutory Harbour Authority, said they were also frustrated at the lack of answers.

She said: 'As the Statutory Harbour Authority for the River Tees, we are equally disturbed by the number of deceased crustaceans that appeared across North East beaches late last year.

'We have continued to work alongside the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), the Environmental Agency (EA) and other official bodies to provide all information we have available to assist with this enquiry which, subsequently, has ruled out dredging activity as a possible cause.

'We are committed to the conservation of the River Tees and share in the frustration that a cause has not yet been identified for this issue.'

The Freeport is one of Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen's flagship projects, which is hoped will create 18,000 jobs and provide 3.2 billion boost to local communities. Pictured: Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak visit Teeside Port in March 2021

The Freeport is one of Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen's flagship projects, which is hoped will create 18,000 jobs and provide 3.2 billion boost to local communities.

Freeports are special areas within the UKs borders where different economic regulations apply.

The facility allows goods to be imported without tariffs, excise duties and other taxes being paid before materials are shipped on again.

Freeports in England are centred around one or more air, rail, or seaport, but can extend up to 45km beyond the port.

The Teeside Freeport consists of the Teesworks, Wilton Engineering, Liberty Steel, Teesside Airport, LV Shipping, Teesport and the ports of Middlesbrough and Hartlepool.

A spokesperson for Tees Valley Combined Authority said Teesside Freeport had not been responsible for any dredging in the River Tees.

They said the only dredging that had taken place recently in the river was at its mouth and was in October and part of ongoing maintenance conducted by PD Ports as the Statutory Harbour Authority.
Families of Israeli soldiers who were killed during active service are trying to push through a groundbreaking new law that would allow them to use their dead child's sperm and a surrogate to become grandparents.

Lawmakers are pushing for the new bill, which has previously been rejected, that would see bereaved parents allowed to posthumously retrieve sperm from their deceased children.

In the past, a handful of families made the decision to retrieve sperm from their fallen children to preserve the family bloodline, but any decision passed by the government would enshrine this practice in Israeli law.

Zvi Hauser, an Israeli former Cabinet Secretary, described the legislation as both 'complicated and sensitive', but insisted countries would be quick to replicate if new laws were enacted.

He told the Jerusalem Post: 'We tell people to place themselves in front of enemy bullets, to risk their life, for the good of the country.

'In return, we have to give back to those who risk their lives. A lot of parents never knew of this option, and had many families known, they would have retrieved their son's sperm.'

Previously, some families made the decision to retrieve sperm from their fallen children to preserve the family bloodline, but any decision passed by Israel's government would enshrine this practice in Israeli law. Pictured: Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, second from right, at the Knesset

Should the bill pass, Israeli soldiers will be allowed to provide written permission that allows the retrieval of their sperm in case of death.

A spouse, parent or guardian will then be offered to chance to retrieve that sperm within 72 hours of the soldier's passing.

Any baby born to a fallen soldier would not be viewed as an IDF orphan, meaning the child's mother would not receive government benefits for children whose parents die during active duty.

Baruch Ben Yigal, whose son Amit Ben Yigal (pictured) was killed during a raid in Ya'bad in May 2020, revealed he took his son's sperm after he died, but is still unable to offer it to any prospective surrogate mothers due to current Israeli legislation

Surviving female partners of soldiers have been offered the chance for posthumous sperm retrieval for IVF since 2003.

Hauser explains: 'The bill says first, let's ask the soldier. Right now, we aren't asking them, except in certain cases.

'But now we want to say, "Okay, let's give the soldier the option to give his opinion when he drafts into the army".'

The new law is backed by campaigners and groups who fight for the rights of bereaved families of Israeli soldiers.

Baruch Ben Yigal, whose son Amit Ben Yigal was killed during a raid in Ya'bad in May 2020, revealed he took his son's sperm after he died.

'Amit, my son, was a hero. He really wanted to be a father. He wrote about it. He spoke about it,' Ben Yigal said to The Jerusalem Post.

'He was a soldier in Sayeret Golani [an elite combat corps], and he fell during operational activity. When it happened, we thought that the terrorist not only killed Amit, but he prevented us from becoming grandparents.'

Several families are understood to be backing the project, including Nitza Shmueli, whose son, Barel Hadaria Shmueli (pictured) was attacked during a violent riot in Gaza in August

But despite holding a quantity of his son's sperm, and having more than 180 women from across Israel who have offered to become the surrogate mother, Ben Yigal says the state is stopping him from becoming a grandfather.

The new law is also being backed by Or Lamishpachot, a not-for-profit group that supports bereaved families of Israeli servicemen.

Several families are understood to be backing the project, including Nitza Shmueli, whose son, Barel Hadaria Shmueli, was attacked during a violent riot in Gaza in August.

Irit Oren Gunders, who leads the organisation, said: 'It's happening now. There is another family in the same position as Nitza who is supporting her.'
Hosts of The Project laughed at Australians who 'refuse to get the vaccine' but are more than happy to spend $30 on a contraption that holds your fast food upright.

Peter Helliar mocked the unvaccinated during Wednesday's broadcast, lamenting the inconsistencies of the kind of people refusing the jab but paying money for a 'Maccas holder' known as 'BAGO'.

'Some people won't get a vaccine, but they will buckle up a Big Mac,' he said as co-hosts Carrie Bickmore and Peter van Onselen burst out laughing.

Hosts of The Project ripped into Australians who 'refuse to get the vaccine' but are more than happy to spend $30 on a contraption that holds your fast food upright

The new invention is the brainchild of US-based Dan Stevenson named 'BAGO', which works by hanging out of the glovebox and clipping to the top of the bag resting on the passenger-side floor.

In this way, the gadget ensures the bag remains upright, acting a bit like the safety anchors people use to stop heavy bookcases from tipping over.

BAGO has been launched on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo, where it can be purchased for $30 and is expected to ship by June.

The hosts of the Network 10 program mocked the idea of getting a fast food device while people are still refusing to get vaccinated, before Helliar revealed his strange method for transporting his food.

'I usually put mine on the back seat,' he said, as his shocked co-hosts asked him why.

'The back seat is almost the same as the front seat,' he defiantly replied.

'I'm sorry, sometimes I'm with people I go and get the food with, they run in and bring it back.'

Van Onselen asked if he then 'gets food all over his backseat', before Helliar said 'we will have a longer story on this tomorrow night'.

An inventor has developed a special seatbelt specifically designed to keep fast food bags upright as you drive. The brainchild of Atlanta-based Dan Stevenson, 'BAGO' works by hanging out of the glovebox and clipping to the top of the bag resting on the passenger-side floor

According to its creators, BAGO works with all cars with a passenger-side fold-open glove box.

Alongside fast food to-go bags, the system could also be used to hold up grocery bags or even handbags.

The concept, the inventor explained, 'started as an idea that popped into my head while I was sitting at a stop light about two years ago.'

'BAGO is built to last using high quality components and assembled with care in the USA, Mr Stevenson said.

'These components include the purpose-built anchor piece constructed with smooth edges to treat your glovebox with care, the ultra-strong and durable seat belt strap material and the powerful metal-constructed clamp.

The latter, he added, 'keeps a grip on the bag through tight turns and changing speeds.'

Carrie Bickmore has unleashed on Peter van Onselen after he labelled Grace Tame (pictured) 'immature' after her controversial meeting with the Prime Minister in Canberra on Tuesday

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The light-hearted exchange was in stark contrast to Tuesday night's show, where co-hosts Bickmore and van Onselen had a tense exchange over the coverage of Grace Tame's visit with the prime minister.

Bickmore and journalist Amy Remeikis, who featured as a guest on The Project on Tuesday night, did not hold back against the commentator when discussing the 2021 Australian of the Year winner.

Tame had avoided eye contact with Scott Morrison and refused to smile for a photograph together on Tuesday morning at The Lodge at the AOTY morning tea for this year's finalists.

Van Onselen wrote a scathing opinion piece on the awkward encounter, calling the sexual abuse survivor 'ungracious, rude and childish', suggesting if she felt this way she should have stayed home.

Bickmore and guest Remeikis, who is a sexual assault survivor herself, took issue with his comments and questioned why Tame needed to act a certain way.

'Your column today, devastating to so many people,' Remeikis said.

'Woman constantly have to come out talk about their trauma... talk about not being taken seriously, scream the roof down get to the point where I'm almost crying on national television to talk about this

'We're constantly being told how we should act, who we should think about and who perhaps should be seen in our place.'

Bickmore then asked van Onselen why he felt he needed to tell Tame to act in a certain way and to smile during a 'catastrophe'.

The Project host questioned why van Onselen (left) wrote an opinion piece on Tame, suggesting if she was going to act 'immature' she should have stayed home

'I didn't think she should smile and pretend it's OK, I just thought she shouldn't go, if you can't be polite in some form, I think just don't go,' he said, adding he applauded everything Tame had done for survivors of sexual assault.

The Project panellist then asked why should Tame be silenced and not able to attend the morning tea to which van Onselen said 'if you can't show basic courtesy I think it's immature'.

'You spoke about how she acted as a child, you know when she should have been able to act as a child? When she was a child. But she was preyed upon by a man and lost part of herself in that,' Bickmore fired back.

'I'm unsure how that article today helps when I'm assuming, like the entire nation, you want violence against women and children to end?'.

The commentator responded saying he had been the victim of an attempted sexual assault and understood the importance of the conversation around sexual abuse.

'But I just think if you can't be polite to the Prime Minister of the country, I get it, I said in the article, I get it, if she can't be polite to him but then just don't go,' van Onselen said.
A teenage 'drug dealer' from San Jose has been charged with the murder of a 12-year-old girl who died after overdosing on fentanyl she unknowingly bought from him in 2020.

The boy, 16, was arrested on Tuesday, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office.

He allegedly sold a pill to Dalilah Guerrero, 12, who believed it was the painkiller oxycodone, sold under the brand name Percocet. She died after snorting about three-quarters of it on November 14, 2020, prosecutors say.

Two teens filmed a video of Dalilah lining up the crushed pill to she could snort it. She passed out and began snoring, a telltale sign of fentanyl overdose. She was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Her mother, Maria Guerrero, called the drug dealer's arrest 'justice' in an interview with Bay Area station KGO.

A translator said: 'The day her daughter passed away someone took a photo when she was laying in the car. Someone even sent her a message saying that they were considering dropping her off or even tossing her to a river.'

Dalilah Guerrero, 12, died in November 2020 after snorting three-fourths of a pill that was actually the potent synthetic opioid fentanyl

Authorities have arrested a 16-year-old drug dealer who allegedly sold her the 'M-30' pill

A translator for Dalilah's mother, Maria Guerrero (above), said, 'Someone even sent her a message saying that they were considering dropping her off or even tossing her to a river'

Dalilah became the youngest person to fatally overdose from fentanyl in Santa Clara County in 2020, according to the DA's office.

In a breakthrough in the case, prosecutors have now arrested a 16-year-old boy who they described as a 'drug dealer.'

The boy's name was not released as he is a minor, but is he being charged with murder. It is believed he will be tried as a juvenile.

Investigators looking into the suspect's Google Photos account said there were screen shots of public service warnings over fentanyl overdoses that predated the girl's death.

Guerrero's mother 'was counting down the days and didn't know that there was going to be justice and today there is justice,' her translator said.

According to prosecutors, in November 2020, Dalilah was with two other teenagers when she contacted the suspect and bought an 'M-30' pill.

The group videoed her lining up the crushed pill, which she then snorted.

They say she then passed out and began snoring, a 'telltale sign of a fentanyl overdose'.

She was rushed to the Regional Medical Center in San Jose. She was declared dead.

Her family said Dahlilah 'was loved by many people.'

Deputy District Attorney Donald Shearer said the girl died after consuming three-quarters of a single pill that she believed was Percocet.

Dalilah was with two other teenagers when she contacted the suspect and bought an 'M-30' pill, prosecutors say. The group videoed her lining up the crushed pill before snorting it

Dalilah was with two other teenagers when she contacted the suspect and bought the pill

Guerrero's mother 'was counting down the days and didn't know that there was going to be justice and today there is justice,' her translator said.

'She was clearly looking to put her mind in a different place,' Shearer told KTVU. 'She was not looking for the dangerous effects of fentanyl.'

The prosecutor added: 'Unfortunately, what your drug dealer tells you you're getting and what you get are often two different things.'

Shearer said of the boy: 'He isn't some innocent victim in this.

'He's someone that knew that he could obtain these pills, and when he passed them off on a 12-year-old girl, he consciously disregarded life.'

'She was clearly looking to put her mind in a different place,' Deputy District Attorney Donald Shearer told KTVU. 'She was not looking for the dangerous effects of fentanyl'

Fentanyl is approximately 50 to 100 times more toxic than morphine, prosecutors said. Just a few grains can cause a fatal overdose.

Illicit fentanyl is sometimes pressed into pills made to look like other prescription pills (like oxycodone, hydrocodone, Xanax, and others).

In Santa Clara County, fentanyl is especially prevalent in fake generic pills, with such street names as 'M-30s', 'M-box-30s', 'pressed blues', 'blues', and 'Oxy'.

The DA's Office says this is the second time they have charged a drug dealer with murder after a fatal overdose.

A San Jose man is facing a murder charge after selling a fatal opioid over Snapchat to a Santa Clara 18-year-old in 2020.
France has renewed its threat to take the Uk to court unless its fishermen get more access to rich UK waters.

European affairs minister Clement Beaune said Paris was 'not happy with the situation' following a wrangle over licences for French vessels.

Last month, the French government said 93 per cent of the requested licences had been issued by Britain compared to 60 per cent at the beginning of November.

But Mr Beaune, speaking to reporters in Brussels, said the lack of progress since more permissions were granted in December meant that legal action remains an option, with France having issued a similar threat last year.

'Our analysis is very simple - we are not 100 per cent satisfied because we do not think the agreement has been implemented to the tune of 100 per cent either,' Mr Beaune told a press conference.

The French minister, in a translation by the European Commission, added: 'We, together with the commission, will be looking at all the levers at our disposal to see what can be done, because quite clearly we are not happy with the situation.

European affairs minister Clement Beaune said Paris was 'not happy with the situation' following a wrangle over licences for French vessels.

Last month, the French government said 93 per cent of the requested licences had been issued by Britain compared to 60 per cent at the beginning of November.

French President Emmanuel Macron (pictured addressing the European parliament in Strasbourg) last week blamed Britain for migrant deaths in English Channel and demanded a sign of 'good faith' over fishing licences in a blistering attack as France today took over the presidency of the European Union

'We do have to continue our dialogue on this specific fisheries-related issue to ensure we can get those licences which have not yet been forthcoming.

'And as we said back in December, if dialogue proves insufficient then legal action may be necessary.'

However, with talks continuing with the UK, the minister stressed he did not think 'we are at the end of the road yet'.

He has previously said that France wants 73 more applications for its trawlers signed-off.

The fishing row centres on licences to trawl in UK and Channel Islands waters under the terms of Britain's post-Brexit trade deal with the EU - the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA).

Before Brexit, French fishermen could fish freely inside British waters but, since the split from the bloc, they need a special licence from the UK Government or the crown dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey to fish in certain areas.

The main source of contention in the current dispute is the number of licences to fish in waters around the British coastline granted to smaller French vessels, which have to be able to prove they operated in those grounds before Brexit.

Emmanuel Macron blamed Britain for migrant deaths in the English Channel last week and called on Brussels to be 'tough' on fishing licences as the bitter row with London continued at the European Parliament today.

As France took over the presidency of the EU, Macron took the opportunity to accuse Boris Johnson of putting lives at danger because of his migration policy, with record numbers making the perilous journey across the Channel in dinghies.

The French president said current rules encourage illegal migration and do not allow for asylum seekers to seek lawful ways into the country, pushing migrants to attempt the treacherous crossing instead.

The row between France and Britain has rumbled on since the tragic sinking of a dinghy in November which led to the deaths of 27 migrants, with both countries placing the blame on the other.

His comments come as it was revealed today that nearly 1,000 migrants have arrived in the UK already this year, after 168 landed in Dover yesterday.

Macron, addressing Parliament in Strasbourg at the start of the six-month presidency, also said the EU and the UK need to 'regain trust' in each other in the post-Brexit era in a reference to the ongoing dispute over fishing licences.

He said: 'We want to make certain that the agreements entered into are respected when it comes to the rights of our fishermen or the Northern Ireland protocol or vital discussions which have to be had in the future.

'Let's be clear, let's be tough when we say that the conditions of agreements entered into have to be respected. That's the way to remain friends.'
An Extinction Rebellion activist who scaled a Tube train to protest about climate change told a court he did not get down because he feared he would be killed.

James Mee, 37, was eventually pulled onto the platform at Canning Town station and kicked by enraged passengers during the morning rush-hour on October 17, 2019.

Inner London Crown Court has heard accounts administrator Mee, and former Buddhist teacher Mark Ovland, 38, were showered with coffee, sandwiches and coins as they refused to get down.

They unfurled a banner saying 'business as usual=death' while a public announcement told the crowd to evacuate.

Edmund Blackman, prosecuting, has said the pair were only on top of the train for 20 minutes but 48,000 people had their morning commutes affected.

Giving evidence Mee said the original plan had been to block the Jubilee line for one hour, from 6am, to disrupt workers travelling into the City - but they were 45 minutes late.

'We were told no one would be about other than a few cleaners coming home and if we got on top of the train and staged the protest the police would arrive very quickly, the station would be closed, a special removal team would have to be called.'

XR activists Mark Ovland (left) and James Mee (right) were showered with coffee and coins as they refused to get down from the top of a tube train

Michael Goold, representing Mee, asked: 'When you saw there were more people than expected, why did you not get off the train?'

'We wanted the protest to be a success and also it was scary and I didn't know what people were going to do,' replied Mee.

'We were up there for 18/19 minutes, waiting for the police to arrive, the pressure increasing. I didn't know what the crowd was going to do, I was overreacting in my mind.

'I went to the most catastrophic conclusion. People were making death threats, I thought my life was in danger and the last thing I wanted to do was get down.'

Mee said he expected to receive a 'serious, serious beating' if got off the train.

'As it happened, there were a few people who wanted to put the boot in, none of them really connected. The crowd very quickly pacified after we were brought down.'

Asked about footage of him kicking out at a passenger who reached up to grab him, Mee said he felt guilty about breaking Extinction Rebellion's code of non-violence.

'The best thing to have done would have been to sit down. That is the essence of being non-violent. I massively regret what happened.'

Mr Blackman played footage of Mee and Ovland climbing onto the train, after which a passenger approaches shouts and throws a sandwich at them.

The prosecutor asked: 'Within a minute of you getting on that train people are already angry, aren't they? Did you not think at that stage, it's not going where you want, should we not get off now?'

'You can see in the footage someone throws a sandwich,' replied Mee. 'At that point there was less fear of our safety from violence in the crowd.

'We were there to do a protest and there's that human psychology in that it's harder to abandon something you've started and as things got more violent it became harder to come down.'

Mee said he had not considered the possibility of a crowd turning violent against him.

'Once you've said you're going to go through with something it's difficult to change course,' he said.

'There was adrenaline going on, there was focus on how to get up there, is it going to go smoothly.

'We couldn't communicate. I didn't want to let everyone else down.'

Mee, of Filton, Bristol, and Ovland, of Keinton Mandeville, Somerset, deny obstructing engines or carriages on railways under the Malicious Damages Act 1861.

The trial continues.
A Democratic political consultant in New Jersey is out on bail after he admitted to paying two men to kill a longtime associate and set his apartment on fire in 2014.

Sean Caddle, 44, appeared in federal court via videoconference on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. He faces a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Caddle solicited a Connecticut resident in April 2014 to commit the killing for thousands of dollars, prosecutors said. That person recruited an accomplice from Philadelphia, and they fatally stabbed the victim and set his Jersey City apartment on fire the next month, according to authorities.

Prosecutors did not release the name of the victim or the suspects, but NJ.com reported that the circumstances of the case matched the death of Michael Galdieri, 52, who was the son of the late former state Sen. James Galdieri and who worked for Caddle's consulting group.

One of Galdieri's friends says Caddle's plea brings Galdieri's death 'to a whole new level' because people had assumed Galdieri, who was sentenced to drugs and weapons charges in 2007, died in a fight over drugs or money. The two knew each other and 'Mike worked on elections for Caddle,' the friend told the outlet.

No motive in the murder-for-fire plot has been suggested. The New Jersey political operative runs a network of super PACs that pump money into local races, according to Politico.

Caddle has been released on $1 million unsecured bond and confined to his home before trial.

Sean Caddle (above), 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire on Tuesday for ordering the deadly stabbing of a work colleague in 2014

No motive has been suggested. Caddle (above) has been released on $1 million unsecured bond and confined to his home before trial

Caddle is accused of paying someone thousands of dollars to kill Michael Galdieri, 52 (above)

Galdieri was found stabbed to death after authorities responded to a fire at his apartment at 158 Mallory Avenue in Jersey City (above)

Court filings show that Caddle had agreed to plead guilty in October, but the matter was kept confidential until this week.

Those close to Caddle appear to have been stunned by Tuesday's plea.

'I just spoke to him today. He didn't say anything. Amazing,' former state Sen. Ray Lesniak told Politico on Tuesday.

Caddle, who lives in Hamburg, managed Lesniak's 2017 gubernatorial campaign along with a pro-Lesniak super PAC .

'He's an immense political talent. It's so hard to believe.'

'He was an all-star in terms of being a political operative,' Lesniak added in an interview with NJ.com.

Galdieri lived alone in a second-floor apartment on Mallory Avenue in Jersey City. He was found dead after officers responded to a fire at about 10:35 p.m. on May 22, 2014.

Authorities said Caddle learned the next day that the victim had been killed. He allegedly paid off the first conspirator in the parking lot of a diner in Elizabeth.

Former state Sen. Ray Lesniak said he had just spoken to Caddle on Tuesday, the same day he pled guilty to the murder-for-hire plot. 'He didn't say anything. Amazing,' he said

Galdieri worked on Caddle's consulting group, helping out with elections in Elizabeth, according to the Hudson Reporter.

In 2005, Galdieri ran for Jersey City Council. On the even of the election, he was arrested and charged with drug and weapons violations and was sentenced to prison in 2007.

His charges included third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, ecstasy and methamphetamine, with intent to distribute; second-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, 16.16 grams of cocaine, with intent to distribute; possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a firearm in the course of violating, according to Justia.com.

He entered a plea deal and was sentenced on just three of the counts.

'At the time, everyone thought that Mike was killed due to a dispute over drugs or money,' said a longtime friend of Galdieri (above)

Hudson County Commissioner Bill ODea, a longtime friend of Galdieri's, was shocked at the latest development in an interview with the Hudson County View.

'I knew Mike since probably right after high school. He was very active in politics at an early age, his dad had been a state senator and he loved the game of politics. He enjoyed working on campaigns and staying up late in the diner talking about campaigns: He was a good guy,' ODea said.

'At the time, everyone thought that Mike was killed due to a dispute over drugs or money. This brings it to a whole new level. Obviously Mike worked on elections for Caddle.'

'This was a callous and violent crime, and this defendant is as responsible as the two men who wielded the knife,' U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a statement.

The judge allowed Caddle to remain free on $1 million unsecured bond, home detention with electronic monitoring and travel restrictions while he faces a sentence of up to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.

NJ.com reported that Galdieri had also worked on the campaign of former state Assemblyman Lou Manzo and on Bret Schundler's run for Jersey City mayor in 1993.

Caddle, meanwhile, is a well-known Jersey political operative who runs a network of super PACs that pump money into local races, according to Politico. He was also involved in a Texas voter fraud scandal.

He worked as a consultant on former state Sen. Raymond Lesniak's last re-election campaign and for other candidates. Lesniak said he spoke with Caddle earlier Tuesday and Caddle didn't say anything about the charge.

'I am stunned. This is so bizarre. I can't believe it,' the Union County Democrat said.
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Nearly 200 migrants made it to the UK on small boats yesterday, official government figures reveal. More than 180 made the dangerous trip across the English Channel despite freezing temperatures.

It brings this month's total to 1,302, over five times the 223 who made the crossing last January. The first vessel yesterday was shortly after 8am, carrying about ten people, with a dozen more escorted to safety at 10am.

Border Force's Vigilant followed shortly after, bringing around 15 more people into the Port of Dover just before noon. A further four groups of migrants were escorted to the Tug Haven immigration centre throughout the day.

This brought the total number of arrivals to 183 migrants across seven boats on Tuesday according to the Home Office - the third highest figure this month.

It comes as a former patrol boat commander warned there is 'no spare capacity' of navy vessels to tackle the number of migrant crossings in the Channel.

Tom Sharpe told MPs the solution to curbing the crisis was 'not at sea' after the PM signed off plans for the military to take over command of the operation from Border Force.



More than 180 made the dangerous trip across the English Channel despite freezing temperatures yesterday (pictured)

It brings the total this month to 1,302, over five times the 223 who made the crossing in January 2021. Pictured: Yesterday

The first vessel yesterday arrived shortly after 8am, carrying approximately ten people, with a dozen more escorted to safety at 10am (pictured)

People could be seen wrapped in blankets amid freezing conditions in the Channel, but gave thumbs up to onlookers and the V for victory sign.

French authorities intercepted 100 people from the perilous crossing and a coastguard fixed-wing plane and drone were also searching for small boats.

Numbers are expected to dwindle today as the weather is set to take a turn for the worse.

Minister for Justice and Tackling Illegal Migration Tom Pursglove said: 'People fleeing persecution should seek safety in the first safe country they reach and not risk their lives paying criminal gangs to cross the Channel.

'This Government is reforming our approach to illegal entry to the UK and asylum by making the tough decisions to end the overt exploitation of our laws and its impact on UK taxpayers.

'The public have rightly had enough of the blatant disregard of our immigration laws and we are bringing in necessary long-term*changes.

'The Nationality and Borders Bill will make it a criminal offence to knowingly arrive in the UK illegally and introduce life sentences for those who facilitate illegal entry into the country.

'It will also strengthen the powers of Border Force to stop and redirect vessels, while introducing new powers to remove asylum seekers to have their claims processed outside the UK.'

Border Force cutter Vigilant followed shortly after, bringing around 15 more people into the Port of Dover just before noon. Pictured: Yesterday

A further four groups of migrants were escorted to the Tug Haven immigration centre throughout the day. Pictured: Yesterday

This brought the total number of arrivals to 183 migrants across seven boats on Tuesday according to the Home Office - the third highest figure this month. Pictured: The Army at Tug Haven in Dover yesterday

Official figures show more than three times as many migrants have arrived in Britain so far this month than in the whole of January last year. UK authorities have intercepted more than 950 migrants so far this year  more than three times the 223 in January 2021. Last year, 28,381 people were intercepted in the Channel, compared to just 8,410 in 2020

What happens when someone arrives in the UK after crossing the Channel? By Rory Tingle The vast majority of people crossing the Channel in small boats claim asylum, according to the Refugee Council. At this point the process for what happens varies depending on whether they are an adult, unaccompanied minor or a family unit. ADULT 1 - Immediately transferred to a short-term holding facility dotted around the country, generally in southern England. Fingerprints are taken and they have a screening interview where they provide their name, date of birth and nationality. This registers them into the asylum system. 2 - One or two days later the asylum seekers would usually be sent to a hostel run by the Home Office, but in the last few years these have become full so officials are using hotels. 3 - Two to three weeks later they are dispersed to a town or city anywhere in the UK into 'housing in the community' - although these time scales have stretched recent years. In addition, dispersal accommodation has often been full so the Home Office has relied on rented accomodation from three private providers. The asylum seekers receive housing and 39.63 a week as a cash allowance. 4 - The asylum seekers are issued with a form called a preliminary information questionnaire (PIC) where they are asked why they have a fear of persecution. At some point they are invited to the Home Office for substantive interview where they will be asked questions based on information from their screening interview and PIC form. 4 - If the initial decision is a refusal, the applicant can appeal to an independent tribunal. Their accommodation and support would continue. 5 - If they get an initial refusal and they don't appeal or their appeal is refused they become what's known in official jargon as 'appeal rights exhausted'. The Home Office will send them a letter saying they will be evicted and the weekly support will stop. 6 - They have the option of signing up to the Voluntary Return Scheme, under which the Home Office will pay for their flights. If they don't sign up they are liable to being picked up and detained by immigration officers and perhaps forcibly removed. But they are not enough detention spaces for people in that situation so they often become homeless and destitute, the Refugee Council said. CHILD Children (under 18) are sent to a short term holding facility for a much shorter amount of time and then transferred into the care of a local authority. They are allocated a social worker and accomodation. The Home Office cannot remove minors if they have been separated from their parents. However, if their asylum claim is unsuccessful they could be given a form of leave to remain until they are 17 and a half. FAMILY The only slight difference is that if a family become an 'appeal rights exhausted' case the Home Office wouldn't evict them from the accommodation or stop their financial support. Advertisement

Home Secretary Priti Patel told the Commons last week she had 'commissioned the MoD as a crucial operational partner to protect our Channel against illegal migration'.

Speaking to the Commons Defence Committee on Wednesday, ex-navy commander Mr Sharpe said: 'We have to acknowledge right at the start, in terms of context, about where the solution to this lies, and it's not at sea.'

Asked what resources the Navy has that could tackle migrant crossings, he said: 'If you fill the Channel with ships you could make this problem worse because you're now making the crossing safer, and therefore more attractive.

'In terms of what the navy's got right now, as I say they could use anything, but there is no fat, there is no spare capacity.

'The person in the planning board... is going to be hoping desperately that naval vessels aren't requisitioned for this task because they're all in use on other things.'

Vice Admiral Sir Charles Montgomery, a former Second Sea Lord and director general of Border Force between 2013 to 2017, said the navy had a 'far greater range' of its own assets and 'wider defence assets' to call on which will be 'very useful', but added those resources 'could have been available to Border Force if it was leading the operation'.

'Clearly a judgment has been made that this is ... about the leadership of the operation. And the Government have reached a judgment that the navy will be in a better place to lead this operation, better than Border Force or indeed any of the other operational arms that the Home Office has to call on,' he said.

The plans were called into question by some critics after little information was provided on how it would work and questions for more detail went unanswered.

John Spellar, acting committee chairman for the session, said it was 'unfortunate that the Ministry of Defence has declined to provide either a minister or an official or a senior navy officer' to answer questions on what has been named Operation Isotrope.

The plans have been 'in train' for some time, Mr Sharpe said, but suggested the decision to put the navy in charge was a bigger role than previously anticipated.

He told MPs he thought the navy could offer the operation four things 'really, very well': command and control to co-ordinate the large number of organisations involved; intelligence to 'better predict' when crossings are likely to happen; maritime surveillance which he described as 'navy 101'; and 'allocating resources efficiently'.

He suggested there was technology available that could 'saturate' the Channel with better surveillance, describing nodes that have radar, thermal imaging and optical cameras and intercept cell phone use which could cost about 3 million to buy 10 to cover the stretch of water.

With that in place 'you're not playing 'whac-a-mole' any more, to use that expression, which is what I think is happening now', he said, suggesting using such technology could help with 'efficiently allocating resources' if crossings were under way.

But when asked what navy vessels would actually be able to do when faced with intercepting a boat, and whether turning boats back towards France would be possible, he said: 'I would be happy if the expression of pushback was never used again.

'I cannot conceive a situation where you're physically turning these ships back that's either legal, or perhaps more importantly, safe.'

The potential 'reputational damage' to the Royal Navy 'needs to be considered', he said, adding: 'In terms of avoiding becoming a taxi service, this is why I think this isn't about just throwing more ships into the mix. It's about throwing the right number suitably...'

When it was suggested to him the plan could run the risk of encouraging more people to make the crossing if it fails, he said: 'I agree... I think there's a real danger of that.'
Philip Goldberg / Courtesy of U.S. Embassy in Colombia



By Nam Hyun-woo



United States Ambassador to Colombia Philip S. Goldberg is expected to be the new top U.S. envoy to South Korea, a post which has been vacant for more than a year, according to sources, Wednesday.



Multiple sources said the White House designated Goldberg as the new head of its mission to Seoul sometime around late last year and recently informed the South Korean government, requesting an agrement, which refers to a state approval of accepting a member of a diplomatic mission from a foreign country.



A senior Cheong Wa Dae official confirmed that the U.S. had designated its new ambassador to South Korea and informed the South, but refused to identify the designee.



"It is not an issue that the [South] Korean government can announce," the official said. "However, I can say that we have been informed about the new nominee."



The U.S. Embassy in Seoul neither confirmed nor denied this, with its spokesperson J.B. Leedy saying it does not have "any announcements to make at this time."



Goldberg is a career diplomat who served as U.S. ambassador to the Philippines, assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Intelligence and Research and ambassador to Bolivia.



From 2009 to 2010, Goldberg coordinated the implementation of United Nations sanctions on North Korea. During this period, he played a crucial role in implementing U.N. Security Council Resolution 1874, which bans all weapons exports from the regime and most imports.



When he visited Seoul in August 2009, Goldberg met South Korea's top nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac and other officials to discuss sanctions on Pyongyang. At that time, North Korea was taking a conciliatory approach to inter-Korean relations, such as resuming tours to Mount Kumkang in the North. But Goldberg noted that such measures have nothing to do with U.N. sanctions, demonstrating his hardline approach to North Korea.



Against this backdrop, the purported nomination of Goldberg as the new U.S. ambassador to South Korea shows that the Joe Biden administration is seeking to tighten the reins on North Korea's recent weapons development efforts.



Pyongyang conducted five missile tests so far this year, which include what the regime claims to be hypersonic missiles.



South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North launched two cruise missiles, Tuesday. But experts said the launch was far from a weapons test and appeared to be a show of protest against the recent U.S. sanctions on Pyongyang's missile tests.


This is the moment two Hermes couriers were secretly filmed hurling dozens of parcels into the back of their delivery van by a shocked customer in Essex.

Jenny Leung, 36, began recording the workers on her mobile phone shortly after leaving some parcels at a drop off point in a Go Outdoors store in Thurrock.

The school administrator watched on in horror from her car as the two men in high-vis vests then worked their way through a metal cage of packages, chucking her parcels - and many others - one by one into the back of their white vehicle.

In a video shared on Twitter, one of the workers can be seen doing the majority of the aggressive throwing, after his colleague hands him packages of different shapes and sizes.

Moment a Hermes employee is captured throwing parcels into the back of a delivery van in Essex

The workers were filmed by Jenny Leung (pictured), 36, who watched on in shock from her car just moments after dropping off parcels to be delivered by the company

The footage was recorded on November 2 last year but Hermes only today confirmed the incident had been 'dealt with'.

Ms Leung wrote alongside the video at the time: 'So I have just dropped off my parcels for Hermes but little did these two workers know that I was sitting in my car watching them throw my parcels into their van.

'I'm shocked that inside any of those packages could be something valuable they should not be thrown like that.

'I'm dropping off another parcel today let's see if the delivery guys do the same with everyone's delivery.'

Speaking today, Ms Leung added: 'The video was taken straight after I dropped off my parcels at the Go Outdoors branch in Thurrock.

'They pulled up in the van and went into the store to get the Hermes parcels trolley

'I often post things via Hermes but never expected they handled parcels so poorly.'

A spokeswoman for Hermes today said: 'This incident was dealt with when it was raised by our customer back in November 2021.'

The company declined to confirm the outcome of its investigation. MailOnline has contacted Hermes for comment.

In video footage, one of the workers can be seen doing the majority of the aggressive throwing, after his colleague hands him items of all different shapes and sizes. A spokeswoman for Hermes today said: 'This incident was dealt with when it was raised by our customer back in November 2021'

This is not the first time Hermes has come under scrutiny for its handling of parcels.

A customer lashed out at the courier earlier this month for sending a photo of a depot as proof of delivery after dozens claimed their items were damaged over Christmas.

Holly Reed, from Devon, was told her item had been delivered two months after placing her order, but received an image appearing to show a warehouse.

She said CCTV at her home showed the courier never attempted to deliver the parcel to her address and slammed the service as 'disgraceful'.

Other customers complained about the courier's service over the festive period, with some saying their deliveries had been 'smashed to bits'.

And Robert Shatwell, from Surrey, said he dispatched a camera telephoto lens worth 1,500 via Hermes, but the recipient was delivered a pair of ladies shoes instead with the courier offering a 'paltry' 20 in compensation.

The complaints follow Ofcom rating courier firms according to overall customer satisfaction rating, putting Hermes at the bottom with a figure of 57 per cent.

Holly Reed, from Devon, was told her item had been delivered two months after placing her order, but received an image (above) appearing to show a warehouse

An employee at the delivery firm is seen chucking deliveries against hard cages, walls and onto the floor in the video secretly filmed at the site in High Wycombe in December

It comes after footage emerged in December of Hermes couriers launching parcels around a depot in a bid to save time and a manager telling an undercover reporter posing as a member of staff to 'act stupid' if customers complain.

An employee at the delivery firm was seen chucking deliveries against cages, walls and onto the floor in the video secretly filmed at the site in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, by The Times.

At one point, the depot's manager, Mark, confesses a surge in Christmas orders had led to next-day delivery deadlines not being met every single day, despite customers paying out for the service.

He says: 'This time of year, it's difficult. Volumes shoot up. This depot is supposed to be clear every day. It's supposed to be empty. Never happens.'

Giving advice on how to deal with customers' complaints, the manager added: 'All you can do is act totally stupid, say: "I really apologise."'
A star DJ who suffered chronic back pain following a car crash died just hours after performing at a 'livestream party' after taking a range of pain killers, an inquest heard.

Lisa Helena Zarecky, 48, was found slumped at a friend's house after performing a the online set at the party.

An inquest heard Lisa had spent years taking pain medication after injuring her back in a car crash in 2014.

A coroner ruled that her death was the 'unintended consequence' of taking prescription medication and recorded a conclusion of 'drug-related death' at an inquest held this week.

Lisa was well-known on the music circuit and was Glastonbury Festival's first female breakbeat DJ.

But the inquest heard the car crash had a 'profound impact on the rest of her life' with Lisa regularly experienced intense pain.

Lisa Helena Zarecky was found dead at a friend's just hours after performing a livestream DJ set. An inquest heard the coroner found a range of medications in her bloodstream

The well-known artist (pictured) was Glastonbury Festival's first ever female breakbeat DJ

Lisa was born in Aldershot but moved around a lot in her youth - growing up in Germany, Oxford and Cyprus thanks to her father's role in the military.

Her family said Lisa settled in London after university and worked as a DJ regularly travelling across the UK.

But she became 'withdrawn' during lockdown and stopped exercising - choosing instead to spend much of her time in her bedroom.

In a statement, the family said they saw a 'significant shift in her demeanour'.

The inquest heard she had been looking forward to performing at the 'live-stream' party in Swansea, South Wales, in May last year.

Her brother watched the party on the online stream and said it was 'wonderful to see Lisa enjoying herself'.

Lisa stayed the night at the home of friend Owain Jones but the following day he found her lying on the sofa with her eyes open.

The coroner ruled her death was drug related and was an 'unintended consequence'

South Wales Police officers rushed to the scene but Lisa was pronounced dead.

The inquest heard she was found with a range of medications near her - including codeine, paracetamol, pregabalin, diazepam, and other prescription medications.

Toxicology reports found Lisa had an enlarged liver at the time of her death along with traces of prescription drugs and methadone.

Acting senior coroner Colin Phillips recorded conclusion of a drug-related death at the inquest in Swansea.

He said: 'She died as a result of the unintended consequences of consuming prescription medication for chronic pain' and recorded a drug-related death..'

Following the inquest friend Charlotte Toney paid tribute to Lisa - who was Glastonbury Festival's first female breakbeat DJ.

Charlotte said: 'Lisa was an energetic, creative, kind and caring soul to everyone.

'Lisa has left a hole behind that will never be filled by those that knew and loved her best but she will always be remembered as the shining light she was, no matter what.'
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What Boris said about Paul Farthing August 18, 2021 He told the Commons: 'Like many of us, I have been lobbied extensively about the excellent work done by Mr Pen Farthing. I am well aware of his cause and all the wonderful things that he has done for animals in Afghanistan. I can tell my hon. Friend that we will do everything that we can to help Mr Farthing and others who face particular difficulties, as he does ... without in any way jeopardising our own national security.' December 7 When the row over No10 influencing the decision to help Mr Farthing first broke in December, the PM used a television interview to deride the claim, saying: 'That's complete nonsense. But what I can tell you is that I think that the Operation Pitting to airlift 15,000 people out of Kabul in the way that we did over the summer was one of the outstanding military achievements of the last 50 years or more.' January 26, 2022 Emails released today by the Foreign Affairs Committee cited an official in the office of Lord Goldsmith, Foreign Office minister and close friend of Mrs Johnson, telling an official in his department 'the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated'. A second email said: 'Having regard to the Prime Minister's Nowzad decision, the Foreign Secretary might consider the [details redacted] vets and their dependents should be included. They might be able to get to the airport with their dependents in time.' Advertisement

Boris Johnson was accused by Labour of being a pathological liar today after emails revealed he intervened personally to help an animal charity boss associated with his wife flee the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

The Prime Minister has previously claimed on camera that it was 'nonsense' that he intervened to allow Paul 'Pen' Farthing and members of his Nowzad charity flee Kabul at the expense of locals as the extremists closed in last summer.

But Foreign Office emails published by MPs today show officials discussing 'the PM's decision' to help Mr Farthing get onto some of the last planes out of the besieged city's airport.

They also raise fresh question about the role played by the Prime Minister's wife in government affairs, after the charity admitted lobbying her directly to get action from the PM.

In December volunteer Dominic Dyer told LBC radio 'I know Carrie Johnson' and said he had lobbied her personally to help the menagerie of 170 animals and their handlers get in the air.

The emails released today by the Foreign Affairs Committee cited an official in the office of Lord Goldsmith, Foreign Office minister and close friend of Mrs Johnson, telling an official in his department 'the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated'.

That official later sent another message to other mandarins, saying: 'Having regard to the Prime Minister's Nowzad decision, the Foreign Secretary might consider the [details redacted] vets and their dependents should be included. They might be able to get to the airport with their dependents in time,' the emails said.

Labour branded Mr Johnson a 'pathological liar', with shadow defence secretary John Healey saying: 'Once again, the Prime Minister has been caught out lying about what he has been doing and deciding.

'He should never have given priority to flying animals out of Afghanistan while Afghans who worked for our armed forces were left behind.'

Tonight Lord Goldsmith said: 'I did not authorise and do not support anything that would have put animals' lives ahead of peoples'.

'My position, which I made clear publicly, was that the UK should prioritise evacuating people. I never discussed the Nowzad charity or their efforts to evacuate animals with the PM.'

Downing Street attempted to distance the PM from involvement in the decision on evacuating the Nowzad animals after the emails were released by the Foreign Affairs Committee.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'It remains the case that the PM didn't instruct officials to take any particular course of action.'

Downing Street has previously said neither of the Johnsons had any involvement, and insisted today: 'It remains the case that the PM didn't instruct officials to take any particular course of action.'

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace also said that 'at no point' was he 'directed' by Mr Johnson to prioritise evacuating the Nowzad contingent.

And the whistleblower revelation will inflict more damage on Mr Johnson, who this lunchtime insisted he will not quit over Partygate and desperately suggested he is the victim of a Remainer conspiracy at a bruising PMQs.

The Prime Minister has previously denied intervening to allow Paul 'Pen' Farthing and members of his Nawzad charity flee Kabul at the expense of locals as the extremists closed in last summer.

The emails released today by the Foreign Affairs Committee cited an official in the office of Lord Goldmith (pictured), Foreign Office minister and close friend of Mrs Johnson, telling an official in his department 'the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated'.

But Foreign Office emails published today show officials discussing 'the PM's decision' to help Mr Farthing get onto some of the last planes out of the besieged city's airport.

A volunteer at the charity run by former Royal Marine Paul Farthing said in December he had lobbied Carrie Johnson personally to help the menagerie of 170 animals get in the air.

The damning emails August 25, 12:20pm From: Official in Lord Goldsmith's private office To: FCDO official Subject: Animal Charity for Evacuation from Kabul '[animal charity  name redacted] are a [details redacted] animal charity operating in Kabul and seeking to evacuation (sic) their [details redacted] members of staff (no animals). 'Equivalent charity Nowzad, run by an ex-Royal Marine, has received a lot of publicity and the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated, [animal charity  name redacted] are hoping to be treated in the same capacity (granted LOTR).' August 25, 5.42pm From: FCDO official To: Foreign Secretary's Private Office Subject: Evacuation - LOTR. URGENT for FS (Foreign Secretary) views 'In light of the PM's decision earlier today to evacuate the staff of the Nowzad animal charity, the [animal charity  name redacted] (another animal rights NGO) is asking for agreement to the entry of [details redacted] staff, all Afghan nationals... 'Having regard to the Prime Minister's Nowzad decision, the Foreign Secretary might consider the [details redacted] vets and their dependents should be included. They might be able to get to the airport with their dependents in time.' Advertisement

What happened in August 2021 as the Taliban took over Afghanistan?

Dozens of employees from Former Royal Marine Paul 'Pen' Farthings' animal shelter in Afghanistan were able to fly to Britain via Pakistan after the Taliban seized power in September 2020.

There were crazy scenes at the airport, one of the last allied footholds, as thousands of people attempted to flee the hardline Islamist regime.,

But the decision to get them out on one of the final flights out of Kabul sparked anger, after hundreds of locals who worked for allied forces were left behind.

A volunteer at the charity later said he had lobbied Carrie Johnson personally to help the menagerie of 170 animals and their handlers get in the air.

Dominic Dyer told LBC radio that the charity 'lobbied all the ministers' about the charter fight, as well as the PM's wife, a noted animal welfare campaigner.

'Obviously I know Carrie Johnson. I made very clear my concerns to her. No doubt she spoke to him (the PM)', he told the broadcaster.

'Carrie Johnson took the message forward, not just through me but through the Conservative Animal Welfare Foundation.'

The plight of Farthing and his animals attracted much media attention in Britain, and led to a bitter row with defence minister Ben Wallace who said he could not allow anyone to jump the queue and would not prioritise pets over people.

What did Boris Johnson say about this claim that he did his wife's bidding?

The PM had previously directly denied intervening. When the row first broke in December he used a television interview to say: 'That's complete nonsense.

'But what I can tell you is that I think that the Operation Pitting to airlift 15,000 people out of Kabul in the way that we did over the summer was one of the outstanding military achievements of the last 50 years or more.'

Sir Laurie Bristow, who was on the ground as ambassador to Afghanistan during the withdrawal, told MPs today that no Afghans who could have been rescued were left behind as a result of the animal airlift.

Mr Johnson's spokesman said today he had not seen the emails, but repeated that the prime minister had not been involved.

'I know that the defence secretary yesterday made clear that at no stage .. did the prime minister ask him to make way for the pets, that no one jumped the queue and obviously we've made clear previously that the prime minister did not instruct officials to take any particular course of action,' he said.

Yesterday the Defence Secretary insisted the Prime Minister did not ask him to clear the way out of Afghanistan for Mr Farthing's animals 'at any stage'.

Appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ben Wallace said: 'No-one lobbied me... The Prime Minister didn't ring up. At no stage, at any stage, did the Prime Minister ask me to make a way for those pets. Not at all. Never.'

What does today's evidence show?

The emails released today by the Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Boris opponent Tom Tugendat, show officials directly linking the Prime Minister to the decision to get Mr Farthing and his team into the air.

The emails released today by the Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Boris opponent Tom Tugendat, show officials directly linking the Prime Minister to the decision to get Mr Farthing and his team into the air.

An official in the office of Lord Goldsmith - as a friend of Carrie Johnson - wrote: 'Equivalent charity Nowzad, run by an ex-Royal Marine, has received a lot of publicity and the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated, [animal charity - name redacted] are hoping to be treated in the same capacity (granted LOTR).'

Another Foreign Office official wrote: about 'the PM's decision earlier today to evacuate the staff of the Nowzad animal charity', adding: 'Having regard to the Prime Minister's Nowzad decision, the Foreign Secretary might consider the [details redacted] vets and their dependents should be included. They might be able to get to the airport with their dependents in time.'

Additionally a senior official was heard saying Boris Johnson had issued the call for evacuation of Nowzad staff, whistleblower Raphael Marshall wrote in evidence to the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Carrie controversies that have dogged the PM The row over Paul Farthing is the latest crisis for Boris Johnson involving his wife. Mr Farthing's charity said it lobbied the Prime Minister's wife in August to help get him and their animals out of Kabul before the Taliban took over Afghanistan. But Mrs Johnson, who has two children with the PM, has also had a key role in other rows that have engulfed his premiership. Although she is a former head of communications for the Conservative Party, she currently has no official role in the Government. Sacking of Dom Cummings Mrs Johnson was implicated in the decision to fire Dominic Cummings as the PM's chief advisor in late 2020. He left No10 that December after losing a power struggle with her to get the PM's ear. His allies were alleged to have referred to her as 'Princess Nut Nut', which enraged Mr Johnson and upset her. She is a skilled networker and environmental campaigner. And her views on animal welfare and the early release of violent criminals influenced Mr Johnsons stance on the issues - frequently to Mr Cumming's frustration. There had long been annoyance over claims that Mrs Johnson was running a shadow PR operation, while she was said to have been incensed at the aggressive behaviour of Mr Cummings and his cadre. Downing Street flat redecoration Carrie's dislike of the decor in the PM's official Downing Street flat is believed to have driven his desire to give the quarters a six-figure revamp. A visitor to the flat is said to have described the interior left by Theresa May as a'John Lewis furniture nightmare' in Tatler. The taxpayer funds a 30,000 annual allowance, but the redecoration - reportedly involving the company Soane, co-founded by designer Lulu Lytle - stretched beyond that. Some reports suggest the upgrades hit the 200,000 mark, while a leaked email suggested Tory peer Lord Brownlow was making a 58,000 donation to the Conservatives 'to cover the payments the party has already made on behalf of the soon-to-be-formed 'Downing Street Trust'. Partygate Carrie was dragged into the centre of Partygate this week over claims she organised a lockdown-busting birthday bash in June 2020. The PM's wife has already been placed at a number of contentious events in Downing Street during lockdown. But on Monday ITV revealed she was behind a gathering in the Cabinet Room in No10 on June 19, 2020, to celebrate him turning 56. They are said to have celebrated his birthday after his return from a visit to a school in Hertfordshire, where he had posed with his arms outstretched with children to show the importance of social distancing. The event saw staff join in with a chorus of happy birthday as the PM was presented with a Union Jack cake. Those present included Ms Lytle, though she said she happened to pass by on her way to speak to the PM. Advertisement

Mr Marshall wrote: 'On Wednesday 25 August, I heard the senior official ('Crisis Silver') responsible for Afghan Special Cases say that they had just received an instruction from the Prime Minister to ''call-forward'' Nowzad's staff to Kabul Airport for evacuation.

'I then heard Silver instruct team members to send the names and passport details of Nowzad's staff to the Home Office for security-checks.

'A colleague said ''we are doing the dogs'' or ''we are doing the dog people''. A colleague said that the Prime Minister had issued this instruction in a COBR meeting. It is possible the high-level meeting referred to was in-fact technically a National Security Council meeting.'

Mr Marshall also said that multiple colleagues wrote on the Teams message system that the Prime Minister had given an instruction over Nowzad staff.

Mr Marshall's written evidence said: 'Several colleagues sent messages on the Afghan Special Cases group on Microsoft Teams to the effect that the Prime Minister had instructed us to call-forward Nowzad's staff for evacuation.'

Has any other evidence shed doubt on the Prime Minister's denial?

In December, Labour MP Chris Bryant reveled a letter sent by Mr Johnson's political private secretary Trudy Harrison to Mr Farthing, in which she said British authorities would help 68 staff and the animals flee.

In the letter dated August 25, Ms Harrison said she had 'received confirmation' from the Foreign Office, Home Office and Ministry of Defence they would be permitted to travel to the airport.

She said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace had 'made it clear' that all 68 of the shelter's staff and their family members would be able to board an RAF flight.

'The Secretary of State has also confirmed that animals under the care of Nowzad [Mr Farthing's shelter] can be evacuated on a separate, chartered flight,' she continued.

'The Ministry of Defence will ensure that a flight slot is available... You are therefore authorised to proceed, I wish you well on your journey.'

Whistleblower Mr Marshall said it was 'not credible' for No 10 to claim was acting in her capacity as a constituency MP, as has been claimed.

Addressing the letter he wrote: 'It is not credible to suggest that the 'call-forward' of Nowzad's staff was initiated by the Prime Minister's then Parliamentary Private Secretary Trudy Harrison MP in her capacity as MP for Copeland.

'A request for the evacuation of Nowzad's staff from Ms Harrison in her capacity as MP for Copeland would have been disregarded.'

What are MPs saying about today's revelations?

Labour former minister Chris Bryant raised questions in the Commons about how he could 'get to the bottom of who is telling the truth' over evacuation of a charity and its animals from Afghanistan.

Raising a point of order, he said: 'The Prime Minister said on August 26 that he had no influence on that particular case and nor would that be right.

'On December 7 he was asked ''Did you intervene to get Pen Farthing's animals out?'', he said ''No, that is complete nonsense''. And a Downing Street spokesperson said ''Neither the Prime Minister nor Mrs Johnson were involved''.

'Yet today the Foreign Affairs Committee has been able to publish a letter from Lord Goldsmith's office which says the ''Prime Minister has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated''.

'How can I get to the bottom of who is telling the truth?'

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran also raised concerns about the matter, including on the 'discrepancy between what the Prime Minister says to journalists versus what is revealed' in the Commons.

What does Paul Farthing say?

Animal welfare charity Nowzad said founder Paul Farthing was only able to leave Kabul 'after the British military had already ended Operation Pitting'.

In a statement, the charity said: 'Once more the Nowzad charity is appalled to find ourselves at the centre of a political media debate on who did what and when in relation to Operation Ark.

'Sixty-seven vulnerable Afghans were evacuated against all odds from Afghanistan by road to start new lives in the United Kingdom. This should be an achievement that is celebrated not used for political point scoring.

'As a charity, we had no oversight of any communication between any Government departments relating to who authorised the call forward of the Nowzad staff.

'We found out at the same time as everyone else, when (Defence Secretary) Ben Wallace tweeted our approval at 1.30am on August 25.

'Sadly, it was too late to ensure the evacuation flight that our supporters had fundraised for, would be able to transport our staff to safety.

'Only Pen Farthing (a British passport holder), with the Nowzad rescued animals in the cargo hold, was able to leave Kabul airport after the British military had already ended Operation Pitting. No British military were put in harm's way or supported Pen Farthing during his two attempts to gain access to Kabul airport.'
A wooden chair which was purchased at a junk sale for just 5 has made its lucky finder more than 16,000.

The unique wicker chair is the product of an esteemed Viennese art school which dates back 120 years.

The eagle-eyed shopper did not notice its unusual design of the wicker chair until after she had carried it home from the junk shop in Brighton, East Sussex.

Pictured: A wooden chair picked up in a junk sale for just 5 made its lucky finder thousands of pounds at auction after it was discovered to be a piece of artwork created in Vienna in 1902

Pictured: Artist Moser who designed art works, including books and graphic works from postage stamps, magazine vignettes, fashion, stained glass windows, porcelains and furniture

Who was Viennese artist Koloman Moser? Born in Vienna in 1868, Koloman Moser designed a wide array of art works, including books and graphic works from postage stamps to magazine vignettes, fashion, stained glass windows, porcelains and ceramics, blown glass, tableware, silver, jewellery, and furniture. Together with other Austrian creatives such as Otto Wagner and Gustav Klimt, he resigned from the Association of Austrian Artists in protest against its support for more traditional artistic styles in what was known as the Viennese Secession. One of Moser's most prominent designs used in a building - The Steinhof Church - was selected as a main motif of one of the most famous euro collectors coins: the Austrian 100 euro Steinhof Church commemorative coin. In 1903, Moser and his colleague Josef Hoffman founded Wiener Werkstatte, whose studios and artisans produced a number of aesthetically and functionally designed household goods, including glassware, flatware, silverware, rugs and textiles. In 1904, he created the Apse Mosaic and glass windows for the Kirche am Steinhof in Vienna, and designed the decoration of the Medallion House of the Linke Wienzeile Buildings for architect Otto Wagner. Moser became ill with throat cancer in 1916 and died on 18 October 1918. Advertisement

She got in touch with a valuer who was stunned to discover that it dated from an early 20th century avant-garde art school in Vienna, Austria.

The sought-after piece of furniture was designed by esteemed Austrian painter Koloman Moser in 1902.

Moser was one of the foremost artists of the Vienna Secession movement, which rejected traditional artistic styles.

The chair was presented for sale at Sworders auctioneers of Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. It was bought by an Austrian dealer on the telephone for 16,250.

John Black, a specialist at Sworders who first valued the piece, said: 'We are delighted with the sale price and are particularly pleased to know it will be going back to Austria.

'The seller was also thrilled and I think needed to sit down upon being told how much it sold for.'

Mr Black added: 'The vendor had done some research but was unsure if the attribution was correct, so I decided the best course of action would be to speak to Dr Christian Witt-Dorring, a specialist on the Vienna Secession movement.

'He confirmed the attribution and praised this example for the dignity of its original condition.

'The chair is a prime example of the artistic achievements of the Vienna Secession movement.

'Designed in 1902 by Koloman Moser, a teacher at the Vienna School of Applied Arts, it is a modern reinterpretation of a traditional 18th century ladder-back chair.

'The lone decorative element is the chequerboard-like grid of the webbing on the seat and the back of the chair.

'The Vienna School of Applied Arts provided modern designs for the wickerwork factory of Prag-Rudniker.

'In 1903 the magazine Das Interieur published a whole series of new designs, including this chair, that was followed in 1904 by a whole article devoted to modern Austrian wicker furniture in the influential UK publication The Studio.'

The chair, which was in immaculate condition, dates back to 1902 when it was designed and created by Viennese artist Koloman Moser who was known for creating an array of artwork

Pictured: The elm and wicker chair turned out to be a rare artistic artefact and sold for 16,250

Born in Vienna in 1868, Moser designed a wide array of art works, including books and graphic works from postage stamps to magazine vignettes, fashion, stained glass windows, porcelains and ceramics, blown glass, tableware, silver, jewellery, and furniture.

One of Moser's most prominent designs used in a building - The Steinhof Church - was selected as a main motif of one of the most famous euro collectors coins: the Austrian 100 euro Steinhof Church commemorative coin.

An armchair designed by Moser and Josef Hoffmann in 1903 is currently on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

In describing the piece, the museum says 'the reduction of form to the pure geometries of the cube, square [...] gestures toward simplifying production while allowing for visual interest in the workmanship of the caning and the patterning between black and white, solid and void.'
A traumatised mother was forced to give birth alone and was immediately separated from her newborn baby for 36 hours all due to a positive Covid test in hospital.

Michaela Jones, from Melbourne, gave birth to her daughter Thea at Frankston Hospital on December 16.

Her husband had caught the virus just one week before she was due to give birth, meaning Ms Jones was allowed one support person.

However, she ended up testing positive to Covid herself and her friend was sent home, meaning she had to face labour alone.

To make matter worse, after giving birth her daughter was kept in isolation away from her in the hospital's special care nursery for nearly two days.

A Melbourne mother was left traumatised after giving birth to her daughter while positive with Covid which saw her be separated from her baby for 36 hours

'Those 36 hours were terrible. I think I was just crying the whole time,' Ms Jones told Nine News.

During her labour, which was in the hospital's theatre where forceps were required, Ms Jones had to wear a mask while the medical staff around here were all in PPE gear.

Her daughter tested negative to the virus but was kept in isolation on antibiotics as Ms Jones had contracted the group B strep bacteria, and it's believed Thea had swollen some meconium at the time of birth.

But devastatingly for Ms Jones, she was told she couldn't see her little baby in the nursery despite no other babies being around her.

Instead she was alone in her hospital room for an agonising 36 hours.

'It was honestly the worst experience of my life,' she said.

'I think I'll definitely have a lot of trauma to deal with from this. I can't see myself wanting to have any more kids now.'

Ms Jones had to give birth alone at Melbourne's Frankston Hospital as her husband had tested positive to Covid days earlier

The mother-of-two added it was even more difficult without her husband by her side, and said as the nurses had to change protective gear every time they entered her room, they visited 'very minimally'.

After 36 hours Ms Jones was able to hold her little girls in her arms and they were both discharged soon after.

Shyaman Menon, the executive director of medical services and clinical governance at Peninsula Health, which Frankston Hospital is apart of, said that those with Covid needed an exemption before visiting the hospital.

'The safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff is our utmost priority,' Professor Menon told the publication.

'While we aim to provide the most supportive environment for our patients, this must be balanced with maintaining the highest standard of infection prevention and control within the hospital.'
A Welsh mountaintop enjoyed 69F (21C) temperatures this week thanks to a freak weather phenomenon which saw lucky climbers applying SPF cream and sunbathing in the dead of winter.

Climbing instructor Mark Handford, 54, and his student - who were expecting to experience snow - were stunned by the freak heatwave as they climbed the Y Garn in Snowdonia, North Wales on Tuesday.

The balmy temperatures on one of Britain's highest peaks were caused by a 'temperature inversion', which sees hot air trapped in a layer and the atmosphere get hotter the higher one travels.

The term 'inversion' comes from the fact that the temperature does the opposite to what would it would normally.

The weather phenomenon which mostly happens in winter meant that while temperatures on the ground were an icy 35.6F (2C), by the time the pair reached the 3,100ft summit of the mountain, the mercury had climbed to 69.8F (21C).

Mr Handford said it was the biggest temperature change he had seen in his 22 years of climbing.

The summit was significantly warmer than the Spanish island of Majorca, which recorded just 59F (15C) that day.

Climbing instructor Mark Handford (pictured), 54, and his student - who were expecting to experience snow - were stunned by the freak heatwave as they climbed the Y Garn in Snowdonia, North Wales on Tuesday

A specialist Suunto Core watch shows how temperatures climbed from 3C near the base of the mountain to 21C at the summit

Stunning pictures show a the sun-kissed summit of Y Gard in Snowdonia, sitting above the clouds, thanks to a so-called temperature inversion

The summit (pictured) was significantly warmer than the Spanish island of Majorca, which recorded just 59F (15C) that day

Mr Handford said it was the biggest temperature change he had seen in his 22 years of climbing (Pictured: Y Garn is located in Snowdonia, North Wales)

Mr Handford, 54, said he had to apply sunscreen after getting above the clouds into the baking sunshine at around mid-day, before enjoying a quick sunbathe.

His specialist watch showed the temperature was 69.8F (21C) at 781 metres, before it dropped to just 37.4F (3C) at 568 metres - having been just 35.6F (2C) at the base.

The climbing expert, who is director of Snowdonia Adventures and has also worked in the Himalayas, said: 'I had seen the forecast and thought we could get an inversion but this was massive.

'It was cold, around 2C, and damp going up but as soon as we popped out at cloud level at around 750 metres it was 17 degrees.

'We stopped on the north east slopes as we came down because it was baking, we put on sun cream and had a little sunbathe.

'I checked the watch and it was showing 21 degrees.

'I thought it might be wrong but it's a Suunto Core watch, super accurate pieces of kit and it also felt like it was baking.

'Once we went back down to Llyn Idwal it was back at 1C and getting icy.

Mr Handford, 54, said he had to apply sunscreen after getting above the clouds into the baking sunshine at around mid-day (pictured), while his students enjoyed a quick sunbathe

How 'temperature inversions' create a thin layer of trapped heat in bizarre weather phenomenon A temperature inversion is where temperature increases with height. The lowest part of our atmosphere is the troposphere, which can extend to heights of 16km and is where most of our weather happens. It is also a section of the atmosphere where the temperature typically gets lower the higher up you go. For example, when you climb a mountain it is often colder at the top. However, sometimes a small layer can form where the temperature increases with height. This layer is called an inversion. This often happens in areas of high pressure, where the air high up often sinks towards the ground. As it falls, it dries out and warms up. This warm layer of air can act as a lid and trap cooler air near the surface (this is because warm air is more buoyant than cold air, and so it will tend to 'float' above the colder air, trapping it). This gives us the inversion, because if you were now to climb the mountain, it would get warmer as you got to the top. This is inverted compared to what you would normally expect, hence the term 'inversion'. Inversions are most common in winter when mist and fog become trapped in the cooler air low down, but inversions can happen all year round. Source: Metoffice.gov.uk Advertisement

'I have been doing this for 22 years and that is a massive temperature change - the biggest change I've seen in mountain in Wales in January.'

Met Office experts explained a small layer of air can form in areas of high pressure where the temperature increases with height.

A Met Office spokesperson said: 'This often happens in areas of high pressure, where the air high up often sinks towards the ground.

'As it falls, it dries out and warms up.

'This warm layer of air can act as a lid and trap cooler air near the surface.

'This gives us the inversion, because if you were now to climb the mountain, it would get warmer as you got to the top.

'This is inverted compared to what you would normally expect, hence the term 'inversion'.

'Inversions are most common in winter when mist and fog become trapped in the cooler air low down, but inversions can happen all year round.'

It comes as temperatures could be set to triple in the parts of the country this weekend with forecasters predicting double digit figures for Saturday after a near-freezing week across much of the UK.

The historically warm start to 2022 seemed a distant memory this week as temperatures plunged to as low as 35.6F (2C) in parts.

But the weather is set to get milder this weekend for the southern parts of the country with London and other parts of the south predicted to see temperatures as high as 57.2F (14C).

The BBC's Kate Kinsella said: 'It will be a bright start for Friday morning with some sunshine but by Friday afternoon coming in from the west, milder air and more cloud and that milder air is going to move in as we head into the weekend.

'We're looking at temperatures getting potentially up to 14C but it is going to be a little more unsettled.'

Elsewhere in the UK, Manchester, Norwich and Cardiff could also see temperatures in double digits with highs of between 11C (51F) and 12C (53.6F) predicted for Saturday.

Meanwhile, Scotland could be set for snow this weekend with forecasters predicting wintry showers across the northern isles on Saturday and Sunday.
A retired military official is warning on Wednesday that China could claim salvage rights to an F-35 stealth fighter jet that crashed into the South China Sea earlier this week.

Carl Schuster, former director of operations at the US Pacific Command's Joint Intelligence Center in Hawaii, told CNN that China's likely game plan will be to capitalize on its territorial claims in the South China Sea and claim it's salvaging the craft for environmental purposes.

'Salvaging the plane with commercial and coast guard assets will enable Beijing to claim it is recovering a potential environmental hazard or foreign military equipment from its territorial waters,' the former Navy captain said.

The U.S. faces a race to beat Beijing in recovering the military plane after it plunged into the South China Sea on Monday following what the Navy termed a 'landing mishap' aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

The pilot was forced to eject and seven military personnel in total were injured.

But as the U.S. military works to recover the craft, Schuster warned that China 'will try to locate and survey it thoroughly using submarines and one of its deep diving submersible' to find it first.

The timeline for search and recovery could stretch across months, the retired military commander said.

Salvage ships could take between 10 to 15 days to arrive at their destination, he explained, after which point recovery could take as long as 120 days.

The Navy has not revealed where the crash occurred, and a vast majority of the waters have been claimed by Beijing.

The Chinese government has yet to make an official comment on the matter. DailyMail.com has reached out to China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in the United States.

Sailors taxi an F-35C Lightning II, assigned to the 'Argonauts' of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson on January 22

At least one geopolitics expert believes China will be more cautious, despite the potential boon of classified technology the wreckage could present.

'To overtly go about doing this may risk worsening tensions with the US. I don't believe Beijing has stomach for that,' Collin Koh, research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore, told CNN.

He added: 'However, we can expect the Chinese to shadow, hang around and keep tabs on any such American salvage and recovery operation.'

The $100m warplane, customized for naval operations, plunged overboard - making it the second time in three months that an F-35 has been lost at sea.

'The U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35C aircraft involved in the mishap aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the South China Sea, Jan. 24,' a spokesperson for the US 7th Fleet told DailyMail.com on Tuesday.

'We cannot speculate on what the PRC's intentions are on this matter.'

DailyMail.com has reached out to the 7th Fleet for an update to the search on Wednesday.

It leaves the Navy with a complex salvage operation if it is avoid its most sophisticated warplane, crammed with futuristic technology, falling into the hands of the People's Republic of China.

The F-35C is the only long-range stealth strike fighter designed to operate from aircraft carriers.

The pilot of the F-35C deployed his landing hook to catch the deck and stop his jet, but something went wrong and he ejected and skidded over the side

US Navy South China Sea crash was NINTH time $100m jets have malfunctioned in past eight years June 23, 2014: A USAF F-35A had a catastrophic engine fire caused by a fractured rotor which saw it turn into a blaze as it took off in Florida. October 27, 2016: A US Marine Corp F-35B set alight mid-flight due to a fire in its weapons bay before the pilot landed safely in Beaufort, South Carolina. September 28, 2018: All operational F-35s were grounded while a probe was launched into why a fuel tube failed in flight after a horror crash at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in South Carolina. April 9, 2019: Parts of the tail of a Japanese F-35 were found in the sea around 85 miles east of Misawa during a training mission. May 19. 2020: This F-35 crash on landing was caused by a tired, distracted pilot and unresponsive tail glitch. September 20, 2020: A F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out of the sky and exploded on the ground after hitting a KC-130J tanker in a mid-air collision near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California. September 20, 2020: A F-35 stealth fighter jet fell out of the sky and exploded on the ground after hitting a KC-130J tanker in a mid-air collision near the Salton Sea in Imperial County, California November 17, 2021: An RAF F-35B toppled into the Mediterranean Sea after the pilot tried to abort take-off from HMS Queen Elizabeth. Early reports suggested its engine sucked in an are inlet cover. January 4, 2022: South Korea grounded its F-35s after an F-35A suffered an in-air malfunction. Its pilot made an emergency belly landing when its landing gear failed to extend. Advertisement

It carries an arrestor hook - to help it land on aircraft carriers - and the expanded wingspan needed to be launched by catapult.

As well as its radar-avoiding design, it is crammed with sensors that beam updates directly to the pilot's helmet.

The Navy has yet to offer an explanation of what went wrong.

'An F-35C Lightning II assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, embarked aboard USS (CVN 70) had a landing mishap and impacted the flight deck and subsequently fell to the water during routine flight operations,' it said in a statement to US Naval Institute News.

'Impact to the flight deck was superficial and all equipment for flight operations is operational.'

It added that the aircraft carrier had been able to resume normal flight operations shortly after.

Last year, Britain appealed to the US for help in finding an F-35B Lightning II that toppled from HMS Queen Elizabeth into the Mediterranean during a failed takeoff.

London asked for help amid fears that Russia would try to salvage the jet and copy the technology.

It was retrieved last month during a secret operation.

The US Navy jet was part of a deployment designed to bolster American presence near Taiwan after China had buzzed the island's airspace.

A Navy statement said the incident happened during 'routine flight operations' in the South China Sea.

'The pilot safely ejected from the aircraft and was recovered via U.S. military helicopter,' it said.

'The pilot is in stable condition. There were seven total sailors injured.'

The statement said three of personnel required evacuation to a medical facility in Manila and four were treated by on-board the carrier and released.

It said all the personnel evacuated were assessed as being in stable condition.

The Navy said the cause of the 'inflight mishap' on the nuclear-powered carrier was under investigation.

'The status of the aircraft is currently under investigation as are the factors involved in the mishap,' Brenda Way, a spokesperson for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, told The War Zone.

The F-35 jet is made by Lockheed Martin, and the USS Carl Vinson in August deployed from its San Diego base for the first time with F-35C Lightning II fighter jets and Navy CMV-22B Osprey aboard.

The F-35C is the carrier version of the Joint Strike Fighter being built in three versions for the Air Force, Marines and Navy.

The Navy version can fly 1.6 times the speed of sound and has a combat radius of 1200 nautical miles.

'Vinson is the first carrier to accommodate a mix of 4th- and 5th- generation strike fighters, providing unprecedented lethality and survivability and ensuring the Navy team can operate and win in contested battlespace now and well into the future,' said Capt. Tommy Locke, commander of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2, in August.

The Pentagon said two U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Groups, led by the Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln, began operations in the South China Sea on Sunday.

The carriers entered the disputed sea for training as Taiwan reported a new Chinese air force incursion at the top of the waterway.

The Carl Vinson is supported by more than 5,000 crew members and carries 65 fixed and rotary-wing aircraft.

This is only the second major mishap involving an F-35 of any kind operating from an aircraft carrier, following the loss of the British F-35B Joint Strike Fighter in the Mediterranean last year.

Earlier this month, a South Korean pilot was forced to make an emergency 'belly landing' in an F-35A after suffering a malfunction in the air.

The USS Carl Vinson is seen with the USS Essex behind in a January 2022 picture

An F-35C Lightning II test aircraft approaches for a landing aboard the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower of the coast of Norfolk, Virginia, in 2015

The aircraft carriers were in the Philippine Sea, which lays east (to the right) of Taiwan and west of the US territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands

Captain P. Scott Miller, commander of the USS Carl Vinson

Landing gear on the jet failed to extend but instead of ejecting, the pilot decided to land the US-made craft at an airbase on its belly.

The equipment failed due to electronic issues, a South Korean Air Force spokesman said, forcing the pilot to take the unprecedented action.

A military official refused to confirm if the jet suffered any damage in the incident but the pilot walked away uninjured.

The 'fifth generation' fighter aircraft is the world's most expensive weapons system. Costs finally stabilized at an eye-watering $406billion, but only after the intervention of President Donald Trump.

Manufacturer Lockheed-Martin agreed to cap costs after rump criticized the project and even tweeted support for a rival aircraft.

America enticed its NATO and other allies into sharing the cost of the aircraft by offering input into manufacture and 15 per cent of each one is comprised of parts from British companies while some of the jets will be made in Italy.

But developing and testing were bedevilled by technical issues.

In a mock air battle in 2015, the cutting edge plane was defeated by an older generation F-16, a plane designed in the 1970s.

In 2020 Pentagon tests found 276 different faults in jet's combat system.

They included the 25mm cannon vibrating excessively and problems with the the aircraft's 'virtual reality' helmet

Overheating, premature wear of components in the vertical tails and vulnerability to fire were also found to be issues.

The US Air Force temporarily grounded dozens its F-35 stealth fighters while it investigated an oxygen supply issue.

The Marine Corps, which operates the vertical take off and landing F-35B model, was forced to ground its planes after flaws were found in the computer system.
A 29th House Democrat is not running for re-election this year as Nancy Pelosi announced she will be on the ballot again, ending months of speculation the powerful speaker will retire.

Pelosi, a prolific fundraiser, will be on hand to help rally Democrats in November's election as polls show Republicans have an advantage heading into the midterm.

But her job is growing more difficult with the lost list of her lawmakers retiring, citing the exhaustion with bipartisanship in Washington, acknowledging the possiblity of being the minority party next year and frustration with the state of their 2022 race after the mandatory redistricting process.

Tennessee Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper announced Tuesday he will not seek another term and blasted Republicans' in his state's General Assembly for 'dismembering Nashville' in the once-a-decade redistricting process.

His announcement comes after the Republican-controlled state assembly in Tennessee split his Nashville district into three other congressional districts.

'Despite my strength at the polls, I could not stop the General Assembly from dismembering Nashville,' Cooper said in a statement Tuesday. 'No one tried harder to keep our city whole. I explored every possible way, including lawsuits, to stop the gerrymandering and to win one of the three new congressional districts that now divide Nashville. There's no way, at least for me in this election cycle, but there may be a path for other worthy candidates.'

Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennesse is the 29th Democrat to announce he's not running for re-election this year

Cooper will have served 32 years in Congress when he retires next January.

Republicans said his retirement is the latest sign Democrats are uncertain about their party's prospects in November.

'Democrats' retirement crisis shows no signs of slowing down,' National Republican Congressional Committee spokeswoman Camille Gallo said in a statement.

An NBC News poll released Monday indicated that Republicans are more enthusiastic about this year's elections. The poll found that 61 per cent of GOP respondents said they are very interested in the coming midterms, compared to 47 per cent of Democrats.

Meanwhile, Pelosi announced Tuesday that she would be seeking another term in the House.

The 81-year-old Democratic leader said she was running for a 19th term because 'nothing less is at stake than our democracy.'

'While we have made progress, much more needs to be done to improve people's lives. Our democracy is at risk because of assaults on the truth, the assault on the U.S. Capitol and the state-by-state assault on voting rights,' she said in a video message.

'This election is crucial,' she continued. 'But as we say, we don't agonize, we organize, and that is why I'm running for re-election to Congress and respectfully seek your support,' Pelosi added.

The announcement comes as a filing deadline approached for candidacy in her San Francisco, California district.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday that she would be seeking another term in the House

The speaker's Team Pelosi account shared that the Democratic leader would be seeking another term

Pelosi didn't pledge in her video that she would serve a full term - nor did she say anything about running again as speaker.

In recent years Pelosi has held off announcing her leadership plans until shortly after the election results are clear in November and the Democratic caucus begins organizing for the new session of Congress.

Her decision not to additionally announce her plans to run as Speaker comes amid an internal Democratic debate on whether it is time for the party to give way to younger leadership or whether Pelosi's strong hands remains needed at the helm.

She has no lawmaker challenging her for the speaker position at this time.

But the top three Democratic House leaders are all their 80s, which has raised questions about whether it's time for a younger generation to move up in leadership.

'When people ask me, 'What are the three most important issues facing the Congress?' I always say the same thing: Our children, our children, our children,' Pelosi also said in the video.

Pelosi said the issue areas facing the nation's children included healthcare, education, housing, economic security, a clean environment and world peace.

'That is my why. Why I'm in Congress - for the children,' she noted. 'This is my story, this is my song.'

'As you hear me say, 'when you're in the arena, you have to be able to take a punch or throw a punch' - for the children,' she added.

Pelosi then highlighted some of her long Congressional record, from speaking about the HIV/AIDS crisis during her first appearance on the floor to the passage of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act in 2010.

The background of her video showed the city's famous 'Painted Ladies' victorian houes, popularized thanks to the television show, Full House.

Pelosi has held the speaker's gavel for two stints during her 35-year career in the House.

She made history as the first female speaker in U.S. history after Democrats won the House in 2006.

Pelosi again got promoted in January 2019 after the 2018 midterms.

She held the highest office of any woman in American political history until Vice President Kamala Harris was sworn-in last year.

Politics was a family affair, as the speaker's late father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., represented Maryland in the U.S. House and later became the mayor of Baltimore.
Pope Francis today told parents to support their children if they are gay and to 'not hide in an attitude of condemnation' during his weekly audience with the public.

The 85-year-old pontiff called on families to never condemn their children for whatever reason, including over their sexual orientation.

During the weekly audience at the Vatican, Francis revealed he is suffering from an agonising inflamed ligament in his right knee that hinders his movement.

The pontiff also prayed for peace in Ukraine, calling for dialogue to prevail over partisan interests so as to resolve the West's standoff with Russia.

Speaking from the centre stage of Paul VI Hall in the Vatican, Francis said: 'I think of parents with children with illnesses, even permanent illnesses - how much pain.

'Parents who see different sexual orientations in their children - how to deal with this, how to be on their side and not hide in a condemnatory attitude.'

Pope Francis today told parents to support their children if they are gay and to 'not hide in an attitude of condemnation' during his weekly audience with the public

The 85-year-old pontiff called on families to never condemn their children for whatever reason, including over their sexual orientation. Pictured: Pope Francis waves to the public in the Vatican, with some holding rainbow LGBT flags

Pope Francis reveals mobility issues due to inflamed knee ligament Francis revealed today he is suffering from an inflamed ligament in his right knee that makes walking and going up and down stairs painful. Francis told his weekly general audience that he had been informed that the inflammation usually only afflicts older people. The issue prevented him from personally greeting the faithful following the weekly general audience. 'I won't be able to come among you today to greet you, because I have a problem with my right leg, a ligament in my knee is inflamed,' the pontiff said in a rare public comment on his health. 'It's temporary, I hear it happens to old people, I don't know why it happens to me,' he joked, drawing laughter from the audience gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall. Francis usually descends a series of stairs from the stage of the hall following the weekly audience to shake hands and meet people in the front row. This week, a handful of guests were brought up to the stage instead. Advertisement

The pontiff continued: 'Parents who see their children not going to school - so many parents' problems, we think how to help them.

'To them I say: don't be afraid... Never condemn a child.'

Francis has frequently defended the rights of gay people and argued they should be accepted in their parishes, while urging parents not to reject their gay children.

He has always, however, voiced opposition to marriage among single-sex couples.

During his speech, the Argentinian pope recalled how, in Buenos Aires, he felt moved seeing a line of mothers outside a prison, waiting to see their sons 'who had made a mistake'.

'They showed their faces, they didn't hide and they supported him, always. What courage,' he added.

Francis revealed today he is suffering from an inflamed ligament in his right knee that makes walking and going up and down stairs painful.

Francis told his weekly general audience that he had been informed that the inflammation usually only afflicts older people.

The issue prevented him from personally greeting the faithful following the weekly general audience.

'I won't be able to come among you today to greet you, because I have a problem with my right leg, a ligament in my knee is inflamed,' the pontiff said in a rare public comment on his health.

'It's temporary, I hear it happens to old people, I don't know why it happens to me,' he joked, drawing laughter from the audience gathered in the Vatican's Paul VI Audience Hall.

Pope Francis, escorted by his butler Sandro Mariotti, (left) is helped to walk during the weekly general audience. The pontiff revealed he is suffering from an inflamed ligament in his right knee that makes walking and going up and down stairs painful

Pope prays for Ukraine During the service, Francis led a day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, calling for dialogue to prevail over partisan interests to resolve the West's standoff with Russia. The Pope last Sunday called on people of all religious to pray on Wednesday for an end to the crisis, saying the tensions were threatening the security of Europe and risking vast repercussions. 'I ask you to pray for peace in Ukraine and to do it often in the course of the day,' Francis said at his weekly general audience, adding that he hoped 'wounds, fears, and divisions' can be overcome. As people prayed in Ukraine and elsewhere, Francis said he hoped the 'supplications that today rise up to heaven touch the minds and hearts of world leaders, so that dialogue may prevail and the common good be placed ahead of partisan interests'. Advertisement

Francis usually descends a series of stairs from the stage of the hall following the weekly audience to shake hands and meet people in the front row.

But this week, a handful of guests were brought up to the stage.

Francis had mentioned the leg pain last week in explaining that he would remain seated during a different audience.

Over the years, he has apologised when he has missed liturgies or had to sit down during events that would otherwise require him to stand.

The pontiff suffers from chronic hip pain that makes him limp and in July, he underwent an operation on his colon. The pontiff's health is regularly the subject of rumours within the Vatican, particularly among his critics.

Francis also had a part of one lung removed when he was a young man after a respiratory infection.

During the service, Francis led a day of prayer for peace in Ukraine, calling for dialogue to prevail over partisan interests to resolve the West's standoff with Russia.

The Pope last Sunday called on people of all religious to pray on Wednesday for an end to the crisis, saying the tensions were threatening the security of Europe and risking vast repercussions.

'I ask you to pray for peace in Ukraine and to do it often in the course of the day,' Francis said, adding that he hoped 'wounds, fears, and divisions' can be overcome.

Francis usually descends a series of stairs from the stage of the hall following the weekly audience to shake hands and meet people in the front row. But this week, a handful of guests were brought up to the stage

A Ukrainian soldiers holds his machine gun in a trench on the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants at frontline with Ukrainian government forces in Slavyanoserbsk, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, on Tuesday

As people prayed in Ukraine and elsewhere, Francis said he hoped the 'supplications that today rise up to heaven touch the minds and hearts of world leaders, so that dialogue may prevail and the common good be placed ahead of partisan interests'.

Going off script, he recalled that more than five million people died in Ukraine during World War Two and that people there had also suffered hunger and 'so much cruelty'.

This was an apparent reference to the estimated 3-4 million Ukrainians who died in the early 1930s when Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin imposed the collectivisation of agriculture and other policies aimed at crushing Ukrainian nationalism.

The tragedy, which a number of countries have recognised as a form of genocide, is called the Holodomor and is also known as the Terror-Famine or the Great Famine.

'They are a suffering people,' the pope said of Ukrainians.

The Vatican's foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, was to lead a prayer service in Rome on Wednesday evening organised by the Sant' Egidio community, a Rome-based international charity that promotes peace.

Western leaders have stepped up military preparations and made plans to shield Europe from a potential energy supply shock if Russia invades Ukraine.

Top U.S. and Russian diplomats failed on Friday to make a major breakthrough in talks to resolve the crisis, although they agreed to keep talking.
A Texas man has pleaded guilty to human smuggling after he was caught at the border trying to bring two Mexican men into the country hidden in a coffin draped with an American flag.

Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, of Galveston, was arrested on October 26, 2021 at the Falfurrias Station near Encino. He was stopped in his modified Dodge Grand Caravan minivan at the checkpoint.

When asked what he was carrying, Blood replied: 'Dead guy, Navy guy.'

The inspecting agent, who happened to be a military veteran, became suspicious when he noticed the the American flag attached with packing tape and zip-ties to the dented and rusty coffin.

A canine sniffed out his ruse and border agents opened the coffin to find two Mexican migrants, Daniel Bueno-Hernandez and Erik Ramirez-Aguilar, stuffed inside.

Zachary Taylor Blood pleaded guilty to human smuggling after trying to bring two Mexican men into the country in a coffin draped with an American flag

Blood was stopped at a border checkpoint near Encino when he was taken into custody with Daniel Bueno-Hernandez and Erik Ramirez-Aguilar

Bueno-Hernandez told investigators that he and his cousin crossed over the Rio Grande and paid smugglers a $2,000 down payment to get them to San Antonio.

He said a brush guide led them to the meeting point where a black sedan took them to at least one stash house but admitted that they had lost count.

Blood met the men at a parking lot the next day and stuffed the cousins into the hot and cramped coffin where they struggled to breathe.

'He looked mean,' Bueno-Hernandez remembered.

The minivan had been modified with the seats removed and had previously been used to transport corpses, officials said.

Blood was initially released on bond but re-arrested on December 28 in Houston for violating his parole. He has no previous criminal history and will be sentenced on May 11. Blood faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Bueno-Hernandez and Ramirez-Aguilar were taken into custody as material witnesses. They are expected to be released to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within a few days before being deported to Mexico.
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A man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for forming a criminal organization and distributing marijuana in South Korea through the dark web, a court said Wednesday.







The 40-year-old man, surnamed Kim, was found to have created a criminal organization with six accomplices and sold 1,992 grams of marijuana worth about 230 million won ($192,000) from 2017 to April after growing the plant in an isolated factory building.







The organization was paid in cryptocurrency from buyers on the dark web, an area of the internet only accessible through specific software or authorization, and in return, shared where the drug was hidden.







The Seoul Central District Court convicted Kim of organizing a criminal organization and the others of joining and working as part of the group.







"The defendants created a very structured organization with a clear division of roles," the court said.







The court pointed out Kim, in particular, shouldered heavy responsibility as he organized the group, took part in the crimes and reaped considerable profits.







Kim's accomplices were given sentences ranging from suspended prison terms to five years in prison.







The court also ordered Kim and his accomplices to forfeit the proceeds of their crimes. (Yonhap)


A Boston man has sued Uber for $63 million after he was left a quadriplegic when his 'dangerous' driver with a checkered driving record crashed into a parked car last spring.

Will Good, 31, filed a $63 million negligence suit against the rideshare company seeking to hold Uber accountable for his injuries and for its 'unsafe business practices that endanger all driver in Massachusetts,' according to the suit, which was filed Tuesday.

On April 30, 2021, Good, a 30-year-old chef from Sommerville, called an Uber to go home from his restaurant job when he felt the vehicle swerve before it crashed into a parked car, according to his attorneys.

Will Good, 31, was left paralyzed after Uber he had taken crashed into parked car

Will Good, 31, (pictured before accident) filed a $63 million negligence suit seeking to hold Uber accountable for injuries that left him paralyzed and for its 'unsafe business practices'

The suit argues Uber's failure to screen the driver put others in jeopardy and therefore the company bears responsibility for Good's 'life-changing injuries'

Good said he instantly knew he couldn't move, and believed he had broken his neck but the unnamed Uber driver, 'in a shocking display of poor judgment and poor training' allegedly asked Good to get up, insisting he was not injured, the 31-year-old's attorneys claim.

Good's suit claims that his Uber driver had a spotty driving history dating back to 1996, that included multiple moving violations, crashes, at least 20 citations, and state imposed driver retraining, the Boston Globe reported.

Good's lawyers are arguing that the rideshare giant, which is valued at around $70 billion, failed to screen the risky driver and put others in jeopardy - and therefore the company bears responsibility for Good's 'life-changing injuries.'

'The consuming passenger here in Massachusetts is led to believe that Uber is in the business of vetting, screening, and holding its drivers to certain standards, when in fact, that's really not true in many, many cases and that leads directly to what happened here.' Good's lawyer, Victoria Santoro Mair, of Sweeney Merrigan Law, told the Globe.

'Now we have a 31-year-old man who had a life, and a career, that's been completely derailed, completely ruined.'

Good, who was left quadriplegic after the accident, spent two months in the ICU at Massachusetts General Hospital, and another two months in a rehab center.

Now living at home with his girlfriend and two caretakers, he is adjusting to a new reality.

'I don't like the taste of feeling sorry for myself, so I try to fill my time with things instead of depression, but it hit when I got home, when I was alone,' Good told the Globe.

Good's attorneys say they want his case to be used as a catalyst for Uber and other rideshare companies to be further regulated and held to higher safety standards.

'The product Uber is selling is the driving,' Santoro Mair told the Globe. 'They can't simply say, 'well, you know, our business model is to draw the passengers into the car and charge them when they get out and then take no responsibility for what happens while they're in the car.''

An Uber spokesperson told DailyMail.com they are unable to comment due to pending litigation.
United pilot Sherry Walker says she is on indefinite unpaid leave over her religious-based vaccine refusal

A United Airlines pilot who has religious objections to getting vaccinated for COVID-19 has said that she is on forced unpaid leave and unable to seek another job due to the company's strict non-compete clause.

Sherry Walker, 53, the co-founder of employee advocacy group Airline Employees for Health Freedom, spoke out during a protest against vaccine mandates on Sunday in Washington, D.C.

'I am out on unpaid leave. I am prohibited from getting another job. I'm prohibited from accessing my 401(k). I have no medical benefits, and I'm leading the charge in this fight, so my days are consumed,' Walker told the Daily Signal at the demonstration.

When reached by DailyMail.com, a spokesperson for United declined to comment on Walker's situation.

The airline says that about 2,000 employees were granted medical or religious accommodations during the vaccine rollout, and that workers with the exemptions had the option of continuing to work in a non-customer-facing role.

In a phone interview with DailyMail.com, Walker burst into laughter and said: 'I'd like to know what job they offered me.'

'I'm an international wide-body captain, and they wanted to offer me a job throwing bags for $12 an hour,' she said, adding that those pilots who had applied for internal reassignment had been rejected due to their vaccine status.

Walker, the co-founder of advocacy group Airline Employees for Health Freedom, spoke out during a protest against vaccine mandates on Sunday in Washington DC

The company says that only those workers who refused the reassignment were placed on unpaid leave, and that it is working to return them to active status as the overall situation with the pandemic allows.

'We know that the best way to keep everyone as safe as we can is for everyone to get vaccinated, as nearly all United employees have chosen to do,' United said in a statement.

'We have identified non-customer facing roles where accommodated employees can apply and continue working until it is safe for them to their return to their current positions.'

Walker said that she has been prohibited from finding outside work by United's non-compete contracts.

'In this case, they have said that no, no outside employment. In fact, you must go through ethics and compliance, and it can't be a company that we could have  a non-compete' with, she told Fox Business.

Walker said she is considered an 'active employee' after being put on unpaid leave for not complying with the airline's vaccine mandate in November.

'That means that they can call us back with two weeks' notice at any given time, they can just grab us and pull us back. But because we're active, we haven't had a qualified lifestyle change,' she said.

'So Schwab, which owns our 401(k) accounts, refuses to let anyone access them,' added Walker.

Walker told DailyMail.com that United employees on unpaid leave were being blocked from making early withdrawals from their retirement accounts, as well as from taking loans against their savings, because they had no verifiable income.

'It's so retaliatory in all directions,' she said. 'Every step of the way, it's been coercive to try to force us to get that shot in the arm.'

On Sunday, thousands attended a 'Defeat the Mandates' rally in Washington DC. Anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr was one of the organizers.

The anti-mandate demonstration in Washington DC on Sunday is seen above

A Schwab spokesman told Fox that he was unaware of any plan participants who are unable to access their benefits.

'Schwab Retirement Plan Services administers workplace retirement plans at the direction and discretion of the employers who select us, and according to the rules of each retirement plan,' the spokesman said.

Walker has previously written that she refused to get a COVID vaccine for religious reasons.

'I refuse to be complicit in the use of fetal tissue, which was used in the research and development for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, and in the deployment of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine,' she wrote in a guest essay for the Christian Post.

'This is truly a crisis of conscience that no one should ever face,' she added.

However, Walker insisted at the rally on Sunday that she was not anti-vaccine, but rather opposed to vaccine mandates, and that she supported the individual right to make medical decisions.

United was among the first companies in the U.S. to require COVID-19 vaccinations for all of its employees, rolling out its policy in early August for its 67,000 US-based employees.

Earlier this month, United CEO Scott Kirby credited the mandate for putting an end to the death of employees, after the company had averaged one employee death per week from COVID.

United CEO Scott Kirby credited the mandate for putting an end to the death of employees, after the company had averaged one employee death per week from COVID

'But we've now gone eight straight weeks with zero COVID-related deaths among our vaccinated employees  based on United's prior experience and the nationwide data related to COVID fatalities among the unvaccinated, that means there are approximately 8-10 United employees who are alive today because of our vaccine requirement,' Kirby wrote in a memo to staff.

However, United has faced employee backlash over the mandate, including from Walker's group, which is backing a lawsuit against the company.

The suit, Sambrano v United Airlines argues: 'United's actions have left the Plaintiffs with the impossible choice of either taking the COVID-19 vaccine at the expense of their religious beliefs and their health or losing their livelihoods.'

The lawsuit alleges that the only 'accommodation' United has offered exempt employees is indefinite, unpaid leave.

'The "reasonable accommodation" after everybody went through the very coercive process, is indefinite unpaid leave, and that's effectively termination from the company,' said Danielle Runyon, an attorney and another co-founder of AE4HF.

Last month, a split Fifth Circuit panel hearing the suit declined to block United from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate as the case plays out.

The plaintiffs have submitted another appeal seeking an injunction, delivering oral arguments on January 3, and are still waiting for a ruling on that appeal.

'We are the tip of the spear for those Americans who want to have reasonable accommodation,' Runyon told DailyMail.com.
Boris Johnson today accused the European Union of implementing post-Brexit border rules in Northern Ireland in an 'insane' way.

The Prime Minister said he 'never thought' the Northern Ireland Protocol he negotiated as part of the Brexit deal would be so disruptive and 'we need to sort it out'.

The comments risk souring negotiations with Brussels as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss tries to secure a breakthrough after months of deadlock.

Ms Truss held talks with EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic in Brussels on Monday and while there was no significant breakthrough, the atmosphere around the discussions appears to have improved when compared to last year.

Boris Johnson today accused the European Union of implementing post-Brexit border rules in Northern Ireland in an 'insane' way

The protocol was negotiated as part of the Brexit deal to avoid a hard border with Ireland, by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods. But unionists have been pressuring for it to be scrapped

Mr Sefcovic told reporters a 'timely agreement' could soon be hammered out while Ms Truss said 'we believe there is a deal to be done'.

They agreed to meet next week to 'take stock' of any progress made by officials and said in a joint statement that their meeting had been 'constructive'.

Mr Johnson was challenged over the rollout of the protocol at PMQs by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

Sir Jeffrey said: The Prime Minister will know that many families across the United Kingdom are struggling with the increased cost of living and rising energy costs.

But in Northern Ireland that is compounded by the protocol. 27 per cent is the increase in the cost of bringing goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, when we can get access to those goods.

It is costing business 2.5million every day, almost 1billion a year, the cost of the protocol.

The Prime Minister talks about uniting this nation and levelling up. He could do that by removing the Irish Sea border and restoring Northern Irelands place fully within the UK internal market.

Mr Johnson replied: I must say that I support passionately the indignation of the right honourable gentleman opposite and yes, I never thought when we negotiated that this would be, 200 businesses have stopped supplying Northern Ireland, foods are being blocked, Christmas cards are being surcharged.

And frankly the EU is implementing this in an insane and pettifogging way and we need to sort it out and I completely support what he is saying.

Mr Johnson was challenged over the rollout of the protocol at PMQs by DUP Leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson

The protocol was negotiated as part of the Brexit deal to avoid a hard border with Ireland, by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods.

But unionists have been pressuring for it to be scrapped because of the trade barriers it has created on products crossing the Irish Sea from Great Britain.

The UK and EU remain locked in talks as they try to agree solutions to smooth the operation of the protocol but a breakthrough remains elusive.

The UK has repeatedly threatened to trigger Article 16 of the protocol to unilaterally tear up the border rules if the two sides cannot strike an agreement.
New Zealand's Speaker of the House has hit back at MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton, after he criticised the country's new draconian Covid-19 measures introduced after just nine cases of Omicron were detected.

Writing Monday as new measures - announced a day earlier by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern - came into force, Mr Wootton called his country of birth's Covid-zero policy 'crazy' at a time when the rest of the world is learning to live with the virus.

Mr Wootton's column struck a nerve in New Zealand, including with senior politicians, resulting in Speaker and Labour MP Trevor Mallard personally responding to the ex-pat.

'Known family for 45 years. Admired your father's work,' the MP wrote on Twitter. 'I know you want clicks but I prefer an approach that values lives especially the old, the young and the vulnerable.

'We have lost less than 10 per million while UK has lost 350+ per million. Maybe that doesn't matter to you,' he added.

Reacting to the MP's comments, Mr Wootton told MailOnline: 'Speaker Mallard - who was actually one of my local MPs growing up - is a decent man, but thats why Im so stunned he is continuing to be a spokesman for Arderns inhumane, cruel and nonsensical Covid policies.

New Zealand's Speaker of the House hit back at MailOnline columnist Dan Wootton (pictured) on Monday, after he criticised the country's new draconian Covid-19 measures introduced after just nine cases of Omicron were detected

'The aim of the New Zealand government is to scare monger constantly and compare its death toll with the UK,' he continued.

'But we are nearly two years on from March 2020. New Zealand is 90 per cent vaccinated. Its the middle of summer. If they cant open now, then when?

'How long does Mallard intend on backing a policy where the million New Zealand passport holders overseas - including me - are illegally barred from entering the country?

'How long does New Zealand intend to stay a hermit kingdom banning business people from travelling abroad if they want to return home?

'But whats most amazing is that since I wrote the column on Monday I have been messaged by literally thousands of New Zealanders, who are fed up with Arderns approach. I am confident this is a country rising up to the insanity.'

Some, such as former All Black legend Zinzan Brooke, publicly hailed Mr Wootton's article. 'Completely agree with Dan here,' the retired rugby player, who played for the national team for 10 years, wrote on Monday.

In his original column, Mr Wootton had predicted that some of his fellow Kiwis would not take kindly to his words, writing that they 'will call me a traitor'. Regardless, he argued that it was time for a different approach from the government.

He called Ardern's announcement a 'myopic response', said New Zealanders were being brainwashed by her 'superwoke-but-authoritarian' spin, and wrote personally of how the policy impacted both him and his family who still live in the country.

Mr Wootton - who had once been a constituent of Mr Mallard's before moving to the United Kingdom when he was 21 - even referenced the speaker in his article.

Taking to Twitter, Speaker and Labour MP Trevor Mallard personally hit back at Mr Wootton, who had once been a constituent of his before moving to the United Kingdom when he was 21

'Known family for 45 years. Admired your father's work,' the MP wrote on Twitter (pictured). 'I know you want clicks but i prefer an approach that values lives especially the old, the young and the vulnerable. 'We have lost less than 10 per million while UK has lost 350+ per million. Maybe that doesn't matter to you'

Some, such as former All Black legend Zinzan Brooke, publicly hailed Mr Wootton's article. 'Completely agree with Dan here,' the retired rugby player, who played for the national team for 10 years, wrote on Monday

He reported that the speaker had warned panicked citizens to prepare as if for an 'earthquake'. Mr Wootton criticised his comments, recalling panic buying that was sparked when Covid-19 lockdowns were first announced in March 2020.

Now, almost two years on, Mr Wootton wrote: 'While the rest of the world is finally waking up to the need to live with Covid long-term, New Zealand remains trapped in March 2020, with terror and paranoia enveloping' the country.

Last week a fed-up businessman placed an advertisement in New Zealand's biggest news magazine. Under the headline, 'The following countries effectively ban their own citizens from returning to their home country,' it listed just one: New Zealand

The article sparked fierce debate online from both Brits and New Zealanders, debating the merits of keeping an economy open while the virus spreads versus the far more cautious approach taken by Ardern's government.

Mr Mallard's assertion that New Zealand has reported far fewer deaths from Covid-19 than the UK is correct, but the government's Covid-zero policy of introducing restrictions after small numbers of cases has bred frustration.

A key point made in Mr Wootton's article was that New Zealand is the only country currently banning its own citizens from returning from abroad.

He shared a picture of an advertisement taken out in New Zealand's biggest news magazine by a fed-up businessmen that showed the list of countries - including Afghanistan, China, Australia, Israel, Saudi Arabia and the US - that have no such ban, and then New Zealand separated in its own list.

The new measures were announced by Prime Minister Ardern after nine cases of the omicron variant were detected in a single family that flew to Auckland for a wedding earlier this month.

Dan Wootton called Ardern's announcement of new measures a 'myopic response', said New Zealanders were being brainwashed by her 'superwoke-but-authoritarian' spin, and wrote personally of how the policy impacted both him and his family who still live in the country

The so-called 'red setting' of the country's pandemic response includes heightened measures such as required mask wearing and limits on gatherings.

Ardern stressed that 'red is not lockdown,' noting that businesses can remain open and people can still visit family and friends and move freely around the country.

'Our plan for managing omicron cases in the early stage remains the same as delta, where we will rapidly test, contact trace and isolate cases and contacts in order to slow the spread,' Ardern told reporters in Wellington on Sunday.

New Zealand had been among the few remaining countries to have avoided any outbreaks of the omicron variant, but Ardern acknowledged last week that an outbreak was inevitable given the high transmissibility of the variant.

The country has managed to contain the spread of the delta variant, with an average of about 20 new cases each day.

But it has seen an increasing number of people arriving into the country and going into mandatory quarantine who are infected with omicron.

That has put strain on the quarantine system and prompted the government to limit access for returning citizens while it decides what to do about reopening its borders, angering many people who want to return to New Zealand.

About 93 percent of New Zealanders aged 12 and over are fully vaccinated and 52 percent have had a booster shot. The country has just begun vaccinating children aged between 5 and 11.

The family from the Nelson-Marlborough region attended a wedding and other events while in Auckland, with estimates suggesting they came into contact with 'well over 100 people at these events,' Ardern said.

'That means that omicron is now circulating in Auckland and possibly the Nelson-Marlborough region if not elsewhere,' she added.

The move to the red setting also impacts Ardern personally. The prime minister was planning to get married next weekend, but as a result of the new restrictions the celebration will be postponed.

'I just join many other New Zealanders who have had an experience like that as a result of the pandemic and to anyone who's caught up in that scenario, I am so sorry.'
A selfish BBC radio DJ has been fined 1,000 for breaking Covid rules by lending her speakers for a warehouse rave days after the November lockdown was announced.

Maressa Innerarity, 33, allowed friends to borrow her equipment for a party at a Poyser Street warehouse in east London in the early hours of November 8, 2020.

Police broke up the party after a resident at a nearby tower block reported noise to Scotland Yard at around midnight.

Innerarity, a former teacher, was issued a fixed penalty notice, but she told officers at the scene she had allowed friends to use her speakers. She said she remained at the squat party to make sure her equipment was not damaged.

Police estimates of the number of partygoers ranged from 60 to over 200 people, the court heard.

The rave was held five days before an alleged Downing Street flat party that took place as Boris Johnsons chief adviser Dominic Cummings and communications director Lee Cain left their roles.

Maressa Innerarity, 33, allowed friends to borrow her equipment for a party at a Poyser Street warehouse in east London in the early hours of November 8, 2020. Pictured, the radio DJ covering her face with a scarf outside court

Innerarity, a former teacher, was issued a fixed penalty notice, but she told officers at the scene she had allowed friends to use her speakers

Innerarity, of Wandsworth, south-west London, admitted holding or being involved in holding a rave-type gathering of more than 30 people indoors, contrary to the Coronavirus Health Protection Regulations 2020.

She was fined 1,000, ordered to pay 100 of prosecution costs, and a 100 statutory surcharge. District Judge Tim Godfrey also imposed a deprivation order for the speakers, stands, and the controller.

Innerarity, who performs under the stage name Carmen London, has also presented takeover shows on BBC Radio 1xtra, held a residency at the Notting Hill Carnival, and DJed for Afroswingm music artist Kojo Funds.

The court heard Innerarity has not worked in two years and is on Universal Credit, according to The Mirror.

The judge told Innerarity: This was during the national lockdown in November (2020) of which you were aware, as was everyone.

It was in clear breach of lockdown. It is hard to imagine an event more likely to spread Covid. It is not only your own health that you risk, it is the health and wellbeing of others.

The rave was held days before an alleged Downing Street party that took place

Those who organised and attended this event were acting in the most selfish way. I must accept that you did not know the full scale of the event.

Prosecutor Nathan Paine-Davey told the court: On 8 November police were called to 263 Poyser Street as a result of a complaint of noise from a resident of a Poyser Street block of flats, they believed there was some sort of gathering going on.

When police arrived they met with local officers, they could hear loud music coming from the address and there were approximately 60 people on the street.

Police entered the building and stopped the unlicensed event. Police estimated there were about 180 people in the premises. It was described as a squat, it is a warehouse, the building.

Ms Innerarity accepts at the scene that the music equipment was hers, and she was warned she may be prosecuted under the regulations.

Eric Kabuye, for Innerarity, said: She was approached by two people, Gabriel and Jamal, and she was asked if they could borrow her speakers.

She accepted, she packed them into the car, and drove them to the venue.

When she arrived at the premises it was empty. As people started to arrive she raised a cause for concern.

She was not paid for the the event and she stayed to ensure the equipment was brought back safety.

He added: There was only limited noise.

Judge Godfrey interrupted: Not limited enough to stop neighbours calling police. He then asked: What did she think the equipment was going to be used for?.

Mr Kabuye added: She stayed around, she was not paid at all, she did not gain anything from this event.

She is a DJ, but she was not the Disk Jockey on the day.
Melania Trump took an $80,000 loss on her online hat auction after the sell-off coincided with a crash in the cryptocurrency market.

The former first lady auctioned off the 'iconic' white hat she wore in 2018 when she and then-President Donald Trump hosted their first state visit at the White House.

The white, broad-brimmed hat, part of her 'Head of State' auction, had a $250,000 asking price - but Melania Trump wanted to be paid in the cryptocurrency of the Solana blockchain called SOL, which was then trading at a price of about $170 per token.

But SOL took a nose dive since Trump posted her auction in early January. As the auction closed early Wednesday, each SOL token was worth about $95.

There were only five bids that had been made as of Tuesday evening, The New York Times reported, with the top offer standing at a cash equivalent of $170,000.

Trump could hold onto the cryptocurrency in the hopes its value increases. But she also runs the risks that it will decline even further.

In addition to the wide-brimmed white hat worn by Melania to welcome French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte to the White House in April 2018, the auction also featured a watercolor painting by Coulon of the former First Lady wearing the accessory, as well as a moving digital NFT version of the artwork.

Non-fungible tokens  or NFTs  are unique and non-interchangeable units of data stored on a digital ledger or blockchain, the same technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. They have been gaining popularity as of late, especially with the rise of cryptocurrency hits like Dogecoin and Bitcoin.

Melania Trump auctioned off the wide-brimmed white hat she wore when she and her husband hosted their first state visit to the White House in April 2018 - but her tally came in $80,000 short of her asking price

Melania Trump wanted to be paid in the cryptocurrency of the Solana blockchain called SOL, whose value has taken a nose dive

Melania also sold a portrait of herself wearing the hat, as well as a digital non-fungible token (NFT) version of the painting as part of the auction, which started at $250,000 and ended at about $170,000

Some of the funds from the sale will be donated to children living in the foster care system, in order to provide them with 'access to computer science and technology education,' her office said.

But Melania Trump's office has not answered repeated inquiries from DailyMail.com on how much of the proceeds went to charity and to which charity.

Melania's watercolor portrait (pictured) and digital artwork were painted by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon - the same man who created her first NFT last month

In announcing the auction via her official office, Melania recalled the significance of the Macrons' visit to the White House, while detailing the 'great consideration' that went into the planning of her ensemble for the occasion, which saw her pairing the wide-brimmed hat with a white skirt suit designed by Michael Kors.

'Mrs. Trump recognized this important moment for the country, and accordingly, a great deal of consideration went into the planning,' a statement on her website explained.

'With a nod to French culture, Mrs. Trump commissioned French-American designer, Herve Pierre, to create the one-of-a-kind, white hat.

'Mr. Pierre used the same fabric as Mrs. Trumps white Michael Kors suit, and constructed the piece in New York City. Mrs. Trump wore a pair of Christian Louboutin stilettos in blue denim, white trim and a red sole, symbolic of her countrys flag.

'Mrs. Trump envisioned a very strong, modern hat with a large brim that matched the Michael Kors suit perfectly.

The hat was designed by milliner Herve Pierre with input from Melania, who 'envisioned a very strong, modern' piece with a 'large brim' to match the Michael Kors suit she wore for the visit

Melania Trump and Donald Trump at the White House on April 24, 2018 to greet Emmanuel Macron, France's president, and Brigitte Macron, France's first lady, for their first state visit

While announcing the auction on her website, Melania detailed the 'great consideration' that went into the planning of her ensemble for Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron's state visit in 2018

'The elegant hat, without ornate decoration, spoke loudly to Mrs. Trumps admiration for millinery design and superior craftsmanship. This one-of-a-kind hat was constructed from the same white crepe textile as the suit, and fabricated in New York City.'

Melania's latest auction launch comes less than a month after she announced the sale of her first-ever NFT: a digital watercolor painting of her eyes, which came complete with an audio message detailing her 'vision'.

'My vision is: Look forward with inspiration, strength and courage,' she stated in the brief recording.

Entitled 'Melania's Vision', the digital painting - which was signed by Melania and Coulon - was initially valued at around $185 and sold for $150.
US-backed Kurdish forces today broke through an overrun Syrian prison where Islamic State fighters had been holed up with hundreds of children.

The Ghwayran prison in the city of Hasakeh, Syria was understood to hold about 3,500 IS inmates when the terror group launched their initial attack on January 20 with suicide bombers ramming into the walls with explosive-laden vehicles.

The brazen prison break efforts by the Islamic State left more than 180 dead in what was described as the jihadists' most high-profile military operation in three years.

Around 700 boys, dubbed the 'Cubs of the Caliphate', were held hostage by the terror group's fighters as 'human shields' during intense skirmishes, sources said.

But on Wednesday Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, said that six days of fighting had ended with the group taking 'entire control' of the makeshift jail.

Mr Shami tweeted: 'The Peoples' Hammer Operation has culminated with our entire control of the al-Sina'a prison in al-Hasaka and the surrendering of all Daesh terrorists.'

Kurdish authorities claimed no inmates have escaped from the compound, but watchdogs including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warned significant numbers of potential terrorists had managed to flee.

A spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces militia said that six days of fighting had ended with the group taking 'entire control' of the makeshift Ghwayran prison in the city of Hasakeh, Syria

Inmates and suspected IS sympathisers are made to line up against the wall of Ghwayran prison on Wednesday after the Syrian Defence Force militia successfully retook the jail

The brazen prison break efforts by the Islamic State left more than 180 dead in what was described as the jihadists' most high-profile military operation in three years. Pictured: SDF troops deploy around Ghwayran prison (above) in Hasakeh, Syria

The SDF, aided by US troops and air support, began storming the prison on Monday and suffocated all supplies of food and water into the facility for two days.

With US and other foreign forces stepping in to support Kurdish elite units, the neighbourhoods in northeast Syria's largest city were secured as the besieged militants inside the prison started turning themselves in.

The SDF - the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration's de-facto army - had said earlier on Wednesday that more than 1,000 IS inmates had surrendered to them.

Fighting in and around the prison since Thursday has killed 181 people, including 124 IS jihadists, 50 Kurdish fighters and seven civilians, according to the Observatory.

Members of the Syrian Defence Force militia (pictured above) began storming the prison on Monday and suffocated all supplies of food and water into the facility for two days

The SDF were aided by US troops and air support in the Syrian city. Pictured: US soldiers gather just outside the prison on January 24

There has been no update on the condition of the roughly 850 children who lived alongside the near 5,000 prisoners held inside the jail, with some feared to have been caught in the crossfire.

Thousands of Hasakeh residents were forced out of their homes after at least 100 IS fighters stormed the facility last Thursday in their biggest show of force since 2018.

In one mosque located at a safe distance from the chaos, hundreds of women and children were huddled together in the biting winter cold.

'We want to go back home,' said Maya, a 38-year-old mother trying in vain to pacify her youngest, adding that 'there is no bread, water or sugar here'.

Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the Syrian Democratic Forces militia, tweeted: 'The Peoples' Hammer Operation has culminated with our entire control of the al-Sina'a prison in al-Hasaka and the surrendering of all Daesh terrorists'

Armed members of the Syrian Democratic Forces deploy around Ghwayran prison in Syria's northeastern city of Hasakeh on January 25

The Ghwayran prison in the city of Hasakeh, Syria was understood to hold about 3,500 IS inmates. Pictured: Inmates inside the prison in October 2019

A tense standoff has gripped the prison in recent days, with Kurdish forces and their IS foes aware they were facing either a bloodbath or talks to end the fighting.

The SDF has been reluctant to refer to talks between them and IS fighters, and it remains unclear exactly what led to the end of the attack.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said a Syrian IS member had negotiated with Kurdish forces to end the standoff and secure medical care for wounded jihadists.

Since Monday, Kurdish forces had freed at least 32 prison staff, some of whom appeared in video footage that IS had shared on social media after launching the attack.

Ghwayran is the prison with the largest number of suspected IS members in Syria and with experts warning the jailbreak must serve as a wakeup call for Western authorities.

More than 50 nationalities are represented in Kurdish-run prisons holding more than 12,000 IS suspects.

Displaced Syrian are pictured inside the Mosaab bin Aamir Mosque, in the Ghwayran neighbourhood in the northern city of Hasakeh on January 26

Hundreds of women and children huddled together in the biting winter cold in nearby mosques as residents fled the area for their own safety

The Kurdish administration has long warned it does not have the capacity to hold, let alone put on trial, all the IS fighters captured in years of operations.

'This issue is an international problem,' the administration's top foreign policy official, Abdulkarim Omar, told AFP on Wednesday. 'We cannot face it alone.'

He called on the international community to 'support the autonomous administration to improve security and humanitarian conditions for inmates in detention centres and for those in overcrowded camps'.

The proto-state declared by IS in 2014 once straddled large parts of Iraq and Syria.

After five years of military operations conducted by local and international forces, its last rump was eventually flushed out on the banks of the Euphrates in eastern Syria in March 2019.
Vice President Kamala Harris is attending the inauguration Thursday of new socialist Honduran President Xiomara Castro, whose inner circle has made problematic statements about Jewish people and Israel.

Honduras is one of the three 'northern triangle' countries that account for the flood of migrants coming over the U.S.-Mexico border.

President Joe Biden charged Harris with running point with leaders of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador so they could address the root causes of migration, but that quickly opened the vice president up to political attacks from conservatives as border crossings surged.

Officials said on Wednesday that the visit was a chance to deepen the relationship with Honduras and make progress in tackling the factors behind migration.

But hopes that Castro would help deliver a fresh start - replacing Juan Orlando Hernandez who was accused of taking drug money - could be overshadow by old comments made by her husband, running mate and running mate's wife.

Castro's husband Manuel Zelaya, the former president of Honduras, claimed after the country's 2009 coup that 'Israeli mercenaries' were torturing him with high-frequency radiation.

Castro's running mate, Salvador Nasralla, said Jews control the global money supply, according to Fox News.

On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris (left) will attend the inauguration of Honduran President-elect Xiomara Castro (right), whose inner circle has made problematic statements about Jewish people and Israel

Castro's husband Manuel Zelaya is a former Honduran president who got pushed out in a 2009 coup. At the time he claimed he was being tortured by 'Israeli mercenaries' using high-frequency radiation

Castro's (right) running mate Salvador Nasralla (left) said Jews control the global supply chain and insisted a former Honduran president's 'boss is the government of Israel'

Nasralla also said in 2020 that Honduras' outgoing president Juan Orlando Hernandez's 'boss is the government of Israel.'

Both Zelaya and Nasralla are familiar faces in Honduran politics.

Zelaya was elected in 2006 on a conservative platform but turned to the left politically, forging alliances with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and forming a friendship with Cuba's Raul Castro.

He was dispatched by a military coup in 2009, with opposition leaders claiming that Zelaya's plan to have a vote to change the constitution indicated he planned to stay in power - an assertion the president denied.

A Newsweek account from that time said that Zelaya went into hiding at the Brazilian embassy in Honduras' capital Tegucigalpa with about 50 followers.

'Since re-entering the country on Monday, he's set up an improvised war room and living quarters in the embassy, issuing calls for the 'fall of the usurpers' and spinning increasingly conspiratorial tales to the media,' the Newsweek report said.

'The once-proper president has resorted to sleeping on chairs and surviving on biscuits delivered to his makeshift bunker,' the report continued. 'His throat is sore from toxic gases, he says, while 'Israeli mercenaries'' are supposedly torturing him with high-frequency radiation from a device resembling a large satellite dish.'

Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told CNN en Espanol that Zelaya had lost it, Newsweek said.

Zelaya spent time in exile after the coup, but returned to the country in May 2011.

He served as his wife's campaign manager during her presidential run.

Nasralla, who backed Castro's presidential bid in October, so their political parties could rule together, previously ran for the presidency in 2017.

During that run, which he barely lost to the incumbent, Hernandez, his wife Iroshka Elvir had to apologize to Jewish organizations for praising Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

When Elvir was named Miss Honduras in 2015 she said 'Hitler was a great leader' during an interview with the El Heraldo newspaper, according to the Times of Israel.

'When I talked about Hitler I talked about his leadership because, to my understanding, he did not do anything good,' Elvir wrote in her 2017 letter to the Latin American Jewish Congress.

'The newspaper published that I admire Hitler, but it is not true, I never told them that I admired Hitler,' she continued. 'I am a great admirer of Israel, I love and bless that great nation. Receive my letter and my apologies since at no time did I want to offend any Jew.'

Elvir attached a photo of herself holding an Israeli flag to the letter and concluded it by writing 'shalom.'

Iroshka Elvir (left, in blue) had to apologize in 2017 for quotes she gave a newspaper in 2015 after winning Miss Honduras where she seemingly praised Adolf Hitler. 'The newspaper published that I admire Hitler, but it is not true, I never told them that I admired Hitler,' she said

The Jewish population in Honduras is only about 200 people, the Times said, out of 8.5 million.

Harris will leave early on Thursday morning to lead the delegation to Castro's inauguration.

Harris will also be the first bilateral meeting with Castro once she's sworn-in.

On Friday, Castro saw her prospects of a successful administration take a hit when a leadership battle played out in Congress.

The dispute threatened to split her own Liberty and Refoundation Party, as well as its alliance with the party of Nasralla - and raised suspicions that the outgoing government is trying to scuttle her administration before it can start.

Castro had promised to give leadership of the new Congress to Nasralla's party.

Instead, 20 members of her own party broke ranks and chose one of their own members as leader - getting votes from anti-Castro parties to defeat the president-elect's candidate.

It infuriated Castro, who tweeted, 'The betrayal is complete.'

Castro's party, known as Libre, won 50 seats in the 128-seat Congress in November elections and to pass legislation it will need votes from allies such as Nasralla's Honduras Salvation Party.

When Nasralla endorsed Castro they created a united front to remove the ruling National Party from power.

As part of the deal, Nasralla got the vice presidency and his party was to lead the new Congress.

That leader was supposed to be Luis Redondo.

But on Friday, 20 Libre lawmakers instead threw their support to one of their own, Jorge Calix, and and other parties opposed to Castro backed him as well.

That set off shoving and shouting between loyalist and breakaway members of Libre inside the chamber.

Outside, meanwhile, angry Libre supporters chained the doors of Congress so the lawmakers could not exit.

Riot police moved in and eventually regained control.

Political analyst and former presidential candidate Olban Valladares said the dispute could be the result of interference from the outgoing administration Hernandez, whose National Party had controlled the previous Congress with its allies.

Valladares said the developments made it doubtful that Castro would be able to count on the full support of her party to resolve Honduras' problems.

Zelaya said via Twitter that the selection of Calix would not be recognized and traitors would be expelled.

Asked about the brouhaha on the planning call Wednesday, a senior administration official said that they were aware and were closely following the situation.

'We believe that it is up to the Hondurans to find a resolution for the differences that they are encountering there. And for them to do that in a way that is consistent with their constitution - with their constitution and with their laws,' a senior official said.

More broadly, officials said Wednesday that Harris' trip had two aims.

'Number one, we want to deepen the bilateral partnership with Honduras,' said the official.

'And two, we want to continue the vice president's already very extensive diplomacy designed to address the root causes of migration in Central America.'

To that end, officials said they welcomed Castro's commitments to economic growth and tackling corruption, including saying she would invite the United Nations to help root out graft.

Other U.S. officials making the trip include USAID Administrator Samantha Powers and Rep. Raul Ruiz, a California Democrat.

'The Vice President's visit will further the commitment she and President-elect Castro made during their December 10 phone call to deepen the partnership between the United States and Honduras and work together to advance economic growth, combat corruption, and address the root causes of migration,' the White House said when it announced the trip last week.

A spokesperson for Harris did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.
Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko has branded Germany's latest offer of 5,000 helmets to Ukraine a 'joke' in the latest swipe at Olaf Scholz's lack of support for the threatened country.

The former boxer said he was left 'speechless' by Germany over their refusal to give substantial military aid and drop their support for the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline while Russian troops continue to amass on Ukraine's border.

He told Bild: 'The behaviour of the German government leaves me speechless.

'The defence ministry apparently hasn't realised that we are confronted with perfectly equipped Russian forces that can start another invasion of Ukraine at any time

'What kind of support will Germany send next. Pillows?'

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that Germany supports Ukraine and is aligned with other NATO countries over its condemnation of perceived Russian aggression.

But there is speculation that Germany's reluctance to send arms to Ukraine may be influenced by its dependence on Russia for its supply of gas and Germany's chequered military past.

Kiev mayor Vitali Klitschko has branded Germany's latest offer of 5,000 helmets to Ukraine a 'joke'

A Strela-10 anti-aircraft missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces fires during anti-aircraft military drills today

Germany says it has long refused to export arms to conflict zones and is declining Ukraine's appeals for weaponry

Earlier this week, Klitschko accused Germany of 'betraying' his country for their 'failure to provide assistance and betrayal of friends' as tensions reach boiling point amid increasing fears of an imminent invasion.

The ex-heavyweight champion wrote in Bild: 'There is huge disappointment in Ukraine that the federal government is sticking to Nord Stream 2 and that it does not want to supply defence weapons.

'This is failure to provide assistance and betrayal of friends in a dramatic situation in which our country is threatened by Russian troops from several borders.'

Germany meanwhile says it will stand with other NATO nations in condemning any Russian invasion, with Chancellor Scholz asserting yesterday that the price to be paid by Russia in the event of an incursion across the border would be 'high'.

Scholz also pointed out that Germany has long maintained a policy of refusing to export arms to conflict zones.

But his country's reluctance to offer material support to Ukraine in the form of much needed weaponry has fuelled speculation that Germany's new left-wing government is unwilling to upset Vladimir Putin.

Europe's gas markets are linked by a network of interconnecting pipelines, and while some countries have cut their reliance on Russian gas over the years, many would be unable to satisfy demand should Russia decide to slash their supply.

Germany depends on Russia for up to 40 per cent of its gas imports and the EU nation would struggle to find an alternative option should Russia decide to retaliate in the face of Germany providing weapons to Ukraine.



Members of Ukraine's Territorial Defence Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train in a city park in Kiev

A service member of the 14th Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces takes part in anti-aircraft military drills today

Map showing points of origin and destination of the Nord Stream gas pipeline (solid line) and Nord Stream 2 pipeline (dotted line) between Russia and Germany. Germany depends on Russia for up to 40 per cent of its gas imports and the EU nation would struggle to find an alternative option should Russia retaliate in the face of strong economic sanctions following an invasion

Not only is Germany refusing to provide new weaponry to Ukraine, it has also blocked Estonia from providing Ukraine with old German-made howitzers, showcasing a considerable commitment to its refusal to arm the eastern European NATO ally.

Scholz's strict stance on the matter has raised concerns not only in Ukraine, but also among other NATO countries and even German officials.

'How many in Berlin are actually aware how our seemingly confused Ukraine policy harms not just (Germany) but the entire EU?' asked Wolfgang Ischinger, Germany's former ambassador to the United States and now head of the annual Munich Security Conference.

Deputy director of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies Rachel Ellehuus argued that Germany's chequered military history in both world wars could be behind Scholz's resolute stance.

'There's the obvious legacy of Germany's own militarisation in Europe during two world wars that has led many German leaders to view any military response as the last resort,' she said.

'But the current government does not seem to grasp that sending defensive weapons to Ukraine might actually deter further Russian aggression.'

Meanwhile, Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said the number of Russian troops deployed along his country's border was not enough for a major attack.

'The number of Russian troops amassed along the border of Ukraine and occupied territories of Ukraine is large,' Kuleba said, referring to Moscow-annexed Crimea and separatist-controlled parts of eastern Ukraine.

He told reporters that 'it poses a threat to Ukraine' but is 'insufficient for a full-scale offensive'.

Kuleba added that Russia is still capable of building up its deployments to 'a sufficient level' over time.

His comments are in contrast to those of Kyiv's Western allies, including the US, who have warned that Russia may attack at any moment.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (left) and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin (right) talk before a parliamentary session today

A serviceman holds his machine-gun in a trench on the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants in Slavyanoserbsk

The US has responded to the growing concerns by urging its citizens in the ex-Soviet country to 'consider departing now'.

'The US embassy urges US citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options,' the embassy said in a statement, warning that the security situation 'can deteriorate with little notice.'

US officials are convinced Putin intends to use force by mid-February, according to Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman.

She said today: 'I have no idea whether he's made the ultimate decision, but we certainly see every indication that he is going to use military force sometime perhaps (between) now and the middle of February.'

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the US and its NATO allies are worried about Russia deploying an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine and launching a series of sweeping military maneuvers.

As part of the drills, motorized infantry and artillery units in southwestern Russia practiced firing live ammunition, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea performed bombing runs, dozens of warships sailed for training exercises in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers arrived in Belarus for joint war games.

Elite paratroopers have also been moved close to the border for the first time amid fears of an operation to seize the capital of Kiev.

A train with the troops and their equipment was spotted moving west towards the potential warzone and appears to be the 217th Guards Parachute Regiment of the 98th Airborne Division.

The deployment was seen passing through Russia's Bryansk region which borders both Ukraine and Belarus, as shown in a video posted on TikTok.

An American shipment of 300 anti-tank Javelin missiles worth $50million landed in Kiev overnight, the third batch of a $200million military aid package designed to bring death and destruction to Russia's forces if Putin invades

An analysis by respected independent Russian researchers known as the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT) indicates the tarpaulin-covered armoured vehicles in the video are BMD-4M airborne combat vehicles and BTR-MDM airborne armoured personnel carriers.

'The train includes five passenger carriages, which can carry more than 250 people,' said the Team.

It was also loaded with eight shortened two-axle Kamaz-43501 trucks, as used by Russia's Airborne Troops.

The train originated from Tekstilny station in Ivanovo region, according to railway records, which is close to where the elite airborne forces are based, said the analysis.

'This is the first confirmed video of paratroopers moving closer to the border with Ukraine,' said the Team.

'In any large-scale attack on the territory of Ukraine, the Airborne Forces should play a decisive role.'

Russia has been massing forces on Ukraine's border for months, sparking fears that an invasion is imminent - and is now sabre-rattling across Europe including a new set of naval drills due to take place near Ireland (left)

They would act 'either in a landing operation to capture strategic objects in the rear, or as shock infantry'.

The analysis said: 'The appearance of paratroopers looks all the more ominous because in recent days there has been a continuous build-up of Russian groups in the south of the Bryansk region and in Belarus - in the south of Gomel region, north of Kyiv.'

It was not immediately clear if the paratroopers were heading for Belarus or a Russian region close to the border.

Meanwhile an 80-tonne shipment of US anti-tank missiles has arrived in Ukraine in the latest delivery of high-tech weapons aimed at inflicting maximum death and destruction on Putin's forces if he decides to invade.

A plane loaded with 300 Javelin missiles worth some $50million landed in capital Kiev late Tuesday, the third part of a $200million shipment of American military aid that is being sent to help its ally.

The shipment also contained grenade launchers and ammunition, as well as other non-lethal weapons systems, and comes in addition to anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons already sent by the UK, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Javelins are American-made missiles that use infrared technology to lock on to targets, rising high into the air before slamming down - making them especially deadly against tanks because their armour is thinnest on top, though Javelins can also be used to blow up buildings.

In addition to the Javelins, Ukraine has been given American Stinger missiles which use similar technology to take out aircraft and helicopters, as well as British-made NLAWs - another kind of anti-tank rocket.

While such weapons are unlikely to tip any conflict decisively in Ukraine's favour, they are designed to inflict punishing losses on Putin's forces to make any invasion as costly and bloody for Moscow as possible.
The Court of Appeal has ruled it was unlawful to strip a grandmother ISIS suspect of her British citizenship despite fears it could lead to dozens of jihadists claiming a right to return to the UK.

The woman, in her 50s and identified only as D4 from the north of England, has been held at the same camp as Shamima Begum, the al-Roj in northern Syria, since January 2019.

Her citizenship was removed in December 2019 over national security fears amid reports she had travelled to the Middle East to 'align with the so-called Islamic State'.

Notification of the decision placed on her Home Office file with a note saying its legal advisers concluded it was an appropriate decision as her whereabouts were unknown at the time.

D4, a British citizen from birth, was not told her citizenship had been stripped until her lawyers asked the Foreign Office to bring her back to the UK.

A High Court judge ruled the Home Office's decision was unlawful in July last year, citing that there was no legal power to treat a note on the file as giving notice of a deprivation of citizenship.

That ruling was upheld by the Court of Appeal yesterday, with judges finding by a majority of two to one that current laws do not allow the Home Office to use this method of giving notice.

The Home Office has the power to remove a person's citizenship if it would be 'conducive to the public good' - a power that has been commonly used in recent years with 104 people stripped of their British citizenship in 2017 alone.

However, the Government department 'must give the person written notice' of the decision, as well as the the reasons for it and provide notification of their right to appeal.

A view of the al-Roj camp in northern Syria, believed to be home to a 50-strong British contingent of women and around 800 families

British Jihadi wife Shamima Begum (pictured) at the Al Hawl camp for captured ISIS wives and children in 2019

The Home Office updated the regulations in 2018 to set out how notice is to be given where an individual's whereabouts are unknown, there is no address to send documents and they do not have a lawyer.

Under these new rules, notice of a decision to revoke someone's citizenship is 'deemed to have been given' to the person in question if it is placed on the Home Office's file.

At the initial hearing in the High Court in July last year, Mr Justice Chamberlain ruled that the decision to deprive D4 of her citizenship was 'void and of no effect', adding: 'D4 was from that date, and remains, a British citizen.'

He said: 'Parliament said that, before making an order in respect of a person, the Home Secretary must give the person written notice of the decision to do so.

'It could have imposed a requirement to give notice "where possible" or "if practicable", but it did not.'

The judge continued: 'As a matter of ordinary language, you do not "give" someone "notice" of something by putting the notice in your desk drawer and locking it.

'No one who understands English would regard that purely private act as a way of "giving notice".

'That is so even if there is no reasonable step that could be taken to bring the notice to the attention of the person concerned.'

The Home Office appealed against his ruling, arguing that the Home Secretary has a 'wide decision' and is 'entitled to implement provisions about notice being deemed to have occurred'.

The appeal was dismissed on Wednesday, though.

Lady Justice Whipple said preset law does not give powers 'of such breadth that the Home Secretary can deem notice to have been given where no step at all has been taken to communicate the notice to the person concerned and the order has simply been put on the persons Home Office file'.

Shamima Begum has been at the al-Roj camp since 2019. She infamously fled the UK with fellow teenagers Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana as a 15-year-old schoolgirl in February 2015

The judge added: 'To permit that would be to permit the statute to be subverted by secondary legislation.

'Only Parliament can decide that the requirement for notice... should be altered in this way.'

Lady Justice Whipple also said Parliament is current considering the Nationality and Borders Bill, which proposes removing the requirement to give notice in circumstances where it is deemed 'not reasonably practicable'.

Agreeing with Lord Justice Whipple, Lord Justice Baker said: 'There may be good policy reasons for empowering the Secretary of State to deprive a person of citizenship, but such a step is not lawful under (the current) legislation.

'If the Government wishes to empower the Secretary of State in that way, it must persuade Parliament to amend the primary legislation.

'That is what it is currently seeking to do under the Nationality and Borders Bill.'

Sir Geoffrey Vos disagreed with both judges, stating the current law would be 'neutered' if citizenship could not be removed from a person who has no representative and cannot be contacted.

His view, though, was in the minority and the appeal was dismissed.

Maya Foa, director of human rights advocacy group Reprieve, said in a statement after the ruling: 'The decision confirms that stripping a British national of their citizenship in secret is illegal.

'But the Government is already cynically attempting to circumvent the courts by using Clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders Bill to render this ruling moot, making a mockery of the rule of law.

'Ministers should change course and recognise that depriving people of their citizenship without even telling them is an affront to British principles of justice and fairness.'

The Home Office was refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, but can ask the court directly to consider the case.

Shamima Begum is among what is believed to be a 50-strong British contingent of women and children at the al-Roj camp, which houses around 800 families in total.

The authorities at the camp - the Kurdish-led and Western-backed Syrian Democratic Forces - have banned black clothing, the colour of ISIS, and black face veils.
This provided photo shows a worker in a vest-type wearable robotic device in a demonstration in Gwangyang, South Jeolla Province. Courtesy of Gwangyang City



By Bahk Eun-ji



The shortage of agricultural workers has become a chronic headache for Korean farmers as the nation ages due to the continuing decline in birthrates. Farmers are even finding it difficult to complete seasonal harvesting.



The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the shortage. The labor-intensive agricultural sector suffered as a consequence of the pandemic which has almost put a halt on international travel for migrant workers.



Facing the worsening labor situation, some local municipalities are now looking to robots or Artificial Intelligence (AI) to replace the absent human workforce.



The Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Office in South Cheongcheong Province recently introduced "a cooperative robot" for agriculture and fishery.



Cooperative robot refers to AI-based technology designed to reduce human labor in agricultural fields, with livestock and in fisheries.



As the agricultural and fishery robots currently are not sophisticated enough to perform various tasks independently, the provincial government is mulling over the use of robots that are operated with assistance from humans.



Due to the characteristics of the South Chungcheong region  the nation's leader in agriculture, livestock, and fishery industries  the provincial government said the cooperative robots are expected to have a large effect on the farming business.



"The cooperative robot for agriculture and fishery will make a decisive contribution to solving the manpower shortage and improving farmers' income," said an official of the provincial office's future industry bureau.



"The size of the global robot market is expected to grow to 140 trillion ($1.17 billion) in 2024 from 65 trillion in 2018. In a sense, collaborative robots for agribusiness are a valuable technology not only to solve the labor shortage in rural areas, but also to be nurtured as an emerging industry for the region," he said.



There are various cooperative robots for agriculture and the fishery industry that the provincial office is planning to introduce.



In an orchard, for example, when farmers pick fruit such as apples, pears, and peaches, a cooperative robot can help the workers by carrying the harvested fruits to the warehouse and returning to repeat the task.





This supplied photo shows a researcher using a robotic device to analyze fruit and vegetable growth information at the International Agricultural Expo in Naju, South Jeolla Province, Oct. 21, 2021. Courtesy of Jeollanam-do Agricultural Research and Extension Services
The SNP has accused Boris Johnson of 'body shaming' the party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford.

The pair clashed at Prime Minister's Questions at lunchtime as Mr Blackford took aim at Mr Johnson over Partygate and the Government's planned National Insurance hike.

Mr Johnson appeared to allude to Mr Blackford's weight as he responded with a reference to eating cake, prompting a furious backlash from the SNP.

The SNP has accused Boris Johnson of 'body shaming' the party's Westminster leader Ian Blackford

The PM has been under pressure in recent weeks over alleged parties held in and around Downing Street during lockdown, one of which was to celebrate his birthday which is believed to have involved a cake.

While urging Mr Johnson to quit, Mr Blackford said: 'The impending National Insurance tax hike hangs like a guillotine while they eat cake.'

In response, Mr Johnson said: 'I don't know who has been eating more cake.'

Kirsten Oswald, the SNP's deputy leader at Westminster, hit out at Mr Johnson's comments.

'Boris Johnson has proven, yet again, that he is completely unfit for office,' she said.

'Whether it's his body shaming jokes, his racism, his homophobia, or his wider misconduct in public office, Mr Johnson is giving people another telling insight into his odious character.

'The Prime Minister's frequently offensive remarks will have a damaging impact on many young people and need to be called out.

'He is sending an appalling message to society, that the most powerful person in the UK Government thinks it's okay to mock people because of their bodies, race, sexual orientation and religion.'

Eating disorder charity Beat also criticised Mr Johnson over the comment directed at Mr Blackford.

Its director of external affairs Tom Quinn said: 'It is completely unacceptable that the Prime Minister should resort to making fatphobic comments.

'It shows a clear lack of regard for, or understanding of, the 1.25 million people in the UK affected by eating disorders, and we are extremely disappointed that he has deemed this to be an appropriate response.

'We would urge the Prime Minister to educate himself on the seriousness of these mental illnesses, and limit his comments of other MPs to their actions, not their appearances.'
A thief known for his unique approach - slithering on the floor to avoid setting off motion-activated alarms - has been caught wriggling into a gold exchange and making off with $50,000 worth of silver.

Surveillance footage shows the so-called 'snake burglar' crawling on the carpet of Crown Gold Exchange in Riverside, California, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles sometime last week.

The thief broke into a vacant storefront next door, used a hammer to break the drywall and slipped into Crown Gold Exchange. He then spent five minutes rummaging through the back room, owner Cesar Meyer told KTLA.

The burglar's approach is virtually the same as the one used in at least six robberies in Riverside in recent months, police say.

At Body Tan Salon and Spa in November, a man kicked in a side window at ground level and cut through sheet rock before sliding in and emptying the register. Police are still investigating if the thief from the gold exchange is the same person who committed the November burglaries.

California has been plagued by smash-and-grab looters and rising property crimes during the past year.

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Surveillance footage shows the so-called 'snake burglar' crawling on the carpet of Crown Gold Exchange in Riverside, California

He wriggled around on the floor to avoid motion sensors and left with $50K worth of silver

The robbery took place last week at Crown Gold Exchange in Riverside, California, about 55 mi east of Los Angeles

Owner Cesar Meyer says the man was inside the store for a full five minutes and broke in through the drywall in a vacant business right next door

'This Crown Gold Exchange burglary does appear to be very similar, if not the same, to the suspect in the others back in late November. Our detectives are following up on leads but we have not identified the suspect yet,' Riverside Police spokesman Ryan J. Railsback told DailyMail.com.

Video from Crown Gold Exchange shows the man wearing a dark hoodie, dark pants and sneakers.

He opens drawers as he remains on the floor, taking things out of them and sliding back out.

'This guy slithered in, crawled on the ground, kind of like Lt. Dan-style, hand over hand, didn't move his legs, and was able to rummage through my entire back room for a full five minutes,' said Meyer, the owner.

He's blaming his ADT alarm system for not alerting him.

'There's definitely something faulty, something going on with the ADT motion detectors, because if they're designed to detect motion, this guy is moving around a lot in all of these businesses, and ADT's motion detectors are not picking it up,' Meyer told KTLA.

A burglar with a similar 'snake' tactic broke into at least six businesses in Riverside through December.

Police are investigating if the gold exchange thief is the same man caught slithering in the lobby of the Rustic Roots hair salon at around 5am on November 26

That same night, he also broke into Body Tan Salon and Spa just down the street

He kicked in a glass window and cut through the sheet rock before sliding in and taking all the money from the register

Surveillance footage caught him slithering in the lobby of the Rustic Roots hair salon at around 5am on November 26.

He seems to have entered and left through a fire escape on the ceiling, KTLA reports.

Merchandise was missing, the register was open and $8,000 were gone, according to owner Lori Hajj.

Hajj also had security cameras and motion detectors.

'Basically, your sensors have to be, like, in the middle in your business. It's not like a home, it's a business. And because they're so high, it does not detect. The alarm will not sound off,' she said.

'Basically, your sensors have to be, like, in the middle in your business,' said Lori Hajj, who was targeted by the snake burglar. 'And because they're so high, it does not detect. The alarm will not sound off,' she said

Suzanna Velarde, who owns Body Tan Salon and Spa just down the street from the hair salon, thinks the same burglar hit her business.

Surveillance footage shows someone crawling past the front door of her business on the same night as the hair salon robbery.

'He crawled all the way on the floor to the register. He took all the money,' she said. 'I couldn't even sleep at night.'

Riverside police have not identified any suspects in the burglaries.
A 51-year-old DoorDash driver and mother-of-three who was shot dead by robbers after her car broke down during a delivery - one of six people killed last weekend in Baltimore as the city's notoriously high murder rate continues to climb.

Cheryl McCormack was shot around 2:20 am on Sunday in the 3900 block of White Avenue by two thieves in a 'robbery gone bad,' and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Baltimore Police Department.

McCormack was having car trouble, and had pulled over to the side of the road.

Another man, who had been driving with McCormack as she completed her deliveries, told her grieving husband that one of the robbers shot her after she refused to give them her valuables, according to The Baltimore Sun.

It is unclear what the other man's relationship to McCormack was, and the Baltimore Police Department told DailyMail.com that they 'never identify witnesses to violent cases, as doing so may jeopardize the individuals safety.'

It is also unclear how much was stolen from McCormack, or what valuables she had on her person.

The Baltimore Police Department told DailyMail.com that they were 'not permitted to disclose that information' because it was 'case sensitive.'

'My guess is my wife can be stubborn and she wasn't going to give up her money and cellphone,' McCormack's husband, Jim, told WBALTV.

Police have not made any arrests in a city that recorded 337 murders in 2021, the seventh straight year in which homicides topped 300.

Cheryl McCormack, 51 (pictured) was shot around 2.18 am on Sunday in the 3900 block of White Avenue by two thieves in a 'robbery gone bad,' and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Baltimore Police Department

McCormack's brother-in-law wrote in a tribute post that the slain mother-of-three 'has a heart of gold' that 'shows in her children'

The husband said his focus now lies with their children.

'I have three kids - my two oldest are helping me out tremendously. I have a 19-year-old and he's in shock. And then, I have my brother-in-law, who's my left arm. And that's how we look at it,' he said.

Mike Zellhoffer, McCormack's brother-in-law, paid tribute on Facebook after what he called a 'senseless' killing.

'I have known Cheryl McCormack since she was in middle school. Her brother Chuck Lowry and I have been best friends since high school. Our families are so close he married my sister,' he wrote.

'If you want to do something to honor Cheryl, please be kind to someone who can give you nothing in return. That was Cheryl. She had a heart of gold and it shows in her children.'

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Essex, where McCormack graduated from high school in 1988, said in a statement that she 'touched many lives here.' She is pictured on her graduation day

Mike Zellhoffer, McCormack's brother-in-law, paid tribute on Facebook after what he called a 'senseless' killing

McCormack and her husband were married for 24 years but had separated, though still living together in the suburb of Nottingham. He described her as a nice, caring person, who was trained as a paralegal but was between jobs and who had three children and a grandson, according to the Baltimore Sun.

'When we were in our happy times, wed help everybody out. She was a very giving individual,' he told the paper

A spokesman for DoorDash said: 'We are deeply saddened by this senseless attack and tragic loss of life. Our thoughts are with Ms. McCormacks loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time.'

DoorDash has yet to return DailyMail.com's request for comment.

McCormack was allowed to have a passenger in the car though other people can't complete deliveries for drivers working with the service because they are all subject to background checks, according to the company's policy.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel School in Essex, where McCormack graduated from high school in 1988, said in a statement that she 'touched many lives here.'

McCormack's death comes after another violent weekend in Baltimore, with police logging seven non-fatal shootings, 25 robberies and six total homicides.

Police said 84 arrests were made and 64 warrants were issued over the weekend.

'I give them credit for what they do. They are excellent employees of the city,' McCormack's husband said.

Chelsey Patterson, 44, the beloved general manager of a restaurant in the city's Little Italy, was another of this weekend's victims. Around midnight, two hours before McCormack was killed, police said Patterson was shot dead in the 1700 block of Eastern Avenue.

He was pronounced dead shortly after he was taken to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Chelsey Patterson, 44 (pictured), the beloved general manager of La Scala in the city's Little Italy, was another of this weekend's victims

Patterson had been the general manager of La Scala Ristorante, located about a half mile from where he was shot, for 17 years.

'The La Scala family was devastated last night by the senseless violence that claimed the life of our beloved friend and General Manager, Chesley Patterson,' read a tribute to the slain man on the restaurant's Facebook page.

'"Chesco," as he was called by all of us was a warm, kind and familiar face to both staff and all who have dined with us over the last 17 years. He was leader to all and an invaluable part of our family.'

Patterson concocted the restaurant's signature espresso martini, recalled one coworker.

Patterson had been the general manager of La Scala Ristorante, located about a half mile from where he was shot, for 17 years

'All the city drooling over that recipe. Chesley he made it himself,' co-worker Bulat Kamelov told the Baltimore Sun. 'He was very slow behind the bar, but martini was good.'

Madison, Patterson's niece, told the Sun that her uncle appreciated the finer things in life, like his white Audi and Burberry colognes. She had moved in with Patterson recently, and recalled the well-done steak and creme brulee they made together.

He didn't have a partner or children, but he loved his bulldog 'Lucy,' and rarely had an empty guest room.

'No one was not invited,' recalled friend Marissa Kamelov, who is married to Bulat. 'You could show up there at 5 oclock. He was exceptionally comforting.'

Last Wednesday, the third outreach worker with gun violence prevention group Safe Streets was shot dead within the last year. DaShawn McGrier, 29, was one of four victims of a drive by shooting on Monument Street.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott tweeted that, to honor the fallen street protector, community violence interventions would be expanded across the city.

Last Wednesday, the third outreach worker with gun violence prevention group Safe Streets was shot dead within the last year. DaShawn McGrier, 29 (pictured), was one of four victims of a drive by shooting on Monument Street

'DaShawn believed that we could build a better Baltimore. Lets show him that we can,' he wrote.

In a statement, Scott wrote that Baltimore 'must be better,' calling the level of violence in the city 'sickening.'

'I met with police leadership Monday evening to ensure that we continue to focus and further our coordinated efforts on those who continue to carry out acts of violence in our city to reduce violent crime. We will continue to partner with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to bring all resources to bear in this fight for the safety of Baltimore City.'

But McCormack's husband told the WBALTV that he remains unconvinced, and that he plans to write city leaders about his frustrations with rising rates of violent crime.

'Unfortunately, Baltimore City does not take care of their own, and that's how I look at it right now,' he said.

Thus far in 2022, there have been 1,601 crime recorded in the city, including 28 homicides, 244 aggravated assaults, 69 street robberies, 63 commercial robberies, 47 shootings and 39 car jackings, according to Baltimore Police.

Charm City saw 337 homicides last year, up from 334 in 2020, and well above the 290 that Scott had hoped his new 'violence reduction' strategies would bring the homicide rate down to in 2021.

'We can't accept that this life loss is normal,' Scott, who last year led efforts to cut police funding by $22 million as a city councilman before pleading over the spring for $27 million more for the police department, told the Baltimore Sun Times.

Meanwhile, non-fatal shootings increased from 721 in 2020, to 726 in 2021.

The Charm City saw a slight increase in murders from 334 in 2020

Nonfatal shootings increased from 721 in 2020, to 726 in 2021 - roughly a 1percent increase

Scott had laid out a plan which tripled the city's violence intervention programs, and increased efforts to seize trafficked guns to reduce murders by 15 percent every year. But instead of lowering murders to less than 290 deaths, the city reported 337 killings involving shooting incidents.

Meanwhile, Baltimore's police department has pointed out that murder has gone up from 32 percent in 2019, to 39 percent in 2020, and 42 percent in 2021.

Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison, said it would take monumental efforts to root out the culture of violence in the city.

'It's not just what the Police Department can do, it's how we change the way people think,' Harrison said. 'We have to change culture, and that's a hard thing to do. That takes longer.'

Harrison seemed to be more hopeful of the department's goals for 2022, pointing out at the increase in murder clearance.

'When you put it all together, we have made improvements,' he said.

'We're just getting started. It is frustrating, but we're changing the culture of a city.'

Meanwhile, mayor Scott did not backpedal from his initial plan to reduce violent crimes, assuring residents that they will see results in 2022.

'We all know that this is always going to be a long road. But I believe in my heart that we can transform what's going on in the city by keeping to this approach,' he told the Sun.
The slain husband of a former Miss America contestant was tragically gunned down in front of his wife and two-year-old son in a rough Alabama neighborhood while educating impoverished strangers about the powers of God, his friends and family say - just days after the couple celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary.

Thomas Hand Jr., 37, who considered himself a born-again Christian, was sharing information about Christianity in Montgomery on Saturday with his wife and toddler when a man - mumbling - walked up and shot him, his friends told DailyMail.com.

His wife, former Miss Mississippi Christine Kozlowski Hand, 33, confirmed the account in a brief interview with Dailymail.com on Wednesday, saying: 'What you said is true. It was a complete random act of violence.'

Hand Jr. - a fitness buff and ex-competitive bodybuilder - discovered God in 2018 and soon became infatuated with Christianity. He and his wife made it a Saturday tradition to visit low-income areas in Alabama and share religious teachings.

'He tried to spread the word of God, and he was shot,' longtime friend Kevin Rayan told DailyMail.com.

A 17-year-old was arrested in the Montgomery shooting and faces a charge of capital murder, according to police, who later named the suspect as Jerimiah Walker of Montgomery.

Walker is being held at the Montgomery County Detention Facility. Police did not immediately disclose the motive or details of the January 22 slaying, which happened about 4:30 p.m. on the 3100 block of Texas Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Montgomery County District Attorney Daryl Bailey said Monday that the city was 'under siege' by criminals following a weekend of violence in Alabama's capital.

Thomas Hand Jr., 37, was murdered Saturday outside a Montgomery, Alabama home occupied by his two-year-old son. The couple is pictured with their son, Roman, in this undated photo

Hand Jr. was a competitive bodybuilder and the 2010 Mr. New Orleans, according to his company's website

During an interview with local outlet WFSA, Bailey said the latest shootings are 'way too much. I spent my entire weekend dealing with the violent crime in Montgomery, going to crime scenes, or on the phone with law enforcement. The city of Montgomery is under siege, and we have got to address these issues.'

There were at least 75 homicides in 2021, the outlet reported, with interim police Chief Ramona Harris calling it 'one of the highest numbers weve seen in Montgomery.'

The city recorded 68 slayings in 2020 and 42 killings in 2019.

The Hand family moved to the city last year to escape growing violence in the New Orleans, Louisiana suburb where they previously lived, Rayan said.

'It's crazy because he was telling me every day, "I want to get away from this crap, go buy a house in Alabama,"' Rayan said. 'And then this happened.'

The couple moved to Alabama to escape growing violence in the New Orleans area, where they previously lived

They met at a Louisiana gym and 'it was love at first sight,' a friend said

In 2016, Hand Jr. married Christine, who is from DIberville, Mississippi and won the state pageant in 2008. She competed in Miss America the following year at age 19 and won the swimsuit competition.

The couple met at a gym, longtime friend Luke Lemus, 48, told DailyMail.com.

It was love at first sight,' he said. 'They just hit it off. They started their life together from that point on. They were inseparable from the day they met.'

The couple has a two-year-old son Roman. She is pregnant with their second child, who is due in August.

Hand, who has a biological child and a stepchild from a previous marriage, discovered God in 2018, a few years after marrying Christine, Lemus said.

He since became passionate about studying the Bible, enlightening others about Christianity, and hoped to one day become a preacher.

He started going to church, went and got saved, he said. He studied the Bible day in and day-out.

Added Lemus: 'It's a huge tragedy, not only to his wife, but we lost a very dear friend, as well. Heaven definitely gained an angel. It's selfish to think we wish we could have it back.'

The couple shares a two-year-old son Roman, whom Christine was pregnant with in this file photo. She's now pregnant with their second child

'They were inseparable from the day they met,' a family friend said of the couple

She competed in Miss America iin 2009 at age 19 and won the swimsuit competition

The former beauty queen was previously married to Bradley Chisenhall, who proposed to her during a One Direction concert in 2014 in an event band front man Harry Styles helped orchestrate. They divorced within a year.

She also confirmed her husband's death on Facebook, where she thanked friends for their love and support, and asked them to continue supporting their business, supplement company Hand Nutrition.

'Im just overwhelmed with all the questions and retelling of the details of what happened,' she wrote. 'I will at a later date release more information to explain everything to everyone.'

She added: 'Also for all of his loyal and cherished customers at Hand Nutrition the company will continue to serve you guys and we ask that you stick with us as this will be our only means of support for our son and baby to be. We need your support now more than ever.'

She said the company will relocate to her hometown of Biloxi, Mississippi.

Hand Jr. was a competitive bodybuilder and the 2010 Mr. New Orleans, according to his company's website, where he wrote: 'Like the old saying goes and it couldn't be more true, "without your health, you have nothing." Maintaining an active lifestyle and good well being is very important to me.'

He started his supplement company to 'to be able to use my own products so that I am sure of what I am putting into my body,' he wrote.

In 2016, Hand Jr. married former Miss Mississippi Christine Kozlowski Hand

Christine Kozlowski Hand was named Miss Mississippi in 2008

Hand Jr. had became passionate about studying the Bible and enlightening others about Christianity, and hoped to one day become a preacher, Lemus told DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

He started going to church, went and got saved, he said. He studied the Bible day in and day out.

He met Christine at a gym and the couple celebrated their sixth year wedding anniversary days before the shooting, Lemus continued.

It was love at first sight. They just hit it off. They started their life together from that point on. They were inseparable from the day they met.'

Lemus described Hand Jr. as a shirt-off-your-back type of guy would do anything for a friend  or stranger  in need.

An amazing person, awesome friend, he said. He was always there to help you. No matter what you needed, he was there.

Hand Jr. started his supplement company to 'to be able to use my own products so that I am sure of what I am putting into my body,' he wrote

Pictured: Hand Jr. (left) and longtime friend Luke Lemus (right) during their bodybuilding days in an undated photo

The couple married in 2016. Of her husband's murder, the former beauty queen says 'Im just overwhelmed with all the questions and retelling of the details of what happened'

It's not clear if Hand Jr's pregnant wife was home at the time of his murder

The suspect in Hand Jr.'s murder is being held in the Montgomery County Detention Center. It was unknown if he had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.

Christine Hand's first engagement was an elaborate affair. Her boyfriend commissioned Styles to help orchestrate the engagement by stopping a Georgia concert to allow Chisenhall to pop the question.

The reason for their divorce was not immediately known.

The case remains under investigation, authorities said.

Anyone with any information about the shooting should contact CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP, Secret Witness at 334-625-4000, or Montgomery Police Department at 334-625-2831.
A retired detective inspector has been found stabbed to death in his home, sparking a murder probe.

Andrew McDiarmid, 64, who served for 30 years with Merseyside Police, was found with serious injuries at the property in Heswall, Wirral, on Monday, according to his former force.

A 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene has been detained under the Mental Health Act. He has been taken to hospital for assessment.

A 54-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been released on bail, police said.

Andrew McDiarmid (pictured), 64, who served for 30 years with Merseyside Police, was found with serious injuries at the property in Wirral, on Monday, according to his former force

A retired detective inspector has been found stabbed to death in his home, sparking a murder probe. Pictured: Police at the scene

Andrew McDiarmid, 64, who served for 30 years with Merseyside Police, was found with serious injuries at the property in Heswall, Wirral, on Monday, his former force said. Pictured: Police at the scene

Officers were called to the house on Oldfield Way at 8.45pm on Monday.

Mr McDiarmid was pronounced dead at the scene. A post mortem showed the cause of death as stab wounds.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said: 'Andy joined Merseyside Police in 1978 and spent 30 years with the service, working at Wavertree police station and in CID in Tuebrook, Huyton and Wirral.

A 21-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of murder at the scene has been detained under the Mental Health Act. He has been taken to hospital for assessment. Pictured: Police at the scene

A 54-year-old woman was also arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been released on bail, police said. A post mortem showed the cause of death as stab wounds. Pictured: Police at the scene

'He retired as a detective inspector in intelligence in 2008. Our thoughts and condolences are with Andy's family at this tragic time.'

One neighbour, speaking to the Liverpool Echo, described Mr McDiarmid as a 'nice guy' who had retired from his job 'quite recently.'

The neigbhour added: 'They (the family) were very quiet and have lived there for 10 years. It's come as an absolute bolt from the blue.

'It's completely unexpected and I'm struggling to understand what's happened.'

Police said the investigation remained ongoing and extensive CCTV, house-to-house and forensic inquiries were being carried out.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Merseyside Police social media desk via Twitter @MerPolCC or Facebook Merseyside Police Contact Centre with reference 22000056993.
Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green said on Steve Bannon's podcast that President Joe Biden is backing U.S. ally Ukraine in its standoff with Russia because the country has 'dirt' on his son, Hunter.

She made the comment in an appearance Tuesday, a day when Biden said there would be 'severe consequences' if Russia invaded its neighbor, a former part of the Soviet Union that has experienced pro-western and Kremlin-backed governments.

'I am blown away with what we're seeing. The president of the United States Joe Biden is willing to take our military to war ... against nuclear Russia because of Ukraine,' she said.

'You cannot deny this, it's because Ukraine has the dirt on Hunter Biden. Ukraine has the dirt on Joe Biden, our president,' she continued.

'This is why we can have many of our troops get killed in this war that Joe Biden wants to have happened.'

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said President Biden is backing Ukraine amid a potential Russian invasion because it 'has the dirt on Hunter Biden. Ukraine has the dirt on Joe Biden'

Former President Donald Trump famously asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky if he would 'if you can look into' information on the president's son, in a call that became a subject of his first impeachment.

Former Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani traveled to Ukraine and met with a former top Ukrainian prosecutor in search of information on Hunter.

Bannon is a former chief White House strategist for Trump.

Business Insider reported on her comments to Bannon.

Greene has a long history of conspiratorial statements, and has expressed regret for believing some QAnon conspiracies.

Damaging information about Hunter Biden came out during the presidential campaign

Greene claimed Biden was siding with Ukraine because it had dirt on his son Hunter

President Biden warned of 'severe consequences' should Russia invade

Russia has amassed more than an estimated 100,000 people on the border while moving tanks and heavy equipment, raising fears of an imminent invasion

Her latest comment supposes that Biden's motive is personal, even though U.S. NATO allies including Great Britain, Germany, and eastern European nations within Russia's sphere like Poland also share the U.S. policy.

NATO considers Ukraine a partner nation and an aspiring member to the treaty alliance, although it is not currently a member  one reason Biden is preparing to send troops to neighboring allies if needed, while the U.S. is providing arms support to Ukraine.

The U.S. and its allies already condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine in 2014 where it seized Crimea. Russia has now massed more than 100,000 troops on the border and in neighboring Belarus.

'There would be enormous consequences if he were to go in and invade, as he could,' Biden said yesterday of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who federal prosecutors have accused of malign activities against the U.S. including computer hacking and election interference.

'If we were to move in with all those forces, it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world,' Biden said. He also warned of potential 'spillover effects' that could harm U.S. allies in Europe.

U.S. diplomats have cited self-determination and the right of countries to maintain their own boundaries and choose which nations they want to ally with.

If Ukraine does have dirt on Hunter Biden, it would have to top damaging information that already came out during the campaign about his business dealings, as well as his own admissions in an autobiography about his struggles with drugs and his chaotic personal life.

During the Obama administration, while helping oversee Ukraine policy, then Vice President Joe Biden leveraged $1 billion in assistance to Ukraine to get the government in Kiev to fire prosecutor Viktor Shokin.

The administration and Euopean allies concluded that Shokin had failed to sufficiently pursue corruption in the country.

Trump and his allies have cast Biden's actions as vice president as a form of corruption.

Hunter Biden had his own dealings with Ukraine while his father had influence, including security a lucrative seat the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma.

He was reportedly earning $83,000 a month, according to information on his laptop, which Giuliani said he obtained from a Delaware repair shop after Hunter abandoned it. Longstanding public reports had him earning up to $50,000 a month.

In April 2021 Hunter told the BBC he somehow 'missed ... the perception that I would create' by helping oversee the company.

'I know that it is hard to believe with 20/20 hindsight how I could possibly have missed that,' he said.

Hunter Biden also traveled with his father to China when he was vice president, and ended up landing work there as well.

In 2017, he helped land a deal with Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC China, according to documents unearthed by congressional Republicans. Hunter also disclosed in a media interview receiving a 2.8 carat diamond from company founder Ye Jianming.
A group of California parents and students are suing a Los Angeles charter school after the school separated them from their classmates and refused to let them in the classroom over their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Video shared by pro-vaccine-choice organization Let Them Breathe shows unvaccinated students at New West Charter School separated behind roped barriers on January 18 while school leaders refuse to let them into the classroom.

The school told DailyMail.com in a statement that the incident occurred as school leaders were trying to enforce its board-approved vaccination policy. Officials said six New West Charter students did not follow the mandate and attempted to join their classes.

Staff asked them to leave campus, but they reportedly refused and proceeded to stage a sit-in directly behind the school's designated PCR screening area. Authorities were called in an effort to 'help alleviate the disruption.'

Ellah Nahum, who was one of sit-in participants and is also unvaccinated, said she is disappointed in the administration and left with feelings of 'abandonment' from school administrators.

'I felt like I was kicked to the curb by my entire school. They were supposed to be the ones backing me up, encouraging me to attend school, to learn,' she told Fox News on Wednesday.

'It's not everyday you hear a teenager wants to go to school. But in this case, that's all we wanted. We weren't here to protest. We weren't here to make a point. We weren't here to start any drama or commotion on campus. We were just there to go to school.'

A group of California parents and students are suing a Los Angeles charter school after the school separated them from their classmates and refused to let them in the classroom over their COVID-19 vaccination status

Nahum now claims the school is denying her the right to in-person education.

'I'm just trying to exercise my constitutional rights,' she said.

'I solely just want to be treated like the rest of my classmates and I don't want to be, or at least I don't want my reputation, my status, to be consumed by the fact that I am now unvaccinated.'

She continued: 'At this point, I feel like that's all I have become to my classmates and my administration, and everything that I have done to help build my relationship with all of my peers and my teachers has now just completely been eliminated due to the fact that I'm unvaccinated.'

The school claims it is trying to 'balance the health and safety of all of our students with their educational needs' and although they 'firmly believe' in-person learning in the best environment for students, the academic institutions first priority must be ensuring safety on campus.

'We have worked very hard since last October to ensure every single parent knew that upon our return from winter break, we would be implementing a new policy requiring that every student provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test to be allowed on campus, just like every indoor establishment in Los Angeles County is doing. [The] requirement is not a surprise,' the school told DailyMail.com

Unvaccinated students at New West Charter School separated behind roped barriers last week while school leaders refuse to let them into the classroom

Student Ellah Nahum (pictured left, with a classmate on her lefthand side) said she is disappointed in the administration and we left with feelings of 'abandonment' from school administrators. Students were seen seated outside the school building (right) as they were denied entrance into the classroom

Sharon McKeeman (pictured), founder of Let Them Breathe, said the organization is working to ensure that all students are provided with an education regardless of their vaccination status. The group has filed a suit against the school

'We also informed parents that if they chose not to vaccinate their students, they have access to NWC+, our independent study option. Parents who chose not to vaccinate their children knew what options they had available other than returning to campus.'

The school added: 'While we respect the right of parents to make their own choices for their children, our obligation is to our entire school community. When we have committed to implement a policy to assure parents that our campus is safe for their students, we will stand by that commitment.'

Sharon McKeeman, founder of Let Them Breathe, told Fox her organization is working to ensure that all students are provided with an education regardless of their vaccination status.

'Let Them Choose has struck down the California mandate and filed a similar lawsuit against New West Charter School,' she said.

'We've been helping parents advocate, and now we've filed this lawsuit on behalf of students like Ellah because no young person should be segregated or punished or made to feel how Ellah is just for trying to access their in-person education in the United States of America,' said McKeeman.

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The Board of Directors of New West Charter school announced its adoption of the vaccine mandate last October, giving students until December 28 to obtain their final dose of the coronavirus shot. The mandate went into effect after winter break

'I think every child and adult out there should be able to do so without this opposing force, negative force coming from the other side,' Nahum added, arguing on behalf of advocating for herself.

'But at the end of the day, I know what I'm doing has no malicious intent and intent is very pure and innocent.'

Full statement from New West Charter School New West Charter school's vaccination policy was approved in October 2021 after the vast majority of NWC parents urged this governance council to enforce a measure that would protect the health and safety of its roughly 1,000 students and staff this academic year. Before its approval, the NWC governance council and the school administration offered families numerous ways to voice their concerns. After it was adopted, the council and school staff worked very hard to ensure every single parent knew that upon our return from winter break on Jan. 18, 2022, we would be implementing a new policy requiring every student provide proof of vaccination and a negative COVID test to be allowed on campus, just like every indoor establishment in Los Angeles County is doing. Our vaccination requirement was not a surprise. The group Let Them Breathe has now filed a lawsuit challenging NWC's vaccination policy after the semester has already begun, and after the policy has already been in place for 90 days. The lawsuit is currently pending and the court has not issued any order to prevent NWC from maintaining its policy at this time. It is extremely important to note Let Them Breathe is an outside anti-vaccination group that has filed numerous lawsuits against districts and schools over public health and safety measures during the pandemic. It is working behind the scenes to organize a small group of families at NWC who do not want to comply with the school's requirement. It is very unfortunate that individuals not affiliated with the school are using our children for their own agendas that have nothing to do with the interests of the NWC community, and are actively organizing menacing and disruptive groups to visit school sites. To date, 96% of students at New West Charter are vaccinated, a clear indication the vast majority of parents support the vaccination policy. We believe NWC is on the right side of this issue. The health and safety of our entire school community is paramount.' Advertisement

The Board of Directors of New West Charter school announced its adoption of the vaccine mandate last October, giving students until December 28 to obtain their final dose of the coronavirus shot. The mandate went into effect after winter break.

The policy allows for medical exemptions but does not allow for exemptions based on religious or personal beliefs.

Despite the ongoing controversy, New West Charter School believes the vaccine mandate is the 'right thing to do for all' students.

In a statement issued to DailyMail.com Wednesday, the academic institution claimed the 'vast majority' of New West Charter parents had urged the school's governance council to 'enforce a measure that would protect the health and safety of its roughly 1,000 students and staff'.

Before adopting the vaccine mandate, the school council reportedly offered families opportunity to voice their concerns.

After the mandate was approved, the school worked to ensure that all parents were aware of the policy and that it was going into effect on January 18. Most families complied with the requirement.

'To date, 96 percent of students at New West Charter are vaccinated, a clear indication the vast majority of parents support the vaccination policy,' the school said.

'We believe NWC is on the right side of this issue. The health and safety of our entire school community is paramount.'

The educational institution also criticized Let Them Breathe for using members of the New West Charter community to 'push their own agenda'.

'The group Let Them Breathe has now filed a lawsuit challenging NWC's vaccination policy after the semester has already begun, and after the policy has already been in place for 90 days. The lawsuit is currently pending and the court has not issued any order to prevent NWC from maintaining its policy at this time,' the school said, alleging the organization has filed numerous suits over pandemic-related safety measures.

'It is working behind the scenes to organize a small group of families at NWC who do not want to comply with the school's requirement.'

The statement continued: 'It is very unfortunate that individuals not affiliated with the school are using our children for their own agendas that have nothing to do with the interests of the NWC community, and are actively organizing menacing and disruptive groups to visit school sites.'

The New West Charter Governance Council - which consists of three parents, three community representatives, three teachers and one staff member - also applauded the mandate saying: 'The vast majority of parents at New West Charter stand by this policy and the implementation of it.

'While we are extremely disappointed in the actions of a small group of families who do not support the vaccination policy, the council and NWC parents believe it is the right thing to do for all our students. The health and safety of the entire school is paramount at this time.'
Thousands of anti-Semitic flyers falsely claiming that public health efforts to protect against COVID are being masterminded by a cabal of Jewish leaders were distributed to homes in six states last weekend.

Police officials have launched an investigation after the flyers were found in heavily populated Jewish areas of Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, Texas, California and Maryland.

The hateful campaign appears to have been carried out by members of the anti-Semitic group the Goyim Defense League - their logo and streaming site or listed on the flyers. ('Goyim' is a disparaging Yiddish and Hebrew word for non-Jews.)

'Every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish,' the top line of the flyer reads, set between the Star of David and a Satanic pentagram.

The page goes on to list the names of top government health officials, pharmaceutical company leaders and heads of investment management companies with the word Jewish next to them.

'These flyers were distributed randomly and without malicious intent,' the fine print reads.

But local police officials, federal investigators and Jewish groups were not buying the disclaimer.

'There is no place for hate in our community and it will not be tolerated,' the Miami Beach Police tweeted when announcing the active investigation into the dissemination of these flyers.

MBPD announced that they collected 205 flyers and located the rental car which they believe to be connected to the case. The FBI has joined the open investigation.

The Miami Beach Police collected 205 of these flyers throughout the area over the weekend

The Goyim Defense League is a known anti-Semitic hate group with sectors across the US

The hate group took off in 2020 as they began spewing false conspiracy theories vilifying the Jewish people with anti-Semitic and anti-COVID narratives

'I took my morning walk with my wife on Sunday morning, and they were everywhere,' Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told CNN.

'For me, it's jolting because, look, I'm Jewish. ... The idea that there are people out there who just are willing to spout out hate simply because of who I am, is jolting to anybody.'

The list includes CDC director Rochelle Walensky, COVID, Pfizer boss Albert Bourla and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink.

It also labeled Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra as Jewish, though the son of Mexican immigrants is Roman Catholic. Perhaps the hate group got him confused with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, whose Jewish mother fled the Holocaust for Cuba.

In November, residents in Beverly Hills reported the flyers were left in driveways. And the same hate-filled missive was left in Alabama, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas and Vermont, according to the Jewish News of Northern California.

The Goyim Defense League is a known anti-Semitic group which has been monitored by watchdogs such as StopAntisemitism since August 2020.

Their leader, Jon Minadeo II, 38, from the Bay Area, started leading anti-Semitic banner drops along highways in 2020. He then began GoyimTV, a video platform that streams anti-Semitic content, where he and others post hateful content.

GoyimTV has been banned from its two previous web hosting sites for hate speech but currently remains online through Cloudflare, StopAntisemitism reported.

'This man does a great job of skirting the legal line,' Liora Rez, Executive Director of StopAntisemitism, said of Minadeo in an interview with DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

Minadeo claims protections under the First Amendment but Rez insists: 'There's an intent to imitate, to harass, to harm, whether they admit it or not.'

'This isn't just freedom of speech and assembly but premeditated harassment campaign aimed at Jews,' she told DailyMail.com.

DailyMail.com reached out to the Goyim Defense League for comment.

The Jewish Federation of Broward County in South Florida released a statement following the discovery of the flyers: 'Because Broward County is home to the third largest population of Holocaust Survivors in the world, we are acutely aware of what happens when hate is allowed to thrive unfettered and unchallenged. As a nation, we can do better and we will do better.'

Neighbors also spoke out about the hateful flyers. 'For hate to be distributed like that in our neighborhood, was just shocking, to say the least,' Joseph Waks told WFOR.

'We couldn't believe it, here (in) 2022, here in Surfside. This is absolutely hideous,' he said. 'We're used to hearing these types of stories back 50 years ago, back 60 years ago.'

Flyers claiming to be from the Goyim Defense League have been found in Florida, Colorado, Wisconsin, Texas, California and Maryland

'Goyim' is a disparaging Yiddish and Hebrew word for non-Jews

The hate group was started by Jon Minadeo II, 38, from the Bay Area in 2020 (Pictured: Jon Minadeo III, front, posing in a Nazi salute)

The mayor of San Francisco also blasted the flyers, which were scattered throughout the Pacific Heights neighborhood over the weekend.

'These anti-Semitic acts and any scare tactics like them have no place in San Francisco,' Mayor London Breed tweeted Tuesday. 'We have a strong and proud Jewish community in this City, and we will continue to do everything we can to support all of our diverse communities when they are threatened like this.'

Pages vilifying Jews and connecting them to false COVID conspiracies have also been disseminated by the Goyim Defense League in Wisconsin and Maryland, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

'These flyers are an attempt to intimidate and harass Jewish communities around the United States,' the ADL tweeted on Tuesday.

Minadeo and other Goyim Defense League members broadcast their hateful rants on their online streaming site GoyimTV (Pictured: Jon Minadeo III, left, and Dominic Di Giorgio, right, wearing Goyim Defense League branded hats)

The group is known to offer monetary compensation to members who take part or grab media attention with their hateful campaigns (Pictured: Jon Minadeo III, left, wearing a Goyim Defense League hat while sitting next to Jesse Shenk, right)

The ADL defined the Goyim Defense League as 'a loose network of individuals connected by their virulent anti-Semitism...via the internet, through propaganda distributions and in street actions...to troll or otherwise harass Jews.'

But Rez pushed back on the claim that this is a 'loose network.'

'They're not loosely connected at all. They're a type of anti-Semitic fraternity led by Jon and his little minions follow him like soldiers.'

Since the Goyim Defense League first grabbed national attention in 2020, they have quickly expanded throughout the country with 'targeted' and 'premeditated' campaigns.

Minadeo often uses his platform to 'monetarily incentivize bigots to join them.' He has been known to offer monetary compensation to members who take part or grab media attention with their hateful campaigns.

Rez also claims that many Goyim Defense League members have violent and disturbing criminal histories. She provided the names of several members who her group monitors, including Jesse Shenk, Franklin Barrett Sechriest and Joseph Bounds.

The Goyim Defense League is one of many anti-Semitic hate groups that have popped up during the pandemic capitalizing on COVID conspiracy theories (Pictured: A white van covered in swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs that was used during a Goyim Defense League 'tour' of Florida in May 2020)

Shenk, 31, was arrested in Del Norte County, California lat year for attempting to solicit children online with the intent to commit sexual acts. He and Minadeo have been photographed together on multiple occasions.

Sechriest, 18, was arrested for arson after the exterior of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Austin was torched on Halloween. Authorities say Sechriest was found with a collection of stickers with Nazi propaganda and swastikas, as well as journals recording his hate for the Jewish community.

Bounds, 34, of Denver, was arrested in Miami last year after he refused to follow police commands during a traffic stop after he had been spotted vandalizing a white van with swastikas and anti-Semitic slurs during a highway banner drop.

These men are just a few of the supposed thousands of members that have begun following the hate group since 2020.

The group has taken off in the midst of the pandemic but Rez believes the anti-Semitism goes beyond the conspiracy theories surrounding COVID.

'They capitalized on the popularity of the pandemic looking to vilify Jews and this is the best way to do it in their eyes,' she said.
A retired teacher who says he is the 'world's most prolific sperm donor' has claimed to have fathered 129 children during the last nine years.

Clive Jones, 66, who lives in Chaddesden, Derby, has been donating his sperm from his van for nearly ten years and says he has another nine children currently on the way.

Mr Jones, who is originally from Burton, was unable to become an official sperm donor as he only started donating aged 58, while banks have an upper donor age limit of 45.

But health experts have warned against his actions, saying that all donors and patients should be treated at a licensed UK clinic.

Mr Jones said he donates his sperm for free through the unregulated world of Facebook because of the 'happiness it brings' to families.

He said: 'I'm probably the world's most prolific sperm donor with now being at 138 'babies', well, 129 babies born, nine ongoing pregnancies. I might continue for another few years. Get to 150 anyway.

Clive Jones (pictured), who lives in Chaddesden, Derby, has been donating his sperm from his van for nearly ten years and says he has 129 children and another nine currently on the way

'I know of clinics and sperm merchants with greater numbers but they don't donate, but rather sell semen.

'I think people would understand more if they saw the messages I get and the photos of the babies with very happy mothers.

'I feel the happiness it brings. I once had a grandmother message me thanking me for her granddaughter.

'I do it for free, though sometimes ask a bit for petrol. It's illegal to charge and doesn't seem right to take money when I have more than them.'

As he is unable to be an official sperm donor, Mr Jones connects with people on Facebook, where he said he found an overwhelming demand, and then travels in his van to provide the donations.

Mr Jones, who has three adult children of his own, added: 'It all started in May, over nine years ago. For some people, having children is very important as it was for me.

'I read in some newspapers the plight of some people that can't have children.

'Reading the newspaper, it explained how people were using Facebook to make arrangements.

Mr Jones (pictured), connects with families on Facebook as he was unable to become an official sperm donor as banks have an upper donor age limit of 45, while he is 66 years old

'I thought I could help so I put a post on one of the sites. I wasn't expecting any response with me saying how old I was, but I had a lady in Derby contacting me within an hour asking me to help that evening.

'I've not advertised I'm a donor in years. It has not quite worked out as I had guessed, I'm just as busy now and have so many people contact me through people just talking, referring.'

But the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has issued a medical warning regarding Mr Jones' actions, saying all donors and patients should be treated at a licensed UK clinic.

A spokeswoman for the authority said: 'As the regulator of UK fertility treatment and research we don't have the powers to stop people from making their own arrangements for sperm donation but we do want to help them get the information and advice they need to make the best informed choices, which is why we always encourage both donors and patients to be treated at a licensed UK clinic.

'If arrangements are made outside of the clinic environment there can be medical and legal risks, for example, without the proper consents in place the donor is likely to be seen as the legal parent, with all the rights and responsibilities that involves. Clinics will also rigorously test all donors for medical and hereditary illnesses.

'That's why we always encourage sperm donors and patients to go to a licensed clinic, where these medical and legal issues are taken care of for them, and where the welfare of the child is always of primary concern.'

Mr Jones said he's been married since 1978, but now lives apart from his wife, who he said is 'not at all happy about' what he does.

In 2018, Mr Jones appeared in Channel 4 Documentary 4 Men 175 Babies, which followed four men who donated sperm for free to women who contacted them online. A clip from the show was also featured on Gogglebox.

In 2018, Mr Jones (pictured) appeared in Channel 4 Documentary 4 Men 175 Babies, which followed four men who donated sperm for free to women who contacted them online

Of the 129 children he claims to have fathered, Mr Jones said he's 'met around 20 of the babies', who live near Derby, including in Birmingham, Stoke and Nottingham.

Speaking about the process, Mr Jones said he 'gets to know' the couple after first making contact with them on Facebook. He said the couples are often same-sex or cannot have children of their own.

The retired teacher said he asks the couples when their ovulation cycle is and places the date on his planner.

When he gets a call saying ovulation is just hours away, he jumps into his van and drives close to where they live to provide the sperm donation.

He previously told Derbyshire Live: 'I drive somewhere where I'm not likely to be disturbed and go into the back of the van and pull the curtains down.

'Then I take the cup and a syringe so the stuff can't come out, put a bag under my arm and text them to say I'm outside and I'll be round in three minutes.

'If that doesn't work sometimes they suggest I meet them in a car park.

'I can tell how nervous they are. No other donor does it from their van normally, they go to the front door and ask to use the toilet.'

Mr Jones previously claimed he makes four or five donations a week on average, saying that about one in eight 'catches', or leads to a pregnancy.

In January last year, he said he had been 'very busy' during the pandemic, saying he did not need to advertise due to the high demand.

Mr Jones (pictured) said he makes donations for free through unregulated world of Facebook as it brings 'happiness' to families, but health experts have warned against his actions

Sperm donation is used to help people start families when they can't have children of their own naturally  if, for example, a male partner is infertile, if both parents are women, or if the mother is single.

Donors to regulated sperm banks are limited to working with ten families in total.

Clinics in the UK are not allowed to pay men to donate sperm, except up to 35 to cover expenses such as travel. More may be offered if accommodation is necessary.

A law change in 2005 means men can no longer donate anonymously and must agree for any children born from their sperm to be able to find out who they are after they turn 18.

However, a donor father will never be required to parent the child or pay child support, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Sperm donors are usually aged between 18 and 41, although older donors may be allowed in some cases.

A donor will visit a fertility clinic once a week for between three and six months to make a complete donation  at each visit the donor will ejaculate into a cup and their sperm will be frozen.
The Bumble date who found a 23-year-old Connecticut college student dead from what a medical examiner concluded was an accidental fentanyl overdose 'maintains his innocence' and has been cooperating with police, his lawyer said in an interview with DailyMail.com on Wednesday.

Matthew LaFountain, 37, has remained mum since Lauren Smith-Fields died more than six weeks ago, but his lawyer Peter Karayiannis offered brief remarks a day after the Bridgeport Police Department launched a criminal investigation into her death.

'My client has been cooperating with the authorities since Day 1, Karayiannis told DailyMail.com in a phone interview.

He referenced the medical examiner's report, which found that Smith-Fields' death was an accident resulting from her exposure to a cocktail of drugs, including fentanyl, washed down with alcohol.

My client maintains his innocence, the attorney added. He also expressed his condolences to the woman's family.

Karayiannis said LaFountain has not been interviewed by detectives since the investigation was announced.

Earlier, a lawyer representing Smith-Field's family hit out at the state medical examiner for ruling her death an accident before it has been determined who gave her the drugs that killed her.

Darnell Crosland argued that Smith-Fields did not use drugs of any kind, and said that her death looked 'more like a manslaughter, if not a murder.' He also called on the authorities to take a closer look at LaFountain, and urged them to follow the drugs.

'We need to find out what happened,' Crosland said in a phone interview with DailyMail.com on Wednesday. 'Tell us what happened.'

Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, died as a result of acute intoxication caused by a combination of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol, and her death was rule accidental. It is now the subject of a criminal investigation by the Narcotics and Vice Division, and the DEA

The Bridgeport Police Department on Tuesday launched a criminal investigation into the incident, a day after the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner revealed that Smith-Fields succumbed to acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol, and ruled her death an accident.

Fentanyl is a highly addictive and potentially deadly synthetic opioid prescribed to treat severe pain, while promethazine and hydroxyzine are allergy medications.

The new probe will try to figure out how Smith-Fields came in contact with the deadly drug.

'The delay has hampered the investigation in a big way, Crosland said of the month-and-a-half gap between Smith-Fields' death and the launch of the criminal investigation.

The woman's Bumble date, LaFountain, a design engineer, has not been charged with any crime in connection with her death. He has remained mum since being questioned by cops.

Crosland argued that they should have investigated LaFountain 'from day 1' and collected a DNA sample from him to compare to physical evidence that was found inside Smith-Fields' apartment, but until now he claimed the authorities 'have shown no interest at all.'

In a recent interview with News 12 Connecticut, Crosland said: 'go to this gentleman's home, check out where this fentanyl came from, find out who bought the alcohol they were allegedly drinking, find out whether there're any trace evidence of fentanyl and other drugs on the alcohol, or in the alcohol.'

Crosland also challenged the medical examiner's conclusion that Smith-Fields' death was an accident.

'Ive never seen a medical examiner conclude a mixer of drugs as an accident without knowing who provided the drugs, or how it was ingested,' Crosland tweeted this week.

The 'older white man' who was on a Bumble date with 23-year-old Connecticut Lauren Smith-Fields before she was found dead after a night of drinking has been revealed as Matthew LaFountain, a 37-year-old design engineer she knew for three days. His lawyer says he maintains his innocence

Crosland described Smith-Fields as a fitness model who was very close to her family and never used any drugs, let alone a cocktail of allergy medications and a powerful opioid.

'No one in their right mind would individually take those drugs,' he said, raising the possibility that the drugs may have been administered to her without her knowledge.

'Justice would be to find out exactly how those drugs got into Lauren's body,' the attorney said.

Crosland welcomed the police department's decision to investigate Smith-Fields' death.

Darnell Crosland, an attorney representing Smith-Fields' family, claimed that she did not use drugs and urged the police to take a closer look at her Bumble date

'Weve been in the dark. Any light is good light,' he said, adding, however, that the family are not confident about the outcome.

The family have ordered an independent autopsy, the results of which are pending. Crosland said he and his clients are scheduled to meet with the Bridgeport police chief to discuss the case.

According to the attorney, it would mark Chief Rebeca Garcia's first contact with the family after their previous, unsuccessful attempt to meet with her earlier this month.

The family's main objectives are to find out what happened to the material evidence, including a used condom and a blood-stained sheet, and to fast-track the release of LaFountain's 911 call reporting Smith-Fields' death so they could hear his inflection.

'We shouldnt have to guess what happened that night,' Crosland said.

Lakeem Jetter, Smith-Fields' brother, was the next-to-last person to have seen his sister alive on the night she died, when he arrived at her Bridgeport home to collect a basket of clothes from her.

LaFountain has claimed the brother was there to drop something off with Lauren.

After seeing Jetter, LaFountain told cops Smith-Fields went to the bathroom and stayed there for at least 10 minutes, which he thought was 'odd.'

The woman's family previously expressed anger at the police, accusing them of failing to properly investigate LaFountain, despite his being the last person to see Smith-Fields alive, and even allegedly shielding him from scrutiny because he was a 'nice guy.'

The Bridgeport Police Department announced on Tuesday that its Narcotics and Vice Division will conduct the investigation into the woman's fentanyl-related death, with assistance from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

'The Bridgeport Police Department continues to treat the untimely death of Lauren Smith-Fields as an active investigation as we are now refocusing our attention and efforts to the factors that lead to her untimely death,' Police Chief Rebeca Garcia said in a statement.

Lakeem Jetter, Smith-Fields' brother, last saw his sister on the night of her death, when he went by her home to collect a basket of clothes. He said she seemed fine to him

LaFountain told police he and Smith-Fields, whom he had known for just three days, spent her last night on December 11 drinking tequila, eating and watching a movie. The following morning, he found her dead on her bloodied sheets and alerted the authorities.

Prior to the release of Smith-Fields' cause and manner of death, her family accused Bridgeport police of showing a lack of responsiveness and racial insensitivity in their handling of the investigation, and signaled their intention to file a lawsuit alleging civil rights violations.

On Monday, Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim launched an internal investigation into the police department's response to Smith-Fields' death and the agency's interactions with her family.

'There is no tolerance for anything less than respect and sensitivity for family members and their loss,' Ganim stated. 'To that end, this matter has been referred to the Office of Internal Affairs to conduct a full and fair investigation.'

Bridgeport Mayor Joe Ganim launched an internal investigation into the police department's response to Smith-Fields' death

As of Tuesday, the woman's family have not said whether they plan to carry on with the lawsuit in light of the medical examiner's revelations.

The family have claimed the police took too long to notify them of Smith-Fields' death, and then asked relatives to stop calling the department for updates.

Ganim announced he will be working with the Bridgeport police to update policies and practices concerning family death notifications.

'Death notifications should be done in a manner that illustrates dignity for the deceased and respect and compassion for the family,' he said. 'I support and add my voice to the family, community, and elected officials who are calling for state legislation on this issue.'

Smith-Fields was found dead on December 12 at her apartment in Bridgeport, where she and LaFountain had spent the night drinking.

LaFountain works as a design engineer at Connecticut-based Times Microwave Systems - a company which manufactures cables for the military, aerospace and telecommunications companies. He has not been named by police as a suspect in relation to Smith-Fields' death. Multiple attempts by DailyMail.com to reach LaFountain were unsuccessful.

Smith-Fields, a student at Norwalk Community College, and LaFountain were hanging out and drinking the night before she died, according to a the police report obtained by Dailymail.com. LaFountain claims that at one point during the evening, Smith-Fields became ill and threw up in her bathroom before the two continued drinking tequila mixed drinks.

Her brother, Lakeem Jetter, told Rolling Stone that a large blood stain was found on her bed and he claimed that several other pieces of key evidence, including a used condom, lubricant and an unidentified pill, were ignored by cops.

'The first night we saw cups there, flipped plates and the lube. The cops didn't take any of the cups to test the liquor,' Jetter said. 'There was a big stain of blood in the middle of her bed, with streaks going to the right side.'

Shantell Fields, Lauren Smith-Fields' mother, speaks during a protest rally in front of the Morton Government Center in Bridgeport on Sunday, which would have been Lauren's 24th birthday

Family and friends of Smith-Fields gathered for a protest march in her memory in Bridgeport, demanding answers from the authorities about policing, race and victims rights

Smith-Fields' family have signaled their intention to sue Bridgeport Police after becoming frustrated with how they are handling the case, attorney Darnell Crosland told Dailymail.com, alleging the detective in charge of her case told them to stop contacting him.

Crosland also said that the detective was uninterested in pursuing Smith-Field's date as a suspect.

DailyMail.com has contacted Bridgeport Police for comment. In a statement issued last month, acting police chief Rebecca Garcia said the department 'takes these concerns very seriously'. Police are still investigating her death and the case is still active.

'They're waiting for the autopsy before questioning anyone,' Crosland told DailyMail.com prior to the medical examiner's announcement on Monday.

'But there are parts of the investigation that can be done without the autopsy. They can obtain the messages from Bumble. But that's not being done.'

The heartbroken family of Lauren Smith-Fields (pictured) plans to sue the City of Bridgeport after they allege the local police department mishandled the investigation into her death

The police report obtained by DailyMail.com revealed that Smith-Fields asked LaFountain for $40 to get her nails done and then to meet her at her residence where the pair reportedly took 'shots of tequila'.

LaFountain claims Smith-Fields became ill and threw up in her bathroom before the two continued drinking tequila mixed drinks. They reportedly played games, ate food and began watching a movie when Smith-Fields allegedly received a text, went outside to get something from her brother, whom LaFountain did not see, and then, upon her return, went into her bathroom for 10 to 15 minutes.

Her date told police 'he thought it was odd, but didn't feel it was his place to say anything as he didn't know her that well,' the incident report reportedly reads.

Lakeem Jetter, Smith-Fields' brother, told Rolling Stone in an interview earlier this month that he went by his sister's apartment to pick up a basket of his clothes from her. He made no mention of dropping anything off.

'I didnt know that anybody was in there,' Jetter told the magazine. 'She came out and she was out there for like 10-15 minutes and she walked back into the house. She looked normal. She didnt look sick, she didnt look tired, she didnt look drunk.'

Afterwards, Smith-Fields and LaFountain continued to watch the movie and finished the bottle of tequila before she fell asleep on the couch. LaFountain allegedly carried her to her bedroom and the two went to bed.

He claims he woke up around 3am to use the bathroom and found Smith-Fields snoring. Then, around 6:30am he reportedly found her lying on her right side with blood coming out of her right nostril and not breathing. He then called 911.

Once police arrived on scene, Smith-Fields' landlord was contacted. The landlord did not have family contact information so it wasn't until days later when Shantell Fields visited the unit that she learned her daughter had died.

'When I asked the officer about the guy, he said he was a very nice guy and they weren't looking into him anymore. It was almost like he was sticking up for him and it seemed weird to hear that from a detective,' Jetter told NBC Connecticut.

'He told me directly on the phone to stop calling him and hung up in my face, it was just like total disrespect, like that's what you tell a family that's going through grief and trying to find answers?'

Lauren Smith-Fields was found dead in her Bridgeport apartment on December 12, 2021, by Matthew LaFountain, who she met on the Bumble dating app.

While spending the night with her, LaFountain reportedly woke up around 6.30am and found Smith-Fields (pictured) lying on her right side with blood coming out of her right nostril and not breathing. He then called 911

Jetter also alleged police were not thorough in their initial crime scene investigation, noting that while officers confiscated her phone, passport and $1,345 in cash, they neglected to collect other pieces of potential evidence.

He told Rolling Stone they found a used condom in the trash, lubricant, bloody sheets on her bed and an unidentified pill in the unit.

'The first night we saw cups there, flipped plates and the lube. The cops didn't take any of the cups to test the liquor,' said Jetter. 'There was a big stain of blood in the middle of her bed, with streaks going to the right side.'

Smith-Fields' mother also claims the officers made her feel as if the investigation was 'not important.'

'The way they talked to me, the way they have talked to the family, how they treated my daughter, they treated her like she was nobody, like she was not important,' Shantell Smith told the TV station.

The family's attorney alleged police often don't prioritize investigation involving black women.

'We have seen the amount of resources that have gone to other cases involving missing white women like Gabby Petito and we know so many black woman are missing so much in this country,' attorney Darnell Crosland said. 'Everyone is speaking out, everyone is insulted with the way the Bridgeport police and the Bridgeport city has dealt with us.'

The family plan to hire a private investigator to look into the case. Meantime, they have paid for an independent autopsy of Smith-Fields' body.

Smith-Fields was found dead in her Bridgeport apartment (pictured) on December 12 after a night of drinking by Matthew LaFountain, a man she met on a dating app called Bumble. More than a month later 'her cause of death is pending further studies'

Her loved ones claim police did not pursue LaFountain as a suspect, failed to collect what they believe to be essential evidence from the scene and told the family to stop calling about the case (Pictured L to R: Unamed relative, mother Shantell Smith, brother Lakeem Jetter and attorney Darnell Crosland)

The family have several concerns with the incident report, Rolling Stone reported.

'I haven't texted my sister since December 4,' Jetter said, noting that he did call Smith-Fields on the night of December 11 to bring out a basket of clothes he was picking up.

Her mother also claims that Smith-Fields had gotten her nails done earlier that week and that she wouldn't have needed to get them done again. Fields also noted that her nails were 'still so intact' they didn't need to be done for her funeral.

Crosland, who is representing Smith-Fields' family, said he is seeking justice for the deceased woman.

'We're suing the city of Bridgeport for failure to prosecute and failure to protect this family under the 14th Amendment,' Crosland said. He is planning to evoke the portion of the Constitution that provides equal protection under the law for all citizens, including black people.

'It's happening all too often with black girls missing across this world, across this country, and no one says anything,' the lawyer said. 'When a white woman goes missing, the whole world drops everything. We are done with this valuation.'

He added: 'We want an independent investigation by an independent state agency or federal agency to look into this case. We want the DOJ like when they have to step in for cases like a Mike Brown, this family has to continue to deal with the loss of their loved one, work and they shouldn't have to do that when they are hard-working tax-payers.'

Attorney Darnell Crosland (pictured on left with Shantell Fields), who is representing Smith-Fields' family, said he is seeking justice for the deceased woman. He said: 'We're suing the city of Bridgeport for failure to prosecute and failure to protect this family under the 14th Amendment' and claims this happens 'all too often with black girls'

A makeshift memorial has been set up outside Smith-Fields' apartment and a GoFundMe established to help the family fund their private investigation. The family is also planning a citywide march to raise awareness about the case and demand justice for their loved one

Crosland claims Bridgeport police have issued their condolences, but only after the case was brought to their attention by the media.

'We see them now offering their condolences after reporters have been asking them for questions and when we hear about it, it's like a slap in the face, we don't want excuses, we want answers,' he said. 'I have no faith in the Bridgeport Police Department, we have been disrespected and they didn't handle our loved one's case like they should have as soon as this happened.'

Bridgeport Police released the following statement to NBC Connecticut last week:

'On December 12, 2021, the Bridgeport Emergency Operations Center received a call for service regarding an untimely death. Upon police arrival, it was found that [Smith Fields] passed away unexpectedly. This incident is currently being investigated by the Bridgeport Police Department's Detective Bureau. This investigation remains open and active. The Detective Bureau is awaiting the final report from the Chief Medical Examiner's Office for cause and manner of death of Ms. Smith-Fields. The Bridgeport Police Department offers it's sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Lauren Smith-Fields. We encourage anyone with information regarding this incident to contact either Detective-Sergeant Joseph Morales at 203-581-5219 or the Bridgeport Police TIPS line at 203-576-8477.'

Meanwhile, a makeshift memorial has been set up outside Smith-Fields' apartment and a GoFundMe established to help the family fund their private investigation.

Fields and Jetter are also planning to hold a citywide march on Sunday afternoon to raise awareness about the case and demand justice for their loved one.

'We want justice, we want answers, I mean whatever happened happened that night, we want to know and we want to feel like they care as much as we care,' said Jetter.

'I never thought something like this would happen where you lose a family member and we are treated like you don't exist so we are going to ensure this city remembers Lauren Smith-Fields.'

'I miss my daughter and I see her in everything that I do and it pains me to know that I'll never get to see her again,' echoed Fields.
The Olympic Village of the Beijing Winter Olympics opened on January 23. The Olympic Committees of a few countries including the US, Australia and the Netherlands have issued the so-called warning to their athletes, calling on them not to bring their personal mobile phones and computers into China, and the reason is "to prevent personal calls and Internet information from being accessed by Chinese authorities". The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded that by raising the so-called cybersecurity issue in China, relevant countries, who are guilty of the charge themselves, are accusing the innocent party without any evidence.

Indeed, US, Australia and the Netherlands hold very conspicuous bad records of their own intelligence agencies abusing their network surveillance capabilities. Where is the bottomline?

Since the founding of the FBI, foreigners and entities not protected by the Constitution of the United States are targets of surveillance by US intelligence agencies both inside and outside the US.

In the 1940s, the CIA started Project Shamrock to monitor all international telegrams entering and leaving the US without a presidential order or congressional authorization. African-American civil rights leaders, well-known entertainers, and ordinary American citizens are all targets of the US government surveillance in the name of "national security".

Since the 1970s, the US intelligence agencies have had multiple monitoring systems such as Echelon, Upstream and PRISM covering the country and foreign countries to implement large-scale and indiscriminate signal intelligence interception. Whether it is an American citizen, an American ally, or a so-called competitor, they all face the risk of becoming the target of the US government surveillance.

As a member of the Five Eyes, Australia has always been a US pawn in surveillance. While the Netherlands and the US have cooperation beyond imagination in terms of intelligence and the development of surveillance technology, which can be traced back to the days of the American Revolution. Currently the level of cooperation between the two is easy to tell from one simple example: The Netherlands is the key to the CIA's notorious (passive) extradition flight route, the so-called "torture flights".

Based on my personal experience, those countries had sent people to the "small dark room" and rummaged through passengers luggage at the airport; forcibly checked the mobile phone, laptops and other electronic products in the waiting area; forcibly conducted a disguised security audit in the hotel where you were staying and revoking the visa without any evidence after the audit was completed. Western countries, especially the US, are the number one in the world in privacy and human rights violation. The FBI is the typical example of these ugly operations.

It should be noted here that those who go to the US better not bring their mobile phones or laptops, since the US intelligence agencies will not only conduct the so-called "lawful comprehensive monitoring", but will also search and take your equipment in front of you. In addition, they have sufficient "legal grounds" to ask you to provide the password, and then "reasonably and legally" copy all your data.

Perhaps, the US and Western countries are so familiar with such despicable behaviors that they naturally believe that the rest of the world, including China, must be just like them.

The "reminders" and "warnings" issued by a few Olympic Committees mentioned at the beginning of this article are full of the unique cyberpunk-style magic realism of the 21st century: A group of people who monitor the world all day trying to find various excuses to smear the "global Internet competitor" that they dislike based on their own shady experience.

Editors note: The author is Shen Yi, Director and Professor of the Research Center of Cyberspace Governance at Fudan University. This article is originally published on huanqiu.com, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
The presidential candidate of the minor progressive Justice Party, Sim Sang-jung, left, shakes hands with a pedestrian near Mangwon Station while on the campaign trail in Seoul on Tuesday. Yonhap



By Kang Hyun-kyung



Presidential candidate Sim Sang-jung took a five-day break in mid-January. For a presidential candidate on the campaign trail, taking a hiatus for five days without reaching out to voters seemed like something akin to a gamble  if not a detrimental move. At that time, there were just over 50 days left before the March 9 presidential election.



The clock for the election was ticking and it seemed like every minute counted. Other candidates were intent on engaging with as many voters as possible, adding events and gatherings into their already busy schedules in order to appeal to people's hearts and minds.



What Sim did, however, was the opposite. She chose to take some alone time. Canceling her fully packed schedule from the early morning to late at night, while making the surprise announcement that all her campaign would be suspended from then on, Sim then temporarily vanished from the public eye.



During those five days, the minor Justice Party candidate said, she stayed at her home in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province, not doing anything or meeting anyone, except one leader of her party, who paid her a visit while at home.



Sim said that she kept thinking about what had gone wrong with her candidacy and with the Justice Party, in terms of why they had failed to convince citizens  in particular the have-nots and diverse minority groups that they focus on representing.



She said that she was so drained that she slept as if she were in a coma for the first day.



Although Sim had disappeared from the public eye, she was not free from gossipmongers.



Some speculated that her ratings  which were stuck in the lower single-digits, with some polls finding her support rate to be even lower than that of eccentric candidate Huh Kyung-young, whose declaration of presidential candidacy was considered a joke, rather than a carefully thought out campaign  might be what triggered her abrupt decision to suspend her campaign.






A killer who stabbed a man to death for his 7K Rolex watch jumped onto jail netting to escape taking a Covid test.

Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 27, was too scared to take the simple lateral flow test at virus ravaged Category A Whitemoor jail, in Cambridgeshire.

Prison bosses ordered the checks after it was deemed a 'mass infection' site because of the number of cases.

The coward, who stabbed electrician Danny Pearce in 2017, ran off when approached by guards to do the test.

He jumped onto netting surrounding the second floor on A wing in protest.

Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 27, was too scared to take the simple lateral flow test at virus ravaged Category A Whitemoor jail, in Cambridgeshire

Danny Pearce, 31, (left) was with his girlfriend Stephanie Holland (right) after a night out at Oliver's Jazz Club in Greenwich, southeast London, when he was attacked

Bailey-Mascoll spent 90 minutes on the netting surrounding the second floor of A Wing of HMP Whitemoor in Cambridgeshire before surrendering to prison staff

A source said; 'He was asked to take a simple lateral flow test, but refused.

'He didn't like the idea of putting a swab up his nose and told the officers where to go when asked.

'As a result, his status as a prisoner was reduced from enhanced to the basic regime.

'This means luxuries such as a TV would not be allowed.

'He was also angry at not being able to ring his kids when he wanted.'

Bailey-Mascoll spent 90-minutes sulking before surrendering to officers.

He was put on report.

The lateral flow test involves swabbing the tonsils or inside the nose and putting drops onto a test strip.

Mr Pearce's 7,000 Rolex

The results - either positive or negative - are known within 30-minutes.

Bailey-Mascoll and accomplice David Egan, now 35, were riding a moped when they saw Mr Pearce leave a jazz club in Greenwich, South East London.

He had been with his girlfriend Stephanie Holland, 31, for a night out at Oliver's Jazz Club on July 15, 2017.

The pair, who were wearing crash helmets, were targeting people wearing luxury timepieces and saw he had a Rolex.

Mr Pearce refused to hand over his watch despite the fact his attackers had a large 'hunting' style knife and gun.

He ran away and was shot at four times. The bullets missed. Cornered, he was stabbed multiple times by the two men.

His girlfriend ripped the Rolex off his wrist and threw it at his attackers in a vain bid to save him.

Bailey-Mascoll was jailed for life with a minimum of 35 years in 2018 after he was convicted of murdering Mr Pearce by a jury at Woolwich Crown Court.

Egan - who was known as the Ghost - fled and was not captured until May 9, 2020.

He was jailed for life and must serve a minimum term of 35 years before he can be considered for release by the parole board.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: 'This incident was resolved quickly by our hard-working staff.'
An aristocrat who became embroiled in a Supreme Court battle after separating from his wife has called on judges to allow their 'empty shell of a marriage' to 'finally' be dissolved.

Charles Villiers, who is in his late 50s, and estranged wife Emma Villiers, who is in her early 60s, hit the headlines after becoming involved in an argument over whether they should fight over money in a Scottish or English court.

They have been separated for a decade and filed for divorce in 2014, making their bitter marital conflict arguably the most toxic and highly publicised in the nation.

Mr Villiers - a relative of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall - argued they were divorcing in Scotland and should therefore fight over money in a Scottish court.

But Supreme Court justices ruled against him.

Three Court of Appeal judges are now analysing the latest stage of the legal battle, which began seven years ago.

The latest twist of the long and bitter saga comes after the aristocrat last year accused his estranged wife of falsely claiming she was five years younger than she was - and costing him a larger family as a result.

Aristocrat Charles Villiers, who became embroiled in a Supreme Court battle after separating from his wife, has called on judges to allow their 'empty shell of a marriage' to 'finally' be dissolved

Mr Villiers, who is in his late 50s, and estranged wife Emma Villiers (pictured), who is in her early 60s, hit the headlines after becoming involved in an argument over whether they should fight over money in a Scottish or English court

Lord Justice Moylan, Lord Justice Coulson and Lord Justice Arnold were told on Wednesday the couple are still legally married, despite separating a decade ago and filing for divorce in 2014.

A barrister representing Mr Villiers said it is time to put the litigation 'to bed'.

Mrs Villiers meanwhile wants appeal judges to overturn rulings about money made by a judge based in the Family Division of the High Court in March 2021.

She says Mr Villiers has not given full details of his finances.

Mr Justice Mostyn had concluded Mr Villiers could not afford to pay the maintenance Mrs Villiers said she should get.

He said Mr and Mrs Villiers had been left 'financially ruined' by the 'terrible' litigation and he suspected both were also 'psychologically damaged'.

Michael Horton QC, who is leading Mr Villiers's legal team, argued Mrs Villiers's appeal should be dismissed.

'It is now time to put this litigation to bed, and to allow what has been an empty shell of a marriage since 2012 finally to be dissolved by a Scottish court,' he told appeal judges, in a written case outline.

'... the appeal should be dismissed.'

Philip Cayford QC, who led Mrs Villiers's legal team, said decisions made by Mr Justice Mostyn should be overturned.

'The hearing of this matter has been blighted by (Mr Villiers's) continued failure to provide full and frank disclosure of his financial position,' he said, in a written case outline.

'The effect of the learned judge's finding is to permit (Mr Villiers) to profit from his ongoing breach of court orders.'

Charles Villiers, pictured with new partner Heidi Innes, has accused his estranged wife Emma of 'misrepresenting' her age and being five years older when they married

Judges have heard how Mr and Mrs Villiers had lived near Dumbarton, West Dunbartonshire.

They had separated in 2012 after 18 years of marriage - Mr Villiers still lives in Scotland and Mrs Villiers lives in London.

Another London-based judge, who considered the litigation at an early stage, had concluded in 2015 that Mr Villiers should pay Mrs Villiers 2,500 a month in maintenance pending the conclusion of the dispute.

Mr Villiers had not paid and Mrs Villers said she was owed several hundred thousand pounds.

But Mr Justice Mostyn did not order Mr Villiers to pay the money Mrs Villiers says she is entitled to.

He concluded Mr Villiers was 'not able to pay'.

Mr Justice Mostyn said both Mr and Mrs Villiers had made accusations against the other after 'love' turned to 'hatred'.

It comes almost a year after Mr Villiers made a scandalous claim that his wife had lied about her age and thus prevented him from having a larger family.

The aristocrat alleged Mrs Villiers may have been aged 40, rather than 35, when they wed.

Emma Villiers, pictured with the couple's daughter, Clarissa, has not responded to the claims

Aristocrat Charles Villiers and Emma Villiers spent most of their 18 years together in the ten-acre Scottish manor which has seven bedrooms and its own lock

He said that her age was entered as 30 on an earlier marriage certificate from 1984, meaning she could not have been 35 when they wed a decade later.

Mr Villiers, who was 31 at the time of the marriage, claimed that the couple were unable to conceive more children after their daughter was born and speculates he may have married 'under false pretences', believing his wife to be younger than she was.

He told the Sunday Times in April last year: 'I'm left in the situation that my wife might still try to claim millions of pounds off me, solely owing to the fact that we were married when, arguably, she married me under false pretences as I believed she was in her thirties, not in her forties in 1994, almost past child-bearing.'

One of the judges presiding over the case, Mr Justice Mostyn, said: 'This case has been played out in the public eye and has attracted much lurid publicity.

'This has been a case where love has to hatred turned to an extraordinary degree.

'The husband has vented his spleen by alleging that the wife is a bigamist and has accused the wife of being a fraudster, a fantasist and generally useless.

'The wife, with some justification, has accused the husband of being dishonest, manipulative, vindictive and bullying.

'But she is not beyond criticism herself.

'She has conducted her pursuit of the husband in this litigation in a completely disproportionate manner and has wilfully blinded herself to the reality that the vast amounts of inherited funds that she believes that the husband has at his disposal are, in fact, a chimera.'

The case rumbles on.
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President Joe Biden will keep his campaign promise to name a black woman to the Supreme Court, the White House confirmed on Wednesday amid reports Justice Stephen Breyer will retire at the end of the current term.

The current court term will end in June or early July. Biden pledged during the 2020 presidential campaign to name a black woman as justice.

'The president has stated and reiterated his commitment to nominating a black woman to the Supreme Court and certainly stands by that,' White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at her daily press briefing.

The pick would be historic, marking the first time a black woman was named to the highest court in the land.

Several names are in the mix, including federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, who issued the 'presidents are not kings' ruling; Leondra Kruger, a justice on California's Supreme Court; federal Judge J. Michelle Childs of South Carolina who is a favorite of Rep. Jim Clyburn; and Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, serves on Georgia's district court and is the sister of the voting-rights advocate Stacey Abrams.

Biden refused to comment on who he may name to the bench, noting Breyer himself has made no formal retirement announcement.

'There have been no announcements from Justice Breyer,' Biden said at a White House event on Wednesday afternoon. 'Let him make whatever statement he's going to make, and I'll be happy to talk about it later.'

Breyer is set to make his formal announcement alongside Biden as soon as tomorrow, CNN reports.

Breyer, 83, is one of the three remaining liberal justices, is the oldest member of the court and has been under pressure to step down in order to let Biden appoint his replacement.

Liberal activists fretted that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg stayed on the Supreme Court too long despite her history of health problems - including a bout of pancreatic cancer - and should have stepped down during the last year of Barack Obama's administration.

Obama himself had her to lunch in 2013 to take her temperature on retirement amid fears Democrats would lose the 2014 midterms (which they did). Ginsburg stayed on the bench, resisting pressure to retire. When she died in 2020, President Donald Trump appointed a conservative, Amy Coney Barrett, to fill her seat, moving the court further to the right.

Breyer told Biden last week of his intention to retire and indicated he would follow up with an official letter, Politico reported.

Breyer's decision to retire after more than 27 years on the court allows Biden to appoint a successor who could serve for several decades. Biden's appointee should keep the court's current 6-3 split between conservative and liberal justices.

His pick is expected to be fast-tracked through the confirmation process.

Senate Democrats are promising a swift vote in order to get the nominee confirmed before the November midterm election in case Republicans win control of the Senate.

Justice Stephen Breyer will step down from the Supreme Court at the end of the current term

President Joe Biden declined to talk about a possible Supreme Court nominee during an event at the White House but press secretary Jen Psaki said he would keep his promise to nominate a black woman

Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer and Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor pose for a group photo at the Supreme Court in April 2021

Senate confirmation process for new Justice After President Joe Biden names his pick for the Supreme Court, his nominee must be Senate confirmed. Democrats hold the advantage given their control of 50-50 split chamber. The first step in the process is for the nominee to make visits to senators' office. Then the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold confirmation hearings. The entire Senate would then vote for or against the nominee's confirmation. Democrats will be expected to toe the line and support Biden's pick, even rogue Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema would be expected to be 'yes' votes. If all Republican senators oppose the nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris would cast the tie-breaking vote. And Republicans won't be able to filibuster the nominee thanks to their own actions. In April 2017, then-Senate leader Mitch McConnell ended the filibuster rule for Supreme Court nominees, letting them advance to a final vote on a simple majority. He did it to help the confirmation of President Trump's Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Advertisement

Biden is expected to act quickly to nominate a successor who can be ready to serve when the court's new term begins Oct. 3 once Breyer formally announces he's stepping down.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Biden's pick would be confirmed with 'all deliberate speed.'

'President Biden's nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed,' Schumer said in a statement on Wednesday.

Biden can name his pick once Breyer announces his retirement and Senate Democrats can begin to hold hearings even if Breyer isn't formally stepping down until this summer.

The president is a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee so he knows how the confirmation process works and has presided over many a confirmation hearing.

The process can be done a warp speed.

Senate Republicans rushed to get Justice Amy Coney Barrett approved before the 2020 election, getting her confirmed exactly a month after Trump nominated her.

Even some Republicans are acknowledging the inevitability of Biden getting his court pick.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee noted in a statement: 'If all Democrats hang together  which I expect they will  they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support.'

Republicans do have some options to slow down the nomination - as Democrats did during the push to confirm Barrett: demand all senators be physically present in the chamber to conduct business; force roll-call votes; and boycott the Senate Judiciary Committee vote to force the majority party to break Senate rules to advance the nominee.

Those tactics will cause some delays but it is unlikely to block Biden's nominee.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell didn't rule out trying to block the president's pick.

'We dont even know who the nominee is yet. So thats something the president has the opportunity to make should there be a vacancy and Justice Breyer will determine when and if theres a vacancy,' he told reporters in Kentucky.

Justice Breyer told the New York Times in August that he was struggling with the question of when to step down.

'There are many things that go into a retirement decision,' he said.

He then recalled some advice Justice Antonin Scalia had given him.

'He said, 'I don't want somebody appointed who will just reverse everything I've done for the last 25 years,' Breyer. 'That will inevitably be in the psychology' of his decision, he said.

'I don't think I'm going to stay there till I die  hope not,' he noted.

Biden, during the presidential campaign, pledged to appoint a black woman to the court.

'As president, I'd be honored, honored to appoint the first African American woman. Because it should look like the country. It's long past time,' Biden said in February 2020 shortly before South Carolina's presidential primary.

Federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson is said to be a top contender for a Supreme Court nomination

Leondra Kruger, a justice on California's Supreme Court, is said to be a top contender for a Supreme Court nomination

Another possible contender: Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, serves on Georgia's district court and is the sister of the voting-rights advocate Stacey Abrams

Another possible nominee is Judge J. Michelle Childs, of the Federal District Court in Columbia, S.C.

Outside the White House, then-US Court of Appeals Chief Judge Stephen Breyer (left) stretches his legs as President Bill Clinton waits, prior to jogging together in May 1994 - Clinton would ultimately appoint Breyer to the Supreme Court

BIDEN'S SCOTUS CHOICES INCLUDE JUDGE WHO PROVOKED REPUBLICANS AND STACEY ABRAMS' SISTER With 83-year-old Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, President Joe Biden now has the change to make history by nominating the first ever black, female Justice to the highest U.S. court. Here are the three contenders at the top of the president's list: D.C. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Biden already elevated Jackson last year from her previous post as a judge on the federal district court in Washington, D.C., where she remained from 2013-2021. Jackson now serves as a circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit  arguably the second most powerful federal court in the country. Jackson, 51, earned her law degree from Harvard and, fittingly, clerked for Breyer. She is also married to the brother-in-law of former Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan. She has two daughters with her husband Patrick Jackson, whom she married in 1996. During her time as a judge, Jackson has ruled on many high profile cases. She was part of the decision to order former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn to comply with the House of Representatives' subpoena as part of its impeachment inquiry into then-President Donald Trump.One line in the ruling impressed Democrats: 'The primary takeaway from the past 250 years of recorded American history is that Presidents are not kings.' Jackson also signed the recent opinion ordering Trump White House documents be disclosed to the January 6 select committee. California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger Kruger served under President Barack Obama as acting Principal Deputy Solicitor General from May 2010- June 2011 where she argued 12 cases in front of the Supreme Court. During her time at the Department of Justice, Kruger earned in both 2013 and 2014 the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service, which is the agencys highest employee award. The 45-year-old judge clerked for late Justice John Paul Stevens who served on the Supreme Court from 1975 to 2010 and died in 2019. She was also the youngest person appointed to the California Supreme Court when then-Governor Jerry Brown nominated her in 2014, where she still sits as an associate judge. On this court, Kruger has authored a few notable opinions, including banning law enforcement from searching a woman's purse without a warrant. Kruger also upheld a California law requiring law enforcement to collect DNA samples and fingerprints from people arrested or convicted of felony offenses. South Carolina US District Court Judge J. Michelle Childs Childs, 55, reportedly has the backing of Biden-ally House Majority Whip James Clyburn to replace Breyer. The U.S. District Court of South Carolina judge was nominated last month by Biden to the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, nut the nomination is still pending. With a South Carolina School of Law degree, Child doesn't have the Ivy League education that eight of the nine current justices hold  a breath of fresh air that advocates for her nomination tout as an advantage in making the Democratic party appear less elitist. Child spent a decade in private practice and as a state court trial judge in the South Carolina Circuit. Also in her tenure she was deputy director of the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, and commissioner on the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission. Others under consideration: Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, serves on Georgia's district court and is the sister of the voting-rights advocate Stacey Abrams. District Judge Wilhelmina 'Mimi' Wright, Judge on Minnesota's federal district court. Circuit Judge Eunice Lee, U.S. Circuit Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, U.S. Circuit Judge of the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Sherrilyn Ifill, the attorney recently announced plans to step down from her role as President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Holly Aiyisha Thomas, judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. What about Kamala Harris? Rumors have emerged over the last year amid turmoil in the White House that President Joe Biden could dump Kamala Harris as his vice president by nominating her to the Supreme Court should a vacancy emerge. With news of Breyer's retirement this week, speculations that she could join the court have reemerged. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki did not rule out on Wednesday the possibility that Biden could consider Harris for the vacant Supreme Court position. She did, however, clarify that Biden intends to run for reelection in 2024 with Harris on the ticket as his No. 2. Harris was the district attorney for San Francisco from 2004-2011 and was attorney general of California from 2011-2017. From there she became a senator for the Golden State but didn't finish her first term before being inaugurated as the first female and black vice president in January 2021. Advertisement

Among likely contenders are federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and Leondra Kruger, a justice on California's Supreme Court.

And White House press secretary Jen Psaki didn't quash conservative chatter that President Biden could put Vice President Kamala Harris on the court.

'I'm not going to speak to any considerations, preparations, lists,' Psaki when asked about the topic.

She later noted that Biden 'has every intention, as he said before, of running for re-election, and running for re-election with Vice President Harris on the ticket as his partner,' she noted.

Harris is a lawyer who served as attorney general of California before she was a senator from that state.

The other names being floated have more of a background on the judicial bench.

Jackson, 51, was confirmed by the Senate 53-44 in June to the federal bench and previously served as a law clerk for Justice Breyer. She succeeded Merrick Garland, who left the appeals court to become Biden's attorney general. Three Republican senators voted for her confirmation: Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski.

During her time as a federal judge, Jackson was part of the decision to order former Trump White House counsel Don McGahn to comply with the House of Representatives' subpoena as part of its impeachment inquiry into then-President Donald Trump, writing 'presidents are not kings.'

She was on President Obama's shortlist for the court in 2016. She is the sister-in-law of former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

She rceived a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1996, where she served as a supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review. She received an A.B., magna cum laude, in Government from Harvard-Radcliffe College in 1992.

From 2005 to 2007, Jackson was an assistant federal public defender in the District of Columbia where she handled cases before U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. From 2007 to 2010, Jackson was an appellate litigator at Morrison & Foerster, a private law firm.

On July 23, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated Jackson to become Vice Chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. During her time on the commission, it retroactively amended the Sentencing Guidelines to reduce the guideline range for crack cocaine offenses, and it enacted the 'drugs minus two' amendment, which implemented a two offense-level reduction for drug crimes.

Kruger, 45, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Harvard University. She graduated with a J.D. from Yale Law School, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal.

She clerked for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens from 2003 until 2004.

From 2004 to 2006, Kruger was an associate at Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr in Washington, D.C. She was a visiting assistant professor in 2007 at the University of Chicago Law School.

From 2007 to 2013, Kruger was an assistant to the United States Solicitor General and the acting principal deputy solicitor general. She argued 12 cases before the Supreme Court, and worked on dozens more, including the landmark case defending the Affordable Care Act, National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius.

In 2013, Kruger became a deputy assistant attorney general at the United States Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel.

Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to California's state Supreme Court in 2014 even though she had no prior judicial experience before her appointment.

Another possible contender is Judge J. Michelle Childs, of the Federal District Court in Columbia, S.C.

She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina's law school and a former law firm partner who also worked in state government.

Some activists have pushed her name, arguing Biden should consider nominees without Ivy League degrees or Supreme Court clerkships but with a diversity of experience.

She is said to be a favorite of Democratic Rep. James Clyburn, whose endorsement of Biden in South Carolina's 2020 presidential primary put him over the top, giving him a win in the state and saving his candidacy.

In December, Biden said he would name Childs to fill a vacancy on the D.C. Circuit, a sign that she may be a serious contender for Breyer's seat.

Other possibilities include:

Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner, serves on Georgia's district court and is the sister of the voting-rights advocate Stacey Abrams.

District Judge Wilhelmina 'Mimi' Wright, a judge on Minnesota's federal district court.

Circuit Judge Eunice Lee, a former New York public defender whom Biden nominated to the Second Circuit.

Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, an alumna of Chicago's public defender's office whose appointment by Biden to the Seventh Circuit.

Judge Holly Thomas, a longtime civil rights lawyer Biden named to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

Sherrilyn Ifill, a civil rights attorney who recently announced plans to step down from her role as President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

The Biden administration has so far nominated eight black women to the U.S. Court of Appeals with five of them being confirmed so far.

The women who have been confirmed include Ketanji Brown Jackson, Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, Tiffany P. Cunningham, Eunice C. Lee and Holly A. Thomas.

His nominations of J. Michelle Childs, Arianna J. Freeman and Nancy Abudu are currently pending.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki didn't quash conservative chatter that President Biden could put Vice President Kamala Harris (above) on the Supreme Court
Police who destroyed 750,000 worth of cannabis have been criticised on social media after comparing the haul to the weight of five police dogs.

Facebook users made claims of 'animal abuse' after North Manchester Police posted a message on the social media page detailing how they destroyed 173kg of the drug seized during a warrant by throwing it into an incinerator.

The post said that the weight of the drugs was the 'equivalent of five German Shepherds' - prompting angry responses, one of which accused officers of 'animal abuse'.

Police found cannabis with a street value of 750,000 being cultivated at a site in Cheetham Hill, Manchester

Greater Manchester Police later destroyed the drugs in an incinerator but were criticised after comparing the weight to 'five German Shepherds'

Geraldine George posted: 'Why would you compare it to dogs!!'

Another user, Sue Donaghy said: 'Could have used another alternative to the weight than a dog. All I can picture now is five German Shepherds in an incinerator.'

Daniel Keo added: 'The person who posted this should be investigated for animal cruelty. Why are you thinking of putting German Shepherds in an incinerator? What animal abuser thought of that comparison, investigate them.'

The haul was seized during a raid in which officers found a large cannabis farm being grown at a house in Cheetham Hill on Monday.

The drugs were seized after a warrant was carried out in Cheetham Hill, Manchester

North Manchester Police said: 'We have executed a warrant and found a large cannabis farm with an estimated 750k worth of drugs.

'If anyone has any information please pass it to us so we can continue taking drugs from the streets.'

A subsequent post had stated: 'We have now dismantled the cannabis farm and 173kg of cannabis has been burnt at the incinerator! That's the equivalent of 5 German Shepherds! Our van was filled!'

Greater Manchester Police has been contacted for comment.
Do you know the hero driver? Would you like to pay tribute to the victim? Email tips@dailymail.com

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A mother-of-two who was stabbed to death by her abusive ex in Maida Vale told a friend two years ago 'I think he will kill me' and 'he's had cameras in my house recording me for months' in haunting texts.

Yasmin Chkaifi, 43, said in 2020 that 41-year-old Leon McCaskre had placed cameras in her flat and had stolen her mail and phone in order to get her personal information.

She was stabbed to death in front of horrified onlookers in Chippenham Road, Maida Hill, west London, on Monday, with a driver mowing down McCaskre in order to stop the attack.

Her friend Adele-Sara Richards, who knew her as Yaz, said that in April 2020, Ms Chkaifi messaged her to say: 'Hes had cameras in my house recording me for months.'

She went on: 'Hes stolen my mail, my phone, has access to all my personal data. I think he will kill me. Ive tried everything.'

It follows a 26-year-old driver being arrested on suspicion of murder after ploughing into McCaskre as he stabbed his ex-partner to death in the street in front of horrified witnesses.

A number of people had desperately tried to stop McCaskre before the driver hit him with his blue Renault in Maida Vale, north west London on Monday morning.

Relatives of Ms Chkaifi, who had two sons, have also praised the driver for attempting to stop the fatal attack. He was arrested on suspicion of murder and has since been released on bail until late February while the police investigation continues.

On Wednesday nearly 9,000 people had signed a petition on Change.org entitled: 'Maida Vale driver is a hero and shouldn't be charged with murder'.

A friend of the driver, who did not want to be named, said that he is married with two children and a pregnant wife.

He said: 'My friend is in shock and is trying to process what's happened. He was driving to work and saw a woman being attacked. At first he shouted at the attacker but when that didn't make a difference, he locked his car doors and drove at him.

The friend added that the driver is of Muslim origin from Chechnya and has only been in the UK for around four years. He said that the driver was going to work in Bayswater and was driving through Maida Vale when he saw the attack unfold.

He said: 'My friend is very humble and doesn't see himself as a hero. He was only doing his duty as a good Muslim.

'He's devastated by what happened because he wanted to save this woman's life. He stood up for what is right and should not be punished. He hasn't done anything wrong, doesn't want any glory and his prayers are with the dead woman's family.'

Ms Chkaifi's family branded the driver a hero for trying to save her - and even called for him to get a medal from the Queen as they took aim at the police for not doing enough to help her.

A family spokeswoman told The Sun: 'The man who killed my sister is a demon. The man who killed him is a hero. He deserves a medal from the Queen.

'There is no way he should go through the justice system for what he did. He tried to help her and for my sister and our family he is a hero.

'If anything we want to thank him for what he did. The man responsible is called Leon. He was supposed to be in court last week for breaching a stalking order but didn't show up.

'He was a demon. He was a monster but the driver is a hero. He saw what was happening and tried to stop it. I want to say thank you again.'

A warrant is believed to have been issued for the arrest of McCaskre three weeks after he failed to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on a charge relating to Ms Chkaifi.

Yasmin Wafah Chkaifi's family members have alleged that Maida Vale knifeman Leon McCaskre was the mother-of-two's ex-husband and had 'harassed and intimidated' her after their divorce

Her friend Adele-Sara Richards, who knew her as Yaz, said that in April 2020, Ms Chkaifi messaged her to say: 'Hes had cameras in my house recording me for months'

Yasmin Chkaifi is pictured on YouTube making a Moroccan lamb tagine at her home in Maida Vale in a video posted on the This Food Bangz channel

Ms Chkaifi's family branded the driver a hero for trying to save her - and even called for him to get a medal from the Queen as they took aim at the police for not doing enough to help her

People believed to be family weeping today as they lay flowers at the scene of a horrific double killing in Maida Vale

A woman believed to be Miss Chkaifi's first cousin is pictured laying flowers at the scene of the killing on Chippenham Road in Maida Vale, north-west London this morning

Forensic officers stand near a blue Renault as they carry out investigations in Maida Vale, West London

A body bag is taken away by private ambulance on Chippenham Road in Maida Vale yesterday

A car is taken away from the scene of a double killing at Chippenham Road in Maida Vale, north-west London last night

Police officers and emergency services cordon off the scene in Maida Vale, West London. Bystanders had tried to stop the knifeman after he pounced on his 43-year-old victim, stabbing her more than ten times

McCaskre had an anti-stalking order against him from the Met Police with Ms Chkaifi, a mature student of Moroccan descent, securing a restraining order and even installing a panic alarm in her flat because she was so frightened of her ex-husband, one of her sons has claimed.

Despite the order, she was horrifically attacked by McCaskre on Monday, with the 'monster' stabbing her more than 10 times.

A Met Police spokesperson said: 'A 26-year-old man, the driver of the car, remained at the scene and was arrested on suspicion of murder.'

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'He was fully cooperative with the investigation and has been bailed to return to a police station on a date in late February while the evidence is evaluated.'

Ms Chkaifi's son, who asked not to be named, accused Scotland Yard of 'doing nothing' to help her in the years before the horrific murder on Chippenham Road in north-west London despite repeated warnings about McCaskre.

Responding to the allegation, the Met Police said: 'A Stalking Prevention Order had been obtained against the deceased man, as a matter of course there will be a review by the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards NPTD further.'

The revelation that the killer was the subject of a stalking order is the latest in a string of failures to hit the Met on a day headlines focused on Scotland Yard announcing its criminal probe into lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall.

Bystanders tried to stop McCaskre after he pounced on Ms Chkaifi at around 9am yesterday, stabbing her more than ten times. But the savage attack was only halted when a passing motorist ran over the knifeman on the pavement, also hitting the mother-of-two. Police last night said a 26-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder.

'It was a very abusive relationship which got worse after the divorce. My mother was continually being harassed and intimidated by this man. He made her life hell,' the son told MailOnline.

He added: 'I was always in touch with the police but they did nothing to help here. There was even a panic alarm installed in our flat  that's how scared she was of this man. He was a monster.'

Ms Chakaifi's son and other relatives revealed that her ex was supposed to appear in court last week for breaking a restraining order but failed to show.

One said: 'He was ordered to keep away from her but recently had started stalking her, which got worse over the past few weeks.

'The whole family was worried about her ex because he could be very violent. The police should have done something when he didn't turn up to court last week.'

Ms Chkaifi's relatives also praised the motorist who tried to stop the attack. Her cousin Hafiza said: 'He's a hero and our family would like to meet him to express our gratitude. He was driving past, saw a woman being attacked and tried to stop it.

'This man should not be arrested but given an award for his bravery. He tried to save Wafah's life and we can never forget what he's done.'

Laying flowers at the scene of the crime today, Ms Chkaifi's heartbroken aunt Haida said she was a mother to two sons aged 16 and 18.

She said: 'She had a heart of gold, she was a beautiful, wonderful girl. She had friends from all cultures and we are still trying to understand what all this is about. The whole family is shocked. Her mother has been taken to hospital because of this. It's devastated us all.'

Earlier, her tearful son said: 'She didn't deserve to die please keep her in your prayers. Everyone who knew her knew she was a good person.'

Scotland Yard issued this picture of Yasmin Chkaifi today

Video footage shows paramedics and police battling to save the attacker and the woman. Both died at the scene. A man who claimed to have seen the attack in Maida Vale said: 'The driver said to me 'what have I done?'. I told him 'you had to do that'.

The man, who did not want to give his name, added: 'The driver had both of them under his car  the guy and the girl. Me and two geezers had to lift the car up and drag her body out. We were giving her CPR but she had stab wounds everywhere. We couldn't stop the blood.'

Raad Jiyad, who also witnessed the bloodbath, said: 'I woke up to drive my child to school and I heard some noise, someone saying 'Please help me, please help me'. I opened the door and saw a girl in the street on the floor and a guy with a knife.'

The 52-year-old father of two ran out to try to distract the attacker who he said was brandishing a 4in kitchen blade. Another onlooker who tried to intervene was chased off by the knifeman.

Mr Jiyad said the man sat on his victim, shouting 'take it' and 'nobody come to me' as he stabbed her repeatedly.

Witnesses said the attacker was left pinned under the vehicle and the woman was also hit, with her coat trapped under a wheel.

Mr Jiyad said the driver's actions were heroic and described how he himself tried to save the woman: 'I tried to speak to her as she was bleeding and held her as she took her last breath. I have blood on my hand from it.'

His wife, who asked not be named, added: 'The driver wasn't driving very fast but nothing could take the guy from the lady. The driver was the only one who could do anything.'

Another witness, Mulugeta Asseratte, said: 'I was coming up from the bakery to Chippenham Road and suddenly heard shouts of 'stop it, stop it' and it was a girl being attacked by a gentleman.

'All of a sudden it moved to the street and no sooner than they reached the street than a driver came and hit both of them. We were all shocked and shouting.'

Police arrived within minutes and were seen leading the driver into the back of a police van.

Officers said a 26-year-old man was being questioned on suspicion of murder. Detective Chief Inspector Jim Eastwood said: 'This was a terrible incident that occurred in broad daylight on a busy London street. It also appears that a number of members of the public bravely tried to intervene to stop the attack.

'A man has been arrested in relation to the case; we are not aware of any links between this man and the two deceased. I can also confirm we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection to this incident.'

Police said the families of the man and woman who died have been informed and that post-mortem examinations will be arranged in due course.

In a statement, the force said: 'Enquiries are under way to establish the full circumstances, but at this early stage it is believed the two deceased were known to each other.'

Forensic tents at the scene in Maida Vale after the incident which caused five bus routes to go on diversion

Forensic officers carry out investigations after a woman and man died in Maida Vale, West London

Forensic officers carry out investigations after a woman and man died in Maida Vale, West London

Forensics officers in Maida Vale after a woman was stabbed to death and a man was killed after being hit by a car

Photographs taken at the scene yesterday showed forensic teams investigating and taking photographs amid a huge police presence with a large cordon in place that was causing five bus routes to go on diversion.

Two vehicles - a Vauxhall and the Renault Clio- were in the cordoned area alongside two London buses and a lorry. Three forensic tents were set up inside the cordon as detectives in forensic gear searched for clues.

Local MP Karen Buck said what happened was 'horrific' and 'devastating' for both relatives of those killed and the surrounding community.

A resident said he heard 'awful screams coming from kids' attending a nearby secondary school.

The incident happened on Chippenham Road which has an average house price of 497,000 and features a row of traditional townhouse terraces mostly now converted into flats as well as a park including a children's playground.

Local roads were closed with buses 31, 36, 228 and 328 all on diversion.

Westminster North Labour MP Ms Buck, whose constituency address is just 200 yards away, tweeted: 'Horrific events this morning in Elgin Avenue, which will be devastating for family and friends of those killed and also for the local community.'

Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector Neil Smithson earlier said: 'This morning an incredibly serious incident has unfolded in the Westminster area which has seen two people pronounced dead. Our officers are on scene and are working to establish exactly what has happened.

'As soon as we have more information will keep the public updated but for now we must avoid speculation and allow investigators to do their work.

'What I can say at this time is that the incident is contained and we do not believe there to be any wider threat to the community. We have spoken to a number of people already but anyone else who witnessed the incident, or who has information that could help us, is urged to make contact immediately.'

Metropolitan Police officers on the scene following the double death in Maida Vale, West London

Detectives investigate after the double death happened in Maida Vale, West London

Forensic officers look at a blue Renault as they carry out investigations in Maida Vale, West London

Councillor Tim Roca, who represents the Harrow Road ward on Westminster City Council, tweeted: 'Just hearing about the tragic events on Chippenham road this morning.

'Absolutely awful news and fair to say the community is in shock.'

A London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 9.02am today to reports of an incident on Chippenham Road, W9.

'We sent a number of resources to the scene, including two ambulance crews, two clinical team leaders, an advanced paramedic, two tactical response units, a medic in a car, an incident response officer, and members of our hazardous area response team.

'We also dispatched by road London's Air Ambulance. Despite our medics' efforts, two people died at the scene.'

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'Firefighters were called to a road traffic collision on Chippenham Road in Maida Vale this morning. One car had been in collision with a pedestrian and a man was trapped under the vehicle.

'Crews released him from under the car but he was sadly pronounced dead at the scene. Another woman was also sadly pronounced dead at the scene.

'The Brigade was called at 9.10am and the incident was over for firefighters by 9.47am. Two fire engines from North Kensington and Paddington fire stations and a fire rescue unit from Paddington fire station were at the scene.'

The incident happened on the junction of Chippenham Road and Elgin Avenue which is located four roads away from the BBC's famous Maida Vale studios.

Police said witnesses can call them on 101 quoting the reference 1496/24jan, or to remain anonymous contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online
A man accusing of raping and murdering his girlfriend's daughter then killing her brother, mother and friend is indisputably responsible for causing their deaths, a court heard today.

Damien Bendall, 31, is alleged to have raped and murdered 11-year-old Lacey Bennett, killed her brother John Paul Bennett, 13, their mother Terri Harris, 35, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend, Connie Gent.

The charges come after four bodies were discovered at a house in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, on September 19 last year.

Derby Crown Court today heard it would not be disputed that Bendall caused the deaths but there were delays to the case which resulted in no pleas being entered.

Wearing a grey sweatshirt, blue jeans and a surgical face mask, the defendant was surrounded by five dock officers throughout the short hearing.

Lacey Bennett, pictured above, the 11-year-old daughter of Damien Bendall's girlfriend. Derby Crown Court today heard it would not be disputed that Bendall caused the four deaths

Bendall, 31, is also alleged to have killed 35-year-old Terri Harris (pictured). Ms Harris's parents, Angela Smith and Lawrence Harris, described Terri as 'an amazing mum'

John Paul Bennett (pictured left), 13, and Lacey's 11-year-old friend, Connie Gent (right), who Bendall is accused of killing near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, in September last year

Judge Nirmal Shant said it is 'not an issue that the defendant caused the deaths' before adjourning the case for a trial to take place on March 21.

The murder charges allege he unlawfully killed all four victims on a day between Friday September 17 and Monday September 20 last year.

Derbyshire Police previously said officers were called to the house at 7.36am on September 20 after reports of concerns for a mans welfare.

An inquest opening at Chesterfield Coroner's Court previously heard the four died as a result of a 'violent attack'.

The coroner's court also heard how a relative of Bendall had phoned police to say the defendant had suffered a self-inflicted stab wound.

The defendant is due to stand trial on March 21 this year.

Judge Nirmal Shant QC remanded Bendall back into custody to appear at the same court for a plea hearing on February 25.

In the wake of their deaths, Jason Bennett - the father of Lacey and John Paul - said he had been left 'devastated' by the loss.

A court artist sketch of Bendall appearing in the dock on January 4. The defendant is due to stand trial on March 21 this year

The murder charges allege Bendall (above) unlawfully killed all four victims on a day between Friday September 17 and Monday September 20 last year

In a statement, he added: 'I've been left broken. I'm devastated. John and Lacey came into our lives and brought so much love and happiness and were adored by myself and their big sisters, forever loved and remembered.

'We would also like to thank everyone for their loving support and our thoughts go out to everyone affected by the tragic loss of four precious lives.'

Ms Harris's parents, Angela Smith and Lawrence Harris, described Terri as 'an amazing mum' who 'put herself out not just for her family and friends but anyone who needed her help'.

They added: 'She absolutely loved her work as a care worker and would go above and beyond for the people she cared for.

Lacey pictured with her brother and mother. In the wake of their deaths, Jason Bennett - the father of Lacey and John Paul - said he had been left 'devastated' by the loss

Floral tributes left at the scene in Killamarsh, near Sheffield, on September 21 last year. Connie's father Charles Gent said: 'The pain is indescribable. I wake up every morning hoping this has all been a terrible nightmare, but it's not'

Police officers outside the house in September last year. The coroner's court heard how a relative of Bendall phoned police to say the defendant had suffered a self-inflicted stab wound

'She will be missed more than any words can ever express, not only by her family but by anyone who had the privilege to have been in her life.'

Connie's father Charles Gent said: 'The pain is indescribable. I wake up every morning hoping this has all been a terrible nightmare, but it's not. It's the unbearable reality that my little girl has gone.

'Connie was an absolute superstar in every way. She had a gift - if someone was down she could instantly make them feel okay.

'She lit up every room she went in and meant something to everyone she came across, even in hard times. Connie had the ability to keep everyone smiling.

'Fly safe my angel. They came for you and left me behind. I could never say goodbye, so I'll see you soon. I love you more than you can possibly imagine forever and always.'
The moment police attempted to save a black man who later died after being restrained by security guards at a conference centre was played at an inquest into his death.

CCTV footage from the ExCel Centre in London showed Jason Lennon lying on the floor with three uniformed officers crouched over him.

His bare legs were visible among the group as they attempted to give him CPR.

Jurors at the inquest were warned prior to viewing the footage that some might find it distressing.

The short clip was played as a CCTV operator gave evidence describing how he controlled the cameras at the convention centre and described the events leading up to the incident.

Lennon, 37, who had a history of mental ill health and previously tried to take his own life, had been restrained by security staff after following a member of public into the Excel Centre in July 2019.

Jason Lennon (pictured), 37, who had a history of mental ill health, died after being restrained by security staff after following a member of public into London's Excel Centre in July 2019

When police arrived, he was being pinned to the ground by five security guards.

The inquest was told Lennon was lying face down and police handcuffed him before rolling his body over when they realised he was unconscious.

The officers carried out CPR and Lennon was taken to Newham Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The inquest, being held at Barking Town Hall in East London is expected to last a month and hear from over 40 witnesses.

Lennon's family are represented by lawyer Fiona Murphy while other interested parties watching the proceedings via Zoom include the police, East London NHS Trust and the ExCel centre.

His immediate family are watching the inquest remotely from their home in Jamaica.

Coroner Graeme Irvine will determine whether Lennon was receiving the right care before he died, the impact of the restraint and the emergency care he received.

Ignatius Enemor, who was in the control room at the ExCel centre on the morning of the incident told the inquest he had received a report of an assault on staff.

When police arrived at the ExCel Centre (pictured), Lennon was being pinned to the ground by security guards. Police handcuffed Lennon before realising he was unconscious

He said staff were dealing with the incident and he dispatched a dog handler and a colleague to the scene of the incident close to the east entrance of the conference centre.

Mr Enemor said he was about to call for medical assistance and police but was told they were already at the scene.

CCTV played to the jury of 11 showed three police officers running through the entrance.

In the footage the ceiling mounted camera moves to show three officers crouching over Lennon as uniformed security guards stand watching.

Asked by the family's lawyer what he witnessed in the control room he said: 'I saw a black man on the floor with people around him.'

In his opening remarks to the jury, the Coroner said Lennon had a history of mental illness.

In his opening statement at the start of the inquest on January 11th he said prior to walking into the ExCel centre Lennon was involved in a number of 'confrontational incidents with members of the public'.

Mr Irvine said an assault on an Asian man was captured on CCTV with a delivery driver stopping to intervene and allow the victim to escape.

Lennon was also walked into the path of a bus having left his sheltered accommodation.

After police had been alerted to a number of assaults Lennon began following a member of public who was so concerned, they walked towards the entrance of the ExCel centre.

The man told staff he was being followed and was allowed into the building. Lennon pushed past a security guard and others in the building brought him to the ground.

The officers carried out CPR and Lennon was taken to Newham Hospital where he was pronounced dead, an inquest at Barking Town Hall in East London heard

The coroner said: 'When the police arrived at the scene at 7.35am they described a very large black males lying on his stomach, face down with at least five security guards pinning him to the floor on several points of his body, holding down his upper body and lower body.

'Officers handcuffed Jason and rolled him over  at this point they realised that Jason had no pulse. BY 7.39am the officers had taken Jason out of handcuffs and started providing CPR.'

The Coroner also gave the jury background details into Mr Lennon's mental health.

In 2002 after being remanded into custody at Feltham Young Offenders Institute he tried to hang himself after claiming he was the victim of a sexual assault.

He was treated at hospital where it was found he had sustained a brain injury.

In 2003 he was diagnosed with a schizophrenic illness and in 2011 was deemed unsuitable to live outside supported accommodation in the community.

He was sectioned in 2017 when he walked into traffic asking drivers to kill him and his mental health fluctuated over the last four years.

On the day he died staff at the supported accommodation where he lived noticed that he was unsettled having the previous day appeared unwell.

The inquest is expected to last until February 11th.
Police in Los Angeles have revealed that a cache of guns has been stolen from cargo containers that were left unsecured on railroad tracks earlier this month.

'People were... breaking into these containers and stealing firearms, tens of firearms,' LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the Board of Police Commissioners on Monday. 'That gave us the great concern as a source again of further violence in the city as people were capitalizing on the transport of these containers with having little or no policing or security services there.'

DailyMail.com on Wednesday reached out to the LAPD, but a spokesperson could not say how many guns were stolen from the rail depot in Lincoln Heights.

She said the investigation was being handled by the Union Pacific rail company, which has not immediately responded to a request for a comment.

Moore said police last week arrested six people in connection with a spate of cargo heists, which made national headlines after drone images showed piles of debris left behind by bands of marauding thieves.

Scroll down for video

Police in Los Angeles say 'tens of guns' were stolen from freight containers at the city's Lincoln Heights depot earlier this month

People rummage through items stolen from cargo containers littering Union Pacific train tracks in the vicinity of Mission Blvd in Los Angeles on January 15

A couple from Los Angeles walk on the railway piled with debris left behind by marauding bands of thieves

The sight of the ransacked train depot littered with discarded packages earned an unflattering comparison to a 'Third World country' from a disgusted Gov Gavin Newsom when he visited the area to help with its cleanup last week.

'Despite all the attention brought to this, and despite the ongoing efforts by Union Pacific to solve some additional security elements, we still have people that are still drawn to this location,' Moore told the Police Commission.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the Board of Police Commissioners on Monday that he is concerned about the guns that were stolen from train containers

LAPD Deputy Chief Al Labrada, whose command includes the Lincoln Heights depot, told the paper that police have recovered 'numerous guns' from people claiming that they came from freight containers.

Union Pacific said that over the past two years, an average of 90 containers a day have been burglarized on tracks running through Los Angeles.

The freight thefts have led to acrimonious finger-pointing between the rail company and Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon, with Union Pacific accusing the progressive prosecutor of being soft on crime, and Gascon blaming Union Pacific for having lax security.

In December, Union Pacific sent a letter to Gascon asking for more aggressive prosecutions for cargo thieves and an end to the no-bail policy for some defendants that Gascon wants to keep out of jail to reduce overcrowding during the pandemic.

'These individuals are generally caught and released back onto the streets in less than twenty-four hours. Criminals boast to our officers that charges will be pled down to simple trespassing - which bears no serious consequence,' the letter from UP's California director of public affairs Adrian Guerrero said.

Gov Gavin Newsom likened the railroad in LA to a 'Third World country' when he visited the site to help clean it up

Newsom, center, was disgusted by the spate of raids on cargo containers nearing downtown Los Angeles

UP said it experienced a 160 per cent increase in criminal rail theft in LA County over the past year.

Gascon's office had previously said it was 'committed to working with law enforcement to ensure collective safety across Los Angeles County's sprawling infrastructure, whether it's at our ports or on railroad tracks.'

However, on Friday, Gascon wrote a strongly-worded letter back to Union Pacific saying they filed fewer criminal cases to his office than in 2019 and 2020.

'According to LAPD Deputy Chief Al Labrada, UP does little to secure or lock trains and has significantly decreased law enforcement staffing,' he wrote. 'It is very telling that other major railroad operations in the area are not facing the same level of theft at their facilities as UP.'

The California Highway Patrol said Thursday it was expanding its own retail theft task force that will allow it to beef up patrols and better coordinate with police, the sheriff's department and Union Pacific's security force. Union Pacific and other railroad firms employ their own police forces accredited by the state to protect its rail lines.

Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon is taking shots at a railroad company that begged for his help to stop train thefts

Gascon is under fire for failing to crack down on a recent spike in violence and property crimes, with robbery rates up more than 7 per cent as of January 22, compared to the same time last year.

He won over voters last year with promises of sweeping criminal justice reforms that critics say put the interests of criminals before the safety of the community, Fox News reported.

Gascon said of rising crime rates: 'The reality is that we go through these cycles, and we go through the cycles for a variety of reasons  In many ways we cannot prosecute our way out of social inequalities, income inequalities, the unhoused, the desperation that we have.'
The IRS has warned that the cryptocurrency space and related non-fungible tokens are ripe for financial crime, alerting potential traders to exercise caution and be aware of the tax implications.

Ryan Korner, special agent in charge of the Los Angeles field office at the IRS criminal investigation division, delivered the warning during an event hosted by the USC Gould School of Law on Tuesday.

'We're just seeing mountains and mountains of fraud in this area,' Korner said, according to Bloomberg.

Korner said that digital assets were a growing area of concern for regulators and tax collectors, and that the space was rife with money laundering, market manipulation and tax evasion.

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are a trendy new technology that involves a unique digital token encrypted with an artist's signature, which verifies its ownership and authenticity.

NFTs can represent ownership of digital assets, including images, video, music, trading cards, cryptocurrency wallet names and even land within online virtual worlds.

A gif of the meme known as Nyan Cat sold for $587,000 last February

One NFT artwork, a massive collage by Beeple, fetched a record $69.3 million at a Christie's sale in March

LeBron James NBA Top Shot Moment NFT

Banksy style NFT owned by Pest Control is seen above

IRS special agent in charge Ryan Korner warned of fraud in crypto and NFTs

From tweets to viral memes, NFT craze sees strange assets for sale From cartoon apes to video clips, sales of NFTs reached some $25 billion in 2021 as the speculative crypto asset exploded in popularity, data from market tracker DappRadar shows. One NFT artwork, a massive collage by Beeple, fetched a record $69.3 million at a Christie's sale in March. Other NFTs include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's first tweet, which fetched $2.9 million, as well as the classic viral video 'Charlie bit my finger' which brought in $761,000. Picasso's granddaughter and her son are looking to cash in on the craze by selling more than 1,000 digital images of a previously unseen ceramic piece from the artist. In France, a surgeon faces disciplinary action after offering an X-ray image of a bullet embedded in a victim of the 2015 ISIS attack on the Bataclan as an NFT. Advertisement

Prior high-profile digital assets to go up for sale as NFTs include Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's first tweet, which fetched $2.9 million, as well as the classic viral video 'Charlie bit my finger' which brought in $761,000.

The space has attracted the interest of a number of celebrities, as has cryptocurrency, which has seen numerous celebrity endorsements of new tokens or services.

Korner warned on Tuesday that celebrities would not be immune from investigation and prosecution if they became involved in financial crimes, though.

'We're not necessarily out there looking for celebrities, but when they make a blatant or open comment that says 'Hey, IRS, you should probably come look at me,' that's what we do,' he said.

Last year, boxer Floyd Mayweather and music promoter DJ Khaled settled SEC charges alleging that they failed to disclose that they had been paid to promote a crypto scheme through social media.

Korner said that the IRS is now working to train all of its agents on the nuances of NFTs and cryptocurrency because 'this space is the future.'

Although many digital assets and services related to crypto are legitimate, the novelty of the space has attracted some criminal activity, and some crooks view it as an opportunity to hide assets from authorities.

A new report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis on Wednesday estimated that cybercriminals laundered $8.6 billion in cryptocurrencies last year, up 30 percent from 2020.

Overall, cybercriminals have laundered more than $33 billion worth of crypto since 2017, Chainalysis estimated, with most of the total over time moving to centralized exchanges.

Picasso's granddaughter Marina Picasso and her son Florian Picasso with the ceramic artwork of Pablo Picasso on Tuesday at their home in Geneva

An illustration picture taken in London on December 30, 2021, shows gold plated souvenir cryptocurrency coins arranged beside a screen displaying a Crypto.com NFT (Non-Fungible Token) marketplace showing three PsychoKitty NFTs created by psychedelic artist Ugonzo

The firm said the sharp rise in money laundering activity in 2021 was not surprising, given the significant growth of both legitimate and illegal crypto activity last year.

Money laundering refers to that process of disguising the origin of illegally obtained money by transferring it to legitimate businesses.

About 17 percent of the $8.6 billion laundered went to decentralized finance applications, Chainalysis said, referring to the sector which facilitates crypto-denominated financial transactions outside of traditional banks. That was up from 2 percent in 2020.

Mining pools, high-risk exchanges, and mixers also saw substantial increases in value received from illicit addresses, the report said.

Mixers typically combine potentially identifiable or tainted cryptocurrency funds with others, so as to conceal the trail to the fund's original source.

A new report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis on Wednesday estimated that cybercriminals laundered $8.6 billion in cryptocurrencies last year

Wallet addresses associated with theft sent just under half of their stolen funds, or more than $750 million worth of crypto in total, to decentralized finance platforms, according to the Chainalysis report.

Chainalysis also clarified that the $8.6 billion laundered last year represents funds derived from crypto-native crime such as darknet market sales or ransomware attacks in which profits are in crypto instead of fiat currencies.

'It's more difficult to measure how much fiat currency derived from off-line crime - traditional drug trafficking, for example - is converted into cryptocurrency to be laundered,' Chainalysis said in the report.

'However, we know anecdotally this is happening.'
A pair of Texas teenage brothers have been charged with murder over claims they beat their stepdad to death with brass knuckles over claims he molested their nine year-old half-sister.

Christian Trevino, and Alejandro Trevino, both aged 18, were arrested by the Pharr Police Department in Pharr on Saturday for the brutal killing of Gabriel Quintanilla, 42, last Thursday.

Authorities also apprehended their friend, Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, who helped the brothers attack the father of their half-sister.

The Trevino brothers are said to be half-brothers from the same father.

The Pharr Police Department said Quintanilla was beaten with brass knuckles and thrown into the flatbed of a pickup truck before the defendants abandoned his body in a McAllen field.

Quintanilla suffered head trauma and police say he may have been alive when the brothers and their pal dumped his body.

Christian Trevino (left) and Alejandro Trevino (right) were taking into custody on Saturday for the deadly beating of their stepfather, who had been accused of sexually assaulting their nine-year-old half-sister last Thursday. Christian Trevino faces capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity. His brother was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity

Juan Melendez aided the Trevino brothers in the savage beating of the boys' stepfather, Gabriel Quintanilla, who was accused of sexually assaulting their nine-year-old half-sister. Melendez was charged charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity.

Christian Trevino (left) Juan Eduardo Melendez (center) and Alejandro Trevino (right) were arrested Saturday. They remain in prison on $1 million bonds

The incident unfolded when the Trevino brothers went looking for Quintanilla at a RV park residence after they had learned that he had allegedly inappropriately touched their sibling.

The Pharr police said a fight ensued between the three men before Quintanilla took off running.

Authorities say Christian Trevino ran after Quintanilla and cornered him in an apartment complex. Alejandro Trevino was joined by Melendez in the second beating of Quintanilla.

The three teenagers left the scene of the assault to changed their vehicles and later went back to look for Quintanilla, who was spotted walking down a road.

The Trevino brothers and Melendez then attacked Quintanilla for a third time and placed his body in the pickup truck.

Both Christian Trevino and Melendez have been charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity.

Christian Trevino (left) and Juan Eduardo Melendez (standing at the door entrance) were both charged with capital murder, aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity

Christian Trevino (second from left to right in bottom left), Juan Eduardo Melendez (center) and Alejandro Trevino (third from the right) were arrested Saturday

Alejandro Trevino was charged with aggravated assault and engaging in organized criminal activity.

Pharr deputy police chief Juan Gonzalez said capital murder charges were not filed against Alejandro Trevino because Christian Trevino and Melendez were the ones who delivered the blows that eventually killed Quintanilla.

Pharr police chief Andy Harvey revealed during a press conference Tuesday that Quintanilla had a 2019 arrest warrant for allegedly sexually abusing another minor.

Quintanilla had sexually assaulted the girl between 2014 and 2016.

'He was being elusive, obviously hiding from us,' Harvey said.

DailyMail.com has contacted Pharr Police Department for further information.
Sim Sang-jung, the presidential candidate of the progressive Justice Party, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times in her office at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Jan. 24. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Justice Party presidential candidate vows to give voice to the voiceless



By Ko Dong-hwan



Presidential candidate Sim Sang-jung, a politician who focuses on representing the grassroots, has vowed to end Korea's era of "super-presidents" if elected, to make more people's voices heard in the legislature. Having stood for workers, women, sexual minorities and other vulnerable groups for over 20 years as a lawmaker, Sim criticized the country's political system that concentrates too much power in the president, while leaving regional councils that represent local constituencies weaker than they should be.



"Under this 'super-presidency,' citizens' voices can barely be heard among those of the politicians," explained the minor progressive Justice Party presidential candidate in an interview with The Korea Times, Monday. "Under Korea's two-party political system led by the two major parties, which has persisted since the country's democratic transition in 1987, the super-presidency has pushed presidents to wield political power in an extreme, all-or-nothing manner. The best any president could do was just protect himself or herself (while remaining deaf to the public)."



Referring to the parliament as the "No. 1 executive branch under democracy," Sim said that if she gets elected, she will take measures to weaken presidential power by abolishing all senior presidential secretary seats  which she dubbed the symbolic "shadow cabinet" of Korea's super-presidency  and empowering the National Assembly to better represent the population of over 50 million.



"Much of the president's powers must be passed down to the parliament. For example, budget planning and the Board of Audit and Inspection are both currently under the direct control of the President," said Sim, citing the United States as an example of this sort of distribution of power. "Furthermore, the reason the National Assembly has never earned the people's trust is that they believe lawmakers only represent a privileged few in power. To fix this, election laws must be revised so that people's votes for minor parties can lead to those parties getting seats in the National Assembly more fairly."









The most precious moment the ambitious candidate experienced as a politician was when she received a gift from a group of people who were too young to vote.



While she came in last during the 2017 presidential election among the five candidates, with only 6.2 percent of the votes, a mock election among 50,000 middle and high school students nationwide held during the election campaign showed quite different results. In the poll, the teens were asked to look at candidates' pledges without identifying whose they were and then vote for their favorite contender. She came second only to then-candidate Moon Jae-in.



"I was invited by one of the schools that had voted for me the most in that poll," said Sim, searching through a huge array of awards and framed pictures in her office to look for a framed certificate presented to her by Saetbyeol Middle School in Geochang County, South Gyeongsang Province. "It warmed my heart to know that those of the future generation picked me as the most eligible politician. I promised them that next time I would return with another certificate  one given to me by the national election commission."





Behind Sim, a bookcase is filled with plaques and framed pictures presented to her by various civic groups as tokens of appreciation, including ones given by teenage students who liked her pledges during the 2017 presidential election campaign. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
A top infectious diseases expert has predicted Covid will haunt Australians for years but says the worst is behind us with the virus soon to be treated like the flu.

Professor Peter Collignon, from ANU Medical School, told 3AW that Australia is in 'a much better position than we were a year ago'.

The professor said that due to the efficacy of Covid vaccines, fewer people were dying or being hospitalised with the Omicron variant despite high infection rates.

'Are we out of the woods? No we're not. Is this all going to go away, no it's not, but the consequences for individuals and for society are a lot less than a year ago,' he said.

Professor Peter Collignon, from ANU Medical School, told 3AW radio host Neil Mitchell that Australia is in 'a much better position than we were a year ago' (pictured, people in Sydney)

The professor said due to the efficacy of Covid vaccines less people were dying or being hospitalised despite high infection rates (pictured, a pop-up Covid clinic in Melbourne's north)

He stated it was 'much, much less likely' people will get sick and die from Covid than a year ago due to high uptake of vaccines and stronger immune systems.

'We've decreased our chances of dying by a factor of 20 and hospitalisation by at least a factor of 10, but it's not zero, so this problem doesn't go away,' he said.

The professor predicted like any other respiratory virus, cases would suffer an uptick in winter during the months of June, July and August.

'We may have to live with more restrictions in winter than in summer,' he said.

'I don't think it will be as bad as the Omicron wave we've just seen, but I'll be surprised if we don't see a kick-up in cases and hospitalisations.

'Im hoping its no worse than a bad flu season.'

The professor said the vast majority of those vulnerable - notably people aged over 60 - would have had three doses of the vaccine by then.

'We may have to live with more restrictions in winter than in summer,' Professor Collignon (pictured) said as cases kicked-up in June, July and August

Prof. Collignon added cases would also increase as students returned to classrooms, triggered by more people gathering and higher rates of testing (pictured, people at Bondi)

Prof. Collignon added cases would also increase as students returned to classrooms, triggered by more people gathering and higher testing rates.

He said those infected with Omicron would probably have a 'broader range' of immunity for new variants that hit Australian shores in the future.

Host Neil Mitchell asked the professor if the dark days were over and if the country could return to high infection levels and deaths with new strains.

Prof. Collignon said that once you have large levels of vaccination and natural infection, the worst is over, but new variants would remain a challenge.

He said while it was very unlikely a 'lethal' strain of the virus could arrive that couldn't be protected against with vaccination.

'It's in the best interests of the virus to transmit a lot more, but in fact not kill as many people, because it means it can hang around longer,' he said.

The professor said the Covid vaccine was performing much better than an influenza vaccine, which has a 30 per cent protection against hospitalisation.

Prof. Collignon said governments needed to 'move on' from hopes of totally eliminating the virus and look to live life as normally as possible (pictured, beach-goers at Bondi)

NSW is expected to reach its one millionth case of the pandemic, two years after the first cases were recorded in Australia (pictured, people are tested for Covid at a facility in Sydney)

Covid vaccines have a 90 per cent protection against hospitalisation and can protect against multiple strains up to six months after the first dose, he said.

Prof. Collignon said there was no need for people to 'get depressed' about the fact the virus would be with us for years to come as the worst was behind us.

He said governments needed to 'move on' from hopes of totally eliminating the virus and look to live life as normally as possible.

The professor pointed to the one or two million adults who were not yet vaccinated - about five to 10 per cent of the population depending on the state.

'Their likelihood of death is still substantial if they are unvaccinated,' he said.

The professor's predictions come as NSW is expected to reach its one millionth case of the pandemic, two years after the first cases were recorded in Australia.

Premier Perrottet (pictured) announced reintroduced restrictions for mask use, hospitality density limits and bans on singing and dancing would be extended until the end of February

Half of those cases were added in the last two weeks and more than 90 per cent in the last two months of the Omicron wave's ferocious spread after returning international travellers unknowingly brought the variant into the country.

On Tuesday, Mr Perrottet announced reintroduced restrictions for mask use, hospitality density limits and bans on singing and dancing, due to end on Thursday, would be extended until the end of February in a bid to suppress the spread of Omicron as children return to classrooms.

Mr Perrottet said extending restrictions to February 28 was 'the right approach' as it would suppress the spread of Omicron ahead of increased movement once schools return next week.

NSW reported 21,030 new Covid-19 cases and 29 deaths on Wednesday - though the numbers of patients with serious symptoms in ICU has dropped from 183 to 175.

There appears to be a similar trend further south with Victoria's Covid ICU numbers falling from 119 to 113 as the state reported 13,507 cases and 35 deaths.
The BBC has apologised for a report suggesting the Jewish victims of an anti-Semitic bus attack used 'anti-Muslim slurs' as Ofcom launches a probe into the corporation.

Last November, a video emerged of a group of men hurling abuse and spitting at a group of around 40 Jewish teenagers sitting inside a bus on London's Oxford Street, before banging on the windows as it pulled away.

The incident was treated as a hate crime by police, but in its original report of the incident, BBC News said 'racial slurs about Muslims could be heard inside the bus'.

The broadcaster has since upheld complaints over the accuracy and impartiality of its coverage on December 2 and has amended a story on its news website, alongside issuing a clarification of a TV report aired on the same day.

Following its coverage, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Chief Rabbi were among a significant number of groups and individuals who complained to the broadcaster about the accuracy and impartiality of the coverage.

The BBC's director-general Tim Davie then instructed the corporation's executive complaints unit (ECU) to investigate the complaints 'as a matter of urgency'.

Last November, a video emerged of a group of men hurling abuse and spitting at a group of around 40 Jewish teenagers sitting inside a bus on London's Oxford Street

Footage showed the group of Jewish teenagers dancing as they celebrated Hanukkah moments before the attack. The incident was treated as a hate crime by police, but in its original report, BBC News said 'racial slurs about Muslims could be heard inside the bus'

The BBC said the complaints were 'particularly in relation to the claim that an anti-Muslim slur had been heard from inside the bus'.

In its findings published on Wednesday, the ECU said the original versions of both the online and television story 'did not meet the BBC's standards of due accuracy'.

It said: 'The original online copy spoke of 'some racial slurs about Muslims' whilst the TV report explained 'you can hear some racial slurs about Muslim people'.

'In later versions the online copy was changed to 'a slur about Muslims' reflecting that the original iterations had mischaracterised the nature of the insult and there was insufficient evidence that it had happened on more than one occasion.'

The ECU also considered whether the BBC had been right to continue to defend the statements in its reports about an anti-Muslim slur as accurate and not requiring amendment.

The unit said it noted that while three of four translators who listened back to footage had agreed on what the slur might have been, one differed, and the ECU therefore concluded that 'the sole exception indicates that it was not the only possible interpretation'.

CAA's "BBC News: Stop Blaming Jews!" protest outside Broadcasting House, backed by Lord Grade and Dame Maureen Lipman, over its coverage of the incident on Oxford Street

The BBC said the complaints were 'particularly in relation to the claim that an anti-Muslim slur had been heard from inside the bus'

Jewish broadcaster resigns from BBC over 'inexcusable' anti-Semitism A Jewish BBC broadcaster resigned after the corporation's coverage of an anti-Semitic attack wrongly accused the victims of making offensive Muslim slurs. Rabbi YY Rubinstein, a contributor to BBC programmes including Good Morning Sunday and the Thought For The Day, quit via a letter. He released it on Facebook, addressed to a member of staff, only known as Gabby. The letter said: 'The current crisis over anti-Semitism at the Corporation and its attempts to turn the victims of the recent anti-Semitic attack on Jewish children in London and claim that the victims were actually the perpetrators, was and is inexcusable. The obfuscation, denial that followed, was and is utterly damning. 'The Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles actually includes the BBC in its annual global anti-Semitism, 'Top Ten'. 'This does not in any way reflect on your own production company whose own record in this regard is exemplary. It also does not apply to many of the individuals I have worked with at the BBC over three decades. 'They were among some of the most courteous, kind and talented people I ever met or worked with. The same applies to you and your colleagues. 'I simply don't see how I or in fact any Jew who has any pride in that name can be associated with the Corporation anymore.' Advertisement

The unit added: 'In the ECU's judgment this, taken together with the evidence put forward by the Board of Deputies, should have led the BBC to recognise at an earlier stage that there was genuine doubt about the accuracy of what it had reported.'

The ECU concluded: 'It follows that the online article as it stands must now be regarded as no longer meeting the BBC's standards of due accuracy and, to the extent that the anti-Muslim slur claim has itself become controversial, it also lacks due impartiality in failing to reflect alternative views.'

It said the same outcome applies to the television report 'though that could not have been updated as an online item can'.

Following the ECU's findings, a BBC spokesman said it had been ruled 'that the inclusion in our reports of the existence of an alleged slur, said to have come from within the bus, was included in good faith, following a great deal of editorial scrutiny'.

But they added: 'However, the ECU has also found that more could have been done, subsequent to the original report, to acknowledge the differing views and opinions in relation to what was said; this should have been reflected in our reporting; and the online article amended.

'We accept this and apologise for not doing more to highlight that these details were contested - we should have reflected this and acted sooner.

'Following the ECU's ruling, we have amended the story posted on the BBC News website on 2 December 2021 and issued a clarification in relation to a news report aired on BBC London on the same day.'

An Ofcom spokesman said: 'We have reviewed the BBC's final response to complaints about this news programme.

'We consider it raises issues under our due accuracy rules and have launched an investigation.'

Board of Deputies of British Jews president Marie van der Zyl welcomed Ofcom's decision to investigate, adding: 'We trust that justice will prevail.'

She said: 'We note the ECU finding that the BBC did not meet standards of due accuracy and impartiality.

Rabbi YY Rubinstein, a contributor to BBC programmes including Good Morning Sunday, quit after the corporation's coverage of the anti-Semitic attack

Part of Rabbi YY Rubinstein's resignation later, which he posted onto Facebook

'We are however dismayed that the Corporation continues to justify certain erroneous editorial decisions that continue to cloud the issue and will compound the distress faced by the victims.'

A spokesman for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said: 'It took the BBC two months and four pages to deliver a whitewash non-apology that stands by its spurious reporting of an anti-Muslim slur and dismisses the monumental offence generated by its coverage.'

They added that they welcomed Ofcom's investigation, which they said 'will hopefully deliver the justice to the Jewish community that the BBC has once more denied'.
A Florida father is suing the local school district after his 12-year-old daughter attempted suicide by 'hanging herself in one of the bathrooms' at her Clay County elementary school.

The federal lawsuit, obtained by DailyMail.com, was filed in court on Monday by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign against several school district members including Superintendent Davis Broskie, Paterson Elementary School Principal John O'Brian, Assistant Principal Courtney Schumacher and school counselor Destiney Washington.

The complaint alleges that Washington held secret weekly meetings with Wendell Perez's daughter about her alleged 'gender identity crisis' but neglected to alert her parents. Perez claims a school counselor cited his Catholic faith as the reason his daughter didn't want him to know and said they were trying to protect her confidentiality, according to the lawsuit.

It also claims school leaders encouraged other students and staff to refer to the young girl as a boy and even gave her a new name.

The identity changes allegedly increased bullying on campus, which resulted in a level of 'distress escalated to the point of attempting suicide at school,' and the girl attempted to take her life on both January 4 and 5, according to the lawsuit.

Perez, who is Catholic, alleges the school violated their fundamental rights 'by intentionally and recklessly withholding information' about their daughter's gender identity based upon the child's 'alleged confidentiality rights.'

A Florida father is suing the Clay County school district after his daughter, 12, attempted suicide by 'hanging herself in one of the bathrooms' at Paterson Elementary School (pictured)

The father said the situation was a 'nightmare' and accused Washington of citing his religious beliefs as the reason his daughter, whose identity is withheld due to her age, did not want her parents to know about her alleged identity crisis.

'I took offense because that had nothing to do with it,' Perez told the Action News Jax. 'I mean I don't even know if she understands our faith. That demonstrated she was ignorant about it. Our faith is one of unconditional love for our children.'

Attorney Vernadette Broyles (pictured), who is representing the family, said the suit aims to ' protect the rights of parents to be able to raise their children, to direct the care of their child, in accordance with their faith and without the interference of government officials'

Attorney Vernadette Broyles, who is representing the family, said the suit aims to 'protect the rights of parents to be able to raise their children, to direct the care of their child, in accordance with their faith and without the interference of government officials'.

'It is a serious mental health decision that school personnel are not qualified, not competent, and not authorized to make,' she said. 'Parents must be involved in these important decisions.'

However, a Jacksonville counselor told the news outlet that a child's confidentiality is protected until that individuals 'presents a danger of harming themselves or others.' At that point, parents or guardians must be notified.

The school district, told DailyMail.com that, as of Thursday, it had not been served any legal process, adding: 'The district has performed a thorough and complete investigation into this matter as it was presented to us and has determined that the allegations made by this out-of-state organization are completely false, fabricated, and appear to be intended solely for the purpose of inciting the public.'

'All employees of the district consistently work to ensure that the best interests of all students are served. The district will have no further comment on this matter.'

There is currently active legislation in the state of Florida, addressing concerns similar to that of the Perez family.

The federal lawsuit was filed in court on Monday by the Child & Parental Rights Campaign against several school district members including Superintendent Davis Broskie (top left), Paterson Elementary School Principal John O'Brian (top right), Assistant Principal Courtney Schumacher (bottom left) and school counselor Destiney Washington (bottom right)

House Bill 1557, also known as the Parental Rights in Education bill, would require school boards to notify parents about specific information regarding a child's emotional, physical and mental well-being. It would also limit classroom conversation on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Critics, calling it the Don't Say Gay bill, claim it also encourages parents to sue schools or teachers that engage in discussions about these topics with students.

'We call it the 'don't say gay' bill because it will essentially erase conversations in our classrooms about LGBTQ students, families, and history,' State Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith told the TV station.

'Many LGBTQ people don't have supportive homes. They don't have supportive parents. Oftentimes their teachers and their school environment is the only form of support they have and we cannot take that away.'

Boyles is reportedly a proponent of the bill, which is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.
A 16-year-old boy and a 27-year-old man have been arrested and charged in connection to the fatal shooting of an eight-year-old girl who was hit by a stray bullet in Chicago over the weekend.

The alleged gunman, an unnamed teenager, and the alleged driver, Xavier Guzman were slapped with first-degree murder charges. They are also facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon.

Melissa Ortega, whose family moved to Chicago from Mexico in August, was killed when she was hit in the head at 2:30 pm on Saturday by a stray bullet during a shooting that targeted a 29-year-old gang member.

The shooting occurred as homicides in the city soared last year to 800, a figure not seen since 798 were slain in 1996, while homicides soared by 60 percent in two years, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The alleged shooter was dropped off by a vehicle before getting out of the car, when he began firing, ABC7 reported Chicago police as saying.

'This morning, I spoke with Melissa's mother in her home, not only to check in on her during this especially tough time, but to also let her know that we found the offenders responsible for taking Melissa's life,' Police Superintendent David Brown said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

The alleged driver Xavier Guzman, 27, (pictured) and the unnamed 16-year-old suspected shooter have both been charged with first-degree murder in connection to a young girl's death

Melissa Ortega, pictured with her mother, was shot dead on Saturday afternoon when she was caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting in Chicago

The eight-year-old had just moved from Mexico to America in several months before she died

Community members gathered to mourn the young girl on the sidewalk where she was shot

Guzman was reportedly arrested on Monday after being stopped in a vehicle that police identified from the attack. Police found a loaded, concealed weapon readily accessible to him as he drove, according to a police report.

The attacker initially got away but was later apprehended on Tuesday and remains in custody. He is set to be tried as an adult on Thursday. Police would not comment on the existence of a previous criminal history for either suspect.

Authorities confirmed that they have increased patrols to 'saturate the area' as they fear retaliation shootings and "to vigorously address the gang conflict that caused Melissa's death."

Brown shared limited information with the public in an effort not to 'jeopardize bringing this offender to justice' as soon as possible.

'Like many immigrants, Melissa hoped for a better life here: she wanted to learn English, she wanted to experience Chicago snow, she wanted to get a build-a-bear, she wanted to make Tik Tok dances with her friends,' the family's statement read.

'At age 8, she was a girl full of hope and had her whole life ahead of her. She sought to achieve the American Dream but was instead given American Violence.'

Family representative Matt DeMateo read a statement during the press conference on forgiving the teenage shooter insisting that the community failed him as it failed Melissa.

'How is it possible that we can send men to Mars but we can't fix the gun violence in our city?' the family questioned in their statement. 'As a nation, we failed Melissa.'

A 29-year-old man was also shot and is suspected to be one of the targets of the shooting

The gang-related shooting took place in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood

'The tragic and senseless murder of 8-year-old Melissa has shaken our city,' Brown tweeted Sunday.

'There are no words of comfort when a child's life is cut short. There are no words that can describe the grief of a family.'

'Fear and violence, guns and gangs have no place in this city, and it will take all of us working together to stop it' Brown wrote.

Police said Ortega was walking on the street with mother on Saturday afternoon when someone shot at a group of three gang members who were gathered on the sidewalk on the corner of 26th and Komensky.

The young girl and her mother attempted to sprint to a nearby bank, the Fifth Third Bank of West 26th Street, for safety, however it was too late. Ortega had been fatally hit in the crossfire.

Ortega, who was shot in the head, was pronounced dead less than two hours later at Stroger Hospital.

Police say the 29-year-old male victim, who has not been identified, has an extensive criminal record, was the intended target.

He was shot in the back and expected to recover but remains at Mount Sinai Hospital.

The young girl and her mother attempted to sprint to a nearby bank (pictured) when the gunfire broke out, but Melissa was fatally shot before they reached safety

The entrance to the Fifth Third Bank in the 4000 block of West 26th Street, where Melissa and her mother tried to take cover as gunshots ran out on Saturday afternoon is pictured

The teenager and Guzman will both be tried as adults in connection to Melissa's death

The shooting happened amid a spike in homicides in Chicago. Last year was the city's deadliest in a quarter century, with roughly 800 homicides.

Melissa was a third grade student at Emiliano Zapata Academy, an elementary school in the city's heavily-Mexican Little Village neighborhood, according to the Chicago Teachers Union.

A GoFundMe organized in an online effort to pay for funeral services, which are expected to be held in Chicago and Mexico, has already raised over $72,000 out of a $20,000 goal.

The union released a statement mourning the senseless killing of another young student. 'Our union mourns the loss of another student from one of our school communities.

'This suffering is becoming all too familiar for many of Chicago's children and families, who our educators nurture and support every day,' said the statement from spokesman Ronnie Reese.
The mother of a six-month-old boy who was was caught in crossfire between two drivers and killed in his car seat on Monday says she knew her son was dead when she pressed him against her white sweater, which is still stained with his blood.

Kerri Gray opened the back door and saw her baby slumped over in his seat as they were on their way to an Atlanta store. She noticed a pool of blood in his lap and her heart began to race, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

'I pulled him out of the car seat and I grabbed him, and when I did that, that's when I felt the pieces - the loose pieces in the back of his head,' Gray told the newspaper while holding back tears.

Authorities have since arrested 22-year-old Dequasie Jonathan Little, who they believe is the shooter. He has a rap sheet dating back to 2019 that includes charges of child cruelty. He is now charged with felony murder and aggravated assault.

'I think that if you get the opportunity, make better life choices, because those of us who become your collateral damage - that's not fair,' Gray said of Little's arrest. 'You ruined my life.'

Kerri Gray turned around and saw her baby slumped over in his seat as they were on their way to an Atlanta food store Monday afternoon

Grays says she felt 'loose pieces' in the back of her son Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray's head. Police say he was caught in crossfire between two other cars

Police arrested Dequasie Jonathan Little in Decatur, Georgia a day later. Little has a rap sheet dating back to 2019 that includes charges of child cruelty

Gray told the Journal-Constitution that she still got up to make her baby's bottle Tuesday morning.

'That was the worst feeling in the world because he was already a miracle baby,' Gray said. 'That was the baby that I dreamt of having my whole life. And the fact that somebody could so selfishly take him away.'

The fatal shooting six-month-old Grayson Matthew Fleming-Gray happened Monday shortly before 3pm near the Food Mart on Anderson Avenue, where Gray often shopped with her son.

'I know I heard a noise, I pulled off to the side, I saw two cars speed past me and when I pulled in, that's when I had seen the gun barrel and next thing I know I get out to check on my son, and he was slumped forward,' Gray told WAGA.

'The bullet had gone through the trunk and through his eye and up his back,' she told WGCL.

'It hit the trunk, so there was no shattered glass, there was no crying, it was instant,' she said. 'So, we didn't feel anything, hear anything.'

Gray told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that she still got up to make her baby's bottle Tuesday morning, after he was shot dead in his car seat on Monday

'It hit the trunk, so there was no shattered glass, there was no crying, it was instant. So, we didn't feel anything, hear anything,' Gray said. Above, she holds her son's teddy bear

Police released surveillance video of the shooting. They said community tips helped locate Little

The shooting happened Monday shortly before 3pm near the Food Mart on Anderson Avenue

On Tuesday, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens announced the arrest of 22-year-old Dequasie Jonathan Little, a day after Grayson's death.

Little waived his first hearing Wednesday. He will remain in the Fulton County jail without bond.

'I won't cheerlead the fact that we were able to apprehend this person in such a short period of time,' Atlanta police Chief Rodney Bryant said Tuesday. 'I'm mad as hell that the incident occurred in the first place.'

Little was recently released from Houston County jail after his probation on misdemeanor charges battery and child cruelty was revoked in November

'It is such a tragedy when we lose any citizen of this city,' the chief added. 'But when its a child, it pulls even more at the heartstrings, not just of the men and women of the Atlanta Police Department, but throughout the community.'

Tips from the community helped authorities find Little in Decatur, a city directly northeast of Atlanta.

Little was recently released from Houston County jail after his probation on misdemeanor charges battery and child cruelty was revoked in November, WAGA reports.

He was also on probation on aggravated assault charges in Fulton County from 2019. Court records show he got five years probation on those charges after pleading guilty under a first offense status.

Little is also out on bond for a misdemeanor charge in Clayton County where he was charged with two counts of giving false information.

Grayson's death was the 12th homicide of the year in Atlanta and the second deadly shooting of the year involving babies, AJC reports.

Earlier this month, a British scientist visiting his girlfriend Katherine Shepard in Atlanta was shot dead in their bed by a stray bullet.

Astrophysicist Matthew Willson, 31, had been in the US barely two days when, on Sunday January 16, he was hit in the head by a round fired amid a 'rapid' and 'reckless' volley believed to have come from an apartment complex less than 200 feet away.

Matthew Willson, 31, an astrophysicist from Surrey, England, had just arrived in Atlanta to stay with girlfriend Katherine Shepard (right) when he was shot in the head by a stray bullet on January 16

The couple were in bed in Shepard's apartment unit on Clairmont Rd in Brookhaven when they were awoken at 2am by gunfire

Willson was hit in the head by a round fired amid a 'rapid' and 'reckless' volley believed to have come from an apartment complex less than 200 feet away

The hole where the bullet pierced the apartment's exterior wall looks almost innocuous.

From there, it exploded through the dry wall, leaving scorch marks and blowing plaster dust into the back of the next thing it hit  the headboard of the bed that stood directly in front of that wall and the window.

As the bullet exited the headboard, leaving no more than a tuft of disturbed fabric, Willson pulled himself up from where he lay and turned towards his girlfriend who looked out the window. And in that instant, he was hit.

Today a cushion bearing the word, 'Laugh,' and a plush blanket cover the stains where Willson's blood seeped into the now bare mattress.

Shepard's roommate Aman Kar, 25, placed them there to diminish the horror of the scene.

Shepard had not returned to the room since her boyfriend of three years met his violent death last week.
Police are on the hunt for a hoon who brazenly did burnouts outside a busy Queensland police station.

A video posted to TikTok and widely shared on social media shows the hoon in a sedan doing a burnout past a parked police SUV on Hinze St at Southport on the Gold Coast.

The incident happened about 2am last Sunday.

A police officer can be seen emerging from the building after hearing the screech of the tyres before he disappears in thick smoke.

A police officer can be seen emerging from Southport police station after hearing the screech of the hoon's tyres before he disappears in thick smoke

According to police the driver then sped off along Ferry and Benowa roads.

Police are now searching for the driver of the vehicle, which it said is light grey or blue, spray-painted or vinyl-wrapped, with white rear wheels, a faulty right headlight, green park lights and a black roof.

Hoons have become a growing problem on the Gold Coast, with large gatherings of enthusiasts last year sparking a police crackdown.

In one incident in an industrial area on the northern Gold Coast in April last year, police were attacked with projectiles including fireworks when they tried to break up a hoon meet attended by more than 1000 people.

Police searching for the driver of the vehicle, which it said is light grey or blue, spray-painted or vinyl-wrapped, with white rear wheels

That incident saw police respond with Operation Tango Vinyl, which resulted 68 people arrested on 94 charges the following month, including 10 charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

New laws were also introduced placing the onus on a vehicle's owner to prove they were not driving the car during a hooning incident.

In August last year Gold Coast's mayor Tom Tate announced a six-month trial of a specialised mobile CCTV unit, featuring six high resolution cameras housed within a vandal-proof trailer and equipped with licence plate recognition and low-light capabilities.
Scotland Yard faced a furious backlash yesterday as it emerged that the Partygate investigation is set to cost more than 1million  at a time of rocketing crime rates.

Critics warned that the criminal inquiry into parties in Downing Street and Whitehall will swallow up valuable resources just as the force is battling an epidemic in violent and sexual offences.

The so-called 'Celebrity Squad' has been tasked with investigating eight parties in a wide-ranging probe, which policing experts have estimated could cost in excess of 1million and take at least six months.

Eight officers in the Special Enquiry Team, led by Commander Catherine Roper, have been assigned to the inquiry, with more officers and staff available if needed, the Daily Mail understands.

She will report her findings to Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors.

Yesterday, the day after Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick's bombshell announcement of the investigation, MPs and former officers questioned the decision to divert officer time and resources when the force's overall detection rates have plummeted by almost a quarter in the last year alone.

Eight officers in the Special Enquiry Team, led by Commander Catherine Roper (pictured), have been assigned to the Partygate inquiry, the Daily Mail understands

Dame Cressida refused to set any limits or timescale for the inquiry, promising the London Assembly: 'We will of course be going where the evidence takes us.'

But Tory Assembly member Susan Hall, who chaired the meeting, said it was a 'matter of regret' that the probe was being prioritised after the capital saw its worst year for teenage killings last year as well as soaring rates of violent and sexual offences.

She said: 'The Met detection rate is absolutely appalling. The number of teenage homicides is absolutely horrific. I understand the Commissioner was put in an impossible position and she felt that this was a matter of public confidence for the force.

'I do, however, deeply regret that significant resources are going to be put into this instead of solving rapes and violent offences.'

She added: 'It seems absolutely ridiculous to be in this situation where there is a prospect of war with Russia over Ukraine.'

Last year in London, 30 teenagers were killed, the worst death toll since the Second World War.

Despite the force having a record 33,076 officers  the highest number in a decade  detection rates remain woeful with 22 per cent less crimes solved in 2021 than in 2020.

Among other disturbing figures, sexual offences in the capital rose by 26 per cent and reported rapes increased by 17 per cent in 2021 compared with the previous year.

Yet in the same period the number of sex crimes being solved dropped by 8 per cent. Despite a taskforce being set up to tackle violence, offences continued to creep up by 6 per cent in 2021, while detections have dropped 20 per cent.

Similarly, the number of burglaries solved has fallen by a quarter, robbery detections are down by 21 per cent and there has been a 27 per cent drop in vehicle theft cases being cracked.

Yesterday former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: 'The big thing to focus on is the Met and gang violence in London, which is a big issue right now.

'There are concerns about stretched resources and problems with property crime. You very rarely get a serious response from them on things like car crime.

Critics warned the criminal inquiry into parties in Downing Street and Whitehall will swallow up valuable resources just as the force is battling an epidemic in violent and sexual offences

'In my area and many others in London, there are deep concerns about the efficiency of the police in getting to the scene of the crime when property is involved and then thereafter resolving any of it.

'There has been a real surge in gang-led violence in London, it's now becoming a byword.

'All of this is stretching the police and should be an absolute priority  to catch criminals and resolve crimes. I was surprised at the decision to investigate this issue when there are many, many crimes that are going uninvestigated.'

Tory MP Mark Jenkinson said: 'It's an outrage. In Labour's London, knife crime is through the roof and women don't feel safe on the streets.

'And here we have 'Her Majesty's loyal opposition' cheering this colossal waste to the rafters.'

Conservative MP Crispin Blunt also weighed in, saying: 'Not only is it a strange policing priority, but it's part of a national picture where we no longer have this issue remotely in the right perspective and context.

'Of course this money  and the efforts of the public servants who are on the receiving end of this  could be much better spent.'

Dai Davies, former chief superintendent and head of royalty protection at the Met, predicted that the probe could take longer than six months and cost in excess of 1million.

He said: 'We are talking about fixed penalty notices, something you get for parking on a double yellow line. How much is this really going to cost taxpayers to investigate? Although it is only a small team, costs soon rack up.

'We are looking at at least six months for a preliminary report and I anticipate it will cost over 1million. It is a nonsense  we are talking about a few minions, civil servants getting a penalty. That is the likely outcome.'
NSW reported 17,316 new Covid cases and 29 deaths on Thursday while Victoria has seen another 13,755 cases and 15 deaths.

The number brings the active cases in NSW to 181,527 which is the lowest in the state since January 4 and almost 50 per cent below the peak of 342,838 active cases on January 16.

The capacity of the country's health system, an update on the vaccine rollout and supply chain issues will be on the table at Thursday's national cabinet with Prime Minister Scott Morrison, premiers and chief ministers.

Speaking on Thursday, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet welcomed 1,000 interns to the state's hospitals and reassured parents schools would a 'safe environment from day one, term one'.

'We have already distributed 4.9million rapid antigen tests to schools across the state,' Mr Perrottet said.

National Cabinet will meet on Thursday to discuss the vaccine rollout and supply chain issues (pictured, a man is tested for Covid at Sydney International Airport)

Slightly more than 93 per cent of Australians aged 16-plus are double-dosed, while only about 75 per cent of Indigenous people aged 16 and older have had two doses.

Labor's Indigenous Australians spokeswoman Linda Burney will use the resumption of federal parliament in February to demand transparency about first doses for under-12s as well as a breakdown of adult booster rates.

'The government should be reporting Indigeneity in the five-to-11 group, it doesn't make any sense that they're not,' she told AAP.

'We need to know what the vaccination rates are for our very young people. And it's just remarkable to me and to many Aboriginal people that those those rates are not being reported.'

Federal data shows about 33 per cent of all Australian children between the ages of five and 11 have received a first dose.

Nearly 76 per cent of the overall 12-to-15 age cohort is double-dosed.

In comparison, about 64 per cent of Indigenous children aged between 12 and 15 have received at least one dose.

More than seven million adults have received a third dose, but the federal government's daily vaccination tally does not show a breakdown for Indigenous people.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured) and Premiers will meet at National Cabinet on Thursday to discuss the vaccine rollout and supply-chain among other items

A recent survey from the NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association found six out of 10 NSW intensive care nurses have 'no intent of sticking around' once the Omicron outbreak subsides as nurses prepare to rally outside a western Sydney hospital.

'There are members who are telling us that they will get through this crisis, and then that's it,' acting assistant general secretary Michael Whaites told AAP.

'There are a lot of them saying, 'Three to five years, tops'. They can't see themselves giving anything more than that.'

Mr Whaites said he was not sure how many nurses and midwives at Liverpool Hospital would join Thursday morning's protest.

Isolation requirements are also likely to be discussed between the Prime Minister and Premiers with calls to drop the length to five days (pictured: Sydney airport in November)

Regardless of how many could protest, nurses 'desperately need' the government to commit to improving staff-to-patient ratios, Mr Whaites said.

'At the moment staffing is based on a calculation that goes over the week, and we know it's not working.'

He said calculating ratios shift by shift instead could help address understaffing in the hospitals.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said on Friday that NSW Health modelling showed the state's hospitals had capacity and were still faring better than the envisioned 'best-case scenario' based on outbreaks in London and South Africa.

Mr Whaites said that did not match what staff in the hospitals were enduring.

Hearing a commitment from Mr Perrottet that staffing ratios would be addressed would provide 'hope' to nurses that things would improve, Mr Whaites said.

It would do more than repeated thanks and praise for health workers, which were 'shallow, and they're not backed up by actions' he said.
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A guard of honor gathered to salute the hearse transporting murdered NYPD officer Wilbert Mora on Wednesday, as the 27-year-old was taken to a funeral home in preparation for the final farewell.

Mora was shot on Friday in Harlem alongside his colleague Jason Rivera, 22, who died on the scene.

Medics battled to save Mora but he was pronounced dead on Tuesday by staff at NYU Langone.

Their killer, Lashawn McNeil, 47 - whose mother had called the officers to her home reporting that he was threatening her - was shot in the head by a third officer after shooting Mora and Rivera, and died on Monday.

Mora's body on Wednesday left the city Medical Examiner's office at Bellevue Hospital, with saluting officers lining the route.

Officers and first responders lined up outside the coroner's office on 30th Street as Mora's body was placed into an ambulance, with police helicopters flying overhead.

He was taken uptown to the Riverdale Funeral Home in Inwood, accompanied by helicopters, boats, and observed by hundreds in NYPD, FDNY and state police uniforms on the sidelines.

On Wednesday night there will be a candlelight vigil.

Next week, on February 3, President Joe Biden will travel to New York to meet city officials and discuss violence.

Wilbert Mora's remains are driven in an ambulance through Manhattan on Wednesday from the medical examiner's office to the funeral home in Inwood

Jason Rivera (left), 22, who joined the NYPD a little over a year ago, was shot and killed on Friday night and his partner Wilbert Mora, 27, who signed up in 2018, died on Tuesday after fighting to recover in hospital

Officers saluted as Mora's ambulance passed on its way to the funeral parlor

Members of the NYPD line the route in Manhattan as Mora's ambulance passes

The ambulance was driven through empty streets north towards the funeral home, at the northern tip of Manhattan

NYPD officers are seen lining up in readiness for the procession of Mora's remains

The procession is seen passing through Manhattan on Wednesday

Officers salute as the ambulance passes on Wednesday, on its journey through Manhattan

Mora's wake will be held on Tuesday, at St Patrick's Cathedral. His remains were taken to the funeral parlor on Wednesday, with his colleagues saluting as it passed

The rank and file members of the NYPD stand and remember their colleague as the ambulance travels through Washington Heights on Wednesday

Mora's relatives climbed into a van outside their East Harlem home to travel to the Inwood funeral parlor.

They were met by Mayor Eric Adams, a former captain in the NYPD, and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell.

The two city officials spent about 10 minutes speaking with family members, with relatives of Rivera arriving later in the afternoon at the funeral home where his remains were also taken.

Adams tweeted: 'Wilbert Mora truly was New York's Finest. And his death will not be in vain.

'To the men and women of the NYPD: I know the pain you and your families are feeling today. But I also know that your city is standing with you. And we always will.'

Sewell added: 'The murders of Officers Jason Rivera & Wilbert Mora leave us with broken hearts, flags at half-staff, and black bands on our shields. They were great officers doing an important job  work their fellow Finest continue in their honor. Pray for them. Support them. And #NeverForget.'

Friends and relatives also paid tribute.

The immediate family were the only ones allowed into this very private viewing of officer Mora

NYPD officer Wibert Mora was taken to Riverdale Funeral home in Upper Manhattan after he succumbed to his gunshot wounds on January 26th, 2022. His family are seen entering the home

A police officer is seen standing by the entrance to the funeral home after Mora's body arrived

'Very nice guy. He had a heart of gold,' said Dr. Omid Nikrouz, Mora's longtime primary care physician.

'He was like a friend, not a patient, a friend or a small brother to me, and everyone loved him.'

Nikrouz told NBC he sat with Mora in the hospital, and Mora's mother was with him when life support was removed.

'It's sad. Such a big guy, a hero, someone who cares about everyone, to be in that situation,' Nikrouz said.

Rivera's wake will be on Thursday and his funeral on Friday at St Patrick's Cathedral in the center of Manhattan.

Mora's wake is to be on Tuesday and his wake Wednesday, at the same venue.

JetBlue is offering free flights to other law enforcement officers and other public officials nationwide who are planning to attend the funerals.

The two are the first officers to be shot and killed in the city since July 2017.

'The whole world should be hurting right now,' one officer told The New York Post. 'We are hurting, bleeding inside for our colleague.'

Mora's casket, draped with a flag, was taken out of the medical examiner's officer on Wednesday and transported to the funeral parlor in Inwood. The ambulance is seen arriving at Inwood

Police are seen standing outside the funeral parlor in Inwood

A state trooper stands guard along the route taken by Mora's ambulance on Wednesday

Officers comforted each other as Mora's remains were taken to the funeral parlor in readiness for his service

Mora and Rivera are the first to be shot and killed among NYPD's ranks since July 2017

Mora and Rivera's friends and co-workers comforted each other on Wednesday outside the funeral home

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced on Tuesday the death of NYPD officer Wilbert Mora

LASHAWN J. MCNEIL'S CRIMINAL RAP SHEET Lashawn McNeil, 47, was well known to NYPD officers, who were called to his family's New York City house on a domestic violence claim in August The felon has had five arrests in three different states between 1998 and 2003 1998: McNeil was arrested for unlawful possession of a weapon in South Carolina Records show that the matter was dismissed 2002: He was arrested for assaulting a police officer in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where he had a registered address 2003: He was also arrested twice on a felony drug charge and a misdemeanor narcotics charge in Pennsylvania That same year, he was arrested and convicted of a felony narcotics charge in New York City, which he was still serving probation for Advertisement

McNeil, who was shot by a third officer, Sumit Sulan, has since succumbed to his injuries and died on Monday

Mora has been praised by Sewell as a 'triple hero' because he signed up to serve others, sacrificed himself, and then donated his organs to help others.

His life support machine was switched off after doctors removed his kidneys, heart, pancreas and liver for life-saving transplants, with five recipients identified and the organs delivered later in the day.

Three of the patients were New York State residents, officials said, and the Mora family made the decision to donate the organs, said Leonard Achan, president and CEO of LiveOnNY - the organization that oversees and facilitates organ donation in New York.

'Officer Mora's final gift was the gift of life to others in need,' said Achan.

'He was transferred from Harlem Hospital to NYU Langone Health, where we have honored the family's wishes for him to be an organ donor hero, so that he may 'Live On' while saving the lives of others.'

Adams has said that he believes 'everyone needs to see' the distressing body cam footage of the shooting, which has been described as a 'complete execution.'

'When we talk about the dangers involved in policing, it tore me apart to see what happened to those officers and what has happened to far too many officers,' said the mayor on Tuesday.

On Monday, he vowed to end the scourge of gun violence plaguing his city by reviving a disbanded police unit, injecting cash into community projects, and vowing to dismantle weapons trafficking networks.

'We are going to do a lot more than pray. We are going to turn our pain into purpose,' he said in a City Hall press conference.

'We will not surrender our city to the violent few.'

In a tribute tweet following Mora's death on Tuesday, Adams wrote: 'Wilbert Mora was a hero.

'He served his city, protected his community and gave his life for our safety.

'Our hearts are heavy. Our city is in mourning.

'To his family, loved ones, and brothers and sisters in the NYPD: Your city is standing with you today and always.'

New York Attorney General Letitia James also sent out a statement regarding Mora's death.

'He was a hero until the end. Officer Mora and his partner, Officer Jason Rivera, showed courage in the face of imminent danger to protect New Yorkers,' James said.

'Their bravery exemplified their commitment to protecting the city they loved.

'Both will forever be remembered as heroes who dedicated their lives to making New York safer and stronger. I pray for strength and ease for their families and loved ones.'

Supporters of the two fallen police officers pay tribute on Wednesday

NYPD Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said in a statement: 'True heroes never die.

'Our brother Police Officer Wilbert Mora has left us, but he will live on in the heart of every New York City police officer from this day forward.

'We are called upon to put ourselves between evil and the good people of this city. Police Officer Mora showed us what it means to carry out our mission with courage, skill and humanity.

'His sacrifice will guide us as we continue that mission, but we cannot succeed alone. We ask you once again to join us. Help us mourn our fallen heroes, and help us carry on in their name.'

There have been 73 shootings so far this year in the city - an increase of 23.7 percent on last year.

A total of 82 people have been shot, up from 67 in the first three weeks of 2021.

On Monday, the mother of the gunman who carried out the attack on the officers, Shirley Sourzes spoke to the New York Post hours before her son's death, saying: 'I am deeply sorry.'

Sourzes made the call to cops to report her son's domestic abuse on the night the killing took place and said she did not know her son was armed at the time.

She now says: 'If I knew, I never would have made the phone call. I would never have called.'

Police recovered an illegal Glock 45 at the scene, equipped with a 'high capacity magazine.' The drum magazine gives a gun 40 additional rounds, allowing the user to fire a total of 50 rounds

NYPD detectives found a loaded AR-15 tucked under the mattress of Lashawn McNeil, 47, who allegedly shot and killed one officer and injured another in Harlem

Police officers, clergy and community members held a candlelight vigil at the NYPD 32nd precinct on Monday night

Dominican Officers Organization president NYPD Sergeant Dennis Rodriguez spoke at a vigil in front of the NYPD 32nd precinct in honor of the officers gunned down in Friday's shooting

A makeshift memorial is seen outside the apartment of New York City Police Department Officer Wilbert Mora

'I would like to say to Mr and Mrs (Rivera) that I am deeply sorry. I know that there is not words that I can express. Your pain. Your sorrow.

'Me and my family are not proud of my son taking of life. There is nothing I can say to heal your sorrow, but God is a comforter.

'And I know that he sent your son to do his will. I don't understand it. It's not fair. My heart goes out to you and your family.'

The career criminal was shot in the head and right arm by Officer Sumit Sulan moments after McNeil ambushed two officers, who were responding to a domestic dispute call from McNeil's mother at her Harlem apartment.

Sources told the New York Daily News that McNeil argued with his mother, Sourzes, about his veganism.

NYPD senior officials told NBC that McNeil had moved in with his Sourzes at her Harlem apartment in November 2021 and had tried to convert his family to share his beliefs.

McNeil was well known to officers, who were last called to the house on a domestic violence call in August.

He had previously been arrested in New York in 2003 on felony narcotic charges, and was out on probation. He also had four other arrests in two different states.

In 1998, he was arrested in South Carolina for the unlawful possession of a weapon.

In Pennsylvania, where his registered address was, in Allentown, he was arrested in 2002 for assaulting a police officer.

He was also arrested twice in Pennsylvania in 2003 - once on a felony narcotics charge, and once on a misdemeanor narcotics charge.

When the three officers arrived at the McNeil house, the mother was in a front room with another son. She said that her threatening son was in the back room, and so Rivera and Mora approached the room along a narrow 30-foot hallway.

The third officer remained with the mother, Sourzes, and her other son.

When Rivera and Mora got close, McNeil opened fire, shooting both officers.

McNeil was wielding an illegal Glock 45 equipped with a high capacity 40 round magazine, which allows the pistol to fire 50 rounds. Police retrieved the weapon from the scene, which they said had been stolen in Baltimore in 2017.

McNeil made a dash for the door, but was shot by the third officer in the right arm and head.

On Sunday, hundreds of NYPD officers, paramedics and emergency responders gathered in Manhattan to salute Officer Rivera's casket as it passed by.

His widow, Dominique Luzuriaga, shared several touching tributes to him on Instagram.

On Monday, shared a heartfelt letter he had sent her.

'Dear Dominique, I don't know where to start. You are my best friend in the whole entire school. I really love you but you never believe me when I say I love you,' the letter read.

'Every night, I always say to myself, how will life be without you...I want you to know that I will always trust you/love you...I want to be married to you...I don't know if I have told you this but I am in love with [you].'

Another letter which appeared to be addressed to Rivera from his widow read: 'I hope you do good in school and you better not drop out cuz I'll kick your cake. Lmao Good luck baby! I love you just a little.'

Luzuriaga also shared pictures of her and her husband on their prom night and after their wedding, adding that she wished she had taken more pictures with him.

Rivera and Luzuriaga were married on October 9, 2021 and had some pictures taken in New Jersey. The widow mourned the loss of her husband on Instagram

She also shared the heartfelt letters she and her late husband wrote to each other when they were in high school

Another letter which appeared to be addressed to Rivera from his widow read: 'I hope you do good in school and you better not drop out cuz I'll kick your cake. Lmao Good luck baby! I love you just a little'

Twenty-two-year-old Officer Jason Rivera was shot and killed and Officer Wilbert Mora critically injured while responding to a domestic call

Members of clergy, community activists and police officers held rally and prayers at 32nd precinct for officers shot in Harlem

A copy of Jason Rivera's letter to the New York Police Academy about why he became an officer

'Why I became an officer': Jason Rivera's letter to NYPD Police Academy in 2020 In a 2020 letter to the NYPD police academy, Jason River wrote: 'When I applied to become a police officer, I knew this was the career for me. I would be the first person in my family to become a police officer. Coming from an immigrant family, I will be the first to say that I am a member of the NYPD - the greatest police force in the world. Growing up in New York City, I realized how impactful my role as a police officer would go in this chaotic city of about 10 million people. I know that something as small as helping a tourist with directions, or helping a couple resolve an issue, would put a smile on someone's face. 'Growing up in Inwood, Manhattan, the community's relationship between the police and the community was not great. I remember one day when I witnessed my brother being stopped and frisked. I asked myself, why are we being pulled over if we are in a taxi?I was too young to know that during that time, the NYPD was pulling over and frisking people at a high rate. My perspective on police and the way they police really bothered me. As time went on, I saw the NYPD pushing hard on changing the relationship between the police and the community. This was when I realized that I wanted to be a part of the men in blue; better the relationship between the community and the police.' Advertisement

Many have made their way to the homes of Rivera and Mora to pay tribute to the fallen officers.

Following Rivera's death last week, letters to the police academy about his aspirations were shared online, which revealed the 22-year-old had hopes of helping the police connect with his local community.

In his 2020 letter to the police academy, Rivera wrote: 'Coming from an immigrant family, I will be the first to say that I am a member of the NYPD - the greatest police force in the world.'

'Growing up in Inwood, Manhattan, the community's relationship between the police and community was not great,' Rivera wrote in a letter to the police academy after he became a cop in November 2020.

'I remember my brother being stopped and frisked... I was too young to know that during that time, the NYPD was pulling over and frisking people at a high rate.

'Growing up in New York City, I knew how impactful my role as a police officer would go in this chaotic city of about 10 million people.

'I know that something as small as helping a tourist with directions, or helping a couple resolve an issue, would put a smile on someone's face.'

Rivera said he was bothered by how he viewed the police and how they viewed him and his community, and he saw the NYPD trying to reform, and he wanted to be part of the change.

'My perspective on police and the way they police really bothered me.'

'This is when I realized that I wanted to be part of the men in blue; better the relationship between the community and the police.'

On Monday, Harsha Sulan said her brother Officer Sumit Sulan, 27 - who has been branded a 'hero rookie' after taking down McNeil - was 'trying his best.'

'It's a lot to take and it's overwhelming for him,' she said.

'He's coping. He's trying to cope, I don't want to say anything for him. He will say something when he's ready,' she told the gathered press from the steps of her Queens family home.

Officer Sulan was seen entering the family home earlier that day, wearing a face mask and hoodie.

When asked if the family felt proud of Sulan, his sister answered without hesitation: 'A hundred percent. We were proud of him. He was doing a good job.'

Since the events, Officer Sulan cannot get what happened out of his head, his mother told the New York Post Sunday.

'His brain is stuck on the situation,' Dalvir Sulan, 60, said of her son, who emigrated from the family's home in India about 15 years ago.

'I'm proud. Everyone say he did good,' Sulan's mother said.

'I feel bad for the other [officer]. He died. We really feel bad. We're sorry. We're hurt.'

Sulan has only been on the job since April and at Harlem's 32nd Precinct for two months, a law enforcement source told the Post.

He had been assigned just to observe Rivera and Mora in action.

'He did a great job. We're proud of him, but we're sorry for both of [the other officers],' she said.

Officer Sumit Sulan, the NYPD 'super rookie' who shot the man accused of killing 22-year-old Jason Rivera, was seen at his home in Queens on Monday

Harsha Sulan became emotional as she discussed her heroic brother on the steps of her family home
UK warships and fighter jets could be on the move within days to help thwart a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is understood to have requested a range of options from military chiefs in a bid to match the build-up of Moscows forces.

The move is significant because it was expected to come only after an attack on Ukraine.

But following Nato talks yesterday, thousands of US troops are set to be deployed to Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Washington has asked its allies, including Britain, to help provide additional manpower.

Warning shots: Russian howitzers carry out a drill on a range at the Kuzminsky range in the southern Rostov region close to Ukraine on Wednesday

Sea power: HMS Defender conducts close proximity sailing whilst on maritime operations in the Black Sea on June 17 last year

How the West could turn the screw Russia will face Western sanctions heavier than anything weve done before if it invades Ukraine, Boris Johnson has warned the Kremlin. He said a range of hard-hitting financial deterrents were being prepared and he hoped other European countries would be willing to back them. The United States believes there is growing convergence between allies on what measures could be taken, although the list is currently being kept under wraps to maintain the element of surprise. Possibilities include cutting Russia out of the SWIFT financial system that moves money between global banks. The US could block Russia from access to its currency, which would prevent firms from doing business in dollars. The White House could also ban high-tech exports to Russia, denying it access to key hardware for its warplanes or electronic gear for smartphones. The US has long been critical of Russias Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Germany and could press for the taps to be turned off. President Joe Biden has said he might sanction Russian president Vladimir Putin, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has refused to rule out following suit. Mr Putins allies might also be hit. Advertisement

RAF pilots and crews have experience of policing the regions airspace because Typhoons from the 121 Expeditionary Air Wing spent much of 2021 in Romania on manoeuvres.

Royal Navy sailors witnessed Russian aggression last summer when HMS Defender drew enemy fire in the Black Sea off Crimea.

The units will not deploy to Ukraine but to neighbouring Nato states as a deterrent.

US secretary of state Antony Blinken last night told Russia that the White House would never agree to its call to ban Ukraine from joining Nato.

He said Washingtons ambassador to Moscow had delivered a blueprint to ease tensions and avoid a Russian invasion.

But the diplomat said there had been no concessions on Nato membership or pulling troops out of eastern Europe  another Russian demand.

The ball is in their court, Mr Blinken said. It remains up to Russia to decide how to respond. Were ready either way.

Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would not compromise on its open door policy for potential members.

The former Norwegian prime minister added: We are hoping for, and we are working for, a good solution, de-escalation, we are also prepared for the worst.

He suggested a Russian buildup near Ukraines border had taken place under the disguise of military exercises.

Russia is in the process of deploying thousands of combat troops, hundreds of aircraft, 400 air defence systems and a lot of other very advanced capabilities, he warned.

The reinforcement of Nato forces in former Soviet bloc countries comes after intelligence signalled a spike in Russian troop numbers in border regions.

It was calculated that Mr Putin had amassed 100,000 troops in striking distance of Ukraine but this has been upgraded to more than 120,000.

The Daily Mail has learnt that Russian paratroopers are preparing for an airborne assault rather than a ground offensive. The Kremlin has been frustrated by mild weather melting the previously icy plains and creating a quagmire.

Mid-February is considered the most likely time for any action.

A Typhoon from 12 Squadron, seen returning to RAF Coningsby before landing, after completing a training exercise with the Royal Navy (file photo)

Kremlin steps up its propaganda war

By Ian Birrell in Poltava, Ukraine

The Kremlin is pumping out disinformation saying Nato troops are in Ukraine preparing to attack Russian allies and facilities.

It claims British soldiers are involved in fighting against Moscow-backed separatists in the long-running war in the Donbas region. Security experts warn the barrage of fake news, designed to harden opinion at home and spread confusion abroad, exceeds even the levels in 2014 before Moscow seized Crimea and fostered insurgencies in the Donbas.

Maria Avdeeva said the propaganda  often starting on the messaging service Telegram  showed the gravity of the Russian threat.

Every day, channels on Telegram come up with new evidence aimed at showing how Ukrainian forces alone, or with help of allies such as the US, Canada and Britain, are preparing different sorts of provocation, added the analyst. After that, the messages migrate to the Russian mainstream media.

The Kremlin is pumping out disinformation saying Nato troops are in Ukraine preparing to attack Russian allies and facilities. Pictured: Putin chairing a meeting with Italian businessmen at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence on Wednesday

Kremlin propaganda creates Ukraine as an enemy, an aggressor preparing an attack on the Russian people. At the same time, the disinformation campaign creates grounds for a possible full-scale military invasion.

Pro-Kremlin bloggers claimed on Tuesday that 150 UK special forces troops had arrived in Kramatorsk, a town close to the border with the breakaway republic of Donetsk.

British specialists arrived at the military airport about a week ago, local residents often see them in the city, the British do not hide their affiliation, wrote Semyon Pegov. The notorious blogger has 179,000 followers on the Telegram channel WarGonzo.

The same source led to an item being posted by RT, the Russian state broadcaster, that alleged: Weve received intelligence reports that Ukraine is training special groups. There are six of them. The British are directly involved with them as instructors.

Pegov was quoted as saying the teams were planning sabotage attacks on social facilities, along with terrorist assaults on chemical plants in the breakaway zones.

Tom Tugendhat said: Lies about foreign troops, or cross-border attacks, are not just told to be believed but to provide just enough excuse for those who want to side with Moscow and Putins aggression that their assault on Ukraine is justified'

RT claimed the units  disguised as Russian special forces and pro-Moscow militia  would film the attacks and then a bogus Ukrainian defector would tell Western media that the provocations were made by Russia. Other sources, many thought to be fronts for Russian security services, have spread incendiary stories about Western-linked sabotage groups preparing to attack Russia and its stooges who run Donbas.

One quoted a prominent figure in the Donetsk Peoples Republic saying militants tied to Western special forces had arrived on the front line. Red Spring, a Russia-based information agency, has reported that the war in Donbas is being waged not only by the regular army of Donbas but by the British SAS and Turkish specialists.

Tom Tugendhat, Conservative chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said: Lies about foreign troops, or cross-border attacks, are not just told to be believed but to provide just enough excuse for those who want to side with Moscow and Putins aggression that their assault on Ukraine is justified.
By Trudy Rubin





I intended this column to focus on Elizabeth Economy's important new book, "The World According to China," which describes Xi Jinping's vision for China's future dominance in the world.



This book is important because it illuminates the ways in which Xi's China aims to shape a "radically transformed" international order  by force and by other means.



But I have to take a short detour to comment on President Joe Biden's disturbing slip of the tongue on Wednesday when speaking about a possible Russian invasion of Ukraine  because what happens between Moscow and Kyiv is bound to affect Xi Jinping's future moves.



Biden appeared to give a green light to Russia to attack Ukraine so long as it wasn't a full-scale invasion, saying that if it was "a minor incursion," the allies might disagree over how to respond. The White House later tried to walk back his comments, saying any invasion would be met with a swift, united allied response.



Yet it is highly unlikely that Vladimir Putin would mount a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, since he wants to avoid heavy Russian casualties. Far more likely is a short, sharp strike to degrade Ukraine's military followed by a swift Russian withdrawal. Or even a massive cyber and offshore missile attack on military targets with no invasion. The goal would be to show that a disunited West can't or won't prevent Ukraine from being forced back into the Russian orbit.



Yet, as Economy writes, this is exactly Xi's modus operandi, an effort to establish a dominant Chinese sphere of influence across Asia, while undermining U.S. alliances in the region. A Putin success in coercing Ukraine will reverberate in Beijing.



Indeed, Beijing has accelerated its efforts to seize what it claims are its sovereign lands. Many Americans are familiar with Beijing's designs on democratic Taiwan. But fewer Americans are aware of China's designs on islands claimed by Japan, undersea gas and oil claimed by Indonesia, territorial waters claimed by five countries bordering the South China Sea, and land border territories in India and Bhutan.



China has nibbled bit by bit to restore its "sovereignty" to these territories, taking land and seizing South China Sea atolls that it turns into military bases  without any serious pushback from Washington or its Asian allies. Beijing has shown utter disregard for international legal judgments not in its favor.



So if Putin can smash Ukraine via cyberattacks and missiles without a fierce united NATO response, why shouldn't Xi imagine he can soon do the same to Taiwan?



China seeks to become the supreme power in East and Southeast Asia, writes Economy. Xi also aims to expand China's sphere of influence far beyond Asia by using economic power to "induce and coerce compliance with his vision."



"In Xi's vision," she adds, in Foreign Affairs magazine, "a unified China would be on par with or would surpass" the United States, become "the preeminent power" in East and South China, control the East and South China Seas, and send the United States retreating back across the Pacific. Note: That vision is unlikely to happen anytime soon, but it can't be discounted.



But what is even more scary is Xi's use of China's massive economic heft and technological advances for coercion. "Xi ably uses China's economic power to induce compliance with his vision," Economy writes.



In Xi's Belt and Road initiative (known as BRI), China has spread its influence through Africa, South America, Central Asia, and, yes, Europe through massive infrastructure projects. These range from ports to railways and bases, to fiber-optic cables, e-payment systems, and satellites.



Yes, as Economy notes, many developing countries complain about corrupt Chinese behavior and have trouble paying back their debts to Beijing. But many security experts believe China will ultimately convert delinquent loans for ports into taking ownership of potential military bases in strategic areas across the globe.



Moreover, Beijing has massive investments in ports and other infrastructure around the Mediterranean (including a majority stake in Piraeus port in Greece), which gives it political leverage when the European Union considers penalties for Chinese aggression.



Case in point: China has exerted severe economic pressure on Lithuania because it opened a Taiwan office (not an embassy) in Vilnius, even warning large multinational companies not to invest in Lithuania lest they also be punished. The European Union has still not fully backed up Lithuania against Chinese blackmail.



If you read only one chapter in Economy's book, read "From Bricks to Bits." When it comes to technology, China is in hot competition to build "the world's new technological backbone," from satellites to global 5G systems for super-fast internet.



And China is trying hard to promote new rules in multilateral institutions for global internet and satellites that endorse its approach of state controls of information flows. If Xi's dreams come true, Economy writes, "the system of U.S. alliances that have underpinned the international system for more than 70 years" would be dissolved "in favor of a proposed Chinese framework that favored state controls and repression over individual freedoms, including rules for the global internet, cyber, and safety in space."



None of this is preordained. But so much depends on whether Americans can grasp how our disunity encourages adversaries abroad. As "The World According" to China makes clear, Xi Jinping is eagerly capitalizing on America's disarray.





Trudy Rubin (trubin@phillynews.com) is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. This article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency.


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Prince Andrew's legal team has gone to war with Virginia Roberts Giuffre over her sex abuse allegations as the royal demanded a 'trial by jury' to clear his name.

The papers, filed last night by the Duke of York's legal counsel Andrew Brettler, contained 41 separate denials of claims made by Roberts in August 2021 last year. But he document, which spanned 11 pages, also shows 40 separate instances in which Andrew said that he 'lacks sufficient information to admit or deny' parts of Roberts' claim.

Roberts, who is referred to in case documents by her married name Virginia Giuffre, filed over 15 pages of court documents at New York's southern district court in August 2021 in which she formally accused the Royal of sexual abuse while she was being trafficked by billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

She also says Ghislaine Maxwell abused and trafficked her - but Andrew denies he was 'close friends' with the socialite daughter of Robert Maxwell.

Prince Andrew has always vehemently denied the claims, while Giuffre has requested 'punitive damages' be awarded by a judge and demanded a 'trial by jury' for the 'physical, psychological' injuries she says she suffered. Experts believe this could cost the royal 10million if he settles.

The Duke of York, who is now fighting the case as a 'private citizen' after his mother the Queen cut him adrift, told BBC Newsnight that he has 'no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

He also insisted in his notorious in 2019 he wasn't a party prince and did not sweat 'profusely' when allegedly dancing with Miss Roberts at a celebrity night-spot in London, because he was shot at in the Falklands and had a rare medical condition which meant he could not perspire. And his alibi was a dinner at Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter Princess Beatrice.

Below are Giuffre's claims made in August 2021 and Prince Andrew's official rebuttals as laid out in today's court documents in full, and the facts as MailOnline understands them.

The Duke of York was photographed with his arm around the bare waist of then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts. In the background, Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms Roberts claims she was forced to have sex with the royal, he denies ever meeting her, even suggesting this photo may be doctored

Prince Andrew's disastrous BBC interview crops up on Ms Roberts' writ, which could cost the royal 10m if he settles

Prince Andrew opens to door of Epstein's mansion in New York in 2010. He admits visiting the paedophile there, but denies he abused Ms Roberts there

Over 15 pages of court documents filed at New York's southern district court, Roberts, also referred to by her married name Giuffre (pictured in 2019 following a hearing in the Epstein case), claimed that the Duke of York 'committed sexual assault and battery' against her while she was aged just 17, requesting that a judge award 'punitive damages' for the 'physical and psychological' injuries she suffered

NATURE OF THE ACTION

What Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims: 1. This suit arises out of Defendant's sexual abuse of Plaintiff when she was under the age of 18 years old.

Prince Andrew's response from his court documents: Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph one of the Complaint.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

But her lawyers claim they now have up to six witnesses willing to testify they met. There is also the notorious picture of Andrew and Virginia together in Ghislaine Maxwell's London home. But Andrew has suggested that photo was doctored, in his famous interview with BBC's Newsnight.

In terms of whether there was any sexual contact, that is likely to be Andrew's word against Virginia's, and left to a jury to decide. She previously claimed that Andrew was present during an orgy with Jeffrey Epstein, but he is dead. Ghislaine Maxwell is in prison and has, for now, stayed silent on the issue.

Describing the alleged sex, she said in 2019: 'The first time in London, I was so young. Ghislaine woke me up in the morning and said, "you're gonna meet a prince today."

'I didn't know at that point that I was going to be trafficked to a prince,' she said.

We went out to Club Tramp. Prince Andrew got me alcohol, it was in the VIP section, I'm pretty sure it was vodka.

'He was like, "let's dance." I was like, "OK." We leave club Tramp and I hop in the car with Ghislaine and Jeffrey.

'She says, "He's coming back to the house and I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein."

'I couldn't believe it.'

In previously reported on court documents, she said they went back to Ghislaine's townhouse where she and Prince Andrew had engaged in 'foreplay' in the bath and then had sex in the bedroom where she was sleeping.

'He wasn't rude or anything about it, he said, thank you and some kind of soft sentiments like that and left,' Giuffre said

'I just couldn't believe it, that even royalty were involved. He denies that it ever happened, he's going to keep denying that it ever happened bu t he knows the truth and I know the truth.'

On another occasion she also said in 2015 that there had been an orgy on Epstein's private island.

She said: 'Epstein, Andy, approximately eight other young girls and I had sex together. The other girls all seemed and appeared to be under the age of 18 and didn't really speak English. Epstein laughed about the fact they couldn't really communicate, saying that they are the 'easiest' girls to get along with.'

Buckingham Palace denied this account at the time.

2. During 20002002, beginning when Plaintiff was 16, Plaintiff was the victim of sex trafficking and abuse by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Backlash: The prince has been forced to withdraw from public life due to his connection with Jeffrey Epstein

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph two of the Complaint.

What we know: Signed in 2009, Virginia Roberts Giuffre agreed to be paid $500,000 by Jeffrey Epstein to resolve the sex abuse case against him. The settlement says the claim is 'disputed' by Epstein but multiple witnesses claim she was.

She was working as a locker room attendant at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, and says met Ghislaine Maxwell who she claims offered her an interview for the chance to train as a massage therapist for Epstein.

She says this was the beginning of years of abuse, where she was abused by Epstein and 'passed around' his friends, including, she claims, Prince Andrew.

3. Epstein's trafficking scheme involved recruiting young girls, often by claiming they would be paid $200 for simply providing a massage to a wealthy billionaire. This same pattern was repeated numerous times with countless children and young women.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph three of the Complaint.

What we know: Epstein was convicted of child sex offences and about to go on trial for trafficking when he killed himself.

In 2019 Giuffre described the moment she was recruited as a teen by Maxwell who told her she was looking to hire a masseuse.

'She just seemed very nice and she said, 'I've got a person that I know who's actually looking for a travelling masseuse and if you want I can get you an interview with him. If he likes you, we can get you educated, you'll be a real masseuse and you'll get to travel and see the world.'

'She made it sound like it was a dream come true and it wasn't.'

Jeffrey Epstein's surveillance cameras were a 'blackmail scheme' to extort his powerful friends, it has been claimed

4. As United States District Judge Kenneth Marra found, 'From between about 1999 and 2007, Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused more than 30 minor girls... at his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, and elsewhere in the United States and overseas...

'In addition to his own sexual abuse of the victims, Epstein directed other persons to abuse the girls sexually. Epstein used paid employees to find and bring minor girls to him.

'Epstein worked in concert with others to obtain minors not only for his own sexual gratification, but also for the sexual gratification of others.'

Opinion and Order, Doc. No. 435 at 12, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 v. United States, Case No. 9:08-cv-80736 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 21, 2019).

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph four of the Complaint.

What we know: Ms Giuffre says she believed Epstein used her and other girls as a form of 'blackmail', saying he 'always have something on someone, just in case he needed it'.

5. Like other minor children who came before and after her, Plaintiff was initially recruited to provide massages, and thereafter to engage in a variety of sexual acts, for Epstein.

Plaintiff was required to be on call for Epstein for sexual purposes and frequently traveled with him both nationally and internationally. Plaintiff was regularly abused by Epstein and was lent out by Epstein to other powerful men for sexual purposes.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph five of the Complaint.

What we know: Jeffrey Epstein was convicted of child abuse and was about to be prosecuted for trafficking.

Virginia Roberts 'I was trafficked to other billionaires. I was trafficked to politicians, professors, even royalty. It was the elite of the world. It was the people who run the world, it was the most powerful people in the world.'

6. One such powerful man to whom Plaintiff was lent out for sexual purposes was the Defendant, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph six of the Complaint.

What we know: Again, it is largely Virginia's word against Andrew's. There appear to be no eye witnesses to any alleged abuse.

Prince Andrew denies ever meeting Virginia Roberts and claims he has never heard of her until she made her claims about him. He also claims that he had no clue that Epstein was a paedophile.

Carolyn Andriano waived her right to anonymity this month to give the first contemporaneous and independent account of Virginia's purported recollection of her meeting with the Duke of York in London in March 2001.

She said: 'Virginia texted and said, 'I'm in London with Jeffrey and Maxwell and Prince Andrew',' Carolyn recalls. 'She said they were going to have dinner. I kind of didn't believe her, but I had no reason not to. I thought it was far-fetched but, then again, she knew wealthy people and had been to fancy parties and stuff like that.

'I said, 'bulls**t'. I was calling her out on it, but she swore [it was true]. She said she was going to see if she could get a picture.'

Carolyn and Virginia  then Roberts, now Giuffre  were members of the depraved couple's harem of vulnerable teens and young women, recruited by Maxwell to provide sexual favours for Epstein. Carolyn was a key prosecution witness at Maxwell's trial.

Carolyn said: 'I asked her if she'd been to the Palace. And she said 'I got to sleep with him'. I said 'What? You're f*****g with me' and she said 'no, I got to sleep with him'. She didn't seem upset about it. She thought it was pretty cool .'

Epstein's then girlfriend and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell is said to have 'trafficked' Virginia Roberts to the prince, which he denies (pictured together)

Epstein and Maxwell are pictured on a pheasant shoot with Prince Andrew at the Sandringham estate in December 2000, weeks before the royals arrived for Christmas

'Miss Ghislaine Maxwell' is seen among names of Lords and Ladies and Dukes and Duchess' for the 2000 bash

Prince Andrew, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie at Beatrice's 18th birthday party at Windsor Castle in 2006

7. Prince Andrew was a close friend of Ghislaine Maxwell, a British socialite who spent years overseeing and managing Epstein's sex trafficking network, and actively recruited underage girls, including Plaintiff.

Prince Andrew denies the first clause in paragraph seven of the Complaint. He lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the remaining allegations contained in that paragraph.

What we know: Maxwell is said to have bragged of her friendship with Prince Andrew, say multiple witnesses.

Epstein and Maxwell were also snapped relaxing on the bench at the Queen's secluded log cabin in Glen Beg, Balmoral, after Andrew personally invited them to stay.

Andrew first met him via Maxwell in 1999 and he invited them to stay at Balmoral later that year.

They were invited to Windsor Castle in 2000 for his 40th birthday party as well as three others.

Andrew's lawyers have also stated he did not throw Maxwell a birthday party at Sandringham, and 'lacked sufficient information to admit or deny' inviting Epstein to his daughter's 18th birthday party a month after the financier became a convicted sex offender.

8. According to Prince Andrew, he met Epstein through Maxwell in 1999. Prince Andrew thereafter became a frequent guest in Epstein's various homes around the world, including New York City where he sexually abused Plaintiff at Epstein and Maxwell's invitation when she was a minor.

Prince Andrew admits that he met Jeffrey Epstein ('Epstein') in or around 1999. He denies the remaining allegations contained in paragraph eight of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly denied knowing Epstein was abusing children.

He told the BBC: 'During the time I knew him, I saw him infrequently and probably no more than only once or twice a year'.

'I have stayed in a number of his residences. At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction.'

9. After publicly feigning ignorance about the scope of Epstein's sex-trafficking operation and sympathy for Epstein's victims, Prince Andrew has refused to cooperate with U.S. authorities in their investigation and prosecution of Epstein and his co-conspirators.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph nine of the Complaint.

What we know: Prince Andrew has said about aiding the FBI: 'Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required,'

But last year prosecutor, Geoffrey S. Berman, said: ' To date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation'.

The royal has still not spoken to the FBI.

10. Prince Andrew committed sexual assault and battery upon Plaintiff when she was 17 years old. As such, Prince Andrew is responsible for battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress pursuant to New York common law. The damage to Plaintiff has been severe and lasting.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in the first sentence of paragraph ten of the Complaint. The remainder of that paragraph amounts to a legal conclusion to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the remainder of the allegations contained in paragraph ten of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew denies meeting Virginia or having sex with her. She says the opposite.

11. This action has been timely filed pursuant to the Child Victims Act, N.Y. C.P.L.R.  214-g. The actions described herein constitute sexual offenses by Defendant under New York Penal Law Article 130, and were committed against Plaintiff when she was a child less than eighteen years of age, for which she suffered physical, psychological, and other injuries as a result.

The contentions in paragraph eleven of the Complaint are legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph eleven.

What we know: Andrew denies meeting Virginia or having sex with her. She says the opposite.

PARTIES

12. Plaintiff Virginia L. Giuffre is an individual who is a citizen of the State of Colorado.

Prince Andrew disputes that Giuffre is domiciled in the State of Colorado and on that basis denies the allegations in paragraph twelve of the Complaint.

What we know: In the cover page of a lawsuit in September 2015, Giuffre listed her address as Penrose, Colorado.

In the cover letter of an April 2019 lawsuit, she listed her address as Palm Cove, Australia, and marked a box as 'citizen or subject of a foreign country.'

But in her lawsuit against the prince, she listed her address as Ocean Reef, Western Australia, but checked a box that said 'citizen of another state.'

Her attorneys have since said her domicile is in Colorado, where her mother resides, and noted that she is registered to vote there. They said those facts and additional evidence establish her Colorado citizenship.

13. Defendant Prince Andrew is a citizen of the United Kingdom, and is currently residing at the Royal Lodge at Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, United Kingdom, where he is domiciled.

Prince Andrew admits paragraph thirteen of the Complaint

What we know: This is undisputed.

JURISDICTION AND VENUE

14. This Court has diversity jurisdiction over this dispute pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  1332(a)(2). Plaintiff is a citizen of a State and Defendant is a citizen of a foreign state, and the amount in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $75,000.00 excluding interests and costs.

Paragraph fourteen of the Complaint consists of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew disputes and denies that the Court has subject matter jurisdiction over this dispute on the grounds that Giuffre is not domiciled in Colorado.

What we know: Virginia is seeking unlimited damages. Experts believe that the case is so serious that it could cost in excess of 10million to settle.

15. Venue is proper in this Court as a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to Plaintiff's claims occurred within this District. 28 U.S.C.  1391(b)(2).

Paragraph fifteen of the Complaint consists of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations in this paragraph.

What we know: The Duke has vehemently denied claims by Epstein's alleged 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts that she had sex with the Prince on three occasions, the first when she was 17 and once at the US millionaire's now-notorious 40-room mansion at 9 East 71st Street in Manhattan, the setting of these pictures.

But he has admitted that he stayed there.

16. This Court has personal jurisdiction over Defendant as Defendant sexually abused Plaintiff in this state, and has thus committed a tortious action within this State pursuant to New York's long-arm statute, N.Y. C.P.L.R.  302(a)(2).

Defendant also visited Jeffrey Epstein in this State on numerous occasions. Defendant could reasonably anticipate that a suit based upon his acts and omissions with respect to Plaintiff could result in him being subject to suit in this State, and this suit arises directly out of the Defendant's acts or omissions with respect to Plaintiff in this state.

Paragraph sixteen of the Complaint consists of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations in this paragraph.

What we know: Andrew admits visiting Epstein 'once or twice a year' during their friendship. But denies having sex with Roberts.

FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS

A. Epstein's Sex Trafficking Enterprise

17. Jeffrey Epstein was widely renowned as a billionaire who used his vast connections to powerful individuals, and seemingly unlimited wealth and resources, to create a web of transcontinental sex trafficking that served himself, his coconspirators, and some of the most powerful people in the world.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph seventeen of the Complaint.

What we know: Epstein was jailed for 14 months for child sex offences and was released in 2009. He took his own life in 2019 while on remand facing further child sex abuse charges.

Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of five counts of recruiting and trafficking underage girls to Jeffrey Epstein (pictured as verdict was read)

18. Ghislaine Maxwell is a British socialite and the daughter of disgraced publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell. Maxwell was the highest-ranking recruiter in Epstein's sex-trafficking enterprise. Maxwell is currently facing criminal charges in the Southern District of New York stemming from her role in Epstein's sex-trafficking enterprise, and is set to face trial in the fall.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph eighteen of the Complaint.

What we know: Maxwell, 60, was convicted of facilitating the sexual abuse of minors by her former partner, Jeffrey Epstein, on December 29. She faces 65 years in prison, meaning she could spend the rest of her life behind bars.

She was found guilty on five of six counts of sex trafficking - a spectacular downfall for the former London society girl who later moved into the highest circles of New York's social scene.

Maxwell's lawyers last week demanded a new trial after a juror revealed he had helped convict the former socialite by telling fellow jury members about his experience of sexual abuse.

19. Epstein had perfected a scheme for manipulation and abuse of young females. As part of the scheme, Maxwell or another female recruiter would approach a young girl and strike up a conversation in an effort to quickly learn about the girl's background and any vulnerabilities they could expose. Epstein's recruiters found their targets everywhere and anywhere, including schools, spas, trailer parks, and the street.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph nineteen of the Complaint.

What we know: Maxwell was convicted after a month-long trial in which prosecutors maintained that she recruited and groomed teenage girls for Epstein to sexually abuse from 1994 to 2004.

Maxwell once had a romantic relationship with Epstein, but later became his employee at his five residences, including a Manhattan mansion and a large estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

20. The recruiter would then manipulate the young female into coming back to one of Epstein's residences by offering the young girl something she needed, depending on her situation. In many cases, the recruiter sought out girls who wanted to be professional masseuses and invited them to one of Epstein's homes by offering them what appeared to be legitimate masseuse positions.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty of the Complaint.

What we know: Maxwell was convicted for picking up girls for Epstein to abuse at his homes, offering them jobs as PAs or masseurs.

The jury convicted Maxwell of trafficking young girls who were then sexually exploited by Jeffrey Epstein. The financier took his own life in 2019 while on remand facing further child sex abuse charges

21. Once in the residence, Epstein and his co-conspirators would work in concert to impress and intimidate the young female with displays of vast wealth and power. They would brag about their connections to very powerful political and social figures, and display photographs of themselves with those figures around Epstein's homes. They would normalize the sexual abuse by displaying photographs and art displaying nude females, and a massage table and spa related products in an effort to legitimize the area where the abuse was set to occur.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-one of the Complaint.

What we know: One of the four women to accuse Ghislaine Maxwell claimed she had seen photos of Maxwell naked and pregnant. Esptein also kept framed naked picture of Ghislaine Maxwell in the bathroom of his Palm Beach mansion.

An accuser of Maxwell, named as Carolyn, said under cross examination that she had seen a photo in Epstein's home of Maxwell 'nude and pregnant.' Maxwell is not known to be a mother, and no further details of the alleged pregnancy were given in court.

Carolyn, told the jury was met by Maxwell at the door. 'Maxwell came in and felt my boobs,' Carolyn said. 'She told me that I had a great body for Mr Epstein and his friends.'

She added that Maxwell 'took pictures of me nude' and also photographed 'the stuff with Epstein.'

22. Once abused, Epstein and Maxwell continued to manipulate their victims, using their financial power, promises, and threats to ensure that the victim returned as directed and remained compliant with their demands. Epstein and his lawyers would even gather information about the victims to use against them if they ever disobeyed him, and his homes were under constant surveillance.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-two of the Complaint.

What we know: No footage or pictures of any major figure in a compromising situation has emerged.

But his victims, including Virginia, say Epstein did extort his powerful friends.

Netflix's Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich made the bombshell claim that Epstein had all his properties under surveillance but Virginia Roberts revealed in the four-part documentary it was used as an insurance policy.

She said 'when Epstein told me 'people owe me favors and I'll never get caught and I can get away with it,' he meant it'.

Chauntae Davies, who was a flight attendant on Epstein's jet and was abused by him too, said he had 'a lot of information on people, a lot of blackmail videos'.

Sarah Ransome, another Epstein victim, said if the pedophile had lived, he would have taken 'a lot of people down'.

Epstein's 'Black Book' of contacts

The book is said to be a version of the infamous 97-page book containing the names and addresses of almost 2,000 world leaders, celebrities and businessmen including Prince Andrew (pictured in Epstein's book)

23. Message pads recovered during trash pulls at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion reflect messages that his staff took to relay to Epstein. They show the constant flow of girls to Epstein, sometimes three per day. Epstein's employees have also described young girls constantly being present at Epstein's different homes.

Epstein's constant access to young girls is also evidenced in his 'Black Book,' a book of phone numbers and contact information listing girls to call for 'massages' in various cities, flight logs documenting his frequent travel with young girls and powerful individuals on his private plane, and troves of lewd photographs of young girls recovered from his homes. In his Black Book, Epstein had at least 12 different contact numbers listed for Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-three of the Complaint.

What we know: Last week ITV journalist Ranvir Singh appeared to reach Prince Andrew's voicemail after finding his number in Jeffrey Epstein's 'black book'.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 44, was seen scrolling through a list of addresses and landline numbers for the Duke of York, including one for Buckingham Palace and another for Balmoral.

The video then shows the broadcaster calling a mobile number from the address book - said to have been compiled by the paedophile financier Epstein.

However when she calls the number it goes straight to a personal voicemail message.

The person, who sounds like Prince Andrew, says: 'I'm afraid I've not been quick enough to get to the phone before it went off to take your message. If you do have a message, please leave it and I will get back to you as soon as I can.'

After the voicemail message, the presenter says: 'Hello, I think this might be Prince Andrew.

'This is Ranvir Singh from ITV and we found your number on the little black book and we'd like to have a chat with you if you get back to us, thank you.'

Trump and Melania pose with Prince Andrew at Mar-a-Lago

24. Plaintiff became a victim of sex trafficking and repeated sexual abuse after Maxwell recruited her into Epstein's sex-trafficking operation when Plaintiff was working at the Mar-A-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-four of the Complaint.

What we know: In the summer of 2000, Maxwell recruited young towel girl Virginia Roberts from the locker room of Mar-a-Lago to become an international sex slave for Epstein and his pals, Roberts alleged in her lawsuit.

Epstein's visits to Mar-a-Lago during the 1990s and early 2000s are well documented. His and Maxwell's victims have said they remember Roberts from the resort.

25. Between 2000 and 2002, Epstein sexually abused Plaintiff at numerous locations including his mansion in this District, at 9 East 71st Street, New York, New York 10021.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-five of the Complaint.

What we know: Virginia Roberts has consistently claimed Epstein abused her in his New York mansion. Other women claim to have suffered the same, and seen Ms Roberts at the property.

26. Epstein also flew Plaintiff on his plane nationally and internationally numerous times when she was under the age of 18.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-six of the Complaint, including those pertaining to the graphic embedded therein.

What we know: The plane's pilot confirmed that she was on board, under oath in Maxwell's trial.

When asked if he remembers Virginia Roberts, Visoski replied, 'Yes. A shorter woman with dirty blonde hair.'

'She didn't look young. I mean, whatever you decipher is the definition of young. But she was a woman in my category,' he added.

27. In addition to being abused by Epstein himself, Plaintiff was also forced to have sex with Defendant, Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, at Epstein and Maxwell's direction.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations in paragraph twenty-seven of the Complaint pertaining to the alleged abuse of Giuffre at the hands of Epstein and denies the remining allegations contained in this paragraph.

What we know: Prince Andrew categorically denies the claims. Virginia Roberts says they had sex three times, telling a friend at the time. She also told a boyfriend she was with him in London.

Andrew told the BBC he couldn't have met her on the night in question - 10 March 2001 - because 'I had taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party.' He added it was an 'unusual thing for me to do'.

In 2019 a witness claimed she could corroborate claims that Andrew was dancing with his alleged accuser at Tramp nightclub.

Andrew denied this and said he hadn't met her. He said: 'I don't know where the bar is in Tramps, I don't drink, I don't think I've ever bought a drink in Tramps when I was there.'

Prince Andrew says her claim that he was 'raining with sweat' on the dance floor cannot be true because he did not perspire at the time due to a medical condition brought on by a surge of adrenaline after being shot at during the Falklands War.

28. As part of their sex trafficking efforts, Epstein and Maxwell intimidated Plaintiff into remaining silent about what had happened to her.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-eight of the Complaint. To the extent the allegations in this paragraph are predicated on any alleged abuse at the hands of Prince Andrew, he denies the allegations in this paragraph.

What we know: Epstein and Maxwell's victims insist they were bullied into silence.

'I was young, I was scared, I knew these people were powerful,' Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who was 16 when Epstein's ex-girlfriend Maxwell allegedly recruited and groomed her for sexual slavery.

In 2018 she told the Miami Herald: 'I didn't know what would happen if I said 'no.' I didn't know what would happen if I reported them. That 16-year-old girl just let it happen'.

Maxwell was a long-time consort of Jeffrey Epstein (pictured together in 2005) and a procurer of victims in his underage sex trafficking ring

29. After years of abuse, Epstein sent Plaintiff to Thailand in September 2002. One of Plaintiff's assignments from Epstein was to bring a young girl back to Epstein in the United States. Fearing for her life, and not wanting to subject another young girl to the abuse she was forced to endure, Plaintiff fled from Thailand to Australia to escape from Epstein.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph twenty-nine of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has not been asked about these allegations in public.

But Ms Roberts claims Epstein and Maxwell came up with a proposal that turned her stomach: they wanted her to carry his baby.

They told Virginia she would be taken care of for the rest of her life if she would agree to give Epstein and Maxwell a child, although there were some strings attached. In particular, she would have to sign a contract agreeing that the baby was not her own, but the legal child of Epstein and Maxwell.

It was the final straw. She couldn't bear the thought of Epstein and Maxwell raising her child. She knew she had to escape.

Her chance came during a trip to Thailand.

At Epstein's direction, Virginia had been dispatched there to pick up a young girl, interview her, and let Epstein know if she was 'qualified'. But rather than meet the girl Virginia recognised her chance to escape. She went into town and met a man from Australia who fell in love with her and promised to take care of her.

She married him days later, hopped on a plane with him to Australia, and never looked back.

She hid in Australia for nearly ten years, during which time she had three children

B. Defendant's Relationship with Epstein and Maxwell

30. According to Prince Andrew, he first met Epstein in 1999 through Maxwell, Prince Andrew's close friend. Prince Andrew and Maxwell have been photographed at numerous social events together.

Prince Andrew admits that he met Epstein in or around 1999. He denies the remaining allegations in the first sentence of paragraph thirty of the Complaint, and lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in the second sentence of that paragraph.

What we know: Maxwell and Andrew were photographed at social events together.

Last week a former police protection officer claimed that Ghislaine Maxwell would visit Prince Andrew up to four times a day at Buckingham Palace and that the pair would enjoy picnics together on the grounds on the estate in London.

Epstein owned four jets (pictured with a Gulfstream G2B) and a helicopter, which were used to whisk under-age girls to his various lavish homes, where they were sexually abused

Little St James (pictured), now known as 'paedophile island' because of the horrific abuse that took place there

31. According to available flight logs, Prince Andrew began flying with Epstein on his private plane as early as 1999, when he flew with Epstein and Maxwell to Epstein's private island, Little St. James. Prince Andrew's name also appears in other available flight log entries from around the same time, showing travel with Epstein and Maxwell to and from other locations, including West Palm Beach, Florida, and Teterboro, New Jersey.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-one of the Complaint.

What we know: In November 2019, during his BBC Newsnight interview, Andrew admitted that he had flown on Epstein's 'private plane' but did not specify which one or how many times.

Flight records seen by the Mail on Sunday suggest that the Duke's first flight  on board Epstein's black Gulfstream II jet  was to the billionaire's private Caribbean island in the US Virgin Islands on February 9, 1999. Also on board, according to the flight logs, were Epstein, Maxwell and one of the Duke's personal protection officers.

The group landed at Cyril E King Airport on the island of St Thomas before they were shuttled to the smaller island of Little St James on one of Epstein's black helicopters.

32. In 2000, Epstein and Maxwell attended Prince Andrew's 40th birthday party. That same year, Prince Andrew threw Maxwell a birthday party in Sandringham, United Kingdom, and Epstein was among the guests.

Prince Andrew admits the first sentence of paragraph thirty-two of the Complaint. He denies the remaining allegations contained in that paragraph.

What we know: Epstein and Maxwell attended the Royal Family's Dance of the Decades at Windsor Castle as special guests of Prince Andrew on June 21, 2000.

DailyMail.com unearthed a souvenir booklet from the party which lists them among the star-studded guests invited to celebrate four landmark royal birthdays - the Duke of York's 40th, the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret's 70th and the 50th of Princess Anne.

Andrew confirms Epstein and Maxwell attended his 40th birthday party in 2000  but denies throwing Maxwell a birthday party at the Sandringham estate that year. He described it in the BBC interview as a 'straightforward shooting weekend'.

33. In 2006, Prince Andrew invited Epstein to his daughter's 18th birthday party, despite Epstein being charged with procuring a minor for prostitution only one month prior.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-three of the Complaint.

What we know: A photo showing billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, his alleged pimp Ghislaine Maxwell and disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein together at Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party emerged in 2019.

The grinning trio posed together at the Windsor Castle party  hosted by Beatrice's father Prince Andrew  before the sex scandals that engulfed them all.

Astonishingly, as they rubbed shoulders with royalty at the Victorian-themed party in 2006, US police had already raided Epstein's Florida mansion and prepared an arrest warrant for him to answer child-sex allegations.

The papers, filed today by Prince Andrew's legal counsel Andrew Brettler (pictured), contained a detail rebuttal of all of Roberts' claims and also requested that the Royal be granted a trial by jury

34. Prince Andrew has himself confirmed that he has been on Epstein's private plane, stayed at Epstein's private island, and stayed at Epstein's homes in Palm Beach, Florida, and New York.

Prince Andrew admits the first sentence of paragraph thirty-four of the Complaint. He lacks sufficient information to admit or deny any allegation pertaining to the authenticity the BBC article referenced in paragraph thirty-four.

What we know: Andrew admits he did visit Epstein at his various homes.

35. Members of Epstein's house staff have confirmed witnessing Prince Andrew visit Epstein's numerous homes, both to the media and in sworn testimony.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-five of the Complaint.

What we know: Juan Patricio Alessi, 71, Epstein's former housekeeper, says he saw Andrew visiting Epstein's mansion in Palm Beach twice - but said he never witnessed him take part in any sexual impropriety.

C. Defendant's Sexual Abuse of Plaintiff

36. Prince Andrew abused Plaintiff on separate occasions when she was under the age of 18 years old.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-six of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

37. On one occasion, Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff in London at Maxwell's home. During this encounter, Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew forced Plaintiff, a child, to have sexual intercourse with Prince Andrew against her will.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-seven of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

38. The below photograph depicts Prince Andrew, Plaintiff, and Maxwell at Maxwell's home prior to Prince Andrew sexually abusing Plaintiff.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-eight of the Complaint.

What we know: In his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, the Prince cast doubt on the 2001 photo, saying it was impossible to tell whether it had been faked and questioning whether that was his hand around her waist.

But Roberts then-boyfriend Tony Figueroa said he saw the picture in the year it was taken - 2001, adding: 'It wasn't like she pulled the photo of Prince Andrew out, it was just in amongst the rest of them. They were just typical teenage snaps. There's no way that photo is fake'.

Prince Andrew recalled seeing a Spitting Image puppet of himself at the home of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein during a function at Buckingham Palace, The Mail on Sunday claimed

39. On another occasion, Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff in Epstein's New York mansion in this District. During this encounter, Maxwell forced Plaintiff, a child, and another victim to sit on Prince Andrew's lap as Prince Andrew touched her. During his visit to New York, Prince Andrew forced Plaintiff to engage in sex acts against her will.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph thirty-nine of the Complaint.

It is alleged Andrew used the puppet to 'grope' Virginia Roberts, then aged 17, and Johanna Sjoberg (pictured), one of Epstein's former sex slaves, then 21, in the mansion's study

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

Andrew allegedly recalled seeing a Spitting Image puppet of himself at the home of US paedophile during a function at Buckingham Palace in 2003.

The exchange appears to at least partly verify claims that socialite Ghislaine Maxwell presented the Prince with the puppet in April 2001 in Epstein's New York home.

It is alleged Andrew used the puppet to 'grope' Virginia Roberts, then aged 17, and Johanna Sjoberg, one of Epstein's former sex slaves, then 21, in the mansion's study.

Ms Sjoberg testified to the alleged incident in a 2016 legal deposition, describing how Andrew and Ms Roberts  who now goes by her married surname Giuffre  were sitting on a couch with the puppet.

'And so then I sat on Andrew's lap  and I believe on my own volition  and they took the puppet's hands and put it on Virginia's breast, and so Andrew put his on mine,' she added.

The Duke has always strenuously denied having sex with Ms Roberts and any other wrongdoing.

40. On another occasion, Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff on Epstein's private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St. James.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

41. During each of the aforementioned incidents, Plaintiff was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-one of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

Andrew has repeatedly denied knowing Epstein was abusing children.

42. During each of the aforementioned incidents, Prince Andrew acted with intent to compel Plaintiff's submission.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-two of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

43. Prince Andrew engaged in each of the aforementioned sexual acts with Plaintiff at Epstein and Maxwell's invitation, knowing that she was a sex-trafficking victim being forced to engage in sexual acts with him.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-three of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

44. During each of the aforementioned incidents, Plaintiff did not consent to engaging in sexual acts with Prince Andrew.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-four of the Complaint and denies that he ever engaged in sexual acts with Giuffre.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

Ghislaine Maxwell would visit Prince Andrew up to four times a day at Buckingham Palace, it has been claimed. The pair are pictured together in 2000

45. During each of the aforementioned incidents, Prince Andrew knew Plaintiff's age based on communications from Epstein and Maxwell.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-five of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

46. During each of the aforementioned incidents, Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff for the purpose of gratifying his sexual desires.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-six of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

47. During each of the aforementioned incidents, Prince Andrew was acting in his individual, personal capacity, and was not performing any duty relating to his former role as a trade envoy, any duty relating to his role as a member of the Royal Family of the United Kingdom, or any other official or diplomatic duty or function.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-seven of the Complaint and denies that he ever engaged in sexual acts with Giuffre.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

48. Defendant's sexual assault and battery of Plaintiff have caused her, and continue to cause her, significant emotional and psychological distress and harm.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph forty-eight of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew has repeatedly and categorically denied having sex with Virginia Roberts, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old.

D. The Arrest, Prosecution, and Death of Epstein, and Prince Andrew's Refusal to Cooperate with the Authorities

49. In 2008, Epstein pled guilty in Florida to the charge of procuring a minor for prostitution.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph forty-nine of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew admitted to the BBC he knew he was a convicted sex offender. Referring to it briefly he said: 'The problem was... once he [Epstein] had been convicted'.

50. In 2010, after Epstein had served his sentence and registered as a sex offender, Prince Andrew was photographed with Epstein in Central Park and stayed at Epstein's New York City mansion.

Prince Andrew taking a stroll through New York's Central Park with Epstein following his prison term in 2010

Prince Andrew admits the second clause of paragraph fifty of the Complaint. He lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the remaining allegations contained in that paragraph.

What we know: Prince Andrew said of the meeting: 'That's the bit that as it were, I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the Royal Family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that.'

Challenged on his decision to stay at the home of a convicted sex offender, the prince said: 'It was a convenient place to stay.

'I mean I've gone through this in my mind so many times. At the end of the day, with a benefit of all the hindsight that one can have, it was definitely the wrong thing to do.

'But at the time I felt it was the honourable and right thing to do and I admit fully that my judgement was probably coloured by my tendency to be too honourable but that's just the way it is.'

51. Epstein flippantly referred to his sexual abuse of multiple minors, and the slap on the wrist he had received for it, in a 2011 interview with the New York Post: 'Billionaire pervert Jeffrey Epstein is back in New York Cityand making wisecracks about his just-ended jail stint for having sex with an underage girl. 'I am not a sexual predator, I'm an 'offender,' the financier told The Post yesterday. 'It's the difference between a murderer and a person who steals a bagel,' said Epstein.'

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-one of the Complaint.

What we know: It is not known if Andrew knew about the interview

52. Around the same time, Prince Andrew began to face criticism over his well- publicized friendship with Epstein.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-two of the Complaint.

What we know: There were multiple press reports at the time accusing Prince Andrew of choosing the wrong friends by socialising with Epstein.

Andrew's attorneys had unsuccessfully argued that Giuffre's case should have been thrown out because of a newly-unsealed $500,000 settlement with Jeffrey Epstein (pictured). Brettler argued the settlement protected Andrew because it contained a clause in which Giuffre agreed not to take legal action against 'potential defendants'. But Judge Kaplan denied Andrew's motion to have the case dismissed 'in all respects'

53. In early 2015, after Plaintiff had publicly accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her, Prince Andrew emailed Maxwell stating, 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts.'

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-three of the Complaint.

What we know: A BBC Panorama investigation uncovered a 2015 email which suggests he asked for Maxwell's help in responding to Miss Roberts' claims he had sex with her when she was 17 and a trafficked 'sex slave' of Epstein.

As part of the email, the prince asks Maxwell: 'Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts,' causing her to respond: 'Have some info. Call me when you have a moment.'

The correspondence took place on January 3, 2015, days after Andrew had been named in US court documents submitted by Miss Roberts as part of her defamation lawsuit against alleged pimp Maxwell.

The duke insisted during his own BBC interview that he has no memory of meeting Miss Roberts, saying: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.'

54. On July 2, 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York ('SDNY') charged Epstein with sex trafficking conspiracy and sex trafficking in violation of 18 U.S.C.  1591.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-four of the Complaint.

What we know: It is true. It is not known when Andrew found out.

55. Epstein was arrested on July 8, 2019, pursuant to a Sealed Two Count Indictment.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-five of the Complaint.

What we know: It is true. It is not known when Andrew found out.

56. Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-six of the Complaint.

What we know: It is true. It is not known when Andrew found out.

Prince Andrew later told friends he 'regretted' not ex-pressing sympathy for Jeffrey Epstein's victims in his disastrous TV interview.

The Duke of York insisted he had 'great sympathy' for anyone abused by his late paedophile friend, and had been in the dark about the 'extent of his wrongdoing'.

It came amid a widespread backlash at Andrew's apparent lack of remorse in the 'make or break' interview on BBC's Newsnight programme, which backfired spectacularly and led Epstein's victims  who include Virginia Roberts  to demand a personal apology from the duke for his appalling misjudgment.

57. Just one year before his death, Epstein told a New York Times reporter 'that criminalizing sex with teenage girls was a cultural aberration and that at times in history it was perfectly acceptable.'

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in paragraph fifty-seven of the Complaint.

What we know: It is true. It is not known if Andrew knew he said this.

58. After Epstein's second arrest and death, numerous of his co-conspirators and the wealthy individuals to whom he trafficked girlsincluding Prince Andrewbegan to face increased public scrutiny for having close ties to a convicted sex offender.

Prince Andrew denies that he was a co-conspirator of Epstein or that Epstein trafficked girls to him. Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the remaining allegations contained in paragraph fifty-eight of the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew denies knowing about Epstein's abuse of girls.

59. In November 2019, in response to this renewed scrutiny, Prince Andrew sat for an interview with BBC Newsnight. Prince Andrew stated that he did not regret his friendship with Epstein and that he had no recollection of meeting Plaintiff, despite photographic evidence to the contrary.

Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegation that there exists photographic evidence of his alleged meeting with Giuffre. Prince Andrew admits the remainder of paragraph fifty-nine of the Complaint

What we know: In the BBC interview, defending their friendship, he said: 'The people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful.'

60. Prince Andrew publicly pledged, including in a statement stepping down from his public duties and in his Newsnight interview, to assist the U.S. authorities with their criminal investigation of Epstein and his co-conspirators.

Prince Andrew admits paragraph sixty of the Complaint.

What we know: Undisputed. But the FBI asked him two years ago to speak to them and he is yet to.

61. Despite this public pledge, Prince Andrew has refused to cooperate with U.S. authorities. Former SDNY U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman stated that Prince Andrew had provided 'zero co-operation' despite U.S. prosecutors and the FBI contacting Prince Andrew's counsel.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in the first sentence of paragraph sixty-one of the Complaint. Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the remaining allegations contained in that paragraph.

What we know: Andrew insisted he is willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required'. He has declined to comment further.

A source later said: 'The Duke of York has offered his assistance to the Department of Justice investigation on a number of occasions this year.

'In addition, the working group have proactively contacted the DoJ twice in the last month and have received no response. That is why we remain utterly bewildered by the DoJ's approach'.

The jury found Maxwell, pictured right, with Jeffrey Epstein, guilty on five out of six charges of sex trafficking

62. Prince Andrew and his counsel have also refused to cooperate with counsel for the victims of Epstein's sex trafficking. Counsel for the victims of Epstein's sex trafficking, including counsel for Plaintiff, have repeatedly asked for a meeting or telephone call with Prince Andrew and/or his representatives to enable Prince Andrew to provide whatever facts, context, or explanation he might have, and to explore alternative dispute resolution approaches. Prince Andrew and his representatives have rejected all such requests, and responded by escalating their vile and baseless attacks on Plaintiff and others.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph sixty-two of the Complaint.

What we know: Prince Andrew denies these claims. A source close to him said in 2020: 'A request from a commercial law firm is not and never will be the same as an official judicial process'.

63. On July 19, 2021, counsel for Plaintiff proposed a tolling agreement that would have enabled Plaintiff not to sue Prince Andrew at this time, while avoiding any argument that her failure to do so caused her claims to be time-barred. Again Prince Andrew stonewalledignoring Plaintiff's letter and emails without any reply or response, thereby making this action necessary now. A copy of the July 19, 2021, letter proposing a tolling agreement is attached as Exhibit A to this Complaint.

The allegations contained in paragraph sixty-three of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions and impermissible legal argument to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in this paragraph and in Exhibit A attached to the Complaint.

What we know: Andrew denies these claims.

Last year Ms Roberts' lawyer David Boies said he sent a second formal letter to the Duke's lawyers offering to sign an agreement, known as a tolling agreement, that extended the statute of limitations so that both sides could negotiate.

The letter said that Ms Robets needed to file a claim 'now' or she risks not being able to file a lawsuit. So far it has been ignored, according to Mr Boies.

64. In this country no person, whether President or Prince, is above the law, and no person, no matter how powerless or vulnerable, can be deprived of the law's protection. Twenty years ago Prince Andrew's wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account.

The contentions contained in paragraph sixty-four of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions and impermissible legal argument to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION (Battery)

65. Plaintiff repeats and re-alleges the allegations stated above as if fully set forth herein.

Prince Andrew repeats and re-asserts his responses stated above, as if fully set forth herein.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

66. Prince Andrew intentionally committed battery by sexually assaulting Plaintiff when she was a minor. As described above, on multiple occasions Prince Andrew intentionally touched Plaintiff in an offensive and sexual manner without her consent.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in paragraph sixty-six of the Complaint.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

67. Prince Andrew's actions constitute sexual offenses as defined in New York Penal Law Article 130, including but not limited to sexual misconduct as defined in Article 130.20, rape in the third degree as defined in Article 130.25, rape in the first degree as defined in Article 130.35, forcible touching as defined in Article 130.52, sexual abuse in the third degree as defined in Article 130.55, and sexual abuse in the first degree as defined in Article 130.65. See N.Y. C.P.L.R.  214-g.

The allegations contained in paragraph sixty-seven of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

68. As a direct and proximate result of Prince Andrew's criminal acts, Plaintiff has in the past and will in the future continue to suffer substantial damages, including extreme emotional distress, humiliation, fear, psychological trauma, loss of dignity and self-esteem, and invasion of her privacy.

The allegations contained in paragraph sixty-eight of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations contained in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION (Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress)

69. Plaintiff repeats and re-alleges the allegations stated above as if fully set forth herein.

Prince Andrew repeats and re-asserts his responses stated above, as if fully set forth herein.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

70. As a direct result of these allegations as stated, Prince Andrew committed intentional infliction of emotional distress against Plaintiff.

The allegations contained in paragraph seventy of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

71. Prince Andrew's actions, described above, constitute extreme and outrageous conduct that shocks the conscience. Prince Andrew's sexual abuse of a child who he knew was a sex-trafficking victim, and when he was approximately 40 years old, goes beyond all possible bounds of decency and is intolerable in a civilized community.

The allegations contained in paragraph seventy-one of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, Prince Andrew denies the allegations contained in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

Prince Andrew's legal team has filed legal papers in which the Royal denied all of Virginia Roberts' sex abuse allegations as he prepares for a bitter court battle in the United States (Pictured: Andrew and ex wife Sarah Duchess Of York leaving Royal Lodge on January 22)

72. Prince Andrew knew or disregarded the substantial likelihood that these actions would cause Plaintiff severe emotional distress.

The allegations contained in paragraph seventy-two of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions and impermissible argument to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, and to the extent the allegations in this paragraph are predicated on any alleged abuse at the hands of Prince Andrew, he denies the allegations in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

73. As a direct and proximate result of Prince Andrew's criminal acts, Plaintiff has in the past and will in the future continue to suffer substantial damages, including extreme emotional distress, humiliation, fear, psychological trauma, loss of dignity and self-esteem, and invasion of her privacy.

The allegations contained in paragraph seventy-three of the Complaint consist of legal conclusions to which no response is required. To the extent a response is required, and to the extent the allegations in this paragraph are predicated on any alleged abuse at the hands of Prince Andrew, he denies the allegations in this paragraph.

What we know: The duke claims he has 'no recollection' of ever meeting Virginia. He said in 2019: 'I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever'.

Sources have clamed that he is selling his Swiss ski chalet to pay for a settlement. But his decision to pursue a trial by jury suggests he plans not to settle, unless it is a bluff.
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Historians have revealed ambitious plans to build a broch in Caithness, marking the first time such a structure has been constructed in nearly 2,000 years

Stunning images show what the broch will look like against the Scottish landscape when it begins construction in 2023

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Brochs are Iron Age structures built between 400 BC and 100 AD that were unique to Scotland.

It is estimated that at least 700 brochs once existed across Scotland, although most are now in a poor state of repair.

The towers typically had one, small entrance, leading to a central inner circular courtyard.

Steps were built into a gap in the walls, giving inhabitants easy access to upper wooden platforms.

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Brochs are Iron Age structures built between 400 BC and 100 AD that were unique to Scotland. It is estimated that at least 700 brochs once existed across Scotland, although most are now in a poor state of repair

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That's because scientists have discovered 11 chemicals that can affect our metabolism and contribute to weight gain in everyday products such as drinks bottles, kitchen sponges and hair conditioners.

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at 34 different plastic products to see which chemicals they contained.

They found more than 55,000 different chemical components in the products and identified 629 of the substances, 11 of which are known to be metabolism-disrupting chemicals.

'Our experiments show that ordinary plastic products contain a mix of substances that can be a relevant and underestimated factor behind overweight and obesity,' said Martin Wagner, an associate professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Scientists have discovered 11 chemicals in everyday products such as yoghurt containers, shampoo bottles and kitchen sponges that can contribute to weight gain (stock image)

Chemicals from one third of the plastic products investigated were found to contribute to fat cell development. The substances in these products reprogramed precursor cells to become fat cells, which in turn rapidly multiplied (pictured from left to right) and accumulated more fat

WHICH EVERYDAY PRODUCTS DID THE STUDY LOOK AT TO SEE IF THEY CONTAIN 'WEIGHT GAIN' PLASTICS? Item Weight gain' plastics identified? Refillable drinking bottle YES Yoghurt drinking bottle

NO Bin liner YES Shower gel bottle YES Freezer bag YES Plastic cup NO Hair conditioner bottle YES Bath sponge NO Kitchen sponge YES Coffee cup lid NO

For a long time, experts believed that most plastic chemicals would stay in these everyday products, but Wagner's team has shown that they leach a large number under real world conditions.

This allows the chemicals to then enter the body.

Previous research has also suggested that some plastics contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, also known as 'obesogens', that may affect our development and fertility.

However, now it appears they may be to blame for weight gain as well.

That's because chemicals from one third of the plastic products investigated in the new study were found to contribute to fat cell development in laboratory experiments.

The substances in these products reprogramed precursor cells to become fat cells, which in turn rapidly multiplied and accumulated more fat.

Chemicals from one third of the plastic products investigated in the new study were found to contribute to fat cell development in laboratory experiments

Researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology looked at 34 different plastic products to see which chemicals they contained stock image)

WHAT ARE 'OBESOGENS'? Obesogens are a form of endocrine-disrupting chemical that meddle with your hormones and promote the build-up of fat in your tissues. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are synthetic or naturally occurring compounds that can interfere with or mimic the body's hormones. EDCs - such as flame retardants, phthalates and bisphenol-A - are known for their potential effects on reproductive, neurological and immune functions. But animal studies also suggest early life exposure to some can cause weight gain later in life, and are dubbed 'obesogens'. Some manufacturers have reduced the use of EDCs in products, but many are still common in consumer goods. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that children consume 50 milligrams of house dust each day. Advertisement

While some plastic products contained known metabolism-disrupting substances, others did not - yet they still induced the development of fat cells.

This means that plastics contain currently unidentified chemicals that interfere with how our body stores fat, the researchers said.

'It's very likely that it is not the usual suspects, such as Bisphenol A, causing these metabolic disturbances,' said Johannes Volker, one of the study's authors.

'This means that other plastic chemicals than the ones we already know could be contributing to overweight and obesity.'

Obesity contributes to some of the most common causes of death in the world, including cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Being overweight also increases our susceptibility to various infections such as the effects of Covid.

Around two billion people in the world are overweight and about 650 million of them are classed as obese.

There are many reasons for this but the latest study's authors say plastic chemicals may well be a factor that has not been previously considered.

The chemicals include phthalates and bisphenols, but the new research shows that there are many more substances that trigger these problematic effects.

Phthalates and bisphenol-A are known for their potential effects on reproductive, neurological and immune functions.

But animal studies also suggest early life exposure to some can cause weight gain later in life.

Some manufacturers have reduced the use of EDCs, also dubbed 'obesogens', in products, but many are still common in consumer goods.

'Consequently, identifying and understanding other environmental factors than lifestyle is crucial to manage obesity,' the authors wrote.

'Given that the endocrine system controls appetite, satiety, metabolism, and weight, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals is one such factor.'

The study has been published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
The recent violent volcanic eruption in Tonga is one of the strongest ever recorded, according to a new study, and future eruptions could be possible in the area.

Its explosive yield has been put at anything from 5 million to 30 million tons of TNT equivalent by NASA scientists who've studied preliminary data from the January 15 blast.

The eruption of Mount St Helens in Washington state in 1980 produced the same yield as around 24 million tons of exploding TNT.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted almost a fortnight ago.

This 7.4 magnitude earthquake sent tsunami waves crashing into shorelines, causing destruction, and resulted in the death of three people in the region.

The recent violent volcanic eruption in Tonga is one of the strongest ever recorded, according to a new study, and future eruptions could be possible in the area

A new study by Texas A&M University found that the eruption ranks among the strongest in at least 30 years in terms of explosive yield, similar to the Mount St Helens eruption from 1980, which had an energy blast equivalent to 24 million tons of TNT.

Both St Helens and Tonga are a fraction of the power of the 200 megaton Krakatoa explosion, that went off near Indonesia in 1883, killing more than 36,000 people.

Professor Andreas Kronenberg, study author, said the eruption on Tonga likely ranks among the strongest in at least 30 years.

The eruption could be heard nearly 1,500 miles away in New Zealand, and caused a massive ash cloud to form over the islands, which was visible from space.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai, an underwater volcano in the South Pacific, spewed debris as high as 25 miles into the atmosphere when it erupted on January 15

HOW TONGA COMPARES TO OTHER ERUPTIONS AND EXPLOSIONS Tonga underwater volcano: 5 to 30 megatons of TNT Hiroshima nuclear explosion: 15 kilotons (15,000 tonnes) of TNT Mount St Helens eruption: 24 megatons of TNT Krakatoa eruption: 200 megatons of TNT Dinosaur killing asteroid: 100 trillion tonnes of TNT on impact Potential energy from Yellowstone eruption: 875,000 megaton of TNT Advertisement

'In general, the volcanoes around the Pacific Rim are much more powerful and explosive than Hawaiian-type volcanoes, mostly because of the volatile content and magma compositions in them,' Kronenberg explained.

'This is why we are concerned about the volcanoes in the Oregon, Washington and Alaska regions,' he added, as they are of a similar nature.

'However, the Tonga subduction zone is a large one and the entire Southwest Pacific has what we call 'stratovolcanoes.'

'These are extremely powerful volcanoes and are also the kinds that include Mt. Vesuvius that covered Pompeii in Italy and Mt St Helens, which exploded a few decades ago.'

Mt St. Helens, an active stratovolcano located in Skamania County, Washington, exploded in 1980 and is considered the most powerful eruption in US history.

The largest eruption ever is believed to be the eruption of Krakatoa, which exploded near Indonesia in 1883 and killed more than 36,000 people.

Some have compared Tonga to Krakatoa in eruption force, however, data purely on explosion puts Krokatoa at at least six times more powerful than Tonga.

That doesn't mean Tonga wasn't devastating, and NASA said it was at least 500 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of World War II.

A new study by Texas A&M University found that the eruption ranks among the strongest in at least 30 years, similar to the Mount St Helens eruption from 1980, which had an energy blast equivalent to 24 million tonnes of TNT (pictured)

This 7.4 magnitude earthquake sent tsunami waves crashing into shorelines, causing destruction, and resulted in the death of three people in the region

ASH FROM TONGA ERUPTION IS SEEN FROM SPACE Ash sent spewing into the air from the massive underwater volcanic eruption in Tonga was photographed by International Space Station astronauts. NASA shared the remarkable pictures taken out of the ISS Cupola windows, showing a blanket of ash from plumes spewing thousands of feet into the atmosphere. The event was so striking that satellites captured the moment of the eruption, with astronauts on the ISS taking images of plumes and blankets of ash over the region. Read more: Ash from the volcanic eruption in Tonga is seen from SPACE Advertisement

The US atomic bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima in August 1945 was estimated to be about 15 kilotons (15,000 tons) of TNT.

NASA estimates the eruption from the Tonga explosion was between five and 30 megatons (5-30 millions tons) of TNT.

'This is a preliminary estimate, but we think amount of energy released by the eruption was equivalent to somewhere between 5 to 30 megatons of TNT,' said Garvin, chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

'That number is based on how much was removed, how resistant the rock was, and how high the eruption cloud was blown into the atmosphere at a range of velocities.'

Figures for these massive explosions pale compared to the impact of the dinosaur killing asteroid 66 million years ago, which scientists predict would have had an explosive yield equivalent to 100 trillion tons of TNT when it hit the planet.

There is also a sleeping giant, lying in wait in the form of a large supervolcano underneath Yellowstone in Wyoming, with a potential energy equivalent to an 875,000 megaton explosion.

The Tonga explosion may have been worse than expected because of water entering the volcano from underneath, adding to the explosiveness.

'The result can be tsunamis because they can be triggered by any disturbance of the seafloor that quickly moves large volumes of seawater, such as faults that suddenly change the shape of the seafloor,' explained Kronenberg.

And it may not be over, he explained, saying that 'it is possible such an eruption could trigger nearby activity, But it is not necessarily guaranteed.'

NASA estimates the eruption from the Tonga explosion was between five and 30 megatons (5-30 miillion tonnes) of TNT

'This is a controversial topic when discussing earthquakes and subsequent eruptions, especially in areas over 10 to 15 miles from the original eruption.'

Speaking to Alaska's News Source, Research scientist Brian Brettschneider, not involved in this study, backed up the worst in 30 year theory.

The expert with the National Weather Service, Alaska region, also said the ash cloud may have a temporary cooling effect on the planet.

He said it wouldn't be as dramatic as past eruptions, such as the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora that led to a 'year without a summer', but would lead to a change.

The Tonga blast has been put at anything from 5 million to 30 million tonnes of TNT equivalent by NASA scientists, making it among the most powerful ever recorded

'What we're seeing so far is a fairly minor amount of climate altering stratospheric sulfur particles have been detected so far,' Brettschneider said.

It released a fairly small amount of sulfur compared to the size of the eruption, he explained, likely resulting in a relatively minor impact for a few years.

The weather expert also agreed there was a risk of follow-on eruptions, but not as likely it will be on the same scale or larger - more likely a smaller pulse.

'While we think this one was the biggest and in fact this was probably the biggest volcanic explosion anywhere on earth in the last 30 years, you never know if there might be another big one waiting to go off, Brettschneider said.
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NASA has completed wind tunnel tests on a scaled-down model of its 'quiet' supersonic jet, ahead of full size tests scheduled to take place later this year.

Tests of the small scale model were conducted inside a 8ft by 6ft 'supersonic wind tunnel' by engineers at NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

The full-scale X-59 QueSST supersonic aircraft, dubbed the 'son of Concorde', is currently still being constructed by NASA and aerospace company Lockheed Martin at the latter's Skunk Works division in Palmdale, California.

Once completed, it will travel through the air at supersonic speeds  faster than the speed of sound  just like the Concorde before it was retired in 2003.

If cleared for commercial travel, X-59 QueSST could fly from London to New York in just three hours without giving off a loud sonic boom like Concorde did during its 27-year history.

The X-59's engine is purposefully designed to sit in the upper section of the craft to instead produce a quieter 'thump' when it cruises at Mach 1.4, or 1,074 miles per hour.

Its 30-foot-long nose is also specifically designed to minimise shockwaves triggered by the movement of air particles when an aircraft travels faster than the speed of sound (767 miles per hour).

Scroll down for video

The X-59 small-scale model is seen in NASA Glenns 8- by- 6-foot 'supersonic wind tunnel'. The model was inverted with the shock wave sensor array mounted on the tunnels ceiling during the testing

X-59, first announced in 2018, is being made in collaboration with Lockheed Martin. The partners aim to bring 'supersonic commercial travel over land one step closer to reality'

HOW WILL NASA ELIMINATE SONIC BOOMS? In a conventional supersonic aircraft, shockwaves from the nose, cockpit, inlets, wings and other features come together as they move through the atmosphere into strong shocks emanating from the nose and tail. These are known as bow and tail shocks, respectively. As these shockwaves pass over the ground, air pressure rises sharply, declines, then rises rapidly again. It's this that produces the classic 'double-bang' sonic boom. Reshaping the aircraft to produce a longer, more slender shape is the best way to generate shockwaves of lower, more equal strength that do not form into such strong bow and tail shocks. NASA and other organisations are working on creating shapes to reduce sonic booms. Stretching the nose to break the bow shock into a series of weaker shockwaves is particularly effective. This lowers and spreads that initial pressure peak and softens the first bang of the sonic boom. Advertisement

NASA posted an online update on the recent tests of the scaled-down imitation of the final version, which will measure 94ft long with a 29.5ft wingspan when fully constructed.

'This is the teams opportunity to get data at the low sound levels produced in the tunnel,' said Clayton Meyers, deputy project manager of NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology (CST) project. 'It all comes down to our ability to measure the thump.'

The model was subjected to weeks of testing in the tunnel, producing shock waves that were captured by special 'schlieren' cameras.

Schlieren photography is used to capture the flow of fluids of varying density. Images from the cameras provide engineers with a visualization of the shock waves and their positions as air passes around the model.

Shock waves produced by the model were a match  in terms of both position and strength  to those from earlier computer models for quieter supersonic flight, according to NASA.

Ultimately, the X-59 project aims to cut out the noisy sonic booms that echoed above cities in the era of Concorde, while travelling at Mach 1.4 speeds.

A sonic boom happens when the shock waves from an object travelling through the air faster than the speed of sound merge together before they reach the ground.

Sonic booms generate enormous amounts of sound energy, about 110 decibels, like the sound of an explosion or a thunderclap.

The loud booms that rang out whenever a Concorde broke the sound barrier were often described as unsettling by members of the public, which ultimately limited the aircraft to flights over the Atlantic when it began carrying passengers in 1976.

Conversely, X-59 is designed to stop shockwaves triggered by the movement of air particles when an aircraft breaks the sound barrier from merging.

A schlieren image of the X-59 small-scale model captured inside NASA Glenns 8ft by 6ft foot supersonic wind tunnel. Schlieren photography is a visual process that is used to photograph the flow of fluids of varying density. These images are used to predict sonic booms and verify computer-based modelling

X-59 QUESST SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT NASA is developing a 1,100mph (1,770kph) aircraft. The vehicle is the first in a series of aircraft Nasa is developing with Lockheed Martin. It is designed to fly at Mach 1.4 (1,100mph / 1,700 kph) at an altitude of 55,000 feet (10 miles). Dubbed the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST), the research craft aims to cut out the sonic booms associated with supersonic travel. The aircraft is shaped to separate the shocks and expansions associated with supersonic flight to reduce the volume of the shaped signature, and was developed by Lockheed's Skunk Works over 20 years. The team is hoping to achieve a sonic boom 60 dBA lower than other supersonic aircraft, such as Concorde. Advertisement

NASA hopes to reduce the sound of the sonic boom to a quiet thud, similar to the sound of thunder rumbling in the distance or a neighbour closing their door.

'With the X-59, we want to demonstrate that we can reduce the annoying sonic booms to something much quieter, referred to as sonic thumps,' said John Wolter, lead researcher on the X-59 sonic boom wind tunnel test.

'The goal is to provide noise and community response data to regulators, which could result in new rules for overland supersonic flight.

'The test proved that we dont just have quieter aircraft design, but that we also have the accurate tools needed to predict the noise of future aircraft.'

This March, the scaled-down model will travel to Tokyo for additional wind tunnel verification testing with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and Boeing.

NASA and Lockheed Martin are currently finalising the build of the X-59 at the Skunk Works facility in California, and later this year, the two partners will begin initial flight tests to prove 'airworthiness'.

Following flight testing, NASA will then verify that the aircraft's quiet supersonic technology performs in flight as designed before transitioning to the 'community overflight phase'.

This phase involves the X-59 aircraft flying over communities (yet to be selected) and asking residents to share their response to the sound the aircraft generates during supersonic flight.

Concorde was the worlds first supersonic airliner and operated for 27 years, but it was grounded in October 2003.

NASA and Lockheed Martin are currently finalising the build of the full-scale X-59 (pictured) at the Skunk Works facility in California

Dubbed the 'son of Concorde,' the craft is designed to prevent a startling sonic boom from being heard on the ground when it cruises at Mach 1.4 (925mph)

No government or manufacturer has since been able to build a commercial plane that can travel faster than the speed of sound.

Many of the reasons for the demise of Concorde were high fuel costs, concern over its noise and a preference for lower fares over speed.

Nearly 80 years ago, the Bell X-1, piloted by Chuck Yeager, was the first plane to break the sound barrier.

The rocket engine-powered aircraft, designed and built in 1945, achieved a speed of nearly 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 kmh) in 1948.
A mysterious object that is just 4,000 light years away from Earth is unlike anything ever seen before in space, astronomers have said.

They think it could be a neutron star or a white dwarf  collapsed cores of stars  with an ultra-powerful magnetic field, also known as a magnetar.

As it spins through the cosmos, the 'spooky' object sends out a beam of radiation, and for one minute in every 20 it is one of the brightest objects in the night sky.

Observations show it releasing a giant burst of energy three times an hour.

'Spooky': A mysterious object that is just 4,000 light years away from Earth is unlike anything ever seen before in space, astronomers have said. Pictured is an artist's impression of what the object might look like if it's a magnetar, which is an incredibly magnetic neutron star

WHAT ARE NEUTRON STARS? Neutron stars are the collapsed, burnt-out cores of dead stars. When large stars reach the end of their lives, their core will collapse, blowing off the outer layers of the star. This leaves an extremely dense object known as a neutron star, which squashes more mass than is contained in the sun into the size of a city. A neutron star typically would have a mass that's perhaps half-a-million times the mass of the Earth, but they're only about 20 kilometres (12 miles) across. A handful of material from this star would weigh as much as Mount Everest. They are very hot, perhaps a million degrees, highly radioactive, and have incredibly intense magnetic fields. This makes them arguably the most hostile environments in the Universe today, according to Professor Patrick Sutton, head of Cardiff University's gravitational physics department. The dense objects, in particular their cores, are key to our understanding of the universe's heavy elements. The mysterious object that has just been discovered could also be a magnetar, which is an incredibly magnetic neutron star. Advertisement

Astrophysicist Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker, from the Curtin University, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) in Australia, led the team that made the discovery.

Her team was mapping radio waves in the universe when they came across the potential 'magnetar'.

She said: 'This object was appearing and disappearing over a few hours during our observations.

'That was completely unexpected. It was kind of spooky for an astronomer because there's nothing known in the sky that does that.

'And it's really quite close to us  about 4,000 light years away. It's in our galactic backyard.'

Dr Hurley-Walker added that the observations match a predicted astrophysical object called an 'ultra-long period magnetar'.

'It's a type of slowly spinning neutron star that has been predicted to exist theoretically,' she said.

'But nobody expected to directly detect one like this, because we didn't expect them to be so bright.

'Somehow it's converting magnetic energy to radio waves much more effectively than anything we've seen before.'

Curtin University Honours student Tyrone O'Doherty discovered the object using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) telescope in outback Western Australia.

He said: 'It's exciting that the source I identified last year has turned out to be such a peculiar object.

'The MWA's wide field of view and extreme sensitivity are perfect for surveying the entire sky and detecting the unexpected.'

Objects that turn on and off in the universe are not new, and astronomers call them transients, with some appearing over the course of a few days and disappearing after a few months, and others flashing on and off within milliseconds or seconds.

However, ICRAR-Curtin astrophysicist and co-author Dr Gemma Anderson said finding something that turned on for just a minute made the new discovery unusual.

This image shows the Milky Way as viewed from Earth. The star icon shows the position of the mysterious object astronomers have discovered

Curtin University Honours student Tyrone O'Doherty discovered the object using the Murchison Widefield Array telescope (pictured) in outback Western Australia

She explained that the mysterious object was incredibly bright and smaller than the sun, emitting the kind of radio waves that suggested it had an extremely strong magnetic field.

Dr Anderson added that 'when studying transients, you're watching the death of a massive star or the activity of the remnants it leaves behind.'

The researchers are now monitoring the object to see if it switches back on, and plan to search for ore of these unusual objects in the vast archives of the MWA.

'If it does, there are telescopes across the Southern Hemisphere and even in orbit that can point straight to it,' Dr Hurley-Walker said.

'More detections will tell astronomers whether this was a rare one-off event or a vast new population we'd never noticed before.'

The findings are published in the journal Nature.
China has sparked fresh spying fears over plans for 'megaconstellation' of up to 13,000 satellites operating in low Earth orbit, similar to SpaceX Starlink.

The network is said to be part of the Chinese 5G mobile internet rollout, with the first firms given contracts to begin development work in the city of Chongqing.

Details are vague over exactly what the network will cover, or how it will work, but the aim is to fill gaps in terrestrial communications and serve rural areas.

Reports suggest that this renewed push comes amid concern from China over an international rush for frequencies, that allow data to flow from Earth to space.

Any moves China makes in space raises concerns among security experts, including what uses there might be for a global constellation of Earth-facing satellites.

China has sparked fresh spying fears over plans for 'megaconstellation' of up to 13,000 satellites operating in low Earth orbit, similar to SpaceX Starlink. Stock image

Having a satellite internet constellation is considered a top level project for the Chinese government, and could see it provide communications services around the world, not just in China, competing with western operators.

A megaconstellation is made up of hundreds to thousands of satellites that work together to cover all areas of the Earth, most operating a few hundred miles above the surface of the planet, to deliver internet services.

But relations between China and the West are currently in the deep-freeze, thanks to ongoing fury over its cover-up of the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak.

And any widespread launch of satellites is likely to lead to fears they'll be used to spy on the United States and its allies.

China's continued saber-rattling over Taiwan has also continued to infuriate the island democracy's allies, with fears growing that Communist leader Xi Jinping could launch an attack in a bid to 'reunite' Taiwan with mainland China - despite strong opposition from its residents.

SpaceX Starlink is the most developed, with nearly 2,000 satellites in operation, but Amazon plans to launch thousands, and the European Union is exploring its options.

This new development will see a communications base station built in Chongqing, according to Chinese state media publication, Science and Technology Daily.

The network is said to be part of the Chinese 5G mobile internet rollout, with the first firms given contracts to begin development work in the city of Chongqing. Stock image

WHAT IS SPACE JUNK? There are an estimated 170 million pieces of so-called 'space junk' - left behind after missions that can be as big as spent rocket stages or as small as paint flakes - in orbit alongside some US$700 billion (555bn) of space infrastructure. But only 27,000 are tracked, and with the fragments able to travel at speeds above 16,777 mph (27,000kmh), even tiny pieces could seriously damage or destroy satellites. However, traditional gripping methods don't work in space, as suction cups do not function in a vacuum and temperatures are too cold for substances like tape and glue. Grippers based around magnets are useless because most of the debris in orbit around Earth is not magnetic. Most proposed solutions, including debris harpoons, either require or cause forceful interaction with the debris, which could push those objects in unintended, unpredictable directions. Scientists point to two events that have badly worsened the problem of space junk. The first was in February 2009, when an Iridium telecoms satellite and Kosmos-2251, a Russian military satellite, accidentally collided. The second was in January 2007, when China tested an anti-satellite weapon on an old Fengyun weather satellite. Experts also pointed to two sites that have become worryingly cluttered. One is low Earth orbit which is used by satnav satellites, the ISS, China's manned missions and the Hubble telescope, among others. The other is in geostationary orbit, and is used by communications, weather and surveillance satellites that must maintain a fixed position relative to Earth. Advertisement

Companies awarded the contract to build the satellite center in Chongqing, say the city offers a range of strategic advantages, including workforce and economy.

One of these companies, Commsat, says international competition for frequency, as well as resources in low Earth orbit, are driving the development.

There is also currently limited data processing capacity within China, and for a global network China would also need to deploy ground stations worldwide.

First details of this megaconstellation were released late in 2020, when the government applied to the International Telecommunication Union for spectrum allocation - for two low Earth orbit satellite constellations.

These had been named 'GW' and totaled 12,992 satellites, made up of sub-constellations orbiting from 310 miles up to 711 miles.

The plan would be for them to operate across a range of frequency bands, and potentially operate around the world, providing services to different nations.

It has broad support at the top levels of the Chinese government, and comes alongside plans for a range of satellite and space sector clusters across China.

This forms part of a five-year plan, running until 2026, that calls for an integrated network of communications, Earth observation, and navigation satellites.

China has already launched Earth observation satellites, including two called Gaofen, which China claims are to monitor for marine disasters, the maritime environment and water conservation.

No details have been released about the capabilities of the satellites, launched in November to replace previous generation devices, but state media says they will also be used for road network design, land surveys and crop yield estimation.

They have unprecedented resolution, as sharp as 5 inches, which would put them on the same level as US-keyhole class spy satellites.

China has also completed the rollout of BeiDou, its alternative to the US-owned GPS satellite navigation system, making it available globally.

As recently as December, China also approved production of a broadband communication test satellite, built by Commsat as a test device.

It isn't just the Chinese government launching satellites to Low Earth Orbit, Beijing-based Galaxy Space plans to launch six communications satellites this year.

There seems to be a competition among non-state-owned operators in China, that could eventually evolve into the new national satellite project.

The State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), has called for the orderly development of small satellites.

Details are vague over exactly what the network will cover, or how it will work, but the aim is to fill gaps in terrestrial communications and serve rural areas. Stock image

It is providing guidance for companies operating in this space, including the frequencies to use, production, safety in orbit and collision avoidance.

What isn't clear is whether the megaconstellation will be made up of these smaller company launches, or run independently - further adding to the LEO population.

As well as concerns over the true purpose of this global network of satellites, it also increases the risk of in-space collisions, that could damage other spacecraft.

China recently expressed concern over SpaceX Starlink operations, with two close approaches to the Tianhe space station - in July and October last year.

The government approached the UN in Vienna about the approaches, and risk to astronauts, asking the international body to remind nations of their international responsibility for space activities.
Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reportedly been left in London while the club head to Dubai for a mid-season training camp.

According to The Telegraph, Aubameyang has been told to train his own even though Jack Wilshere, who is not even contracted to Arsenal but has been training with them, is included on the trip.

Arsenal are looking to offload the striker, who is on 350,000-a-week, before the end of the transfer window but The Telegraph adds Aubameyang has no interest in heading to Saudi Arabai, where there is interest from Al-Nassr.

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not involved in the club's Dubai training camp

Aubameyang has been exiled by Mikel Arteta after returning late from a trip to France

For Arsenal, that move would make the most sense financially as Al-Nassr are prepared to pay all of his wages.

But with Aubameyang not prepared to move there, Arsenal may have to entertain offers from Europe where less of his wage will be covered.

Manager Mikel Arteta dropped Aubameyang and stripped him of the Arsenal captaincy after he returned late from a trip to France to visit his mother in December.

The Gunners appear to be missing Aubameyang, having scored just one goal in their last five games and have been linked with moves for other forwards in the January window.

Arsenal are looking to offload Aubameyang and his 350,000-a-week wages in January

They held a serious interest in Fiorentina's Dusan Vlahovic but he looks set to join Juventus in a 62m move.

Arteta and Arsenal also hold interest in Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League table, two points off fourth-place Manchester United with a game in hand on Ralf Rangnick's outfit.

They are next in action on February 10, away to Wolves.
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Kerry McCauley, pictured on a Zoom call with MailOnline Travel, has been a ferry pilot for 32 years

In any given year, an average of three pilots die ferrying small aircraft over the North Atlantic.

It's a seriously perilous job that's 95 per cent terror and five per cent boredom, according to Kerry McCauley, who's been doing it for an astonishing 32 years.

He reveals the sweaty-palm-inducing scariness of the role in a riveting book - Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives Over the North Atlantic  which recounts tales of Kerry flying planes incapable of flying above storms (as jetliners can) across the Atlantic Ocean for hours on end with only a compass to follow and delivering them to customers.

Kerry, pictured here next to an Aerostar, reveals the sweaty-palm-inducing scariness of ferry piloting in a riveting book - Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives Over the North Atlantic

Kerry's first job was delivering a Beechcraft Duchess (pictured)  '[which] had two meek 180 horsepower engines that pushed it along at a blistering 150 knots [172mph] ' - to from St. Paul in Minnesota to Lisbon, Portugal

Kerry sometimes uses Flores (pictured) in the Azores to break up journeys across the Atlantic

His first job was taking a Beechcraft Duchess  '[which] had two meek 180 horsepower engines that pushed it along at a blistering 150 knots [172mph] '- from St. Paul in Minnesota to Lisbon, Portugal, via St John's, Newfoundland, and the Azores, the latter reached after crossing 2,530km (1,570 miles) of water.

His plane had two extra fuel tanks installed behind the cockpit and an 'HF (high frequency) radio secured to the top of one of the tanks with bungee cords and duct tape'. This was 'a portable ham radio and was the only way to stay in contact with the controllers in Canada and Europe when dealing with the vast distances of the Atlantic'.

Kerry eventually touched down in Lisbon completely hooked on the thrilling adventure of it all.

You might be wondering why there's any need for such a risky delivery system. Why not take the plane apart and deliver it to its new owner using a cargo ship or plane?

Kerry wearing an oxygen mask while flying at a high altitude. According to Kerry, the planes that a ferry pilot flies have an average speed of 140 (225kph) to 200mph (322kph) and their altitude ceilings top out at up to 25,000ft (7,620m)

Pictured is a Cessna 210, one of the aeroplane models that Kerry has flown across the Atlantic. Most of the planes that he has delivered are piston or turbine aircraft  'almost all of them have propellers'. He has only ferried one jet over the years

WHAT IS A FERRY PILOT? 'A ferry pilot is basically a person that delivers aeroplanes to various parts of the world,' Kerry said. 'Essentially, if someone has a plane thats in one continent and theyre not stupid enough to fly it over the ocean to another continent, thats when they call me and hire a ferry pilot.' Why hire a ferry pilot instead of ferrying a plane by cargo ship or cargo plane? 'The main reason is that planes aren't meant to be taken apart and put back together. It's a complicated and expensive process that can go very wrong, very easily,' Kerry explained. He continued: 'Most aeroplane wings aren't supposed to come off very easily. I know of two planes that had the wings taken off and put in a shipping container and weren't successfully put back together due to lost parts and inadequate maintenance facilities at the other end.' Advertisement

Kerry told MailOnline Travel: 'The main reason is that planes aren't meant to be taken apart and put back together. It's a complicated and expensive process that can go very wrong, very easily.'

The 59-year-old, who lives in Menomonie, Wisconsin, explained that most of the planes that he has delivered are piston or turbine aircraft  'almost all of them have propellers'. He has only ferried one jet over the years.

According to Kerry, these planes have an average speed of 140 (225kph) to 200mph (322 kph), and their altitude ceilings top out at up to 25,000ft (7,620m) - though most tend to reach just 15,000 ft (4,572 m) to 18,000 ft (5,486 m).

This cap on altitude is one of many factors that makes ferry flying so treacherous.

Kerry said: 'An airliner or a jet can fly much higher, so it flies over all of the bad weather. They sit up there in the nice smooth air and the sunshine and they tootle right along. Whereas, a propeller-driven aeroplane has to fly in the weather and beat itself against all the icing and the thunderstorms.'

Kerry, who has flown over the Atlantic over 75 times and over other oceans in the world over 100 times, explained that ferry pilots often don't have the fuel that's required to fly around the storm. He revealed: 'There's nowhere else to go. You have to go through that thunderstorm, and that can be terrifying. Some of these thunderstorms go up to 40,000ft [12,192m] or 50,000ft [15,240m] and are just massive and powerful. The biggest one I ever went through was in central Africa and there were no airports anywhere that I could reach, except the one I was heading for. And there was a thunderstorm - it was a line of thunderstorms, a 100-mile [161km] line. I just didn't have the fuel to go around it.'

Bad weather isn't the only nerve-jangling hurdle that ferry pilots can face. According to Kerry, the 'number one' problem they encounter is the breakdown of the plane's mechanics.

Kerry's view of a plane flown by his former boss, Pete Demos, during a ferry delivery. 'We deliver planes to all kinds of places in the world,' he says

He explained: 'Jet engines are much simpler and more reliable so they rarely break. Piston engines, on the other hand, have thousands of moving parts in them. And they can wear out. And you can't really check them very much. Once you seal up a moving engine, the inside is pretty much a mystery until you replace it, or it breaks.'

If disaster strikes while soaring over the Atlantic, the chances of survival aren't great, according to Kerry. He revealed: 'If your plane breaks while you're over the middle of the ocean, you're going sailing in your little rubber raft - if you're lucky enough to have one.'

What's happening on the ground can also pose problems for a ferry pilot. He revealed: 'We deliver planes to all kinds of places in the world and sometimes there's conflicts going on and that can be challenging. Ferry piloting can run into almost any problem, literally, in the world.'

Kerry next to a Cessna 402 in Dodoma, Tanzania, after the plane landed in a drainage culvert filled with tall weeds on the taxiway. 'Ferry piloting can run into almost any problem, literally, in the world,' he said

On the left is a map showing some of Kerry's journeys across the Atlantic - in all, he has flown over the Atlantic Ocean over 75 times and over other oceans in the world over 100 times. Pictured on the right is a map of some of the routes that Kerry has flown solo around Europe and Africa

With these enormous risks to consider, do many aspiring ferry pilots bottle it at the last minute? According to Kerry, it happens all the time. 'Literally, just a couple of weeks ago I saw that they were looking for a ferry pilot to finish a trip. The pilot had got to Goose Bay, Labrador, and said "nope" and left the plane on the ramp and went home,' he revealed.

Kerry said that 'very few ferry pilots do more than one or two' trips across the Atlantic. He explained that the 'realisation that you're out over the ocean in a single-engine plane, and at any second that engine could stop and you're going in' can, understandably, lead some pilots to pack it in.

Most pilots do ferry flying 'as a stepping stone to further their aviation career', according to Kerry. He revealed: 'Almost all pilots, their ultimate goal is to be an airline pilot. So, they'll do a few ferry flights, realise that's not a great way to build much time and make any money, and they get out of it quick. Or they realise it's too dangerous.

Kerry reveals in the book how he survived a crash in the first plane he ever owned - a Twin Comanche he'd bought with some friends. The near-death event occurred as the plane came in to land in Tomah, Wisconsin, during snowy weather. The tail hit the runway before the landing gear and the plane careered off the runway. Kerry is pictured here (left) with the written-off plane and the pilot who was at the controls at the time, Lee Wolfgram. Kerry says Lee's quick thinking at the controls saved his life

Pictured is Kerry's former boss, Pete Demos, who ran a ferry pilot company. Most pilots do ferry flying 'as a stepping stone to further their aviation career', according to Kerry

'There's very few of us that stick around for any length of time, mostly because it's just too dangerous or they get killed.'

Kerry's book, scored with tales of plane crashes and ferry pilots who went missing over the ocean, is dedicated to his friends in the industry 'who never made it home'. He said: 'It's really hard. I've lost some very, very close friends over the years and it's difficult sometimes to deal with that.' However, he admitted that it's 'part of the lifestyle' in the high-risk business of ferry piloting.

He said: 'You know you're going to lose friends and we all accept that. If you can't accept it, you stop doing it. And when you lose somebody you just have to take solace in [the fact] they were doing what they love. They were living the lifestyle that they chose and that was actually part of them. We just try to be thankful that we knew them, and we got to fly with them.'

Kerry has had some extremely close calls himself. He revealed that the closest he was to an 'imminent crash' was when he was ferrying a Piper Aerostar from Arizona to Larnaca, Cyprus. As he was flying over the Alps near Zurich, Switzerland, the plane's wings, the engine cowling and propeller spinners started picking up ice. He needed to make it over the mountaintops, but the ice was weighing the plane down, making it impossible to climb.

Kerry's book, scored with tales of plane crashes and ferry pilots who went missing over the ocean, is dedicated to his friends in the industry 'who never made it home'. Pictured is the wreck of Jim Bell's plane - one of Kerry's late pilot friends

Kerry revealed that the closest he was to an 'imminent crash' was when he was ferrying a Piper Aerostar from Arizona to Cyprus. As he was flying over the Alps near Zurich, Switzerland, the plane started picking up ice. Pictured is the icing on the plane's spinner

He told us over a Zoom chat: 'At 19,000ft [5,791m] the plane had literally stopped climbing and [it] was filling up with ice.' Eventually, he decided to risk making a descent. Describing the situation, he writes in the book: 'Out of airspeed, and options, I reluctantly eased the yoke forward and started a slow one hundred foot per minute descent, trading some of our precious altitude for a few knots of equally precious airspeed. It's a deal with the devil but it's one I must make.' Thankfully, he managed to descend into warmer air and the ice started to melt away. 'It was close,' he admitted.

Another chilling incident was the moment that Kerry lost his fuel in a 'brand new' 1994 Beechcraft F-33 Bonanza on a 12-and-a-half-hour flight from Newfoundland to Paris, with no stops. In the book, he explains that there wasn't enough pressure to move much-needed fuel between tanks because the air supply tube wasn't secured properly to the ferry tank. He writes: 'It was then that I realised just how truly alone I was. My course from St. John's to Paris took me far south of the normal routes the airlines took when crossing the pond and I knew for a fact that there weren't any other ferry flights out there. It's not an exaggeration to say that there probably wasn't another human being anywhere within five hundred miles of me. At that moment I was literally the loneliest man in the world. I might as well have been halfway to the moon.'

Thankfully, he managed to pressurise the steel tank by lung power alone, blowing into the air supply hose for hours on end. 'I had to blow on the ferry tank for eight and a half hours to keep the engine running,' he told MailOnline Travel. Against the odds, he landed safely at Paris Airport-Le Bourget.

Ferry tanks in a Cessna 402. One of Kerry's most dangerous flying experiences occurred when the air supply tube wasn't secured properly to the ferry tank in a 1994 Beechcraft F-33 Bonanza

As nerve-wracking as these experiences sound, Kerry refuses to be fazed.

He said: 'I don't panic or get scared, really, in those situations. I put that aside because it's not going to help. If you've got time to panic, you've got time to do something more productive. That's always been my motto. So, I'll put the panic aside for later. I can have the shakes when I get down on the ground. When I have a problem in the air, I deal with the problem, and try to find a way out and try to find a solution.'

With so many years of experience, has he ever been tempted to dip a toe in the world of commercial flying? While Kerry has never sought out a job at an airline, he does some corporate flying on the side  but finds that, after the drama of ferry piloting, it's 'too easy'.

One of the planes that Kerry ferried. According to the pilot, the 'thrill never goes away' with ferry flying

He said: 'You're in a beautiful, well-maintained business jet. You're up at 45,000ft [13,716m] and all the thunderstorms and everything are below you, and it's smooth and calm and quiet. It's got internet, you can be on your Facebook page. It's like, "this isn't flying, I could be sitting in a hangar doing this".'

The daredevilry of ferry piloting seems to stir a wide range of reactions from commercial pilots. He revealed: 'You'll get some airline pilots that think you're crazy. Some of them look down at you like, "ah you're just flying that stupid little thing". But actually, most of them look up to you. They're like, "I could never do that, I can't believe you do that, hats off to you, not me, no way in heck."

'They're astonished when they find out what actually goes on in ferry flying. And a lot of them are, frankly, a little jealous because they don't flying an airliner isn't an adventure, it's a job. And it's a great job, I've got nothing against airline pilots, a lot of my friends are airline pilots, but they'll be the first ones to tell you that it's just a job.' He added: 'It's not challenging like ferry flying.'

Kerry names the Egyptian pyramids - shown here from his cockpit - as one of the most memorable landmarks that he's flown past

'Buzzing the pyramids in Egypt was pretty cool. Seeing the pyramids from above and a little below - I was a little below the tops of the pyramids when I buzzed them. That was pretty stunning,' Kerry said

'I hate boring flying,' Kerry revealed. Pictured is his stunning view of Narsarsuaq, Greenland, from the cockpit during a ferry delivery

A view of forest in Africa from Kerry's plane. According to the pilot, the biggest storm he ever encountered was in central Africa. 'It was a line of thunderstorms, a 100-mile [161km] line. I just didn't have the fuel to go around it,' he said

Kerry McCauley is the author of Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives Over The North Atlantic. He has a second autobiography, Riskaholic, coming out this summer

It's this appetite for a challenge that has kept Kerry in the industry for so long. 'It's just what I'm really good at. I love the adventure, and I love being out by myself, beyond help, essentially, and having to survive by my wits,' he said. 'That's the kind of thing I was born to do, is to be out there battling the elements and mechanics and all the challenges. I hate boring flying.'

Kerry names the Egyptian pyramids as one of the most memorable landmarks he's flown past. 'Buzzing the pyramids in Egypt was pretty cool. Seeing the pyramids from above and a little below - I was a little below the tops of the pyramids when I buzzed them. That was pretty stunning,' he said.

One place he's yet to see from the cockpit is Antarctica - but he'll be ticking it off his bucket list soon.

He plans to fly his personal plane, a Beech Queen Air, to Antarctica via the Caribbean and South America, before returning to Wisconsin via Central America.

He said: 'I have to see Antarctica someday before I die. And I have to be the one flying the plane. It doesn't count if you're a passenger - anybody can do that.'

With a career that's defined by exhilaration, does the excitement ever fade? He admitted: 'It does on an easy flight. But ferry flying, the thrill never goes away.'

Kerry McCauley is the author of Ferry Pilot: Nine Lives Over The North Atlantic. He has a second autobiography, Riskaholic, coming out this summer. You can find more from Kerry on his website, kerrymccauley.com.
Demi Sims has shared her remarkable cosmetic transformation after dissolving her lip fillers.

The TOWIE star took to her Instagram account on Sunday to show off her new look with her 602,000 followers.

Demi, 25, decided to embrace a 'more natural' appearance by decreasing the size of her prominent pout.



The TOWIE star took to her Instagram account on Sunday to show off her new look to her 602,000 followers

Taking steps to return to her natural beauty, Demi looked breathtaking in some of her latest social media snaps.

Posing alongside sisters Chloe and Frankie, the TV personality looked confident as she revealed new look.

Speaking about her decision, Demi told her followers: 'So I've had all of my lip filler dissolved, I haven't had my lips done for a year and half because I was waiting for them to dissolve naturally but it was taking ages!

'So I decided to get them dissolved and now these are my natural lips. I'm so happy.'

Before: Demi, 25, decided to embrace a 'more natural' appearance by decreasing the size of her prominent pout (pictured in December 2021)

New me: Posing alongside sisters Chloe and Frankie, the TV personality looked confident as she revealed her new look on Sunday

Natural: Speaking about her decision, Demi told her followers: 'So I've had all of my lip filler dissolved, I haven't had my lips done for a year and half because I was waiting for them to dissolve naturally but it was taking ages!'

Before the transformation: Speaking about her new look, Demi added: 'So I decided to get them dissolved and now these are my natural lips. I'm so happy.'

Demi's more natural appearance comes after her TOWIE co-star Bobby Norris, and Georgia Harrison all had their fillers dissolved.

Thousands of men and women have also reversed the cosmetic procedure, a trend started by Molly-Mae Hague in October 2020.

The social media star admitted during her interview on The Diary of a CEO podcast that she didn't recognise herself by the time she reached the age of 21, having had a variety of cosmetic procedures done.

Before and after (L-R): The star admitted in the podcast that she didn't recognise herself by the time she reached the age of 21, having had a variety of cosmetic procedures done

The business women had her lip and jaw filler dissolved and her composite bonding veneers removed, saying she's 'terrified of myself' when she looks at past pictures.

She said: 'I wouldnt say I got addicted to it, but by the age of 21, I didnt look like the same person.

'I literally looked like a different person. When I look back at pictures now, Im terrified of myself. Im like, "Who was that girl?" I dont know what happened.

'But there was this one pivotal moment where Id gone and got loads of filler and I posted a YouTube video and I hadnt let the filler settle and it was really swollen and a screenshot from that video, it trended on Twitter for weeks.

'It was horrendous. It was utterly horrendous. My face was literally like, it was just awful. That was the moment for me as well where I was like, I think things need to change.

'I thought, one day Im going to get my lips dissolved. It was a process. I went and got my lips dissolved and I posted about it on YouTube and I didnt expect the response that I got. It was huge.'
Ruling party should do more to reinvent itself



The head of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has announced a package of reform measures in what appears to be a desperate effort to help its presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung bounce back amid stagnating public support in the run-up to the March 9 presidential election.



At a press conference Tuesday, DPK Chairman Song Young-gil said his party will not field candidates in by-elections for three districts in Seoul, Anseong in Gyeonggi Province and Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province to be held on the same day as the presidential election. Song also said he will not seek to run for reelection as a lawmaker in the 2024 National Assembly elections. He said the DPK will seek to introduce a new rule that would limit the number of terms its lawmakers can serve for the same constituency to three, pledging to nominate over 30 percent of candidates for the June 1 local elections from among younger generations.



Even before Song's announcement, voices of reform had been gaining traction in the ruling party. On Sunday, Rep. Kim Jong-min, a two-term lawmaker, emphasized the need for older politicians like himself to retire to make way for younger figures to refresh the party's campaign. A day later, seven key aides of Lee Jae-myung promised not to take any key posts in the government if Lee is elected president, saying, "The new administration will have to look for fresh talent to spur innovation."



These calls for self-reflection within the ruling party deserve credit, given that the public can feel  albeit partly  the party's desire to reinvent itself. To be frank, however, doubts remain over whether the DPK is sincere this time. Every time the party was in trouble in the past, it promised to change itself, but to no avail. Nevertheless, we sincerely hope that Song's commitment to reform, coupled with soul-searching by some lawmakers, will serve as an occasion for the party to turn over a new leaf.


Laverne Cox had legs for days when she swung by the Schiaparelli show at Paris Fashion week this Monday.

She managed to be a showstopping presence even at a front row that included Kanye West and his latest girlfriend Julia Fox.

The 49-year-old transgender actress, who shot to fame on Orange Is The New Black, showcased her toned legs in a high-cut Schiaparelli blazer dress.

Looking fab: Laverne Cox had legs for days when she swung by the Schiaparelli show at Paris Fashion week this Monday

She clasped the dress shut at the front with a glimmering metal buckle that looked like a lock and complemented her opulent gold drop earrings.

Laverne accented the look with a sprawling slanted hat, accentuating her unmistakable features with makeup.

She teamed a pair of black Garo Sparo gloves with matching hose and Ruthie Davis stilettos, striking a statuesque pose on the stairway outside the venue.

Swanking about: She managed to be a showstopping presence even at a front row that included Kanye West and his latest girlfriend Julia Fox

When you got it: The 49-year-old transgender actress, who shot to fame on Orange Is The New Black, showcased her toned legs in a high-cut Schiaparelli blazer dress

Lock and key: She clasped the dress shut at the front with a glimmering metal buckle that complemented her opulent gold drop earrings

As Paris Fashion Week wore on Laverne could be spotted making her presence felt at the Alexandre Vauthier extravaganza.

She made sure to select a Vauthier ensemble for the event, opting for a crimson dress that was dripping with cowgirl chic fringe.

Laverne brought back the 1980s with her towering blonde hairdo, which was put together for her by Ursula Stephen.

There she is: As Paris Fashion Week wore on Laverne could be spotted making her presence felt at the Alexandre Vauthier extravaganza

Making a splash: Laverne brought back the 1980s with her towering blonde hairdo, which was put together for her by Ursula Stephen

The Alabama-born actress, who is the first trans person made into a Madame Tussauds wax figure, matched the Vauthier dress with a Vauthier bag.

Cinching her ensemble around her trim waistline with a black belt, she balanced expertly on a sky-high pair of black leather stiletto boots.

Laverne's upcoming appearances include a supporting role on the Netflix series Inventing Anna starring Julia Garner as the fake German heiress Anna Delvey.

Bringing it together: The Alabama-born actress, who is the first trans person made into a Madame Tussauds wax figure, matched the Vauthier dress with a Vauthier bag
Vogue Williams has revealed she is finding her pregnancy 'hard' as she prepares to welcome her third child in spring.

The Irish presenter, 36, announced she is expecting a baby boy with husband Spencer Matthews in October and has recently returned from a sun-soaked break in the Maldives.

And in an exclusive chat with MailOnline, Vogue has spoken about suffering from 'all day' sickness, why she had decided to slow down work, and the importance of talking to people as she returns for the second season of the Boots Taboo Talk Podcast.

Expecting: Vogue Williams has revealed she is finding her pregnancy 'hard' as she prepares to welcome her third child in Spring

Vogue, who is proud mum to Gigi, 10-months, and Theodore, three, said: 'I get lots of messages like "how are you doing this" when actually I spent yesterday in bed. I just felt terrible.

'I like to point out that Instagram is just a show real, it's not my full day.'

As she detailed her struggle with not just morning but also 'all-day sickness' during her current pregnancy, Vogue revealed she tries her best to stay active.

'Always something to learn': The media personality, who is currently expecting her third child, shares Gigi, 10-months, and Theodore, three, with her husband Spencer Matthews

'Moving for me is really important, even for half an hour a day makes such a difference for me. I get quite bad pelvic pain in pregnancy and my legs get sore, so a stretch is always good,' she said.

'But not doing anything is ok too, listening to your body is very important. Pregnancy is hard.'

Vogue gushed Spencer is a 'great dad' and while she would have thought she wanted four children, her difficult pregnancy has made her feel three children are 'enough'.

'I would have said yes to four of them, pre this pregnancy but now I think three is enough. I'd have to get a new car. I don't know where four would fit,' Vogue said.

Taboo topics: Vogue looked incredible in a black leather mini dress as she posed in a striking photoshoot

Vogue recently stepped down from her Sunday radio show at Heart to slow down and focus on family commitments.

She said: 'I definitely did think that I needed to slow down a bit. I wouldn't say I always get it right because it is really hard to get the balance right, but I am really lucky because I do get quite a bit of time at home now.'

Elsewhere in the interview Vogue spoke about the importance on discussing taboo subjects, something which she does on her upcoming second season.

Honest: Vogue, who is proud mum to Gigi, 10-months, and Theodore, three, said: 'I get lots of messages like '"how are you doing this" when actually I spent yesterday in bed'

Joined by a range of celebrity guests and healthcare professionals, the podcast aims to cut through the jargon and provide advice in an entertaining way.

Speaking about her series, Vogue explained: 'The world has evolved in the last 20 years and it's just more acceptable to start talking about these things.'

'I love walking away and think that it was a really great chat and people are really going to get something from that.'

Reflecting on season two, and her most recent episode featuring Malin Andersson and Ollie Locke, she continued: 'We were talking about pregnancy loss and losing a child, there's lot of things that people don't discuss, I feel that way around most of the subjects.'

'I put out an Instagram post to see if people had any questions that they would like answering, and I couldn't even get through them all, it was the most questions that I have ever got.

'You don't realise how many people want to know more about it but are actually frightened to talk about it. A lot of them are really concerned and I felt really sad that they haven't got anyone to speak to.'

Boots Taboo Talk Podcast returns for Series Two on January 26, with a new episode airing weekly on Spotify and Apple.
THE GILDED AGE

Sky Atlantic, last night

Rating:

Railroad tycoon George Russell has his feet up on the furniture. 'Careful,' warns his wife, 'that table belonged to King Ludwig of Bavaria.'

George flashes a devil-may-care grin. 'He had it once. I've got it now!' he crows.

You can trust Julian Fellowes never to leave us in doubt about his intentions.

The creator of Downton Abbey has returned with an even more lavish costume drama in The Gilded Age (Sky Atlantic)  and it's all about New Money.

The creator of Downton Abbey has returned with an even more lavish costume drama in The Gilded Age. Pictured: Sisters Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski in The Gilded Age

Set in New York, 1882, the overblown wealth was on display from the opening shot.

Horse-drawn carts loaded with statues, chandeliers, antiques and grand pianos rolled up Fifth Avenue to the mansion commissioned by George and his ambitious wife Bertha (Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon).

But across the road, Old Money is in residence. Spiteful widow Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and her fluffy-headed younger sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) are surrounded by footmen and butlers  and the servants are even bigger snobs than the ladies.

The budget for The Gilded Age is a well-guarded secret, but to judge from the spectacular computer graphics that recreate New York 140 years ago, this production would make a hole in any family fortune.

Fans of Downton will be hoping for complicated romantic entanglements, and, of course, Cupid is hovering.

The sisters have taken in their penniless niece Marian, Louisa Jacobson. Marian brings her new best friend to stay  the young black writer Peggy, Denee Benton (both pictured)

The sisters have taken in their penniless niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson), whose no-good papa (their brother) has wasted their inheritance.

Meanwhile, the Russells' raffish son Larry, played by Harry Richardson, is enjoying the high life  and Marian has already caught his wandering eye.

But the emphasis is on the older female characters. Bertha is a social climber who makes no secret of her desire to be a queen of the New York party world.

'She has imagination, taste and nerve,' boasts hubby George, whose chief job is to roll his eyes at his wife's extravagance and sign the cheques.

At the climax of this opening double episode, Bertha threw an opulent soiree, her table piled high with lobsters spitted on swords like seafood kebabs.

Nobody came  certainly not Agnes and Ada. 'We only see the old people in this house, not the new,' proclaimed Mrs van Rhijn.

How out of joint her stuck-up nose will be when she learns the shocking truth about her disreputable son Oscar, who keeps a barrel-chested blond sportsman in his apartment for frisky fun after the day's parties are over.

Agnes is confronted in other ways by the changing times, as Marian brings her new best friend to stay  the young black writer Peggy, (Denee Benton) an aspiring novelist twice as clever as any of the other characters.

It takes Peggy all of two minutes to win Agnes over, and land a job as her live-in secretary. She has to sleep in the servants' quarters, though, and one or two of the maids are not quite sure what to think.

Celebrities, billionaires and pots of money  this is reality TV from the steam railway era

Amid this rush of faces, we barely had time to get to know the below-stairs staff. Simon Jones presides over the van Rhijn residence as butler Mr Bannister, and he already has a catchphrase: 'It is not for us to have an opinion.'

Across the street, conniving housekeeper Mrs Turner (Kelley Curran) seems to be setting her cap at Mr Russell.

If Bertha catches wind of that, which she undoubtedly will, the saucy servant might end up speared with a lobster stick.

With so much scene setting, the story was slow to get going. It's very different to Lord Fellowes's last drama, Belgravia, which packed the whole of the Battle of Waterloo and a wedding into its opening sequence.

But the good lord enjoys all the fancy dress history so hugely that it is impossible not to be carried along.

'Did you hear they shot Jesse James?' cries Mr Russell. 'Good evening, Mr and Mrs Roosevelt,' calls a footman.

Celebrities, billionaires and pots of money  this is reality TV from the steam railway era.
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The Gilded Age premiered to rave reviews on Tuesday as viewers of the period drama produced by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes declared that they 'loved' the pilot episode.

Viewers of the Sky Atlantic show branded the first episode 'spectacuar' and one skeptical fan admitted that although they were unsure at first, they are now counting down the days until the next episode.

The series tells the story of aspiring writer Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) who moves from Pennsylvania to New York to live with her wealthy aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon).

Rave reviews: The Gilded Age premiered to rave reviews on Tuesday as viewers of the period drama produced by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes declared that they 'loved' the pilot episode (pictured: Christine Baranski and Carrie Coon in promo imagery)

Despite a generally well-received reception, some viewers did complain that they were 'sick' of the upstairs-downstairs dynamic previously seen in programmes such as Downton Abbey, Belgravia and Bridgerton.

But after just one episode of the new series, which is set in New York during a period of huge economic change and had a lengthy run-time of 1.28 minutes, one social media user gushed: 'The Gilded Age is SO good!'

One elated fan took to Twitter to declare it 'a 19th century Gossip Girl', while another branded the show - while another agreed and described it as 'Gossip Girl in corsets'.

Wow: Viewers of the Sky Atlantic show branded the first episode 'spectacuar' and one skeptical fan admitted that although they were unsure at first, they are now counting down the days until the next episode (pictured: Christine and Cynthia Nixon in promo imagery)

The Gilded Age boasts an all-star cast including Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Taissa Farmiga, with Meryl Streep's daughter Louisa Jacobson completing the glitzy line-up.,

Another added: 'Well The Gilded Age was a feast,' with a third echoing: 'Absolutely loved the first episode of The Gilded Age.'

A fourth wrote: 'The Gilded Age is good. I'll be back next week.'

'I really liked the Gilded Age,' added a fifth while a sixth exclaimed: 'The Gilded Age is SPECTACULAR. That is all.'

Plot: The series tells the story of aspiring writer Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) who moves from Pennsylvania to New York to live with her wealthy aunts Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon) (pictured: Harry Richardson, Louisa Jacobson and Taissa Farmiga)

Reaction: After just one episode of the new series, which is set in New York during a period of huge economic change and had a lengthy run-time of 1.28 minutes, one social media user gushed: 'The Gilded Age is SO good!

So good! But after just one episode of the new series, which is set in New York during a period of huge economic change and had a lengthy run-time of 1.28 minutes, one social media user gushed: 'The Gilded Age is SO good!' (pictured Louisa Jacobson as Mariana Brooke)

Story: The show follows the story of, Peggy Scott (Denee Benton) and Marian, who become embroiled in a social war involving one of her aunts and her railroad tycoon neighbour George (Morgan Spector) and his wife Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon)

Another fan declared that they were 'so in love' with the show and a seventh noted: 'The Gilded Age is sooooooo good. I've been craving this for a while now, ever since Downton Abbey ended.'

Other comments included: 'I really enjoyed the first episode of The Gilded Age', and 'The Gilded Age is dreamy so far!'

Despite the generally positive reviews, some viewers homed in on the fact that Julian's latest outing is a similar feel to his period drama smash hit, Downton Abbey.

Old age Gossip Girl? One elated fan took to Twitter to declare it 'a 19th century Gossip Girl', while another branded the show - while another agreed and described it as 'Gossip Girl in corsets'

One person said: 'Half of me wants to watch The Gilded Age, the other half is sick of shows about rick privileged white people. Like give me an American Peaky Blinders or something about Jacob Riis and his photography! Anything!'

Another said: 'The Gilded Age seems to just be about super rich people being mean af and as elitist as possible. Not at all a fun viewing experience, imo.'

Other took aim at Julian, and said: 'I will never stop rolling my eyes at Julian Fellowes (rich peole: actually very nice! no, really! their servants genuienly like them! this is not self-insert at all!!) but also I'm so into Gilded Age so

'Here we are.'

Uh oh! Despite a generally well-received reception, some viewers did complain that they were 'sick' of the upstairs-downstairs dynamic previously seen in programmes such as Downton Abbey, Belgravia and Bridgerton

Characters: The Gilded Age boasts an all-star cast including Cynthia Nixon, Carrie Coon, Taissa Farmiga, with Meryl Streep's daughter Louisa Jacobson completing the glitzy line-up (pictured Taissa Farmiga (left) as Gladys Russell, Harry Richardson as Larry Russell, Louisa Jacobson as Marian Brook)

One other said: 'I watched the first episode of gilded age and not only is it incredibly dull, but it seems like a terrible moment for another upstairs/downstairs-type drama focusing on the squabbles between old and new money. Quite franky, I'm fed up with shows about rich people.'

One other disappointed fan moaned that the show 'fell flat', and said: 'Was so excited about @HBO Gillded Age, but it really fell flat. Gonna give it another shot next week... definitely expected more from HBO.

'Downton Abbey days are out, Bridgerton, and Hamilton are in, wink wink nudge nudge, Push the boundaries a bit more? Please.'

One other wrote: 'Gilded Age is where Million Dollar American Princesses and Downton Abbey meet err clash. First ep, underwhelming. Hope the second & third are not'

Upstairs, downstairs! One person said: 'Half of me wants to watch The Gilded Age, the other half is sick of shows about rick privileged white people. Like give me an American Peaky Blinders or something about Jacob Riis and his photography! Anything!

A different person said that the cosumes and CGI were not up to scratch, adding: 'Never has a show of self-described with it's own title: The Gilded Age is a show that is itself a rotting turd covered over with garishly expensive and unsucessful costumes and CGI.'

One other wrote: 'Gilded Age is where Million Dollar American Princesses and Downton Abbey meet err clash. First ep, underwhelming. Hope the second & third are not.

'I mean, who can't like a show with a gay character who is a Founding Father's grandson?'

One other wrote: 'Gilded Age is where Million Dollar American Princesses and Downton Abbey meet err clash. First ep, underwhelming. Hope the second & third are not' (pictured Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn)

Ahead of the show's launch, Sky bosses teased: 'Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?' (pictured Cynathia Nixon as Ada Brook)

THE GILDED AGE: WHO'S WHO? Christine Baranski as Agnes van Rhijn A-lister Christine Baranski - who has previously been seen in Mamma Mia!, Chicago and The Big Bang Theory - plays old fashioned socialite Agnes. Agnes is a high society woman who spends a large part of her day making her secretary write letters by dictating to her. Her character's behaviour rings true to the era, as Agnes is intent on keeping age old traditions which have been passed down through her family. Cynthia Nixon as Ada Brook Cynthia Nixon - who is known for her role as Miranda Hobbs in Sex And The City and And Just Like That... - takes on the role of Agnes' sister Ada. Ada's driving force is ensuring that her nieces follow her path and the same gendered ideals which she herself has learned. The conflict paints the picture of the differing approaches which emerged during the golden age in America between generations. High society women were becoming more able to fulfill their ambitions. Carrie Coon as Bertha Russell Carrie Coon - who has been seen previously in HBO series The Leftovers - plays Bertha, a wealthy social climber. Bertha is desperate to dispute the rigid upper class coventions which restrict newcomers from entering New York society. Bertha, along with her husband George, is uthless, ambitious, and relentless in her pursuit of wealth and power. Morgan Spector as George Russell Morgan Spector - who is best known for main roles in Allegiance, The Mist and The Plot Against America - takes on the role of Bertha's husband George. George is a 'new money' robber baron who is keen to establish himself as a railroad tycoon and one of the richest men in New York. Denee Benton as Peggy Scott Denee Benton - who previously starred as Eliza Hamilton in Broadway smash Hamilton - plays up-and-coming young writer Peggy. Peggy becomes useful to society high flyer Agnes, as she works for her as a writer to send letters to other members of society. Louisa Jacobson as Mariana Brooke Meryl Streep's daughter Louisa Jacobson makes her TV debut as the destitute Mariana. Marina begins the first episode by re-acquainting herself with her estranged aunts, Agnes and Ada. While this marks Louisa's first TV appearance, she has previously acted on stage in a 2019 production of Romeo and Juliet. Advertisement

Teaser: Ahead of the show's launch, Sky bosses teased: 'Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?'

The show follows the story of, Peggy Scott (Denee Benton) and Marian, who become embroiled in a social war involving one of her aunts and her railroad tycoon neighbour George (Morgan Spector) and his wife Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon).

The Gilded Age The Gilded Age is a term used to describe the prosperous years in American history post Civil War. Unprecedented growth in technology and industrial activity gave way to greed and corruption. Wealthy tycoons, bankers and politicians created extraordinary wealth at the expense of the working class. The elite grew rich through the monopolies they created in the steel, petroleum, and transportation industries, according to Britannica. Notable tycoons included John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, Leland Stanford and J.P.Morgan. Advertisement

Ahead of the show's launch, Sky bosses teased: 'Exposed to a world on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?'

Fellowes' latest endeavour is years in the making after he began working on a Downton Abbey spin-off in September 2012.

The writer told RadioTimes.com in January 2016 the he was 'hopefully shooting at the end of the year' despite not having written the script just yet.

When asked about the status of the show in June 2016, Fellowes admitted he was 'up to my neck in research' creating the character.

'These people were extraordinary. You can see why they frightened the old guard, because they saw no boundaries,' he told The Los Angeles Times.

'They wanted to build a palace, they built a palace. They wanted to buy a yacht, they bought a yacht. And the old guard in New York weren't like that at all, and suddenly this whirlwind of couture descended on their heads.

'They redesigned being rich. They created a rich culture that we still havepeople who are rich are rich in a way that was established in America in the 1880s, '90s, 1900s. It was different from Europe.'

Fellowes noted that The Gilded Age was 'the fulfilment of a personal dream' after final confirmation the show would be on NBC in January 2018.

HBO acquired the series more than one year later and ordered a straight to series with production announced in September 2019.

The pandemic set back filming by a year, with cameras finally rolling in February 2021.

Set backs: The pandemic set back filming by a year, with cameras finally rolling in February 2021

In the US Downton, the worst snobs are the servants: CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews Julian Fellowes's latest costume drama The Gilded Age

THE GILDED AGE

Sky Atlantic, last night

Rating:

Railroad tycoon George Russell has his feet up on the furniture. 'Careful,' warns his wife, 'that table belonged to King Ludwig of Bavaria.'

George flashes a devil-may-care grin. 'He had it once. I've got it now!' he crows.

You can trust Julian Fellowes never to leave us in doubt about his intentions.

The creator of Downton Abbey has returned with an even more lavish costume drama in The Gilded Age (Sky Atlantic)  and it's all about New Money.

The creator of Downton Abbey has returned with an even more lavish costume drama in The Gilded Age. Pictured: Sisters Cynthia Nixon and Christine Baranski in The Gilded Age

Set in New York, 1882, the overblown wealth was on display from the opening shot.

Horse-drawn carts loaded with statues, chandeliers, antiques and grand pianos rolled up Fifth Avenue to the mansion commissioned by George and his ambitious wife Bertha (Morgan Spector and Carrie Coon).

But across the road, Old Money is in residence. Spiteful widow Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and her fluffy-headed younger sister Ada (Cynthia Nixon) are surrounded by footmen and butlers  and the servants are even bigger snobs than the ladies.

The budget for The Gilded Age is a well-guarded secret, but to judge from the spectacular computer graphics that recreate New York 140 years ago, this production would make a hole in any family fortune.

Fans of Downton will be hoping for complicated romantic entanglements, and, of course, Cupid is hovering.

The sisters have taken in their penniless niece Marian, Louisa Jacobson. Marian brings her new best friend to stay  the young black writer Peggy, Denee Benton (both pictured)

The sisters have taken in their penniless niece Marian (Louisa Jacobson), whose no-good papa (their brother) has wasted their inheritance.

Meanwhile, the Russells' raffish son Larry, played by Harry Richardson, is enjoying the high life  and Marian has already caught his wandering eye.

But the emphasis is on the older female characters. Bertha is a social climber who makes no secret of her desire to be a queen of the New York party world.

'She has imagination, taste and nerve,' boasts hubby George, whose chief job is to roll his eyes at his wife's extravagance and sign the cheques.

At the climax of this opening double episode, Bertha threw an opulent soiree, her table piled high with lobsters spitted on swords like seafood kebabs.

Nobody came  certainly not Agnes and Ada. 'We only see the old people in this house, not the new,' proclaimed Mrs van Rhijn.

How out of joint her stuck-up nose will be when she learns the shocking truth about her disreputable son Oscar, who keeps a barrel-chested blond sportsman in his apartment for frisky fun after the day's parties are over.

Agnes is confronted in other ways by the changing times, as Marian brings her new best friend to stay  the young black writer Peggy, (Denee Benton) an aspiring novelist twice as clever as any of the other characters.

It takes Peggy all of two minutes to win Agnes over, and land a job as her live-in secretary. She has to sleep in the servants' quarters, though, and one or two of the maids are not quite sure what to think.

Celebrities, billionaires and pots of money  this is reality TV from the steam railway era

Amid this rush of faces, we barely had time to get to know the below-stairs staff. Simon Jones presides over the van Rhijn residence as butler Mr Bannister, and he already has a catchphrase: 'It is not for us to have an opinion.'

Across the street, conniving housekeeper Mrs Turner (Kelley Curran) seems to be setting her cap at Mr Russell.

If Bertha catches wind of that, which she undoubtedly will, the saucy servant might end up speared with a lobster stick.

With so much scene setting, the story was slow to get going. It's very different to Lord Fellowes's last drama, Belgravia, which packed the whole of the Battle of Waterloo and a wedding into its opening sequence.

But the good lord enjoys all the fancy dress history so hugely that it is impossible not to be carried along.

'Did you hear they shot Jesse James?' cries Mr Russell. 'Good evening, Mr and Mrs Roosevelt,' calls a footman.

Celebrities, billionaires and pots of money  this is reality TV from the steam railway era.
Jorja Fox will not return for the second season of CSI: Las Vegas.

The actress, 53, announced that she will be leaving the show just one month after the departure of her television husband William Petersen.

She took to Twitter to announce the news, writing, 'Hey all you #CSI fans! After much deliberating, I have decided not to 'Sidle up' for CSI Vegas.'

Stepping down: Jorja Fox will not return for the second season of CSI: Las Vegas a month after her television husband William Petersen decided to leave the show

'For me CSI has always been a love story,' she continued. 'The story that people can find love in the darkest of places and times. And the story that love, even in the darkest of places and times, can expand and grow roots and endure.

'I personally just can't split Sara and Grissom up again. So goes Grissom..So goes Sara. Wherever they go, they belong together.'

She finished off with a thank you to her fans and an endorsement of the program. 'Thanks for watching everyone!!!!! Keep tuning in! I know I will. CSI VEGAS has an incredible team and it should be an amazing show!' followed by a prayer hands emoji and a heart emoji.

Heartfelt twitter post: She took to Twitter to announce the news, writing, 'Hey all you #CSI fans! After much deliberating, I have decided not to 'Sidle up' for CSI Vegas'

No longer a love story: 'For me CSI has always been a love story,' Fox wrote in the Instagram post. 'The story that people can find love in the darkest of places and times'

Petersen made the decision to no longer act in the series last month though he will continue to executive produce the show.

Petersen and Fox acted side by side together for years during the run of the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigations.

Petersen played Gil Grissom on the show as a leading character for the first nine season of the show and a recurring character in several of the following seasons.

His character was romantically involved with Jorja Fox's Sara Sidle. She was in the main cast for the first eight seasons then a recurring character in succeeding seasons.

Partners for years: Petersen and Fox acted side by side together for years during the run of the original CSI: Crime Scene Investigations (pictured 2003)

Their characters married later on in the series though their rocky relationship on the show ended in a divorce.

CSI: Vegas began with a storyline about a problem with the crime lab that presented the possibility of thousands of convicted killers being released.

A new squad of detectives, led by Maxine Roby (Paula Newsome) brought in veterans Grissom and Sidle to probe a case about one-time peer David Hodges (Wallace Langham).

It was an instant hit. The show averaged 3.71 million viewers and an 0.4 rating among adults 18-49 in same-day ratings, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and another 3.09 million and 0.8 among adults 18-49 in delayed viewing numbers.
Kiwi actor Sam Neill has voiced his support to change the date of Australia Day, which is celebrated on January 26.

The 74-year-old Jurassic Park star penned a candid post on Instagram on Wednesday, saying that he 'completely understands how offensive it can be if you're Indigenous'.

Underneath a picture of the Aboriginal flag, Sam said he understands why some people call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'.

Speaking out: On Wednesday, Actor Sam Neill, 74, (picturerd) has voiced his support to 'change the date' of Australia Day - insisting he 'completely understands how offensive it can be if you're Indigenous'

'This great flag. Now free. This Day. Well every nation needs a national day I guess. A time to come together and reflect,' he began.

'But January 26? After 65 thousand years of history, they choose to commemorate a day about 250 years ago, when the British unceremoniously dumped a bunch of whitefella convicts on what is now Sydney.'

He added: 'It's ABSURD. And I completely understand how offensive that can be if you're Indigenous. Given what followed.'

Candid post: Underneath a picture of the Aboriginal flag, Sam said he understands why some people call Australia Day 'Invasion Day'

He finished: 'No wonder some call Australia Day, Invasion Day.'

The likes of actress Rebecca Gibney and MAFS star Connie Crayden liked his post.

Australia Day, held on the date British Royal Navy vessels raised a Union Jack at Sydney Cove, called Warrane by the Aboriginal people who fished and lived there, remains divisive among young and older generations.

Millions of Australians flock to beaches, backyard BBQs, and pubs on January 26 with flags draped over their sun-soaked shoulders to mark the national public holiday.

But for the country's first inhabitants, the date represents the beginning of the painful and devastating impact of colonisation on their culture since the first British fleet sailed into Sydney Cove in 1788.

'But January 26? After 65 thousand years of history, they choose to commemorate a day about 250 years ago, when the British unceremoniously dumped a bunch of whitefella convicts on what is now Sydney. It's ABSURD,' he wrote

A recent survey by Core Data found 'a generational and gender divide among Australians over the significance of the day and its position in the calendar'.

The research consultancy asked whether people planned to celebrate, whether they supported moving the holiday to another date and how their opinions had changed in recent years.

Overall, 54 per cent of respondents said they planned to mark the occasion, with 30 per cent saying they would be celebrating the history and achievements of Australia and 15 per cent 'just because it was a public holiday'.

More than two-thirds of respondents aged 26 and under say they won't be celebrating on January 26, with just over 30 per cent saying they will.

But more than 80 per cent of them support moving the date for the sake of improving relations with the Indigenous population, as do more than 70 per cent of those aged 27 to 41.

Support for change dropped among older respondents, with just over 30 per cent of those 56 to 75 and 25 per cent of those older supporting a change in date.
NBC's streaming platform Peacock has opted not to renew its mystery thriller Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol for a second season, Deadline reported on Monday.

The series served as a prequel to the popular series of film adaptations of Dan Brown's thrillers, which starred Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon.

The Lost Symbol was previously intended as an NBC series, before it was shuffled over to the network's streamer.

End of the road: NBC's streaming platform Peacock has opted not to renew its mystery thriller Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol for a second season, Deadline reported on Monday; (LR) Valorie Curry, Eddie Izzard and Ashley Zukerman in The Lost Symbol

'We were so proud to bring this action-packed mystery thriller to our members and enjoyed watching this compelling series unfold with a satisfying, complete story,' Peacock said in a statement to the publication.

'Were grateful to Dan Dworkin, Jay Beattie, Dan Brown, Brian Grazer and Ron Howard along with CBS Studios, Imagine Television and UTV for bringing this international bestselling novel to life.'

The Lost Symbol focused on the early career of Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon (played by Ashley Zukerman), who was also the protagonist of The Da Vinci Code (2006), Angels & Demons (2009) and Inferno (2016), all of which starred Tom Hanks as the lead and were directed by Ron Howard.

The series also featured Eddie Izzard, Valorie Curry, Sumalee Montano, Rick Gonzalez and Beau Knapp.

'Proud': 'We were so proud to bring this action-packed mystery thriller to our members and enjoyed watching this compelling series unfold with a satisfying, complete story,' Peacock said in a statement; still from The Lost Symbol

On the hunt: Langdon joined forces with the CIA in the 10-episode first season to help solve a series of deadly puzzles that were left in the wake of the disappearance of his mentor (Izzard); still from The Lost Symbol

Langdon joined forces with the CIA in the 10-episode first season to help solve a series of deadly puzzles that were left in the wake of the disappearance of his mentor (Izzard).

The Lost Symbol's pilot was originally produced for NBC, but a full-season order was given for Peacock instead.

After the commercial success of Angel & Demons, Columbia Pictures intended the story to serve as a third film in the Langdon series, with Hanks reprising his lead role and Howard again directing, but the project was ultimately shelved before the forces reunited years later for Inferno.

The show, which aired from September through November 2021, received only mixed reviews from critics and currently has a 54 percent 'rotten' score from reviewers surveyed by Rotten Tomatoes.

Ahead of its season finale, NBC opted to air the pilot episode on its broadcast channel in hopes of raising the show's profile, making it the first Peacock original to be rebroadcast on the network.

Pushed aside: The 10-episode first season originally produced a pilot for NBC before being shuffled over to its streaming platform Peacock; still from The Lost Symbol

Zukerman, who was born in Southern California but moved to Australia when he was a child, recently had a recurring role on HBO's hit dramedy Succession.

He also starred opposite Kate Mara as her husband in the acclaimed FX miniseries A Teacher, which aired in 2020.

More recently, he appeared as variations of the character Sheriff Nick Goode on Netflix's Fear Street horror trilogy.
Nearly a decade after The Office went off the air, stars Steve Carell and John Krasinski will finally reunite on the big screen.

Carell, 59, has signed on for Krasinski's, 42, next directorial effort entitled IF for Paramount Pictures, according to Deadline.

Krasinski will write, direct, produce and star in the film alongside Carell, part of a cast including Ryan Reynolds, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Alan Kim, Cailey Fleming and Fiona Shaw.

Reunited: Nearly a decade after The Office went off the air, stars Steve Carell and John Krasinski will finally reunite on the big screen

New role: Carell, 59, has signed on for Krasinski's, 42, next directorial effort entitled IF for Paramount Pictures, according to Deadline

Writer-director-star: Krasinski will write, direct, produce and star in the film alongside Carell, part of a cast including Ryan Reynolds, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Alan Kim, Cailey Fleming and Fiona Shaw

While major plot details are being kept under wraps, the project is based on Krasinski's original idea about, 'a child's journey to rediscover their imagination.'

Krasinski will produce through his Sunday Night production company, through their first look deal with Paramount Pictures.

Reynolds will also star and produce through his company Maximum Effort's first look deal with Paramount as well.

Producer: Krasinski will produce through his Sunday Night production company, through their first look deal with Paramount Pictures

Allyson Seeger and Andrew Form are also producing through Sunday Night, with George Dewey serving as an executive producer.

While no production schedule was given, Paramount has already set a November 17, 2023 release date, putting it up against Universal's The TrollsTopia Movie.

The project has been in the works for quite some time with The Hollywood Reporter first reporting on it back in October 2019 when it was called Imaginary Friends.

Imaginary: The project has been in the works for quite some time with The Hollywood Reporter first reporting on it back in October 2019 when it was called Imaginary Friends

That report revealed the story followed a man (Reynolds) who can see and interact with people's imaginary friends, though he's tasked with saving the world from imaginary friends who have turned to the 'dark side' after lacking love and friendship.

Krasinski shared a photo on Twitter of his talented cast on Tuesday morning, which he captioned, 'Ah, what if one day I could assemble my dream cast? What... IF.'

This will be Carell and Krasinski's first project together since The Office went off the air in 2013, though there have been rumors about a reunion special.

Office mates: This will be Carell and Krasinski's first project together since The Office went off the air in 2013, though there have been rumors about a reunion special

Tweet: Krasinski shared a photo on Twitter of his talented cast on Tuesday morning, which he captioned, 'Ah, what if one day I could assemble my dream cast? What... IF'

Krasinski will return as Jack Ryan in Amazon's hit series for a third season that will air sometime in 2022, with a fourth season already renewed.

Carell is coming off Apple TV Plus' The Morning Show and he's currently filming The Patient for FX.

He will also return to voice the beloved animated villain Gru in Minions: The Rise of Gru, in theaters July 1.

Jack's back: Krasinski will return as Jack Ryan in Amazon's hit series for a third season that will air sometime in 2022, with a fourth season already renewed

Coming soon: Carell is coming off Apple TV Plus' The Morning Show and he's currently filming The Patient for FX
He recently popped the question to long-term partner Lauren Silverman.

So it was little wonder Simon Cowell was beaming as he left the latest round of Britain's Got Talent auditions at the London Palladium on Tuesday.

The newly-engaged music mogul, 62, was followed by hosts Antony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, who put on jovial displays following a busy day of filming.

Good mood: Simon Cowell was beaming as he left the latest round of Britain's Got Talent auditions at the London Palladium on Tuesday

Simon cut a casual figure in a dark blue zip-up top, teaming this with black trousers and his signature pointed black shoes.

He was in great spirits as he climbed into his waiting car before flashing a thumbs up to the camera.

The media entrepreneur proposed to now-fiancee Lauren, 44, with an impressive $3.4million (2.5m) diamond ring.

Exit: The newly-engaged music mogul, 62, was followed by hosts Antony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, who put on jovial displays following a busy day of filming

Simon popped the question to Lauren on the couple's Barbados getaway over the new year in front of their son Eric, seven, and Lauren's son Adam, 16, who she shares with her ex-husband Andrew Silverman.

Declan, 46, meanwhile cut a smart figure in a dark khaki jacket, black trousers and brown boots.

While co-star Ant, also 46, kept things casual, teaming his navy jacket and black trousers with bright white trainers.

Relaxed look: Simon cut a casual figure in a dark blue zip-up top, teaming this with black trousers and his signature pointed black shoes

Happy days: He was in great spirits as he climbed into his waiting car before flashing a thumbs up to the camera

Style: Declan, 46, meanwhile cut a smart figure in a dark khaki jacket, black trousers and brown boots

Keeping it smart: Dec teamed his dark-toned outfit with a stylish black backpack

Both presenters sported warm smiles following what was no doubt a successful day of filming.

Elsewhere, David Walliams looked dapper in a pale blue shirt and brown trousers as he made a low-key exit from the Palladium.

It comes after David 'was given a talking to' by bosses after making crude jokes and behaving mischievously during auditions for the upcoming series.

He is said to have undone his shirt before playing with his nipples and sticking his finger through the fly of his trousers to make out he was exposing himself next to head judge Simon during auditions this week.

Look who it is: Dec was followed closely by his co-star and longtime pal Ant

Relaxed look: Ant, also 46, kept things casual, teaming his navy jacket and black trousers with bright white trainers

It is claimed David got a 'ticking off' after acting 'like a schoolboy' within the same week that music mogul Simon berated the comic for a cheeky comment in reference to a contestant.

A TV insider told The Sun: 'Because BGT has been off our screens for some time, David is like a schoolboy in his first week back in class after the summer holidays.

'He cant resist showing off in front of the crowd, which people expect from the funnyman. But sometimes he can take things too far, and thats just whats happened this week.

'Simon obviously loves his outrageous behaviour and the fact they take the mickey out of one another, but even he seemed unimpressed with his latest joke.'

They added that David was spoken to about his humour after the first day of auditions but he appears to have taken it as a 'challenge' to be even naughtier.

Off he goes: Elsewhere, David Walliams looked dapper in a pale blue shirt and brown trousers as he made a low-key exit from the Palladium
Real Housewives of Sydney star Lisa Oldfield has slammed Australian of the Year Grace Tame following her awkward meeting with the Prime Minister on Tuesday.

Grace, 27, sparked controversy by giving Scott Morrison a very frosty reception at the Australian of the Year morning tea for this year's finalist.

Lisa, 47, criticised Grace following the frosty confrontation, accusing her of being a 'self-centred brat'.

Unimpressed: Real Housewives of Sydney star Lisa Oldfield, 47, (pictured) has slammed Australian of the Year Grace Tame, 27, following her awkward meeting with the Prime Minister on Tuesday

Awkward: Grace (right) sparked controversy by giving Scott Morrison (left) a very frosty reception at the Australian of the Year morning tea for this year's finalist on Tuesday

Lisa, who is the ex-wife of One Nation co-founder David Oldfield, began her post by praising the 2022 Australian of the Year Dylan Alcott, writing: 'Thank God we finally have an amazing and inspirational #Australianoftheyear!'

'Dylan Alcott you are an inspiration to us all and every time I see you play or hear you speak I am so proud to be an Australian. So well deserved and you really are a bloody legend.'

She added: 'Conversely @tamepunk... you made it all about yourself and carried on like a prat and a self-centred brat!'

The left-leaning activist couldn't even look the PM in the eye when they met at the AOTY morning tea at the Lodge in Canberra on Tuesday

One of Lisa's followers hit back, replying: 'Pretty rich coming from someone who had a platform to highlight [important] issues on a television series and yet acted like a prat'.

The user was referring to Lisa's controversial stint on Arena's Real Housewives of Sydney in 2017, in which she famously clashed with other stars.

Lisa promptly responded to the user: 'I won a local Australia Day award in 2018 for raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for wildlife rescue and then used my profile to raise another $250K that year, so actually I'm quite pleased with my achievements.'

The awkward and tense moment followed a year when Ms Tame used her platform to criticise the Morrison government and Australian society repeatedly

It comes after Australian of the Year Grace couldn't disguise her contempt for Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday when the pair reunited at the end of her year-long reign in the honorary position.

The awkward and tense moment followed a year when Ms Tame used her platform to criticise the Morrison government and Australian society repeatedly.

Her antagonism began on the very day she was awarded the prestigious AOTY title last year.

Response: One of Lisa's followers hit back, replying: 'Pretty rich coming from someone who had a platform to highlight [important] issues on a television series and yet acted like a prat'

She took a dig at Mr Morrison before she had even accepted her award, mocking him about climate change on Instagram.

She later expressed outrage at remarks the Prime Minister had whispered in her ear.

The 27-year-old was given the honour for leading a campaign for a legal change that allowed sex abuse survivors to speak out.

She had been groomed and molested as a schoolgirl by one of her teachers.

Having given a speech at the ceremony, she was surprised by the PM's reaction and went public with it.

'Do you know what he said to me, right after I finished that speech and we're in front of a wall of media?' the Tasmanian later told a podcast.

'I s*** you not, he leaned over and right in my ear he goes, 'Well, gee, I bet it felt good to get that out'.'


Tech giant urged to enhance in-company patent management, sign cross-licenses



By Baek Byung-yeul



Samsung Electronics has increasingly become a target for non-practicing entities (NPEs), also known as patent trolls, who file lawsuits against the tech giant, demanding royalties based on their patents for similar technologies, according to industry analysts, Wednesday.



Concerns have been growing that Korean companies are easy prey for these patent trolls, as seen in a recent case where Samsung was hit with a lawsuit from a former executive who had been in charge of intellectual property management of the company.



Korean companies will continue to be embroiled in such lawsuits as they are at the top of the world in terms of the number of intellectual property, the analysts said, adding that the more patents they hold, the more lawsuits against them will increase.



An NPE is a company or person holding patent rights. Instead of engaging in manufacturing or otherwise making use of their intellectual property, NPEs generate profits by patent trolling, or seeking licensing deals via negotiation.



According to data by the Korea Intellectual Property Protection Agency, Samsung was sued for patent infringements 403 times in the United States between 2017 and May 2021. During the same period, LG Electronics was involved in 199 cases, Hanwha and Hyundai Motor were each involved in 11 cases and SK hynix in seven cases.



The latest lawsuits Samsung is fighting are patent lawsuits filed by a company led by former Samsung Vice President Ahn Seung-ho. The executive is a U.S. patent attorney who worked for Samsung's patent law department from 2010 to 2019. After leaving the company, he established an NPE called Synergy IP and submitted 10 patent lawsuits in partnership with U.S.-based company Staton Techiya LLC.



Despite Samsung being embroiled in numerous lawsuits, this case was especially unusual, due to the direct involvement of its former executive, who had overseen the company's patent management. The patent technologies claimed by Ahn are related mainly to wireless audio technologies, applied to Samsung's smartphones, wireless earbuds and its Bixby artificial intelligence platform.



A Samsung Electronics official said, "The lawsuit was made known to the public by a court in the U.S. state of Texas. It is our principle not to discuss any legal disputes we are currently going through."



An IT industry official said that Korean tech companies  especially Samsung  that operate various businesses, such as semiconductors, smartphones, TVs and home appliances, have become easy targets for patent trolls, as these high-tech industries are intertwined with a large number of patented technologies.



"As Korean companies have secured a lot of patents, they are increasingly facing lawsuits. Moreover, Samsung is the main target of NPEs as it occupies the largest shares of many IT sectors, such as phones and chips," the official said.



To defend themselves from such lawsuits, companies here are increasing their defense capabilities by strengthening in-company patent management organizations and signing cross-licenses with global companies in various business areas.



Ryan Song, a law professor at Kyung Hee University, said that protecting patent-related rights is an important part of doing business in the West  such as in the U.S. and Europe. In this regard, Korean companies should increase their measures against patent infringement.



"Since Korea is technologically advanced and has a higher number of patent applications compared to other developed countries, many issues related to patents arise. I think the ability of Korean companies to combat infringement is not strong overall in the industry. In patent lawsuits, big law firms here lack techniques compared to overseas law firms  perhaps because they have not participated much in such areas yet," Song said.


Jamie Dornan gushed about attending the premiere of his new movie Belfast in his native Northern Ireland on Tuesday during a talk show visit.

The 39-year-old actor during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon was asked by Jimmy, 47, what the premiere for 'Belfast' was like in Belfast.

'Listen, it was one of the best nights of my life,' said Jamie, who looked dapper in a dark double breasted wool pinstriped suit and light blue dress shirt sans tie with accessories all from the Spring Summer 2022 collections by Brunello Cucinelli.

Belfast premiere: Jamie Dornan gushed about attending the premiere of his new movie Belfast in his native Northern Ireland on Tuesday during a talk show visit

'I felt like vomiting for the whole day, like, I have never,' he added due to feeling nervous.

'No, I really get, like, a sick feeling in my stomach when you are about to put something out there like that,' he said.

'But particularly doing it for the people of home. This movie means so much to them,' Jamie said.

'We had family and some of my best mates there. And 1,400 people from Belfast, so it was a special night. Yeah, it was class,' he added.

Warm welcome: The 39-year-old actor received a warm welcome as he stepped out in a dark double breasted wool pinstriped suit and light blue dress shirt sans tie with accessories all from the Spring Summer 2022 collections by Brunello Cucinelli

Best night: 'Listen, it was one of the best nights of my life,' Jamie said of the 'Belfast' premiere in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Jamie said he signed on for the film directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh when only Dame Judi Dench, 87, was attached to the project.

'At that point I was like, "I don't need to read the script, like, I'm doing it'',' Jamie said.

Jamie said his Belfast co-star Ciaran Hinds, 68, who plays his father described Judi 'perfectly' as a 'rebel'.

Incredible cast: Jamie said he signed on for the film directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh when only Dame Judi Dench, 87, was attached to the project

'She has this, like, rebellious, like, cheeky, like, mischievous side to her. And she's, like, 87, Judi,' Jamie said admiringly. 'And she just, she comes ready to play. You know, it's very fun to be around.'

Jamie has received critical acclaim for his work in Belfast and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture.

Belfast was released in November in the US and last week in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The film follows a boy's childhood amid The Troubles in Belfast in the 1960s.
Lucy Hale was seen walking with her dogs in Los Angeles on Tuesday.

Taking advantage of the mild Southern California winter weather, the 32-year-old actress stepped out in a white tank top and a pair of light wash jeans.

The Pretty Little Liars alum wore a pair of dark circular Paradigm Eyewear sunglasses as she trekked with her two small pups.

Dog mom duties: Lucy Hale was seen walking with her dogs in Los Angeles on Tuesday

Adding to her cool and comfortable look, Lucy added a trio of necklaces that ranged in size.

The movie star was alone but she took a phone call via her AirPods as she trotted with her iPhone in hand.

Her two tiny white pooches seemed happy to be with her as they happily walked alongside her.

Great weather: Taking advantage of the mild Southern California winter weather, the actress stepped out in a white tank top and a pair of light wash jeans

Protective accessory: The Pretty Little Liars alum wore a pair of dark circular Paradigm Eyewear sunglasses as she trekked with her two small pups

The entertainer's sleeveless shirt showed off her several small written tattoos on her inner arm.

She kept her beloved animals close with the help of two sturdy dog leashes that kept them anchored nearby via small harnesses.

Hale pulled her dark bob haircut back into a loose ponytail with a middle part.

Standing at 5ft2in, the petite performer walked in a pair of white sneakers.

Jewelry: Adding to her cool and comfortable look, Lucy added a trio of necklaces that ranged in size

Multitasking: The movie star was alone but she took a phone call via her AirPods as she trotted with her iPhone in hand

Hale is currently prepping for the release of Borrego, in which she is set to star.

The actress will portray a botanist named Elly, who is kidnapped by a first-time drug mule when his plane crashes in the desert.

The Jesse Harris-directed feature also stars performers such as Nicholas Gonzalez, Olivia Trujilo and Jorge A. Jimenez, among others.

The actress also served as an executive producer on the project, and it is her first time performing in that capacity.

New project: Hale is currently prepping for the release of Borrego, in which she is set to star

Role: The actress will portray a botanist named Elly, who is kidnapped by a first-time drug mule when his plane crashes in the desert
Cardi B was awarded an additional $2.8 million on Tuesday by a jury after winning her federal libel case against blogger Tasha K.

The 29-year-old rapper was awarded an additional $1.5 million in punitive damages, plus $1.3 million for her attorney's fees, according to an article Tuesday by TMZ.

A jury on Monday found Tasha K, real name Latasha Kebe, liable on two counts of slander and one count each of libel and invasion of privacy.

Additional awards: Cardi B,shown last month in Santa Monica, California, was awarded an additional $2.8 million on Tuesday by a jury after winning her federal libel case against blogger Tasha K

Cardi, real name Belcalis Almanzar, was awarded $1 million in general damages by the jury in Georgia on Monday, along with an additional $250,000 for medical expenses.

The 39-year-old blogger was sued by the hitmaker for defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress after claiming in videos posted to her YouTube channel that Cardi had once worked as a prostitute and had suffered from drug abuse and sexually transmitted diseases.

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, where Latasha lives, and the trial took just over a week before a jury determined that Latasha was liable on the slander, libel and invasion of privacy counts.

Cardi sued the YouTuber back in 2019 for a 'campaign of slander' after she refused to take down the offending videos.

Shocking allegations: Latasha K was sued by Cardi in 2019 for YouTube videos falsely alleging that Cardi used cocaine and contracted herpes while working as a prostitute, all claims the rapper disputed in her lawsuit

Among the false claims made were that the superstar rapper had contract herpes and that she regularly used cocaine while working as a prostitute.

'None of the aforementioned statements about plaintiff are true,' Cardi's legal team replied in her lawsuit filing. 'Plaintiff was never a prostitute or a user of cocaine. Plaintiff has never, and does not now, have herpes, nor has she had herpes outbreaks on her mouth.'

Latasha after the verdict on Monday posted on Twitter: 'My Husband, Attorneys, & I fought really hard. I want to thank them for their long hours and sleepless nights. Winos its only up from here. See yall in a few days. Back to work.'

Hard fight: Latasha after the verdict on Monday posted on Twitter: 'My Husband, Attorneys, & I fought really hard. I want to thank them for their long hours and sleepless nights. Winos its only up from here. See yall in a few days. Back to work'

She also tweeted on Tuesday that she would speak about the lawsuit on Wednesday, posting: 'I will be making my FIRST and ONLY statement about the case Wednesday 1/26/22 at 7pm est on my @YouTube channel.'

Latasha's lawyers, Olga Izmaylova and Sadeer Sabbak, in a statement on Tuesday to The New York Times said they disagreed with the verdict and planned to appeal.

A courtroom observer told Rolling Stone that Cardi on Monday was in the room to witness the verdict and appeared 'elated' after winning her case.

Payday: The jury awarded Cardi, seen in December in Miami Beach, Florida, $1 million in general damages and $250K in medical fees on Monday and another $2.8 million on Tuesday

They added that she hugged her lawyers Lisa Fortune Moore and Sarah Matz, before pulling them into a 'three-way hug.'

Cardi hasn't yet commented directly on her legal victory, but afterward she posted a throwback photo to her Instagram Stories that appeared to show her with her late maternal grandmother.

'My queen thank you for hearing my prayers,' she began her caption. 'Only you know those nights that I cried to you feeling hopeless and tired even when it seems like I have the world on my hands.'

Family: Cardi didn't comment on the verdict but shared a photo that appeared to be of her maternal grandmother to Instagram later on Monday and thanked her for 'hearing my prayers'

Earlier this month, Cardi claimed 'I wanted to commit suicide over the things' in her emotional testimony in court.

'I felt defeated and depressed and I didn't want to sleep with my husband,' she said of a period shortly after she and the Migos rapper Offset welcomed their daughter Kulture.

During direct examination by her legal team, she also admitted that she felt as if she 'didn't deserve my kid.'

The rapper also blasted Tasha K from the witness stand, saying 'I felt like only a demon could do that s**t,' according to TMZ.

The blogger followed Cardi's 2019 suit with a countersuit alleging that the Bodak Yellow rapper had threatened that gang members would assault her, but a judge later threw out the countersuit.

She also called out Cardi for allegedly calling her a 'h*e' and 'dumb a** b****' on Instagram.
The Decade The Rich Won (BBC)

Rating:

Secrets Of The Krays (ITV)

Rating:

George Osborne is a cartoonist's dream, but he's difficult to photograph from a flattering angle.

The former Chancellor's nose has a bulbous, bifurcated tip. It's an unfortunate feature.

The cameraman for The Decade The Rich Won (BBC1) didn't even try to help him. George was filmed from above, sweltering under the lights. As he tried to explain the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis, that perspective gave him the look of a guilty suspect buckling under police interrogation.

Ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, by contrast, was presented in a pale linen suit in a white kitchen, with soft dappled light falling from the window behind him.

He couldn't have looked more kindly if bluebirds had alighted singing on his shoulders.

Let's face it, we shouldn't expect balanced, impartial reporting from a documentary with such a lurid title. And we didn't get it.

The cameraman for The Decade The Rich Won (BBC1) didn't even try to help George Osborne. He was filmed from above, sweltering under the lights.

This two-part history of Britain since the banking crash of 2008 is a manifesto for anti-capitalist tub-thumping. The tone was set by a contributor who raged, 'there is one rule for the rest of us but a different rule for the elite. It is deeply unfair.'

The contributor was Mervyn King, chairman of the Bank of England from 2003-2013. Lord King is an unlikely anarcho-Communist, but perhaps he has fallen under Saint Jeremy's spell. Merchant bankers, brokers and politicians queued up to denounce the system and bemoan the way it benefited a corrupt 'elite' of 'the one per cent'.

The more unkempt they were, the more hollow their lamentations. A company executive called Paul Marshall, who looked like he'd slept in his car, confessed, 'full disclosure, the hedge fund industry was a big beneficiary.'

Perhaps this combination of contrition and scruffiness was a carefully assembled image, to convince us money can't buy happiness, or even a Bic safety razor.

One bearded former Citibank trader, Gary Stevenson, pledged that after making more money in a day than his father did in his lifetime, he saw the error of his ways. Gary is now an 'inequality economist'.

These unconvincing penitents were contrasted against the truly righteous, the protesters of the Occupy movement  camping out on the steps of St Paul's cathedral, in a noble crusade for justice.

They were the 'voice of the people' . . . unlike the 17.4 million Brexit voters, who in this version of history were goaded into an act of national self-harm as a direct result of Tory austerity.

Apparently, the deciding factor in Brexit was the revelation in April 2016 that David Cameron's father had some dodgy offshore tax dealings.

At the end of the hour, a voiceover urged us to click on an Open University link 'for an illustrated look into the wealth gap and how it affects us all'. It all felt like a party political broadcast on behalf of the Socialist Workers.

Secrets Of The Krays (ITV) is a smoothly made, three-part series, packed with psychological insights from those who knew the twins.

East End gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray had their own method of dealing with the wealth gap. Building their protection racket, they gathered a coterie of glamorous chums from the arts, as they sought celebrity status.

Britbox subscribers have been able to watch Secrets Of The Krays (ITV) for the best part of a year. It's a smoothly made, three-part series, packed with psychological insights from those who knew the twins.

Their former lawyer, Nemone Lethbridge, recalled that in their Italian suits, 'they looked like two owls. They were very solemn and extremely polite.' They were also, she added, 'terrific snobs'.

As a teenager, Ronnie used to have an Italian barber come to the house and shave him every day. No man-of-the-people scruffiness for the Krays.
She kept her fans guessing about the sex of her first child after only revealing last week that they were named Monaco.

But Jeannie Mai Jenkins cleared up some of the mystery in a preview clip for Wednesday's episode of The Real in which she announced that baby Monaco was a girl.

The 43-year-old stylist and talk show host had her costars cheering as she shared the news via video chat.

Baby news: Jeannie Mai Jenkins, 43, revealed in a preview of Wednesday's episode of The Real that her first child Monaco is a girl

'It sounds so dumb, but I really wanted you to have a girl,' admitted her co-host Adrienne Bailon.

Jeannie added that they'd discussed fashion choices for girls and what it was like to raise girls earlier in her pregnancy.

'Everyone thought it was a boy. Everyone!' she added, before noting that all the superstitions expecting mothers have about what might signal a boy or girl are false.

Adrienne also noted that some of her cohosts thought that Monaco might signal that Jeannie had welcomed a boy due to it's 'O' ending, but the new mother clarified that she picked the name before she even knew the baby's sex.

Fooled them: 'Everyone thought it was a boy. Everyone!' Jeannie added, before noting that all the superstitions expecting mothers have about what might signal a boy or girl are false

Dream come true: 'That's the part that I'm still just so overwhelmed with,' Mai said after she was asked how it felt to be the mom of a girl. 'I can't explain to you how many visions jumped into my head this moment I put that little girl into my hands'

Making changes: She also saw being a parent as an opportunity to raise her child differently than she was raised

'That's the part that I'm still just so overwhelmed with,' Mai said after she was asked how it felt to be the mom of a girl. 'I can't explain to you how many visions jumped into my head this moment I put that little girl into my hands. I thought about my relationship with Mama Mai. That already, I can't wait to have that bond with Monaco.'

She also saw being a parent as an opportunity to raise her child differently than she was raised.

'I also thought about all the things that I didn't learn as a little girl, that I can't wait to teach my daughter now,' she continued. 'There's just so many reasons why raising a little girl is such an honor to me. I would have been happy with anything, but to have Monaco, I can't tell you, I feel chosen. It's emotional, and I can't wait to raise a really strong, loving, empathetic, humorous, fashionable, fly, little girl.'

Jeannie Mai shared the name of her first child on Thursday.

Oh la la: Jeannie Mai shared the name of her first child on Thursday. The beauty said during her show The Real that she and husband Jeezy have given their little one the moniker of Monaco

The beauty said on The Real that she and husband Jeezy have given their little one the moniker of Monaco. Monaco is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera.

But the talk show host did not reveal the gender of the child at the time, as she said she wanted to share that at a later date.

In a new video shared with People, Mai revealed that the nursery for the baby is neither pink nor blue but rather a neutral color.

On Thursday's episode, Adrienne Bailon said, 'Today is an extra exciting day because, guess what ... we have a Baby J update.' Guest co-host Kathy Hilton smiled.

Bailon then opened an envelope and read: 'Three years ago, Jeezy and Jeannie were talking on a bridge in France, talking about what it meant to do life together.

Boy or girl? The talk show host did not reveal the gender of the child at the time, as she said she wanted to share that at a later date

The name at last! She has the child's name Monaco in cursive in the nursery

At ease: Here she was seen in a pink dress as she relaxes in an off white chair

'Here they decided to grow and raise a family together. Hence, they named their child after the city that changed their lives forever: Monaco Mai Jenkins.'

In the clip on her Hello Hunnay YouTube channel Mai said that Monaco holds a special place for the lovebirds as it is the place where they discussed their life goals.

'I thought Baby J's name should be a J name because obviously Jeannie and Jeezy, makes sense, but that wasn't the name that came to us,' Mai Jenkins shared.

'What really came to us was how baby J came to fruition for us when we were dating.'

The star shows off the child's nursery in the video and at one point she reveals a sign on the wall that says Monaco.

The baby is here: Mai, 43, took to Instagram to make the special announcement over a week ago

So Real: On Thursday's episode of The Real, Adrienne Bailon said, 'Today is an extra exciting day because, guess what ... we have a Baby J update.' Seen with Jeezy in 2020

'That's really the theme of the nursery: what Monaco is about. Family, moments, traveling, discussions, important key points in my life and Jeezy's life that brought Monaco here,' she also said.

They welcomed the child on January 11.

'I asked God for a life of love and happiness,' Mai said in a post alongside a baby crib from the maternity ward. 'He sent me my family. Baby Jenkins is here.'

Mai and Jeezy, 44, wed last March in Georgia and she revealed they were expecting last September on The Real.

She opened up at the time about her changing stance on parenthood.

She showed fans a lot: The TV star has chronicled her stages of her pregnancy on social media and on her show

'You know, I was like, I know exactly what I want, I know exactly what kind of woman I want to be, and I always said, 'I'd never be a mom,'' she said. 'And there's so many reasons now that are coming to fruition as to why I would have said that then, but I do know that you never say never, and that love can really change you.'

She said that her husband made her realize that she's 'never really truly felt safe.

'And of course, it has to do with things that happened when I was younger, but when you know what feeling unsafe is like, that becomes your world. And falling in love with Jeezy, meeting someone who also didn't feel safe in their life, we began to really create a place where our happiness spelled out what safe looked like around us.

She continued: 'So, as soon as you feel safe, in a healthy relationship, all of a sudden you start having visions and dreams and for both of us at the same time, it would be becoming parents, having kids.'

Mai said that she and Jeezy  who has three children from prior relationships, Jadarius, Shyheim and Amra  had tried to have a child after they wed last March.

Fun party: Mai last month celebrated a baby shower with friends and loved ones at her home

Not saying: And in a new video shared with People, Mai shared that the nursery for the baby is neither pink nor blue but rather neutral. Mai was snapped in November at the Baby2Baby 10-Year Gala in Los Angeles

She said that following a pregnancy loss, the couple thought about in vitro fertilization, but later conceived the child naturally.

Mai opened up about the turn of events to Women's Health last September, saying, 'It was the most beautiful sign that anything's possible, that you're not in control and God has a plan.'

She said that 'being a mom is hands down the hardest role in the entire world,' and that 'now that we're bringing another Jenkins into the picture, [she has] no idea what to expect.'

So happy: She began dating Jeezy in 2018. Seen on their wedding day in 2021

Mai last month held a Winter Wonderland-themed 'shower of love' at the home she shares with her spouse.

'How am I falling in love againbut this time with someone I've never met?' she said in a clip on Instagram. 'Baby J isn't even here yet- yet bringing together our friends and family in a way only God can do. Thank you, thank you to all our friends who threw this shower of love.'

Among those in attendance included Adrienne Bailon Houghton, Elaine Welteroth, Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson.

Mai was previously wed to actor Freddy Harteis from 2007 to 2017; She began dating Jeezy in 2018.
Controversial Instagram model Jade Tuncdoruk, 26, could possibly be dropped from her management.

According to The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Wednesday, when approached for comment regarding a week of bad press, talent agency MAXCONNECTORS said they are 'unable to comment as the situation is under review'.

Jade was forced to apologise for a racially insensitive Uber Eats Facebook post from 2017 that went viral, and was slammed for 'demanding' that a small business give her a refund for a deposit on her honeymoon - after ignoring the terms and conditions.

'The situation is under review': Controversial Instagram model Jade Tuncdoruk (pictured), 26, could possibly be DROPPED from her management after a week of bad press, according to a new report on Wednesday

As of Wednesday afternoon, Jade is still featured on the website for MAXCONNECTORS.

Daily Mail Australia has also reached out to the talent agency for additional comment.

In the resurfaced Facebook post, Jade complained to Uber Eats about their 'annoying non-English speaking delivery drivers'.

Under review: According to The Daily Telegraph's Confidential on Wednesday, when approached for comment regarding a week of bad press, talent agency MAXCONNECTORS said they are 'unable to comment as the situation is under review'

Negative headlines: Jade was forced to apologise for a racially insensitive Uber Eats Facebook post from 2017 that went viral, and was slammed for 'demanding' that a small business give her a refund for a deposit on her honeymoon - after ignoring the terms and conditions

Last Friday, Jade apologised for her 'hurtful comments' after her Facebook post was uploaded by the Celeb Spellcheck Instagram page.

The resurfaced post read: 'I order off you guys all the time and I'm starting to find it really annoying that you have so many non English speaking delivery people who can't follow basic delivery instructions.

'I got a notification today saying my food was arriving and it took the person a further 20 mins to get to my door because he didn't read my delivery instructions properly and when I called him to explain he didn't understand a word I was saying.'

Going under the radar: Amid the backlash, Jade - who boasts 484,000 followers on Instagram - has gone private on the social media app

Apology: Last Friday, Jade apologised for a racially insensitive Facebook post from back in 2017 where she complained to Uber Eats about their 'annoying non-English speaking delivery drivers'

She continued: 'Your GPS is consistently sending drivers to the wrong address which I've explained in my instructions which most people read and have no problem with but when foreigners are delivering it takes twice as long for me to receive my then cold food. Sort it out.'

In her apology on Friday, the influencer wrote: 'I'm sorry to anyone I've hurt with my comments. I hold myself accountable for my actions.

'It doesn't excuse anything but know that I have grown immensely in the past several years. I always do my best to be someone others can look up to and I know I've let people down and for that I'm truly sorry.'

Post: In the resurfaced post, Jade' wrote: 'I order off you guys all the time and I'm starting to find it really annoying that you have so many non English speaking delivery people who can't follow basic delivery instructions'

Amid the backlash, Jade - who boasts 485,000 followers on Instagram - has gone private on the social media app.

It comes after Jade was slammed for 'demanding' that a small business give her a refund for a deposit on her honeymoon - after she ignored the company's terms and conditions.

She raised eyebrows by whingeing to her online fans about the financial woes of cancelling her lavish Hunter Valley honeymoon with fiance Lachie Brycki due to Covid.

Apology: Jade apologised for her 'hurtful comments' after her post was uploaded by the Celeb Spellcheck Instagram page

Cash clash: It comes after Jade was slammed for 'demanding' that a small business give her a refund for a deposit on her honeymoon - after she ignored the company's terms and conditions

In her now-deleted post, Jade, who is frequently gifted with luxury designer handbags and clothing, explained that she'd booked her stay with premium holiday rental company Weekenda last year, putting down a $2,000 deposit.

She however decided to cancel her booking with the company Weekenda in August, after postponing her wedding due to Covid.

It's unclear why Jade opted to cancel altogether rather than simply postponing the trip, just like her wedding.

She demanded that the company refund her deposit - even though Weekenda's terms and conditions clearly states that customers aren't entitled to a refund of their deposit if they cancel.

'Incredibly poor form': In her now-deleted post, Jade explained that she'd booked her stay with premium holiday rental company Weekenda last year, putting down a $2,000 deposit. After cancelling the booking due to Covid, she demanded that the company refund her deposit. Weekenda denied their request

'We requested a refund due to the pandemic, but they said the best they could do was put it back up on line to be booked by someone else,' Jade explained.

'Six weeks out of [sic] the booking and we've asked again for a refund which they've denied. They've had months to refund us for a booking that we don't need. They're taking our money just because they can,' she raged.

She added: 'It's just incredibly poor form and so disappointing that businesses are taking advantage of people in the middle of a pandemic.'

In black and white: Weekenda's terms and conditions (pictured) clearly states that customers aren't entitled to a refund of their deposit if they cancel

Jade included a link to Weekenda's Instagram page, and it didn't take long for her supporters to lash out at the company.

She later claimed she was surprised that her followers had begun contacting the company directly and demanding they refund her money.

'Not y'all following them,' she wrote, rolling her eyes.

Not long after, Jade shared another post announcing that Weekenda had agreed to refund her deposit.
Gigi Hadid was spotted hurrying down the New York City sidewalk on Tuesday night after a long day on set.

The 26-year-old star covered up her famous supermodel figure and looked comfortable wearing an oversized grey sweatshirt with a blue collar and matching slacks.

Hadid's long blond tresses were meticulously plaited into a gorgeous thick braid in the back of her head.

On the go: Gigi Hadid was spotted hurrying down the New York City sidewalk on Tuesday night after a long day on set

Though she sported a laid-back outfit, Gigi - born Jelena Noura Hadid - didn't skip out on the face glam, wearing prominent cat eye makeup.

The Vogue cover girl paired her outfit with black Converse shoes. In her hand was a tightly-grasped green Whole Foods tote bag and her phone which she then accessorized with a String Ting pearl wristlet.

Though she didn't accessorize her look with any jewelry, the on-trend fashionista added a bit of fun to her look by opting to go with a dark color of nail polish.

Earlier in the evening she was also seen wearing a white face mask to help protect her from COVID-19.

Casual look: The 26-year-old model looked comfortable wearing an oversized grey sweatshirt with a blue collar and matching slacks

Stunner: Her long blond tresses were meticulously plaited into a gorgeous thick braid in the back of her head

On Tuesday a source told Us Weekly that Hadid is currently on 'amicable terms' with her 16-month-old daughter Khai's father, Zayn Malik, 29, following their split last year and his explosive altercation with her mother, Yolanda Hadid, 58.

'Gigi and Zayn are getting along just fine,' the insider revealed.

The couple are reportedly focused on their privacy in order to protect their daughter and have been communicating.

'Theyve been in each others lives in some way or another for the past few weeks,' the insider said.

Trendy: The Vogue cover girl paired her outfit with black Converse shoes

Healthy: On her arm she carried a large green Whole Foods tote bag

Malik has been working to prove that he is a 'responsible father' who is present for his child.

The source went on to say, 'There is no custody battle going on right now  theyre just trying to work things out as coparents.'

The fight between the model's boyfriend and her mom reportedly took place on September 29, when Yolanda went to the couple's Pennsylvania farmhouse while Gigi was modeling in Paris.

Getting along: Hadid is said to be on 'amicable terms' with her 16-month-old daughter Khai's father, Zayn Malik, 29, following their split last year; Pictured on Oct 2, 2016 in Paris, France

She encountered Zayn and an argument ensued. During the alleged altercation Zayn is said to have 'grabbed Yolanda' and 'shoved' her into a dresser.

He also allegedly screamed at her: 'Stay away from [my] f*****g daughter' and called her a 'f*****g Dutch s**t'.

He is said to have called Gigi and yelled into the phone: 'Strap on some f***ing balls and defend your partner against your f***ing mother in my house.'

Malik was charged with four counts of harassment, to which he pleaded no contest.
Sophie Cachia has shot down rumours she was paid a massive $200,000 for her appearance on Survivor: Blood Vs Water.

The 31-year-old reality star did a Q&A on Instagram this week.

'Absolutely no truth to that,' Cachia said, laughing off the wild speculation.

Pay packet: Sophie Cachia, 31, (pictured) has set the record straight on her rumoured $200,000 payday for appearing on Survivor: Blood vs Water during a Q&A on Instagram

The Melbourne star went on to say that networks would never pay that kind of money as an appearance fee.

'Anyone who knows anything about networks would know they would never in a million years pay someone like me an absurd amount of money like that,' she said.

She went on to say she 'never asked for a cent' but did joke she would be happy to take '$200,000' is someone has it laying around.

Not so fast: 'Anyone who knows anything about networks would know they would never in a million years pay someone like me an absurd amount of money like that,' she said

'I'll happily take it off your hands to pay for my therapist,' she finished.

Sophie will appear on the show with her sister, KJ.

Melbourne-based Sophie is currently making the leap from internet fame to mainstream network TV.

Sisters: Sophie will appear on the show with her sister, KJ. Pictured here with Sophie

The mother-of-two is the former wife of AFL star, Jaryd Cachia.

She was recently seen locking lips with her girlfriend, Maddie Garrick at Pride day at the Australian Open.

In a candid interview with the No Filter podcast in July 2020, Sophie explained the status of her relationship with Jaryd, which ended before she began dating women.

Going mainstream: Melbourne-based Sophie is currently making the leap from internet fame to mainstream network TV

'I had a beautiful man in my life, I still do. He's an incredible father and an incredible friend to me but why can't women seek more?' she said.

'That married life I realised wasn't what I wanted. And it wasn't that I realised, "Oh I like women now, I'm going to leave my marriage", it wasn't that. I realised I wanted more.'

Sophie briefly dated Matilda's star Alanna Kennedy after meeting through work in 2019. The pair split in early 2020.

Candid: In an interview with Mamamia's No Filter podcast in July, Sophie explained why her marriage to Jaryd ended before she pursued a relationship with another woman

'She was overseas for the first five to six months. We didn't dive straight into a relationship but we definitely connected straight away,' she said.

'In a way, [Kennedy] changed my life in the sense that... obviously I dated women and men, but she made me realise I can actually see myself in a relationship with a woman long term and I can see myself having a life there.'

Before she married Jaryd in April 2016, Sophie said she'd never dated women.

Australian Survivor will premiere on January 31, 7.30pm.
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Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have slashed the price on their lavish New York apartment, which they'd listed over the summer for $21.5million.

According to Dirt.com, the longtime couple's property is now on the market for $2million less than their initial asking price, bringing it down to $19.5million.

The expansive four-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom penthouse home was designed by Thierry Despont and offers sweeping city views overlooking Central Park West.

Slashed: Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have slashed the price on their lavish New York apartment, which they'd listed over the summer for $21.5million

Situated on the top floor of the Kenilworth building, which was built in 1908 by Townsend, Steinle & Haskell, the property looks like a 12th-century English castle

'The Kenilworth is a white glove, full service cooperative with attended elevator and Resident Manager, built in 1908 in the French Second Empire style,' according to the Sotheby's International Realty listing agent

The 15-room apartment was turned into nine bigger spaces and occupies the entire front of the historic building, and wrapping around both north and south corners.

Longtime love: Catherine and Michael have been married since 2000 after meeting at the Deauvulle Film Festival in France in 1998. They have two children together: Dylan, 20, and Carys, 18; the couple pictured in September

Period details, high ceilings and expansive rooms offer modern living throughout the open space.

A grand foyer leads way to a sunny living room which is flanked by a large wood-paneled corner library with two wood-burning fireplaces.

The dining room is on the opposite side and can easily be made more intimate by closing the stately mahogany pocket doors.

Eye for design: The expansive four-bedroom penthouse home was designed by Thierry Despont and offers sweeping city views overlooking Central Park West

Old school: Situated on the top floor of the Kenilworth building, which was built in 1908 by Townsend, Steinle & Haskell, the property looks like a 12th-century English castle

Crisp and clean: Period details, high ceilings and expansive rooms offer modern living throughout the open space

A quaint powder room with an ante chamber, wet bar and wine storage complete the entertaining space.

An eat-in chef's kitchen boasts an impressive line of appliances including a Wolf industrial range and double Traulsen refrigerators.

The primary suite includes a massive bedroom, sitting area, en suite marble bath and two sizable dressing rooms.

Let's eat: An eat-in chef's kitchen boasts an impressive line of appliances including a Wolf industrial range and double Traulsen refrigerators

Dreamy: The primary suite includes a massive bedroom, sitting area, en suite marble bath and two sizable dressing rooms

Sweet: A guestroom or office is located down the hall and also includes an en suite bath, with two additional bedrooms situated across the gallery

A guest-room or office is located down the hall and also includes an en suite bath, with two additional bedrooms situated across the gallery.

The couple also own a mansion in Irvington, New York, a house in Catherine's hometown of Swansea, Wales, and have been attempting to unload his Majorca estate for seven years with no success.

Catherine and Michael have been married since 2000 after meeting at the Deauvulle Film Festival in France in 1998. They have two children together: Dylan, 20, and Carys, 18.

Lots of light: The primary powder room is complete with white cabinetry and gold fixtures
Amanda Holden was left in hysterics after Simon Cowell made a cheeky quip about her bedroom during the Britain's Got Talent auditions on Tuesday.

The stunning judge, 50, watched a chained escapologist attempt to break free from a water tank, when Simon, 62, quipped 'That looks like Amandas bedroom.'

David Walliams retorted: 'How do you know?'

Simon made things worse by joking he previously 'wanted to buy her house', which failed to amuse Amanda, who was wearing a latex dress.

'You promised you wouldn't tell anyone': Amanda Holden was 'left in hysterics' after Simon Cowell made a very racy quip about her bedroom during escapologist's performance at BGT auditions on Monday

Amanda was then said to have giggled when the escapologist made a racy 50 Shades of Grey inspired-joke on stage about her locking his handcuffs on stage.

She responded: 'Well, I am dressed for the part.

This comes as judge David shocked the Britain's Got Talent auditions as he pole-danced on stage before flashing his nipple at Simon on Friday.

Duo: Simon watched a chained escapologist attempt to break free from a water tank, and quipped 'That looks like Amandas bedroom' (pictured last week)

The Little Britain star, 50, who 'has been given a talking to' by show bosses after making crude jokes and behaving mischievously, took to the stage for an impromptu pole-dancing performance as crowds cheered.

Hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly pretended to vomit as they watched on, with David joking and chuckling as he swung himself around at the London Palladium.

After spinning around, the star made his way off stage and back to the judging panel where head judge Simon asked him something.

David responded: 'What'?' before pulling his shirt open to reveal his nipple as the audience cheered.

Banter: Amanda giggled when the escapologist made a racy 50 Shades of Grey inspired-joke on stage about her locking his handcuffs on stage

This comes amid claims David undid his shirt before playing with his nipples and sticking his finger through the fly of his trousers to make out he was exposing himself next to judge Simon during auditions this week.

It is claimed David got a 'ticking off' after acting 'like a schoolboy' within the same week that music mogul Simon berated the comic for a cheeky comment in reference to a contestant.

A TV insider told The Sun: 'Because BGT has been off our screens for some time, David is like a schoolboy in his first week back in class after the summer holidays.

Oh wow: David Walliams shocked the Britain's Got Talent auditions as he pole-danced on stage before flashing his nipple at Simon on Friday

'He cant resist showing off in front of the crowd, which people expect from the funnyman. But sometimes he can take things too far, and thats just whats happened this week.

'Simon obviously loves his outrageous behaviour and the fact they take the mickey out of one another, but even he seemed unimpressed with his latest joke.'

They added that David was spoken to about his humour after the first day of auditions but he appears to have taken it as a 'challenge' to be even naughtier.
SAE-A Trading CEO James Ha / Courtesy of SAE-A Trading



By Kim Jae-heun



The head of a major apparel maker has been in the hot seat for sending emails to employees urging them to wear only company brand clothes when they come to work.



James Ha, president and CEO of SAE-A Trading, wrote to company workers that he yelled at some employees recently for not wearing company products, and even for drinking coffee not coming from the company brand cafe.



"On the first day of the New Year, I met one of our staff wearing clothes of another brand in an elevator," he wrote in the email. I also saw a number of SAE-A employees who ordered coffee at a company brand cafe wearing other brands' clothes. I even saw some workers with other brand coffee in an elevator. All these are unacceptable regardless of the reason."



Ha said all SAE-A employees are part of a big family, adding they should treat company products as their own family. "Wearing clothes made by other firms is like working with employees of other companies," he said.



Most employees said the CEO went too far, saying the company can only encourage its employees to use its own products and that forcing them to do so is inappropriate.



"It is embarrassing to force such a rule. We are no longer living in a world where people are forced to use their company's products only," one SAE-A employee said on condition of anonymity.



But SAE-A Trading defended the CEO's remarks, saying its human resources team also sends out similar emails, telling workers to purchase company products.



A SAE-A official said the CEO wanted to stress that all employees should exercise their loyalty toward the organization they work for by actively consuming company goods.



"We must respect our company's fashion brands by patronizing their products. It is for our future and this practice should be taken for granted as part of the corporate culture," the HR team said in the email.



SAE-A currently operates the fashion company "IN THE F," which sells apparels of brands like JOINUS, COMPAGNA, TRUGEN and TATE.



The group was founded in 1986 as an original equipment and original design manufacturer. It has since become a top clothing maker producing more than 700 million knitwear products and jackets annually and selling them to U.S. and European retailers.


Elly Miles has been accused of attending another boozy Australia Day party after copping backlash last year for giving a sombre speech about how painful the day can be for Indigenous people, shortly before downing shots at a backyard bash.

The influencer, 27, was called out by Instagram page Celeb Spellcheck for 'doing exactly what she apologised for last year' after she posted a now-deleted photo of herself enjoying a glass of bubbly while surrounded by a group of pals.

In the now-deleted Instagram post on Wednesday, the reality star was seen smiling as she held up a glass of bubbly while seated at an outdoor table with her friends.

Making headlines: Bachelorette star Elly Miles (pictured), 27, has been accused of attending ANOTHER boozy Australia Day party, after issuing an apology last year for her 'lapse in judgement'

Elly has since insisted it wasn't an Australia Day party.

'I want to jump on my Stories really quick because I've got a couple of comments coming through on my photos that people are a bit worried that I'm at an Australia Day party,' she began.

'And I just want to say so you hear directly from me, I'm not. I'm at a friend's house, [we've] got the kids in the pool, we're hanging out. We've got some friends going away, that is all it is.

What created the frenzy: The influencer was called out by Instagram page Celeb Spellcheck for 'doing exactly what she apologised for last year' after she posted a now-deleted photo to her socials of herself enjoying a glass of bubbly while surrounded by a group of pals

Addressing the talk: Following the backlash, Elly took to her Instagram Stories, insisting that she was not by any means at an Australia Day party

'So I wanted to come on here so you could hear directly from me. I want to clear that up right now. I am all for abolish the date.

'I 110 per cent respect that this is Aboriginal land that we're living on, and I'm not supporting Australia Day at all.'

Last year, Elly uploaded a video of herself delivering a sombre speech about how painful Australia Day can be for Indigenous people, before sharing a photo of herself attending an 'Invasion Day' protest in Sydney.

Not an Australia Day party: 'And I just want to say so you hear directly from me, I'm not. I'm at a friend's house, [we've] got the kids in the pool, we're hanging out. We've got some friends going away, that is all it is,' she said

'I am sorry': Last year, Elly issued a public apology for attending an Australia Day pool party just hours after attending a change the date protest

Just hours later, however, Elly raised eyebrows by documenting herself attending a boozy Australia Day pool party.

The rather tone-deaf sequence of events wasn't lost on Elly's Instagram followers, many of whom accused her of being a hypocrite.

One fan wrote: 'Just a little contradicting and confusing to be posting about your support with changing the date and then heading to what one can assume would be an Australia Day party... as it's a party on Australia Day?

Remorseful: Addressing the furore in an Instagram post at the time, the influencer issued an emotional apology

'I hope you acknowledge this. I'll be eager to see your reasoning.'

Another commented on Elly's Instagram page: 'It is very upsetting to see you post a change the date post on this day of mourning, yet you go to an Australia Day party the same day. This is so disappointing and beyond tone deaf.'

Other followers accused Elly of feigning empathy for Indigenous people to improve her public image as an influencer.

Lapse of judgement: 'I had a complete lapse of judgement and have a lot of regret for my actions. I sincerely apologise for upsetting anyone,' she wrote

'Beyond tone deaf': Last year Elly was slammed for sharing an 'Invasion Day' message on Instagram (left) - just hours before attending a wild Australia Day pool party (right)

'Your manager must have reminded you to give some lip service and a quick pic and then off to get blind and party. Performative influencers,' one fan grumbled.

Another agreed: 'I feel like these influencers say something about it just to say they did. Maybe because they'll cop s**t if they don't?'

Addressing the furore in an Instagram post at the time, Elly wrote: 'To answer people's comments from yesterday, there is nothing else I can say in this situation other than "I am sorry".

'Be the change': Last year, Elly uploaded a video of herself delivering a sombre speech about how painful Australia Day can be for Indigenous people, before sharing a photo of herself attending an 'Invasion Day' protest in Sydney (pictured)

'I had a complete lapse of judgement and have a lot of regret for my actions. I sincerely apologise for upsetting anyone,' she added.

'I stand by my attendance at the Change the Date protest and feel that it is an incredibly important issue. I truly wasn't being insincere with my attendance.

'I know how it looks, we all make mistakes - I made one yesterday and all I can say once again, from the bottom of my heart, is that I truly am sorry.'

Laidback: That afternoon, Elly shared a video of herself attending a backyard pool party

'Just a little contradicting and confusing': The rather tone-deaf sequence of events wasn't lost on Elly's Instagram followers, many of whom accused her of being a hypocrite
Keira Knightley cut a casual figure as she stepped out in Boston on Thursday after returning to filming the Boston Strangler.

The actress, 36, was working on the upcoming project after contracting a breakthrough case of Covid.

The film star was dressed in a dark green jumper along with a pair of brown trousers and matching boots.

Back in action: Kiera Knightley was back in action as she stepped out in Boston after returning to filming her new movie Boston Strangler

Keira also donned a brown and cream patterned scarf and wrapped up in a black padded coat.

The actress' brunette locks were in a vintage style while she put safety first with a face shield.

The film is based on the Boston Strangler murders that took place from 1962-64 which left 13 women dead.

Keira stars as Loretta McLaughlin, the reporter who broke the story of the Boston Strangler and also challenged the sexism of the era.

Outfit: The film star was dressed in a dark green jumper along with a pair of brown trousers and matching boots

True story: Keira stars as Loretta McLaughlin, the reporter who broke the story of the Boston Strangler murders in the 1960s and also challenged the sexism of the era

It comes after Keira described her battle with COVID-19 in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph's Stella magazine.

Keira is married to Klaxons musician James Righton and they share two daughters, Edie, six and Delilah, two - who she revealed were faring better than her.

She said of her asymptomatic husband: '[He is] being very smug about it  he is convinced it's because he's one of those cold-water swimmers and I'm not.'

The actress admitted she was 'feeling pretty rubbish.'

A rep for the actress told People that Keira and her husband were fully vaccinated and had finished their required 10 days in quarantine.

Health: A rep for the actress told People that Keira and her husband were fully vaccinated and had finished their required 10 days in quarantine

In October it was revealed that double-jabbed people still have a one in four chance of catching Covid from an infected household member, according to a study by 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Fergusson.

This is even the case if the person infected was fully jabbed themselves, in what is known as a vaccine breakthrough case, said Imperial College London researchers.

However, jabbed people recovered quicker from the virus, resulting in less severe and shorter symptoms. Being vaccinated also decreases a person's chance of getting Covid in the first place.
Nine star Leila McKinnon has shared her pride at her young son Ted 'correcting' a question about who 'discovered' Australia.

Nine Honey reported the star shared her school-aged son's homework which gave a spiel about Captain Cook 'discovering' the country.

'He did not discover Australia,' Ted wrote, with him also crossing out 'discovered' in the question component of the textbook.

Pride: Nine star Leila McKinnon beamed with pride as her son makes a stand about 'who discovered Australia' in his textbook on her Instagram stories on Wednesday

Leila was supportive of Ted with her beaming with pride at his acknowledgement of Australia's First Nations people.

'2022 and Ted's homework book [is] still saying that Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia,' she wrote on Instagram stories.

'Ted put it right,' she added.

Calling it out: '2022 and Ted's homework book [is] still saying that Captain Cook 'discovered' Australia,' she wrote on Instagram stories

It comes after rising protests with many Australians feeling it necessary to change the date of Australia Day to a more inclusive day.

Sydney's CBD was brimming with thousands of activists on Wednesday, while plenty of protestors ignored rain in Brisbane to attend an 'Invasion Day' rally.

A speaker at the rally in the Harbour City told the passionate crowd now was the opportune time to change the date of Australia Day from January 26.

Tensions: It comes after rising protests with many Australians feeling it necessary to change the date of Australia Day to a more inclusive day

'Today's a national holiday where you're told to go and have a bbq and a beer.... to celebrate our genocide,' she said.

'I pay my respects to all First Nations here, to all of us feeling proud to be here today but yet sad in knowing why we have to stand here.

Meanwhile, millions of other Aussies flocked to the country's picturesque beaches to spend time with friends and family on the day.

Family: The couple, who wed in 2004, are pictured with their children: son Edmund, nine, and daughter Gwendolen, seven

Many taking the opportunity to enjoy a drink and celebrate the wonderful positives of living in Australia.

Leila married David Gyngell, the son of the late legendary Channel Nine boss Bruce Gyngell, in 2004.

They share two children: son Edmund, nine, and daughter Gwendolen, seven.

The couple sold their $8.4million Dover Heights home in Sydney in December 2019, and are now based on the Byron Bay hinterland.
Kim Kardashian quickly deleted one of her sizzling Instagram snaps on Tuesday after being accused of Photoshopping her famous figure.

The reality star, 41, delighted fans when she shared a gallery of swimsuit-clad images from her recent Bahamas getaway with Pete Davidson.

However, eagle-eyed followers were quick to notice that her back leg looked distorted in one image, with a curve appearing behind her knee.

Caught out? Kim Kardashian quickly deleted one of her sizzling Instagram snaps on Tuesday after being accused of Photoshopping her famous figure

As fans flocked to comment on the mishap, Kim was quick to delete the post and reuploaded the gallery without the picture in question.

Yet after a fan page shared the image, followers remarked: 'The leg lmfao'; 'she deleted it on her post that s**t is a diaper'; 'she really did and all the comments associated with the tweaked leg'; 'oh damn!!!! Lol'.

MailOnline has contacted Kim's representatives for comment.

Kim's Photoshop fail comes after she was forced to deny the existence of a second sex tape with her ex Ray J, when Kanye West claimed in an explosive interview that he retrieved the footage and returned it to his estranged wife last year.

Oops: Eagle-eyed followers were quick to notice that her back leg looked distorted in one image, with a curve appearing behind her knee

Kim, who shares four children with Kanye, dismissed the notion that any further sexually explicit content even existed in a statement to Page Six.

Kim filmed the sex tape in 2002 with her then-boyfriend Ray J, which was released into the public domain in 2007, just as Kim and her family were getting ready to launch the first series of their E! reality show.

Deleted: Kim was quick to delete the post and reuploaded the gallery without the picture

The statement read: 'The computer and hard drive collected were supposed to contain the original video and any unseen footage.

'After review, there was nothing sexual unseen, only footage on the plane on the way to Mexico and footage at a club and restaurant on the same trip.'

'Kim remains firm in her belief that there is no new second tape that exists. After 20 years, she truly wishes to move on from this chapter [and] focus instead on the positive things she continues to do as a mother, entrepreneur and advocate for justice reform.'

Kanye recalled his grand gesture while chatting with Jason Lee in the recently released interview which was published in full-length on YouTube Monday morning.

'I went and got the laptop from Ray J myself that night, he said. 'I met this man at the airport, then got on a red-eye, came back [and] delivered it to her at 8 a.m. in the morning.'

Sizzling: The reality star, 41, delighted fans when she shared a gallery of swimsuit-clad images from her recent Bahamas getaway with Pete Davidson

He added: 'She cried when she saw it. You know why she cried when she seen it on the laptop? Because it represents how much she's been used. It represents how much people didn't love her, and they just saw her as a commodity.'

Kanye is friends with Ray J's former manager, Wack 100, who boasted in September on the Bootleg Kev podcast that he had footage that was 'more graphic and better than the first one' of the exes together.

Kim filed for divorce from Kanye in February 2021 after nearly seven years of marriage, and filed a motion in December to legally terminate her marital status and be declared single.
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) have announced the winners for the 11th AACTA International Awards.

Nicole Kidman, 54, was awarded Best Lead Actress in Film for Being The Ricardos, while Kate Winslet, 46, won Best Lead Actress in a Series for Mare of Easttown.

Benedict Cumberbatch, 45, walked away with Best Lead Actor in Film for The Power of the Dog, alongside Murray Bartlett, 50, who won Best Actor in a Series for The White Lotus.

Accolades: Nicole Kidman, Kate Winslet, Benedict Cumberbatch and The White Lotus' Murray Bartlett are among the winners for the 11th AACTA International Awards. Nicole, 54, is pictured in December 2021. She was awarded Best Lead Actress in Film for Being The Ricardos

Being The Ricardos depicted the complicated relationship between real-life Hollywood power couple Lucille Ball, portrayed by Nicole Kidman and Desi Arnaz, played by Javier Bardem, as they filmed their hit 1950s sitcom, I Love Lucy.

Nicole said of the accolade: 'This is an enormous honour to accept this award. It means so much to have this acknowledged by my Australian film peers. Thank you AACTA. Thank you Australia. I'm completely chuffed.'

Kate portrays troubled detective Mare Sheehan in Mare of Easttown, one of the most iconic roles of her almost 30-year career.

Biopic: Being The Ricardos depicts the complicated relationship between real-life Hollywood power couple Lucille Ball, portrayed by Nicole (pictured) and Desi Arnaz, played by Javier Bardem, as they filmed their hit 1950s sitcom, I Love Lucy

Congratulations: Kate Winslet (pictured in September 2021), 46, won Best Lead Actress in a Series for Mare of Easttown

The actress, who previously won an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Film for the Australian film The Dressmaker in 2015, said of the 2022 win: 'I have always felt so supported by AACTA.

'I feel sometimes a bit like an honorary Australian because you have acknowledged me before now and it always means a huge amount to be included, to be brought into your film and television community in this way means a lot.

'I have such admiration for the skill of actors and filmmakers in Australia, so thank you.'

Benedict stars as a Montana rancher in the 1920s who seems determined to terrorise his sister-in-law's son from a previous relationship after becoming enamoured of him, in Netflix film The Power of the Dog.

Acclaimed actress: Kate portrays troubled detective Mare Sheehan (pictured) in Mare of Easttown, one of the most iconic roles of her almost 30-year career. Kate previously won an AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Film for the Australian film The Dressmaker in 2015

Honoured: Benedict Cumberbatch (pictured this month), 45, walked away with Best Lead Actor in Film for The Power of the Dog

Netflix film: Benedict stars as a Montana rancher in the 1920s who seems determined to terrorise his sister-in-law's son from a previous relationship after becoming enamoured of him, in Netflix film The Power of the Dog (pictured)

Benedict said of the win: 'I am so humbled and grateful to receive your Best Actor Award.

'To get this from your industry, and what an industry, you are world leaders, and your exports are iconic, and trailblazing, and inspirational, and have been to me throughout my career.'

The Power of the Dog walked away with two more wins - Best Film, along with Best Supporting Actor in Film for Australian Kodi Smit-Mcphee.

Aussie actor: Murray Bartlett (pictured in July 2021), 50, who won Best Actor in a Series for The White Lotus

Meanwhile Murray plays hotel manager Armond in HBO's deliciously dark satirical hit, The White Lotus.

The Australian actor said of the win: 'I am thrilled and honoured to be celebrated in Australia, my home, by Australians who feel like family to me and by the Australian film and TV industry that inspired me my whole life and continues to inspire me. Thank you, it's a very meaningful recognition for me.'

Another noteworthy win went to HBO's Succession for Best Drama Series.

Thrilled: Murray plays hotel manager Armond (pictured) in HBO's deliciously dark satirical hit. He said of the win: 'I am thrilled and honoured to be celebrated in Australia, my home, by Australians who feel like family to me and by the Australian film and TV industry'
Skye Wheatley has taken aim at a follower who mocked her eyebrows.

The star took to Instagram stories to show herself giving sass on Wednesday after a follower left a comment her eyebrows were 'horrendous'.

'This person got a little sensitive when I gave it back to them,' Skye wrote.

Taking aim: Big Brother star Skye Wheatley (pictured) took aim at a follower who mocked her eyebrows in a comedic Tik-Tok clip she posted to Instagram on Wednesday

The profanity-laden clip ended with Skye flipping the bird at her critics.

She went on to say her clip got 'removed' from Tik-Tok which is why she was putting in on Instagram.

'If you want to treat people like sh*t don't expect them to smile and wave,' she added.

It comes after Skye posed for the camera in lingerie earlier this month.

Going there: 'If you want to treat people like sh*t don't expect them to smile and wave,' she added on the post

Skye stepped it up a notch when she exposed her pert derriere while gazing at a cityscape.

'Big city lights,' the influencer, 27, captioned the racy display.

Skye appears to have staged the shoot in a ritzy hotel room, as a television screen is visible in the reflection of the window.

Getting the best view: Skye put on a very cheeky display as she posed topless and exposed her pert derriere while gazing at a cityscape earlier this month

Skye recently gave her fans a glimpse inside her Spanish colonial-style property she calls home in a video posted to Instagram.

Wheatley had completed renovations on the Gold Coast mansion last year with her husband Lachlan Waugh.

In the clip, the former Big Brother star walks up the driveway at night-time to show off the front of her pad, which features wall lights on the sides of the arches.

'Big city lights': The former Big Brother housemate chose to go braless in the gallery of images, sharing the end result to Instagram

'It's really just too much. Too much. Too much. Bloody beautiful,' the influencer says.

Skye then zooms in on one of the wall lights as she continues to praise the property.

Skye and Lachlan purchased the Gold Coast mansion in 2019 for $975,000.

House tour: Big Brother star Skye Wheatley took fans inside the extraordinary Spanish colonial-style property she calls home in a video shared to Instagram

Too much: The influencer walks up the driveway at night-time to show off the front of her mansion, which features wall lights on the sides of the arches

She told the Gold Coast Bulletin last year that the couple 'fell in love' with the home when they bought it, even though it was so run-down it looked 'haunted'.

Lachlan and Skye began renovating the property, known as La Casa Grande, in 2019 transforming the bedrooms, living areas, kitchen, swimming pool and backyard.

There are four bedrooms, four bathrooms and parking spots for four cars.

Skye rose to fame on Big Brother Australia in 2014 and began dating Lachlan in 2017. They share two sons, Forest and Bear.
He announced earlier this month he had tested positive for coronavirus and was forced to cancel upcoming episodes of The Late Late Show.

And following the end of his Covid isolation period, James Corden was pictured looking happy and healthy as he was seen for the first time on Tuesday.

The TV presenter, 43, flashed a smile while walking hand-in-hand with his wife Julia Carey in Brentwood, Los Angeles.

Holding hands: James Corden was pictured looking happy and healthy as he was seen for the first time on Tuesday

The Gavin And Stacey actor was seen wearing a grey jacket with a pair of blue jeand and trainers, while shielding his eyes with a pair of shades.

Meanwhile his TV producer wife Julia, 45, also opted for a low-key look as she donned a black hoodie with leggings and white trainers.

She wore her blonde hair loose and also sported a pair of sunglasses.

Grinning: The TV presenter, 43, flashed a smile while walking hand-in-hand with his wife Julia Carey in Brentwood, Los Angeles

On January 6, James took to Instagram to reveal that he has tested positive for a case of breakthrough COVID-19.

He wrote: 'I just tested positive for COVID 19. I'm fully vaccinated, boosted, and because of this, am fortunate enough to say I feel completely fine.'

James told his followers that his CBS program 'will be off the air for the next few days' as he quarantines.

The latest: On January 6, James took to Instagram to reveal that he has tested positive for a case of breakthrough COVID-19. He was seen on the show last month

He wrapped up the post in writing, 'Stay safe everyone. All my love, James x.'

Prior to his coronavirus diagnosis, the British funnyman welcomed guests Aaron Sorkin and Sophia Bush, Lily Collins, William Jackson Harper and St. Vincent and Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz and Andrew Sleighter.

The Late Late Show is taped in Los Angeles, where Los Angeles County officials on reported a record 37,215 new cases in the area on the same day.

The announcement came after a number of his fellow late night hosts have also revealed they had tested positive for COVID-19, including The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and Late Night with Seth Meyers host Seth Meyers.

I'm positive! The Late Late Show host updated fans on his health on the social media site

Guests: The British funnyman welcomed guests Penelope Cruz and Jessica Chastain days before testing positive (pictured)

Pals: He snapped a selfie with St. Vincent during an episode of the late night program

Star-studded: Actor William Jackson Harper also appeared on the episode of the show

Fallon, 47, took to Instagram Monday to detail his health battle, along with a photo of himself seated in a testing room.

'Hey guys, on the first day of our holiday break I tested positive for Covid,' Fallon said. 'I was vaccinated and boostered which made me lucky enough to only have mild symptoms.

'Thank you to the doctors and nurses who work so hard around the clock to get everyone vaxxed. Thank you to NBC for taking the testing protocols so seriously and doing a great job.'

Meyers, 48, revealed his diagnosis Tuesday, writing, 'The bad news is, I tested positive for COVID (thanks, 2022!) the good news is, I feel fine (thanks vaccines and booster!). We are canceling the rest of the shows this week, so tune in next Monday to see what cool location we will try and pass off as a studio!!!'
Courtney Cox has lifted the veil on her romance with the dashing Northern Irish musician Johnny McDaid.

The 57-year-old Friends icon has spent eight years with Johnny, 45, and during that time they were briefly engaged but never tied the knot.

They called off the engagement in November 2015 following a temporary split.

However, in the new issue of People, the Scream star addressed the question of whether they would get ever married: 'I don't know. I'm definitely not opposed to it. I just don't think about it.'

Side by side: Courtney Cox has lifted the veil on her romance with the dashing Northern Irish musician Johnny McDaid

'I just don't think about it': Covering People , she addressed the question of whether they would get married, saying: 'I just don't think about it'

The pair first got engaged in June 2014 after dating for six months. In December 2015, People reported at the time that they had split.

Elsewhere in the interview, she showered Johnny with praise, saying: 'a great listener. And I've never met someone more patient. He's a great advice-giver.'

Courteney gushed: 'I love his heart, his intentions. His morals. He's extremely talented and obviously musical, but he's a poet and a writer.'

The mother of one shared with the magazine that Johnny is 'just so smart, and I find that really sexy. And then he is gorgeous.'

She and Johnny were kept apart for nine months by the COVID-19 lockdowns as he was in the UK and she in the US but they reunited in December 2020.

Longtime love: The 57-year-old Friends icon has spent eight years with Johnny and during that time they were briefly engaged but never tied the knot

'I've learned that love is precious. As I've gotten older, I've realized that,' she reflected when she looked back on how the pandemic forced them to stay separate.

Courteney and Johnny became engaged in 2014, early in their relationship, but the following year they broke the engagement.

Although they eventually managed to get back together romantically in 2016, she confirmed in 2019 that they were not actually engaged again.

'He's not my fiance, we were engaged to be married but now we're just together,' she explained during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

'He's a great advice-giver': She showered Johnny with praise, saying: 'a great listener,' adding: 'And I've never met someone more patient'

'We broke off our engagement and he moved to England, then we got back together and it's actually better than it was before. Everything's better.'

In addition to performing songs himself, Johnny has written for other artists including Ed Sheeran, who initially introduced him to Courteney.

Courteney shares a 17-year-old daughter called Coco with her dashing ex-husband David Arquette, whom she met while making the original Scream.

Clarification: 'He's not my fiance, we were engaged to be married but now we're just together,' she explained during a 2019 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show

David and Courteney have co-starred in all five Scream movies, the first of which bowed in 1996 and the most recent of which is out now.

They married in 1999 in San Francisco and in 2004 they welcomed Coco whose godmother is Courteney's Friends co-star Jennifer Aniston.

The couple went public with their separation in October 2010, a month after Scream 4 wrapped filming and half a year before it was released in theaters.
Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett, 61, secretly wed his girlfriend of over 12 years, IsaBeall Quella, 37, last year.

They said 'I do' over two months ago in Montecito, California, the home of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry as well as Gwyneth Paltrow.

The lovebirds - who became engaged in 2015 - tied the knot after postponing their nuptials four times due to COVID-19, wildfires and a mudslide.

They did it! Everybody Loves Raymond star Brad Garrett, 61, secretly wed his girlfriend of over 12 years, IsaBeall Quella, 37, last year. Seen in 2015

They walked down the aisle on November 11, 2021, his rep told People on Wednesday.

'I married the love of my life,' Garrett, 61, said in a statement to the site. He then joked: 'Her, not so much.'

They first met in 2008 in Boston, where she had a job.

They then dated for seven years, and in 2015 he asked her to be his wife when they were in NYC.

They had four wedding dates planned but life got in the way. Two of the times the wedding was put off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And the other delays were from the Malibu wildfires and a mudslide.

Man and wife: They said 'I do' over two months ago in Montecito, California, the home of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry as well as Gwyneth Paltrow. Seen in 2016

The wedding was spectacular with Quella beautiful in a Reem Acra off-white lace gown with a white strapless underdress.

She wore a pendant necklace as she held a bouquet of white roses. And she wore her long blonde hair down in soft curls as she added soft pink makeup.

Brad had on a black Di Stefano suit with a black time and had a rose attached to his lapel.

They were photographed in a field of lavender among mature olive trees that were backlit.

His big show: Everybody Loves Raymond with Peter Boyle as Frank Barone, Doris Roberts as Marie Barone, Ray Romano as Ray Barone, Patricia Heaton as Debra Barone, Brad Garrett as Robert Barone and Monica Horan as Amy MacDougall

On her Instagram page, the petite beauty says she is 'mostly vegan (all vegetarian) food, lifestyle & travel blogger, animal lover & former brunette.'

On her website Fake Blonde Real Life she offers cookie recipes as well as hair and makeup tips.

Brad has often gushed about his lady love on social media. Last year he wrote: 'You are truly the most incredible human I've ever met.

'As not to embarrass you because I know your humility I'll just say Thank You. For everything. You're the love of my life even though you're free to date,' he wrote. 'Wish I had a time machine. And a new head. More and forever as the authorities allow. .'

In February 2021 he said on Instagram that she was a keeper: 'You know she's your 'forever' if she hangs around post-stroke. (Izzy? Hello? Honey?? My toast. Please?'

This is a second marriage for Brad.

Garrett's ex-wife is Jill Diven whom he wed in 1999 and divorced in 2006. They have daughter Hope, 22, and 23-year-old son, Max.
Hustlers actress Julia Stiles has welcomed a second child.

On Wednesday the 40-year-old Hollywood veteran took to Instagram to share with her followers that there is another baby in the house.

'Welcome to the world, Baby Arlo!  The newest addition to our family, reminding me how infinite love can be,' shared the former teen star who was in such 90s hits as 10 Things I Hate About You.

Oh baby! Hustlers actress Julia Stiles has welcomed a second child. On Wednesday the 40-year-old Hollywood veteran took to Instagram to share with her followers that there is another baby in the house. Seen in November

New little one: 'Welcome to the world, Baby Arlo!  The newest addition to our family, reminding me how infinite love can be,' shared the former teen star

She add, 'Scroll Forward to see how my 4 year old is taking it '

The first image was of baby Arlo's feet as the child was swaddled in a hospital blanket.

And the second image was of red writing all over a toilet.

She has been wed to camera assistant Preston J. Cook since 2017 after meeting on the film Blackway. They already share four-year-old son Strummer Newcomb Cook.

She confirmed she is expecting her second child in November by cradling her rounded stomach while attending a special screening of A24's The Humans.

Her first born: She add, 'Scroll Forward to see how my 4 year old is taking it ' Strummer Newcomb Cook is age four

Her love: Stiles has been married to assistant camera operator Preston since Labor Day weekend in September 2017, after meeting on the film Blackway (the couple pictured in 2019)

The Save The Last Dance actress was spotted on the red carpet cradling her midsection at the special screening, held at Village East Cinema in New York City.

Julia appeared to be silently announcing her baby news with her pose and her fitted dress as she stepped out with her hand placed on her stomach.

The actress stepped out in a black turtleneck with her locks falling to her shoulders.

She wore a matching black skirt that fell past her knees, with black heeled boots for the event as she posed in a maternal stance.

Beautiful: At the premiere of the medical drama The God Committee at the Tribeca Film Festival in July 2021 with Cook

Her last public appearance was at the premiere of her upcoming medical drama The God Committee at the Tribeca Film Festival in July.

Stiles has been married to assistant camera operator Preston since Labor Day weekend in September 2017,

Stiles had previously dated her 10 Things I Hate About You co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt while they attended Columbia University together.

The film's director, Gil Junger, revealed in May that it was clear they were both attracted to each other.

Baby news: Julia is pictured while pregnant with Strummer in June 2017

'They were very, very attracted to each other, which was cute,' Junger said in an interview on Spanish-language YouTube channel Mira a Quien Encontre, People reported Tuesday.

The actress is coming off The God Committee, which was released in July and stars Kelsey Grammer and Janeane Garofalo.

She has been in Orphan: First Kill, a prequel to the 2009 horror film Orphan, alongside Isabelle Fuhrman, which was released on January 22, 2022.

Stiles will next be seen in Amazon's The Lake, which follows one man's attempt to recreate his childhood memories in an effort to re-connect with his biological daughter.

A busy career: Here the actress is seen with Matt Damon in one of the Jason Bourne movies






By Kim Hyun-bin



Hanwha Group has been working to create a comprehensive solar energy ecosystem to transform the conglomerate into a renewable energy powerhouse in the increasingly environment-conscious business world, according to company officials Monday. This transformation has been spearheaded by Hanwha Solutions President Kim Dong-kwan, the eldest son of Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn.



Hanwha Solutions has been working to liquidate non-core businesses to obtain funds for future growth. The company plans to sell stakes in its advanced materials business in order to raise funds to expand its solar business.



Market analysts said the sale of Hanwha's stakes in the advanced materials business is likely to become a positive factor.



"Market participants are concerned about the physical split of Hanwha Solutions' advanced materials division, but this division is currently not generating large profits," Kang Dong-jin, a researcher at Hyundai Motor Securities, said. "Concentrating on the solar power business, which is a medium to long-term growth engine, by securing cash through selling businesses is rather positive for shareholder value."



In 2019, Hanwha Solutions became an integrated corporation of Hanwha Chemical, Hanwha Q CELLS and Hanwha Advanced Materials. Since then, the company has been making aggressive investments under the leadership of Kim and is now poised to expand its solar power and renewable energy businesses.



Over the past two years, Hanwha Solutions has invested 1.3 trillion won into the renewable energy business.



In 2020, Hanwha acquired SwitchDin, an Australian energy management software company, Jelly, an AI-based US energy solution company and Cimarron Composites, a hydrogen high-pressure tank company. Last year, it acquired RES France, a French renewable energy developer.



Through those investments, Hanwha aims to supply renewable energy and solar modules to the European and the U.S. markets.



"Hanwha Solutions has been focusing on upstream businesses, such as developing solar panels, but now we are investing more to include the downstream solar business aiming to sell renewable energy to consumers, which we have been doing in Germany," a Hanwha Solutions official said.



The investments in new businesses are expected to accelerate and the U.S. market is particularly in focus with U.S. President Joe Biden's eco-friendly drive.



The Biden administration is pursuing the so-called Build Back Better (BBB) plan that proposes to increase federal investment tax credits (ITC) from 26 percent to 30 percent and extend it for at least 10 years if a certain percentage of solar parts are manufactured within the U.S.



"Hanwha Solutions is the leading residential solar company in the U.S. and operates the largest solar panel plant in the Western hemisphere in the U.S. state of Georgia," a Hanwha Solutions official said. "The increase in tax breaks and subsidies under U.S. President Joe Biden's eco-friendly drive is expected to provide great benefits."



SolarReviews, a consumer review website focusing on the solar industry, forecasts the legislation will increase the rate of U.S. residential solar installations from around 750,000 homes in 2021 to more than 1.5 million homes per year by 2024.



Backed by strong sales from the renewable energy sector, Hanwha Solutions aims to achieve 21 trillion won in sales by 2025.


The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star Jennifer Nguyen is threatening to 'speak her truth' after being fired from the show by Bravo.

Yesterday, Bravo announced it had 'ceased filming' with the 44-year-old reality TV personality, after her racist and anti-vaxx social media posts resurfaced last week.

But now Jennie has hinted that there is more to the story than fans know.

RHOSLC star Jennie Nguyen warns she will tell her side of the story 'now I am allowed to' after being FIRED by Bravo for posting racist and anti-vaxx memes

Taking to her Instagram Stories on Tuesday night, she wrote: 'I will be finally speaking my truth tomorrow now that I am allowed to. I will be taking questions after! Thank you to who all supports me.'

In a statement a statement yesterday, the network said it has now 'ceased filming' with the 44-year-old reality TV personality.

'Bravo has ceased filming with Jennie Nguyen and she will no longer be a cast member of 'The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City.'

'We recognize we failed to take the appropriate action once her offensive social media posts were brought to our attention.

Ominous: Jennie is teasing fans with being able to 'speak her truth' now she is 'allowed' to

She's out: Bravo took no prisoners as it revealed it has now 'ceased filming' with the star

'Moving forward we will work to improve our processes to ensure we make better informed and more thoughtful casting decisions.'

The offending jokes - using phrases such as 'BLM Thugs' - were posted over a six-month time period amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in 2020.

Andy Cohen addressed the drama this week on Watch What Happens Live and alluded to some incoming disciplinary action for Jennie.

He said: 'I've also seen all the tweets wanting to know what's being done about those posts. I just wanna say in case anyone doesn't realize it, there are many serious discussions happening right now about everything.'

Addressing the claims: Jennie admitted she had shared the offending posts in a Instagram statement last week

'I can't address the situation right now but it will be addressed very soon," he concluded, "and thank you for your patience and the posts were very upsetting, rightfully, and disgusting. So, there you go.'

Fans had already called for the reality star to be fired last Wednesday, after they slammed her over the offensive and controversial posts.

The various memes carry a theme of depicting the Black Lives Matter protestors in a negative light, as well as encouraging violence against the movement itself.

Addressing the controversy herself last week, Nguyen admitted she had shared the posts, writing: 'I want to acknowledge and apologize for my deleted Facebook posts from 2020 that resurfaced today.'

'At the time, I thought I was speaking out against violence, but I have since learned how offensive and hurtful my words were.'

'It's why I deactivated that account more than a year ago and why I continue to try to learn about perspectives different from my own. I regret those posts and am sincerely sorry for the pain they caused.'

Screenshots first posted by All About The Tea show Nguyen sharing the disturbing images to her social media, including one that doubted George Floyd was killed as a result of police brutality.

One cartoon image shows an old lady bragging about how many 'rioters' she has hit with her car.

Caught out: The offending jokes - using phrases such as 'BLM Thugs' - appear to have been posted over a six-month time period amid the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests in 2020

Reacting to the resurfaced posts, fans of the show immediately began to call for Nguyen to be fired.

'I'm calling on @BravoTV and @Andy #RHOSLC to immediately fire Jennie Nguyen! No half hearted apology will work! She must be terminated!' one fan wrote on Wednesday.

Fans also took issue with Nguyen taking her co-star Mary Cosby to task on the show, for making the racially insensitive remark about 'slanted eyes.'

Political: Other alleged posts shared by Nguyen depict anti-vaxx beliefs and conspiracy theories that Biden stole the election

'Jesus getting the screenshots from Jennie's Facebook after Mary sent him #RHOSLC,' a fan joked.

Other alleged posts shared by Nguyen depict anti-vaxx beliefs and conspiracy theories that Biden stole the election.

One meme shows Former President Donald Trump shaking hands with a doctor, along with the text: 'Only make the vaccine in suppository form. I want the democrats to shove it up their a***s.'
Macaulay Culkin and his longtime girlfriend Brenda Song are reportedly set to walk down the aisle after more than four years of dating.

Just nine months after welcoming their first child, a son named Dakota, a source told People that the 41-year-old Home Alone star and Song, 33, are engaged.

The actress seemingly confirmed the news as she stepped out wearing a diamond ring on her left hand while out in Beverly Hills on Monday.

Engaged! Macaulay Culkin and his longtime girlfriend Brenda Song are reportedly set to walk down the aisle after four years of dating; seen last year seen in 2018

Song, best known for her role on The Suite Life on Deck, attempted to keep a low profile on her first public outing with her latest accessory.

While enjoying some fresh air, the mom-of-one wore a black dress, a red coat, quilted crossbody bag, Gucci slides and silver glasses.

In early April, they welcomed their baby boy, who weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, according to Esquire magazine.

She said yes! The actress, best known for her role on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, was seen spotted wearing a diamond ring on her left hand on Monday while out in Beverly Hills, California

Latest accessory: Song was wearing a massive engagement ring on her latest outing

The couple, who met on the set of Changeland in 2017, did not announce they were expecting a child ahead of the birth announcement.

In a joint statement, the lovebirds gushed they were 'overjoyed' with the arrival.

Last February, Macaulay previously revealed to the same outlet that they were trying for a baby with Brenda.

Glowing: Song, best known for her role on The Suite Life on Deck, attempted to keep a low profile on her first public outing with her new accessory

First-time mom: In early April, they welcomed their baby boy, who weighed 6 pounds, 14 ounces, according to Esquire magazine

He confessed: 'We practice a lot. We're figuring it out, making the timing work. Because nothing turns you on more than when your lady comes into the room and says, "Honey, I'm ovulating."'

Macaulay - who is best known for starring in the Home Alone franchise as a child - joked he was eager to have kids soon as he noticed his body aging.

He added: 'I got an ulcer or two I gotta deal with. I don't poop like I used to. My body's like, "Oh, is this what the beginnings of dying feel like?"'

Casual: While enjoying some fresh air, the mom-of-one wore a black midi dress, a red coat and quilted crossbody bag

Heading out: Brenda strolled across the parking lot to her white Tesla and briefly stopped to pick up her key after dropping it on the ground

The actor describes himself as a 'homebody', and Brenda agrees.

She said: 'People don't realize how incredibly kind and loyal and sweet and smart he is. Truly what makes Mack so special is that he is so unapologetically Mack.

'He knows who he is, and he's 100 percent okay with that. And that to me is an incredibly sexy quality. He's worked really hard to be the person he is.'

Lovebirds: The engagement comes just nine months after the pair welcomed their first child, a son named Dakota; pictured last year

Macaulay says he's also a man of 'simple pleasures', and loves nothing more than taking a hot bath before spending time with his girlfriend.

He said: 'You know what I'm going to do after this? I'm gonna take care of my back - I'm gonna take a hot bath. I have a video queued up: the history of Castlevania, the Nintendo game.

'It's fifty-five minutes long, and that's the perfect bath-time amount of time. I'm gonna stretch my back out, kiss my animals, and go to sleep with my lady. I'm a man of really simple pleasures.'

Parents: The couple, who met on the set of Changeland in 2017, did not announce they were expecting a child ahead of the birth announcement

Soul mates: In 2020, Song shared a sweet birthday tribute to her man, who she called a 'magical being,' as he rang in his 40th year on Earth

In 2020, Song shared a sweet birthday tribute to her man, who she called a 'magical being' as he rang in his 40th year on Earth.

'I could sit here and write endlessly about how wonderful, kind, loving, genuine, loyal, honest, brilliant and hilarious you are, and how grateful I am that I get to share and do this life thing with you,' she captioned a picture of them in matching red plaid pajamas with their first names on the back.

She continued: 'But firstly, that would take me an eternity and secondly, you wont even see this because you dont ever use instagram. Hahaha. My unicorn that I never thought could exist, I am luckiest person in the world because I am loved by you.'
Erika Jayne has been asked to relinquish a pair of $1.4 million diamond earrings after a bankruptcy trustee accused her estranged husband Tom Girardi of using stolen client money to purchase them.

The trustee in the Girardi & Keese bankruptcy case claims Girardi, 82, used money from a client trust account at his former law firm to purchase a pair of diamond earrings from M&M Jewelers in 2007, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

In court documents obtained by DailyMail.com, Erika's attorney said the reality star 'innocently' received the earrings from Girardi 15 years ago and said she has agreed to 'hold and not transfer or sell' the jewelry and 'provide the earrings to a third party escrow to be held in trust' until an investigation has been complete.

Erika Jayne has been asked to relinquish a pair of $1.4 million diamond earrings after a bankruptcy trustee accused her estranged husband Tom Girardi of using stolen client money to purchase them; pictured in October 2020

'Erika is completely innocent,' her attorney, Evan C. Borges, said in court documents. 'Not even the trustee alleges that Erika knew the source of funds that her wealthy husband used to buy her a gift of earrings 15 years ago (which replaced a prior set of earrings bought years prior to that).'

In addition, Erika 'through counsel already has represented in writing that pending a full investigation and if there is still a dispute then until entry of a final court order, Erika will agree and has agreed to hold and not transfer or sell the earrings, to maintain the status quo.

'As a showing of good faith, Erika will provide the earrings to a third party escrow to be held in trust pending the trustee finishing her investigation and, if there is a dispute at that point, until a final order is entered determining the parties' rights.'

Defense: Her attorney defended her against claims she was aware the diamond earrings given to her by her ex were bought with allegedly stolen funds

They also claimed that 'the trustee seeks to blame Erika for events of 15 years ago at a law firm which Erika had no part. The motion is about a gift of earrings a wife innocently received 15 years ago from her now estranged and then-extraordinarily wealthy husband, as a replacement for a prior set of earrings gifted to her years prior.'

It was alleged in previous court documents that Girardi was able to conceal the transaction in Girardi & Keese's Trust Account by 'describing the purpose of the check' as a 'cost' item paid to M&M in connection to one of his lawsuits, according to TMZ and Radar.

'Erika has no legal or equitable right to the Diamond Earrings and the same are legally and equitably valuable assets of the GK Bankruptcy Estate that the Trustee can and should sell,' the court documents read, according to Radar.

Allegations: The trustee in the Girardi & Keese bankruptcy case claims Girardi, 82, used money from a client trust account at his law firm to purchase a pair of diamond earrings from M&M Jewelers in 2007, according to court documents obtained by TMZ

The motion requests that the court order Jayne to return the jewelry within five days and forbid her from selling or giving them to someone else until then.

TMZ reports a judge has not made a decision.

Girardi has been in a conservatorship since last year and cannot answer for himself. His former law firm, Girardi & Keese, filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and he was disbarred last year.

Erika has been embroiled in an embezzlement scandal involving her estranged husband with both named as defendants in a lawsuit alleging they stole funds meant for the families of the victims of the 2018 Lion Air plane crash.

Nope! The trustee has demanded the earrings, which are now valued at around $1.4 million, to be returned but Jayne has refused to turn them over, RadarOnline reports; Jayne pictured in West Hollywood in 2019

Tom had his license to practice law revoked in March 2021 after the Los Angeles Times reported that he had been sued more than 100 times and had been the subject of numerous bar complaints alleging financial malfeasance involving millions of dollars owed to clients, including female cancer victims and a burn victim.

As the case against the Girardi's unfolded, Erika revealed during last season's reunion that her own legal team told her to quit the show and stop filming season 11.

'I had nothing to hide. And they said, 'Well, you know, that can get flipped around on you.  Everything can be parsed, twisted, turned, and yes, possibly used against you whether it is true or not. It almost doesn't even matter at this point,' she explained.

Andy Cohen probed: 'Did you ever think of quitting the show?'

'Yes,' she replied. 'But I'm not a quitter, and I wanted to honor my commitment, and I wasn't going to run away from what's coming at me.'

She also defended herself against any suggestion that she knew about Tom's alleged dealings and she said if she knew about the allegations against him that she wouldn't be on a reality show.

She said: 'Lets be clear here. I wouldn't (be on the show) because you can't hide s*** like this. This is not some master plan. This is not Erika being some financial f***ing mastermind. This is a tragic sequence of events that are completely terrible.'

In August last year, DailyMail.com revealed that Girardi is now living in a senior living home in Burbank, California after saying goodbye to living lavishly in his $13 million Pasadena mansion.

Pricing for Belmont Village Senior Living in Burbank is said to be between $4,545 - $4,750 a month for a private suite.

The facility has staff available 24/7, and boasts community chef-prepared dining with 24 daily choices of meals.
She's already made an impact with her showstopping outfits this week.

But Laverne Cox upped her game on Wednesday as she flashed some serious flesh while attending the Gaultier Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 amid Paris Fashion Week.

The Orange Is The New Black star, 49, showed off her figure in a racy black cut-out bodysuit worn beneath a sheer billowing gown as she posed up a storm outside the event.

Dare to bare: Laverne Cox upped her game on Wednesday as she flashed some serious flesh while attending the Gaultier Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2022 amid Paris Fashion Week

Laverne looked amazing as she worked the crowd and swished her dress while flaunting her toned physique in the daring number.

The transgender actress teamed her eye-catching dress with a diamante studded netted head dress and towering silver heels.

While her look was completed with sleek blonde locks, dramatic eye-liner and a pop of colour from her red manicure.

Flaunt: The Orange Is The New Black star, 49, showed off her figure in a racy black cut-out bodysuit worn beneath a sheer billowing gown as she posed up a storm outside the event

Laverne appeared in great spirits as she posed this way and that for the camera, little realising she'd suffered a slight wardrobe malfunction which exposed more than she intended.

Meanwhile, the man of the moment Jean Paul Gaultier put on a cheerful display as he arrived for his show.

The fashion designer, 69, donned a casual all black ensemble and happily waved to the crowds before making his way inside.

Laverne first gained widespread recognition by playing the role of Sophia Burset on the Netflix series of Orange Is the New Black, beginning in 2013.

Fashionista: The transgender actress teamed her eye-catching dress with a diamante studded netted head dress and towering silver heels

Work it: Laverne looked amazing as she worked the crowd and swished her dress while flaunting her toned physique in the daring number

Whoops! Laverne appeared in great spirits as she posed this way and that for the camera, little realising she'd suffered a slight wardrobe malfunction which exposed more than she intended

Details: Her look was completed with sleek blonde locks, dramatic eye-liner and a pop of colour from her red manicure

With her performances, she went on to become the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in any acting category, and the first to be nominated for an Emmy Award since composer Angela Morley in 1990.

She would again be recognized for her work in 2015 when she won a Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Special Class Special as executive producer for Laverne Cox Presents: The T Word, making her the first transgender woman to take home the trophy.

Cox's career path again paved the way for those coming up behind her when she became the first transgender person to play a transgender series regular on US broadcast television as Cameron Wirth on the CBS drama series Doubt.

Meanwhile in her romantic life, Laverne, who has been in a relationship for the better part of a year, recently admitted that she is 'super happy' to be off dating apps.

There he is! Meanwhile, the man of the moment Jean Paul Gaultier put on a cheerful display as he arrived for his show

Fun times: The fashion designer, 69, donned a casual all black ensemble and happily waved to the crowds before making his way inside

She spoke on the subject after coming across across a tweet in November that seemed to suggest that she was back on the app Hinge after having a prior 'ban' overturned.

'Guess you gotta be a high profile trans woman like @Lavernecox to get a @hinge ban for being trans overturned,' wrote the Twitter user, who quickly earned a response back from Cox.

'I have a bf now and haven't been on the apps in over a year,' the actress/activist wrote, before sharing some insight into her prior experience with Hinge.

'But after being reinstated on @hinge I was banned again. Not sure why,' she revealed.

'I wasnt really meeting guys on Hinge anyway. So I just didn't bother to look into it.. Met my bf on Tinder,' she revealed, before adding that she is 'super happy to be off the apps.'
TLC has fired Russian 90 Day Fiance star Alina Kozhevnikova after a racist social media post from 2014 came to light on Wednesday.

In the troubling post, Alina used the n-word eight times while describing a party she was invited to in her native country, according to a screen grab found by The Ashley's Reality Roundup.

Kozhevnikova will no longer appear in the upcoming 90 Days Tell All special and will be scrubbed from Before the 90 Days, TLC said in a statement.

Axed: TLC has fired Russian 90 Day Fiance star Alina Kozhevnikova after several offensive social media posts from 2014 and 2015 were recently unearthed, on Wednesday

Alina and her partner Caleb Greenwood were breakout stars on this season of Before the 90 Days.

In old social media posts from 2014 and 2015, Alina is seen using the n-word multiple times in one and, in another, seemingly mocking Muslims.

The posts have since been deleted but copies of them are still in circulation on the web. In one particularly offensive post, the reality star is describing a party she was invited to where she dropped the n-word eight times and used other racially insensitive language.

Another post sees Alina dressed in an Indian sari and flippantly quipping: 'Got married today! Became a 134th wife!'

Prolematic: In old social media posts from 2014 and 2015, Alina is seen using the n-word multiple times in one; In others she is seemingly mocking Muslims and Asians

An additional post about actor Hugh Grant also raised some eyebrows after the reality tv personality made comments about his children being 'kinda Asian' since his partner at the time was Chinese.

TLC quickly dispatched a strongly worded statement condemning the comments, according to TMZ.

It read: 'TLC discontinued filming with Alina Kozhevnikova following the recent discovery of her past social media statements. She will not appear on the upcoming Tell All, any future seasons of the franchise and starting next month, she will no longer appear on 'Before the 90 Days.' TLC does not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.' '

When the old posts first began making the rounds earlier this month, Alina tried to play off her usage of the n-word as a language barrier issue.

Done: TLC quickly dispatched a strongly worded statement condemning the comments, according to TMZ, saying the network 'does not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind.'

'I'm sure some of you have seen the screenshot [sic] of one of my past posts. I sincerely want to apologize to those whose feelings have been hurt. I never intended to offend anyone. I am and always will be against any form of discrimination,' she wrote in an Instagram Story, according to Page Six.

'I saw a lot of people on social media using [the N-word], so I thought it was like 'bro' or 'fella', but I was wrong. Again, my deepest apologies to those who were hurt by my words.'

Since then, however, she appears to have changed her tune on the controversy. On Monday, Kozhevnikova seemingly defended herself against claims she is racist.

'Despite what's being said about me, my friends, family and those who met me in person know who I really am & who I am not. And I know it too [sic] the answers are coming.'

The following day, her fiance Caleb shared his own sentiments, sticking by her: 'For everyone asking about the recent buzz. Let's keep watching and see what happens.'

Caleb and Alina were stars of the current season of Before the 90 Days and had their first in-person meeting for TLC's cameras.

They had originally met online when they were teenagers and reconnected after over a decade of silence after they were matched on an online dating app.
Today show host Karl Stefanovic and his wife Jasmine Yarbrough celebrated Australia Day in Sydney's Sutherland Shire on Wednesday.

And a photo Karl posted on his Instagram page got fans talking, as he put on his most Aussie ensemble of a banana print shirt and Crocodile Dundee hat.

His followers noticed the drinks Karl, 47, and Jasmine, 34, were sipping on, with the post sparking some cheeky debate.

Sparking debate! Karl Stefanovic's Australia Day photo sparked debate as fans spotted a tiny detail in the image - the couple's choice of drinks

Karl enjoyed a XXXX Gold beer, while shoe designer Jasmine opted for some Bundaberg Rum as they enjoyed their day out on the water.

Some of the TV host's followers questioned his beer of choice, while others praised the Queensland-bred star for staying loyal to his roots.

'Bundaberg Rum and XXXX pretty bogan. Happy Australia Day,' one fan commented underneath.

'Love this, rocking the XXXX,' another added.

'Pretty bogan': Some of the TV host's followers questioned his beer of choice, while others praised the Queensland-bred star for staying loyal to his roots

'XXXX and Bundaberg Rum... couple of Queenslanders right there,' one fan remarked.

'Australia Day in heaven in the Shire. Love this country,' Karl captioned his Instagram post.

Earlier this week, Karl made headlines when his car was spotted with a bunch of beer magnets on it.

Queenslanders! Despite being born in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst, Karl was raised and educated in Queensland. His wife Jasmine also hails from the Sunshine State

His vehicle was adorned with stickers for Queensland's favourite local lager, XXXX.

Despite being born in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst, Karl was raised and educated in Queensland.

His wife Jasmine also hails from the Sunshine State.

Karl's boozy day comes after the TV host confirmed reports he, his wife Jasmine, and 18-month-old daughter Harper caught Covid-19 while on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

Sick: Karl's boozy day comes after the TV host confirmed reports he, his wife Jasmine, and 18-month-old daughter Harper caught Covid-19 while on Queensland's Sunshine Coast

Last week he described the physical and mental toll the virus took on him and how he was just three days away from getting the booster shot when he tested positive.

'I am a little croaky. The last couple of weeks, going back to January 3 or 4, the whole family tested positive,' Stefanovic told viewers.

'The whole family went down with Covid-19. It was a bit awful to tell you the truth at times, but we're all clear now.

'We got through the whole thing, and look, they say it's mild, but it's pretty intense in parts.'
Tom Steinfort has shared the confronting letter he received from a viewer urging him to not report on Covid.

On Wednesday, the 60 Minutes reporter posted an image of the letter to Instagram, which he received from a viewer telling him to 'stop participating in Covid-19 madness or pay the consequences'.

'Request for you to obey Commonwealth statue law,' the letter was titled.

Letter: 60 Minutes reporter Tom Steinfort received a confronting letter from a viewer telling him to 'stop participating in Covid-19 madness or pay the consequences'

'I being a person cited in S 13 Crimes Act 1914 as entitled to lodge a Summons and information against you and your employer, in the Federal Court of Australia, you and the State of NSW or as the case may be, I nearby give NOTICE to you,' it continued.

Before signing off, the letter read: 'You must cease and desist from participating in this Covid19 madness or pay the consequences.'

'We, the People of the Commonwealth of Australia DEMAND that you obey the law, or you will be held accountable before a jury of your peers.'

'You must cease and desist from participating in this Covid19 madness or pay the consequences. We, the People of the Commonwealth of Australia DEMAND that you obey the law, or you will be held accountable before a jury of your peers,' the letter read

New role: Tom started a full-time position with 60 Minutes in 2020

Tom started a full-time position with 60 Minutes in 2020, and lives in Sydney with his wife, style editor Claudia Jukic.

In November last year, Tom announced he had welcomed daughter Frederikke with his wife.

'Our gorgeous girl, Frederikke. Born yesterday - mum was amazing, Freddie is too beautiful for words, and dad cried more than the baby,' he wrote on Instagram.

Daddy's girl: In November last year, Tom announced he had welcomed daughter Frederikke with his wife Claudia Jukic

He also shared a series of photos of the newborn, including one of her sleeping soundly while swaddled in a white blanket.

It's the first child for the Channel Nine reporter and his style editor wife, who married in Melbourne in July 2019.

They celebrated with a second wedding in Croatia just a month later in August 2019.
She's one of Australia's most popular OnlyFans performers.

And with legions of paying subscribers behind her, Gabrielle Epstein has no time for anonymous trolls on Instagram.

On Wednesday, the LA-based Aussie model, 27, clapped back at a hater who left a nasty comment on her latest lingerie photo.

Scroll down for video

Not having it: Australian model Gabrielle Epstein clapped back at a hater on Wednesday after they left a nasty comment below her latest lingerie photo

The photo in question showed Gabrielle flaunting her jaw-dropping figure in a lacy red bustier with matching knickers.

She accessorised with a kinky fabric collar and evening gloves.

While most of her followers left gushing comments praising how good she looked, one attention-seeking troll wrote: 'Who cares?'

Unkind: While most of her followers left gushing comments praising how good she looked, one attention-seeking troll wrote: 'Who cares?' The blonde bombshell swiftly replied: 'Clearly you because you took the time to comment. Just scroll on, buddy'

The blonde bombshell swiftly replied: 'Clearly you because you took the time to comment. Just scroll on, buddy.'

It comes after Gabrielle looked like a bona fide sex kitten on Tuesday when she poured her curves into a very revealing cocktail dress.

The OnlyFans star put on an eye-popping display in the slinky black number from PrettyLittleThing, which featured daring cut-outs across the chest.

Would you wear this on a date night? It comes after Gabrielle looked like a bona fide sex kitten on Tuesday when she poured her curves into a very revealing cocktail dress

In addition to showing off plenty of underboob, she also flashed a glimpse of thigh courtesy of the frock's perilously high leg split.

She went underwear-free for the occasion, putting herself at the risk of a wardrobe malfunction, and accessorised with a racy pair of evening gloves.

Gabrielle was censored by Instagram last week for posting a nude photo that violated the website's rules on 'sexual solicitation'.

Dare to bare: The OnlyFans star put on an eye-popping display in the slinky black number from PrettyLittleThing, which featured daring cut-outs across the chest

Risque: In addition to showing off plenty of underboob, she also flashed a glimpse of thigh courtesy of the frock's perilously high leg split

Exposure: She went underwear-free for the occasion, putting herself at the risk of a wardrobe malfunction, and accessorised with a racy pair of evening gloves

Working overtime: The flimsy fabric struggled to contain Gabby's surgically enhanced assets

She responded to the strike by sharing a series of defiant snaps in which she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a sparkly navy bikini.

The titillating images were taken in a luxury pool area, and drew attention to Gabrielle's ample cleavage and slim waist.

She didn't caption the pictures, instead letting her incredible body do the talking.

Stunning: Gabrielle was censored by Instagram last week for posting a nude photo that violated the website's rules on 'sexual solicitation'. She responded to the strike by sharing a series of defiant snaps in which she flaunted her jaw-dropping figure in a sparkly navy bikini

Bottoms up: The blonde held a bottle of liquor while posing next to an ornate hot tub

It came a day after she had her raunchy post deleted by the Facebook-owned platform for violating the its community guidelines.

Gabrielle shared a screenshot of the automated alert she'd received from Instagram telling her the photo had been removed.

Instagram broadly defines 'adult sexual solicitation' as any content that allows users to 'facilitate, encourage or coordinate sexual activity'.

This includes pornography, 'erotic messages', offering or asking for sex or nude images, use of 'sexualised slang' and 'language that describes sex or arousal'.

She laughed off the slap on the wrist by writing 'LOL' next to the screenshot.

Censored: Gabrielle was accused of 'sexual solicitation' after posting a fully nude photo

Alert: She shared this screenshot of the automated alert she'd received from Instagram telling her the photo had been removed. Instagram broadly defines 'adult sexual solicitation' as any content that allows users to 'facilitate, encourage or coordinate sexual activity'

The socialite's 'less is more' approach to fashion often gets her in trouble with Instagram's anti-nudity police.

She was censored by the social media giant yet again earlier this month after sharing a photo of herself that was apparently 'too naked'.

She told her followers an image she'd posted to her back-up account - which features more racy content than her main account - was removed because it supposedly violated Instagram's community guidelines.

She posted a comparatively tame gallery of photos of herself in a white lace bra and sweatpants, and wrote in the caption: 'Hi, Instagram removed my pic this morning because I was too naked (what's new?) so here is this instead.'

While it's unclear why Instagram took steps to remove Gabrielle's post, the image may have been reported by a user or alternatively it could have been flagged by an algorithm that detects nudity.

Removed: It comes after the blonde bombshell was censored by Instagram yet again earlier this month after sharing a photo of herself that was apparently 'too naked'

'What's new?' She said an image she'd posted to her back-up account was removed because it supposedly violated Instagram's community guidelines

Instagram's community guidelines state: 'For a variety of reasons, we don't allow nudity on Instagram. This includes photos, videos and some digitally created content that show sexual intercourse, genitals and close-ups of fully nude buttocks.

'It also includes some photos of female nipples, but photos in the context of breastfeeding, birth giving and after-birth moments, health-related situations (for example, post-mastectomy, breast cancer awareness or gender confirmation surgery) or an act of protest are allowed.

'Nudity in photos of paintings and sculptures is okay, too.'

Drenched: Gabrielle isn't exactly known for her subtlety when it comes to fashion

In November, Gabrielle fired back at critics who said her photos were 'too explicit'.

Speaking to Maxim, she called out the 'toxic double standard' between how men and women are treated differently on Instagram.

'There are plenty of photos of men without their shirts on showing their nipples but the fact that mine can be covered and a photo still gets removed creates a very toxic double standard,' she said.

'We are all human, we are all born with bodies and we should not be taught to be ashamed of how they look in a natural state.'

Defiant: In November, Gabrielle fired back at critics who said her photos were 'too explicit'

She said she'd turned to OnlyFans to get around Instagram's censorship.

'I also feel like I can be more of myself on OnlyFans,' she explained.

'To me showing my body isnt about me being objectified; its about me feeling confident, powerful and beautiful in my own skin.'

Prior to finding fame as an adult model, Gabrielle was a competitive swimmer and ambassador for fitness brands.
LG Energy Solution (LGES) Advanced Automotive Battery Division head Kim Dong-myung, left, and General Motors Chair and CEO Mary Barra pose at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Tuesday (local time), during a ceremony to announce their companies' joint venture plan to build a battery cell plant in the city. Courtesy of LGES



Korean battery maker seeks additional investments in North America



By Park Jae-hyuk



LG Energy Solution (LGES) and General Motors held a ceremony in Michigan, Tuesday (local time), to officially announce their joint venture plan to invest $2.6 billion in the construction of an electric vehicle (EV) battery cell plant in the city of Lansing in the Midwestern state.



The announcement was made only a day before the Korean battery maker's debut on the benchmark KOSPI market, which attracted a record-high 114 trillion won ($95 billion) in a two-day public subscription period last week.



Founded in 2019, the joint venture named Ultium Cells will start building its third factory this summer and it will be open in late 2024. The 2.8 million-square-foot facility will be located on land leased from GM, creating 1,700 new jobs when it is fully operational.



After entering the first phase of mass production in early 2025, the new plant will have an annual capacity of 50 gigawatt-hours of battery cells, enabling annual production of 700,000 high-performance EVs that can drive over 500 kilometers on a single charge.



Ultium Cells also plans to begin operations of its first factory in Ohio this year and of its second one in Tennessee next year. Battery cells produced in the three factories will be supplied to GM's EV assembly plants, including Orion Township Assembly in Michigan.



"With a shared vision, GM and LG Energy Solution pioneered the EV sector by seizing new opportunities in the market well before anyone else did," LGES CEO Kwon Young-soo said. "Our third battery manufacturing plant, fittingly located in America's automotive heartland, will serve as a gateway to charge thousands and later millions of EVs in the future."





LGES Advanced Automotive Battery Division head Kim Dong-myung delivers a speech at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of LGES



GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra said her company will invest $7 billion, the largest in the company's history, into electric vehicle and battery production in Michigan.



"This significant investment demonstrates our commitment to strengthen our Michigan and U.S. manufacturing presence and grow good-paying jobs," she said. "We will have the products, the battery cell capacity and the vehicle assembly capacity to be the EV leader by mid-decade."





LGES Head of Advanced Automotive Battery Division Kim Dong-myung, second from left, greets Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer at the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing, Tuesday (local time). Courtesy of LGES
Nacogdoches, TX (75965)

Today

Considerable clouds this morning. Some decrease in clouds later in the day. High 86F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low around 70F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.
A proposal to more than double the size of Connecticuts only ash disposal landfill was approved by state regulators despite objections from environmentalists who say there is a risk that contaminants at the site could leak into local groundwater sources and the Quinebaug River.

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection issued its final decision Dec. 14 to allow the Wheelabrator ash monofill in Putnam to proceed with its planned expansion from 60 acres to nearly 128 acres, while also granting modifications to the companys existing solid waste and discharge permits.

The expansion will also allow the landfill, which opened in 1999 and is approaching capacity, to expand its life cycle by another 30 years of accepting millions of additional tons of ash from trash incinerators in Connecticut and New York.

The life expectancy of the current facility is expected (to) be reached in 2022, DEEP hearing officer Kathleen Reiser wrote in a proposal outlining her final decision. If no other disposal is developed by that time, there will be nowhere in this region for disposal of the ash material.

DEEP granted preliminary approval for the expansion last summer, however opponents of the project successfully petitioned for a public comment hearing in October, delaying final approval.

During that meeting, conservation groups urged regulators to deny the expansion permit. Any break in the landfills protective lining, they said, which would send harmful contaminants into the nearby Quinebaug River, which flows into the larger Thames River and eventually into Long Island Sound.

The Boston-based Conservation Law Foundation also attempted to intervene against the Wheelabrators permit request, saying the landfill expansion was unnecessary due to plans to close one of the largest incinerators sending ash to the site. DEEP denied the groups bid to intervene, though its staff was allowed to submit testimony during the public comment period.

Kevin Budris, a staff attorney for CLF, said Wednesday the group was pleased that DEEP incorporated some of its concerns into the final permit approval, including a requirement that Wheelabrator monitor local groundwater for any contamination by a toxic group of chemicals known as PFAS.

However, Budris criticized DEEPs overall decision to approve the landfill expansion as a contradiction of the states commitments to reduce waste generation, which he said would likely result in the closure of all waste incinerators over the next 20 years.

DEEP is opening Putnam for ash disposal of all of New England, Budris said. Its inappropriate for Putnam residents to have to shoulder the burden of this ash disposal, especially when so much of it is coming from out of state.

Wheelabrator Vice President Don Musial, however, said the company has no plans to close its nearby waste-to-energy plants  including its large facility in Bridgeport  regardless of whether its permit to expand the landfill were approved.

In its final decision to issue the permit, DEEP noted that transporting ash longer distances to out-of-state landfills would result in more carbon pollution from trucks. The agency also said past monitoring of the Putnam landfill site has not shown any previous issues with the protective lining.

As a company, were excited for the decision; this has been a 10-year process, Musial said Wednesday. He added that the publics feedback ultimately led to amendments to the permit that the company supported, including the requirement for PFAS monitoring.

As these standards are developed, we will be at the forefront of any facility thats required to monitor for PFAS, Musial said.

Despite some local opposition, the expansion plan earned the support of Putnams elected town leaders, who pointed to the nearly $60 million the town has received in host fees during the two decades that the landfill has operated. Those fees have helped the town stabilize its tax rate, and even contributed toward capital projects such as the construction of a new municipal building, officials said.

Theyve been a great company to work with, Putnam Mayor Barney Seney said Wednesday. Theyve been helping our town with their donations and the money they put toward our budget.

With regulatory approval in place, Musial said the expansion project will begin this spring with the installation of another 14 acres of protective lining.

Once that lining is in place, he said the landfill will gradually expand in four phases over the next 20 to 30 years. During the landfills extended operation, Musial predicted that Wheelabrator will pay another $100 million in fees to the town of Putnam.
President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele gestures during a speech at the closing ceremony of the Latin Bitcoin conference at Mizata Beach, El Salvador, in this file photo taken Nov. 20, 2021. The International Monetary Fund wants El Salvador to drop the highly volatile cryptocurrency bitcoin as legal tender. AFP-Yonhap





The International Monetary Fund (IMF) wants El Salvador to drop the highly volatile cryptocurrency bitcoin as legal tender and strictly regulate the electronic wallet the government has pushed adoption of across the country.







The global lender's board ''urged the authorities to narrow the scope of the Bitcoin Law by removing bitcoin's legal tender status,'' the IMF said in a statement Tuesday.







''The adoption of a cryptocurrency as legal tender, however, entails large risks for financial and market integrity, financial stability and consumer protection,'' the IMF statement said.







President Nayib Bukele led the push to adopt bitcoin as legal tender alongside the U.S. dollar. El Salvador's Legislative Assembly made the country the first to do so in June.







After nearly doubling in value late last year, bitcoin has plunged and on Tuesday was slightly below where it was when the congress voted June 9. The Bitcoin Law went into effect in September.







From the start there were concerns that a digital currency created to be beyond the control of governments would attract criminal activity. Bukele promoted the adoption as way for thousands of Salvadorans to avoid money transfer fees when relatives living outside the country sent home remittances.







El Salvador's law called for all businesses  with the technological ability  to accept bitcoin as payment. The rollout was glitchy, but seems to have smoothed out.







Bukele became a darling of the cryptocurrency's promoters and has since spoken of building a bitcoin city and issuing bitcoin-backed bonds, something else some IMF directors expressed concern over.







Bukele's office said it did not immediately have a comment on the IMF's statement.







El Salvador's Treasury Minister Alejandro Zelaya, however, noted the IMF's agreement that boosting financial inclusion was important and that an e-wallet could help, to which he added via Twitter: ''It appears to work for financial inclusion, but you mustn't do it. The future waits for no one. #Bitcoin.''







The IMF did commend Bukele's government on its management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country is currently experiencing a surge in infections, but it was aggressive in vaccinating the population and kept a relatively low death toll.







It also noted that the economy was projected to grow 10 percent in 2021 after contracting 7.9 percent the year before.







The board did see other problems on the horizon, however, if the government doesn't tighten its spending.







''Persistent fiscal deficits and high debt service are leading to large and increasing financing needs,'' the statement said. ''Under current policies, public debt is expected to rise to about 96 percent of GDP in 2026 on an unsustainable path.'' (AP)


Its about time.

Everything involving the future of rail in Connecticut is about time: seconds, minutes, years, decades, even a century.

Fueled by a planned $30 billion investment in the Northeast rail corridor, Connecticuts leaders these days talk about railroads as though its 1922, not 2022.

I believe in rail. I believe that it is transformational for our economy and our quality of life  literally. Environmentally and economically ... rail is our present and our future, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said at a news conference in New Haven last week. ... There is no reason that we cant build a rail system that will move passengers from this station to New York City in one hour.

At the same news conference, Gov. Ned Lamont compared future rail possibilities to President Dwight Eisenhowers overhaul of Americas road system in the 1950s, which was probably the last time we heard a Democrat laud a Republican like this.

This is a region that is custom-made for rail. This is a region, and a state, thats very dense; this is a state thats part of a greater metropolis, from Boston all the way to New York, Lamont said.

Of course, a state with a shoreline would also seem to present opportunities to travel by sea as well as land, but thats about as likely as flying cars.

Participants at the news conference, which introduced new Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, spoke with so much enthusiasm they sounded like they were unveiling Star Trek transporter tech (which is so 1966). They outlined plans to slice 25 minutes of travel time off the journey from New Haven to Grand Central over the next 13 years.

U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy went so far as to suggest the primary difference between Stamfords successes and Bridgeports struggles is the time it takes to get to NYC. That, of course, ignores that commutes from both Connecticut cities change simultaneously.

The eagerness to promote rail is understandable. It pumps money into the state on a fragile revenue stream. Cars, on the other hand, dont deliver the same cash since there arent those pesky tolls.

Gardner declared himself the luckiest CEO in Amtraks history, an understandable boast given he recently testified that the $58 billion designated for intercity passenger rail is about the same as all of the federal funding Amtrak received since it was founded in 1971.

Replacing obsolete equipment and trimming travel times is potentially great news for Connecticut. But rail officials (Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldis absence at the event was glaring) need to address how COVID has transformed work habits, in some cases permanently.

We need efficient rail, but there are still fewer than 40 percent of daily riders on our trains than there were pre-pandemic. Expecting all of them to return is like ignoring the boom of streaming services such as Netflix and investing in the construction of massive movie theaters. Planning needs to be appropriate to customer scale.

Yes, its about time. But times are changing.
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Mumbai: Superstar Chiranjeevi on Wednesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is under home quarantine.

The 66-year-old actor took to Twitter and informed his fans that he is experiencing "mild symptoms" post his COVID diagnosis.

"Dear All, despite all precautions, I have tested COVID-19 positive with mild symptoms last night and am quarantining at home. I request all who came in contact with me over the last few days to get tested too. Can't wait to see you all back soon," Chiranjeevi tweeted.

On the work front, the Hyderabad-based star was gearing up for the release of his latest "Acharya" but the movie was postponed owing to the rise in coronavirus cases across the country.

Directed by Koratala Siva, the Telugu action drama was set to be released in cinema halls countrywide on February 4.

According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday, India logged 2,85,914 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 4,00,85,116.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) contingent march during the full dress rehearsal for the upcoming Indian Republic Day parade in New Delhi. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: The country's first woman Rafale fighter jet pilot Shivangi Singh was part of the Indian Air Force tableau at the Republic Day parade on Wednesday. She is only the second woman fighter jet pilot to be part of the IAF tableau.

Last year, Flight Lieutenant Bhawna Kanth became the first female fighter jet pilot to be part of the IAF tableau.

Singh, who is from Varanasi, joined the IAF in 2017 and was commissioned in the IAF's second batch of women fighter pilots. She had been flying MiG-21 Bison aircraft before flying the Rafale.

She is part of the IAF's Golden Arrows squadron based out of Ambala in Punjab.

The IAF tableau was based on the theme -- 'Indian Air Force transforming for the future'. Scaled down models of Rafale fighter jet, indigenously developed light combat helicopter (LCH) and 3D surveillance radar Aslesha MK-1 were part of the float.

It also featured a scaled down model of MiG-21 aircraft that played a major role in the 1971 war in which India defeated Pakistan, leading to the creation of Bangladesh, as well as a model of India's first indigenously developed aircraft Gnat.

The first batch of Rafale fighter jets arrived on July 29, 2020, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 aircraft at a cost of Rs 59,000 crore.

So far, 32 Rafale jets have been delivered to the IAF and four are expected by April this year.
Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi unfurled the national flag at the Marina Beach front, in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin. (ANI)

Chennai: Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi unfurled the national flag at the Marina Beach front here, in the presence of Chief Minister M K Stalin, on Wednesday, as the state government showcased a tableau rejected by a Central panel proposed for the grand event in the national capital.

The Republic Day Parade on Marina was a low key affair this year lasting for about 28 minutes, owing to the pandemic situation. The state government on Tuesday had issued an advisory asking the general public, children and senior citizens to refrain from visiting the Marina Beach front to watch the event today. Exactly at 8 AM, the Governor unfurled the national flag.

After a spectacular march past by the contingents of the armed forces, police and paramilitary forces, the Tamil Nadu government showcased the Republic Day tableau, which was rejected by a Central committee, depicting a statue of Queen Velu Nachiyar riding a horse with a sword in hand and women soldiers.

It also portrayed the Tamil Nadu freedom struggle highlighting the role of V O Chidambaram Pillai and national poet Subramania Bharathi.

Stalin had earlier announced that the rejected float will be included in the Tamil Nadu government's Republic Day celebrations on Wednesday.

Earlier, after the unfurling of the flag, an Air Force helicopter showered flower petals on the venue.

Stalin presented various medals, including to uniformed personnel for acts of bravery.

Wing Commander Anuj Gupta was the overall Parade Commander of the Republic Day parade.
Bengaluru: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Wednesday indicated his party would have a crucial role to play in Karnataka after the 2023 Assembly polls as he claimed that no one can do anything without the party.

The former Chief Minister said defections have become a common phenomenon in all parties ahead of elections these days as ideology has no buyers.

"...JD(S) will grow stronger. Not only that, in 2023, too, no one can do anything without JD(S). I'm not saying this out of ego for there is a section of people that has saved and nurtured this party, those people will never leave this party," Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said his party is whatever it is today because of the workers and not because of leaders. He hit out at now Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who was earlier with the JD(S), for belittling his party.

"...without any leaders, we have won seats in various elections. Even when Siddaramaiah was with JD(S) we used to get 19 per cent vote share and after him leaving the party too it has remained intact, who is responsible for it, our karyakartas, I'm not saying it is because of me," he added.

Kumaraswamy had earlier announced "Mission 123" (winning minimum 123 seats in the 224- member Assembly) to bring the party to power independently after the 2023 Assembly polls.

In the 2018 Assembly polls, there was no clear mandate for any party and BJP, the single largest party, failed to muster numbers. And the Congress, JD(S) joined hands to form a coalition government under Kumaraswamy's leadership. It collapsed in 2019 due to internal squabbling and defection of MLAs.

The regional party had also been in coalition with the BJP in the past.

Kumaraswamy said he won't make claims that leaders from both Congress and BJP are eager to join JD(S) like it was being done by the two national parties.

"We are a small party...rather than people from other parties joining us, we have created an atmosphere for youth to join us and grow themselves as leaders, such an atmosphere in a way has always existed in this party," he said.
Rifles are displayed for sale at the Crossroads of the West Gun Show at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa, Calif., in this file photo taken June 5, 2021. The Biden administration approved a massive $2.5 billion arms sale to Egypt, Tuesday, despite ongoing concerns over human rights. AFP-Yonhap





The Biden administration approved a massive $2.5 billion arms sale to Egypt, Tuesday, despite ongoing concerns over human rights.







The sales were announced just hours after congressional Democrats urged the administration not to release a much smaller package of military assistance that had been put on hold last year pending the Egyptian government meeting certain rights-related conditions.







The State Department said Tuesday's sale was unrelated to $130 million in foreign military financing that was frozen in September and remains in limbo.







But the size of the sale dwarfed the amount of withheld assistance and is likely to draw criticism from lawmakers who are demanding the administration make good on pledges to tie arms transfers to countries meeting minimal human rights standards.







Tuesday's sale included 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and related equipment worth $2.2 billion, and air defense radar systems worth an estimated $355 million.







''This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally country that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East,'' the State Department said.







''We maintain that our bilateral relationship with Egypt will be stronger, and America's interests will be better served, through continued U.S. engagement to advance our national security interests, including addressing our human rights concerns,'' it said.







Shortly before the sale was announced a group of six House Democrats, including House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called on the administration to insist that Egypt meet human rights criteria for military transfers.







''While we recognize and reaffirm important steps Egypt has taken in recent weeks to address such concerns by releasing certain political prisoners and individuals unjustly detained, the Egyptian government must meet the administration's conditions in full by the communicated deadline,'' Meeks and his colleagues said in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.







''If not, we urge you to stand by your word and immediately reprogram withheld funds,'' they said.







Meanwhile, Murphy said, ''Egypt looks unlikely and unwilling to meet the narrow conditions on the remaining $130 million in military aid by the deadline, while the human rights situation more broadly has only deteriorated over the last few months.''







''If Egypt doesn't meet the conditions in full, the administration has to stand firm and show the world that our actions live up to our stated commitment to democracy and human rights,'' he added.







In September, Blinken announced that the administration would proceed with providing Egypt with $300 million in foreign military financing but would withhold another $130 million until the government ''affirmatively addresses specific human-rights related conditions.''







It was not immediately clear if Tuesday's arms sale indicated that Blinken had decided that Egypt has satisfactorily addressed those issues.







Egypt's government has in recent years waged a wide-scale crackdown on dissent, jailing thousands of people, mainly Islamists but also secular activists who were involved in the 2011 Arab Spring uprising that toppled the country's longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak.







Egypt imposed a state of emergency in April 2017, following deadly church bombings and attacks on Coptic Christians that killed more than 100 people and wounded scores. It allowed for arrests without warrants, swift prosecution of suspects and the establishment of special courts.







The state of emergency has since been extended several times. However, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi announced in October, when the last extension expired, that his government will no longer renew it. (AP)


Soon after Narendra Modi became Indias Prime Minister, construction began on building a colossal statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Indias first home minister and deputy prime minister, on an inland island called Sadhu Bet facing the Narmada Dam. It cost about Rs 3,000 crores and stands 182 meters (597 feet) tall. This Chinese-made bronze statue is among the tallest in the world.

This statue has become a place of political tourism like the Indira Gandhi Memorial in New Delhi. But beyond tourist commerce there is another reason driving this project. It is to give the RSS, and the wider Sangh Parivar, a genealogy that it doesnt have. One now has to see the move to instal the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in the vacant canopy on Rajpath as just another act of misappropriation.

There can be no doubt that Netaji was a great hero of his times. But in the pantheon of the heroes of the freedom movement he is not the primus inter pares, the first among equals. That place must undoubtedly belong to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who became the unchallenged leader of the nationalist movement.

Now the question, if Bose, why not Bhagat Singh or Chandrashekhar Azad, or for that matter even V.D. Savarkar, whose contributions to our nationalist history cannot be considered any less? But Bose suits the recent nationalists because of his perceived rivalry with Jawaharlal Nehru and Gandhis opposition to him and his militaristic tendencies. So, he will adorn Rajpath in his Nazi-style tunic, breeches and jackboots, all accouterments that will appeal to their mentality.

Manufactured genealogy is recurring feature of our history. Pre-Islamic invaders from Central Asia like the Hepthalites (White Huns) and Ahir Gatae from the region extending from Bactria to present day Xinjiang conquered a good part of northern India and established kingdoms. The greatest of these invaders was Kanishka, whose realm stretched from Turfan in the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang to Pataliputra on the Gangetic Plain. Kanishka was of Turushka or Turkestani origin.

These new rulers, some of whom were Buddhists, were quickly absorbed into Hindu society and were made Agnikula Rajputs (family of the fire god), others got more extravagant genealogies deriving from the sun and moon, hence the Suryavanshi and Chandravanshi Rajputs. In this manner, the integrity of the Brahminical Varna system was preserved.

This concoction of genealogies is a continuing pattern of all those who usurp power by stirring up sectarian and communal passions, like the Nazis. Nazi theologists gave the Germans an elaborate genealogy of descent from the Aryans, with blond, blue-eyed and Nordic looks. But like unschooled genealogists, they got the Aryan swastika wrong, which is just the mirror opposite in the Nazi depiction.

The ultra-nationalist RSS is still in search of a genealogy that will connect it to the nationalist movement that won India its freedom. The truth is that the contemporary writings and speeches of RSS leaders have a very different story to tell. These leaders showed little enthusiasm for the anti-British struggle. Though the founder of the RSS, B.R. Hedgewar, had an early association with the Congress and other nationalist movements like Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekhar Azads Hindustan Republican Association, he left it all behind to found the RSS.

He also stopped his followers from the nationalist path. In fact, a later sarsanghchalak, B.R. Deoras, wrote approvingly of how Dr Hedgewar saved him and others from the path of Bhagat Singh and his comrades. With the death of Dr Hedgewar in 1940, the RSS lost all interest in freedom. Its new leader, M.S. Golwalkar, drew inspiration from Adolf Hitlers ideology of race purity. Paradoxically, Golwalkar also admired the Jews for maintaining their religion, culture and language.

Golwalkars focus was on religion, racial purity and exclusion. Freedom was to be left to lesser mortals like Gandhiji and his Congress. He wanted the RSS to be involved only in routine work. In the words of Golwalkar: There is another reason for the need of always remaining involved in routine work. There is some unrest in the mind due to the situation developing in the country from time to time. There was such unrest in 1942. This was the time when the Muslim League was asserting itself. Golwalkar wanted the fight against the Muslim League to be above that with the British. Golwalkars point was crystal clear. Dharam (religion) came before Dharma (duty).

The BJP leadership is now very keen to project the RSS as a component of the freedom struggle. The BJP finds it embarrassing that the RSS -- to which the top leadership as well as the overwhelming majority of the cadre of the BJP belong -- was not a part of the freedom movement. They cant get away from the historical fact that the freedom struggle led by Gandhiji was the anvil upon which our nationhood has been forged. The RSS lacks the courage and honesty to categorically state that it did not participate in the freedom struggle because its ideology prevented it from doing so.

There is the well-known concocted story of how the RSS tried to lionise Atal Behari Vajpayees role in the 1942 movement. This ended up in a huge fiasco when it was discovered that Vajpayee had actually made a confessional statement disassociating himself from the event at his hometown Bateshwar. In this confession, he wrote: Ten or twelve persons were in the Forest Office. I was at a distance of 100 yards. I did not render any assistance in demolishing the government building. Thereafter, we went to our respective homes. Clearly, this was leading nowhere.

Hence, the RSS is trying to attach themselves to the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, to get a leg into the nationalist movement. They forget that it was Sardar Patel who had banned the RSS after learning that its workers were distributing sweets to celebrate Gandhijis assassination.

Both Lal Krishna Advani and Narendra Modi have tried to create an apparent fissure between Nehru and Patel. They seem to be confused between dissent and dissidence. Dissent is a genuine difference of opinion, and there were many between Nehru and Patel, as should be between two independent-minded individuals. Dissidence is a result of competing ambitions. This is just part of their effort to latch onto the Congress story.

Now the RSS is trying to also make Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose its own. In this modern version of the RSS history, it tries to give itself an indirect lineage deriving from Sardar Patel and Subhas Chandra Bose.
Congress, on Wednesday, released the third list of candidates for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Earlier today, the BJP also released the second list of six candidates for the Goa Assembly polls. With the names of six candidates in the second list, the BJP has announced the names of all 40 candidates for the state polls. Stay tuned to DH for more updates.
Last week, Samsung revealed the company is preparing to bring the noteworthy Galaxy S series premium smartphone.

Now, the South Korean technology major has announced to host the first edition of the Galaxy Unpacked 2022 event on February 9 at 10:00 am EST (8:30 pm IST).

Samsung has promised that the upcoming smartphone will be the most advanced and significant upgrade over any iteration of the Galaxy S series launched till date.

True innovations dont just evolve with the world  they help shape it. To create the devices that push us ahead, rewrite the future, and bring light to the dark, we must continue to break the rules of whats possible with a smartphone. Join Samsung Electronics on February 9, 2022, for the next Galaxy Unpacked, as we set an epic new standard for smartphones with the most noteworthy S series ever created, the company said.

The Galaxy Note series which was first launched in 2011, was discontinued exactly after 10 years in 2021. But, fans need not fret over it, as the DNA of the popular Note series is being passed on to the S22 series.



Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra teaser. Credit: Samsung



Samsungs new top-end phone understood to be the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be hybrid and come with S Pen support and also a dedicated holster to keep the stylus within the phone, similar to the Note series.

Soon-to-be-launched Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to feature a 6.8-inch screen 2K AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, IP68 rating, in-display fingerprint sensor, Gorilla Glass Victus, support S Pen, and comes with Android 12-based OneUI OS, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/ Exynos 2200 chipset, 8GB/12GB RAM, 128GB/256GB/512GB storage, quad-camera module-- 108MP + 12MP ultra-wide sensor + two 10MP telephoto lens with LED flash on the back, a 40MP front camera for selfies, a 5,000mAh battery with 45W charger.

Besides S22 Ultra, Samsung will be offering two other variants a regular Galaxy S22 and a mid-level S22 Plus. Except for the S Pen support, they will share most of the design and hardware specifications.

Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022 teaser video:

Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cybersecurity, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.
Indian companies are counting on yet another pandemic-era Budget to bolster economic growth and their own fortunes.

From approval of an input tax credit to a cut in indirect tax rates, from better policies to regulate the logistics industry to more funds to set up electric vehicle charging stations, India Inc has a long list of expectations from Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who will present the Union Budget on February 1.

The short version is this: Put more money in the hands of businesses and taxpayers alike so that they can spend more and revive the economy.

Also Read | India Inc demands lifting restrictions on economic activities

Experts expect the government to spend more too as it looks for ways to revive Asias third-largest economy.

The budget will be characterised by infrastructure spending as we go into the penultimate year of the current term with the finance minister loosening the purse strings for development projects, said Ricky Kirpalani, Lead Sponsor at First Water Capital Fund.

Heres what the denizens of Indias prominent business sectors want from Budget 2022.

Real estate

The Indian real estate sector wants the government to increase the tax rebate on home loans to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 lakh, grant it industry status and revisit the affordable housing criteria.

The cap on the affordable housing projects of Rs 45 lakh is very minimal, therefore, we urge the government to increase the limit to up to Rs 80 lakh in metro cities and Rs 50 lakh for non-metro cities, said Atul Goyal, the chief financial officer of Brigade Enterprises.

Another major constraint the sector faces is rising input costs.

The real estate companies want the government to reduce the Goods & Services Tax (GST) and allow for an input tax credit. (This) can help developers stabilise the rising costs of raw materials. Currently, margins are hurt as labour and commodity costs have risen, said Ashish Puravankara, Managing Director, Puravankara Limited.

Mumbai based home-loan startup Easiloans CEO Pramod Kathuria said that a bigger GST waiver will lower property prices and provide the much-needed impetus for housing demand.

Manufacturing

Domestic companies engaged in making goods are entitled to a lower income tax rate of 15% if they commence manufacturing activities in newly setup companies by 31 March 2023.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, the manufacturing plans of several companies have been delayed and it is a major ask of the industry to defer the deadline by at least two years, said Himanshu Parekh, Partner - Tax, KPMG India.

Manufacturing companies also want help from the government to cope with high raw material costs and global supply chain issues.

Meanwhile, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) demanded better policy reforms to compete better in the global markets.

The government should formulate a policy that focuses on indigenization in high-priority technology areas, thereby allowing MSMEs to design products that are globally competitive. said Anurag Gupta, Joint Managing Director at Roto Pumps.

Electric Vehicles

The electric vehicle segment wants the government to do more to improve the charging infrastructure in the country.

There is a tremendous requirement to mandatorily ensure EV charging infrastructure to be set up in all existing and upcoming housing projects and commercial establishments,Ather Energys co-founder and CEO Tarun Mehta said.

Others such as Suhas Rajkumar, CEO & Founder of Simple Energy, wants the government to offer more relief to younger, ambitious EV companies which have been hit by rising component prices and a global chip shortage. He wants the finance minister to promote EV company collaboration and divert more funds towards the governments clean fuel vision.

EV charging facilitator EVRE urged the government to subsidise the cost of new electrical connections and fixed load charges for EV charging point operators in a bid to boost the countrys charging infrastructure.

The Council on Energy, Environment and Water wants the government to commit more funds for mainstreaming green technologies.

Logistics

Indias logistics costs are estimated at about 14 per cent of GDP, a huge disadvantage versus other developing countries which see that figure pegged at 8-10 per cent.

Rating agency ICRA expects finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to implement a national logistics policy to bridge Indias supply chain gaps and improve the global competitiveness of the logistics industry, a key stakeholder in Indias vision of becoming a $5-trillion economy. It also wants the government to back digitisation and automation to lower compliance costs.

We expect the budget to focus on strengthening logistic and expedite connectivity projects in various economic zones thereby helping reduce logistics cost and time, improving productivity and economy, said Yogesh Patel, Chief Finance Officer, Mahindra Logistics.

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Blackmailed over obscene pictures on Instagram, a young engineer in Bengaluru ended his life by coming under train near Malleshwaram locality.

The police are suspecting the role of a 'Nude gang' behind the suicide and have taken up investigation in this direction. Bhaskar Rao, Additional DGP Railways, appealed to youth not to kill themselves out of fear or shame, and urged them to control social media habits.

The inter-state notorious 'Nude gang' operating at national level, especially in metro cities, is infamous for getting acquainted with the youth through dating apps and later blackmailing them to extort money. Recently, a young doctor from the city ended his life in the same fashion after being threatened and extorted over obscene videos.

Bhaskar Rao, ADGP Railways said, "Another 24-year-old engineer ended his life on a railway line. Note revealed he was blackmail for sex on Instagram, I implore, plead youth not to kill themselves due to fear and shame. Please have courage to face, you are precious, pray don't kill yourself. Control your SM urges."

According to the police, one of the accused gang members poses as a girl in the dating apps and starts chatting with the youth who show interest in them. Later, after establishing intimacy, the accused asks the victim to go nude before the camera. If the victim succumbs, the gang records the act and then starts extorting money. They would threaten the victims over their videos going viral on social media.

The latest victim, a 24-year-old youth, an engineering graduate lived with his family in Malleshwaram locality. The dead body of the youth was recovered on Tuesday. Though, it looked like the youth killed self over personal matter initially, as the investigation progressed the police investigation headed in a different direction.

Police sources said that after the verification of the mobile phone of the victim, they found threatening and blackmail messages. The investigation has also revealed that the youth was being blackmailed on Instagram also. This has made the investigation officer believe that the youth could be a victim of a 'Nude gang'.

The Karnataka Railway Police recently arrested an accused in connection with a suicide case of a 30-year-old young doctor, who was blackmailed over his obscene videos. The doctor left a death note saying he is ending life because of the blackmail, threatenings and extortion by a gang led by Kranthi Singh.

The police investigating the case, have taken the accused into custody from Bhopal and launched a hunt for other members of the gang. The gang members had trapped the doctor through a dating app. After getting introduced to him and developing leniency, the victim doctor had started chatting with the accused. One of the accused spoke to him posing as a girl and asked the doctor to go nude while chatting and he obliged. Later, the doctor was blackmailed over the video and accused persons placed demands of extortion.

The victim doctor had transferred Rs 67,000 online to the accused. He continued to get extortion and threat calls from the accused. The doctor unable to take the pressure killed self by coming under a train.

According to the police, the latest is the third such case in Bengaluru. In a similar case, a youth had ended his life in Bengaluru coming under pressure of extortion calls. The K R Puram police had arrested three persons from Rajasthan.

The police have appealed to people not to get trapped on social media platforms where miscreants pose with provocative photographs of women. "The accused somehow make the victims go nude and later blackmail them for money. People should be careful before chatting with strangers on social media platforms," the police warned.

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Charges of nepotism in the allocation of tickets by the Congress ahead of the crucial Punjab elections on February 20 has given fodder to the opposition which is now targeting the Congress for its pseudo-anti-Dalit posturing.

The list of candidates released by the Congress high command smacks of nepotism as it includes tickets to kith and kin of senior Congress leaders, including the nephew of Congress state president Navjot Singh Sidhu among others.

The Congress list has brothers, nephews, sons and even sons-in-law of Punjab Congress leaders. The opposition AAP is now trying to corner the Congress for its self-styled pro-Dalit posturing while rubbing the issue of Congress denying party tickets even to the brother of chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.

Also Read | Congress's 'Avengers' clip sets stage for Punjab poll battle

The Congress will release its last list of eight candidates tomorrow ahead of Rahul Gandhis scheduled visit to the Golden Temple in Amritsar on Thursday where Gandhi intends to sit and to Partake Langar at the Sikh holy shrine. All 117 congress candidates have been asked to reach Amritsar on Thursday.

Apart from Navjot Singh Sidhu's nephew, Congress has named the son-in-law of former Punjab chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhathal from Sahnewal. Former Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar's nephew has been named the party candidate from Abohar. MP Santosh Chaudhary's nephew has been given the ticket from Kartarpur. Senior Congress leader Avtar Henry's son is the Congress candidate from Jalandhar (Rural). Former CM Harcharan Singh Brar's daughter-in-law Karna Kaur has been fielded from Muktsar. Former MLA Surjit Dhiman's nephew is the party nominee from Sunam. Cabinet minister Brahm Mohindra's son has been fielded from Patiala (Rural).

Also Read | Rahul Gandhi to campaign in Punjab on January 27

The Congress party did not accept the appeal of CM Channi, who belongs to the SC community, to give a ticket to his brother even after hed practically begged for it. Channi has been used as a night watchman. Congress has shown its anti-Dalit mentality by denying the ticket to Channi's real brother, AAP's Raghav Chadha said. Raghav Chadha drew similarity citing 18-year-old Congress history in Maharashtra when Congress made an SC chief minister, Shushil Kumar Shinde, for two months and after elections replaced him.

However, Congress leaders rubbished these charges saying winnability has been the criteria in ticket allocation.

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Facing farmers' backlash in the Jatlands of Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was successful in winning over angry Jat voters in 2019, made a strong outreach to the community, reminding them of how they had "fought against Mughals" while maintaining that the BJP's doors are open for RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, even post-elections, on Wednesday.

Even the issue of reservation of the Jat community was briefly discussed in the meeting.

In the company of Jat leaders from Haryana and Western UP at the residence of BJP MP from West Delhi Parvesh Verma - son of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma, Shah made an effort to reach out to the community, reassuring them that the BJP cares about them. The Jat community has consistently voted for the BJP since 2014.

After the meeting, Verma said, "We wanted to welcome Jayant Chaudhary in our home but he has chosen another home. He chose the wrong path. People of the community will speak to him and will convince him. Possibilities are always open even after elections. There is never any delay for anyone coming to us."

Read | Hindu-Muslim narrative being kept, says Rakesh Tikait

Baghpat MP Satyapal Singh and former Union minister Sanjeev Balyan were also present at the meeting, who had a fortnight ago met the face of the farmers' agitation - Rakesh Tikait, in his village home Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar. Tikait, who had earlier appealed to vote for the RLD-SP alliance, but later withdrew it.

After the meeting, Balyan said, "for the most part, the Jat community has aligned themselves with the BJP. Some leaders from the community had visited and there has been good dialogue. Ours is a relationship of mutual love. The Home minister often interacts with our community. Even RLD workers do not want Akhilesh Yadav to become chief minister."

The RLD chief reacted on Twitter to the BJP's informal invite to join him post-poll, saying, "Do not invite me. Extend the invitation to the more than 700 farmer families, whose homes you destroyed." He was pointing to the claims that more than 700 farmers died during the year-long anti-farm laws protest that ended in December of last year after the government dropped the three disputed agricultural laws.

Shah's meeting with the Jat leaders took place days after he kicked off a door-to-door campaign for the party from Kairana in western UP. Kairana has been the laboratory of Hindutva politics since 2013, where the BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, the daughter of firebrand controversial hardline Hindutva leader late Hukum Singh. Hukum had made a high polarised pitch about the migration of Hindus from the region due to "Muslim miscreants".

Sporting a traditional 'pagadi' and sitting on the ground, Shah was surrounded by members of the Jat community, some of whom were smoking "hookahs" while the Home Minister spoke with them, indicating that the BJP is open to working with Jayant Chaudhary-led RLD even after the elections.

Shah's subtle message to the Jat voters was that even if they vote for RLD, they should not vote for Samajwadi Party. The BJP is clearly working on the traditional Jat-Yadav war of attrition in the area. In the past too, Western UP residents have lacked confidence in the SP. BJP calculates that even if RLD wins a few seats, it could be persuaded to back a BJP government in a post-poll scenario.

In the meeting, Shah is learnt to have told the Jat leaders about the work done by the BJP for the development and the honour of the community, which includes the naming of a new University in Aligarh after Jat king Mahendra Pratap Singh. Mahendra Pratap Singh was the one, who had donated land for the establishment of Aligarh Muslim University.

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It took Roopali Dixit just three minutes to convince the Samajwadi Party chief to give her the ticket to fight the assembly elections from Fatehabad. Or so she says.

Her pitch to the SP included the mention of the grudge she held against the BJP candidate over a video clip in which he allegedly insulted her father -- who is in jail for murder  and the Thakur community.

While seeking to avenge the "insult", she said she doesnt believe in casteism and wants transparent and proper allocation in government schemes for the poor from all communities.

I met SP president Akhilesh Yadav and he asked me what I wanted. I said I want to fight against the BJP candidate, Chhotelal Verma, because of the objectionable comment, and I also promise you that I will win this seat," Dixit, who had earlier tried to get the nomination from the BJP, told PTI.

Also Read | BJP has more criminal candidates: Akhilesh Yadav

The SP apparently dumped the candidate they had picked earlier for the 34-year-old law graduate who also holds two postgraduate degrees from universities in the United Kingdom.

A graduate from Symbiosis in Pune, she went abroad for an MBA from Cardiff University and an MA in marketing and advertising from University of Leeds. Dixit then worked with a multinational firm in Dubai for three years.

Her father Ashok Dixit, who once fought an election on the SP ticket, is now 75 and in jail since 2007.

When he, her uncle and three other relatives were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2015 by a Firozabad court for the murder of school teacher Suman Dubey, she decided to quit the MNC job and return.

Ashok Dixit, once regarded as a bahubali, or a muscleman, fought the elections first in 1996 on an SP ticket, and then in 2002 as a Bahujan Samaj Party candidate. In 2007, he contested as an independent, before his arrest the same year.

He lost all three times.

After a single call from my father, I came back to India in 2015 to manage my family and its business," Roopali Dixit said. Back home, she studied law and secured a degree to help her father in the case against him.

She made Fatehabad her 'karmabhoomi' to fulfil my father's dream".

Dixit tried her luck first with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

"After my return, I began working for my constituency and meeting people. I also joined the BJP in 2017 and campaigned for its candidate Jitendra Verma, who even won the elections, she said.

Also Read | Hindu-Muslim narrative being kept for UP Polls, says Rakesh Tikait

This time, she tried to get a ticket for herself but the BJP picked a man who she alleged had called her father names.

"I was very disturbed when the BJP fielded Chhotelal Verma, a former MLA from the Fatehabad seat in this election, she said.

After that, I was determined to teach him a lesson and contest against him to avenge the insult to my father and people of the Thakur community, she said.

"After my ticket was finalised for the seat, I have been visiting and meeting my people in every village of the constituency. I aim to bring transparency and provide benefits of government schemes to everyone, whether they support me or not," she said.

"In my constituency, girls who want to study in Agra city are not able to travel due to transportation problems. I would solve this issue. I want to encourage youth to be educated and become self-dependent, she added.

Stray cattle destroying crops is another problem in the area, she said.

"My aim would be to work for all, just as the district collector does. I wont work as an MLA, I will work as a DM," she promised.

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Superstar Chiranjeevi on Wednesday said he has tested positive for Covid-19 and is under home quarantine.

The 66-year-old actor took to Twitter and informed his fans that he is experiencing "mild symptoms" post his Covid diagnosis.

"Dear All, despite all precautions, I have tested Covid-19 positive with mild symptoms last night and am quarantining at home. I request all who came in contact with me over the last few days to get tested too. Cant wait to see you all back soon," Chiranjeevi tweeted.

On the work front, the Hyderabad-based star was gearing up for the release of his latest "Acharya" but the movie was postponed owing to the rise in coronavirus cases across the country.

Directed by Koratala Siva, the Telugu action drama was set to be released in cinema halls countrywide on February 4.

According to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Wednesday, India logged 2,85,914 new coronavirus infections, taking the total tally of Covid-19 cases to 4,00,85,116.

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By A O Scott

There was a time not so long ago when the Sundance Film Festival was in danger of being overwhelmed by swag, hype and other extra-cinematic preoccupations. One year, if I remember right, there were stickers all over its Park City, Utah, home reminding those of us in attendance to focus on films rather than parties, celebrity sightings, industry buzz and tabloid gossip.

That isnt much of a problem now. For the second year in a row, Sundance isnt in Park City at all. Instead of traipsing up and down Main Street or piling into shuttle buses, the audience is exactly where it has been for most of the past two years: at home, in front of a screen, scrolling through a menu in search of something to watch.

Theres a lot of film  scores of features and dozens of shorts, running through next weekend  and not so much festival. Im not going to argue that this is a good thing. But I will say that from the vantage point of my armchair, this Sundance has so far shown a special kind of vitality. At a time when many of us are worried about the health of movies, it offers proof of life.

The kinds of films long associated with Sundance  adventurous, youthful, socially aware  face particular difficulties at the moment. Covid has imposed new burdens on filmmaking. Streaming has upended the already fragile ecology of independent distribution. And a bored, moody, stressed-out public may not know what it wants. Im not sure I do. Do I want to be challenged or comforted? Am I looking for movies that reflect the miserable realities of contemporary life or movies that conjure alternative realities? Is it weirder if people are wearing masks on screen, or if they arent?

Classic Sundance

Maybe the best thing about Sundance is that I dont have to choose. As of this writing, Ive seen 21 movies, which stubbornly refuse to add up to a picture of the State of Independent Cinema. Some of them are holdovers from Before, carrying the aura of 2018 and 2019 into the present. Others seem to come from a Sundance that exists outside of time, a place where diffident young people bittersweetly come of age, where lonely souls forge tentative connections against a harsh American landscape, where quirkiness, awkward sex and cheeky genre play are as common as family dysfunction and melancholy soundtrack music.

Which is to say: I have seen Lena Dunhams new feature, Sharp Stick, about an unworldly 26-year-old virgin named Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) who lives with her TMI mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and TikTok-ambitious sister (Taylour Paige) and who has an affair with a cool dad (Jon Bernthal). I have also seen Jesse Eisenbergs directing debut, When You Finish Saving the World, in which an Indiana teenager (Finn Wolfhard) struggles with romance, creative ambition and his do-gooder mother (Julianne Moore). I have seen Max Walker-Silvermans A Love Song, with two lonely people (Dale Dickey and Wes Studi) forging a tentative connection in a desolate and beautiful part of Colorado. And Cooper Raiffs Cha Cha Real Smooth, whose post-college protagonist, played by the director, moves back home and meets a sad mom (Dakota Johnson).

I liked all of them, with reservations that need not concern us here. Spread throughout various sections of the festival (Premieres, Next, US Dramatic Competition), they offered glimmers of Classic Sundance, evidence that American independent film is either sticking to its guns or stuck in a rut. Luckily that isnt the only or even the dominant flavor in the festival these days.

Varieties of documentary experience

Documentaries are always, for me, the heart of this festival. Non-fiction film has its own styles and subgenres. Some of the strongest offerings this year follow familiar templates, interweaving news clips, interviews and present-tense narrative to shed light on urgent issues or excavate hidden histories. Eugene Yi and Julie Has Free Chol Soo Lee, about a Korean immigrant in San Francisco wrongly convicted of a 1973 murder, is one example  a story of injustice and activism that turns into a meditation on the price an individual can pay for becoming a cause celebre.

Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher, is the portrait of a political celebrity, the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is shown instructing the film crew to tell his story like a thriller. Ending with Navalnys dramatic arrest in Moscow a year ago, the movie certainly has a suspenseful, stranger-than-fiction feeling, enhanced by its subjects dashing, humorous charisma. At the same time, it has the nervous, present-tense pace of a news broadcast.

Sometimes the real news is old news, and the most dazzling films are made of images that have been languishing in the ether or the archive. Four of my Sundance favourites so far this year are found-footage documentaries, movies largely or entirely assembled out of images harvested a long time ago. This isnt a new phenomenon  last years Sundance standout, Summer of Soul, was almost entirely made of found footage  but it may have a special allure in a screen-saturated culture that is at once obsessed with and puzzled by history.

Riotsville, USA, directed by Sierra Pettengill from a script by critic and writer Tobi Haslett, is a pointed lesson in the non-pastness of the past. Using public television broadcasts and law-enforcement training films, Pettengill delves into the official response to the urban uprisings of the mid- and late 60s, zeroing in on the report of the commission appointed by President Lyndon B Johnson to assess the causes of the violence and propose solutions. People dressed and talked differently then, and smoked on television, but the great, troubling achievement of the movie is to show how little our civic arguments about racism, policing, poverty and politics have changed in more than 50 years.

Sometimes, though, the past haunts the present by staying out of reach. Sara Dosas Fire of Love tells the story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French couple who devoted their lives to studying the worlds volcanoes. They are characters in the film, and also collaborators, since the most striking scenes  violent eruptions and eerily serene lava flows  were captured by their cameras until their deaths in 1991.

Bianca Stigters Three Minutes: A Lengthening examines a scrap of amateur film taken in a Polish town in 1938  a tourists moving snapshot of Jewish citizens waving, mugging and going about their daily lives. Almost all of them died in the Holocaust, and the movie doesnt so much restore a sense of what came before as document the absolute rupture between before and after.

Get Out is still in

Five years after Jordan Peeles Get Out premiered in Park City, its influence is unavoidable. Some of the most interesting movies about racism are horror movies, and vice versa. Mariama Diallos Master is a campus drama set at an exclusive New England college that clings to old traditions and new forms of hypocrisy and bad faith. Evoking the Puritan-Gothic overtones of The Scarlet Letter and (less explicitly) the map of modern microaggressions in Claudia Rankines Citizen, Diallo follows the parallel stories of two Black women, a student (Zoe Renee) and a professor (Regina Hall), in hostile surroundings.

Like Get Out, Master finds scares  and satire  in the benevolence and moral vanity of white liberals. Nikyatu Jusus Nanny takes a similar tack, subjecting its protagonist, Aisha (Anna Diop), an immigrant from Senegal living in New York, to torments that may be supernatural, psychological or some combination of the two. Whats certain is that they are made more acute by her position in the household of a wealthy, well-meaning and seriously (and maybe also conventionally) messed-up white family.

It almost comes as a relief that the white villains in Alice, Krystin Ver Lindens clever mashup of plantation drama and blaxploitation revenge picture, arent hypocritical, just hateful, and that the nuances of the heroines state of mind are less important than her righteous rage. These movies, which deploy tried-and-true genre tropes with various degrees of success, rest finally on the skill and conviction of their lead performers. The stories may not be entirely persuasive, but Hall, Diop and Keke Palmer, who plays Alice, cant be doubted.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
Bayi Aerobatics Team participated in the MAKS Air Show during their first trip abroad in 2013.

BEIJING, JAN. 26 -- The Avic Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Co., Ltd (AVIC) hosted a theme activity featuring the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Bayi Aerobatics Team of the PLA Air Force at its aviation education base recently.

The Bayi Aerobatics Team was established on January 25, 1962.

Since its establishment, the Bayi Aerobatics Team has been equipped with the JJ-5, J-7 and J-10 series of performance aircraft developed and manufactured by the AVIC in sequence. Those jets accounted for most of China's air shows and aerial honor guard tasks. After the National Day in 2009, the Bayi Aerobatics Team was equipped with J-10 fighter jets (the latest generation at the time) independently developed by the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Ltd (AVIC) and performed its first overseas aerobatic flight in 2013 at the MAKS Air Show.
Russian servicemen attend tactical and special exercises with scouts of the Guards Tank Army of the Western Military District at the Golovenki training ground in the Moscow region, Russia, on Wednesday. EPA-Yonhap



Russia warned Wednesday it would quickly take "retaliatory measures" if the U.S. and its allies reject its security demands and continues their "aggressive" policies, ratcheting up pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.



Russia has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the United States and its NATO allies are worried because Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and launched a series of war games in the region.



At the heart of the standoff are questions about Ukraine's future: Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO will never admit the country and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance will roll back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries. Some of these, like the membership pledge, are nonstarters for NATO, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.



Speaking to lawmakers Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands. Those answers are expected this week _ even though the U.S. and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands.



"If the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures," he said.



While Russia is currently waiting for the American reply, Lavrov indicated it wouldn't wait forever: "We won't allow our proposals to be drowned in endless discussions," he said.



Asked by lawmakers if Russia could expand military cooperation with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, Lavrov responded that Moscow has close ties with those countries. Earlier this month, Lavrov's deputy pointedly refused to rule out the deployment of Russian military assets to Cuba and Venezuela _ far closer to the U.S. than Ukraine _ if Moscow's security demands aren't met.



NATO said this week it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region and the U.S. ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. Western nations have also sent planeloads of weapons to help Ukraine strengthen its defenses.



Amid the escalating tensions, Ukrainian officials have sought to calm nerves.



Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, "their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive."



"They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive," Kuleba told reporters.



As others have, he noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by "spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraine's financial system and launching cyberattacks."



"President Putin would be happy to see that plan succeed so that he doesn't even need to turn to military force to put Ukraine in a vulnerable position," he said.



His comments were latest from Ukrainian officials who have sought to reassure their citizens. Speaking late Tuesday in the second televised speech to the nation in as many days, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was "strong enough to keep everything under control and derail any attempts at destabilization."



Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to yield any breakthroughs in the standoff, but another attempt was going forward Wednesday.



Presidential advisers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany are set to meet in Paris to discuss ways to revive a stalled peace agreement for eastern Ukraine.



In 2014, following the ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland. Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled.



Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow expects a "good frank" talk at the Paris meeting.



In addition to the military moves, the U.S. and its allies have threatened sanctions like never before if Moscow sends its troops into Ukraine, but they have given few details, saying it's best to keep Putin guessing.



On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters that Putin "continues to build forces along Ukraine's border," and an attack "would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world." He warned that there would be serious economic consequences for Putin, including personal sanctions, in the event of an invasion.



Asked to comment on Biden's statement, Peskov pointed out that the Russian president and other top officials don't have assets in the West but reaffirmed that such U.S. sanctions would be "politically destructive" for bilateral ties.



Britain is also promising sanctions, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine.



The U.K. has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, though it has ruled out sending combat troops.



"We'll be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion," she told the BBC. "What's important is that all of our allies do the same."



Amid the soaring tensions, the U.S., Britain, Australia, Germany and Canada have also moved to withdraw some of their diplomats and dependents from Kyiv. (AP)




Three days of talks between the Taliban, Western diplomats and other delegates on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and human rights were wrapping up on Tuesday in Norway, with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi praising the discussions, which he said "went very well".

The closed-door meetings in the snow-capped mountains above the Norwegian capital of Oslo came at a crucial time for Afghanistan, as freezing temperatures are compounding the misery from the country's downward economic spiral after the fall of the US-backed government and the Taliban takeover last summer.

"It was a very good trip. Such trips will bring us closer to the world," Muttaqi told The Associated Press.

Also Read | Taliban talks in Norway raise new debate about recognition

Aid groups and international agencies estimate that about 2.3 crore people, more than half the country, face severe hunger and nearly 90 lakh are on the brink of starvation. People have resorted to selling possessions to buy food, burning furniture for warmth and even selling their children.

Muttaqi said the Taliban government will do "its best to protect Afghanistan from any sorts of problems, attract more assistance, seeking solutions for the economic problems".

The Taliban are demanding that $10 billion frozen by the United States and other Western countries be released, but there is no agreement on that so far. The United Nations has managed to provide some liquidity and allowed the Taliban administration to pay for imports, including electricity.

"The number one problem now is that Western sanctions are creating a liquidity crisis, which means we cannot get aid funding into the country," said Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, one of the humanitarian organisations taking part in the talks.

"We cannot save lives as we should. So the West and the Taliban need to talk. And we need to have an end to sanctions hurting civilians," he said.

But before they will agree to relax sanctions, Western powers are demanding increased rights for Afghan women and girls, along with the West's recurring demand for the Taliban administration to share power with Afghanistan's minority ethnic and religious groups.

The new Afghan rulers told The Associated Press last week they aim to have schools open for girls and women in late March, after the Afghan new year. They repeated that promise in Oslo, according to Egeland, who met with the Taliban delegation led by Muttaqi.

The visit -- the first in Europe since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August last year -- opened on Sunday with talks between the Taliban and members of the Afghan civil society. The following day they held multilateral talks involving Western diplomats from the EU, the US, Britain, France, Italy and host Norway.

Tuesday's talks were bilateral, involving all parties including independent humanitarian organisations.

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An investigation report in Pakistan has blamed India, which it said is responsible for the terrible air pollution levels in Lahore.

A joint investigation report of Bahauddin Zakariya University and NUST University has said that the polluted air coming from India formed the toxic smog in Lahore, Samaa TV reported.

The report said the city's air was not clean for a single day in 2020, therefore the number of asthma and heart patients has increased.

Pakistan has taken up the matter with India but did not get a response and without some intervention from across the border, the problem cannot be tackled, the report said.

The report suggested that the SAARC conference could work on air pollution in Asia.

Lahore has been battling the worst air pollution for four years in the winter. In 2021, the city ranked No. 1 globally as the most polluted city, with its AQI crossing 700 which is 'most hazardous'.

The last time smog levels in Lahore sky-rocketed was in the winter of 2016-2017. A New York Times report said that dangerous particles in the air, called PM2.5, reached 1,077 microgram per cubic metre, which is 30 times more than what is considered as safe limit.

Experts said the pollution has reached a "crisis point", the report said.

Smog is formed by a mixture of pollutants and water vapour in the atmosphere. It can cause health problems such as asthma, flu, cough, allergies, bronchial infection, and heart problem.

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The United States warned Moscow on Tuesday of damaging sanctions, including measures personally targeting Vladimir Putin, as Russian combat troops massing around Ukraine launched new exercises.

Tension appeared to be only increasing, with the White House saying the risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine "remains imminent."

Warning that would prompt "enormous consequences" and even "change the world," President Joe Biden said he would consider adding direct sanctions on Putin to a raft of measures being drawn up.

"Yes. I would see that," Biden said when asked by reporters in Washington about targeting Putin, whom opponents have long accused of holding gigantic, secret wealth.

Also Read | US ups sanctions pressure on Moscow over Ukraine

A senior US official laid out economic sanctions "with massive consequences" that go far beyond previous measures implemented in 2014 after Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimea region, warning that "the gradualism of the past is out."

New measures would include restrictions on exports of high-tech US equipment in the artificial intelligence, quantum computing and aerospace sectors, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"What we're talking about are sophisticated technologies that we design and produce," and cutting them off would hit Putin's "strategic ambitions to industrialize his economy quite hard," the official said.

Also Read | US plane brings military equipment and munitions to Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed the threat, saying sanctions would be "heavier than anything we've ever done."

In a bid to break the growing tension, French President Emmanuel Macron said he would talk by telephone with Putin on Friday, seeking "clarification" on Moscow's intentions.

A day after Washington said it was putting 8,500 US troops on alert for possible deployment to bolster NATO forces in Europe, the Russian military announced it was conducting new drills involving 6,000 troops near Ukraine and within the Crimea region.

The drills included firing exercises with fighter jets, bombers, anti-aircraft systems and ships from the Black Sea and Caspian fleets, the defense ministry said.

According to Western officials, the Kremlin has already deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, with reinforcements arriving from all over Russia.

"We continue to watch the accumulation of significant combat power," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

Canada announced it was following Britain and the United States in pulling families of its diplomats out of Ukraine.

The United States and its EU allies accuse Russia of seeking to upend European stability by threatening invasion of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic striving to join NATO and other Western institutions.

Moscow denies plans to invade the country, where in addition to seizing Crimea it backs separatist forces in the east.

Russia instead blames the West for the tension and has put forward a list of demands, including a guarantee that Ukraine never join NATO and that NATO forces already in the former Soviet bloc pull back.

The senior US official said "contingency" plans were being drawn up to get Europe through the winter in case of Russia squeezing or even cutting off energy supplies.

Washington and its European allies are scouring global markets for alternative energy sources, even as Europe already struggles with soaring mid-winter energy prices.

The US official said that if Russia uses energy supplies to retaliate against sanctions, this would backfire.

"If Russia decides to weaponize its supply of natural gas or crude oil, it wouldn't be without consequences to the Russian economy," a senior US official told reporters.

Although the European Union sources about 40 per cent of its supply from Russia, Moscow also relies heavily on sales of energy, meaning "it's an interdependency," the official said.

Negotiations this month have failed to ease tensions, though the US and Russia have agreed to keep talking.

In addition to the Macron-Putin talks later, the French government said Russian and Ukrainian officials would meet, along with French and German counterparts, in Paris on Wednesday.

Washington has promised to provide written answers to Moscow's demands this week, while already making clear that it rejects giving Russia a veto on Ukraine joining NATO.

But the crisis has laid bare divisions in the West.

The new government in Germany in particular has faced criticism from Kyiv over its refusal to send defensive weapons to Ukraine, as well as hesitating over one of the harshest economic sanctions under discussion  cutting Moscow from the global SWIFT payments system.

Ukraine's military is heavily outgunned by Russia and Biden repeated that he has "no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine."

However, the United States has stepped up deliveries of weapons. A shipment arrived on Saturday and another batch was due Tuesday.

At a ceremony for the latest shipment arriving in Kyiv, US charge d'affaires Kristina Kvien said "our preference is diplomacy."

But in case of attack by Russia, "the Kremlin will face fierce resistance, the losses to Russia will be heavy."

"If President Putin decides to make this reckless choice, we will provide additional defensive material to the Ukrainians above and beyond what we've already sent," she said.

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The Czech government agreed on Wednesday to donate 4,000 artillery ammunition rounds to Ukraine as the country prepares for a possible Russian military offensive, the Czech Defence Ministry said.

The Czech Republic's new centre-right Cabinet has taken a clear stance to show support for Ukraine in the standoff.

"We have a wide scale of options from political and diplomatic support to concrete actions such as the donation of ammunition which I see as an important gesture of solidarity," Defence Minister Jana Cernochova said in a statement.

Also Read: Russia-Ukraine war may loom, but are there off-ramps?

The ministry said Ukraine had requested the aid to help its defence preparedness as Russia concentrates military hardware near Ukraine's borders.

It said the ammunition was for 152mm artillery.

The Czech government has signalled support for strong Western sanctions against Russia if it invades Ukraine.

Russia denies planning an attack but says it could take unspecified military action if its security demands are not met.

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Bangladesh is keen to work with India towards realising the shared vision of building a peaceful and prosperous region, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Wednesday as she extended greetings to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi and the people of India on the country's 73rd Republic Day.

In a letter written to Modi, Hasina said the year 2021 was a historic one for the Bangladesh-India relationship, marked by celebrations of epochal events and engagements at the highest levels.

"On behalf of the Government and the people of Bangladesh and on my own behalf, I extend the warmest wishes and heartiest felicitations to you and the People of India on the auspicious occasion of the Republic Day of India," she said.

Hasina said the unique ties of close friendship, cooperation and trust between the two countries have flourished and grown from strength to strength in recent years.

Many new frontiers of cooperation alongside all traditional areas have been identified, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.

"We look forward to working with India in the next fifty years and beyond, towards realising the shared vision of building a peaceful and prosperous region," she said.

Hasina said she "thankfully" recalled Modi's visit to Dhaka in March last year to join the celebrations of the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and 50 years of establishment of diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and India.

Your gracious presence on these occasions had added extra enthusiasm to the celebrations and allowed us to further consolidate our excellent bilateral relations, which so happily exist between our two countries," she wrote in the letter.

Hasina said she recalled with gratitude the support rendered by the government and the people of India during Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971 and said this set the foundation of "our unique relationship."

The joint celebration of Moitri Dibosh held across the globe on December 6, the day when India recognised Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent country in 1971, projected this special relationship," wrote Hasina.

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French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday warned Russia would face tough consequences if it attacked Ukraine but said he planned talks this week with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to keep dialogue going with Moscow.

The build-up of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine has raised fears of a conflict over Moscow's pro-EU neighbour but it remains unclear what the Kremlin's intentions are.

"If there is an attack, there will be retaliation and the price (for Russia) will be very high," Macron said alongside German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on a visit to Berlin.

"We call for a deescalation of tensions and I want to also say how united Germany and France are on this subject," he added, following speculation that Berlin could be promoting a softer line regarding Russia.

Also Read | Biden threatens Putin with personal sanctions over Ukraine

"We are preparing in parallel a joint reaction and the response in case of aggression," he said, adding that Western powers were "totally united".

Scholz added: "We expect from Russia clear steps that contribute to a deescalation of the situation. We are all in agreement that a military aggression will trigger heavy consequences."

He also stressed that Moscow would have a "very high price" to pay if it violated Ukraine's territorial integrity.

But Macron also insisted that a "demanding dialogue" needed to continue with Russia and revealed that he would hold telephone talks with Putin on Friday.

These talks would provide the chance for Putin to give "clarification" over what Russia is planning in Ukraine, Macron said.

Several analysts predict Russia is considering some kind of intervention in Ukraine, although Moscow has insisted it is not planning a new attack on its neighbour following the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Senior representatives of Germany, Russia, and Ukraine are also due in Paris in Wednesday to discuss Ukraine along with French officials in the so-called four-way "Normandy" format.

Macron accused Russia of behaving as a "power of disequilibrium" through its behaviour not just in Ukraine but also Belarus, the Caucasus and Moldova.

He said that the situation was worrying, and required Europe to stay united and to prepare a "joint response".

But he added: "It also means we should have a dialogue of clarification with Russia because I think that this dialogue is necessary to try to remove the ambiguities."

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Russia warned on Wednesday it would quickly take retaliatory measures if the US and its allies reject its security demands and continue their aggressive policies, ratcheting up pressure on the West amid concerns that Moscow is planning to invade Ukraine.

Russia has repeatedly denied it has any such designs, but the United States and its NATO allies are worried because Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and launched a series of war games in the region.

At the heart of the standoff are questions about Ukraine's future: Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO will never admit the country and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance will roll back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries.

Read more: Russia issues arrest warrant for Navalny's brother

Some of these, like the membership pledge, are nonstarters for NATO, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.

Speaking to lawmakers Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands.

Those answers are expected this week  even though the US and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands.

"If the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures, he said.

While Russia is currently waiting for the American reply, Lavrov indicated it wouldn't wait forever: We won't allow our proposals to be drowned in endless discussions, he said.

Asked by lawmakers if Russia could expand military cooperation with Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, Lavrov responded that Moscow has close ties with those countries. Earlier this month, Lavrov's deputy pointedly refused to rule out the deployment of Russian military assets to Cuba and Venezuela  far closer to the US than Ukraine  if Moscow's security demands aren't met.

NATO said this week it was bolstering its deterrence in the Baltic Sea region and the US ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert for potential deployment to Europe. Western nations have also sent planeloads of weapons to help Ukraine strengthen its defenses.

Amid the escalating tensions, Ukrainian officials have sought to calm nerves.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive.

They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive, Kuleba told reporters.

As others have, he noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraine's financial system and launching cyberattacks.

President Putin would be happy to see that plan succeed so that he doesn't even need to turn to military force to put Ukraine in a vulnerable position, he said.

His comments were latest from Ukrainian officials who have sought to reassure their citizens. Speaking late Tuesday in the second televised speech to the nation in as many days, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was "strong enough to keep everything under control and derail any attempts at destabilisation.

Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to yield any breakthroughs in the standoff, but another attempt was going forward Wednesday.

Presidential advisers from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany are set to meet in Paris to discuss ways to revive a stalled peace agreement for eastern Ukraine.

In 2014, following the ouster of a Kremlin-friendly president in Kyiv, Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and threw its weight behind a separatist insurgency in the country's eastern industrial heartland.

Fighting between Ukrainian forces and Russia-backed rebels has killed over 14,000 people, and efforts to reach a settlement have stalled.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow expects a good frank talk at the Paris meeting.

In addition to the military moves, the US and its allies have threatened sanctions like never before if Moscow sends its troops into Ukraine, but they have given few details, saying it's best to keep Putin guessing.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden told reporters that Putin continues to build forces along Ukraine's border, and an attack would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.

He warned that there would be serious economic consequences for Putin, including personal sanctions, in the event of an invasion.

Asked to comment on Biden's statement, Peskov pointed out that the Russian president and other top officials don't have assets in the West but reaffirmed that such US sanctions would be politically destructive for bilateral ties.

Britain is also promising sanctions, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine.

The UK has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, though it has ruled out sending combat troops.

We'll be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion, she told the BBC. What's important is that all of our allies do the same.

Amid the soaring tensions, the US, Britain, Australia, Germany and Canada have also moved to withdraw some of their diplomats and dependents from Kyiv.
Pope Francis said on Wednesday that parents of gay children should not condemn them but offer them support.

He spoke in unscripted comments at his weekly audience in reference to difficulties that parents can face in raising offspring.

Those issues included "parents who see different sexual orientations in their children and how to handle this, how to accompany their children, and not hide behind an attitude of condemnation," Francis said.

Also Read | Having pets and not kids robs us of 'humanity': Pope Francis

He has previously said that gays have a right to be accepted by their families as children and siblings.

He has also said that while the Church cannot accept same-sex marriage it can support civil union laws aimed at giving gay partners joint rights in areas of pensions and health care and inheritance issues.

Last year, the Vatican's doctrinal office issued a document saying that Catholic priests cannot bless same-sex unions, a ruling that greatly disappointed gay Catholics.

In some countries, such as the United States and Germany, parishes and ministers had begun blessing same-sex unions in lieu of marriage, and there have been calls for bishops to de facto institutionalise these.

Conservatives in the 1.3 billion-member Church have said the pope - who has sent notes of appreciation to priests and nuns who minister to gay Catholics - is giving mixed signals on homosexuality, confusing some of the faithful.

Last month, a Vatican department apologised for "causing pain to the entire LGBTQ community" by removing from its website a link to resource material from a Catholic gay rights advocacy group in preparation for a Vatican meeting in 2023 on the Church's future direction.

The Church teaches that gays should be treated with respect and that, while same-sex acts are sinful, same-sex tendencies are not.

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A Syrian neighbourhood targeted by regime bombing lies in ruins, with bodies and broken toys poking out of the rubble; tall, grey buildings are reduced to crumbling, empty shells, their walls blown away or pockmarked by the blast.

The scene, captured in devastating detail, has been created by artist Khaled Dawwa, a Syrian exile and prison survivor who now works in France.

In his colossal work entitled "Here is my heart!", Dawwa is still battling oppression, urging viewers "not to forget the revolution by the Syrian people and all their sacrifices".

"When I'm working on this piece in my studio, I'm in Damascus. I do everything I can here, while not being there...," the 36-year-old tells AFP.

Deeply scarred by the years of repressive rule and violent crackdowns and the loss of friends killed, missing or imprisoned, Dawwa's work is both an act of revolt and memory, targeting "the international community's inaction against dictatorial regimes" in Syria and elsewhere.

"In the face of the disaster that is happening in Syria, I feel a responsibility because I have the tools to express myself," he says.

Among several of his massive installations -- including one in bronze -- being exhibited for the first time this year in France, "Here is my heart!" has been on display in Paris and soon transfers to a big national museum.

Dawwa began the piece in 2018, as regime forces retook the rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta, on Damascus' outskirts.

At nearly six metres (nearly 20 feet) long and more than two metres high, it is imposing.

Using polystyrene, earth, glue and wood, covered in clay, he details the destruction inside and out -- the shattered doors, blown-away balconies, right down to the overturned chairs.

In the debris, crunched-up bicycles and the wreckage of a bus can be seen -- but also the bodies of a child lying next to his ball and of an old woman.

"It's totally unique and innovative," says philosopher Guillaume de Vaulx, of the French Institute for the Near East (Ifpo) and co-author of "Destructiveness in Works. Essay on Contemporary Syrian Art".

"Artists have shown destroyed things and made it their art, but he shows the process of destruction from within," de Vaulx adds, speaking from Beirut.

"He stops before the form has totally disappeared but the viewer is inevitably led to imagine the moment when everything will crumble..."

Themes pitting people against authority dominate the works of Dawwa, who graduated from Damascus' School of Fine Arts.

From the onset, he took part in the nationwide anti-government protests that began in 2011, before joining other artists and activists to set up an independent cultural centre in Damascus, initiated by Syrian actor Fares Helou.

Despite police pressure, Dawwa continued to demonstrate and work at the centre for three years. By 2013, he was practically the only one left there.

"My battle was to not abandon the project, otherwise it was as if we were giving up hope," he says.

It was during that period he came to understand the impact his sculptures could have.

Posting a photo of his work on Facebook, he was surprised to see it shared hundreds of times.

Although risky, he continued to create and post pictures, but then destroyed the sculptures "in order to leave no trace", he says.

Then, in May 2013, he was seriously wounded in his studio by shrapnel and, on leaving hospital, jailed, spending two months in various prisons.

"There were thousands of people. Every day, at least 10 would die," he says.

"Their bodies would stay for two days next to us, no one removed them from the cell... on purpose."

Of the horror of the experience which still gives him nightmares, he says: "They broke the memories in my head."

After his release, he was forced into the army but escaped beforehand, fleeing to Lebanon, then to France in 2014 where he was granted refugee status.

His street-scene artwork, he says, is an attempt to convey "all that is no longer there; families, memories".

The Syria conflict, which broke out in 2011, has killed close to half a million people and spurred the largest conflict-induced displacement since World War II.

Veronique Pieyre de Mandiargues, a founding member of France's Portes Ouvertes Sur l'Art association, which supports artists in exile, said Dawwa "wanted to create a fixed image of what was happening in Syria so that it remains in our memories".

Lifting her hand to her heart, Syrian psychoanalyst Rana Alssayah, 54, also a France-based refugee, expresses her emotions on first seeing the piece.

"The magnitude of the destruction that Khaled has recreated, it's so real... I couldn't look at all the details inside the buildings, it was too hard."

Through this work, "he is saying the sorrow and pain that we can't talk about, he has rebuilt our history."

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The US embassy in Ukraine on Wednesday urged its citizens in the ex-Soviet country to "consider departing now" as fears grow over a possible Russian invasion.

"The US embassy urges US citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options," the embassy said in a statement, warning that the security situation "can deteriorate with little notice."

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Lebanon's Energy Minister Walid Fayyad, center, Jordanian Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh, left, and Syria's Electricity Minister Ghassan al-Zamil, pose for a photograph after they sign deals to bring electricity from Jordan through Syria to Lebanon, at the Ministry of Energy and Water in Beirut, Lebanon, Wednesday. Lebanon's electricity company offers only a couple of hours of power a day, and residents have heavily relied on costly and polluting private generators since the end of the civil war in 1990. AP-Yonhap



Lebanon signed deals on Wednesday to purchase electricity from Jordan via Syria to help the small Mediterranean country deal with its crippling energy crisis.



The deals are expected to bring Lebanon up to 250 megawatts of electricity a day within two months, enough for about two hours of power a day. The electricity will be transmitted through Syria. The World Bank is expected to finance the deals, and negotiations are underway.



Lebanon's Energy Minister Walid Fayyad said he expects financing negotiations to conclude in two months.



''After signing today, we are left with the financing through the World Bank, something I will work on as soon as possible. The details will be clear in the next two months,'' Fayyad told reporters during the signing ceremony. ''We don't want to promise the Lebanese people that as soon as we sign electricity will come.''



Lebanon's electricity company offers only a couple of hours of power a day, and residents have heavily relied on costly and polluting private generators. The aging national grid has not been able to provide 24-hour electricity in the country since the end of the civil war in 1990, and fuel oil subsidies for the state electricity company have been the main driver of the country's massive national debt.



The energy crunch is at the heart of Lebanon's snowballing economic crisis, described as one of the world's worst since the 1850s. A massive public deficit and a crashing national currency have made shortages perennial amid continuously soaring prices.



Shortages of medicine, fuel and basic supplies have often brought the country to standstill and driven more than half of the population deep into poverty. Political disagreements have delayed efforts to form a government to negotiate a rescue package with international financial institutions. The government is currently negotiating a draft budget.



Fayyad praised what he described as speedy Arab cooperation that has enabled the transmission of electricity in two rather than six months.



Jordanian Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh said the agreement with Lebanon reinforces cooperation between the neighboring countries and comes at a ''critical time for Lebanon.'' He called it a deal to help Lebanon, and not a ''commercial deal'' _ suggesting it is only covering its cost.



''This is not only to the benefit of Lebanon but in the interest of all. Any cooperation between Arab countries is an interest for all,'' Kharabsheh said.



Lebanon has also negotiated receiving Egyptian natural gas, set to be transmitted through Jordan and Syria. Another deal with Iraq helps it secure fuel for its power plants. (AP)


The US government warned companies Wednesday to be extremely wary of doing business in Myanmar, citing the risks of being linked to a military government involved in lawlessness and human rights abuse.

Those involved with businesses controlled by the military regime "run the risk of engaging in conduct that may expose them to significant reputational, financial, and legal risks," including breaking sanctions and money-laundering laws, according to a statement from six cabinet-level departments.

Investors and traders were warned specifically to avoid state-owned enterprises, the gems and precious metals sector, real estate and construction projects, and the arms business.

"These entities and sectors have been identified as primary industries providing economic resources for Burma's military regime," the statement said, using the former popular name for the country.

Also Read | Suu Kyi gets 4 years for waving to cars and having walkie-talkies

The statement noted that the European Union and other countries have also placed restrictions on doing business with Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup one year ago and has since conducted a campaign of severe and deadly repression against a popular opposition movement.

"The military has unjustly arrested leaders of the democratically elected government, cut off utilities and travel, and committed serious human rights abuses and other abuses against individuals in Burma, including violently suppressing peaceful protests," the statement said.

It also noted that Myanmar has not adequately implemented standard measures to prevent terrorism financing and money laundering, exposing investors and traders to risks in those areas.

The statement, signed by the departments of State, Treasury, Commerce, Labor and Homeland Security and the US Trade Representative, stressed that it is only an advisory and not a legal order.

Also Read: Myanmar jails ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for 4 years over walkie-talkies

But it comes as a number of key foreign companies that have invested in the country have withdrawn as the military government continues to tighten control.

Last Friday, energy giants TotalEnergies and Chevron announced they were exiting Myanmar, following other large firms that have pulled out or frozen investment plans, including Norway's Telenor, British American Tobacco, Voltalia of France and Toyota.

"The situation, in terms of human rights and more generally the rule of law, which has kept worsening in Myanmar... has led us to reassess the situation," TotalEnergies said last week.

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The United States and its NATO allies are moving to bulk up their military commitments in the Baltics and Eastern Europe as the standoff with Russia over Ukraine deepens.

Denmark is sending fighter jets to Lithuania and a frigate to the Baltic Sea. France has offered to send troops to Romania. Spain is sending a frigate to the Black Sea. President Joe Biden has put thousands of US troops on high alert.

And then there is Germany. In recent days, Germany  Europes largest and richest democracy, strategically situated at the crossroads between East and West  has stood out more for what it will not do than for what it is doing.

Also Read | Macron warns Russia will pay 'very high price' if Ukraine attacked

No European country matters more to European unity and the Western alliance. But as Germany struggles to overcome its post-World War II reluctance to lead on security matters in Europe and set aside its instinct to accommodate rather than confront Russia, Europes most pivotal country has waffled in the first crucial test for the new government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Germanys evident hesitation to take forceful measures has fueled doubts about its reliability as an ally  reversing the dynamic with the United States in recent years  and added to concerns that Moscow could use German wavering as a wedge to divide a European response to any Russian aggression.

Biden held a video call with European leaders Monday night, saying it went very, very, very well, and beforehand Scholz reiterated that Russia would suffer high costs in case of a military intervention. But Germanys allies have still been left to wonder what cost it is prepared to bear to confront possible Russian aggression.

Within the European Union, Germany is crucial to achieve unity, said Norbert Rottgen, a senior conservative lawmaker and advocate of a more muscular German foreign policy. Putins goal is to split the Europeans, and then split Europe and the US If the impression prevails that Germany is not fully committed to a strong NATO response, he will have succeeded in paralyzing Europe and dividing the alliance.

Also Read | US plane brings military equipment and munitions to Ukraine

As Russia held military drills near the Ukrainian border Tuesday, Scholz met with President Emmanuel Macron of France in Berlin, warning Moscow that a military aggression calling into question the territorial integrity of Ukraine would have grave consequences.

But the German government has not only ruled out any arms exports to Ukraine, it is also holding up a shipment of nine communist-era howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine.

Scholz and other senior Social Democrats in his government and party have been vague about whether shuttering the controversial Nord Stream 2 undersea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany would be part of an arsenal of possible sanctions against Russia, insisting it was a private-sector project and one separate from Ukraine.

Friedrich Merz, the designated new leader of Angela Merkels opposition conservative party, meanwhile, has warned against excluding Russian banks from the Swift payment transactions network that handles global financial transfers because it would harm Germanys economic interests.

Germanys muddled stance has been especially unsettling to Ukraine and its eastern neighbors. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba accused Berlin of effectively encouraging Russian aggression. Other were no less scathing.

Berlin is making a big strategic mistake and putting its reputation at risk, Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the national security committee of the Lithuanian Parliament, told public broadcaster LRT.

Also Read | Biden threatens Putin with personal sanctions over Ukraine

Artis Pabriks, Latvias defense minister, said these days German deterrence was not sending weapons to Ukraine, but a field hospital.

The strain in the alliance came to a head this past weekend, when the chief of the German navy said President Vladimir Putin of Russia deserved respect and that Crimea would never be returned to Ukraine. Vice Adm. Kay-Achim Schonbach resigned, but the backlash was swift and emotional.

This patronizing attitude subconsciously also reminds Ukrainians of the horrors of the Nazi occupation, when Ukrainians were treated as subhuman, said Andriy Melnyk, Ukraines ambassador to Germany.

Washington has been at pains to publicly stress its trust in Berlin, while privately lobbying Scholz to take a harder line.

Biden sent several emissaries to Berlin. William J. Burns, head of the CIA, presented Scholz with the latest intelligence on Ukraine. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who stopped in Berlin before meeting his Russian counterpart in Geneva last week, said Sunday he had no doubts about Germanys determination to stand up to Russia.

It is telling that the US has to publicly reaffirm its trust in Germany, Jana Puglierin of the Berlin-based European Council on Foreign Relations said. That used to be a given.

Also Read | What are US options for sanctions against Putin?

The wrenching debate over where precisely German loyalties lie is not new. Russian-German relations have been shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange but also two World Wars. The Cold War added yet another layer of complexity: West Germany became firmly embedded in the Western alliance while East Germany lived under Soviet occupation.

Why do we see Russia differently from the Americans? History, said Matthias Platzeck, chair of the Russian-German Forum and a former chair of Scholz Social Democrats. Germany and Russia have been linked for a thousand years. The biggest Russian czarina was Catherine the Great, a German, who incidentally made Crimea part of Russia.

We attacked Russia twice, and the second time it was a genocidal war, he added. Twenty-seven million Soviets died, 15 million Russians among them.

That does not mean that Germany has failed to stand up to Russia in recent years. Germany commands a multinational NATO battle unit in Lithuania and helps monitor Baltic airspace for Russian interference. It is planning to send fighter jets to Romania next month to do the same there. (And yes, it is also sending a field hospital to Kyiv, Ukraine, next month.)

In 2014, when Putin invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea, it was Merkel who rallied neighboring countries in East and West to back tough sanctions on Russia.

But the change of German leadership after 16 years with Merkel at the helm has put in place a government that is divided on how hard a line to draw with Russia.

Scholzs Social Democrats have traditionally favored a policy of working with the Russians. In the 1970s, Chancellor Willy Brandt engineered the policy of rapprochement with Moscow during the Cold War, while the last Social Democratic chancellor, Gerhard Schroder, is not just a close friend of Putin (he celebrated his 70th birthday with him) but has been on the payroll of Russian energy companies since 2005.

The new Green Party foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, has been more outspoken on being tougher on Russia. But even she has drawn a line on sending German arms to Ukraine, citing history.

The arms-export policy in many ways embodies the modern German paradox of a nation that knows it has to assume more leadership responsibility in the world but is not quite ready to act that way.

The idea that Germany delivers weapons that could then be used to kill Russians is very difficult to stomach for many Germans, said Marcel Dirsus, a political analyst and nonresident fellow at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University in Germany.

The government has been even more divided over Nord Stream 2, a gas pipeline owned by Gazprom, Russias state-owned energy company, that many fear will hand Putin an easy way to exert influence over Americas European allies.

Russia is Europes main supplier of natural gas. Once Nord Stream 2 is operational, Gazprom would be able to sell additional gas to European customers without paying transit fees to Ukraine.

Championed by Merkel in 2015, a year after Russia first invaded Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 has long inflamed Washington and European capitals alike.

While the Green Party's Baerbock has not been shy about expressing her hostility toward the project, Merkel and Scholz have defended it on economic and energy security grounds and long ruled out using it as leverage in talks about sanctions.

It was only last week, standing next to the NATO general secretary, that the chancellor shifted his language, saying that everything would be on the table in case of a Russian invasion.

Putin gave NATO a new reason to exist, Dirsus said. Who knows, maybe he can teach the Germans once and for all that the world has changed and they need to be prepared to pay to defend peace.

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A flypast, comprising a number of formations, displayed by 75 aircraft and helicopters of the Indian Air Force left onlookers of the Republic Day parade at Rajpath stunned on Wednesday morning.

Vintage, as well as current modern aircraft and helicopters, including Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mi-17, Sarang, Apache and Dakota carriers, displayed different formations, such as Rahat, Meghna, Eklavya, Trishul, Tiranga, Vijay and Amrit.

Precision at tremendous speeds and thundering aerobatics done with professional skill was on display at Rajpath in the national capital.

The Rahat contingent comprised five LHA flying in an 'arrowhead' formation, which flew past over the water channel to the north of Rajpath. The Meghna contingent, comprising CH-47 Chinook in lead and four Mi-17 1V in echelon, also flew in the five 'arrowhead' formation.

The Eklavya contingent, consisting of Mi-35 in lead with four Apache helicopters in echelon, also took the 'arrowhead' formation, while the Tangail contingent, comprising a Dakota in lead with two Dornier in echelon, flew in a 'vic' formation. The Traan contingent, comprising a C17 and two C 130As in echelon, also flew in the 'vic' formation.

Also Read  India's first woman Rafale fighter jet pilot part of IAF tableau

The Netra contingent, comprising an x AEW&C with two MiG 29 UPG and two Su-30 MKI in echelon, flew in the 'arrowhead' formation, after the Traan contingent. The Vinaash contingent comprised five Rafale jets taking the 'arrowhead' formation.

Following Vinaash, the Baaz contingent, comprising one Rafale, two Jaguar, two MiG-29 UPG and Su-30 MI, flew in a 'seven-Arrowhead' formation. The Trishul contingent, comprising three Su-30 MKIs flying in 'vic' formation followed, a minute after the Baaz contingent approached the dais. The contingent pulled up and outward for the Trishul manoeuvre.

The Varuna contingent comprised one P8-i with two MiG-29K in the echelon to take a 'vic' formation, followed by five Sarang (ALH) taking a 'ladder' formation, streaming the colours of the national flag.

A Rafale jet also flew in at 900 kmph behind the Tiranga contingent and upon approaching the dais, pulled up for 'vertical Charlie' and carried out two half turns. The show ended with the Amrit contingent, comprising 17 Jaguars, which formed the number 75, to depict the number of aircrafts and helicopters.

The parade culminated with the national anthem and the release of tricolour balloons.

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In view of the 73rd Republic Day celebrations, Delhi has been brought under a heavy security cover as the city police intensified patrolling and sealed the borders of the national capital, in coordination with its counterparts from the neighbouring states, to thwart any untoward incident amid a terror alert by intelligence agencies.

Over 27,000 police personnel have been deployed on Republic Day security duties in Delhi and anti-terror measures intensified, officials said.

According to the officials, the police personnel deployed include deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, inspectors and sub-inspectors. Armed Police Force personnel, commandos, officers and jawans of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also been deployed.

CCTVs fitted with facial recognition software and anti-drone equipment have also been installed, the police said.

Also Read  From 'Plaque of Gratitude' to evolution of army uniforms: The many firsts at parade of Republic Day 2022

All major border points of Delhi, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, have been sealed to ensure incident-free and smooth Republic Day celebrations. Extra pickets have been deployed and patrolling has been intensified at the border points, the officials said.

On January 26 last year, thousands of farmers protesting against three agriculture laws of the Centre entered Delhi on tractors and wreaked havoc on the city roads. They clashed with police and even hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, a privilege reserved for the Indian tricolour.

"We have sealed the borders and put up extra pickets in coordination with our counterparts. No commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter the national capital. Only permitted vehicles and those engaged in essential services will be allowed. Non-permitted vehicles will be sent back while at some borders, traffic diversions and alternate routes are also in place," a senior police officer said.

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over the venue, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people. "We are fully prepared. We have been preparing for almost two months now. Elaborate arrangements with multi-layered security have been made all around the district. Vehicle checking would start at the borders of New Delhi district and it would become more and more stringent as you move towards the venue," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said.

Only vehicles with authorised passes or control passes that have already been issued will be allowed to move towards the function area, Yadav said.

Also Read  Indian democracy needs an upgrade in 2022

All the high-rise buildings have been covered with rooftop arrangements and anti-drone equipment has been installed on a number of these structures, the DCP said. "With the help of multiple agencies, we have taken adequate measures against any kind of a drone attack or anti-social elements. At the same time, we have also briefed our staff to take adequate precautions to curb the spread of Covid-19. At the time of entry and exit, the staff have been briefed to ensure that it is done in a phased manner and there is no crowding at the entry and exit points," he said.

Briefing the media on Saturday about the security arrangements, Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had said a total of 27,723 Delhi Police personnel, including 71 DCPs, 213 ACPs and 753 inspectors, have been deployed for the Republic Day parade. They are being assisted by 65 companies of the CAPFs.

Police said anti-terror measures have been intensified in coordination with other security agencies. "Since the last two months, we have intensified our anti-terror measures. These measures have been taken on 26 parameters very intensively. It is also because Delhi has always been a target for terrorists and anti-social elements. This year too, we have been very much alert," Asthana said.

He mentioned that the anti-terror measures include blockades at various places, checking of vehicles, hotels, lodges and dharamshalas, amid other verification drives like that of tenants, servants and labourers. Counter-drone technology is being used for air space security. Security in and around the area where the Republic Day celebrations will take place has also been beefed up, Asthana said.

Security arrangements for the Central Vista project have also been made in coordination with the officers of the agencies working on the project, he said.

Besides the Delhi Police, other agencies have also been deployed to ensure foolproof security. About 200 teams have been working towards it. About traffic arrangements, the police commissioner said an advisory was issued detailing specific restrictions on routes so that no inconvenience is caused to the public.

According to a recent order, the operation of sub-conventional aerial platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), paragliders and hot air balloons, over Delhi has been prohibited in view of the Republic Day celebrations. The order came into effect on January 20 and will remain in force till February 15.

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The Centre is considering Nagaland's demand of removal of AFSPA from the state, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Wednesday, expressing hope for a "positive decision".

Addressing the Republic Day function at the Civil Secretariat here, Rio said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the killing of 14 civilians by security forces in Mon has made good progress.

"We are taking every measure to lessen the pain of the family members, who lost their near and dear ones, as well as of all those who suffered injuries," he said.

Also Read: AFSPA: Aberration of democracy

We are sure that justice will be delivered to the families, he added.

Following the Mon killings, the state cabinet decided to take up with the Centre the immediate repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, while a resolution was passed in the assembly on December 20 in this regard, Rio said.

The state government has taken up with the Centre the matter of removal of AFSPA from Nagaland, he said.

"The central government is considering the matter and we are hopeful of a positive decision soon," Rio said.

Maintaining that negotiations between the Naga Political Groups and the Centre over the political issue have been going on in a cordial atmosphere to find a solution, the chief minister said all MLAs have come together and formed an opposition-less government to convey to the negotiating parties that the state expects an honorable, inclusive and acceptable solution.

"We will continue to facilitate and be hopeful of an early solution," he said.

Rio said ensuring good governance and bringing it to the doorstep of every person has been the endeavor of his government.

Also Read: We want AFSPA lifted but with Centre's mutual consent; National security first priority: Manipur CM

"We took another step towards this end by creating three new districts, Tseminyu, Niuland and Chumoukedima in December 2021, and Shamator District in January 2022," he said. The chief minister urged the people to continue adhering to Covid-appropriate behaviour as he took the booster dose of vaccine just after the function.

Rio said Nagaland, which is nearing six decades as a state, has been capably marching shoulder to shoulder with all the other states of the Union and contributing in strengthening the nation.

Despite the call for non-participation in the Republic Day celebrations by the Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation and the Naga Students' Federation over the Mon killings, the celebrations went off peacefully, an official said.

Altogether 13 marching contingents from different security forces and NCC participated in the Republic Day parade.

Several awards were presented during the function, while cultural performances by TaFMA, Department of Women Resource Development, 37th Battalion of BSF and troupes of Angami, Rengma, Lotha and Sumi enthralled the gathering.

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Bomb blasts, markets shut, deserted streets and people scared to hoist the tricolour due to the "boycott call" by insurgent groups - this has been the atmosphere in the insurgency-affected Northeast on the Republic Day and Independence Day every year for long.

The Republic Day this year, however, was different with the region celebrating the day without any violent incident by insurgent groups.

Manipur Governor, La Ganeshan unfurled the tricolour at Imphal amid a "boycott call" and a "shutdown" called by at least seven insurgent groups but no violent incident was reported during the celebrations. In Assam, where for the first time in four-decades, no militant issued a boycott call, people were seen on the streets moving with tricolours in their vehicles and many hoisted the flag inside their residential compunds, office premises and joined the government functions. The Covid-19 safety protocols were enforced during the celebrations.

Read more: 'Still relevant': Shashi Tharoor shares old post on Hindutva amid Dharam Sansad controversy

Before the Independence Day (August 15) this year, Ulfa (Independent), the major insurgent group had abstained from its customary boycott call but another insurgent group, Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) issued a boycott call. However, KLO did not issue any boycott call for the Republic Day as the outfit has recently reciprocated to the call by BJP-led government to initiate peace talks.

Ulfa-I on January 22 said they decided not to issue any boycott call or register "armed protest" during the Republic Day due to Covid-19 pandemic. Formed in 1979, Ulfa has carried out violence on or before Independence Day and Republic Day every year, in support of their demand for "sovereign Assam."

Assam Governor, Jagdish Mukhi, after unfurling the tricolor in Guwahati said several militant groups laid down their weapons in the past few months and efforts were underway to establish permanent peace in the state.

In neighbouring Nagaland, where several civil society organisations issued a boycott call to the Republic Day to register protest against the killing of 14 civilians by the army in Mon district in December last year, also did not witness any violence on Wednesday. Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio, in his address said investigation into the killings at Oting village was progressing very fast and promised that justice would be delivered to the victim families. Rio also stressed on unity among Naga groups for signing a comprehensive and final agreement to end the decades-old Naga conflict.
As India celebrates its 73rd Republic Day, the country on Wednesday reported 2,85,914 new coronavirus cases. 665 fatalities were reported in the past 24 hours, Union Health Ministry data showed.

Active cases declined to 22,23,018, and comprise 5.55 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate has decreased to 93.23 per cent, the ministry said.

Daily positivity rate stands at 16.16 per cent.

A reduction of 13,824 cases has been recorded in the active Covid-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. After five consecutive days, Indias daily Covid-19 count dropped below 3 lakh on Tuesday, but the signs of a spreading epidemic are seen in more than 550 districts where the weekly test positivity rate stands at more than 5 per cent.

At a review meeting with nine northern states including poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Punjab, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya asked them to ramp up tests in those areas where it went down and share the testing and vaccination data with the Centre in time.

Meanwhile the World Health Organization said that the risk level related to the Omicron variant remains very high, with numbers of new Covid-19 cases hitting another record high last week.

India's Covid-19 tally had crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, 30 lakh on August 23, 40 lakh on September 5 and 50 lakh on September 16. It went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, crossed 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of two crore on May 4 and three crore on June 23

(With inputs from PTI)

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Senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday urged "well-wishers of inclusive India" to symbolise the Amar Jawan Jyoti by lighting a lamp tonight and on January 29.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wished people on Republic Day and posted a picture of the Amar Jawan Jyoti at its erstwhile position at India Gate.

"On Republic Day in 1950, our country took the first step in the right direction with confidence. Salute to that first step of truth and equality. Greetings on Republic Day. Jai Hind," Gandhi tweeted along with the picture.

Read more: British PM Boris Johnson flags vaccine bond with India in Republic Day message

Tharoor also urged people to play Mahatma Gandhi's favourite hymn, "Abide With Me", in their homes at 7 PM on January 29, the day of Beating Retreat ceremony.

The Amar Jawan Jyoti at the India Gate was merged with the eternal flame at the National War Memorial (NWM) last Friday.

The Congress has accused the BJP government of "removing history" by "extinguishing" the Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate and merging it with the immortal flame at National War Memorial.

"Our colleagues at @ProfCong &all well-wishers of #InclusiveIndia are invited to light a lamp to symbolise #AmarJawanJyoti at 7 pm tonight & on 29th night, and to play Gandhi ji's favourite hymn, "Abide With Me", in their homes at 7 pm on 29 Jan," Tharoor tweeted, using the hashtag 'WeWillNotRetreat from our values'.

Our colleagues at @ProfCong &all well-wishers of #InclusiveIndia are invited to light a lamp to symbolise #AmarJawanJyoti at 7 pm tonight &d on 29th night, and to play Gandhiji's favourite hymn, "Abide With Me", in their homes at 7 pm on 29 Jan. #WeWillNotRetreat from our values! https://t.co/iVO05FYMiw  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 26, 2022

The Congress had also attacked the government over the dropping of one of Mahatma Gandhi's favourite Christian hymns 'Abide With Me' from this year's Beating Retreat ceremony, alleging that it was another attempt to erase his legacy.

The hymn has been replaced with Kavi Pradeeps 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon'.

"Abide With Me", written by Scottish Anglican poet and hymnologist Henry Francis Lyte in 1847, has been part of the Beating Retreat ceremony since 1950.

According to a brochure released by the Indian Army on Saturday, "Abide With Me" does not figure in this year's Beating Retreat ceremony on January 29.
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China on Wednesday hinted about release of the youth from Arunchal Pradesh soon and cited the bad weather condition in their side for delay in his release, union law minister, Kiren Rijiju said.

"Hotline exchanged on Republic Day by Indian Army with Chinese PLA. PLA responded positively indicating handing over of our national and suggested a place of release. They are likely to intimate date and time soon. Delay attributed to bad weather conditions on their side," Rijiju, who is a Lok Sabha member from Arunachal Pradesh said in a tweet.

The 19-year-old Miram Taron, a resident of Jido village in Upper Siang district went missing from Shiyung La village in Bishing area, close to the LAC on January 18.

On Tuesday, Rijiju said since the boy went missing from areas close to Line of Actual Control, Indian army on January 19 approached Chinese side asking for assistance in tracing and return of the individual, in case he had strayed into Chinese territory or PLA had taken him into their custody.

"On January 20, Chinese side intimated that they found a boy on their side and requested for further details to establish his identity. To assist the Chinese side in corroborating his identity, personal details and photo of the individual has been shared with Chinese side by Indian army," Rijiju tweeted on Tuesday.

Another BJP MP from the frontier state, Tapir Gao on January 19 claimed that Taron was abducted by Chinese PLA from Indian territory. The boy had gone to the forest area for hunting along with another friend, who managed to flee and inform the villagers and Indian army.

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Padma Bhushan for senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad appears to have once again ignited a war within Congress.

Though not many have publicly joined the issue, Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Wednesday saw the irony in the Congress not seeking his services even when the nation recognises his contribution as Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh made a cryptic tweet on Narendra Modi government bestowing the third highest civilian award on the Congress leader, exposing the further widening chasm.

In Jan 1973, the most powerful civil servant of our country was told he was being offered the Padma Vibhushan on his leaving the PMO. Here is PN Haksar's response to it. It is a classic, and worthy of emulation. pic.twitter.com/H1JVTvTyxe  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 25, 2022

There has been no statement from Congress or its former president Rahul Gandhi on Ghulam Nabi Azad. Azad has maintained a good relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and is at loggerheads with the Congress leadership since August 2020 after he and 22 others wrote a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking clarity and transparent leadership after they felt that the party was not headed in the right direction.

Read | Padma Awards 2022 triggers row as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee get Padma Bhushan

Detractors, on the other hand, were pointing out to Marxist veteran Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee declining the Padma Bhushan and wondering why Azad did not take such a stand.

Soon after the government announced the award for former Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Azad among others, there was chatter on social media about Azad jumping ship soon with some claiming that the leader from Jammu and Kashmir removed references to Congress from his profile, prompting an immediate denial.

Some mischievous propoganda being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added to my twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier.  Ghulam Nabi Azad (@ghulamnazad) January 25, 2022

"Some mischievous propaganda is being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added to my twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier" Azad tweeted.

The choice of conferring the award to Azad, a former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, and former West Bengal Chief Minister Bhattacharjee had created flutters in the Opposition circles even as the latter declined the award saying that he was never consulted while the CPI(M) noted that it was not the party's line to accept State honours.

Ramesh posted a cryptic tweet by playing on Azad's name and referring to Bhattacharjee's denial late Tuesday night, "Right thing to do. He (Bhattacharjee) wants to be Azad (independent) not Ghulam (slave)."

Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam. https://t.co/iMWF00S9Ib  Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) January 25, 2022

Ramesh had in August 2021 told DH that he had never seen Azad taking proactive steps for the Opposition like the present Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge did.

On Wednesday, a number of G-23 leaders or change-seekers came out in Azad's support. Sibal was the most vocal as he wondered why the party was not using the senior leader's services.

"...Congratulations bhaijan. Ironic that the Congress doesnt need his services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life," Sibal tweeted.

Ghulam Nabi Azad conferred Padam Bhushan Congratulations bhaijan Ironic that the Congress doesnt need his services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life  Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) January 26, 2022

Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari tweeted, "I congratulate Azad on being conferred the Padma Bhushan for his public Service. It is a well deserved recognition."

Another Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, "Warm congratulations to Azad on his Padma Bhushan. It is good to be recognised for one's public service even by a government of the other side."

I congratulate @ghulamnazad on being conferred the Padma Bhushan for his public Service. It is a well deserved recognition. pic.twitter.com/B71pRfyRtm  Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) January 26, 2022

Warm congratulations to Shri @ghulamnazad on his Padma Bhushan. It is good to be recognized for one's public service even by a government of the other side. https://t.co/OIT0iVNPjo  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 25, 2022

Sharma tweeted, "heartiest congratulations to Ghulam Nabi-ji for well-deserved recognition of his lifelong enriching contribution to public service and Parliamentary democracy."

Heartiest congratulations to Ghulam Nabi ji for well deserved recognition of his lifelong enriching contribution to public service and Parliamentary democracy. @ghulamnazad  Anand Sharma (@AnandSharmaINC) January 26, 2022

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, however, came out in support of Azad, saying, "Calling someone Azad for declining a national honour and Ghulam for accepting it, shows how shallow ones thought is towards a national honour. This isnt the first nor the last time that opposition leaders will be acknowledged for their work, please maintain that spirit and dignity."

Calling someone Azad for declining a national honour&Ghulam for accepting it,shows how shallow ones thought is towards a national honour. This isnt the first nor the last time that opposition leaders will be acknowledged for their work, please maintain that spirit&dignity  Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) January 26, 2022

There has been speculation that Azad may float a party or may even join the BJP. The rumours got more weight as he conducted a tour of Jammu and Kashmir in recent times.

While Azad was removed from the Disciplinary Committee of Congress a couple of months ago, he was listed as a star campaigner for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections though he had not been listed among the star campaigners for West Bengal elections last year.

Full list of Padma award recipients:

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People line up for COVID-19 testing outside a PCR test center at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport, Jan. 25. More than 370,000 people have been left in limbo by Japan's coronavirus border rules, which bar almost all new arrivals and are the strictest in the G7. AFP-Yonhap





Two years after Japan locked down its borders to block the coronavirus, some 150,000 foreign students still aren't able to enter the country, left in limbo by a policy that has disrupted lives and caused headaches for universities and businesses.







The absence of the foreign students and researchers is being felt from big laboratories to small, private universities, highlighting the importance of overseas talent  and their tuition fees  as Japan grapples with a shrinking population.







While the policy to stop the virus has proved popular for Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, some business leaders have warned about the economic impact, particularly as the labor market is tight.







What is less clear is the longer-term hit on Japan's "soft power"  in particular its academic reputation around the world.







At research institute Riken, geneticist Piero Carninci says he sees the impact first-hand. Japan has a shortage of bioinformatic researchers critical for genomic studies but he has not been able to fill the gap with foreign talent over the past two years.







"My lab, for sure, is slowing down and our center for this type of analysis. We are struggling," Carninci, a deputy director at Riken, whose prize-winning research in genetics has been cited in 60,000 papers.







"Internationalization in science is definitely critical, because you don't have all the expertise in the same country."







Many countries sealed borders to keep the coronavirus at bay.







The United States saw international student enrolment drop 43% in the fall of 2020 from the previous year, while some 80,000 immigrant worker visas expired unused last year.







But Japan stands out with the strictest borders among Group of Seven countries, effectively banning all new non-residents since March 2020. Only China, with its zero COVID-19 target, has been more closed off among major economies.







The stakes are high. A government-affiliated study showed Japan last year fell to 10th place globally in publication of noteworthy scientific papers, just behind India. Twenty years ago, it was number four.



A person walks in an empty departures hall at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport, Jan. 25. AFP-Yonhap









Nearly half of Japan's four-year private universities failed to fill all places for first-year students in 2021, up 15 percentage points from the previous year, according to an official at the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan, which represents private educators.







While the biggest reason was a drop-off in the number of Japanese students, the decline in foreign students was also felt, the official said.







More than 100 academics and international relations experts signed a letter asking Kishida to reopen borders last week. People shut out have protested outside Japanese embassies and an online petition calling for students and workers to be let in has more than 33,000 signatures.







The government said last week it would make an exception and allow 87 state-sponsored students in.







"It's a giant own-goal for Japan after decades of masterful use of soft power," said Wesley Cheek, a sociologist who recently left Japan for a research post in Britain.







"People like me, who'd usually be applying for grants to continue our research in Japan, just have to take a pass for the foreseeable future."







International students can work part-time in Japan and have traditionally provided a pool of what Japanese refer to as "odd-job" workers in places like convenience stores, in a country long wary of letting foreign workers in.







Even before the coronavirus, there were not enough foreign students to meet labor demand, said Yohei Shibasaki, an international hiring adviser to service and tech companies.







He estimated there were about 170,000 students from trade and language schools in Japan before the pandemic, most of whom worked part time.







Hiroshi Mikitani, chief executive of e-commerce group Rakuten, which hires foreign engineers, has said the curbs should be reconsidered as they were not practically effective and were "only a minus for the economy."







The plight of international students, some dreaming for years of study, can be heart-wrenching.







On social media and in interviews, they described paying tuition for classes they took online in the middle of the night, losing scholarships, and months of stress waiting for change.







Some have exhausted savings. Some have given up and gone elsewhere.







Japan is no longer the main destination for study and research in East Asia, with more students now going to Korea, said Davide Rossi, who runs an agency promoting study abroad.







Song Su-jin, 20, a science major from Korea, has lost her scholarship but tries to do lab work for her classes online. She was blocked again from entering Japan in November.







"I really liked Japan but now I feel betrayed," Song said. (Reuters)


Jamia Millia Islamia Vice-Chancellor Najma Akhtar said the Padma Shri award was a recognition of her work to take the university to greater heights in the past year, during which the varsity received A++ grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

Akhtar was appointed as the vice-chancellor (VC) in April 2019, the same year which saw protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December. Jamia Millia Islamia had become the epicentre of anti-CAA protests after police barged into the campus and allegedly attacked students studying inside the library on December 15, 2019.

"It was an unhappy situation across the country. It was not my fault (what happened at that time). I did what was expected from me. Not many others might have done what I did. I had to take care of my students at that time and that is what I did," she told PTI after the award was announced.

Also Read  Padma Awards 2022 triggers row as Ghulam Nabi Azad, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee get Padma Bhushan

Akhtar holds the distinction of being the first woman VC of the university, and probably also the first VC of any central university in the country, paving the way for other women to be appointed in leadership roles.

"After several years of independence, no government showed confidence in a woman. It was for the first time that the current government chose a woman. I had to show that they were right and justify my appointment," she said.

Akhtar has been awarded the Padma Shri in the field of Literature and Education. She thanked President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the government for recognising her work.

Talking about the honour, she said the award gives her more encouragement to perform. "I was not aiming to get it. In the last one year, the university has been achieving great heights. The VC is given the responsibility as well as the blame. I know people are recognising my work. I am obliged that the prime minister and the president are recognising my work. I am extremely grateful. Everyone puts in hard work, but not everyone gets recognition," she said.

Talking about the university's performance in terms of rankings, she said along with her team, she tried her level best to improve the performance of the university.

Also Read  Ironic Congress doesn't need his services when nation recognises them: Sibal on Padma award to Azad

"I was entrusted with an important responsibility by the government to head Jamia Millia Islamia. I tried my level best with my team to improve the performance of the university and recent achievements like the A++ accreditation by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), improvement in National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) and other international rankings can be seen as a result of that work," she said.

The university has battled three waves of the Covid-19 pandemic, with several faculty members contracting the virus. "We did a lot of work during Covid-19 not only in the university, but also for the whole community that is around the university and even for south Delhi," she said.

The VC said, in a statement, that the award is an important achievement for not only herself, but for every individual associated with the university, especially female students. "The responsibility has increased now and I will try my level best to keep up to their expectations," she said.

The Jamia Millia Islamia, in a tweet, called Akhtar''s achievement a proud moment for the university. "It is a matter of great pride for the @jmiu_official that Vice Chancellor Prof.Najma Akhtar has been selected for #PadmaShri Award for her distinguished services in the field of literature and education," the university tweeted.

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Several students, who had squatted on the tracks at Prayagraj in protest against the Railway recruitment test were injured, some seriously, when the police made a lathi charge to disperse them and clear the tracks on Tuesday.

Many videos surfaced on social media showing the cops breaking the doors of inns and guesthouses near the Prayagraj railway station to flush out the students, who had taken refuge there to save themselves from the lathi charge.

The videos also showed the cops hitting the students with lathis after forcing them out of the rooms from the inns and guest houses. Three cops were suspended on charges of using excessive force, the officials said in Prayagraj.

A case was lodged against 1500 students, the officials said, adding that an inquiry would be conducted into the police lathi charge and the guilty cops would not be spared.

The students were protesting against the recruitment of the 'non-popular technical category' organised by the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) examination. They alleged that the Railway in its notification had earlier said that 20 per cent of candidates would be selected for the second examination but it was later revealed that only five per cent had been selected from the first examination.

The reported police brutality was taken up by the Opposition parties in the poll-bound state, which slammed the cops and said that the youths would give the BJP a befitting reply in the forthcoming assembly polls.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that there would be 'inquilab' (protest) against the police brutality and BJP's 'arrogance' would be 'shattered' in the polls.

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The religious centre of Varanasi, with the recently inaugurated Kashi Vishwanath Dham, was the centrepiece of Uttar Pradesh's tableau in the 73rd Republic Day Parade on Rajpath.

The first phase of the mega project  expected to boost tourism in the holy town  was dedicated to the people by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 13 last year. The Uttar Pradesh float, in its centre, depicts a model of the ancient Kashi Vishwanath temple, the structures of which are said to have been built by Holkar Queen Ahilyabai Holkar around 1780.

As the tableau rolled down Rajpath during the ceremonial parade, the accompanying song played with it also extolled the new corridor and how it had provided a direct link of the temple with the river Ganga for devotees. The temple premises have undergone a massive overhaul in the past two years as part of the mega Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project, whose foundation stone was laid by Modi on March 8, 2019.

It connects the main temple with Lalita Ghat via a corridor, and grand gateways and ornamental arches have been built in heritage architecture style in four directions, facing the ancient temple at its core. Three of the ornamental gateways have been depicted on the side of the tableau.

Also Read  Rejected for Delhi Republic Day parade, Tamil Nadu's tableau finds place of pride in Chennai

On one side, the famous ghats of Benares on Ganga, a key defining visual symbol of the city's spirituality, along with priests and other people offering prayers, form part of the display.

A total of 23 buildings were inaugurated mid-December in the first phase of the project. These will provide a variety of facilities to pilgrims, including 'yatri suvidha kendras', tourist facilitation centre, 'vedic kendra', 'mumukshu bhavan', 'bhogshala', city museum, viewing gallery and food court, among others.

The scale of the project was such it is now spread across five lakh square feet, whereas the earlier premises were limited to just around 3,000 square feet. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the work on the project was completed on schedule, the PMO had earlier said on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor project.

In the front of the tableau were the state's achievements through skill development and employment via 'One District One Product (ODOP)' initiative, which is based on the new micro, small and medium enterprise policy and industrial development policy of the state government.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday extended their wishes to the people on the occasion of Republic Day.

"Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!," the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.

Home Minister Amit Shah in his greetings paid tributes to the soldiers who have kept the country's integrity intact. "I bow to all the soldiers who have dedicated their lives to keep the pride, unity and integrity of Indian Republic intact," he said.

Follow live updates of Republic Day celebrations here

Shah further asked all the countrymen to take a pledge on the day to ensure India's commitment to the democratic values of freedom.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said this is an occasion to celebrate our democracy and cherish the ideas and values enshrined in our Constitution. "Praying for the continued progress and prosperity of our country," he said.

Earlier, on the eve of Republic Day, President Ram Nath Kovind addressed the nation and called it "an occasion to celebrate what is common to us all, our Indianness".

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What is a strong nation? Is it one where a few people move from strength to strength, or is it one where the vast majority have access to education, healthcare, work, opportunities and a social ethos that allow them to live a life of dignity and fulfil their potential? Conversely, what makes a nation 'weak'?

Can we see strength as happy citizens, social cohesiveness, freedom to speak out, resilience and cultural influence?

The questions are not quite as philosophical as they may seem as the country celebrates its 73rd Republic Day. The Narendra Modi government constantly uses the word 'strong' to brand its vision for the country and the word 'weak' to denigrate political rivals and their vision.

How does one unpack repeated use of the words 'strong' and 'weak'?

The statements of the prime minister and his colleagues offer telling clues. Earlier this month, Modi said talking about and fighting for "rights" in the 75 years since Independence and forgetting "duties" had kept the country "weak" and that the next 25 years would be for hard work, sacrifice and "tapasya".

In October 2017, while speaking at an event in Lucknow, then Union home minister Rajnath Singh had said that India had become a strong country under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party. He said, "India's borders are completely safe, and China has started to understand that India is no more weak. Its strength has grown."

Also Read  Indian democracy needs an upgrade in 2022

In April 2019, while addressing rallies at Sambalpur in western Odisha and Bhubaneswar, Modi said, "No one had listened to India earlier when it pleaded for peace. However, now the entire world is with us after witnessing our strength. Only the strong and powerful can talk about peace. No one listens to a weak nation."

Here is a view from the pavement. On a bitterly cold Delhi afternoon last week, I stopped for a chat with Shiv, a cobbler I have known for some time. We talked about this and that, and as always, we landed up exchanging a word or two about his life. Life had become harder than usual for Shiv - he lost his son last year, did not have much work, went back to his village, was in debt, and customers are few and far between. "Who wants to get bags and shoes repaired when they are going out much less?" he wryly said. I asked him about his thoughts for the future. Did he feel the country was becoming stronger? Shiv did not immediately reply. After a slight pause, he broke into a familiar, toothy grin. "I am not educated. I dropped out of school. What is a country but its people? Do I look strong to you?"

Shiv is one among the millions of what academics call the 'urban poor'. A recent survey by People's Research on India's Consumer Economy (PRICE), a Mumbai-based think-tank, between April and October 2021, has this to say  the annual income of the poorest 20 per cent of Indian households had been rising since 1995 but plunged 53 per cent in the pandemic year 2020-21 from their levels in 2015-16. In the same five-year period, the richest 20 per cent saw their annual household income grow 39 per cent. The survey covered 200,000 households in the first round and 42,000 households in the second. It was spread over 120 towns and 800 villages across 100 districts. Even among the poorest 20 per cent, those in cities have been hit harder than their rural counterparts.

There is other data that points to growing inequality and the precarisation of those at the bottom. A recent report by Oxfam India flags important points about India's inequality crisis  the number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 in 2020 to 142 in 2021, the worst year yet for India during the pandemic, the report notes. This was also the year when the share in the national wealth of the bottom 50 per cent of the population was a mere 6 per cent. The Oxfam report also refers to the FAO report on The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World. That report says there are over 200 million undernourished people in India. There are other disturbing insights in the Oxfam report - the life expectancy of a Dalit woman is approximately 15 years less than that of an upper-caste woman.

Also Read  From 'Plaque of Gratitude' to evolution of army uniforms: The many firsts at parade of Republic Day 2022

Additionally, research suggests that relative to upper-caste Hindus, Adivasi life expectancy is more than four years lower, Muslim life expectancy is about one year lower, and Dalit life expectancy is more than three years lower; economic status explains less than half of these gaps.

Arguably, India is not the only country where the poor have been bludgeoned by the pandemic, nor is India the only country with glaring inequalities. But at a time when the poor, like my neighbourhood cobbler, find themselves in an increasingly vulnerable position for no fault of theirs, what message are we giving out when we say talking about rights paves the way to a weak nation?

Strength is not an abstract term. The strength of a country is based on the strength of its people. The Constitution of India guarantees certain fundamental rights. When these rights are violated, an Indian citizen can go to court, at least in theory. In reality, there is a huge backlog of cases, a lack of awareness about legal rights and millions of Indians are denied their fundamental rights.

Shiv, like every other Indian, has a right to live with basic dignity. He also has a right to speak out. And as an Indian citizen, I have the right and the duty to point out when I see the violation of rights of people who are less privileged, increasing fragility and deepening inequalities around me. Only by doing so  by talking about people's fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution and other rights like healthcare, education, nutrition and decent work  can a citizen lead a life of dignity.

We have a strong country only when our citizens lead lives of dignity, when they can hold their heads high. By muting rights talk, we weaken the Republic of India.

(The author is an independent journalist and columnist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

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Driven by evolving geopolitical imperatives, India is all set to give yet another push to its ties with the five 'stans' - Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan  collectively known as the Central Asian Republics (CARs) when it hosts a virtual summit with the leaders of these nations on January 27.

What has also impelled New Delhi to try and step up its strategic engagement with Central Asia is the unfolding situation in Afghanistan. Its takeover by the Taliban has exacerbated both Indian and Central Asian countries' concerns about the security risks this poses to the region as radical Islamic elements gain traction.

While Omicron may have played spoilsport in New Delhi's plans to collectively host the leaders as chief guests for the Republic Day parade, the summit should afford the leaders the opportunity to at least spell out a clear roadmap for the future trajectory of India-Central Asia relations.

Also Read | Govt drops plans to host Central Asian leaders as chief guests on Republic Day in view of the Covid-19

Days ahead of the India-hosted summit, China, too, held a virtual summit with the CARs on Tuesday. Indeed, increasing Chinese footprints in the energy and mineral-rich Central Asian countries has been a cause for worry for many countries, including India.

China has been relentlessly pressing ahead with its ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and pumping money into infrastructure projects in the region, with the CARs accepting the largesse with open arms. While India cannot match Chinese munificence, it announced a $1 billion Line of Credit to the CARs in 2020 for infrastructure development.

In the three decades since the CARs came into being, China has also become the region's largest trading partner. According to the Chinese government mouthpiece Global Times, trade with the Central Asian countries pegged at $460 million in 1992 is now expected to exceed $40 billion. In addition, Chinese investments in the region now exceed $14 billion, reported GT.

Even as New Delhi works to revitalise ties with a region it says is part of its 'Extended Neighbourhood', its immediate priority is Afghanistan. The CARs, three of whom share land borders with Afghanistan  Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan  are equally worried about any fall-out long-term instability in their neighbourhood will have on them. Terrorism, radicalisation and drug trafficking are expected to gain ground amid Afghanistan's descent into further chaos under the Taliban.

While Islam is the dominant religion in the CARs and all have some radical elements, they have largely managed to prevent the tentacles of terrorism from taking a strong hold within their territories. But with Afghanistan in turmoil, the CARs fear that radical elements that had a free run of the region in the early 1990s and fled to Afghanistan after a crackdown will now return in an even more virulent avatar.

This anxiety with regard to Afghanistan has found reflection in the three India-Central Asia Dialogues held thus far at the foreign minister-level since 2019. The third dialogue was held last month and saw the foreign ministers of the CARs travel to New Delhi.

It was the first dialogue after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. Importantly for India, the expansive joint statement issued after the dialogue called for respect for Afghanistan's territorial integrity and "non-interference in its internal affairs", an oblique reference to Pakistan.

Reassuringly for New Delhi, a month prior to this, the five 'stans' had participated in the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan along with Russia and Iran.

Indicative of the desire on the part of India and the CARs to ensure the summit is not a one-off affair, there are indications that its meetings will take formal shape in the form of a biennial meet. Also said to be on the anvil is a secretariat that will provide an institutional framework for the summit.

While the aim clearly is to re-energise ties through these mechanisms, the real test will lie in going beyond mere symbolism and ensuring decisions taken at the summit level are implemented. While India has for long boasted of historical and civilisational links with the Central Asian countries, it has not been able to channel these age-old ties into mutually beneficial relations in the three decades since the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Undeniably, intermittent efforts have been made by India to forge closer relations with the CARs. If there was the 'Connect Central Asia' policy under Congress-led UPA II government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government too tried to give an impetus to ties with the region when Prime Minister Narendra Modi made back-to-back visits to all the 'stans' during a six-day tour of the region in 2015.

But New Delhi's outreach to these countries has lacked consistency. The lack of adequate connectivity with the land-locked CARs should not be the reason for the strategic neglect of the region. India's efforts in recent years to access Central Asia and beyond via Iran's Chabahar port, of course, have also run into trouble in view of the US sanctions. Had it taken off, it would've helped India improve trade with the CARs, which at present is a measly $2 billion.

Air connectivity, the only viable option for trade, has languished over the years. New Delhi has not been able to persuade even national carrier Air India to fly to any of these countries.

As the crow flies, the capital cities of the five CARs are not more than a two to three-hour flight away from New Delhi. Yet, no Indian carrier wants to fly these routes that normally have fully booked flights on airlines of these five countries. Hopefully, this will change soon as New Delhi makes a renewed push to engage more closely with its 'Extended Neighbourhood".

(The writer is a New Delhi-based senior journalist)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

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The switching of loyalties by senior Congressman RPN Singh to the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) barely a month before the state assembly election in Uttar Pradesh has created waves in political circles of the country's most populous state.

Singh's exit is undeniably a jolt to the Congress, although the Congress high command should have known it was on the anvil. The more pertinent question is whether it would help the BJP in UP. Also, is it a loss for the Samajwadi Party (SP), seen as the mighty BJP's only challenger in UP?

More than any electoral loss for the Congress in UP, RPN Singh's exit could be interpreted as a setback to Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's efforts to put the party back on its feet in the state. It is more so because RPN Singh's departure has followed that of trusted Rahul Gandhi aides, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Jitin Prasada. RPN Singh, like them, enjoyed an enviable position in the Congress. Interestingly, all three have a shared alumnae background of the elite Doon School, as did RPN Singh's father, Congress leader CPN Singh.

Also Read | R P N Singh quits Congress, joins BJP; party says he didn't have courage to fight the battle

Although RPN Singh was appointed Congress party's in-charge for Jharkhand, he has felt sidelined over the past two years since he lost the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Kushinagar, even losing his security deposit. The seat was won by a low profile BJP nominee, Vijay Dubey, while the Samajwadi Party's Nathuni Prasad Kushwaha stood second.

His political graph had begun to decline ever since he lost the 2014 Lok Sabha election during the 'Modi wave' after winning that seat in 2009. Even then, his winning margin was relatively slender with just about 21,000 votes, considering that the victory margin rose to 86,000 when he lost the next election in 2014. In 2019, his losing margin went up to nearly four lakh votes. These successive electoral losses contributed to the perception that his political profile was waning. His proximity to the Gandhi family ensured he was entrusted with the charge of Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Scindia and Prasada reportedly persuaded him to bid goodbye to the Congress. While he was keen to follow Prasada in June 2021, the BJP did not see much political capital in importing RPN Singh. Prasada's Brahmin roots made him a catch for the BJP, at the time trying to overcome its "anti-Brahmin" image because of UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's overt pro-Thakur stance. Meanwhile, RPN Singh's Kurmi lineage was not viewed as significant since the BJP already had sizeable support in the community in large parts of UP. But that has changed.

The repeated jolts the BJP suffered from the exit of several backward caste leaders, who crossed over to the SP, prompted its leadership to portray a semblance of recovering its losses. A political non-entity like Aparna Yadav was inducted into the BJP with fanfare to show that the party has symbolically dented the bastion of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Also Read | Congress leader RPN Singh joins BJP, may contest against Swami Prasad Maurya

Likewise, the Kurmi OBC background of RPN Singh was considered to make for good optics. Much like Aparna Yadav, RPN Singh's entry has made headlines. But it is open to debate whether he would add any political value to the ruling party, which already enjoys the support of prominent Kurmi leaders.

Such a move could have served a meaningful purpose if someone with RPN Singh's profile had crossed over from the SP. Unfortunately for the BJP, it has failed to match the injury inflicted on it by the SP, which stole three ministers of the Adityanath cabinet  Swami Prasad Maurya, Dara Singh Chauhan and Dharam Singh Saini - besides nearly a dozen sitting MLAs of the ruling party. Significantly, each of them belonged to the OBCs. This has helped Akhilesh Yadav shape the narrative that the backwards were gravitating towards his party now that it has emerged as the only formidable opposition against the BJP.

It became increasingly pronounced that Akhilesh Yadav was successfully stitching alliances with the larger chunk of the non-Yadav OBCs, whom Prime Minister Narendra Modi had systematically and painstakingly nurtured and wooed over to the BJP since 2014.

On paper, RPN Singh may be a part of the backward community, but he hails from the erstwhile princely family of Sainthwars, which diminishes his branding as an OBC leader. He has been a three-time MLA from Padrauna - 1996, 2002 and 2007. Subsequently, he also got elected to the Lok Sabha in 2009, following which he remained minister of state for home in the Manmohan Singh government.

BJP insiders were busy claiming that RPN Singh could come in handy as the ruling party nominee against Swami Prasad Maurya. RPN Singh had defeated Swami Prasad Maurya from the Kushinagar Lok Sabha seat in 2009. Interestingly, a year earlier, Maurya had defeated Singh's mother, Mohini Singh, in a bypoll for the Padrauna assembly segment under that parliamentary constituency.

It remains to be seen if Maurya contests from Padrauna. He has once won from Dalmau assembly seat in the Rae Bareli district. On the other hand, RPN Singh's options are limited to Padrauna or a neighbouring assembly segment in Kushinagar.

The election outcome would best judge his actual worth in political terms on March 10. But the fact remains that his exit from the Congress makes a more profound impact than his entry into the BJP. And sure enough, it would be naive to believe that it could have any bearing whatsoever on BJP's key adversary, the SP.

(Sharat Pradhan is a journalist and author based in Lucknow)

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.

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The newly appointed District in-Charge Minister K C Narayana Gowda became a laughingstock at the Republic Day Programme in DAR ground in the city on Wednesday as he not only struggled to utter the names of guests on the dais and BJP leaders, but also pronounced simple Kannada words wrongly during the speech.

In his 11-minute long speech, he mispronounced around 24 words including the names of Home Minister Aaraga Jnanendra and Mayor Sunita Annappa. Instead of terming K S Eshwarappa as Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Minister, he addressed Yediyurappa as the minister of Rural Development (both were not present). People who gathered in the event were not only shocked by his pronunciation, they were wondering what went wrong for the minister.

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A 33-year-old man from Udaipur in Rajasthan was detained by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel attached to Mangaluru Junction Railway Station for carrying unaccounted cash and gold worth Rs 1.88 crore.

According to the police, Mahendra Singh Rao was detained by the RPF during a preventive check ahead of Republic Day, while he was travelling on the Mumbai LTT-Ernakulam Duronto Express.

The man was handed over to Government Railway Police (GRP), Mangaluru Central, along with Rs 1.48 crore cash and 800 grams of gold worth Rs 40 lakh. Later, the police arrested him after booking cases under the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Karnataka Police Act.

The RPF personnel, while examining the bag of the passenger, found the cash wrapped in old newspapers. According to the RPF, the passenger had informed them that he was given the cash and the gold by a person in Mumbai known to his employer named Praveen Singh, who owns Shubh Gold in Kozhikode. The seized currency notes are in Rs 2,000 and Rs 500 denominations.

The operation was conducted under the supervision of RPF Inspector Manoj by personnel K P Sanjeev Kumar, K Chithraraj, K Shajith and Satheesh Balaji.
SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood MP has called on the British Army and the Parachute Regiment to issue a formal apology 50 years after the murder of 14 unarmed civilians on Bloody Sunday.

The Foyle MP raised the issue with the Secretary of State in the House of Commons at Northern Ireland Questions today.

This weekend sees the 50th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and, to date, no apology has been issued by the Parachute Regiment for killing and wounding innocent civilians on the streets of Derry that day.

Mr Eastwood said: Fifty years ago this week, the Parachute Regiment were sent onto the streets of Derry where they murdered fourteen people. They were unarmed, they posed no threat and they were marching for civil rights.

Last week Parachute Regiment flags were erected on the outskirts of our city in a deliberate attempt to cause hurt and pain to the families of those who were murdered.

The British Army rightly condemned the flying of those flags as a grossly offensive act against the victims of Bloody Sunday.

They have yet to apologise and condemn the actions of their soldiers in Derry on Bloody Sunday in 1972.

It is far beyond time they acknowledge what those soldiers did, the immense pain they have caused to families and the indelible mark it has left on our city.

Fifty years on from that act of unspeakable evil, our city stands with the Bloody Sunday families and the families of all those continuing to seek truth, justice and accountability for what happened to their loved ones.

In response, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, did not directly answer on why the Parachute Regiment had not apologised but conveyed his own apology.

He said: We, as the Government, have to accept responsibility for what has happened in the past. When things are wrong we need to be clear about that, as we have been. It's right that we have apologised for that.

"I've added my own personal apology to the Government's for that. That is something we also need to ensure, that we are all working together to find a way forward to ensure that people are clear that violence is not an answer to anything in Northern Ireland or elsewhere."

Later on, during Prime Minister's Questions, the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, added to Mr Lewis' earlier response by saying: This was one of the darkest days of the Troubles. I echo his (Brandon Lewis') call to learn from the past. And build a shared, peaceful and prosperous future.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gives a statement on Ukraine at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Jan. 24. Reuters-Yonhap



The European Union is moving forward with plans to outlaw goods made using forced labor, senior officials said, citing allegations of widespread uses of such practices in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. The European Union is moving forward with plans to outlaw goods made using forced labor, senior officials said, citing allegations of widespread uses of such practices in the Chinese region of Xinjiang.

Testifying before the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, Monday, French Trade Minister Franck Riester said it was "perfectly clear that the Xinjiang situation is extremely serious."



"And that's why I will come back to this: we should have a specific instrument to block certain products which are the product of forced labor," said Riester, who was outlining Paris' trade priorities. France had assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the EU earlier this month.



The ban was announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in September  a surprise move that caught other parts of the EU unaware.



Since then, von der Leyen has said little on the issue and, according to people familiar with the situation, provided very little guidance on how it should be implemented.



Now an internal battle is under way as to how it should be structured and under whose remit it should fall.



The European Commission's department of trade is adamant that the ban should not come in the form of a separate trade instrument, such as the path pursued by the United States in attempting to rid its supply chain of Xinjiang-made goods.



It would prefer to roll it into another piece of legislation, one that requires companies to conduct due diligence on their supply chains or face having their products excluded from EU markets.



The due diligence legislation falls under the remit of the commission's departments of justice, and internal market and industry.



Facing the trade committee Tuesday, the department's director general, Sabine Weyand, said that bundling the two laws would mean they are not "starting from scratch," with a draft of the due diligence proposal scheduled for next month after multiple delays.



"We're working to make sure that we do not have to start from scratch on a proposal which is intimately linked," Weyand said.



If a company already has full visibility of its supply chain then it can "use that investment in supply chains in order to demonstrate that your products are free of forced labor," Weyand said.





A Chinese national flag flies over a vehicle entrance to the inmate detention area at the Urumqi No. 3 Detention Center in Dabancheng in western China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, April 23. AP-Yonhap
SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan said it is unbelievable there was 100m unallocated in the Assemblys January monitoring round as families struggle with the cost of living crisis.

The Foyle MLA said Sinn Fein Finance Minister Conor Murphy has failed people who are in need, with the money now at risk of being returned to the British government.

He said he could not understand how the recent 55m Energy Payment Support Scheme had excluded people in full-time employment while so much money remained available.

Mr Durkan urged Sinn Fein Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey to demand her party colleague, Minister Murphy, uses the money to support working families.

He said: I was incredulous to learn that at a time when many families across the North are struggling to heat their homes and put food on the table that the Executive had 100m unallocated in its January monitoring round.

I have pleaded with Sinn Fein Minister Hargey to take the steps necessary to support people during the cost of living crisis, but this has repeatedly fallen on deaf ears, and now we learn there was money available.

Not only did Minister Hargey fail to support people, she handed back over 20m in unspent funds that could have made a real difference.

Throughout his tenure as Finance Minister Sinn Feins Conor Murphy has regularly pleaded poverty and used it as an excuse for inaction.

Time and time again we have seen good ideas tossed aside because we were told the funding wasnt there, from support for people during the Covid-19 pandemic to people having their Universal Credit cut.

Now we find out Minister Murphy had more money than he knew what to do with.

There has been a particular lack of support for working families during this difficult winter period.

While the Energy Payment Support Scheme will help people on welfare, my constituency office is inundated with people in full-time employment who are struggling to make ends meet and they cannot understand why the Minister has not acted to support them.

Everywhere you turn people are highlighting and talking about the cost of living crisis that is pushing families to the brink.

Things are only going to get worse over the next few months and many people across the North are going to find themselves in a difficult position with tough choices to make.

Its imperative that Minister Murphy uses the funding he has to support these people in any way possible and mitigate against the worst aspects of this crisis to protect local communities.
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Catholic Schools are not unique to Northern Ireland. Rather, Catholic schools are part of an international network of Catholic education where 60 million pupils of all faiths and none are welcomed, cherished, and supported to realise their potential and to contribute positively to the Common Good

Catholic schools across Derry and throughout the North are this week joining their peers from across the to celebrate Catholic Schools Week.

The theme for this year's event, running until Sunday next, January 30, is Catholic Schools: Living Life to the full.

Over the course of the week, schools are hosting Masses, assemblies and activities for pupils, families, parishioners, and the wider community to celebrate the importance and the holistic educational provision of Catholic Schools.

The Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) and the Catholic Schools Trustee Service (CSTS) have marked the occasion with the launch of the Catholic Schools Ethos Paper.

This publication sets out the principles of Catholic education and future vision for Catholic Schools.

Speaking at the launch Bishop Donal McKeown, chairperson of CCMS and CSTS said the paper articulated the future vision of Catholic education, its ethos, and values. He added: Todays children and young people are growing up in an increasingly complex world.

The ministry and message of Christ is the foundation for all Catholic Schools. Cardinal James Hickey of Washington (b.1920-d.2004) was quoted as saying We educate communities, not because they are Catholic but because we are! Catholic schools contribute to the pursuit of excellence within education, whilst remaining faithful to their distinctive culture, vision, and approach.

They listen, encourage constructive dialogue, and support the development of mutual understanding; in so doing, they enhance local communities and provide the opportunity for holistic growth.

Gerry Campbell, chief executive of CCMS, said: The paper communicates the underlying philosophy and characteristics of Catholic education, that is, to promote the dignity and worth of every human person; the purpose, value and relationship between education, family, community; and the purpose and meaning of life itself.

"Pupils who attend Catholic Schools receive a stimulating, holistic, high-quality academic experience in a supportive environment. Over the past 5 years, examination data shows that Catholic maintained school outcomes remain well above the average for non-selective schools.

"The degree to which Catholic schools continue to attract such a significant percentage of the school age population is testament to the quality of the educational provision in those schools.

Fintan Murphy, chief executive of the Catholic Schools Trustee Service, said he was 'privileged' to have worked on the production of the paper with colleagues.

He added: It is designed to provide a clear articulation of the ethos and vision which is the foundation of Catholic education. In striving to deliver this challenging vision our Catholic Schools continually review and develop their capacity for diversity, academic excellence, and achievement for all.
Over a third of primary schools in County Derry's local government districts are below the minimum pupil number threshold, according to the latest Education Authority (EA) data.

A draft Strategic Area Plan produced by the EA last week revealed that a total of 90 primary schools across Causeway Coast and Glens, Derry City and Strabane, and Mid Ulster were below the minimum pupil numbers of 105 (rural schools) and 140 (urban schools).

The figure represents 38% of the 240 schools in the three districts, with a further 12% (28) operating at a deficit of more than 5%.

Of the post primary schools across the three areas, 34% (17) of schools providing Y8-12 provision are below the threshold, set at 500 pupils.

16 (32%) of schools over provision for pupils over the age of 16 are below their threshold of 100, while over both groups, 20% (10) are running at a deficit of 5% or more.

Desertmartin PS was closed under the previous round of Area Planning.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough has 37 primary schools below the threshold, representing 47% of the area's total number of primary schools. 13 (16%) are operating at over 5% deficit.

Five (31%) of the area's 16 post primary schools are also operating below threshold with more than a 5% deficit.

In Mid Ulster, 36 of its 96 primary schools (38%) are below the pupil number threshold, while 9 (9%) of those are also operating a deficit of more than 5%.

Three schools in the district (15%) are currently operating above the deficit bracket of 5%.

17 of Derry City and Strabane's primary schools (26%) are below the pupil number threshold, with six (9%) operating at more than a 5% deficit.

Just two of the area's 14 post primary schools (14%) are below the threshold with a deficit of more than 5%.

Currently, 44% of rural primary schools and 10% of urban primary schools in Northern Ireland are below threshold, with 47% of rural and 23% of urban post-primary schools also in that category.

Michelle McIlveen MLA.

Minister for Education, the DUP's Michelle McIlveen, has set out three priorities for Area Planning over the next five years.

Primary schools being taught in composite classes of more than two year groups, post primary schools failing to provide a broad and balanced curriculum in Y8-12, and sixth forms with fewer than 100 pupils that cannot offer a full range of courses are set to be the plan's focus.

The scheme is set to be phased over three 'Operational Plans', the first ranging from 2022 to 2024, the second from 2024-2026 and the final plan for 2027.

The draft plan says that plans will be taken forward through 'discussion, engagement and consultation with schools and partners'.

However, where rationalisation/change to status (amalgamation, discontinuance, transformation) has been identified as the outcome for the work stream, a Development Proposal is required, it reads.

There is a responsibility on each school community, governors, principals, staff and parents/pupils and key stakeholders to influence and engage in the Area Planning process.

A number of local representatives have called on the EA to be mindful of the contribution rural schools make, with East Derry MLA Claire Sugden saying a 'purely cost-driven approach' should be avoided.

The Department of Educations Sustainable Schools policy has created these thresholds  which are rightly lower than for urban schools, she said.

The Education Authority has also outlined the increased costs that come with operating schools with fewer numbers of pupils.

East Derry MLA Claire Sugden.

What also needs to be considered is the role that these schools play in rural communities, the quality of education and the nurturing environment which make these schools vital community assets.

These schools contribute so much to the local community in terms of things like events and fundraising, provide a hub for locals and create community cohesion.

We have already lost Bellarena and Ballyhackett Primary Schools in recent years. These were devastating for these communities and not just for those with a direct link to them. We cannot afford to lose any more.

If a small community loses its school, families are less likely to move into the area and more likely to move out.

This has inevitable knock-on effects for other local businesses and services, effectively eroding these communities from within. The Executive does not do enough for rural communities as it is, she added.

Teacher and East Derry Aontu candidate for the upcoming Assembly election, Gemma Brolly, said this was not the time to be 'talking about school closures'.

Our children deserve a high quality standard of education. They deserve a force of government bodies behind them moving heaven and earth to achieve this, she said.

We all know that students in small classes, with a smaller student / teacher ratio, tend to perform better in the education system. Small classes with smaller numbers of pupils are not a problem.

We need to support our existing schools - particularly regarding provision of permanent learning support, given the fact that we are seeing an increase in the number of children with special needs in the North, year on year and especially given how appallingly children with special needs and their families have been treated throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

Closing rural schools would be a big mistake, she added.

Sean McAuley from Farmers for Action (FFA)

Farming lobby group Farmers For Action (FFA) said the scheme should be 'halted' and have requested an urgent meeting on what they called the 'purge' of rural schools.

The EA Statement has caused outrage across rural Northern Ireland, said Sean McAuley of FFA.

FFA argue there is no additional cost in keeping well respected rural schools open and preventing a further close down of rural services, where rural dwellers now being treated as second-class citizens.

The time has come for Minister McIlveen to stand tall and champion rural schools and common sense.

there is an election in May and FFA are calling on Minister McIlveen to end the closure programme of rural schools forthwith or put the DUP in a position of losing rural votes hand over fist, he added.

Public consultation on the area planning scheme, which is set to run from 2022 until 2027, will remain open until April, allowing parents and stakeholders to give their views on its aims.

Details of consultation events and how to take part can be accessed via the Education Authority website.
Anti-mining activists have voiced concerns about two new applications made by a Canadian mining company to renew Mineral Prospecting Licences covering over 220 townlands in counties Derry and Tyrone.

Dalradian Gold Limited have made two new applications to the Department for the Economy for licences which allows them to search for minerals, including precious metals.

The applications are for areas currently licensed by the Department but are due to expire on May 31.

In County Derry, the licences covers numerous townlands within the wards of Feeny, Claudy, Park, Altahullion and Dungiven.

In south Derry, townlands included in the application are Lower Glenshane, Swatragh, Draperstown and Tobermore.

A consultation process for the applications commenced on January 17 and is set to run until April 10.

Members of Dungiven Area Anti-Mining Network have expressed concern about the applications stating that gold mining 'endangers the health of children and adults' and 'ruins the environment'.

However, Dalradian Gold Ltd last night hit back stating that 'any extraction would be subject to strict environmental, planning and permitting regulations'.

Speaking to the County Derry Post, a spokesperson for Dungiven Area Anti-Mining Network said: The granting of a mineral prospecting licence by the Department for the Economy is the first step in the mining process.

"Where minerals, or precious metals, like gold, are found and where theres a profit to be made, mining usually follows.

Gold mining, in particular, endangers the health of children and adults; it ruins the environment and pollutes air, water and land.

The spokesperson said the group will be asking people to make their opposition to these applications known during the consultation process.

We have a responsibility to look out for this generation and for the next, we have a responsibility to care for the land that sustains us. Were asking people to sign objection letters - every signature counts.

"Details can be found on the Dungiven Anti Mining Network Facebook page, added the spokesperson.

A Dalradian spokesperson last night said that 'modern life depends upon minerals and metals which come from mining'.

At present, Northern Ireland effectively imports all its metals and minerals from mines across the world, often from countries with lower environmental standards. This is unsustainable, said the spokesperson.

Moving to a sustainable and decarbonised society requires a transition away from traditional energy sources such as coal, oil and gas and the further development of renewable technologies. This will require a wide range of metals and minerals.

Consequently, the Northern Ireland Executive has recognised the benefits of evaluating the potential of the regions minerals and issues prospecting licences.

"As an exploration and development company Dalradian has invested over 130m in Northern Ireland over the last decade.

Under the licences granted by the Department for Economy we explore for a wide range of metals and minerals, including base metals, critical minerals and rare earth elements, plus precious metals.

Identifying a mineral resource can take many years and any extraction would be subject to strict environmental, planning and permitting regulations.

The spokesperson went on to say that Economy Minister, Gordon Lyons confirmed that 'Northern Ireland is recognised as a centre of excellence in the design and manufacture of engineering and technology-led solutions for the global mining and quarrying industry'.

Governments are increasingly acknowledging that the transition to green energy depends upon meeting the increasing demand for minerals required by the renewables sector," he said.

"The Irish Environment Minister and Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, for instance, has recognised the critical role that minerals will play in our transition to net-zero emissions and carbon neutrality by 2050.

He has also highlighted that Relying solely on imported minerals risks these activities being developed in parts of the world where less stringent environmental and human rights standards apply..

Dalradian believes that our technologically advanced underground mine project can help further advance Northern Irelands manufacturing expertise and support the global mining sectors contribution to sustainability, added the spokesperson.

Mineral mining, and gold mining in particular, has become a controversial issue locally in recent years with much attention focused on Dalradian Gold Limiteds application to mine for gold at Greencastle, Co. Tyrone.

Local opposition there has delayed Dalradians plans to start mining and resulted in Nichola Mallon, Minister for Infrastructure, announcing, in June 2020, a Public Inquiry into the application.

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough councillor Kathleen McGurk said there was a need to 'overhaul the process of awarding such licences'.

"Sinn Fein has called for a moratorium on the granting of all new and renewal of mineral prospecting licences since 2019, and my party colleague, Caoimhe Archibald MLA has recently re-written to the Minister of Economy in December 2021 on this matter," Cllr McGurk said.

Cllr McGurk

"We will be presenting our objection to these current applications to DfE and will continue to oppose and challenge any attempt to prospect and mine our wonderful countryside, particularly here in the Sperrins in East Derry."

The councillor also added that Sinn Fein has consistently opposed Dalradians plans to develop a mine in the Sperrins, with Chris Hazzard, then Minister of Infrastructure, instigating a public enquiry into the Dalradian Goldmining planning application at Greencastle in 2016.

We know that the Dalradian plans at Greencastle will only be a gateway into the wider Sperrins and these prospecting applications show the extent of the area that could potentially be affected," she said.

"Over 25% of all the land in the North is now covered by a mineral prospecting licence.

Large scale mining such as that proposed by Dalradian in such a sensitive landscape and in proximity to our rural communities is not sustainable, not healthy and not acceptable.

That is why I brought a motion to Causeway Coast and Glens council in 2019 to put on record our councils opposition to any such plans, and myself and my party colleagues across all the areas in the North affected by these licences will continue to stand up for our communities and oppose these companies from profiting off our health and our landscape.

Councillor McGurk added: We urge members of the public to join us in this opposition by responding to the public consultation which runs until 10th April.
Statement at UNSC Briefing on Afghanistan

Statement

Thank you very much indeed Mr President, and again a warm welcome to the Chamber.

Secretary General  your presence with us today underlines the enormous effort of the UN system to help the people of Afghanistan.

Renewed thanks of course to Special Representative Lyons and your team for your tireless work, particularly during these last challenging months, for the Afghan people.

Ms. Seraj, renewed thanks to you. I am deeply grateful that you came today and are with us. For your clarity and the uncompromising voice you brought to this chamber today  so needed. Youre bringing the rights of Afghan women and girls to the heart of our discussion in the Council. Thats where they should be. And I want to reassure you that, I for one, take you very seriously indeed.

And I would also like to thank my colleague, Ambassador Tirumurti, as the Chair of the 1988 Sanctions Committee, for his statement.

Mr. President, I will focus on three issues of deep concern.

First, the colossal humanitarian crisis facing Afghanistan during this harsh winter. We are horrified that over half of Afghanistans population are now facing acute food insecurity. In what you Secretary General called earlier a frozen hell.

We acknowledge, and have strongly supported, the actions taken by the UN in response the extraordinary needs in Afghanistan. The exemption, unanimously adopted here by this Council, to the 1988 Sanctions regime provides certainty to the humanitarian response. The UNDP Trust Fund has injected some much needed liquidity into the economy, while the Afghanistan Humanitarian Response plan  once sufficiently funded  will be a lifeline for millions.

But its clear that a crisis of this magnitude requires a sustained response from the international community. We must continue to stand with the Afghan people in what are clearly going to be challenging months ahead.

Second, Mr. President Ireland remains deeply concerned that the Taliban is depriving Afghan secondary school-age girls of their education. For 131 days, girls have been stripped of their right to learn, and as of today, those girls are without a guaranteed path back to the classroom.

This cruel prohibition on access to schooling is not solely about education, it is about silencing an entire generation of young girls. A future without education, without the means to economic and social independence, will mean many more girls  these are children  will face forced early marriage and childbirth. This unnecessary, unacceptable, deprivation must be reversed and the rights of Afghan young girls be fully respected. Their futures are at stake. A generation is at stake.

My third point is the issue so viscerally outlined by Ms. Seraj in her briefing today. The fact is the women of Afghanistan continue to be targeted; Afghan women continue to be cruelly erased from society by the Taliban.

As their fundamental human rights continue to be systematically denied, women across the country are standing up, speaking out in defiance of the Taliban.

The response has been chilling. Women torn from their families, deprived of liberty. Women disappeared.

Is this what the Taliban mean when they say the international community should not worry about womens rights in Afghanistan?

Where is Tamana Paryani? Where is Parawana Ibrahimkhel? They were abducted from their homes last week? Where are they?

And former police officer Alia Azizi, missing since October? Where is she?

And the countless more forcibly disappeared Afghan women? Where are they? We are deeply troubled by the reports from Mazar airport, where women trying to leave Afghanistan have been detained by the Taliban, who refuse to release them until they are collected by male relatives. The operative word being collected.

We call on the Taliban to release all those unjustifiably detained. We also call for the Taliban to recognise their human rights. Womens rights, lets remember, are human rights.

Finally, Mr. President, thank you for the update on the dialogue which took place earlier this week, convened by your own Government. The centrality of Afghan women in the talks, advocating directly for themselves, is welcome.

Ireland has consistently emphasised that inclusive dialogue, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women, is the only mechanism by which Afghanistan can have the truly representative and participative government demanded by its people. No path that excludes Afghan women, can lead to the peaceful, stable future the Afghan people deserve and seek. Any half way house, any claims otherwise, wont fool the international community.

We need to be clear-eyed that the worst fears expressed by many  not least Afghan women  about what would happen under the Taliban is happening. We are judging the Taliban by their actions, not by their words. The international community must stand resolute. There can be no dialogue, no solution, no path forward that does not include women and the realisation of their rights. To quote Ms. Seraj earlier, we have an enormous responsibility. Its clear we have an obligation to not look away.

Thank you Mr. President.

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OnePlus Nord 2T is all set to launch in India very soon and today we are sharing its key specifications. OnePlus Nord 2T is an upcoming mid-range phone from OnePlus that builds upon the legacy of the Nord 2

OnePlus Nord 2T is an upcoming mid-range phone from OnePlus that builds upon the legacy of the Nord 2. The original Nord sold like hotcakes when it launched back in 2020 and OnePlus doubled it up in the following year with the Nord CE and Nord 2. Now, as expected the OnePlus Nord 2T is all set to launch in India very soon and today we are sharing its key specifications.

Oneplus Nord 2T vs OnePlus Nord 2

As per OnLeaks, the Nord 2T has a Full HD+ display and is powered by the Dimensity 1300 chipset. The Dimensity 1300 is yet to go official but going by MediaTeks track record you can expect a bump in performance over the 6nm Dimensity 1200. The display on the Nord 2 is seemingly carried over to the Nord 2T, going by the dimensions.

To celebrate my 45th Birthday, I wanted to share a little something with you today... #FutureSquad



Here comes the #OnePlusNord2T specs sheet!



On behalf of @digitindia -> https://t.co/Ld5TbkdGfI pic.twitter.com/M32fFH35MX  Steve H.McFly (@OnLeaks) January 26, 2022

However, one of the key highlights of the Nord 2T is its support for 80W fast charging out-of-the-box. While the Nord 2 arrived with support for 65W fast charging, it wasnt until the OnePlus 10 Pro which was recently launched in China, where OnePlus officially introduced 80W Warp Charging.

The camera stack largely remains the same as the Nord 2 though were expecting some sensor upgrades. Heres everything you need to know about the OnePlus Nord 2T.



OnePlus Nord 2 was launched in July 2021 in India

OnePlus Nord 2T leaked specifications

The OnePlus Nord 2T features a 6.43-inch Full HD+ (2400x1080 pixels) resolution display which likely uses an AMOLED panel. The screen supports a 90Hz refresh rate and may or may not have a punch-hole notch cutout for the selfie camera.

The Nord 2T is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 chipset which is going to be paired with 6GB/8GB/128GB RAM along with 128GB/256GB storage options to choose from. The phone will likely run on OxygenOS 12 based on Android 12.

The OnePlus Nord 2T has a triple camera array on the back headlined by a 50MP camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera and a 2MP monochrome sensor. On the front, we get a 32MP selfie camera.

As for the battery, the Nord 2T is tipped to come equipped with a 4,500mAh battery that supports 80W SuperVOOC fast wired charging.

It remains to be seen when the Nord 2T launches in India but as per some rumours, OnePlus could launch a Nord phone in February.
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Davis

Shrestha

PCS Structural Solutions promoted 15 staff in its offices in Seattle, Tacoma, and Portland. Jared Plank and Steven Williams have been promoted to senior associate. Plank joined PCS's Tacoma office in 2018, bringing over 14 years' experience in high-rise, hospitality, and parking garage design. Plank's recent projects include the Muckleshoot Casino Resort in Auburn and Bates Technical College Center for Allied Health Education in Tacoma. He is currently working on a new mid-rise office building in Seattle and a parking structure at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. Williams joined PCS in 2014 and is based in the Portland office. Williams has eight years in project management and is actively involved in business development, introducing PCS services to new clients in the Portland market. Williams recently completed work on two new schools for Vancouver Public Schools: the Jim Tangeman Center and the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics. He is currently working on PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center Expansion and Renovations and West Sylvan Middle School.

PCS promoted Leah Cate, McKell Bowen, and Justin Lyons to associate. Cate joined the Tacoma office in 2020, bringing 8 years' experience in structural design for new construction and renovations. Cate is currently working on an emergency department expansion at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver and MultiCare Covington Ambulatory Surgery Center renovation. In addition, she is working on the Morningside Adaptive Re-use project in Tacoma and two multi-story, mixed-use projects in Olympia and Tacoma. Bowen joined the Tacoma office in 2015. Bowen recently completed work on the new Pierce College Fort Steilacoom Glacier Building and is currently working on the 750,000 square-foot Swedish First Hill Medical Center North Tower project and upgrades at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital. Lyons brings 14 years of experience in the Pacific Northwest designing healthcare, multifamily residential, steel office, and seismic retrofit projects. Lyons joined PCS in 2019 and also works out of the Portland office. He is currently working on the 345,000 square-foot Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center Tower addition and renovation in Medford, Gilkey Hall renovation at Oregon State University, and a renovation and addition at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg.

Hai Lin, Hanna Park, Jacob Baker, Jared Dragovich, Sunny Sidhu, and Sharoo Shrestha have been promoted to project manager. Lin earned a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech and joined the Tacoma office in 2018. Lin is a part of PCS's internal Sustainability team, which investigates design practices that reduce the carbon footprint of new construction and is working to achieve net-zero carbon structures by 2050. Lin recently completed work on the Muckleshoot Resort Casino in Auburn and is currently working on Samaritan Healthcare Hospital in Moses Lake and PeaceHealth parking structure in Bellingham. Park joined PCS's Seattle office in 2017 after earning her Master's degree in Civil Engineering from George Washington University in D.C. Park is currently working on Northwest Kidney Center at Yesler Terrace, renovations for King County Housing Authority Park Royal Apartments, and an 82,000 square-foot addition to Kitsap County Courthouse in Port Orchard.

Baker joined the Tacoma office in 2017 after earning his Master's degree in Civil Engineering from Washington State University. Baker recently completed two award-winning projectsWebster Elementary School for Seattle Public Schools and South Sound Behavioral Health in Lacey. He is currently working on the new Fawcett Elementary School, a design-build project for Tacoma Public Schools. Dragovich joined the Tacoma office in 2017 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois. Dragovich is currently working on the new 80,000 square-foot Naches Trail Elementary School for Bethel School District and the new million Franklin Pierce High School Performing Arts Center in Franklin-Pierce School District and the 70,000 square-foot new Student Services and Instruction building for Grays Harbor Community College.

Sidhu earned a Master's in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University and joined the Seattle office in 2018. Sidhu's work has particularly focused on high-end residential projects, and he is currently working on residences in Seattle, Gig Harbor, Orcas Island, and Manzanita, Oregon. Shrestha joined PCS Structural Solutions in 2019 following the completion of her doctoral degree studies in Civil Engineering (Structures) at Oregon State University. Shrestha recently completed work on Vancouver School District's School of Arts and Academics and is currently working on the 345,000 square-foot Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center Tower addition in Medford, Oregon, and the $300 million additions and renovations at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver.

Alex Davis, August Braun, Brad Taylor and Joe Jesse were promoted to project engineer. Davis joined PCS's Seattle office in 2019 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering at the University of Washington. Davis has a broad resume of residential projects and is currently working on Yesler Terrace Sawara Apartments for Seattle Housing Authority, the Siteline eight-story, mixed-use development in Seattle, and the new seven-story, mixed-use Africatown Plaza building in Seattle. Braun earned a Master's in Civil Engineering from University of Washington and joined the Seattle office in 2019. Braun is working on a broad range of healthcare and office projects, including the new 878,000 square-foot Block 95 tower at Swedish First Hill Medical Center in Seattle, Valley Medical Center renovations in Renton, and Seagen office renovations in Bothell.

Taylor joined the Tacoma office in 2019 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering and Wood Science from Oregon State University. Taylor completed his thesis on in-plane shear performance of CLT and CLT-concrete diaphragms. He is currently working on a three-story high-end residence on Mercer Island and an expansion at the Elwha River Casino in Port Angeles. Jesse joined the Seattle office in 2021 after earning his Master's in Civil Engineering from the University of Washington. Jesse is currently working on a 22,000 square-foot residence in Texas, the new Block 95 tower at Swedish First Hill Medical Center in Seattle, and an 18,000 square-foot residence in Medina.




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BELLEVUE  A small commercial building at 10713 Main St. sold for $11 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Main Street Partners of Bellevue LLC, associated with telecom magnate and investor John Stanton, which acquired the property in 2013 for $3.9 million.





. . .
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SEATTLE  A small apartment building at 12348 28th Ave. N.E. sold for $2.6 million, according to King County records.

The seller was a local investor who had owned the property for decades.





. . .
A mother and child play in front of a Lunar New Year decoration in Hong Kong on Jan. 25. AFP-Yonhap





Hong Kong may only reopen in early 2024 because of its stringent COVID-19 policies, which could trigger an exodus of foreign firms and staff and jeopardize its role as a financial hub, the city's European Chamber of Commerce has said in a draft report.







The limited effectiveness of locally developed vaccines is forcing mainland China to maintain tight restrictions on travel, the chamber said in the draft, which was reviewed by Reuters but has not been made public.







The European Chamber of Commerce declined to comment on the report.







The most likely scenario for Hong Kong would be that it would not reopen until China rolls out its mRNA vaccine across its 1.4 billion population, which could take until late 2023 or early 2024, it said.







If that was the case, the chamber said there was a risk of a "cascade effect" of firms leaving the Asian financial hub.







"We anticipate an exodus of foreigners, probably the largest that Hong Kong has ever seen, and one of the largest in absolute terms from any city in the region in recent history," it said.







While Hong Kong has succeeded in keeping the virus under control for much of 2021, it has become one of the world's most isolated places because of its travel restrictions and intermittent lockdowns that have accelerated a brain drain from the former British colony.







Hong Kong saw a surge of infections in January, which authorities have struggled to control.







Given the scenario, multinational firms would increasingly relocate China-focused teams to the mainland or shift their Asian regional teams to Singapore or Seoul, the chamber said.







Hong Kong could lose its appeal as an international business hub as well as its potential to contribute to China's economy.







The departure of international talent could also undermine the city's "potential to maintain world class universities", it said.











Unlike the mainland, Hong Kong is dependent on business travelers and imported goods.







Its role as one of the world's main transshipment and passenger hubs has been drastically curtailed by tough flight restrictions, which mean very few people are allowed to land and hardly anyone is allowed to transit.







In contrast, the rival financial hub of Singapore has eased its coronavirus curbs including border controls.







Only about 70 percent of people in Hong Kong have been double-vaccinated compared with 91 percent of Singapore's eligible population.







Most of Hong Kong's elderly people have not been vaccinated.







The chamber outlined other scenarios of "average likelihood" including the possibility of an uncontrolled outbreak in the mainland leading to Hong Kong sealing its border with China and reopening to the rest of the world.







Another scenario was an uncontrolled outbreak in Hong Kong, which would make any additional restrictions meaningless. This could cause up to 20,000 deaths among the elderly.







The chamber made recommendations to the government including accelerating vaccinations and shortening quarantine from 21 days to seven to 14 days, which would please the international business community.







Foreign businesses should assume that Hong Kong would very likely be "semi-closed for international travel in the coming 12 to 36 months." Talent, and holding on to it, would be "a precious commodity," it said. (Reuters)






Former Defence Forces soldier Lisa Smith was interested in the harsh end of Islam and tried to justify suicide bombs, the Special Criminal Court has heard.

The 39-year-old, from Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty to charges of membership of the illegal organisation Islamic State and of providing funds to benefit the group.

On the second day of her trial, the court heard Smith frequently discussed jihad and was justifying why suicide bombs were happening, giving the view that we were being attacked, so we were attacking back.

Giving evidence on Wednesday, Carol Karimah Duffy, of the Dundalk Muslim Community Mosque, told the court she had been called on to speak with Smith after her decision to convert to Islam.

Ms Duffy, who had known Smith since childhood, said she warned her becoming a Muslim is very hard, that it would be difficult to explain to her family, and she would suffer abuse for converting.

Smiths response was It will be fine, the court heard.

As an Irish Muslim, Ms Duffy was asked to work with Smith and invited her to a learning circle.

She told the court Smith did not attend very often, and the classes didnt go very well.

There were a number of conversations between Smith and the others in the learning circle that the other women didnt take very well, Ms Duffy told the court.

Smiths interest in the religion was more political, not so much Islamic, she said.

She said Smith had a habit of judging others because of what they were wearing, or who they were talking to.

She was more interested in the harsh end of Islam, Ms Duffy said.

Ms Duffy said at that time, around 2011, there was a lot of talk about al-Qaida.

She said Smith had engaged in a lot of talk about jihad, about suicide bombs and was justifying why suicide bombs were happening, and that her view was we were being attacked, so we were attacking back.

Smiths version of Islam was about holy war and jihad, Ms Duffy said.

She added: Nowadays there is no holy war, our version of jihad is not that.

Ms Duffy said Smith also frequently discussed the situation in Chechnya and believed strongly in Shahid, an honour bestowed on those who become martyrs in the name of Islam.

She believed it was important to push your husband to be Shahid, Ms Duffy told the court. Some believe if your husband dies a Shahid, its the most honourable way to die.

Ms Duffy said that after 2011, Smith was discussing the religion with people online and becoming more withdrawn.

She said Smith became more argumentative about Islam and about things that we as Muslims do.

Ms Duffy said at one stage, Smith was getting offensive about the religion.

She said her views had damaged their friendship, and Smith had become dismissive of the things myself and my husband practiced.

Smith had been speaking to a married American Muslim man online, which Ms Duffy did not believe was appropriate.

Shortly after, the pair fell out and Ms Duffy ended contact with her.

She said: I just stepped away. Its not that I lost contact, I stopped contact.

The court also heard an interview Ms Duffy gave to RTEs Liveline in March 2019.

In it, Ms Duffy said she was more than shocked when she learned that Smith had travelled to Syria.

She said the Smith she knew in the past genuinely was a really nice girl.

She added: What happened to Lisa Smith is a level of brainwashing that we will never be able to comprehend.

The case received widespread attention in 2019 when it emerged that Smith, a former Air Corps soldier who had worked on the Government jet, had been detained in Syria over alleged links to IS.

Smith was arrested at Dublin Airport in 2019 on suspicion of terrorist offences after returning from Turkey in November with her young daughter.

She had travelled to Syria a number of years ago after she converted to Islam.

Smith is charged under Section Six of the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005 which makes it an offence to join a foreign unlawful organisation.

It is alleged that between October 28, 2015 and December 1, 2019 at a location outside the State, she was a member of a terrorist group styling itself as the Islamic State.

She has also been accused of financing terrorism by sending 800 euro (670) in assistance by Western Union money transfer to a named individual in 2015.
Former Wyoming Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau and 15 others are suing Gov. Mark Gordon, the Wyoming Republican Party, the partys chairman and the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee over the recent state superintendent selection process.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in federal court, claims that the process of selecting the superintendent spot left vacant by Jillian Balows resignation is unconstitutional because a political partys central committee  which is made up of one county chairman, one county committeeman and one county committeewoman  is responsible for nominating replacements, thereby defying the one man-one vote principle in both the Wyoming and U.S. constitutions.

More specifically, the number of votes each county gets in the process is not proportional to its population, meaning Laramie County, population 99,500, has the same number of votes as Niobrara County, population 2,400, even though its roughly 41 times the size. That, according to the plaintiffs, is unconstitutional. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs request that the court temporarily and permanently prohibit Gordon from making a decision on one of the three candidates, which he is statutorily required to do within the next few days.

The suit, however, extends its focus beyond the superintendent vacancy alone, and asks that the court disallow the defendants from taking any actions to select candidates for vacancies in Statewide or federal offices in any way that violates the one man-one vote principle.

Gordon intends to make a decision on a candidate by Thursday, his spokesman told the Star-Tribune.

[The governor] will carry out his duty within the five-day window according to the law, said Michael Pearlman, director of communications for Gordon.

Lubnau, whos a practicing attorney and the current Campbell County state committeeman, is joined by 15 other plaintiffs.

They include Dave Northrup, a former state lawmaker and unsuccessful candidate for the superintendent position; Doug Camblin, the Campbell County GOP committeeman; Rex Arney, a former state lawmaker  as well as a dozen voters from all across the political spectrum.

Lubnau sent a letter detailing his concerns over the constitutionality to Frank Eathorne, the party chairman, and Brian Shuck, the partys lawyer, on Thursday, two days before the meeting in which the central committee selected the superintendent.

Considering the extreme differences in population among Wyomings 23 counties, any vote on a county basis would disenfranchise voters in the more populated counties and would constitute a violation of constitutional principles, the letter read.

Party counsel didnt mince words when asked about the letter Saturday.

Tom Lubnaus position is absolutely preposterous, Shuck said.

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan also took office in this manner, as did U.S. Sen. John Barrasso.

Buchanan told the Star-Tribune on Monday that when he was going through the selection process, he was not approached about the constitutionality of the situation.

According to state statute, when the position of state superintendent is vacated, the central committee of the political party that person is affiliated with is responsible for nominating three candidates. The governor is then responsible for choosing one of the three.

At the end of the day we all need to follow the Constitution, said Pat Crank, a Cheyenne attorney who is representing the group suing the GOP.

Lubnau was not present at the Saturday meeting when the GOP officials voted on the three candidates, but the issue was raised at the meeting.

This is not an election, its a selection process, Joey Correnti, the Carbon County GOP chairman, told the Star-Tribune. Why didnt he address it when he was Speaker of the House?

Eathorne later echoed those sentiments to the entire body.

Eathorne also told the Star-Tribune that he was advised by two party lawyers, Mitch Edwards and Shuck, that he should go ahead with the process.

If it gets challenged in court, it gets challenged in court, he said Saturday.

Because Lubnau was the Speaker of the House, the most powerful position in the House, Republican party leadership questioned why Lubnau was bringing up the issue now as opposed to years ago.

I think everybody in the room is asking, Why now? Eathorne said.

Crank argued that if something is unconstitutional, its not always ruled unconstitutional right off the bat, like being read your Miranda Rights when youre arrested.

As we have more and more of these types of selections, thats why its coming up now and it didnt come up later. It has reached a boiling point, Crank said.

The state superintendent of public instruction is the chief education officer in the state and sits on a number of other important state boards.

The superintendent of public instruction sets education policy and funding, Crank said. Its a real critical office.

The candidate who is ultimately chosen by Gordon will serve out the remainder of Balows term, which ends in January 2023.
UPDATE:

The Casper Star Tribune reported Tuesday that former Wyoming Speaker of the House Tom Lubnau and 15 others are suing Gov. Mark Gordon, the Wyoming Republican Party, the partys chairman and the Wyoming Republican State Central Committee over the recent state superintendent selection process. Please see associated story via https://www.douglas-budget.com/news/article_23e283ec-7ec2-11ec-b470-6755d8fe811b.html

Admitting that he was recruited to run by members of the Wyoming Republican Party, Thomas Kelly stands out in any crowd  quite literally. At 69 tall, thats not too difficult for him to do. Kelly is also the party leaderships top choice to replace former Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow.

Kelly garnered 62 votes, Marti Halvorsen came in second with 56 votes and Brian Schroeder was third, receiving 52 votes out of 73 ballots cast by the Wyoming Central Committee. Meanwhile, 16 people filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to stop the process by which the three were selected and keep the governor from naming the next Superintendent of Public Instruction. (See update on douglas-budget.com for more information.)

During the GOPs meeting in Douglas Jan. 22, officials had the responsibility of vetting 12 applicants for Balows vacated position, then voting on them all to come up with three names to forward to Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. Now, its up to Gordon to decide who should fill Balows responsibilities for the remaining year until its time to put the position before the voters in November.

Gordons decision regarding who he will choose to fill Balows shoes is expected later this week or early next week. He has five days to select one of the three.

Despite being recruited to run, Kelly said, it was surprising to be the GOPs top selection.

Im a relative newcomer to Wyoming, and I have few political connections. Apparently the central committee viewed me as the most qualified for the position and made their decision accordingly, he said Monday morning via email.

He said hes experienced both in public education and in leading a team with diverse viewpoints.

Ive been a public social studies and special education school teacher, a college professor and currently a department head at a university, he said.

Kelly sits as the chair of the Political and Military Science Department at American Military University, he said.

Ive served on various local boards and commissions in Colorado and Wyoming. My PhD is in political science and I lead of team of 40-plus professors with varying political views. I also have five children attending Wyoming public schools, including a special needs child.

Kelly said he moved to Sheridan from Colorado with his wife and five of his six children in 2019. His oldest daughter is in Colorado with her husband and son.

He said he telecommutes at his current job. Wyoming was intentionally chosen as his familys new home.

Kelly said he put his name in the hat because he was recruited by the Wyoming GOP and because he has the ability to do this, and because others asked me to. Its my civic responsibility to do the best I can.

If Gordon selects Kelly as Wyomings new Superintendent of Public Instruction, he said his primary goals are to help secure the fiscal foundation of Wyoming public schools without further burdening taxpayers.

Id also like to foster local control of schools and curriculum rather than have a top-down centralized approach from the state government, he stated.

Id have never thought neo-Marxism was here in Wyoming and being taught in (its) schools. Were facing a great assault on liberty. Liberty is not selfish, its not chaotic. Liberty is only dangerous to those who threaten it, he stated during his interview Saturday.

Halverson is a former legislator who served five years in the Wyoming House of Representatives from Campbell County. Schroeder is an educator at Veritas Academy in Cody.

Other applicants were Michelle Aldrich, Megan Degenfelder, Reagan Kaufman, Angela Raber, Jayme Lein, David Northrup, Joseph Heywood, Joshua Valk and Keith Goodenough.

Despite stating the resumes would be available at the meeting and copies would be made public, the GOP officials declined to provide any copies or make the information available.
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Nordex USA looking at Converse/Niobrara for $2B hydrogen extraction facility

Nordex USA is hoping to break ground on a privately-funded $2.2 billion clean hydrogen extraction/fuel plant located in Niobrara and Converse counties by late 2025 or early 2026, according to Aspen Consulting President Mike Noonan.

Nordex USA, based in Chicago, is Noonans client. The Nordex parent company, based in Germany, has been manufacturing wind turbines globally for several decades.

Noonan has had several meetings with Niobrara County commissioners and other entities in that county, as well as Converse and Niobrara landowners who are located in what the Wyoming State Engineers Office (SEO) calls the Green Zone. The area Nordex is looking at is between Lusk and Douglas, overlapping the two counties fairly equally, Noonan said.

Niobrara has extreme wind. Water is more abundant in Converse County in the green area; thats what were studying now, he said.

At this time, Noonan said, he and his clients are in our early siting element. This is new technology and were very early in our study stage. The project is estimated at $2.2 billion. It depends on what comes into play during construction, whether we have to build a water pipeline. The clients initial investment is north of $2 billion.

In addition to the Niobrara County Commission, Noonan said he has had several meetings with other stakeholders. Some of those meetings have been attended by Niobrara residents and landowners, with the most recent one about three weeks ago in Lusk.

At that meeting, landowners vehemently voiced their concerns about the volume of water the plant will use to extract the hydrogen  approximately 700 gallons per minute  and how the extraction and use of so much water will affect their own wells and watering their livestock.

Its a legitimate concern, as water is literally life in the Cowboy State.

RULES & REGS

North Platte River Coordinator Michelle Gess at the State Engineers Office said their office has a strong concern for the communitys issues. Shes been working on the project with Noonan and Nordex for a couple of months.

We are working with them on the project to make sure they are following our rules and regulations. Weve had internal meetings to go over whats required. I think theyre really trying to get the community involved in the process.

They have not come to us yet with any applications. Were waiting until we receive the applications and not speculate on how things could be done, she said.

Gess also said land in the Green Zone in Converse and Niobrara counties are not connected to the Platte River drainage so they can drill anywhere in the green areas.

LOCATION, LOCATION

The plant would sit on 80,000-100,000 acres, Noonan said, predominately within agricultural lands.

The company would not be locating the plant next to a community, such as Douglas, Lance Creek, Shawnee or Lusk. If you are going to build an energy project, it is not compatible with communities (for safety reasons), he said.

It is a gigawatt-sized wind ranch with about 200 wind turbines. The hydrogen processing plant will take up about 60 acres. The wind ranch will be the power plant; it goes to the processing plant. Then water  the biggest part of this is where we will get the water . . . then a water pipeline and storage facility for the water at the plant for on-demand water, he explained.

The proposed project will be a one gigawatt (or 1,000 megawatts) wind ranch - power plant. Project details provided stated wind energy will be supplemented with solar.

The clean hydrogen extracted may then be combined with either nitrogen to make ammonia or with carbon dioxide to make synthetic fuel using well-established chemical processes, he said.

Were looking at building the biggest one in the state. Were looking at sites in other states, but Wyoming is pushing faster, farther because Wyomings government and the Wyoming Energy Authority (WEA) are really wanting to get on hydrogen. WEA has three pilot programs. It makes us think we want to spend more time here.

Wyoming is an energy state and an energy leader. None of us know in 10 years what the prime energy will be, but they recognize (hydrogen extraction) is worth exploring. The mantra isnt to say no  its to explore, study and drive everything, he stated.

WYOMING WATER

To say water is a big deal in Wyoming is an understatement  for many of the states 575,000 residents  water is everything. Where the water for the hydrogen extraction plant will come from may be the most important question right now.

The Lusk Herald reported Dec. 8 that residents at one meeting pointed out the source of the aquifers is largely unknown and overusing them can cause problems, especially when combined with drought.

Noonan told the paper that eight to 12 industrial wells will be needed to supply 700 gallons a minute at all times and that they will not use landowners ag wells and will make their own industrial wells.

Noonan said Nordex is taking peoples comments seriously. In fact, following the meeting earlier this month with Niobrara residents, he said he sent the clients an email written with huge red letters  WATER IS A PROBLEM.

Water is one of our major considerations. The water solution wont be easy. It has to happen with a lot of approvals at the local level and at the state level. It is not new to me that water would be an issue. It is serious. Were looking at multiple options, for example, there are several power plants getting decommissioned in Wyoming soon. Were studying the ability to go in and either buy or lease industrial class water from PacifiCorp and use it for the hydrogen project, Noonan admitted.

Noonan confirmed the Dave Johnson coal-fired power plant outside of Glenrock (scheduled to be decommissioned in 2027) is one of those. He said Nordex would get the water from DJ to the proposed plant site with a pipeline. The company is also studying the possibility of floating water down from DJ on the North Platte River, but theyre not sure that would work.

PacifiCorp would have to agree to sell or lease their water, but PacifiCorp is submitting applications for pump storage for potential projects of their own. Then, theres another option  leasing water from ranchers/landowners who are already selling it to oil companies.

(Water) is consumptive use  if you dont use it, you lose it. Currently, there are ranchers selling water to oil and gas companies already, wondering who they can sell their water to in three years when the (oil companies) are gone? They say theyre selling way more than what they need, Noonan said.

Its going to take time to figure out, he said.

Timing is important. With water laws and water rights, theres still a lot that needs to happen. So far, we feel like there are a lot of options to pursue. We have no intent to dry up Niobrara. The water from Lance Creek west to the Douglas highway, the corridor there is in the green area for drilling zones. Thats where the ranchers are selling water to the oil companies. We are doing our studies; well do more studies. We havent submitted any applications yet.

LAND ACCESS

Noonan said he has less than 10 landowners/ranchers were dealing with in a significant way, located in Converse and Niobrara counties.

They are really interested. We dont have any contracts yet. The best part of this is the cattle will be able to graze right up to the base of the (wind) turbines. Farmers can farm right up to the base of the turbines. The current ag uses wouldnt change. It would be an enhancement to those ranchers to have the extra income, he said.

Noonan said admittedly, there are layers upon layers of siting criteria to examine first.

We have to look at major roads to (the project), rail and other transportation, pipeline for the plant, not locating it near a community. Our program is all volunteer. If we dont have willing landowners, we dont have a project.

TRANSPORTATION

Hydrogen is a clean, hot burning fuel, 18 times more combustible than gasoline and the by-product it leaves behind is oxygen.

Noonan said safety measures will be in place at the plant as they would be in any fuel facility. Plus, they are researching howd they transport the hydrogen, once its been extracted and turned into fuel.

Im curious to see what its going to look like. The Nordex Wyoming program is for domestic consumption, which means we will build it, then we have to ship it via trans-load, with trucks and rail, so were looking at rail infrastructure. We can mix it with natural gas and ship it with a pipeline. Not every pipeline can have hydrogen or ammonia in it. Well see where the technology is in a year or two. It depends on where it is going. There may be a hub in Utah that takes it to the West Coast. We have options, he said.

JOBS?

The company estimates to employ between 590-850, with numbers highest during construction, and 30-50 on the wind ranch, Noonan said. The construction phase could employ 500-700 people over three years.

The processing plant component could employ 60-100 fulltime staff. Those of us on the front end are being mindful of the infrastructure that will require. Were looking at Douglas, Lusk, Casper, Cheyenne. Its a lot of jobs. That all gets rolled into the ISC (Industrial Siting Council) application. We have to show a really credible plan for housing, transportation and so much more.

If the local sand and gravel specs out, there is a good opportunity that Nordex would build on-site and that would be another 150 jobs, he said.

THE NEXT STEPS:

Noonan said he is hoping to have substantial landowner lease agreements in place by April 1.

Those agreements will then trigger all of the field studies, exploratory well programs, environmental science studies and monitoring, which would have to be done to meet regulatory requirements.

It will take two to three years for the studies. We hope to be shovel ready by the end of 2025, but it could go into 2026. (Wyoming) Game and Fish may want a large game migration study through the eastern part of the state. It could go to three years. Until we have more of a footprint on the landowners who want to sign up and participate, there are (unknown) variables, he said.

CONVERSE IS AWARE

At the meeting in Lusk earlier this month, Noonan said he was working with Converse County commissioners, too, but Commission Chairman Jim Willox said there was an informal meeting with Noonan several months ago and an email exchange or two since then.

It is a stretch to say he is working with Converse County. We havent sat down for a formal presentation with him or anything along those lines. We are aware of the Nordex green hydrogen facility, but to say were working together is a bit much. No permits have been issued. They have to go through permitting with ISC and several others.

Nothing has been filed with us, Willox said.

However, Willox expects to meet with Noonan soon, he said, maybe even this month, if they can get their schedules to coincide.

We met with Jim and his group, and folks from The Enterprise, informally. We got good questions from their group. Theyre quite astute. I enjoyed that meeting. Its more informal, for now, Noonan said more recently.

More formal public meetings are in store as the project moves forward, Noonan said. Hes also hoping to have open-house style meetings in the future.

Right now we have nothing that shows us to put on the breaks. Everything shows us to keep researching and keep studying. I feel my client wants a win-win for everyone. I think there can be some positives, but only time will prove this.

Nordex is working worldwide on hydrogen . . . hydrogen projects of this scale as what (were looking at) dont exist yet. Well know in the next year if there are any fatal flaws in the Wyoming program. Wind is there. The biggest (issue) will be the water. If it is too expensive or if the water isnt reliable, they are not going to invest $2 billion. Its going to be an interesting year, he said.
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre of Excellence (AMTCE) in Dundalk, Co Louth and Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR) in Mullingar, Co Westmeath to provide thought and practice leadership, and tangible impact at a national level, for Industry 4.0 skills development in advanced manufacturing across the island of Ireland.

AMTCE, a state-of-the art training facility based in Dundalk, Co Louth, established in January 2021, offers world class skills training, apprenticeships, and level 5/6 courses in Robotic Processes, Cobotics, Additive Manufacturing, IIoT, CAD/CAM, Industrial Control, Cybersecurity, Process Optmisation, BioPharma, and Food Processing, amongst other areas.

IMR, is the largest manufacturing research and technology organisation in Ireland, with facilities in both Dublin and Mullingar.

IMR works with leading global and indigenous brands to effectively de-risk and demystify new and emerging technologies, delivering high impact collaborative research, and enabling manufacturers of all sizes and sectors to be leaders in advanced manufacturing, to compete and thrive in the global economy.

Speaking at the announcement, Martin OBrien, of Louth Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB) said:

As we witness the most monumental societal shift since the Industrial Revolution, the implications of technology and digital transformation will have a major impact on the skills needs of both current and future workers and indeed on the productivity and competitiveness of employers.

This agreement is intended to jointly promote and support cooperation between both ourselves and IMR with a view to driving the effective translation of integrated advanced manufacturing skills provision and training for SME development, and to underpin FDA investment into Ireland.

Our ambition is to position the national system to effectively respond to the rapidly rising levels of technology driven transformation within the manufacturing sector, to encourage national funding and support for our joint impact programme, and to promote the exchange of knowledge and information between our respective institutions, departments, researchers and trainers with a long term goal of developing an evolving industry informed training roadmap, that is flexible, coherent and most importantly, suitable for the modern industrial ecosystem

Irish Manufacturing Research (IMR), CEO, Barry Kennedy said:

Technology is changing at a rate never seen before and if Ireland is to maintain and grow its manufacturing sector which is crucial to our GDP growth currently above 30% (significantly above the EU average), then it needs to figure out how to rapidly and securely introduce these emerging technologies to stay relevant in the marketplace.

However, the introduction of technology on its own wont improve performance for manufacturing firms. There are other key components needed.

First business leaders need to understand how these technologies will give them a strategic business advantage.

IMR work with companies with its SIRI program, endorsed by the WEF, to help them with this. Second there needs to be a team of skilled personnel in the factories ready to take advantage of the new capabilities as they are introduced. This is where the partnership is important.

Minister for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Robert Troy TD, welcomed the announcement, stating:

The adoption of digital and other new technologies by Irish businesses will be one of the most important drivers of enterprise productivity and competitive advantage in the coming years.

Government is committed to supporting enterprises to respond to this changing landscape and to take a lead in digital transformation and skills.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the AMTCE and IMR supports this ambition and is a much-welcomed development.

"The importance of collaboration and cooperation across our national Advanced Manufacturing network cannot be understated and will help to ensure Ireland is recognised internationally as a vibrant, competitive and digitally-enabled place to do business.

With this MoU, AMTCE and IMR will be able to provide both technical and training resources to support companies as they adopt and deploy digital technologies within their operations.

This will be extremely beneficial to companies as their workforces upskill and will ensure that the next generation of employees in the manufacturing sector are highly trained and digitally enabled, he concluded.
Louth Fine Gael TD, Fergus ODowd, has said that a government appointed commission of enquiry is essential to find the truth on the significant loss of life in Dealgan House Nursing Home, during the initial wave of covid in 2020, and that "anything less than an enquiry would be an entirely unacceptable outcome."

Deputy O'Dowd was commenting today, following a Dail exchange yesterday with Taoiseach Michaal Martin, where the Taoiseach said that he is not convinced that a commission of inquiry is the "optimal way" to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 23 residents from Covid, in Dealgan House Nursing Home in Dundalk.

The Taoiseach was responding to Deputy O'Dowd's request that the Taoiseach establish a commission of inquiry into "all of the circumstances surrounding the deaths of 23 residents from Covid in Dealgan House nursing home in April 2020".

In his response to Deputy O'Dowd, the Taoiseach said that he is "not convinced that commissions of inquiries are the optimal way to investigate these issues. They go on much longer than people anticipate or expect."

He added that the Department of Health is "examining a variety of options as to how best to respect and meet the needs and concerns of families of those affected."

In a statement today to the Dundalk Democrat, Deputy O'Dowd said that, anything less than an enquiry would be an entirely unacceptable outcome, Dealgan was the only home out of 460 nationally that was taken over by the HSE in April 2020 as the situation had become so desperate for residents."

He continued, "HSE reports indicate that on the 7th of April the Nursing Home had no GP physically in the building and that GPs would not come into the building due to Covid, also that staff and management were seemingly overwhelmed and staffing levels did not appear adequate.

Anything less than a full investigation into Dealgan House would be a grave error in my opinion, the family need the full unedited facts that led to the terrible loss of life of 23 residents during the initial wave.

I will be strongly campaigning that a commission of enquiry similar to that of Leas Cross be established with a short defined timeline, we already have possession of a number of incredibly concerning reports which were sought through Freedom of Information requests.

We now require the power to compel witnesses to present and provide their insight so that we can finally to get to the bottom of what exactly took place."

Deputy ODowd added, the families must be placed front and centre in any enquiry. We can have no more excuses, no more procrastination, the truth must be told and families must be heard.
An exciting new service for people with autism is being launched in Dundalk.

The Dundalk Supported Living Service, operated by Positive Futures, will enable people to live more independent lives in their own homes with support from a dedicated and skilled team.

Positive Futures, founded 26 years ago, operates across Northern Ireland and has been providing its support in the Republic of Ireland since 2016.

Its Mo Shaol service, which is well established in Louth and Meath, already provides short breaks for children and adults with autism and/or an intellectual disability with host families, to give carers some respite from their caring responsibilities.

Tim McGeown, whos originally from Dundalk and is returning to his home town to manage the Supported Living Service, said:

Well be supporting one person initially, but hope to expand quickly.

"Were already recruiting for one Senior Support worker and a number of Support Worker positions.

"Positive Futures mission is to transform lives and enable the people we support to achieve their dreams.

"We dont do one size fits all. Our service is tailored to each persons individual needs, likes and dislikes.

Kieran, a 40-year-old man weve supported in Co Meath since 2019, says kindness, good communication and trustworthiness are the hallmarks he looks out for in a Support Worker  as well as the ability to keep up with his many interests in life!

Kerry Mallon, Positive Futures Operations Manager, said:

A great thing about Positive Futures is that everyone knows and takes pride in the achievements of the people we support. Even when I visit our head office, the people there know & celebrate all the people we support.

Megan Harmon, who is Deputy Service Manager, joined Positive Futures in 2019 as a Support Worker. She said:

As a Support Worker, I discovered that no two days in Positive Futures were the same, because the people we support are in control of their own lives.

"One day I might be supporting someone toward further education, another I might be planning to support another person to plan their holiday abroad.

"We work with people to set their own personal goals and then help them develop plans to achieve these.

"I learn every single day from the people we support, and Im delighted to be playing a key role in this organisation.

"When I first joined Positive Futures, I heard the phrase we grow our own and its stayed with me to this day.

"There are so many opportunities for the right people to progress and I have always found Positive Futures to be a really supportive organisation.

Details of jobs with Positive Futures and a link to an application form can be found at www.positive-futures.ie/jobs-2.
A couple of gambles were landed at Dundalk on January 21st and another of the nights winners earned himself a trip to the Middle East for a tilt at a big payday.

Gamble number one was the Shane Crawley-trained Kalmira in the second division of the 12-furlong handicap. She was backed into 3/1 favourite on what was her first run outside of maiden company and she rewarded that confidence by running out a length-and-a-half winner in the hands of Niall McCullagh.

Kalmira is owned by the Eyeroller Syndicate, who also own Tartlette, who has won four times at Dundalk and, on her latest start, finished third in a Listed race at Kempton in England. She, too, is trained by Shane.

Gamble number two caused quite a stir as Run The Jewels was backed from 20/1 when the overnight market was formed into an SP of 9/2 before running out a comfortable winner of the first division of the mile handicap in the hands of Nathan Crosse.

Owned by Thomas James, who used to train him, it was the geldings first run for County Kilkenny-based handler John Cahill and his first at Dundalk.

Jockey Nathan Crosse said afterwards: Hes a big, raw horse (who) probably would like a mile and two furlongs.

A half-brother to two winners and closely related to a French Listed winner, he cost connections just 6,000 as a yearling and their patience has been rewarded.

Nathans brother Shane also got among the winners when Royal Scholar (10/3) won the second division of the mile handicap for trainer Sarah Lynam, who had an impressive strike-rate at Dundalk last year.

Given that this was her first Dundalk runner of 2022, she could well prove worth following in the next few weeks.

Trainer Luke Comer is enjoying a good run of form and Angel In The Sky (22/1), ridden by Sean Davis, gave him an eighth Dundalk winner since October 29th when landing the first division of the 12-furlong handicap.

Jim Gorman, who is a big part of Lukes County Meath set-up, was on hand to greet the winner, who is also owned and was bred by Luke.

The star turn on the card was Thunder Moon, who won the Group 1 National Stakes at the Curragh in 2020 and was narrowly beaten in last years Group 1 Prix Jean Prat at Deauville. He was sent off as the 4/5 favourite for the Story Of Dundalk Stadium Book Available Online Race but had to settle for second behind Pretreville (12/1), who was ridden by Ronan Whelan.

Ronan rode a double on Wednesdays card at Dundalk (January 19th), both of them trained, like tonights winner, by Ado McGuinness.

Bought from France, Pretreville is another example of Ados team casting its net far and wide in the search for quality winners. It is proving to be a winning formula as Listed, Group 3 and, last year, Group 1, victories have come their way in recent years to widespread acclaim.

Owned by Shamrock Thoroughbreds  what a run of success they have enjoyed in recent years  and Gerard Augustin-Normand, the winner has earned himself a tilt at an upcoming Listed race in Doha, one that Ado won last year with Bowerman.

Thunder Moons trainer Joseph OBrien didnt leave Dundalk empty-handed as Sangria (9/2) came from last to first to land the Book Online At DundalkStadium.com Handicap in the hands of Jake Coen, who is still at school but rides out for Joseph at weekends.

The biggest-priced winner of the night was Singsong Lady, who was returned at odds of 25/1 after running out an emphatic winner of the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden in the hands of Conor Maxwell.

A tall, well-made filly, she is trained by Gavin Cromwell, and this could well prove to be an informative maiden, with Johnny Murtagh responsible for the third (the Aga Khan-owned Kadinnka), Joseph OBrien sending out the fourth, Sistine Madonna, and the promising Ray Cody-trained Silk Damask in second.

Another trainer who enjoyed a fruitful 2021 is James McAuley and, not resting on his laurels, he sent out his second Dundalk winner this year (to go with 14 last year) when Ajax Tavern (10/1) landed the cards finale in the hands of Sam Ewing.

Sam won a handicap chase at Fairyhouse on January 15th, which gives an indication of both his versatility and talent in the saddle. This year could be a big one for him.

The next meeting at Dundalk is set for Friday January 28th, with the first race due off at 4:30pm. This will become 4pm if a race divides, which is entirely likely. We look forward to seeing you there.
The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar has published details of a new law which will give employees the right to request remote working, as part of his plans to make better terms and conditions for workers a legacy of the pandemic.

The Tanaiste said:

Up until now, remote and home working has been imposed on a lot of people due to the public health restrictions. Now that they have been lifted, I want it to be a choice. I want workers to be able to work from home or remotely or hybrid if they want to. So long as the business get done and services are provided, employers should facilitate it.

I know throughout the pandemic, many employers have gone to great lengths to give their employees as much flexibility around where they work as possible. We want this to continue. The world of work has changed and I know many would like to retain some amount of remote working once Covid is behind us.

This new law will give every employee the right to request remote working from their employer. Employers will be required to provide reasonable grounds for refusing to facilitate an employees request. These grounds are set out in the legislation and we will develop Codes of Practice to provide guidance to help employers implement the new law.

It will give employers and workers legal clarity on remote working, which became the default for many during the pandemic.

The Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2021 will, for the first time, provide a legal framework around which requesting, approving or refusing a request for remote work can be based.

All workplaces must have a written statement which sets out the companys Remote Working Policy, specifying the manner in which remote working requests are managed and the conditions which will apply to remote working generally within the organisation.

Where the employer has diligently completed the assessment process and any appeal has been heard, the employee will have to wait a period of 12 months to submit another request, provided they are in the same role. If an employee moves to a new role within the company, they may submit a fresh request.

The new law provides for a time-limit for an employer to return a decision in relation to a request from an employee. The employer can set out their own specific time limit but it must not be more than 12 weeks.

An employee will be eligible to submit a request once they have worked for their employer for a period of six months. However, an employer is free to offer remote work from day one if desired.

There will be a right of appeal to the Workplace Relations Commission where an employer has failed to respond to a request or to provide any reasonable grounds for refusal of a request for remote working and protections for employees from penalisation for having exercised their entitlement to request remote working.

Details of our new right to request remote working law are now published. I want remote & hybrid working to be bigger part of life after #Covid. So long as business gets done and services to the public are not diminished, employers should facilitate it pic.twitter.com/GCG5LMj0nx  Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) January 25, 2022

The Tanaiste said:

We have a real opportunity now to change the norm and learn what we can from the pandemic. This new right is in addition to the right to disconnect, our investment in remote working hubs across the country and our changes to the treatment of home working costs through Budget 2022.

The General Scheme has been developed following consultation with employer groups, employee representative groups and the public.

The General Scheme and the Regulatory Impact Assessment are available at Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021.

As set out in the legislation, an employer may, having given the application due consideration, decline a request for remote working stating the reasonable business grounds for so doing which may include but are not limited to 

- The nature of the work not allowing for the work to be done remotely

- Cannot reorganise work among existing staff

- Potential negative impact on quality

- Potential negative impact on performance

- Planned structural changes

- Burden of additional costs, taking into account the financial and other costs entailed and the scale and financial resources of the employers business

- Concerns re the protection of business confidentiality or intellectual property

- Concerns re the suitability of the proposed workspace on health and safety grounds

- Concerns re the suitability of the proposed workspace on data protection grounds

- Concerns re the internet connectivity of the proposed remote working location

- Inordinate distance between the proposed remote location and on-site location if the proposed remote working arrangement conflicts with the provisions of an applicable collective agreement

- Ongoing or recently concluded formal disciplinary processes.
An Irish Muslim woman who introduced Lisa Smith to a Dundalk mosque said the former Defence Forces member spoke about the justifications for suicide bombings and was more interested in the "harsh end of Islam", a court has heard.

Carol Karimah Duffy told the Special Criminal Court, where Ms Smith is on trial accused of membership of Islamic State, that the accused spoke of jihad or holy war and wanted to find a husband who would die 'shahid' as a Muslim martyr.

She said Ms Smith made other women in the mosque uncomfortable and some of them thought she was a "plant".

Ms Smith (39) from Dundalk, Co Louth has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019.

She has also pleaded not (NOT) guilty to financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015.

Ms Duffy told prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC that Ms Smith spoke a lot about suicide bombings, adding: "There was a lot of talk about justifying why the suicide bombs were happening... That we were being attacked so we were attacking back. It was us and them."

She said the topics that interested Ms Smith were political rather than Islamic and she also spoke a lot about polygamy.

Ms Duffy said she told Ms Smith that polygamy has benefits and downfalls.

She added: "Then there was talk of jihad and it was her version of jihad, which would have been the holy war jihad."

The witness remembered Ms Smith saying that she wanted a husband who would die as a martyr for Islam and talked about how important it is to "push your husband for shahid".

Ms Duffy explained that for some Muslims, to die as a martyr for the religion is the most honourable way for a Muslim to die.

Ms Duffy said she does not agree with suicide bombings "as a human and as a Muslim". She denied to defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC that she had taught Ms Smith radical ideas regarding conspiracy theories about the 9/11 attacks on the United States or about the mujahideen in Afghanistan.

The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, at the three-judge, non-jury court.
An Irish Muslim woman who introduced Lisa Smith to a Dundalk mosque said the former Defence Forces member spoke about the justifications for suicide bombings and was more interested in the "harsh end of Islam", a court has heard.

Carol Karimah Duffy told the Special Criminal Court, where Ms Smith is on trial accused of membership of Islamic State, that the accused spoke of jihad or holy war and wanted to find a husband who would die 'shahid' as a Muslim martyr.

She said Ms Smith made other women in the mosque uncomfortable and some of them thought she was a "plant".

The witness also told the trial that Ms Smith was "naive" because instead of studying, she "blindly followed what was said on the internet". She added: "I never saw her read a book; it was always what was online."

Ms Smith (39) from Dundalk, Co Louth has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group, Islamic State, between October 28th, 2015 and December 1st, 2019. She has also pleaded not (NOT) guilty to financing terrorism by sending 800 in assistance, via a Western Union money transfer, to a named man on May 6th, 2015.

Ms Duffy told prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC that she knew Ms Smith and her family as they had all grown up in Dundalk. Ms Duffy converted to Islam in 2001, married an Algerian man and became a teacher for other Muslim women at a mosque in Dundalk.

She said the majority of people there are Nigerian and Pakistani but it was a mixed community with a couple of hundred regulars.

In 2010 she was told of an Irish woman who wanted to convert to Islam so she went to the mosque and discovered it was Lisa Smith, who she had known years earlier.

They were both surprised, she said, but they spoke about her conversion and what it was like to be a Muslim in Ireland.

She told Ms Smith that it would be hard; she would have to give up weddings, christenings, Christmas, birthdays, things that are hard to explain to your family, and you get "awful abuse" in the street.

She added: "So I explained to her how hard it was going to be and the expectations as a Muslim, the things we have to give up that we take for granted. her reaction was, it would be fine."

Ms Duffy asked the accused to come to classes to learn from the Koran, the hadiths and the sunnah, but she said Ms Smith did not come to the classes often. She added: "I was trying to teach her the fundamentals of Islam, but it didn't go very well. When she came the women didn't take very well to her."

She said the other women thought Ms Smith was a "plant" and weren't comfortable with what she was saying. She added: "The parts that interested her were not so much Islamic but more political, politicised Islam, what we should be wearing, saying, doing, who we should be interacting with, more the harsh end of Islam."

She said there was a lot of talk at that time about jihad and suicide bombings and Ms Smith talked a lot about justifying why the suicide bombings were happening. She added: "In other words, we were being attacked so we were attacking back, it was us and them."

Polygamy was also "a big thing" for Ms Smith, the witness said. She added: "I explained to her how hard, how polygamy has its benefits but also its downfalls. And then there was talk of jihad and it was her version of jihad, which would have been the holy war jihad."

Ms Duffy said within Islam there no longer is a holy war and that her interpretation of jihad differs from Ms Smith's. She said Ms Smith mentioned that she wanted a husband who would be "shahid", or would die a martyr to the religion.

She said Ms Smith talked about how important it is to "push your husband for shahid." The witness explained that for some Muslims, to die shahid is the most honourable way for a Muslim to die.

Shortly after Ms Smith's conversion, she had to move out of her apartment and started living with Ms Duffy.

At the time Ms Smith was in a relationship but it was "on and off" and was winding down. Ms Smith soon met a Muslim friend of Ms Duffy's husband and decided she would marry him.

Ms Duffy said she warned Ms Smith that it was "way too soon" but the marriage went ahead anyway.

It lasted a couple of weeks, Ms Duffy said, and ended because Ms Smith felt her husband wasn't religious enough.

Following the divorce, Ms Duffy said the accused wanted to marry again and was looking for someone religious. Ms Duffy told her she would be miserable with a religious Muslim.

After that the witness said Ms Smith began speaking to people online and became withdrawn. She said the things Ms Smith spoke about didn't interest the other Muslims in the group and she was becoming more argumentative and even offensive. "The friendship started going, I just couldn't listen to her," Ms Duffy said.

Ms Smith moved out and Ms Duffy didn't contact her again.

She heard of Lisa Smith again in 2019 when the Irish media reported that she was being held in a camp in Syria.

Ms Duffy did an interview with Joe Duffy on RTE Radio's Liveline programme in which she described Ms Smith as "naive" and "vulnerable".

Under cross examination Ms Duffy told defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC that Ms Smith knew nothing of the fundamentals of Islam when she began coming to the mosque.

She denied that she had any role in Ms Smith applying to be allowed to wear the hijab while on duty with the Irish army and denied encouraging Ms Smith to leave the army.

She said she never told Ms Smith that her taxes could be used to fund wars against Muslims or that as a member of the Defence Forces she might have to patrol areas where other Muslims were fighting.

Mr O'Higgins said his client claims that if she was radicalised, Ms Duffy bears some responsibility. Ms Duffy replied: "No, in what way?"

Mr O'Higgins asked if she had discussed wars in which Muslims were involved, the mujahideen in Afghanistan or theories that the Americans knew of the 9/11 plot to fly airplanes into American buildings, but did not prevent it because it suited their longer term political aims.

Ms Duffy said she discussed such issues with Ms Smith because Muslims are regularly asked about those things and need to be able to discuss them.

She denied ever suggesting that the US knew in advance about the 9/11 attacks, a theory that she said is "ridiculous".

She said she does not "hold with suicide bombing", adding: "I don't agree with anything like that, as a human and as a Muslim. It is wrong."

She said she did speak to Ms Smith about jihad but added that there is a "spiritual jihad" as opposed to the holy war jihad, which she said does not exist and has not existed for a long time.

She said she spoke to Ms Smith about what jihad was in the time of the prophet Muhammad.

Mr O'Higgins said his client believes Ms Duffy took her under her wing and "filled her head full of ideas".

Ms Duffy responded: "I taught what Islam, the Koran and hadiths and sunnah say. If she has interpreted that in a certain way, I think she interpreted it in the way she wanted to."

She said she taught Ms Smith only what the scholars say but Ms Smith "rejects a lot of scholars".

Under re-examination Ms Duffy told Mr Gillane that she never expressed positive views of the 9/11 attacks or of suicide bombings.

She described as "stupid" the term "spreading Islam by the sword" but said it appears often on websites and a lot of people bring it up, thinking that Muslims have to use violence. "It's rubbish," she said. "We discussed it, I told her it's rubbish. I've always maintained, as far as what Lisa said, she didn't have enough knowledge about that sort of thing."

She said Ms Smith was naive because instead of studying she "blindly followed what was said on the internet". She added: "I never saw her read a book; it was always what was online." She said Ms Smith was vulnerable because before coming into the religion she was heartbroken and was trying "maybe to get back with the man she loved, that if she was a Muslim that maybe he would want her."

She said she believes a man Ms Smith spoke to on the internet "pulled on her heartstrings a little bit and she went with it. She was vulnerable, her heart was broken, and she was very naive."

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Tony Hunt presiding, with Judge Gerard Griffin and Judge Cormac Dunne at the three-judge, non-jury court.
North Andover, MA (01845)

Today

Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with clearing overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 47F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.
Ian Baileys appeal against a drug-driving conviction and other counts which was listed for hearing today had to be adjourned until October 6.

State solicitor for West Cork Malachy Boohig said the member in charge of Bantry garda station on the day of the alleged offences was out sick today  unrelated to Covid  and that the appellants barrister Alan ODwyer required this witness.

Mr Boohig told Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Appeals Court, The matter is not peremptory against anyone today. It is rather unusual for a member in charge to be called  this is usually accepted evidence. Mr ODwyer BL said in respect of this witness that there was more than one charge under appeal.

Judge Boyle said the appeal would have to be adjourned and by agreement between the prosecution and defence the new date set for the appeal was October 6 at Clonakilty.

Ian Bailey, who walked with the aid of a long, wooden staff-type stick, was present in court as the matter was adjourned.

The convictions under appeal by the 64-year-old all related to being initially stopped at a Garda checkpoint near Schull on August 25, 2019.

Mr Boohig previously confirmed the case took three hours when it was heard at the district court.

Ian Bailey who was living at the time at Liscaha, Schull, County Cork, had pleaded not guilty to a number of charges.

Judge John King fined Mr Bailey 400 and banned him from driving for 12 months on the drug driving charge. He fined him 300 over the possession of cannabis charge, and took into consideration the charge of permitting cannabis in the car.

Evidence was given at Bantry District Court that while the defendant was at the local garda station a small tin with suspected cannabis was found on him.

Sergeant Kevin Heffernan told the court that in a cautioned interview Mr Bailey said: "Someone left it at the market stall. They said, 'It's for you,' and they left it."
IM not a humanitarian. Im a hell-raiser.

There is no better introduction to Corks own Mother Mary Jones than her own above.

During the 50 years she spent campaigning to improve the working conditions of children, miners and textile workers, Mother Jones was frequently imprisoned, and made such an impact on the labour movement in America that she was once denounced in the U.S. Senate as the grandmother of all agitators.

Born Mary Harris on May 1, 1830, in the northside of Cork, Marys father Richard Harris, a Catholic tenant farmer, was forced to emigrate to Toronto, Canada, with his wife Ellen Jones, nee Cotter, and their young family in 1835 to escape their impoverished circumstances.

Here, Marys father worked as a labourer in railroad construction and made enough money to put his daughter through school. When she graduated at 17, Mary went to work as a schoolteacher in Memphis, Tennessee where she met her husband George E. Jones, an iron-moulder and organiser of the Iron Moulders Union, who taught her a great deal about the workings of unions.

However, tragedy befell Mary and her family in 1867 when a yellow fever epidemic washed through Memphis, killing her husband and their four young children within the space of a week. The devastated Mary laid her family to rest before going out to help in the homes of others who had been affected by the fever.

She then returned to Chicago where she ran a successful dress-making business.

Tragedy struck again in 1871 when the Great Chicago Fire destroyed both her home and her business, forcing her to camp beside the lake with all of the other homeless citizens.

It was during this ordeal that Mary decided to devote her life to a greater cause. She joined the newly-formed Knights of Labor, a secret society that was organising textile workers in Chicago. Her rousing speeches soon attracted the attention of labour leaders and she was called to speak in different states across America.

Over the next 50 years, Mary travelled the length and breadth of the country, living alongside the workers in tents and shacks, and showing up wherever there is a fight.

The song Shell Be Coming Round the Mountain is said to have been written about Marys travels through the Appalachian mountain camps.

In the 1890s, Mary became an organiser for the United Mine Workers Union. By now in her sixties and sporting a head of bushy white hair, she was affectionately known as Mother Jones by union leaders.

In 1898, she helped found the Social Democratic Party, and in 1899 she mobilised the miners wives to march with brooms and mops to block strike-breakers from entering mines during the United Mine Workers strike in Pennsylvania.

This was a time when unionisation was regularly suppressed by the brute force of the police, federal troops and armed militia, but Mary held fast to her maxim: Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living.

When she faced trial for ignoring an injunction banning meetings by striking miners, the West Virginia district attorney Reese Blizzard said of her, There sits the most dangerous woman in America.

Incensed by the recruitment of child labour, Mary went to work in a number of textile mills where she was able to witness for herself the extent of the damage being done to children as young as six, who were routinely losing limbs to machinery. One textile mill she worked in employed 75,000 workers, 10,000 of whom were children under the age of ten. In 1903, Mary led the March of the Mill Children from the textile mills of Kensington, Pennsylvania, to President Theodore Roosevelts home in Long Island, New York, brandishing banners that declared, We want to go to school and not the mines!

Although the President refused to meet with the marchers, the incident brought the issue of child labour to the forefront of the public agenda and, as a result, a child labour law was passed that raised the minimum age of workers from 12 to 14.

The one right Mary had no interest in agitating for was the right of women to work. I am not a suffragist, she once said, nor do I believe in careers for women, especially a career in a factory and mill where most working women have their careers. A great responsibility rests upon women  the training of the children. This is her most beautiful task.

Mary played a major role in a miners strike in Paint Creek, West Virginia, in 1912. During the strike, men employed by the mill-owners released machine-gun fire on strikers and their families. When a company guard was murdered, Mary was arrested and, at the age of 78, she was found guilty of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. This decision was subsequently overturned when a senatorial investigation found proof of her innocence.

Five years later, Mary was again sentenced to 20 years in prison for leading a protest against the conditions in place at the West Virginia coalfields.

In 1914, a dispute about membership of the United Mine Workers Union erupted in Ludlow, Colorado, and soldiers opened fire on a tent colony, killing miners and their wives and children. Horrified, Mary persuaded President Woodrow Wilson to insist that the owners and workers negotiate a truce.

Marys meeting with Colorado mine-owner John D. Rockefeller Jr prompted Rockefeller to visit his mines and to introduce much-needed reforms.

In 1924, she had her last labour dispute, which was fittingly a dressmakers strike in Chicago, where she had run her own dress-making business many years earlier.

Shortly after celebrating her 100th birthday, Mary Harris Jones died on November 30, 1930. She continues to be a source of inspiration and strength to many across the world today.

NEXT MONTH

Nicola will write about Nora Herlihy - Pioneer of the Credit Union movement in Ireland, in WoW! on Wednesday, February 23.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nicola Depuis, a regular contributor to The Echo, is the author of In Passion & Plight: The Women Who Shaped Ireland , in which she sets out to highlight the ignored or forgotten achievements of Irish women.

The book is published by Lemon Whippet Books and is available to purchase on Amazon in both e-book (11.84) and print format 17.78.

A Passion & Plight: The Women Who Shaped Ireland calendar (16) is also available at lulu.com

The incident brought the issue of child labour to the forefront of the public agenda and, as a result, a child labour law was passed that raised the minimum age of workers from 12 to 14.
Afghan Womens Rights Activists Forcibly Disappeared

The Talibans response to the apparent enforced disappearance of Tamana Paryani, Parwana Ibrahimkhel, and other women activists in Afghanistan has laid bare their intent to eradicate critical womens voices through unlawful use of force. Taliban leaders have denied arresting the women, heightening concerns for their safety and prompt release.

On January 16, Paryani and Ibrahimkhel participated in a protest in Kabul against recent Taliban abuses of women protesters and other restrictions on women. Witnesses said that on the night of January 19, armed men claiming to be Taliban intelligence broke through the door of Paryanis home and took her away, along with three of her sisters. Paryani posted a video on social media of the moment before the men broke into her house. Ibrahimkhel was similarly abducted from her home and her whereabouts remain unknown.

Since taking over the country on August 15, the Taliban have imposed harsh restrictions on womens right to work, banned secondary education for girls in most of the country, and beaten peaceful women protesters. Taliban authorities have severely limited what the media can report and have detained and beaten journalists. Taliban forces have forcibly disappeared former government officials.

On January 23, during talks in Oslo, Norway, between Taliban authorities and several Western governments, Afghan activist Hoda Khamosh publicly called on the Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to pick up his phone now and call Kabul [and] order the immediate release of the detained women.

Muttaqi reportedly responded that there were bad people among the Taliban whom the Taliban were expelling and said such elements may have detained the women. He said the situation was under investigation. Taliban authorities previously claimed to have dismissed some of their forces for theft and other crimes, but have been conspicuously silent about killings and enforced disappearances, blaming these instead on rogue elements.

Taliban denials of the arrests were undermined on January 23 when Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the Taliban had the right "to arrest and detain dissidents.

By failing to hold their forces accountable, Taliban leaders are sanctioning such human rights violations against women activists and others. Arbitrary arrests and disappearances have become the Talibans routine method of responding to criticism. The Taliban should ensure the womens immediate and unconditional release. The United Nations and all countries meeting with the Taliban, including Norway, should press for an immediate end to all abuses.
Every year the Gulf of Mexico hosts a human caused dead zone. This year, it will approach record levels scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration  or NOAA  estimate, in a statement released Monday.

The researchers predict the hypoxic zone  an area with little to no oxygen that can kill marine life  to be nearly 8,000 square miles or roughly the size of Massachusetts.

NOAA wasnt the only organization to estimate a near record dead zone this summer. Researchers from Louisiana State University (LSU) released a statement on Monday predicting this years dead zone to be 8,717 square miles, making it the second largest on record. We think this will be the second-largest, but it could very well go over that, said Nancy Rabalais, a marine ecologist who studies dead zones co-authored the LSU report, as CNN reported. The Gulf of Mexicos dead zone is a result of nutrient pollution, including nitrogen and phosphorus from urban environments and farms, traveling through the Mississippi River watershed and into the gulf, according to NOAAs press release. NOAA pointed to the overwhelming spring rains along the Mississippi River, which led to record high river flows and flooding, as a major contributing factor to this years sizeable dead zone. The record flooding brought a substantial amount of pollutants into the water. This past May, discharge in the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers was about 67 percent above the long-term average between 1980 and 2018. USGS estimates that this larger-than average river discharge carried 156,000 metric tons of nitrate and 25,300 metric tons of phosphorus into the Gulf of Mexico in May alone. These nitrate loads were about 18 percent above the long-term average, and phosphorus loads were about 49 percent above the long-term average, NOAA said in its press release. What happens is the nitrogen and phosphorus stimulate the growth of phytoplankton, which fall to the bottom of the water and decompose with the bacteria that uses up the oxygen, creating an area with not enough oxygen to sustain life.
Scientists now have proof that the border wall built by former President Donald Trump is impeding the movements of wildlife.

Data from a tracking collar on a Mexican gray wolf named Mr. Goodbar revealed that he spent four days in November pacing along 23 miles of newly-constructed border wall in New Mexico, likely frustrated in his attempts to find a home and a mate.

[T]he border wall is placing the recovery of an endangered species at risk, Wildlands Network biologist Myles Traphagen told National Geographic.

Tracking collar data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service tells the story of how Mr. Goodbar left his home and pack in Arizona and traveled southeast for months through the Chihuahuan Desert. On November 22, he passed Las Cruces, New Mexico and headed towards the Mexican border. However, there was something in his way: a 30-foot border wall built with steel beams bisecting what had once been open desert a year before.

The wolf spent from November 23 to 27 walking along the wall in search of an opening before giving up and heading northwest on November 28, according to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD). He eventually ended up in the Gila National Forest, which is where most Mexican gray wolves call home. The incident marks the first evidence that the border fence is separating two endangered wolf populations.

[B]eyond one animals frustrations, the wall separates wolves in the Southwest from those in Mexico and exacerbates inbreeding in both populations, CBD senior conservation advocate Michael Robinson said in a press release.

Mexican gray wolves are a smaller subspecies of gray wolves that once lived in Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico, National Geographic explained. They were nearly wiped out to protect the interests of the livestock industry but were granted Endangered Species Act protections in 1976 and reintroduced through a captive breeding program in the 1990s. As of March 2021, there were 186 wolves in Arizona and New Mexico and another two dozen or so across the border. Conservationists think that interbreeding could boost the health of both populations, but the border wall, which covers most of New Mexico, now makes this impossible.

In addition to Mexican gray wolves, the wall also blocks the movement of Sonoran pronghorn, jaguars, ocelots, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, bobcats and mule deer, to name a few.

CBD and other environmental groups want to open up the wall in priority areas that are important for wildlife, HuffPost reported.

President Biden should knock down the wall, the CBDs Robinson told HuffPost.. Allowing Mexican gray wolves to roam freely would do right by the sublime Chihuahuan Desert and its sky-island mountains. We cant allow [the wall], this stark monument to stupidity, to slowly strangle a vast ecosystem.
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6-inch GaN epi-wafer from IVWorks

IVWorks has acquired the GaN-on-GaN epitaxial wafer business and technology from Saint-Gobain, a French conglomerate. With this, the South Korean start-up intends to push competition in electric vehicles with silicon carbide MOSFETs.

The French conglomerate Saint-Gobain is one of the world's leading companies in the field of lightweight and sustainable construction, developing, producing and offering materials and services for the construction and industrial markets. At the same time, the company has developed a key technology to manufacture GaN wafers.

This business segment has now been acquired by IVWorks. This gives the South Korean start-up access to state-of-the-art technology for the mass production of GaN wafers with diameters of 4 inches and 6 inches. Aside from Saint-Gobain, some Japanese material suppliers such as Sumitomo Chemical and Mitsubishi Chemical can also manufacture such wafers. Typically, GaN power semiconductors today are grown in a hetero-epitaxy on silicon (GaN-on-Si) or silicon carbide (GaN-on-SiC) wafers.

IVWorks has successfully manufactured 4-inch, 6-inch and 8-inch GaN-on-GaN epi wafers in large volumes and has developed an epi wafer process that uses artificial intelligence. More recently, the company has also launched a production line for 12-inch wafers.

"Due to their benefits in energy efficiency, the use of GaN power devices is increasing significantly in a number of markets, and there is great interest in gallium nitride in the electric vehicle sector," said Young-Kyun Noh, CEO of IVWorks. "With this acquisition, we can expand our product portfolio by offering GaN-on-GaN epi wafers for high-performance applications and compete with silicon carbide MOSFETs in the electric vehicle market."
The Catholic Church in Spain is facing controversy on many fronts. The most recent to open up is centred on over 1,000 properties whose control it has acquired without actually owning them. But there is also the pedophilia issue, which has shaken the world in recent years. After the holding of investigations into sexual abuse of children in the Church in several European countries, there are now growing calls for Spain to do the same. This Wednesday, three political parties, the left-wing Unidas Podemos, the Catalan Republican Left and the Basque party EH Bildu registered a joint proposal for a commission of inquiry in the Congress of Deputies aimed at "investigating sexual assaults on children and adolescents committed by members of the Catholic Church." This would be the first step to then "be able to plan public policies for reparations, prevention and care for the victims of this scourge." The proposal meets the requirements of the chamber, but, as always, to go forward it will require support from the Socialists (PSOE) as well.

The document registered states that "the political responsibilities are evident given that the public authorities are ultimately responsible for guaranteeing full protection to minors in all areas of their lives, especially in public schools and those institutions concerted with the administration".

If the proposal prospers, it would be the first time that a Spanish public institution has opened an investigation of this nature. This initiative has already taken place in some neighbouring countries, in particular, France. Last October, an independent French commission published its report after two and a half years' work, and concluded that at least 216,000 minors had been abused in the last 70 years within the French Church. A figure that increases to 330,000 if the abuses committed by lay people are taken into account. As a result of the study, the French Episcopal Conference acknowledged "institutional responsibility" and the "systemic dimension" of the problem and pledged to sell assets to compensate victims. The closest thing to this in Spain is in Catalonia - where Catalan Ombudsman has proposed a commission of inquiry.

The Spanish government, through minister Felix Bolanos, has transferred its "concern" on the issue to the Episcopal Conference, following a report on abuses in the Spanish church sent to the Vatican by the newspaper El Pais. After a visit to Rome, Spanish cardinal Joan Josep Omella said that the dioceses themselves would investigate the cases documented by the newspaper, but refused to set up an independent commission like the French one.

Now everything is in the hands of Pedro Sanchez's PSOE in Congress. A few days ago, in a statement to Europa Press, the president of the Unidas Podem group, Jaume Asens, warned that it would be "strange" for parties such as the PSOE to "remain outside" a initiative that is "common-sense, reasonable and in the direction requested by Pope Francis.
The future of democracy is at risk. In the years since the economic crisis that began in 2008, democratic political regimes have undergone considerable setbacks due to the rise of unbridled capitalism and the authoritarianism that accompanies it. It is in this context that indicators aiming to quantify the democratic quality of societies have proliferated as never before, at the same time as they have become a political weapon. Two of the best-known and most-reputed indices are those of the EIU ("Intelligence Unit" of the British business weekly The Economist) and Sweden's V-Dem Institute, which both classify the Spanish state as a "full democracy". Classifications which the Spanish government has quoted, year after year, to counteract the accusations it has received resulting from the repression of the Catalan independence movement since 2017. Now, an academic study, endorsed by 200 professionals and university teachers has shown up serious failings in these indicators.

Originally published in September 2021 in the Revista de Catalunya and presented this Wednesday at the Ateneu Barcelones, the investigative study entitled 'Prejudice and manipulation under the guise of science: the dubious classification of Spain as a "full democracy" and the weak foundations of the democratic quality indices' (published in Catalan) questions "the use of democracy indices based on compiling subjective opinions, such as those published by The Economist and the V-Dem Institute, to prove, against objective evidence, the classification of Spain as a full democracy". The work bears the signatures of Catalan economists Eduard Gracia, Oriol Martinez, Jaume Perez, Josep Reyner, David Ros and Lluis Verbon and has received the endorsement of 200 professionals and university professors who "denounce that Spain is classified as a full democracy by different international opinion centres".

An opportunity for political manipulation

The study starts from the observation that both the EIU and the V-Dem measures rate Spain among the most complete democracies in the world, ahead of countries such as France, Belgium, Finland, Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany, Iceland and Austria. And in spite of the fact that "several violations of human and civil rights in Spain since 2017 have been repeatedly denounced by a various international institutions" (such as Amnesty International, the United Nations, the Council of Europe) which "obviously mark a point of discontinuity in the democratic credibility of Spain that any index of reliable democratic quality should reflect with the same fidelity that a seismograph records a seismic wave". How is it possible that they do not? ask the research authors. This is where the failings in the aforementioned indicators begin to come to light.

Both are based on the same methodology, "essentially an opinion poll of experts." Thus, on the one hand, the EIU "does not justify how it controls for the possible biases of the opinions of its anonymous experts." On the other hand, the V-Dem has "very little control over the experts' application of the classification and evaluation criteria", "does not make public the names of the authors who are involved in the preparation of its index", nor does it provide justification of the experts' decisions", something that prevents "the removal of the impact of bias, prejudice or self-interest". The authors of the study then point out that "the ratings become, at best, glorified opinions and, at worst, a fantastic opportunity for manipulation in favour of political or ideological preferences that dominate among the community of experts assigned to a particular country".

The more repression, the higher the score

Looking specifically at Spain, the research focuses on the fact that V-Dem echoed the beginning of the repression of the Catalan independence movement by reducing the score of Spain as a liberal democracy by 8%. But in the following years, despite the increase in repression, the score rose steadily again. Why? This doubt was conveyed to the Swedish institute team, who were unable to provide "any reason". "They relied, without a doubt, on their anonymous experts to provide accurate and consistent scores without bias or prejudice... That, frankly, seems like too much faith," the authors say.

In this regard, the research looks into the idea of political manipulation, which should be particularly easy to do when the targets are mostly members of a minority in some way considered strange or even rejected by many members of the majority group, as is the case of the Catalans in Spain". And the study thus looks at comparisons generated by the indices, pointing out that "the entire concept of comparisons between countries makes no sense" if there is no guarantee that the evaluations comply with common standardised criteria.

The first comparison examined is between Spain and Hungary. When measured by studies of quantifiable criteria (quoting Fariss & Schnakenberg's Level of Human Rights Protection, which is compiled from measures that include numbers of killings, repression incidents and negative international sanctions), Hungary and Spain had the same level of respect for human and civil rights in 2017. But according to the EIU index, Spain was well ahead in democratic quality. This has to do, the new study suggests, with the fact that Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban was portrayed as a dangerous populist, while the then-Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy was portrayed as a soft ruler aligned with German chancellor Angela Merkel.

The second comparison is with Belgium, which, using the objective data quoted by the authors is far above the Spanish state in terms of human rights. But The Economist places Spain above Belgium despite the fact that the Catalan pro-independence leaders went into exile there in order to avoid being exposed to the abuses of Spanish justice. The study argues that the indices ratings' are due to the fact that Belgium has had long periods without a government (589 days between 2010 and 2011) as well as executives with representation from Flemish pro-independence politicians, while Spain has often had stable, monochromatic governments (the coalition between the PSOE and Unidas Podemos is relatively new).

Subjective bias in the indices

The research concludes by asserting that the objectivity of these indices "is substantially overestimated if their experts cannot even separate the support or disapproval of general measures enacted by certain governments from specific facts related to human and civil rights". It adds that "some of these ratings may be subject to intentional manipulation by certain government agencies, since the scores on these indices generate politically-charged news stories and the teams that produce them only impose very weak controls to avoid undue influence". Thus, "it must be concluded that the numerous recent human rights violations in Spain are simply incompatible with the classification of full democracy that the institutes of democratic quality have so generously bestowed."

The 200 people who have signed a manifesto accompanying the study (which can be consulted on the website of the Maspons i Anglafell collective of legal professionals) note regretfully that, "by adhering to a methodology exposed to subjective biases without imposing effective controls to correct them, these indices add confusion in a field where their original and stated aim is precisely to improve transparency." Finally, they call on The Economist and the V-Dem Institute to introduce more robust controls into their methodologies in order to limit the risk of bias, prejudice and manipulation that today clouds their objective value."
Washington, MO (63090)

Today

Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. High 66F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies with periods of rain late. Low 54F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Today is Fitness Day on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man's first ever Fitness Day is taking place today.

Over the last few weeks, people of all abilities and ages have been encouraged to dig out their gym kit and take in today's inaugural event.

The day is being coordinated by Manx Sport and Recreation which has planned a number of events, including a free 5k fun run at the NSC this evening.
Athens, AL (35611)

Today

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Considerable clouds this evening. Some decrease in clouds late. Low 59F. Winds light and variable.
Amazon won't be paying most warehouse workers in the US to quit their jobs this year. According to The Information, the e-commerce giant has paused its "pay-to-quit" program for majority of its workers for 2022, and it's unclear if it will be reinstated. The publication has obtained a copy of Amazon's message to its employees, which was then verified by a spokesperson from the company. Typically, Amazon pays its warehouse workers up to $5,000 to quit their jobs after peak seasons like the holidays as a way to pare down its workforce in the slowdown that follows.

Jeff Bezos also once told shareholders in a newsletter that it's a way to give employees an out if they're no longer happy working for Amazon. The company would usually make "The Offer," as it's also called, towards the end of the first quarter of the year. For 2022, however, it told employees that only workers who graduated from Amazon's Career Choice training program will be eligible for the payout. They're also only eligible within 90 days after graduating. Amazon pays tuition reimbursements for workers part of the Career Choice program, which expands this January to include GEDs, English as a Second Language (ESL) certificates and bachelor's degrees. It only used to cover certificates for technical skills and associate degrees.

Karen Riley Sawyer, the company's representative, has confirmed the changes to the pay-to-quit program, telling The Information that it's currently only available "to graduates of Career Choice to support their transition to a new career should they choose to leverage their new certifications." While Sawyer didn't say why the program's scope has been narrowed down, it could be because vaccine mandates and the rising infection rates caused by the spread of the Omicron variant are making it hard for Amazon to find adequate staffing. Earlier this month, Motherboard reported that over 1,800 workers at a single Amazon facility in New York were out on leave due to COVID. A source also told The Information that the warehouse had been facing severe staffing shortages over the past months.
Transporation startup Boom is one step closer to bringing back supersonic passenger flight. On Wednesday, the company announced plans to build a manufacturing facility at Piedmont Triad International Airport in North Carolina. Once complete, "The Overture Superfactory" will employ approximately 1,750 workers by 2030 and produce the companys upcoming Overture supersonic jet, which Boom hopes will start flying passengers in 2029. Construction on the facility is expected to start later this year, with production to follow in 2024. The first jet will roll out in 2025 and then fly in 2026.

The 400,000 square foot facility will eventually produce aircraft for carriers like Japan Airlines and United Airlines . In 2021, the latter announced it would purchase 15 Overture jets once the plane met its safety and operating requirements. The agreement includes an option for United to buy an additional 35 aircraft, for a total of 50 jets.

Boom claims Overture will revolutionize commercial aviation. It envisions the Mach 1.7 jet flying from San Francisco to Toyko in approximately six hours. On a modern jet plane, you can expect a flight like that to take about 11 hours. Whats more, Bloom claims Overture will be net-zero carbon aircraft thanks to its ability to fly on 100 percent sustainable aviation fuels.

The news is another major win for the state of North Carolina. At the end of December, Toyota announced it would build a $1.29 billion battery plant on the Greensboro-Randolph Megasite, a tract of land located in Randolph County. Once complete sometime in 2025, the facility will consist of four production lines capable of producing batteries for approximately 200,000 vehicles per year.
Don't expect the worldwide chip shortage to end any time soon. Bloomberg and The Washington Post note the US Commerce Department has published a semiconductor supply chain report estimating that the global shortage will last until at least the second half of 2022. "We aren't even close to being out of the woods" with supply problems, Department Secretary Gina Raimondo said.

Many companies are particularly sensitive to problems, too. The median chip inventory for a client company plunged from 40 days in 2019 to under five days in 2021. Even a relatively short (weeks-long) disruption overseas could shut down an American factory, the Department said.

The shortage is particularly damaging to broadband companies, car makers and medical device producers, according to the report. Despite early claims, there wasn't evidence hoarding contributed to the shortfalls. Demand was higher, too, with median interest about 17 percent higher in 2021 than it was two years earlier. The Commerce Department's study was comprehensive, obtaining supply chain data from almost all major semiconductor firms and companies across a range of industries.

Officials concluded the government couldn't directly end the shortage. Private companies were "best positioned" to overcome challenges by increasing production, optimizing their designs and limiting the impact on their supply chains. However, Raimondo used this as an opportunity to plug President Biden's proposed $52 billion subsidy through the US Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). The investment could help "rebuild American manufacturing" and boost domestic supply chains for "years ahead," she said.

Factories resulting from USICA money wouldn't be ready for years, however, and the bill itself has been delayed. While it passed a crucial Senate vote, the House bill is only expected to surface by this week at the earliest. It could take longer to both clear the House and evolve into a final form Biden can sign into law. For now, the tech industry largely has to solve this dilemma on its own.
Software glitches in Meta's free internet service are leading to unwanted charges for users, according to documents obtained by whistleblower Francis Haugen and shared with The Wall Street Journal. Paid features, like videos, have been appearing in the service's free mode, even though clips are either supposed to stay hidden or warn users of data charges. When users tap the content, they face carrier bills that can be especially difficult to pay for the service's target audience of users in developing countries.

The slip-up appears to have been lucrative for carriers. Meta estimated carriers were charging free users about $7.8 million per month as of last summer. The issue was particularly serious in Pakistan, where users have reportedly been charged a total $1.9 million per month.

A Meta spokesperson said it had received reports about the problem and had "continued work" on fixing the software flaws. New versions of the free mode explicitly label it as "text only" rather than implying it will never cost any money. The representative said the document estimating $7.8 million per month in charges wasn't based on carrier billing information, and that the overcharges were closer to $3 million per month.

Meta, like Google, has a strong interest in pushing free internet access. Most of its recent growth comes from developing countries where many people are hopping online for the first time. While the free service doesn't limit users to only visiting Facebook and other services it owns, it increases the chances internet newcomers will sign up and spur Meta's growth.

There are other concerns about Meta's free offerings beyond surprise billing. The company has been criticized for making it too easy to pay for data through in-app systems (instead of direct purchases from carriers) and after-the-fact "loans" in some countries. It has also been accused of pushing users of its Discover product towards content on its own services, while not doing enough to make external content easily accessible. While the company has claimed it will treat all internet traffic whether to its own products or elsewhere  equally, the leaked document itself states that Discover is not functioning consistent with our commitments.
Microsoft's overall business is still going strong, even though it's not seeing the shockingly huge profit growth it saw last year. In its Q2 earnings report today, company reported revenue of $51.7 billion (up 20 percent from last year) with profits of $18.8 billion (up 21 percent). As usual, Microsoft has its unstoppable cloud business to thank, as well as a decent showing from its PC group, Office and other business products. Its Intelligent Cloud business grew by 26 percent, reaching $18.3 billion, while its Productivity and Business group saw revenues increase by 19 percent to reach $15.9 billion.

There weren't any true major weak links this quarter  even Surface revenue, which Microsoft previously expected to dip a bit, grew by 8 percent thanks to strong Surface Laptop sales. Windows OEM revenues also increased by 25 percent, not a huge surprise since the overall PC industry is still going strong. Where the PC business goes, Microsoft's revenues will follow, after all. When it comes to Office, the company says its consumer revenue increased by 15 percent, and that it has reached 56.4 million Microsoft 365 subscribers.

While Microsoft's earnings reports have basically looked the same over the last few years  Cloud good! Revenues grow!  the company's numbers will look a bit different once it finalizes its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2023. At the very least, we'll get to see how much the new Microsoft Gaming division actually helps (or hurts) Microsoft's overall business.
The SAT standardized college admissions tests will be taken exclusively on computers starting in 2024, The New York Times has reported. The new system will spell the end to tests taken on paper with No. 2 pencils, a right of passage for American high school students since the SAT was first administered nearly a hundred years ago.

Students will instead complete the exams on laptops or tablets, either their own or devices issued by the school. If students don't have a device, the board will provide one on the test day. And if a student loses power or connectivity, "the digital SAT has been designed to ensure they won't lose their work or time while they reconnect," said the College Board, which administers the tests.

On top of the technical changes, the testing time will be shortened to two hours instead of three. It'll feature shorter reading passages with one question for each, reflecting a wider range of topics more representative of what students will see in college. For the math section, calculators will finally be allowed. And students and teachers will get test scores in days rather than weeks, with educators no longer having to deal with packing, sorting or shipping test materials.

It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it'd be.

The College Board said that in pilot testing, 80 percent of students found the digital-only tests less stressful. "It felt a lot less stressful, and whole lot quicker than I thought it'd be," 11th grade student Natalia Cossio told the board. "The shorter passages helped me concentrate more on what the question wanted me to do."

The new testing standard was announced amid a growing trend for schools across the US to drop the SAT (or rival ACT) tests altogether. For Fall 2022, around 1,815 schools (of nearly 4,000 degree-granting institutions) have eliminated the requirement for standardized test scores, according to the FairTest non-profit foundation.

"Schools that did not mandate ACT/SAT submission last year generally received more applicants, better academically qualified applicants and a more diverse pool of applicants," FairTest Executive Director Bob Schaeffer told the Los Angeles Times last year.

Critics have also noted that the SAT tests handicap students who don't have access to expensive test preparation courses or who can't afford to take the $55 test multiple times. The digital SAT shift "does not magically transform it to a more accurate, fairer or valid tool for assessing college readiness," Schaefer told the NYT. The College Board, meanwhile, has said that SAT scores can actually help students who don't have top-flight grade-point averages.
By Wang Min

The US militarys detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba has stood firm amid mounting scandals. The expert group of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) recently issued a statement urging the US to shut down the Guantanamo Bay detention camp, put an end to this hideous chapter of outrageous violation of human rights, indemnify the tortured and arbitrarily detained prisoners, and hold relevant people to account.

In 2002, the US set up a detention camp at its naval base in Guantanamo Bay to keep the suspects captured during the anti-terror campaign after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. During the years, the prison was constantly under fire for incessant scandals of prisoner abuse. Many detainees are kept for a protracted term without trial, some of them are beaten up, stripped of clothes, or abused otherwise. In 2006, the UN released a report confirming the torture of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

In fact, the US has set up a number of secret prisons in the rest of the world. Prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) revealed that Americas military and intelligence personnel have been tortured, abused and violated the personal dignity of detainees in Afghanistan and other places. The US media disclosed in 2017 that US military interrogators extorted prisoners in their secret prison in Yemen for confessions and turned a blind eye to their allies prisoner abuse.

The scandals at Americas secret prisons around the world are just a tip of the iceberg of Americas rap sheet of human rights violations, while there are many more iron-clad facts ripping wide open the hypocrisy and infamy of American-style human rights. Airwars, an independent NGO, released a report last September showing that at least 22,679 civilians died in US-waged air strikes after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and the country launched at least 91,340 air strikes during its 20-year anti-terror war.

The human rights situation within the US isnt any better. After the sweeping Black Lives Matter movement, tens of thousands of people like Floyd still cannot breathe. As of 6:30 am, January 26 of 2022, Beijing Time, the US had registered 73,221,888 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 893,854 deaths cumulatively. Behind these figures are a much higher infection and fatality rate among ethnic minorities such as African and Latin Americans than the white.

The self-claimed human rights guardian is in fact the biggest human rights violator; the so-called human rights lecturer should have long been put on trial. The American double standards without any doubt pose an ironic contrast to the values acclaimed by some sanctimonious American politicians.
Twitter has received the highest number of content removal demands from governments around the world from January to June 2021, the website has revealed in its latest transparency report. To be precise, it received 43,387 legal demands that involve 196,878 accounts. Twitter says those numbers represent the largest increase in content removal requests and accounts reported within a six-month reporting period from the time it started publishing transparency reports in 2012.

One factor that contributed to the spike in accounts reported is the legal demands submitted by Indonesia's Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. The agency flagged 102,363 accounts for posting sexual services and illegal adult content, and Twitter took action on 18,570 of them. Twitter also saw an increase in accounts withheld from the public due to content that allegedly violated Russia's laws against inciting suicide.

Last year, Russian News Agency Tass reported that the country's internet authorities threatened to block Twitter if it doesn't remove "suicide incitement aimed at minors, child pornography, as well as information about the use of drugs" on its website. The authorities also slowed down Twitter's loading speeds for desktop and mobile.

A total of 95 percent of the total global volume of legal demands came from five countries in particular, with Japan remaining as the top requester. Japan is responsible for 43 percent of the legal demands Twitter received, with most of them being about narcotics and drug-related posts, obscenity and financial-related crimes. The other four countries are Russia, Turkey, India and South Korea, in that order.

Based on Twitter's report, there's an upward trend in the number of legal demands Twitter gets, with a huge spike happening in the first half of 2020. It remains to be seen whether those numbers will keep on rising, but Twitter's VP of global public policy Sinead McSweeney expressed her concerns in a statement: "We're facing unprecedented challenges as governments around the world increasingly attempt to intervene and remove content. This threat to privacy and freedom of expression is a deeply worrying trend that requires our full attention."
Weather Alert

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM CDT THIS MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...Portions of Oklahoma and northern Texas, including the following counties, in Oklahoma, Alfalfa, Atoka, Blaine, Bryan, Caddo, Canadian, Carter, Cleveland, Coal, Comanche, Cotton, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Grant, Hughes, Jefferson, Johnston, Kay, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Love, Major, Marshall, McClain, Murray, Noble, Oklahoma, Payne, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Stephens and Tillman. In northern Texas, Archer, Clay, Wichita and Wilbarger. * WHEN...From 6 AM CDT this morning through Thursday morning. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff may result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Creeks and streams may rise out of their banks. Flooding may occur in poor drainage and urban areas. Low-water crossings may be flooded. Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Showers and thunderstorms will develop Wednesday morning over a broad swath of the watch area. Another round of rain and thunderstorms is expected later in the afternoon and will last much of Wednesday night before ending Thursday morning. Storm total amounts of 2 to 5 inches are expected. Given recent rainfall, these additional amounts may cause flooding. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
EUBulletin has spoken with Professor Charles A. Kupchan about the latest twists and turns in the transatlantic relationship, the Biden administrations clumsy handling of the AUKUS deal and why it was an inadvertent, not a purposeful, insult to France and Europe, and also why Europe and the United States need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deal with the increasingly assertive China.

Charles A. Kupchan is a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and Professor of International Affairs in the School of Foreign Service and the Government Department at Georgetown University. From 2014 to 2017, he served as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for European Affairs on the staff of the National Security Council (NSC) in the Barack Obama administration. He was also Director for European affairs on the NSC during the first Bill Clinton administration. Before joining the Clinton NSC, he worked in the U.S. Department of State on the policy planning staff. His most recent books are Isolationism: A History of Americas Efforts to Shield Itself from the World (2020), No Ones World: The West, the Rising Rest, and the Coming Global Turn (2012), and How Enemies Become Friends: The Sources of Stable Peace (2010).



EUBulletin: Looking at the transatlantic relationship, European and notably French leaders were taken by surprise in September last year by the launch of AUKUS  a trilateral security pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Can the fact that the Biden administration did not inform its European allies about the plan be interpreted as that the United States wanted to send a strong signal to Europe to fall in line and cooperate with the U.S., particularly on China?

Kupchan: I would not read too much into the AUKUS deal about the Biden administrations approach to Europe because I think the presentation of the deal was mishandled by Washington. I dont have insight into why the Biden administration did not do a better job of informing its allies and try to include friends and other EU members into the initiative but I think they understand that it was not handled well.

I am guessing that what happened was that the people who manage the Asia policy were working intently on this deal, that information was not shared as well as it should have been across the government and that, as a consequence, the overall policy wasnt well coordinated with allies. So my best guess is that it was an inadvertent insult to Europe and not a purposeful one. And it should be understood in those terms.

EUBulletin: Though France is an Indo-Pacific power in its own right, why has Washington supposedly not coordinated its strategy to the region with Paris?

Kupchan: You are right to say France would be on top of the list, not least among its European allies, because it has the presence in the Asia-Pacific. They have several territories there and I believe they have 7.000-8.000 French soldiers in the broader region, and so they are an Pacific power in many respects  it thus makes sense for Washington to work with the French.

But I do think that as Biden said as a candidate and as a president, we need to stand shoulder to shoulder to deal with China. I think thats right and now the United States and Europe need to sit down together, also with the British, the Indians and with others, to try to forge a joint strategy. So, its a work in progress, and as I said, in some ways the AUKUS deal will be a learning moment of the importance to keep the European Union and its member states fully engaged as this strategy evolves.

EUBulletin: You mentioned that France should be the first European country as an U.S. partner with whom the U.S. should coordinate its Pacific policy. But French leader Emmanuel Macron said recently, in response to the controversy surrounding the launch of AUKUS, that he would like to see U.S. support for French interest in Africa, especially in the Sahel. So do you think there could be a kind of trade-off between the US and the EU and particularly France, whereby the EU would support the US interest within its Indo-Pacific strategy and in return the US would support the EUs interests especially in North Africa and the Sahel?

Kupchan: I dont think that I would call it a kind of deal, like a quid pro quo, in the sense that the strategic cooperation between the United States and France has actually been quite impressive and extends across the Middle East and Africa. The French were important partners in the counter-ISIL campaign, you may recall the famous red line, the French were ready to carry out air strikes against Syria after the use of chemical weapons, and in Africa, the United States and the French have already for years been cooperating closely, with the United States providing logistical support, intelligence support to French counter-terrorism operations. And so that teamwork between the US and France, I think, is already there. I think where we need more effort is teamwork in the Indo-Pacific and thats going to take some time to develop because its new. You have individual European countries sending a few warships to the South China Sea but we have not really seen a broader Transatlantic strategy and part of it will be about submarines and warships but lot of it, I think, will be about trade, about the level-playing-field with China, it will be about supply chains in sensitive technologies, semiconductors, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, Artificial Intelligence.

EUBulletin: Moving production closer to home, right? There has been a debate in the EU that they should move and set up factories in North Africa and there is the expectation in North Africa that European pharmaceutical companies will move at least some of their production increasingly to Morocco, Tunisia and so on.

Kupchan: I am someone who thinks that Europe and China and the United States and China are highly integrated economically and so they are not going to decouple, they are not gonna be going back to a Cold War that looks like the US with Europe against the Soviet Union, completely separated in spheres, but I think there will be selective decoupling where the United States, Europeans either repatriate to home, supply lines will move, as you were saying, close by. And that to me makes sense in a world where we are headed into. But I do think that over the coming months and years the United States and its European partners do need to sit down and develop a broader approach toward the Asia-Pacific and that includes, in my mind, toward Russia. The Chinese partnership with Russia increases Chinese power and increases Russian power, I think it encourages Russian risk-taking and so as part of this Transatlantic conversation, a piece of this should be about how to weaken the link between Russia and China.

EUBulletin: The question is, if you look at the Stephen M. Walts important book The Origins of Alliances and his argument that states dont balance against power but against power they perceive as threatening (defined not only by power, but also proximity and intentions), then in the long run, Russia has every reason to fear China more than the US but also the EU. What is you take on this?

Kupchan: I agree with you and I have recently published an article on that  its called The Right Way to Split China and Russia: Washington Should Help Moscow Leave a Bad Marriage.

Note: you can find the article here
Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Commentary From Crisis Management Expert Edward Segal, Author of the Award- Winning Book Crisis Ahead: 101 Ways to Prepare for and Bounce Back from Disasters, Scandals, and Other Emergencies (Nicholas Brealey)

CEOs who are reluctant to be the public face of their organizations or engage in corporate activism should consider the results of a new poll that found people want top company executives to be visible and expect them to speak out on controversial issues and topics.

According to the 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer:

81% believe CEOs should be personally visible when discussing public policy with external stakeholders or the work their company has done to benefit society.

60% said that when considering a job, they expect the CEOs to speak out publicly about controversial social and political issues that the perspective employee cares about.

Policy Debates

Survey participants had strong, mandatory or at least some expectations for CEOs to inform and shape conversations and policy debates about these front-burner issues:

Jobs/economy (76%)

Technology and automation (74%)

Wages inequality (73%)

Global warming and climate change (68%)

Prejudice and discrimination (65%)

Immigration and its impact on jobs (61%)

Improving education and healthcare systems (61%)

How to increase the Covid vaccination rate (57%)

Societal Issues

In addition to CEOs shaping policy-related conversations and debates, respondents wanted businesses to be more engaged on these societal issues:

Climate change

Economic inequality

Workforce reskilling

Access to healthcare

Trustworthy information

Systemic injustice

Ironically, as much as people want to hear from CEOs about the controversial issues of the day, more members of the public (63%) said they are worried they are being lied to by business leaders who are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations. That's an increase of 7 points from 2021.

But business leaders actually fared a bit better than journalists and reporters (67%, up 8 points) and government leaders (66%, up 9 points).

Potential Landmines

As important as it is to many people that CEOs speak out on controversial issues, doing so poses risks for them and their companies. That's because the political and tribal divisions in the country are so strong that those who take sides on one issue run the risk of alienating others who do not share those opinions or views.

But those concerns do not appear to have stopped some major companies and organizations from speaking out on such issues as voting rights, the January 6 insurrection and Covid-related topics.

For example, after the passage last year of a restrictive voting law in Georgia, Microsoft, Bank of America, and Patagonia were among the major companies who voiced their opposition to the Georgia legislation.

After being criticized for their initial comments when the measure was enacted, Coca-Cola issued a second statement in as many days opposing the law. The New York Times reported that Delta Airlines also changed course after facing a threatened boycott and issued a statement critical of the new law.

About The Trust Barometer

The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer is the company's 22nd annual trust and credibility survey. The survey consisted of 30-minute online interviews conducted between November 1 and November 24, 2021 and included responses from more than 36,000 respondents in 28 countries. The margin of error was +/- 0.6%.

###
San Ramon, CAJudson Brandeis, MD, author of The 21st Century Man, was interviewed on Health Professional Radio about his book and men's health care. HPR is an internet-only media network that has been broadcasting globally since 2012 with dedicated internet audio streams for Australia in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and the United States. They target health professionals in hospital-based environments but do not exclude other health professionals or the public from listening.

Dr. Judson Brandeis is an award-winning urologist and sexual medicine expert, clinical researcher, physician educator, and a caring clinician and surgeon. A graduate of Brown University and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, with Urologic Surgery residency at UCLA and a post-doc fellowship at Harvard, today he specializes in the emerging field of sexual health and medicine.

Listen to the Health Professional Radio interview with Dr. Judson Brandeis.



Health Professional Radio  New Book Reveals the Secrets to Male Health and Wellbeing

The 21st Century Man recently received two literary distinctions winning the 2021 Firebird Book Award and the 2021 International Impact Award in the Men's Health category. Many well-known doctors and medical professionals who have read the book have this to say about it:

"This book is one-stop shopping for the man who wants to improve, maintain, and optimize his health." Aaron Spitz, MD, Author of The Penis Book, Chair of AUA Telehealth Task Force, frequent guest on The Doctors

"Dr. Brandeis's text on men's health is a true tour de force. This will be valuable for all men over 40!" Andrew Hecht, MD, Professor of Orthopedics and Neurosurgery, Chief of Spine Surgery, Mt Sinai Medical Center

"This comprehensive volume provides clear and concise coverage of all topics in men's health, from head to toe and every organ in between. His bite-sized summaries are direct, thoughtful, and incredibly useful in demystifying the structure and function of all the critical parts of the male body." Mark S. Litwin, MD, MPH, Chairman of urology and professor of public health, UCLA

"The foundation of great, steamy sex is good health. All you need to know is in this bookpractical, powerful and scientifically grounded information from leading authorities for satisfying sex that gets better with age." Susan Bratton, Intimacy Expert, Author, Co-founder/CEO of Personal Life Media and The20

The Health Professional Radio interview can also be found on seven other online platforms:

https://healthprofessionalradio.com.au/new-book-reveals-the-secrets-to-male-health-and-wellbeing/

Youtube: https://youtu.be/5bprYEG0VFs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hprfm/posts/317946550340450

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6889765577355870208

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HealthProRadio/status/1483999960605794307

Pinterest: https://pin.it/4zlVly4

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CY769n7B4d5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Written in an engaging style, the book is loaded with comprehensive, scientific, and factual information that men and their partners need to know. Dr. Brandeis compassionately encourages men to actively engage in a journey toward health and equips them with the tools and knowledge needed for that endeavor.

With decades of experience as a urologist, surgeon, researcher, educator and men's health specialist, Dr. Brandeis is intimately familiar with the challenges men face as they age. Helping men meet these challenges and optimize their health inspires his commitment to clinical research, compassionate patient care, and education of other physicians.

In The 21st Century Man: Advice from 50 Top Doctors and Men's Health Experts, Dr. Brandeis expands the reach of his educational efforts beyond physicians and his patients, providing a guidebook for all men on how to live better, healthier lives.

For more information go to https://thetwentyfirstcenturyman.com/

"This is a mighty volumeeverything men should know about physical, mental, and psychological healthall delivered with authority, excellent support by specialist colleagues, caring and compassion. The book is medically and scientifically accurate, accessible, engaging, and inspirational." Grady Harp, MD, Amazon Top 50 Hall of Fame Reviewer, 5-Stars

In this book, you'll find a practical guide to men's health and discover:

The most common health causes of premature death in men and smart ways to reduce risks

Principles of nutrition and exercise and how to fuel and strengthen your body without injury

Coping with mental health struggles and addictive behavior to increase quality of life

How to continue looking good through midlife and beyond

The impact of good relationship skills on men's health and overall wellbeing

Techniques and strategies to continue enjoying mutually satisfying physical intimacy

Specifics on prostate health, testosterone, circumcision, vasectomy, and fertility

How to navigate healthcare systems and understand health insurance

An insider's view on how to find a specialist and make the most of your trip to the doctor

The health effects of gratitude and how to leave a legacy that inspires the next generation

"there is information in this book that is helpful for every part of a man's body and life! Brandeis has outdone himself in compiling a singularly robust resource that empowers men to journey with health, strength, and vigor." Jessica Tofino, Educator and Writer, 5-Stars

Dr. Judson Brandeis is an award-winning urologist and sexual medicine expert, clinical researcher, physician educator, and a caring clinician and surgeon. A graduate of Brown University and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, with Urologic Surgery residency at UCLA and a post-doc fellowship at Harvard, today he specializes in the emerging field of sexual health and medicine.

Over the course of his 25-year career as a board-certified urologist he has performed thousands of surgeries and pioneered surgical robotics. In February of 2019, he opened BrandeisMD, a national leader in technology and sexual medicine innovations for men. BrandeisMD engages in ongoing clinical research to improve wellbeing and provide tools for men to live their best lives.

Dr. Brandeis is dedicated to helping his patients and men everywhere feel great, look good, and have better physical intimacy. He brings this wealth of expertise and care to this, his first book. A native New Yorker, Dr. Judson Brandeis now resides in Northern California.

Learn more about The 21st Century Man and Dr. Judson Brandeis at brandeismd.com or https://thetwentyfirstcenturyman.com/ (ISBN: 9781737379607). Available at Amazon.

Media Contact: For a review copy of The 21st Century Man or to arrange an interview with Dr. Judson Brandeis, contact Scott Lorenz of Westwind Book Marketing at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com or by phone at 734-667-2090. Reach Lorenz on twitter @abookpublicist
Tuesday, January 25, 2022

As confirmed by governmentaland non-governmental sources Russia is positioning its armed forces in apincer/encirclement for an imminent invasion thrust by land and/or sea intoUkraine.

Furthermore, 21stwarfare will feature weaponry such as cyberwarfare that directs and enhancesthe military hardware. Finally lets not forget the required historical internaldestabilizer  the Fifth Column.

BY LAND

There are two sectorsthrough which Russian armed forces will traverse:

Northern Approach | TheHot Zone

The first is throughRussias ally Belarus located on Ukraines northern border. This sector isgeographically closer to Kiev, the Ukrainian capital than the other entry sectors.Suspiciously convenient the Russian government announced a large militaryexercise called Allied Resolve 2022 scheduled from February 10-20that places thousands of troops along the Ukrainian-Belarus border.

Despite the tantalizinglyshort distance to Kiev, this zone possesses some difficult geographical andmanmade obstacles. With respect to the former, this area is swampy and denselypopulated which would make progress towards Kiev arduous.

With respect to thelatter, Russian troops in Belarus would have to pass through the 1,000 squaremile area hot zone of Chernobyl called the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.This is where the former nuclear plant is located that imploded in 1986 and whoseon-site and surrounding area still retains lethal levels of radioactivity.

Dare if they must, thismanmade Forbidden Zone neatly fits the quote by Dante Alighieri, Italianpoet & philosopher, The road to paradise (Kiev) begins in hell. In short Russianforces must march through a toxic wasteland just like in an apocalyptic, sci-fiB-movie bringing to life cyberpunk on the battlefield.

This area could beconsidered Russias version of the Ardennes offensive in 1940 utilized by NaziGermany through a thick forest to surprise and trap the French armies at thebeginning of WW II. The mystery remains whether the Russian armed forces inBelarus will be used as nothing more than a prop or feint to pull Ukrainiansmanpower away from Kiev.

For these reasonstheres a question whether and to what extent Ukraines natural defense willdefend this northern sector given the difficulty and radioactive dangers of passage.

Eastern Ukraine |Weaponizing Food Production

The second land areafor invasion is in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine populated by thepro-Russian separatists. On one hand this is the furthest area from Kiev, about370 miles, so a western advance will take weeks even with minimal Ukrainianopposition because of extended supply lines.

Nonetheless, Russianmilitary advances will weaponize Ukraines food production by occupying thebreadbasket southern and eastern regions thus effectively cutting toff future foodsupplies by interrupting spring planting and summer/fall harvesting.

BY SEA

The Russian navy hassuperior forces in the Black Sea enhanced by their utilization of a naval basein recently annexed Crimea which gives them total maritime domination of thesouthern region.

To underscore Russiasoverwhelming naval domination, the following chart provided by News Reportsentitled The Military Imbalancein The Black Seacompares Russian and Ukrainian military naval power.

Furthermore, accordingto numerous media and government reports, Russia is in the process ofaugmenting the above stated inventory with 140 warships,60 aircraft, 10,000military servicemen and 1,000 pieces military equipment. The most likely targetis Odesa, Ukraines largest port city.

 Atminimum this naval force can blockade the port splitting Ukrainian forces todefend against a possible amphibious assault.

 Atmaximum Russia could attempt an amphibious assault to take the port.

The latter is unlikelybecause such operations are extraordinarily complex and Russia has neverattempted an amphibious assault in its history. The initial strategy is a navalblockade of Odesa. The other option, if the opportunity presents, itself if Ukrainianforces offer little resistance and make a Russian landing feasible.

Regardless of thelogistical difficulties, Russian encirclement on multiple fronts represent possiblefeints that are designed to stretch Ukrainian forces and make them unable toproperly defend the main offensive thrust(s) wherever that make occur.

Some of the final componentsprior to an actual invasion include the following:

 Medicalequipment and mobile field hospitals

 Ammunitionstockpiles

 Supportingsecurity services

Finally, it may not betoo far-fetched if the Russian miliary makes unusually good progress to Kievand copies the US Thunder Run conducted in 5 April 2003 during the Baghdadinvasion. US heavy armor entered and roared through Baghdad in a psychologicallydemoralizing show of force. Symbolically Russian tanks might roar through Kievin a symbolic show of domination.

Russias Fifth Column |Elite Sleeper Cells

An extremelyuncomfortable truth is Russia, post-invasion, can confidently insert a pro-Russianpuppet leadership across wide a spectrum of the military, politics and diverse industries.For decades Ukraine high levels of corruption have plagued the public domain.

According to TransparencyInternational, an independent, non-governmental organization,their Corruption PerceptionsIndexCPI) is based on 13 data sets. Ukraine ranks 117 of 180 relativeto other countries.

The more accurateindicator is Ukraines score of 33 which hasnt improved much since their 26score in 2012. A score of 0 is totally corrupt; a score of 100 is very clean.Furthermore, according to their CPI, Transparency International has determinedthat Eastern Europe and Central Asia are the worlds second most corrupt regions.

For this reason Russia probablyhas had a superior insider view of the Ukrainian military for many years. Forthis reason the Ukrainian military game plan has already been compromisedgiving Russia a huge tactical and strategic advantage. Quoting Sun Tzu in thebook the Art of War, Every battle is won before it is ever fought.

Occupation is an extremelyexpensive and hazardous duty, especially Ukraine which is the second largestcountry in Europe in landmass after Russia. This is why Russia needs the ferventcollaboration, cooperation of key elements of Ukraines political, business andmilitary leadership (not necessarily in power present-day) to supportpro-Russian policies and domestic security.

Whether by design ordefault (bribes or threats) such leadership has already been identified and whohave agreed to assume their positions in the new government. This could onlyhave been achieved after many years so in fact they are de facto high-levelsleepers.

Russias UltimateObjective

Post-invasion Russiawill politically neuter the Ukrainian government by installing a pro-RussianUkrainian leadership to slavishly kowtow to Moscow. Putins historical revisionistrhetoric will become reality in restoring Russian dominance in eastern Europewith his newly acquired jewel in the crown (Ukraine) while casting a darkshadow over the remaining former Soviet-era bloc countries currently alignedwith the west.

THE FALLOUT

Global Market Mayhem

With respect to globalmarkets expect an Icarus Moment featuring extreme market volatility withspike in energy and food prices as articulated in detail in my previouslypublished articles Energy and Gold Pricesto Soar After Russian Invasion, January 17, 2022 and Global Food Supply andPrice Risk with Russian Aggression, January 21, 2022.

Public Relations CyberOffensive

Once the invasionbegins there will be an overwhelming avalanche of misinformation,disinformation and outright propaganda. And thats just from western mainstreammedia without deliberate Russian or other governmental interference forthe purposes of achieving the most readership clicks.

How it Plays Out

The great unknown is towhat extent the Ukrainian military will fight back. Although Russia hasoverwhelming technical, military, manpower and firepower advantages, like theUS in Vietnam and Afghanistan, the indigenous guerilla forces neutralized Americasfirepower and ultimately avoided long-term total subjugation.

On the other hand Ukrainemight be rapidly overwhelmed and collapse within weeks. The US has a poor trackrecord of furnishing their allies with last-minute shipments of weaponry toward off invading forces except to Israel in the 1973 war.

Interestingly thisurgent military support was sent to western supported albeit highly corruptgovernments, that had little public credibility and were vulnerable to a highlymotivated enemy. The only difference between the Viet Cong/North Vietnamese andTaliban is that the Russian army has nukes.

Putins Post-InvasionAmbitions

The invasion andsubsequent placement of a pro-Russian Ukrainian government must be reasonablyquick & decisive. A Pyrrhic victory featuring heavy casualties would resultin a loss-of-face for Putin, domestic blowback and possibly trigger his arrestor coup attempt.

Contingent on Putinssuccess in Ukraine, he will certainly be emboldened to aggressively undermineand weaken the former Soviet satellite countries some of which are present-dayNATO members, through cyber-thuggery and divisive rhetoric.

Copyright 2022 Cerulean Council





TheCerulean Council is a NYC-based think-tank that provides prescient,beyond-the-horizon, contrarian perspectives and risk assessments ongeopolitical dynamics and global urban security.
As part of an effort to reduce service nationwide, American Airlines is slashing 33 flights out of San Antonio International Airport that had been scheduled for March.

The airline cut nonstop flights to Los Angeles to one per day from twice daily, airport spokeswoman Tonya Hope said Tuesday.

That amounts to about one flight per day, American spokesman Brian Metham said in an email. Our team has worked to ensure that the number of customers affected by these changes is minimal.

Before the pandemic, American said it offered nearly 6,700 flights per day nationwide. After adjusting the schedule for March, it will average about 5,400, Metham said.

Smiley N. Pool, MBR / TNS

On ExpressNews.com: Timeline for $2 billion makeover at San Antonio International Airport hits the fast track

American didnt say why its canceling the flights, but airlines have been struggling with staffing challenges through much of the pandemic. Thousands of flights were canceled during the holiday season in part because of airline staff catching COVID-19. And all carriers have been adjusting schedules in response to fluctuating demand since the pandemic began.

Americans March cuts will be deeper at other major airports. All told, the number of flights canceled will top 10,000.

American is the second-largest carrier at San Antonio International, a spot it holds even after cutting the number of daily flights bound for LAX. The airports No. 1 carrier is Southwest Airlines.

Nationwide, American will still offer more daily flights than any other U.S. airline even after curtailing its schedule, Metham said. The airline directly contacted customers affected by the cancellations.

American passengers will still be able to fly from San Antonio to airports in Charlotte, N.C., Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Dallas in March.

American continues to schedule more seats to/from San Antonio, Hope said in an email. Currently, AAs summer schedule has a 15 percent increase in seats offered compared to the same period in 2019.

diego.mendoza-moyers@express-news.net
If you are a sole proprietor or small business owner without a dedicated bookkeeper or finance staff, theres a decent chance you arent doing the basics.

But its still the beginning of the year. Theres still time to put in place some best practices around record-keeping and retirement planning.

Heres the wrong way to do it: Let the receipts pile up. Manage your business finances according to what money happens to be in the bank. If your checking account has money, spend it. If your checking account doesnt have much money, save it. At the end of the year, turn over your receipts and accounting software to a tax preparer and wash your hands of the process. Rinse, repeat.

Unfortunately, thats the default mode for a huge swath of small businesses, according to Cindy Montoya, owner of KAC Consulting in San Antonio. Eight years ago, she quit her CPA firm to set up her own practice targeting the kinds of small businesses usually overlooked by big firms.

Restaurants, she found, notoriously neglect their financial bookkeeping. Service providers in the trades  electricians, plumbers, landscapers, construction contractors  similarly are untrained and largely ignored by the bookkeeping and tax preparation industry. These service providers are often self-employed or work as independent contractors for larger construction companies.

Montoya says she got into serving this clientele because of her own family. Montoya had grown up keeping the books for her dad, starting when she was just 12 years old, as he ran a small business in Houston. Later in life, Montoyas husband was typical of her clients.

Dreamstime, HO

He was a general contractor. You put finances in front of him and forget it, its not going to happen, she said.

Describing her typical small business client now, she said, They need a lot of hand-holding about how to run their business, how to plan for taxes and how to not drive your business looking in the rear-view mirror.

The rear-view mirror is Montoyas analogy for the wrong way to do things, kind of like I described above.

If she could give small business owners one New Years Resolution to make, it would be to set up a bookkeeping plan every month.

From the perspective of small business finance, everyday is a good day to start keeping your books properly. But if you havent been doing it right, this month  right now  is the time to start.

Bank reconciliation should happen every month. Reviewing key performance indicators (known as KPIs by the cool kids) is only possible if you keep good financial records. Good records mean knowing your up-to-date numbers for revenues, costs and profits.

For Montoya, the ability to speak with her clients on a regular basis  using updated this-month metrics  is the difference between forward-looking tax planning and rear-view mirror driving.

One of the biggest small business myths, Montoya says, is that the goal is to pay no taxes.

So many small business owners want to buy, buy, buy with the mindset that they are reducing taxes by increasing deductions, she said. But this is like using a 20 percent-off coupon for something you dont need. You are still spending the money, usually on things that go down in value.

A better goal is to make and keep as much money as possible, which means not letting the tax-minimization tail wag the business dog.

I would add to Montoyas important point about not optimizing your decisions around achieving the smallest tax bill. Banks and investors really, really want to see annual profits in order to get involved with your business. If your small business ever seeks outside money, youll usually need to have profits in the past, which means youll typically have had to pay significant taxes in the past. Paying taxes as a small business owner doesnt mean youve failed. It means youre succeeding.

Heres the deal, Montoya said. If you pay no tax, it is because you didnt make any money! Our goal is for you to keep as much money in your pocket as possible.

On the issue of being tax savvy as a small business owner, its worth pointing out a little-understood and pretty large vehicle for reducing your tax bill through retirement savings. Regular salaried employees in 2022 can contribute up to $20,500 to their 401(k) or 403(b) retirement account. That number can go up somewhat if your employer matches some of your contributions. This is generally well-understood. Those limits go up by a bit most years.

Self-employed business owners, however, can access a much bigger, and better, deal. The following is less well understood by the types of businesses Montoya works with.

In a self-employed company 401(k), business owners can contribute up to $61,000 per year, starting in 2022, to their retirement plans. The up-to-$61,000 in contributions is made up of a three-part combination of pretax salary, pretax employer match, and pretax profit-sharing, all of which are controllable by a business owner. If youre a small business owner and you have sufficient income in a year to use this kind of tax-advantaged vehicle, youre going to want to get going with a specialist to set this up. Like, January is not too early to get going.

The contribution-limit numbers Ive quoted are for folks under 50. If youre over 50, the relevant individual and self-employed numbers in 2022 are $27,000 and $67,500, respectively.

Michael Taylor is a columnist for the San Antonio Express-News, author of The Financial Rules for New College Graduates and host of the podcast No Hill For A Climber.

michael@michaelthesmart

money.com | twitter.com/michael_taylor
This story has been updated. Please see editor's note below.

A luxurious Italian Renaissance-inspired estate billed as a Mediterranean masterpiece hit the San Antonio market this month.

The 8,832-square-foot mansion in the ultra-exclusive San Antonio community of Estates at Champions Run is held by a trust of Raul Gonzalez Trevino, who died in 2021.

The five-bedroom, six-and-half-bathroom home is selling for $2.3 million, according to a listing on the San Antonio Board of Realtors website. Bexar County property records show the home, now owned by Raul Trevinos trust, was initially purchased in 2007. The home was listed on Jan. 13.

On ExpressNews.com: San Antonios housing market shattered records in 2021, will stay hot in 22

The home is complete with exquisite ceiling detail and stunning hand-painted murals, according to the listing by Kenneth Henderson.

The imported distressed wood, stone and marble blends seamlessly to create a level of unparalleled luxury sure to impress the most discerning buyer, Henderson wrote.

Editors note: This article has been updated to clarify the ownership of the property. An earlier version incorrectly stated that it was owned by Rolando Gonzalez Trevino, a Mexican businessman who pleaded guilty to conspiring to transport stolen goods. The Express-News regrets the error.

Timothy.Fanning@express-news.net

San Antonio Board of Realtors

San Antonio Board of Realtors

San Antonio Board of Realtors

San Antonio Board of Realtors

San Antonio Board of Realtors
Robin JerstadContributor

Fifteen more Bexar County residents have died after contracting the COVID-19 virus, according to the latest numbers released Tuesday by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.

That brings the countys death toll since the start of the two-year pandemic to 5,062.
An item from a left-leaning online newsletter known as Popular Information led many on Twitter to call for a boycott of Pepsi. On Tuesday morning, the hashtag #BoycottPepsi was trending.

Popular Information on Monday published a list of corporations like AT&T, Walmart and Pepsi that donated to Texas Republicans in the last year.

In Pepsi's case, the online publication said the company donated to the Texas GOP, which Popular Information says will use the money to get lawmakers who voted for the state's controversial abortion law last year reelected. There are no records to indicate that Pepsi donated to individual state lawmakers in Texas in 2021.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar says FBI investigation will show no wrongdoing on my part

The abortion law, known as Senate Bill 8, prohibits abortions after only six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant.

The newsletter said Pepsi donated $15,000 to the Texas Republican Party in August 2021, just weeks before the abortion law went into effect. The Texas Ethics Commission says the transaction happened on Aug. 5, 2021, after the law was passed in May 19, 2021.

In a statement, a PepsiCo spokesperson told the Express-News that donations were made to both the state's Democratic and Republican parties during the summer of 2020, but its check to the Republican party was not processed until August of last year.

"As a result, the donation was recorded then and disclosed in a recent filing," the statement reads. "No further donations have been made to either Texas state political party since 2020. Any reports to the contrary are incorrect."

Pepsi did not comment on the call for a boycott and did not say why it took so long for the check to be cashed. It said it usually donates to both major political parties in multiple states during presidential election years.

According to finance reports, PepsiCo made a $25,000 donation to the Texas Democratic Party in May of 2020.

Malak.Silmi@express-news.net
A federal jury is deliberating whether University Health System and Bexar County violated the constitutional rights of a mentally ill woman who died after spending 150 days in jail under $300 bond for a misdemeanor.

The family of Janice Dotson-Stephens, 61, claims she died as a result of being denied adequate medical treatment by Bexar County and University Health System, which provides medical services for inmates at the jail.

The family seeks $100,000 in damages for each surviving relative of Dotson-Stephens, who left behind three adult children and 10 grandchildren. A trial began last Wednesday to resolve a lawsuit they filed, and testimony ended Tuesday.

Specifically, the familys lawyers, Leslie Sachanowicz and Mary Pietrazek, alleged Dotson-Stephens lacked the mental capacity to make decisions for herself, and languished in jail without proper medical care. The lawyers claim she deteriorated and lost 136 pounds during her five months in jail because she did not eat. They accuse University and the county of exposing her to a substantial risk of harm, and that they were deliberately indifferent to her needs.

Dotson-Stephens Family / COURTESY

I told you (in opening arguments) that she was ignored to death, but I should have told you she was ignored because of her medical needs, Sachanowicz said in closing remarks.

University Health and the county argued Tuesday that they did everything within the confines of the law, including offering her treatment but that she turned it down. They also argued that her death was sudden, that there was no evidence she drastically lost weight and that neither deputies nor medical staff saw signs of serious health complications.

Dotson-Stephens died Dec. 14, 2018, from cardiovascular disease, contributed to by schizoaffective disorder, the Bexar County Medical Examiner ruled.

She was booked into the jail on July 17, 2018, on a charge of criminal trespass after her husband, Reginal Stephens, called San Antonio police. Stephens testified that he did not want to let her back into his apartment, where she had been staying. He assumed police would take her to a mental hospital rather than jail.

But for months, Dotson-Stephens stayed in the jails infirmary ward. She refused to let staff take her blood pressure and weight or do other medical screenings. Several times, she refused to eat.

Her bail was set at $300, and the trial exposed cracks in the criminal justice system, including claims that her lawyer never visited her nor pushed for a competency hearing that could have helped her leave jail.

Despite that alleged failure, Sachanowicz blamed University Health and the jail for her death. He said a doctor who examined Dotson-Stephens initially for University did not look at Dotson-Stephens medical history nor put together a treatment plan. Instead, the doctor wrote in his notes that Dotson-Stephens was vile because she used foul language, Sachanowicz said.

There was all this evidence that she had been there previously, Sachanowicz said. They knew she had a medical condition. There was never an attempt from anybody to determine if she was able to provide consent or not.

He showed jurors papers documenting a time in 2017 when Dotson-Stephens was taken to the jail and within 12 days was found to be danger to herself and shipped off to a mental health hospital. The papers showed she was also given medications for her mental condition, he said.

Sachanowicz argued that a psychiatrist who examined her in September 2018 determined that Dotson-Stephens did not have the capacity to make decisions for herself. The psychiatrist also said giving her medications would help her. Instead, she languished, Sachanowicz argued.

But Laura Cavaretta, a lawyer for University, and Bob Piatt, one of the countys attorneys, argued that University and the jail are barred by law from forcing medication on an inmate unless they are a danger to themselves or others, or if a judge issues an order for it.

Cavaretta also said there was no evidence Dotson-Stephens lacked the capacity to make decisions for herself, and that competence  which necessitated a court hearing  is different than capacity.

The defense lawyers said staff repeatedly tried to help Dotson-Stephens and offered her medical treatment. They pointed to testimony showing that staff reached out to prosecutors and her court-appointed lawyer  which they did not have to do  to try to speed up a competency hearing that needed to take place in court. Her lawyer never responded to messages nor visited Dotson-Stephens, according to testimony.

One University doctor called Judge Andrew Carruthers directly, yet no competency hearing was ever scheduled, Cavaretta said.

Cavaretta also noted that one of Dotson-Stephens daughters learned her mother was in jail in October 2018, and did not tell any of her family members, but instead assumed the system would take care of Dotson-Stephens.

Cavaretta and Piatt cautioned jurors to not come to a verdict based on their emotions, but instead to rely on the evidence and the law. Cavaretta said Universitys staff is caring and compassionate and some went out of the way to try to help Dotson-Stephens.

She didnt die because of anything University Health did, Cavaretta said. She died because of heart disease.

Piatt added: Janice Dotson-Stephens was offered medical care on every shift through her stay in the jail. This consistent, unabated offering, shows she was not denied medical care.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter@gmaninfedland
A man accused of fatally shooting one person while firing at a group of people who were celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day was arrested Tuesday.

Ol Wallace, 18, is charged with murder and four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

The people were celebrating at about 7 p.m. Jan. 17 in the 400 block of Spriggsdale Avenue on the East Side when a man approached them and started shooting, said Officer Ricardo Guzman, a San Antonio police spokesman.

Investigators do not have a motive for the shooting, Guzman said.

The people who were shot at consisted of three men ranging in age from 30 to 61 years old, and two women, 35 and 45, according to a police report.

Johnnie Mobley, 61, was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center, where he died from multiple gunshot wounds, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office.

Authorities received several tips after the shooting that led detectives and U.S. Marshals to Wallace.

Police are not searching for other suspects, but the shooting remains under investigation, Guzman said.

jbeltran@express-news.net
Texas Department of Public Safety Special Agent Anthony Salas was fatally injured Friday when a Border Patrol truck rolled and landed on him while he was helping secure undocumented immigrants.

Officials with DPS and the Border Patrol on Wednesday continued to provide vague details of the Jan. 21 incident, saying Salas died in a tragic accident, while helping Border Patrols tactical unit. Internal affairs investigations have been launched.

Law enforcement sources told the Express-News that Salas, 37, was helping a Border Patrol agent with a load of immigrants in the evening, and was in the back of a pickup truck with the immigrants as they were being brought out from the brush. The sources said that, somehow, the truck went down an embankment and rolled, landing on Salas and slightly injuring the immigrants.

Federal and state law enforcement officers at the scene immediately began CPR before transporting Salas to the hospital in Eagle Pass, where he was airlifted to University Hospital in San Antonio, according to a statement from DPS Western Region Commander, Jose A. Sanchez.

On ExpressNews.com: On the border, chasing delays in pay and fewer migrants, some Texas guardsmen are losing faith

Shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday, Salas succumbed to his injuries, as his family was by his side, the statement said. His funeral will be Friday in El Paso.

The U.S. Border Patrol Agent with Special Agent Salas is receiving assistance from peer support, the statement said. The six (immigrants) were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and turned over to the Border Patrol.

The Border Patrol said its agent was transporting the undocumented immigrants when the accident happened, but did not identify the agent, and referred other questions to DPS. The sources said the Border Patrol agent was not injured.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the trooper, his family, and the Texas DPS, the Border Patrol statement said. Texas Department of Public Safety and Customs and Border Protections Office of Professional Responsibility are investigating.

Salas, originally from El Paso, was working on Gov. Greg Abbotts Operation Lone Star, which flooded the Texas border with DPS officers from various parts of the state to work border enforcement.

I am saddened to hear that DPS Special Agent Anthony Salas was killed in a horrific vehicle accident in the line of duty in Eagle Pass, Abbott said in a statement. This tragedy is a somber reminder of the selfless sacrifices our law enforcement make as they work to keep us safe. I ask Texans to join Cecilia and me in praying for Agent Salas family as they grieve this unimaginable loss.

On ExpressNews.com: Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty

Salas joined DPS in 2013 and was stationed in El Paso. He was a trooper with the Texas Highway Patrol before being promoted to a special agent with the Criminal Investigations Division. Salas was a member of the West Texas Response Team and served in the Marine Corps before joining DPS.

He is survived by his wife, Lizzett; daughters Alessandra and Isabella; a son, Luke; and his father, Juan Carlos, and mother, Teresa, according to his obituary. The obituary said visitation for Salas is 6 p.m.- 9p.m. Thursday at Crestview Funeral Home at 1462 N Zaragoza Rd. in El Paso. A rosary will occur Friday at 11:00 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, 1050 N Clark Dr, in El Paso, and will be followed by a funeral mass at 12:30 p.m.

guillermo.contreras@express-news.net | Twitter: @gmaninfedland
Ron Chapple / Getty Image

The Guadalupe County Sheriffs Office is investigating after two dead bodies were found in an abandoned oil tank trailer Monday afternoon.

Deputies received a call just before 4 p.m. from a Texas Department of Transportation worker who reported finding a body in the tank trailer in the 8900 block of U.S. 90, between Seguin and Kingsbury.
KIN MAN HUI/San Antonio Express-News file photo

A woman who was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds just north of downtown has yet to be publicly identified.

Officers received a call for a possible injured person at about 7 a.m. on Saturday in the 200 block of Post Avenue, according to a preliminary San Antonio police report.
GLORIA FERNIZ /SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

In 2000, moving back to San Antonio after living in Dallas for a couple of years, I needed to reconnect to my city. I needed to find a place to volunteer, to hopefully make a difference. My previous job as a paralegal first drew me to Child Advocates San Antonio, or CASA. Little did I know how much a difference being a CASA would allow me to make in a childs life.

My second CASA case lasted from the summer of 2000 until June 2007. At that time, a childs placement in Child Protective Services, or CPS, care was to last approximately one year but possibly extend to 18 months. Obviously, this did not happen in our case. Parental rights were terminated when a jury trial was held in May 2001. In speaking to jurors as they left the courtroom, many thanked me for being there for this child and helping them make the right decision. Yes, testifying at trial can be part of the job, but your supervisor is there to help you prepare. When you know a childs life could be at stake, its an experience to cherish.
In 1965, eight days after 600 unarmed civil rights and voting activists were attacked on Bloody Sunday on the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., President Lyndon B. Johnson appealed to a joint session of Congress for passage of the Voting Rights Act.

He spoke of the dignity of man and the destiny of democracy.

The command of the Constitution is plain, he said. There is no moral issue. It is wrong, deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country.

Weve come a long way in 56 years, yet Senate Bill 1 is a step back in time. It has sowed confusion and created unnecessary obstacles to voting. Just ask the hundreds of seniors, sick or disabled, or out-of-county Texans whose applications for mail-in ballots have been rejected. Supporters of SB 1 have argued that no one has been denied the right to vote and there is time for new vote-by-mail applications to be accepted. But this ignores an underlying concern. Why make this harder?

On ExpressNews.com: Garcia: New Texas election law already has made a mess of mail voting

Under the new Texas law, enacted in September, ballot-by-mail applications must include a drivers license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number. The identification number is then verified against the applicants voter registration record. If the numbers do not match, the application is rejected. But many who registered may not remember what ID they used  and have had their applications denied on a technicality.

Senate Bill 1 was crafted in response to the lie of widespread voter fraud  such instances are rare, and Texas elections are secure. While the stated goal of SB 1 is ballot security or election integrity, the rejection of mail-in ballots has the potential to sow doubt.

Bexar County voters who need a mail-in ballot can request one from the elections department. The last day for the department to receive ballot-by-mail applications is Feb. 18. The League of Women Voters of San Antonio, at lwvsa.org, offers instructions. If a person is not registered to vote, the deadline is Jan. 31, which is Monday. Get familiar with the candidates and cast your ballots beginning with the March 1 primary. For those who cant vote by mail, early voting begins Feb. 14 and runs through Feb. 25.

Speaking to county commissioners on Jan. 11, Bexar County Elections Administrator Jacquelyn F. Callanen described the ramifications of Senate Bill 1 as a mess and ridiculous. She spoke of the need for more staff to respond to the 50 to 100 daily calls requesting mail-in ballot applications. Many of the rejections have been due to the new ID requirements.

On ExpressNews.com: Editorial: And so begins the restricting of democracy

Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir told Texas Public Radio on Jan. 18 it had rejected half of mail-in ballot applications. In Dallas County, 41 percent of mail-in ballot applications were rejected as of Friday, according to a Dallas Morning News article Tuesday.

And in Harris County, Judge Lina Hidalgo said in a Jan. 19 press conference that 35 percent of mail-in ballot applications had been flagged for rejection.

On the U.S. Senate floor Saturday, speaking in favor of the failing Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act, which aim to restore some of the protections lost in the gutted Voting Rights Act of 1965, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned of exactly what has happened with these mail-in ballots.

In a strong, functioning democracy, the playing field is level. Citizens have a right to vote, and neither one side nor the other has the right to block those voters from the ballot box or from getting their votes counted, Warren said. That basic premise no longer holds in America.

Is the point of SB 1 ballot security or ballot confusion?
Jail overtime costs continue to plague Bexar County, partly because of the COVID-19 omicron variant, but Sheriff Javier Salazar is hopeful a new collective bargaining agreement will help rein in staffing shortages at the detention facility.

About $2.8 million in jail overtime was approved Tuesday by Bexar County commissioners, leaving the county on track to end fiscal 2022 with about $13.9 million in jail overtime  slightly more than in 2021.

The budget is $8 million. Tuesdays allocation covers nearly 69,000 hours of overtime projected for the period from Dec. 11 to March 31.

But Salazar believes a raise for deputies will help reduce those expenses by boosting recruiting efforts. The collective bargaining agreement approved by the Deputy Sheriffs Association last week includes a 15 percent raise. The agreement is expected to go to commissioners for approval Feb. 8.

To improve staff morale, the agency also no longer requires detention deputies to work in the jail for two years to be eligible for a transfer to law enforcement, Salazar told commissioners.

On ExpressNews.com: Dual consultants working to improve countys jail operations

In 2021, the sheriffs office hired 250 people, but had 155 retirements and resignations. This year, COVIDs still kicking us right in the teeth, Salazar said, as the jail currently has about 150 staff members out after testing positive or being placed in quarantine because of possible exposure. With jury trials temporarily shut down by the pandemic, the facility is near capacity with about 4,200 inmates, including 3,500 who are awaiting trial, county officials said.

COVID-19 election concerns

The pandemic also is stirring up trouble for the March 1 party primary election, with early voting set to run from Feb. 14 to Feb. 25.

In an update to commissioners, County Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen said a number of property owners, including the South Side and East Central school districts, have decided against hosting early voting sites out of concerns related to the omicron variant. The county plans to have 34 polling sites in operation for the joint Democratic-Republican primary, but the locations are fluid, with a Feb. 9 deadline looming to secure the voting sites, Callanen said.

Another impact of the pandemic, related to supply chains, is a colored paper shortage that has interfered with production of sample ballots, which by law must be printed on yellow paper, and color-coded mail inserts, she said. In addition, the elections office has had to send about 800 rejection letters to some of the 6,000 residents who submitted applications for mail ballots because their identity could not be fully verified under the provisions of a new state elections law.

Callanen said her office recommends voters provide both a drivers license or another ID number provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety and the last four digits of their Social Security number on the applications, so her office can verify compliance with the new law if one of the numbers is incorrect or not in the voter registration database. Monday is the last day to register for the election. Applications for a mail ballot must be received by Feb. 18.

For more information, visit the elections office website, bexar.org/elections.

Move to in-house custodians

Commissioners approved a plan to begin providing custodial services in county buildings in-house, hiring 78 full-time staff members at a minimum wage of at least $15.75 per hour with employee benefits. Dan Curry, county facilities management director, said it would take about five weeks to transition out of a current two-year contract for custodial services, awarded in 2019, that guaranteed workers a minimum of $11.15 per hour.

On ExpressNews.com: Bexar County spending $1.3 million on COVID-19 testing

If the county continued outsourcing custodial services and raised the minimum hourly pay to $15, it would increase the annual cost from about $3.3 million to $4.3 million. The in-sourcing option seeks to retain high-performing workers now under contract and is expected to run about $4.5 million.

Commissioner Justin Rodriguez said the move to in-sourcing was the right thing to do for the personnel. Interim Commissioner Marialyn Barnard called it a good business decision that will help with security in county facilities.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff recalled asking a custodial worker about five years ago how much she was making. She was being paid $7.50 per hour after being with the same company for five years.

Wolff said he normally supports contracting with the private sector, but he felt when it came to positions that are traditionally low-wage, that the county would be better off having all of these families making a fair wage and allowing them to have a better way of life than what theyve had before.

shuddleston@express-news.net
FAIRFIELD  In what was likely one of the last votes of the Racial Equity and Justice Task Force, a majority of its members decided not to allow a revote on its racial equity plan.

I feel to kind of go back after a vote is really unfair to those who did put in the time and effort to put the document together, Co-Chair Gina Ludlow said.

Sandra Tallman and Tameisha Powell-Dunmore, who changed their support of the plan, were the only two members to vote in favor of the revote, with all other members voting against. Some members expressed confusion as to why the move was necessary.

Sandra and Tameisha, you voted for this on the 6th, correct? You approved it. As I understand from the minutes, you proposed different language  the language was amended  and you voted to pass it, Douglas Bunnell said. Now, two weeks later, you dont want to stand by that vote?

Essentially, the task force voted on whether to revote on its approval of the racial equity blueprint. If it had passed, the group would then have needed to vote to approve the plan again, with two-thirds support required to pass.

Tallman, in concert with Powell-Dunmore, said she wanted to rescind her original vote because she does not think Fairfield has systemic racism, nor does the task force have data to support that it does.

The task force originally unanimously voted to approve the racial equity plan on Jan. 6, but Powell-Dunmore and Tallman later said they regretted supporting the document.

Their issue primarily came down to one recommendation within the plan, which calls for the town to make a formal proclamation acknowledging the existence and impact of a combination of systems that disadvantage BIPOC residents in access and opportunity in Fairfield.

The plan comes after the task force has worked more than a year to study the towns policies and procedures in an effort to ensure fair treatment of all people in town.

Powell-Dunmore and Tallman said they do not agree that such a proclamation is necessary, as it implies the existence of systemic racism in town  which they do not believe is true. Other members, such as Steve Bogan, said the task force did find evidence that systemic racism exists in Fairfield.

In the meeting, Bogan questioned how Tallman could have been involved with the task force since its inception and never have brought up her concerns before.

You participated in the process for the last year, and you didnt say anything, he said. We need everybody to speak up. You didnt say this data doesnt make sense.

Tallman said voting to approve the document was a mistake, adding she told the task force all along that she did not feel Fairfield was systemically racist. While the task force spoke to people who had experienced racism in Fairfield, she said she did not feel it meant Fairfield is a systemically racist town.

The only quantitative data we have is the police data from 2017, she said. That was two police chiefs ago. I just cant support this.

Ludlow said the task force set out to look for systemic problems that could be addressed at an administrative level. In reference to the Connecticut Racial Profiling Prohibition Project, which found in 2017 that the Fairfield Police Department showed patterns of traffic stops in areas bordering Bridgeport that targeted Black and Hispanic drivers, she said 2017 was not a long time ago.

There are still people who continue to live here, she said. We did actually sit down with the police, and they also felt like there were changes they could make, and then proceeded to make those changes. This is not something that we just pulled up whole cloth.

While there were language tweaks since the document was drafted, Ludlow said, its foundation remained the same. The recommendation of a proclamation has been in the document since June, she said.

Co-Chair Nancy Lefkowitz noted the document is not enforceable, and the administration can decide to do none of the recommended actions.

Member Ryan Odinak said it is difficult to talk about the subject of racism without using a term as central as systemic racism.

Whether we use it, other people are going to use it, she said. That is a useful term, and to say that we need to skirt a term as central to the dialogue... I dont think its productive.

joshua.labella@hearstmediact.com
I couldnt have been more delighted on Monday, Jan. 24, when I saw a Connecticut Post piece about a true Fairfield quilting icon, Cecily Zerega, and her latest major project at the young age of 91 - 70 quilts for a group of young students at the Adam Lewis Academy in Bridgeport. Am I surprised Cecily is this busy? Hardly.

She is a creative dynamo, a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and a consummate volunteer, who consistently applied her genius to quilt designs and other creative projects she has accomplished over the years. She said in the story that she works on these childrens quilts every day for at least two hours and plans on doing it forever because she enjoys work that has a lasting impact. This truly reflects her energy and passion to create and give back.

She has made her new home as the first resident of Sturges Ridge in Fairfield and is already working away on the childrens quilting project, which she hopes to complete this summer. These naptime quilts, which will surely showcase Cecilys creativity yet again will have all different designs. In her own words, No two quilts are alike.

I first experienced Cecilys passion for quilt design during the four years (2008-2012) when I did public relations for the annual quilt exhibition at Southport Congregational Church. Cecily and her amazing colleagues put together this annual quilt exhibition for 10 years, choreographing the layouts of more than 100 quilts in the church and organizing special events around the exhibition, she always had several new quilt contributions and each was more breathtaking than the last.

As a fledgling quilter at the time, I learned so much about the art of quilting from Cecily. She is a true genius. And I never ceased to be amazed by each new creation.

Because Cecily Zerega is so much a part of the fabric of Fairfields recent history, I wanted to go beyond the Connecticut Post piece to learn more about all that Cecily has contributed to local history and to the town. In addition to being a creative cornerstone for the quilting exhibition, she was a major force in the annual Christmas Tree Festival, again contributing quilts but most importantly her time as a regular volunteer, often chairing the festival.

I learned from an earlier piece in the Arts Section of the Danbury News-Times that Cecily studied the possible use of quilts as codes for travelers along the Underground Railroad. That sounded like an interesting and valuable project.

M. Mayo, a resident of Fairfield, posted a piece on Cecily in a 2005 edition of Community Corner in the Fairfield Patch. According to the posting, Mrs. Zerega, who is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, has focused on textiles for many years and has been designing quilts for the Fairfield Christmas Tree Festival since the inception of the Festival over 30 years ago. Her work has also been displayed in many venues and has benefitted a wide variety of good causes.

Reading about Cecily and her many accomplishments again brought back a flood of great memories for me. Her efforts on behalf of Fairfield organizations, her generosity as a person and hundreds of incredible quilts, meticulously crafted with unusual designs andlove will continue to be Cecily Zeregas trademark as she completes this next project for the Adam Lewis Academy.

Steven Gaynes is a Fairfield writer, and his In the Suburbs appears each Friday. He can be reached at stevengaynes44@gmail.com.
Connecticut State Police have arrested the owner of a Canterbury pool company, the agency announced Wednesday.

Brian Roy was charged with failure to refund payment for a home improvement within 10 days of a written request, state police said. The 40-year-old Sterling resident turned himself in Monday morning at Troop D in Danielson. He was processed and held on $10,000 bond before being transported to Danielson Superior Court for his arraignment that day.

State police said additional charges against Roy are expected. He has not entered a plea to the charge, court records show.

The criminal charge is the result of an investigation by the states Department of Consumer Protection.
Contributed / Connecticut State Police

GRISWOLD  State police are asking for the publics help identifying a suspect in a bank robbery Tuesday afternoon.

State police troopers were called to the Eastern Connecticut Savings Bank on Slater Avenue around 3 p.m. Tuesday, after a man walked in and handed the teller a note demanding money.
My voice broke when I had to say the words: A gunman has taken over our synagogue and is holding the rabbi and others hostage. And I saw it in her eyes: the pain, the fear, the memories.

These agonizing words of Anna Salton Eisen, a founding member of Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas, describe her mothers reaction to the tense hostage situation at the house of worship on Jan. 15. Eisens mother, almost 100 years old, as well as her late father are Holocaust survivors.

Thursday, Jan. 27, is International Holocaust Remembrance Day. On this annual day of commemoration, we pause to honor Eisens parents and other survivors, the 6 million Jewish victims of Nazism and the many millions more who perished, targeted for annihilation due to unchecked hatred and bigotry.

This year, Holocaust Remembrance Day is not only a day to remember a horrific genocide, but also a stark reminder that antisemitism and hate are among us and on the rise.

ADLs (the Anti-Defamation League) Center on Extremism tracks antisemitic trends and other forms of hate every day. ADLs experts monitor extremist activity online and on the ground, and key developments and trends in extremism and hate from the far right and the far left and everything in between. ADLs most recent Audit of Antisemitic Incidents in the United States recorded more than 2,000 antisemitic acts of assault, vandalism and harassment in 2020. This was the third highest year on record since ADLs tracking began in 1979. Antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish institutions such as synagogues, Jewish community centers and Jewish schools spiked by 40 percent in 2020, as compared to the previous year.

In remarks at a recent ADL Fighting Hate From Home webinar addressing the hostage incident in Colleyville, Texas, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated that the FBI is, and has been, treating Saturdays events as an act of terrorism targeting the Jewish community.

On Jan. 20, the United Nations General Assembly also acknowledged the shocking worldwide rise in antisemitism by adopting a resolution aimed at combating Holocaust denial. The resolution provides a specific classification and definition for Holocaust denial and outlines actions expected to be taken by every signatory country in order to address this serious concern. The resolution further demands that social media networks remove posts that are deemed antisemitic.

Today is also a day to recognize that ignorant and inaccurate invocations of the Holocaust trivialize the memories of victims and survivors. Perpetuating lies about the Holocaust fuels Holocaust denial and antisemitism and drives the serious need for greater Holocaust and genocide education in our society. Comparisons to the Holocaust ought to be used judiciously or they will become meaningless.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2022 is a sobering one for what we commemorate and for what we are currently experiencing.

In response, let us call on Congress to increase Nonprofit Security Grant Program funding and immediately confirm Dr. Deborah Lipstadt as the State Departments Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism. Locally, as always, if experiencing or witnessing an incident of antisemitism, extremism, bias, bigotry or hate, immediately report it to ADL Connecticut at www.adl.org/reportincident

We best honor the memory of the victims of the Holocaust, and survivors such as Anna Salton Eisens parents, when we work together for human dignity, for a world in which the life of every individual is recognized as sacred, and in which each person is free from fear. Let us commit to come together to stand against hate.

Stacey G. Sobel is regional director of ADL Connecticut.
Ethan Allen was making a point. In Salisbury, Conn., one Sunday morning in 1764, he had the doctor Thomas Young perform a medical procedure on him in public. Young made a scratch on Allens arm and ran a tiny piece of thread soaked in pus through the wound.

The man who would become a hero in the Revolutionary War had just been inoculated against smallpox. (Vaccination, a much safer form of inoculation, would come later.) The treatment was almost painless. It was also illegal.

Allen was simultaneously performing an act of civil disobedience and self-preservation. Outbreaks of smallpox, which killed 30 percent of those who contracted it, were hitting New England. Boston, the first town struck, knew better than most how to handle the disease. It had experimented successfully during a prior epidemic with an inoculation process explained by a West African man named Onesimus who was enslaved there.

The procedure, which was essentially what Young would use on Allen, involved using pus from a smallpox survivor. It usually triggered only a moderate case of the disease. The great majority of people inoculated survived and were immune to future infection. The procedure proved so successful that when smallpox returned in the 1760s, Boston residents voted to allow inoculations and even cover the cost of treatment for anyone who couldnt afford it.

Connecticut took a different approach. Instead of organizing mass inoculations, the colony required that residents get permission from their towns selectmen before getting inoculated.

When Salisburys selectmen rejected Ethan Allens request, he decided to get inoculated anyway  in front of the town meetinghouse.

Town leaders confronted Allen but never charged him for his civil disobedience. They did, however, charge him with blasphemy for the choice words he hurled at them, though he was later acquitted.

Allen went on to become one of the heroes of the Revolution. With backing from leading Connecticut revolutionaries, Allen and another Connecticut man, Benedict Arnold, commanded the successful capture of Fort Ticonderoga, the Americans first victory of the war.

Allen was not the only member of the founding generation to support inoculation. Abigail Adams did too. Faced with a smallpox outbreak in Massachusetts in July 1776, she traveled from her farm with her four children to Boston to be inoculated. She couldnt discuss the matter first with her husband, John, who was in Philadelphia and had just helped adopt the Declaration of Independence. She also had no peer-reviewed studies to tell her whether this was a good idea; she had to go with her gut.

In Boston, Abigail was scarcely alone in her decision. Such a spirit of inoculation never before took place, the Town and every House in it, are as full as they can hold, she wrote John the next day. She described it as her duty to have the family inoculated. Though Abigail had felt nervous about the procedure, she wrote that all those feelings vanished as soon as I was inoculated.

George Washington saw inoculations as vital to the American cause. Disease accounted for the vast majority of deaths in the Continental Army. The general feared a major smallpox outbreak among his troops could decide the outcome of the war. So, in early 1777, he ordered all American troops passing through Philadelphia to be inoculated. He gambled that a mass inoculation campaign in the midst of a war outweighed the risks. He proved correct: The troops experienced only isolated smallpox outbreaks, and no regiment was incapacitated as a result.

Understanding of the disease had come a long way by 1777. Forty years earlier, Benjamin Franklin had opted not to inoculate his 4-year-old son Francis, who subsequently died of smallpox. I long regretted bitterly and still regret that I had not given it to him by inoculation, Franklin later wrote. This I mention for the sake of the parents who omit that operation (inoculation), on the supposition that they should never forgive themselves if a child died under it; my example showing that the regret may be the same either way, and that, therefore, the safer should be chosen.

Mark Bushnell is the author of Hidden History of Vermont and It Happened in Vermont.
Some of the old files found in vault at the old GID/Sun River Project office building.
Grain markets on the Chicago Board of Trade remained strong last week, but soybeans lost ground Jan. 24. March corn futures gained 20 cents for the week, and made a new high Jan. 24 at $6.2112. This was slightly higher than the high of a few days ago, and a good positive sign of bullish enthusiasm.

Soybeans, meanwhile, gained 4412 cents on the March contract last week, and 3214 cents on the November contract. In the process, we made a new March futures high Jan. 20 at $14.2912 and a new November futures high at $13.25 the same day.

Divergence came Jan. 24, when nearby corn futures gained almost a nickel and December futures gained two and one quarter cents. Soybeans, however, went the other way, with March futures closing down 1114 cents and November futures off 834 cents.

Corn

Corn futures have continued to be supported by cash fundamental. Currently, focus is on good exports and a strong ethanol grind, although the ethanol margins have declined.

Encouraging export news includes the fact that there have been regular shipments to China on the contracts already made. Some have speculated that the contracts might not be fully completed, but indications are that the Chinese will fulfill them.

There is some speculation that current high internal Chinese prices will support additional sales and an increase in the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimate of exports.

Soybeans

Soybeans have been supported by the weather problems in Brazil and Argentina that were seen to hurt the current soybean crops. In fact, encouraging rains were experienced over the last week, but the market is convinced that the soybean crops as a whole will suffer net losses for the year.

The little hitch Jan. 24 may be just some profit taking, or it may be a reaction to current forecasts for more rain, or we may look back and say that was our last great chance to sell. Certainly, the prices the last few days have been catch-up opportunities for any producers not heavily sold on the 2022 crop.

Wheat

Even as we have been carefully watching the corn and soybean markets, the wheat markets had gone through a three-week slide that was looking more like a trend change and less like a correction. This week, we finally saw a rally firm the markets up.

Chicago futures were up 38 cents. This kind of rebound after big losses can just represent some profit taking from the bearish side, so it can indicate a return to some fundamental.

The biggest fundamental talked about this week was the dry conditions in the Southern Plains. We are told the area is dry enough that damage has been done, but there is some squeamishness when it comes to putting money behind the drought.

It is an old axiom that the winter wheat crop is killed several times every winter, whether from lack of snow cover in cold weather or drought. In fact, a good rain right now would have traders talking about good crops again.

Time to sell?

The wheat marketing reactive plan is similar to the corn and soybean marketing. For those who have been reluctant to sell this early, this is the big second chance to talk yourself into it.

For those who want to see the crops well along, it is still January. This should be seen as a good catch-up opportunity if your habits and experience allow you to sell the crop before you plant it.

I am in the sell the crop group, but not necessarily with the wheat. In Northeastern Ohio, it is so easy to get quality problems with excessive rains in early summer that promote disease problems. This is a problem one year in three  that means there is more risk than I like, and it is impossible to tell which of the three years this is!

I talk to farmers regularly who never sell until the crop is in the bin, and if they do this every year, it is a plan hard to argue against.
EU policies led to the collapse of the oilseed rape crop in the UK and Europe, according to a new report released today.

The bloc's climate change polices initially rewarded the widespread planting of oilseed rape, the worlds most important vegetable oil after soybean.

But subsequent pesticide laws have ultimately led to very large yield losses across the continent in recent years.

This collapse of oilseed rape farming in the UK and Europe had led to a reliance on imported oils  including palm oil.

The findings of the report will be presented later on Wednesday at a meeting of the British Crop Protection Council by lead author, Dr Patricia Ortega-Ramos from Rothamsted Research.

Speaking ahead of the meeting, she said the series of EU policy decisions essentially created a serious crop pest.

This is a great example of how a better understanding of pests and joined up decision making are going to be vital if we are to reform farming," she added.

The EUS 2009 Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive was not well implemented, and as a result of that and subsequent decisions, the cabbage stem flea beetle has now become a serious pest.

"The area of oilseed rape being grown is now falling sharply, with huge financial consequences for farmers and major environmental consequences for all of us.

It is imperative that smarter pest management become written into new EU and UK policies.

Published in the journal GCB-Bioenergy, the report reviews why, in the 2000s, the EU introduced policies and market-based incentives to encourage the production of biofuels in order to meet their obligations to reduce emissions.

After the EU implemented these pro-biofuel policies, the area of oilseed rape harvested increased by 78% between 2003 - 2010, achieving a record harvested area of 6.4 million hectares in 2010.

Oilseed rape is the second largest source of vegetable oil globally, and the most important biofuel feedstock in the European Union.

However, Rothamsted researchers say in the report that this huge increase in the area of oilseed rape grown across Europe reduced both the variety of other crops grown and the amount of natural habitat on farms.

These led to population booms of the cabbage stem flea beetle and another pest, the pollen beetle, which both feed on the plant.

To fight back, farmers increased their use of pesticides, especially neonicotinoids. But in attempt to curtail excessive pesticide use, the EUs response was the 2009 Sustainable Use of Pesticides Directive.

However, the report says that uneven and often poor implementation by member states ultimately led the EU to ban outright the use of neonicotinoids four years later over concerns it was harming bee populations.

The ban led to increased use of another type of pesticide, pyrethroid, which inevitably led to pesticide resistance arising in the beetles.

With no way to control them, the report explains that widespread crop failures and significant yield losses for farmers have become commonplace. Since 2018 the area of OSR grown in Europe has collapsed to 2006 levels.

Its been reported that in the UK in 2014, three quarters of the national area of crop was affected by adult feeding damage causing about 5% crop loss nationally.

Of this loss, 62 percent occurred in eastern regions, causing an estimated loss of 13 million in this area alone, according to the report.

Dr Patricia Ortega-Ramos said: In 2020, the equivalent of four out of ten UK fields of oilseed rape did not make it to harvest due to beetle damage, with 14% being resown due to severe pest damage.

"Yields fell to their lowest level in over a decade and oilseed imports were necessary - ironically from countries outside the EU that still permit use of neonicotinoid pesticides.

She added: "Loss of control of pests has made oilseed rape cultivation in certain countries such as UK, Germany and France very risky, and has been attributed as the major cause of the decline of the crop being grown."

Co-author Dr Sam Cook, who leads Rothamsteds Integrated Pest Management research, said reliance on insecticides for crop protection was clearly unsustainable.

He said that a broad range of management options were required for farmers to be able to combat pest in a sustainable and efficient way.

Integrated Pest Management offers a set of tools that can help suppress pest damage and discern when - and what - control methods are required, reducing unnecessary insecticide inputs and minimising environmental damage.
Vegan brand Oatly has had its marketing campaign banned after the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled they were 'misleading'.

Farming groups had accused the Swedish brand of 'seriously misusing statistics' after it claimed the "dairy and meat industries emit more CO2e than all the worlds planes, trains, cars, boats etc combined".

Oatly's TV and social media advertisements also claimed the firm "generates 73% less CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) vs milk, calculated from grower to grocer".

And one advert claimed: Today, more than 25% of the worlds greenhouse gases are generated by the food industry, and meat and dairy account for more than half of that.

The ASA, the UK's advertisement watchdog, said it had received 109 complaints, including from the campaign group A Greener World, in response to the adverts.

Oatly said they commissioned CarbonCloud, independent product life cycle assessment experts, to calculate the emissions of Oatly Barista Edition oat drink and British whole cows milk.

They said these products were chosen for the calculations because they wanted to showcase their Barista Edition product, and whole cows milk was the most comparable dairy product to this because of the fat content, taste profile and suitability for speciality coffee drinks.

But the ASA said that consumers would understand the claim Oatly generates 73% less CO2e vs. milk to mean that all Oatly products generated 73% less CO2e compared to any type of cows milk.

"We therefore expected to see evidence relating to the CO2e produced for all Oatly products and types of cows milk," the ASA explained in its ruling.

"We had only seen evidence for the CO2e generated in the production of Oatly Barista Edition oat drink and whole cows milk."

The watchdog also said the claim that meat and dairy accounts for more than half of the 25% of the greenhouse gases generated by the food industry was 'defined narrowly' and 'misleading'.
Investing in a building project can be exciting, and as A-Plan Rural Insurance outline, construction can be a complicated business and there are risks, from the design phase through to construction and handover.

These include human factors (e.g. design failure, the construction process itself or workmanship), the farm environment and employees from different companies working in close proximity on site.

Losses or damage arising from these risks can run to millions of pounds worth of costs, so comprehensive insurance is critical. The necessary covers include:

 Contract works (works in progress and materials on site)

 Employers liability (claims brought by employees)

 Public liability (claims brought by members of the public)

 Hired in plant (rented tools, machinery and other equipment)

 Professional indemnity (for professional advisers  it covers them for compensation payable for rectifying mistakes)

So, who is responsible for insuring the project?

Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT)

Most commonly, the farmer (or employer) will commission an architect to design the building.

Check candidates have professional indemnity insurance and ask to see copies of the documentation. Share with a lawyer, insurance broker and / or rural insurance company to verify it is fit for purpose.

Once plans for the building are complete, farmers usually select a building company (or main contractor). The main contractor constructs the building, bringing in specialist subcontractors and professionals where necessary.

In the case of a brand-new building, normally it is the main contractors responsibility to insure the project, but do not rely on a verbal agreement - be sure to put the agreement in writing, no matter what the scale of the project is.

Before work commences, hire a lawyer to draft a building contract that stipulates who is responsible for insuring the works.

In the UK, the main building contract is the JCT. There are several types available, depending on the project, but the most used are the Standard Building Contract and Design and Build Contract.

Once agreed, the contract should identify the main contractor as responsible for insuring the project, which will include works undertaken by any subcontractors or professionals they employ.

However, check the main contractor has the appropriate cover in place with the necessary indemnity limits. Often, everything will be contained within a contract works policy.

Again, ask to see the documentation and send it to a lawyer, insurance broker and / or rural insurance provider for review.

Do not begin works until insurance documentation has been approved by these parties and the JCT contract is agreed and signed.

Note: If the building project includes work carried out on an existing structure, which has an existing value, then certain insurance responsibilities may fall solely or jointly (with the main contractor) to the farmer (or employer) named in the JCT.

When a project completes, the contractor will provide a certificate of final completion and the contract works policy will automatically terminate.

At this point, be sure to arrange cover for the new building on a standard property owners policy. It can often be added to your existing farm policy.

Self-build construction projects

Sometimes, farmers may choose to construct the building themselves, hiring in specialist tradespeople and equipment where necessary.

In these circumstances, it is their responsibility to identify, source and purchase the insurance policies they need.

Some farm insurance includes automatic contract works cover up to a certain limit, which covers works in progress and materials on site until completion on an all-risks basis.

However, this is a complex area of insurance, so consult an insurance broker and / or rural insurer as soon as possible to ensure the appropriate cover is in place before works begin and avoid delays. It is not always possible to obtain cover once works are underway.
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Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BEIJING and HONG KONG and TOKYO and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia Alternatives, one of the largest independent Asian private equity fund-of-funds, today announced the final close of US$2 billion in new commitments across Asia Alternatives Capital Partners VI, LP and several fund vehicles (the "Funds"). The Funds are focused on building a diversified Asia private equity portfolio with an emphasis on top-performing local Asian fund managers. Over 85% of committed capital came from pre-existing relationships.

"We are especially grateful for the ongoing support from our limited partners, and pleased to complete the largest raise in our over fifteen-year history," said Melissa Ma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Asia Alternatives. "Our extensive experience investing through market cycles and the lasting relationships we have forged with leading fund managers across Asia provide an unique perspective and the ability to take advantage of the opportunities market volatility has created. Those relationships, along with our track record, have positioned Asia Alternatives as one of the leading private equity investors in Asia."

The largest of the Funds is Asia Alternatives Capital Partners VI, LP which, along with its parallel funds (together "AACP VI"), closed on US$1.1 billion of committed capital, exceeding their combined target of US$1 billion. AACP VI is the successor fund to Asia Alternatives Capital Partners V, LP ("AACP V"), which closed in September 2017. Earlier funds include Asia Alternatives Capital Partners IV, LP ("AACP IV"), which closed in April 2015, Asia Alternatives Capital Partners III, LP ("AACP III"), which closed in July 2012, Asia Alternatives Capital Partners II, LP ("AACP II"), which closed in September 2008, and Asia Alternatives Capital Partners, LP ("AACP I"), which closed in May 2007.

"Our relationships with leading private equity and VC managers across Asia allow us to be exceptionally selective in deploying capital and grants our LPs access to the attractive opportunities in each region," said Rebecca Xu, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives. "We are excited to get to work investing this fund, and maintain a strong commitment to China, where we continue to see both short- and long-term opportunities underpinned by fast-evolving and growing consumer demand, together with impressive development in technological innovation."

"We have remained focused on expanding our relationships and expertise across Asia, utilizing our local presence to gain access to opportunities within different markets and strategies. While China continues to be our largest single country exposure, our partnerships with buyout firms in Japan have also become significant sources of performance in recent years," said Akihiko Yasuda, Managing Director of Asia Alternatives.

Investors in the Funds represent a global pool of private capital sources, such as state and corporate pension funds, foundations, university endowments, insurance companies and family offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Asia. Institutional investors across the Funds include The Boeing Company, Cathay Life Insurance Co., Comprehensive Financial Management, The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited, Florida State Board of Administration, Intermountain Healthcare, Jasper Ridge Partners, Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Board of Investment, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Public Schools Retirement System of St. Louis, San Francisco City and County Employees' Retirement System, and Virginia Retirement System.

Stacy Jennings, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Intermountain Healthcare, and a returning Limited Partner, said, "The past two years have reinforced why there is no substitute for a local presence and why we've invested with Asia Alternatives. In our experience, Asia Alternatives has exceptional investment talent, a strong commitment to the region and a differentiated approach that have delivered positive investment outcomes for Intermountain."

Asia Alternatives is one of the first independently formed Asian private equity fund-of-funds. The firm also received the first Limited Partner QFLP (Qualified Foreign Limited Partner) license in China, which allowed Asia Alternatives to invest in selected, qualified RMB-denominated private equity investments.

Eaton Partners, LLC and Diamond Dragon Advisors Limited acted as placement agents for Asia Alternatives and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel.

About Asia Alternatives Management LLC

Asia Alternatives is a 16-year old solution platform dedicated to helping institutional investors make investments in private equity across Asia. The firm currently manages approximately $16.5 billion of regulatory assets under management.

Asia Alternatives invests with top performing private equity fund managers across Asia primarily in Greater China (Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), Japan, Korea, South East Asia, India and Australia. The firm builds portfolios that are diversified across buyout, growth and expansion, venture capital and special situations funds, as well as direct co-investments and secondaries. Asia Alternatives currently has over 50 professionals across offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.asiaalternatives.com.

This press release does not constitute the offer of advisory services or offer of a security or the solicitation of an investment.

For More Information:

Investor Contact:

Melissa Ma

Asia Alternatives Management LLC

mma@asiaalt.com

Media Contact:

Steve Bruce/Taylor Ingraham

ASC Advisors LLC

Tel: (203) 992-1230

sbruce@ascadvisors.com; tingraham@ascadvisors.com

Media Contact for Asia Ex-Japan:

Richard Barton

Finsbury Glover Hering

Tel: +852 9301 2056

Richard.barton@fgh.com

Media Contact for Japan:

Minako Hattori

Finsbury Japan

Tel: 070-7484-7703

minako.hattori@fgh.com

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1733740/Asia_Alternatives_Logo.jpg
BEIJING, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the five Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The leaders of the six countries held a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary on Tuesday, further setting course for deeper China-Central Asia relations.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired the virtual summit in Beijing, saying China is ready to work with Central Asian countries in building a closer community with a shared future.

Xi has on various occasions called for closer cooperation between China and Central Asia, especially to boost economy and trade, maintain regional peace and security, and promote democracy in international relations.

Code of success

President Xi on Tuesday pointed out that the keys to the successful cooperation between China and the five Central Asian countries are mutual respect, good neighborliness and friendship, solidarity, and mutual benefit.

These principles are valuable experience and shared wealth for the countries, and serve as political guarantees for stable and lasting relations between China and the five countries as well as the source of strength for friendly exchanges in the future, he added.

China and the five Central Asian countries have achieved solid and fruitful results in the past three decades. China's trade with the Central Asian nations has grown by more than 100 times in the period, said the Ministry of Commerce on Monday.

Over the 30-year period, the stocks of China's direct investment in the five countries have exceeded $14 billion, according to data released by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce in January.

The five Central Asian nations all signed on to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) proposed by China. The BRI has supported Central Asian countries in their post-pandemic recovery, the World Bank noted in a report.

China's commitments

The Chinese president on Tuesday also reaffirmed China's commitment to supporting the five Central Asian countries in following a development path that is suited to their own conditions.

No matter how the international situation changes, no matter how far China develops in the future, it will always be a good neighbor, good partner, good friend and good brother for Central Asian countries to trust and rely on, Xi added.

He also said China firmly supports the five countries in safeguarding their national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, pursuing national revitalization and unity and self-reliance, and playing a greater role in the international arena.

Proposals on building brighter future together

Eyeing a brighter future for China-Central Asia ties, Xi on Tuesday also put forward a series of proposals on how the two sides should continue their friendship and cooperation to strive for the common welfare of their peoples.

Xi voiced the necessity to magnify the exemplary role of good-neighborly friendship, urging the two sides to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication and organize a series of dialogue and cooperation mechanisms such as the "China plus Central Asia" foreign ministers' meeting.

"We firmly oppose attempts by external forces to foment color revolutions in Central Asia, firmly oppose interference in other countries' internal affairs under the pretext of human rights, and firmly oppose any force that tries to disrupt the tranquil life of the peoples of our six countries," said Xi.

Xi also pledged to build a cooperation belt for high-quality development with Central Asian countries, vowing to increase China's trade with these countries to $70 billion by 2030.

For defending regional peace, Xi urged continuous efforts to crack down on the "three evil forces" of terrorism, extremism and separatism.

China will provide another 50 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Central Asian countries in 2022 and set up traditional medicine centers in countries with such need, he added.

The Chinese-Uzbek Center for Traditional Medicine opened in the Uzbek capital Tashkent in June 2020, offering traditional Chinese medicine services.

To increase people-to-people exchanges, Xi also vowed to bring the number of sister cities with the five countries to 100 pairs in the next five to 10 years and provide 1,200 government scholarships to the five countries in the next five years.

Xi also announced that China will provide a grant assistance of $500 million to Central Asian countries in support of livelihood programs, echoing his Global Development Initiative, which aims to jointly tackle global risks and challenges and advance the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

With the Beijing Winter Olympics just around the corner, the leaders of the five Central Asian countries also said they eagerly look forward to attending the opening ceremony of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics next week.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-01-25/President-Xi-Jinping-chairs-C-C5-virtual-summit-176VRPYZESk/index.html

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNmvRwwL39I
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 25, 2022) - StraightUp Resources Inc. (CSE: ST) (OTCQB: STUPF) ("StraightUp"or the "Company") announces that, further to its news releases of January 10th and January 24th, 2022, the Company has amended the price of the warrants (the "Warrants") forming part of the units (the "Units") from $0.30 to $0.20 per Warrant. Each Unit in the private placement consists of one common share and one-half of one transferable common share purchase Warrant. Each whole Warrant, as amended, entitles the subscriber to purchase one additional common share of the Company at a price of $0.20 per Warrant share for a period of two years from the closing date. If the common shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange at a price of $0.50 or greater per common share for a period of 10 consecutive trading days, the Company may accelerate the expiry of the warrants by giving notice to the holders thereof, such that the Warrants shall expire on the 31st day after the date of such notice.

All other terms of the private placement announced on January 10, 2022 remain the same.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Mark Brezer President and Director

For further information, please contact:

Mark Brezer

President and Director

mbrezer@straightupresources.com

(604) 989-6275

Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release).

The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

Not for Distribution to United States News Wire Services or for Dissemination in the United States

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111692
VANCOUVER, British Columbia., Jan. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brascan Gold Inc. (CSE: BRAS) ("Brascan" or the "Company") is pleased to announce formal activation of the Alegre Gold Project (the "Project") earn-in option agreement in Para State in northeastern Brazil. Brascan can now begin exploration of the highly prospective Alegre Gold Property.



Location of the Alegre Gold Project:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/876f6161-d3d5-4399-bd31-61b59e154469

Brascan will earn a 100% interest in the Project after spending exploration expenditures of $1,000,000 and making a payment of $400,000, as well as issuing 750,000 common shares to claim 100% ownership of Chapada Brasil Mineracao Ltda. ("CBM"). CBM will retain a 2% net smelter royalty (NSR), 50% of which can be purchased by Brascan for $1 million, on or before a production decision. Brascan will pay a finder's fee as permitted by the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE).

The Project is located on the same gold mineralization trend as Goldmining Inc.'s advanced Cachoeira gold project 15 km. to the north and Oz Minerals' CentroGold Project 30 km. to the south (considered one of Brazil's largest undeveloped gold projects). The Alegre Gold Project is accessible by highway from the city of Belem, which, in turn, is accessible by scheduled air services.

Location of the Alegre Gold Project property

https://www.goldmining.com/projects/brazil/cachoeira/

https://www.ozminerals.com/en/where-we-work/gurupi/centrogold

The Project's significant gold potential is attested to by the occurrence of multiple active or recently active artisanal gold mines (garimpos) of significant size, that are evidently recovering gold from the weathered saprolite zone within structurally controlled shear zones. Brascan believes the saprolite (weathered zone) gold mineralization is likely to extend into the bedrock below, and that will be a focus of the anticipated exploration program. This exploration program is expected to include geophysics (magnetics and electromagnetics), surface sampling and the development of the best cooperative ways to work with the garimpeiros. Brascan expects to develop strong drill targets from this work, especially given the evidence of garimpo gold production.

CBM will provide project management and field services to Brascan, subject to a Technical Committee representing both Parties, and under terms to be agreed upon by both Parties. Brascan is especially pleased to engage CBM's services, given CBM's experience in exploration and mining projects elsewhere in Brazil, and their current operation of an exploration camp and program less than an hour from the Alegre Property.

Gold garimpo of significant scale on the Alegre property.

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fab96205-91e2-422e-b865-dc31bee7f022

Additional Brazilian Gold Targets

Brascan is concurrently conducting detailed due diligence studies on two other gold projects in Brazil. One is in Goias State, about a 3-hour drive from Brasilia, where Brascan has identified "blue-sky" potential for gold along a 1.6 km. mineralized trend. It also may be suitable for bulk sampling under a Brazilian trial mining licence, while the blue-sky potential is being explored. The other Project is located in the heart of Brazil's traditional mining district in Minas Gerais State. In that area, gold mining has occurred since the times of the Portuguese empire, but exploration work suggests high-grade targets remain.

Balbir Johal, Director and CEO, stated "The Alegre Gold Project has exceeded our expectations. The potential to find an industrial grade gold resource is remarkable given the central location of the Alegre Property which is surrounded by gold resources owned by other mining companies." He continued on to state that "Brascan is fully funded to carry out a major exploration program in February." He concluded by remarking that "European investors have shown very positive interest in the Alegre Gold project in Brazil. They see the Brascan Gold Project business case as quite compelling given the country's poor economic conditions which may lead to a bottom plateau. Timing is everything."

Qualified person

Harrison Cookenboo Ph.D., P.Geo. and a QP by the standards of Canadian National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for this news release and has approved the disclosure herein.

About the Company

The Company is a gold exploration issuer based in Vancouver, BC. The Company holds an option over the Vulcan Property, located in the Fort Steele Mining Division in southeastern BC and the Middle Arm Fault and Black Cat properties, located 30 km. and 40 km. south, respectively, of the town of Baie Verte, Newfoundland. Brascan Gold has recently negotiated earn-in options on multiple Brazilian gold properties including the Alegre Gold Project in northeastern Brazil.

For more information, investors should review the Company's filings that are available at www.sedar.com.



Contact Information

Balbir Johal

Director and CEO

Telephone: 604 812 1747

Email: bjohal75@gmail.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that are "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, including statements regarding the terms of the consulting arrangement are "forward-looking information" and in this news release statements respecting: the Company's exploration and due diligence activities in Brazil; the Company's intention to accept the earn-in option with CBM; expectations respecting drill targets and gold mineralization at the Project; potential for bulk sampling at the project being investigated in Goias State; the possibility that high-grade targets may remain at the Minas Gerais State project being investigated, the Company's hope to mobilize its exploration and unlock the Project's full potential. These forward-looking statements reflect the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new.

Not for dissemination in the United States or for distribution to U.S. wires services
TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Chery Group released December sales data: Chery Group's cumulative sales of vehicles in 2021 reached a historic 961,926 units, a year-on-year increase of 31.7%. Among them, the cumulative export reached 269,154 units, exceeding the sales target of 250,000 units, a year-on-year increase of 136.3%, ranking first in the export of Chinese brand passenger vehicles for 19 consecutive years. So far, Chery Group has accumulated more than 10 million auto users worldwide, including 1.95 million overseas users. According to an official source, Chery will forge into Uzbekistan with its new Pro Family.

Chery's Pro Family series have been launched in countries like Russia, Brazil and Chile, registering a strong market performance and high production reputation. In Russia, Tiggo 7 Pro was the most popular Chinese SUV in October; in Chile, Chery held a 15.3% share in the SUV segment in October, ranking first for the 10th consecutive month, and Tiggo 2 was the bestseller; in Brazil, Chery saw a continuing sales boom of models like Tiggo 8 and Tiggo 2 Pro.

Chery's Pro Family series comes with Chery's state-of-art technologies and the distinctive features of PRO. The trendy design of PRO and the shiny, starry front fascia make it identifiable and impactful; the interior features a surrounding high-tech cockpit; it is most brilliant with intelligent configurations of PRO such as UHD console, remote start and 360-degree panorama viewer, which offer consumers intelligent driving experiences beyond expectation; besides, it has tremendous power of PRO: Chery has 6 engines listed among "Ten Best Engines" in China.

Chery has been known as "Technological Chery" since its foundation for insisting on mastering core technologies. It has set up five R&D centers in the world and an R&D team of over 5,000 elites, providing it with advantages in traditional fuel technology, new energy, intelligence manufacturing and other fields. Chery has established its leadership with four vehicle assembly platforms, five general subsystems and seven core technologies. Up to now, Chery has exported its vehicles to more than 80 countries and regions, and has set up 10 overseas factories, more than 1,500 overseas dealers and service outlets, with nearly 9.9 million users worldwide, ranking first in the number of passenger cars exported from China for 18 consecutive years. Chery will forge into Uzbekistan with its new Pro Family, to bring local consumers new Pro driving experiences.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1733484/1.jpg
Bullish, a technology company developing products for the digital assets sector, announced today that since the initial launch of its flagship product, the Bullish exchange, total trading volumes on the platform have now exceeded US$5 billion and total 24-hour trading volume exceeded US$300 million on Jan. 25.

The trading platform, which launched in November 2021, leverages innovations in decentralized finance (DeFi) with regulatory compliance frameworks, giving institutional and retail traders access to deep liquidity and low-cost transactions.

Key 24-hour trading volume milestones on Bullish exchange since launch in November include:

Nov. 30, 2021: US$5 million+

Dec. 1, 2021: US$10 million+

Dec. 7, 2021: US$50 million+

Dec. 9, 2021: US$100 million+

Dec. 14, 2021: US$150 million+

Jan. 24, 2022: US$200 million+

Jan. 25, 2022: US$300 million+

An evolution from the traditional exchange, Bullish's proprietary Hybrid Order Book pairs the high-performance of a traditional Central Limit Order Book (CLOB) with Automated Market Making (AMM) a protocol that uses a mathematical algorithm to facilitate prices in a transparent, market-neutral, and deterministic manner. Bullish Liquidity Pools offer clients the ability to manage balanced portfolios while earning passive yields at scale across highly variable market conditions.

The Bullish exchange leverages a private blockchain in order to integrate the strategic advantages of blockchain's inherent capabilities into the platform design, and achieve a new degree of security, transparency, and resiliency. Combined with WebAuthn standards, which eliminate many security vulnerabilities inherent with passwords by using public key cryptography, users will experience a password-free authentication environment, creating a more secure onboarding process and ongoing account access.

Bullish previously announced its intention to go public on the NYSE through a business combination with Far Peak Acquisition Corp (NYSE: FPAC), a special purpose acquisition company. The Bullish exchange is operated by Bullish (GI) Limited and regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission.

About Bullish

Focused on developing products and services for the digital assets sector, Bullish has rewired the traditional exchange to benefit asset holders, enable traders and increase market integrity. Supported by the group's treasury, Bullish's new breed of exchange combines deep liquidity, automated market making and industry-leading security to increase the accessibility of digital assets for traders. Bullish exchange is operated by Bullish (GI) Limited and is regulated by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC) (DLT license: FSC1038FSA). For more information, please visit bullish.com and follow Twitter and LinkedIn.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication includes, and oral statements made from time to time by representatives of FPAC and Bullish Global may be considered, "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to future events or FPAC's or Bullish's future financial or operating performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "should," "expect," "intend," "will," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe," "predict," "potential" or "continue," or the negatives of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. In addition, these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Bullish Global's business strategy, cash resources, current and prospective product or services, as well as the potential market opportunity. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by FPAC and its management, and Bullish Global and its management, as the case may be, are inherently uncertain. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: (1) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the definitive agreements respecting the Business Combination; (2) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against FPAC, Bullish or Bullish Global or others following the announcement of the Business Combination; (3) the inability to complete the Business Combination due to the failure to obtain approval of the shareholders of FPAC or to satisfy other conditions to closing; (4) changes to the proposed structure of the Business Combination that may be required or appropriate as a result of applicable laws or regulations; (5) the ability of Bullish to meet applicable listing standards following the consummation of the Business Combination; (6) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Bullish Global as a result of the announcement and consummation of the Business Combination; (7) the ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (8) costs related to the Business Combination; (9) changes in applicable laws or regulations; (10) the possibility that Bullish may be adversely affected by other economic, business and/or competitive factors; (11) the impact of COVID-19 on Bullish Global's business and/or the ability of the parties to complete the Business Combination; and (12) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Bullish Investor Presentation dated July 2021, in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus included in the registration statement on Form F-4 (the "Registration Statement") filed by Bullish with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in FPAC's IPO Prospectus dated December 2, 2020 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 3, 2020, in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in FPAC's most-recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any further risks and uncertainties to be contained in any other material filed with the SEC by Bullish or FPAC. In addition, there may be additional risks that neither Far Peak or Bullish Global presently know, or that Far Peak or Bullish Global currently believe are immaterial, that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Nothing in this communication should be regarded as a representation by any person that the forward-looking statements set forth herein will be achieved or that any of the contemplated results of such forward-looking statements will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Neither FPAC, Bullish nor Bullish Global undertakes any duty to update these forward-looking statements.

Important Information and Where to Find It

This document does not contain all the information that should be considered concerning the proposed Business Combination. It does not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or the solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange, any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. It is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the proposed Business Combination. In connection with the proposed Business Combination, Bullish has filed the Registration Statement with the SEC which includes a preliminary proxy statement prospectus with respect to the Business Combination. The definitive proxy statement prospectus and other relevant documentation will be mailed to FPAC shareholders as of a record date to be established for purposes of voting on the Business Combination. FPAC shareholders and other interested persons are advised to read the preliminary proxy statement prospectus and any amendments thereto, when available, and the definitive proxy statement prospectus because these materials contain and will contain important information about Bullish, FPAC and the proposed transactions. Shareholders may obtain a copy of the preliminary proxy statement prospectus and, when available, the definitive proxy statement prospectus without charge, at the SEC's website at http://sec.gov or by directing a request to: Far Peak Acquisition Corp., 511 6th Ave #7342, New York, NY 10011. INVESTMENT IN ANY SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN HAS NOT BEEN APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED BY THE SEC OR ANY OTHER REGULATORY AUTHORITY NOR HAS ANY AUTHORITY PASSED UPON OR ENDORSED THE MERITS OF THE OFFERING OR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

Participants in the Solicitation

FPAC, Bullish, Bullish Global and their respective directors and executive officers, other members of management and employees may be considered participants in the solicitation of proxies with respect to the potential transaction described in this communication under the rules of the SEC. Information regarding persons who may, under the rules of the SEC, be deemed participants in the solicitation of the shareholders in connection with the potential transaction and a description of their interests is set forth in the preliminary proxy statement/prospectus included in the Registration Statement. These documents can be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is for informational purpose only and not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the potential transaction and shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities of Bullish or FPAC, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of section 10 of the Securities Act.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220125006273/en/

Contacts:

Christina Pantin

christina.pantin@bullish.com

media@bullish.com

investors@bullish.com

contact@farpeak.com
Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - January 25, 2022) - Sprout AI Inc. (CSE: BYFM) (OTCQB: BYFMF) ("Sprout AI" or the "Company") Sprout AI wishes to announce the resignation of its CFO, John Olsen. The Company would like to take this opportunity to announce it has appointed Albert Bangcaya as its Interim Chief Financial Officer ("CFO"). Mr. Bangcaya boasts an impressive resume with over 30 years of experience in both the private and public financial spaces. Having worked with various publicly traded companies where he focused on auditing, taxation, forecasting, and planning Mr. Bangcaya will be an asset during this transitional time. He will assume the responsibilities of the CFO and will aid with the continued preparation and completion of our audit while the Company continues its pursuit of a new Chief Financial Officer.

Chris Bolton notes, "We would like to welcome Albert to the Sprout AI team and look forward to his contribution to our Company. As we continue to seek a permanent CFO, this presents an opportunity to pursue a candidate who has international public listing experience and can provide skilled guidance as we continue taking steps towards rebuilding our shareholder's confidence. As our investors know, we have had only positive news, yet we have not seen the stock price respond accordingly. The Company has shown resilience and believes with the right CFO in place to assist with its next phase of growth, the market will begin to note."

For non-material updates and to learn more about Sprout AI and the vertical farming industry, please follow Sprout AI on:

https://twitter.com/SproutAIS

https://www.linkedin.com/company/sproutaisolutions

https://www.facebook.com/SproutAIS/

https://www.instagram.com/sproutais/

About Sprout AI

Sprout AI is a technology company in the business of planning, designing, manufacturing and/or assembling scalable AI-controlled vertical cultivation equipment for international urban farming. The adaptive technology produces an environment with improved growing parameters and early detection of adverse conditions resulting in consistent and repeatable crops, with shorter cultivation cycles, independent of geographic climates. The self-contained multi-level rolling rack technology increases the cubic cultivation area while mitigating the risk of outside and cross-contaminants.

For more information about Sprout AI, please visit http://sproutai.solutions

Chris Bolton

Chief Executive Officer

Sprout AI Inc.

Phone: +011 (507) 6384-8734

E-mail: mainweb@sproutai.solutions

Investor Relations Contact

Colleen McKay

Tel: (289) 231-9026

E-mail: cmkay@sproutai.solutions

Website: http://sproutai.solutions

Address: International Business Park, Unit 5B, Building 3860

Panama Pacifico, Republic of Panama

THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSE'S REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, with respect to the Company. The forward-looking information included in this news release is not based on historical facts, but rather on the expectations of the Company's management regarding the future growth of the Company, its results of operations, performance, business prospects, and opportunities. This news release uses words such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions to identify forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information reflects the current beliefs of the Company's management, based on information currently available to them.

This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements relating to: the intentions, plans and future actions of the Company; statements relating to the business and future activities of the Company and anticipated developments in operations of the Company. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate and are subject to risks and uncertainties.

Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including: global or national health concerns, including the outbreak of pandemic or contagious diseases, such as COVID-19 and including the evolution of new variants of COVID-19, the duration and effect thereof and delays relating to vaccine development, procurement and distribution; risks relating to the effective management of the Company's growth; liabilities and risks, including environmental liabilities and risks associated with the Company's operations; the Company's ability to attract and retain customers; the competitive nature of the industries in which the Company operates; and the other risk factors described in the Company's final long form prospectus dated May 31, 2021.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Information contained in forward-looking statements in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or results, except to the extent required by applicable Canadian securities laws. Accordingly, potential investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, or the information contained in those statements.

All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111651
Holborn Strengthens its Global Management Team as it Eyes Further Expansion in Africa

DUBAI, UAE, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Holborn Assets, one of the leading international financial advice firms, has today announced the appointment of Lourens Reichert as Managing Partner - Africa.

Commenting on his new position, Lourens Reichert, noted: "My vision is to build a dynamic IFA team by providing them with guidance, training and support in order to dominate the financial services industry in Africa. We already have a really strong multi-award-winning team and we are planning to add more talented fully qualified advisers to achieve our goals."

Holborn's African division currently has offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Cape Winelands and Mauritius with over 80 advisers and support staff.

Under the new leadership, Holborn has ambitious plans to capitalise and continue its expansion in the region with further offices opening over the next 12 months.

Holborn's COO Simon Parker said: "Lourens is the latest addition to Holborn's Managing Partners team. His dedication and expertise are second to none. This appointment not only recognises his success so far, but will ensure Holborn's plans for building a Pan-African business are carried out."

Bob Parker, Holborn's CEO, said: "Lourens is the right man to be heading Holborn's African division and I am sure he will thrive in his new role. We have built up a formidable reputation in Africa and have a loyal client base who recognise the value of holistic financial advice to grow their wealth. With Lourens' leadership, we will be able to provide a wider range of services to current and future clients."

Lourens Reichert has been with Holborn since 2018 and is a popular and well-regarded figure in the industry, focusing on high-net-worth clients. He is a regular contributor in the media and at industry events.

About Holborn Assets

Established in 1999, Holborn is a multi-award-winning, international financial services company, specialising in independent financial advice to the expatriate market. A British family-owned and operated business, the firm has over 450 employees, including 230 financial advisers, and 13 offices worldwide.

Holborn Assets' team of fully qualified advisers specialise in delivering clients quality, independent financial services. Areas of operation include: Independent Financial Services, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Shariah Wealth, Insurance, Mortgages, Offshore Services, Tax Planning, Will Writing, Pension Transfers.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1733758/Lourens_Reichert.jpg
Former Morgan Stanley investment banker joins as the new Chairman

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Samuel Yang , CFA, a former Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch investment banker, led a group of international investors that has acquired TutorABC. TutorABC announces plans to expand in Taiwan and to other international markets. TutorABC will continue to focus on its TutorMing, TutorABC, and tutorJr brands. TutorABC plans to launch TutorMeetCloud, an advanced new learning management platform for companies and schools to securely deliver all their training programs and classes online.

TAIPEI, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TutorABC, the world's leading online educational and language learning platform, officially announces today that it has been acquired by an international group of American and British investors with extensive experience in the education, international e-commerce, and finance industries.

New Ownership and Chairman of TutorABC

The investor group is led by Samuel Yang, CFA, a former Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch investment banker, who will serve as the Company's new Chairman. Previously he managed over USD 3 billion and specialized in venture capital, pre-IPO, and IPO investments. He also has a strong background in education. He has represented Kaplan in Taiwan for over 20 years, is a CFA instructor (for CFA Levels 1, 2, and 3), is the primary trainer for Credit Suisse's internal private banking training programs in Asia, and through his family's non-profit organizations (The Yang Foundation and Kingdom Education Foundation), provides a comprehensive range of educational programs to over 160 schools in over 30 countries around the world.

Expanding in Taiwan and to other International Markets

The new investor group aims to transform TutorABC into a global organization that will fully dominate both its home market in Taiwan and other international markets.

The Company will expand its TutorMing Chinese learning courses targeting the USA, UK, Canadian, and Australian markets.

The Company will also expand both its English (TutorABC and tutorJr) and Chinese (TutorMing) language courses throughout Asia. It will specifically target Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

The Company also sees exciting new opportunities to further develop the European, Indian, and the Middle Eastern markets.

"We are tremendously impressed with the strength of the Company's brands, its patented AI / big data technologies, and the vast experience and professionalism of the management team. We will continue to strengthen TutorABC's position as the leading standard in the global education technology industry," says Chairman Yang.

Launching TutorMeet+ (a new B2B Online Education Platform for Companies and Schools)

TutorABC plans to launch TutorMeetCloud in Taiwan, an advanced new learning management platform for companies and schools to securely deliver all their training programs and classes online. The TutorMeetCloud platform has already been used internally for its online programs for over 10 years, with more than 50 million classes held. In addition, it has recently been tested with several elementary and high schools online, reaching over 40,000 students.

Company Background and Expansion Plans

TutorABC is the world's leading online educational and language learning platforms.





Since 2004, TutorABC has been providing highly personalized online educational programs through its award-winning brands, which includes TutorABC, tutorJr, TutorMing, PopCoding, GoGoldTalk, and TutorMeetCloud.





Over 16 million students have successfully attended TutorABC's live and interactive courses, including English, Chinese, Math, and Computer Coding classes.





The Company plans to aggressively double its size in 2022 by launching new products, expanding its B2B training business with schools and companies, and by launching into other international markets.





TutorABC is well-positioned to take advantage of the exciting new growth opportunities in the online education and language-learning markets.





Distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is helping to drive staggering growth in online learning. According to market research firms Global Market Insights and HolonIQ:

the e-learning market (that includes academic, corporate, and government use of e-learning) is currently valued at USD 250 billion . It is expected to surge at a compound annual growth rate of 21 percent through 2027, to hit USD 1 trillion .



the global Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) language learning market is expected to grow from USD 50 billion to USD 115 billion in 2025, with online learning growing by 3x during the same period.





TutorABC provides its students with lessons that are engaging, outcome-driven, and focused on delivering a premium quality learning experience. Previously the Company invested over USD 300 million to develop its core technology platform and teaching materials, which includes partnerships with other global brands, such as Oxford University Press and Disney English.





to develop its core technology platform and teaching materials, which includes partnerships with other global brands, such as Press and Disney English. The Company's core technology is protected by 10 patents (that fully utilize AI and big data analytics) and caters to each student's background, experience, and educational goals. The Company's patented Dynamic Course Generating System (DCGS) systematically analyzes and matches the student's unique needs with (a) the most relevant course materials and lesson plans, (b) the most suitable teachers, and (c) the best-matched classmates.





Built into the Company's technology platform is a rigorous feedback mechanism that allows it to constantly improve its educational programs based on feedback from its students, teachers, and customer protection representatives. This continuous feedback helps to guarantee the best results and highest efficacy rates for all students and teachers.





Over the past 10 years, the Company has received outstanding reviews from its students, with an average rating of 9.8 out of 10 for its TutorABC and tutorJr English language programs, and 9.9 out of 10 for its Chinese TutorMing classes.





The Company's CEO, Jackie Huang, says, "This is an exciting new beginning for TutorABC! Our new investors will provide us with the capital, experience, and connections that we need to further dominate the Taiwan market and to go global."





After the acquisition, the Company plans to expand its product offerings to include K-12 afterschool study programs, specialized preparation for exams, study abroad advisory services, and professional training courses.





"Our goal is to be a long-term partner with our students as they keep returning to us for all their educational needs throughout their lives," added Huang.





"The Company is redesigning education using technology. Over the next few months, we look forward to making further announcements with the launching of new products and new global partnerships," noted the new Chairman, Samuel Yang.

TutorABC - the world's leading online educational and language learning platform.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1733497/Former_Morgan_Stanley_investment_banker_Samuel_Yang_CFA_invests.jpg
DJ Lonza Delivers Strong 2021 performance with 20% CER Sales Growth

Lonza Group AG / Key word(s): Annual Results Lonza Delivers Strong 2021 performance with 20% CER Sales Growth 26-Jan-2022 / 07:00 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

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Ad Hoc Release Pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules . Lonza delivers CHF 5.4 billion sales and 20% CER^1 sales growth . CHF 1.7 billion CORE EBITDA resulted in a margin of 30.8% . 2021 CAPEX reached 24% of sales, supporting long-term plan to deliver attractive margins throughde-risked growth investments . Continuing focus on operational excellence and execution of growth projects . Outlook 2022: low to mid-teens CER sales growth and CORE EBITDA margin improvement in line with 2024Mid-Term Guidance . Mid-Term Guidance 2024 reconfirmed

Basel, Switzerland, 26 January 2022 - Lonza has reported sales of CHF 5.4 billion, growing 20% AER (20% CER) and CHF 1.7 billion CORE EBITDA, resulting in a margin of 30.8%. This strong momentum at Group level was driven by sales growth ahead of market across all divisions. The margin improvement was achieved through productivity improvements which were partially offset by the dilutive effect of ramping up growth projects and a negative mix. Reported EBITDA was impacted by the provision of CHF 285 million for the environmental remediation of the old Gamsenried landfill, with no impact on CORE EBITDA and cash flow.

Through 2021, Lonza continued to execute its ongoing organic growth projects, as well as confirming new investments. For the Full Year, the total CAPEX reached CHF 1.3 billion or 24% of sales, and it is expected to increase to around 30% in 2022. These investments are focused on delivering the company's long-term investment strategy to capture growth opportunities at attractive margins while minimizing risk. This level of investment was supported by free cash flow, alongside the proceeds from the divestment of Lonza's former Specialty Ingredients business. The company's internal growth investments were accompanied by a selective approach to bolt-on acquisitions. Lonza's new exosomes sites in Lexington (US) and Siena (IT) have expanded its offering in this important emerging area, reflecting its focus on differentiating through innovation.

As well as investing for the future, Lonza also continued to successfully navigate global supply disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic with manageable impact for its customers and growth projects. Although disruptions look set to continue into 2022, no material impact is anticipated as long as the conditions remain comparable with the previous two years.

Through the year, the business has continued to strengthen its balanced portfolio of customer collaborations with approximately 170 new CDMO customers^2 signed in 2021, alongside more than 400 new clinical and commercial programs.

Looking to the year ahead, Lonza's Outlook for Full-Year 2022 remains strong, with low to mid-teens CER sales growth anticipated. Business momentum across divisions and ramp-up of growth projects will drive expansion at above-market levels. A continuing focus on operational excellence is expected to deliver an improved CORE EBITDA margin in line with the 2024 Mid-Term Guidance trajectory. Lonza also reconfirms its 2024 Mid-Term Guidance.

Pierre-Alain Ruffieux, CEO, Lonza commented: 'In 2021, we remained resilient to the challenges of the pandemic. We achieved a strong business performance across our four divisions, thanks to the commitment of our dedicated employee community. We continue to meet our customers' most pressing needs by accelerating growth in areas of sustained high margin and market demand.

Looking to 2022, we will continue to maintain momentum in our organic investments to expand our global capacities and service offering while focusing on operational excellence. We are also continuing to drive forward our sustainability agenda. All of this will allow us to deliver sustained growth across our divisions. In this context, we are confident the building blocks are in place to deliver on our 2022 Outlook and our 2024 Mid-Term Guidance.'

Divisional Overview . Biologics benefited from continued strong customer demand. The division was able to meet these highdemand levels by bringing online and approving new significant expansions across modalities. Compared to Full-Year2020, the business achieved 24.7%^3 sales growth, with a lower CORE EBITDA margin of 36.3%, reflecting acombination of project mix, one-time effects and the impact of growth projects. . Small Molecules saw a significant number of new programs signed and the successful ramp-up of largeassets in 2021. The division delivered 11.6%^3 sales growth versus Full-Year 2020, alongside a slight marginimprovement to 28.0%. . Cell & Gene performance was driven by strong customer demand and improved synergies between theBioscience business unit and Lonza's CDMO services. As anticipated, the Cell & Gene Technologies business achieveda positive margin in Q4. The wider division saw 26.6%^3 sales growth and a margin improvement to 17.6%, compared toFull-Year 2020. . Capsules & Health Ingredients saw solid demand across portfolios and regions. Compared to Full-Year 2020,the division delivered 5.6%^3 sales growth, with attractive and improved margins of 34.4%.

All financial information for financial year 2021 is unaudited. The audit report on the 2021 consolidated financial statements of Lonza Group will be issued in March 2022 together with the publication of Lonza's 2021 Annual Report. For more detail on performance and financials, please refer to the Full-Year 2021 Presentation, Full-Year 2021 Report and Alternative Performance Measures (APM) 2021 Report.

Dividend Announced Lonza's Board of Directors is proposing an unchanged dividend for shareholders of CHF 3.00 per share for 2021. The proposal represents a pay-out of 7.5%^8 of 2021 reported net profit of Lonza Group. Subject to approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 May 2022, 50% of the dividend of CHF 3.00 per share will be paid out of the capital contribution reserve and will therefore be free from Swiss withholding tax.

Changes in Board of Directors Two changes in Lonza's Board of Directors were announced. Dorothee Deuring and Werner J. Bauer have decided not to stand for re-election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 May 2022. Werner J. Bauer has been a member of the Board since 2013 and most recently held the role of chair of the Innovation and Technology Committee. Dorothee Deuring has been a member of the Board since 2020 and chaired the Audit and Compliance Committee. The Board would like to thank them both for their contributions during their years of service to Lonza.

The Board of Directors is proposing to Lonza's AGM the election of two new Board members, Dr Marion Helmes and Prof Roger M. Nitsch.

Dr Marion Helmes is an experienced CFO and Board member with international exposure. She brings experience from multiple industries including retail, energy and heavy manufacturing. She has served on the Boards of Siemens Healthineers, Heineken, ProSiebenSat.1 Media, British American Tobacco, and others.

Prof Roger M. Nitsch is the CEO and President of Neurimmune and Chairman of Neurimmune Holding AG. He holds an MD from the University of Heidelberg and earned his post-doctoral qualification at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. Roger is Ordinary Professor at the University of Zurich where he holds a part-time position as a lecturer in Bio-Entrepreneurship.

The Board is further proposing to the AGM the re-election of all other Board members.

[1] Constant exchange rate

[2] Based on distinct companies

[3] All sales growth figures, expressed in percentage (%), are at a constant exchange rate (CER)

[4] All financial information referring to continuing operations are exclusive of the Specialty Ingredients business, that was sold on 1 July 2021 and therefore reported as discontinued operations

[5] Actual exchange rate (AER); in constant exchange rate (CER): +20.0%

[6] Includes Gamsenried environmental remediation expense of CHF285 million

[7] CORE results for the Full-year 2020 were restated to reflect the changes from the revised Alternative Performance Measures policy that was introduced on 1 January 2021

[8] Pay-out ratio of 7.5% based on the profit for the period of Lonza Group consolidated (incl. discontinued operations). The pay-out ratio based on the profit for the period of continuing operations would amount to 32.9%

About Lonza Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. Our unparalleled breadth of offerings enables our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare industry.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today, Lonza operates across five continents. With approximately 16,000 full-time employees, we comprise high-performing teams and individual talent who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 5.4 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.7 billion in Full-Year 2021. Find out more at www.lonza.com

Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn Follow @LonzaGroup on Twitter

Lonza Contact Details

Victoria Morgan Head of External Communications Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 2283 victoria.morgan@lonza.com

Dirk Oehlers Investor Relations Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 8540 dirk.oehlers@lonza.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of ad hoc announcement

(MORE TO FOLLOW) Dow Jones Newswires

January 26, 2022 01:01 ET (06:01 GMT)
By providing a high degree of flexibility, configurability and automation, the new end-to-end solution will enable the European insurer to easily evolve its product offering, drive operational efficiency and streamline customer experience, while keeping up with regulatory compliance.

CYPRUS, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Equisoft, a global technology company with over 25 years of experience in the insurance and wealth management industries, proudly announced today the successful implementation of its modern, end-to-end policy administration platform for European life insurer, Hellenic Life.

Hellenic Life is the life insurance arm of Hellenic Bank Group, one of the largest banking and financial institutions in Cyprus with over 20 years of experience in the market. The company proposes a comprehensive product offering across a wide range of business lines.

The first phase of the project, in which Equisoft was also responsible for the Data Migration of over 80,000 policies from multiple source systems, was successfully achieved in collaboration with Oracle, as well as Newcytech, a leading IT systems integrator in Cyprus, and Inplenion.

The new platform features Equisoft's advanced front-end tools for quotes and illustrations (Equisoft/illustrate), electronic application (Equisoft/apply) and self-service portal. Our core administration capability is enabled by the Oracle Insurance Policy Administration (OIPA) system, along with an enterprise document generation solution, Oracle Documaker. The solution delivery also includes a new accounting system, Netsuite. All of these facilities were deployed in the Oracle Cloud. Collectively these capabilities have created a seamless and scalable solution to support the entire policy lifecycle, from client on-boarding, to new business, policy services, claims, reinsurance, reporting, commission, as well as financial reporting.

"We are very proud of our transition to the digital era. It's our strategic vision for delivering product innovation and customer satisfaction which served as the catalyst for this digital transformation initiative." said Hellenic Life's General Manager, Mr. Andreas Papadatos. "Looking ahead, we did not want our existing systems to limit our efforts to meet customer evolving expectations and lifestyle needs. We wanted to be agile and improve our overall flexibility and functions. That is why we opted for a modern and scalable solution that would provide us full control of our product lifecycle and help us streamline our operations and customer journey."

"Customer experience has become a key driver for digital transformation across the insurance industry," said Simon Richardson, Vice President, EMEA & APAC, Equisoft. 'This is what motivates insurers to improve their productivity, accelerate new product launches and offer a more flexible and modern experience. Following the arrival of Equisoft in the United Kingdom in 2021, with the acquisition of pension and investment powerhouse Altus, this new partnership with Hellenic Life strengthens Equisoft's resolute focus and commitment to the European financial industry. That is why we are extremely proud of the platform that we're delivering for Hellenic Life and honored to be partnering with them on this exciting initiative."

About Hellenic Life

Hellenic Life is the life insurance company of Hellenic Bank Group. It was established back in 2001, as a result of the strategic partnership between Hellenic Bank and ALICO (AIG) - today MetLife. Their participation in the share capital of the company was 72.5% and 27.5% respectively. This partnership constituted the first bancassurance initiative in Cyprus.

In the last quarter of 2019, Hellenic Bank purchased Metlife's share holding (27.5%) in the company and the company was renamed from Hellenic Alico Life to Hellenic Life. Hellenic Life is now 100% subsidiary of Hellenic Bank. Hellenic Life is licensed to transact business under the Life, Accident and Health classes of insurance. The Company currently offers and promotes its products through the branch network of Hellenic Bank.

Its vision is to create a long-lasting relationship of trust with its clients and be recognised as the Company that can inspire confidence and serenity through its financial strength, credibility, professionalism and excellent service. The Company's strategy focuses on recognizing and exploiting development opportunities to provide comprehensive solutions to the insurance needs of its clients.

About Equisoft

Founded in 1994, Equisoft is a global provider of advanced insurance and investment digital solutions. Recognized as a valued partner by over 220 of the world's leading financial institutions in 16 countries, Equisoft offers a complete ecosystem of solutions, from innovative front-end applications to extensive back-office services and unique data migration expertise. The firm's flagship products include a SaaS policy administration solution, CRM, financial needs analysis, financial planning, asset allocation, fund and portfolio analysis, quotes and illustrations, electronic application, agency management systems, as well as customer, agent and broker portals. Equisoft is also Oracle's largest and most experienced partner for the OIPA platform. With its business-driven approach, deep industry knowledge, innovative technology, and expert teams based in Canada, USA, UK, Chile, Colombia, South Africa, India and Australia, Equisoft helps its clients tackle any challenge in this era of digital disruption. For more information about our products and services, please visit www.equisoft.com .

Jean-Francois Parent, Manager, Communications and Public Relations, Equisoft, T +1 888.989.3141, ext. 70141 jean-francois.parent@equisoft.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1733883/Equisoft_Equisoft_Announces_Successful_Implementation_of_its_Ful.jpg
Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

Raiffeisen Bank International AG

 500,000,000 6yr Mortgage Covered Bond due 2028

Commerzbank AG (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: +49 69 136-20) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Raiffeisen Bank International AG Guarantor (if any): none Aggregate nominal amount:  500,000,000 due 26 January 2028 Description: Bearer, soft bullet fixed-rate mortgage Covered Bond Offer price: 99.50 % Other offer terms: launched under RBI's  25bn DIP, denoms 100k/100k, listing Luxembourg, issue rating Aa1 (Moody's) Stabilisation: Stabilisation Coordinator:

Stabilising Managers: Commerzbank

Barclays Bank

BNP Paribas

ING

Mediobanca

Raiffeisen Bank International Stabilisation period expected to have started on: 19th January 2020 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg

In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilising Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities during the stabilisation period at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, stabilisation may not necessarily occur and and any stabilisation action, if begun, may cease at any time Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.
Adds Deeply Experienced Team with Extensive Relationships that Leverages Ares' Established Investment Platform

Closes First 113 Million Investment in Belgium

Ares Management Corporation ("Ares") (NYSE: ARES) announced today that Philip Moore, Alessandro Luca and Anisa Dudhia have joined Ares to expand its real estate debt presence in Europe. These additions reflect a natural evolution of the Ares Real Estate Group's 25-year track record in European real estate equity investing and its 10-year track record in U.S. real estate debt. The team expects to continue adding additional professionals in the near-term.

The team focuses on originating and managing commercial real estate ("CRE") loans through its extensive regional networks of owner-operators, sponsors and intermediaries. The team targets loan originations for institutional quality Western European real estate properties, including residential, industrial, office, hospitality, mixed-use and retail. Working collaboratively across the firm, the team leverages Ares' European real estate equity, European corporate direct lending and U.S. real estate debt platforms to access proprietary relationships, market intelligence and transaction opportunities. The team provides a range of creative and flexible financing solutions across the capital structure of its borrowers to seek to drive attractive risk-adjusted returns for investors. The team has already completed its first loan, providing 113 million in acquisition financing for a landmark office complex in Belgium through a fund managed by the Ares Real Estate Group.

Mr. Moore joins Ares as a Partner and Head of the team. Prior to joining Ares, Mr. Moore was a Managing Director in The Carlyle Group's flagship Credit Opportunities Fund where he headed up the Real Estate investment activities for that strategy across Europe and North America. Mr. Luca joins as a Principal having previously been part of Goldman Sachs' Real Estate Finance team since 2012. Ms. Dudhia joins as a Vice President and Counsel in the Ares Legal Team from Clifford Chance LLP, where she focused on real estate finance.

"We are pleased to welcome Phil, Alessandro and Anisa, whose extensive experience originating and structuring CRE financing transactions in Europe provides a strong foundation for our continued expansion of the Real Estate Group," said Bill Benjamin, Partner and Head of the Ares Real Estate Group. "As we continue to grow this team, we believe our greater focus on European real estate debt complements our existing Ares Real Estate team and platform and further differentiates us in the marketplace as a comprehensive solutions provider."

"Given the strength of Ares' European real estate and credit businesses, the team and I are pleased to join a leading global platform at this pivotal time for our industry and the evolving market landscape," said Mr. Moore. "Bolstered by Ares' scale and collaborative approach and demonstrated by our first loan, we believe we are well-positioned to directly source loans and provide innovative financing solutions in the U.K. and Western Europe. Our pipeline of pending and future transactions continues to build as we seek to capitalize on the Ares platform and the robust market opportunity."

About Ares Management Corporation

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is a leading global alternative investment manager offering clients complementary primary and secondary investment solutions across the credit, private equity, real estate and infrastructure asset classes. We seek to provide flexible capital to support businesses and create value for our stakeholders and within our communities. By collaborating across our investment groups, we aim to generate consistent and attractive investment returns throughout market cycles. As of September 30, 2021, Ares Management Corporation's global platform had approximately $282 billion of assets under management, with approximately 2,000 employees operating across North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.aresmgmt.com. Follow Ares on Twitter @Ares_Management.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220125006100/en/

Contacts:

Media

Brittany Cash, +1 212-301-0347

or

Jacob Silber, +1 212-301-0376

media.europe@aresmgmt.com
"We stand ready to deliver the security of supply needed by the industry", says Jay Son, CEO of Innoscience

Innoscience Technology, the company founded to create a global energy ecosystem based on high performance, low-cost Gallium-Nitride-on-Silicon (GaN-on-Si) power solutions, today announced the official launch of its international operations in the USA and Europe. Headquartered in Suzhou, China, Innoscience is now poised to support customers through the addition of design and sales support facilities in Santa Clara, California, and Leuven, Belgium.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005494/en/

8-inch wafer GaN-on-Si FET (Graphic: Business Wire)

Founded in December 2015, Innoscience is already the largest Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) that is fully focused on GaN technology. The company has two wafer fabs including the world's largest dedicated 8-inch GaN-on-Si site, featuring the latest, advanced, high-throughput manufacturing equipment. Currently the company has a capacity of 10,000 8-inch wafers per month which will ramp up to 14,000 8-inch wafers per month later this year and 70,000 8-inch wafers per month by 2025. The company has a wide portfolio of devices from 30V to 650V and has shipped more than 35 million parts for use in applications including USB PD chargers/adapters, data centers, mobile phones and LED drivers.

Innoscience produces high-performance, normally-off e-mode GaN FETs. By introducing a stress enhancement layer, the company has significantly reduced RDS(on) without affecting other parameters including threshold voltage and leakage. Both epitaxy as well as device processing have been optimized to obtain high reproducibility and yield. Parts have passed quality and reliability tests in excess of JEDEC standards.

Comments Dr. Denis Marcon, General Manager, Innoscience Europe: "The time is right for GaN, and Innoscience is ready to supply the world. We will surpass anyone on price for an equivalent device and our huge manufacturing capacity means that our customers are assured of security of supply, which is often uppermost in people's minds given the shortage of chips at the moment. We look forward to working with any company in order to proliferate GaN throughout the global electronics industry."

Yi Sun, General Manager, Innoscience USA, explained: "This is an exciting time for our customers, who can benefit from Innoscience's applications understanding and demo boards to develop their unique solutions. This will allow us to better support our customers in the USA, and in particular, the Bay area".

It is expected both Innoscience offices will expand rapidly in the coming months and years, in order to strategically support Europe's and the USA's burgeoning market of GaN-on-Si power solutions.

Ends

About Innoscience

Innoscience is an Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) founded in December 2015 with main investment from CMBI, ARM, SK and CATL. With the development of new technologies, the electric power grid and power electronic systems across the world are undergoing a massive transformation. Our vision is to create an energy ecosystem with the most effective and low-cost Gallium-Nitride-on-Silicon (GaN-on-Si) power solutions. In November, 2017, Innoscience first established a mass production 8-inch wafer line for GaN-on-Si devices in Zhuhai. In order to fulfill the rapidly growing power demands, Innoscience has inaugurated a new facility in the Suzhou in September, 2020. As a cutting-edge GaN technology provider, Innoscience's 1,400+ employees and over 300 R&D experts are dedicated to delivering high performance and high reliability GaN power devices that can be widely used in diverse applications including cloud computing, electric vehicles (EV) and automotive, portable devices, mobile phones, chargers and adapters. For more information, please visit http://www.innoscience.com.

Ref: INS011A

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005494/en/

Contacts:

Contact Media:

Peter Rogerson, Innoscience

peterrogerson@innoscience.com

+1 408-502-4626

Benoit Simoneau, 514 Media

benoit@514-media.com

+44 (0) 7891 920 370
Art Basel selected to stage new contemporary art fair in Paris

MCH Group Ltd., based in Basel/Switzerland, announces that Art Basel has been awarded a seven-year contract to stage a new contemporary art fair in Paris, following a public competition initiated by the "Reunion des musees nationaux - Grand Palais" in December last year.



Launching in October 2022, the new art event will take place at the temporary venue "Grand Palais Ephemere" until the restoration of the "Grand Palais" is completed in 2024. Together with the "Reunion des musees nationaux - Grand Palais", Art Basel will strive to create a fair truly rooted in the twenty-first century that radiates throughout the city and is firmly embedded in Paris and its cultural and creative industries.

MCH Group intends to establish a new French legal entity and employ a dedicated team on the ground. It is planed to develop an identity and a brand specific to the Parisian fair.

"City Activation is a key element in our strategy," says Beat Zwahlen, CEO of MCH Group. "We've demonstrated before that we're able to successfully build events in other locations that create tremendous economic impact." Andrea Zappia, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MCH Group, underlines: "Basel is and will remain our home base, and we are 100% committed to our existing Art Basel events in Basel, Miami Beach and Hong-Kong. Paris has become a major destination for the creative world and we welcome this opportunity to build something truly original for the French art market and culture industries."

MCH Group (https://www.mch-group.com/en/)

Ad hoc announcements online (https://www.mch-group.com/en/investors/ad-hoc-announcements/)

News online (https://www.mch-group.com/en/news/)





Contacts



Media Relations:

Emanuel Kuhn

Head of Corporate Communications

+41 58 206 22 43

emanuel.kuhn@mch-group.com

Investor Relations:



Christian Jecker

+ 41 58 206 22 52

christian.jecker@mch-group.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - Moneta Gold Inc. (TSX: ME) (OTCQX: MEAUF) (XETRA: MOP) ("Moneta") is pleased to announce partial assay results from twelve (12) drill holes at Windjammer Central, from the Golden Highway area of the Tower Gold project, located 100 kilometres ("km") east of Timmins, Ontario. The drilling is part of the 2020/2021 72,500 metre ("m") program in 130 drill holes designed to test extensions of the current mineral resource estimate of 4.0 million ("M") ounces indicated gold and 4.4M ounces inferred gold (see February 24, 2021 press release) on the Tower Gold project. Additional holes and assays from this drill program remain pending.

This drilling successfully intersected gold mineralization over a strike length of 1,500 m and a width of 300 m to the north of the Windjammer South open pit gold resource within the Windjammer Central area. Today's results confirm significant extensions of gold mineralization to the current gold resource at Windjammer South in an area with no historical resources.

Highlights from the drilling include:

MGH21-244 intersected 162.65 m @ 0.64 grams per tonne "g/t" gold "Au", including 30.00 m @ 0.91 g/t Au, 6.00 m @ 1.58 g/t Au, and 3.00 m @ 2.19 g/t Au

MGH21-263 intersected 108.00 m @ 0.70 g/t Au, including 18.00 m @ 1.55 g/t Au, including 2.00 m @ 6.79 g/t Au

MGH21-259 intersected 96.00 m @ 0.64 g/t Au, including 23.15 m @ 1.09 g/t Au, including 3.00 m @ 2.96 g/t Au

MGH21-237 intersected 5.00 m @ 3.01 g/t Au, including 1.00 m @ 14.80 g/t Au

MGH21-237 intersected 105.00 m @ 0.42 g/t Au, including 87.00 m @ 0.50 g/t Au

MGH21-263 intersected 46.00 m @ 0.44 g/t Au, including 22.00 m @ 0.53 g/t Au, including 2.00 m @ 1.15 g/t Au

MGH21-244 intersected 37.00 m @ 0.47 g/t Au, including 12.00 m @ 0.94 g/t Au, including 2.00 m @ 2.03 g/t Au and 2.00 m @ 2.02 g/t Au

Gary O'Connor, Moneta's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "These latest drill results have confirmed significant gold mineralization in an area not previously drill tested and beyond the current gold resources. The Windjammer Central exploration drilling program was testing for gold mineralization over a large area located within the current economic open pit at Windjammer South, north of the regional Banded Iron Formation, and the new discovery has the potential to significantly improve the economics of the open pit. We look forward to releasing the remaining outstanding drill results when they become available and updating the mineral resource estimate for the Tower Gold project in the first half of 2022."

The latest assay results from the Windjammer Central resource expansion drill program include assay results from twelve (12) new drill holes, for a total of 6,488.0 m. Additional results from these holes are still pending. The drill program was conducted to test a large area to the north of the Windjammer South resource, within the economic open pit in an area with little historical drilling. The Windjammer South open pit gold deposit currently hosts 1.10 Moz gold at a grade of 0.84 g/t gold in indicated resources and 1.03 Moz at a grade of 1.10 g/t gold in the inferred category at a cut-off grade of 0.30 g/t gold (see December 10, 2020 press release). Full assays from an additional 38 drill holes for 16,401 m from the drill program remain pending.

Figure 1: Tower Gold Project: General Location Map



To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4852/111615_2db4d642748bb92d_002full.jpg

Table 1: Windjammer Central: Selected Significant Drill Results

Hole From To Length Au Gram metres (#) (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (gxm) MGH21-237 162.00 167.00 5.00 3.01 15.1 includes 166.00 167.00 1.00 14.80 14.8 MGH21-237 231.00 262.00 31.00 0.36 11.2 includes 231.00 234.00 3.00 1.20 3.6 MGH21-237 276.00 317.00 41.00 0.25 10.3 includes 298.00 317.00 19.00 0.34 6.5 MGH21-237 335.00 337.00 2.00 2.56 5.1 MGH21-237 370.00 475.00 105.00 0.42 44.1 includes 388.00 475.00 87.00 0.50 43.5 includes 436.00 452.00 16.00 0.67 10.7 MGH21-237 702.00 723.00 21.00 0.32 6.7 includes 703.00 709.70 6.70 0.43 2.9 MGH21-242 109.00 124.00 15.00 0.42 6.3 includes 109.00 110.50 1.50 2.35 3.5 MGH21-242 136.50 161.00 24.50 0.33 8.1 MGH21-242 241.70 253.50 11.80 0.34 4.0 includes 243.00 244.00 1.00 1.36 1.4 MGH21-242 494.50 573.00 78.50 0.24 18.8 MGH21-243 302.00 306.00 4.00 1.13 4.5 includes 305.00 306.00 1.00 3.41 3.4 MGH21-243 310.00 335.00 25.00 0.29 7.3 includes 310.00 321.00 11.00 0.44 4.8 includes 318.00 319.00 1.00 1.59 1.6 MGH21-244 330.00 492.65 162.65 0.64 104.1 includes 342.00 343.00 1.00 3.75 3.8 and 383.00 413.00 30.00 0.91 27.3 includes 383.00 384.00 1.00 3.03 3.0 and 419.00 427.00 8.00 1.13 9.0 and 450.00 456.00 6.00 1.58 9.5 includes 453.00 456.00 3.00 2.19 6.6 and 476.00 489.00 13.00 0.91 11.8 includes 488.00 489.00 1.00 2.67 2.7 MGH21-244 498.00 535.00 37.00 0.47 17.4 includes 515.00 527.00 12.00 0.94 11.3 includes 515.00 517.00 2.00 2.03 4.1 and 525.00 527.00 2.00 2.02 4.0 MGH21-264 187.50 230.00 42.50 0.31 13.2 includes 192.00 216.00 24.00 0.41 9.8 includes 196.40 197.40 1.00 2.24 2.2 MGH21-247 608.00 619.50 11.50 0.32 3.7 MGH21-258 104.00 134.00 30.00 0.26 7.8 includes 105.00 122.00 17.00 0.31 5.3 MGH21-259 456.00 552.00 96.00 0.64 61.4 including 457.00 461.00 4.00 1.73 6.9 and 473.00 496.15 23.15 1.09 25.2 including 488.00 491.00 3.00 2.96 8.9 including 490.00 491.00 1.00 4.74 4.7 MGH21-259 533.00 552.00 19.00 0.36 6.8 MGH21-259 589.85 602.10 12.25 0.74 9.1 MGH21-263 174.00 220.00 46.00 0.44 20.2 includes 174.00 196.00 22.00 0.53 11.7 includes 182.00 184.00 2.00 1.15 2.3 MGH21-263 260.00 278.00 18.00 0.35 6.3 including 272.00 274.00 2.00 1.68 3.4 MGH21-263 320.00 428.00 108.00 0.70 75.6 includes 346.00 402.00 56.00 1.09 61.0 includes 356.00 374.00 18.00 1.55 27.9 includes 368.00 374.00 6.00 2.94 17.6 includes 368.00 370.00 2.00 6.79 13.6 MGH21-264 114.00 133.00 19.00 0.38 7.2 includes 122.00 129.00 7.00 0.67 4.7 includes 122.00 124.00 2.00 1.27 2.5 MGH21-266 145.00 161.00 16.00 0.40 6.4 including 154.00 156.00 2.00 1.82 3.6

Intercepts are calculated using a 0.20 g/t Au cut-off, a maximum of 3m internal dilution and no top cap applied. Drill intercepts are not true widths, are reported as drill widths, and are estimated to be 80% to 95% of true width.

Figure 2: Windjammer Central Drill Program: Drill Hole Location Map



To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

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Discussion of Drill Results

Drilling was targeting Timiskaming age clastic sediment hosted gold mineralized stacked quartz veins north of the Windjammer South resource in the new Windjammer Central discovery area located immediately north of the regional Banded Iron Formation "A" ("BIF A") unit and south of previous drilling. The drilling was testing a large area within the Windjammer economic open pit in an area not previously drill tested and not currently in any resource category. The Windjammer South deposit occurs as the largest open pit gold resource of the Tower Gold project.

Drill results from the current program at Windjammer Central confirmed the occurrence of generally shallow west dipping stacked quartz vein sets and associated ankerite-albite-sericite-pyrite alteration haloes in large step-outs beyond the current gold resource and south of previous drilling at Windjammer Central. The latest assay results confirmed gold mineralization over an area 1,500 m long, 300 m wide, and down to depths of over 400 m. Additional results from the Windjammer Central and South resource expansion drilling program are pending.

Figure 3: Windjammer Central Drilling- Cross Section



To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

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Table 3: New Drill Hole Details: Windjammer Central

Hole Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Inclination Depth (#) (mE) (mN) (masl) () () (m) MGH21-237 572192 5370622 334 75 -60 750.0 MGH21-242 572168 5370726 336 75 -60 705.0 MGH21-243 572396 5370682 351 75 -60 675.0 MGH21-244 571968 5370672 334 75 -60 600.0 MGH21-247 572366 5370786 346 75 -60 645.0 MGH21-251 572593 5370731 373 85 -61 501.0 MGH21-258 572559 5370836 364 84 -60 405.0 MGH21-259 571803 5370525 333 75 -60 606.0 MGH21-263 571995 5370573 334 75 -60 453.0 MGH21-264 571825 5370439 333 75 -60 501.0 MGH21-265 572689 5370835 346 80 -60 428.0 MGH21-266 572032 5370529 335 85 -60 600.0

Assay results for the reported holes are not complete. Additional assay results from drill holes will be released upon receipt

QA/QC Procedures

Drill core is oriented and cut with half sent to AGAT Laboratories Inc. (AGAT) for drying and crushing to -2 mm, with a 1.00 kg split pulverized to -75 m (200#). AGAT is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory. A 50 g charge is Fire Assayed and analyzed using an AAS finish for Gold. Samples above 10.00 g/t Au are analyzed by Fire Assay with a gravimetric finish and selected samples with visible gold or high-grade mineralization are assayed by Metallic Screen Fire Assay on a 1.00 kg sample. Moneta inserts independent certified reference material and blanks with the samples and assays routine pulp repeats and coarse reject sample duplicates, as well as completing routine third-party check assays at Activation Laboratories Ltd. Randall Salo, P.Geo. is a qualified person under NI 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this press release.

About Moneta

Moneta is a Canadian based gold exploration company focussed on advancing its 100% wholly owned Tower Gold project, which currently hosts a gold mineral resource estimate of 4.0M ounces indicated and 4.4M ounces inferred. The Company's 2020/2021 drill program was designed to test extensions of mineralization and expand the current mineral resource. An updated mineral resource estimate and Preliminary Economic Assessment study encompassing the entire Tower Gold Project will be announced in the first half of 2022. Moneta is committed to creating shareholder value through the strategic allocation of capital and a focus on the current resource expansion drilling program, while conducting all business activities in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Gary V. O'Connor, CEO

416-357-3319

Linda Armstrong, Investor Relations

647-456-9223

The Company's public documents may be accessed at www.sedar.com. For further information on the Company, please visit our website at www.monetagold.com or email us at info@monetagold.com.

This news release includes certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, collectively "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "intend" and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to information with respect to the future performance of the business, its operations and financial performance and condition such as the Company's drilling program and the timing and results thereof; further steps that might be taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19; the impact of COVID-19 related disruptions in relation to the Corporation's business operations including upon its employees, suppliers, facilities and other stakeholders; uncertainties and risk that have arisen and may arise in relation to travel, and other financial market and social impacts from COVID-19 and responses to COVID-19 and the ability of the Company to finance and carry out its anticipated goals and objectives.

Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, fluctuating commodity prices, competitive risks and the availability of financing, as described in more detail in our recent securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements and we caution against placing undue reliance thereon. We assume no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111615
RightRice Risotto will be available across the United States in over 360 Sprouts Farmers Market stores

Expanded flavors are expected to add additional market validation, visibility and brand awareness

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2022 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(FRA:J94) ("Planting Hope" or the "Company"), a plant-based food and beverage company focused on producing the world's most nutritious and planet-friendly products, is pleased to announce the launch of two new RightRice Risotto flavors, Creamy Parmesan Style and Wild Mushroom, into Sprouts Farmers Market ("Sprouts"), expanding the total number of RightRice stock-keeping units (SKUs) at Sprouts to five. With more than 360 stores in 23 states, Sprouts is one of the fastest-growing retailers in the United States and a leader in farm-fresh produce and clean-eating healthy products. The new RightRice Risotto flavors, which are expected to be available in Sprouts' stores by the beginning of February, will be joining the three pre-seasoned flavors of RightRice currently carried by Sprouts: Garlic Herb, Spanish and Cilantro Lime.

"Introducing two new flavors to Sprouts' customers exemplifies the success of the brand and continued growth of the RightRice product line," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and Co-Founder of Planting Hope. "We're thrilled to hear from consumers how much they enjoy RightRice's versatility and range of flavors, as well as how it's nutritious and easy to cook! While preparing traditional risotto can be a time-consuming, labor-intensive process, RightRice Risotto redefines a household classic by delivering a creamy, dairy-free bowl of risotto that cooks in one pot in just 12 minutes."

RightRice Risotto

10 grams of complete, plant-based protein

5 grams of fiber

Almost 40% less net carbohydrates than a bowl of white rice

Vegan

Non-GMO Project Verified

Certified Gluten-Free

Certified Kosher

Simple ingredients: lentils, chickpeas, peas and rice!

RightRice Risotto is available in four creamy, dairy-free flavors, including Creamy Parmesan Style, Wild Mushroom, Basil Pesto and Creamy Cracked Pepper. Each culinary-inspired flavor is plant-based, vegan, non-GMO and made with real herbs and spices.

RightRice Risotto comes in a 6 oz. pouch (about 3.5 servings) at a suggested retail of $3.99. RightRice is available in the rice aisle at Sprouts Farmers Markets nationally and online on Amazon and RightRice.com.

About RightRice

RightRice redefines a household staple with a delicious vegetable-based rice grain that's packed with the power of vegetables and complete plant-based protein. RightRice is the first-of-its-kind: a shelf-stable vegetable grain that's a blend of over 90 percent vegetables, including lentils, chickpeas, green peas and rice, that delivers on both taste and nutrition. With 10g of complete protein and 5g fiber per serving, RightRice delivers more than double the protein, five times the fiber and almost 40 percent fewer net carbohydrates than traditional white rice and can be prepared in about 10 minutes. RightRice is now available in a range of pre-seasoned flavors, along with RightRice Medley and RightRice Risotto. RightRice products are currently sold in more than 7,000 doors in leading retailers across North America, including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Kroger, Sprouts, Albertsons/Safeway, HEB, Ahold, Meijer, as well as online through Amazon, Thrive Market, Hive and RightRice.com. All RightRice products are made using real herbs and spices, and are non-GMO, gluten-free, plant-based and kosher. For more information visit: www.rightrice.com. RightRice Risotto was awarded Best Sauce/Store Cupboard Product in FoodBev's 2021 World Plant-Based Taste Awards and received the 2021 Eco Excellence Award for Best Gluten Free Product, in addition to being chosen as a 2021 Editors' Pick for Best New Product by Progressive Grocer.

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.

Planting Hope develops, launches and scales uniquely innovative plant-based and planet-friendly food and beverage brands. Planting Hope's award-winning and cutting-edge products fill key unmet needs in the skyrocketing plant-based food and beverage space. The Planting Hope brand family includes Hope and Sesame Sesamemilk, RightRice Veggie Rice, Mozaics Real Veggie Chips and Veggicopia Veggie Snacks. Founded by experienced food industry entrepreneurs, Planting Hope is a women-managed and woman-led company with a focus on nutrition, sustainability and diversity. For more information visit: www.plantinghopecompany.com.

Contacts

Company Contact:

Julia Stamberger

CEO and Co-founder

(773) 492-2243

julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Media Contact:

Rachel Kay Public Relations

Becca Stonebraker

(818) 383-3929

becca@rkpr.net

Investor Relations Contact:

Caroline Sawamoto

Investor Relations

(773) 492-2243

ir@plantinghopecompany.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statement

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" or "forward-looking information" (collectively referred to hereafter as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements that address activities, events, or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will, or may, occur in the future, including statements about the Company's ability to execute on its goals, the timing pertaining to these goals the potential demand for the Company's products, the timing and success of anticipated product launches and distribution of the Company's products, and the Company's business prospects, future trends, plans and strategies. In some cases, forward looking statements are preceded by, followed by, or include words such as "may", "will," "would", "could", "should", "believes", "estimates", "projects", "potential", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "continues", or the negative of those words or other similar or comparable words. In preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that demand for the Company's product will be sustained or increase in accordance with management's projections, that the Company's current business objectives can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although management of the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, or intended. Risks and uncertainties applicable to the Company, as well as trends identified by the Company affecting its industry can be found in the Company's annual information form dated January 6, 2022 and the Company's continuous disclosure record available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Such cautionary statements qualify all forward-looking statements made in this news release. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685521/Planting-Hope-Launches-Two-New-RightRiceR-Risotto-Flavors-in-Sprouts-Farmers-Markets
Join us for a Robber Gulch Webinar at 2:00pm ET, February 1, 2022: Register for Free HERE

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - Ridgeline Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RDG) (OTCQB: RDGMF) (FSE: 0GC0) ("Ridgeline" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has entered into an exploration earn-in option agreement to acquire a 100% interest in the Robber Gulch oxide gold project ("Robber Gulch or "The Project") from Bronco Creek Exploration, a wholly-owned subsidiary of EMX Royalty Corp (TSXV: EMX) ("EMX"). The Project is host to a shallow-oxide, Carlin-Type gold discovery, is historically underexplored and exhibits similar age host rocks and mineralization style to Liberty Gold's Black Pine Deposit located 88 kilometers ("km") to the southeast.

Robber Gulch is comprised of 117 lode mining claims totaling 9.3 square kilometers and is located 30km southeast of the city of Burley, Idaho with excellent access to local infrastructure (Figure 1). As part of the agreement the Company will also inherit a comprehensive geologic database with technical highlights and exploration earn-in terms detailed below:

Chad Peters, Ridgeline's President, CEO & Director, commented, "This is a very exciting acquisition for Ridgeline. Robber Gulch is a perfect complement to our exploration portfolio and aligns with the Company's strategy of acquiring and systematically advancing underexplored projects in known gold districts, an approach that led to a recent earn-in exploration agreement with Nevada Gold Mines at our Swift project. Robber Gulch is a drill-ready, shallow-oxide gold discovery in a rapidly emerging gold district in southern Idaho and we look forward to getting boots-on-the-ground as soon as possible."

To view a video of the Robber Gulch 3D geologic model, click HERE

Historical Drill Highlights

AC-4: 12.2 meters ("m") grading 0.90 gram per tonne ("g/t") gold ("Au") within 57.9m grading 0.34 g/t Au starting at 21.3m with the hole bottoming in 10.7m grading 0.25 g/t Au (Figure 2)

starting at 21.3m with the hole bottoming in 10.7m grading 0.25 g/t Au (Figure 2) RG-RC-21-02: 30.5m grading 0.30 g/t Au starting from surface

RG-RC-21-03: 12.1m grading 0.65 g/t Au starting from surface (Figure 3)

starting from surface (Figure 3) RG-RC-21-04: 6.1m grading 1.46 g/t Au (Hole drilled to 6.1m - cased and ready for re-entry)

(Hole drilled to 6.1m - cased and ready for re-entry) RG-9: 3.1m grading 0.58 g/t Au and 4.6m grading 0.53 g/t Au within 79.2m grading 0.20 g/t Au starting from surface

For a full table of historical Robber Gulch drill intercepts click HERE

Surface Sampling Highlights

Trenching

Trench 1: 52m grading 0.26 g/t Au & 48m @ 0.26 g/t Au

Trench 2: 60m grading 0.40 g/t Au

Trench 3: 189m grading 0.43 g/t Au including 45m grading 0.88 g/t Au (Figure 1 & Figure 2)

Rock Chips

264 rock chips with grades up to 6.5 g/t Au and a low of 0.001 g/t Au

Zone of high-grade rock chips (6.5 & 2.7 g/t Au) located on US Forest Service ("USFS") ground have never been drill-tested (Figure 1)

Soil Samples

2,053 soil samples with multi-element analysis available for the majority of samples

Au in soils Min = 0.0 g/t Au, Med = .009 g/t Au, Max = 0.81 g/t Au

Mike Harp, Ridgeline's Vice President, Exploration, commented, "Carlin-Type mineralization at Robber Gulch is hosted within similar Pennsylvanian to Permian age host rocks to Liberty Gold's Black Pine deposit in Idaho, as well the North Dark Star discovery in Nevada, which I was fortunate to be a part of during my time with Gold Standard Ventures. Robber Gulch is historically underexplored with only nineteen holes drilled to an average depth of only 184m, many of which returned thick oxide gold intercepts beginning at or very near surface. When combined with a kilometer-scale gold in soils anomaly that has only been sporadically tested, we see excellent potential to grow the existing oxide gold footprint and make discoveries along strike and at depth."





Figure 1: Plan view ortho map showing property location in Cassia County, Idaho. Map includes gold in soils contours, trench and drill hole locations, surface rock chips and A-A' to B-B' section lines

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7298/111706_470ff8d594dbf9c4_002full.jpg





Figure 2: Schematic X-Section A-A' highlighting historical near-surface oxide gold intercepts with multiple untested target areas

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7298/111706_470ff8d594dbf9c4_003full.jpg





Figure 3: Schematic X-Section B-B' highlighting historical near-surface drill intercept AC-4 with mineralization open in all directions

To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit:

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Robber Gulch Project

Robber Gulch is located approximately 30km southeast of the city of Burley, Cassia County Idaho. The project area is comprised of 117 contiguous lode claims (9.3km) that straddle both federally administered Bureau of Land Management and US Forest Service lode claims and is easily accessible through a network of county-maintained gravel roads via Idaho State Highway 30. Carlin-Type Mineralization at Robber Gulch is hosted within Pennsylvanian to Permian age silty limestones and calcareous siliciclastics that are exposed within erosional windows beneath post-mineral volcanic rocks. (view the Robber Gulch presentation HERE )

Exploration Earn-In Terms

Subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval pursuant to the Agreement, Ridgeline may earn a 100% interest in the Project by:

Making the initial execution payment of $50,000 and all option payments totaling $750,000 (all dollar amounts in USD) over a five-year period (of which up to $350,000 may be payable in common shares for the Company; and

Delivering 150,000 shares in Ridgeline Minerals Corp. to EMX by the second anniversary of the Agreement; and

Completing $650,000 in exploration expenditures before the fifth anniversary of the Agreement

Commercial Terms

Upon closing of the exploration earn-in option agreement, EMX will retain a 3.25% net smelter return ("NSR") royalty on the Project. Ridgeline can reduce the NSR royalty to 2.25% by:

Completing an initial 0.5% royalty buyback with a payment of $1,500,000 to EMX prior to the third anniversary of the option exercise (year 8); and

Paying $2,000,000 to EMX anytime thereafter for the remaining 0.5%.



Ridgeline will make Annual Advance Royalty payments of $50,000 that increase to $75,000 upon completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment or Order of Magnitude Study with payments to cease upon commencement of commercial production

Ridgeline will make Project milestone payments (payable in cash or, at the election of the Company, in common shares) consisting of: $250,000 upon completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment, $500,000 upon completion of the earlier of a Prefeasibility or Feasibility Study, and $1,000,000 upon a positive development decision.

Technical information contained in this news release is historical in nature and has been reviewed and approved by Michael T. Harp, P.Geo. the Company's Vice President, Exploration, a qualified person within the meaning thereof under National Instrument 43-101 and responsible for all disclosure of scientific or technical information in this news release.

About Ridgeline Minerals Corp.

Ridgeline is a discovery focused gold-silver explorer with a proven management team and a 163 km exploration portfolio across five projects in Nevada and Idaho, USA. More information about Ridgeline can be found at www.RidgelineMinerals.com

On behalf of the Board

"Chad Peters"

President & CEO

Further Information:

Chad Peters, P.Geo.

President & CEO

Ridgeline Minerals Corp.

1-866-RDG-NVAU (734-6828) - toll free

info@ridgelineminerals.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, the anticipated benefits of the Earn-In Agreement and the transaction contemplated thereby. The words "potential", "anticipate", "meaningful", "discovery", "forecast", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "plan", "historical", "historic" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify Forward-Looking Information. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. In preparing the Forward-Looking Information in this news release, Ridgeline has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, assumptions that TSX Venture Exchange approval will be granted in a timely manner subject only to standard conditions; the current objectives concerning the Project can be achieved and that its other corporate activities will proceed as expected; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; and that all requisite information will be available in a timely manner. Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Ridgeline to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include, among others, risks related to dependence on key personnel; risks related to unforeseen delays; risks related to historical data that has not been verified by the Company; as well as those factors discussed in Ridgeline's public disclosure record. Although Ridgeline has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Ridgeline and may cause actual actions, events, or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required by law, Ridgeline does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111706
Rush To Remote Work left SysAdmins with Only One Third of their Time to Ensure Secure Businesses

PORTSMOUTH, NH / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2022 / Remotely, Inc . the Azure Native Remote Management, Monitoring, and Security Platform, today announced the results of a new survey that details the degree to which enterprises have been left vulnerable to disruption in the wake of the rush to remote work by millions of employees during the Covid pandemic. The poll of 600 system and IT administrators across the education, consulting, government, financial services, telecom, marketing, sales, and retail sectors was conducted in early January 2022.

Asked, "What are the biggest challenges you face as a remote IT team in keeping users safe and productive?" almost 33 percent of respondents said, "Keeping users secure, daily." That's because 67.49 percent said they're mired in the minutiae of provisioning services and apps, managing user identities, wrangling employees who have ignored best IT practices, and helping onboard new employees while trying to navigate the biggest and fastest physical workplace shift in decades.

Adding to those challenges are that sysadmins are working remotely without the advantages of the tools they once had at the office behind firewalls. 28 percent said, "Ensuring the tools remote IT teams have access to are as good or better than the ones they have on site" was the problem teams struggle with the most. Following closely behind was, "Remaining as productive as they were in the office," "Collaboration among the sysadmin / IT admin team," and "Tracking their own performance," respectively.

Asked what jobs they spent the most time doing post Covid in order of importance, "Ensuring business continuity" ranked first; "Protecting users from themselves" was second; and lagging behind those was "Security/fight attempts to hack or compromise the network." This lack of focus on security shows just how unprepared enterprises were to suddenly shift to a remote posture, where the biggest challenge is still ensuring employees can be productive.

"In the modern computing era, nothing has been more seismically disruptive to companies than the shift to remote work over the past two years." said Tyler Rohrer, Founder and CEO, Remotely. "Think about it: early in the pandemic, over the span of only two months, most of the corporate world left the office and was forced to dial into their networks. This left IT and systems admins scrambling just to keep the lights on, never mind ensuring the resilience of their networks' security, which has also come under unprecedented assault. That was two years ago, and since then sysadmins are still forced into an untenable choice of keeping users productive, or the company safe. Automation of the mundane jobs that are keeping sysadmins away from the important work of ensuring their networks are secure is the best way to meet this new world order challenge."

Given today's challenges, systems and IT admins are of a single mind when it comes to which tasks are most important for them. Cybersecurity was their first priority, although the reality of their jobs has kept them from spending as much time on this as they'd like. Next was setting up a way to give end-users a self-service remedy for requests for password resets, then application access storage management, and other operations.

Remotely's solution is purpose-built to give enterprise IT Administrators working in a Microsoft environment a single source of tools that keep desktops, devices, and servers working in the new remote work environment. Remotely is hosted on Azure to give systems and IT admins an experience rich with machine learning and AI to address both the technical and human challenges of remote work. Team member telemetry, workplace analytics, digital experience (DEX), security posture, and full integration with Microsoft and Help Desk Ticketing Systems is available immediately upon sign up.

With the adoption of Microsoft Technologies like Teams, Office 365, Sharepoint, and Power Platform, as well as Azure cloud adoption, Remotely uses many of the APIs available to orchestrate what users, admins, and lines of business need to maximize user productivity.

Sign up for the Remotely Beta from the Remotely site here: https://www.remotelyrmm.com/beta

And get more information upon request from press@remotelyrmm.com.

About Remotely

Remotely uses the power of the cloud, omnipresence of Microsoft, and truly brilliant software to get remote users back to work, securely. As many of us are no longer going into the office daily, weekly, or ever - keeping technology up and running can be a challenge.

Remotely's platform is capable of securely scaling to fulfill its mission of fixing remote laptops, desktops, devices, and computer servers serving 100 plus million users.

Advisors to the company include Microsoft's GM Frank Artale, StackDriver and Google Alum Izzy Azeri, Nutanix Customer Success leader Steve Kaplan, former HubSpot COO and Citrix Board of Director Member JD Sherman, and Mark Shirman, Boston Tech luminary among others.

Media Contact:

Escalate PR

remotely@escalatepr.com

SOURCE: Remotely

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685532/Hybrid-Work-Survey-Shows-Enterprise-System-Administrators-Scrambling-To-Keep-Post-COVID-Businesses-Safe
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Tego Cyber Inc. (OTCQB: TGCB) ("the Company"), a company created to capitalize on the emerging cyber threat intelligence market. CEO of the Company, Shannon Wilkinson, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly.

Wilkinson began the interview by updating listeners on the Company's current projects. "Tego Cyber is a threat intelligence company," said Wilkinson. "We have developed a platform for threat intelligence," she continued. "We integrate data into existing cyber security platforms; so we're really an add-on that allows security operation centers to have the information at their fingertips when an incident occurs," explained Wilkinson. "The whole idea behind Tego Cyber is making cybersecurity operations easier for cybersecurity analysts and those working in security operation centers."

Jolly then asked about the Company's 2021 accomplishments. "We commenced the development of our threat intelligence platform, and we actually completed the first version of the platform, as well as an integration into the SIEM platform Splunk," shared Wilkinson. "We also commenced the development of our second integration with Elastic SIEM."

"Last year was the year that we became fully reporting with the SEC," she continued. "We started trading back in April on the OTCQB," Wilkinson added. "We also raised over two million dollars through our S1 registration," she added, noting that the Company also added new members to their Board of Directors.

"What are your goals for the first and second quarters of 2022?" asked Jolly. "We are going to continue implementing our marketing plan for the first integration of our threat intelligence application for Splunk, which is a hybrid sales strategy," said Wilkinson, before elaborating on the Company's inside and outside sales plan, as well as their channel partners. "We have a target of $1.5 million in revenue for the first quarter," she said. "Also, this quarter we are looking to complete the second integration of our threat intelligence platform for Elastic SIEM, as well as start on the development of a third integration."

Jolly then asked about a press release detailing the Company's Equity Report Coverage by Argus Research. "One of the things that Argus pointed out is the exponential growth potential for the organization each time an integration is added," explained Wilkinson. "As well as an accelerated path to revenue and profitability if we execute on our sales strategy," she added, noting that the report also reflected a scalable business model for the SaaS company. "They also pointed out our globally recognized management team within the cybersecurity industry," said Wilkinson. "We are currently debt free, and we converted some notes at the end of last year."

"We also have an incredibly friendly shareholder base," continued Wilkinson. "Lastly, Argus mentioned that Tego is a prime takeout target for another cybersecurity company or threat intelligence platform provider as we gain customers and recognition."

To close the interview, Wilkinson encouraged listeners to keep up-to-date on the Company's current and upcoming projects by visiting their website or social media platforms.

To hear Shannon Wilkinson's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/8019516-tego-cyber-inc-discusses-significant-argus-research-report-findings-and-2022-goals-with-the-stoc.

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/.

About Tego Cyber Inc.

Tego Cyber Inc. (OTCQB: TGCB) ("the Company") was created to capitalize on the emerging cyber threat intelligence market. The Company has developed a cyber threat intelligence application that integrates with top end security platforms to gather, analyze, then proactively identify threats to an enterprise network. The Tego Guardian Threat Intelligence Platform takes in vetted and curated threat data and after utilizing a proprietary process, the platform compiles, analyzes, and then delivers that data to an enterprise network in a format that is timely, informative, and relevant. The threat data provides additional context including specific details needed to identify and counteract threats so that security teams can spend less time searching for disparate information. The first version of the application will integrate with the widely accepted Splunk SIEM to provide real-time threat intelligence to macro enterprises using the Splunk architecture. The Company plans on developing future versions of the Tego Guardian app for integration with other established SIEM systems and platforms including: Elastic, IBM QRadar, AT&T Cybersecurity, Exabeam, and Google Chronical. For more information, please visit www.tegocyber.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this press release, those which are not purely historical or which depend upon future events, may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements regarding the Company's expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future constitute forward-looking statements. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available to the Company on the date hereof and the Company assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statement. Prospective investors should also consult the risks factors described from time to time in the Company's Reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K and Annual Reports to Shareholders.

CONTACT:

Tego Cyber Inc.

8565 S Eastern Avenue, Suite 150

Las Vegas, Nevada 89123 USA

Tel: 855-939-0100 (North America)

Tel: 725-726-7840 (International)

Email: info@tegocyber.com

Web: tegocyber.com

Facebook: facebook.com/tegocyber

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/tegocyber

Twitter: twitter.com/tegocyber

Investor Relations:

Crescendo Communications, LLC

Tel: 212-671-1020

Email: TGCB@crescendo-ir.com

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111728
With VP Clinical and VP Technical Operations, Company is Well Positioned for Next Phase of Growth

WhiteSwell, a company pioneering new ways to treat acute decompensated heart failure, announced today the appointment of Linda Nelson as Vice President of Clinical and Martin Keegan as Vice President of Technical Operations.

Linda brings deep expertise in heart failure, clinical trial design, clinical trial execution and building clinical teams to her role leading WhiteSwell's clinical program. She is guiding clinical strategy to demonstrate the potential for WhiteSwell's endovenous decongestion therapy leveraging the lymphatics to target interstitial decongestion in acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) patients. Linda joins WhiteSwell from Medtronic, where she directed numerous clinical research teams. She previously served as Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Respicardia, where she led successful execution of a randomized, pivotal IDE clinical trial. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from St. Olaf's College, Minn. and an MBA from the University of St. Thomas, Minn.

Martin joins WhiteSwell with a breadth of technical expertise spanning endovascular and cardiovascular medical devices through to electronics, including hardware and software development. As the VP of Technical Operations, he oversees a world-wide network of suppliers to deliver high quality precision-engineered products. Most recently, as Technical Operations Director and Integration Leader at Boston Scientific, he was responsible for manufacturing, process optimization and validation, and led a successful technology transfer program. Martin holds an MEngSc in Mechanical Engineering from National University of Ireland, Galway, and is a Chartered Engineer of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland.

"Both Linda and Martin bring extensive experience and seasoned leadership to the WhiteSwell team," said Eamon Brady, CEO. "With a powerful senior management team in place, WhiteSwell is well positioned to advance its pioneering treatment of acute decompensated heart failure by leveraging the lymphatic system. WhiteSwell's unique catheter-based system is designed to improve decongestion by assisting the lymphatic network in removing excess fluid from the body's tissues."

ADHF is an episode of worsening heart failure symptoms that results in millions of hospitalizations worldwide each year, including three million in the U.S. alone.1 Patients with ADHF experience difficulty breathing, fatigue, and edema (swelling) due to fluid back-up in the lungs and other parts of the body (congestion). The condition requires hospital-based treatment to remove excess fluid in a process called decongestion. Complete decongestion is the goal of ADHF treatment, since residual congestion at hospital discharge is the strongest predictor of rehospitalization and death.2 As many as half of ADHF patients are discharged from the hospital not fully decongested, and 25% of ADHF patients are readmitted to the hospital within one month.3,4,5

About the Lymphatic System and ADHF

In healthy individuals, the lymphatic system continuously captures fluid from tissues throughout the body and pumps it back into the vascular system to maintain homeostasis. In ADHF, excess fluid collects in the tissues of the body (the interstitial compartment) causing edema and an increase in venous blood pressure. Excess tissue fluid and high venous blood pressure interfere with the lymphatic system's natural ability to move fluid, which can further exacerbate congestion.

About WhiteSwell

WhiteSwell is a science-driven company dedicated to improving treatment of acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), a primary cause of repeat hospitalization and emergency room visits. The company is pioneering a minimally invasive catheter-based approach designed to more efficiently remove excess interstitial fluid in patients with ADHF by leveraging the lymphatic system's natural ability to actively drain fluid. For more information visit www.whiteswell.com.

_______________________________

1 Hollenberg et al., J Am Coll Cardiol 2019;74:1966-2011. (1M annual hospital discharges with HF as primary diagnosis and 2M hospital discharges with HF as secondary contributing diagnosis.)

2 Martens Mullens, How to tackle congestion in acute heart failure, Korean J Intern Med 2018;33:462-473

3 Girerd et al, Integrative Assessment of Congestion in Heart Failure Throughout the Patient Journey, J Am Coll Cardiol HF 2018;6:273-85

4 Arrigo et al, Nature Reviews Disease Primers volume 6, Article number: 16 (2020)

5 Rubio-Gracia, J. et al. (2018). International Journal of Cardiology, 258, pp. 185-191.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005314/en/

Contacts:

Nicole Osmer

nicole@healthandcommerce.com
ROSEMONT, IL / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2022 / The inaugural Process Heating & Cooling Show to be held June 15-16, 2022, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, will bring together executives who are responsible for heating and cooling processes from a cross-sector of industries including oil & gas, electronics, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, packaging and plastics, and many more. The event will offer a vibrant exhibit hall, exceptional education, and dynamic networking functions. For more information, visit www.heatingcoolingshow.com

"We look forward to finally bringing the industry together after a yearlong delay," said Erik Klingerman, Senior Group Publisher, BNP Media. "We have been working closely with our educational advisory committee and our partners at the Industrial Heating Equipment Association and Refrigerating Engineers & Technicians Association to develop a stellar education program which will kick off with a keynote presentation by Omar Nashashibi from The Franklin Partnership, who will review the latest government regulations, international trade, tariffs, and changing tax laws."

Omar Nashashibi is a Washington, D.C.- based lobbyist and strategic consultant who uses his over twenty years' experience lobbying in the nation's capital, as well as the contacts developed with government officials, to help clients navigate the challenges and risks of public policy actions and how they impact a business or industry. Omar works with manufacturers, producers, distributors, and others to identify vulnerabilities in the supply chain and risks to customers caused by the imposition of tariffs or new trade agreements. He also provides real-time analysis of how new regulations and laws relating to taxes, OSHA, EPA, and others could cause disruptions or create opportunities. He will deliver the keynote on Wednesday, June 15 at 9:00 am CT.

In addition to the keynote, the education program will offer several sessions that are approved for continuing education credits by the following accrediting bodies: the Engineering Registered Continuing Education Program (RCEP); Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA); the American Institute of Architects (AIA); and International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). The following courses will offer 1 PDH; 1 RETA PDH; 1 AIA LU/Elective; and 0.1 IACET CEU. For full access to the conference program, click here.

Heat Source Selection and Evaluation presented by Angela Krueger, ASI , Division of Thermal Technologies, Inc.

presented by Angela Krueger, , Division of Thermal Technologies, Inc. Optimizing Process Cooling with Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs) presented by Tom Stone, Thermal Care, Inc.

presented by Tom Stone, Infrared 101 - How and When to Use it to Improve Your Process Heating presented by Marty Sawyer, Trimac Industrial Systems, LLC

presented by Marty Sawyer, Reclaiming Heat Transfer Fluids Satisfies Sustainability and Budgetary Objectives presented by Richard Beemsterboer, ORG CHEM Group

presented by Richard Beemsterboer, Keeping Refrigerated Warehouses Sustainable with Thermal Energy Storage presented by James Bell, Viking Cold Solutions

presented by James Bell, Oil-free Process Cooling & Heat Recovery Process/Comfort Heating Symbiosis Systems presented by Drew Turner, Danfoss

presented by Drew Turner, Optimizing Your Heating System for Energy Efficiency presented by Edye Buchanan, BriskHeat Corp .

presented by Edye Buchanan, . The Secret to Safer Steam Methane Reforming presented by Mike Spalding, Reuter-Stokes, a Baker Hughes business

The trade show will feature Silver Sponsor Omega; Bronze Sponsors ASTEC and Thermalogic; Education Sponsors Drager and Frascold; and Technology Sponsor Hurst Boiler in addition to dozens of other companies. To learn more about exhibiting and sponsorships, contact Susan Heinauer at heinauers@bnpmedia.com or Frank Prokos at prokosf@bnpmedia.com or visit www.heatingcoolingshow.com. For free registration, click here before April 15, 2022.

About PROCESS HEATING and PROCESS COOLING

Written for engineers, Process Heating publishes technical, how-to info about industrial heating equipment used during manufacturing processes. Process Heating is the only brand that focuses exclusively on applying, transferring, controlling and removing heat up to 1,000F (538C) in nine industrial markets, providing relevant content related to one of the most energy-intensive and process-critical steps in the manufacture of goods. www.process-heating.com Process Cooling is the only media brand in the world to focus exclusively on industrial process cooling. Process Cooling targets engineering professionals who buy and specify process equipment to cool, chill or freeze product, measure, monitor or control temperature down through cryogenic levels. www.process-cooling.com

The Process Heating & Cooling Show and the magazines are owned by BNP Media, one of the country's leading business-to-business media companies serving industry professionals across 50-plus industries through magazines, custom media, e-newsletters, websites, conferences, events, and market research. Visit BNP Media at www.bnpmedia.com.

For further information, contact:

Amy Riemer, Media Relations Contact

978-475-4441 (office) or 978-502-4895 (mobile)

amy@riemercommunications.com

SOURCE: Process Heating & Cooling

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685539/Keynote-Speaker-and-Education-Program-Announced-for-Process-Heating-Cooling-Show-Scheduled-for-June-15-16-2022
DZ BANK AG (contact: Ralph Ockert; telephone: +49 69 7447 7051) hereby

announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named

below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse

Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014).

The security to be stabilised: Issuer: European Investment Bank Guarantor (if any): None Aggregate nominal amount: EUR benchmark Description: fixed rate, due 15.11.2029 Offer price: 99.899% Other offer terms: payment 03.02.2022, denoms 1k/1k, soft bullet Stabilisation:

DZ BANK AG Stabilisation Coordinator:



Stabilising Managers:



DZ BANK AG





Credit Agricole

Societe Generale

NatWest Markets Stabilisation period expected to start on: 26th Januar 2022 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg Stock Exchange (Regulated Market)





In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilisation Manager(s) will take any stabilisation action and any stabilisation action, if begun, may be ended at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules.

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive") before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State.
Some of the best years of my life  I miss those people.

Good times and memories, but I have moved on.

Not my best days, but I have made peace with them.

Glad to be away from those people  I dont miss the high school experience.

Vote

View Results
New Timeless, Genuine Leather Handbag Has Arrived

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2022 / Storied Argentinian fashion brand Gaucho - Buenos Aires announces the release of their new statement piece, The Lucky Bag. More than a product, The Lucky Bag is an evergreen silhouette; a piece that can be carried from season to season by its owner and serve as a part of Gaucho's core collection of handbags moving forward.

With The Lucky Bag, Gaucho - Buenos Aires gives the traditional saddle bag a contemporary upgrade while remaining committed to the intricate handiwork that has become a trademark of the brand. The Lucky Bag is created with the craftsmanship, culture, and spirit Gaucho - Buenos Aires is known for. The bag has a classic saddle shape that curves around the horseshoe-logo flap, graphic contrasting stitching, a concealed magnetic closure, and perfectly placed pockets to easily access essentials, giving the piece a Seventies vibe with a bold architectural twist. An equestrian-style grab handle and a detachable shoulder strap make this bag versatile and easy to style for numerous occasions. The finishing touch is a leather tag embossed with the iconic Gaucho - Buenos Aires horseshoe; a lucky talisman for the wearer to carry with them.

Two iterations, leather and leather embossed (both available in three distinct colorways), are now available for purchase this season. The genuine leather Lucky Bag retails for $595 USD and the embossed genuine leather Lucky Bag retails for $695 USD. Gaucho - Buenos Aires offers free ground shipping on orders over $100.The Lucky Bag is scheduled to make its world debut on the runway at NYFW in February 2022, with more details expected to be announced in the coming days.

About Gaucho - Buenos Aires

Gaucho - Buenos Aires is a fashion brand inspired by our modern interpretation of the inimitable spirit of the gaucho-the storied Argentinian wanderers and adventurers who embraced life boldly and confidently. Gaucho - Buenos Aires's leather goods, accessories, and ready-to-wear fashions are made for dynamic global citizens, those who live authentically and freely, and explore the modern world with passion and curiosity. Our styles are made to last, with timeless essentials and an unparalleled dedication to quality. Each handcrafted piece blends the heritage of Argentina-with its artisanal craftsmanship passed down through generations and the finest local materials-with modern, cosmopolitan style, designed to fit your life. The result are pieces that are unique, unforgettable and authentically individual-Buenos Aires' finest designer label. Gaucho - Buenos Aires is part of Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc. (gauchoholdings.com), which crafts luxury experiences, properties and products the celebrate the vibrant and distinctive Argentinian lifestyle. To learn more, visit www.gauchobuenosaires.com.

Media Contact:

Marisa Ritts

marisa@taraink.com

SOURCE: Gaucho Group Holdings, Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685632/Gaucho--Buenos-Aires-Announces-the-Launch-of-New-Evergreen-Handbag-Silhouette-The-Lucky-Bag
Demand for Skybox vulnerability management and security automation capabilities drove 30% new business growth

News summary

New 2021 customers include Fortune 500, Global 500, major government agencies, and companies in critical infrastructure sectors

The industry's most advanced exposure analysis, risk scoring, security automation, and vulnerability management innovations help advance strategic cybersecurity initiatives and optimize security posture

Skybox Security continues significant market share gains in the rapidly growing Vulnerability Management category

SAN JOSE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Skybox Security today announced that soaring global customer demand for its Security Posture Management Platform drove a 4x increase in subscription business from new customers year-over-year. Customer expansion and new logos also resulted in over 30% growth year-over-year, driven by global customer demand for Skybox vulnerability management and security automation capabilities. Further, Skybox Security reported the strongest quarter in the company's 19-year history to include significant expansion within the critical infrastructure sectors.

"Increasing cybersecurity regulations, digital transformation initiatives, and cloud migration continue to fuel demand for our preventative Security Posture Management Platform," said Skybox Security CEO and Founder Gidi Cohen. "Other cybersecurity companies say they do exposure analysis. Skybox Security delivers the only solution that can do it with the precision you need to prevent a cyberattack, with the full context of the network, cloud, and OT infrastructure of the organization."

New 2021 customers include Fortune 500, Global 500, major government agencies, and companies operating critical infrastructure in the energy, utilities, manufacturing, defense, and telecommunications sectors. Increasingly dangerous vulnerabilities, including but not limited to Log4j, require a new focus on preventing breaches by eliminating cyber exposure ahead of an attack.

A new path forward for breach prevention

The company's tremendous growth is fueled by capturing the ever-increasing market need for preventative cybersecurity management while strategically expanding into new verticals and regions. Hundreds of customers trust the industry-leading Skybox Security Posture Management Platform to prevent breaches before incidents happen.

Skybox Security is the only cybersecurity company to provide complete visibility and understanding of the attack surface. No other solution can visualize and analyze hybrid, multi-cloud, and OT networks across all industries and verticals.

2021 financial highlights: year-over-year growth

4x increase in new recurring subscription business

30% new business growth year-over-year, driven by global demand for Skybox vulnerability management and automation capabilities

Added ten new logos in the critical infrastructure sector, including major international manufacturers, energy and utility providers, telecommunications leaders, and one of the largest U.S. oil & gas companies

Won major government contracts across federal, state, and local agencies

Continued expansion into the highly regulated financial services sector, with 18 new logos

Reported the strongest quarter in the company's 19-year history

2021 new and expanded customers

One of the largest U.S. energy & utility companies expanded its Skybox deployment to protect over 200,000 assets with Skybox Vulnerability Control. The company needed to ramp up its vulnerability management program and report to senior management teams. It was equally important for the company to get a centralized view for all departments to have an objective way to measure and manage risk, allowing admins to mitigate risk exposures on various assets.

A major multinational oil & gas company purchased Skybox Vulnerability Control to reduce risk and increase the resiliency of OT assets. Then, the company decided to deploy Skybox Firewall and Network Assurance during the pilot phase to ensure compliance and segregation in OT and corporate environments continuously. Lastly, the customer selected Skybox Change Manager to reduce the risk and effort of making network changes throughout the organization, replacing an aging home-grown application.

A multinational manufacturer purchased the Skybox Security Policy Management solution to collect, normalize, and optimize their network and security data. After a security assessment showed significant risks linked to network misconfigurations, the customer evaluated different security policy management solutions. Skybox Security was selected because it is the only solution to deliver comprehensive security policy management capabilities that enable the customer to automate firewall rules and see across their attack surface with the Skybox network model.

2021 product innovation highlights

Delivered the most effective and efficient vulnerability remediation options available in the industry - beyond patching

Released additional OT vulnerability management capabilities, allowing customers to eliminate cyber exposure across the entire enterprise environment, including IT, hybrid, multi-cloud, as well as OT assets

Unveiled new OT security integrations with Claroty, Nozomi Networks, and Siemens' RUGGEDCOM products that expand Skybox Security's ability to identify exploitable vulnerabilities across IT/OT environments

Enriched its multidimensional network model with new and enhanced integrations across leading hardware and software partners, including Zscaler, Palo Alto Networks, VMware, F5, and others

"Managing security posture has become a critical business imperative for reducing the risk of cyberattacks. Our global customer base relies on Skybox exposure analysis to understand exposed, exploitable vulnerabilities and reduce mean time to remediation (MTTR)," said Haggai Polak, Chief Product Officer, Skybox Security. "Our upcoming product innovations will continue to extend our industry-leading network model to ingest data from transformative technologies and model entire networks across IT, OT, and hybrid cloud."

Additional resources

Why Skybox wins

Skybox use cases

Skybox Security Posture Management Platform

Skybox integration ecosystem

About Skybox Security

Over 500 of the world's largest and most security-conscious enterprises rely on Skybox for the insights and assurance required to stay ahead of dynamically changing attack surfaces. At Skybox, we don't just serve up data and information. We provide the intelligence and context to make informed decisions, taking the guesswork out of securely enabling enterprises at scale and speed. Our unified security posture management platform delivers complete visibility, analytics, and automation to quickly map, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities across your organization. The vendor-agnostic platform intelligently optimizes security policies, actions, and change processes across all corporate and cloud environments. With Skybox, security teams can focus on the most strategic business initiatives while ensuring that enterprises remain protected.

https://www.skyboxsecurity.com/

Media & analyst contact

Ashley Nakano

Corporate Communications Director

ashley.nakano@skyboxsecurity.com

 2022 Skybox Security, Inc. All rights reserved. Skybox Security and the Skybox Security logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Skybox Security, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Product specifications subject to change at any time without prior notice.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1011662/Skybox_Security_logo.jpg
Vancouver, British Columbia; London, United Kingdom; and Santiago, Chile--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - Los Andes Copper Ltd. (TSXV: LA) (OTCQX: LSANF) ("Los Andes", "LA" or the "Company") reports the Company's financial results for the year ended September 30, 2021 and provides a corporate update. The Company is advancing the Vizcachitas Copper Project located in the heart of the copper belt in Chile. The Vizcachitas Project is a large open pit "porphyry" copper deposit containing 13 billion pounds of copper equivalent (see resource details below) with an active drilling program.

The Company's objective is to advance the Vizcachitas Project to a Pre-Feasibility Study with an updated resource and mine plan. The drilling currently underway at the Vizcachitas Project is within the open pit designed in the completed Preliminary Economic Assessment, however these areas were not previously fully explored as a result of a fragmented land position and previous permitting. The current program is the first time the property can be explored throughout the area with the objective of optimizing the mine plan.

The Company has filed the Company's audited consolidated financial statements (the "Financial Statements"), for the year ended September 30, 2021.

Recent Activities

The past year has been an active one for Los Andes. The Company has taken steps to strengthen the Board with a focus on capital markets and environmental and social governance. The objectives of the changes have been to grow the Company and its presence in the capital markets with an overall plan to maximize the project value for all stakeholders.

During the past fiscal year the Company continued to update the technical aspects of the Vizcachitas Project with positive metallurgical and other technical work. The work was completed by the team and will be used in the Pre-Feasibility Study.

At the end of April 2021, the permit to drill the Vizcachitas Project was received. In May 2021 Warren Gilman of Queens Road Capital was nominated to the Board and Corinne Boone was appointed to the Board. The Company completed a $5 million Convertible Debenture which was closed in June 2021.

In October 2021, R. Michael Jones, P. Eng, was appointed as CEO of Los Andes and a Company office was established in London with the aim of increasing the Company's public market profile.

Finally, in November 2021, drilling started on the project and shares in Los Andes started trading on the OTCQX market in the USA.

Results For The Year Ended September 30, 2021

During the year ended Sept 30, 2021, the Company incurred a net loss of $ 1.65 million (September 30, 2020 - net loss of $1.89 million). General and administrative expenses during the year were $1.6 million (September 30, 2020 - $1.27 million) with the increase due to increased activity.

Loss per share for the year amounted to $0.06 as compared to a loss of $0.07 per share for fiscal 2020.

Accounts receivable at Sept 30, 2021 totalled $7,660, largely associated with a pending royalty payment (September 30, 2020 - $2.27 million) while accounts payable and other liabilities amounted to $0.82 million (Sept 30, 2020 - $0.85 million).

Total expenditures on the Vizchachitas Project, for the year were approximately $3.8 million (Sept 30, 2020 - $4.17million). At year end, $73.7 million in accumulated net costs had been capitalized to the Vizchachitas Project ( Sept 30 - $74.8 million).

Outlook

Los Andes Copper is in the enviable position of having a Tier 1 copper asset at a time that copper is of great interest as the world looks to electrify. In the months ahead the Company looks forward to a steady stream of drill results from its ongoing drilling campaign. The drilling and optimization of the mine plan adds to the completed engineering work towards the Pre-Feasibility Study. Los Andes is currently drilling with three drill rigs and plans to increase this to five rigs. The Company will continue to monitor the work at the Vizcachitas Project very closely including strict adherence to safe working practices and protection of the environment in line with its permits. Los Andes plans to continue to engage with the local community and be a good neighbor.

A key objective of the current drilling is to explore areas that are within the planned open pit from the Preliminary Assessment that for historical reasons were not drilled. The Company is working on adding copper to the mine plan from areas that have not yet been drilled and were therefore considered as waste material. Los Andes has moved the target for the Pre-Feasibility Study to the end of the second calendar quarter as a result of likely changes to the resource and the mine plan from the ongoing drilling results.

The drilling program, currently in progress, will also be used to demonstrate the potential of copper mineralization below the likely initial pit depths with some deeper holes. Results are expected soon.

Additionally, as the Company grows, Los Andes is working to expand its team.

Finally, as a result of increased engagement with the capital markets, the Company is seeing increased share trading and activity on its website. Los Andes looks for this activity to continue as it announces its drilling results and technical work. The Company looks forward to an exciting active year ahead at a good time for copper.

About Los Andes Copper Ltd.

Los Andes Copper Ltd. is an exploration and development company with an 100% interest in the Vizcachitas Project in Chile.

The Project is a copper-molybdenum porphyry deposit, located 120 kilometres north of Santiago, in an area of very good infrastructure. The Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "PEA"), delivered in June 2019, highlights that the Project has a post tax NPV of $1.8 billion and an IRR of 20.77%, based on a $3 per pound copper price. It also has a Measured Resources of 254.4 million tonnes having a grade of 0.439% copper and Indicated Resource of approximately 1.03 billion tonnes having a grade of 0.385% copper. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Please refer to the technical report dated June 13, 2019, with an effective date of May 10, 2019 and titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Vizcachitas Project", prepared by Tetra Tech.

The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.

Qualified Person ("QP") and Quality Control and Assurance

Antony Amberg CGeol FGS, the Company's Chief Geologist, is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release. The QP has validated the data by, supervising the sample collection process, through chain of custody records and inspecting the detailed technical data and quality control and assurance information.

Los Andes Copper Ltd. is listed on the TSX-V under the ticker: LA.

For more information please contact:

R. Michael Jones , P.Eng CEO

rmj@losandescopper.com

+44 203 4407982

Blytheweigh, Financial PR

Megan Ray

Rachael Brooks

Tel: +44 207 138 3203

E-Mail: info@losandescopper.com or visit our website at: www.losandescopper.com

Follow us on twitter @LosAndesCopper

Follow us on LinkedIn Los Andes Copper Ltd

Certain of the information and statements contained herein that are not historical facts, constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the Securities Act (British Columbia), Securities Act (Ontario) and the Securities Act (Alberta) ("Forward-Looking Information"). Forward-Looking Information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "seek", "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect" and "intend"; statements that an event or result is "due" on or "may", "will", "should", "could", or might" occur or be achieved; and, other similar expressions. More specifically, Forward-Looking Information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such Forward-Looking Information. Such Forward Looking Information includes, without limitation, the timing of and ability to obtain TSX-V and other regulatory approvals and the prospects, details related to and timing of the Vizcachitas Project. Such Forward-Looking Information is based upon the Company's assumptions regarding global and Chilean economic, political and market conditions and the price of metals and energy and the Company's production. Among the factors that have a direct bearing on the Company's future results of operations and financial conditions are changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, a change in government policies, competition, currency fluctuations and restrictions and technological changes, among other things. Should one or more of any of the aforementioned risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from any conclusions, forecasts or projections described in the Forward-Looking Information. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise Forward-Looking Information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111746
At the annual industry-focused competition, ten competitors pitched their photonics-enabled technologies

Yesterday, at a ceremony during SPIE Photonics West, VitreaLab, with its laser-lit chip focused on the 2D and 3D display market a technology which enables more power-efficient displays was announced the winner of the $10,000 top prize at the 12th annual SPIE Startup Challenge.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005652/en/

Jonas Zeuner of VitreaLab, center, is joined onstage by Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, left, and Ralf Kuschnereit, right. (Photo: Business Wire)

With cash prizes all provided by Jenoptik, Quantopticon, a designer of simulation software for quantum photonic hardware manufacturers, received $5,000 for second place. Luminess came in third, winning $2,500, with their versatile platform for safer, more sensitive, and more reliable X-ray medical imaging. The SPIE Startup Challenge, which showcases new businesses, products, and technologies that address critical needs with photonics, is supported by Founding Partner Jenoptik, Lead Sponsors MKS Instruments, Hamamatsu, Edmund Optics, and Thorlabs, and Strategic Partners Allianse and NextCorps' Luminate.

In addition, as part of the overall SPIE Startup Challenge program, four companies in the process of fundraising Fastree3D, Raydiant Oximetry, Stratio, Inc., and UbiQD presented their new technologies to prospective investors.

"I think this was an absolutely fantastic result," said VitreaLab CEO Jonas Zeuner. "It's great to be at the biggest photonics event and at the Startup Challenge because it means a lot of outreach possibilities, a lot of people will see us, and we can get in touch with investors so fast. Winning today is a very, very useful result, and we are very appreciative."

"I'm delighted and humbled to be selected as one of the winners," said Quantopticon CEO and Co-founder Mirella Koleva. "It's wonderful to have this opportunity, to receive so much recognition and support from the judges. It really means a lot to me, to us."

"We're very pleased and confident in the potential of our technology and it's really a pleasure to see its acceptance at such an early stage from a panel of experienced investors," said Luminess' Charles Roques-Carmes. "This gives us a lot of hope for this year since we'll be looking for early-stage investment. We really hope that we can leverage this platform that's been given to us through the SPIE Startup Challenge."

Judges drawn from across the industry who vetted the applicants for their business models, financial cases, and competitive advantages included Innovation Acceleration Capital's Darius Sankey, Edmund Optics' Greg Hollows, Fusion Fund's Homan Yuen, Anchored In's Ian Tracey, Jenoptik's Song Yop Chung, and Genoa Ventures' Bill Hyun

"What I love about the Startup Challenge is that it brings the most promising technologies and connects them with investors," noted Tracey. "It allows us to take photonics technology to market and change the world for the better. I love the energy and the focus of these competitors, and there was such a wonderful variety of different technologies that they touched upon. It was really fantastic seeing them as they came on stage, to spot their energy and enthusiasm."

Light-based technologies enable developments in a proliferating number of areas, from healthcare and high-speed communications to quantum computing, AR/VR/MR, and self-driving vehicles. The SPIE Startup Challenge is an annual entrepreneurial pitch competition for new businesses that utilize optics and photonics to create innovative products, applications, and technologies. Startup Challenge winners that have gone on to wider commercial success include Cellino Biotech, Double Helix Optics, PhotoniCare, C. Light Technologies, Circle Optics, and In A Blink.

About SPIE

SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, brings engineers, scientists, students, and business professionals together to advance light-based science and technology. The Society, founded in 1955, connects and engages with our global constituency through industry-leading conferences and exhibitions; publications of conference proceedings, books, and journals in the SPIE Digital Library; and career-building opportunities. Over the past five years, SPIE has contributed more than $22 million to the international optics community through our advocacy and support, including scholarships, educational resources, travel grants, endowed gifts, and public-policy development. www.spie.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005652/en/

Contacts:

Daneet Steffens

Public Relations Manager

daneets@spie.org

+1 360 685 5478

@SPIEtweets
The "6-Hour Virtual Seminar on EU Regulatory Affairs Strategy During Development of Medicinal Products" webinar has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The main document from a regulatory perspective in the development of a medicinal product is the regulatory plan. In this Seminar it is explained how to write the regulatory plan, and which aspects to consider.

The regulatory plan describes the regulatory strategy, as well as pricing and reimbursement issues in your development.

Orphan Medicinal Products will be discussed, and the advantages of having a status as an orphan medicinal product will be explained.

Incentives for the development of orphan medicinal products have been available in the United States of America since 1983 and in Japan since 1993, and also the EU offers a range of incentives to encourage the development of these medicines.

To benefit from the incentives, sponsors intending to develop an orphan medicine must submit an application to the EMA requesting 'orphan designation' for their medicine.

The application is evaluated by the EMA's Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products (COMP), which provides its opinion on whether or not the medicine qualifies as an orphan medicine for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of a rare disease. If the COMP issues a positive opinion, the European Commission may then grant the medicine orphan status.

Sponsors of designated orphan medicines are eligible to benefit from the incentives offered, including:

Assistance with development of the medicine

Reduced fees for marketing-authorisation applications

Protection from market competition once the medicine is authorised

Scientific advice is a vital element in the development of a medicinal product, and knowledge of the how to choose between national and EU scientific advice, as well as the preparation and procedure is vital for a successful outcome.

Scientific advice helps the company to make sure that it performs the appropriate tests and studies, so that no major objections regarding the design of the tests are likely to be raised during evaluation of the marketing-authorisation application. Such major objections can significantly delay the marketing of a product, and, in certain cases, may result in refusal of the marketing authorisation. Following advice from the Regulatory Authorities increases the probability of a positive outcome.

The Regulatory Authorities give scientific advice by answering questions posed by companies. The advice is given in the light of the current scientific knowledge, based on the documentation provided by the company. It is not the role of the Regulatory Authorities to substitute the industry's responsibility for the development of their products.

Protocol assistance is the special form of scientific advice available for companies developing designated orphan medicines for rare diseases.

Parallel scientific advice with the EMA and FDA may lead to an increased dialogue between the two agencies and sponsors from the beginning of the lifecycle of a new product, a deeper understanding of the bases of regulatory decisions, and the opportunity to optimize product development and avoid unnecessary testing replication or unnecessary diverse testing methodologies. Parallel scientific advice should focus primarily on important breakthrough drugs or important safety issues.

Parallel Scientific Advice procedures are conducted under the auspices of the confidentiality arrangement between the European Commission, the EMA, and FDA.

The Paediatric Regulation's main aim is to improve the health of children in Europe without subjecting children to unnecessary trials, or delaying the authorisation of medicinal products for use in adults.. Paediatric Investigation Plans are becoming increasingly important, and failure to integrate paediatric studies in the development may lead to a delay in approval.

Paediatric development has now become a more integral part of the overall development of medicinal products in the EU, with the Regulation working as a major catalyst to improve the situation for young patients.

Who Should Attend:

Regulatory Affairs personnel involved in development of medicinal products in the EU, in particular from US companies

Key Topics Covered:

Introduction

Elements of development regulatory affairs

The regulatory plan

Overview of the European Medicines Agency

Regulatory strategy and regulatory plans (including target SmPC)

Structure of the regulatory plan

Sources for the regulatory plan

Pricing and reimbursement

What is Health Technology Assessment (HTA)?

Who decides on pricing and reimbursement: the HTA bodies

Orphan medicinal products

Rare diseases: orphan medicinal products?

Main incentives

Applying for orphan medicinal product designation

Scientific advice

Why and when is scientific advice needed and useful?

Topics for scientific advice

Briefing document, timelines and planning: from submission to final scientific advice by CHMP

National versus EMA

Joint scientific advice CHMP HTA bodies: benefits and issues to consider

Paediatric development

Research and development programme for medicines in children: Paediatric Investigation Plans

Cases in which studies in children are not needed or will be done later: Waivers/deferrals

What is a paediatric use marketing authorisation (PUMA)?

Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products (ATMP)

Definitions

Early scientific evaluation of quality and non-clinical data: Certification procedure

Guidelines

For more information about this webinar visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/p92ana

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005767/en/

Contacts:

ResearchAndMarkets.com

Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager

press@researchandmarkets.com



For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900
Regulatory News:

NOXXON Pharma N.V. (Euronext Growth Paris: ALNOX) (Paris:ALNOX), a biotechnology company focused on improving cancer treatments by targeting the tumor microenvironment (TME), announced today that pursuant to the liquidity contract entrusted to Invest Securities by NOXXON Pharma N.V. the following assets appeared on the liquidity account:

As of December 31, 2021:

Number of shares: 59,951

Cash balance of the liquidity account: 26,132.73

For the period July 1, 2021 December 31, 2021:

Total number of shares bought: 212,321

representing an amount of: 61,360.97

representing total transactions of: 257

Total number of shares sold: 187,555

representing an amount of: 57,193.13

representing total transactions of: 356

As a reminder, as of June 30, 2021, the following assets appeared in the liquidity account:

Number of shares: 35,185

Cash balance of the liquidity account: 30,300.59

For more detailed information please see the annex of this press release.

About NOXXON

NOXXON's oncology-focused pipeline acts on the tumor microenvironment (TME) and the cancer immunity cycle by breaking the tumor protection barrier and blocking tumor repair. By neutralizing chemokines in the TME, NOXXON's approach works in combination with other forms of treatment to weaken tumor defenses against the immune system and enable greater therapeutic impact. NOXXON's lead program NOX-A12 has delivered final top-line data from a Keytruda combination trial in metastatic colorectal and pancreatic cancer patients published at the ESMO conference in September 2020 and in July 2021 the company announced its Phase 2 study, OPTIMUS, to further evaluate safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 in combination with Merck's Keytruda and two different chemotherapy regimens as second-line therapy in patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer. NOXXON is also studying NOX-A12 in brain cancer in combination with radiotherapy which has been granted orphan drug status in the US and EU for the treatment of certain brain cancers. GLORIA, a trial of NOX-A12 in combination with radiotherapy in newly diagnosed brain cancer patients who will not benefit clinically from standard chemotherapy has delivered interim data from the first two cohorts showing consistent tumor reductions and objective tumor responses. Additionally, GLORIA has been expanded to assess the benefit of NOX-A12 with other treatment combinations, radiotherapy bevacizumab and radiotherapy pembrolizumab. The company's second clinical-stage asset NOX-E36 is a Phase 2 TME asset targeting the innate immune system. NOXXON plans to test NOX-E36 in patients with solid tumors. Further information can be found at: www.noxxon.com.

Keytruda is a registered trademark of Merck Sharp Dohme Corp.

Visit NOXXON on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About the GLORIA Study

GLORIA (NCT04121455) is NOXXON's dose-escalation, phase 1/2 study of NOX-A12 in combination with irradiation in first-line partially resected or unresected glioblastoma (brain cancer) patients with unmethylated MGMT promoter (resistant to standard chemotherapy). GLORIA further evaluates safety and efficacy of NOX-A12 three additional arms combining NOX-A12 with: A. radiotherapy in patients with complete tumor resection; B. radiotherapy and bevacizumab in patients with incomplete tumor resection; and C. radiotherapy and pembrolizumab in patients with incomplete tumor resection.

About the OPTIMUS Study

OPTIMUS (NCT04901741) is NOXXON's open-label two-arm phase 2 study of NOX-A12 combined with pembrolizumab and nanoliposomal irinotecan/5-FU/leucovorin or gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel in microsatellite-stable metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.

Disclaimer

Certain statements in this communication contain formulations or terms referring to the future or future developments, as well as negations of such formulations or terms, or similar terminology. These are described as forward-looking statements. In addition, all information in this communication regarding planned or future results of business segments, financial indicators, developments of the financial situation or other financial or statistical data contains such forward-looking statements. The company cautions prospective investors not to rely on such forward-looking statements as certain prognoses of actual future events and developments. The company is neither responsible nor liable for updating such information, which only represents the state of affairs on the day of publication.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005609/en/

Contacts:

For more information, please contact:

NOXXON Pharma N.V.

Aram Mangasarian, Ph.D.

Chief Executive Officer

Tel. +49 (0) 30 726247 0

amangasarian@noxxon.com

Investor and Media Relations:

LifeSci Advisors

Guillaume van Renterghem

Tel. +41 (0) 76 735 01 31

gvanrenterghem@lifesciadvisors.com

NewCap

Arthur Rouille

Tel. +33 (0) 1 44 71 00 15

arouille@newcap.fr
Wealthfront's state-of-the-art, digital only platform tailored to next gen affluent investors will accelerate UBS's growth ambitions in the US

Today, UBS and Wealthfront, an industry-leading, automated wealth management provider serving the next generation of investors, signed an agreement whereby UBS would acquire Wealthfront in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.4 billion. Through this acquisition, UBS will accelerate its growth ambitions in the US, broaden the firm's reach among affluent investors and expand its distribution and capabilities.

With over $27 billion in assets under management and more than 470,000 clients in the US, Wealthfront's award-winning, state-of-the-art platform helps clients easily manage their wealth by providing access to financial planning capabilities, banking services and investment management solutions. Following the transaction, Wealthfront and its clients will benefit from access to UBS's leading wealth management capabilities, including the UBS Chief Investment Office's best-in-class thought leadership, an unrivaled global footprint, and deep products and services shelf.

"Adding Wealthfront's capabilities and client base to our global investment ecosystem will significantly boost our ability to grow our business in the US," said Ralph Hamers, Group Chief Executive Officer of UBS. "Wealthfront complements our core business in the US providing wealth management to high net worth and ultra high net worth investors through trusted relationships with financial advisors, and will enhance our long-term ambition to deliver a scalable, digital-led wealth management solution to affluent investors."

Wealthfront's primary focus is on millennial and Gen Z investors, a client segment with significant domestic growth potential. With more than 130 million investors in the US alone, millennials and the Gen Z population together comprise a high growth segment that will own an increasing share of the world's wealth. As UBS looks to establish and grow relationships with additional affluent clients, Wealthfront's capabilities will become the foundation of its new digital offering which will also include access to remote human advice. In addition, Wealthfront will expand UBS's existing offering through the firm's Wealth Advice Center, which focuses on serving core affluent clients, and its Workplace Wealth Solutions business, which works with employees of corporate clients on equity plan participation, financial education and retirement programs.

"Partnering with UBS will allow Wealthfront to offer our clients additional value-added services and best in class research that will help accelerate our vision to make growing wealth delightfully easy," said David Fortunato, Chief Executive Officer of Wealthfront. "We couldn't be more excited to have found a strategic partner who has the same view on the power of technology as we do. We look forward to providing our service to even more millennial and Gen Z investors."

Wealthfront's existing clients will see no immediate change to their experience and can look forward to benefiting from UBS's breadth of products, services, and intellectual capital. Clients will continue to have access to automated investing and personalized financial planning, which provides the ability to link and view outside accounts to better tailor services to each individual client. In addition to investing services, clients will also continue to have access to Wealthfront's banking services, including securities backed loans, instant transfers to investment accounts, direct deposit, bill pay, and transfer services.

Wealthfront will become a wholly owned subsidiary of UBS and will operate as a business within UBS Global Wealth Management Americas. The transaction is currently expected to close in the second half of 2022, subject to closing conditions including regulatory approvals.

UBS Investment Bank is serving as financial advisor to UBS and Sullivan Cromwell is acting as legal counsel. Qatalyst Partners is serving as Wealthfront's exclusive financial advisor and Fenwick West is acting as legal counsel.

About UBS

UBS convenes the global ecosystem for investing, where people and ideas are connected and opportunities brought to life, and provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as to private clients in Switzerland. UBS offers investment solutions, products and impactful thought leadership, is the leading global wealth manager, provides large-scale and diversified asset management, focused investment banking capabilities, and personal and corporate banking services in Switzerland. The firm focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their target markets, are capital efficient and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook.

About Wealthfront

Wealthfront integrates investing and banking services to make it delightfully easy to build long-term wealth. Through the power of automation, the company delivers personalized products to help both sophisticated and new investors learn, lower costs, and grow wealth. Wealthfront is one of the highest rated financial apps in the Apple App Store and has been named the best robo-advisor and best cash management account by NerdWallet and Investopedia. The company currently oversees $27 billion for over 470,000 clients in the US. To learn more please visit www.wealthfront.com or download the app on the App Store or Google Play.

Notice to investors

This document and the information contained herein is provided solely for information purposes, and is not to be construed as a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments in Switzerland, the United States or any other jurisdiction. No investment decision relating to securities of or relating to UBS Group AG, UBS AG or their affiliates should be made on the basis of this document. For additional information, refer to the documents furnished by or filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2020. These reports are available at www.ubs.com/investors.

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

This document contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. While these statements represent UBS's judgments and expectations concerning the matters described, a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors could cause actual developments and results to differ materially from UBS's expectations. Additional information about those factors is set forth in documents furnished and filings made by UBS with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including the second and third quarter 2021 reports and the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended 31 December 2020. UBS undertakes no obligation to update the information contained herein.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005678/en/

Contacts:

UBS Investor Contact

Switzerland: +41-44-234 41 00

Americas: +1-212-882 5734



UBS Media Contact

Switzerland: +41-44-234 85 00

UK: +44-207-567 47 14

Americas: +1-212-713-1302

APAC: +852-297-1 82 00



Wealthfront Media Contact

Kate Wauck

press@wealthfront.com

www.ubs.com/media
Regulatory News:

MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: "MAAT" or the "Company"), a French clinical stage biotech and a pioneer in the development of microbiome based ecosystem therapies dedicated to improving survival outcomes for patients with cancer, announces today the publication in the French legal announcements bulletin (Bulletin des Annonces Legales Obligatoires) of January 26, 2022 of its convening notice to the Ordinary and Extraordinary Shareholders' General Meeting to be held on Thursday, March 3, 2022 at 10:00 am CET at the Company's headquarters located at 70 avenue Tony Garnier Lyon 7e (the "General Meeting

The notice of meeting which contains the agenda, the full text of the draft resolutions as well as the main terms of participation and voting at the General Meeting can be found on the investor section of the Company's website.

Considering the context of health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the terms of participation and voting at this General Meeting may change depending on the evolution of the health and/or regulatory situation. Shareholders are invited to regularly consult the section dedicated to the General Meeting on the Company's website: www.maatpharma.com/investor-2/GM

Prior to the consideration of the items of the agenda, this General Meeting will be an opportunity to review and discuss the Company's latest developments over the past months.

This notice and all preparatory documents for the General Meeting will be available for consultation in accordance with applicable legal and regulatory provisions at the Company's registered office and on the investor section of the Company's website

As a reminder, the annual shareholders' General Meeting of the Company which will, inter alia, deliberate on the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021, will be held on May 23, 2022.

About MaaT Pharma

MaaT Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma has already achieved proof of concept in a Phase II clinical trial in acute GvHD. Our powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, supports the development and expansion of our pipeline by determining novel disease targets, evaluating drug candidates, and identifying biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions.

The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome, in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice.

MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005712/en/

Contacts:

MaaT Pharma

Herve AFFAGARD

Co-Founder and CEO

Sian Crouzet, COO/ CFO

+33 4 28 29 14 00

invest@maat-pharma.com

MaaT Pharma

Pauline RICHAUD

Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager

+33 6 07 55 25 36

prichaud@maat-pharma.com

Trophic Communications

Corporate Communications

Jacob VERGHESE or

Gretchen SCHWEITZER

+49 89 23 88 77 31

maat@trophic.eu
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2022 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic", "GRAT," or the "Company") (TSXV:GRAT)(OTCQX:CBULF)(FSE:CB82) announces the launching of the Operational Readiness initiative of its Aukam vein graphite project in the Karas region, Namibia.

Operational Readiness (OR) is the capability to efficiently deploy, operate, and maintain the systems and procedures required on the Company's Aukam Graphite Processing Plant. The main purpose of OR is to reduce operational risks, which is defined as "the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events".

The OR initiative in Aukam is led by Head of Operations, Namibia, Mr. Karl Trudeau, and his team members occupying various disciplines including EHS, Construction, Production, Laboratory, Process Control, Maintenance and Quality, with the support of other key departments such as HR and Finance.

A tentative schedule for all activities required for Operational Readiness has been deployed and is now under review by site management in order to assign task operators, identify required resources, and obtain the required management approvals. This schedule indicates that the first Product In Bag (PIB), exhibiting commercial characteristics, is expected to be delivered by the end of March 2022.

Armando Farhate, COO & Head of Graphite Marketing and Sales, says: "Operational Readiness is the only way to ensure a safe and smooth start of a new plant. I am proud of Karl and his team for dedicating a lot of effort to this fundamental phase of the Aukam project."

"The Gratomic team continues to demonstrate its ability to maintain the highest level of focus and dedication imaginable. Despite all the hurdles encountered by a global pandemic, and all the struggles that entails, the Company has remained on-track to bring its Aukam Graphite Project online in Q1 of this year," said Arno Brand CEO & President, "That is a feat few could achieve, particularly under these circumstances."

About Gratomic

Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. The Company is focused on becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to secure a strong position in the EV (Electric Vehicle) battery supply chain. With the continued development of its flagship Aukam project and further exploration on the Company's Capim Grosso property, Gratomic sets itself apart by seeking out unique top-quality assets around the world. True to its roots, the Company will continue to explore graphite opportunities displaying potential for development.

Large quantities of high-quality vein graphite have been shipped for testing to confirm its viability as an anode material. Gratomic is confident that the test results will provide a unique competitive advantage in its desired target markets. The Company will continue to update the public on the status of these tests and will provide results as soon as they become available.

The Company has formed a collaboration agreement with Forge Nano. With its patented ALD coating, this cooperation with Forge Nano is a key element to support Gratomic's strategies towards the value-added phases of production of graphite for anode applications, namely micronization, spheronization and coating, making Gratomic graphite a preferred choice for use in lithium-ion batteries.

For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact:

Arno Brand at abrand@gratomic.ca or (416) 561- 4095

Subscribe at gratomic.ca/contact/ to be added to our email list.

For Marketing and Media information, please email: info@gratomic.ca

"Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release."

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com)

SOURCE: Gratomic Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685662/Gratomic-Announces-Launching-of-Operational-Readiness-OR-of-its-Aukam-Graphite-Processing-Plant-in-Namibia
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - Stocks2Watch would like to invite the Investment Community to Indiva's Investor Webinar, Tuesday, February 8 at 1pm (PT) 4pm (ET). Individual investors, institutional investors, advisors, and analysts are invited to register now to attend the presentation.

REGISTER NOW AT: https://app.livestorm.co/stocks2watch/explore-indiva-in-2022

Niel Marotta, President & CEO, will provide an Indiva investor update at 1pm pacific standard time on Tuesday, February 8 and will discuss everything within the world powered by INDIVA. This live presentation will last approximately 20 minutes and then we'll transition into an interactive Q & A session.

Indiva Investor Update (TSXV: NDVA) (OTCQX: NDVAF)

Tuesday, February 8 at 1:00pm (PDT) | 4:00pm (EDT) | 9:00pm (GMT)

Live Presentation by Niel Marotta (President, CEO & Director) followed by Q & A

It was a banner year for Indiva in 2021, and they have no intention of slowing down. In 2022, they'll be launching Jewels, chewable cannabis tablets made from dried fruit and cannabis sugar - these game-changing edibles will be available in two flavours: Raspberry 1:1 and Strawberry. INDIVA is also set to launch Wana Quick Midnight Berry, a new sleep gummy from the award-winning Wana brand featuring a custom indica blend of CBN, CBD, and THC.

2022 will also see the launch of Gron products in Canada (pronounced "grewn"). Gron is a women-led and women-owned edible company based in Portland, Oregon. Indiva recently partnered with Gron to bring Canadians their innovative edibles portfolio, which includes candy-coated chocolate 'Pips', chocolate bars, gelatin gummy 'Pearls', and other novel edible products. Production will start on Gron products as soon as possible, with deliveries expected to begin in late Q2/early Q3 2022.

REGISTER NOW AT: https://app.livestorm.co/stocks2watch/explore-indiva-in-2022

Registration Open to Investors and Finance Professionals >>> This event is suitable for private investors, brokers, fund managers, financial institutions, funds, buy & sell side analysts, influencers, newsletter writers and journalists. The event is not suitable for people pursuing commercial opportunities.

ABOUT INDIVA (TSXV: NDVA) (OTCQX: NDVAF)

Indiva sets the standard for quality and innovation in cannabis. As a Canadian licensed producer, Indiva produces and distributes award-winning cannabis products nationally, including Bhang Chocolate, Wana Sour Gummies, Slow Ride Bakery Cookies, Gron Products, Jewels Chewable Tablets, Ruby Cannabis Sugar, Sapphire Cannabis Salt, as well as capsules, pre-rolls and premium flower under the INDIVA and Artisan Batch brands.

ABOUT STOCKS2WATCH

Stocks2Watch hosts Virtual Investor Luncheons and Online Presentations for Publicly Listed and Pre-Public Companies. To learn more about Stocks2Watch and view a complete list of events, please visit www.stocks2watch.ca.

CONTACT:

Neil Lock,

info@stocks2watch.ca

604-410-4888

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111772
Kiel, Germany--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - The Ariva Digital team has recently produced an NFT series starring 'Arivaman', the main character of Ariva Wonderland. Arivaman shall travel to over 24 different countries, including Vietnam, Philippines, Pakistani, Peru, UAE, Egypt, Switzerland, Turkey, Germany, Estonia, Ukraine, France, Italy, Portugal, Russia, USA, UK, Indonesia, Brazil, Korea, Japan, India, China Old and China Modern.

The team is also excited to announce that there are nine different space-themed NFTs, namely 'Moon', 'Earth', 'Mercury', 'Venus', 'Saturn', 'Uranus', 'Mars', 'Neptune', and 'Sun'. Additionally, there is also 'Back To The Wonderland' along with 2 different Arivaman designs.

In a nutshell, the concept of Arivaman is that a character had to be created which could accurately represent each aspect of our society, such as gender (the character itself is genderless), music, animals, and of course, travelling. Arivaman shall hence go on different journeys in a new, unique and exciting adventure, and the team hopes that this innovative effort will also help its Ariva Wonderland project, which has since garnered a lot of attention.

The Arivaman NFT series has now officially been launched. Visit Binance NFT for more information and for additional information, be sure to follow the official website and social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.





Ariva Digital's 'Arivaman' NFT Series Now Available Thanks to Binance NFT



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8493/111773_ac1df93774ec68f8_001full.jpg

About Ariva

Ariva is an innovative blockchain platform which intends to solve the inefficiencies of the tourism industry by providing a next-generation blockchain-based ecosystem. It essentially wishes to influence the tourism sector by combining cutting-edge goods, services and products into its ecosystem.

This is divided into many important categories, according to the official whitepaper, including Ariva.World, Ariva.Finance, Ariva.Club, and finally the Ariva Metaverse. These are all interconnected too, allowing for improved compatibility and therefore providing tourists with a unique experience facilitated by the smart usage of blockchain technologies.

Ariva Wonderland, a new metaverse initiative by Ariva, would provide users with the opportunity to enjoy a fully next-generation and practically limitless tourism experience, allowing them to virtually travel to any place desired. Moreover, the Ariva metaverse project's purpose is to merge the themes of VR and travelling via the crypto sector to offer a second life suitable for an expanding tourism industry. Due to this, users will be able to enjoy a new age of virtual tourism loaded with all kinds of unlimited future travel experiences. To that end, land sales shall start near the end of this month, and the project had also been listed on Liquid Exchange not too long ago with the ARV/USDT pair and gained a blue tick on BscScan.

Media Information:

Contact Person: Hans S.

Address: Kiel, Germany

Company: Ariva Co.

Email: support@ariva.digital

Website: https://ariva.digital/

The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice or trading advice. We are not responsible, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by reliance on any information mentioned in this article. All readers are encouraged to do their own research.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111773
Dallas, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - EstablishCred has announced its next step in business expansion as a public relations management agency for budding startups.





EstablishCred

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Sim Aulakh, the founder of EstablishCred, said:

"Customers can make or break your business, and hence, majority of businesses market themselves without any notoriety in their target market and hence these customers seem to overlook these growing businesses due to a lack of credibility and outreach. Therefore, it is important that we work in close collaboration with such enterprises to deliver value-based products and services that build a strong environment and demand for these startups."

EstablishCred will challenge the status quo by offering holistic and integrated solutions. To date, lead generation, promotion, communication, brand recognition, advertising and others were watertight compartments. The new mindset seeks to establish a more personalized, powerful strategy for messaging and building connections. The primary agenda for EstablishCred is to capitalize on content optimization and Influencer Marketing.

In paving the way for the marketing resolution, EstablishCred intends to render bundled solutions to better serve its customer base. One of these is to synergise LinkedIn and email marketing to build a multi-channel approach for B2B industries. EstablishCred plans to begin by seeking out appropriate connections through the social media platform and using the power of cold emailing to probe their offerings, newsletters, deals and discounts.





Sim Aulakh

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Commenting on the move, Sim Aulakh continued:

"Audiences need to know of the existence, culture, perspectives and offerings of the new-age startups. They are not bound by traditional silos, are mouldable, and can quickly adapt to the updated expectations of customer interaction. Accordingly, podcasting has turned out to be a great avenue. In this regard, EstablishCred will groom the clients into carving their brand into 'content of interest'."

The company aims to build oratory skills, depth of discussion, insights, culture and perspective. These five shall come together and offer excellent engagement for the listeners and audiences.

EstablishCred is also now actively targeting knowledge graphs and Wikipedia pages for founders of these enterprising startups. The challenge of assimilating all the available information and converting them into a comprehensive dataset has put startups in the backseat for the longest time. This way, EstablishCred plans to bring prominent visibility within Google search results.

About EstablishCred

EstablishCred is a boutique, communications and full-service digital agency. The company specialises in blending the varied avenues of public relations, social media management, business networking and influencer marketing to increase brand awareness which ultimately helps elevate reach and revenue.

Contact Details:



Sim Aulakh

Founder - EstablishCred

Phone: 214-733-7292

sim@establishcred.co

https://www.establishcred.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111646
Free exhibition programme announced for May 2022 until February 2023

LONDON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- From a ground-breaking nature-inspired art and landscape project transforming the natural environment of the island of Inujima, through to the kumihimo braid-work artisans pushing the boundaries of historic craft, the forthcoming exhibitions at Japan House London in 2022-2023 explore a truly diverse range of themes.

Intended to offer a fresh perspective on Japan, the free exhibition programme shines a spotlight on master artisans, craftspeople, designers, and creatives to provide visitors with a deeper appreciation of lesser-known elements of Japanese cultures.

FORTHCOMING EXHIBITIONS

Summer Showcase

Symbiosis

May 2022 - September 2022

This is an exhibition showcasing the extraordinary art project that has transformed the landscape of Inujima Island in the Seto Inland Sea. Once a flourishing hub of the copper refining and stone quarrying industry, large-scale art initiatives such as the Art House Project aim to inspire the ageing local community to engage with the natural environment beyond the artworks. Created by artistic director Hasegawa Yuko and architect Sejima Kazuyo, a series of galleries scattered throughout the island are constructed from recycled materials, transparent acrylic glass and aluminium, reflecting and preserving the landscape, ecology and industrial heritage of the island of Inujima.

The exhibition shines a spotlight on the project and the concept of symbiosis, the interaction between nature and architecture, each informing the other to connect the people of the island to both art and architecture via the constantly evolving environment.

Autumn Exhibition

Woodworking from Hida

Takayama is the largest city in the mountainous and densely forested Hida region of Gifu Prefecture in central Japan. For centuries the region has been known for the quality of its timber and highly skilled carpenters. An initiative in the beginning of the eighth century CE saw woodworking skills provided to the imperial capital in place of taxation, such was the reverence for and importance of the carpentry techniques borne in this area of Japan. It was their extraordinary skill and craftsmanship that built many of the famous shrines and temples still seen in the ancient capitals, including the temples of Yakushi-ji and Todai-ji in day Nara. Featuring a variety of techniques that represent the region's diversity of craft and reflect the breadth of skill passed between generations of Hida craftsman - visitors can explore woodworking from Japan's most innovative woodworking region.

Forthcoming Exhibitions

Kumihimo

Spring 2023

The word kumihimo translates to the gathering of cords, braids, or strings. Braiding with cords has a long history in Japan, where they have been used as both functional and decorative embellishments for items such as obi ties (obijime ), samurai armour, and the closure for haori jackets (an overcoat worn on top of a kimono). Often overlooked as part of wider textile history, intricate weaving patterns and techniques are closely guarded and handed down through generations of makers. This exhibition brings together artists working with kumihimo weaving techniques across different fields, exploring the charms of the intricacy of braids, both old and new, and showcasing historic craft techniques brought to life from archives of ancient records. Guests are invited to explore the structural features of braids derived from mathematics and engineering research, alongside their role in contemporary fashion, art and architecture.

Media Information and Press Contacts

Press Images: https://www.japanhouselondon.uk/media-centre

About Japan House London

Japan House London is a cultural destination offering guests the opportunity to experience the best and latest from Japan. Located on London'sKensington High Street, the experience is an authentic encounter with Japan, engaging and surprising even the most knowledgeable guests. Presenting the very best of Japanese art, design, gastronomy, innovation, and technology, it deepens the visitor's appreciation of all that Japan has to offer. Part of a global initiative led by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are two other Japan Houses, one in Los Angeles and the other in Sao Paulo.
Overture Superfactory in Piedmont Triad Area to Break Ground in 2022 and Begin Production in 2024, Adding More Than 2,400 Local Jobs by 2032

DENVER, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Boom Supersonic , the company building the world's fastest and most sustainable supersonic airliner, today announced it has selected the Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina as the site of its first full-scale manufacturing facility.

The Overture Superfactory will be a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, including the final assembly line, test facility, and customer delivery center for the Overture supersonic airliner. Carrying 65 to 88 passengers, Overture is capable of flying on 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at twice the speed of today's fastest passenger jets.

"Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines," said Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic. "With some of the country's best and brightest aviation talent, key suppliers, and the state of North Carolina's continued support, Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the world's supersonic manufacturing hub."

North Carolina offers Boom an optimal location for its manufacturing facility thanks to its strong aerospace workforce, which includes a large number of U.S. military veterans. North Carolina also affords good access to technical schools, providing Boom with a pipeline of skilled labor. The Piedmont Triad area is in close proximity to many tier-one aerospace suppliers, benefitting Boom as Overture production ramps. Additionally, the close proximity to the eastern seaboard facilitates supersonic flight testing over the Atlantic Ocean. Boom corporate headquarters remains just outside of Denver, Colorado.

The Overture Superfactory will be approximately 400,000 square feet and constructed on a 65-acre campus at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.

Boom will bring more than 1,750 jobs to North Carolina by 2030, expanding to a total of more than 2,400 jobs by 2032. North Carolina economists estimate that the Overture Superfactory will grow the state's economy by at least $32.3 billion over 20 years.

To develop the next generation of supersonic professionals, Boom will also create 200 internships through 2032 for students who attend publicly funded North Carolina universities, community colleges, or technical schools.

"It is both poetic and logical that Boom Supersonic would choose the state that's first in flight for its first manufacturing plant," said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper. "Like the success of the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk, this innovative company will succeed by transforming passenger air travel with speed and sustainable energy."

Boom expects to break ground later this year on the Overture Superfactory and will begin production in 2024. The first Overture aircraft is slated to roll out in 2025, fly in 2026, and carry its first passengers by 2029. Commercial interest in Overture, including orders and options, totals $14 billion from United Airlines and Japan Airlines. Boom is also working with the United States Air Force on government applications of the aircraft.

To watch the press conference announcing the Boom Supersonic Overture Superfactory, including North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, please visit: https://boomsupersonic.com/overture

To browse open positions at Boom headquarters and the Overture Superfactory, please visit the Boom careers center: https://boomsupersonic.com/careers

About Boom Supersonic

Boom Supersonic is redefining commercial air travel by bringing sustainable, supersonic flight to the skies. Boom's historic commercial airliner, Overture, is designed and committed to industry-leading standards of speed, safety, and sustainability. Overture will be net-zero carbon, capable of flying on 100% sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) at twice the speed of today's fastest passenger jets. Overture's order book, including purchases and options, stands at 70 aircraft, and Boom is working with the United States Air Force for government applications of Overture. Named one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2021, the Boom XB-1 demonstrator aircraft rolled out in 2020, and its carbon neutral flight test program is underway. The company is backed by world-class investors, including Bessemer Venture Partners, Prime Movers Lab, Emerson Collective and American Express Ventures. For more information, visit https://boomsupersonic.com .

Connect with Boom Supersonic on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram, YouTube

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1200803/Boom_Logo.jpg
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Despite data showing a larger than expected increase in U.S. crude inventories last week, crude oil futures settled higher on Wednesday as prices climbed up amid rising geopolitical tensions. U.S. President Joe Biden has warned Moscow of damaging sanctions, including measures personally targeting President Vladmir Putin, if Russia invades Ukraine. Meanwhile, in the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates is reportedly looking to upgrade its defensive capabilities following the missile and drone attacks on the UAE by Houthi rebels over the past two weeks. West Texas Intermediate Crude oil futures for March ended higher by $1.75 or about 2% at $87.35 a barrel, the highest settlement since October 2014. Brent crude futures are up $1.22 or nearly 1.4% at 88.40 a barrel. Data released by U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed crude inventories increased by 2.4 million barrels last week, as against forecasts for a 728,000-barrel decline. Gasoline stockpiles rose by 1.3 million barrels in the week ended January 21. However, the increase was smaller than the expected rise of about 2.5 million barrels. The distillates inventories were down 2.8 million last week, more than twice the expected decline. A report released by the American Petroleum Institure (API) late Tuesday showed crude stocks dropped by 872,000 barrels for the week ending January 21, against an expected decline of about 400,000 barrels. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / January 26, 2022 / The Power Play by The Market Herald has announced the release of a new interviews with Outback Goldfields, Avrupa Minerals, Nextech AR, and QuestEx discussing their latest press releases.

The Power Play by The Market Herald provides investors with a quick snapshot of what they need to know about the company's latest press release through exclusive insights and interviews with company executives.

Outback Goldfields (TSXV:OZ) provides updates from its Yeungroon property

Outback Goldfields (OZ) has provided an update on exploration activities at its Yeungroon property, central Victoria, Australia. A combination of grid-based RAB and focused diamond drilling has confirmed the presence of an open-ended, reef-hosted gold system at Golden Jacket. Chris Donaldson, CEO of Outback sat down with Caroline Egan to discuss the news.

For the full interview with Chris Donaldson and to learn more about Outback Goldfields' update, click here.

Avrupa Minerals (TSXV:AVU) reports new drill results at the Sesmarias Prospect

Drilling continues to expand and upgrade polymetallic, massive sulphide mineralization at the Sesmarias Copper-Zinc Prospect within the Alvalade Project. The program is a joint venture between Avrupa Minerals and Minas de Aguas Tenidas, S.A. (MATSA). To date, the company has completed 11 diamond drill holes totalling 5,862 metres. Paul W. Kuhn, President and CEO of Avrupa Minerals sat down with Dave Jackson to discuss the results.

For the full interview with Paul Kuhn and to learn more about Avrupa Minerals' drill results, click here.

Nextech AR (CSE:NTAR)(OTCQB:NEXCF) closes private placement and joins Khronos Group

Nextech AR (NTAR) has closed its previously announced capital raise and joined the Khronos Group as a contributor member. The Khronos Group is a consortium of companies creating advanced standards in 3D, Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), and Metaverse. Nextech's CEO Evan Gappelberg sat down with Dave Jackson to discuss the news.

For the full interview with Evan Gappelberg and to learn more about Nextech AR's private placement, click here.

QuestEx (TSXV:QEX) expands gold mineralization at Inel Prospect

QuestEx (QEX) has announced drill and prospecting results from the Inel Gold Prospect in B.C. The company encountered gold, silver and copper mineralization up to 300 m west and 600 m southwest of the prospect. It expects to publish an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate for Inel following receipt and validation of all results. QuestEx President Tony Barresi spoke with Dave Jackson about the expansion.

For the full interview with Tony Barresi and to learn more about QuestEx's results, click here.

Interviews for The Power Play by The Market Herald are released daily. To learn more about the companies featured in The Power Play or to explore our other interviews visit The Power Play by The Market Herald.

About The Market Herald

The Market Herald Canada is the leading source of authoritative breaking stock market news for self-directed investors. Our team of Canadian markets reporters, editors and technologists covers the entire listed company universe in Canada. We cover over 3,985 businesses, their people, their investors, and their customers. We write the stories that move the Canadian capital markets.

DISCLAIMER: Report Card Canada Media Ltd. ("Report Card") is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Market Herald Limited, an Australian company ("Market Herald"). Report Card is not an advisory service, and does not offer, buy, sell, or provide any other rating, analysis or opinion on the securities we discuss. We are retained and compensated by the companies that we provide information on to assist them with making information available to the public. All information available on themarketherald.ca and/or this press release should be considered as commercial advertisement and not an endorsement, offer or recommendation to buy or sell securities. Report Card is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority in any province or territory of Canada, will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies and do not provide nor claim to provide investment advice or recommendations to any visitor of this site or readers of any content on or originating from themarketherald.ca. Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees may from time to time acquire, hold or sell securities and/or commodities and/or commodity futures contracts in certain underlying companies mentioned in this site and which may also be clients of Market Herald's affiliates. In such instances, Market Herald and/or its affiliates and/or their respective officers, directors or employees will use all reasonable efforts to avoid engaging in activities that would lead to conflicts of interest and Market Herald and/or its affiliates will use all reasonable efforts to comply with conflicts of interest disclosures and regulations to minimize any conflict. All the information on this document and/or the website - themarketherald.ca - is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. Report Card does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. Any action you take upon the information you find on this document and/or website (themarketherald.ca) is strictly at your own risk. Report Card will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website. From our website, you can visit other websites by following hyperlinks to such external sites. While we strive to provide only quality links to useful and ethical websites, we have no control over the content and nature of these sites. These links to other websites do not imply a recommendation for all the content found on these sites. Site owners and content may change without notice and may occur before we have the opportunity to remove a link which may have gone 'bad'. Please be also aware that when you leave our website, other sites may have different privacy policies and terms which are beyond our control. Please be sure to check the Privacy Policies of these sites as well as their "Terms of Service" before engaging in any business or uploading any information.

CONTACT:

The Market Herald

Brianna Anthony

brianna.anthony@themarketherald.ca

themarketherald.ca

SOURCE: The Market Herald

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/685698/The-Power-Play-by-The-Market-Herald-Releases-New-Interviews-with-Outback-Goldfields-Avrupa-Minerals-Nextech-AR-and-QuestEx
(All dollar amounts are in United States dollars unless otherwise specified)

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - Bear Creek Mining Corporation (TSXV: BCM) (OTCQX: BCEKF) (BVL: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") is pleased to update the status of its acquisition ("Acquisition") from Equinox Gold Corp. ("Equinox") of a 100% interest in the Mercedes gold-silver mine ("Mercedes") located in Sonora, Mexico, which was originally announced in the Company's press release dated December 17, 2021.

The TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV") has granted its conditional approval for the Acquisition, as well as for: (i) the Company's gold purchase agreement (the "Gold Purchase Agreement") with Sandstorm Gold Ltd. ("Sandstorm"), pursuant to which Sandstorm will provide the Company with $37.5 million and in exchange Bear Creek will sell to Sandstorm 600 ounces of refined gold per month for 42 months (a total of 25,200 ounces) at a price equal to 7.5% of the spot gold price at the time of delivery and thereafter the Company will sell to Sandstorm 4.4% of gold produced by Mercedes at a price equal to 25% of the spot price at the time of delivery; and (ii) the private placement by the Company to Sandstorm of a 6%, three-year convertible debenture ("Convertible Debenture") having a principal amount of $22.5 million. Proceeds from the Gold Purchase Agreement and the Convertible Debenture will be applied to partially fund the purchase price of the Acquisition.

The Acquisition, the Gold Purchase Agreement and the Convertible Debenture private placement are expected to close during the first quarter of 2022, subject to customary closing conditions, including final approval from the TSXV and Mexican authorities.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Anthony Hawkshaw

President and CEO

For further information contact:

Barbara Henderson - VP Corporate Communications

Direct: 604-628-1111

E-mail: barb@bearcreekmining.com

www.bearcreekmining.com

Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding: the anticipated closing date, customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals of the Acquisition, the Gold Purchase Agreement and the Convertible Debenture; and other statements regarding future plans, expectations, guidance, projections, objectives, estimates and forecasts as well as the Company's expectations with respect to such matters. These forward-looking statements are provided as of the date of this news release, or the effective date of the documents referred to in this news release, as applicable, and reflect predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events based on the Company's beliefs at the time the statements were made, as well as various assumptions made by and information currently available to them. In making the forward-looking statements included in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to: that the Acquisition, the Gold Purchase Agreement and the Convertible Debenture will be approved by regulators; and, that customary closing conditions will be met. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions on which they are based do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the expectations expressed in them. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions expressed above do not occur, but specifically include, without limitation, risks relating to general market conditions and the additional risks described in the Company's latest Annual Information Form, and other disclosure documents filed by the Company on SEDAR. The foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. Investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on behalf of the Company, except as required by law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulatory Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111799
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Ball Corp. (BLL) Wednesday announced that Dan Fisher, currently president of Ball Corporation, was elected by its board of directors to the additional role of chief executive officer, effective at the annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday, April 27. John Hayes who has been Ball's CEO since January 2011, will remain chairman of the board, and will continue to lead the company's board activities and support its sustainability advocacy efforts. 'On behalf of our board of directors, we are pleased to elect Dan as our next CEO, the 12th CEO in our company's 142-year history,' said John Hayes, chairman and CEO. 'Dan is a proven and respected leader who has exemplified behaving like an owner, as he has delivered strong operating results through a relentless commitment to our customers, our people and our culture. He is ready for these new responsibilities, and we could not be more excited for our future under Dan's leadership.' Separately, Ball declared a cash dividend of 20 cents per share, payable March 15, 2022, to shareholders of record as of March 1, 2022. Copyright(c) 2022 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Cazoo (NYSE: CZOO), an online car retailer, is to acquire brumbrum, an Italian digital car retailer and subscription platform.

The deal, which amounted to 80m in a mix of cash & Cazoo shares, is expected to complete in the coming days. It aims to accelerate Cazoos planned launch across Italy in 2022.

Founded in 2016 by Francesco Banfi, CEO, brumbrum is an online used car retail & subscription player offering a wide selection of cars for purchase, finance or subscription. The company has a team of over 180 with management and local market expertise and extensive local supply, finance, commercial and logistics relationships.

brumbrum is based in Milan and operates a 40,000 square metre vehicle preparation site in Reggio Emilia, which has the capacity to refurbish over 15,000 cars annually. The business offers hundreds of vehicles for sale, finance or subscription for delivery across Italy.

Founded in 2018 by British entrepreneur Alex Chesterman, Cazoo is an online car buying company listed on the NYSE last year with already a team of over 3,800 across the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Portugal. Cazoo has sold over 50,000 cars online since its launch just over two years ago. It launched in 2019 in the UK and more recently launched in France and Germany last December.

FinSMEs

26/01/2022
Eaglebrook Advisors, a Miami, FL-based digital asset separately managed account (SMA) platform, raised $20M in Series A funding.

The round, which brings total capital raised to date to $22M, was led by Castle Island Ventures and Brewer Lane Ventures with participation from Gemini Frontier Fund, Avon Ventures, Jump Capital, Sybil Capital, Marty Bicknell, Ric Edelman, Mark Casady and Joe Mrak.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate technology and product development to serve financial advisors and the wealth management industry in response to market demand.



Founded in 2019 by Christopher King, Chief Executive Officer, Eaglebrook Advisors, Inc. is a tech-driven, SEC-registered investment adviser that operates a SMA platform focused on the crypto market. Digital assets held in its SMAs are secured in an offline, institutional-grade custody account at Gemini Trust Company, a qualified custodian. Eaglebrooks digital asset SMA platform is fully integrated with the major portfolio management and reporting systems used by RIAs and independent advisors. The solution allows advisors to model, onboard, bill, and advise on their clients bitcoin and digital asset holdings within a secure, unified technology ecosystem.

Eaglebrooks digital asset SMA platform has grown to serve more than 40 RIAs and 500 financial advisors across the United States. Key partnerships include Mariner Wealth Advisors, Dynasty Financial Partners, and Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors, among others. Eaglebrook recently launched Eaglebrook IQ, the crypto educational platform for financial advisors, providing training and education on the emerging digital asset market.

FinSMEs

26/01/2022
RTHK: Dozens missing after boat capsizes off Florida

The US Coast Guard launched a search for 39 people reported missing when a boat capsized off the coast of Florida in a "suspected human smuggling venture," it said on Tuesday.

The Coast Guard in Miami said it had received a report "from a good Samaritan" who rescued a man "clinging to a capsized vessel approximately 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet".

The survivor said the boat had left Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday night but encountered rough weather and capsized.

"According to the survivor, no one was wearing a life jacket," the statement said.

"Coast Guard air and surface asset crews are actively searching for people in the water. This is a suspected human smuggling venture," said the statement, which was posted on Twitter.

An image released by the Coast Guard shows the capsized vessel in the water with a man sitting on top of the hull.

Human smugglers are known to use the Bahamas, a group of islands lying near the Florida coast, as a jumping off point for getting people, many from other Caribbean countries such as Haiti, into the United States.

Bimini, the westernmost district of the Bahamas and its closest point to the mainland, is approximately 217 kilometres from Fort Pierce Inlet. (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-25. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.


Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe (L) holds video talks with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman (R) on January 26, 2022. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 -- Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe held talks via video link with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman on January 26, 2022.

Under the strategic guidance of the heads of state of the two countries, China and Saudi Arabia have been deepening their political mutual trust and expanding cooperation in various fields, and the two countries are good friends and partners that trust each other, share mutual benefits, and develop together, Wei said.

The Chinese side thanks Saudi Arabian side for its strong support on Xinjiang-related, Hong Kong-related and Taiwan-related issues, and fully respects Saudi Arabia's sovereignty, and firmly supports its independent choice on the development path, Wei said.

Wei suggested that the two sides should reinforce coordination and cooperation, jointly oppose hegemonic, peremptory and bullying acts, and jointly protect international fairness and justice and the interests of developing countries.

Chinese military is willing to maintain strategic communication with the Saudi military, make good use of the cooperation mechanism, boost practical cooperation and strengthen solidarity in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, so as to promote the continuous development of bilateral military relations.

Khalid bin Salman said the comprehensive strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and China has been developing steadily and the military cooperation between the two countries has made great progress, yielding substantial results. The two militaries should improve practical cooperation and further enhance bilateral relations, Khalid said.

The two sides also exchanged views on issues of common concern.



Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe holds video talks with Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman on January 26, 2022.(mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Xiaowei)
Uri May, CEO & co-founder of Hunters

Hunters, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based provider of a SOC Platform that allows security teams to automatically identify and respond to security incidents across their entire attack surface, raised $68m in Series C funding.

The round, which brought total funding to $118m, was led by Stripes with participation from new investors DTCP, Cisco Investments and Databricks, and existing investors YL Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Microsofts venture fund M12, U.S. Venture Partners, Blumberg Capital and Snowflake Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to further innovate in its platform and services, to strengthen sales and partnerships across North America and EMEA and to continue to invest in talent.

Led by Uri May, CEO and co-founder, Hunters provides a SOC Platform that empowers security teams to automatically identify and respond to incidents that matter across the entire attack surface. Hunters has the ability to ingest and normalize data from all security data sources at a predictable cost and Its built-in detection engineering, data correlation and automatic investigation helps security teams overcome volume, complexity and false positives. Global enterprises, including leading Fortune 500 companies in financial services, media, retail and manufacturing use it as their main SOC platform, replacing their SIEM.

The list of users includes companies like Booking.com, Snowflake, Netgear and Cimpress.

FinSMEs

26/01/2022
Koji Co-Founders Dmitry Shapiro (left) and Sean Thielen

Koji, a San Diego CA-based app store for the creator economy platform, raised $20M in Series B funding.

The round was led by Jump Capital, with participation from HBSE Ventures, Electric Feel Ventures, Visary Capital, Metaversal, University Growth Ventures, Galaxy Interactive, BITKRAFT,

as well as:

Shivakumar Rajaraman, Head of Product at OpenSea and former VP Commerce at Meta;

Francis Ma, Head of Google Firebase;

Peeyush Ranjan, VP Engineering at Google;

David Zhang, Director at Silver Lake;

Scott Roberts, VP and Head of Business Development at LinkedIn;

Keren Baruch, Product Lead for Creator Strategy at LinkedIn;

Mohammad Barhoush, Director at IAC;

Punit Singh Soni, CEO of Suki;

Ujjwal Singh, head of Workplace at Facebook;

Brett Chalabian, software engineer at Google; Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney;

Art Bilger, founder of WorkingNation;

Stefano Corazza, VP at Adobe;

Bhaumik Kotecha, head of Business Operations at Cash App;

Chris Abad, Director of User Experience at Google;

Kum Hong Siew, COO at Airbnb China; and

others.

Saaya Nath, Vice President at Jump Capital, is joining Kojis board of directors in conjunction with the fundraise.

The company intends to use the funds to grow its engineering and creator teams, accelerate development of the platform, and further develop its Web3 and crypto offerings.

Led by CEO Dmitry Shapiro and Chief Architect Sean Thielen, Koji provides a platform with hundreds of free apps created by Koji and its community of independent developers. The Koji Link in Bio gives creators on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and other social media platforms new ways to engage audiences, connect with supporters, and monetize.

Since launching in March 2021, over 150 thousand creators use Kojis Link in Bio platform and over 200 apps to engage with their audiences. Kojis app store includes everything from fun novelties like customizable games to utilities like Shoutout, an app that lets creators offer customized videos to their fans. Koji recently announced a suite of innovative Web3 apps, including commerce apps that offer product discounts for customers who own specific NFTs.

Powered by Kojis platform, Koji apps open directly inside every social media app, without requiring any downloads or installs. These apps are not subject to App Store taxes, letting creators and app developers keep more of their earnings. New apps are released every week and are created by Kojis community of independent developers, creator economy startups like Laylo, Subtext, and Fanfix, and Kojis own in-house developers.

FinSMEs

26/01/2022
MinIO Inc., a Palo Alto, California  based creator of a multi-cloud object storage suite, raised $103m in Series B funding at a $1 billion valuation.

The round, which brings total funding raised to $126m, was led by Intel Capital with participation from new investor SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and existing investors Dell Capital, General Catalyst and Nexus Venture Partners.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations and its business reach.

Led by CEO Anand Babu Periasamy and COO and Co-founder Garima Kapoor, MinIO is a cloud object storage company pioneering high performance, Kubernetes-native object storage for the multi-cloud. With 760M+ Docker pulls, the software-defined, Amazon S3-compatible object storage system is used by more than half of the Fortune 500. Available on every cloud, MinIO has more than 1.2M active deployments on the public cloud, private cloud and edge. This includes public cloud deployments on Google Kubernetes Engine, Amazons Elastic Kubernetes Service, Azure Kubernetes Service, private cloud deployments on Red Hat OpenShift, VMware Tanzu, HPE Ezmeral, SUSE Rancher as well as millions of colocation and edge deployments.

MinIO has a subsidiary in Bangalore, India and is rapidly expanding their engineering footprint in that geography.

The company has dozens of customers across India, Asia and the Middle East.

FinSMEs

26/01/2022
PQShield, a London, UK-based cybersecurity company specializing in post-quantum cryptography, raised $20m in Series A funding.

The round was led by Addition, with participation from existing investors Oxford Science Enterprises (formerly OSI) and Crane.

The company intends to use the funds to accelerate further product development, hiring and international expansion.

The proceeds will be used to extend PQShields presence in the US and EMEA, launch in new markets including Japan, and accelerate product development. The company is also planning to double its team by the end of 2022, beginning with the recruitment of Graeme Hickey, formerly of NXP Semiconductors, as Senior Director of Hardware Engineering

Led by CEO and founder Ali El Kaafarani, PQShield is a cybersecurity company specializing in post-quantum cryptography, protecting data from todays attacks while readying organisations for the threat landscape of tomorrow. The quantum-secure cryptographic solutions work with companies legacy systems to protect devices and sensitive data now and for years to come. The company can demonstrate quantum-safe cryptography on chips, in applications, and in the cloud. Headquartered in the UK, PQShield has additional teams in the United States, France and the Netherlands.

FinSMEs

26/01/2022




On January 4, 2022, President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Xi Jinping pointed out, since the establishment of diplomatic ties 30 years ago, China-Tajikistan relations have achieved leapfrog development and reached the best level in history. In particular, in recent years, the two countries have taken the lead in building a community of development and a community of security, setting an example of building a community with a shared future for mankind. The two sides have increasingly deepened strategic mutual trust, firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, with booming cooperation in various fields and fruitful results in high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. Facing the COVID-19 pandemic, people of the two countries have united together and helped each other, demonstrating the brotherhood sharing weal and woe.

Xi Jinping stressed that I attach great importance to the development of China-Tajikistan relations, and I am willing to work with President Rahmon to take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries as an opportunity to promote China-Tajikistan comprehensive strategic partnership to continuously achieve new outcomes, and build a closer China-Tajikistan community with a shared future, so as to benefit the two countries and the two peoples.

Rahmon said that at this critical moment in the history of bilateral relations, I extend my sincerest congratulations and best wishes to you and the friendly Chinese people. At present, the friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields between Tajikistan and China continue to develop, reaching a high level of comprehensive strategic partnership and accumulating fresh experience. The China-Tajikistan relations, based on good neighborliness, mutual respect and mutual trust, are mutually beneficial and are a new type of high-quality state-to-state relations. We are satisfied with the current state of the development of the two countries' relations, and are convinced that Tajikistan-China relations will move further towards a future of long-term development.
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First Phoenix Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii to Host Fun-Filled Grand Opening Celebration

January 25, 2022 // Franchising.com // PHOENIX - Phoenixs new Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, located inside CityScape Phoenix at 50 W. Jefferson, is celebrating its market entry with a grand opening event this Thursday and Friday, January 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Guests who visit during the celebration will enjoy samples of various menu items and have a chance to win prizes such as Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii mugs, shirts, lanyards, tote bags and more. They can also receive a free medium drink when they download the Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii app and join Ohana Rewards. Additionally, the first 89 guests to make a purchase on Tiki Thursday will receive a free Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii mug. Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii t-shirts will be given away to the first 89 guests who make a purchase on Aloha Friday.

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii originated on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1989. Its name pays tribute to a very important animal in Hawaiian coffee history: The Donkey. Legend has it that for generations, donkeys could be heard bellowing as they carried precious loads of coffee beans down the steep mountains of the Big Island. The people of Kona named these hard-working donkeys the Bad Ass Ones because of their reliably strong, but stubborn nature in carrying their precious cargo.

The legend of those hard-working donkeys lives on today at Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a company that is stubborn about sourcing, roasting and serving quality Hawaiian coffee with the Aloha Spirit.

In addition to premium Hawaiian coffees, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii serves coffees, signature lattes, cold brew, popular blended espresso drinks and teas. The food menu also serves up a full dose of the Hawaiian spirit with unique delights such as Twisted Malasada donuts and The Bad Ass One, a breakfast sandwich with Spam, egg, Swiss, pineapple and barbecue sauce served on KINGS HAWAIIAN sweet bread.

Guests can take the taste of Hawaii home or to the office through packages of Hawaiian blends and single-origin coffee beans including 100% Kona, single serve pods and other products.

About Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii was born on the Big Island of Hawaii in 1989 and is dedicated to sharing premium Hawaiian coffees with a kick from the Hawaiian Islands through 20 franchise locations  with additional shops to open soon. Today, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii stores also serve popular blended drinks, teas, food, along with other international premium coffees and sell popular branded merchandise with exceptional service and the Aloha Spirit. Bad Ass Coffees are available in franchise stores, online and will soon be available through grocery, hospitality, and specialty retail channels. The Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii brand and franchise is owned by Royal Aloha Franchise Company, LLC. For more information, visit badasscoffee.com and connect on Facebook and Instagram @badasscoffeeofhawaii. Franchise information is available at badasscoffeefranchise.com.

*KING'S HAWAIIAN is a registered trademark of King's Hawaiian Holding Company, Inc.

SOURCE Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii

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Two brothers are breathing new life into a landmark dining spot in Lehigh County.

Johnny and Richard Schafer in July purchased the longstanding Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145 in the Laurys Station section of North Whitehall Township with plans to open a new eatery, Laurys Station American Grill, in the coming months.

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The duo has been renovating the decades-old property since mid-summer, adding new everything in the kitchen  including new lighting, plumbing and tile flooring  and giving the dining room a heavy refresh with new wall paint, ceiling tiles, restored teal booths and more, Johnny said.

Laurys Station American Grill is expected to open within the next few months at the former Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145 in the Laurys Station section of North Whitehall Township. Brothers Johnny and Richard Schafer have been renovating the landmark dining spot since purchasing the property last summer. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

Unfortunately, delays with kitchen equipment arriving have pushed back previous tentative opening dates of September and November.

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The Schafers now hope to open their new establishment in March, Johnny said.

The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer, Johnny said. The dining room is all done, and we have everything but one piece of kitchen equipment in place. Unfortunately, we also ran into a snag with our cooler and refrigerator and are waiting on some parts for them as well. Will a March opening be a reality? It could be if everything falls into place just right.

The dining rooms appearance is mostly staying the same, but the Schafers have refurbished much of the existing features, including neon lights and stainless steel accents.

Outside, the former Hi-Way Family Restaurants beige facade received a new gray coat of paint, and the partners are also planning to add a new take-out window with a digital menu board down the line.

Were bringing this landmark back to its glory days, Johnny said. When we first took over, we were just going to redo the floors, but then I said to Richard, Lets do this right and make it beautiful for the next 40 years because it wont be easy to tear apart this kitchen in the future. Were putting in place a kitchen any chef would dream of working inside.

Laurys Station American Grill is expected to open within the next few months at the former Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145 in the Laurys Station section of North Whitehall Township. Brothers Johnny and Richard Schafer have been renovating the landmark dining spot since purchasing the property last summer. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

The Hi-Way Family Restaurant, at the corner of Route 145 and Rising Sun Road, closed in July after more than 40 years of business. Owners and brothers Nick and Mike Gentis announced the change in ownership on the business Facebook page.

Although we are saddened to leave, we feel confident that the restaurant will continue to serve you all in the future with the same great service and food which we always strived to achieve for the past 42 years, the brothers wrote in the online post. We started all those years ago with a few booths and small kitchen, and grew to accommodate so many great customers who through the years became friends. We will miss you all and hope you continue to patronize the restaurant. Thank you to our guests and employees for all their support and being part of the Hi-Way family.

Laurys Station American Grill, with seating for around 150 customers, will feature an expansive menu of appetizers, sandwiches, entrees and homemade desserts, Johnny said.

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Customers will find menu mainstays from the Hi-Way, including burgers, steak sandwiches, wraps and seafood platters, along with various daily specials, he added.

More than two dozen entrees will include pork chops, broiled scallops, crab imperial, flounder Florentine, eggplant parmesan, chicken carbonara, lobster ravioli with alfredo sauce and 12-ounce New York strip and T-bone steaks.

Breakfast favorites, including pancakes, French toast, omelettes and eggs Benedict, are also set to be offered.

Were planning a lot of made-from-scratch soups and platters like prime rib and crab cakes, Johnny said. Overall, it will be above a diner but below a high-end restaurant. Everyone will be able to afford to eat here.

Laurys Station American Grill is expected to open within the next few months at the former Hi-Way Family Restaurant at 5470 Route 145 in the Laurys Station section of North Whitehall Township. Brothers Johnny and Richard Schafer have been renovating the landmark dining spot since purchasing the property last summer. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

Johnny, who lives in Lehighton, helped his son, Jason, open The Mason Jar Family Diner on Lizard Creek Road in the Andreas section of West Penn Township, Schuylkill County in January 2021.

At his North Whitehall restaurant, hes looking to create a fun and uplifting atmosphere.

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The brothers plan to hang framed images of local and national landmarks, including the Bethlehem Steel and Golden Gate Bridge.

We want the atmosphere inside to be entirely positive, showcasing whats good about America, Johnny said.

The Schafers are excited to serve the Lehigh Valley community, and they believe the community is excited for their restaurant. Countless people have stopped by to inquire about the restaurants progress over the past several months.

This place has such a following, Johnny said. It must just be the history and how long its been here because I have total strangers stop by, knock on the door and tell me stories about their dining experiences here. Some people even brought me doughnuts, cakes and drinks because they love this place so much, and they see my car here from early morning until late at night.

Laurys Station American Grill is retaining some of the former Hi-Ways employees, but the Schafers are still hiring for all front- and back-of-house positions, including cooks, prep cooks, dishwashers and servers.

Prospective employees can apply online at laurysstationamericangrill.com or by visiting the restaurant (Johnny is usually at the restaurant 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays).

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Were excited to finally be open, and we know the community feels the same, Johnny said. Since we bought this place, there hasnt been two days that went by without somebody stopping by and asking when were opening. The best I can tell people is 2-3 weeks after they see the sign go up. That means were just waiting for our final inspections.
Two Democrats who served as Oregon Secretary of State are formally supporting Nick Kristof's eligibility to run for Oregon governor from the same party.

Bill Bradbury and Jeanne Atkins supported Kristof in court briefs filed on Tuesday. Bradbury held the office from 1999 to 2009 and Atkins served from 2015 to 2017.

The former New York Times columnist has filed as a Democrat nominee in the 2022 elections. Current Oregon Secretary of State Shemia Fagan ruled him ineligible, in large part because he registered and voted in New York while working for the Times. Fagan is also a Democrat.

"In reviewing a candidate's proof of eligibility for office, a secretary should give the candidate the benefit of all favorable inferences and resolve any doubt in the candidate's favor. The inquiry should be more generous, less rigorous, than was shown to Kristof," said the filing, which argued qualifying residency is broader than voter registration.

Kristof has appealed the ruling to the supreme court, arguing he was raised in Oregon and always considered the state his home.

The Oregon Constitution requires that candidates for governor must be a "resident within" the state for three years before the general election they could win, in this case November 2022. The constitution and state law do not define the term "resident."

Kristof's final brief is due by Wednesday, Jan. 26. There is no deadline for the court to decide the case after that, but ballots for the 2022 primary election must be ready by March 17.

Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by subscribing to the Corvallis Gazette-Times.

The decision also may affect the voting rights of other Oregonians who have multiple residences they do not consider their homes. Atkins told the Portland Tribune she is concerned the ruling might adversely affect people who register to vote while temporarily living away from what they consider their home  sometimes even out of state.

"Many people do have dual residencies, and although they can't cast ballots in both places, I know I have argued that they can legitimately choose one or the other. Would that be inconsistent with the position taken by the Secretary in Mr. Kristof's case? It sounds like it," Atkins said in an email.

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A decision to restore an aging covered bridge in Linn County was put off a week for more feedback as local officials struggled with not being able to hire the lowest builder for the multimillion-dollar project.

Technically the youngest and longest covered bridge in Linn County, the Shimanek Bridge is in need of repairs ranging from new siding to a new timber truss, according to the Linn County Road Department.

The structure, the fifth to occupy its location on Thomas Creek-Richardson Gap Road, was built in 1966. The aging barn red bridge lying east of the Santiam River is a federally-recognized historical landmark and a popular tourist attraction.

Work to restore the bridge will be paid with federal dollars and a 10% match from Linn County.

The county put out a call for bids to restore the bridge, and on Tuesday, Jan. 25, the Linn County Board of Commissioners was scheduled to select one.

The project drew three contractors: Steller J, Marcum & Sons LLC and Legacy Contracting Inc. Legacy, based in Stayton, submitted the lowest bid of around $2.8 million.

The construction company failed to qualify for the project, however, according to Roadmaster Wayne Mink with the Linn County Road Department.

"We operate as a certified local agency, which means we work through the state of Oregon and have received the clearances and allowances to handle contracts, and we follow state contracting rules," Mink said. "Those require all bidders to be pre-qualified and to have current paperwork on file stating that they are capable of handling these types of contracts."

Legacy was not pre-qualified, he said.

Commissioners said Tuesday this development left them with few options but to consider the next lowest bidder on the list, Redmond's Marcum & Sons, which made a bid of around $2.9 million, about $100,000 higher than Legacy's bid.

"The spirit of the process is it's a competitive bid process and the lowest wins," Commissioner and Board Chair Roger Nyquist said. "The ultimate question is, what's the best use of taxpayer funds? Are the contractors getting penalized or are the taxpayers getting penalized?"

Commissioners wondered aloud whether the interested contractors were given ample time to file the appropriate paperwork to qualify for the bidding process. They directed staff to research whether the county could offer its lowest bidder a second chance.

"Should we, did we give them enough time and notification?" Linn County Commissioner Will Tucker asked.

Linn County Administrative Officer Darrin Lane concurred, saying it's in the county's best interests to ensure a fair bidding process.

"We have a set of rules that we have to follow, and the contractors have to follow," Lane said. "If we deviate from that in a situation like this, it creates a situation where we end up opening the door to other protests."

Bids were accepted from Dec. 17 through Jan. 18. Legacy and Marcum & Sons were both unavailable for comment by deadline. There were no protests on file in connection to the process  so far.

Nyquist feared cutting off relationships with the losing bidder. He and Tucker both agreed making a decision was best left for another day.

"Anyone can protest anything," Nyquist said. "It would appear that a number of things raised in this conversation ... not doing them today would be of some assistance to us."

The Board of Commissioners voted on Tuesday to reschedule a vote to recommend a bidder to next week's meeting. Linn County Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger was absent at Tuesday's meeting.

The Linn County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet again at 9:30 am. Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Editors note: This article has been edited to correct the spelling of Roadmaster Wayne Mink's name.

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At the start of the new millennium, it looked like syphilis might become a thing of the past.

The sexually transmitted infection, thought to be eradicated because of penicillin and safe sex education campaigns, has been making a comeback, though, and Lehigh Valley public health officials are becoming increasingly concerned.

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Allentown had 76 confirmed cases of syphilis last year  a 65% increase from 2018s 46 confirmed cases, which concerned health officials at the time. Last years cases were spread throughout the city, according to a news release from the Allentown Health Bureau.

Syphilis cases have steadily become more prevalent in Pennsylvania over the last two decades, data from the Pennsylvania Department of Health states. In 2003, there were 159 confirmed cases but in 2019, that number jumped to almost 1,000. Cases have also ballooned across the United States during the same time-frame.

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In 2021, Planned Parenthood Keystone had more syphilis cases than in all three prior years  an increase of about 158%, Samantha Bobila, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Keystone said.

As a provider, were extremely concerned about rising STI rates, Bobila said.

In response to the growing number of syphilis cases, the Allentown Health Bureau will offer free, confidential syphilis testing 4-6 p.m. Feb. 2. Testing will be available in the health bureaus headquarters at 245 N. Sixth St. No appointment is needed.

The Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center has also partnered with the health bureau to offer free testing and encourage testing in the community. Adrian Shanker, executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan Center, said syphilis disproportionately affects men in the LGBT community but its important everyone knows what they can do to prevent getting or spreading it, as well as how to get treated.

Were not trying to spread panic  what were trying to do is let people know its very important to get tested, Shanker said. If you test positive, theres treatment available and its really important to then get that treatment.

Bethlehem officials are concerned about syphilis, too. Kristen Wenrich, director of the Bethlehem Health Bureau, said officials saw an increase in cases in 2019 and it has remained steady since then. Twenty-one cases were reported in both 2020 and 21. Its a significant increase from the seven cases reported in 2016 in the city.

Wenrich said a majority of these cases are in men who have sex with other men but the health bureau is also seeing a rise of infected pregnant women. Syphilis, like HIV, can be transferred by a pregnant mother to her child.

However, the most common way syphilis is spread is through sexual contact, specifically through coming into contact with a sexual partners syphilis sore during sex.

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Though the invention of penicillin made treating syphilis easy when caught early, the disease dubbed The Great Imitator can be hard to diagnose since many of its symptoms are similar to other diseases. Tests are the best way to identify a syphilis infection, Shanker said, and thats why its important for people to get screened.

Its easy to treat when detected early. But its very important that its detected early, Shanker said.

Getting the tests is easy and either inexpensive or free. The Bradbury-Sullivan Center and Allentown and Bethlehem health bureaus offer free STI screening. Planned Parenthood offers it for free or at low cost. Shanker said the process of getting tested isnt difficult and results arrive in a few days.

Its a very simple blood test  no different than getting bloodwork done when a doctor checks your cholesterol levels, Shanker said.

If undetected or left untreated for too long, syphilis can slowly destroy the bodies of those infected. During later stages, treatment can prevent the disease from progressing and end the infection but cant reverse the effects.

The effects of late-stage syphilis include organ damage, brain damage, paralysis, dementia and death. Notorious mobster Al Capone famously spent his last years suffering from syphilitic dementia, dying shortly after his 48th birthday.

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Shanker said testing isnt the only way to address syphilis and help reverse the trend of syphiliss reemergence but some of those steps have to happen at higher levels.

One way would be improving at the national and state levels comprehensive sex education thats LGBTQ+ inclusive and in every school district in America, which is not something that we have, Shanker said. Theres a lack of education and a lack of knowledge.

Syphilis is most prevalent in men, accounting for about 83% of primary and secondary syphilis cases in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And it disproportionally affects gay men, bisexual men or other men who have sex with men, accounting for about 57% of all male cases in 2019. However, cases in women have also been increasing.

Where to get tested for syphilis or other STIs:

Allentown Health Bureau, 245 N. Sixth St., 4-6 p.m. Feb. 2, no appointment needed

Bethlehem Health Bureau, 10 E. Church St., 1-3 p.m. Mondays and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays, no appointment needed

Novus Medical Services Bethlehem, 1565 Linden St., Bethlehem, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays, appointment required

Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, 522 W. Maple St., Allentown, 4-6 p.m. first and third Tuesdays of the month, by walk-in or appointment

Planned Parenthood Allentown Medical Center, 29 North St., Allentown, appointment preferred

Morning Call reporter Leif Greiss can be reached at 610-679-4028 or lgreiss@mcall.com.
You might think Apple's at it's peak innovation now with it's facial recognition and watch that can tell if your hearts beating out of sync.

But you would be wrong.

Peak innovation was back when the iPhone was first released and there were only two apps you had downloaded.

A lighter you could turn on by flicking the screen, and a beer you could pretend to neck by tilting it.

And because it was only of the only apps you could download, the creator of iBeer has now said he was absolutely staked with cash from the app store sales.

The creator, Steve Sheraton, was reached out to by Apple to turn his idea into an actual app after the company saw a video he'd made showing him drinking a beer as he raised his phone.

"We shot to first place [in the App Store] on the very first day and stayed there for about a year." Sheraton told MEL Magazine.

You could show them maps and all these kinda geeky things, but iBeer was easier to understand and a funny, fun way to show off the iPhones accelerometer and its bright screen with super lifelike colours."

At the time, the app cost $2.99 on the app store, which made Sheraton thousands.

The amount of money that was coming in was just so over-the-top. During our heyday, we were making $10,000 to $20,000 ($30,000 NZD) a day.

And we went all out. We always rented exclusive spots, like this place in Barcelona that was $6,000 a month.

Then, next thing you know, we were going to antique stores and buying things to fill the house. It really just unwinded [sic] from there.

However, the success of the app impacted Sheraton, intensifying his alcoholism and landing him in a $12.5 million lawsuit after another company creative an almost identical app.

The apps sudden massive popularity and that lifestyle - coupled with all the publicity and stress that comes with it - is an avalanche that can destroy people."

Now, Sheraton's enjoying his time living on a farm in Spain, but is still keeping busy creating mobile apps.
Gillette, WY (82718)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High around 50F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 38F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
About Mattie Mullen

Mattie Mullen is a fourth generation Western Colorado native and is so excited to be turning that community focus towards real estate. With a passion for service in the Grand Valley, Mattie is ready to help guide you on the hunt for the home of your dreams. As a proud member of Chesnick Realty LLC, Mattie carries the value of hard work, integrity, and outstanding client service into everything she does. When Mattie isn't making home and property ownership dreams come true for her clients, she enjoys spending time enjoying the outdoors with her husband Gunnar, son Shooter, and their six dogs.
A house fire near Bethlehem went to three alarms Wednesday morning, according to scanner reports. The fire was reported on the 2600 block of Oakside Circle in Hanover Township, Northampton County, around 10:30 a.m. The cul-de-sac is located behind Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church on Jacksonville Road. (Monica Cabrera / The Morning Call)

No one was reported injured in a Wednesday morning three-alarm fire in Hanover Township, Northampton County dispatchers said.

The 10:19 a.m. fire occurred at a residence in the 2600 block of Oakside Circle, in a cul-de-sac behind Holy Evangelical Lutheran Church on Jacksonville Road, prompting a response from multiple fire companies.

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Heavy smoke could be seen in the area when the fire broke out.

Dispatchers received no reports of the Red Cross being called. Fire crews were still on scene as of 2:30 p.m. No further details were immediately available.

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Morning Call reporter Andrew Scott can be reached at 610-820-6508 or ascott@mcall.com.
Earliest human remains in eastern Africa dated to more than 230,000 years ago

The age of the oldest fossils in eastern Africa widely recognised as representing our species, Homo sapiens, has long been uncertain. Now, dating of a massive volcanic eruption in Ethiopia reveals they are much older than previously thought.

The remains  known as Omo I  were found in Ethiopia in the late 1960s, and scientists have been attempting to date them precisely ever since, by using the chemical fingerprints of volcanic ash layers found above and below the sediments in which the fossils were found.

An international team of scientists, including the University of Cambridge and Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre (SUERC), University of Glasgow, has reassessed the age of the Omo I remains  and Homo sapiens as a species. Earlier attempts to date the fossils suggested they were less than 200,000 years old, but the new research shows they must be older than a colossal volcanic eruption that took place approximately 230,000 years ago. The results are reported in the journal Nature.

The Omo I remains were found in the Omo Kibish Formation in southwestern Ethiopia, within the East African Rift valley. The region is an area of high volcanic activity, and a rich source of early human remains and artefacts such as stone tools. By dating the layers of volcanic ash above and below where archaeological and fossil materials are found, scientists identified Omo I as the earliest evidence of our species, Homo sapiens.

Using these methods, the generally accepted age of the Omo fossils is under 200,000 years, but theres been a lot of uncertainty around this date, said Dr Celine Vidal from Cambridges Department of Geography, the papers lead author. The fossils were found in a sequence, below a thick layer of volcanic ash that nobody had managed to date with radiometric techniques because the ash is too fine-grained.

As part of a four-year project SUERC have been attempting to date all the major volcanic eruptions in the Ethiopian Rift around the time of the emergence of Homo sapiens, a period known as the late Middle Pleistocene.

The team collected pumice rock samples from the volcanic deposits and ground them down to sub-millimetre size. Each eruption has its own fingerprint  its own evolutionary story below the surface, which is determined by the pathway the magma followed, said Vidal. Once youve crushed the rock, you free the minerals within, and then you can date them, and identify the chemical signature of the volcanic glass that holds the minerals together.

The researchers carried out new geochemical analysis to link the fingerprint of the thick volcanic ash layer from the Kamoya Hominin Site (KHS) with an eruption of Shala volcano, more than 400 kilometres away. The team then dated pumice samples from the volcano to approximately 230,000 years ago. Since the Omo I fossils were found deeper than this particular ash layer, they must be more than 230,000 years old.

Dr Dan Barfod and Professor Darren Mark at SUERC in Glasgow used a technique known as Argon-Argon dating to measure the age of the rocks. When we obtained the results and found out that the oldest Homo sapiens from the region was older than previously assumed, we were really excited, said Barfod.

The Omo Kibish Formation is an extensive sedimentary deposit which has been barely accessed and investigated in the past, said co-author and co-leader of the field investigation Professor Asfawossen Asrat from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, who is currently at BIUST in Botswana. Our closer look into the stratigraphy of the Omo Kibish Formation, particularly the ash layers, allowed us to push the age of the oldest Homo sapiens in the region to at least 230,000 years.

Unlike other Middle Pleistocene fossils which are thought to belong to the early stages of the Homo sapiens lineage, Omo I possesses unequivocal modern human characteristics, such as a tall and globular cranial vault and a chin, said co-author Dr Aurelien Mounier from the Musee de lHomme in Paris. The new date estimate, de facto, makes it the oldest unchallenged Homo sapiens in Africa.

There are many other ash layers the team are trying to correlate with eruptions of the Ethiopian Rift and ash deposits from other sedimentary formations and they hope to better constrain the age of other fossils in the region.

The research was supported in part by the Leverhulme Trust, the Cambridge-Africa ALBORADA Research Fund and the Natural Environment Research Council and the National Environmental Isotope Facility. Celine Vidal is a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge.
Host of American Pickers Mike Wolf will be making a trip to the Valley this coming March.
Chicago, Jan. 25, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicago, Illinois -

IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, a clinic in Chicago, IL, is pleased to announce that they can offer a solution to treatment resistance depression (TRD). In fact, they are the first private facility in Chicago to offer intravenous ketamine therapy for treating depression, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, TRD, and other issues. TRD means the standard treatments, such as psychotherapy and taking an antidepressant medication, are not sufficient for the patient. Standard treatments may have negligible impact or the symptoms may only improve temporarily but return again.

Ketamine was synthesized in 1962 and was approved by the FDA for use as an anesthetic drug in 1970. It blocks a neural receptor for glutamate that has been shown to have a key role in chronic pain syndromes, major depression, fibromyalgia, and other such illnesses. It has also been found to have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and can stimulate synaptogenesis, neuronal growth, and neuroplasticity. It is important to note that it is a Schedule III drug, which means it should only be used and administered by a trained nurse anesthetist, anesthesiologist, or physician. It has been observed to be a very safe drug when used for anesthesia or as a treatment for chronic pain and depression.

At IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, the doses that are used for the treatment of depression and chronic pain are much lower compared to the doses used for anesthesia. The session is 45 minutes long and the patients are closely monitored. It has been observed that most of the patients feel free and very relaxed during the infusion and these effects wear off in approximately one hour after the session. Furthermore, all patients at the Chicago ketamine centers are carefully examined and evaluated with regards to their medical history and medication list before the treatment is administered. They will also consult with the patients primary care doctor or mental health professional if they find there is a need to.

The IV ketamine therapy may also be used as one of the fibromyalgia management solutions. Fibromyalgia is a kind of disorder that is characterized by extensive musculoskeletal pain that occurs in conjunction with fatigue, memory, sleep, and mood problems. Scientists believe this is due to the amplification of painful sensations by impacting the way the brain and spinal cord process pain and non-pain signals. The symptoms of fibromyalgia usually start after a certain event, such as surgery, physical trauma, infection, or substantial psychological stress. But in some cases, symptoms gradually appear for no apparent reason. It has been observed that fibromyalgia mostly occurs in women. Meanwhile, IV ketamine therapy has been observed to help with this condition.

Patients who have experienced treatment at IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, have provided highly positive reviews. The treatment center has a 4.6 overall rating on Google and in one of their latest reviews, Kean O. gave them five stars and said, I have been coming here for 9 months for infusions and my entire life has changed. I am for the first time living without chronic pain. It's so amazing. Working with the Drs here has been awesome. I feel well taken care of and safe. The nurses and staff are also wonderful. I highly recommend them.

IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago was founded to provide advanced and effective intravenous (IV) medical treatment for anxiety, TRD, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, PTSD, OCD, and other ailments. Their team of medical professionals is headed by Dr. Bal Nandra, who was trained at the University of Chicago Hospitals Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care and has almost 20 years of experience in a clinical setting. His team of professionals are made up of registered nurses with experience in ketamine infusion and licensed therapists and technicians who work with mental health professionals and primary care physicians to ensure optimized treatment and continuity of care.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQjVkoqDjwk

Those who are looking for a clinically proven therapy for chronic pain can check out the IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago website, or contact them on the telephone or through email. They are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm on Saturdays.

###

For more information about IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, contact the company here:



IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago

Bal Nandra, M.D.

(844) 948-6337

b.nandra@chicagoivsolution.com

712 N Dearborn St

Chicago, IL 60654
LONDON, January 26, 2022  Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen has informed the Board of Stolt-Nielsen Limited of his wish to step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer. He will continue as CEO and as a Director on the Board until the appointment process for a successor has been completed. Mr Stolt-Nielsen has served as Chief Executive Officer of Stolt-Nielsen Limited since November 2000 and has been a Director since 1996.

The intention is that once a suitable replacement is found, Mr Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors, subject to shareholder approval, replacing Mr Samuel Cooperman. Mr Cooperman has served as Chairman since 2016 and will remain as a Board Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee.

Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen said: "I joined Stolt-Nielsen in 1990 and have served as CEO since 2000. It has been a privilege to lead and work with talented and dedicated individuals throughout the organisation for so long. However, I feel now is the right time for me to step aside and let a fresh pair of hands take the Company forward. I am announcing my intention today to allow the Board sufficient time to appoint my successor and to allow for a smooth handover. I intend to continue to work closely with the Board and the leadership team to ensure the successful continuity of the businesses to the benefit of all stakeholders. I have dedicated my career to Stolt-Nielsen Limited and will continue to do so in the future."

Additional information on the composition of the Stolt-Nielsen Board can be found at the Companys website at: https://www.stolt-nielsen.com/en/about-us/who-we-are/board-of-directors/

For additional information please contact:

Jens F. Gruner-Hegge

Chief Financial Officer

UK +44 (0) 20 7611 8985

j.gruner-hegge@stolt.com

Ellie Davison

Head of Corporate Communications

UK +44 (0) 20 7611 8926

e.davison@stolt.com

About Stolt-Nielsen Limited

Stolt-Nielsen Limited (SNL or 'the Company') is a long-term investor and manager of businesses focused on opportunities in logistics, distribution, and aquaculture. The Stolt-Nielsen portfolio consists of its three global bulk liquid and chemicals logistics businesses  Stolt Tankers, Stolthaven Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers  Stolt Sea Farm and investments in LNG. Stolt-Nielsen Limited is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (Oslo Brs: SNI).









This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sydney NSW: VT Markets is pleased to announce that the Sydney-based firm was the recipient of The Best Customer Service Award presented at the Forex Expo Dubai 2021. VT brings its customer-centric approach and expertise to lead in the global financial markets industry. The company was established in 2016 as a Vantage International Group Limited subsidiary.

The Multi Assets broker France professionals and elsewhere in Europe make it easy for users to work toward their goals.

The emphasis on customer service is not the only recognition that makes the online trading platform globally a standard-setter for the industry. The Dubai award is not the only recognition VT Markets has captured this year. These include the "Best Customer Service  Europe" award from the Global Brands Magazine and the "Best Customer Support  Europe" award from the International Business Magazine. The Dubai award was accepted by Alla Talji of the VT Markets Cyprus Office.

Further details can be seen at https://www.vtmarkets.com/fr/

A spokesperson for the company, Nelson-Smith, the Director of VT Markets explained, This type of recognition of our prowess in the competitive and crowded Forex marketplace underscores the quality of our products and services. The award puts a spotlight on the top-tier customer services provided to clients throughout the historic year for VT Markets. Those who are looking for an investment broker would do well to consider opening a Live Account at VT Markets."

VT Markets provides advanced technical support in the multi assets marketplace. The components of the brokerage include a true ECN account with raw spreads, a powerful client portal, and mobile trading and payments. VT Markets provides a range of trading platforms, including MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5. There are several different account types, with a range of more than 230 popular instruments across Forex, indices, precious metals, and Share CFDs.

About the Company:

VT Markets is recognized by peers for its excellent customer service standards. The company goal is to make Forex transactions a positive experience throughout. The Sydney-based firm is also active in Europe.



Website: https://www.vtmarkets.com/fr/
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, takes selfies with the crowd after speaking during a campaign rally for Republican U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick on Tuesday at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay. (April Gamiz/The Morning Call )

About 450 people gathered Tuesday inside Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay, listening to rock music blast from speakers while waiting for one of two men they came out to see.

Its not often a U.S. senator from Texas comes to the Lehigh Valley, Jonathan DelCollo of Reading said, referring to guest speaker Ted Cruz, who was there to support fellow Republican Dave McCormicks bid for Pat Toomeys soon-to-be-vacated Senate seat.

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The race will be key in determining whether Democrats or Republicans control the U.S. Senate in 2023. Both parties have numerous candidates vying for the nomination.

The Lehigh Valley, where Toomey lives, was the site of McCormicks first public campaign appearance in the bid to replace the senator, who isnt running for reelection. Cruz was the star  joining the candidate on stage to thunderous applause.

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Cruz predicted a coming revival  calling Republican victories or near-victories in 2021 races in New Jersey and Virginia a foreshadowing of whats to come.  and drew an analogy to Ronald Reagans presidency replacing Jimmy Carters in 1981.

He told the audience that the Keystone State would be critical.

You Pennsylvanians are on the battleground deciding the direction of this country, he said. The Biden-Harris legacy will be giving way to a new generation of leaders who fight for the United States. Once again, the country looks to Pennsylvania to keep us free.

The audience applauded McCormick as he came on stage in front of a giant U.S. flag and large, red McCormick for U.S. Senate signs. Some of the people in the crowd shouted their approval while holding smaller versions of the red signs.

I never thought six months ago that Id be running for elected office, said McCormick, 56, a Pennsylvania native who recently left his job as CEO of Bridgewater Associates, one of the worlds largest hedge funds, in Connecticut and bought a house in Pittsburgh.

He cited recent events that spurred him to run, including the turmoil that accompanied the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan last year to end the 20-year war there. The departure came as the Taliban terrorist regime took back control of the country.

The sense of embarrassment, the humiliation, the lack of strategic thinking, McCormick said. The weakness that happened in Afghanistan is the same weakness were seeing in the Ukraine, on the Russian border. Its the same type of weakness you show in the playground that causes kids to pick on you. That got us really thinking, What can we do? But, its not just in Afghanistan. Its across our own country and its really undermining the America we know.

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Both men touched on topics that conservatives have rallied to in recent years.

Im going to commit a radical act and speak the truth, Cruz said. America is great. Our founding fathers were extraordinary heroes. Police officers keep us safe. Israel is our friend. There is a difference between boys and girls. Five years ago, every one of those statements would have been unobjectionable. Today, you can be fired or banned from social media for speaking those truths.

McCormick said poor economic policy was hurting working-class families, and pointed to increasing national debt and illegal immigration, which he said has contributed to crime and drugs across the country. He also talked about an energy policy he said has taken away jobs and driven up gas prices.

We see this same weakness in our schools, where the educational curriculum is being hijacked, McCormick said, referring to a movement to include courses focusing on the experiences of people of color and other marginalized populations. I look at all this and say the American dream we grew up with isnt going to be around in another five, 10 years.

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The crowd appeared to like what it heard from Cruz and McCormick.

Beth Jones of Berks County said, I came out because I like everything about Ted Cruz and I wanted to learn a little bit about McCormick. After hearing Dave speak, I think Ill be voting for him. I like what he had to say. I like what he plans to do. I have a lot of concerns about the state of our country.

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Morning Call reporter Andrew Scott can be reached at 610-820-6508 or ascott@mcall.com.
New York, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global IoT in Agriculture Market: Focus on System, Application, and Country-Wise Analysis - Analysis and Forecast, 2019-2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p06223758/?utm_source=GNW

 System Type - Sensing, Communication, Cloud Computing, and Data Management System



Regional Segmentation



 North America - U.S., Canada, and Mexico

 South America - Argentina, Brazil, and Rest-of-South America

 Europe - Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Rest-of-Europe

 Middle East and Africa

 Asia-Pacific and Japan - India, Japan, China, Australia and New Zealand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Rest-of-Asia-Pacific



Market Growth Drivers



 Increasing Demand for Global Food Production

 Surging Use of Advanced Technologies in Agriculture

 Emerging Complexities in Data-Driven Farming

 Decreasing Workforce in Agricultural Sector



Market Challenges



 Lack of Proper Internet and Network Connectivity

 Cyber and Online Data Security

 Huge Setup and Subscription Costs

 Reluctance to Adopt and Lack of Technical Awareness



Market Opportunities



 Growing Trend of Agriculture Service Economy

 Increasing Investments in Agricultural Technology Sector

 Increasing Market Opportunities in Developing Countries

 Favorable Government Initiatives to Support IoT in Agriculture



Key Companies Profiled



DEERE & COMPANY, Microsoft Corporation, CNH Industrial NV, Robert Bosch GmbH, Agrivi, The Climate Corporation, Granular Inc., Harvest Croo Robotics, LLC, AeroFarms, OSRAM GmbH, AmHydro, Kalera, Heliospectra AB, Signify Holding (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Connecterra B.V., DeLaval, Allflex USA Inc., Boumatic LLC, Aquabyte, Inc., AKVA Group ASA, Eruvaka Technologies



How This Report Can Add Value



This report will help with the following objectives:

 Covers major regions associated with the IoT in agriculture market.

 Extensive competitive benchmarking of the top 21 players has been done to offer a holistic view of the global IoT in agriculture market landscape.



Product/Innovation Strategy: The system segment helps the reader in understanding the different types of systems for the agriculture industry and their potential globally. Moreover, the study provides the reader a detailed understanding of the operation of different system categories (i.e., sensing, communication, cloud computing, data management system, etc.). These solutions enable seamless crop management, especially in large-scale commercialized farms.



Recent Developments in IoT in Agriculture Market



 In June 2021, Bosch and BASF partnered to expand business in smart farming technologies.

 In July 2021, John Deere and Ericson, Brazil partnered to provide mobile IoT solutions in the agricultural sector.

 In August 2021, John Deere acquired Bear Flag Robotics for technology service solutions.



Key Questions Answered in the Report



 What is the estimated global IoT in agriculture market size in terms of revenue for the forecast period 2021-2026, and what is the expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) during the forecast period 2021-2026?

 What are the key trends, market drivers, and opportunities in the market pertaining to IoT in agriculture?

 What are the major restraints inhibiting the growth of the global IoT in agriculture market?

 What kinds of new strategies are being adopted by the existing market players to expand their market position in the industry?

 What is the competitive strength of the key players in the IoT in agriculture market based on an analysis of their recent developments, product offerings, and regional presence?

 How is the competitive benchmarking of the key IoT in agriculture and equipment companies in the agriculture market based on the analysis of their market coverage and market potential?



 How much revenue each of the segments is expected to record during the forecast period along with the growth percentage? Following are the segments:

o Systems including sensing, communication, cloud computing, data management system

o Application, including precision crop farming, livestock monitoring and management, indoor farming, aquaculture, others

 Which type of players and stakeholders are operating in the market ecosystem of IoT in agriculture and equipment, and what is their significance in the global market?

 Which are the leading consortiums and associations in the global IoT in agriculture market, and what are their roles in the market?

 How does the regulatory landscape differ in different regions for IoT in agriculture and equipment?



IoT in Agriculture



Internet of Things (IoT) is a term which refers to the connection of devices to the internet that allows the generation and transfer of massive amounts of data. IoT creates a virtuous cycle that can generate even more precise and tailored products, pushing the boundaries, which helps in digitalization for agriculture.



IoT enables devices entrenched with sensors to connect and interact with each other by using the internet. In the agriculture sector, various devices can be remotely monitored and controlled in real-time, including anything from sheds, tractors, pumps, and weather stations, and computers.



IoT enables one to monitor farm conditions and infrastructure remotely which helps reduce time on field, labor efforts, and investment capital among others allowing the farmers to focus on other things.



IoT in Agriculture Industry Overview



The global IoT in agriculture market was valued at $21.99 billion in 2021, which is expected to grow with a CAGR of 10.1% and reach $35.55 billion by 2026. With the recent advancements in the industry, a transformation is expected to be witnessed as more and more companies are enhancing their product portfolio by introducing data acquisition, agricultural robotics, and analytic services.



Impact of COVID-19



The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on almost all major industries throughout the world, including the agricultural industry.The pandemic has led to economic instability throughout the world, and the GDP for all countries declined in 2020.



The pandemics potential impact on the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) has increased the traction of sensing technology in the agricultural sector.



Market Segmentation



IoT in Agriculture Market by System Type



The IoT in agriculture market (by systems) was dominated by sensing systems which generated a revenue of $6.72 billion in 2021. Sensor technology constitutes one of the most crucial parts of the development of IoT solutions.



These sensor developments aid in the measurement of various production factors such as soil moisture, nutrients in the soil, weed density, and solar radiation.



IoT in Agriculture Market by Application



The IoT in agriculture market (by application) was dominated by the precision crop farming application area, which generated a revenue of $8.60 billion in 2021. The gradual adoption of smartphones, access to high-speed internet, availability of affordable and reliable satellites for positioning and imagery, and technological advancements in farming equipment have led to the high prevalence and popularity of precision crop farming techniques and equipment.



IoT in Agriculture Market by Region



North America was estimated to hold the highest share of about 35.7% in 2021, thereby accounting for a value of $7.84 billion in the same year. The highest contributing country in the North America IoT in agriculture market is the U.S. due to the prevalence of advanced technology and its implications in the farming sector to increase production.



Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis



Key players operating in the global IoT in agriculture market analyzed and profiled in the study involve companies that provide the required technology for deployment in the agriculture industry. Moreover, a detailed competitive benchmarking of the players operating in the global IoT in agriculture market has been done to help the reader understand how players stack against each other, presenting a clear market landscape.



Some of the key players operating in the market include DEERE & COMPANY, Microsoft Corporation, CNH Industrial NV, Robert Bosch GmbH, Agrivi, The Climate Corporation, Granular Inc., Harvest Croo Robotics, LLC, AeroFarms, OSRAM GmbH, AmHydro, Kalera, Heliospectra AB, Signify Holding (Koninklijke Philips N.V.), Connecterra B.V., DeLaval, Allflex USA Inc., Boumatic LLC, Aquabyte, Inc., AKVA Group ASA, and Eruvaka Technologies.



Countries Covered

 North America

 U.S.

 Canada

 Mexico

 Europe

 U.K.

 Germany

 France

 Italy

 Netherlands

 Spain

 Denmark

 Rest-of-Europe

 Middle East and Africa

 Asia-Pacific and Japan

 China

 Japan

 India

 Vietnam

 Malaysia

 Indonesia

 Australia and New Zealand

 Rest-of-Asia-Pacific

 South America

 Brazil

 Argentina

 Rest-of-South America

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p06223758/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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January 26, 2022

Philips expands remote cardiac monitoring portfolio with patch-based, clinical-grade ECG designed to improve patient recruitment, compliance and retention by reducing need for site visits during clinical trials

Amsterdam, the Netherlands  Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA), a global leader in health technology, today announced the introduction of the industrys first full-service, at-home, 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) solution for use in decentralized clinical trials. The clinical-grade solution is the most advanced patient-centric ECG offering within the companys cardiac monitoring portfolio, pairing data readings comparable to clinical, site-based ECGs with Philips leading cloud-based data collection and analysis services. This latest addition to Philips digitally enabled suite of monitoring solutions helps to drive innovation across the care continuum and support the decentralized clinical trial space.

Patient attrition is one of the biggest issues faced by clinical trial sponsors seeking regulatory approval for new therapies. Attrition over the course of a study can reduce the quality of its findings and can lead to longer, more expensive trials that require higher than optimal recruiting rates to compensate. Voluntary patient withdrawal is often tied to disease progression or the prolonged inconvenience of adhering to protocol regimens and repetitive site visits [1]. By offering the consistent and reliable standards of a 12-lead ECG in the comfort and convenience of a patients home, Philips at-home ECG solution aims to improve trial recruitment, compliance and patient retention by reducing the need for and burden of site visits.

Our customers are seeking solutions that will help them to address key challenges that can stand in the way of extracting meaningful insights from their clinical trials, said Andy Broadway, General Manager of Ambulatory Monitoring and Diagnostics at Philips. Our growing portfolio of remote monitoring solutions help to curb patient attrition by reducing the amount of site visits required during the trial period, helping to improve both the quality of the outcome and the patient experience overall.

Leveraging PCA 500 ECG patch data recording technology, the at-home solution allows clinical trial participants to record data with quality comparable to site-based ECGs at home. The solutions innovative body-worn patch ensures compliant 12-lead ECG placement and near real-time, highly secure data transmission without the need for recurring site visits, onsite technician, or home nurses.

Philips offers a complete range of clinically validated ambulatory cardiac diagnostics and monitoring services and associated expertise to its cardiac care portfolio, including its BioTel Research capabilities that have already supported more than 2,000 clinical trials in 72 countries. These comprehensive offerings provide industry-leading technology and data management that streamlines the clinical trials process and ensures optimal performance. The at-home, 12-lead ECG solution is now available in select markets across North America, Europe and Asia.

[1] Hui D, Glitza I, Chisholm G, Yennu S, Bruera E. Attrition rates, reasons, and predictive factors in supportive care and palliative oncology clinical trials. Cancer. 2013;119(5):1098-1105. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3568443/

For further information, please contact:

Meredith Amoroso

Philips Global Press Office

Tel: +1 724-584-8991

E-mail: meredith.amoroso@philips.com

About Royal Philips

Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) is a leading health technology company focused on improving people's health and well-being, and enabling better outcomes across the health continuum  from healthy living and prevention, to diagnosis, treatment and home care. Philips leverages advanced technology and deep clinical and consumer insights to deliver integrated solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company is a leader in diagnostic imaging, image-guided therapy, patient monitoring and health informatics, as well as in consumer health and home care. Philips generated 2021 sales of EUR 17.2 billion and employs approximately 78,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. News about Philips can be found at www.philips.com/newscenter .

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New York, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Africa Two-Wheeler Market, By Vehicle Type, By Engine Capacity, By Region, Competition Forecast & Opportunities, 2016- 2026" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05949198/?utm_source=GNW



Africa two-wheeler market stood at USD2020.98 million in 2020 and is anticipated to grow with a CAGR of 4.72% in the forecast period, 2022-2026, to reach USD2793.65 million by 2026F. The automotive industry is expanding in the African region and is supporting market growth. Major factors like increasing demand for two-wheelers for daily commutes and growing issues of road congestion and traffic are driving the Africa two-wheeler markets growth in the upcoming five years. Affordability, easier purchases, lower maintenance cost as compared to four-wheelers, and advantages over more economical fueling further supports the growth of the Africa two-wheeler market in the next five years. The region accommodates most of the developing countries. Due to the lower economy, consumer preferences toward affordable and easy maintenance vehicles sustain and further drives market growth. Lack of public transportation systems in these developing countries has aided the rapidly growing demands for motorcycle taxis, thus supporting the growing demands for two-wheelers for the same purpose. Moreover, manufacturing units of the global giants profit well from cheap labor, easier raw material availability, etc., which further substantiates the futuristic growth of the Africa two-wheeler market in future five years. The two-wheeler motorcycles have dynamic engines, and in combination with their low weight, these are suited for higher acceleration than many other vehicles. Two-wheelers without gear, or scooters, as they are particularly known for, make the vehicles light and efficient. Gearless two-wheelers are also easy to ride for all ages of people. These specific advantages of owning two-wheelers also aid to the growing demand and thus the growth of the Africa two-wheeler market. Growing technological advancements, eco-friendly options, and electric vehicles are some of the other factors further driving the growth of the Africa two-wheeler market in the forecast years through 2026.

The Africa two-wheeler market is segmented by vehicle type, engine capacity, country analysis, and competitional landscape.Based on vehicle type, the market is further bifurcated into motorcycles and scooters & mopeds.



The motorcycle sub-segment is anticipated to hold the largest revenue shares of the market in the upcoming five years on account of its capacity to carry more fuel and thus has higher efficiency compared to other types. Moreover, the two-wheeler industry is expanding on the basis of increasing technological advancement such that they provide better maneuverability in the rugged road conditions and thus substantiates the growth of the Africa two-wheeler market in the next five years.

TVS Motor Company Limited, Honda Motor Company Limited, Bajaj Auto Ltd., Hero MotoCorp Ltd., Suzuki Motor Corporation, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., Lifan Technology (Group) Co., Ltd., Luoyang Northern EK Chor Motorcycle Co., Ltd, Sanyang Motor Co., Ltd., Kwang Yang Motor Co., Ltd., among others form a partial list of market players that are leading the automotive industry and the Africa two-wheeler market. The companies are developing advanced technologies and launching new products in order to stay competitive in the market. Other competitive strategies include mergers & acquisitions.



Years considered for this report:



Historical Years: 2016-2019

Base Year: 2020

Estimated Year: 2021

Forecast Period: 20222026



Objective of the Study:



 To analyze and estimate the market size of Africa two-wheeler market from 2016 to 2020.

 To estimate and forecast the market size of Africa two-wheeler market from 2020 to 2021 and growth rate until 2026.

 To classify and forecast Africa two-wheeler market based on vehicle type, engine capacity, country analysis, and competitional landscape.

 To identify dominant region or segment in the Africa two-wheeler market.

 To identify drivers and challenges for Africa two-wheeler market.

 To examine competitive developments such as expansions, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, etc., in Africa two-wheeler market.

 To identify and analyze the profile of leading players operating in Africa two-wheeler market.

 To identify key sustainable strategies adopted by market players in Africa two-wheeler market.

The analyst performed both primary as well as exhaustive secondary research for this study.Initially, the analyst sourced a list of manufacturers across Africa.



Subsequently, the analyst conducted primary research surveys with the identified companies.While interviewing, the respondents were also enquired about their competitors.



Through this technique, the analyst could include the manufacturers which could not be identified due to the limitations of secondary research. The analyst examined the manufacturers, distribution channels and presence of all major players across Africa.

The analyst calculated the market size of Africa two-wheeler market using a bottom-up approach, wherein data for various end-user segments was recorded and forecast for the future years. The analyst sourced these values from the industry experts and company representatives and externally validated through analyzing historical data of these product types and applications for getting an appropriate, overall market size.



Various secondary sources such as company websites, news articles, press releases, company annual reports, investor presentations and financial reports were also studied by the analyst.



Key Target Audience:



 Manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and other stakeholders

 Government bodies such as regulating authorities and policy makers

 Organizations, forums and alliances related to two-wheeler vehicles

 Market research and consulting firms

The study is useful in providing answers to several critical questions that are important for the industry stakeholders such as manufacturers, suppliers, partners, end users, etc., besides allowing them in strategizing investments and capitalizing on market opportunities.



Report Scope:



In this report, Africa two-wheeler market has been segmented into following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

 Africa Two-Wheeler Market, By Vehicle Type:

o Motorcycle

o Scooter & Moped

 Africa Two-Wheeler Market, By Engine Capacity:

o Up to 125cc

o 126-250cc

o 251-500cc

o above 500cc

 Africa Two-Wheeler Market, By Country:

o Egypt

o Nigeria

o Kenya

o Tanzania

o Morocco

o Uganda

o Algeria

o Angola

o South Africa

o Ethiopia

o Rest of Africa



Competitive Landscape



Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in Africa two-wheeler market.



Available Customizations:



With the given market data, we offers customizations according to a companys specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:



Company Information



 Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05949198/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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EAST LANSING, Mich., Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GreenMark Biomedical Inc. announced that the company raised $830,000 in equity financing in the form of convertible notes in anticipation of a Series A financing in 2022.

Investors participating in the Bridge round include the University of Michigan (U-M) MINTS fund, Michigan State Foundation's Red Cedar Ventures and Michigan Rise funds, and BlueWater Angels, all of whom previously invested in the company. The round further includes an investment from co-inventor Dr. Brian and his wife Cheryl Clarkson, as well as company management.

"Awesome that GreenMark has begun a soft launch of its LumiCare Caries Detection Rinse. Along with its non-invasive treatment products in the works, GreenMark, we think, is positioned to grow and transform non-invasive dentistry, perhaps dentistry itself," said Mr. Rafael Castilla, Director of Investments and Structuring at U-M MINTS.

"The current standard for detection and noninvasive caries treatment has been suboptimal and does not incorporate advances in scientific understanding of the disease nor take advantage of new technologies," explains co-investigator Dr. Brian Clarkson, B.Ch.D., L.D.S., M.S., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Cariology, Restorative Sciences & Endodontics at U-M School of Dentistry, one of the co-inventors of the technology.

"This has been a difficult time for startup companies, but GreenMark is navigating this storm and we are pleased to participate with follow-on investment in one of Michigan's promising young companies," said Mr. Jeff Wesley, one of GreenMark's directors and the Executive Director of Red Cedar Ventures, who previously served as President of Accu Bite Dental Supply, which was acquired in 2005 by Patterson Companies, Inc., one of the leading dental distributors in the nation.

"Minimally invasive procedures have dominated Medicine for decades and are preferred by doctors and patients alike, and it's time we see this more broadly applied in dentistry," added Mr. Mike Snyder, PE, CSP, CFPS, Executive Vice President for DEKRA Process Safety and member of the BlueWater Angels, who serves as their representative on the GreenMark Board.

"We are very grateful for this ongoing support from our investors during these challenging times, enabling us with the ongoing development, scale-up and clinical validation of our products," said Dr. Steven Bloembergen, Ph.D., GreenMark's founder, Chairman and CEO.

About GreenMark Biomedical Inc.

GreenMark is developing products that involve small sub-micron particles produced from food-grade starch. These particles make an ideal carrier for medical and dental applications, given enzymes in our body and saliva degrade starch. Dental caries is the most prevalent chronic disease in the world, and GreenMark is developing ways to identify and better assess the disease in its early stages, monitor progression and treat it noninvasively or non-surgically. The Company's LumiCare Caries Detection Rinse, to be used by dental professionals as part of the routine dental exam, contains fluorescently labeled starch particles that target the porous subsurface of carious lesions in enamel and illuminate them using a dental curing light, thereby aiding in the detection of caries. The identification at early stages before cavitation will allow the use of non-surgical management options, resulting in less discomfort and improved long-term oral health outcomes for patients. GreenMark's team has also demonstrated the ability to load the essential minerals, depleted as a result of tooth decay, directly inside the small starch particles. Unlike fluoride products that seal the tooth's enamel surface, GreenMark's treatment products are being designed to target and restore the enamel subsurface.

GreenMark Biomedical Inc. has an office located at 325 E. Grand River Avenue, Suite 314, East Lansing, MI 48823, and offices & lab facilities at 1600 Huron Parkway, Building 520, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Contact: support@greenmark.bio or 801-899-0710. For more information, visit www.greenmark.bio.

About University of Michigan's MINTS: Michigan Investment in New Technology Startups is a direct investment program in the University of Michigan's endowment managed by its Investment Office. For more information, visit https://www.bf.umich.edu/about/#accordion-643.

About Red Cedar Ventures: Red Cedar Ventures (RCV) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation. Founded in 2014, RCV is proud to be the first venture fund in Mid-Michigan. RCV's objective is to help accelerate the commercialization of Michigan State University startups and create opportunities for affiliated partners and technologies. Its vision is to be one of the leading Midwestern pre-seed venture funds providing economic impact for the region and the state with new companies, high-paying jobs and value-added partnerships. To date, RCV has deployed approximately $6M dollars in technology startups that have gone on to raise over $250M in outside capital. For more information, visit www.redcedarventures.com.

About Michigan Rise: Michigan Rise is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Michigan State University Foundation. Founded in 2020, Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III invests in early-stage high-tech businesses located in Michigan. Michigan Rise Pre-Seed Fund III is made possible through funding of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Michigan State Foundation. For more information, visit www.michiganrise.com.

About BlueWater Angels: BlueWater Angels (BWA) is an angel investing group based in the Midland-Saginaw-Bay City region. It was established in 2008 and to date has invested more than $18 million in startup companies. BWA is a member of the Michigan Capital Network (MCN), the state's largest association of regional angel investing groups. MCN and BWA specialize in supporting capital-efficient, early-stage enterprises. They are committed to utilizing their financial, intellectual and networking resources to help their portfolio companies grow and positively impact the Michigan economy. For more information, visit https://michigancapitalnetwork.com/.

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NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Fertility, a nationwide fertility company focused on patient experience, announced today that Dr. Richard Dickey, Medical Director at The Fertility Institute of New Orleans (FINO), a First Fertility partner center, is retiring after more than five decades in the field of reproductive medicine. Assuming the new Medical Director position is Dr. Jay Huber.

"Dr. Dickey's service to the field of reproductive science is extraordinary," said Derek Larkin, CEO of First Fertility. "As a pioneer and researcher in his field, he helped countless families in Louisiana achieve their dream of having a family. He even worked to keep patients in treatment through Hurricane Katrina, and then rebuilt and expanded the practice as the city rebuilt. His contributions to infertility treatment, as well as his level of care for his patients, cannot be understated."

Dr. Dickey founded FINO as the first fertility clinic in Louisiana after leaving his position at LSU's School of Medicine OB-GYN department where he mentored countless residents, including some who became reproductive endocrinologists like FINO's Dr. Peter Lu. His vision was to provide infertility diagnosis and treatment in an accessible, supportive, and community-driven environment. That philosophy still drives FINO today as his leadership will continue to inspire hope for families.

As the Medical Director of FINO, Dr. Dickey led many advancements in reproductive medicine in the Gulf South with a career storied of many firsts, including the first sperm bank established, the first in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedure performed, the first IVF baby in Louisiana, the first intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) birth, the first frozen embryo program, and the first birth from a donor egg.

"Dr. Dickey established the Fertility Institute of New Orleans as a world-class fertility center to provide access to the highest level of reproductive medicine and help patients realize their dreams of having a family," said Dr. Huber, the new Medical Director at FINO. "The excellent standard of care that he built here will continue, and we wish him a wonderful and well-earned retirement."

Dr. Dickey's legacy will also continue through his generosity to LSU Health Sciences Center and his funding of the Richard Dickey Chair in Human Embryonic Development.

About First Fertility

First Fertility offers comprehensive and customized care for patients to grow their families. The business partners with reproductive endocrinology practices across the United States, investing in and offering strategic opportunities to these Centers of Excellence so that physicians can focus on what matters most: taking care of their patients. Learn more at firstfertility.com.

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Catherine Craig

ccraig@firstfertility.com

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Logo for First Fertility









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DETROIT, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) today announced it invested $2.2 billion with Michigan businesses in 2021, creating and sustaining more than 10,000 jobs across the state.

DTE has invested nearly $16 billion with Michigan-based vendors since 2010, creating and sustaining 54,000 Michigan jobs. The company invests five times more with local businesses than it did a decade ago.

In addition to Michigan investment, at the same time, DTE is increasing spending with suppliers owned by women, minorities, veterans, and members of the LGBT community. Recently, DTE also expanded its diverse supplier outreach to include disability-owned businesses. In 2021, the company spent more than $715 million with certified diverse suppliers and $820 million with businesses located in Detroit.

Doing business in the communities we serve helps Michigan companies grow and puts people to work, said Jaspreet Singh, Corporate Services vice president. Were committed to improving peoples lives with our energy. That fuels our passion for giving local and diverse suppliers new opportunities to succeed.

DTE partners with businesses throughout Michigan:





Southeast Michigan and Metro Detroit : DTE bought $1.7 billion in goods and services from more than 1,200 companies, generating and supporting nearly 7,800 jobs. Nearly half  $820 million  was sourced from companies based in Detroit.

: DTE bought $1.7 billion in goods and services from more than 1,200 companies, generating and supporting nearly 7,800 jobs. Nearly half  $820 million  was sourced from companies based in Detroit. West Michigan: DTE spent $97 million with 200 companies, creating and sustaining nearly 450 jobs.

DTE spent $97 million with 200 companies, creating and sustaining nearly 450 jobs. Northeast and Northwest Michigan: DTE invested $17 million with nearly 144 companies, positively impacting about 70 jobs.

DTE invested $17 million with nearly 144 companies, positively impacting about 70 jobs. South Michigan: DTE partnered with more than 300 companies, spending $222 million and adding or maintaining about 1,000 jobs.

DTE partnered with more than 300 companies, spending $222 million and adding or maintaining about 1,000 jobs. Central Michigan: DTE invested $46 million with more than 90 companies, creating and sustaining about 200 jobs.

DTE invested $46 million with more than 90 companies, creating and sustaining about 200 jobs. Thumb Region: DTE spent $103 million with nearly 130 companies, positively impacting about 475 jobs.

DTE spent $103 million with nearly 130 companies, positively impacting about 475 jobs. Upper Peninsula: DTE partnered with more than 40 businesses, spending $10 million and generating and supporting 45 jobs.





DTE is a founding member of Pure Michigan Business Connect, a public-private initiative that encourages businesses to buy from Michigan vendors and connects local companies with in-state opportunities. DTE requires that all new contract bids include at least two Michigan companies.

For Detroit-based Williams Electric, a strategic partnership opened the door for new growth opportunities with DTE. Williams is an electrical contractor and certified diverse supplier with eight employees. The company helps DTE improve and maintain the underground electrical system. They work closely with Motor City Electric, a larger DTE supplier. DTE encourages suppliers like Motor City Electric to embrace a commitment to supplier diversity.

Weve been in business 16 years, were committed to quality and we work with the trades, so we bring that strength to our projects, said Williams Electric Owner Rodney Williams. When it makes sense, Motor City reaches out to us and we bid on projects along with them. It gets us to the table a lot more effectively than if we were just out here trying to bid on projects all on our own.

The recent contract with DTE has enabled Williams Electric to hire an additional staff member and purchase new equipment. They are also bringing on more temporary skilled labor from the local union hall.

In 2021, DTE captured 10 industry-wide supplier diversity achievement awards, including the National Minority Supplier Development Council Class II Corporation of the Year. DTE has earned more than 40 supplier diversity industry awards since 2018.

We believe were at our best when our suppliers reflect the diversity of our customer base, said Singh. Thats why we seek out diverse small and medium businesses and connect them with new growth opportunities. Weve replicated this success over and over again to generate thousands of jobs across our state.

Michigan companies interested in learning about bid opportunities at DTE can find more information at dteenergy.com/supplychain.

About DTE Energy

DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE) is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include an electric company serving 2.3 million customers in Southeast Michigan and a natural gas company serving 1.3 million customers in Michigan. The DTE portfolio also includes non-utility businesses focused on industrial energy services, renewable natural gas, and energy marketing and trading. As an environmental leader, DTE utility operations will reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions by more than 80% by 2040 to produce cleaner energy while keeping it safe, reliable and affordable. DTE Electric and Gas aspire to achieve net zero carbon and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. DTE is committed to serving with its energy through volunteerism, education and employment initiatives, philanthropy and economic progress. Information about DTE is available at dteenergy.com, empoweringmichigan.com, twitter.com/dte_energy, and facebook.com/dteenergy.

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TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Half of Canadian companies have mandated employees get the COVID-19 vaccine (51%) and one-third have mandated employees get a booster shot (28%), according to a new survey by The Harris Poll, commissioned by Express Employment Professionals.



Large companies (100+ employees) are more likely than small companies (2-9 employees) to mandate the vaccine (59% vs. 43%) and a booster (34% vs. 27%).

Companies that require vaccines for their employees are met with positive feedback in the workplace. Nearly two-thirds of Canadian hiring decision-makers (64%) say employees reacted positively to their companys stance on whether they should receive the COVID-19 vaccine or booster.

Not only does it appear employees react positively to vaccine mandates, but the majority deem it necessary for business. A previous The Harris Poll survey, commissioned by Express last year, found that a majority (81%) agree business will only return to pre-pandemic operations (i.e., not limited by restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic) in Canada once more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

But decisions around vaccine mandates have come during the tightest job market in a generation. Almost two-thirds of Canadian companies surveyed say they have been affected by labour shortages in some way (71%). More than one-third say labour shortages have increased the workloads for existing employees (36%).

As a result, businesses have been weighing whether mandates will make it even more difficult for them find and retain staff by reducing the pool of potential employees or if it will make them more attractive to job seekers.

Express franchise owner Tash Damjanovic, who owns franchises in Toronto and Woodbridge, Ontario, says about 50% of the companies they work with have vaccine mandates. Similar to the survey results, she says small businesses are much less likely to implement mandates as they have a harder time competing in such a tight labour market.

We have seen many smaller companies steer clear of mandates, as they are worried they will not be able to effectively compete for and attract talent, said Damjanovic. They have been able to hire excellent quality associates who are unvaccinated and who are being passed over by employers with vaccine mandates.

Vaccine mandates dont just vary by company size, but also by level of job role, according to Jessica Culo, an Express Franchise owner in Edmonton, Alberta.

For senior level roles, we are seeing more than 90% of our clients require proof of vaccination, while for entry level roles, it is closer to 40%, said Culo.

Culo says more job seekers are making vaccination requirements a part of their search criteria.

An increasing number of job seekers are only willing to work for companies that have implemented vaccine mandates, said Culo. This is more relevant now than before, as we remain entrenched in a job seekers market.

However, Damjanovic says vaccine mandates have resulted in some companies losing their top talent.

Unfortunately, vaccine mandates seem to have disproportionately affected associates working in entry level positions, in roles that range from production workers to shipper/receivers, said Damjanovic. In one particular case, our associate spent a year working in a warehouse and was described by his manager as the best employee Ive ever had. He was extended a full time job offer at the same time as the company was implementing their vaccine policy, but he was vaccine hesitant and lost out on the opportunity. We have since placed this associate in a full time role with another company.

She adds that vaccine mandates can make labour shortages worse. She says companies seem to be weighing their risks when imposing vaccine mandates, trying to determine how much workplace disruption will be caused by implementing a vaccine mandate versus not having a mandate.

Vaccine mandates have come during the tightest job market in recent memory, said Damjanovic. That is making it even harder for companies to find staff, as it reduces the pool of potential employees.

As evidenced by the supply chain issues and longer wait times at just about every business, the desperate search for talent doesnt seem to be ending anytime soon, Express CEO Bill Stoller said.

Multiple factors are contributing to this difficult employment landscape, and its important for business leaders to enact internal policies that are best for their companies to attract and retain talent, he added. As decisions are made, the health and safety of employees should always take precedence for a healthy workforce and healthy economy.

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted online within Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals between Nov. 10 and Dec. 2, 2021, among 510 Canadian hiring decision-makers. Data were weighted where necessary by company size to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Ana Curic at

(613) 858-2622 or email Ana@MapleLeafStrategies.com.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing company has more than 850 franchises in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since inception, Express has put more than 9 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, were in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 526,000 people globally in 2020. For more information, visit www.ExpressPros.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fe536fb4-8b31-4d08-ae03-2c167a2599a5
AL-`ULA, Saudi Arabia, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Royal Commission for AlUla has announced that seminal works from some of Saudi Arabia's most influential contemporary artists are to be exhibited in the extraordinary desert setting of AlUla, where the arts play a core role in the resurgence of one of the world's most significant heritage and cultural destinations.

For What Lies Within, pieces from the past two decades by 17 artists from the collection of Saudi patron and collector Basma AlSulaiman will be on display, curated by artist Lulwah AlHomoud. The exhibition is the first in a series in AlUla celebrating pioneering collectors and patrons who have sparked and steered Saudi Arabia's relationship with the arts, paving the way for a flourishing creative industries sector today.

What Lies Within is installed at Maraya, one of the world's architectural wonders with 9,460 square meters of mirrors covering its exterior walls, reflecting the striking desert landscape of its surroundings.

AlSulaiman's collection preserves a remarkable visual record of Saudi heritage and reflects a journey in the public response to art. Spanning works on paper, painting, sculpture, photography, and installation, the varied exhibition conveys the artists' and collector's connection to both local and global contemporary culture.

The participating artists are: Manal AlDowayan; Shadia Alem; Mohammed AlGhamdi; Zahrah AlGhamdi; Lulwah AlHomoud; Musaed AlHulis; Adel AlQuraishi; Rashed AlShashai; Noha AlSharif; Dana Awartani; Abdulnasser Gharem; Maha Malluh; Ahmed Mater; Filwa Nazer; Saddek Wasil; and Ayman Yossri Daydban.

In their own distinct styles, the artists explore the expansiveness of Saudi identity, spirituality, and culture, and how these have evolved from the past to the present day. In the centre of the space is a new, site-specific iteration of Shadia Alem's large-scale installation The Black Arch, shown in Saudi Arabia for the first time since its debut at the Venice Biennale in 2011.

This temporary, free exhibition welcomes visitors who seek to discover the artistic energy and visionary inspiration present in modern-day Saudi. It showcases Saudi art on its own terms, platforming the vibrant breadth of output from artists working in the Kingdom and its diaspora.

What Lies Within takes place as a highlight of AlUla Arts, the inaugural arts festival and one of four distinct festivals under the winter events umbrella of AlUla Moments.

AlUla is a living landscape museum for heritage, nature and the arts, spanning 22,561km in North-West Saudi Arabia, 1,100km from Riyadh. It houses the most globally significant remains of early civilisations of the Arabian Peninsula, including Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Hegra. Built by successive civilisations across millennia, the destination offers a journey through time, bringing this rich heritage to the world.

https://www.livingmuseum.com/artsalula

For all press enquiries, please contact:

Pelham Communications, Senior Director

Sophie Campos: sophie@pelhamcommunications.com +44 (0) 208 969 3959

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Image 1: Shadia Alem, The Black Arch, 2011.





Photo by Andrea Avezzu, courtesy the artist and the Basma AlSulaiman Collection.

















Image 2: Manal AlDowayan, I Am a Computer Scientist, 2005





Photo by MAD Studio, courtesy the artist and Basma AlSulaiman Collection.

















Image 3: Maraya, AlUla, the world's largest mirrored building.





Courtesy of the Royal Commission for AlUla.









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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TransGlobal Assets Inc. (OTC Pink:TMSH) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Development Agreement with Merati Homes LLC ( www.meratihomes.com ), a modular real estate developer, to provide 50 housing units in addition to the necessary infrastructure as part of a master planned community at its South Haven Hemp Ranch. TransGlobal Assets shall provide a portion of the land with Merati Homes providing planning, development, construction and limited management services associated with the homes to be designed within their existing geographic nature among approximately 15 acres. These studios, one bedroom and two bedroom homes will be available for both short term and long term stays and are expected to be a base for people to enjoy the ranch, Lake Michigan, and all of the surrounding activities and festivals.

South Haven Hemp Ranch is to adopt a vertically integrated business model and will include a self-sustaining community of superior modular homes offering off-grid style living. It will consist of Commercial Greenhouses for year-round agriculture production and 10 acres registered for outdoor hemp cultivation, all located in picturesque SOUTH HAVEN, Michigan.

Pursuant to the agreement, TransGlobal will provide the highly sought after land in South Haven whereas Merati Homes will be responsible for the construction costs of the 50 homes which is expected to be $7.5 million with infrastructure costs being an additional $2.5 million. Profits from the rental units will be split 30%-70% between TransGlobal and Merati respectively until Merati recoups their development costs then it will be evenly distributed to 50%-50%.

TransGlobal Assets Inc. is a publicly traded Hemp/CBD holdings company. Our business model self-sustaining Hemp Ranches. Each hemp ranch will be vertically integrated from acres allocated, to outdoor cultivation and indoor greenhouses, to warehouses for processing farm grown hemp into textiles, hempcrete & plastics. The Hemp Ranch will provide raw products for processing the all-natural product lines to be sold through Monster Elixir, a wholly owned subsidiary of TransGlobal Assets Inc. Monster Elixir products include, but are not limited to, Green Essence Beverages; an all-natural CBD infused lemonade, and Crown Care; an all-natural Hemp infused hair care line.

Merati Homes is a modular home builder and sustainable community developer. Merati works with government entities and property owners to design, develop, and manage master-planned communities that are modern and environmentally sustainable.

Curtis Philpot, CEO of TransGlobal Assets Inc., states, I look forward to this symbiotic relationship with Merati Homes. This is a perfect deal that will generate substantial revenues for our shareholders.

Please visit our website https://www.transglobalassets.com/ for more information about TMSH and all its holdings.

For further inquiries, please contact:

Curtis Philpot, CEO

TransGlobal Assets Inc. (OTC Pink: TMSH)

CPhilpot360@TransGlobalAssets.net

About TransGlobal Assets, Inc. (OTC Pink: TMSH)

In the ever-challenging social and economic climate for hemp, technology remains to be at the forefront as we discover new ways Hemp can help mankind. Our goal is to lead in the discoveries, set the standard and contribute to the conversation of Hemp. As we move into a newly understanding of how Hemp contributes to a more enhanced life, TMSH is forming a grassroots campaign from local Hemp Farmers to Wall Street, and everything in between. The healing properties of CBD are emerging in everyday household conversations, the Healthcare industry and even Global Markets. TMSH will meet this demand by promoting education, highlighting technology and investing in the future of Hemp.

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbor created by those sections. This material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and jut uncertainties. That includes the possibility that the business outlined in this press release cannot be concluded for some reason. That could be as a result of technical, installation, permitting or other problems that were not anticipated. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of TransGlobal Assets, Inc. to be materially different from the statements made herein. Except for any obligation under the U.S. federal securities laws, TransGlobal Assets, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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DEERFIELD, Ill., Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FoodChain ID, a market-leading provider of technology-enabled food safety, quality, and sustainability solutions, in partnership with The Hartman Group, experts on American food and beverage culture, will host a webinar titled "What's Driving Consumer Demand for Organic Food and Beverage Products?" on Feb. 17, 2022. Register for free via this link.

In this informative webinar, The Hartman Group CEO Laurie Demeritt will share key insights and implications for CPG brands today based on trend data from The Hartman Group's latest Organic and Beyond and Sustainability 2021 reports. Topics will include consumer aspirations, attitudes, and behavior relating to organic food products and highlights of consumer response to third-party certifications and standards that relate to organics, sustainable agriculture (including the topic of regenerative), and GMOs. FoodChain ID will then share insights into efficiently managing third-party certifications, followed by a Q&A.

About The Hartman Group

Since 1989, The Hartman Group's anthropologists, social scientists, and business analysts have been immersed in the study of American food and beverage culture, using ethnographic observation, quantitative tracking surveys, and deep analysis of trends. What we have learned and continue to uncover allows us to upend many notions of our traditional American eating and drinking patterns, identifying unique opportunities and winning strategies for our clientsmore at https://www.hartman-group.com/about-us#overview.

About FoodChain ID

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, FoodChain ID has a global presence and provides technology-enabled food safety, quality, and sustainability solutions that address challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving food industry. Serving more than 30,000 customers in over 100 countries with a market-leading portfolio of testing, inspection, certification, and compliance solutions, FoodChain ID helps companies navigate the increasingly regulated global food economy with greater transparency, accountability, safety, and sustainability. A pioneer of the GMO food identification industry, the company's services now include clean labels, food safety, sustainability claims; food safety certifications; regulatory compliance solutions; and testing. FoodChain ID is a portfolio company of Berkshire Partners.

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The Hartman Group CEO Laurie Demeritt









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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PenderFund Capital Management Ltd. (Pender) is pleased to announce that it has been recognized for consistent, risk-adjusted fund outperformance during 2021. The Pender Corporate Bond Fund, managed by Geoff Castle and Associate Portfolio Manager Parul Garg, has received a FundGrade A+ award.



This is the third time the fund has won a FundGrade A+ award. Fundata defines these awards as an objective rating system that recognizes not only the best-performing funds, but also the most consistent  the best of the best among Canadian investment fundsthroughout a calendar year.

For the full Methodology, visit: https://fundata.com/images/FundataFundgradeMethodology.pdf

We are delighted for Geoff and Parul. The way that the entire Fixed Income team navigated the rolling series of challenges faced in credit markets to achieve a return of 10.3%* is a testament to their investment process and hard work, noted Felix Narhi, CIO.

* Class F

We are honoured to receive this award. Thank you to Fundata for the recognition, said Geoff Castle. I also want to thank our clients who have spent time understanding the different way in which we approach things and have supported the fund. In 2021 we had a good result, and this award is a testament to their resolve as well. Thank you.

Parul Garg added, Thank you for this award. Its a great honour. I want to thank the Pender investment team who have been so supportive and shared so many great insights. The funds journey over the last 6 years has been amazing. Thank you.

About PenderFund Capital Management Ltd.

Pender was founded in 2003 and is an independent, employee-owned investment firm located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Our goal is to protect and grow wealth for our investors over time. We have a talented investment team of expert analysts, security selectors and independent thinkers who actively manage a suite of differentiated investment funds, exploiting inefficient parts of the investing universe to achieve our goal. Please visit www.penderfund.com.

Please read important disclosures at www.penderfund.com/disclaimer.

For further information, please contact:

Melanie Moore

Vice President of Marketing, PenderFund Capital Management Ltd.

mmoore@penderfund.com

(604) 688-1511

Toll Free: (866) 377-4743
English Norwegian

Reference is made to the stock exchange announcement on 22 December 2021

after having received a control report from Finanstilsynet.

Finanstilsynet notified the company of a five week deadline to appeal the decision.

The company has now concluded to comply with the order from Finanstilsynet.

Detailed, but preliminary assessments, confirm not insignificant effect on results and equity

in historical periods, but limited impact on the groups equity on the 2021 annual accounts.

The exact impact will be calculated and accounted for in the 2021 accounts.

Preliminary accounts will according to the financial calendar be released on 25.02.2022.

Contacts:

CEO Njal Svik, +47 909 35 722

CFO Arne Johan Dale, +47 909 87 706





This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VelocityEHS, the global leader in cloud-based environmental, health, safety (EHS) and environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) software, announced today its new risk management virtual training course, Introduction to Bowtie Analysis hosted with its training partner, Safety Solutions. The 8-hour course, split into two afternoon sessions, offers an in-depth, hands-on exploration of how risk bowties can help EHS professionals better understand how to assess, communicate and manage operational risks. Part of the companys suite of expert-led resources, this exclusive VelocityEHS online training course is ideal for operations, maintenance, engineering, EHS leadership and support teams, as well as management staff.



Register now for the course, which takes place over two 4-hour sessions on Wednesday, February 16, 2022, from 1:00  5:00 p.m. ET and Thursday, February 17, 2022, from 1:00  5:00 p.m. ET.

Risk bowties synthesize data from many different types of risk assessments, providing a single, intuitive view of risk at the organizational level and the controls needed to prevent incidents. They provide a visual representation of the causal pathways that relate causes to top events and outcomes to make it easier to communicate and assess risk scenarios. Bowties are also flexible and interactive, enabling teams to overcome the common limitations of documenting risk data using spreadsheets or tabular risk registers. Download the VelocityEHS Using Risk Bowties to Manage Risk eBook and Bowties: A Unified View of Operational Risk infographic to learn more.

Risks come at us from all directions, and if youre not effectively managing risk with advanced solutions it can be a real challenge to understand of how those risks interact with one another and impact your business, said Matt Airhart, President of VelocityEHS. Risk bowties are the answer. Their ability to combine risk assessment data from multiple methods and sources into a single, consolidated visual map makes them an essential tool for todays EHS leaders. This training offers attendees the opportunity to learn first-hand from the experts how to better manage risks throughout their organization. Its just another way VelocityEHS is leading the charge in helping EHS professionals gain operational excellence.

Attendees of the virtual course will use the VelocityEHS Risk Management software to get hands-on practice creating bowtie analyses. The flexible, integrated and easy-to-use software tools help small to enterprise-sized organizations achieve efficient, consistent, and transparent risk and control management across their operations. By standardizing the collection and organization of risk and control data, software users can effortlessly switch between qualitative and quantitative analysis modes in either tabular or bowtie formats, in support of a wide array of industry-standard processes from JSAs, What-Ifs, Checklists, HAZOPs, LOPAs through to SQRAs.

Visit the training course page to learn more and register. Follow VelocityEHS on LinkedIn for updates about this and other training events, including additional information about the Introduction to Bowtie Analysis spring session in May.

For more information about VelocityEHS and its full suite of award-winning EHS products and services, visit www.EHS.com.

About Safety Solutions

Safety Solutions Ltd offers process safety consulting services and training courses to establish strong safety management culture and capability. Our consultants have significant international experience and are leaders in the field of process safety. Combining specialist engineering and management skills, we work with operating and engineering companies to establish their process safety programs to the highest possible standards. Since 1993, Safety Solutions has been servicing clients in oil & gas, petrochemical, refining, hazardous substances, chemicals, dairy, power generation, pulp, and paper sectors. Our team is based in New Zealand (New Plymouth and Rotorua) and Australia (Melbourne). Our team has led 1000s of workshops and training courses across many sectors. Visit our project experience pages for more detail on our recent experience.

About VelocityEHS

Trusted by more than 20,000 customers worldwide, VelocityEHS is the global leader in true SaaS enterprise EHS technology. Through the VelocityEHS Accelerate Platform, the company helps global enterprises drive operational excellence by delivering best-in-class capabilities for health, safety, environmental compliance, training, operational risk and environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG). The VelocityEHS team includes unparalleled industry expertise, with more certified experts in health, safety, industrial hygiene, ergonomics, sustainability, the environment, AI, and machine learning than any EHS software provider. Recognized by the EHS industrys top independent analysts as a Leader in the Verdantix 2021 Green Quadrant AnalysisVelocityEHS is committed to industry thought leadership and to accelerating the pace of innovation through its software solutions and vision.

VelocityEHS is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with locations in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Tampa, Florida; Oakville, Ontario; London, England; Perth, Western Australia; and Cork, Ireland. For more information, visit www.EHS.com.

Media Contact

Betsy Utley-Marin

312.881.2307

butleymarin@ehs.com
VACAVILLE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Polaris Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Vacaville has purchased 15 acres in the City of Vacavilles Vaca Valley Business Park, a transaction that represents another advancement in the Citys plans to expand its biotechnology footprint and solidify itself as a global center for biomanufacturing.



Polaris Pharmaceuticals Vacaville, a part of the Polaris Group family, is planning to build a complete state of the art biopharmaceutical manufacturing facility.

We are excited to expand our manufacturing and process research capabilities in Vacaville, said Chris Huxsoll, Senior Vice President of Operations of Polaris Pharmaceuticals. The City of Vacaville has been a great partner over the years, and that was one of the key considerations in our decision to expand operations here.

Polaris represents the type of biomanufacturer we envisioned locating in Vacaville when we took action to grow our biomanufacturing hub, said Vacaville Mayor Ron Rowlett. We will work with Polaris through our Biotechnology Fast Track permitting program to get this new facility up and operational as quickly as possible, and we will continue to connect them to the resources they need to be successful in Vacaville.

In October 2020, the City of Vacaville announced the start of the next generation of its world class biomanufacturing cluster with the identification of 300 acres available for development. Capable of an estimated 3 million additional square feet of biomanufacturing, this space houses the Polaris acquisition and the recently announced Agenus Inc. Acquisition, a Lexington, Massachusetts-based biotech company who recently purchased 120 acres to build a 72 acre biomanufacturing campus.

Vacaville has been successful in positioning itself as a viable location for biomanufacturing and our team is very proud to represent Polaris, said Eric Dakin, Managing Broker at Dakin and Dakin Commercial Real Estate Services. This will be the second biopharma firm to expand operations in Vacaville. The Polaris site is at the intersection of Interstates 80 and 505, adjacent to the Genentech facility.

Polaris has already proven to be a terrific partner. The company has expressed its commitment to the community and its willingness to lead as part of a new generation of biomanufacturers in the city, said Don Burrus, Director of Economic Development Services. This investment validates the citys vision for biomanufacturing, he said.

About Polaris Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

A member of the Polaris Group Family of Companies, Polaris Pharmaceuticals in Vacaville was founded in 2002. A cGMP facility was built for biologics in 2005 and has been providing Pegargiminase for all clinical studies for over 10 years. As a CMO, Polaris manufactures cGMP grade biologics for a biotech companies to conduct clinical studies throughout the world. Polaris Group is a multinational biotechnology company focused on developing novel anti-cancer therapies. Polaris Group is involved in every stage of the drug development process and has a family of companies that harnesses structure-based drug design technology to create novel oncology therapies, conduct clinical studies at top-tier cancer centers worldwide and operates cGMP Production Facilities in Northern California and Asia.

About City of Vacaville

The City of Vacaville is located 50 miles northeast of San Francisco along Interstate 80 between the University of California Berkeley and Davis campuses. Vacaville is a vibrant community in one of the fastest growing areas of the nation and has become home to some of the largest and most successful life-science companies in the world, including Genentech, Polaris, Alza, and Chiron. Its location makes it one of California's most attractive family communities. Vacaville has been a center for biomanufacturing since the 1980s. It gained recognition as a world-class biotechnology center in 1994 when Genentech acquired land for its biologics manufacturing facility, touted as one of the largest biotech drug manufacturing complexes in the world.

Contact:

Joanna Leal

Public Relations Manager

(707) 301-9559

Joanna.leal@cityofvacaville.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3f1de21a-c50f-473e-8f54-99976e2e7d9b



https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9565e683-b28c-4e2e-8ddf-3741fb664af4
Monterey, California, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- At the January 19 California Community Power (CC Power) board meeting, members of the Joint Powers Agency voted to enter into an energy storage service agreement with REV Renewables for 69 megawatts (MW)/552 megawatt hours (MWh) of long-duration energy storage. The REV Renewables Tumbleweed project will be a CAISO grid-connected, lithium-ion battery storage resource located near Rosamond, in Kern County, California, with an expected online date of 2026.

Long-duration energy storage is a vital resource, needed to amplify the value of renewable power, and accelerate Californias shift to a clean, reliable and affordable grid, said Girish Balachandran, California Community Power Board Chair and Silicon Valley Clean Energy CEO. This first project is an exciting milestone that shows how CCAs work together to advance our shared goals in the transition to a carbon-free grid.

The California Public Utilities Commission Mid-Term Reliability Procurement order (Decision 21-06-035) requires all CPUC-jurisdictional load serving entities, including CC Power Members, to procure from energy storage facilities capable of discharging for a minimum of 8 hours. This project satisfies approximately 55% of the long-duration storage compliance requirements of the participating members.

This joint procurement effort for long-duration energy storage began before the CPUC issued the new procurement order when a subset of the CC Power members issued a Request for Offers (RFO) in Oct. 2020 seeking to procure cost effective and viable long-duration storage resources.

Participation in the RFO and resulting projects is voluntary for each CC Power member. The participating agencies for this project are CleanPowerSF, Peninsula Clean Energy, Redwood Coast Energy Authority, San Jose Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Sonoma Clean Power Authority and Valley Clean Energy. Participating members will follow their own review and approval processes with their local, elected boards.

The Tumbleweed project adheres to the long-duration storage enhanced conditions adopted by the CC Power Board for this procurement effort. It will be constructed under a Project Labor Agreement, assuring prevailing wages and use of apprenticeship programs and is expected to create dozens of new jobs.

The ongoing RFO process, as well as member participation have been discussed during noticed, public meetings of the CC Power board. Additional projects identified during the competitive solicitation process will be discussed at upcoming meetings. Meeting information is available at cacommunitypower.org/meetings.

About California Community Power

California Community Power is a Joint Powers Agency comprised of ten California Community Choice Aggregators (CCAs). The agency allows its member CCAs to combine their buying power to procure new, cost-effective clean energy and reliability resources to continue advancing local and state climate goals. California Community Power members represent over 3 million customers across more than 145 municipalities spanning from Humboldt County to Santa Barbara County. Learn more at cacommunitypower.org.

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NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, has provided a $27,503,000 Freddie Mac Optigo loan to refinance a 109-unit multifamily / mixed use property in Philadelphia, Penn. The transaction was originated by Ryan Harkins and Dan Gillard of Greystone on behalf of Gotham Tower LP.



The non-recourse, fixed-rate, 12-year loan for The Gotham replaces construction financing as the building became stabilized after completion. Acquired in 2018, the property has seen extensive capital improvements as it was transformed from its original use as a silk factory to a mixed-use property with studio, one-, two-, three-, and four-bedroom units along with an attractive amenity package.

This development project was a unique opportunity to bring high-quality rental housing to the Philadelphia market while preserving the historic charm of the original use of the site as Gotham Silk Factory, said Jim Maransky, principal of the borrower. This was an extremely complex multi-phase development project with a large historic component. Greystone was the perfect partner to help guide us through the permanent financing process, and we are thrilled with the outcome.

Working with Jim and the Ebuilt team was a true pleasure as we helped to position this unique property for long-term success with Freddie Mac permanent financing, said Mr. Harkins. The Gotham is a transformational property that is going to enhance the growing Fishtown/Kensington section of Philadelphia for years to come.

Ken Wellar of Rittenhouse Realty Advisors assisted in arranging the financing.

The Gotham was a perfect execution of a redevelopment in one of the hottest markets in Philadelphia, said Wellar. We believe Jim and his team will experience great rent growth over the next five to ten years. Dan and Ryan did a great job getting this one across the finish line.

About Greystone

Greystone is a private national commercial real estate finance company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greystone.com.

PRESS CONTACT:

Karen Marotta

Greystone

212-896-9149

Karen.Marotta@greyco.com
Littleton, CO, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Phoenix Capital Group, a leading oil and gas mineral rights acquisition and non-operated working interest enterprise, is excited to announce it has secured a new credit facility from a private credit fund out of Toronto, Canada.





The new partner can lend up to $100 million. This enhanced line of credit will allow Phoenix Capital Group to continue expanding and serving the needs of its customers and investors at a very high level.

The company continues to establish itself as the trusted name in mineral rights by consistently closing high-value and mutually beneficial transactions. Moreover, Phoenix Capital Group's acquisitions are establishing the current market value in many areas.

Lindsey Wilson, the company's chief operating officer and managing member, said she is proud that a strong, independent lender has recognized the value of the Phoenix Capital Group team and business processes and has chosen to partner with Phoenix Capital Group in this exciting upcoming endeavor.

Wilson also said the proprietary software Phoenix Capital Group uses has been a massive part of its success. That effort has been led by Kristopher Woods, Phoenix Capital Group's CTO, and has been supported by the broader Phoenix Capital Group staff.

Ultimately, Phoenix Capital Group is focused on providing much-needed liquidity to the domestic energy markets, and the new credit facility will only serve to further those efforts.

Phoenix Capital Group has 32 employees spread out over three offices in Hermosa Beach, California; Littleton, Colorado; and Casper, Wyoming. Its leaders have over 60 years of combined experience in the energy sector, focusing on asset management and capital deployment.

The company's portfolio consists of more than 200 unique mineral and working interest assets with a combined value of $115 million.

It uses proprietary technology to identify mineral rights and non-operated working interests in the Powder River, Delaware, Permian, Denver Julesburg "DJ," and Williston basins.

Since its beginning, Phoenix Capital Group has worked with owners ranging from individuals with a small fractional interests to large farmers and institutional owners with thousands of acres.

The company acquires mineral interests, leasehold interests, overriding royalty interests, and perpetual royalty interests. Phoenix Capital Group is currently expanding its proprietary architecture to ensure it continues to provide market-leading services to all its clients -- both investors and landowners alike.

This new partnership with the credit facility will only help further that goal.

Contact Info:

Name: Lindsey Wilson

Email: PublicRelations@phxcapitalgroup.com

Organization: Phoenix Capital Group

Address: 5601 S Broadway, Suite 240, Littleton, CO 80121

Phone: 303-749-0074

Website: https://www.phxcapitalgroup.com/
Lindsay, Ontario, Canada, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Holsag, a manufacturer of fine wood and faux wood chairs, announces the appointment of a new Managing Director, Anthony Remus. He brings more than 20 years of business leadership experience and joined the company in July 2021.

I chose to become part of the Holsag team because I was impressed by the companys mission and their commitment to excellence, said Remus. Holsag has a family-oriented environment with employees who are very passionate and committed to producing high-quality products. Everyone has been incredibly welcoming.

Remus previously served as the Director of Operations for Stealth, an industrial-grade computer manufacturing company. Other experience includes being the President at a York Region Condominium Corporation, an On-Site Service Technician at the H.E.P.A. Filter Services Inc., providing Gold/ESS technical support for IBM Canada, and involvement in technology start-up companies. Remus has obtained his Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Royal Roads University with a specialization in doing business in Europe and innovation. Remus is also currently pursuing his Master of Supply Chain Management (MSCM) through Schulich School of Business at York University.

Many businesses are volume-based, but Holsag is a quality-based business, said Remus. We want our products to meet the expectations of customers when theyre shipped out from the facility.

Holsag has served the senior living, restaurant, and hospitality markets for more than three decades. The company takes great pride in using sustainably sourced European Beech Hardwood for its chairs which are built to order and crafted in North America. Holsag became part of the MITY Inc. family adding to their diverse product brand in January of 2017. Learn more at mityinc.com

One thing that Ive learned since joining Holsag is that the company pays extreme attention to detail, said Remus. The goal is to avoid having warranty issues or missing customers expectations with our products and our interactions. When our customers get their products, we want them to receive exactly what they ordered and what they expect to receive to maintain the high brand awareness of both Holsag and MITY.

###

About Holsag

Holsag is committed to delivering solid wood chairs manufactured in Lindsay, Ontario with fine European Beech hardwood that is sustainably sourced from forests in Europe. The company uses only the best materials for chairs crafted to serve customers in senior living, hospitality and education. The collection of faux wood chairs is manufactured to serve the healthcare, hospitality and senior living markets. Holsag joined parent company, MITY Incorporated, in January of 2017. Other MITY product brands include MityLite, Bertolini, XpressPort and BRODA. Visit mityinc.com for details.

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Las Vegas, NV, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Hemp, Inc. (OTC PINK: HEMP), one of the global leaders on the forefront of the industrial hemp industry, reports today on how cannabinoids could spur huge revenue growth for CBD-derived products, as researchers continue to vigorously test for a compound that will inhibit Covid. Since the hemp plant has been touted as one of earths greatest resources, and has over 25,000 uses and counting, many researchers have turned to it as a potential source. Per scientific data, can cannabinoids cure or prevent Covid? While there is no conclusive evidence, as of yet, one particular recent study said CBD has the potential to prevent infections and that it might be one of the most useful applications. (source)



The aforementioned study , published in the Science Advances journal, was based on real patients taking prescribed CBD. Those patients returned a positive Covid test at a much lower rate than patients who did not consume CBD. Their results also suggested that consuming CBD can block the infection if taken during early or later stages. These results were from real-world data, not lab tests. The lab tests they conducted proved phenomenal too. Those tests found that CBD inhibits the replication of genes required for the growth and spread of the virus throughout the body.

This is extremely good news but researchers are careful to note that cannabis-derived products should not be a substitute for the vaccine; but CBD could definitely end up being a much-needed supplement. To many consumers across the globe, thats all they need to know. Conclusive or not, the findings are generating a frenzy in the marketplace for CBD products and demand is expected to skyrocket. This may undoubtedly create an explosive revenue and growth curve and Hemp, Inc. executives are fully prepared for what lies ahead with their 10,000 square-foot research and development/manufacturing facility in Las Vegas, Nevada.

While no one can predict the future, the past can oftentimes be a huge indicator of whats to come. Before CBD was a trendy wellness elixir, researchers were suggesting that a compound from the hemp plant could protect the nervous system, modulate blood flow, slow growth of cancer cells and provide relief from seizures, pain, anxiety and inflammation. Fast forward to today. Not only is it medically approved to help people suffering from seizure disorders, its infused in some of our favorite food and beverages and household names like Kim Kardashian are throwing CBD-themed baby showers. This was nearly an 8-year time span. Lets take a look at CBD product sales during that time.

CBD product sales from 2014 to 2022* grew as follows:

2014  $108 million

2015  $173 million

2016  $261 million

2017  $367 million

2018  $535 million

2019  $845 million

2020  $1.198 billion

2021  $1.615 billion

2022  $1.918 billion

(* Source )

Another source theorized that the CBD industry would grow to over $14.5 billion in sales by 2026. This statistic did not even take into account the CBDA and CBGA market frenzy the industry could experience.

We believe companies that were ahead of the curve prior to 2014, with CBD products, were able to ride the wave through that explosive growth. History has been known to repeat itself under somewhat different circumstances. Today, the world is suffering from a global pandemic in a fight against Covid and its variants and cannabis is on the front burner.

The difference and huge advantage, for the marketplace, between then and now? The base for CBD research is already established, accepted and approved. Millions of people buy CBD-derived products regularly from untold thousands of stores all across America. Couple this significant advantage with the looming pandemic with people around the world looking for a product to thwart Covid you get an exponential growth and revenue curve.

While full data on cannabinoids have gone through peer review, and its use looks promising, there are still many caveats with much more testing on the horizon. But this isnt stopping an insatiable market for something they believe could thwart the disease.

There are many different cannabinoids. Some of those cannabinoids are acidic hemp compounds. CBDA is a cannabidiolic acid and CBGA is a cannabigerolic acid. Another study showed both of these compounds bind to the Covid spike protein, blocking a critical step in the viral entry process.

As research on cannabinoids and Covid continues, Hemp, Inc. executives say the first in its line of CBDA and CBGA products will be released before the end of this week. The products will include water, tinctures, gummies, capsules, and edibles and will come in a variety of sizes, potencies, flavors and formulas that executives foresee being in high demand.

The current King of Hemp product line includes:

King of Hemp Gummies - These CBD edibles come in a variety of flavors and potencies of 25 gm, 20 gm and 10 gm. Flavors include blue raspberry, kiwi, strawberry, pineapple, guava, tropical, apple, citrus, berry tang and more. CBD Fruit Rings (20 gm and 10 gm) are available in apple, peach and watermelon. King of Hemp Sour Bears in assorted flavors (10 gm) are in stock, too.

King of Hemp Caviar (previously called Moon Rocks) offers high CBD potency and a rich taste. The Caviar is made from high-quality Bubba Kush hemp flower, coated in a THC-free distillate and then rolled in CBG-rich kief. While Caviar can be smoked in a pipe or vaped, it should not be rolled into a cigarette.

King of Hemp Diamonds contain over 95% CBD and are derived from terpene-infused THC-free distillate. Diamonds are consumed by dabbing.

The robustly flavored King of Hemp Pre-Rolls are made from organic, pesticide-free Bubba Kush hemp wrapped in RAW Natural Rolling Paper. The unique wrapper is made from 100% plants with no added chalk or dyes. Pre-Rolls are sold online as singles and in a six-pack.

Fortified Pre-Rolls utilize the King of Hemp Pre-Roll and cover it with a high-CBD distillate and hemp CBG kief. These highly potent, flavorful pre-rolls are recommended for experienced smokers.

Midnight Express, a high CBG Pre-Roll, is made from premium hemp flowers, named in honor of the 1977 book by Billy Hayes Midnight Express, which was also an award-winning feature film, written by Oliver Stone. Hemp, Inc. uses a proprietary process for its Pre-Rolls, which includes blending the best flower from numerous hemp crops. King of Hemp Pre-Rolls offer smokers a unique, consistent profile every time.

King of Hemp Tinctures are currently sold out, but new-formulated tinctures with CBDA and CBGA will be available at the King of Hemp online store and at retail locations in a few weeks.

Its important to note that preliminary CBD research is a great start. However, additional research is necessary before anyone can make any type of medical health claim. Hemp, Inc. does not make medical claims on any of its products. In fact, executives believe consumers should do their own research and draw their own conclusions based on that research. If youre not sure where to start, watch this video on Bloomberg that we mentioned on our last press release.

With more than 10 years of experience in growing and processing hemp in North America, Hemp, Inc. has an established network of industry professionals in every segment of the industrial hemp industry. Hemp, Inc. has the largest industrial multipurpose hemp processing facility in North America, an 85,000-square foot facility in Spring Hope, N.C. Its mission of providing green solutions that help make the world a better place continues to flourish as the company advances an ever-growing portfolio of revenue- and value-generating synergistic businesses. Hemp may be the salvation in retooling America for greener, more sustainable domestic manufacturing.

HEMP, INC.S LAS VEGAS FACILITY

In addition to Hemp, Inc.s 85,000-square foot facility in Spring Hope, NC, the Company also has a 10,000-square foot research and development/manufacturing facility located in Las Vegas, Nevada home of some of the biggest named trade shows and conventions in the United States. Easily accessible in the heart of the valley, this facility researches, formulates, develops and produces the Companys line of products and stays abreast of the industrys scientific data and findings. Those interested in Hemp, Inc.s King of Hemp products or those who require more information can visit www.KingofHempUSA.com ; email sales@kingofhempusa.com; or, call 877-436-7564.

HEMP, INC.S RECENT ACQUISITIONS

Hemp, Inc. had its second major acquisition in less than three months. In the all-stock transaction, Hemp, Inc. acquired full ownership of American Sustainable Rubber Company, LLC (ASR). This specific acquisition will enable Hemp, Inc. to leverage ASRs proprietary intellectual property to improve its hemp grows and harvesting. The first acquisition was acquiring Ferris Holding, Inc., a leading co-packer and manufacturer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. To read more on how these strategic acquisitions are positioning the Company for long-term profitable growth, click here .



WHAT IS HEMP, INC.?



With a deep-rooted social and environmental mission at its core, Hemp, Inc. seeks to build a business constituency for the American small hemp farmer, the American veteran, and other groups experiencing the ever-increasing disparity between tapering income and soaring expenses. The Company is on a mission to be a powerful engine for social change and economic revival, worldwide, by providing hemp products that are eco-friendly, sustainable and healthy. Hemp, Inc. executives believe there can be tangible benefits reaped from adhering to a corporate social responsibility plan.

FORWARD-LOOKING DISCLAIMER AND DISCLOSURES

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the Safe Harbor created by those sections. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires issuers to provide adequate current information. Financials for Hemp, Inc. are listed on the OTC Exchange. More information can also be found out the Hemp, Inc. website by visiting www.hempinc.com/hemp-financial-disclosures/ . Material contains statements about expected future events and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties.

Contact:

Hemp, Inc.

855-436-7688
Washington, DC, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) is celebrating another successful campaign thanks to generous federal employees and retirees who pledged in the Washington metropolitan areas 2021 annual charitable giving program, which concluded on Jan. 15th.

Though a few pledges remain outstanding, the current total comes in over $37.3 million. The amount raised exceeds the goal of $35 million and the amount raised in the 2020 CFCNCA. In addition, over 42,800 volunteer hours were pledged to CFC-participating charities.

We are so proud that the federal community stands up to support our local, national, and international neighbors, said Vince Micone, Co-Chairperson of the CFCNCA. Contributions through the CFC exemplify the dedication to public service that is so characteristic of federal employees. The pledges of financial and volunteer support will make a difference in the lives of others.

Federal employees and retirees honored sixty years of CFC impact with a pledge of $60 or 60-minute volunteer activities as part of the Do 60, Give 60 movement. The historic campaign was established by President Kennedy via Executive Order in spring of 1961.

Ann Van Houten, Co-Chairperson, said, These gifts will be paramount to overcoming the hurdles we faced in 2021, and help us surmount the unforeseen challenges that await us in 2022. The beauty of the CFC has always been its flexibility in donating  one time, or throughout the year, paired with charity control and management of the donations. CFC charities can rely on the steady income over the year, plan ahead, and prioritize their CFC funds so they do the most good. Having this freedom is what makes being a part of the CFC so special and advantageous.

Through February 28, 2022, the Office of Personnel Management has opened the Charity Application System and is currently accepting applications from 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations to be part of the 2022 campaign. Charities interested can view the announcement memo, access training resources, and read application guidance at GiveCFC.org.

The CFCNCA will host a Finale & Awards Ceremony after final contribution amounts are confirmed. Federal Department and Agency efforts will be recognized, participating charity groups will perform and offer notes of thanks, leadership will share reflections, and CFC Heroes will be identified during the event. For more information and to stay up to date with the CFCNCA and the upcoming 2022 campaign, visit CFCNCA.GiveCFC.org.

We thank everyone whole-heartedly for their contributions to those in need and the causes that matter most to each of us through the 2021 CFC, said Micone. What we learn over and over each year of the CFC is how we can rely on our community to always lend a hand to those we know and others we may never meet  because thats how much they care about our Nation and world.

About the Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area

The Combined Federal Campaign (CFC), overseen by the Office of Personnel Management, is one of the world's largest and most successful annual workplace charitable giving campaigns, with 36 CFC zones throughout the country and overseas raising millions of dollars each year. With more than $8.5 billion raised since 1961, the 2021 campaign commemorates 60 years of giving by the federal community. The Combined Federal Campaign of the National Capital Area (CFCNCA) is the local campaign for federal employees and retirees in the Washington Metropolitan Area and surrounding regions. For more information, visit CFCNCA.GiveCFC.org. Connect with the campaign via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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Luxembourg  26 January 2022 - Subsea 7 S.A. (Oslo Brs: SUBC, ADR: SUBCY) today announced the award of a substantial1 project for subsea installation services related to Beacon Offshore Energy LLCs Shenandoah Development, located offshore Gulf of Mexico in water depths up to 6,300 feet.

The project covers the tie-back of four subsea wells to the Shenandoah host facility through a subsea manifold with dual flowlines and risers. The work scope includes engineering, procurement, construction, installation (EPIC) and commissioning of the subsea equipment including structures, umbilicals, and production and gas export flowlines. Subsea 7s scope also includes the wet tow and hook-up of the semi-submersible FPS to the field and mooring system installation.

Project management and engineering will commence immediately at Subsea 7s offices in Houston, Texas. Fabrication of the flowlines and risers will take place at Subsea 7s spoolbase in Ingleside, Texas, with offshore operations scheduled for 2024.

Craig Broussard, Vice President for Subsea 7 US, said, We are pleased to have been selected as a partner for the delivery of the Shenandoah development. This project allows Subsea 7 to demonstrate the full capacity of our offering, including our extensive involvement in mooring and installation of host facilities, EPIC activities related to the flowline system, and utilizing our industry leading experience and welding capabilities to support the development of high-pressure fields. We look forward to building on the collaborative approach demonstrated by the Shenandoah project to form a long-term cooperative relationship in support of Beacon Offshore Energys future growth plans.

1 Subsea 7 defines a substantial project as being between USD 150 million and USD 300 million.

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Subsea 7 is a global leader in the delivery of offshore projects and services for the evolving energy industry, creating sustainable value by being the industrys partner and employer of choice in delivering the efficient offshore solutions the world needs.

Subsea 7 is listed on the Oslo Brs (SUBC), ISIN LU0075646355, LEI 222100AIF0CBCY80AH62.

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Contact for investment community enquiries:

Katherine Tonks

Investor Relations Director

Tel +44-20-8210-5568

katherine.tonks@subsea7.com

Contact for media enquiries:

Tracey Miller

Group External Communications Manager

Tel +44-1224-265-733

tracey.miller@subsea7.com

www.subsea7.com

Forward-Looking Statements: This announcement may contain forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the safe harbour provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). These statements relate to our current expectations, beliefs, intentions, assumptions or strategies regarding the future and are subject to known and unknown risks that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, estimate, expect, future, goal, intend, likely may, plan, project, seek, should, strategy will, and similar expressions. The principal risks which could affect future operations of the Group are described in the Risk Management section of the Groups Annual Report and Consolidated Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2020. Factors that may cause actual and future results and trends to differ materially from our forward-looking statements include (but are not limited to): (i) our ability to deliver fixed price projects in accordance with client expectations and within the parameters of our bids, and to avoid cost overruns; (ii) our ability to collect receivables, negotiate variation orders and collect the related revenue; (iii) our ability to recover costs on significant projects; (iv) capital expenditure by oil and gas companies, which is affected by fluctuations in the price of, and demand for, crude oil and natural gas; (v) unanticipated delays or cancellation of projects included in our backlog; (vi) competition and price fluctuations in the markets and businesses in which we operate; (vii) the loss of, or deterioration in our relationship with, any significant clients; (viii) the outcome of legal proceedings or governmental inquiries; (ix) uncertainties inherent in operating internationally, including economic, political and social instability, boycotts or embargoes, labour unrest, changes in foreign governmental regulations, corruption and currency fluctuations; (x) the effects of a pandemic or epidemic or a natural disaster; (xi) liability to third parties for the failure of our joint venture partners to fulfil their obligations; (xii) changes in, or our failure to comply with, applicable laws and regulations (including regulatory measures addressing climate change); (xiii) operating hazards, including spills, environmental damage, personal or property damage and business interruptions caused by adverse weather; (xiv) equipment or mechanical failures, which could increase costs, impair revenue and result in penalties for failure to meet project completion requirements; (xv) the timely delivery of vessels on order and the timely completion of ship conversion programmes; (xvi) our ability to keep pace with technological changes and the impact of potential information technology, cyber security or data security breaches; and (xvii) the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting;. Many of these factors are beyond our ability to control or predict. Given these uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this announcement. We undertake no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Attachment
English French

PRESS RELEASE

Arcueil, January 26, 2022

Publication of the 2021 Universal Registration Document

including the 2021 Annual Financial Report

Aramis Group announces the publication of its 2021 Universal Registration Document (Document dEnregistrement Universel 2021) including the annual financial report for the year ended 30 September 2021, registered by the French Financial Markets Authority (Autorite des Marches Financiers) on 26 January 2022, under number R.22-004.

The 2021 Universal Registration Document includes notably:

the annual financial report for the year ended 30 September 2021;

the report of the board of directors on the corporate governance, as well as the statutory auditors' report thereon;

information on the fees paid to the statutory auditors;

the 2021 Statement of Non-Financial Performance (Declaration de Performance Extra-Financiere), as well as the independent third-party report thereon; and

the description of the share buy-back program.





The 2021 Universal Registration Document are available on the Aramis Group website (www.aramis.group), in the Investor section, and on the AMF website (www.amf-france.org).

The 2021 Registration Document is also available at the Aramis Groups headquarters: 23, avenue Aristide Briand, 94110 Arcueil, France.

***

About Aramis Group

Aramis Group is a leading European B2C platform to acquire a used car online and brings together four brands: Aramisauto, Cardoen, Clicars and CarSupermarket, in France, Belgium, Spain and the UK respectively. The Group is transforming the used car market and is putting digital technology at the service of customer satisfaction with a fully vertically integrated business model. For the full 2021 fiscal year, Aramis Group generated revenue of 1.36 billion euros on a pro forma basis, sold more than 80,000 B2C vehicles, and recorded more than 73 million visits on their websites. As of the end of September 2021, the Group employs more than 1,800 people, operates a network of 60 agencies and three industrial refurbishment sites. Aramis Group is listed on compartment A of the Euronext Paris stock exchange (Ticker: ARAMI  ISIN: FR0014003U94). For more information, visit www.aramis.group.

Investor Contact

Alexandre Leroy

Head of Investor Relations

alexandre.leroy@aramis.group

+33 (0)6 58 80 50 24

Attachment
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. is investigating potential violations of federal securities laws by Gatos Silver, Inc. ("Gatos Silver" or the "Company") (NYSE: GATO).



GATOS SILVER INVESTORS WITH FINANCIAL LOSSES GREATER THAN $50,000 ARE ENCOURAGED TO COMPLETE KEHOE LAW FIRMS SECURITIES CLASS ACTION QUESTIONNAIRE.

On January 25, 2022, Gatos Silver stated that "[d]uring the Companys resource and reserve update process for the Los Gatos Joint Venture ('LGJV'), which included a detailed reconciliation of recent production performance, the Company concluded that there were errors in the technical report entitled 'Los Gatos Project, Chihuahua, Mexico' with an effective date of July 1, 2020 (the '2020 Technical Report'), as well as indications that there is an overestimation in the existing resource model."

Gatos Silver also stated that "[o]n a preliminary basis, the Company estimates a potential reduction of the metal content of Cerro Los Gatos ('CLG') mineral reserve ranging from 30% to 50% of the metal content remaining after depletion. Since the 2020 Technical Report, depletion is 1.3 million tonnes grading 284 g/t silver, 3.9% zinc, 2.3% lead and 0.3 g/t gold that has been processed from July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021. At this time, the Company cannot accurately quantify the exact magnitude of the reduction, and the mineral resource and reserve estimates in the 2020 Technical Report should not be relied upon."

On this news, the stock price of Gatos Silver was down more than 66% during intraday trading on January 26, 2022.

GATOS SILVER INVESTORS WITH SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL LOSSES ARE ALSO ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT JOHN KEHOE, ESQ., (215) 792-6676, EXT. 801, JKEHOE@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, OR MICHAEL YARNOFF, ESQ., (215) 792-6676, EXT. 804, MYARNOFF@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, INFO@KEHOELAWFIRM.COM, TO DISCUSS THE GATOS SILVER CLASS ACTION INVESTIGATION OR POTENTIAL LEGAL CLAIMS.

Kehoe Law Firm, P.C., with offices in New York and Philadelphia, is a multidisciplinary, plaintiffside law firm dedicated to protecting investors from securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duties, and corporate misconduct. Combined, the partners at Kehoe Law Firm, P.C. have served as Lead Counsel or Co-Lead Counsel in cases that have recovered more than $10 billion on behalf of institutional and individual investors.

This press release may constitute attorney advertising.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Revival Gold Inc. (TSXV: RVG, OTCQX: RVLGF) (Revival Gold or the Company), announces that it has closed its previously announced non-brokered private placement of 15,500,000 Units (the Units) at a price of $0.65 per Unit for aggregate gross proceeds of $10,075,000.00 (the Offering). Each Unit is comprised of one (1) common share of the Company (a Common Share) and one half of one (0.5) Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a Warrant). Each Warrant is exercisable into one (1) Common Share at a price of $0.90 at any time for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the closing of the Offering.

Hugh Agro, President & CEO of Revival Gold, commented: We welcome Donald Smith Value Fund, LP, as a significant new shareholder in the Company. Donald Smiths investment is a strong endorsement of Revival Golds technical team and the exciting potential at our flagship Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project, located in Idaho, USA.

Pursuant to the Offering, Donald Smith Value Fund, L.P. (Donald Smith) acquired 7,500,000 Units representing 7,500,000 Common Shares and 3,750,000 Warrants. Prior to the Offering, Donald Smith did not beneficially own or control any securities of the Company. The closing of the Offering resulted in Donald Smiths beneficial ownership and control of 7,500,000 Common Shares and 3,750,000 Warrants representing 8.63% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares on a non-diluted basis, and 12.41% on a partially diluted basis, assuming the exercise of Donald Smiths Warrants.

The announcement of Donald Smiths acquisition of the Units is pursuant to National Instrument 62-104 Take Over Bids and Issuer Bids (NI 62-102). This press release and Donald Smiths corresponding early warning report which is expected to be filed on SEDAR on or around January 26, 2022, constitutes the required disclosure pursuant to section 5.2 of NI 62-104. A copy of Donald Smiths early warning report will appear on the Companys profile on SEDAR and may also be obtained by calling 416-336-4100. The Companys head office is located at 145 King St. W., Suite 2870, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 1J8.

Donald Smiths acquisition of the Units was made for investment purposes and may increase or decrease its beneficial ownership of the Common Shares or other securities of the Company depending on market conditions and as circumstances warrant.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for the further exploration and development of the Companys Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project located in Idaho, USA and for general corporate purposes.

In connection with the closing of the Offering, the Company paid commissions to certain finders of an aggregate of $49,557.04 in cash and 76,241 finder warrants (each a, Finder Warrant). Each Finder Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one (1) Common Share at an exercise price of $0.65 per Finder Warrant for a period of twenty-four (24) months from the closing of the Offering.

The Offering is subject to certain conditions including, but not limited to, the receipt of all necessary approvals including the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) and the securities regulatory authorities. All securities issued and issuable in connection with the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day. All dollar amounts including the symbol $, are expressed in Canadian dollars.

Certain directors, officers and other insiders of the Company (collectively, the Insiders) subscribed to the Offering for 124,654 Units in the aggregate. This issuance of Units to Insiders constitutes a related party transaction as such term is defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Company is relying on an exemption from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements provided under MI 61-101 pursuant to section 5.5(a) and section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, on the basis that the participation in the Offering by Insiders does not exceed 25% of the fair market value of the Companys market capitalization.

The securities offered pursuant to the Financing have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the U.S. Securities Act), or any U.S. state security laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act and all applicable state securities laws or compliance with requirements of an applicable exemption therefrom. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

About Revival Gold Inc.

Revival Gold Inc. is a growth-focused gold exploration and development company. The Company is advancing the Beartrack-Arnett Gold Project located in Idaho, USA.

Beartrack-Arnett is the largest past-producing gold mine in Idaho. A Preliminary Economic Assessment has been completed for a first phase restart of heap leach operations to produce 72,000 ounces of gold per year over an initial seven-year mine life at an AISC of $1,057 per ounce of gold. Meanwhile, exploration continues, focused on expanding the current Indicated Mineral Resource of 36.6 million tonnes at 1.15 g/t gold containing 1.36 million ounces of gold and Inferred Mineral Resource of 47.1 million tonnes at 1.08 g/t gold containing 1.64 million ounces of gold. The mineralized trend at Beartrack extends for over five kilometers and is open on strike and at depth. Mineralization at Arnett is open in all directions.

For further details, including key assumptions, parameters and methods used to estimate the Mineral Resources, and data verification, please see the Companys NI 43-101 compliant technical report titled, Preliminary Economic Assessment of the Heap Leach Operation on the Beartrack Arnett Gold Project, Lemhi County, Idaho, USA  NI 43-101 Technical Report, dated December 17th, 2020.

Additional disclosure including the Companys financial statements, technical reports, news releases and other information can be obtained at www.revival-gold.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

For further information, please contact:

Hugh Agro, President & CEO or Melisa Armand, Investor Relations

Telephone: (416) 366-4100 or Email: info@revival-gold.com

Cautionary Statement

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Steven T. Priesmeyer, C.P.G., Vice President Exploration, Revival Gold Inc., and Mr. Rodney A. Cooper, P.Eng., a consultant to the Company, Qualified Persons within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

This News Release includes certain forward-looking statements which are not comprised of historical facts. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Companys future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company, or management, expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as believes, anticipates, expects, estimates, may, could, would, will, or plan. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet managements expectations. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the completion of the Offering and the expected expenditure of the proceeds of the Offering, and the Companys intentions regarding its objectives, goals or future plans and statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: the inability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals from the applicable securities regulators or obtain the approval of the TSXV in connection with the Offering; the inability to complete the Offering on the terms as announced or at all and/or the occurrence of a material adverse change, disaster, change of law or other failure to satisfy the conditions to closing of the Offering; the inability of the Company to apply the use of proceeds from the Offering as anticipated;, the Companys ability to predict or counteract the potential impact of COVID-19 coronavirus on factors relevant to the Companys business, failure to identify additional mineral resources, failure to convert estimated mineral resources to reserves with more advanced studies, the inability to eventually complete a feasibility study which could support a production decision, the preliminary nature of metallurgical test results may not be representative of the deposit as a whole, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, environmental or other project approvals, political risks, uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future, changes in equity markets, inflation, changes in exchange rates, fluctuations in commodity prices, delays in the development of projects, capital, operating and reclamation costs varying significantly from estimates and the other risks involved in the mineral exploration and development industry, and those risks set out in the Companys public documents filed on SEDAR. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Tanzanian Gold Corporation (TSX:TNX) (NYSE American:TRX) (TanGold or the Company) today announced that it has successfully closed the previously announced registered direct offering with a single institutional investor for the purchase and sale of 17,948,718 of the Companys common shares at a purchase price of $0.39 per share. The Company also issued to the investor warrants to purchase up to an aggregate of 17,948,718 common shares. The warrants have an exercise price of $0.44, will be exercisable at any time upon issuance and will expire five years thereafter.



A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners acted as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. McGuireWoods LLP acted as legal counsel to A.G.P./Alliance Global Partners and Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP and Miller Thomson LLP acted as legal counsel to the Company in connection with the registered direct offering.

Net proceeds from the offering were approximately US$6.4 million and the Company intends to use the net proceeds to accelerate execution of its business plan, including: (i) the continued buildout of the 1,000+ tpd processing plant expansion (mine plan represents ~10% of Buckreef Gold Mineral Resource) which is expected to be completed in calendar Q2/Q3 2022 and is forecast to produce 15,000  20,000 ounces of gold per year; (ii) exploration drilling with the goal of expanding mineral resources, discovering new mineral resources and converting mineral resources to mineral reserves, including the Buckreef Main Zone northeast extension, Buckreef West Zone and the Anfield Zone; (iii) advancing the metallurgical study for the first 5-7 years of production, one of the longest lead items on the Sulphide Development Project, which contains ~90% of the Buckreef Gold Mineral resource. A total of 19 holes (2,367 meters) have been completed for the metallurgical program and these metallurgical sample holes have been logged and are in preparation for shipment; and (iv) general corporate purposes.

The common shares and warrants and common shares issuable thereunder described above were offered and sold by the Company in a registered direct offering pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form F-3 (Registration No. 333- 255526), including an accompanying prospectus, previously filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) on May 14, 2021. The offering of the common shares and warrants and common shares issuable thereunder was made by means of a prospectus supplement that forms a part of the registration statement. A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus relating to the registered direct offering was filed with the SEC on January 25, 2022 and is available on the SEC's website located at http://www.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Tanzanian Gold Corporation

TanGold along with its joint venture partner, STAMICO is advancing a significant gold project at Buckreef in Tanzania. Buckreef is anchored by an expanded Mineral Resource published in May 2020. Measured Mineral Resource is 19.98 million tonnes (MT) at 1.99 grams per tonne (g/t) gold (Au) containing 1,281,161 ounces (oz) of gold and Indicated Mineral Resource is 15.89 MT at 1.48 g/t gold containing 755,119 ounces of gold for a combined tonnage of 35.88 MT at 1.77 g/t gold containing 2,036,280 oz of gold. The Buckreef Gold Project also contains an Inferred Mineral Resource of 17.8 MT at 1.11g/t gold for contained gold of 635,540 oz of gold. The Company is actively investigating and assessing multiple exploration targets on its property. Please refer to the Companys Updated Mineral Resources Estimate for Buckreef Gold Project, dated May 15, 2020 and filed under the Companys profile on SEDAR on June 23, 2020 (the Technical Report), for more information. Buckreef is being advanced in a value accretive sustainable manner through:

Expanding Production Profile: A 360 tonne per day (tpd) processing plant is being expanded to 1,000+ tpd, enabling a near term production profile of 15,000 - 20,000 oz of gold per year. Positive operating cash flow will be utilized for value enhancing activities, including exploration and Sulphide Project Development.

Exploration: Continuing with a drilling program with the goal of expanding resources, discovering new resources and converting resources to reserves, by: (i) step-out drilling in the northeast extension of Buckreef Main; (ii) infill drilling to upgrade Mineral Resources currently in the Inferred category in Buckreef Main; (iii) infill drilling program of Buckreef West; (iv) develop exploration program for the newly discovered Anfield Zone; (v) upgrade historical mineral resources at Bingwa and Tembo; (vi) identification of new prospects at Buckreef Gold Project, and in the East African region.

Sulphide Development Project: Unlocking the value of the Sulphide Project in which the sulphide ore encompasses approximately 90% of the Resources. It is the goal of the Company to substantially exceed all metrics as outlined in the Technical Report, including annual production and strip ratio.

For further information, please contact Michael Martin, Investor Relations, m.martin@tangoldcorp.com, 860-248-0999, or visit the Company website at www.tangoldcorp.com.

Andrew M. Cheatle, P.Geo., the Companys COO and Director, is the Qualified Person as defined by the NI 43-101 who has reviewed and assumes responsibility for the technical content of this press release.

The Toronto Stock Exchange and NYSE American have not reviewed and do not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Tanzanian Gold Corporation is providing the reference of the research report in this press release for information only.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as defined in the applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, intends, estimated, potential, possible and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions or results will, may, could or should occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect TanGold managements expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the continued operating cash flow, expansion of its process plant, estimation of mineral resources, recoveries, subsequent project testing, success, scope and viability of mining operations, the timing and amount of estimated future production, and capital expenditure.

Although TanGold believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance. The actual achievements of TanGold or other future events or conditions may differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of risks, uncertainties and other factors. These risks, uncertainties and factors include general business, legal, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties; actual results of exploration activities and economic evaluations; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes in costs; future prices of gold and other minerals; mining method, production profile and mine plan; delays in exploration, development and construction activities; changes in government legislation and regulation; the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms and in a timely manner or at all; contests over title to properties; employee relations and shortages of skilled personnel and contractors; the speculative nature of, and the risks involved in, the exploration, development and mining business. These risks are set forth in reports that Tanzanian Gold files with the SEC. You can review and obtain copies of these filings from the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml.

The information contained in this press release is as of the date of the press release and TanGold assumes no duty to update such information.
Gloucester, MA (01930)

Today

Rain likely. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 51F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 100%..

Tonight

Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 46F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch announces her candidacy for office of Governor at Western States Envelope Company in Butler, Wis., Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021. Kleefisch is seeking to take on Gov. Tony Evers next year in a top race for Republicans who control the Wisconsin Legislature but have been blocked by the Democratic incumbent. (John Hart/Wisconsin State Journal via AP)
MANSFIELD [mdash] Patricia Ann Thursby-Daniels, 77, of Mansfield, Texas, formerly of Elkhart, Indiana, died Sunday April 10, at Mansfield Hospital in Mansfield, Texas. She was born May 30, 1944, in Elkhart, Indiana, to Robert James and Opal Mae (Allison) Thursby. On Feb. 14, 1965, she marrie
Maclain Herr, Syracuse, right, uses an augur attachment to puncture a hole in the ice while Jeffery Moore, Syracuse, holds a fish finder to survey the area of the water for fish on Conklin Bay, an inlet off of Lake Wawasee in Syracuse, Tuesday. According to Herr, the ice is between 8 to 10 inches thick.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the first day of talks in Geneva were "open, comprehensive and direct," an assessment echoed by Washington. But Peskov said it was the result that ultimately matters. "So far, let's say we see no significant reason for optimism," he said in a conference call with reporters.

At the Geneva talks, Russia demanded guarantees, rejected by Washington, that the West's 30-country NATO military alliance halt further eastward expansion toward Russia and curb military deployments in Eastern Europe. "NATO poses no threat to Russia. It is a defensive alliance whose sole purpose is to protect its members," Nuland said.

But in the U.S., Victoria Nuland, undersecretary of state for political affairs, told reporters, "We haven't seen the slightest hint of de-escalation" on Russia's part. "It is Russia that created this crisis out of whole cloth" by deploying 100,000 troops just across from Ukraine's eastern border.

After a day of talks with U.S. diplomats Monday in Geneva, Moscow said it would wait for the outcome of more meetings set for Wednesday in Brussels and Thursday in Vienna before deciding whether it's worth it to continue negotiations with Washington officials.

The Kremlin said Tuesday it has little optimism about a breakthrough on talks with the United States this week about its European security concerns, while Washington said Moscow's massive troop buildup along the Ukraine border is at the root of current tensions.

NATO and Russia are holding talks in Brussels, while the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is meeting in Vienna.

"There are still several rounds [of talks] ahead of us, which will allow us to work out a clearer understanding, a clearer picture of where we stand with the Americans," Peskov said. He said Russia is not setting deadlines for the talks but also would not accept dragging them out.

Western allies fear that Russia is planning to invade Ukraine after annexing its Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Russia has denied it plans to invade its one-time Soviet satellite state but also has not acceded to U.S. demands that it withdraw troops from the border.

U.S. President Joe Biden has ruled out a military confrontation with Russia in the event it decides to attack Ukraine but says the U.S. and its allies would impose significant economic sanctions if it does invade.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who led the U.S. delegation in Geneva, said Tuesday on Twitter, "The United States is committed to working in lockstep with our allies and partners to urge de-escalation and respond to the security crisis caused by Russia."

In Monday's bilateral talks, the two parties discussed "reciprocal action that would be in our security interest and proved strategic stability," Sherman said. That includes possible limits on both sides on the size and scope of future military exercises in the region.

European Council President Charles Michel reiterated that "we have clearly said that if there was to be a military offensive against Ukraine, there would be a massive reaction from the European Union in coordination with our partners and allies."

Estonian Defense Minister Kalle Laanet called the Russian demands to curb NATO expansion, if it wishes to do so, "completely unacceptable," adding that he expects the alliance members at Wednesday's meeting to "be very clear in saying that... NATO's collective defense continues to be a value that is being defended by its members."

In Geneva, Russian negotiator Sergei Ryabkov rejected U.S. demands that Moscow pull back its estimated 100,000 troops from the Ukrainian border, saying it had the right to deploy them wherever it wanted.
The embodiment of the college degree has become a corporate huckster dressed up in a Forbes-400 suit selling a snake-oil dream to those who are itching for relief.

The ailment is the inherited rash of poverty. We buy it. Were young and naive, desperate for a better life, for the type of dream this country supposedly trademarked.

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The product was not always bad; its just oversaturated. It no longer provides the relief it once did.

To make things worse, the village becomes an extension of the sales pitch. They either believe in the product because it has worked for them or they get caught up in the dream, wishing better for their progeny.

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Now we find ourselves in a situation where people with college degrees are not getting the jobs in which they worked toward. Instead, they are settling for warehouse, retail and food-service jobs. These are all fine professions in their own respect but, saddled with crippling debt, they have pushed us back into the same poverty we so desperately tried to escape.

Maybe, its time for us all to reflect on how we got here and show some empathy for this disrespected generation.

Taylor Moss (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

College students graduate with debts averaging around $30,000. (nirat / Getty Images)

We are not lazy. Millennials went to college in droves knowing the road would be hard and long. We have more degrees than any other generation in history.

I attended Kutztown University, studied English Language Arts and graduated with a bachelors degree in 2014. After four years working for Banko Beverage in Allentown I went back to school at Lehigh University to get a masters degree in education and graduated in 2020.

If you think that a college degree is easy, then you dont have one. Try forfeiting four years of your life where you work 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week, and have a part-time job on the side.

We are also far from entitled. We just wanted a job after those four years of hard work. Isnt that sort of the idea? We didnt forfeit thousands of dollars and hours just for a lottery ticket.

Universities, high schools and parental figures all told us that, with a college degree, we could get the job of our dreams, that the price would be worth the reward.

We didnt expect the hard work to be over after college; we just want the chance to meaningfully contribute to society and get paid a living wage. We didnt expect to settle for jobs outside of our field as we lived paycheck to paycheck, paying back bloated loans on that lottery ticket that continues to lose.

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My own experience after Lehigh University was not unusual. I interviewed sparingly but received no offers. I was told by some that I now have too much education: masters degree.

The unemployment rate for young college graduates exceeds that of the general population, and about 41% of recent college graduates  and 33.8% of all college graduates  are underemployed, working in jobs that dont require a college degree, according to data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Of course some recent graduates in career-focused fields like engineering are doing well with median salaries close to six figures right out school. Others are not so fortunate and remain saddled with debts averaging around $30,000, according to U.S. News data.

Eventually I pursued a job abroad and I am working as a language assistant in Spain through the Education Office of the Embassy of Spains North American Language and Culture Assistants Program.

It is not that our generation doesnt understand accountability. Yes, we signed up for this debt. I ultimately made the decision.

At 18, I was a teenager who got middling grades coming from a poor family. I looked at college as a potentially elevating experience that could lift me out of poverty and into the fabled middle class.

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With hard work and determination, you can pick yourself up by your bootstraps and succeed. That is the American dream, right? This was the atmosphere of the 2000s.

The possible proposed avenues were the bright staircase of a college degree or the doldrums of the high school diploma. Schools and parents, the two worlds that a high school student lives between, were selling this two-sided cautionary fairytale of promise and ruin. Both had good intentions and just wanted to see our generation succeed.

But, if it takes a village to create a situation, maybe it takes a village to fix it. Its also naive to expect an 18-year-old person to defy the dreams and pressures of the dual-sided world in which they live, understand what crippling debt can do to your quality of life and comprehend the impact of the depreciating college degree.

If the accountability of the prosecuted is being questioned, shouldnt the accomplices stand trial as well?

I would have gladly graduated, acquired a good-paying job, and paid off my loans slowly. That is just not reality.

We lost money and time, and the situation we all find ourselves in was one of the biggest cons perpetrated on the American public in the last 20 years. My generation was not just lied to; we were all lied to.

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Now its time for some of those finger-pointers to reshape that hand into an empathetic handshake of embrace. Its time for society to stand up, together, against that snake-oil dream, and forgive the forsaken.

Taylor Moss is a Lehigh Valley native now living and working in Spain.
Kathryn Jean Lopez is senior fellow at the National Review Institute, editor-at-large of National Review magazine and author of the new book A Year With the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living. She is also chair of Cardinal Dolans pro-life commission in New York.
Yes, it's OK to forgive the loans now

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Hells Canyon sturgeon are so big that anglers don't need to lie about how big they are
General Motors will invest more than $7 billion in four Michigan manufacturing sites, significantly increasing battery cell and electric truck manufacturing capacity. This is the single largest investment announcement in GM history. The investment includes construction of a new Ultium Cells battery cell plant in Lansing with LG and the conversion of GMs assembly plant in Orion Township, Michigan for production of the Chevrolet Silverado EV and the electric GMC Sierra. Orion will be GMs second assembly plant scheduled to build full-size electric pickups.

The Orion and Ultium Cells Lansing investments will support an increase in total full-size electric truck production capacity to 600,000 trucks when both Factory ZERO and Orion facilities are fully ramped.

In addition, the company is investing in its two Lansing-area vehicle assembly plants for near-term product enhancements.

The new investments include:

Orion Assembly for production of Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra. GM is investing $4 billion to convert the facility to produce electric trucks using the GM-developed Ultium Platform, which gives the company the flexibility to build vehicles for every customer and segment. This investment is expected to create more than 2,350 new jobs at Orion and retain approximately 1,000 current jobs when the plant is fully operational. GM estimates the new jobs at Orion will be filled by a combination of GM transferees and new hires. Electric truck production, including the Chevrolet Silverado EV and electric GMC Sierra, will begin at Orion in 2024. The Orion investment will drive significant facility and capacity expansion at the site, including new body and paint shops and new general assembly and battery pack assembly areas. Production of the Chevrolet Bolt EV and EUV will continue during the plants conversion. Site work begins immediately.

New Ultium Cells battery cell plant at Lansing site. GM and LG Energy Solution, via their Ultium Cells joint venture, are investing $2.6 billion to build Ultium Cells third US battery cell manufacturing plant. This investment is expected to create more than 1,700 new Ultium Cells jobs when the plant is fully operational. Site preparations will begin this summer and battery cell production is scheduled to begin in late 2024. Ultium Cells Lansing will supply battery cells to Orion Assembly and other GM assembly plants.

Orion Assembly will become GMs third US assembly plant being transformed for production of Ultium-powered EVs. GM assembly plants in North America currently building, or being converted to build EVs, include Factory ZERO in Detroit and Hamtramck, Michigan; Spring Hill Assembly in Spring Hill, Tennessee; CAMI in Ingersoll, Ontario and Ramos Arizpe Assembly in Mexico. By the end of 2025, GM will have more than 1 million units of electric vehicle capacity in North America to respond to growing electric vehicle demand.

The Ultium Cells Lansing site represents GMs third Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing site in the US, following two Ultium Cells battery cell manufacturing plants being constructed in Ohio and Tennessee.

In addition to the EV-related investments in Michigan, GM is investing more than $510 million in its two Lansing-area vehicle assembly plants to upgrade their production capabilities for near-term products.

Vertically integrating battery assembly and converting existing assembly plants are at the core of GMs strategy for scaling EV production in North America. GM projects it will convert 50% of its North American assembly capacity to EV production by 2030.

In addition to strategically adding battery cell and electric vehicle assembly capacity, GM is working to build a new supply chain via strategic supplier agreements for batteries and EV components, one that is expected to be scalable, more resilient, more sustainable and more North American-focused.
JERUSALEM, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Israel's Ministry of Health on Tuesday reported 83,653 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 2,488,924.

This is the highest daily figure since the coronavirus outbreak in Israel in February 2020, the ministry added.

About 8.6 percent of the new patients, or 7,235, have been infected with the virus at least the second time, and 3,491 of them were vaccinated with one shot or more.

Meanwhile, the death toll from the virus rose to 8,488, with 14 new fatalities added, while the number of patients in serious condition rose from 816 to 856, the highest figure since February 2021.

The number of active cases reached a new high of 549,199, while the positive rate of all daily COVID-19 tests in Israel stood at 21.83 percent.

Israel's COVID-19 reproduction number indicator, also known as the R number, has dropped to 1.23, compared to 2.12 in early January.

On the same day, an expert panel of Israel's Ministry of Health recommended a fourth booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine for all adults aged 18 and above amid the sharp rise in morbidity throughout the country.

The fourth vaccination campaign in Israel currently includes only people aged 60 and over, and those at high risk of developing severe COVID-19 disease.

The recommendation is still pending final approval of the ministry's director general Nachman Ash, the statement said. 
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Today Huawei officially announced the start of the global availability of its recent flagship smartphones. The first phase of the P50 Pro and the P50 Pockets will hit marktes across Asia Pacific, The Middle East & Africa, Europe, and South America.

P50 Pocket

The P50 Pocket features a folding clamshell design with Huaweis Multi-Dimensional Hinge with no visible gap when closed. The external screen is a 1-inch Cover Screen that lets you interact with notifications, controls, and the cameras. Speaking of which, the triple camera setup on the P50 Pocket consists of a 40MP main camera, a 13MP ultrawide, and a 32MP Ultra Spectrum camera for boosting color rendering.

The interior screen is a 6.9-inch 120HZ OLED screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio and 2,790x1,188 px resolution. At the top is a punch hole cut out for the 10.7MP selfie camera. A 300Hz touch sampling rate should ensure extra-smooth operation of EMUI 12.

The Snapdragon 888 drives the P50 Pocket, though it's limited to 4G network speeds (as is the P50 Pro). It's powered by a 4,000 mAh battery that supports Huaweis 40W SuperCharge.

The Huawei P50 Pocket will be available in two variants. The regular one with 8GB RAM and 256GB storage comes in black or white and costs EUR1,299.

There's also a Premium Edition designed with renowned haute couture designer Iris van Herpen. It has 12GB RAM, 512GB storage and comes in a single Premium Gold color for EUR1,599.

P50 Pro

The Huawei P50 Pro arrived in China last summer, but the flagship is now set to arrive to global markets as well. The P50 Pro features a 6.6-inch OLED screen with 2,700 x 1,228 px and 120Hz refresh rate. Theres also a 13MP punch-hole camera centered at the top.

The Huawei P50 Pro has an impressive quad-camera setup, co-developed with Leica. It consist of a 50MP main camera, a 40MP monochrome camera, a 13MP ultrawide camera, and a 64MP periscope telephoto camera.

While the Chinese version uses a Kirin 9000 chipset, the global edition will be powered by the Snapdragon 888. The 4,360 mAh battery will support Huaweis 66W SuperCharge via wired connection and Huaweis 50W Wireless SuperCharge.

The P50 Pro will only arrive in one memory variant: 8GB RAM and 256GB storage and two colors - Golden Black and Cocoa Gold. It's priced at EUR1,199.

Yesterday pre-orders of both devices went live in Bulgaria, where they come with a free pair of Huawei FreeBuds 4. We expect many of the other markets to offer similar pre-order bundles.
Staff members transfer China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, Jan. 25, 2022. The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)

VIENTIANE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities.

Chinese ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong, when handing over the 1.5 million doses of vaccines Tuesday to Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh, said the anti-epidemic work in Laos has made positive progress, as the country has exceeded the target of vaccinating 50 percent of its population and COVID-19 infections have reduced significantly.

Phankham said since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Laos, China has provided 8.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to Laos, which fully reflects the deep friendship and valuable support.

Laos has met its vaccination target in 2021 with the help of China and is confident to vaccinate 80 percent of its population in 2022, Phankham said, adding, "On behalf of the Lao party, government and the people, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks." 

A staff member transfers China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, Jan. 25, 2022. The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)

Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh speaks during a handover ceremony of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, Jan. 25, 2022. The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)

Staff members transfer China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, Jan. 25, 2022. The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)

Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh (L) and Chinese ambassador to Laos Jiang Zaidong attend a handover ceremony of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane, Laos, Jan. 25, 2022. The eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines has arrived here and has been handed over to Lao authorities. (Xinhua/Zhang Jianhua)
Nvidia has been trying to acquire UK-based chip designer ARM since 2020 the deal has raised concerns across the industry and it's yet to get the regulators' approval. Reportedly, this might never happen as Nvidia is stepping down from the negotiations.

Bloomberg reports that Nvidia has informed its partners that it does not expect the deal to close, while Arm's current owner SoftBank is stepping up preparations for an initial public offering (IPO) of the company.

Shortly after Nvidia and ARM deal got public, big tech companies such as Qualcomm, Microsoft and even Google expressed concern that it would lead to an unfair competitive advantage for Nvidia. After all, ARM's chip designs are used by a multitude of competing companies. Although Nvidia promises that it would keep the business model after the acquisition, regulators from the US, EU, UK and even China have opened antitrust investigations and are trying to stop the deal.

Officially, Nvidia representatives remain hopeful that the deal will finally come through. Softbank and Arm didn't comment on the new report.

Source
Xbox has a special Year of the Tiger Series S for the Chinese New Year

Microsoft is celebrating the upcoming Chinese New Year with a special Year of the Tiger Xbox Series S release.

The Chinese New Year comes on February 1 and we'll enter the year of the Tiger.

The special release Xbox Series S console is painted in traditional Lunar New Year lucky colors - red and gold, with Chinese black ink tiger drawings from artist Bu2ma (Bu-er-ma).

Microsoft has only made 15 such Xbox Series S consoles and you can enter to win one today through the official sweepstakes on Wechat and bilibili.

Microsoft has done more than one special edition Xbox - there were the Halo Infinite, the 20th Anniversary, and the custom Xbox Design Lab to name a few.

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Local historian Roland Blas has known the importance of family since childhood, when he would assist his grandmother, Maria Taitano Cruz Bernado, with floral preparations for religious services honoring deceased relatives.

The time spent absorbing the stories of those who came before sparked what would become a lifelong interest, eventually producing upwards of 18 books of genealogical lineages on Guam.

Ive always been interested, since a child, into genealogy and the history of my matriarch and patriarch sides of my bloodline. And so its a subject that Ive always found to be educational, and to know of our past history in order to understand today. And to appreciate more your CHamoru culture, and your language, it is great to understand your bloodline and your heritage of the foundation where you came from, Blas said.

Despite growing up primarily in Los Angeles, Blas held tightly to his own sense of history and connection to his family on Guam.

He returned to the island in 1993 at the age of 20, and began working to serve the community through political work, his church, and eventually genealogy.

The research he has produced in the years that have followed is staggering in scope and in its microscopic detail.

Using records from Guam, the Philippines, Spain, and beyond, Blas has pieced together family trees as well as the origins of surnames, the etymology of clan names, and the stories behind the people who have been gone too long for us to know much about.

It takes a lot of time and a lot of research because most of these people are deceased, and the dead cant speak. And so reading the census and documents and information recorded, its sometimes very difficult to track or connect, Blas said.

It takes a lot of effort for me, and time and dedication to track all these people born in the 1800s, even the mid 1800s and the early 1900s, a picture of them.  Its nice to have all these 100 to 1,000 names in a 200 page book, but when you start putting the pictures of these people, especially elders  they appreciate and can connect, Blas said.

Most of the time I laugh to myself because then I hear them respond, So thats why so-and-so looks like so-and-so! Because then when they see the picture, then they understand where the looks come in.

Blas work sweeps through hundreds of years and accounts for many family lines in Guam. His most recent books have been focused on the Martinez and Camacho clans, and he plans to also write a book focused on the Blas family branches on Guam and in the Marianas.

Many of his books can be accessed at the Micronesian Area Research Center at the University of Guam.

He spares nothing as he writes, and the small details he uncovers about these individuals reveal the richness of their lives.

There are stories of religious conversion, of children born out of wedlock, of whaling careers, and escapes from natural disasters. With only a sentence or two beside a name, Blas unlocks a portal to their joys and struggles.

Community ties

What amazes me is the life they had lived, the struggles they had faced, the hard work  farming, fishing  The other thing that I find more unique is the closeness, the togetherness, the family oriented, and they all knew each other. For villages, and even the outskirts of other villages, connecting with villages by traveling and visiting distant relatives. But they knew each other, Blas said.

For Blas, revealing the multitude of familial connections between people in Guam and in the diaspora today is a chance to revive that sense of togetherness.

He acknowledges that life is demanding today, and young people especially may feel that they dont have the time. Nevertheless, he is insistent that genuine ties within the community are crucial.

The next generatoin

My advice is that they should seek to find time to learn, because the older generation have passed away now. And the dead cannot speak. So theyre not here to tell the story anymore, how theyre related today.  When there is family connection, and they understand their history, then theres a lot of support, especially in times of need, Blas said.

Once they understand the connection then they become even closer  even if theyre third cousins, but they understand already the family bloodline connection. And once you understand the history of the past, then you can engage and embrace today.

And so thats why it is important to know our family, your family genealogy, your family history and our heritage because it unites, even for the next generation.
Two murder suspects pleaded not guilty to charges connected with the death of 23-year-old Jaron Weilbacher.

Fiataugaluia Ahkee and John Mike Muliaga pleaded not guilty charges of murder and aggravated assault Wednesday morning at the Superior Court of Guam.

The charges stem from an incident in October 2021 when Weilbacher was found unconscious at the parking lot of King's Restaurant in Tamuning.

Ahkee's not guilty plea comes after a new indictment produced last week upgraded his charge from manslaughter to murder.

Motion

Prior to the superseding indictment, Muliaga asked the court to dismiss the charges because exculpatory evidence was not presented to the grand jury before he was indicted the first time.

The initial indictment, according to Muliaga's attorney, alleged his client caused the death of Weilbacher when he punched him as he laid on the ground.

However according to the motion, witness statements that contradicted the claim of Muliaga murdered Weilbacher, were not read to the grand jury.

The motion also mentioned Weilbacher's autopsy revealed multiple injuries that could have been the cause of death, but not necessarily the ones caused by Muliaga.

Incident

On Oct. 9, 2021 witnesses told police several men were arguing before hearing a fight break out at King's, court documents state.

A security guard then told police that during the fight, Muliaga struck Weilbacher and his two companions.

Both Muliaga and Ahkee were also seen hitting Weilbacher after he fell to the ground, documents state.

When police arrived, they found Weilbacher unresponsive and unconscious and was later pronounced dead at Guam Memorial Hospital, documents state.
Corrections & Clarifications: This article has been updated to reflect Guam Radiology Consultants is a tenant of the Guam Medical Plaza building. Other information was previously published.

Workers exposed or testing positive for COVID-19 shouldnt be required to get cleared by the Department of Public Health and Social Services before going back to work, said Dr. Nathaniel Berg, chair of the governors Physicians Advisory Group.

Guidance from Public Health lets people who test positive leave isolation after 10 days if unvaccinated, or five days if vaccinated, provided they have no symptoms. No clearance is required for them to return to work after isolation, Berg said.

Some of the employers are mandating (workers) to get a clearance, and were strongly encouraging employers not to do that, because its a big burden on Public Health and the policy is the policy, he said.

Public Health currently accepts self-attestation for clearance, Berg said. In other words: theyre not going to do a physical examination.

People are responsible for our community. Were asking them to be responsible. But they would get the same thing at Public Health that they can get from their own employer. Meaning, if they if they show up at work, and they look sick, the employer can send them home, he said.

On Wednesday, residents seeking a COVID-19 test began lining up around Bergs Guam Radiology Consultants in Tamuning at 5:30 a.m., he said.

Public Health started rationing tests at free community testing centers because of skyrocketing demand for tests. Only residents who are symptomatic, unvaccinated or at high risk will be given a test at Tiyan or the Northern and Southern Community Health Centers.

Guam Radiology provides free, walk-in testing. It has tested as many as 600 to 800 people in a single day, according to Berg. To accommodate residents, a tent was site up in a vacant lot across from the office at the Guam Medical Plaza. While everyone is accepted, residents should consider if they need a test before coming, Berg said.

If you have no symptoms and you dont have people at risk at home and you personally are not of high risk,  we are not turning anybody away. But do think twice about it, he said.

While some residents need a test and clearance to get back to work, clearance can only come from Public Health, not from private clinics and pharmacies, Berg said.

According to Public Health spokesperson Janella Carrera, any employer requiring a COVID-19 test for employees to go back to work should understand that anyone who doesnt meet the rationing criteria wont be tested. Tests are being prioritized for vulnerable residents, she said.

We are asking our business community to work with us, she said.
Despite the high COVID-19 cases in the community and hospital staff testing positive, the number of COVID-19 patients at Guam Memorial Hospital remains manageable, administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas told GMHA board members Wednesday.

About 20 patients at GMH, as of Wednesday, were there for the virus, Perez-Posadas said. She said there still are patients coming through the emergency room for the virus, but most dont need to be transferred to inpatient care.

COVID-19 patients during the current surge are also faring better than they were in previous surges, Perez-Posadas said. At the peak of the surge in late 2020, 28 patients with COVID-19 had to go into the intensive care unit. There have only been three in the ICU with COVID-19 at one time during the current surge.

The overall inpatient census is at 141, which is fairly manageable, Perez-Posadas said.

Thats down from 181 total patients on Jan. 5, PDN files state.

The hospital still relies on 72 travel nurses to supplement local nurses. A company has come forward to provide nurses to GMH at a lower cost, Perez-Posadas said. GMH also is looking to have senior nursing students at the University of Guam get temporary nursing licenses to assist with operations.

Insurance dispute

GMH is working to resolve a dispute with TakeCare Insurance and will be meeting with the insurer and independent auditor Ernst & Young some time next week to address the matter.

GMH Chief Financial Officer Yuka Hechanova last year said the hospital stopped accepting TakeCare for about seven months in 2020 because the company owed $17 million in claims to the hospital. Officials on Wednesday said that was down to about $16 million.

ER renovation

GMH will be making upgrades to the emergency room drop-off area until the end of February, according to a press release. The bulk of the construction will be completed in two weeks.

There will be no disruption to patient care because of the upgrades, the release stated, though traffic flow into the ER area will be changed. Security will directed patients into the ER area. Ambulances have a direct drop-off area and hallway at the ER.
A spending plan for the local World War II claims program moved forward Wednesday after about two days of debate among senators over where the $10 million to pay claimants would come from.

Sen. Joe San Agustin wants the Legislature and Guams U.S. delegate to seek full reimbursement from the feds for all local money used to pay claims.

The plan as amended, Bill 230, would use excess General Fund money collected in fiscal year 2021, and then seek to reimburse payments with Section 30 money paid to Guam from fiscal year 2023, if possible.

Section 30 funds are federal income taxes paid by federal employees on Guam. The U.S. government returns that money for GovGuam to use every year. About $65 million was available to Guam in fiscal 2021, PDN files state.

Some senators on Tuesday, most vocally Sen. Joanne Brown, argued that the local war claims program, which will pay residents using money from local coffers, should be tied to Section 30 funds because of the federal origin of the funds.

Along with Brown, Sen. Frank Blas sought to amend Bill 230 to assure that Section 30 funds be used.

Speaker Therese Terlaje objected, pointing to the Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act, a federal program from 2016 that drew opposition for its use of Section 30 funds to pay war claims.

For the history of Guam, no one has said that that brings justice to Guam, because that is Guams money. It's owed to Guam for taxes  and I just hate for the Legislature to put on the record, put in writing that we believe now that this is justice, Terlaje said.

She said fiscal 2021 funds were sought to prevent Adelup from using up excess revenue on programs besides war claims.

Fast track

When we want to talk about justice, lets just skip that, San Agustin said.

He said he agreed with his colleagues, but that the priority should be to have the funds paid as quickly as possible.

Once the total amount is paid out and done, we can always ask Congress to reimburse us for all our expenditure. I think that's going to be the proper way to do this, he said.

He said his team was already putting together a resolution to urge Guams delegate to seek repayment for the funds.

The Blas and Brown amendment failed. Bill 230 was moved to third reading file, despite an objection from Brown, who wished to discuss the measure further before moving it forward. The bill will be up for vote later in the January session of the Legislature.

Adelup is already at work on implementing the rollout plan for the local war claims program. The plan lapsed into law on Jan. 7, and the committee responsible for adjudicating those claims has 30 days from that date to post an announcement of the filing window.

Under Bill 230, claimants would have a 12-month window to file.

Land Trust

A measure to bring rules for the CHamoru Land Trust Commission in line with a court settlement with the federal government also moved forward during Wednesday's session.

The Legislature in 2019 changed eligibility for Land Trust leases, to resolve a federal lawsuit accusing the Land Trust program of being illegally race-based. The term native Chamorro was replaced by eligible beneficiary. That includes any person whose land was acquired by the U.S. government from 1898 to 1968, and their descendants. It also includes anyone who occupied or farmed land that was acquired by the U.S. government.

Speaker Terlajes Bill 229 would change definitions in the Land Trusts rules in line with the settlement.
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- He Xingxiang, former vice president of China Development Bank, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office for grave violations of Party discipline and laws, the country's top anti-graft body said Wednesday.

The CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Supervisory Commission said an investigation into He found that he has lost his ideals and convictions, and betrayed his original aspirations and mission.

He abused his power of examination and approval over financial issues, which led to major financial risks and caused great losses for the country, according to the investigation.

He accepted gifts against the rules and took advantage of his positions to help others in financing, company business operation and securing employment, and illegally accepted a huge amount of money and valuables in return.

He has severely violated the Party discipline and been involved in serious violations of duty-related laws. He is also suspected of taking bribes, issuing financial bills against regulations, and granting loans illegally, the top anti-graft body said, adding that his case is serious in nature and has a bad influence.

In line with Party regulations and laws, a decision has been made to expel him from the Party and public office, confiscate his illicit gains, and hand over his case for judicial proceedings. 
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Republican legislators get Gwinnett commission redistricting bill reassigned, Democrats say it's tantamount to a 'state takeover'

Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans State Rep. Sam Park, center, criticizes Republicans in Gwinnetts House delegation at the State Capitol on Tuesday for getting a county commission redistricting bill reassigned as general legislation, instead of local legislation, and to have it reassigned to a new House committee.

Democrats in Gwinnetts legislative delegation hurled claims that their Republican colleagues are working with GOP legislators from elsewhere in Georgia to mount a state takeover of the county, and diminish minority voting strength, in the ongoing battle over Gwinnett Board of Commissioners redistricting on Tuesday.

State Rep. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville, announced that House Republicans reassigned his county commission redistricting bill  despite his objections  from the House Intergovernmental Affairs Committee, which has been handling local redistricting bills, to the Governmental Affairs Committee this week.

Park accused state Rep. Bonnie Rich, R-Suwanee, of orchestrating the reassignment. Rich is the House Majority Caucus chairwoman.

By sending them to a general committee, the Republican majority is taking steps to usurp local control, undermine the will of Gwinnett voters and allow politicians from around the state to draw local maps for Gwinnett, Park said.

(It) is a clear deviation from the regular process for local redistricting, which demonstrates racially discriminatory intent and violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

The change in which House committee the commission redistricting bill is assigned to is part of an ongoing battle between Democrats and Republicans over what the Board of Commissioners will look like for the next decade and possibly beyond.

The committee change increases the likelihood that Republicans  who are a minority in Gwinnetts legislative delegation but hold the majority in both chambers of the General Assembly  will redraw the commission maps without input or approval from Democrats.

The Republican Party is no longer a party of local governmental control, that ship has sailed, Rep. Jasmine Clark, D-Lilburn, said. It is now a party of state takeovers.

County commissioners voted at the beginning of January to send a redistricting map, which was crafted after a series of five town hall meetings where residents could give public comment, to Gwinnett legislators. Any redistricting map must be approved by the General Assembly before it can take affect.

Republicans in the delegation have decried the proposed map, however, because of the lack of a district that was solely in GOP-leaning north Gwinnett. The commission went from a 3-2 Republican majority in 2020 to an all-Democrat board in 2021.

Rich, during a virtual delegation meeting last week, raised issues with commission districts stretch from the north to the south. She cited commission District 1, which would stretch from Lake Lanier to near Lilburn.

All we want is to buy time to talk and negotiate, Rich said on Tuesday. I have been trying to negotiate with them since the end of the special session (in November). I have gotten zero response. Hopefully, with (the Democrats) shining a light on it at their press conference, people will understand all we want is to negotiate ....

I would like compact maps. I would like for the maps for Gwinnett County to follow traditional redistricting principles.

Park doubled down on his allegations of racial discrimination by Republican members of the countys legislative delegation. He said Republicans in the delegation voted for a state House redistricting map that changed the districts for Rich and Rep. Chuck Efstration, R-Dacula, from majority-minority to overwhelmingly majority white.

He also pointed to an unsuccessful attempt by Sen. Clint Dixon, R-Buford, to redraw Gwinnett commission and school board maps without input from either board or Democrats in the legislative delegation during a special session in November.

Most of the Republicans in Gwinnetts House delegation, including Rich and Efstration, publicly supported Dixons effort.

The actions of these Republican politicians speak volumes, Park said. First, these Republicans tried to do everything to strip the first Black woman to lead Gwinnett of her power, and make white voters the largest voting block in a majority of districts in the most diverse county in the state of Georgia.

Second, they made their own districts as white as they possibly can. Third, with this latest deviation from the normal legislative process, that demonstrates racially discriminatory intent, theyre doubling down on their effort to segregate voters in Gwinnett in their pursuit of protecting and preserving white power in the most diverse county in the state of Georgia. Clearly, clearly, white power is alive and well in the Georgia Republican Party.

But, Rich denied allegations that Republicans would use commission redistricting diminish the voting strength of people of color to ensure white voters have a greater strength in a majority-minority county.

That is absolutely not true, all I want is to have maps that follow traditional redistricting principles, she said. In fact, I believe their map may be precluding the Latinx community from voting a member of their community, of their choice.

Im not sure of that. I havent studied it to that extent, but no, it has nothing to do with (race). Its just name calling, which Im tired of.

But, the political maneuvering is set to create a big clash between Democrats and Republicans over Gwinnett  which was a Republican stronghold until recent election cycles  that will play out at the State Capitol.

County commissioners are working with Gwinnetts Senate delegation to push through a bill in that chamber that would get the commission-backed map approved, assuming it is not derailed in that chamber. That bill was set to be filed in the Senate on Tuesday, according to Sen. Nikki Merritt, D-Grayson.

Democrats hold six of the seven seats in Gwinnetts Senate delegation. The lone Republican in the delegation, Dixon, is one of Gov. Brian Kemps floor leaders, however.

Dixon told the Daily Post that Democrats in the Senate delegation did indeed file legislation in the Senate as a local bill on Tuesday morning, but he got it changed to a general bill, putting it on similar path to what happened in the House with Parks bill.

Three of the five members of the Board of Commissioners stood with Park and other Democrats from Gwinnetts legislative delegation during a press conference at the State Capitol on Tuesday.

Im disappointed but Im not surprised, Commissioner Kirkland Carden said. Her actions are undermining the process that we put into place and undermines all of the citizens that participated in that open, transparent redistricting process.

Rich said a compromise had been attempted, and that four of the five members of the Board of Commissioners had been willing to approve it, but that effort was derailed because of commissioner  she said she did not know for sure which one it was  opposed it.

Commissioners Jasper Watkins denied that the Board of Commissioners was close to reaching a compromise with Republicans, however.

I dont know what shes talking about, he said.

Park told the Daily Post on Friday that a compromise was being attempted, but he said on Tuesday that headway could not be made. He said Rich and Efstration did not provide any written feedback or amendments to make a compromise.

Instead, they have taken unprecedented steps to mess with Gwinnetts fair maps behind closed doors and we still dont know exactly what they want, but we can infer based on their prior actions and public statements, Park said.




Haiti - FLASH : Former Senator J-C Moise expelled from the United States





Monday, January 24, the former mayor of Milot, Jean-Charles Moise, former senator and leader of the radical opposition platform "Pitit Dessalin" who was returning from a trip to Niger (West Africa), in transit to Miami for Haiti, was questioned at length by immigration officials about the reasons for his trip to Niger and whether he had met in November 2021 with the President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro.



Upon his arrival Tuesday at Toussaint Louverture International Airport, furious Jean-Charles Moise spoke briefly, claiming not to know the reason for this expulsion. He explained that he was interrogated for almost 9 hours of time until midnight "They urged me to tell them the content of my discussions with each person I met on the African continent. I told them I won't say anything [...] they canceled my visa and banned me from entering the United States for the next five years and then they locked me in a room until 8:00 in the morning [...] It's a humiliating thing [....] then they put me on an American Airlines flight and deported me to Haiti."



Jean-Charles Moise announced that he was going to take legal action against the Americans, claiming "The United States must tell me why they did all this. My imprisonment was illegal..." pointing out that in November 2021 he had never met with President Maduro.



However, it is true that Jean Charles Moise is close to Maduro, whom he met several times, among others in 2019 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26670-haiti-flash-jean-charles-moise-apologize-to-nicolas-maduro-and-insult-president-moise.html and in December 2020 after being personally invited by President Maduro https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32452-haiti-news-zapping.html , it could be that it was these close relations with Maduro and his positions that displeased the Americans.



The American Embassy in Haiti has not yet officially reacted to this event.



To be continued...



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-26670-haiti-flash-jean-charles-moise-apologize-to-nicolas-maduro-and-insult-president-moise.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-32452-haiti-news-zapping.html



SL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : More than 54 victims, 834 families affected and significant material damage (latest Provisional assessment)





Following the two earthquakes of magnitudes greater than 5 on the Richter scale which hit the department of Nippes on Monday January 24, 2022, at 8:16 am and 23 seconds and 9:06 am and 43 seconds in the morning https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35794-haiti-flash-2-earthquakes-of-magnitude-greater-than-5-provisional-report-update-3-48-pm.html the latest provisional assessment is as follows:



Human toll (At least 54 victims) :



Death (2) :

In Anse-a-Veau (130 km west of the capital), a woman died after the collapse of a wall Jesumene Arseille) died following the collapse of a wall in the locality of Colico. In the town of Fonds-des-Negres, a man died following the sliding of a piece of sand in a quarry in Pemerle.



Wounded (52) :

49 in Anse--Veau and 3 in Petite-Riviere-de-Nippes

Minor injuries were recorded in Miragoane and Fonds des Begres.



834 families are affected (Anse--Veau 429, and Petite-Riviere-de-Nippes 405)



The housing and education sectors are the most affected. In the departments of the South and Nippes, all the schools had to close their doors. 21 students were admitted to the Sainte-Therese Hospital in Miragoane, including 7 unconscious, 3 "in a state of shock".



Infrastructures / houses :

The road is damaged in St-Sauveur and Petite-Riviere-de-Nippes, the Teinturier bridge is also damaged.



More than 782 houses were destroyed or damaged :

191 houses destroyed (93 in Anse-a-Veau and 98 in Petite-Riviere)

591 houses damaged (Anse-a-Veau, Fond-des-Negres and Petite-Riviere-de-Nippes)



Local authorities and the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) are coordinating the response to assist the affected population. The Directorate General of the DPC has deployed volunteers in the most affected municipalities of Petite-Riviere-de-Nippes, Fonds-des-Negres and Anse-a-veau to raise public awareness and clear destroyed or damaged houses.



A team of volunteers was also mobilized for rapid needs assessments. According to the first assessments, the needs identified relate to psychosocial support for the affected population, in particular students, temporary shelters and non-food items (hygiene kits, kitchen kits and others) for the affected families.



According to engineer Claude Prepetit, Director General of the Bureau of Mines and Energy, 41 earthquakes were recorded on Monday January 24, 2022 in the territory. 26 confirmed tremors and 16 unconfirmed. These tremors between 1.8 and 5.6 in magnitude on the Richter scale are "are aftershocks of August 14, 2022," said Prepetit.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-35794-haiti-flash-2-earthquakes-of-magnitude-greater-than-5-provisional-report-update-3-48-pm.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34681-haiti-earthquake-latest-assessment-of-civil-protection.html



S/ HaitiLibre


















HAIKOU, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's southernmost province of Hainan plans to provide free vaccines against cervical cancer to about 71,000 female students aged 13 to 14 and a half this year.

The vaccination work is scheduled to start from the spring semester and will be carried out annually in phases. It is estimated to benefit 30,000 to 40,000 female students every year, according to the provincial health commission.

The students in Hainan will receive 2-valent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, self-developed by China, free of cost. They can get inoculated in school or designated community vaccination sites.

In 2021, China introduced a pilot program to promote the inoculation of HPV vaccines and improve the rate and quality of cervical cancer screening nationwide. The country has implemented a cervical cancer screening program in major national public health services since 2009. 




Haiti - Politic : There will not be a new President on February 7, 2022 dixit PM Henry





Tuesday afternoon, responding to the invitation of the Bureau of the Senate, the Prime Minister ai, Ariel Henry, spoke with 8 of the 10 senators in office around the current situation and the priorities of the hour, such as the restoration security and the organization of elections.



"We are at a crossroads where we must continue to work together to pacify the country. At the same time, the security forces are working to fight against banditry [...]



[...] The holding of elections is a Constitutional prerogative. We cannot wait to renew the political personnel. A return to democratic order is essential. We must entrust the reins of the country to an elected President.



For me, it would have been easy to set up a Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) But I do not want to take action unilaterally and exclusively.



It is certain that in the days to come, with the collaboration of all the players, we will finalize the consultation process with a view to achieving the final result [...]" declared Ariel Henry.



Asserting to Senators that the new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) and the Constituent Assembly will be set up by February 7 and that the country will have a new Constitution before next summer.



"The country cannot wait more. We therefore have a duty to find a consensus around lasting solutions to this chronic crisis. We must organize the elections so that there are new elected officials. What I am certain of : there will not be a new president on February 7, 2022 !"



Regarding the assassination of President Moise, Ariel Henry said "As long as I am at the head of the Executive, I will do everything in my power to ensure that justice is done to President Jovenel Moise. As I committed upon my arrival at the Primature, I will continue to seek legal assistance in the context of the investigation into this assassination."



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





No arms embargo in Haiti but...

Tuesday, January 25, Beatrice Nibogora, Spokesperson of Binuh, confirmed "There is no UN embargo on the acquisition of arms and ammunition for Haiti" there are only restrictions in the USA and in Canada. However, nothing prevents Haiti from equipping itself with other countries, advised Kenneth H. Merten, Charge d'Affaires at the American Embassy in Haiti.



France : No acceptable elections in Haiti

The Ambassador of Gfrance in Haiti Fabrice Mauries considers it impossible to hold acceptable elections in Haiti in the current circumstances and announces. strengthening cooperation with the National Police of Haiti (PNH) in the fight against gangs.



Drug seizure at the International Airport, an Ethiopian arrested

The BLTS/DCPJ Detachment at Toussaint Louverture International Airport seized 2.198 kg of cocaine on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 and arrested a foreign national. Nebyu NEMNIROY, born November 15, 1992 in Ethiopia, who was on board Air Caraibes flight TX559 bound for Paris at the time of his arrest.



Disclaimer of the Minister of Commerce

Ricardin Saint-Jean, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, formally denies the rumors of a probable increase in the price of petroleum products, affirming "These practices are the work of malicious individuals who seek by all means to sow the seeds of panic in the minds of citizens."



Education : letters of appointment to 500 graduating students

As part of the celebration of the International Day of Education (January 24) Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education presented letters of appointment to 500 graduating students from several UEH entities and institutions under supervision of the Ministry.



Croix-des-Bouquets : seizure of marijuana:

Tuesday, January 25, the police arrested in the town of Croix-des-Bouquets more precisely in Quota, an individual in possession of 75 packets containing marijuana.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2022/01/26 | Source

New stills added for the upcoming Korean documentary "The Combat Kings" (2021)

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Directed by Lee Sang-ho

Synopsis

May 18, 1980, during the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

The Chun Doo-hwan regime came to power in a coup d'etat by slaughtering peaceful protest crowds. The people continued to fight against the military dictatorship in their own ways through various social circles. The story of reporter Lee Sang-ho, who has been covering for more than 30 years begins.

Release date in Korea : 2022/02/17
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Photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 with a cellphone shows demonstrators holding a placard at Place de la Nation in support of the army in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso soldiers said Monday on national television that they had seized power and put an end to the functions of President Roch Kabore. The Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR) took power, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. (Photo by Jean-Paul Ouedraogo/Xinhua)

UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday that military coups are not acceptable in the 21st century while speaking briefly about the military coup that occurred in the West African country of Burkina Faso the day before.

"Democratic societies are a value that must be preserved. Military coups are unacceptable in the 21st century," the UN chief told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York.

The top UN official said that he is deeply concerned with the recent coup d'etat in Burkina Faso, noting that "the role of the military must be to defend their countries and their peoples, not to attack their governments and to fight for power."

"We have, unfortunately in the region, terrorist groups, we have threats to international peace and security. My appeal is for the armies of these countries to assume their professional role of armies, to protect their countries and re-establish democratic institutions," Guterres stressed. 

Photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 with a cellphone shows demonstrators gathering at Place de la Nation in support of the army in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso soldiers said Monday on national television that they had seized power and put an end to the functions of President Roch Kabore. The Patriotic Movement for Safeguard and Restoration (MPSR) took power, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. (Photo by Jean-Paul Ouedraogo/Xinhua)
HAMMOND  U.S. Steel, Chicago and Surfrider Foundation have asked a U.S. District Court judge to lift a stay in their civil lawsuit, but the steelmaker and Chicago and Surfrider disagree on how to proceed.

The legal filings come nearly five months after U.S. District Chief Judge Jon DeGuilio entered a consent decree for the U.S. Steel Midwest plant in Portage stemming from wastewater permit violations.

U.S. Steel asked for permission to file a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, but attorneys for Surfrider Foundation are seeking leave to file an amended complaint.

Surfrider Foundation and Chicago sued U.S. Steel in January 2018 over an April 2017 hexavalent chromium spill and multiple other Clean Water Act violations, and their civil lawsuits were later consolidated into a single case.

Hexavalent chromium, the chemical featured in the movie "Erin Brockovich," is a carcinogen and can be harmful to the eyes, skin and respiratory system, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Judge OKs consent decree for U.S. Steel in wake of toxic 2017 spill

U.S. Steel's Midwest plant spilled 300 pounds of hexavalent chromium  or 584 times the daily maximum limit allowed under state permitting laws  into the Burns Waterway in April 2017. The discharged forced the closure of Indiana American Water's Ogden Dunes intake facility multiple beaches at Indiana Dunes National Park and other locations along the Lake Michigan shore.

Indiana and the U.S. government filed a proposed consent decree in April 2018. A short time later, Surfrider and Chicago agreed to a stay in their civil lawsuit and were granted permission to intervene in the government's consent decree case.

In late August, DeGuilio approved a revised consent decree after finding it to be fair and reasonable and negotiated in good faith. The judge denied Surfrider and Chicago's motions for an evidentiary hearing or oral argument in the government's case.

"The government plaintiffs, with extensive public feedback, created and got U.S. Steel to agree to a consent decree that addresses the root causes of the violations listed in the complaint and has already led the facility back toward compliance with its (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System) permit even without being fully enforceable," the judge wrote.

In their latest legal filing, Surfrider attorneys at the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic at the University of Chicago Law School wrote that the root causes of U.S. Steel Midwest's wastewater violations have not been fully addressed.

"Evidence of the defendant's continued failure to comply with the (Clean Water Act) is as 'obvious' as the bright rusty stain on Lake Michigan caused by the defendant in late September 2021," the attorneys wrote.

Watch Now: Reactions to U.S. Steel Spill at Portage Riverwalk

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management concluded U.S. Steel Midwest violated its permit Sept. 26 when it discharged wastewater containing elevated levels of iron into the Burns Waterway, about 1,000 feet from Lake Michigan, records show. The steelmaker again violated its permit when it spilled oil from the same outfall Oct. 7, state and federal officials concluded.

In a letter dated Dec. 14, attorneys for U.S. Department of Justice said the federal government and state of Indiana were still considering whether to demand stipulated penalties under the consent decree for the discharges in September and October.

Attorneys for U.S. Steel asked the U.S. District Court judge to grant them leave to file a motion to dismiss the Surfrider and Chicago's lawsuit.

They argued the approval of the consent decree was a final judgment, the plaintiffs did not file an appeal and claims in Surfrider and Chicago's civil lawsuit are now precluded.

Surfrider Foundation attorneys wrote the judge must consider up-to-date evidence, including wastewater violations that occurred after the lodging of the consent decree, when determining whether their claims are precluded.

The foundation's attorneys asked DeGuilio to grant them leave to file an amended complaint, which would include new claims linked to wastewater violations after approval of the consent decree but would forgo other claims litigated as part of the consent decree.

The parties will have an opportunity to respond to each other's filings before DeGuilio issues a decision.

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The people of the city of Kobani remember the martyrs of freedom in the shrine of the martyr, Dijla, on the seventh anniversary of the liberation of the city from ISIS, at 17:00 (photos and videos are attached).

National figures expressed their full support for the guerrilla resistance in the face of the Turkish occupation state, and called on all patriots to support that resistance that will write a new history for the Kurds and the peoples of the Middle East. (photos and video attached).

Notables from the residents of Deir ez-Zor villages under the control of the Damascus government forces said that the settlements made by Damascus are a conspiracy against the people of Deir ez-Zor. (photos and video attached).

A number of individuals gather, with their weapons, in the evening around the fire as the imposition of a partial curfew began in Qamishlo, to protect the city's security and stability alongside the security forces in light of the attack of ISIS mercenary cells on Al-Sina'a prison in Al-Hasakah. (photos and video attached).

Politics

The future head of the Syria future Party, Ibrahim Al-Qaftan, explained that the ISIS mercenaries who attack the industrial prison receive support from inside and outside, and said, "The one who bears the support of these parties is the Syrian regime and the Turkish occupation." (photos and videos are attached).

The co-chair of the Executive Council of the Autonomous Administration in Al-Jazira region, Nazeera Gewriah confirmed that the danger of ISIS mercenaries and attempts to revive them will not end, as long as they are supported by Turkey, and demanded a radical solution to the files of Al-Hol camp and Al-Sina'a prison, which includes thousands of ISIS mercenaries. (photos and video attached).

World

The Egyptian writer and journalist Ashraf Abul-Hol said that Turkey has responded to some of Egypt's conditions to normalize relations, but it continues to interfere in Libya, and this makes the progress of normalization slow. (Pictures attached).

woman

The Syrian Women's Council is organizing a protest sit-in in front of the United Nations building in Qamishlo, against the backdrop of ISIS attacks on Hasaka prison, and the demand for international intervention to end the file of ISIS detainees. 10:00 (photos and video attached).

Youth

The Syrian Revolutionary Youth Movement is organizing a flashlight march in the city of Kobani, the seventh anniversary of its liberation from ISIS, at 16:00 (photos and videos are attached).

Kurdistan

The co-chairs of the Afrin region councils explained that the PKK includes all nationalities under its banner, and said: "They describe the PKK as terrorism so that the Kurds do not gain their freedom." (Photos and videos are attached).

ANHA
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 26, 2022 (HealthDay News) -- A one-two punch from science has clearly tagged the mononucleosis virus, Epstein-Barr, as a major cause of multiple sclerosis.

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) appears to trigger multiple sclerosis (MS) by tricking the immune systems of some into attacking their body's own nerve cells, a new study indicates.

"We demonstrated that a specific protein in EBV mimics a protein in people's brains, and that mimicry is what makes EBV cause multiple sclerosis," explained senior researcher Dr. William Robinson, chief of immunology and rheumatology at Stanford University in California.

This new paper explains the results of a study published recently in the journal Science, in which it was found that MS risk skyrockets 32-fold after a person is infected with Epstein-Barr.

That study of more than 10 million U.S. military personnel established a "very tight link" between Epstein-Barr and MS, Robinson said. EBV was present in all but one out of 801 MS cases that occurred among that group over 20 years.

But the previous research left unanswered why the ubiquitous "mono" virus  about 95% of people are infected by Epstein-Barr at some point in their lives  might cause MS, much less why it would trigger the nerve disease only in a select number of unlucky souls.

Nearly 1 million Americans are affected by multiple sclerosis, a neurodegenerative disease that disrupts nerve signals from the brain to the body. MS causes people to develop symptoms like numbness, muscle spasms, walking difficulties, speech problems and paralysis.

Studying blood samples taken from nine MS patients, researchers found that these people carried antibodies that bonded both to the Epstein-Barr virus as well as a protein called GlialCAM found in the human nervous system.

GlialCAM is an "adhesion molecule" that serves as the glue for myelin, a fatty insulating sheath that coats nerve fibers much like the coating you'd find around an extension cord or electrical wire, Robinson said.

"When you destroy that myelin coating, the nerves in your body no longer conduct properly, just like an electrical wire no longer conducts properly" without its insulating coating, Robinson said.

Essentially, an MS patient's immune system mistakes this essential component of nerve protection with the Epstein-Barr virus and attacks, harming the myelin coating and damaging the nervous system.

"This really provides a plausible mechanism by which we might connect immune response to Epstein-Barr virus to trigger MS," said Mark Allegretta, vice president of research for the National MS Society.

The genetics of a person's immune system provides the last critical piece of the puzzle, Robinson added. Only certain people carry the specific genetic variations that cause the immune system to mistake GlialCAM for the Epstein-Barr virus.

"Certain genes bind the EBV proteins in a certain way, and that's what makes those individuals get MS," Robinson explained. "It's how other genes in a person's body bond and present the EBV to the immune system that determines who gets MS and who doesn't."

The findings were a surprise to Robinson, who said that as recently as five years ago he was an "extreme skeptic" regarding the notion that Epstein-Barr could cause MS.

"Everybody has thought that perhaps a virus could cause it or a bacteria might cause it, but nobody's been able to prove it," Robinson said. "We've proven that Epstein-Barr virus is mechanistically inducing or triggering MS. We've finally definitively demonstrated that is in fact the case."

The findings were published Jan. 24 in the journal Nature.

Genetic testing for those specific variants could help determine which people with Epstein-Barr virus are at risk for developing multiple sclerosis later in their lives, Robinson noted.

This new understanding of the link between Epstein-Barr and MS also opens the door to potential therapies and preventive measures, Robinson and Allegretta added.

"In the long run, we could give [people at genetic risk for MS] an EBV vaccine, or maybe you give everybody an EBV vaccine," Robinson said.

MS patients also might benefit from treatment with antiviral medications or immune therapies that turn off the antibody response that cross-reacts between Epstein-Barr and GlialCAM, Robinson said.

However, Allegretta isn't ruling out that other viruses might also trigger MS. He'd like to see more research into the genetics that cause some people, but not others, to develop MS after exposure to Epstein-Barr.

"I want to emphasize there is clearly a lot of work that needs to be done, but this certainly is promising data that's connecting the earlier finding of Epstein-Barr virus to a plausible mechanism," Allegretta said.

More information

The U.S. National Institutes of Health has more about multiple sclerosis.

SOURCES: William Robinson, MD, PhD, chief, immunology and rheumatology, Stanford University, California; Mark Allegretta, PhD, vice president, research, National MS Society, New York City; Nature, Jan. 24, 2022
TAIYUAN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Imports and exports of north China's Shanxi Province increased by 48.3 percent to over 223 billion yuan (about 35.3 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, Taiyuan Customs said Wednesday.

Last year, Shanxi's exports reached 136.6 billion yuan, up 56.3 percent, while its imports totaled 86.4 billion yuan, up 37.1 percent over the previous year.

Customs data showed that both private enterprises and foreign-invested enterprises performed outstandingly last year, with their imports and exports reaching nearly 79 billion yuan and nearly 106.3 billion yuan respectively, up 121.5 percent and 22 percent.

In 2021, the three major trading partners of Shanxi Province were the United States, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan. Imports and exports between the province and countries along the Belt and Road soared to 49.6 billion yuan, up 43.2 percent compared with 2020.

The trade volume between the province and member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) hit 68.8 billion yuan, up 76.1 percent and accounting for 30.8 percent of the province's total imports and exports. 
Commissioners vote to move ahead with Edneyville sewer system

Chart shows a typical household rate for the Edneyville sewer system compared to others in the region.

Toward the tail end of a daylong budget retreat last week, Henderson County commissioners voted to move ahead with a $21 million sewer project to serve the Edneyville and Fruitland area.



Its a big decision  for this community and for Edneyville, Bill Lapsley, the board chair, said. Were moving forward on a project. Big day, big day.

It wasnt the first time the county had operated a sewer system  it owned the Cane Creek system before ceding that to the Metropolitan Sewer District  but it marks the first time the county has taken a bold step to open up a rural and suburban area to new development by making public sewer available.

Commissioners earlier in the day had made another big decision, voting unanimously to authorize design and ultimately the construction of a combined renovation and expansion of the Grove Street Courthouse and the county jail, at a cost of up to $127 million. They had voted to move forward, too, on a renovation of the old Hedrick-Rhodes VFW post at Five Points  pricetag $4.5 million.

In the Grove Street complex, jail occupants come and go and judges and juries try cases and government functions of collecting taxes and registering deeds grind on. But no decision commissioners made last week is as consequential as building a new wastewater treatment plant and serving homes, businesses and public institutions in the apple country. It has the potential, as one commissioner observed, to twist the growth spigot wide open.

Its a two-sided coin because its immediately going to turn on development, growth, Commissioner Daniel Andreotta said.

The countys projections show that public entities, businesses and a number of homes would be likely first-day customers of the sewer system.How much growth is unclear. Will Buie, a consulting engineer, said he and other engineers and financial analysts had created a conservative forecast of users on day 1 of the sewer plants operation. Some are all but a certainty. The WNC Justice Academy pays the county now to operate a small treatment plant to serve the campus. Edneyville Elementary School, which uses an aging septic system, was one of the original reasons the county hatched the sewerage idea in the first place. Camp Judea, Fruitland Bible College, the Edneyville Fire & Rescue station, Edneyville Community Center and the Blacksmith Run subdivision, which also operates a small community treatment plant, also are likely customers to tap in.

There are a number of commercial businesses along Highway 64 that probably have a limit to their operation because theyre on septic systems, Buie said. We assume theres a likelihood  50 percent chance  that those folks will connect in.

Lapsley, a retired civil engineer, says the timing is right to build the $21 million system not only because of the need but because the money is there. Through the work of state Sen. Chuck Edwards, the Legislature appropriated $12.7 million for the project. The county has $2 million socked away for a sewer solution from the money it borrowed to build the new Edneyville Elementary School. And now that the final rules are out for spending American Rescue Plan money, the county expects to use some of its $22.8 million largesse to cover the balance.

Theres no borrowing of any funds here, loan to pay back, Lapsley said to his fellow commissioners last week. Ordinarily, if the county was to borrow $20 million to build this facility, there would be a debt service component here. The annual debt payment would be a huge number with a very small  at the beginning  number of customers to spread that over. What wed be facing, from my point of view, is the county taxpayers general fund subsidizing this system for five, ten years, maybe longer, for it to generate enough revenue to meet the debt service requirement.

With the state and federal money, All these stars have aligned and we have an opportunity to do this, which ordinarily I dont think we would have, he said. If we had to borrow the money the rates would be so high that nobody would connect to it.



What is the rate?

The county plans to apply for permit for a wastewater treatment plant on Clear Creek, shown from the bridge on Fruitland Road.Based on the cost of operating the system and a conservative estimate of ratepayers, Buie projects that the sewer bill would be $56 a month for a typical household usage of 4,000 gallons a month. Thats $10 more than the outside-city rate the city of Hendersonville charges but less than the outside rates of Brevard ($71), Rutherfordton ($112) and Lake Lure ($180).

The likely users are going to be based on what are your rates and what are your connection fees, Buie said. We want the folks that were thinking (will) connect to connect. My suggestion would be that connection fees or tap fees would be nominal (at first). But if youre going to connect later youre going to establish fees that cover the cost of making the tap.

Buie walked commissioners through the arduous process for a getting a permit from the state Department of Environmental Quality. He projected the discharge into Clear Creek to average 72,000 gallons per day with a peak of 107,000 gallons. The plant would be designed for expansions in 150,000 gallons per day increments up to 450,000 gallons. Commissioners said yes, authorizing county engineer Marcus Jones and Buie to begin the process of applying for the OK for one of two treatment plant locations on Clear Creek  one near Fuitland Road and one downstream, near North Henderson High School. Clear Creek empties into Mud Creek near the city of Hendersonville wastewater treatment plant. Mud Creek flows into the French Broad River.

This is a new wastewater treatment facility with a new discharge, Buie said. Thats not a small matter. We would go meet with NCDEQ to talk about the possibility of securing a permit for that discharge, get some initial feedback from them. Based on that feedback we would request what are called speculative limits from the state. That is, if we give you a wastewater discharge the limits you must treat the water will likely be this and that establishes specifically the technology for the wastewater treatment facility.

The state would require engineers to conduct an alternatives analysis that evaluates all other options.

You have to justify that is the most reasonable option both from an environmental perspective and a cost perspective, Buie said. In addition, because the county would be using state and most likely federal funds, the project would have to meet the State Environmental Policy Act, or SEPA, requiring an extensive environmental study. And, Assistant County Manager Amy Brantley warned, the process for using the federal rescue money imposes another thicket of bureaucracy.



Is there a public hearing?

Proposed Edneyville sewer system would serve the WNC Justice Academy (upper right), Edneyville Elementary School (bottom center), U.S. 64 and Fruitland Bible College (upper center). Yellow lines are gravity sewer line. Red dash line would be a force main pushed by a pump station on Lewis Creek near Blacksmith Run.Lapsley pointed out that the Board of Commissioners held a public meeting to hear concerns, support for or opposition to a sewer system last year at Edneyville Elementary School.

The state DEQ puts out a public notice and says in effect, Henderson County has applied for a wastewater treatment plant permit. Does anybody have any objection? he said. If nobody objects, if they dont get letters or emails or they get two, the state will say theres not enough concern, well issue a permit. Lets say 200 people come out of the woodwork to oppose it, if they get a big public reaction, then the governor has the authority to direct the DEQ to hold a public hearing and give the public a chance to make their case.

Lapsley said he had not heard opposition so far, noting that commissioners have been talking about sewer service in the apple country for years. Its not a surprise that were considering this, he said.

In fact, the only person to comment during in the final minutes of the commissioners discussion was a well-known Edneyville farmer who endorsed the new sewer system.

It seems to me this may be an easier decision for you guys to make than some of the others, said Fred Pittillo, owner of Turf Mountain Sod. The thing that I think is important is if we dont do something, little by little I see the city moving toward us.  We see that Fletcher, Mills River area are pretty well taken care of as far as the sewer and water situation. If we look at the rest of the county, that leaves the Fruitland, Dana, Edneyville area, which he said has a topography conducive for gravity sewer service. Where my house is, 10 years ago I could see five or six homes. Today I can see about 50.

The next step is the countys initial meeting with the DEQ to sketch out its intention and get the initial feedback. Lapsley said he expects it to take a year to get a permit and two to three years after that to build a treatment plant and pump station and run sewer lines.
CAMPAIGNERS say the proposed lighting of Henley Bridge could use different colours on special occasions, such as pink for the royal regatta.

The Make Henley Shine group is appealing for support from the town.

It wants to put 470 LED lights on the Grade I listed bridge, which dates back to 1786.

The group, which has applied for charitable status, is to launch a crowdfunding appeal in the spring to raise up to 150,000 to finance the arts project for 10 years.

Daniel Bausor, from Bix, who chairs the group, and Henley architect Gavin Jackson, updated a meeting of town councillors last week.

They hope to gift control of the lights to the council, which would decide when to have them on and even to change their colour via a laptop. Each light would be programmable.

Mr Bausor told the meeting of the councils town and community committee: Based on feedback, wed want to have it warm white for the majority of the year but there are opportunities to be smart about fundraising.

For example, during regatta week, you could give permission as the town council so that Leander could light it pink for regatta week, which creates a tourist experience.

Mr Bausor, a customer experience specialist whose wife Jo is chief executive of the Henley Festival, has said previously that illuminating the bridge would revitalise Henley and help attract new visitors.

He previously worked on the Illuminated River project, which turned nine of Londons bridges into art installations at night.

This also involved using energy-efficient LED lights that reduce energy consumption and light spill on the river.

Deputy Mayor Michelle Thomas said: I think the commercialisation of any civic space is potentially controversial.

I dont know if the people who signed a petition for it would be happy with that.

Mr Bausor replied: We listened to what the feedback from the town was.

They didnt want a Blackpool illuminations coming to Henley, which we dont want either, we want something that really fits with Henley.

Well be using the world-leading most sustainable LED lighting.

This gives Henley the opportunity to be the first town outside London to have a sustainably lit bridge which we think will really help revitalise the town as we come out of covid.

No town can rest on its laurels, we need to think about how we constantly reinvent the experience.

It would be a great if we could get your support to try to make this happen in 2022. We cant do it on our own, we want your support and guidance on fundraising and making it a reality.

The group plans to launch a crowdfunding website in the spring.

Mr Bausor said: We really want this to be a community project. It could be that a family purchase a light. Ive had people get in touch whove lost loved ones to covid and they want to have a light in their memory on the bridge.

Stephen Rouatt, UK chief executive of Signify, which would provide the lights, said: Light is one of the most powerful means of breathing new life into cities and towns, heralding a new era of urban design and beautification.

Weve lit bridges around the world and seen first-hand the positive impact that dynamic architectural lighting has on transforming local communities and economies.

We are excited with the opportunity to be a part of the project and it would be great to be able to give residents and visitors of Henley a stunningly lit-up iconic bridge.

Cllr Thomas said: In terms of planning, its a Grade I listed structure, while the majority of the bridges in London youve referred to are Grade II.

Theres a whole world of difference between I and II, so the conservation officers are going to look very seriously at the fixings.

Mr Jackson replied: We dont want to fix anything to any piece of stone. The lights would rest on the arches so the amount of fixings would be minute. The aim is that we could remove this and not have damaged a single piece of stone.

Councillor David Eggleton said: There are quite a few issues with the electrical supply down there. Unless thats sorted out with quite a lot of cost I dont think youd be able to connect to the mains on the bridge.

Town clerk Sheridan

Jacklin-Edward said: That has been raised very recently. If it needs upgrading then the town council would probably, at some point, need to do that upgrade.

Councillor Kellie Hinton said: Im generally supportive of enhancing our natural assets and Im really pleased to see the people who are involved and that theres an energy for it.

One thing that did concern me slightly is theres no such thing as a free gift to the town council.

How much does it cost in 25 years when they need replacing? This means signing up future councils to a bridge we dont own or have a say over.

Mr Bausor said the money raised would fund the project for 10 years and after that the lights could be removed if the council so chose.

Councillor Will Hamilton said: I think this is going to be a fantastic project if its done properly.

I hope the town will get behind it in terms of fund-

raising and hopefully some of the businesses will come

forward.

I know theres going to be huge issues but unless we try we dont know.

Mr Jacklin-Edward said Make Henley Shine could apply to the council for a grant.

The proposal will need planning permission from South Oxfordshire District Council and Wokingham Borough Council and the support of Oxfordshire County Council, which is responsible for the bridge.

 What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters

@henleystandard.co.uk
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Piedmont Henry CEO: Doctors, nurses experiencing abuse at hands of patients, families

Special Photos Piedmont Henry staff members have been caring for COVID positive patients for almost two years. Each day they do their best to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the community from being infected. Special Photo Piedmont Henry staff members have been caring for COVID positive patients for almost two years. Each day they do their best to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the community from being infected. Dr. Lily Henson

STOCKBRIDGE  Verbal and physical abuse of health care workers at Piedmont Henry has the hospitals CEO asking the community for a little more kindness, grace, patience and compassion.

Our doctors and nurses are both physically and emotionally exhausted, CEO Dr. Lily Henson said. This virus isnt novel anymore, and everyone is tired.

Early on, in March 2020, health care workers were lauded for their dedication and willingness to put their own health on the line to save the lives of others. They were celebrated with parades, cards, food and thank yous from the community.

Over the summer, as the fourth wave of COVID-19 spread across the country due to the Delta variant, Henson said patients were coming into Piedmont Henry terrified of dying, but at the same time demanding treatments that were not scientifically or medically sound. She said when they were refused such treatment, patients and their families bullied, verbally abused and in some cases physically attacked doctors and nurses.

Henson said she herself received nasty messages and threats, adding the hospital has had to increase its security because of the abusive behavior.

Its incredibly insulting to have people believe what they read on social media rather than listen to a doctor who has sacrificed greatly and spent years in school to become a physician, Henson said. They go into medicine to help people, and its hard to see patients die because of misguided beliefs. Please recognize and be respectful of a doctors knowledge, expertise and experience.

Henson said seeing the levels of patients dying daily has also taken its toll.

My team is in the trenches every day, theyre seeing the sadness, the struggles and the death, she said. Its emotionally taxing to see patients that youve come to know die. Theyre hurting and traumatized, but theyre here every day to take care of the community.

Ultimately, Henson is asking patients and families to look at their individual responsibility and consider how theyre contributing to the chaos and making it difficult to provide care when they challenge and abuse health care providers.

It means something when youve committed yourself to medicine, and our goal is always to provide the best possible care, Henson said. Its important for the public to recognize what weve been through, and were doing the best we can.
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- As Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, draws near, life is made sweeter thanks to blessings, family reunions, and, of course, festive dishes.

Around this time of year, residents of Shenshan Village in Jiangxi Province, east China, busy themselves with making "ciba." This festive snack is made by pounding cooked glutinous rice into a paste. The resultant sweet and round treat symbolizes family gatherings and good luck for a new year.

In 2016, the ciba team were joined by an unexpected helper -- President Xi Jinping, who visited Jiangxi ahead of the Spring Festival.

At that time, Shenshan villagers were still struggling to make ends meet, and poverty cast a long shadow over their lives.

Xi joined villagers in making ciba and quipped that it is good for health by pounding the glutinous paste. Xi assured the villagers that "not a single family or an individual living in poverty is to be left behind on the path to poverty alleviation."

Thanks to the development of poverty alleviation industries and rural tourism, Shenshan Village bid farewell to poverty in early 2017. The average annual income of villagers per capita grew 9 folds in five years to reach 28,000 yuan (about 4,430 U.S. dollars) in 2020.

The changes in Shenshan epitomize what has happened across the country. It was announced earlier in 2021 that China had scored a "complete victory" in its fight against absolute poverty, with the final 98.99 million impoverished rural residents living under the current poverty line all lifted out of poverty over the previous eight years.

"Now my dream of becoming well-off has come true, and life is sweeter, just like ciba," said Peng Xiaying, a villager in Shenshan. 
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Germany is under mounting pressure from European allies to drop its long-standing refusal to supply weapons to Ukraine to help the country to defend itself from a Russian attack.

Britain flew short-range anti-tank missiles to Ukraine on Monday, avoiding German airspace. British Defense Minister Ben Wallace indicated to lawmakers that more military aid and extra security assistance will likely be forthcoming in light of Russia's "increasingly threatening behavior" on Ukraine's borders, where the Kremlin has amassed more than 100,000 troops.

Wallace said there is a "legitimate and real cause for concern" that Russia is planning an invasion. Russian officials have denied they have any such plans, but U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned Wednesday, ahead of talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, that the "sense of the threat to Ukraine is unprecedented."

Ukraine has become increasingly frustrated with Germany on the issue of military supplies. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov complained last month that Berlin had vetoed the purchase of anti-drone rifles and anti-sniper systems from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency, calling the action "very unfair."

Later, Berlin relented on blocking the purchase of anti-drone rifles after concluding they were non-lethal weapons. Kyiv has been scrambling to plug shortages in military equipment and capabilities, but Berlin worries that supplying arms may be seen by Moscow as provocative and could trigger a Russian escalation.

Reznikov has warned that fears of confronting Putin from a position of strength were misguided. "Not provoking Russia -- that strategy does not work and will not work," he said last month.

Ukraine has been buying arms through deals with the United States, Britain, Lithuania, France and Turkey, which has been supplying armed drones. Anti-missile and anti-aircraft systems, electronic warfare kits and cyber defense equipment are high on Ukraines shopping list. Ukraine is also eager to buy surface-to-surface missiles that can strike swarms of targets simultaneously.

The Biden administration last month approved $200 million in additional defensive security aid to Ukraine and American officials Wednesday said the White House was weighing new supply options to try to raise the costs for Russian President Vladimir Putin should he decide to attack. With fears mounting that Russia is intent on major aggressive action, the administration is considering providing the Ukrainian army with more Javelin anti-tank missiles and anti-aircraft missile systems.
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday urged the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authority in Taiwan to immediately stop seizing and detaining mainland fishing boats.

Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks after the DPP authority forcibly boarded a mainland fishing boat and detained 14 crew members for alleged "trespassing" earlier this month.

Zhu urged the relevant authorities in Taiwan to respect the fact that fishermen from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have long been operating in the traditional fishing areas, stop rude and dangerous treatment of mainland fishermen and release them as soon as possible.

The spokesperson warned that the DPP will bear the consequences if it attempts to stir up trouble. 
Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, we've all known individuals who have done more than their share to help their neighbors and communities with food, comfort, care, companionship and dozens of other needs. If you know of such a person, you can nominate them to be featured in our upcoming H
Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, addresses the opening of the first CMG Forum in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. Carrying the theme of "Together for a High-tech Winter Olympics," the forum was hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and co-hosted by the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official on Wednesday expressed hope that friends from global media outlets will share the stories of the upcoming Beijing Olympic Winter Games and comprehensively manifest the "fantastic, extraordinary and excellent" Olympic new chapter.

Huang Kunming, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing the opening of the first CMG Forum.

Carrying the theme of "Together for a High-tech Winter Olympics," the forum was hosted by China Media Group (CMG) and co-hosted by the Chinese Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Huang said China is ready to provide comprehensive, efficient and convenient services for media outlets from all countries.

Huang voiced his expectation that global media will jointly foster an objective, fair, and healthy atmosphere and help promote the exchanges among peoples around the world.

Representatives of 145 media institutions from 78 countries and regions, as well as those from international organizations, joined the event. 
NEW YORK, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Americans are increasingly skeptical of the federal government's capability to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and unsure of what will become of the ferocious virus and its variants, as the United States has seen worrisome growth in COVID-19 deaths despite declines in cases and hospitalizations.

AMERICANS SPLIT

In a national survey conducted between Jan. 10 and 17, 44 percent of Americans said they were very or somewhat confident in U.S. President Joe Biden's ability to handle the public health impact of the pandemic, a drop of 21 percentage points since March 2021. The public was nearly evenly split on whether they thought the worst of the pandemic was over, with 49 percent responding in the affirmative and 50 percent saying that "the worst is still to come."

"Biden touted his administration's efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic at a news conference last week to mark the end of his first year in office," reported The Washington Post on Wednesday. For one, the president highlighted that 210 million people had been vaccinated, versus 2 million when he was sworn in last year.

Even as COVID-19 cases fall in parts of the United States, hospitals remain short-staffed and overloaded with patients, and deaths nationwide are rising. The seven-day average for COVID-19 deaths in the United States reached 2,230 on Tuesday, its highest point since late February last year, according to the report.

MANDATE WITHDRAWAL

On Wednesday, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) formally withdraws an emergency private-sector vaccination mandate against COVID-19, after the Supreme Court blocked its implementation, but promised to continue to work on imposing the vaccination requirement through the regular and lengthier rule-making process.

The emergency rule, issued in November, mandated that employers with 100 or more employees require their workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit weekly testing and wear a mask while indoors. The rule, most of which was set to take effect earlier this month, prompted lawsuit by business groups.

On Jan. 13, the Supreme Court stopped the rule from going into effect while it deliberated over the lawsuit. The rule would have affected roughly 84 million workers. In an unsigned ruling, the court's conservative majority said the administration likely didn't have the power to impose such a requirement on private businesses.

MORE FUND

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced on Tuesday that it would pull an additional 2 billion U.S. dollars from the Provider Relief Fund to aid hospital and other medical service providers as they battle through the latest coronavirus surge.

The 2 billion dollars will go out to more than 7,600 providers across the country after the agency released nearly 9 billion dollars last month. More than 74,000 providers will have gained access to the latest round of funding. This latest round of cash will be delivered as hospital groups demand that Congress provide greater access to the fund and ask for billions of dollars in further support.

"These funds serve as a lifeline for our nation's health care providers, helping them to recruit and retain staff and deliver care to their communities," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. "And today's announcement is just the latest example of our dedication to ensuring that providers have the resources they need to meet the evolving challenges presented by COVID-19."

SUBVARIANT DANGER

While COVID-19 cases have begun to decline in places where Omicron hit hard late last year, cases of Omicron subvariant BA.2 are on the rise in the Philippines, India, Denmark and South Africa. Cases have been reported in the United States, too, so far in the states of California, New Mexico, Texas and Washington, reported USA Today on Tuesday.

"I don't think it's going to cause the degree of chaos and disruption, morbidity and mortality that BA.1 did," Jacob Lemieux, an infectious disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, was quote as saying. "I'm cautiously optimistic that we're going to continue to move to a better place and, hopefully, one where each new variant on the horizon isn't news."

The World Health Organization (WHO) has maintained that BA.2 is not a "variant of concern," meaning there is no current evidence to suggest this new subvariant will worsen COVID-19 transmission, illness severity, or efficacy of vaccines and public health efforts like masking and social distancing.

SPECIFIC VACCINE

Biden's chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci told MSNBC on Tuesday that he believes it is "prudent" for Pfizer and BioNTech to develop Omicron variant-specific COVID-19 boosters, even though "we may not need it at all."

"What the company is trying to do is -- if in fact it becomes the low-level, dominant variant that you would want to protect people from breakthrough infections and you might want to boost them -- it makes sense to at least have ready an omicron-specific boost," said the top doctor.

"I think it's prudent to at least prepare for the possibility that this may be a persistent variant that we might have to face. ... For that reason, they're going ahead and doing the experiments you just described," he added, referring to Pfizer-BioNTech's Tuesday announcement that they had begun their human trials of the reformulated vaccine.

VACCINE GAP

The coronavirus wave driven by the highly infectious Omicron variant may be cresting in parts of North America and Europe, but new cases are still climbing in less-vaccinated regions, and WHO leaders warn that the global surge and the world's wide vaccine gap could set the stage for another dangerous variant, reported The New York Times on Wednesday.

"The fact remains that more than three billion people haven't received their first dose yet, so we have a long way to go," Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO COVID-19 technical lead, said in a livestream on Tuesday, noting that about 21 million cases were reported to the agency last week. "There are many countries still in the middle of this Omicron wave."

Only about 62 percent of the world's population has received at least one shot, and "a striking divide between the rich and poor regions of the world remains," said the report, adding that "in low-income countries, only 10 percent of the population has received at least one dose. In high- and upper-middle-income countries, 78 percent have received at least one dose." 
CONFUSION reigned supreme in the newly formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party when it double fielded candidates in two Bulawayo wards at yesterdays seating of the Nomination Court for by-elections set for March 26.

Bulawayo has seven wards which will hold by-elections on March 26 and CCC registered two candidates in both Ward 9 and Ward 26.

The party registered Donaldson Mabuto, who was the previous incumbent, and former Mpopoma legislator Bekithemba Nyathi in Ward 9, while in Ward 26 CCC will field Norman Hlabano, also a former incumbent, and Mthandazo Moyo.

Mabuto told the media yesterday that he was shocked by the partys decision to field two candidates and called for the firing of party vice-president Professor Welshman Ncube.

It is unbelievable. We had two national signatories, who signed for our candidates, Hon Job Sikhala and Hon Charlton Hwende, but the ones who signed papers in Bulawayo are Prof Welshman Ncube and Siphiwe Ncube. Actually, people are being exposed for their evil deeds, said Mabuto.





Their evil has been exposed. We said we have built the new, but some people want to derail the new. This is tantamount to treason and as a youth member, we cant accept this; heads of the signatories must roll. There is pandemonium in the ward as I speak because of this.

Despite his party fielding double candidates, Mabuto said he was confident of reclaiming the seat he lost when he was recalled by MDC-T.

Hlabano said the decision showed that the new party was divided and without principles.

If the parents are not principled and there is no family guideline, this is what happens. In a normal set up, if there is one bull, all cattle will follow that bull, but if there are two bulls in a kraal, these are the results, he said.





Hlabano said it was up to the partys leadership to act on the matter.

The Nomination Court sat at the Bulawayo City Council chambers at City Hall from 10am up to 4pm and 41 candidates successfully filed their papers, while one was rejected.

The outcome of the Nomination Court was announced by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission presiding officer Mrs Sithembiso Khuphe after 5pm due to delays by one of the CCC candidates Mr Bekithemba Nyathi, whose papers were not in order.

For Ward 8, all aspiring candidates papers were accepted. Chronicle
SIX armed robbers raided KFC Zimbabwe head office along Hillside Road Extension near Mukuvisi Woodlands in Harare on Monday soon after midnight and got away with US$50 000, R30 000 and $19 000 after manhandling a security guard at the premises.

The six who were wearing masks and armed with a pistol, blasted a safe which was in one of the offices where they took away the cash. No arrests have been made so far.

There is no restaurant or takeaway at the KFC head office but the robbery was very close to Mukuvisi Woodlands, which was raided by a gang of 10 on January 8 and who manhandled two security guards and stole US$17 300.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the robbery took place at around 1am.

They neutralised the guard by manhandling him and stealing his Itel mobile phone. Herald
A ZANU PF member challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwas appointment as leader after the November 2017 military coup yesterday accused ruling party officials of misleading the court by withholding vital information.

Musengezi filed papers at the High Court in October seeking a ruling declaring null and void a November 19, 2017 Zanu PF central committee meeting that saw Mnangagwa become acting party president.

The late Robert Mugabe was forced to resign as party president after that meeting.

He also resigned as Zimbabwe President after the ruling Zanu PF party and then opposition MDC Alliance coalesced and initiated an impeachment process.

Musengezi submitted his heads of argument at the High Court yesterday, where he accused the respondents of misleading the court to get a favourable judgment.

The above critical information in relation to the whereabouts and alleged incapacitation of  Mugabe and the alleged absence of the Vice-President and second secretary (Phelekezela Mphoko) has been also withheld, it is submitted, purposely withheld so as to mislead the court, he claimed in his heads of argument.

This fully applies to the respondents case, in that as on the 19th November 2017, Mugabe was, as a notorious fact, at State House, Harare, and locked up in talks with the military heads after the military had registered its presence on the streets of Harare 

Zanu PF, Mnangagwa, Mpofu, Zanu PF finance secretary Patrick Chinamasa, Mphoko and ex-Zanu PF finance secretary Ignatius Chombo are the respondents in the case.

Musengezi is represented by Nqobani Sithole.

Musengezi repeated his allegation that the central committee that ushered in Mnangagwa as acting party leader was null and void.

The controversy of an illegal act, which act was and is still invalid, has not been terminated. The illegality still stands until it is pronounced as such by a competent court, he said.

Musengezi last month accused the police of intimidating him to drop the court challenge.

In opposing papers filed on November 5, Mpofu argued that the High Court had no jurisdiction to hear the case, adding that Mnangagwa enjoyed presidential immunity. He also argued that Musengezi was not a Zanu PF member, contrary to his claims.

This is despite the fact that Musengezi won the Zanu PF primary elections for Harare North constituency ahead of the 2018 polls and lost to the MDC Alliances Allan Markham in the July 31 general elections. Newsday
Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square welcomes Marie-Laure Fleury as General Manager of the historic grade-II listed property. Following a long career in hospitality, Marie makes her next move with Four Seasons to oversee the Hotel, Residences and Private Member's Club at Ten Trinity Square.

French-born Marie began her career in food and beverage in China and spent a number of years working in different hotels across Asia before accepting her first role with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in 2017, where she joined the company as pre-opening and opening Hotel Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Tunis.

Marie has always enjoyed a challenge, successfully opening the Hotel and leading the team at Tunis for three years before being appointed to her most recent role in Sydney - closer to home for her Australian husband. Change of scenery has been a constant throughout Marie's hotel career. From Hong Kong to Bangkok, Phuket to Malaysia, Tunis to Sydney, she has held executive-level positions in multiple countries, fuelling a passion for travel and culture, rooted by her love for the hospitality industry.

Her third appointment with Four Seasons at the historic Ten Trinity Square in London has been an exciting move for Marie and her family.

With three restaurant outlets, a Private Members' Club with its own dining facilities, and a busy catering and events department, Marie has also been able to put her background and experience in food and beverage to good use.

Outside of work, Fleury maintains her sense of balance spending time with her family. An avid trail walker, she enjoys the physical, mental and emotional challenge of courses covering various terrains, inclines, difficulty levels and distances up to 100 kilometres. "The reward comes not only from a sense of personal achievement, but from being part of a team and close to nature while traversing different environments," comments Marie. It's not dissimilar to the rewards she enjoys as a General Manager - working alongside a diverse team in an ever-changing environment.

Though she enjoyed many years of travelling and living in Asia and Australia, Marie looks forward to putting down roots in London - discovering new restaurants and exploring the city with her husband and two children.
Bishop's Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection today announces the appointment of Pablo Penalosa as executive chef. Chef Penalosa, who has more than a dozen years of culinary and Michelin star restaurant experience, will establish an elevated experience at the property's signature restaurant, SkyFire , that redefines 'New Mexican cuisine' and takes family recipes and locally sourced ingredients to new heights. The culinary offerings will present a global perspective that ties in techniques and flavors discovered during his time living in Mexico and Spain, while nurturing the connection between the land, ingredients, makers and farmers to the hotel guests and community in a purposeful way.

Originally from Mexico City, Chef Penalosa's grandmother taught him family recipes that relied heavily on the regionally grown chiles and ultimately inspired his desire to pursue the culinary world. His introduction to Spanish culture began during his time working at El Celler de Can Roca and Martin Berasateguiboth are 3 Michelin star restaurantsin Spain where he learned the background of the local cuisine and where the dishes and flavors originate from. After his time in Spain, he returned to Mexico City where he was a part of the opening team for the acclaimed international restaurant, Morimoto.

Chef Penalosa joins Bishop's Lodge from Melia Hotels International Paradisus in Los Cabos, Mexico, where he served as executive chef and ran operations during the reopening. Prior to that, he held several executive chef positions, which include the openings of two Four Seasons Resorts in Colombia, MNKY HSE in Mayfair, The Intercontinental Hotel Group in London and Los Cabos.

Chef Penalosa will oversee all culinary outlets including SkyFire, the signature restaurant and will push the boundaries to develop unique experiences that offer guests the opportunity to dive deeper into Southwestern gastronomy. Chef Penalosa graduated from Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana and speaks Spanish and English.
Philipp is a business administration graduate of the Free University of Berlin and a spezialized B2B and SaaS marketing expert. Before joining SuitePad as their Vice President Marketing in 2019, he worked at Signavio, a company that has just been acquired by SAP, and IEG Investment Banking.
Top Employers 2022 has announced that it has awarded certification this year to Melia Hotels International for its contribution to excellence in the work environment in Spain, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, countries that account for 46% of the company's total global workforce.

The certification is in recognition of the commitment the company has shown to its people over recent years, coinciding with its management of the Covid-19 crisis. During the crisis, the company's ability to anticipate and respond to the challenges faced by the business led to efforts to preserve employment and talent, create secure employment, boost training and reskilling, and manage the cultural change required by the company's organisational and digital transformation.

The Top Employers Institute programme certifies the HR practises of leading organisations in 123 countries based on the results of their HR Best Practices Survey, which analyses a number of different areas in Human Resources. Melia has achieved the highest results in areas such as Training, Commitment, Ethics & Integrity, Values and Change Management. As the company CEO, Gabriel Escarrer, declared, the Covid-19 crisis has been the greatest challenge in our company's history, and we would never have been able to get through it without the commitment and talent of our people. That's why this certificate reinforces our strategy to place our people at the heart of our business, since they really are the true soul of the company".

In recent years, and in the wake of Covid-19, Melia Hotels International has made great efforts to strengthen its people's commitment to the company, with new programmes to accompany employees through the complex processes of change the company has been going through becoming key factors in maintaining its internal reputation and the pride in belonging of its employees. At the same time, the company has consolidated new spaces for communication and exchanging information and know-how, among other things. eMelia, the company's e-learning platform, has become a major driver of development for employees during the pandemic, with the number of online training hours increasing by more than 75% in 2020 compared to the previous year.

The hotel company has also reinforced its employer brand strategy and strengthened relationships with the academic world through agreements with major universities and tourism and business schools around the world, designed to achieve excellence in training and enhance the skills of workers in the industry. The most recent example is a new partnership with Vatel Spain, which has led to the launch of a specialist Business Analytics & Hospitality Performance programme accompanied by internships to encourage job placement and excellence.

About Melia Hotels International

Founded in 1956 in Mallorca (Spain), Melia Hotels International operates more than 390 hotels (portfolio and pipeline) throughout more than 40 countries, with brands including Gran Melia Hotels & Resorts, Paradisus by Melia, ME by Melia, Melia Hotels & Resorts, INNSiDE by Melia, Sol by Melia and TRYP by Wyndham. The Company is the global leader in resort hotels, while also leveraging its experience to consolidate the growing segment of the leisure-inspired urban market. Its commitment to responsible tourism has led the Group to become the third most sustainable hotel company in the world in 2018, according to RobecoSam, the investment company to produce the Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Melia Hotels International is also included in the IBEX 35 Spanish stock market index and it is the Spanish hotel leader in Corporate Reputation (Merco Ranking). Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and Instagram meliahotelsinternational.com
Stayntouch, a global leader in guest-centric hotel property management systems (PMS) and contactless technology, today released the 2022 Hotelier Technology Sentiment Report in partnership with graduate students at NYU School of Professional Studies Tisch Center of Hospitality. The report captures comprehensive insights and sentiments from over 500 hoteliers across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, representing independent and branded hotels. The graduate students conducted extensive surveys and qualitative interviews to understand hotelier thoughts and opinions surrounding technology use in a changing hospitality landscape.

The report represents a significant milestone in Stayntouchs broader partnership with the NYUSPS Tisch Center, in which Stayntouch contributes to continuing research on emerging trends in hospitality technology, while providing Tisch Center students and faculty with hands-on access to its state-of-the-art cloud PMS and guest-facing solutions.

The 2022 Hotelier Technology Sentiment Report reveals hotelier sentiments about emerging technologies and takes a pulse on trends in both hotel operations and the guest experience. The report focused on a range of issues including, the evolution and necessity of digital technology in hospitality to combat challenges brought upon by the pandemic, the longevity of self-service technology, the use of technology to empower a limited hotel staff, and technologys role in streamlining processes and guest personalization. The Report also uncovered a number of key takeaways which shed light on the hospitality industrys relationship with technology:

The number of hotels using popular technology (including self-service check-in, in-room technology, automation, and chatbots) increased by 31% throughout the pandemic. This number is projected to increase by an additional 19% in 2022.

92% of respondents indicated increased acceptance of contactless technology by their guests, and nearly 75% of respondents believe that contactless tech will become a long-term trend.

43.6% of respondents indicated that their front-desk department was the most capable of operating with a smaller staff, followed by sales & marketing (38.5%).

Vanja Bogicevic, Clinical Assistant Professor and the Director of the HI Hub Experiential Learning Lab in the NYUSPSs Tisch Center of Hospitality said, The Tisch Center is proud that its graduate students are at the forefront of researching and understanding the technology trends in the hospitality industry. By collaborating with Stayntouch on such a timely topic, our students identified strategic priorities that hoteliers will need to consider when redesigning guest-centric experiences. Student-led research projects such as this one strengthen the mission of the HI Hub in growing the future hospitality leaders.

Commenting on the Reports release, Michael Heflin, Chief Revenue Officer at Stayntouch, said, Technology has played a pivotal role in helping hotels streamline their operations, and deliver a more personalized guest experience. We are proud to have partnered with graduate students at the NYUSPS Tisch Center of Hospitality to commission a study on a topic that is critical to the future of the industry. These dedicated students have produced a study that not only delivers insight into the emerging tech trends within the hospitality landscape, but uncovers sentiments that will influence how the industry utilizes technology to enhance the guest and staff experience in the coming years.

Download the full 2022 Hotelier Sentiment Report Today!

About NYU Tisch Center of Hospitality

The NYU School of Professional Studies Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, celebrating more than 25 years of academic excellence, is a leading center for the study of hospitality, travel, and tourism. Founded in 1995, the Tisch Center was established in response to the growing need for hospitality and tourism undergraduate and graduate education. Its cutting-edge curricula attract bright, motivated students who seek to become leaders in their fields. Through its undergraduate degree in hotel and tourism management, its graduate degrees in hospitality industry studies, tourism management, and event management; a plethora of Professional Pathways programs; and its world-renowned hospitality investment conference, students gain the knowledge and the skill sets that enable them to manage change, to communicate, to thrive in complex work environments, and to advance the businesses of hospitality, travel, and tourism. The Tisch Center recently launched the Hospitality Innovation Hub (HI Hub)

that will foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions for the industries it serves. The state-of-the-art facilities offer students, start-ups, established industry partners, and investors opportunities to learn, discover, innovate, and invest. For more information about the NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, visit sps.nyu.edu/tisch.

About Stayntouch

Stayntouch provides a cloud-native, guest-centric, and fully mobile hotel property management system (PMS) and over 1100+ integrations, enabling hotels to raise service levels, drive revenues, reduce costs, and ultimately captivate their guests. Backed by a team of professionals with deep roots in the hospitality industry, Stayntouch is a trusted partner to many forward-thinking hotels and resorts, including the TWA Hotel, First Hotels, Conscious Hotels, Margaritaville, Valencia Hotel Group, and Modus Hotels. Stayntouch is also a preferred PMS partner to some of the leading independent hotel collections around the world including; Design Hotels, an Independent Marriott Brand, and Curator Hotel & Resort Collection.

Frewoini Golla

Director of Marketing

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TPG Hotels, Resorts and Marinas (TPG), one of the nation's premier hospitality firms, today announced an "acquisition of equal talents and minds" with the addition of Marshall Hotels and Resorts, a leading hotel management and services company with special expertise operating three and four-star branded hotels and resorts. The combined company will be headquartered in Salisbury, MD, and will oversee all day-to-day operations of the entire national portfolio of properties.

"This is a win-win for all parties involved," said Mike Marshall, who will serve as president and CEO of the combined companies. "By putting our organizations together, we immediately become one of the ten largest third-party management providers in the hospitality industry. This creates advantages and efficiencies due to the combined workforce's economies of scale, depth, talent, and deployment of best practices across the portfolio. This move also provides access to greater capital, allowing us to invest alongside ownership groups when prudent, as well as attract a new level of talent sophistication."

With the completion of the transaction, TPG will boast a portfolio of more than 130 operated properties comprising nearly 20,000 rooms in 26 states. The management company will focus on expanding the third-party platform and increasing the value of the assets for our owners.

"This acquisition is a natural fit for both Marshall and TPG," said Robert Leven, chief investment officer, The Procaccianti Companies. "Relationships are so important in our business, and this is a merger of relationships which will allow us to use our collective resources, systems, and experiences to provide our owners with higher returns and increased profitability for their properties. It also allows us to continue our strategic growth plans as one of the preeminent management companies in our industry."

About Marshall Hotels and Resorts, Inc.

Salisbury, Md.-based Marshall Hotels & Resorts, Inc. has special expertise operating three- and four-star branded hotels and resorts, averaging 100 to 500 rooms, in urban and central business districts, as well as suburban/drive-to and resort locations. In addition, the company has a proven track record managing independent resort and unique urban properties. Marshall Hotels & Resorts has managed a wide array of leading hotel brands, including those under the Hilton, Marriott, InterContinental Hotel Group, Hyatt, Carlson, Choice, Best Western and Wyndham flags. Additional information may be found at the company's website: www.marshallhotels.com.

About TPG Hotels, Resorts and Marinas

TPG Hotels, Resorts and Marinas is an operator of hospitality assets across all chain scales. With this acquisition, the firm's historical resume is approaching 300 branded, independent, and boutique hotels comprising more than 42,000 guestrooms in 38 states. TPG Hotels, Resorts & Marinas is a vertically integrated organization actively engaged in hotel operations, development, acquisitions, and asset repositionings across the country. For more information, please visit www.tpghotelsandresorts.com.
Houston Health Department is launching a campaign with a local marketing company to address vaccine hesitancy.

The health department is partnering with the minority-owned, Houston-based media and creative business firm 9thWonder Agency on the initiative. The campaign is anticipated to kick off in the first quarter.

Minority populations continue to be disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, said Scott Packard of the Houston Health Department. Many people are hesitant to receive the vaccine due to misinformation and skepticism of its efficacy. Building trust and ensuring access to vaccines among these groups is crucial in order to save lives and slow the infection rate here in Houston.

9thWonder will use its geo-based data platforms to pinpoint minority cohorts and unvaccinated populations in the greater Houston area, the release said. Strategic cross-cultural messaging will follow in order to build trust and awareness among the vaccine-skeptical population and slow the spread of COVID-19.

As COVID-19 cases rise in Houston, the time to act is now, said Josh Okun, President of 9thWonder. Minority groups have been the most vulnerable during the pandemic, and its our job to support safe vaccine distribution and accessibility for all.
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A unit of the national health insurer Humana is expanding its primary care clinics in Houston, opening a new clinic in Third Ward focused on treating senior citizens.

CenterWell Senior Primary Care has more than 200 clinics throughout the country and 15 in the Houston area, with another opening in Sharpstown next month. The provider focuses on offering care to older patients in communities with limited options for health care.

The Third Ward clinic is located in a 7,000-square-foot space at One Emancipation Center, which serves as a hub for affordable housing initiatives, office space, and community gatherings, across from Emancipation Park. Its the first business to open in the mixed-use building.

The primary care provider focuses on underserved areas because there tends to be more seniors with chronic health conditions who will benefit from the coordinated care offered, and generate reimbursements from Medicare, the government health insurance program for the elderly, CenterWell leaders say. The Third Ward location takes various Medicare Advantage plans, which is a Medicare health plan managed by private companies that are Medicare-approved.

The clinic provides primary care services such physicals, mole removal, and drawing blood. Diagnostic tests for flu, COVID-19, and other illnesses are done on site.

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The clinic also offers patients more time with physicians, said Kate Blackmon, the divisional president of CenterWell Senior Primary Care. A standard primary care visit lasts 16 minutes on average, with the provider spending more than half that time documenting and reviewing charts, according to the Annals of Internal Medicine, an academic medical journal.

Visits at CenterWell Senior Primary Care last 30 to 40 minutes on average, because older patients typically have more chronic conditions, Blackmon said. Clinicians want to ensure their patients are clear on instructions on how to take medications since many older patients have multiple prescriptions, she said.

The longer visits also help providers learn more about their patients, she said.

Were able to find out a lot about that senior, Blackmon said. Its our job to find out whats going on in their lives so we can catch things early.

Its a particularly important time for a clinic geared toward seniors to be opening in Third Ward because many people skipped routine check-ups during the pandemic, especially seniors who were more vulnerable to the virus, said Dr. Brie Loy, the regional medical director for CenterWell Senior Primary Care.

Over 80 percent of seniors have multiple chronic conditions and over the last few years people have stayed home, Loy said. We anticipate for some patients to be very ill, but thats why our care model is so special, it allows patients to have more time.

CenterWell began to consider opening a clinic in Third Ward after talking to State Rep. Garnet Coleman, a Houston Democrat, whose district encompasses the south-central part of Houstons urban core, including Midtown, Montrose and the Third Ward, a historically Black neighborhood.

He said he went to a ribbon cutting for a CenterWell clinic east of downtown about two years ago, and thought Third Ward could benefit from such a clinic because a significant share of the neighborhoods population is elderly, he said.

About 13 percent of the population in Third Ward is over the age of 65, compared to 11 percent for all of Harris County, according to Census data.

It's the transition time for us baby boomers who are about to become eligible for Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, Coleman said. (CenterWell) recognizes the fact that if health care is in your community, you're likely to use it.

becca.carballo@chron.com
New York City public school students who test positive for COVID-19 can return to class after five days of isolation instead of 10 under a new Education Department rule.

Infected students can return to school on the sixth day after a positive test as long as they are fever-free for at least 24 hours and their symptoms are generally improving, First Deputy Schools Chancellor Dan Weisberg wrote in an email Tuesday night to principals.

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Students line up in September 2020 to have their temperature checked before entering P.S. 179 in Brooklyn. (Mark Lennihan/AP)

The rule change also allows preschool students to return to class on the sixth day after a COVID-19 infection as long as they test negative that day. Previously, preschool students could test back into class on the eighth day of their quarantine.

The new rules take effect Monday, Jan. 31.

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The shift aligns quarantine rules for students with teachers, who can already return to school buildings five days after a positive test. Weisberg said the change will help us uphold our Stay Safe, Stay Open policy and incorporate recent policy changes from the CDC and New York State Department of Health.

Changes to DOE quarantine rules have come at a dizzying pace amid the COVID-19 surge driven by the Omicron variant.

COVID-19 cases have been sharply decreasing in the city, with about 8,000 new cases reported each day on average over the past week, compared with more than 26,000 new daily cases on average over the past month, according to the city Health Department. The percentage of city residents testing positive is 12.7% over a seven-day average, compared with an average of more than 31% over the past month.

When city public schools returned from winter break earlier this month, they adopted a test to stay policy, where students and staff are issued rapid tests if they come in close contact with someone infected at school. If they test negative, they can avoid quarantine.

Vaccinated students exposed to someone infected outside of school do not have to quarantine, but unvaccinated students are still supposed to quarantine for five days following the exposure, according to the new rules. If an unvaccinated student is exposed to a COVID-19 positive person in their home and cant isolate from that person, the student is supposed to stay home an additional five days after their family members quarantine period is done, according to the DOE guidelines.
Midway through the second day of its promotional giveaway, Twin Crab was able to pass out over 1,200 bags of shrimp and sausage at no charge to the Houston community.

The giveaway was a way for the family-owned seafood restaurant to say thank you for the community's support throughout the pandemic and celebrate the grand opening of its Richmond Avenue location.

"The community loved it," Adam Komek, son of Twin Crab's owner said. "We had lots of people from all different walks of life show up, some people just stopping by to check out what the buzz was about and others who have been needing a small blessing."

"Either way, the response has been overwhelmingly positive," Komek said.

For two days, from 1 to 6 p.m., anyone could show up to Twin Crab's Richmond location and receive a half-pound of shrimp and sausage with corn and potatoes, all dressed in Twin Crab's house sauce.

It doesnt matter who you are, we dont check anything, all you got to do is walk up and ask us for one and well give it to you, Komek said. Well also give you an extra one to take home for somebody that is stuck at home and cant move around as much maybe because theyre quarantining or other health reasons.

The first Twin Crab opened in the summer of 2020 in South Houston, amid the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The support the community gave the first restaurant while they attempted to navigate pandemic protocols kept them afloat. In response, Twin Crab's owners did a giveaway during the 2020 Christmas holiday where they were able to distribute over a thousand bags of food, Komek said.

The Houston community managed to help us get off our feet and we were able to survive that quarantine period, Komek said. Now were kind of flourishing, this is our way of giving back.

Twin Crab

According to Komek, Twin Crab is going to attempt a similar promotion every time they open a new location.

We can spend money on advertising like billboard and stuff like that, Komek said, or wed rather use that money and give back to the community and give back to the people that helped us be in this position.
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When Alyssa Weinstein-Sears learned about the new J-Teen Advocates for Change program at the Evelyn Rubenstein Jewish Community Center, she immediately thought of her 14-year-old daughter, Eden.

The 10-week program is open to sixth, seventh and eighth graders who care deeply about social justice. And that description fit Eden, who is in the eighth grade at the Emery/Weiner School and recently completed a summer learning program at the Houston Holocaust Museum, discovering how writing and photography could promote social justice.

I think social justice is really important, Eden said. I feel like a lot of people dont realize the different parts of social justice. And its important to understand.

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The timing is perfect, she added, as she is searching for her bat mitzvah project.

Hailey Fingeret, 13, also enrolled in the course right away.

I want to do J-TAC because doing good was always something I was taught to do, and even beyond that its something I enjoy doing, Hailey said. As I went into middle school and COVID hit, opportunities like this one have been few and far between.

The J-TAC program combines Jewish learning with taking action in the community. The four-phase course will begin by focusing on activism and Judaism.

Well discuss the fundamental ideas that serve as the background for Jewish social action, said Rabbi Barry Gelman, the Js director of the Bobbi and Vic Samuels Center for Jewish Living and Learning, who is leading the program. The group then dives into several current issues, including hunger, homelessness, labor justice, the environment and LGBTQ concerns.

In the second phase, the teens connect with experts who are already engaged in social justice in Houston.

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Were going to hear about what theyre doing on the ground and about their successes and their frustrations, Gelman said. He wants the students to learn how determination and perseverance are key to making a positive impact. Patience is so important. Its a slow go.

He made an analogy to when Moses sought freedom from slavery for the Israelites.

He goes to the pharaoh over and over again, Gelman said. And thats just it. You have to go back and back, write letters and write more, have more protests. Theres no end to this type of work  or the patience one needs to do it.

For the third phase, J-TAC members will embark on a multiweek project in Fifth Ward with the nonprofit Center for Urban Transformation.

Its essential that students understand they are not acting as a savior in their work, Gelman explained.

Social action is about being an ally, being a real partner, the rabbi said. Were not coming in with our ideas.

Instead, J-TAC members will be charged with listening and responding.

We are going to learn from the community, and we will hopefully contribute to their needs, Gelman said.

Social justice and Jewish identity

The idea for J-TAC first formed long ago for Gelman, when he was still serving as rabbi at the United Orthodox Synagogues of Houston in Braeswood Place. He envisioned meetings devoted to studying the roots of the religion and the foundations of social justice.

After George Floyds murder, Gelman felt compelled to turn his thoughts into action.

Everyone has that moment, when they are moved to action. That was my tipping point, he said. It led me to do more reading, more thinking, more talking to people. I did a lot of research.

Gelman started programs at the United Orthodox Synagogues about race and Judaism. Thats when he also connected to the Center for Urban Transformation.

When I moved to the J, I thought, This is the perfect place, he said. Its the Jewish hub of the community. I basically walked in the door with this idea.

He first envisioned making the offering for high school students. But after speaking with others, middle schoolers emerged as the ideal audience for the course.

Middle schoolers do not have the same amount of access to courses on social justice, he said. Lets get the students while theyre first forming ideas about the self. Lets plant the seed  so it becomes something they stick with for life.

He began brainstorming in August, thinking of ways to build the program and which speakers to feature.

Gelman also reached out to Leah Wolfthal, deputy director at the Center for Urban Transformation.

I wasnt surprised, she said. And Im always in favor for opportunities to learn.

Wolfthal recalled how formative Jewish summer camp and studying social justice was for her at a young age. Now, she is eager to bring a similar perspective to the J-TAC, one that offers students a chance for hands-on learning.

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Theyll be seeing new things, but theres something invigorating about the tangibility of doing something, Wolfthal said. I hope that it will be addictive. It could spark a longer-term engagement with community work.

A new, unique program

Haileys mother, Michelle Fingeret, serves as chair of teen programs at the JCC. As the mother of a 16 year old and a 13 year old, Fingeret was especially excited to have a new middle school offering.

For eighth graders, there arent a lot of opportunities to sink their teeth into this type of thing, she said.

Fingeret also liked that this was not a one-off project  nor was it too overwhelming. Having a 10-week offering is a perfect investment for middle schoolers, who are often overlooked for this type of experience, even though they are well aware of social issues and have the intellectual curiosity for the endeavor.

Her child Hailey is passionate about social justice, Fingeret added.

They want to help promote a better world for people who have any sort of disadvantage, whether thats a learning disability or socioeconomic, Fingeret said.

Hailey is a critical thinker who wants to make an impact and do something meaningful. Fingeret said J-TAC is an ideal starting block.

I have faith in this, she added. This is the first cohort, and were hoping there will be more to follow.

Gelman wants students to understand that social justice work is at the heart of Judaism  and looks forward to helping them learn about this aspect of their Jewish identity. He pointed to Rabbi Dr. Irving Yitz Greenberg and his discussion of the Torah, in which Greenberg teaches that because humanity was created in Gods image, each person has infinite value.

There are no preferred humans. Every human is of equal value and unique, Gelman said.

Caring for each other, working for equity, is an intrinsic notion to Judaism, Gelman said.

We recognize our obligation to use resources and talents for the good of humanity, he added. That directly stems from the teaching of the Torah.

Judaism is a religion of liberation, redemption and hope, Gelman continued. Its the messianic hope that people arent hungry, that people arent cold. And were not supposed to sit around and wait. We can make it happen.

Lindsay Peyton is a Houston-based freelance writer.
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Cy-Fair ISD has named LauraAnn Novacinski as the inaugural principal for Elementary School No. 57 on Jan. 24. Novacinski will transition from her current position as principal of Andre Elementary, which she has held since 2015.

I am honored to serve as the first principal of our newest elementary campus and look forward to collaborating with the Bridgeland community to continue the tradition of excellence in CFISD, Novacinski said in a CFISD press release. I am eager to forge partnerships with parents, staff and students to establish a campus where students are engaged in authentic, relevant and innovative learning, but most of all, where children cant wait to return to, day after day.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston-area baseball teams ranked in statewide preseason polls

Novacinski comes to the soon to open Elementary School No. 57 with 28 years of experience in education in North Carolina and CFISD, teaching at Bane Elementary School and Ault Elementary School.

Elementary School No. 57, currently under construction in Bridgeland, will open August 2022.

-Contributed by Cy-Fair ISD

Media students named National Scholastic finalists

The Bridgeland High School yearbook and magazine staff were named finalists for both a National Scholastic Press Association Peacemaker Award and a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Crown Award, the highest national honors for high school publications.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Helping a Hero raises funds for 100 homes for veterans

After just four years, both the newspaper and yearbook staffs have achieved so much, Samantha Berry, Bridgeland journalism adviser, said in a district press release. I am so proud to say both sides of Bridgeland Student Media are Crown and Pacemaker finalists. These student journalists never gave up last year. Even when things were uncertain and chaotic, they pushed through to do some of the best reporting and work Ive seen in my career. From data digging on how COVID-19 affected the district to reporting on the election and what free speech means, these kids proved that student journalists are real journalists.

The winners of the CSPA and NSPA awards will be announced in March and April, respectively.

-Contributed by Cy-Fair ISD

Culinary students compete in Cupcake Battle

The fifth annual CFISD High School Cupcake Battle took place Jan. 21 at Berry Center, where Jersey Village High School junior Ananda Stephens and Cypress Ranch High School junior Kiersten Vincenti won first place in their divisions.

The Cupcake Battle featured more than 70 entries from CFISD high school students.

This was a really good test of their skills, Catherine Piotrowski, a Jersey Village graduate and former CFISD culinary student, said. Seeing all these amazing cupcakes here can hopefully spark more creativity and give them more interest in baking, cooking and the industry as a whole. They can see that this does have a pathway to their future and it is applicable.

-Contributed by Cy-Fair ISD

College teaching program hosting info sessions

The Lone Star College-Cy-Fair Associate of Arts in Teaching program will host February virtual information sessions on the Education Preparation Programs they offer.

Join us the week of Feb 14-17 for virtual information sessions to hear how our ATT program is the right choice for you, Shamim Arastu, Professor of Education, said in a college press release. Our university partners will also be available to share information on their respective programs and help you plan your pathway from AAT to EPP.

Attendees can learn how to become certified as a teacher in Texas and the LSC-CyFair two-year degree program.

LSC-CyFair partners with University of Houston Downtown, University of Houston Victoria, Texas Tech University, Texas State University, Prairie View A&M University, Texas Womans University, Houston Baptist University, Texas Southern University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Western Governors University, University of Houston Main and University of St. Thomas for the program.

-Contributed by Lone Star College-CyFair

College students help win 2nd place in challenge

Team Jordan Star, including students from Lone Star College and Al-Balqa Applied University in Jordan, won second place at the Global Solutions Sustainability Challenge.

The teams were put together to solve global challenges for the business sector. Team Jordan Star pitched OurLib, a solution for quality education making books more affordable and providing virtual study groups and tutoring sessions, states a college press release.

The level of success we achieved was due to the hard work of the team with students from LSC-Montgomery, LSC-Kingwood, and LSC-North Harris, as well as LSC-CyFair, Laura Taggett, LSC-CyFair professor and team co-advisor, said in the press release. Working with students from throughout our system has been a true pleasure. I am so proud of how they have represented the whole LSC System.

The students earned $1,500 for the concept solution.

One take away for me is that even a short interaction with someone can make a huge impact in their pathway, Alma Gallardo Campa, who plans on a career working with other engineers in the health care industry, said. Being able to express ones voice and feeling heard or included can be empowering to many, initiating a spark of motivation that can bring a greater change in the long run.

-Contributed by Lone Star College-CyFair

chevall.pryce@chron.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 2 1 of 2 Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 2 courtesy of the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Show More Show Less



A Conroe Independent School District high school teacher was jailed Tuesday after being accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a student.

Barbara Guess Mazock, 36, of Conroe, is being charged with indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony, according to jail records. Guess Masock is being held at the Montgomery County Jail, records there show.
New York City Catholic schools are itching to make masks optional following a Long Island judges decision to strike down a statewide mask mandate  but theyre waiting until Gov. Hochuls appeal winds its way through the courts, church officials said Tuesday.

Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker ruled Monday night that the state Health Department does not have the legal authority to enforce a mask mandate that covers public and private schools statewide. But Hochuls administration immediately appealed the decision, and the state Education Department is encouraging districts to follow the mandate while the appeal is pending.

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New York Archdiocese and Brooklyn Diocese officials, which oversee Catholic schools in the five boroughs, said theyll lift mask mandates as soon as they have the legal authority.

St. Francis Preparatory High School in Queens. (Louis Lanzano/AP)

It is the fervent hope of the Catholic schools in the archdiocese the mask mandate will be eliminated ... , New York Archdiocese Schools Superintendent Michael Deegan wrote in a message to parents Tuesday. At that time our schools will IMMEDIATELY make masks optional. Until the court renders a final decision, Catholic schools will follow the state mask mandate.

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Brooklyn Diocese spokesman John Quaglione said it, too, will make masks optional if Hochul loses in court.

In his Monday evening ruling, Rademaker declared that Hochuls Health Department does not have the power to enforce a statewide mask mandate without legislative approval, and that the rule is therefore void and unenforceable.

Breaking News As it happens Get updates on the coronavirus pandemic and other news as it happens with our free breaking news email alerts. >

State Education Department spokeswoman Emily DeSantis said the governor and state [Health Department] have filed a Notice of Appeal and are seeking confirmation that the courts order is stayed. While these legal steps occur, it is [the Education Departments] position that schools should continue to follow the mask rule.

The state was granted a stay Tuesday by Brooklyn Appellate Division Justice Robert Miller, keeping Hochuls mask mandate in place while the appeals process continues.

City Education Department officials said they have no immediate plans to alter school mask rules based on the legal fight.

Mandatory masking has been [Education Department] policy since before the state adopted its mandate, so this decision has no immediate impact on New York City schools, said department spokesman Nathaniel Styer. NYC students should continue to plan to attend school with their masks.

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In a message to principals Tuesday, First Deputy Chancellor Daniel Weisberg said as a preventative measure, if students do not follow [the Education Departments] Face Covering guidance, schools should note the familys objection and not take disciplinary action at this time.

But he sent another message shortly after that saying schools should continue to use existing guidance for dealing with students who refuse to wear masks  guidance that allows schools to send students home for egregious noncompliance with mask rules.
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Sometimes, any scrap of progress requires a hard-fought, bitterly contested battle.

Other times, it just involves picking up the phone. Such is the case with Harris Countys new partnership with Unity National Bank, one of just a handful of Black-owned financial institutions in the entire state.

Under a plan announced this month, Unity will facilitate $5 million in investments, as well as take over a small slice of the countys banking services in partnership with Cadence Bank, which is Harris Countys main depository.

This is believed to be the first such partnership between a minority-owned bank and a Texas county  and, according to everyone involved, making it happen was easier than one might think.

UNITY BANK: Texas' last black-owned bank hasn't made a profit in 3 years. But there's hope.

This was really simple. It was just a matter of reaching out and asking some of these banks, Are you interested in doing business with the county? Harris County Treasurer Dylan Osborne said Tuesday.

Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

Were basically putting our money where our mouth is, he continued.

Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a fellow Democrat, agrees.

Thats my new mantra  integrate the money! he told me.

A 2020 study commissioned by the Commissioners Court found that just 50 cents of every $100 that the county pays to private businesses each year goes to those owned by Black men and women  a symptom of longstanding racial injustice, but also one of the ways in which that ill is perpetuated.

The idea of partnering with a minority-owned bank has been percolating in Harris County for several years, Ellis said.

And Unity National Bank was a natural fit for such a partnership. The Third Ward-headquartered institution, founded as Riverside National Bank in 1963, has always had a mission to provide financial services within Houstons Black community.

Kerwin Plevka / Houston Chronicle

The bank was built by the community  thought leaders, professionals, pastors who saw it was a great need, says Sherifat Lawal Price, Unitys assistant vice president of lending.

The banks leaders still have that sense of mission, she continued: We want to give people of color the opportunity that everyone else has.

The partnership may help raise awareness about unequal access to banking, a longstanding issue in Harris County. Roughly 10 percent of households in the Houston metro area were unbanked  without access to a checking or savings account  in 2019, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Thats nearly double the national rate.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Harris County hires new budget director, county engineer, flood control district head

This burden falls particularly on Black and Latino households in the Houston area, which have unbanked rates of roughly 15 percent and 20 percent, respectively. And it is a real burden, according to advocates. Being unbanked limits ones opportunities, in addition to exposing one to various expenses and forms of predation, legal or otherwise.

If you dont have access to a bank, it really relegates you to, essentially, second-class citizenship, Ellis said. Its a big challenge to not have access to money. If you want to start a business, that access to capital is the difference between day and night.

Its very expensive, right? Its expensive to be poor, Osborne said. If you cant afford to go to the dentist for a cleaning today, youre going to pay for a root canal next year. In the meantime, he noted, one may well end up getting hit with various fees, from check-cashing places and the like, which add up quickly.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia recalled, When I became a policeman, we had a high number of home invasions within the Hispanic community, and then it happened in the Asian community, and the No. 1 reason was, those families kept their cash at home.

For some of those families, he continued, the issue was that many banks insisted on traditional forms of identification for clients looking to open a checking account  rather than, for example, a matricula consular issued by the Mexican government. Even after such policies began to change, Garcia observed, many communities remained underserved by big players in the banking industry.

Its kind of painful to think that for those who have stepped forward and brought their matricula to the banking industry and opened accounts  and helped to fatten the portfolio of those banks  the banking industry has still not entirely reciprocated, he observed.

More from Erica Grieder: Partisan redistricting? Harris County maps show both parties play that game

The countys new partnership with Unity wont in itself improve banking access in the region, but supporters hope that it will send a meaningful message about inclusion  and one that may, perhaps, do something to help allay mistrust of the banking industry among communities of color.

And perhaps the most striking part of the partnership is that it represents a step forward, as the county attempts to improve opportunities for minority-owned businesses, at no real cost to anybody: Harris County needs banking services, which is what Unity provides.

If I can just say it bluntly, I think its leadership, said Garcia, a Democrat. Sometimes we tend to accept the norm because its said to us so often. This should be an incredible epiphany for everybody involved  that we have that capacity; we just need to make sure to create more opportunities.

Osborne concurs.

I would like to make it sound like I did something groundbreaking and innovative  but we just had the audacity to call and ask, Hey, are you interested in working with us? he explained. It took very little effort to just expand that opportunity to somebody who normally doesnt get a seat at the table.

erica.grieder@chron.com
A Galveston man who used a flag-draped coffin to smuggle two men has pleaded guilty to a federal charge.

Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, pleaded guilty Tuesday in a Corpus Christi courtroom to one count of alien smuggling.

U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Blood on Oct. 26, during an immigration checkpoint near Falfurrias, about 65 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, court documents state.

TWIST IN CASE: Father of man charged with stabbing HPD K-9 found dead in Memorial-area home

Blood told agents he was hauling a dead Navy individual in a van modified to transport caskets, authorities said. One of the agents, who had prior military service, noticed the coffin was in poor condition and the flag resting on it was held down using packaging tape, the document continued.

After a secondary inspection of the van, agents found two Mexican men crammed inside of the casket. They said Blood had picked them up in a parking lot after they had crossed the river into the United States and told them to get inside the casket before he began driving north toward San Antonio, according to the criminal complaint. The men also told authorities they paid $2,000 to cross the river and planned to work off an additional $4,000 debt to smugglers when they arrived to San Antonio.

Blood is scheduled to appear for sentencing on May 11 and faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
A 34-year-old man is charged with murder in the killing of his mother-in-law, after he allegedly set his Harris County home on fire to hide it, according to authorities.

Authorities have arrested Xavier Jawin Howard, who is accused in the strangulation death of his 53-year-old mother-in-law Tammy Mouton, according to tweets from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
Authorities in Mexico on Wednesday apprehended a man wanted in the slaying of a Precinct 5 constable's deputy  three days after the deadly shooting unfolded during a traffic stop, according to federal officials.

Oscar Rosales, wanted on a capital murder of a police charge, was captured in the border town of Ciudad Acuna  south of Del Rio in southwest Texas, U.S. Marshal's spokesman Cameron Welsh said. The federal agency, along with the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders Task Force, tracked him down.

"We had reason to believe that he had just gotten into the country," Welsh continued. "Mexican authorities intercepted him across the border."

Police said they believe the 51-year-old on Sunday killed Cpl. Charles Galloway during a traffic stop. The wanted man allegedly fired at Galloway's vehicle with a semi-automatic rifle, striking him repeatedly through the vehicle's windshield. He spent the next three days on the run.

Rosales' wife and brother-in-law have also been charged in connection to the case. Police surveilled the siblings cleaning out the vehicle that Rosales used in the fatal shooting, according to court documents.

Val Verde County Sheriff Joe Frank Martinez told reporters that Rosales was brought stateside around noon and magistrated at their jail facility. He was expected later to be returned to Harris County by plane, Martinez said.

The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable's Office tweeted Wednesday evening that authorities are now escorting him to jail following Rosales arrival at Hooks Airport.

Martinez was unsure about Rosales citizenship. Police this week earlier said Oscar Rosales may be the defendants real name.

Precinct 5 officials lauded Rosales' arrest as "great news" in a tweet.

"Thank you to HPD and all the law enforcement agencies who worked around the clock to get Oscar Rosales in custody. All of us at Precinct 5 are relieved to know that he will be brought to justice," officials said.

The Houston Police Department handled the investigation into Galloway's death.

In a tweet, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo thanked authorities  local, federal and those in Mexico  for the capture.

This has been a tough week, and my hope is for swift justice for all involved, Hidalgo said. Over the weekend, another law enforcement official in Harris County died.

Off-duty Harris County Sheriffs Office sergeant Ramon Gutierrez was hit by a car and killed Saturday while blocking traffic for an oversized vehicle. The driver, Lavilla Spry, has been charged with intoxication manslaughter in connection to the deadly wreck in which authorities believe she hit Gutierrez and kept driving.

The collision dragged Gutierrez about 150 feet down the road, according to a search warrant asking for cell phone data. Another deputy followed Spry with sirens and emergency lights on until she stopped  about a mile later. She told investigators that she had been drinking all night at her residence prior to driving for food, court records continued.

Over the past decade, one Precinct 5 deputy  Galloway  and four sheriffs deputies have been killed, according to Officer Down Memorial Page records.

Police announced a multi-agency news conference on Rosales arrest for Wednesday evening before postponing it to Thursday.

Online court records show Rosales has been denied bond.

nicole.hensley@chron.com

Leah Brennan contributed to this story.
An unborn child has died after a woman was injured Sunday when the ATV she was on collided with a horse during an apparent impromptu birthday trail ride in Fifth Ward, police and city officials said.

The woman was a passenger on a three-wheeled all-terrain vehicle that backed into the horse at the 4700 block of Providence Street near Finnigan Park around 4:50 p.m., causing the animal to back into another ATV behind it, police said.

Both drivers of the vehicles, the pregnant woman and a passenger who was riding in the second ATV, fell off and were injured during the incident.

The drivers and the passenger from the second ATV were transported by the Houston Fire Department to a local hospital, police said.

FATAL SHOOTING: Man shot after attempted robbery of woman he met online

Authorities stated patrol officers, at the time of the incident, were not aware the first ATV had been carrying a passenger.

Further investigation into the crash, police said, showed the woman who fell off the first ATV was 28-weeks pregnant.

Her unborn baby died on Monday due to the injuries sustained in the incident, police said Wednesday.

Stella Pereira, event coordinator for the Mayor's Office of Special Events, which handles parade permits, said the procession began initially as a birthday party at the park. She said nearby Fifth Ward residents contacted city authorities to report issues of traffic being disrupted, safety issues and trash at Finnigan park.

While trail rides are not given permits, riders are told to obey traffic laws, Pereira added. The city will be will be looking into who organized the gathering, the office said.

Joel.Umanzor@chron.com
In the face of teacher shortages due to the omicron surge, Aldine ISD has approved a plan to cancel classes for the next three Fridays. The decision has riled up some working parents who will have to find child care on short notice.

Aldine ISD teachers who are experiencing rising workloads as COVID cases increase will still report to work and use the next three Fridays as staff planning days, Superintendent LaTonya Goffney said in a message to parents on Jan. 24. The school board approved the plan by amending the academic calendar to make Jan. 28, Feb. 4 and Feb. 11 Student Holidays/Staff Planning Days. The days will not be made up, Goffney said.

Currently, Aldine ISD is reporting 53 active COVID cases among staff members, which represents .056 percent of the total group. The district also reports 177 active student cases, according to its COVID dashboard.

EDUCATION: SAT's digital shift cuts an hour, allows students to test on their tablet

"Our teachers and staff have met challenges head-on, experiencing increased workloads, teacher shortages due to COVID, and more," Goffney said. "During these challenging times, we want to ensure that our teachers have the necessary time to be fully prepared so they can provide our students with the best learning experience possible."

However, the issue is not limited to Aldine ISD -- schools across the nation are having trouble staying open for in-person learning five days per week.

At least 4,437 schools did not offer in-person learning on at least one or more days during the week beginning Jan. 17, according to Burbio's School Tracker data. This follows 7,164 active school disruptions to week beginning Jan. 10 and 5,542 the previous week, according to the data. The schools are struggling with staffing issues due to COVID cases, retiring teachers, high turnover and a substitute shortage, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Still, some parents were not thrilled with the decision.

"Now working parents will have to find child care for Fridays? Jobs aren't going to let parents start taking every Friday off and most daycares won't just let you pay for (one) day a week," Martha Villareal said in a comment on the Facebook page of the Houston Chronicle's news partner, ABC13.

Educators had a different perspective.

"You can tell most you have never taught a day in your life," Leticia Beck said in a Facebook comment. "I worked in Aldine and have friends that still work there. They definitely need those extra planning days. Those arent free days off. We work the entire time prepping for the week ahead, catching up on grades and planning lessons and activities. These extra days allow teachers not to have to take work home and have time for their families."

chris.shelton@chron.com
City council voted Wednesday, 13 to 4, to fund the transformation of a city-owned building in Fifth Ward into a place where people moved out of an encampment can live, along with pets and loved ones, while they await their permanent housing.

The facility, known as a navigation center, is key to plan of the city, Harris County, and their partners to reduce the number of people living in the streets. But the location had caused an outcry those in Fifth Ward who felt that they were again becoming the powerless recipient of a facility with benefits for the greater community, but risks for local residents  like the Union Pacific rail yard and industrial sites that polluted the area.

During the pandemic, Houston, Harris County and partnering organizations have made it a priority to pick up the pace at which they move Houstons homeless out of the streets and into housing. Homeless camps, both in the citys core and in its outlying areas, are being decommissioned  the groups term for offering the residents of a camp permanent housing, then clearing the site, usually with fencing, to prevent the camp from reforming.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Planned Houston center to help decommission homeless camps meets opposition in Fifth Ward

While the city has contracted with a hotel in northwest Houston to turn it into a temporary navigation center as the effort ramped up, Wednesdays vote will turn the site at 2903 Jensen Drive, in Fifth Ward west of U.S. 59, into a longer term solution.

The city will transition from its high-cost lease with the hotel to using a property it already owns  a move that would lower the monthly costs but incur a hefty upfront investment to renovate the space. In September, City Council authorized up to $700,000 in Coronavirus Relief Funds to lease the hotel being used as a Navigation Center. With Wednesdays vote, the city will now lease 2903 Jensen Drive  a space formerly used for a charter school that shuttered partway through the 2017/2018 academic year  to the Coalition for the Homeless for a nominal fee.

The larger cost associated with the center is the renovation needed to turn a former school into a space where people can live and receive training, medical care and other services.

In order to repurpose the 27,200-square-foot building, City Council is directing $4.2 million in federal grant money meant to serve the homeless and City of Houston insurance claim proceeds from damage to the building caused by vandals in 2019 toward the project. Roughly $2 million from the United Arab Emirates which had granted $6.5 million to help with Houston-area Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts through homelessness relief, community revitalization  will also go toward the project.

The new center will accommodate up to 100 people and provide them with transportation, three meals a day, one-on-one case management, job training, laundry, health care and more. Residents can only be referred by the homeless agencies and first responders working with the city and countys homelessness reduction plan, and the center will not serve walkups.

The center, which will have around-the-clock security, will also offer resources to the community. Plans include giving neighbors access to services from the healthcare system Harris Health, the mental health provider Harris Center and the addiction recovery nonprofit Houston Recovery Center. In the future, City Council also plans to vote on developing a new community park next to the center.

In San Francisco, which pioneered the strategy of navigation centers in 2015, an analysis conducted by a master of public policy candidate at the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, found that navigation centers have no negative effect on neighborhood crime or property values.

rebecca.schuetz@chron.com;

twitter.com/raschuetz
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Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan this week promised sweeping improvements in Texas, including aggressive industry inspections, enhanced air quality monitoring and more effective regulation of ethylene oxide, a chemical that can cause cancer.

Regan also said in a news conference Tuesday evening the agency has finished reviewing Union Pacifics plan to clean up the contaminated rail yard in Greater Fifth Ward and intends to send feedback to Texas regulators who will oversee the proposed work.

The announcement followed Regans Journey to Justice tour in November, when the top EPA official made his way from Jackson, Miss., to Houston to draw attention to environmental harm that disproportionately impacts communities of color. It was the first trip like that he had taken, and he told reporters he was making policy changes as a result of what he heard and saw at sites.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston residents ask EPA Administrator Michael Regan to fight for them

From the outset, President Joe Biden challenged every federal agency to address racial equity, Regan said. The EPA briefing this week was intended to show the agency had heard communities concerns  about issues such as unsafe water, lead exposure and toxic air  and was taking action as a direct response. Some of the findings made in Houston will have national resonance.

This is just the beginning of EPAs efforts to flip the script in terms of the unjust conditions underserved communities face, Regan said.

Among the new initiatives Regan outlined, the agency will ramp up unannounced inspections of facilities that it expects are non-compliant. Officials will also do what they can to hold facilities accountable if they are found to have violated environmental mandates. As Regan put it: Were going to keep these facilities on their toes.

The agency will begin trying out new approaches to air monitoring in the spring, including inspections by plane, by car and in person to follow up on leads. The EPA will also seek better methods to detect emissions of ethylene oxide, a carcinogenic chemical used in manufacturing and to sterilize hospital equipment.

In Texas, EPA officials are rejecting what Regan characterized as the Texas Commission on Environmental Qualitys less protective view  compared to federal regulators  about the level of ethylene oxide exposure that is considered safe.

The EPA is also weighing in with TCEQ about conditions at the Union Pacific site around Kashmere Gardens and Fifth Ward, where decades ago workers used creosote to treat rail ties. Creosote, which is considered a probable carcinogen, seeped into water and soil at the rail yard and is still present on site. The company has said residents in the area surrounding the rail yard are not currently in harms way. But residents balked at this conclusion and pushed for faster and more comprehensive interventions.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Turner says buyouts may be solution for residents near Fifth Ward creosote site

The agency is also partnering with Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, or T.e.j.a.s., to improve communication about environmental risks in languages other than English.

TCEQ said in a statement that it already had a set regulatory framework for addressing the issues raised by the EPA. The agency further explained it would respond in the appropriate time as part of the normal agency processes, following sound science and the law.

Breathing and smelling reality

During his November tour, Regan spent 24 hours in Houston meeting with community members, academics and advocates. He chatted with students at Texas Southern University, visited with homeowners on a porch in Fifth Ward and walked close enough to observe the proximity of industrial facilities to a Baytown park.

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said in a statement that Regans plan would change lives in Greater Fifth Ward through long-awaited action.

We are desperate for relief, the Democratic congresswoman said. Mayor Sylvester Turner similarly thanked Regan in a statement for moving quickly and for learning the names and faces of those affected.

The Rev. James Caldwell, founder and director of Coalition of Community Organizations, or COCO, thanked Regan during the news conference for breathing and smelling the sites that Houston organizers like him have been concerned about for decades. It was encouraging finally to see something done about it, he said.

I am glad that the administration  and the administrator  sees the ability to connect the dots when we talk about environmental issues here, whether its air, water or ground, Caldwell said. And has a willingness to actually bring about a change and to address those issues and those concerns.

emily.foxhall@chron.com
Julia Wall / Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein is seeking hundreds of billions of dollars in a lawsuit filed against a Texas company which claims it helped scammers place robocalls inundating phones.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that Texas-based telecommunications business Articul8 helped facilitate scam calls across the country, the lawsuit says. That includes tens of millions of calls to North Carolinians, even though the company either knew or shouldve known that it was helping criminals try to defraud people, according to the lawsuit.
Harris County Commissioners Court should stay the course on the historic misdemeanor bail reforms it agreed to two years ago last July. Those changes have all but eliminated the use of cash bail in keeping defendants in nonviolent misdemeanor cases out of the crowded county jail while they await trial.

The new system, adopted after years of costly litigation over a lawsuit brought on behalf of indigent inmates in 2016, is both fairer and a more efficient management of the countys criminal justice resources. People charged with minor crimes, who pose no threat of flight or harm to the community, simply should not be required to sit in jail for weeks, months or even years before they receive a trial simply because they cannot afford to post even small bonds. Nor should such defendants be pressured into early guilty pleas in order to return to their jobs or families.

And yet thats exactly what was happening in Harris County prior to the commissioners historic 3-2 vote on July 31, 2019 agreeing to the bail reforms. Similar concerns have been raised across the country, including in Dallas County, where a nearly identical federal case took a surprise turn recently.

That Dallas case, decided in favor of bail reform, had already been affirmed by a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals when justices on that circuit decided to rehear it en banc, a rare step that means all 17 justices of the circuit sit together to hear a case anew. Their decision, released Jan. 7, overturned the Dallas decision and voided key procedural elements of the Houston case, too. Sixteen of the judges participated in the case and nine agreed to its major holding.

That new ruling has led some long-time opponents of Harris Countys bail to press the county to withdraw from the consent decree that settled the Harris County litigation in December, 2019. Thats when Chief U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal accepted the compromise fashioned between the plaintiffs and defendants, which included Harris County district judges and Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. At the time, some members of the law enforcement community opposed the deal, as did Commissioner Jack Cagle, a former Harris County civil court judge.

But in issuing her ruling - known as a consent decree - Rosenthal acknowledged that critics had raised legitimate points. "The court does not question the amici and objectors' good faith," she wrote. "The public safety and public resource concerns they raise are important.  The proposed consent decree and settlement agreement are approved because these concerns are fully recognized and addressed.

The recent ruling by the Fifth Circuit declared that the district judges who had been such a key part of the plaintiffs lawsuit were immune from the lawsuit all along. Their decisions on bail, the appellate court ruled, constitute action taken on behalf of the state, not the county, and as such are immune from suit, even under Sec. 1983 civil rights litigation.

That means, had the case not been settled, the judges who had initially fought the litigation would have prevailed. Cagle has asked Commissioners Court to seize on that new ruling and petition Rosenthal for permission to dissolve the consent decree. He also wants the county to stop spending the tens of millions of dollars it is expected to spend over the next several years to adopt the reforms.

His fellow commissioners should say no on both counts. For one thing, the case was settled not because the county had to settle - its appeals had not been exhausted - but because its elected officials decided it was the right thing to do.

Voters in November 2018 tossed out every Republican judge on the district bench, civil and criminal, and elected a Democratic majority on the Commissioners Court. These new officials had campaigned in support of bail reform, and once elected made haste in reaching a settlement.

Voters should be proud that they made that change, and the officials they put in office did the right thing in addressing Harris Countys over-reliance on cash bail. Whether or not Rosenthal was correct in letting the case proceed, she was on solid ground in declaring the underlying system of poverty jailing unconstitutional.
The body of slain NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora, a hero in life and death, was driven to a Manhattan funeral home Wednesday as hundreds of his colleagues gathered in silent tribute.

A squad of cops on motorcycles led the way uptown, with a line of Moras fellow NYPD officers standing and saluting their fallen comrade as his body arrived at the Riverdale Funeral Home in Inwood.

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Family members climbed into a van at their East Harlem home to be there when his body arrived from the city medical examiners office at Bellevue Hospital, with the streets eerily quiet save for the sound of a helicopter above as the motorcade drove past.

Hundreds of NYPD officers line up outside the Medical Examiner Office in Manhattan Wednesday awaiting the transfer of the body of hero Officer Wilbert Mora. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)

The slain officers family wept and hugged one another as his flag-draped casket was brought out of an NYPD ambulance on a cold January afternoon. Mayor Adams and Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell joined the cops mourning the losses of Mora and fellow Officer Jason Rivera.

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The two city officials spent about 10 minutes speaking with family members, with relatives of Rivera arriving later in the afternoon at the funeral home where his remains were also taken.

A members of the 32nd Pct. is overcome with emotion as the body of NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora arrives at the Riverdale Funeral Home in Inwood. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

The murders of Officers Jason Rivera & Wilbert Mora leave us with broken hearts, flags at half-staff, and black bands on our shields, the new commissioner tweeted later. They were great officers doing an important job  work their fellow Finest continue in their honor. Pray for them. Support them. And never forget.

Hundreds of NYPD officers line up outside the Medical Examiner Office in Manhattan Wednesday awaiting the transfer of the body of hero Officer Wilbert Mora. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)

The 27-year-old Mora, a four-year NYPD veteran, will be honored next week in St. Patricks Cathedral at a Tuesday wake and a Wednesday funeral. Rivera, 22, was fatally shot along with Mora as they responded to a domestic dispute between a Harlem mother and her adult son  who gunned down both law enforcers before he was fatally shot by a third officer.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Rivera died later that night while Mora passed away Tuesday after doctors removed his kidneys, heart, pancreas and liver for lifesaving transplants, with five recipients identified and the organs delivered later in the day.

Three of the patients were New York State residents, officials said, and the Mora family made the decision to donate the organs, said Leonard Achan, president and CEO of LiveOnNY  the organization that oversees and facilitates organ donation in New York.

The body of NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora arrives at the Riverdale Funeral Home in Inwood on Wednesday. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

Friends of Mora left a heartfelt message to the slain officer on the wall at his building, expressing the deep loss they felt after his killing.

You are an angel of God now and you will be always be loved and missed, read the handwritten note. We will hold a special place in our heart for you.

The two officers were walking down a 30-foot hallway toward a bedroom where Lashawn McNeil took refuge after his mom dialed 911 for help last Friday. The son came out blasting with a Glock 45 handgun.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 86 Hundreds of thousands of Police Officers from all over the country attend the funeral services for NYPD detective Wilbert Mora, posthumously promoted at his funeral on Wednesday at St. Patricks Cathedral. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)

McNeil, 47, died three days later from gunshot wounds suffered after he ambushed the two officers and was shot by a rookie cop.

The married Riveras wake is set for Thursday at St. Patricks, with his funeral to follow there Friday.
Regarding Balanced news, (Jan. 23): I agree with the assessment by letter writer Juan Campo that most mainstream journalism has a Democratic or liberal bias. This assessment, while common, is misleadingly incomplete. Political coverage by mainstream sources like the Chronicle, New York Times and Washington Post also has a credibility bias in that they generally adhere to journalism ethics and standards. Among other things, this means they dont knowingly present false information.

When people complain about mainstream media, I suspect theyre not referring to dry, wire-service reporting. Theyre referring to opinion pieces, which in fairness are more interesting. But ultimately, those opinions must be backed by fact.

With so many options, its easy enough to call anything that contradicts what you want to believe fake news. Those looking for Republican-leaning news should consider that the Republican Party has built its current national platform around the lie of a stolen election  a position refuted by all evidence to date. It stands to reason that Republican-leaning media may have a suspect relationship with truth, independence and accountability.

Even though my media skews further left than I do, Ill stick with mainstream for credible news. If I want fiction, Ill read Stephen King.

Robert Campbell, Katy

I totally agree with Juan Campos letter to the editors. I could not have said it better except to add the Associated Press to the list of biased contributors you use.

Larry Roland, Fulshear

Regarding Tomlinson: Billionaires' good intentions for Texas journalism come with high risks, (Jan. 21); To me the obvious answer to this question rather than denigrate the idea, would be for the Chronicle to present more balanced news and opinion. One to two guest conservative opinion columns a week is not balanced in my opinion. The Chronicle needs to find more conservative pieces and present them side-by-side with progressive pieces. In the news arena, which is supposed to be free of opinion, I suggest that the Chronicle examine more closely the stories it gathers and the headlines it uses to pique the readers interest for those stories. If you do this, I think you may come to the same conclusion as I have that even the presentation of straight news needs some additional attention. The bonus is that the paper will likely appeal more to a broader audience thereby enhancing subscriptions.

Dick Patyrak, Missouri City

In Tomlinsons article, Ann Stern, CEO of the Houston Endowment, explains the reason behind this Local News Initiative is that so much news goes unreported. This, nowhere more evident than in Houston Symphonys Other Job by Chris Gray, which was published in the same edition where Tomlinsons post appeared. It features a program that introduces school-age children to the joy of music. Although this is a wonderful program, and the symphony deserves all the kudos it gets, the article never mentions that many smaller nonprofit groups have developed similar programs  efforts that help with students development of their social and learning skills and are particularly vital in schools where no arts programs exist. Perhaps we will have to wait for this new venture to give everyone equal news coverage. At present, our healthy daily newspaper is not providing it. Ann Stern is right!

Lorenzo Martinez, Board Chair, Apollo Chamber Players

Dying

Regarding Medical aid in dying is for preventing a hideous death, not for truncating an unhappy life, (Jan. 23): I want to thank George Will for both his articles on the topic of MAID. While I am usually on the opposite side of Mr. Will's political views, I am always on the side of his writing which, as in his two essays, is articulate and thoughtful. It truly is shameful that we accord better end-of-life care to our pets than we do to ourselves. Bravo to Mr. Will for raising and so aptly presenting this issue.

Susan M. Waldau, Houston

Farewell yellow brick road

Regarding Elton John bids farewell at Toyota Center  until the next time, (Jan. 23): Thank you, Andrew Dansby, for such an insightful and entertaining review of Elton Johns current Farewell tour. Not only did he review the performance, he also put it in context with Elton Johns career as well as what was going on in the music world of the 1960s and 1970s. I loved such trimmings are a sure way to a life sentence in Vegas. Im not a concert-going person, but I felt as if I heard it all.

Margaret Hansen, Houston
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Mary Nan Huffman, an attorney for the Houston Police Officers Union, has won a special election to become the next District G representative on City Council, according to the unofficial returns.

With all voting centers reporting Tuesday night, Huffman finished with 54 percent of the vote, enough to clear the threshold to win without a runoff.

Community organizer and volunteer Piper Madland came in second with 30 percent, followed by attorney Duke Millard with 12 percent, retired Houston Fire Department assistant chief Roy Reyes, Jr. with 4 percent, and Houshang Hank Taghizadeh with 0 percent.

The election in west Houston was triggered to replace Councilmember Greg Travis, who resigned his post late last year to run for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives. Travis will remain at City Hall until his successor is sworn in.

On HoustonChronicle.com: Here's who is running in the District G special election

District G includes much of the area between Interstate-10 and Westheimer Road in west Houston, including River Oaks, Uptown, the Briarforest area and other neighborhoods. Its one of the citys wealthiest and more conservative sectors.

City races are nonpartisan, but Huffman, Millard and Reyes campaigned as conservatives, with Madland the lone progressive. Taghizadeh did not respond to Chronicle inquiries and did not appear to be actively campaigning.

Off-cycle elections typically feature meager turnout, and that was true in this race.

Roughly 8,300 people cast ballots in the election, a turnout of about 6 percent. That is down from 29,500 votes and a 23 percent turnout in the 2019 general election. The district has more than 137,000 eligible voters.

Huffman, 38, was fresh off a campaign for Harris County district attorney and had the most institutional and financial backing in the race. She won endorsements from several of the councils incumbent conservatives, along with groups like the Greater Houston Builders Association, the Houston Apartment Association, the C-Club and the police union that she works for.

The lawyer also was able to raise $50,000 for her campaign, double her nearest opponent, according to campaign finance reports. Madland had raised about $26,000.

Madland, who campaigned as a progressive in a district that typically deploys conservatives to City Hall, was hoping to pull off an upset.

Most of the candidates honed in on flooding and public safety as they campaigned for the seat. Huffman, who has said she intends to keep her job with the police union, said the city needs to cut spending and potentially eliminate other city departments to boost police funding and staffing.

Madland, meanwhile, called for expanding the departments mental health response teams, which she said would free up patrol officers to look for and respond to crimes.

dylan.mcguinness@chron.com
Since President Joe Biden first issued an executive order in September requiring federal workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, some have expressed outrage at what they wrongly assumed was an exemption given to elected officials.

"Why are elected officials exempt?" read the caption on a Jan. 22 Facebook post that showed a meme depicting White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki standing in the White House press briefing room. "Does President Bidens mandate include Congress?" read words on the image. Then, below Psaki, a caption explained the supposed answer: "No, members of Congress are exempt from the vaccine mandate." Underneath, Morgan Freeman looked off to the side in apparent puzzlement: "This sh-- right here is why people know the vaccine mandate is a hoax."

This post was flagged as part of Facebooks efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)

Biden instituted his mandate on Sept. 9, 2021, as the delta variant was raging through the U.S. He ordered that healthcare workers, executive branch workers and contractors who do business with the federal government be vaccinated.

He also ordered private businesses with more than 100 employees to require vaccination or weekly tests for their workers. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that part of the mandate on Jan. 13, saying that Biden overstepped his authority by targeting private businesses. But the court did allow the mandate on health care workers to continue. The mandate for federal contractors is on hold after being blocked by a federal court in December, and a federal judge in Texas on Jan. 21 blocked Bidens mandate that federal workers be vaccinated. Neither case has been heard by the Supreme Court.

While the question of whether Bidens vaccine mandate for federal workers and contractors can be enforced is for the courts to ultimately decide, the question of why members of Congress are exempt is a simple one: Biden doesnt have the authority to impose a vaccine mandate on them.

"Another way to think about it is that members of Congress work directly for the people, not for President Biden," said David Super, a professor of law and economics at Georgetown Law. "He therefore has no power to give them orders. The same is true of federal judges."

The U.S. government is divided into three separate, but equal branches of power: the executive, the legislative and judicial branches. Congress makes up the legislative branch, which passes the laws that the executive branch must then enforce.

As the name implies, Bidens executive order only applies to workers in the executive branch of government. It states that "each agency shall implement, to the extent consistent with applicable law, a program to require COVID-19 vaccination for all of its federal employees, with exceptions only as required by law." It also defines an agency as an "executive agency" under title 5 of the U.S. code, which reads "for the purpose of this title, "executive agency" means an executive department, a government corporation, and an independent establishment.

Members of Congress and their staff are not subject.

Our ruling

A Facebook post says that Biden gave an exemption to his COVID-19 vaccine mandate to members of Congress.

That is not true. Congress belongs to the legislative branch of government, and therefore was never subject to the presidents executive order, which applies only to the executive branch. Biden did not have the authority to mandate vaccines for members of Congress.

We rate this claim False.
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An outspoken Rikers Island inmate on hunger strike was transferred to a unit filled with gang members who severely beat him after a correction officer labeled him a snitch, the head of a city public defenders organization wrote in a scathing letter Wednesday to new jails Commissioner Louis Molina.

Ervin Bowins, who helped lead the hunger strike beginning Jan. 7 in the Robert N. Davoren Center, faced a campaign of retaliation along with other inmates who joined the protest, Stan German, executive director of New York County Defenders Services, wrote.

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Barbed wire fence outside inmate housing on New York's Rikers Island correctional facility. (Bebeto Matthews/AP)

The strike was in response to poor conditions and lack of basic services in the jails.

The Daily News broke a story on the food strike on Jan. 11, quoting Bowins by name. Two days later, according to Germans letter, the Davoren Center wardens security detail removed Bowins from the jail.

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He was told he was too influential, said Chris Boyle, an attorney with Defenders Services who spoke with Bowins.

He was moved Jan. 13 into the George R. Vierno Center, where he was held in fetid, crowded intake cell, Boyle said. Then Bowins was dumped into a gang dormitory, German wrote in the letter.

As Bowins entered the dorm, a correction officer yelled, Heres your snitch back! Boyle said.

Roughly 10 to 15 detainees then allegedly jumped Bowins, beating him.

He has a black eye, the whites of his eyes are bloodied and he has a deep scratch in the middle of his forehead, Boyle said.

Stan German, Executive Director, New York State Defenders Association. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

The day after the beating, Boyle tried in vain to see Bowins. First, he was told Bowins was in a COVID unit and could not be produced. Then, jail officials said his unit was being searched. When Boyle demanded to speak to a supervisor, he says he was told none were available.

This was yet another lie, German wrote. [Boyle] was met with a systematic effort to block access to our client.

Bowins was transferred once again to the Vernon C. Bain Center, a jail barge anchored in the East River in the Hunts Point section of the Bronx. He was allegedly placed in protective custody against his wishes. Thats where Boyle says he finally got to meet his client.

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German wrote the frequent transfers were part of a notorious form of Department of Correction punishment known as around the world or the world tour.

Bowins, 37, is being held on assault charges from an April 13 incident in Manhattan.

Bowins was not the only inmate who faced alleged retaliation for the hunger strike. Other inmates who spoke to Public Advocate Jumaane Williams during his tour of Davoren Center on Jan. 13 had their cells aggressively searched afterward by correction officers, German wrote. One officer confiscated commissary food and underwear from a detainee who they said had too many undergarments, according to Germans letter.

Correction officials previously told The News the hunger strike ended shortly after it was first covered by the press.

Benny Boscio, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, said its ironic that after eight years of influence during Mayor Bill de Blasios administration, public defender groups now say the unions are being coddled.

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Their misinformation campaign about the realities at Rikers Island is in fact the problem. They exploited a group of inmates who lied about being on a hunger strike, when in fact they were eating from the commissary every day, Boscio said in a statement. We will continue to expose their hypocrisy and we strongly object to any notion that we have caused the problems facing Rikers Island.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

German was so outraged by his clients treatment he wrote he will not attend a meeting Thursday with Molina and other leaders of public defender groups.

I will not attend because of the inexcusable step backwards in addressing the humanitarian crisis on Rikers Island since January 1st, 2022, German wrote. It is readily apparent to all observers that the NYC Department of Correction under the new administration in City Hall is determined to coddle the very unions that have been one of the biggest contributors to the crisis on Rikers.

Rikers Island (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

German also cited Molinas firing of Sarena Townsend, the deputy commissioner for investigations and trials. Townsend previously told The News she was axed after balking at Molinas request she do away with 2,000 disciplinary cases in his first 100 days in office.

German said the only solution for Rikers is for the federal government to take over, citing decades of mismanagement, the obstacles posed by COBA and other unions, and the most recent cases of retaliation.

NYCDS will not allow our voice to be exploited by DOC so you can boast about how you are working with defenders to make Rikers Island a safe place, German wrote.

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Molina said in a statement he was disappointed German wouldnt be joining the meeting.

I look forward to meeting with other public defender groups tomorrow and discussing how we can fix the longstanding challenges facing Rikers and ensure their clients and those in our care have access to justice, Molina said.
The United States warned Russia Tuesday that it would face faster and far more severe economic consequences if it invades Ukraine than it did when Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

"We are prepared to implement sanctions with massive consequences that were not considered in 2014," a national security official told reporters in Washington. "That means the gradualism of the past is out. And this time, we'll start at the top of the escalation ladder and stay there."

Later, President Joe Biden told reporters he could see himself personally imposing economic sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if he invades Ukraine.

The security official, speaking anonymously, said the U.S. is "also prepared to impose novel export controls" to hobble the Russian economy. "You can think of these export controls as trade restrictions in the service of broader U.S. national security interests," the official said.

"We use them to prohibit the export of products from Russia," the official said. "And given the reason they work is if you  step back and look at the global dominance of U.S.-origin software technology, the export control options we're considering alongside our allies and partners would hit Putin's strategic ambitions to industrialize his economy quite hard, and it would impair areas that are of importance to him, whether it's in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, or defense or aerospace or other key sectors."

The U.S. and its allies imposed less severe economic sanctions against Moscow after its Crimean takeover, but they ultimately proved ineffective, and the peninsula remains under Russian control.
If looks could really kill, a Bronx shooting victim would be dead  twice.

Ruben Perez, 35, was wounded by gunfire back in October and again on Tuesday after staring down a pair of armed men in two separate incidents, with the latest bullets flying inside a Bronx hospital emergency room, police said Wednesday.

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Keber Martinez, 25, was arrested after allegedly blasting Perez at Jacobi Medical Center in a replay of the earlier shooting, cops said. Police sources said Perez shot a nasty glare at the shooter and ran his mouth before Martinez opened fire as panicked bystanders  including a woman carrying a child  quickly scattered after the 12:30 p.m. incident.

Martinez was busted three hours later in Manhattan after his sister called 911 to report he was armed and acting erratically, with police taking him into custody after his sibling managed to take away the suspects gun, police said.

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Perez was shot after arriving at the hospital with complaints of pain from the previous incident where he also stared down his shooter on Oct. 14, police sources said.

The prior shooting followed a clash between Perez and a stranger on Beach Ave. and the Cross Bronx Expressway in Parkchester, police sources said. Once again, the sources said, Perez shot a dirty look and made a remark before the bullets flew.

Perez was walking down Beach Ave. when he passed two people arguing, with one of them screaming What the f--- are you looking at? and shooting him in the leg, cops said. No arrests have been made in that shooting, cops said.

Hospital staffers said Perez was demanding service and acting like an a--hole Tuesday before his staredown with Martinez, the sources said.

A Bronx hospital became a battleground when a man was shot Tuesday near the emergency room waiting area of Jacobi Medical Center. (Obtained by Daily News)

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Martinezs mother had taken him to the hospital, telling doctors he was emotionally troubled and having difficulty breathing.

Surveillance video of the incident acquired by the Daily News shows Perez standing on one side of the ER reception area. Martinez was a few feet away at a desk complaining that Perez was glaring at him before pulling a gun and firing off four shots, the video shows.

Perez, shot in the left forearm, was expected to recover. He remained in the hospital Wednesday, said a relative, who declined to comment on the shooting.

The scene of shooting in the Jacobi Medical Center Tuesday. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

Martinez ran off, leaving his mother behind, police sources said. He was charged with attempted murder, reckless endangerment and weapon possession; his Bronx Criminal Court arraignment was pending Wednesday.

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Police said Martinez has an extensive criminal history with 15 arrests, mostly for robbery and assault. His most recent bust was on May 1, 2020, when he was nabbed for weapons possession, police sources said.

The scene of shooting in the Jacobi Medical Center Tuesday. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

This was a cowardly act in a space where New Yorkers come for healing and care, an NYC Health & Hospitals spokesman said in a statement.

Our health care heroes swiftly took care of the shooting victim and took actions to protect the other patients in the waiting room, the statement added. Our immediate focus is on caring for the patient and ensuring the safety of our staff.
Mayor Rejects Mohawk Theater Bid, Makes Plans for New RFP

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  The controversial Mohawk Theater sale is off the table.

Mayor Jennifer Macksey on Tuesday night stated her intention to withdraw from the current bid and seek more input before releasing a new request for proposal.

"After reviewing the RFP process, I feel that it's in the best interest of this time to reject the current proposal that was presented back in December," she told the City Council, later adding, "if anyone has any questions, I would be happy to talk a little bit more but I'm sure none of you are surprised with those comments."

The mayor said during an interview on Monday that her decision to reject the proposal was based on two things: the bidder didnt have enough time to put forth an adequate plan and that the city still owes $52,000 on a $600,000 loan on the property. On Tuesday she repeated her concern about the loan to the committee.

The city has invested $2,656,435 in public grants into the theater project with $889,000 used for various studies and engineering, including a Massachusetts Cultural Council grant of $30,000 to look into connecting it to the Dowlin Block.

Another $600,000 in borrowing approved by the City Council in 2009 was used as a "bridge" loan during stabilization work at that time with the supposition that historic tax credits would somehow pay that off. About $52,000 is left on that loan, with a total of $53,560 with the interest, and should be paid off next year, according to information last month.

The future of the 84-year-old Main Street structure has been in doubt for more than 35 years now. The movie house has been vacant since about 1991 and the interior completely gutted nearly two years ago.

The prior administration had been in negotiation with developer Veselko Buntic of New York , who had proposed to purchase the building and make it into an events venue for a hotel hes planning in the adjacent Dowlin Block.

But outrage at the plan, the sale of a significant downtown icon in the waning days of a departing administration, and a City Council that balked at being cut out of the decision making process, seemed to inevitably lead to a dead deal.

Macksey had asked the council days before her swearing in to hold off on approving a sale to give the incoming administration time to review the bid. The City Council had voted to postpone deliberation on the bid until its second meeting in January, after Macksey became mayor.

The mayor said she had met with Buntic and told him she would like to see his properties and the plans he has. And she also informed his bid would be rejected.

"He was a little discouraged. But we had a great conversation and I'm hopeful that he will submit when the new process the new RFP comes out," she said.

The mayor told the council that she wants a more inclusive and transparent process, holding focus groups next month to inform the RFP, allowing potential bidders more time in the building to consider their plans, and creating a review committee with broader representation.

"I'd like to have a couple focus groups before we craft the RFP to talk to the community as well as business people about what we think that property can be," she said. "And use that information to craft an RFP with some set expectations of what how we want it developed, keeping in mind that we all have to realize that we can't go backwards and that it may never be the Mohawk heater as we knew it."

Once the RFP is issued, she's looking at a 45 to 60 day turnaround and allow access for people to take a good look at the theater.

"Hopefully by June we can be having a well-educated discussion and invite people to make public presentations and go from there," she said.

"But this is an important part of the fabric of North Adams. And it's much different than selling a piece of land somewhere. I think it's something that we really need to take some time with. And we also need to allow the respondents an adequate amount of time to respond."

But she cautioned "that we all have to realize that we can't go backwards and that it may never be the Mohawk Theater as we knew it."
When asked how he will balance running the business in Adams and running for U.S. Senate, Kerry Raheb said the store is his primary focus.

Vt. Senate Candidate Says He's All in For Adams Pot Dispensary

ADAM, Mass.  Only 15 residents attended Tuesday's community outreach meeting for a proposed dispensary on Columbia Street.

Kerry Raheb, the owner of Indica LLC and a former investment banker, presented for the Board of Selectmen in December, when he highlighted his plans to support local artists and donate to various town institutions. The location of the proposed dispensary will be at the former site of Woodstock South at 127 Columbia St.

Several residents asked Raheb about his candidacy for the U.S. Senate in Vermont and his background as a stockbroker. Raheb is running as an independent in Vermont, hoping to take the seat of the retiring Patrick Leahy, who announced last year that he would not be seeking re-election.

Since beginning his Senate campaign, Raheb has retweeted commenters critical of pandemic precautions, including a tweet in which he claimed the vaccine is spreading the virus.

Raheb said his venture in Adams is entirely separate and unrelated to his campaign in Vermont. He disputed what he argued were false claims from multiple publications about himself, his previous dealings (including numerous complaints and judgements) and his Senate campaign.

"I wouldn't be opening up a marijuana business and also running for U.S. Senate in the state of Vermont if I had anything to hide," he said. "I have nothing to hide; everything that they put is false about me."

When asked how he will balance running the business in Adams and running for office, Raheb said the store is his primary focus. He said he does not see himself having any problems getting distracted by doing both things at once.

"As far as running for Senate, the store is my business; you're tying two things in. My focus is the store. My future is the store," he said. "I'm already registered in the state of Maine. I'm going to have three stores in Maine, three in Massachusetts, and I'm going to do another three in Vermont. So this is my business. The Senate just happened. I moved to Vermont and [Patrick] Leahy retired. So I put my name and my hat in the ring, and I plan on winning."

Selectmen Christine Hoyt and Howard Rosenberg were in attendance for the meeting. Hoyt said the questions from residents about Raheb's Senate campaign and background are understandable.

"We're a small community, and we tend to know our neighbors; we tend to know our business owners," she said. "We just like to know who we're dealing business with. And I think that's where a lot of the questions are coming from this evening, is just trying to get to know you."

Residents also questioned Raheb about his lack of experience running a business in the cannabis industry. Raheb said he knows the business well and pointed to his background in finance as a reason he will be able to succeed.

"I know every bit of the product. All the product is from the state of Massachusetts, it's all regulated," he said. "All the product comes in from the state, it's all put into my inventory from the state. Literally, it's like selling socks and pens and pencils. It doesn't matter what the product is."

When asked why he chose Adams to open his business in, Raheb said he felt a strong connection to Adams and the community. He also highlighted its proximity to his residence in Vermont (reportedly in Shelburne, more than three hours away) and cultural similarities between the two areas.

"In the two meetings I've had, I felt embraced, I felt welcome and I really, truly, honestly feel blessed to be here," he said. "So I love this town. I mean, I've been to some others and you know, it just wasn't the same feeling."

Community Development Director Eammon Coughlin told residents in attendance that there are still several steps before Indica LLC has official permit approval to run in Adams. Additionally, Raheb will have to obtain a license from the state Cannabis Control Commission.

"The next step is formal permitting," he said. "So site plan approval through the Planning Board, special permits through the Planning Board, and as well as the host community agreement that needs to be signed by the select board. So those three things would form the basis for permitting the business through the town."
Bromley Offers 'Mom's Day Off' Fundraiser With Bennington Cancer Center

Rebecca Hewson-Steller, Jenny Coutu, Mary Weinfurt and Naomi Bolognani and Dr. Matthew Vernon are ready to hit the slopes.

BENNINGTON, Vt. Staff from Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center in Bennington  registered nurses Rebecca Hewson-Steller, Jenny Coutu, Mary Weinfurt and Naomi Bolognani and Dr. Matthew Vernon are inviting members of the public to enjoy a day of skiing and riding on Friday, Feb. 4.

That's the day that Bromley Mountain Ski Resort will hold its annual "Mom's Day Off" fundraiser to benefit women's breast cancer care at the center. The Cancer Center is part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Southwestern Vermont Health Care.
Berkshire Communities Receive Firefighter Equipment Grants

STOW In Berkshire County, 17 communities were awarded Firefighter Safety Equipment Grants to be used to purchase equipment.

This program enables fire departments to purchase a variety of equipment that will make firefighters' jobs safer. This is the second year that funding has been awarded for this purpose as part of a $25 million bond bill filed by the Baker-Polito Administration to support firefighter safety and health in the coming years.

"Our communities and families depend on firefighters in difficult and dangerous moments," said Governor Charlie Baker. "This program is an opportunity to show our deep appreciation for their work by ensuring they have the tools they need to stay safe and healthy."

The Baker-Polito Administration awarded $5 million in grant funding to 306 Massachusetts fire departments from the FY22 Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program.

Berkshire County Recipients:

The Adams Fire District: $15,399.24

Cheshire: $4,212.18

Clarksburg: $10,483.60

Florida: $10,500.00

Great Barrington: $15,498.00

Lee: $15,500.00

Lenox: $7,005.94

Monterey: $10,500.00

New Ashford: $10,500.00

North Adams: $19,000.00

New Marlborough: $10,500.00

Otis: $10,500.00

Peru: $10,182.00

Pittsfield: $20,075.40

Richmond: $10,290.00

Sheffield: $5,492.44

West Stockbridge: $6,071.00

Fire departments in Massachusetts were able to apply to this program for 118 different types of eligible equipment, including personal protective clothing, gear washers and dryers, thermal imaging cameras, assorted hand tools and extrication equipment, communications resources, hazardous gas meters, fitness equipment, and more. In many cases, the purchase of this equipment will help departments attain compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration or National Fire Protection Association safety standards.

"The toll that occupational cancer has taken on the fire service is unfortunately immense," said Secretary of Public Safety and Security Terrence Reidy. "We often see and hear about heroic rescues in the face of obvious and overwhelming danger, but the risks firefighters face go well beyond those events. I am thrilled that we can provide so many fire departments with this funding for equipment that will reduce firefighters' long-term exposure to the cancer-causing materials they encounter every day at work."
Mayor Tyer Elected President of Mass Mayors Association

Mayor Linda Tyer addresses the City Council at her second inauguration address in 2020.

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  Mayor Linda Tyer was unanimously elected president of the Massachusetts Mayors Association during the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Municipal Association held virtually on Jan. 21.

"I am deeply honored to be chosen for this position by my peers and I look forward to continuing my work with them and with the MMA in this new leadership position," Tyer said. "As any mayor or local official can attest to, our communities are facing common challenges and are united on an agenda for growth and advancement."

Tyer was elected by her mayoral colleagues to lead the association, which meets regularly throughout the year so mayors of the state can discuss and strategize on issues facing cities and towns, including local aid, transportation, education, housing, economic development, and job creation. She will serve a one-year term.

The association is a member group of the MMA, the statewide nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization for cities and towns. By virtue of her election, the mayor will continue to serve as a member of the MMA Board of Directors.

"Mayor Tyer is widely recognized as a remarkable leader in her community and across the commonwealth," said MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. "The mayors of our state have asked her to be their leader in advancing the needs of our cities and towns, and we are very pleased that she has accepted this key post."

Tyer said no city or town can "go it alone" and it is important to work together on critical issues.

"The conversations will center this year on winning powerful investments in local aid, transportation, housing, infrastructure, and education to grow our economy, create jobs and build a strong recovery," she said. "We are committed to working with Gov. Baker and the Legislature to forge a partnership between the state and our cities and towns, so we can create a vibrant future for every community throughout Massachusetts."

As a member of the MMA Board of Directors, Tyer will also serve on the statewide Local Government Advisory Commission (LGAC), which meets throughout the year with top state leaders to discuss issues facing cities and towns.

"Mayor Tyer's knowledge and skill will be of enormous value to all of the cities and towns of Massachusetts," Beckwith said. "She is a forceful and effective advocate on behalf of local officials and taxpayers in all communities, as mayors and local leaders promote a robust partnership with the state in our common work to make Massachusetts stronger and more prosperous. We are deeply grateful that Mayor Tyer has stepped forward to assume this essential leadership role."


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Using glass shards from a broken window as weapons, a group of teens held three staff members against their will at a Bronx juvenile detention center this week, law enforcement sources told the Daily News.

The disturbance in Hall G of the Horizon Juvenile Center on Brook Ave. near Westchester Ave. in Mott Haven erupted Monday evening when several teen detainees got angry and tension built because lunch had arrived late that day, law enforcement sources said.

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A look at the outside of Horizon Juvenile Center, located in the South Bronx. (Gregg Vigliotti for New York Daily News)

The teens threatened three staffers  a 24-year-old man, a 30-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman  and prevented them from leaving the area, police said. One of the teens snapped off the antenna from a radio while waving a sharp object, said cops.

Police officers responded and gained access to the facility about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday.

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Eight teens were arrested  a 16-year-old, five 17-year-olds and two 18-year-olds. They face multiple charges, including riot, menacing, assault, illegal weapons possession and unlawful imprisonment.

A rep for Teamsters Local 237, which represents Horizon staffers, said the incident began about 9:30 p.m. After breaking the window, the teens used broken glass and broom handles to hold the staffers hostage and snatched their radios and their keys, the rep said.

A renovated classroom at the Horizon Juvenile Center. (Gregg Vigliotti for New York Daily News)

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Just three Administration for Childrens Services police officers and one sergeant were on site for 74 teens in the center, the union representative said. NYPD officers were prevented from entering the facility for several hours, said the union official.

However, an Administration for Childrens Services spokesperson contradicted the unions account, saying one lieutenant, two sergeants and four officers were on duty at the time. The spokesperson also said NYPD officers arrived at 12:28 a.m., and ACS let them in.

The staff at Horizon has been on 12-hour tours for some time, and tensions are a constant thread in the facility, which is under a federal monitor.

When they dont let the cops in, it looks bad, said a former Horizon staffer. When police come in, it means they lost control of the situation.

There are numerous questions here that include the deputy commissioner superseding the authority of the ACS Police on duty requesting the assistance of NYPD, said the Teamsters official. There needs to be in immediate state and federal investigation into the actions of ACS supervision.

Administration for Childrens Services spokeswoman Marisa Kaufman said only an incident took place and did not provide any details.

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The safety of the youth in our care and our staff is of the highest importance to us at ACS, Kaufman said in a statement.
An Illinois state trooper allegedly shot and killed his wife then turned the gun on himself, according to the medical examiners office.

Antonio Alvarez, 30, and wife Amanda Calo, 31, died in a murder-suicide, the Cook County Medical Examiner said Tuesday.

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The couple was found dead in their car in Chicago around 1:30 p.m. Monday with gunshot wounds to the head.

Alvarez, a three-year veteran of the Illinois State Police, was off-duty at the time, according to police.

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Amanda Calo (Instagram)

Calo was a pre-K teacher at Matthew Gallistel Language Academy.

The pair were separated at the time, family members told ABC 7.

If you knew Amanda, you knew she was an absolute joy to be around, reads a GoFundMe. Her smile was infectious and her unmistakable laugh radiated in every room she walked into. She was loved by many and adored by classmates, friends and coworkers alike.

Calo leaves behind two children ages 1 and 4.
A Minnesota man is accused of killing his roommates ferrets including the big one, whom he said, was laughing at him.

Levi Arneberg used a BB gun to shoot Maurice Guskis four pets, according to the Smoking Gun, citing a probably cause document in which police said they found four dead ferrets in an alley last week.

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A witness reportedly encountered the Duluth man in that alleyway and told police the 27-year-old suspect allegedly confessed A ferret smiled at him, so he shot it ten times.

The ferrets were similar to these. (Shutterstock/Shutterstock)

When questioned by police, Arneberg reportedly admitted he snuffed-out the animals because they smell like s--t and complained the big one was hard to kill.

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I swear, the thing was laughing and breathing, laughing and breathing and I kept shooting it in the f---ing head, he allegedly confessed.

Guski, 57, told police that he and Arneberg had an argument over property in their shared living space the night before hits pets went missing. According to the ferrets owners, Arneberg brandished a knife and said It would be bad if one of them were hurt.

When cops entered the home last Tuesday afternoon, they reported finding blood droplet on walls and stairs. They also discovered blood in the room where the ferrets had lived.

Arneberg is charged with four misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty and could face up to a year in jail on each one.
The start of the year has always been exciting for Galaxy fans all over the world. In 2021, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S21 Series 5G, designed to be epic in every way with its revolutionary contour-cut camera design, powerful performance, and intelligent battery to outlast the day. This year, Samsung welcomed 2022 with the Galaxy S21 FE 5G packed with fan-favorite features of the loved series.

To make the year more epic, the tech brand teases the upcoming Unpacked event revealing that a new Galaxy device is set to break the rules and start the next chapter in smartphone history.

At Unpacked in February 2022, well introduce you to the most noteworthy S series device weve ever created. The next generation of Galaxy S is here, bringing together the greatest experiences of our Samsung Galaxy into one ultimate device, shared TM Roh, President and Head of MX Business.

With it, you will own the night  taking the best and brightest photos and videos youve ever captured with a phone. You will also dominate the day with power, speed and tools that cant be found elsewhere. You will enjoy cutting edge-innovations made possible thanks to the smartest Galaxy experience yet. All while feeling good about being part of the most sustainable Galaxy ecosystem. And, yes, you will help Samsung rewrite the future of smartphones once again, he added.

Join Samsung as they go live to unveil the latest Galaxy innovation via the #SamsungUnpacked on February 9, 2022, Wednesday, 11:00 PM Manila Time on Samsung.com, Samsungs official Facebook or YouTube account.

An exclusive offer awaits to those who pre-register at samsung.com/ph/unpacked.
Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community!

Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region.
PM Midi Inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of hydropower projects worth over Rs11,000cr. Some of the hydropower projects are Luhri Stage 1 Hydro Power Project and Dhaulasidh Hydro Power Project. Governor Himachal Pradesh, Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur, Union Minister, Anurag Singh Thakur were among those present on the occasion.The Prime Minister said that ease of living of the people of the country is one of the foremost priorities and electricity plays a huge role in this. Hydro-power projects launched reflect Indias commitment to eco-friendly development.The Prime Minister reiterated the changed working style of the new India. He talked about the speed with which India is meeting its environment related goals.The Prime Minister mentioned that In 2016, India had set a target to meet 40 percent of its installed electricity capacity from non-fossil energy sources by 2030. Today every Indian will be proud that India has achieved this goal in November this year itself.The Prime Minister continued the whole world is praising India, for how our country is accelerating development while saving the environment. From solar power to hydro power, from wind power to green hydrogen, the country is working continuously to make full use of every resource of renewable energy, the Prime Minister informed.Background of the Luhri Stage- I HEP (210 MW) and Dhaulasidh HEP (66 MW) projects:Luhri Stage- I HEP (210 MW)Capacity: 210 MWRiver : SatlujLocation: Near Nirath Village, Distt. Shimla and Kullu (HP).Total Project Cost: Rs 1810.56 CroreTariff: Rs 4.06/kWhDam-toe-power house with dam height 80 m.Surface Power house with four units (2x80 MW=160 MW + 2x25 MW=50 MW).Electricity Generation:758 MUPeaking Capacity - 3:40 hoursStatus:Investment approval: 20.11.2020Award of Civil & HM Works: 24.11.2020Award of E&M Works: 17.06.2021Scheduled Commissioning: January 2026.Realignment of NH-05 is in progress.Diversion Tunnel, Dam, Power House excavation & Tail Race Channel works are under progress.Expenditure incurred: Rs 553 Crore (30.55% of total cost) as on 21.12.21.Benefits to the State:Employment generation: 20 lakh mandaysFree power value: Rs 1047 Crore during initial project life of 40 years.100 units of electricity per month for 10 years to each Project Affected Families.Development of roads, bridges, healthcare and other local infrastructure.Benefits to the Nation:Addition of 758 MU of renewable energy to the grid.Important role in balancing the grid over intermittent nature of Solar & Wind power.Reduction in CO2 emissions by 6.1 lakh tons annually.Dhaulasidh HEP (66 MW)Capacity : 66 MWRiver : BeasLocation: Dhaulasidh, Distt. Hamirpur (HP)Total Project Cost: Rs 687.97 CroreTariff: Rs 4.46/kWhSalient Features:Dam-toe-power house with dam height 70 m.Surface Power house with two units of 33 MW each.Electricity Generation:304 MUPeaking Capacity  4:30 hoursStatus:Investment Approval: 01.10.2020Award of Civil & HM Works: 06.05.2021Scheduled Commissioning: Nov 2025.Works of Diversion Tunnel, Dam and Power House are in progress.Expenditure incurred: Rs. 195 Crore (28.34 % of total cost) as on 21.12.21.Benefits to the State:
In his first major appearance since assuming the chair, Taliban's acting prime minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund asked the global community especially Islamic countries to grant legitimacy to Afghanistan's new government, insisting it has met all conditions required for the official recognition.

Since the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban, no country has officially recognised their rule. During their previous rule from 1996 to 2001, only three countries Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and UAE had recognised their rule. Now as the country suffers from an extreme financial crisis mounted with a humanitarian crisis, international recognition is extremely important for the Taliban.

AFP

International recognition is extremely important for a country to exist properly in the political atmosphere of todays world. No recognition leads to no or less diplomatic relations which can lead to problematic trade, communication and exchanges.



Despite this, many countries exist today which are not recognised by the majority of the world's countries. They are either totally not recognised or recognised as a part of some other country.

Here is a list of few such countries:

Northern Cyprus

AFP

It is an independent state in the northeast of Cyprus which declared independence from Cyprus in 1983. while the UN recognises it as a part of Cyprus, it is only recognised by Turkey.



Cyprus island had been under British control since 1878. The island had a majority of Christians mainly Greek Cypriots and a minority Muslims mainly Turk Cypriots. Following the British exit, tensions existed between two communities, since Greek Cypriots wanted to accede to Greece while Turks wanted partition of the island. In an attempt to merge Cyprus with Greece, Greek Cypriot nationalists and parts of the Greek military junta tried a coup on July 15, 1974.

This action sparked the Turkish invasion of Cyprus on July 20, which resulted in the conquest of the present-day area of Northern Cyprus and the displacement of nearly 150,000 Greek and Turkish Cypriots. In 1983, a unilateral declaration proclaimed a separate Turkish Cypriot state in the north.

The Republic of Cyprus is de facto divided into two parts: the area under the Republic's effective control, which covers about 59 percent of the island's area and is located in the south and west, and the north, which is administered by the self-declared Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and covers about 36 percent of the island's area. The UN buffer zone covers about 4% of the island's total surface area. The international world regards the northern portion of the island as Republic of Cyprus territory that has been occupied by Turkish forces.

Northern Cyprus is dependent on Turkey for defence, Finance, International Relations. Northern Cyprus has been granted observer status by OIC and ECO.

Taiwan

Unsplash

Officially known as the Republic of China, it is a small island state in the northeast of China. The state is recognised by 13 UN states, while it maintains unofficial relations with almost 50 countries including the US. While China considers it a part of the country, it wants to be recognised as an independent state.



The Republic of China, founded in 1912 and based primarily in Taiwan since 1949, enjoyed majority recognition as China's sole government until the late 1950s and early 1960s, when a majority of UN member states began to shift recognition to the People's Republic of China. The ROC was the sole representation of China at the United Nations until 1971, when it was agreed to provide this recognition to the PRC instead. Since then it is not recognised by either the UN nor by the majority of nations.

Kosovo

Unsplash

It is a small country in Southeast Europe. Kosovo unilaterally declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, while Serbia Claims it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Okay



As of 2020, 97 out of 193 UN member nations, 22 out of 27 European Union member states, 26 out of 30 NATO member states , and 31 out of 57 Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states had recognised Kosovo. It is a member of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. It is not recognised by China, Russia, India among other nations and also not by the UN.

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic

World atlas

Western Sahara, also known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, is a partially recognised de facto sovereign state in western Africa that claims the non-self-governing region of Western Sahara but only controls the easternmost one-fifth of it. Western Sahara was known as Spanish Sahara, a Spanish colony, from 1884 to 1975. Around the time of the exit of Spain, Morocco invaded the region.



The Polisario Front announced Western Sahara's independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic in 1976. (SADR). The SADR is primarily an Algerian government in exile that claims the full region of Western Sahara but only controls a small portion of it, the rest of the region is under Morocco. 41 UN member states have ratified the SADR. Morocco claims Western Sahara including the area controlled by the SADR as part of its sovereign territory.

The Republic of Abkhazia

AFP

It is a partially recognised state in the South Caucasus, located on the Black Sea's eastern coast. Most countries regard the region as part of Georgia, which views it as an autonomous republic. Abkhazia declared its independence in 1999. Only Russia, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Nauru, and Syria have all recognised the country. Despite the fact that Georgia does not have sovereignty over Abkhazia, the Georgian government and the majority of UN member states consider Abkhazia to be a legal part of Georgia, with Georgia maintaining an official government-in-exile.



For more on explainers, news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


President Ram Nath Kovind approved awards of 384 Gallantry and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of 73rd Republic Day celebrations.

These include 12 Shaurya Chakras, three Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 81 Sena Medals (Gallantry), two Vayu Sena Medals (Gallantry), 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, four Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, 53 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and 13 Yudh Seva Medal.

AFP

The list also includes 40 Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), eight Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 14 Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), three Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal, 74 Vishisht Seva Medal, 16 Navy, and 32 Air Force.

Nine died in the line of duty

Out of the 12 Shaurya Chakras this year, nine will be posthumous to personnel who died in the line of duty.

Naib Subedar Sreejith M of the 17 Madras regiment was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for killing a terrorist in an operation in July 2021 in Jammu & Kashmir while carrying out search operations.

BCCL

Havildar Anil Kumar Tomar of the Rajput Regiment was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for killing two terrorists while leading a Combat Action Team in Jammu and Kashmir in December 2020.

ADGPI

Havildar Kashiray Bammanalli of the Corps of Engineers was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for killing a terrorist in an operation around an orchard in the Pulwama district of Jammu & Kashmir. The havildar had also saved the lives of his team members during the operation.

BCCL

Havildar Pinku Kumar of the Jat Regiment was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for killing a terrorist while blocking their escape route during an operation. He had seriously injured another terrorist before laying down his life.

ADGPI

Sepoy Maruprolu Jaswanth Kumar Reddy was awarded the Shaurya Chakra (posthumously) for killing a terrorist in a face-to-face gunfight in Jammu and Kashmir. He also saved the life of his team commander during the operation.

BCCL

While he crawled forward to engage other terrorists, he saw his team commander severely injured due to the terrorists' fire, the Army stated.

Reddy immediately lobbed grenades to pin down the terrorists and swiftly crawled towards his team commander to pull him to cover, the note mentioned.

"In doing so, he came under heavy and effective fire of terrorists and sustained grievous injuries but disregarding his personal safety continued to engage the terrorists and pulled his team commander under cover, before succumbing to his injuries," it noted.

Country above all

Rifleman Rakesh Sharma of 5 Assam Rifles was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for killing two insurgents in an operation in Assam in July 2021.

ANI

He spotted two insurgents fleeing the ambush in cover of dense foliage, the Army mentioned.

"He immediately pursued through woods under covering fire of his buddy and closed in to cut off escape route," it noted.

Sharma shot dead one fleeing insurgent but being out of cover he drew heavy fire from the second insurgent, it stated.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
Kans, the wicked king of Mathura, had imprisoned his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudeva because oracles foresaw that their child would be his killer.

Every time Devaki delivered a child, he smashed its head on the floor. Kans killed six of his sister's children. When the seventh child was conceived, the gods intervened.

They summoned the goddess Yogamaya and had her transfer the fetus from the womb of Devaki to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's other wife who lived with her sister Yashoda across the river Yamuna, in the village of cowherds at Gokul.

Thus the child conceived in one womb was incubated in and delivered through another womb.

Most Hindus are staunch religious people and believe every word of ancient mythology and epics. So, Devaki transferred her womb, but when Priyanka Chopra decided to do it, the moral police swung into action.

Priyanka Chopra recently announced that she and her husband Nick Jonas have welcomed a baby via surrogacy. But the Indian society couldn't digest it.

The 39-year-old faced disgusting comments that ranged from accusing her of using another persons body in a bid to save her own from the pressures of pregnancy to questioning the kind of mother she is gonna be.

The couple issued a joint statement saying, We respectfully ask for privacy during this special time as we focus on our family.

But despite their request, Indians were quick to start a shaming debate.

Instagram

Is this how she wants to keep her figure intact, said one comment. Another person said women will not make good mothers if they dont have their babies naturally.

Rich people pay poor people to have kids for them so their bodies dont get wrecked, one Twitter user wrote, remarking on Chopra and Nicks surrogacy child. Surrogacy for vanity purposes. Its exploitative & unethical, tweeted another.

But who said surrogate babies make women less of a mother? Why must only natural birth define motherhood? Why do mothers judge each other? What about rights on our bodies? These are some questions that people must reflect on because even being a biological mother does not guarantee great parenting skills.

People got uncomfortable seeing a mother breastfeed

In yet another episode of Indians getting triggered because of something as natural as eating or breathing, people couldn't wrap their heads around a picture of Evelyn Sharma breastfeeding her baby.

Women's breasts are undoubtedly the most sexualised organs. Being trolled for posting a picture of breastfeeding your baby is an unfortunate experience.

The 35-year-old posted it with the caption, When you thought you finally established routine and she starts #clusterfeeding (emoji)!

Some people just woke up and decided to bully her for posting the picture. One user wrote, "Why to post it with your baby, if it was your husband or boyfriend then you would have at least gotten likes and comments.

Instagram

This, unfortunately, proves a point in how most men look at women's bodies and objectify them.

Public breastfeeding in India is still frowned upon. And there are all kinds of opinions, ranging from a mother 'flaunting' her work to questions like why do they need to show it.

However, Evelyn was not having any of it. To all these trolls, Sharma replied, Such images show vulnerability and strength at the same time. I find it beautiful. Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and healthy things to do. And it is why women have breasts in the first place. So why be shy about it?

To bra or not to bra?

While most women have chosen to go braless -- thanks to nearly two years of not having to step out for work -- many people, including women, flip out when they see a woman not wearing breast covering pads.

It all turns into a huge gossip sesh.

Instagram

All people who wear bras would say that removing them is among the best feelings in the world. However, when Malaika Arora stepped out wearing only a sweatshirt and track pants, it resulted in tasteless and borderline disgusting reporting.

People couldn't help but troll her for choosing comfort overlooking "proper" -- because how dare a woman not wear a bra?

One user wrote, "Double Mask, Without A Single Bra.

Surely not wearing a bra is not going to give anyone a deadly infection.

It's 2022, and women are still being targeted for choosing what to wear, who to marry, how to embrace motherhood, to breastfeed their child and the list goes on.

Surely, people can borrow a leaf out of women's books who dare to be themselves and choose freely.
An ex-professor at Northwestern University was sentenced to more than five decades behind bars on Tuesday, months after he was found guilty in the murder of his boyfriend.

Wyndham Lathem received a 53-year sentence in connection with the July 2017 death of hairdresser Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, who prosecutors say suffered more than 70 stab wounds.

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Lathem and another man, Andrew Warren, were arrested in 2017 after Cornell-Duranleau was found dead. Warren pleaded guilty in 2019, claiming Lathem stabbed the 26-year-old man first, before he did the same.

On Tuesday, a Cook County, Ill., judge described Cornell-Duranleaus death as an execution.

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Wyndham Lathem in 2017. (Jim Young/AP)

Lathem, who claimed during his testimony that only Warren stabbed Cornell-Duranleau, surrendered to officials in Oakland, Calif., in 2017 after fleeing Chicago.

Prosecutors accused Lathem of paying Warren to help him carrying out the attack.

[ Ex-professor, plague expert in jail for alleged sex-murder fantasy, asked for release to help with coronavirus ]

Northwestern fired Lathem, who was an associate professor of microbiology-immunology at the university in Chicago.

In 2020, Lathem was denied a request to be released from jail, where he was being held without bail, to help with the COVID-19 pandemic.

With News Wire Services
The Indian government has announced that it would be awarding Padma Bhushan to Microsoft Chairman-CEO Satya Nadella and Google-Alphabet CEO, Sundar Pichai this year, among 17 other awardees.

Reuters

Also Read: From Google To IBM: Indian Origin CEOs Who Are Running American Big Tech

The third highest civilian award in the nation is being awarded to them for their stellar service to the field of IT.



And for the contributions made by the, they both have been on, they truly deserve to be honoured.

Both, coming from humble beginnings have today taken the reigns of one of the top 5 companies across the globe.

Sundar Pichai

Pichai (full-name Pichai Sundarajan) was born in Tamilnadu, in a two-room apartment in Ashok Nagar, Chennai.



His mother, Laxmi was a stenographer by profession, whereas his father, an electrical engineer. He has received a degree in metallurgical engineering from IIT Kharagpur, and later an M.S. from USs Stanford University in materials science and engineering. He has further obtained a Masters degree in Business Administration from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

Also Read: Not Metaverse, Sundar Pichai Feels Googles Future Is Internet Search And AI

Reuters

Pichai helped develop one of the world's most popular internet browser

His career started as a materials engineer. However after a brief stint at firm McKinsey and Co. Pichai joined Google in 2004 and since then he has been instrumental in the development of Google Chrome, ChromeOS and the popular Android OS that we all love today among other products.



He also worked on making Android easily accessible for all, with the Android One initiative, making affordable Android devices when smartphones were just taking off in India. Today India is one of the largest smartphone markets in the world.

He became the CEO of the search engine giant Google in 2015 and in just four years, became the CEO of Google's parent company, Alphabet, in 2019.

Satya Nadella

Satya Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India. He completed his bachelor's in electrical engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology in Karnataka, before moving to the US to get an MS degree in computer science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Also Read: Satya Nadella Becomes Chairman Of Microsoft: Heres What This Means

He joined Microsoft in 1992 after a stint at Sun Microsystems. He has served as an executive vice president of Microsofts cloud and enterprise group.

Forbes

Pulling Microsoft out of the black hole

When he took the reins of the company from Steve Balmer in 2014, Microsoft wasn't doing so good, with several Microsoft projects like Windows Phone, Windows OS and even Xbox really suffering.

It was Satya Nadella's push towards cloud computing -- Azure -- that actually helped Microsoft reach the level it is at today, with Azure also contributing a major chunk of revenue. He also helped users switch from PC-based Microsoft Office to cloud-based Office 365 which is popular not just among home users but also enterprise users. In 2021, he was named Chairman of Microsoft.

Other Padma Bhushan awardees this year include Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and the heads of the nations two largest Covid-19 vaccine makers - Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute of India (SII) and Krishna Ella and Suchitra Ella of Bharat Biotech.

What do you think about Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella being bestowed with this national Indian honour? Let us know in the comments below, and keep reading Indiatimes.com for the latest science and technology news.
Mowilex ensures that its product offerings align with its domestic markets evolving needs to deliver exceptional customer experiences. It launched a series of antimicrobial paints (Mowilex Emulsion Satin, Emulsion Gloss, and Cendana Antibacterial) in response to the COVID-19-related surge in customer demand for germ-repellant products.
Today

Cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 78F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivers his State of the Commonwealth address before a joint session of the Virginia General Assembly in the House chambers at the Capitol on Jan. 17, 2022, in Richmond, Va.
A Texas man who told border officials he was crossing with a dead guy, Navy guy confessed to smuggling two Mexican nationals instead.

Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of alien smuggling Tuesday, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office in the Southern District of Texas.

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Blood was stopped at the border on Oct. 26 with a coffin in the back of his van, according to prosecutors. When officials checked the coffin, which was in poor condition and had an American flag affixed to it using packing tape, they found two Mexican men inside.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents and K-9 security dog keep watch at a checkpoint station, in Falfurrias, Texas. (Eric Gay/AP)

The men testified that they had paid a smuggler to get them to San Antonio, then met Blood in a parking lot after crossing the river into the U.S. He then hid the men in the coffin and drove north.

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Blood faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.

Hes due back in court for sentencing on May 11.
This photo (courtesy Tom Dickinson) shows two of the approximately 50 preservation advocates who turned up March 20, 2021, to protest the expected demolition of the Rouse estate (shown in rear) on Wilson Boulevard.
In this edition of Ask General Counsel, Ann-Marie Murzin, who leads General Counsel PC's Estate Planning Practice, discusses how to avoid celebrity estate planning mistakes. Make sure that you are not making the same mistakes as these celebrities!

Lesson #1: Do Nothing  Prince, Aretha Franklin and Princess Diana

The biggest mistake a person can make with estate planning is not having a plan at all. Without a will or trust in place, a persons assets are distributed according to state statute, regardless of what the individual would have wanted if they died, and if incapacitated, your medical treatment plan will be decided by the medical team, and your finances handled by your loved ones, but possibly only after court invention

. Each time it is in the news, it seems surprising that celebrities with such major legacies and sizable estates make this mistake. Consider Prince, Aretha Franklin and Princess Diana, who died without a plan in place. The takeaway here is that even though we are not public figures, their example proves that not having a plan is certain to create stress, cost money, and take time to resolve the resulting issues. Designing an estate plan takes about one hour in most cases. Contact us today to get started.

Lesson #2: Forget to Update Estate Plans  Heath Ledger

Planning does not end the moment an individual creates a will or trust. An estate plan should be revisited throughout a persons lifetime to make sure that the plan still does what the individual wants and make changes as necessary.

An unfortunate example of this mistake involves Heath Ledger, who died with a will that wasnt updated after the birth of his daughter. His estate went entirely to his parents and sister, and a legal battle resulted over the creation of a trust for his daughter. The lesson here is that dealing with the death of a loved one is hard enough without the added frustration and costs of battling with family over estate funds.

Its recommended that estate plans be reviewed and updated, if needed, every three years, but there are some common events that usually mean its time to update a plan, including getting married or divorced, having a child or grandchild and the death of a loved one. Its also prudent to create or review plans after buying a home or other asset, diagnosis of a medical condition, to plan for the potential care of a spouse when you no longer can do so, or any change in life circumstances.

You may also choose to update an estate plan after personal reflection that may impact your goals, what your legacy will be, and how you want to be remembered. Finally, as our laws change along with asset protection options, updating your estate plan to stay legally current is not only responsible, it will likely save you time and money while also ensuring your plan reflects your wishes and effectuates your current goals.

Lesson #3: Forget to Fund Your Trust  Michael Jackson and Paul Walker

Creating the trust document is not the final step in the estate planning process. After the trust is created, assets need to be transferred to the trust. If an individual indicates in his trust that his home should be distributed a certain way, but then fails to transfer ownership of the home to the trust, the trust will be distributed based on a will, if the deceased had a will, or by state intestacy law, if no will was created.

Michael Jackson made this blunder when he died with a will and trust but never funded his trust. Without a properly funded trust, his estate was administered through the probate process, which is public, costly and more time-consuming.

Paul Walker also did not fund his trusts completely and utilized provisions in a pour-over will to fund his trust after he died. Not only is this mistake costly and time-consuming, probating a pour-over will is public, and the deceased loses one of the benefits of a trust: to keep personal matters private. Jeffrey Epstein, despite his wealth and trusted advisors, also committed this same mistake  but that feels more like karma.

Lesson #4: Insufficient Planning -James Gandolfini, aka Tony Soprano

While having a will is better than no estate plan at all, a simple will is not the best estate plan for everyone. Trusts allow for more strategic planning, which can result in tax savings and ultimately more funds to be distributed to beneficiaries.

James Gandolfini, a Sopranos actor, is the perfect example of this. He created a simple will, which resulted in a 55% estate tax (state and federal) and significantly less funds to be passed to loved ones. That tax bill could have been greatly reduced with proper tax planning. Also conflicts about artists unpublished creative work seems to be in the news frequently from Prince to author Harper Lee regarding "Go Set A Watchman," the post-mortem sequel after "To Kill A Mockingbird."

Lesson #5: Making Oral Promises  Marlon Brando

While Marlon Brando had an estate plan in place, it didnt include oral promises he had made to his long-term housekeeper. His housekeeper claimed Brando verbally promised her his California home, but there was no mention of this in his estate plans. This resulted in two lawsuits and an eventual settlement, costing the estate money. Additionally, the long-term housekeeper did not receive the home  if Brando actually intended to leave her the residence, then his desired legacy was not completely fulfilled.

Its important to make sure that an estate plan correctly and completely sets out your wishes for your estate, and ultimately your legacy.

Lesson #6: Hiding Your Will  Florence Griffith Joyner

While estate planning documents should be kept somewhere safe, its important that someone knows where to find them upon your passing. If a will cant be found, it cant be probated and administered. Olympian Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo Jo) had a will upon her passing, but no one could find it. Without the original will, it took years to close her estate.

Its best to keep estate planning documents stored in a safe, secure location, such as a water and fireproof filing cabinet or safe. Some law firms will also agree to store your original, signed documents.

What you should do to avoid these celebrity mistakes

While the consequences for celebrity estates may be more extreme (i.e., legal troubles costing estates millions of dollars and years-long court battles), these mistakes can have significant costs (both financial and emotional) for any individual. Led by Ann-Marie Murzin, the estate planning attorneys at General Counsel, P.C. can guarantee that youll feel more confident about your future after youve made your estate plan or update your existing plan.

We would welcome the opportunity to help you navigate the estate planning process. Contact us today at intake@gcpc.com; via telephone at 703-991-7973, or schedule an appointment, and see how we can help you protect yourself and your loved ones!
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Investigators are focusing on human error as the likely reason a train struck a car at a crossing in Massachusetts late last week, killing the 68-year-old driver.

Roberta Sausville was killed Friday when her vehicle was struck in Wilmington by a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter train, authorities said. Sausville was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Less than an hour before the accident, a signal maintainer for Keolis Commuter Services  the company that runs commuter rail service for the MBTA  was performing regularly scheduled testing and preventative maintenance of the crossings safety system, T General Manager Steve Poftak said in a statement over the weekend.

The safety system was not returned to its normal operating mode, investigators determined during the initial investigation, the statement said. That failure resulted in the crossing gates not coming down in a timely manner.

No defects or other problems with the railroad crossing system have been found, Poftak said.

Poftak offered the Ts deepest sympathies to Ms. Sausvilles family and friends.

No one on the train was injured.

A Keolis spokesperson in a statement said the company is committed to working with investigators to identify and address the circumstances of this heartbreaking accident.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Massachusetts
The New York State Senate has voted to confirm Adrienne A. Harris as superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS).

Harris, a former economic advisor to President Barack Obama, was nominated by Governor Kathy Hochul in August for the job as New Yorks top financial regulator overseeing the banking and insurance industries.

Harris replaces Linda Lacewell, who stepped down in August in the wake of Governor Andrew Cuomos resignation. Lacewell had headed the DFS since 2019.

Harris began her career as an associate at Sullivan and Cromwell LLP in New York City representing a corporations in various forms of litigation and regulatory matters, before accepting a position at the U.S. Department of the Treasury under President Obama as a senior advisor on financial policy.

Following her time at the Treasury Department, Harris then joined the White House, where she was appointed as special assistant to the President for Economic Policy, as part of the National Economic Council. In this role, Harris managed the financial services portfolio, which included developing strategies for financial reform and the implementation of Dodd-Frank, while continuing to advance fintech initiatives, consumer protections, cybersecurity and housing finance reform priorities.

Since leaving the White House in January 2017, Harris has served serve as general counsel and chief business officer, and presently as advisor at States Title, Inc. (now DOMA), which provides title insurance and settlement services. She also currently serves as a professor of finance, law and policy at the University of Michigan, as well as a senior advisor at the Brunswick Group in Washington D.C. where she advises multinational corporations on mergers and acquisitions, stakeholder communications and management, future-proofing and policy intelligence.

As the first African American woman to lead DFS, I am personally committed to working with all stakeholders to build a robust, fair and sustainable financial system, creating a better economic future for all New Yorkers, Harris said in a statement following her confirmation,.

Her confirmation was welcomed by the states insurance agents.

Adrienne Harriss impressive experience as a public servant, educator, and leader in the financial services sector, combined with her thoughtful regulatory philosophy make her exceptionally well qualified to serve as the one of the most important financial regulators in the nation, commented Lisa Lounsbury, Big I NYs president and CEO.

Topics New York
A Massachusetts man seriously injured in a crash while a passenger in an Uber car is suing Uber and the driver for $63 million in damages.

The suit accuses Uber of negligence in the hiring of the driver, who the complaint says had at least 20 driving citations on his publicly available driving record and had been required by the state to take a driver re-training course.

The suit, filed in Superior Court for Suffolk County, maintains that the driver was an employee of Uber and not an independent contractor as Uber claims.

William Good, 31, on his way home from his job in a Boston restaurant, was rendered a quadriplegic by the crash last April 30 close to 1 a.m. Good suffered devastating and debilitating injuries including a severe spinal cord injury. He will remain a quadriplegic for life.

Uber knew or should have known that the defendant driver posed an unreasonable risk to riders in his vehicle, as well as other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists, given his extensive driving history and prior driver re-training, the suit claims.

The suit also claims that the driver was under Ubers direction and control and was acting within the course and scope of his employment. It notes that drivers are provided liability insurance when they are working for Uber.

Also, as a common carrier licensed in the state, Uber is subject to heightened responsibility to the public in the hiring, training and oversight of its drivers, the suit continues.

Good alleges that Uber incentivizes its drivers to engage in life-threatening driving practices on public roads in order to gain increased revenue and ratings and that the company has failed to train its drivers on safety policies and protocols.

In his description of the night of the crash, Good said the driver expressed excitement about driving to Somerville where Good lived because there was less traffic and he could fly around.' He said the drivers speed was frightening and he felt the car swerve back and forth.

According to an interview on Boston television station WCVB, Good was not wearing a seat belt.

Good is seeking $63 million in damages including $13 million for current and future medical services.

The lawsuit comes at a time when the courts and voters in Massachusetts are debating the issue of whether ride-hailing drivers are employees or independent contractors.

Last March, a Massachusetts judge denied a bid to dismiss a lawsuit by the states attorney general challenging Ubers and Lyfts classification of drivers as independent contractors instead of employees entitled to sick time and other benefits. The judge did not rule on whether drivers are misclassified but he allowed the claims against Uber and Lyft to proceed.

Meanwhile, a proposed November ballot measure would classify Uber, Lyft and other drivers for app-cased companies as closer to independent contractors rather than employees.

According to an analysis by Commonwealth Magazine, supporters of the ballot measure raised $17 million last year, with $14.4 million of that from Lyft. A labor group opposed to the ballot question has raised about $1 million.

The Massachusetts proposal follows a similar 2020 measure passed by voters in California. However, the measure was later ruled unconstitutional by a California judge.

Topics Lawsuits Massachusetts
The owners of high-end London restaurants The Wolseley and The Delaunay sued AXA Insurance UK Plc for as much as 4 million pounds ($5.4 million) over its failure to pay out on claims linked to the coronavirus lockdowns.

Lawyers for Corbin & King Ltd. said in a London court Tuesday that the insurers are bound to pay a business interruption claim that it has refused to pay.

UK Hospitality Groups Are Back in Court With Insurers Over Lockdown Losses

The British hospitality industry has been among the hardest-hit by the effects of lockdowns, forced to close for months at a time as governments tried to keep a lid on the virus.

AXA argued that its denial-of access policy  when businesses cant use their premises  didnt apply to nationwide restrictions imposed by the government but only to localized incidents.

The regulator which ordered closure of the claimants premises were part in response to the dangers caused by COVID-19, Jeffrey Gruder, Corbin & Kings lawyer, said in court on Tuesday. The idea that they can be hermetically sealed within a one-mile radius is absurd.

An unprecedented disruption to businesses caused by the pandemic has triggered disputes over insurance coverage during the pandemic. The trial is the first to come to court since the UKs Supreme Court ruled on a test case brought by the Financial Conduct Authority that sided with policy-holders.

The clause does not provide cover against the nationwide state of affairs that has prevailed throughout the country, with varying intensity, since early March 2020, AXAs lawyers said in written documents prepared for the hearing.

To date we have already paid claims totaling above 94 million pounds demonstrating that where cover is in place claims have been, and will continue to be, settled by AXA, an AXA spokesperson said, declining to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 Claims AXA XL London Restaurant
Italys biggest insurer Generali said on Tuesday Sabrina Pucci had resigned from its board for personal reasons, the third director to step down in less than two weeks.

Generalis second-largest shareholder Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone quit the board on Jan. 13, followed days later by a representative for Leonardo Del Vecchio, the groups third-biggest investor.

Generali Proposes Candidates for New Board as Battle Rages On With Leading Investors Generalis Boardroom Battle Escalates With Resignation of No. 2 Investor

Del Vecchio and Caltagirone oppose the proposed reappointment of Generali CEO Philippe Donnet in a challenge to the insurers single biggest shareholder Mediobanca, people with knowledge of the matter have said.

In quitting the board, both criticized the steps followed by the insurer to renew the board, whose mandate expires in April.

Pucci, an independent board member, in September had voted against a resolution by Generalis board to file a slate of new board nominees for shareholders to vote upon in the spring  including Donnet as CEO.

In December, however, she backed Donnets strategic plan, which was rejected instead by Caltagirone.

Following a query by Caltagirone, Italys market regulator Consob on Friday concluded a review of Generalis board nomination procedure, deeming it legitimate.

(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; editing by Valentina Za)

Topics Generali Life Assurance (Thailand) Plc.
Asset manager Allianz Global Investors, part of German insurer Allianz, said on Wednesday it had set up a new unit focused on impact investing in private markets, as part of a sustainable investing drive.

AllianzGI, which manages around 647 billion euros ($730.27 billion) in assets, will look to invest in private companies helping solve environmental or social issues in a measurable way, it said in a statement.

Interest in companies performing better on such measures has surged in recent years as more investors expect such investments to reduce risk and drive stronger returns, particularly as the world transitions to a low-carbon economy.

Impact investing, meanwhile, takes that a step further by tracking the impact of the investments on people and the planet, not just the companys returns.

The new team of 12 will be overseen by Matt Christensen, Global Head of Sustainable and Impact Investing, AllianzGI added.

Investors want to see a positive change for the planet while generating a return, and impact investing offers a solution to these twin goals, Christensen said.

AllianzGI said it was also creating a new Impact Measurement & Management team, led by Diane Mak to help select the investments and assess their impact.

The future growth trajectory of impact investing depends on asset managers demonstrating how the impact can be measured and reported, Christensen said.

The COVID-19 pandemic drew attention to deepening social inequality which brought impact investing to an inflection point, the head of Singapores Temasek Holdings said last year.

Last week, Swedish private equity firm Summa Equity said it raised $2.6 billion for Europes biggest-ever impact fund.

The Texas-based private equity firm TPG, which went public earlier this month with a more than $10 billion valuation, also has an impact investing arm, and raised a $5.4 billion for its first climate-focused impact fund.

The fund, called TPG Rise, recently led a $170 million funding round in Israeli cleantech company UBQ Materials, which turns household waste into bio-based plastic for use in industries such as construction and carmaking.

AllianzGIs announcement comes as Tibetan activists demand that the group drop its sponsorship of the Beijing Winter Olympics over allegations of human rights abuses in China.

Allianz said it had been in contact with activists and that it was committed to supporting the values of the Olympics.

($1 = 0.8860 euros) (Reporting by Simon Jessop; additional reporting by Elizabeth Howcroft Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
The Louisiana Supreme Court has disbarred a Lafayette attorney accused of failing to properly handle a clients case, then lying to investigators about it.

Brad Thomas Andrus was formally disbarred, ordered to pay investigation costs and must participate in a program to make his former client whole, the court said in a ruling released Jan. 19.

KATC-TV reports the case against Andrus centered on his handling of a case for an Acadia Parish man who filed a claim with his insurance company after a broken water pipe damaged his home.

The court found that Andrus engaged in serious attorney misconduct. He neglected his clients legal matter, charged and collected an unreasonable fee, held client funds in his trust account, failed to return his clients file upon request, and engaged in deceptive and dishonest behavior in the course of this disciplinary proceeding.

The court also found that Andrus conduct was knowing and intentional.

The court said Andrus blocked a process server by claiming he was his twin brother and asked for a delay in the case, claiming his response to the accusations was on a laptop that had been stolen from his car. Church Point police found inconsistencies in his theft story.

From the incredible tale of a vehicle burglary offered as justification for failing to timely respond to the disciplinary complaint, to his attempt to evade service of a subpoena by claiming to be his identical twin brother, and finally to submitting fabricated receipts and invoices to the ODC, respondent has violated the most fundamental duty of an officer of the court, the ruling said. The utter absence of candor respondent has demonstrated in these proceedings calls his good moral character into serious question and warrants disbarment.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Louisiana
British police arrested two people in Manchester, England, Wednesday morning as part of the investigation into the hourslong hostage-taking at a synagogue in Texas earlier this month.

Both men remain in custody for questioning, Greater Manchester Police said in a statement.

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Two men had been arrested last week, one in Manchester and one in Birmingham, but have since been released. Two unidentified teenagers were also taken into custody in Manchester and released.

Malik Faisal Akram (AP)

Greater Manchester Police provided no details, but said its counter-terrorism unit will continue to work closely with colleagues from other forces.

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Malik Akram, a 44-year-old British national, was shot and killed by FBI agents on Jan. 15 after holding four people hostage inside Congregation Beth Israel for almost 11 hours.

The FBI is investigating the incident as both terrorism and a hate crime.

[ Synagogue hostage-taker had been kicked out of Texas mosque days earlier: report ]

On a live stream from inside the synagogue, Akram called for the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani neuroscientist and suspected Al Qaeda associate serving 86 years in a Fort Worth prison for shooting at U.S. military officers while in custody in Afghanistan, referring to her as his sister. But her lawyer told the Daily News that Akram has no connection with the family whatsoever and he has also no connection to the Free Aafia movement inside the US.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 15 Police stand in front of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue on Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Colleyville, Texas. A man held hostages for more than 10 hours Saturday inside the temple. The hostages were able to escape and the hostage-taker was killed. FBI Special Agent in Charge Matt DeSarno said a team would investigate "the shooting incident." (Brandon Wade/AP)

Akrams family said he had been suffering from mental health issues.
Smyth named CFO at Summit

Summit Consulting, a workers compensation insurance manager, announced Patrick Smyth has been named chief financial officer.

Smyth has served as a financial executive with Liberty Mutual and as a managing director with PricewaterhouseCoopers. He succeeds Dave Conway at Summit, who is retiring in March.

Based in Lakeland, Florida, Summit provides workers comp coverage for employers around the Southeast. It is part of the Great American Insurance Group and manages operations for five comp insurance companies, including Bridgefield Employers Insurance, Bridgefield Casualty Insurance, BusinessFirst Insurance, RetailFirst Insurance and Retailers Casualty Insurance.

McDonald New Captive Director at SCDOI

Joe McDonald, the captive and risk finance product manager at IRMI, the International Risk Management Institute, has returned to South Carolina as head of the captive insurance division at the Department of Insurance.

McDonald had previously worked as licensing coordinator for the SCDOI captive division, department Director Ray Farmer said in a news release.

South Carolina has long been considered one of the top mature domiciles in the industry with a thriving captive marketplace, Farmer said. I know Mr. McDonald will be an asset to our team and lead the Captive industry in our state to even more success.

McDonalds new role begins Feb. 2.

Topics South Carolina
A Tennessee doctor who pleaded guilty to running a pill mill has now filed suit against his property insurance carrier for failing to pay after a suspicious fire destroyed his clinic.

Dr. David Bruce Coffey of Oneida, in northeast Tennessee, struck an agreement with federal prosecutors last fall, pleading guilty to illegally distributing oxycodone pills and money laundering, according to a local news report and his plea agreement. He is awaiting sentencing.

In 2019, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency investigators charged that Coffey was at the center of an illegal operation that had distributed almost 5 million of the addictive pills. Then, in January 2020, the Oneida clinic burned to the ground, shortly after the federal charges were made public. The fire is still under investigation and officials have said it is suspicious in nature.

Coffey had a $2.8 million policy on the property with Grange Insurance, court records show. Grange declined to pay, citing fraud and dishonesty provisions in the policy. The carrier also declined to pay on a business-interruption policy on a second clinic that Coffey said lost patients during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Now, Coffey, who could soon face up to 20 years in prison, is suing Grange for breach of contract. The physician is asking for $3.4 million in damages, plus a bad-faith penalty. Grange has refuted the claims.

Topics Lawsuits Carriers Tennessee
Allegations that Alphabet Inc.s Google deceived users with unclear smartphone location tracking settings should be weighed by a jury, an Arizona judge ruled on Tuesday, refusing to toss out a lawsuit brought by the states attorney general.

Google had sought summary judgment to get the case against it thrown out at an early stage. It had argued that the state had failed to show that its consumer fraud law could apply and noted that the companys disclosures about privacy settings has been clarified since the case was brought nearly two years ago.

The decision comes a day after attorneys general in Washington state, Indiana, Texas and the District of Columbia sued Google on similar grounds as the Arizona case.

Three States, D.C. Sue Google Claiming Location Tracking Violates Users Privacy

Under Judge Timothy Thomasons ruling in Arizona, the state can proceed with claims that Google may have engaged in deceptive practices in failing to disclose its location tracking capabilities to phone buyers and app users. But he rejected a third argument that Google deceives users by taking location data to help sell ads.

Google in a blog post on Tuesday applauded the dismissal of what it called the states central argument.

We will continue to focus on providing simple, easy-to-understand privacy settings to our users, and will not be distracted from this work by meritless lawsuits that mischaracterize our efforts, the blog said.

Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich called the ruling a great win for Arizona consumers.

The action revolves around the fact that users of smartphones running Googles Android operating system who disable a Location History feature to limit tracking still had their location saved to their Google account through another setting, Web App and Activity.

Prosecutors and Google have sparred over whether users realized they needed to disable both settings to keep Google from following their physical movements.

Arizona prosecutors also had sought an early judgment in their favor, but the judge last year rejected its bid.

The Federal Court in Australia in April found in a similar case that Google had misled consumers. Penalties are yet to be determined.

(Reporting by Paresh Dave; Editing by Mark Porter)

Topics Lawsuits Legislation Arizona
The family of a tourist who died in Las Vegas after being strapped to a restraint chair in jail following his arrest on a trespassing charge has agreed to a $2.35 million settlement with the police department, their attorney said Monday.

Relatives of Nicholas Farah, 36, of Appleton, Wisconsin, agreed to drop their federal excessive force, wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, five corrections officers and a police officer who were involved in Farahs detention and death in March 2019, family attorney Sarah Grady said.

There should be a price to pay when you dehumanize people, Grady said. Nick was not just another person being arrested for the most vanilla of criminal charges. He was a father, a son, a brother. He was incredibly valued by his family. A jury would see how his treatment was clearly dehumanizing.

Officer Larry Hadfield, a police spokesman, declined immediate comment about the settlement.

The amount topped a reported $2.2 million agreement in 2020 with several relatives of Tashii Brown, a 40-year-old Las Vegas man who died in 2017 after being hit with stun gun jolts and put in a neck restraint by a police officer outside a Las Vegas casino.

In Farahs case, the Clark County coroner ruled his death a homicide resulting from asphyxia during restraint procedures. Farahs autopsy called methamphetamine intoxication and obesity significant contributing conditions.

Police said Farah, a father of two, became unconscious after jail officers pressed his body forward while he was seated in the restraint chair  with his face near his knees and his arms pulled back  for about 75 seconds while officers replaced one set of handcuffs on his wrists with another.

Farah was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes later.

He had been arrested at a motel where an employee told police he walked in and refused to leave.

Police said Farah called 911 and taxi companies seeking a ride to the Las Vegas airport, where he had arrived several hours earlier following a family vacation in California. But when taxis arrived, he refused service.

In one 911 call, Farah stated that he had been drinking and reported that his backpack and cellphone had been stolen by a stranger who punched him while they were walking, Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson said in a March 2020 report that cleared officers in Farahs death. Farah told the dispatcher he wanted to remain anonymous, didnt want to press charges and that he was trying to catch a flight home to Wisconsin.

Police said Farah struggled with several patrol officers while he was being put in a patrol car.

Wolfson found no criminal wrongdoing, saying there was no evidence of any intent to kill on the part of any officer.

Officers were not committing an unlawful act as they attempted to remove his handcuffs, the prosecutor said.

Video from the jail showed that after officers there replaced Farahs handcuffs and returned him to an upright position in the restraint seat, a medical staffer noticed he was unconscious.

Farahs family sued the department and officers in April 2020.

His brother, Eric Farah of Tempe, Arizona, said in a statement Monday that the use of restraint chairs should be banned in jails.

It was very clear that the Las Vegas Metro Police Department acted belligerently and monstrously towards my brother, Eric Farah said. Id love to see the restraint chair completely removed  along with measures and precautions put into effect so this never happens to another family.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Law Enforcement
The city council in San Jose, California, voted on Tuesday to become the nations first city to require gun owners to purchased insurance coverage.

Funds from an accompanying annual fee of $25 will go toward reducing gun violence.

Mayor Sam Liccardo following the vote issued a statement outlining some of the planned funding from the fees and highlighting the historic step: Tonight San Jose became the first city in the United States to enact an ordinance to require gun owners to purchase liability insurance, and to invest funds generated from fees paid by gun owners into evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun violence and gun harm.

According to the city, the funding will be distributed to community-based, evidence-based programs to reduce gun violence, which include domestic violence and suicide prevention, mental health counseling, addiction treatment, and gun-safe storage and training.

The programs will prioritize serving clients living in households in which a gun is owned and to intimate partners of gun owners.

A non-profit organization will be responsible for the collection, administration, and distribution of funds.

Some Democratic California lawmakers want to make it easier for people to sue gun companies for liability in shootings that cause injuries or deaths. California Assemblyman Phil Ting unveiled a bill on Tuesday modeled after the New York law, which is being challenged in court by gun-makers.

Cities across the nation have taken steps to shift liability on to gun makers and sellers. The city of Chicago last year filed a lawsuit against an Indiana gun store, contending it has sold hundreds of guns to straw buyers that in turn have ended up in the hands of felons or at crime scenes in the city.

Lawsuits around the nation have also taken aim at those who support the gun industry, attempting to hold them responsible for gun-related deaths. The son of a couple killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue attack that killed 11 worshippers last year sued the National Rifle Association, arguing the groups inflammatory rhetoric led to the violence.

San Joses mayor proposed the measures last year following a mass shooting at the VTA yard in San Jose, and the Council unanimously approved drafting the ordinance.

The decision still needs to be approved in a second reading next month at its final reading to take effect in Aug. 8.

San Jose, with roughly 1 million residents, is considered the 10th largest city in the U.S. The city has also approved other measures, such as bolstering gun violence restraining orders, banning untraceable ghost guns and preventing illegal straw purchasing.

Related:

Topics California
AUSTIN, TX, January 26, 2022,  The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research is a proud recipient of a 2022 Spencer Educational Foundation grant to support and expand the Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) High School Program (HSP). The HSP is a growing initiative that anticipates the industrys evolving talent needs through comprehensive student exposure and education, growing and diversifying the talent pipeline at the earliest juncture. Specifically, the grant provides first-year funding for three new schools in Laredo, Texas and one in Perry Township, Indiana.

Founded in 1979, the Spencer Educational Foundation is the nations premier organization funding the education of future Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) professionals. General Grants support two critical goals of the RMI industry: to provide experiential learning opportunities to RMI students and attract new talent to the industry. The spirit of the HSP embodies Spencers mission to support the future of insurance by meaningfully investing in educational opportunities.

The National Alliance will use the grant funding to bring the CISR High School program to three new schools in Laredo, Texas this month. Students at Laredos Joseph W. Nixon, Raymond and Tirza Martin, and Dr. Leonides G. Cigarroa high schools will be the initial beneficiaries of the Spencer grant, with Perry Township, Indiana anticipating a Fall 2022 launch. Earning the CISR HS designation and completing the optional internship gives graduates a significant workforce advantage, helping them secure a bright future in the risk management and insurance field.

Rogelio Garcia, Executive Director of CCMR, Advanced Academics and Schools of Innovation at Laredo Independent School District stated, In the ever-changing employment and workforce trends, the occupational skills gap grows deeper. For this reason, our ability to prepare and provide our future generations with the skills, knowledge, and certification to help close that gap has become an instrumental force for our approach from high school. The collaboration and assistance from our business and industry partners is the key element for our success.

Spencer is proud to award the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research with a 2022 grant to fund their high school program at four new high schools, said Robin Roeder, Spencer Board Chair and SVP, Risk Management at Sedgwick. As we look toward the future of risk management and insurance, we know the importance of continuing to grow the talent pipeline and introduce young individuals to the countless career opportunities available to them within our industry. Funding the CISR High School Program will undoubtedly help accomplish that by exposing more students to exciting new RMI professions.

The National Alliance offers practical insurance and risk management courses taught by active insurance practitioners. Thousands of Risk Management and Insurance professionals earn their designations to maintain successful careers.

Media Contact

Mitch Dunford

Chief Marketing Officer

Mdunford@scic.com

619-454-3032

Topics Education K-12
Not all superheroes wear capes, as the saying goes. Some of them are diminutive librarians in sensible shoes, enforcing the laws of physics.

A recent example of this at an unnamed Illinois library was posted by Patriot Takes, an organization that monitors right-wing high jinks.

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A man filmed himself trying to make a point  but all he made was a scene.

The woman, sporting a double mask  perhaps because she is older and thus more susceptible to severe illness  calmly stands her ground, denying a man entry to the library unless he dons a mask.

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Public Library (Shutterstock/Shutterstock)

I just want to take a video and ask why you wont let me sign up, the man said. This is your choice to do. This is serious. I am here, with my daughter, we just want to use the library that we have a right to use. You guys wont let us do this because I am not putting a mask on.

He had the facts correct, but not quite the reasons behind them. The woman can be heard saying in a very soft voice that she is merely carrying out library policy, after which the man tells her she also has a personal choice to say it is not a big deal.

He agreed to leave, but not before trying to browbeat her into saying that she is the one choosing to enforce the policy, despite her assertion that she is duty-bound to do so.

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You are making the choice, he said. Just acknowledge that. I will leave here, but just acknowledge that you are making the choice.

The man mistook her respect for the transmissibility and potential lethality of the pathogen unleashed nearly two years ago as blind obedience, saying that just following orders was the problem.

Rather than following orders for orders sake, the librarian was actually complying with Illinois Department of Health protocolst.

Illinois librarian holds her ground as an antimasker films himself throwing a tantrum after being asked to wear a mask. pic.twitter.com/kyJwRjEfIi  PatriotTakes  (@patriottakes) January 25, 2022

Absent from the discussion was mention of the choices that his decision would have forced others to make  specifically, their choice to breathe air untainted by the highly transmissible virus.

While this library was not identified, the St. Charles Public Library, also in Illinois, has been forced to close due to threats received, the library announced last week, as reported by the Kane County Chronicle.

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Other public institutions are facing mask blowback as well. The Denver Childrens Museum announced it would close through Feb. 4

We know the stress of the last two years has taken a toll on everyone in our community, but regrettably, some guests who object to the Museums mask policy have been inappropriately directing their anger toward our staff, the museum said in a statement. Therefore, we have made the decision to close our doors to the public January 26 through February 4 so that we can support our staff and bolster our policies with the hope of preventing this type of behavior in the future.
While winter break may be restful, many students struggle coming back to school and getting into a routine.
Disney says it is consulting with members of the dwarfism community on the new live-action Snow White film, following criticism by actor Peter Dinklage.

The company said it was taking guidance in order to avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film.

The Game of Thrones star previously commented on the hypocrisy of the progressive entertainment industry with regard to certain projects.

To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community, a spokesperson for Disney said in a statement.

To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community

We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period.

During an interview on Marc Marons WTF podcast, Dinklage said he had been a little taken aback by the decision to make the film.

They were very proud to cast a Latino actress as Snow White, but youre still telling the story of Snow White And The Seven Dwarves, he said.

They were so proud of that, and all love and respect to the actress and the people who thought they were doing the right thing but Im just like what are you doing?

Take a step back and look at what youre doing there. It makes no sense to me.

He continued: You can be progressive in one way but youre still making that f****** backwards story of the seven dwarves living in the cave.

Dinklage currently stars in musical romance film Cyrano alongside Haley Bennett and Kelvin Harrison Jr.
Fishers are planning to press ahead with a peaceful protest off the Cork coast next month as Russia attempts to carry out armed military exercises there.

Amid warnings from the Government that they should not put their lives at risk, the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation (ISWFPO) confirmed last night it will seek to disrupt the exercises "to prevent catastrophic environmental damage".

"It is our understanding that live-fire exercises cannot take place if our vessels are engaged in fishing in the area so we are discussing a plan aimed at peaceful protest in our traditional fishing area near the proposed area of the military exercise with our vessel owners and skippers," said ISWFPO's chief executive Patrick Murphy.

"We understand that an aircraft exclusion zone has been announced for the area but we have not yet received any notification of this nor any marine notice from the Irish State preventing us from fishing this area."

'Causing untold damage'

He said military sonar and live missile launches have the potential to severely disrupt the annual migratory path and breeding season of fish such as mackerel, tuna, and Blue Whiting "whilst also causing untold damage to marine wildlife like whales and dolphins".

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the fishers should exercise caution.

"These are military vessels and whatever they choose to do in terms of any protests, just make sure that they don't put themselves at any risk."

Eugene Ryan, an internationally decorated former commander in the Irish naval service, said while he fully understands the frustration of fishermen, they could be potentially putting themselves at risk and will break the law if they sail into the exclusion zone that the Russians are operating for the exercise.

It has also emerged that some of the Russian ships will be positioned directly over a number of submarine fibre-optic cables which transmit millions of financial transactions daily between North America and Europe, a fact which has not gone unnoticed by Nato and the Irish Defence Forces.

A new Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is launched by the frigate Admiral Gorshkov of the Russian navy from the White Sea, in the north of Russia, Russia, Monday, July 19, 2021. Picture: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

The Russian 'spy ship' Yantar has been monitoring the area around the transatlantic cables on an almost yearly basis for the last six to seven years and concerns have been raised that it may have sent submersibles and divers down to see if the cables could be cut.

The naval service is also not equipped to detect submarine incursions into Irish waters as it has no echo sounders.

However, the Government sought to downplay any suggestions the Russians will be in a position to threaten transatlantic submarine infrastructure.

"I don't think that the exercises represent a military threat to Ireland and I don't believe these stories about cables being cut and things like that, I don't think that's going to happen and that's certainly the view of the minister for foreign affairs and defence as well, said Mr Varadkar.

On the tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the Government warned that a land war in Europe for the first time in 30 years with the possibility of an appalling loss of life is imminent unless Russia backs down.

'Very serious' situation

Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Mr Varadkar, and Foreign Minister Simon Coveney all described the situation as very serious, with large armies gathering on both sides of the Russian-Ukraine border.

"It could result in an enormous loss of life and, of course, extraordinary disruption right across the continent of Europe, and that is why Ireland has consistently been talking about the need to defuse tension to focus on diplomacy and political dialogue, as opposed to military build-up, and we will continue to be that voice," said Mr Coveney.

On foot of the tensions, Irish citizens are now being advised to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine, it was announced.

Mr Martin said the advice comes in light of ongoing tensions at the eastern European country's border with Russia.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland, Larysa Gerasko has called on Ireland and the EU to immediately impose sanctions on Russia and not to wait for an invasion.

Ms Gerasko told RTE radios Morning Ireland that her country was expecting a full-scale invasion by Russia as they were moving more troops and equipment close to the Ukrainian border.

The ambassador rejected claims by the Russian ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov that talk of an invasion was western propaganda.

Russia spread misinformation and launched cyberattacks and tried to undermine the situation in Ukraine and Europe, she said.

The Kremlin is very resourceful.

Russia was ready to attack Ukraine and was attempting to blackmail Ukraine and the rest of Europe and NATO. The planned Russian naval exercises off the coast of Ireland also demonstrated this, added Ms Gerasko.

It was the sovereign right of Ukraine to join any alliance they wished.

It is our sovereign right to determine our future.

Ambassador of Ukraine, H.E. Ms Larysa Gerasko

Russia always brought threats to the region and had previously invaded Ukraine in 2013, she said.

The support of our partners was important at this critical moment.

The threat of invasion by Russia underlined that there was no security in Europe if there was no security in Ukraine, said Ms Gerasko.

The ambassador expressed her gratitude to Ireland for its unwavering support for Ukraines sovereignty and Ukraines integrity.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has described the Russian-Ukraine crisis as enormously serious as he called for a de-escalation of tensions.

He said the tension between Russia and Ukraine and the threat of invasion of Ukraine is something that the EU, the US and UK are all taken incredibly seriously.

He said the threat of a land war in Europe was something not seen for many decades.

It could result in an enormous loss of life, and of course, extraordinary disruption right across the continent of Europe," he said.

"And that is why Ireland has consistently been talking about the need to defuse tension to focus on diplomacy and political dialogue, as opposed to military buildup, and we will continue to be that voice."
A man cleaning wheelie bins has had 75,000 declared the proceeds of crime after the High Court ruled it was part of a scheme to wash dirty money.

Graham Whelan from Crumlin, south Dublin, was described by the court as a significant importer of drugs, associated with a major crime gang.

The judgment, given by Mr Justice Alexander Owen, follows an investigation and court applications by the Criminal Assets Bureau.

The court heard that during an operation on January 31, 2019, gardai caught Whelan in a room in the Intercontinental Hotel in Dublin with a drugs tick list  detailing drugs transactions  as well as six mobile phones.

One of the phones was an Encrochat encrypted phone, commonly used by sophisticated drug dealers and other criminals.

In addition, gardai found an Audemars Piguet watch worth 28,000, as well as a small amount of cash.

Whelan was convicted in the Special Criminal Court last November of money laundering offences in relation to the watch and cash.

Mr Justice Owen said Whelan, aged 39, had no employment history according to Revenue, nor had he received social welfare.

His first taxable income was in 2018, which is income from then to 2020 stemming from his business of Wheelie Clean.

Accounts show legitimate trading in the business, from cleaning wheelie bins for householders, businesses, and waste operators.

The court heard bureau evidence that Whelan was a career criminal.

Mr Justice Owen said: It is clear that Graham Whelan was involved in organised crime long before 2019 and that he engaged in substantial drug dealing and other serious criminal activities.

"Garda intelligence is that he operated as a significant importer of drugs and is associated with a major crime gang.

He said that between 2010 and 2015 he received nearly 38,000 in money transfers through Western Union, adding: Most of this money came from well-known Dublin criminals or their associates.

The case centred around a lodgement of 75,000 into a current account of Whelan at AIB Bank in Crumlin. The money had been transferred as a loan from a current account of John Wilson, who was married to Whelans aunt.

Mr Justice Owen said he had concluded there were reasonable grounds for the belief of Detective Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins, bureau chief, that the money which came from Mr Wilson was acquired by Whelan as part of a money-laundering exercise, which he planned to repay from the proceeds of crime.
A Garda sergeant who approached a drunken woman refusing to leave an off-licence was verbally abused by the accused who said: I hope your family die.

Natalie Woods, 33, of Annalee Grove, Mayfield, Cork, went to ODonovans off-licence shortly before the 10pm closing time. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said at Cork District Court that the incident occurred on July 28, 2021, and Ms Woods was refused service.

Sgt Davis said when another Garda sergeant arrived at the scene that night, the defendant was complaining she had been refused service and she was abusive. She was directed to leave the premises.

Natalie Woods responded by saying, F*** off, you w***er. I hope your family die.

The accused pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening behaviour and being intoxicated to such an extent that she was a danger to herself or others.

Woods has 84 previous convictions.

Judge Marie Keane noted from the womans previous convictions that her abusive comments to the garda were made three weeks after her last court appearance.

Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said: She has had a horrendous upbringing and background and has been victim of very serious assaults. She suffered a very bad facial injury. She has cross-addictions.

She is off alcohol now. She was a heroin addict for four years. She is on Suboxone [substitute treatment drug].

She is making an effort now to stay sober. She is back in the family home. She has a bad record but she is making huge efforts now. She is on medication for depression.

Judge Marie Keane said of Natalie Woods: She was nasty and abusive [to the garda].

Mr Kelleher said the accused apologised before the court and he added that she could not even remember it happening.

The judge said that it was nasty vitriol to the garda.

A three-month prison sentence was suspended for two years. The judge warned Woods: She might as well know that if she breaches this she is going to prison.
The US has made no concessions to the main Russian demands over Ukraine and Nato in a long-awaited written response delivered to Moscow, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said.

Mr Blinken said the US response, delivered to the Russian Foreign Ministry by US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, gave up no ground on core principles such as Natos open-door membership policy and the alliances military presence in Eastern Europe.

He said the document made clear that the US is standing by its often-stated positions. There is no change, there will be no change, he said.

However, he said the written response to Russia also contains serious offers for a diplomatic path to de-escalate soaring tensions over Ukraine by addressing Russian concerns on other matters.

The Russian navys missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov sails off for an exercise in the Arctic (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russia has warned it would quickly take retaliatory measures if the US and its allies rejected its demands.

Mr Blinken said he expects to speak again to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the coming days to get the Russian reaction.

But he said that whether Russia accepts them is entirely the decision of President Vladimir Putin. That is up to President Putin, he said. Well see how they respond.

The US proposals, echoed in a separate document sent to the Russians by Nato, include the potential for negotiations over offensive missile placements and military exercises in Eastern Europe as well as broad arms control agreements as long as Russia withdraws its estimated 100,000 troops from the Ukrainian border.

Ukrainian servicemen greet each other as they patrol a street in a village in the Donetsk region in the east of the country (Andriy Andriyenko/AP)

Moscow has demanded guarantees that Nato will never admit Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance will roll back troop deployments in former Soviet bloc nations.

Some of these, like the membership pledge, are non-starters for the US and its allies, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.

The Kremlin has repeatedly denied it has plans to attack Ukraine but the US and Nato are worried about Russia massing its troops near Ukraine and conducting a series of sweeping military manoeuvres.

As part of the drills, motorised infantry and artillery units in south-western Russia practised firing live ammunition, warplanes in Kaliningrad on the Baltic Sea performed bombing runs, dozens of warships sailed for training exercises in the Black Sea and the Arctic, and Russian fighter jets and paratroopers arrived in Belarus for joint war games.

The Russian armys Iskander missile launchers take positions during drills in Russia (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)

Speaking to Russian lawmakers, Mr Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise Mr Putin on the next steps after receiving the US reply.

If the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures, Mr Lavrov said.

But he indicated Russia would not wait forever. We wont allow our proposals to be drowned in endless discussions, he said.
Burma KIO Suspends Military Operations Near Northern Border at Chinas Request

KIA troops in Kachin State / The Irrawaddy

The Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political wing of the ethnic Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which has been fighting the military juntas forces in the countrys north, said it would suspend military operations along the border at Chinas request.

Stability in the border region with China needs to be regarded as an important matter, the KIO said in a statement released on Wednesday reflecting on the peoples revolt against the junta nearly a year after the coup.

KIO spokesman Colonel Naw Bu told The Irrawaddy that China asked the organization to halt the fighting along its border and across Myanmar, as China will host the 2022 Winter Olympics during the Lunar New Year in February and the 2022 Winter Paralympics in March.

Chinas envoy for peace in Myanmar recently contacted all seven ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) based near its border by phone and asked them to hold their fire.

The KIOs statement was a response to that call, said an analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity.

He said the ethnic Kokang groups Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, another EAO engaged in fierce fighting with junta troops in northern Shan State, also halted military operations this week at Chinas request.

The KIO has been clashing with Myanmar regime troops since early March last year, following the juntas indiscriminate shooting and killing of peaceful civilian anti-regime protesters.

The group seized the strategic Alaw Bum base close to the Chinese border, sparking several months of intense fighting.

KIA and junta troops frequently clash in areas controlled by the group in Kachin States Hpakant, northern Sagaing Region and northern Shan State, as the junta has been moving its troops in those places, said the KIO spokesman. The fighting has subsided since the start of the year, however, with no major offensives.

If the junta launches offensives in KIO/KIA areas or areas where joint forces of the KIA and local Peoples Defense Forces operate in Sagaing Region, the group will resume fighting, Col. Naw Bu said.

If they attack, we will have to defend, he added.

Military tensions were heightened in Bamao and Moemauk townships and Waingmaw Township, which is close to the KIO/KIAs headquarters in Laiza, throughout last year, but those areas attracted less media attention, added the analyst.

The KIO urged the international community to do more to address the issue of food security for those affected by the conflict, as well as COVID-19 prevention and healthcare provision, and to take steps to stop the junta targeting civilians.

But the group also welcomed the efforts made by neighboring countries, ASEAN, the UN and the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar to help resolve the countrys crisis and civil war.

If Myanmars crisis cannot be resolved in a timely manner and the fighting becomes prolonged, Myanmar will be totally destroyed, the statement reads.

The KIO also urged the juntas State Administration Council to heed the peoples will and to respect justice.

Myanmars pro-democracy movement and opposition to the military junta continue nearly a year after the coup of Feb. 1, 2021. The junta is also facing armed resistance from youth-led freedom fighters, who are being helped by some EAOs.

As of Jan. 25 the junta had killed at least 1,493 civilians and arrested 11,737 people including the countrys civilian leaders, according to monitoring group the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.

The KIO also pledged to support the peoples call for Myanmar to become a federal democracy, and to join hands with any groups it can work with.



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Myanmar Junta Expands its Intelligence Operation
Burma Myanmar Junta Threatens Silent Strikers With Life in Prison

A deserted street near Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon on December 10, 2021, as people take part in a nationwide silent strike in protest against the militarys coup. / AFP

Myanmars junta has warned people not to participate in next weeks silent strike planned for the anniversary of the February 1 coup, saying that anyone taking part in the strike will face legal action, including possibly being charged under the Counter-Terrorism Law.

Anyone who closes a business or shop for a day or who claps in support of the strike could face charges carrying punishment of up to life imprisonment, according to an announcement released by the military regime on Tuesday.

The warning is an attempt to prevent the protest after the previous silent strikes saw the whole nation of over 54 million people staying out of sight for the day, with even roadside vendors who need to earn money daily refusing to open their businesses. That was a major embarrassment for the junta, which insists that normalcy is returning to the country.

The upcoming silent strike will be the third such protest. The first was held on March 24 last year and the second on December 10. In response to the last strike, junta forces smashed up shops that were closed and prevented some store owners from re-opening their shops for days afterwards.

Anti-regime groups nationwide have invited the general public to join the February 1 strike by remaining indoors from 10am to 4pm. At 4pm, the strike will end with communal clapping.

The silent strike has been named, Lets fight for the way home as a vow for the people to regain power and for the people who have had to flee since the coup to be able to return to their homes this year with a victory.

In the juntas Tuesdays announcement, the regime said that the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the National Unity Government and their subordinates, which the junta has declared to be terrorist groups, are inciting people to join the silent strike to disrupt state stability and intimidate the public.

The announcement stated that people who join the protest or who share information about it would be prosecuted under existing laws, including charges of assisting terrorist groups under the Counter-Terrorism Law, as well as other offences under the Penal Code and the Electronic Transactions Act.

On Tuesday night, junta forces also told residents in some areas of Mandalay and Yangon not to participate in the strike or they would be prosecuted.

Responding to the regimes warnings, Tayzar San, a prominent protest leader from Mandalay, wrote on his Facebook: It is clear that the terrorist regime is quite shocked by the unity and collective strength of our people. And so they will try various way to suppress the peoples all out anti-regime movement.

Freedom is not free, it comes at a cost. I would like to urge our people to continue to fight to achieve what we want in 2022, added Tayzar San.

The junta-controlled Home Affairs Ministry also held a meeting to spread the regimes announcement nationwide and to organize how to prosecute any violations of it.

A Yangon resident said that the juntas threats would not deter people from participating in the silent strike, while vowing to join it himself.

The more they oppress us, the more we will rise. We will stay home or go outside as we want, said the man.

Since the coup, military regime forces have killed around 1,500 people and arrested more than 11,700. Around 9,000 people remain behind bars.



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Myanmar Regime Forces Shell Refugee Camp as Woman Gives Birth

Towns Residents Flee Myanmar Junta Airstrikes

KIO Suspends Military Operations Near Northern Border at Chinas Request
Burma Myanmar Regime Forces Shell Refugee Camp as Woman Gives Birth

new baby Friendship was delivered in a makeshift room at a refugee camp on the Thai side of the border.

It was a cold night in December. A shrill cry rang out from a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in Karen State, close to the Moei River which separates Myanmar from Thailand. It was the first cry of a newborn. Immediately, the sound of the crying was drowned out by deafening artillery strikes.

The baby boy was born on December 21 last year at an IDP camp in Palu Lay Village on the Thai-Myanmar border in Karen State. He has not yet been named, but everyone at the camp calls him Displaced as he was born amid the fighting that displaced the villagers from their homes.

On December 19, two days before his birth, junta troops and local resistance groups clashed near Palu Gyi Village, forcing the residents to flee their homes amid artillery strikes and to the accompaniment of heavy gunfire.

Regime soldiers had previously raided the new town of Lay Kay Kaw on the Myanmar-Thai border on December 15, firing 60 mm and 120 mm grenade launchers at neighboring villages before conducting artillery and airstrikes.

Some houses were hit by the shelling and tens of thousands of people from several villages fled into Thailand. Others fled to the refugee camps for IDPs at Palu Gyi and Palu Lay villages near the Moei River.

The clashes spread to Palu Gyi Village on December 19, forcing 23-year-old Naw Kaw Kay, from neighboring Palu Lay Village, who was very close to giving birth, to flee with only the clothes on her back to an IDP camp some distance from her village.

But that camp had no clinic, so Naw Kaw Kay was forced to return to another IDP camp near Palu Lay Village. She was experiencing contractions by the time she arrived at the makeshift clinic that had been set up at the camp on the evening of December 21. Soon after, she gave birth to her second son at 11pm amid continuous artillery fire.

She had a difficult labor as she was exhausted from fleeing, the baby was big and the clinic had only rudimentary medical equipment. Despite the fact that it was late at night in December, both the mother and the medics were drenched in sweat as the baby was a few days overdue and the labor was long.

I heard artillery fire. But I didnt notice anything else as I was overwhelmed by pain. But my weariness just went away when I knew that it was a baby boy. I had wanted one more son, said Naw Kaw Kay.

The clinic at the IDP camp is named after the Spring Revolution and is operated by volunteer doctors and medics who provide emergency healthcare for people injured in the fighting.

Normally, the clinic transfers people with serious injuries or illnesses and heavily pregnant women over the border to Thailand, where there are properly-equipped healthcare facilities. But Naw Kaw Kays pregnancy was overdue, so Displaced was born at the clinic.

The same night, a baby was born at an IDP camp on the Thai side of the border. He was delivered by Thai medics from Mae Sot Hospital in an emergency birth. He was named Friendship by the Thai medics.

When Displaced was born, his father was away at the frontline fighting the military regime alongside other resistance fighters. He was only told the next morning about the birth of his second son.

As he was at the front line, I could not call him immediately after the birth, said Naw Kaw Kay who, soon after giving birth, had to be moved to a safer place as junta forces were shelling nearby areas.

Daw Thein, who helped with the delivery, said: She had a difficult labor. The medics said they would flee together after the delivery.

The baby, however, was weak. But after only 15 minutes of first aid and oxygen support, he uttered his first cry. Fellow villagers were worried for Naw Kaw Kay, because they had experienced fierce fighting in the area around Palu Gyi Village in which churches, schools and the IDP camp were literally peppered with bullet holes.

Bullets zipped past our heads. As we could not get out from the front door, we had to go out the back door into thick grass. We hid in the grass, so our lower bodies were all wet from the water, said one displaced woman who was trapped in a church in Palu Gyi Village.

Naw Kaw Kay said she was so overcome with labor pains that she could think of nothing else, and was wishing only for a quick delivery.

Thanks to the volunteer medics of the IDP camp and the courage and strength of Naw Kaw Kay, the night of December 21 will be a memorable story for Displaced to tell his own children in the future.



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Towns Residents Flee Myanmar Junta Airstrikes

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Character actress Kathryn Kates, a New York City native known for recurring roles on Seinfeld and Orange is the New Black, died Saturday at age 73 after a lengthy battle with lung cancer.

She was incredibly brave, thoughtful, wise and loving. Kathryn approached every role she ever played, as well as her daily life with the greatest of passion, her agent, Ben Jordan, told the Daily News in a statement. We will do our best to honor her incredible legacy. The world truly lost one of the good ones.

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Kathryn Kates (Walter McBride/WireImage)

Kates moved from her hometown New York to Los Angeles in 1974 to pursue acting, according to her personal website. She started in theater, then moved to the small screen, booking a recurring role on Seinfeld as the Counter Woman and as the nosy neighbor on Lizzie McGuire.

More recently, Kates played the mother of Jason Biggs character on Orange is the New Black and Angie DeCarlo in The Many Saints of Newark.

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Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 33 Naomi Judd, the Kentucky-born matriarch of the Grammy-winning duo The Judds and mother of Wynonna and Ashley Judd, has died, her family announced Saturday, April 30, 2022. She was 76. (Josh Anderson/AP)

Back in New York since 2006, Kates returned to the stage for more than 20 Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway shows. She also did touring productions through Bucharest, Sibiu and Stockholm.

Keep me alive in your beautiful hearts with unforgettable memories, reads a final message on her personal Instagram. Teach others what youve learned from me and I will live in forever.
Burma Thousands More Villagers Flee Myanmar Junta Raids

Smoke and fire above Ywarzoe village in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region, on Monday. / CJ

An estimated 15,000 residents from more than 10 villages in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region, have fled their homes as Myanmars regime forces raided and burned down another village in the township on Tuesday.

After reportedly suffering losses in an ambush by combined peoples defense forces (PDFs) on early Monday, around 200 junta troops occupied and burned down the Ywarzoe village in the township.

At least two villagers were shot dead after being detained by troops, according to the resistance forces that conducted the ambush.

On Tuesday morning, thousands of Pauk Chaing villagers, near Ywarzoe, fled their homes as regime forces raided and occupied their village again.

Regime forces in the village were continuing to torch houses on Wednesday morning, according to residents.

Residents from more than 10 villages in the west of the township have fled into forests and other villages. Many others have fled to major cities, including Yangon and Mandalay, residents said.

We are sheltering in another village. We are not hiding in the forests because troops can hunt for us there, said a pregnant villager who left her village on Monday when the regime raided nearby Ywarzoe.

She is due to give birth in the next 10 days. She said she spent two nights in a forest last week when regime forces raided their village, looting money, mobile phones and other valuables.

A displaced male villager told The Irrawaddy that the military is already ruined and is a thieving organization as it loots villagers homes.

Troops are destroying possessions they cannot carry away, said the villager. Troops are destroying peoples lives despite the junta saying it wants to govern the people.

Junta forces reportedly raided and burned down houses in five more villages in Khin-U Township, Sagaing Region, on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a media report.

In the raids, at least seven civilians and PDFs members were reportedly killed by regime forces.

Ayadaw Information, a Facebook news page for the township, claimed four civilians, including a 10-year-old boy and a 60-year-old man, were shot dead by troops near a village in the Sagaing Region township on Wednesday morning.

Photos of dead civilians on the news page said three of the victims, including the boy, were killed while farming outside their village and the 60-year-old was shot dead while riding a bicycle.

The photos show victims shot in the head.

By Wednesday, at least 1,494 people have been killed and another 11,776 people, including elected government leaders, have been detained by the military since the Feb. 1 coup, said the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a rights group compiling deaths and arrests.

Regime forces are facing attacks from PDFs and many ethnic armed groups across the country. Meanwhile, the junta continues its atrocities, including torture, massacres, burning alive, arbitrary killings, using civilians as human shields, shelling residential areas, looting and burning houses and committing acts of sexual violence, especially in Magwe and Sagaing regions and Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayah and Karen states.
Burma Towns Residents Flee Myanmar Junta Airstrikes

Displaced people from Kani Township in Sagaing Region. / CJ

Pinlebu, a town in Sagaing Region, has been largely deserted amid street fighting and junta air raids.

Clashes broke out in Pinlebu on Jan. 18 and residents fled into forests and other towns, including Katha, Kawlin and Wuntho and further afield to Shwebo and Mandalay.

The town is almost deserted because people fear the military. About a fifth of the towns population remains, said a Pinlebu resident.

Pinlebu Township has two urban wards and 52 village-tracts with 266 villages and a population of 130,000. An estimated 20,000 residents have fled the town since fighting started, according to a charity worker.

Clashes in the town continued until Jan. 23. In four hours of fighting on Jan. 18, at least 20 junta soldiers and two resistance fighters died, according to Pinlebu Revolution, a resistance group fighting the regime.

Resistance groups are fighting alongside the Kachin Independence Army and All Burma Students Democratic Front in Pinlebu which has been subjected to aerial strikes since last year.

A Pinlebu resident still in the town said on Tuesday: It is tense. We have to take caution as aircraft often attack. Soldiers are looting houses in the town and residents can only watch as nobody dares to challenge them.

Junta soldiers have reportedly arrested civilians in the town and have been deployed in the tallest buildings.

A member of the Pinlebu PDF said resistance groups have surrounded the town so helicopters have tried to clear a route for the trapped troops. The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm his statement.

Since late September last year, the junta has cut off phone and internet access in Pinlebu, Wuntho and Kawlin after it suffered heavy casualties in clashes with resistance groups. Military-operated Mytel remained available until late December, according to residents.

The military regime has carried out airstrikes and mass killings on Ye-U, Khin-U, Taze, Tabayin, Ayadaw, Shwebo, Kawlin, Wuntho, Kani, Mingin, Pale, Yinmabin, Salingyi and Kale townships across Sagaing.

A charity worker helping displaced people said: Sagaing Region needs greater attention. At least 10 townships in Sagaing suffer from daily airstrikes. As junta ground troops suffer heavy losses in Sagaing, the regime is increasingly conducting airstrikes.

More than 100,000 people have been displaced in Sagaing where most of the resistance groups have rudimentary hunting rifles to fight aircraft. Sagaing Region accounts for half of the displaced population in Myanmar. And displaced people need emergency relief aid like rice, oil, salt and tarpaulins, he added.

Junta troops, after suffering heavy losses in mine attacks by resistance groups, have reportedly used civilians as human shields, looted villages, torched houses and randomly killed civilians.



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Guest Column Indias Ties With Myanmar Junta in Focus After Chin Groups Attack on Manipur Rebels

Chin National Army soldiers on parade during a training graduation ceremony at an undisclosed location in late December 2021. / Chinland Information Center

In a move with potentially far-reaching international repercussions, Chin States foremost ethnic armed organization, the Chin National Army (CNA), has launched an attack beyond its traditional area of operations in its home state where, alongside local Peoples Defense Forces, it is already locked in clashes with Myanmars military, known as the Tatmadaw.

On Jan. 14 a unit of the CNA, the armed wing of the Chin National Front, moved into neighboring Sagaing Region to attack a base run by Indian insurgents of the Manipuri Peoples Liberation Army (PLA)  an operation calculated both to hit a group collaborating with the Tatmadaw but also to nudge India from the delicate junta-centered balance it has sought to maintain in the unfolding crisis in Myanmar.

A well-placed ethnic source with detailed knowledge of the operation revealed to The Irrawaddy that the dawn assault struck the PLAs general headquarters, from where the group had been launching cross-border raids into the Indian state of Manipur.

Housing an estimated 120 guerrillas of the PLA and at least one other allied Manipuri rebel faction, the base was situated near the village of Senam some 10 kilometers inside Myanmar territory south of the border town of Tamu. Between 10 and 20 Manipuri insurgents were killed in the engagement, which lasted several hours and also left one CNA fighter dead, according to the source, who had access to CNA field reports.

The operation, which was reported last week in the Indian media, was described by at least one publication as a cross-border strike conducted by Indian Army special forces rather than the CNA. On Jan. 17 the Indian military formally dismissed speculation that it had been involved  which in any case appeared unlikely given Indian Army capabilities and the relatively low number of casualties inflicted on the insurgents.

By contrast, a targeted CNA operation against Indian insurgents enjoying sanctuary inside Myanmar, evidently with Tatmadaw concurrence, suggests strongly that the Chin group is seeking to leverage its position to coax Indian authorities into a more accommodating relationship. Any such improvement in relations would have potentially significant implications for the war in Chin State, where the CNA and allied Chin PDFs are facing an escalating Tatmadaw campaign to crush resistance. Having begun last September, Tatmadaw operations backed by airstrikes have escalated sharply in recent weeks.

The CNAs own Camp Victoria headquarters are situated on the Chin State border with Mizoram, west of the town of Thantlang  now largely deserted after it was sacked and looted by Tatmadaw forces. Camp Victoria has served as a center for PDF training and as a refuge for civilians fleeing Tatmadaw columns pushing into the state from Sagaing and Magwe regions.

To date, however, there has been no indication that Indian border forces have been willing to turn a blind eye to the smuggling of munitions from the Indian black market to the Chin resistance. Indeed, the paramilitary Assam Rifles border forces have announced a string of seizures of munitions on the Indian side of the border apparently headed for Myanmar. The largest involved the seizure of a massive consignment of 2,500 kg of explosives and 4,500 meters of detonating cord interdicted in Mizorams Saiha district on Jan. 20.

Vigilance along the border has been one important element of New Delhis post-coup policy of maintaining correct if no longer enthusiastic ties with the military junta, a stance clearly driven by a reluctance to see the Naypyitaw regime falling further under the economic and geostrategic influence of China.

For Indias security establishment, however, the presence of a string of camps providing sanctuary inside Myanmar for a smorgasbord of insurgent factions from across Indias turbulent northeast has been a longstanding source of frustration. Recent estimates indicate that at least 3,000 and possibly as many as twice that number of rebels are camped inside Myanmar.

Notwithstanding repeated high-level assurances from Naypyitaw that the problem would be dealt with, sweetened by occasional cosmetic gestures in that direction, many if not all the insurgent camps are understood to have been paying off local Tatmadaw commanders to leave them in peace. More recently, the relationship has reportedly extended to an operational level involving the Indian groups being provided with weapons by the Tatmadaw and fighting with, or on behalf of, the junta against local PDFs, becoming in effect another regime militia.

In November 2021 Indian frustration turned to raw anger when PLA guerrillas operating out of Myanmar ambushed vehicles of the Assam Rifles in Manipurs Churachandpur district killing a colonel, his wife, their 4-year-old son and four other military personnel.

It remains to be seen how far the CNA will succeed in turning growing Indian distrust and anger over perceived Tatmadaw duplicity to its advantage. But the stakes are undoubtedly high. Any tacit understanding between Indian border forces and the flagship Chin resistance group could have a significant impact on the conflict across Chin State and potentially beyond in Sagaing and Magwe regions.

At the very least, Indian border forces might be inclined to relax the vigilance displayed to date in interdicting a still limited flow of black-market munitions.

India along with Thailand has also been mentioned amid growing international concern led by the US over the need to channel humanitarian assistance to alleviate an increasingly dire situation inside Myanmar, which the coming months of dry season fighting will only exacerbate.

Over the past year both Bangkok and New Delhi have been at pains to avoid openly antagonizing the Tatmadaw. But as irritation in New Delhi turns to anger, Indiaa leading democracy that is already a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) grouping and enjoys growing military ties with the USis arguably emerging as the more promising candidate on which to anchor an aid corridor. The QUAD groups the US, India, Japan and Australia.

By contrast, Thailands military-backed government, constrained by rising Chinese influence and its dependence on Myanmar natural gas, has evinced no interest in involving itself further in US-led efforts to alleviate the humanitarian disaster unfolding across its western border.

Beyond the geopolitical realities, Chin State, where local resistance forces are broadly united, arguably offers a wider and more secure bridgehead for an aid corridor than Karen State on Myanmars eastern border, where chaotic military fragmentation and border clashes are the order of the day.

At the military level, the CNAs march into Sagaing and its Jan. 14 attack on the Indian insurgent camp was a largely unnoticed battle in a spreading war. Its wider implications for how New Delhi calibrates its response to Myanmars security meltdown may prove far more consequential.

Anthony Davis is a regional security analyst and consultant for the Janes defense publishing group.



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Guest Column Myanmars Military Knows Only the Language of Force

Regime troops during the Armed Forces Day parade in Naypyitaw in March 2021.

In 1996, the National League for Democracy (NLD), the major opposition party to Myanmars then junta, circulated a book to its party members. The book was a translation of William Urys Getting Past No: Negotiating (in) Difficult Situation(s) by the NLDs leader, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The Lady, who her supporters endearingly called Myanmars charismatic leader, gave the book a different title in Burmese to William Urys original title. No doubt, she intended people to understand that the hard to negotiate people were the generals of the Myanmar military whom she had failed to bring to the negotiation table. In the books introduction Suu Kyi wrote, I firmly believed that our country and our National League for Democracy party could only overcome the current crisis through negotiation.

The recalcitrant generals thought otherwise. Successive generals of the military have always presumed that negotiation comes from a position of weakness, and that compromise is about losing. Thus, as self-proclaimed strong men, the generals have never indulged in negotiation and even a small trade-off is intolerable for them. Historical evidence clearly shows that negotiation has never been in the DNA of the top echelon of the Myanmar military, which is deeply fixated on political zero-sum thinking.

When the military first staged an official coup, in 1962, it put forward the pretext that political negotiations will lead to national disintegration. In mid-February 1962, to negotiate a political solution to the growing ethnic crisis in the country, then Prime Minister U Nu convened a federal conference in which leaders of ethnic nationalities took part and discussed their proposals for the future federal arrangement. The crude generals were not fully cognizant of the subtle nature of political negotiations, and they subsequently staged a coup with the claim that federal negotiation would lead to the break-up of the Union. But contrary to the militarys claims, as U Nu wrote in his autobiography Saturdays Son, the conference was held to negotiate the constitutional reforms that would strengthen and solidify the Union. However, the generals found no value in a negotiated resolution of the political crisis, and they used force to close off a rare opportunity for resolving the countrys chronic problems via peaceful means.

In 1963, a year after the coup, the then junta held a peace parley with various rebel groups as the generals were whimsically confident that they could convince the rebel groups to succumb to their rule. But, unsurprisingly, the 1963 peace talks broke down as the ruling military rigidly demanded surrender, offering nothing more than rehabilitation. Nai Shwe Kyin, who took part in the negotiation as a leader of the Mon armed group, thus claimed that the negotiations failed because the Tatmadaw (military) only wanted us to surrender. Most rebel leaders believed that the military did not want to engage in genuine negotiations. Among them, Thakin Than Tun, leader of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB), disparaged the militarys unscrupulous intentions regarding the negotiations as selling dog meat, while hanging a goat head.

Again, in the early 1980s, the government, led by military dictator Ne Win and retired generals, initiated peace talks with the two strongest rebel groups, the Kachin Independence Army and the CPB, after announcing an amnesty for all insurgents. But, as expected, these negotiations also collapsed, and again the generals demanded surrender in exchange for rehabilitation. Bertil Lintner, a longtime Myanmar watcher, wrote about the reasons for the failed peace talks in his seminal book Burma in Revolt, arguing that the Ne Win government did not offer anything more than rehabilitation for the rebels without even considering any political concessions. The generals had no inkling of concessions and compromises in political negotiations, and they want their counterparts to surrender and play to their game plan. The most generous concession in their minds was to offer business opportunities and material incentives to the opposition. Therefore, those who accepted the militarys offer became armed bands engaged in illicit trade and businesses.

After the 1988 coup, this modus operandi remained unchanged. Despite repeated calls for political dialogue by Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and other leaders of the democratic movement, the generals always bitterly rejected negotiations with the opposition. They also did not hesitate to respond to those peaceful appeals for negotiations with brutal repression, arbitrary arrests and lengthy prison sentences. While relentlessly suppressing the democratic movement in the heartland of Myanmar, the military regime agreed to ceasefires with numerous ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in the 1990s. However, the deals did not arise from genuine political negotiations, and included no political agreements. The junta officially declared that, since the Tatmadaw is not a political organization, it did not hold negotiations with the insurgents by political means. The ceasefires were thus merely military truces which the junta utilized to contain the EAOs under its rule with incentives for territorial control and business opportunities.

In mainstream politics, despite pressing calls for political dialogue from the international community and local opposition, the junta obstinately undertook its own roadmap by promulgating the controversial 2008 constitution and holding a sham election in 2010. In 2012, when the NLD decided to play by the rules of the 2008 constitution, growing optimism for a political pact was resurrected. Most, including prominent scholars, predicted the inevitable prospect of a political pact between the former general President Thein Sein and the militarys long-running political nemesis, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

With the dissolution of outright military rule, they naively thought the generals became automatically enlightened to strike compromises with the democratic opposition, exuberantly praising a batch of former generals as the reformists or the democrats. In fact, no genuine negotiations occurred, and the generals intended to subsume the opposition into their game. What Ye Hut, former information minister of the Thein Sein government, wrote in his book clearly reflected the intentions of the generals. When some hardline ex-generals strongly objected to Thein Seins decision to bring Suu Kyi into parliamentary politics by saying that it will give life to a dead tiger, Thura Shwe Mann, former general and Lower House speaker, responded dont worry about giving life to a dead tiger. Tigers are controlled with the whip in a circus. I can control her. Nonetheless, the military had no compunction about dismantling the political setting it created when it failed to control her.

Likewise, although the Thein Sein government agreed to ceasefires with several EAOs after 2011, political negotiations have rarely progressed. No doubt the military was one of the major impediments to achieving the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), and its bitter rejection of three Northern Alliance groups  the Arakan Army (AA), Taang National Liberation Army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army  to sign the NCA led to an incomplete nationwide ceasefire and the resurgence of intensified fighting. Also, in the political dialogue, according to the authors experience, the military more openly hindered the negotiation process, and the five year-long talks eventually concluded without any concrete political settlement.

In hindsight, the military has always been averse to political negotiation, as the generals know only the language of force. For them, negotiation means that their counterparts surrender or play by their rules. In their minds, negotiations are also tools. There have been several incidents where negotiations were manipulated by the generals to drive wedges between its opposition. With this in mind, genuine negotiations cannot be expected from generals who do not hold any principles when approaching negotiations. Rebel leaders practically believed that negotiations with the generals could only be possible if their counterparts have a position of some strength. That was clearly evident in the recent ceasefire deal with the AA.

In 2020, when people suffered a double whammy of conflict and COVID-19 in Rakhine State, the military repeatedly declined to negotiate with the AA, labelling it a terrorist organization. Evasion of negotiation by designating opponents as terrorists or illegal organizations is nothing new in the history of the Myanmar military. Recently, the military spokesperson reiterated the same thing regarding the National Unity Government (NUG) and Peoples Defense Forces, saying that there is no reason to negotiate with terrorists or illegal organizations. But, without delisting the AA as a terrorist organization, in late 2020, the military began negotiations with the AA for a ceasefire after coming under heavy military pressure in Rakhine State. Thus, Charles Dunst rightly wrote that if the military somehow manages to weaken the resistance significantly,  it would have less reason to engage in talks. Instead, the necessary condition for talks that have any hope of success is a substantial  and clearly recognized  weakening of the militarys position.

Without considering these factors, expecting the obstinate generals to negotiate is pure fantasy. Repeated calls for negotiation by the international community fall on deaf ears in Naypyitaw. Within Myanmar, the NUG and many of the EAOs know this reality, it is primarily those in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the wider region who still hope for a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the only way to bring the generals to the negotiating table may be to force them to realize that they cannot win by military means. This means battlefield victories for the opposition and a firm demonstration of an ability to control and govern territory. Instead of unrealistically calling for negotiation, the world can play a more useful role here by weakening the militarys position and strengthening the democratic opposition. Experts in negotiation always advocate for separating people and organizations from the problem during talks. But in Myanmar the generals and military are precisely the problem.

Ye Myo Hein is the executive director of the Tagaung Institute of Political Studies and a fellow with the Asia Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.



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On This Day The Day Myanmars Military Refuses to Rule Out Coup Option

Military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun at a press conference in Naypyitaw on January 26, 2021. / The Irrawaddy

On this day last year, Myanmars military warned that it would take action if the dispute over the 2020 election was not settled, and declined to rule out staging a coup if its demands were not met.

The military had repeatedly called on the National League for Democracy (NLD) government, the Union Election Commission (UEC) or outgoing parliamentarians to prove that the 2020 general election was free and fair so that it could accept the result.

At a press conference in Naypyitaw on January 26, just four days before the newly-elected Parliament was scheduled to convene, military spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun said that the military would continue its efforts using all means at its disposal in compliance with the constitution and existing laws until the election dispute was settled.

When a reporter asked the spokesperson to clarify whether the vow to comply with the law meant that the military had no plans to seize power, the spokesperson immediately replied, No.

Against the backdrop of a series of nationwide pro-military rallies and protests targeting the UEC, his statement promoted widespread concerns about a possible coup by the military.

In response, the UEC called on the concerned parties to file complaints for alleged fraud cases in line with electoral laws. It said no individual or organization could change election results against the law, and that the wishes of the voters could not be compromised.

On January 30, Myanmars military said that it would protect and abide by the 2008 Constitution and act according to law. Many interpreted its announcement as an assurance that it would not seize power. That was also because newly-elected lawmakers and military-appointed parliamentarians were already in Naypyitaw to attend the opening of the new parliament.

But the military did stage a coup, seizing power from the NLD government on February 1 last year. The junta, however, is struggling to rule the country nearly one year on from the putsch. Coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing has admitted that he had not expected such strong resistance from the Myanmar people.



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North Korea fired two projectiles that are presumed to be long-range cruise missiles on Tuesday morning.

It was the regime's fifth missile provocation this year and the first show of force since it threatened to resume nuclear and intercontinental ballistic missile testing on Jan. 20.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff here called a press briefing only after media outlets already covered the launch and about six hours after the missiles were fired. "It's customary to let the public know only about the North's firing of ballistic missiles," a military spokesman claimed.

The JCS added it cannot make public "their exact launch site, range, and the direction in which they were fired" for the purpose of protecting the surveillance assets of South Korea and the U.S. But there is speculation that the military here actually failed to detect them.




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Coulter is charged with two counts of attempted first degree murder; reckless endangerment; unlawful possession of a weapon; and possession of a firearm during an attempt to commit a dangerous felony, among other things.
Construction on the Jonesborough Weigels convenience store, off Headtown Road, is nearing completion.

I think it will probably be May, said Weigels Chairman Bill Weigel, but its going to be our new get-four store  the latest design  so were looking forward to it.

The Jonesborough location will be the fourth in Northeast Tennessee for the Knoxville-based convenience store chain, though more are expected to open in the coming years.

Weigel said the company is working toward building new stores is Piney Flats and Elizabethton, and that the company would like to add more stores in the region  including in Johnson City.

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Weigels also has locations in Greeneville, Kingsport and Bristol, Tennessee.

We like the Tri-Cities, and we really like Johnson City, Weigel said.

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One of the youngest to ever be elected to the position, retired 23rd Circuit Court Judge Thomas W. Steptoe, Jr., died Sunday at the age of 70.
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South Carolina scrapped its proof-of-needs program on Tuesday after state senators voted overwhelmingly to remove the requirement.

A 35-6 vote sends the bill to the House.

The issue went unnoticed by many observers when the session began, but the Senate moved quickly to block any attempts by supporters, such as the South Carolina Hospital Association, to keep parts of the program, which they say protect health care in rural areas, and can Prevent hospitals from overspending due to competition.

The most ardent supporters of the repeal come from fast-growing areas such as Horry County and suburbs south of Charlotte, North Carolina. Groups there have been unable to convince state regulators and courts that hospitals are needed to serve the region.

Eighteen years, no hospitals. Eighteen years, no medical care. Broken bones, ruptured spleens, heart attacks, childbirths  all of these have come and gone, said Senator Michael Johnson, a Republican from Fort Mill.

Legal proof is required to obtain a permit from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control to build or expand a hospital or to purchase expensive equipment such as an MRI machine. Supporters, including the statewide hospital system, say the rules save money by avoiding costly duplication of services, encourage health care to locate or stay in rural areas, and ensure that care is provided of the highest quality. Fifteen states have repealed programs mandated by the federal government in the 1970s.

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The six senators who voted against repeal said they feared that already bleak health care options in rural areas would get worse.

I hope Im wrong about the impact of this repeal, said Sen. Kevin Johnson, D-Manning, who said he was asked to vote no by his local McLeod Health Clarendon Hospital, which worries about excess competition Hospitals would fail, and these competitors would then move themselves out of rural areas.

But the bill did have some Democratic support. It couldnt have gotten worse without the hospital, said Sen. Mike Fanning, who represents rural areas in Fairfield and Chester counties.

The bills lead sponsor, Sen. Wes Cramer (R-Rock Hill), said the merger of South Carolinas hospital system and the COVID-19 pandemic reversed the trend of repealing the law.

Previously, any medical business had to hire a consultant to help with the certification process, plus a lawyer to read the documents, and  if they were certified  even more lawyers to fight the inevitability of the decision appeal, Climer said.

All you have to do now is raise capital and start building, he said.

If repeal becomes law, 28 projects worth more than $1 billion currently bundled after initial approval will be free to build. They range from a 98-bed hospital in fast-growing Lancaster County to nine new cradles in the neonatal intensive care unit in Charleston, according to information provided to senators by Cramer.

It is no longer needed for 34 programs awaiting approval, including 10 different businesses that want to spend $70,000 each to provide intravenous drugs to people in most rural counties in the state.

There is a general desire to compete in medicine, Cramer said.

In 2013, when the then-governor, the need for a certificate was all but dead. Nikki Haley vetoed officials in the state budget of $2 million to run the program. The hospital sued, saying lawmakers never voted to end the program, and the state Supreme Court ruled in 2014 that the program should continue.

The House has previously passed bills that limited the program, but never ended it entirely.

Democrat Kevin Johnson said he hoped some Republicans who had proved so enthusiastic about the need to end would join their different health care proposals.
The Ad Astra map proposed by State House Republicans passed on Wednesday, despite opposition from several groups throughout the state. Governor Laura Kelly will vote to either approve or veto.
"Voice" starring Jang Hyuk, Lee Han Na, Kim Jae Wook and more solidified its dominance as one of the best thriller Kdrama.

Released in 2017, the series follows the journey of emergency call center employee turned voice profiler Kang Kwon Joo and her ability to help victims through sounds.

In her earlier years in the service, she was caught up in an incident that would change her life.

It came after she encountered a call from a woman, who turned out to be detective Moo Jin Hyuk's (Jang Hyuk) wife.

She failed to save the woman from her perpetrator because of one mistake. After being criticized and condemned by the public, thinking that she is connected with the case, Kang Kwon Jo returned to South Korea after her success as a voice profiler in the United States.

Here she sets up a team consisting of Moo Jin Hyuk as her team leader.

The thriller series became such a massive hit that it continued with three more sequels with new cast members Lee Jin Wook followed by Song Seung Heon.

Interestingly, "Voice" screenwriter Ma Jin Won hints at the possibility of the series returning for its fifth season; unfortunately, there might be bigger changes in "Voice 5" starting with Lee Ha Na.

"From Seasons 1 to 3, gaining empathy through the stories of the male leads were one of the forces of 'Voice.' Now, for the first time, Kang Kwon Joo will be leaving the center," the drama writer explained.

Before OCN dropped its fifth season, let's see what the "Voice" cast are up to know after their stellar performance in season 1.

Jang Hyuk (Moo Jin Hyeok)

Viewers witnessed how the 45-year-old actor perfectly played the role of the doting husband and father after his family was ruined because of a serial killer.

After landing the role of famous detective Moo Jin Hyeok in "Voice," Jang Hyuk headlined several notable series such as "Money Flower," "Tell Me What You Sae," and the 2020 film "The Swordsman."

Interestingly, he is making a comeback to the small screen with the new Kdrama "Red Single Heart" airing on KBS this April 2022.

Lee Ha Na (Kang Kwon Joo)

The South Korean actress reprised her role as an emergency call center voice profiler for four seasons of "Voice."

As mentioned above, Lee Ha Na might not appear in season 5, but fans would get to see more of her on social media as she often updates her followers on social media.

Her latest update was a photo of her holding a guitar alongside a message saying, "how are you there. Is everything going good? Love my own time these days."

Kim Jae Wook (Mo Tae Goo)

Viewers are puzzled as to who the mysterious serial killer in "Voice" is, but it turns out that it was Sungwoon Express president Moo Tae Goo, played by Kim Jae Wook.

He brutally killed his victims by smashing their heads with a kettlebell, including Moo Jin Hyeok's wife.

Following his impressive performance in "Voice," Kim Jae Wook starred in the rom-com series "Her Private Life" and will headline the cast of KBS' "Crazy Love" with Krystal Jung.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Gena Wills
"Our Beloved Summer" episode 16 follows the growth of Yeon Soo (Kim Da Mi), Woong (Choi Woo Sik) and Ji Woong (Kim Sung Cheol), and how they face their own dilemmas in life.

Following their hearts this time, Yeon Soo, Woong and Ji Woong hope for the best.

'Our Beloved Summer' Episode 16: Woong Decides to Leave for Paris

Woong, because of his mom and dad, grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Since he was a kid, many people didn't expect him to thrive by himself because everything is directly given to him without worries.

He already made a name for himself, as the artist who draws the most beautiful paintings by hand. However, in "Our Beloved Summer" Episode 16, he becomes determined to become an architect and study in France.

For the first time in his life, he made a huge decision for himself.

Everyone around him knows his plans, and they couldn't help it but to get sad. His mother, father, Eun Ho (Ahn Dong Gu) and even NJ (Noh Jung Ui) who became his friend just recently.

In order to not make the same mistake they did when they were still young, Woong tries to convince Yeon Soo to come to Paris with him. Yeon Soo, who has a conflicting heart and mind, couldn't give an answer right away.

Before leaving, Woong confronts his past and present. His mother, in spite of being orphaned, assures him that he's still her son. The love they have for Woong will never change, which tamed Woong's worried heart.

In addition to that, Woong finds closure with his real father, who's working as a construction worker. He takes one last glance from him before flying to Paris.

Yeon Soo Declines Woong's Paris Offer

Growing up, Yeon Soo prioritized her grandmother's safety more than anyone else. She became strong and aloof because it meant that she'll never be hurt when people finally leave her.

Yeon Soo learned how to fend for herself alone. But she soon realizes that she was never alone, and admitted to herself that the people around her were dear to her, despite her coldness towards them.

Her best friend Sol Yi (Park Jin Joo), who has never left her side even when things got rough; her boss and senior, who believed in her and her skills, and never once doubted her; her team and co-workers who have been supportive of her.

Yeon Soo is just starting to appreciate the smallest things around her, and she wants to live in it for a little longer.

Because of that, in "Our Beloved Summer" Episode 16, she declines Woong's Paris offer and reassures that everything will be okay for they are both better, mature and understanding now.

Long Distance Relationships, Do They Ever Work?

The first few months without Woong had been extremely difficult for Yeon Soo. She drinks a lot and cries, talking nonstop about how she misses her boyfriend.

Eun Ho and Sol Yi comfort their beloved friend, sometimes laughing at how comical she actually is.

Woong and Yeon Soo have frequent video chats, updating each other on how their day went. Yeon Soo reminds Woong not to look at other girls with her never-ending "what if" questions that certainly entertained the latter.

But some busy days don't allow them to speak with each other, which made Yeon Soo worried. Woong sees to it that he calls Yeon Soo as soon as his work is finished.

One night, when Yeon Soo walks home from work, Woong surprises her with his presence that the former definitely missed.

For the first time in a decade, Woong finally says how much he loves Yeon Soo. The two share a soulful kiss full of love and longing.

A Happy, Summery Ever After

Woong's family annually donate books for kids who love to read, because Woong himself loves reading.

On the way to the donation center, Chae Ran (Jeon Hye Won), who still works for Ji Woong (Kim Sung Cheol), bravely tells how she feels for the latter, flattering him.

Sol Yi and Eun Ho, who have been Yeon Soo and Woong's voices of reason, also confessed their feelings for each other. After two long years, the two go on their very first date.

On the other hand, Woong and Yeon Soo fight about who fell in love first. Yeon Soo claims that it is Woong, but the latter strongly disagrees with it.

However, Woong is clearly the one who became interested in Yeon Soo first, doodling the very first time he saw her in one of the books.

Woong never drew people in his works except for Yeon Soo, revealing how he deeply loves the woman.

Yeon Soo and Woong: The Third Documentary

Yeon Soo marries the love of her life, Woong, which was considered to be the wedding of the decade.

Fans rejoiced upon seeing the newlyweds' life and what has changed in the two of them. Ji Woong then visits the lovers, asking them to do another documentary.

"Our Beloved Summer" continues with Yeon Soo and Woong's love story, now greeting the camera as husband and wife.

Follow KDramaStars for more KMovie, KDrama, and celebrity updates!





KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
"Ghost Doctor" episode 8 showcases another ups and downs of Kim Bum and Rain after they agreed to unite and partner up to save lives at Eunsang University Medical Center.

In addition, the second half of the medical fantasy Kdrama climbs up, setting a new personal best for viewership ratings.

'Ghost Doctor' Viewership Rating

Per Nielsen Korea, "Ghost Doctor" episode 8 achieved a nationwide average of 7.4 percent and 7.1 percent in metropolitan areas, beating its personal best and setting a new all-time high rating.

Moreover, Rain and Kim Bum's Kdrama made it the number one Monday and Tuesday night series.

'Ghost Doctor' Episode 8 Recap: Cha Young Min Recalls his First Surgery

The eighth episode starts with Ko Seung Tak preventing a patient from being transferred to another hospital.

His fellow doctors insist that the patient should move immediately to another facility as there are no surgeons available to assist, but the first-year resident said that he would lead the operation.

With the help of Cha Young Min, they both had another successful operation and saved another life.

Following this, Ko Seung Tak reflects on how fulfilling the job is, but he doesn't have Dr. Cha's skill.

This was when Cha Young Min shared his first time operating a patient back when he was still an intern.

He explained that everything felt blurred when he was in the operating room and could not believe that he had pulled off a tricky surgery.

Moreover, the thoracic surgeon pointed out that he couldn't bear patients dying due to a lack of medical doctors.

The same goes for Ko Seung Tak, who says he feels a certain accomplishment just by seeing his patient treated.

However, their conversation shifted after Cha Young Min told his junior that he knew he didn't have much time but wanted to help others through the help of Ko Seung Tak.

Han Seung Won Uncovers Ko Seung Tak's Secret

As the duo continue their deal, Ko Seung Tak's cousin, Han Seung Won, remains doubtful about the intern's ability.

During her conversation with Seung Tak's mother, he mentioned that he knew Ko Seung Tak was special and hinted that his ability is connected to his activities in the hospital.

With this, he plans on uncovering his secret through evidence with the help of Dr. Ahn Tae Hyun.

Cha Young Min's Heartfelt Conversation with Chairman Jang

In "Ghost Doctor" episode 8, Cha Young Min meets Chairman Jang Kwang Duk as he talks about his family, especially Dr. Jang Se Jin.

First, he thanked Dr. Cha for his successful operation and apologized for ruining his relationship with Se Jin.

However, he sensed that the chairman was saying goodbye as Jang Kwang Duk told him to take care of his daughter.

As for his son, he asked the help of Dr. Cha to expose the lies of Jang Min Ho, which he did through their family's attorney and Se Jin.

Surprisingly, Chairman Jang's will includes a do-not-resuscitate order or DNR, which stunned his daughter.

"Ghost Doctor" episode 8 featured a heartbreaking scene between the chairman and his daughter after Dr. Se Jin bids farewell to her father.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
It seems impossible for "Single's Inferno" star Song Ji Ah to escape the prying eyes of the media and public after she faced a wave of criticism. Unfortunately, this time, it involves her father, who was accused of being the "core of the controversy."

Controversial Reporter Kim Yong Ho Took a Swipe at 'Single's Inferno's' Song Ji Ah

It all started when the controversial reporter Kim Yong Ho from Garo Sero Institute posted a video where he talked about the popularity of the 25-year-old beauty content creator.

The famous Youtuber, who recently came out of his retirement, revealed on his video that right before she appeared on Netflix's reality dating show, he had already received intel about her identity.

"It was around the time when Song Ji A had 100,000 subscribers that I started receiving intel about her. Now, she has around 2 million and is becoming something closer to a celebrity," he said as obtained by Koreaboo.

As some viewers and fans would know, Song Ji Ah is a content creator on YouTube who often posts beauty and lifestyle videos.

However, her stint in "Single's Inferno" skyrocketed her fame, making her YouTube channel rake millions of followers as well as her Instagram.

As of this writing Song Ji Ah's YouTube garnered 1.91 million subscribers while her Instagram has 3.7 million followers.

As the controversial reporter continues, he also took a swipe at Song Ji Ah's father, naming him as the center of the issue.

Garo Sero Institute's Kim Yong Ho pointed out that the public has a false perception about her father and his identity.

According to his video, fans knew that he works as a dentist, but it turned out that it was a lie.

"He is supposedly a dentist-but her dad is not a dentist. I know what Song Ji A's father really does for work. I also know how Song Ji A's father raised his daughter," he said.

Moreover, he also explained that the reality star might say that she never mentioned her father being a dentist, but Kim Yong Ho highlighted that being quiet and hiding his real job "is the same as lying."

Why is Garo Sero Institute's Kim Yong Ho Called Song Ji Ah's Father as the Root of the Controversy?

Amid his shocking revelations, the Garo Sero Institute reporter also dubbed him as "the core of the controversy" since several fans believed they could afford the wealthy lifestyle because he is a dentist.

On the other hand, Kim Yong Ho did not expose the father's real job but gave Song Ji Ah a chance to explain her side.

"I believe that she or her agency will watch this video. I want her to honestly confess it all," he added.

The 25-year-old beauty catapults to fame after being the fan favorite in Netflix's "Single's Inferno."

Unfortunately, just days after the reality dating show wrapped up its finale, Song Ji Ah faced backlash after she was accused of wearing knock off luxury items like Chanel and Dior while on the program.

Amid this, she immediately addresses the issue through a handwritten apology shared on her Instagram and recently, a video expressing her deep regrets for her action.

KDramastars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Dashing and looking excited, the "Rookie Cops" stars attended the drama's press conference and enticed the viewers on what's in store in the upcoming romance comedy K-series.

Before the much-awaited premiere, the cast Kang Daniel, Chae Soo Bin, Lee Shin Young, and Park Yoo Na shared their thoughts on their first project together and what they enjoyed the most while filming the drama.

'Rookie Cops' Director Kim Byung Soo Tells More About the Drama

The drama's director Kim Byung Soo was also present at the virtual presscon. He introduced the drama by saying, "It's a story about the friendship and love of young people set in a Police university." He commented that older people would be able to reminisce about their youth through the series.

According to the director, it is a work that shows how young people in their twenties should get through this world and learn how to live. The story also includes the concerns of your people on how they can change the world.

Meanwhile, Kang Daniel, who takes the role of a hot-tempered university student, Wi Seung Hyun, introduced himself as a rookie actor and said that doing his first drama is like meeting his first love.

Kang Daniel and Park Yoo Na Reveal the Training They Had Before Filming' Rookie Cops'

He then confessed that the reason why he chose "Rookie Cops" as his debut drama was that he wants it to be memorable to play a young role in his youth. The young CEO also said that it might be his last youth drama before entering his late twenties.

Kang Daniel also revealed that he attended action school to provide high quality action for the drama's required scenes. Since he was eager to show a new side of himself, KD focused a lot on doing the action scenes.

Since he didn't have the chance to attend college in person due to his profession and busy schedule, Kang Daniel got the experiences he missed in life while filming "Rookie Cops" that's why he really did enjoy going on set.

On the other hand, Chae Soo Bin who plays as Go Eun Gang shared that it was her first time to cut her hair short for a drama and wants to show a bright and energetic side of her in "Rookie Cops."

The actress added that while filming the series, it feels like she was also watching her school days.

Taking Kim Tak's role is "CLOY" actor Lee Shin Young, a freshman who is part of the Judo national team. He is praised for his dialect acting. The young actor also reminisces the good times he had with the cast. Shin Young even called KD "Niel Hyung" to express their closeness.

Meanwhile, Park Yoo Na takes the role of Ki Han Na, a soft-spoken yet chic student. She also gets honest that she really hates sport but since it's part of the drama, Yoo Na underwent training and tried her best to work even though her body ached due to the physical training.

Furthermore, "Rookie Cops" premieres on January 26 at Disney+ Korea.

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Written by Shai Collins.
1986  E&W

Matthew Feldman

1988  FT

Scott Ableman

Matthew Feldman has been named chairman of the board of managers at Common Securitization Solutions (CSS), a joint venture owned by Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac that enables the issuance of the largest segment of mortgage-backed securities to support liquidity in the nations housing finance markets. Feldman previously served as president and CEO of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago and he is a life member of the Kellogg Global Advisory Board.With travel, theater, and baseball all still on hold, Scott Ableman decided against his better judgment to speed up rather than slow down. After volunteering as a Tech for Campaigns marketing project leader in 2020 (helping to elect down-ballot candidates in critical statehouse races), Ableman joined a startup team to launch LevelFields, an AI-based platform that helps individual investors see and forecast the impact of developing events on stock prices. He and wife Debbie are looking forward to having friends and fellow alumni visit them in the Washington, D.C., area as things open up again.

1988  FT

Heather Annaloro

andgathered together with friends and fellow Kellogg gradto celebrate the release of Julies memoir, Twice A Daughter, a story about searching and fighting for hidden information and what it means to be adopted.

1988  FT

Marta Saltz

Texas-based alumna Mara Saltz reports her hobby as a singer in The Woodlands Show Chorus hit a high note recently. The award-winning, four-part harmony a cappella chorus (pictured) is a regional champion and has also placed in the top 10 in international competition. TWSC created its first virtual performance and choral greeting card in December 2020, inspired by the need to go digital because of the pandemic. Singing videograms are available for purchase on the groups website: thewoodlandsshowchorus.org.
Vik Bains (right), branch manager of TD Canada Trust in Rutland, presents a $40,000 donation to Amarjit Singh Lalli, president of The Okanagan Sikh Temple and Cultural Society, to help start a new mental health and addictions recovery support initiative for the South Asian community in Kelowna and surrounding region.
ALBANY  Progressive groups are starting to line up behind Jumaane Williams as he sets his sights on Albany.

New York Communities for Change, an advocacy and community organizing group with roughly 20,000 members, is endorsing the current city public advocate in his bid to unseat Gov. Hochul.

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The group plans to announce their support for Williams with a rally outside of Brooklyn Housing Court on Thursday as they knock Hochul for not doing more to prevent evictions and protect low-income New Yorkers adversely impacted by the COVID pandemic.

Our members agree that Jumaane has the best vision, experience and plans to help low-income communities of color across the state rebuild their lives after the devastation of COVID, Jonathan Westin, the groups executive director, said in a statement.

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While touting Williams progressive bona fides, Westin and others targeted Hochul over the expiration of the states COVID eviction moratorium and the large number of donations she has accepted from the deep-pocketed real estate developers.

New York City Public Advocate and Democratic candidate for Governor of New York, Jumaane Williams. (Luiz C. Ribeiro/for New York Daily News)

Since replacing disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo six months ago, Hochul has amassed a $21 million campaign war chest.

Communities for Change Board Chairwoman Marie Pierre encouraged other progressives to back Williams as well.

Make no mistake: Jumaane knows us, and we know Jumaane, Pierre said. He is up against a very well-funded corporate Democrat, which is why we urge other grassroots groups around the state with large bases of voters to get off the sidelines.

From Brooklyn to Buffalo, its time for progressives to unite around Jumaane and jump into this Democratic primary with full and energetic support for his campaign, she added.

Williams and Hochul will face off in Junes Democratic primary along with Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-L.I.).

The pair were last pitted against one another when Williams challenged the then-lieutenant governor for her post in 2018.

Hochul has earned endorsements from top Democrats and labor unions across the state and has emerged as a clear front-runner in early polling as she seeks a full term in office.

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Last November, Williams entered the governors race, stressing his activism against racism and police brutality, and has since hammered Hochul on multiple issues, including allowing the eviction ban to expire.
Sen. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville, testifies before the Senate Health and Welfare Committee about Senate Bill 8, a measure to combat child abuse and neglect in Kentucky. (Screenshot via Kentucky Today)
Ketchikan, AK (99901)

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ALBANY  Law enforcement officials and representatives from nine Northeastern states gathered Wednesday near Albany to discuss violence, crime and the spread of illegal guns.

Gov. Hochul hosted the first meeting of the new Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns at the New York State Intelligence Center in East Greenbush following a wave of high-profile shootings, including a Harlem incident that left two NYPD officers dead.

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We have a moral obligation to do everything we can to fight the scourge of illegal guns on our street, the governor said ahead of the sitdown. Too many lives have been lost because of illegal firearms that should never have been on our streets.

By convening law enforcement officials from across the region, we can share intelligence and strategies that stem the flow of illegal guns and keep New Yorkers safe, she added.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul (right) with Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin in the background, delivers remarks at the first meeting of the Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns in East Greenbush, N.Y. on Jan. 26, 2022. (Mike Groll/Mike Groll/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul)

Lt. Gov. Brian Benjamin joined Hochul and representatives from the New York State Police, the NYPD, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and other law enforcement agencies from New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, Ohio, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New Hampshire. Mayor Adams joined a premeeting news conference virtually.

According to the governor, the task force will focus on setting up information-sharing systems and finding ways to share intelligence and tactics while partnering with prosecutors and law enforcement agencies in different states and regions.

What we have to focus on is real-time gathering of intelligence. Not wait a couple of days, not wait until a lab is finished analyzing, real-time, immediate response, Hochul said.

The governor also announced the appointment of Calliana Thomas as the director of the New York State Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

The new office will be a subsidiary of the Health Departments Center for Community Health. It will work with the Division of Criminal Justice Services and other agencies to coordinate efforts and direct resources to existing and emerging gun violence hotspots.

Hochul also highlighted several of her budget proposals to tackle gun violence, including nearly $9 million in funding for the New York State Police to hire new recruits, gun crime tracing analysts, social media analysts and computer crime experts.

The governor has also called for nearly $4 million to invest in equipment and software for a computer and cybercrimes unit within the state police.
Mayor Adams invoked the federal governments response to 9/11 as a starting point to how leaders should now approach stemming the terror gun violence has created in the city and New York State.

Adams, who appeared remotely at a news briefing convened by Gov. Hochul, praised the governor after her announcement that the state would partner with other states, as well as federal and local authorities, to gather, analyze and share intelligence on how guns are getting into New York.

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It is time for us to use the same abilities that we displayed during Sept. 11 to stop the external terrorist threat. We are going to use that with the terror of gun violence thats sweeping our entire nation, he said. We must be unified on this threat. And I am happy to have a governor who has acknowledged the importance of this moment.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams (Theodore Parisienne/for New York Daily News)

The new Multi-State Gun Intelligence Consortium, which held its first meeting after the announcement, will focus on stopping gun trafficking within the state and across state lines.

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The task force comes in response to a wave of gun violence thats swept through the Big Apple since COVID first hit the city in March 2020, and more recently, to a spate of shootings that left two NYPD cops dead after a Harlem shootout and an 11-month-old hospitalized after being shot in the face in the Bronx.

Adams suggested that part of what has been lacking in response to gun violence is a lack of coordination, not just between various levels of government and their agencies, but with private sector interests such as social media companies.

We are failing to move with the level of urgency that we did in other crises. Our entire country mobilized against the COVID threat to make sure it did not continue to spread, he said. Thats the same level of intelligence that we must use to end the pandemic of gun violence.

He then noted that government must muster the strength of our social media corporations as well as seek support from medical facilities and the education system to tackle gun violence. Exactly how he intends to do that remains unclear, though. A request to the mayors office for more specifics was not immediately answered.

Adams, a former NYPD captain, supported the Police Departments efforts to get guns off the streets and reiterated his belief that while cops in the city and the state are doing their job, its not enough for only law enforcement to assume responsibility.

We removed 6,000 guns off the streets in New York City in 2021. Over 300 guns were removed during my first few weeks in office, he said. They cant do this alone. We cannot continue to lose 22-year-old children because of the failure of the other partners in this fight against gun violence.

Seized guns are on display at a press conference about seized ghost guns at the Queens District Attorney's office in Queens, New York. (Barry Williams/for New York Daily News)

Adams did not explicitly say which partners have failed, but he has demanded in recent days that state lawmakers revisit bail reforms enacted in recent years as one way to attack gun violence. He has also called on the state to allow judges to set bail based on their assessment of how dangerous the defendant is.

Today, we are acknowledging were going to do our share, he said. Now its time for government and all other entities to do their share.
Looking to update your home? Watch the KHQ Spring Home Design Guide featuring the areas top home improvement businesses on Sat, May 7 at 4:30pm on KHQ. And click here to win a $500 VISA gift card, courtesy of our presenting partner - VPC Electric!
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Kilkenny's Malcolm Noonan has flagged concerns over Russia conducting military exercises off the Irish Coast for the potential impact of sonar on marine life.

"I am deeply concerned at the news that military exercises are to be conducted by Russia in the deep seas within Irelands Exclusive Economic Area," he said in a statement last night.

"While we do not know the nature of these exercises, we do know that underwater sounds such as active military sonar can have devastating consequences for cetaceans including some of our rarest marine mammal species, notably the deep-diving and rarely-seen Blue whale, Sperm whale and beaked whales. It can cause significant disruption to their hearing systems and normal behaviour, and may lead to permanent or even lethal injury. I have written to both Minister Coveney and the Russian Ambassador to express these concerns.

"Irelands marine mammals have been the focus of considerable research efforts over the last three decades and the understanding of species occurrence, abundance and distribution has improved markedly in that time. Most recently the ObSERVE project, run jointly by my Department and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, mapped cetaceans through aerial and ship-based surveys over a three year period and across an extensive area of our off-shore waters. The second phase of this project  ObSERVE 2  is currently ongoing.
The Women of Honour (WoH) group has slammed Simon Coveney's approach to investigating allegations of sexual assault, sexism and bullying in the Defence Forces.

The serious allegations were unveiled in an RTE documentary last year, with the Minister for Defence yesterday (Tuesday January 25) confirming a judge-led independent review will be established.

However, WoH is adamant a legal process is needed rather than a review, and walked out of yesterday's meeting with Minister Coveney.

In a statement today (Wednesday January 26), a WoH spokesperson said, "A one-year-long administrative review does not have the statutory protections required for such sensitive investigations to be effective and is just kicking the can down the road of pointlessness.

"The group appointed do not have the tools to compel attendance by witnesses or documents. Disgracefully, Minister Coveney arrived to the meeting yesterday with terms of reference that had the words final stamped all over them. He then tried to stamp all over us."

Diane Byrne, a member of the Women of Honour group, said the decision by Simon Coveney not to commit to a statutory inquiry into issues of sexual assault in the Defence Forces will cause a lot of damage to victims. pic.twitter.com/wfcRkrT2Uy  Cate McCurry (@CateMcCurry) January 25, 2022

The group has welcomed the decision of Taoiseach Micheal Martin to meet with them about the issue following what they've called Minister Coveney's "mishandling" of the situation.

The spokesperson continued: "The circumstances of Women of Honour and countless other serving and former members of the Defence Forces involve issues surrounding dignity in the workplace, bullying, harassment, discrimination, assault, sexual harassment and sexual assault. These issues remain in the Defence Forces and are still unfortunately real and live. That is why we are so devastated by Ministers Coveneys attempt at white-washing."

The minister met with the group in September 2021, where he pledged to address the issues raised.

At the time, he stated, "I would like to say sorry to anyone who has suffered during their time in the Defence Forces and assure them The State will now urgently carry out an Independent Review."

Yesterday, he released a statement calling the review "absolutely critical" to ensure the workplace is safe for serving members.

He stated, "In this endeavour, I believe I have the wholehearted support of serving personnel."

The interim report is expected to be submitted within six months, with a final report available within nine months.

In the statement, Minister Coveney did not rule out a future "further body of work" to examine historical allegations brought forward by Women of Honour and other stakeholders.

He said, "I am very grateful for the courage Women of Honour, other Groups and serving personnel have shown in sharing their experiences. These historical cases are complex, particularly in relation to cases of alleged sexual misconduct. I have additionally liaised with the Attorney General and taken advice from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on these matters.

"I wish to state categorically that these cases are not being ignored but careful consideration on how best to address these allegations is required. The Terms of Reference of this Review provide that both former and serving members may share their experiences with the Independent Review Group who may then determine if a further body of work is required in relation to specific allegations."
Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) calls for additional federal funds to protect New York houses of worship after the recent hostage attack on a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas.

The powerful Senate majority leader said that the Jan. 15 attack has put New Yorks religious communities on edge  and the feds need to help.

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The hostage situation that we watched unfold at the Texas synagogue and other local incidents of intolerance at the places we worship or congregate here have New Yorkers very worried, Schumer said. Protecting our religious spaces, like our synagogues, mosques, churches, and more demands more help.

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Schumer announced the new push at a Wednesday morning press conference with religious and non-profit leaders outside the United Jewish Appeal on Manhattans Upper East Side.

I am making a $360 million push so that the nation and New York can tap these funds and help fortify more places of worship, Schumer said.

Hundreds of churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship have benefited from the Non-Profit Security Grant program launched in fiscal year 2020.

About $33 million last year went to organizations in New York state, up from $17 million in the programs first year, an aide to Schumer said.

The increased funding is needed because hate crimes aimed at religious groups are rising nationwide. Despite being a bastion of tolerance, New York has also seen shocking rises in anti-Semitic and anti-Asian hate crimes.

The latest incident to cause unease came on Jan. 15, when an armed man took four people hostage in the synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, near Dallas, during a Sabbath service.

The attacker, who demanded the release of a jailed Islamic radical, eventually released the hostages and was killed when police stormed the synagogue.
North Korea has accelerated its weapons testing in 2022, conducting five missile tests since the start of the year and recently suggesting that it may resume testing nuclear weapons and long-range missiles. Some analysts say the ramped-up testing is an expected progression of the North's military strategy, and that it may not end any time soon.

"[Leader] Kim Jong-un has set the tone for how the [Workers'] Party will approach relations with the United States, and he's made it clear that he wants to move into a period of confrontation," said Jean H. Lee, a senior fellow at the Wilson Center and a longtime foreign correspondent and expert on North Korea. "So I think we need to brace ourselves for a period of ramped-up testing."

After a six-month hiatus, North Korea resumed testing missiles last September, conducting at least seven missile launches since then. Five of those have been in the less than three weeks from Jan. 5 to Jan. 25. In this year's tests, North Korea launched six ballistic missiles -- almost as many as it launched in all of 2021. Most recently, on Jan. 25, North Korea launched what appeared to be two cruise missiles off its east coast, according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On Jan. 17, the country launched what is called "tactical guided missiles," which are reportedly capable of carrying out precision strikes. On Jan. 14, the North launched two ballistic missiles from train cars. And on Jan. 5 and Jan. 11, it launched "hypersonic ballistic missiles" with detachable gliding warheads.

The Politburo of the ruling Workers' Party in North Korea also announced on Jan. 20 that they plan to "rapidly examine the issue of resuming all temporarily-suspended activities." The statement appears to refer to Kim's voluntary suspension of nuclear and long-range missile testing in 2018.

The missile launches and threat of nuclear and long-range missile testing has elicited condemnation from neighboring Japan in addition to the U.S. and seven other members of the United Nations Security Council. The U.S. imposed unilateral sanctions over the missile launches. The U.S. also requested that the UN impose sanctions, though China and Russia are currently blocking those efforts.

But to some analysts, the tests are not surprising, especially considering the state of negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington. Denuclearization talks have been stalled since the 2019 Hanoi summit between Kim and then-President Donald Trump ended without an agreement on denuclearization or sanctions relief.

"I think like most people, I wasn't terribly surprised by the tests. The Biden people haven't been engaging with North Korea very much," said Robert Kelly, a professor of political science at Pusan National University. "And Trump created the expectation that North Korea now gets to meet with the American president, or theyll shoot off missiles, as we've seen."

Trump and Kim's 2018 summit in Singapore marked the first meeting between a sitting U.S. president and North Korean leader.

Over the past year, North Korea has indicated several times that it intends to advance its military capabilities. At North Korea's Eighth Workers' Party Congress, held in January 2021, Kim announced plans for further developing North Korea's military, including "a nuclear force." And last October, Pyongyang held an arms expo, where it displayed missiles including an apparent intercontinental ballistic missile.

"The testing is not really a surprise. They showed us that this was coming," said Jeffrey Lewis, the director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. "It's pretty clear that North Korea has embarked on an extended period of testing, which they outlined more than a year ago."

North Korea also seems to have restarted its Yongbyon nuclear reactor last summer, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Yongbyon nuclear reactor, North Korea's main nuclear facility, produced the fissile materials for North Korea's six nuclear tests between 2006 and 2017.

Lewis said he suspects that the North's period of more aggressive weapons development and testing may last for around two years. "The news [about potential nuclear and long-range testing] is kind of a final warning: North Korea has tried diplomacy, and that phase is over now," Lewis said.

"To be honest, that phase probably ended this summer, when they restarted the reactor at Yongbyon, because they don't ever run that reactor for less than two years," Lewis continued. "So they locked themselves into a two-year period of testing and development, before they can come back and start talking again."

The rapid succession of missile tests by the North has increased tensions at a delicate moment. South Korea's presidential election will be held on March 9, and the Winter Olympics in Beijing will run from Feb. 4 to Feb. 20.

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, said the North will likely back down on testing during the Olympics. "Pyongyang should be relatively restrained in terms of provocations during the Olympics," Easley wrote in an e-mail to Chosun Ilbo. "So to the extent the North Koreans have missiles to test for improving military capabilities and sending signals before South Korea's presidential election on March 9, they should probably do that before Feb. 4."

But even if the North temporarily scales back testing during the Olympics, analysts say that reprieve is not likely to last. Lee pointed out that 2022 marks a year of many celebrations in North Korea, including the 10th anniversary of Kim's rule, his father and predecessor Kim Jong-il's 80th birthday in February, and his grandfather Kim Il-sung's 110th birthday in April.

"Those are huge milestones, and they tend to celebrate with tests and weapons," Lee said.

Diplomacy with the North might have some effect on slowing down the North's weapons testing and development, according to analysts. For example, Lewis said the U.S. might be able to convince the North to continue its self-imposed ICBM testing moratorium by lifting sanctions.

Sharon Squassoni, a professor at George Washington University and a member of the Bulletin Atomic Sciences Board, said it is important to conduct diplomacy in incremental, realistic steps. "The key to achieving risk reduction on the Korean Peninsula is that there are very clear, incremental steps," Squassoni said. "You don't move to denuclearization first."

But some analysts are skeptical that diplomacy will be able to stop the North's more aggressive testing altogether. "I think the combination of the Biden people not being willing to give very much, and North Korea's asking price being very high -- there just isn't a lot of room for diplomacy at this point," Lewis said.

While the North may be relatively resistant to diplomacy at the moment, Lee said she believes North Korea is pursuing more aggressive testing to ultimately return to nuclear negotiations and diplomacy with the United States. "We don't know how long this will last, but I don't think that it means we won't see any diplomacy," Lee said.

"The nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and North Korea in 2018 and 2019 were extraordinary," she added. "But Kim Jong-un may have come away thinking that his nuclear arsenal wasn't strong enough, and that he needs to expand that arsenal, so that if and when he gets back to the negotiating table, he's in a stronger position."

In the meantime, Kelly said he believes South Korea should improve its missile defense systems, especially if the North continues its aggressive testing. Pyongyang has outlined plans to test intercontinental ballistic missiles, a military satellite, and eventually a nuclear-powered submarine, according to Lewis.

"If we can't talk them out further testing, which I think is highly unlikely, then the only choice we have is to build the roof. We just have to keep throwing money at missile defense," Kelly said. "And people will say, 'It doesn't work. It's really expensive.' But what else do we have? What else are we going to do?"


Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, 83, has decided to retire, giving President Biden the chance to replace the most senior liberal judge on the nations top court.

Breyers decision to step down means Biden can try to solidify the three-judge liberal block on the conservative-dominated nine-judge court with a younger jurist.

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The courts oldest justice, appointed by President Clinton in 1994, plans to announce his retirement Thursday and will remain on the bench until the end of the courts current term in the summer.

Biden has vowed to appoint the first Black woman Supreme Court justice, a pledge that he will now have the chance to fulfill. The White House said he stands by the promise.

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U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen Breyer (Erin Schaff/AP)

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer vowed to move quickly to confirm a replacement for Breyer on the high court, an appointment that the Senate must confirm by a simple majority vote.

President Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed, Schumer said.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, sent a tweet soon after the news broke, saying, It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today.

Among the names being circulated as potential nominees are California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, 45, U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, 51, prominent civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, 59, and U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs, 55, whom Biden has nominated to be an appeals court judge.

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (Tom Williams/AP)

Liberals had urged Breyer to retire soon while Democrats control the Senate, to avoid the risk of Republicans blocking Biden from appointing a replacement.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, an iconic liberal justice, refused to retire when former President Barack Obama was in office and died on Sep. 18, 2020, while still serving on the bench. That gave former President Donald Trump the opportunity to appoint conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement.

Biden will need the support of all or almost all the Democratic senators to get his pick confirmed, including Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), the two moderates who have torpedoed vital parts of his agenda.

The fight over Breyers replacement will come as the American political world gears up for the midterm elections in November.

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Justice Lenodra Kruger of the California Supreme Court (S. Todd Rogers/AP)

Biden and Democrats will likely seek to use the effort to rally their base around progressive issues like abortion and voting rights, LGBTQ equality and affirmative action, all of which have been in the crosshairs of the increasingly right-wing court in recent years.

Republicans who changed the Senate rules during the Trump era to allow simple majority confirmation of Supreme Court nominees appeared resigned to the outcome.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement: If all Democrats hang together  which I expect they will  they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support.

Nomination of a Black woman could also help Biden politically with some of the Democratic Partys most important Election Day supporters. He has been criticized by black leaders and groups for failing so far to persuade the Senate to pass legislation shoring up voting rights that are being restricted in a number of Republican-led states.

Change comes slowly to the Supreme Court. Of the 115 justices in U.S. history, there have been just five women, beginning with Sandra Day OConnor in 1981. One of the five, Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a Latina. Clarence Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall are the only two Black men who have served on the court.

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A Mexican journalist was fatally shot Sunday in Tijuana, the second time a journalist was killed in the city in seven days.

Lourdes Maldonado Lopez personally told President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2019 that she feared for her life as a journalist. She was found shot death inside a car Sunday night.

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Renee Maldonado shows a photo of her aunt, Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, who was shot and killed on Jan. 23. (Marco Ugarte/AP)

In April 2021, Maldonados car was shot up, and she was offered protection through a government program designed to give journalists access to panic buttons and safe houses.

Maldonado joined the program, but she was not the first person to be killed under its watch. Ten people who took the protection have been murdered in the past five years, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

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Maldonado covered corruption and politics in Tijuana. She was also involved in a nine-year fight with a previous employer over back pay. That employer, Jaime Bonilla, was governor of Baja California between 2019 and 2021 and is a member of Lopez Obradors party.

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Shortly before her death, Maldonado announced that shed won her case.

Xochitl Zamora, a friend of murdered journalist Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, collects her friend;s pets from the crime scene and Maldonados home, in Tijuana on Tuesday. (Marco Ugarte/AP)

Lopez Obrador promised an investigation into Maldonados killing and said, You cant automatically tie a labor lawsuit to a crime. Its not responsible to rush to judgment, you have to wait.

But an estimated 95% of journalist murders in Mexico never make it to trial. Another reporter, crime photographer Margarito Martinez, was shot dead outside his home in Tijuana on Jan. 17.

Maldonado spoke Jan. 21 at a vigil in his honor and was killed two days later, the Los Angeles Times reported. Baja Californias new governor, Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda, appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the killings of Martinez and Maldonado.

But police have not announced any progress in either case. Nothing suggests the two killings were connected, and the two journalists worked for different outlets. Almost 2,000 people were killed in Tijuana in 2021; estimates place it between the most dangerous and fifth-most dangerous city in the world.

Mexico is one of the deadliest countries in the world for journalists, according to multiple human rights groups. More than 40 journalists in the country have been killed or disappeared in the past three years. Maldonado was the third reporter killed in January alone, following the deaths of Martinez and Jose Luis Gamboa, who was stabbed to death in Veracruz on Jan. 10.

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The US Coast Guard said a man was rescued from a capsized boat by a good Samaritan on Tuesday morning.
Pope Francis on Wednesday told parents of gay children to accompany  and not condemn  them.

Speaking off the cuff during his weekly general audience in the Vaticans Paul VI Audience Hall, Franciss remarks came as he was teaching about St. Joseph, the father of Jesus.

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During the address, the 85-year-old pontiff encouraged all parents to turn to St. Joseph for guidance when faced with situations they may not expect for their children  including those with gay kids, which he mentioned after citing a list of childrens problems.

And I am thinking, too, of parents in the face of their childrens problems: Children with many illnesses, children who are sick, even with permanent maladies  how much pain is there!  parents who see different sexual orientations in their children, he said, adding that he was also thinking on how to deal with this and accompany their children and not hide in an attitude of condemnation.

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Pope Francis arrives to attend his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. (Alessandra Tarantino/AP)

After citing other parental problems, such as parents who have to cope with children who are sick, or who get into mischief and end up in a car accident, as well as parents who see their children not progressing in school and dont know how, he urged mothers and fathers to think about how they can help them.

And to these parents I say: dont be scared. Yes, there is pain. A lot. But think of the Lord, think about how Joseph solved the problems, and ask Joseph to help you, Francis said. Never condemn a child.

While Francis has signaled some degree of openness toward LGBTQ Catholics  when compared to his predecessors  in March 2021 he allowed the publication of a Vatican document declaring that the Catholic Church wouldnt bless same-sex unions because God cannot bless sin.

Last month, a high-ranked Vatican official apologized for bringing pain to the entire LGBTQ community who once again felt left out, after deleting a link to a video by an LGBTQ Catholic group from the Synod of Bishops website.

The video by New Way Ministry, a U.S.-based organization that advocates for justice and equality for LGBTQ Catholics, had been removed from the site ahead of a large meeting in Rome in 2023, closing a two-year process of listening and dialogue within the Roman Catholic Church.

I feel that I must apologize to all LGBTQ people and to the members of New Ways Ministry for the pain caused, Thierry Bonaventura, the communication manager of the General Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops, said in a statement.
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Hiring signs from two staffing agencies stand out in the median on U.S. 6 at Progress Drive West. Noble Countys unemployment has dropped to just 1.1%, while rates are sub-1% in four of six counties in the northeast corner.
The Hoosier State is halfway toward having an official fossil.

The Indiana House voted 92-0 Tuesday to designate the mastodon as the state fossil, setting it up to join other state symbols like the flower (peony), bird (cardinal) and snack (Indiana-grown popcorn).

The mastodon is an elephant-like animal that weighed approximately 12,000 pounds and roamed North America, Europe and Asia for more than two million years before going extinct about 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.

Dozens of mastodon fossils have been found throughout Indiana, including the bones of at least five mastodons now held by the Indiana State Museum that were found in 2005 by workers digging a pond in Hebron.

State Rep. Randy Frye, R-Greensburg, sponsor of House Bill 1013, said he hopes designating the mastodon as the state fossil will encourage Hoosiers, particularly school children, to learn more about the beasts.

"Mastodons were huge, and seeing a reconstruction of one makes a great impact on children," Frye said.

The legislation now goes to the Senate for a decision on advancing it to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law.
Lets heed the lessons of our worst tragedies

Brooklyn: On March 26, 1990, I arrived at my office where I served as the director of the New York State Crime Victims Board. It was the worst day of my life, as I was told that 87 people were killed in an arson fire at a social club in the Bronx called Happy Land, where there was only one means of escape. I immediately sent a team of Spanish-speaking claims examiners to an emergency center in the community.

FILE  The charred facade of the Happy Land Social Club, in the Bronx borough of New York, is pictured March 25, 1990, where 87 perished in a fire. (AP)

Many of the victims were immigrants from Honduras. We helped them apply for benefits to pay for funerals and loss of support. We paid for all of the funerals and I personally signed many of the checks to the funeral homes.

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The recent fire in the Bronx reminds me of that horrible time, but it is also a cautionary tale for our government. Recently, the state Office of Temporary Disability Assistance has approved a regulation allowing homeless shelters with fewer than 11 persons per floor to have only one means of egress, as they had at Happy Land. This highly irregular action is a recipe for disaster.

As someone who has also served as a deputy commissioner of the NYC Department of Homeless Services, I must say that I am shocked by this action and urge OTDA to reverse itself and keep at least two means of egress for every shelter, regardless of how many poor souls are on every floor. Have we learned nothing from the past? Robert Mascali

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Safer streets

Flushing: The Daily News had a story of two pedestrians who were struck in a crosswalk (separately) and were each killed by a vehicle making a turn (A kindergarten teacher and a homeless woman are killed while walking, Jan. 25). City officials have said they are trying to mitigate the situation but it will take time and money. An easy and cheap solution to this problem would only require reprogramming traffic lights. In this solution, which is being used in cities all over the world, pedestrians and vehicles are never in motion at the same time, therefore it is impossible for a vehicle to strike a pedestrian crossing the street at an intersection. All east-west traffic, including all vehicles making turns, have a green light; all north-south traffic, including all turns, have a green light; all pedestrians in all directions have a green light while all vehicles are stopped. C. Weissman

Stop the pushers

Brooklyn: For decades, even with overcrowded platforms, people were not shoved or did not fall onto subway tracks. Platform barriers are an expensive and unnecessary answer to this problem. A simple, common-sense solution is to have the trains enter the stations at a very reduced speed, making it easier to stop in an emergency. Of course, the main issue here is the growing presence of homeless and mentally ill people on the platforms, in the stations and on the streets. In the long run, that has to be dealt with. Louise Veneroni

Murdered Finest

Rockaway Park: What are the anti-cop rhetoric morons saying now? Huh? Jesus Linares

Trusty steeds

Flushing: It might be somewhat excusable to take down the statues of Confederate generals and sundry slave owners, but what do the do-gooders have against their horses? They didnt do anything wrong. In fact, they should remain there as a tribute to every one of us who believes in a clean environment. This country has never been the same since the American people made the switch from climate-friendly horses to dirty, non-recyclable, coal-driven locomotives, and from people-friendly ox carts to gas-guzzling, foul-smelling automobiles. Remember, we can fertilize the ground with liberal piles of horse dung and conservative mountains of cow manure  but everybody, both liberals and conservatives, has to dig in. Saul Grossman

Bully pulpit

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Terre Haute, Ind.: Peter Doocy is a nice, intelligent young man trying to do his job (Biden calls Fox News reporter Peter Doocy stupid son of a b---h,  Jan. 24). He asks questions in an even tone and polite manner, unlike those insolent Marxist media agents of the Democratic Party as they incessantly attacked Trump with their dismissive disdain in every presser situation. Doocy is neither a son of a b---h nor is he stupid! For this old, angry man in the White House to pejoratively slur this young man in such a manner is an egregious disgrace. Lastly, neither he nor the one next door in the Old Executive Office Building deserve to hold office. Although its a terrible thing to wish ones life away, November 2024 cannot come too soon! Earl Beal

Make amends

Denver: Many years ago, my 4-year-old Florida foster son returned home from his unsupervised visit with his biological father and quickly told me that his dad called him a stupid motherf----r. A few years ago, as a substitute teacher at my favorite high-needs middle school walking to lunch, the smallest and shyest sixth-grader shared that his father cussed him out all the time. I hope these two verbally abused boys never hear President Bidens recent son of a b---h hot mic  but will hear Biden making a public apology. Mike Sawyer

Concentric circles

Manhattan: The Fuhrer was dead, but someone had to be held accountable. Out of that context arose the Nuremberg principles, most notably rejecting the superior orders defense. Although subsequently codified in international agreements, its application has been tempered by excluding lower-level decision-makers (or, in the example of My Lai, convicting only the lowest-ranking officer). Voicer Tom Ascher may have overstated the significance of the lesser charges for most of the Jan. 6 insurrectionists; the public might recoil at lengthy sentences or execution for, essentially, dupes. Ringleaders may face some form of sedition charges. And Goldilocks (who stirred the porridge) may be looking at treason. While replacing the legal order (conspiracy, felony murder, etc.) with a moral order may be contradictory, it may yield greater justice because there was only one beneficiary of the disorder. Michele P. Brown

Which law?

Brooklyn: To Voicer Charles Michael Sitero: Considering the revelations of Mr. Trumps attempts to subvert our electoral process and the Republican Partys continued effort to minimize the events of Jan. 6, I find it hard to believe your claims that the Republican Party supports law and order. They dont, at least not in practice  ask the guys who had to defend Congress on Jan. 6  although they are pretty good at promising all kinds of things in speeches and on paper. Too bad anything that might benefit the ordinary citizen is considered a Communist plot. I think if you consider what you said with an open mind, you might find youre backing the wrong party. Ilsa Ruthen

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Energy source

Sunnyside: President Biden has threatened to impose sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine. Is he aware that in 2020, the U.S.A. imported more than half a million barrels of oil a day from Russia? Glenn J. McManus

Not smooth

Astoria: The tirade of James Iannazzo (Merrill Lynch fires smoothie-throwing Connecticut man who referenced employees immigration status during rant, Jan. 24) over his son being given a smoothie with peanuts, resulting in an allergic reaction, was not only idiotic and self-defeating  it highlighted skewed priorities in society today. Had he returned calmly to the store with the cops in tow, hed be on the payout end of a lawsuit and hefty settlement and the workers would be unemployed. Now, instead of the focus on the negligence that almost killed his son, hes facing criminal charges, was fired from his high-profile job and is socially ruined as a racist for calling someone an immigrant, even though there is no race of immigrants. Bradley Morris

Betting broke

Marlboro, N.J.: To Voicer Steven Bevacqua: Youre right, the Daily News is a shell of what it once was  quality and quantity, a sad state of affairs. But youre reasoning that many of the bettors cant afford the $10 cost of the Daily Racing Form gave me a good chuckle. Now that was a winner! Howie Winick
When Jews worldwide gathered this past Sabbath, a week after the hostage-taking unfolded in Colleyville, Texas, they felt that bottomless, murky, dark dread, born of centuries of animosity against our people  and then relief, when the lives of worshipers were saved.

We know, in ways Jews always know, that there is a human virus, a plague, we now call anti-Semitism, that is ingrained, inveterate, indelible, ineffaceable and ineradicable.

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Police stand in front of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, Sunday, Jan. 16, 2022, in Colleyville, Texas. (Brandon Wade/AP)

Understanding our insecurity, seven Christian and Muslim spiritual leaders, my colleagues, joined our Friday night service last week, and delivered the final prayer. They wanted to express their communities solidarity with the Jewish community. The many hundreds of Jewish worshippers present and online were deeply touched. There is a dull fear in every Jewish soul that in the end we stand alone, abandoned to the wolves. The presence of so many spiritual leaders was a reminder that people of good faith stand with us.

And yet, we remain troubled and deeply worried by anti-Semitism in America. We have a tendency to downplay hatred of Jews. I was struck by the initial statement of the FBI  later corrected by its director, Christopher Wray  asserting that the hostage-taker, Malik Faisal Akram, was not driven by hatred of Jews. He simply wanted to free Aafia Siddiqui, a terrorist convicted of attempted murder of American military personnel, who is incarcerated in a Texas prison. The initial instinct even of professional law enforcement, was to think that Akram traveled from England to Colleyville, Texas; happened to just find himself in this residential neighborhood; happened to find a building that looked to him like a synagogue  it happened to be on the holiest day of the week for Jews, and he just happened to say to himself, hey, maybe they can help release Siddiqui. Just a random, coincidental turn of events.

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There is an instinct to misunderstand the nature of anti-Semitism. Condemning attacks on Jews is only the first step. We must dig deeper and ask a basic question: Why seize Jewish hostages? Akram could have gone anywhere. Why didnt he seize hostages in a local bank? Why not a mall, a supermarket, a courthouse or the nearest Applebees? For that matter, why not a church or a mosque? Why a synagogue? Why Jews?

Akram was convinced that the Jews could get Siddiqui released. Where did he pick this up? That is the question for all who seek to fight against anti-Semitism. The identity of the actual gunman is secondary. The real question is where did he absorb this hateful mindset?

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

One of the oldest of anti-Semitic tropes, which has caused untold devastation, first and foremost to Jews, but eventually to society itself, is that there is a secret Jewish cabal pulling the strings of the world to benefit the Jews at the expense of everyone else: That Jews control everything. In the last century, it was the Elders of Zion who undermined world unity. Today, it is Zionist elders hypnotizing the world and manipulating the great powers.

Think of the absurdity of it all. We are less than 2% of the American population and are the targets of 58% of all religiously motivated hate crimes. We are less than 0.2% of the world population. What explains why this people  a minuscule percentage, a rounding error of the human race  is the target of so much invective and murderous designs?

This focus on, and obsession with, the Jewish peoples mysterious powers to control the world is what unites both right- and left-wing Jew-hatred. Anti-Semites are obsessed with what they call international Jewry, or the worldwide Jewish conspiracy. Their hatred is not even really about Jews. It is a window on their own suspicions and insecurities.

The Jewish people is, and has always been, the perfect scapegoat around which to organize and rally people to extreme political causes. Thus, Communists could accuse the Jews of being capitalists. Capitalists could accuse the Jews of being Communists. Nationalists could accuse the Jews of cosmopolitanism, and cosmopolitans could accuse the Jews of blind loyalty to the Jewish people. The hard left can accuse the Jews of being white and complicit in racial inequality, and the extreme right can accuse the Jews of being an insidious enemy of the white race.

At her trial, Siddiqui insisted that jurors undergo genetic testing, and demanded DNA results to prove that none of the jurors was Jewish. There are Jews of every color of the gorgeous racial rainbow of humanity, but Siddiqui believed that somehow a blood test could single out the Jews. This is the woman who brought Akram to Colleyville, describing her as his sister. This is the woman who is considered a heroine among many. This is the woman who is the subject of an international effort to get her released from prison. Western and American organizations also rally for her release. They consider her incarceration an egregious miscarriage of justice.

To fight effectively against anti-Semitism, we must take on the toxic ideology, the place from which hatred of Jews emerges, poisoning the heart and radicalizing the mind. We must come to understand that condemning the anti-Semitic act is not enough. We must do the much harder work of eradicating ideologies of hate in our communities.

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Hirsch is senior rabbi of Stephen Wise Free Synagogue on New Yorks Upper West Side.
WASHINGTON DC- President Biden announced six new nominees to serve as U.S. Attorneys across the country early this morning.

According to an email from the White House these individuals were chosen for their devotion to enforcing the law, their professionalism, their experience and credentials in this field, their dedication to pursuing equal justice for all, and their commitment to the independence of the Department of Justice.

Jesse A. Laslovich was nominated to serve over the District of Montana.

Laslovich served as Regional Vice President for the SCL Health Montana-Wyoming region since 2017. From 2009 to 2016, Laslovich served as Chief Legal Counsel in the office of the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

During 2011 and 2012, he also served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorneys Office for the District of Montana. From 2007 to 2008, Laslovich served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Montana Attorney Generals office. He served in the Montana Senate from 2005 to 2010 and in the Montana House of Representatives from 2001 through 2004.

Laslovich received his J.D. from the University of Montana School of Law in 2006 and his B.A., with high honors, from the University of Montana in 2003.

He was born and raised in Anaconda, and currently lives in Helena with his wife, Jill, and their two children.

His nomination now moves to the Senate.

The President has now announced 43 nominees to serve as U.S. Attorneys.

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United States Senator John Tester weighing in on the nomination:
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to send a clear message to pharmacies on a conference call: Stop turning away immune-compromised people when they come seeking fourth doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
Have a news tip or would like to report a typo? Email Anthony Victor Reyes at areyes@kvoa.com.
Lets start with the good news: Though Holocaust denial does persist in America and around the world, it has been largely marginalized. Outright Holocaust denial was indeed once a major issue; however, various developments led to its marginalization in much of the world.

But what still runs rampant is a dangerous cousin of Holocaust denial: Holocaust distortion. We need to understand it well if were to confront it effectively.

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FILE - In this Friday, Feb. 15, 2019 file photo an entrance gate at the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz-Birkenau is pictured in Oswiecim, Poland. The sign over the gate reads "work makes one free." (Michael Sohn/AP)

Distorters of the Holocaust, unlike deniers, concede that the Holocaust took place, but fabricate historical narratives about the Shoah that go far beyond the margins of reasonable historical discourse and are mostly, if not totally, false. These narratives are meant to serve problematic contemporary agendas. Holocaust distortion is dangerous because it distorts essential facts of history in order to legitimize past and present misdeeds.

Although distorters manipulate facts or invent them and twist or omit important contexts, their narratives often gain popular support. This is because some of their arguments are at least partially fact-based and because they sometimes display a minimum of internal logic, despite their false assertions. The distorted narratives gain credence by a public that knows less and less about the historical period or when the narratives being promoted align with pre-existing prejudices.

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In other words, it is distortions veneer of factuality that allows distorters to use their narratives to promote their agendas.

Several themes, often interlinked, have emerged most prominently in the discourse of Holocaust distorters.

Particularly, though not exclusively, in post-Communist countries, a form of national rebranding has been underway since the fall of the Iron Curtain in the early 1990s. One of the prime expressions of such collective self-whitewashing is the redefinition of ones nation as a heroic community of anti-Nazi resisters and altruistic rescuers of Jews during WWII.

The distorters rely on the fact that there were indeed some instances of rescue and resistance in their countries. They not only greatly inflate both of these positive phenomena; they also downplay the role that many of their citizens, leaders and institutions played in the murderous persecution of their Jewish citizens. Let me be clear: The vast extent of the Holocausts atrocities would not have been possible without the collaboration of local authorities and numerous non-Jewish individuals in the countries aligned with or occupied by Nazi Germany.

Attempts by governments to legislate historical narratives in order to serve various interests are not new, but they have come to the fore increasingly of late, with some designed primarily to promote distorted Holocaust narratives. Laws in certain countries now criminalize the supposed tarnishing of national honor incurred by the citation of local collaboration with the Nazis in the persecution and murder of Jews. Various regimes now glorify historical figures as patriotic heroes, despite their participation in the persecution and murder of their Jewish neighbors.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

As a result, accomplished historians in some places have been delegitimized and even have faced judicial proceedings. University students in such societies have become increasingly reluctant to engage in Holocaust studies, which could prove problematic both to their future careers and even raise the specter of prosecution. Moreover, the authorities message has been sent to the wider public that the murder and persecution of the Jews was not and is not our responsibility, nor do they disqualify someone from being admired as a national hero. The distorted promotion of such profoundly flawed characters as role models portends nothing good for the future of these nations.

How can we fight Holocaust distortion?

We have recently witnessed, and welcomed, the commitments of world leaders who attended the Fifth World Holocaust Forum at Yad Vashem, the Malmo International Forum on Holocaust Remembrance and Combatting Antisemitism as well as other global conferences dedicated to remembering the Holocaust accurately and to fighting anti-Semitism. With the approach of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, and as many around the world turn their attention to the legacy of the Shoah, the international community must redouble its efforts to expand and support unfettered and fact-based Holocaust research and education.

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It must be understood that Holocaust remembrance carries substantial relevance for other vital issues, such as genocide and other atrocities, as well as human rights, and that it may be compared and contrasted to them in order to gain valuable perspectives and insights. Nevertheless, it will always be crucial to relate to the Shoah as a unique and unprecedented event. These two approaches are not mutually exclusive, but need to be carefully considered.

We must remember and honor all the Jewish men, women and children who were murdered in ghettos, concentration and extermination camps or killing sites, having been starved, enslaved and ultimately slaughtered by the Nazis. No less important, the actions of all who committed such crimes or were complicit in them must be recorded, and they must be held accountable. Furthermore, recognizing the centrality of anti-Semitism to the Holocaust is critical to confronting anti-Semitism today and tomorrow.

Remembering the Holocaust correctly to prevent future crimes against humanity means rejecting not only outright denial but also devious distortion of what actually took place.

Dayan is chairman of Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, located in Jerusalem.
The Northern New England Red Cross is installing smoke detectors this weekend. Do you have a fire evacuation plan for your home? How about when you are traveling?
After the breakdown of the states Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC), the Democratic-dominated state Legislature is about to draw its own maps. While their maps will most likely strengthen that partys hold on the state Assembly and Senate and U.S. Congress in our state, the question remains whether or not they will also reflect the electoral strength of diverse New York communities and if they will protect those groups that are protected by the Voting Rights Act.

It doesnt need to be this way. The Legislature can and should pass maps drawn by a coalition of nonprofits that are intended to keep communities together and maximize their democratic participation rights. Those maps, the Unity Maps, should be the basis for redistricting.

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The problem began on Jan. 3, when the IRC submitted dueling Republican and Democratic versions of redistricting maps for the state Senate, Assembly and Congress. Those maps failed to uphold the protections afforded to Black, Latino and Asian voters under the Voting Rights Act and needlessly diluted voting power in minority communities.

Thankfully, the Senate and Assembly rejected the IRCs plans outright. On Monday, the IRC publicly announced that the commission wont complete a revised set of maps. Now that drawing new district lines falls to the Legislature, the Unity Maps are the best way forward.

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FILE - View of the New York state Assembly Chamber as members meet on the opening day of the 2021 legislative session at the state Capitol on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, in Albany, N.Y. (Hans Pennink/AP)

The redistricting process is one of the most important steps in our democracy. The way that district lines are drawn can either strengthen or diminish the voting power of entire communities. For decades, diverse communities of interest  groups of people with common policy concerns  suffered the harm caused by poorly drawn districts. Communities of interest living in diverse neighborhoods bore the brunt of biased and politically stilted redistricting, leading to generations of poverty, underfunded schools, libraries, hospitals, transportation options, affordable housing, economic divestment and more. During the height of the pandemic, community health centers in unfairly drawn districts were overrun because of chronic underfunding and lack of prioritization.

The Unity Map Coalition, which includes the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and LatinoJustice PRLDEF, was formed in the last redistricting cycle to fight against redistricting processes that far too often diminish the voting strength diverse communities of interest. Our maps are based on Census data and informed by the citys communities of interest. They provide accurate reflections of demographic changes in our citys population and exclude partisan political calculations from the redistricting process.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

The coalition drew and submitted maps that preserve communities of interest and comply with the U.S. and New York State Constitutions and the Voting Rights Act  unlike either set of the maps submitted by the IRC, and almost certainly unlike the maps sure to be approved by the Assembly and Senate.

For example, the Plan B Senate Map, proposed by Republicans, reduced the number of majority-minority New York City state Senate districts  despite the fact that the citys population growth has been driven exclusively by communities of color.

The Democratic maps were similarly flawed. The Plan A Assembly map failed to respect historic neighborhood lines in communities like Bedford-Stuyvesant, North Crown Heights and Ocean Hill. The Plan A Senate map failed to preserve communities of interest for people of African descent in areas like Southeast Queens, Crown Heights, Flatbush and East Flatbush.

In the Plan A congressional map, the congressional districts that contain large communities of interest of people of African descent, unnecessarily diluted Black voting strength. Similar disparities also exist for Senate and Assembly districts under Plan A.

The Unity Maps respect the historic lines that keep neighborhoods intact, preserve communities of interest and fulfill the Voting Rights Act mandates. They ensure the citys diverse communities receive their fair share of voting power and electoral representation. By mapping for demographic growth, preserving communities and unifying communities of interest that were historically divided, the Unity Maps avoid the zero-sum political process which pits diverse communities against one another.

By failing to produce maps to send to the Legislature for review, the IRC shifted the responsibility for drawing new district lines to the Senate and Assembly. The Unity Maps set the standard for an equitable outcome. They are the bar beneath which there can be no slippage.

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Daniel Favors is executive director of the Center for Law and Social Justice at Medgar Evers College, a member of the Unity Maps Coalition.
Littleton, NC (27850)

Today

Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms during the evening. Partly cloudy skies after midnight. Low 59F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
WOODSTOCK, ILLINOIS  Not far south of Lake Geneva, a beloved comedy was filmed starring Bill Murray in a town that has been celebrating the occasion for 30 years.

The celebration of the beloved 1993 comedy film Groundhog Day is Friday through Wednesday, Jan. 28 through Feb. 2.

Directed by Harold Ramis and starring Murray and Andie MacDowell, the movie was filmed in Woodstock, Illinois. In Groundhog Day, Murrays character Phil finds himself reliving the same day over and over again.

Last year, almost everything was canceled due to COVID-19, said Rick Bellairs, chair of Woodstock Groundhog Days. This year, all but the chili cookoff has returned.

For Groundhog Days, Woodstock Willie will arrive in a new way this year. On Jan. 28 at 6 p.m., the weather-predicting rodent will be in front of the Woodstock Opera House, 121 W. Van Buren St.

Other activities include a dinner dance, walking tours, a pub crawl, movie showings and other festivities.

For Groundhog Day movie fanatics, the walking tour features a list of locations seen in the movie. Many of these sites are recognized with an engraved metal plaque that refers to the appropriate scene from the movie.

This year in our walking tour map and brochure that we have, it opens up to a big poster, it was sort of an added gift to our fans, said Bellairs. The artist, Eric Dowdle, is coming to Groundhog Day this year and hes going to be having a puzzle competition and a meet-and-greet autograph signing.

The family-oriented events lead up to the last day of the festivities on Feb. 2, where people await the Groundhog Day Prognostication.

The celebration begins at 7 a.m. in the Woodstock Square.

At the Prognostication, Woodstock Willie will answer the question, Will there or wont there be six more weeks of winter weather?

Everyone will gather to see Woodstock Willie emerge from his tree trunk home. If Willie sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter, but if he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

For more information, visit woodstockgroundhog.org or the Groundhog Days Facebook page.
Medical marijuana for people with serious medical conditions would become legal in Wisconsin under a plan reintroduced Wednesday by Republican lawmakers, who said it could be debilitating for the sick not to have natural options.

The bill, which would legalize for medical use most forms of marijuana besides smoking it, would likely be signed into law by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who included legalizing recreational and medical marijuana in his 2021-23 budget proposal, only to have it removed by Republicans.

Bill co-author Sen. Mary Felzkowski, R-Irma, said Wednesday that Republican leadership, who have stood against medical and recreational marijuana legalization in the past, would allow the bill a committee hearing. Felzkowski introduced an identical bill last session, but it received little support in the Senate.

The bill would create a medical program guided by a state commission that would permit marijuana use for people with cancer, HIV, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder and other serious medical conditions.

If passed, the bill would put Wisconsin together with 36 states that permit medical marijuana, including states with Republican legislatures and governors and neighboring states Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota.

In a co-sponsorship memo sent after a news conference Wednesday, Felzkowski said, Medicine is never one-size-fits-all, and it is time for Wisconsin to join the majority of the country in adding another option which may help patients find the relief they need.

A 2019 Marquette Law School Poll found 83% of Wisconsinites said medical marijuana should be legal, while 59% supported full legalization.

In the past decade, Republican lawmakers have rejected several Democratic bills that would have legalized recreational marijuana.

Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said in April that hes not comfortable with Wisconsin becoming a rogue state, legalizing marijuana before the federal government does.

Federal laws prohibit medical and recreational marijuana, though legislation known as the RohrabacherFarr amendment has prohibited the Justice Department from spending money to interfere with the implementation of state medical cannabis laws.

LeMahieu spokesperson Adam Gibbs did not respond to a request for comment on whether LeMahieu would give the bill a hearing or whether he would support the bill.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, who indicated his support for medical marijuana in the past, may also be on board.

Ive always been supportive of medical marijuana when done the right way, he said. I am open to conversations with the authors to learn more about this bill.

In response to the bills unveiling, Sen. Melissa Agard, D-Madison, a leading advocate for full legalization, said she appreciated that Republicans are coming to the table, however, this policy is not the direction Wisconsin should go.

Under the bill, a Medical Marijuana Regulatory Commission would regulate the medical marijuana program.

The program would permit the use of medical marijuana by Wisconsinites who receive written recommendations from a physician, physician assistant or certified advanced practice nurse prescriber. Medical marijuana patients would then be able to access cannabis products stocked by wholesalers who would be subject to a 10% state excise tax. It would be available to some minors.

The bill would require licensed producers, processors and laboratories to operate in an enclosed, locked facility, and they could not have past drug convictions. It would also require them to sell directly to medical dispensaries  not directly to patients  a requirement that would likely close the door on small-time producers as well as patients producing marijuana for their own use.

It prioritizes pharmaceutical companies, not our farmers or our Main Streets, Agard said about the bill.

Under current state law, first-time marijuana possession is punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and six months in jail, while local governments are allowed to establish their own penalties for possessing small amounts of the plant. Subsequent offenses are a felony.

Madison has decriminalized possessing small amounts of marijuana in private and most public spaces, though dealing the drug is still subject to penalties.

Phil Hands: Legal weed, local issues and lots of drama with Iran Govt-and-politics MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Govt-and-politics MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Govt-and-politics MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Govt-and-politics MY VIEW | PHIL HANDS Govt-and-politics Royal drama You Toon New Year's Resolution
An appointee of former Republican Gov. Scott Walker has been selected to lead Wisconsins natural resources policy board.

In a secret ballot, the board voted 4-3 Wednesday to appoint Greg Kazmierski to serve as chair for 2022.

A hunting advocate and archery shop owner from Pewaukee, Kazmierski defeated board member Bill Smith, a retired Department of Natural Resources staffer appointed by Gov. Tony Evers in 2019.

Kazmierski said the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to the cancellation of in-person meetings, has inhibited the boards cohesion as a group.

This board hasnt really gotten to know each other very well except on YouTube, he said. Im looking forward to getting this board to gel like we have in the past.

Kazmierski, who has served on the board since 2011, will take over the leadership role from fellow Walker appointee Fred Prehn, who will continue serving as a board member.

The last years have been, shall I say, interesting, Prehn said.

Despite public pressure, the Wausau dentist has refused to step down since his term expired May 1, denying Evers appointee Sandra Naas a seat.

Prehn argues he can continue serving until the Senate confirms Naas.

The Republican-led Senate has made no moves to do that, ensuring Walker appointees majority control over the board, which will be asked to consider politically charged policy decisions, including approval of a new wolf management plan and the states first attempts to regulate toxic chemicals known as PFAS.

Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit in August asking the courts to force Prehn to step aside.

The state Supreme Court has agreed to decide the case, though its unclear when the conservative-majority court will issue a decision. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on March 10.

Senate Republicans have also stalled confirmation of Evers appointees to boards overseeing the higher education system, a move that could allow the GOP to quickly retake control if the party wins the governors race in November.

Five of Evers picks for the state technical college system board are unconfirmed, with three of them unable to serve because Walker appointees have refused to vacate their seats even though their terms expired last spring.
What would your farm animals say if they could talk? Columnist Sue Bowman ponders the question while conversing with her own critters.
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) The Aviation Ministry's tableau at the Republic Day parade on Wednesday showcased its regional air connectivity scheme Udan and its impact across the country.

Under the UDAN scheme, financial incentives from the Centre, state governments and airport operators are extended to selected airlines to encourage operations from unserved and underserved airports and to keep airfares affordable.

Also Read | Bengaluru Shocker: Blackmailed for Obscene Pictures on Instagram, Engineer Commits Suicide in Malleshwaram.

The front part of the the aircraft-shaped tableau showcased women pilots depicting women power in India's aviation -- India has amongst the highest number of female pilots globally. The rear portion showed Buddhism symbols and the UDAN motto - Sab Uden, Sab Juden.

The middle portion focused on the Buddha circuit, featuring the Buddha statue in Gaya where he attained enlightenment, the Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath where he delivered his first sermon (Dharmachakra Parivartan) and the Mahaparinirvana Stupa, Kushinagar, where he attained Mahaparinirvana.

Also Read | Apple Reportedly Working on 8K VR Headset.

Both sides of the section depicted heritage sites  Humayun tomb in the north, Konark sun temple in east, Hampi temple chariot in south and Ajanta caves in west -- connected through air services.

In October last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Kushinagar international airport. Various airlines operate domestic Udan flights to Kushinagar currently.

A total of 403 Udan routes connect 65 underserved or unserved airports, including heliports and water aerodromes, and over 80 lakh people have benefited from it in seven years.

Twenty-five tableaux of various states, departments and armed forces were part of this year's Republic Day parade.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 26 (ANI): Paschim Lehar, a joint maritine exercise conducted by Indian Navy off the West Coast, concluded on January 25.

As per a statement from the Navy, the exercise was conducted over a duration of 20 days with an objective to validate operational plans of the Western Naval Command and enhance Inter-Service synergy among the Indian Navy, Indian Air Force (IAF) Indian Army and Coast Guard.

Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Bomb Scare With Note Naming UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Flyover in Rewa District.

The exercise was conducted under the aegis of FOC-in-C, Western Naval Command.

The intra-theatre exercise included mobilisation and participation of over 40 ships and submarines of the Indian Navy, added the statement.

Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan Files Nomination for Rampur Sadar Seat From Sitapur Jail.

In addition, the IAF deployed SU 30 MKI & Jaguar maritime strike aircraft, Flight Refuelling Aircraft and AWACs, alongside the Indian Navy's maritime reconnaissance aircraft P8i, Dorniers, IL 38 SD, unmanned aerial systems and MiG 29K strike aircraft. Various elements of the Indian Army including Air Defence batteries were also mobilised for the exercise. After a long gap, many OPVs, FPVs and Air Cushion Vessels of the Coast Guard also participated in exercise Paschim Lehar.

A variety of weapon firings in a realistic tactical scenario, besides validation of operational missions and tasks under varying settings, were undertaken during the exercise, said the statement.

The exercise provided all participating forces an opportunity to operate together under realistic conditions, in responding to contemporary maritime challenges, across the areas of the Command's responsibility. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Mumbai, January 26: After Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey and state Home Minister Dilip Walse on Wednesday launched 91 'Nirbhaya Squads' in Mumbai, State Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackrey said that women should be allowed to roam freely, adding that it is an important step in making Maharashtra a fear-free state.

"When an incident happens, we question the woman: why was she roaming outside, what was she wearing? Women should be allowed to move freely. This is an important step towards making a fear-free state. Women safety is a social issue, a civic issue and a law enforcement issue. Children in schools must be taught on concepts of 'good touch' and 'bad touch'. We are also working on providing proper CCTV cameras, streetlights," said Thackrey while talking to the media. Also Read | Madhya Pradesh: Bomb Scare With Note Naming UP CM Yogi Adityanath on Flyover in Rewa District.

The Chief Minister launched the 'Nirbhaya Squads' virtually while Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil and Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackeray attended the event in person. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections 2022: Samajwadi Party Leader Azam Khan Files Nomination for Rampur Sadar Seat From Sitapur Jail.

Addressing the launch ceremony today, CM Uddhav Thackeray said, "We will work to ensure that Maharashtra will be known as the saviour of women not only in India but in the entire world. Maharashtra is a 'Shakti Pujak' (worshiper of women power) state," He said that Maharashtra always worshipped and respected women."The squads consist of specially trained female and male officers stationed across Mumbai, 24/7. One can dial 103 for immediate assistance," said Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Aditya Thackeray during the event today.

Meanwhile, the State Home Minister stated that a society where women are not safe can never prosper. "The safety of women is not only limited to herself and her family, but to the whole society. Women who visit police stations with a complaint should be listened to and action should be taken immediately," Patil said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday filed chargesheet against two persons for their involvement in IED blast by CPI Maoist in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand last year which killed three security personnel and injured others.

The central agency filed the chargesheet before Special NIA court in Ranchi.

Also Read | Punjab Assembly Elections 2022: SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal Slams Congress, Says 'It Politicised Golden Temple Sacrilege Issue'.

The case is related to an IED blast in Lanji Forest hill area, Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum district on March 4, 2021 resulting in death of three Jharkhand Jaguar (Special Task Force) personnel and grievous injuries to three others including an ASI of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

According to NIA, one of the accused Jaiki Paradhi had procured Potash (explosive substance) from Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh and supplied it to the other chargesheeted accused Sukhram Ramtai and Sorto Mahali at Chakradharpur in West Singhbhum District. Around 700 kg of Potash was procured from Madhya Pradesh and brought in several consignments for delivery to CPI Maoists in Jharkhand. These explosives were further supplied to the senior armed leaders of CPI Maoist for making IEDs and targeting the security forces.

Also Read | MPSC Group C Recruitment 2022: Last Date Extended till Jan 31; Apply For 900 Posts on mpsc.gov.in; Check Details Here.

The case was originally registered at Toklo Police Station in West Singhbhum District. NIA re-registered the case on March 24, 2021 and started an investigation. NIA had already filed 19 accused persons in the case on September 7, 2021.

Further investigation is underway. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Dune and The Walking Dead actress Alicia Witt has broken her silence concerning misconceptions about her parents deaths after the couple was found in their Massachusetts home late last month.

Robert Witt, 87, and Diane Witt, 75, were found dead on Dec. 20 with no obvious signs of trauma. Though there were reports about the couple having issues with their furnace and subsequently using a heater indoors, no abnormal levels of carbon monoxide had been identified at the time.

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Witt, 46, took to social media Tuesday and, in a heartfelt post, appeared to confirm that her parents had indeed succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning.

It still doesnt feel real, Witt, also known for an arc on Orange Is the New Black, captioned several photos of herself and her parents. Its been a month since i got scared, not having heard back from them, and called to have them checked on.

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Alicia Witt attends the final season premiere of Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" on July 25, 2019, in New York. (Charles Sykes/Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

There are some misconceptions rolling around  understandably so. this is very delicate for me to write because im wanting to honor their privacy, which they held so tightly, she continued.

Witt noted that her parents had not let her into their home for over 10 years and that they refused to let her help them move or repair anything in the home, instead telling her that she had no right to tell them how to live their lives and that they had it all under control.

Though she wasnt the only loved one who tried to help her parents, Witt said they were not penniless but fiercely stubborn, beautifully original souls who made choices - choices that i couldnt talk them out of.

I did help them, in all the ways i could - in all the ways they would let me, continued Witt, who said she was unaware her parents heat had gone out.

And even if i could have had a crystal ball and looked into the future ... i still think they would have made the same choices. they werent willing to make different ones. our last words to each other were i love you. that part was simple; never in doubt. they loved me so. i loved them so.
New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): The tableau of the Indian Navy at the Republic Day parade on Wednesday showcased the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Navy and highlighted key inductions under 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' also found a special mention in the Navy's tableau.

Also Read | Republic Day 2022: PM Narendra Modi Wears Traditional Cap from Uttarakhand, Stole from Manipur at R-Day Function (See Pics).

The tableau Commanders are Lieutenant Preeti and Lieutenant Mayank Bhagour.

The front part of the tableau depicted the Naval uprising of 1946, which contributed to India's struggle for Independence, while the rear section illustrated the 'Make in India' initiatives of the Navy right from the year 1983 to 2021.

Also Read | Meta Reportedly Winding Up Its Ambitious Cryptocurrency Project, Here's Why.

Model of new Vikrant with one Light Combat Aircraft (Navy) in the air takes the centre-stage flanked by smaller models of Kora, Visakhapatnam, Shivalik on the left side and Kalvari, Godavari, Delhi on the right side.

Frames on the side of the trailer depict the construction of Indian Navy platforms in India.

India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day today.

As many as 21 tableaux including those 12 states and nine ministries or government departments were a part of the Republic Day parade today. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], January 26 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday extended his support to the aspirants protesting against "anomalies" in the Railway Recruitment Board exam, saying he is with them against the policies of the BJP government.

"Students, you are the hope of the country and your family. Against the policies of the BJP government, I am and will be with you on the side of truth but violence is not our way. If you can take freedom from non-violence, then why not your right?" the Congress MP said in a tweet.

Also Read | Punjab Assembly Elections 2022: SAD President Sukhbir Singh Badal Slams Congress, Says 'It Politicised Golden Temple Sacrilege Issue'.

Aspirants protesting against the alleged irregularities in the Railway Recruitment Board exam allegedly set a bogie of the Bhabua-Patna Intercity Express on fire on Wednesday in Bihar's Gaya.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav had on Wednesday urged students not to take the law into their hands and assured them of addressing their concerns.

Also Read | MPSC Group C Recruitment 2022: Last Date Extended till Jan 31; Apply For 900 Posts on mpsc.gov.in; Check Details Here.

"I request students not to take the law into their hands. We will seriously address the grievances and concerns raised by them. Whatever concern students want to share, they can share with the committee set up by Railway Ministry and we will take note of it but do not take law and order in your hand," said Vaishnav, on students' protest against alleged irregularities in Non-Technical Popular Categories exams.

The Railway Ministry has also formed a high power committee to look into the concerns and doubts raised by job aspirants with regard to the results of the 1st Stage Computer Based Test (CBT) of Centralized Employment Notification (CEN) of Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) issued by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) on January 14-15.

Candidates are given three weeks time up to February 16, to submit their concerns and the committee after examining these concerns will submit their recommendations by March 4.

The police had to release several rounds of tear gas to stop the miscreants.

Students who appeared for Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories exam 2021 held a protest at the Bihar Sharif railway station on Tuesday alleging discrepancies in the results.

Hundreds of students had blocked the Kolkata-New Delhi main railway line at Rajendra Nagar Terminal in Patna on Tuesday.

The results of the RRB NTPC for the CBT-1 exam were released on January 15 for shortlisting the candidates for CBT-2.

In view of the students' agitation in the Railway Recruitment Board exam, the Railway Ministry has decided to suspend both the Non-Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests scheduled to be held on February 15 and February 23. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ranchi (Jharkhand) [India], 26 January (ANI): Following former Union Minister RPN Singh's exit from the Congress and joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jharkhand Congress MLA from Barkagaon Amba Prasad claimed that Singh had colluded with BJP for more than a year to overthrow the Congress-JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) government in Jharkhand.

"The party leadership was also being frequently warned over this. Every true Congress worker of Jharkhand is happy with his going to BJP," Prasad wrote on her official Twitter handle.

Also Read | Republic Day 2022: 384 Soldiers To Receive Defence Decorations, 12 Shaurya Chakras for Counter-Terror Operations.

Notably, RPN Singh was the AICC in-charge of Jharkhand till the time he tendered his resignation. Not only Amba Prasad but other leaders from Jharkhand Congress expressed their happiness over Singh joining BJP as they feel he was weakening the party.

The Congress Party's ex spokesperson and delegate member of the present Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee Alok Dubey said, "RPN Singh has been weakening the party in the state right from the beginning. His decisions have always benefitted the BJP instead of Congress. Demoralizing and insulting Congress workers in Jharkhand was his constant behaviour. Four state presidents have left their posts in his tenure as in-charge. He's leaving Congress is good for the party."

Also Read | Republic Day Parade 2022 All Set To Showcase India's Military Might & Cultural Diversity At Rajpath As Country Celebrates Its 73rd Gantantra Diwas.

Earlier Jharkhand Congress President Rajesh had said, "It's sad. Many changes have come and gone, doesn't matter. He must have decided after a lot of thinking. We're true soldiers of Congress, we'll live and die here. We think his decision is wrong."

Meanwhile, RPN Singh while responding to the allegation of him overthrowing the Congress-JMM government in Jharkhand, he said he had worked to lead the Congress in power and the state is aware of it. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Prayagraj, Jan 26 (PTI) The Uttar Pradesh Police here on Wednesday arrested two people and lodged a case against around 1,000 unidentified persons in connection with the alleged rioting and blocking of the rail track at the local railway station by some job aspirants.

Three policemen were also suspended with immediate effect for using unnecessary force during the incident, which took place on Tuesday.

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A senior police official told reporters here that it appears that the accused had taken "money from some political parties" to create unrest. A police team has been constituted to probe the incident from this angle.

A video of the incident had surfaced on social media, following which Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had condemned the use of force against job aspirants, who had gathered there in protest against alleged irregularities in a railway recruitment exam.

Also Read | Mumbai Police Books Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Five Others for Copyright Act Violation.

The two people arrested in connection with the case have been identified as Pradeep Yadav and Mukesh Yadav while the search for the third suspect, Rajesh Sachin, is on, police said.

They had made inflammatory remarks on social media, police added.

Giving information to reporters at the Police Lines here, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ajay Kumar said a video of the incident had surfaced on social media, in which some policemen were seen using unnecessary force.

Those policemen have been identified as Mohammad Arif Khan, Durgesh Kumar and Achhe Lal.

They have been suspended with immediate effect and departmental action is being taken against them, he said.

The SSP said there is no quarrel between police and students and those who play with students' future won't be spared.

He said in connection with the Tuesday's incident, they have registered a case against 1,000 unidentified miscreants under 13 serious sections.

The Prayagraj police will not take action against any innocent person, he assured. The SSP said that it appears that the miscreants "took money from some political parties to create unrest".

An 11-member team has been constituted to investigate this aspect, he said.

A large number of students had gathered on the railway track but were chased down by police. During this, some students allegedly pelted policemen with stones.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday accused the Uttar Pradesh Police of assaulting students and vandalising their hostel in Prayagraj for protesting against unemployment.

The SSP had said some of them pelted policemen with stones and hid in their hostel nearby.

Police were trying to catch the culprits and some of the personnel used unnecessary force, which is visible in the video, he had said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Jayant Chaudhary has chosen the "wrong home", Union Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday as he reached out to Jat leaders at a meeting here ahead of the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh and the BJP suggested that its doors were open for the RLD leader.

According to sources, while talking to Jat leaders from western Uttar Pradesh, Shah said the ideology of both the party and the community is the same as both keep national interest first and have been fighting against ''invaders''.

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The meeting held at the residence of BJP MP Parvesh Verma was also attended by the party's prominent Jat leaders including Union Minister Sanjeev Balyan who is an MP from Muzaffarnagar in western Uttar Pradesh. Jats are a deciding factor in almost all the seats in western Uttar Pradesh, a region where the RLD enjoys influence among the community.

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The RLD, led by former prime minister Charan Singh's grandson Jayant Chaudhary, has joined hands with Akhilesh Yadav's Samajwadi Party this time.

"In the meeting, we have suggested that people of the Jat community talk to Jayant Chaudhary. Doors of the BJP are always open," Verma later told reporters.

The BJP's outreach is significant as there are apprehensions that the over year-long farmers' agitation against the three agri laws, which have since been repealed, will affect its prospects.

However, the RLD leader gave a terse response.

"Invite those +700 farmer families which you have destroyed, not me," he tweeted in Hindi.

Talking about RLD, Shah said at the meeting that Jayant Chaudhary "has chosen the wrong house".

Citing the various steps taken by the Modi government for the community, Shah said the it appointed three Jat governors and has nine Jat MPs.

Expressing gratitude towards the community, Shah said the BJP got the community's blessings due to which the party could win in 2014, 2017, 2019 elections.

"With your support, I believe you will again make us win this election as well," he said.

Shah said the BJP government named a university in Aligarh in Jat king's name, has constructed expressways and brought in Jewar airport for employment and prosperity in western Uttar Pradesh.

Pagdi, a symbol of Jat pride, was tied on the head of Shah in the meeting.

Balyan said that Jats would never prefer SP chief Akhilesh Yadav as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

The developments came a day before Shah and several other top BJP leaders, including Union Minister Rajnath Singh, were scheduled to visit western Uttar Pradesh.

Shah held similar meetings with leaders from the Jat community ahead of the 2017 assembly and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

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Hyderabad, Jan 26 (PTI) Telugu matinee idol Chiranjeevi on Wednesday said he has tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms.

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Despite all precautions, I have tested Covid-19 Positive with mild symptoms last night and am quarantining at home. I request all who came in contact with me over the last few days to get tested too. Can't wait to see you all back soon!, he said in a tweet.

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Reacting to Chiranjeevi's tweet, Junior NTR tweeted Wishing you a speedy recovery sir! Hope you feel better soon.

In November 2020, the actor said he tested positive for COVID-19. However, after three days he again said it was a false report.

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Chennai, Jan 26 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday said he will soon launch an All India Federation For Social Justice and strive to achieve the principles of federalism and social justice at the national level.

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This federation will be adequately represented by leaders of the depressed classes from all the states, he said while addressing a national webinar on Taking forward the struggle for social justice and joint national programme (JNP) for social justice movement, held on Republic Day under the aegis of various social organisations across the country.

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Those truly concerned about social justice will be part of it. This federation will provide strong suggestions for all the states to agree to laws related to social justice, he announced.

Though the percentage of Backward Classes may differ from state to state, the ideology of social justice will be the same. Everything for everyone will be the base of this federation, which will work to achieve the principles of federalism and social justice, the Chief Minister said.

The path for social justice, Stalin said, was not made in a day but painstakingly laid over the decades, stone by stone, with the sweat and blood of various trendsetters like Dr Natesanar, Dr T M Nair, Sir P Theagarayar, A T Panneerselvam and Panagal Arasar.

Pointing out that the concept and need for social justice is the same, the Chief Minister said he was glad that the "seeds of social justice sown by the Dravidian movement has sprouted across the country." His new initiative will be launched at the earliest aiming at inclusive growth for everyone.

Speaking on the 27 percent reservation for OBCs in All India Medical Quota, Stalin said the Central government gave the impression as if it had ensured the reservation for the community. But on the contrary, it was the DMK that played a great role, he said, adding that his party took up the issue at various levels and ensured victory for social justice.

The Supreme Court held that the DMK's case is different and the Saloni Kumar case is different. As the Union government remained unrelenting, the DMK initiated contempt of court proceedings and the Supreme Court said that reservations must be implemented.

Only on July 26, 2021, India's Solicitor General said that the Centre would abide by the court's verdict, the Chief Minister said.

Describing it as a victory for OBCs and Scheduled Castes, he said social justice is about ensuring social equality in all spheres, not merely in employment and education.

Leader of Opposition in Bihar Tejashwi Yadav, Dravidar Kazhagam president K Veeramani, and DMK MP P Wilson were among those who participated in the webinar.

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Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 26 (ANI): One man and a woman were injured after a drone fell on them during the Republic Day celebrations in Jabalpur district on Wednesday.

"Both of them sustained head injuries when a drone fell on them," said a person present on the spot to ANI.

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Both patients are currently stable.

A doctor present at the spot said to ANI, "Both persons were hit by a drone. They were hospitalised to the Mahakaushal Hospital. They are in a stable condition and can talk. Dressing is being done and a CT Scan will be done as well. They will be kept in observation for 24 hours." (ANI)

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New Delhi, Jan 26 (PTI) Several world leaders greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India's 73rd Republic Day with Israeli leader Naftali Bennett wishing the country continued peace and prosperity.

Prime ministers of Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Lotay Tshering and Mahinda Rajapaksa, respectively, also extended their greetings, with Modi thanking them and reciprocating their well-wishes.

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Bennett tweeted, "Happy 73rd Republic Day to my great friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the wonderful people of India. Warm greetings to you all on this special day! May India be blessed with continued peace and prosperity."

Thanking him, Modi said, he fondly remembers their meeting last November and expressed confidence that India-Israel strategic partnership will continue to prosper with the Israeli leader's forward-looking approach.

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Rajapaksa wished that the relationship between the two nations may continue to grow to mutually benefit the people so that both the countries prosper.

Modi replied, "Thank you PM Rajapaksa. This year is special as both our countries celebrate the 75-year milestone of Independence. May the ties between our peoples continue to grow stronger."

In his message, Tshering said, 'On this Republic Day of India, the people of Bhutan and I send our best wishes to the people of India. While you witness the majestic parades in celebration today, please know that the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan rejoices with you in heart and spirit."

Thanking him, Modi replied, "India deeply values it's unique and enduring friendship with Bhutan. Tashi Delek to the government and people of Bhutan. May our ties grow from strength to strength."

Replying to Deuba's wishes, the Indian prime minister said both nations will continue to work together to add strength to their resilient and timeless friendship.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington [US], January 26 (ANI): A team of scientists has found the precise structural changes in the spike protein of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

The study has been published in the 'Science Journal'.

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"The findings provide a blueprint that researchers can use to design new countermeasures, whether they be vaccines or therapeutics, against omicron and other coronavirus variants that may emerge," said David Veesler, investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. He led the research effort with Gyorgy Snell from Vir Biotechnology, Inc. in San Francisco.

Matthew McCallum, a postdoctoral fellow in Veesler's lab, and Nadine Czudnochowski, a Vir Biotechnology scientist, were lead authors on the paper.

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The omicron variant, which was first identified in November 2021 in South Africa, is causing a surge of infections around the world. In addition to being highly infectious, the variant can evade antibodies against earlier variants leading to breakthrough infections among those who have been vaccinated and those who have been infected previously.

The infectiousness of the virus is thought to be at least in part due to the large number of mutations in the amino acid sequences of the virus's spike protein. The virus uses the spike protein to latch on to and enter the cells it infects. The omicron spike protein has 37 mutations that distinguish it from the first SARS-CoV-2 isolates in 2020.

Previous research by Veesler and colleagues have shown that antibodies generated by the six most commonly used vaccines, and all but one of monoclonal antibodies currently used to treat infections, have a reduced or abrogated ability to neutralize omicron.

But many of the mutations in the variant affect the structure of the region of the spike protein that is responsible for attaching to and entering cells, a region called the receptor binding domain, and many expected the resulting changes in the receptor binding domain structure might impair the ability of the variant to bind to its target on cells.

This target is protein called angiotensin converting enzyme-2, or ACE2. However, in their study, Veesler and his colleagues found that the changes had actually increased the ability of the receptor binding domain to bind to ACE2 by 2.4-fold.

To understand how omicron accumulated so many mutations while retaining efficient interactions with the host receptor ACE2, Veesler and his colleagues used cryo-electron microscopic and X-ray crystallographic studies to unveil the 3D organization of the omicron spike protein.

The approach allowed them to achieve a resolution of about 3 angstroms. At this resolution, it was possible to discern the shape of individual amino acid building blocks that make up the spike protein. The researchers also determined how the structural changes in the spike protein affected the ability of antibodies effective against previous variants to bind to Omicron.

Using these techniques, the scientists revealed how the mutations changed how the protein interacts with antibodies so that the ability of almost all monoclonal antibodies against it is reduced, while, at the same time the ability of the spike receptor-binding domain to bind ACE2 is enhanced. The overall effect has been to make it possible for the receptor binding domain to evade antibodies targeting it and to bind to ACE2 even more tightly.

The findings demonstrate what a formidable opponent SARS-CoV-2 is, said Veesler.

"This virus has incredible plasticity: It can change a lot and still maintain all the functions it needs to infect and replicate," he noted.

"And it's almost guaranteed omicron is not the last variant we're going to see," he added.

The goal going forward should be to focus on and identify additional regions on the spike protein that cannot be changed without causing the protein to lose function, Veesler said.

Because of their importance, these areas tend to remain conserved even as other parts of the protein mutates.

Such conserved regions of viral proteins are therefore likely to remain unchanged in any new variant that might emerge. These regions would make ideal targets for new vaccines and therapeutics that could be effective not only against new variants but new sarbecoviruses, the group of viruses comprising SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV, Veesler said.

The research was supported by the National Institute of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, Fast Grants, the University of Washington Arnold and Mabel Beckman cryoEM center, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Wellcome Trust and a Pew Biomedical Scholars Award. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
It looks like Dylan McDermott may be staging a comeback to the right side of the law.

The Emmy Award-nominated actor who plays cunning crime boss Richard Wheatley on Law & Order: Organized Crime, is moving to FBI: Most Wanted, following the departure of series lead Julian McMahon.

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Both series are created and executive produced by Dick Wolf, the kingpin of procedural dramas.

Dylan McDermott is staying in Dick Wolf's stable. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix)

Its not known who McDermott will play on Most Wanted, but with McMahons team leader Jess LaCroix exiting, its easy to envision McDermott picking up his mantle.

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The 60-year-old Golden Globe Award winner rose to prominence in the late 1990s as the deeply sensitive and compassionate legal eagle Bobby Donnell on the hit ABC series The Practice.

As Wheatley, McDermott shines playing against type with the role of the narcissist narcotics lord. It tracks with some of his more recent roles; most notably in 2020s Hollywood, in which he portrayed a pimp who runs business out of a gas station.

His Organized Crime character was reportedly only supposed to appear in the shows first season, but proved to be so popular as the arch nemesis to Christopher Melonis Detective Elliot Stabler that McDermott was given a very lucrative deal to shoot eight episodes for the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit spinoffs second season.
Washington, Jan 26 (AP) President Joe Biden will host the ruling emir of Qatar at the White House on Monday, a visit that comes as US and European allies are scrambling to put together contingency plans to meet Europe's energy needs should supplies be impacted by Russia further invading Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani planned to discuss Middle East security, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies and the situation in Afghanistan, where humanitarian conditions have deteriorated in the aftermath of the US military withdrawal and Taliban takeover last year.

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Qatar is one of the world's larger suppliers of liquefied natural gas and is among countries that the US is hoping could aid Europe should a Russian invasion of Ukraine lead to Moscow stemming the flow of energy.

Some 100,000 Russian troops are massed near the Ukraine border. Biden has repeatedly warned that Russia will face severe consequences if it further invades Ukraine. US officials believe Russian military action could be imminent.

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If needed, Europe could look to natural gas supplies in North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the US. The effort would require "rather smaller volumes from a multitude of sources" to make up for a Russian cutoff, according to a senior Biden administration official who spoke about internal deliberations on the condition of anonymity. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad, Jan 26 (PTI) Pakistan on Wednesday appointed retired Army Brigadier Musaddiq Abbasi as Prime Minister Imran Khan's new adviser on accountability and interior, two days after his predecessor resigned amid intense pressure.

President Arif Alvi - on the advice of Prime Minister Khan - appointed Abbasi, who has earlier served as the Director General of National Accountability Bureau (NAB), the top anti-corruption body in the country.

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"In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 93 of the Constitution, the president - on the advice of the prime minister - has been pleased to appoint Brig (retired) Musaddiq Abbasi as adviser to the prime minister on accountability and interior with immediate effect," according to an official notification.

The appointment comes just two days after Shahzad Akbar tendered his resignation, saying he would remain associated with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

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Government sources said he was asked to step down and that Prime Minister Khan was not happy with his performance.

Akbar remained a controversial figure due to his tall claims at pressers regarding alleged mega corruption by opposition leaders like Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

But he failed to get either of them convicted despite keeping them in jail for months in various cases, which ultimately weakened the "anti-sleaze" narrative of the prime minister.

After about three-and-half years in office, Khan is under pressure to address public problems due to rising prices as well as making good on his promises to fix mega corruption by punishing corrupt politicians.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, Jan 26 (PTI) The partnership between India and the United States is rooted in their shared responsibility to uphold democratic values, the White House said on Tuesday as it greeted the people of India on the occasion of the country's 73rd Republic Day.

"We join India, the world's largest democracy, in honouring Republic Day, the day that marks the adoption of India's Constitution," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference.

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"As President (Joe) Biden said when India's Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi visited the White House last September, the relationship between India and the United States is destined to be stronger, closer and tighter, and it can benefit the whole world," she said.

"Our partnership is rooted in our shared responsibility to uphold democratic values," Psaki said in response to a question.

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In a tweet, Congressman Eric Swalwell congratulated India and Indian Americans on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day.

"India and the United States make up the world's oldest and the world's biggest democracies. And our shared partnership, a belief in democracy, the rule of law, humanity, charity and making sure that human rights are carried out not just in our own countries but across the globe is what makes our partnership so special," he said.

Indian Americans across the country have made special preparations for celebrating India's Republic Day. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Indian embassy here is scheduled to celebrate the occasion virtually with Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu unfurling the national flag in the presence of a small group of people.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Antananarivo [Madagascar], January 26 (ANI): Indian Ambassador in Madagascar, Abhay Kumar, on Wednesday, unfurled the National Flag to mark the 73rd Republic Day of India.

The event was attended by the Indian community in Madagascar. Kumar also hosted a reception on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day of India, in which the Foreign Minister of Madagascar Patrick Rajoelina was the Chief Guest.

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The President of the Senate of Madagascar also attended the reception besides the Ambassadors and the Heads of International Organisations in Madagascar.

Speaking on the occasion of the reception hosted at the Embassy's Residence, Ambassador Kumar expressed condolences on the loss of precious Malagasy lives due to devastating floods in Antananarivo last week and said, "India and Madagascar have cordial and friendly bilateral relations since the time of Madagascar's Independence in 1960. India and Madagascar have several ongoing cooperation programs ranging across humanitarian assistance, education, health and capacity building which have been beneficial to Malagasy people."

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The Chief Guest of the evening, the Foreign Minister of Madagascar, Patrick Rajoelina said, "We congratulate India on its 73rd Republic Day and appreciate the strong India Malagasy bilateral relations. I also thank India for extending help to Madagascar."

The celebrations also saw cultural performances by members of Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) alumni in Madagascar.

Congratulating India on the occasion, Madagascar's Foreign Minister sent a congratulatory tweet, "My warmest congratulations to the people and Government of #India on the 73rd Republic Day. On this occasion, I wish India and her people continued peace, progress and prosperity."

The External Affairs Minister of India Dr S Jaishankar thanked his counterpart on Twitter and responded, "Appreciate your kind greetings FM @prajoelina. Our cooperation is embedded in India's Security And Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) Mission policy."

India is celebrating its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday. The celebrations this year are special as Indian Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country. (ANI)

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Mexico City, Jan 26 (AP) Demonstrations were held on Tuesday in at least eight cities across Mexico to protest the killings of three journalists in the last two weeks.

In the border city of Tijuana, two journalists were killed in the space of a week. On January 17, crime photographer Margarito Martinez was gunned down outside his home. And on January 23, reporter Lourdes Maldonado Lopez was found shot dead inside her car.

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Early Tuesday, news photographers laid their cameras on the ground outside Mexico City's National Palace. The spot was decorated with flowers, small signs saying "Press, don't shoot!" and photos of Maldonado, Martinez and Jose Luis Gamboa, who died in the Gulf coast state of Veracruz on January 10.

Inside the palace, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador faced journalists at his daily news briefing and promised again that those responsible for the latest slaying would be punished, that there would not be impunity.

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But precedent is not encouraging. Lopez Obrador's Interior Undersecretary Alejandro Encinas said recently that more than 90 per cent of killings of journalists and rights defenders remain unresolved, despite a government system meant to protect them.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists puts the percentage at 95, said its Mexico representative Jan-Albert Hootsen.

Protests were also held in the states of Veracruz, San Luis Potosi, Durango and Nayarit, with dozens of journalists gathering under placards reading "Not one more journalist killed" and The Truth can't be killed".

Mexico remains the most dangerous place in the Western Hemisphere for journalists, despite the government's pledge to protect them. Some of the journalists killed recently had been under a government protection programme that many say is insufficient.

In 2019, Maldonado came to Lopez Obrador's daily morning news briefing and asked for his support, help and labour justice. "Because I fear for my life," she said.

Maldonado had been locked in a years-long labour dispute with Jaime Bonilla, who was elected governor of Baja California later that year as a candidate from Lopez Obrador's Morena party. He left office late last year.

Maldonado had recently announced that she won her dispute with a media company Bonilla owned after nine years of litigation.

Maldonado had collaborated with many outlets, but recently was doing an internet, radio and television show, "Brebaje", focussed on local news.

Martinez, the photographer gunned down outside his home, was well known for covering the crime scene in violence-plagued Tijuana. He worked for the local news outlet Cadena Noticias, as well as for other national and international media outlets.

Sonia de Anda, an activist with a Tijuana journalists' group, said "we are emotionally devastated" by the killings.

"We go out and work, because we have to," De Anda said, while noting there is "a lot of fear".

The first journalist killed this year, Jose Luis Gamboa, was the director of the online news site Inforegio, in the state of Veracruz. The press group Reporters Without Borders wrote that "Gamboa had denounced and strongly criticised the relations between local authorities and organised crime".

He reportedly suffered stab wounds in what may have been a robbery. He died on January 10, but his relatives were not informed until January 14.

Almost 50 journalists have been slain in Mexico since December 2018.

Encinas has said that in cases where the culprits have been identified, almost half are local officials.

Local officials in Mexico are often angered by corruption accusations against them, but in some cases, they are also in league with criminal or business interests.

Sometimes media attention intensifies, as in the case of the murder of well-known journalist Javier Valdez in Sinaloa state in 2017, and there are arrests, trials and sentences. In Valdez's case, two men who carried out the murder are serving sentences and the Attorney General's Office has requested the extradition of the alleged mastermind, a drug trafficker in US custody.

But that is an exception.

For more than three decades, the Tijuana news outlet Zeta has published a black page in every edition to demand the mastermind of the killing of one of its founders in 1988 be brought to justice. At Zeta, there has been a 34-year wait for justice for founder Hector Felix Miranda.

"We are going to go out to protest, we are going to cry, we are going to suffer," Zeta's top editor Adela Navarro said on the streaming programme "The Journalists". (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], January 26 (ANI): Pakistan opposition parties will resist the expected visit by Prime Minister Imran Khan to the country's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, ahead of local government elections scheduled to be held on March 27, local media reported on Wednesday.

Dawn newspaper reported that the leaders of various opposition parties in Lower Dir district on Tuesday announced to resist the expected visit of the Prime Minister.

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Regarding this, the Lower Dir chapter of Jamaat-i-Islami organized the multiparty conference in Timergara with its district chief Izazul Mulk in the chair. Arshad Zaman of JI, former district Nazim Mohammad Rasool Khan, PPP district president Mehmood Zeb, JUI-F district chief Sirajuddin, PML-N district president Farooq Iqbal, ANP senior vice-president Malik Sajjad Yousafzai, Shah Khaizar Khan of QWP and Anjuman-i-Tajiran,Timergara, president Haji Anwaruddin spoke on the occasion.

Chief Minister Mahmood Khan visited Upper Dir on Tuesday and addressed a workers' convention there while a day earlier federal minister Pervez Khattak also addressed such a convention in Timergara.

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Meanwhile, the ECP has asked the Lower Dir administration and police to enforce the code of conduct and prevent Prime Minister Imran Khan from speaking at a planned ruling party rally in Timergara on January 27, reported The News International.

This move was taken by the ECP to conduct free and fair elections and the commission has asked police to stop anyone who plans to breach the ECP directives.

Earlier, the ECP, in the notification, also issued a code of conduct banning all executive authorities in the federation and provinces from either announcing any development project or using state resources in the elections, which could influence the elections in favor of a particular candidate. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
United Nations, Jan 26 (PTI) The 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that India had to mount against jihadi terrorists, the country's envoy to the UN has said, asserting that any debate on protection of civilians would be incomplete without taking into account the carnage wrought by terrorist forces, especially those backed by State actors, a thinly-veiled reference to Pakistan.

Addressing the UNSC Open Debate Protection of civilians in armed conflict: Wars in cities - protection of civilians in urban settings', India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti on Tuesday told the Council that the dastardly" terrorist attacks in Mumbai in 2008, which resulted in the killing of 166 innocent civilians of 15 nationalities, is still a ghastly reminder to the entire international community.

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Having suffered the scourge of cross border terrorism for decades, India has always been at the forefront of global counter-terrorism efforts. We have witnessed dastardly terrorist attacks on our cities targeting innocent civilians. Any debate on protection of civilians in urban areas would be incomplete without taking into account the carnage wrought by terrorist forces, especially those backed by State actors, said Tirumurti.

Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai terror attacks. Saeed has been serving jail sentence at the Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore in Pakistan for his conviction in terror financing cases.

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In recent memory, the Mumbai terror attacks epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that we had to mount against jihadi terrorists, when our police personnel had to put their lives on the line to secure the city's safety, he said.

He underlined the need for international community to stand firm on its opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and reject any attempt to provide any justifications for terrorist acts.

We should remember that the consequences of any relaxation of our guard on this count would be borne not only by civilians but even by the security forces which combat them in extremely difficult conditions in urban areas.

We have already seen implications of such an approach in Europe, where lone wolf attacks have resulted in killings of civilians in urban areas and terrorising the urban populations, Tirumurti said.

Tirumurti noted with concern that the world is already witnessing the effect of urban warfare and terrorist attacks in cities.

According to the Secretary General's report, more than 50 million people were affected by conflict in urban areas.

People in Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and Yemen have witnessed the devastation caused by urban conflicts. There are other countries as well which are still reeling from military actions carried out in the past either without due consideration for protecting civilian population, or through deliberate targeting of civilians amounting to genocide as was done in the erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971, now Bangladesh, he said.

He said civilian population and infrastructure are easy targets of terrorist groups and non-state actors and vulnerable groups, women, children and minorities, as well as indispensable civilian infrastructure, hospitals and irreplaceable cultural heritage have been the first casualties of attacks by such actors.

The open debate, held under Norway's current Presidency of the Council, was chaired by Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told the Council that from Afghanistan to Libya, Syria, Yemen and beyond, the risk of harm to civilians rises when combatants move among them and put military facilities and equipment near civilian infrastructure.

Conflict in urban areas goes far beyond its immediate impact on civilians. It also puts people at risk of sieges and blockades, which have had a horrific impact on civilians, up to and including starvation, Guterres said.

Tirumurti added that there has been an unprecedented resurgence in armed conflicts around the globe which has been further complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

With over half of the world's population living in urban centres today and this figure projected to increase to more than two-third by 2050, Tirumurti said, history has shown us that the targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure has been used as a weapon of war, especially during the two World Wars.

Subsequent wars and armed conflicts have also witnessed such acts under the guise of collateral damage".

With the growth in urbanisation, it is inevitable that the impact of armed conflicts on people living in cities will increase, he said.

While the primary responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of populations, including the maintenance of essential services, rests with national governments, Tirumurti said over decades of practice and shaped by the calamitous experience of destructive wars, we now have a set of international principles and jurisprudence which places no less responsibility on the aggressor to ensure that civilians and civilian infrastructure are not targeted in situations of armed conflicts.

In the face of this aggression, especially in the urban areas, it is equally incumbent on States to protect those who put their lives in the line of fire to protect civilians. In other words, we also need to protect the protectors.

Tirumurti added that nations should not ignore fundamental issues and international power politics that contribute to accentuation of armed conflicts.

All conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means and through political and diplomatic efforts in line with international law and principles of the UN Charter, he said, adding that the debate on effects of conflicts in urban settings cannot be de-linked from the post-conflict role.

In the post-conflict context, rehabilitation and reconstruction of civilian infrastructure and restoration of essential services should be given high priority to facilitate socio-economic recovery and peace building.

After the end of the armed conflict in 2009 in Sri Lanka, India assisted its government in immediately restoring essential civilian infrastructure and deployed 7 de-mining teams on an emergency basis which enabled the internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return to their homes and livelihood. India had also invested three billion dollars in infrastructure and community development projects in Afghanistan, he said.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Vatican City, Jan 26 (AP) Pope Francis urged parents on Wednesday not to condemn their children if they are gay, in his latest gesture of outreach to the LGBTQ community which has long been marginalized by the Catholic hierarchy.

Francis spoke off the cuff during his weekly Wednesday general audience dedicated to the figure of St. Joseph, the father of Jesus. Francis said he was thinking in particular about parents who are confronted with sad situations in their children's lives.

Also Read | From 9mm Pistol to AK-47, Everything Is on Sale and Home Delivered Like Pizza in Pakistan.

Citing parents who have to cope with children who are sick, imprisoned or who get killed in car accidents, Francis added: Parents who see that their children have different sexual orientations, how they manage that and accompany their children and not hide behind a condemning attitude.

Never condemn a child," he said.

Also Read | US Coast Guard Searches for 39 People After Suspected Human Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off Florida Coast En Route from Bahamas.

Official church teaching calls for gay men and lesbians to be respected and loved, but considers homosexual activity intrinsically disordered. Francis, though, has sought to make the church more welcoming to gays, most famously with his 2013 comment Who am I to judge?

The Argentine Jesuit also has spoken of his own ministry to gay and transgender people, insisting they are children of God, loved by God and deserving of accompaniment by the church.

Francis has also made several gestures of outreach to the gay Catholic community and their advocates, including a recent letter congratulating an American nun once sanctioned by the Vatican, Sister Jeannine Gramick, on her 50 years of LGBTQ ministry.

That said, Francis also allowed the 2021 publication of a document from the Vatican asserting that the Catholic Church won't bless same-sex unions because God cannot bless sin.  Francis recently transferred the Vatican official widely believed to have been behind the document. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Now hes a shocked jock.

Outspoken SiriusXM host Howard Stern was beside himself Wednesday morning trying to understand the reasoning of a man who is in need of a life-saving heart transplant, but cant get one because he refuses to get vaccinated.

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Howard Stern arrives at the "America's Got Talent" Season 10 Red Carpet Event at New Jersey Performing Arts Center on March 2, 2015 in Newark, New Jersey. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

The guy is willing to trust medical science to give him a new heart, to do the operation, give him all the medication you need so your body doesnt reject the heart, but the one thing he wont take is the vaccine, the baffled broadcaster said of 31-year-old D.J. Ferguson.

Stern then played a sound bite of NYU medical ethic expert Dr. Arthur Caplan explaining that the human immune system shuts down after heart transplants making recipients vulnerable to fatal infections like COVID. Since organs are scarce, Caplan said, it makes more sense to give them to vaccinated people who are willing to do the things necessary to stay alive.

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Sterns sidekick and former nurse Robin Quivers also marveled over the Massachusetts hospital patients willingness to leave behind a pregnant wife and two children rather than following the advice of people who understand medicine.

Do you know how much medication they give you after a transplant? Quivers asked. Hes fine with all of those drugs, just not the vaccine.

[ Man denied heart transplant because he wont get vaccinated against COVID ]

Quivers reasoned that regardless what Ferguson thinks may be the downside of taking a vaccine, the consequences of forgoing a necessary heart transplant is worse.

The Daily News Flash Weekdays Catch up on the days top five stories every weekday afternoon. >

Fergusons father reportedly said the COVID vaccination is against his sons basic principles and the ailing man was standing by his decision.

I wonder what his principles are, like, maybe owning the liberals? Stern said. I guess he listens to a lot of that conservative radio.

The 68-year-old radio star ran afoul of many right-wingers in 2020 for his frequent criticism of former Howard Stern Show guest Donald Trump and his rabid loyalists, who famously flouted pandemic restrictions by crowding into massive rallies unmasked. Stern, who ran for governor as a Libertarian in 1994, has said he doesnt consider himself a liberal.

He and Quivers wondered Wednesday if right-wing pundits who rail against vaccines may start rejecting all medical science, including taking insulin for diabetes.

Many conservatives claim their issue with vaccinations has to do with bureaucratic mandates, not the vaccine itself. Though several conspiracy pushing pundits continue trying to undermine vaccine efficacy, with at least one cable news personality linking COVID vaccinations to Satan.

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On a GoFund me page started to help the Ferguson family, the sickly mans wife claimed the COVID vaccination could kill her husband, despite medical experts recommendations.

Were being pressured to choose a shot that could kill him, she claimed. This is not just a political issue. People need to have a choice!
Cairo, Jan 26 (AP) Forces of Yemen's internationally recognized government and their United Arab Emirates-backed allies swept through a strategic province, forcing Houthi rebels out of its second largest district, officials said Wednesday.

The development in Marib province is another setback for the Iran-backed Houthis, who for a year attempted to take control of the oil-rich province. Their offensive crumbled when the UAE-backed Giants Brigades helped reclaim the nearby Shabwa province earlier this month before advancing in Marib under air cover from the Saudi-led coalition.

Also Read | From 9mm Pistol to AK-47, Everything Is on Sale and Home Delivered Like Pizza in Pakistan.

Government forces and the Giants retook the district of Harib and its center south of Marib city after nearly two weeks of fighting, pushing their way to the nearby district of Juba, said Brig. Abdou Megali, a military spokesman. The Houthis had taken the two districts last year as part of their offensive on Marib.

Fighting also raged between government forces and the Houthis elsewhere, including in the provinces of Jawf and Taiz, Megali added.

Also Read | US Coast Guard Searches for 39 People After Suspected Human Smuggling Boat Capsizes Off Florida Coast En Route from Bahamas.

The Giants posted footage purportedly showing their forces roaming through what they said was the center of Harib. Other footage showed fighters on armored vehicles speeding in what they said were mountainous areas overlooking the district.

Two other military officials from inside the coalition also said the district had been taken. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to media.

In a decree for local authorities, Marib's provincial Gov. Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah ordered the restoration of all services in the district, which he said the Houthis disrupted when they took it in September.

Houthi spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the retaking of the district.

The recent escalation of ground fighting has coincided with intense Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as well as heavy coalition airstrikes on the rebel-held Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

The Houthi military media reported dozens of coalition airstrikes on Sanaa and elsewhere in Yemen over a 24-hour period. The rebels said there were at least 20 airstrikes overnight on Sanaa alone.

The ongoing battlefield setbacks prompted Brig. Yahai Sarei, a Houthi military spokesman, to threaten further attacks on the UAE.

The Houthis have made Marib city their main target for the past three years. They first retook town after town in the neighboring province, before finally reaching the outskirts of the city itself. But their hopes of capturing it diminished when the UAE-backed forces joined the clashes, shifting the tide of the conflict.

The prolonged battle for Marib, however, has been costly for both sides. Thousands of fighters were killed, mostly Houthis who were easy targets for coalition airstrikes in the sprawling desert in central Yemen.

U.S. special envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking on Wednesday urged the warring sides to de-escalate and engage in talks to settle the conflict.

The recent escalation of violence in the region poses a threat to all," he said following talks in Muscat with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi.

Over the past year, efforts by the U.N. and President Joe Biden's administration have failed to bring the two sides to negotiations as the Houthis pressed their Marib offensive to gain leverage in future peace negotiations.

Amnesty International, meanwhile, said Wednesday the coalition used a precision-guided munition made in the U.S. in an airstrike that targeted a prison in the northern province of Saada, killing over 80 people.

The London-based group said its arms experts identified the weapon used in Friday's airstrike as a GBU-12, a 500-pound laser-guided bomb manufactured by Raytheon, according to an analysis of photos of the bomb's remnants. It was the latest evidence of U.S.-made weapons in attacks that could amount to war crimes, Amnesty said.

The coalition said reports that it targeted the prison were inaccurate, accusing the Houthis of employing a usual deceptive approach.

Horrific images that have trickled out of Yemen despite the four-day internet blackout are a jarring reminder of who is paying the terrible price for Western states' lucrative arms sales to Saudi Arabia and its coalition allies, said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty's deputy regional director.

Maalouf urged the U.S. and other arms suppliers to cease transfers of weapons and military support to all parties involved in Yemen's war.

The war in the Arab world's poorest country began in 2014, when the Houthis took Sanaa and much of northern Yemen, forcing the government to flee to the south, then into exile in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi-led coalition, backed at the time by the U.S., entered the war months later to try to restore the government to power.

The conflict has since become a regional proxy war that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and fighters. The war also created the world's worst humanitarian crisis. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, January 26: President Ram Nath Kovind will lead the nation in celebrating India's 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday (January 26). The celebrations this year are special as the Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' across the country.

To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Defence has conceptualised a series of new events during the main parade on Rajpath on Wednesday and for the 'Beating the Retreat' ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29.

It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be a week-long affair from January 23-30 every year. The celebrations will commence on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and culminate on January 30, which is observed as Martyrs' Day to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

The Republic Day ceremony will commence with Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the National War Memorial, where he will lead the nation in paying tribute to the fallen heroes by laying a wreath. Thereafter, the Prime Minister and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the parade. Republic Day 2022: DMRC Launches Special Train To Mark Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

As per tradition, the national flag will be unfurled followed by the national anthem with a booming 21-gun salute. The parade will commence with President Kovind taking the salute. It will be commanded by Lt General Vijay Kumar Mishra, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area, will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

The proud winners of the highest gallantry awards will be honoured next, including the winners of Param Vir Chakra and Ashok Chakra.

Param Vir Chakra winners Subedar Major (Honorary Captain) Yogendra Singh Yadav, 18 Grenadiers, and Subedar (Honorary Lieutenant) Sanjay Kumar, 13 JAK Rifles, and Ashok Chakra winner Colonel D. Sreeram Kumar will follow the Deputy Parade Commander on jeeps.

The Param Vir Chakra is awarded for the most conspicuous act of bravery and self-sacrifice in the face of the enemy. The Ashok Chakra is awarded for similar acts of valour and self-sacrifice, but other than in the face of the enemy.

Indian Army Contingents

The first contingent in the uniform of the erstwhile Gwalior Lancers will be 61 Cavalry led by Major Mrityunjay Singh Chouhan. The 61 Cavalry is the only active serving horse cavalry regiment in the world. It was raised on August 1, 1953 with the amalgamation of six state forces' cavalry units.

The Indian Army will be represented by a mounted column of 61 Cavalry, 14 mechanised columns, six marching contingents and a fly past by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALHs) of Army Aviation.

One Tank PT-76 and Centurion (On Tank Transporters) and two MBT Arjun MK-I, one APC TOPAS and BMP-I (On Tank Transporter) and Two BMP-II, one 75/24 Towed Gun (On Vehicle) and two Dhanush Gun System, one PMS Bridge and Two Sarvatra Bridge System, one HT-16 (On Vehicle) and two Tarang Shakti Electronic Warfare System, one Tiger Cat Missile and two Akash Missile System will be the main attractions in the mechanised columns.

A total of six marching contingents of the Army will be there, including the Rajput Regiment, the Assam Regiment, the Jammu and Kashmir Light Regiment, the Sikh Light Regiment, the Army Ordnance Corps and the Parachute Regiment. Padma Awards 2022: CDS Gen Bipin Rawat Posthumously Conferred With Padma Vibhushan, Congress Leader Ghulam Nabi Azad Awarded Padma Bhushan; See Full List.

A combined band of the Madras Regimental Centre, Kumoun Regimental Centre, Maratha Light Regimental Centre, Jammu and Kashmir Light Regimental Centre, Army Medical Corps Centre and School, 14 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Supply Corps Centre and College, Bihar Regimental Centre and Army Ordnance Corps Centre will also march past the saluting dais.

Soldiers' Uniform and Weapons to Showcase Evolution

The theme of the marching contingents will be the display of the evolution of uniform and weapons of the Indian Army over the last 75 years. The contingent of the Rajput Regiment will be wearing the uniform of Indian Army of 1947, carrying .303 rifles. The Assam Regiment will sport the uniform of 1962, carrying .303 rifles. Republic Day Eve 2022: 939 Police Medals Including 189 for Gallantry Awarded on R-Day Eve.

The Jammu and Kashmir Light Regiment would be in uniform worn during 1971 and would carry 7.62 mm self-loading rifles. The contingent of the Sikh Light Regiment and the Army Ordnance Corps would be in the present day uniform with 5.56 mm INSAS rifles.

The contingent of the Parachute Regiment would be donning the new combat uniform of Indian Army, unveiled on January 15, and would be carrying 5.56 mm x 45 mm TAVOR rifles.

Indian Navy Contingent

The Naval contingent will comprise 96 young sailors and four officers led by Lt Cdr Aanchal Sharma as the Contingent Commander. It will be followed by the Naval tableau which is designed with the aim to showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy and highlight the key inductions under 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. The ongoing 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' also finds a special mention in the tableau.

The forward part of the tableau depicts the Naval Uprising of 1946, which contributed to India's struggle for independence. The rear section illustrates the 'Make in India' initiatives of the Indian Navy from 1983 to 2021. Model of New Vikrant with LCA Navy in air flanked by models of indigenously designed and built warships will also be on display. The frames on the sides of the trailer depict the construction of Indian Naval platforms in India.

Indian Air Force Contingent

The Indian Air Force contingent comprises 96 airmen and four officers and will be led by Squadron Leader Prashant Swamyanathan. The Air Force tableau is titled 'Indian Air Force, Transforming for the Future'. The tableau showcases scaled down models of MiG-21, Gnat, Light Combat Helicopter and Rafale aircraft, as well as the Aslesha radar.

The tableaux are titled 'Suite of Indigenously Developed Sensors, Weapons and Electronic Warfare Systems for LCA Tejas' and 'Air Independent Propulsion System' developed for the submarines of Indian Navy.

Other Tableaux

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will display two tableaux, signifying the defence technological advancements of the country. It will be followed by tableaux of 12 states and Union Territories and nine Ministries and Departments, which have been prepared on various themes under 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav'. Republic Day 2022: Khalistani Terrorists Can Strike Delhi on January 26, Police Release Posters.

The tableaux will be followed by cultural performances by 480 dancers chosen through an all-India dance competition 'Vande Bharatam'. It is for the first time that dance groups, which will perform during the parade, have been chosen based through an all-India level competition. This will be followed by a motorcycle display by Seema Bhawani Motorcycle Team of BSF and Himveers of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Grand Fly Past

The grand finale and the most keenly-awaited segment of the parade, the Fly Past, will, for the first time, witness 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force displaying a number of formations. Vintage as well as current modern aircraft/helicopters like Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mi-17, Sarang, Apache and Dakota will display different formations, including Rahat, Meghna, Eklavya, Trishul, Tiranga, Vijay, and Amrit. The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of Tri-colour balloons. For the first time, the IAF has coordinated with Doordarshan to show cockpit videos during the fly past.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 26, 2022 08:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The government has called an all-party meeting on January 31 to discuss issues and legislative business for the Budget Session. The all-party meeting of the floor leaders will be held virtually. The Budget Session will commence on the same day with the Presidential address at 11 a.m., followed by the laying of the Economic Survey.
Republic Day is celebrated on January 26 every year, and today, India is celebrating its 73rd one. On this day, the Constitution of India came into effect in 1950. Google, the global tech giant, is also celebrating the big day with a special Doodle. Today's Google Doodle has Republic Day parade elements featuring animals such as an elephant, a camel, a dog, a horse. Google Reportedly Introduces Beta of Android Games to Windows PCs.

 NOSTALGIA WARNING  Todays #GoogleDoodle celebrates everything that makes #RepublicDay special   https://t.co/NONDPDBCrS. How many elements can you spot in it? pic.twitter.com/TTl8APa1uI  Google India (@GoogleIndia) January 26, 2022

It also features the parade path, musical instruments like a Tabla, a saxophone and three colours of the Indian national flag. After clicking on the Google Doodle, it redirects to the 'India Republic Day' page, which shows the date January 26 and narrates about the history of the Republic Day.

The big day is celebrated with a grand parade in New Delhi's Rajpath, with 17 military bands, 25 tableaux of various states, armed forces and more. Due to rising cases of Omicron in the country, the government has advised people to watch the parade from their homes online.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 26, 2022 11:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
The Indonesian government on Wednesday banned Hizbut Tahrir, an Islamic organization that wants to establish a global caliphate, under a new presidential decree criticized as draconian by rights groups.

Hizbuts legal status was revoked to protect national unity, said Freddy Haris, a director-general at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

The decree signed last week by President Joko Jokowi Widodo gives the government almost unfettered power to ban organizations deemed against the constitution and the official state ideology known as Pancasila, which enshrines democracy and social justice. Rights groups say the decree undermines the right to freedom of association and governments could easily abuse its power. But mainstream Muslim groups have supported it.

Haris said Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia listed Pancasila as an ideology of the organization in its articles of association but in fact on the ground their activities were against Pancasila and the soul of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.

The measures follow months of sectarian tensions in the worlds most populous Muslim nation that shook the government and undermined Indonesias reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

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Hizbut Tahrir, along with groups such as the violent Islamic Defenders Front, was behind a series of massive protests against the Jakarta governor, a minority Christian and Jokowi ally who was accused of blaspheming Islam. He subsequently lost a bid for reelection to a Muslim candidate and was imprisoned for two years for blasphemy despite prosecutors downgrading the charge to a lesser offense.

Hizbut, already banned or circumscribed in some countries, is estimated to have tens of thousands of members in Indonesia.

Spokesman Ismail Yusanto said the group will not remain silent and plans to challenge the decree in the Constitutional Court. He criticized the ban as an arbitrary and tyrannical decision.

About 2,000 people from Islamic groups protested the decree in Jakarta on Tuesday, denouncing the government as repressive and tyrannical.

Police are signaling a hard line against members of the disbanded group if they continue its activities.

National police spokesman Setyo Wasisto said all Hizbut activities including protests would be prohibited.

Police will not allow them to hold protests since their organization is already illegal and unrecognized, Wasisto said. They will definitely be dispersed.

Jokowis top security minister announced in May that the government planned to ban Hizbut but facing the prospect of a lengthy legal battle, Jokowi opted to sidestep courts with the controversial decree.

Separately, Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, which gained a national platform for its hard-line views during the Jakarta protests, has fled Indonesia during a police investigation into alleged violations of Indonesias antipornography law, which his supporters say are trumped up charges.
The World Health Organization (WHO) warned the public about the new COVID variant, also known as "BA.2."

According to the Independent, the WHO posted an update on its website, citing some differences of the "BA.2" variant from the "BA.1" in some mutations, including its spike protein.

WHO warned that the number of cases of the "BA.2" variant of the coronavirus is "increasing in many countries."

As of last Friday, the said variant, which is nicknamed "Stealth Omicron," was already detected in at least 40 countries, including the U.K., Singapore, India, Denmark, and the United States.

At least 426 cases have been attributed to the Stealth Omicron in the U.K. since December. Meanwhile, experts in Denmark believe that their country has at least 45 percent of the new infection related to the "BA.2" variant.

Despite the number of "BA.2" cases in Denmark, experts indicate that the stealth Omicron is not more deadly than its parent variant, Omicron. However, the new COVID variant is believed by experts to be more transmissible.

Experts also believe that the new COVID variant will not cause another wave of infections.

In response to the emergence of the new COVID variant, the WHO urged public health officials to monitor "BA.2" closely even though it is not yet classified as a variant of concern.

READ NEXT: WHO Chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Says It's Dangerous to Suspect That COVID Variant Is the Pandemic's Endgame

Stealth Omicron Detected in California

The new COVID variant also entered the United States, as it infected individuals in the state of California.

UPDATE: California has 11 confirmed cases of the B.A.2 variant, per @CAPublicHealth.

We asked doctors what people need to know about it. https://t.co/JUE5ungW62  Ian Cull (@NBCian) January 25, 2022

According to NBC correspondent Ian Cull, California's Department of Public Health confirmed that there are at least 11 individuals in the state stricken with the new COVID variant.

#Breaking: Two cases of BA.2  a sub-variant of omicron confirmed in Santa Clara County. 11 total cases in California. Scientists say so far there is no evidence that it spreads faster than the current version of Omicron. pic.twitter.com/tuFlpHY7Xb  Marianne Favro (@mariannefavro) January 25, 2022

Among the 11 cases, two individuals were reportedly from Santa Clara County.

Although the 11 cases of the "BA.2" variant were confirmed in California, University of California San Francisco Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong said that the new COVID variant is not easily identified, contending that "laborious genomic sequencing" is needed for it to be identified.

Meanwhile, another Infectious disease specialist from UCSF, Dr. Monica Gandhi, assured that the vaccine will still work against the new COVID variant, noting that the "BA.2" has the "same characteristics" as the "BA.1" variant.

New COVID Variant: BA.2

According to ABC News, the new COVID variant, also known as "BA.2" and stealth Omicron, is considered sneakier than the original version of Omicron due to its particular genetic traits, making it harder to detect.

However, experts admit that still don't know very much about the new COVID variant, such as if it evades vaccines better or it causes more severe disease.

Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist from Houston Methodist in Texas, said that they have some indications that the new COVID variant may be "more contagious" or "slightly more contagious" than the original Omicron.

The "BA.2" is also reportedly harder to be detected, as the new COVID variant does not have the same "genetic quirk" as the Omicron that can be detected through PCR testing.

"It's not that the test does not detect it; it's just that it doesn't like omicron," Long said, pointing out that people should not get the impression that the new COVID variant cannot be detected by the current testing.

Despite the emergence of the "BA.2," doctors advise that the same precautions, such as getting vaccinated and following public health guidance, will keep people safe from the new COVID variant.

READ NEXT: Aaron Rodgers Hits Back at Pres. Joe Biden Who Said He Wanted the Green Bay Packers Star to Get COVID Vaccine

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: Hard to detect omicron offshoot BA.2 spreads rapidly in Europe - From DW News
Lauren Book, a state senator, has often told the story of how her nanny sexually molested her for six years as a child. She turned her struggle into a lifelong commitment to helping those who had been abused.

She has now been victimized once more after learning that naked photographs of herself had been stolen and then bought and exchanged online since 2020.

Legislation To Strengthen The State's Revenge Porn Law

As the pain returned, so did her spirit to fight. Florida State Senator Lauren Book, 37, responds with legislation to strengthen the state's revenge porn law, a new policy aiming to prevent others from being victimized.

On Tuesday, the bill proposed by Book gets its first committee hearing.

It would make it a crime to buy, sell, or trade sexually explicit photographs stolen from someone's phone or other digital devices, strengthening Florida's revenge porn law. Disseminating sexually explicit photographs that have been manipulated or generated, commonly known as deepfakes, would be a felony.

"I hate that this happened to me," Book, a Democrat, told the Associated Press, "but I'll take it because I know that I can do something about it."

Book had images of her and her husband on her phone, and she said she shared a post-operation photo of her lumpectomy scar with a friend.

Despite the fact that she had no idea how the pictures were stolen from her computer, she speculated that they may have been hacked from her digital storage.

Investigators told her, however, the images the teenager used to try to extort her were sent from virtual private networks in Sweden and Russia.

In a phone interview with Associated Press, the state's Senate minority leader expressed her anger with the foreign trade and selling of pictures stolen from people without their knowledge. Book described it as a sick, perverse subculture that pays more for photographs of celebrities and government figures but also victimizes women who aren't well-known.

The trauma was made worse by the conversations that took place on the website.

READ MORE: L.A. Lakers Stumble in Final Seconds Vs. Miami Heat; LeBron James-Led Late Game Run Ends in Another Disappointing Loss

"Let's try to obtain some rape videos because they were reading about who I was and talking about how I'm a rape survivor," Book remarked.

"Is it possible for some of her to be raped, killed, or tortured? What about some of that?"

After years of working hard to heal herself and restore her life, running a non-profit to help victims, getting married, having children and winning her Senate seat, and now learning that private photos of her own body had found their way all over the web "brought out all of the stuff," Book told the AP.

In 2007, Book founded the group Lauren's Kids. The organization's mission is to help people who have been sexually abused in childhood and works to prevent future abuse.

When Book was 17, she found the courage to go to Tallahassee and persuade lawmakers and the governor at the time, Jeb Bush.

A bill requiring HIV tests for rape suspects.She's now a 37-year-old senator who considers herself blessed to be in a position to fight back, having the resources means to hire an attorney to remove photographs from websites. Many people do not.

Despite the fact that the abuse she suffered in her adolescence had a beginning and an end - the nanny was prosecuted and imprisoned - this case will last a lifetime.

READ MORE: L.A. Lakers Stumble in Final Seconds Vs. Miami Heat; LeBron James-Led Late Game Run Ends in Another Disappointing Loss

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WATCH: Florida Senator Lauren Book Fighting Back Over Nude Images Stolen From Her - CBS Miami
A Texas stepfather was beaten to death by his two teen stepsons. The man had allegedly sexually abused their half-sister.

The Texas stepfather was identified as 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla, while his stepsons were identified as Alejandro and Christian Trevino, both 18 years old, according to a Fox News report.

Alejandro and Christian managed to beat up their 42-year-old stepfather with the help of their friend Juan Eduardo Melendez, who is also 18 years old.

The trio had left Quintanilla to die in a field in McAllen, where his body was discovered by a farmer.

Reports noted that Quintanilla's body was found showing severe blunt force trauma to his head. The McAllen Police Department turned over the investigation to Pharr Police Department.

Pharr Police Chief Andy Harvey Jr. said that the department is working up an updated press release regarding the case.

In addition, a city spokeswoman said that a possible press conference is underway.

Harvey said in an email that the case seems to have some misinformation.

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Texas Stepfather Allegedly Abusing Teens' Sister

Quintanilla's nine-year-old daughter had notified someone on January 20 that he had touched her inappropriately.

Police said that Quintanilla had already been issued a warrant for the sexual abuse of another child, Independent reported.

Pharr Police Deputy Chief Juan Gonzalez said that when the brothers found out what happened, they confronted their stepfather at the residents, which led to a physical fight between the three.

He added that Quintanilla left the location on foot while Christian ran out after the victim and found him outside an apartment complex.

The second assault happened when Alexandro and Melendez caught up with Quintanilla. They then left the scene, changed vehicles, and looked for the 42-year-old, finding him walking alone along a road.

Police said that it was then the third assault took place, and Quintanilla was placed in the back of a truck still alive.

The suspects drove to an area in McAllen, where Quintanilla was left in a field. Authorities believed that he was still alive at that point.

Harvey said that the investigation was complex due to it having multiple scenes. The Pharr chief said that he is proud of how their detectives were able to put the pieces together in such a short time.

Alexandro was charged with aggravated assault/family violence and engaging in organized criminal activity, according to a KIRO 7 News report.

Meanwhile, Christian was charged with aggravated assault/family violence, as well as capital murder, and engaging in criminal activity.

Melendez was charged with capital murder, aggravated assault, and engaging in criminal activity.

In addition, Melendez was also charged with possession of marijuana, according to online Hidalgo County records.

Pharr police said in previous news releases that the child made an outcry at an RV park. It was later revealed that the child was Quintanilla's nine-year-old daughter.

The bond for all three suspects has been imposed at $500,000.

READ MORE: Texas Teen Adalia Rose Dies at 15 After Her Battle With Real-Life Benjamin Button Disease

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WATCH: Pharr brothers accused of killing stepfather over sister's abuse arraigned - from monitor news






In a small, unmarked office in a parking lot in Texas, a large number of single adult illegal immigrants are being released and transferred into the United States on Sunday.

In Brownsville, Texas, footage from Fox News shows multiple federally contracted buses dropping off dozens of primarily male migrants at a parking garage. A makeshift sign with the words "Border Patrol drop-off" was set up on black tarps above it.

Men went into a small, unmarked office, only to reappear moments later as multiple taxi cabs arrived to pick up the migrants, who were then sent to the nearby Harlingen Airport, according to Fox.

Among the groups, there were no children or migrant families.

Illegal Immigrants Pay Cartel Smugglers

Several of the migrants informed the news agency that they had entered illegally that morning, paying cartel smugglers an average of $2,000 per person.

Their destinations include Houston, Miami, and Atlanta.

Single adults are typically being expelled via Trump-era Title 42.

The public health authority, known as Title 42, allows authorities to swiftly remove migrants encountered at the U.S. southern border, arguing that it was necessary to avoid the transmission of COVID-19 in border facilities.

The Biden administration has maintained Title 42, although it does not apply to unaccompanied minors or most migrant families. Single adults, on the other hand, have long been the easiest migrant group to deport.

The city of Brownsville said in a statement that its Office of Emergency Management works to facilitate "the transfer of these migrants to their final destination by allowing them to use services to contact their families, NGOs, or a taxicab" through federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Migrants can be given a health examination in the parking garage, according to a spokesperson, and also act as a staging location for migrants to be given travel information to "facilitate their transfer to their final destinations."

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CBP Deny Involvement

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) denied any involvement in the release.

According to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) source who saw the footage, it appeared to be a release by the ICE agency.

In December, CBP reported its border statistics, which showed 178,840 interactions, a slight increase over November but much more than the 73,994 encountered in December 2020.

The CBP has yet to disclose its monthly operational update. It has told Fox that it does not provide any preliminary information or comment before publishing the bulletin. The formal data should be released in the following days, according to a spokesperson.

78,589 of the 178,840 arrests were made pursuant to Title 42, a Trump-era public health order.

In response to a court decision finding the Trump-era Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) unlawfully dismantled, the Biden administration is re-establishing the program in response to the crisis at the border.

READ MORE: L.A. Lakers Stumble in Final Seconds Vs. Miami Heat; LeBron James-Led Late Game Run Ends in Another Disappointing Loss

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WATCH: Fox News footage shows mass release of single adult migrants into US - MediaPortal
Mexico journalists staged a nationwide protest on Tuesday, calling on the government to protect them after three reporters were killed in the country this year.

According to The Hill, the demonstration occurred in at least 28 cities across Mexico on Tuesday.

The Washington Post noted that protests were held in the state of Vera Cruz, San Luis Potosi, Nayarit, and Durango. Demonstrations were also evident in the central boulevard of Tijuana, as well as Mexico City's National Palace.

According to reports, journalist protesters gathered under placards reading "Not one more journalist killed," and "The truth can't be killed."

In Tijuana, journalists were seen holding signs saying, "Stop the Killing of Journalists, Not One More Death."

Meanwhile, in Mexico City, photojournalists laid their cameras down outside the National Palace. The said spot was also decorated with flowers in early Tuesday with small signs reading "Press, don't shoot." Photos of the three recent reporters killed were also erected in the area.

READ NEXT: Ex-Mayor in Mexico Admits Role in the Murder of a Journalist

UN, Groups Urge Mexico to Protect Journalists

Several entities and groups expressed their thoughts on the danger that Mexican journalists face in the country, as they demanded the federal government to protect media personnel from attacks.

Advocacy group Article 19 posted a statement in the light of the protests, demanding state and federal officials to protect the reporters of Mexico.

"It is a matter of urgency that state and federal authorities prevent attacks, protect journalists when they are victims, and investigate crimes committed against the press with due diligence," Article 19 said in a statement.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Gutierrez's office also urged Mexico officials on Tuesday to take action on the violence against the journalists present in the country, AFP reported.

"We call on Mexican Authorities to strengthen the protection of journalists, in particular, to take further steps to prevent attacks on them, including by tackling threats and slurs aimed at them," Gutierrez's spokesman Stephanie Dujarric said.

The protests and statements from different entities came after three journalists named Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, Margarito Martinez, and Jose Luis Gamboa Arenas were killed in January.

On Tuesday, Mexico president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador spoke with the reporters during his daily briefing, reiterating that the ones responsible for the latest slaying of reporters will be punished. The president also vowed that there would be no more impunity against the Mexico journalists.

Mexico Protection on Journalists

In 2012, Mexico introduced a program that seeks to protect journalists. The said program is called "Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists," which currently "safeguards" at least 496 reporters.

Maldonado was one of the journalists protected by the mechanism, as she was given police guards for a year when leaving and arriving at her home.

However, Tijuana reporter Sonia de Anda blasted the program, noting that the "mechanism failed again when journalists feel most vulnerable."

Director of the weekly news magazine Proceso, Jorge Carrasco, is also one of the journalists protected by Mexico's program. Carrasco noted that the mechanism worked in his case, but he alleged that the program was "overwhelmed."

"In my case, it worked. But the mechanism was overwhelmed. There were so many cases," Carrasco noted, alleging insufficient commitment from other state institutions.

It can be recalled that at least seven journalists were murdered in Mexico in 2021, but it was not determined if their killings were linked to their reports. Reports noted that Mexico remains to be the most dangerous place for journalists in the western hemisphere.

READ NEXT: Radio Reporter Shot Dead in Mexico - 5 Journalists Killed So Far This Year

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: 'Killing the journalist won't kill the story': reporters launch Mexican cartels project - From Guardian News
The government plans to evacuate some Korean residents from Ukraine starting this week as the threat of a Russian invasion increases.

According to Korean expats there, the Korean Embassy held an emergency meeting in Kyiv on Monday and decided to evacuate 50 citizens including children, students and senior citizens.

Around 800 Korean nationals live in Ukraine. One Korean resident there said, "Some of them have already started to pack up. They're going to board planes to Korea until next week."

The government is evacuating 15 Korean households in total who live close to the border with Russia, where military clashes are most likely to happen. They will be moved to Kyiv first.

If the situation worsens quickly, the government plans to send more planes to evacuate all other Korean residents as well. The embassy there is currently gathering their contact details.

Around a dozen diplomats and an unknown number of Korean travelers are also currently in the country. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has issued a travel warning for Ukraine and continues to monitor the situation.
John Leguizamo has seen racism and colorism firsthand in Hollywood.

The Encanto star, 57, said he would avoid sunlight to keep his skin lighter, allowing him to get acting jobs.

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I stayed out of the sun so I could work, Leguizamo told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Monday for its new Seen series. I definitely would not go in the sun for years. It was a conscious thing because I could work.

John Leguizamo poses on the red carpet at the Critics' Choice Awards in January 2020. (Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Critics Choice )

Leguizamo also spoke about how he personally benefited from colorism in Hollywood.

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All the Latinos that made it so far, a lot of them were all light-skinned. What happened to all the Afro-Latinos and the majority of Indigenous Latinos? They dont get a shot, you know. So, theres a lot of things we got to deal with in Hollywood, and we got to fix, and we got to speak out and we got to speak up.

Leguizamo, who was born in Colombia and grew up in Jackson Heights before graduating from NYU, said he realized after graduation that he wasnt getting the same show business opportunities as his white classmates, even though he was an A student.

All the white kids in my class were going to five auditions a day. I was going to one every five months, he told the Academy. And then I realized, Oh my god, I dont have the same opportunities as they have. And I realized that it wasnt an equal playing field. It just was never going to be. And it disillusions you.

To increase his job prospects, Leguizamo pivoted from Hollywood to theater and off-Broadway shows. But he still grew frustrated with the stereotypical roles offered to Latino actors.

How do you create a Latin star in America when the roles are one-dimensional and not worthy of awards? Leguizamo asked. The ugly question is, why are Latin people not succeeding? Whats the ugly question? Are we not smart enough? Not talented enough? Not good-looking enough? Not hardworking enough? No, none of those stereotypes and racist ideas because nobody tries harder with less access.

Leguizamo said he hopes to create change in Hollywood by someday joining the Academys board of governors.

You have to step up and make a change and change it from within, he said. I feel like if youve achieved a certain amount of success, its your duty to give back.
A senior Mexican prosecutor said the killing of two Canadians at a resort in Mexico last week likely stemmed from debts between international gangs allegedly linked to drug and weapons trafficking.

On Tuesday, Oscar Montes, the chief prosecutor of the Quintana Roo state, said the investigations showed that the attack "was motivated by debts that arose from transnational illegal activities that the victims participated in," the Guardian reported.

Montes noted that the two 34-year-old Canadians killed were involved in drug and arms trafficking crimes. Based on the victims' criminal records in Canada, prosecutors earlier said one of the men was a known felon with a long record linked to robbery, drug, and weapons offenses.

Montes noted that their assailants followed them for several days. He said the attack had been planned for nearly a month by a criminal group he declined to name. However, he noted that this organization had not previously been known to operate in the area.

The attackers reportedly had guest wrist bands to enter the Hotel Xcaret resort at Playa del Carmen in the state of Quintana Roo, where the shooting incident happened last Friday.

A Canadian woman was wounded in the attack, and she was still being treated in a local hospital.

2 Suspects Arrested in the Killing of 2 Canadians in Mexico

According to Oscar Montes, the first group of assassins hired to kill the Canadians earlier in January abandoned the mission due to tight security. The killing was then carried out by a second assassin who flew to the resort.

Authorities said the two suspects arrested in the case so far were the first Mexican hired killer Christian "R" and a professional woman kidnapper from Mexico City named Nhu "T" who coordinated the plot, Reuters reported.

Authorities said the hired killer who traveled to the resort when the first attempt failed due to the hotel security system and the one who actually fired the shots is being sought.

Police said Nhu was reportedly a member of a group of 10 Canadians who were staying at the resort. Montes noted that Nhu "cared" for the victims' children, and she allegedly met with the killers, likely to provide them information on their activities.

Global Affairs Canada told CBC News Tuesday that it was "aware of the death of two Canadian citizens and the detention of a Canadian citizen in Mexico."

It noted that consular officials are now in contact with authorities in Mexico to gather information and are providing consular assistance. However, it said that further details on the case could not be released to protect the privacy of the concerned individuals.

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Series Of Heinous Crimes in Mexico's Quintana Roo State

Quintana Roo has previously been home to numerous criminal groups with international connections, probably due to huge numbers of foreign tourists visiting the Caribbean coast state.

A gang of Romanians has long been operating in the state, cloning credit cards and making illegal withdrawals from ATM machines.

This week, two Ukrainians were arrested for allegedly being involved in a fuel theft operation. Cancun, a city in Quintana Roo, has long been used as a base by immigrant traffickers to smuggle Cuban migrants.

In early November, guests at the Hyatt Ziva Riviera Cancun hotel in Puerto Morelos rushed for safety when 15 gunmen from a gang opened fire on rivals, leaving two suspected drug dealers dead.

Although one tourist was reported to have been hit in the head with a weapon, no other tourists were seriously injured in the incident.

In late October, two foreign tourists - a California travel blogger born in India and a German - were killed after they were caught in the apparent crossfire of rival drug dealers in Tulum, a beach town about 80 miles south of Cancun.

READ MORE: Footage Shows Federal Custody's Mass Migrant Release in Brownsville, Texas

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WATCH: 2 Canadian Tourists Killed, Another Wounded in Mexico Resort Shooting- From CBC News: The National
The U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming has reportedly filed a motion to drop the bank card fraud charges against Brian Laundrie, who died by suicide.

Fox News reported that the court document was signed by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Sprecher and filed in the U.S. District Court in Wyoming on Tuesday. Prosecutors are asking the court's permission to dismiss the case because Laundrie was already dead.

"The United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming moves the Court for leave to file a dismissal with prejudice of the Indictment against the Defendant Brian Christopher Laundrie in the above-entitled case pursuant to Rule 48(a) of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure," the motion read.

It added that "the United States secured Brian Laundrie's certified Death Certificate" last December 6 and "has met its obligations" under the Crime Victims Rights Act of 2004, 18 U.S.C.  3771.

Stephen Bertolino, the attorney for the Laundrie family, told Fox News that he had no comment on the move to formally drop the case.

READ NEXT: Brian Laundrie Admits Killing Gabby Petito in His Notebook: FBI Says

Brian Laundrie's Bank Card Fraud Charges in Wyoming

The U.S. District Court of Wyoming has issued a federal arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie over debit card fraud on September 23.

The FBI Denver earlier said the issued warrant was pursuant to the use of unauthorized access devices related to Laundrie's activities following Gabby Petito's death.

Laundrie reportedly used a debit card and PIN for accounts that did not belong to him for charges of more than $1,000 sometime between August 30 and September 1. Court documents showed that Laundrie "knowingly with intent to defraud" used a debit card belonging to Petito.

Laundrie has been the subject of a manhunt as investigators searched for clues in Petito's disappearance and death. The month-long chase for Gabby Petito's fiance came to an end after the FBI said the skeletal remains discovered at the Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park on October 20 belonged to him.

Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito's Death

Brian Laundrie was named a person of interest by the North Port police after returning home on September 1 or 10 days before Gabby Petito was reported missing by her family.

Petito disappeared on a cross-country road trip with Laundrie. The couple was traveling to Oregon when the YouTuber stopped communicating with her family in Wyoming in late August.

On September 19, Petito's body was found at the Spread Creek Dispersed Campground near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. A Teton County, Wyoming coroner said she was strangled to death by a "human being," and the manner of death was homicide.

On the other hand, Laundrie's autopsy report showed that he died of a gunshot wound to the head, and the manner of death was suicide.

Last week, the FBI revealed that Brian Laundrie confessed to killing Gabby Petito in a message left in his notebook. In its final report on the case, the FBI said a review of the notebook revealed written statements by Laundrie claiming responsibility for Petito's death.

The FBI noted that its investigation has concluded that Laundrie was the only person responsible for Petito's "tragic death."

Apart from the notebook, the FBI confirmed that they also found a "backpack" and a "revolver" upon further search of the area, where Laundrie's remains were found.

READ MORE: Brian Laundrie, Gabby Petito Families Finally Agreed to Split the Couple's Belongings - Including the Notebook

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WATCH: Final Gabby Petito, Brian Laundrie Report: Did the FBI Release Enough? - From WFLA News Channel 8
A U.S. appeals court has upheld the life sentence of Sinaloa Cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera after his request for a new trial was dismissed.

According to Daily Mail, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, New York on Tuesday dismissed El Chapo's claims that several jury members had closely followed his high-profile case throughout the three-month trial.

The court also dismissed some of the other arguments El Chapo raised for a new trial, including jury bias, his "deplorable" jail conditions, and the U.S. government selectively targeted him for prosecution.

Sinaloa Cartel Leader El Chapo Appeals 2019 Conviction

El Chapo, 64, is serving a life sentence in prison after being found guilty in 2019 of all 10 federal charges he faced. He was accused of illegally importing millions of kilos of cocaine from Mexico to the U.S., along with significant quantities of heroin and marijuana.

According to prosecutors, El Chapo allegedly used murder, torture, kidnapping, bribing officials, and "other illegal methods to control territory throughout Mexico and to subdue opposition," Vice reported.

The Sinaloa cartel boss is currently being held in Colorado's Supermax, the most secure federal prison in the U.S.

Last October, El Chapo's defense team urged the appeals court to overturn the ex-Sinaloa cartel leader's conviction, citing jury bias and the conditions at the prison.

During oral arguments in the same, Fernich said the conviction of the Mexican drug kingpin should be sent back to lower courts for further evaluation or overturned completely for two reasons.

First was the conditions and treatment that El Chapo experienced inside the prison. And second was a news report that during deliberations, jurors were exposed to salacious claims barred from the trial.

It included a claim that El Chapo has drugged and sexually abused teenage girls he referred to as "vitamins" that gave him energy, which the Sinaloa cartel leader's lawyer has denied.

El Chapo's lawyer noted that the Vice News article also mentioned an unnamed juror who said at least five fellow jurors followed media coverage of the trial and lied about it to presiding judge U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan.

The lawyer said Cogan erred by not ordering a hearing on the alleged jury misconduct.

"You (have) five jurors who don't know the meaning of an oath... If that doesn't cry out for instant inquiry, I don't know what does," Fernich earlier said.

Judges in high-profile cases usually instruct jurors not to follow their trials in newspapers, TV, and the internet.

However, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan found that Cogan was correct in finding that the jury at Guzman's 2019 trial was "not prejudiced by any extraneous information to which they might have been exposed," Al Jazeera reported.

The appeals court further noted that "any possible prejudice was harmless" given the overwhelming evidence of El Chapo's guilt.

The ruling added that Cogan conducted the trial with "diligence and fairness, after issuing a series of meticulously crafted pretrial rulings."

On Tuesday, El Chapo's lawyer Marc Fernich told Reuters that the former Sinaloa Cartel boss would seek Supreme Court review.

"We're disappointed that substantial allegations of grave jury misconduct continue to be swept under the rug... all it appears, because of the defendant's matchless notoriety," Fernich noted.

READ NEXT: Sinaloa Cartel Founder 'El Guero' Is Still in Custody of Mexican Authorities

Imprisonment of Sinaloa Cartel Boss El Chapo

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered to be one of the most powerful drug-trafficking syndicates in the world. The Mexican drug cartel has been known to carry out assassinations, murders, and torture to protect its turf.

The group was founded in the late 1980s and headed by El Chapo. Under El Chapo's leadership, the Sinaloa cartel earned its reputation through violence and outfought several rival groups.

Officials said the Sinaloa Cartel became the biggest supplier of illegal drugs to the U.S. during El Chapo's reign. Its revenue from drug sales ranged from $3 billion to $39 billion annually. El Chapo was once ranked as one of the world's richest men.

El Chapo was arrested in Guatemala and extradited to Mexico in 1993. He was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison.

In 2001, El Chapo escaped from prison and was apprehended again in 2014 in Sinaloa, Mexico. He again escaped from prison through a tunnel the following year.

In January 2016, Mexican officials announced that El Chapo has been captured again. He was extradited to the U.S. the following year.

El Chapo was sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the ADX Florence "supermax" prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2019.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Wife Emma Coronel Could Dismantle Sinaloa Cartel by Cutting Deal With U.S.: Report

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WATCH: Convicted Mexican Drug Kingpin El Chapo Sentenced to Life in Prison - From WION






While drawing the red line on what a Kazi can do in his role to settle dispute, the Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court on January 12, 2022 has in a learned, laudable, landmark and latest judgment titled Aadil vs Union of India and others in 2022 LiveLaw (MP) 13 in Writ Petition No. 24741/2018 (PIL) clearly laid down that a Kazi can entertain a dispute and acts as a mediator to settle the dispute between the members of the Muslim community but he cannot adjudicate the dispute like a court and pass an order like a decree. It deserves mentioning that the Bench of Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Rajendra Kumar Verma noted that an order of the Kazi granting Talaq (divorce) by way of Khula has no legal sanctity and can simply be ignored. The petitioner named Aadil moved a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea alleging that All India Muslim Personal Law Board and their Quazi/Kazi are running parallel judicial system against the provisions of the Constitution of India and also against the established system of law and justice in this country.

It cannot be lightly dismissed what Aadil has said because he is not a person of some other religion but is himself a Muslim. The PIL by him alleges that Quazi/Kazi are running their own courts and passing orders and decrees in personal matters. This is definitely a very serious matter what Aadil alleges and India is certainly not Pakistan or Afghanistan or some Islamic country that we can dismiss this very lightly! We are a secular country from the beginning to the finish!

To be sure, Aadil also referred to his own case and pointed out that on an application filed by his wife for divorce by Khula, the divorce was granted to him. The PIL also averred that respondent No. 7 (Chief Quazi, Masjid 22, Chhoti Gwaltoli, Indore) under the shelter of President and General Secretary of All India Muslim Personal Law Board and others is entertaining such types of disputes and passing the orders in the matter which are liable to be brought before the Court for adjudication. How can there be a parallel judiciary in a secular country like India? It is true that what Aadil has alleged is very serious. Let us see now what the Madhya Pradesh High Court rules in its verdict step by step.

To start with, the ball is set rolling in para 1 of this extremely commendable, courageous, cogent and creditworthy judgment authored by the Bench of Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Rajendra Kumar Verma of Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court wherein it is put forth that, Petitioner has filed the present petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) alleging that respondents No. 4 to 8 are running parallel judicial system against the provisions of the Constitution of India and also against the established system of law and justice in this country. They are running their own courts and passing orders and decrees in personal matters.

To put things in perspective, the Bench then envisages in para 2 that, The petitioner is claiming himself to be a victim of such type of orders passed by respondents No. 4 to 6. The petitioner has filed one of the orders passed by respondent No. 7 on an application filed by his wife i.e. respondent No. 8 for divorce which is called Khula by making all sorts of allegations against him. She sought Talaq under the Kanoon-A-Shariat. On an application of respondent No.8, respondent No. 7 has called the petitioner to appear to submit a reply. The petitioner has submitted a reply on 13.02.2017 refuting the allegations made against him. According to the petitioner, respondent No. 7 has proceeded with the matter and ordered the Talaq (divorce) by way of Khula which is not permissible under the Indian judicial system. The petitioner has alleged that respondent No. 7 under the shelter of respondents no. 4, 5 & 6 is entertaining such types of disputes and passing the orders in the matter which are liable to be brought before the Court for adjudication. When no action has been taken the petitioner has approached this Court by way of this writ petition (PIL).

As it turned out, the Bench then observed in para 3 that, After notice the respondent No.2 has filed the return raising the issue of maintainability of the petition and availability of alternate remedy to the petitioner as his personal interest is involved in this matter. Respondent No.2 has further submitted that section 4 of the Kazi Act, 1880 does not empower the Kazi to confer any judicial or administrative power.

Furthermore, the Bench then discloses in para 4 that, Respondent No.6, All India Muslim Personal Law Board has filed the reply by submitting that the personal law relating to marriage and dissolution of marriage has to be governed by the personal law of Muslims as recognized by them in terms of their religious denominational texts. It is further submitted that clear instructions are given to Kazis who are appointed by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board not to entertain the disputes wherein the parties thereof have already approached the Court of Law or do not consent for an amicable resolution of the dispute. Thus, they are not parallel judicial systems established in derogation of or in conflict with the recognized judicial system in the country. It is further submitted that the petitioner did not agree to the pronouncement of Khula to respondent No.8 in terms of its communication dated 13.2.2017 addressed to respondent No.7 and further considering the fact that respondent no.8 has initiated criminal proceedings against the petitioner. Respondent no.7 ought to have closed the mediation without further proceeding in the matter. The rest of the respondents have not filed the reply despite service.

Be it noted, the Bench then very rightly enunciates in para 5 pointing out that, During the course of arguments, Shri Mathur, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of respondents No.6 & 7 has placed reliance over the judgment passed by the Apex Court in the case of Vishwa Lochan Madan vs. Union of India and others reported in (2014) 7 SCC 707 in which the Apex Court has held that fatwa/Darul-Qazas/Nizam-e-Qazas are not a decree and is neither binding on anyone nor enforceable-only an adjudication by a legal authority sanctioned by the law is enforceable and binding- only voluntary submissions/acceptance to fatwa is permissible. It is further held that the establishment of such a court to administer justice to the member of a particular religion in the name of Dar-ul-Qazas/Nizam-e-Qazas is impermissible and have no legal status.

It is also worth noting that the Bench then hastens to add in para 6 that, Paras-13 & 14 of the judgment are reproduced below:

13 As it is well settled, the adjudication by a legal authority sanctioned by law is enforceable and binding and meant to be obeyed unless upset by an authority provided by law itself. The power to adjudicate must flow from a validly made law. Person deriving benefit from the adjudication must have the right to enforce it and the person required to make provision in terms of adjudication has to comply that and on its failure consequences as provided in law is to ensue. These are the fundamentals of any legal judicial system. In our opinion, the decisions of Dar-ul-Qaza or the Fatwa do not satisfy any of these requirements. Dar-ul-Qaza is neither created nor sanctioned by any law made by the competent legislature. Therefore, the opinion or the Fatwa issued by Dar-ul-Qaza or for that matter anybody is not adjudication of dispute by an authority 10 Page 11 under a judicial system sanctioned by law. A Qazi or Mufti has no authority or powers to impose his opinion and enforce his Fatwa on any one by any coercive method. In fact, whatever may be the status of Fatwa during Mogul or British Rule, it has no place in independent India under our Constitutional scheme. It has no legal sanction and cannot be enforced by any legal process either by the Dar-ul-Qaza issuing that or the person concerned or for that matter anybody. The person or the body concerned may ignore it and it will not be necessary for anybody to challenge it before any court of law. It can simply be ignored. In case any person or body tries to impose it, their act would be illegal. Therefore, the grievance of the petitioner that Dar-ul-Qazas and Nizam-e-Qaza are running a parallel judicial system is misconceived.

14. As observed earlier, the Fatwa has no legal status in our Constitutional scheme. Notwithstanding that it is an admitted position that Fatwas have been issued and are being issued. All India Muslim Personal Law Board feels the necessity of establishment of a network of judicial system throughout the country and Muslims should be made aware that they should get their disputes decided by the Quazis. According to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board this establishment may not have the police powers but shall have the book of Allah in hand and sunnat of the Rasool and all decisions should be according to the Book and the Sunnat. This will bring the Muslims to the Muslim Courts. They will get justice.

Most significantly and also most remarkably, what forms the real heartbeat of this noteworthy judgment is then elaborately stated in para 7 wherein it is held that, In view of the aforesaid judgment and the arguments advanced by Shri Mathur, learned Senior Counsel, the order passed by the chief Kazi on an application filed by respondent No.8 has no legal sanctity. Respondent No.7 being a Kazi is only entitled to enter into a negotiation/mediation between the parties in order to settle the dispute. The M.P. State Legal Services Authority is promoting community based mediation in the State of M.P where the trained mediators of a particular community can act as a mediator to resolve the dispute between the parties in order to end the litigation at the very inception. The Legal Services Authority, Jabalpur and Indore has trained more than 70 volunteers of different communities and religions to act as mediators to settle the dispute between the members of the community out of Court. If a Kazi entertains a dispute and acts as a mediator to settle the dispute between the members of the community that would be permissible but he cannot adjudicate the dispute like a court and pass an order like a decree. In view of the law laid down by the Apex Court in the case of Vishwa Lochan Madan (supra), such an order has no legal sanctity and can simply be ignored. So far the matrimonial dispute between the petitioner and respondent No. 8 is concerning the same is not liable to be examined in this writ petition for which they are free to avail the remedy available under the law. This Court has not expressed any opinion in respect of their matrimonial matter.

Finally, the Bench then concludes by holding in para 8 that, Accordingly, the present writ petition is disposed of.

In a nutshell, the Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court comprising of Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Rajendra Kumar Verma have laid all the questions looming on such a key topic to rest by specifically specifying everything on the powers of Kazi in this notable judgment. The Bench has clarified quite explicitly that a Kazi can certainly entertain disputes and act like a mediator to settle the dispute between the members of the community but he cannot adjudicate the dispute like a court and pass an order like a decree. While mentioning about the Vishwa Lochan Madan judgment delivered by none other than the Apex Court, the Bench also ruled categorically that an order of the Kazi has no legal sanctity and can be simply ignored. All the Kazis and so also the All India Muslim Personal Law Board must have no doubt now on this.

On a closing note, I am sure that the Kazis and so also the All India Muslim Personal Law Board too will happily now adhere unfailingly to what has been laid down so briefly, boldly and brilliantly in this leading case by the Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court! We have seen also in India that Muslims have always adhered strictly to what is laid down by the Courts! We have also seen how even in the high-profile Ayodhya case, the Muslims have demonstrated how much they believe in the rule of law for which they deserve to be applauded! No denying it!



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A car dealership in Kildare has said it was saved from "a catastrophic event" thanks to the actions of one security officer on its premises two weeks ago.

Security at Conlans in Newhall is managed by Manguard Plus (MP), Irelands largest privately owned security company. It is run by Sean Hall, who was born in Laois.

The dealership definitely got value for its security budget: MP confirmed that the officer (whose identity cannot be disclosed for operational reasons) on duty that fateful night was monitoring the CCTV for the premises.

He wasnt satisfied that all was well, which prompted him to personally investigate the area.

Shortly after, the employee stumbled upon a fire on the site, and called emergency fire services, who managed to contain the blaze.

Nicky Conlan, Head of Business at Conlans, commended the MP worker for his quick-thinking: "There is no doubt that the quick witted action by the MP Control Room Operator saved our company from a catastrophic event."

"If the blaze had taken hold there is no question whatsoever that the damage would have been significant enough to cause us to cease trading for an extended period of time and would have been looking at a rebuild."

Conlan continued: "The sharpness of the security officer was absolutely crucial in preventing a potentially disastrous event for us.

"It is heartening and encouraging to know that there are people who have pride in their jobs and take their responsibilities seriously, there are a true example of all that is good about people and are a credit to their employers.

"I would like to both commend and thank this amazing MP team for their unstinting and diligent service to our company, they are definitely a company who provide security in the true sense of the word," he concluded.

Managing Director of MP, Sean Hall, said that the training MP's security staff undertake, coupled with huge investments in technology, were crucial in securing a good outcome for Conlans.

"The MP Control Room is one of the most sophisticated and high tech in the country, and so human skill and observation combined with technology secured a good outcome for our client," he explained.

"We are very proud of the hard working staff we employ at MP... it is their sharpness and skill, coupled with a decent work ethic, that ensures our clients are given the absolute best service they want and deserve.

"I am so personally proud of this Officer, he had an inkling that not all was right at the premises and pro actively investigated it."

"Going beyond the call of duty is what we do at MP and this Officer certainly did that," Mr Hall added.

The MP boss was born in Laois and attended Rath National School near Ballybrittas until aged ten when his Laois mum and Kildare dad moved to Newbridge which is now his home.

Mr Hall hasn't forgot his Laois roots. He recently sponsored a fundraising 2022 calendar for the Laois primary school.

"I have great memories of Rath NS - its a small school with a big imprint. School sets down so many foundations for young people and I passionately believe that giving kids the best possible educational advantages sets them up for life, it is crucially important," he said in December 2021.

Founded in 1996, Manguard Plus employs over 1000 people from offices in Naas, Cork, Waterford and Belfast. It has recently expanded into Co. Laois with a full mobile service. It also has offices in London.

It numbers Dublin Port Company, Aer Lingus, DSV and Virgin Media amongst its clients.
Through her tears, Sarah Walker, mother of Caleb Walker, talks to the press with husband Thomas, left, and attorney Ben Crump, right, about a wrongful death lawsuit filed against a Lake County group home. Caleb Walker was a 27-year-old autistic man who was restrained for at least 15 minutes by staff members at the group home, the suit alleges, leading to his death. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

The day before Thanksgiving 2020, Sarah Walker had gathered the ingredients for her sons favorite holiday dishes and was about to begin cooking when the phone rang.

There had been a behavior by her son  27-year-old Caleb Walker, who had severe autism  at the Lake County group home where he had lived for two years, a man said. Sarah knew what that meant. Caleb had acted out, probably physically, as he sometimes did out of frustration.

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They told me, We did everything right, and were so sorry, but hes dead, she said, sobbing. I said, How can you say that? Hes dead, so you couldnt have done everything right.

Sarah Walkers attorneys  a legal team that includes prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump  announced Wednesday theyre now suing the facility, Oconee Group Home, its parent company, executive director and two staffers for wrongful death and negligence.

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To control Caleb Walker, the suit alleges, staff held him face down on a mat for at least 15 minutes, cutting off his air supply and killing him.

They were supposed to be trained to deal with individuals like Caleb Walker, Crump told reporters at a courthouse news conference. This young man died from the same thing that George Floyd died from  positional asphyxiation. But, tragically, unlike George [Floyd], who was able to say, I cant breathe  [Walker] couldnt.

The lawsuit, which seeks at least $30,000 in damages, names Attain, Inc., which operates Oconee and 20 other facilities in Orange, Seminole and Lake counties; executive director Craig Cook and employees Derek Long and Larry Cherry. The home was paid more than $100,000 a year from the state to care for Caleb Walker, the suit says.

It also alleges that the facility was inadequately staffed and trained, and attorneys said the problems there are endemic to Floridas network of group homes because of insufficient funding from the state.

In a phone call Wednesday, Cook denied any wrongdoing by his workers or the facility and blamed a cardiac condition during that procedure for Walkers death the morning of Nov. 25, 2020  although the medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. Long and Cherry could not be immediately reached for comment.

While Cook also has advocated for the Legislature to increase staff wages, he said the facility was properly staffed and trained at the time of Walkers death.

We definitely understand the grief and anger, he said. But for people engaged in very dangerous behavior, there are physical intervention procedures such as restraint that come with risks. And  some of those risks include injury and up to and including death, and that was shared with the family as part of the consent process. Nobody wants or expects that to be the outcome of a crisis intervention, but its always a possibility.

But the lawsuit, filed in Ninth Judicial Circuit Court in Orange County, claims a single attendant initiated the restraint  instead of two, as required  and that subsequently both applied pressure and force to Calebs arms, legs and torso while they held him face down on the mat for approximately 15 minutes. During this time, Caleb yelled, kicked and screamed, but then fell quiet. Caleb had ceased to move  for approximately the final two minutes of the improper restraint that had been applied on him.

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Sarah Walker points to a photo of her son on Wednesday after announcing the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit against Oconee Group Home. Caleb Walker was a 27-year-old autistic man who was allegedly restrained for at least 15 minutes by staff members at the facility before he died. (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel) (Willie J. Allen Jr./Orlando Sentinel)

According to the official autopsy report, the cause of Calebs death was excited delirium, with restraint during altercation. Excited delirium, it turns out, is a term not recognized by the World Health Organization or the American Medical Association, and the American Psychiatric Association issued a position statement in December 2020 saying the term is too vague to be meaningful. It has been used disproportionally for black men who died while being restrained in policy custody.

Calebs mother said her son functioned at the level of an 8-year-old and often had trouble articulating what he wanted. She also said it was not the first time he had been injured at the group home.

They would tell us he hit his face on the dresser, and hed have these huge black eyes, she said. Or they would say he did it to himself. We begged them to put cameras in his room, but she said that never happened.

Orlando attorney Natalie Jackson, also part of the legal team, called the situation a worst nightmare for parents of children with intellectual disabilities.

Breaking News As it happens Be the first to know with email alerts on important breaking stories from the Orlando Sentinel newsroom. >

They cant defend themselves. They cant tell you whats wrong, unlike other people who are abused, Jackson said. Thats why these homes have to make sure that theyre adequately staffed and know what theyre doing.

Floridas Agency for Persons with Disabilities, which oversees this type of group home, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday, nor did the Lake County Sheriffs Office, which investigated Walkers death. It was not immediately clear if state officials conducted a separate investigation.

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Attorneys for the family said that while Caleb Walker had loved ones who visited regularly, many who live in group homes do not, leaving no one to speak out on their behalf.

Monies cannot just be funneled from the state of Florida into these residential group homes, said attorney Aaron Karger. There must be accountability, transparency and monitoring. The Agency for Persons with Disabilities ought to publish their investigative findings so that family members of loved ones with intellectual disabilities, such as the Walker family, have a meaningful opportunity to vet these residential group homes and make decisions that empower them.  Abuses at these residential group homes are an urgent public health crisis.

Sarah Walker, now 65, said she and her husband had grown too old to care for their son in their own home. But he still came home for holidays and went on periodic outings.

He was my baby, she said, holding photos of her son on a family vacation when he was a teen. He was autistic, but he had a life that mattered.

ksantich@orlandosentinel.com. Note: This story was updated on Jan. 28, 2022, with information from Caleb Walkers autopsy report.
Prison officers can have the 'most profound' and 'remarkable' impact out of all staff looking after the welfare of prisoners serving time at jails in Portlaoise and elsewhere, according to the Irish Prison Service Head of Psychological Services.

Emma Regan returned from the UK to work as a psychologist at the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise some years back. She now leads a team of more than 30 psychologists across jails in Ireland.

While she says she is very proud of the work being done by her team, she believes that the prison officers on the landings in Laois and elsewhere can have most impact on inmates.

"There is no doubt of the impact of a prison officer on people in custody and how life changing you can be is remarkable," she said.

Ms Regan gave the example of a officer who has responsibility of managing a landing where up to 50 prisoners may be residing.

"You are the person they say day to day. How you behave, role model and speak to people is what people in custody learn. The impact of that can be profound," she said.

She referenced university research with young people.

"They (former young prisoners) said the people who influenced them the most and had the most impact were not psychologists, teachers or chaplains but were actually prison officers," she said.

Ms Regan made the comments in an podcast made for a part of UCC Career Services series when asked about what advice she would give to people leaving college who might consider a career in jails.

She started her career at Castlerea Prison in Roscommon where she worked as a substitute teacher. There was no psychologist in the rural jails at the time. After what she saw in the jail, she decided to study to be a psychologist. She began her career in the UK but returned when she to a job in the Midlands Prison.

She is happy to be working with all staff.

"The work is fantastic, the people are fantastic, the clinical work are amazing and the staff are lovely to work with," she said.

She added that apart from working with prisoners, the psychology services also trains prison officers in trauma, mental health, challenging behaviour. The psychologist said prisoner officers are also supported in being resilient in a challenging work environment.

To listen to the interview with Ms Regan, Edel Cunningham, Head Teacher at Cork Prison and Sheila Connolly, CEO of Cork Alliance Service which works with people released from prison and living in the Cork area.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/2Z5teKmCDEDCIipISeFw3j
A District Court Judge stressed she had to be fair and consistent in her sentencing, at Portlaoise court last week.

Judge Catherine Staines made her comments in the case of Craig Fitzgerald, 27, of 29 Seabury Meadows, Malahide, Dublin who was charged with possession of ketamine, MDMA and cocaine at the Electric Picnic on August 31, 2019.

He pleaded guilty.

The court heard he had been given the benefit of the Probation Act on two previous occasions.

Defence solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said that his mother was with him in court. He worked in retail and had a letter and his CV for the court.

Judge Staines said he had been given an opportunity twice before. He had ignored the chances he had been given.

Ms Fitzpatrick said that Mr Fitzgerald had cycled to the Electric Picnic for charity and had raised 800.

Mr Fitzgeralds mother told the Judge he was a good lad and this would never happen again.

Judge Staines said the opportunities given by the court for people on first time offences for possession of drugs and public order matters was very good.

She stressed that Mr Fitzgerald had been given a chance twice before and she had to be consistent with her sentencing. Otherwise it devalued the opportunity given.

She said she had to be fair and consistent.

She convicted him on possession of cocaine, fining him 200. The other two matters were taken into account.

A recognisance was fixed in the event of an appeal.
A young woman who was caught with luxury items, a high-end car and almost 100,000 in various accounts will be sentenced later for money laundering.

Kathleen McDonagh (21) had 23,715 worth of luxury items including two Chanel handbags, Louis Vuitton bags, belts and shoes; Christian Louboutin shoes and two diamond rings when gardai secured a warrant to first search her home in January 2020.

A high-end vehicle, which had been bought in a Galway dealership with 25,750 in cash in July 2019 was also seized at the time.

Garda Gary Farrell told Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, that McDonaghs home was searched as part of a wider garda investigation and later accepted that she was not the target of that investigation.

McDonagh had been in a relationship with a man who was serving time in prison for burglary at the time. He is now in Scotland and is the subject of a European Arrest Warrant.

During the searches of McDonaghs home on dates in January 2020 and May 2020, gardai also found details relating to an AIB bank account, a post office account and a credit union account in her name.

Further investigation of these accounts revealed that deposits totaling 98,828.88 had been lodged in them between March 2018 and December 2019.

McDonagh of Whitechurch Avenue Rathfarnham, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal to three counts of money laundering on dates between March 2019 and January 2020. Two further charges of money laundering were taken into account. She has no previous convictions.

Garnet Orange SC, defending, submitted to the court that his client did not have a role in the primary offence, but due to her apparent good character she was able to establish the accounts required to store and dispose of the criminal proceeds of those primary offences.

Counsel asked the court to accept that McDonagh was effectively a channel.

Judge Melanie Greally said she was not sure about McDonaghs culpability in that sense adding that she was a direct beneficiary as the designer goods and car were being used by her.

She said it was a case that warranted assessment from the Probation Service before she adjourned the sentence to May 4, next to allow for that assessment to take place. McDonagh was remanded on bail until that date.

Gda Farrell told Ms Collard that there was no evidence to support how the money had been earned and McDonaghs only source of income at the time was loan parents allowance.

Gda Farrell agreed with Mr Orange that his client was 17, 18 and 19 years old during the period of time covered by the charges.

He accepted that she was not the person who committed the primary offences nor she was target of the initial investigation, but was later identified as a person who had unexplained assets.

Gda Farrell further accepted that McDonaghs father didnt approve of her relationship with her partner at the time and she had left the family home against his will to live with the man when she was 16 years old.

The garda agreed that McDonaghs former partner was someone who was involved in criminal activity.

McDonagh is now back living with her parents and it was accepted by Gda Farrell that her father is a decent upstanding man who takes a very hands-on role as to how his daughter has dealt with these offences.

Mr Orange said his client is the mother of a young child and has a stable, reliable family network.

She found herself in possession of vast amounts of money. She used that money to buy this property, but nevertheless I suggest that she didnt come in at the highest end of culpability, counsel submitted before he added that McDonagh got swept away by circumstances.

He said she was not moving cash from one account to another in an attempt to conceal it as the proceeds of crime and submitted that the assets were easily found and recovered.
Peter Casey - Portarlington

The death took place on Monday, January 24 of Peter Casey of Waterfront Apartments, French Church Street, Portarlington, and formerly of Tallaght, Dublin.

Unexpectedly at his residence. Deeply regretted by his loving family, neighbours and friends.

Removal from his residence on Thursday at 11:15am arriving The Victorian Chapel, Mount Jerome Crematorium, Dublin for Funeral Service at 1pm.

Peter's Funeral Service will be streamed live on

https://www.mountjerome.ie/victorian-chapel-service/

Phyllis Monaghan - Portlaoise

The death took place on Saturday, January 22 of Phyllis Monaghan (nee Harrington) of Highfield Meadows, Portlaoise.

Peacefully, surrounded by her loving family in the tender care of the staff of St. Brigid's Hospital, Shaen. Predeceased by her son Declan and son-in-law Paddy. Deeply regretted by her loving husband Noel, her adored children Gerard, Carol, David and Pamela, daughters-in-law Vivienne and Nuala, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.

Reposing at Keegan's Funeral Home on Tuesday from 6.30pm with rosary at 8pm. Removal on Wednesday to arrive at SS Peter and Paul's Church for 12 noon requiem mass. May be viewed on https://www.portlaoiseparish.ie/webcam/. Interment afterwards in SS Peter and Paul's Cemetery, Portlaoise.

Government Covid guidelines still to be observed. Those attending funeral are requested to wear masks and refrain from handshaking.

Patricia Murphy - Maganey

The death took place on Saturday, January 22 of Patricia (Pat) Murphy (nee Dillon) of Grange, Maganey.



At the Hermitage Clinic, Dublin. Beloved wife of Tom and much loved mother of Declan and Damien. Sadly missed by her loving husband, sons, daughters-in-law Natalie and Isabel, grandchildren Andrea, Sean, Sophia, Ethan and Alex, sisters, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, nephews, nieces, relatives and friends.

Reposing in R. Healy & Son Funeral Home, Pollerton Castle, Carlow on Tuesday evening from 5pm to 8pm. Removal on Wednesday at 1.15pm to Newlands Cross Crematorium for committal service at 2.20pm

The service may be viewed on the following link

https://www.mcnmedia.tv/Camera/newslands-cross-cemetery-crematorium

Margaret Brennan - Arles

The death took place on Saturday, January 22 of Margaret Brennan of Arles, Ballickmoyler.

Suddenly predeceased by her mother Margaret, father William, brothers Joe, Dan, Pat, Br. Damian and Vincent. Sisters Mary and Bernie, nephew Sean, brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Deeply regretted by her sisters Bridie and Catherine, brothers Liam and Sean, nieces, nephews, relatives and a large circle of friends.

Reposing at her home in Arles this Tuesday evening from 6.30pm and all day Wednesday with rosary at 8pm on both evenings. Arriving for funeral mass in the Church of the Sacred Heart, Arles at 12pm on Thursday 27th January. Mass will be live streamed from https://arlesparish.ie. Burial immediately afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

Patrick Keenan - Raheen

The death took place on Thursday, December 2 of Patrick Keenan of Raheen.

In memory of Patrick Keenan who died at Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow. Patrick was much loved and will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

A celebration of life at Breakspear Crematorium took place Friday, 7th January, at 12 noon. Webcast details can be found at: https://patrickkeenan.muchloved.com/

Requiem Mass on Saturday, 29th January, at 12 noon in St. Fintans Church, Raheen. Interment afterwards in the adjoining Cemetery.
Details of new law giving workers the right to request remote working that will allow them do their job at home also set out the reasons why an employer may, having given the application due consideration, decline a request for remote working.

Under the new Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021, The Enterprise, Trade and Employment rules say bosses must state the reasonable business grounds for so doing which may include but are not limited to:

The nature of the work not allowing for the work to be done remotely

Cannot reorganise work among existing staff

Potential negative impact on quality

Potential negative impact on performance

Planned structural changes

Burden of additional costs, taking into account the financial and other costs entailed and the scale and financial resources of the employers business

Concerns re the protection of business confidentiality or intellectual property

Concerns re the suitability of the proposed workspace on health and safety grounds

Concerns re the suitability of the proposed workspace on data protection grounds

Concerns re the internet connectivity of the proposed remote working location

Inordinate distance between the proposed remote location and on-site location

if the proposed remote working arrangement conflicts with the provisions of an applicable collective agreement

Ongoing or recently concluded formal disciplinary processes.

A statement from the department said the Right to Request Remote Working Bill 2021 will, for the first time, provide a legal framework around which requesting, approving or refusing a request for remote work can be based.

It said all workplaces must have a written statement which sets out the companys Remote Working Policy, specifying the manner in which remote working requests are managed and the conditions which will apply to remote working generally within the organisation.

Where the employer has diligently completed the assessment process and any appeal has been heard, the employee will have to wait a period of 12 months to submit another request, provided they are in the same role. If an employee moves to a new role within the company, they may submit a fresh request.

The Department adds that the new law provides for a time-limit for an employer to return a decision in relation to a request from an employee. The employer can set out their own specific time limit but it must not be more than 12 weeks.

An employee will be eligible to submit a request once they have worked for their employer for a period of six months. However, an employer is free to offer remote work from day one if desired.

There will be a right of appeal to the Workplace Relations Commission where an employer has failed to respond to a request or to provide any reasonable grounds for refusal of a request for remote working and protections for employees from penalisation for having exercised their entitlement to request remote working.

The Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Leo Varadkar published details of a new law which a statement said will give employees the right to request remote working, as part of his plans to make better terms and conditions for workers a legacy of the pandemic.

Up until now, remote and home working has been imposed on a lot of people due to the public health restrictions. Now that they have been lifted, I want it to be a choice. I want workers to be able to work from home or remotely or hybrid if they want to. So long as the business get done and services are provided, employers should facilitate it.

I know throughout the pandemic, many employers have gone to great lengths to give their employees as much flexibility around where they work as possible. We want this to continue. The world of work has changed and I know many would like to retain some amount of remote working once Covid is behind us.

This new law will give every employee the right to request remote working from their employer. Employers will be required to provide reasonable grounds for refusing to facilitate an employees request. These grounds are set out in the legislation and we will develop Codes of Practice to provide guidance to help employers implement the new law.

It will give employers and workers legal clarity on remote working, which became the default for many during the pandemic, said Mr Varadkar.

The Tanaiste concluded.

We have a real opportunity now to change the norm and learn what we can from the pandemic. This new right is in addition to the right to disconnect, our investment in remote working hubs across the country and our changes to the treatment of home working costs through Budget 2022, he said.

His Department said the General Scheme has been developed following consultation with employer groups, employee representative groups and the public.

The General Scheme and the Regulatory Impact Assessment are available at Right to Request Remote Work Bill 2021
Irish Waters statutory public consultation on its draft Regional Water Resources Plan for the Eastern and Midlands (RWRP-EM) Region will continue to run until 14 March 2022.

The three-month public consultation began on 14 December 2021 and sets out the options for providing a more secure, reliable and sustainable water supply for 2.5 million customers in the Eastern and Midlands region over the next 25 years.

The company says this public consultation is everyones opportunity to feed into the process of how Irish Water identifies the water supply issues in the region and determines what the options are to provide a more resilient water supply to customers.

Public webinars will be held on February 2, 3, 7 and 8. These webinars will provide information on the draft Regional Water Resources Plan Eastern and Midlands and allow opportunities to pose questions to inform submissions.

If you would like to be part of an online public webinar on the draft Regional Water Resources Plan Eastern and Midlands and associated environmental reports, you can provide an expression of interest on our website at www.water.ie/rwrp/easternmidlands

Irish Water says its National Water Resources Plan will be the first resources plan for the entire public water supply in Ireland. It is split into four regions and the first regional plan to be developed is the draft Regional Plan for the Eastern and Midlands Region.

The utility says are 201 Water Treatment Plants in the Eastern and Midlands Region, which collectively serve 2.48 million people or 60% of the population of Ireland, via approximately 19,000 kilometres of distribution network and 134 Water Resource Zones. These treatment plants also serve 76,000 businesses.

The region itself covers approximately 20,900 square kilometres extending from the Shannon Estuary in the south west, towards the large River Boyne catchment and Greater Dublin Area (GDA) in the north east.

The draft plan describes the Eastern and Midland Region and the current challenges faced now and into the future in terms of delivering a safe, secure and resilient water supply.

Angela Ryan, Water Resource Strategy Specialist for Irish Water spoke about the public consultation on the draft plan.

Public consultation on the draft plan is now underway. Development of the draft plan will allow Irish Water for the first time to review water supply needs collectively across the entire Eastern and Midlands Region covering a broad spectrum of risk including quality, quantity, reliability and sustainability. It will allow us to consider local options to resolve these needs and larger regional options that can address multiple supplies.

The draft Regional Plan will also offer key benefits in terms of transformation of our supplies, including the ability to cater for growth and economic development in a sustainable way, improved interconnectivity between our supplies to ensure balanced regional development, and new sustainable water sources that are adaptable to climate change such as the new Shannon source which is coming from the largest catchment in Ireland.

If people are interested in our plans for the Eastern and Midlands Region, they are welcome to join one of our public webinars in February and hear more from our team, explained Angela.

Irish Water is now seeking feedback on the public consultation for the draft RWRP: EM and associated SEA Environmental Report and Natura Impact Statement.

The documents are available to view on our website at www.water.ie/rwrp/easternmidlands

A 13-week statutory public consultation will continue to run until 14 March 2022.

Submissions can be made by post or email by 14 March 2022. Email: nwrp@water.ie Post: National Water Resources Plan, Irish Water, PO Box 13216, Glenageary, Co. Dublin

Irish Water says all submissions will be taken into consideration and responses to the issues raised will be summarised in a Consultation Report which will be published on www.water.ie/nwrp.

To reserve a place on the public webinar, click on the following link: https://freebusy.io/nwrp. irishwater@gmail.com/rwrpem
A Laois college has launched a fun academic challenge for 4th and 5th classes all around the county, with brilliant prizes.

Portlaoise College normally holds an annual STEM conference to highlight their subject range, but has decided on a change this year.

"In place of our annual STEM conference Portlaoise College is delighted to offer an Academic Challenge competition.

"Five subject departments in our school have each created and designed a challenge for students that links with

their subject. These challenges are designed so that a participant can complete them by themselves and from home with the assistance of a supervising adult. Challenges have been set by our Science, Technology, Home Economics, English and Art Departments for 2022," principal Noel Daly explains.

Challenges include making a strong structure from paper, creating an Irish bird from waste paper, dropping an egg from a height without breaking it, cooking with mystery ingredients, and discussing your favourite literary hero.

Prizes include a choice of a family pass either Castlecomer Discovery Park, Fota Wildlife Park, Dublin Zoo or Tayto Park.

The competition is a great way to encourage enthusiasm and practical learning in the areas of science, technology,

literature, art and home economics. At Portlaoise College, we believe in offering a varied curriculum to meet the needs and to ignite the interests of our students, this is the inspiration behind this inclusive competition, we want to inspire primary school students of 4th and 5th class to showcase their enormous talents, the principal said.

Students can enter as many of the challenges as you like, and all entries must be received by Friday February 18 2022. Entries should be submitted by email to info@portlaoisecollege.ie. In the subject line state 'Academic Challenge' and in the emails content be sure to include the students name, school and class.

Winners will be announced on the schools Facebook page and prizes will be delivered to the school by a representative from Portlaoise College.
Irish citizens are being advised to avoid non-essential travel to Ukraine, it was announced.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said yesterday (Tuesday January 25) that the advice comes in light of ongoing tensions at the Eastern European countrys border with Russia.

He also said planned Russian navy exercises off the Irish coast are not welcome.

Reiterating comments made by Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, the Taoiseach told the Dail: Holding military exercises in international waters off our coast is not welcome. And there is an ecological issue here.

The Russian artillery drills, at the start of February, will take place in international waters but within Irish-controlled airspace and the countrys exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

On Monday, the Russian ambassador to Ireland dismissed the plans as a non-story.

Yury Filatov downplayed the significance of the exercises after concerns were raised by the Irish Government.

Mr Martin rejected his suggestion such training exercises are a regular occurrence.

Mr Martin, answering several questions from TDs about the tensions, said: Ireland accepts Ukrainian territorial integrity.

Our principles in approach to the Russian-Ukrainian situation is accepting and, of course, adhering to that fundamental rules-based international order.

We want diplomatic resolution to this. We want this de-escalated. We dont believe it necessitates the massing of so many hundreds of thousands of troops.

It doesnt necessitate a war or invasion or the violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity.

I think the world would breathe a collective sigh of relief because the world is trying to come through Covid-19 and all its implications and now, to go through another crisis, which could occur as a result of an invasion, I think would be very, very difficult for the world as a whole to deal with.

People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett told the Dail that Russian president Vladimir Putin is a thug and an autocrat.

However, he asked: Of course we should condemn what Russia are doing, but why is there no condemnation, from a country that is supposed to be neutral, about a clear agenda by Nato to expand eastwards and to escalate military tensions with Russia?

Mr Martin rejected the claim.

I dont think Nato is being aggressive here, he said.

Earlier, fishermen who planned to peacefully disrupt Russias military exercises off Ireland were warned not to put themselves at risk.

Patrick Murphy, chief executive of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation, said some of its members plan to hold a protest.

He described the area of the exercises as very important for fishing and said members want to protect biodiversity.

When asked about the fishermens plans, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said on Tuesday: I havent had the chance to speak to any of the fishermen operating in that area.

I suppose I would just say to them that these are military vessels. Whatever they choose to do in terms of any protests, just make sure that they dont put themselves at risk.

Mr Varadkar said Ireland is powerless to stop the exercises.

But we have made it very clear that these exercises are not welcome, particularly in the current context, when tensions are rising in relation to Ukraine, he added.

Thats being communicated to them very strongly. There are no plans to send Irish troops to Ukraine. That hasnt been discussed.

Mr Varadkar said the Cabinet received a comprehensive briefing from Mr Coveney over fears Russia will invade Ukraine.

It is very serious. There is a real fear that we could see a land war on the continent of Europe, the Fine Gael leader added.

We havent seen that for a very long time.

Aside from the humanitarian impact, it could have an impact on us economically as well.

We got a comprehensive briefing on that today. Were co-ordinating our response, of course, with our European partners and our UN partners.

The Russian exercises off the coast of Cork and Kerry, while not illegal, are not welcome.

We dont believe that theyre connected to the events in Russia and Ukraine but we certainly would prefer that they were not happening.

In compliance with legal requirements, Russia informed Irelands aviation authorities of the planned activities in advance.

The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) said there would be no impact on the safety of civil aircraft operations.
Laois County Council needs to be more ambitious in providing cycle networks and footpaths in Portarlington, according to Green Party representative for the area, John Holland.

Mr Holland welcomed the announcement of 3m for active travel measures in Laois, saw a total of 22k allocated to Portarlington for footpath works on the Edenderry Road.

While substantial money was spent on new paths in Portarlington in the past year and Offaly County Council has received 200,000 for an active travel scheme, the Green Party member said the border town should be getting more money.

Compare that with Monasterevin, a smaller neighbouring town to Portarlington, which has received 700k in funding for a cycle network, says Mr. Holland. MORE BELOW LINK,

He called on Laois County Council to do more for Port.

It seems Portarlington has been side-lined in its calls for more investment in this area. I am again calling on Laois County Council to apply for funding for a Transport Strategy for Portarlington to allow for a full and detailed review of active travel and sustainable transport options, he claimed.

Mr Holland added that the funding announced includes the cost of staffing Active Travel Offices in County Councils to oversee the spending.

I would hope to see the Roads Department and the new Active Travel Office working with councillors and community groups throughout Laois, said Mr. Holland.

The Green Party in Government has ensured that the funding is available, and we urgently need to see it delivering for towns like Portarlington.

Laois Offaly based Green Party Minister Pippa Hackett supports Mr. Hollands call for a Transport Strategy for Portarlington.

This Government has made an unprecedented level of funding available for active travel infrastructure and I want to see that funding being utilised to its full potential in my constituency of Laois Offaly. I look forward to working with John and Laois County Councils Active Travel Office to ensure that this funding delivers for Portarlington, she said.
Six Orlando police officers went to the hospital Wednesday after being exposed to possible fentanyl, OPD Chief Orlando Rolon said.

Four officers were transported to the hospital by paramedics while two others went to the hospital on their own as a precautionary measure, said Heidi Rodriguez, an OPD spokesperson. All six officers have since been released from the hospital, according to the agency.

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I am happy to report that all officers are doing well, the chief said on Twitter.

3 of our officers were transported to the hospital after exposure to possible fentanyl and 3 additional officers self transported as a precautionary measure. I am happy to report that all officers are doing well. Thank you to @AdventHealthCFL and @OrlandoFireDept for their care!  Chief Orlando Rolon (@OrlandoPDChief) January 26, 2022

Rodriguez said the officers were handling fentanyl when they all began to feel a physical reaction.

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They were feeling sick, she said.

The agency does not believe the officers had the symptoms of an overdose, Rodriguez clarified.

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If anyone is feeling sick, they should go to the hospital, she said. ... Thats why [the officers] went to the hospital  to be evaluated.

Rodriguez could not immediately say if OPD has a policy for officers regarding fentanyl exposure.

Experts have told multiple media outlets that it is virtually impossible to overdose on fentanyl by simply touching the drug. In a 2017 statement, the American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology said opioid toxicity cannot occur from simply being in proximity to the drug.

Incidental dermal absorption is very unlikely to cause opioid toxicity, the statement said. ... For opioid toxicity to occur, the drug must enter the blood and brain from the environment.

In a set of recommendations for first responders, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said misinformation and inconsistent guidance has resulted in confusion in the first responder community.

Inhalation of airborne powder is MOST LIKELY to lead to harmful effects, but is less likely to occur than skin contact, according to the federal agency. Incidental skin contact may occur during daily activities but is not expected to lead to harmful effects if the contaminated skin is promptly washed off with water.

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mcordeiro@orlandosentinel.com
A Senator from Kildare has criticised the presence of so-called "conversion therapies" for members of LGBTQI+ community in Europe.

Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O' Loughlin said about the issue: "The rights of the LGBTIQ persons are human rights: while Europe has a 'united in diversity motto', we are at the same time experiencing increased polarization and we're still witnessing conversion therapies and forced medical interventions."

"We cannot sit idly by while members of our societies are singled out for attack, stigmatized or dehumanized and we must be uncompromising in our rejection of that," the Newbridge native added.

She further said that greater action must be taken in other Council of Europe countries, in the context of protecting the LGBTQI+ community, listing nations such as Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia.

Senator Fiona O' Loughlin, Fianna Fail

"Whilst we need national parliaments across the Council of Europe countries to step up to the plate, there has to be a collective global responsibility on us also," she concluded.

Senator Fiona O' Loughlin's comments come after she yesterday welcomed the announcement that 1.6 million in funding from the Summer Works Programme for 2022 scheme has been secured for a number of schools in County Kildare.

If you have been affected by this article, you can email Samaritans Ireland at jo@samaritans.ie or ring 116 123.

Alternatively, you can visit BeLonG To's website, or call the organisation at 01 670 6223: the helpline is open Monday-Friday from 9am-1pm & 2pm-5pm.

Help is always at hand and there is always someone available to listen.
German supermarket giant Lidl is weighing up the possibility of opening a second supermarket in Naas.

The company previously sought planning permission for a store at the junction of Dublin Road and Maudlins Avenue.

These plans were rejected by Kildare County Council in August 2018.

The company then appealed this to An Bord Pleanala  but this appeal was subsequently withdrawn.

Read more Kildare news

Afterwards the company indicated it is in the process of reconsidering some detail around the subject planning permission in Naas.

A company statement at the time added that it remains committed to continuing our ambitious expansion strategy and delivering a second store in Naas which will afford more and more Irish consumers the chance to purchase top quality products at market leading prices."

KCC refused the application because it goes against part of the then County Kildare development plan which seeks to sustain and strengthen town centres. It was also pointed out that proposals for the regeneration of the Naas shopping centre, the ex-Superquinn site, the Naas shopping mall and the former Penneys site at Blessington Road had not materialised  but at least some of these uncertainties have been resolved. It also said that the application is premature pending the selection of the route for the inner relief road and the development could endanger public safety by creating a traffic hazard.

The inner relief road project now forms part of the Naas development plan.

A raft of residents living nearby also objected.

The Retail Grocery Dairy and Allied Trades Association (RGDATA), which represents independent family owned grocery shops and stores, also objected.

According to a Lidl representative Lidl is currently considering all opportunities for a further development in the town including the Maudlins site.

As already reported in the Leinster Leader, the company has plans to knock down the existing store at Jigginstown and replace it with a substantially bigger supermarket.
A Musical Society based in Kildare is set to host a Coffee Morning and sale next month.

Naas Musical Society (NMS) has confirmed that it will host its very first Fundraiser of the year.

It said in a statement: "Our president Mona Conroy along with NMS members will host this years Coffee Morning with a difference - we will also be selling Brick-a brack and Pre-Loved clothing.

"There will be a raffle on the day: if you would like to buy tickets PM Aishling Byrne on 0861214050 and she can organise this (Tickets available on the day also)."

All funds raised will go towards this year's production of "Oklahoma", which will be staged in the Moat Theatre in November.

NMS is also currently looking for donations for this event: "If you have any preloved clothes or bits and bobs you are looking to pass on, please drop them off to 79 Jigginstown park, Naas."

"We cant wait to see everyone at the coffee morning," NMS concluded.

Details for the event and how to book it can be found on the official Facebook page for NMS.
The Ulster Unionist Party leader has said he will ask political colleagues whether he should resign amid a controversy over historical tweets.

Doug Beattie has faced accusations of misogyny and racism over the content of tweets posted before he entered political life.

The Upper Bann MLA conceded that the posts, the majority of which were written around a decade ago, were horrendous and horrific.

He told BBC Radio Ulster: I will speak to my MLA group today and I will speak to my party officers through my chairman, Danny Kennedy, and if either group feels I should step down, then I will.

Likewise, if they think I should refer myself to the party executive or the wider council on a vote of no confidence then I shall do that as well, and the party will decide whether or not they can follow my leadership.

Mr Beattie denied being racist or misogynistic.

He said he is extremely embarrassed and extremely ashamed about the social media posts.

The former soldier suggested the dark and black humour he used may have been a coping mechanism and reflective of him being desensitised by battlefield experiences.

My mental health has been affected by what I have seen and what I have done, he said.

But Mr Beattie insisted he is not using that potential explanation as an excuse for his tweets.

I dont want anybody to think Im giving an excuse because I am simply not, it was wrong and I am deeply sorry, he said.

He said he is asking his party for a second chance.

Whether or not my party feels that I am the leader who can lead them into the election and beyond will be their decision and I will abide by that decision, he said.

If the party want me to stay I will still be the leader next week, if they dont want me to stay I will not be the party leader next week.

He added: I am asking people to look at the person I am now and not judge me on the person I was 10 years ago.

The furore has erupted after Mr Beattie posted a joke on Twitter on Saturday evening that referred to the wife of a political rival and a brothel.

DUP Stormont minister Edwin Poots said his wife was disgusted by the joke. Mr Beattie apologised for the post and deleted it.

He reiterated that apology on the floor on the Assembly on Monday, insisting he was truly sorry.

However, the controversy then escalated after focus turned to Mr Beatties historical conduct on Twitter.

A series of derogatory messages came to light referring to women, Muslims, members of the Travelling community and people with mental health issues.

It has marked a dramatic turn of fortunes for Mr Beattie.

He posted the tweet on Saturday evening, hours after a newspaper opinion poll indicated he was the most popular political leader in Northern Ireland.

He said his confidence had been rocked by the controversy and he had isolated himself from friends and loved ones.

I have to pick myself up and come out of the shadows and face this head on, he said.
UNIVERSITY Hospital Limerick has opened its surge capacity in response to the high level of attendance at its emergency department this week.

UL Hospitals is warning that patients with 'less urgent' complaints face long delays as care is prioritised for the sickest of patients.

In addition to the high number of people attending the emergency department, the hospital is continuing to deal with a Covid-19 outbreak which is impacting the number of available inpatient wards.

UL Hospitals says 251 people presented at ED in the 24 hours up to 8am this Wednesday and that the average daily attendance since the the start of the year is 226.

"On all weekdays this month, attendances at the department have exceeded 200, with the highest attendances, 265, recorded this Monday and on January 18. This is far in excess of the 195 average daily presentation figure in the last full year pre-pandemic (2019), and continues a trend experienced in the Mid-West over a number of months," said a spokesperson.

"We are working to ensure that care is prioritised for the sickest patients, and as part of our escalation plan, additional ward rounds, accelerated discharges and identification of patients for transfer to our Model 2 hospitals are all underway. We have also opened surge capacity to manage the extremely high levels of activity," they added.

As UHL manages record ED attendances, we are asking anyone who has less urgent complaints to consider all their care options as they will experience delays in the ED.



We apologise to patients who are experiencing delays as a result of the significant demands on our service.

1/3 pic.twitter.com/4fgACFyu6H  UL Hospitals (@ULHospitals) January 26, 2022

People with less urgent complaints are advised to expect long delays at the ED today, and to first consider our Injury Units, GPs, out-of-hours GP services and pharmacists before attending ED, which continues to experience high presentations.

Separately, there are currently 61 Covid-positive inpatients being treated in the hospital, of whom five are receiving critical care.

UL Hospitals says the high incidence of the disease in the community, including outbreaks in nursing homes, is affecting its capacity to discharge or transfer patients whose acute episode of care has concluded.

"We apologise to patients who are experiencing long waits for an inpatient bed at UHL as a result of the significant demands on our service," said the spokesperson.
A LIMERICK student said she is "actually shocked" at how positively a GoFundMe page to support her transition has been received.

Ayesha Mulvihill, aged 21, from Westmeath, moved to Limerick to study fashion.

"I have found dysphoria becoming a lot more tough on my mental health recently, alongside the impending stress of the increased cost of living and fashion internships draining any money that I had saved up already for these procedures," said Ayesha.

More than 1,300 has been donated on the GoFundMe page in over a week.

Ayesha said: "I think I always knew I was different which is a horrible way to put it, its not different its normal."

"But others dont normally see it as that. I always knew that I am a woman. It's an embarrassing story but when my parents would be out of the house I would wrap towels around my head and pretend they were longs locks of hair and play make believe that I was Barbie living in her dream house.

"Ive always been a girl, but only come to making a decision about my transition around the start of the first lockdown. Being isolated leaves a lot of time for someone to think. So I decided that it would be best to finally start the long journey that is ahead of me and finally begin to express who I truly am on the outside," said Ayesha.

She said Limerick, like any city in Ireland, can be tolerant sometimes and sometimes not quite so much.

"I would be lying to say I have not run into much trouble while living here - getting shouts from across the street, rude comments when I pass certain groups of people and stares is a normal part of my life at this point.

"I try not let it affect me too much but sometimes it does upset me. My college on the other hand is very accepting of me," said Ayesha, who is "actually shocked about how positive the post has been received.

"So many people shared it and donated to the fund. Im so grateful to everyone who is aiding my transition!" concluded Ayesha.
A coalition to end Direct Provision in Ireland has been launched today, Wednesday January 26, by leading not-for-profit organisations.

The coalition, named STAD (Standing Against Direct Provision), will work together to ensure that the government fulfills its commitment to ending Direct Provision by 2024, and replacing it with an alternative that is fully compliant with human rights standards.

The eight founding members of the Coalition include: Nasc, Amnesty International Ireland, Crosscare Refugee Project, Cultur, Doras, Immigrant Council of Ireland, Irish Refugee Council and MASI (Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland).

The Coalitions goals are:

- To ensure the Government replaces Direct Provision with alternative systems of accommodation that are compliant with human rights standards and meet the dignity of the individual, by 2024. In the interim, all emergency centres should be closed as an immediate priority.

- To reduce processing times for international protection applications and appeals which now stand at 24 months (median time for non-prioritised cases) and 10 months respectively.

- To ensure HIQA (Health Information and Quality Authority) is given the mandate for independent inspections of Direct Provision centres, until the new permanent system comes into force.

- To ensure that the urgent measures identified in the Catherine Day Report are immediately implemented. These include an increase in the Daily Expenses Allowance, making the right to work available after three months and making a comprehensive vulnerability assessment available to everyone.

Commenting on the launch of the Coalition, Fiona Finn, CEO of Nasc said:

It has been almost a year since the Government released its White Paper on Direct Provision, and to date there has been minimal progress in putting an end to Direct Provision centres, and worse  no timeline has been published. We have come together and identified what needs to happen for this to be achieved, and we will now focus on putting this into action.

Through the Coalition, we will be keeping pressure on politicians and relevant public officials to ensure they are taking the necessary steps to fulfill their commitment. We will also be enlisting the support of the wider public with our campaign and highlighting the stories of individuals who have lived experience of Direct Provision. We hope that together we will finally be able to put an end to this degrading and inhumane system in Ireland.

Echoing, Ms. Finns comments, Nick Henderson, CEO, Irish Refugee Council said:

STAD members have broad experience of working with people living in Direct Provision. It is well established that this system does not work and harms people. It has failed and it needs to end.

It is vital that the Government commitment to end Direct Provision by 2024 is met  irrespective of changes to government or any political events that may arise. As a coalition, we will be stringently holding government to account on this promise. Our collaboration can ensure an end to this system in the next two years.

Bulelani Mfaco, spokesperson for the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland, added:

The Irish State has defended the abhorrent system of Direct Provision for two decades, ignoring criticism from asylum seekers, and domestic and international human rights organisations.

The coalition is an important platform for civil society to publicly condemn Direct Provision and ensure the Government knows that Irish society demands a more humane asylum process grounded in protecting everyone's fundamental human rights, not just the rights of a few.
Fort Lauderdale 

Four days after a boat capsized in the sea between the Bahamas and Florida and left dozens of people stranded in turbulent waters, the search-and-rescue mission is growing increasingly dire, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.

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After 40 people boarded a boat in Bimini, Bahamas, on what officials have called a suspected human smuggling event Saturday, 38 people are still missing.

In some cases, the trip between the island and South Florida is relatively easy. But with seas 7- to 9-feet high, a cold front and wind speeds up to 23 mph that weekend, the 25-foot boat helmed into the rough waters, causing it to capsize, where it remains, Coast Guard Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian said at a news conference.

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In cases like this, small vessels overloaded, inexperienced operators at night in bad weather, its incredibly dangerous, Burdian said.

U.S. Coast Guard crews are searching for 39 people in the water after a boat they were on capsized on Saturday, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast said in a tweet Tuesday. Several cutters and aircrafts are searching for the missing between Bimini, Bahamas, to the Fort Pierce Inlet. (U.S. Coast Guard Southeast)

A good Samaritan on a commercial ship named the Signet Intruder from the maritime transportation company Signet Maritime Corporation, rescued one survivor Tuesday morning about 45 miles east of the Fort Pierce Inlet, Coast Guard officials said. And an airplane spotted one body Wednesday.

The survivor reported no one was wearing a life jacket, according to a statement from the Coast Guard.

The massive area searchers have covered for the remaining 38 people is roughly the size of New Jersey, Burdian said, at 7,500 nautical miles. Three cutter crews, five Coast Guard and Navy aircrews and a 45-foot Coast Guard response-boat medium crew are conducting the search.

Only fields of debris had been found as of Wednesday morning, Burdian said.

#UPDATE @USCG rescue crews continue searching and will continue to search throughout the night for the missing people off #Florida coast. #SAR pic.twitter.com/zHCXHKQsUH  USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 26, 2022

It is dire. The longer they remain in the water ... exposed to the marine environment ... with every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely that survivors will be found, Burdian said.

The survivor was taken to a local hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure, Coast Guard officials said, and is being interviewed by Homeland Security Investigations.

Nestor Iglesias, a spokesperson for Department of Homeland Security Investigations, said Wednesday afternoon the survivor remained in the hospital and the department is not releasing the survivors nationality or any other information as agents investigate.

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#UPDATE @USCG air and surface crews will continue searching throughout the night for the missing 39 people off Florida coast.



Click the link down below for more information & #MediaAvailability details.https://t.co/YkOfofVEV9 pic.twitter.com/d2gUsQuiuJ  USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) January 26, 2022

Just days ago, Coast Guard crews intercepted a boat known as a sail freighter with 88 Haitians aboard that left from the Bahamas. Sail freighters are what is commonly seen in trips that leave from the Bahamas, Petty Officer Jose Hernandez said.

Ventures that leave from the Bahamas often include people of many nationalities. The Coast Guard has intercepted 559 Haitians since the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1, 2021. In the last fiscal year, authorities intercepted over 1,500 Haitians, according to a news release issued last week. A total of 127 Cubans have been interdicted since the start of this fiscal year, compared to 838 in the previous year.

Crews plan to search into Thursday morning, the Coast Guard said in a tweet Wednesday evening.

We cant search forever and there does come a point where, as the authority who makes the determination to suspend active searching, she said. I have to make that tough decision to bring assets home and stop actively searching.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

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Amid demands of lifting weekend curfew, Delhi's apex COVID-19 management body DDMA will meet on Thursday to review the pandemic situation in the city. The meeting of Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) to be chaired by Lt Governor Anil Baijal is scheduled at 12.30 pm on January 27.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also likely to attend the meeting that will discuss relaxations that may be allowed in view of improvement in COVID-19 situation in the city.

Delhi CM on Tuesday said that he would soon lift the Covid-19 curbs as the positivity rate has dipped in the national capital. During a programme on the sidelines of Republic Day, Kejriwal said, Soon we will try to do away with (COVID) restrictions and bring your life back to normalcy...will make all efforts in that direction".

We don't want livelihood of people to be affected, Covid restrictions to be eased as soon as possible," CM Kejriwal added.

The government is also likely to take a call on reopening of schools from February depending on vaccination status of students by the end of this month.

Last week, the Delhi government on Friday had proposed lifting the weekend curfew and ending the odd-even scheme for opening shops in view of the pandemic situation but Lieutenant Governor Baijal suggested maintaining status quo on the restrictions till the situation improved further.

The LG office, however, had approved the government's proposal to allow private offices to function with 50 per cent staff strength, official sources said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had said the decision to ease the restrictions was taken in view of declining number of Covid cases in the city and also to ensure that livelihood of the public is not affected.

"Now since the cases are going down and it also seems that the peak has gone, we want to ensure that the public's livelihood continues smoothly. We have proposed to do away with weekend curfew and also with the odd-even arrangement of opening of shops in markets," Sisodia had said.

Traders in many parts of the city have also been protesting against the restrictions and demanded the curbs be lifted, including those imposed on shops selling non-essential items being permitted to open on alternate days based on odd-even system.

The weekend curfew is implemented at 10 pm on Friday and continues till Monday 5 am.

The decision to impose weekend curfew was taken by the DDMA on January 1 due to rise in COVID-19 cases in the city.

The DDMA had also imposed other restrictions including closure of all private offices dealing with non-essential services. A night curfew during weekdays is already in place from 10 pm to 5 am.

The number of fresh COVID cases went down to 5,760, according the Health bulletin issued on Monday, from the high of over 28,000 a fortnight ago. The positivity rate also came down to 11.79 per cent.

Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta also recently wrote a letter to Baijal requesting him for lifting of weekend curfew and odd-even shop openings.
Amid the ongoing military buildup at the Russian-Ukrainian border, the Indian embassy in Kyiv has asked its citizens residing in Ukraine to register themselves in a bid to disseminate information in a swift manner.

The embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation and asked Indian citizens to continuously follow its website for updates.

"With an intent to coordinate with Indian citizens effectively, and disseminate information in a swift manner, Embassy of India, Kyiv requests all Indian citizens, including students presently located in the territory of Ukraine, to fill up the below form. Those students presently pursuing online education from India are directed NOT to fill-up the form," the Indian embassy said in a release.

"Embassy of India in Kyiv is closely monitoring the situation. It is advised to continue to follow the Embassy website, Facebook and Twitter pages for further updates, which would be published as and when required," it added.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border.

The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

White House spokesperson said on Tuesday said the US would welcome any country's attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India.

"We certainly welcome any efforts to de-escalate and we are in touch with a range of allies and partners on this, but I don't have any specific conversations to read out that relate to Indian officials," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki a press briefing.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced in a video released Tuesday he will be running for re-election one week following his home and offices being investigated by the FBI.

Im running for re-election and I intend to win, Cuellar said. I will continue to represent the congressional district of Texas like I always have.

It is the honor of my life to represent you in Congress, and together we will win this election.

One week ago, Cuellars home and his offices were entered by the FBI which announced it was conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity.

Cuellars campaign said at the time it would fully cooperate in any investigation. He is committed to ensuring that justice and the law are upheld.

Since the investigation, the congressman has stayed relatively quiet without making any public statements. That is, until Tuesdays brief video.

There is an ongoing investigation that will show there was no wrongdoing on my part, Cuellar said. As I said last week, I am fully cooperating with law enforcement and committed to ensuring that justice and the law is upheld.

As an attorney, I know firsthand that the legal system is a pillar of our democracy.

Its unclear why the FBI is investigating Cuellar. ABC News reported the investigation is part of a wide-ranging federal probe relating to the former Soviet state of Azerbaijan and several U.S. businessmen.

Cuellar is the co-chair of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus and has a long relationship with the nations Ambassador Elin Suleymanov, whom he has credited with helping to establish a partnership between Texas A&M International University and the Assembly of the Friends of Azerbaijan.

The ambassador is especially fond of the city of Laredo and has helped establish educational partnerships between TAMIU and universities in Azerbaijan, Cuellar said in a July speech on the House floor. He has visited Laredo for the Washington Birthday Celebration more frequently than any other ambassador accredited in Washington, and he has a special appreciation for Laredos own Palenque Grill.

Cuellar also has ties to a Houston-based businessman who was convicted of lying to Congress about Azerbaijans role in funding a 2013 trip to the western Asian nation for 10 lawmakers, federal records show.

Kemal Oksuz, who pleaded guilty in that case, was a regular campaign donor to Cuellar and other Texas politicians and in 2015 enlisted Cuellar to establish the partnership.

Cuellar and his wife had been issued subpoenas for information including records related to Oksuz and the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic, ABC reported Friday.

Justice Democrats released a statement following the news.

This FBI investigation into Congressman Cuellar is highly concerning, the statement said. The people of South Texas deserve answers, and the congressman should be transparent about the purpose of the investigation.

Local politicians also made comments about the investigation.

We are hoping all goes well for Congressman Henry Cuellar and his family, and may truth and justice prevail, Laredo Mayor Pete Saenz said.

Cuellar is running for his 10th Congressional term in this coming election with the Democratic primary being held in March and the general election in November.

Representing districts ranging from Laredo up to San Antonio, Cuellar will once again be opposed by Jessica Cisneros who went up against the incumbent in the most recent election and lost a close race in the primary.

Also up against Cuellar in the primary will be local activist and educator Tannya Benavides. Seven Republicans have also announced their intention to run for the congressional seat in the general election.

Cisneros released a statement following the news of the investigation too.

We are closely watching as this develops, her campaign wrote. In the meantime, we are focused on our campaign to deliver change to South Texas families and will not be making any additional comments at this time."

While Cuellar has not gone into details about the investigation, he thanked citizens for their support over the last week in Tuesdays video.

I appreciate the many calls, texts, tweets and messages of support, he said. The outpouring of support from so many in our community is humbling and Id like to personally thank you for having my back.

Cuellar went on to say the investigation is still ongoing and reiterate he is fully cooperating with law enforcement. He said there was no wrongdoing on my part.

The Houston Chronicle contributed to this report.

thomas.lott@lmtonline.com
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy photo /Texas Department of Public Safety Show More Show Less 3 of 3





A routine traffic stop in Zapata County resulted in the arrest of one man and four migrants who had crossed the border illegally, according to an arrest affidavit.

At about 9:59 a.m. Jan. 21, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper pulled over a black Dodge pickup for a traffic violation on U.S. 83 near Zapata. The trooper noticed multiple occupants did not have an identification and requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol.
WASHINGTON  Longtime liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring, numerous sources said Wednesday, giving President Joe Biden his first high court opening, which he has pledged to fill with the historic naming of the courts first Black woman.

Breyer, 83, has been a pragmatic force on a court that has grown increasingly conservative, trying to forge majorities with more moderate justices right and left of center. His retirement will give Biden the chance to name and win confirmation of a replacement before next falls election when Republicans could retake the Senate and block future nominees.

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In this Nov. 30, 2018, file photo, Associate Justice Stephen Breyer sits with fellow Supreme Court justices for a group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Democrats are planning a swift confirmation, perhaps even before Breyer officially steps down, which is not expected before summer.

[ President Biden has long been preparing for a Supreme Court pick ]

He has been a justice since 1994, appointed by President Bill Clinton. Along with the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, he opted not to step down the last time the Democrats controlled the White House and the Senate during Barack Obamas presidency. Ginsburg died in September 2020, and then-President Donald Trump filled the vacancy with a conservative justice, Amy Coney Barrett.

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Breyers departure wont change the 6-3 conservative advantage on the court because his replacement will almost certainly be confirmed by a Senate where Democrats have the slimmest majority. It will make conservative Justice Clarence Thomas the oldest member of the court. Thomas turns 74 in June.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed. A White House decision on a nominee could take several weeks, Biden aides and allies said.

Republicans who changed the Senate rules during the Trump era to allow simple majority confirmation of Supreme Court nominees appeared resigned to the outcome.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said in a statement: If all Democrats hang together  which I expect they will  they have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support.

Liberal interest groups expressed relief. They have been clamoring for Breyers retirement, concerned about confirmation troubles if Republicans retake the Senate.

Justice Breyers retirement is coming not a moment too soon, but now we must make sure our party remains united in support of confirming his successor, Demand Justice Executive Director Brian Fallon said.

Among the names being circulated as potential nominees are California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, U.S. Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, prominent civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill and U.S. District Judge Michelle Childs, whom Biden has nominated to be an appeals court judge. Childs is a favorite of Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who made a crucial endorsement of Biden just before South Carolinas presidential primary in 2020.

Bidens pledge to name the first Black woman to the Supreme Court was made during the 2020 presidential campaign. Since he took office a little more than a year ago, he has been focused on increasing racial, ethnic and experiential diversity in the lower federal courts. He has doubled the number of Black women who serve on appellate courts just below the Supreme Court, with three more nominees pending.

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Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said, We know that when Americas boardrooms, legislatures and even the Supreme Court start to resemble America, we all benefit.

Nomination of a Black woman could also help Biden politically with some of the Democratic Partys most important Election Day supporters. He has been criticized by black leaders and groups for failing so far to persuade the Senate to pass legislation shoring up voting rights that are being restricted in a number of Republican-led states.

Change comes slowly to the Supreme Court. Of the 115 justices in U.S. history, there have been just five women, beginning with Sandra Day OConnor in 1981. One of the five, Justice Sonia Sotomayor is a Latina. Thomas and the late Thurgood Marshall are the only two Black men who have served on the court.

The president wouldnt address reports of Breyers retirement on Wednesday.

Every justice should have an opportunity to decide what he or she is going to do and announce it on their own, Biden said. Let him make whatever statement hes going to make and Ill be happy to talk about it later.

Often overshadowed by his fellow liberal Ginsburg, Breyer authored two major opinions in support of abortion rights on a court closely divided over the issue, and he laid out his growing discomfort with the death penalty in a series of dissenting opinions in recent years.

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Breyers views on displaying the Ten Commandments on government property illustrate his search for a middle ground. He was the only member of the court in the majority in both cases in 2005 that barred displays in two Kentucky courthouses but allowed one to remain on the grounds of the state Capitol in Austin, Texas.

In more than 27 years on the court, Breyer has been an active and cheerful questioner during arguments, a frequent public speaker and quick with a joke, often at his own expense. He made a good natured appearance on a humorous National Public Radio program in 2007, failing to answer obscure questions about pop stars.

He is known for his elaborate, at times far-fetched, hypothetical questions to lawyers during arguments and he sometimes has had the air of an absent-minded professor. He taught antitrust law at Harvard earlier in his professional career.

He also spent time working for the late Sen. Edward Kennedy when the Massachusetts Democrat was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. That experience, Breyer said, made him a firm believer in compromise.

Still, he could write fierce dissents, as he did in the Bush v. Gore case that effectively decided the 2000 election in favor of Republican George W. Bush. Breyer unsuccessfully urged his colleagues to return the case to the Florida courts so they could create a constitutionally proper contest to decide the winner.

At the end of a trying term in June 2007 in which he found himself on the losing end of roughly two dozen 5-4 rulings, his frustrations bubbled over as he summarized his dissent from a decision that invalidated public school integration plans.

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It is not often that so few have so quickly changed so much, Breyer said in a packed courtroom.

His time working in the Senate led to his appointment by President Jimmy Carter as a federal appeals court judge in Boston, and he served there for 14 years. His 87-9 high-court confirmation was the last with fewer than 10 dissenting Senate votes.

Breyers opinions were notable because they never contained footnotes. He was warned off such a writing device by Arthur Goldberg, the justice for whom Breyer clerked as a young lawyer.

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It is an important point to make if you believe, as I do, that the major function of an opinion is to explain to the audience of readers why it is that the court has reached that decision, Breyer once said. Its not to prove that youre right. You cant prove that youre right; there is no such proof.

Born in San Francisco, Breyer became an Eagle Scout as a teenager and began a stellar academic career at Stanford, graduating with highest honors. He attended Oxford, where he received first-class honors in philosophy, politics and economics.

Breyer then attended Harvard Law School, where he worked on the Law Review and graduated with highest honors.

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He worked in the Justice Departments antitrust division before splitting time as a Harvard law professor and a lawyer for the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Breyer and his wife, Joanna, a psychologist and daughter of the late British Conservative leader John Blakenham, have three children  daughters Chloe and Nell and a son, Michael  and six grandchildren.

___

Associated Press writer Colleen Long contributed to this report. Sherman reported from Bradenton Beach, Florida.
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, made his first on-camera comments Tuesday about FBI agents raiding his home, saying an investigation will show he did not commit any wrongdoing. He also reiterated he is not backing away from his bid for another term in the March primary.

"Let me be clear: I'm running for reelection and I intend to win," Cuellar said.

Cuellar made the remarks in a video he posted to his campaign Twitter account, showing him speaking outside his childhood home. The video came six days after FBI agents paid a visit to his Laredo home, as well as his campaign headquarters in the city. The agency said it was conducting a court-authorized law enforcement activity but did not say what it was investigating. Cuellar promised to cooperate with any probe, a promise he reiterated Tuesday while acknowledging the existence of an investigation.

"There is an ongoing investigation that will show that there was no wrongdoing on my part," Cuellar said.

ABC News has reported that a grand jury has issued subpoenas for records relating to Cuellar; his wife, Imelda; and at least one of his campaign staffers; and their ties to Azerbaijan companies. Cuellar, a member of the Congressional Azerbaijan Caucus, has been a strong advocate for the country's interests.

The March 1 primary pits Cuellar against progressive Jessica Cisneros, who ran against him in 2020 and lost by 4 percentage points, as well as a second challenger, Tannya Benavides. After a pro-Cuellar group abandoned its TV buy on Thursday, Cuellar's campaign went up on the air over the weekend, running a spot in which he says he will "never stop fighting for South Texas." Cisneros launched her own TV campaign Tuesday morning, airing a commercial that contrasts her with Cuellar and touts her support for Medicare for All.

The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
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Attorney General James Statement on Judges Decision to Temporarily Allow Enforcement of New Yorks Mask Mandate

By Long Island Published: January 25 2022

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released a statement after a NY Supreme Court Appellate Judge granted her offices motion to stay a decision Monday night striking down the states mask mandate:

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released the following statement after a New York Supreme Court Appellate Judge granted her offices motion to stay a decision Monday night striking down the states mask mandate:

Nearly three years into the COVID-19 pandemic, we know that wearing a mask saves lives. This mandate and todays decision are critical in helping to stop the spread of this virus and protect individuals young and old. We will continue to do everything in our power to prioritize the health and wellbeing of all New Yorkers.
Seminole County commissioners approved a plan to construct a pair of tunnels near Altamonte Springs that would allow Seminole Wekiva Trail users to traverse beneath State Roads 436 at 434. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel) (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel)

The hundreds of bicyclists and walkers who use the popular Seminole Wekiva Trail daily may soon find it easier and safer to cross two of the busiest roads in Central Florida.

Seminole County commissioners on Tuesday agreed to move forward with a plan to build a pair of tunnels about a mile apart in Altamonte Springs that would allow trail users to travel underneath State Road 436 at Laurel Street and State Road 434 at Orange Avenue.

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Trail users currently must wait for a traffic light signal at each intersection to cross up to eight lanes of the roadways.

Commissioners opted to build tunnels that go underground rather than a couple of bridges that span across the state roads, despite the higher costs of construction. A county consultant pointed out that bridges require greater maintenance costs over the years.

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I use the trails a lot, and I prefer the tunnels, commission Chairman Bob Dallari said to his fellow commissioners. We have to look at the long term of 20, 40, or even 50 years from now. ... And this is truly a signature trail. So, whatever we decide, its not just a local opportunity. Its not just a regional opportunity. Its a state opportunity. And if you want to go cheap, we shouldve not done the trails at all.

Emily Hanna, executive director of Bike/Walk Central Florida, a nonprofit organization that advocates for bicyclists and pedestrians, said she was pleased that trail users  whether they are using the trail for recreation or going to work  will soon have a safe way to cross the busy roads.

Unfortunately, [intersection] crossings arent designed for the trail user in general or for anyone on a bike. The signal times are just not long enough, she said. Its just not an enjoyable experience. This is a signature trail, and it needs to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The Seminole Wekiva Trail intersection at State Road 434 and Orange Avenue in Altamonte Springs. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel) (Orlando Sentinel)

But Commissioner Andria Herr said she was concerned about the safety and the costs of building tunnels rather than bridges. She added that because bridges are more conspicuous; they are more inviting to use.

I would tell my kids: Dont go in a tunnel. Walk across the road, she said.

Commissioners then agreed to add security cameras inside the tunnels that would be monitored by law enforcement. A county employee would open the tunnels in the early morning and close them at night.

Building a bridge at S.R. 436 is estimated to cost up to $9.6 million, depending on the design, according to a county report. Whereas, a tunnel, could cost about $14.5 million.

At S.R. 434, a bridge is estimated to cost up to $11.5 million and a tunnel as much as $19.7 million, according to the report.

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The projects would be paid for with revenues from the countys one-cent sales tax, which draws in about $65 million a year that can be used for road improvements, new trails and sidewalks. State and federal funds also would be used.

The tunnels would likely be built at the same time. The design work would take between 12 and 18 months to complete before construction could start, according to county staff.

Zembower, who favors tunnels at those locations, said pedestrian bridges could become a distraction for motorists.

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People dont jump off tunnels, he said. We dont have people waving flags off tunnels. We dont have people having rallies in tunnels.

Hanna said pedestrian tunnels work better in busy locations, such as at state roads 436 and 434.

That area of Altamonte Springs is often thickly congested with traffic and peppered with dozens of big and small retail stores. It is also surrounded by apartment complexes and residential subdivisions. About 50,000 cars and trucks use those state roads at each of those locations every day, according to the Florida Department of Transportation.

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The Seminole Wekiva Trail intersection at S.R. 436 and Laurel Street in Altamonte Springs, on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/ Orlando Sentinel) (Orlando Sentinel)

For an urban setting, a tunnel does make a better crossing, Hanna said. But its all in how you design it.

The Seminole Wekiva Trail is one of the regions most popular trails. It stretches about 16 miles between State 46 at Longwood Markham Road, just east of the Lake County line, and the intersection of Bear Lake Road and Maitland Boulevard, just north of Orange County line.

Consultants and county staff pointed out that Seminole Wekiva Trail already has two underpasses built years ago  one at S.R. 434 and Markham Wood Road, and another at West Lake Boulevard  that county employees also lock at sunset and open at sunrise daily.

mcomas@orlandosentinel.com
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(Alliance News) - FDM Group Holdings PLC on Wednesday said it expects its performance in 2021 to be "comfortably" in line with expectations due to a good performance in the second half of the year.

The London-based recruitment and training company said full-year revenue is expected to be flat in comparison to the prior year at GBP267.4 million, though up 2% on a constant currency basis. In 2020, FDM reported revenue of GBP267.7 million.

FDM said the group's balance sheet has remained strong with closing cash balances of GBP53.1 million, down 18% from GBP64.7 million the previous year.

The company added that it made GBP46.8 million of dividend payments in 2021 - more than double its 2020 figure of GBP20.1 million - and had no debt.

FDM said that it ended the year with 4,033 Mounties - the name it gives its IT consultants - placed with clients, an increase of 13% on the prior year's figure of 3,580. The company explained that demand for Mounties was strong during the year across the majority of its markets.

Chief Executive Rod Flavell said: "FDM made good progress in 2021, performing comfortably in line with the board's expectations...As we enter the current year our client engagement remains very high, demand for Mounties in all territories is robust and we are achieving pleasing levels of deal volumes.

"In 2022 we target a significant increase in the numbers of Mounties that we train and deploy. We plan to accelerate our internal staff recruitment and our internal development programmes, with a particular focus on our sales and Academy training teams. Our international expansion continues, including good activity levels in our nascent location of Poland."

Shares in FDM were up 2.3% at 1,111.00 pence on Wednesday morning in London.

By Heather Rydings; heatherrydings@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
(Sharecast News) - Exploration firm Tullow Oil said on Wednesday that group working interest oil production averaged 59,200 barrels of oil equivalent per day, in line with guidance, with notable production growth from its Jubilee field in Ghana and the Simba field in Gabon offsetting lower than expected production from its TEN and Espoir assets.Tullow Oil stated full-year oil production at Jubilee hit 74,900 bopd, ahead of guidance set at the start of the year, while the TEN field recorded an average of 32,800 bopd, below guidance at the start of the trading year.

In Ghana, the London-listed firm said ongoing improvements in operating performance had resulted in uptime of over 97% on both operated FPSOs and an increase in water injection rates and gas processing capacity as drilling was restarted in April, with four new wells and a workover successfully completed, ahead of plan.

Full-year revenues were expected to be around $1.3bn, with a realised oil price of $63 per barrel, including hedge costs of approximately $150.0m, while underlying operating cash flow was projected to be about $700.0m and free cash flow was forecast to be in the region of $250.0m, ahead of guidance, driven by continued focus on costs, supportive oil prices in the latter parts of 2021 and favourable working capital movements.

Looking ahead to 2022, group working interest oil production guidance was set at 55,000-61,0000 boepd, based on Tullow's existing equity interests in TEN and Jubilee.

Chief executive Rahul Dhir said: "2021 was a year of positive change and transformation for Tullow, and we ended the year on a firm financial and operational footing.

"In 2022, we will build on these firm foundations and focus on investing in our producing assets in West Africa. Our plans in Ghana, where we are in the process of increasing our stakes in both the Jubilee and TEN fields, will position us to deliver the free cash flow to reduce gearing to less than 1.5x by 2025. Elsewhere, our Gabon near-field non-operated exploration opportunities, our revised Kenya development project and the Beebei-Potaro commitment well in Guyana also have the potential to be significant value drivers for Tullow."

As of 0910 GMT, Tullow shares were down 5.42% at 53.76p.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Louisiana... Mississippi River At Red River Landing affecting West Feliciana, East Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee Parishes. For the Lower Mississippi River...including Red River Landing, Baton Rouge, Donaldsonville, Reserve, New Orleans...Minor flooding is forecast. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/lix. Click on the Rivers and Lakes menu for forecasts and observations. The next statement will be issued when updates are needed. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Mississippi River At Red River Landing. * WHEN...Until Saturday evening. * IMPACTS...At 51.0 feet, All river islands along the reach from Red River Landing to Baton Rouge will be inundated. Recreational camps and river bottom farm land will be under water. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 8:00 PM CDT Tuesday the stage was 49.9 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to fall below flood stage early Saturday, May 7 and continue falling to 38.5 feet Tuesday, May 31. - Flood stage is 48.0 feet. - Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of 48.8 feet on 04/22/2014. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
Last week, Dr. Raul Pino, Orange Countys top public health official, was placed on administrative leave by Gov. Ron DeSantis office.

In the middle of a pandemic. Just a few weeks after Orange County hit its all-time high for COVID infections, with hospitalization rates climbing. This is when DeSantis decided to bench a trusted and passionate voice for public health in Floridas fifth-largest and fastest growing county.

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Throughout his tenure, Pino has been a staunch advocate for Central Floridas struggling low-income residents as well as its fast growing minority population. Hes been adamant about making health information accessible to native Spanish-speaking residents, and built critical partnerships with local leaders that allowed him to expand the Health Departments reach.

Youd think the governors office would want to keep someone like that on the job.

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Youd be wrong.

Pino was sidelined after sending out an email chiding health department workers for a frankly terrible vaccination rate. The doctors dismay makes perfect sense: Vaccination may not be as effective against newer COVID variants as public health officials hoped, but it does reduce rates of hospitalization and death. And it remains the best hope for slowing the spread of a virus that has already claimed the lives of 64,000 Floridians. In addition to not practicing what the department had taken such pains to preach, Pino said he was worried that unvaccinated employees might become vectors between the patients many frontline workers treat, and their own families.

Again, this makes complete sense. Its exactly the kind of thing that Pino is paid to worry about  especially the day after the health department was forced to cancel prenatal clinic appointments because too many workers were out sick.

So why the suspension? A Department of Health official offered reporters from the Orlando Sentinel and other media outlets a brief statement: The decision to get vaccinated is a personal medical choice that should be made free from coercion and mandates from employers.

Thats not what the U.S. Supreme Court thinks. In a Jan. 13 ruling, the court upheld vaccine requirements for health care workers. Ensuring that providers take steps to avoid transmitting a dangerous virus to their patients is consistent with the fundamental principle of the medical profession: first, do no harm, the court said, quoting a 2021 ruling that it would be the very opposite of efficient and effective administration for a facility that is supposed to make people well to make them sick with COVID19.

Floridas official stance  as decreed by DeSantis and approved by the Legislature  is that state health department officials cant enforce that mandate. But Pino wasnt enforcing anything. His email didnt order anyone to get vaccinated, and it was free of any threat or coercion. He simply said it was irresponsible  knowing what public health officials know  not to be vaccinated, and hes right. He said it was pathetic that fewer than half of health department employees were vaccinated, and it is.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

In other words, Pino was just saying what any science-respecting health official should say, when presented with the data that hed requested  information that is public record, and that has been widely reported for other health professions. Its nothing different from what he has said in more than 150 press conferences with Orange County Government exhorting the community to get vaccinated. Its a ridiculous reason to punish him.

So of course the governors office had to hint that there was something more. A few days after suspending Pino, state Health Department officials released a vague and unsubstantiated statement referencing the privacy of Orange County health-department employee health records, and referring the case to the departments Inspector General.

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Lets call this what it looks like: A back-dated attempt to smear Pino, and delay resolution in this case, potentially for months. Its hard to believe the state doesnt know how to conduct a quick search of Pinos email to determine whether he requested or received any individual vaccine records for employees. Its even harder to believe that  had they found such evidence  Health Department officials wouldnt have triumphantly brandished it days ago while national and local media were having a field day mocking DeSantis for Pinos inexplicable suspension.

So here we are: The Department of Healths Orange County operation is without a leader. County officials say theyve had no communication from the state about an interim replacement.

And as the scariest, most prolonged health crisis to hit Orange County in the past 100 years rages on, a trusted, rational voice has been silenced.

It makes no sense  unless you accept the fact that Floridas leaders care more about saving face than saving lives. We dont want to believe that, but DeSantis and his team leave us little choice.

The Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board consists of Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, Jennifer A. Marcial Ocasio, Jay Reddick and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson. Contact us at insight@orlandosentinel.com.
Over the past 40 years or so we have been introduced to splendid variety of veggies from all five continents  as well as some grown nearer home that went out of fashion and then made a hugely successful comeback.

It was mainly creative cooks in California and New York City (always on the lookout for something new) who first saw the possibilities of products from South America, Asia, Africa and South-East Asia.

This led to a style of cooking that became known as fusion food because these innovative cooks used the imported fruit and veg in their own traditional recipes  thus fusing them into something new.

Supermarket chains in Britain and America saw these new products as an excellent way of diversification and they were suddenly stocking exotic produce from afar.

There came a time when top chains like Sainsbury and Safeway had teams of employees who travelled the world in search of new products for the fruit and veg department as well as dishes with an exotic touch for their pre-cooked food departments.

Sainsbury set up a group whose globetrotting innovations team, as they were called, went off in search of up-market food that was new and tasty and likely to appeal to British palates.

At the same time, creative cooks in London, Paris and elsewhere were also discovering products that were once popular in Europe but had almost died out.

These included a salad green that was that was only being cultivated in Italy where it is called arucula. It is now being eaten all over the world and is more popular than it has ever been. We know it as rocket.

The same thing happened with another salad green called mache which the French had continued to cultivate when everyone else gave up on it. But British cooks made it popular again and in English its called lambs lettuce.

In those days Spains suppliers and wholesalers were very slow off the mark (they still are in some ways) and it frequently took years for a new product to reach Palma.

When anything in the food line becomes a fad in California or New York City it usually crosses the Atlantic to London and Paris and then on to the rest of Europe. Spain is inevitably among the last countries to jump on the bandwagon.

There are cases when an exotic fruit (the tropical pitahaya, for instance) arrived in Palma when it had become somewhat passe in England. One of the reasons this happens is that Spanish suppliers often wait until something has become a worldwide hit before they take a risk on it.

Even when a product finally makes an appearance here, wholesalers are reluctant to spend any money on advertising and promotion  and the public hardly gets to hear of it.

Spaniards in the wholesale and retail business also make the mistake of wanting huge profit margins  and the prices at the market can be stratospheric.

About 25 years ago there was the case of a French gourmet potato arriving in Palma decades after it had been a success in France and England.

A few of Palmas top cooks used it and it was available at a couple of the up-market stalls at the Olivar and Santa Catalina markets, but few people bought it because the price was extremely high.

That potato is called La Ratte (the name is registered) and 25 years later supermarkets had it at 2.78 a kilo  still somewhat expensive, but a price many of us were willing to pay for this rather splendid spud.

La Ratte is a most interesting little potato. Unlike most other varieties, it doesnt come from Peru or one of the other Andean countries.

The European Data Bank of Cultivated Potatoes says La Ratte originated in France and Denmark in the 1880s  but in 1934 it disappeared because of seed degeneration.

A French agronomist called Jean-Pierre Clot rediscovered the plant in the Swiss Alps in 1965 and started to grow it on his farm at Marne-la-Vallee near Paris.

When he finally had a good crop he realised it was a rather special potato with a lovely buttery texture and tasting of chestnuts and hazelnuts.

He then had a good idea for promoting the potato: he sent a batch to some of the best cooks in France, all of them with three Michelin stars.

When the French nouvelle cuisine got under way at the start of the 1970s, the top Michelin cooks rejected the potato because one of their innovations was to cook vegetables for seconds rather than minutes  and you cant do that with potatoes.

But the A-list cooks who received a sack of La Ratte gave an open-armed welcome to the new potato because they immediately saw the potential of this unusual spud with its butter-like texture and subtle flavours.

The first one to use La Ratte was Joel Robuchon, who had 32 Michelin stars at his various restaurants when he died three years ago.

He made a potato puree, adding 250 grs of butter to a half kilo of La Ratte  which already had a buttery texture. It immediately became one of his most famous flagship dishes.

A few of Palmas top cooks used La Ratte when it arrived 25 years ago, including Jacinto del Valle when he was cook and co-owner of the Porto Pi restaurant.

La Ratte served as an inspiration for doing a variation on the brandade de morue, the Provencal classic of salt cod pounded to a paste to which olive is added until everything becomes a thick emulsion.

Jacinto used La Ratte in place of the salt cod, pounding the potato flesh until it was velvety smooth and then slowly stirring in a well flavoured virgen extra olive oil. The resulting emulsion was used as a base for red mullet fillets briefly seared on a hot plate.

Jacinto also made a very smooth puree to which he added the concentrated juices of roast meats and a dash of soya. It was a delightfully spiky sauce for pinkly grilled entrecote or roast beef.

When he first introduced me to La Ratte, Jacinto stressed that no matter what recipe it was being used for, it must always be boiled or baked in its jacket to get the best out of its texture and flavours.

Some cooks, however, serve the potato with its skin intact. Jacinto did a dish in which scallops perfumed with vanilla were served atop slices of unpeeled steamed La Ratte.

Jacintos creative talent was very much in evidence in another dish: poached eggs with sea urchin eggs and La Ratte.

He made a little pouch out of a piece of cling film and broke in a raw egg. He then added tiny pieces of cooked Ratte and the sea urchin eggs.

The cling film was tied so that it looked like a little money bag with the egg and the other ingredients trapped inside. It was then put into boiling water until the egg white set.

When the egg was on the plate it looked like a roundish poached egg  the potato pieces and the sea urchin eggs seemed to have disappeared.

But when the diner cut into the egg white, the pieces of Ratte and the sea urchin eggs were suddenly there. It was a little master work from a master cook.

Creative cooks in London and New York City also served the potatoes simmered in their jackets and then mashed with a fork without peeling them. It was all the rage for a while.

I relish some boiled La Ratte, stripped on their jacket, drizzled with virgen extra olive oil, sprinkled with a few flakes of Maldon salt and a dusting of freshly ground black pepper. For maximum enjoyment, eat them with your fingers as if they were chips.

La Ratte is also memorable when boiled, peeled, lightly mashed with a fork, drizzled with virgen extra olive oil and used for a slightly underdone omelette made in the usual tortilla espanola way.

The potato was quickly registered as La Ratte du Touquet and was given that name because its ovoid shape, thick at one end and tapering off, gives it a rat-like look.

La Ratte was available in England as soon as the French cooks started to use it, but retailers were sure the name would be a turn-off for the general public.

Safeway was the first to give it a new name. The supermarket chains executives found a taste of asparagus in La Ratte and decided to put it on their shelves as Asparges  the French word for asparagus.

I was never able to detect any reminiscence of asparagus in La Ratte. Right from the start my data bank of flavours came up with chestnuts and hazelnuts. But thats the sense of taste for you: its all very subjective.

Marks & Spencer didnt go for the Ratte name either and they also looked around for something that would appeal to their customers.

The potatos elongated shape could recall a gherkin and a French nickname for an early gherkin is cornichon hatif. That suited M&S nicely and their customers got to know the potato as French Cornichon.

But to paraphrase Shakespeare: that which we call La Ratte would be any other name be just as splendid of texture and subtle of flavour.
The elimination of all health restrictions in the United Kingdom as of February 11, has led to a reactivation of bookings by British tour operators and airlines to Mallorca, according to ABTA, the association of tourism groups. ABTA chief executive Mark Tenzer says: "The announcement by Premier Boris Johnson is a great step forward in getting travel back to normal. Many families looking to go abroad will see their vacations become cheaper. It will be a great boost to the industry's recovery."



EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren points out that the Foreign Office's decision "gives confidence to our customers, who will be delighted to see the return of unrestricted travel in the UK." He adds that at the moment "we are looking forward to a good summer".

Austria will join the decision taken by London in a fortnight's time, which will also encourage the booking of trips by Central European tourists to Mallorca. The big British and German tour operators are confident that between now and March "everything will change for the better, although the conflict in Ukraine has the whole European tourist industry on tenterhooks". As a consequence of these changes, the groups TUI UK, Jet2, EasyJet and Ryanair ratify the advance of their flight schedules from the United Kingdom to Mallorca from February 11.



Hotel openings



The small, medium and large hotel chains operating on the island, for their part, indicate that these changes "mean bringing forward our schedule of openings in Playa de Palma, Calvia, Cala Millor, Alcudia-Can Picafort, Capdepera and Platja de Muro". Playa de Palma will be the first destination to reopen hotels, whose opening will begin on February 4. The president of the Hotel Association of Playa de Palma, Isabel Vidal, says: "Depending on the evolution of the reservations, the opening of hotels will increase over the next few weeks, although it will be in March when the largest number of them will take place".



Vidal adds that this positive change of trend "will also benefit job creation, but what in our opinion has a double value is that, little by little, we are bringing forward the weeks of opening and influencing the seasonalisation". The employers' association of German tour operators, the DRV, assures that in the main issuing market to Mallorca, the sales of reservations will begin to increase in mid-March, in the run-up to Easter. It will be then when the airlines TUI Fly, Eurowings, Lufthansa and Condor will announce their flight schedule for the summer season, but it will be much higher than last year's because the increase in demand will be constant.
How far do we go censoring education?

As seen in two articles on the front page of Tuesdays Sentinel, the powers that be want to prevent the teaching of issues related to the LGBTQ community (Lawmakers ramp up bills that would affect LGBTQ+ students) and also want to prevent the teaching of the civil-rights movement (CRT worries prompt Osceola schools to cancel teacher training).

We certainly dont want our children to learn the truth. We need to go further. We must clean up our teaching of World War II. It would absolutely be harmful to our youth to learn that civilians were killed by Allied bombs in the war. After all, the carpet bombing of Dresden never happened, and no innocents were harmed in Hiroshima or Nagasaki.

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And lets face the fact that Cinderellas evil stepmother is a bad influence on our impressionable youth. 1984 has come and gone, but its not to late to learn the lesson that the truth is what we say it is.

Mark O. Cooper Altamonte Springs

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Beware Demings proposed sales-tax increase

There was no mention in your Jan. 26 article on Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings proposed tax hike (Local sales tax hike back on the table) as to how this new tax would affect other county revenues such as impact fees, property taxes or gas taxes.

This sounds suspiciously like the lottery, which promised massive increases revenues for schools ostensibly to improve our education system. The result was that the lottery revenue substantially replaced, not supplemented then-existing tax sources and revenues, which in turn were diverted to general revenue.

We should only support this tax increase if it is codified that it would only be a supplement to existing taxes and in no way a replacement.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

Michael Dabby Maitland

Dont say gay could make school difficult

A bill dubbed Dont Say Gay by its opponents was approved in committee in Tallahassee (Lawmakers ramp up bills that would affect LGBTQ+ students). If Dont Say Gay becomes law, and you are a Florida elementary schoolteacher, what should you do if little Tommy starts sharing with his classmates what a great time he had with his two dads when they all went to Disney World? You had better find a nice, quick way to quiet Tommy down. If you dont, you and your school could be facing state-encouraged litigation from parents who dont want children exposed to the idea there can be anything wholesome about a family with two dads.

Clive Thomas Orlando

Mask, abortion debates both show hypocrisy

Two demonstrations went on in Washington, D.C., last weekend. One was for people who object to mask and vaccine mandates. They claim that they have the right to make choices about their own bodies.

The other was an anti-abortion rally. Those people object to women having the right to make choices about their own bodies.

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Seems like an absurd contradiction to me, and yet I suspect the majority of people in each group agree on both topics. It is particularly frightening to think that neither group recognizes the hypocrisy of their positions.

Maggie OConnell Orlando
2GO Group, Inc.s business arm 2GO Sea Solutions, the leader in domestic freight transportation in the Philippines, has transported 500 tons of relief goods port-to-port, free of charge from Manila to Cebu, Tagbilaran, Cagayan de Oro and Ozamis in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette (Rai) that affected communities in the region.

As of January 19, 2022, 2GO has moved essential goods such as water, food packs, rice, linens, mattresses, tents, generator sets, batteries and medicines in partnership with organizations including the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, Courage Cebu, Philippine Multimodal Transport and Logistics Association Inc. or PMTLAI and the Philippine Coast Guard. It also transported items upon personal requests of employees and partners for their families and employees.

Responding to the needs of the communities we serve, especially in times of crisis, is an important part of the work that we do at the Gokongwei Brothers Foundation. While our core advocacy is education, we are equally committed to helping our communities to be able to rebuild and rise strong from this calamity. Through the Bayanihan spirit of various Gokongwei Group companies, the volunteerism of our employees, and the shared goodwill of our partners such as Shang Properties, Kerry Group Philippines Foundation, SM Foundation and logistics firm 2GO, were able to swiftly bring help to affected communities. We are grateful for their generosity and the blessings that we are able to share, said Grace Colet, GBF Executive Director.

Together with One Meralco Foundation, 2GO also transported nine basket trucks and carried Meralcos power restoration teams and equipment to help complete power restoration in Cebu and Bohol.

We profusely thank 2GO for its generosity in sending our Meralco trucks and manpower in Cebu and Bohol to aid the much-needed power restoration in these provinces. Sailing this equipment aboard 2GO vessels fast tracked the return of services relying on power. We thank 2GO for their pagmamalasakit to our kababayans, and we in One Meralco Foundation are honored to be their partners in this Bayanihan effort, said One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey Tarayao.

2GO carried Meralcos power equipment to typhoon-hit areas to help in the power restoration initiatives of the company.

In Iloilo, 2GO worked with SM Foundation and SM Supermalls to provide much needed supplies of blankets, hot meals and food packs to affected passengers.

At 2GO, we are on a daily mission to ensure an unhampered flow of goods and to transport passengers safely. No matter what the situation is, we are always in the service of the Filipino people. The team worked tirelessly to help with the immediate relief operations including employees who were also affected by the typhoon, 2GO Assistant Vice President for Marketing Blessie Cruz said in a statement.





ABOUT 2GO GROUP, INC.

2GO Group, Inc. is the Philippines largest integrated transportation and logistics provider, at its core has five business units, namely, 2GO Sea Solutions, 2GO Special Containers, 2GO Logistics, 2GO Express, and 2GO Distribution.

2GO is a subsidiary of SM Investments Corporation, one of the largest conglomerates in the country. It offers multimodal transportation, warehousing and inventory management, distribution, special containers, and project logistics as well as e-commerce logistics, including last-mile deliveries, and express courier deliveries. 2GO also provides sea travel, and a wide range of peripheral logistics such as freight forwarding, import and export processing, and customs brokerage. Our company leverages on all our services to create unique supply chain solutions for our chosen target customers.

Backed by 148 years of expertise in transportation and logistics, 2GO has made a mark for providing the best travel experiences, efficient movement of products and cargoes, and for catalyzing business growth in domestic and international markets.




MANISTEE COUNTY  Confusion and skepticism over text notifications sent by District Health Department #10 on COVID-19 test results, prompted the health department to clarify the text message and procedure utilized for this effort.

Many folks have received text notifications from DHD#10 regarding their test results, but understandably, people are worried about phishing scams and fraud, said DHD#10 Health Officer Kevin Hughes in a news release from the department. Therefore, we want to clarify the messaging and processes for our texting platform so that individuals feel more comfortable when they get a text from us.

DHD#10 officials said that when individuals go to a testing facility, such as Honu, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Meijer, etc., they are usually informed of how to obtain their results after testing. Some facilities may use patient portals, and some may send notifications via emails or texts. Each testing facility may utilize a different system for notifying individuals of their results, whether positive or negative.

The department also noted that its text notification efforts are only for case investigation when individuals test positive. Results are pulled daily from the Michigan Disease Surveillance System, and then DHD#10 sends text notifications to those who are positive so that they can complete a survey to aid in case investigation. If testing facilities do not enter results into the system, then DHD#10 will not be texting them if positive.

Individuals should receive a secure text message on their cell phone that reads as follows: You have a secure message from (Staff Name, Phone Number) at DHD#10. Enter the DOB of self or child who tested. To view or reply, tap here.

DHD#10 noted that there is a link below the message that the individual must click which will take them to a secure website where they will be prompted to enter the date of birth of the individual tested in order to receive the secure message.

The secure message is a chat function where you can ask about the results, as well as view links to educational materials and the link to a case investigation survey.

Individuals who do not complete the case investigation survey will likely receive a follow-up text message asking them to do so.

These case investigations are an important part of identifying outbreaks, as well as where we need to allocate resources, so the more case investigation being done, the better, said Hughes.

DHD#10 is hosting testing clinics at various locations throughout its jurisdiction. In order to find a testing site go to dhd10.org/covid19-testing-clinics. DHD#10 said individuals do not need to be a resident to get tested at any of these clinics.

COVID-19 testing also takes place at most pharmacies, urgent cares and your primary health care providers office. Find testing in neighboring counties on the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services site: michigan.gov/coronavirus/0,9753,7-406-98178_104699_104714-554722--,00.html.



DHD#10 does not supply COVID-19 at-home tests; however, test kits are available at most pharmacies. Calling the pharmacy ahead of time is encouraged due to high demand.

At-home tests can also be obtained through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Postal Service at covidtests.gov/. Anyone with a positive COVID-19 at-home test kit should report it to survey.alchemer.com/s3/6055601/3a61f0729898

Employers can report a positive test result from their organization at covidreporting@dhd10.org.
MANISTEE  The League of Women Voters of Manistee County partnered with the Manistee News Advocate to host a forum on Tuesday breaking down voting processes and voting rights in Michigan.

In case you missed the forum, which is available on the News Advocate's website, manisteenews.com and Facebook page.

Attendees learned what their rights are when registering to vote in Michigan, including the following:

People living in Michigan are eligible to vote if on election day they are:

 A Michigan resident and a resident of a city/township for at least 30 days;

 A United States citizen;

 At least 18 years of age; and

 Not currently serving a sentence in jail or prison.

People can register any time up to 8 p.m. on election day using the following methods:

 In person at your local city/township with proof of residency;

They can register before election day using the following methods:

 Online at michigan.gov with Michigan driver's license/state ID;

 Mail-in application; or

 In person at a state agency providing public assistance/services to people with disabilities.

People living in Michigan can show proof of residency with the following:

 A Michigan drivers license or state ID;

 A current utility bill;

 A bank statement;

 A paycheck or government check; or

 Other government document.

During the forum, League of Women presenters Sandy Nelson and Pam Tompke noted that people who register to vote before election day have more options.

Nelson and Tompke are both retired public school teachers and trained election officials. Nelson serves as a member of the Brown Township Planning Commission. Tompke was a township clerk in Manistee County for 27 years.

Nancy Behring, the president of the League of Women Voters of Manistee County noted that the purpose of the presentation was to present "accurate information on the mechanics of registering and voting, the safeguards that exist, current legislative initiatives and how to spot mis- or disinformation."

She said that the league's funding source for the forum prohibits them from advocating for any action.

"We are simply fulfilling our mission by presenting accurate and, to the best of our ability, up-to-date information on the voting process so that you will trust that you know the facts," Behring said.

Attendees also learned about voting rights in regards to voting before election day  called absentee voting or early voting. Some of those rights include:

 All registered voters have a right to vote by an absentee ballot;

 They can request an absentee ballot through an application (signature required);

 Absentee ballots are available 40 days prior to the election;

 Return absentee ballots by 8 p.m. on election day; and

 Military and overseas voters can vote absentee.

People who want to vote in person before election day can do up to 40 days prior to election day. It is recommended that people check with their local election clerk for policies on early voting.

Attendees learned how to distinguish between misinformation and disinformation. According to the presentation, misinformation is "sharing false information without the intent of harm." Disinformation, on the other hand, is "creating and sharing false information with the intent to harm."

In terms of combating misinformation and disinformation the panelists recommended the following:

 Never quote the bad information;

 Refer to the bad information without repeating it; and

 Focus on providing the correct information and include trustworthy sources.

Information on election bills also was presented with 139 new election bills in the Michigan Legislature. One hundred bills originated in the house and 39 in the senate.

The House bills would:

 Move the primary election from August to June;

 Train for election challengers;

 Flag dead voters; and

 Require signature verification training.

The Senate bills would:

 Change laws for voting registration;

 Change how to administer elections;

 Increase the power of partisan challengers; and

 Change how elections are certified.

A third possible change to Michigan election law comes from a petition called Secure MI Vote.

Secure MI Vote is a petition-drive, that was led by Republican voters, according to the Associated Press. The AP also said that if the petition were to go on to the legislature and was passed by the Michigan House and Senate, it could not be vetoed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The petition would do the following:

 Mandate that people disclose partial Social Security numbers when registering to vote. Currently, that is not required in Michigan voting law.

 Restrict the options for registered voters to verify their identity. Acceptable forms of photo ID would include a driver's license, state ID card, passport, military ID, tribal ID, or student ID issued by a university, junior college or community college; if not, the voter is given an ID-only provisional ballot. It would also eliminate the use of the affidavit.

 Require voters applying for an absentee ballot to include their driver's license or state ID number, or the last four digits of their Social Security number, on their application. That is currently not required.

 Prohibit election officials from sending or providing absentee applications unless asked. Clerks currently can mail applications and have applications available on a website.

 Ban charitable contributions, including volunteer time, to help administer elections. Michigan law currently allows charitable contributions and volunteers for election administration.

 Allow the Legislature to adopt the legislation without a vote of the people and block a peoples referendum vote after adoption. It would do this by placing $3 million appropriations in the initiative. When money is attached to an initiative, no referendum is allowed.
MANISTEE  If one has a criminal offense on their record, how do they go about seeing if they could get it expunged and how can you start that process?

The Clean Slate Expungement Fair that is coming to Manistee this week aims to help people with that process. The fair is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Northwest Michigan Works!, 400 River St., in Manistee on Saturday.

Beth Norton, Northwest Michigan Works! regional director, called the expungement fair a one-stop-shop.

(Its an event) where people can come and get their fingerprints done, we have free legal advice there to help determine if this person is even going to be eligible for expungement, Norton said. A lot of legal entities will be in one location at that time. Its a really good opportunity to get things done all at once.

The expungement fair is a collaboration between Northwest Michigan Works!, Michigan Indian Legal Services, and Safe and Just Michigan.

Eligible offenses for expungement might include marijuana-related offenses or a driving under the influence offense.

Marijuanas not illegal (here) anymore, right? People who were charged with marijuana, thats still on their record. So lets try and get that off, Norton said. Or the new DUI rule that the governor just issued. One DUI is now expungible under certain conditions.

Some offenses like when violence is involved or life sentences are not likely to be eligible for expungement.

Related content: Michigan could see changes to expungement process

Norton acknowledged the hurdles that one might face when trying to have something expunged on their own. She said Northwest Michigan Works! is also in the middle of a pilot program along the same lines as the expungement fair called the Clean Slate Pilot Program that aims to help walk people through the process of expungement.

We have an expungement navigator and we take a customer who has some sort of a felony, misdemeanor, some sort of a legal offense, and we help walk them through a really complex process, Norton explained. Some things are expungeable, some things arent. Some things you have to have a waiting period for and its not really easy if youve never read the law before, to really understand it.

The navigation also means clients are assisted with free legal service, ordering court records, finding out where to be fingerprinted and even receiving help paying for parts of the process.

Norton said event coordinators work closely with the Manistee County Clerk's office, Michigan Attorney Generals office, Michigan State Police, Michigan Indian Legal Services and others to be able to put on the event.

If you were to file for expungement for something and it was found to be ineligible  its a three-year wait before you can file again for it. So, if you have someone guiding you, if you have experts guiding you through the process, those instances where (a person doesnt know the process) hopefully those are going to be greatly diminished because they have experts standing behind them guiding them throughout the process.

Norton encouraged anyone who is interested in the fair to bring their identification and any legal documents that are available. Pre-registration is encouraged for the event which can be done online at nwmiworks.org/additional/clean-slate-expungement-fair.html.

Northwest Michigan Works! serves Manistee, Emmet, Charlevoix, Antrim, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, Wexford and Missaukee counties. Expungement fairs are also planned to be held in Cadillac, Petoskey and Traverse City this year.
Marysville, KS (66508)

Today

Cloudy with occasional rain showers. High around 55F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy with periods of rain. Low around 50F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Weather Alert

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON... * WHAT...Flooding caused by excessive rainfall continues to be possible. * WHERE...Portions of Arkansas and Oklahoma, including the following counties, in Arkansas, Benton, Carroll, Crawford, Franklin, Madison, Sebastian and Washington AR. In Oklahoma, Adair, Cherokee, Choctaw, Craig, Creek, Delaware, Haskell, Latimer, Le Flore, Mayes, McIntosh, Muskogee, Nowata, Okfuskee, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Pittsburg, Pushmataha, Rogers, Sequoyah, Tulsa, Wagoner and Washington OK. * WHEN...Through Thursday afternoon. * IMPACTS...Excessive runoff will likely result in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, especially in areas that have already received heavy rainfall over the past few days. Several main-stem rivers could go into flood. A few locations could see significant flash flooding. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - Multiple rounds of thunderstorms are expected today through Thursday afternoon with the potential for very heavy rainfall. Widespread 2 to 3 inches of rain is expected with locally higher amounts of 5 to 6 inches. The heavier rain will begin to shift east of far southeast Oklahoma and northwest Arkansas Thursday afternoon. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... You should monitor later forecasts and be alert for possible Flood Warnings. Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop. &&
TALLAHASSEE  Democrats walked out of a confirmation hearing Wednesday for Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, saying he evaded questions about his approach toward the COVID-19 pandemic. Republicans then unanimously voted for the polarizing public health chiefs confirmation.

His nomination still requires a vote from another committee and the full Senate.

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Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book pressed Ladapo repeatedly to give a yes or no answer on whether vaccines are effective against COVID-19 at a meeting of the Health Policy Committee. Ladapo declined.

Yes or no questions are not that easy to find in science, he said. ... The most commonly used vaccines in the United States ... have been shown to have relatively high effectiveness for the prevention of hospitalization and death and over time relatively low protection for infection.

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[ RELATED: Ladapo wont talk about why Orange health official Pino was suspended ]

Book responded, We get two buttons to push here, Dr. Ladapo. Yes or no. Do vaccines work in preventing COVID-19? Yes or no.

Ladapo, who serves as Floridas public health chief, said he is married to data and reiterated his answer that the vaccines have reasonable effectiveness against hospitalization and death.

Ladapo also declined to endorse masks, saying they hadnt been shown to have a significant effect on the spread of COVID-19. Thats at odds with the advice of most public health officials who say masks, particularly N95 masks, are an effective way to slow transmission.

FILE - Florida Surgeon Gen. Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo looks on before a bill signing by Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, in Brandon, Fla. Ladapo moved closer to Senate confirmation Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, after a tense hearing where Democrats accused the state's top doctor of evading questions on his coronavirus policies and stormed out before casting their votes. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) (Chris O'Meara/AP)

He wouldnt explain why Raul Pino, Orange Countys health chief, was put on administrative leave, saying there was an active inquiry. Pino was put on leave after he sent an email to staff highlighting his staffs low COVID-19 vaccination rate and urging them to get vaccinated.

I want to clarify that particular position was absolutely not placed on administrative leave for any reasons that were potentially political or related to anything other than the policies we have in the Department of Health, Ladapo said.

Senators asked whether Ladapo regretted not agreeing to state Sen. Tina Polskys request to wear a mask during a meeting, a dispute that made national headlines. The Boca Raton Democrat had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Ladapo wouldnt say whether he had regrets, instead stressing that he thought it was important to respect peoples preferences.

Florida Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book staged a walk out of Democrats in Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo's confirmation hearing Wednesday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP)

We dont feel we are getting any answers, Book, D-Plantation, said after about an hour of questioning. We know there is a long agenda today with a lot of bills. The Florida Senate Democrats in this committee are now going to abstain, walk out and come back when we have more business.

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At one point, state Sen. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, said Ladapos answers were mired in words upon words and nonsense upon nonsense.

The Democratic senators didnt participate in the vote. All six of the Republicans on the panel voted to recommend Ladapos confirmation.

After the walkout, Ladapo told reporters he thought he had accurately answered the questions.

I wish them well, he said. I have no ill will toward them. I hope we can work together on issues of public health.

Ladapo has been a polarizing figure since he was appointed to the post by Gov. Ron DeSantis in September. Ladapos views mirror DeSantis hands-off approach toward the pandemic. Hes stressed a holistic approach toward COVID-19 that involves healthy eating and exercise to improve overall health and the ability to fight off viruses.

[ RELATED: Florida Surgeon General Ladapo questions COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness, safety ]

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

The son of Nigerian immigrants, Ladapo is a graduate of Harvard Medical School and worked as a physician and researcher at UCLA before being named surgeon general. He also serves as a professor at the University of Florida.

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Ladapo quickly became a political lightning rod as Floridas health leader, appearing on Fox News and other conservative media to criticize President Joe Bidens pandemic response and defend DeSantis approach to it.

Ladapo earns a combined $437,000 for his dual roles as a UF professor and surgeon general, according to the Department of Health and the University of Florida.

State Sen. Aaron Bean, R-Fernandina Beach, said he thinks Ladapo could make double that amount if he were in the private sector and asked Ladapo why he chose to come to Florida.

Ladapo said he took the job because he wanted to improve the publics health.

Im doing this because of my deep commitment to helping other people improve their health and reduce their suffering from chronic disease, he said.

sswisher@orlandosentinel.com
A woman and child take a moment during the funeral service for Miya Marcano on Thursday Oct. 14, 2021 at Cooper City Church of God in Cooper City, Fl. Marcano, a 19-year-old college sophomore from Pembroke Pines, was found murdered in a wooded area near her apartment complex in Orlando on Oct. 2. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

TALLAHASSEE  A Florida House committee will consider gutting a bill named in honor of slain Orlando college student Miya Marcano, removing almost all of its provisions aimed at making apartment complexes safer.

State legislators filed Miyas Law after the slaying of Marcano, a 19-year-old Valencia College student from Pembroke Pines in South Florida. Police say Marcano was killed by a maintenance worker who had a master key to her apartment.

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Despite bipartisan support, the Florida House is taking up a stripped-down version of Miyas Law that deletes a key part requiring landlords to conduct a national background on employees, state Sen. Linda Stewart said Tuesday night.

What we have seen submitted so far guts the bill, said Stewart, D-Orlando, who is sponsoring the measure in the Senate.

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Pastor Norman Hemming speaks during the funeral service for Miya Marcano on Thursday Oct. 14, 2021 at Cooper City Church of God in Cooper City, Fl. Marcano, a 19-year-old college sophomore from Pembroke Pines, was found murdered in a wooded area near her apartment complex in Orlando on Oct. 2. (Susan Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The Houses version also omits language that would require apartment complexes to establish procedures for issuing and tracking master keys. It retains a provision increasing the notification period for entering a tenants apartment for nonemergency maintenance from 12 to 24 hours.

The proposal is set to be heard Thursday by the Houses Regulatory Reform Subcommittee. State Rep. Bob Rommel, who chairs that committee, could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday night.

The revised bill is a committee substitute and does not indicate who rewrote it.

State Rep. Scott Plakon, one of the bills House sponsors, said he doesnt know why the proposal was altered, but he is hopeful the legislation will be improved as it moves forward in the House.

This is the first step to keep it alive, the Longwood Republican said.

Plakon added the bill could be amended later, but it needs to pass through its first committee to move forward for further consideration.

State Rep. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, another House sponsor, said important provisions are being deleted from her bill, but she hopes to reach a finished product that protects tenant safety.

Jodi Lewis, a spokesperson for the Marcano family, also is optimistic.

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We understand this is a process, she said. At this point in time, we are not concerned because we believe in the end it will have everything it needs in it.

Political Pulse Weekly Get latest updates political news from Central Florida and across the state. >

The Florida Apartment Association, which represents more than 880,000 apartment homes in Florida, has been publicly supportive of the bill.

Marcano was reported missing Sept. 24 from her apartment at Arden Villas. Police suspect 27-year-old Armando Caballero, an Arden Villas maintenance worker, killed her and dumped her body.

[ RELATED: Miya Marcanos body found bound, tied ]

Caballero was found dead by suicide at a Seminole County apartment complex just days before Marcanos body was discovered on Oct. 2.

The Preiss Co., which manages Arden Villas, said it conducted a background check on Caballero and found no records of burglary or sexual assault.

Supporters of the legislation say it would standardize background checks for apartment employees and require criminal records to be checked in all states.

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Miyas Law passed its first Senate committee Tuesday with unanimous support.

sswisher@orlandosentinel.com
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo wouldnt talk much Wednesday about why Orange Countys top health official Raul Pino has been suspended, but he did tell lawmakers the decision wasnt because of politics.

I want to clarify that particular position was absolutely not placed on administrative leave for any reasons that were potentially political or related to anything other than the policies we have in the Department of Health, Ladapo told a Senate committee considering his nomination for the job.

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Pino was put on leave after he sent an email to his staff complaining about the departments low COVID-19 vaccination rate and urging them to get inoculated. He was suspended by the Florida Department of Health, an agency run by Ladapo.

His situation has become a national news story, with critics suggesting that he was being punished for advocating vaccination. Lapado and Gov. Ron DeSantis have downplayed the effectiveness of the shots and masks and put more focus on treatment options instead.

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DeSantis also pushed through a law during a special session that prevents businesses and government agencies from mandating COVID vaccinations for their employees.

In the email sent earlier this month, Pino said 77 of 568 of the Orange County Health Departments employees had been fully vaccinated, including receiving a booster shot. Another 219 had received two shots.

I am sorry but in the absence of reasonable and real reasons it is irresponsible not to be vaccinated, Pino wrote in the email, according to a TV report. We have been at this for two years, we were the first to give vaccines to the masses, we have done more than 300,000 and we are not even at 50%, pathetic.
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (PANA) - The Ethiopian cabinet on Wednesday recommended the end of the state of emergency that has been in force since 2 November, saying "the danger that threatened the existence and sovereignty of the country is repulsed"
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Post Title: Child Health/Immunization Advisor, MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience (MIHR) Project

Number of Vacancies: 01 (One)

Based in: Goma, North Kivu, DRC

Reports to: Deputy Chief of Party

Organizational Background

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI) a nonprofit founded in 1979, exists to improve the health of underserved people and communities throughout the world, and to provide an environment where people of passion and commitment can pursue this cause. JSI works across a full range of public and community health areas, strengthening health systems to improve services and ultimately, peoples health. We partner with our clients to develop flexible, innovative approaches that solve complex public health problems. Strong management systems make our programs more effective, sustainable, and cost-effective.

Position Description

This position is for the MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience Project (MIHR) in DRC, implemented by IMA World Health, with JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., GOAL USA Fund, and Pathfinder International. The MIHR project is a new global award launched in 2020 that is designed to strengthen quality maternal, newborn, and child health, voluntary family planning and reproductive health (MNCH/FP/RH) service delivery in fragile settings. MIHR addresses the humanitarian to development nexus through health resilience to reduce chronic vulnerabilities and promote more inclusive health development by addressing the response to shocks and stresses, better ensuring the continuation of MNCH/FP/RH services during a crisis.

The Child Health/Immunization Advisor for DRC MIHR will provide the overall strategic framework, technical support, guidance, leadership, and management oversight to the child health and immunization activities of the project. The position will be based in Goma, North Kivu, DRC and will report to the DCOP, with guidance from the core/HQ technical staff.

Key Responsibilities

Provide technical leadership, guidance, and monitoring of child health and immunization activities of the project.

Act as a technical resource on all child health and immunization activities of the project, including facility and community-based child health and immunization service provision, including support of improved programming and scale-up of community care sites.

Provide input to the development of technical activities for annual work plans, studies, quarterly and annual reports, financial reports, and other reports and papers.

Support MOH and other stakeholders to strengthen health information systems and reporting and use of data for health system improvements.

Actively participate in technical working groups (TWG) pertaining to child health and immunization, supporting the MOH in establishing priorities, leveraging resources, strengthening partner coordination and improving child health and immunization outcomes

Provide technical guidance to the Team Cluster Leads and Technical Officers

Qualifications

* Education:

Masters Degree in public health, or a related field; Degree with 8 years of relevant experience will be accepted in lieu of a Masters Degree

* Experience:

Five years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating child health and immunization programs of similar nature, size, and complexity, with national or local governments, NGOs, or donors



Experience working on FP/ RH/ MNCH programs, preferably USAID-funded projects



Experience working on project implementation in the DRC, preferably in the Goma region



Experience in community engagement and in planning fixed, outreach and mobile integrated health strategies preferred

* Knowledge/skills:

Knowledge of USG health initiatives and related reporting requirements and funding parameters

Knowledge of child health and immunization strategies, including the RED/REC strategy, the IMNCI strategy, and existing USAID and GAVI guidance to reduce the number zero-dose children and missed communities

Proven ability to work as an effective team member

Professional oral and written communication skills in French

Oral and written communication skills in other languages, such as Swahili or English

Ability to work and travel within DRC

Information on how to apply

Interested candidates who meet the above conditions should submit an online application on our website at https://careers.jsi.com/JSIInternet/Careers/jobpostings.cfm and reference the job title Child Health/Immunization Advisor  MIHR DRC.

Interested applicants should submit an application no later than February 11, 2022.

Note: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this vacancy, JSI reserves the right to fill this position prior to the closing date.

--------------------------------------------

AVIS DE VACANCE DE POSTE

Titre du poste: Le conseiller pour la sante lenfant et limmunisation, Projet MOMENTUM de resilience sanitaire integree (MIHR)

Nombre de postes vacants : 01 (un)

Base a: Goma, Nord Kivu, RD Congo

Rend compte au: Chef de projet adjoint

Contexte organisationnel

JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), une organisation a but non lucratif, fondee en 1979, travaille pour ameliorer la sante des personnes mal desservis et les communautes dans le monde entier, et de creer un environnement ou les personnes passionnees et engagees peuvent poursuivre cette cause.

JSI travaille dans une gamme complete de domaines de sante publique et communautaire, renforcant les systemes de sante pour ameliorer les services et, en fin de compte, la sante des personnes. Nous travaillons en partenariat avec nos clients pour developper des approches flexibles et innovantes qui resolvent des problemes de sante publique complexes. Des systemes de gestion solides rendent nos programmes plus effectifs durables et rentables.

Description du poste

Ce poste vacant est pour le projet MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience (MIHR) en RD Congo, mis en oeuvre par IMA World Health avec JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., GOAL USA Fund, et Pathfinder International. Le projet MIHR est un nouveau prix qui a commence en 2020 qui a concu a renforcer la qualite des services de sante maternelle, neonatale et infantile, de planification familiale et de sante reproductive (SMNI / PF / SR) dans les environnements fragiles. Le MIHR travaille entre l'humanitaire et le developpement a travers la resilience sanitaire afin de reduire les vulnerabilites chroniques et de promouvoir un developpement sanitaire plus inclusif en repondant aux chocs et aux stress, garantissant ainsi la continuite des services de SMNI / PF / SR pendant une crise.

Le conseiller pour la sante lenfant et limmunisation pour le MIHR au RD Congo fournira le cadre strategique global, le soutien technique, le conseil, le leadership, et la supervision des activites de la sante des enfants et de la vaccination du projet. La position sera basee a Goma, Nord Kivu en RD Congo et reportera au DCOP avec des conseils du siege du MIHR aux Etats-Unis.

Responsabilites specifiques

Fournir le leadership technique, des conseils, et le suivi des activites de sante de lenfant et de vaccination du projet.

Agir en tant que ressource technique pour tous les activites liees a la sante de lenfant et la vaccination du projet, y compris la prestation de service de sante des enfants et de vaccination dans des facilites ou dans les communautes, y compris support de programmation amelioree et mise a l' echelle des sites de soins communautaires.

Fournir au developpement d'activites techniques pour les plans de travail annuels, les etudes, les rapports trimestriels et annuels, les rapports financiers, et les autres rapports et papiers.

Appuyer le ministere de la sante et les autres parties prenantes a renforcer les systemes d'information sanitaire et la communication et l'utilisation des donnees pour ameliorer les systemes de sante.

Participer activement aux groupes de travail techniques (GTT) sur la sante de lenfant et limmunisation, en aidant le ministere de la sante a etablir les priorites, a tirer parti des ressources, a renforcer la coordination des partenaires et a ameliorer la sante des enfants et les resultats de la vaccination.

Fournir des conseils techniques aux chefs d'equipe et aux agents techniques

Qualifications

* Formation :

Master en sante publique (MPH) ou un master connexe ; un baccalaureat avec 8 ans dexperience pertinente sera accepte a la place du master

* Experience:

5 ans d'experience dans la conception, la mise en oeuvre et levaluation des programmes pour la sante des enfants et limmunisation avec de la nature, la taille et la complexite similaires, avec des gouvernements nationaux ou locaux, des ONG ou des donateurs

Experience de travail sur les projets de SMNI/PF/SR avec des projets finances par l'USAID preferee

Experience de travail sur la mise en oeuvre de projets en RD Congo avec le preference dans la region de Goma.

Experience dans l'engagement communautaire et de la planification de strategies de sante integrees fixes, de proximite et mobiles preferee

* Connaissances / competences:

Connaissances des initiatives de la sante du gouvernement americain et les exigences rapportant et des parametres de financement

Connaissance des strategies de sante infantile et de vaccination, y compris la strategie RED/REC, la strategie IMNCI et les directives existantes de l'USAID et de GAVI pour reduire le nombre d'enfants a dose zero et de communautes manquees

La capacite prouvee de travailler comme un membre de l'equipe

La capacite de parler et decrire en francais requis

La capacite de parler et decrire dans dautres langues comme swahili or anglais

La capacite de travailler et voyager dans RD Congo

Informations sur la maniere de postuler

Les candidats interesses qui remplissent les conditions ci-dessus doivent soumettre une candidature en ligne sur notre site Web a https://careers.jsi.com/JSIInternet/Careers/jobpostings.cfm et referencer le titre du poste Child Health/Immunization Advisor  MIHR DRC.

Les candidats interesses doivent soumettre une candidature au plus tard le 11 fevrier 2022.

Remarque : seuls les candidats preselectionnes seront contactes. En raison de l'urgence de cette vacance, JSI se reserve le droit de combler ce poste avant la date de cloture.
A Memorial Service of Christian Burial will begin at 2 p.m., Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Robert Barham Family Funeral Home Chapel. Robert Barham Family Funeral Home is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements. Mrs. Cobb, 68, of Meridian, passed away Sunday, May 1, 2022, at Bedford Care Ce
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - An expanded meeting was held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tripoli, focusing on ways to bring back international flights to Libyan airports after seven years of interruption
I have long enjoyed visiting places in the off-season.

The weather is often better than high season, and the hordes of tourists are still at home, under the covers.

One of my best experiences in Prague occurred in a grey November. The museums, cathedrals and shops were exactly as they appear in summer, but with a bit of a moody cast, and it feels right, somehow, the winter gloom in the medieval city.

I scurried along the boulevards as Czechs scurried along with their purchases dangling from their wrists in Hugo Boss and Billa bags. I was no longer a tourist but a fellow citizen, huddled up inside my coat, trying to keep warm, trying to get home.

Last week, just after the snowstorm that slammed the Virginias and before the frigid temperatures settled in, my sister, niece and I traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit my nephew who works there.

We drove, at my insistence really, because I didnt think I could stand the airport/airplane experience in a mask. We delayed our trip by one day because of the snow, but when we struck out, roads were clear and the sun bright, and West Virginia put on a show, decked out in billowing robes of white.

We stocked the car for disaster, with blankets and pillows, flashlights and water, but mostly we just got into the stash of snacks when we were bored. The drive was long but uneventful.

Because there were three of us, we opted for an AirBNB, and I found an entire carriage house right on Capitol Hill, costing less than one hotel room a night. When we walked a half a block in either direction, there was the U.S. Capitol, looming large and inspiring. Lit up at night, it took my breath away.

We never tired of seeing it.

Our place was just behind the Capitol, a block from the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court, which was in session. On our walks to the Capitol and the Mall, we passed Capitol Police, some in the middle of the narrow colonial street, standing on either side of a barricade.

Apparently we were walking past the home of one of the justices who lives in this block, and security was extra tight, maybe because the justice walked home for lunch.

Washington, D.C., in the winter is always a bit of a gamble, but if you go prepared for that, the crisp air can be bracing and energizing. I found it so.

If you did not come prepared, you are in luck, for some of the countrys best shopping is right there, a short Metro or Uber ride away.

Really, I just about swooned for the shopping.

But museums are a big draw, too, maybe the biggest. Here, you will have some trouble.

If you plan a trip to Washington, be sure to get on the Smithsonian website. The museums have unusual hours, and most of them are not open every day of the week.

I drew a complicated schematic to take with us so we would know the hours and dates of each museum. We missed the Museum of American Art altogether, the only one I really wanted to revisit.

Another consideration, if you plan to go is this. Some venues require a timed ticket to manage the number of people allowed in. We viewed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, housed in the National Archives.

It is free, but we had to sign up for a specific time. We had to do the same for the Library of Congress. The Holocaust Museum should be booked weeks in advance.

And then there are masks.

If ever a town took their mask mandate seriously, it is D.C.

It is common to hear a guard or docent bark orders at someone to wear their mask properly, or put their mask on, and depending on your persuasion, it was either comforting or irritating.

I got chastised once, in a bookstore, with a panicky little man rushing up to me, sticking his face into mine, ordering me to wear my mask properly.

I wondered where the social distancing came into this interaction, but he did call me miss, so I complied.

Masks, ID and vaccination cards in restaurants, and everyone a tyrant about the proper wearing of the mask.

Even so, it was wonderful to walk around with no hassle and no mask, to wander the streets our founders wandered, to feel the crackle of energy that is our Capitol city.
At its meeting on Facebook Live at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 26, Daviess Fiscal Court is scheduled to take the following action:

 Proclaim Jan. 26 as Dr. Donald Douglas Day

 Consider a resolution about Kimberly-Clark Corp. and an Industrial Revenue Bond

 Consider an agreement with Strand Associates for Fire Flow Master Plan Study

 Consider a contract with HDR for the Solid Waste Transfer Station Master Plan

 Consider a change order for the P25 Trunked Radio System

 Consider hiring Jill Ransom as staff accountant in the Treasurer's Department, effective Jan. 10

 Consider promoting Danielle Fulkerson as solid waste administrative assistant, effective Jan. 31

 Consider on second reading a budget amendment
The mother of an Owensboro teenager who went missing in December and was found weeks later in Texas said an Owensboro private investigator provided city police with the leads that led to her being found.

Elizabeth Bartolon, the mother of 14-year-old Alina Bartolon, said private investigator Louvinia Thomas identified the man that took the teen out of Owensboro, which resulted in OPD issuing an arrest warrant.

She gave the police the information, so they could get a warrant for the guys arrest, Elizabeth Bartolon said Tuesday.

Alina Bartolon was reported missing on Dec. 25 from her home on Florence Court.

Last week, troopers for the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Emery Wayne Trombley, 21, of Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Trombley is being held in Texas on a Kentucky warrant of felony custodial interference.

According to a Texas DPS statement, a state trooper pulled over Trombleys vehicle for a traffic violation on Jan. 19, near Childress, Texas.

DPS says Bartolon was with him, and that the trooper confirmed there was a warrant for Trombley for kidnapping and harboring a runaway child.

Elizabeth Bartolon said the teen has been back in Owensboro since Saturday. The family contacted Thomas to investigate the disappearance.

She did it for free; she wasnt interested in the money, Bartolon said. She just wanted to help.

Thomas, who is in business in Owensboro as A+ Investigations, said she was contacted by the family on Jan. 4. Thomas said she contacted OPD, identified herself and asked about the case.

Finally, (the detective) let me know his supervisors told him they werent allowed to share any information on the case, Thomas said Monday.

Thomas is a licensed private investigator in Kentucky. Thomas license is listed as active with the Kentucky Board of Licensure for Private Detectives, a government agency.

Becoming a private investigator requires an applicant to undergo a background check, file an application and pass a qualifying exam. Private investigators are governed by state law.

Thomas said she shared information she found about Alina Bartolons disappearance with OPD. Emails Thomas provided show her sending information about communications allegedly between the teen and Trombley to the police department.

She (Alina) has at least two different accounts, Thomas wrote in an Jan. 18 email. You probably already have the history of the chat on Discord between the two of them? If not, let me know I will send it.

In an email sent the same day, Thomas sent OPD an address for Trombley in Colorado Springs, adding that Trombley had allegedly sent Bartolon a bracelet with Bartolons name on the front and the inscription I love you more on the back.

In an email, Andrew Boggess, OPDs public information officer said, This is still an open investigation involving multiple agencies. We cant comment further on it at this time.

When asked why the family contacted Thomas office, Elizabeth Bartolon said: It was taking quite a long time for the police to find her. I didnt feel they were doing as much as they could.

The period the teen was missing was difficult, Elizabeth Bartolon said.

I didnt know if she was safe. I didnt know if she was being hurt or abused, she said. I honestly didnt even know she was alive.

Thomas said she traveled to several states to check possible leads.

The fact that (Alina) left her phone behind told me a lot, Thomas said. I knew she was with someone older  at 14, the phone is your lifeline.

Thomas said the teen says she was treated very well while she was with Trombley.

A case file on Trombley was not listed in either the state or federal court system Tuesday. OPD did not answer questions about whether or when Trombley might be extradited to Kentucky from Texas.

Thomas said she knew the family couldnt pay for her services.

Ive always had that service mindset, she said. ...Im glad they found her. Im so glad they found this little girl.

James Mayse, 270-691-7303, jmayse@messenger-inquirer.com, Twitter: @JamesMayse
After a more than a 40-year long career in health care, Vicky Stogsdill of Owensboro is still dedicated to ensuring safe and quality care to her community by serving on the board of directors for Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.

Stogsdill knew from a young age that she wanted to dedicate her life to serving others.

Her father, a farmer, was dedicated to his work, loved what he did and loved that it helped people around him.

One of the greatest blessings Ive had was my family, and especially my father, she said. He was an inspiration that  although he didnt know it  eventually led me to health care, she said.

Her father encouraged her to pursue education.

He valued education and believed in lifelong learning and how important that was for us, she said. He said to me one day, Vicky, God gave you many talents, and theyre not to be wasted. You need to take advantage of that. 

Not only did her father instill the value of education and hard work, but also that hard work should be put forth in service to others, inspiring her to pursue a career that would do just that.

Stogsdill pursued an education at the University of Kentucky in pharmacy, but during a summer job at St. Josephs Hospital, she quickly decided that nursing was her true passion.

I absolutely fell in love with it, she said.

Upon returning to school, Stogsdill changed her major, against the advice of her parents.

I knew immediately thats what I wanted to do, she said. Ive never regretted it.

During summer breaks, Stogsdill worked at Owensboro Health, and upon graduation, she began her four-decade-long career there in 1974.

The the hospital was then named Owensboro-Daviess County Hospital.

She was the first manager of the first real critical care unit at the hospital and was involved in the hospitals merger with Mercy Hospital and, eventually, the building of the new hospital, a six-year project.

I think the growth of our hospital really reflected the growth in the healthcare industry over the years, she said. When I started, healthcare was very simple. People had a family physician that took care of their family and pretty much all of their healthcare needs, and then with the explosion in knowledge, research, technology, specialization in medicine, the system just became too complex, and it became impossible for one family physician to know everything they need to know.

With that came great advances. Probably over my career, the lifespan of Americans in general has probably increased about 8 to 10 years.

Stogsdill said she is proud of what the healthcare system has accomplished since its humble beginnings, all while remaining true to its core mission to its community.

Im very proud of where Owensboro Health is now, she said. Im not sure people in our community or region really recognize what an asset they have in Owensboro Health. Owensboro Health Has been in the forefront of many changes in healthcare in the nation, but its never lost the heart of being here for the community,

Stogsdill retired in 2015, having served in many capacities throughout the hospital and eventually finishing her career in an administrative position. But she is still dedicated to serving the community and healthcare as a board member.

As a board member, Stogsdill said she plays a role in the strategic planning of the healthcare system and pushing for growth and progress.

One of the roles of the board of directors is really to be the voice of the community for the administration of the hospital, she said.

Stogsdill is also a proponent of education, pushing for tuition reimbursement for healthcare workers. She has a nursing award named after her that is awarded to a senior nursing student at the University of Louisville Nursing School, Owensboro extension, for servant leadership.

Looking back on her career, she remarked on the many changes healthcare has undergone in the past 50 years and the advances it has made in patient care and safety.

She also remarked on the past two years of COVID-19 and how it has affected healthcare workers and the industry, understanding that loss is difficult as a healthcare worker because their duty is to save people.

In the years that I worked in healthcare, I can remember times that were  I can specifically remember a time in critical care when we had a series of tragic deaths, and that affects people that are working to help people get better very deeply, she said. What nurses and other healthcare workers have been through over these last two years, I just cant imagine. They get recognized as heroes here and there, but theyre dealing with it every day and every night, and my heart goes out to them.

Healthcare is truly about servant leadership and service, Stogsdill said, and healthcare workers in the past two years have demonstrated what servant leadership is.

Im not sure that nurses realize it, but they have a very powerful role, they have a powerful influence on those they serve, she said. When youre nursing, there are good days and bad days. Some days, the work may seem repetitive and mundane, but to the person youre caring for, you have the knowledge that they dont have.

Its about treating people with dignity and respect and not just a patient, but a person.

Christie Netherton, cnetherton@messenger-inquirer.com, 270-691-7360
In summer 2020, The New York Times coordinated a nationwide project to document the lives of Americans out of work because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved collaborating with 11 other local newsrooms around the U.S. The Messenger-Inquirer was the only newspaper from Kentucky in the collaboration. The resulting collection of stories was published Oct. 23, 2020, in the New York Times print edition and at nytimes.com/outofwork. The following list is the Messenger-Inquirer's local unemployment coverage from that time period; read more by clicking the "New York Times Project" header. Click on "Out Of Work In America" to go to the full
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With less than four months until the primary election, Congressman Charlie Crist stressed a need for party unity among the Democratic gubernatorial candidates this past weekend, and rightly so.
Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The United States on Tuesday urged the government of Sudan to fully cooperate with a UN Human rights expert to visit the country
LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel launched an investigation into Eli Lilly this week - one of the three largest drug companies that manufactures nearly all the insulin in the United States. This action seeks to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA) to investigate the role some drug companies play in charging grossly excessive prices. In order to ensure proper accountability, Nessel's filings will also pursue a reconsideration of two rulings from the Michigan Supreme Court (MSC) that hinder the Department's ability to take action under the MCPA.

"Nearly a million Michiganders need insulin to survive and for too long, drug companies have been skyrocketing prices," Governor Gretchen Whitmer said. "I support Attorney General Nessel's efforts to use the Michigan Consumer Protection Act to put Michiganders first by investigating the role drug companies play in raising prices. I also look forward to working with legislature to cap the cost of insulin. Too many Michiganders are forced to ration insulin or forgo it, putting their lives at risk. Some families spend thousands of dollars a year on insulin and prices keep going up-they've tripled from 2009 to 2019. Together, we can lower the cost of insulin, hold drug companies accountable, and save lives."

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that there are 34.2 million Americans with diabetes. In Michigan, the American Diabetes Association estimates that 865,000 people, or 11.2% of the adult population, have diabetes, and that those with diabetes have medical expenses approximately 2.3 times higher than those who do not.

"The average out-of-pocket cost of a single vial of insulin is nearing $100," AG Nessel said. "No Michigander should have to face that kind of cost for life-saving medicine. While drug companies profit off of people's health, they also benefit from a current market in which they control the pricing. Enough is enough. Our Consumer Protection Team, through our Corporate Oversight Division, is ready to devote its full resources to ensure that the proper entities are on the hook for these egregious prices, but we cannot fully protect consumers with one hand tied behind our backs. That is why this action will also pursue reconsideration of the rulings in Smith and Liss."

Smith v. Globe Life and Liss v. Lewiston, decided in 1999 and 2007 respectively, interpret an exemption contained in Section 4(1)(a) of the MCPA as applying whenever the general transaction is specifically authorized by law, regardless of whether the specific misconduct alleged is prohibited. Under this interpretation, members of any industry that is "generally regulated" are deemed "specifically exempt" from the MCPA, thereby providing a free pass for misconduct under the MCPA, regardless of how egregious.

A brief filed last year asking MSC to reconsider the cases is available online. The MSC ultimately declined to revisit the issue at that time.

"Nearly 40 years ago, former Attorney General Frank J. Kelley explained to this Court: 'If every person or business which engages in an activity authorized by some statute or regulation were exempt from the Michigan Consumer Protection Act, . . . then the [MCPA] would be a cruel hoax on the many legislators and others who sought to give Michigan consumers protection in the marketplace,'" the Feb. 2021 filing cited in part. "Smith and Liss transformed what should be a narrow exemption under the MCPA into a broad shield for regulated entities-resulting in the protection of businesses over consumers."

Those two decisions will hold significant weight in Nessel's ability to pursue action against Eli Lilly.

As stated in the petition filed in Ingham County to initiate the investigation, "these opinions have served to end many consumer cases, and have prevented countless others from ever beginning. Both were wrongly decided."

Nonetheless, given those two decisions are current MSC precedent, the Department anticipates Eli Lilly will cite Smith and Liss in its defense against accountability. For that reason, the Department is prepared to follow the appellate track, should the court initially decide not to allow the investigation. That process will afford the Department's pursuit of seeking to rectify the harm created by the Smith and Liss decisions. A Complaint for Declaratory Judgment teeing up the Smith and Liss issue was filed contemporaneously with the Petition Tuesday afternoon.

A copy of the filed Eli Lilly petition is available here.

A copy of the filed Eli Lilly complaint is available here.

Those who wish to share their experience with the high cost of insulin are asked to fill out a consumer complaint form on the Attorney General's website. The Attorney General is interested in perspectives from consumers, pharmacists, and health professionals. If your concerns relate to the cost of a particular medication, please tell us the brand, product and what (if anything) is covered by insurance.

###
Inappropriate physical contact, buying gifts, and providing alcohol to students are some of the allegations that led Bad Axe Public Schools to ban former school board President Zachary Eskau for life following an investigation that ended late last year.

According to a Dec. 14, 2021 letter addressed to Eskau from the district obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the board investigated allegations that Eskau reportedly engaged in inappropriate conduct with students and as such violated numerous board policies.

The letter alleges that between December 2019 and March 2020, Eskau grabbed a student, pinned him to the ground, and rubbed lotion on him. On March 5, 2021, Eskau allegedly took a student to a hotel room and allowed the student to get drunk, and possibly touched the student without consent. Eskau also allegedly engaged in a pattern of behavior where he would wrestle, slap or touch the butts of male students without consent.

The board investigation claimed Eskau associated "with a group of male students in a way that gave the appearance of impropriety, including by buying the students gifts and meals, allowing the students to be alone in your house and to use your hot tub, taking them to concerts and sporting events, taking them to a casino, giving them money to gamble, and planning a trip to the Bahamas for them."

The letter also alleges that Eskau allowed a student to consume alcohol to the point of vomiting and blacking out in Sept 2020, and on the same date touched a student without consent.

"You violated your ethical obligations under Policy 0144.2 by engaging in a conduct that compromised the board and that failed to consider the educational welfare (of the unnamed students)," the letter reads.

As a result of the investigation, the board indefinitely banned Eskau from all district property, district activities, and events. If Eskau is found in violation of the ban, it will be considered trespassing.

Eskau resigned from the Bad Axe Public Schools board of education in August 2021. At the time of Eskau's resignation, the district acknowledged an internal investigation into a former board member, but Superintendent Greg Newland said he was unable to confirm if the investigation involved Eskau.

Eskau is under investigation by the Michigan State Police. The MSP previously confirmed the investigation was based on allegations of inappropriate behavior.

Huron County Prosecutor Timothy Rutkowski said there has been some preliminary correspondence between his office and the MSP regarding the investigation.

"My understanding, the matter remains an open investigation," Rutkowski said in a statement to the Tribune. "Any person accused of a crime is presumed innocent under the law. In order to protect the integrity of the investigation, this office will have no further comment at this time."
Memorial Presbyterian is hosting a preschool open house, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, at its location, 1310 Ashman St. in Midland. Visitors will be able to visit the church's preschool classrooms.

The teachers will be available to chat about the program and answer questions. The church will also offer private tours at guests' convenience.
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NEW BRITAIN - The New Britain Museum of American Art celebrates Black History Month with an array of programs including a Virtual Open Mic, a Youth Creative Contest, Gallery Talks, permanent collection art installation, and other virtual and onsite offerings.

The museum asks all creatives to register through the link at nbmaa.org. Museum visitors during February are invited to learn about some of the prolific Black artists in the museums permanent collection including Charles Ethan Porter, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Faith Ringgold, and Betye Saar. All families are invited to enjoy a themed in-gallery scavenger hunt throughout the month.

Calling all Creatives: The NBMAA and its Community Advisory Group are seeking participants for two programs to commemorate Black History Month: Virtual Open-Mic and Youth Creative Contest. All interested individuals for both programs are asked to explore this year's theme: Three Be's: Be courageous. Be resilient. Be empowered. To sign up, go to nbmaa.org/black-history-month and find the online form.

Creatives and performers interested in participating in the Museums Virtual Open-Mic, set for 6-7:30 p.m. Feb. 24 should submit video, audio, or photo samples no later than Feb. 18. Selected artists and performers will have the chance to present and discuss their works during the live program. Selected artworks have an opportunity for display at Gallery 66 in New Britain. To sign up, go to nbmaa.org/black-history-month and find the online form.

Youth artists who are interested in participating in the museums Youth Creative Contest should submit videos, photos, written materials, and/or audio files by Feb. 18 to be featured on the Museums website and social media channels in a contest compilation video launching Feb. 24. To sign up, go to nbmaa.org/black-history-month and find the online form. For more information about either program, contact Stephanie Strucaly at strucalys@nbmaa.org.

Exhibit: People And Places In America, 1960S To Today, runs through May 1. Featuring bold and visionary works from the 1960s to the 2010s, the installation explores depictions of people and places in America through a range of mediums including sculpture, print, collage, photography, and painting. The works are drawn from the permanent collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art and include recent purchases and collection highlights. Collectively, these important works challenge and inspire ideas about what it means to be an American today, according to the museum.

Gallery Talks: In honor of Black History Month, the New Britain Museum of American Art will host two Spotlight Gallery Talks highlighting the works of African American artists in the collection.

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 1-2 p.m.Spotlight on Tanner, Porter, Duncanson, with Lisa Williams.

Wednesday Feb. 16, 1-2 p.m.Spotlight on Radcliffe Bailey, with Jasmine Dejackome.

Black History Month at the NBMAA webpage: https://nbmaa.org/black-history-month
The recent rezoning of office parks, which allows small-scale multifamily homes (14 units an acre) in underused commercial property, is a good forward-looking policy that helps marginally alleviate the housing shortage by incrementally allowing more development in an unobtrusive fashion.

Stamford, as the most important city in the region, should be looking for more ways to grow its housing stock. Unfortunately, a vocal group of anti-development NIMBYs seems intent on overturning this change with the cooperation of some members of the Board of Representatives. In the midst of a massive regional housing shortage that is impoverishing the middle class and driving people away from the state, it is fundamentally undemocratic and unjust that we allow a vocal minority of incumbent homeowners to block progress for the next generation.

Stepping back, we are in the midst of a national and regional housing crisis caused by decades of underbuilding homes  as evidenced by rising rents, a shortage of homes for sale, and low apartment vacancy rates. This has been recognized by the Biden Administration, regional planning associations, and local Stamford-specific studies. As a result, the middle and working class are burdened with high housing costs and many younger people and new families are moving away from the region. There is no way to get around that Stamford (along with neighboring towns) need to allow a significant number of more homes to be built over many years to alleviate supply pressures and create more spaces for the next generation to live in. Without enough new homes to go around, new demand from younger families and job-seekers is overwhelming the existing housing supply, leading to displacement, rising rents, and homelessness.

At the state level, the Desegregate Connecticut coalition is pushing the state legislature to pass laws to ensure that the exclusionary towns surrounding Stamford do their part to ensure enough production of homes. But Stamford, as the most important city in the region, must also step up.

While Stamford has admirably grown its housing stock more than the surrounding exclusionary suburbs, the bulk of development has been concentrated in downtown and the South End. The vast majority of Stamfords residential neighborhoods are frozen in amber by a restrictive zoning code that disallows any incremental changes, such as backyard cottages, duplexes, and other missing middle forms of housing that could allow for more living spaces. While the voices of existing residents should indeed be considered in land use matters, living in a place first should not give someone a veto over every new person moving in. The vocal protests of a minority of homeowners averse to change are being allowed to outweigh what is good for the whole community.

The housing crisis is the single most important issue facing Stamfords future. If we cannot get housing costs under control, Stamford will lose its workforce and vibrancy, and become like many high-cost Californian cities with high rates of homelessness and inequality. Stamford needs to choose whether it wants to be an exclusionary country club suburb with expensive homes that keeps out the working class and new families by blocking new homes, or a welcoming, growing city that works for all.

The mayor, elected representatives, and city board members must consider the voices of newcomers, immigrants, and new families who would benefit from new homes in Stamford, many of whom are not vocally present when these matters are being discussed. People dont live forever, the city must change with the times, and we must build more homes for the next generation.

Dice Oh has lived in Stamford for 16 years and has a strong interest in urban design, sustainable transportation, and housing affordability.
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Navy SEALs have paused training operations in Washington state parks as a legal challenge from locals concerned about the environmental and psychological impacts of "war games" comes to a head.

"I do not care to catch a glimpse of apparently armed men skulking around and I DEFINITELY do not want to risk having my young grandchildren see such a sight," one commenter wrote to state regulators.

Navy SEALs have conducted cold water training and other special operations exercises in the state's coastal parks for more than 30 years. The mountain-ringed shorelines of the parks offer unique challenges for commandos practicing clandestine raids and surveillance training, the Navy says, with "cold water, extreme tidal changes, multi-variant currents, low visibility, complex underwater terrain, climate and rigorous land terrain." The dispute centers primarily on parks near Washington's Puget Sound, as well as along the state's southwestern coastline.

The SEALs' previous five-year agreement to conduct training in five state parks expired in 2020. When the service attempted to renew its agreement with the state and expand the number of parks at which it could train to 28, it was met with organized opposition from local residents and park users.

Hundreds of Washingtonians submitted written and oral comments on the proposal, the overwhelming majority of which were opposed. Commenters cited everything from environmental concerns to fears that SEALs would disturb the peace.

"The plan to have apparently armed people storming beaches in our state parks is an irresponsible and dangerous idea," one resident wrote during the public comment period.

"In these days of great division in our civil society, we don't need stealthy men in camo uniforms toting toy guns around our State and County Parks," wrote another. "People frequent parks to escape tension, not to encounter more. Keep the Navy commando training out of our parks!"

Others were concerned about references to the use of drones, or UAVs. A comment from the Skagit Audubon Society noted that "the Navy's plan is to use larger, gasoline-powered UAV's as well as smaller, electric-powered types. This offers significant potential for direct and indirect injury to birds as well as auditory disruption to the experience of park visitors."

Despite the public outcry, in January 2021 the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission voted 4-3 to approve a scaled-back version of the Navy's original proposal, placing some sensitive areas off-limits to training and restricting the operations to nighttime hours.

But in March 2021, Whidbey Environmental Action Network (WEAN) filed a petition for judicial review against the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, arguing that the proposed training violates laws that dedicate the parks to the public for recreational and ecological purposes. It wants a judge to reverse the commission's decision and award WEAN attorneys' fees and other costs.

WEAN argues many members of the public may avoid state parks for fear of "encountering the proposed war games or being spied upon by Navy personnel," lawyers for the group wrote in its opening brief, filed last month. "It is difficult to find peace in the woods when armed frogmen might be lurking behind every tree."

A hearing in the case is scheduled for April 1 in Thurston County Superior Court. WEAN's litigation coordinator Steve Erickson told Coffee or Die Magazine via email that he expects the judge to issue a final decision sometime after the hearing.

The Navy conducted 37 training events -- each lasting two to 72 hours and including no more than eight trainees plus a small safety cadre -- at Washington state parks from 2015 through 2020. The training included insertion and extraction of personnel via watercraft, reconnaissance, diving, and swimming, Navy spokesman Joe Overton told Coffee or Die in an email.

No Naval Special Warfare training was conducted at the parks in 2021, and operations are on hold again this year pending further review by the parks department, Overton wrote.

Navy officials maintain that there have never been any incidents with park visitors during past exercises, and that the training by its nature requires that trainees leave no trace. Exercises are noninvasive and do not include live-fire ammunition, explosive demolitions, off-road driving or other destructive activities, according to Overton.

Critics have argued that the Navy should use the 46 miles of Washington coastline already under its jurisdiction for exercises rather than state parks. Navy officials have countered that the geography of the parks more accurately represents the type of environment personnel may experience on a mission.

"This area provides a unique environment of cold water, extreme tidal changes, multi-variant currents, low visibility, complex underwater terrain, climate and rigorous land terrain, which provides an advanced training environment," Overton wrote. "Although there are several Navy properties in the area, they do not provide the full range of environments needed for this training to be as realistic as possible."

Hannah Ray Lambert is a staff writer who has previously covered everything from murder trials to high school trap shooting teams.
BEIRUT  U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said they wrestled control of the last section of a prison controlled by Islamic State militants and freed a number of child detainees used as human shields. It ended a weeklong assault by the extremists on one of the largest detention facilities in Syria.

The attack was the biggest by ISIS since the fall of the groups caliphate in 2019 and came as the militants staged a number of deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq that stoked fears they may be staging a comeback.

In the week of clashes, dozens from both sides have been killed, the U.S.-led coalition has carried out nearly a dozen airstrikes and thousands of civilians living nearby have been displaced.

The whole prison is now under control, said Farhad Shami, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. The operation today was on the cells where child detainees were held. We were able to surround a number of terrorists who had taken them as shields and we killed them."

Shami said the force was then able to enter the cells and the remaining militants surrendered. A large number of children were freed, he said, but he had no specific number.

Shami said about 3,000 inmates have surrendered.

The militants had used child detainees as human shields slowing down the effort to retake the facility located in the northeastern city of Hassakeh, Kurdish officials said.

After breaking into the prison late Thursday, ISIS militants were joined by others rioting inside the facility. Around 200 armed militants were believed to be holed up in the northern wing at one end of the prison complex, holding hostages from among the prison staff.

The Syria prison complex, known as al-Sinaa or Gweiran prison, houses more than 3,000 inmates, including around 600 minors. Children have reportedly been killed and wounded in clashes, rights and aid groups say.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 124 ISIS militants, 50 fighters with the Kurdish-led forces and seven civilians were killed in the weeklong attack that extended outside the walls of the prison into residential areas. Thousands of civilians have been displaced.

The assault began Thursday just hours before another brazen attack on military troops in neighboring Iraq. Together, they signaled a new spike in violence by emboldened militants who had for months been carrying out low-level assaults, largely on security patrols, checkpoints and other mobile targets.

Eleven Iraqi soldiers were killed in their sleep after gunmen attacked an army barracks in Diyala province on Friday. It was the deadliest attack in months to target Iraqs military and was blamed on IS, which appeared to be exploiting a security vacuum in Iraq's north. The vacuum is perpetuated by territorial disputes between the federal government and the semi-autonomous Kurdish region.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said earlier Wednesday it had freed 23 of its servicemen held hostage by ISIS militants. Later it said inmates continued to surrender.

The SDF, backed by U.S.-led coalition Bradley Fighting Vehicles and air support, had been closing in on the prison wing controlled by the armed militants. Fighters from the SDF and other security teams took control of adjacent buildings and used loudspeakers to call on the militants to surrender.

The Islamic State group's territorial control in Iraq and Syria was crushed by a years-long U.S.-backed campaign, but some fighters remained at large in sleeper cells that have increasingly killed scores of Iraqis and Syrians in past months. Prison riots have been common, where thousands of suspected IS militants have been held. But the attack launched late Thursday was the boldest and most ambitious.

Sleeper cells from outside the prison, nearly 100, attacked the facility after dark, ramming vehicles against its walls and detonating car bombs to create a diversion. They were joined by rioting inmates, and some managed to escape.

The SDF said the total number of fugitives remained unclear.

A recording obtained from inside the prison by a teenaged detainee described a violent onslaught that has left multiple children dead and many wounded inside the facility. Shami said at one point the ISIS militants had seized control of the hospital inside the prison. The teenage boy who was injured in the head said medical assistance was not available.

On Wednesday, Iraqs prime minister made a rare visit to the countrys border with Syria in a show of support to troops and said Iraqi forces were capable of resisting the Islamic State group.

Mustafa al-Kadhimi was in Ninevah province to inspect security measures.

You must intensify your efforts and work around the clock, he said, addressing border officials and security forces, according to a statement from his office. This area is very important for us and the enemy as well, and this requires redoubling efforts.

Al-Kadhimi said he was confident Iraqi security forces would be able to thwart ISIS. You are stronger today than you were yesterday, he told them. ISIS overran vast swathes of northern Iraq in the summer of 2014 largely because Iraqi forces retreated.

Al-Kadhmi was accompanied by the ministers of defense and the interior. Iraq shares a 599-kilometer (372-mile) border with Syria.

I say to the terrorists of Daesh: Do not test us, you have tried a lot and failed. You will try a lot and you will fail, he said, referring to ISIS by its Arabic acronym.

___

Associated Press writer Samya Kullab contributed from Baghdad.
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The Marlins looked into a Bryan Reynolds trade with the Pirates prior to the trade deadline and were rebuffed, though that hasnt stopped the team from trying again. The Miami Heralds Barry Jackson reports that the Fish revisited talks with the Pirates before the lockout, even if the odds are against the chances of Reynolds ultimately heading to Miami.

In essence, nothing seems to have changed regarding Pittsburghs stance on a Reynolds trade, whether to the Marlins or any of the multiple other teams (including the Mariners, Yankees, Astros, Guardians, Brewers, and Braves) who have reportedly shown interest in the All-Star over the last seven months. The center fielder is the rare roster piece that the Pirates arent too open to trading, as the Bucs feel their next competitive window will open while Reynolds is still a productive regular. Reynolds is controlled through the 2025 season and would still seem to have several prime years ahead of him, as he only turns 27 years old tomorrow.

This mix of skill and contractual control also makes Reynolds a prime trade target, hence the long list of teams interested in his services. The Marlins are perhaps better equipped than most to meet whatever the Pirates gigantic asking price would be for Reynolds, as Miami is deep in talented young pitchers who are either close to the majors or have already made an impact at the big league level.

It isnt surprising that the Fish would keep asking about Reynolds, nor is there any real harm in continuing to check in just in case the Pirates have lowered their demands. Discussing one trade could end up laying the groundwork for another deal, either now or down the road. Perhaps related to this idea, theres obviously some rapport between the Marlins and Pirates front offices, as the two teams completed a notable trade in November that sent catcher Jacob Stallings to Miami for a three-player package.

Offense and position-player help in general was a stated need for the Marlins heading into the offseason. The club has thus far been aggressive in trading for Stallings and Joey Wendle (from the Rays), and Jackson writes that the Marlins have had trade talks with at least seven teams, though nothing was particularly close to being finalized before the lockout halted all big league roster activity.

In general, Jackson writes that the Marlins are shooting high in their search for another impact bat, and might not turn to second-tier options until the larger targets are off the table. Jackson feels a trade is perhaps more likely than another free agent signing, though Miami has been active on that front as well in signing Avisail Garcia to a four-year, $53MM free agent deal. A true center fielder like Reynolds might be preferable to playing Garcia mostly every day up the middle, but the Marlins are comfortable enough with Garcias center-field ability that corner outfielders like Kyle Schwarber, Seiya Suzuki, or Nick Castellanos are still on the clubs radar.
UK-based gospel artiste, KK Mensah, has advised his colleague gospel musicians in the diaspora to rethink their promotional strategy after releasing their songs.

The budding gospel artiste told ghanaweekend.com that in the wake of the high cost of promotions and lack of structure within the Ghanaian music space, it has become important to focus on one's immediate territory and location in order to engage and grow a loyal fan base.

KK Mensah released Aseda, his first single in 2019, which featured gospel heavyweight KODA, and followed up with a second single Mmre Nie (It's my time), featuring Pastor Edwin Dadson two years later.

KK is currently working on his third single N'Adom (His Grace), and will be embarking on a UK-wide church tour this year.

The 'Aseda Tour' is scheduled to make joyful stops at Milton Keynes, Leeds, Birmingham, Swindon, Luton, Manchester, and London.

KK Mensah is gradually endearing himself to the Ghanaian community in the UK as the next big representation of traditional Ghanaian gospel in the diaspora.

Through the instrumentality of his management team, KK Mensah featured as the opening act for 'This far by Grace' and Keteke concerts hosted by Pastor Edwin and KODA in Accra and Takoradi respectively.

Catch the Aseda tour in a city near you if you are in the UK. For detailed information, follow KK Mensah on all social media portals.

---Citi Newsroom
25.01.2022 LISTEN

The Minority in Parliament is asking the Majority group to play by the rules of engagement as the House reconvenes today from a one-month Christmas break.

The Minority says it will not allow the Majority group to violate the Standing Orders and interpret the same at will.

The House ended its last session on a rather chaotic note, attracting wide condemnation.

Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi, has said his side will cooperate with the Majority side only to the extent that the rules of the House are respected.

If we see clearly that the rules are being violated in our presence, we cannot allow these things to happen. It is clearly an affront to our democracy.

They as a majority must also ensure that the rules of the house are applied well. They should not try to interpret the rules in wrong ways to favour them and then next time, they interpret it differently, Mr. Avedzi said to Citi News.

The final days of the last session of Parliament were marked by chaos after NDC MPs tried to prevent Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei-Owusu from leaving his seat to vote during a motion.

This was after some debate over whether he still retained his vote as the MP for Bekwai when sitting in for the Speaker of Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, described the lack of engagement between leaderships of the House before the resumption as worrying.

In the wake of the chaos in Parliament, which he described as unfortunate, Mr. Annoh-Dompreh assured that his side of Parliament would be willing to dialogue.

What I can say is that we have had many tense moments in this Parliament, and we have had the control to resolve issues, as it were, the Majority Chief Whip said to Citi News.

 Citi Newsroom
President Nana Akufo-Addo is urging the feuding factions in the Bawku chieftaincy dispute to ceasefire and dialogue.

Nana Akufo-Addo says the resources spent in maintaining law and order in Bawku could be used to develop the area.

The President made the call at a meeting at the Jubilee House with the Bawku Naaba and some elders of the area on Tuesday.

I know very well the nature of the decision that the Supreme Court took over the Bawku chieftaincy conflict I am hoping that the Bawku Naaba will also cooperate with the government to bring peace to the area. The monies we spent on security in Bawku could be used to develop the place. So I asked for you here so that we can find a way to work towards bringing peace and calm and understanding to Bawku, he said.

Recent tensions in Bawku have led to several persons being wounded with some losing their lives, including a police officer .

The tensions can be traced to December 27, 2021, when there was gunfire in parts of the town after attempts to perform the final funeral rites of a Chief who died about 41 years ago.

The violence resulted in a curfew being placed on the entire township, a ban on smock-wearing, and a ban on the use of motorbikes.

Meanwhile, the Member of Parliament for Bawku Central, Mahama Ayariga, has urged the government to urgently crack down on persons instigating recent tensions in the Bawku Municipality.

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Ayariga, said social media was being used by some persons to foment trouble in the area.

For the past several months and close to a year, there has been a lot of work on social media doing everything to instigate the situation that we have today.

Unfortunately, the state has not clamped down on these actors on social media, and it generates reactions on all sides and today, the situation is because of the activities of these people on social media.

citinewsroom
The Ada East District HIV Coordinator, Mr Adator Anani Junior, says 256 HIV cases have been recorded in Ada East District in 2021.

The data show that 73 cases were recorded among males and 183 among females.

He said 61 cases were recorded among pregnant women, adding that 22 were known HIV clients before their current pregnancies and 39 were newly diagnosed with HIV in their current pregnancies.

Mr Anani in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Ada said the prevalence rate for 2021 was 2 per cent based on Ghana AIDS Commission's estimation.

He said the disease was predominant among females between the ages of 35 to 39 and males between 45 to 49.

The District HIV Coordinator said at least 60 per cent of positive patients were on treatment with 70 per cent of those on the treatment being regular.

He said the national expectation was that at least 95 per cent of HIV-positive patients would be on treatment.

He said these targets were geared towards achieving an AIDS-free country by 2030, saying that the current development in Ada East demanded concerted efforts of all interested parties, including youth groups to achieve an AIDS-free Ada Community.

He said unprotected sexual intercourse remained the main route for HIV new infection, multiple partner relationships and low uptake of Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) were also contributing to new HIV infections in the district.

He advised the patients to comply with the strategies for reducing HIV new infection, including the use of condoms when partners did not know each other current HIV status.

Mr Anani Jnr called on the adolescents, especially those between 13 to 19 years, to do everything possible to delay sex and redirect their youthful energies into productive areas of their life.

Meanwhile, Dr Stephen Ayisi Addo, Manager, National AIDS/STI Control Programme, said there was a surge in cases of HIV among pregnant women in the country, attributing it to the increased confidence in fertility among persons living with HIV.

Dr. Ayisi Addo, speaking at the Stakeholder Seminar organised by the Ghana News Agency, explained that data analysis in a Sentinel Survey conducted in 2020 revealed that women who had been pregnant more than once had a higher prevalence compared to first pregnancies partly because of their confidence that they could have healthy babies.

The study, he noted, further showed that prevalence among general Antenatal Care (ANC) clients was two per cent and among those with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis, among others was 10 per cent in 2020.

Data from the HIV Estimates and AIDS Projections report also revealed that 5,200 new infections of HIV were recorded in children aged 0-14.

Since the first case of HIV in 1986, there were currently 346,120 people leaving with HIV as of the end of 2020 with 66 per cent of the figure being females and about eight per cent children aged 0-14.

He said, hitherto, persons who tested positive and became pregnant, assumed that their babies would become automatically positive often leading to the abandonment of the babies.

The GNA Stakeholder Engagement is a platform for state and non-state actors to address national issues.

GNA
Education is key to charting the course towards more justice and sustainability, but it is failing millions of children, youth, and adults, and increasing their exposure to poverty, violence, and exploitation. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated a pre-existing education crisis. Reliance on digital technology for learning has deepened exclusion and gender inequalities (UNESCO).

Without remedial action, better support to teachers, and adolescents; school dropout will continue to rise, reversing progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals and depriving youth of a future of dignity and opportunity.

In line with this, Savana Signatures in partnership with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), through the Youth Empowerment Project (YEP), held an empowerment programme in 6 schools within the South and Central Tongu Districts in the Volta Region of Ghana, to commemorate this years International Day of Education on 24th January, 2022.

The programme seeks to empower adolescents to overcome the challenges accounting for inequalities and school dropouts. To do this, 184 adolescents were guided to design life goals and ways of actualizing them.

Through the YEP, we are able to support adolescents to shape their dreams, have control over their reproductive health needs and contribute to themselves and their communities. This will ensure they have a better future, said a youth mentor and development advocate in Central Tongu District; Madam Miriam Tordzeagbo.

According to her, it is important for adolescents in every part of the country to have access to not only education but comprehensive and quality education. Thus the YEP project is timely for the people of South and Central Tongu Districts.

The adolescents who form the main beneficiaries of the project had some exciting dreams to share. Some of them want to become lawyers, doctors, engineers, pilots, etc. Others want to become entrepreneurs, businessmen, public speakers, and politicians.

They are confident of actualizing their dreams with the help of the facilitators under the YEP project and the continuous support of Savana Signatures and UNESCO.

Now I feel connected to a higher purpose and a reason to avoid bad behaviours so I can achieve my dream, said Dzifa Agbevor, a beneficiary.

Beneficiaries were introduced to Savana Signatures SHE+ Helpline 0800 00 11 22 and UNICEF Agoo SHE+ 5100 to access information, counseling, and referral services to appropriate authorities such as DOVVSU, health centers, and social welfare.
26.01.2022 LISTEN

Fire has gutted the administration block of St. Joseph Health Centre in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District of the Savannah Region.

The unfortunate incident, which has caused damage to properties worth thousands of Ghana cedis is reported to have been triggered by low voltage drop experienced in the area and some other parts of the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District.

Mr. Sobiitey George, who is in charge of the facility in an interview with this reporter said the fire outbreak was first noticed by a client, who then prompted the security officer and staff nurse on duty Sunday night.

He said the timely intervention of the staff on duty and personnel from the Ghana National Fire Service brought the situation under control.

According to him, vital equipment, files and properties such as printers, photocopy machine, scanners, chairs, the roof of the building, computers, windows and doors of the facility were destroyed by the fire.

He noted that the situation will affect healthcare delivery especially pregnant women, since the facility was the only health centre serving the entire Kalba community and its environs.

The Savannah Regional Fire Safety Officer, who doubles as the Public Relations Officer for the Ghana National Fire Service, Salisu M. Sirilbaini said the fire may have been caused by arching, earthing, fire load or grounding and gradually spread from the printer to the other costly equipment.

He said further investigation was being conducted to ascertain the exact cause of the fire.

"When other people see fire, they begin to run away, but you were able to manage the fire when it started and I must applaud you for that bold and brave step," he said.

He hinted of plans to train some staff of the health centers in the region on fire safety skills in order to enable them detect early fire signs and take actions to prevent extreme damages.

The Diocesan Health Director, Aiden Ngmenban encouraged the workers not to allow the incident undermine their commitment to the community.

He assured that his outfit was going to work as quickly as possible with the necessary stakeholders to procure the essential equipment lost during the fire outbreak in order to keep the facility operational.

He called on stakeholders, philanthropists, NGOs, the MP for the area and the District Assembly to attend to the urgent need of the facility.

The St. Joseph Health Centre in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District was established in the year 1980 by the Catholic Church and became operational in 1981.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced that Ghana is on her way to establishing domestic manufacturing plants for fill, finish and packaging of COVID-19 vaccines.

To this end, Nana Akufo-Addo said he will, on 16th February 2022, together with M. Macky Sall, President of Senegal, and Mr. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, inspect in Marburg, Germany, the production facilities needed to for the plants.

We are going to build a Pan-African project with these two sister African nations, where, initially, the fill and finish plant will be located in Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo stated.

The president further disclosed that BioNTech of Germany, the now renowned health technology company, which works with Pfizer, has agreed to be partners, and will contribute also to the construction of a modular production facility for other vaccines as well, such as those for malaria and tuberculosis in Ghana.

Nana Akufo-Addo said these on Tuesday, 25th January 2022, when he participated in the 73rd edition of the Annual New Year School and Conference, which is being held on the theme COVID-19 and Socio-Economic Dynamics in Ghana.
"Guys, we've got to get out of here!" urges Junior, a 20-year-old migrant from Ivory Coast, breaking the tense silence inside the train crossing the Spanish border into France.

Crossing from Irun in Spain to the French border town of Hendaye is the last obstacle for young migrants desperate to reach France, their desired destination whatever the cost.

Many come from former French colonies in West Africa where French is widely spoken and want to join family members living and working in France.

But at the station in Hendaye, French police are on patrol.

With Junior are five other migrants from Mali, Guinea and Ivory Coast. But only he dares get off the train.

"You don't have a visa, you can't come here," one of the police officers tells him after glancing through his passport.

Crossing from Irun in Spain to the French border town of Hendaye is the last obstacle for young migrants desperate to reach France. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

When they think the coast is clear, the other five quickly drop down onto the tracks.

"Stay where you are!" bellows a policeman, prompting one of the young migrants to race for a two-metre fence which he scrambles over, disappearing off into the streets.

But the others freeze as the police approach and give them forms marked "entry refused". They are then put back on the train to the Spanish border town of Irun, an AFP correspondent said.

Increasingly dangerous

With increased patrols on both sides of the border, migrants are taking ever more risks. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

To get here, many of these migrants have already made the perilous journey between the African coast and Spain's Canary Islands, braving the Atlantic in barely seaworthy ramshackle boats.

Last year, 13,164 people were turned away at the French-Spanish border in the Pyrenees-Atlantiques region of France, which Hendaye is part of, more than twice that of 2020, French interior ministry figures show.

The figures are higher due to increased vigilance and more migrants travelling given the easing of Covid travel restrictions put in place at the start of the pandemic.

With increased patrols on both sides of the border, migrants are taking ever more risks, according to researchers, NGOs and local officials.

A migrant escapes running after crossing the border between Spain and France in the French Basque city of Hendaye in January 2022. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

Last year, two Ivorians and a Guinean migrant drowned while trying to swim the Bidassoa River which marks the border. And in October, three Algerians who managed to cross into France died after being hit by a train.

On Santiago Bridge, which crosses the Bidassoa, French police carry out periodic checks on vehicles, while the adjacent pedestrian bridge has been closed off with huge metal fences nearly three metres (10 foot) high.

In Irun, 20-year-old Yakuba steps out from the Red Cross migrant reception centre to smoke a cigarette.

Along his nose runs a large scar he got scaling the huge spike-topped metal fence separating Spain's Melilla enclave from Morocco in June.

20-year-old Yakuba says he left Mali 'because of the war'. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

"I've got one on my foot too, there was a lot of blood," shrugs Yakuba, who says he left Mali "because of the war".

After several unsuccessful attempts to cross into France over the Pyrenees, by train and finally on the Santiago Bridge, Yakuba is considering the "taxi mafia" -- smugglers who charge 150 euros ($170) to cross the border.

But in the end, he manages to cross the bridge on his second attempt.

Controversial police checks

Although France and Spain are part of the passport-free Schengen zone, routine immigration checks were reinstated following the 2015 Paris attacks that killed 130 people.

Since then, police numbers have doubled, the interior ministry says.

But rights groups claim the checks only target people based on the colour of their skin.

Rights groups claim the checks only target people based on the colour of their skin. By ANDER GILLENEA AFPFile

"In reality, the checks are exclusively focused on black people," says Xabier Legarreta, a member of the Basque regional government, echoing complaints by Amnesty International and French migrant support groups La Cimade and Anafe.

People are turned away "without any respect for their fundamental rights," explains Bilbao University law professor Iker Barbero. Even those seeking refugee status are "sent straight back" and "prevented" from claiming asylum, he adds.

"It is not the police's job to decide" whether they can claim asylum or not, he says. Nor are they permitted to turn away unaccompanied minors who, under international law, "must be protected", Barbero adds.

On the Spanish side, police speaking on condition of anonymity criticised the legal uncertainty, saying they felt "powerless" over the constant back-and-forth of migrants sent back by France and then released in Spain, but who kept trying to cross back.

'I'll just keep on trying'

France and Spain are planning to launch a new joint immigration patrol in the summer. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

But one government representative in France's Pyrenees Atlantic region, Theophile de Lassus, rejects such allegations. He says entry rules "apply to everyone" and are "fully respected".

Migrants "who choose to enter without applying for a visa or a residency permit are turned away," he told AFP, rejecting claims migrants were not always informed about their rights and that minors were sent back.

In 2019, only four percent of illegal migrants arrested in Spain's San Sebastian province, where Irun is located, were sent back to their country of origin, according to internal data consulted by AFP.

With France holding the EU rotating presidency, President Emmanuel Macron wants to amend the bloc's free movement rules to allow immigration checks several kilometres from internal borders.

France and Spain are planning to launch a new joint immigration patrol in the summer.

But Junior is not put off.

"My aim is France... and I'm going to keep on trying."

Abdul, a 24-year-old Ivorian, agrees.

"It can't be worse than crossing the Atlantic, so we're not going to be put off now."
Jihadist attacks in northern Ivory Coast have ramped up hostility towards the Fulani, a mainly Muslim ethnic group that some accuse of providing the bulk of the raiders.

Friction and suspicion are almost palpable in Kafolo, a small town near the border with Burkina Faso where jihadists have struck twice in less than 18 months, killing 16 soldiers.

The army has established a large camp at the entrance to Kafolo and the few visitors are greeted by a watchtower overlooking the dusty trail leading to the town.

The army base in Kafolo. By Sia KAMBOU AFP

In the shade of a great tree, the air fresh and dry in the harmattan wind of the morning, village chief Bamba Tiemoko said the first attack in June 2020 had had dramatic repercussions.

"People were frightened -- it was the first time that this had happened to us. People stopped going into the fields or fishing," he said.

Some villagers said they were still afraid.

"We are always scared but we deal with it," said Lamissa Traore, president of the region's youth association. "We try not to stay in the fields too long, to come back before noon."

"I no longer go into the fields, I'm afraid to come across Peuls," added Clarisse Siphoho, secretary of a local women's association, referring to a name by which the Fulani are commonly known.

"Most of those who came and carried out the attacks are Peul. We are wary now."

'We are very suspicious'

In the absence of claims of responsibility for the Kafolo attacks, the Ivorian authorities have said they were the work of foreign nationals.

More locally the language is veiled, but the finger usually gets pointed at Fulani -- semi-nomadic herders who are scattered across several countries in West Africa and often cross the porous border with Burkina Faso to graze their oxen in Ivory Coast.

"We have our eyes on them," acknowledged a regional official who said the public were being urged to alert the authorities if they spotted anything untoward.

"We are very suspicious when a foreigner arrives in the village. We ask questions about his purpose of travel, his destination and we can take him to the soldiers," Tiemoko, the village chief, confirmed.

After the June 2020 attack, many Fulani who had been part of the community left overnight.

Ivorian soldiers in Abidjan carry the coffins of soldiers killed in the June 2020 attack in Kafolo. By SIA KAMBOU AFP

"There used to be a great brotherhood. But after the attack, there were arrests and the Peuls left," said Tiemoko.

"If they leave, it's because they blame themselves for something," he insisted.

"Because of the attacks, they were afraid of reprisals and left the village," said Siphoho.

'The jihadists have won'

One Fulani in Kafolo, going by the pseudonym of Amadou, said he had spent three and a half months in prison in Korhogo, the main city in northern Ivory Coast, because he was suspected of having a link with the attackers.

After being released, he returned to live in the area.

"Here, when people see a Peul passing by on a motorbike in the village, they are afraid and see him as a jihadist," Amadou said.

He said he was married to an Ivorian woman and did not feel sidelined by the community, although he wondered about the sudden departure of other Fulani.

Were they driven out by the townsfolk?

All those interviewed by AFP in Kafolo insisted that this was not the case, and their version of events was supported by municipal sub-prefect Issouf Dao.

"We welcome the Fulani, they have been here for a very long time," Dao said. "There's no problem  but there is mistrust regarding Peuls who we do not know."

While the strong military presence reassured local people, many deplored the consequences of the attacks, notably for tourism in the region, which has been classified in the red zone by most Western countries, restricting travel to necessary business trips.

In the Sahel to the north of Ivory Coast, years of jihadist attacks have ravaged the economies of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The Kafolo Safari Lodge has been closed for months due to the lack of tourists. By Sia KAMBOU AFP

The Kafolo Safari Lodge, with its 40 rooms and safari opportunities in the nearby Comoe National Park, one of the largest and oldest in the country, has been closed for months.

"People no longer invest, no one sleeps here, not even civil servants passing through the village," said Paterne Diabate, a villager.

"The jihadists have won this battle," he complained.
President Nana Akufo-Addo has called on the Bawku Naaba to cooperate with government in order to ensure peace in the area.

President Akufo-Addo made the call when he received elders of the Bawku Community on Tuesday, 25 January 2022, at the Jubilee House in Accra.

The President said: I know very well the nature of the decision that the Supreme Court took over the Bawku chieftaincy conflict I am hoping that the Bawku Naaba will also cooperate with the government to bring peace to the area.

The monies we spent on security in Bawku could be used to develop the place. So I asked for you here so that we can find a way to work towards bringing peace and calm and understanding to Bawku.

Recent violence in the Bawku community has led to the death of several people including a Police Officer.

Some other persons have also been injured.

There were reports of gunshots in Bawku in the early hours of Monday, 27 December 2021 that led to the destruction of property and loss of lives.

A similar incident occurred on Thursday, 18 November 2021, led to the imposition of a curfew on the town.

The Regional Security Council has also banned the use of motorcycle in the area and surrounding towns.

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After a lengthy battle, France has made conversion therapies that seek to impose heterosexuality on LGBTQ+ people a crime punishable by up to three years in prison and fines of up to 45,000 euros.

A bill by the governing LREM party was approved late Tuesday in a rubber stamp vote in the National Assembly a week after the rightwing Senate gave the green light.

"We are sending a strong signal formally condemning those who consider a change of sex or identity as a disease," said MP Laurence Vanceunebrock, who put forward the law  which comes 40 years after France decriminalised homosexuality.

Conversion therapies  described by victims as medieval and barbaric  were already theoretically punishable via offences including moral harassment, violence and illegal practice of medicine.

However figures on both side of politics agreed the law needed to be both tougher and clearer.

"Let us be proud, these unworthy practices have no place in the republic," tweeted President Emmanuel Macron. "Because being yourself is not a crime, because there is nothing to cure."

Historic

"It's the first time in French history that an LGBTQI+ right to protect has been voted unanimously in all chambers," says Benoit Berthe who co-founded an NGO that helped bring the bill before parliament.

"Usually the political parties are very divided, so it was extremely beautiful and symbolically strong to see them united to defend the right to be who you are ... no matter what your sexual orientation, gender identity."

Advocates of the law say it will now be easier to spread public awareness of the harm and illegality of conversion therapies, while also providing a solid legal basis for prosecution.

Most offenders will face two years in jail and a 30,000 euro fine, with penalties rising for cases involving particularly aggravating circumstances.

Gay conversion therapies can include physical aggression, exorcism, hormone therapy, electric shocks, hypnosis, forced marriage, spiritual retreats and even corrective rape  often carried out in concealed locations.

The United Nations has compared them to torture, while some victims  unable to overcome their trauma  have turned to suicide.

In 2018, the EU asked member states to ban the therapies. Malta and some parts of Spain have done so, while Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands are in the process.

Few statistics

In France there's been no national survey to determine the extent of conversion therapies, with the practice largely ignored until recently.

However the MPs who put forward the law  Vanceunebrock from LREM, along with Bastien Lachaud from the hard-left France Unbowed party  reported about 100 cases during a parliamentary mission carried out in 2019.

Some were carried out in religious settings, while others were performed by pseudo-doctors and psychotherapists.

"We know those therapies have existed in France for more than 30 years ... but no one has ever been convicted, Berthe told RFI.

While critics have questioned how effective the legislation will actually be given that institutions may simply seek to hide their activities, proponents say it's not just about punishment.

"This law also criminalises any publicity, books, articles or anything that would encourage conversion therapies," explains Berthe, adding it also opens a path for NGOs  as well as victims  to mount legal action.

However while the law is being hailed an historic victory, Berthe laments the punishment is too weak.

"It's similar to what you get under French law if you deliver a very strong, violent, intentional slap on the face," he says.

"Conversion therapies destroy human lives and are much stronger than a violent slap."
26.01.2022 LISTEN

Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ejisu, Samuel Oduro has disclosed that he is working with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service to have driver of the skidder in viral video transporting a giant log arrested.

Ghanaians expressed anger on social media on Monday, January 24, 2022, when a video of a driver dangerously plying the Ejisu-Kumasi highway with a huge log went viral.

In the video recorded by an eyewitness, people nearby were heard screaming for help as they called for Police intervention over what they feared could end in catastrophe.

A bus carrying school children at the time was using the same route and had to stop to reverse to avoid collision with the skidder.

Speaking to Akoma FM in an interview, Ejisu MP Samuel Oduro has stressed that all efforts are being made to have the driver of the skidder arrested and dealt with according to the law.

I have spoken to the MTTD commander and we are working at arresting the driver for that dangerous act, the MCE said.
Forced to marry as a teenager, Merline fled Cameroon to escape, embarking on a years-long journey blighted by sexual violence across deserts and the Atlantic in a desperate bid to reach France.

Travelling as a woman on her own for most of the journey, it took her four years to do it, finally reaching France pregnant and with a toddler in tow.

Merline was one of at least 37,385 migrants who arrived in Spain by sea last year, with arrivals rising significantly over the past two years, particularly in the Canary Islands after an increase of patrols in the Mediterranean.

After years in a violent and abusive marriage, Merline said she wasn't thinking about going to Europe when she left.

"I just ran," she told AFP after crossing from Spain into France, her head covered with black, gold and burgundy braids.

She was just 15 when she was "forced to marry a man who was 45". Beaten and abused, she became pregnant and had her first child with him but says she was "destroyed" by the marriage.

When he died in 2016, she had to marry his brother, according to Merline who only gave her first name in order to protect her family.

By the end of 2017, she couldn't carry on and fled, taking the heartbreaking decision to leave her son behind.

Initially she stayed with her mum, but then left when her husband's family started issuing threats. Then she went to a friend who gave her 40,000 CFA francs (60 euros) to pay smugglers to take her into neighbouring Nigeria.

'Rapes just happen'

She worked in a restaurant there for three months to try and save 345 euros to pay smugglers to take her across the desert in Niger and get her to Algeria.

Cameroonian Merline says once you're in the desert there's nowhere to run... the rapes just happen. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

"That's when the most difficult part began," says Merline, now 30, sitting in the Bayonne offices of La Cimade, a French NGO that is helping her make her asylum claim.

Once you're in the desert "there's nowhere to run... the rapes just happen", she says.

The desert route to Algeria brings back memories "of death" and "water reeking of petrol" that was shared around in jerrycans, she says.

After arriving at Tamanrasset, a desert city in southern Algeria, she spent several days without going out for fear of being caught by the police.

There the smugglers would take any newly-arrived woman to small bars where they would be "forced" to prostitute themselves to pay for the leg of their journey to Europe.

But she narrowly escaped that fate thanks to another migrant from Cameroon, with whom she had a child, now a lively two-year-old who clambers all over her lap as she talks.

She's also five-months pregnant with his second child.

She had initially wanted to work in Morocco but couldn't make any money, so she travelled to Western Sahara with the aim of getting the boat to the Canary Islands.

Her partner didn't go with her because he couldn't afford to go as well but he hopes to eventually join her and their two children.

Travelling with a toddler

In the Atlantic town of Dakhla, she was charged 2,500 euros by hooded smugglers for her and her son to take the boat to the Canary Islands.

In September, she boarded the wooden fishing boat with another 60 or so people, a third of them women along with a dozen children.

Cameroonian Merline was forced into an abusive marriage with a 45-year-old man when she was 15. By ANDER GILLENEA AFP

"There, only God has your fate in his hands because just the slightest thing can leave you in the water and no one is going to risk their own life to save you," she says.

After two days at sea, the boat reached the island of Gran Canaria, where she stayed for two months before being sent to a reception centre in Seville, in southern Spain.

Struggling with the language, she finally decided to go to France "to educate my son in French", eventually saving up enough money to reach Spain's border with France and pay the "taxi-mafia" 100 euros to get her across.

She thinks she may one day end up working with "elderly people or children".
26.01.2022 LISTEN

Five out of six persons alleged to have engaged in a robbery in Tamale have been convicted by a Tamale Circuit Court after they pleaded guilty to the charges pressed against them.

The six were charged with conspiracy to rob and robbery, possession of firearms and ammunition without lawful authority, and the possession of police and military uniforms and other accoutrements.

According to the brother of the victim, five armed men stormed the victims house this past weekend and threatened to kill him unless he handed over the keys and documentation to his car.

One of the suspects, a teacher, who is said to be an informant to the robbery gang, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

In an interview with Citi News, Acting Regional Public Relations Officer for the Northern Regional Police Command, Superintendent Bernard Baba Ananga, said police are still searching for three other suspects involved in the robbery.

For those who pleaded guilty, the court adjourned to this Friday for further proceedings. Meanwhile, the court committed them and by Friday, the court will come out with its decision, Superintendent Ananga said.

---Citi Newsroom
President Nana Akufo- Addo , says BioNTech, the German biotechnology company, will contribute to the construction of a modular production facility for vaccines such as those for malaria and tuberculosis in Ghana.

Speaking at the 73rd edition of the Annual New Year School and Conference, held at the University of Ghana, Legon, President Akufo-Addo stated that Ghana is also on her way to establishing domestic manufacturing plants for fill, finish and packaging of COVID-19 vaccines.

According to the President, I will, on 16th February, together with His Excellency M. Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal, and His Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda, inspect in Marburg, Germany, the production facilities that we need to employ to this end. We are going to build a pan-African project with these two (2) sister African nations, where, initially, the fill and finish plant will be located in Ghana.

He continued, BioNTech of Germany, the now renowned health technology company, which works with Pfizer, has agreed to be our partner, and will contribute also to the construction of a modular production facility for other vaccines as well, such as those for malaria and tuberculosis in Ghana.

Delivering a speech on the theme, COVID-19 and Socio-Economic Dynamics in Ghana, the President stated that the pandemic has illustrated vividly the need for self-reliance in all areas of social and economic life.

That is why Government encouraged and facilitated the domestic manufacture of personal protective equipment at the height of their global shortages, which has enabled Ghanaian companies, today, to be exporting such products within the ECOWAS Region. It is key that we also break the cycle of dependence on foreigners in the fields of science and medicine, as well, he said.

President Akufo-Addo reiterated that Ghana should never be in the situation of beggars that we were at the height of the pandemic, when we could not access vaccines, which were being hoarded by the rich, developed nations of the world. Charity, they quite rightly say, begins at home.

He urged all Ghanaians to get vaccinated, and help end the spread of the virus in the country, as the science indicates that getting vaccinated is the most efficient way to defeat the virus and go back to our normal way of life, re-open fully our economy, and return our nation onto the path of progress and prosperity.

The President indicated that Government has succeeded in securing considerable quantities of vaccines for the country, numbering nearly 26 million doses so far, with more on the way.

Thus far, a total of ten million, four hundred and fifty-one thousand, six hundred and sixty-two (10,451,662) vaccine doses have been administered. Seven million and seventy thousand, seven hundred and nineteen (7,070,719) persons have received at least one jab, with three million, three hundred and eighty thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine (3,380,943) persons fully vaccinated. So, I entreat all those who have not been vaccinated to do so. Our responsibility to one another requires that we be vaccinated, he added.
Burkina Faso's ousted president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, "is physically well" and is being held by the army in a villa, a source in his party said on Wednesday.

Kabore's state and whereabouts have been a key issue since he was overthrown by mutineering soldiers on Monday, with the UN leading calls for his release.

"President Kabore is physically well, but I cannot say anything about his state of mind," said a source in Kabore's People's Movement for Progress (MPP) party.

Kabore "is still in the hands of the army, not in a military camp, but in a presidential villa under house arrest," the source said.

"He has a doctor available... (and) access to his mobile phone, but under surveillance, obviously," the source said.

Kabore, 64, was elected in 2015 following a popular revolt that forced out strongman Blaise Compaore, who came to power in a putsch in 1987.

He was re-elected in 2020, but the following year faced a wave of anger over a jihadist insurgency that has ravaged the impoverished West African country.

On Sunday, mutinies broke out in several army barracks a day after police broke up banned protests, and on Monday the rebels moved against Kabore.

The former French colony is now in the hands of the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR) -- the name of a junta led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, a regional commander in the jihadist-torn east.

It has announced the suspension of the constitution and dissolution of the government and parliament.

Resignation letter

RTB television published on social media a handwritten letter that it said was written by Kabore, purportedly saying that he was stepping down "in the higher interests of the nation".

The source on Wednesday confirmed that the handwriting was genuine, "although I can't say about the conditions in which he wrote it."

The West African bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday lashed what it called a "military coup" and said Kabore's resignation had been "obtained under threat, intimidation and pressure from soldiers after two days of mutiny."

Burkina Faso. By AFP

The MPP source also gave details about some of the key events on Monday.

As the revolt widened, Kabore was smuggled out of his residence by his bodyguards aboard an unmarked car and taken to a safe location, the source said.

He was not aboard a convoy of vehicles that was found riddled with bullet holes near Kabore's residence as rumours spread of an attempted assassination.

"It was later, as pressure from the mutineers rose, that his guards, who were mainly gendarmes, had to leave him in the hands (of the putschists) and join them," the source said.

"The gendarmerie had no other choice but to join (the putschists) because the whole army was in favour of stripping the president of office."
Minister of National Security, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has said Ghana will develop faster if the Majority and Minority MPs would cooperate and not always be seen to be at each other's throats.

In an address to Members of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association during a workshop held in Ghana on Monday, the Security Minister spoke extensively on the unprecedented nature of the composition of Ghana's Parliament, stressing that its unique nature can trigger adversarial politics which would be unhealthy for Ghana's democracy.

It is worth noting that 2022 marks the thirtieth (30th) year of Ghana's Fourth Republican Constitution. Yet, as you may all be aware, the current Parliament, which is the 8th legislature of the Fourth Republic finds itself in what I refer to as a parliamentary crisis, unprecedented in the history of the country. If Ghana were to be practising the purest form of the Westminster system of governance, its current Parliament would have been described as a near-hung Parliament.

He said evidently, the near-hung nature of the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic, where none of the two major political parties in the country can claim an overwhelming majority in the House, introduces a strange phenomenon to Ghana's democracy. Unsurprisingly, the early days of the journey along this unfamiliar path has been rough and turbulent, occasioning unpleasant politics of rancour and fistfights, and ultimately, threatening to undo the democratic gains made thus far.

Mr. Kan-Dapaah further entreated both Majority and Minority sides of the House to adopt joint-problem solving and consensus building approaches to ensure that Parliament does not become a destructive force against Ghana's development.
The United States Embassy in Accra will continue to invest in building the capacity of journalists to deliver quality information that will build an inclusive and progressive society.

Mr Kevin J. Mr Brosnahan, the Press Attache at the US Embassy, Ghana, stated this when he paid a working visit to the Ghana News Agency on Tuesday.

The visit, during which he held discussions with the General Manager and the leadership of the Editorial Department, was to familiarise himself with the operations of the state wire service and strengthen the bond between the Embassy and GNA.

In promoting the independence of the media, Mr Brosnahan said it was important to invest in professionalism, development communication, investigative, and human rights reporting.

Media practitioners should also be enabled to promote dialogue on public policy for citizens to engage on policies rather than politics.

The media, he said, should also play an effective role in helping communities to build resilience against conflict and explore conflict resolution mechanisms at the local level.

Mr Brosnahan said the Embassy would soon organise a training programme on HIV and AIDS in the Western North Region for journalists towards ending stigmatisation.

He lauded the cooperation the GNA team across the country had extended to the Embassy in the execution of its activities over the years.

He commended the GNA for championing professionalism and expressed the Embassy's support towards enhancing the capacity of the journalists to deliver on their mandate.

Mr Albert Kofi Owusu, the General Manager, said the Agency continued to help many media houses to find their feet and journalists to cut their teeth though it had had to contend with logistical and human resource challenges.

The commitment to professionalism and impact journalism had made the Agency a reference point for credible information.

Editorially, we are independent and our role in building a modern progressive democratic society can never be outdated.

All we need is investment in equipment and more training to meet changing needs of our society, he said.

The Agency is in the process of securing resources to deliver specialised reports in business, finance and other critical areas of the economy.

Mr Broshanan was accompanied by Madam Joyce Okyere Asiedu, Press and Media Specialist, US Embassy.

The GNA team also had Mrs Beatrice Asamani Savage, Director of Editorial and Mr George-Ramsey Benamba, Head of Home Desk.

GNA
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, says the GH100 billion Ghana COVID-19 Alleviation and Revitalization of Enterprises Support (Ghana CARES) Obaatampa Programme, to create jobs and prosperity for Ghanaians over a three-year period, has begun yielding results.

According to President Akufo-Addo, this initiative is inspiring the desired dividends that we anticipated. As a result of Government's policies, the economy grew at a provisional 5.2% in the first three quarters of 2021. This growth is expected to be sustained in the medium term. The overall real GDP for the medium term is projected to grow at an average rate of 5.6%, and we remain committed to returning to the fiscal deficit target threshold, as enshrined in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, Act 982, from this year.

Speaking at the 73rd Annual New Year School on Tuesday, 25th January 2022, the President indicated that the first phase of the Ghana CARES programme, the phase of stabilisation, came to end in 2020.

The second phase, which started in 2021, he stressed: aims at revitalising and transforming the economy between 2021 and 2023, and is focused on supporting commercial farming and attracting educated youth into agriculture, building Ghana's light manufacturing sector, developing the engineering/machine tools and ICT/digital economy, developing Ghana's housing and construction industry, reviewing and optimizing the implementation of Government flagships and key Programmes, and creating jobs for young people, and expanding opportunities for the vulnerable in society, including physically challenged persons.

Towards addressing the unemployment situation in the country, the President revealed the 2022 budget is focusing on building an entrepreneurial workforce, and, together with stakeholders, Government has agreed on the YouStart Initiative as part of the ways of operationalising the Ghana CARES Programme to address the unemployment menace.

The YouStart initiative is a key vehicle Government intends to use to create one million (1 million) jobs in the next three (3) years. It is a comprehensive initiative, and will provide an effective solution to the youth unemployment challenge this country has been confronted with over the years. It will support young entrepreneurs to gain access to capital, training, technical skills and mentoring, to enable them launch and operate their own businesses, as well as employ others, he stated.

Young entrepreneurs, under the initiative, can apply for the following support through a dedicated YouStart online portal: skills training and development; entrepreneurial support and business advisory services; competitive credit and starter packs; mentoring and access to markets, including portals, to facilitate "digital linkages" between youth-led enterprises and other businesses and relevant government agencies.

Successful applicants will be eligible for soft loans of up to fifty thousand cedis (GH50,000) to help start-ups (for young graduates and school leavers) and small businesses to expand; starter packs for equipment acquisition up to fifty thousand cedis (GH50,000) for individuals and one hundred thousand cedis (GH100,000) for associations and groups; and a standardised loan package between one hundred thousand cedis (GH100,000) to four hundred thousand cedis (GH400,000) at concessional rates for SMEs from financial institutions.

Government is committed to harnessing and harvesting the creativity of the youth into economic dividends. I appeal to them to take advantage of the many opportunities available to them, and make the best for themselves and Mother Ghana, he added.
Iran's Revolutionary Court has sentenced Benjamin Briere to eight years in prison on espionage charges, his family and Paris-based lawyer said Tuesday, arguing that Tehran was using him as a "hostage" in talks with the West.

36-year-old is the only Western detainee known to be currently held in Iran who does not also hold an Iranian passport.

In a statement, the Briere's lawyer Philippe Valent said he was also given an additional eight-month sentence for propaganda against Iran's Islamic system.

The Frenchman, who is being held in Vakilabad jail in the eastern city of Mashhad, was arrested in May 2020 after taking pictures in a national park with a recreational drone and is currently on hunger strike.

"This verdict is the result of a purely political process and [...] devoid of any basis," Valent added.

Calling the trial a "masquerade", the lawyer maintains that Briere "did not have a fair trial in front of impartial judges" and noted he had not been given access to the full indictment against him.

'Unacceptable' verdict

Meanwhile, France's foreign ministry has described the verdict as "unacceptable", saying Briere was a tourist.

Briere is one of more than a dozen Western citizens being held in Iran, who activists say are being held hostage and detained at the behest of the powerful Revolutionary Guard to extract concessions from the West.

The verdict against Briere comes as Iran and world powers are seeking to reach agreement at talks in Vienna on reviving the 2015 deal over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Nationals from all three European powers involved in the talks - Britain, France and Germany - are among the foreigners being held.

Hunger strike

Briere's sister Blandine has told the media that her brother is a "political hostage", being subjected to a "parody of justice".

"It is a political trial and it is useful to Iran, which is sending a message to the French government," she said.

Valent said Briere has been "more and more weakened" by a hunger strike he began at Christmas in protest at the lack of progress in his case.

Iran is also holding the French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah, who was detained in June 2019 and sentenced to five years in prison in May 2020 on national security charges.

In October 2020, she was moved to house arrest but in a surprise development this month Iran jailed her again, saying she had violated house arrest rules.

Adelkhah was arrested with her French colleague and partner Roland Marchal, who was freed in March 2020 in an apparent prisoner swap after France released Iranian engineer Jallal Rohollahnejad.

(with wires)
Starkville, MS (39762)

Today

Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. Low 67F. Winds light and variable.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cautioned one of its own, Kojo Bonsu to be wary of some of his acid comments about the leadership of the party.

According to the NDC, Mr. Kojo Bonsu will flatly fail the test when it comes to women and corruption in government.

We know what happened under his reign as Mayor of Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), the NDCs Deputy Director of Legal Affairs, Baba Jamal said in an interview with Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra 100.5 FM on Wednesday, January 26, 2022.

Baba Jamal warned Mr Bonsu to be careful with some of his utterances among other things in the run-up to the NDCs presidential primary.

Mr. Bonsu, a stalwart of the party last Monday granted an interview to Accra-based Citi TV on his ambitions to lead the NDC as flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.

According to him, he is into the race because the former president John Dramani Mahama has sullied himself with corruption and women.

He said: We know ourselves as members of the NDC, and we know what he, Mr Bonsu did in office as Mayor of KMA.

As KMA boss, what didnt he do that warranted his problems with the chiefs and people of the Kumasi Metropolis? Mr. Jamal quizzed.

He said Mr. Bonus cannot make it to the top of the standards he is seeking to set for the other aspirants in the run-up to the partys presidential primary.

The rules of the NDC are clear, Baba Jamal stated, adding that you dont have the right to put somebody down as part of the acts to win the race.

He cautioned Mr. Bonsu to be wary of his statements because if the former President [Mahama] should also come out with some of the dealings of Mr. Bonsu as Mayor, as well as his decision to go and bring some phony consultants into the country, it will not serve the interest of the party, going into the 2024 general elections.

--- Classfmonline.com
26.01.2022 LISTEN

An activist of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Julian Yaw M. Cobbinah, has called on the youth of Ghana to rally their collective energies behind NDC to kick out the failed Akufo-Addo and NPP government come 2024.

This he said was the only way the young people of this country can see their increasing frustration and lost of faith come to an end.

In response to calls from the youth of the NDC for him to consider running for the position of Deputy National Youth Organizer position of the party, he said the NDC must be desperate in putting young people at the centre.

"The argument is that we need to change this country. I have heard and listened to soo many painful stories of young people who are desperate and want our country to work. I have listened to young people's growing hopes that the NDC should carry the coalition of young people behind it into 2024 without fail.

"As a person continues in the trenches with young people knowing how they are increasingly losing faith in our great nation, how opportunities are being shut in their faces and the depression they have to keep at, I know we cannot gamble with the future of young people.

"We must stand up ! We must save the sinking nature of our Republic. Our democracy must mean something, being Ghanaian must mean something and being a young person in the NDC must mean something more than party identities.

"We should be desperate to retire the Presidency of H.E Akufo-Addo and build a selfless NDC government based purely on the values that young people in Bogoso have demonstrated a couple of days ago - to draw out our very life to save the country and to save this generation of youth from inheriting a tasteless, mean, insensitive and bleak Republic that is all the worst except the fine language and insatiable greed of people entrapped by political power.

"Your calls have been overwhelming and the language is clear. I have listened to You and You have to listen to me too," he stated.

The youth activist said he will in the coming days firm his decision to either contest or otherwise for the position of the National Youth Organizer of the party in response to the many calls from party youth.

He encourages the youth of the party to keep hopes alive and remain united towards the social change agenda.

"One thing is clear; whether at the final whistle, I decide to run for the Deputy National Youth Organizer of the NDC or NOT, it is you the young people's agenda for social change on the wings of a renewed NDC that will count in the decision making process.

"For all the many calls, endorsements and words of support I have received from young people in the NPP, NDC, CPP, independents and etc who believe I can lead them into an NDC 2024 victory I say thank you," the Akwatia/Elmina/Dzevetato boy stated.

He stresses the need to fight collectively to bring the depressed youth into the palace of a "metaphoric fruitful nation that works for all."
Billaw Mountains

26.01.2022 LISTEN

Abstract

Ghana, like many African countries after colonialism, has had its share of regime changes through the barrel of the gun ever since sovereignty was taken back from the British colonialists. Self-government now raised several eyebrows, and maybe the people entertained thoughts of an immediate better future, because there were some regime changes through the barrel of a gun in the first few governments

At the heart of any discussion on the legal effect of a coup detat on traditional constitutional concepts, one is likely to find the Kelsenian theory of successful revolutions and its effects on the constitution of the affected country, which Sowah J. (as he then was) stated in the case of Sallah v Attorney General 2 G & G 493, that he was not going to derive much assistance from foreign theories. He took it a step further to impugn the validity of Kelsens analysis as regards its general applicability into the legal scheme of every country and every age.

Indeed, one constitution is distinguishable from another by its own provisions. These provisions are usually referred to as either the basic characteristics or features of the particular constitution and these are invariably derived from the basic political philosophy and constitutional arrangements of the particular country. A coup affects these characteristics in different ways. Some automatically disappear as being incompatible with the revolution; some are modified, others are strengthened.

The usurpers, mostly the military, as seen in previous examples, may choose to set aside the constitution completely and replace it with another, or amend it to suit the new situation, or rule without any constitution. This often happens amidst the rattle of weapons and the whirr of military engines in and around the capital of a given country on such occasions, and the forceful possession of media houses to make the new overlords known. Of current relevance of coup detat in Africa include that of Burkina Faso,Guinea,Male and Sudan.

This paper therefore seeks to examine the legal effects these coups have on the legal order and structure of the state.

Legal effects of coup detats on the structure of a state

A coup detat is an illegal and overt attempt by the military or other elites within the state apparatus to unseat the sitting executive (Powell & Thyne, 2011). A coup detat is a form of political instability. Military coups, according to Professor Richard Albert, constitutes an affront to the democratic ideals of stability, consent, and legitimacy, which means they undermine or serve as a slap with the back of the hand to what a democratic society stands for.

A successful coup is one in which the ruling power transfers to a different executive for at least a notable period of time. Coups are commonly viewed as a threat to democracy. Thus, the peaceful and organized transfer of power as enshrined in the constitution is relegated to the background through the use of threat or use of force against the incumbent regime by the armed forces of the country.

For the uninitiated in basic Ghanaian history, it is pertinent to point out that, there have been several coups detat since independence notably within the periods of 1966-1969; 1972-1979; 1981-1992 coup detats.

For a fact, policy makers in donor countries have taken action in line with this belief by implementing foreign aid suspension policies in regard to states that recently experienced a coup. More recent research, however, shows that coups may actually promote democracy; particularly in long-standing autocratic states. In these circumstances, the new democracies may benefit more from an increase in aid, as opposed to suspension of aid.

Be that as it may, a successful coup detat raises some complex legal questions. A coup detat affects the basic characteristics of the particular constitution. These are affected in different ways. Some automatically disappear as being incompatible with the system of the revolutionary power; some are modified, while others are strengthened. Among these is constitutionalism which is examined to measure the performance of the rulers after a successful revolution.

If a regimes coup resisting strategies fail, the consequences of successful and attempted coups can be of further detriment to the surrounding society. For example, most, if not all successful and attempted coups are violent with accompanying significant bloodshed. Moreover, the presence of a coup has been linked to future civil war, which is one of the costliest and destructive activities for a state to experience (Fearon & Laitin, 2003).

Perhaps, it is in view of the above effects of coup detats that Ghanas constitution, 1992 frowns upon the overthrow of democratically elected governments in whatever form and citizens have been empowered to resist any attempt by any person or group of persons in that regard, and attempted coup is treason for a perpetrator and is punishable by the death penalty.

These can be seen in the following provisions of the 1992 Constitution.

Article 3(1) of the constitution, 1992

Parliament shall have no power to enact a law establishing a one-party state.

Article (2) of the constituion,1992

Any activity of a person or group of persons which suppresses or seeks to suppress the lawful political activity of any other person or any class of persons, or persons generally is unlawful.

Article 3(3) (a) (b) of the constituion,19992

Any person who 

(a) by himself or in concert with others by any violent or other unlawful means, suspends or overthrows or abrogates this Constitution or any part of it, or attempts to do any such act; or

(b) aids and abets in any manner any person referred to in paragraph (a) of this clause; commits the offence of high treason and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to suffer death.

Article 3(4) of the constitution,1992

All citizens of Ghana shall have the right and duty at all times -(a) to defend this Constitution, and in particular, to resist any prison or group of persons seeking to commit any of the acts referred to in clause (3) of this article.

The Hans Kelsen theory of pure law

The Pure law theory was propounded by Hans Kelsen to explain the legal effect of coup detats. It is widely known as the theory of discontinuity. Kelsen, for purpose of his pure theory of law, says that a revolution occurs whenever the legal order is replaced in an illegitimate way-a way not prescribed by the former order. Therefore, the military overthrow of the Nkrumah-led government in 1966 was illegitimate since it did not follow the provision of the then 1960 constitution of Ghana.It is, in this context, irrelevant whether or not replacement is effected through a violent uprising against the legitimate organs empowered to create and amend the legal order. It is also irrelevant whether the replacement is effected through a movement emanating from the mass of the people, or through the actions of those in government positions or otherwise. In other words, then, every illegal change in the constitution of a State is a revolution. At its most basic, therefore, a revolution entails an effective seizure of state power.

Norms

Kelsen says that those norms which have the character of legal norms and which make certain acts legal or illegal are the objects of the science of law. The meaning of norm is that something ought to be or ought to happen, especially that a human being ought to behave in a specific way. The main challenge for a theory of law, as Kelsen saw it, is to provide an explanation of legality and the normativity of law, without an attempt to reduce jurisprudence, or legal science, to other domains. The law, Kelsen maintained, is basically a scheme of interpretation. Its reality, or objectivity, resides in the sphere of meaning; we attach a legal-normative meaning to certain actions and events in the world. This idea of normas can be attributed to Hobbes social contract theory where men ought to behave in a certain way so as to have their own rights and liberties protected by the state. They give up their own ideologies and conform to societys ways, and that is the norm within their law.

Validity

Kelsen says that a norm is valid because it ought to be obeyed and applied. A general legal norm is regarded as valid only if the human behavior that is regulated by it actually conforms with it, at least to some degree.

Kelsen then proceeds to measure a revolution by the extent to which members of the community conforms to the rules of the revolutionaries. Thus, a successful revolution is one whose rules are generally being obeyed by the community. Kelsen argues that when a revolution occurs, it is not only the political order that changes but also the entire legal order, underwritten by a new Grundnorm.

Though in most cases only the constitution as well as few laws of political significance changes, the rest of the laws, though they continue to exist, are valid not on the basis of the old constitution but on the new constitution which confers validity on them. They continue in force or derive legal validity from the new norm, through a process of reception or large scale adoption.

The Grundnorm (German for basic law or Source of law), writes Kelsen, is a fiction in the sense of Vahingers philosophy of As if. In other words, the Grundnorm must be treated as if it exists, when in fact, the opposite is true. To understand the effect of revolutions on legal system, we shall assume the constitution is the current living grundnorm whiles the historically first constitution is the fictional grundnorm. Any reference to grundnorm subsequently is the living grundnorm and not the fictional grundnorm.

Coup Detats and the Kelsen Theory in Africa (Some Decided Cases)

Having looked at the Hans Kelsens theory of Pure Law relating to the effect of revolutions, we shall now proceed to analyze some decided cases across Africa, which decisions either affirms or negates Hans Kelsens theory. In doing this, however, we shall present 3 questions which pertains to the discussion and which each case seems to have answered one way or the other.

Whether a constitution or other basic laws introduced by leaders of successful coup detats should be acknowledged as valid by the law enforcement agencies?

Whether a successful coup introduces an entirely new legal system such that all legal norms existing thereafter may be said to derive their validity from the new constitution?

When can we say that the new regime and new constitution have become effective?

In the case of Uganda v Commissioner of Prisons; Ex parte Matovu (1966) EA 514, the facts are as follows. In early 1966, there were series of disturbances that led to the then Prime Minister, Dr. Milton Obete declaring himself president and banning the incumbent President and Vice President from their offices. These were contrary to the constitution of 1962. The National Assembly passed a resolution that banned the 1962 constitution and enacted a new constitution in its stead the 1966 constitution.

Preventive detention laws were passed to deal with the situation and Matovu was arrested and imprisoned. A habeas Corpus application was made on his behalf, arguing that his detention was unlawful since the 1966 constitution upon which the preventive detention rules were made was itself invalid. The courts had to answer whether the constitution of 1966 which came into being in a manner contrary to the previous 1962 constitution was valid. The courts judgement was delivered by Udo Udoma CJ as follows:

That the events in 1966 which led to the abolishing of the 1962 constitution and the enactment of a new constitution can be described as a revolution. According to International law and Kelsens theory, a revolution is a valid way of changing constitutions provided the revolution is efficacious. The court was satisfied that the 1966 revolution was efficacious and hence the 1966 constitution was legal. Again according to Kelsen, once a new norm has been introduced, it is with reference to this norm that other norms derive their validity from. Subsequently the preventive detention rules which imprisoned Matovu were legal.

Hence the Ugandan Courts agreed with Kelsens theory of discontinuity and answered the first question in the affirmative.

In the case of Sallah v Attorney General 2 G & G 493. The facts are as follows. Sallah was a departmental manager in GNTC, a company which was established in 1961 under the Nkrumah regime. The GNTC was continued in existence in 1964. Sallah became a departmental manager in 1967 during the reign of the NLC.

In 1969, there was a new constitution and as part of the transitional provisions of that constitution was a provision to the effect that anyone occupying any office established by the NLC regime was to vacate their position within 6 months after the coming into force of the constitution unless the person was reappointed by the new government.

Sallah was therefore asked to vacate his position as he was not reappointed. He brought an action against the AG in the Supreme Court, arguing that since GNTC was established in 1961, his office could not be said to be established by the NLC regime and hence was not subject to the transitional provisions supra.

The AG on the other hand urged the court to give a technical meaning to the word established. Depending heavily on Kelsens theory, he argues that the word established meant continued in existence or deriving legal validity from. On the basis of Kelsens theory, therefore, all legal norms in Ghana prior to the 1966 coup ceased to derive legal validity from the Nkrumah regimes constitution and those which continued to be applicable did so because they were continued in existence by the NLC. The office held by Sallah, therefore, was created by the NLC and hence came under the purview of the transitional provision supra.

The courts were, therefore, called upon to make a determination of the second aspect of the legal issue raised above. The majority of the judges in this case relied on plain interpretation of the word establish which means created.

Drawing analogy from the customary and common laws applicable in Ghana, the court argued that if we are to go by Kelsen, then it will imply that the NLC Proclamation is the one which created the customary and common laws of Ghana and this leads us to some legal absurdities. For as lucidly pointed out by Justice Apaloo, to permit a thing to continue is to admit its prior existence and it is an abuse of language to suggest that the person who permitted its continuance in fact created it.

Consequently, the court rejected the Hans Kelsens Pure Law theory in its interpretation of the law.

In the Southern Rhodesian case of Madzimbamuto v Lardner-Burke (1969) 1AC 645; the facts of which are as follows. Southern Rhodesia, present day Zimbabwe, was a colony of Britain and had a constitution in 1961. Under that constitution, a state of emergency could last for only three months but could be renewed if a resolution was passed in the Legislative Assembly. Madzimbamuto was arrested and detained on November 6th 1965 under state of emergency regulations.

Whiles he was still under detention, Ian Smith made a Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) which sought to cut off colonial ties with Britain. The 1965 constitution was passed by the Legislative assembly. The British government dismissed the Smith government and refused to recognize its legitimacy and also proscribed the Legislative Assembly. The state of emergency regulations expired on 4th February at the time when Madzimbamuto was still in prison. Mrs Madzimbamuto sought a declaration in the Rhodesian Courts that the regulations made under the 1965 constitution which led to the continuation of the detention of her husband were invalid since the 1965 constitution itself was invalid.

The Courts were, therefore, faced with whether or not the Smiths 1965 constitution was valid. The Appeals Court of Southern Rhodesia held inter alia that the 1965 constitution was invalid and the 1961 constitution was still valid. The detention of Madzimbamuto under the 1965 constitution was, therefore, invalid.

In the Lakanmi Case (1971) 20 I.C.L.Q (Nigeria): the facts of which are as follows;

Nigeria gained independence in 1960 and became a Republic in 1963 with the formulation of a new republican constitution. Article 1 of the constitution makes it the supreme law of the country and any other law which is inconsistent with the constitution, shall to the extent of the inconstistency, be void.

On January 15th, 1966, there was a military action that took control of the federal and regional governments. The remaining members of the former cabinet, excluding the President and Prime Minister met with the military leaders and handed over power to the military on the 16th January 1966. The new military leaders on that same day addressed the nation and announced by Decree No.1, (Constitution (Suspension and Modification) Decree No. 1, 1966) which suspended the Constitution that had been used by the previous government.

The military set up a Tribunal of Enquiry into assets of public officers of Western state and by Decree No. 45 froze the 12 landed assets of the Plaintiff, Lakanmi, including his bank accounts. The plaintiff applied for an order of certiorari to remove the order freezing his assets. The courts had to decide whether or not the military takeover of 1966 was a revolution which has led to a new Grundnorm, thereby validating the order to freeze the assets of the plaintiff.

The court held that the actions of the military was an unnecessary intrusion into the sphere of the judiciary and it is, therefore, void.

In conclusion, it is, therefore, seen that some courts in Africa have accepted and applied Hans Kelsens Grundnorm theory in their judgements as per the decided cases above, whilst some other, most notably in Ghana, as was seen in the side chosen by the majority in Sallah v Attorney General appear to have rejected the Kelsen theory. As constitutional democracy or at least a resemblance of same, takes hold in many African countries these days, the courts may never have the opportunity to make definite pronouncements on the Hans Kelsens theory of Pure Law and we can only continue to critique the decisions of the courts in the four cases as read above. However, there is one thing worth noting,thus,a statement made by Prof Date-Bah on the ruling of the majority in this case.

He criticized the ruling and asserted that the Bench did not welcome jurisprudence with open arms, and that the majoritys sub silentio dismissal of the Kelsenian argument put across by the Attorney General was not satisfactory. In his educated opinion, he believed that the declarations made by the National Liberation Council were the Grundnorm after the 1966 coup detat. We are of the opinion too, that if the Kelsenian principles are anything to go by, and if the science of law is to be followed, then the newest master in a house is the determinant of what the rules are, especially if that master overpowered the previous one to establish his dominance. It must be noted that, what practices he allows are his will, and what he disallows are no longer law. We believe that the Grundnorm was established by the NLC once they overthrew the previous regime, and what they allow is their law. Sowah J had the power to make this a precedent, and it is power we might never have, but it is an opinion worth expressing.
The Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC) has appealed to Catholic members and people of goodwill to donate towards the relief process of the Appiatse explosion victims.

The donations, it said must be sent through the Bishop of Sekondi-Takoradi for onward presentation to the victims.

This was contained in a press statement issued and signed by its President, Most Reverend Philip Naameh in commiseration with the people of Appiatse, and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Takoradi on Wednesday.

'We, the members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops' Conference (GCBC), wish to express our profound sympathy to all the victims of the fatal explosion at Appiatse in the Western Region of Ghana, the statement said.

Last Thursday's tragic explosion at Appiatse, near Bogoso in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality left several residents of the community with varied degrees of injuries, displaced hundreds of the inhabitants and killed 14 people.

The Catholic Bishops commended the Government and other stakeholders and donors for their prompt response and interventions to bring relief to the victims.

However, it said lessons must be learnt from the unfortunate incident by strictly enforcing laws and regulations to avert similar occurrences in the future.

It is our hope and prayer that as a nation, we shall learn the needed lessons from this latest fatal development and ensure that regulations are strictly enforced in the country and the appropriate punishments meted out to deserving offenders. May the necessary measures be taken to avert similar occurrences in the future.

The statement ended with the Bishops assuring the victims, especially the injured, of their continuous prayers for speedy recovery as well as emotional and psychological healing.

We also pray for strength and consolation for the families who lost their relatives. We also pray for the peaceful repose of the souls of those who have died, the statement added.

GNA
The Member of Parliament for Effutu, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin has said he is highly committed to ensuring quality healthcare delivery to his constituents.

The MP who doubles as Deputy Majority leader in Ghana's Parliament disclosed this on Tuesday, January 25th, 2022 during the commissioning and handing over of the Samuel Owusu Adjei Health Centre at Dayasaw, Winneba.

"My job is to assist in the delivery of quality health care for my people and that is what I am always committed to," he stated.

According to him, the Owusu Ansah Agyei health centre will among other things minimise the burden on the Trauma and Municipal hospital for better health care delivery.

Reiterating his commitment to rewarding dedicated and deserving leaders who served the Effutu community devoid of party affiliation, ethnicity, religion or colour, he stated, "in two weeks from today, I shall be commissioning the Mike Hammer Health centre at Woara Beba community in Winneba in honour of the former NDC MP, my predecessor who served three terms in Parliament.

"This new edifice fully equipped was named after my predecessor, late Hon Samuel Owusu Adjei for his unflinching support and role he played in the provision of the Trauma hospital in Winneba as a former Deputy Health Minister and his dedicated service to the Effutu Constituency."

He continued, "on the much talked about Children Hospital which is also under the Legacy Health Project, we are pleased to mention that it will be commissioned by close of 2022 by the grace of God. The facility which is first of its kind in the Central Region is expected to also serve as training purposes for health students nationwide and also absorb referral cases from elsewhere too."

The Municipal Health Director for Effutu, Madam Mariata Seidu commended Hon Alex Afenyo-Markin for providing such an edifice to support health care. She stated, "your unflinching support in the betterment of the lives of the Effutu people through quality healthcare delivery needs a book to tell."

She expressed utmost gratitude to the Hon. Afenyo-Markin for providing several CHPS zones in Effutu in the last three years.

According to her, the Municipal Hospital and the Trauma Center has seen a lot of renovation by the MP, and this she said has really brought much convenience in the delivery of healthcare services.

"All our health facilities in the Municipality have been fully equipped with modern tools and equipment, and this has helped health officials in the delivery of efficient health services to the people always," she stressed.

She mentioned her outfit's readiness to provide the needed staff and other few logistics to commence operations at the Owusu Adjei Health Centre at Dayasaw.

Hon Alhaji Zubaru Kassim, Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu in his address mentioned that the Assembly shall provide maximum security for the Samuel Owusu Adjei Health Centre and all other health centres in the offing by Hon Alex Afenyo-Markin. "We are ever ready to assist the MP in his philanthropic gestures to the people of Winneba further."

The Effutu MCE hinted that the Ghana Police Service shall soon take delivery of two brand new pick up cars donated by Hon Afenyo-Markin to help combat armed robbery on the Winneba-Accra Highway and the four other adjoining Municipalities.

The move he said, will help in the delivery of timely and effective policing on highways in the fight against crime.

Present at the gathering were Neenyi Ghartey VII, Chief of Effutu traditional area and Hon Abdulai Yakubu, Assembly Member for Sankor/Don Bosco electoral area.
The Presbyterian Church of Ghana has asked pastors around Appiatse to offer emotional support and counselling services to victims and affected families of the Appiatse tragic explosion.

A statement signed by Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, and copied to GNA, also urged politicians to offer support to the affected individuals and families.

It expressed condolences to the affected families and said: As we mourn the lives that have been lost in this disaster, we ask our politicians not to score cheap political points with the tragedy that has befallen the nation, instead, they should support national efforts at supporting the victims and their families to come out of their current predicaments.

The Church lauded the Ghana Police Service, the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), the Ghana Armed Forces and other emergency service providers for the humanitarian services.

The disaster occurred on Thursday January 20, 2022, when a truck, conveying explosives for mining exploded at Appiatse killing 14 persons and injuring 179 others.

GNA
The High Court in Tamale has declined a bench warrant request for the arrest of Member of Parliament for Savelugu, Jacob Iddrisu for failing to appear before it on Tuesday.

Neither the MP nor his lawyer was in court when the case was called.

A source at the court told Citi News that the Attorney Generals department applied for his arrest but the judge, His Lordship Richard Kwogyapwah rejected the application on the basis of the courts previous knowledge of the lawyers inability to come to the court on the said day due to health reasons.

In December, the MP was charged by the court with two counts of unlawful possession of firearms and 60 rounds of ammunition.

He was charged alongside Naa Mohammed Ahmed, a chief near Savelugu constituency, for similar offences.
French parliamentarians have voted unanimously in favour of a bill to restore stolen artworks, looted by Nazis during the second world war, to their Jewish owners. Culture minister Roselyne Bachelot said it was a "historic" moment that would set wheels in motion for further restitutions.

On Tuesday evening, parliamentarians voted on a bill which in its initial stage would allow for the restitution of 15 artworks confiscated from Jewish families by German soldiers during the Second World War.

Among them, a painting by Gustav Klimt and another by Marc Chagall.

Speaking in the presence of some of the family members, Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot was met with applause when the "historic text" was validated by 97 votes from across the entire political spectrum.

The bill will be adopted by the Senate in definitive form on the 15 February.

The confiscation of the artworks, as part of the Anti-Semitic legislation put in place during Germany's occupation of France, was a form of "negation of humanity for the Jewish families, their memories, souvenirs and emotions," the minister said.

It's the first time since the end of the war that the government has devised such a specific text to allow for works held by public institutions to be handed back, Bachelot said.

The promise to hand back stolen cultural property began with an initiative launched by former president Jacques Chirac in 1995, when he acknowledged France's responsibilty in the deportation of Jewish people during World War II.

"In concealing nothing about the dark hours of our history we are simply standing up for a vision of humanity, of human liberty and dignity," Chirac said at the time.

The Commission for the Compensation of Victims of Spoliation (CVIS) set up in 1999, has played an active role alongside a special commission set up by the French cultural ministry, in finding the original owners.

Vienna connection

Lengthy research revealed that the Rosiers sous les arbres by Gustav Klimt originally belonged to Austrian woman Eleonore Stiasny, from Vienna, who was forced to sell it in 1938, during the 'Anschluss' annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany. She was later deported and murdered in 1942.

Held at the Musee d'Orsay in Paris, it's the only work by the Austrian artist belonging to the French collection. It was acquired in 1980 by the government from an art seller.

Eleven drawings kept at the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay and a sculpture from the Musee du Chateau de Compiegne are to be restituted to the heirs of Armand Dorville as they were considered to be sold in unclear conditions in 1942.

A painting entitled Carrefour a Sannois by Maurice Utrillo, bought in 2004 at a sale in London and held at the Musee Utrillo-Valadon, will be returned to the descendants of Georges Bernheim. The research into the original ownership was only concluded in 2018.

The Father (Le Pere) painted by Chagall in 1912, displayed at the Centre Pompidou since it was acquired by the state in 1988, was also added to the list.

The original owner was found to be David Cender, a Jewish musician and instrument maker from Poland who immigrated to France in 1958. The painting was stolen when the owner was imprisoned in Lodz in 1940.

Collective responsibility

Bachelot indicated that many other works will no doubt come to light, as research continues; particularly into the collections from 1933 - 1945.

"This is a moment when we can tend to the wounds of the past," said Fabienne Colboc, rapporteur and commissioner for cultural affairs, during the presentation of the bill, which came just two days before the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January.

"It is up to us as individuals and collectively, to face up to our responsibility and do what we can today to give back to these people a piece of their family identity, sometimes, it's the only trace of these victims of the Shoah."

She expressed the hope that thanks to the bill, more artworks could be handed back, and the legal administration time reduced.
The Police in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region are on the manhunt to arrest the driver of the skidder truck caught on video dangerously driving around with a giant timber on the Ejisu-Kumasi highway early this week.

On Monday, January 24, 2022, Ghanaians expressed anger on social media when a video of a driver dangerously plying the Ejisu-Kumasi highway with a huge log went viral.

In the video recorded by an eyewitness, people nearby were heard screaming for help as they called for Police intervention over what they feared could end in catastrophe.

Following a collaborative effort between the MCE for Ejisu, the MTTD, and the Police, three people have now been arrested.

They include a 42-year-old Chinese named Sunny, the owner of Hilton Woods Company Limited at Ejisu, as well as transport officer of the company, one Romeo Andah.

While a truck driver of the company has also been arrested, sources have reported that the driver behind the wheel of the skidder in the viral video is nowhere to be found.

The three people in Police custody are assisting with investigation as efforts are being made for the arrest of the skidder driver who is at large.
26.01.2022 LISTEN

The Chief of Bepo Traditional Area, Nana Attah Kojo Bremibi, has challenged the Ghana Police Service to provide evidence the truck that transported explosives to the Chirano Gold Mines had a police escort.

The Chief under whose jurisdiction the explosion at Appiate occurred, said all information available to him shows that the truck had no police escort.

He was speaking during a working visit by the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, as well as Works and Housing Minister, Francis Asenso-Boakye.

What I want to tell the Minister is that the tanker that was carrying the explosives had no police escort. People in Appiatse were around when the tanker was entering the town. When the accident happened, it was in the full glare of the people so if anyone should say there was a police escort, that will be false. If indeed there was a police escort, the question will be where was the police at the time. If anybody wants to challenge this, we would want the individual to come before us to do so.

The Chief's claim contradicts the Director-General of the Police Public Affairs Department, ACP Kwesi Ofori's claim that the Tarkwa Divisional Police duly signed and approved a police escort for the truck.

Meanwhile, the Government has assured the chiefs and residents of Appiate that processes have begun to rebuild the town.

According to the Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abdulai Jinapor, who is on a working visit to the area, the findings of the committee investigating the explosion will soon be released.

He said the reconstruction of the town and the provision of relief items to residents remains a priority.

As you can see, we have had fruitful engagements with the community members. I must report quickly that the State Housing Company has done some work already, including a sampling of inventory of the structures we are dealing with. President Nana Addo had said government will take the necessary steps to reconstruct the Appiate community.

The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye also indicated that officials of the spatial planning of his ministry will immediately start with the layout plan for the redevelopment of the community.

As Minister of Works and Housing, it is our responsibility to follow up and take the necessary action. I have had the opportunity to monitor what is going on in the news, and it is important that I follow up to have a first-hand understanding of what is happening.

At least 13 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the explosion.

Over 170 families were directly affected by the incident.

---citinewsroom
The leadership of traders at the new Kejetia Market, is lamenting what it describes as the poor maintenance culture at the facility.

The traders say the market faces imminent closure if major parts are not rehabilitated as early as possible.

A visit by Citi News to the market shows that some parts of the facility have been broken for months, while some metallic pillars are rusting as no maintenance work has been done.

The leadership of the Federation of Kumasi Traders, tells Citi News it is baffled by the fact that although an amount has been reserved for maintenance works to be carried out, nothing has been done.

They have thus stressed that they will come out forcefully in the coming days to oppose the management and the board of the facility if no concrete actions are taken to maintain the place.

Weve come out today to raise these concerns about the deteriorating nature of the market because we know that in case of any unfortunate eventuality, we the traders are going to suffer. You can see behind me that the walls are broken. This is just one of the many areas where you will see these breakages. Our concern is the lack of maintenance within the market. There are other areas that weve also raised concerns about to the management, but they have not paid heed to it, Nana Akwasi Prempeh, Chairman of Federation of Kumasi traders, stated.

Frankly speaking, on the maintenance issue, what we are saying is that the rate at which things are getting deteriorated within Kejetia here, it simply shows that, it is either the company is not going by the maintenance code or the maintenance manual for the physical structure, or they dont have maintenance code or manual at all. If they do have, then I beg to say, they are not going by it all. Only God knows what will happen in the next five years. I fear to say if we are not careful, by the time they finish building the central market, they would have to close down Kejetia, General Secretary of the Federation of Kumasi Traders, Reuben Amey lamented.

Reacting to the issue, the Managing Director of the facility, Edmund Kofi Duffour Addae explained to Citi News why they have so far not been able to embark on the said maintenance works.

Indeed, theres a component of the premium; a percent figure (20%) that is supposed to come in to run the affairs of the Kejetia market. That is, to maintain and run the operations of the facility. That is the percentage of the total amount received. Currently, traders have paid just about half of what they were supposed to have paid since the market was allocated to them. If the funds are not coming, you will have difficulty in raising money to maintain the market. When the market was opened initially, there were some expenditures that the company had to bear. These include insurance, electricity, renting a place for them (traders) when they were being moved, etc. All these monies have been expended on the initial operations of the market. So whatever quantum of the companys portion of the premium has almost been spent, so we are raising money from the general operations to be able to deal with the maintenance challenges. If they had paid the premiums, we are supposed to have over one hundred and sixty million Ghana cedis. What weve received is less than GH80 million for the past three/four years which they were supposed to have finished paying somewhere in 2019.

Mr. Kofi Duffour, however, indicated that plans have been put in place to address the maintenance challenges as soon as possible.

We are going to do it. The timelines are that, by next two weeks, we are going to address these challenges head-on.
Tropical storm Ana hit east Africa this week, as heavy rains have caused flooding and mudslides in Madagascar's capital Antananarivo, killing at least 39 people. Ana also made landfall on Mozambique and continued into Malawi, killing 12 people in its path, with reported windspeeds up to 100km per hour.

Madagascar's disaster agency has reported that nearly 65,000 people have been left homeless in the wake of Storm Ana, with low-lying areas remaining on high alert.

John Razafimandimby, rescue unit director with Madagascar's disaster management agency told the media: "We are in the process of evacuating people from flooded areas".

Mozambique has already reported a large portion of the damage, as its National Institute for Management and Disaster Risk Reduction said on Tuesday that 54 people had been injured and 895 evacuated in the previous 24 hours.

Aid crews are still assessing the situation in both countries as boats and drones have been dispatched in the relief effort.

According to the umbrella group of aid workers trying to coordinate supplies; clean drinking water, mosquito nets, and masks are needed to prevent disease outbreaks.

The wind and rain have caused power outages in both countries, and infrastructure such as school, health centres, and a bridge in Mozambique's Tete province collapsed due to floods.

More than 20,000 people in Mozambique have been affected by the storm, with more than 3,000 homes partially destroyed.

Malawi's Mulanje hit

Meanwhile the storm's westward trajectory has killed at last three, including one person in Mulanje, according to Malawi disaster officials.

The power cuts there occurred due to flood water damaging electricity installations.

Both Malawi and Mozambique have been hit by storms with greater strength and frequency in recent years as ocean waters warm due to climate change, contributing to rising sea levels.

Mozambique's National Institute of Meteorology forecasts an additional four to six cyclones in the region by the end of the major rainy season in late March.

Meanwhile the institute has downgraded tropical storm Ana to a tropical depression system, but fears about displacement due to flooding remain.
Pupils of Tamaligu M/A primary school in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern region have been compelled to use the bare floor to learn due to the lack of furniture.

The school runs a multi-graded system where two classes are combined into one class due to the burning of a 7 unit classroom block in 2017 which has since not been reconstructed.

The Tamaligu M/A primary school in the Savelugu municipality was established in 1998 as a community school.

Currently, the population of the school stands at 200.

A visit to the school by DGN Online shows primary 1 to 6 pupils lying on their bellies whilst those at the nursery sit on the bare floor to learn.

The entire school from nursery to primary 6 has no single furniture.

Teachers of the school have been compelled to convert a toilet building into an office space where they keep the schools teaching and learning materials.

Some teachers at the school who spoke to DGN Online on condition of anonymity revealed that enrollment in the school has reduced drastically due to the lack of furniture and classrooms for smooth teaching and learning.

The pupils appealed to the government and organizations to provide them with furniture, learning materials, classrooms among others to enhance teaching and learning in the school.

The Parent-Teacher Association Chairman, Umar Shaibu, told DGN Online that the situation at the school is a worry to parents and called on the government the Savelugu municipal assembly, and the Member of Parliament to do something about it.

He indicated that the situation has forced parents to rather send their children to the farm to assist them instead of allowing them to go to school.

Municipal Chief Executive of Savelugu, Hajia Ayishetu Seidu in an interview with DGN Online said the assembly has included Tamaligu M/A Primary School in their budget and assured that the situation will be fixed.

She, however, indicated that the furniture deficit is about 30-40% in the municipality which was described as a worry, and called on organizations to come to their aid.

SDG 4

Ghana is signed onto the SDG 4 which calls for ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promotion of lifelong learning opportunities for all but the lack of access to furniture and classrooms at Tamaligu M/A primary could deny the pupils the opportunity to good quality education.

---DGN online
South Africa's constitutional democracy guarantees citizens certain basic human rights. But the regulations that attended South Africa's response to the COVID-19 pandemic severely limited some of those rights. These include the right to freedom of movement and assembly, and the right to work or trade.

President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a State of Disaster in March 2020, and placed the country under lockdown, in a bid to combat the pandemic. The lockdown regulations (or levels) changed from time to time, becoming more or less restrictive. These included the controversial ban on alcohol and cigarettes during the level 5 lockdown , restrictions on leisure and social activities, the closure of schools and universities, restricted attendance of funerals and other gatherings and a curfew.

Because the need for the state to limit freedoms for the common good is likely to recur, it is crucial to understand how supportive the public has been of the suspension of their human rights and freedoms.

To find some answers, we (researchers from the Human Sciences Research Council and the University of Johannesburg) conducted a series of surveys between April 2020 and November 2021. The online surveys set out to find out how South Africans viewed the national lockdown, including their willingness to sacrifice some rights in the fight against the virus.

We found that most adults were prepared to sacrifice their rights to ensure the safety and health of all during the pandemic, averaging 74% across all five survey rounds. Cleavages emerged among the public over time, leading to polarisation in attitudes, but the lasting impression is of broad support for rights sacrifice as part of an ethic of care for others.

Read more: Why human rights should guide responses to the global pandemic

These findings matter mainly because pro-sacrifice attitudes affect health protection behaviours. The survey shows that those favouring sacrifice are more inclined to be vaccinated, always wear masks in public, and are less likely to believe that lockdown regulations are too harsh. This is the kind of evidence that policymakers have required, using citizen voices to inform COVID responses.

The research

The research collected data from respondents aged 18 and over, using the #datafree Moya Messenger App developed by Datafree .

Five rounds of the survey were undertaken with different size samples, amounting to a total 45,418 respondents. The data are weighted to align with Stats SA's demographic estimates based on age, population group and education. This allows the survey results to be broadly indicative of the attitudes and behaviour of the population.

Round 1 was conducted between 13 April and 11 May 2020 during stringent lockdown restrictions ( level five and the early stages of level four ).

Rounds 2 to 4 covered the periods of the different waves, during which the restrictions were either eased or tightened. Round 5 was completed between 22 October 2021 and 17 November 2021, during the least strident level 1 .

In each round, respondents were asked about their agreement with the statement I am willing to sacrifice some of my human rights if it helps prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Key findings

We found that the majority of South Africans were willing to sacrifice their rights in support of government efforts to fight the pandemic.

Data from our first round of surveying showed that 78% of people were willing to sacrifice some human rights if it helped reduce the spread of COVID-19 (Figure 1). As the country moved to lower lockdown levels, a decline in support occurred, falling to 72% over the July to September 2020 survey round.

However, following the beginning of the third COVID-19 wave , support returned to 78% in the third survey wave (December 2020 - January 2021). Similar willingness to sacrifice rights (75%) was observed during Round 4 (June - July 2021), coinciding with the emergence of the Delta variant and the move to higher alert levels.

In the latest survey round (October - November 2021), conducted after the third wave and during the least severe lockdown level 1 , support for sacrificing rights was the lowest since the pandemic began at 64%.

Beginning in Round 2, respondents were provided with a list of six freedoms they might be willing to forgo to stop the spread of the pandemic. Our results suggest that individuals differed on which human rights they would sacrifice (Figure 2).

In Round 2, 57% said that they would surrender their right to religious assembly, with a similar share (54%) willing to allow restrictions on their freedom to travel. 41% were willing to suspend the right to attend school and 33% the right to protest. About a quarter (27%) were willing to forgo their right to work, while 19% felt that their right to privacy could be limited.

It was only in Round 5 in late 2021 that we witnessed a decline in the willingness to sacrifice the rights to religious assembly and freedom to travel, by about 10 percentage points. Support for sacrificing the other rights scarcely changed.

A hierarchy of preferences, and a significant class divide was evident.

The largest declines in willingness to sacrifice rights were most evident among white adults, suburbanites, and those with tertiary education.

Better-off and better-educated people were more likely to sacrifice their freedom to gather for worship, travel and protest than their poorer counterparts. This speaks to differences in opinion on the nature and meaning of rights. Individual liberties appear to be most important to the wealthy. The poor tend to see rights within the context of social solidarity and the greater good.

Despite these societal differences, the message is one of social solidarity and willingness to accept short-term limitations of rights for the good of society.

Our research shows that political trust, and specifically confidence in President Ramaphosa, was one of the most important factors behind support for the restrictions.

Conclusion and recommendations

There can be a dark side to the otherwise positive findings of our study.

Read more: Head of UNAIDS unpacks the knock-on effects of COVID-19. And what needs to be done

Such public health emergencies place immense power in the hands of executive leadership. Thus, there is a risk of leaders using them as an excuse for despotism . Thus, we make three policy recommendations to address the risks:

First, if the government wants people to trust it and comply with regulations, it must clearly communicate why they are necessary and allow participation in decision-making; to debate views on the laws and regulations that govern their lives.

Second, restrictive regulations must be evidence-based. They must also be temporary, subject to review and not discriminate unfairly, in keeping with United Nations principles on limiting rights. Blanket bans  such as that on tobacco  lead to lack of trust in leadership.

Third, civil society must actively keep an independent watch on what government does. It's important to use accountability mechanisms such as Chapter 9 institutions , which defend the constitution, and strong, independent courts.

Narnia Bohler-Muller receives funding from various sources for projects conducted by the Human Sciences Research Council.

Benjamin Roberts receives funding from various government and non-governmental sources to conduct the annual round of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS).

Steven Gordon has received funding from the University of Witwatersrand. He is a Research Associate at the University of Johannesburg and a Senior Research Specialist at the Human Sciences Research Council.

Yul Derek Davids is a Research Director at the HSRC and receives funding from various government departments funding institutions for research at the HSRC.

By Narnia Bohler-Muller, Divisional Executive, Developmental, Capable and Ethical State research division, Human Sciences Research Council And

Benjamin Roberts, Acting Strategic Lead: Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) research division, and Coordinator of the South African Social Attitudes Survey (SASAS), Human Sciences Research Council And

Steven Gordon, Senior Research Specialist., Human Sciences Research Council And

Yul Derek Davids, Research Director, Development Capable and Ethical State, Human Sciences Research Council
Some of the most important lessons for public health from the COVID pandemic are about how the government should share data with the public, how updates about responses should be clearly articulated, and how important the sharing of the insight, the information, and the full relevant data are to the public.

The pandemic brought these issues into focus. But the challenge extends beyond the boundaries of COVID-19 to all diseases.

Mistakes made during the pandemic when it came to the collection, management and distribution of data must be recognised. And lessons must be learned and shared about efficiently navigating public health data.

We looked at the effectiveness of lockdown in South Africa and how data were used during the pandemic. We concluded that data collection and dissemination could have been much more efficient. And that if it had been it would have determined better outcomes.

For example, if more detailed, localised data had been publicly available throughout the country it would have been possible to quantify and contrast the spread of the disease between cities, towns and rural areas. In turn, this would have meant that those making policy decisions were better informed.

Our analysis and findings underscored that quality data is the cornerstone of good science. Without it, scientists given the job of informing the public about vital public health issues are like unarmed soldiers in a war zone.

We cannot emphasise enough the importance of epidemiological data, and how relevant it is in managing the early stages of a disease outbreak. However, as a disease progresses, so too must the underlying data and reporting improve to manage the progression of the outbreak.

About more than just data

Sharing information is not just about sharing any data with the public.

Take the issue of aggregate reporting. Limited inferences can perpetuate public bias. Aggregate reporting presents data in a way that illustrates a cumulative number or a time series progression of the total sum of data. These World Health Organisation graphs are a good example of both good and bad practice. Good because data are shared, bad because only one variable perspective is shared at a time.

Another challenge is that underlying data aren't made available for other scientists to use easily. So even though comprehensive and well presented epidemiological reports are released by South Africa's National institute of Communicable Disease (NICD) and it now has a very usable dashboard , the underlying data are not available for any other visualisations or analyses by others.

A further problem with aggregate reporting is that it abstracts the nuances and public healthcare interventions and changes over time. This includes things like modification in patient follow-up guidelines, introduction of a new treatment regimen (as was the case with HIV/TB) and innovative clinical surveillance strategies.

Members of the public need to have comparisons of the state of the current outbreak in relation to previous outbreaks of a similar nature. This would be contextually relevant and can help people to assess the insight as well as the data and move toward evidence based decision making.

The time frames can be adjusted from these dashboards. But the way the data are presented means that it's hard to contextually compare different infectious disease surges (or clusters of outbreaks of a specific disease) and the impact on the healthcare system.

Reflecting changing realities

Disease outbreaks aren't static. A disease can lose epidemic-status and become endemic , as it becomes a constant and more predictable presence at a particular location. For example, both the contagiousness and harmfulness of a disease can change as a result of an actual intervention, such as an effective vaccine or effective non-pharmaceutical interventions.

Read more: We can't banish COVID-19. But we can end the pandemic with vaccinations

In the initial stages of an outbreak, three primary data points are useful to everyone and should be shared routinely: time, place, and number.

Typically, after any outbreak, government or health authorities take steps to share basic data and infographics with the public that purport to justify any interventions they may recommend.

This was the case during COVID.

But we identified some immediate problems with this approach.

Firstly, much of the information is released only in formats like infographics that are not computer readable. This makes further analysis impossible without research groups and members of society manually transcribing, collecting, and sharing data. This causes a trust issue with the data: there might be multiple sources of the same information and the process is error-prone.

Secondly, data shared over time and subsequent visualisations became less frequent (in the case of data sharing) and remained aggregate (in the case of dashboards and infographics). An unfortunate consequence was that there wasn't transparency or a clear correlation between the underlying evidence and decisions being taken.

So how can public health decision making stop being treated like a state secret? Aren't there simply ways for the required data to be openly shared, and platforms created that enable engagement with the numbers?

We think it is indeed possible.

The way forward

Disaggregated data. In a country with inequities such as South Africa, aggregated data can hide disproportionate effects of an event on specific communities. Making the raw disaggregated data available can enable evidence-based advocacy and interventions to meet the needs of marginalised communities more effectively.

Accessible data. Information should be shared with the inclusion of indices, metrics, and simplified computer readable data types. This would allow wider use and add a layer of transparency. It would also create an opportunity for community-led monitoring and evaluation outside the government.

Choosing appropriate visualisations. We strongly recommend representing the data as a relative number (in other words such as percentages or per population size) in addition to absolute numbers. This would make it more accessible. Ordinary citizens would be able to understand better where things stand and how they are changing. It would also help inform changes they may choose to implement to keep themselves safe.

Also, previous outbreaks of a similar or the same pathogen should also be displayed. This would enable people to contextually assess the similarities and differences at a glance. Here's a good example.

Flaws to overcome

COVID-19 exposed the fragmented way in which data is released, and how insufficient data sharing can be if it's not done at a local area level.

In some instances, data quality issues also compromise the trust the public has in the system. Trust is also affected by the frequency with which data are shared. Inconsistencies in terms of time and date for data sharing seems to be a universal problem. This breeds public distrust.

Finally, information shared should not only support good news. Negative data  such as side effects of a particular treatment regimen or medical intervention  should also be shared.

From COVID-19 we learned that there are multiple opinions around a specific issue. Some of these opinions have been badly informed. But one cannot blame people who are uninformed when important decision-making information is not freely and easily accessible. Without the required supporting information, citizens will continue to make assumptions or believe misinformation and disinformation that are not evidence-based. Their spread may be unavoidable. But the lack of access to quality data is not.

Nompumelelo Mtsweni, data visualisation developer, Elizabeth Cornelia Greyling, strategy manager at Columbus Stainless, and Emmanuel A. Simon, digital strategic consultant, also contributed to this article.

Herkulaas MvE Combrink is affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Centre For Digital Futures at the University of the Free State.

Benjamin T H Smart receives funding from The National Research Foundation.

Scott Hazelhurst receives funding from the National Institutes of Health and GlaxoSmithKline Research & Development. The opinions expressed are his responsibility and not of the funders.

Vukosi Marivate receives funding from ABSA and National Research Foundation. He is affiliated with Deep Learning Indaba and Masakhane NLP organisations.

By Herkulaas MvE Combrink, Lecturer, University of the Free State And

Benjamin T H Smart, Associate Professor, University of Johannesburg And

Scott Hazelhurst, Professor of Bioinformatics, University of the Witwatersrand And

Vukosi Marivate, Chair of Data Science, University of Pretoria
New data from ongoing trial showed increased antibody response against Beta, Delta, Alpha and Gamma variants following third dose booster with AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

Additional analysis showed increased antibody response to Omicron after a third dose.

Positive results from a preliminary analysis of an ongoing safety and immunogenicity trial (D7220C00001) showed that AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant]), when given as a third dose booster, increased the immune response to Beta, Delta, Alpha and Gamma SARS-CoV-2 variants, while a separate analysis of samples from the trial showed increased antibody response to the Omicron variant.

The results were observed among individuals previously vaccinated with either AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or an mRNA vaccine.

A separate Phase IV trial reported in a preprint with The Lancet on SSRN showed that a third dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine substantially increased antibody levels following a primary vaccine series with CoronaVac (Sinovac Biotech).1

These data add to the growing body of evidence supporting AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a third dose booster irrespective of the primary vaccination schedules tested.2,3 The Company is submitting these additional data to health authorities around the world given the urgent need for third dose boosters.

Sir Mene Pangalos, Executive Vice President, BioPharmaceuticals R&D, AstraZeneca, said: AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine has protected hundreds of millions of people from COVID-19 around the world and these data show that it has an important role to play as a third dose booster, including when used after other vaccines. Given the ongoing urgency of the pandemic and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines increased immune response to the Omicron variant, we will continue to progress regulatory submissions around the world for its use as a third dose booster.

Professor Sir Andrew J Pollard, chief investigator and director of the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, said: These important studies show that a third dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after two initial doses of the same vaccine, or after mRNA or inactivated vaccines, strongly boosts immunity against COVID-19. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is suitable as an option to enhance immunity in the population for countries considering booster programmes, adding to the protection already demonstrated with the first two doses.

Barbara Nel, Country President, Africa, AstraZeneca, said: The latest AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine data show the vaccine, when used as a third dose booster, increases the immune response against all variants of concern, including when used after other vaccines. This is of particular importance considering the spread of the Omicron variant. This is really positive news for Sub-Saharan Africa, where over 70M doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have been supplied, and where countries are striving to attain their vaccination targets and some are beginning to roll out booster programmes.

The D7220C00001 safety and immunogenicity trial showed that AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine continued to be generally well tolerated. Further analyses from the trial are expected in the first half of 2022.

Previous studies support AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as a third dose booster as part of a homologous or heterologous schedule.2,3 In a sub-analysis from the COV001 and COV002 trials, a third dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine given at least six months after a second dose significantly boosted antibody levels and maintained T cell response.2 It also resulted in higher neutralising activity against the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants, compared with a two-dose regimen.2 The COV-BOOST trial also showed that a third dose booster of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine induced significantly higher immune responses compared with controls against the Delta variant and original strain following a primary vaccine series of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or Pfizer BioNtech (BNT162b2).3

D7220C00001 Trial

D7220C00001 is an ongoing partially double-blind, randomised, multinational, active-controlled trial in both previously vaccinated and unvaccinated adults to determine the safety and immunogenicity of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and

AZD2816, a vaccine developed for the prevention of COVID-19 caused by the Beta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Immunogenicity data for the preliminary analysis were from samples taken 28 days after the third dose booster vaccination. Individuals included in the preliminary analysis of the trial had been fully vaccinated with two doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine (n=700), or an mRNA-based vaccine (n=600), prior to being given a third dose booster vaccination of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine or AZD2816 at least three months after their last injection.

RHH-001 Phase IV Trial:

The Phase IV randomized, single-blind, two-centre trial assessed the safety and immunogenicity of a third heterologous booster dose of either AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, an mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2, Pfizer/BioNTech), or a recombinant adenoviral vectored vaccine (AD26.COV2-S, Janssen), compared with a third homologous booster dose of CoronaVac in Brazilian adults who had received two doses of CoronaVac six months previously. Between 16 August 2021 and 1 September 2021, 1,240 participants were randomised to receive a third dose booster in Sao Paulo and Salvador, of whom 1,239 were vaccinated.1

The primary outcome of the trial was non-inferiority of anti-spike IgG antibodies 28 days after the booster dose in the heterologous boost groups compared with homologous regimen.1

Vaxzevria, (ChAdOx1-S [Recombinant], formerly AZD1222)

Vaxzevria (AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine) was invented by the University of Oxford. It uses a replication-deficient chimpanzee viral vector based on a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees and contains the genetic material of the SARS-CoV-2 virus spike protein. After vaccination, the surface spike protein is produced, priming the immune system to attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus if it later infects the body.

The vaccine has been granted a conditional marketing authorisation or emergency use in more than 90 countries. It also has Emergency Use Listing from the World Health Organization, which accelerates the pathway to access in up to 144 countries through the COVAX Facility.

Under a sub-license agreement with AstraZeneca, the vaccine is manufactured and supplied by the Serum Institute of India under the name COVISHIELD.

AstraZeneca
France is intensifying talks with fellow European countries over a military tie-up in conflict-torn Mali that risks getting ensnared in a row between Paris and Bamako's junta.

Task Force Takuba is the fruit of lengthy French efforts to coax European allies into shouldering some of the burden of fighting jihadists in Mali, the nexus of a nearly decade-old insurgency in the Sahel.

Launched in March 2020, it brings together special forces from European countries, deployed under French leadership to advise Malian troops and assist them in combat.

Recent deployments have taken Takuba's numbers to nearly 900 men -- but the mission's future is now overshadowed by a spat between France and Mali.

Friction developed after a coup in Bamako in August 2020 toppled the country's elected president.

It has since worsened with the junta's reported plan to deploy Russian mercenaries -- a move that France says is "incompatible" with any continued French military presence.

France first deployed troops in northern Mali nine years ago, and later expanded the mission to a force of more than 5,000 men with a wider mandate across the Sahel.

In the latest episode, Mali's junta on Monday demanded Denmark's recently arrived Takuba contingent immediately withdraw, claiming it had deployed without the country's consent.

French Defence Minister Florence Parly lashed what she called the junta's "provocations", which came barely a week after Mali asked France to review bilateral defence accords.

She said the Danish deployment was carried out "on a legal basis, contrary to what the Malian junta says today".

Her Danish counterpart, Jeppe Kofod, said the group of around 100 soldiers received a "clear invitation" from the Malian government.

"Enhanced talks" are being launched among Takuba allies about "adapting to a new context", Parly said.

Italy's defence ministry confirmed that talks involving all of Takuba's participants discussed "the consequences that the level of instability has reached in Mali and its impact on operational plans".

A French source said the European allies were divided between those which refused to work with Mali's entrenched junta and others which were anxious to prevent Russian influence filling the void.

A military coup in Burkina Faso on Monday has added to France's problems. It is now the third military-ruled country, after Mali and Chad, where France's Barkhane military operation is deployed. Only Niger has an elected president.

Barkhane scaledown

Paris has already started reducing Barkhane's presence in northern Mali and hopes to halve the contingent by the summer of 2023.

Central to that plan is the role of Takuba, in providing support on the ground and sending a political signal of European solidarity.

But the angry dispute over Takuba will add to scrutiny of the strategy, with presidential elections in France looming in April and the country holding the current presidency of the EU.

Mounting tolls by jihadists and military takeovers make it harder for President Emmanuel Macron to argue that the mission is effective or at least is shoring up fragile democracies.

In 2015, jihadist raids spread into neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger. These have recently been followed by sporadic attacks on the northern borders of coastal countries on the Gulf of Guinea -- Ghana, Ivory Coast and Benin.

Deadly protests greeted a Mali-bound French convoy in Burkina Faso and Niger last year, and the government of Niger has signalled it will not host Takuba.

Banners and slogans hostile to France and favourable towards Russia were evident in recent anti-sanctions demonstrations in Mali and during a pro-military rally in Burkina Faso on Tuesday.

dab-glr-sd-lal-dla/fz/sba/imm/ri
Mr. Emmanuel Kofi Kafui Hodzor, the Kadjebi District Secretary of the Ghana Federation of Disability organisations (GFD) has advised the citizenry not to use derogatory, abusive and discriminatory languages and names against Persons With Disability (PWDs).

According to him, those acts and behaviours contravened the Persons With Disability ACT, 2006 (Act 715) and that those who contravened the Act committed an offence and were liable to a summary conviction of a fine not exceeding fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months or both.

He explained that the use of inappropriate language against PWDs would have emotional and psychological effects on them.

Engaging with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), Mr. Hodzor said disability is not a curse as it can occur as a result of accident, biological and negligence during child delivery.

He appealed to the populace to place value on PWDs and treat them equally since they were human beings created by God in his own image.

Mr. Hodzor, who is also the Chairman for PWD Workers Union, Kadjebi Branch, urged PWDs, especially females to engage in productive ventures to be financially and economically independent.

He also advised female PWDs not to hide, but make public their relationships with men to prevent them from refusing responsibility when they impregnate them.

The District Secretary also appealed to parents to take keen interest in the education of PWDs just like the able-bodied children since God had plans for everyone.

Mr. Hodzor, who is also the Headteacher of Kadjebi D/A A Primary School, called on the chiefs, opinion leaders and assembly members to enact bye-laws to protect PWDs in their areas; adding that though there were other Acts and Enactments on PWDs, people still abused and infringed on their rights and went scot-free.

He said the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), Department of Social Welfare and Community Development and the Court needed to assist to check the abusive cases.

Mr. Hodzor said although those state agencies were there to enforce and help protect the interest of PWDs, they failed to do so and people continued to abuse them on a daily basis.

GNA
26.01.2022 LISTEN

The Rotary Club of Wa under Rotary International District 9102 has honoured Dr. Nashiru Mohammed, Regional Director of WaterAid in charge of West Africa, for his contribution to the club's Wheelchair project.

Dr. Mohammed was celebrated with a citation for his contribution to the procurement of 15 wheelchairs to the Rotary Club of Wa for onward donation to 15 disabled school children in the Upper West Region.

Citation in Honour of Abdul-Nashiru Mohammed (PhD) for your contribution to the Wheelchair Project in the Upper West Region in 2021. Your contribution made our club the highest donor in that project. The Board and Members of Rotary Club of Wa see you as an ambassador of development. God richly bless you, the citation read.

The Club also honoured Mr Willliam Domapielle for also contributing to the success of the Wheelchair Project.

Dr. Mohammed and Mr Domapielle were the two non-Rotarians who contributed to the procurement of the 15 wheelchairs with support from Rotary Ghana and the Wheelchair Foundation.

Speaking at a brief ceremony at Jirapa to honour the two individuals, Mr Gaeten Kala, the President of the Rotary Club of Wa, said the contributions of Dr. Mohammed and Mr Domapielle had enabled the Rotary Club of Wa to be the highest donor of the wheelchairs under the project in Ghana.

The ceremony was also used to donate the wheelchairs to the 15 school children in the Jirapa, Lawra, and Wa Municipalities as well as the Nadowli-Kaleo, Wa West and Sissala West Districts.

He expressed gratitude to Dr. Mohammed and Mr Domapeille for their benevolence towards the less privileged in society through their support to the wheelchair project.

Mr Kala used the opportunity to appeal to other non-Rotarians to support Rotary activities in their respective locations to enable the club impact the lives of the less disadvantaged in society.
Contrary to claims that Ntronang, a community in the Okere District of the Eastern region is facing acute water challenges appears false.

The community has a mechanised water system built for them by, Hon. Dan Botwe, the Member of Parliament for the area, through his share of the Common Fund.

The water system completed in October last year has been fixed with a power generator to pump water through an overhead reservoir due to the absence of electricity.

Residents, who hitherto trekked long hours in search of water could heave some sigh of relief when the MP sunk the borehole.

Some news portals including reported, a few days ago about how residents of Ntronang, have for years, been faced with water challenges; leading them to no option than to resort to other sources of unhygienic and running water from gutters.

The reportage went on to paint a rather gloomy spectacle of a community suffering from many health complications due to the lack of water.

Reacting to the story, the District Chief Executive for Okere, Daniel Nana Addo Kenneth, however, expressed surprise over claims that residents could resort to unhygienic sources of water when they have potable water built for them by government.

"Theres a mechanized borehole at Ntronang. How come the news item didnt mention it. Secondly, theres no Ghana water pipelines at Ntronang. In fact, theres no presence of Ghana water pipelines at the entire downtowns of Okere hence cannot connect the community into GWCL, that's why we sunk this borehole for them until Ghana water extends its pipelines to the community," he lamented.
The Member of Parliament for Effutu, Hon Alexander Afenyo-Markin is about to commission the Mike Hammah Health Centre at Woara Beba in Winneba in two weeks time.

According to Hon Markin, the naming of the health facility after the three-term Effutu NDC MP and former Transport Minister Hon. Mike Allen Hammah was in line with his policy and vision to appreciate people who served their community at all levels in academia, politics, clergy, health amongst others.

"In two weeks from today, I shall be commissioning the Mike Hammah Health Centre at Woara Beba community in Winneba.

The MP who doubles as Deputy Majority leader in Ghana's Parliament disclosed this on Tuesday, January 25th, 2022 during the commissioning and handing over of the Samuel Owusu Adjei Health Centre at Dayasaw.

According to him, the Owusu Ansah Agyei Health Centre will among other things minimise the burden on the Trauma and Municipal Hospital for better health care delivery.

"This new edifice fully equipped was named after a former MP and Deputy Health Minister under whose regime construction work on the Trauma Centre in Winneba commenced. He played a critical role in the health sector for the Winneba local economy."

He reiterated his commitment to rewarding dedicated and deserving leaders who have served the Effutu community.

"My job is to assist in the delivery of quality health care for my people and that is what I am always committed to," he stated.

On the much talked about Children Hospital which is also under the Legacy Health Project, the Effutu lawmaker stressed, "we are pleased to mention that it will be commissioned by close of 2022 by the grace of God, the facility which is first of its kind in the Central Region is expected to also serve as training purposes for health students nationwide and also absorb referral cases from elsewhere too."

The Municipal Health Director for Effutu, Madam Mariata Seidu commended Hon Alex Afenyo-Markin for providing such an edifice to support health care. She stated, "your unflinching support in the betterment of the lives of the Effutu people through quality healthcare delivery needs a book to tell."

She expressed utmost gratitude to the Hon. Afenyo-Markin for providing several CHPS zones in Effutu in the last three years.

According to her, the Municipal Hospital and the Trauma Center has seen a lot of renovation by the MP, and this she said has really brought much convenience in the delivery of healthcare services.

"All our health facilities in the Municipality have been fully equipped with modern tools and equipment, and this has helped health officials in the delivery of efficient health services to the people always," she stressed.

She mentioned her outfit's readiness to provide the needed staff and other few logistics to commence operations at the Owusu Adjei Health Centre at Dayasaw.

Hon Alhaji Zubaru Kassim, Municipal Chief Executive for Effutu in his address mentioned that the Assembly shall provide maximum security for the Samuel Owusu Adjei Health Centre and all other health centres in the offing by Hon Alex Afenyo-Markin. "We are ever ready to assist the MP in his philanthropic gestures to the people of Winneba further."

The Effutu MCE hinted that the Ghana Police Service shall soon take delivery of two brand new pick up cars donated by Hon Afenyo-Markin to help combat armed robbery on the Winneba-Accra Highway and the four other adjoining Municipalities.

The move he said, will help in the delivery of timely and effective policing on highways in the fight against crime.

Present at the gathering were Neenyi Ghartey VII, Chief of Effutu traditional area and Hon Abdulai Yakubu, Assembly Member for Sankor/Don Bosco electoral area.
Management of Kromoase D/A Basic School in the Atwima Kwanwoma District of the Ashanti Region has appealed to the government to complete a six-unit classroom block that has been abandoned for so many years.

The residents have accused the Ashanti Regional NPP Chairman Mr Bernard Antwi Bosiako aka Chairman Wontumi who is the contractor of abandoning the project.

The chief and the residents have chastised chairman Wontumi for packing all his equipment away from the site.

This six-unit classroom block was started in 2019 by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo government.

The purpose of the construction of the school block was to address the infrastructural deficit in the school.

A visit to the school showed that pupils now study under an opened canopy shed.

The school has no fence wall and toilet facility as school children resort to the bush to ease themselves.

According to some residents who spoke to this reporter, several appeals have been made to the Atwima Kwanwoma District Assembly but have not yielded any result.

The residents on condition of anonymity lamented that the situation is affecting the academic performance of the pupils.

They are appealing to government and other Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) as a matter of urgency to come to their aid.

The chief of the area, Nana Opoku Karikari Okogyedom II lamented over the delay of the project.

He appealed to authorities in the Region to see to the completion of the school block to ease congestion and motivate the pupils to attend school.
The rural society of Somalia is the economic backbone and the production machine for the country. Somalia has high percentage of rural population are poor and consequently a high rate of rural poverty. Rural households are able to obtain income almost exclusively from petty agriculture, livestock rearing, paid labour or farm work and occasionally from remittances. Somalias fragile and seriously degraded natural environment and the increased frequency and severity of drought and floods in recent years have buffeted the livestock and crop subsectors. Recurring droughts, the lack of research and extension services, and especially insecurity, lack of responsible government, and consequent deterioration of the flood control, irrigation, and transport infrastructure in the Southern regions have severely reduced crop production. Livestock and crops nonetheless remain the main sources of economic activity, employment, and exports in Somalia.

Land degradation

Land degradation is the reduction of land resource potential by one or combination of processes such as accelerated water or wind erosion, sedimentation long term reduction of amount or diversity of natural vegetation, reduction of soil nutrients.

Poor agriculture sector

The agriculture of Somalia is predominantly subsistence in nature. The principle crops are sorghum and maize grown mostly for own consumption. Fruit and horticultural farming which is relatively small, is mainly commercial, here farmers grow most of the time tomatoes lettuce, onions, peppers, cabbages, oranges, lemons, and papaya, rain-fed farming accounts for 75% of total area cultivated, while the area under irrigation constitutes only 25%, the sector is dominated by smallholders farmers who tend small farm ranging from 10 to 40 hectares in area. The size of the average farm is just about 6 hectares.

Inadequate rainfall

Rainfall, which ranges from 510 to 610 mm, and is characterized by erratic distribution, is the major constraints on agricultural production in Somalia. This constraint has limited cropping activities in the arable lands of the country, affecting even drought-tolerant cereal crops such as sorghum, which has traditionally been produced in larger quantities than other cereals. The farmers also try to grow maize, but as it has lower drought resistance, good harvests are assured in only good rainfall years, for which the reliably predictive figure would be only 3 out of 5 years.

Farm inputs

Although farm inputs are available to some extent, they are unaffordable to the majority of farmers. The quality of improved inputs, such as seed and agro-chemicals, cant be assured because of ministry of agricultures lack of capacity for photosynthesis inspection and for enforcement of quality standards.

Poor agronomic and cultural practices

Which respect to rain-fed agriculture, this deficiency pertains to mono-cropping or dual-cropping currently, farmers grow mainly two cereal crops, namely sorghum and maize, a practice that contributes to the depletion of soil fertility. Other problems include untimely sowing, lack of seed selection, seed broadcasting, lack of crop rotation, and inadequate weed control.

Lack of appropriate technology

Farmers lack appropriate technologies matching those used in neighboring countries, which meet international standards. Even where the technologies are available, the farmers lack the financial capacity to procure and apply them. In addition to these shortcomings, farmers lack the knowledge and skills necessary for the improvement of agricultural performances.

Degradation of agricultural land through soil erosion

Most of the crop land has been subjected to soil erosion partly due to poor farming practices.

This problem has been aggravated by a combination of indiscriminate de-vegetation, intensive downpours, and overgrazing. The seriousness of the erosion problem is evidenced by the presence of huge gullies around and within many farms.

Loss of farm labor through rural-urban migration

Over the last two decades, there has been a great deal of migration by agro-pastoral labor to urban areas, a trend which has resulted in a shortage of labor in terms of both quantity and quality. This has been mainly due to: Low farm incomes, civil strive.

Poor marketing infrastructure and services

Poor marketing has affected agricultural production and the income levels of farm families. This is particularly the case in the horticulture sub-sector, which has been impacted by a combination of factors: inadequate market information, competition for the local market with neighboring countries, poor feeder roads, lack of marketing organizations, and lack of capacity for agro processing.

High cost of irrigation

The high cost of irrigation is related to the high cost of fuel, inefficient irrigation methods, and frequent repairs and reconstruction of shallow wells, the main (and in many cases the only) source of water for irrigation.

Lack of adequate livestock services and infrastructure

Lack of adequate infrastructure for livestock exports, poor and inadequate laboratory facilities, lack of livestock health infrastructure and services, limited qualified human resource in the sector.

Financial constraints

Despite very low government budgetary allocations for livestock. Donor funds oriented only towards relief and emergency and not towards development absence of private sector investments. As a result of these constraints, the livestock production system is characterized by poor productivity performances and very low incomes for pastoralist herders. With increasing population, this situation often leads to a rise in poverty levels in pastoral areas, and ultimately causes increased migration to urban centers with very limited employment opportunities.

However, there are opportunities for raising the income and productivity of the sector and for diversification and investment presented by: Increasing demand for organic livestock and animal products, increasing demand for camel meat and milk for health purposes, new market for meat product emerging in the fast developing countries in the East (India, China, and Malaysia etc.).

Harvest failure

Harvest failure is a key risk for rural households in Somalia. Geography and agro ecology (prone to drought as well as intense rain) combine with inefficient agricultural technologies and inadequate agricultural support and result in environmental degradation, unmanaged pests and poor access to inputs, which increase vulnerability. Harvest failure not only affects crop dependent households, but the wider rural economy (including households dependent on non-farm Income sources) as well as national well-being and stability. It also can have long-term effects as people sell assets as a coping strategy. National budgets are also destabilized as trade

(and national Income) is reduced and relief has to be imported. The food crisis experienced in

Somalia in 2001-03 is a case in point. Heavy rains in the late Growing season in 2001 triggered a harvest failure of maize, the regions main staple an immediate impact was felt by cropdependent households. Together they led to a significant increase in prices across the region (e.g., a four-fold increase in Somalia causing acute problems for the poor. In fact, it is estimated that in late 2002 the lives and livelihoods of as many as 5 million people in threatened.

Drought and desertification

Drought and desertification are at the core of serious challenges and threats facing sustainable in rural poverty in Somalia, These problems have far reaching adverse impacts on human health, food security, economic activity, physical infrastructure, natural resources and the environment and national and global security.

By Mr. Mohamed Abdullahi Hersi

Mohamed is political and foreign policy analyst and economic development scholar in East Africa. Founder and Executive Director of Save the Environment. Alumni of Addis Ababa University. He got M.A in International Economic Development from Southeast University in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Fire has gutted a forest reserve around the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) at Fiapre, near Sunyani.

The fire has caused extensive damage to property and shops within the enclave.

The timely intervention of the personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) however prevented the inferno from spreading through a gas filling station in the enclave.

It however razed to the ground, a sawmill, a meat and carpentry shop with no casualty recorded.

Though the cause of the outbreak remained unknown for now, residents said they believed it might have been caused by activities of drug peddlers and smokers hiding in the reserve.

The Divisional Officer Grade Three (DOIII) Ruth Tandoh, the Bono Regional Public Relations Officer of the GNFS told newsmen the incident happened around 1000 hours, and advised shop owners around the enclave to weed and keep their surroundings clean.

Mr Alfred Atta Yeboah, the Bono Regional Operations Officer of the National Disaster Management Organisation said his outfit was yet to assess the impact of the outbreak, and assured the victims would be supported.

GNA
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources says investigation into an alleged assault by some military officers on members of the Ministry's taskforce sent to arrest illegal miners at Enchi in the Western North Region has commenced.

On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, the Deputy Minister in Charge of Mining, George Mireku Duker, directed the taskforce to report to the Western North Regional Minister and the Police Commander to assist the security personnel in the operations.

A statement issued by the Ministry indicated that on their way back to Accra, the taskforce spotted an illegal mining site around Manso-Amenfi and arrested two persons.

The Ministry in the statement noted that, on their way back after the arrest, they were allegedly brutalized by some military personnel who accosted them around Wassa Akropong.

The Ministry in the statement called on the public to make available evidence of the alleged attack on the 13-member taskforce by the military personnel.

The Ministrys attention has been drawn to some audio recordings, photos, and videos circulating on social media, concerning the arrest and brutalization of illegal mining task force by some military men. In an effort to fight illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, the Ministry has established a taskforce to assist with the arrest. The team has been immensely supporting the Ministrys endeavours to clamp down on illegal mining activities across the country, the statement said. Details of the operation and other events were provided as follows:
26.01.2022 LISTEN

The National Diabetes Association-Ghana (NDAG) has raised an alarm over the sale of some diabetes medications online which is putting the lives of patients at risk.

According to the NDAG, specific ones gaining grounds on social media platforms; INSUMED and DIANOL, and said to control blood sugar levels, allegedly caused severe complications for diabetic patients.

NDAG President, Elizabeth Esi Denyoh, thus cautioned diabetic patients and the public against purchasing the drugs, entreating relevant stakeholders to immediately step in to address the 'threat' and save lives.

Addressing journalists at a news conference in Accra, Mrs. Denyoh raised concerns over how the 'fake' drugs got unto the Ghanaian market.

She claimed that attempts have been made by the Association since November last year, to apprehend the culprits behind the sale of the drugs.

We together with the police and some FDA officials arrested four of the perpetrators last year and they led us to a hide-out at Ashaley Botwe, 5 Paterson Avenue (GCD 022 0146) where they sold lots of other medications to cure other diseases.

Our independent investigations traced the source of the products to an address belonging to a real estate agency in Bulgaria, SPB Realty but it is not even a drug manufacturing company and although the FDA assures that it was investigating the matter, little progress has been made, she said.

Mrs. Denyoh explained the modus operandi of the culprits as advertising the product on social media platforms like Facebook using recommendations of distinguished personalities (some Ghanaian) who have benefitted from using the drug to lure victims.

She said contacts advertised to an attached link for buying the drugs led customers to the NDAG's website suggesting that the Association endorsed the medications.

The Association dis-associates itself from the above medications. We have nothing to do with its importation and sale in Ghana and cannot guarantee its efficacy as the information on the product package was even suspicious and not in English but Bulgarian, she noted.

The president in expressing fear of further consequences on patients and the public if the matter was not addressed immediately called on stakeholders including the Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, Pharmacy Council to regulate the sale of medications on social media.

They need to expedite action on the prosecution of the perpetrators and assist in the education of the public that diabetes is not curable but can only be controlled, she urged.

Furthermore, Mrs. Denyo implored the public to desist from buying diabetes and hypertensive medication online asking all who have bought these medication should contact the nearest hospital.

Diabetics should continue taking their prescribed medications, eat well, exercise, drink lots of water and check their sugars regularly, she advised.

---DGN online

.
Burkina Faso's ousted president, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, "is physically well" and is being held by the army in a villa, a source in his party said on Wednesday.

The West African bloc ECOWAS has lashed out at the "military coup" -- the third in one of its 15 nations in less than 18 months -- and said it will meet virtually for an extraordinary summit at 1000 GMT on Friday to consider possible sanctions.

Kabore's state and whereabouts have been a key issue since he was overthrown by mutineering soldiers on Monday, with the United Nations leading calls for his release.

"President Kabore is physically well, but I cannot say anything about his state of mind," said a source in Kabore's People's Movement for Progress (MPP) party.

Kabore "is still in the hands of the army, not in a military camp, but in a presidential villa under house arrest", the source said.

"He has a doctor available... (and) access to his mobile phone, but under surveillance, obviously."

Kabore, 64, was elected in 2015 following a popular revolt that forced out strongman Blaise Compaore, who came to power in a putsch in 1987.

He was re-elected in 2020, but the following year faced a wave of anger over a jihadist insurgency that has ravaged the impoverished West African country.

On Sunday, mutinies broke out in several army barracks a day after police broke up banned protests, and on Monday the rebels moved against Kabore.

Ex-ministers not to leave

The former French colony is now in the hands of the junta Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration MPSR. By - Radio Tlvision du Burkina RTBAFPFile

The former French colony is now in the hands of the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR) -- the name of a junta led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, a regional commander in the jihadist-torn east.

It has announced the suspension of the constitution and dissolution of the government and parliament.

The junta also closed land and air borders. The air borders were reopened on Tuesday, along with an easing of restrictions on some products moving across land borders.

Damiba met ministers of the ousted government on Wednesday, telling them not to leave the country unless given permission, political sources told AFP.

He also told them he wanted all national components involved in managing the transition, the sources said.

MPP vice-president Clement Sawadogo said that Prime Minister Lassina Zerbo, who was appointed by Kabore in December, has also been detained.

Sawadogo also told AFP that Kabore wrote a resignation letter after the coup "to preserve peace, to avoid a bloodbath that we do not need with what we are already suffering," referring to jihadist violence.

Burkina Faso. By AFP

The MPP source also gave details about some of the key events on Monday.

As the revolt widened, Kabore was smuggled out of his residence by his bodyguards in an unmarked car and taken to a safe location, the source said.

"It was later, as pressure from the mutineers rose, that his guards, who were mainly gendarmes, had to leave him in the hands (of the putschists) and join them," the source said.

"The gendarmerie had no other choice but to join (the putschists) because the whole army was in favour of stripping the president of office."

New West African coup

One of the world's poorest countries, Burkina Faso has enjoyed little stability since gaining independence from France in 1960.

The latest coup has caused jitters in West Africa, where in less than a year and a half two other countries -- Mali and Guinea -- have been overtaken by the military.

Earlier this month, ECOWAS ramped up sanctions against Mali after the country's military said it would be unable to fulfil a pledge of staging elections by the end of February.

Criticism of the latest coup has come from the European Union and the African Union, as well as the United Nations.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Wednesday that "if constitutional order is not restored" in Burkina Faso, there would be "immediate consequences for our partnership with the country".

"Democratic societies are a value that must be preserved. Military coups are unacceptable," UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday.

"The role of the military must be to defend their countries and their peoples, not to attack their governments and to fight for power."
Workers in Morocco's vital tourism sector protested for the second time this month on Wednesday to denounce a two-month-old border closure aimed at countering the Omicron variant of coronavirus.

Nearly 200 travel industry workers gathered in front of the tourism ministry in Rabat, while local media said other demonstrations occurred in the tourist centres of Agadir and Marrakesh.

The North African country suspended all passenger flights from November 29 until at least January 31 as the highly infectious Omicron variant spread worldwide.

The restrictions have dealt a punishing blow to Morocco's tourism sector, already suffering after two lost seasons because of the pandemic.

"The closure has struck us very hard because we have had to cease operations, while our expense are still fixed," said Mimoun Azzouzi, who owns a travel agency in Temara, near the capital.

Demonstrators said they are "excluded" from a two billion dirham ($214 million) government aid programme for the sector.

Tourism accounted for nearly seven percent of GDP in 2019.

Questioned on Monday in parliament, Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said it was "important to reopen the airways just as it is important to follow the evolution of the pandemic."

About 200 industry workers threatened with bankruptcy had also protested the border closure outside the tourism ministry on January 4.

Morocco's health ministry said the peak of Omicron infections came in the week ending January 23 but they have concerns about a resurgence.

In Tunisia, also in North Africa, the government on Wednesday announced a two-week extension of a night-time curfew -- including a suspension of public gatherings -- that took effect earlier this month.

Tunisia this year has experienced an explosion of new coronavirus cases to around 9,000 per day.
The subject of corruption has always featured predominantly in our political and public discourse. Indeed, it is the most talked about subject by politicians during electioneering period, especially. Politicians are often in a haste, in one way or the other, to mare one another with corruption allegations. A good number of these allegations end up as palpable lies well calculated to destroy others, politically.

We cannot discount the fact, however, that political corruption continuous to swallow a chunk of our national cake, denying the ordinary citizen the needed development. I do remember vividly how the former president John Dramani Mahama was accused, vilified and persecuted on daily basis on allegations that later proved to be outright lies or exaggerations or both. Most of these accusations came from Nana Akufo Addo and his NPP surrogates while they were desperately looking for political power. For them, voting for Nana meant that corruption was banished from the country. The NPP and its media surrogates packaged the man, Nana Addo, as incorruptible and that his government will not condone an iota of corruption.

To keep the deceitful tactics, the NPP government promised to create the Office of Special Prosecutor to act as a panacea to the conundrum of corruption in Ghana. Upon the assumption of power in 2017, Nana indeed created the OSP and appointed a long standing anti-corruption crusader, Martin Amidu. The appointment of Martin Amidu saw a mammoth celebration in the camp of the NPP across the country. To them, it was an opportunity to prosecute former appointees under the erstwhile NDC government as a combative measure against corruption. At the time, I wrote this, to warn the government and those who were jubilating over the creation of the OSP and the subsequent appointment of Martin Amidu. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-jubilation-over-the-appointment-of-the-special-prosecutor-616868

Lo and behold, when the same government was caught by the metrics and traps of the Office, they took a different lane. I mean, when Nana Akufo and his boys nefarious connivance were exposed in the infamous AGYAPA deal, the government demonstrated no shame by calling Martin Amidu names and gave him threats upon threats till he resigned.

To them, that is the way the fight against corruption is won. Once, they are involved, the scale must be reset. This created the impression that government created that office to go after its political opponents and not corrupt officials. Time has really given credence to this impression. I am not surprise that this government has proven to be the most corrupt government ever in the political history of Ghana. Why?

Anytime an official of the government is involved in corrupt or potentially corrupt act, government shows no interest in any transparent investigation for prosecution. What has become a norm, is the concerted efforts led by the president to whitewash or clear such officials.

A very critical institution in the fight against corruption, the Public Procurement Authority, was turned into a conduit of corruption as the boss of the authority, an appointee of the government, Mr. Adjenim Boateng Adjei used the authority for his personal gains through illegal means. When he was caught by Manasseh Azuri Awuni in the famous contract for sale investigative piece, many thought that government would have used the pieces of evidence gathered to prosecute the culprit considering the gravity of his misconduct.

To the best of my knowledge, the matter was referred to the Special Prosecutor for further investigation and prosecution but nothing has since been heard about it. The conflict of interest aspect was investigated by CHRAJ and the outcome was extremely damming.

Again, the minister of Health, Hon. Kwaku Agyemang Menu procured vaccines from a third party at an inflated cost. He did so without informing parliament. When he was asked, he admitted wrong doing. Instead of facing some sanctions, he was publicly hailed by the president and other beneficiaries of his actions and inactions as being one of the best, when it is on records, that, others were either sacked from their positions or prosecuted for similar procurement breaches.

Clearly, under this government, its officials are above the law. The law only works on political opponents and this has increased corruption in the public space. There are numerous other examples like the gallamsey expose that caught the secretary of the inter-ministerial committee against illegal mining, Charles Bissue receiving bribes, the missing excavators, the National Youth Authority scandal, the BOST contaminated fuel saga, the Ameri novation, among several others.

All the officials involved, are left to walk freely.I was not surprised when the 2020 Auditors General Report revealed that we lost a whopping 12.8billion Ghana Cedis to corruption, malfeasance and embezzlement. If this government had protected the public purse, it would not be hell bent imposing the infamous Electronic Transaction levy that targets at raising about 6.9billion Ghana Cedis from the already impoverished citizen.

The corruption perception index report for 2021 has also confirmed that this government only fights corruption with lip service. It is established that this government is the most corrupt ever. It is not interested in fighting corruption, paving way for wanton loot and share of the national cake.

Clearly, therefore, the previous government under John Dramani Mahama must be celebrated for chalking some successes in the fight against corruption. The debate on corruption is well settled by the statistics since John Mahama worse performance is their (the NPP government) best.

Ghana between 2012 and 2016 under John Dramani Mahama recorded an average of 45.8 while under Nana Akufo Addo between 2017 and 2021 the average score is 41.6. Indeed, the best performance under NDC was 48 recorded in 2014. Contrary, the best performance under this NPP government is 43 that happens to be the worst performance of the NDC in 2016. The question of which government is corrupt or more corrupt is settled.

Plenty talks cannot win the fight against corruption. Corruption is fought by action and by equal application of the laws. What we are seeing is a well syndicated plan to loot and share. It cannot be said today that the man Nana Akufo Addo is incorruptible. His government has won the noble prize for corruption and he is proud.

The next government after 2024 will have a lot to do by going after the corrupt and potentially corrupt officials of this government to account to the Ghanaian people. No excuse will be accepted.

Ghanaians must hold this incompetent and corrupt government to account. The day is coming!!!

Denis Andaban

The Village Boy From DBI
Jan Zauha

Jan Zauha, professor and humanities and outreach librarian for the MSU Library, will receive the Betty Coffey Award honoring a member of the faculty or staff who demonstrates outstanding achievement in incorporating womens perspectives into the curriculum. Given by the Womens, Gender and Sexuality Studies Committee, the award carries a cash prize of $1,000.

Zauha is regarded as a vibrant force in making gender visible in courses taught at MSU, as well as in the ways that gender is conveyed to faculty, students, staff and the community through engagement, outreach, exhibitions and resources that make underrepresented voices part of the stories that are shared. Through mentoring on campus and regionally, she has also inspired and helped develop these practices in others.

Zauha is one of the longest-serving members of the Womens, Gender and Sexuality Studies Committee, serving since 2002 and co-chairing the committee from 2012 to 2013. During those years, she has worked tirelessly through her scholarship, mentoring, service and outreach activities to make the stories and voices of women of all races and classes visible, according to her nominators.

Among other efforts, Zauha has worked closely with multiple departments to ensure faculty and student access to the books, articles, films and other media resources that they need to conduct teaching, research and scholarship on gender, race, sexuality and class issues from a variety of perspectives. In addition to helping to build the librarys collection of books and journals in these areas, she helped the library to acquire several databases in the field.

In addition, Zauha was a leading force in creating the librarys Ivan Doig Archive and making it accessible to diverse communities. She also worked extensively to ensure that gender was represented in the archives teaching materials, exhibits and book discussions.

Zauha is regarded as an extraordinary mentor, both to students and to her fellow librarians. Her nominators say that she has worked to make the library more approachable to students and also to make them aware of the resources that are available and how to use them.

Nominators say Zauha has also made significant and creative outreach contributions in the community, doing so in ways that engage underserved populations in the joy of reading and with an eye toward making historically marginalized groups and their stories visible. She has coordinated a number of reading groups over the years, where she has encouraged the members to choose books written by diverse authors. In 2012, Humanities Montana recognized Zauhas work in promoting reading in Montana with a Humanities Hero Award.
MISSOULA, Mont. - Missoula Food Bank & Community Centers (MFB&CC) executive director, Aaron Brock announced he will be leaving the organization.

Brock worked as the food banks Development Director from 2003 to 2008 and was hired as the executive director in 2014.

Im so proud of the work that has happened here at the food bank, and I feel humbled and grateful to have been a part of these past 7 plus years, Brock said. It has been a privilege to work with this talented team and so many generous and skilled volunteers and partners, and I will always have a very special place in my heart for Missoula Food Bank & Community Center.

The MFB&CC says Brock is leaving the food bank to serve as the Montana Director of Development for The Nature Conservancy.

Brocks last day as executive director will be Feb. 25.

Aaron leaves big shoes to fill, says Kari Schauss, board chair. The Board is so grateful for Aarons leadership and service, and knows that he will be missed. At this time, the Board Leadership Committee is forming a task force to strategize for succession.

We wish Aaron all the best in his future adventures, and express our sincere appreciation for his leadership and vision while Executive Director at Missoula Food Bank and Community Center, says Ashley Ostheimer Hilliard, the food banks chair elect. In his 7  years with MFB&CC, he exemplified our core values and supported the organization in fighting food insecurity, dismantling racism, and promoting equity. We wish him all the best as we look forward to all MFB&CC can continue to accomplish through community support.

You can read more on the Missoula Food Bank & Community Center and what has been accomplished during Brocks time as executive director by clicking here.
A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.
Members of various law enforcement agencies were recognized by the Moultrie Rotary Club Tuesday. Pictured from left are Trooper First Class Taylor Cooper of Georgia Department of Public Safety, Officer J.C. Mustelier of the Norman Park Police Department, Corporal Eric Isom of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Sergeant Trevor Davis of the Colquitt County Prison, CSO II Detrich Clark of the Georgia Department of Community Supervision, Special Agent III Jalesa Williams of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Officer Dylan Thompson of the Moultrie Police Department. Corporal Josh Childs of the Berlin Police Department and Deputy Quan Marcus of the Colquitt County Sheriffs Office were also recognized but were unable to attend.
Hidalgo County Court Record

Two Texas brothers and their friend were arrested for allegedly beating their stepfather to death after he was accused of sexually abusing their 9-year-old sister, according to the Pharr Police Department. The victim was the stepfather's daughter, authorities said.

Alejandro Trevino, 18, and Christian Trevino, 17, along with family friend Juan Eduardo Melendez, 18, are accused of beating 42-year-old Gabriel Quintanilla and leaving him to die in an open field near the intersection of McColl Road and Whalen Road in McAllen. He was found on January 20 at 3 p.m. by the McAllen Police Department, who then notified Pharr police of the incident and turned over the investigation to them.
The Fayetteville, North Carolina, woman charged Sunday with a Longs-area murder is an Army specialist with a military police unit at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Yunique Weathers, 22, is charged with the murder of 21-year-old De-Erica Fisher, also from Fayetteville.

Weathers is an active-duty soldier stationed with the 503rd Military Police Battalion, 16th Military Police Brigade based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, said Capt. Matthew Visser, the acting director of public affairs at the Army base.

We are working in coordination with law enforcement and the criminal investigation division, Visser said in an email. An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

Weathers is still incarcerated at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center. Bond has not been set.

According to an Horry County police report, an officer responded Sunday afternoon to a call for a shooting in a field near the intersection of Highway 9 and Pine Needle Drive in Longs.

Upon arrival, the officer was greeted by several witnesses who were pointing out into the field, the report said. As the officer walked around a canal and into the field, he heard what sounded like another gunshot.

A woman at the scene was holding a gun, and the report says the officer gave loud and clear verbal commands to drop the gun, at which time it appeared as though she cleared the chamber of the weapon, tossed it on the ground, and immediately dropped to her knees pacing her hands behind her back.

Horry County Chief Deputy Coroner Tamara Willard said Fisher had been shot several times and died at the scene.

Horry County police are investigating and spokeswoman Mikayla Moskov confirmed that some moments prior to the shooting were captured on a Facebook Live video.

HCPD is aware of a Facebook Live that captured some moments prior to the incident that resulted in the death; however, I am not aware of a video (live or otherwise) that captured the act itself, Moskov said in an email.
The Surfside Beach Town Council on Tuesday agreed to take over the cost of the decorative street lighting in the Harbor Lights subdivision.

In 2013, the Harbor Lights HOA wanted something more for their neighborhood than the towns standard street lights and agreed to pay $3,400 a year for special decorative street lights. The decorative lights are monthly rentals from Santee Cooper.

Since that initial agreement, Harbor Lights has given the neighborhood streets back to the town.

Because their streets now belong to the town and the town has decorative lights in other areas, the HOA requested that the town take over the annual $3,400 payment.

The town has put up decorative lights on other streets such as Ocean Boulevard, Upper Surfside Drive, 3rd Avenue South Promenade and 14th South at no cost to nearby residents. Town administrator William Shanahan said these areas have underground wiring and the standard street light poles would not work there.

Councilman Chris Stamey voted against the measure. He said now if anybody in town doesnt like their street lights, all they need to do is complain to town hall and they can get the decorative ones.

Thats not the case at all, countered councilwoman Cindy Keating.

Keating said the proposal only provides the option of new lighting for areas where underground wiring is being installed and complaining to the town about lighting is not the avenue to take.

Pier update

In other action, town finance director Diana King told the council that nearly $7.7 million has been spent so far on rebuilding the towns pier. She said the final projected cost of the new pier will be $17.7 million.

King said the town is set to get $9.9 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and has to utilize other local funding options to pay the remaining costs.

The pier was destroyed in 2016 by Hurricane Matthew.

Earlier this month, Shanahan said the piers completion date is slated for the fall of this year. He added the town will be able to use the pier this summer to resume its annual July 4 fireworks display.
Myrtle Beach City Council voted to approve a partial settlement in South Carolinas litigation against opioid manufacturers and distributors Tuesday, opening up millions of dollars for local opioid treatment, educational efforts and law enforcement.

Over the next 17 years, it can mean as much as $4.3 million for opioid treatment, City Spokesman Mark Kruea said. Potentially more, since the state has their own money from the settlement.

The city had joined the states lawsuit against drugmaker Johnson and Johnson and distributors McKesson and AmerisourceBergen in 2019, alleging they had understated the risk of addiction to medical professionals and failed to follow federal requirements for tracking opioid shipments.

A $26 billion settlement releasing the companies from civil liability was reached in November.

The state will divide the money among participating localities, who must use the funds for abatement approved in the settlement, and leave some for its discretionary fund.

According to Kruea, local treatment providers and nonprofits may apply for state dollars with councils approval.

Kruea added that funds should arrive within the next couple of months.

Statewide, opioid overdoses have been climbing.

According to the S.C. Dept. of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina had 876 overdose deaths involving opioids in 2019, compared to 628 in 2016.

In Horry County alone, there were 131 in 2019, up from 85 in 2018.

At Tuesdays meeting, Mayor Brenda Bethune noted that the city created an opioid outreach initiative in 2020. The city currently works with New Directions treatment center.

The city has not determined how funds will be disbursed.
By SA Commercial Prop News

Dr Dolf de Roos is a real estate investment expert known all over the world. The author of 15 best selling books in eight countries.



Two speakers from abroad will feature at property economists Rode & Associates annual events, to be held in August this year in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.

The speakers are Judy Chai, CEO of Infiniti Pacific Properties Ltd, a member of the BMI Group, based in Hong Kong, and renowned real estate author Dr Dolf de Roos, best known for his best-seller Real Estate Riches.

The central theme of these events will be the many uncertainties facing the economy and the property market.

All four events are sponsored or co-sponsored by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) Properties.

Cape Town:

The one-day Rode Conference at Spier Estate, near Stellenbosch, will take place on Tuesday, 21 August.

The event will start with a presentation by the Investment Economist at Sanlam Investment Management (SIM), Arthur Kamp. In his role at SIM, Arthur is also a member of Sanlams Macro Research Unit, which analyses unfolding trends and themes in the South African economy. His topic of discussion will be Are you feeling repressed?

This will be followed by a presentation entitled The high and low tides on the Atlantic Seaboard to be delivered by Steven Delit, who is a sales associate with RE/MAX Living.

Next, Kim Faclier, MD of Property (Africa), GoIndustryDoveBid S.A. Solutions (IPS), will take to the stage to talk about the future of property auctions  live and online.

Judy Chai, CEO of Infiniti Pacific Properties Ltd, a member of the BMI Group based in Hong Kong, will bring an Asian perspective to this years conference. She will be discussing the outlook for the Asian real estate market against the backdrop of the economic crisis.

Ms Chais talk will be followed by Dries du Toits presentation, This time its different. Dries is an independent investment consultant.

A presentation by the Director of SFI Group (Pty) Ltd, Edward Hector, will address the issue: Unlocking energy savings in central-plant air-conditioning systems.

Thereafter, Tony Bales, dealmaker and Epping industrial-property specialist, will talk on how the industrial property market is changing.

The Cape Town conference will conclude with property economist Erwin Rodes presentation entitled Prospects for property in uncertain times.

Johannesburg

The annual one-day Rode Conference in Johannesburg  also sponsored by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) Properties will be held on Monday, 27 August, at the Sandton Sun Hotel, Sandton.

As with the Cape Town conference, Arthur Kamp, Investment Economist at Sanlam Investment Management (SIM), will again be the first to take to the stage.

The shopping-centre market is coming under increasing pressure, necessitating regular refurbishment, and Marius Muller, CEO of Pareto Limited, will follow with his presentation The joys and agony of refurbishing shopping centres. Pareto is a R12-billion unlisted shopping-centre fund owned by the Government Employees Pension Fund.

Next, Rob Wesselo who is a managing partner at International Housing Solutions (IHS), will share his thoughts on residential investment as an institutional asset class.

Should South African property investors consider Australia? Errol Diamond, CEO of Diamond Properties (Australia) and Diamond Property Group (South Africa), has a unique perspective on both countries, so he will consider this subject in depth.

This will be followed by Dries du Toits presentation, This time its different.

Thereafter, bestselling author Dolf de Roos will share his insights into Economic busts and real estate. De Roos has run public seminars throughout Australia, New Zealand, Asia, North America, and Europe, has trained real estate agents, and has written and published eight best-selling property books, including Real Estate Riches. Consequently, his views on property are held in high esteem, and he is often asked to address investors' conferences, appear on radio shows, and take part in television debates.

A presentation by Theo Venter, special adviser to the vice-chancellor of the North West University will address the issue: From Polokwane to Mangaung  the impact of power-plays in the ANC on policy stability and the building industry.

The Johannesburg conference will conclude with property economist and professional valuer Erwin Rodes presentation entitled Prospects for property in uncertain times.

Kura Chihota, CEO of Ascendant Property Fund, an unlisted Zimbabwean property fund, and Summit TV presenter, will be acting as master of ceremonies at both the Cape Town and Johannesburg conferences.

Breakfast events: Durban and Pretoria

The breakfast in Pretoria, sponsored by Sake24 together with ACSA Properties, will be held on Tuesday, 28 August, at the Centurion Lake Hotel in Centurion. Dawie Roodt, executive director of the Efficient Group, will present a talk entitled Internasionale en plaaslike ekonomiese perspektief: n Plan vir SA. Erwin Rode will then present his talk entitled Die eiendomsmark in onseker tye.

The breakfast event in Durban sponsored by ACSA Properties will be held on Friday, 31 August, at The Oyster Box in Umhlanga. Here, Dennis Dykes, group chief economist of Nedbank Limited and 2012 Sake24 Economist of the Year, will share his thoughts on the prospects for the macro-economy. Erwin Rode will follow with his presentation on the property market.

Dolf de Roos will close the breakfast event with a talk on Economic busts and real estate.
A former Morgan County employee who pleaded guilty in 2018 to the theft of thousands of taxpayers dollars has been arrested on charges of theft over $100,000 in connection with the illegal use of a credit card.

Stacy S. Brickey, 46, of 20 Maple Creek Estates, Woodson, was arrested Jan. 19 and booked into the Morgan County jail.

Jacksonville Police Department Lt. Doug Thompson said police were told by a former employer of Brickey that the employer had noticed some fraudulent purchases made on a credit card; a subsequent investigation led police to Brickey.

"We're not able to release the employer's name nor the total amount at this time," Thompson said Tuesday, noting that the investigation is ongoing.

Brickey pleaded guilty in 2018 to one count of theft after she used a Morgan County credit card to buy personal items such as groceries, gift cards and a generator during her time as an administrative assistant for the Morgan County Highway Department.

As part of her agreement, a charge of official misconduct was dropped and she was sentenced to 90 days in jail with two years probation. She also was to pay $38,824 in restitution to the county in $500-a-month payments.

After the original sentencing, Assistant State's Attorney Chad Turner said that Brickeys previously clean criminal history and the fact that she has work lined up after her release from jail led the state to believe a short jail sentence plus probation would be the best way to get taxpayers' money back.

Brickey was employed as an administrative assistant for the Morgan County Highway Department from March 2014 until she was terminated in January 2017.

Brickey now is facing a Class 1 felony charge of theft between $100,000 and $500,000 and a Class 3 felony charge for use of an account number or code with intent to defraud, according to court records.

During Brickey's first court appearance on Thursday, her bond was set at $100,000. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Brickey remained lodged in Morgan County jail.
The U.S. airline industry, which is notorious for delayed flights, is now trying to postpone the takeoff of Americas 5G communications network. And  as is often the case with the airlines  its not exactly clear what this delay is all about.

Last week, top airline executives sent a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg claiming the launch of 5G could ground flights and leave passengers stranded. They are asking the Biden administration to take immediate action to block the launch.

AT&T and Verizon plan to roll out their new C-Band 5G service a few days later.

The dawn (or maybe pre-dawn) of the 5G age was initially set for Jan. 5. But at the last minute, the Department of Transportation and FAA asked cell carriers to hold off for two weeks. At the time, Buttigieg cited aviation safety concerns as the reason for the delay.

While both companies honored Buttigiegs request, they might be forgiven for muttering, What the ... Really? Now? And for suspecting that the airlines are running a hustle on their industry.

Last year, the major wireless carriers paid $82 billion to the federal government to operate their 5G services at 3.7 GHz in the C-band of the electromagnetic spectrum. But just as the carriers were about to hit start on 5G, several airline industry groups began shouting that C-band wireless communications might interfere with  and potentially even disable aircraft equipment  that operates on a nearby frequency. In particular, airline officials said the signal could interfere with the planes radio altimeter.

According to the airline industry advocacy group, Airlines for America, concerns about possible 5G interference and the resulting degradation of onboard systems could result in massive disruption of both passenger and cargo air traffic, including the elimination of flights when it is dark or foggy. Other flights might need to be rerouted to avoid airports with high levels of 5G activity.

And the airlines want you to know this is not an 11th-hour objection. Airlines for America says it has been banging on the counter since 2018, but its concerns were ignored by federal regulators until recently. The 5G postponement was necessary, it insists, because the industry currently has its hands full managing air travel during the current COVID-19 spike.

The telecoms response is Science! They point out 5G wireless stations have been operating near airports in Europe and Asia for years, and planes are not falling out of the sky.

Each day U.S. aircraft, carrying thousands of U.S. citizens, land in these countries without incident and with no expression of concern by the FAA or foreign aviation regulators. This is the classic dog that did not bark. The laws of physics are no different in the United States than in Europe or Asia, says CTIA, the wireless trade group.

Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler noted in a Brookings article that the current techno-flap is nothing new. Cellphones initially interfered with both hearing aids and pacemakers. The long-term answer in both cases was better shielding of those devices, not restricting customers access to wireless service.

Wheeler, who is also a former president of the CTIA, additionally mentioned speculation that the airlines last-minute scare campaign is designed to pressure the wireless industry or the federal government into paying for updated radio altimeters. To avoid the possibility of disrupted air travel, Wheeler notes, the government could pay for the altimeters from the 5G spectrum auction proceeds or impose an additional spectrum-use tariff on the wireless companies to compensate the airlines.

Of course, as Wheeler notes, it is unclear why someone else should have to foot the bill to replace the multi-billion-dollar airline industrys outdated technology. Unless that someone wants to avoid a protracted court battle.

While there is no telling how the courts might rule in such a hypothetical case, the matter would no doubt take years to resolve.

That delay would be a bummer for Americas wireless carriers and consumers, but business as usual for the airlines.
Positive Covid-19 rapid test View Photo

Tuolumne County Public Health reports the death of a man in his 70s due to Covid-19.

There are 137 new Covid-19 positive community cases identified since Monday and one new inmate case. The newly reported community cases include 31 cases age 17 or younger and 27 cases age 60 or older. Tuolumne Countys active community cases increased 14 to 799 including 11 people who are hospitalized.

The state reports the 14-day average for Covid-19 hospitalized patients increased from 19 to 20. The state reports one ICU bed available in Tuolumne County out of six. Vaccination details are no longer reported, the state numbers are here.

The new Covid cases by gender and age: 13 girls and 7 boys age 11 or younger, 10 girls and 7 boys age 12 to 17, 9 women and 12 men age 18 to 29, 14 women and 14 men in their 30s, 9 women and 7 men in their 40s, 12 women and 5 men in their 50s, 9 women and 7 men in their 60s, 3 women and 5 men in their 70s, 1 woman in her 80s and 2 women over 90.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reports 255 currently active inmate cases. There have been 1,909 inmate cases at the Sierra Conservation Center, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) reports the SCC manages 3,133 inmates with 82% vaccinated including all the southern fire conservation camps. They have tested 54% of the prison population in the past 14 days. There are 96 active staff cases reporting they have Covid out of 1,160. A total of 652 staff members report they are or have been Covid positive with a 56% vaccination rate reported among the staff.

The total current case rate, a 14-day average for Tuolumne County decreased to 172.5 from 174.8 per 100,000 population. The case rate reached a low of 15.1 on December 17th. A total of 120 individuals were released from isolation, in all 8,241 have been released from isolation. A total of 60% of the population eligible to get vaccinated has been vaccinated.

If you receive a positive test result, you will likely receive a text from a Virtual Agent to make contact and provide some information on what to do next. You can help slow the spread of COVID-19 by responding to texts, calls, or emails, and self-isolating when you have symptoms or a positive test result. Also notify any close contacts youve had from 2 days before you became ill or got tested. Any close contacts should follow current quarantine guidance and get tested 3-5 days after exposure. If you are at high risk of severe disease or hospitalization, you can contact your doctor to discuss potential treatment options. If you are not symptomatic, have not tested positive for COVID-19 recently, and are not in quarantine, get vaccinated or boosted.

Calaveras County Public Health reports the death of a woman in her 50s due to Coivd-19. There are 103 new cases since Monday, January 21. There are 17 less active cases for a total of 90 active cases including eight Covid hospitalizations. Calaveras reports positive cases age 17 and under number 1,100 or more, a specific number is no longer provided. There are 13 new cases age 65 and older, in total 941 over 65 have been identified with Covid. There are 199 more counted as recovered for a total of 5,694 cases and 56.29% of the eligible population is fully vaccinated in the county. According to the state, Calaveras 14-day average for Covid hospitalizations increased one to eight and there are four ICU beds available.

COVID-19 Testing Free tests can be ordered at covidtests.gov or at usps.com/covidtest. The first tests will ship by the end of January. Tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering through the U.S. Postal Service. USPS reports shipping times of 1-3 days for its first-class package service in the continental United States. The White House emphasized that the website is in beta testing when it made tests available for ordering for the first time today.

Public health recommends scheduling an appointment to get tested 5 days after possible exposure and if you are having any symptoms, to get tested right away. The Tuolumne County State testing site schedule is 7 days a week from 7 AM to 7 PM at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds and will be open on the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, Monday, January 17th. Appointments can be made at www.lhi.care/covidtesting or by calling 888-634-1123. Testing is also available at pharmacies, at Rapid Care, and the hospital emergency department if you are experiencing any symptoms, or contact your healthcare provider. More details are here.

COVID-19 Vaccine the CDC recommends people receive a booster shot if they completed a Pfizer series at least five months ago, or the Moderna series at least six months ago, or a J&J vaccine at least two months ago. Vaccine appointments for children ages 5 to 11 can also be made through myturn.ca.gov, or by calling 833-422-4255, or through local pharmacies, more details are here. For ways to manage a fear of needles or a phobia and help others with it, view the CDCs information guide here. Learn more about self-care strategies by visiting namica.org

County

Date

New

Active (Hospital)

Total 2022 All Cases (All Deaths) Amador 1/24 257 560 (12) 876 5,042

(64) Calaveras 1/25 103 90 (8) 1,246 5,881

(97) Mariposa 1/25 75 73 (17) 710 2,512

(19) Mono 1/24 35 N/A 634 2,609

(7) Stanislaus 1/25 1,043 11,949 (292) 21,798 105,728

(1,525) Tuolumne 1/25 137 799 (11) 3,103 11,107 (158) Reported cases at end of 2021 and 2020
California State Capitol Building View Photo

Sonora, CA  A new proposal would give additional paid time off to California workers and billions in tax cuts to businesses.

Gov. Gavin Newsom today endorsed the legislation that would give workers infected with coronavirus up to two weeks of paid sick leave and businesses up to $6 billion in tax cuts along with other assistance amid the recent Omicron surge. A similar law from last year expired in September when the virus spread slowed significantly. A federal tax credit last year helped to offset some of the costs for businesses, but it is no longer available.

Californias ability to take early budget action will protect workers and provide real relief to businesses reeling from this latest surgeBy extending sick leave to frontline workers with COVID and providing support for California businesses, we can help protect the health of our workforce, while also ensuring that businesses and our economy are able to thrive, stated Newsom.

This latest extension agreement between the governor and top state legislative leaders would end some tax increases on businesses imposed in 2020 when there were fears of a major budget deficit. Instead, state revenues have soared during the pandemic allowing those taxes to end earlier. Also, more money would be spent on a state grant program for businesses and there would be no state taxes charged on some federal grants, all adding up to about $6 billion for businesses.

The extension would work this way, workers would get one week of paid time off and a second week off if they or their family members test positive for the virus. Companies would have to provide the coronavirus test and pay for it. Workers who either refuse to be tested or wont share the results with their employers would not get the extra week off.

Several unions are praising the proposal which still has to be approved by the legislature. Business leaders call on elected leaders to ensure it is a balanced policy and that private-sector employers are not unfairly shouldering the cost of COVID-19. Apply to companies with at least 26 workers, if it becomes law, it would expire in September.
Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has responded positively on handing over of missing Arunachal Pradesh teenager Miram Taron and suggested a place of release.

Taron was reportedly kidnapped by the PLA a week ago from the Indian territory.

Rijiju tweeted: "Hotline exchanged on Republic Day by Indian Army with Chinese PLA. PLA responded positively indicating handing over of our national and suggested a place of release. They are likely to intimate date and time soon. Delay attributed to bad weather conditions on their side."

On Tuesday, the Union minister had said in a tweet: "We are constantly following the case from day one. I appeal to everyone to be cautious in making statements which are not based on facts because the safety and safe return of our Young Arunachal Pradesh youth is the priority."

The Arunachal Pradesh government had also sought the Defence Ministry's intervention to ensure the safe return of Taron.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had earlier said that the Defence Ministry has taken up the matter with the Chinese authority through diplomatic channels.

"I am hopeful that the youth would be released and return to his village soon," the Chief Minister had told the media in Itanagar.

The Chinese Army reportedly abducted Tarom from the Indian territory where China had constructed a 3-4 km road in 2018.

Tarom's friend, who managed to escape, reported the matter to the authorities and brought it to the notice of Tapir Gao, a BJP MP from the Arunachal East Parliamentary constituency.

Gao had tweeted about the incident last week.

In September 2020, the Chinese PLA had reportedly kidnapped five boys from Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district before releasing them after about a week.

The villagers in the region have to trek through the remote mountainous areas due to the lack of proper roads.
Creek Fire Base Camp - 2020 View Photo

Sacramento, CA  New homes built in California are now required to have solar panels installed.

A bill to exempt wildfire victims who lost their homes in the record-setting 2020 fire season will go before the California Assembly on Thursday. A similar bill passed two years ago exempting those impacted by major fires up through January 1, 2020.

Assembly bill 1078 is authored by Fresno Republican Jim Patterson. He says, Thousands of homes were lost in 2020 wildfires. Many of these victims already do not have enough insurance money to cover the cost of rebuilding as it is. AB 1078 will help ease the burden of rebuilding after everything they had was destroyed.

He says the bill would apply to some of the largest wildfires in state history such as the August Complex, SCU Lightning Complex, LNU Complex, Glass, Zogg and Creek fires.
Sonora, CA  The Sonora Police Department reports an employee of a local business allegedly carried out a scam of duplicating multiple receipts and using them to make fraudulent returns.

Police logs indicate that the investigation started on January 12 at the Joann Fabrics and Crafts store on Sanguinetti Road. Officials were told that a store employee was making fraudulent returns and taking cash. Over a two-month period over $2,000 was allegedly stolen from the business. The suspect was gone when officers arrived.

The PD put out a be-on-the-lookout alert to area law enforcement agencies for 34-year-old Amanda Johnson. Days later she was located and taken into custody without incident. The PD says she is charged with felony embezzlement.
Sacramento, CA  Lawmakers at the state capitol are proposing legislation ahead of the upcoming fire season to significantly increase CAL Fires staffing.

Republican Senator Shannon Grove of Bakersfield and Democratic Senator Mike McGuire of Healdsberg are co-authoring a budget proposal that calls for hiring 1,124 additional firefighters. Of which, 356 would be full-time employees, and the others would be seasonal workers. It would allow CAL Fire to meet a national standard that calls for three firefighters per engine.

Senator Grove argues, We are in a pivotal time when it comes to preparing for wildfire season and that includes addressing the CAL FIRE staffing shortage. This legislation will serve as a critical down payment to support our firefighters while they protect life, property, and natural resources for all Californians.

CAL Fire reports that it currently has around 5,300 full-time fire professionals, foresters, and administrative employees; 1,783 seasonal firefighters; 2,750 local government volunteer firefighters; 600 Volunteers in Prevention; and 4,300 inmates and wards that currently provide 196 fire crews.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has greeted the people of India on the occasion of 73rd Republic Day saying that the nations are tied by deep bonds that span through the generations.

In his message, on the eve of the Republic Day, he recalled the Free Trade Agreement between India and the UK and also the joint manufacturing of Corona vaccine by the Oxford-AstraZeneca.

"The UK and India are tied by deep bonds that span through the generations and across some of the greatest modern day challenges we have faced. That is why I want to send my best wishes on behalf of the United Kingdom to the people of India, and to all the British Indians in the UK, on India's Republic Day."

"As two diverse democracies, I am proud of our strong friendship, demonstrated by the launch of free trade negotiations this month and our partnership manufacturing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. I look forward to fortifying those bonds as we bring our ambitions, people and economies together to prosper for the next 75 years and beyond." the message read.

On January 13, 2022, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal launched the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with the United Kingdom along with Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK Secretary of State for International Trade in New Delhi.

The FTA is expected to facilitate the target of doubling bilateral trade between India and the United Kingdom by 2030, set by the Prime Ministers of both the nations, Narendra Modi and Boris Johnson in May 2021.

In May, 2021, AstraZeneca pledged $1 million USD in humanitarian aid to support relief activities in India as well as other communities around the world hardest hit by the pandemic.

This includes directing $250,000 USD to Direct Relief to support their efforts in India, which includes the distribution of oxygen concentrators, medicines, other supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) to provide treatment and care for those with Covid-19.

"We remain steadfast in our continued commitment to changing the course of the pandemic for the people of India," said Pascal Soriot, Chief Executive Officer, AstraZeneca on AstraZeneca's support to India during the second wave of the corona pandemic.
Have you recently been driving southbound down 281 when you noticed the words "you are beautiful" beaming back at you during your commute? The new installation, appropriately dubbed "You Are Beautiful," is now on view at the 1221 Broadway parking garage downtown.

The public, text-based artwork was pieced together by San Antonio-based Valence, a self-described "multi-disciplinary group of problem solvers." Valence partner Robert Amerman bills the project as a "love letter" to San Antonio in a press statement.

The nearly 60-foot-long sculpture is set to illuminate San Antonio skies indefinitely with the soft glow of linear LED lights. It will be visible to pedestrians off the Broadway Corridor and those traversing 281 and the I-35 interchange.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Camille Sauers/MySA Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Courtesy of Valence Show More Show Less 3 of 3





After a tough couple of years, Valence, which primarily deals in strategic relations, wanted to do something to give back to the community to boost morale, says partner Alexander Hilmy. Considering Amerman's nine years working on public art projects with the San Antonio River Foundation, the group decided that the massive sculpture was the way to go.

While admitting that the sign is not a cure-all remedy, Hilmy hopes it might make a difference. "Maybe this can put some smiles on people's faces, whether they're on their way home, or they're a tourist or a local," Hilmy tells MySA.

Courtesy of Valence

Hilmy suggests the sign is directed toward the individual and the city itself, adding, "We are beautiful, together. That is our strength. A strength that the project celebrates every day.

The Valence Group, comprising of Amerman, Hilmy, and Richard Tobin II, enlisted the help of U.S Signs and Area Real Estate to help craft and erect each letter.

After plans to pin the letters to the old Borden milk plant in the Pearl district fell through, client David Adelman of Area Real Estate suggested to the team that they use his highly visible 1221 Broadway property to bring their vision to life.

Courtesy of Valence

The privately funded project has been in the works for nearly a year.

While Valence is a business, the spectacle is not for any business-related reason, Hilmy adds.

"It's definitely not an advertisement. We don't consider ourselves a public art company. So it was just kind of totally like, this seems kind of fun to do."

The installation is set to be completed Tuesday evening. Following completion, drone images of the sign and further details will be available on DearSanAntonio.com.
Smoke BBQ + Skybar

Smoke BBQ + Skybar, the downtown bar and venue that's brought in Nelly, 2 Chainz, 50 Cent, and more to San Antonio, is getting a rework. Records show owner Adrian Martinez is adding amenities just in time for summer parties.

The 12,000-square-foot bar currently features a stage, VIP cabana-style seating, plenty of bench space on two lawns, two bars, and numerous TVs to catch sporting events. Downtown skyline views are another pull for Martinez and his team. Records filed through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation show a $250,000 expansion is in the works. The expected completion is set for June 1. Once complete, Smoke will boast a new roof deck and dining room nearing 4,000 square feet, records show.
Josie Norris /San Antonio Express-News

A $992.6 million bond is now in the hands of Northside ISD voters when the package appears on the ballot in May. Here's what you need to know.

The board of trustees approved the bond ballot measure Tuesday evening, hoping voters will be in favor of improved infrastructure, renovations, a new school, transportation, technology, and facility replacements.
This article is part of a series on SA2020s annual reporting of San Antonios progress. Check out the first article to learn more about SA2020 and San Antonios shared Community Vision.

This Wednesday, SA2020, the nonprofit that drives progress toward a shared Community Vision for San Antonio, will update its website with the latest community data showing where San Antonio stands on reaching shared goals.

This update covers more than 55 indicators from nearly 30 sources, showing a clear snapshot of how closeor farwe are, collectively, to the communitys vision for the year 2030.

But to look at the indicators merely as moving closer or further away from the shared goals misses the opportunity to see a more complete pictureone that includes seeing how you can use your influence and expertise to make a greater impact in the community.

SA2020 will also reveal on Wednesday a brand new, interactive visualization that shows where more than 100 local nonprofit organizations have aligned their work to the Community Vision. This new feature invites you to learn more about the work of local nonprofits and get involved with their work to help realize a better future.

Image of systems map for Community

SA2020 Nonprofit Partner organizations are integral to San Antonios progress. They work every day to make the city better, change peoples lives, and move San Antonio closer to reaching the Community Vision. SA2020 supports their work through collaboration, data-sharing, storytelling, and capacity-building.

SA2020s 109 Nonprofit Partners serve people in every neighborhood across San Antonio, with 83% serving all ten City Council districts. While Nonprofit Partners touch all nine Community Results, the majority86%move the needle on Education, followed by Health (65%), Neighborhoods (65%), and Economic Development (62%).

From the systems maps, youll be able to click to Partner Profiles and find out more information about their impact, including their mission, annual revenue, geographic reach, and the breadth of people who serve the organization, including volunteers, interns, part-time and full-time staff, and boards of directors.

SA2020

Video interacting with Community and landing on Partner Profile page

In 2021, in the face of the COVID-19 crisis, 109 Nonprofit Partners employed 7,321 people and brought in $650 million in revenue. This doesnt even include the 21,901 volunteers who served 596,000 volunteer hours. Using The Independent Sectors hourly estimated value of each volunteer hour in Texas ($26.43) these volunteers contributed over $15.7 million to the nonprofit sector and, therefore, San Antonio's economy.

Part of the Community Vision reads: In 2030, our entire community takes responsibility for our collective well-being. San Antonio fosters leaders across the community who collaborate to reach shared goals. Institutions across sectors value community-based knowledge and build trusted relationships.

As you explore SA2020s latest community data and the new website features, we invite you to be curious: Which Community Results speak to your heart? Given your influence and expertise, how might you make a greater impact for San Antonios future?

And if youre interested in joining others in community, we invite you to buy a ticket and join in from Wednesday to Friday for The Collectivethree days of community-led learning designed to inspire community-driven action. Learn more at SA2020.org/thecollective.

Images/video:

1. A photo of SA2020s community visioning event in early 2020

2. New systems map feature coming this week to SA2020.org

3. Interacting with the new features on SA2020.org
As much fun as it is to lift up rocks and examine creepy crawlies, even then, sometimes less is more. So well stick to the high points of the latest Pfizer vaccine anomaly, this one on the stop and go Omicron booster, and let readers, particularly readers with intel or at least knowledge of clinical trials and normal FDA approval processes, opine further.

Recall that one of the widely-touted reasons for being excited about the brave new world of mRNA vaccines was that new versions designed to target mutations could ostensively be developed in a week or two. Mind you, it was understood that it would still take time for them to be properly tested for efficacy and then subject to regulatory review/approval.

Recall further that despite the supposed miraculous tunabilty of mRNA vaccines, no one launched a Delta booster. We discussed this lapse in a December post:

One reason was that Delta overlapped with the older variants a bit before becoming dominant. Second is that the performance of the original vaccines didnt fall as much in reducing risk of hospitalizations and death as it appears to when boosted for Omicron. Sadly the vaccines did do more to reduce contagion of the wild type virus than Delta, but that change doesnt get much mention. But as far as I can tell, the idea of developing a new vaccine targeting Delta wasnt even seriously entertained. Our GM described an additional issue which I never saw mentioned in the press: the Delta variations were orthogonal to some other variants. So while the original vaccine was pretty effective against wild type and Delta and the orthogonal variants, one aimed at Delta would not do much to combat the orthogonal variants. So it made sense to stick with the original vaccine as a reasonable good enough for all current seasons compromise.

Recall additionally that when the obviously fast-moving and super-different Omicron burst onto the scene, experts who werent cognitively or financially captured were warning it would significantly or entirely evade the current vaccines. That concern was quickly confirmed by who fell to early outbreaks in Norway and Denmark. And then at the end of November, the great unwashed public was subjected to narrative conflict. As we wrote then:

After repeatedly claiming that a Biden Administration would follow the science on Covid, it now appears to be hoist on its petard of instead relying on least effort approaches combined with better propaganda, aka placing all its bets on vaccines. These headlines illustrate the problem. The first is the lead in the Wall Street Journal; the second is from the Financial Times:

Recall finally that early in the Omicron march across the globe, Pfizer said it would have an Omicron booster read to roll by early March. But the Biden administration bizarrely went to war with that idea. Hoisting again from our late December post, Maybe No Omicron Boosters?:

Even though Pfizer and then other vaccine-makers said they could have a booster targeting Omicron out in three months or so, the Administration is talking down the possibility of one. That seems odd in that: 2 vaccine doses barely create a dent against Omicron, and previous infection, according to initial Imperial College data didnt either (although some other studies suggest prior infection could blunt severity; the jury is still out on many important Omicron questions) There is good evidence that a booster of the current vaccines reduces the odds of severe outcomes, but not to the same degree as against earlier variants. However, its not as clear even against the original variants whether a booster produces as long-lived immunity as the first shots did; it may be shorter, even before you get to how it behaves against Omicron. Israel is launching its fourth round of booster shots only five months after offering boosters to the highest-risk populations. In other words, given that some, perhaps many, members of the public wont be happy about a more than twice a year vaccination regime, if one is to stay current, another reason to back an Omicron-specific booster is it might last longer against Omicron than the current vaccines, which were developed against the wild type virus. its disconcerting to see what sure looks like official reducing of expectations regarding getting an Omicron booster around March, as Pfizer and now others have indicated. From Top regulator says need for Omicron vaccine depends on staying power of variant in STAT: Whether Americans will need additional vaccines specifically tailored to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant of the coronavirus may depend on how long it circulates in the United States, a top regulator told STAT in an interview Wednesday. If it turns out that Omicron is the new variant that actually things settle into, well then of course we will probably need an Omicron-specific vaccine, said Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administrations top vaccine regulator. On the other hand, if this is just a variant thats passing through and we get [a new variant] in a month or two, we wont need that. Marks added that Omicron is a very, very fast-moving virus that could pass across this country within a matter of a few weeks, and that he does not know for sure whether Omicron-specific jabs will be needed. All three manufacturers with vaccines authorized in the United States  Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson  are currently readying Omicron-specific vaccines. Pfizer has said it could begin delivering its Omicron-specific vaccine by March, pending FDA approval. Huh? Unless you assume Omicron will be displaced by yet another variant, even those who were boosted will need a new shot in 5-6 months. And even assuming perfect compliance, 75% odds of not getting a serious infection falls to 42% if you play that game three times, as in go 15-18 months under an Omicron regime. While if an Omicron booster lowers the odds of serious infection by 90%, the risk of getting a bod case over the same time period with perfect compliance is 73%. And to the degree the risk reduction is higher than 90%, the better the long-term odds. And you dont have to go far into the article to see that our suspicion, that this messaging reflected an Administration preference, looks correct, particularly when contrasted with the fact that the vaccine-makers are moving ahead with Omicron products: The Biden administration has signaled that it plans to fight the spread of Omicron through existing booster shots, which were not formulated specifically for Omicron. Early data suggest that the booster shots from Moderna and Pfizer significantly enhance protection against the Omicron variant Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical adviser of the Biden Covid-19 response, has expressed doubts about the need for Omicron-specific shots. Even if you wonder about the wisdom of having to get repeatedly jabbed with Covid vaccines, the risk/return tradeoff is clearly better, all other things being equal, with a more effective vaccine. So if you are going to use mRNA vaccines to combat Omicron, that argues for a sure-to-be-more-potent Omicron booster against Omicron rather than a less ooomphy one designed to beat the wild type variant.

Back to the current post. The latest development is that Pfizer announced that it was starting clinical trials for its Omicron booster yesterday:

As part of ongoing efforts to address #Omicron & determine the potential need for variant-based vaccines, with our partner @BioNTech_Group, we initiated a study evaluating an Omicron-based #COVID19 vaccine candidate in adults 18 through 55. Learn more: https://t.co/qXhl3F0XjX pic.twitter.com/WdgQRxB1jY  Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) January 25, 2022

From the press release:

The study will have three cohorts examining different regimens of the current Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or an Omicron-based vaccine. The study will draw upon some participants from the companies Phase 3 COVID-19 booster study and is part of their ongoing efforts to address Omicron and determine the potential need for variant-based vaccines. The study will evaluate up to 1,420 participants across the three cohorts: Cohort #1 (n = 615): Received two doses of the current Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 90-180 days prior to enrollment; in the study, participants will receive one or two doses of the Omicron-based vaccine

Cohort #2 (n = 600): Received three doses of the current Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine 90-180 days prior to enrollment; in the study, participants will receive one dose of the current Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine or the Omicron-based vaccine

Cohort #3 (n=205): Vaccine-naive participants will receive three doses of the Omicron-based vaccine

1420 participants? Across three cohorts? This is a joke, not a serious study. And the age group is 18 to 55, so it excludes those most in need of protection, the elderly

IM Doc commented:

Am I reading this correctly? The Omicron shot will actually be a brand new series of three more shots? They must be smoking something.

And GM:

This is bonkers.They are only now starting the trial. We are indeed likely not getting an updated vaccine

Bizarrely, Pfizer is still messaging that it will have a vaccine ready to go by March, when starting now with recruiting, getting participants jabbed, and compiling the data and writing up the results for an FDA submission for a mere single Omicron booster would take until the start of March at the very earliest. The FDA has to take at least a smidge of time for review.

And given the three cohorts, Pfizer presumably ought to wait for at least the results of one Omicron booster v. two, and better yet, a three shot regime. Im not even guesstimating a timeline beyond pointing out the obvious No way by early March.

Oh, and let us not forget the other really big fly in the ointment: BA.2 is on the move, and it looks to be considerably more infectious than Omicron.

Yet Pfizer is clearly messaging its early March fantasy hard. The subhead of an Associated Press story, Pfizer opens study of COVID shots updated to match omicron, published yesterday: The highly contagious omicron variant has darkened the worlds outlook on beating the virus, but new boosters could be ready by as early as March.

I supposed one could surmise that Pfizer has shifted the goalposts on what ready means.

Our GM added:

This is all a charade.

If they had any real intention of stopping Omicron with vaccines, production would have been running 24/7 on November 30th the latest. After all its a copy-paste operation for the RNA and then you need to make new labels for the tubes. With no testing  you dont have time for that, nor has it been done historically for flu pandemics.

So if you believe in the vaccines, as the Administration clearly does, what gives? Had they bought a ton of mRNA vaccine inventory, say for the VA, and didnt want to toss it? Or were they so wedded to their storyline that theyd rather urge Americans to keep taking a highly-certain-to-be-only-marginally-effective booster than tell them theyd have to wait for better?

This is shaping up to be a case study of short seller David Einhorns favorite saying, No matter how bad you think it is, its worse. And here, we are looking at putting more nails in the coffin of our fading empire, just as the Spanish flu was arguably the death knell for the Ottoman Empire. Or you could just measure the damage in deaths, shortened lifespans, and impaired health for many.
Getting a revolver delivered to a home in Pakistan is as easy as ordering a pizza.

A person can choose their preferred weapon on social media, make a phone call to the dealer, agree upon a price and a few days later, a courier will knock on their door, Samaa TV reported. This delivery service is available across Pakistan.

One might think that this network might be operating in shadow or under several layers of secrecy. But, in this case, there are Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups to sift through a catalogue of weapons.

A Pak citizen who got weapons delivered to his home told Samaa TV that his weapon was shipped from Dara Adamkhel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi. It cost him Rs 38,000.

The person, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he was not asked for a licence before the delivery. The entire deal was done over the phone.

"I sent Rs 10,000 as advance through Easy Paisa and the remaining amount of Rs 28,000 was paid after checking the weapon," he said, as per the report.

The cheapest delivery is in Karachi. There are two separate networks: the first is weapons dealers, the second is those who deliver it.

There is no limit on the type of weapons being sold and delivered. From a 9mm pistol to an AK-47, everything is on sale.

Think about things you can get delivered at home after ordering online and certainly weapons wouldn't be one of them. But this is not the case in Pakistan.
My Nashville Post role has evolved since 2000 when I joined the now-defunct The City Paper. TCP became a Post sister publication in 2008 (when I began doing some Post work) and folded in 2013. I have been managing editor of the Post since late 2011.

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(Natural News) We have another welcomed addition to the Brighteon.TV family, and his name is Doug Billings.

A conservative commentator who worked 23 years as a human resources executive, Billings describes himself as a victim  of the wildly unnecessary economic shutdowns due to the (highly survivable) CoViD19 plandemic.

It was at this time I took note of our beloved Republic in a new way, Billings explains on his website about what prompted him to launch The Right Side with Doug Billings, which airs on Brighteon.TV every Friday from 4-5pm EST.

It is under attack from within and from outside our borders, Billings says about the United States.

Just recently, Billings spoke with Gen. Michael Flynn, a retired lieutenant general in the U.S. Army and former national security adviser who was pardoned by President Donald Trump.

This video is from the Brighteon TV channel on Brighteon.com.

The radical left and their elected class want to radically transform America away from the Divine Providence of God who inspired our Founders to write the three most significant documents (other than the Bible) in the history of mankind, Billings says.

1. The United States Declaration of Independence. 2. The United States Constitution. 3. The United States Bill of Rights.

Doug Billings wants to fix 2020 by engaging in 2022

In the inaugural episode of his program with Gen. Flynn, Billings discusses strategies to fix 2020, meaning the election that was stolen by Joe Biden and his cronies right in the middle of the plandemic.

In my opinion, in order for us to fix 2020, we clearly have to get engaged in 2022, Billings says.

As Flynn has gotten to know Billings, he believes that Billings is set to become the next Rush Limbaugh due to his presenting style and the way he goes about advocating for conservative causes.

Its not just about voting, Billings says further about how 2020 can be fixed in 2022.

We still have a fight to engage in, Flynn agrees, emphasizing that the next election is critical, in his opinion.

The recent gubernatorial election in Virginia, Flynn says, is a powerful example of how showing up en masse to vote is critically important for bringing about real change.

The turnout in Virginia was a stunning turnout. It was a presidential-level turnout, not only with Youngkin as the new governor, but they also turned the states legislature from blue to red.

Its the first time since 2004, so almost 20 years in the state of Virginia, so it is a big win.

The election fraud that occurred in 2020 in states like Arizona and Wisconsin cannot be forgotten, of course, especially since it will just happen again in 2024 and beyond if the factors that caused it are not remedied.

Things are going to continue to come out, and nothing is ever as fast as people want it to be, particularly when it comes to investigations, Flynn explained during the segment. But the one thing that I do know, and this is really speaking for the future, is we have to get people out to vote.

And that means weve got to encourage people around the local level  local action has a national impact  so get involved in your communities, become a precinct volunteer, get involved with campaigns, and if you feel up to it, run for elected office. Definitely get involved with the election commission at the county level  these are big issues, and these are big deals that people need to start to become awakened to.

The conversation between Billings and Flynn is worth your time, so be sure to take some time to listen to the entire episode above.

You can also catch more amazing video content like this from other American patriots at Brighteon.TV.

Sources for this article include:

DougBillings.us

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Our latest free, downloadable audio book is called, Ghost World: 2022  2032 and it is available now at GhostWorld.co

Heres an overview of what the book delivers:

Chapter 1  The Die-Off

Death projections, WHO will be dying and WHERE the deaths will occur. (Hint: largely in blue cities / Democrat strongholds and among certain high-vax professions such as doctors and schoolteachers.)

Chapter 2  Political Consequences

What will happen to upcoming elections (if they even take place) after the Democrat-heavy die-off from vaccines? Blue states will lose census numbers, but Democrats are replacing their own dead voters with illegal immigrants as replacements.

Chapter 3  Economic Consequences

Analysis of what happens to the stock market, gold and silver, real estate, supply chains, food supplies and more. Prepare for the most severe disruptions of your life.

Chapter 4  Living in the Ghost World post-collapse economy

How to maintain the ability to provide value in a collapsed society  barter, trade, production, currencies and the mass decentralization of economic power. The rise of the secondhand economy and repair professions, salvage operations and more.

Chapter 5  Cultural consequences

What will happen to the culture as the die-off accelerates? The rule of law, local self-governance, fertility and more.

Chapter 6  Gluts and scarcity

A detailed look at what items will be in excess supply as the die-off accelerates: Used cars, homes, firearms, clothing, etc. What will be scarce? Vehicle tires, fossil fuels, electronics parts, labor resources and more.

Chapter 7  Summary

Where this all leads as the global population collapse takes its course. The elimination of the obedient, brainwashed masses; global government and its control systems and much more.

Get the full, free, instant download at GhostWorld.co

Download all the MP3 files to your local devices or computers. This way, they cannot censor this book since you will have the hard files yourself. Feel free to re-post the MP3s on other platforms or channels. Help spread the word.

Heres chapter one, rendered as a video:

Brighteon.com/2a7fbd72-9868-4e7a-991f-353809de608a

What will unfold as the vaccine genocide accelerates

Trending post-vaccination death rates show that at least one-third of those who are vaccinated will die over the next decade. With multiple booster shots administered, as much as half the global population could be eliminated via vaccines (due to so-called non-covid deaths that the media will blame on a lack of medical staffing).

Thats because these vaccines are deliberate depopulation bioweapons, and they are being forced onto the population by globalists who believe they are saving the planet by urgently reducing the human footprint on Earths resources. They are convinced this will bring the planet back from the brink of ecological collapse.

Each day, 30 million more human beings are vaccinated with gene-altering, cancer-causing covid vaccines. (Source: OurWorldInData.org) That means 10 million more people are condemned to death by lethal injection each day. If this rate of mass vaccination continues through early 2023, it will mean that over half the worlds population could be dead by the end of 2032, given the increased mortality rates we are seeing in early 2022.

This mass die-off will have catastrophic consequences on human civilization. Blue cities with high vaccination rates will collapse into Mad Max conditions. Stock markets will collapse. Nations will fall. War will erupt. Mass starvation, famine, lawlessness and violence will become the norm in many areas. This could be the end of civilization as we know it.

In many blue cities, the homes and apartments of the dead will be auctioned off to salvage teams who will reclaim used appliances, clothing, firearms and will even strip the copper wire out of entire neighborhoods due to the skyrocketing value of practical metals.

But survivors will gather in rural areas of America and other nations. Red states  free states  will launch their own currencies, and in many areas, open commerce and the rebuilding of America will thrive.

Ghost World 2022  2032 reveals the blueprint of how all this is going to look and how you and your family can survive the global turmoil (and mass genocide) that has already been unleashed.

The book is free to download right now. You can download the audio MP3 files and printable PDF file for a hardcopy transcript of the entire book (perfect for the hearing impaired).

Get it now at GhostWorld.co

And check out all my free, downloadable audiobooks at https://audiobooks.naturalnews.com

Coming up soon:

Battlefield America  An interview series with Steve Quayle (the website, when ready, will be BattlefieldAmerica.co)

Resilient Prepping  How to create low-tech, off-grid preparedness and survival solutions for every area of your life (the website, when ready, will be ResilientPrepping.com)

Thank you for your support. Stay informed and stay alive. The future of humanity needs you.
(Natural News) Missouri Attorney General (AG) Eric Schmitt on Friday, Jan. 21, filed a lawsuit against 36 school districts (SDs) in the state. The suit filed by the states Republican top attorney sought to challenge mask mandates implemented to control the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) in schools.

On Jan. 24, the GOP AG sued an additional nine SDs  bringing the total number of districts facing legal action over mask mandates to 45.

School districts do not have the authority to impose, at their whim, public health orders for their schoolchildren. That is doubly true when the public health order, in this case face masks, creates a barrier to education that far outweighs any speculative benefit, Schmitt said.

The AG elaborated on his lawsuit during an appearance for local St. Louis station FOX 2.

I think what we know now is theres no data to support that masks are effective. But we do know that theres a mounting body of evidence that shows the psychological and social harms from the forced masking of kids. So were taking them to court. Were [going to] fight on behalf of parents and the ability of people, individuals and families to make these decisions themselves, he said.

Schmitt cited the COVID-19 statistics of places such as New York City and Los Angeles that implemented mask mandates. These cities saw a spike in COVID-19 cases despite the restrictions. The fact is cloth masks are ineffective. If you want to do that, go ahead and do it. But you shouldnt force everybody else to do it, he added. (Related: New Jersey state senators argue mask mandate for children is NOT supported by science.)

Meanwhile, the 36 SDs named as defendants in Schmitts Jan. 21 lawsuit told FOX 2 they are aware of the suit and consulting their attorneys on the matter.

Schmitt: Mask mandates in schools also an overreach of power

Francis Howell SD (FHSD), one of the 36 named in the initial lawsuit, said it has a legal right to establish mask mandates in schools under its jurisdiction. Jeanie Smith, communications director for the district, said in a statement: We have consulted with our legal counsel and are confident that our Board of Education has the authority to establish mask requirements and other [COVID-19] mitigation measures.

Smith also took a swipe at the states top attorney, saying that the AG is not elected to make decisions for FHSD students and staff. Top officials at the school district also concurred with the statement, calling Schmitts lawsuit a waste of taxpayer money. They added that elected officials should be supporting schools instead of suing SDs.

The GOP AG put in his two cents regarding the St. Louis Public SD extending its mask mandate to an additional three weeks. Thats illegal. They dont have the authority to do it. The [Missouri] General Assembly has never given SDs the authority to force the masking of kids and quarantines.

According to Schmitt, SDs can only issue health rules in their schools which are provided by the state legislature. The Missouri General Assembly did not authorize SDs to mandate in-person attendance in classes based on mask-wearing orders, he added.

Schmitt has also challenged mask mandates issued by city and county officials. He earlier sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) against St. Louis Countys mask mandate. The order issued Jan. 5 by the county council mandated face masks be worn indoors by those aged five years and older  regardless of vaccination status.

According to a report by Riverfront Times, a judge declined to issue a TRO against the mandate. In response, Schmitt said in a statement that the ruling was a purely technical decision.

More related stories:

St. Louis County Council votes to overturn mask mandate.

Wisconsin high court STRIKES DOWN governors mask mandate.

Texas county sheriffs REFUSE to enforce Gov. Abbotts mask mandate.

Watch the video below of Brighteon.TV host Dr. Eric Nepute praising Schmitt for his legal action against mask mandates on Real Talk with Dr. Eric Nepute.

This video is from the BrighteonTV channel on Brighteon.com.

Visit Resist.news for more about legal actions against COVID-19 mask mandates.

Sources include:

CitizenFreePress.com

AGO.MO.gov

YouTube.com

RiverfrontTimes.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The World Health Organization (WHO) said the B11529 omicron variant could spell the end of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Europe. However, it warned against complacency as other variants could possibly emerge.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Dr. Hans Kluge told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a Jan. 23 interview: Its plausible that the region is moving toward a kind of pandemic endgame. However, he projected that once the current COVID-19 surge in Europe driven by omicron subsides, there will be, for quite some weeks and months, a global immunity either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity due to the infection, and also lowering seasonality.

Studies have shown that while the omicron variant first discovered in South Africa is more infectious, it causes less severe sickness. This has provided a breath of relief with regard to COVID-19  as the pandemic could shift to a more manageable endemic illness similar to influenza. According to Kluge, it could infect 60 percent of Europes population by March 2022.

We anticipate that there will be a period of quiet before COVID-19 may come back toward the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic coming back, Kluge continued.

However, the WHO director for Europe warned that its too early to consider COVID-19 as endemic. There is a lot of talk about endemic, but endemic means that it is possible to predict whats going to happen. The virus has surprised [us] more than once, so we have to be very careful, Kluge told AFP.

The WHOs Africa office shared the same sentiment, pointing out that COVID-19 cases in the region were on a downtrend and deaths caused by the disease were declining. In a statement, it said that South Africa had seen COVID-19 infections dwindle over the past four weeks. (Related: South African health workers: Symptoms associated with omicron are very mild.)

Despite this, WHO Regional Director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti issued a warning that the continent has yet to turn the tables on this pandemic. She continued: So long as the virus continues to circulate, further pandemic waves are inevitable.

Boosters not the best option against omicron

Kluge gave a cautious response when asked about the need for COVID-19 vaccine boosters to end the pandemic.

The WHO Europe director reiterated that instead of stopping transmission, minimizing disruption of hospital, schools and the economy and putting huge efforts on protecting the vulnerable should be the utmost priorities. He also exhorted people to exercise personal responsibility. If you dont feel well, stay home [and] take a self-test. If youre positive, isolate, Kluge said during his interview with AFP.

According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, omicron is now the dominant variant in the European Union. It has also become the dominant strain in the expanded European Economic Area  which includes all the EU member countries and non-EU member states Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

Marco Cavaleri of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) also shared Kluges opinion that omicron could bring about the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and turn it into an endemic disease. With the increase of immunity in [the] population, there will be a lot of natural immunity taking place on top of vaccination. We will be fast moving toward a scenario that will be closer to endemicity, he said.

Thus, the EMA official warned that frequent injection of COVID-19 boosters may not be the best option to address omicron. Cavaleri explained: While use of additional boosters can be part of contingency plans, repeated vaccinations within short intervals would not represent a sustainable long-term strategy.

According to Cavaleri, the omicron variants ability to bypass vaccine-induced immunity meant that more people would have breakthrough infections.

More related articles:

AstraZeneca vaccine creator says continual Covid vaccine booster shots are UNSUSTAINABLE

European Medicines Agency advises against frequent COVID boosters, warns of risks

WHO warns against boosters, says strategy not viable for new variants

Watch the video below of WHO Chief Scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan saying there is no evidence children and teenagers need COVID-19 boosters.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

Infections.news has the latest news about the omicron variant.

Sources include:

SCMP.com

TimesOfIsrael.com 1

TimesOfIsrael.com 2

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) Dr. Andrew Huff, vice president of EcoHealth Alliance, is claiming that the firms president, Dr. Peter Daszak, who helped fund dangerous gain of function research at Chinas Wuhan Institute of Virology, told him that he works for the Central Intelligence Agency and that the company is a front for the CIA.

According to a report detailed on Substack by an independent journalist called Kanekoa, Huff earned his Ph.D in environmental health with a specialty in emerging diseases before he became associate vice president of EcoHealth Alliance. While working for the firm, he says he was tasked with finding novel methods of bio-surveillance, data analytics, and visualization for disease detection.

The company, which is led by Daszak, receives funding from a number of U.S. government agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is led by Joe Bidens chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci.

EcoHealth Alliance, Kanekoa notes, partnered with Dr. Ralph Baric of the University of North Carolina as well as Dr. Shi Zhengli of the Wuhan Institute of Virology to conduct gain of function research on bat-borne viruses found in China before the COVID-19 pandemic initially began.

The report said that Daszak led the screening of thousands of bat samples for novel coronaviruses, which also involved screening people who work with live animals.

These new revelations add to the growing body of evidence that COVID-19 was created at the Wuhan lab and either escaped somehow or was developed as a bioweapon and intentionally released, likely to occupy then-President Donald Trump with something other than continuing to punish China with tariffs in a bid to level the playing field when it came to bilateral trade.

But Daszak, of course, vehemently denies thats where COVID came from, or that he was involved in gain of function research.

In a Twitter thread posted earlier this month, Huff noted:

For the Record: In 2015, Dr. Peter Daszak stopped me as we were leaving work late at night, and asked me if he should work with the CIA. I was shocked given my experience in security. Over the next 2 months he gave me updates on 3 separate occasions about his work with the CIA.

When he asked me the question I stated Peter, it never hurts to talk with them and there could potentially be money in it. Meanwhile, I was cringing that he told me this, in a non classified setting (a SCIF), to a person that was not read-in, and to a uncleared person (me).

Then, over the next two months at the break area while getting coffee, or between meetings, he stated that they were interested in the places that we were working, the people involved, the data that we were collecting, and that the work with them was proceeding.

He then said that he believes EcoHealth Alliance is actually a CIA front organization that was being utilized for intelligence gathering by the U.S. government:

Looking back, I now believe that EcoHealth Alliance was a CIA front organization to collect viral samples and to collect intelligence on foreign laboratory capacity. There was no way that the data collected or the models being developed, could predict transmission or pandemics.

Contextually, EcoHealth was barely solvent and it was common place to lay off employees with the ebb and flow of federal and private funding. Peter would do anything or say anything to obtain funding. Intelligence organizations often target people in financial distress.

Continuing, Huff said he initially had doubts about Daszaks claims but later came to accept them as fact:

From the CIAs perspective, it was a great plan in my opinion, if what Dr. Peter Daszak said was true. Since it was common place for Peter to lie, I didnt necessarily believe him when he told me. However

Based on the past two months of the US government spending millions of dollars surveilling me and MTRX INC employees, including military aircraft, attempting to destroy my house, bugging everything in it, stealing my property, and hacking all my devices, I believe that the worst is likely true.

He also later noted that the government hacked him, stole his property, and installed electronic surveillance devices throughout his home.

Im back We determined that members of the US Government IC community have been harassing me, broke into my house, stole hard drives, and installed electronic surveillance devices throughout my house. Filing against them in US Federal Court. Unreal. @RaviBatra @joerogan  Dr. Andrew Huff (@AGHuff) January 12, 2022

The lengths our government goes to in order to protect its deep state intelligence apparatus are not conducive to maintaining a free, viable democratic republic.

Sources include:

ThreadReaderApp.com

InfoWars.com
In 2018, the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument onboard ESAs Mars Express orbiter found evidence of liquid water under the ice in Ultimi Scopuli, a region near the south pole of Mars. In new research, a team of researchers from Italy, the United States and Australia measured the properties of ice-brine mixtures as cold as minus 98 degrees Celsius (minus 145 degrees Fahrenheit) to help confirm that salty water likely exists between grains of ice or sediment in Ultimi Scopuli.

With a 40-m (130-foot) antenna, MARSIS flies over the Red Planet, bouncing radio waves over a selected area and then receiving and analyzing the echoes or reflections.

Any near-surface liquid water should send a strong bright signal, whereas the radar signal for ice and rock would be much smaller.

Because conventional models assume the south polar cap of Mars experiences temperatures much lower than the melting point of water, planetary scientists have questioned the presence of liquid water.

Clay, hydrated salts and saline ices have been proposed as potential explanations for the source of the bright basal reflections.

In the new study, Dr. David Stillman from the Department of Space Studies at the Southwest Research Institute and colleagues used previously published data, simulations and new lab measurements.

Lakes of liquid water actually exist beneath glaciers in Arctic and Antarctic regions, so we have Earth analogs for finding liquid water below ice, Dr. Stillman said.

The exotic salts that we know exist on Mars have amazing antifreeze properties allowing brines to remain liquid down to minus 75 degrees Celsius (minus 103 degrees Fahrenheit).

We studied these salts in our lab to understand how they would respond to radar.

The researchers measured the properties of perchlorate brines in an environmental chamber that produces near-liquid-nitrogen temperatures at Mars-like pressures.

The research showed that we dont have to have lakes of perchlorate and chloride brines, but that these brines could exist between the grains of ice or sediments and are enough to exhibit a strong dielectric response, Dr. Stillman said.

This is similar to how seawater saturates grains of sand at the shoreline or how flavoring permeates a slushie, but at minus 75 degrees Celsius below a mile of ice near the south pole of Mars.

The search for water in the cosmos is rooted in searching for potential habitability, because all known life requires water.

In this case following the water has led us to place so cold that life as we know it couldnt flourish, Dr. Stillman said.

But its still interesting, and who knows what evolutionary paths extraterrestrial life may have taken?

A paper on the findigns was published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.

_____

Elisabetta Mattei et al. 2022. Assessing the role of clay and salts on the origin of MARSIS basal bright reflections. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 579: 117370; doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2022.117370
(Natural News) There has been a strange uptick in murders among scientists, doctors and microbiologists ever since the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) was first announced by the government.

Dr. Andreas Noack out of Germany, for instance, was mysteriously offed not long after he publicly discussed the presence of graphene hydroxide in Donald Trumps Operation Warp Speed vaccines.

In the fall of 2020, Noack had police break into his home with guns pointed at him simply for doing a video report that challenged the globalist narrative surrounding covid. Roughly one year later, Noack was found dead inside his home after highlighting the presence of poison inside the jabs.

Not long after his death, Noacks partner put out a video explaining that she believes he was murdered for talking about the nano-scale razor blades that are contained within Fauci Flu shots.

The prospect that Noack was murdered became even more valid after the globalist-backed Politico fake news outlet put out a gatekeeping story not long after that claiming that Noack had simply died from a heart attack.

Yet we all know that the CIA created a heart attack gun that would leave its victims dead of heart attacks, completely untraceable, reported Stefan Stanford from All News Pipeline.

Think that globalists wanting to silence anti-vax researchers, especially such as Dr. Andreas Noack, wouldnt use such a weapon?

If you contradict the government, you might end up on a hit list

If Noacks death was isolated, then maybe one could chalk it all up to chance. The problem is that numerous other vaccine researchers have also turned up dead since the plandemic began.

Another one was Domenico Biscardi out of Italy, who had warned just prior to his life ending that he was planning to go to the European courts with evidence of what he found in the so-called vaccines.

Just like Noack, Biscardi died under mysterious circumstances and his death was blamed on a heart attack.

In this article from History of Yesterday, you can read all about the CIA heart attack gun that is a lot more terrifying than it actually sounds.

Through my readings of declassified CIA files, I have presented various experiments that the CIA constituted, but never have really focused on information that was blightingly out in the open such as the top-secret weapon known as the heart attack gun, explains Andrei Tapalaga.

You can say that the gun looks like a toy at best, especially with that ridiculous scope, but from the descriptions of the American senator Franck Church, the weapon is scary, to say the least, even to todays standards.

Noack and Biscardi are just two cases among many, by the way, of prominent researchers and scientific experts who have had their lives terminated early under suspicious circumstances.

Investigator Steve Quayle has been documenting this phenomenon for many years because of the sheer number of anomalous deaths among experts in science, medicine and health who thought outside the box about their fields of expertise.

Remember Dr. Jeff Bradstreet, M.D., who was found in a river with a gunshot wound to his chest? Or how about Dr. Bruce Hedendal, DC, PhD, who was found dead in his car with no explanation?

There was also Dr. Teresa Sievers, a natural health doctor from Florida who was murdered by an unknown attacker in an upscale neighborhood that experiences very little crime.

Erin Elizabeth at Health Nut News compiled a list back in 2016, long before covid, of 106 holistic doctors and health practitioners who turned up dead. All of them had expressed viewpoints that bucked some official element of science or medicine.

More related news can be found at Twisted.news.

Sources for this article include:

AllNewsPipeline.com

NaturalNews.com

HistoryOfYesterday.com
(Natural News) When a truck that was carrying 100 lab monkeys crashed in Pennsylvania, the public was warned not to approach any of the missing primates, who were being transported to a quarantine facility after arriving in the country from Mauritius. However, one woman who may not have heard the warning and stopped to help has developed symptoms such as a cough and pinkeye after one of the monkeys hissed in her face.

Michelle Fallon had been driving directly behind the vehicle when the crash took place at the intersections of State Route 54 and Interstate 80 near Danville. Animal crates were thrown all over the highway, and some of them were smashed. Four of the monkeys escaped and went on the run, with one of them remaining missing well into the next day. Troopers were seen searching for the monkeys with rifles, while firefighters used thermal imaging to help locate the animals.

While the monkey was missing, state police sent out a warning saying that anyone who sees or locates the missing monkey should not approach it, come into contact with it, or attempt to catch it and should instead call 911 right away. However, the danger wasnt immediately obvious in the moments following the accident when Fallon stopped to help.

She has now developed symptoms of pinkeye and a cough and is concerned because she was close to the monkeys, touching their crates and walking through their feces. She got out of her car to help the driver and the animals, which she at first believed were cats. When she approached one and placed her hand on the cage, the macaque hissed at her. She also had an open cut at the time.

Fallon has been given the first of four rabies injections as well as antiviral drugs and is monitoring for symptoms of rabies and monkey herpes virus B. Although monkey herpes virus B is rare, it can lead to severe brain damage and even death if it is not treated immediately. Infection can occur when a person is bitten or scratched by an infected macaque monkey or has close contact with the monkeys nose, mouth or eyes.

She has been advised to monitor her health for the next month for any signs of infection or disease. She said: I have anxiety, so I just know Im going to be a nervous wreck for the next 31 days.

First responders receive a letter advising them of potential dangers

Fallon received a letter that was written to first responders advising them of the potential dangers of contact with the primates in the accident. The letter pointed out that these animals and humans are susceptible to many of the same diseases. It advised first responders who had physical contact with a loose monkey to get medical attention immediately and notify the Pennsylvania State Department of Health. Some of the signs they were told to look out for include cough, fever, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea.

The surviving monkeys, according to the letter, are being quarantined and monitored for infectious diseases for at least 31 days. Three of the monkeys that escaped have already been euthanized.

The location of the lab and the type of research the monkeys will be used for were not immediately clear, but cynomolgus monkeys are typically used for medical studies. The crab-eating macaques can cost as much as $10,000 and are in high demand during the COVID-19 pandemic thanks to their DNA, which is highly similar to that of humans. They are known for being intelligent and social and can even use stone tools in the wild.

It remains to be seen whether any of the escaped monkeys transmitted diseases to other animals or humans while they were on the loose, but its scary to think how easily an accident like this could put human health at risk.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

NYPost.com
(Natural News) A grassroots convoy of truckers is moving across Canada towards Ottawa in protest of the governments oppressive Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine mandates for the trucking industry.

Known as Freedom Convoy 2022, the effort involves more than 50,000 truckers who refuse to get jabbed for the Fauci Flu and are consequently being forced out of the industry.

The slow roll, which raised $3.5 million worth of support in just 11 days, was joined by haulers all across the country who drive both intrastate and cross-border throughout North America. (Related: Grocery store shelves are already running bare due to the mandates.)

The GoFundMe page for the convoy currently shows support from more than 44,000 donors who are helping the truckers to be able to stay in Ottawa for as long as necessary to see the mandates removed.

We are taking our fight to the doorsteps of our Federal Government and demanding that they cease all mandates against its people, the GoFundMe page reads.

Small businesses are being destroyed, homes are being destroyed, and people are being mistreated and denied fundamental necessities to survive.

The money raised will be used to pay for fuel, food and lodgings to help ease the pressures of this arduous task, the page further explains.

Are covid jab mandates part of the engineered destruction of the global economy?

Over the weekend, truckers and their supporters from western Canada began their caravan east, stopping in cities and towns throughout British Columbia. Thousands of additional Alberta truck drivers joined them once they reached that province.

Well over 50,000 truckers and their supporters are estimated to be joining up with the caravan the further east it moves.

According to reports, the caravan from Edmonton alone was said to be more than 40 kilometers long before it arrived in Calgary to finish the trek to Ottawa.

From British Columbia, estimates put their caravan, who have now joined up in Alberta on their way east, at well over 70 kilometers in length, reported LifeSiteNews.

Truckers in Ontario and other parts of eastern Canada will begin, or already have done so, separate convoys to Ottawa in the coming days.

The Justin Trudeau regime recently reinstated a requirement that all truckers crossing the border in and out of Canada be fully vaccinated for the Fauci Flu by January 15.

The mandate came despite a report that Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) said un-jabbed truck drivers would be allowed to enter Canada from the United States, LifeSiteNews further revealed.

Non-jabbed Canadian truckers entering the country from the United States will still be allowed to enter, however they will be punished with a forced covid test and a corresponding two-week quarantine. Non-jabbed American truckers, however, are being denied entry into Canada.

The United States imposed a similar requirement for cross-border truckers that took effect on January 22. Both mandates have created a massive trucker shortage that is damaging an already fragile supply chain.

Eastern Canada is being hit extra hard by the resulting food shortages, which will only continue to spread the longer the jab mandates remain in place.

One of the rally organizers said that the convoy was created to love one another and forgive one another.

They cant hurt us and they know it, this person added.

Tamara Lich from Medicine Hat, Alberta, the main organizer of the group, said in a video that she was amazed at the beautiful sight to see of all the truckers joined together in protest of the tyranny.

What Im going to ask of you is if you are inclined to pray for them because they know not what they do, and we are not here to spread hate, Lich says.

More related news about protests against Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) tyranny can be found at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

LifeSiteNews.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Belgium has stopped giving Modernas mRNA Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine to people under the age of 31 following the advice of the Superior Health Council, which oversees the use of medical products approved for use in the country.

Belgian public health officials cited Danish studies that indicate vaccination with Moderna resulted in an increased risk of inflammation of the heart muscle in men between the ages of 12 and 39 following the first or second dose.

Gudrun Briat, spokesperson for Belgiums vaccination task force, claimed despite evidence to the contrary that heart inflammation, or myocarditis, is usually harmless and goes away without being noticed. She added that the ban on giving young adults Modernas vaccine just makes more sense, since Belgian public health authorities do not want to take any risks. (Related: Risk of heart inflammation is higher from Moderna vaccine than from COVID-19 among people under 40.)

The decision for the basic vaccination of 18- to 30-year-olds is based on international knowledge of possible side effects that are very rare. We took this decision as a precaution, claimed Briat.

Briat said that people who were previously vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine should not worry, especially if it has been a while since the vaccination. She claimed symptoms typically present themselves within two months of the shot.

The country will still be providing Moderna vaccinations for adults aged 31 and older, as well as for anyone coming in for booster doses of the vaccine. Joris Moonens, spokesperson for the Agency for Care and Health in Flanders, said this policy is unlikely to change unless the scientific insights into its use change.

Belgium is the latest country to limit the use of Modernas vaccine following similar studies showing the increased risk of heart inflammation following vaccination.

Back in October, Sweden, Denmark and Finland suspended injections of Modernas vaccine. Sweden and Denmark suspended the vaccine for everyone aged 30 and younger while Finland suspended vaccinations just for males aged 30 and under.

Belgium expands mass vaccination program

Despite clear evidence of the harm caused by COVID-19 vaccines, the Belgian government is still ignoring the science and is instead expanding its vaccination program. The countrys health ministry has recently approved a recommendation to give a fourth dose of the coronavirus vaccine for people with compromised immune systems.

Public Health Minister Christie Morreale said on Monday, Jan. 24, that she and her regional counterparts have approved the proposal proposed by the health council, but she did not provide a date for when the fourth dose vaccination program will begin.

Around 77 percent of Belgiums population of nearly 11.5 million are already fully vaccinated. Around 6.3 million Belgians have already received a booster dose of the vaccine.

Despite these figures, the country still has thousands of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including nearly 400 people confined in intensive care units. At least 29,000 people in Belgium have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began.

More related articles:

Data show 2.5 times higher risk of myocarditis with Moderna vaccine.

Vaccine-promoting Canadian radio host Adrienne Pan dead after battling post-Moderna illness.

A NY Times editor has died of a heart attack at 49, one day after receiving a Moderna COVID booster shot.

Moderna began developing the COVID-19 vaccine WEEKS before first official outbreak.

Watch this video of ongoing protests in Belgium against COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

This video is from the World Alternative Media channel on Brighteon.com.

Learn more about the dangers of COVID-19 vaccines at Vaccines.news.

Sources include:

DailyExpose.uk

DailyWire.com

KTAR.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The administration of President Joe Biden is now requiring all non-U.S. citizens entering the country, including Canadian and Mexican truck drivers, to present proof that they are fully vaccinated against the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). This move is guaranteed to make Americas supply chain crisis even worse.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the change in policy on Jan. 22.

The DHS will require that non-U.S. individuals entering the United States via land ports of entry or ferry terminals along our Northern and Southern borders be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be prepared to show related proof of vaccination, said DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. These new restrictions will apply to non-U.S. individuals who are traveling for both essential and non-essential reasons. They will not apply to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents or U.S. nationals.

The change, which was first announced in October last year, makes American land and port border policy align more closely with the vaccination requirements already in place for non-U.S. citizens entering the country by air.

Non-U.S. citizens, nationals, permanent residents or immigrants entering the country by plane must be fully vaccinated and present proof of recovery from COVID-19 within the past 90 days or a negative coronavirus test taken no more than one day before boarding.

These updated travel requirements reflect the Biden-Harris Administrations commitment to protecting public health while safely facilitating the cross-border trade and travel that is critical to our economy, claimed Mayorkas.

Vaccine mandate to make Americas fragile supply chain even worse

The impact of this vaccine mandate is expected to be felt most acutely by the U.S.-Canada freight market. Before the vaccination requirements, around 160,000 truckers employed on both sides of the border handle cross-border freight. Seventy-five percent of them are Canadian. (Related: Vaccine mandate for truckers entering Canada now in effect; unvaccinated American truckers will be TURNED AWAY.)

According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), the vaccine mandate could prohibit an estimated 12,000 unvaccinated Canadian truck drivers from entering the United States. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) believes 10 to 15 percent of its truckers that handle cross-border freight may leave as a result of the mandates.

The vaccine mandate adds pressure to an industry that is already under significant strain, with many fleets operating significantly below full strength. Capacity has already tightened and the price of hiring a trucker on the spot has surged.

The supply chain is already fragile  so it puts all of us in a precarious situation, noted Dan Einwechter, CEO of Challenger Motor Freight, a Canadian trucking and logistics company.

The CTA said it remains engaged with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and contacts south of the border regarding enforcement of the U.S. vaccination mandate.

Bob Costello, chief economist of the ATA, said the organization is very concerned about the mandate.

Canada is our largest trading partner, so any disruption at the border will certainly have consequences for the U.S. economy whether it is the auto sector and other manufacturing products or consumer goods, said Costello.

Brian Hitchcock, the owner of MBH Trucking in Michigan, a trucking company whose main source of income is hauling diesel exhaust fuel back and forth between Ontario and Michigan, believes he will lose around 40 percent of his revenue because only five of his 30 drivers are vaccinated.

And its all because we cant cross the border, said Hitchcock. Its affecting every sector of what we use in this country.

Hitchcock, also the interim executive director of the Michigan Trucking Association, said that of the 15 other trucking companies he has spoken to, 75 percent of their combined 400 drivers are unvaccinated.

How do you force a mandate on a bunch of truck drivers who have been out there on the front line for 20 months and never asked for anything? said Hitchcock. They were the ones that kept our economy moving and supplies [going], so you never ran out of food.

More related stories:

American grocery store shelves growing increasingly bare as Biden supply chain crisis accelerates.

If the Supreme Courts stay of Bidens COVID vaccine mandate ever gets lifted, the supply chain will collapse.

Truckers warn of massive disruptions to supply chain due to COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Get ready for more shortages: Truck driver shortage is getting worse and there arent enough drivers to fix the problem.

Listen to this episode of the Health Ranger Report, a podcast by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as he talks about how Canada is already seeing food shortages following the implementation of its own ban on unvaccinated truckers.

This video can be found on the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

Learn more about how the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for truckers will bring about the collapse of supply chains at SupplyChainWarning.com.

Sources include:

TheNationalPulse.com

USAToday.com

FreightWaves.com

NBCNews.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The Medical Rebel Dr. Lee Merritt has joined the party over at Brighteon.TV.

A medical doctor who began her career at the age of four when she started carrying her fathers black bag on house calls  he too was a doctor  Merritt has a lot to offer Brighteon.TV viewers concerning health issues.

The top link on her site currently is information about where get to hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a safe and effective drug remedy for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19) that has been blacklisted by the system.

Merritt is a true warrior in the fight against medical tyranny, and she encourages others to be the same.

Some of the topics you can expect to hear about from her include discussions about the health effects of 5G exposure, the dangers of Fauci Flu shots, how to defend yourself against jab mandates using a religious exemption, and so much more.

In the following inaugural episode of the Merritt Medical Hour, Merritt speaks with Dr. Mark MacDonald about covid mass formation psychosis, the psychology behind covid hysteria, and how the United States of America has been turned into United States of Fear: How America Fell Victim to a Mass Delusional Psychosis, which is the name of Dr. MacDonalds new book.

Everything that was done to us the last two years was to make matters worse, Merritt says.

Were being killed by omission and commission. Everything from remdesivir to not telling us about vitamin D, for example. And obviously stress makes everything worse.

This video is from channel BrighteonTV on Brighteon.com.

Masks are purely psychological, not medical

In her first-ever show episode at Brighteon.TV, Merritt also discussed the psychology of face masks, which do absolutely nothing to protect against any virus.

No one can really believe that masks, especially the way theyre being used, or were being used, make sense. You cannot tell me this is about contagion control when you have to wear a mask in six feet into the restroom, but then you can take it off to go sit at the bar, and you can sit at your table.

Merritt is convinced, as many of us are, that this is not about viral control. It is about human control, and the sooner more people learn this, the better societys chances of maybe, possibly, reversing it.

Masks are a symbol of subservience, Merritt says. Theyre damaging our children in multiple ways, but this is what they do to adults: theyre used in the occult as a symbol of subservience.

In MacDonalds view, children have been the biggest victims of the plandemic of fear.

I first said in May of 2020 at the Orange County School Board of Education meeting: We have let our children down, MacDonald explained to Merritt about his activism during the early days of the plandemic.

We have failed [in] our roles as parents and as protectors of children because we have closed the schools, were requiring them to wear masks, we are depriving them of a normal developmental stage of growth in their life which is so critical for them to reach adulthood in a healthy fashion.

As far as the medical perspective is concerned, there is not even a disease anymore (if there ever even was). Some people are still developing cold symptoms, but there is no real plandemic in play other than the plandemic of fear, mind control, and terror that continues to persist into its third year.

You can learn more about MacDonalds work at his website.

Be sure to also check out the many other personalities in the lineup at Brighteon.TV.

Sources for this article include:

DrLeeMerritt.com

Brighteon.com

MarkMcDonaldMD.com
(Natural News) Have you ever wondered what disgraced former deputy FBI directors do after trying to stage a coup and lying under oath? Apparently, they give talks about protecting democracy at top-rated institutions of higher learning. Indeed, this last Thursday the University of Chicago Institute of Politics invited former deputy FBI director Andrew McCabe to join a panel of partisans to discuss the Jan 6 insurrection.

(Article by Evita Duffy republished from TheChicagoThinker.com)

McCabe was fired as the deputy FBI director for leaking sensitive information about an investigation into the Clinton Foundation and then lying about it under oath. He also took part in spying on the Donald Trump campaign through a secret warrant granted by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act court.

The dossier he used to obtain the surveillance warrant was funded by Hillary Clintons campaign and, in an ironic twist, was itself the product of Russian disinformation. McCabe and his allies in corporate media justified all sorts of similar illegal and undemocratic tactics to discredit and attempt to unseat President Trump.

Of course, neither the University of Chicago nor McCabe acknowledged the irony in him discussing the integrity of democracy in America on Thursday evening. In fact, what McCabe said at the University of Chicago event on Jan. 6, 2022 is even more shocking than his invitation to speak in the first place. Below are four of the most appalling assertions and policy proposals McCabe made at the public event.

1. Conservatives Are in The Same Category As Islamic Terrorists

McCabe likened conservatives to members of the Islamic Caliphate: I can tell you from my perspective of spending a lot of time focused on the radicalization of international terrorists and Islamic extremist and extremists of all stripes is that this group shares many of the same characteristics of those groups that weve seen radicalized along entirely different ideological lines, he said.

McCabe went on to describe the rise of the Islamic caliphate in Syria and how Islamic extremists were radicalized across socioeconomic, educational, and racial lines, likening it to the mass radicalization of the political right across demographics. Thats right, according to McCabe a grandma who shares a Federalist article on Facebook and your uncle with a Lets Go Brandon coffee mug are in the same category as a jihadist who killed 49 people at an Orlando nightclub.

2. Parents at School Board Meetings Pose A Threat To National Security

Political violence [is] not just confined to the Capitol, McCabe asserted. Its going on in school boards around the country. Its going on in local elections. Its happening, you know, even to health-care workers. According to this politically protected former FBI no. 2, the political violence occurring recently at school board meetings and during local elections is a very diverse and challenging threat picture.

If you havent heard already, Democrats are branding parents who oppose child mask mandates and racist critical race theory indoctrination as domestic terrorists.

McCabe said moms and dads who stand up for their childrens health and education at school board meetings in ways Democrats disagree with are very dangerous. So dangerous that it is actually essential we have a rapid and complete response by law enforcement at the state, local and federal level to this sort of political violence

Holding Americas parents accountable is not enough for McCabe. He wants to make sure that federal agencies also put out that message that this sort of conduct that both horribly victimizes individuals, but also serves to undermine our democratic process is considered a threat to national security [that is] not tolerated.

3. McCabe Wants More Surveillance of Mainstream Conservatives

Im fairly confident, McCabe said, [that] the FBI [and other agencies] have reallocated resources and repositioned some of their counterterrorism focus to increase their focus on right-wing extremism and domestic violent extremists. And I think thats obviously a good idea.

But McCabe wants more. McCabe asserted that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FBI need to stop merely focusing on the fringes of the right-wing movement, in order to catch this threat of the right.

Are you going to catch this threat if your focus is only on the traditional, right-wing extremist, those groups that we know about, the quote-unquote, fringes of the right-wing movement? asked McCabe. And I think the answer to that is no.

Its entirely possible that when the intelligence community and the law enforcement community looks out across this mainstream, McCabe continued, they didnt assume [on January 6] that that group of people  business owners, white people from the suburbs, educated, employed  presented a threat of violence, and now we know very clearly that they do.

McCabe wants to get around constitutional obstacles that restrict the abuses of federal agencies. He explained that the path to granting the feds more power to spy on and punish extremists, a.k.a. conservatives, is by implementing federal penalties against domestic terrorism.

A measure like this would grant domestic agencies the intelligence capabilities of the international terrorism-focused National Counterterrorism Center. It would, McCabe says, give investigators the ability to begin investigating when folks are plotting or planning or organizing to use violence for the purpose of coercing the population or influencing government

Joshua Geltzer, President Joe Bidens advisor on countering domestic violent extremism, made the same proposal in a 2019 hearing before a subcommittee of the House Oversight Committee. In his proposal, Geltzer suggested that we need to polic[e] [tech company] platforms to remove not just incitement to violence, but also, the ideological foundations that spawn such violence.

McCabe claims these proposed federal laws against domestic terrorism can be implemented without infringing on Americans First Amendment right to free speech. That seems quite impossible, however, given Geltzer is proposing government oversight of social media, for example.

It is even more difficult to believe when you consider that Democrats are not going after real domestic terrorists and have literally defined parents speaking out at school board meetings as national security threats. As McCabe said himself, to Democrats, the extreme right is the mainstream right.

4. McCabe Believes No One Is Above The Law (Except Himself)

Ironically, one of McCabes last remarks was a proclamation of equality under the law. Whether you are a Trump supporter or a Biden supporter, right, left, or otherwise, we should all be able to agree on the principle that no one is above the law, stated McCabe.

 [F]rom the lowliest trespasser on January 6, up to the highest-ranking government officials who may have been aware of a plan that would ultimately lead to violence in the Capitolthose people should be held accountable, period, he announced. And if we cant do that, that is just another sign that we are becoming a non-functioning democracy.

Ironically, McCabes firing for repeatedly breaking the law was expunged from the record only because he settled with a partisan Biden Department of Justice. If no one is above the law, as McCabe claims to support, then he would be in jail. Of course, McCabe is above the law. Only dissenting conservatives, in his view, deserve the suspicion and wrath of unelected federal agencies.

Disturbingly, the University of Chicago does not care about national introspection post-January 6, 2021. If it did, it would not have invited McCabe, of all people, to speak about protecting democracy.

UChicago allowed McCabe to spin lies about what truly happened one year ago and filtered student questions via Zoom, refusing to ask him any tough questions. Consequently, McCabe was given a platform to teach young, impressionable college students without question that the federal government should be weaponized against fellow Americans whom leftists brand as extremists.

To the elites in AmericaDemocrats like McCabe, university administrators, and professorsJanuary 6 is the key to labeling their political opponents as dangerous, white supremacist extremists and enacting new policy accordingly.

Americas universities are now indoctrination machines that shape the minds of the next generation. Academia openly exploits its power and rewrites history to serve its illiberal agenda.

Sadly, McCabes dishonest version of January 6 is happily accepted by the academic elites who invited him Thursday night. His frighteningly despotic views and policy prescriptions will likely be accepted and implemented by his young listeners.

Read more at: TheChicagoThinker.com
(Natural News) Despite the fact that Israel has implemented some of the most draconian COVID-19 pandemic measures in the world, the country is now number one in the world in new cases, according to local reports.

According to the Times of Israel, a leading health expert in the country said that 0.6 percent of the population was testing positive daily for the virus  most likely the latest variant, omicron, which is highly contagious but also very mild.

Prof. Eran Segal of The Weizmann Institute said at that rate, Israel currently leads the world in per capita infection rates, even though the population is required to get the latest version of vaccines available and despite heavy quarantine and lockdown regimes.

However, Segal tried to excuse the high infection rate:

But Segal noted it was likely that Israel was not truly the country with the highest infection rate. Rather, he attributed the figures to Israel being a leading country in the number of tests performed each day, relative to its population size.

Israel is followed in the highest daily cases worldwide ranking by Mongolia, Peru, Canada and Georgia.

The fact is, either youre the number one country, per capita, in daily infections  or youre not. And right now, Israel is No. 1, period, no matter how you look at the data.

But instead of realizing that this novel coronavirus is not the world-ender that the world has been propagandized to believe, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is quadrupling down on idiot policies that have not worked yet and are never going to work (because viruses virus  thats what they do and nothing humans do will stop them from spreading).

The PM announced Thursday that mandatory quarantine for schoolchildren who were exposed to coronavirus carriers would be scrapped entirely, the Times of Israel reported. According to the plan, starting next Thursday, children up to the age of 18 will no longer need to isolate after being exposed.

Instead, all students  both vaccinated and unvaccinated  will need to conduct two antigen tests a week  on Sundays and Wednesdays  and present negative results when entering educational institutions, the outlet continued. Children who test positive for COVID-19 will still need to isolate until testing negative.

Bennett said that the government will begin distributing millions of test kits so that testing can be done at home, an endeavor that is costing tens of millions of dollars to carry out.

Bennetts order comes as 146,000 school-aged children were already in quarantine due to testing positive for the virus, while another 142,000 were forced into quarantine because they had been exposed to the virus (which means nothing considering the virus is literally everywhere).

Wherever we can make it easier for the public, we will. We are taking Omicron seriously, but also looking at the bigger picture, Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said.

Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton called Bennetts order a brave decision, while noting further that it would have been easier to close the education system, but our duty is to save every boy and girl from the damage of repeated quarantines  even while ordering them into repeated quarantines.

These lunatics literally have no self-awareness at all when it comes to their pandemic decisions.

But thats not all. Regarding the overall state of the pandemic, Segal predicted that the current outbreak sweeping the country will end soon. We are very close to the height, or even at the height of the Omicron wave, he told Channel 12 news.

What about the next variant? And the next? And the ones after that?

Why havent any of these measures ever been implemented for influenza, which sweeps the globe annually, showing up as a different strain?

Virusesare going to virus. The science has shown us this for centuries. Why civilized democracies cant seem to understand this elementary scientific principle when it comes to COVID-19 is mind-boggling.

Sources include:

TimesOfIsrael.com

Vaccines.news
(Natural News) Journalist Josh Sigurdson of World Alternative Media (WAM) discussed protests around the world against tyrannical Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandates. He touched on these protests in Europe and North America in response to requirements for people to get the COVID-19 shots.

There are massive protests hitting the streets of many places around the world. Ive been saying for a while: Its not like the protests actually work, but what does work is showing strength in numbers. Its not about asking the government for permission. Its about telling the government: We dont need permission and we are the resistance, the WAM CEO said.

He mentioned the different protests in various European nations with laws mandating that people be fully vaccinated in order to participate in society.

On Jan. 15, French citizens took to the streets to protest a vaccine mandate set to take effect on Jan. 18. Those opposing the policy said the mandate impinges upon daily freedoms and constitutes a form of social apartheid. Around 38,000 citizens demonstrated that day, with an estimated 5,200 participating in similar rallies at the capital Paris.

Italians in different parts of the country also took to the streets on the same day to protest the Italian governments impending implementation of a Super Green Pass. The pass  issued to those injected with the COVID-19 vaccine and those who have recovered from the sickness  will be required for all public and private workers in Italy beginning Feb. 15, 2022. It is the Lord who saves you, not an experimental serum, former Apostolic Nuncio to the U.S. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano told the crowd during one of the protests.

While other European countries proceeded to impose vaccine mandates, Sigurdson cited the Czech Republics recent move to scrap its vaccine mandate following protests in the capital Prague. Newly-elected Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala was responsible for the move, arguing that his government did not see a need for mandates. (Related: New Czech PM scraps predecessors planned Covid vaccine mandate.)

Cross-border truckers also express disagreement over vaccine mandate

The WAM CEO said: We see massive protests in Canada and at the U.S. border as countless truck drivers create a convoy against the vaccine mandates that have been put in place for these truckers. Its taking a big toll on the supply chain, as one would expect. This is one of the best ways to protest  to really force their hand at it.

Sigurdson quoted a CTV News article about the Jan. 23 trucker protests at the city of Windsor in Ontario, Canada. Those involved say the pandemic rules and mandates are destroying the foundation of businesses, industries and livelihoods, the article said.

Two protest participants told the news outlet why they participated the health freedom rally. Truck mobile mechanic Keith Montgomery, who was vaccinated himself, said: If youre wearing it, eat it or bought it  it came on a truck and if the trucks arent rolling, youre not getting it. The economy is going to stop and when that economy stops, everybodys job is affected.

Windsor resident Terry Hopson meanwhile told CTV News: Theyre infringing on our freedoms and they dont have that right. He added that he just wants things to return to normal as soon as possible, even if it calls for him to be out on the street everyday to join the protesting truckers.

Sigurdson said: It is interesting to see this level of protests in Canada. Of course, one should expect that it would be truck drivers that end up standing up in this way. Nonetheless, I support these truckers and what theyre doing. Its amazing to watch because we need to have that kind of pushback and force their hand.

The government should be afraid of us; we should never be afraid of the government. Governments are just organized crime rackets in any country of the world. They only benefit off the enslavement and control of you. They want us to be dependent on them  which unfortunately so many in Canada have become.

The government will never give you back your freedom, you have to take it. Freedom isnt something you hold in your hands. You are the freedom or youre not  so decide that for yourself.

More related articles:

Food shortages begin in Canada following trucker covid vaccine mandate

Hundreds of thousands protest discriminatory COVID-19 vaccine passports in France

Thousands of Italians join protests against Super Green Pass COVID-19 vaccine passport and mandate

EXPECT SHORTAGES: Canadian truckers not exempt from new vaccine mandate despite recent announcement

Watch the video below of Sigurdson talking about the worldwide protests against vaccine mandates.

This video is from the World Alternative Media channel on Brighteon.com.

Resist.news has more about protests against vaccine mandates worldwide.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NewsInfo.Inquirer.net

LifeSiteNews.com

Windsor.CTVNews.ca
(Natural News) United States officials are still blaming unvaccinated individuals for the rising Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) hospitalization rates. In reality, however, many hospitals around the world are finding that most COVID-positive patients are those who already received two vaccine doses, and some of them have even received booster shots.

Data from Ontario, Canada, revealed that the majority of those diagnosed with COVID-19 are fully vaccinated individuals. According to January 14 data on hospitals in the province, there were 185 fully vaccinated individuals in the intensive care unit diagnosed with COVID, as opposed to 168 unvaccinated ones. There were also 2,035 fully vaccinated individuals hospitalized with COVID (excluding those in the ICU), compared to only 686 unvaccinated ones.

Official data also showed that nearly 90 percent of Ontarians aged 12 and up are already fully vaccinated, but the governments definition of full vaccination may change if and when booster doses become mandatory. (Related: UK government data prove spread of COVID-19 mostly occurring among vaccinated citizens.)

Mainstream media in Canada was quick to report the rising hospitalization rates but failed to indicate who are the ones getting admitted. In an article published on January 12, for instance, a news station reported that over 500 COVID-positive Ontario residents were sent to the ICU, plus over 3,400 were hospitalized.

The report, which cited data from the Ministry of Health, stated that 54 percent were admitted seeking treatment for COVID-19, while 45 percent were admitted for other reasons but tested positive for the virus. While the information presented was important, what is noticeably missing from the story is the vaccination status of the patients. (Related: Studies show that vaccinated individuals spread disease Should the recently vaccinated be quarantined to prevent outbreaks?)

While personal information should remain private, it is unjustifiable for the government and mainstream media to let unvaccinated patients shoulder all the blame regarding the spread of the virus  especially when fully vaccinated individuals can still catch, spread and get sick from the same thing.

Canadian Health Ministry spokesperson Alexandra Hikene said that the ministry is now evaluating the need to update reporting to distinguish between causal and incidental deaths related to COVID-19.

Vaccinated individuals can still spread COVID-19

Back in July 2021, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky announced that COVID is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. But the flaws in its logic became exposed on a terrifying scale. The risks appeared to have grown for everyone. It can no longer be denied that COVID has also become a pandemic of the vaccinated.

With data showing that two vaccine doses can still allow for frequent breakthrough infections and rapid spread of the disease, a previous bout of COVID seems to offer more protection.

About 150 million American adults have not received a booster dose. Given that the people in this group are less protected, they are still at greater risk of passing on the disease to unvaccinated or unvaccinated kids and immunologically vulnerable adults. They are also more likely to pass the coronavirus among themselves. (Related: Vaccinated people just as likely to spread delta variant as unvaccinated, study finds.)

Fully vaccinated individuals may still be at minimal risk to get seriously ill or die from COVID-19. But highly vaccinated areas could also see overwhelmed hospital systems because of the highly infectious omicron variant. This scenario could be especially dangerous if millions of people were to need hospital care all at the same time.

More related stories:

Fully vaccinated cruise ships becoming hotbeds of coronavirus spread.

COVID-19 survivors have long-lasting immunity, and when they get reinfected, theyre less likely to spread the virus, research shows.

UK government data prove spread of COVID-19 mostly occurring among vaccinated citizens.

Vaccinated people just as likely to spread delta variant as unvaccinated, study finds.

Watch the video below for more information about how the vaccinated are spreading COVID-19.

This video is from the ZBest News channel on Brighteon.com.

Visit Pandemic.news for more news related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Sources include:

NaturalHealth365.com

TheAtlantic.com

Brighteon.com
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(Natural News) The International Energy Agencys (IEA) Coal 2021 report revealed that signatories in the Paris Climate Accord or Paris Agreement accounted for the majority of the worlds coal consumption, which jumped by nine percent and reached an all-time high last year.

China was again the runaway leader, consuming 4.4 billion tons of fossil fuel, which is over half (50.5 percent) of the worlds total consumption. India was a distant second with 966 million tons consumed and the United States, despite having the worlds biggest coal reserve, ranked third with 731 million tons.

The IEA report was released after the end of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. COP26 was held to further strengthen the Paris Agreement forged by 196 countries in 2015. China, India and the U.S. were among the signatories.

Together, these three nations accounted for 70.3 percent of the volume of coal the world burned to fuel homes and businesses, with the steel and cement industry among the major consumers.

Coal consumption to spike this year through 2024

No early relief to the worlds coal usage is within sight. The IEA projected coal consumption to spike this year and stay that way through 2024 due to the rapid economic recovery of many countries. This is hardly surprising following a global economic slowdown caused by the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Pulled down by lower electricity demand due to the shutdown of many businesses and COVID-19 restrictions, global coal demand dipped by four percent in 2020, the biggest decline since World War II.

A plunge in gas prices also lured many users to veer away from coal, especially in the U.S. and the European Union, where coal usage dropped by 20 percent and 21 percent, respectively.

As business activity revved up last year, a total of 10,350 terawatt-hours of electricity was generated from coal. Based on current trends, global coal demand is projected to rise to 8,025 Mt (million tons), which would be an all-time high, this year.

With COVID-19 expected to be contained, demand would further escalate in 2023 and 2024.

China is slowing down its coal consumption and is expected to post only a one percent increase annually between 2022 and 2024. India, because of its economic growth, increasing electrification and 1.4 billion population, is expected to increase its demand to four percent per year.

Other top consumers of coal are Russia, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Turkey, Indonesia and Australia  all signatories of the Paris Agreement. (Related: Expert says Paris climate agreement is economically and environmentally flawed as US rejoins accord.)

Coals global reserves to last until 2090

Although coal is an exhaustible resource, its users are unbothered as total global reserves are expected to last till 2090  but that is if the present rate of consumption remains the same in the coming years.

If coal consumption rises again, coal may be gone in less than 65 years. This is the more likely scenario because many countries have increased demand for the fossil fuel that nature took 300 to 400 million years to form.

In fact, China, India, Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam intend to build 600 more coal power plants in Asia. The Philippines and Bangladesh shelved their plans to build similar plants.

These power plants, which will comprise 80 percent of the worlds new power investments, can produce 300 gigawatts of energy that would be enough to provide the United Kingdom thrice its power requirements.

With coal reserves bound to be depleted, the worlds top economies, as well as third-world countries, are exploring and tapping renewable power sources like the wind, heat (geothermal) and sun (solar) to lessen dependence on fossil fuel.

More related stories:

What youre not being told about the Paris climate agreement.

The Paris Climate Accord is GENOCIDE against plants, forests and all life on our planet.

Trump just SAVED America from the disastrous Paris Climate Treaty fraud.

LOSING IT: Total liberal MELTDOWN over Trumps Paris climate accord nullification demonstrates extreme derangement of climate change cultists.

Watch the video below to learn more about Paris Climate Accord or simply the Paris Agreement.

This video is from The Code Journey channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

WattsUpWithThat.com

Worldometers.info

Brighteon.com
Next week, an astounding $100 million investment round will open for next-generation massive battery storage systems with enhanced or "grid forming" inverters, viewed as critical for the transition to 100% renewable grids.

The investment round, initially reported by RenewEconomy in November, comes after the Australian Energy Market Operator released a key "white paper" last year highlighting the necessity of grid forming inverters in networks that go beyond fossil fuel sources.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency's financing round was ultimately announced via a media statement sent out by the office of energy minister Angus Taylor on Christmas Eve, ensuring that the historic effort would receive little or no media attention at the time.





New Grid Systems

Inverters that construct grids are a fast-developing technology.

They're common in off-grid systems, and some recent on-grid huge battery deployments (like the extension of the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia, seen above) have included the technology, which is an essential component of battery storage's rising income and capabilities stack.

However, it is only recently that they have been recognized for the critical role in a future grid dominated by renewables.

The ARENA funding round aims to ensure that these are deployed in larger installations to give them an actual test of their ability to manage grid fluctuations and disturbances and provide many of the critical "grid services" that have previously been provided primarily by coal and gas generators.

The investment round is intended to finance battery storage systems with an inverter rating of at least 70MW. In contrast, the storage length will likely be determined by what other services the massive battery will provide.

It will focus on at least three projects, and while it allows for retrofits and extensions of existing projects, the cash allocation system requires that at least two of the winning projects be new installations. A single project will be allocated a maximum of $35 million.

Related Article: Innovative Hydrogen Storage Project will be Launched in Glasgow

"Grid-scale batteries and other forms of energy storage technologies will be critical to sustaining our future renewable-powered electrical grid," said ARENA CEO Darren Miller in a statement released on Christmas Eve.

"The importance of sophisticated inverters in grid-scale batteries in providing system stability, permitting a more efficient transition, and accelerating the acceptance of renewable production will be demonstrated in this financing cycle."

Purpose

The funds will demonstrate how advanced inverters may minimize dependency on synchronous generators (or synchronous condensers) for system stability and perform essential system functions in power system planning at scale and non-multiple states.

They will also assist market regulators in determining how to make grid-forming battery services more efficient, either by forming new markets or offering particular contracts.

Expressions of interest will be accepted starting next Tuesday, February 1st, and will conclude on March 31st. Winning bids will be announced later in 2022, with financial closing scheduled in December 2023 and project completion in mid-2025.

Also Read: Advancing Transition to Renewable Energy Should Include Honest Discussion of Costs, Supply, and More

For more news about making the environment sustainable, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
A new specie of insect was discovered by graduate students of Rice University in Houston, Texas. The name of Neuroterus Valhalla was based on the location of its discovery-inside the branches of a live oak tree near the Rice graduate student pub Valhalla.

According to Pedro Brandao-Dias, a graduate student of Rice and the lead author of the paper, "it would have been a missed opportunity to not call it something related to Rice or Valhalla."

Gall Wasps and Host Trees

According to Jade Boyd of Rice University, Neuroterus Valhalla, like other gall wasps, are conventionally known to trick their host tree into feeding and sheltering their young. This is made possible when wasps release a chemical along with their eggs.

The chemical enables the tree to "form a crypt or gall, around the egg," says Boyd. The gall acts as a form of protection to the egg and it feeds the larvae that hatch from it. The transition from eggs into full grown adult takes approximately between two and three weeks.

The discovery dates back in March 2018 when Brandao first collected Neuroterus Valhalla from the branches of a large live oak tree near the campus. Brandao returned to Rice University in 2018 for graduate school under Egan's group, who collected live oak flowers or catkins in late February and early March of 2018.

Brandao had never seen an oak tree until his first visit at Rice University in 2015 for an undergraduate research fellowship in the lab of Scott Egan, an evolutionary biologist at Rice University and the corresponding author of the paper, Boyd confirmed.

Also read: Parasite Wasp: The Wasp Family's Scariest Member

Background of Discovery

Although Brandao's primary research is about the use of environmental DNA to detect endangered and invasive species, group members in the lab annually pitch in each spring to study insects of family Cynipidate, also known as gall wasps.

Egan's group prefer to study this insect family since they can be found from the live oak trees across the Rice University campus.

Gall wasps' primary objective is to mate and lay eggs two times a year. Although there are almost 1,000 known species of gall wasps, the discovery of the Neuroterus Valhalla took four years to be published. The delay was due to the gall wasps' short life span between three and four days after emerging from their eggs.

Egan's group only had the chance to closely examine these wasps as their eggs usually hatch every March. Due to this complexity, the group had to track and identify the next location where the wasps will next lay their eggs. The wasps also frequently lay eggs on different flowers due to its scarcity during the spring season.

Furthermore, the restrictions limiting the number of people in laboratories on campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 also contributed to the delay of the study of the newly discovered insect species.

As a result, a large amount of work was passed to Rice University undergraduate student Camila Vinson, who was living on campus in Brown College.

Related article: Wasps; Friend or Foe?

For more stories about new discoveries, don't forget to follow Nature World News!
A recent study described a newly discovered species found in Panama. Known as Squatina mapama, it belongs to the angel shark species collected off the Caribbean coast of Panama.

The discovery pave the way for the first recorded angel shark species from the Central American Caribbean region. according to Ross Robertson, a co-author of the new paper and a staff of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.

Genetic analysis helped identify Squatina mapama as a separate and new angel shark species of the genus, Squatina, from the Western Atlantic Ocean. The findings was based on the article published by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation.

Discovery of Squatina Mapama

Squatina mapama was named after the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPA), a Spanish government fisheries organization.

The discovery dates back between 2010 and 2011, when the Spain initiated and sponsored two research expeditions in Central America's Pacific and Caribbean coasts. The expeditions aimed at exploring the biodiversity of benthic organisms-marine species living on the ocean floor.

According to Science Daily, the physical characteristics of the Squatina genus are different from the conventional appearance of a shark. Memebers of the Squatina genus are flat-bodied sharks resembling stingrays.

Specifically, the Squatina mapama was described to possess "a broader pectoral and pelvic fins, a shorter head length, a narrower mouth, short fringed nostrils and barbels, a few large denticles on the top of the head, and the presence of scattered smaller spots on males, among others. The complex physical features of Squatina mapama prompted researchers to conduct genetic analysis in order to identify the exact species.

The authors of the paper described Squatina mapama as "small-crested angel shark." This is due to its short and narrow line of small scales or dermal denticles. Observation and identification of angel sharks from other individual species are difficult with the naked eye.

Squatina mapama has a strong physical resemblance to Squatina David, thus genetic analysis was required to recognize the species, according to the National Geographic.

Also read: First Study of World's Largest Marine Stingray Reveals Long-Distance Migration

Breakthrough for Further Studies

Overall, Squatina mapama is the fourth new species of Squatina discovered and identified in the Western Atlantic Ocean over the past decade. The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute stated the total specific number of species in the Squatina genus has not been created.

Despite this lack of numeric data, the institute said the recent study showed the forensic importance of genetic analysis. In light of the recent study, further research biological diversity of species can acknowledge the promising results using genetic analysis when it comes to identifying the true biological diversity of a genus.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature considered a large number of angel shark species as endangered. The species has existed since the late Cretaceous period-approximately 145 to 66 million years ago

Studies in the future may not only shed more information on our understanding of the angel shark species but may also help in the conservation of this endangered species.

Related article: Lifeless Deep-Sea Shark With Pig-Like Face Washed Ashore in Mediterranean Beach
Storm Elpida has caused widespread disruption to travel and damage to infrastructure in major cities in Greece and Turkey on Monday and Tuesday. The snowstorm brought heavy snowfall and triggered a rare 'snownado,' described as a tornado-like funnel of snow over land.

Widespread Disruption in Greece and Turkey

In Greece, Storm Elpida has placed the capital city of Athens under three inches of snow. This has resulted in widespread power outages, disrupting road traffic movement across the city. At least 15 people were also injured in central Greece when heavy snowfall halted a passenger train carrying around 200 people.

The government of Greece has deployed the military to engage in emergency services. The soldiers were seen handing out food, water, and blankets to drivers, who were stranded for more than 10 hours.

By early Tuesday, more than 3,500 people have been evacuated overnight on Monday and more than 1,000 vehicles were stuck along the capital's main ring-road on Tuesday. Other areas of Greece have witnessed winter freezing temperatures.

According to a report in BBC, government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou stated that Greece remained "in a very difficult phase, as the forecasts indicate that we will face difficulties again in a while."

Oikonomou also defended public criticism on social media on the slow evacuation of motorists trapped on the motorway.

Also read: Extreme Weather Hits Wealthy Countries, Scientists Say it is Human-Caused

Impact of Rare 'Snownado'

The impact of Storm Elpida in Athens forced local authorities to declare Tuesday a public holiday, requiring all private and public offices closed. The closure has exempted essential businesses such as supermarkets, pharmacies, and petrol stations.

In Turkey, Storm Elpida dumped up to 31 inches of snowfall across some areas of the country, resulting in approximately 4,600 people stranded on motorways. The storm forced the cancellation of flights at the Istanbul Airport in Istanbul, Turkey.

The closure of the airport was caused was due to the collapse of one of the cargo terminal's roofs and when its runways were covered with a thick blanket of snow.

Heavy snowfall prompted local authorities to ban private vehicles and buses from the streets until clean-up operations of the roads are completed. Social media posting reportedly showed other footage of cars and trucks stranded along the highways in and around Istanbul. In the city of Antalya, Turkey, beaches were covered with snow for the first time in 29 years.

Possible Relation to Climate Change

Prior to the formation of Storm Elpida into a 'snownado,' snowfall started over large areas across Europe last week and has only increased over recent days. Storm Elpida has been considered a rare and severe snowstorm as it caused widespread disruption and chaos across Greece and Turkey.

Heavy snowfall rarely occurs in Athens, but the recent event marks the city's second consecutive year to experience such a natural phenomenon. Since 2000, Athens has only witnessed six snow events.

Scientists have not yet analyzed whether there is a correlation between the storm and climate change. However, global warming has already increased temperatures in the region over the past decades, according to Copernicus, the European Union's Earth Observation Program.

Related article: Snow Warnings in United States Come From Tropical Zones
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CNHI Harrisburg Bureau

Eric Scicchitano is the CNHI Pennsylvania state reporter. He is a former CNHI Reporter of the Year and previously worked at The (Sunbury) Daily Item before until he took over the Harrisburg beat in January 2022. Email him at erics@cnhinews.com.
This section contains news stories about events and culture across the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community. It also includes a calendar of events to publicise your events.

Please bear in mind that currently some events are cancelled because of the Covid-19 restrictions. Some event organisers may not have notified us of cancellation, so please check any event before you try to attend.
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KENT  Feeling creative? Artist Sasha Schwartz encourages people to make something original, rather than copying from a piece of art.

Copying doesnt teach you any of the higher level thinking skills that the arts can teach, said Schwartz, who is owner and founder of Scribble Art Workshop, a developmentally-based art studio for children from 18 months to adults. The studio is opening a second location at 63 Main St. in February in the Kent Green Shopping Center. Scribble Art Workshop is also in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.

Schwartz said when art teachers have all their students make the same painting, step by step, the exact same way, It doesnt teach you problem solving, persistence, envisioning and a development of craft  things that you can then take to other subject areas.

Art involves so much more than just the process of drawing, said Schwartz, 40, who lives in Wingdale, N.Y., with her 5-year-old son Harrison, and her husband, Steven Schwartz, a farmer.

In our classes, we are teaching them to innovate, to persist through a problem, to collaborate with and respect one another, and to take care of tools, she said.

She said students should explore materials freely, according to whatever developmental stage theyre at.

Scribbology

About 10 years ago, Schwartz co-wrote a book called Scribbology, which contains research on artists developmental stages for each age group. She basis her teaching curriculum on that book.

At Scribble Arts, toddlers are taught skills such as language acquisition, which includes identifying colors through experience, and learning about materials in a three-dimensional way.

So instead of showing them paint, we have them touch the paint, use the paint, and smell the paint, she said.

Classes for school-age children include printmaking and toy design.

In toy design, they make their own bobbleheads, board games and doll houses, she said.

The studio also offers an industrial design class, which is a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) class where students build a structure, such as a house, and use LED lighting and working motors on it and inside it.

Sculpture classes are also taught.

Schwartz said in art education, theres typically a strong focus on painting and drawing, but sculpture tends to be ignored.

Sculpture teaches problem solving in such a direct way, Schwartz said. Its not just about it looking good, it has to stay together.

When most people think of sculpture, they tend to think of clay, but there are many more kinds of sculptures one can make, she said.

Scribble Art teaches sculpting from wood, mixed media, found objects, plaster, foam core and paper.

Despite what many may think, she said adults are much more difficult to teach art to than children.

Adults come with this preconceived idea of what they can and cant do. They often say to me, I dont have a creative bone in my body. To break their own perception of their abilities is very hard, she said.

Its our job to break down those walls, she added.

Wide reach

Schwartz is looking into forming partnerships with some of the local museums and galleries in Kent where children can visit and possibly get their artwork on display and in shows.

Proceeds from the sale of their work would go toward a scholarship fund, for which art students can apply.

Schwartz majored in sculpture at Washington University in Missouri and has a masters degree in art education from the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

For about 15 years, she taught art in New York City public schools. She left her job due to the pandemic. She now teaches art at Dutchess Day School in Millbrook, N.Y.

She opened her first Scribble Art studio in 2013 in Manhattan, and the Dobbs Ferry location in 2016. She closed the Manhattan location in 2020 due to the pandemic, but kept the Dobbs Ferry location. At nearly 1,100 square feet, the Kent location is her largest studio to date.

Aside from her studio, Schwartz and her team of 40 teachers also teach in about 50 after-school programs throughout Westchester, N.Y. and New York City. She said she hopes to be able to teach art in after-school programs at Connecticut schools.

The Kent studio will be open for summer camp classes.

The studios name symbolizes the importance of scribbling, Schwartz said.

The name comes from the fact that the first developmental stage for artistic development is the scribbling stage, she said.

She said people often discount scribbling as scribble scrabble  as not important or meaningless. However, thats far from the case, she said.

The scribble is the symbol of this lifelong relationship with image making, she said. Its the childs first experience of expressing something internal in an external way. Its the beginning of a long life of mark making and drawing.

It all starts from that scribble, she said.

For information on Scribble Art Workshop, visit scribbleartworkshop.com. or email info@scribbleartworkshop.com.

sandra.fox@hearstmediact.com 203-948-9802
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Reporter

Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey).
Our County Editor

Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com.
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In a recent paper posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers reveal the development of an open-source database that provides data on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) resources.

Outbreak.info: A standardized, searchable platform to discover and explore COVID-19 resources and data. Image Credit: Studio.c/ Shutterstock

With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic causing devastation on a global scale, scientists and public health systems alike have been working together to address the challenges the pandemic entails and develop policies to control it.

Since the pandemic began, scientific research has grown exponentially at an unparalleled pace, from exploring and testing therapeutic drugs to developing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. Data suggests that over 52,000 peer-reviewed articles were published during the first year of the COVID-19 crisis, as compared to around 1,000 during the initial 12 months of the SARS outbreak in 2002.

The staggering magnitude of research data on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2, which continues to expand, requires a combined database to house the research data from across various available repositories in a standardized, searchable, interpretable, and easy-to-access interface.

The pandemic has led to the creation of several databases and for instance, numerous websites report COVID-19 cases across different geographical regions that are mostly contributed by volunteers.

LitCovid is a hub of the COVID-19 literature, while the data on clinical trials are stored at the National Clinical Trials (NCT) registry. Therefore, a common library that provides access to COVID-19 resources assembled from various sources is required to aid scientific research.

In the present paper, the authors describe the development of outbreak.info. This website hosts COVID-19 research data created by collecting metadata from 14 repositories and combining COVID-19 resources from hundreds of sources scattered over the internet and yet remain disparate.

The database hosts data resources from over 200,000 publications, clinical trials, and other related datasets. The collected resources were standardized by developing schema, prioritizing five classes of COVID-19 research data  publications, datasets, clinical trials, analysis, and protocols.

Number of resources in outbreak.info as a function of date.

Metadata is ingested into the website in two ways. For example, the first method uses the BioThings software development kit (SDK) data plugins, and the second method allows submissions via an online form. A nested list of thematic or topic-based categories was developed based on the initial list from LitCovid, which resulted in a list with 11 broad categories and 24 specific child categories. Epidemiological data was ingested from John Hopkins University (JHU) and the New York Times (NYT), and the genomics data was integrated from the GISAID database.

Findings

After developing the schema, the researchers created data plugins or parsers to import metadata from 14 repositories and ingest it into outbreak.info. These parsers auto-update daily to maintain updated information. The most extensive data class was publications collected from LitCovid and the preprint servers, bioRxiv and medRxiv. The clinical trial data from the NCT and World Health Organization (WHO) formed the second largest library. The "protocols" class compiled data from two resources - Protocols.io and NCT protocols, while the datasets library sourced its information from Zenodo, protein data bank (PDB), Figshare, and Harvard datasets.

A. Distribution of resources by resource type and source. B. Heterogeneous and filterable resources (ie-publications, clinical trials, datasets, etc.) resulting from a single search of the phrase Delta Variant

Data available at the Imperial College of London (ICL) were imported to fill the "Analysis" library class. The database has been developed with a feature to allow submissions from the "volunteers" or the community. Other features include creative and interactive visualization of epidemiological data imported from JHU and NYU, although many other sources compile information on epidemiology from JHU, the interface on outbreak.info is built to support research.

Conclusions

The authors of the present work have created a database to access resources of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 easily. The massive expansion of research and epidemiological data necessitates a shared library that houses information from many sources in an easy, searchable, standardized, and interpretable interface. This has been achieved by creating outbreak.info, a feature-rich website that allows contributions from the community. Furthermore, the integration of data compiled from various repositories into a single database allows quick exploration and retrieval of COVID-19 resources irrespective of their source.

In summary, the authors created a website that essentially comprises three components: 1) outbreak.info contains a searchable interface, 2) a tool to explore epidemiology data and spatiotemporal trends, and 3) surveillance reports on SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutants. The website is also integrated with public application programming interfaces or APIs to allow access to resource data.

What is Outbreak.info? The Open-Source Hub of COVID-19 Data & Research Play

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information
An international research team has established a link between gut microbiota and chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. The team led by Eric Boilard of Universite Laval has discovered that a protein naturally present in the gut acts on the microbiota and causes the formation of molecules that exacerbate the symptoms of these diseases. The details of this finding are published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation  Insight.

The protein in question, phospholipase A2-IIA, was discovered several years ago in the fluid that surrounds the joints of people with arthritis according to Dr. Boilard, a professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Universite Laval and a researcher at CHU de QuebecUniversite Laval Research Centre. The protein was subsequently detected elsewhere in the body, notably in the gut where it is produced in abundance.

It took a long time before we realized that it exhibits antibacterial activity. The protein interacts little with the membrane of human cells, but it has high affinity for bacterial membranes. It binds to these membranes and splits them, releasing small molecules such as fatty acids." Dr. Eric Boilard, Universite Laval

To study the effect of this protein on gut microbiota, researchers used a line of transgenic mice. "These mice have the human gene that codes for phospholipase A2-IIA," explained the researcher. "As they age, they spontaneously develop manifestations of chronic systemic inflammation."

Experiments on these mice revealed that phospholipase alters the profile of bacterial lipids that end up in the gut. "By releasing fatty acids from the bacterial membranes, the protein produces proinflammatory lipids that exacerbate chronic inflammation and increase the severity of arthritis symptoms in these mice," summed up Dr. Boilard.

In another article published simultaneously in the Journal of Clinical Investigation  Insight, Japanese researchers led by Makoto Murakami of the University of Tokyo demonstrated that the action of phospholipase on the gut microbiota of mice also affects psoriasis, another inflammatory disease, as well as skin cancer. "Three years ago, we realized that our respective teams were on the same track," said Dr. Boilard. "We agreed to work together to shed light on this new lead."

These breakthroughs could have therapeutic implications, he says. "The work of both teams suggests that local inhibition of phospholipase may alleviate the inflammatory process that exacerbates certain diseases. It also suggests that blocking the bacterial proinflammatory lipids produced in the gut by this protein could reduce symptoms in people with systemic inflammatory diseases. The next step in our work is to test these ideas in patients with arthritis."

The study led by Dr. Boilard is the result of a collaborative effort between 22 researchers from Universite Laval, Japan, France, and the United States. The first author is Etienne Dore, a doctoral student researcher in Universite Laval's Faculty of Medicine and a recipient of an award from The Arthritis Society.
About a fifth of young sexual minority males and transgender females are estimated to be engaging in transactional, or survival sex, according to results of a new survey study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers. The findings, which define the practice as trading sex for money, housing and other necessities (e.g., food, clothing), were published in the February 2022 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health and first appeared online Jan. 16. The findings affirm that transactional sex may place young Black and Latinx gay or bisexual males and transgender females at risk for exposure to HIV.

"Previous studies have focused on transactional sex among young gay or bisexual males and transgender females, but few have tried to understand the prevalence among Black and Latinx youth in these groups," says Johns Hopkins Children's Center adolescent medicine specialist Renata Sanders, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.M. She is the study's first author and an associate professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

From August 2017 and January 2021, researchers surveyed 454 teenagers and young adults who are Black or Latinx. All of the subjects were between the ages of 15 and 24 and lived in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., or St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida  urban locations that have high rates of HIV and unstable housing among youth. Participants were recruited through peers, advertisements on webpages and in social media, and flyers at clinical sites serving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, community-based organizations and events. The study included a 45-minute base line web-based survey and HIV testing. The average age of participants was 21, and about 15% of participants identified as transgender.

In addition to questions about their gender identity, experiences of sexual violence, substance abuse and financial well-being, participants were asked, "Have you ever had sex with a male in exchange for money, a place to stay or food?"

Some 22% (slightly more than one in five respondents overall) reported engaging in transactional (survival) sex. Among survey participants with HIV, 32% reported survival sex experiences. The researchers say a positive response to the question about transactional sex was associated with transgender identity, unstable housing in the previous 12 months, poorer perceived financial well-being, coerced sex and marijuana use. Youth and young adults who had a job were less likely to be engaged in transactional sex.

A lot of the people who identify as sexual minority men or transgender woman are vulnerable and may not be accepted in their own personal environments or families. They are often displaced, and they don't have a place to stay, which puts them at risk for transactional or survival sex and HIV." Renata Sanders, M.D., M.P.H., Sc.M., Johns Hopkins Children's Center adolescent medicine specialist

In addition, the researchers found that transactional sex was associated with substance use disorder. In particular, "alcohol or marijuana use may be a way of coping with engaging in transactional sex or not having a place to live," Sanders says. More than 25% of all participants who reported using substances engaged in transactional sex, with 31% of tobacco users, 27% of marijuana users and 26% of alcohol users reporting transactional sex. Marijuana use was associated with transactional sex among young sexual minority men, while alcohol use was associated with transactional sex among youth living with HIV.

Researchers noted some limitations in the study. For example, while there was a wide recruitment of participants, the results may not represent all sexual and gender minority youth in this age group, including youth in rural areas. Also, the survey results are based on the participants' experiences, and in some situations, youth may underreport transactional sex, or may not view sex to survive as harmful or placing them at risk.

The researchers plan to devote future studies to building and testing interventions that address economic, housing and social vulnerabilities that predispose sexual and gender minority youth and young adults to transactional sex.

For now, Sanders says health care providers, parents and others involved with sexual and gender minority youth should screen them for vulnerabilities and other health inequities, and link them to information about preventing sexually transmitted infections including HIV. Health care providers can encourage the use of condoms and pre-exposure prophylaxis medication, which can prevent HIV transmission. Parents should also talk with their adolescents and create a safe environment that accepts them, even if they don't agree with or understand aspects of their sexual or gender identity. The goal, Sanders says, is to help those at risk understand that they are not alone, and that resources to help them are available from health professionals, community organizations and elsewhere.
The ARRL say the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) team of Centralia, Washington, activated following an early morning bombing on December 19. Authorities say two men planted the bomb, which blew up the ATM at a local bank.

The Washington State Patrol Bomb Squad and the FBI responded to assist the Centralia Police Department (CPD) in the investigation. The Centralia ARES team staged its communications van next to the scene. The 13 ARES team members who responded to a call for assistance were paired with CPD detectives to assist in the evidence search at the crime scene.

ARES team members had been trained to perform evidence searches for the police department and were able to put those skills to work. Teams of three to five ARES members, led by a detective, gloved up and slowly searched an estimated 10,000 square feet around the bank, along nearby railroad tracks, and an adjoining field, retrieving as many potential pieces of evidence as they could find. The ARES team was released after about 1 hour.

Thanks to Bob Willey, KD7OWN, Centralia, Washington, ARES Emergency Coordinator

Source: http://www.arrl.org/news/centralia-washington-ares-team-activates-in-the-wake-of-bombing
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, scientists investigated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in white-tailed deer (WTD) in southern Quebec, Canada, as part of a more extensive pan-Canadian analysis into SARS-CoV-2 spillover into wildlife. To further define SARS-CoV-2 infection in this species, researchers used viral genomes and isolation.

As the pandemic advances, new data about susceptible species that could operate as competent SARS-CoV-2 reservoirs emerge. Because of experimental evidence of susceptibility as well as recent evidence of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and infection in the northeastern United States, WTD is now regarded as a very relevant species.

Study: First detection of SARS-CoV-2 infection in Canadian wildlife identified in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from southern Quebec, Canada. Image Credit: Tom Reichner / Shutterstock.com

About the study

In this study, samples were taken from 258 WTD in two areas  the Estrie region and Laurentides - from southern Quebec, Canada. Adults (92%) and males (79%) made up the majority of the sampled WTD.

Samples included 251 nasal swabs and 104 retropharyngeal lymph nodes from 258 deer that were examined for SARS-CoV-2 ribonucleic acid (RNA) through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), underwent full genome sequencing and virus isolation in November 2021, and 251 thoracic cavity fluid samples were screened for neutralizing antibodies.

Map of southern Quebec administrative regions and corresponding identification numbers within the study region. Inset shows location of Quebec (outlined) and study region (shaded black) within Canada.

Results

The first detection of SARS-CoV-2 exposure and infection in WTD in Canada is described in this study. SARS-CoV-2 was found in 1.2% of deer nasal swabs, while neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was found in 5.6% of the samples. Notably, the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in WTD described in this study is significantly lower than that reported in Iowa (33.2%) and Ohio (35.8%).

Map of southern Quebec with the locations of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive (red), serology positive (yellow), and PCR and serology negative (grey) white-tailed deer from November 6 - 8 2021. Infection and exposure data are superimposed on (A) a choropleth map of human population density (per km2) by regional county municipalities (thin grey boundaries) and (B) a heatmap of deer harvest density per 100km2 from 2020 as a proxy for deer population density. Administrative regions are indicated by black boundaries

Similarly, the seroprevalence is substantially lower than the 40% recorded for the northeastern United States and the 37% reported for Texas. This finding could indicate that the spread of SARS-CoV-2 to WTD in this part of Quebec is very recent.

All PCR-positive and seropositive WTD were found in the Estrie region. Even though the researchers included SARS CoV-2 sequences from humans from Quebec, no sequences from the Estrie region were available, indicating regional undersampling of SARS-CoV-2 sequences from humans.

Whole SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences were found to possess two S gene variants - S:T22I and S:A27V - that differed from the deer and the most closely related AY.44 sequences from GISAID in the current study. This finding suggests that SARS-CoV-2 has been circulating in WTD for some time and that genetic markers could be valuable for tracking SARS-CoV-2 transmission and evolution in future studies of WTD and human genomes. However, it is unclear whether these improvements will have a broader impact on public health.

Observed cytopathic effect in VeroE6 cells inoculated with nasal swabs from SARS-CoV-2 positive white-tailed deer at 5 days post-infection (A-4055, B-4249) with a mock-inoculated negative control (C) and positive control inoculated with a nasopharyngeal clinical specimen from a COVID-19 patient (D). Magnification was 100x.

The researchers were able to isolate live SARS-CoV-2 from two of the three Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)-confirmed PCR-positive nasal swabs. According to prior research, productive viral replication is restricted to the upper respiratory tract, with infectious virus shedding in infected WTD's nasal secretions. While there is no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from deer to humans at this time, these findings highlight the dangers of human contact with wild and captive WTD.

Limitations

There are a few limitations to this study. First, while taking advantage of the usual WTD hunting season yielded a significant number of samples, the current study took place over a short period of time and covered a relatively small geographic area. Second, the samples used in this investigation had been harvested post-mortem. Although 98% of samples were collected within 48 hours of harvest, sample degradation likely happened during that time.

Conclusion

The study findings show a need for more WTD surveillance in Quebec and across Canada. More research is needed to learn how the virus is transmitted from humans to deer, how efficiently and sustainably the virus is transmitted among deer in the wild, if WTD could serve as a reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 in Canada, how viral adaptations occur in WTD, and if and how frequently deer-to-human transmission occurs.

To ensure that a One Health strategy is applied to this urgent pandemic threat by guiding evidence-based decision-making for human and animal health, ongoing coordinated and cross-disciplinary efforts are necessary.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Many experts now predict that COVID-19, which so far has killed more than 5.5 million people worldwide, will remain endemic as new, infectious variants of SARS-CoV-2 emerge. These new variants could pose a greater risk of reinfection-;infecting people who have already had COVID19-;than previous ones. The rapid identification of reinfection cases and surges could improve public health responses and reveal variants that escape the protection offered by vaccination.

A study published this week in mBio, by collaborators from the Broad Institute, MIT, Harvard Medical School, and the company SpaceX, suggests a way to keep track of those cases. In the work, a multi-institutional group of researchers have identified immunological blood biomarkers that correspond to reinfection and re-exposure to the virus.

"In the setting of waning natural and vaccine immunity, reinfections have emerged across the globe, even amongst previously infected and vaccinated individuals," noted the immunologists, virologists, biologists, and others who worked on the study.

Previous studies have reported that rhesus macaques have a clinical response to SARS-CoV-2 infection similar to that of humans. For the new study, the researchers studied a group of rhesus macaques that had previously been infected with the virus. They exposed the primates to a different variant of the virus-;at varying doses-;and collected blood samples before and after both the original infection and the rechallenge.

Notably, analyses of the blood samples revealed distinct biomarkers of reinfection. Those included increased levels of immunoglobulin antibodies that bind to the Spike protein, nucleocapsid protein, or other parts of the virus particle. Animals exposed to higher doses of the virus showed higher SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin responses.

The authors reported that those immunological features differentiated primary infection from re-exposure and reinfection in the macaques. The researchers then analyzed blood samples from a small group of humans who were participating in a community-based surveillance cohort at SpaceX and had been reinfected with the coronavirus. The study on humans confirmed the findings from the one on macaques.

Simple, inexpensive, and widely accessible surveillance tools are needed to identify new hotspots of infection, the authors noted. The new work, they added, shows how simple titers might be used as readily available markers of reinfection. "Our ability to monitor and control both infection and reinfection hinges on the development of simple, immunologically sound screening strategies," they wrote.
Although Canada receives thousands of refugees each year, there has been little research on their health as they age. A new study published recently in the International Journal of Aging and Human Development found that the vast majority of older refugees living in Canada report being in good physical health (82%). These results are comparable to both their immigrant peers and those who were born in Canada.

Many refugees experience torture and physical hardships in their country of origin, which may have long-term health consequences. With this in mind, the high percentage of older refugees reporting good physical health in Canada is positive news and underlines the protective role that Canada's universal health care system may have on enhancing the physical health of refugees." Alyssa MacAlpine, Study First Author and Recent Graduate of the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

Less positive is the study's findings that racialized immigrants were less likely to report being in good health compared to white immigrants and white individuals born in Canada.

"It's only when we looked at the intersection of race and immigrant status that we found health disparities," said co-author Professor Usha George, Academic Director, Ryerson Centre for Immigration and Settlement.

White Canadian-born individuals and white immigrants were 35% more likely to report being in good health compared to racialized immigrants.

"These findings indicate that racialized immigrants in Canada are at a health disadvantage," George said.

Experiences of discrimination may contribute to these health differences. Racialized Canadians were significantly more likely to report that they had experienced at least one incident of discrimination in the previous 5 years compared to non-racialized Canadians (32% vs 19%, respectively).

"Those who said they had not experienced any form of discrimination in the past five years had 69% higher odds of reporting good health compared to their peers who had experienced discrimination," said co-author Karen Kobayashi, Professor in the Department of Sociology and a Research Fellow at the Institute on Aging & Lifelong Health at the University of Victoria.

Physical health was linked to a number of other social factors as well. For example, being involved in at least one social group or organization in the past year, believing that most people can be trusted, having a confidant, and being married or living common law were all associated with greater odds of reporting good health.

"These findings speak to the importance of reducing social isolation among aging populations in Canada to support better health outcomes," said senior author, Esme Fuller-Thomson, a professor at FIFSW and director of the Institute for Life Course & Aging at the University of Toronto. "We found that racialized individuals were less likely than white individuals to be involved in social groups or associations, which suggests the need for more community-based services to support socialization opportunities."

Other factors that increased the odds of poorer health included being less educated (e.g., a high school diploma or less) and having a household income under $50,000 per year.

"Future research is needed to determine if interventions to improve social support and lower discrimination not only improve quality of life but also lead to better health among racialized older adults," said George.

The study used data from the 27th General Social Survey, a nationally representative Canadian survey conducted by Statistics Canada in 2013. Of the 9011 respondents age 55 and older, 6777 were white individuals born in Canada, 44 were racialized individuals born in Canada, 104 were white refugees, 110 were racialized refugees, 1277 were white immigrants, and 699 were racialized immigrants. The study used cross-sectional observational data and therefore causality cannot be determined.
Life science specialists, AMSBIO, have made a new strategic investment to enhance the level of support to its sizeable and growing base of customers across the European Union.

On December 30th, 2021, AMSBIO opened a new office in Alkmaar, Netherlands. The new AMSBIO Europe BV office is already providing EU customers rapid, easy access to the companys extensive range of top-quality products and consumables.

Image Credit: AMS Biotechnology

Experienced industry professional, Francesca Pignotta, who heads the new office commented Europe represents an important market for AMSBIO. We have been planning for some time how to ensure EU researchers can continue to receive next day delivery of products free of customs delays, import tariffs or the need to fill-in extra documentation. Through maintenance of local stock - AMSBIO Europe BV enables EU customers to order and receive our market-leading life science products with unimpeded efficiency and lower costs in the post-Brexit market

Juan Barrie of FASTBASE Solutions (Derio, Spain) said I was very pleasantly surprised by the excellent pre-sales online technical service, the quick order processing / shipment and the good-value for money of the products. We surely will continue working with AMSBIO Europe BV in the future. FASTBASE Solutions is a technology company founded by Spanish and British scientists from the Francis Crick Institute in London, which has developed a technology that allows determining with high precision which patients will respond to cancer treatment with immunotherapy and which will not.

For further information on the latest tools for life science research please visit www.amsbio.com or contact AMSBIO on +31-72-8080244 / +44-1235-828200 / +1-617-945-5033 / [email protected].

Founded in 1987, AMS Biotechnology (AMSBIO) is recognized today as a leading transatlantic company contributing to the acceleration of discovery through the provision of cutting-edge life science technology, products and services for research and development in the medical, nutrition, cosmetics and energy industries. AMSBIO has in-depth expertise in extracellular matrices to provide elegant solutions for studying cell motility, migration, invasion and proliferation. This expertise in cell culture and the ECM allows AMSBIO to partner with clients in tailoring cell systems to enhance organoid and spheroid screening outcomes using a variety of 3D culture systems, including organ-on-a-chip microfluidics. For drug discovery research, AMSBIO offers assays, recombinant proteins and cell lines. Drawing upon a huge and comprehensive biorepository, AMSBIO is widely recognised as a leading provider of high-quality tissue specimens (including custom procurement) from both human and animal tissues. The company provides unique clinical grade products for stem cell and cell therapy applications these include high quality solutions for viral delivery (lentivirus, adenovirus and adeno-associated virus) in addition to GMP cryopreservation technology.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the pathogenic virus that is responsible for the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.

This virus has claimed more than 5.6 million lives worldwide and affected the global healthcare system and economy, massively. SARS-CoV-2 is highly contagious and is transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person via contact.

Although several COVID-19 vaccines have received emergency use authorization, and vaccination programs have commenced, vaccinating the global population is not an easy task.

This is predominantly due to a shortage in the vaccine supply, vaccine hesitancy, and the evolution of the virus via mutations. All the COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics available so far, have been designed against the spike protein of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. Therefore, mutations in the spike protein have affected the efficacy of the vaccines and therapeutics against the SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Role of Animals in SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Even though the precise origin of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has not yet been determined, scientists have identified coronaviruses that are highly similar to SARS-CoV-2, and these are closely linked with Chinese horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus affinis), indicating the zoonotic origin of SARS-CoV-2.

Previous reports have also indicated the passing of viruses from bats to humans and from humans to animals that are in close contact with humans. Hence, animals can act as a secondary reservoir and spill back the virus to humans.

Pet animals, such as dogs, cats, ferrets, etc., as well as zoo animals (e.g., felines and primates), can be infected by symptomatic or asymptomatic COVID-19 infected individuals. To date, animals have no active role in the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Previous studies have revealed that passage of SARS-CoV-2 infection from animals, which is known as reverse zoonosis, occurred only in a particular ecosystem of mink farms.

Recent epidemiological studies have revealed that wild animals are naturally infected by SARS-CoV-2. Scientists stated that these observations will influence the strategies to prevent future pandemics. Recent studies have indicated that SARS-CoV-2 infection has been found in many wild animals in different parts of the world. For instance, COVID-19 infection was reported in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) (USA and Canada), and American minks (Neovison vison) (USA and Spain).

A new study

A new observational study has been published on the bioRxiv* preprint server that focused on the identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection in wild mustelids in the French region of Brittany. A total of thirty-three mustelids corpses were used as the study sample, collected from April to June 2021. These animals died owing to various reasons such as road collisions, following current hunting regulations, and some were shot down following the article R 427-6 of the French Environment Code. Among the thirty-three mustelids, there were fourteen martens, ten badgers, four American minks, three polecats, and two beech martens.

In this study, researchers performed serological screening using the ELISA test and positive sera samples of mustelids indicated COVID-19 infection. The positive sera were subjected to the western blot technique to further confirm the results. The serological results indicated generation of humoral immune response after COVID-19 infection.

Automated Western Blotting (AWB) assay confirmed that five animals were infected with SARS-CoV-2. AWB result of eight mustelids was doubtful and, hence, they were not regarded as SARS-CoV-2 positive.

Serological results often vary following different methods mainly due to the difference in antigen choice, and sensitivity and specificity of the method. Typically, the ELISA test detects the total antibodies, i.e., IgG, IgM, IgA antibodies, against the virus core protein; however, AWB detects only IgG.

The authors described the current study as a case study and not representative of the epidemiological reality. Therefore, seroprevalence must be considered as a warning indicator useful for future epidemiological studies. All the studies related to mustelids revealed that they live in anthropized and non-isolated rural areas.

Therefore, researchers believe that the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to wild mustelids may have occurred due to indirect contact with infected humans through environmental contamination, such as wastewater from households or aerosols. Another possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to mustelids could be from an infected mink, which might have escaped from a farm.

Researchers revealed that virus transmission between mustelids is rapid. This is because they have angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors on the cells of the respiratory tract. Previous studies have indicated that the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binds to ACE2 to establish infection. This study revealed that SARS-CoV-2 was predominantly found in two species of mustelids, i.e., marten and badgers.

Conclusion

The authors stated that the seropositivities reported in this study indicate that wild mustelids are good epidemiological sentinels for COVID-19. The main problem with mustelid coronaviruses is their mutagenic ability. Hence, they could produce more virus variants possessing several unfavorable characteristics.

Scientists emphasized conducting regular epidemiological surveillance and maintaining robust biosecurity measures to protect individuals from new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

*Important notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, a team of researchers assessed the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission from humans to cattle.

Study: Serological screening suggests single SARS-CoV-2 spillover events to cattle. Image Credit: Alena Demidyuk / Shutterstock

Introduction

Globally, more than 358 million individuals have been infected by SARS-CoV-2 since its emergence in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019. Since the pandemic's beginning, the possibility of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from humans to animals has been widely discussed, although the emphasis was placed on identifying susceptible species and potential intermediate or reservoir hosts.

About the study

In the present study, researchers conducted serological screenings of 1,000 samples from cattle kept in 83 holdings located in the German states of Bavaria, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. These samples were collected between autumn 2021 and early winter 2022, when the wave of infections in humans caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of concern (VOC) was on the rise. From each of the 83 holdings, two to 20 serum or plasma samples were collected and analyzed.

The analysis was performed using a receptor-binding domain (RBD)-based multispecies enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The ELISA results were further confirmed by an indirect immunofluorescence assay (iIFA) using SARS-CoV-2-infected Vero cells. These results were then confirmed using a surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT) which mimicked the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and the host cell's membrane receptor protein angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) to detect the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Although highly specific, sVNT was found to be only moderately sensitive for bovine samples.

Results

The results showed that 11 cattle from nine holdings tested positive for COVID-19 using the RBD-ELISA. Among these 11 cattle, 10 RBD-ELISA results were confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay (IIFA). A titer range between 1/8 and 1/512 was observed in seropositive cattle by IIFA. Four out of the 11 samples were further tested and confirmed to be positive by the sVNT.

The study confirmed that ELISA does not react with the bovine coronavirus (BCoV) and found no correlation between BCoV infection and SARS-CoV-2 infection, indicating the possibility of double infections in cattle.

Number of cattle per farm tested for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Samples that reacted negative in the RBD-based ELISA are depicted in black and positive samples in red. Holding 31 was sampled twice (indicated as 31a and 31b), in between the animal owner was quarantined.

Conclusion

Based on the study findings, the researchers conclude that occasional spill-over of SARS-CoV-2 infections from humans to cattle is possible. However, intraspecies transmission is found to be rare in the holdings studied. The authors believe that future SARS-CoV-2- transmission monitoring programs should include cattle farms to surveil the spread of the virus. In particular, the spread of BCoV, a coronavirus highly prevalent in the cattle population, is of significant concern.

Double infections of SARS-CoV-2 and BCoV could lead to recombination between both viruses, creating a new virus. While an emergence of this kind is unlikely due to the low SARS-CoV-2-susceptibility in cattle, the likelihood can still be controlled by appropriate investigations and screening to exclude the transmission of novel variants in livestock.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
St. Clair County Commission Chairman Paul Manning was one of the first to qualify on opening day of qualifying, which was this past Tuesday. Pictured with him is his wife, Marie Manning.
The poll workers volunteered to help with the local primary elections on Tuesday.
CTDI Inc. was one of several major employers that opened new operations at the River Ridge Commerce Center in 2021.
Online classes help boost Ham Radio in India The Bangalore Mirror reports that the move to online amateur radio training has boosted the number taking up the hobby



The newspaper says:



After seeing a dip in 2021, Bengalurus interest in amateur radio has picked up again, thanks to online classes.



In 2021, only 60 candidates were from Bengaluru. Courtesy Covid, the Indian Institute of Hams was not able to conduct its offline examinations. In 2022, roughly 181 candidates are expected to sit for the exams this month.



People didnt have to travel long distances or lose hours in traffic to cater to their interests, said S Sathyapal VU2FI, director, Indian Institute of HAMs.



Read the full story at

https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/online-classes-help-boost-ham-attendance/articleshow/89047600.cms



Indian Institute of Hams

https://www.indianhams.com/

https://www.facebook.com/VU2IIH
(Newser)  In one of his classes at a Memphis middle school, 12-year-old Artemis Rayford wrote a letter to Tennessee's governor about a new state law that allows those 21 and up to carry a gun without training or a permit. "It is my opinion that this new law will be bad, and people will be murdered," wrote the Sherwood Middle School student to Gov. Bill Lee. Death by bullet was a fate that would befall Artemis himself. The boy was killed by a stray bullet that hit him as he was playing a new video game on Christmas morning. "When he got shot, the only thing he could do was run to his mama," his grandmother tells WREG. "It took her two days to wash the blood off her hands." No arrests have been made.

In the wake of his death, his teacher sent his mother the letter he had written. In it, he explains he had participated in a discussion about the law's impact as part of the Memphis Police Department's Gang Resistance Education and Training program that he had joined. His grandmother tells Fox 13 her take on what transpired: "Somebody got into it at the store and the man came back. He ran across people's yards trying to get away from the gunmen and the bullet shot her [Artemis' mother] house and the house next door." She thinks it's possible Artemis stopped playing games and headed toward the door to see what was happening; he was shot in the chest. "He wrote this letter not even knowing that he was going to be killed by the gun," she says. The Washington Post notes it's unclear if the letter was ever mailed to Lee. (Read more Tennessee stories.)
(Newser)  A Connecticut man who went into a smoothie store to complain went so far over the line that he lost his job and is facing criminal chargesincluding a felony. Police in Fairfield say James Iannazzo, 48, was arrested after workers at a Robeks said he was "throwing things, yelling at employees, and refusing to leave" on Saturday, USA Today reports. Video of the confrontation, in which Iannozzo can be seen swearing at employees, calling one of them an "immigrant loser," and throwing a smoothie that hit a worker in the shoulder, went viral after it was shared on a local Facebook page in the New York City suburb, reports the New York Times. Workers said Iannozzo, who demanded to know who had made a drink that triggered his son's peanut allergy, also tried to get into a locked employees-only area.

Ianozza bought a drink at the store around 1pm and called 911 less than 40 minutes later because a juvenile at his home had suffered a severe allergic reaction, according to a police press release. Police said he went to the store after his son was taken to the hospital. Iannozza, who turned himself in after leaving the Robeks, was charged with intimidation based on bigotry or bias, a felony, along with misdemeanor charges of breach of peace and trespassing. Iannozza, who has a court date next month, has been fired from his job as a financial adviser at Merrill Lynch. "Our company does not tolerate behavior of this kind," a spokesman for parent company Bank of America tells the Times.

Police say workers told investigators that Iannazzo "never told them about the peanut allergy but had only requested that there be no peanut butter in his drink." A lawyer for Iannozzo, however, says he stressed to employees that the drink must not contain peanuts. After his son's severe reaction, the father's "parental instinct kicked in and he acted out of anger and fear," Frank J. Riccio II said in a statement. "He is not a racist individual and deeply regrets his statements and actions during a moment of extreme emotional stress." (Read more Connecticut stories.)
(Newser)  The death toll from what NYPD officers thought would be a routine domestic disturbance call on Friday has now reached three. After days in critical condition, Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, has died from injuries he received in the Harlem shooting, the New York Times reports. His partner, 22-year-old Officer Jason Rivera, died Friday and gunman Lashawn McNeil, who was shot by a third officer after he opened fire in an apartment hallway, died Monday. "Today, we mourn the loss of Police Officer Wilbert Mora," the NYPD tweeted Tuesday. He "was murdered in the line of dutyfighting until the very end." Mora was taken from Harlem Hospital to NYU Langone Medical Center Sunday so his organs could be donated in accordance with his wishes.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell described Mora, who joined the force in 2018, as a hero three times over: "For choosing a life of service. For sacrificing his life to protect others. For giving life even in death through organ donation." Irina Zakirova, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, tells the AP that Mora was an earnest student who cared deeply about his community. "He was so certain about becoming a police officera good police officerand he was looking forward to taking the next step for a police career," she says.

Mora's death makes the Harlem incident the first time since 2014 that two officers have been killed in the line of duty, the Times reports. Mora and the other two officers had been responding to a domestic call about a mother having trouble with her son. Police say McNeil, 47, was shot after he emerged from a bedroom and fired at the officers. "True heroes never die," said Patrick Lynch, president of the Police Benevolent Association union, per the New York Daily News. "Our brother Police Officer Wilbert Mora has left us, but he will live on in the heart of every New York City police officer from this day forward." (Read more NYPD stories.)
(Newser)  A young Black man is suing two police departments in Nevada after he says he spent six days in jailsimply for having nearly the same name as a wanted felon, who is white and twice his age. Shane Lee Brown, a 25-year-old with dark hair, says police were actually looking for Shane Neal Brown, a 51-year-old white man with a prominent white beard. Henderson police officers had pulled over the younger man on Jan. 8, 2020. As Brown didn't have his license, he provided his name and Social Security number, per NPR. According to the lawsuit, officers assumed he was the same Shane Brown who was subject of a felony bench warrant for a weapons charge out of Las Vegas and threw him in jail.

Two days later, Brownnow seeking $500,000 in damages for negligence, emotional distress, false imprisonment, and violation of civil rightssays he was transferred to the custody of Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, despite his repeatedly explaining that he was not the man sought. "Had any of the LVMPD or any corrections officers performed any due diligence," such as comparing Browns booking photo with a mug shot of the taller felon, "they would have easily determined that Shane Lee Brown has been misidentified as the subject of the warrant," the lawsuit reads, per ABC News. It adds he was only released when a Clark County District Court judge confirmed Brown's identity at a Jan. 14 hearing.

Henderson police say Brown was lawfully arrested for driving with a suspended license and failing to pay a warrant issued by Henderson Municipal Court, per ABC. But Brown's attorney E. Brent Bryson counters that, claiming his client told officers that he had a court date to address the violations. "They were going to let him go, except for the fact that when they ran [his name], it pulled up the wrongful bench warrant for the white Shane Brown," he says. Therefore, "he was wrongfully detained." Police later learned Shane Neal Brown, who'd skipped out on a court hearing after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm, had been arrested in California, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. (Read more mistaken identity stories.)
(Newser)  Zachary Taylor Blood, 33, arrived at a Border Patrol checkpoint near the US-Mexico border with an American flag-draped coffin in the back of his van Oct. 26. When asked what he had, he replied, "Dead guy, Navy guy." The agent, who is a military veteran, got suspicious, however, upon seeing the coffin was "rusty and dented" with the flag "crudely taped" onto it with packing tape, according to a criminal complaint cited by the New York Times and ABC 13. Another agent, also a veteran, agreed "this was not standard protocol for funeral procession of a military veteran," the complaint says. A search followed, and two (live) men were found inside the coffin.

Both admitted they were in the US illegally, the complaint says. One said he agreed to pay a smuggler $6,000 to be transported to San Antonio with his cousin, and that they found it difficult to breathe and hot inside the coffin. Blood, a Texas resident, pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempting to smuggle the two Mexican men into the US. "I have never encountered this method to smuggle aliens in the past," says a lawyer representing Blood. Blood faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of as much as $250,000; he will be sentenced May 11. (Read more smuggling stories.)
(Newser)  Apple CEO Tim Cook has been granted a restraining order against a woman accused of stalking himand whom Apple believes is currently somewhere in Silicon Valley, armed. The 45-year-old Virginia woman has allegedly sent Cook threatening emails including pictures of a loaded gun and threats to burn down his Palo Alto home, the Mercury News reports. She also allegedly trespassed at that home twice, and Apple believes she plans to go back or otherwise find Cook somewhere, NPR reports. A judge barred the woman from owning a gun or ammunition, interacting with Cook or any other Apple employees, or entering Apple properties. If she violates the order, she could be jailed and fined.

In late 2020, the woman started claiming on Twitter that she was married to Cook and he was the father of her twins, Apple says. She has since emailed him more than 200 times, with the tone "escalating" to the point that it became "highly disturbing," the company says. In one email, she allegedly said her sexual desire for Cook had her almost out of patience; in another, she applied to be his roommate; recently, the emails have demanded hundreds of millions of dollars and ordered Cook to move. She also allegedly registered multiple fake corporations listing Cook as some sort of executive, some of the companies having "highly offensive" names. (Cook also once got a restraining order against a man.)
Lonza Group AG / Key word(s): Annual Results

Lonza Delivers Strong 2021 performance with 20% CER Sales Growth



26-Jan-2022 / 07:00 CET/CEST

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.



Ad Hoc Release Pursuant to Art. 53 Listing Rules Lonza delivers CHF 5.4 billion sales and 20% CER 1 sales growth

sales growth CHF 1.7 billion CORE EBITDA resulted in a margin of 30.8%

2021 CAPEX reached 24% of sales, supporting long-term plan to deliver attractive margins through de-risked growth investments

Continuing focus on operational excellence and execution of growth projects

Outlook 2022: low to mid-teens CER sales growth and CORE EBITDA margin improvement in line with 2024 Mid-Term Guidance

Mid-Term Guidance 2024 reconfirmed Basel, Switzerland, 26 January 2022 - Lonza has reported sales of CHF 5.4 billion, growing 20% AER (20% CER) and CHF 1.7 billion CORE EBITDA, resulting in a margin of 30.8%. This strong momentum at Group level was driven by sales growth ahead of market across all divisions. The margin improvement was achieved through productivity improvements which were partially offset by the dilutive effect of ramping up growth projects and a negative mix. Reported EBITDA was impacted by the provision of CHF 285 million for the environmental remediation of the old Gamsenried landfill, with no impact on CORE EBITDA and cash flow. Through 2021, Lonza continued to execute its ongoing organic growth projects, as well as confirming new investments. For the Full Year, the total CAPEX reached CHF 1.3 billion or 24% of sales, and it is expected to increase to around 30% in 2022. These investments are focused on delivering the company's long-term investment strategy to capture growth opportunities at attractive margins while minimizing risk. This level of investment was supported by free cash flow, alongside the proceeds from the divestment of Lonza's former Specialty Ingredients business. The company's internal growth investments were accompanied by a selective approach to bolt-on acquisitions. Lonza's new exosomes sites in Lexington (US) and Siena (IT) have expanded its offering in this important emerging area, reflecting its focus on differentiating through innovation. As well as investing for the future, Lonza also continued to successfully navigate global supply disruptions arising from the COVID-19 pandemic with manageable impact for its customers and growth projects. Although disruptions look set to continue into 2022, no material impact is anticipated as long as the conditions remain comparable with the previous two years. Through the year, the business has continued to strengthen its balanced portfolio of customer collaborations with approximately 170 new CDMO customers2 signed in 2021, alongside more than 400 new clinical and commercial programs. Looking to the year ahead, Lonza's Outlook for Full-Year 2022 remains strong, with low to mid-teens CER sales growth anticipated. Business momentum across divisions and ramp-up of growth projects will drive expansion at above-market levels. A continuing focus on operational excellence is expected to deliver an improved CORE EBITDA margin in line with the 2024 Mid-Term Guidance trajectory. Lonza also reconfirms its 2024 Mid-Term Guidance. Pierre-Alain Ruffieux, CEO, Lonza commented: 'In 2021, we remained resilient to the challenges of the pandemic. We achieved a strong business performance across our four divisions, thanks to the commitment of our dedicated employee community. We continue to meet our customers' most pressing needs by acceleRating growth in areas of sustained high margin and market demand. Looking to 2022, we will continue to maintain momentum in our organic investments to expand our global capacities and service offering while focusing on operational excellence. We are also continuing to drive forward our sustainability agenda. All of this will allow us to deliver sustained growth across our divisions. In this context, we are confident the building blocks are in place to deliver on our 2022 Outlook and our 2024 Mid-Term Guidance.' Divisional Overview Biologics benefited from continued strong customer demand. The division was able to meet these high demand levels by bringing online and approving new significant expansions across modalities. Compared to Full-Year 2020, the business achieved 24.7% 3 sales growth, with a lower CORE EBITDA margin of 36.3%, reflecting a combination of project mix, one-time effects and the impact of growth projects.



benefited from continued strong customer demand. The division was able to meet these high demand levels by bringing online and approving new significant expansions across modalities. Compared to Full-Year 2020, the business achieved 24.7% sales growth, with a lower CORE EBITDA margin of 36.3%, reflecting a combination of project mix, one-time effects and the impact of growth projects. Small Molecules saw a significant number of new programs signed and the successful ramp-up of large assets in 2021. The division delivered 11.6% 3 sales growth versus Full-Year 2020, alongside a slight margin improvement to 28.0%.



saw a significant number of new programs signed and the successful ramp-up of large assets in 2021. The division delivered 11.6% sales growth versus Full-Year 2020, alongside a slight margin improvement to 28.0%. Cell & Gene performance was driven by strong customer demand and improved synergies between the Bioscience business unit and Lonza's CDMO services. As anticipated, the Cell & Gene Technologies business achieved a positive margin in Q4. The wider division saw 26.6% 3 sales growth and a margin improvement to 17.6%, compared to Full-Year 2020.



performance was driven by strong customer demand and improved synergies between the Bioscience business unit and Lonza's CDMO services. As anticipated, the Cell & Gene Technologies business achieved a positive margin in Q4. The wider division saw 26.6% sales growth and a margin improvement to 17.6%, compared to Full-Year 2020. Capsules & Health Ingredients saw solid demand across portfolios and regions. Compared to Full-Year 2020, the division delivered 5.6%3 sales growth, with attractive and improved margins of 34.4%.

All financial information for financial year 2021 is unaudited. The audit report on the 2021 consolidated financial statements of Lonza Group will be issued in March 2022 together with the publication of Lonza's 2021 Annual Report. For more detail on performance and financials, please refer to the Full-Year 2021 Presentation , Full-Year 2021 Report and Alternative Performance Measures (APM) 2021 Report . Dividend Announced

Lonza's Board of Directors is proposing an unchanged dividend for shareholders of CHF 3.00 per share for 2021. The proposal represents a pay-out of 7.5%8 of 2021 reported net profit of Lonza Group. Subject to approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 May 2022, 50% of the dividend of CHF 3.00 per share will be paid out of the capital contribution reserve and will therefore be free from Swiss withholding tax. Changes in Board of Directors

Two changes in Lonza's Board of Directors were announced. Dorothee Deuring and Werner J. Bauer have decided not to stand for re-election at the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 5 May 2022. Werner J. Bauer has been a member of the Board since 2013 and most recently held the role of chair of the Innovation and Technology Committee. Dorothee Deuring has been a member of the Board since 2020 and chaired the Audit and Compliance Committee. The Board would like to thank them both for their contributions during their years of service to Lonza. The Board of Directors is proposing to Lonza's AGM the election of two new Board members, Dr Marion Helmes and Prof Roger M. Nitsch. Dr Marion Helmes is an experienced CFO and Board member with international exposure. She brings experience from multiple industries including retail, energy and heavy manufacturing. She has served on the Boards of Siemens Healthineers, Heineken, ProSiebenSat.1 Media, British American Tobacco, and others. Prof Roger M. Nitsch is the CEO and President of Neurimmune and Chairman of Neurimmune Holding AG. He holds an MD from the University of Heidelberg and earned his post-doctoral qualification at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. Roger is Ordinary Professor at the University of Zurich where he holds a part-time position as a lecturer in Bio-Entrepreneurship. The Board is further proposing to the AGM the re-election of all other Board members. [1] Constant exchange rate [2] Based on distinct companies [3] All sales growth figures, expressed in percentage (%), are at a constant exchange rate (CER) [4] All financial information referring to continuing operations are exclusive of the Specialty Ingredients business, that was sold on 1 July 2021 and therefore reported as discontinued operations [5] Actual exchange rate (AER); in constant exchange rate (CER): +20.0% [6] Includes Gamsenried environmental remediation expense of CHF285 million [7] CORE results for the Full-year 2020 were restated to reflect the changes from the revised Alternative Performance Measures policy that was introduced on 1 January 2021 [8] Pay-out ratio of 7.5% based on the profit for the period of Lonza Group consolidated (incl. discontinued operations). The pay-out ratio based on the profit for the period of continuing operations would amount to 32.9% About Lonza

Lonza is the preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and nutrition markets. We work to enable a healthier world by supporting our customers to deliver new and innovative medicines that help treat a wide range of diseases. We achieve this by combining technological insight with world-class manufacturing, scientific expertise and process excellence. Our unparalleled breadth of offerings enables our customers to commercialize their discoveries and innovations in the healthcare industry. Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, today, Lonza operates across five continents. With approximately 16,000 full-time employees, we comprise high-performing teams and individual talent who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as to the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 5.4 billion with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.7 billion in Full-Year 2021. Find out more at www.lonza.com Follow @Lonza on LinkedIn

Follow @LonzaGroup on Twitter Lonza Contact Details Victoria Morgan

Head of External Communications

Lonza Group Ltd

Tel +41 61 316 2283

victoria.morgan@lonza.com Dirk Oehlers

Investor Relations

Lonza Group Ltd

Tel +41 61 316 8540

dirk.oehlers@lonza.com

End of ad hoc announcement
(Newser)  The long-running case of a former deep-sea treasure hunter marking his sixth year in jail for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of missing gold coins has hit yet another roadblock. Research scientist Tommy Thompson has been held in contempt of court since Dec. 15, 2015, for that refusal. He's also incurring a daily fine of $1,000, per the AP. A hearing held Monday in hopes of helping draw the case to a conclusion ended with a federal judge giving Thompson two months to find a new attorney ahead of yet another hearing. Thompson's case dates to his discovery of the SS Central America, known as the Ship of Gold, in 1988. The gold rush-era ship sank in a hurricane off South Carolina in 1857 with thousands of pounds of gold aboard, contributing to an economic panic.

Despite an investors lawsuit and a federal court order, Thompson, 69, still won't cooperate with authorities trying to find 500 coins minted from some of the gold, according to court records, federal prosecutors, and Algenon Marbley, the judge who found Thompson in contempt. Thompson has previously said, without providing details, that the coinsvalued at about $2.5 millionwere turned over to a trust in Belize. After Thompson failed to appear for a 2012 Ohio hearing to discuss the coins, US marshals eventually tracked him to Florida in 2015 and arrested him. Thompson pleaded guilty in April 2015 to skipping that hearing and was sentenced to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. But his criminal sentence has been delayed until the issue of the gold coins is resolved.

Thompson, who's gone through several attorneys, is currently housed in a federal detention center in Milan, Mich. Thompson told Marbley on Monday that he's having trouble finding a secure phone or computer connection to discuss his case with potential attorneys. A message seeking comment was left with the facility. Thompson also said he continues to suffer the effects of systemic exertion intolerance disease, also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome, which is said to affect his short-term memory. "It's hard to explain the number of roadblocks," Thompson said. "I don't rest on my laurels; I'm working all the time here. It's hard to communicate here."

Marbley gave Thompson until March 21 to find an attorney to argue pending motions Thompson has made, including for compassionate release because of concerns about the spread of the coronavirus behind bars. "None of us wants this matter to drag on interminably," Marbley said. Federal law generally limits jail time for contempt of court to 18 months. But a federal appeals court in 2019 rejected Thompson's argument that that law applies to him, saying his refusal violates conditions of a plea agreement. On Jan. 14, the largest SS Central America ingot ever offered at auction, an 866.19-ounce find known as a Justh & Hunter ingot, sold for $2.16 million through Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.

(Read more Tommy Thompson stories.)
(Newser)  Raymond Washburn, a blind man who was credited with helping rescue five people from the rubble of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, has died, per the AP. He was 75. Washburn died on Jan. 16 at his home in Oklahoma City, and funeral services were held for him Friday in Bristow, about 70 miles northeast of the city. His cousin Richard Wittman told KWTV in Oklahoma City that he was proud of Washburn not only for what he did on the day of the bombing, but for how he lived his entire life. "So, in that sense, he was a hero in the way he was able to function, make his way in life, work, his everyday life," Wittman said. Washburn owned and operated a snack bar on the fourth floor of the building when a truck bomb ripped through the structure on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people.

Four customers and an employee were in the snack bar when the blast occurred. In an interview recorded for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, Washburn described how he led his customers and employee out of his snack bar. "I had the advantage over them because (of) not being able to see. I felt like that you know, this is one time that you know you want to try to help somebody as much as you can. I knew how to get out. I just didn't know what was going to be in our way," said Washburn, a member of the Yuchi Tribe in Oklahoma. Princella Smith, one of Washburn's friends, said during his funeral that his heart "illuminated the darkness" on the day of the bombing and helped lead people to safety. "He told them to march, and march down this stairwell. He said, 'You gotta come on. We gotta get out of here,'" Smith said.

(Read more Oklahoma City bombing stories.)
(Newser)  New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has brushed off an uncomfortable encounter with anti-vaccination protesters, who chased and blocked her vehicle, forcing it onto a curb, as "just another day" at work. "At no point was I worried about my safety or the safety of anyone that was with me," Ardern said Tuesday, despite data showing an increase in threats to politicians in 2021, per 1News. Protesters had met a van carrying Ardern near the waterfront in Paihia last week, per the New Zealand Herald. In footage shared online, people in a second vehicle shout "shame on you" and "we do not consent" as Diplomatic Protection Service officers stand nearby. Someone also shouts obscenities and refers to Ardern as a "Nazi," per the Guardian.

"Oh this is fun, we're on a chase," a voice says as the second vehicle pursues the van. At one point, the vehicle blocks the van from reaching a main road, forcing the driver to climb a curb and travel along a footpath, per the Herald. Ardern said Tuesday she didn't think much of the incident, which, per the Guardian, she saw as "a reflection of the fact that we are the decision-makers. And if people don't like the decisions that are being made, then it's us that of course will hear the feedback." The current environment "does have an intensity to it that is unusual for New Zealand," she added. "I do also believe that with time it will pass." Police are investigating the incident, per 1News. (Ardern just announced new COVID-19 restrictions, and the postponement of her wedding.)
(Newser)  A distressing series of voice notes sent by an Australian teen from a prison in northeast Syria underscores the plight of thousands of forgotten children who remain trapped in detention facilities in Syria and Iraq. Hundreds of minors (Human Rights Watch estimates 600 boys) are believed to be holed up in Gweiran Prison, which has been at the center of an ongoing violent standoff between Islamic State group militants and US-backed Kurdish fighters that began a week ago. ISIS fighters stormed the prison on Thursday, aiming to break out comrades who simultaneously rioted inside (Sky News reports the prison held about 3,500 ISIS members). The attack is the biggest by ISIS militants since the fall of the group's "caliphate" in 2019.

Dozens from both sides have been killed in the clash, which has drawn back in US-led coalition forces who've come to the aid of their Kurdish allies; the BBC reports the Kurdish-led forces on Wednesday announced they were once again in control of the prison. "But the fate of hundreds of boys that ISIS had taken hostage and used as human shields is still in question," notes the New York Times. The fighting appears to have left multiple child inmates killed or wounded, though numbers aren't known. Human Rights Watch provided the AP with a series of audio messages sent by the 17-year-old Australian from inside the prison in which he appealed for help, saying he was injured in the head and was bleeding. The boy says his friends got killed and that he has seen bodies of kids aged 8 to 12.

Some of the kids were children when their parents plucked them from their own countries after they decided to join the so-called Islamic caliphate declared in 2014 over parts of Syria and Iraq. Others were born there. Many attended ISIS-run schools where they were trained for combat as part of a concerted effort to build a new generation of militants. They called them "cubs of the caliphate." Most were later captured by Kurdish-led forces during the US-backed campaign that brought down ISIS three years ago, thrown into squalid, overcrowded detention centers, and continue to languish there, mostly because their governments have refused to repatriate them.

(Read more Syria stories.)
(Newser)  Police in Ireland are investigating reports that the body of a dead man was brought to a post office in an attempt to collect his pension. The Irish Times said a 66-year-old man was dragged into the post office in the town of Carlow around 11am on Friday, propped up by two younger men in their 30s. When questioned by staff, the two fled, leaving behind the older man, who was found to be dead. Irelands national police force, the Garda Siochana, said it has been confirmed that Peader Doyle was not a victim of foul play and died at some point Friday morning "rather than being dead for many hours, or even days, before the bizarre incident," per the Irish Times.

The AP reports one of the younger men had inquired about collecting someone's pension and was told that the recipient had to be present. With the help of a companion, he allegedly returned with the dead man's body. Doyle's home is located about 0.3 miles from the post office. One of the men reportedly told police that Doyle was alive when they left the home with him. The New York Times reports police are trying to obtain any surveillance video that would show the men on the walk between the two locations. Carlow Mayor Ken Murnane said the allegations have left townspeople in shock. "It's just mind-boggling that anyone could happen to do something like that," Murnane said. "It beggars belief. Its like a Hitchcock movie."

(Read more strange stuff stories.)
(Newser)  Pope Francis urged parents on Wednesday not to condemn their children if they're gay, in his latest gesture of outreach to the LGBTQ community, which has long been marginalized by the Catholic hierarchy. Francis spoke off the cuff during his weekly Wednesday general audience dedicated to the figure of St. Joseph, the father of Jesus. Francis said he was thinking in particular about parents who are confronted with "sad" situations in their children's lives. Citing parents who have to cope with children who are sick, imprisoned, or killed in car accidents, Francis also mentioned "parents who see that their children have different sexual orientations, how they manage that and accompany their children and not hide behind a condemning attitude."

"Never condemn a child," he said, per the AP. Official church teaching calls for gay men and lesbians to be respected and loved, but considers homosexual activity "intrinsically disordered." Francis, though, has sought to make the church more welcoming to gays, most famously with his 2013 comment "Who am I to judge?" The Argentine Jesuit also has spoken of his own ministry to gay and transgender people, insisting they're children of God, loved by God, and deserving of accompaniment by the church. Francis has also made several gestures of outreach to the gay Catholic community and their advocates, including a recent letter congratulating Sister Jeannine Gramick, an American nun once sanctioned by the Vatican, on her 50 years of LGBTQ ministry.

(Read more Pope Francis stories.)
(Newser)  Justice Stephen Breyer is reportedly planning to retire from the Supreme Court at the end of its current termand while no official announcement has been made, White House press secretary Jen Psaki fielded plenty of Breyer-related questions at Wednesday's briefing. Psaki said that while she couldn't discuss specifics, President Biden "certainly stands by" his promise to nominate a Black woman to the top court, the Guardian reports. Asked whether that woman could be Vice President Kamala Harris, Psaki said Biden "has every intention" of running for reelection with Harris on the ticket. More:

Biden "happy to talk about it later." When he was asked about Breyer's retirement at a White House event Wednesday, the president said he would be "happy to talk about it later." An official announcement is expected Thursday. Sources tell Politico that Breyer told the president last week about his intention to retire.

Liberals are relieved. Breyer, 83, is the most senior of the three remaining liberal justices on the court, as well as its oldest member, and liberals are relieved that he apparently plans to step down while there is plenty of time to confirm a successor while Democrats have a Senate majority, the AP reports. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Biden's nominee "will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed."

Breyer, 83, is the most senior of the three remaining liberal justices on the court, as well as its oldest member, and liberals are relieved that he apparently plans to step down while there is plenty of time to confirm a successor while Democrats have a Senate majority, the AP reports. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Biden's nominee "will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed." Praise for Breyer . Democrats praised Breyer for his contributions to the court since he was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1994and for his decision to retire, the New York Times reports. Schumer said Breyer "embodies the best qualities and highest ideals of American justice," while Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones said he was glad Democrats won't risk "losing yet another seat on the high court to the radical, anti-democracy right."

. Democrats praised Breyer for his contributions to the court since he was appointed by Bill Clinton in 1994and for his decision to retire, the New York Times reports. Schumer said Breyer "embodies the best qualities and highest ideals of American justice," while Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones said he was glad Democrats won't risk "losing yet another seat on the high court to the radical, anti-democracy right." The timeline. Democrats will now have the summer to get a nominee through the confirmation process, allowing her to join the court before the next term starts in October, weeks before the midterm elections, per Politico.

A potential successor . The Atlantic looks at the woman many SCOTUS-watchers consider the most likely nominee: Ketanji Brown Jackson, a 51-year-old former Breyer clerk who joined the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in June. Other possibilities include California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, and US District Judge Michelle Childs, per the AP.

. The Atlantic looks at the woman many SCOTUS-watchers consider the most likely nominee: Ketanji Brown Jackson, a 51-year-old former Breyer clerk who joined the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in June. Other possibilities include California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill, and US District Judge Michelle Childs, per the AP. Breyer's legacy. The Washington Post examines the legacy Breyer will leave as a moderate liberal who often searched for compromise. In a speech last spring, he expressed worries about partisanship surrounding the court. "If the public sees judges as politicians in robes, its confidence in the courtsand in the rule of law itselfcan only diminish, diminishing the courts power, including its power to act as a check on other branches," he said.

(Read more Stephen Breyer stories.)
(Newser)  A hospital in Iowa says it has tightened its security procedures after a strange and disturbing incident last month. Police in Des Moines say a man slipped into the neonatal intensive care unit at the MercyOne medical center and bottle-fed somebody else's baby, KCCI reports. The suspect, who was seen on surveillance footage, then left the hospital. Des Moines Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Paul Parizek tells the Des Moines Register that the suspect misrepresented himself as the infant's father. Parizek says the incident happened at 11:24pm on Dec. 28. He says police are trying to track down the man to find out what his motive was.

"The first question that comes to our minds is 'why?'" Parizek tells KCCI. "The family is obviously very frightened. This is something that would startle any parent." Parizek says the odd incident was "something new to all of us" and definitely isn't the kind of behavior they are used to seeing from child-stealers and other predators. "In this case, there was no harm done to the child and on the surface, no intent to commit any other crime beyond what he did to get in there," he says. Fox 8 reports that the hospital, which describes the incident as "extremely troubling," says it has increased security and staffing at the NICU and infant nurseries. It has also re-educated staff on safety and security policies, including ID checks and sign-in procedures. (Read more Iowa stories.)
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As if there werent enough places in South Florida to take selfies  not enough beaches, not enough gleaming high-rises, not enough colorful restaurants, nightclubs, yachts, mansions and luxury shopping promenades.

No, what South Florida apparently needed for young folks to fully capture for posterity their shimmering fabulousness was an entire studio, in trendy Wynwood, with artsy backgrounds, festive wardrobe choices, and fun props. Its called Original Selfie Museum and its been open since July 2020.

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It wasnt the first selfie-centered attraction to open, and it hasnt been the last. The market for selfie studios is apparently so voracious now that dozens of imitators have popped up in Miami and across the country. There are so many, in fact, that theyre fighting each other to establish who wields the biggest stick.

A screenshot of the homepage of Original Selfie Museum in Miami, which is targeted in a federal trademark infringement lawsuit by a Lost Angeles-based rival called Museum of Selfies. (South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Museum of Selfies, a Los Angeles company, filed suit this week in U.S. District Court in Miami, accusing the Wynwood venues parent company, Denver, Colorado-based Selfie Museum LLC, of trademark infringement.

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In an interview, Selfie Museum LLC co-founder Igor Benchak said that he and his partners opened their business, which has since expanded to seven locations, before learning that a business called Museum of Selfies opened in Los Angeles.

Benchak argues that there are now so many businesses using variations of the words Selfie Museum in their names that the phrase has become genericized. Thats what happens when businesses fail to protect their trademarks and they fall into everyday use. Examples of abandoned trademarks include Aspirin, Heroin, Escalator, Trampoline, Kerosine, Linoleum, Zipper and App Store.

[ RELATED: New attraction is all about you: A look inside Hollywood's Museum of Selfies ]

In its lawsuit, Museum of Selfies argues that it first opened for business in Los Angeles  another city that must not have enough locations for Instagram-worthy selfies  in April 2018 with the goal of providing fresh and must-see attractions, including interactive exhibits allowing people to capture selfies of themselves with commissioned artwork.

A story in the Las Vegas Review Journal states that Museum of Selfies opened a Las Vegas version in June 2021, with exhibits like the Upside Down Room, the Emoji Pool and the Bathroom Selfie.

[ RELATED: Restaurant sues rival over use of the b-word  and no, its not breakfast ]

Museum of Selfies filed an application to register its name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in August 2017 and it was initially rejected for being a common descriptive term used in the industry, the companys attorney, R. Joseph Trojan of the Los Angeles-based Trojan Law Firm, said by email.

In response, we submitted overwhelming evidence that Museum of Selfies was and is associated exclusively with our clients business in the minds of consumers before Mr. Benchak began his infringement, Trojan said.

In August 2021, the company was informed that its application was approved because it was not merely a descriptive or generic term used in the industry, Trojan said, adding, Rather, Museum of Selfies is a term associated exclusively with our client.

On Jan. 12, Selfie Museum LLC filed a Notice of Opposition to Museum of Selfies trademark application, arguing that it has not acquired distinctiveness and is instead merely descriptive of [Museum of Selfies] services.

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Selfie Museum LLC argued that it had developed common law trademark rights to its name and established highly valuable goodwill that makes its name closely and uniquely identified with the company.

The Notice of Opposition is now pending before the offices Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, but Trojan said his client has asked the board to delay consideration of the appeal until the infringement lawsuit is decided.

[ RELATED: Guess which S. Florida attraction was labeled 'overrated' by Reader's Digest? ]

Mr. Benchak cannot cite to his infringing use as evidence that the mark is commonly used, Trojan said. Mr. Benchaks use is merely evidence of his widespread infringement.

Interviewed by phone, Benchak said his company was inspired not by Museum of Selfies but by two businesses that became known informally as selfie museums  Museum of Ice Cream, founded in 2016 as a pop-up tourist attraction in New York and Color Factory, established in San Francisco in August 2017.

Only about six or seven selfie venues existed when he and his partners started in 2019, he said. After we opened, all of a sudden there was a surge, he said.

In fact, a Google search for the term selfie museum turns up hundreds of examples of the term applied to a long list of venues throughout the country.

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Benchak said he has no plans to stop using the name Selfie Museum to market his attractions, which are also in Denver, Colorado; Raleigh, North Carolina; Alpharetta, Georgia; San Antonio and Austin, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; and Naples, on Floridas southwestern coast.

[ RELATED: USDA tested those mysterious seeds from China. Guess what it found? ]

Its become a generic term, he said. There are 200 to 300 places that call themselves Selfie Museums.

He disputes the notion that only the young and sparkly are drawn to his businesses. Our core audience is 25 to 35, he said. We get families, kids, millennials. Older people, too. Its just fun to take pictures.

The rest of us, meanwhile, know where we can find actual selfie museums if so inclined. Just fire up social media.

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains full support to the UAE in all measures taken to deter the terrorist Houthi militias attacks and ensure the safety of its people.

HM the King expressed Bahrains strong condemnation of the treacherous and cowardly terrorist attack carried out by the Houthis on civilian facilities in the UAE.

This came as His Majesty visited Abu Dhabi yesterday.

He was welcomed upon arrival at the presidential airport by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

HM the King and HH Shaikh Mohammed held a meeting in the presence of senior officials from the two countries.

They discussed the heinous attacks carried out by the Houthi militias on civilian areas and facilities in the UAE, targeting the life of innocent people.

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince briefed HM the King on its details and the measures are taken by the UAE within the framework of its right to respond to the attack which contradicts all international norms, laws and human values.

HM King Hamad stressed the Kingdoms support for the UAE in facing all threats to its sovereignty, security and stability.

Brotherhood

He affirmed strong ties of brotherhood, one destiny and historical relations between both countries and peoples.

His Majesty praised the support expressed by many countries to the UAE which reflects the advanced status of the country in the international arena.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrains experience in dealing with the pandemic and its success in preventing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) has been commended by a top United Nations official, who is currently on a visit to the Kingdom.

Abdulla Shahid, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President and Maldives Foreign Affairs Minister, highlighted the Kingdoms implementation of the necessary precautionary measures, as well as launching the appropriate social and economic initiatives.

He praised the countrys early response to the pandemic, through adopting an integrated policy that has taken all aspects into account.

Supreme Council for Health (SCH) President and National Medical Taskforce for Combatting Coronavirus (COVID-19) Chairman, Lieutenant-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, yesterday received Shahid and his accompanying delegation.

He congratulated Shahid on his presidency of the current session of the UNGA, wishing him every success in achieving global solidarity and coordinating international efforts to combat the pandemic.

Dr Shaikh Mohammed said that thanks to the directives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the constant follow-up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Bahrain has managed to attain landmark achievements in containing the pandemic and ensuring the safety and health of the citizens and residents.

The SCH President and members of the National Medical Taskforce briefed the UNGA head and his accompanying delegation about the precautionary measures taken by the Kingdom to confront the virus, including high-quality healthcare services to the citizens and residents, following the best international practices and standards.

He added that health relations between Bahrain and specialised UN health agencies have been strengthened over the past period, citing the opening of the World Health Organisations permanent office in the Kingdom, out of Bahrains belief in the importance of sustainable health cooperation through exchange of expertise with various countries and adopting the best practices in this field.

Shahid wished the Kingdom further progress and prosperity
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The Court of Cassation upheld a 10-year prison sentence for a young man who set his friends car on fire.

The suspect committed this crime out of revenge against his friend due to financial differences between them.

He had completely burned his friends car while it was parked in the garage of a house, and the property damage of the fire is estimated at BD5,000.

His fingerprints were strongly evident on the tools used in the burning, and he was seen by surveillance cameras and witnesses.

The sentence was acknowledged by the Court of Appeal.

The accused said that they had been friends for several years and had commercial relations.

However, disputes erupted between them that caused financial losses to the accused, and he was prevented from travelling because of it.

The victim was procrastinating in returning the sums owed to the accused.

The accused explained that on the day of the incident, he went to the victims house at 3 am and entered his garage with the possession of an oil canister to be used in committing the crime.
P Unnikrishnan

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The principles and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi are more relevant today, said Abdulnabi Alshoala, the author of Gandhi: His engagement with Islam and the Arab World, which will be released virtually at 4 pm today Isa Cultural Centre, Manama.

The book describes Indian leader and freedom fighter Mohandas Karamchand Gandhis engagements with Islam and the Arab World.

In an exclusive interaction with The Daily Tribune, Mr Alshoala said Gandhi was the only non-Muslim leader in world history, who led an Islamic movement.

Gandhi led the Khilafat movement in India in the 1920s - one of the largest pan-Islamist political protest campaigns launched by Muslims of British India to restore the religious authority of Ottoman rulers.

Gandhi has many times said that he was as much a Muslim as a Hindu.

He was a proud Hindu who was highly respectful of all other religions including Islam.

Mr Alshoala said that the Middle East region s h o u l d embrace Gandhian ideologies to emerge more peaceful in the future.

Our region has been engulfed in conflicts and wars. People are trying to sort out differences through violence, which is not the right way.

Gandhian principles highlight the point that one can achieve the objectives without resorting to violence. There are peaceful methods to it.

If you see, he defeated the British empire without firing a single bullet.

Mr Alshoala said he fell in love with Gandhian philosophy in the same year he reached India for higher education.

I joined St Xaviers College Mumbai to pursue majors in political science and public administration in 1969 when India was celebrating the birth centenary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Instantly, Gandhi and his principles caught my attention.

Gandhis contribution reinforced Indias base for coexistence and tolerance.

One of his most important teachings is on the need to have ethics in politics though there are still not many politicians strictly adhering to truth and honesty.

One of the founding members of the Bahrain-India Society, Mr Alshoala highlighted the relevance of Gandhian philosophy in the present world.

It was Gandhi who pioneered the concept of social responsibility.

Even capitalist countries now talk of social responsibility in terms of both individuals and corporations.

Though he promoted social responsibility, he was not especially inclined towards Communism or Socialism.

These are areas where a person has to sacrifice for the ideologies and Gandhi was opposed to it. To him, the individual was the centre of focus.

Mr Alshoala added that Gandhian principles are applicable everywhere, from good governance to business management.

A businessman can hundred per cent emerge successful if he strictly adheres to Gandhian school of thought.

He must embrace transparency and truth, which is the cornerstone for any business to succeed.

Mr Alshoala is the chairman of Dar Albilad for Journalism, Publishing and Distribution Co and the founding chairman, and advisor to the board of Alfanar Investment Holding Co.

Over his long and illustrious career Mr Alshoala has served as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs and, later, as Cabinet Minister of State; served as a member of the Kingdom of Bahrains Advisory Council and, also, been elected to the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19) today held a press conference to provide an update on the Kingdoms COVID-19 response, at the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research, in Bahrains Defence Force Hospital.

Following approval by the Government Executive Committee, the Taskforce announced that the Kingdom will remain on the Yellow Alert Level until 14 February 2022.

The Taskforce noted that this decision was made to maintain the progress of national efforts to combat COVID-19, to preserve public health.

HE Dr Waleed Khalifa Al Manea, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health and member of the National Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19), stressed the need for everyone to adhere to the previously announced Yellow Alert Level procedures.

HE Dr Al Manea noted that health inspections are continuing, and violators will be penalised following the Kingdom's legal frameworks.

HE Dr Al Manea urged eligible individuals to head to the previously announced health centres to receive a booster shot without the need to make an appointment.

Additionally, the importance of immediately testing for COVID-19 when experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms, to preserve public health, was stressed.

Noting that all should be aware that the rise in existing cases with the emergence of a new variant is likely, in line with current national COVID-19 efforts, HE Dr Al Manea said that the current focus is on maintaining the low number of patients requiring treatment in hospital or intensive care units. Adding that current levels reflect the success of The National Vaccination Campaign and other measures taken to protect public health.

For his part, Lt. Col. Doctor Manaf Al Qahtani, Infectious Disease Consultant and Microbiologist at the BDF Hospital, and member of the National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19), stated that the health and safety of citizens and residents continue to be a top priority.

Dr Al Qahtani noted that the National Vaccination Campaign was introduced to preserve public health, and since its inception until today, its procedures and protocols have been updated following international best practices.

Dr Al Qahtani highlighted the importance of getting fully vaccinated and receiving a booster shot, as vaccinations protect COVID-19 by bolstering the bodys immunity.

Dr Al Qahtani also commented on the success of the National Vaccination Campaign, saying that ensuring community awareness has resulted in the widespread acceptance of vaccination, with 94% of eligible individuals who are over 18 having received two vaccine doses, and 83% of eligible individuals having received a booster shot.

Dr Al Qahtani noted that the Kingdom of Bahrain has achieved success in immunising adolescents and children, as the vaccination rate for the 12 to 17 age group has reached 91%. The number of children aged 3 to 11 who received the vaccination reached more than 17,000, while the number of those registered to date has reached more than 25,000 children.

Dr Al Qahtani thanked parents for vaccinating their children and called on those who have not to ensure their children are vaccinated soon to preserve their safety and the safety of those around them, and in support of national efforts to combat COVID-19. Noting that vaccinations and the booster shot have proven to be effective in reducing the severity of symptoms and mortality rates in case of infection.

Dr Al Qahtani called on all eligible individuals to get fully vaccinated, and take the booster shot, according to updated vaccination protocols that were announced as part of the National Vaccination Campaign.

For her part, Dr Jameela Al Salman, Infectious and Internal Diseases Consultant at Salmaniya Medical Complex, and member of the National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19), clarified that the changes in alert levels within the COVID-19 Alert Level Traffic Light System are based on the daily average number of cases in intensive care.

Dr Al Salman explained that the Taskforce may designate some dates as a higher alert level in the interest of public health and safety and that the precautionary measures associated with each level are subject to change following the latest data and developments.

Dr Al-Salman further explained that the precautionary quarantine period for individuals who hold a green shield on the BeAware application, will be seven days from the date of infection, and those individuals can exit quarantine after seven days without taking a PCR exit test.

Individuals who are unvaccinated or hold either a yellow or red shield on the BeAware application, must quarantine for ten days from the date of infection and can exit quarantine after ten days without taking a PCR exit test.

Dr Al Salman highlighted the importance of quickly testing for COVID-19 when experiencing any COVID-19 related symptoms, as the early reporting of symptoms leads to quicker quarantining of existing cases and the reduction of the number of contacts, and has been shown to shorten their treatment and recovery time.

In conclusion, Dr Al Salman stressed the importance of continuing to adhere to all previously announced precautionary measures decisions to continue to successfully address the pandemic and preserve public health.
The former Mod Sixties Wine Lounge just east of the Gateway Cinema, is being renovated and a new Greek restaurant is preparing for an April opening. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

The answer to the buzz about whats happening behind the papered windows next to Fort Lauderdales historic Gateway Cinema is in: A new Greek restaurant is under construction with a goal to open in April.

The 120-seat eatery  including 45 seats on a remodeled sidewalk in the shadow of the movie theaters iconic marquee  is by Montreal-based restaurateur Ted Dranias, well known across Quebecs largest city for his four Petros Taverna restaurants.

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The space at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Northeast 19th Avenue was the former home of long-shuttered Mod Wine Lounge.

[ RELATED: Gateway Cinema renovation under way from Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival ]

While Dranias says the menu will be a carbon copy of Petros Taverna, he has not quite settled on a name for the new spot.

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The smart money is on a variation of Petros Fort Lauderdale, as one Montreal publication dubbed it. Dranias acknowledges the brand will mean something to local snowbird Quebecers, in particular those from Montreals Jewish neighborhood of Westmount, home to one Petros Taverna.

The former Mod Sixties Wine Lounge just east of the Gateway Cinema, is being renovated and a new Greek restaurant is preparing for an April opening. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Everybody knows me here, the affable Dranias, 60, says by phone from Montreal. They even asked me to run for mayor at one point, and I said Im not interested.  Im born and raised here, and the politics in Quebec, well, you might lose your hair. I have nice, beautiful, thick hair. I dont want to lose my hair. [Laughs]

In Montreal, Petros Taverna is well-regarded for its attractive, tiled and terraced charms and affordable survey of Greek classics, with seafood a specialty.

A reviewer for the Montreal Gazette acknowledged a few letdowns, but recommended Petros because the highs are high  and the service is both efficient and friendly.

Dranias says hell open with two chefs brought in from Estiatorio Milos, a white-tablecloth restaurant in New York.

Along with an interior remodel, the exterior of the Fort Lauderdale restaurant will be transformed with a white-washed brick look and Mediterranean accents. The sidewalk dining space will be bordered by greenery along the street.

[ RELATED: Please dont cry: In Fort Lauderdales Gateway Center, Jezebel nears end of 33 years of funky shopping and banter ]

Dranias says its a $500,000 renovation, but hes confident in the Fort Lauderdale market, which he knows well. He has had a condo in Victoria Park since shortly after his friend Tony Di Leo opened Il Mulino next to Gateway Cinema more than 30 years ago.

I like Fort Lauderdale. I like the people, the sunshine. They give me a lot of energy, Dranias says. At 60 years old, I want to go for a run on the beach and then come to work and have fun, you know?

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Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com.
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BETHEL  Following a recent surge in infections, First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker is urging residents to continue taking proper measures to protect themselves and others heading into year two of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the towns numbers have since started to decline, Bethel recently was hit hard by the latest COVID variant.

Omicron (was) really ripping through our town, Knickerbocker said last Tuesday, noting a six-week jump in Bethels case rate from 4.9 to 217.5 per 100,000 people.

Since then, he said the rate of new infections in town has been dropping quickly. Bethels last reported case rate was 177.5 per 100,000 people, according to Knickerbocker.

As of Jan. 18, Bethels positivity rate was around 29 percent, reflecting a roughly 23 percent increase in six weeks time. As of Tuesday, Knickerbocker said it was 27.5 percent.

Even though theres talk of illness from omicron being less severe than previous variants of the novel coronavirus, Knickerbocker said its important that people not let their guards down.

Health safety practices like mask-wearing and social distancing are still important for keeping infection rates down and preventing overcrowding at hospitals, he said  the latter of which can lead to staff shortages and rationing of care not only for COVID patients, but people who come in for other reasons.

Knickerbocker said he does not know how many active cases Bethel currently has, but the towns total number of in the second week of January was 193, compared to 299 the week before.

Those numbers coincide with the drop in the rate of new cases, he said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends fully vaccinated individuals to wear masks indoors in public places with substantial or high transmission, and those who are not fully vaccinated to continue to take all precautions  including wearing a well-fitted mask, until advised otherwise by their healthcare provider.

Although mask-wearing is required in schools per state executive order, there is no town-wide mask mandate in Bethel  and Knickerbocker said there are no plans to reinstate one.

Instead, residents are asked to use caution and common sense when around people outside their households.

Continue to wear masks in public spaces, socially distance and continue to respect the wishes of the businesses who are enforcing mandates, said Knickerbocker, who also urges eligible residents who have not yet done so to get vaccinated and boosted.

Its statistically proven that your chances of not getting a serious illness are much improved if you get that booster, he said. It does make a difference.

According to state vaccination data released Jan. 19, Bethels vaccination rate breakdown by age group was as follows:

 5-11  44.7 percent partially vaccinated; 34.3 percent fully vaccinated.

 12-17  86.5 percent partially vaccinated; 79.6 percent fully vaccinated.

 18-24  82.9 percent partially vaccinated; 71.7 percent fully vaccinated.

Where to get tested in Bethel DOCS Urgent Care (6 Stony Hill Road) - Rapid testing available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. CVS Pharmacy (7 Durant Ave.) - Appointment-only drive-up testing for individuals 3 years and older. Quest Diagnostics (83 Stony Hill Road, Suite 110) - Free testing for individuals 2 years and older, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., with same-day appointments often available. See More Collapse

 25-44  87.1 percent partially vaccinated; 75.2 percent fully vaccinated.

 45-64  81.5 percent partially vaccinated; 74.1 percent fully vaccinated.

 65 and older  100 percent partially vaccinated; 96.6 percent fully vaccinated.

According to the latest state COVID data, there have been four confirmed COVID deaths in Bethel in the last three weeks, bringing the towns total number since March 2020 to 53.
BRIDGEPORT  City cops are calling in federal help to investigate the events that led to the death of Lauren Smith-Fields, which a medical examiner ruled Monday was the result of acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, promethazine, hydroxyzine, and alcohol.

In a prepared statement Tuesday, Bridgeport Police Capt. Kevin Gilleran said the departments narcotics and vice division has launched a probe into the untimely December death of the 23-year-old at her Plymouth Street apartment.

They will be assisted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Gilleran said.

According to a police report, a man Smith-Fields met through the dating app Bumble called police just after 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 12 when he reported waking up and finding her on the floor and not breathing with dried blood around her nose. The man told police the two had been drinking the night before, according to the report.

Medical personnel pronounced Smith-Fields dead at 6:49 a.m.

The police investigation comes one day after Mayor Joe Ganim, who the family had criticized for his silence, released a prepared statement promising a full and fair internal investigation into the way the case was handled and any appropriate changes after the family said they were never notified by police of Smith-Fields death and criticized the initial police investigation.

Their lawyer has announced the family intends to sue the city.

The mayor stopped short of asking the state police take over the investigation of Smith-Fields death, as the family had asked.

Promethazine and hydroxyzine are antihistamines Gilleran described as prescription medications, while fentanyl is an opioid.

Fentanyl is a strong narcotic associated with an epidemic of opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States, Gilleran said in announcing the vice squad investigation. The city of Bridgeport is not immune to this epidemic.

A separate investigation into Smith-Fields death by the police departments detective bureau will remain open as intelligence transitions to the Narcotics and Vice Division, Gilleran said.

Smith-Fields family and lawyer could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday. They have not spoken publicly since hundreds of people joined them on a march Sunday from the police department to the Margaret Morton Government Center.

In a tweet Tuesday morning, the familys lawyer, Darnell Crosland, said the cause of death finding doesnt cure any of Bridgeport Police Department lack of process, in fact it makes it worse.

As a result of a botched investigation this morning we are left with more questions than answers, he said.

Acting Police Chief Rebeca Garcia said in a statement Tuesday that the department continues to treat the untimely death of Lauren Smith-Fields as an active investigation as we are now refocusing our attention and efforts to the factors that lead to her untimely death.

We have engaged several partners to assist with this portion of the investigation, Garcia said. Once again, we offer our sincerest condolences to the friends and family of Lauren Smith-Fields and ask that anyone with information to please contact 203 576-TIPS.
Irans official Academy Award submission as Best International Film is A Hero, a drama/thriller by two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi (A Separation, A Salesman), who sent critics (like me) a letter stating:

Over the years, with the films I wrote and directed, I have always tried to create empathy between the audience and the characters on the screen; empathy, not only with one group of characters, but with both protagonists and antagonists. In A Hero, I continue on the same path with a simple story that gradually turns into a complex situation.

He goes on to add: I believe empathy with characters puts the audience in an emotional state that causes them to make a fairer judgment about the characters and, hopefully, themselves.

Set in the Iranian city of Shiraz, the film follows sign painter/calligrapher Rahim (Amir Jadidi), a divorced father imprisoned for debt, who is given a furlough of 48 hours to convince his dour creditor, Bahram (Mohsen Tanabandeh) who runs a copying/printing store in a shopping mall, to drop the charges.

To consult with his brother-in-law Hossein (Alireza Jahandideh), Rahim climbs the scaffolding-covered Naqsh-e Rostam, a mountain necropolis containing the royal tombs of Persepolis, including the remains of Xerxes the Great.

A short time later, conscience-stricken Rahim decides to return a ladys lost handbag containing 17 gold coins. His humanitarian gesture turns into a full-blown media event, catapulting him, his family and prison authorities into public scrutiny. Its reflective of part of our contemporary culture  when somebody becomes famous for doing a good deed, others try to bring the hapless hero down.

The complex narrative explores universal themes of honesty, honor and the price of freedom by showing how half-truths and lies can erode the soul and exposing how insidious judgment by social media is increasingly prevalent.

In competition for the Palme dOr at last years Cannes Film Festival, A Hero won the Grand Prix.

In Farsi with English subtitles/narration, on the Granger Gauge of 1 to 10, A Hero is a subtly suspenseful 7, streaming on Amazon Prime.

Susan Granger has been an on-air television and radio commentator and entertainment critic for more than 25 years. Raised in Hollywood, Granger appeared as a child actress in movies with Abbott & Costello, Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, and Lassie. She currently resides in Westport.
South Africa: Dlamini Zuma condemns physical abuse of Amathole councillor

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

South Africa conducted 36 216 Coronavirus tests in the last 24 hours, of which 3 197 came back positive, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) said on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the country logged 132 deaths, with 23 occurring in the past 24 to 48 hours. According to the NICD, Gauteng continues to record the highest number o... See more
Fort Lauderdale  If towers were flowers, you might say Flagler Village is fertile ground.

The downtown neighborhood, one of Fort Lauderdales hippest, has another apartment tower with a modern design on the way: Advantis Station of Flagler Village. The 252-unit tower will rise 12 stories on the northeast corner of Sistrunk Boulevard and Northeast Third Avenue, helping the area earn its rep as a bustling urban village undergoing a growth spurt.

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The 1.4-acre development is made up of eight parcels that include a Red Cross building, vacant lot and florist shop.

Prospect Real Estate Group plans to break ground this year and open by mid-2024, said Robert Lochrie, attorney for the developer.

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They want to get moving quickly, he said.

Advantis Station will join several residential towers that call Flagler Village home, including Alta Flagler Village, ORA, Solmar on Sixth and Sole Condominiums.

Good fit for the neighborhood

Its going to fit in, said Leann Barber, president of the Flagler Village Civic Association. I think the plan is for Flagler Village to be a residential community. And 12 stories is in keeping with the neighborhood.

The $75 million project won unanimous approval from Fort Lauderdales Planning and Zoning Board on Jan. 19. While commission approval is not required for the project to move forward, the mayor and commissioners have 30 days to call it up for a vote.

Advantis Station of Flagler Village would rise 12 stories on the northeast corner of Sistrunk Boulevard and Northeast Third Avenue, bringing 252 new apartments to the fast-growing Flagler Village neighborhood. (Baker Barrios, courtesy)

Heres what the developer envisions: Two six-story apartment towers will sit atop a six-story parking garage with 297 spaces. The garage, hidden from view, will be lined with apartment units on the exterior.

You wont see the garage, Lochrie said. Residents can look down on the park and when youre in the park you wont be looking at a garage.

An earlier design had one L-shaped tower with a six-story garage and all the apartments on the upper six floors, making for a more bulky appearance on the block. The new design, prompted by requests from city staff, adds a sense of light and space, Lochrie said.

[ RELATED: Sky-high stunner: Head-turning tower would be Fort Lauderdales tallest, and could change the character of downtown ]

Completes the block

Units, ranging in size from 600 square feet to 1,700 square feet, will rent for market rate, Lochrie said.

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Walk-up apartments and live-work units are planned for the ground level, along with shops, bars and restaurants. Residents will find an outdoor pool and amenity deck on the seventh floor.

Outside, the 131-foot tower will be surrounded by shade trees and wide sidewalks.

A large open-air pedestrian plaza is planned for the center of the tower, facing Peter Feldman Park across the street.

[ RELATED: Super tall and super edgy towers may soon have a Flagler Village address ]

The new tower is definitely an improvement over whats there now, said Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose district includes Flagler Village.

That boxy Red Cross building almost looks like a bunker, he said. Its not an attractive corner. I think it completes that block nicely. Its a nice finish to the block right across from the park.

Lochrie agrees.

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This fills in one of the lost links in Flagler Village and also activates the area across from the park, he said. This is a significant enhancement to the whole area  wide tree-lined sidewalks, updated lighting.

Prospect Real Estate Group plans to break ground on the 12-story project Advantis Station of Flagler Village this year and open by mid-2024. (Baker Barrios, courtesy)

Another much taller building in the pipeline calls for twin 45-story towers with 612 apartments. That project, dubbed the DNA, is slated for the east side of Andrews Avenue, just a few blocks north of Broward Boulevard. The developer plans an 890-space garage and nearly 75,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and offices.

The Advantis Station project calls for 305 parking spaces, including eight on-street spaces.

According to the developers traffic study, the project will generate 1,321 net new trips, with 41 trips in the morning peak hours and 96 in the evening peak hours.

Fort Lauderdale officials say the city has the water and sewer capacity to accommodate the new structure.

I think this is a great addition to the neighborhood, said Jay Shectman, a member of the Planning and Zoning Board. Love the walkup units and the pedestrian experience that creates. Wide sidewalks. Shade trees. Thrilled with the redesign.

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Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com or on Twitter @Susannah_Bryan
Connecticuts highest court has ruled that gyms may not designate separate fitness areas for exclusive use by women, siding with civil rights groups who argued that such accommodations violate the states non-discrimination laws.

The case  brought by two men who complained of having to wait to use equipment in coed areas of gyms with separate women-only workout rooms  ultimately involved much larger questions for the Connecticut Supreme Court to decide, particularly whether lawmakers had intended to include blanket exceptions for gender privacy when they wrote laws banning discrimination in public accommodations.

The justices, in a 6-0 ruling, said that no such exception existed and it remained within the legislatures purview to draft specific rules relating to sex-specific gym facilities if they wished to address the issue.

Connecticuts non-discrimination laws already include specific language allowing for separate bathroom, locker room and sleeping facilities based on sex.

The ruling on Tuesday overturned earlier decisions by a state judge and a hearing officer for the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunity, which allowed the use of women-only exercise areas at two gyms involved in the lawsuit, Edge Fitness in Stratford and Club Fitness in Bloomfield.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Richard Robinson said he found merit in some of the concerns raised by supporters of women-only facilities, such as religious groups who argued that those accommodations are necessary for women whose beliefs prohibit them from working out in front of men.

Applying the vague notion of privacy to non-discrimination laws, however, would likely have unintended consequences that could result in discrimination of women or transgender people, Robinson wrote.

Such a result of potentially limiting the access of women and transgender people access to spaces on the basis of the privacy interests of men or the moral comfort of customers defeats the purpose of our states anti-discrimination legislation, Robinson wrote.

The parent company of one of the gyms, Edge Fitness Clubs, on Monday released a statement, expressing pride in the services offered at its women-only studios. An attorney for the gym, James Shea, said he had not discussed the possibility of an appeal with his client, who he said would abide by the decision.

In legal briefs, attorneys for both gyms described the women-only workout areas as places designed to make women feel more comfortable and free of leering eyes or harassment  as well as a way of marketing the gyms to more female patrons.

We listened to our members and fought this case on principle, and we believe in fighting for womens rights, the statement said. At The Edge Fitness Clubs, we are committed to keeping our gyms a safe and stress-free place for women to work out. 

An attorney for Club Fitness declined to comment.

In a statement released through attorney Michael Roberts, the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunity hailed the decision as a win for civil rights protections. The commission appealed the decision of its own hearing officer to the Supreme Court.

The CHRO continues to encourage gyms and other places of public accommodation to develop policies by which sexual harassment in their facilities may be prevented, Roberts said Wednesday. Yesterdays decision makes clear, however, that segregation based on protected class is not among the lawful methods of prevention.

The case also drew attention from civil rights groups, LGBTQ advocates and a dozen religious organizations across the state who signed amicus briefs submitted to the court. Oral arguments in the case were held in May 2021.

In an amicus brief filed with the court last April, attorneys for the Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford and the Muslim Coalition of Connecticut said that rejecting any right to gender privacy would only serve to harm observant members of those religions who consider exercising in front of members of the opposite sex a form of immodesty.

Should the Court accept this invitation, many Jewish and Muslim women will be effectively denied meaningful access to public gyms, with no discernible benefit to anyone, attorneys wrote in the brief, which was also signed by other Catholic, Jewish and interfaith groups.

Dan Barrett, the legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut who filed amicus briefs in opposition to women-only facilities, said the question of religious liberties was never before the court, because neither gym claimed religion as a motivation for setting up all-women workout rooms.

If there is a facility that were to argue that it could not comply with Connecticuts anti-discrimination laws for the reason of religion, that gets us into an entire other area of the law, Barrett said.

Chief Justice Robinson was joined in the majority by justices Gregory DAuria, Steven Ecker, Maria Araujo Kahn, Christine Keller and Andrew McDonald. Associate Justice Raheem Mullins did not participate in the case.
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RIDGEFIELD  Town officials have approved an ordinance that would require people walking with their dogs in downtown to keep the animal on a leash. Soon, voters will have their say on whether the ordinance should be implemented.

The Board of Selectmen approved the text of the ordinance last week. Once the language is reviewed and approved by counsel, it will be brought before residents during a public hearing and/or town meeting.

A leash ordinance was first discussed more than 10 years ago after a golden retriever puppy was attacked by two German shepherds near the Ridgefield Recreation Center.

First Selectman Rudy Marconi said officials considered creating a leash ordinance to accompany the towns dog waste ordinance that passed several years ago. The provision requires individuals to clean up after their dogs on public or town-owned properties. Those found in violation of the ordinance are subject to a $25 fine.

Both the Parks and Recreation Commission and the Conservation Commission already have dog-leash regulations for parks and open-space parcels on the books. The towns ordinance, however, would not supersede those.

According to town code, no owner, keeper or person having charge of a dog or other animal shall permit or allow  (them) to run loose or to roam at large at any time upon any park.

The Conservation Commission permits dogs to roam on open-space land provided they are on a leash at all times.

The consideration of a formal leash law is due to an increased presence of dogs on Main Street, Marconi said. The ordinance would cover downtown as defined by Ridgefields zoning regulations.

If you were to sit out on a nice Saturday you would be astonished by the number of people who actually come into town for no other purpose than to walk their dog, he said, especially during COVID.

Marconi said some people who walk their dogs on a leash have raised concerns about those that walk their dogs without one.

Its not because anything has happened, but its a concern that others have had about what may happen, he said. This is more (about) being proactive rather than reactive  and prevent that unnecessary accident from happening.

The board reviewed the language of the new ordinance during its meeting last week. Selectwoman Maureen Kozlark said most people shes spoken with think Ridgefield already has a leash law in place.

The selectmen discussed providing an exception to dogs that accompany blind and disabled persons.

Ive seen people walking dogs without leashes; can any one of those people come back and say This is my therapy dog, this is my guide dog, Selectman Sean Connelly asked.

It still has to be on a leash, Selectman Bob Hebert said.

Board members agreed that an exception would only be granted to Ridgefield Police Departments K-9 unit.

Theyre gonna have to be doing their job and sometimes theyre gonna be off leash, Kozlark said.

The department would be charged with enforcing the ordinance if passed. Marconi said Monday the fine associated with violating the ordinance would be pursuant to state statues.

alyssa.seidman@hearstmediact.com
TORONTO, Jan. 25, 2022 /CNW/ - Halo Collective Inc. ("Halo" or the "Company") (NEO: HALO) (OTCQB: HCANF) (Germany: A9KN) has completed the previously announced acquisition of 1285826 B.C. Ltd. (dba H2C Beverages) ("H2C"), a company focused on cannabinoids and non-psychotropic mushroom functional beverages. The Company also announced the issuance of 1,981,349 common shares of the Company (the "Compensation Shares") to certain independent consultants and related parties of the Company, in lieu of cash consideration, at a price of C$1.20 per Compensation Share, being the closing price of the common shares of the Company on January 11, 2022.

Kiran Sidhu, Halo's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our strategic move into infused beverages expands our addressable market and gives us access to a rapidly growing sector of the consumer market. As the recreational cannabis market continues to mature, we believe companies with the most well-rounded and comprehensive product lines will thrive and those with limited SKUs focused on subsets of the industry will struggle amidst heavy and growing competition. Additionally, the Compensation Shares demonstrate the confidence of senior executives and all directors of the Company, in electing to take their compensation in the form of Common Shares in lieu of cash. We look forward to benefiting alongside shareholders from the long-term value we are creating."

In exchange for the acquisition of all of the issued and outstanding shares of H2C, the Company has issued 7,538,462 common shares in the capital of the Company ("Common Shares"). The Company also issued an aggregate of 603,077 Common Shares to an arm's length finder in connection with the acquisition.

The Company has also issued 1,981,349 Compensation Shares in satisfaction of approximately C$2,335,407 in fees and other compensation payable to independent consultants and related parties of the Company.

583,255 Compensation Shares were issued to related parties (within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101  Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions ("MI 61-101")) and such issuances are considered "related party transactions" for the purposes of MI 61-101. 118,778 Compensation Shares were issued to Kiran Sidhu, a director and the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, 66,677 Compensation Shares were issued to Katie Field, a director and the President of the Company, 118,743 Compensation Shares were issued to Philip Van Den Berg, a director and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company, 69,926 Compensation Shares were issued to Ryan Kunkel, a director of the Company, 47,629 Compensation Shares were issued to Andrew Turman, a director of the Company, 41,692 Compensation Shares were issued to Croftcap Inc. (a company controlled by Peter McRae, a director of the Company), 20,066 Compensation Shares were issued to Anmol Sidhu, a director of the Company and 99,744 Compensation Shares were issued to Shailesh Bhushan, an officer of the Company.

Such related party transactions are exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 as neither the fair market value of the securities being issued to the related parties nor the consideration being paid by the related parties exceeded 25% of the Company's market capitalization. The recipients of the Compensation Shares and the extent of such participation were not finalized until shortly prior to the completion of the issuance described herein. Accordingly, it was not possible to publicly disclose details of the nature and extent of related party participation in the transactions contemplated hereby pursuant to a material change report filed at least 21 days prior to the completion of such transactions.

All of the Compensation Shares were issued pursuant to an exemption from the prospectus requirement of applicable securities laws. 1,174,934 of the Compensation Shares issued are subject to a hold period expiring on the date that is four (4) months and one day from the date of issuance.

About Halo Collective Inc.

Halo is a leading, vertically integrated cannabis company that cultivates, extracts, manufactures, and distributes quality cannabis flower, oils, and concentrates and has sold approximately eleven million grams of oils and concentrates since inception. The Company continues to expand its business and scale efficiently, partnering with trustworthy leaders in the industry who value Halo's operational expertise in bringing top-tier products to market.

Halo currently operates in the United States in Oregon and California. The Company sells cannabis products principally to dispensaries in the U.S. under its brands Hush, Mojave, and Exhale, and under license agreements with Papa's Herb, DNA Genetics, Terphogz, and FlowerShop*, a cannabis lifestyle and conceptual wellness brand that includes G-Eazy as a partner and key member.

As part of continued expansion and vertical integration in the U.S., Halo boasts several grow operations throughout Oregon and two planned in California. In Oregon, the Company has a combined 11 acres of owned and contracted outdoor and green house cultivation, including East Evans Creek, a six-acre grow site in Jackson County with four licenses owned and operated by Halo and two third-party licenses under contract to sell all of their product to Halo; Winberry Farms, a one-acre grow site located 30 miles outside of Eugene in Lane County with a license owned and operated by Halo; and William's Wonder Farms, a three-acre grow site in Applegate Valley, under contract to sell all of its product to Halo pending the closing of Halo's acquisition of its licenses and business assets. Halo has recently acquired Food Concepts LLC, a master tenant of a 55,000 square foot indoor cannabis cultivation, processing, and wholesaling facility in Portland, Oregon operated by the Pistil Point entities.

In California, the Company is building out Ukiah Ventures, a planned 30,000 square foot indoor cannabis grow and processing facility, which aims to include up to an additional five acres of industrial land to expand the site. Recently, Halo partnered with Green Matter in California to purchase the Farm in Lake County, developing up to 63 acres of cultivation, comprising one of the largest licensed single site grows in California. Halo also plans to expand its operations in California by opening three dispensaries under the Budega brand in North Hollywood, Hollywood, and Westwood.

In Canada, Halo acquired three KushBar retail cannabis stores located in Alberta as a first in its planned entry into the Canadian market, leveraging its Oregon and California brands. With the KushBar retail stores as a foundation, the Company plans to expand its foothold in Canada.

Halo has also acquired a range of software development assets, including CannPOS, Cannalift, and, more recently, CannaFeels. In addition, Halo owns the discrete sublingual dosing technology, Accudab. The Company intends to spin-off these assets and its intellectual property and patent applications into its subsidiary Halo Tek Inc. and expects to complete a distribution to shareholders on a record date to be determined by Halo.

Halo recently completed the sale of certain of its non-U.S. operations to Akanda Corp. ("Akanda"), whose mission is to provide high-quality and ethically sourced medical cannabis products to patients worldwide. As an independent company, Akanda is seeking to deliver on this promise while driving positive change in wellness, empowering individuals in Lesotho, and uplifting the quality of the lives of employees and the local communities where it operates, all while limiting its carbon footprint. Akanda combines the scaled production capabilities of Bophelo Bioscience & Wellness Pty. Ltd., a Lesotho-based cultivation and processing campus located in the world's first Special Economic Zone (SEZ) containing a cannabis cultivation operation, with distribution and route-to-market efficiency of CanMart Ltd., UK-based fully approved pharmaceutical importer, and distributor that supplies pharmacies and clinics within the UK. With a potential maximum licensed canopy area of 200 hectares (495 acres), Bophelo has scalability that is arguably unmatched in the world today. Following the sale, Halo is Akanda's largest shareholder.

For further information regarding Halo, see Halo's disclosure documents on SEDAR at www.sedar.com

Connect with Halo Collective: Email | Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information and Statements

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and may also contain statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only Halo's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Halo's control. Generally, such forward-looking information or forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or may contain statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "will continue", "will occur" or "will be achieved". Forward-looking information may relate to anticipated events or results including, but not limited to management's plans regarding its portfolio of cannabis businesses, the Company's expansion plans regarding Canada, the expected size and capabilities of the final facility planned at Ukiah Ventures, the size of Halo's planned cultivation facility in Northern California, and the ability of Bophelo and Canmart to serve the UK market and the proposed spin-off by Halo Tek Inc.

By identifying such information and statements in this manner, Halo is alerting the reader that such information and statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such information and statements. In addition, in connection with the forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release, Halo has made certain assumptions. Although Halo believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. Among others, the key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information and statements are the following: inability of management to successfully integrate the operations of acquired businesses, changes in the consumer market for cannabis products, changes in the expected outcomes of the proposed changes to Halo's operations, delays in obtaining required licenses or approvals necessary for the build-out of Oregon operations, dispensaries or Canadian operations, the proposed spin-out with Halo Tek Inc., delays or unforeseen costs incurred in connection with construction, the ability of competitors to scale operations in Northern California, delays or unforeseen difficulties in connection with the cultivation and harvest of Halo's raw material, changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; and the other risks disclosed in the Company's annual information form dated March 31, 2021 and other disclosure documents available on the Company's profile at www.sedar.com. Should one or more of these risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information or statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.

The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and Halo does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking information and statements attributable to Halo or persons acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by this notice.

Non-Solicitation

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell nor the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

SOURCE Halo Collective Inc.

For further information: Halo Collective Inc., Investor Relations, [email protected], www.haloco.com/investors
In the exclusive conversation, he spoke about how Techbooze can give a kick-start to the startups that are looking for funding and shared his journey as a CEO of the company.

Subhashis Kar, CEO, Techbooze Consultancy recently joined NewsX for an enriching chat as part of NewsX India A-List. In the exclusive conversation, he spoke about how Techbooze can give a kick-start to the startups that are looking for funding and shared his journey as a CEO of the company.

We started the conversation by asking the Subhashis about his startup, Techbooze. Sharing insights about his company, the CEO said, Techbooze is a 360-degree consultancy service provider. We are also into startup consultancy. We have a headquarter in India and our bases are spread across 53 other nations throughout the globe. Moreover, till now we have funded about 200 to 250 startups across the globe. We provide A to Z facilities, starting from legal facilities to DPR requirements. We provide whatever is required from the initial boundaries to the exit boundaries.

He further discussed how Techbooze helps startups raise funding for themselves. There is a very defined process in our company to help startups avail funding. When a startup comes to us, they have to come from a website. Over there they can start up all the startup details with their pitch date and their plans such as business and financial plans. Once they submit the plans, we name it an investors forum. Once a startup is named as an investors forum, the plans of the company are transferred to the respective departments and there they filter it out. Once it is filtered out, a summarized plan is created. After this, the plan is sent to the investors forum in the UK called UNILIF (United Nations International Legislation for Investment Forum). It is a pool of around 419 investors worldwide including Capital Tiger Global. Now, if these members of the forum find any startup valuable, they let us know and then we connect with the respective startup. We make further plans which take around 2 to 3 months.

Subhashis went on to tell us about his journey of becoming the CEO of Techbooze. He revealed,  Techbooze was a UK-based company company earlier and I used to be a salesman in the company. They later changed the company into a real estate funding company. Thereafter in 2017 end, I saw the booming potential of the startups from the Startup India campaign. So, I wanted to explore this segment of the business. When I spoke to my company about my interests, they did not agree with my visions. After that in 2019, along with the board members of the company, we raised some equity funding and we took over this company from the UK-based firm. From there on the journey started and I made an exponential growth.

Mr. Kar termed his company Techbooze as his baby. He said, Techbooze is like my baby, it started in my hands and whatever it is right now, it is still in my hands. I take care of everything in this company including sales, management, and even operations.

Lastly, the CEO suggested young entrepreneurs not expect their businesses to boom in a short period. He suggested,  You should have a plan from A to Z. If you require help, companies like ours are there to help you out for free initially. They shouldnt be focused on the profitability of the company only, instead they should focus on forming a stable idea first.
He stood at his sons hospital bed gazing out the window overlooking the Unitarian church in Madison, Wisconsin, where he and the woman of his dreams married 17 years earlier.

The droning of his sons life support machines lulled Dan Zimprich.

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There at the window, hed get lost thinking about the life he had before the accident. There were so many Florida trips when he, his wife Ciara and the children would at the last moment pack their bags and head to the airport. Its as if they were always chasing the sun, leaving frigid Wisconsin on a whim and heading to South Florida, a place where Dan and Ciara Zimprich had every intention of retiring.

Sometimes I would just come home and say, Lets go somewhere. Thats how we rolled, Dan Zimprich said.

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He and Ciara were in South Florida in November and then decided to come back the following month with their children Maguire, 14, and Mackenzie, 15. But the last-minute getaway veered tragically off course on the familys last full day in the Fort Lauderdale area. Within minutes of leaving the beach, Dan Zimprich was left a widower with his teenage son on life support.

For two weeks after his wifes death, Zimprich, 47, stayed at his sons bedside, first in South Florida and then in Wisconsin, until Zimprich made the decision to donate his sons organs.

[ Lee en espanol: Escapada de ultima hora al sur de Florida se convierte en tragedia: Muere esposa e hijo adolescente ]

Mcguire Zimprich died Jan. 15, two weeks after the car crash where his mother Ciara Zimprich died. The family had been on vacation in South Florida over the holidays, when the two-car accident happened on Dec. 31, 2021. (Provided by Dan Zimprich)

Maguires brain injury was catastrophic. There were no chances for a meaningful recovery, Zimprich said.

The details and circumstance of the Dec. 31 car crash on East Commercial Boulevard in Oakland Park is unclear. Zimprich said he doesnt know how it happened. A car, he said, just appeared. This haunts him, but at the same time, he is incredibly grateful that his daughter Mackenzie was shopping and not with him, her mother and brother at the time of the crash.

Thank God Kenzie wasnt in the car, he said, breaking down. I dont know what I would have done.

It haunts me to think that it is possibly my fault. I dont know. I just dont know.

At roughly 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 31, Zimprich and his wife finished dinner at the beach and picked up their son, who had been fishing off the pier in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. The family headed up Commercial Boulevard on the way to McDonalds because Maguire was hungry. As Zimprich was making the turn into McDonalds, his car crashed with an eastbound Porche Taycan driven by 19-year-old Jonathan Yuz of Fort Lauderdale.

The impact sent Zimprichs rented BMW into a power pole. The extent of Yuzs injuries were unclear. He told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday that he was no longer in the hospital but did not want to discuss his injuries any further without an attorney present. No one has been charged and the crash is still under investigation by the Broward Sheriffs Office.

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From his home in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, Zimprich tearfully recalled his last moments with his wife. He remembers reaching over to the passenger seat and holding Ciaras hand as they waited for help. He figured his wife had a few broken bones, like he did.

[ RELATED: Vacation turns tragic for family from Wisconsin ]

The first ambulance whisked away Maguire, who was in the back seat of the car. The next ambulance came for Ciara. As she was wheeled away, Zimprich said he told her he loved her. And the third ambulance took Zimprich to Broward Health Medical Center, where he learned Ciara had died.

Zimprich, with four broken ribs, kept vigil over Maguires bed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Broward Health Medical Center. A deli-owner who learned of the familys tragedy offered Zimprich his house. A woman who runs an Airbnb also offered her place. Both offers were free of charge. Touched by the generosity, Zimprich, though, declined the offers.

The outpouring of support from Florida was so great, he said.

After roughly one week in the pediatric intensive care unit in South Florida, Maguire was flown to a hospital closer to home in Wisconsin.

On Jan. 14, Zimprich walked into a conference room at the hospital. Waiting for him was his sons doctors, a chaplain, possibly 20 people in total. From the looks on their faces it was clear there was nothing they could do to help his son, short of keeping him on life support, Zimprich said.

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Dan Zimprich lost his his wife, Ciara, in a New Year's Eve car crash in Oakland Park while the family was on a South Florida visit. (Dan Zimprich)

The reality of it was brutal.

Harvest his organs, Zimprich said he blurted out once he could compose himself and was able to speak.

And so the doctors and nurses at American Family Childrens Hospital lined the hospitals corridor as Maguires hospital bed was moved away. Called an Honor Walk, this happens when someones organs are going to be harvested before ending life support.

The following day, the quick-witted boy who loved to fish and tool around on his scooter died.

Last week, Zimprich learned his sons organs were given to nine people. Now instead of daydreaming about running off to Florida, a state he still holds close to his heart, Zimprich said he likes to think about the possibility of one day meeting the people whose lives his sons organs have enriched.

Two people got his kidneys. From his brain down, everything was perfect, he said. Its just amazing.

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Eileen Kelley can be reached at 772-925-9193 or ekelley@sunsentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @reporterkell.
This is likely one of the first times India has sold high-grade weapons, and the $374 million, 962 thousand dollar sale is a big step forward.

A massive surge in Indias weaponry exports has been an underrated positive story of the Narendra Modi government. From 1,521 crore in 2016-17 to 8,434.84 crore in 2020-21, Indias defense exports increased. In 2018-19, the number was Rs. 10,745 crore. Defense exports totaled Rs. 38,500.25 crore during the previous seven years. By 2025, the government has set an ambitious goal of exporting aerospace and defense items and services worth over 35,000 crores ($5 billion). Despite being second only to Saudi Arabia in terms of imports, Indias defense exports for the previous year were among the top 25 in the world.

After striving to get specialized weapon locating radars (WLRs) from the United States and Israel in the 1990s, India is now exporting them to Armenia in a $40 million agreement. According to the most recent Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) research, three Indian firms rank among the top 100 defense corporations in the world in 2020: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Ordnance Factory Board, and Bharat Electronics Ltd. (BEL). Their combined arms sales of $6.5 billion in 2020 were 1.7 percent higher than in 2019 and contributed for 1.2 percent of the top 100 total, according to the study, which was issued last year in December.

Moreover, India is selling BrahMos cruise missiles to the Philippines, which were co-developed with Russia. The contract is expected to be signed on January 28 at the Philippines National Defense Department headquarters in Quezon City. This $375 Million dollar deal is a game-changer since India isnt buying anything. Rather, India is selling high-end weapons produced in India to another country. This is likely one of the first times India has sold high-grade weapons, and the $374 million, 962 thousand dollar sale is a big step forward. It entails the purchase of two BrahMos missile launchers and a standard complement of missiles. Aakash air-defense missiles are being transferred to Vietnam as part of a similar agreement.

Defense exports are an important component of the governments effort to achieve self-sufficiency in defense industry. Therefore, the government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken various steps to increase defense exports, including rescinding a section of the Special Chemicals, Organisms, Materials, Equipment, and Technologies (SCOMET) list that will allow for easier exports, opening an online portal for receiving and processing export authorization permission, and allowing the lawful export of parts and components of small arms and body armor for civil use after due consultation with the foreign ministry.

Last year, to support Prime Minister Narendra Modis clarion call for Atmanirbhar Bharat, the Union Ministry of Defense drafted a draught Defense Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020 in August as an overarching guiding document to provide a focused, structured, and significant thrust to the countrys defense production capabilities for self-reliance and exports.
The British imperial authority granted independence to its Indian colony after World War II, and the British Parliament adopted the Indian Independence Act, 1947 to that aim. On 14 August 1947, the British Crown surrendered its sovereign rights over India via the Act, and those powers were passed to the newly constituted dominions of India and Pakistan. Following Independence, it took India around 3 years to form a constitution. On January 26, 1950, India became a republic, thereby ending British sovereignty. However, being two countries which were born at the same time, Pakistans first constitution was not completed until 1956.

After all these decades, India has grown into a large, strong, increasingly affluent, and free country. While Pakistan is a bankrupt and failing terrorist state. Let us examine how Pakistans national experience differs from Indias in crucial elements of administration and law today, as we celebrate the birth of our republic.

When India gained independence in 1947, the constituent parliament was created. It worked for two years, finishing the constitution in late 1949 and having it accepted in early 1950 by India. It has stayed mostly same since then, however there have been a few changes. The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was established immediately after independence, although the first constitution was not finalised until 1956. In 1958, military control was installed, and the constitution was repealed. In 1962, Ayub Khan established a constitution, which Yahya Khan repealed in 1969. Finally, under Bhuttos presidency, a new constitution was enacted in 1974, which has been in force ever since, although being revised multiple times.

While the Islamic Republic of Pakistans constitution opens with an invocation of Almighty Allah and acknowledges the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, Indias Constituent Assembly rejected any reference to God or to Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Pakistans constitution guarantees sufficient provision to safeguard the legitimate rights of minorities and backward and depressed sections. The preamble to Indias constitution is more concise. It includes, but does not expressly address, minorities rights and judicial independence.

Another difference is that in India, Election Commissioners are appointed by the government and are usually IAS personnel, while in Pakistan, the procedure is not so simple. A serving or former Supreme Court or High Court judge, or someone competent to be nominated as a SC judge, must be the Chief Election Commissioner. The Prime Minister, in collaboration with the Leader of the Opposition, submits three candidates to a 12-member parliamentary committee comprised of equal numbers of government and opposition members. The Election Commission also includes four more members, each of whom is a judge from one of Punjabs, Sindhs, Balochistans, or Khyber Pakhtunkhwas four provincial High Courts.

Moreover, the Prime Minister and province Chief Ministers are elected by the newly formed house, unlike in India, the President and Governors play no role even if no party has a clear majority. As the PM/CM is chosen by the new house, there is no provision in the Pakistani constitution for a confidence vote. In contrast to India, where it must be carried by a simple majority of those present and voting, a resolution of no-confidence can be moved by 20% of representatives and will succeed if passed by a majority of the entire membership of the House.
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NEW HAVEN  Nicole Donzello has battled a form of leukemia for nearly seven years now and is alive at least in part because of the 155 units of blood and blood products available to her during that time because of the generosity of others willing to donate.

But right now, in the midst of a global pandemic, is a tough time to keep up with blood donations.

If it were not for you giving all that blood, I would not be here, Donzello said Tuesday in a conference room adjacent to Yale New Haven Hospitals Smilow Cancer Hospital, flanked by Gov. Ned Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and top Yale New Haven Health and American Red Cross officials.

For about three weeks each time Donzello had chemotherapy, the Woodbridge woman was entirely dependent on donated blood platelets until her bone marrow began once again producing her own, she said.

Donzello, who also has had two stem cell transplants, said the common denominator in all of my treatments for leukemia is the need for donated blood products.

So it is particularly worrisome to her that the nation is in the midst of its worst national blood shortage in more than a decade  and she, along with several other speakers, want people to consider donating.

Were comfortable when theres a five-day supply of blood, said Richard Branigan, chief operating officer for the American Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island region. But we dont have that comfort level right now and there currently is just a one- or two-day supply, Branigan said.

Its the worst blood shortage he has seen in his 10 years with the American Red Cross, he said.

Branigan urged healthy people to consider donating  and said there is particular need for O-positive and O-negative blood. People can make an appointment to give blood by going online to RedCrossBlood.org, or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

The Red Cross also has a dedicated blood donor app available for download.

Nicoles just reminded us us that whatevers happened these past two years, life didnt stop, said Lamont, who also urged people to consider donating blood.

When treating severed medical issues, theres not a lot of room for error, Lamont said. We need to make sure we have all the tools we need, and donated blood is one of them, he said.

Having an adequate supply of blood products is critical, and for various reasons, fewer people are giving now than have in the past, said Yale New Haven Health Chief Executive Officer Marna Borgstrom.

We believe that the risks of giving are quite low and the rewards are quite high, Borgstrom said.

Bysiewicz pointed out that January is National Blood Donor Month.

I ask people to come forward at this time when we have a national blood shortage because donating blood is really donating life to someone who has a major illness or injury, she said.

In her own family, Bysiewicz said her mother-in-law, who lived with her family and helped she and her husband raise their children, had lymphoma  and donated blood was something that was life-saving to her.

Dr. Thomas Balcezak, Yale New Haven Healths chief clinical officer, said, This is a very important issue. The hospital uses 80 to 100 units of donated blood a day and we are very careful stewards of these resources.

But there still is a greater need than there is a supply  particularly when it comes to Type O blood, Balcezak said. About 40 percent of the population is Type O, he said.

This is not just a one-and-done thing and there will continue to be a need for more blood for months to come, Balcezak said. In fact, we sometimes have to hold back on surgeries in order to make sure we have enough blood for those surgeries.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
NEW HAVEN  If Union Station is to become a thriving transportation center, the willingness to create a vision that goes beyond traditional ideas will be critical.

That was the message of three rail leaders from White Plains, N.Y., to Los Angeles, who described their cities plans in an online webinar. The head of major stations planning and development for Amtrak spoke about plans afoot in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Representing the city that is most like New Haven, Christopher Gomez, White Plains commissioner of planning, said it was up to the residents how much they were willing to dream.

From my personal perspective, how far is the community willing to go to create and facilitate the vision of the community which does include uses beyond what is driving this transit station development currently, he asked.

Multifamily housing and open space in the immediate area is highly important, he said. How much do we want to work with our partners to create some level of retail and street presence? he said. How much do we want to reduce parking requirements and try to lead the region in a new sustainable way of developing? And then, is that something that politically theres a will in your local communities to adopt?

Gomez added that its also important to be realistic. We started at the moon.  We had our druthers, we want this, and like any  good planning process, we had to sort of revert back to the reality.

Technically, planning also demands making sure zoning codes fit the vision and looking at ways to incentivize the type of development you want, and how far are you as a community and  municipality willing to go to make those pretty renderings a reality?

Union Station, designed by Cass Gilbert and opened in 1920, along with State Street Station, are part of the Union Station Partnership between the city and the state Department of Transportation, which owns the station. The agreement includes an extendable 35-year lease.

Gomez described how much of the area around the White Plains Station was pretty much blown out in the 70s urban renewal, much like the Hill neighborhood near Union Station. There, he said, the city received $800,000 in grants to reknit and restore that urban fabric in downtown White Plains.

But the vision is not just about the train station, which serves Metro-North. It was really about the district, so we established approximately a quarter-mile to a third-of-a-mile radius around the station, which includes both the downtown  as well as our close-in neighborhoods, Gomez said.

So its all about connectivity, whether it be for commuters, access to the station from very far from downtown, or even for the residents from close-in neighborhoods to have greater access to the downtown itself, he said.

Jeanet Owens, senior executive officer for project management and regional rail at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the goal for Los Angeles Union Station was to make the 1939 terminal into a world-class transit station.

I always ask, well, when you go in and you travel, I dont want to just limit it to just what a rail station could look like, she said. She compared the rail station to an airport, with readily available passenger amenities, whether its something you can drink and eat, whether while youre waiting for a train, you can work, so those are amenities that were looking at as we envision.

The plan also includes making travel easier and less stressful for passengers, including ADA-compliant elevators and escalators and helping people get around. In addition to that, wayfinding signage and  as any traveler, when youre trying to run to catch a plane or run to catch a train or a bus connection, you want to know, how much time do I have, right? How much time do I have to chitchat? How much time do I have to grab a coffee or grab a pretzel?

The station is also being redesigned so trains dont enter and exit from one end but travel on run-through tracks, so that our Amtrak services can now operate in and idle in Union Station for less than a minute or two, Owens said. Same with our commuter rail system and our high-speed rail system. This is a game changer for Southern California.

Gretchen Kostura of Amtrak described Philadelphias William H. Gray III 30th Street Station as the hole in the doughnut. The 2016 30th Street District Plan, really set forth the guiding vision to create a significant amount of new private development in and around the station, as well as the ability to expand our operations and meet the growing need of this community, she said.

Youve got the strong business district just across the river, from our station, and youve got Penn and Drexel and a lot of the universities just to the opposite side of us. So were sort of this doughnut, the hole in the doughnut, and really the goal of the development plan ... was to infill that doughnut and make it to be more of a cohesive and seamless connection between all the neighborhoods.

Kostura said Washington Union Station was almost chartered by Congress to be multimodal facility. The challenge, she said, is looking at the evolving transportation needs.

What does bus look like in the future? What does parking look like in the future? What is rideshare? I mean, when we started this process planning, Uber wasnt a thing, and now its a question of what does Uber look like in the future versus a taxi? she said. Other issues include balancing how much parking is needed with people being dropped off and picked up, buses, bikes and even electric scooters.

We are now at a place that I hope all of the different agencies and entities are sort of satisfied that were meeting the future demand, Kostura said. I joke that I work for a train company, and I spend a lot of time talking about buses. It has been a challenge to plan for all of those, especially as the needs have changed continuously over the last five to six years.

edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382
NEW HAVEN  It was a full agenda.

The Civilian Review Board this week voted to meet with the citys lawyers to clear up ambiguities in its charge; tackled concerns of alleged bullying at its December meeting; and found out it is the subject of a Freedom of Information complaint by the police union.

The union argues that the subject of a potential discipline recommendation by the CRB should have been notified about the meeting. It further stated that the CRB has not posted meeting dates of subcommittees.

Tom Hennick, education officer at the Freedom of Information Commission, said a worker subject to discipline can ask for an open hearing. Also, he said boards have to post an agenda 24 hours before a meeting.

A future session with the city corporation counsel, the October FOI filing and the contentious back-and-forth between CRB Chairman Samuel Ross-Lee and Vice Chairwoman Anne Marie Rivera-Barrios in December all have connections to a case last May in which a city employee later died by suicide.

According to an Internal Affairs report concerning the May incident, a city employee who allegedly entered his ex-girlfriends house through a window was charged with a misdemeanor and did not have his firearms confiscated. He later died by suicide with his own gun.

City police Sgt. Jasmine Sanders was found to have violated several police procedures in the case. While Interim Chief Renee Dominguez recommended a six-month suspension for Sanders, the Police Commission reduced that to 16 days.

Defining scope

Regarding the purview of the board, the CRB unanimously agreed to generate a discussion about core issues affecting our ability to function as suggested by member Steve Hamm, who came up with seven such issues.

They all flow from board members belief that their responsibility is to investigate any charge of alleged bad behavior by police, whether it comes from a civilian or is related to a probe ordered by the police chief.

City Corporation Counsel Patricia King recently said the boards purview is only civilian complaints, but the board disagrees, including Alder Brian Wingate, D-29, who was among those who put together the new CRB ordinance.

Hamm said the legislative intent of the alders will be a very important piece of evidence when we meet with corporation counsel.

Other items the CRB will argue for include the ability to see evidence as the Police Departments Internal Affairs investigations unfold. It also plans to work closely with King and Deputy Corporation Counsel Catherine LaMarr to clarify points of law and to help it come up with procedures.

If they determine there is a conflict of interest in using corporation counsel, Hamm said they could vote to get outside counsel.

After being invited to do so by Dominguez, the board wants to make suggestions to the city on changes to the police contract that would make it easier for the CRB to provide oversight and recommendations. The contract expires at the end of June.

This discussion could include the CRB in the deadlines for disciplinary recommendations and the sharing of evidence. It does not mean the CRB would be at the negotiating table.

Wingate, who is vice chairman of Local 35 at Yale University, said this kind of exchange is a win-win for the parties.

Hamm said the board wants to be transparent and follow the dictates of the FOIA and set up procedures to do so. Along the same lines, Hamm said the board should alert the press to its actions.

The CRB also wants to work with corporation counsel and police to develop procedures governing third parties it appoints to investigate cases.

The CRB previously voted to hire attorney Liam Brennan to look into the May case that ended in the workers death. It has yet to make a recommendation in the case as it wants Brennan to undertake a deeper inquiry to determine whether the worker had received special treatment as far as how the incident that day was handled.

Ross-Lee has recused himself in the matter after inadvertently talking to someone tied to the case, which left Rivera-Barrios as the point person on the issue.

Behavior scrutinized

Rivera-Barrios called a Dec. 22 meeting to share information from Brennan that he had been denied access to police files in the case and possibly the board members would be as well until certain procedures were in place.

Since then, Capt. David Zannelli has said Brennan can look at the files and the board has continued its access.

Ross-Lee only wanted to hear her talk about the board members potentially not being allowed to research the police files and stopped her if she referred to the attorney.

You have to let me proceed, Rivera-Barrios said.

OK, OK. I said OK, Ross-Lee snapped.

She said the board was told it needed to get an attorney to represent it if it was not going to use LaMarr and that it should meet on this sooner rather than later.

Ross-Lee wanted to hear directly from King.

He agreed with Al Lucas, who heads the alders legislative office, when he said King doesnt have any authority over your board. ... This is also why the ordinance provided for you all to do your own work and keep yourselves at an arms distance from the citys counsel.

The chairman said going forward if there is information that needs to be shared, it should be put in writing and we can interpret and examine it together. Third party, fourth party, which it seems to be, fourth party, fifth party conversation, talk, is not helpful at all and it is not fair to the members of this board for one person  

Rivera-Barrios interrupted him. Lets be clear about this. This is not a third party discussion, she said. This came directly from the attorney.

Im still talking, Anne Marie, he said.

OK, but I was talking earlier and you interrupted me, she responded.

OK, but  Ross-Lee said.

No. It really is not OK, because you have been rude from the beginning, Rivera-Berrios said. They continued to talk over each other and Rivera-Berrios said that moving forward, he could handle the issue. Im stepping out of this.

Ross-Lee on Monday said there was contention at that meeting. He said he tried to reach Rivera-Berrios after the meeting, but was unable to. He also talked to two members about the meeting on Saturday and got an email about it.

I do acknowledge that I was annoyed and irritated about the meeting itself and the content of the meeting. There were some members who contend I was severe in my reaction. ... I do not necessarily agree that I was, he said.

He said he was trying to establish when and where and who has authority over this board and who can tell it what it can investigate.

That was the intention, that is what I tried to do and that is why I tried to do it, Ross-Lee said. He reiterated his agreement with Lucas that Kings ruling is only advisory.

At Mondays meeting, Rivera-Barrios said she continues to feel very uneasy and very uncomfortable with the way I was approached at that meeting (Dec. 22).

She said in contrast to that, the board addressed all of those same concerns this week, but lost time when it wasnt addressed earlier.

I have to say that there was bullying, in my opinion, Rivera-Barrios said. I think an apology is warranted.

Hamm, after listening to a recording of the meeting several times, said he found the tone of the meeting and the conduct of the meeting to be extremely disturbing. Without naming names, I felt one person at the meeting was bullying another person in a way I dont like to see anywhere in society and certainly not in a meeting of a board of New Haven.

I can tell you Chairman Ross-Lee your response that you have just delivered about how you feel about this is totally inadequate as far as Im concerned, Hamm said.

Nina Fawcett, another member, said quite frankly, I was very distressed and appalled because this was not the only time. This was a blatant time, but this seems to go on through meetings in a very underground way, but it is there, she said of Ross-Lees behavior.

I even have stronger words, but I wont use them now, Fawcett said. You know I am not usually talking and maybe this is one reason why I dont.

In a rebuttal, Ross-Lee said he strongly disagreed with the bullying charge and said he got lost during the discussion last month as to who was being referred to. I didnt know who he was at any given time, Ross-Lee said. He said when he proceeded to ask more questions, he was talked over.

I didnt make anyone do anything or make anyone not do anything. Thats bullying. Disagreeing with someone is not. We do that here all the time and we have not only a right, but a responsibility to do so, which is why we are a board and not one person, Ross-Lee said.

Rivera-Barrios responded: I dont want to beat a dead horse, but a public humiliation deserves a public apology.
NEW HAVEN  The city has terminated the employment of its new director of public health nursing, who oversaw 48 people and all Health Department-led COVID-19 vaccination clinics, after he failed to satisfactorily complete his 90-day probationary period.

The termination of Director of Public Health Nursing Stacey Hutcherson was reported in a weekly personnel action report released by the Department of Human Resources. Director of Health Maritza Bond said she could not comment on the departure because its a personnel matter.

Hutcherson, whose contact information is not publicly listed, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Bond said in an email that the director of public health nursing, assisted by the public health nurse coordinator, oversees all public health nursing service and clinical services for the Health Department, including the COVID vaccination clinics.

The public health nurse coordinator assists with daily staff supervision, including administrative staff, health assistants and public health nurses, she said. The position is not involved with the citys lead program, Bond said.

There will be no delays or disruption to daily operations, Bond said. The public health nurse coordinator who supervises the public health nurses will continue to be the daily point person for staff and the nurse coordinator and a medical adviser will continue to provide clinical guidance.

In the interim, the deputy health director is providing operational support, she said.

The position will be posted immediately and filled once a successful candidate is found and vetted, Bond said.

Jennifer Vasquez held the position for about three years prior to Hutcherson being hired. The salary was approximately $106,000, Bond said.

The position description lists the salary range as $65,497 to $102,662.

This is a responsible, professional, and administrative position directing a major division of the Department of Health, the job description reads. As part of the Health Departments overall goal and objectives, has responsibility for planning, organizing, directing, coordinating and evaluating a generalized Public Health Nursing Program for the City of New Haven, which includes School Health Services, Maternal and Child Health, and Communicable Disease Control.

Education requirements include graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing, with concentration in public health, or a masters degree in administration or public health related to clinical nursing practice, and 5 to 10 years of experience in public health nursing.

At least two years must have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity, or any equivalent combination of training and experience, the description states. The job also requires a Connecticut drivers license, CPR certification and a current, valid Registered Nurse license issued by the state of Connecticut and graduation from an accredited National League of Nursing program with a Bachelor of Science degree program in nursing.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
Despite his abrupt resignation as president of Florida International University under the cloud of a misconduct allegation, Mark Rosenberg could eventually be back on campus and teaching classes for a $377,000 paycheck.

Rosenberg forfeited his half-a-million-dollar salary as well as bonus and pension supplements when he stepped down Friday, but a close look at his contract revealed that he retained his job as a tenured faculty member.

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Rosenberg, 72, who is under investigation for making unwanted advances to a young woman who worked closely with him, resigned after 12 years as leader of the states second-largest university rather than face a possible firing by FIUs Board of Trustees. Dean Colson, a prominent Miami attorney and board chair, told him his presidency could not go forward, according to a source close to the investigation.

[ RELATED: Outgoing FIU president admits to emotional entanglement with colleague; reports say Rosenberg made unwanted overtures ]

In his Jan. 21 resignation letter to Colson, Rosenberg, 72, said he intends to return to my first professional love as a member of the faculty and resume my research and teaching on inter-American affairs and higher education.

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According to his contract, a resignation does not prevent him from keeping his tenured professorship, regarded as a well-protected position at all American universities. Rosenberg has not said what he will do but the outcome of FIUs investigation could upend any plan to return to the faculty, said a person familiar with the case.

Go to Herald.com for the full report.
Niagara Falls, NY (14301)

Today

Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. High around 60F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear. Low 39F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Kelly Sheridan, left, and her first grade students wear face masks as one of the students makes a presentation during class in a hallway at the Milton Elementary School in Rye. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)
BOYNTON BEACH  One month after a 13-year-old boy crashed his dirt bike and died while a police officer chased him, the public is left with a mystery: Who was the Boynton Beach Police officer?

Stanley Dale Davis IIIs family and friends have filled the city commission chamber at meetings since his death on Dec. 26 to speak about him publicly, his name on signs and shirts for all to see.

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Friends and family of Davis say they want to make sure no one forgets their loved one  or the officer who was following him. But a state law and its applications complicate those efforts.

Boynton Beach Police have not released the officers name, saying the officer invoked his right to protect his name from the public under Marsys Law, a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2018 that allows crime victims to shield their name and personal information from the public.

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First Amendment advocates and attorneys say officers using Marsys Law in Davis death and similar situations is an unintended consequence that voters did not have in mind when they approved the amendment, that it makes it difficult to know whether a specific officer has a history of issues and that it can fuel an ongoing mistrust between the public and police officers.

Stanley Davis Jr. wipes away a tear as he listens to friends and family members speak to the Boynton Beach commission, Tuesday, January 18, 2022, in honor of his son Stanley Davis III, who died last month in a dirt bike crash. (Michael Laughlin/Sun Sentinel)

The Boynton police department says Marsys Law applies to the officer because he and his family were receiving threats and because of the crash.

The department has taken the time to consult with the City Attorneys Office, and based on their advice, Marsys Law does apply to this officer in both the threats case and Sundays crash, says a police department statement released Dec. 29, three days after the fatal crash. Therefore, in order to comply with the law, the department will not be releasing the name of the officer involved in the crash.

According to Marsys Law, every victim is entitled to the right to be free from intimidation, harassment and abuse, the statement continues. In addition, the law gives every victim the right to prevent the disclosure of information or records that could be used to locate or harass the victim or the victims family, or which could disclose confidential or privileged information of the victim.

Stephanie Slater, a spokesperson for the police department, said in an email last week that the officer and his family have been threatened in text messages and on social media, which the department is investigating.

As a result of the ongoing investigation, we are unable to elaborate further, Slater wrote.

The Boynton Beach Police Department has denied public record requests from the South Florida Sun Sentinel for the administrative leave paperwork for the officer the family and their attorneys believe was involved as well as the departments incident report of the fatal crash, body-worn camera footage, any footage from security cameras near where the crash happened, dispatch audio related to the crash and any 911 calls, citing the ongoing investigation.

The question of law enforcement officers who were acting in their official capacity invoking Marsys Law to shield their identities is one that has repeatedly surfaced since the amendment passed in 2018, and some experts have pointed out the ambiguities of the law that allow it to happen and say that it leaves room for what some consider a misuse of the law.

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Bishop Bernard E. Wright records peopl speaking to the Boynton Beach commission, Tuesday, January 18, 2022, in honor of Stanley Davis III. Community members have come to city commission meetings to speak about Davis publicly since his death and urge city officials to take action. (Michael Laughlin/Sun Sentinel)

Boynton City Attorney James Cherof declined to answer questions about the specifics of how Marsys Law applies to the officer in both the threats and the crash.

There is nothing I can add to the departments statement, Cherof said in an email to the Sun Sentinel last week.

Frank LoMonte, the executive director of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Brechner Center for Freedom of Information, said Marsys Law is about protecting the privacy of crime victims. But for officers who are on duty, acting on behalf of their agencies, this law should never apply.

If the officer is getting threats because a child died during a pursuit, the officer is not getting threats by virtue of being a crime victim. The officer is getting threats by virtue of being a police officer, LoMonte said. Thats not what Marsys Law was for. Its not police officer privacy. Its crime victim privacy. Thats not remotely what voters of Florida had in mind when they voted to make information about vulnerable crime victims confidential.

[ RELATED: Family of teen killed in dirt-bike crash plan to sue, saying Boynton officer, city must be held accountable in childs death ]

Receiving threats from suspects or the public, Philip Sweeting, a retired Boca Raton deputy police chief, said, is part of the job.

Does that mean youre never going to release an officers name that makes an arrest? I dont think so. In the past, Ive arrested people and theyve threatened me. It probably happens at least 10 percent of the arrests, Sweeting said.

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At least half of Floridas 30 largest police agencies have hidden the names of on-duty officers with Marsys Law, a ProPublica and USA Today investigation found last year, and at least seven agencies withheld officers names who killed civilians, including the Broward Sheriffs Office.

The ProPublica and USA Today story found that Marsys Law had been used in cases where an officer was hit on the shoulder by the wire of a suspects pulse monitor while restrained in a hospital bed and a deputy who shot at a drunk driver because the suspect fled in the deputys direction.

In South Florida, officers have invoked Marsys Law in a 2020 case involving two Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office deputies who shot a 20-year-old man who was armed with a knife, saying the officers were victims of assault from the man they fatally shot, the Palm Beach Post reported.

LoMonte said theres a risk of the amendment losing its credibility if the public believes it is being misused.

I dont question at all police have dangerous jobs and they are worried about threats. Thats a completely realistic and legitimate fear and nobody should minimize that, LoMonte said. But when you take on a sensitive public service position with a lot of power, you give up some of your privacy.

Ultimately if Marsys Law gets over-applied to anything and everything involving policing, then its going to get repealed, he said. The public is not going to stand for it.

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Protesters gather for a protest for 13-year-old Stanley Davis III on Federal Highway in Boynton Beach on Saturday, January 1, 2022. The teen died in a crash, after he left a gas station on his brand-new, red dirt bike - darting off as a police SUV approached. His family and protesters argue the child's death could've been avoided had the officer not followed behind. (Mike Stocker / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

Davis family has hired Ben Crump, the high-profile attorney who has represented the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and litigated other civil-rights-related cases. Crump has not publicly identified the officer but has said that the officer has a history of violating vehicular pursuit policies that led to the death of a man in 2012 and a 5-year-old boy in 2016.

That makes it critical for the public to know the officers name, LoMonte said.

We need to know if this is a tragic one-off occurrence or if there might be some pattern of behavior. If there is an allegation that this isnt the first time the officer has made a questionable judgment on pursuits, then that is all the more reason why we should know the officers name, LoMonte said.

[ RELATED: Family mourns Boynton child, 13, who died in dirt-bike crash; Police say officer has received threats amid the outcry ]

The highest court in the state will decide on the issue of officers using Marsys Law later this year.

Pam Marsh, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation, said she has seen officers invoke Marsys Law after having a violent encounter with a citizen or when an officer believes a suspect was committing an assault on the officer. For example, the Florida Supreme Court agreed in December to take jurisdiction over a case involving two Tallahassee officers whose identities were shielded under Marsys Law because they said they were victims in separate deadly use-of-force incidents.

It will be a very important decision and I am so grateful the Supreme Court decided to take jurisdiction over the case  This will be one of the most important decisions for Florida this year, Marsh said.

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But Marsh said the Boynton incident is the first case she has seen where Marsys Law was invoked to protect an officer from threats from the public rather than a suspect and without there being an encounter with the citizen.

I have not seen Marsys Law used to hide the identity of a law enforcement officer hours, days after the incident has occurred, Marsh said.

[ RELATED: Were here for justice: Street protest held in Boynton Beach after teens death following officer chase ]

The definition of a victim in Marsys Law, Marsh pointed out, is defined as a person who suffers direct or threatened physical, psychological or financial harm as a result of the commission or attempted commission of a crime.

What we need in our communities is trust. Weve got to build trust. Weve got to build accountability, not run away from it, Marsh said. And thats only going to happen when theres transparency and responsibility, and we are going backwards from that right now.

In the Tallahassee case, Leon County Circuit Court, Judge Charles Dodson wrote in July 2020 that Marsys Law was not meant to apply to officers acting in their official capacity.

In the case of the two Tallahassee officers, the would-be accuseds are dead, killed by the officers in the line of duty, Dodson wrote. The officers do not seek protection from the would-be accuseds, instead they apparently seek protection from possible retribution for their on-duty actions from unknown persons in the community. This type of protection is outside the scope of Marsys Law and is inconsistent with the express purpose and language of the amendment.

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[ RELATED: Community urges Boynton leaders to act after teen dies in dirt bike crash following police pursuit ]

But an appeals court last year overturned that ruling and decided that officers could be protected under the law.

This does not mean that the public cannot hold law enforcement officers accountable for any misconduct. Maintaining confidential information about a law enforcement officer who is a crime victim would not halt an internal affairs investigation nor impede any grand jury proceedings. Nor would it prevent a state attorney from reviewing the facts and considering whether the officer was a victim, Chief Judge Lori Rowe wrote.

The officers names in the Tallahassee case are still not known. Neither are the deputies in the fatal shooting of the Palm Beach County man.

Ed Birk, a news media attorney who represents news organizations, said the decision the Supreme Court makes, possibly by the end of the year, will be critical in clearing up the ambiguities of Marsys Law.

[ RELATED: Hundreds honor the life, mourn the death of Stanley Davis III, young dirt bike rider from Boynton Beach ]

Were just hoping the Supreme Court gives us guidance. Everybody needs an answer. The police, First Amendment advocates, the public, cities and counties and sheriffs, Birk said. Everybody needs an answer here. We need clarification, and we sure hope its in favor of transparency.

The First Amendment Foundation, the Brechner Center, Birk and attorneys for the South Florida Sun Sentinel have intervened in the case the Supreme Court has taken up this year.

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Sun Sentinel staff writer Chris Perkins contributed to this report.
Some delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday protested over delegates list in Ekiti State. The delegates protes...

Some delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday protested over delegates list in Ekiti State.

The delegates protested over the list for the 2022 Ekiti State Governorship primaries.

The aggrieved delegates claimed the list was doctored.

The PDP governorship primary election is currently ongoing in Ekiti State, with statutory and automatic delegates.

Statutory or automatic delegates comprise former governors, former and serving members of the National Assembly and former and serving members of the National Working Committee (NWC) from the state who are still members of the party, including former state party officials.

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The drama between Nollywood star, Olayode Juliana, and her former pastor, Timi Adigun, has entered another level as the actress accused hi...

The drama between Nollywood star, Olayode Juliana, and her former pastor, Timi Adigun, has entered another level as the actress accused him of abusing her sister sexually.

Olayode had on Tuesday called out Adigun, who was her spiritual father and manager, for taking control of her Facebook and other social media accounts.

During their exchange of words on social media, the actress on Wednesday revealed that the pastor molested her sister.

She wrote, Did you listen to yourself at all? I dont think you did. You manipulated and sexually abused my sister and you thought I would be calm. You expect me not to be furious. How are you processing the things you did and the things you said? How? I dont get you.

You talk about apology and forgiveness. Forgiving you is a process for me. I forgave you then, for my sanity, just when I am trying to move on. You do something else that triggers me and I get mad at you again and I beg God to help me forgive you again.

The hurt is really deep, the pain, the trauma, the disappointment, the sleepless nights, the tears that drenched my pillow, the shock, the entire experience is indescribable.

In response, Adigun said on his Instagram story, For those concerned for me and asking me to stop responding, if I was brought before a court, I would have to talk or my lawyer would talk.

I have been brought before a social media jury. I have to speak the truth but it is still up to individuals to choose what to believe.

That said, I want to make it public here that I am ready to stand before any court or panel and I am ready to be investigated.

When you know you have told the truth, there is no more fear. I NEVER sexually abused anyone! I have facts, figures and dates. What I was guilty of, I owned up to and apologised for. The next I want to see is a subpoena.

I will continue on social media and continue building my businesses and ministry. This is a distraction I have no time for. I will not be posting on this again.
Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, says he rehabilitated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo after he was released from prison in 1998...

Abdulsalami Abubakar, former head of state, says he rehabilitated ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo after he was released from prison in 1998.

Obasanjo was jailed by the late Sani Abacha, former military ruler.

Abdulsalami took over power after the death of Abacha in 1998 and subsequently released Obasanjo and some other prisoners.

Obasanjo will later be president after elections were conducted in 1999.





In an interview with TRUST TV, the former head of state said after Obasanjo was released from prison he threatened to go to court because his business had crumbled.

We released Obasanjo and other prisoners and pardoned them, he said.

So, when Obasanjo was released he came to see me, saying he was going to take the government to court. Why are you going to do that?





He said the former president did not institute any legal action after he pleaded with him.

Sir, please let bygones be bygones, thank God you are alive today, forget about these things. Some of the issues you mentioned [are] within my power I will look into that, so we left it at that, Abubakar said.

Like I had all other prisoners! What do you mean by I had to rehabilitate him?

Of course not only him, all people that were imprisoned in one way or the other, we tried to rehabilitate them; to help them in one way or the other.

In one way or the other we did what we could to assist them, so you cannot equate that to bringing him to contest for an election.
Nollywood star, Mercy Aigbe, has cleared the air concerning her new marriage as she claimed that her new lover, Adeoti Kazim, also known a...

Nollywood star, Mercy Aigbe, has cleared the air concerning her new marriage as she claimed that her new lover, Adeoti Kazim, also known as Adekaz, and her ex-husband, Lanre gentry were never friends.

She made this known on Wednesday in a message which she sent to the hosts of TVC talk show, Your View, where they discussed her new relationship.

The topic for the show was Nollywood actress Mercy Aigbe marries ex-husbands friend and towards the end of the show, the actress called the main show host, Morayo Afolabi-Brown on the phone.

Afolabi-Brown then announced that Aigbe was trying to call them on the show but as she couldnt reach them, the actress has sent a text.

I just want to clear the impression, Adekaz isnt Lanre Gentrys friend, Afolabi-Brown read out Aigbes text to the viewers of the show.

Aigbe had set the internet agog on Sunday when she unveiled popular movie marketer, Adeoti, as her new lover.

She also took to her Instagram page on Monday to shower praises on her new lover on his birthday.

Aigbes estranged husband, Gentry, had shared a picture of himself, Aigbe, Adeoti, and Adeotis wife on his page as he revealed that the truth was finally out.

The ace actress separated from her estranged husband in 2017 after she alleged that she suffered domestic violence in her marriage.

Since their separation, the duo had frequently engaged in social media clashes since then.
A meeting that resulted in four semifinalists for Broward schools superintendent will be held over again, after questions were raised about whether the School Boards voting method violated state law.

The new meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1.

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To ensure the integrity of the superintendent search process, the School Board will hold the meeting again, said a Wednesday evening statement from the office of Chief Communications Officer Kathy Koch.

At a superintendent search meeting Tuesday, School Board members each selected their top three to five candidates using what some describe as a secret ballot. The number of votes each candidate received was read during the meeting, but not how each School Board member voted.

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The South Florida Sun Sentinel asked the districts communications office by email during the meeting for a vote breakdown and asked district consultant Michael Collins and Koch immediately after the meeting, but neither provided it. The School Board finally produced it Wednesday, nearly a full day later.

The tally showed:

All nine School Board members selected Vickie Cartwright, currently interim superintendent, as one of their semifinalists.

Keith Oswald, chief of wellness and equity for Palm Beach County schools, received the support of six board members  Patti Good, Sarah Leonardi, Lori Alhadeff, Laurie Rich Levinson, Nora Rupert and Debbi Hixon.

Five supported Peter Licata, regional superintendent for Palm Beach County schools  Ann Murray, Good, Leonardi, Rupert and Donna Korn.

Four selected Michael Gaal, former deputy chancellor for Washington, D.C., Public Schools  Murray, Alhadeff, Korn and Hixon.

The winning candidate will permanently replace Robert Runcie, who left in August, after being indicted on perjury charges earlier in the year.

School Board members said Tuesday they plan to select a new superintendent Feb. 9, and that is scheduled to stay the same, Hixon said. The School Board is scheduled to interview the four semifinalists and select two finalists Feb. 2. The community and School Board are scheduled to interview the two finalists on Feb. 8.

Interim General Counsel Marylin Batista decided to hold the meeting again, Hixon said.

This move was out of an abundance of caution in the event anyone challenged it, Hixon said. Our general counsel said it was not a violation, but if it was challenged we could have to do it over again, so better just to redo it now.

[ RELATED: Eight recommended to be considered for Broward superintendent ]

School Board members normally announce all their votes verbally. But on Tuesday, they wrote down their favored candidates during the meeting and gave them to Collins, president of the search firm Ray & Associates. During the meeting, Collins read how many votes each candidate got but not how each School Board member voted.

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Although the list was released the next day, the meeting was still not fully open to the public, said Virginia Hamrick, a lawyer with the First Amendment Foundation, which advocates for open government in Florida.

It definitely violates the spirit of the Sunshine Law, Hamrick told the Sun Sentinel. Youre supposed to see how elected officials, how our School Board members, are making their decisions. The public is shut out if they cant see the votes unless they submit a public records request.

[ RELATED: Two administrators resign and Broward schools face turnoil ]

The new meeting should include a full School Board discussion, Hamrick said.

It cant just be rubber-stamping of the initial decision, she said. They cant just cast a vote and not have public comment and questions.

After similar concerns were raised in 2015, a school district lawyer ordered a district committee to redo a meeting to select a program manager for an $800 million bond program.

In that meeting, committee members wrote down their picks for a preferred vendor but never said anything, making it impossible for the public to follow along, Nathalie Lynch-Walsh, chairwoman of the Facilities Task Force, argued at the time.

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[ RELATED: Cartright not given permanet job, at least not yet. ]

The districts then-general counsel, Paul Carland, agreed, and a new meeting was held, where committee members were instructed to announce their votes and explain their reasoning. District officials cited that issue, as well as delays caused by several other Sunshine complaints that year, as a key reason the bond program was so slow to get started.

Lynch-Walsh said Wednesday that the School Boards superintendent vote Tuesday was also problematic, and she contacted School Board members to share her concerns.

I cant believe were having to address the same Sunshine issue again. Public meetings are supposed to be open to the public at all times, she said. If you cant see and hear a portion of the proceeding, that doesnt meet the definition of all times.

[ RELATED: Promises and failures. The Broward schools $800 million bond program. ]

That was the conclusion a Florida circuit court reached in 2013 when the Citrus County Board of Commissioners awarded a contract through what the court described as secret ballots, even though the county made them available for inspection later.

The votes were not exposed to the view and hearing of the public and news media attending the meeting, the court ruled. Allowing the public merely to watch an elected official sit at a dais and silently write on a paper ballot not visible to the watcher does not satisfy the public right of access to the meeting.

However, that decision is only binding to the Fifth Circuit Judicial district, which includes Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion and Sumter counties. The Broward school district could have disagreed and its decision would have stood unless it was legally challenged by law enforcement or a lawsuit, Hamrick said.

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[ RELATED: The Runcie era is over. Superintendent to resign. ]

Tuesdays vote, with Cartwright getting support from all nine School Board members, had led many to believe shes a shoo-in for the job. But thats not the case, said Levinson, the School Board chairwoman.

I think this board is very interested in a process and really considering all four candidates and making the best decision for Broward County Public Schools, Levinson said.

Since Runcie announced in April he would resign, the school district has been in a state of transition with high turnover, and faced the question of whether top candidates are willing to come here without yet knowing who the permanent leader will be. I think its very important we move forward for stability for this district and to get the best talent here in Broward County, Levinson said.

Ten out of the 16 most senior-level positions, including the general counsel, chief academic officer, chief financial officer, and chief of safety and security, are all filled by district staff appointed on a temporary basis.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High 58F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 39F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
No. The money should go to something that would benefit all citizens of the county, not just Watertown.

Yes. The community would benefit from the indoor pools the project would provide.

Vote

View Results
Public schools in New Orleans and Jefferson Parish reported a sharp decline in positive COVID cases this week, the latest indication that they may have seen the worst of the omicron surge. But in St. Tammany Parish public schools, cases appear to still be on the rise, and across the metro area thousands of students and teachers were sick or in quarantine.

In Orleans Parish public schools, the number of positive cases reported Monday showed a substantial drop over the prior week, data released by NOLA Public Schools shows. The district reported 665 positive cases and 1,058 total quarantines between Jan. 17-21, a 58% decrease from the previous week, when there were 1,603 cases and 3,764 quarantines.

NOLA Public Schools officials also said schools tested more than 15,000 people last week, with about 5% of tests coming back positive compared to 7% the week before and 13% in early January. New Orleans public schools also have announced a Feb. 1 student vaccination mandate for kids 5 and older.

The number of cases and quarantines at Archdiocese of New Orleans schools also appear to be slowing "based on our anecdotal data and reporting," archdiocese spokesperson Sarah McDonald said in a statement. Catholic schools have not struggled with a shortage of teachers and substitutes, McDonald said.

Jefferson Parish public schools reported a similar drop. From Jan. 16-22, the district said 386 students and 125 employees tested positive and 2,132 students and 102 employees were quarantined. The numbers were lower than what the district has reported over the last two weeks -- which included a record-setting number of positive cases -- but remain higher than any other point in the pandemic, including the delta surge last fall.

The drops being reported in Orleans and Jefferson parishes schools generally track with overall community numbers, which are now falling from highs they reached early this month.

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In St. Tammany, however, the overall community numbers aren't yet showing the same decline. And in St. Tammany public schools the number of positive cases reported last week was higher than the week before. The district usually publishes numbers on Thursday evenings that track positive cases and quarantines from the previous Friday morning to Thursday, but because several members of the school district's COVID tracking team were sick -- with COVID -- the district's latest numbers cover from Jan. 14-19, schools Superintendent Frank Jabbia told the St. Tammany School Board last week.

These numbers, they are high, well be the first ones to admit that, Jabbia said. We are not at our highest point with delta but it is very high. Were very hopeful to see the numbers hopefully come down in the next few days.

Last week, the district reported 424 cases among students and 2,173 St. Tammany students in quarantine, an increase from about 1,800 the week before, Jabbia said. There were 139 positive cases among faculty and staff and 62 faculty and staff in quarantine, also an increase from the previous week.

Brant Osborne, president of the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees, said the surge is being felt heavily in classrooms, where substitutes are becoming harder to come by.

"It's just putting such a strain on the abilities of schools to provide even basic supervision," Osborne said.

Meredith Mendez, a spokesperson for St. Tammany Parish Public School System, said the district has been "actively recruiting substitutes and working to get approved substitutes into the classrooms as quickly as possible." Central office employees and instruction staff members have been rotating through schools as substitutes as needed, she said.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell is committed to building a new power substation for the Sewerage and Water Board whether or not Entergy New Orleans provides funding for the project, though it won't be built in time for the 2023 hurricane season as originally envisioned.

We all need to acknowledge, just on the front end, this is not going to be a 2023 project, said Cantrell administration spokesperson Beau Tidwell during a news conference Tuesday.

The substation is seen as essential for providing a reliable power source for the S&WBs drainage pumps. But the projects financing has been thrown into doubt after Entergy New Orleans said Monday it has dropped its commitment to provide $30 million in upfront construction money.

The $74 million project also relies on $22 million in city bond money and state construction financing. Council President Helena Moreno on Monday urged the administration to commit American Rescue Plan Act funds to make up Entergys portion, and to keep the project on schedule.

Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Tidwell tamped down both of those possibilities, though he said ARPA money will be considered. Tidwell said the administration is absolutely committed to proceeding with the substation, but that it wants to carefully consider its financing options.

Tidwell said the administration doesn't have a timeframe guiding the decision-making process, but that there is no way the station will be ready in time for 2023.

That is harsh medicine for New Orleans residents looking ahead to at least two more hurricane seasons with a drainage system that lacks enough backup power. Two of SW&Bs four turbines were out of service as of early January, leaving the system with barely enough power to keep it running at full strength.

During the press conference, Tidwell largely deferred on questions about the city's recent spate of carjackings and other violent crimes. Both New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Shaun Ferguson and Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams have appeared at City Council hearings in recent days to address the issue.

Tidwell said Cantrell will hold a news conference Thursday with Ferguson at NOPD headquarters.
Breeze Airways, a regional airline that started flying out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in July, is making significant adjustments to its schedule again, including trimming three routes from New Orleans.

The airline, which was created in spring last year by JetBlue founder David Neeleman with the aim of tapping demand from smaller cities wanting direct routes to cities with a strong tourist pull, has made several changes to schedules in the months since it launched, both adding and cutting routes.

The latest changes for New Orleans will mean that direct flights to two Ohio airports, Akron-Canton and Columbus, will go from year-round to seasonal. Breeze spokesman Gareth Edmonson-Jones said that those flights now will operate between February and April, and from October through the New Year's.

Additionally, the New Orleans to Louisville (Kentucky) Muhammad Ali International Airport flights will drop from four times a week to twice weekly. Those flights will now operate on Sundays and Thursdays for the summer through the Labor Day weekend, after which a new fall/winter schedule will be determined, Edmonson-Jones said.

When it launched, Breeze said it expected to create more than 260 direct jobs in New Orleans. It received an incentive package from the state that includes a performance-based grant of $2.3 million over 10 years, as well as tax breaks on its jobs and training programs.

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There were originally 10 Breeze flights from New Orleans: to Akron-Canton, Columbus, Charleston, South Carolina; Bentonville-Fayetteville, Arkansas; Huntsville, Alabama; Norfolk and Richmond in Virginia; and Oklahoma City and Tulsa, in Oklahoma.

The Huntsville and the two Oklahoma flights were dropped in November, and a weekly flight to West Palm Beach, Florida was added in December.

Breeze now flies from 18 cities, up two from the original number. The other hub cities are Tampa, Charleston, and Norfolk. As part of the latest shake-up, the Tampa-Columbus route was canceled from the end of April, while five routes had their frequency decreased and seven increased.

Breeze enplaned just over 6,300 passengers at New Orleans airport in November, according to the latest data from the airport. That was the carrier's strongest month since it started, bringing its total to just over 22,600 since it began in July.

In the same month, Southwest Airlines, the largest carrier operating from the airport, enplaned more than 165,000 passengers, accounting for 34% of total enplaned passengers. That was up more than 140% from the same month last year.
Resolving a case that sparked protests and accusations of a cover-up, the family of an unarmed man who was struck and stunned by Gretna Police Department officers before his death has reached a settlement with the city.

Kendole Josephs relatives settled their wrongful death lawsuit against 10 Gretna police officers for an undisclosed amount Friday, averting a Feb. 7 trial in federal court that would have begun five years to the day after his encounter with police.

Michael Oppenheimer, the Chicago-based attorney representing Josephs estate and the mother of his two children, said a confidentiality agreement prevented him from discussing the amount.

My clients are happy that theres finally a resolution to the case, Oppenheimer said. Obviously, we cant bring back Kendole, but at least they feel that now theres been some justice.

+3 Family demands Gretna police release arrest video following in-custody death The family of a Gretna man who died in police custody earlier this month called on authorities Sunday to release surveillance video of the man

An attorney for the city said that it had conceded no wrongdoing.

"The city remains steadfast that the actions of its officers were at all times proper, lawful and constitutional," said Leonard Levenson, the lawyer, who also declined to reveal the size of the settlement.

Only three days before Friday's meeting in front of a magistrate judge resolved the case, the two sides had different opinions on an appropriate settlement, court records show. The Joseph familys last demand was $5 million, and Gretnas last offer was $275,000.

A struggle on tape

Before the settlement, the case was shaping up as a battle of medical experts over why Joseph went into a two-day coma and died after his Feb. 7, 2017, encounter with officers inside the Save A Dollar Food Store on Claire Avenue.

After the death of the father of two, Josephs family held protests accusing the Gretna Police Department of a cover-up for failing to release surveillance video from inside the store. Three months later, the department released the videos and said it had cleared its officers of wrongdoing.

Joseph was a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic. His mother had called 911 on the morning of his police encounter to alert authorities that he was off his medication and in the middle of a breakdown. Her call was transferred to the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office, so agencies in Gretna were unaware of it.

+3 Family demands Gretna police release arrest video following in-custody death The family of a Gretna man who died in police custody earlier this month called on authorities Sunday to release surveillance video of the man

+3 Watch: Video shows Kendole Joseph's violent encounter with Gretna police; Officers acted appropriately, police say The Gretna Police Department issued a statement Thursday evening clearing its officers in the case of a man who died after a violent struggle 

That afternoon in Gretna, an assistant principal at Gretna Middle School alerted police to a man acting erratically outside. Joseph fled into the store when confronted by the officers, begging passing motorists to help me from the police.

At least 14 officers responded. Josephs family said several of them formed a dogpile on top of his body behind the counter, striking and kicking him repeatedly as Joseph struggled to get free and using a stun gun on him twice.

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Afterward, officers allegedly placed Joseph facedown in the back of a cop car, where he was discovered unresponsive and suffering from a lack of oxygen, the family said.

The citys lawyers responded that police used blows to his body and the stun gun in response to active resistance, and that he was placed face-down for only a brief period of time, if at all.

Homicide or not?

Despite the blows and stuns to Josephs body, the Jefferson Parish Coroners Office concluded that he would have died regardless of whether he ran into police that day.

Instead, a pathologist for the agency cited a combination of high levels of Benadryl in Joesphs system and his mental state. She also said that the roughly 10 bruises that police left on his body did not contribute to his death.

The cause of Josephs death was listed as "acute psychosis exacerbated by diphenhydramine toxicity in setting of schizophrenia while in police custody.

Dr. Gerry Cvitanovichs office left the manner of Josephs death  typically listed as natural, accidental, homicide or suicide  as undetermined.

Oppenheimer in 2017 called the coroner's determination "a bunch of nonsense." His legal team hired its own forensic pathologist, the former chief medical examiner for New York City, who came to a radically different conclusion that pointed the finger at police.

Psychosis isnt a cause of death, and the level of Benadryl in Josephs system was nowhere close to fatal, Dr. Michael Baden said.

Joseph died because his bruised muscles released substances into his blood that broke down his kidneys, and because he was handcuffed, face-down in a police car in a position that prevented him from breathing, setting off an irreversible coma, Baden said. The manner of death was homicide, according to Baden.

Gretna in the bull's-eye

The familys lawsuit was one of several recent courthouse battles over policing in Gretna, a small city with about 100 officers once dubbed the arrest capital of America for its high arrest rate.

In 2017, the city settled a lawsuit alleging that it was using fines and fees generated by minor arrests on poor people to balance its budget. Two years later, the city settled a lawsuit from a former Gretna police officer who said he was ordered to follow an illegal ticket and arrest quota.

Gretna Mayor Belinda Constant referred comment to Levenson, the city's lawyer.

+2 Gretna jails poor people who can't pay mayor's court fines, new lawsuit alleges Gretna officials are accused in a new lawsuit of using the mayor's court to operate a debtors prison, balancing City Hall's books on the backs

Gretna denies using mayor's court to operate 'debtors prison,' fund City Hall Gretna has responded to a federal lawsuit alleging that it uses the mayor's court to operate a "debtors prison" and to balance City Hall's boo

In a statement, Levenson said that such cases are often settled based on a "multitude" of factors, including social ones and a "consideration of possible exposure to an award of attorneys fees and costs particularly involving protracted litigation such as this which has been on-going for almost five years. Considering the extrinsic factors it is not unusual for a Citys insurer to make the business decision to settle litigation."
A woman trying to walk across the lower West Bank Expressway in Gretna was hit by a vehicle and killed Wednesday morning, according to Gretna police.

Authorities have not yet identified the victim. They are waiting until the woman's relatives have been notified, said Deputy Chief Jason DiMarco.

+2 After man accused of fatally shooting his sister, West Bank family left 'overwhelmed' It was enough of a shock that 26-year-old mother of two Lorraine Houston had been shot and killed in her West Bank home over the weekend. But 

The accident occurred about 6 a.m., just west of Stumpf Boulevard. A man driving a pick-up truck was in the middle lane of the highway when the woman stepped in front of his vehicle, DiMarco said.

The woman, who was not in a crosswalk, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to DiMarco. Police closed the westbound lanes of the thoroughfare during the investigation.

The driver has not been cited. Gretna police do not believe he was impaired.

"He's extremely distraught," DiMarco said of the motorist.
As New Orleans elected officials continued to wrangle publicly over how to suppress a relentless surge in carjackings and gun violence, police released a dramatic video Tuesday of three gunmen jumping out of a sedan in the middle of Elysian Fields Avenue traffic and spraying bullets into a pickup truck in broad daylight.

The shocking went public as police scrambled to investigate a homicide in the 7th Ward and a non-fatal shooting on North Broad Street.

The surveillance camera recording, from Monday at about 4:55 p.m., clearly showed three armed men jump out of a red Honda Accord near the intersection of Elysian Fields and Gentilly Boulevard and take aim at a white pickup as it passed on their right. After firing at the truck, the gunmen, including one holding what resembled a small, assault-style rifle, got back in the sedan and drove off.

A man in the truck was wounded, and after the vehicle stopped on the side of the road, he went to a hospital. Updates on his medical condition werent available Tuesday.

Police released a photo of the gunmen's sedan and asked for the publics help in finding it, but they said little else. The recording drew more than 19,000 views on WWLs YouTube page as it reignited discourse about New Orleans' perennial violence problem.

Senior law enforcement sources said investigators hadnt determined what might have motivated the attack. They said all possibilities were on the table, from retaliation for some prior misdeed to a chance encounter such as road rage.

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The shooting came on the heels of City Council hearings in which Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson and District Attorney Jason Williams were questioned about the effectiveness of their agencies and their strategies for curbing crime - and fast. Ferguson accused the courts, the district attorney and other back end components of the criminal justice system of failing to take criminals to task. The DA countered that police arent making enough arrests or building cases with enough evidence to secure convictions.

As of Monday, New Orleans had tallied 20 homicides this year, compared to 11 at the same point in 2021, according to statistics maintained by the City Council. Non-fatal shootings were up more than 24%, and carjackings had more than doubled, from 16 to 43.

The violence continued Tuesday. Police conducting a wellness check in the 2600 block of Touro Street at about 1:30 p.m. said they found a man who had been killed, though investigators didnt immediately say how he died. Then, about 3:55 p.m., a woman was shot in the shoulder in the 700 block of North Broad Street in Treme.

Three hours later, rising concern about crime across New Orleans was evident at the Karr-McMain basketball game. Before tipoff in the McMain gymnasium, students from both high schools jointly led prayers to end youth violence and crime in the community.

In a time filled with much darkness, malice and wickedness, we must understand that prayer and standing in agreement with the will and word of God is urgent, said Mya Butler, a Karr senior and Student Government Association leader. Prayer is a powerful tool. but we cant forget the action that must flow from it.

Correction: This post was updated to correct time of the shooting on Elysian Fields and how the victim arrived at the hospital.
Police responded to an armed robbery in the Milan area around 7:53 p.m. Monday.

In the 2100 block of Louisiana Avenue, a gunman demanded a 52-year-old man's property, police said. The victim said he didn't have anything. The suspect shot the 52-year-old man and fled, police said.

No other information, including the victim's current condition, was immediately available.
For as long as Craishyne Magraff could remember, her younger brother Craig had been drawing, painting, writing or making music, and he felt more at home at the Bell Artspace campus than maybe any other place he had lived before.

Thats what made the message informing her that Craig had been stabbed to death outside his Treme apartment last week particularly cruel.

He was very creative, very artistic, Craishyne Magraff said Monday. That side of him brought him to that apartment.

New Orleans police allege Craig Magraff Jr., 34, and another man were each armed with knives when they got into a fight at the Bell complex in the 2100 block of Ursulines Avenue about 1:55 a.m. on Jan. 19. Magraff was stabbed during the confrontation and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Craishyne Magraff, 37, said police have since told her they have a suspect in the slaying. But authorities havent announced an arrest or discussed a possible motive for the deadly fight. The former public school where he was living was converted in 2018 to affordable apartments and work space for artists.

While she waits for answers, Magraffs sister said she has been reflecting on her brothers path to the building where his life ended.

Craig could draw before he could write, inheriting the artistic spirit of their father, she said. Early on, he began demonstrating the ability to paint or draw complex scenes and images that he imagined, rather than what he was seeing.

I was always jealous of the way he came up with concepts, straight out of his head and onto the paper, Craishyne Magraff said.

As he got older and worked his way through Warren Easton High School and LSU, Craig Magraff showed a talent for writing and music.

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Magraff, who listed himself on LinkedIn as the founder and CEO of So-Called Media, wrote freelance articles, sold his art and worked on movie sets, doing everything from transporting the artists around to ensuring the lighting was done properly, his sister said. He also tried his hand at writing film scripts and recording himself rapping or playing the guitar, forever seeking new ways to express himself. He even taught high school in New York after graduating college, she said.

He liked people to be informed, and he wanted to be the person to ensure the story was told right, Craishyne Magraff said. He always looked for the truth  in everything he did.

Pursuing his passions wasnt always easy. In a Facebook post that he posted on New Years Eve 2021, he alluded to periods of homelessness and having to rely on the kindness of others to survive.

I was in the most pain and most vulnerable position in my life, he wrote. But to all the people who took the time to be nice to me, to take me in, feed me, let me be vulnerable, wrong sometimes, forgive me, give me a place to stay, feel my pain, endure my agony  yall are the people Ill never forget.

Craishyne Magraff said living at Bell and its affordable units for artists was a natural fit. It was cool people who went to the same spot for the same reason, she said.

But she knew something had gone wrong when she couldnt get an answer to texts or phone calls from her brother, who would usually respond in minutes. Finally, on Saturday, a Bell resident reached out to her through a message on Facebook and told her Craig had been killed.

She said her family spent Monday meeting with investigators from both the coroners office and police. Next, they had to face down the grueling task of funeral arrangements.

He was the sweetest, most humble, most awesome person, Craishyne Magraff said. He was everything you could want in a little brother.

She added: He had a lot to look forward to, and a lot to do  he was nowhere near finished.
It was enough of a shock that 26-year-old mother of two Lorraine Houston had been shot and killed in her West Bank home over the weekend. But relatives said they were left reeling by the identity of her alleged killer: Her own brother.

Eric Houston, 32, is accused of fatally shooting Lorraine Houston on Saturday morning at the home they once shared in the 900 block of East Kreuger Lane near Westwego, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriffs Office.

Everybody is overwhelmed, the siblings aunt, Terri Houston, 53, said Tuesday. It took everybodys breath away.

The shooting happened in front of Lorraine Houstons 5-year-old son, according to Debra Thompson, 49, another aunt of Eric and Lorraine Houston.

He witnessed the whole thing, said Thompson, who had the grim job of explaining to the boy that his mother was not at the hospital and would not be coming home.

Eric Houston, who fled the house after the shooting, was taken into custody Tuesday in New Orleans by the U.S. Marshals Service. Once transported to Jefferson Parish, he will be booked with second-degree murder, said Capt. Jason Rivarde, a spokesperson for the Sheriffs Office.

Lorraine and Eric Houstons mother, who also lived at the East Krueger Lane home, is not doing well, according to her sisters.

Shes hanging in there, trying to be strong, Terri Houston said. Thats a hard pill to swallow.

Lorraine Houston grew up in Harvey in a large but close family that included lots of cousins, according to relatives. She graduated from L.W. Higgins High School in Marrero in 2015.

She was a sweet, warm and loving and caring person, Terri Houston said.

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Lorraine Houston, known as Lo to family and friends, could seem shy because she kept to herself. But those close to her knew she loved a good time, loved looking fashionable and was a true party girl.

If the room was boring, and she walked in, she would light it up. She was very funny, Terri Houston said.

In addition to her son Darrick, Lorraine Houston also had a 1-year-old daughter, Catana, according to Thompson. The toddler is too young to understand whats happened, she said.

Eric and Lorraine Houston were arguing just before the shooting, though Thompson doesnt know what about. Eric Houston told Thompson the shooting was accidental, Thompson said.

Though the siblings bickered, Eric Houston had never put his hands on Lorraine Houston, according to relatives.

Eric was sweet, and he loved his sister, Terri Houston said.

But he did suffer from mental illness, according to relatives. And court records show he been accused of violent behavior in the past.

Eric Houston was indicted on a charge of attempted second-degree murder, one of three men accused of critically injuring an 18-year-old in a 2014 Bridge City shooting, according to Jefferson Parish court records.

But Eric Houston's case was closed after court-appointed mental health experts found him irrestorably incompetent, court records said. It wasnt the first time hed been subject to court-ordered psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

After a 2010 arrest for allegedly shooting at a woman during a fight, the court found him incompetent for the foreseeable future, court records said. That case was also eventually closed due to his mental health status.

As relatives struggle with the "why," theyre also determined to honor Lorraine Houstons memory. Family and friends plan to gather for a balloon release in Harvey this Saturday before a funeral scheduled for Monday, according to Thompson.

She was always smiling when you see her, Thompson said. She was always giving you that little grin.
To curb pollutions unequal effects on vulnerable communities in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, the Environmental Protection Agency will perform unannounced inspections of industrial polluters and push states to better enforce anti-pollution laws, officials said Tuesday.

The agency will also place more air monitors near industrial plants and near other areas thought to be particularly afflicted by harmful emissions.

The moves align with a broader push by President Joe Bidens administration to better protect minority and low-income neighborhoods that have been heavily impacted by industrial facilities. That move has been praised by advocates of the environmental justice movement, which seeks to remedy such disparities.

Those who are suffering disproportionately under the weight of the pandemic, who are on the frontlines of climate change have been waiting long enough. And they are counting on us to get this right, EPA Administrator Michael Regan said at a Tuesday news conference.

Michael Regan EPA Administrator Michael Regan speaks at the start of a roundtable discussion at the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice in New Orlea

Regan announced the initiative two months after he toured minority and low-income communities in the three states, an event he called the "Journey to Justice" tour.

Specifically, the EPA will:

Conduct unannounced inspections of suspected non-compliant facilities and, if those companies are found to be out of step with emissions rules, use all available tools to hold them accountable.

Create a Pollution Accountability Team that will use EPAs air-monitoring airplane, a mobile air monitoring vehicle and a team of air pollution inspectors to enhance enforcement.

Distribute $20 million in American Rescue Plan grants to pay for new community air monitoring stations in areas thought to be vulnerable to high levels of air pollution, the largest investment in air monitoring in the agencys history.

Increase monitoring of companies in communities with high pollution levels

Apply the best available science for policymaking decisions, such as a proposed screening methodology announced last week to evaluate chemical risk in communities near industrial plants.

Regan's announcement was praised Wednesday by director of the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, an umbrella organization representing dozens of environmental groups in Louisiana.

"Over the decades LEAN has spent working throughout Louisiana, we have heard many promises, but are optimistic this new administration will be the one to make real change and improve the lives of long-suffering residents impacted by pollution in Louisiana's most burdened communities," said MaryLee Orr.

Regan said his meetings with residents in St. John the Baptist, St. James and Calcasieu parishes helped him understand the effects of pollution, climate change and crumbling water infrastructure, all of which are targeted by the new programs he announced.

The 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, which includes St. John, St. James and other parishes, is home to more than 150 chemical plants; critics have dubbed that section of the state Cancer Alley. Similarly, Calcasieu is home to more than 50 such facilities, most within a 10-mile radius.

The agency's pollution accountability team will conduct pilot air monitoring programs in all three Louisiana parishes, Regan said. The EPA will work with residents to decide where new air monitors should be placed and which contaminants should be monitored, he added. Collected data will be made public.

The agency will also spend more than $600,000 on other monitoring equipment that will measure volatile organic compounds, including air toxins, in the three Louisiana parishes and in other communities in the South.

Areas with cancer risk from chloroprene, ethylene oxide This map shows locations where a 2014 study indicated cancer risk associated with chemical plants manufacturing ethylene oxide or chloroprene 

In St. John, Regan said hes already contacted Denka Performance Elastomers, owner of a controversial Reserve manufacturing plant that manufactures chloroprene, and DuPont, the former owner of the plant, to raise concerns about its continued emissions and their effects on the nearby Fifth Ward Elementary School. He also said hes working with the Justice Department to find other ways to reduce the plants emissions.

In St. John the Baptist Parish, there are more than 500 elementary school children who attend school right next door to a chemical plant that manufactures chloroprene, Regan said. As a parent, I am extremely concerned about the potential pollution these children breathe every day.

In his letter, Regan said monitoring from 2019 to 2020 found the annual average for Denka's chloroprene emissions to be 1.2 micrograms per cubic meter, with some 24-hour-average spikes as high as 15.3 micrograms per cubic meter.

Denka spokesman Jim Harris pointed out Wednesday that the facility remains in compliance with Louisiana's ambient air standard, which is 857 micrograms per cubic meter for an 8-hour average. However, the company also is operating under a state consent order requiring it to reduce its emissions by 85 percent, which resulted in the totals Regan cited.

In 2016, EPAs air toxics assessment group recommended that chloroprene concentrations in the census block including Denka be no higher than 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter, and that it would prefer to see the levels dropped as close to 0.002 micrograms per cubic meter as possible.

The company disagrees with those recommendations, based in part on data provided by the states Tumor Registry, which tracks cancer rates.

All credible scientific information regarding human exposure to chloroprene, including a long-term study of chloroprene production and workers from our LaPlace facility and cancer incidence numbers compiled by the state of Louisiana, clearly show that DPEs operations do not pose a cancer risk to workers or the surrounding community, Harris said.

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Robert Taylor, a founder of Concerned Citizens of St. John the Baptist Parish, said the EPA's announcement was vindication for his group, which has long pushed for additional reductions in chloroprene emissions from the Denka plant.

"We have known in this community of the dangers that that thing poses to those children and nothing has been done," Taylor said. "And now we have the administrator himself standing up on that property and looking at it looking at those children. Attempting to interact with the people responsible for this."

Lower emissions, but not low enough An Environmental Protection Agency inspector general's report says the 12-month rolling average of emissions at five monitoring stations near 

Regan also targeted the proposed Formosa Plastics plant in St. James Parish, pointing out that EPA supported the Army Corps of Engineers decision last August to conduct a more robust environmental impact study of the plant. The EPA will offer technical support as the Corps revisits that study, including an evaluation of alternatives of the Formosa proposal and a look at the potential effects of emissions from the new plant and others in the area.

The revised process will also give the public a chance to weigh in on that project.

A spokeswoman for FG LA LLC, the official name for Formosa's facility, said the company believes its project remains on track for eventually obtaining the necessary permits for construction.

"FG has gone above and beyond regulatory requirements to demonstrate the projects safety, innovations, and extensive environmental controls," Janile Parks said, adding that the project was vetted and backed by parish and state officials.

The EPA also issued a notice of violation on Monday to a second St. James facility, Nucor Steel Louisianas direct reduced iron plant in St. James. The agency is requiring the company to address unauthorized emissions of hydrogen sulfide and sulfuric acid mist; the company also went over permitted limits for sulfur dioxide emission, officials said.

A Nucor spokesperson said the EPA action is in response to permit-related issues the company identified and reported to the state and EPA in 2019.

"Upon discovery of the emissions, we immediately implemented additional air pollution control measures," Katherine Miller said. "Since our self-disclosure, we have been working with the LDEQ, environmental consultants and engineering firms to fully evaluate and address all compliance related issues quickly and appropriately. In June 2021, we announced a settlement that covered a period from December 2013 through June 2018. We will continue to work with LDEQ and the EPA to resolve any remaining issues."

Regan also announced that the agency will speed up its review of the Gordon Plaza neighborhood in New Orleans, beginning in March and including nine more houses than had been included in previous reviews.

Location of proposed Formosa Plastics facility in St. James Parish Formosa Plastics plans to build a $9.4 billion facility in St. James Parish, near the Sunshine Bridge.

Regan met with Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Beverly Wright, executive director of the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, on Jan. 6, to discuss relief for residents living atop the citys old Agriculture Street Landfill. Cantrell said Wednesday that the city will request bids within two weeks from firms that can assess that area.

A state Department of Environmental Quality spokesman said the state agency is not involved in the Gordon Plaza review.

In Mossville, the EPA is focusing on the $13 billion Sasol Chemicals USA LLC plant, Regan said. The agency issued a notice this week of a potential violation of federal risk management rules at that plant; it is also funding a continuous emissions monitor near that site.

Sasol officials said in a Wednesday statement that they welcomed discussions with regulators and members of the community about its operations, "while keeping policy and regulations focused on the best available science and data." The company is reviewing the violation notice and will respond within the required time period; it will also provide additional information EPA said it needed to complete an audit of the company's operations.

The EPA also said it would significantly increase the number of inspections of industrial facilities in Mossville and elsewhere. The inspections are based in part on recent EPA helicopter flyovers and mobile air monitoring in the area.

Greg Langley, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality said its inspectors have participated in past EPA inspections, and would expect to do so in the future. EPA will decide where new monitoring locations are located, he said.

In Mississippi, Regan also focused on drinking water problems in Jackson, Miss., describing how, on the day his tour was supposed to visit the Wilkins Elementary School, the school day was canceled because of low water pressure. The same water treatment plant serving the school broke down this week in cold weather, he said, resulting in boil water advisories being issued for much of the city.

In Texas, as in Louisiana, EPAs beefed up enforcement will target plants manufacturing ethylene oxide. Regan said the agency on Tuesday reaffirmed a peer-reviewed scientific assessment that indicates the chemical is significantly more toxic than previously understood. As a result, he said, EPA is rejecting an attempt by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to set a less protective risk value for the chemical, which would allow more of it to be released from factories in the state.

That same opinion will be used in determining the amount of ethylene oxide allowed to be released at plants in Louisiana, such as the proposed Formosa Plastics plant.
Coach Trevor Davis was driving our bus down I-235 on our way to Oklahoma City University where we were scheduled to play Millwood in the first game of the 3A boys state tournament at 2:00 pm when we began to see the posts on social media about a possible postponement. I told our boys to stay
Wind-whipped flames are marching across more of New Mexicos tinder-dry mountainsides, forcing the evacuation of area residents and dozens of patients from the state's psychiatric hospital as firefighters scramble to keep new wildfires from growing. The big blaze burning near the community of Las Vegas has charred more than 217 square miles. Residents in neighborhoods on the edge of Las Vegas were told to be ready to leave their homes. It's the biggest wildfire in the U.S. and is moving quickly through groves of ponderosa pine because of hot, dry and windy conditions that make for extreme wildfire danger. Forecasters are warning of extreme fire danger across New Mexico and in western Texas.
Bloomsburg, Pa.  The Bloomsburg Police Department is investigating the allegedly attempted abduction of a 15-year-old near the 200 block of East 7th Street.

The incident allegedly occurred near the Nazarene Church on Jan. 24 at approximately 2:40 p.m. Authorities described the actor as a black male wearing glasses, a black knit hat, and dark puffy down coat.

The unidentified male was allegedly operating a white Dodge Caravan.

According to the report, the man asked the juvenile if she wanted a puppy. Authorities said the juvenile became scared and ran from the man, who pursued the juvenile a short distance before fleeing the area.

Authorities are asking anyone with information to call the Bloomsburg Police Department at 570-784-6300.

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Danville, Pa.  Investigators may have mishandled the treatment of the monkeys involved in an accident Friday near Danville, and now the U.S. Department of Agriculture is leading an investigation.

The investigation was opened on Monday after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) sent a letter to USDA stating that they believe the handling and treatment of monkeys before, during, and after the collision may constitute violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) and the Animal Welfare Regulations (AWRs).

PETA alleges that the escape of three monkeys from a trailer that was carrying a total of 100 monkeys posed a risk to the larger public as the escaped monkeys may have been harboring infectious agents that are transmissible to humans.

Dr. Alka Chandna, vice president of laboratory investigations cases for PETA, outlined several potential animal violations in the letter, including:

Concerns that the crates in which the monkeys were transported were not properly secured for the 17-hour trip by truck

The monkeys were exposed to bitter cold temperatures, with one escaped monkey being exposed to temperatures below the threshold of 45 degrees for a total of 28 hours

The animals were not evaluated or provided with veterinary care following the accident

Feces and urine from the terrified monkeys were reportedly smeared across the highway as cratesthat werent strapped in as requiredtumbled from the truck, according to a statement on the PETA website.

The monkeys were headed to a Centers for Disease Control-approved quarantine facility when the crash occurred shortly after 3 p.m., according to Kristen Nordlund, spokesperson for the CDC. She did not disclose the name nor location of the facility.

The facility is not owned by the CDC, but the CDC does inspect quarantine facilities as part of regulatory requirements, Nordlund said. They had arrived from Mauritius at JFK Airport in Queens, New York, just 19 hours earlier, according to Chandnas letter.

The monkeys were contained in crates in a trailer latched to a truck when it collided with a dump truck on Route 54 near Interstate 80 in Valley Township, Montour County. A panel on the trailer came loose, spilling out crates containing the monkeys. One of those crates broke open, leading three of the primates to escape into the nearby woods. The temperatures that night remained frigid, going down into the single digits.

Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Game Commission led the search for the escaped monkeys. Two of them were found within hours, but the third was not located until early the next morning.

Once captured, the monkeys were euthanized in accordance with the American Veterinary Medical Association guidelines, according to Nordlund. Though Nordlund did not immediately respond to an email asking why the monkeys were euthanized, PennLive reported an explanation, quoting the CDC: it was to protect the safety of the public and first responders since cynomolgus macaques can transmit a number of deadly viruses to humans.

However, Chandnas letter claims that the monkeys may have been shot by state police. State police did not immediately provide comment when asked.

PETA also expressed a concern that a passing motorist may have developed symptoms after she stopped at the scene.

The motorist, identified as Michele Fallon of Mooresburg in media reports, was behind the truck driven by Cody M. Brooks, 31, of Keystone Heights, Fla., when it crashed into the dump truck after exiting I-80 westbound and crossing Route 54.

Fallon wrote on her Facebook page that she stopped to see if she could assist at the scene and noticed the crates strewn about on the highway. She initially thought the animals in the crates were cats and stuck her finger in one of the crates but then heard a hissing noise, according to reports. Fallon then realized as she got closer that the animals were actually monkeys.

Fallon reportedly received a letter from the CDC the next day advising that she monitor for potential symptoms. In the letter to Fallon, the CDC mentioned that the surviving monkeys will be in quarantine for 31 days and will be monitored for infectious diseases.

As of Monday, PETA reported on their website that the woman developed symptoms and had to seek medical care. Fallon is now on antiviral drugs and medication to protect against rabies.

Chandna noted in the letter that, no effort was made to discourage passing motorists  who did not have the benefit of personal protective equipment  from attempting to peer into the crates or touch the monkeys.

Anyone who believes they may have had contact with the monkeys are asked, per the CDC letter, to seek medical attention and contact Pennsylvania Department of Health at (717) 787-3350.

Dr. Lisa Jones-Engle, primatologist and science advisor for PETA, also released a statement on the website saying that the long-tailed macaques who escaped were undoubtedly terrified and likely injured

Jones-Engle, who claimed she spoke with an eyewitness at the scene, said records show that laboratory monkeys in the U.S. have been found to have tuberculosis, Chagas disease, cholera, and MRSA.

The only way to ensure that pathogens dont jump from monkeys to humans is to stop importing, caging, and experimenting on these animals, Jones-Engle stated.

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Williamsport, Pa.  Four years after filing a federal discrimination civil lawsuit against the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC), a jury found that a female truck driver from Centre County was entitled to more than $800,000 in damages.

Susan Bowersox filed the suit at the federal courthouse in Williamsport in 2018 when she was 60-years-old, alleging that she was treated differently than her male coworkers before being terminated on July 28, 2016.

The defendants named in the case, besides the DOC, include Matthew Vozniak, laundry supervisor, and William York, who was the laundry manager at the time at the Benner State Correctional Institution in Centre County. The total award amount of $821,835 includes $7,500 each from Vozniak and York, according to court documents.

Bowersox, who was the only female truck driver to ever be employed by the DOC, was 58 at the time she was hired in August 2015, according to the complaint. Though Bowersox was previously employed as an equipment operator by PennDOT, she alleges her application for employment had been passed over in favor of younger, less qualified males. Ten months prior to being hired by the DOC, Bowersox had filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Bowersoxs primary job responsibility was driving a tractor-trailer or box truck and picking up soiled laundry at the state prisons, as well as at state hospitals and veterans homes.

However, Bowersox claims that she was subjected to excessive scrutiny of her work performance compared to her younger, male peers. She also alleges in the complaint that she had unfair negative job performance reviews, and that she was subjected to corrective action for infractions while her male peers who committed the same actions were not disciplined. The DOC also had allegedly failed to provide Bowersox with the same level of training as her male peers.

Eventually, Bowersox was removed from her truck driving duties based on a male coworkers allegations that she did not know what she was doing and drove her truck in an unsafe manner, according to the complaint. She was transferred to the laundry unit after that. The suit alleges that the defendants failed to adequately investigate the male coworkers allegations, many of which could have easily been disproven through review of DOC security videos.

The defendants claimed that Bowersox had several unsafe situations when driving the truck, including driving too fast, driving too close to a person, and letting her truck roll away from the dock, according to court documents. She also allegedly failed to learn routes which caused deliveries to be late or missed completely and locked her keys in the vehicle several times, even after being counseled.

Bowersox admitted she initially had issues with backing up to a loading dock and compiling inspection logs, but felt she eventually improved. She alleged the DOC tolerated more safety and performance issues from the male drivers.

The defendants claimed she was fired for not satisfactorily completing her probation period due to being a safety and security risk. Bowersox contends the main reason she was fired was because she was a woman, and she was discriminated against due to her sex.

The jury trial wrapped up on Jan. 19 with Margaret S. Coleman of Pittsburgh as her attorney. The money awarded for damages also includes lost wages and pension.

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Tillamook, OR (97141)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High near 60F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Showers this evening, becoming a steady rain overnight. Low around 45F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
Letter to the Editor: Why are we afraid of history?
Now nearing its second year in the United States, the coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on doctors in Northwest Indiana hospitals.

"You keep getting up and it's like a bad Groundhog Day where you hope it's getting better but fear it's going to be worse," Franciscan Health Infectious Diseases Medical Director Erica Kaufman West said. "Then I think 'I'm not the sick one, why am I complaining? I'm healthy and my family members are healthy.' Taking care of so many COVID patients, you get tired, frustrated and complain. But then you get survivor's guilt."

Local doctors have been swamped amid the recent surge in coronavirus that's followed the spread of the omicron variant. Indiana recently suffered record coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

Northwest Indiana physicians have sometimes been putting in 80-hour weeks amid a crush of patients that's tested the capacity of local emergency rooms, nearly filling up all the available beds with ventilators at points. Health care providers have been coping with stress, exhaustion and despair.

"We go into medicine to make people feel better," Kaufman West said. "But we feel we are failing patients with COVID as there are no unique medications to help them. It makes you question your own abilities. Then there's the humanity of sitting and watching people die. You can still hold their hands and comfort them. It's emotionally much easier to be able to discharge them with a handful of medication we know works. But by the time they get to the hospital, there's usually not too much we can do. They are either going to get better or they won't. We can just encourage them to lay on their bellies, take deep breaths and do breathing exercises. We can make sure they're educated so they're sitting up and wearing their oxygen the right way."

Franciscan Health Dyer, Hammond, Munster President and CEO Patrick Maloney said doctors in Northwest Indiana have been unwavering in their commitment to patients during one of the deadliest pandemics in U.S. history.

As this pandemic has continued through waves and surges, the tireless work and commitment of our Franciscan Health colleagues has been extraordinary," he said. "These unprecedented times have tested all of us, health care workers most of all. I believe the shared dedication to our Franciscan Mission has helped us take care of each other and our community.

In Indiana, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with coronavirus and more than 20,000 have died, according to the Indiana Department of Health.

The unrelenting virus has seemed like it's never let up at local emergency rooms. Doctors have had to put in shifts of 36 hours or longer at times amid the crush of patients.

"I'm a bit at a loss for words," Kaufman West said. "I've never been through anything like this even in medical training. There are so many sleepless nights. The hardest part about this is you don't know when it's going to end. Just when you feel like it's going to recede, there's another surge."

That makes it difficult for doctors with kids at home.

"It carries over into your personal life," she said. "Before I could say to my daughter if I missed gymnastics I would go next week. I haven't been able to do that in months. You get more angry and frustrated. It's harder when you have kids. I want to help them with homework but don't know when I'm going to be home."

Doctors have had to sacrifice a lot during the pandemic.

"You aren't able to travel to visit friends or take vacations as a family," she said. "There are some universal sacrifices we all have to make like not seeing more vulnerable grandparents to not put them in jeopardy. But for us in the medical field, it's another magnitude. I used to be able to eat dinners with my family, and I can't remember how long that's been. I've missed out on family time, being able to sit down and play card games with them for an hour or two."

The work itself also is a grind. The pandemic has dragged on and on.

"In the beginning, there was anxiety over how transmissible it was, how deadly it was, and if the masking policy was good enough," she said. "Now it's exhaustion. Now it's how many people you see in a day. Now it's talking to scared family members, seeing a nurse crying in the breakroom. It's a different kind of environment. Everybody's sort of burning out at different times and turning inward. There's exhaustion, frustration, bitterness and anger. It's unlike anything. If it's a bad day and the ICU is filled with patients in the morning, you look at each other and say, 'Let's get to work.'"

The Indiana Department of Health estimates more than 10,000 Hoosiers have been infected with coronavirus over the past two weeks and more than 130 have died over the past month. The latest surge has taxed capacity.

"We've had an honest-to-goodness moment where we looked at all the patients intubated on the floor and went to see if we had any extra ventilators, if we had any left," she said. "It's been extremely stressful with so many sick patients making sure that you have the supplies that you need. There have been various shortages, such as of dialysis fluid. You worry about resources and check with the pharmacy. You start to think if drug 'x' is in low supply if there's another drug you could use that's just as good."

Operations have been postponed, often because there wasn't enough staff or the necessary medication was in short supply. Staff has been shifted around during personnel shortages as health care providers have gotten sick in droves or sought work in less stressful environments. Neonatal nurses have for instance been deployed to emergency rooms or intensive care units where the need was higher.

Kaufman West works at Franciscan Health Munster, which lately has been full.

"The hospital is very busy," she said. "We've had to transfer patients to other hospitals."

Patients typically come in with COVID when they are struggling to breathe or suffering fatigue or weakness.

"They can't walk to the bathroom or can't get up," she said. "When your oxygen levels are low, your body's way of preserving oxygen is to make them not move. When family members check on them, they're too weak to move. They're not actually weak. They're hypoxic. Their oxygen level is too low."

Some patients recover in four or five days. Some stay for two to three weeks. Some never return home.

"In the beginning, when they still have the ability to communicate, they're worried and anxious," she said. "They're very open about their concerns. They're afraid to die. They're hoping to see their spouse or grandchildren."

Family members also are often fearful.

"People are scared. They have a lot of questions," Kaufman West said. "Some of them are not nice. They have frustrations, anger and emotions that get in the way. It's hard sometimes to be professional."

As an infectious disease specialist, she ends up often seeing the worst-case scenario.

"I feel like it might be skewed by the time patients get to an infectious disease hospitalist," she said. "I know some patients have had some really good success and been discharged. People with small kids at home who were hypoxic have been able to go back home to normal lives."

Franciscan Health Hammond and Dyer Medical Director Hospitalist Medicine Trilok Pathak said the team of health care providers have been working 24/7 at local hospitals to help patients during the pandemic.

"For all of us, it's been a once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said. "You see the dedication of the front-line team, the nursing staff the respiratory staff. You see all the time and energy physicians and the clinical care team give patients. A simple example is how nurse aides feed patients with COVID who can't feed themselves. They sit with those patients knowing how contagious the disease can be and that they have an increased risk of illness themselves. They do it day in and day out. It's really inspired to all of us."

Front-line medical workers have seen the effectiveness of the vaccine, Pathak said.

"Most of the people in the hospital with severe illness and sometimes dying are unvaccinated," he said. "My heart goes out to them. They wish themselves they got vaccinated earlier. With breakthrough cases, it's a milder disease. As health care providers, we see it every day. We appreciate some people's vaccine hesitancy and respect patient autonomy but need to engage in that dialogue that once they get to the hospital it's too late."

The latest surge has been trying on Northwest Indiana hospitals, especially on nurses. Some have taken jobs as traveling nurses to pare down their hours, forcing remaining nurses to pick up extra hours.

"Everyone is tired at this point," he said. "We're going the extra mile but there's intensive pressure. As more people get sick, it puts stress on our ICU nursing units. We're two years into this pandemic. That's a long time."

Health care workers have sometimes been putting in 80 hours a week during the pandemic, Pathak said.

"We're all human," he said. "Providers are working beyond full-time. We realize it's a shared sacrifice with the public. We have kids in school. We know what sacrifices teachers are making to come to work. We know people are visiting restaurants less frequently and adjusting their behavior. It's a significant time commitment but we know we're in this together with the public. We know we're not doing this by ourselves and appreciate the support."

Despite stress and exhaustion, health care workers have been working just as diligently to help patients as they did at the beginning of the pandemic, Pathak said.

"We have the same level of compassion and desire to make good outcomes as when the first official case came to Indiana in March of 2020," he said.

During the most recent surge, most of the recent coronavirus patients at Franciscan Health Munster have been unvaccinated, Kaufman West said.

"We expect there to be better treatments, but right now vaccination and prevention are the only way to keep safe," she said. "Even if you're a young healthy person who's not as susceptible, you don't want to be the one who puts grandma in the hospital. We need to think about public health and society. People need to learn to stop being so insular and really think about each other to get through this. It's just sad when I see relatively young people on ventilators with their kids' artwork on the wall next to their bed. I think it didn't have to be like this. It makes me sad, profoundly sad."

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NiSource, the parent company of one of Indiana's largest utilities and one of Northwest Indiana's largest employers, has long occupied a headquarters just off Interstate 65 in Merrillville.

Now, the parent company of NIPSCO plans to start looking for a new headquarters as its current office nears the half-century mark.

The company, which was long based in downtown Hammond before decamping to Merrillville a few decades ago, is looking to move out of its space at 801 E. 86th Ave. in a few years. NiSource said it's looking at a new location in Northwest Indiana.

"To enhance our employees work experience and better align to NiSources new hybrid workplace model, we will begin searching for a new headquarters facility in 2022," NIPSCO Director of Communications Wendy Lussier said. "Based on the age and footprint of our current headquarters building, we are excited to soon be able to offer our employees a modernized, sustainable office environment to increase flexibility, employee satisfaction, well-being, productivity and collaboration."

The utility said in a message to employees its new headquarters would align with its hybrid workplace model in which some employees work remotely from home, but company officials declined to say how much smaller a space it was seeking.

NiSource was previously the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in Northwest Indiana, until its market capitalization shrunk in size after it spun off its pipeline business as Columbia Pipeline Group. Local union leaders have feared for more than 15 years it could relocate its corporate headquarters to Columbus, Ohio, where it owns Columbia Gas of Ohio, a natural gas utility with a heavy presence on the East Coast.

Lussier said the company is looking to remain somewhere in Northwest Indiana but does not have a specific location in mind yet.

"We are still in the very early, exploratory phase of this process; it is our intent to maintain our physical headquarters in Northwest Indiana," she said. "The earliest a change would take place is sometime in 2024, and we are committed to keeping local communities informed throughout this process."

NiSource and NIPSCO employ hundreds of workers at the headquarters facility in Merrillville, a local landmark with solar panels on display for passing motorists on I-65. Utility employees often patronize restaurants and other businesses in the immediate vicinity.

The utility bought the three-story former Prudential building on East 86th Avenue for $5.8 million in 1988 and spent millions of dollars renovating the property. The office building in south Lake County was originally constructed in the mid-to-late 1970s.

NiSource said in a message to employees it would likely sell its current Southlake headquarters, as "it would not be a good candidate for our use or potential lease due to size and age." NiSource informed workers it intended to try to keep the headquarters in Merrillville, as 50% of its employees live within 10 minutes of its current headquarters.

Merrillville hopes to retain NiSource's large corporate presence, town council member Shawn Pettit said.

"We'll work with them to keep them in Merrillville," Pettit said. "We have land and available buildings that might suit their needs."

The area by U.S. 30 and Interstate 65 in Merrillville is one of the largest clusters of office buildings in Northwest Indiana and includes vacant or underused properties that could be redeveloped, such as the former Star Plaza site and the long-defunct Century Mall.

"They're a huge employer," Pettit said. "There's a huge spinoff for daytime business at restaurants and businesses. We'll absolutely have to have an economic development discussion about keeping them and that building. We'll have to do some thinking."

Founded more than 100 years ago, NIPSCO serves about 820,000 natural gas and 470,000 electric customers in Northern Indiana, making it the largest natural gas distribution company and the second-largest electric utility in the Hoosier State.

NiSource serves about 3.7 million natural gas and electric customers nationwide.

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The U.S. government is again looking to relax blanket tariffs of 25% with another trade partner.

After hammering out a deal to establish steel tariff-rate quotas with the European Union, the United States is now talking with the United Kingdom about relaxing the Section 232 tariffs.

"United States Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai and United Kingdom Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced the start of bilateral discussions to address global steel and aluminum excess capacity, including the United States application of tariffs on imports from the United Kingdom under Section 232 and the UKs retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. exports to the UK," the two countries said in a joint statement. "Both parties are committed to working towards an expeditious outcome that ensures the viability of steel and aluminum industries in both markets against the continuing shared challenge of global excess capacity and strengthens their democratic alliance."

The federal government will continue to impose the 25% steel tariffs on most imports from the rest of the world, except for Canada and Mexico.

The steel and aluminum tariffs have been in place for three years and have helped drive steel prices in the United States to record highs. Buyers of steel have lobbied for them to be loosened or lifted altogether, arguing that they are no longer needed while hot-rolled steel coil prices soar and costs get passed on to consumers of cars, appliances and other products.

The United States and the United Kingdom are now discussing other trade measures that would preserve the steel industry while addressing concerns they have been raised.

"During a virtual meeting today, Secretary Raimondo and Secretary of State Trevelyan discussed the impact on their industries stemming from global excess capacity driven largely by China," the two countries said in a joint statement. "The distortions that result from this excess capacity pose a serious threat to market-oriented steel and aluminum industries in the United States and the United Kingdom, and to the workers in those industries. They agreed that, as the United States and the United Kingdom are close and long-standing partners, sharing similar national security interests as democratic market economies, they can partner to promote high standards, address shared concerns and hold countries that practice harmful market-distorting policies to account."

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VALPARAISO  Valparaiso University is offering faculty and staff early retirement incentives, commonly known as buyouts, in a continuing effort to reduce spending in light of declining enrollment.

Faculty and staff are eligible for the plan if they are 55 or older and have been working at the university for 20 years as of June 30, or if they are 62 or older and have been working at the university for 10 years as of June 30.

The Valpo program has been devised for employees who have provided many years of service to the university and are approaching an age where they may wish to retire, but needed this type of financial incentive to make it possible, the university said in an emailed statement.

A university spokesperson said approximately 15% of Valparaiso University employees are eligible. There is no unique number of employees accepting the program that is needed for budget planning, the spokesperson said.

Tenured faculty will receive two-year base salary payouts, and all other eligible employees will receive one-year base salary payouts.

In the next few years, we must address structural budget deficits that are mostly due to past enrollment declines, the letter to faculty and staff states.

The university said it needs to cut costs and wants to do voluntary separations instead of layoffs and program discontinuances. President Jose Padilla consulted with the Board of Directors regarding the voluntary separations.

The letter states the offer will not be made again during Padillas presidency. He was announced as the next president of the university at the end of 2020.

We believe the ERIP honors the dignity and service of our eligible faculty and staff, the letter continues. It will also help strengthen the financial foundation of the university.

The university said in its statement to The Times that the buyouts, which it called "commonplace offerings in higher education," will provide financial flexibility that will lead to "programmatic benefit for students," as well as long-term financial benefits.

The university has seen an enrollment decline in recent years. The fall 2021 headcount showed 2,939 enrolled students, while the fall 2020 headcount showed 3,136 enrolled students.

"We are aware of the ongoing shift in the high school population and want to continue to adapt in order to thrive," the university spokesperson said, adding that the university is developing initiatives to help meet the needs of future students, and that "the voluntary retirement program will make additional resources available for funding these future initiatives."

This is not the first time the university has taken action to reduce personnel expenses recently. In fall 2020, the university announced several programs would be ending, including the secondary education major, theater major and minor, Chinese minor, French major and Greek and Roman studies major and minor.

That summer, the universitys faculty senate passed a resolution aiming to give faculty members greater say in budget decisions. One of the greatest concerns cited was lack of communication between the Board of Directors and faculty.

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HAMMOND  A federal judge sentenced a Gary man to 30 years in prison Tuesday for sexually abusing children.

U.S. District Court Judge Phillip P. Simon imposed that term Tuesday on 30-year-old Stephen Coleman, who pleaded guilty last September to four felony counts of producing child pornography.

A federal grand jury indicted Coleman Sept. 16, 2020, following an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Gary Police Department.

Coleman admitted in federal court last fall he took sexually explicit photographs, with a cell phone, between 2017 and 2018 of four different boys, ages 6 through 11 years old.

Coleman gave up his right to make federal prosecutors prove charges of producing child pornography against him in a jury trial and agreed to a 30-year sentence to avoid an even longer prison term.

The government is dropping a fifth felony count of child possession under that same agreement.

Coleman also faces felony rape and child molesting charges in Lake Criminal Court in Crown Point.

Coleman currently is pleading not guilty to allegations he sexually abused a 12-year-old boy twice in 2020 while the victim was staying at Colemans Gary apartment.

This case currently is set for a court hearing March 8 before Lake Criminal Court Judge Gina L. Jones.

Coleman's federal defense attorney, Matthew D. Soliday, has asked Judge Simon to make the 30-year sentence he received in federal court concurrent with any future sentence he might receive in Lake Criminal Court so that Coleman can serve them simultaneously and reduce his ultimate time in prison.

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CROWN POINT  A special judge on Tuesday scheduled an April jury trial for Lake County Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr., who was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on a felony charge of resisting law enforcement and misdemeanor reckless driving.

Defense attorney Paul Stracci referenced a previous out-of-court discussion with Special Judge Jeryl Leach about the timing of the indictment, because it was returned a day after candidate filings opened for the May 3 primary in Indiana.

Martinez wants the case to move forward as quickly as possible, so he's not "further prejudiced" in terms of the upcoming election, Stracci said.

Martinez's four-year term expires at the end of the year. If convicted of a felony, he would be removed from office.

Stracci, who appeared with co-counsel Michael Woods, asked Leach to set a trial in April and consolidate Martinez's first omnibus hearing with his pretrial conference.

Special Prosecutor Stanley Levco said he would be ready for an early trial.

Leach set Martinez's pretrial hearing for March 7 and scheduled a three-day trial to begin April 11.

Martinez, who was appointed sheriff in 2017 after former Sheriff John Buncich was removed from office following federal bribery and fraud convictions, denied allegations in the indictment and pointed out he's not accused of political corruption.

Martinez said the allegations don't prevent him from holding office, and he characterized the indictment as a "political witch hunt" by a "rival politician."

Leach said he would issue written rulings at a later date on Martinez's motion to strike Levco's appearance as a special prosecutor and Levco's motion to appoint co-counsel.

Woods said Levco was appointed for the purposes of the investigation, but the state's special prosecutor law doesn't appear to contemplate an automatic reappointment upon the filing of charges.

Woods said Levco withdrew from the investigation, and Lake County Prosecutor Bernard Carter must now make another determination on whether a special prosecutor is still needed to pursue the charges.

Levco said he didn't withdraw from the investigation. He said it's implicit in the law that an appointed special prosecutor has the right to continue handling a case after charges are filed.

Levco said he has more than 50 years of experience, and he could not recall another case where anyone objected to his appearance as a special prosecutor or his request for co-counsel.

Woods said Levco wrote in court filings that he needed co-counsel because "presentation of evidence potentially to a court or jury could be technical and complex," but Levco did make a specific showing as to the complexity of the case.

Levco said he has enough experience to know when a case will be complex and his request was reasonable.

He said it took two defense attorneys to represent the sheriff, but the defense was objecting to his motion seeking a second attorney to assist him.

Woods said the state, through Levco, decided it had the resources to pursue the case against Martinez.

"This isn't even a so-called 'paper case,'" Woods said.

It involved a police pursuit that lasted only a short time, he said.

Levco said the defense filed a notice of third party subpoenas, which showed Woods and Stracci were planning to demand videos, photos and other information from more than two dozen parties.

"It don't know that (the case) has to be complicated, but it appears it's going to be," Levco said.

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HAMMOND  A Porter County man is going to prison for sexually abusing young children.

U.S. District Court Judge Philip P. Simon imposed a 25-year term Tuesday on Josiah Phillips of the Town of Porter.

Phillips pleaded guilty Aug. 26 to taking sexually explicit photographs in September 2019 of a 3-year-old girl in Valparaiso and in April 2020 of a 3-year-old boy with a cellphone at an undisclosed location.

Phillips had faced a maximum penalty of many more years imprisonment when he agreed to give up his right to make federal prosecutors prove the felony counts before a jury.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Chang told the court in an earlier memo Phillips has prior convictions in 2015 and 2018 for domestic battery of adult females.

She said Phillips has a history of using alcohol, marijuana, methamphetamine, cocaine and abusing prescription drugs as well as convictions for drug possession in 2010 and 2018.

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The Hoosier State is halfway toward having an official fossil.

The Indiana House voted 92-0 Tuesday to designate the mastodon as the state fossil, setting it up to join other state symbols like the flower (peony), bird (cardinal) and snack (Indiana-grown popcorn).

The mastodon is an elephant-like animal that weighed approximately 12,000 pounds and roamed North America, Europe and Asia for more than two million years before going extinct about 10,000 to 11,000 years ago.

Dozens of mastodon fossils have been found throughout Indiana, including the bones of at least five mastodons now held by the Indiana State Museum that were found in 2005 by workers digging a pond in Hebron.

State Rep. Randy Frye, R-Greensburg, sponsor of House Bill 1013, said he hopes designating the mastodon as the state fossil will encourage Hoosiers, particularly school children, to learn more about the beasts.

"Mastodons were huge, and seeing a reconstruction of one makes a great impact on children," Frye said.

The legislation now goes to the Senate for a decision on advancing it to Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb to be signed into law.

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State representatives believe Indiana school board members should have to hear from every constituent who wants to address them  no matter how long it makes their meetings last.

The Indiana House voted 92-1 Tuesday to approve House Bill 1130 mandating the governing body of school corporations allow any person physically present at a school board meeting to address the board for at least three minutes.

State Rep. Tim O'Brien, R-Evansville, said he filed the proposal in response to some local school boards cutting off public comment to avoid having to hear from parents opposed to school mask mandates, curriculum components and other controversial issues.

"This is a transparency bill," O'Brien said. "Public input is vital, and Hoosiers must be able to voice their opinions on matters of importance to their communities."

Under the plan, a school board "may adopt reasonable rules to govern the taking of oral public comment" and school boards retain the right to take "reasonable steps to maintain order in a meeting," including "removal of any person who is willfully disruptive of the meeting."

School board members also would not be required to interact with a speaker or answer any questions posed by a speaker, but every person in the audience who wishes to speak must be given time to do so at some point during the meeting, O'Brien said.

The proposal now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

The first-term lawmaker is a Hobart native and withstood some good-natured ribbing by state Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, as O'Brien presented his first proposed new law to the House.

"Did you have to move because you knew you couldn't get elected in Northwest Indiana," asked Harris, continuing the "first bill" inquisitor role previously played by former state Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary.

In response, O'Brien hinted at perhaps some future statewide ambitions: "I could get elected," he said.

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The bitter winter cold continues into early Wednesday morning, with a very slight-warm up following it. However, another cold front and snowfall is yet to come later in the week.

Overnight into Wednesday morning, low temperatures will be no warmer than zero degrees and could be as cold as minus 10 in spots. With wind gusts around 15 to 20 mph much of the night, "feels like" temperatures are expected to range from minus 10 to as low as minus 20.

A Wind Chill Advisory is in effect for all of Northwest Indiana until 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Though the coldest conditions will be behind us, the afternoon hours Wednesday are not looking much better, said Matt Holiner, Lee Corp. chief Midwest meteorologist. High temperatures will only reach the low teens and wind chills will stay below zero for most.

Fortunately, a warm front will arrive Wednesday night, causing Region temperatures to gradually rise during the overnight hours, Holiner said.

Temperatures early Thursday morning will be in the low to mid teens and high temperatures will reach around 30 degrees Thursday afternoon. Winds will be stronger though. With gusts around 25 mph, "feels like" temperatures won't rise above the low 20's.

However, Holiner said a cold front Thursday night will bring snow, with more lake effect on Friday.

Several communities have responded by opening warming shelters and offerings tips on how to stay safe and warm during the cold snap.

Residents should never use an oven for heat or bring charcoal or gas grills indoors, Cook County's Department of Emergency Management said.

All portable heaters should be unplugged when not in use, and electric space heaters should be used with extreme caution. They should never be placed near curtains or other flammable materials, and they should be turned off before going to bed.

Heat should be kept at adequate levels, and faucets should be left open with a slight drip to prevent pipes from freezing.

Keeping the body moving can help because the body generates its own heat during physical activity.

Pets should be brought inside during cold weather, and other animals and livestock should be moved to sheltered areas with drinking water that is not frozen.

Residents should stay indoors, if possible, East Chicago officials said.

Those who venture out should walk carefully on icy or snowy ground, avoid overexertion during shoveling, stay dry and change wet clothing frequently to prevent loss of body heat.

Wear several layers of warm, loose-fitting, lightweight clothing.

Signs of frostbite include the loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, earlobes and the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, residents should seek medical help immediately.

Signs of hypothermia include uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms are detected, get the person to a warm location, remove wet clothing, warm the center of the body first and give warm, nonalcoholic beverages if conscious. Get medical help immediately.

Avoid driving, if possible. If driving, inform others of your destination, travel during the day and inform others of the destination. Bring an emergency kit.

If pipes freeze, remove any insulation or layers and wrap pipes in rags. Completely open all faucets and pour hot water over pipes, starting where they are most exposed to cold.

Maintain ventilation when using kerosene heaters to avoid build-up of toxic fumes. Refuel kerosene heaters outside and keep them at least 3 feet from flammable objects.

The following warming shelters will be available:

Cook County

Bloom Township Center, 425 S. Halsted St., Chicago Heights, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The warming center is following CDC recommendations for COVID-19. Masks must be worn while indoors. Social distancing will be enforced. Pets are not allowed.

East Chicago

Martin Luther King Center, 4802 Melville Ave., 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. Everyone entering the shelter must wear a mask. Body temperature will be checked before admission to the center. Hand sanitizer will be available. Social distancing will be enforced.

Gary

When temperatures are below 32 degrees, residents can board city buses and vans free of charge using code 32.

Calumet Township's multipurpose room, 1900 W. 41st Ave., 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for women and children only

Brother's Keep, 2120 Broadway, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., men only

Holy Angels School, 973-975 W. Sixth Ave., 5 p.m. to 7 a.m., overnight only, police or fire escort required for entrance after 7 p.m.

Lansing

Primary heating/cooling center: Village of Lansing courtroom, 2710 170th St., 708-895-7150, open 24 hours

Secondary heating/cooling centers:

Eisenhower Community and Fitness Center, 2550 178th St., 708-474-8552, 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday from September to May

Lansing Public Library, 2750 Indiana Ave., 708-474-2447, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, closed Sunday

Lansing Police Department, F.A.T.S. Building, 2710 170th St., 708-895-7150, open 24 hours, maximum capacity of 20 to 25 people

Lansing Municipal Building, 3141 Ridge Road, 708-895-7200, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed weekends

Lansing Municipal Airport, 3249 Airport Drive, 708-418-5888, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday, maximum capacity of 10 to 12 people

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ST. JOHN  St. John resident Jeff Slaven relies on meeting minutes to know what is happening in his town. However since fall 2020, St. John has neglected to record minutes for a total of 60 public meetings, violating both the Open Door Law and the Public Records Act.

In October 2021, Slaven filed a public records request with the Town of St. John asking for the ordinance specifying who is responsible for recording Board of Zoning Appeals and Town Council meeting minutes. He also requested Plan Commission meeting minutes from the start of 2021 to present and Board of Zoning Appeals minutes from April 2021 to present. Town Clerk-Treasurer Beth Hernandez sent Slaven ordinance 1720, which shows the person responsible is the recording secretary. She also informed Slaven that the other records did not exist.

According to records provided by Hernandez, missing Town Council and Redevelopment Commission minutes date back to July 2021. Missing Board of Zoning Appeals minutes date back to April 2021, and missing Plan Commission minutes date all the way back to October 2020

In November 2021, the part-time recording secretary responsible for Town Council minutes left the position. Later that month, the town hired a new part-time recording secretary. A court reporter has transcribed the majority of the missing Town Council minutes, though the minutes have yet to be approved by the council, Hernandez explained.

Town Manager Chris Salatas said the Building and Planning Department is working on hiring an administrative assistant whose responsibilities will include transcribing the missing Board of Zoning Appeals and Plan Commission minutes.

"Our Town is building homes in leaps and bounds and a lot of people are questioning the rapid growth and the impact on the community," Slaven wrote in an email to The Times. "Plan Commission minutes and Board of Zoning Appeals are very important... to see what new subdivisions are in the works as well as any businesses."

After Slaven filed a formal complain with Indiana Public Access Counselor Luke Britt, arguing that St. John violated the law by not having the meeting minutes, the Town responded Nov. 5, saying "the minutes are currently being transcribed."

Slaven said he understands the loss of the employee responsible for transcribing minutes has impacted the process, but he noted that the Plan Commission minutes have not been available for over a year.

On Jan. 4, Britt released an opinion finding "that the Town of Saint John violated the Open Door Law by not making minutes available within a reasonable time. As such, it violated the Access to Public Records Act by not supplying the requester with documents that should exist."

The Open Door Law requires attendance, general information discussed and all votes taken be recorded after every public meeting.

Britt said his office has also received several informal complaints about the missing minutes from St. John residents. The official opinion released by Britt said a "good rule of thumb" is to release minutes within two weeks of the public meeting.

In the response to the Public Access Counselor opinion, St. John noted that all meetings are recorded and can be accessed on the town's YouTube.

"While YouTube is available, it is sometimes difficult for me to maneuver and watch," Slaven said. "Since COVID, it was not feasible to attend meetings, and having the minutes readily accessible is handy."

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In Europe, record high prices are drawing tankers of natural gas from the United States, Qatar and elsewhere. On Tuesday, White House officials said discussions were underway to get more natural gas to the continent. Whether this will be enough to defuse the risk of an energy cutoff remains to be seen.

Here is a look at some of the key issues.

Why has Europe been hit so hard by the energy crunch?

This winter Europe is living through an energy crisis, with soaring prices for natural gas and electricity. It started when storage levels of gas fell well below normal last year.

Natural gas is trading at about five times the price of a year ago. Although prices are now about half of the peak reached late last year, they are roughly seven times higher than levels in the United States. High gas prices raise electricity costs, threaten big increases in consumers bills and have pushed some energy-hungry factories like fertilizer plants and metal smelters into temporary shutdowns.

Russia has added to these woes. It has exported less gas than usual and has kept storage levels at European gas facilities owned by Gazprom, the Russian gas monopoly, at rock bottom. Such tactics have helped raise anxiety about whether enough gas will be available to make it through a cold winter.

If things get really messy in Ukraine, one can only observe that Europe is in an exceptionally vulnerable position right now, said Thane Gustafson, author of The Bridge, a study of the natural gas trade between Russia and Europe.
When I was growing up, my family used the expression inshallah a lot. For Muslims, the term  which translates to If God wills  is auspicious: If you want something to happen, you should say inshallah before you say anything else about it. The Quran says as much in its 18th chapter, Surah Al-Kahf. And never say of anything, Indeed, I will do that tomorrow, except [when adding], If Allah wills.

Despite not speaking Arabic (as Sri Lankan immigrants, my parents spoke Tamil), my family prefaced many sentences with inshallah. We attached it to everything from the grandiose (Inshallah, I will live in a big house one day) to the mundane (Inshallah, I will get paid tomorrow). Whenever my mother wanted me to clean my room or vacuum the carpet, I tried to procrastinate by telling her Id do it later. Shed tell me to add inshallah to the end of my promises: If you dont say inshallah, it wont get done.

But inshallahs meaning is unstable. These days, this pious sense of optimism might be overshadowed by a more popular use. Inshallah has come to take on a somewhat cynical edge, invoked to appease others or change the subject  when someone is invited to a wedding he or she has no plans of attending, the person might say, Inshallah, we will try  or even to send a sarcastic signal of disbelief. This last use has sometimes found its way into non-Muslim mouths: Unaware, perhaps, of its religious significance, President Biden used the expression in reference to Bernie Sanderss Medicare for All plan, and again while debating Donald Trump in 2020. When Trump suggested he would release his tax returns, Biden responded with a breathless When? Inshallah?

Contrary to these more cynical invocations, inshallahs religious context has always registered an element of hope. This concept isnt unique to Islam. Browsing Twitter, I regularly find people manifesting and putting hopes out into the universe. Whether or not you are religious, there is comfort in the idea of a higher power, a force beyond the mundane that organizes and intercedes in your life as it unfolds. But practices like manifesting depend on an unrelentingly positive worldview that focuses on people achieving their material ambitions. Inshallah requires us to embrace the possibility that we might not realize our hopes, that what we can envision for our lives is paltry in comparison with that which God plans. The benefits of this realization may not be evident for years after it arises, and those benefits might not be material. Understanding inshallah requires humble patience as Gods will unfurls. It demands a suspension of the ego in the face of cosmic forces and provides a little order to what can be a chaotic life  knowing that you are on the path you are supposed to be on, whether or not its what you expected.
John Stimmel, the superintendent of public schools in Sayville, a hamlet in Suffolk County, said that he had received hundreds of emails from people concerned about the mask policy, but that schools in his district would make masks optional.

Brei DelGiudice, 44, a mother of two school children, said it was jarring for her and other families when the Plainedge Union Free School District, in Nassau County, announced mask-wearing would all of a sudden be optional starting Tuesday. She said her 10-year-old daughter and her 7-year-old son, both of whom are vaccinated, would continue to mask up in the classroom because they definitely feel safer with it on.

Some parents were on social media like, Woohoo, freedom! Ms. DelGiudice said. And the rest of us were like, Wait what? What does this mean? How do we do this?

The Rockville Centre school district, also on Long Island, told parents at 10 p.m. on Monday that mask wearing would be optional. By 7 a.m. on Tuesday, parents had received another email that revised the announcement and reinstated the mandatory masking policy.

Rachel Price Ferrick, 43, whose children in the district are 6 and 8 years old, said that she had sent her children to school in masks but that the quick reversal had led to confusion.

She said she believed her children had fallen behind on their reading and social skills in part because masks had limited their classroom interactions.

At this point if you have chosen not to vaccinate yourself, thats your choice, but youre on your own, Ms. Price Ferrick said. It cant fall on the shoulders of our children anymore.
The next day, after learning that the victim was dead, Mr. Caddle met the first man hired in the scheme in the parking lot of an Elizabeth diner and paid him thousands of dollars more, the filing says. The man split the money with his accomplice, according to the court papers. They are identified only as CC-1 and CC-2.

The Journal reported at the time that firefighters responding to a blaze at Mr. Galdieris Mallory Avenue apartment had found him fatally stabbed. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide, The Journal reported, adding that investigators believed the fire was meant to cover up the killing.

Mr. Galdieris father, James Galdieri, was a state senator and his grandfather, also James Galdieri, served briefly in the State Assembly. Reached by phone on Tuesday, Michael Galdieris sister, Virginia, declined to comment on behalf of his family.

While much of Mr. Caddles work involved local and state races, he was a political consultant for Mr. Menendez, a congressman at the time, from 2003 until early 2005, collecting nearly $100,000 in payments and additional money for travel and other expenses. A spokesman for the senator did not respond to a request for comment.

William ODea, a Hudson County commissioner and former Jersey City councilman, said he was familiar with both Mr. Caddle and Mr. Galdieri. He called Mr. Galdieri a friend and said he had worked on his 1989 Council campaign.

We grew up together in St. Als parish, and he loved politics from a young age, Mr. ODea said, referring to the Jersey City neighborhood served by St. Aloysius Catholic Church.

Mr. ODea said he was stunned to hear that Mr. Caddle had admitted to hiring hit men.

Im totally shocked, he said. But as unfortunate as it seems to be, it always seems to happen in Hudson County.
Blackshear, GA (31516)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 91F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low near 65F. Winds light and variable.
An article on Tuesday about the James Webb Telescope misstated the amount the Webb telescopes mirrors will be fine-tuned. Engineers will aim for alignments as accurate as one-10,000th of a hair, not a hair follicle.

An article on Tuesday about the death of a gunman accused of shooting two New York City police officers described incorrectly the handgun that officials say was used in the shooting. It was a Glock 45, not a .45 caliber gun.

An article on Tuesday about a study on the impact that cash stipends to poor mothers had on the brain activity of babies misstated the name of the scientific journal where the new study was published on Monday. It is the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, not the Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.

An article on Tuesday about Trump administration documents turned over by the National Archives to a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol misstated the response by John Ratcliffe, the former director of national intelligence, to the panels request for a report. Because of a disagreement in the intelligence community, Mr. Ratcliffes report about foreign influence in the election, which was scheduled to be submitted on Dec. 18, was delayed until Jan. 7; it is not the case that is was never submitted.

FOOD

An article last Wednesday about ambitious chefs opening restaurants in the suburbs misstated the location of some of Peter Changs restaurants. Most are in suburban settings in Virginia and Maryland, not just in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
A judge in Santa Clara County has granted Apple a temporary restraining order against a woman accused of stalking and threatening the companys chief executive, Tim Cook.

In court documents filed last week and first reported by The Mercury News, Apple accused the woman, a 45-year-old Virginia resident, of making increasingly alarming threats and statements toward Mr. Cook over email and Twitter since late 2020. She also claimed that she was in a romantic relationship with him and that he was the father of her twin children, according to the documents.

The woman, Apple said, emailed Mr. Cook photos of what she said was a handgun and ammunition she had purchased, along with comments like, My new gun will never return it at this time before I shoot! Apple also wrote that she filed documents to create fraudulent corporations, some with sexually explicit names, while naming Mr. Cook as the executive and listing his home address on the forms.

The situation escalated in October, when the woman appeared outside Mr. Cooks Palo Alto home in a car with a Virginia license plate and said she wanted to speak with him before security sent her away, according to court documents. She returned minutes later and was stopped by local police officers. They searched her car and did not find any weapons, but they towed the vehicle because her license was expired. She told them that she could get violent, according to the filing.
Eugene ONeill, whose insanely detailed stage directions for Long Days Journey Into Night specify even the titles of the books on the shelves, somehow forgot to mention the Purell. Also the N95s.

Yet there they are, prominent props in Robert OHaras warp-speed Covid-era revival, which opened on Tuesday at the Minetta Lane Theater in Greenwich Village. Far from cheapening a classic work with random relevance, they help define (or at any rate dont get in the way of) a beautifully acted and affecting interpretation for a new age of disease and lockdown.

In the Tyrone family, closely based on ONeills, disease and lockdown are already a way of life. For James (Bill Camp) the disease is spiritual; a could-have-been Shakespearean who (like the playwrights father) got trapped in an immensely popular melodrama, he is embittered by success and a skinflint by nature. His older son, Jamie (Jason Bowen), has just the opposite problem: A failure at everything, he beggars himself by carousing as if he werent.

For the other two members of the household, the disease is literal. Partway through the play, the younger son, Edmund (Ato Blankson-Wood), receives a diagnosis of tuberculosis from which he believes he will never recover. His mother, Mary (Elizabeth Marvel), having been improperly treated by a cheap doctor after Edmunds difficult birth, is addicted to morphine. Her most recent rehabilitation miserably collapses over the course of the long day of the title.
LINCOLN COUNTY, Ga.  The showdown over voting rights in the U.S. Senate may be over for now. But the issue is still smoldering in a stretch of Northeast Georgia countryside where local officials recently introduced a plan to close seven polling sites and consolidate them into one.

The proposal in Lincoln County has attracted the attention and ire of major voting rights groups and suspicion among some Black residents who say the effort is just the latest example of voter suppression in a state where Republicans recently passed a restrictive new law. Hundreds of upset residents have filed protest petitions that could cause local officials to scale it back.

But local officials say the current polling spots are in need of modernization  and that in a county where about two-thirds of the 7,700 residents are white, the plan is simply an effort to make it easier to manage elections. The remaining site would be located close to the polling place that currently serves the countys one majority-Black precinct.

They seem to think that Im trying to stop Black people from voting, said the elections director, an African American woman named Lilvender Bolton. She would administer the plan that was under consideration last week by a mostly Republican-appointed board of two Black members and three white ones.
A dog handler, who is also a veteran, was asked to inspect the van, and upon noticing the tape and condition of the coffin, he knew this was not standard protocol for funeral procession of a military veteran, the complaint said.

During a further inspection, agents found two men  both very much alive  inside the coffin, and the men admitted to being in the United States illegally, according to the complaint.

One of the men found in the coffin told the authorities that he had agreed to pay a total of $6,000 to reach San Antonio, according to the complaint. He said that he had already paid $2,000 to cross the Rio Grande.

The man said he had been joined in the coffin by his cousin, according to the complaint. He said that while they were inside the coffin, they had been able to open it only slightly and that it had been hot and hard to breathe inside, the complaint said. The two men were held as material witnesses.

Simon Purnell, a lawyer representing Mr. Blood, said that while smuggling cases are extremely common in the Southern District of Texas, I have never encountered this method to smuggle aliens in the past.
A similar case already is pending in Texas, and the success of the challenge in Alabama could open the door to lawsuits in other states such as South Carolina, Louisiana or Georgia. It could also serve as a warning for states such as Florida that have yet to finish drawing their maps.

The Supreme Court has cut back on the tools that we in the voting rights community have to use to deal with misconduct by government authorities and bodies, said Eric Holder, a former U.S. Attorney General who is now the chairman of the National Democratic Redistricting Committee. Section 2 to now has remained pretty much intact.

The courts ruling in Alabama  where the Black residents make up 27 percent of population yet Black voters are a majority in just one of seven House districts  comes amid a polarized redistricting cycle, in which both Republicans and Democrats have sought to entrench their political power through district lines for congressional and legislative maps. In much of the country, that has created districts that bisect neighborhoods or curl around counties to wring the best possible advantage.

Civil rights leaders and some Democrats argue that process too often comes at the expense of growing minority communities. Black and Hispanic voters have a history of being packed into single congressional districts or divided across several so as to dilute their votes.

In 2013, the Supreme Court dealt the Voting Rights Act a significant blow in Shelby v. Holder, hollowing out a core provision in Section 5. The preclearance provision required that states with a history of discrimination at the polls get approval from the Justice Department before making changes to voting procedures or redrawing maps. Last year, the court ruled that Section 2 would not protect against most new voting restrictions passed since the 2020 election.
I dont think we can have those persons who have engaged in acts of insurrection elected to office and serving in office in violation of their constitutional duties and oath, said John R. Wallace, one of the lawyers on the case and a campaign finance and election law expert in Raleigh, N.C. He added, It should not be difficult to prove you are not an insurrectionist. It only seems to be difficult for Madison Cawthorn.

Cases challenging the legitimacy of a candidate before election boards usually hinge on a candidates age, legal residency, place of birth or citizenship status, or the legitimacy of signatures in a candidacy petition.

This case revolves around the little-known third section of the 14th Amendment, adopted during Reconstruction to punish members of the Confederacy who were streaming back to Washington to reclaim their elective offices  and infuriating unionist Republicans.

That section declares that no person shall hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath to support the Constitution, had then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.

Mr. Cawthorn, 26, who is in his first term in Congress, has denounced the case as an egregious misreading of the 14th Amendment, but he has retained James Bopp Jr., one of the most prominent conservative campaign lawyers in the country, as counsel.
WASHINGTON  The Justice Department is investigating the fake slates of electors that falsely declared Donald J. Trump the victor of the 2020 election in seven swing states that Joseph R. Biden Jr. had in fact won, a top agency official said on Tuesday.

Our prosecutors are looking at those, and I cant say anything more on ongoing investigations, Lisa O. Monaco, the deputy attorney general, said in an interview with CNN.

The false certificates appear to have been part of an effort by Mr. Trumps allies to reverse his defeat in the presidential election. Even as election officials in the seven contested states sent official lists of electors who had voted for Mr. Biden to the Electoral College, the fake slates claimed Mr. Trump was the winner in an apparent bid to subvert the election outcome.

Lawmakers, state officials and the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 riot have asked the Justice Department to look into the role played by those fake electors and the documents they submitted to the National Archives on Dec. 14, 2020.
michael barbaro

From The New York Times, Im Michael Barbaro. This is The Daily.

[music]

Today: The prime minister of Britain is engulfed in a growing scandal over boozy parties and moral hypocrisy. I spoke with my colleague, London bureau chief Mark Landler, about why this, of all moments, might be the end of Boris Johnson. Its Tuesday, January 25. Mark, the last time that we took a hard look at Boris Johnson, it was not long after he had won office on the promise that he would be the one to get Brexit done  to pull off this delicate and gnarly process of removing Britain from the European Union. And the question then was is this guy a serious enough and capable enough leader to do that? This man who our colleague Sarah Lyall memorably described on the show as a political chameleon, who would pretty much say whatever he needed to say to get through a moment, and as this shambolic figure  late to meetings, rumpled, bumbling, never bothering to comb his hair  was this the guy who was going to meet that historic moment, get Brexit and everything it entails done? And Im curious what you think the answer has been.

mark landler

Well, in a very simple way, he did, and he did so really quite quickly. I mean, remember, Britain formally left the European Union just six weeks after he won this landslide election. So in a very narrow sense, he got Brexit done and got it done fairly quickly. But even beyond that, he negotiated a very complicated and difficult trade agreement between Britain and the European Union. Many people said it couldnt be done. He did it, and hence delivered not just on the symbolism of leaving the E.U. but on the substance of it as well. And meanwhile, it was 2020. So like every other world leader, Boris Johnson was also dealing with the calamity of coronavirus. So by the end of that first year in office, Boris Johnson looked like a fairly consequential leader. I mean, say what you will about his shambling personal style or his lack of organization. He had actually taken Britain through the most important transition it had made politically since the war, and had seen Britain through the first part of the pandemic, which is a record, really, that in terms of the gravity of the issues he was dealing with that very few of his predecessors had faced, really going back to wartime history.

michael barbaro

So its safe to say at this point he has defied many of his doubters and, generally, exceeded expectations.

mark landler

Yeah, thats right. In fact, by the end of his first year, a lot of the commentary in Britain is whether were at the beginning of a 10-year stretch of a Boris Johnson era. As a conservative prime minister, he is looming as a fairly consequential  you might even say a giant figure  on the British political landscape. But then comes this very weird and murky scandal that engulfs his government and might even force him out of his job over, of all things, garden parties that are held at 10 Downing Street, which is the complex where the prime minister lives and works, and where his staff also works.

michael barbaro

Excuse me, parties in his garden might somehow cost him his prime ministership?

mark landler

That is exactly right. Parties either in his back garden, in the basement of Downing Street  basically little social gatherings at a time when the rest of the country was under coronavirus lockdown.

michael barbaro

OK, so tell us the whole of the garden-parties story, because it is difficult to reconcile the idea that Boris Johnson might be one of the most consequential prime ministers in the postwar era, and that he could go down over garden parties. So what is that story?

mark landler

Well, youre right. There is something kind of trivial about the whole thing at first glance. And indeed, the way it leaked out almost seemed like it was not going to be that big a deal. So at the end of November, the Daily Mirror, which is a London tabloid, carried a story saying there had been parties at 10 Downing Street at a time when the country was in a strict coronavirus lockdown. These are parties that happened a year earlier. Boris Johnson denies it immediately. He says all coronavirus restrictions were followed. So for someone in my position, this just doesnt seem like that big a deal, and the story just kind of dribbles on like that, until this video emerges. And this is what really blew up this story and turned what had been kind of, at the risk of a bad metaphor, a garden-variety Boris Johnson scandal into a mega Boris Johnson scandal.

michael barbaro

So tell us about this video.

mark landler

What the video in essence was a leaked video of a mock press conference. And just to sort of set the stage for a second, Boris Johnson had planned for a long time to institute White House-style briefings in Downing Street where the press would come into a very nice room, and a press secretary would brief, much as Jen Psaki briefs in the Biden White House. And he hired a very good political journalist, Allegra Stratton, to play that role. And she was being trained by Downing Street staff about how to take questions from the press in a press-conference setting.

archived recording (allegra stratton) Anybody have any questions today?

mark landler

And the video that day was of a press conference where the questions were about Downing Street garden parties.

archived recording (ed oldfield) Ive just seen reports on Twitter that there was a Downing Street Christmas party on Friday night. Do you recognize those reports? archived recording (allegra stratton) I went home. [LAUGHS] Hold on. Hold on. Um  uh  uh 

mark landler

And she was attempting to answer questions about whats going on. Is this legit? How do you justify it?

archived recording (ed oldfield) Would the prime minister condone having a Christmas party? archived recording (allegra stratton) Whats the answer? archived recording (ed oldfield) I dont know. I didnt 

mark landler

Its very clear from the way shes answering the questions that there is no justification. And so whats meant to be a training exercise instead turns into sort of a lighthearted back and forth between Stratton and her colleagues about just how transparently wrong this is.

archived recording 1 No, I didnt  It wasnt a party. It was cheese and wine. archived recording 2 Just be clear, its not what you think it is. archived recording (allegra stratton) Is cheese and wine all right?

mark landler

At one time, she sort of says jokingly, is cheese and wine all right?

archived recording (allegra stratton) It was a business meeting. [LAUGHTER] archived recording Youre joking.

^archived recording (allegra stratton)

This is recorded. This fictional party was a business meeting, and it was not socially distanced. One more and then well  one more.

mark landler

And so this video is taken and obviously put into a drawer somewhere until its leaked to the press, and the reaction is immediate and explosive.

archived recording 1 Well, Boris Johnsons government is facing a major holiday headache tonight. archived recording 2 It may only have been a Christmas party, but it was abusive, offensive towards the British public. archived recording 3 Theres something deeply sickening about the idea that those making the rules are having wine and cheese.

mark landler

Because it basically shows that not only are these parties a thing, but everyones well aware of it. Everyones in on the joke except apparently the British public.

archived recording Its just another example of Boris thinking one rule for us and another for the mugs out there.

mark landler

And the important thing to remember is this is a video of a session that was recorded months earlier during these very grim days of a lockdown. So I think there is just this sense of outrage on the part of the British people that at this extremely dark moment when everyone else was making sacrifices, these people were not only not living by the rules they were imposing on others, but were making light of it. It was just a big joke to them.

michael barbaro

And, Mark, how does Boris Johnsons government respond to this leaked video?

archived recording (boris johnson) Mr. Speaker, may I begin by saying that I understand and share the anger up and down the country at seeing Number 10 staff seeming to make light of lockdown measures.

mark landler

Boris Johnson goes to the House of Commons and offers a fulsome apology. He says he shares the outrage of the public.

archived recording (boris johnson) But I repeat, Mr. Speaker, that I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken. That is what I have been repeatedly assured.

mark landler

But he sticks to his story, which is that no Covid restrictions were broken. And his audience of, particularly opposition lawmakers, is openly skeptical of his account. Later on, Allegra Stratton, the official in the video, resigns her government post and offers a tearful apology for having taken part in this whole exercise. But thats not the end of it. As time goes on, we just keep hearing about more parties.

archived recording 1 Yet another party in Number 10 involving Boris Johnsons team. archived recording 2 Boris Johnson is unlikely to be waking up with a clear head this morning with the continuing fury over lockdown-breaking parties at Number 10.

mark landler

This becomes an almost weekly exercise where some newspaper or another gets a tip on another party.

archived recording The latest allegations center on so-called Wine Time Fridays, regular Downing Street drinking sessions held throughout the pandemic.

mark landler

And the stories did not spare any details.

archived recording 1 Eight months ago, one of Boris Johnsons aides turned out of this shop. Trailing them, a suitcase full of wine. archived recording 2 The Daily Mirror reports that the regular events were so popular that staff bought a fridge to keep wine and beer cool.

mark landler

There were also tales of people having raucous parties where there was a DJ playing music, and they went out back and actually used the swing set that had been installed for Boris Johnsons young son and, in fact, actually breaking the swing.

archived recording 1 A, quote, farcical culture of drinking and impromptu socializing with little oversight from senior officials. archived recording 2 You cant really describe this as a series of one-offs anymore, can you?

michael barbaro

So it turns out these lockdown parties, as youre describing them, basically became routine?

mark landler

Thats right, and the details just piled up on top of each other, each disclosure almost more outrageous than the last. The public anger about this also grew, particularly when there was a report of two parties held at Downing Street on the eve of the funeral of Prince Philip, Queen Elizabeths husband. Youll recall those very poignant pictures of the Queen sitting alone in a choir stall at Windsor Castle at the funeral wearing a mask, isolated from other members of her family. You know, she was playing by the rules. But the night before, there had been these kind of wild parties at Downing Street. So that was another moment where public anger just ratcheted up. But for Boris Johnson himself, the real turning point, the real point this became existential for him was when a report came out that not only was there a fairly significant party at Downing Street, but that Boris Johnson himself had attended it. And thats the moment when I thought a story that was pretty lurid, pretty interesting, actually became something that threatened his very political survival.

[music]

michael barbaro

Well be right back. So, Mark, at this point, Partygate has reached the prime minister himself. Hes caught at a party. The British people are furious, and he has a lot of explaining to do. So what happens next?

mark landler

Well, this is the beginning of what you could call the Boris Johnson apology tour.

archived recording (boris johnson) Mr. Speaker, I want to apologize.

mark landler

He comes to the floor of the House of Commons 

archived recording (boris johnson) I have learned enough to know that there were things we simply did not get right.

mark landler

 and he offers this contrite expression of regret. He says 

archived recording (boris johnson) And when I went into that garden just after 6:00 on the 20th of May, 2020, to thank groups of staff before going back into my office 25 minutes later to continue working, I believed implicitly that this was a work event, but Mr. Speaker 

mark landler

 I thought this was a work event. I didnt think it was a party. So hes sticking to this idea that I didnt knowingly go to a party.

archived recording (boris johnson) With hindsight, I should have sent everyone back inside.

mark landler

But hes also acknowledging that this whole thing looks terrible.

archived recording (boris johnson) And I should have recognized that even if it could be said technically to fall within the guidance, there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way.

mark landler

And as hes trying to explain himself 

archived recording (boris johnson) And to them and to this House, I offer my heartfelt apologies.

mark landler

 hes being jeered by the other side.

archived recording Well, there we have it. After months of deceit and deception, the pathetic spectacle of a man whos run out of road.

mark landler

You know, this is a red-letter day for the Labour Party.

archived recording His defense that he didnt realize he was at a party  [LAUGHTER]  is so ridiculous that its actually offensive to the British public. The public have already drawn their own conclusions. He can run, but he cant hide. archived recording (boris johnson) Well, Mr. Speaker 

mark landler

So its a very tough day for Boris Johnson in parliament.

michael barbaro

Wow. So these apologies dont seem to be working, exactly. But from my understanding of British politics, Boris Johnsons party  the Conservatives, the Tories  they control Parliament, right? So does it really matter if Boris Johnson is being jeered by the opposition so long as his own party supports him in this moment?

mark landler

Yeah, thats right. The Tories have an 80-seat majority. So as long as the partys united behind the prime minister, then Johnsons position is secure. It doesnt really matter if the Labour Party MPs are jeering him across the aisle. The problem for him is that as this scandal unfolded, his support within his own party began to crumble. Perhaps the most visible moment of this came a week later when a Conservative Party MP, Christian Wakeford, actually crossed the aisle in the House of Commons and sat with the Labour Party.

archived recording Can I start by warmly welcoming the honorable member for Bury South to the Parliamentary Labour Party?

mark landler

And he did it moments before Boris Johnson stood up to address these issues on the floor of the House.

archived recording Mr. Speaker, like so many people up and down the country, he has concluded that the prime minister and the Conservative Party have shown themselves incapable of offering the leadership and government this country deserves.

mark landler

So it was an extremely vivid and dramatic moment, sort of a very symbolic repudiation of Boris Johnson, and that wasnt even the end of it.

archived recording (david davis) Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Like many on these benches, I spent weeks and months defending the prime minister.

mark landler

After Boris Johnson had been besieged by questions from all sides, a very senior member of the Conservative Party, David Davis, stood up 

archived recording (david davis) But I expect my leaders to shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take.

mark landler

 and deployed a line against Johnson that had once been used for another embattled prime minister, Neville Chamberlain.

archived recording (david davis) You have sat there too long for all the good you have done. In the name of God, go.

mark landler

And a kind of a stunned silence settled on the chamber as Johnson realized that not only had he witnessed a defection of a junior member of his party, he now had one of the most senior members of his party standing up behind him and telling him his time was up.

michael barbaro

Wow. So, Mark, the speed of this all is remarkable. This journey that Boris Johnson has been on from the guy who got Brexit done, to pariah in just under two months. And Im curious how you understand this collective decision by the British people and by Britains elected officials, including members of Boris Johnsons own party, to turn on him, almost in unison. Is this a reflection of peoples longstanding doubts about Boris Johnson and his unseriousness and the sense that hes not so truthful? Is this instead a measure of peoples exhaustion with Covid restrictions after more than two years and his hypocrisy when it comes to those restrictions? Or is it both, or is it something else entirely?

mark landler

I think, Michael, that actually it is sort of the two issues that you talked about working in unison. So on the one hand, you have a society that has been through some of the most intense and prolonged lockdowns of any Western country. And something thats very key to the British character is this willingness to get on with it, to go along with the rules. So I think the idea that some elite cohort of people that run this country were not willing to live by those very same rules when they expected everyone else to, I think that offended people on a very profound level. I think it just felt like it was a double standard. It was a lack of accountability. It was hypocrisy. Choose any word you want, a little bit of all of that. So thats on a societal level. But I also think, as you say, that there was a sense of revelation about how they felt about Boris Johnson. For a long time, British voters were willing to overlook the foibles of Boris Johnsons character because, on some deeper level, he was doing what a majority of them wanted. He got Brexit done. The problem is, and what this crisis really revealed, is that there really wasnt more for Boris Johnson to do after he got Brexit done. This is not a politician who has a profound vision for the future of his country. And I think that he bet correctly on Brexit, but when it came time to chart a future for the country, this episode, oddly enough, is the one that I think allowed a lot of people to see that the emperor has no clothes. That Boris Johnson doesnt have a particular vision, that hes not someone with principles or ideas that actually can lead Britain not only into a post-Brexit future but into a post-Covid future. So that, as trivial on some level as the garden-party scandal might seem, it was kind of a real insight into the limitations of Boris Johnsons character. And I think at some level, in some collective way, the country decided, enough. You did what we asked you to do, but we actually dont necessarily want you to take us any further. And I think at some level thats the judgment, as ruthless as it is, that was passed on Boris Johnson over the last two months.

michael barbaro

Youre saying the British people saw this as a moment to look in their prime ministers soul, and they dont like what theyre seeing?

mark landler

Thats right. I think that some of what was acceptable two years ago in a new environment, in this serious post-Covid, post-Brexit world somehow doesnt look as acceptable anymore. The hypocrisy that could have been laughed off earlier can no longer be laughed off. And so I think thats really, when you get right down it, whats happened to Boris Johnson. He hasnt changed, but the people hes leading have changed. And crucially, theyve changed how they view him.

michael barbaro

Mark, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

mark landler

Thank you, Michael. On Monday, British media revealed yet another party at 10 Downing Street, this one thrown in honor of Boris Johnsons birthday in June of 2020. At the time, strict Covid restrictions had banned such indoor gatherings. ITV News said that the surprise party was attended by up to 30 people. A spokesperson for Johnson admitted that he attended the party but said that he remained there for fewer than 10 minutes. Well be right back. Heres what else you need to know today.

archived recording The United States will act firmly in defense of its national interests in response to actions by Russia that harm us, our allies, our partners.

michael barbaro

On Monday, the Biden administration put 8,500 American troops on high alert for a possible deployment to Eastern Europe in case Russia invades Ukraine.

archived recording As of now, the decision has been made to put these units on higher alert and higher alert only. No decisions have been made to deploy any forces from the United States at this time.

mark landler
Note: Special one-year subscription at a reduced price for first-time subscribers or for subscriptions that have been expired for at least one year  those living in Jackson County and the Cherokee Indian Reservation (28719) addresses qualify. Offer good through Friday, Aug. 2, 2019.

We accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover; we do not accept AMEX.
She had expected her farewell performance to be in Peter Martinss full-length Swan Lake, but its run was canceled, and the companys repertory changed, as disruptions caused by the Omicron variant delayed the start of City Ballets winter season. Instead, she will dance Odette in Balanchines one-act version on Feb. 19.

It might be a less grand goodbye, but Reichlen wasnt bothered. She said that she had recently tested positive for the coronavirus and quarantined, keeping her out of the rehearsal room and worried about taking on the entire ballet so soon after recovering. When I saw that the one-act was there, she said, it was kind of perfect.

Reichlen became an apprentice with City Ballet in fall 2000 and joined its corps a year later. She was promoted to soloist in 2005, then principal in October 2009. She has performed in the core repertory  such as works by Balanchine and Robbins  and originated roles in premieres by Justin Peck, Benjamin Millepied and more.

Ive gotten to dance Balanchine choreography in the theater that he built, with a live orchestra, Reichlen said. The gravy on top has been traveling the world, to St. Petersburg, London, Paris; weve been to so many spectacular theaters.

Reichlen became a face of City Ballets response to turmoil in 2018, after Martins retired from the company amid abuse accusations (which he denied) and fellow dancers were fired over sexual misconduct. Surrounded by colleagues onstage at the David H. Koch Theater, she began that years Fall Fashion Gala with a speech in which she said: We will not put art before common decency or allow talent to sway our moral compass. With the world changing  and our beloved institution in the spotlight  we continue to hold ourselves to the high moral standards that were instilled in us when we decided to become professional dancers.
But a presidents backing was not enough to stop the change.

Chris Dercon, president of the Reunion des Musees Nationaux-Grand Palais, said in a telephone interview that he hoped Art Basel would set up an event that was more than an art fair, something he hoped would be immersive.

That means art plus fashion, art plus design, he said. The plus is very important.

He said that he wanted to see an art fair that engaged with the wider culture of Paris. Dercon, previously director of the Tate Modern art museum in London and the Volksbuhne theater in Berlin, has long been known for pushing an interdisciplinary approach to art.

Although Art Basel was the mother of art fairs, Dercon said, he did not want the new art fair to simply be another outpost for the brand. The new event will not be called Art Basel Paris, he said, adding that its name would be unveiled soon.

Marc Spiegler, Art Basels global director, said in a telephone interview that the company only had a short runway to the first event, but that he hoped to work with Pariss whole creative class, not just its art galleries, museums and dealers. Much of that work would occur outside the halls.

The fair will have a French touch, he added. People coming to Paris will expect to see the various French movements of the last 12 decades well reflected at high-level quality from strong galleries.
When you get to the more volatile social subject matter, I often think it starts as a provocation or a bad-boy experiment, which is a prod for him to start thinking, says Jack Bankowsky, a former editor of Artforum who organized a renowned 2014 exhibition of Ray, Koons, and Katharina Fritsch. That kicking-the-hornets-nest aspect is definitely part of his personality, but he sculpts into it, and the complexity that we associate with his work is what comes out the other end.

In Huck and Jim, the flesh of both characters is transmuted into stainless steel. Jim stands upright. Huck is bent at the waist, hand cupped as if reaching into a river. Ostensibly it was their nudity that spooked the Whitney, but the true precarity of the sculpture is Jims right hand, hovering gently over Hucks lower back. In the space between lies a whole tangle of desires and sorrows.

Huck and Jim is quite profound as a monument, says Walker, who is currently organizing an exhibition of decommissioned Confederate monuments for LAXART. This is like ur-Americana. These are not clothed soldiers, or men embodying virtue, but they somehow embody a national narrative, a national identity. We have this notion about how a monument should function. And then Charles Ray actually gives us something on which to reflect, and its like, No, no, no! Put the clothes back on!

Theres a disjuncture in it, which I got from Smith and Caro, Ray says of the not-touching nudes. A similar charged separation recurs in Sarah Williams, where the positions are reversed: the cross-dressing Huck stands upright, while Jim crouches behind him, an arrangement of Black and white models that feels even more politically fraught.

But look closely at Jims right hand. Notice the fish hook sculpted in relief in his half-clenched palm  the hook which, in Twains novel, Jim uses to fashion Hucks dress. Theirs is an emotional, historical, and racial entwinement in which the parts and the whole cannot be sundered. They are embedded in each other, as Sarah Williams is embedded in our space.
How do you measure progress? The incrementalist counsels patience: Something is better than nothing, half a loaf is better than none.

Characteristically, Malcolm X wasnt having any of that. In a televised round table in 1961, the civil rights lawyer Constance Baker Motley tried to coax Malcolm into acknowledging that the average Black American is substantially better off than he was at the end of slavery. He scorned the very premise. Now you have 20 million Black people in America who are begging for some kind of recognition as human beings, he said, referring to the Black Americans imprisoned at the time, and the average white man today thinks were making progress.

Its an evocative exchange, one that the Harvard legal historian Tomiko Brown-Nagin showcases to illuminating effect in Civil Rights Queen, the first major biography of Motley, a decade in the making. Brown-Nagin juxtaposes Motleys attempts to find common ground by asking a series of lawyerly questions (You recognize, dont you ? Dont you think ?) with Malcolms scathing rejoinders. By the mid-1960s, Motley had been caught in a bind, Brown-Nagin writes. Working at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc., or Inc Fund, since 1946, she had been a crucial figure in using the courts to dismantle Jim Crow laws. Motley had helped litigate Brown v. Board of Education; she fought for Martin Luther King Jr.s right to march in Birmingham. But to radicals disenchanted with the mainstream civil rights movement, she was weak and accommodationist, Brown-Nagin writes. Set against figures like Malcolm, her politics and style looked tamer  and they were.

Not that Motley was necessarily accepted wholeheartedly into the hallways of American power either. As Brown-Nagin shows in this thoughtful biography, Motley was lambasted by one side as a pawn of the white establishment, but she was sometimes criticized by elements of that white establishment for not being moderate enough.
Although vaccine shortages are easing, only about 62 percent of the worlds population has received at least one shot, and a striking divide between the rich and poor regions of the world remains. In low-income countries, only 10 percent of the population has received at least one dose.

The potential consequences of the vaccine gap have been underscored by Omicron, which was first identified in southern Africa. Low vaccination coverage creates conditions for widespread virus circulation and with that, the possibility of new variants emerging.

Who is more prone to long Covid?

New research in the U.S. has identified a number of biological factors that might help predict if a person will develop long Covid.

To understand if some people might be more prone to suffering long Covid, dozens of researchers at several universities and medical centers followed more than 200 patients for two to three months after their Covid diagnoses. The study, published yesterday in the journal Cell, found four factors that could be identified early in a coronavirus infection that appeared to correlate with increased risk of having lasting symptoms weeks later. Those four factors are:

The level of coronavirus RNA in the blood early in the infection, an indicator of viral load.

The presence of certain autoantibodies that mistakenly attack tissues in the body as they do in conditions like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

The reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus, a pathogen that infects most people, often when they are young, and then usually becomes dormant.

Type 2 diabetes. However, the researchers and other experts said that in studies involving larger numbers of patients, it might turn out that diabetes is only one of several medical conditions that increase the risk of long Covid.

The researchers said they had found these factors played a role whether the initial infection was serious or mild. They said that the findings might suggest ways to prevent or treat some cases of long Covid. One possibility might include giving people antiviral medications soon after an infection has been diagnosed.
Russia announces military drills

Russia announced a flurry of military drills yesterday across its vast territory, from the Pacific Ocean to the countrys western flank near Ukraine, including joint drills with the Chinese fleet in the Arabian Sea. The announcement followed a series of military moves made by the U.S. and NATO this week aimed at deterring a Russian incursion into Ukraine.

In a part of Belarus close to Ukraine, Russian troops disembarked from heavy-duty armored vehicles and other equipment before joint drills with Belarusian forces. In Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, Russian tanks started planned shooting exercises. Separately, researchers noticed an uptick in social media posts accusing Ukraine of plotting a genocide against ethnic Russians.

Russia is blaming the U.S. for the escalation and insists that it has no plans to invade Ukraine. The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, said that the U.S. and NATO were orchestrating information hysteria about Ukraine by reporting lies and fakes. For now, nonmilitary diplomatic solutions remain possible.

Europe: The U.S. is working with Middle Eastern, North African and Asian gas suppliers to bolster supplies in case Russia cuts off fuel shipments. But as Germany wavers on tough measures, its allies have begun to ask questions about what price Berlin is prepared to pay to deter Russia, and even about its reliability as an ally.
Donald Trump has made a habit of deriding the U.S. alliance with Western Europe. He described NATO  the American-led alliance with Europe that dates to the 1940s  as obsolete and said that Americans were schmucks for financing it. He mused about withdrawing the U.S. from NATO and often spoke more positively about Russia than about longtime American allies like Germany and France.

These comments were a radical departure from the policies of every U.S. president, Republican and Democrat, for 75 years. Still, because Trump did not make good on his biggest threats, the tangible effects were not always clear.

Now they are becoming clearer.

Russia has massed about 125,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, threatening an invasion that would be the most substantial ground war in Europe since the end of World War II. To prevent that, President Biden, Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain and several other leaders are trying to present a unified front and tell Russia that it would suffer severe economic consequences. But one crucial country is missing from that united front: Germany.

As Katrin Bennhold, The Timess Berlin bureau chief, writes:

Denmark is sending fighter jets to Lithuania and a frigate to the Baltic Sea. France has offered to send troops to Romania. Spain is sending a frigate to the Black Sea. President Biden has put thousands of U.S. troops on high alert. And then there is Germany. In recent days Germany  Europes largest and richest democracy, strategically situated at the crossroads between East and West  has stood out more for what it will not do than for what it is doing.

Germanys government, under its new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has ruled out any arms exports to Ukraine. It is also delaying a shipment of howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine. It may have kept British planes from using German airspace when sending military supplies to Ukraine last week.
U.S. responds to Russias demands

The U.S. and NATO gave formal responses on Wednesday to Russias demands that NATO pull back forces from Eastern Europe and bar Ukraine from ever joining the alliance. The U.S. response sets out a serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it, the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said.

Russia has insisted for weeks that the U.S. provide written responses before it would decide on its next course of action, while asserting that it had no plans to invade Ukraine. Blinken said he expected to speak in the coming days with his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, once Russian officials are ready to discuss next steps.

The document has not been released publicly, but Blinken said it proposed reciprocal transparency measures regarding force posture in Ukraine, as well as measures to increase confidence regarding military exercises and maneuvers in Europe and nuclear arms control in Europe.

Blinken added that the response reiterates publicly what weve said for many weeks and that the U.S. would not rule out Ukraines membership in NATO in the future.
The International Monetary Fund urged El Salvador on Tuesday to end its recognition of Bitcoin as legal tender. Adopting a cryptocurrency in this way entails large risks for financial and market integrity, financial stability and consumer protection, the funds executive board wrote.

The price of Bitcoin has fallen more than 50 percent from its peak in November, and the cryptocurrency market as a whole has lost more than $1 trillion in value over that time. For prominent institutions that have bought into Bitcoin, from El Salvadors government to some multinational corporations, the downturn could prove costly  and may create regulatory headaches, the DealBook newsletter reports.

A year ago, when the meme-stock frenzy was about to morph into a crypto boom, Bitcoin was worth just over $30,000. Since then, it has twice more than doubled in price and then given up the gains. Crypto evangelists like President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador, Elon Musk of Tesla and Michael Saylor of MicroStrategy seem undeterred.
Wind energy projects are being proposed around the world to help meet climate goals, but the largest maker of turbines is finding that supply chain issues and pandemic lockdowns are hampering wind farm construction and hurting financial results.

It is troubling and challenging out there, Henrik Andersen, chief executive of the Danish company Vestas Wind Systems, said on a call with analysts on Wednesday.

Mr. Andersen said the company had to recently navigate the disruption caused by the compulsory mass testing of 14 million residents in Tianjin, China, where Vestas has a manufacturing hub, after 20 Covid-19 cases were discovered.

This is actually what causes some stop and go, and simply just disturbance, he said. The company warned that profit margins could fall to as low as zero in 2022.
WASHINGTON  Older Americans who regularly breathe even low levels of pollution from smokestacks, automobile exhaust, wildfires and other sources face a greater chance of dying early, according to a major study released Wednesday.

Researchers at the Health Effects Institute, a group that is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency as well as automakers and fossil fuel companies, examined health data from 68.5 million Medicare recipients across the United States. They found that if the federal rules for allowable levels of fine soot had been slightly lower, as many as 143,000 deaths could have been prevented over the course of a decade.

Exposure to fine particulate matter has long been linked to respiratory illness and impaired cognitive development in children. The tiny particles can enter the lungs and bloodstream to affect lung function, exacerbate asthma and trigger heart attacks and other serious illness. Earlier research has found that exposure to particulate matter contributed to about 20,000 deaths a year.

The new study is the first in the United States to document deadly effects of the particulate matter known as PM 2.5 (because its width is 2.5 microns or less) on people who live in rural areas and towns with little industry.
The Biden administration said Wednesday that it had canceled two mining leases that would have allowed a copper mine to be built near an area of pristine wilderness in Minnesota.

The Interior Department said it had determined that the leases, held by Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of the Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta, were improperly reinstated by the Trump administration in 2019.

President Obama had previously moved to block the mining project, declining to renew the leases. But beginning in the early weeks of the Trump presidency, the administration worked at high levels to remove roadblocks to the mine, The New York Times reported in 2019.

That move followed discussions between Antofagasta executives and senior administration officials. The billionaire Andronico Luksic, whose family controls Antofagasta, also rented a $5.5 million house in Washington to Ivanka Trump, the daughter of former president Donald J. Trump, and her husband, Jared Kushner, early in the Trump administration when the couple was first moving to Washington, D.C.
Mr. Regan did not address the issue directly on Tuesday in a call with reporters, but he said he felt an obligation to marginalized communities where folks have been waiting long enough for federal attention. He has spent the last year touring towns and meeting with community members as part of what the E.P.A. has called his Journey to Justice tour.

I pledge to do better by people in communities who have been hurting for far too long, Mr. Regan said.

The agency will increase unannounced inspections to keep polluting industries on their toes, Mr. Regan said, asserting that the Trump administration had not conducted enough such inspections. Monitoring of polluting industries fell off sharply in March 2020 when the Trump administration said those industries would not be held responsible if the pandemic made it difficult to comply with federal limits on air and water pollution or requirements to manage hazardous waste or ensure safe drinking water.

A spokesman for the United States Chamber of Commerce, which represents major businesses, declined to comment on the announcement. Senators Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, both Republicans of Louisiana, where Mr. Regan said he would concentrate some of the agencys new compliance and monitoring, also did not respond to requests for comment.

Among the changes announced Wednesday, the E.P.A. said it would increase the number of air pollution inspectors and use novel monitoring methods like a new aircraft that uses sensors and software to detect emissions in real time.

Robert Taylor, 81, a lifelong resident of St. John Parish, La., and leader of the Concerned Citizens of St. John, became emotional as he described Mr. Regans visit to the region known as cancer alley because of high rates of illness, especially among Black and low-income communities near petrochemical plants.

We had been so downtrodden and beaten down by our efforts to try to protect ourselves, and we were being attacked by those who were supposed to protect us, Mr. Taylor said.
Perhaps you remember iceberg A68a, which enjoyed a few minutes of fame back in 2017 when it broke off an ice shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. Hardly your everyday iceberg, it was one of the biggest ever seen, more than 100 miles long and 30 miles wide.

The iceberg drifted slowly through the icy Weddell Sea for a few years, before picking up steam as it entered the Southern Ocean. When last we heard from it, in 2020, it was bearing down on the island of South Georgia in the South Atlantic, a bit shrunken and battered from a journey of more than a thousand miles.

Alas, ol A68a is no more. Last year, some 100 miles from South Georgia, it finally did what all icebergs eventually do: thinned so much that it broke up into small pieces that eventually drifted off to nothingness.

In its prime, A68a was nearly 800 feet thick, though all but 120 feet of that was hidden below the waterline.
Michael Fanone seemed very out of place. It was the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 insurrection, and CNN was commemorating the occasion with blanket coverage. A year earlier, Fanone was a 40-year-old Metropolitan Police Department (M.P.D.) officer trying to hold off an angry mob outside the United States Capitol. The rioters pulled him from a tunnel and down a set of steps, pummeled him with their fists and their feet and even the staff of an American flag and tased him numerous times; in the melee, he suffered both a heart attack and a traumatic brain injury. Now Fanone was outside the Capitol again, on the set of CNNs New Day morning show, sitting next to its hosts, John Berman and Brianna Keilar. He wore faded jeans and a red-and-black plaid parka, in stark contrast to Bermans and Keilars news-anchor attire. With his heavy beard and a turtleneck of tattoos peeking out from underneath his collar, he looked like some sort of punk lumberjack. He sounded like one too. When Keilar asked him to share some of the conversations he was having with police officers as the anniversary approached, Fanone acidly noted that the U.S. Capitol Police have to walk the same halls as some of these insurrectionist members of Congress, before adding, I couldnt imagine sharing a work space with those jackasses.

The good news for Fanone is he doesnt have to. Despite the incongruity of his wardrobe and words, the cable-news set was now his work space, Berman and Keilar his colleagues. In late December, Fanone resigned from the M.P.D., after nearly 20 years on the force, and took a job as an on-air commentator on law-enforcement issues at CNN. In a way, the move only formalized a pre-existing relationship. A week after the storming of the Capitol, while still recovering from his injuries, Fanone gave interviews to CNN and a host of other news outlets, recounting the horrors of the event in vivid terms that spared no detail or person. (Addressing the handful of people in the mob who came to his aid that day, he told CNN, Thank you, but [expletive] you for being there.) He became a media star and, inevitably, a political star as well. In July, Fanone testified in front of the House Select Committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack. The indifference shown to my colleagues is disgraceful, he shouted, slamming his hand on the table. That evening, he appeared on Don Lemons CNN show to play a racist and homophobic voice mail message a Trump supporter left him. This is what happens to people that tell the truth in Trumps America, he said. That Fanone himself was a self-described redneck American who voted for Trump in 2016 gave his words an added weight.

They didnt switch sides in the political battle so much as they simply stumbled into it.

Apostates are rarely lonely in American politics. When a political figure switches sides  Whittaker Chambers naming Communist names and becoming a celebrated conservative intellectual, David Brock renouncing the vast right-wing conspiracy and starting liberal nonprofits  the drama of the act itself can earn more attention, and more followers, than if the person had started on that side to begin with. But in recent years, the act of apostasy has been defined down. Alexander Vindman, a by-the-book U.S. Army lieutenant colonel serving on Trumps National Security Council, became a blue-state hero for having the temerity to suggest that it was improper of Trump to threaten to withhold U.S. military assistance to Ukraine unless it investigated Joe Biden. Nicholas Sandmann, a Kentucky teenager on a high-school field trip to Washington, became a conservative cause celebre when a video of his encounter with a Native American political activist on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial was misconstrued, in initial press reports, as a racist confrontation. Unlike Chambers or Brock, Vindman and Sandmann didnt switch sides in the political battle so much as they simply stumbled into it  noncombatants who were drafted into the culture war.
You made your film debut when you were 11 in a film called Herman. How did that come about?

My mother had worked with the director, so she knew he was searching for a boy my age, and she asked if I was interested in doing an audition. I didnt really know what I had signed up for  I was 10 years old, and it felt like just a game that we were playing. I remember when the director wanted me to do the part, he came to our house with flowers and said, Congratulations, and I was frightened because I realized, Now I really have to play that role and deliver. For the first time, I felt this anxiety of not doing a good job, the exact same feeling I can get now in front of a shoot that really matters to me. I can be scared of not rising to the occasion.

After that film, you didnt work again as an actor for 16 years.

Herman was an overwhelming experience. I felt like I was playing with explosives. I was dealing with emotions and manipulating my psyche in a way that was kind of frightening.

Do you think that sense of being overwhelmed by it as a child may inform your decision to lead this bifurcated life? Acting can never completely overwhelm you now because you also have an entirely different career going on at the same time.

You should be an analyst. I think youre onto something here because Ive always felt that it wouldnt be good for me to work full time as an actor, especially when the parts are really dark and emotional. Ive often thought that I have to find a psychologically sustainable way of working as an actor. I dont know if Im there yet, but Im starting to see how I can protect myself.
You cant be a person of color and not be political, Darshi said. Just by the mere fact that we look the way we look. And were in an industry that doesnt look like this. And so as a result, the pressure of what is required is that much higher and the ask is that much greater.

Day, who played Sarah, a meanspirited co-worker in Insecure, was inspired by Issa Rae, a creator, writer, producer and star of that HBO show. She had been working with Rae since Awkward Black Girl, Raes precursor web series, and left with the knowledge that if Rae could do it all, then so could she.

But by no means would it be easy. For their first features, Darshi and Day (who had the vibrant poster for her short Cowboy and Indian on display behind her during the interview) plunged headfirst into preparation.

I was ridiculously prepared for any question, anything that came my way, Darshi said. So that any scene that happened, I knew why the curtain was yellow, why the person was wearing pink shoes, what kind of time of the day, what music I would hear.

Each detail, down to the peeling wallpaper, was a choice that Darshi deliberated over with her production designer, Marian Wihak. But much of that painstaking groundwork wasnt done for the direct benefit of the viewer. Rather, the director felt that as long as she knew why something was the size, shape, texture it was, that would shine through in the movie.

Day felt the same way. I never wanted to overexplain anything, she said. It just is, in the film.
A high quits rate may look like a victory for the working woman and man, but not necessarily, says Jay Zagorsky, an economist at the Questrom School of Business at Boston University. In an email exchange, he wrote, The problem with very high quits rates is that businesses have to ensure jobs are very easy to learn and take no firm-specific skills. He added, When quits rates soar, businesses de-skill jobs and the end result is the opposite of what workers want.

Now the caveats. The earlier Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, which was called the Labor Turnover Survey, was started in 1930 but was stopped in 1981 because of budget cuts. The agency brought back the survey in 2000 and expanded it to include job openings. The agencys 2002 description of the new survey focuses on the new job openings calculation rather than the labor turnover calculation. It doesnt carry the historical quits data on its website.

The definitions of quitting in the two surveys are different, but minimally, according to a document supplied to me on Wednesday by staff members of the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (the document is not on the surveys website). In the new survey, the document says, quitting is defined as leaving a job voluntarily. In the older Labor Turnover Survey it was defined as terminations of employment initiated by the employee; failure to report after being hired (if previously counted as new hires); unauthorized absences if, on the last business day of the month, the person has been absent more than seven consecutive calendar days. That sounds to me like a distinction without a difference.

I got the historical numbers from Historical Statistics of the United States, Millennial Edition Online, which is hosted by Cambridge University Press. The data from 1930 to 1981 is for the manufacturing sector only, so to make the comparison with the period since 2000 as close as possible I used the manufacturing quits rate, not the overall quits rate, in the more recent period. (There were some changes in methodology during the period from 1930 to 1981. For instance, beginning in 1943, quits rates referred to all employees; before then, they referred to production workers only.)
To the Editor:

Re Being Sick Changed My Views on Health Care, by Ross Douthat (column, Jan. 20):

I say to Mr. Douthat, Welcome aboard; now keep on moving leftward.

Ross, if you can become more left-wing about one issue, medical care, because it affected you personally, then why not on myriad other things that affect other Americans?

Why is it that you and other conservatives who arent mean or cheap or bad people can be left-wing only when you can see it and touch it personally? There are countless examples  conservatives who finally embrace L.G.B.T.Q. rights when their child or neighbor comes out, or see addiction as a problem when it shows up in their family, and so on.

Good work, Ross, but please keep moving!

Steven Carlson

Easton, Conn.

To the Editor:

I find shocking Ross Douthats conclusion that whatever everyday health insurance coverage is worth to the sick person, a cure for a heretofore-incurable disease is worth more. Really? For millions of people, do family security, reduced depression and financial stress, and increased use of health services  all findings from the Oregon Medicaid study that Mr. Douthat cites  count so little?

Mr. Douthats policy prescriptions are skewed by his personal experience. If his experience had been the anxiety of delayed health care or threatened bankruptcy, that would skew his lens differently.
Further, because possession of even a tiny quantity of drug residue was a felony in Oregon at the time of Ms. Godvins arrests, she had to give up her dream of becoming a paramedic.

Over the course of covering drug policy for over three decades, I have heard hundreds of similar, or even worse, stories. While some people in recovery say prison helped them kick drugs, more describe dreadful conditions, ineffective treatments and traumatic experiences.

For example, over 80 percent of jails and prisons do not allow the use of methadone and buprenorphine, the only medications proved to reduce the death rate from opioid use disorder. Research shows that experiences like being denied medication while locked up deter people from seeking further help. Studies also find that drug incarceration increases the risk of overdose, suicide and disease. States with more drug arrests also do not have less drug use.

Such data has led Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the federal governments National Institute on Drug Abuse, which funds most of the worlds addiction research, to advocate decriminalization to improve drug policy. This is the first time Ive heard such unequivocal support from that agency.

The research is unequivocal that putting someone who is addicted into prison or jail actually exacerbates their condition and puts them at much greater risk for relapse, she said.

During Oregons decriminalization campaign, some of the strongest opposition came from people in recovery who thought that criminal penalties should not be removed until a new treatment system was already in place. Some argued that the threat of prison is essential to motivate recovery.

But anecdotal claims about positive effects of incarceration are belied by the data. And in Oregon, the organizations that are receiving state funds to expand care recognize the challenge. To succeed, they must reform or replace rehabs that use a punitive approach and do not recognize that being treated like a criminal is an obstacle to seeking help.
African clawed frogs are masters of putting themselves back together, handily regenerating lost tails and hind limbs, when they are tadpoles. But these powers dim with maturity. Wait for an adult frog to regrow a lopped-off limb and youll see only a tapered spike, more like a talon than a leg.

Now, a group of scientists have found a way to harness the adult frogs own cells to regrow an imperfect but functional limb. The researchers placed a silicone cap laden with a mixture of regenerative drugs onto an amputation wound for 24 hours. Over the next 18 months, the frogs gradually regrew what was lost, forming a new leglike structure with nerves, muscles, bones and even toelike projections.

The researchers describe this approach, which builds on earlier research, in a paper published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. The process could guide future research on limb regeneration in humans, but it will be challenging to replicate the results in mammals.

It was a total surprise, Nirosha Murugan, a researcher at Algoma University in Ontario, Canada, and an author of the paper, said of the complexity of the regrown limb. I didnt think we would get the patterning that we did.
Hybridity, though of a different kind, is far more than a modish buzzword for the British designer Grace Wales Bonner, whose award-winning work has consistently mined the tensions inherent in racial, cultural and sexual intersection. In Ms. Wales Bonners collection, which drew on her experience of being mixed race and of Afro-Caribbean ancestry, there were suggestions of a wardrobe for a return to a somewhat remote space: the office. In particular, a zip-front denim jacket paired with wide-leg cuffed trousers presented a plausible solution to a work uniform. Though the Wales Bonner digital show was presented on both women and men, little about it suggested much need to delineate a difference. Anyone could wear it, and that includes the skirts.

When we look back on this strange liminal period  not yet over the threshold of a pandemic  two designers will likely stand above the rest for pure ornery individuality. One is Rick Owens, who, seated on some steps inside the Palais de Tokyo last week, made the following pronouncement: Men are pigs.

Yes, and?

His show, titled Strobe, was inspired by the designers recent trip to Egypt and featured models wearing hieratic headpieces that were a cross between a Dan Flavin sculpture and a display panel at Just Bulbs. In many ways the collection was transparently commercial. (For all his runway antics, Mr. Owens is a shrewd merchant with a robust business in innocuous knitwear.) Balancing the linked-metal and torso-baring overshirt modeled by Mr. Owenss friend Tyrone Dylan were plenty of shearlings and puffers. Some featured Ming the Merciless shoulders inspired by Golden Age Hollywood as filtered through the sensibilities of the 1970s designer Larry LeGaspi. Some had zipped-up executioner hoods.

What is unmistakably cool about Mr. Owens is how insistently he carves out his own distinct aesthetic space. The self-described flamboyant small-town sissy from Porterville, Calif., has taken outsiderness and driven it into the middle of the mainstream. Although speaking about this specific collection, he might as easily have been stating a credo when he remarked backstage, Ive decided to go directly into the Id.
In a defeat for the European Unions tech antitrust efforts, a top court on Wednesday threw out a $1.2 billion fine issued against Intel more than a decade ago over practices to undercut a rival in the semiconductor industry.

The court said the European Commission, the 27-nation blocs main antitrust regulator, made key mistakes about the competitive impact of Intels behavior when determining the chip maker had violated antitrust laws in 2009. Intel had been charged with paying illegal rebates to companies that used its semiconductors over rival Advanced Micro Devices.

The decision by the E.U. General Court in Luxembourg can be appealed, though the commission said it needed time to review the judgment.

The ruling shows how efforts by European regulators to crack down on the worlds largest tech companies can be undercut by the courts. In 2020, Apple won an appeal of an order to repay 13 billion euros in taxes to Ireland, worth about $14.7 billion today. A higher court will hear another appeal of that case.
Tucked away in Northern Californias Mendocino County, the 523 acres of rugged forest is studded with the ghostlike stumps of ancient redwoods harvested during a logging boom that did away with over 90 percent of the species on the West Coast. But about 200 acres are still dense with old-growth redwoods that were spared from logging.

The land was the hunting, fishing and ceremonial grounds of generations of Indigenous tribes like the Sinkyone, until they were largely driven off by European settlers. On Tuesday, a California nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and preserving redwoods announced that it was reuniting the land and its original inhabitants.

The group, the Save the Redwoods League, which was able to purchase the forest with corporate donations in 2020, said it was transferring ownership of the 523-acre property to the Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a group of 10 Native tribes whose ancestors were forcibly removed from the land by European American settlers, according to a statement from the league.

The tribes will serve as guardians of the land in partnership with the Save the Redwoods League, which has been protecting and restoring redwood forests since 1918.
[The Coast Guard suspended its search for victims after recovering the bodies of five migrants.]

KEY WEST, Fla.  The maritime disaster that left rescuers still searching on Wednesday for 38 migrants lost at sea in the Florida Straits comes amid a surge in seaborne migration on both coasts as thousands of people board flimsy boats in a desperate attempt to reach the United States.

The makeshift boatlifts, carrying migrants from countries all over the world, present an unexpected and fresh challenge for the Biden administration, which was already facing a substantial increase in unauthorized crossings on the southern land border with Mexico.

The Coast Guard at times has intercepted more than 100 Cubans, Dominicans and Haitians crammed into a single boat in choppy Florida waters. On the other side of the country, smuggling networks have ferried loads of undocumented immigrants from Yemen, Mexico and Central America, sailing from Mexico to Southern California.

Experts attributed the surge in sea smuggling to beefed-up land-border enforcement combined with shrinking opportunities in developing countries stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.
I decided to leave and retire early in the summer of 2021. I left after so many fights trying to get people to wear masks inside the facility where I worked, or having them take off their masks and cough in my face to prove that Covid did not exist.  Susan Hartzell, registered nurse, South Lake Tahoe

I am so frustrated with the majority of my younger patients (I work on a maternity unit) who have not been vaccinated and do not want to be vaccinated. While I no longer feel like Im literally taking my life in my hands to come to work every day, I am really tired of wearing N95s and full P.P.E. for the increasing numbers of positive patients.

A quarter of our staff has had Covid recently and I feel like its just a matter of time for me. And now we need to work even if we test positive but are asymptomatic. Everything we do feels futile and its exhausting.  Erin OBrien, registered nurse, McKinleyville

I think anyone in health care who says that they have not thought about leaving is in denial. Just when you think its getting better and you can switch to paper/surgical masks and holiday/birthday potlucks, there is another surge. Just when you plan your kids birthday party, there is another surge.  Dr. Pratima Gupta, OB-GYN, San Diego

My nerves are frayed. Im disbelieving how cavalier people are. I always thought care went both ways. I had a lot of hope when the vaccines became available, but I now dont want to keep doing what I do for people who refuse to get vaccinated. It makes me feel disregarded.  Yuting Wong, nurse practitioner, Oakland

I am drained and find myself empty when I come home at the end of day. There is no one to care for me. Self-care has become a Sisyphean task. There is a lack of joy and a loss of hope. I am disheartened by the sheer number of people who feel they know better than the scientists by reading something online or hearing some nonsense from a friend.

It is as if we have given up as a society. It is getting scary out there. I think about moving to another country, some place where there is still a social agreement, the golden rule. Perhaps that place no longer exists but I hope it does.  Dr. Victoria Altree, internal medicine physician, Pasadena
The retirement of Justice Stephen G. Breyer will give President Biden a chance to make history, and to make good on his promise to put a Black woman on the Supreme Court, a campaign year pledge that helped revive his flagging campaign.

Mr. Biden made the promise at a debate in February 2020, just days before facing his Democratic rivals in the South Carolina primary, where Black people make up a large portion of the partys voters. At the time, his campaign was struggling amid losses in two of the early presidential contests.

Im looking forward to making sure theres a Black woman on the Supreme Court to make sure we in fact get everyone represented, Mr. Biden said that night.

The promise helped Mr. Biden secure the support of Representative James Clyburn, a veteran Black Democrat from South Carolina, just days ahead of the partys contest in that state. Last year, Mr. Clyburn confirmed a report in the book Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, that he had urged Mr. Biden to make the promise during the debate.
Days after President Biden was sworn in last year, one of his top congressional allies went to the White House with the name of a judge he believed should be appointed to the Supreme Court.

The ally, Representative James E. Clyburn, Democrat of South Carolina, told Vice President Kamala Harris and the White House counsel, Dana Remus, that whenever an opening emerged on the court, Mr. Biden should nominate a little-known federal judge in his home state: J. Michelle Childs.

Mr. Clyburn, who helped Mr. Biden revive his candidacy with a crucial primary win in South Carolina nearly two years ago, made a case that Judge Childs would not only satisfy Mr. Bidens campaign pledge to appoint a Black woman to the court, but that the judge was particularly appealing because she came from a blue-collar background  another underrepresented group among federal judges.

One of the things we have to be very, very careful of as Democrats is being painted with that elitist brush, Mr. Clyburn told The New York Times last year for an article that revealed how he was pushing her for the court.
Justice Leondra R. Kruger of the California Supreme Court has many of the qualifications typical of nominees for vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Like four of the current justices, she graduated from Yale Law School. Like six of the justices, she served as a law clerk on the Supreme Court, for former Justice John Paul Stevens.

And she is well known at the court, having served as an acting deputy solicitor general in the Obama administration, presenting 12 arguments on behalf of the federal government.

She is anomalous in at least one way, in that she serves on a state court. Eight of the current justices served on federal appeals courts before being named to the Supreme Court. The ninth, Justice Elena Kagan, had no prior judicial service, though she had been dean of Harvard Law School and solicitor general.
WASHINGTON  Justice Stephen G. Breyer, who is expected to retire after 27 years on the Supreme Court, leaves a legacy as a moderate liberal who worked hard to build consensus and protect the reputation of the court even as it moved sharply to the right in recent years.

He insisted that politics played no role in the courts work, devoting a recent book to the subject. After the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020, when he became the courts senior liberal, he may have hoped to find common ground with his more conservative colleagues.

But there was little evidence of that in recent months. In cases on abortion, immigration and the Biden administrations responses to the coronavirus pandemic, he repeatedly found himself in dissent.

His voting over the years was generally similar to that of other Democratic appointees, if perhaps a little more conservative, according to a new report from Lee Epstein and Andrew D. Martin of Washington University in St. Louis and Kevin Quinn of the University of Michigan.
Attention quickly turned on Wednesday to Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as one of a small number of likely options who could fulfill President Bidens pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, after the disclosure that Justice Stephen G. Breyer has decided to retire.

Judge Jackson, 51, already successfully went through the Senate confirmation process last year, when Mr. Biden elevated her from the Federal District Court in the District of Columbia to the powerful U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

She was confirmed to the appeals court in June by a 53-to-44 vote. All 50 members of the Democratic caucus voted for her, as did three Republican senators: Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Three Republicans did not vote.

Judge Jackson, who clerked for Justice Breyer during the Supreme Courts 1999-2000 term, was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Miami. She graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Law School.
WASHINGTON  Democrats could confirm a successor to Justice Stephen G. Breyer without any Republican support under Senate rules that shield a Supreme Court nomination from a filibuster, but would have to hold their bare majority together to do so.

The announcement of Justice Breyers imminent retirement on Wednesday set off a sprint by top Democrats to prepare for a coming confirmation fight over President Bidens nominee to succeed him. It also prompted a collective sigh of relief from the party and its progressive allies, who had worried that a Senate takeover by Republicans in the coming midterm elections could block the president from filling any vacancies.

Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the majority leader, promised on Wednesday that Mr. Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed.

Changes in Senate rules in 2013 and 2017 mean that a nominee can move forward and be confirmed with a simple majority. With the Senate split 50-50, Vice President Kamala Harris would be able to break a tie over any nominee, giving Democrats the upper hand as long as all 50 of the members who vote with them rally behind whomever the president chooses.
Follow live coverage on Stephen Breyers retirement from the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON  Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the senior member of the Supreme Courts three-member liberal wing and a persistent if often frustrated advocate of consensus as the court moved sharply to the right, will retire upon the confirmation of his successor, people familiar with the decision said, providing President Biden a chance to fulfill his pledge to nominate a Black woman.

Mr. Biden is expected to formally announce the retirement at the White House on Thursday, but the partisan machinery that has built up in recent decades around Supreme Court confirmations was already swinging into action on Wednesday as word of Justice Breyers decision raced through Washington.

Justice Breyer, 83, the oldest member of the court, was appointed in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. After the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2020 allowed President Donald J. Trump to appoint Justice Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement, Justice Breyer became the subject of an energetic campaign by liberals who wanted him to step down to ensure that Mr. Biden could name his successor while Democrats control the Senate.

With conservatives now in full control of the court, replacing Justice Breyer with another liberal would not change its ideological balance or affect its rightward trajectory in cases on abortion, gun rights, religion or affirmative action.
Im Giulia Heyward, and since this school year began, Ive covered the nationwide labor shortage affecting so many of the countrys schools.

Low pay, few benefits and erratic hours have long created staffing issues for many districts. The pandemic only compounded those problems.

Substitute teachers are especially in demand. At least two states, Missouri and Oregon, removed their degree requirements for would-be hires, to try to attract more substitutes. Other districts raised pay and increased benefits. When that failed, many temporarily canceled classes or turned to remote schooling.

The abrupt changes sent families scrambling to find child care and extended learning losses from the pandemic. Here are a few unconventional strategies used by districts that show the extent of the problem:

State employees  including a governor and the National Guard  are being asked to teach.

In New Mexico, the governor is now a licensed substitute teacher.
MEXICO CITY  In a country where the brutal killings of journalists are almost routine, a recent spree of violent deaths has provoked a rare outpouring of public outrage among reporters and everyday citizens alike in Mexico.

Journalists in dozens of cities across the nation held vigils and demonstrations on Tuesday night, one of the largest mass protests over the murders of media workers in recent years after three of their colleagues were killed this month, two of them just days apart in the same city.

Its infuriating, its enraging, because journalists always give our soul, our heart, our body, said Oscar Luna, who worked as a reporter for 10 years and attended a vigil in Mexico City. From one moment to the next, they take away that passion, that commitment, that love, that dedication that you have toward journalism.

The killings came in rapid succession.

Alfonso Margarito Martinez Esquivel, a photographer who had worked with local and foreign media outlets, was killed outside his home in broad daylight on Jan. 17 in the border city of Tijuana. Just days later, Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, a veteran broadcast reporter who covered politics and corruption, was shot and killed inside her car, also in Tijuana.
Olavo de Carvalho, a far-right Brazilian pundit and self-proclaimed philosopher who became the political guru of President Jair Bolsonaro by warning of a globalist plot to spread communism across the world, died on Monday outside Richmond, Va. He was 74.

His family said he died at a hospital but did not disclose the cause. He had reportedly been dealing with various ailments for months.

Nine days before his death, a social media account connected to Mr. de Carvalho announced that he had been diagnosed with Covid. Throughout the pandemic, he had publicly questioned the legitimacy of the virus, at times suggesting that it was an invention meant to control the population.

One of the greatest thinkers in the history of our country left us today, Mr. Bolsonaro said in a statement. Olavo was a giant in the fight for freedom and a beacon for millions of Brazilians. Mr. Bolsonaro declared a national day of mourning, ordering government buildings to fly the Brazilian flag at half-staff.
[Follow for live updates as a report into U.K. lockdown parties is sent to Boris Johnson.]

LONDON  Awaiting a report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street that could force his resignation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on the defensive Wednesday over another issue  whether he authorized the evacuation of cats and dogs from Afghanistan.

Mr. Johnson is approaching a critical moment for his leadership as he prepares to publish findings from an internal inquiry conducted by a civil servant, Sue Gray, into a string of gatherings held in Downing Street while Britons were subject to strict coronavirus rules.

On Wednesday in Parliament, Mr. Johnson rejected calls for him to quit, insisting that he was getting on with the job.

But the prime minister also came under attack after an email was made public suggesting that he falsely denied his role in the rescue of cats and dogs from Afghanistan by a British animal charity last year as Kabul fell to the Taliban.
As part of the frenzied diplomatic effort to head off a conflagration in Ukraine, there has been a virtual summit between President Biden and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, as well as meetings between the top diplomats in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna.

On Wednesday, when envoys from France, Germany, Russia and Ukraine met in Paris, it marked a revival of something known as the Normandy Format, a diplomatic grouping that has gathered periodically since the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea.

The format has its advantages, according to some analysts. By excluding the United States, it keeps participants from getting bogged down in bilateral U.S.-Russia disputes. But France and Germany, as the European Unions biggest powers and the ones with the most to lose economically through E.U. sanctions against Russia, wield enough political clout to conduct serious talks.

Expectations for Wednesdays meeting were low partly because they included senior officials from the four nations, but not their leaders.
Lets first get the response, Dmitri S. Peskov, the Kremlins spokesman, said this week when asked about Russias stance. Then the position will be formulated based on the conceptual guidelines provided by the head of state.

Behind the scenes, in the Kremlins telling, Mr. Putin has been busy. In the last two weeks, Mr. Putin has spoken by phone with the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Finland, Israel, Kazakhstan, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and Venezuela. He hosted the president of Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, at the Kremlin.

But right now, it appears that the silence on Ukraine is the signal.

Ms. Stanovaya, who has studied Mr. Putin for years, said she saw three possible explanations for the presidents silence. Having laid out his hard-line stance demanding immediate concessions from the West late last year, Mr. Putin may see no point in repeating himself and is leaving the back-and-forth to his diplomats. It could also be that he sees a glimmer of hope for a possible deal and wants to avoid saying anything about it for the moment. Or he may have already decided on a military course of action and has been preparing to implement it while awaiting a formal response.

We will still hear from him, Ms. Stanovaya said of Mr. Putin.

Rather than publicly discuss Ukraine, Mr. Putin held a televised meeting on Wednesday with government officials in which he touched on cryptocurrency regulation and the pandemic. His videoconference earlier in the day with Italian business executives ran an hour longer than planned, according to Vincenzo Trani, president of the Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting was very friendly, Mr. Trani said. But there was no mention, even in the nontelevised portion of the meeting, of the big geopolitical issue of the day.

On Ukraine, absolutely zero, said Mr. Trani, who added that the only thing related to the tensions was when Mr. Putin answered Mr. Tranis question about stability.

I said we have a big need of stability, Mr. Trani said, making it clear that he also meant stability in the region.
A man who sold the gun that was used in a standoff in which four people were held hostage at a Texas synagogue this month has been charged with a federal firearm crime, the authorities said on Wednesday.

Henry Williams, 32, who had previously been convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, was charged on Tuesday with being a felon in possession of a firearm, Chad E. Meacham, the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said in a statement.

The charge was announced hours after the police in England had arrested two more men on Wednesday in connection with the hostage-taking.

Mr. Meacham said Mr. Williams, who is known as Michael, had sold a semiautomatic pistol to Malik Faisal Akram two days before Mr. Akram used it to take four people hostage inside Congregation Beth Israel of Colleyville, a Fort Worth suburb, on Jan. 15. Mr. Akram was killed after three of the hostages had escaped unharmed. A fourth hostage was released earlier during the standoff.
MANZINI  At least three structures were affected when an unknown arsonist struck at Ncabaneni High School.

According to a source close to the matter, the arsonist petrol-bombed the schools computer laboratory, library and the head teachers office. The incident took place in the wee hours of yesterday morning, but teaching and learning was not affected. Ncabaneni High School is located about 38.4 kilometres in the south-west of the hub of the country (Manzini). Even though the damage is yet to be assessed and evaluated, a source said at the computer laboratory, at least two computer sets were burnt, while at the library some books were also reduced to ashes.

Damages

However, the damage in the head teachers office could not be ascertained by the time of compiling this report. The source said the police who attended to the incident suspected that the structures were petrol-bombed because there was a smell of petrol when they arrived at the scene in the early hours of yesterday morning. She said since the damage was not that bad, the law enforcers managed to collect some pieces of evidence, which they said they would use in their investigations. Acting Manzini Regional Education Officer (REO) Sizwe Kunene confirmed the incident. He said according to the schools administration, the damage was mild. He said they were still waiting for a report, after which, they would be in a better position to comment on the matter.

Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni said the police were investigating the matter. She said no arrest had been made so far. Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Education and Training Bhekithemba Gama said they were informed about the incident yesterday afternoon. As such, he said the ministrys officials would go to the school today to assess and evaluate the damage. He said after that exercise, they would be able to see if the damage would affect the upcoming external examinations for Junior Certificate (JC) and Eswatini General Certificate in Secondary Education (EGCSE). However, the PS mentioned that it was an unfortunate incident as the affected structures were meant to better the future of the children. This is work of tigebengu and bosidlani (criminals) and they deserve the full wrath of the law, the PS said.

Arsonists

It is worth noting that after government reopened schools in early September 2021, a number of schools were petrol-bombed by unknown arsonists. Some of the schools which were affected in the Manzini Region included Lomadvokola Primary School, Mncozini High School and Dvokolwako High School, together with Ngcoseni Central High School. Following the arson attack on properties, including schools and tinkhundla centres among other structures, the national commissioner of police said there would be a cash reward for people who would give the police information on the suspected arsonists.

Again, it is worth mentioning that earlier this month, His Majesty King Mswati III warned whosoever was behind the arson attacks in the country to stop with immediate effect. He said this in his first 2022 address to the nation, which he made when dispersing the regiment after the weeding of royal fields. He said any further attacks on properties and emaSwati would be taken as a direct attack on the King as everything in the country belonged to the head of State. It should be noted that when schools reopened in September 2021, Ncabaneni High School pupils boycotted classes and delivered a petition with 10 demands.
Mr. Shami said he did not know how many of the boys had been killed or wounded. But Letta Tayler, a director with Human Rights Watch who tracks the Syria detentions, wrote on Twitter that she had spoken with two men and one boy inside the surrounded building, and they said they had seen many dead and wounded boys. They also said they had run out of food and water and had burned their mattresses to cook before the food ran out.

The detention crisis in northeastern Syria has its roots in the collapse of the Islamic States so-called caliphate, which at its height was about the size of Britain and stretched into Syria and Iraq.

An international military coalition led by the United States joined with the S.D.F. to fight the jihadists in Syria, pushing them from their last patch of territory in March 2019.

The S.D.F. detained those who survived in an ad hoc network of prisons for the men and camps for the women and children, expecting that the countries the fighters and their families had come from would take them back. But most countries have refused, leaving the detainees languishing for years in squalid, dangerous camps and makeshift prisons, with no legal recourse.

Tens of thousands of children, most of them Syrians and Iraqis, live in the areas two main camps, along with thousands of children of other nationalities, said Ardian Shajkovci, director of the American Counterterrorism Targeting and Resilience Institute, which has researched the issue.

From 200 to 220 children are believed to be in two rehabilitation centers run by the S.D.F.-affiliated administration that governs the area.
For U.S. forces in Syria, an on-again off-again alliance is very much on again.

The fighting around Sinaa prison in Hasaka, a city in northeastern Syria, has cast a spotlight on the predominantly Kurdish region, and also renewed questions of Americas role there.

The Syrian conflict dates to 2011, when a popular rebellion began against the government of President Bashar al-Assad, the countrys longtime dictator. The revolt started with peaceful demonstrations but quickly descended into a bloody conflict between rebels and government forces.

The Kurds, comprising about 10 percent of Syrias population and concentrated in the northeast, largely stayed out of the fight.

But that changed in 2014, when jihadists of the Islamic State swept across eastern Syria and northern Iraq, creating a so-called caliphate the size of Britain. The rise of ISIS brought the United States directly into the conflict, with President Barack Obama assembling an international coalition to fight the group, and ordering airstrikes and dispatching the U.S. military to support local forces on the ground.
More than a year ago, when Covid-19 vaccines became available and jabs started going into arms, it became a point of pride for some people to show off a bandaged shoulder and a white Covid-19 Vaccination Record card.

But as the coronavirus pandemic rolled on, and the bandages came off, some people simply lost track of those awkward 4.25-by-3.5-inch white cards.

And now, you may really need yours.

But what if you lost it?

Relax.

Many health departments can provide you with your vaccination information. The records themselves arent lost.

But if youre hoping to use that card to prove your vaccination status at work or, say, to travel to one of those countries with a more digital-first approach to record keeping, losing it may make it harder for you to take part in those markers of everyday life like being around other people. Heres what to do.
A little more than 10 years ago, I began looking back at the diaries I had kept over the previous decade. I wondered if Id changed. So I loaded all 500,000 words of my journals into Excel to order the sentences alphabetically. Perhaps this would help me identify patterns and repetitions. How many times had I written, I hate him, for example? With the sentences untethered from narrative, I started to see the self in a new way: as something quite solid, anchored by shockingly few characteristic preoccupations. As I returned to the project over the years, it grew into something more novelistic. I blurred the characters and cut thousands of sentences, to introduce some rhythm and beauty. When The Times asked me for a work of fiction that could be serialized, I thought of these diaries: The selfs report on itself is surely a great fiction, and what is a more fundamental mode of serialization than the alphabet? After some editing, here is the result.

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Dad just now told me that my 20s were for experimentation and playing around, but now that I am 30, I should settle down and focus on my work, that this is the time to see what I can achieve. Dad read an earlier draft and had some suggestions about how to make it more real, but I dont want it to be too real. Dad said this morning that my work was the most important thing, since my relationships seem to come and go. Dad says not to analyze things so much, but then what should I do about all my feelings and fears? Dad was perhaps a little manic, the doctors having started him on the steroids again. Dad was upset today when the nurse said what he needed was calories. Dad went home from the hospital today. Dantes Inferno. Daydreaming like this, I fell off my bike, missing a dip in the road, and losing control of the bike, smashed up my knee. Delete this. Develop my website. Devote myself, in love, to Lark, but try not to think about him too much. Did I betray him? Did I? Did not get much writing done. Did not sleep at all last night, and feel unable to sleep tonight. Disappointed a bit, but fine. Discipline like discipleship. Discretion is part of it. Do away with the idea, the romantic idea, of essence. Do I trust him to take care of me? Do I want to be his primary partner? Do I want to be in a sexless relationship? Do I want to grow old with this man? Do nothing but accept who you are. Do that instead of escaping into fantasies of lives with other men  men I have already made the conscious choice of rejecting. Do we have to suffer till the end of history? Do whatever you can to end the year in peace. Does he die, drowning, trying to kiss himself? Does he stare forever at his image? Does it deserve forgiveness? Does it get you closer to happiness? Does it get you closer to men in general? Does it get you closer to wisdom? Does it get you closer to your truest values? Does it have a positive effect? Does one live in expectation of roses and a country home? Does that lead to poverty, to trials, to love? Does the city make me this way, or age, or finishing a book that I think is no good? Does the imagination work that fast? he asked. Dont affect this cool air, this worldly air. Dont anticipate the worst, always fearing it. Dont ask the question: Why, why are you writing this? Dont be afraid of becoming more conscious and more aware; you cant stay unconscious, and you want to use as much of your brain as possible, and besides, if there isnt an unconscious, youre doing yourself a disservice by not thinking. Dont be afraid of not having money come. Dont be covetous. Dont be dystopian. Dont be fatalistic. Dont be frivolous. Dont be miserable. Dont be scared. Dont become like the pathologists, thinking youve seen the insides of people, and that the outsides prettier. Dont check email in the mornings, or do any other work in the mornings but typewriter work. Dont commit to anything.

Dont confess or complain. Dont delude yourself. Dont demand. Dont do readings. Dont evoke by magic, but do the thinking, do the work. Dont expect big things from yourself in the near-term. Dont feel pressure from people who work at the magazines. Dont forget how hard this all is, how hard it is for him, how hard it is for everyone. Dont forget to write, even if its going nowhere. Dont forget to write, even though it will never be published. Dont forget, they project onto you their unfulfilled needs. Dont get into relationships with men you want to have sex with; just have sex with them. Dont get pulled into the shallowness of it all. Dont hold on to the past. Dont let your ego and ambition make you desire power over other people  but rather do whatever you can to avoid that. Dont let your life become a fiction. Dont make up stories. Dont make yourself a God. Dont make yourself into a demon. Dont pull the reader along. Dont read just to strengthen your own point of view. Dont remain ignorant of anything, just to preserve the simplicity of your own point of view. Dont spend so much money. Dont spend so much time on Twitter or Facebook or in correspondence with people. Dont take anything personally. Dont take yourself so seriously; dont think about yourself at all.

Earlier in the day, we kissed. Earlier in the day, when we were sitting on the concrete slab, Lemons said that his greatest dream in life, his biggest wish, was to marry a woman and to have no doubts about her in his mind. Everything is making me feel sad. Everything was fine until I texted him last night and the tally came to three from me and two from Lark. Everything with me goes nowhere. Everything. Exhausting to think about all that now, when I am already feeling so exhausted.

Feeling like there is something else I should be working on. Feeling very anxious and depressed, like I wanted to cry all day, and I couldnt remember how long Id felt this way for. Feeling your personality soaking into everything you do; this contributes to a lack of charm in life. Fiddling as Rome burns. Furthermore, the impact I imagine I have on other people!

Gazing down at him with his eyes closed, I thought, I do not love this man. Get a lot of money and move on. Get a new tape recorder that is digital and maybe a foot-pedal for transcribing. Get Death in Venice. Get money from wherever you can. Get off the pill. Get paid. Grow my brain and my knowledge. Grow out bangs.
A Palestinian man who spent 15 years in an Israeli prison recently explained how he was able to father four kids during that time, despite not being able to be intimate with his wife.

Rafat Al-Qarawi was arrested in 2006 for terror activity during the Second Intifada against Israel and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. During that time, he allegedly fathered four children, and in a recent interview with Palestinian Media Watch, he revealed just how he managed to pull that off, despite never being intimate with his wife. Al-Qarawi claimed that he smuggled his sperm out of prison in potato chip bags which were then picked up by his wife and taken straight to an infertility clinic for insemination. His remarks raised some eyebrows in the medical community, as human sperm is known to only last a few seconds, minutes at most, outside the human body.

Photo: picsea/Unsplash

We smuggled out sperm through the canteen, Al-Qarawi said. The Palestinian prisoner gives his family five items in a bag. Its like going to a supermarket and you want to give your family something, a gift, candies, cookies, juice, honey, whatever you want.

We would emit the sample seconds before they would call our names and put it in bags, wrap them in a certain way and mark them with the sperm inside it, mark it, and tie it with strings the way we had told the family during the previous visit, the man added.

The chips or cookie bags containing the seminal fluid were allegedly resealed, making it impossible for the guards to notice that they had been tampered with.

When you go out to the visit the bag is with you. No one touches it other than the prisoner. The one who comes to receive the sample is your mother or your wife, the former prisoner said. Of course, everyone had their name written on their bag. The family goes out from the prison with the bag and goes to the Razan Medical Center for insemination.



According to Palestinian Media Watch, over 100 children have been fathered this way, and the method is also featured in the movie Amara, where the protagonist is told that she had been conceived using her imprisoned fathers smuggled sperm, only to find out that he is actually infertile.

The plot of Amara is actually tied to real-world problems. Apparently, fatwas regarding this controversial smuggling method have been issued, which specify that witnesses must attest to the origin of the sperm to make sure that its actually the fathers. Otherwise, the woman becoming pregnant could be in trouble.
Ronn Torossian

According to the U.S. District Court Judge William Alsup, who was charged with overseeing the probation of Pacific Gas and Electric Company, the five-year felony probation period which the natural gas and electricity giant recently finished didnt help rehabilitate the company.

Judge Alsup released a report shortly before the companys probationary period ended. That report stated that PG&E was going to continue being a menace to the state of California. Back in 2017, the company was first placed on probation when it was convicted of six felony crimes. The crimes were connected to one of the PG&E natural gas pipelines that ended up exploding in San Bruno in 2010, killing eight people. Since companies arent able to go to prison when they commit crimes, PG&E was faced with the maximum length of a probation period, as well as a $3 million fine.

Additional damages

Since the probation started, the company has only caused more harm, according to Judge Alsup. PG&E has, for example, been responsible for over 30 blazes that have killed over 100 people and scorched nearly 24,000 buildings and homes. The most destructive of these fires was the 2018 Camp Fire, during which the town of Paradise was burned to the ground. In that situation, the company pleaded guilty to 84 involuntary manslaughter charges, and it is currently facing dozens of other charges for different fires. According to the judge, the main reason for the PG&E fires is a systemic problem: the company tends to avoid clearing hazardous vegetation and trees that stand near power lines. Practically all of the wildfires that have been caused by the companys distribution lines have involved those types of hazardous trees and vegetation, which, according to the California Public Resource Code, PG&E is mandated to manage. Another term of the probation period for the company was the removal and trimming of any trees that might come in contact with PG&E equipment.

Problem solving

According to Judge Alsup, despite the company being on probation, the backlog of work needed to be done on vegetation and trees is seven years behind. This is because PG&E is reliant on outside contractors to clear dangerous vegetation away from power lines. When issues arise, the company points fingers at those contractors. Judge Alsup alleges the company is using contractors in an attempt to cut costs and to create a strategic defense during any wildfire litigation. Back in 2019, as a result of the companys equipment triggering fires, it started to implement preemptive blackouts. Unfortunately, the strategy causes problems for the residents who are left without power.

Future solutions

According to the judge, PG&E should hire and train a staff of arborists. During the probation period, the company was only required to hire 30 vegetation inspectors, which wasnt enough. A spokesperson for PG&E, James Noonan, stated theres a lot more work that the company has to do. However, the utility strategy helped PG&E become a safer company during the probation period. Unfortunately, there have been plenty of other fires that have been triggered by PG&E equipment. This might change in the future if the company continues to face pressure from the court.

***

Ronn Torossian is CEO of 5WPR, a leading PR agency.
Deputy Michael Lowry has welcomed Government approval to launch a landmark research and data project to examine the lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children.

The research will be the most comprehensive examination of Irelands alternative care system ever undertaken, and provide an extensive overview of both the experience of children in care and their long term outcomes.

The project will address the Ryan Report Implementation Plan recommendation for longitudinal research with young people leaving care. It will also develop the capacity of Tuslas National Child Care Information System (NCCIS) to capture more data on the pathways of children in care and will include research with young people who left the care system ten years ago and bespoke research with children in care and aftercare.

Different elements of this project will be delivered over time. This approach will ensure that the project builds on learning as it develops and is dynamic and suitable to the issues important to children and young people, now and into the future. Consultation with stakeholders will be key throughout all phases of this project.

The research will fall under the remit of Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, T.D., who says While the need for greater research to understand the lives of children in care and adults who were in care as children has been highlighted in the past, I have personally prioritised this work for 2022.

"The approach to this project follows extensive work carried out by a joint DCEDIY/Tusla Working Group, which commenced its work in November 2020. A steering group will be established to report periodically on progress to the Management Board of DCEDIY, and to myself", he said.

Currently there are approximately 6,000 children in care in Ireland and approximately 500 young people leave care every year upon reaching 18 years of age.
INDEPENDENT TD for Laois Offaly Carol Nolan has said that the failure of Government to bring forward legislation to establish the River Shannon Management Agency Bill must be addressed as a matter of urgency. Deputy Nolan was speaking after Government Chief Whip Jack Chambers included the Bill in the Spring List of Priority Legislation for 2022.

Deputy Nolan went on to note that the River Shannon Management Agency Bill had also been included in the Summer List of Priority Legislation for 2021 and the Autumn List of Priority Legislation 2021.

Flooding along various parts of the River Shannon has been a constant and disruptive feature of the lives of so many farmers and landowners in Offaly and beyond for many years now, Deputy Nolan stated.

Despite this fact, Government and agency levels of responsiveness have been entirely disjointed and effectively unco-ordinated.

We know that Irelands Catchment Flood Risk Assessment and Management (CFRAM) Programme has been meeting for the better part of a decade to develop strategies for the reduction of risk, said Deputy Nolan.

But we also know that there have been calls for an immediate and critical reviews on the effectiveness of the strategies adopted by the CFRAM Programme, the Flood Risk Management Plans (FRMPs) and the Shannon Flood Risk State Agency Co-ordination Working Group for the reduction of flood risk.

This is a point that even Government Ministers have accepted. That is why we urgently need to see the shape of the legislation that proposes to give effect to a new single authority to address issues on the Shannon.

The Bill may be good, it may be what we need. It also might be inadequately responsive and might make the situation worse if enacted.

That is why we need to see it and to be able to scrutinise it to ensure that what emerges is good legislation capable of delivering meaningful change to how the Shannon is managed.

Unfortunately, all that Government can tell us - yet again - is that the Heads (draft) of the Management Agency Bill is in preparation stage.

Currently the OPW and the ESB manages dams and weirs, while the North-South body, Waterways Ireland have responsibility for the rivers. But often it appears as if the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

This approach to managing flood risk along the Shannon has failed. It needs to be far more responsive to the immediate needs of farmers and landowners who are being adversely affected several times a year at this point, concluded Deputy Nolan.
A man who was caught in possession of over 4,000 sexually explicit images of children has received a fully suspended sentence.

Padraig Shortt (42) of Glendown Drive, Templeogue, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of child pornography at his address on March 17, 2016. He has no previous convictions.

Passing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Pauline Codd said the courts have reiterated that these are real children who are being abused in these images.

Judge Codd said these types of offences are particularly vile as they involve the exploitation of children for profit by others. She said they are shameful activities and light needs to be shone on them.

The judge said Shortt has suffered from memory disturbance and has led an isolated social life since sustaining injuries in a road traffic collision. She noted that he has commenced psychotherapy and has been described as psychologically vulnerable.

She said he has some awareness as to the victims and has expressed genuine remorse in that regard.

Judge Codd sentenced Shortt to three years imprisonment, but suspended the sentence in its entirety on strict conditions including that he follow all directions of the Probation Service for two years.

Detective Garda John Walsh told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that gardai received information from an international source that an image had been uploaded to an email which was linked to the accused man's address.

Det Gda Walsh said on the date in question, gardai conducted a search of the address where Shortt lives with his parents. A number of items were seized including computers, phones and hard drives.

During the search, Shortt admitted to gardai that he had accessed sexually explicit material of children. He also told gardai he was the sole person who has access to the main computer in the house and his parents did not have any access to this computer.

A total of 4,072 images and 200 videos were found across various devices belonging to Shortt. 22 of the videos depicted children being sexually abused, while the remaining 178 depicted children with their genitals exposed.

In interview with gardai, Shortt told gardai he had thought he was deleting images when he inadvertently emailed the material. He denied ever knowingly distributing child pornography.

Det Gda Walsh agreed with James Dwyer SC, defending, that his client entered an early plea of guilty and this was useful to the prosecution.

Mr Dwyer said his client was hospitalised for over a year following a traffic collision in 2008. He said his client sustained significant injuries that resulted in a loss of mobility and affected his memory.

Counsel said his client has expressed remorse and had asked him to reiterate this remorse in court. He said his client has been assessed as being at a low risk of reoffending.
MBABANE  Seven months after intervening when comrades wanted to vandalise cars whose owners failed to pay a toll gate fee at Nkwalini in June 2021, a security guard was last Saturday stabbed for allegedly trying to be a hero.

Bonkhe Mnisi alleged that he was stabbed by a group of men who he had got into an altercation with during the June unrest. As I was going to the shops, I met a group of the men I had once stopped while they were vandalising peoples cars who could not give them money during the unrest. My friend and I tried to stop them but from that day they told us they would look for us and kill us, he said. He mentioned that from the time they had the altercation to the day he was stabbed, he had a number of instances where he had to run from them. Mnisi mentioned that on Saturday, he was stabbed five times in different parts of his body. He mentioned that as one was stabbing him, the others ensured that no one came to his rescue.

Rescue

Furthermore, Mnisi said a good Samaritan later came their direction, and the men ran away. When they saw that someone had seen me and was coming to my rescue, they all ran and left me bleeding. Through the assistance from the man, I was able to reach my place of abode and that is what I remember, he said. Mnisi mentioned that he gained his consciousness and recalled his neighbours assisting him to a car which ferried him to hospital. He said at the hospital, he was told that he needed blood transfusion. Mnisi was discharged yesterday.

According to him, he decided to go to his paternal home as he currently did not feel safe. I decided to go home because I felt unsafe in the area. I have been told that they wanted to finish off their work. I also do not think I would be happy seeing someone who almost killed me walk around like nothing happened, he said.

Mnisi further said he did not believe that he would get justice as according to him, some people who once committed crimes were still roaming, the streets. A neighbour, who requested to remain anonymous, stated that Mnisi was brought to him by a group of residents. He said seeing Mnisi in that state, he did not think he would survive. As they brought him using a wheelbarrow, seeing it filled with blood made me conclude that he would not make it another hour. We decided to get a car to rush him to the hospital, he said. The neighbour also mentioned that although it was not his first time seeing people stabbed in the area, it was frustrating this time around as it was someone he knew. He mentioned that although he had little faith, he hoped that the people behind the crimes would face the wrath of the law law. Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer Inspector Nosipho Mnguni confirmed the matter.

Arrests

Mnguni said a case of attempted murder had been opened but they had not made any arrest as yet. We are still investigating the matter but we do have leads. We are hoping that we will soon be making arrests, bringing justice to this case, she said. She then discouraged violence and said people who participated in violence would be arrested and brought to justice.

Nkwalini Zone Two, which is in Mahwalala, is known for its high rate of crime. It is among the areas which were considered dangerous during the June unrest.
Two Offaly bridges will be featured in a brand new six-part series for RTE One called Droichid Na hEireann.

The show tells the story and history of Irelands beloved bridges. Presented by actor Lochlann O Mearain, the series explores the history, architecture, landscape and above all the people behind these extraordinary bridges and the pivotal role they have played in historic events and in modern day society.

From road to railway bridges, viaducts to footbridges, these man-made structures have long been an integral part of our countrys infrastructure. But beyond their primary function, how much do we really know about these structures?

In episode 5, Lochlann will reveal some of the most breath-taking bridges in the heart of Ireland, including Offaly in Shannonbridge and at one of Europe's oldest suspension bridges at Birr Castle.

He will sail along the River Shannon to gaze upon The Athlone Railway Bridge before walking across the Joe Dolan Memorial Bridge. Finishing his travels on the River Boyne where he marvels at the great engineering feat of the Boyne Viaduct and discovers if there is any truth behind the viaduct being built on a foundation of cotton wool.

Travelling the length and breath of the country, Lochlann explores century old stone bridges to modern contemporary designs from natural geological formations to great engineering feats, to reveal their hidden history and impact, far greater than just bricks and mortar.

He rediscovers the remarkable tales behind our bridges through a wealth of fascinating human stories told through expert commentary and local storytelling.

On his breath-taking visual journey through some of Irelands most beautiful landscapes, Lochlann ventures to the hills of Donegal to Poisoned Glen under the shadow of Mount Errigal, visits the beloved Shakey Bridge in Cork City, walks across Irelands longest rope bridge in Kells Bay and explores one of Europes first examples of a suspension rope bridge in Birr Castle.

In the walled city of Derry he visits a structure that bridged communities together, he listens to a unique musical performance at Bellacorrick Musical Bridge in Mayo and travels to Connemara to visit the iconic Quiet Man Bridge. While in the midlands he explores one of Europes finest examples of a suspension bridge in Birr Castle and travels to the Drogheda to visit a Victorian bridge supposedly built on foundations of cotton wool.

Droichid na hEireann explores the rich architectural and historical heritage of Irelands most fascinating and visually spectacular bridges.

The episode featuring Offaly will be aired on Monday, January 31.
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MBABANE  In the past 50 years, there has been few changes in male contraception compared to the range of options available to women.

It has been revealed that Eswatini has been listed among the countries that will take part in a study and research for male contraceptive pills. Eswatini was listed among countries like Uganda, Mozambique and United States of America where the study initially took place. The news was shared on the World Health Organisation (WHO) website. The website mentioned that the study was going to take a period of four years before the pill for men could be approved or allowed in the market. Currently, men use condoms as a contraceptive, which acts as a barrier form of contraception that stops pregnancy and the prevention of sexually transmitted infections. There are many ongoing research projects into different methods of male contraception. Researchers are optimistic that a safe, effective and reversible method of male contraception will eventually become a reality, although this is still several years away, reads the report on WHOs website.

According the report, the goal of hormonal contraception research is to find a way of temporarily blocking the effects of testosterone so the study mentions that, however, this needs to be achieved without lowering testosterone levels to such an extent that it triggers side effects, such as a loss of libido.

Hormone

One way of doing this is by giving men a synthetic version of testosterone, together with a hormone called progestogen. Progestogens are synthetic versions of a female sexual hormone often found in female hormonal contraceptives, such as the progestogen-only pill, reads the report in part. This approach was said to make males stop producing testosterone which, in most cases, prevented normal hormone production. However, at the same time it keeps the amount of testosterone in the blood normal, preventing side effects. Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi, when asked about this, said she would look into the study as her team was no aware of it. None of my team is familiar with this kind of report; we would need to check further, said the minister.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health Principal Secretary, Dr Simon Zwane, said the proposed study was a good idea. It will be exciting to implement this study and learn from it. You know that in our society males play a crucial role in decision-making and their acceptance or rejection of such interventions has effects on the overall picture,said Zwane during an interview.

The last three decades have seen a significant move in Western society away from traditional gender roles. Family planning researchers and service providers have focused almost exclusively on women. Scientific research is being undertaken to develop a hormonal contraceptive for men. During random interviews, most men said they were not for the idea of taking contraceptives and said it was something for women. The randomly interviewed men said they would never take the contraceptives should the study be approved and put in the market.

Effects

They cited permanent side effects and the possibility of losing fertility as their main fears. According to a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation called Mens Role in Preventing Pregnancy, both men and women agreed that women felt more responsible for the children they bear than men did. Both men and women also said that women had the greater influence on a couples decision to have a child. The study further mentioned that at least one third of men and 35 per cent of women surveyed said that men felt left out when it came to birth control and contraception. In fact, more than half the men said they did not know much about contraceptive options, with one in five saying they knew little-to-nothing about the subject.
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"Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN.
Fed up with the failure of their government, and France, to stop the violence caused by militants, some citizens now call for Russia to intervene.
Ukrainian and Russian representatives are in Paris for talks with German and French officials. With fears of a possible invasion growing, European powers are hoping to diplomatically de-escalate the situation.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington made no concessions, but said the move offered a new "diplomatic path" out of the Ukraine crisis.
Moscow said talks with Ukrainian, German and French officials were "not simple." But despite their differences, they supported a 2014 ceasefire in eastern Ukraine even as troops ready for war on both sides of the border.
Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will be on a visit to India on Monday, his first to the country since taking over last year. The top Iranian diplomat arrived in Delhi late on Sunday and will hold talks with his counterpart India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday. The minister then leaves for Sri Lanka on Tuesday. While he took over as the new Iran FM last year, he had held number of conversations with his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar number of times. Both the ministers spoke on 8th of this month on number of issues, including Afghanistan. The Iranian side offered to transfer India's humanitarian aid to Afghanistan including wheat, medicine to the country.
Corbyn, who served as leader of the opposition for the better part of the 2010s, was suspended by the party in October of 2020 after his party was accused of systematic antisemitism.
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MANZINI  It is not all the time that a call to show an act of kindness is accepted by all.

Some police officers are irate as they have been asked to donate money towards their colleagues who lost their possessions during arson attacks. The police officers who have been asked to make contributions towards 10 of their colleagues are in the Manzini Region. A communique from the Manzini Regional Headquarters dated January 17, 2022, was sent to eight police stations seeking that officers working in them should partake in the aforementioned exercise. The police stations that were addressed in the communication were: Manzini, Matsapha, Malkerns, Mafutseni, Mankayane, Mliba, Bhunya and Sidvokodvo.

Commissioner

The message was said to be information from the National Commissioner of Police (NATCOM), William Dlamini, and it was from the Regional Police in Manzini with a reference M/57/2/IV/10. In the communique, the police were requested to make donations varying between E50 and E450. The donation has been set at E50 for constables, E100 for sergeants, E150 for assistant inspectors, E200 for inspectors, E250 for assistant superintendents, E300 for superintendents, E350 for senior superintendents while the one for assistant commissioner of police has been set at E400. It was communicated to the police officers that the donations requested from them per their ranks were found to be ideal and not mandatory and that contributions made out of goodwill would be greatly appreciated.

Also, it was said for purposes of convenience, contributions had been spread over two months, being February and March 2022. The information shared with the police stations requested that commanding officers should submit to the Manzini Regional Headquarters (RHQ) that which would have been contributed by the officers by end of March 2022. The communique to the police stations was titled Re: Contribution towards officers who lost their properties consequent to arson attacks. It appealed to the officers by quoting Princess Diana  carry out an act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you. It reminded officers that on June 29, 2021, the country experienced sporadic and or spontaneous protests actions or marches across the country. These actions culminated in acts of vandalism and pure criminality, leaving a trail of destruction in almost all the four regions of the country. Pursuant to police intervention or in response thereof against this insurgency, police officers, their immediate families, extending to their relatives, were threatened with acts of violence and attacks on their persons, reads the message in part.

It stated that these threats or acts of violence manifested themselves in the form of arson attacks and the most affected were officers from Matsapha Police Station. The communique stated that a collective number of 10 officers suffered and as a result thereof, their properties were reduced to ashes. Subsequent to this, the RHQ communicated that it had been enjoined by officers from around the region to look at suitable ways in which the affected officers situation could be ameliorated.

proposal

To this end and having looked and given thought to this proposal, it has been found to be in good standing that financial contributions towards this noble act of kindness and noble cause would be in good order, it was stated. Following this, some officers expressed their discontent in the strongest terms as they wondered what was stopping the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) from seeking assistance from the Reconstruction fund. It is worth noting that the Reconstruction Fund was formed to assist businesses that were damaged during the civil unrest and these entities can receive partial compensation grants of up to 60 per cent, which is not repayable.

On the other hand, they said police officers were under the Office of the Prime Minister (PM) and the leadership of the organisation could approach him and state the challenges.

The officers raised concerns that they were easily requested to fund themselves despite that they were yet to benefit from the salary restructuring exercise as announced in July 2014 by the Ministry of Public Service, through the issuance of Circular No.2 of 2014. Officers from the REPS have constantly raised their concerns over the issue. In light of this challenge, some of the officers claimed that they did not have money and could not afford to make contributions. Instead, they insisted that their welfare should be catered for by the employer as the damages they suffered occurred while they were engaging in the scope of their duties.
The Biden administration has delivered a plan to Russia offering a diplomatic way to resolve the crisis over Ukraine. NPR's Ari Shapiro talks with State Dept. spokesman Ned Price about the situation.
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A woman deceived into a relationship with an undercover police officer has been awarded almost 230,000 after a tribunal ruled her human rights had been breached.
The Australian navys largest ship docked in Tonga on Wednesday and was allowed to unload humanitarian supplies to the South Pacific nation despite crew members being infected with Covid-19, officials said.
The US Coast Guard searched through the night on Wednesday for 39 people missing from a capsized boat after a solitary survivor was found clinging to the overturned hull off the Florida coast.
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Russia warned on Wednesday that imposing sanctions on President Vladimir Putin personally would not hurt him but would be "politically destructive", after U.S. President Joe Biden said he would...
Yesterday, we received a list of concerns from members of the William Pitcher College Student Representative Council (SRC) regarding an article published in the Times SUNDAY on January 16, 2022, titled Pitcher students recruited for state sabotage.

Essentially, they were seeking answers to three questions and two demands on a story regarding the reported participation of William Pitcher students at a summer camp organised by the Communist Party of Swaziland (CPS). The SRC is asking for a retraction of the story on the assumption that it was false and that we consult them in future on any matter touching on students at the institution. In response to these concerns, we ought to state from the outset that the most basic rule of journalism is to seek the truth and to get the facts right before publishing a story. This is a tenet that has been adequately executed in this particular matter.

Their first demand is that we must reveal the names of the students who attended the CPS summer school in Piet Retief last year. This demand by William Pitcher students is self-defeating because it would place individual students in the spotlight and subject them to victimisation. Responsible journalism dictates that this is a demand we cannot and should not attempt to meet. Secondly, they want to know why the student body of William Pitcher was treated as a political party. Nowhere in the article do we refer or insinuate that the college body is a political party. We simply reported that some of them attended the summer camp at the invitation of CPS.

Thirdly, they want to know why we wrote a story without contacting them.The attendance of the camp was not by invitation of the SRC nor the administration of the college. This is a fact acknowledged by the SRC and the CPS on Monday. We could have got comment from either, but we are happy to engage the SRC in matters pertaining to student affairs in the future.

The fourth issue is why we decided to quote the presence of Pitcher students only and not the other tertiary institutions. We were simply being accurate.

Institutions

The CPS document, from which we based our story on, specifically mentioned William Pitcher without being specific on the other institutions from which participating students came. We cannot alter the document. As a group of newspapers, we have done everything an objective reader would expect from us in demonstrating that this matter of William Pitcher College students attending a summer camp organised by the CPS, was factual. It was neither a fabrication nor a figment of our imagination. We have undertaken all the basic news reporting steps to establish the truth about the summer camp and reported accurately what the CPS leaders had to say about it. The source of our story was a document from CPS and this alone is enough to quash claims that it was false. It was the same document that detailed what the party was planning to do in its mission to demand political change in Eswatini.

Furthermore, the document was confirmed by Pius Vilakati, the International Secretary of the CPS, as genuine. That said, we do understand that having to face the truth really hurts sometimes. As a media organisation, we pride ourselves as being available at a fixed address for any query pertaining the veracity of our reports. We are aware that on certain occasions we do get stories wrong when relying on third party information. When this happens, we will correct the article. However, this is not one of those occasions and we see no need for a retraction or apology.
Rumble 23 Apr 2022

Snow White and the Three Stooges is a 1961 American comedy, fantasy film. It is the second feature film to star the Three Stooges..
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Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

North America holds nearly two-thirds of family offices globally, where investments are made through Single Family Office (SFO) and Multi-Family Office (MFO), said a study.

North America dominates the family office market with more than 92,000 wealthy individuals. The US alone contributes to half the global UHNWIs with more than 89,000 individuals, according to the latest report from Reportlinker.com.

Key countries such as Italy, France, Germany, the UK, Spain, Western Europe account for the majority of the share of the family office market in Europe in terms of revenue. The family office market in Western Europe is mainly driven by traditional family businesses that invest in multiplying their wealth and hold their family legacy and values through their mission.

"The growing number of UHNWIs (private wealth advisory firms) are driving the demand for family office services. Today, wealthy families rely on family offices to manage their wealth as they hold fragile trust in private banks and increasingly prefer family offices," said the report.

However, the business encounters many regulatory, technological, and operational challenges that are expected to hamper the market's growth. Direct investments are stand-alone investments and have good returns compared to private equity. More than 65% of high-net-worth individuals invest their funds through direct investments. It helps the market grow diverse across the globe and allows them to ......................

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OTTUMWA [mdash] Dorothy Helen Cox 92 of Ottumwa Iowa went home to be with the Lord March 17th, 2022. She was born to Reece and Eva Carnes in Ottumwa. She was preceded in death by her daughter Connie Van Niewall and a great great grandchild. Surviving is her son Kevin (Vicki) Palmer, Son in l
Bullock Creek School District recently announced the following informational meetings.

Class of 2026 orientation

Parents of present eighth-graders are invited to attend an important informational meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 1 in the High School Auditorium. Information concerning high school policies, procedures and curriculum will be presented. Counselors and administrators will be on hand to discuss individual department offerings, graduation requirements, and scheduling procedures.

A question-and-answer period and an optional tour of the building will follow the presentation. High school counselors will be available, by appointment, to meet individually with parents. This can be arranged by calling in advance at 989-631-2418, ext. 1509.

Class of 2024 parent meeting

Parents of current sophomores are invited to attend an important meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2 in the High School Auditorium. Topics that will be covered include graduation requirements, class options for the students' junior year, Bullock Creek Early College Program and off-campus program opportunities.

Bullock Creek Early College parent meeting

Bullock Creek Early College Program (BCECP) blends high school and college in a rigorous yet supportive program, offering students an opportunity to get a jump-start on college coursework. Students have an opportunity to complete a high school diploma and up to the first two years of college in five years. Students attend college classes through Delta College and defer their high school diploma until the end of the fifth year.

Parents of Class of 2024 students interested in learning more about BCECP are invited to attend an informational meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 2 in the High School Auditorium. Parents of Class of 2025 students are invited to attend as well, but students are not eligible to apply for BCECP until the winter of their sophomore year. For more information, contact Jennifer Brown at 989-631-2418 ext. 1507.

Class of 2023 parent meeting

Parents of current juniors are invited to attend a special meeting that will focus on their children's senior year and planning for post-secondary opportunities. If your student is a member of the Class of 2023, please plan to attend this important meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 3 in the High School Auditorium. Graduation requirements, off-campus program opportunities, college applications, college entrance exams, scholarships, financial aid and work-based learning will be addressed at the meeting.
After entering a pandemic-induced hiatus for about two years, a community partnership is working on a relaunch for a community house build.

The Greater Michigan Construction Academy (GMCA) and Midland County Habitat for Humanity have partnered for five years to build houses for moderate to lower income families. Students at the GMCA have been working on a new house that will be installed in May.

GMCA is a building trades school with locations in Midland, Saginaw and Lansing. Habitat is an organization that aims to help with housing for low to moderate income individuals to realize their dreams of home ownership, said Jennifer Chappell, president and CEO of Midland County Habitat.

This partnership allows GMCA students to work on a project for their curriculum and their resume, and the academy is always looking for hands-on work for its students, said GMCA President Stephanie Davis. Habitat, meanwhile, benefits from being able to add one more home on an annual basis.

So far, the two entities have built four homes, with a fifth one on the way. The project, however, had to be put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Davis said students at GMCA began building another house in August. However, she said this project is different due to the addition of a giant pole barn that students can build the house inside of. This will allow them to work on the house consistently, regardless of the outdoor elements.

We are already farther along (at this point of the year) than we've ever been before, Davis said.

The house itself will be about 1,200 square feet, with three bedrooms, one bathroom, a porch, a kitchen and an open floor plan for the living room, Davis said. The house will be worked on until May and will be installed at the property. The house will not be fully completed since it is not yet on site, so Davis said Habitat volunteers will then finish the build on site.

Habitat usually identifies who will be moving into a home before the build begins, Chappell said. However, residents are not just given a home, but must be able to pay an affordable mortgage to move into the home. Their principal payment on their mortgage comes back to Habitat to build more homes for more families, she said.

It's a tangible opportunity for these students, Chappell said. For future years, they will be able to drive by that home somewhere in our community and see the difference that they made in a family's life.
Elekta, a leading innovator of precision radiation therapy solutions headquartered in Sweden, has launched the philanthropic Elekta Foundation to improve commoners access to cancer care.

The non-profit oprganisation will initiate and support projects and programmes in partnership with governments, NGOs and healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries to improve access to cancer care.

The Foundation will focus on three areas: education and training to build competencies in radiotherapy; cancer care infrastructure by developing new tools and models to scale up cancer care; awareness and prevention through developing partnerships with local government and NGOs to fight cervical cancer initially and then to include breast and prostate cancer at a later stage.

It was formed at a ribbon-cutting ceremony that took place at the Swedish pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. The launch coincided with Elektas participation at the Arab Health Exhibition and Congress 2022.

The Elekta Foundations mission is an important part of Elektas environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategy and priorities.

Dr Laurent Leksell, Elektas Chairman of the Board, said: As a global leader in oncology, one of Elektas key priorities is to make cancer care more accessible in underserved communities. In most low- and middle-income countries, cancer patients have very limited access and the possibility to receive adequate cancer care. There is also a strong need to support healthcare providers in many of these countries to expand the training and education of healthcare professionals. The Foundation is an important and integral part of Elektas ESG strategy to support the UN social development goals. One area of particular importance is to improve womens health and reduce the burden of breast and cervical cancer in Africa.

The Foundation will pilot programmes in Africa, specifically Kenya, Rwanda and Senegal, then expand to surrounding countries, regions and other low- and middle-income countries.

Currently, there are five education programmes under way with academic partners that will be delivered in a combination of virtual and in-person classes in 2022.

Cecilia Wikstrom, Chair of the Elekta Foundation, commented: The new Foundation aims at achieving long-lasting impact for people living with cancer in underserved and developing countries. We will now ensure that the Foundations mission will inspire all employees, experts and business partners in ways that benefit patients by increasing their hope - and access to treatment in line with Elektas strategy and with full commitment to contribute to the fulfilment of the UN sustainability goals.

Lacy Hubbard, President of the Elekta Foundation, added: I am honoured to take on this important role. In my previous responsibilities with Elekta, my team and I collaborated with advanced cancer centres with cutting edge technology in developed countries, but we have also seen too many rudimentary centres in underserved regions. This disparity has motivated us to help the developing world build radiotherapy competencies in business and charities, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds to place radiation equipment in Africa. We can do so much more in underserved markets with our new foundation. I look forward to doing everything we can to enable our Foundation and Elekta in our important mission to create a world where everyone has access to the best cancer care.

In the UAE and Middle East region, clinicians and hospitals can join Elektas continuing education programmes to improve their knowledge and skills. By educating and building competencies in radiotherapy, patient care throughput and the quality of cancer care can be improved.-- TradeArabia News Service
Approving a tax-exempt zone for a new Dow Chemical project was among many decisions made by the Midland City Council Monday.

Council met at Midland City Hall to not only discuss the project with Dow, but also a project for an affordable housing complex, new ward boundaries and polling locations, and recreation fee changes.

Dow development

The Dow Chemical Company and Dow Silicones Corporation submitted a request for a Michigan Strategic Fund (MSF) Designated Renaissance Zone for new development to modernize some of their facilities in the Dow Michigan Operations Industrial Park (I-Park). This zone would last for 15 years if approved, said Midland City Assessor Kayla Ripley.

An MSF Designated Renaissance Zone exempts taxpayers who have development agreements with a local government (the city and county of Midland in this case) and the Michigan Strategic Fund, Ripley said. To reduce the impact of the abatement on the city and county, Dow has agreed to annual payments in lieu of tax (PILOT) for existing property within the proposed Renaissance Zone.

Property taxes related to new capital investment associated with the project will be fully exempted for 12 years beginning January 1, 2026. Over the following four years, the tax abatement would be reduced by 25% each year, Ripley said.

The development and MSF zone will take place over 27 parcels or 642 acres of land in the I-Park, and include multiple upgrades within Dows facilities. This includes upgrading and extending the life of global silicones manufacturing facilities, modernizing research and development facilities, and making manufacturing more sustainable, said Paul Barbeau, senior global director of corporate facilities at Dow.

Dow is estimated to invest $150 million into the development by Dec. 31, 2027 and retain 800 employees. The retention of employees garnered many questions from council and the public. Council member Steve Arnosky asked how Dow will keep track of those 800 jobs. Barbeau said it is a state requirement under this agreement to retain those jobs and that Dow conducts annual audits that will show the number of employees.

Arnosky said the city wants Dow to succeed, and this partnership works for both Dow and the city.

It is good to see investment in the I-Park, it is always good for our community, Arnosky said. For that reason, it is important (and) I can support it.

Many notable community members came out to express their approval of the project, including Midland Business Alliance President & CEO Tony Stamas. President & CEO of the Midland Community Foundation Sharon Mortensen thanked Dow for continuing to invest in the city of Midland.

The MSF zone was approved in a 4-0 vote, with council member Marty Wazbinski being absent from the meeting.

Affordable Housing by Lincoln Park

This was not the only PILOT program the council voted on. Previously, council approved site plans for a 50-unit, affordable apartment complex named Lincoln Park Residences, which would be located at 221 E. Patrick Road. Now the DeShano Development Corporation is looking to work with the city on a PILOT program for that apartment complex.

Director of Planning & Community Development Grant Murschel said studies have been conducted to see if there is a need for affordable housing, with the results concluding that there is. In 2018, the Midland County Housing Analysis concluded that the city of Midland at the time had a shortage of 1,024 affordable rental units for the income levels of 0-30% Area Median Income (AMI).

Since then, no new developments have been made specifically dedicated to affordable housing, although a new complex, Center City Lofts, will fall in that category, with construction beginning in 2022.

For apartments to be considered affordable, Murschel said rents have to be between $331 and $913 per month, depending on unit size and the number of bedrooms.

Council member Pam Hall said she appreciates that this is being worked on since it is needed for moderate to lower income housing. Some of the other council members expressed concerns because of a fiasco with a previous PILOT apartment complex that deteriorated under its original ownership and eventually cost taxpayer dollars.

Mayor Maureen Donker said that any building created needs to be maintained and built to last.

If it is not a quality build, with great materials, that is going to stand the test of time and be a great design, it is not of value to us, Donker said

Council approved the PILOT request in a 4-0 vote to be sent to the Midland City Housing Commission to review it.

Other Council Business:
During a press briefing on Tuesday, Maria Van Kerkhove, the COVID-19 technical lead for the World Health Organization, warned that the next coronavirus "variant of concern" could be more contagious than omicron.

Roughly 21 million COVID-19 cases were reported to WHO over the past week, setting a new global record for weekly cases due to the more infectious omicron variant. While omicron still appears to be less severe than previous variants, the number of cases is causing hospitalizations to surge worldwide.

"The next variant of concern will be more fit, and what we mean by that is it will be more transmissible because it will have to overtake what is currently circulating," Van Kerkhove said. "The big question is whether or not future variants will be more or less severe."

Van Kerkhove also warned against thinking that the virus will continue to mutate into milder strains with less severity than earlier variants.

"There is no guarantee of that. We hope that that is the case, but there is no guarantee of that and we cant bank on it," she said. She added that the next "variant of concern" could evade vaccine protections more than even omicron, making existing vaccines less effective.

The WHO defines a "variant of concern" as any variant that either weakens the effectiveness of vaccines or increases transmissibility or virulence to a degree of global public health significance. The omicron and delta variants are the last two "variants of concern" according to WHO, but between the two came lambda and mu, which were "variants of interest," warranting monitoring, but did not spread quickly or broadly enough to rise to "variant of concern" status.

Omicron's ability to evade vaccines as well as its increased transmissibility makes it between two and four times more contagious than delta. Vaccine manufacturers Pfizer and BioNTech started testing a COVID-19 vaccine specifically aimed at the omicron variant on Tuesday.

In a study published on Jan. 21, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that a third dose of Pfizer's vaccine was 90% effective at preventing hospitalization due to omicron 14 days after the third shot was administered.

According to data from the U.K. Health Security Agency published on Dec. 31, third doses are 75% effective at preventing symptomatic infection from omicron two to four weeks after the third shot. However, that same study found that booster doses weaken after about 10 weeks, down to 45 to 50% protection against symptomatic infection.

While omicron has appeared to peak in some states, it continues to gain ground in others and in countries around the world.

"You wont have to wear a mask forever and you wont have to physically distance, but for now, we need to keep doing this," Van Kerkhove said Tuesday.

The next "variant of concern" may already exist, as earlier this week WHO announced that a new omicron subvariant, BA.2, dubbed "stealth omicron" by some, should be investigated and studied separately from the dominant omicron subvariant, BA.1, as the subvariant differs in some of the mutations, including in the spike protein and there are concerning characteristics including immune escape properties and virulence that should be prioritized independently.

WHO officials also said during the press briefing that COVID-19 is unpredictable and the virus will continue to evolve before settling into a pattern.
Palestine, TX (75801)

Today

Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Top officials of the UN and Libyan military have discussed ways in which the UN can support the demobilisation of armed groups, including by sharing experiences from other countries
Authorities arrested a Texas woman last week for attempting to purchase a woman's child at a Walmart Store, the police say.

A mom initially thought it funny that a stranger would approach her and ask how much she could purchase his son. But it turned out the stranger was serious. She wanted to buy her son at a Walmart Store.

Rebecca Taylor was arrested last week for trying to buy a child for $500,000 at Walmart. In an affidavit filed by the mom, Taylor allegedly approached her and her one-year-old son in a car seat on a shopping cart.

How much is your son?

According to the report, Taylor commented on the woman's son's blond hair and blue eyes. She then asked the mother, "how much she could purchase him for."

The mom told NBC she thought Taylor was joking and tried to laugh the comment off. Taylor, however, said to her that she had $250,000 in her car and she would pay that much for him. The mom replied that no amount of money would be able to pay for her son.

The affidavit further stated that Taylor told the mom that she thought her son was the perfect fit, and she had been waiting to buy a baby for a long time.

The mother told Taylor to stay away from her son. According to the mother, another woman who was with Taylor asked for the child's name, but she did not disclose it. The two seemed to know her son's name, though as they started "calling him by his name."

Fearing for her son's safety, the mom waited for the two women to leave before heading to her car.

Read Also: Anxious Parents Seek for Day Care Solutions While Dealing With Labor Shortages, Closures

Willing to pay for the baby at $500,000

However, in the parking lot, Taylor began screaming at the mother, saying, "if she wouldn't take $250,000 for him, then she would give $500,000 because she wanted him, and she was going to take him," according to a report on Sky News.

Once the mother got in the car, Taylor stood behind the black SUV stationed next to the mother's vehicle while telling the mom that she wanted the child and would pay $500,000 in cash for him. Eventually, Taylor got into the black SUV and drove off.

According to the police, the mother's account matched the surveillance footage from the store. The officer who wrote the affidavit went to Taylor's house to inquire about the incident.

Taylor told the police that she does not like thieves, and she would speak with her attorney and get her off her 'precipice.' She has then bonded out of Houston County Jail. If found guilty, Taylor would face up to ten years of prison.

Taylor has not given a statement on the matter yet, and it is not clear if she hired a lawyer to represent her for the incident.

Related Article: Shocking Hospital Bill: Hospital Charged Emergency Room Patient $1,012, Despite Doctor Not Showing Up
Photo: (Photo : Amy Sussman/Getty Images)

While the rest of the world dreaded the pandemic because of the restrictions, Benedict Cumberbatch said he loved the lockdowns because it gave him more time with his family.

The actor was filming "The Power of Dog" in New Zealand when the world slowed down with various stay-at-home orders in place because of the COVID-19 virus. However, Cumberbatch said that he was pretty lucky since he spent the lockdowns in an idyllic location with his wife, Sophie Hunter, and their three children -- Christopher, Hal, and Finn -- who are all under six years old.

Cumberbatch also revealed that his parents from London traveled to New Zealand for an initial three-week stay. He felt joy and gratefulness because his parents got to see him in action at work, where he steered cattle while riding a horse. However, his family had an unplanned five-month stay due to the pandemic, so they decided to rent a secluded lodge since production for "The Power of Dog" was on pause.

Read Also: Mom Regrets Pranking Children with a Hilarious 'Grinch Visit' As He Ruins Their House

Home Away from Home

According to Stuff New Zealand, Cumberbatch thought of hauling his family back in the U.K. amid the concerns and worries of the COVID-19 pandemic during the first wave. However, it was too late to fly out since the government was set to enforce the lockdown.

In a matter of days, the "Sherlock" star and his family moved from a hotel to an acre in Te Awanga in Hawker's Bay. The home was built in 1926 and was turned into a retreat house in the 1990s by well-known New Zealander businessman Robert Fisher.

The property was sold to a private owner in 2015, who did massive renovation works to reopen as the Black Barn Retreat. Reports cited that it was a perfect place for a celebrity who wanted to maintain a low profile while the world came to grips with a public health crisis.

"We were so lucky," Cumberbatch said about finding the house. "Far away from home, but we found a new one."

Cumberbatch and his family had access to the beach for swimming, the rivers for trout-fishing, and heaps of nature trains for birdwatching and other outdoor activities at their temporary New Zealand home. The place also had its own winery where locals said they saw the actor just sitting around.

As a father, Cumberbatch said that he wishes to take more child-friendly roles, so his kids will understand what he does for a living. However, his boys will have to wait until they are much older to watch their father on the screen since Christopher is only six, Hal is four, and Finn is still a toddler, and their dad hasn't done a lot of kids' movies yet.

Discouraged to Get into Acting

Cumberbatch will likely not encourage his sons to get into acting just like his mom, Wanda Venthom, who discouraged him from joining show business early, even if she's an actress. His father, Timothy Carlton, also had an illustrious career as a stage and TV actor but was against Cumberbatch becoming a child actor.

The star of "Doctor Strange" said that his parents were more mature and experienced when they had him, so they knew that acting "was a ridiculous choice of occupation" for a child. However, he still could not resist the acting bug and realized that it was what he wanted to do in his 20s. When he told his parents of his decision, after watching him on stage in college, his father said he was a better actor than him.

Related Article: Jamie Dornan Calls 2021 His Worst Year After Losing His Beloved Father to COVID
dnata, a leading global air and travel services provider, has been certified by the International Air Transport Associations (Iata) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) for its pharma and live animal handling processes at Brussels Airport (BRU).



Stef Vanbinst, Managing Director of dnata Belgium, said: We are proud to be globally recognised for delivering reliable and safe services at our Brussels hub. These certifications demonstrate our teams ability to handle precious cargo under the strictest international standards, consistently providing best-in-class services to our customers.



I thank each member of our team for their hard work and commitment to our robust quality and compliance program that ensures service excellence at every stage of the handling process. We continue to invest in our operations to exceed our customers expectations and cement our position as a leading cargo handler at Brussels Airport.



Brendan Sullivan, Iata Global Head of Cargo, said: The safe and efficient transportation of temperature sensitive Pharma products and live animals is a key priority for our industry. We congratulate dnata for achieving both CEIV Pharma and Live Animals certification at their Brussels hub. Shippers can enjoy additional reassurance that their facilities, equipment, operations and staff comply with all applicable standards, regulations and guidelines.



Nathan De Valck, Head of Cargo Product and Network Development at Brussels Airport, said: We are very glad to add dnata to our local community of CEIV Pharma certified partners. As the first and largest airport community in the world with CEIV Pharma certified stakeholders, this certification of dnata further strengthens our position as preferred EU pharma gateway and increases the guarantee of qualitative handling of time and temperature sensitive cargo throughout the entire air cargo chain.



dnata opened its state-of-the-art cargo centre at Brussels Airport (BRU) in 2019, substantially increasing cargo capacity in the Benelux states. The company has been also operating the Animal Care & Inspection Centre offering a top-notch, 2000-sq-m facility for the handling of live animals at BRU. dnata currently provides cargo services with a team of 120 highly trained employees in the Belgian capital.



The CEIV Pharma program was created by Iata to provide a globally consistent and recognized pharmaceutical product handling certification that focuses on airfreight and temporary storage. The stringent standards set by CEIV Pharma and the rigorous assessments conducted either meet or exceed many of the current worldwide regulations.



dnatas global commitment to providing best-in-class pharma handling services is underlined by the CEIV Pharma certification of its Amsterdam, Brussels, Dallas, Dubai, Singapore and Toronto cargo centres, as well the GDP certification of its Amsterdam, Brussels, Karachi, London, Manchester, Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney, Toronto and Zurich facilities.



Iatas CEIV Live Animals Logistics establishes baseline standards to improve the level of competency, infrastructure and quality management in the handling and transportation of live animals throughout the supply chain.



dnata provides quality and reliable ground handling, cargo, catering and retail services at over 120 airports in 14 countries.  TradeArabia News Service
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Malta International Airport has been awarded the Autism Friendly Spaces accreditation by non-profit youth worker organization Prisms, making it one of the first businesses to receive the award on the island.

The award was presented during an event organized by Prisms in collaboration with Maltas Ministry for Inclusion, Social Wellbeing and Voluntary Organisations, the Commission of the Rights of Persons with Disability (CRPD) and Agenzija Zgazag.

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The Autism Friendly Spaces quality label was created within a wider program, which is managed by Prisms, Autism Europe and several other entities, with the aim of supporting organizations in making places and everyday experiences more accessible to persons who are on the spectrum.

Malta International Airport became accredited after having satisfied several criteria, including the designation of employee representatives to undertake training and become autism ambassadors. Members from Prisms and the Autism Parents Association also visited the airport to assess how the companys Journey Facilitation Program is delivered and whether it provides fast-track assistance and access to a quiet space, in line with autism-friendly recommendations for the air travel industry.

Margaret White, a youth worker for Prisms, said, We are delighted that our airport is one of Maltas first accredited autism-friendly spaces, especially considering that it is the only air terminal serving the islands and that people travel for a number of reasons, ranging from necessity to leisure. We hope that Malta International Airports success story inspires more companies and organizations to follow suit in rethinking the spaces they manage and the experiences they provide.

Thomas Abela, customer services manager at Malta International Airport, said, The creation of our Journey Facilitation Program was rooted in our belief that all our guests deserve to enjoy the best possible airport experience. The feedback received over the past three years has shown us what a huge difference this service has made to persons benefitting from it. This feedback together with the accreditation received today encourage us to continue making our airport and air travel as accessible as possible to this passenger segment.

Malta International Airport launched the Journey Facilitation Program in 2018, with trained front-liners having delivered more than 500 services to persons on the spectrum since then. Through the journey facilitation service, persons on the spectrum are given a distinctive wristband which alerts staff members to their specific needs, are accompanied by a staff member throughout the journey, and given access to a quiet room providing a calming environment.
According to a new report published this morning, Apple has retained the title of the worlds most valuable brand following a 35% increase to US$355.1 billion  the highest brand value ever recorded in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking.

Apple had a stellar 2021, highlighted by its achievement at the start of 2022  being the first company to reach a US$3 trillion market valuation. The tech giants success historically lied in honing its core brand positioning, but its more recent growth can be attributed to the companys recognition that its brand can be applied effectively to a much broader range of services.

The iPhone still accounts for around half of the brands sales. However, this year saw Apple give more attention to its other suite of products with a new generation of iPads, an overhaul to the iMac, and introduction of AirTags. Its range of services, from Apple Pay to Apple TV, has also gone from strength to strength and become of increasing importance to the brands success.

Additionally, Apple knows the importance of being in tune with its customers for maintaining brand equity. Privacy and the environment are salient topics, and Apple bolstered its credentials on both fronts. This is evidenced by a greater transparency of the App Stores privacy policy, reinforcing the trust customers have in the brand, and the announcement that more of Apples manufacturing partners will be moving to 100% renewable energy, as the company aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

David Haigh, Chairman & CEO of Brand Finance: "Apple commands an amazing level of brand loyalty, largely thanks to its reputation for quality and innovation. Decades of hard work put into perfecting the brand have seen Apple become a cultural phenomenon, which allows it to not only compete, but thrive in a huge number of markets. With rumors abounding of its foray into electric vehicles and virtual reality, it seems it is ready for a new leap."

Major Points of the Report

Apple holds on to worlds most valuable brand title with record valuation at more than US$355 billion, followed by Amazon and Google

New entrant TikTok named worlds fastest-growing brand, up 215%, leading global revolution in media consumption

Tech remains most valuable industry, while second-ranked retail crosses US$1 trillion mark following 46% brand value growth during COVID-19 pandemic

Development of COVID-19 vaccines sees pharma named fastest-growing industry, while tourism sector remains below pre-pandemic valuation

US and China continue to dominate claiming 2/3 of brand value in ranking, while India sees fastest-growth over course of pandemic among top nations, up 42%

WeChat named worlds strongest brand for second consecutive year with top score of 93.3 out of 100 and elite AAA+ rating

Microsofts Satya Nadella comes out top in Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index 2022 of worlds top 250 CEOs

For more details, read the full report by Brand Finance.
The European Commission led by Margrethe Vestager has been fighting Silicon Valley's top tech giants for years. Three reports posted in April, June and July 2021 covered a few of the EU Commissioner's latest moves and commentaries against Apple.

In July 2020 Patently Apple posted a report titled "Within 24 Hours of Losing her back-tax case against Apple, EU Commissioner Vestager sent out a new threat over Siri." We noted in a report in October 2021 that "France's President Macron made it clear that Europe wants to replace the top 10 U.S. tech companies with European equivalents." This is the motivation for attacking U.S. tech companies on an ongoing basis.

Today, the EU Commission was dealt a loss in their battle against Intel. Bloomberg reports that "Intel Corp. won a historic victory in its fight in the European Union courts over a record 1.06 billion-euro ($1.2 billion) antitrust fine.

The EU General Court ruled Wednesday that EU regulators made key errors when they slapped Intel with the penalty for allegedly squeezing out rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Judges said the European Commission provided an 'incomplete' analysis when they fined the chip giant, saying the decision at the time "does not make it possible to establish to the requisite legal standard that the rebates at issue were capable of having, or likely to have, anti-competitive effects."

The judgment follows a 2017 ruling from the blocs top court, which criticized the General Court -- the EUs second-highest tribunal -- for not properly checking all factual and economic evidence when it previously weighed Intels appeal.

The European Commission in 2009 hit Intel with the blocs biggest antitrust fine at the time. It represented about 4% of Intels $37.6 billion in sales in 2008. Since then, Santa Clara, California-based Intel has been locked in a non-stop legal dispute with the EUs antitrust arm. For more on this, read the full BNN Bloomberg report.

Earlier this week the Dutch watchdog fined Apple 5 million for failure of the App Store to comply with an order to open its app store to allow dating app providers in the Netherlands to use alternative payment methods.

In a statement published this week, the Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) stated: "Apple has failed to satisfy the requirements on several points."

The war over the App Store's alternative payment methods and other issues led by the EU Commission is likely to surface later this year. Apple is likely to fight the EU Commission and take their battle to EU's highest court in the land. Stay tuned.

The EU's Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles

Prior to action that will be taken against Apple later this year, the EU Commission released two press releases this morning titled "Commission puts forward declaration on digital rights and principles for everyone in the EU," and "Speech by Executive Vice-President Vestager on the Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles."

The draft declaration covers key rights and principles for the digital transformation, such as placing people and their rights at its centre, supporting solidarity and inclusion, ensuring the freedom of choice online, fostering participation in the digital public space, increasing safety, security and empowerment of individuals, and promoting the sustainability of the digital future."

While some of the EU's declaration on digital rights will be used as a tool against Apple and other U.S. tech companies starting this fall, there are some other interesting entries. One of them is presented below:

Fourth  "Participation in the digital public space, where we commit to promoting an online open environment for a healthy, vivid democratic debate. Here again, it is already happening: our Digital Services Act also includes provisions to protect our freedom of speech, without fear of being censored or intimidated while being online." This is something that the U.S. should be fully supporting to stem the tide of censorship being exercised by the likes of social media giants Twitter, Facebook and others.

For those wanting to dive deeper into the Declaration on European Digital Rights and Principles now being drafted, check out this page with multiple references.
A former Mobile Money (MoMo) attendant, 27-year-old Gifty Tetteh, recounts how she was jailed for thirty months for claiming she mistakenly cashed in GH30,000 instead of GH3,000 back in 2018.



She said she operated a busy MoMo joint together with her employer at Afariwaa, a suburb of Tema.



In an interview with Crime Check TV GH, Tetteh said on that faithful day, overwhelmed with customers and in a bid to hurriedly attend to other customers, she entered Thirty Thousand Ghana cedis instead of Three Thousand Ghana cedis to be sent to the customer.



The young lady said she did not notice the erroneous transaction until they had closed and was rendering accounts of the days business.



The customer asked me to send the money to a third party. When I realized the blunder, I drew the attention of my employer who asked me to call the person the money was sent to. The person did not pick up the call so we had to fall on MTN to block the number, she recalled.



She said before the Telecom giant could block the number to prevent the recipient from cashing out the amount, the person had emptied his account.



Her arrest



The now ex-convict indicated that her employer then asked her to refund the money making a monthly payment of One Thousand Ghana cedis after he reported her to the Tema Community 22 Police. Tetteh said she was able to pay for four months with the help of relatives but unfortunately she could not raise the Thousand cedis in the fifth month as she deposited Eight Hundred Ghana cedis. This she said infuriated her employer.



I was paid Four Hundred Ghana cedis by my employer so it was the contribution of some relatives that I was able to pay part of the money for Four months. When the CID officer told my employer that I brought Eight Hundred Ghana cedis in the fifth month, he asked the police to take the matter to Court for the Court to make a decision on it, she narrated.



That same day the CID officer called me and informed me that they were taking me to court the following day. I did not sleep the whole night.



She said she appeared before Court without a lawyer and therefore could not defend herself.



Tetteh said she was sentenced to thirty months imprisonment and after serving her sentence she is directed by the court to refund the Thirty Thousand cedis.



In a reaction to the story, Tettehs employer said she is known for stealing from him and that the young lady stole the money and loaned it to friends and used some to stake bets.



Tetteh stole the money and it is not a mistake she made in sending the money. She has stolen almost Sixty Thousand Ghana cedis from me. She was about to marry so she stole the money to buy items for her marriage, loaned some of the money to friends and she was good at betting so she staked bets also. This is not the first time she has stolen from me, he clarified.



CCFs Stay Away From Trouble



Crime Check Foundation (CCF) has introduced programmes including the latest Stay Away From Trouble as part of its crime prevention advocacy project.



Through these programmes CCF cautions the general public against acts that could land them in trouble in a bid to curb crime.



The Foundation screens one-on-one interviews with prison inmates bringing to bear acts that landed them into prison and the difficulties they face in custody.



It has also paid the fines of many petty offenders for their release.

Source: adomonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources is investigating an alleged assault by some military officers on members of the Ministrys taskforce sent to arrest illegal miners at Enchi in the Western North Region.



On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, the Deputy Minister in Charge of Mining, George Mireku Duker, directed the taskforce to report to the Western-North Regional Minister and the Police Commander to assist the security personnel in the operations.



A statement issued by the Ministry said on their way back to Accra, the taskforce identified an illegal mining site along the road around Manso-Amenfi and arrested two persons seen on the field.



Bruises on the back of one of the victims

The statement said the Deputy Minister in Charge of Mining was duly informed and they were advised to convey two excavators from the site to the Amenfi Central District Assembly.



With the support of the DCE, the equipment were transported to the Assembly.



On their way back to Accra, the 13-member taskforce was allegedly accosted by ten armed military personnel around Wassa Akropong, who overpowered and brutalised them leading to the hospitalization of a female member of the team.



The lady who spoke to Luv News from her hospital bed in Accra said, the military men sought to identify the leader of the team, Mr. Twum Ampofo Agyekum and a journalist who works with the taskforce.



They beat us with the side of a machete whiles we laid prostrate on the ground. They also beat us with their hands, wires and the butt of their guns, she said.



At a point they asked; where is Mr Agyekum and the journalist? she added.



Bruises on the back of one of the victims

When we told them we were sent by the Minister for Lands, they said they didnt care. They asked the Minister who is he? One of them was disgraced when they were on guard duties at Odaho, she revealed.



Pictures of members of the taskforce, lying on the ground, taken by the military team were later displayed on social media, describing them as criminals extorting monies from miners.



In a statement signed by the Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, in charge of mining, George Mireku Duker, investigations are said to be ongoing to find out what really ensued between the military and the Taskforce.



In an effort to fight illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, the Ministry has established a taskforce to assist with arrests. The team has been immensely supporting the Ministrys endeavours to clamp down illegal mining activities across the country. As part of their responsibilities, the taskforce is mandated to apprehend illegal miners on and near water bodies and hand them over to any nearby police station, the statement added.

Source: Myjoyonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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A member of the Communication team of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dennis Miracles Aboagye says no person or entity should be spared if found guilty of the explosion that claimed several lives at Apiate in the Bogoso district in the Western Region.



According to reports, fourteen (14) people were killed and 179 others injured in the explosion which occurred on Thursday, January 20, 2022.



Investigations by the Police indicated that a mining explosive vehicle moving from Tarkwa to the Chirano Gold Mines collided with a motorcycle resulting in the explosion at Apiate, a farming community between Bogoso and Bawdie in the Prestea Huni-Valley municipality.



Addressing the issue during Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Dennis Miracles, who is a former Municipal Chief Executive for Akuapem North, called for punishment to be meted out to the company of the explosives should it be revealed that they didn't comply with the safety measures of moving such things across the community.



He stated that no one should be go scot free should it turn out that the explosion was due to a negligence.



''We need to have severe punishment for these people because the we cannot bring back the lives we've lost and even if you lose one life (one citizen's life), it will be difficult to get a replacement for that citizen's life, let alone we're counting almost 13 or so thereabout people who have lost their lives. Is it because of the case of someone's negligence? Then these people need to be severely punished.''







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Leader and Founder of the Prophetic Hill Chapel, Prophet Nigel Gaisie has disclosed that there will be another coup in the Wst African sub region.



According to him, he gave a prophecy about three coup d'etats to happen in the sub region out of which two had already happened.



Asked why he didn't publicly announce it, he said he was not a fool to die young as a prophet considering the order given to them by the Inspector General of Police COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare about prophecies.



The Inspector General of Police COP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, cautioned general public especially religious leaders over doomed prophecies on 31st Night.



In a statement, the Ghana Police Administration said, religious groups and leaders must be measured in their utterances, especially how they communicate prophecies, which may injure the right of others and the public interest.



The statement on communication of prophecies and their legal implications said, as the year 2021 draws to a close, the Ghana Police Service wishes to draw the attention of Ghanaians, especially religious groups, to the fact that whereas we have the right to religion, freedom of worship and free speech, all of these rights are subject to the respect for the rights and freedoms of others according to our laws.



Speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, he explained that sometimes one needs to apply common sense in dealing with issues that threatens his or her life, adding that "that's exactly what I'm doing now."



"Though as prophets we are mandated by God to speak when he reveals certain things to us, you will have to apply caution before you come out to speak especially in an environment like this where there are various attacks on prophets.



"I had Over Eighty (80) police officers assigned to my church alone on the night of 31st December. So what did you expect me to do, be foolish and prophesy?" he rhetorically asked.



He further added however that if they had been allowed to speak without let or hindrance on prophetic declarations, certain things could have been avoided.



"Maybe like what happened at Apiatse could have been revealed and averted," he added.



Recounting one of his prophecies, he explained that he had prophesied about the Burkina Faso coup d'etat adding that there is one more coup to happen in the sub region.



"If things don't go on properly, there will be another uprising but i can't mention the country's name now, but what i know is there will be three uprisings of which two has already happened," he repeated.



Watch Video Below





Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chief Executive Officer of the State Transport Corporation, Nana Akomea has showered praises on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Dampare over his work.



Dr. George Dampare, since his appointment, has attracted the admiration of many Ghanaians as he is touted to be one of the best IGPs in the country.



His determination to clamp down on criminals and to make the Police Service worthwhile is said to be unparalleled.



Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'', Nana Akomea was pleased with the work by the IGP who he noted is putting the laws of the country into practice.



He cited some things that have come under control since the IGP resumed office to be the rampant sounding of sirens by unqualified vehicle drivers and the fact that no person who flouts the laws goes scot free under the leadership of the new IGP.



''Ever since Dr. Dampare came, what has he been doing? He's applying the laws, that's all! He hasn't introduced anything new. So, you can feel that Ghanaians are crying for the laws to be obeyed. That's all!...All he's doing is just to apply the laws'', he stated.



He called on Ghanaians to ''encourage Dr. Dampare. He should keep going on''.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Following the launch of the Otumfuo Gold Coin on December 12, 2021, to recognise His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II for his tremendous role in peacebuilding and national development, the organisers of the event, E ON 3 Group, has embarked on special presentations of the Gold Coin to selected personalities.



KGL Group acquired the first of the 24- karat Commemorative Gold Coin for One Million Ghana Cedis (GH1,000,000.00).



Otumfuo Osei Osei Tutu II, in whose honour the gold coin was launched, has also been presented with the second of the Gold Coin.



Dates for Presentation



From January 27, 2022 to February 24, 2022, 20 personalities would be presented with the Gold Coin to demonstrate their resolve to support Otumfuo to further build on his peace initiatives.



Top on the list is H.E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who will be receiving the 3rd coin; the Vice President; H.E. Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is billed to receive the 4th gold coin; Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin is scheduled to receive the 5th gold coin; the Chief Justice, His Lordship Justice Kwasi Anin Yeboah, will be receiving the 6th gold coin; former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, will be presented with the 7th gold coin; H.E. John Dramani Mahama, former President will receive the 8th gold coin; Chief of Staff, Hon. Akosua Frema Osei- Opare will be presented with the 9th gold coin; Dr. Ernest Addision, Governor of the Bank of Ghana is scheduled to receive the 10th gold coin,



Majority Leader in Parliament, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu will be presented with the 11th gold coin; Minority Leader of Parliament, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, will be receiving the 12th gold coin, Ogyeahoho Yaw Gyebi II, President of the National House of Chiefs, will be presented with the 13th gold coin; Rev. Dr. Ernest Adu-Gyamfi will be receiving the 14th gold coin; Executive Chairman of Jonah Capital, Sir Sam Jonah will be presented with the 15th gold coin; His Eminence, Sheikh Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, the National Chief Imam is scheduled to receive the 16th gold coin; Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Samuel Abu Jinapor will be presented the 17th gold coins; Rev. Daniel Ogbarmey Tetteh, Director  General of Securities And Exchange Commission is slated to receive the 18th gold coin; Hon. Godfred Yeboah Dame, Attorney General and Minister of justice will be presented with the 19th gold coin; the Chief of the Defence Staff, Rear Admiral Seth Amoama will be receiving the 20th gold coin; the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare will receive the 21st gold coin, while Mr Frank Adu, former Managing Director of Cal Bank receives the 22nd gold coin. Also, to receive the gold coin at a special event is the Ya Na Abukari II.







Other Kingdoms



Other Kingdoms and personalities in Africa, as well as other parts of the world, will also be presented with the gold coin at later dates.



Diplomatic Corps



Also scheduled is a meeting with the Diplomatic Corps to share with them Otumfuo's upcoming peace initiatives and the purpose for the issuance of the gold coin.



Achievements



Key among Otumfuo's achievements manifested in the Dagbon Peace Initiative where he led the Committee of Eminent Chiefs to broker peace between the two feuding royal gates after many years of a biting chieftaincy dispute.



His Royal Majesty is also celebrated for calming tension in the buildup to the 2012 General Elections when he got the presidential candidates for the contesting political parties to meet in Kumasi to commit to peace by signing on to the famous Kumasi Declaration.



Otumfuo is also credited for stepping in to amicably resolve the conflict between Techiman and four towns that owe allegiance to the Golden Stool.



When the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) was plunged into crisis in October 2018, Otumfuo was at hand to douse the flames and restore normalcy to the institution.



Within Asanteman, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has ensured that all chieftaincy disputes that disturbed the progress of Asanteman were settled peacefully.



In recognition of his immense accomplishments in peacebuilding, the President of the 73rd Session of the United Nations General Assembly invited him to address the UN General Assembly High-Level Forum on Culture of Peace during the 25th anniversary of the Adoption of the Declaration and Programme of Action on Culture of Peace on September 12, 2019.



Key partners



E ON 3 Group organised the launch in collaboration with key partners made up of Manhyia Palace, KLG Group, Access Bank, Gold Coast Refinery, Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC), and Coronation Insurance.



Access Bank is the official banking partner of the Gold Coins, Gold Coast Refinery is the official minting company for the Commemorative Gold Coins, Precious Minerals Marketing Company (PMMC) is keeping custody of the Gold Coins, while Coronation Insurance is the official insurance company.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Honeywell, a global technology leader, has launched its Callidus Flare Technology production facility in the worlds largest industrial city at Jubail, Saudi Arabia, bringing the lowest steam consumption flares to help reduce the carbon footprint of the Jubail petrochemical complex.

The Callidus facility will be the first of its kind in Jubail Industrial Citys petrochemical complex, in proximity to several Saudi Aramco joint ventures, Sabic affiliates as well as private-sector petrochemical plants.

Callidus Technologies, which specialises in thermal combustion products for the oil and gas industry and is a world leader in flare technology, designs and manufactures flares that range from simple utility flares to high performance ultra-low-steam nViroTM XSR flares.

The Callidus production facility will contribute towards Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 and the In-Kingdom Total Value Add Program (IKTVA), enhancing the countrys economic diversity and industrial sector by localizing manufacturing and creating new jobs in manufacturing and engineering, the company said.

While providing the local energy sector with the latest flare technology, Honeywell is also targeting other markets to eventually export 25-30 percent of its production.

With thousands of installations worldwide, UOP Callidus flare systems provide proven economical flaring with high destruction efficiency, high smokeless capacity, low noise and low radiation for a broad range of flare applications, said Jim Moshi, General Manager, Honeywell UOP Middle East. With this state-of-the-art technology, petrochemical plants can greatly contribute to reducing their carbon footprint.

The launch of the Callidus facility builds on the agreements from the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between Honeywell and Saudi Aramco in May 2017, which included Honeywell undertaking commercial efforts to assist Saudi Aramco in achieving the goals of the IKTVA program by 2021.

IKTVAs aim is to achieve 70% localisation of production and jobs by 2021, supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030. The new facility will support these objectives by creating production jobs for Saudi nationals, which leads to enhanced local skills and capabilities for future developments. It is expected that the facility will help create at least 20 additional jobs in KSA.

Callidus Technologies was established in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1989 to provide advanced combustion solutions for the refining and petrochemical industries. Today, as part of Honeywell UOP, Callidus provides a broad portfolio of engineered products and services, including flares that reduce visible emissions, burner technologies that minimize formation of nitrogen oxides, and thermal oxidizers to treat and dispose of harmful waste products from industrial plants.

Active in Saudi Arabia for more than 70 years, Honeywell continues to play a vital role in supporting and advancing the Kingdoms industries. - TradeArabia News Service
The Anti-Robbery Squad of the Ghana Police Command has called on the general public to be on the lookout for a group of armed robbers when they attempt to sell grams of gold they stole from a buyer at Jacobu in the Ashanti region.



This follows the commencement of a bush operation by the Ashanti Regional Police Command to arrest some suspected armed robbers who killed a gold buyer at Jacobu and made away with about 324 grams of gold on Monday, 24 January 2022.



The bush operation is led by the Regional Police Commander DCOP Afful Boakye Yiadom.



The operation hopes to crack down on the gang of four, who attacked the gold dealer when he was transporting gold from Attabrakoso towards Huu, all in the Ashanti Region.



The robbers, made away with unspecified sum of money and mobile phones after killing their victim.



The Police have also urged the public to report any suspicious gold dealers.



The Police further urged anyone with information on the robbery incident to contact the Police emergency numbers 18555 and 191.

Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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In two years, 4 West African countries have attempted coup detats. 3 of these have been successful and one has failed.



First Niger, whose coup attempt was foiled in March 2021, followed by Mali in May 2021, Guinea in September 2021 and then the latest, Burkina Faso which was officially announced on Monday, January 24, 2022.



Niger:



Prior to the transitioning and swearing-in of the president-elect, Mohamed Bazoum in March, after having won an election over his opponent, Mahamane Ousmane, a military unit tried to seize the presidential palace in Niger's capital, Niamey.



In a statement from the government, it noted that "On the night of March 30-31, an attempted coup was thwarted," it said in a statement, condemning "this cowardly and regressive act which sought to threaten democracy and the state of law".



Mali:



On May 24, 2021, Malis President, Bah Ndaw, Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane and Minister of Defence, Souleymane Doucoure were captured by the Malian Army led by Vice President, Assimi Goita as the head of the junta. They subsequently announced that Ndaw and OUane were stripped of their powers pending new general elections to be held in 2022.



Guinea:



Barely 4 months after, Guinea experienced a coup, on September 5, 2021, when its President, Alpha Conde, was captured by the country's armed forces after gunfire in the capital, Conakry. Special forces commander Mamady Doumbouya released a broadcast on state television announcing the dissolution of the constitution and government.



And Burkina Faso: recorded a coup as the most recent on Monday, January 24, 2022. The countrys Army, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba confirmed that it had dissolved the government and the national assembly, as well as closed the borders.



In all of these, one thing was prominent, the closeness of these countries to each other, the escalation of political instability and the abuse of democracy.







How close are these countries to Ghana as far as geography is concerned and what does this mean for the country as far as security is concerned?



We explore this in this article.



Ghana and Niger:



Niger is located on the North-East side of Ghana and shares a boundary with Burkina Faso. It is approximately 1,450km from Ghana and about 904 miles away.



Ghana and Mali:



Mali is located on the North-Western side of the West African Map and to Ghana. The country shares a direct border with Burkina Faso which equally shares a border with Ghana. The distance between both countries is approximately 1200 km.



Ghana and Guinea:



Guinea is located nearly West-side of Ghana. The country shares a direct border with Ivory Coast and Mali and is approximately 970km to Ghana.



Ghana and Burkina Faso:



Ghana is bounded on the north by Burkina Faso. In effect, Burkina Faso shares a direct border with Ghana in the Upper East Region. The distance between the two countries is approximately 470 km and the main border crossing is at Paga although some other lesser-used crossings include Bawku in the Upper East and Tumu and Hamile, all in the Upper West Region of Ghana.







Proximity and its translating effect on Ghanas security:



GhanaWeb sought the expertise of some security analysts on the possible impact of these coups on Ghana, considering their proximity to the country.



Adib Saani, Vladimir Antwi-Danso and Irbard Ibrahim all shared their respective thoughts.



Adib Saani:



For Adib Saani, there could be some serious effects of the coups in these neighbouring countries, on Ghana. According to him, terrorist groups take the chance to establish themselves in neighbouring countries when coups occur.



These groups, he says, wait for the right chance to strike and attack after establishing grounds during these periods. Adib believes Ghanas porous borders even make it a more vulnerable country in that regard.



Citing a UN department of state report published in 2002, he said,

It says that usually, terrorists take advantage of political upheavals in countries to establish foot forward like it happened in Sudan in the 1990s where Al-Qaeda established its base there and of course, it happened in Somalia when for the good part of the 1990s when Al-Shabab established a foothold there.



So in the midst of all the chaos terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab, ISIS in the Greater Sahara would take advantage of the confusion to reorganise, resupply logistics and of course move around and Ghana certainly is part of the whole area in which you could have movements of terrorists from Burkina Faso into the country, particularly owing to how porous our borders are, not coming to stage attacks but perhaps to establish sleeper cells for maybe attacks in the future.



We cannot afford to act like this is another persons domestic issue. Because of the closeness of countries in West Africa whatever happens in one country has the possibility of spilling over into another country. So obviously this poses a bigger and potential threat to the security of Ghana than it was some few weeks back, he said in an interview with GhanaWeb.



Irbard Ibrahim:



For Irbard Ibrahim, Burkina Faso which is the closest in terms of bordering, poses more of a threat to Ghana than the other countries which have experienced coup detats. According to him, Ghana will suffer the most if there is a spill-over from the effects of the coup.



On a case by case basis, Burkina Faso would sound scarier than other countries weve seen suffer from turbulence.



These countries to our East and West, have had their own fair share of turbulence but why I find Burkina Faso trickier is because it is grappling with militancy and already, Ghana has had to deploy heavily in our Northern frontiers to shield us from a possible spillover. Now that there is no consensus, between an emerging coup leadership in Burkina Faso, will they continue to share intelligence with Ghana? No, so Burkina Faso degenerating into instability will weaken Ghanas counter-terrorism efforts and would open us up to a potential terrorist attack, he said.



Adding,



Already weve seen Ghanaians from certain parts of the north volunteer to be suicide bombers in some of these conflict zones. And so if our unguarded frontiers are now going to be without cooperation, and collaboration between our intelligence agencies, if we do to Burkina Faso what weve done to Mali to Guinea, by suspending their membership of ECOWAS, they wont collaborate with Ghana again. And to make their voice heard, this is geopolitics, they can facilitate the infiltration of Ghana by some of these militant organisations to send home a strong message that turning our backs on them may have devastating consequences.



Vladimir Antwi-Danso:



Security Expert, Vladimir Antwi-Danso on his part believes the risk lies in the similar patterns that run through all these countries as far as governance is concerned.



He believes miscreants and terrorists have proven over time to take advantage of dents in governance and democracy to operate and these should be identified and dealt with.



What is happening in Burkina Faso is akin to what happened in Mali in 2011, 2012 where there was a coup.



The things happening in these countries are similar and when I say bad governance, it is when a government is unable to get a foothold on the totality of the country. When you leave ungoverned spaces, you are likely to have those spaces filled by miscreants filled by ISIS, al-Qaeda, because terrorism is festering and they want places they can stay. If you give them the space, and the francophone countries in the Sahel have allowed this to happen, he indicated.





Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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An aspiring General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Iddrisu Musah Superior has said the party is in shambles as its spirit is lost.



According to Mr Superior, no presidential candidate can win the 2024 elections on the ticket of the party if we dont get the spirit of the NPP back.



Speaking on Class FM, Tuesday, 25 January 2022 on why he wants to unseat Mr John Boadu as the General Secretary, Mr Superior said members of the party are demotivated and feel neglected.



He told the show host that the spirit of the party is lost, it is gone very far and if we want this party to get to work and to win 2024 and win it well, then we have to find the spirit and the only way we can get the spirit is to find people who were not deliberately part of the team that made the spirit run away.



In his view, the best person to help get the NPPs spirt back must have the energy, the person must be innovative, the person must be young so that we can get our spirit back.



If we dont get the spirit of the NPP back, forget it, you can choose the smartest, the most intelligent, the most resourceful presidential candidate and you will lose the election because presidential candidates dont win election, it is the political party that win election, he warned.



Explaining why he thinks the partys spirit is lost, the Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission noted that our party is in shambles, now we are struggling, adding if you go round the country, youre going to see party people demotivated, our offices are dysfunctional and we need to make sure that we get these people back, so we have to go out, at the base of the party, and re-recruit, we have to speak to people to come and join the work again.



He said this must be done because if were not in a position to put ourselves together, how can we send a message to the rest of Ghanaians to vote for us? So the most important thing is to get the spirit of the party back and the way to get it back is to excite the party and tell the party that whatever your challenges are, whatever your complains are, you need to come back



If voted as the next General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Superior said every person joins a party for their self-development and so, he would create a business development unit to support members of the party.





Source: classfmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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National Security Minister, Albert Kan-Dapaah, has patted the National Democratic Congress MPs on the back for the role they have played in holding the government accountable under the current dispensation.



According to him, the minority group is not obstructing government business but rather contributing to demanding more accountability.



The statement by the minister is a sharp departure from the position of the NPP majority in Parliament who have argued in time past that the minority have been hell-bent on obstructing government business-based events in the 8th parliament particularly the passage or otherwise of the e-levy bill.



Albert Kan-Dapaah, speaking at this years Commonwealth Parliamentary Association workshop urged the government to view the actions of the minority as an attempt to shed off the rubber stamp image of parliament.



The study of the evaluation of Ghanas parliament under the 4th republic reveals an interesting insight. The composition of the current parliament where the majority is decided by a narrow margin of one seat is in sharp contrast to the first parliament of the 4th Republic which operated as a one-sided legislature due to the decision of the then opposition party to boycott the 1992 parliamentary elections.



What does this observation imply for the growth of Ghanas democratic practice?...various interpretations could be given out of this insight depending on the interest and motivation of the one conducting the analysis. Whereas some consider the new development as a threat given that it equips the minority with immense powers to obstruct government business, let us view it as a departure from the perceived rubberstamping nature of parliament, allowing it the much-needed impetus to serve as a proper check on the executive, he said.



We love democracyall of us love democracy but the only reason we love democracy is because of the checks and balances. Democracy without checks and balances does not qualify to be a democracy. Parliament is the only institution that can hold the government to account, he added



The Minority caucus in parliament has maintained a stiff opposition to the e-levy which they describe as draconian



According to the group, the passage of the bill will impose severe hardship on Ghanaians.





Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Even ahead of its resumption, Parliament is already bracing itself for another round of drama.



Starting from the main gate, security personnel are under pressure from dozens of members of a pressure group, Justice 4 Ghana, vowing to reject the introduction of the Electronic Transaction Levy (E-Levy).



The group, led by Bernard Mornah, the former Chairman of the Peoples National Convention (PNC), showed up on Tuesday morning to occupy Parliament in protest of the E-Levy.



According to him, the Police were duly notified about the demonstration and is, therefore, confused as to why they have not been allowed entry into the premises.



In a January 18 statement, the group hinted that todays picket will last until the vote on the E-levy Bill is completed.





But developments within the past 24 hours mean this could be a dicey move.



Even though the Finance Ministry has communicated its intent to re-introduce the levy proposal in Parliament, Banda MP, Ahmed Ibrahim says the actual business for the day excludes the e-levy.



So today [Monday], I was not surprised that they went for a business committee meeting to my disbelieve government could not table the e-levy as part of the business to be executed this week. So the e-levy is not on the business statement for this week, he said on Monday.



But Bernard Mornah does not seem satisfied with the supposed re-scheduling. He insisted that the aggrieved members will not take their word for it.



Can you trust the Majority and the Finance Minister when they can come under certificate of emergency in the middle of the night to present this and force their way through?



Speaking to JoyNews, Mr Mornah added that even though they have been denied entry into the facility, some of his members are already inside in plain clothes, ready to hold the fort while they protest outside.



Parliament adjourned proceedings to January 25, thereby cutting short any attempt to approve or reject the E-levy Bill.



It happened after proceedings in the House were brought to a halt, following the fisticuff among members of the two sides of the House on Monday, December 20, 2021.



Ahead of todays sitting, the Speaker, Alban Bagbin, has urged the leadership of the Majority caucus to prioritise consultations in their decision-making processes with regard to the business of the House.



So far, security presence has been beefed up in and around Parliament to ensure the safe execution of todays agenda as Parliament resumes.

Source: Myjoyonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan, has expressed disgust over recent comments by the former President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, that Ghanaians should not embrace the e-levy policy of the Akufo-Addo government.



Former President John Dramani Mahama charged the National Democratic Congress(NDC) to stay opposed to the controversial e-levy and other nuisance taxes by the government.



The NDC remains opposed to the imposition of the numerous fresh taxes on Ghanaians at a time when Government is living large and unwilling or unable to trim expenditure, cut waste and check corruption, he said in a Facebook post.



He continued that ''these burdensome taxes will erode business capital, especially at a time when Government has crowded out the private sector's access to credit by its voracious appetite for borrowing''.



''The Ghanaian economy has been collapsed by President Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia.

The debt crisis, for which there are very few tangible projects to show for, and worsening economic hardship of Ghanaians amply demonstrate the negative impact of a collapsed economy'', he added.



Speaking on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo'' Wednesday morning, Kwamena Duncan didn't take it kindly with Mr. Mahama as he (Kwamena Duncan) reminded Ghanaians of his bad leadership.



The former Minister alluded to some of Mahama's alleged corrupt practices like SADA, Airbus scandal among others, hence wondered how Mr. Mahama would have the guts to criticize President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



''In 2017 when we assumed office, as many as over 17 nuisance taxes were all scrapped off. 2017, go back and check but we're talking about Mahama who is today saying they are opposed to the e-levy. See, let me tell you; their prayer is that this country must come crashing because, right from the beginning of the year, Ato Forson said prices of commodities and items are going to skyrocket.



''You remember, in 2017, he gave the same prophecy that we were going to go back to the 83 days that there will be famine; all kinds of things. See, when they are out of office, they do not wish anything good for this country...but God is not human, so, in 2017, there was bumper harvest all over the place'', he exclaimed.



To him, all Mr. Mahama and his National Democratic Congress (NDC) seek to do with their opposition to the e-levy is to ruin the nation.



''It is not for them to see a certain good progress for this country, so they will continue to be opposed to the e-levy...but good sense will prevail'', he stated.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Mr. Gilbert Abeiku Aggrey popularly known as 'Abeiku Santana' has been unveiled as brand ambassador for 'aYo' Intermediaries Ghana, a micro insurance company of telecommunication giants, MTN.



The partnership would see the 2021 Radio and Television Personality of the Year, join the aYo family which has insured over seven million Ghanaians with hospital and life insurance cover over the past five years.



At the official signing ceremony in Accra, Mr. Francis Gota, Chief Executive Officer of aYo Ghana Intermediaries Limited, stated that Abeiku Santana's advocacy of championing the course of the less privileged aligns with the company's vision.



"It is really an honour to have Abeiku Santana on board especially considering your desire to help the less privileged people and contributing to the improved well being, we deem you the right person for this partnership and we remain hopeful of a fruitful outcome, " he said.



Mr. Gota further noted that his outfit was poised to change the bad narrative of insurance by delivering a service that is fast, convenient and easy to use.



"For us we want to provide a future where everybody uses insurance. So many people have misconceptions about insurance considering the difficulty in getting their claims but our outfit wants to demystify all those misconceptions but leverage on technology to provide easily accessible insurance to everybody," he noted.



The highly renowned broadcaster in his remarks expressed his excitement over joining the aYo group and was poised to lead the charge of getting more Ghanaians ensured considering its life saving packages.



"I am amazed with the kind of packages aYo has for its customers and very delighted to come on board to push this agenda of getting many people enrolled on the scheme.



"In this digital age to have an insurance product that is easily accessible and so affordable, it is quite remarkable. I am yet to have an insurance policy that cares so much for the low-income earners than aYo and I urge Ghanaians to subscribe to this insurance to secure the future," he said.



The aYo Insurance service has over the past few years paid over 7.4 million claims to its customers enrolled on Recha rge with Care", "Send with Care" and other insurance products.

Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Chloe Dufour-Lapointe, a four-time Olympian and silver medalist in 2014, poses for a photo at Apex Mountain where the Beijing 2022 Canadian Olympic Mogul Team has spent the past six days. The team leaves from Vancouver for Beijing, Wednesday morning.
Michael Avenatti arrives to Federal court in Manhattan, Monday, Jan. 24, 2022, in New York. Avenatti, the once high-profile California attorney who regularly taunted then-President Donald Trump, was introduced to prospective jurors who will decide whether he cheated porn star Stormy Daniels out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
The UAE is not only Turkeys largest trading partner in the GCC region, it is also a reliable business ally and a strategic link in Gulf trade.

This according to Ali Can Yamanyilmaz, Deputy Chairman of Mediterranean Aquatic and Animal Products Exporters' Association (ASHiB), who highlighted the excellence of the Turkish food products and best international practices within the exporting industry to trade industry partners and stakeholders.

A physical networking conference and business dinner were organised by Turkish Aquatic and Animal Products Exporter Associations for key industry partners including supermarket chains, retailers, importers and manufacturers from the UAE and wider region. The event witnessed the presence of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Bekir Pakdemirli.

The mission aims to identify trade potential between Turkey and UAE and to enhance the food products business between key players from both sides by ensuring sustainability in the market and strengthening the perception of our high-quality products in the Gulf, especially in Dubai and the UAE, said Yamanyilmaz.

Earlier on the same day, Turkish Aquatic and Animal Products Exporter Associations hosted a food-tasting event for social media influencers and local news publications as part of endeavours to strengthen brand awareness about Turkish food products among industry partners and consumers in the UAE and the wider region.

The media event showcased the different variety of Turkish products where celebrity Chef Arda Turkmen provided the guests with a taste of Turkish cuisine. Chef Arda and influencer Tamara Jamal who participated in the activity both collaborated previously to create a promotional video about Turkey as gourmet destination.

Sponsored by Turkish Aquatic and Animal Products Exporter Associations, both events are part of the associations strategy to increase overseas trade with neighbouring countries and across international borders.

In addition to its role in promoting overseas trade, Turkish Aquatic and Animal Products Exporter Associations provide support and quality services to regional partners and international members according to the highest international standards, Yamanyilmaz added.

Turkish Aquatic and Animal Products Exporter Associations work closely with public institutions, non-governmental organisations and private sector as well as national and international entities to ensure professional ethics and solidarity among exporters and promote mutually beneficial economic partnerships with strategic markets.-- TradeArabia News Service
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The Saudi Arabia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has officially launched Saudi Coffee Week to celebrate the countrys unique coffee culture.



One of the initiatives that mark the designation of 2022 as The Year of Saudi Coffee, the five-day event at the Saudi Pavilion will take place between 3-9 pm from January 25 to 29.



The event includes multiple daily activities to inspire and educate Pavilion visitors on Saudi Arabias rich coffee traditions, which form an essential part of the Kingdoms culture. This includes showcasing a variety of coffee-making and brewing techniques as well as incredible tasting experiences.



The Saudi Pavilion is inviting visitors to discover the array of Saudi coffee flavours and familiarize themselves with the traditions of other countries at an exhibit held at the Open Square, with booths from Ethiopia, Colombia, Honduras, Panama, and Australia.



Visitors can attend one of two workshops hosted at Sard Cafe to learn the art of making Saudi Gahwa (coffee). They can also treat themselves to especially curated menu items that will be featured during the event, such as Gahwa Affogato and dessert item Gahwa Half Pint.



The experiences at the Pavilion are designed for the whole family to enjoy, with special workshops and activities for children.  TradeArabia News Service
One of the most exciting slopestyle team change news pieces came last week, when Erik Fedko and YT announced a new partnership . Throughout a successful three-year stint with Rose Bikes following his rise to the top of the slopestyle game, Fedko snagged several Crankworx slopestyle podiums and other impressive results, and considering he's just 23, he is just getting started. The young German rider said he's looking forward to working with YT on his creative projects, so we're excited to see what that entails.To kick off the sponsorship, Fedko headed south to the Freeride Fiesta in Mexico, where he spent a week hitting massive jumps and getting a feel for the new bike right away. The most noticeable part of this Tues is the single crown Zeb, which gives him 190mm of travel up front. Erik said that with how capable bikes and suspension have become nowadays, there's really no real reason to run a dual crown fork on a course like the Freeride Fiesta jumps - especially as he wanted to do barspins and tailwhips. Let's take a closer look.
Feyzullah Karaarslan Wins the 2022 WSOPC Rozvadov 1,700 Main Event (204,053)

January 26, 2022 Christian Zetzsche Contributor

In fewer than six and a half hours on the final day, the 2022 World Series of Poker International Circuit crowned a champion in the 1,700 Main Event at King's Resort, Rozvadov. Out of a field of 808 entries, Turkey's Feyzullah Karaarslan prevailed in heads-up against Aleksandar Tomovic to claim the biggest slice of the 1,189,780 prize pool and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.

For his efforts, Karaarslan walked away with a cash prize of 204,053 while Tomovic had to settle for a 127,017 payday. In addition, both players received entry to the 2022 WSOP Europe 10,350 Main Event as part of a year-long promotion in Europe's biggest poker arena. In fact, the top 12 finishers in the tournament all received the ticket and will be back at King's Resort in late 2022 for the pinnacle European poker event of the year.

Local player Roman Chochola finished in third place while three Italians, including 2021 WSOPE bracelet winner Simone Andrian, made the final table. Andrian came into the day as one of the shortest stacks and fell shy of another victory at the venue, bowing out in 8th place.

2022 WSOPC Rozvadov 1,700 Main Event Final Table Results

Place Winner Country Prize (in EUR) 1 Feyzullah Karaarslan Turkey 204,053* 2 Aleksandar Tomovic Serbia 127,017 3 Roman Chochola Czech Republic 90,894 4 Ronnie Lemmens Netherlands 70,328 5 Claudio Di Giacomo Italy 55,410 6 Do Tran Germany 43,369 7 Sharon Sade Israel 32,074 8 Simone Andrian Italy 22,058 9 Michael Ugucctoni Italy 17,369

*The top 12 finishers also received a 2022 WSOPE Main Event ticket worth 10,350

2022 WSOPC Rozvadov 1,700 Main Event Final Table Recap

The final hand of the Main Event

Dutchman Ronnie Lemmens entered the day as the chip leader ahead of Karaarslan and Tomovic. He was one of the most active finalists despite complaining to the rail that he had "no hands to play with" and proceeded to live and die by the sword. Ultimately, he was eliminated by Chochola in fourth place for a six-figure prize.

While Lemmens retained the top spot during the early stages, the two Italian short stacks, Michael Ugucctoni and Andrian, were never able to get things going to become the first two casualties. Once Sharon Sade was eliminated in seventh place, the ladder-up of Do Tran ended in a flip. His ace-king flopped best but Chochola hit running cards to make a flush.

Veteran player Claudio Di Giacomo was handcuffed in the middle of the pack and succumbed in fifth place to miss out on a repeat victory for Italy in this WSOP International Circuit stop. Chochola took over the lead in three-handed play but went from hero to zero in half an hour.

While heads-up play was very deep at the start, the gloves went off right away between the most aggressive and the most experienced contender among the final nine. Ultimately, the duel lasted all but 15 minutes and it was Karaarslan who prevailed in an aggressive four-bet pot. His ace-ten suited would go on to make a flush for the victory, after Tomovic flopped top pair.

Sharelines Turkey's Feyzullah Karaarslan outlasted 807 other entries to win the 2022 WSOPC Rozvadov 1,700 Main Event for 204,053.
Texas Card House CEO Taken Aback by Dallas City Threat

January 25, 2022 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S.

Welcome to the Wild Wild West, the supposed "land of the free," where residents can do as they please so long as they don't steal, kill, or open a poker room, apparently.

Texas has some strict anti-gambling laws, perhaps a bit odd considering how "free" the state is otherwise (except marijuana). In Dallas, city officials are beginning to crack down on poker for some mysterious reason.

One poker room in the area, Texas Card House, recently received a notice informing the business their Certificate of Occupancy was being revoked. Ryan Crow, TCH's CEO, told PokerNews that he had no reason to believe the city would attempt to shut him down.

"Because other rooms had been shut down we knew there was a chance something could happen," Crow said. "The city councilman for our district Omar Narvaez came out and visited us. He, as well as a few other city officials, have shown a lot of support so, in the end, we were very surprised when we received the letter. Six months ago I would have told anyone that Dallas was the safest city we operate in due to the fact that they had been so collaborative when we came to the city."

Crow wasn't given many details on why his permit was being revoked. The notice simply read, "The building official is required to revoke a certificate of occupancy if he or she determines that it was issued in error. Upon review of the attached land use statement submitted with the certificate of occupancy application, it has been determined that the description violates the Texas Penal Code section 47.04, 'Keeping a Gambling Place.'"

Seeking an Appeal

Texas Card House remains in operation with dozens of daily cash games spread. Crow is awaiting a likely February appeal with the City Board of Adjustments, an appeal he isn't confident will go his way, but it may not be devastating. His lawyers are preparing for the next steps already.

"The cards are kind of stacked against us at the appeals board," he admitted.

Should he lose that appeal, it's anyone's guess as to if the city will force the Dallas card room to close. He said it wouldn't be good for business to shut down operations for months while he fights it out in court, but he's confident that things will work out because, as he said, "I'm running a legal business."

"We feel, and our attorneys feel, that we have a good case," Crow said.

In Texas, gambling is illegal outside of certain Indian reservations. Per Texas Penal Code Section 47.04, a business cannot be used to "keep a gambling place," meaning if you opened up a slot machine parlor in the Lone Star State, you'd be breaking the law.

But there is a bit of loophole in the wording of the Section 47.04, and poker room owners such as Crow have figured it out.

"There is a limited exception for persons who use a private place and receive no economic benefit other than personal winnings," Texas law states.

Crow, along with many others including numerous local politicians and lawyers, interpret that to mean a poker room is legal so long as the business doesn't take rake. And that's exactly how Texas Card House, and other Texas poker rooms, operate.

At TCH, players pay a $30 monthly or $300 annual membership fee for access to the club. When they arrive to play poker, they're charged a $13 hourly seat fee. There's no rake taken out of the pots and, as Crow explains, that's what allows his room to operate within the law, as stated in Penal Code Section 47.04.

Texas Card House CEO Ryan Crow

City Council Going Back on their Word?

Crow spent countless hours in 2019 and 2020 meeting with City Council members explaining to them his business plans. In January 2019, he spoke before a city council meeting where Chris Caso, the current City Attorney who served in a different role at the time, went to bat for the proposed poker room.

"The House doesn't take a cut out of this," Caso explained to city council members at the aforementioned 2019 meeting. "Here, all you're charging is a fee, say, a membership fee. If they decide we aren't making enough money so we have to take a cut, then that switches it over to illegal."

Caso made that statement of approval with Crow standing directly behind him. Fast forward almost three years to the day and the Dallas City Attorney's office is taking an opposite stand on poker clubs such as Texas Card House.

Crow told PokerNews he isn't just concerned with the financial ramifications he'll face if the club is forced to close.

"We have over 215 employees and they are paid well, receive benefits, and would be out of a job," the CEO stated. "We were going to open another location in Dallas, but that won't be happening."

Crow's company operates three other locations  Austin, Houston, and Rio Grande Valley. Those locations are booming just like in Dallas, but they aren't facing political opposition.

PokerNews reached out to the Dallas City Attorney's office for comment but have not received a response.

*Images courtesy of Texas Card House

Sharelines Texas Card House owner Ryan Crow answered questions about the city of Dallas cracking down on poker.
In fewer than six and a half hours on the final day, the 2022 World Series of Poker International Circuit crowned a champion in the 1,700 Main Event at the King's Resort in Rozvadov. Out of a field of 808 entries, Turkey's Feyzullah Karaarslan prevailed in heads-up against Aleksandar Tomovic to claim the biggest slice of the 1,189,780 prize pool and his first WSOP Circuit gold ring.

For his efforts, Karaarslan walked away with a cash prize of 204,053 while Tomovic had to settle for a consolation prize. Both also received an entry to the 2022 WSOP Europe 10,350 Main Event as part of a year-long promotion in Europe's biggest poker arena. The top 12 finishers in the tournament all received the ticket and will be back in late 2022 for the pinnacle poker event of the year at the King's Resort.

Local player Roman Chochola finished in third place and among the finalists were also three Italians including 2021 WSOPE bracelet winner Simone Andrian. He came into the day as one of the shortest stacks and fell shy of another victory at the venue, bowing out in 8th place.

Final Result 2022 WSOPC Rozvadov 1,700 Main Event

Place Winner Country Prize (in EUR) 1 Feyzullah Karaarslan Turkey 204,053* 2 Aleksandar Tomovic Serbia 127,017 3 Roman Chochola Czech Republic 90,894 4 Ronnie Lemmens Netherlands 70,328 5 Claudio Di Giacomo Italy 55,410 6 Do Tran Germany 43,369 7 Sharon Sade Israel 32,074 8 Simone Andrian Italy 22,058 9 Michael Ugucctoni Italy 17,369

*The top 12 finishers also received a 2022 WSOPE Main Event ticket worth 10,350

Dutchman Ronnie Lemmens entered the day as the chip leader ahead of Karaarslan and Tomovic. He was one of the most active finalists despite complaining to the rail that he had "no hands to play with" and proceeded to live and die by the sword. Ultimately, he was eliminated by Chochola in fourth place for a decent six-figure payday.

While Lemmens retained the top spot during the early stages, the two Italian short stacks Michael Ugucctoni and Andrian were never able to get things going to become the first two casualties. Once Sharon Sade was eliminated in 7th place, the ladder-up of Do Tran ended in a flip when ace-king flopped best but Chochola hit running cards to a flush.

Veteran player Claudio Di Giacomo was handcuffed in the middle of the pack and succumbed in fifth place to miss out on a repeat victory for Italy in this WSOP International Circuit stop. Chochola took over the lead in three-handed play but went from hero to zero in half an hour.

While heads-up play was very deep at the start, the gloves went off right away between the most aggressive and the most experienced contender among the final nine. Ultimately, the duel one-versus-one lasted all but 15 minutes and it was Karaarslan who prevailed in an aggressive four-bet pot.

Aleksandar Tomovic Eliminated

That wraps up the successful festival at the King's Resort and the PokerNews live coverage from Rozvadov.
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Sen. Lindsey Graham in assertive remarks Tuesday called for immediate sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as the delivery of more and more-sophisticated weaponry to Ukraine, as Moscow masses more than 100,000 troops and materiel along its border.

Dont wait for the invasion. Theyre destroying the Ukrainian economy; theyre throwing Europe into chaos, Graham said at a press conference at the Statehouse in Columbia. Sanction him now for the provocation. Thats my approach.

The South Carolina Republican also supports sending 8,500 troops to bolster allies in the region.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently placed thousands of U.S. troops on heightened alert, for potential deployment to Eastern Europe to assist with a NATO response. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on Monday said the U.S. obviously did not want to see another incursion in Ukraine. We are using lots of levers to try to communicate why that would be a bad thing for Russia to do.

The similar signal Graham wants to send, he explained Tuesday, is: Were not going to back off, and resolve for NATO is ironclad.

A plane carrying hundreds of Javelin anti-tank missiles and other tech landed in Kyiv, Ukraine's capital, earlier this week, according to the U.S. Embassy there. It was the third dispatch of assistance authorized by President Joe Biden, the embassy noted.

Our delivery of defensive security assistance to Ukraine today will bolster Ukraines defenses in the face of Russian aggression, Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrote on Twitter, attaching a photo of the plane and armaments.

A Russian invasion and seizure of Ukraine, Graham suggested, would set in motion the most destabilizing period since the 1930s and could spell doom for Taiwan, a target of China. Biden has said such Russian belligerence would be world-changing.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, a move lambasted by the West. U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson  another South Carolina Republican, who late last year traveled to Ukraine  described the annexation as illegal and bloody.

After returning from his trip, Wilson warned of a horrific loss of life should a Putin invasion occur. Grahams prediction this week was more hawkish: The more dead Russians  if he invades  the more likely this thing will end sooner, rather than later.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), the global platform for accelerating sustainable development, has concluded with a resounding commitment to accelerate climate action and net-zero efforts.

As the first major sustainability event following the COP26 climate conference, ADSW 2022, hosted by Masdar, brought together the global community, with participants including country presidents and prime ministers, policy makers, industry specialists, technology pioneers and young sustainability leaders.

Setting the tone for the year ahead, ADSW hosted a special COP session at the ADSW Summit, featuring: Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change and Chairman of Masdar; Sameh Shoukry, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Egypt and President Designate COP27; and Alok Sharma MP, COP26 President.

During the session, the leaders discussed their ambitions to use these critical editions of COP to drive the global sustainability agenda forward by translating policies, strategies, and plans into real tangible results, and scaling up viable solutions around the world.

The ADSW speaker programme featured more than 600 global leaders and decision-makers, including: Ivan Duqe Marguez, President of the Republic of Colombia; Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore; Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of The Netherlands; Armen Sarkissian, the President of Armenia; Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Works and Youth Affairs of Kingdom of Bahrain, President, Bahrain Olympic Committee; Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organisation; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director and Group CEO, Mubadala Investment Company; Ban Ki-moon, President of the Assembly and Chair of the Council of the Global Green Growth Institute, Eighth Secretary-General of the United Nations; and Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Al Mheiri, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment.

Throughout the week  which acted as a countdown to COP27 in Egypt and COP28 in the UAE  ADSW hosted 30,000 participants from 150 countries, including eight country Presidents and Prime Ministers, and 50 government ministers.

For more than a decade, ADSW has provided a sustainable platform for the global community that has grown through its initiatives and events to emerge as a thought leader and catalyst for sustainability. The week is aligned with the Principles of the 50, which charts the strategic roadmap for the UAEs new era of economic, political and social growth.

The opening ceremony of ADSW, which took place at Expo 2020 Dubai  was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with the keynote speech delivered by Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea. During his opening speech, Dr Jaber highlighted Masdars goal of delivering 100 gigawatts (GW) of clean energy projects around the world.

During the ceremony, the 10 winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize were announced, recognising sustainability pioneers from around the world. The Prize winners across its five categories included: Mamotest from Argentina (health), S4S Technologies from India (food), SOLshare from Bangladesh (energy) and Wateroam from Singapore (water). In the final category of global high schools, there were six winners from different regions across the world  with each school securing up to $100,000 to start or further expand their project.

Other major events taking place at ADSW included the Irena Assembly, the supreme decision-making body of the International Renewable Energy Agency, which took place virtually under the pertinent theme of Energy Transition: From Commitments to Action. Irena, which is headquartered in Abu Dhabi and has more than 170 member states, explores how renewable energy can alleviate climate change and increase sustainability.

The World Future Energy Summit (WFES), which took place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, welcomed around 8,000 attendees and hosted over 300 exhibiting companies, alongside dedicated pavilions from nations including China, India, Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland and Nigeria. The exhibition was fully powered by clean energy through a partnership with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC).

Innovate, a new global Masdar City initiative, provided a platform at WFES for innovation-focused companies to showcase their technologies to international investors. With a focus on the key areas of urban mobility, clean energy, artificial intelligence, and agritech and food security, Innovate grants exclusive access to the dynamic Abu Dhabi technology ecosystem for companies.

On the concluding day of ADSW, the Abu Dhabi Sustainable Finance Forum  a flagship initiative by Abu Dhabi Global Market  was held under the theme Plotting the Path to Meet Net-Zero Targets: Energising Efforts for Action. The event is representative of the UAE financial sectors commitment to assisting the nation in delivering on its national climate goals and programmes  notably the Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative, the first national net-zero target in the Middle East and North Africa region.

ADSW also hosted a series of Masdar led strategic initiatives, aimed at engaging young people and women at a grassroots level. The Youth 4 Sustainability Forum held inspiring and thought-provoking sessions around a variety of topics, including reimagining and futureproofing education, accelerating social entrepreneurship and innovation, and youth inclusion in climate solutions.

The annual 'Women in Sustainability, Environment and Renewable Energy' (WiSER) Forum was held under the banner Energy Access for All: Empowering Women to Accelerate Sustainable Development. The Forum examined how improving womens access to energy has the potential to supercharge the global economy and accelerate action to combat climate change.

ADSW welcomed a series of high-level commercial agreements, including Etihad 7, a multi-billion dollar strategic programme launched by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) aimed at securing funding for renewable energy projects across Africa. The Etihad 7 programme aims to supply clean electricity to 100 million people by 2035.

During the World Future Energy Summit, a series of multi-million dollar projects and partnership agreements were signed. These included Aldar, the real estate development, management and investment company, launching a new global programme to reduce its energy consumption by 20% across 80 of its assets worldwide, realising more than $10 million in cost savings per year. During the exhibition, Taqa also reiterated its commitment to invest over $10 billion in infrastructure development as it focuses on expanding its renewable energy portfolio.

As the host of ADSW, Masdar further demonstrated its global leadership in the sustainability sector by announcing a series of global projects and agreements.

These included a collaboration agreement between Masdar, Engie and Fertiglobe to explore the development of a green hydrogen facility in the UAE, with a capacity of as much as 200 megawatts (MW) to support the production of green ammonia.

Masdar also announced an agreement with Cosmo Energy Holdings Co, one of Japans largest energy companies, to explore the development of renewable energy initiatives, including offshore wind projects, in the Far East nation.

Masdar also formed a joint venture with Indonesias Mitrabara to target commercial and industrial customers in the island nation, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Singapores Tuas Power, Frances EDF Renewables, and PT Indonesia Power, around the development of renewable energy within Indonesia for export to Singapore.

At part of its Real Estate Investment Trust (Reit), Masdar City signed a financing deal worth $200 million with First Abu Dhabi Bank to expand its sustainable real estate portfolio through additional property acquisitions in Masdar City.

ADSW was supported by Abu Dhabi Department of Energy; Aramex, Bloomberg Media, Beeah, Credit Agricole, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation; Emirates Water and Electricity Company; Engie, Etihad Airways, General Electric, InvestCorp, McKinsey & Company, Mubadala Investment Company, PepsiCo, Power China; Tabreed, and the UAE Space Agency.-- TradeArabia News Service
COLUMBIA  U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace was in the South Carolina Statehouse to rally lawmakers support for a state bill to legalize medical marijuana despite staunch opposition from law enforcement and members of her own party.

Toting her Havanese dog Liberty in a bag around her arm, Mace arrived in the Statehouse on Jan. 25 to meet with Republican leaders and Gov. Henry McMaster in support of Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis Compassionate Care Act.

The act, if passed, would establish a legal framework in South Carolina for certain qualified individuals to obtain non-smokable cannabis products for medical use.

Davis bill is expected to head to the floor Jan. 26 to be debated for the first time after seven years of effort.

Mace, a onetime member of the S.C. General Assembly, has sponsored legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and said she sees the effort as a cornerstone issue in the future of the Republican Party.

"Republicans are the ones leading on these issues," she said in an interview. "This is not just Democrats' issues. And in our bright-red, conservative state, it's conservatives that are leading the revolt. That's a good thing for South Carolina."

The Charleston Republican has been an outspoken advocate for the psychoactive drug in Washington, D.C., garnering the support of groups like the Koch Foundations Americans for Prosperity, the pro-cannabis organization NORML and retail giant Amazon, which formally endorsed her decriminalization legislation in a statement on Jan. 25.

Legalizing marijuana, she said, is immensely popular. Gallup polling from November showed more than two in three Americans supported legalizing marijuana, a record high.

But while legalized medical and recreational marijuana has gained traction nationally, efforts such as Davis' bill, which he calls the most conservative in the nation, still faces obstacles at home, particularly as support for medical marijuana remains tepid among Republican voters.

At the same time, the South Carolina Senate is set to gavel into session Jan. 26 to begin discussing Davis' bill, opponents such as the Palmetto Family Council will hold a counterprotest on the Statehouse steps. They'll feature a group of speakers from law enforcement, the medical community and families whose lives have been impacted by marijuana abuse, Palmetto Family Council President Dave Wilson told The Post and Courier.

Meanwhile, the South Carolina Republican Party, which opposes both Davis and Maces legislation, reaffirmed its opposition to both bills, saying it could not support legislation that would violate federal law or the state party platform, which includes a provision to oppose any effort to legalize the use of controlled substances.

Mace said anyone who opposes medical marijuana  the South Carolina GOP included  simply doesnt understand it. She believes the party should work to make it a centerpiece of its future platform.
COLUMBIA  Republicans on a state Senate panel advanced a pair of anti-abortion bills despite criticism from medical and legal experts the legislation could potentially harm patients.

One of the measures would charge doctors who perform abortions with murder if there's ever a repeal of federal laws protecting abortion access.

The other would require women taking abortion drugs to receive information about a non-FDA approved abortion reversal treatment.

Both were advanced by a subcommittee of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee on Jan. 26 after more than two hours of testimony from physicians and advocates representing both sides of the issue.

The four Republicans on the committee  all men  voted in favor of both bills, while Sens. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, and Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston, opposed them.

While several testified against the legislation criminalizing abortions, the brunt of the speeches centered around a proposal requiring abortion providers to promote the use of a controversial non-FDA-approved procedure to use the drug progesterone to reverse a pharmaceutical-induced abortion.

Numerous OB-GYNs testified that attempts at clinical trials of the procedure had produced negative results for patients, including increased risk of excessive hemorrhaging.

Mandating the promotion of an unproven treatment to reverse an abortion would be tantamount to lying to their patients, they said, and would undermine their ability to provide ethical treatments for those undergoing the procedure.

"I've never had any outside entity require I say specific things I know to be untrue," Dr. Carol Alan, an OB-GYN in South Carolina since 2001, said in her testimony on the bill. "That has never been an issue."

She added, "I take this very seriously, and patient education is tantamount to understanding what their choices are and what is happening with their bodies."

Joshua Malkin, a legal fellow for the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, told lawmakers he believed the language of the bill would violate a doctors First Amendment rights, and that similar laws had already been overruled in federal courts.

A law implemented in North Dakota was struck down in 2019, while last year a President Donald Trump-appointed judge in Tennessee blocked their version of the bill after ruling the state could not require physicians to state facts that were misleading or untrue.

"Senate Bill 907 is a clear violation of doctor's freedom of speech," Malkin said.

But others, like Greenwood-based family physician Bryan Casey, described the procedure as pro-choice as it gets, allowing patients an avenue to reverse their abortions if they regretted it.

Republicans on the committee agreed.

"I hope our medical professionals listened to the testimony today," Sen. Billy Garrett, R-Greenwood, said. "We have Right to Try laws in South Carolina. And we need to make sure that our citizens have as many options as possible."

Lawmakers also weighed legislation to implement a trigger law that would criminalize abortion if the precedent established under the landmark abortion rights ruling Roe v. Wade is overturned by a federal court.

While numerous anti-abortion activists praised the intentions of the bill  to treat an abortion the same as murder  others raised numerous concerns.

Pat Forbis, a family attorney from Columbia, shared a story of an 11-year-old client who was raped by her uncle and became pregnant. While that child was able to obtain an abortion under the current law, the proposed bill removes exemptions for those impregnated by rape or incest.

Others were concerned about the ambiguous language of the bill, fearing it could criminalize those who use certain fertility drugs or seek to have a child through methods such as in vitro fertilization.

Hayden Tomlin, who formerly lived in Ireland, said that while his country outlawed abortions, tens of thousands of women traveled out of the country to receive the procedure.

Those who could not leave the country were forced to carry their pregnancies to term despite the risks to their own lives, he said. And while the law had limited exemptions, one woman eventually died, he said, because the government deemed she was not close enough to death to qualify.

"How close to death does a patient have to be before they feel safe about the risk of being prosecuted?" he asked.

Both bills voted out of subcommittee now move to the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee, where they will likely be amended and then voted up or down.

The vote was also not without controversy on who could attend or gain access to the hearing despite immense public interest in both bills. The review was not livestreamed and held in a meeting room with a capacity of 40 people. At least one news outlet, The Greenville News, was turned away from the hearing, while reporters in attendance were permitted only to stand or sit on the floor.

Committee staff said it was because of scheduling limitations.

And while roughly 100 people had signed up to testify on the bill, Chairman Tom Corbin, R-Travelers Rest, permitted just one dozen individuals to testify on each, drawing rebukes from Democrats and groups like Planned Parenthood.

"I am very disappointed the meeting is not held in a room where the Senate could offer livestream capability," Kimpson said ahead of the hearing. "We are in a pandemic, and many South Carolinians do not feel comfortable. This is a very important issue for women across this state and, going forward, I hope we could avoid scheduling meetings like this."
MIAMI BEACH, FLA.  The Coast Guard battled time and currents Wednesday as its planes and ships searched for 38 people missing off the coast of Florida, four days after a suspected human smuggling boat capsized in a storm.

The accident killed at least one person and left a single known survivor, and U.S. authorities launched a criminal investigation.

Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian said the survivor told rescuers that the boat capsized Saturday evening shortly after sailing from the Bahamas into a storm. The Coast Guard was alerted Tuesday morning after the crew of a merchant vessel spotted the man sitting alone on the overturned hull of the 25-foot boat. He was taken to a hospital with symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure and turned over to Homeland Security officials, who said he is "conscious and lucid."

Burdian said finding other migrants alive is urgent.

"With every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely" that survivors will be found, she told a news conference.

Crews searched around the clock, extrapolating from where the wreck was spotted about 40 miles off Fort Pierce. By Wednesday morning, crews on at least four ships and five aircraft scanned a vast area about the size of New Jersey, Burdian said. They planned to keep searching throughout the day and then reevaluate.

"We are using every piece of information we can to make sure we are exhausting our search efforts," Burdian said. "But we can't search forever."

The weather forecast through Thursday calls for scattered rain and thunderstorms in the search area, with swells cresting at 2 to 3 feet and winds blowing at 12 to 15 mph. The National Weather Service described conditions as "relatively benign" until a strong cold front arrives on Friday.

Homeland Security Investigations opened the criminal probe, said Anthony Salisbury, special agent in charge of agency's Miami office. The effort includes U.S. agents in the Bahamas.

"You're dealing with criminal organizations that have no value for human life or safety. It's really victimizing the migrants. It's just about the money," he said.

Agents have interviewed the survivor, but Salisbury would not identify the man or his nationality, nor reveal the nationalities of any others believed to have been on the vessel.

The rescued man told the Coast Guard he was part of a group of 40 people who left Bimini in the Bahamas, Burdian said. The man said the boat capsized shortly thereafter, and no one aboard was wearing a life jacket, she added.

A small craft advisory had been issued as a severe cold front blew through the dangerous passage on Saturday and Sunday, with winds up to 23 mph and swells up to 9 feet. Tommy Sewell, a local fishing guide, said there were high winds and fierce rain squalls from Sunday into Monday.

Burdian would not provide any more details, saying he's now in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.

Bimini is a small cluster of islands about 55 miles east of Miami and about 100 miles south of where the survivor was found. The capsized boat was apparently pushed north by the Gulf Stream, a warm, swift current that wraps around the Florida peninsula and flows north along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

Migrants from around the world have long used the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

For the most part, these migrants are from Haiti and Cuba, but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

The Bahamas and nearby Turks and Caicos Islands have in recent years stepped up their anti-smuggling enforcement efforts in cooperation with the Coast Guard.

In May, a Canadian man was sentenced in the U.S. to more than two and a half years in prison for his role in an operation that smuggled people from Sri Lanka by plane to Haiti, then by boat to the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas before heading to South Florida. The case was investigated by the Homeland Security Department, which is also looking into the operation behind the capsized boat.

The Coast Guard constantly patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas. On Friday, its crews pulled 88 Haitians from an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached. The survivors said they left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.

In the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, the Coast Guard said it apprehended 838 Cubans, 1,527 Haitians and 742 people from the Dominican Republic in the region that includes Florida and the Caribbean. The agency also apprehended migrants from other nations, but it did not provide a breakdown of the other nationalities.

___

Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Washington and Curt Anderson in St. Petersburg, Florida, contributed to this report.
Moncks Corner, SC (29461)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High around 85F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
GOOSE CREEK  Elliot Calhoun and Andrew Batkins didnt need to be sold on the potential of the Red Bank Road corridor.

Calhoun and Batkins, co-founders of Woodlock Capital, a Charleston-based real estate investment firm, are convinced the Goose Creek thoroughfare will be a thriving area in the not-so-distant future.

Goose Creek officials and local business owners have the same idea. They hope to revitalize the fortunes of the former rutted, two-lane blacktop.

The city wants to reimagine the mile-long stretch along the Red Bank corridor into a quasi-downtown area with retail shops and restaurants.

What we want to do is make the Red Bank corridor more distinctive, Mayor Greg Habib said.

Woodlock is buying in. Its Goose Creek Retail LLC affiliate recently bought three retail properties along Red Bank Road from GLGD, LLC., for $3.9 million, according to Berkeley County land records.

The acquisitions are the latest transaction for the downtown Charleston real estate and brokerage firm, which has more than $25 million in assets.

We really liked those properties and really believe in what the city of Goose Creek is trying to do along Red Bank Road, Calhoun said. Theres a lot of good development in that area and we think its only going to grow in the coming years. Goose Creek is near Charleston and all the great suburbs and its affordable. We think the area is really going to take off.

The deal includes the purchase of Creek Bank Plaza, which has more than a half-dozen retail shops at 1230 Red Bank.

We have pretty solid, established tenants in place and were fully occupied right now, Calhoun said.

The other retail properties are at 139 Red Bank and 105 Eagle Road.

Were in this for the long term, Calhoun said. Well probably have a 10-year hold on the properties, if we sell them at all. Were not looking for an in-and-out deal to make a quick buck. We live here and were investing in our neighborhood for the future and long-term growth. Were not out-of-town guys that want to jack up prices and then get out of town.

The Goose Creek acquisition is the latest by Woodlock, which finalized the purchase of another retail center in North Charleston near the old naval hospital. In September, Woodlock acquired the retail center at 2000 McMillian Ave. from Riverplace Holdings LLC, for $3.1 million, according to Charleston County land records.

The property is within walking distance of the Navy Yard Charleston" development  an expansive project acquired by real estate development firm Jamestown.

Jamestown plans to create a 1.2 million-square-foot mixed-use neighborhood that includes office space, residences, shopping, dining, new green spaces, a concert hall and an outdoor events venue.

It's another property that we feel is really going to take off because of whats going on around it, Calhoun said. We believe in the long-term prospects of that space.
A containership limped into the Port of Charleston on Jan. 25 for several days of work and inspections after about 90 cargo boxes collapsed aboard the vessel while it was idling in the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month.

The Madrid Bridge, part of the Ocean Network Express shipping line, is docked at the Leatherman Terminal in North Charleston.

Crews from Charleston Stevedoring Co., the International Longshoremen's Association and other private companies plan to remove the damaged containers as well as about 900 others that were bound for South Carolina as part of the ship's normal route along the East Coast. Another 65 containers were lost overboard when the damage occurred.

All of the damaged boxes contained imports for U.S. customers, so the cargo will be inspected by insurance adjusters before the salvaged goods are forwarded to their destinations, according to Dan Hall, president of Charleston Stevedoring.

"Each container has to be sorted through, so it's a little more time-consuming than just taking everything out, putting it all back in and sending it on its way," Hall said.

ONE Network has said that none of the damaged containers have any hazardous cargo. Hall said the position of the containers indicates they include lightweight cargo, such as apparel. Most of the damage appears to have been done to the metal boxes themselves instead of the goods they're carrying, he said.

Removing them isn't as easy as simply taking them off the ship. Crews must first remove some of the intact containers that are positioned around the damaged ones to prevent further damage.

Area rigging companies will then help to secure the damaged containers so they can be removed by ship-to-shore cranes. All of that is expected to take two or three days, with about 150 workers  roughly 50 percent more than normal.

Crews will also inspect the Madrid Bridge for damage that would need to be repaired while it is docked at the North Charleston port.

And since the ship changed its route  it was supposed to visit New York first  containers bound for other U.S. ports will have to be repositioned. The vessel is scheduled to travel to Savannah next before heading north to Norfolk, Va., and then New York.

The damage occurred Jan. 7 as the Madrid Bridge, which originated in China, was sailing from Europe. According to ONE Network, the vessel was hit with a large swell and 22-knot winds, causing the ship to roll while it was idling south of the Azores, a chain of islands west of Portugal. The ship's operator decided to do the repair work at the Leatherman Terminal because of Charleston's deep harbor and the need for a 49-foot draft.

The Madrid Bridge is among the largest ships calling on East Coast ports, capable of carrying up to 13,900 20-foot containers.

The latest incident follows a November 2020 accident in which a container stack collapsed aboard another of ONE Network's ships, the ONE Apus, resulting in numerous damage claims.

The insurance group Allianz reported last year that the increase in containers lost at sea in 2020 and 2021 was due to larger vessels, more extreme weather, surging freight rates and misdeclared cargo weights, according to a report by the Splash 24/7 website.

"There are growing questions about how containers are secured onboard ships," Allianz stated, according to the report.
The number of unemployed South Carolinians declined in the final month of last year, sending the state's unemployment rate lower to 3.5 percent.

The December jobless figure fell from 3.7 percent the previous month, according to a report released Jan. 25 by the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce.

Monthly data, adjusted for seasonal factors, showed that about 3,000 residents who had been classified as unemployed returned to work during December.

That brought the number of employed South Carolina residents to 2.3 million, or about 97,200 more than at the end of 2020. DEW director Dan Ellzey said it was "the highest number of individuals working in our states history."

The strongest gains last month were in the large employment category known as trade, transportation and utilities. It was up by 2,700 jobs for December and higher by 17,900 from a year earlier.

"The sector is booming," said Laura Ulrich, a Charlotte-based economist with the Federal Reserve's Richmond, Va., branch.

Ulrich said retailers added the most jobs, with general merchandisers like Target and Walmart driving the increases.

Another growth industry was manufacturing, which added 1,500 jobs, mostly at companies that make long-lasting products such as automobiles, appliances and electronics.

"That fits if you think about demand, it's hard to find durable goods, the products with more than five-year lifespans," Ulrich said.

Other growth sectors included education and health services, which hired 1,100 workers in December.

Meanwhile, the hard-hit leisure and hospitality industry continued to recover from its COVID-19 labor shortage, though the 400 employees it added last month was underwhelming.

"That was disappointing," Ulrich said.

Sector wages are almost 12 percent higher from last December at an average of $16.17 an hour, yet employers continue to struggle to restaff from the pandemic and the hiring woes that preceded the health crisis.

"The question is: How do you get workers to come back?" Ulrich said.

Across the state, 104,500 jobs are open and about 85,100 residents are actively looking. At the same time, older workers are retiring early, and women, especially those with young children, are leaving the labor force.

Ulrich said that "businesses need to find ways to bring people off the sidelines or entice new workers."

Higher wages are one solution, but job seekers also are looking for flexible schedules, she added.

Overall, South Carolina employers added 2,600 jobs last month across all industry categories, excluding farms. That was a slowdown from the gain of 4,600 in November and 6,700 in October.

"You can't add jobs if there aren't enough people to do them," Ulrich said.
After entering Abundant Seafoods 4731 Mixson Ave. retail store, owner Mark Marhefka called us to the back, where buckets of fish had just arrived fresh off the Amy Marie, his 37-year-old boat.

The nationally recognized purveyor tossed 20 or so vermillion red snappers on a scale, then moved them to a long table that had just been hosed down with water. As he started scaling each snapper one by one, he explained these fish would be on the menu at Chubby Fish later that evening.

Mark and his wife Kerry, who took home the 2020 James Beard Foundations Leadership Award, have been in the seafood business for years. After meeting at a 1998 gathering regarding the establishment of more marine protected areas, the Marhefkas opened Abundant Seafood in 2006 with the goal of combining Marks experience as a commercial fisherman with Kerrys knowledge as a fishery biologist.

Nearly 16 years later, that combination has proved to be a winning formula for chefs throughout South Carolina who have their fish delivered or pick it up at Abundants Mount Pleasant dock or in North Charleston at their retail store that opened in March 2020.

While the stores opening was clouded by the onset of the pandemic, its becoming a place where locals can pick up the evenings dinner and experience what it means to fish sustainably in one fell swoop.

'From the Source'

As climate change continues to alter the scenery for fishermen, understanding how fish gets from the sea to our plates can help comprehend the need for responsible sourcing.

The Marhefkas are Charlestons go-to source for purchasing sustainable seafood and learning about the process.

The couple stars in the first episode of From the Source, a Discovery+ show hosted by Katie Button of celebrated Asheville, N.C., restaurant Curate. In the episode, Button goes on a two-day commercial fishing trip with Marhefka and his team.

A typical fishing trip takes Marhefkas crew 50 to 60 miles offshore, where they catch fish on a vertical hook and line using a rod and reel system. When fish are caught, theyre gutted on the boat and put on ice. Fish that cannot be kept are released alive.

Every fish has a quota on it which youre allowed to harvest. Once the quotas caught, then youre no longer allowed to harvest those fish, Marhefka said. In management, weve sort of set things up where we have different bi-annual quotas so we can go and have this all year round.

It takes a lot of work to service Abundant Seafoods community supported fishery members, retail patrons and chef partners. Marhefka, 60, took some time away from the boat in 2021, but hes recently returned to the Amy Marie for weeklong trips offshore.

In order to expand its offering and maintain its sustainable operation, the Marhefkas are also partnering with like-minded fishermen, adding fish popping up in cooler climate areas like Maryland or North Carolina to Abundant Seafoods daily supply.

We started going and buying from other snapper grouper boats that are just like me that have come up and fished our waters this summer, and we sort of morphed into working with them because of a lack of product, Marhefka said. Having that constant flow of seafood is very, very imperative to have.

Marhefka is constantly adapting and incorporating less traditional techniques when he's out on the water. Using a buoy system, for instance, Marhefka can access fish that are 600 to 800 feet below the surface. On his latest trip offshore, he used this technique to pull in golden tilefish, a species that burrows itself backwards in the mud.

Marhefka's ability to seek out these niche fisheries enables him to keep up with demand while not exceeding the quotas set for different species by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council.

Chefs sing their praises

The name Abundant Seafood finds its way onto menus throughout the Charleston area, including at Delaney Oyster House, FIG, The Ordinary, Obstinate Daughter, Three Sirens and Chubby Fish, among many others.

In fact, when describing seafood dishes using Marhefka's fresh catch, most chefs make it a point to mention Abundant Seafood. Deliveries to chefs are part of Marhefka's daily routine when he's on dry land.

Around 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 20, Marhefka parked his Abundant Seafood truck outside Chubby Fish in downtown Charleston, where chef and owner James London waited for the delivery.

After opening the back door, Marhefka pulled out a gray bucket filled with ice and fish that were caught on Marhefka's offshore fishing trip Jan. 11-19.

London said the entire delivery would be used for that evenings dinner service.

Chubby Fish's nightly changing menu is completely reliant on the fresh produce and seafood London procures from area farmers and purveyors. Serving sustainably caught fish is part of the restaurant's ethos; you won't find fish on the menu that arrived more than one day before a Chubby Fish dinner service  unless it's smoked, a technique London uses to preserve fish at its peak freshness.

Before opening the 1,250-square-foot restaurant in 2018, London reached out to Marhefka, and the two have worked together ever since.

"I knew how valuable he was and knew that he was taking a new approach to seafood that other companies here weren't doing," said London, who was working in New York when he first read about Marhefka's efforts to protect local fisheries. "Where we are geographically (in Charleston), we kind of intersect between two big fisheries, so we have the mid-Atlantic fishery and we have the South Atlantic fishery. So because of that, we're able to pull a diversity out of the water here that you don't really see anywhere else in the country."

When he places an order, London commits to taking whatever Marhefka brings him on that given day. On Jan. 20, Marhefka's haul featured triggerfish, black bass, sheepshead, porgy (also known as pink snapper), scallops, vermillion red snapper and those golden tilefish caught using the buoy system.

After receiving each delivery, London first lays out the fish to evaluate what he has and see how it pairs with sauces they've been utilizing and the local vegetables they've received from area farms. At this point, the chef has already had a meeting with his kitchen crew to go through the menu from the night before.

"So we basically just create the entire menu based off of (the fish) and what's in the cooler back there and then what we know we have coming from the farms," London said. "We're very flexible here because of the way that our menu works. That's why we have that chalkboard menu so that we can really work like that."

The chalkboard menu is situated above Chubby Fish's open kitchen. Hours after Marhefka's Jan. 20 delivery, London and his chefs were churning out Abundant Seafood-centered dishes like triggerfish tempura with soy beurre blanc, whole black bass, pink snapper ceviche and grilled tilefish, served with squash butter and Savoy cabbage.

To prepare the tilefish, London places it on the grill for seconds before poaching it in a stock made using the fish bones, white wine and a host of other ingredients.

The tender white meat maintains its integrity when you cut through with a fork, and while the flavor is mild, it stands up to the accompanying squash butter sauce thats laced with flecks of trout roe.

Londons preparation has just enough nuance to pull in guests who didnt necessarily go to Chubby Fish thinking they would order tilefish, while allowing the fish to shine. Marhefka would surely approve of the technique.

In fact, London and Marhefka have developed a streamlined system that works because they share the same values when it comes to catching and cooking fish.

Fish that are taken out of the water are handled with care and used with a purpose.

"It really pains me to have any part of the fish go in the trash," London said. "Even the bones, we try to do something with them. So like our oyster sauce here is a smoked tuna bone, and we make a sauce out of that. And that's what dresses our oysters."

"You honor that fish because he gave his life to give you life," added Marhefka. "And that's important to me."

The market

Between 10 and 20 types of fish  such as black bass, vermilion red snapper, flounder, grouper, tuna and swordfish  are available at Abundant Seafoods North Charleston storefront, open noon-6 p.m. daily.

The market offers the chance to order sought-after seafood staples, or curious patrons can dip into the Abundant Seafood fish that pique the interest of London and other area chefs.

It is a bit of a food desert somewhat, so were trying to go and make it more into a market where (when) you come in, you have everything that you want, Marhefka said. For the most part, I try to hire people who are involved in food and bev so they can go and sort of help navigate a customer for a dinner, and we can point and say, Thats what you want to go and get off the shelf and have with this. 

Those shelves are stocked with Keegan-Filion Farm meats, Sean Brocks Jimmy Red cornbread mix, Rio Bertolinis pasta, Marsh Hen Mill grits, Life Raft Treats and even products from Smithey Ironware, a North Charleston-based cookware company.

When ordering, Marhefka encourages customers to try unfamiliar fish like pomfret, a meaty bycatch of the swordfish fishery that he recently started pulling into the Amy Marie.

Fish like mackerel, triggerfish and monkfish were once undervalued species that have become staples at local restaurants.

Who knows, you might just stumble upon the next big thing.
The $28 million expansion to the Inland Port Greer, which was originally announced in spring 2021, is anticipated to be completed in late 2023 and increase the storage capacity at the port by about 50 percent.

The South Carolina Ports Authority announced last year it would use $25 million in federal grant money, with port revenues covering additional costs, to enhance rail infrastructure, increase the terminals container capacity, expand the chassis yard and add two operations buildings.

Construction on the project began in October 2021.

The Inland Port Greer sits near Interstate 85 and extends the reach of the Port of Charleston by 212 miles inland via rail service. Big Upstate manufacturers like the Spartanburg County BMW plant use the inland port to transfer products to the Lowcountry's Port of Charleston.

Upstate New York cryptocurrency mining company comes to the Upstate of South Carolina

By the second half of 2022, a cryptocurrency datacenter sitting on 175 acres in Spartanburg County will "be online."

On Jan. 25, Greenidge Generation Holdings Inc., "a vertically integrated cryptocurrency mining and power generation company committed to 100% carbon-neutral datacenter operations," announced it will invest $264 million into the county through 2025 and create 40 new-tech-sector jobs, according to multiple state and local economic development releases.

The new cryptocurrency center, located at 300 Jones Road in Spartanburg, will be the Upstate South Carolina operation for the company. It is expected to have 100 megawatts of capacity when fully developed.

In December 2021, another bitcoin mining company launched in Greenville. Helmed by former South Carolina governor candidate John Warren and other Palmetto State businesspeople, Gem Mining "has raised over $200 million in institutional capital and owns over 32,000 mining machines that are now in operation or set for near-term delivery," according to a December release.

In other news...

Lithuania-based battery manufacturing company EMUS established a sales and customer support operations center in Greenville in the Merovan Center. Founded in 2010, this is the first foreign office for the "high-tech manufacturing company that produces battery management systems for Lithium-ion battery packs," according to a release. The choice to establish operations in the U.S. is to "capitalize on the growing e-mobility, robotics, energy storage, and maritime industry markets in North America and to provide more immediate support for its existing customer base." EMUS chief executive Vaidotas Rutkauskas told The Post and Courier in an email that the company plans on hiring one or two employees in the Upstate at the beginning. "Our vision is that our volume of business in the U.S. market will grow enough to establish a high-tech electronics manufacturing facility," Rutkauskas said. In early January, the shops and business park under the Merovan Center name sold for $67.5 million to real estate developer RealtyLink.

established a sales and customer support operations center in Greenville in the Merovan Center. Founded in 2010, this is the first foreign office for the "high-tech manufacturing company that produces battery management systems for Lithium-ion battery packs," according to a release. The choice to establish operations in the U.S. is to "capitalize on the growing e-mobility, robotics, energy storage, and maritime industry markets in North America and to provide more immediate support for its existing customer base." EMUS chief executive Vaidotas Rutkauskas told The Post and Courier in an email that the company plans on hiring one or two employees in the Upstate at the beginning. "Our vision is that our volume of business in the U.S. market will grow enough to establish a high-tech electronics manufacturing facility," Rutkauskas said. In early January, the shops and business park under the name sold for $67.5 million to real estate developer RealtyLink. Prisma Health announced Jonathan Gleason , MD, as its new executive vice president and chief clinical officer. Gleason joins the health system from Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University from the greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region where he served in the same role.

announced , MD, as its new executive vice president and chief clinical officer. Gleason joins the health system from Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University from the greater Philadelphia and southern New Jersey region where he served in the same role. Atlanta-based development firm RocaPoint Partners announced the three companies leading the leasing efforts for the University Ridge multi-use redevelopment coming to Greenville. Commercial real estate firm CBRE will lead the office leasing efforts, KDS Commercial Properties will handle the direct multi-family land sales and Steve Yenser of Yenser Co. will manage retail leasing. The $1 billion project aims to better connect the University Ridge region to downtown Greenville. The new project will span over the next decade and sit in the former location of the County Square, county health department and Department of Transportation offices.

announced the three companies leading the leasing efforts for the University Ridge multi-use redevelopment coming to Greenville. Commercial real estate firm will lead the office leasing efforts, will handle the direct multi-family land sales and Steve Yenser of will manage retail leasing. The $1 billion project aims to better connect the University Ridge region to downtown Greenville. The new project will span over the next decade and sit in the former location of the County Square, county health department and Department of Transportation offices. Spartanburg-based Agape Care Group acquired Georgia-based Lanier Hospice. Agape, a hospice and palliative care provider, provides care in all South Carolina counties and has a presence in 98 of the 152 counties in Georgia. For the time being, Lanier Hospice will continue to operate under its current name and brand. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. In November 2021, Agape announced its plans to move its corporate headquarters to the Montgomery Building in downtown Spartanburg by May 1, 2022.

Thats all for this week. Email your thoughts, tips, releases and newsy bits to smirah@postandcourier.com.
The full-year global air passenger traffic results for 2021 showed that demand (revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) fell by 58.4% compared to the full year of 2019, International Air Transport Association (IATA) data said.

However, this represented an improvement compared to 2020, when full year RPKs were down 65.8% versus 2019, said IATA.

Middle Eastern airlines annual passenger volumes in 2021 were 71.6% below 2019. Annual capacity fell 57.7% and load factor dropped 25.1 percentage points to 51.1%. Decembers traffic was down 51.2% compared to December 2019, a solid pick-up from a 54.3% drop in November.

Because comparisons between 2021 and 2020 results are distorted by the extraordinary impact of Covid-19, unless otherwise noted all comparisons are to the respective 2019 period, which followed a normal demand pattern.

 International passenger demand in 2021 was 75.5% below 2019 levels. Capacity (measured in available seat kilometers or ASKs) declined 65.3% and load factor fell 24.0 percentage points to 58.0%.

 Domestic demand in 2021 was down 28.2% compared to 2019. Capacity contracted by 19.2% and load factor dropped 9.3 percentage points to 74.3%.

 Total traffic for the month of December 2021 was 45.1% below the same month in 2019, improved from the 47% contraction in November, as monthly demand continued to recover despite concerns over Omicron. Capacity was down 37.6% and load factor fell 9.8 percentage points to 72.3%.

Impact of Omicron Measures: Omicron travel restrictions slowed the recovery in international demand by about two weeks in December. International demand has been recovering at a pace of about four percentage points/month compared to 2019.

"Without Omicron, we would have expected international demand for the month of December to improve to around 56.5% below 2019 levels. Instead, volumes rose marginally to 58.4% below 2019 from -60.5% in November," said IATA.

Overall travel demand strengthened in 2021. That trend continued into December despite travel restrictions in the face of Omicron. That says a lot about the strength of passenger confidence and the desire to travel. The challenge for 2022 is to reinforce that confidence by normalising travel," said Willie Walsh, IATAs Director General.

"While international travel remains far from normal in many parts of the world, there is momentum in the right direction. Last week, France and Switzerland announced significant easing of measures. And yesterday the UK removed all testing requirements for vaccinated travelers. We hope others will follow their important lead, particularly in Asia where several key markets remain in virtual isolation, he said. -TradeArabia News Service
Summerville, SC (29483)

Today

Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 65F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph.
CONWAY  Leaders of South Carolinas third-largest school system are recommending an end to its virtual curriculum, as more than 40 percent of its students have failed at least one class.

Whether the 2-year-old program ends will ultimately be up to the Horry County Schools governing board, but data presented Jan. 24 to a subcommittee shows how ineffectual it has become.

Board members are expected to talk about the future of the virtual program in February.

Of the 686 students currently enrolled in Horry Countys virtual program, 42 percent have failed at least one class  a figure that jumps to 59 percent among those in high school.

Boone Myrick, the districts chief of academics pointed to several contributing factors for the decline, including rising absences, skipping class meetings and lagging communication with teachers.

At the peak of its enrollment in 2020-21, there were 18,449 students taking online classes. That number has plummeted by 84 percent, to 2,217 today.

Parents have increased confidence in their childrens attending brick-and-mortar schools in the pandemic environment, Myrick wrote in her Jan. 24 presentation to the school boards curriculum committee.

In addition, the state Department of Education has expanded its web-based learning portfolio, with seven free virtual charter schools now operational.

District leaders said interest in its virtual option wasnt driven simply by COVID-related health concerns. A recent survey found some families liked it because of in-person bullying issues, an ability for students to hold a job while in school and just needing one or two classes before graduating.

Should the district scrap its virtual program, spokeswoman Lisa Bourcier said the 115 faculty and staff members that run it will be reassigned.

Earlier this month, Superintendent Rick Maxey said his preference was to keep as many students behind their desks as possible.

One of the most important things we can do is continue to have in-person learning for our students, Maxey told board members on Jan. 10. They have, like other students across the country, suffered academically and were not going to continue that.
CONWAY  Calling himself a Chamber of Commerce Republican, U.S. Rep. Tom Rice met with the Conway Chamber of Commerce at the Waccamaw Shrine Club on Jan. 25 to discuss issues facing the 7th Congressional District, which spans eight counties in northeastern South Carolina.

One of the topics discussed during the hourlong meeting was the proposed expansion of Interstate 73 into South Carolina, which eventually would connect Interstate 95 to Myrtle Beach.

In October, Gov. Henry McMaster announced he would ask the South Carolina General Assembly for $300 million as a part of the $1.6 billion plan to start development of the project.

Myrtle Beach City Council has said it wants to commit $4.2 million a year for up to 30 years, with North Myrtle Beach also pledging $1.7 million a year.

Horry County Council previously shot down a proposed resolution to put up to $4.2 million annually for 30 years, or $126 million, total toward construction of the proposed interstate.

Additionally, Dillon City Council has passed a resolution opposing SCDOT's preferred route.

Rice, who was chair of Horry County Council before being elected to his seat in 2012, said the project was basically dead in the water when he first got to Washington a year later.

He said there wasnt a permit in place for the highway, so he called the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Christy Hall from the S.C. Department of Transportation to come up with a checklist so progress could be made.

It took four years, but we got a permit, Rice said.

McMaster has said the $300 million is the combination of South Carolina's share of American Rescue Plan Act dollars and nonrecurring dollars from the state's projected $1 billion budget surplus for fiscal 2022.

Rice said that during a meeting with the governor, he suggested that the surplus be used in infrastructure projects where future generations will get a return on it.

Many of those opposing I-73 have questioned why local roads are not being addressed first. Rice spoke to a handful of protestors before he walked into the building.

Noting the Carolina Forest Boulevard widening project and the S.C. Highway 31 extension, Rice said current Road Improvement and Development Effort funding, or RIDE as it is commonly known, is creating more local roads, far more than almost any other county in the state.

According to Rice, the Department of Labor does a wage study in which Horry County ranks low, and bringing in the interstate will attract businesses other than tourism or agriculture.

He said it makes him angry to see those born in Horry County graduating from area colleges and then moving to Columbia or Charleston, where they can earn more money.

That makes me mad, and it should make you mad, Rice said. I want people to have options and thats why I fight for I-73 so hard.
Emma covers the city of Charleston for the Post and Courier. Previously, she covered city hall and general assignments for newspapers in Houston and Austin. She is a Boston-area native, former student athlete and graduate of The University of Texas.
A Little River man who hurled a series of objects at police officers guarding the U.S. Capitol during the historic riot in 2021 will spend nearly four years in federal prison, a Washington, D.C., judge decided Jan. 26.

The ruling concludes the yearlong criminal case of Nicholas Languerand, a 26-year-old construction worker who bragged on Instagram about his role in the Jan. 6 violence and pledged to come back next time to overthrow the government with guns.

Judge John Bates said he arrived at the 44-month sentence after weighing Languerands role in the Capitol violence against the neglect and abandonment he experienced during his upbringing  factors that led him to seek a sense of community among QAnon conspiracy theorists and anti-government groups.

Languerand pleaded guilty in November to the felony of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers with a dangerous weapon during the riot, in which a mob of then-President Donald Trump's supporters stormed into the Capitol building in a failed effort to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. As part of his plea deal, he must pay $2,000 in restitution toward the nearly $1.5 million in estimated damage to the Capitol the riot caused.

Federal prosecutors have deemed Languerand the most dangerous of South Carolina's 11 Capitol defendants.

Judges have kept the Vermont native detained without bail since his arrest in April. They have ruled that Languerands devotion to far-right conspiracy theories, history of threats and violence, and willingness to act on his political beliefs make him a danger to the public. He will get credit for the nine months he has already spent behind bars.

When investigators raided Languerands room at his grandparents Horry County home, they found a collection of guns, QAnon memorabilia, and writings in which he threatened law enforcement and called for members of the U.S. government to be hanged for treason.

Prosecutors noted how proud Languerand was that he had thrown a series of objects  including a traffic barrier, audio speaker, pepper spray canister and sticks  at police who were protecting an entrance on the Capitols lower west terrace.

After the riot, Languerand bragged on Instagram, I never made it inside but I got some good shots in.

Violence isnt always the answer but in the face of tyranny violence may be the only answer, he mused on social media in the days after Jan. 6. Next time we come back with rifles. Its not a game.

But in some of his first public statements since his arrest, Languerand sang a different tune to Bates.

In a handwritten letter to the judge before his sentencing hearing, Languerand said he regrets his actions and blamed inflammatory rhetoric from leaders of the Stop the Steal movement.

It would certainly appear that we were lied to, he scribbled in blue ink.

Still, Languerand defended the QAnon movement, saying his experience with it was one of the most positive times of his life. At the Jan. 26 hearing, he said he regrets representing the QAnon community poorly by becoming violent on Jan. 6.

Bates said he wasn't convinced of Languerand's remorse, noting the letter was sprinkled with excuses but no disavowals of the baseless 2020 election fraud conspiracy.

"It does leave the court with some lingering concern," Bates said.

Of the six S.C. residents who have pleaded guilty in connection with Jan. 6, Languerand is just the second to be sentenced and the first to receive prison time. Andrew Hatley, a trucker from Newberry who took a selfie with the John C. Calhoun statue inside the Capitol, was sentenced to three years of probation in December after pleading down to a misdemeanor.

Bates 44-month sentence fell just below the range recommended by the federal governments sentencing guidelines of 46 to 57 months.

It came after a 90-minute hearing Jan. 26 in which a federal prosecutor and Languerands supporters made impassioned arguments over what led this self-described patriot to Washington that day and how harshly he should be punished as a result.

Pleas for mercy

In legal filings ahead of the hearing, Languerands lawyer, grandparents and girlfriend made the case for leniency.

They suggested Languerand had worked to turn his troubled life around during his nine months behind bars. They recommended he serve only a year in prison, just three months more.

In lengthy letters, they sought to frame Languerand as the product of a traumatic upbringing by parents who drank and fought often, split up when he was young, and never offered him the love and attention that children need.

Languerand moved 16 times and switched schools nine times during his turbulent childhood, they wrote. He experimented with drugs and alcohol, and stopped attending school, where he was regularly bullied, by the 10th grade. At one point, they wrote, his mother told him they were taking a family road trip out West. Then they dropped Languerand off at a gated boarding program in Utah, where he stayed in a barren cell and had no contact with his family for the first nine months.

Languerand fared little better even after returning to school and getting his high school diploma, they wrote. He bounced between jobs and girlfriends. He spent three years in the Army before his discharge after testing positive for cocaine.

He was in an especially rough patch in the months ahead of Jan. 6, they wrote. His construction job laid him off that fall, and he spent the winter alone in a trailer.

Isolated, he began passing the hours on the internet, studying anti-government conspiracy theories, QAnon prophecies and rhetoric from far-right groups like the Proud Boys, his family wrote. For once, Languerand felt like he was part of something, a movement bigger than himself.

He came to believe that Democrats had stolen the 2020 presidential election, and he saw it as his patriotic duty to join the protest in Washington, D.C., as Congress formally certified the results on Jan. 6, his family wrote.

His involvement in the Trump movements gave him a sense of belonging and greater purpose, Languerands girlfriend, Michele LEsperance, wrote. He just unfortunately got sucked into something that was not as it seemed, and quickly got out of hand.

Regret, not remorse?

In their own arguments to Bates, federal prosecutors didnt dispute that Languerand had a troubled upbringing. But they dismissed that as an excuse for his actions.

The defendants difficult childhood does not explain his choice to engage in violence on Jan. 6, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Juman said Jan. 26.

Juman took issue with the claim that Languerand has had a true change of heart since his imprisonment. He pointed out that Languerand, in his own letter, spoke highly of the right-wing political leaders who erroneously promoted the 2020 election fraud claim.

I have no doubt that the defendant, now that he is facing the consequences of his actions, feels regret, Juman said. But regret is not the same as remorse.

In a 44-page legal filing, prosecutors wrote that Languerand had watched the fighting outside the building for hours before he joined in around 4:52 p.m.  nearly three hours after rioters first broke into the Capitol. They also recalled how Languerand boasted on social media about attacking police and promised further violence.

Languerands reaction to the violence he saw on January 6 was not horror or disgust, but excitement and a desire to contribute to the violence, prosecutors wrote. Even after the riot was over, Languerand did not feel shame or guilt  he was proud of his actions and he relished the chance to engage in further violence.

Unlike other Capitol defendants, they said, Languerand wouldnt speak with agents during his arrest and never cooperated with investigators.

They noted that he was the subject of a restraining order from a Vermont woman who accused him of stalking and threatening her. That he was charged with aggravated assault for an incident in which he beat an acquaintance while they were both riding in a car. That in the months before Jan. 6, Languerand yelled at Black Lives Matters protesters, left a threatening voicemail with a city employee in Vermont, and accused the owner of a nearby pizza joint of running a child sex-trafficking operation out of the basement, a popular online conspiracy.

Languerands crime on January 6 was not an isolated event in an otherwise law-abiding life, but rather the latest act in a pattern of misconduct and violence that has persisted throughout his life, based on Languerands demonstrated willingness to allow his personal beliefs to override the rule of law, prosecutors wrote.

During the sentencing hearing, Languerand and his relatives referred to him as a patriot, while Juman argued his conduct amounted to domestic terrorism.

As the hearing wound to a close, Bates sought to set the record straight.

"The patriots were the police officers who were defending the Capitol building and our democratic values," the judge said. "There is no question about that."
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
Editorials represent the institutional view of the newspaper. They are written and edited by the editorial staff, which operates separately from the news department. Editorial writers are not involved in newsroom operations.
COLUMBIA  U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace was in the South Carolina Statehouse to rally lawmakers support for a state bill to legalize medical marijuana despite staunch opposition from law enforcement and members of her own party.

Toting her Havanese dog Liberty in a bag around her arm, Mace arrived in the Statehouse on Jan. 25 to meet with Republican leaders and Gov. Henry McMaster in support of Beaufort Republican Sen. Tom Davis Compassionate Care Act.

The act, if passed, would establish a legal framework in South Carolina for certain qualified individuals to obtain non-smokable cannabis products for medical use.

Davis bill is expected to head to the floor Jan. 26 to be debated for the first time after seven years of effort.

Mace, a onetime member of the S.C. General Assembly, has sponsored legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and said she sees the effort as a cornerstone issue in the future of the Republican Party.

"Republicans are the ones leading on these issues," she said in an interview. "This is not just Democrats' issues. And in our bright-red, conservative state, it's conservatives that are leading the revolt. That's a good thing for South Carolina."

The Charleston Republican has been an outspoken advocate for the psychoactive drug in Washington, D.C., garnering the support of groups like the Koch Foundations Americans for Prosperity, the pro-cannabis organization NORML and retail giant Amazon, which formally endorsed her decriminalization legislation in a statement on Jan. 25.

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Legalizing marijuana, she said, is immensely popular. Gallup polling from November showed more than two in three Americans supported legalizing marijuana, a record high.

But while legalized medical and recreational marijuana has gained traction nationally, efforts such as Davis' bill, which he calls the most conservative in the nation, still faces obstacles at home, particularly as support for medical marijuana remains tepid among Republican voters.

At the same time, the South Carolina Senate is set to gavel into session Jan. 26 to begin discussing Davis' bill, opponents such as the Palmetto Family Council will hold a counterprotest on the Statehouse steps. They'll feature a group of speakers from law enforcement, the medical community and families whose lives have been impacted by marijuana abuse, Palmetto Family Council President Dave Wilson told The Post and Courier.

Meanwhile, the South Carolina Republican Party, which opposes both Davis and Maces legislation, reaffirmed its opposition to both bills, saying it could not support legislation that would violate federal law or the state party platform, which includes a provision to oppose any effort to legalize the use of controlled substances.

Mace said anyone who opposes medical marijuana  the South Carolina GOP included  simply doesnt understand it. She believes the party should work to make it a centerpiece of its future platform.
COLUMBIA  Republicans on a state Senate panel advanced a pair of anti-abortion bills despite criticism from medical and legal experts the legislation could potentially harm patients.

One of the measures would charge doctors who perform abortions with murder if there's ever a repeal of federal laws protecting abortion access.

The other would require women taking abortion drugs to receive information about a non-FDA approved abortion reversal treatment.

Both were advanced by a subcommittee of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee on Jan. 26 after more than two hours of testimony from physicians and advocates representing both sides of the issue.

The four Republicans on the committee  all men  voted in favor of both bills, while Sens. Margie Bright Matthews, D-Walterboro, and Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston, opposed them.

While several testified against the legislation criminalizing abortions, the brunt of the speeches centered around a proposal requiring abortion providers to promote the use of a controversial non-FDA-approved procedure to use the drug progesterone to reverse a pharmaceutical-induced abortion.

Numerous OB-GYNs testified that attempts at clinical trials of the procedure had produced negative results for patients, including increased risk of excessive hemorrhaging.

Mandating the promotion of an unproven treatment to reverse an abortion would be tantamount to lying to their patients, they said, and would undermine their ability to provide ethical treatments for those undergoing the procedure.

"I've never had any outside entity require I say specific things I know to be untrue," Dr. Carol Alan, an OB-GYN in South Carolina since 2001, said in her testimony on the bill. "That has never been an issue."

She added, "I take this very seriously, and patient education is tantamount to understanding what their choices are and what is happening with their bodies."

Joshua Malkin, a legal fellow for the American Civil Liberties Union of South Carolina, told lawmakers he believed the language of the bill would violate a doctors First Amendment rights, and that similar laws had already been overruled in federal courts.

A law implemented in North Dakota was struck down in 2019, while last year a President Donald Trump-appointed judge in Tennessee blocked their version of the bill after ruling the state could not require physicians to state facts that were misleading or untrue.

"Senate Bill 907 is a clear violation of doctor's freedom of speech," Malkin said.

But others, like Greenwood-based family physician Bryan Casey, described the procedure as pro-choice as it gets, allowing patients an avenue to reverse their abortions if they regretted it.

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Republicans on the committee agreed.

"I hope our medical professionals listened to the testimony today," Sen. Billy Garrett, R-Greenwood, said. "We have Right to Try laws in South Carolina. And we need to make sure that our citizens have as many options as possible."

Lawmakers also weighed legislation to implement a trigger law that would criminalize abortion if the precedent established under the landmark abortion rights ruling Roe v. Wade is overturned by a federal court.

While numerous anti-abortion activists praised the intentions of the bill  to treat an abortion the same as murder  others raised numerous concerns.

Pat Forbis, a family attorney from Columbia, shared a story of an 11-year-old client who was raped by her uncle and became pregnant. While that child was able to obtain an abortion under the current law, the proposed bill removes exemptions for those impregnated by rape or incest.

Others were concerned about the ambiguous language of the bill, fearing it could criminalize those who use certain fertility drugs or seek to have a child through methods such as in vitro fertilization.

Hayden Tomlin, who formerly lived in Ireland, said that while his country outlawed abortions, tens of thousands of women traveled out of the country to receive the procedure.

Those who could not leave the country were forced to carry their pregnancies to term despite the risks to their own lives, he said. And while the law had limited exemptions, one woman eventually died, he said, because the government deemed she was not close enough to death to qualify.

"How close to death does a patient have to be before they feel safe about the risk of being prosecuted?" he asked.

Both bills voted out of subcommittee now move to the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee, where they will likely be amended and then voted up or down.

The vote was also not without controversy on who could attend or gain access to the hearing despite immense public interest in both bills. The review was not livestreamed and held in a meeting room with a capacity of 40 people. At least one news outlet, The Greenville News, was turned away from the hearing, while reporters in attendance were permitted only to stand or sit on the floor.

Committee staff said it was because of scheduling limitations.

And while roughly 100 people had signed up to testify on the bill, Chairman Tom Corbin, R-Travelers Rest, permitted just one dozen individuals to testify on each, drawing rebukes from Democrats and groups like Planned Parenthood.

"I am very disappointed the meeting is not held in a room where the Senate could offer livestream capability," Kimpson said ahead of the hearing. "We are in a pandemic, and many South Carolinians do not feel comfortable. This is a very important issue for women across this state and, going forward, I hope we could avoid scheduling meetings like this."
The International Air Transport Association (Iata) has urged governments to remove all travel barriers, including quarantine and testing, for those fully vaccinated as Covid-19 continues to evolve from the pandemic to endemic stage.



Iata has also called for:



 Enabling quarantine-free travel for non-vaccinated travellers with a negative pre-departure antigen test result.



 Removing travel bans, and



 Accelerating the easing of travel restrictions in recognition that travellers pose no greater risk for Covid-19 spread than already exists in the general population.





With the experience of the Omicron variant, there is mounting scientific evidence and opinion opposing the targeting of travellers with restrictions and country bans to control the spread of Covid-19. The measures have not worked, said Willie Walsh, Iatas Director General.



Today Omicron is present in all parts of the world. Thats why travel, with very few exceptions, does not increase the risk to general populations. The billions spent testing travellers would be far more effective if allocated to vaccine distribution or strengthening health care systems,



A recently published study by Oxera and Edge Health demonstrated the extremely limited impact of travel restrictions on controlling the spread of Omicron. The study found that:



 If the UKs extra measures with respect to Omicron had been in place from the beginning of November (prior to the identification of the variant), the peak of the Omicron wave would have been delayed by just five days with 3% fewer cases.



 The absence of any testing measures for travellers would have seen the Omicron wave peak seven days earlier with an overall 8% increase in cases.



 Now that Omicron is highly prevalent in the UK, if all travel testing requirements were removed there would be no impact on Omicron case numbers or hospitalizations in the UK.



While the study is specific to the UK, it is clear that travel restrictions in any part of the world have had little impact on the spread of Covid-19, including the Omicron variant. The UK, France and Switzerland have recognized this and are among the first to begin removing travel measures. More governments need to follow their lead. Accelerating the removal of travel restrictions will be a major step towards living with the virus, said Walsh.



With respect to travel bans, the WHO Emergency Committee has confirmed their recommendation to Lift or ease international traffic bans as they do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by States. The failure of travel restrictions introduced after the detection and reporting of Omicron variant to limit international spread of Omicron demonstrates the ineffectiveness of such measures over time.



What happens when Covid-19 is confirmed as endemic?



All indications point to Covid-19 becoming an endemic conditionone that humankind now has the tools (including vaccination and therapeutics) to live and travel with, bolstered by growing population immunity.



This aligns with the advice from public health experts to shift the policy focus from an individuals health status towards policies focusing on population-wide protection. It is important that governments and the travel industry are well-prepared for the transition and ready to remove the burden of measures that disrupt travel.



The current situation of travel restrictions is a mess. There is one problemCovid-19. But there seem to be more unique solutions to managing travel and Covid-19 than there are countries to travel to. Indeed research from the Migration Policy Institute has counted more than 100,000 travel measures around the world that create complexity for passengers, airlines and governments to manage, said Walsh.



We have two years of experience to guide us on a simplified and coordinated path to normal travel when Covid-19 is endemic. That normality must recognize that travellers, with very few exceptions, will present no greater risk than exists in the general population. And thats why travellers should not be subject to any greater restrictions than are applied to the general community.



Urgent consideration is needed for several critical concerns regarding vaccines. While Europe is aligning around a nine-month validity period for primary vaccinations, this is not universal. And booster shot validity has not been addressed. As the first quarter of the year is key to bookings for the peak-northern summer travel season, it is important to provide certainty to potential travellers as early as possible. Governments have declared intentions to support a travel recovery. Addressing questions on vaccination validity is a key element, said Walsh.



The over-reaction of many governments to Omicron proved the blueprints key pointthe need for simple, predictable and practical means of living with the virus that dont constantly default to de-connecting the world. We have seen that targeting disproportionate measures at travellers has economic and social costs but very limited public health benefits. We must aim at a future where international travel faces no greater restriction than visiting a shop, attending a public gathering or riding the bus, added Walsh.



Iata Travel Pass



The successful rollout of the Iata Travel Pass continues with a growing number of airlines already using it in daily operations to support the validation of health credentials for travel.



Whatever the rules are for vaccination requirements, the industry will be able to manage them with digital solutions, the leader of which is the Iata Travel Pass. Its a matured solution being implemented across a growing number of global networks, said Walsh.  TradeArabia News Service
COLUMBIA  Congress will never rein in federal spending without a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced budget, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said in urging South Carolina lawmakers to ramp up pressure on his colleagues in Washington.

The federal deficit will continue to spiral out of control, no matter who's in charge, unless the U.S. Constitution forces Congress to change its ways, Graham said Jan. 25 at a news conference in the Statehouse lobby.

There are two ways to amend the Constitution, and Graham said he supports either.

But he'd prefer to go the more direct route which involves a supermajority of Congress passing an amendment that's ratified by at least 38 states, which is three-fourths.

He vowed to push for a vote in the U.S. Senate next year on a balanced budget amendment if Republicans gain back control with this fall's elections. It would take 67 votes in the Senate  a threshold that failed by a single vote in 1995.

"You can put Republicans in charge of Congress in perpetuity. But this chart is not going to change until Congress legally has to get the debt in order, because its so hard to get 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to limit spending," he said, pointing to a chart about the nation's skyrocketing debt over the past 40 years.

"Were going to become Greece as a nation if we dont turn this around," he said about the European country that defaulted on its debt in 2015 and had to be rescued from bankruptcy.

The other way would be to force Congress to act through a state-called Constitutional Convention, something that's never happened in U.S. history. The United States' only Constitutional Convention occurred in 1787.

But the Constitution allowed a convention to occur if 34 states pass a resolution calling for one. Any amendment proposed during it would then still need to be approved by 38 states.

Last year, the state House passed a resolution to add South Carolina to the 27 states demanding one. Senators have not yet taken it up.

In the past, South Carolina's GOP leaders squashed efforts for the first-ever Constitutional Convention out of concerns there are no limits on what its attendees can discuss. Their fear was that, instead of getting amendments requiring a balanced budget, setting term limits for Congress, and limiting federal power  as the House resolution seeks  the resulting proposals could be things Republicans don't want, like limits on gun possession.

Those concerns are what prompted the Legislature in 2004 to repeal a law passed 28 years earlier calling for a convention.

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But the Legislature's GOP leaders now support a convention, saying there are enough checks through the ratification process to shoot down ideas they don't want if things go off course.

"I really dont care how we do it as long as we do it," Graham said about getting a balanced budget amendment.

He believes Congress would be pressured to pass an amendment on its own if 33 states pass a resolution indicating they would ratify it.

"Were going to lose our ability as a nation to function," he said. "Would I prefer a standalone balanced budget approach? Yes. Will I support a convention-of-states approach? Yes, because doing nothing is going to make this chart go the wrong direction."

Congress needs to be forced to do the same thing South Carolina and other states already must do because of balanced-budget requirements written in their state constitutions, he said.

Crisis in Ukraine

Asked about increasing tensions with Russia over its potential invasion of neighboring Ukraine in Eastern Europe, Graham said the United States needs to do more to stop it from happening.

He said he's in a group of senators working to "send a message to (Vladimir) Putin that the cost of going into the Ukraine is going to be greater, not less, for Russia.

"Don't wait for the invasion. They're destroying the Ukrainian economy. They're throwing Europe in chaos. Sanction him now for the provocation. Thats my approach," he said. "Most Democrats want to do it after he invades. I think thats too late."

Graham, known as a hawk on national defense, said he also supports sending 8,500 troops into the region in hopes of getting the Russian leader to back down, and lending or leasing the Ukrainians more sophisticated weapons to defend themselves.

Earlier this week, the Pentagon ordered 8,500 troops on higher alert to potentially deploy.

"The more dead Russians if he invades, the more likely this will end sooner than later," he said. "Do not give in to this bully. If we get Ukraine right, it can reset the world. If we get it wrong, God help Taiwan. Everybody is watching. It's a chance for the world to tell bullies that in 2022, you don't take things because you can."
SPARTANBURG The surge of the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 will likely persist for at least another week before declining in Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System, a top hospital executive said.

David Church, Spartanburg Regional's vice president, told City Council on Jan. 24 that cases have exponentially risen since mid-December, mostly among those not vaccinated.

In mid-December, there were 40 COVID-19 patients in the hospital system, Church said. The number increased to 248 patients by late January. Of the 248 patients, 170 had not been vaccinated.

"We have taken another large jump," Church said.

Church said the omicron variant has been more contagious than previous variants but not as deadly. Since the pandemic began in early 2020, there's been 83,103 COVID-19 cases in Spartanburg County with 1,325 deaths, based on the latest South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control data.

The average COVID patient's at SRHS is 66, Church said. The hospital system has endured staffing shortages throughout the pandemic with waiting times for all patients increasing not only for COVID-19 but for other medical treatment.

"We have been very busy, not all due to COVID," Church said ."It's part of it. There's been so much respiratory sickness in the community, a lot of sickness."

Testing and vaccination sites remain available in Spartanburg County. Church said there are at least 75 vaccinations sites in the county. He said 42.5 percent of residents in the county have been fully vaccinated.

City Councilwoman Meghan Smith asked Church if the number of omicron cases in the city had peaked.

"Looking this afternoon at the models, right now we are at the peak," Church said. "Our health care system has not peaked out yet. I think based on the modeling we will start to slow down next week to 10 days maybe."

City Communications and Marketing Manager Christopher George told The Post and Courier there were 14 city employees who had tested positive for COVID-19 and were absent from work on Jan. 25. There were an additional four employees who were absent from work waiting COVID-19 test results.

"We are still above the numbers we had at this time last year," George said. "It's a reflection of the rest of the community too. We are above just like the rest of Spartanburg. We've been able to shift folks around where needed, which means some quick thinking in some departments, but we have been able to handle it right now."
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (KLM) recently co-hosted a reception at the Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 attended by senior leaders from within the local Netherlands diplomatic and business community and the members of Dutch Sustainability group (DSG).



Pieter Elbers, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)also visited the regional headquarters of Air France KLM at Dubai Airport Free Zone(Dafza), spent time with his team based in Dubai and signed the first NDC contract in the Middle East region with SATGURU group.*



In addition, he visited Dubai Cargo Village, met with Air France KLM Cargo team and some VIP clients. Elbers signed another 2 SAF contracts- Sustainable Aviation Fuel- with Freight Care Aviation Services Limited and Expo Airline Management.



In appreciation of KLMs 50 years of operation to Dubai and the continuous local support received throughout these years, Pieter Elbers also had the honour of meeting Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Dubai Airports and some very high level decision makers in the airline industry and Dutch diplomats.



Welcoming guests to the reception at the Netherlands pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, Elbers, KLM President & CEO, said: The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of KLMs first passenger service to Dubai. All the more reason to visit Dubai as the UAE continues to celebrate its Year of the 50th and hosts the Expo 2020 Dubai.



There is a strong and growing relationship between the UAE and the Netherlands, supported by KLM and reflected in the Netherlands pavilion. Dubai and the UAE are global hubs for international business, aviation and hospitality and I have been deeply impressed by the scale and quality of the Expo. The event is a very ambitious showcase for innovation and sustainability and this is a global mission that KLM fully shares and supports, including here in the Middle East.



KLM started operating services to Dubai on April 5, 1972 with a once-a-week connection via Athens and Dhahran, operating an extended Douglas DC-8 jet aircraft.  TradeArabia News Service
Linda Brown was the young girl who gave her name to the four cases consolidated for consideration in Brown v. Board of Education, the 1954 Supreme Court case that effectively invalidated the regime of public school segregation. She died in 2018 at the age of 75 or 76. Neil Genzlingers New York Times obituary recounted her story.

Genzlinger dealt inadequately with the Brown case. In its ruling, he wrote, the Supreme Court threw out the prevailing separate but equal doctrine, which had allowed racial segregation in the schools as long as students of all races were afforded equal facilities. The separate but equal doctrine had been announced by the Supreme Court in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896). Genzlinger implied that the Brown case killed it.

Would that it were so, but its not. The Court ruled that separate educational facilities were inherently unequal, but left the separate but equal doctrine undisturbed. This is an important point and deserves care in the telling.

The principle of equal treatment without regard to race had in fact been advocated by Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP in the rationale of colorblindness (It is [our] thesis[that] the Fourteenth Amendment prevents states from according differential treatment to American children on the basis of their color or racethat the Constitution is colorblind is our dedicated belief). This is the argument the NAACP expressly urged in the Brown case. The Court, however, failed to adopt it.

Andrew Kull provides a history of the Supreme Courts treatment of the principle in The Color-Blind Constitution (1992). Kull devotes two chapters to the separate but equal doctrine set forth in the holding of Plessy.

The Plessy case represents the bygone era of Jim Crow that Linda Brown helped to transform, yet at the outset of his discussion of the case Professor Kull accurately observes: The majority opinion in Plessy makes a comfortable target, and it is routinely vilified. But in its broad holding, as opposed to its particular application, Plessy has never been overruled, even by implication. On the contrary, it announced what has remained ever since the stated view of a majority of the Supreme Court as to the constitutionality of laws that classify by race.

The principle of equal treatment without regard to race was adopted as the law of the land in the great civil rights legislation of 1964 and 1965, or so we foolishly thought at the time. It may even have been the law for a minute or two. Then the federal government began building the whole edifice of affirmative action and racial preferences that we live with today and that has been addressed by the Supreme Court in a number of important cases. Certainly insofar as higher education is concerned, the affirmative action regime and the treatment of students based on the color of their skin are entrenched more deeply than ever under the shibboleth of diversity.

One of the lessons of Kulls great book is that the Court wants to retain for the judiciary the discretion and authority to approve varieties of racial discrimination. Linda Brown and her case to the contrary notwithstanding, the ideal of the colorblind Constitution remains permanently on the horizon.

It is difficult to capture the absurdity of the affirmative action regime that is operative in higher education with the blessing of the Supreme Court. On the same day that the Court held the University of Michigans racial sorting illegal in the Gratz case involving undergraduate admissions, it approved the University of Michigan Law Schools program achieving the identical result in the Grutter case without the racial grids.

The two cases present the same issue in different form. In substance, they were the same case. The Court opted for the disingenuous version of affirmative action. The Courts decisions in Fisher v. University of Texas in 2013 (Fisher I) and 2016 (Fisher II) are the most recent footnotes to these cases. (The link is to the Courts disappointing decision in Fisher II, yet another illustration of Kulls thesis.)

Can the Supreme Court overcome the absurdity it has wrought? It can, but only a fool would be confident that it will. We can be slightly more confident that the Court will confront it one more time in the Harvard and UNC cases it has now agreed to hear. Some day, perhaps, Kulls book will require an update, but the time has not come today.
Andy Ngo, Americas premier journalist, was scheduled to speak at Dartmouth College last Thursday, on the subject of Extremism in America and at the invitation of the College Republicans and Turning Point USA. But the fascist group Antifa, which has viciously assaulted Ngo in the past, resulting in his hospitalization, objected to the event. Andy Ngo writes:

About a week prior to the scheduled event, the group Northeast Antifa published a disturbing flyer featuring a photograph of my bloodied face from when an Antifa mob beat me in 2019 in Portland, Ore. I was hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage from that assault and robbery. Anti-fascists from all over New England will be mobilizing January 20th, 2022 at Dartmouth College to disrupt and prevent fascist propagandists like Andy Ngo from normalizing their reactionary beliefs on college campuses in the Northeast, tweeted the group. It instructed fellow comrades to wear black to hide their identities and avoid future prosecution. On Instagram, the group threatened me directly. This is to Andy Ngo himself: when you fk with us you are not fking with college students, it wrote. When you enter our home you start playing by our rules, not yours. New England is anti-fascist, and we will hold that line until death. The Vermont chapter of the far-left militia John Brown Gun Club responded in a tweet, saying it had called up reserves and would be there with a battalion of Antifa. In 2019, a member of the groups Washington state chapter, Willem van Spronsen, carried out an armed attack on the Tacoma Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility using firebombs.

Typical fascist behavior, with much more at the link.

So, did Dartmouths administration stand up to the far-left bullies? Of course not:

Hanover police, nearby Lebanon police and the Grafton County Sheriffs Office met the threats with a robust and commendable response. Dozens of officers secured the lecture hall where we were scheduled to speak. They secured every entrance and exit at the building, Moore Hall.

They cleared the hall with a bomb squad and dogs. But the security wasnt good enough to satisfy Dartmouths administrators, who surely are cowardly and perhaps were sympathetic to the fascists:

Two hours before the event was set to begin, and with many attendees already en route, the administration canceled it. Over the phone, senior assistant dean for student life Anna Hall said the decision was made by several people but refused to say who when asked by a student organizer. The organizers were given the ultimatum of transitioning to a Zoom meeting or nothing at all. They reluctantly chose the former. Attendees who drove hours across New England were turned away at the door. The administrators would not even let in the family of the organizers or those who were personally vetted.

It was a big win for Antifa. One of the ironies is that it was predictable that no fascists would actually show up to try to shut down the event; or, at most, a bare handful. In fact, There was no visible presence of protestors Thursday night. So all it took was a few tweets with empty threats of violence to nullify Dartmouth students right to hear Andy Ngo talkironicallyabout political extremism.

Much has changed since Paul, Scott and I were students at Dartmouth decades ago. In those days, Dartmouth had an administration that believed in free speech. Beyond that, if a handful of hooligans had tried to shut down an event that a hundred or more Dartmouth guys wanted to attendwell, lets just say that such an effort would have been ill-advised.

The academic world has declined badly in recent decades. This is one data point among countless others.
At FOX News Tucker Carlson dubbed attorney Michael Avenatti Creepy Porn Lawyer. CNN and MSBNC couldnt get enough of Avenatti trashing Trump. They treated him as a valued guest and highly credible critic of President Trump. Indeed, they all but invited to run for president. He fit right in to their nonstop Trump hatefest. Carlson has proved himself a better journalist and judge of character than everyone at CNN and MSNBC combined.

David Rutz, then of the the Washington Free Beacon, thought to tote up the amount of airtime CNN and MSNBC devoted to Avenatti. As of May 2018, Rutz found that Avenatti had appeared 108 times and received nearly $175 million in free media during his appearances on the networks over the previous two months. The excitement was palpable.

Avenatti has now been charged with crimes of dishonesty in courts from New York to California. Last year he was convicted on charges of attempted extortion and defrauding his client. He was sentenced to over two years on those convictions. Last year, however, Avenatti secured the dismissal of criminal charges that he cheated clients of millions of dollars. The judge held that the government improperly withheld relevant evidence.

Avenatti is now on trial in the Southern District of New York on charges of fraud and identity theft resulting in the transfer of part of a book advance owed to his client Stormy Daniels (Stephanie Clifford). Yesterday Avenatti was granted permission to take over his own defense. The AP covers that development here.

During yesterdays proceeding Avenatti gently cross examin[ed] Judy Regnier, his former longtime paralegal and office manager. Avenatti drew dozens of objections from prosecutors concerned he was coloring her testimony in his favor with lengthy questions meant to show how much work hed done for Daniels in the year he represented her. The AP story gives this example:

Do you have a recollection of me stating in 2018 to you and others at the firm that we had to be certain that anything that we put out publicly for Ms. Daniels, any filings that were made had to be perfect or near perfect because there were so many eyes watching everything we did? Avenatti asked. Objection. Hearsay, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Sobelman said. Overruled, the judge said. Regnier said: I dont know if you made exactly that statement, but its similar to something you probably would have said.

That is a classically nonresponsive answer to which objection should have been made, but the AP leaves us hanging.
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, a case challenging Harvards use of racial preferences in admissions for the benefit of Blacks. Today, Harvards president, Lawrence Bacow, sent a message to the Harvard community bemoaning the cert grant.

By my count, the letter must have gone to four members of the Supreme Court by virtue of their having attended Harvard (and in one case also being a dean there). Bacow seems to be lobbying the Court.

Bacow states:

Yesterday, the Supreme Court announced a decision that could put forty years of legal precedent at risk. Colleges and universities could lose the freedom and flexibility to create diverse campus communities that enrich education for all. Our admissions process, in which race is considered as one factor among many, makes us stronger. It prompts learning in day-to-day exchanges in our classrooms and laboratories, in our residential houses, and on our playing fields and stages. Our students understand these truths and see them reflected in their interactions with their classmates. Diversity opens our eyes to the promise of a better future. Harvard celebrates and nurtures individuality as intensely as this nation. Those who challenge our admissions policies would ask us to rely upon a process far more mechanistic, a process far more reliant on simple assessments of objective criteria. Each of us is, however, more than our numbers, more than our grades, more than our rankings or scores. Ask yourself, how much have you learned from other people at this University? How much have you grown from conversations across difference? Would these conversations have been as rich if you had shared the same interests, the same life experiences, andyesthe same racial or ethnic background as your fellow community members? This is why applications of any kind routinely go beyond mere numbers to include interviews, samples of work product, recommendations, and references. Narrowly drawn measures of academic distinction are not the only indicators of individual promise. As the Supreme Court has recognized many times, race matters in the United States. I long for the day when it does not, but we still have miles to go before our journey is complete. Harvard will continue to defend with vigor admissions policies that were endorsed in the thoughtful decisions of two federal courts that concluded that we do not discriminate; our practices are consistent with Supreme Court precedent; there is no persuasive, credible evidence warranting a different outcome. Though I wish yesterday had turned out differently, I remain confident that the rule of lawand the respect for precedent that perpetuates itwill prevail.

Bacows comments are incorrect or misleading in several respects. Most fundamentally, although Bacow says that Harvard considers race as one factor among many, the record in this case is clear, and Harvard did not dispute, that race is the determinative factor every year for large numbers of applicants. Thats what it means to discriminate against a group on the basis of race.

In addition, Bacows complaint that the Asian-American students bringing the lawsuit want Harvard to use mechanistic admissions policy is disingenuous at several levels. First, Harvards admissions process is already mechanistic. How else to explain why Harvard ends up admitting almost the same percentage of Blacks to its freshman class every year?

Second, the Asian-American students arent contesting Harvards right to use factors other than grades, test scores, and extra curricular activities to make admissions decisions. Harvard is free to factor in a personality ranking.

But Harvard isnt free to use personality rankings to the detriment of one racial or ethnic group and for the benefit of another. Bacow neglects to inform the Harvard community, including those four Supreme Court Justices, that Asian-American applicants consistently score way below Blacks in the personality ranking. They score just low enough to bring their representation in freshman classes down to where Harvard wants it. This practice is systemic and, in a sense, mechanistic.

Subjective factors like personality were once used to exclude or limit black applicants for employment. That was true in some of the cases I litigated as a government civil rights lawyer in the 1970s. It was a particularly offensive form of discrimination.

It still is, regardless of which group is being dinged for personality. Harvards admissions officers are consistently finding that, compared to other groups of applicants, Asian-American applicants fall short on qualities like courage and integrity.

This, despite the fact that based on the other metrics, including academics and extracurriculars, they are the highest achievers. How are Asian-Americans achieving so much in such a range of ways with such allegedly poor personal qualities in comparison to Blacks? It cant be due to white privilege.

The way Harvard uses personality ratings constitutes race discrimination. Its either a blatant display of anti-Asian bias or a pretext for favoring black applicants because of their race. Maybe its both.

Finally, given Bacows statement about race mattering in America, I should point out that Asian-Americans have suffered plenty of discrimination here. Thanks to Harvard and other elite colleges and universities, they still are.
You realize, a sage friend observed to me over the weekend, that masks are going to become the lefts equivalent of a MAGA hat. Sounds plausible, though I prefer my paraphrase of George Wallace in the headline for this item.

To the question, when will the Biden government move to returning us to normal life, the clear answer is neverat least if you pay attention to the left.

First, the administrative state loves the additional control and power COVID enables, notwithstanding the setbacks in court. The climatistas have been displaying clear COVID-control envy since the pandemic began.

The bigger problem, second, is leftist ideology. Following Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkins executive order eliminating the public school mask mandate, the ladies on The View (which Ive never viewed and never will) reacted in horror and said that masks should become part of life forever, like airport security after 9/11. (Or of you like the quiz version: Tell me youre a Biden voter without telling me youre a Biden voter. Answer: You wear a mask all by yourself in your Prius. Reminds me of the definition of a loser in 1961: a pregnant nun driving an Edsel with a Nixon sticker on the bumper.)

Behind this is a serious problem for Biden and the Democrats. The leftist mania for mask and vaccine mandates is rooted ultimately in the paternalistic zero-risk mentality the left has been promoting relentlessly for 50 years or more, on everything from nuclear power to food additives. These kind of people will accept nothing less than a zero-risk policy from the government, which means masks and mandates forever. This means the Biden Administration cant risk declaring COVID to be over enough to return to normal lifethey would risk angering a large portion of the Democratic Party base.

Ive long argued that one difference between liberals and conservatives is a greater (more realistic) risk tolerance among conservatives. Thats why the ranks of entrepreneurs come more from conservatives than liberals. Then I caught this Morning Consult poll today, which, while not scored by ideology, does explain why the ranks of the unvaccinated are less paranoid about a virus that has a more than 99% survival rate, whereas boosted liberals (we can safely presume) remained fearful and stupid.

P.S. Another bit of evidence that the left loves COVID and doesnt want the panic to end:
Nigerian stocks scaled up by 1.29 per cent (or N324 billion) on Wednesday, on track for another week of positive yield as telecom powerhouse Airtel and Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI) led the advance.

Airtel continued to draw interest from investors, garnering 10 per cent gain, the maximum daily appreciation allowed by the bourse, which catapulted its share price to an all-time high of N1,271.

The telcos new valuation of N4.8 trillion now places it a spitting distance away from that of Dangote Cement, Nigerias biggest company by market capitalisation, meaning Airtel could usurp the cement-maker and take the top spot if the momentum of gain is sustained.

Market breadth, often used by investors and market watchers to measure investors sentiment to trade, was neutral as 19 laggards were reported compared to 19 laggards.

The all-share index rose 590.48 points to 46,529.99 points, while market capitalisation closed higher at N25.1 trillion.

The index has seen an 8.93 per cent gain January to date.

TOP FIVE GAINERS

Airtel traded up 10 per cent to close at N1,271. ETI went up 9.55 per cent to N10.90. Courteville rose to N0.60, notching up 9.09 per cent in the process. Academy added 8.86 per cent to end trade at N0.86. Learn Africa completed the top 5, climbing by 8.53 per cent to N1.40.

TOP FIVE LOSERS

Cadbury was the worst performing stock, declining by 9.47 per cent to close at N8.60. Prestige shed 8.70 per cent to close at N0.42.

READ ALSO: Nigerian stocks scrape fragile recovery in flat trade

Champion fell to N2.35, losing 7.84 per cent. Linkage Assurance slumped to N0.52, recording 7.14 per cent depreciation. Neimeth closed at N1.80, going down by 5.26 per cent.

TOP FIVE TRADES

In all, 329 million shares estimated at N4.8 billion were traded in 4,219 deals.

Multiverse traded the most shares with 57.6 million units of its common stock worth N11.9 million traded in 112 transactions. Mutual Benefits transacted 48.3 million shares priced at N12.1 million exchanged hands in 65 transactions.

GTCO had 36.7 million shares valued at N936.9 million traded in 371 deals. Chams traded 22.1 million shares estimated at N4.6 million in 33 transactions. Nigerian Breweries traded 13.4 million shares valued at N632.5 million in 62 deals.
Again popular Lagos pastor, Timilehin Adigun, is enmeshed in another sex scandal as a Nollywood actress, Juliana Olayode, on Wednesday, called him out for allegedly having sex with her sister.

It is the second time in two years that the head pastor of The Ark Church and the coordinator of MINE Teenage Ministry would be called out for his alleged sexcapades with teenage girls under his ministry.

He is also the editor of MINE Magazine  a free Christian teenage magazine that preaches sexual purity.

In December 2020, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Mr Adigun, 37, was accused of sexcapades with teenage girls under his mentorship and tutelage.

When the allegations became intense, the sexual purity preacher was forced to tender a public apology.

In his apology, he confirmed that he had inappropriate behaviour with some female members for over a couple of years.

Fresh allegations

However, in a fresh allegation by Ms Olayode, the pastor was accused of having sex with the actress sister.

Ms Olayode, aka Toyo baby of Jenifa Diarys fame, has been at loggerheads with Mr Adigun in recent times.

But, she said, You never cease to amaze me. I honestly dont want to say much, but you are making me do this.

You promised not to touch that girl (have sex with), and you said Im talking down on you because I asked you not to touch my sister. You said I was talking to you because I knew about your struggle.

The actress who recently had a fallout with the pastor said she was loyal to him despite knowing this weakness and struggle.

You called her from school to your hotel, sending her your nudes and begging her for anal sex. How will I not be angry?

Spiritual father, daughter fight

In a dramatic turn of events, Ms Olayode and Mr Adigun tackled each other on Instagram on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The drama began when Mr Olayode took to her Instagram page to call out the man of God over her social media passwords and also asked him to leave her alone.

The actress accused the pastor, who used to be her spiritual father of allegedly taking control of her social media accounts and locking her out.

The 26-year-old actress tearfully stated that shes exhausted and doesnt want anyone calling or texting her on the proper steps to handle the matter.

I know some people are going to call me and say all sorts, but I am tired! This might be a wrong move to some people, and some might prefer I stay quiet, but I am honestly tired! And I am not going to shut up.

I dont know what Timilehin Adigun wants from me; I dont know. There is so much I want to say, but I dont even have the words to express it. I dont understand why I have to pay or stress getting my stuff from a guy sitting in his mothers school doing nothing.

I just want my passwords, for goodness sake, and I want Timilehin Adigun to leave me alone! she cried out.

She also accused him of walking her out of his church and yelling at her when she went to him to request her passwords.

Reaction

Mr Adigun stated that he wasnt with her passwords in a swift response. He also confirmed that she was sent out of his Church office on Sunday.

He also took to his Instagram page in a three-part video he made to respond to the allegations leveled by the actress. He said:

I managed you like a dad will do his daughter. I do not have your passwords, and I changed it one day in anger to your boyfriends name, which you are aware of.

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When you walked out on me and the church and mama in 2020, I expected you to come back, but you didnt. Instead, you walked away from us in July 2020 from me and mama who loved and raised you, due to some mistakes I made with you which you forgave me for, which your mama also forgave me for.

You are my daughter, I know secrets about you that the world doesnt know, but I wont do that, telling the world about your flaws, you blocked me everywhere, so I unpublished your Facebook page for you to calm down and get over your issues with me, but I did not delete, why will I destroy something I built

The pastor explained that he walked the actress out of the church because she came to the church with her entourage sister to insult him by calling him by his first name.

Juliana, I served you without taxing you. Mama served you. It is a shame that you did this.

I never sexually abused anyone. I have facts, figures, and dates. What I was guilty of, I owned up to and apologised for. The next I want to see is a subpoena.

I will continue on social media and continue building my business page and ministry. This is a distraction I have no time for.

Further efforts by Premium Times to reach the pastor for comments were not successful.
With the increasing cases of Lassa fever reported across the country, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated a National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate response activities.

Since the beginning of the year, Nigeria, which has battled the coronavirus pandemic, has also been experiencing a rapid increase in the number of Lassa fever cases and deaths.

Between January 1 and 23, 2022 a total of 115 confirmed cases were reported from 11 states across the country, leading to 26 deaths.

These cases, according to the disease centre, are spread across 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the 11 states.

Emergency centre

NCDC in a statement signed by its director-general, Ifedayo Adetifa, and published on Wednesday, said the centre will aid response to Lassa fever outbreak in some parts of the country.

Mr Adetifa said this was made necessary given the increase in the number of confirmed cases across the country and a joint risk assessment with partners and sister agencies.

He noted that the situation reports in weeks one and two show the highest number of confirmed cases recorded in the last four years for the same period.

Lassa Fever

Lassa fever is a severe viral hemorrhagic disease that was first reported in 1969 in an American missionary nurse who worked in Lassa town in Borno State of Nigeria.

It includes a spectrum of illnesses which could be mild, severe, or even fatal in some cases.

Nigeria has since 1969 recorded repeated outbreaks of the disease.

Lassa fever is transmitted from the excreta or urine of the multimammate rat.

Anyone who is suspected of being in contact with a Lassa patient needs to be presented to health facilities within a period of 21 days.

Early symptoms are fever, headache, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, sore throat, etc. In very severe cases, the patient bleeds from body openings.

Like several other countries in West Africa, the disease is endemic in Nigeria and is often recorded during the dry season, often between November and May.

Meanwhile, the NCDC said proper environmental sanitation could reduce the risk of spreading the disease.

Other measures according to the agency are covering dustbins and disposing of refuse properly, storing foodstuff like rice, garri, beans, corn/maize, etc in containers that are well covered with tight-fitting lids, avoiding drying foodstuffs outside on the floor, avoid bush burning which can lead to the displacement of rats from bushes to human dwellings.

Response to outbreak

Mr Adetifa said there are currently seven laboratories that can conduct confirmatory tests for Lassa fever in Nigeria coordinated by NCDC National Reference Laboratory (NRL), which has improved active case detection for the disease.

He explained that care for affected individuals has improved with the infectious disease centre providing support to states.

He said this includes the provision of emergency medical and laboratory supplies as well as oral and intravenous Ribavirin for preventive and curative treatment to treatment centres across the country.

Mr Adetifa said the NCDC has continued to deploy Rapid Response Teams (RRT) as required to states to support and strengthen their response efforts.

He added: The RRTs through the State Public Health Emergency Operation Centres (PHEOCs) works with states across all response pillars to strengthen preparedness and response activities.

This includes outbreak investigation, contact tracing, response coordination, case management, psycho-social care for infected people, risk communication, and infection prevention and control activities.

He said the centre is also participating in the largest-ever Lassa fever study that aims to provide an accurate assessment of the incidence of the disease in West Africa, which also will accelerate the development of vaccines and therapeutics for the disease.

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UW Offers Free Leadership Development Opportunity for Students

University of Wyoming students are encouraged to register online for the inaugural Student Leadership Conference (SLC) that will take place from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, in the upper level of the Wyoming Union.

The free event offers a variety of leadership workshops, networking opportunities and lunch for UW students. The SLC will feature keynote speaker Vernon Wall, a nationally known social justice and leadership educator. Wall has 30 years of student affairs experience and lives in Washington, D.C., where he serves as the director of business development for LeaderShape Inc.

To view the leadership conferences events, click here.

Leadership is not about a specific title or role, but about how we can influence and improve ourselves, organizations or communities, says Jeremy Davis, director of the UW Center for Student Involvement and Leadership. This conference provides a free opportunity for all students to develop an understanding of leadership that will enhance their personal lives, academics and future careers.

Among the workshops offered, subjects include binary leadership roles, social justice leadership, perceptions of power and community leadership.

Not all academic programs offer leadership development, a critical skill that employers are seeking, Davis says. In response, the SLC is reflective of modern leadership concepts applicable to everyday life.

To register, go to www.uwyo.edu/CSIL/student-leadership-conference.

For more information about the SLC, call Davis at 766-4008 or email jeremy.davis@uwyo.edu.
At 20, Esther Akan says she shoulders the burden of a 40-year-old and she does not look her age. As she strides through a bush path, on a sunny day in December 2021, with a basket on her head, her three-year-old daughter lets out a shrill scream.

Esther has no job and is pregnant. She became a farmer who only cultivates on their familys small plot of land primarily to feed herself and her daughter. She also takes some to the market to sell whenever there is a surplus of her farm produce.

Five years ago, Esther was an SS2 student at Community Secondary Grammar School, Ikot Essien, Ibesikpo-Asutan, Akwa Ibom State. Then 16 years old, she got pregnant by her former schoolmate who had turned 30 already. She moved in with him as his wife and stopped going to school, a decision she says she now regrets.

In January 2021, her husband passed away shortly after confirming Esther was expecting their second child.

I regretted taking that decision (early marriage). Instead of gaining, I am now suffering more than before, Esther told PREMIUM TIMES.

In Nigeria, child marriage is defined as the union between two people in which one or both parties are younger than 18. In Akwa Ibom, the age of adulthood is 16. The United Nation Childrens Fund (UNICEF) estimates that 43 per cent of women in Nigeria aged between 20 and 24 got married before their 18th birthday. About 17 per cent were married by their 15th birthday.

Also, 80 per cent of those married before 18 gave up education as did 39 per cent of those married before 15.

While child marriage is predominant in northern Nigeria, with Jigawa having the worst situation with 90 per cent of girls less than 18 marrying in the state, the phenomenon also exists in southern Nigeria  albeit at a relatively lower scale.

Four states with the highest incidence of child marriage in the south are Ogun, Oyo, Delta and Akwa Ibom, with 29 per cent, 23 per cent, 23 per cent and 22 per cent respectively, according to the UNICEF data.

In Akwa Ibom, many people view such unions as illegal as they often do not follow the traditional means of getting married. In many cases, when a girl gets pregnant, their parents simply hand them over to their abusers and insist they be married. This is common with girls from poor homes.

What you are seeing here are illegal unions between young girls and men. They do not follow the proper marital procedures so we cannot call them marriages, said Michael Udoaba, a traditional birth attendant and community leader at Okop Ndua Erong community of Ibeskpo-Asutan area of the state.

Most of them are impregnated at an early stage, some at 14 years old and some at 15 or even less, once that happens, they will move in to stay with the man that is responsible for the pregnancy.

That often means dropping out of school.

In 2018, Akwa Ibom had the second-highest number of out-of-school children in the country, second only after Kano. The state recorded 581,800 children who were not in school while Kano had 989,234, according to the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC.

In terms of gender spread, Akwa Ibom had the highest number of out-of-school female children in the country with 298,161. The closest contender, Sokoto, recorded 270,586.

Back to Esther

Esther, the first of five children, lost her father at age 12. Her poor mother took farming jobs to feed her five children, and Esther managed to go to school after being sent off to work as a house help.

She became pregnant at 16 and moved in with the man, Ernest Ukpe, a former schoolmate. There were no rites to formalise the union, but they were referred to as a couple nonetheless.

Esther said her hope was to have some support from the marriage for her poor family. She stopped going to school.

When I lost my dad, my mother was just a housewife and doing anything. Things were not easy for me and my siblings, we could not afford house rent and food, so we decided to relocate and join our grandmother in the village, Esther said.

Although Ernest had managed to complete secondary education, he had no job. They struggled daily to feed and Ernest repeatedly beat her, she said. But she stayed back with the man nonetheless.

My mother had said that marriage is all about endurance, she told PREMIUM TIMES.

In January 2021, after four years together, Ernest took ill and died shortly after the couple discovered Esther was expecting their second child.

Even when he fell sick, there was no money to take him to hospital, Esther said. A few months later, her newborn had a fever and died.

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Amid hardship, Esther relocated from the small apartment they lived in to be with her grandmother in her native village, Ikot Udo.

I am traumatised emotionally and Im hoping for help from God, she said in between sobs.

Angelinas Story

Angelina (real name withheld), 17, another young mother from Ikot Obio Ndoho village in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area, also left school before she became a teenager.

Like Esther, she too said she has suffered immense abuse at the hands of the man she calls husband.

My husband always abuses me; most times he uses wood or plank to beat me. He always said to me that his father beat his mother to death, therefore, he can also beat me to death as well and nobody will do anything, Angelina said.

Most times, he abuses me and my family members verbally. He will not give me food for like 3 to 4 days. Anytime I informed my mother about what is happening in my marriage, my mother always advised me to endure and stay in the marriage, that marriage is all about tolerance, the mother of one lamented.

Angelina, who cried uncontrollably while narrating her story, said she refused to report her husband to the police or any other security operatives due to the fear that her husband might kill her.

She narrated how things were difficult in her family after losing her father at a tender age and how she had to leave school then, at Primary six.

After the death of my father, I could not continue in school again due to the difficult situation in the family. My mother alone struggled a lot to feed me and my siblings, in order to raise money and support her, I decided to start working as a salesgirl for someone and it was in that process that I met my husband.

I planned to go back to school when things improve in my family, but when my husband met me, I could not resist him because I needed support and because of the early marriage, I was not able to go back to school anymore, Ms Enobong added.

Stemming the tide

The Akwa Ibom Government says it has campaigned intensely against early marriage and the results have been coming in. In 2020, the government enacted a law banning marriage below the age of 16.

In other words, while the Nigerian government through the Child Rights Act recognises 18 as the age of adulthood, it is 16 years in Akwa Ibom.

We have our own Child Right Law in Akwa Ibom State and the set age is 16 years, the Deputy Director in the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Justice who is also a Director in the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Response Unit, Akwa Ibom State, Emem Ette, told PREMIUM TIMES.

She said the government is against child marriage, therefore such practice is an offence in Akwa Ibom State.

In Akwa Ibom State, if a child under the age of 16 is raped or impregnated by a man, whether she gave her consent or not, as far as the law is concerned, someone that is below the age of 16 cannot give consent and so whoever that impregnated her should be reported to the police and prosecuted for raping that child, she said.

She said the government was opposed to the practice of parents handing their wards to their abusers to marry.

No parents should carry their child and say because you have impregnated my child, you should marry my child, it is not right. The law is against it and that is violence against person prohibition law, the law is very clear about early child marriage in the state, Mrs Ette said.

She said the governments effort was paying off, and there were fewer cases of child marriage. What the government is more concerned about now is dealing with teenage pregnancy, she said.

According to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2018, the adolescent (15-19 years) pregnancy rate in Akwa Ibom State was estimated at 12.8 per cent. It was the third-highest in the South-South region after Bayelsas 19.9 per cent and Cross Rivers 14 per cent.

Since coming to power, the Udom Emmanuel administration of Akwa Ibom has given attention to the menace, with inspiration drawn from Mr Emmanuels wifes declared passion for the girl-child.

Mrs Emmanuel in 2015 launched the Family Empowerment and Youth Reorientation Programme (FEYReP) to address the problem of teenage pregnancy.

One of the major focuses of FEYReP will be on how to prevent teenage pregnancy. Some of these girls are victims of rape and other forms of gender-based violence. According to the 2012 Gender in Nigeria Report, one in every three girls aged 15 to 24 experience violence, Mrs Emmanuel said during the launch of the programme, as reported by Vanguard newspaper.

The group advocates the prevention of teenage pregnancy and the promotion of the education of the girl-child.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Ini Adiakpan, acknowledged that teenage pregnancy remains a problem in the state.

In Akwa Ibom, how do we protect the girl child? The government has put in place some legal framework to protect the child; we have the Child Right Act, the gender policy among others. We also have free and compulsory education, which embraces both the male and female children and at that point, every child is expected to be in school, she told PREMIUM TIMES.

We teach them etiquette, we bring in role models who have achieved and succeeded to tell them how they did it right from childhood to adulthood and ensure that they specify that it was not smooth all through, that they had problems to become who they are. We believe that will strengthen them, raise their self-esteem and build their capacity to withstand pressure from within and without their families.

In trying to reduce poverty and idleness among young people, we have introduced a lot of skill acquisition programmes. We also have technology incubation centres where we call for training, handpick people and send for training as well. These steps will help them to become useful citizens to themselves and to society.

Despite these efforts, the problem persists. More young women are leaving education due to pregnancy and childbirth.

More Cases

In 2020, Blessing Inyang, 17, returned to the village after a few years in Lagos with her aunty. She continued her education but soon dropped out of school after getting pregnant.

When I returned from Lagos last year, I entered a relationship that did not last long and it resulted in pregnancy. The person that is responsible for the pregnancy had travelled to Lagos early this year to look for a job. Before then, I did not know I was pregnant.

When I realised and I informed him about the pregnancy, he said I should abort it and I told him I cannot do it, since then, he refused to call me and has not been picking my calls anymore, Blessing said.

Blessing gave birth a day before her interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

The new mother constantly sobbed as health workers from a non-governmental organisation, who introduced her, administered medical care on her. She complained of intense pain in her lower abdomen.

I am crying not only because of the pains, but also the fact that I cannot continue in my education as expected. I registered for the WAEC and NECO examination; the pregnancy stopped me from writing the exam, she said.

My mother is late, it is only me and my father and he always told me that he is disappointed in me. My father is the one taking care of all the bills here. My boyfriend doesnt pick my calls or send money to support me, she added.

More than missing education

Besides missing out on school, many victims of early marriage and teenage pregnancy in Akwa Ibom suffer severe violence at the hands of their so-called husbands.

FHI360/AHNI, a non-governmental organisation focused on combating gender-based violence (GBV), said it recorded scores of cases of GBV in Akwa Ibom last year.

In 2021, the highest number of sexual assaults the group recorded was in September, which had 23 cases, followed by June with 22 cases recorded in the month, according to data it shared with PREMIUM TIMES.

One of such victims of GBV in the state is 20-year-old Glory Udo. Also from Mkpat Enin, she got married at age 15. She discontinued her education after her Junior Secondary School Examination (JSS3) when she became pregnant. Her plan to return to school did not happen after childbirth.

She became a second wife and according to her, her decision was influenced by hardship. She has since suffered immense violence, she said.

I am married to a man that has two wives and I am the second wife and also the youngest wife, she said. My husband always beats me with cutlass whenever we have misunderstandings.

Glory, who was pregnant when she spoke to PREMIUM TIMES, said she relocated to her family house so she could get care, and anytime she decides to visit the man to request money, she would always end up fighting the first wife.

Health Implication

Many of the young women also face a potentially debilitating health problem as their young bodies overlabour to carry pregnancies and deliver their babies.

At a private centre on the outskirt of Uyo, the state capital, a team of non-governmental health experts work to save women from Vesico vaginal Fistula (VVF) and Recto Vaginal Fistula (RVF), defects that arise either from poor care during childbirth or underdeveloped body unable to bear the rigorous strains of child birth.

Between January and September this year, the team from Family Life Centre/VVF Hospital at Mbribit Itam told PREMIUM TIMES it worked on several VVF cases, but at least 13 of the patients were between 13 and 18 years.

The figures recorded this year by the Mbribit Itam team so far are the highest in the last four years, data reviewed by PREMIUM TIMES show.

The centre said in the underage mother category, they recorded eight, five and 11 cases in 2020, 2019 and 2018 respectively.

Most of the childbirth and sexual-related complications witnessed among the young girls is as a result of prolonged labour faced by young girls due to immature body system during childbirth, Thompson Ntiense, the centres secretary, told PREMIUM TIMES.

NGOs and community efforts

Many NGOs in the state work to respond to the challenges of early marriage and teenage pregnancy and their attendant health problems.

FHI360/AHNI, a non-governmental organization operating in the state, said it has a standard procedure once a case of sexual abuse is reported.

When a Gender-Based Violence case (rape) is identified, the client is tested for HIV and pregnancy test. If the results show negative, you are placed on PEP (post exposure prophylaxis) for 1 month. Then we ask the client to come back for a retest after 3 months.

In terms of other violence and even the rape cases, we place them on LIVE support then ask if the client needs police intervention. They mostly decline because of fear, Charity Charles, the groups focal person on GBV said in an email response to a PREMIUM TIMES enquiry.

The organisation partners with governments, private sector and civil society to provide lifesaving healthcare to people, especially in the rural areas, advocating against gender-based violence, rendering support to internally displaced communities and among others.

At the community level, Mr Udoaba, the traditional birth attendant at Okop Ndua Erong community, said they have also taken measures to stem the tide of teenage pregnancy.

Whenever we have town hall meetings with parents, we always put it as one of the agenda of the day, we always inform parents about educating their children and not exposing them, most especially through street hawking. Hawking here exposes girl children to problems, he said.

Though some of the parents said they cannot do without sending the children to go and hawk because it is one of the ways they use to fend for their education, we advise them on the age that should be allowed to hawk. We said from 17 or 18 years and above it should be allowed and it has to be at open places like the market. Mr Udoaba, also a secondary school teacher, added.

A woman community leader in Ikot Akpa Ntia village, Essien Udim Local Government Area, Arit Udoma, said that the community council, churches and other groups in the community have taken steps to discourage child marriage, teenage pregnancies and gender-based violence in the community.

We are doing everything possible to stop the practises in our community, she said. In our church, we grouped the young people into groups, we organise seminars and sensitization exercises monthly to sensitise them, informing them of the risk and dangers involved in those practises.

For the offenders, the village set stiff penalties to whosoever caught in such a (GBV) habit.

Support for this story was provided by the Media and Gender Project of Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism CREATESAFESPACES
At least 387 lives were lost to communal clashes in Kauru and Zangon Kataf local government areas of Kaduna State in 2020 and 2021.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai stated this on Wednesday at an emergency security meeting with traditional rulers, religious and community leaders from the areas.

The governor was represented by Samuel Aruwan, the Commissioner of Home Affairs and Internal Security, at the meeting held at the palace of the Agwatyap, Atak Njei, in Zangon Kataf.

Mr El-Rufai said the lives were lost to clashes among Atyap, Fulani, Chawai, Irigwe and Hausa ethnic communities in the two areas.

The governor called the security meeting following fresh deadly clashes in the areas.

Mr Aruwan was accompanied to the meeting by heads of security agencies.

We are here on behalf of the governor following the renewed killings in Kauru and Zangon Kataf local government areas. It is a big setback but we will not relent, the commissioner said.

We are reiterating our appeal for recourse to the law and avoidance of generalisations. These killings and counter killings are unjustifiable.

For instance in 2020, 114 citizens were killed in Zangon Kataf and 28 in Kauru, and in 2021, 186 were killed in Zangon Kataf and 59 in Kauru and if you put the figures, we lost 387 people in these two councils. In 2021, 100 citizens incurred gun shot injuries in the two councils, 77 in Zangon Kataf and 23 in Kauru.

This is aside, houses and settlements burnt, farms destroyed, cattle killed and collapse of the rural economy affecting all the communities.

We must rise to the occasion and put a stop to all these challenges, arising from the behavior of a few elements on all sides. Let us reason together and avert this needless bloodshed.

The member of House of Representatives for Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency, Amos Magaji, in his remarks supported the appeal for a recourse to the law and campaign for peace in the areas.

In their separate remarks, the Agwatyap, Dominic Yahaya, and Res-Tsam (Chief of Chawai), Yahaya Mohammed, pledged their support for the drive for sustainable peace and development in the areas.

The chairman of Zangon Kataf local government, Francis Sani, and his Kauru local government counterpart, Bashir Dawaki, also commended Governor El-Rufai for dispatching a high-powered delegation to the areas following recent killings and counter killings.

Also speaking, the Commander, Sector 7 of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH), Tony Opurum, expressed concern over the incessant killings and lawlessness in the areas.

READ ALSO:

Mr Opurum, an army colonel, said the military will continue to work hard in containing threats to peace in the areas.

Danladi Ibrahim, the Area Commander, Kafanchan Police Area Command, said the police will continue to be neutral and prosecute anyone found guilty.

Resolutions

The meeting ended with all sides agreeing to deepen the campaign for peace and continue the engagements in all communities.

Meanwhile, the participants appealed to the Kaduna State Government to resolve the land tussle lingering in Zangon Kataf since the 1992 crisis.

The Kaduna State Government thanked the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) for accepting to organise peace and security engagements in the two local government areas starting from February 2021.
The House of Representatives Special Committee on Constitution Review on Tuesday adopted a bill seeking to create 111 extra-seats for women at the National Assembly.

The bill, sponsored by Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC, Abia) and 119 members, seeks to alter sections 48, 49, 71,77,91, and 117 of the 1999 constitution by creating one senatorial seat and two federal constituencies in each state and FCT for women.

In addition, the bill seeks to amend section 91 of the 1999 Constitution by creating an additional 108 seats in the state houses of assembly for women.

With the adoption of the bill at the public hearing on Tuesday in Abuja, the committee will now recommend and present it before the House for consideration.

Meanwhile, the committee stepped down the 35 per cent affirmative action bill, which seeks to amend section 223 of the 1999 constitution to make it mandatory for all appointments to reserve 35 per cent for women.

The bill was stepped down after it was criticised by some members of the committee.

Uzoma Abonta (PDP, Abia), while reacting to the bill, said women will have to choose between 35 per cent affirmative action and more seats for women.

He said that 35 per cent should be left to be policies of political parties and not a constitutional matter.

We have been battling with the rights of women, trying to accommodate women in the things we do. I make bold to say that the constitution is our ground norm. Tomorrow, women alone may want to form their party, and men alone may want to form their party. And in the National Assembly, we have agreed to special seats to cure the ills. If we say take the special seats or 35 per cent, which one will they choose? I think that the special seats should remain in the constitution, Mr Abonta said.

In every parliament, special seats should be done to balance the gender gap. In the political parties, it should be policies, and remain like hat so that we can have.otherwise, tomorrow, the youth might also come that they want 35 per cent affirmation. I should think that in choosing for them, let the special seats remain, let the other one be a policy thing for the political parties. In parliament, we ought to balance it.

The Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, who is the chairman of the committee, also concurred with Mr Abonta, saying that it could work in other climes but not in Nigeria. He said the law will not be respected if passed by the lawmakers.

Without sounding immodest, I want to beg so that we understand our various backgrounds. It is doable in some climes, but I want to tell you sincerely, it is not attainable everywhere. When you put it in the constitution that this ought to be done, you are making a law that cannot be respected. It is not just about women, what about the culture? When we allow parties to carry out the policy, it is better, even in Plateau State, it will be difficult.

Following his submission, he ruled that the affirmative clause be stepped down for further consultation.

This is not the first time affirmative action will be suffering defeat in the National Assembly.

The bill was considered in the 8th Assembly, but was however rejected during the clause by clause consideration by the Committee of the Whole in the Senate.

Citizenship for foreigners married to Nigerian women

There was another victory for women at the public hearing on Tuesday, as the committee agreed with the amendment to ensure that foreigners married to Nigerian women can become citizens by registration.

Joy Ezeilo, one of the consultants working with the committee, while presenting the recommendation of the consultants to the lawmakers, said existing provision in the constitution is discriminatory against women.

She said the bill seeks to amend section26 (2a) of the 1999 constitution, by opening citizenship registration to male and female.

Mr Wase, while speaking on the bill, called for more clarification on the specifics regarding the bill.

According to him, even in Nigeria, there are differences in culture as regards the rights of spouses in Nigeria.

Even within the context of our culture, I want to give an example of Idoma culture, you can only bury an Idoma woman in her homeland. In this age, we have a lot of attachment to our culture.

He expressed concerns on the conferment of automatic citizenship on foreigners based on marriage. The deputy speaker argued that Nigerian citizenship should be guarded jealously.

Ms Ezeilo argued that citizenship is not automatic, noting that the bill seeks to replace any woman with any person, which according to her is discriminatory.

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The Minority Leader also raised concerns on the bill. According to him, such a bill could confer rights to vote and be voted for by foreigners.

What I was saying is if we are going to agree to that provision, what about, for instance, somebody from Taraba State is married to a woman from Delta or Abia. Can that man from Taraba come down to Abia to contest? We should include it. If we are allowing the husband to come from abroad and claim citizenship, we should also allow any Nigerian man that is married outside a particular state, not even a constituency

Despite the concerns, the bill was adopted by the lawmakers.

Women absent at hearing

During the composition of the constitution review committee, Mr Gbajabiamila had announced that all the women in the House are to be automatic members of the committee.

However, while the conversation on the bill regarding women was on during the public hearing, only Aisha Dukku (APC, Gombe), Tolu Shadipe (APC, Osun), Boma Godhead (PDP, Rivers) and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC, Abia), were present.

Currently, there are 12 female lawmakers in the House, and all of them are members of the committee.
Fuel queues returned to filling stations in Abuja on Wednesday despite the federal governments assurance that it will no longer remove fuel subsidy this year as it earlier planned.

The queues started Tuesday morning and continued through Wednesday. Many filling stations in Jabi, Wuse and Lugbe areas of the city sold the product at prices ranging from N162 to N165.

Black marketers were also seen hawking the product in jerry cans to interested motorists and other consumers along Lugbe and Kubuwa axis.

In November 2021, the federal government announced its plan to remove fuel subsidy and replace it with a monthly N5000 transport grant to poor Nigerians.

The Nigeria Labour Congress in response fixed January 27 and February 2 for protests across 36 states against the subsidy removal.

The government through the Minister of Finance on Monday announced a reversal of its plan to remove subsidy.

The government said it will retain fuel subsidy indefinitely and will work on amending the 2022 budget to provide funds for that purpose.

According to the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, the Nigerian government realised the timing of its planned removal of petrol subsidy is problematic, and will worsen the suffering of Nigerians.

On Tuesday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) announced it had suspended its proposed nationwide protest action over petrol subsidy removal.

A PREMIUM TIMES correspondent who visited petrol stations Wednesday afternoon found that some filling stations were shut against buyers.

When I came out today to work I noticed there were huge queues at petrol stations because the government wanted to remove fuel subsidy, a taxi driver, Ajayi Nurudeen, told PREMIUM TIMES.

I started noticing the queue yesterday but it became more today. I have been on this queue for some time now.

When told that the government has retained fuel subsidy, Mr Nurudeen said You cant trust the government, maybe they are trying to surprise us without our knowledge.

Dont be surprised that you will wake up one day and see that they have removed the subsidy, he said.

At Saddi Kamal filling station along Lugbe, Airport Road, there was a huge crowd at the station Wednesday afternoon, as motorists struggled to buy petrol.

Muhammad Abdulkadir, a taxi driver who was at the station, said The fuel queue is affecting everybody, I dont know what is the problem, there was no information that they increased the pump price.

We only heard from the federal government that they have suspended the removal of the fuel subsidy.

But it is like the marketers are not happy with the federal government. It looks as if they want to sell the fuel at the rate of that three hundred and something naira.

So, I suspect that they are hoarding the fuel to sell it at the rate of three hundred and something naira in February. So I believe thats what causes the fuel queue.

It is affecting me seriously because I have been in this queue for more than an hour just to get fuel. I am a taxi driver and I am supposed to be at work now, he lamented.

As you can see the price remains unchanged at N165 here and this is exactly what many fuel stations are selling, but there is panic buying, a civil servant at the station who identified himself as Augustine said.

A long queue was seen at Total filling station in Wuse zone 1.

The recent queue build-up we have been seeing is major as a result of panic buying and is not far from the federal governments resolve before now that they are going to remove fuel subsidy and we all know the impact of that, an official at the station, who refused to give her name said.

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It will lead to an increase in the price of fuel so people began to buy believing that by the time they buy enough at least to save extra cash.

But the good thing is the federal government has reversed that decision so any time from today, everything will be fine, she said.

Another official who refused to give his name at Obatoil filling station at Wuse zone 1 said, You can see that the tanker over there just delivers and we are selling it.

We are selling at the normal price of N165 and we are not increasing anything.

We Nigerians are the ones treating ourselves badly. Some fuel stations are beginning to hoard petroleum, he said.

A long queue was also seen at Nipco and A. A. Rano filling stations in Jabi and Major oil Limited airport junction.

Total and Conoil in Jabi were opened but the stations were not selling the product, while Shema, Dan oil along Lugbe airport road, Fort oil and Oando in Jabi were under lock and key.

Some hawkers were spotted in front of the Nipco filling station, at Jabi and Major oil Limited airport junction selling the product in 10-litre jerry cans for N3,000  N3,500 to motorists, who could not stay in queues at the filling station.

Adam Peters, a civil servant said: People are panic buying because we believe that there will be an increase and havent explained to the people by the federal government that there will be no more removal of subsidy.

Yet, people wont still believe and this might lead to an increase in the prices of fuel but I hope this queue will subside in subsequent time.

A car owner, Emmanuel Alabi, who also confirmed that there was panic buying said some filling stations were hoarding the product.

I drove about 30 to 40 minutes around Abuja trying to get fuel and all the filling stations I went to are locked up while there are queues in some.

There is a lot of hoarding in the city, I can tell you it is hard to get fuel even with your money. I dont know what is going on, he said.

In Kubwa area of the city, there was panic buying also as motorists plugged up filling stations.

Also, this reporter observed long queues at Optima filling station by the federal medical center in Jabi.

A cab driver, who gave his name as Moses, blamed the government for the recent queue.

He said I must tell you that this recent queue was caused by the government announcement of removing fuel subsidy and this has inflicted hardship on the citizens.

Some fuel stations are now hoarding fuel even after the government announcement of not removing subsidy again, he said.

Another motorist, Segun Ojo, said It has become a burden too much to bear.

He urged the government to urgently come out and address the problem.

People are suffering. We heard that the government is no longer removing subsidy but this queue is unbearable, he said.

A car owner, Oladele Martin, said I observe that filling stations are hoarding the products. This should not be encouraged, they are unjustly making life difficult for the people.

NNPC REACTS

The NNPC in a statement by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Garba Deen Muhammad, on Wednesday evening has cautioned sellers and buyers against hoarding and panic-buying.

The corporation said it has sufficient petr stock to meet the needs of Nigerians.

NNPC in a statement said, Please do not panic, NNPC Ltd wishes to assure the public that the Company has sufficient PMS stock to meet the needs of Nigerians.

The public is therefore advised not to engage in panic buying of petrol and to ignore all rumors that may suggest otherwise.

In line with the existing laws of the land, NNPC Ltd is deeply committed to ensuring energy security for the country, it said.
Although the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, has not officially declared his intention to run for president in the forthcoming 2023 election, more groups have continued to drum support for him.

Women across different sectors gathered in Abuja on Tuesday for a solidarity walk in support of the governors ambition under the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The groups, including CSOs, professional actors, market women, as well as entrepreneurs, who claimed to have come from different parts of the country, were at the Department of Arts and Culture Exhibition Pavilion brandishing different placards in support of Mr Bello.

After their solidarity march tagged One Million Women March for Yahaya Bello across streets in the FCT, the women, under the umbrella of Women United for Yahaya Bello (WUYABEL), described the governor as the solution to Nigerias challenges.

Addressing journalists, a former National President of the National Association of Women Journalists, Ifeyinwa Omowole, argued that the coming general elections will be determined by women.

She called on the current administration to give more priority to the medical and general welfare of women and children, an area she said the Kogi governor has delivered well enough.

We believe that it is Bello that will do it for us because he is a governor that has carried women along in his appointment and the election of women as vice-chairman in all the local governments of the state.

We decided to support him because he is young, vibrant and supports the course of women, she said.

A Nollywood actress, Binta Ayo-Mogaji, who led other actresses, including Ayo Adesanya, Dupe Jaiyesinmi, Rose Odika and Lanre Hassan, said she was impressed with the turnout for the rally. She urged the federal government to pay more attention to the needs of women.

The South-west leader of Nigerian market women, Nike Akingboye, said that her team is ready to mobilise support for Mr Bello once he declares to run for presidency.

Market women are in total support of the Governor and would mobilise massively for him if he declares for presidency, she said.

Also, the National Association of Women Entrepreneurs president, Vera Ndanusa, said the diversity of the women marching for Mr Bello is a testimony of his popularity among them and evidence to the fact that whenever you empower a woman, you reap the benefits many times over.

As his support groups continue to grow across the country, Mr Bello said he will delay his declaration till after the APC national convention.

While the party has declared February 26 as the date for the convention, nothing has been said on where it will be zoning the presidential ticket to.

However, not less than three key persons under the ruling APC have made their intention known to President Muhammadu Buhari and officially declared for the seat.

If the Kogi governor eventually throws his hat in the race, he may be contending with the national leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State and a former governor of Abia State and Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Kalu.

There are speculations that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will join the race. He had yet to declare his interest to run as of the time of filing this report, there are different support groups urging him to run.
The Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Seye Oladejo, on Tuesday , said that Bola Tinubu remains the man to beat in the 2023 Presidential Election with backing from over 1,800 groups.

Mr Oladejo, in a statement in Lagos, took a swipe at those attacking the APC leader and former Lagos State, over his ambition to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, come May 29, 2023.

He advised those kicking against the ambition of Mr Tinubu to be democratic and lay the facts at the table rather than resorting to blackmail.

The APC spokesperson said that allegations and blackmail over Mr Tinubus source of wealth, educational qualification and age, were unjustifiable because they remain accusations without substantive facts.

He said it is very interesting that those in opposition suddenly have access to Asiwajus medical record and they have become the authority on his state of health.

Tinubus movement to different parts of the country in the last few months showed that he is medically fit.

The APC chieftain said that Mr Tinubu should be commended for making his recent knee surgery public despite being a private citizen.

He added that since the APC leader returned from his foreign medical trip, he has been moving from one place to the other.

Speaking about the controversy trailing Tinubus age from some quarters, Mr Oladejo said there was nothing hidden about the former Lagos State governors age.

Reacting on issues surrounding Mr Tinubus source of wealth, Mr Oladejo said: Tinubus wealth cannot be measured in monetary value.

His wealth should be measured by the goodwill and image he has by building men who are willing to play their parts at a time like this. These men are spread all over Nigeria.

He said Mr Tinubu had the required qualifications to be President of Nigeria based on constitutional provisions, which stipulated that anybody running for the presidency must be 35 years old, be a card-carrying member of a political party and must be sponsored by a political party.

Mr Oladejo said Mr Tinubu is eminently qualified to be Nigerias President because of the confidence people have in him for having distinguished himself.

He said Mr Tinubu distinguished himself during his eight years as governor of Lagos State as well as contributions to national politics in the last three decades.

According to him, Mr Tinubu will never say no to the millions of Nigerians who have been urging him to contest as over 1,800 groups across the country are already clamoring for his candidature.

Mr Oladejo said: We are excited about Tinubus aspiration. We are excited because for once we have someone who is aspiring, who is a willing aspirant to say.

He is not being forced on us and he is not being thrown up by circumstances to run for the office.

He said Mr Tinubu is well-grounded and over time, he has built a whole lot of goodwill and image across the country and across various ethnic nationalities.

Looking at various issues such as economy, security, education, good health, among others in the country, it is high time for us to have a personality like Asiwaju to run for the presidency and we are very optimistic.

The opposition will have their say but people will have their way, he said.

Mr Oladejo said the decision that Mr Tinubu should contest for the presidency is already giving a lot of people sleepless nights, especially those who are also interested in the presidency.

The APC spokesperson expressed confidence that Mr Tinubu would defeat aspirants from South-west and other parts of the country during the APC presidential primaries and general elections. (NAN)
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Lucky Irabor, a general, on Wednesday, engaged top executives and editors of major media organisations to solicit support for the operations of the armed forces.

The meeting has the theme, Role of Media Executives and Editors in National Security and Conflict Sensitive Communication.

Mr Irabor said both the military and the media pursued common causes of freedom and liberty.

He said it is also a secure environment as well as looking forward to fulfilling individual desires and as a comity of nations.

He said the engagement would help the military and the media to be on the same page.

The military chief said that everyone has a role to play in nation building.

All along, it is we versus them but I am hopeful that at the end of this parley today, you will no longer see yourself as we versus them.

Rather, it will be an engagement about us and engagement about what binds us, which is Nigeria.

What so ever influences one may have outside the shore either territorial or space of Nigeria, we must begin to understand that you are the best person to keep Nigeria safe.

No one outside of these shores loves you better than you love yourself because you are the one that meets this challenge, he said.

The Director, Defence Information, Jimmy Akpor, a major general, said the CDS considered media executives as most worthy to interface with, considering their standing in the spectrum of the media space.

Mr Akpor said the media had the cardinal role to play in advancing the cause of national security.

He said the leadership of the armed forces viewed media executives, editors and bureau chiefs as critical stakeholders that could not be ignored.

He said the meeting was conceptualised to build sustainable trust and confidence of the media as the military conduct its operations and engagements.

Mr Akpor noted that the society approach, which the CDS had continued to advocate, was a sure way to go in overcoming various forms of security challenges confronting our nation.

He noted that with the collaboration and understanding between the armed forces and the media, both parties would henceforth be on the same page in matters of defence and national security.

At the end of the deliberations, media executives, editors, and bureau chiefs are in a better position to set the agenda for public discourse on issues of national security and conflict sensitive management that are generating debate, he said.

ALSO READ: Communities celebrate as military dislodges bandits from Zamfara forest

The Chief Executive Officer, Media Today, Charles Odenigbo, said the interface would mark a new beginning for military and media relationship in Nigeria.

Mr Odenigbo said a road map would be developed at the end of the parley for clear understanding of the roles of the media in national security matters and conflict sensitive communication.

He said the editors or media would have to contend with the code of ethics because the functions of the armed forces and the media are very clear.

The media is constantly looking for information backed by concrete evidence, concrete facts and they must be time bound because time is the oxygen of the newsroom, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that top executives from both government-owned and private media organisations attended the meeting.

Yushau Shuaib of PR Nigeria presented a paper titled, Fact Checking and Conflict Sensitive Communication, at the event.

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(NAN)
The House of Representatives has condemned the resurgence of military coups in the West African Sub-region.

This followed the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance by Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) on the floor of the House on Wednesday in Abuja.

He said with high apprehension the frightening emerging trend of military coups in the West African sub-region, the most recent coup in Burkina Faso being part of a resurgence of a Coup Culture in West Africa.

He noted that for the fourth time in only six months, violence had facilitated the transfer of power in West Africa with Guinea, Mali, which is twice in the past 17 months, and Chad.

He added that this had seen new leaders emerge from their respective militaries and Burkina Faso a few days ago, witnessed the overthrow of President Roch Kabore.

Mr Ihonvbere, a professor of political science, stated that such illegal takeover of power from democratically elected governments violates several national constitutions, international conventions and protocols established by multilateral organisations, donors and development partners.

He noted that since Nigeria, the traditional power house in the sub-region transitioned from military to civilian in 1999, there had been a strong sense that the days of military coups were effectively over.

He however stated that with the emerging trend, that positive trajectory was now being reversed with the rather quick successive coups in the aforementioned countries.

He said coups subvert political processes, promote tensions and violence, suffocate democratic spaces, suppress basic freedoms, contain civil society and promote corrupt undemocratic governance.

The lawmaker said if the trend was not immediately and firmly checked, it could erode the democratic achievements made thus far and distort the emerging culture of constitutionalism.

Mr Ihonvbere added that it would also promote opportunistic and undemocratic actors in the region, and by extension the continent.

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The House however urged the federal government to strongly condemn the coups, impose strong sanctions, and mobilised other nations and stakeholders to impose very extensive sanctions.

It also urged civil society organisations across the sub-region and internationally to condemn coups, support civil society, political parties, and parliaments to work for the immediate restoration of democratic governance in the affected Nations.

The House also called on the UN and its agencies as well as the international community to impose total sanctions on those countries where coups detat have taken place in West Africa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2021 alone, there were four successful military takeovers across the continent in Chad, Mali, Guinea and Sudan.

On January 23, soldiers staged a coup in Burkina Faso, overthrowing President Roch Kabore.

(NAN)
The Lagos State chapter of Nigerian Union of Allied Health Professionals (NUAHP) has ordered its members to embark on a three-day warning strike from 12 midnight on February 1, 2022, over unmet demands by the Lagos State Government.

NUAHP is a coalition of other category of health workers apart from medical doctors and nurses.

The union gave the directive in a statement signed by the chapters assistant secretary, Sode Adegbenro, noting that the government has failed to acknowledge and approve the implementation of its demands.

This is coming one week after PREMIUM TIMES reported that the union issued a 21-day ultimatum, accusing the government of persistent inequity in the health sector and threatening to down tools should the government fail to meet the demands.

Directive

The statement by the union reads in part; Despite all efforts by the leadership of the union to get the Lagos State Government to approve and begin immediate implementation of our demands in order to avert the impending strike and thereby sustain the harmonious relationship that has long existed between the union and its employers, we have painfully noticed unresponsiveness and at best tardiness on the part of the government.

The Lagos State Government seems to have equated our apparent long-suffering and determination to put the interest of our clients above our own interests as much as possible, to a sign of weakness.

The union warned its members against sabotage, saying non-compliance to the directive will not be tolerated.

The leadership of the union will set in motion task force to ensure compliance, it noted.

It also added that all health workers under the union are to converge on the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, for an emergency congress on Thursday over the impending strike and associated matters

Ultimatum

The union had resolved at a meeting held on January 6, 2022, to issue the ultimatum due to what it described as the observed unresponsiveness of the state government to lingering issues.

The union in a statement highlighted 13 of the issues in the ultimatum, which include the nonclinical call duty allowances and commencement of full payments; non-Implementation of full Consolidated Health Salary Scale (CONHESS), improved welfare and working conditions, and payment of hazard allowance for all members.

About NUAHP

NUAHP is made up of professionals across clinical sections such as pharmacists, physiotherapists, laboratory scientists, radiographers/imaging scientists, dental technologists, and other related professionals.
The police in Delta State, Nigerias South-south, have arrested three persons in connection with Saturdays botched abduction at Esiso Street, Agbarho in Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Bright Edafe, disclosed this in a statement made available to reporters in Warri on Wednesday.

Mr Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police, stated that the victim (name withheld) reported the incident to the police and narrated how he escaped from his assailants.

He stated: At about 2130hrs on January 22, a kidnap victim reported that he was kidnapped on Esiso Street, Agbarho.

He further explained that he escaped from his abductors, while they were transferring him into another vehicle.

On January 23, the victim spotted one of the hoodlums and immediately alerted the Agbarho Divisional Officer (DPO), CSP Samuel Ogwa.

The DPO swiftly mobilised and led operatives to the area, where one Godstime Rufus, 22, was arrested, he said.

Mr Edafe added that Mr Rufus later led the operatives to their hideout, where two other suspects, including Stanley Efeme, 21, and Davidson Esiso, 35, were arrested.

He said the matter was currently being investigated and that the suspects would soon be arraigned.

Abduction for ransom has been on the increase in several states across Nigeria.

There have also been mass abductions of students of late in some states in the country.

(NAN)
UW SER Publishes Study on Domestic Critical Mineral Production From Coal Byproducts

Davin Bagdonas

Researchers in the University of Wyomings School of Energy Resources (SER) have published a collaborative study on the potential for domestic critical mineral (CM) and rare earth element (REE) production from unconventional sources in the United States.

Recently released in the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews journal, the study provides a geologic assessment of CM and REE occurrences in coal fly ash sourced from the Powder River Basin, as well as a complementary economic and policy analysis that explores a viable way to produce more of these critical minerals domestically from coal byproducts.

The results of the study show that coal fly ash created from the combustion of Powder River Basin coal holds promise as an economic source of REEs.

We have really important work going on in SER and across UW through some key collaborations, says SERs Davin Bagdonas, the lead author on the study. In addition to the assessment we conducted, we worked with SERs Center for Energy Regulation and Policy Analysis for policy support, with the University of Wyoming Department of Economics, and partners at Colorado School of Mines and Idaho National Laboratory to assess the market viability for REE recovery from unconventional ore stocks. This study is very important because it highlights how necessary those three aspects are for successful project development in the future.

Bagdonas is an associate research scientist in SERs Center for Economic Geology Research (CEGR), which investigates opportunities that use Wyomings distinctive geology and resources, and develops those prospects to diversify Wyomings economy.

This highly anticipated article will serve as a very significant resource in a nationwide discussion, says CEGR Director Fred McLaughlin. Led by the Department of Energy, the U.S. has been investigating ways to reduce its reliance on REE imports, and to look at current waste products is environmentally astute. Im very proud of our team for their efforts in providing an in-depth examination on a very timely and important topic.

Previous assessments conducted by CEGR on unconventional REE sources have included coal byproducts, produced water, phosphates, uranium and coal beds. Additionally, researchers in the center have led a survey of heavy metal critical elements in Wyoming.

While the focus of the published study was specifically on coal ash from the Powder River Basin, what has set it apart from past assessments is the emphasis on the promising economics supported by a regulatory framework. As Bagdonas notes, both economic and geologic assessments are rendered useless unless there is policy to support them.

We have conducted a lot of rare earth assessments, and research partners have looked at economics on their own but, until we can actually use those assessments for something, the research wont go anywhere, he says. By addressing the policy surrounding it, we are taking the first step to find out if what we have discovered is practical and worthwhile.

The policy environment at both the federal and state levels is uniquely aligned to support continued applied research, including commercial investigations, centered on REEs from Powder River Basin coal, says Kipp Coddington, SER senior adviser and a contributing author of the study. Understanding the economics of all of this is critically important. With the right policy mechanisms and business models in place, the state of Wyoming could play an important role in advancing these critically needed resources for the United States in the decades ahead. Doing so would ensure continued economic use of Powder River Basin coal, thereby benefiting both federal taxpayers and the citizens of Wyoming.

The focus on Wyomings vast coal resources comes at a time when there is significant investigation of its potential for nonthermal uses.

In April 2021, SER received two Department of Energy awards under the Carbon Ore, Rare Earth and Critical Minerals (CORE-CM) Initiative for U.S. Basins. The ultimate goals of the projects are to catalyze regional economic growth and job creation by realizing the full potential value of natural resources, and to bolster U.S. supply chains for materials important to clean energy and national security.

Bagdonas serves alongside CEGR Senior Research Scientist Erin Phillips as a principal investigator on the two-year CORE-CM initiatives. Bagdonas is leading the efforts in the Greater Green River Basin and Wind River Basin, while Phillips is managing the project in the Powder River Basin.

The Powder River Basin is already home to a robust energy infrastructure and a highly skilled mining and technology workforce, Phillips says. This assessment is helpful because it specifically focuses on the possibility of REE extraction from coal byproducts in the basin. Looking toward the future, this assessment will help to guide efforts to diversify the uses of Powder River Basin coal and coal byproducts.

For more information, email Bagdonas at abags@uwyo.edu.
A new research has shown that the population of Nigerian students enrollment in American universities between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic calendar sessions has reduced by not less than seven per cent.

The research, conducted by Erudera, an educational search platform, suggests the development could be linked to the requirement for full vaccination against the coronavirus pandemic for both staff and students in most universities in the United States of America before being part of on-campus activities.

The research states in part; Higher education experts believe that one of the main reasons for this decline may be the implementation of vaccines in colleges.

According to the research, more than 1,000 institutions in the United States, a choice destination for Nigerian students willing to study abroad, are requesting that students be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Many European educational institutions in Germany, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, France, Italy, have also applied similar measures of requesting vaccination certificates or negative tests for the virus.

Slight decline

The United States attracts more than one million international students, making it one of the most popular destinations for international students across the world.

While Nigeria remains at the top of the list of African students in United States colleges and universities, there has been a considerable decline in the number of students between 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 academic year.

According to the 2021 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, Nigeria is the 10th highest source of international students in the U.S. behind China, India, South Korea, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Brazil and Mexico.

A total of 12,860 Nigerian students enrolled in American colleges in the 2020/2021 academic year, 902 or 6.6 per cent down from 13,762 students in the 2019/2020 academic year.

The number had been on the rise for, at least, the past 10 years before the latest decline.

Erudera noted that the decline could be a result of the implementation of vaccines in colleges.

Institutions requiring vaccination

Erudera listed some of the top schools in the U.S. requiring COVID-19 vaccination evidence to include; Princeton University, Stanford University, Yale University, Columbia University, New York University, University of Chicago, University of Washington, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of California, among over a thousand others.

Various schools in Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Switzerland have also instituted such a policy.

However, only two Canadian Universities, St. Johns College -University of Manitoba and University of Ottawa require COVID-19 vaccine or a negative result.

Vaccination rate

According to Our World in Data, 60.3 per cent of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. 9.82 billion doses have been administered globally, and 28.95 million are now administered each day.

However, only 9.4 per cent of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose. In Nigeria, only 6.6 per cent has received at least one dose and 2.5 per cent of the estimated 200 million population has been fully vaccinated.

At least 97 per cent of Harvard University and University of Pennsylvanias employees and 96 per cent of students are already vaccinated against COVID-19.

Yale reports its vaccination rates as 99.5 per cent of undergraduate students; 98.2 per cent of graduate and professional students; 96.5 per cent of faculty, and 92.7 per cent of staff.

No Nigerian university has made vaccination compulsory but the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), a one-year compulsory scheme for Nigerian graduates below the age of 30, has mandated all prospective corps members to get vaccinated or they would be denied entry into orientation camps across the country.

The Nigerian Government and Edo State Government, in particular, have also mandated vaccination on all civil servants, denying unvaccinated staff entries into their offices.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has announced that Ondo State reported a backlog of seven deaths from the coronavirus pandemic for January 11 to 23, 2022.

The disease centre also disclosed on its Facebook page Wednesday morning that the country recorded 250 new infections across 12 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday.

It noted that Nigerias fatality toll now stands at 3,133, while the infection toll increased to 252,678.

The centre added that Lagos State, the epicentre of the disease, reported 122 new infections, which include a backlog 90 cases from January 20 to 23, 2022.

The data raised the total number of discharged cases in the country to 227,491.

Breakdown

Apart from Lagos State, which ranked first on the log, the breakdown of the NCDC data shows that Gombe State and the FCT reported 44 and 20 new cases respectively to rank second and third.

Kaduna State followed with 19 cases; Borno State,16; while Delta and Ondo State reported seven cases each.

Rivers State also recorded six cases, Jigawa and Oyo States, three cases each, while the trio of Bauchi, Kano and Ogun States reported a single case each.
Residents have deserted Mareri quarters in Gusau, the capital city of Zamfara State, over fear of a retaliatory attack by bandits.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how vigilante members and security agents rescued the Managing Director of the Zamfara State Transport Authority, Aminu Adamu (Papa) after he was kidnapped with some family members.

Residents had alerted vigilante members stationed on the main road leading to the quarters to the movement of the bandits.

After rescuing four family members, the vigilante members invited soldiers and police officer, and blocked the bandits escape route, leadind to the killing of six of the bandits and Mr Adamus rescue.

Residents flee

A source in the area, Ashafa Sani, told this reporter that almost all his neighbours have not been sleeping in the quarters since the incident.

He said although some of them returned Tuesday afternoon, they told him that they would not be sleeping in their homes until they are assured of safety.

I was at the at the office yesterday (Monday) when my wife called to tell me that people were leaving the area to avoid being attacked. It was in the evening, but because I still had some things doing in the office, I sent my brother to stay with my wife and daughter. When I returned, she told one of her friends, who is also our neighbour, that the bandits had sent information that they would avenge the killing of their accomplices, he said

Mr Sani added that he slept in the area but his neighbours refused to stay.

You know, this could be mere rumour because who brought the information that the bandits would be attacking us? I was here when Papa (Mr Adamu) was kidnapped; his house is not far from my house but I slept here. But yes, many people did not sleep here and even those who returned in the afternoon said they would not spend the night here again, he said.

Another resident of the area, Mustapha Saleem, said he had fled to Tudun Wada.

I have relocated to our family house in Tudun Wada. She is still there for now while Ill be coming to stay in day time,

Although the Zamfara police command spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, did not respond to a WhatsApp message sent to him on the issue, a police officer said adequate security has been put in place at the area.

Officers and vigilante members have been stationed there, the officer, who asked not to be named because he was not authorised to speak to a journalist, said.

Mr Sani, the resident, confirmed the presence of security agents in the area.

Yes, they (police men) and vigilante members are always around, to be fair to them, and that is one of the reasons why I am still living here. I am satisfied with the security situation here, he said.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, on Tuesday, assured that the trial of suspected perpetrators of terrorist activities and members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, will soon commence.

It was the umpteenth time a government official would give such an assurance.

Mr Malami gave the fresh assurance while recieving the Nigerian Ambassador to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Eniola Ajayi, in Abuja on Tuesday.

Machineries are in motion to ensure the continuation of courts sitting in kainji, New Bussa for prosecution of Boko Haram cases, the ministers spokesperson, Umar Gwandu, said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Federal Ministry of Justice has an arrangement with the Federal High Court that enables judges to be deployed to try terrorist suspects at the various military detention facilities holding the suspects in different parts of the country.

The arrangement helps to solve the logistical challenges of moving the large number of terror suspects to face trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja or other divisions of the court.

Three phases of the trial have held so far, the last being in 2018. This is despite thousands of suspects still awaiting trial in detention for years.

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) recalled in its latest world report that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had determined in December 2020 that an ICC investigation of Nigeria is warranted for crimes committed in the Boko Haram-related conflict given inadequate domestic efforts to deliver justice for the crimes.

HRW also noted that ICCs decision to investigate Nigeria followed its finding of reasonable basis to believe Boko Haram, its breakaway factions, and Nigerian security forces had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It was therefore not by coincidence that Mr Malami raised the issue of Nigerias readiness to prosecute terrorism suspects during a visit by the Nigerian Ambassador to Netherlands, the country that hosts the ICC in The Hague, on Tuesday.

With due diligence to Nigerias mandate under Article 86 of the Rome Statute of ICC, Nigeria cooperated fully with the court through submission of relevant documents, reports of panels of enquiry etc, Mr Malami said.

The minister praised the ambassador for her tireless work and patriotism, noting that Nigeria had completely cooperated with the court by submitting appropriate papers, which resulted to its exoneration.

Mrs Ajayi, on her part, expressed her willingness to continue her patriotic service in the national interest in her remarks. She has also committed to redouble her efforts to make a positive difference in the performance of her duties.

Backstory

Mr Malamis comment on the readiness of the Federal government to prosecute Boko Haram suspects came eight months after an official of the Federal Ministry of Justice gave similar commitment.

PREMIUM TIMES reported in May how a Deputy Director, Chioma Onuegbu, who was then heading a team of prosecutors handling the ministrys complex cases, said the Federal government was preparing 800 suspects linked to Boko Haram for prosecution.

She said the 800 suspects were among about 1,000 terrorism suspects whose case files have been analysed by the prosecutors handling the Federal Ministry of Justices complex cases.

According to her, out of the 1,000 case files that were reviewed, 800 of them have prima facie evidence to proceed to trial, while 170 have been recommended for release due to lack of evidence.

Ms Onuegbu added that, 280 of the 800 cases have been filed at the Federal High Court charges of which were served on the Legal Aid Council of Nigeria (LACON) who is defending the suspected terrorists.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the number of suspects being prepared for trial is a far cry of thousands of Boko Haram suspects that are being held in the military detention facilities in Maiduguri and Kainji, Niger State.

Apart from the 800 cases which the ministry of justice said it had filed, Mr Malami also said in May last year that the federal government had identified 400 suspected Boko Haram sponsors.

He promised that the suspects would soon be prosecuted, but no serious step is known to the public to have been taken in that direction since then

Boko Haram, which started in Maiduguri, Borno State, in about 2009, has waged deadly war leading to death of tens of thousands and displaced millions of residents in the North-eastern part of Nigeria.

Previous trial phases

The Complex Casework Group ( which was established some years ago) has conducted three different phases of trials, the then head of the group said.

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The fourth phase was for the case files of 1,000 suspects received in 2019.

Ms Onuegbu said the prosecutions of the suspects were delayed due to the escalation of the Boko Haram attacks in 2019 and was further hampered by the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020.
The House of Representatives Special Committee on the Amendment of the 1999 Constitution has rejected a bill seeking to confer immunity on presiding officers of the National Assembly and judicial officers.

The presiding officers of the National Assembly are the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker of the House.

The bill, sponsored by Segun Odebunmi (APC, Oyo) is titled An Act to alter section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 to extend immunity to cover presiding officers of the legislative institutions.

Mr Odebunmi is the sponsor of the controversial National Broadcasting Commission bill and the Nigerian Press Council bill. He also chaired the Committee that approved the suspension of Twitter by the federal government.

Immunity for legislators.

A similar bill was introduced in the 8th Assembly by the then Minority Leader, Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta). The bill was, however, rejected by the lawmakers then.

At the public hearing on the bill on Tuesday, Abdulhamid Mohammed, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who is one of the consultants working with the committee, presented the position of the consultants to the lawmakers.

Mr Mohammed said even though the bill allows citizens to seek the leave of the court to sue any of the mentioned public officials, it will create a conflict of interest, particularly as it relates to the judicial officers.

He noted that the bill did not indicate which court has the competence to hear such cases.

it seeks to restrict that immunity that you can sue with the leave a competent court, but actually, the bill did not go further to indicate which of the court within the federation that will have the competence to grant the leave for you to sue the public officer concerned.

We need to consider what are the conventions all over the world, in terms of immunity. All over the world, public officers areit is really unconventional all over the world for judicial officers and presiding officers to have immunity. It could also be self-serving from the angle of morality.

There could be a conflict of interest if the immunity is now extended to judicial officers and that you need to go to the judiciary to seek leave to sue the officers concerned, you are now going to apply before the judicial officers because these are courts of competent jurisdiction. There are perhaps issues of bias, he said.

He added that the immunity is not absolute.

Speaking against the bill, Uzoma Abonta (PDP, Abia), said immunity should only cover issues regarding duties and functions of those public officers, not criminal acts like rape or murder.

He noted that even though there are examples of abuse of process by the executive against the legislature and judiciary, he, however, argued that blank immunity is not acceptable.

Mr Abonta said: I want a slight modification as it affects duties of the office. Should a governor come out and shoot somebody, is he covered by immunity? Should an officer go out there and be involved in rape, should he be covered? I should think, in fairness to the public, immunity should be for things pertaining to his office, like giving a verdict in his court. As regards the performance of duties, they should have 100 per cent immunity. But for crimes outside, there should be no immunity. It should not be a blanket.

The deputy speaker, in his reaction to the submission by Mr Abonta, said legislators are already covered by immunity on activities on the floor of the House by virtue of the powers and privileges act.

He added that even though there are instances where some executives have been reckless in action against lawmakers and judicial officers, it is left for the House to decide on the bill.

Rimamnde Shawulu (PDP, Taraba) in his contribution, said he has a bill on the floor of the House seeking to strip the executive of immunity. He stated that fast-tracking the bill will be the right step to go.

Babajimi Benson (APC, Lagos), suggested that the bill should be stepped down, but argued that Section 308 of the constitution should be amended to allow citizens to sue executive officers by the leave of the House.

However, Mr Wase ruled that the bill should be stepped down.
The Nigerian police have filed charges against the proprietor of Hilton Hotel, Rahmon Adedoyin, and six others over the death of Timothy Adegoke, a postgraduate student at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.

Charged alongside with Mr Adedoyin in the case filed at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, are: Adedeji Adesola, 23; Magdalene Chiefuna, 24; Adeniyi Aderogba, 37; Oluwale Lawrence, 37; Oyetunde Kazeem, 38; Adebayo Kunle, 35; and others still at large.

Those the police said are still at large are: Raheem Adedoyin, Esther Asigoh and Quadiri Moshood.

Controversy had trailed Mr Adegokes death after he lodged at Hilton Hotel and Resort in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

He was in the ancient city to sit an examination at the OAU Distance Learning Centre, Moro campus, when he was declared missing on November 7, 2021.

PREMIUM TIMES learnt that Mr Adegokes body was discovered after some suspects, including workers at the hotel, were arrested by the police for questioning.

Mr Adedoyins son, Raheem, and two others remain at large, the police said.

According to the case file seen by The ICIR, Mr Adedoyin faces a charge of attempted felony, conspiracy, unlawful interference with Adegokes corpse, and tampering with the hotels receipt and CCTV camera with the intent to destroy evidence that would prove that Mr Adegoke visited the hotel.

However, the police excluded Mr Adedoyin from the murder charge, which others standing trial with him are facing.

Some bloggers had claimed Mr Adedoyin supervised Mr Adegokes killing and used his body parts for ritual. The autopsy conducted on the deceased, however, showed his organs were intact according to the police.

Coroners inquest

On December 14, 2021, The ICIR reported how the coroners inquest showed that Mr Adegoke died from severe bleeding due to traumatic injuries.

He lodged at the hotel, where he allegedly died. He was declared missing on November 7 after his classmates discovered that he failed to show up in class at the Moro Distance Learning Centre of the OAU.

He had told his family he would check in at the hotel, where he usually lodged.

The hotel had repeatedly denied the deceased lodged at the facility before facts on the transaction emerged.

Mr Adedoyins son (Raheem) managed the hotel and reportedly supervised the dumping of Mr Adegokes corpse far from the hotel.

The case summary with the police revealed that one of the white Hilux vans allegedly used in carrying the deceaseds body by the younger Adedoyin was recovered in Abuja.

On Tuesday, a member of Mr Adedoyins legal team, Abiodun Williams, told the ICIR that the trial showed the police had cleared his client of the grievous allegations of murder and ritual killing peddled against him.

We will leave the rest to the court to decide according to the proof of evidence placed before it.

He expressed hope that the deceased, his relations and those accused of his death would get justice at the court.

Case summary

The case summary reads: The complaint made against the defendants was that on 5th of November, 2021, one Adegoke Timothy, and MBA student of Obafemi Awolowo University who lodged at Hilton Royal Hotel Oshogbo was murdered and his corpse was thrown into a bush at Oshogbo, and that the management of the hotel owned by Dr Rahmon Adedoyin, the MD Raheem Adedoyin, son of the chairman of the hotel, and other staff illegally disposed the deceased body and that they also destroyed the CCCT camera on the floor of hotel room 305 with a view to cover up.

That the receipt No. 9316 issued to the deceased while he checked into the hotel room was found to have been altered. That investigation revealed that the deceased body was discovered lifeless in room 305, and the chairman was informed, and he told them his MD Raheem Adedoyin would handle the situation. It spent about 10 days before it was taken by Environmental Unit of Osun State Environmental Department for burial after which the corpse was exhumed and autopsy conducted by Dr. Olusegun W. A. who stated that the deceased did not die of natural consequence. While Dr. Akinwumi O. Komolafe consultant pathologist and Professor Olusegun S. Ojo, consultant pathologist stated that the cause of death was not through a violence mean.

That one of the white Hilux van which was allegedly used in carrying the body of the deceased by Raheem Adedoyin now at large was recovered in Abuja. That one of the prime suspects by name Raheem Adedoyin and few others are still at large. Investigation further prove following offences; conspiracy, murder etc.

Members of the Prosecution Section of the FCID Abuja, who signed the case filing are:

Ochogwu Ogbeh, M. O. Omosun, Sidi Abdulrashid Isyaku.

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The Police Command in Yobe on Wednesday confirmed the abduction of Babagana Kachalla, an Assistant Headmaster, Central Primary School, Buni Yadi, and four others by gunmen in Madiya Village, Gujba Local Government Area of the state.

The commands spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the incident in a statement in Damaturu.

Mr Abdulkarim, an assistant superintendent of police, listed the other abductees to include Abubakar Barma, Haruna Barma, Modu Bukar and Hajiya Gana.

He said the incident which occurred at about 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday was reported to the divisional police station in the area by one Mala Boyema at about 10:37 a.m.

ALSO READ: Police inspector dies as bandits engage officers in shootout

The spokesman said that Mr Boyema luckily escaped the abduction carried out by heavily armed insurgents when he ran into their roadblock in Madiya.

He, however, said that Mr Gana was later released by the insurgents.

(NAN)
A former Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Hamman Ahmad, is dead.

He died on Wednesday at the age of 78 years.

A relative of the deceased, Ibrahim Ahidjo, confirmed the development to PREMIUM TIMES.

He said Mr Ahmad died while receiving treatment at a hospital in Abuja.

His death followed that of another ex-comptroller general, Dikko Inde, who died last Febuary.

Mr Ahidjo said the late Mr Ahmad, from Jada local government area of Adamawa State, will be buried in Abuja on Wednesday after funeral prayers at the National Mosque.

Mr Ahmad served as the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service from 2008 to 2009 under late President Umaru Yar Adua.

He was succeeded by Bernard Nwadialo and preceded by Jacob Buba.

Prior to his appointment as the Comptroller-General, he was the Assistant Controller-General of Customs at the Abuja headquarters.

The deceased had his early education at the Jada Primary School from 1956 to 1963, then attended Government Secondary School, Ganye for his secondary education from 1965 to 1969.

He obtained his WASC at the Government Secondary School, Bauchi in 1970 and attended Ahmadu Bello University in 1977, where he obtained his first degree.

He did his NYSC programme in 1978 and then joined the Nigerian Customs Service as an Assistant Superintendent.

He served and commanded different branches; the Valuation Unit, Customs headquarters, and Tin can Island, he was then promoted as Assistant CG in 2005 and was the inspection officer of the Inspectorate Unit at the Customs Headquarters till May 2008, after which he was appointed Comptroller-General.

Mr Ahmad left behind two wives, many children, grand children and brothers.

Among his brothers are Usman Ahmad, known as (Shehu Kojoli) a retired Controller-General of Prison Service  now Correctional Centre  and Umar Ardo (Kojoli), a gubernatorial aspirant in Adamwa state and former adviser on Local Government Affairs to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Many traders of cryptocurrencies on Wednesday took to Twitter to vent their anger and grievances over what they described as the fraudulent activities they noticed on their wallets on the Binance platform.

Binance is a cryptocurrency exchange platform where digital currency holders can transact seamlessly in a peer-to-peer (P2P) pattern. It is one of the most famous and largest exchange platforms in the world in terms of the daily trading volume of cryptocurrencies.

However, many users of the platform, especially Nigerians and other Africans, alleged that they have been deprived of access to their wallets (account) without significant reasons. Some said they have experienced notable irregularities on their wallet which has made them lose a huge amount of their investment amidst the existing dip in the prices of cryptocurrencies.

A Nigerian trader who had his entire assets on binance nearly comitetd suicide because of this. I have $400,000+ in my disabled account.Theyve been targeting Nigerians and Africans as a whole. Please save us from Binance.#Binance #BinanceStopScamming #BinanceStealingCrypto, a tweet by Cynthia Chidera read.

A Nigerian trader who had his entire assets on binance nearly comitetd suicide because of this. I have $400,000+ in my disabled account.They've been targeting Nigerians and Africans as a whole. Please save us from Binance#Binance #BinanceStopScamming #BinanceStealingCrypto  Cynthia Chidera (@Cyndera7) January 25, 2022

Another user, Ama Judy (@AmaJudy_) said: Its been 10 months now that Binance held my hard earned crypto, I have reached out to customer care severally, till now I have not been given any tangible reason for this act @binance @BinanceAfrica @cz_binance @BinanceHelpDesk #BinanceStopScamming #BinanceStealingCrypt.

This morning I tried logging in to my @binance account and I noticed my account has been disabled with my hard earned crypto in it, disabled with no prior notification. Is this not robbery? she queried.

Also, another user, who identified himself as Charles, said: Since last year 2021, Binance disabled my account with over 35,000$ .Ive been communicating with them & they gave me an email to chat that doesnt respond to mails for no tangible reason, my account got disabled.

Since last year 2021, Binance disabled my account with over 35,000$ .Ive been communicating with them & they gave me an email to chat that doesnt respond to mails for no tangible reason, my account got disabled @binance #Binance #BinanceStopScamming #BinanceStealingCrypto  charles (@charles21590879) January 26, 2022

Many people tweeted with the hashtag #BinanceStealingCrypto and #BinanceStopScamming while some attached screenshots of controversial responses they received from the customer unit of the platform. The many comments on the topic caused

#BinanceStopScamming to be the number one trending topic on Nigerian Twittersphere Wednesday.

For instance, a user of the platform who complained that his account was illegally disabled said he got a response that reads: We would like to take the opportunity to remind you that by accessing Binance Services, you agree that Binance has the right to freeze your account without your consent or prior notice as per the Terms of Use.

In a similar message, another user of the platform tweeting with the username @JoshuaNwogodo, after complaining about the irregularities he noticed on his Binance P2P transaction, said he got a response from the Binance customer unit that reads: Your account has been suspended permanently after careful reviewing from our team, the decision is final and cannot be changed. The funds will be blocked along with the suspension. Repeatedly engaging the matter of your account being suspended might lead to your chat being terminated. Thank you.

https://twitter.com/JoshuaNwogodo/status/1486274939648884742?t=hjpAaDAiqghvMf8zf0KpKw&s=19

Mr Nwogodo in another tweet said:@cz_binance @binance @BinanceAfrica you have illegally locked and denied me access to my account for over 6 months and your reasons for locking my account dont add up at all. Please unlock my account or Nigerians will stop using binance. #boycottbinance #binancestopscamming.

Regulatory Challenges

In the past two to four years, the platform (Binance) has been struggling with regulatory challenges, causing the company to change its base from several countries as a crackdown on cryptocurrencies by many central banks continued.

Binance was yet to respond to the allegations on Twitter as of the time of this report.

However, Iniobong Williams, a cryptocurrency analyst in Abuja, said Binance is going through a lot of regulatory roadblocks, and that several countries around the world have asked Binance not to provide services to their citizens.

So in a bid to be compliant, Binance issued a statement that users would not be allowed to use their platforms until they are verified, he said.

Mr Williams explained that before now, all users needed was an email to be able to access their wallets and other services on the platform.

Because they are trying to be more compliant to their regulatory bodies all over the world, they said users must provide a valid means of identification and also go through an official procedure of verifications, he said.

With the new policy, said Mr Williams, who runs a crypto masterclass in Abuja, a lot of people that have multiple accounts on Binance were affected as the firm no longer allows one user to have multiple accounts.

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So right now you have to be verified to access their services. So there have been a lot of complaints from people with large accounts who have not been verified. I believe that once they are done with the verification process, their accounts would be lifted, he said.

Moving Elsewhere

While this subsists, holders of cryptocurrencies on the platform are already struggling to move their digital coins elsewhere.

I no do again for now. My heart cant be jumping around because of crypto, said Benkingsley Nwashara(@benking452), after he successfully withdrew from the platform.

Another user, Olamide, said: Just withdrew my digital asset from the useless platform.. All Africans should do the same. .#Binance #BinanceStopScamming.

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Just withdrew my digital Asset from the useless platform..All Africans should do the same. .#Binance #BinanceStopScamming pic.twitter.com/7rxOtJ4gYe  Olamide (@meedae122) January 26, 2022
The Senate has asked the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas Limited (NLNG) to appear before its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petition over alleged land grabbing.

The NLNG was given seven days ultimatum to make the appearance.

The directive by the Senate was sequel to the presentation of a report of the committee regarding a petition from Enyinna Onuegbu on behalf of 73 communities of Obiafu, Soku to Bonny, in Rivers State against the NLNG.

The petitioners accused the NLNG of refusing to pay compensation for acquiring their land and loss of use of the affected land to Pipeline Right of Way (ROW) through the communities.

The claims

In the petition, Mr Onuegbo noted that the after its incorporation, NLNG acquired landed properties in Rivers State in 1996 spanning over 210km for use as its pipelines Right of Way (ROW) which ended at the export terminal of the NLNG in Finima Bonny Local Government Area of Rivers State  which impacted negatively on over 73 communities and over 200 families.

The company, he said, made selective payment of pittance as compensation in cash for building and structures, economic crops, farmland, shrines and graves destroyed, to the chagrin of the owners of the acquired stretch of land as pipelines ROW without either entering into any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or making any commitment on future obligations in the nature of Corporate Social Responsibility with the impacted communities.

He also said the host communities complained to the Rivers State Government about the issue but all efforts to amicably resolve the matter were roundly frustrated by the management of NLNG.

Other oil companies such as Shell Petroleum Development Company, Totalfina Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, Agip Oil Corporation paid compensation for loss of use of land in their acquisitions, he said.

Based on professional valuation and assessment carried out up to 2020 for the loss of use of the acquired land, the sum of N18.4 billion was the current claim due to the host communities as adequate compensation by NLNG based on the current market value.

The reponse

In their submission, the NLNG represented by Oyono Fatayi-Williams, the General Manager, External Relations, stated that due process was followed during acquisition of the land and that the company still maintains good relationship with host communities.

The petitioners, he said, are not known to them and there was no requirement in law to sign Memorandum of Understanding with Host Communities for the pipelines ROW.

NLNG had paid for everything needed to be paid to the communities involved; and that the Rivers State Government who was aware of the issue had not approached NLNG that it was owing any community, he said.

Recommendations/Summon

In his presentation, the Chairman of the Committee, Ayo Akinyelure, observed that the NLNG did not pay any compensation to the communities following acquisition of their land.

NLNG neither proved nor showed evidence to the committee that it paid compensation to the 73 communities for loss of use of their land to pipelines ROW and that there was no MoU signed between the communities and NLNG on future obligations in the name of Corporate Social Responsibility with the impacted communities.

There was evidence that other oil companies such as Shell Petroleum Development Company, Totalfina Elf Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, Agip Oil Corporation paid compensation for loss of use of land to their Host Communities.

While the panel recommended that NLNG pays N18.4 billion as adequate compensation due to the 73 communities and enter a MoU with them, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, suggested that officials of the company be made to appear again with appropriate explanations.

The Senate thereafter insisted that should the authorities of the NLNG fail to appear before the committee within seven days, they would be made to pay the sum of N18.4 billion recommended by the panel as compensation to the 73 communities.
The Federal High court in Abuja, on Wednesday, barred the federal government from further making deductions from the federation account to fund the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (NPTF) or other institutions not listed in the Nigerian constitution.

The PTF is not a creation of the Nigerian constitution, but that of the National Assembly through the enactment of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund (Establishment) Act which came into force in 2019.

Sections 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(b) of the law permits the deduction of 0.5 per cent of the total revenue accruing to the Federation Accounr to be paid to the NPTF to boost the funding of the Nigerian Police Force.

The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) had announced at its April 2020 meeting that the deductions were to commence in earnest.

But about a month after the FAAC meeting, Governor Nyesom Wike-led Rivers State Government filed its suit on May 20, 2020 to challenge the planned deductions and the law on which it was premised.

The Rivers State Government, through its Attorney-General of the Federation, challenged what it described as the unlawful deductions being made from the federation account, jointly owned by the federal, state and local governments, to fund the NPTF.

It contended that it was not the responsibility of the state governments, but that of the federal government to fund the police.

It urged the court to order a refund of the money deducted from the Federation Account and paid into the NPTF since when it was informed about it at the FAAC meeting of April 2020.

Judgement

Delivering judgement in the suit, Ahmed Mohammed, the judge, declared as illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, the direct allocations made so far by the federal government from the federation account to fund the NPTF.

Mr Mohammed held that Section 161 and Section 162 of the 1999 Constitution were breached by the federal government in making direct allocations to the NPTF from the Federation Account.

He added that Section 162 of the 1999 is unambiguous to the effect that only the federal, states and local governments shall be allocated fund directly from the Federation Account.

The court also held that section 4 of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act 2019 relied upon by the federal government to justify the unlawful deductions from the federation account is inconsistent with section 162 of the 1999 Constitution which recognises only the federal, states and local governments.

It also agreed with the plaintiff that the levies imposed on companies operating in Nigeria by the federal government to be paid directly to the NPTF instead of the Federation Account was also illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.

The Rivers State government had argued that such levies ought to be paid to the federation account for it to be benefit from it.

It said failure to pay such funds into the federation account and rather into the NPTF has deprived it of substantial revenue accruable to the state as taxes.

Refund

While upholding that the plaintiffs suit, the judge ordered that the funds belonging to Rivers State but were used to fund the NPTF by the federal government should be refunded to the state.

The judge, however, declined to extend similar order of refund to the 35 remaining states on the grounds that they were not parties in the suit and that the Rivers State as the plaintiff in this matter did not file it on behalf of others.

The court upheld all arguments of Joseph Daudu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who stood for Rivers State that where the provisions of the 1999 Constitution are clear and unambiguous, they must be given their ordinary meanings.

The court also agreed with Mr Daudu that the federal government was completely wrong in the interpretation given to section 4 of the Nigeria Police Trust Fund Act to the effect that the Nigerian Police was established for the federal government alone and as such the funding is solely on the shoulder of the federal government.

Suit

Rivers State in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/511/2020 and instituted on its behalf by Mr Daudu, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), challenged the decision of the federal government allocating funds directly from the Federation Account to fund some of its agencies claiming that the decision violated section 162 of the 1999 Constitution.

The Rivers State government also claimed that by the federal governments unlawful action, it had deprived it substantial revenue from the federation account, and therefore prayed the court to nullify the unlawful funds allocation from the federation account.

Defendants in the matter are the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice AGF, Accountant General of the Federation, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission and Minister of Finance.

AGFs defence dismissed

Only the Attorney General of the Federation filled processes to defend the federal governments action.

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The AGF had in his preliminary objection asked the Federal High Court to decline jurisdiction in the matter on the ground that such suit ought to be filed directly at the Supreme Court.

But the judge dismissed the preliminary objection before going ahead to deliver the verdict.

The court held that the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court can only be invoked when a dispute involves the federation and any of the component states.

On the objection raised by the AGF that the Rivers State government ought to have sought and obtained the leave of the Federal High Court before instituting the suit, the judge said the plaintiff had no reason to seek the courts permission to file the case.
Primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on Wednesday, again embarked on indefinite strike action over the failure of the Area Council Chairmen to reach agreements with the union.

The Chairman of the FCT Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Stephen Knabayi, disclosed this to journalists after their emergency executive council meeting at the teachers house, Gwagwalada.

Mr Knabayi said the emergency meeting was to review the level of compliance and commitment of the council chairpersons to the agreement with the union which led to the suspension of the industrial action on December 1, 2021.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the teachers had in December embarked on an indefinite strike, which was suspended after a week, following an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council.

According to the chairman, the teachers are no longer ready to be taken for granted until their demands are met by the relevant authorities in the FCT.

He said the emergency meeting lauded the effort of the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, for fulfilling his promise to pay the outstanding 2018 promotion arrears to secondary school teachers in the territory.

READ ALSO: FCT teachers vow to go on indefinite strike over unpaid salary arrears

He said the union also acknowledged the implementation of the 2019-2020 teachers promotion across the six area councils in November 2021.

He said the union, however, observed with dismay the non-compliance by the area councils chairpersons to abide by the agreement for the payment of the backlogs of the Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers outstanding entitlement in their various councils.

He affirmed that the union had directed all primary schools teachers in the territory to stay away from their duty posts while parents are advised to keep their children and wards in primary schools safe at home.

The six area councils are owing about N14.3 billion arrears from 2015 till date, he said.

(NAN)
The Delta House of Assembly on Wednesday passed a Bill for a law to regulate the manufacture and use of wooden boats in the state.

This was sequel to the adoption of the report of the House Committee on Special Bills at plenary.

Presenting the report, the Chair of the Committee, Pat Ajudua, said that the bill was referred to the committee on Tuesday after its second reading for further legislative scrutiny and analysis.

This mandate was received with an order to report back on Wednesday, January 26.

The committee swung into action immediately after plenary in order to bring this assignment to fruition.

The committee considered the provision of schedule IV, item 1, paragraph (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered) vis-a-vis the Bill.

The committee further scrutinised the Bill clause by clause from the long title to the last clause, she said.

On the details of the Bill, Ms Ajudua said the bill when assented to by the state governor would ensure that all manufacturers and operators or users of wooden boats were registered with the State Directorate of Transport.

She said the bill would ensure that all manufacturers, operators of wooden boats obtain licenses to manufacture or operate such from the state Ministry of Transportation.

READ ALSO:

The Majority Leader, Ferguson Onwo thereafter, moved a motion for the suspension of Order 12, Rule 82, 83 of the House to enable it pass the Bill.

The motion which was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers when put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Sherriff Oborevwori, was seconded by Solomon Ighrakpata (PDP-Uvwie).

The speaker commended the lawmakers for the speedy passage of the bill, saying that the gesture would facilitate commerce as well as create job opportunities for people in communities in riverbank.

He said the bill would help to stem illegal oil bunkering activities in the state.

I thank you for recognising the importance of this bill and for your support and commitment in ensuring that this bill is passed, he said.

(NAN)
The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Benin Zonal Command, says it has returned 30 intercepted suspected victims of human trafficking back to their point of origin.

Chidiebere Oruruo-Ifudu, the zonal commander of the agency, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Wednesday.

Mrs Oruruo-Ifudu said the victims were intercepted by the State Security Service in Benin on January 19, and handed over to the agency.

She said the preliminary investigation revealed the victims point of origin was Uyo, but were intercepted on their way to the South-west, precisely Ondo.

She said that preliminary investigation also revealed that the older ones were between 25 and 28 years.

They were returning to the South-west with the younger ones who were in the majority and were underage and were intercepted for possible human trafficking and child slavery.

Mrs Oruruo-Ifudu said the victims had been transferred to the Uyo Zonal Command of the agency for further investigation since the victims point of origin was Uyo.

She expressed optimism that on completion of investigation, the main traffickers and sponsors of the victims would be arrested in no time and prosecuted.

The zonal commander said it was in view of perceived ignorance of some persons, especially those in the hinterland on the ills of human trafficking and child slavery that the command started its second phase of the blue bus awareness campaign.

She said the campaign, which commenced on Tuesday, was being carried out in partnership with the International Organisation on Migration (IOM).

The essence of the campaign, she said, was to create awareness as well as sensitisation in endemic areas. She said the second phase of the blue bus awareness campaign was taking place in Delta State.

She said the areas to cover during the sensitisation are Abraka, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Sapele Local Government Area, Isoko North Local Government Area and Ethiope West Local Government Area.

(NAN)
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Abia State said it has destroyed 10 illegal modular refineries operating in Okohia and Owaza oil-bearing communities of the state.

The state Commandant, Ayinla Olowo, disclosed this in Umuahia on Wednesday, while briefing reporters on the commands strategic efforts to crack down on dealers in illegal petroleum products and refineries.

Mr Olowo said the commands efforts paid off on Sunday, when its Operation Sting made a major breakthrough in a seven-hour operation in Okohia and Owaza in Ukwa West Local Government Area.

According to him, the first thing his team did was to destroy the pipes supplying product from the Shell Petroleum pipelines to the 10 cooking pots used for the refining of crude inside the forest.

Thereafter, they set six of the pots ablaze but left four to avoid fire that could cause collateral damage to the farmlands, economic trees and a major Shell pipeline in the area.

We have succeeded in frustrating and putting an end to the activities of the operators of the illegal refineries, the state NSCDC boss said.

He regretted that the operators fled the area before the operatives arrived at the place for the operation.

But we are on their trail and we will leave no stone unturned until they are arrested and brought to justice.

My message to them is not to think of coming back to the area, he said.

Mr Olowo said that, in the interim, the area had been cordoned off by the Anti-vandalism Squad, pending when Shell Petroleum would disconnect the pipes connected to the cooking pots.

He hoped that the development would finally put both sellers and buyers of stolen petroleum products out of business.

He commended his operatives for executing the operation professionally, which helped to prevent fire and other forms of environmental pollution in the area.

It was an uphill task for my men, especially when they observed that legitimate agricultural activities were going on in the area, he said.

He admonished the youths of the area to engage themselves in legitimate means of livelihood and avoid crime.

Mr Olowo said the command was willing to partner with the natives to fish out the bad eggs among them.

(NAN)
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has named a five-member committee to oversee the conduct of a special congress in Ekiti State ahead of the July 18 governorship election.

As announced in a statement on Tuesday by its National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, the team will be led by Akwa-Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

Other members are Nigerias former Minister of State for Defence, Olusola Obada, the Deputy Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Toby Okechukwu (Secretary), Michael Mku and Ibrahim Khalid.

According to Mr Bature, the committee has been tasked to elect the PDP governorship flag bearer in January 26, 2022 exercise.

The exercise is scheduled for Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at the State Capital, Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, the party said.

The screening committee, headed by a former Governor of Kaduna State, Ahmed Makarfi, had in November 2021, cleared all the 17 aspirants to contest for the partys ticket.

Some of the prominent aspirants include a former governor of the state, Segun Oni, who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC), a former deputy governor, Kolapo Olusola, serving Senator, Biodun Olujimi, and the immediate past state chairperson of the party, Bisi Kolawole.

Others are Kayode Adaramodu, Wale Aribisala; Ajijola Oladimeji, Deji Ogunsakin, Yinka Akerele, Deborah Alo, Olumide Olubunmi, Cecillia Ebiesuwa, Modupe Asaolu, and Adekemi Adewunmi.
Budding trees and blooming flowers.

The return of robins, loons and other migrating birds.

The return of bees, butterflies and frogs.

Melting snow and lake ice.

Longer days and light in the evening.

Shedding the winter garments.

The myriad scents of flowering trees and plants.

Vote

View Results
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The shareholders of Storytel AB (publ), reg. no. 556575-2960, (the "Company"), are hereby convened to the extra general meeting to be held on Friday 11 February 2022 at 10:00 CET at Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra's office on Vasagatan 7, 101 23 in Stockholm. The doors to the meeting will open at 09:45 CET.

Information with respect to the coronavirus

The Company is mindful of the health and well-being of its shareholders and employees. Its important for the Company to take a social responsibility and contribute to reduce the risk of transmission of the coronavirus. Due to the extraordinary situation the shareholders are recommended to attend the extra general meeting through advance voting (postal voting). It will however be possible to attend in person or through proxy at the extra general meeting. The board of directors of the Company has resolved on the following measures to minimize the risk of the spread of the coronavirus at the general meeting:

Possibility to vote in advance through postal voting.

Registration for the general meeting will commence at 09:45 CET .

. External guests will not be invited.

No food or refreshments will be served.

Right to attend the extra general meeting and notice

Shareholders wishing to attend the extra general meeting must:

i. on the record date, which is Thursday 3 February 2022, be registered in the share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB; and

ii. notify the company of their participation and any assistants (no more than two) in the general meeting no later than Monday 7 February 2022. The notification shall be in writing to Storytel AB (publ), Attn: Jesper Johansson, Legal Department, Box 24167, 104 51 Stockholm (kindly mark the envelope "Storytel EGM 2022"), or via e-mail: jesper.johansson@storytel.com. The notification should state the name, personal/corporate identity number, shareholding, share classes address and telephone number and, when applicable, information about representatives, counsels and assistants. When applicable, complete authorization documents, such as registration certificates and powers of attorney for representatives and assistants, should be appended the notification.

Shareholders that votes in advance through postal voting in accordance with the instructions under the heading "Advance voting" below do not need to notify the Company separately. The postal vote must be at the Company's disposal through postrosta.se no later than on Monday 7 February 2022.

Nominee registered shares

Shareholders, whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee, must temporarily register the shares in their own name at Euroclear Sweden AB. Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must, no later than on Thursday 3 February 2022, via their nominee, temporarily register the shares in their own name in order to be entitled to participate at the general meeting. Voting registration requested by a shareholder in such time that the registration has been made by the relevant nominee no later than on Monday 7 February 2022 will be considered in preparations of the share register.

Proxy etc.

Shareholders represented by proxy shall issue dated and signed power of attorney for the proxy. If the proxy is issued by a legal entity, attested copies of the certificate of registration or equivalent authorization documents, evidencing the authority to issue the proxy, shall be enclosed. The proxy must not be more than one year old, however, the proxy may be older if it is stated that it is valid for a longer term, maximum five years. A copy of the proxy in original and, where applicable, the registration certificate, should in order to facilitate the entrance to the general meeting, be submitted to the Company by mail at the address set forth above and at the Company's disposal no later than on Monday 7 February 2022. The proxy in original and, when applicable, the certificate of registration must be presented at the general meeting. A proxy form will be available on the Company's website, www.investors.storytel.com, and will also be sent to shareholders who so request and inform the Company of their postal address.

Shareholders represented by a proxy holder that exercise their voting rights at the general meeting by voting in advance shall submit the proxy and, where applicable, the registration certificate to postrosta.se, through https://investors.storytel.com/en/extra-general-meeting-2022/, together with the advance vote no later than on Monday 7 February 2022.

Advance voting

In view of the recent developments of the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19), the board of directors has, in accordance with the articles of association of the Company, resolved that the shareholders may exercise their voting rights at the general meeting by voting in advance, so called postal voting. A special form shall be used for advance voting. The form is available through https://investors.storytel.com/en/extra-general-meeting-2022/. A shareholder who is exercising its voting right through advance voting do not need to notify the Company of its attendance to the general meeting. The advance voting form is considered as the notification of attendance to the general meeting.

The completed voting form must be at the Company's disposal through postrosta.se no later than on Monday 7 February 2022. If the shareholder votes in advance by proxy, a power of attorney shall be enclosed with the form. If the shareholder is a legal entity, a certificate of incorporation or a corresponding document shall be enclosed to the form. The shareholder may not provide special instructions or conditions in the voting form. If so, the vote is invalid.

Further instructions and conditions is included in the form for advance voting.

Proposed agenda

1. Opening of the meeting

2. Election of the chair of the general meeting

3. Election of one or two persons to approve the minutes

4. Preparation and approval of the voting register

5. Approval of the agenda for the meeting

6. Determination as to of whether the meeting has been duly convened

7. Determination of number of directors and deputies

8. Election of and remuneration to new director

9. Closing of the meeting

Proposals for resolutions:

The nomination committee for the February 2022 extra general meeting comprised of Lars Bergkvist (chair), appointed by Roxette Photo, Fredrik Atting, appointed by EQT, and Jonas Tellander, appointed by Jonas Tellander and Annamaria Tellander and the chair of the board Stefan Blom. The nomination committee's proposals are stated below.

Item 2: Election of the chair of the general meeting

The nomination committee proposes that Carl Svernlov, attorney at law, Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra, is appointed as chair of the general meeting or, in his absence, the person appointed by him.

Item 3: Election of one person to approve the minutes

The board of directors proposes that Sofie Sternberg, LL.M, at Baker & McKenzie Advokatbyra or, in her absence, the person or persons instead appointed by her, to be elected to certify the minutes of the general meeting. The task of certifying the minutes of the general meeting also includes verifying the voting list and that the advance votes received are correctly reflected in the minutes of the general meeting.

Item 4: Preparation and approval of voting list

The voting list proposed for approval by the general meeting is the voting list prepared by the Company, based on the general meeting's share register received by Euroclear Sweden AB, shareholders present who have notified the Company of their attendance and the advance votes received, and as verified by the person elected to approve the minutes.

Item 7: Determination of number of directors and deputies

The nomination committee proposes that the board of directors shall continue to consist of eight directors and no deputies.

Item 8: Election of and remuneration to new director

The nomination committee proposes that Hans-Holger Albrecht is elected as new director and chair of the board of directors. It is proposed that the remuneration to the newly elected director and chair shall be SEK 750,000 on an annual basis, prorated for the part of the year for which he is appointed. Stefan Blom resigns as director and chair of the board of directors in connection with the general meeting. Richard Stern, Joakim Rubin, Helen Fasth Gillstedt, Malin Holmberg, Rustan Panday, Jonas Sjogren and Jonas Tellander remain as directors.

More information about the proposed new director and chair of the board of directors

Name: Hans-Holger Albrecht

Ongoing assignments: Chair of the board of Scout24 Group, board member of Deezer, non-executive director of VEON and Ice Group ASA as well as senior adviser to EQT Group.

Date of birth: 1963

Number of shares owned: 0

Hans-Holger Albrecht can be regarded as independent in relation of the Company and management as well as of the Company's major shareholders.

Number of shares and votes

The total number of shares in the Company as of the date hereof amounts to 68,281,911 shares and 68,287,626 votes divided on 635 A shares carrying 6,350 votes and 68,281,276 B shares carrying 68,281,276 votes. The Company holds no shares of its own.

Further information

Copies of the proxy form, complete proposals and other documents that shall be available in accordance with the Swedish Companies Act are available at the Company at Tryckerigatan 4 in Stockholm and at the Company's website www.investors.storytel.com, at least two weeks in advance of the extra general meeting and will be sent to shareholders who request it and provide their e-mail or postal address. The nomination committee's complete proposal including the nomination committee's motivated opinion is available on the Company's web site www.investors.storytel.com as from today and will be sent to shareholders who request this report and provide their e-mail or postal address.

The shareholders are hereby notified regarding their right to, at the extra general meeting, request information from the board of directors and managing director in accordance with Ch. 7  32 of the Swedish Companies Act.

Processing of personal data

In order to carry out the general meeting, the Company and its affiliate companies will before, in connection with and in the subsequent work of the general meeting, process your personal data. The personal data collected may be information from the share register, notice of participation at the general meeting and information on representatives and advisors who will be used for registration, preparation of the voting register for the general meeting and, if applicable, minutes of the meeting. The personal data will only be used for the extraordinary general meeting 2022. We process your personal data because it is:

necessary in order to meet legal obligations; or

it is in our legitimate interest, for example to maintain adequate security and order during the meeting, and that interest is not subordinate to your interest against the processing of your personal data.

Personal data may be shared with third-party suppliers such as Baker & McKenzie Law Firm for the provision of services in connection with the general meeting. For more information about how the Company and its affiliate companies treat personal data, please read the privacy policy on the Company's website: https://investors.storytel.com/en/privacy-policy-for-storytel/

If you in the notice of participation or otherwise include personal data regarding representative or advisor you are responsible for informing the representative or advisor that their personal data will be processed by the Company.

Stockholm in January 2022

Storytel (publ)

The Board of Directors

FNCA Sweden AB is the company's certified adviser. FNCA can be reached at info@fnca.se or +46 8 528 00 399.

For further information, please contact

Andreas Lindblom, Head of FP&A and Investor Relations

Tel: +46 72 506 14 22

Email: andreas.lindblom@storytel.com

Emma Boethius, PR Manager

Tel: +46 70 223 56 73

Email: emma.boethius@storytel.com

About Storytel

Storytel is one of the world's largest subscribed audiobook and e-book streaming services and offers listening and reading of more than 700,000 titles on a global scale. Our vision is to make the world a more empathetic and creative place with great stories to be shared and enjoyed by anyone, anywhere and anytime. Storytel's streaming business is conducted under the brands Storytel and Mofibo. Storytel's publishing business area is carried out through the audiobook publisher StorySide and acclaimed Nordic publishing houses such as Norstedts, Lind & Co, People's and Gummerus. Storytel operates in over 25 markets around the globe and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/storytel/r/notice-of-extra-general-meeting-in-storytel-ab--publ-,c3492432

The following files are available for download:

SOURCE Storytel
Increase in integration of traction motors in railway engines, reduction in performance, low manufacturing and maintenance cost, and low emission levels drive the global railway traction motor market.

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research recently published a report, titled, "Railway Traction Motor Market by Type (DC Traction Motor, AC Traction Motor and Synchronous AC Traction Motor) and Application (Diesel Locomotive, Electric Multiple Units, Electric Locomotives and Diesel-Electric Locomotives): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030". As per the report, the railway traction motor industry was pegged at $31.44 billion in 2020, and is projected to reach $48.72 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.4% from 2021 to 2030.

Major determinants of the market growth

Rise in integration of traction motors in railway engines, reduction in performance, low manufacturing and maintenance cost, and low emission levels have boosted the global railway traction motor market. However, high investment cost and surge in prices of materials used for production hinder the market growth. On the contrary, rise in R&D and surge in the allocation of budget for the development of railways are expected to open new opportunities for the market players in the future.

Download Report (233 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/4583

Covid-19 scenario:

The Covid-19 pandemic negatively affected the industry due to the financial crisis and economic slowdown.

The prolonged lockdown across European and Asian countries disrupted the supply chain and created challenges such as a shortage of raw materials. Thus, market players had to consider different strategies for alternative sourcing.

The DC traction motor segment held the lion's share

By type, the DC traction motor segment held the largest share in 2020, accounting for around half of the global railway traction motor market, due to high torque and better speed control compared to AC traction motors. However, the AC traction motor segment is projected to register the highest CAGR of 5.0% during the forecast period, owing to advent of power semiconductors that fit AC traction motors on a locomotive.

Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/4583

The electric locomotives segment to manifest the highest CAGR through 2030

By application, the electric locomotives segment is estimated to portray the highest CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period, due to their higher power to weight ratio, greater tractive efforts on steep gradients, and faster acceleration compared to diesel engines. However, the electric multiple units segment held the largest share in 2020, contributing to nearly two-fifths of the global railway traction motor market, owing to rise in adoption of communication-based automated train transit systems.

Europe, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America, held the largest share

By region, the market across Europe, followed by Asia-Pacific and North America, dominated in 2020, accounting for nearly one-third of the market, due to rapid urbanization in developing countries of Europe, surge in investment in development, and increase in fast & reliable railway network. However, the global railway traction motor market across LAMEA is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period, due to rise in development of the railway network and transportation industry in the region.

Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/4583

Major market players

ABB Group

ALSTOM

Saini Group

BHEL

Bombardier

Mitsubishi Electric Corporation

Hyundai Rotem Company

Sulzer Ltd.

Siemens AG

VEM Group

Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts to Find Solution for Your Business at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/4583

Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry:

Traction Motor Market by Application (Railways, Electric Vehicle and Industrial Vehicles), Type (DC Traction Motor, AC Traction Motor and Synchronous Motor) and Power Rating (Less than 200 kW, 200-400 kW and More than 400 kW): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Railway Traction Inverter Market by Type (Less than 1 MW, Equal to 1 MW and More than 1 MW) and Application (Original Equipment Manufacturer and Aftermarket): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Automotive Traction Inverters Market by Propulsion Type (BEV, HEV, and PHEV), by Output Power (<= 130 kW and >130 kW), by Semiconductor Material (Gallium Nitride (GaN), Silicon (Si), and Silicon Nitride (SiC)), by Technology Type (IGBT and MOSFET), and by Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles and Commercial Vehicles): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

Traction Control System Market by Type (Mechanical Linkage and Electrical Linkage), Component (Hydraulic Modulator, ESU, and Sensors), and Vehicle Type (ICE and Electric Vehicles): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20182030.

Electric Vehicle (EV) Traction Motor Market by Type (AC, and DC), by Power (Below 200 kW, 200-400 kW, and Above 400 kW), by Application (Railways, Electric Vehicle, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202030.

About Us

Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/636519/Allied_Market_Research_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Allied Market Research
1. Word of the year

The past year has had its own fair share of hard hitting headlines. Politics has been major player in the Kenyan media waves, owing to the upcoming general elections on August, 2022. That explains why the word 'President' topped the "Words of the Year" list. The most popular word outside politics was 'Party', giving the notion that Kenyans like their social events.

2. TOP 8 Celebrities

Amongst other popular celebrities was Meagan Markle, who topped the list of our 'Top 8 Celebrities'. Other celebrities on the list were Kanye West and Princess Diana, with Diamond, Davido and Wizkid been the only celebrities from Africa.

3. Emoji of the year

The laughing emoji was also voted as the 'Emoji of the Year', owing to the fact that most of our content is entertaining and humorous.

4. TOP10 Writers in Kenya

Scooper spends about $100,000 on PGC writer's annually as salary payment, and about $200,000 annually on in-house writers and media partners.

Freelancers can earn money by registering an account in Scooper news and publishing content to get income. In the last year, the TOP10 Writers in Kenya earned a total income of 1,200,000Ksh in 2021!

Also, Scooper has partnered with more than 30 top-notch media houses, and enrolled hundreds of PGC writers to ensure that its audience is always informed the latest news and so much more.

5. 5 Biggest fake news

We also had our own fair share of fake news that we averted thanks to our avid research skills and trained Journalists.

6. The Top10 Hottest news in Kenya

Based on our statistics, the Top10 news headlines in Kenya were:

TOP1: Jeff Koinange Owns Expensive Things, Check Out Some Of Them

TOP2: Ovahimba: Inside The Community That Offered S_x To Visitors And Didn't Bath

TOP3: Age Is Just A Number! Meet Kenyan Men Celebrities Who Have Married Older Women Than Them

TOP4 : Kikuyu LADIES in tears as one of the most handsome Kikuyu radio presenters weds his beautiful girlfriend

TOP5: Forget Lulu Hassan And Rashid Abdalla, Meet This Other Power Couple

TOP6: Anajifanya Mjanja Lakini Wapi! Good News As This Details About The Killer Cop Emerge

TOP7: Ndio Hizi! Illuminati Schools In Kenya As Shocking Things Students Are Forced To Do Emerge

TOP8: Remember Ruto's Daughter Who Was Buried Alive? See How She Has Transformed, Her Heartbreaking Story

TOP9: Last Moments: What Caroline Told Her Brother Before Committing Suicide

TOP10: Double Tragedy: Man Commits Suicide Days After Losing Both Wife And Daughter

Scooper is a news app developed by Transsion Group bringing you the latest content in Kenya and around the globe. Up to 2021, Scooper has employed more than 2000 PGC writers through its free-lance program that was tailored to provide job opportunities to the Kenyan population.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1734501/1.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1734492/2.jpg

SOURCE Transsion Group
Former Lockheed Martin Chief Executive and Navy SEAL Vice Admiral to lead expansion of company's global operations

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- "Teams of autonomous aircraft that train and learn to execute increasingly complex missions will give our military and allies intelligent, affordable mass. The intersection of AI, autonomy, and aircraft is transformational to the battlefield and national security  and is required to maintain global stability in an increasingly unstable world. One only needs to look at recent headlines around the world to see our relative global stability and peace is under immense threat. Shield AI has marshalled the talent, resources, and resolve to meaningfully work on these issues and is actively working with our allies to help them solve their most pressing security problems," said Bob Harward, Shield AI's Executive Vice President for International Business and Strategy.

Shield AI, the defense-technology company using self-driving software to enable collaborative teams of unmanned aircraft to operate in GPS- and RF-denied environments, announced it has opened an international office headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates under the leadership of Bob Harward as Executive Vice President for International Business and Strategy.

Harward joins Shield AI after leading Lockheed Martin's presence in the Middle East since 2014. During his tenure there, he was instrumental in advancing human capital development and industrial partnership initiatives as well as strengthening ties between Middle East Allies and the United States.

"Bob brings a truly special energy and sense of service to everyone he engages with. I couldn't be more excited about him joining Shield AI and bringing that energy and service to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as we expand our international operations. We aim to make all of our customers proud, and Bob will help us achieve that aim on a global scale," said Brandon Tseng, former Navy SEAL and cofounder of Shield AI.

Harward is a retired United States Navy Vice Admiral (SEAL) and a former Deputy Commander of the United States Central Command, under the leadership command of General James Mattis. He served on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and commissioned the National Counterterrorism Center.

About Shield AI

Shield AI is a venture-backed company built around a team of proven executives, warfighters with relevant national security experience, and world-class AI engineers. The company is headquartered in San Diego, CA with satellite offices across the United States and abroad. Shield AI's products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the US Department of Defense and allies. For more information, visit www.shield.ai.

Media Contact:

Lily Hinz

[email protected]

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1601183/Sheild_AI_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Shield AI
BEIJING and HONG KONG and TOKYO and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia Alternatives, one of the largest independent Asian private equity fund-of-funds, today announced the final close of US$2 billion in new commitments across Asia Alternatives Capital Partners VI, LP and several fund vehicles (the "Funds"). The Funds are focused on building a diversified Asia private equity portfolio with an emphasis on top-performing local Asian fund managers. Over 85% of committed capital came from pre-existing relationships.

"We are especially grateful for the ongoing support from our limited partners, and pleased to complete the largest raise in our over fifteen-year history," said Melissa Ma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Asia Alternatives. "Our extensive experience investing through market cycles and the lasting relationships we have forged with leading fund managers across Asia provide an unique perspective and the ability to take advantage of the opportunities market volatility has created. Those relationships, along with our track record, have positioned Asia Alternatives as one of the leading private equity investors in Asia."

The largest of the Funds is Asia Alternatives Capital Partners VI, LP which, along with its parallel funds (together "AACP VI"), closed on US$1.1 billion of committed capital, exceeding their combined target of US$1 billion. AACP VI is the successor fund to Asia Alternatives Capital Partners V, LP ("AACP V"), which closed in September 2017. Earlier funds include Asia Alternatives Capital Partners IV, LP ("AACP IV"), which closed in April 2015, Asia Alternatives Capital Partners III, LP ("AACP III"), which closed in July 2012, Asia Alternatives Capital Partners II, LP ("AACP II"), which closed in September 2008, and Asia Alternatives Capital Partners, LP ("AACP I"), which closed in May 2007.

"Our relationships with leading private equity and VC managers across Asia allow us to be exceptionally selective in deploying capital and grants our LPs access to the attractive opportunities in each region," said Rebecca Xu, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives. "We are excited to get to work investing this fund, and maintain a strong commitment to China, where we continue to see both short- and long-term opportunities underpinned by fast-evolving and growing consumer demand, together with impressive development in technological innovation."

"We have remained focused on expanding our relationships and expertise across Asia, utilizing our local presence to gain access to opportunities within different markets and strategies. While China continues to be our largest single country exposure, our partnerships with buyout firms in Japan have also become significant sources of performance in recent years," said Akihiko Yasuda, Managing Director of Asia Alternatives.

Investors in the Funds represent a global pool of private capital sources, such as state and corporate pension funds, foundations, university endowments, insurance companies and family offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Asia. Institutional investors across the Funds include The Boeing Company, Cathay Life Insurance Co., Comprehensive Financial Management, The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited, Florida State Board of Administration, Intermountain Healthcare, Jasper Ridge Partners, Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Board of Investment, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Public Schools Retirement System of St. Louis, San Francisco City and County Employees' Retirement System, and Virginia Retirement System.

Stacy Jennings, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Intermountain Healthcare, and a returning Limited Partner, said, "The past two years have reinforced why there is no substitute for a local presence and why we've invested with Asia Alternatives. In our experience, Asia Alternatives has exceptional investment talent, a strong commitment to the region and a differentiated approach that have delivered positive investment outcomes for Intermountain."

Asia Alternatives is one of the first independently formed Asian private equity fund-of-funds. The firm also received the first Limited Partner QFLP (Qualified Foreign Limited Partner) license in China, which allowed Asia Alternatives to invest in selected, qualified RMB-denominated private equity investments.

Eaton Partners, LLC and Diamond Dragon Advisors Limited acted as placement agents for Asia Alternatives and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel.

About Asia Alternatives Management LLC

Asia Alternatives is a 16-year old solution platform dedicated to helping institutional investors make investments in private equity across Asia. The firm currently manages approximately $16.5 billion of regulatory assets under management.

Asia Alternatives invests with top performing private equity fund managers across Asia primarily in Greater China (Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), Japan, Korea, South East Asia, India and Australia. The firm builds portfolios that are diversified across buyout, growth and expansion, venture capital and special situations funds, as well as direct co-investments and secondaries. Asia Alternatives currently has over 50 professionals across offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.asiaalternatives.com.

This press release does not constitute the offer of advisory services or offer of a security or the solicitation of an investment.

For More Information:

Investor Contact:

Melissa Ma

Asia Alternatives Management LLC

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Steve Bruce/Taylor Ingraham

ASC Advisors LLC

Tel: (203) 992-1230

[email protected]; [email protected]

Media Contact for Asia Ex-Japan:

Richard Barton

Finsbury Glover Hering

Tel: +852 9301 2056

[email protected]

Media Contact for Japan:

Minako Hattori

Finsbury Japan

Tel: 070-7484-7703

[email protected]

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SOURCE Asia Alternatives Management LLC
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Coinciding with 2022 National School Choice Week, Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund (AOSF) is celebrating the $8.9 million which been allocated to students on the state's tax credit scholarship program from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund. These funds will ensure that nearly 3,000 students can continue to access an education that best fits their needs.

AOSF joins its in-state partners in thanking Governor Kay Ivey for her support of Alabama's low-income families and students across the state of Alabama.

"Governor Ivey's support of the program highlights her commitment to Alabama's underserved communities and her focus on improving education options for students whose educational needs have historically been overlooked," wrote Andy Ryan, Executive Director of the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund.

Governor Ivey's GEER allocation has helped to fill the 2020 fundraising void that impacted the program's scholarship organizations due to the pandemic. Students whose scholarships were reduced because of the pandemic's effect on fundraising will be able to receive full scholarship coverage going forward through direct support from this allocation.

As its recipients attest, the program continues to change the lives of thousands of students in Alabama, producing many first-generation college students and successful members of the workforce who feel more prepared.

Dalphine Wilson, a Montgomery mother whose children are scholarship recipients, spoke of the life-changing gift of a scholarship for her son who "was finally receiving a quality education, with teachers, curriculum, and extracurriculars truly challenging him to live up to his potential." Her son Grant, who "needed to be more challenged", is now taking AP courses and is thriving in his new school environment.

The tax credit scholarship program, which was passed into law in 2013, has served thousands of K-12 students throughout the state. Alabama students qualify for the scholarship program if their household income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines, with priority going to students zoned to a "failing school" as determined by the State Department of Education. Families may then use the scholarship to attend a private school or a non-failing public school that better addresses their child's educational needs.

Governor Ivey's GEER funding allocation safeguards the education of students on scholarship like Grant and helps the scholarship program continue to change the lives of low-income students throughout Alabama.

SOURCE Alabama Opportunity Scholarship Fund
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, today announced the promotion of three executives to Senior Vice President (SVP): Elizabeth Rodda to SVP of International Affairs; Matt DeFilippis to SVP of Licensing; and Alex Grout to SVP of Membership and Business and Legal Affairs.

ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews commented: "Liz, Alex and Matt are three strategic executives who have been important contributors to ASCAP's success in achieving the goals of our six-year plan to grow revenues and build a sustainable future for our songwriters, composers, lyricists and music publishers. I am thrilled to recognize them with these promotions, and highlight the expertise, insights and dedication that they bring to our leadership team."

Elizabeth Rodda, SVP of International Affairs

Elizabeth Rodda is based in Miami and reports to Tony Dunaif, ASCAP Executive Vice President of International Affairs.

As Senior Vice President, Rodda will work to optimize international revenue for ASCAP's members. She will also continue to lead ASCAP's International Analyst Team in assessing and improving data collection and accuracy and will work closely with our partner collective management societies and data partners throughout the world to drive revenues and greater efficiencies for music creators.

"Liz is a creative executive who successfully leverages industry relationships to best serve ASCAP's music creator members," commented ASCAP EVP of International Affairs, Tony Dunaif. "She has a keen understanding of how market events impact our members and is proactive in responding to the evolving international marketplace to ensure they receive fair payments."

Liz has led the creation of tracking and analysis processes that secure greater transparency and enhance monetization of ASCAP's rights overseas. Rodda began her work at ASCAP in 2013 as Regional Relationship Manager for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Prior to ASCAP, Rodda worked as an independent consultant and held publishing and licensing positions with Planet Records and Caribe Sound and Music Publishing. She is a graduate of Florida International University and is a classically trained pianist.

Matt DeFilippis, SVP of Licensing

Matt DeFilippis, based in New York, reports to ASCAP Executive Vice President of Licensing, Stephanie Ruyle.

In his role as Senior Vice President, DeFilippis will be responsible for revenue from some of the industry's largest platforms, including digital audio and audio-visual streaming platforms, and traditional audio-visual and audio. He will also help to develop overall growth strategies for existing and potential licensees, as well as generate new licensing opportunities on behalf of ASCAP's songwriter, lyricist, composer and publisher members.

"Matt joined the ASCAP licensing team in 2001 and has been instrumental in the growth of new media licensing, from the launch of nascent digital services evolving into market leading platforms where music is integral to attracting consumers," commented ASCAP EVP of Licensing, Stephanie Ruyle." His expertise and deep knowledge of the market have helped to drive revenues and opportunities for our members as consumers have shifted to digital music consumption, and I am thrilled to recognize his contributions with this promotion."

DeFilippis worked in Strategic Planning at the National Music Publishers Association/Harry Fox Agency before moving to ASCAP in 2001. He is a graduate of Columbia University.

Alex Grout, SVP of Membership and Business and Legal Affairs

Alex Grout, based in New York, reports to ASCAP Chief Legal and Business Affairs Officer, Clara Kim and will also work closely under the direction of ASCAP Chief Creative Officer, John Titta.

In his new capacity as SVP, Grout will continue to play a critical role on both ASCAP's Business and Legal Affairs and Membership teams. He is responsible for complex membership, copyright, licensing and transactional issues impacting ASCAP members and a key negotiator with top-tier ASCAP songwriter and composer members regarding affiliation and distribution matters.

"Alex is a crucial partner to the ASCAP Membership team in securing membership renewals and in helping our members with some of their complex business issues," commented ASCAP Chief Creative Officer John Titta. "He has been instrumental in helping us to finalize agreements to represent both superstar and up-and-coming songwriter talent."

Added ASCAP Chief Business and Legal Affairs Officer Clara Kim, "Alex's expert guidance has been essential in helping ASCAP members to navigate the complexities of managing their catalogs and getting paid for their creative works as the industry continues to evolve. We are so pleased to elevate his role in recognition of his accomplishments and experience."

Grout joined ASCAP in 2012. He earned his law degree from the College of William and Mary and his B.A. from SUNY Oneonta.

About ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With more than 850,000 members representing more than 16 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com , on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook .

SOURCE ASCAP
BOGOTA, Colombia, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Bogota is part of the most important business meeting in the world, Expo Dubai 2020, where the Colombian capital has been developing an agenda aimed at attracting investment, promoting major infrastructure projects, generating new business partnerships, and promoting the capital's export and tourism offer.

On this occasion, the city's representation at Expo Dubai is led by Isabella Munoz, executive director of Invest in Bogota, who is holding meetings with representatives of private equity funds interested in investing in the region, companies interested in expanding their operations in the country and in Latin America, as well as government entities and the entrepreneurship ecosystem.

"Bogota has to take advantage of this international window to strengthen trade relations with markets that are of great relevance and in which we have not historically positioned ourselves," explains Isabella Munoz.

The director of Invest in Bogota also adds that the city's participation in this international trade fair is aimed at attracting investments from strategic markets such as the African Middle East and South Asia (MEASA), specifically for more than 25 multi-sector projects in the mobility and infrastructure sectors, such as the second line of the Bogota Metro, CANOAS, Bronx Creative District, among others.

"We are positioning the city as a benchmark in sustainability, competitiveness and tourism. In addition, we are working to strengthen alliances and international cooperation with strategic actors to generate resource mobilization, agendas, and activities for the benefit of the city, its businesspeople and entrepreneurs," said Carolina Duran, Bogota's Secretary of Economic Development.

In terms of entrepreneurship and innovation, the city hopes to showcase the strengths that have made it one of the main markets in Latin America, as well as the investment opportunities offered by the dynamic local entrepreneurship ecosystem.

In this way, Bogota continues with its agenda at Expo Dubai, which began with the presence of Secretary Carolina Duran, last November 2021, and thanks to which important advances have been made, such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the District Secretariat of Economic Development (SDDE) to become part of the Global Council of Innovative Entities. In addition, Bogota will host the next session this year 2022.

Approaches were also made to important investment funds and discussions were initiated for Colombia to become a resident country in the Area 2071 incubator, which means that 10 Colombian ventures will reside in Dubai and receive financing and training.

Contact:

Miguel Hernandez

Tel: 57 3043762439

SOURCE Invest in Bogota
Chemetry Corporation is constructing a 1000 T/year semi-commercial scale plant to demonstrate the first product from Chemetry's eShuttle technology. https://chemetrycorp.com/edc-demo-plant/ This facility will produce Ethylene Dichloride (EDC) from ethylene, salt, and water, using 50% of the power of the existing process at Braskem's Maceio facility without producing chlorine gas. The plant is being built in Ontario, Canada by Zeton and will subsequently be shipped to Maceio where it will be reassembled and commence operations mid-year 2023. Braskem will host the plant and provide the operating staff and management. Chemetry will own the plant and provide technical guidance and assistance. Braskem is supporting the development of the eShuttle  process as part of its investment in Innovation and Sustainability.

The electrochemical cells represent the last major piece of equipment to be purchased for the plant. They are a result of nearly 10 years of research and development in the eShuttle process and are the key to our novel technology. Permascand, located in Ljungaverk, Sweden is the manufacturer of the cells. Viktoria Lindstrand, Chief Commercial Officer of Permascand commented "these cells represent leading edge process and manufacturing technology by Chemetry and Permascand in partnership and represent the type of electrification that will enable significant portions of industry to electrify efficiently. Without these developments, Net Zero is an impossible goal for industry."

EDC is the key raw material for PVC resins, one of the most sustainable thermoplastic resins, with one of the smallest carbon footprints. By reducing the power consumption, the CO 2 used in PVC manufacture is further reduced. Bob Snyder, Chemetry's CEO, stated, "PVC resin is primarily used in durable applications where its strength and environmental resistance is a benefit to society. Our EDC technology will enable producers to reduce their carbon footprint, improve the safety of their process and lower costs vs. the current state-of-the-art processes. We are excited about the opportunity to de-risk this technology with our partners, so that the global producers of EDC can meet their customers' demands for a more sustainable resin."

Mitsubishi Corporation, an investor in Chemetry, will work with Chemetry to introduce this technology to their global salt customers and trading partners. "With the changes we see in the world to new energy and low carbon emissions, all industries will require more sources of caustic soda, and materials for building and construction such as PVC. The eShuttle EDC technology will be the solution to the Chlor-Alkali & Vinyl industry, as the technology will further improve the efficiency and consumption of energy, economics, and most importantly, reducing the carbon footprint throughout the process, adding further value and demand for PVC" according to the representative from Mitsubishi Corporation.

Contact: Robert Snyder, (404) 823-3902, [email protected]

About Chemetry

Chemetry is a technology development company focused on fundamentally changing the way chemicals are made. Through their eShuttle platform, Chemetry's technology is able to reduce the electrical energy requirements and environmental impact in the production of commodity chemicals. Chemetry holds over 75 patents in the chemical space and has successfully piloted the eShuttle platform in Moss Landing, California. For more information, visit chemetrycorp.com.

About Permascand Top Holding AB

Permascand is an independent technology-driven manufacturer of electrochemical solutions based on proprietary catalytic coatings for clean tech applications. With a customer-centric focus, the company has supplied electrodes, electrochemical cells and aftermarket services to a variety of sectors for the past 50 years. Permascand is headquartered in Ljungaverk, Sweden, with operations including R&D, Technology Development and Production, with offices in Gothenburg, Sweden and Vancouver, Canada. For more information visit: www.permascand.com .

SOURCE Chemetry Corporation
Furthermore, "In order to fight the pandemic, people are spending an increasing amount of money on contact-free smart devices like smart lights and smart speakers. Smart security products and air cleaning products, such as air purifiers and fresh air systems, have gained greater popularity in particular."

CLEANLIFE has been at the forefront of with several innovations around Wi-Fi and Bluetooth controlled flexible LED strips, light panels, smart bulbs and other lighting products created to work with its smart lighting app. Along with the benefits of contact free control, smart products also allow the consumer to personalize their experience whether it is mood lighting, temperature setting or any of the other appliances controlled from the app on their phone.

Additionally, CLEANLIFE helped develop and manufacture the UVC PureLight 360 to create safe and clean spaces using innovative UVC light disinfection technology. USA 3rd party testing shows that the UVC PureLight 360 eliminates >99.9% of virus and bacteria in 3.5 to 10 minutes in up to a 900 square foot room. The device is controlled by an app that allows the operator in charge to start and stop the disinfecting process without being exposed to the disinfecting UVC light.

Justin Miller, the CEO of CLEANLIFE, noted," We are honored to make this Top 60 list from Gartner along with some of the most recognizable brands from around the world. It shows our commitment to smart, safe and healthy lighting products and we're excited to see what the future brings as we are just scratching the surface of these new technologies."

About CleanLife

Founded in 2011 in Cleveland, Ohio, CLEANLIFE is focused on "Finding a Better Way" to manufacture and distribute LED, UVC and PPE products. Our IoT division, CLEANLIFE Smart, has partnered with Tuya Smart to develop connected lighting technologies that create productive, comfortable and healthy living environments. CLEANLIFE Smart Lighting products allow consumers to control lighting and other aspects of their home with their smart devices for a truly personalized lighting experience.

For more information, please visit www.cleanlife.com or email [email protected]

SOURCE CLEANLIFE LLC
MAUMEE, Ohio, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Incorporated (NYSE: DAN) today announced the launch of Brevini S-Series industrial planetary gearboxes specifically engineered to address the durability and reliability requirements of biogas production and wastewater treatment facilities.

Available now, Brevini S-Series gearboxes with maximum output torques up to 290 kNm are customized to drive the mixing systems used in digesters to facilitate heat transfer and keep temperatures uniform for the production of fuel-quality biogases.

Brevini S-Series gearboxes have been installed in hundreds of biogas plants throughout Europe and the Asia-Pacific region over the past 10 years. They are configured with water- and corrosion-resistant seals to propel drag chains and flights in the sedimentation tanks of wastewater treatment plants, and they meet strict international standards for preventing the ignition of flammable gases.

Providing maximum output torques of up to 140 kNm, Brevini S-Series gearboxes for wastewater treatment plants are custom-built with corrosion-resistant designs, special seals allowing for continuous submersion, and a high reduction range for improved torque.

"Dana has made a deep, robust commitment to supporting environmental responsibility in our operations, supply chain, and the products we create," said Jeroen Decleer, senior vice president, Off-Highway Drive and Motion Systems for Dana Incorporated. "Brevini S-Series gearboxes contribute to our sustainability initiatives by playing an integral role in the production of renewable biogases that reduce the reliance on fossil fuels."

Dana engineers and produces Brevini S-Series gearboxes at technology centers in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and Yancheng, China. Dana's resources in China strategically support the country's movement toward sustainability, which includes a predicted tenfold increase in biogas production volumes over the next decade according to China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDC). This growth will be further propelled by initiatives promoting energy autonomy and greenhouse gas reduction outlined in China's 14th Five-Year Plan adopted in March.

Robust Performance for the World's Most Demanding Industrial Applications

For more than 20 years, Brevini S-Series planetary gearboxes have delivered compact, high-torque performance in a variety of heavy-duty applications, including industrial and port lifting equipment, mixers, extruders, conveyors, industrial grain mills and grinders, pulp and paper mills, sheet metal and rod production, steel mills, sugar and edible oil processing, and crushing plants for quarries and mines.

The gearboxes provide space and weight savings of up to 60 percent when compared with traditional helical solutions. They offer nominal torque ratings ranging from 16kNm to 2,170 kNm, as well as maximum output torque from 75 kNm to 5,170kNm. In extremely high-power applications, Brevini S-Series planetary gearboxes can be packaged with Brevini bevel-helical gearboxes in complete, fully customizable solutions.

Enhanced bearing load capacities maximize the gear performance of the gearboxes, and their modular designs facilitate customization with a standardized portfolio of optional components such as auxiliary cooling devices, forced lubrication, and filtering systems.

Brevini S-Series gearboxes accommodate hydraulic or electric input motors, and they can be configured for a wide range of ratios and outputs. They are designed to address common standards including the International Organization for Standardization and the American Gear Manufacturers Association, which further positions them to meet numerous other third-party certifications. Additionally, the gearboxes are type-approved for lifting applications with DNV.

For more information about Brevini S-Series gearboxes, visit https://www.brevinipowertransmission.com/product/s-series-planetary-gearboxes-en/.

About Dana Incorporated

Dana is a leader in the design and manufacture of highly efficient propulsion and energy-management solutions that power vehicles and machines in all mobility markets across the globe. The company is shaping sustainable progress through its conventional and clean-energy solutions that support nearly every vehicle manufacturer with drive and motion systems; electrodynamic technologies, including software and controls; and thermal, sealing, and digital solutions.

Based in Maumee, Ohio, USA, the company reported sales of $7.1 billion in 2020 with 38,000 associates in 33 countries across six continents. Founded in 1904, Dana was named one of "America's Most Responsible Companies 2022" by Newsweek for its emphasis on sustainability and social responsibility. The company is driven by a high-performance culture that focuses on valuing others, inspiring innovation, growing responsibly, and winning together, earning it global recognition as a top employer. Learn more at dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Incorporated
HOBOKEN, N.J., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Daybase , the hybrid work company, today launched its first location in Hoboken, N.J., bringing a new neighborhood-based work experience to local residents and businesses.

The 5,000-square-foot street-level retail space offers members a variety of space types, both bookable and unassigned, designed for individual and group work activities. The spaces are available completely on-demand, with bookable spaces reservable by the hour through the Daybase mobile app.

Daybase CEO Joel Steinhaus and Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla join local elected officials and the Daybase founding team to cut the ribbon on the first Daybase hybrid workspot on Washington Street in Hoboken, N.J. on Wednesday, January 26, 2022. Pictured left to right are Bryan Migliorisi, of Daybase; City Council Member Jennifer Giattino; Hoboken Business Alliance Board President James Runkle; State Assembly Member Raj Mukherji; City Council Member Emily Jabbour; State Assembly Member Annette Chaparro; City Council Member Tiffanie Fisher; Mayor Ravi Bhalla; Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano; Daybase CEO Joel Steinhaus; Daybase COO Douglas Chambers; and Nicolas Rader of Daybase.

The founders of Daybase were joined by Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, along with State Assembly Members Annette Chaparro and Raj Mukherji; Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano; Hoboken City Council Members Tiffanie Fisher, Emily Jabbour, Jennifer Giattino, Phil Cohen; Hoboken Business Alliance Board President James Runkle; and others, for a ribbon-cutting and tour of the new space.

The company, launched by a team of former WeWork executives, is developing a network of its on-demand workspots in neighborhoods and communities across the country, to create a purpose-built third space, between home and the office, for the post-pandemic hybrid or remote worker.

"We created Daybase for the times when your office is too far, but home is too close," said Daybase CEO Joel Steinhaus. "Employees are rejecting a return to the five-day commute. However, they need a place that offers the functionality of the office, with the convenience of being down the street and available when they need it. In Hoboken, we are excited to serve residents and local businesses.The opening of our first location represents step one in our long-term plan to build a national network of close-to-home workspots."

"I am excited to welcome the first Daybase location to the City of Hoboken," said Mayor Ravi S. Bhalla. "I know Daybase will serve as a vital hub for our vibrant community of creators and entrepreneurs where they can come together and collaborate or work individually away from the chaos of the office or their home. I am sure Daybase will be a well-utilized asset for not only residents of uptown Hoboken but residents across the City."

Daybase Hoboken, located at 1450 Washington Street, offers members unlimited access to the Daylounge, with additional credits available for bookable spaces. The Daylounge has open, unassigned seating for quick tasks and casual conversations, while bookable spaces serve a set of activities that have proliferated during the pandemic  quiet study space for focus work, private space for video conferencing, and larger configurations for group collaborations. Non-members can also book time at Daybase through the app.

"The Daybase model allows companies the opportunity to reimagine the workplace as an ecosystem of tools oriented around the needs of their employees. Post-pandemic, providing autonomy, flexibility and choice has become table stakes in the war for talent," said Daybase COO Doug Chambers. "Hoboken is an ideal community for Daybase, home to many New York City commuters and local companies alike."

"Due to the uncertain times caused by the pandemic, some enterprising people have decided to think outside the box," said Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano. "Daybase is an example of this forward and progressive thinking to ensure that people feel secure in their work space. Since it is very flexible, this adds to the allure of Daybase. People need options and Daybase offers just that in a professional setting."

"I am excited to welcome Daybase to Hoboken, as they provide a great option for residents seeking flexible work spaces uptown," said City Council Member Emily B. Jabbour. "Since the start of the pandemic, residents more than ever are seeking flexible spaces to meet the needs of juggling work, family, and social lives - Daybase is a great new option."

"This is really the perfect fit for Hoboken overall, but in particular for this area that has the highest residential density in the city, but no convenient coworking space," said City Council Member Tiffanie Fisher. "I am sure it will be a huge success and we are thrilled to welcome Daybase to the neighborhood!"

"It is a pleasure to welcome Daybase to the Hoboken community," said City Council Member Jennifer Giattino. "Their business model will be a great addition to a town where many residents are and will continue to work remotely while living in limited space."

"Hoboken has always been an innovative city," said James Runkle, President of the Hoboken Business Alliance. "As COVID19 has changed the way we define 'go to work', it's exciting to see Daybase bring their innovative office sharing concept right here to our vibrant city. On behalf of the Hoboken business community, I'm thrilled to extend a very warm welcome!"

Daybase locations will finally complete the workplace ecosystem of the new hybrid organization, seamlessly integrating corporate headquarters, regional hubs, traditional co-working spaces, home offices, and now completely on-demand, local workspots like Daybase.

The first Daybase will be followed by locations in Harrison, N.Y., in Westchester County, and Westfield, N.J., later this year. Through Daybase's franchise model, the company will partner with local owners to develop locations across the country, close to where the hybrid and remote workforce lives.

About Daybase

Founded in 2020 in New York City, Daybase is a new model designed to create a seamless hybrid work experience. Created by a team of seasoned executives with experience in enterprise workplace solutions, design, architecture, technology, construction, finance, and real estate, Daybase offers a network of professional-grade, on-demand workspots, located close to home, in neighborhoods and communities across the country. For more information, please visit www.daybase.co.

Media Contact:

Jason Fink

Mark Allen & Co.

[email protected]

(917) 495-8639

SOURCE Daybase
Highlights-

Segmentation- The report extensively covers market segmentation by End-user (non-academic learners and academic learners) and Deployment (on premise and cloud based)

The report extensively covers market segmentation by End-user (non-academic learners and academic learners) and Deployment (on premise and cloud based) Key Companies- Apollo Global Management Inc., Cambridge University Press, Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., EF Education First Ltd., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., eSplice Ltd., New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc., Pearson Plc, Rosetta Stone Ltd., and Sanako Oy among others.

Apollo Global Management Inc., Press, Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., EF Education First Ltd., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., eSplice Ltd., New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc., Pearson Plc, Rosetta Stone Ltd., and Sanako Oy among others. Driver- Adoption of English as a global language to drive the market.

Adoption of English as a global language to drive the market. Challenge- Innovations in the wearable devices market to hinder the market growth

Download FREE Sample: for more additional information about the Digital English Language Learning Market

Segmentation by End-user (In-Scope/Out-of-Scope)

In-Scope:

Non-academic learners:

The digital English language learning market share growth by the non-academic learners segment will be significant during the forecast period. Corporates, one of the key sub-segments of the non academic learner's segment, exhibit a high demand for digital English language learning courses. The extensive use of English for corporate communication and international business operations has contributed to the high demand for digital learning courses. The increasing diversity in corporate workforces and increased online communication further enhance the need for digital English language learning courses.

Out-of-Scope:

Academic learners

To gain further insights on the market contribution of various segments Request for a FREE sample

Vendor Insights-

The digital English language learning market is fragmented and the vendors are deploying growth strategies such as focusing on product delivery through multiple distribution channels to compete in the market.

Cambridge University Press - In September 2019 , the company partnered with RiverMeadow Software Inc. to implement a cloud mitigation program

- In , the company partnered with RiverMeadow Software Inc. to implement a cloud mitigation program Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc - In January 2020 , the company planned to launch a Cengage mobile application (eTextbook option), which would have access to all Cengage online textbooks

- In , the company planned to launch a Cengage mobile application (eTextbook option), which would have access to all Cengage online textbooks Pearson Plc - In November 2019 , the company acquired Lumerit Education LLC, an ed-tech company that helps address the issues of college degree completion and affordability in the consumer and corporate markets.

Find additional highlights on the vendors and their product offerings. Download Free Sample Report

Learn More about Key Driver & Challenge of the Market-

Digital English Language Learning Market Driver:

Adoption of English as a global language:

The adoption of English as a global language will fuel the growth of the digital English language learning market size. English is considered a common language of communication between countries and governments. Developing English language skills helps in minimizing the barriers that hinder cross-border communication. Though many countries have not declared English as their official language, it is the common medium of instruction in multiple geographies. Admission to internationally acclaimed universities also requires basic proficiency in English. The use of English as a global business language further enhances the demand for digital English learning solutions in multiple markets. If not all corporates, the majority of the corporates have adopted English as their official business language.

Digital English Language Learning Market Challenge:

Innovations in the wearable devices market:

The introduction of hearables and potential innovations in the global wearable devices market may hinder the growth of the global digital English language learning market. The global wearable devices market has witnessed rapid growth due to the increased sale of smartwatches and wristbands, smart footwear, jewelry, and wearable cameras. Product innovations in the market have led to the development of language translation and interpretation devices. These devices, known as hearables, are in-ear devices that facilitate the instant translation of languages.

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Digital English Language Learning Market Scope Report Coverage Details Page number 120 Base year 2020 Forecast period 2021-2025 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 17% Market growth 2021-2025 $ 12.38 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth (%) 13.30 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and MEA Performing market contribution APAC at 45% Key consumer countries China, US, India, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading companies, competitive strategies, consumer engagement scope Companies profiled Apollo Global Management Inc., Cambridge University Press, Cengage Learning Holdings II Inc., EF Education First Ltd., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co., eSplice Ltd., New Oriental Education and Technology Group Inc., Pearson Plc, Rosetta Stone Ltd., and Sanako Oy Market Dynamics Parent market analysis, Market growth inducers and obstacles, Fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and future consumer dynamics, market condition analysis for the forecast period, Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

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New Legislation on Derelict and Abandoned Vehicles

In order to curb the problem of parking spaces on the public highway being used by abandoned or derelict vehicles, HM Government of Gibraltar has published new legislation, which comes into effect immediately.

'Apart from the obvious concerns that they encroach upon public space, abandoned vehicles also pose an environmental hazard. Vehicles contain hazardous materials, including heavy metals, oils, plastics, batteries and paint. When abandoned vehicles begin to deteriorate, they can release these hazardous substances into the environment. Damaged derelict vehicles can also cause personal injury as a result of sharp metals and broken glass.

Legislation defines an abandoned/derelict vehicle to be one that;

a) from its appearance exhibits a defect, damage or deterioration sufficient to prevent its proper operation on a road;

b) it appears to have remained immobile in the same location for a period of not less than 15 days; and

c) does not have a valid road worthiness certificate under the Motor Vehicles Test Regulations 1987.

A vehicle found to meet the criteria above will have a notice affixed to it, notifying the owner that the vehicle will be removed from the highway after a period of 24 hours with the intention of quick disposal.

Members of the public are reminded that when selling on a vehicle, it is the responsibility of the vendor to ensure that the changes to the vehicle ownership documentation be submitted promptly to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Department (Log Book) in order to update records and they must ensure that they are given written confirmation from the department for this purpose. It should be noted that the last page of the Log Book includes said transfer form which can be filled in and handed over to the department for this purpose. Failure to do so would render the vendor liable to prosecution as the last registered owner.

Under the Traffic (Parking and Waiting) Regulations a person who leaves a derelict vehicle on a road or in a parking space or other place to which the public have access on payment of a fee or otherwise is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine at level 3 (1,000) on the standard scale.

The Government has said it wishes to reiterate that any person owning a motor vehicle may dispose of said vehicle FREE OF CHARGE online

https://portal.egov.gi/All-Services/DVLD/DVLDDispos

or by attending in person to the Offices of The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Department (MOT Test Centre) at Eastern Beach Road with a copy of the vehicles Registration Document (Log Book).

The Minister for Transport, Hon Paul Balban, said: "This legislation is extremely important to prevent the abuse of parking spaces which are a limited and finite resource in Gibraltar. The recent campaign carried out by the Royal Gibraltar Police, will serve to regain close to fifty parking spaces throughout Gibraltar. This will see a more equitable use of parking spaces for all.
ICN10 is a multi-story facility spanning 22,000 square feet and is strategically located in the northwest region of Seoul within the Sangam Digital Media City, a newly developed urban planning zone populated with technology and media companies, serving as a hub to promote South Korea's digital economy. With 12 megawatts of critical IT capacity, the new facility will expand the availability of PlatformDIGITAL , Digital Realty's first of its kind global data center platform for driving the adoption of cloud computing services and solutions in the region, scaling digital businesses and supporting the development of South Korea as a data hub.

As a carrier-neutral data center facility, ICN10 offers enterprises superior connectivity with direct access to all local exchange carriers in the Korean market. The campus will form a key building block in the development of the industry's largest open fabric of fabrics, which allows enterprises to expand their connectivity ecosystem and access a rich connected data community on PlatformDIGITAL with over 4,000 participants in nearly 50 metros across 25 countries.

ICN10 is also a NVIDIA-certified colocation provider of choice in South Korea as part of the NVIDIA DGX-Ready Data Center program. The facility is designed to handle Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) workloads from NVIDIA, serving as a key launch pad to help enterprises accelerate their AI and analytics capabilities.

"South Korea is a leading technology and digital hub in Asia Pacific and is set to be one of the fastest growing data center markets in the region. It was the first country to roll out 5G in April 2019 alongside its Smart Cities initiatives, which has led to a rise of data center deployments in South Korea. The opening of our first data center in South Korea today is set to meet the growing demand from enterprises looking to scale their digital footprint across APAC and beyond, as well as deliver greater connectivity, coverage and capacity," says Mark Smith, Managing Director of APAC, Digital Realty.

According to Arizton, South Korea's data center market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.72%% during the period of 2021 - 2026. The rapid increase in data center demand comes as South Korea ramps up its server infrastructure and cloud computing market, adoption of AI, big data services and IoT applications.

"South Korea has consistently been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology adoption in areas such as micropayment transactions, esports and gaming. As it continues to stay in the lead for internet-based economic development, we can expect an upward trajectory in the volume of data exchange and corresponding demand for data center services in the country over the next few years. Our entry into the country underscores South Korea's significance as an emerging data center hub. ICN10 comes at an opportune time to leverage the growth in South Korea's digital economy and to support the digital aspirations of our customers in South Korea, Asia Pacific and globally," added Smith.

ICN10 will serve as the connectivity gateway for scale and large enterprise applications hosted in Digital Seoul 2 (ICN11), where construction is already underway, forming a virtually-connected campus. Both facilities will be connected via the Metro Connect system to extend the ICN10 communities out to the core locations.

"ICN10 will be critical to our go-to market strategy in Seoul and be complementary to ICN11, our hyperscale campus. It will be uniquely equipped to help organizations reinvent IT using a data-centric approach and unlock data gravity, the effect seen when data accumulates in massive amounts. From small to large colocation footprints, to integration with public cloud and cross-connects, organizations will have access to all the elements of the digital ecosystem from one place," says Jay Weon Khym, Country Manager for Digital Realty Korea.

Additional Resources

Seoul Data Center Solutions

Data Center Solutions Introducing Digital Seoul 1 (ICN10)

1 (ICN10) 16 June 2020 - Digital Realty breaks ground on first facility in South Korea

- Digital Realty breaks ground on first facility in 29 July 2021 - Digital Realty to extend global reach of PlatformDIGITAL with development of 64-megawatt facility in South Korea

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty supports the world's leading enterprises and service providers by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers a trusted foundation and proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for scaling digital business and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty's global data center footprint gives customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with over 280 facilities in nearly 50 metros across 25 countries on six continents. For more information, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

For Additional Information

Media Contacts

Helen Bleasdale

Digital Realty

+44 7500 044027

[email protected]

Kim Yu

Digital Realty, APAC

+65 8809 6228

[email protected]

RICE Communications for Digital Realty

[email protected]

Investor Relations

Jim Huseby

Digital Realty

+1 (415) 738-6500

[email protected]

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to PlatformDIGITAL, Data Gravity Index DGx and projections regarding data gravity, aggregation and exchange, the company's strategy, expected growth in digital transformation, development plans in South Korea and APAC, the APAC market and customer demand. For a list and description of risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Digital Realty
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- doTERRA has been recognized as a winner of the 2021 SEAL Environmental Initiative Award for its work surrounding native forest restoration (including Hawaiian Sandalwood) at the Kealakekua Mountain Reserve (KMR) on the island of Hawai'i. doTERRA's efforts include a management plan developed in partnership with the Hawaii State Division of Forestry and Wildlife to reestablish a healthy native forest, and a nursery that is contributing to the largest reforestation initiative in Hawai'i.

The SEAL Business Sustainability Awards honor corporate leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainable business practices. This year's honorees ranged from global brands to high-growth startups. A complete list of this year's winners is available at SealAwards.com.

"When doTERRA looks for sourcing partnerships around the world, we deliberately choose locations where we can produce the highest quality essential oils while elevating the individual, social, economic, and environmental well-being of the community through Co-Impact Sourcing," said Greg Hendrickson, General Manager of Kealakekua Mountain Reserve in Hawai'i. "doTERRA has recognized that producing 'Iliahi (Hawaiian Sandalwood) first requires a commitment to restore the natural habitat that previously existed on this land and to do so in a way that reverences the remarkable host culture of the Hawaiian Islands. We, along with our partners, have embarked on the largest reforestation effort in the State of Hawai'i, which will help 'Iliahi and other native Hawaiian species thrive here once more."

"Increased corporate prioritization of ESG initiatives has been a welcome and needed change as our climate crisis further accelerates. This increased investment in sustainable business practices has raised the bar for ESG excellence, making this our most competitive award event ever with a record number of submissions," commented Matt Harney, SEAL Awards' Founder. "Our mission at SEAL is to rigorously assess and then celebrate extraordinary sustainability leadership. We're honored to present these 2021 Sustainability Award winners."

About doTERRA

doTERRA International is an integrative health and wellness company and the world leader in the Global Aromatherapy and Essential Oils market. doTERRA sources, tests, manufactures, and distributes CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade essential oils and essential oil products to over nine million doTERRA Wellness Advocates and customers. Through industry leading responsible sourcing practices, doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity and sustainability in partnership with local growers around the world through Co-Impact Sourcing. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, offers resources and tools to global sourcing communities and charitable organizations for self-reliance, healthcare, education, sanitation, and the fight against human trafficking. Through the life-enhancing benefits of essential oils, doTERRA is changing the world one drop, one person, one community at a time. To learn more, visit www.doterra.com.

SOURCE doTERRA
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Damn Right Cocktails today announced the launch of its USDA certified organic, 100% de agave Tequila sparkling cocktail in Texas and California. The line has two SKUs: a lime margarita called Devil of a Lime and a Strawberry Basil cocktail called Son of a Basil. The brand is distributed by Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC).

Damn Right Cocktail's Son of a Basil Strawberry Basil margarita. The only organic, 100% de agave, better for you, sparkling Tequila cocktail. Damn Right Cocktail's Devil of a Lime Margarita. The only organic, 100% de agave, better for you sparkling Tequila Cocktail

Damn Right is the only low alcohol, USDA certified organic Tequila cocktail on the market right now. At 5% ABV and with only 110-130 calories per serving, the brand is poised to capitalize not only on the RTD cocktail drinker who wants a more premium and better tasting alternative. In fact, the brand has already been awarded two medallions: one with a score of 93 points for Devil of a Lime (lime margarita) from Blue Lifestyle, run by a James Beard Award Winner Anthony Dias Blue, one for and 95 for Son of a Basil (strawberry basil margarita) from the Beverage Tasting Institute.

"Our consumer is getting exactly what they've been looking for: an affordable, but premium and organic, great tasting tequila cocktail in a can that's also low in calories," explains co-founder, Gabby Fitzpatrick. "These drinks are refreshing and taste as if they were just shaken up by an experienced bartender. We pride ourselves on quality and that is just what we're serving!"

But Gabby and her co-founder Mark Lewis have not just launched Damn Right to give people a better tasting drink. They want their company to give back, and so up to 5% of the company's profits will be donated to charities or programs focused on improving access to high-quality primary and secondary school education

"Right, there's a $23B difference in the funding going to schools in wealthy districts vs those in lower income ones," said co-founder Mark Lewis. "We both believe a great education is a way to eradicate poverty, but it shouldn't be a zip code lottery. We both come from educational backgrounds with a strong community service focus, so we really wanted to raise awareness of this issue and use our drinks to make a difference."

All in all, the drinks are the perfect trifecta in terms of meeting today's market demand: healthier, premium and doing good. Or as the company puts it: Drink Right, Do Right, Damn Right!

For more information contact:

Mark Lewis

[email protected]

925-878-1311

SOURCE Damn Right Cocktails
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Environmental Monitoring Market by Product Type (Sensors, Indoor Monitors, Outdoor Monitors), Sampling Method, Component, Application, End-User, and Region (North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, MEA) - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global environmental monitoring market is expected to reach USD 17.9 billion by 2026 from an estimated USD 14.5 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2026.

The Monitors segment accounted for the largest share of the environmental monitoring market, by product type, in 2020

Based on product type, the environmental monitoring market is segmented into monitors and software. The environmental monitors are further divided into indoor monitors, outdoor monitors, and portable monitors. The monitors segment accounted for 88.6% of the global environmental monitoring market in 2020, while outdoor environmental monitors segment group accounts for 44.1% of environmental monitors market in 2020. The large share of this market segment can be attributed to the increasing adoption of pollution monitoring strategies across industries.

The Continuous Monitoring segment accounted for the largest share of the environmental monitoring market, by sampling method, in 2020

Based on the sampling method, the environmental monitoring market is segmented into continuous, active, passive, and intermittent monitoring. In 2020, the continuous monitoring segment accounted for the largest share of the environmental monitoring market with a share of 57.11%. The large share of this segment can primarily be attributed to the growing public emphasis on the development of environment-friendly industries, real-time monitoring of samples, and the rising levels of environmental pollution in major regions across the globe.

The Particulate Detection segment accounted for the largest share of the environmental monitoring market, by component, in 2020

Based on component, the environmental monitoring market is segmented into particulate detection, chemical detection, biological detection, temperature sensing, moisture detection, and noise measurement. The particulate detection is further divided into PM2.5 detection, PM10 detection and other detection, whereas the chemical detection is further segmented into gas detection, volatile organic compound detection, pesticide detection and other chemicals. The particulate detection segment accounted for the largest share of 47.2% of the environmental monitoring market in 2020. This can be attributed to the rising levels of PM2.5 and PM10 in the air, increasing market demand for outdoor and indoor air quality monitors or PM monitors, and rapid rise in air pollution levels due to increasing industrialization and urbanization in the emerging countries.

The Air Pollution Monitoring segment, by application, accounted for the largest share of the global environmental monitoring market in 2020

Based on application, the environmental monitoring market is segmented into air pollution monitoring, water pollution monitoring, soil pollution monitoring, and noise pollution monitoring. The water pollution monitoring segment is further categorized as surface & groundwater monitoring and wastewater monitoring. The air pollution monitoring segment accounted for the largest share of 54.16% of the environmental monitoring market in 2020. This can be attributed to the rising level of air pollution across key markets (such as the US, Europe, China, India, and the Middle East), growing acceptance and demand for sensor-based air quality monitoring systems, increasing health concerns, and stringent air pollution control legislation by several governments.

On the basis of End Users, Industrial Users segment accounted for the largest share of the global environmental monitoring market, in 2020

Based on end users, the environmental monitoring market is segmented into government agencies & smart city authorities, enterprises, commercial users, residential users, healthcare & pharmaceutical industries, industrial users, and other end users. The industrial users segment dominated the environmental monitoring market, with a share of 27.2%, in 2020. This can be attributed to the growing number of power plants and refineries and urbanization in emerging countries.

The APAC market, by region, to register highest growth rate in the forecast period

The environmental monitoring market has been segmented into five major regions, namely, North America, Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa. In 2020, North America accounted for the largest share of 50.6% of the environmental monitoring market, followed by Europe with a share of 25.5%. On the other hand, the Asia Pacific market is estimated to register the highest growth rate during the forecast period. This can primarily be attributed to the increase in government funding for the establishment of environmental monitoring stations, stringent regulations that support the greater adoption of pollution monitoring technologies, and technological advancements in the field of environmental sensors.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary

4 Premium Insights

4.1 Environmental Monitoring Market Overview

4.2 Impact of COVID-19 on the Global Environmental Monitoring Market (USD Million)

4.3 Environmental Monitors Market, by Type, 2021 Vs. 2026 (USD Million)

4.4 Environmental Monitoring Market for Particulate Detection, by Type, 2021 Vs. 2026 (USD Million)

4.5 Environmental Monitoring Market for Chemical Detection, by Type, 2021 Vs. 2026 (USD Million)

4.6 Environmental Monitoring Market, by Region and End-user (2020)

4.7 Environmental Monitoring Market: Geographic Growth Opportunities

5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Market Dynamics

5.2.1 Drivers

5.2.1.1 Increasing Need for Efficient Natural Resource Management

5.2.1.2 Development of Environment-Friendly Industries

5.2.1.3 Development of Wireless Cellular and Non-Cellular Communication Technologies

5.2.1.4 Increased Health Concerns due to Rising Pollution Levels

5.2.2 Restraints

5.2.2.1 High Costs Associated with Environmental Monitoring Products

5.2.3 Opportunities

5.2.3.1 Increased Government Funding to Prevent and Control Environmental Pollution

5.2.3.2 Supportive Government Rules and Regulations to Reduce Environmental Pollution

5.2.3.3 Growing Oil & Gas Industry

5.2.3.4 Development of High-End Environmental Monitoring Systems Based on Nanotechnology

5.2.4 Challenges

5.2.4.1 Slow Adoption of Pollution Control Policies

5.3 Regulatory Landscape

5.3.1 North America

5.3.1.1 US

5.3.1.2 Canada

5.3.2 Europe

5.3.3 Asia-Pacific

5.3.3.1 India

5.3.3.2 China

5.4 COVID-19 Impact on the Environmental Monitoring Market

5.5 Reimbursement Scenario

5.6 Patent Analysis

5.6.1 Patents Granted for Ecmo Machines

5.6.2 Publication Trends for Patents on Environmental Monitoring Devices

5.7 Value Chain Analysis

5.8 Pricing Trend Analysis

5.9 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.10 Ecosystem Landscape

6 Environmental Monitoring Market, by Product

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Monitors

6.3 Software

7 Environmental Monitoring Market, by Sampling Method

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Continuous Monitoring

7.2.1 Growing Demand for Real-Time Pollution Monitoring to Drive the Growth of this Segment

7.3 Active Monitoring

7.3.1 Low Cost of Operation to Drive the Demand for Active Monitoring Methods

7.4 Passive Monitoring

7.4.1 Industrialization Across Emerging Countries to Drive the Demand for Passive Monitoring

7.5 Intermittent Monitoring

7.5.1 Increasing Government Emphasis on Compliance to Pollution Monitoring Standards Will Drive Market Growth

8 Environmental Monitoring Market, by Component

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Particulate Detection

8.2.1 Pm2.5 Detection

8.2.1.1 Rising Levels of Pm2.5 in the Air to Support Market Growth

8.2.2 Pm10 Detection

8.2.2.1 Increasing Prevalence of Respiratory and Cardiovascular Diseases to Drive the Adoption of Pm10 Air Quality Monitors

8.2.3 Other Particulate Detection

8.3 Chemical Detection

8.3.1 Gas Detection

8.3.1.1 Rising Levels of Chemical Air Pollutants Globally are Driving the Market for Gas Detection

8.3.2 Volatile Organic Compound Detection

8.3.2.1 Voc Monitors Hold a Modest Market Share due to the Limited Preference for These Monitors in Developed Countries

8.3.3 Pesticide Detection

8.3.3.1 Stringent Regulatory Norms by Governments on the Limited Use of Pesticides to Support the Market for Pesticide Detection Products

8.3.4 Other Chemical Detection

8.4 Biological Detection

8.4.1 Growing Public Awareness About the Biohazards Caused by Rising Pollution Levels to Support Market Growth

8.5 Temperature Sensing

8.5.1 Reluctance Among End-users to Utilize Innovative Temperature Sensing Products to Restrain the Market Growth

8.6 Moisture Detection

8.6.1 Integration of Moisture Sensing Technologies in Smart City Development to Promote Market Growth

8.7 Noise Measurement

8.7.1 Increasing Levels of Noise Pollution and the Rising Adoption of Smartphone-Based and Portable Noise Detection Products to Drive Market Growth

9 Environmental Monitoring Market, by Application

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Air Pollution Monitoring

9.2.1 Air Pollution Monitoring is the Largest Application Segment due to the Rising Level of Air Pollution Worldwide

9.3 Water Pollution Monitoring

9.3.1 Wastewater Monitoring

9.3.1.1 Stringent Government Regulations and Norms to Propel the Growth of this Segment

9.3.2 Surface & Groundwater Monitoring

9.3.2.1 Rapid Industrialization and Urbanization to Drive Market Growth

9.4 Soil Pollution Monitoring

9.4.1 Ongoing Development of Innovative Products for Effective Soil Pollution Control to Support Market Growth

9.5 Noise Pollution Monitoring

9.5.1 Ineffective Implementation of Noise Pollution Control Regulations to Restrain the Market Growth

10 Environmental Monitoring Market, by End-user

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Government Agencies & Smart City Authorities

10.2.1 Development of Low-Cost Environmental Sensors to Support Market Growth

10.3 Enterprises

10.3.1 Environmental Monitoring Systems Prevent the Loss of Unrecoverable Data

10.4 Commercial Users

10.4.1 Environmental Monitoring Systems Help Businesses Save on Energy Costs

10.5 Residential Users

10.5.1 Environmental Monitoring Systems are Cost-Effective and Reliable

10.6 Healthcare & Pharmaceutical Industries

10.6.1 Environmental Monitoring is an Essential Component to Demonstrate the State of Control of Pharma Facilities

10.7 Industrial Users

10.7.1 Industrial Users are the Largest End-users of Environmental Monitoring Products

10.8 Other End-users

11 Environmental Monitoring Market, by Region

12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Introduction

12.2 Revenue Share Analysis

12.3 Market Share Analysis

12.4 Competitive Leadership Mapping: Company Evaluation Quadrant (2020)

12.4.1 Terminology/Nomenclature

12.4.1.1 Stars

12.4.1.2 Emerging Leaders

12.4.1.3 Pervasive Players

12.4.1.4 Participants

12.5 Competitive Leadership Mapping: Start-Up/Sme Evaluation Quadrant (2020)

12.5.1 Progressive Companies

12.5.2 Responsive Companies

12.5.3 Dynamic Companies

12.5.4 Starting Blocks

12.6 Competitive Benchmarking

12.7 Competitive Scenario (2018-2021)

12.7.1 Product Launches & Approvals

12.7.2 Deals

13 Company Profiles

13.1 Key Players

13.1.1 Agilent Technologies, Inc.

13.1.2 Danaher

13.1.3 Thermo Fisher Scientific

13.1.4 Shimadzu Corporation

13.1.5 Perkinelmer, Inc.

13.1.6 3M

13.1.7 Emerson Electric Co.

13.1.8 Biomerieux S.A.

13.1.9 Honeywell International, Inc.

13.1.10 Merck KGaA

13.1.11 Siemens Ag

13.1.12 Forbes Marshall

13.2 Other Players

13.2.1 E.S.I. Environmental Sensors Inc.

13.2.2 Horiba Group

13.2.3 Spectris plc

13.2.4 Te Connectivity

13.2.5 Teledyne Technologies Incorporated

13.2.6 Raytheon Technologies Corporation

13.2.7 Ams Ag

13.2.8 Powelectrics Limited

13.2.9 Raritan Inc.

13.2.10 Texas Instruments Incorporated

13.2.11 Sensirion Holding Ag

13.2.12 Eurotech Spa

13.2.13 Omega Engineering Inc.

13.2.14 Nesa Srl

13.2.15 Eko Instruments Bv

13.2.16 Aeroqual

13.2.17 Plume Labs

13.2.18 Atmotech Inc.

14 Appendix

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ob380s

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Family Office Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2021-2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The demand for an alternative asset class which includes hedge funds and private equity shares is expected to grow with a share of 49.96% during the forecast period 2020-2026 and is expected to surge at a growth rate of 6.90%.

The growing number of UHNWIs (private wealth advisory firms) are driving the demand for family office services. Today, wealthy families rely on family offices to manage their wealth as they hold fragile trust in private banks and increasingly prefer family offices.

However, the business encounters many regulatory, technological, and operational challenges that are expected to hamper the market's growth. Direct investments are stand-alone investments and have good returns compared to private equity.

More than 65% of high-net-worth individuals invest their funds through direct investments. It helps the market grow diverse across the globe and allows them to leverage their investments.

SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

Due to the growing technology and digital services, family offices provide services digitally such as a virtual family office. VFO can either be a single office where the family looks forwards to the out-source of a family office in order to have low staff and high flexibility.

MFO demand offers greater opportunities for career development, and exposure to various planning situations can foster the development and sharing of best practices with all clients, which can collectively improve results and outcomes in the market.

Embedded family office markets are highly operated in India as Indians believe their financial conversations are confidential and prefer close advisors to manage their wealth. Thereby, expecting a boom in the number of embedded offices with an increase in entrepreneurs and family offices is driving the embedded family office market.

GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

North America dominates the family office market with more than 92,000 wealthy individuals. The US alone contributes to half the global UHNWIs with more than 89,000 individuals. North America holds nearly two-third of family offices globally, where investments are made through SFOs and MFOs.

Key countries such as Italy, France, Germany, the UK, and Spain, Western Europe account for the majority of the share of the family office market in Europe in terms of revenue. The family office market in Western Europe is mainly driven by traditional family businesses that invest in multiplying their wealth and hold their family legacy and values through their mission.

VENDOR ANALYSIS

Bayshore Global Management is the family office of Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and Anne Wojcicki his spouse. Bayshore Global Management manages more than USD 30 billion of family assets. The family office also runs the Brin Wojcicki Foundation, donating to charitable donations and supporting human rights.

The Bezos is the family office of the billionaire, with a vision to provide equal opportunity to the young generation and contribute to society. Over two decades, the organization has started multiple programs connecting many people through work and helping thousands of young people discover the purpose of fulfilling the family office market.

Cascade Investment, L.L.C. is a private investment entity that holds the assets of William H. Gates III. It is a group of investment professionals with vast investment experience where the investment manager considers the client's interest and designs the client's particular needs and objectives. The organization's mission is to protect and enhance the client's financial well-being.

PROMINENT VENDORS

Bayshore global management

Bezos expedition

Cascade Investment L.L.C

Euclidean Capital

Emerson Collective

Hillspire

KIRKBI

Mousse Partners

MSD Capital

Invus Group

Prometheus Capital

Soros Fund Management

Sunrise capital management

Storonsky family

Grosvenor Estate

Vulcan INC

Wah Hin and Company Pte Ltd

Walton Enterprises LLC

Weybourne Group

Willett Advisors LLC

WU Capital

YF Capital

Yoovidhya Family Office

Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage

4.1 Market Definition

4.2 Base Year

4.3 Scope Of The Study



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

5.1 Key Caveats

5.2 Currency Conversion

5.3 Market Derivation



6 Market at a Glance



7 Introduction

7.1 Overview

7.2 Cost Of Running A Family Office

7.3 Services Provided By Family Offices

7.3.1 Financial Planning

7.3.2 Strategy

7.3.3 Governance

7.3.4 Advisory

7.4 Investments By Family Offices

7.4.1 Co-Investments

7.5 Impact Of Covid-19



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 Disruptive Technology: AI & Blockchain

8.2 Strengthening Sustainable Investments



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 Growing Number Of Billionaires Across The Globe

9.2 Growing Investments In Hedge Funds To Avoid Sec Regulations

9.3 Increasing Investments In Venture Capital



10 Market Restraints

10.1 Regulatory Restraint

10.2 Operational Restraint

10.3 Technical Restraint



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.1.1 Demand Highlights

11.1.2 High-Net-Worth Forecasts Providing Growth Opportunities

11.1.3 Future Insights

11.2 Focus Of Family Offices On Asset Class Investments

11.2.1 Performance Of Private Equity

11.2.2 Appeal For Venture Capital

11.2.3 Technology Being The Most Preferred For Investments

11.2.4 Real Estate

11.2.5 Sustainable Investments

11.2.6 Impact Investments

11.2.7 Shift Toward Philanthropic Investments

11.3 Future Of Wealth Management

11.4 Market Size & Forecast

11.5 Five Forces Analysis



12 Type

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview

12.3 Multi-Family Office

12.4 Single-Family Office

12.5 Embedded Family Office



13 Asset Classification

13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

13.2 Market Overview

13.3 Alternative Assets

13.4 Traditional Assets

13.5 Precious Metals

13.6 Art & Artifacts



14 Geography

14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

14.2 Geographic Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/8o94fn

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SOURCE Research and Markets
INCHEON, South Korea, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Cancer is among the leading causes of death in many countries and is progressively becoming a bigger burden on societies. One of the main challenges of developing therapies to fight this deadly disease is that drugs should target cancer cells exclusively and have as few side effects as possible. Among the many candidate compounds currently under study, the combination of boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) with metalorganic macrocycles (MOCs) and metalorganic frameworks (MOFs) shows great potential not only to fight cancer effectively, but to also help researchers understand the disease better.

Providing targeted therapy with few side effects is one of the main challenges in the treatment of cancer, and BODIPY-based metal-organic frameworks and macrocycles could be the key to this puzzle.

In a recent review article published in Coordination Chemistry Reviews, a team of scientists led by Professors Chang Yeon Lee and Gajendra Gupta of Incheon National University, Korea, discussed the evolution and recent progress in the field of BODIPY-based MOCs and MOFs, with a focus on the compounds' potential roles as both anticancer drugs and tools for cancer research. The article explains the compounds' various advantages and synergies with other medical techniques and also addresses the major roadblocks to their widespread application.

So, what are these materials and what makes them good combinations? MOCs and MOFs are metal complexes that serve as versatile platforms onto which new functionalities can be easily introduced through modifications. Both are widely used in biomedicine and have shown potential as anticancer agents with good selectivity. However, when BODIPY is used in MOCs or MOFs, the photophysical properties of the resulting compound can be fine tuned to achieve diverse effects.

First, BODIPY-based complexes are good photosensitizing agents for photodynamic therapy, in which a drug is activated by light to destroy target cells. When combined with MOCs or MOFs, the efficacy of these complexes as anticancer drugs increases. Second, BODIPY-based complexes are sensitive to the acidity (pH) of the medium. Because certain malignant tumors tend to have lower pH (acidic), these compounds could be further engineered so as to exclusively target cancerous cells within the body by exploiting this mechanism. Last, but certainly not least, the fluorescent properties of MOCs and MOFs can be tailored so that their position within cells can be easily tracked using fluorescence microscopy techniques. "The sheer ease of localizing BODIPY-based MOC/MOF drugs inside treated cancer cells will help molecular and cell biologists understand the mechanisms of action of these molecules against cancer," explains Prof. Lee.

Despite some of the limitations of BODIPY-based MOCs/MOFs, such as a time-consuming synthesis and our incomplete understanding of its toxicity, these compounds could become key players in our fight against cancer. "MOCs and MOFs designed with BODIPY have all the essential features required to be an ideal anticancer drug candidate," concludes Prof. Gupta. Be sure to keep an eye out for these advanced molecules and the wonders they might bring to the world of cancer therapy and research.

Reference

Title of original paper: BODIPY based metal-organic macrocycles and frameworks: Recent therapeutic developments

Journal: Coordination Chemistry Reviews

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ccr.2021.214308

*Corresponding authors' emails: [email protected] (G. Gupta), [email protected] (A. Das), [email protected] (P.J. Stang), [email protected] (C. Yeon Lee)

About Incheon National University

Website: http://www.inu.ac.kr/mbshome/mbs/inuengl/index.html

Media contact:

Chang Yeon Lee

[email protected]

82 32 835 8467

SOURCE Incheon National University
LANSING, Mich., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- IONETIX Corporation, an innovative, end-to-end radiopharmaceutical solution provider focusing on establishing a secure supply chain for alpha-emitting radiopharmaceuticals today announced it has signed a supply agreement for the therapeutic radioisotope astatine-211 (211At) with Precision Molecular, Inc. (PMI), a clinical-stage company developing targeted radiopharmaceuticals and theranostics for patients with cancer.

Ionetix is leading the way in establishing the first commerical-scale supply of accelerator produced, carrier-free, therapeutic alpha radioisotopes. Utilizing its cyclotron technology platform, Ionetix will be commissioning a new facility this year in Lansing, Michigan dedicated to the manufacturing and distribution of alpha-emtting radioisotopes, including 211At. "We are committed to building the first commercial supply chain for astatine-211 in North America that can support drug discovery, development and commercialization of astatine-211 labeled targeted alpha therapies," said David Eve, Vice President of Medical Affairs. "Astatine-211 is a high-energy alpha-emitting radioisotope that can have a very powerful therapeutic effect when combined with the right targeting molecule. Therefore, we are excited to support PMI as they work to develop these new astatine-211 labeled therapeutic agents."

PMI is developing an astatine-211 labeled inhibitor of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) known as PMI21. PMI21 is designed to target PSMA, which is present at low levels in normal prostate tissue but is markedly elevated in prostate cancer cells. The PSMA-binding and 211At labeling functions of PMI21 have been optimized in combination for high tumor uptake and rapid clearance from normal tissues in order to maximize potency and minimize toxicity. PMI plans to advance PMI21 into clinical trials in patients with metastatic prostate cancer later this year.

"This supply agreement is an important step towards the development of PMI21," said Seulki Lee, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer of PMI. "We believe PMI21 has the potential to offer major advantages to what is currently in development, but it is essential for us to first have a secure and reliable supply of astatine-211. With their cyclotron expertise and established radiopharmaceutical manufacturing experience, we are confident that Ionetix will be a strong long-term strategic partner for PMI."

About IONETIX: IONETIX is a US-based cyclotron and technology company founded in 2009. Utilizing a proprietary cyclotron technology platform, Ionetix is focused on developing innovative accelerator solutions for the production and distribution of radioisotopes used for both diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals. Ionetix offers turnkey services for the point-of-care supply of the diagnostic positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceutical N-13 Ammonia. Ionetix is now expanding its services to include the supply of therapeutic alpha isotopes used in radiopharmaceuticals being developed to treat various cancers. Located in Lansing, Michigan, Ionetix is establishing the first dedicated alpha isotope manufacturing and distribution facility to produce alpha isotopes Astatine-211 (At-211) and Actinium-225 (Ac-225). For more information, please visit www.IONETIX.com.

About Precision Molecular, Inc.: Precision Molecular, Inc. (PMI) is a clinical-stage company with the mission to develop targeted radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment and management of patients with cancer. PMI is developing multiple targeted alpha-particle therapies for a broad range of solid tumors targeting PSMA, Fibroblast Activation Protein (FAP) and Carbonic anhydrase IX as well as advancing a number of imaging biomarker products in the clinic with great potential to improve early diagnosis of cancer. PMI is a subsidiary of D&D Pharmatech; a clinical-stage global biotech company that funds the development of revolutionary medicines through disease-specific subsidiary companies founded and guided by top-tier medical research faculty and biotechnology veterans. This corporate structure creates a unique opportunity to accelerate translation of cutting-edge research into lifesaving therapeutic products for patients. For more information, please visit www.precisionmol.com.

Contact: David Eve  [email protected]  812-972-0673

SOURCE IONETIX
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, announced today that Jeff Polenske, P.E., has joined the firm as Office Executive  Wisconsin, where he will oversee all office personnel and business activities for the firm across its Milwaukee and Madison locations.

"Jeff has long been a respected leader in Milwaukee government and joins Michael Baker after serving the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works (DPW) for three decades in various engineering roles before becoming the Commissioner of DPW in 2018," said Kent Zinn, President, Infrastructure at Michael Baker International. "I am confident his impressive experience and broad industry knowledge will position him as a trusted adviser for our clients and will drive growth in our Milwaukee and Madison offices, as well as across Michael Baker."

As Commissioner of the City of Milwaukee Department DPW, Mr. Polenske managed nearly 2,400 employees in providing many of the city's most essential services, such as the delivery of safe, high-quality water as well as the design and construction of the city's vast infrastructure. He was also instrumental in creating strong working relationships with other governmental agencies, neighborhoods, business groups, city departments, elected officials and individual citizens as part of DPW's focus on improving the quality of life in the City of Milwaukee.

Mr. Polenske holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin  Milwaukee.

About Michael Baker International

Michael Baker International is a leading provider of engineering and consulting services with Practices that encompass all facets of infrastructure, including design, civil engineering, planning, architecture, environmental, construction and program management. For more than 80 years, the company has been a trusted partner to commercial clients, all branches of the military and federal, state and municipal governments, providing comprehensive services and solutions. Embracing emerging technologies and the latest innovations  like intelligent transportation and design-build project delivery, Michael Baker is an industry leader that delivers expertise and quality. The firm's more than 3,000 employees across nearly 100 locations are committed to Making a Difference for clients and communities through a culture of innovation, collaboration and technological advancement while Reimagining Michael Baker to become a full-service engineering and consulting firm over the next five years. To learn more, visit https://mbakerintl.com/.

Contact: Julia Covelli

[email protected]

(866) 293-4609

SOURCE Michael Baker International
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nativo, a leading content technology platform, looks forward to driving innovative content solutions that inform, engage and inspire in 2022 after a banner year fueled by strategic leadership, industry distinctions, key hires and a commitment to diversity-first initiatives. Justin Choi, Chief Executive Officer, said, "Nativo's purpose is making meaningful connections with today's digital consumers. Respecting and reflecting a wide range of unique and diverse voices and ideas is critical to our success in ushering in a new era of advertising  one of relationships and connection." For Nativo, 2021's success was highlighted by several events, initiatives, activities and rounding out its 14 key patents.

Key Strategic Hiring

As the industry recovers from one of its most challenging years, Nativo hired new talent at a breakneck pace, growing its employee base by almost 20%. Nativo tapped Mark Putrus in a newly created executive role of Chief People Officer, a crucial next step in fostering a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace culture at Nativo. Mark brings a data-driven, digitally enabled approach and is passionate about cultivating a purpose-led and inclusive culture, balancing new technology with a human touch to create an inspiring people experience.

Nativo also strengthened its executive team by appointing industry veteran Rob Leff as Chief Financial Officer. Previously CFO at VideoAmp, OpenX and Fandango, Rob brings extensive financial strategy expertise and will be critical in helping lead Nativo through its next stage of growth.

Bolstered Senior Leadership

Creating an inclusive workplace starts with leadership. With majority representation from underrepresented groups  Asian, Black LGBTQ+, Multiracial and Women  Nativo's leadership team, board of directors and investors bring diverse voices and backgrounds together for a shared goal: Making more meaningful connections with today's digital consumers.

Mark Putrus, Chief People Officer, says, "Storytelling at scale requires innovative thinking and a culture that fosters it. At Nativo, we recognize the power of diversity as a catalyst for ingenuity, creativity and change. As the industry at large continues to face new challenges, Nativo's focus on illuminating diverse perspectives will give us a competitive advantage as we deliver groundbreaking solutions that create meaningful connections with consumers."

Industry Distinctions

2021 saw Nativo Chief Revenue Officer Sarah Dale take home industry distinction Admonsters and Folio Top Women in Media in the category Change-Maker: Women who've successfully altered the course of their brands or the industry for the better.

Nativo Employee Resource Group

Across the globe, COVID-19 has dramatically altered lives, and it's no different for employees at Nativo. As Nativo continues to transition to a digital-first, remote workplace, employee resource group Reinforcing Inclusion Supporting Equity (RISE) reimagined how it operated and connected. RISE is an inclusive group that celebrates unique identities, creates growth through community and advocates for a workplace culture where everyone feels like they belong. This past year, RISE created a remote fundraiser for AnitaB.org, raising a total of $6,500 and driving awareness to the AnitaB.org Tech Journey Fund Scholarship, which provides financial support to women and non-binary students pursuing STEM education.

More work must always be done to advance equality and diversity in the workplace, and Nativo is committed to driving authentic consumer connections in 2022 with inclusion, excellence and innovation as its competitive advantage.

About Nativo

Nativo is redefining native advertising and sponsored content by creating meaningful consumer connections at scale for brands, publishers, applications and commerce. We make scalable and insightful storytelling with immersive content possible for brands. At the same time, our platform enriches monetization and the overall user experience for publishers, applications and commerce with exclusive formats and low latency serving. Nativo is focused on improving consumer experiences on the open web with integrated and brand safe ad formats and content executions. Learn more at www.nativo.com .

SOURCE Nativo
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BASES, a NielsenIQ business and leader in helping companies build brands through innovation, renovation, strategy, and go-to-market optimization has announced an awards program to celebrate and recognize the restaurant industry's standout menu innovations across the U.S. The inaugural NielsenIQ BASES Menu Innovation Awards will be held online February 15, 2022 from 1-2 p.m. EST. Public and the media are welcome to attend.

After reviewing more than 100 menu items launched in 2020, BASES Restaurants division identified 14 menu items that were deemed exceptionally relevant or truly unique to the restaurant industry, according to U.S. consumers who purchased from a restaurant in 2020. In addition to celebrating these successes, the publication will tell the story of how innovations were developed and why they were impactful successes.

"For many restaurants, 2020 was a long toil, with economic hardships and reduced guest count," said Matthew Luff, Vice President, Global Lead of NielsenIQ BASES Restaurants. "In light of this extraordinary year, we have seen a surprising number of innovations, that enabled some to not only persevere, but start to see a regular cadence of guests seeking out those menu items. We were so encouraged to see such vibrant innovation on menus across the board and look forward to celebrating innovation and success with the winners of our inaugural NielsenIQ Bases Menu Innovation Awards."

Those interested in attending the awards can register online.

About NielsenIQ

NielsenIQ is the leader in providing the most complete, unbiased view of consumer behavior, globally. Powered by a groundbreaking consumer data platform and fueled by rich analytic capabilities, NielsenIQ enables bold, confident decision-making for the world's leading consumer goods companies and retailers.

Using comprehensive data sets and measuring all transactions equally, NielsenIQ gives clients a forward-looking view into consumer behavior in order to optimize performance across all retail platforms. Our open philosophy on data integration enables the most influential consumer data sets on the planet. NielsenIQ delivers the complete truth.

NielsenIQ, an Advent International portfolio company, has operations in nearly 100 markets, covering more than 90% of the world's population. For more information, visit NielsenIQ.com .

For media queries: Peter Tulupman

[email protected] +1 718-909-8363

SOURCE NielsenIQ BASES
At the invitation of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), the Secretary General of the WCO, Dr. Kunio Mikuriya, spoke at the EU Working Party on Customs Union on 25 January 2022 to present the draft WCO Strategic Plan 2022-2025 and the Organizations Data Strategy in support of its theme for this year.

EU Members expressed their appreciation for the WCOs adaptability in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and for the inclusive approach adopted by the Organization through its Strategic Plan that fully incorporates Members comments put forward during the regional consultation process and the December 2021 Policy Commission Session. They also expressed support for the Data Strategy, which was identified as one of the main focus areas during the consultation process.

Dr. Mikuriya thanked the EU for its support and encouraged constructive engagement in WCO activities by EU Members.
Steve Frost is promoted to Executive Vice President, CFO, and oversees all financial and operational management at FabriTRAK, and is a key member of the team in new product development. Steve has been an integral member of the management team since joining FabriTRAK Systems over 20 years ago and has worked to grow the company dealer network both in the United States and globally, overseeing a variety of project installations in Japan, Central America, the Middle East and the United States.

Joseph Remshard is promoted to Vice President of Sales. Joe has developed his role in sales over his near decade with FabriTRAK. With a background in printing and signage, Joe has worked closely with management to overhaul the entire FabriSPAN fabric line to offer a wider selection of fabrics and printing capabilities, as well as developing new markets in the United States. Joe will continue to work closely with the network of FabriTRAK Dealers and Distributors as well as Architects and Interior Designers  whether leading training sessions about FabriTRAK products or AIA Lunch and Learns for acoustics.

Linda Sarlui is promoted to Vice President of Marketing. Since joining FabriTRAK in 2018, she has worked to build the FabriTRAK brand across the architectural and design communities around the globe by building strategic partnerships with a variety of industry experts and media. Linda has been part of project installations and embraces the idea of creating #visuallysound spaces in interiors around the world.

In addition to the recent promotions, Bill Meise now manages new warehouse staff, oversees all inventory and is a LEED Green Associate. He is the Warehouse Director and Deputy Office Manager. Scott Cox has moved into a role that covers sales support and will work closely with Joe Remshard and the FabriTRAK Dealers and Distributors as well as installers, architects, and interior designers.

Lou D'Angelo, FabriTRAK President & CEO stated: "In the past year, I am proud of the efforts of the entire FabriTRAK team who have worked tirelessly to promote the brand and products  especially the new products launched such as Autem and FabriFELT, and the re-launch of FabriSPAN. Despite various challenges that we all have experienced due to COVID, I am impressed with the commitment of the team here to continue to serve our clients and the A+D community at large."

FabriTRAK Systems Inc, the original Trak solution incorporating stretched fabric for acoustic walls and ceilings, is the leading manufacturer of a variety of acoustic solutions for over 40 years. Headquartered in New Jersey, FabriTRAK has an extensive dealer and distributor network around the globe. FabriTRAK products can be found in award-winning projects worldwide.

For more information contact:

Linda Sarlui

VP, Director of Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE FabriTRAK Systems Inc.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Academy Award-nominated Production Designer Ida Random, best known for her work on Rain Man, The Big Chill and Silverado, will receive the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th Annual ADG Awards. The Awards ceremony returns to a live event on Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in the Wilshire Grand Ballroom. The award will honor Random's exceptional spectrum of distinctive designs for an array of films created over four decades. This is the third of four Lifetime Achievement Awards to be announced by the Art Directors Guild. The announcement was made today by ADG President Nelson Coates, ADG, and Awards Producer Michael Allen Glover, ADG.

Academy Award-nominated Production Designer Ida Random, best known for her work on Rain Man, The Big Chill and Silverado, will receive the Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th Annual ADG Awards on Saturday, March 5, 2022 Photo: courtesy of the ADG)

"The Art Directors Guild is honored to name Ida Random the recipient of its Lifetime Achievement award for 2022. Random has worked as a prolific production designer with some of the most accomplished directors of our time  James L. Brooks, Kevin Costner, Lawrence Kasdan, Barry Levinson, Justin Lin  on iconic films that span a vast array of genres and styles. From the seminal western Silverado to the emotionally nuanced Rain Man, to the action franchise The Fast and the Furious, the astonishing range and scale of Ida Random's trailblazing career can only be characterized as breathtaking," said Mark Worthington, Art Directors Council Chair.

Ida Random's career spanned 42 years and over 30 films, highlighted by an Academy Award nomination for Rain Man in 1988. Some of the other projects she has worked on also include highly acclaimed films like The War of The Roses, Hoffa, Body Double, Wyatt Earp, The Postman, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Throw Momma From the Train, Chasing Mavericks and the remake of Roots TV mini-series, to name a few.

Ida is a trailblazer in a male-dominated industry whose drive to succeed helped pave the way for many aspiring women designers to follow. Who could have known that, as a young woman, her training as a painter and master of color and light would serve her so well in the high-pressure world of filmmaking. Early in her career she viewed the process of filmmaking as "making a painting," a unique vision that so many learned to trust and admire.

Born in the small town of Johnstone, Scotland, Random always knew she wanted to be an artist. She landed a job in The Hollywood Reporter's art department and it was here she began fulfilling her dreams of production design. Ida started on a TV movie for Beau Bridges. She met Production Designer Richard Sylbert, who guided her to continue her education and she learned how to draft. British Production Designer Terry Marsh gave Random her first job as a Set Designer on the film Frisco Kid. Oscar-winning Production Designer Stephen Grimes hired her as his Assistant Art Director for the films Urban Cowboy, and On Golden Pond.

Her big break came when Lawrence Kasdan hired her as Production Designer on The Big Chill. She would team up with Kasdan on two more films - Silverado and Wyatt Earp - both with ambitious builds requiring entire towns to be erected in the middle of New Mexico's high desert. The town of Silverado became known as the Cook Movie Ranch Set, and from 1985 through the 2000s, the town was rented to dozens of other productions.

The ADG Awards honor excellence in Production Design in theatrical motion pictures, television, commercials, music videos and animated feature films. Producer of the 2022 ADG Awards is Art Director Michael Allen Glover, ADG (The Alienist, Solos and Station Eleven). Joining the team as stage designer is Emmy-winning Production Designer Brian J. Stonestreet, ADG (Golden Globes, Grammy Awards, Billboard Awards).

As previously announced, director Denis Villeneuve (Dune) will receive the William Cameron Menzies Award. Academy Award-winning filmmaker Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog) will receive the Cinematic Imagery Award. The ADG Lifetime Achievement Awards will be presented to outstanding individuals in each of the guild's four crafts. Scenic Artists Michael and Denise Okuda, best known for their creative lead designs for the Star Trek franchise, will receive the award from the Scenic, Title & Graphic Artists (STG). Set Designer/Art Director Ann Harris, will be honored from the Set Designers & Model Makers Council (SDMM) for her more than 60 movie and television design credits including Edward Scissorhands and Schindler's List. The fourth honoree from the ADG Illustrators & Matte Artists Council (IMA) will be announced presently. A complete list of past honorees can be found on ADG's website.

ADG Awards are open only to productions when made within the U.S. by producers signatory to the IATSE agreement. Foreign entries are acceptable without restrictions. Further inquiries regarding the ADG Awards may be directed to ADG Awards & Events Director Debbie Patton at (818) 762-9995 or email [email protected].

Because of the pandemic, guests will be required to show proof of full vaccination.

The ADG awards are proud to be sponsored by Titanium Level: Astek Wallcovering, Cush Light; Media Sponsors: Variety, Below The Line.



FOR MEDIA CREDENTIALS, please CLICK HERE .

About the Art Directors Guild:

Established in 1937, the Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) represents 3,000 members who work throughout the world in film, television and theater as Production Designers and Art Directors; Scenic, Title and Graphic Artists; Set Designers and Model Makers; and Illustrators and Matte Artists. The ADG's ongoing activities include a Film Society screening series, annual "Excellence in Production Design Awads" gala, bimonthly craft magazine (PERSPECTIVE), figure drawing and other creative workshops, extensive technology and craft training programs and year-round Gallery 800 art exhibitions. For the Guild's online directory and website resources, go to www.adg.org. Connect with the Art Directors Guild on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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SOURCE Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800)
"We continue to invest in the future of our brands, wineries, vineyards, and especially in our people," said Steve Riboli, third generation owner. "Led by our new Senior Vice President of Sales, Paul Roberts, we have expanded from two to five sales divisions, adding strategic and chain sales professionals. We also created exciting development opportunities for our team while adding robust, local support for our trade partners," he added.

Paul Roberts Named SVP National Sales. Paul's responsibilities span the entire Riboli Family Wines sales and strategy teams. Prior to joining the company last spring, Paul spent 20 years with Banfi Vintners, most recently as its VP, Sales for North America. He also held sales leadership positions with E. & J. Gallo Winery and Johnson Brothers Liquor Company, among others.

Sales Team Expands with Five Divisions, New Chain Leadership. Each of the five new divisions includes a Division Vice President, Regional Manager, Trade Development Manager, District Manager, and Area Manager. Division Vice Presidents include Greg Baldino, Southeast; Tom Walker, Central; Ryan Deines, Mid-West; and Chris Riboli, West. A search for the Northeast Division VP is underway.

Kyle Hensley Named Senior Vice President, Chains. To support retailer chain partners, Kyle has been selected to lead a team of eight to manage the company's key chain relationships. Paul Rinaldi Named VP of National Accounts. In this role, Paul will oversee Kroger, Whole Foods, Meijer as well as all Costco divisions. Rick Rechetnik Named VP of Drug/C-store/Military/West Regional Accounts.

Penny Kosut Named VP Riboli Estates Group. Vice President Sales of the Riboli Estates Group, Penny oversees the family's portfolio of California estate-based wineries: San Simeon, Maddalena, Highlands 41, Opaque, Windstream and Riboli Family. Three Business Development Managers work closely with Penny and the Out of State team to develop the estate portfolio.

Strategic Planning Team Expanded. JR Trevino has moved into a new position, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Integration, working with Susan Bertenthal, the new Senior Director of Business Insights.

About Riboli Family Wines:

Riboli Family Wines, family-owned since 1917, celebrates over a century crafting award-winning wines. Wine Enthusiasts' 2018 American Winery of the Year, Riboli Family Wines includes Riboli Estates Group  a portfolio of estate-based brands sourced from the family's 1,400 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey, and Napa Valley  as well as Stella Rosa, the #1 Import Brand and the largest selling brand over $10 in the US*. With a natural affinity for creativity and innovation, the third and fourth generations of the Riboli family continue to lead the industry and push the boundaries of winemaking and the wine drinking experience. For more information, please visit www.riboliwines.com .

* Source: Impact Databank 2022. Based on retail value.

Press Contacts:

Marie Christina Batich

Benson Marketing Group LLC

[email protected]

917.633.6002 Ext 15

Natasha Hayes

Riboli Family Wines

[email protected]

415.608.8050

SOURCE Riboli Family Wines
NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of the securities of Desktop Metal, Inc. (NYSE: DM) between March 15, 2021 and November 15, 2021, inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 22, 2022.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Desktop Metal securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Desktop Metal class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2205.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than February 22, 2022. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) there were deficiencies in EnvisionTEC's manufacturing and product compliance practices and procedures; (2) the foregoing deficiencies presented a material risk to the commercialization of EnvisionTEC's products; and (3) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' positive statements about Desktop Metal's business, operations, and prospects were materially misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Desktop Metal class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-2205.html or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

[email protected]

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.rosenlegal.com

SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
All this funding will enable AHA to further its commitment to end homelessness within the City of Alameda. AHA will use these funds to start the first two phases of long-planned affordable rental homes at North Housing site on Mosely Avenue, which will include ninety affordable rental homes for formerly homeless households. Plus, AHA's service provider partners, Alameda Point Collaborative ( www.apcollaborative.org ) and Building Futures ( www.bfwc.org ), will provide comprehensive services to those ninety formerly homeless households to help those households stabilize and enrich their lives. Construction of these first phases at North Housing is tentatively expected to be completed by early 2024.

"AHA is pleased that the Board's strong commitment and investment in the North Housing development has resulted in this award and recognition from the State. I want to praise our staff and service providers for the hard work they have done to secure this transformative award," said Vanessa Cooper, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda.

North Housing is a planned housing development that by end of construction (target year of 2030) will add upto 586 new affordable rental homes on the north end of the City of Alameda. The North Housing development will be undertaken by Island City Development, a non-profit affiliate of the Housing Authority of the City of Alameda.

About AHA

For over 80 years, The Housing Authority of the City of Alameda (AHA) has provided a range of housing assistance to low-income households. The primary goal of the Housing Authority is to provide quality, affordable, and safe housing in the City of Alameda. Our programs include Housing Choice Vouchers, Project-Based Vouchers, specialized housing assistance, family self-sufficiency, affordable real estate development, resident services, and management of AHA owned property.

CONTACT: Joshua Altieri (Community Relations Manager)

PHONE: (510) 747-4321

EMAIL: [email protected]

www.alamedahsg.org

SOURCE The Housing Authority of the City of Alameda
PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Surge Protector Market by Type (Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3), by Voltage (High, Medium, and Low), by Application (Industrial, Commercial, and Residential), and by Sales Channel (Online and Offline): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030". According to the report, the global surge protector industry generated $3.9 billion in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $6.8 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 5.4% from 2021 to 2030.

Prime determinants of growth

Growth in demand for protection systems for electronic devices drives the growth of the global surge protector market. However, surge protectors only provide protection from voltage spikes and surges. This, in turn, hinders the market growth. On the other hand, high technological equipment adopted in the developing countries presents new opportunities in the coming years.

Download Sample PDF (316 Pages PDF with Insights): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/15363

Covid-19 Scenario

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has had a slight negative impact on the growth of the global surge protector market.

The pandemic had declined the growth of the surge protector market in 2020. However, the market witnessed a slow growth till the end of 2021.

Implementation of partial or complete lockdown across various countries globally is the prime reason for the decline in the growth rate. As industries were temporarily closed, the need for surge protector from various industries gradually decreased.

The Type 1 segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period

Based on type, the Type 1 segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global surge protector market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 5.5% from 2021 to 2030, owing to wide use of the product in residential and industrial sectors. Other segments analyzed in the report are Type 2 and Type 3.

Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Surge Protector Market: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/15363?reqfor=covid

The high segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period

Based on voltage, the high segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to more than two-fifths of the global surge protector market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. Moreover, the same segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 5.7% from 2021 to 2030, owing to their application in heavy industry operations. Other segments discussed in the report are medium and low.

North America to maintain its dominance by 2030

Based on region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue 2020, accounting for more than one-third of the global surge protector market. Moreover, the same region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period, owing to rise in demand for electronics items. Other regions discussed in the report include Asia-Pacific, Europe, and LAMEA.

Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/15363

Leading Market Players

ABB Ltd.

Eaton Corporation

General Electric

Schneider Electric

Honeywell

Siemens AG

Johnson Controls

Legrand

Havells

Vertiv Group Corp.

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Avenue is a user-based library of global market report database, provides comprehensive reports pertaining to the world's largest emerging markets. It further offers e-access to all the available industry reports just in a jiffy. By offering core business insights on the varied industries, economies, and end users worldwide, Avenue ensures that the registered members get an easy as well as single gateway to their all-inclusive requirements.

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Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain.

We are in professional corporate relations with various companies and this helps us in digging out market data that helps us generate accurate research data tables and confirms utmost accuracy in our market forecasting. Allied Market Research CEO Pawan Kumar is instrumental in inspiring and encouraging everyone associated with the company to maintain high quality of data and help clients in every way possible to achieve success. Each and every data presented in the reports published by us is extracted through primary interviews with top officials from leading companies of domain concerned. Our secondary data procurement methodology includes deep online and offline research and discussion with knowledgeable professionals and analysts in the industry.

Contact us:

David Correa

5933 NE Win Sivers Drive

#205, Portland, OR 97220

United States

Toll Free: 1-800-792-5285

UK: +44-845-528-1300

Hong Kong: +852-301-84916

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SOURCE Allied Market Research
Renovations to the 89,792-square-foot facility will lead to a variety of storage units with high-tech security features at affordable price points. Storage customers will have extended hours access. U-Haul acquired the 8.19-acre property on Dec. 17.

"Big-box stores like this tend to sit on the market for a long time because they're so large and only suit a certain type of business," explained Paul Johnson, U-Haul Company of Wyoming president. "U-Haul is unique. We can fully utilize a property of this size, and we can do it without the environmental impact of building a new facility from the ground up. Our adaptive reuse program is a green initiative that cities love  and for good reason."

Acquisition of the former Kmart was driven by U-Haul Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. The adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.

This is the fifth U-Haul-owned and -operated store to open in Wyoming. There are two stores in Casper, one in Cheyenne and one in Gillette.

"U-Haul is all about sustainability and responsibility," Johnson added. "About 70% of our stores are a product of adaptive reuse. We're proud to do business in a way that benefits the planet and enhances the communities in which we operate."

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Rock Springs at (307) 448-2157 or stop by to see our progress. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Starting in February, the store will also be open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.

Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

Johnson plans to hire at least 12 Team Members to staff the new facility. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth within the Rock Springs community. U-Haul, honored as a "Best for Vets 2020" leading veteran-friendly employer by The Military Times, actively recruits veterans and gives them preference in the hiring process. Find U-Haul careers at uhauljobs.com.

While the property is being renovated, U-Haul dealers in and around Rock Springs are available to serve DIY movers. U-Haul has partnered with independent dealers to offer rental equipment since 1945. During these challenging times for small businesses, more than 21,000 dealers across the U.S. and Canada are generating supplemental income through their U-Haul partnership. When customers rent from U-Haul dealers, they are directly supporting small businesses in their community. Because no financial investment is required, dealers are not U-Haul franchises. They are simply small businesses committing their lot space for U-Haul equipment and their time to meet the mobility needs of customers. Learn more about how to partner with U-Haul by visiting uhaul.com/dealer.

As an essential service provider, U-Haul continues to serve communities during the COVID-19 recovery while offering contactless business programs and enhanced cleaning protocols, including added steps for sanitizing equipment between customer transactions. U-Haul products are used daily by First Responders; delivery companies bringing needed supplies to people's homes; small businesses trying to remain afloat; college students; and many other dependent groups, in addition to the do-it-yourself household mover.

About U-HAUL

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 23,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 offers secure access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the customer dispatch option on their smartphones and our proprietary Live Verify technology. Our customers' patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to approximately 176,000 trucks, 126,000 trailers and 46,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers nearly 825,000 rentable storage units and 71.6 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S., and continues to be the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry. U-Haul has been recognized repeatedly as a leading "Best for Vets" employer and was recently named one of the 15 Healthiest Workplaces in America.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com

SOURCE U-Haul
AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Neo Bites , a sustainable pet food startup founded to improve dog health and the pet food industry's relationship with the environment, announces that Austin, Texas-based veterinarian Dr. Mike Walker has joined Neo Bites as an Advisor. Walker will support the company's clinical approach to insect protein dog food and help drive innovation in the space.

Dr. Mike Walker of Apollo Veterinary has joined Neo Bites as an advisor.

Neo Bites launched the first line of functional dog food toppers made from insect protein late last year, including three formulations that supercharge mealtime, each designed to address a specific functional need.

"Neo Bites really stands out as a breath of fresh air in an industry known to repeat itself and lack innovation over the years," says Walker. "We are still early in the alternative protein market and there is a great window of opportunity to become an industry standard and leader that can position us for excellent growth and brand recognition moving forward."

Insect protein is a complete source of protein, packed with micronutrients and more omega-3s than any other meat, and is the only animal protein with a natural prebiotic. Plus, insect protein is climate-friendly, producing virtually no greenhouse gases.

"Dr. Walker's clinical guidance will enable us to engage with the veterinary community in ways that can positively impact dog health and our planet's health," says Neo Bites Co-Founder and CEO Wesley Cooper. "We are proud to work together with him to evolve the pet food industry."

Walker, who founded Apollo Veterinary with a mission to reimagine veterinary medicine for Central Texas dogs and cats, has a special focus in Dermatology and has seen first-hand how legacy pet food causes issues with allergies and contributes to other common ailments.

"Every day I see clients whose dogs come in with GI upset or itchy skin issues. The main source of allergies in dogs is actually the protein, most commonly chicken, beef, and dairy," says Walker, who earned his Doctorate from Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedicine. "With Neo Bites, we give my clients an alternative that is trusted and truly hypoallergenic."

Legacy pet food is often made with fillers and preservatives, is highly processed, and loaded with questionable meats. This lack of essential nutrients contributes to a host of allergy conditions and high canine cancer rates. What's more, traditional pet foods' reliance on animal agriculture is a significant contributor to environmental damage. If America's dogs and cats had their own country, their meat consumption would rank fifth in the world. Meat production generates 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

"Our industry is ripe for change and as my generation is starting to make up a larger majority of the industry workforce and practice owner population, we are asking 'Why?' a lot," says Walker. "Innovative, risk-taking individuals are what drive industries forward and veterinarians are an extremely smart and empathetic group that I see embracing an option like Neo Bites with open arms."

About Neo Bites: Neo Bites is changing how dog lovers feed their pets by creating sustainable, healthy, and great-tasting dog food products that harness the unique functional benefits of insect protein. Their signature toppers aim to make high-quality nutrition attainable for all - not just those who can afford fresh dog food. All products are made from whole food ingredients and are produced in small batches in Austin, TX.

Media Contacts

Wesley Cooper

[email protected]

Winslow Marshall

[email protected]

508.207.0538

SOURCE Neo Bites
SANTA LARA, Calif., Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Now car sellers can create interactive 3D demonstrations of their vehicles and attract more potential buyers to their ads. To digitize a car in 3D, sellers use 3DShot app developed by Cappasity.

willhaben integrates Cappasity 3DShot for the remote demonstration of cars

With more than 125,000 vehicle ads, willhaben is a strong player in the local car market with more than 16 million visits per month (Source: OWA 12/2021, Visits) in its Auto & Motor division. The platform has more than 2,900 satisfied business customers in its Auto & Motor network. The company's success is based on the enormous number of ads, strong regional content, excellent customer care and a great customer experience.

Thanks to Cappasity, pro car sellers can now create interactive 3D Views of their vehicles and share them on the willhaben platform. An interactive 3D View demonstrates a car from all angles of perception and allows buyers to examine it as they would offline: rotate it, zoom in and see all tiny details. This opportunity is especially important for used car buyers since they get a chance to notice any hidden damages on the vehicle like chips, dents, scratches, meaning they can choose a used car online with confidence.

To create a 3D View, car sellers need to download the 3DShot app on their smartphone, launch the vehicle capturing mode in the app and walk around the vehicle. The app will automatically create a 3D View that can be further published on the willhaben ad. willhaben users can find a step-by-step tutorial on the willhaben website <

About willhaben

willhaben overall provides more than 10 million offers with used cars, real estate, jobs, and items of all kinds. A joint venture of the Austrian Styria Media Group and Adevinta, willhaben has been present on the mobile market since 2013 with its own app for iOS and Android. The willhaben website is one of the most visited websites in Austria.

willhaben website: https://www.willhaben.at/

About Cappasity Inc.

Cappasity is a comprehensive solution for the interactive visualization of products in 3D, which creates an immersive shopping experience for e-commerce.

Cappasity lets companies create & deliver 3D/AR experiences to blur the line between online and in-store shopping. It is the first scalable and easy-to-adopt solution for complex e-commerce projects that only takes 3 minutes/SKU to create a 3D and embed it into a store.

Our clients see higher conversion rates (10-30% increase), higher time on the product page, less returns, and less customer inquiries when their products have interactive 3D images. The platform also provides unique 3D analytics tool based on AI to track customers' online behavior and ensure the best product presentation online.

PRESS CONTACT:

Jenny Hertz,

650-488-7877,

https://3dshot.io

SOURCE Cappasity Inc.
(The Center Square)  A Louisiana businessman is celebrating this weeks U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down the Biden administrations private employer COVID-19 vaccination mandate as a victory for his grocery store workers and millions of Americans.
TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Carling Adrenal Center, a leader in adrenal surgery, has moved into its new home at the state-of-the-art Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida.

The Carling Adrenal Center is a worldwide destination for the surgical treatment of adrenal tumors. The surgeons at the Carling Adrenal Center take great pride in being the highest volume adrenal surgeons in the world, but also in their innovative techniques and the knowledge this experience brings to their patients. Founded by Dr. Tobias Carling, MD, PhD, the center just completed moving its unparalleled adrenal surgical volume to the new Hospital for Endocrine Surgery which was designed specifically for the care of patients with adrenal tumors.

Dr. Tobias Carling, with over 250 contributions to medical literature, is widely recognized as one of the world's leading experts in adrenal gland tumors and adrenal surgery. Dr. Carling left his position as Chief of Endocrine Surgery at Yale University in 2020 to open the Carling Adrenal Center in Tampa, Florida where it quickly became the highest volume adrenal center in the world.

With this move, the Carling Adrenal Center joins its sister surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center, Clayman Thyroid Center and Scarless Thyroid Surgery Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery for the first time under one roof in the same hospital. Combined, these specialized centers make up the highest volume endocrine surgery practice in the world by almost two-fold.

"We are very enthusiastic to move the Carling Adrenal Center into the newly opened Hospital for Endocrine Surgery," said Dr. Tobias Carling. "Our national and international adrenal tumor patients deserve to be treated at the world's premier Hospital for Endocrine Surgery. It's the only such specialty hospital in the world dedicated to the surgical treatment of adrenal, thyroid, and parathyroid tumors. We have the most modern equipment and a staff that has dedicated their careers to endocrine surgery, making the best outcomes routine."

"I received excellent and professional treatment at all points along my journey with Dr. Carling and his staff," said Dr. Carling's recent patient. "Expertise, skill, and compassion are all words that come to mind when I think of my experience at the Carling Adrenal Center. I am so grateful Dr. Carling chose Tampa Bay to continue his world-class practice."

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is the first of its kind and the only hospital in the world dedicated to thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal cancers and tumors. This brand-new hospital, which opened January 3 in Tampa, Florida, is a 75,000 sq. ft. campus of HCA South Tampa Hospital.

"Patients with adrenal tumors are highly underserved and only a fraction of patients receive the treatment they need," said Dr. Tobias Carling. "Untreated adrenal tumors lead to common problems like heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke."

The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery will offer endocrinologists and other physicians a single center where they can refer their patients with endocrine tumors of the thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenal glands for surgery, regardless of the complexity. With close proximity to Tampa International Airport, the hospital attracts patients from across the state, nation and the globe for inpatient and outpatient endocrine surgical procedures.

The hospital features beautifully appointed private patient rooms and eight ultra-modern operating rooms. Significant infrastructure upgrades support specialized thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal surgery, including radiology, nuclear medicine, laboratory, and pathology  all with an emphasis on endocrine tumor diagnosis and treatment. Advanced treatments such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of thyroid tumors, minimally invasive scarless robotic thyroid surgery and single visit adrenal vein sampling and curative surgery will be offered.

About the Carling Adrenal Center:

Founded by Dr. Tobias Carling, one of the world's leading experts in adrenal gland surgery, the Carling Adrenal Center is a worldwide destination for the surgical treatment of adrenal tumors. Dr. Carling spent nearly 20 years at Yale University, including 7 as the Chief of Endocrine Surgery before leaving in 2020 to open to Carling Adrenal Center, which performs more adrenal operations than any other hospital in the world.

www.adrenal.com | (813) 972-0000



About the Clayman Thyroid Center:

Founded by one of the nation's best-known thyroid surgeons, the Clayman Thyroid Center is the highest volume thyroid cancer referral center in the United States. The Center boasts the most experienced thyroid surgeons in the US who provide personalized care allowing the greatest opportunity for cancer cure, wellness, and cosmetic and functional outcomes via all types of thyroid surgery from minimal incision to scarless thyroid surgery to advanced cancer care.

www.thyroidcancer.com | (813) 940-3130



About the Norman Parathyroid Center:

Located in Tampa, Florida, the Norman Parathyroid Center is the leading parathyroid gland tumor treatment center in the world, performing nearly 3,800 parathyroid operations annually. Well known for cure rates over 99% via an operation that typically lasts about 20 minutes, the Norman Parathyroid Center's success centers on a teamwork approach by the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world.

www.parathyroid.com| (813) 972-0000

About the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery

Located in Tampa, Florida, the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is a full-service hospital with a deep knowledge and experience in surgery of the thyroid, parathyroid and adrenal glands. The hospital is served by high-volume endocrine surgeons who have dedicated their careers to the treatment of thyroid cancers and benign thyroid tumors, hyperparathyroidism, and adrenal gland tumors. The Norman Parathyroid Center, Clayman Thyroid Center, Carling Adrenal Center, and the Scarless Thyroid Center are now operating exclusively at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery.

www.hospitalforendocrinesurgery.com

Contact: Julie Canan, Director of Marketing

(941) 468  3002

[email protected]

SOURCE Carling Adrenal Center
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- YATCO, the Official MLS and Ultimate Software-as-a-Service Platform of YachtingTM, grew tremendously in 2021 and recently announced strong results for Q4 2021. The company experienced a 94% increase in leads for its professional members, an 81% increase in social media clicks, a 64% rise in website traffic from social media, a 59% growth in mobile website users, and a 36% rise in accounts reached through social media. This impressive upsurge in communication and development comes from its recent significant investment in consumer marketing, new partnerships and digital features, as well as its remarkable global team of IT, marketing and sales professionals.

In 2021, YATCO announced its major acquisition of BoatDeck and YachtandBoat.com, and five new partnerships with top digital companies and media, including Yacht Investor Media, Scaura, the USSA, the ISS, and JustLuxe.

The company also launched four new digital content series featuring the top professionals in the industry, including Women in Yachting, YATCO's Broker of the Month, Top Yachting Photographers, and Top Yachting Influencers. YATCO's team of developers also continues to improve and add new features to YATCO BOSS, the ultimate digital marketing and sales software platform specially built to fill the needs of yachting industry professionals.

"I am proud that our team of over 25 full-time digital marketing specialists has facilitated such tremendous growth this last year, and I look forward to even further development for the company in 2022. Our latest acquisition of BoatDeck and YachtandBoat.com will truly expand our global reach, especially in Australia and the Asia Pacific region," says Steven Myers, Founder and CEO of YATCO.

YATCO has published 9 SHOWBOOKS and REGIONAL LISTS in 2021, which helped market its professional members' listings globally. Each SHOWBOOK and REGIONAL LIST was distributed worldwide to a targeted audience of yacht consumers and yachting professionals and received an average read time of 6:30 minutes and over 26,000 digital impressions.

Including over $30 billion in yachts for sale, YATCO supports thousands of yachting professionals worldwide and facilitates over $5 billion a year in sold vessel transactions through YATCO BOSS while serving the yachting community with accuracy, reliability, and state-of-the-art technology.

About YATCO

YATCO, The Official MLS and Ultimate SaaS platform of YachtingTM, is the sole online service dedicated exclusively to central listings by qualified professionals only with over 20 years in the yachts for sale marketplace. With over $30 billion in yachts for sale, the company supports more than 2,000 professional yacht brokers and facilitates over $5 billion a year in sold vessel transactions through its proprietary BOSS (Back Office Software Solution). Committed to 100% pure data, YATCO serves the professional yachting community with accuracy, integrity, and cutting-edge technology.

Media Contact

Lisbet Castillo | [email protected] | +1(786) 316-5698

SOURCE YATCO
The inaugural round of BANF funding was made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation, Houston Endowment, The Brown Foundation, Inc., The Cullen Foundation, Kinder Foundation and The Powell Foundation. BANF was made possible by the Ford Foundation's America's Cultural Treasures initiative, which in September 2020 committed an unprecedented $156 million to support BIPOC arts communities across the country in response to the devastating economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"There are vital connections between communities of color and our unique art and cultural expressions that celebrate our histories, acknowledge our perseverance and project a productive future," said BANF grantee Michelle Barnes, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Community Artists' Collective. "When there is an investment in us, there is an investment in our cultural communities. I'm honored to be a part of this historic moment in Houston BIPOC arts and I'm proud of my fellow grantees who also have important histories of impact in our communities throughout the greater Houston area and beyond."

BANF was publicly announced Sept. 21, 2021 as an initiative created to provide resources and networks that will support Greater Houston's BIPOC arts communities in fully displaying their power, values and traditions. This is achieved through grant funding, advocacy, and community-building networking initiatives.

Grantees Represent Houston's Diversity

Fifty-one percent of BANF's inaugural grantees are 501c3 organizations and 49 percent are fiscally-sponsored artist collectives in communities of color. Of the 155 applications received, 77 percent were funded.

"This is a moving moment because there are many grantees who are being funded for the first time, despite having a strong and lengthy track record of work in their communities," said BANF grantee, Marissa Castillo, Co-founder of TEATRX, a Latinx theater company. "This grant helps TEATRX advance our mission of making Latinx performance arts a vital and prominent part of the artistic identity of Houston by representing and supporting the Latinx community, its artists, and its stories."

The majority of BANF grantees serve culturally diverse audiences. 80 percent of grantees serve Black, Afro-Caribbean or African-American communities; 74 percent serve the Latinx community; 54 percent serve Asian or Pacific Islander communities; 38 percent serve Indiginous, First Nation or Native American communities and 38 percent serve Middle Eastern or Arab communities.

While most grantees have a mission that is not tied to a particular cultural history, 29 percent of grantees report their mission is tied to a Black, Afro-Caribbean or African-American tradition, 15 percent have a Latinx focus, and 10 percent are rooted in an Asian American or Pacific Islander cultural tradition.

Community Review of Applicants To Shape BANF's Future Work in BIPOC Arts

The applications for this $2 million round of funding were reviewed by a group of 25 individuals of Houston's BIPOC communities representing a rich diversity of backgrounds in artist, arts professional, community leader and art funder experiences, while incorporating a wide-range of cultural heritage, artistic practice and non-arts viewpoints.

The review process was used less as a competitive ranking system and more of a learning tool to inform the development of BANF's future programs. Applicants' stories offered insight on how Houston BIPOC arts organizations and collectives have worked, fought and persisted despite a lack of funding, the trends that demonstrate how arts and culture exists in practice in Houston, and the way BIPOC arts communities need to be supported now and in the future.

"We took the opportunity to prioritize learning and abundance and to de-emphasize competition in our grantmaking process," said BANF Project Director Sixto Wagan. "We saw this as an opportunity to learn from the written and spoken words of applicants what our communities' strengths and challenges are as they face the current economic, social and health realities of today. The full spectrum of the arts community, from funders to BIPOC arts organizations, acknowledged this approach as a catalyst for change and one that must continue in 2022 and beyond. This encouragement inspires BANF to press forward with intention and a strong sense of direction during the next evolution of work."

A full list of community reviewers is listed here .

Founding Partners Express Support for Celebratory Milestone in Houston BIPOC Arts

Houston Endowment President and CEO, Ann Stern, said, "Art is a powerful tool to teach, inspire and connect our community. The many organizations in Houston's BIPOC arts community celebrate the cultural traditions that enrich our city. The resulting impact is greater empathy and resilience, which goes hand-in-hand with fostering an equitable community."

Kinder Foundation President and CEO, Nancy Kinder, said, "Kinder Foundation is proud to support BIPOC Arts Network and Fund as it addresses racial and socioeconomic inequities in arts funding. There are so many arts and culture organizations serving Houston's diverse communities in unique and valuable ways. We hope this fund will be transformative for our region's BIPOC arts organizations, adding to the richness of our city and improving the quality of life for all Houstonians."

Cullen Foundation President, Scott Wise, said, "We believe that all Houstonians are benefitted by a thriving, multi-faceted arts ecosystem that encourages interaction in authentic ways. We are proud to support BANF in strengthening Houston's high-impact, diverse arts and cultural organizations."

The Powell Foundation Executive Director, Eleisha Nelson-Reid, said, "The Powell Foundation is committed to supporting a vibrant, diverse, and culturally representative arts community within Houston. We believe that establishing equitable access to the arts and culture develops thriving communities and enriches the quality of life for all its residents. Through its support of BANF, the Powell Foundation hopes to expand the representation of BIPOC arts and culture organizations and develop the capacity of these groups to deliver powerful student arts education experiences to youth and children. Representation matters. In a city as diverse as Houston, we believe all youth and children should be afforded regular opportunities to immerse themselves in school-based arts and culture experiences in ways that both affirm their identities and expand their view of other cultures."

About BIPOC Arts Network & Fund (BANF)

The BIPOC Arts Network & Fund (BANF) is a multi-year initiative dedicated to providing resources that support the vibrant BIPOC arts community of Greater Houston in fully displaying their power, values and traditions. Established in 2021 as a collaborative community effort, BANF is guided by the very artists, nonprofit organizations and local leaders it seeks to serve through its grant funding, advocacy, and community-building networking initiatives. BANF works to revolutionize the local funding landscape by changing cultural value systems, breaking down silos that separate communities in the arts ecosystem, and welcoming everyone to participate, support and learn from BIPOC arts communities.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Rolando Rodriguez

[email protected]

404-310-8755

Nicole Valadez

[email protected]

832-480-3793

SOURCE BIPOC Arts Network and Fund
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 360PR+ today announced the formation of Three Cheers PR: a wholly owned, independently operated public relations agency serving the adult beverage industry, from portfolio-owned brands to fast-growing independents. Led by experts adept in all aspects of alcohol PR and marketing, the new agency is versed in the consumers and culture that drive trends and choice-making away from and at home, along with the fast-evolving retail and regulatory dynamics that are transforming how beer, wine and spirits are discovered, purchased and enjoyed.

Three Cheers PR will be led by Rob Bratskeir, who helped build a portfolio of adult beverage clients at 360PR+, and whose experience spans some of alcohol's most iconic brands. Bratskeir has led campaigns for newcomers and established brands alike, among them Knob Creek, Owl's Brew, The Pogues Irish Whiskey, Blue Chair Bay Rum, Crabbie's Ginger Beer and Vox Vodka. Bratskeir helped open 360's New York office a decade ago, serving as General Manager, and has also led clients in adjacent sectors to adult beverage while at 360, including premium food & beverage brands and travel clients.

"There has never been a better time to focus on adult beverage, which is innovating like never before," said Bratskeir. "Our team brings not only deep knowledge of the category, but also a sharp focus on lifestyle, an understanding of modern retail and hospitality, plus something that is priceless, and that's the passion and curiosity of true enthusiasts."

Three Cheers PR will offer clients, among them Drizly, North America's largest online alcohol e-commerce and on-demand delivery platform, and Sagamore Spirit, the fast-growing rye that is reestablishing Maryland's reputation for whiskey craft, a full suite of services: integrated campaign development, media relations, influencer marketing, digital content production, social media activations, live and virtual events, C-suite profile development and other thought leadership activities.

"On the heels of our 20th anniversary and a successful 2021, we're thrilled to be expanding the family of 360 agencies and to have Rob Bratskeir leading Three Cheers PR for us  we see a real opportunity for an independent specialist agency with the kind of talent that Rob and the Three Cheers team bring to work hand in hand with today's adult beverage marketers," commented 360PR+ CEO Laura Tomasetti.

Three Cheers PR is located in New York. For more information, please visit ThreeCheersPR.com.

SOURCE 360PR+
BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 2021, 52TOYS closed its series C financing of 62.8 million USD, the largest funding in the industry in China. The company has also submitted a very satisfying sales report in this year's Double 11 Shopping Festival (China's Black Friday), with the YoY growth of the first 10 minutes pre-sales amount increasing more than 300%. People get familiar with 52TOYS through its blind box. The ambition of the company is more than blind box, but to be China's first brand in collectible toys industry. Then, what is collectible toy and why 52TOYS aims to be the first brand in this category?

Compared with blind box, collectible toys possess a much more colossal "super-set", defined as "collecting all kinds of toys that can be collected or carry the feelings of collectors", including garage kit, BJD dolls, assembled models, statues and so forth. Nevertheless, blind box is just an enter-level product in the scope of collectible toys, and its popularity is largely owe to the relatively low entry threshold.

The co-founder of 52TOYS, Chen Wei, believes that it is definitely unrealistic for the future market if there is only blind box in the industry. With the background as a veteran player of collectible toys and decades of operation experience in the industry, Chen Wei once was the retailer of collectible toys and many famous international collectible toys brands' domestic general agent.

In 2015, Chen Wei co-founded 52TOYS with the founder of Three Kingdom Wars (an online game), and COO of Yoka games Huang Jin. In the early stage, the business focus was on the "toys development for TO B market" which was regarded as stepping into the crooked road. However, it also was this experience that set up the upstream and downstream supply chain that laid the foundation for 52TOYS to shift its business by focusing on TO C market. All these experience imparted the message to Chen Wei that in the track of toys, the company needs to have a more diversified product portfolio to enter into a wider market.

Since inception, 52TOYS has positioned itself as a collectable toys brand with a diversified product and marketing strategy. Now it is has already developed six product lines, including blind box, figures, deformation toys, action figures, designer&artists toys and 52PUZboard games. The blind box aims to attract young women consumers with its cute appearance. The BEASTBOX series with cool appearances, has gained a large number of male players. While the "Chaohuophua series" which blends with Chinese traditional culture and elements are loved and welcomed by all ages. Moreover, Chen Wei his team to have a comprehensive understanding of all the products in the markets both domestically and internationally.

When it comes to IP, 52TOYS adopts "Double-wheal Strategy", which means that the IPs consists of the self-designed IPs and the cooperative IPs such as Disney Princess, Tom and Jerry, Harry Potter, Crayon Xiaoxin, My King Sleep and so on. These cooperative IPs have to be unique and different from other brands so as to be competitive in the market, which forces the design team to have a deep understanding of those IPs and to be creative to avoid homogenization.

As for the original IP, how does it get recognized by the market? Firstly, the experienced employees can draw a preliminary judgment based on their experience. Secondly, the company will launch researches through internal or external channels to form an objective evaluation of the product. The research scopes include dealers, fan groups and so forth. It is based on the rich experience and thorough research that the company can ensure the IPs to be accepted and welcomed by the market to the maximum.

With a coverage of the whole supply chain, excellent R&D ability, IP design capability and experienced team, 52TOYS is making roads into the the first collectible toy brand in China.

Contact:

Yue Yin

+86 15901525574

[email protected]

SOURCE 52TOYS
BEIJING, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, 52TOYS just completed the largest financing in the industry this year, with an amount of RMB 400 million. Subsequently, news saying that "52TOYS plans to open 100 stores by the end of next year", "to be the number one brand of collectible toys in China", and "to go public within two years", followed one after another.

For toys and 52TOYS, CEO Chen Wei has his own plans.

"Every business has its own DNA. We have fun with toys, and want to dig deep into this endeavor," Chen Wei told All Weather TMT.

Below are the quick answers from Chen Wei:

All Weather TMT: Under what conditions did you establish 52TOYS?

Chen Wei: Huang Jin, the creator of Killers of the Three Kingdoms, and I founded 52TOYS as early as 2015, and we were determined about the company's position in the market. 52TOYS should be a product brand, which possesses its own creative ideas, product lines, product portfolios, and products that are intriguing and competitive. This is our core competence and our primary target.

All Weather TMT: The reputation of your intellectual property (IP) products such as LuLu the Piggy and Crayon Shin-chan precedes the company 52TOYS. Why? I suppose many consumers barely know about 52TOYS.

Chen Wei: It's actually a result of multiple causes.

Consumers may have to buy the products produced by a single brand multiple times, before they can gradually keep that brand in mind. This is the so-called consumer mind, and it takes a course to go through.

Then, it's important to create your own IPs. For example, when we sell Doraemon toys, it's the name Doraemon itself that is remembered, instead of 52TOYS. However, when seeing our BEASTBOX and "MODERN ANCIENT" series, which will be released later on, one will immediately relate them to 52TOYS.

In addition, the most important thing is to build channels for direct sales, which is why we decided to open our own brand outlet. When consumers spot our directly operated stores in different shopping malls, they'll be deeply impressed with 52TOYS.

All Weather TMT: How many SKUs do you have now? How frequently do you launch new products?

Chen Wei: In 52TOYS' existing IP portfolio, 33% are self-developed IPs, 38% are copyrighted IPs, and 29% are IPs derived from our collaboration with artists. Some products labeled with the kind of brands that we think are decent are also being sold in our directly operated stores, and they complement our current products, which account for more than 80% to 90% of our entire spectrum of products.

All Weather TMT: Is the key to success to obtain a well-known IP license, given that products are based on IPs?

Chen Wei: The first and foremost is to distinguish the two kinds of IPs in the toy market: character IPs and content IPs.

A character IP refers to the image created by a designer, which impresses consumers with itself, though without any content. For instance, LuLu the Piggy, Panda Roll, and Kimmy & Miki, which we launched are all character IPs. Hello Kitty is so far the most typical and successful character IP across the globe. Even without any relevant cartoons, comics, or films, people just like it.

All Weather TMT: You've just obtained financing of RMB 400 million, the largest one in the industry this year. What are you going to do with it?

Chen Wei: Mainly for three purposes.

Firstly, our core products. Whether in product engineering, R&D, or improved access to more high-quality IPs, we'll definitely invest more.

Secondly, channels. We'll optimize the existing terminal stores that cooperate with us, with the target of upgrading more than half of them in product exhibit, thus making consumers feel that our product exhibit looks prettier. We'll also open more directly operated outlets, more stores, the number of which is scheduled to reach 100 by the end of next year.

Thirdly, with part of the funds, we'll support outstanding designers and artists, as well as promising projects, and expand our cooperation with them.

All Weather TMT: But it seems that the growth of designer toys becomes sluggish in the consumer market, 70% of which is supported by such toys, if that's correct. Will the situation limit the prospects of the industry?

Chen Wei: As far as I'm concerned, for the industry of collectible toys and designer toys, POP MART has played a good role in enlightening the capital market, and even consumes, precisely by means of mystery art toy boxes.

All Weather TMT: What will the industry of designer toys or collectible toys turn into, in your opinion?

Chen Wei: In China, I think there will be several large brands surviving in this industry.

But like I said, collectible toys can be so diverse, and many segmented enterprises will rise.

The industry is still in its infancy stages, and the road ahead will be long. It's an industry that can incubate century enterprises and is something worthy of continuous efforts.

Contact:

Yue Yin

+86 15901525574

[email protected]

SOURCE 52TOYS
Custom home-builder Adair Homes hosts grand opening of office in Idaho Falls on Feb. 1, serving entire state of Idaho. Tweet this

Adair has been serving Boise for more than 20 years, Coeur d'Alene for seven years and Twin Falls for the past two years. Growing its custom homebuilding into Idaho Falls and Eastern Idaho allows Adair to serve the entire state. The Idaho Falls office will help grow the company's presence in Eastern Idaho, with offices already open in Caldwell, Idaho, and Twin Falls, Idaho. The new office is located in the heart of the city and is part of the revitalization efforts along the Snake River.

"Idaho Falls is a tremendous city, and we are excited by our location," Adair SVP of Strategic Growth Josh Biggs said. "People want to live in Eastern Idaho, and the area's outdoor activities and the culture are a great fit for Adair. We believe that people in Eastern Idaho are looking to build a beautiful custom home at a tremendous value, and we are looking forward to meeting that need."

Adair's new office offers a full suite of home design and financing services with a dedicated team of experienced homebuilding experts. Joining the Idaho Falls team are online home consultants Bethany Campbell, Kerry Haddan, Leigh Fox, Morgan Ranf and Tawnee Garon. Kenneth Watkins serves as the in-office home ownership counselor, and Jasmin Stiffler joins as the site's mortgage loan officer.

In a time of prolonged, unprecedented strain on the housing market, Adair Homes' mission is to help the people of Eastern Idaho improve their quality of life by streamlining the homebuilding process, offering flexibility, customization and in-house financing to their homeowners. Eastern Idaho residents can count on Adair Homes for all of their custom homebuilding needs.

This expansion ensures that Bonneville and surrounding counties  including Bear Lake, Bingham, Butte, Caribou, Clark, Franklin, Freemont, Jefferson, Madison, Oneida, Power and Teton  have access to excellent homebuilding services, which will help the community thrive for years to come.

The new Adair Homes office is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the team members can be reached via phone at 208-537-7234. For additional information about other Adair Homes design centers, please visit https://www.adairhomes.com/contact#locations .

ABOUT ADAIR HOMES

Adair Homes is a premier homebuilder in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Arizona. Founded in 1969, the company has spent more than 50 years helping thousands of families achieve their dream of owning a home. As the largest on-your-lot custom homebuilder in the West, Adair continues to provide superior customer service while helping buyers find land to build on and producing high-quality, affordable homes. Adair takes pride in making sure its customers find the perfect home that not only fits their lifestyle but also their budget. For more information, visit adairhomes.com .



SOURCE Adair Homes
MILWAUKEE, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ademi LLP is investigating possible securities fraud claims against Tal Education Group (NYSE: TAL). The investigation results from inaccurate statements Tal Education may have made regarding its business operations and prospects.

Click here to learn more about the investigation: https://www.ademilaw.com/case/tal-education-group or call Guri Ademi toll-free at 866-264-3995. There is no cost or obligation to you.

The investigation focuses on whether Tal Education properly disclosed the impact of government regulations on its kindergarten through grade nine tutoring business.

If you wish to obtain additional information or have information about this investigation, please contact Guri Ademi either at [email protected] or toll-free: 866-264-3995, https://www.ademilaw.com/case/tal-education-group.

We specialize in securities fraud and shareholder litigation. For more information, please feel free to call us. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:

Ademi LLP

Guri Ademi

3620 East Layton Ave.

Cudahy, WI 53110

Toll Free: (866) 264-3995

Fax: (414) 482-8001

www.ademilaw.com

SOURCE Ademi LLP
PLYMOUTH, Mich., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Adient plc (NYSE: ADNT) (the "Company") today announced that (i) its wholly owned subsidiary Adient US LLC (the "U.S. Issuer") has commenced an offer to purchase for cash (the "U.S. Tender Offer") its outstanding 9.00% senior first lien notes listed in the table below and the 2025 Consent Solicitation (as defined below), and (ii) its wholly owned subsidiary Adient Global Holdings Ltd (the "Jersey Issuer" and, together with the U.S. Issuer, the "Issuers") has commenced an offer to purchase for cash (the "EUR Tender Offer" and, together with the U.S. Tender Offer, each a "Tender Offer" and together the "Tender Offers") the Jersey Issuer's outstanding 3.50% senior unsecured notes listed in the table below, in each case, subject to the terms and conditions described in the Issuers' Offer to Purchase dated January 26, 2022 (the "Offer to Purchase").

Title of Notes CUSIP / ISIN Numbers Aggregate

Principal

Amount

Outstanding per $1,000 / 1,000

Principal Amount of Notes Tender Offer

Consideration(1) Early

Tender

Premium Total

Consideration (1,2) 9.00% Senior

First Lien

Notes due

2025 CUSIP:

00688JAB3 /

U00690AB0 ISIN:

US00688JAB35 /

USU00690AB05 $600,000,000 $1,008.75 $50.00 $1,058.75 3.50% Senior

Unsecured

Notes due

2024(3) CUSIP: N/A ISIN:

XS1468664765 /

XS1468662801 1,000,000,000 970.00 50.00 1,020.00

(1) Does not include accrued and unpaid interest, which will also be payable as provided herein. (2) Includes the Early Tender Premium. (3) The Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount (as defined below) for the 2024 Notes (subject to increase by the Jersey Issuer) will be 177,000,000.

Specifically, the U.S. Issuer is offering to purchase any and all of its 9.00% Senior First Lien Notes due 2025 (the "2025 Notes") and the Jersey Issuer is offering to purchase a maximum aggregate principal amount equal to 177,000,000 (as it may be increased by the Jersey Issuer, the "Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount") of its 3.50% Senior Unsecured Notes due 2024 (the "2024 Notes" and, together with the 2025 Notes, the "Notes"). The Tender Offer for the 2025 Notes is referred to herein as the "Any and All Tender Offer" and the Tender Offer for the 2024 Notes is referred to herein as the "Maximum Tender Offer".

The U.S. Issuer intends to purchase any and all 2025 Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn). The amount of 2024 Notes that is purchased in the Maximum Tender Offer on the applicable settlement date will be subject to the proration arrangements applicable to the Maximum Tender Offer.

The Tender Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, at the end of the day on February 23, 2022, unless extended or terminated by the applicable Issuer (the "Expiration Date"). No tenders submitted after the Expiration Date will be valid. Holders of Notes that are validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 8, 2022 (subject to extension, the "Early Tender Time") pursuant to the applicable Tender Offer will be eligible to receive the total consideration that includes the early tender premium for such series of Notes set forth in the table above (the "Early Tender Premium" and, together with the applicable Tender Offer Consideration (as defined below), the "Total Consideration") for each $1,000 or 1,000 principal amount, as applicable, of their Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the applicable Tender Offer. Holders of Notes validly tendering their Notes after the Early Tender Time will not be eligible to receive the Early Tender Premium and will be eligible to receive only the applicable tender offer consideration set forth in the above table (with respect to each series of Notes, the "Tender Offer Consideration") for each $1,000 or 1,000 principal amount, as applicable, of their Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the applicable Tender Offer. All Notes accepted for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offers will also receive accrued and unpaid interest on such Notes from the last interest payment date with respect to those Notes to, but not including, the applicable settlement date.

As part of the Tender Offers, the U.S. Issuer is also soliciting consents (the "2025 Consent Solicitation") from the holders of the 2025 Notes for certain proposed amendments that would, among other things, (i) eliminate substantially all of the restrictive covenants and certain events of default contained in the indenture governing the 2025 Notes (the "Majority Amendments") and (ii) permit the U.S. Issuer to release all of the collateral that secures or purports to secure the obligations under the 2025 Notes without the consent of Holders of the 2025 Notes (the "Two-Thirds Amendments" and together, with the Majority Amendments, the "2025 Proposed Amendments"). Except as noted below adoption of the 2025 Proposed Amendments requires the consent of the holders of at least a majority of the outstanding principal amount of the 2025 Notes (the "Requisite Consents"). However, we note that adoption of the Two-Thirds Amendments requires the consent of holders of at least 66 2/3% of the outstanding principal amount of the 2025 Notes (the "Two-Thirds Consents"). Therefore, the 2025 Proposed Amendments will include the Two-Thirds Amendments only to the extent that the U.S. Issuer receives the Two-Thirds Consents. The 2025 Proposed Amendments constitute a single proposal with respect to the 2025 Notes, and a consenting holder must deliver a consent to the 2025 Proposed Amendments as an entirety and may not consent selectively with respect to any of the 2025 Proposed Amendments. Each holder tendering 2025 Notes will be deemed to have consented to the 2025 Proposed Amendments with respect to all 2025 Notes tendered, and holders of 2025 Notes may not deliver consents to the 2025 Proposed Amendments without tendering their 2025 Notes. If the 2025 Proposed Amendments become operative with respect to the 2025 Notes, holders of the 2025 Notes that do not tender their 2025 Notes at or prior to the Expiration Date, or at all, will be bound by the 2025 Proposed Amendments, meaning that the 2025 Notes will no longer have the benefit of the existing terms of substantially all the covenants and certain events of default contained in the indenture governing the 2025 Notes and may no longer have the benefit of the collateral securing the obligations under the 2025 Notes. In addition, such holders that do not tender their 2025 Notes at or prior to the Expiration Date, or at all, will not receive either the Tender Offer Consideration or the Early Tender Premium. The U.S. Tender Offer is not conditioned upon receipt of the Requisite Consents or the effectiveness of the 2025 Proposed Amendments.

Notes that have been tendered may be withdrawn from the applicable Tender Offer prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on February 8, 2022 (subject to extension, the "Withdrawal Deadline"). Holders of Notes tendered after the Withdrawal Deadline cannot withdraw their Notes unless the applicable Issuer is required to extend withdrawal rights under applicable law. In the case of the 2025 Notes, any withdrawal of 2025 Notes will also revoke the related consent to the 2025 Proposed Amendments. The Jersey Issuer reserves the right, but is under no obligation, to increase the Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount at any time, subject to applicable law. If the Jersey Issuer increases the Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount, it does not expect to extend the applicable Withdrawal Deadline, subject to applicable law.

The U.S. Issuer reserves the right, but is under no obligation, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the U.S. Tender Offer, to accept for purchase any or all of the 2025 Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) and the Jersey Issuer reserves the right, but is under no obligation, subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions to the EUR Tender Offer to accept for purchase validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) 2024 Notes up to the Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount, in each case at or prior to the Early Tender Time, at any point following the Early Tender Time and at or prior to the Expiration Date (the "Early Settlement Date"). The Early Settlement Date will be determined at each Issuer's option and is currently expected to occur on February 10, 2022, the second business day following the Early Tender Time, subject to all conditions to the applicable Tender Offer having been either satisfied or waived by the applicable Issuer. If the U.S. Issuer elects to have an Early Settlement Date, the U.S. Issuer will accept any or all of the 2025 Notes validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) at or prior to the Early Tender Time, and if the Jersey Issuer elects to have an Early Settlement Date, it will accept validly tendered (and not validly withdrawn) 2024 Notes up to the Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount. The final settlement date is expected to occur on February 25, 2022, the second business day following the Expiration Date.

Acceptance of tenders of the 2024 Notes may be subject to proration if the aggregate principal amount for all such 2024 Notes validly tendered is greater than the Maximum Aggregate Principal Amount. Furthermore, if the Maximum Tender Offer is fully subscribed as of the Early Tender Time, holders who validly tender 2024 Notes after the Early Tender Time will not have any of their 2024 Notes accepted for purchase. The Tender Offers are not conditioned on the tender of any minimum principal amount of Notes, the consummation of any other Tender Offer in respect of any other series of Notes or obtaining any Requisite Consent. However, each Tender Offer and the 2025 Consent Solicitation are subject to, and conditioned upon, the satisfaction or waiver by the applicable Issuer of certain conditions described in the Offer to Purchase. Each Issuer reserves the right to waive any conditions to its applicable Tender Offer and, subject to applicable law, to modify or terminate its applicable Tender Offer or the 2025 Consent Solicitation.

Each Issuer will use cash on hand to pay the Total Consideration for the applicable Tender Offer. Assuming that all of the 2025 Notes are tendered at or prior to the Early Tender Time, the U.S. Issuer would need approximately $636 million to pay the Total Consideration plus related fees and expenses, not including the Accrued Interest, for tendered 2025 Notes, and assuming the Maximum Tender Offer is fully subscribed at or prior to the Early Tender Time, the Jersey Issuer would need approximately 181 million to pay the Total Consideration plus related fees and expenses, not including the Accrued Interest, for tendered 2024 Notes.

The purpose of the Tender Offers is to purchase the Notes, thus retiring debt. The purpose of the 2025 Consent Solicitation is to obtain Requisite Consents to adopt the 2025 Proposed Amendments with respect to the indenture governing the 2025 Notes.

Citigroup Global Markets Inc. is the Dealer Manager and Solicitation Agent in the Tender Offers and the 2025 Consent Solicitation. Global Bondholder Services Corporation has been retained to serve as the Tender Agent and Information Agent for the Tender Offers and the 2025 Consent Solicitation. Persons with questions regarding the Tender Offers and the 2025 Consent Solicitation should contact Citigroup Global Markets Inc. at (toll free) (800) 558-3745 or (collect) (212) 723-6106. Requests for the Offer to Purchase should be directed to Global Bondholder Services Corporation at (toll free) (855) 654-2014 or by email to [email protected] .

None of the Company, the Issuers, the Dealer Manager and Solicitation Agent, the Tender and Information Agent, the trustees or any of their respective affiliates (x) makes any recommendation that holders tender or refrain from tendering all or any portion of the principal amount of their Notes and delivering any related Consents, and no one has been authorized by any of them to make such a recommendation or (y) except as expressly set forth herein with respect to the Company, the Issuers, the Dealer Manager and Solicitation Agent, the Tender and Information Agent or any of their respective affiliates, makes any representations or warranties. The trustees do not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information concerning the Company, the Issuers, their affiliates or the Notes contained herein or any failure by the Company or the Issuers to disclose events that may have occurred and may affect the significance or accuracy of that information. Holders must make their own decision as to whether to tender their Notes and deliver related consents, and, if so, the principal amount of Notes as to which action is to be taken.

This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation to buy or an offer to purchase or sell any securities. The Tender Offers and the 2025 Consent Solicitation are being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase and only in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law. In any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offers are required to be made by a licensed broker or dealer, the Tender Offers will be deemed to be made on behalf of the Issuers by the Dealer Manager, or one or more registered brokers or dealers that are licensed under the laws of such jurisdiction.

About Adient:

Adient (NYSE: ADNT) is a global leader in automotive seating. With approximately 75,000 employees in 33 countries, Adient operates 208 manufacturing/assembly plants worldwide. Adient produces and delivers automotive seating for all major OEMs. From complete seating systems to individual components, Adient's expertise spans every step of the automotive seat-making process. Adient's integrated, in-house skills allow it to take its products from research and design to engineering and manufacturing  and into more than 20 million vehicles every year. For more information on Adient, please visit www.adient.com.

Forward-Looking Statements:

The Company has made statements in this document that are forward-looking and, therefore, are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements in this document other than statements of historical fact are statements that are, or could be, deemed "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by words such as "future," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "predicts," "will," "would," "could," "can," "may," or similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Issuers' and the Company's actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. The Issuers caution that these statements are subject to numerous important risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Issuers' or the Company's control, that could cause the Issuers' or the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, among others, risks related to: the consummation of the Tender Offers or the 2025 Consent Solicitation at all or on the same or different terms as those set forth herein, whether recently completed strategic transactions in China and deleveraging activities may yield additional value for investors at all or on the same or different terms as those described in the statements made or incorporated by reference in this document, the timing, benefits and outcomes of the strategic transactions in China and/or the activities relating to our capital structure, the effects of local and national economic, credit and capital market conditions on the economy in general, and other risks and uncertainties, any future redemption of Notes following the Tender Offer on the same or different terms as those set forth herein, the continued financial and operational impacts of and uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company and its customers, suppliers, joint venture partners and other parties, the ability of the Company to execute its turnaround plan, work stoppages, including due to supply chain disruptions and similar events, energy and commodity (particularly steel) prices, the availability of raw materials (including petrochemicals) and component products (including components required by our customers for the manufacture of vehicles (i.e., semiconductor chips)), automotive vehicle production levels, mix and schedules, as well as our concentration of exposure to certain automotive manufacturers, the ability of the Company to effectively launch new business at forecast and profitable levels, the ability of the Company or the Issuers to meet debt service requirements, the terms of future financing, the impact of tax reform legislation, uncertainties in U.S. administrative policy regarding trade agreements, tariffs and other international trade relations, general economic and business conditions, the strength of the U.S. or other economies, shifts in market shares among vehicles, vehicle segments or away from vehicles on which the Company has significant content, changes in consumer demand, global climate change and related emphasis on ESG matters by various stakeholders, currency exchange rates and cancellation of or changes to commercial arrangements, and the ability of the Company to identify, recruit and retain key leadership. A detailed discussion of risks related to the Company's business is included in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 filed with the SEC on November 23, 2021 available at www.sec.gov. Holders of Notes should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements and should not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made only as of the date of this document, unless otherwise specified, and, except as required by law, the Issuers assume no obligation, and disclaim any obligation, to update such statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document.

ADNT-FN

SOURCE Adient
TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Agnostiq, Inc. , the first-of-its-kind quantum computing SaaS startup, is pleased to announce the release of Covalent, an open-source workflow orchestration platform designed specifically for quantum computing and HPC technologies. Covalent aims to make quantum and high performance computing resources more accessible to practitioners and developers, including machine learning engineers and data scientists.

"Covalent started out as an internal tool for our quantum algorithm research team," says Agnostiq's head of R&D, Santosh Kumar Radha. "It was a tool designed to give my team the ability to prototype, calculate, and analyze reproducible experiments at scale right from the comfort of our laptops. We are very excited to share Covalent with the broader community," he added.

Fueled by the technology's rising popularity, the global market for quantum computing is expected to reach $5 billion by 2028 . Quantum computing has the capabilities to speed up computations in the coming years, which is anticipated to accelerate innovations in many industry verticals. But, it remains largely inaccessible to the enterprise, due mainly to the novelty of the technology and the high level of expertise required to build applications. Agnostiq is building a suite of tools to lower the barriers for developers and enterprises to enter into the world of quantum computing.

"Covalent encourages users to break down and reuse components in scientific applications. This modularity enables users to focus on code design while abstracting away the details of how or where execution occurs. As a result, users can more easily integrate a variety of classical and quantum hardware backends into their software," says William Cunningham , Agnostiq's head of software engineering.

Covalent solves the following challenges associated with these advanced computing technologies:

Breaks workflows down into modular Python components, allowing users to easily reproduce repetitive code and avoid costly reruns; important in a high performance computing/quantum setting since running experiments on these devices is extremely expensive; Serves as a single entry point for Quantum Processors, CPUs, GPUs, and quantum-inspired hardware, with no additional setup required; and Includes an intelligent task scheduler that automatically selects the best hardware resource for a given task based on a mix of predefined as well as user-defined constraints.

"Open sourcing Covalent is an important part of Agnostiq's mission to democratize access to the world's most advanced computing technologies, such as quantum computers," says Oktay Goktas, CEO of Agnostiq. "We have an aggressive roadmap to make Covalent a standard development tool for computationally heavy tasks that require advanced computing infrastructure such as quantum and HPC."

The company previously secured $2 million in seed funding, led by Differential Ventures , with follow-on participation from Scout Ventures , Boost VC , Tensility Venture Partners , and Green Egg Ventures .

ABOUT AGNOSTIQ INC.:

Agnostiq is a fast growing startup headquartered in Toronto and develops software tools and applications for advanced computing resources, with the aim of making these technologies more accessible to developers and enterprise customers. Agnostiq is an interdisciplinary team of physicists, computer scientists, and mathematicians backed by leading investors in New York and Silicon Valley. Learn more at www.agnostiq.ai .

MEDIA CONTACT:

Nina Pfister, MAG PR at [email protected] or 781-929-5620.

SOURCE Agnostiq
Stop us if you have heard this before, but Amity is the new No. 1 team in the GameTimeCT Top 10 Baseball Poll. The Spartans claim the top spot after previous No. 1 Warde dropped a 2-1 decision to...
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking Ghana's election to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member, Ghanaian Vice-President H.E. Mahamudu Bawumia spoke at the UN headquarters in New York City, addressing the protection of civilian populations in urban warfare.

Vice-President Bawumia, representing Ghana and H.E. President Nana Akufo-Addo, subsequently met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to further discuss the issue.

The Vice-President emphasised the disproportional toll wars exact on urban populations which threatens to exacerbate existing issues such as sexual exploitation and the radicalisation of younger people. Reiterating increasing global urbanisation trends, the Vice-President's statement welcomed the opportunity to discuss the pressing matter.

"Much of the conflict we experience globally and in the continent of Africa continues to involve civilian combatants and often results in the scapegoating of the civilian populations," asserted the Vice-President.

In tackling the issue, Bawumia highlighted four key points for the consideration of the Council.

Prioritising the integration of the civilian protection in the planning and conduct of military operations will help to enhance global norms and standards on civilian protection in urban conflicts the Vice-President said in his statement. Moreover, Bawumia reiterated that stronger global enforcement mechanisms are required to tackle the matter, with States being required to recommit to international humanitarian law in their conduct of warfare.

Alongside these points, the Vice-President additionally called for a renewed effort in assessing and developing the resilience of existing urban infrastructure to cope with wars, prioritising evacuation efforts of civilians and developing shelter zones. Furthermore, Bawumia explained that the use of explosives in war should be controlled alongside management of highly-populated civilian areas.

"We must recognise that in developing norms and standards to protect civilian populations during conflict, there is strong need for local engagement in order to assure the acceptance of such norms," the Vice-President explained.

For Ghana, the issue of poverty alleviation needs to be addressed firmly via national initiatives aiming to "equalise access to economic opportunities in all parts of a country" so as to mitigate the intensification of such conflicts frequently catalysed by regional inequality.

SOURCE AJ Africa
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB), a leader in the global specialty chemicals industry, announced today it is one of 418 companies across 11 sectors to be included in the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), a modified market capitalization-weighted index that aims to track the performance of public companies committed to transparency in gender-data reporting.

Albemarle earned inclusion in this year's index for scoring above a global threshold established by Bloomberg that reflects a high level of disclosure and achievement or adoption of best-in-class statistics and policies across the framework's five pillars: female leadership and talent pipeline, gender pay and equal pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and pro-women brand.

"We are honored that Albemarle's commitment to transparency and leadership in gender equality has again been recognized by the Bloomberg GEI," said Kent Masters, Albemarle CEO. "We are committed to setting and measuring company-wide goals that support gender equality globally as a reflection of our values and to using the power of diversity and inclusion to strengthen Albemarle."

"We are proud to recognize Albemarle and the other 417 companies included in the 2022 GEI for their commitment to transparency and setting a new standard in gender-related data reporting," said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg and Founding Chairman of the U.S. 30% Club. "Even though the threshold for inclusion in the GEI has risen, the member list continues to grow. This is a testament that more companies are working to improve upon their gender-related metrics, fostering more opportunity for diverse talent to succeed in their organizations."

The GEI, an unranked index, tracks the financial performance of public companies committed to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency. While all public companies are encouraged to disclose supplemental gender data for their company's investment profile on the Bloomberg Terminal, those that have a market capitalization of USD1 billion are eligible for inclusion in the Index.

About Albemarle

Albemarle Corporation (NYSE: ALB) is a global specialty chemicals company with leading positions in lithium, bromine and catalysts. We think beyond business as usual to power the potential of companies in many of the world's largest and most critical industries, such as energy, electronics, and transportation. We actively pursue a sustainable approach to managing our diverse global footprint of world-class resources. In conjunction with our highly experienced and talented global teams, our deep-seated values, and our collaborative customer relationships, we create value-added and performance-based solutions that enable a safer and more sustainable future.

We regularly post information to www.albemarle.com, including notification of events, news, financial performance, investor presentations and webcasts, non-GAAP reconciliations, SEC filings and other information regarding our company, its businesses and the markets it serves.

SOURCE ALBEMARLE CORPORATION
MELVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Veterans Group, a social impact investment bank and Wall Street's first and only public benefit corporation, today announced a $12,000 donation to Operation Stand Down Tennessee (OSDTN) to support its veteran workforce initiatives in the greater Nashville area.

As the only VA-approved veteran service center in the state of Tennessee, OSDTN provides vital transitional services which address homelessness, financial insecurity, hunger, unemployment and underemployment among veterans.

"Operation Stand Down Tennessee's forward-thinking and holistic approach to connecting with and supporting veterans made it easy for us to direct resources their way to further their mission," said Ben Biles, co-founder and chief executive officer of American Veterans Group. "Support for OSDTN demonstrates how the Metropolitan Government's decision to work with us translates into tangible support for veterans in their community."

The donation was made possible by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County's decision to choose American Veterans Group as a co-manager on a recent bond issue. American Veterans Group was appointed as a co-manager on the Metropolitan Government's $609,595,000 water and sewer revenue refunding bonds. The issues were classified as green bonds, indicating that the financing supports projects for specific climate or environmental sustainability purposes.

"Working with American Veteran's Group resulted in an outstanding outcome for our community," said Michell Bosch, treasurer for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. "Not only were we able to save money for taxpayers through low rates, our decision to engage American Veterans Group resulted in direct support for Tennessee veterans. Our thanks to American Veterans Group for their generous gift to Operation Stand Down."

Andrea Blackman, Metropolitan Government's chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer, added, "We strive to further our diversity, equity and inclusion objectives by working with a veteran-owned supplier like American Veterans Group. An added bonus is their social-impact mission to support veterans in local communities like ours where they do business. The diverse, and often at-risk community of veterans in Nashville and Davidson County will directly benefit from American Veterans Group's vision and generosity."

American Veterans Group, a public benefit corporation, is a growing investment banking firm that dedicates 25% of its profits to support veterans causes.

Penny Anderson, chief development and external affairs officer for Operation Stand Down TN, said, "Our team and community of supporters are dedicated to helping provide for and connect veterans and their families with comprehensive transition resources for their professional transition. The contribution made by American Veterans Group will provide support for 24 Nashville veterans receiving assistance through our Workforce Initiatives."

About American Veterans Group

American Veterans Group, PBC, is a military veteran-owned, social impact-focused broker dealer that delivers value to institutional clients while providing meaningful philanthropic support to the military veteran community. The company reinvests 25 percent of its earnings in national and local military veteran nonprofit organizations that provide worthy services and support to one of America's most vulnerable, at-risk populations. As Wall Street's only Public Benefit Corporation, American Veterans Group empowers institutional clients to partner in its social mission while enabling them to remain focused on key business objectives and goals. To learn more about American Veterans Group, visit their website at www.americanvetsgroup.com.

About Operation Stand Down Tennessee

Operation Stand Down of Tennessee provides and connects Veterans and their families with comprehensive resources focused on transition, employment, housing, benefits, peer engagement, volunteerism and connection to the community.

Media Contacts:

For American Veterans Group

Mark Kroeger

The Boldsquare Group

(513) 236-3109

[email protected]

For Operation Stand Down Tennessee

Penny Anderson

(615) 248-1981, Ext. 106

[email protected]

SOURCE American Veterans Group
After a hiatus during the pandemic, the Annapolis Oyster Roast & Sock Burning is back to celebrate the maritime culture of the Annapolis community and all things Chesapeake Bay. Join us on Saturday, March 19th from 12:00-4:00 PM as we burn our socks during the spring equinox. Tickets are on sale now for both General Admission and People's Choice at www.amaritime.org . Enjoy all-you-can-eat oysters, oyster shucking contests, family activities, and live music by the Eastport Oyster Boys and Naptown Brass Band. Beverages and other food will be available onsite for purchase. All of this takes place on the Museum's waterfront campus overlooking the Chesapeake Bay, including complimentary boat rides and skipjack tours.

The sock burning tradition was started in the late 1970's by local Eastport shipwrights who were fed-up with the winter weather. After an exceptionally cold, snowy season, a small group gathered to celebrate the coming of spring by burning their old socks and promising to forgo sock wearing until the cold weather returned.

Today, this quirky Annapolis tradition lives on at the Annapolis Maritime Museum at the Annual Oyster Roast & Sock Burning, where guests can take part in this decades-long tradition that welcomes both the spring and the Annapolis boating season.

"There is nothing more authentic and unique to Annapolis than the ritual of burning socks, started right here in Annapolis," said Alice Estrada, President/CEO of the Museum. "This beloved event brings the community together and raises funds for our important environmental education programs, which serve over 12,000 students annually."

Burn your socks my friend, the winter is done,

Tis time for boating, crabbing, and fun.

Purchase tickets and learn more about this event here: www.amaritime.org

About the Annapolis Maritime Museum

The Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the community on the area's rich maritime heritage and the ecology of the Chesapeake Bay. For more information, visit www.amaritime.org.

SOURCE Annapolis Maritime Museum
ATLANTA, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Caplan Cobb LLP; Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho; and Radford & Keebaugh, LLC about the lawsuit Githieya v. Global Tel Link Corp., Civil Action No. 1:15-cv-00986 in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.

A Settlement was reached with Global Tel*Link ("GTL"). The lawsuit claims that GTL improperly retained money that was deposited in prepaid "AdvancePay" accounts after the account was inactive for 180 days or less. GTL denies any and all wrongdoing of any kind and denies any liability.

The Settlement includes Class Members or anyone who (1) established and initially funded a prepaid account through GTL's automated telephone system (also called interactive-voice-response or IVR) and (2) had a positive account balance that was reduced to $0.00 due to account inactivity for 180 days or less from April 3, 2011, until October 6, 2021.

GTL will provide up to $67 million to pay (1) credits/refunds to eligible Class Members, (2) the costs of notice and administration, (3) attorneys' fees and costs, and (4) special service payments to Class Representatives. GTL has also agreed to change its Inactivity Policy to benefit Class Members and others.

GTL will credit or refund 100% of the amount that GTL retained from the affected accounts due to inactivity. Payments to former GTL customers may be reduced if the total credits/refunds exceed the available Settlement fund.

Important Information and Dates:

Class Members with an active GTL AdvancePay account at the time the Settlement is approved will receive an automatic credit to their account. Those who have (or will have) an inactive GTL AdvancePay account at the time the Settlement is approved must submit a Claim Form online or by mail by June 14, 2022 to receive a refund.

to receive a refund. Class Members, who are not sure they will continue to use their GTL AdvancePay account through 2022, should file a claim. Anyone who has both active and inactive GTL AdvancePay accounts will receive an automatic credit on their active account but will need to file a claim to get a refund for their inactive account(s).

Class Members who want to keep their right to sue GTL themselves must exclude themselves from the Settlement by April 15, 2022 .

. Class Members can object to the Settlement no later than April 15, 2022.

Class Members who do nothing will be bound by the Court's decisions. Former GTL customers who do nothing will not receive a refund (unless they reactivate their account within two years of final approval and funds remain available, in which case they may be eligible to receive a credit).

The Court will hold a hearing on August 26, 2022 to consider whether to approve the Settlement, a request for attorneys' fees and costs up to $18,675,000 and service payments of $25,000 .

For more information:

Visit: GTLPrePaidSettlement.com

Call: 1-833-630-1412, or

Write to: Settlement A dministrator, C/O Rust Consulting Inc - 7513, PO Box 2627, Faribault, MN 55021-9627

SOURCE Caplan Cobb LLP; Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho; and Radford & Keebaugh, LLC
ATLANTA, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia recently set a new single-day record for confirmed and probable COVID-19 infections as the Omicron variant surges in the state. Public health experts, including those from W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute, believe infections will continue to spread in the wake of the new year.

As a direct response, W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute today announced that it is hosting a drive-thru Stay Well Atlanta Community Vaccine Event on February 5, 2022. This drive-thru event will have a new sense of urgency due to the undeniable impact of Omicron.

Cobb/NMA Health Institute

The W. Montague Cobb/ NMA Health Institute functions as a national consortium of scholars who engage in innovative research and knowledge dissemination for the reduction and elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities and racism in medicine. The Stay Well Atlanta Community Vaccine Event is free and open to the public.

The event will take place Saturday, February 5, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the parking lot of the C.T. Martin Natatorium and Recreation Center, 3201 M. L. King Jr. Drive S.W., Atlanta, GA 30311. The event will offer:

Free drive-thru vaccinations

COVID-19 testing

Health resources

Access to panel discussion with local trusted Black healthcare professionals

Giveaways

"How this pandemic ultimately plays out in Atlanta is still very much in our hands. It is crucial that we do not abandon the practices that can lead to the beginning of the end. This vaccination event is so important for every member of our community," explained Dr. Samira Brown, local Cobb Institute physician.

The Metro Atlanta Chapters of Top Ladies of Distinction, Incorporated, along with Atlanta Councilwoman Andrea Boone are serving as local event organizers.

"This drive-thru vaccine clinic is a partnership between the Cobb Institute, state and local health organizations, and the Atlanta community to help make the vaccine accessible for all," stated Kimberly Willis Green, event coordinator.

The Fulton County Mobile Vaccine Unit provided by CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) will offer free COVID-19 vaccines and boosters for adults and children. Adults can schedule their vaccines at fultonvax.coreresponse.org and parents can schedule vaccines for children at fultonvaxped.coreresponse.org and clicking on CORE's Stay Well Atlanta appointment portal. Emergent Testing will provide free COVID-19 tests. For more information, please visit https://staywellcommunityhealthfairs.org, and stay updated via Facebook and Instagram .

About Stay Well Community Health Fairs

The Stay Well Health Fair and Vaccine events are designed to bring health-related resources to Black communities across the country. The W. Montague Cobb/NMA Health Institute has partnered with local health agencies and community-based organizations in select cities to continue to educate Black communities while working to make vaccine resources more accessible. These fairs feature local trusted Black healthcare professionals in panel discussions on the continued impact of COVID-19, the vaccines, and the emerging variants.

About Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. (TLOD) is a non-profit professional humanitarian organization founded in 1964 to help alleviate the moral and social problems confronting youth. Today, the organization works to make a positive impact in communities nationwide in the following areas (called Thrusts): Top Teens of America, Status of Women, Senior Citizens, Community Beautification, and Community Partnerships. For more information, visit www.tlodinc.org, follow us on Facebook at TLOD, Inc. National and @tlodinc1964 on Instagram and Twitter.

Media Contact:

Josephine Reid

[email protected]

414-260-8745

SOURCE Cobb/NMA Health Institute
As of today, the institution will adopt its new formal name and will be known informally as Cal Poly Humboldt. The state legislature will be asked to incorporate the name into legislation next year.

"Cal Poly Humboldt will be a polytechnic for the 21st-century, preparing students to address the urgent issues our society faces," says Cal Poly Humboldt President Tom Jackson, Jr. "The energy, the new academic programs, the incredible polytechnic foundation already in place, and the positive change associated with our new name and designation begins today for our campus community. We look forward to welcoming new students to a CSU campus with great momentum and an unparalleled trajectory. At Humboldt, we have always 'learned by doing'. There has never been a better time for students to be a part of Cal Poly Humboldt to achieve their goals."

The curricula developed by the faculty will emphasize STEM infused with humanities, arts, and ethics, and will be grounded in sustainability and social justice. Cal Poly Humboldt is located in a region with many tribal Nations and Indigenous wisdom will be respectfully and purposely reflected in the university's academic offerings.

The designation comes at a critical time as California and the nation face a growing demand for diverse STEM professionals and student demand is strong for programs in engineering and other STEM fields. Cal Poly Humboldt will help meet workforce needs in fields such as engineering, technology, and healthcare, in addition to bridging equity gaps in STEM professions. Regionally, a polytechnic institution will also have a tremendous economic impact on the North Coast, a mostly rural area between the San Francisco Bay Area and Oregon.

"Today's action is an investment in California's future that will help us meet the workforce needs of the 21st century and drive our economic growth for decades to come," says Governor Gavin Newsom, who advanced historic funding to support the university's polytechnic designation in his January state budget proposal last year. "As the CSU's third polytechnic university and the first in Northern California, Cal Poly Humboldt is a point of pride that will expand in-demand STEM opportunities for students across the state and help revitalize North Coast communities."

In August, Gov. Newsom and the state legislature approved $458 million ($433 million in one-time funding and $25 million in ongoing funds) to help support the polytechnic vision. Funding from that historic investment was allocated to launch at least 12 academic programs by fall 2023. It will also fund extensive infrastructure improvements and new facilities that directly support student success and retention and allows Cal Poly Humboldt to build out new programs and enhance current academic offerings.

The northernmost campus of the 23-campus California State University system, Cal Poly Humboldt follows in the footsteps of the CSU's other polytechnics. Cal Poly (San Luis Obispo) was established in 1901 followed by Cal Poly Pomona in 1938. Cal Poly Humboldt will approach its designation by reflecting its strong liberal arts roots and highlighting science in service of society. It is anticipated that Cal Poly Humboldt's continued prioritization of science's social impact will appeal to STEM-oriented students and specifically increase enrollment and graduation among women and diverse students.

"Between the established practices and programs led by first-rate faculty and staff, and the bold aspirations that they have for expanding curricula and serving greater numbers of talented students, Cal Poly Humboldt is a perfect fit as the CSU's third polytechnic institution," says CSU Chancellor Joseph I. Castro.

"My degree in mechanical engineering not only taught me the value of investing in STEM education for our students, but the benefits these programs have on our communities as well," said U.S. Senator Alex Padilla. "By establishing itself as a polytechnic institution, Cal Poly Humboldt will help develop a new class of leaders and a highly educated workforce in the North Coast. I'm proud to support higher funding for Hispanic-Serving Institutions like Humboldt that are doing the day-to-day work of investing in the next generation and putting the future of our students first."

Today's designation began in November 2020 when then CSU Chancellor Timothy White asked Humboldt State University to explore the feasibility of becoming a polytechnic. The University conducted an extensive self-study that culminated in a detailed prospectus outlining the University's vision, plans, budget, and more.

"Throughout campus, and this entire North Coast region, we are very thankful for the vision set forth by Chancellor-Emeritus White and for the support and trust bestowed upon Cal Poly Humboldt by Governor Newsom, the CSU Board of Trustees, and Chancellor Castro," says Jackson. "This designation and the related funding allow Cal Poly Humboldt to serve as an exemplar of the reimagining of higher education for our state's diverse learners. We will continue to align with our state's growing workforce needs and are truly excited to welcome new students to California's newest Cal Poly."

MEDIA RESOURCES

ABOUT CAL POLY HUMBOLDT (formerly Humboldt State University)

The northernmost campus in the 23 campus California State University system, Cal Poly Humboldt offers students an extraordinary learning experience that includes hands-on learning and personal attention from faculty. The institution was founded as a teachers college in 1913, and has grown into a comprehensive university and the largest employer on the North Coast. Surrounded by ancient redwoods and minutes from the Pacific Ocean, Cal Poly Humboldt's world-famous natural surroundings serve as both a living laboratory and a source of inspiration. Humboldt has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and social justice, and has developed specialized programs related to climate resiliency, wildfire management, natural resources, renewable energy, marine sciences, and more.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY

The California State University is the largest system of four-year higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 56,000 faculty and staff and 477,000 students. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. Each year, the CSU awards more than 132,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 4 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU in the CSU NewsCenter .



SOURCE Cal Poly Humboldt
WESTMINSTER, Colo., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) today announced that Dan Fisher, 49, currently president of Ball Corporation, was elected by its board of directors to the additional role of chief executive officer, effective at the annual shareholders meeting on Wednesday, April 27. John Hayes, 56, who has been Ball's CEO since January 2011, will remain chairman of the board, and will continue to lead the company's board activities and support its sustainability advocacy efforts.

"On behalf of our board of directors, we are pleased to elect Dan as our next CEO, the 12th CEO in our company's 142-year history," said John Hayes, chairman and CEO. "Dan is a proven and respected leader who has exemplified behaving like an owner, as he has delivered strong operating results through a relentless commitment to our customers, our people and our culture. He is ready for these new responsibilities, and we could not be more excited for our future under Dan's leadership."

Fisher, who was promoted to president in January 2021, will retain the title of president as he assumes the CEO role. He has 12 years of executive leadership experience at Ball in a variety of positions, including senior vice president and chief operating officer of the global beverage business from 2016 to 2021, and president of the North and Central America beverage business prior to that. More recently, he has had responsibility for Ball's aerospace, aluminum aerosol and aluminum cups businesses. Prior to Ball, Fisher held ever increasing financial leadership positions in companies including Emerson and Danaher.

"This announcement is the successful culmination of a purposeful, multiyear succession plan based on John's desire to step away from day-to-day management. Dan has worked closely with the board over the past several years, and we look forward to the next phase in our development with Dan as CEO," said Stuart Taylor, lead independent director of Ball's board of directors. "On behalf of the board, I want to thank John for his dedication as CEO. Under his leadership, the company has generated significant value and EVA dollars for its stakeholders while ensuring Ball is truly sustainable from an environmental, social and economic perspective. John's drive for resultscoupled with his focus on the Ball culture and commitment to doing the right thinghave been key to both our past success and positioning the company to capitalize on the many opportunities ahead. I would also like to thank John for continuing as the company's chairman and facilitating the change in leadership during the transition period."

"It is an honor to be named the next CEO of Ball Corporation, and I want to thank both John and the board for the confidence they have placed in me to lead this strong organization," Fisher said. "Ball is well-positioned for the future, and I welcome the opportunity to continue to work with John as chairman and benefit from his experience as we create value for all of our stakeholders, using Drive for 10 and EVA as our guide."

About Ball Corporation

Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ 21,500 people worldwide and reported 2020 net sales of $11.8 billion. For more information, visit www.ball.com, or connect with us on Facebook or Twitter.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking" statements concerning future events and financial performance. Words such as "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "believes," and similar expressions typically identify forward-looking statements, which are generally any statements other than statements of historical fact. Such statements are based on current expectations or views of the future and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied. You should therefore not place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements and they should be read in conjunction with, and qualified in their entirety by, the cautionary statements referenced below. The company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Key factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to be different are summarized in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including Exhibit 99 in our Form 10-K, which are available on our website and at www.sec.gov. Additional factors that might affect: a) our packaging segments include product capacity, supply, and demand constraints and fluctuations and changes in consumption patterns; availability/cost of raw materials, equipment, and logistics; competitive packaging, pricing and substitution; changes in climate and weather; footprint adjustments and other manufacturing changes, including the startup of new facilities and lines; failure to achieve synergies, productivity improvements or cost reductions; unfavorable mandatory deposit or packaging laws; customer and supplier consolidation; power and supply chain interruptions; changes in major customer or supplier contracts or loss of a major customer or supplier; inability to pass through increased costs; political instability and sanctions; currency controls; changes in foreign exchange or tax rates; and tariffs, trade actions, or other governmental actions, including business restrictions and shelter-in-place orders in any country or jurisdiction affecting goods produced by us or in our supply chain, including imported raw materials; b) our aerospace segment include funding, authorization, availability and returns of government and commercial contracts; and delays, extensions and technical uncertainties affecting segment contracts; c) the company as a whole include those listed above plus: the extent to which sustainability-related opportunities arise and can be capitalized upon; changes in senior management, succession, and the ability to attract and retain skilled labor; regulatory actions or issues including those related to tax, ESG reporting, competition, environmental, health and workplace safety, including U.S. FDA and other actions or public concerns affecting products filled in our containers, or chemicals or substances used in raw materials or in the manufacturing process; technological developments and innovations; the ability to manage cyber threats; litigation; strikes; disease; pandemic; labor cost changes; inflation; rates of return on assets of the company's defined benefit retirement plans; pension changes; uncertainties surrounding geopolitical events and governmental policies, including policies, orders, and actions related to COVID-19; reduced cash flow; interest rates affecting our debt; and successful or unsuccessful joint ventures, acquisitions and divestitures, and their effects on our operating results and business generally.

SOURCE Ball Corporation
SAN JOSE, Calif. and ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- zSpace, Inc. and Visible Body today unveiled a new software offering for the zSpace Learning Station to reach hundreds of thousands of students nationwide. High school, college and post-graduate students using zSpace interactive technology can now access Visible Biology to dissect, manipulate and explore virtual biology models and simulations of everything from molecules to organelles and plant tissues as if they were holding them in their hands.

Biology Comes to Life in AR/VR Through Partnership Between Visible Body and zSpace (PRNewsfoto/zSpace, Inc.) Biology Comes to Life in AR/VR Through Partnership Between Visible Body and zSpace (PRNewsfoto/zSpace, Inc.)

"Using zSpace to study biology is a deeply enriching experience for students and teachers," said Paul Kellenberger, CEO of zSpace. "Visible Biology is one of the most engaging and visually stunning applications today. The ability to explore and virtually dive into the models and lessons they've created within the zSpace virtual reality environment leads students to a profound understanding of biology that's often difficult to comprehend in two dimensions."

zSpace is a proprietary technology that allows students to create, explore and problem solve in an AR/VR environment and is the leading education company within the Metaverse. The most recent release from zSpace, the Inspire Learning Station, includes a Windows-based laptop, a high-fidelity display, 4K Pantone capabilities, a CPU for powerful graphics and computing capabilities, a haptic feedback stylus and optic tracking sensors. The Inspire no longer requires users to wear special glasses to view or interact with content, and learners can use zSpace at home, in the classroom, or as part of a hybrid learning environment.

Visible Biology on zSpace allows students to study the details in dozens of 3D models, select structures to reveal pronunciations and descriptions, and engage with interactive 3D simulations of biological processes such as photosynthesis. Students can use a 3D simulation to explore the connection between the structure of DNA and how DNA coils for storage in a chromosome. They can identify the similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, and can compare the roots, stems and leaves of monocot and dicot plants.

"Biology can be a daunting subject for students, so we are thrilled to offer it to them in a way that is highly vivid and engaging. Our partnership with zSpace reinvents biology education for the next generation," said Andrew Bowditch, CEO at Visible Body. "Virtual reality allows students to have a lab experience that goes beyond the microscope to visualize and explore the complexity and the beauty of the natural world. It's a great solution for schools or universities that are looking to increase the amount of time students have in the lab and the number of labs that can be done."

Visible Biology's 3D models come accompanied with lab activities, NGSS and state correlations, and courseware integration that makes it easy for instructors to use content in class, homework, and lab. In addition to being available on zSpace devices, the application can be accessed on traditional 2D devices such as laptops or PCs, so content is available to students and teachers whether they are working in an in-person, remote, or hybrid learning environment.

zSpace representatives will be available to demonstrate how zSpace technology and Visible Biology create a high-end, easy-to-use virtual and augmented reality learning experience for students at the National Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC 2022) from January 26 to January 28 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida in booth 3234.

About Visible Body

Visible Body's 3D models and animations make learning and teaching biology, anatomy and physiology visual and engaging. We invent apps that advance the way students learn, instructors teach, and healthcare professionals practice. Over a million people have used our products over the web, on iPads, iPhones, Android devices, PCs, Macs, and on zSpace.

About zSpace

zSpace is the leading evidence-based augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) platform providing innovative hands-on, experiential learning to improve achievement in science, math, and career and technical education credentialing. Over 2,500 school districts, technical centers, community colleges, and universities use zSpace to provide equitable access to instruction for millions of learners preparing for success in college and careers. A privately held, venture-backed company located in San Jose, California, it has more than 70 patents. zSpace was named "Cool Vendor" by Gartner, Inc., "Best in Show at ISTE" by Tech & Learning Magazine for three consecutive years and ranked two years in a row on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies. Visit www.zspace.com, or follow @zSpace on Twitter.

Media Contact: Amanda Austin, zSpace, Inc., 408-498-4050, [email protected]

SOURCE zSpace, Inc.
TOKYO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Buddhist philosopher and peacebuilder Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka

Gakkai International (SGI), issued his 40th annual peace proposal on January 26, 2022. Titled "Transforming Human History: The Light of Peace and Dignity," it offers concrete ideas for tackling the climate crisis and achieving inclusive education and nuclear disarmament.



Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former UN Under-Secretary-General and High Representative and founder of the Global Movement for the Culture of Peace, comments: "I know of no one who has highlighted the role and responsibility of the United Nations so consistently, relentlessly and substantively for such a long period of time as President Ikeda. For the last 40 years, his annual peace proposals have contained brilliant ideas and suggestions for the good of

humanity. I am encouraged he has highlighted empowerment of people as a major element in building the Culture of Peace."

Concerning humanity's response to the pandemic, Ikeda calls for solidarity built on awareness of our interconnectedness and states: "I believe firmly that the key factor determining the direction of history will prove not to have been the virus, but we humans ourselves."

He emphasizes the need to address the inequalities the pandemic has exposed, and that gender equality and women's empowerment are key to overcoming the crisis and building a global society that sustains human dignity.

On environmental issues, Ikeda calls for more coordinated efforts in implementing the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Convention on Biological Diversity and Convention to Combat Desertification, stating: "Climate change, biodiversity and desertification are deeply intertwined, and solutions are likewise interconnected."

He also proposes creating a youth council to advise the UN on the comprehensive protection of the "global commons," the environmental resources essential to all humanity.



Concerned about the impact of disruptions to education, Ikeda suggests that the UN Transforming Education Summit planned for September focus on education in emergencies, inclusive education and learning for global citizenship.

Toward the first meeting of States Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) slated for March, Ikeda stresses the urgency of "detoxifying" ourselves from nuclear-dependent security doctrines and strongly calls for Japan, other nuclear-dependent states and the nuclear-weapon states to participate as observers, stating: "As more countries that presently feel

they cannot sign or ratify the TPNW begin to positively acknowledge its true value and significance, I am confident that this will catalyze the energy and political will needed to put an end to the era of nuclear weapons."

The Soka Gakkai is a global community-based Buddhist organization that promotes peace, culture and education based on respect for the dignity of life. The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is an NGO in consultative status with UN ECOSOC. Every year, SGI President Ikeda issues a peace proposal on January 26 to commemorate the SGI's founding in 1975.



Contact:

Joan Anderson

International Office of Public Information

Soka Gakkai

+81-80-5957-4733

anderson[at]soka.jp

SOURCE Soka Gakkai
In the content creator market estimated at $104 billion - buywith has launched an influencer marketplace to drive brand awareness, product discovery, customer engagement, and seamless conversions via Livestream shopping sessions.

"We are thrilled to see young influencers like Spencer host Live video shopping sessions. When we first launched buywith, we saw the potential of the content creator economy to drive the growth of the Livestream shopping space. Now we are witnessing buywith connecting brands and the growing content creator market via Livestream shopping", said Adi Ronen Almagor , the buywith's CEO and Co-Founder.

Social media influencers and content creators from the US can apply to host live shopping sessions with their followers on buywith. Apply here to host a live shopping session .

buywith is a Livestream Shopping platform for brands and influencers to host virtual shopping events with their followers on brands' websites  through patent-pending technology. The uniqueness of buywith lies in the host's ability to take viewers on an exciting shopping journey experience on the e-commerce site, with a video, chat, and a shoppable "WANT" button.

buywith's scalable and frictionless Livestream shopping experience enables end-users to join sessions without a need for mobile app download. Brands can use the solution on their e-commerce website without code integration, and the hosts don't need any equipment other than a mobile phone.

About buywith

The Livestream Shopping trend is booming in China and growing fast in the US, estimated to become a $25 billion market by 2023.

The company was founded in 2018 by Adi Ronen (CEO & Co-Founder) and Eyal Sinai (CTO & Co-Founder) with offices in Tel Aviv and New York. buywith is working with world-class brands in the fashion and beauty industries across the US, Europe, and the Middle East and is backed by private investors and VCs from Europe and the US.

For more information, please visit https://www.buywith.com or contact [email protected]

SOURCE buywith
CAMBRIDGE, England, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CellCentric, a clinical stage, private biotechnology company pioneering small molecule inhibition of p300/CBP to treat cancer, today announces it has received funding from BrightEdge, the impact venture capital fund of the American Cancer Society. The funding will be used to further progress the clinical development of its ground-breaking, targeted treatment, inobrodib (formerly known as CCS1477) and are accompanied by additional significant investment from existing lead investor, Morningside Investments Limited.

Inobrodib is a first-in-class small molecule inhibitor that impacts twin regulatory proteins p300 and CBP and thus affects a number of established, yet elusive to treat oncogenes (including Myc, IRF4 and the Androgen Receptor). The orally bioavailable drug is transitioning into Phase II clinical trials in multiple indications; castration resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), haematological malignancies as well as specifically targeted tumours driven by genomic alterations.

CellCentric recently received confirmation from the World Health Organisation for inobrodib as a new International Non-proprietary Name (INN) for CCS1477. The -brodib suffix represents the new class of drug; p300/CBP bromodomain inhibitors. Any subsequent follower drugs with a similar mechanism of action will bear the same novel drug class stem, -brodib.

Alice Pomponio, Managing Director of the American Cancer Society's BrightEdge said: "We are delighted to be supporting CellCentric's mission to bring a novel targeted therapy to people with cancer. At BrightEdge we invest in ground-breaking cancer research with the goal to translate them into commercially accessible solutions that put patients front and centre."

Jason Dinges of Morningside Technology Advisory, and CellCentric Board member, added: "We are proud to continue our support of CellCentric and its mission to bring the first p300/CBP inhibitor to patients. At Morningside we are committed to investing in companies with strong teams and clear plans to deliver on their goals."

Will West, Chief Executive Officer of CellCentric, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome BrightEdge, alongside our cornerstone investor Morningside, as we continue to pioneer targeted cancer treatment through inhibiting p300/CBP. We now know that our drug can be well tolerated and deliver clear signals of efficacy. The task ahead is to build on that, maximising its impact as a monotherapy and in combination with existing standard of care agents, to treat specific cancer types."

About CellCentric:

CellCentric is a research driven and patient-centric clinical stage, private biotechnology company pioneering small molecule inhibition of the twin proteins, p300/CBP. It is focused on the rapid development of inobrodib, a first-in-class small molecule p300/CBP inhibitor, which has the potential to benefit patients with many different cancer indications.

About BrightEdge:

BrightEdge is the American Cancer Society's impact investment arm that, through equity investment seeks to translate ground-breaking cancer research into commercially accessible solutions, deepen social impact through patient first technologies, while generating financial returns that help sustain ongoing American Cancer Society research and programs in more than 5,000 local communities. Investment returns from the BrightEdge portfolio are both reinvested in the BrightEdge fund and used to sustain American Cancer Society's life-saving programs in research, access, and health equity. BrightEdge investment decisions are made based on potential for financial return and ability to achieve mission-driven social impact. To find out more, please visit: https://brightedgefund.org/

About Morningside:

Morningside is a technology and life science venture investment firm. With offices in Boston, Shanghai and London, the firm invests globally. The group is managed by investment professionals who are entrepreneurial, have deep industry knowledge and are effective in the local environment in which they operate. In addition to its investment activities, Morningside Ventures is strongly committed to social responsibility.

SOURCE CellCentric
"Since our founding in 1855, a key component of CHOP's mission has been ensuring that our patients have access to high-quality, convenient care," said Madeline Bell, President and CEO of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "And now, with the opening of our second inpatient hospital, the Middleman Family Pavilion, we aim to provide families in the region with a full range of best-in-class pediatric services, in a comfortable and convenient setting, close to home."

The over 250,000-square-foot inpatient hospital, which is located on CHOP's King of Prussia Campus and connected to CHOP's existing Specialty and Urgent Care Centers, includes:

52 spacious private inpatient rooms, consisting of a 36-bed medical surgical unit and a16-bed pediatric intensive care unit (PICU)

Care for a broad range of pediatric specialties, including orthopaedics, plastic surgery and ear, nose and throat (ENT)

An operating room suite consisting of up to four operating rooms, specializing in elective services requiring overnight stays

Comprehensive radiology services

One of the highlights of the Middleman Pavilion is the Madlyn K. Abramson Emergency Department, the first dedicated 24/7 pediatric emergency department in the King of Prussia area. The Emergency Department will include 20 beds equipped with the latest technology and most advanced diagnostic equipment. In addition to high-level emergency medical care, patient families will have access to vital, pediatric-specific support services, including child life specialists, pediatric behavioral health providers, and advanced telemedicine consultation.

"When we started planning for a new hospital in 2017, we had several goals in mind," said Jan Boswinkel, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Middleman Family Pavilion. "We wanted to make it easier for families to access our world-class care close to home, provide much-needed space to accommodate the growing number of patients who would need CHOP's care in the future, and create a space  and build a team  that was very much a part of the King of Prussia community. We are excited for the bright future ahead."

Multiple care teams at the Middleman Pavilion will also work at CHOP's Philadelphia Campus, with many doctors and nurses splitting their time between both campuses. Located at the intersection of several major highways  and with plenty of free parking just outside the hospital's main entrance  the Middleman Pavilion is easily accessible to a number of communities throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey and beyond.

Many philanthropic supporters have contributed to help fund this historic CHOP milestone. Together, donors have contributed $65 million toward CHOP's $75 million fundraising goal for the Middleman Pavilion. To learn more about how you can join them by making your gift, visit www.chop.edu/kophospital.

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: A non-profit, charitable organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, the 595-bed hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. The institution has a well-established history of providing advanced pediatric care close to home through its CHOP Care Network, which includes more than 50 primary care practices, specialty care and surgical centers, urgent care centers, and community hospital alliances throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as a new inpatient hospital with a dedicated pediatric emergency department in King of Prussia. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought Children's Hospital of Philadelphia recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Media Contact:

Ashley Moore

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Phone: 215-630-4683

[email protected]

SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

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SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts:

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SOURCE SpendEdge
DENVER, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- COHN Marketing, an award-winning, full-service, integrated health care marketing agency, has been named agency of record (AOR) by Craig Hospital.

A world-renowned neurorehabilitation and research hospital for people who have sustained spinal cord and/or brain injuries, Craig Hospital has been ranked as a top 10 rehabilitation hospital by U.S. News & World Report for 32 consecutive years. Considered one of the most established rehabilitation hospitals globally, Craig Hospital's patient outcomes are some of the best in the field of rehabilitative medicine.

"Craig Hospital and its entire team have had an incredible impact on patients and their families across the country," said Jeff Cohn, president and CEO of COHN Marketing. "Several from our team have had a personal experience with Craig, which is why we are passionate about driving forward Craig Hospital's impact through its team of multidisciplinary experts, innovative research and wealth of patient and partner experiences."

Following a competitive agency review process, Craig Hospital understood the value of COHN's strategic integrated approach. COHN will lead branding, advertising, digital, social media and public relations to reflect Craig Hospital's mission, the differentiation of its services and its unique Culture of Care.

"COHN welcomes a challenge, pushes boundaries and has a track record of making an impact," said Craig Hospital's president and CEO, Jandel Allen-Davis, M.D. "These are goals our team works toward every day and what we expect from our partners. We look forward to working with COHN to drive our world-renowned care, research and innovation forward so we can provide optimal health, independence and life quality for our patients."

Craig Hospital provides a highly individualized and personal approach to treatment, focusing on the patient's physical, cognitive and psychological well-being. Each year, the hospital treats an average of 475 inpatients and 2,000 outpatients, and its functional patient outcomes continue to surpass almost every national average. Typically, Craig Hospital graduates are discharged home at higher rates, return to work or school in greater numbers, are more functionally independent, require less attendant care, have fewer rehospitalizations, and have higher levels of community reintegration and satisfaction with life.

A health care marketing agency leader, the COHN team has B2B and B2C patient marketing experience with brands including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Exempla Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, Justin Parker Neurological Institute, MediLogix, Naviswiss, Panorama Orthopedics & Spine, SCL Health and Valley View Hospital.

About COHN Marketing

COHN Marketing was founded in 2000. The Denver marketing agency is a full-service, integrated agency that helps businesses and organizations achieve their care management marketing objectives through collaborative brand development, digital and traditional marketing, communications and public relations strategies. Ranked as 14th on Denver Business Journal's 2021 "Largest Denver-Area Advertising Agencies," COHN has a brand-centric philosophy that leads to winning results for clients in a variety of verticals, including real estate, retail, health care, business-to-business and lifestyle brands. The agency boasts 22 years of experience across a variety of verticals  from real estate to retail, health care, nonprofits, B2B, professional services and food & beverage. For more information, visit cohnmarketing.com.

ABOUT CRAIG HOSPITAL

Craig Hospital is a world-renowned neurorehabilitation hospital and research center specializing in the care of people who have sustained a spinal cord and/or brain injury. Located in Englewood, Colorado, Craig Hospital is a 93-bed, private, not-for-profit care facility providing a comprehensive system of inpatient and outpatient medical care, rehabilitation, neurosurgical rehabilitative care and long-term follow-up services. Half of Craig's patients come from outside of Colorado. Craig has been ranked as a top 10 rehabilitation center by U.S. News & World Report for 32 consecutive years. Craig received the NDNQI award in 2009, 2012 through 2015 and 2020 for the highest-quality outcomes in nursing care in a rehabilitation facility. Craig also received its fourth recognition for excellence in nursing by the American Nurses Credential Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program in 2020, ensuring Magnet designation until the year 2025. Craig was voted by employees as a "Top Workplace" by The Denver Post in 2012 through 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021 and was ranked in the "150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare" by Becker's Healthcare in 2014. In 2021, Craig was honored with an inaugural Top Workplace USA Award by Energage. For more information, visit craighospital.org.

SOURCE COHN Marketing
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Crypto Cannabis Club (CCC), the original NFT collection and Metaverse community for crypto and cannabis enthusiasts, today announced the launch of the first ever NFT-powered cannabis brand. Members of the CCC will receive significant discounts on premium cannabis flower through a-first-of-its-kind partnership with CampNova, the leading direct-to-consumer cannabis platform.

The Crypto Cannabis Club is a groundbreaking new community that forms the intersection of cannabis, crypto, and the Metaverse. Our rapidly growing, global community includes digital art aficionados, high frequency cannabis consumers, and crypto enthusiasts. In November, the CCC launched real world benefits for holders of its NFTs. The CCC has already announced partnerships with leading Cannabis brands including: Highsman, Old Pal, Dr. Dabber, King Palm, Higher Standards, Vibes Papers and Marley Naturals.

CCC now becomes the first NFT collection to provide its members with a real-world cannabis product. To achieve this, the CCC partnered with CampNova to provide California cannabis consumers with premium packaged cannabis flower, hand-selected by the CCC. CCC products are available to all legal cannabis consumers in California  but will be offered at a substantial discount to members of the CCC community who own an NFToker NFT. CCC cannabis products will be initially available in 1/8th ounce packages of premium cannabis flower featuring custom artwork from the CCC. Three packages out of the total production run will also include an NFToker NFT  currently valued at more than $600 each. In addition to the three NFToker NFTs, CCC has some other surprises in store that will be revealed when the cannabis products get into the hands of consumers, so customers are encouraged to save their packaging.

"Our goal is to provide the NFT owners in our community with the most exclusive cannabis experiences in the Metaverse and the real world. These worlds are rapidly converging, and we want to create a community beyond NFT ownership that will offer cannabis consumers a pathway between these worlds. Our hope is to be ambassadors between the Metaverse cannabis community and the IRL cannabis community," said CCC's new CEO  tech and cannabis industry veteran Ryan Hunter. "We are thrilled to launch our NFT-powered cannabis brand with CampNova to offer this product to California cannabis consumers and to our loyal community members in California at a substantial discount."

Hunter joins the team with nearly 20 years of Technology Industry experience, several years of Securities and Capital Markets experience, and more than 7 years of experience in the Cannabis Industry. Hunter was previously the COO for Willie's Reserve  Willie Nelson's cannabis brand, currently serves on the Board of Directors for Redwood Roots Distribution and is an advisor for Highsman, the new cannabis brand from Ricky Williams.

CCC's new products will be available mid-March through the CampNova online platform. A premier cannabis and CBD destination, CampNova is a direct-to-consumers platform featuring delivery partners throughout the state of California. "We are excited to work with Crypto Cannabis Club on this innovative product launch," said Marvin Wilcher, CEO and cofounder of CampNova. "We believe that this is the type of combination that creates heightened value for CCC's NFT community."

About Crypto Cannabis Club: The Crypto Cannabis Club is a groundbreaking new community that bridges Cannabis and Crypto to create value, utility, and gamification for our NFT club members. Our rapidly growing global community includes educated, progressive, digital art aficionados, high frequency cannabis consumers and crypto enthusiasts that seek to engage authentically with one another as well as cannabis brands, artists, musicians, and advocates.

About CampNova: CampNova is an e-commerce, technology marketing platform developed by experienced cannabis entrepreneurs. A premier cannabis and CBD destination, CampNova is a direct-to-consumers platform featuring delivery partners throughout the state of California. CampNova features brands, bonus limited edition exclusive releases from celebrities featuring pro-athletes, actors, and influencers. Its headquarters are in Los Angeles and Oakland, Calif.

SOURCE Crypto Cannabis Club
AMSTERDAM, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM), the government agency providing specialized cybersecurity services; EclecticIQ, a leading global threat intelligence, hunting, and response technology provider; and Syntx, a Malaysian cybersecurity company, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Jan 25 at a virtual ceremony. The three organizations have agreed to collaborate on a range of activities aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity posture of Malaysia and the greater Southeast Asia region to combat growing threats. A key goal is to expand the use of cyber threat intelligence (CTI), an aspect of cybersecurity that focuses on collecting and analyzing information about current and potential attacks.

Dato' Ts. Dr. Haji Amirudin Bin Abdul Wahab FASc, chief executive officer for CyberSecurity Malaysia, said, "CSM is really pleased to work with an international industry player and partner with a local SME that have the same shared core beliefs to empower prudent cybersecurity practices. It is timely to forge this strategic collaboration that will drive higher awareness and adoption of cyber threat intelligence in Malaysia."

Malaysia has been termed a "quiet leader in cybersecurity," and came in eighth out of 194 states in this year's Global Cybersecurity Index from the International Telecommunication Union.1 However, Malaysia has been subject to cyberattacks on businesses and government organizations, many related to COVID-19 issues and involving ransomware and state-sponsored espionage and hacking. For instance, between January and May 2021, 4,615 cybersecurity incidents were reported to CSM's Cyber999 Help Centre.2

To further improve Malaysia's cybersecurity posture, the three organizations plan to develop a joint research publication on a CTI topic relevant to the region, support establishment of a centralized CTI knowledge base, and provide practical guidance on the use of CTI methods through case studies, including lessons learned from CSM's deployment of the EclecticIQ Threat Intelligence Platform. All activities will be aligned with and support the Malaysia Cyber Security Strategy 2020-2024.

Joep Gommers, CEO and founder of EclecticIQ, noted, "As a global leader in threat intelligence technology, we advocate for a safer world through collaboration. Building strong partnerships in the fight against cyber threats is an important part of that advocacy. This memorandum will further strengthen collaboration and represents an important milestone in our efforts to empower Malaysia and the entire Southeast Asia region with tools and technologies that can enhance cyber situational awareness. We are honored by the confidence placed in EclecticIQ by the Malaysian government and our partner Syntx."

Fadzril Azhar, chief executive officer for Syntx Sdn Bhd., stated, "Syntx is honored to be a part of this collaboration, which manifests the trust placed in us by both parties and provides significant encouragement for us to work harder. We are committed to grow more local capabilities and capacities in cybersecurity, especially around cyber threat intelligence."

About CyberSecurity Malaysia

CyberSecurity Malaysia is the Malaysia 's national cyber security specialist agency under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia (KKMM). CyberSecurity Malaysia is the national cybersecurity specialist and technical agency committed to provide a broad range of cybersecurity innovation-led services, programs and initiatives to help reduce the vulnerability of digital systems, and at the same time strengthen Malaysia's self-reliance in cyberspace. Among specialized cyber security services provided are Cyber Security Responsive Services, Cyber Security Proactive Services, Outreach and Capacity Building, Strategic Study and Engagement, and Industry and Research Development.

About EclecticIQ

EclecticIQ is a global threat intelligence, hunting, and response technology provider. Its clients are some of the most targeted organizations, globally. To build tomorrow's defenses today, they have to understand the threats against them  and align their efforts and investments to mitigate their risks. EclecticIQ helps governments, large enterprises and service providers manage threat intelligence, create situational awareness and adopt an intelligence-led cybersecurity approach. EclecticIQ extended its focus towards hunting and response with the acquisition of Polylogyx's endpoint technology in 2020. Founded in 2014, EclecticIQ operates globally with offices across Europe, North America, and via value-add partners. More info: www.eclecticiq.com

About Syntx

Syntx is a trusted knowledge-based cyber security and information technology company providing holistic consultancy and solution integration services to solve client's complex problem in the evolving cyber threat landscape. We are a growing organization of principles that takes pride in our professionalism, and leveraging the experience of our qualified professionals we have designed a way to break our customer's complex cyber security challenges into smaller pieces to provide pragmatic solutions for them to make informed and smarter decisions, empowering their business success with cyber resiliency.

1 https://unric.org/en/itu-releases-fourth-edition-of-the-global-cybersecurity-index/



2 https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2021/06/03/saifuddin-more-cybercrime-reported-during-pandemic

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12902208

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE EclecticIQ
BOULDER, Colo., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Following eight acquisitions in the past 24 months and a year of increasingly successful strategic client engagements, E Source has emerged as the data solution provider best able to help energy and water utilities meet their most pressing infrastructure, program, and equity challenges on the path to a sustainable future. Combining industry-leading research, technology planning and implementation, consulting, predictive data science, and a suite of utility artificial intelligence (AI) applications, E Source now wields a solutions prowess unequaled in the industryone uniquely informed by decades of utility-industry experience.

"Utilities have always 'mattered,' but today they play a leading, highly visible role in the health of our planet and the prosperity of its people," says Ted Schultz, CEO of E Source. "Utilities today have the mandate to spend big on capital improvements to drive sustainability, but in a way that keeps customers' rates affordable. In order to do so, utilities must rethink how they work to significantly reduce O&M expenses and increase their investments' speed to value. Key to that rethinking is data-driven decision-making, a process we simplify and accelerate for our utility partners and one that's beginning to make a transformational impact."

Over the past year, E Source has taken significant steps to help utilities thrive in the new data-driven era. E Source successfully:

Acquired and integrated three additional companies : Water Systems Optimization (WSO), a leader in water-loss management; Cairn ERA, a bellwether battery market intelligence and consulting firm; and AAC Partners, a trusted technology planning and implementation consultant specializing in customer information and enterprise resource planning systems and the movement of these systems to the cloud. Building on the 2020 acquisitions of TROVE Predictive Data Science, StrategyWise, UtiliWorks, Excergy, and QuadROI, E Source has broadened its domain expertise in smart meters, EVs, energy storage, gas, water, and critical operational systems that produce enabling data.

: Water Systems Optimization (WSO), a leader in water-loss management; Cairn ERA, a bellwether battery market intelligence and consulting firm; and AAC Partners, a trusted technology planning and implementation consultant specializing in customer information and enterprise resource planning systems and the movement of these systems to the cloud. Building on the 2020 acquisitions of TROVE Predictive Data Science, StrategyWise, UtiliWorks, Excergy, and QuadROI, E Source has broadened its domain expertise in smart meters, EVs, energy storage, gas, water, and critical operational systems that produce enabling data. Accelerated innovation in data science and predictive analytics , including the development of a groundbreaking vegetation management scenario planning tool to optimize risk-spend efficiency; a predictive storm model that supports proactive outage mitigation; a turnkey peak-time rebate program that delivers greater than 90% resource reliability; and a novel approach to address equity issues for low- and moderate-income and small and midsize business customers.

, including the development of a groundbreaking vegetation management scenario planning tool to optimize risk-spend efficiency; a predictive storm model that supports proactive outage mitigation; a turnkey peak-time rebate program that delivers greater than 90% resource reliability; and a novel approach to address equity issues for low- and moderate-income and small and midsize business customers. Deepened its leadership team, appointing utility veteran Ted Schultz as CEO, while adding Michael Carter as president of Research and Advisory; Reinhard Sturm as senior vice president of Water Loss Consulting; Sam Jaffe as vice president of Battery Storage Solutions; and Edwin Crow as senior vice president of Customer Systems.

appointing utility veteran as CEO, while adding as president of Research and Advisory; as senior vice president of Water Loss Consulting; as vice president of Battery Storage Solutions; and as senior vice president of Customer Systems. Added 150 new utility and city clients , including three regional water-loss-control programs spanning 47 utilities, while also broadening the scope of its engagements with existing clients, including major investor-owned utilities and large municipalities across the US and Canada .

, including three regional water-loss-control programs spanning 47 utilities, while also broadening the scope of its engagements with existing clients, including major investor-owned utilities and large municipalities across the US and . Grew subscription revenue across business units, most notably in data-science-as-a-service (DSaaS) licenses, which more than doubled, signaling a growing industry focus on data-driven results and speed to value.

One utility client benefiting from growth and innovation at E Source is Evergy, which powers the lives and businesses of approximately 1.6 million customers in Kansas and Missouri.

"E Source is a key partner in Evergy's drive to become a data-driven organization," says Kevin Bryant, executive vice president and COO at Evergy Inc. "E Source knows utilities and has helped us turn data into a strategic asset used to optimize our operations."

"Utilities are under enormous pressure to deliver safe, reliable, clean, and affordable energy and water in an equitable manner to their customers," concludes Schultz. "This is going to be a seminal year in the industry's pursuit of these goals. E Source has anticipated this moment, building the solutions, services, and culture of practical innovation utilities need to rise to the challenge."

About E Source

E Source is the data authority for the utility industry. From primary research, consulting, and operational data systems selection and implementation expertise to breakthrough predictive data science services and AI applications, E Source enables energy and water utilities to collect, enhance, and use data to transform their operations and solve their sustainability, safety, reliability, equity, and cost challenges. With hundreds of clients, an exclusive focus on utilities spanning 35 years, and a growing arsenal of data-driven solutions, E Source brings to each engagement an unrivaled understanding of what works and how to implement it, increasing speed to value. Owned by Align Capital Partners, a growth-oriented private equity firm managing $775 million in committed capital, E Source is headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, with offices across the US. For more information, visit http://www.esource.com

Contacts:

Business inquiries:

Michael Carter, Chief Revenue Officer and President of Research and Advisory

[email protected]

303-345-9156

Media inquiries:

Sarah Mees

[email protected]

617-462-8066

SOURCE E Source Companies LLC
MIAMI, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- eCapital Corp. ("eCapital" or "the Company"), a leading alternative finance provider for small and medium-sized businesses across North America and the United Kingdom, today announced the acquisition of UMB Bank's Accounts Receivable Financing division portfolio.

"This acquisition from UMB Bank supports our organizational growth strategy, as we continue to advance our position in the alternative finance industry. More specifically, it bolsters our presence across the Midwest and strengthens our service delivery across this important region" said Marius Silvasan, CEO of eCapital.

Silvasan continued: "Over the coming weeks, we will seamlessly transition this significant customer base to our market-leading technology platform, ensuring that they receive outstanding access to the working capital they require."

This is the 11th acquisition for eCapital within the alternative finance sector in the last four years. The purchase supports the company's corporate vision of becoming the leading alternative financing provider throughout North America and the UK.

About eCapital Corp.

eCapital Corp. is committed to supporting small and middle-market companies in the United States, Canada, and the UK by accelerating their access to capital through financial solutions like invoice factoring, factoring lines of credit, and asset-based lending. Through its Commercial Finance and Freight Factoring divisions and its portfolio companies Advantedge Commercial Finance Ltd. and Gerber Finance, Inc., eCapital offers capital solutions to a broad set of industries. Based in Miami, Florida, eCapital leverages a fully integrated technology platform to provide flexible, customized capital solutions to a broad set of industries. For more information about eCapital, visit eCapital.com.

SOURCE eCapital Corp.
Epitome Risk has been providing COVID support to TV and film productions since 2020. Epitome works with multi-million dollar productions in the US and overseas. Epitome Risk also works with Independent films and commercial productions.

"Our COVID team is made up of Epitome employees, not subcontractors, so you know your job will meet our strict standards," said Ms. Wilson. " We've been called in to fix other COVID risk management plans and on-set issues because the previous company used contractors that didn't perform as expected and weren't sure what they were doing. We are the only COVID compliance company with everything available under one roof."

Epitome Risk began as a Risk Management company with a team made up of counter-terrorism and VIP Security specialists. When COVID hit, it made sense to add COVID compliance to Epitome Risk's offerings. Epitome Risk professionals have worked on everything from multi-million dollar productions to three-day commercial shoots. Epitome Risk is available 24/7 and understands the last minute nature of TV and film productions.

"This may sound crazy to some people, but our extensive background in high-level risk management carried out in the Special Operations planning principles has been very successful for Epitome and TV and film clients," Ms. Wilson said. "Risk management and health and safety is in our DNA," Wilson added.

Media Contact: Karen Campbell, 667-206-0208, [email protected] .

About Epitome Risk

The Epitome Risk Safety and Security teams provide scalable risk management solutions  no matter the size of your production. Epitome Risk works diligently to understand the creative goals, budget constraints, and all other influences on the project. Epitome then develops a bespoke and realistic risk management plan that does not negatively impact, but rather enhances the creative vision of the film team. Visit us at epitomerisk.com/film .

Available for immediate interview:

Lisa Wilson, CEO and co-founder of Epitome Risk. Photos and b-roll available upon request.

Lisa can outline what talent, producers and directors need to know before the production starts, and during the shoot. Lisa can talk about best-practices for Hollywood , how to work with people who don't want to get vaccinated , and the most important safety measures for Hollywood that no one is talking about.

SOURCE Epitome Risk
MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Every individual, regardless of their financial situation, age or background, is strongly encouraged to set aside a portion of their savings in an emergency fund. Unexpected bills, loss of income and other surprise expenses can often leave unprepared individuals scrambling for funds or winding up in debt. Leading Islam finance provider Hejaz Financial Services reveals why an emergency fund is essential and their top advice for financial planning for an emergency.

According to Halal home loan expert Hejaz Financial Services, research has revealed that 21% of Australian households have reported having less than $1,000 in cash savings. The same research shows that nearly a quarter of Australian households report that they would only be able to maintain their current lifestyle for approximately a month if they suddenly lost their income; 11% of households would only sustain their lifestyle for a mere two weeks.

The amount needed in an emergency fund differs between individuals or households and is dependent on a number of factors: lifestyle, current savings, income, recurring expenses and more will impact the amount a person will need in their emergency fund. Hejaz Financial Services suggests individuals calculate their current amount of savings, their expected income over the next year and their likely expenses over that same period of time. This will provide a comprehensive, accurate view of their financial situation. The Sharia loans expert informs Australians that setting aside three to six months' worth of living expenses will provide a good place to start.

Building up an emergency fund often takes discipline and time, especially for individuals starting from scratch. Hejaz Financial Services recommends breaking down the goal amount into achievable goals: forfeiting a takeaway coffee a few times a week and investing the money into savings instead, putting aside a set amount of each paycheque or focusing any secondary streams of income into savings.

Islamic finance leaders Hejaz Financial Services offers a full suite of Sharia-compliant financial services from Halal loans to savings plans and everything in between. Contact them to find out more about their services today.

Source: Hejaz Financial Services

SOURCE Hejaz Financial Services
HONG KONG, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Juniper Research, one of the most reputable telecom-focused research companies in the market and VOX Carrier, the only player capable of helping MNOs monetize flash calls (A2P Voice) at this point in time, have partnered to launch the first whitepaper in the industry discussing the introduction of flash calls for OTP and 2FA use cases, their market size and growth, their advantages to A2P SMS, as well as opportunities for both MNOs and enterprises.

Key findings include:

Flash call verification (verification through OTT missed call) is here to stay, as an OTP and 2FA method.

Flash calls (A2P Voice) have are more cost-effective and provide better safety and customer experience for customers, vs. A2P SMS, creating a clear incentive for enterprises to adopt it.

The market size of flash calls is estimated to be of 5 bn calls in 2022, growing 25+ times over next years, reaching 128 bn calls in 2026 (128% CAGR).

The current technology stack of MNOs does not allow them to identify and charge Flash Calls, meaning they must forge new monetization partnerships to prevent revenue loss.

With the appropriate solution (such as that of VOX Carrier), MNOs can turn A2P Voice into an additional revenue stream, while still protecting A2P SMS traffic.

Flash calling, the process in which users' profiles are verified via a missed phone call, is an emerging form of user authentication, such as OTPs (One-time Passwords), already backed by OTTs (i.e.: WhatsApp, Telegram, IMO, Viber, etc). This is to leverage the high mobile penetration worldwide a method of identifying users for brands and enterprises.

This has also been the case with A2P SMS, with an increasing number of such messages terminated globally. However, as brands and enterprises are aim to minimize the costs of their authentication process, flash calling will provide a disruptive element. Regarding the size of the segment, Juniper Research estimates that "2022 will bring approximately 5 bn such calls globally, with the volume increasing 25+ times over the next years, hence reaching 128 bn yearly calls in 2025", said Sam Barker, Head of Analytics & Forecasting at Juniper Research (translating to 20 such calls per capita, given the population with smartphones, hence becoming a significant stream of revenue for MNOs).

However, the edge of flash calling does not only rely on its lower costs. For example, flash calling enables higher customer experience due to less friction. Moreover, flash calls are more secure, as there is no content to be intercepted or manipulated, making the use case specifically rewarding for players in the Payments and Financial space.

The whitepaper concludes that it is key for both enterprises and MNOs to prepare for capitalizing on the flash calling phenomenon. Without action and as it stands, operators do not possess the technology to identify, bill or invoice these services. As missed calls do not impose a cost, MNOs must leverage new technology in order to create an environment to fully monetize flash calls. At this point, while this technology is scarce, there are certain players in the market able to help MNOs turn A2P Voice into an additional revenue stream.

"At this point, VOX Carrier is the only company to provide a functional solution for A2P Voice monetization, helping MNOs create a complete environment for A2P Voice, from identification, to billing and bypass mitigation," said Ehsan Ahmadi, founder and CEO of Vox Carrier. The company's solution impact is already proven, increasing A2P revenue of its customers by a minimum of 240% up to in only 1 year.

The whitepaper can be downloaded freely at: https://www.voxcarrier.com/white-paper-2/

About VOX Carrier:

The VOX Group stands at the crossroad of the Technology & Telecommunication space, present in the market for over 11 years. The company's aim is to improve, simplify & optimize International Voice & Messaging, using the latest innovations in technology. In terms of services, VOX has a portfolio of powerful solutions that serve MNOs in A2P messaging, Voice & Flash call monetization and aggregation. For the enterprise segment the company focuses on as A2P messaging, A2P & P2P Voice, while also providing solutions focused on Cloud Communications. The company has an established customer base throughout its service portfolio, working with some of the largest MNOs, such as TIM, Deutsche Telekom, Telstra, MTN and Beeline

For MNOs, in the areas of Flash Calls (Voice A2P), the company is focused both on monetization, being the only company in the market with such a solution, and also aggregation. As the only player in the market to have such a solution, the company has recently won the Global Carrier Awards for Best Anti-fraud Innovation, hosted by Capacity Media (having done so also in 2019).

About Juniper Research:

Juniper Research specialises in identifying and appraising new high growth market sectors within the digital ecosystem. Market sizing and forecasting are the cornerstones of our offering, together with competitive analysis, strategic assessment and business modelling.

SOURCE VOX Carrier
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Forecast by Technology, Product, Channel and Country: Assay Volumes and 5-Year Market Size Outlook" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

A new dynamic market is emerging for COVID-19-based diagnostics. Testing is moving into physicians' offices and even into the home.



Saliva tests? Handheld multiplex testers? Home based testing sticks? And what about the workplace market where safety is paramount? And what happens to the large laboratory capacity that was built up to handle a pandemic now in decline? Learn all about these changing markets in our latest report.



Revenue, testing volumes, technology, products and channels - they are all looked at in this complete report that provides detailed breakdowns by country and regions. Get on top of the situation quickly with market guides and situation analysis. The report includes five year market forecasts.

COVID-19 Diagnostics Recent Developments

LetsGetChecked Closes $150M Funding Round

Funding Round Novacyt Gets CE Mark for Multigene SARS-CoV-2 Test, Launches RUO Variant Assay

Abbott Sees Sharp Decline in COVID-19 Test Revenue

Phosphorus Diagnostics Gets EUA for DTC C19 Test, Sample Collection Kit

NY Times Explores Multiplex Testing

Hologic Banking on MDx Acquisitions

Demand for Cepheid SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care Tests to Continue Through 2022

DiaSorin Acquires Luminex to Broaden MDx Portfolio, Expand US Presence

LumiraDx to Go Public Through SPAC

Eurofins Test Helps to ID Mutations

Roche Sees Growing Opportunities for Diagnostics

Roche to Acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $1.8B

Fulgent Genetics is to Use COVID-19 Testing Gains to Grow Clinical Sequencing

LexaGene Syndromic Panel Platform Lets Labs Customize Targets

FDA Grants EUAs for DTC Sample Collection Kit, Two Molecular Tests

At-Home Infectious Disease Test Developer Lucira Health Goes Public

Diagnostic Company Profiles

Abacus Diagnostica

Abbott Diagnostics

Accelerate Diagnostics

Acces Bio

Advanced Biological Laboratories

Agena Bioscience, Inc

Agilent/Dako

Altona Diagnostics

Alveo Technologies

Anatolia Geneworks

Applied BioCode

Applied DNA Sciences

Assurance Scientific Laboratories

Aus Diagnostics

Autobio Diagnostics

Beckman Coulter Diagnostics

Becton, Dickinson and Company

BGI Genomics Co. Ltd

BillionToOne

Binx Health

Biocartis

Biodesix Inc

BioFire Diagnostics (bioMerieux)

Biolidics Ltd

bioMerieux Diagnostics

Bioneer Corporation

Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc

Bio-Reference Laboratories

Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH

Cepheid (Danaher)

Chembio

Co Diagnostics

Color Genomics

Cue Health

Curetis N.V. / Curetis GmbH

Diagenode Diagnostics

Diasorin S.p.A

Ellume

Enzo Life Sciences, Inc

Everywell

Fluxergy

Fulgent Genetics

Fusion Genomics

Genedrive

Genetic Signatures

GenMark Dx (Roche)

Gold Standard Diagnostics

Hologic

Illumina

Immunexpress

Inflammatix

Janssen Diagnostics

Karius

Laboratory Corporation of America

Letsgetchecked

Lexagene

Luminex Corp

LumiraDx

Mammoth Biosciences

Mayo Clinic Laboratories

Mbio Diagnostics

Meridian Bioscience

Mesa Biotech ( Thermo Fisher )

) Mobidiag (Hologic)

Nanomix

Novacyt

Orasure

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics

Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Perkin Elmer

Primerdesign (Novacyt)

Prominex

Qiagen Gmbh

quantumdx.com

Quest Diagnostics

Quidel

Randox Toxicology

Roche Molecular Diagnostics

SD Biosensor

Seegene

Sherlock Biosciences

Siemens Healthineers

Sona Nanotech

SpeeDx

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc

Veredus Laboratories

Vircell

Visby Medical

YD Diagnostics

Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech

Scope of the Report

Technology

PCR

PCR Multiplex

Sequencing

Antibody

Antigen

Products

Instruments

Reagents & Kits

Extraction

Collection

Channels

Public

Hospital

Clinic

Workplace

DTC/OTC

Wastewater

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ui2zn4

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Long-Acting Injectable Drugs" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Chronic conditions require drug administration over long periods of time, placing a greater emphasis on self-administration. With the shift away from caregiver interaction, drug safety and compliance/adherence become prominent concerns.

These concerns, which are not new, are becoming magnified as the number of powerful new drugs reaching the market increases. For healthcare managers and public health officials, one way to address these issues is less frequent dosing. Using formulation technologies designed to modulate the effect of therapeutic substances, drug developers are creating formulations that exhibit extended release profiles.

These chemistries include polymers such as polyethylene glycol-complexed (PEGylated), which are used to product encapsulated and coated versions of new APIs. The goal is to address the requirement for patient-dependent, and therefore compliance-sensitive, drug treatment protocols such as multiple dosing through controlled release formulations that provide the desired therapeutic effect with less-frequent dosing.

What You Will Learn

What are the marketed long-acting injectable drug products, what Long-Acting formulation technologies are used, and who markets them?

What are the major factors driving long-acting injectable drug demand?

What long-acting injectable drug candidates are in late-stage clinical development and what is their potential impact?

How important are drug developer-formulation technologist relationships in the long-acting market segment, and what are the key alliances in the industry?

What are the essential formulation factors, delivery device selection issues, related technology factors and market development issues for long-acting injectable drug products?

In what therapeutic market segments do long-acting injectables compete? What is their market share today? What will it be in 2028? What is their expected growth rate?

What are the significant economic, technology, and regulatory factors affecting the market for long-acting injectables?

Key Topics Covered:

Executive Summary

Long-Acting Injectable Drugs

Executive Summary

Injectable Drug Market Dynamics

The Trend toward Self-Administration

Injectable Drug Formulation

Technology

Innovation in Injectable Device Designs

Therapeutic Demand Drivers

Market Factors

Patient Compliance

Ease of Use

Healthcare Regulations

Managed Care Initiatives

Competitive Landscape

Risk Factors

Formulation Technologies

Biodegradable Polymers

PEG

PLA/PLGA

Polyether ester

Long-Acting Injectable Formulation Technologies

BEPO (MedinCell)

ChroniJect (Oakwood

Laboratories/PharmaSophia)

CriticalMix (Critical

Pharmaceuticals)

Depofoam (Pacira)

FluidCrystal (Camarus)

LinkeRx (Alkermes)

Medisorb (Alkermes)

Medusa (Recipharm/Avadel)

Nanocrystals (Alkermes)

Optisomes (Talon/Spectrum)

PolyActive (Octoplus)

Q-Sphera (Midatech Pharma)

SABER/SAIB (DURECT)

SynBiosys (Innocore)

TransCon (Ascendis)

Physical Process Control

Methods

Supercritical Fluid

SCF for Nanoparticle Formulations

Formulplex (Supercritical Solutions)

Ferro SCF extraction of emulsions (SFEE)

Long-Acting Injectables - Development Factors

Formulation Factors

Stability

Administration Factors

Long-Acting Product Analysis

Aripiprazole

Aripiprazole lauroxil

Bupivacaine

Buprenorphine

Cytarabine

Cytarabine & Daunorubicin

Doxorubicin

Estradiol

Exenatide

Fluphenazine decanoate

Goserelin acetate

Granisetron

Interferon (1)

Interferon (2)

Interferon (3)

Interferon (4)

Irinotecan

Lanreotide acetate

Leuprolide

Leuprolide Depot

Medroxyprogesterone

Naltrexone

Octreotide acetate

Olanzapine Pamoate

Paliperidone palmitate

Pasireotide

Pegvaliase-pqpz

Risperidone

Testosterone

Triptorelin (1)

Triptorelin (2)

Triamcinolone acetonide

Vincristine sulfate

Glycemic Control

AB101 (Rezolute)

Hormone Deficiency

human Growth Hormone/

Ascendis Pharma

Addiction

CAM2038 (Camurus)

Pain Management

Posidur/Durect

Cardiology

Treprostinil/Ascendis Pharma

Neurology

Relday/Risperidone (DURECT/Zogenix)

Oncology

CAM2032 (Camurus)

Therapeutic Sector Analysis

Addiction

Glycemic Control

Infectious Disease

Hepatitis

Neurology

Schizophrenia

Bipolar Disorder

Oncology

Pain Management

Reproductive Health

Fertility

Endometriosis

Company Profiles

Alkermes

Amylin

AntriaBio

Ascendis Pharma

AstraZeneca

Aurobundo

Avadel

Biomarin

Camurus

Critical Pharmaceuticals

DURECT

Eli Lilly

Enzon

Ipsen

Janssen

NanOlogy

Novartis

Oakwood Laboratories/PharmaSophia

OctoPlus

Pacira

PhaseBio Pharmaceuticals

Recipharm AB

Roche

Sanofi

Taiwan Liposome Company (TLC)

Xbrane Bipharma

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/rsdr5z

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1904

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
Key Highlights Offered in the Report:

Information on how to identify strategic and tactical negotiation levels that will help achieve the best prices.

Gain information on relevant pricing levels, detailed explanation on pros and cons of prevalent pricing models.

Methods to help engage with the right suppliers and discover KPI's to evaluate incumbent suppliers.

Get a free sample report for more information

Insights into buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers:

Several strategic and tactical negotiation levers are explained in the report to help buyers achieve the best prices for the Rigid Packaging market. The report also aids buyers with relevant Rigid Packaging pricing levels, pros, and cons of prevalent pricing models such as volume-based pricing, spot pricing, and cost-plus pricing and category management strategies and best practices to fulfil their category objectives.

For more insights on buyer strategies and tactical negotiation levers, www.spendedge.com/report/rigid-packaging-market-procurement-research-report

Key Drivers and Trends Fueling Market Growth:

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the low bargaining power of suppliers.

Price forecasts are beneficial in purchase planning, especially when supplemented by the constant monitoring of price influencing factors. During the forecast period, the market expects a change of 2%-4%.

Identify favorable opportunities in Rigid Packaging TCO (total cost of ownership).

Expected changes in price forecast and factors driving the current and future price changes.

Identify pricing models that offer the most rewarding opportunities.

SpendEdge presents a detailed picture of this procurement market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our Rigid Packaging market procurement report covers the following areas:

Some of the top Rigid Packaging suppliers listed in this report:

This Rigid Packaging procurement intelligence report has enlisted the top suppliers and their cost structures, SLA terms, best selection criteria, and negotiation strategies.

Silgan Holdings Inc

Gerresheimer AG

ALPLA Werke Alwin Lehner GmbH & Co. KG.

To get instant access to over 1000 market-ready procurement intelligence reports without any additional costs or commitment.

Subscribe Now for Free

Table of Content

Executive Summary

Market Insights

Category Pricing Insights

Cost-saving Opportunities

Best Practices

Category Ecosystem

Category Management Strategy

Category Management Enablers

Suppliers Selection

Suppliers under Coverage

US Market Insights

Category scope

Appendix

About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contacts:

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us

SOURCE SpendEdge
DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Teleradiology Market - Global Outlook & Forecast 2022-2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The report considers the present scenario of the teleradiology market and its market dynamics for the period 2022-2027. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The study covers both the demand and supply sides of the market. It also profiles and analyses leading companies and several other prominent companies operating in the market.

Radiology is one of the segments that adopt digital technology in a faster phase than other healthcare segments. Medical imaging is one of the largely researched fields. Nines, one of the teleradiology companies in 2020, received the US FDA clearance for its Nines AI medical device, which supports the automated radiological review of CT Head images. This helps them to indicate the possible presence of various time-critical and life-threatening indications, intracranial indications.

The services segment dominated the market accounting and demand for the services across the globe. The primary revenue generation for this happens through the service provided for the clients. Larger hospitals directly partner with the teleradiology service providers and completely take care of teleradiology services across the clock and increase patient access.

In the global teleradiology market, North America accounted for the share of 50%. Radiology and cardiology are the two leading teleradiology and telehealth applications in the region.

Philips plans to build its teleradiology services platform based on the US company Direct Radiology. This company plans to scale the support to radiologists globally.

KEY MARKET DRIVERS

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Teleradiology Increase in Internet Penetration Shaping End Users Purchase Behaviour

Increased Outsourcing of Teleradiology Services

Increased Adoption of Telehealth

Shortage of Radiologists

Shift Toward Digitalization in Radiology

Increasing Demand for Nighthawk & Speciality Modalities

VENDOR ANALYSIS

Prominent Vendors

Koninklijke Philips

Radiology partners

Teleradiology solution

Other Prominent Vendors

Agfa

Cloudex Radiology

Cerner

Doctor Net

Everlight Radiology

FUJIFILM

Matrix Imaging Solutions

Medweb

Medica

Mayfair

Nautilus Medical

NightHawk Radiology

Nines

NucleusHealth

Nextrad

ONRAD

RamSoft

Radmedic

Real Rads

Speciality Teleradiology

Siemens Healthineers

Telediagnosis Solutions

Telerad Tech

Telemedicine Clinic

Telediagnosys Solutions

USARAD.COM

Vesta Teleradiology

Voyager Imaging

WebRad

4Ways Healthcare

5C Network

Key Topics Covered:



1 Research Methodology



2 Research Objectives



3 Research Process



4 Scope & Coverage

4.1 Market Definition

4.2 Base Year

4.3 Scope Of The Study



5 Report Assumptions & Caveats

5.1 Key Caveats

5.2 Currency Conversion

5.3 Market Derivation



6 Market at a Glance



7 Introduction

7.1 Overview

7.2 Impact Of Covid-19 On Teleradiology



8 Market Opportunities & Trends

8.1 Adoption Of AI In Teleradiology

8.2 Increased Outsourcing Of Teleradiology Services

8.3 Increased Adoption Of Telehealth



9 Market Growth Enablers

9.1 Shortage Of Radiologists

9.2 Shift Toward Digitalization In Radiology

9.3 Increasing Demand For Nighthawk & Specialty Modalities



10 Market Restraints

10.1 Increased Chances Of Mis-Diagnosis

10.2 Lack Of Standard Interoperability In Teleradiology Infrastructure

10.3 Data Security & Privacy Risks



11 Market Landscape

11.1 Market Overview

11.2 Market Size & Forecast

11.3 Five Forces Analysis



12 Product

12.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

12.2 Market Overview

12.3 Services

12.4 General Consultation

12.5 Nighthawk & Emergency

12.6 Specialty/ Elective

12.7 Second Opinion

12.8 Software & Hardware



13 Imaging Technique

13.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

13.2 Market Overview

13.3 Ultrasound

13.4 X-Ray

13.5 Computer Tomography

13.6 MRI

13.7 Mammography

13.8 PET/SPECT

13.9 Others



14 Application

14.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

14.2 Market Overview

14.3 Cardiology

14.4 Orthopedic

14.5 Oncology

14.6 Neurology

14.7 Gastroenterology

14.8 Dental

14.9 OBG & GYN

14.10 Others



15 End-User

15.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

15.2 Market Overview

15.3 Hospitals & Clinics

15.4 Diagnostic Imaging Centers & Labs

15.5 Others



16 Geography

16.1 Market Snapshot & Growth Engine

16.2 Geographic Overview

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/cw3utr

Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630

For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907

Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets
"The drilling program at Mololoa is providing us with some of our highest grades we've seen on the project, up to 8 kilos of silver equivalent per tonne in hole 90," said Brad Langille, President and CEO. "As we continue drilling the next 100,000 metres after the release of our initial Mineral Resource Estimate in December, we are focussed on additional resource ounces as our primary goal. We expect more results like these will contribute significantly to that, and we see 2022 as the year to add ounces and value for our shareholders."

Table 1: Drill Hole Intersections

Hole ID Area / Vein From To Length1 Au Ag AuEq2 AgEq2



(m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (g/t) (g/t) LRGM-21-087 Mololoa - Tamara 166.7 186.7 20.0 0.89 211.5 3.71 278.6

including 166.7 168.2 1.5 8.77 1,995.0 35.37 2,652.8 LRGM-21-088 Mololoa - Tamara 282.0 296.6 14.6 2.58 683.7 11.70 877.4

including 283.3 287.0 3.8 9.73 2,577.3 44.10 3,307.4

including 285.0 286.0 1.0 16.25 4,660.0 78.38 5,878.8 LRGM-21-090 Mololoa - Tamara 160.2 165.5 5.3 3.84 998.6 17.15 1,286.2

including 163.3 164.0 0.6 23.50 6,310.0 107.63 8,072.5

and 181.5 187.2 5.7 0.49 129.2 2.22 166.3

including 186.5 187.2 0.7 3.00 876.0 14.68 1,101.0

and 203.0 205.5 2.5 0.27 85.2 1.40 105.4 LRGM-21-091 Mololoa - Tamara 288.4 299.0 10.7 0.48 114.8 2.01 150.8

including 289.7 291.1 1.4 2.22 605.0 10.29 771.5 LRGM-21-092 Mololoa 50.0 67.5 17.5 0.37 32.1 0.79 59.5

including 60.0 62.6 2.6 2.38 107.4 3.81 286.0 LRGM-21-094 Mololoa 52.3 52.9 0.6 0.59 66.0 1.47 110.1 LRGM-21-096 Mololoa - Tamara 89.2 129.0 39.8 0.16 55.1 0.89 67.1

including 117.0 129.0 12.0 0.40 128.4 2.11 158.1

including 122.5 124.9 2.4 1.21 413.1 6.72 504.1 LRGM-21-097 Mololoa 21.7 22.7 0.9 0.32 55.1 1.06 79.4 LRGM-21-098 Mololoa 150.9 151.8 1.0 0.25 38.0 0.75 56.6

1. Not true width

2. AqEq converted using a silver to gold ratio of 75:1 at recoveries of 100%

3. Holes LRGM-21-93 and 95 are pending assays.

The Mololoa deposit is located approximately 1 km north of the El Favor deposit and may be an eastward extension of the Casados deposit. The deposit consists of multiple veins with a total strike length exceeding 1,000m to date and numerous historical workings have been encountered in the drilling to date.

Table 2: Drill Hole Locations

Hole ID Easting Northing Elevation Azimuth Dip Length LRGM-21-087 584432 2338490 1035 180 -60 237.4 LRGM-21-088 584487 2338640 1099 180 -55 343.0 LRGM-21-090 584432 2338491 1035 180 -75 228.0 LRGM-21-091 584487 2338640 1099 180 -65 341.3 LRGM-21-092 584865 2337815 1014 240 -57 135.0 LRGM-21-094 584977 2337995 1064 240 -50 214.5 LRGM-21-096 584712 2338397 968 240 -72 178.5 LRGM-21-097 584817 2337869 992 240 -60 51.0 LRGM-21-098 584983 2338031 1038 240 -50 220.5

VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation

VRIFY is a platform being used by companies to communicate with investors using 360 virtual tours of remote mining assets, 3D models and interactive presentations. VRIFY can be accessed by website and with the VRIFY iOS and Android apps.

The VRIFY Slide Deck and 3D Presentation for GoGold can be viewed at: https://vrify.com/decks/10437 and on the Company's website at: www.gogoldresources.com.

Los Ricos District Exploration Projects

The Company's two exploration projects at its Los Ricos Property are in Jalisco state, Mexico. The Los Ricos South Project began in March 2019 and an initial Mineral Resource was announced on July 29, 2020 which disclosed a Measured & Indicated Mineral Resource of 63.7 million ounces AgEq grading 199 g/t AgEq contained in 10.0 million tonnes, and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 19.9 million ounces AgEq grading 190 g/t AgEq contained in 3.3 million tonnes. An initial PEA on the project was announced on January 20, 2021 indicating an NPV 5% of US$295M.

The Los Ricos North Project was launched in March 2020 and an initial Mineral Resource was announced on December 7, 2021, which disclosed an Indicated Mineral Resource of 87.8 million ounces AgEq grading 122 g/t AgEq contained in 22.3 million tonnes, and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 73.2 million ounces AgEq grading 111 g/t AgEq contained in 20.5 million tonnes. The Company has a drill program for an additional 100,000 metres of drilling for 2022 in place.

Procedure, Quality Assurance / Quality Control and Data Verification

The diamond drill core (HQ size) is geologically logged, photographed and marked for sampling. When the sample lengths are determined, the full core is sawn with a diamond blade core saw with one half of the core being bagged and tagged for assay. The remaining half portion is returned to the core trays for storage and/or for metallurgical test work.

The sealed and tagged sample bags are transported to the ALS Chemex facility in Zacatecas, Mexico. ALS Chemex crushes the samples and prepares 200-300 gram pulp samples with ninety percent passing Tyler 150 mesh (106m). The pulps are assayed for gold using a 30-gram charge by fire assay (Code AA23) and over limits greater than 10 grams per tonne are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish (Code ME-GRAV21). Silver and multi-element analysis is completed using total digestion (Code ME-ICP61 Total Digestion ICP). Over limits greater than 100 grams per tonne silver are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish (ME-GRA21).

Quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") procedures monitor the chain-of-custody of the samples and includes the systematic insertion and monitoring of appropriate reference materials (certified standards, blanks and duplicates) into the sample strings. The results of the assaying of the QA/QC material included in each batch are tracked to ensure the integrity of the assay data. All results stated in this announcement have passed GoGold's QA/QC protocols.

Mr. David Duncan, P. Geo. is the qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and is responsible for the technical information of this release.

About GoGold Resources

GoGold Resources (TSX: GGD) is a Canadian-based silver and gold producer focused on operating, developing, exploring and acquiring high quality projects in Mexico. The Company operates the Parral Tailings mine in the state of Chihuahua and has the Los Ricos South and Los Ricos North exploration projects in the state of Jalisco. Headquartered in Halifax, NS, GoGold is building a portfolio of low cost, high margin projects. For more information visit gogoldresources.com.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:

The securities described herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) except in compliance with the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or pursuant to exemptions therefrom. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy of any of GoGold's securities in the United States.

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Los Ricos South and North projects, and future plans and objectives of GoGold, including the intention to undertake further exploration at Los Ricos North, and the prospect of further discoveries there, constitute forward looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information is based on a number of factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such information but which may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to, assumptions in connection with the continuance of GoGold and its subsidiaries as a going concern, general economic and market conditions, mineral prices, the accuracy of mineral resource estimates, and the performance of the Parral project. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information.

Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from GoGold's expectations include exploration and development risks associated with GoGold's projects, the failure to establish estimated mineral resources or mineral reserves, volatility of commodity prices, variations of recovery rates, and global economic conditions. For additional information with respect to risk factors applicable to GoGold, reference should be made to GoGold's continuous disclosure materials filed from time to time with securities regulators, including, but not limited to, GoGold's Annual Information Form. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date of this release.

SOURCE GoGold Resources Inc.
WESTON, Fla., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Grail Technology (OTCPK: GOGY) an evolving beverage company with a strategic mission to acquire proven RTD beverage brands in emerging categories who would benefit from advanced expertise and financial management today announced their social initiative expands into ongoing product donation to shelters for victims of domestic abuse. The Company launched their community development initiative with sponsoring AVDA's Annual Race earlier this year. AVDA's (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Inc.) mission is to promote violence-free relationships and social change by offering alternative choices to end violence and domestic abuse. Since then, an ongoing partnership has been developed to continuously provide Trevi Essence Water, a brand Golden Grail owns, to the brave victims while they are staying at the shelters.

"AVDA is so grateful to Trevi. They have really stepped up to provide ongoing product donations, starting with our annual race and now continuing to provide Trevi to our shelter. It is heartwarming and meaningful to have a company acknowledge our community in this way," Pam O'Brien, MSW, JD, President & CEO of AVDA

"Golden Grail is committed to being socially conscious and giving back to our communities. The overwhelming response to Trevi at AVDA's race and playing a small part in educating about domestic violence, inspired us to want to do more with this initiative. Golden Grail plans to continuously expand our social efforts, donations and fully get behind this cause," Steven Hoffman, CEO Golden Grail Tech Beverages.

About Trevi Essence Water

Trevi is a true clean-label beverage with a superior flavor that stays TRUE TO THE FRUIT, with only two ingredients WATER & NATURAL FRUIT FLAVOR. It comes in 4 delicious flavors Mango Orange, Coconut Lime, Peach and Grapefruit.

www.DrinkTrevi.com

https://www.facebook.com/DrinkTrevi

https://www.instagram.com/drinktreviwater/

https://twitter.com/drinktreviwater

About Golden Grail Tech Beverages

Golden Grail Technology (OTC: GOGY) is an evolving company with a strategic mission to advance a beverage portfolio comprised of already proven Ready-To-Drink brands. The Company identifies and acquires brands within emerging beverage categories that would benefit from fiscally experienced management and counsel. The Company then utilizes technology by applying their expertise, techniques and processes for the betterment of the economics of the Company and the advancement of the marketing and distribution of the beverages. The Company's recognizable portfolio of healthy functional beverages combined with industrious financial responsibility make Golden Grail a unique force in the beverage industry.

www.GoldenGrailBeverages.com.

https://www.facebook.com/GoldenGrailTechBeverages

https://twitter.com/golden_grail

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release includes forward-looking statements concerning the future performance of our business, its operations and its financial performance and condition, and also includes selected operating results presented without the context of accompanying financial results. These forward-looking statements include, among others, statements with respect to our objectives and strategies to achieve those objectives, as well as statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates or intentions. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations. We caution that all forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and actual results may differ materially from the assumptions, estimates or expectations reflected or contained in the forward-looking information, and that actual future performance will be affected by a number of factors, including economic conditions, technological change, regulatory change and competitive factors, many of which are beyond our control. Therefore, future events and results may vary significantly from what we currently foresee. We are under no obligation (and we expressly disclaim any such obligation) to update or alter the forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Golden Grail Technology Corp
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- GTCR, a leading private equity firm founded in 1980, today announced the recent closing of its first Strategic Growth Fund with $2.0 billion of limited partner capital commitments. The new fund, which launched fundraising in August 2021, was raised from investors in prior GTCR funds. GTCR expects that the Strategic Growth Fund will support its Leaders Strategy investment approach for smaller opportunities than those pursued by its most recent flagship fund, GTCR Fund XIII, which closed on $7.5 billion in limited partner capital commitments in 2020.

"The creation of the Strategic Growth Fund marks an important milestone for GTCR. This significant fund allows us to maintain our long-term focus on investing behind excellent management teams in this segment of the market, consistent with our proven investment strategy and track record," stated Sean Cunningham, Managing Director at GTCR. "We are very appreciative of the support from our tenured base of limited partners in subscribing to this new vehicle."

The Strategic Growth Fund will employ GTCR's Leaders Strategy investment approach, which it has applied and refined over several decades. This strategy is centered on GTCR's ability to find and partner with exceptional management leaders in its core domains to identify, acquire and build market leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. It is expected that Strategic Growth Fund investments will range from approximately $50 million to $200 million of equity over time. GTCR continues to focus primarily on four key industry sectors for the Strategic Growth Fund and other funds. These are areas in which GTCR has developed deep vertical expertise and investment experience over decades, and include Financial Services and Technology, Growth Business Services, Healthcare, and Technology, Media & Telecommunications.

"At GTCR, we are focused on investing in growth and innovation in our core verticals across a wide spectrum of company sizes. We look to support our management teams in executing upon jointly-developed investment theses, whether those investments start with smaller or larger platform acquisitions," commented Aaron Cohen, Managing Director at GTCR. "By partnering with world-class executives and leveraging our collective industry knowledge, the businesses in which we invest can experience transformational change with attractive growth and innovation profiles. We expect our investments to grow into significant companies in their industries regardless of the size of the initial platform."

The capital commitments for the Strategic Growth Fund were provided exclusively by limited partner relationships that previously committed to GTCR Fund XIII. Most of GTCR's limited partners have a long and consistent history of investment in prior GTCR funds. These investors include public and private pension funds, foundations and endowments, funds of funds and insurance companies, among others.

The close of the Strategic Growth Fund is also reflective of GTCR's growth strategy, which includes the recently announced opening of offices in New York and West Palm Beach. In line with the expansion of its office footprint, GTCR also continues to invest in growing and enhancing the depth, experiences and diversity of its investment and non-investment professional team.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal counsel to support GTCR in raising the new fund.

About GTCR

Founded in 1980, GTCR is a leading private equity firm focused on investing in growth companies in the Financial Services & Technology, Growth Business Services, Healthcare, and Technology, Media & Telecommunications industries. The Chicago-based firm pioneered The Leaders Strategy  finding and partnering with management leaders in core domains to identify, acquire and build market-leading companies through transformational acquisitions and organic growth. Since its inception, GTCR has invested more than $20 billion in over 250 companies. For more information, please visit www.gtcr.com .

GTCR Contact:

Andrew Johnson

(212) 835-7042

[email protected]

SOURCE GTCR
GWM POER is a high-end intelligent model of GWM PICKUP. It can better meet users' needs under different scenarios by perfectly integrating off-road performance, loading capacity and intelligence.

In terms of power, GWM POER carries a 2.0T high power engine and a ZF 8AT power assembly, providing an intelligent four-wheel-drive system and rear axle transverse differential lock. There are four driving models, including standard, economic, sports and 4L, which enable users to choose the different driving modes in daily life. Strong performance endows this vehicle with an excellent off-road performance, which can provide drivers with stronger and more reliable power to tackle complex driving environments. When users drive on an uneven road or the vehicle get stuck in mud, drivers can easily switch to 4L mode to activate the low-speed torque amplification function to ensure the vehicle's stable movement.

This model is also possessed of many highlights in terms of intelligence. Particularly,in the Australian market, various intelligent driver assistance features can cater to user's various needs, such as Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB), and Lane-keeping Assistance (LKA) and etc. Especially, the AEB function can automatically control the vehicle braking, in case of emergencies or in an unsafe distance, to help the user avoid or reduce collision accidents.

Since 2021, GWM POER has been launched in more than 50 countries and regions, including Australia, Chile, Russia, South Africa, Egypt, the Middle East and Laos. It has gained massive attention and recognitions from media and users alike for the excellent performance and intelligent safety performance.

"GWM POER will change the landscape of the Australian pickup market," said Carsales, an authoritative Australian automotive media, after testing the vehicle. In the Australian A-NCAP test, GWM POER was among the five-star grade safety standard, achieving full points in side impact and far-side impact tests (for both adult and child occupants), as well as in the functional test of active lane support system. Popular Russia blogger ECHO MOSKVY expressed his recognition on GWM POER after the test drive, commenting that GWM POER is suitable for driving in various road conditions with its strong power performance.

Currently, GWM released Jingang(King Kong) POER and several special models, such as Huo(means hot or fire), Heidan(Black bullet), Lvzhuang(Travel Edition), Jiche(Motorcyclist edition) to continuously enrich its categories in the global market in order to bring users more diversified experience.

SOURCE GWM
DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- At least five people from the same family have been killed by unidentified assailants in Tanzania's central region of Dodoma, police said on Sunday.

The victims were a husband, a wife, two children and a grandchild, said Onesmo Lyanga, the Dodoma regional police commander.

Lyanga told a press conference that initial investigations showed that the victims were hit by heavy objects.

Lyanga said the bodies of the deceased have been taken to hospital for postmortem to find out how they were killed.

He said after the postmortem is done, police will issue a statement, vowing that police will leave no stone unturned in hunting for the assailants.

Noah Kapande, a relative of the victims, told local media the bodies of the deceased were found in their house in Zanka village on Saturday at 4 p.m. local time by children who had gone to graze cattle near the house of the deceased.

Anthony Mtaka, the Dodoma regional commissioner, visited the scene on Sunday accompanied by the regional defense and security committee and urged the villagers and relatives to give cooperation in identifying the assailants.

"This incident might be done in collaboration with residents of this area and not a person from far. No one can come from far and kill five people of the same family without having enough information," he said. 
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- HCI Equity Partners, a leading lower middle market private equity firm, is pleased to announce that Jonathan Konkoly has joined HCI as Vice President of Portfolio Operations, and Ben Choi has joined the firm as Senior Associate.

In his role, Mr. Konkoly will focus on identifying and accelerating profitable revenue growth at HCI's portfolio companies. He brings to the position deep experience in go-to-market strategy, pricing, and commercial team effectiveness. Previously, he was a Principal at Blue Ridge Partners, a consulting firm focused on helping companies with issues that affect revenue performance. Prior to that, he was a consultant at INSIGHT2PROFIT and at IRI, and held several management positions at McMaster-Carr Supply. Mr. Konkoly earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BBA from Loyola University Chicago's Quinlan School of Business.

Mr. Choi will be responsible for evaluating, analyzing and monitoring investments made by the firm. He previously held strategic finance roles with HCI portfolio company MSI Express and at several multi-unit restaurant groups; and was an Associate at Sentinel Capital Partners. He began his career in investment banking at Houlihan Lokey and BB&T Capital Markets. He has a BA from the College of William & Mary where he double majored in economics and political science.

HCI Managing Partner Doug McCormick explained, "These additions reflect critical skillsets to support our evolving needs as we help our investments rapidly grow through organic growth and M&A. Jonathan's sales operations expertise and Ben's transaction and strategic finance skillset are powerful additions to the firm's value creation capabilities."

Dan Dickinson, HCI Managing Partner said, "We take immense pride in our culture and HCI is pleased to welcome Jonathan and Ben, and excited to have attracted these talented individuals. They are both terrific additions to the firm."

About HCI Equity Partners

HCI Equity Partners is a lower middle market private equity firm focused on partnering with family and founder-owned distribution, manufacturing and service companies. HCI is headquartered in Washington, DC. For more information, please visit www.hciequity.com.

Contacts:

Kelsey Clute, VP, Director of Communications, HCI

[email protected]

Lisa Baker, Lambert PR

[email protected]

SOURCE HCI Equity Partners
Holborn's African division currently has offices in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Cape Winelands and Mauritius with over 80 advisers and support staff.

Under the new leadership, Holborn has ambitious plans to capitalise and continue its expansion in the region with further offices opening over the next 12 months.

Holborn's COO Simon Parker said: "Lourens is the latest addition to Holborn's Managing Partners team. His dedication and expertise are second to none. This appointment not only recognises his success so far, but will ensure Holborn's plans for building a Pan-African business are carried out."

Bob Parker, Holborn's CEO, said: "Lourens is the right man to be heading Holborn's African division and I am sure he will thrive in his new role. We have built up a formidable reputation in Africa and have a loyal client base who recognise the value of holistic financial advice to grow their wealth. With Lourens' leadership, we will be able to provide a wider range of services to current and future clients."

Lourens Reichert has been with Holborn since 2018 and is a popular and well-regarded figure in the industry, focusing on high-net-worth clients. He is a regular contributor in the media and at industry events.

About Holborn Assets

Established in 1999, Holborn is a multi-award-winning, international financial services company, specialising in independent financial advice to the expatriate market. A British family-owned and operated business, the firm has over 450 employees, including 230 financial advisers, and 13 offices worldwide.

Holborn Assets' team of fully qualified advisers specialise in delivering clients quality, independent financial services. Areas of operation include: Independent Financial Services, Financial Planning, Wealth Management, Shariah Wealth, Insurance, Mortgages, Offshore Services, Tax Planning, Will Writing, Pension Transfers.

SOURCE Holborn Assets
TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Hotel McCoy, the locally focused art hotel concept that opened to rave reviews in Arizona, is pleased to welcome Carrie Confair as their first-ever Vice President of Operations. Confair brings over 20 years of hospitality experience and will be responsible for the operational performance of Hotel McCoy Tucson, Hotel Mccoy Pullman, and forthcoming properties in the works.

Hotel McCoy Names New Vice President of Operations

Confair will oversee day-to-day operations for each property, working closely with General Managers, Lynette Lopez (Tucson, AZ) and Dawn Evans (Pullman, WA). She will provide supportive leadership to onsite teams and strengthen the structure of the standout company. Additionally, Confair joins Nicole Dahl, Vice President of Creative and Content, on Hotel McCoy's executive team, and will lead development of new properties and execute strategic plans to drive growth.

Dahl remarks, "Carrie is a leader through and through, and her knowledge of the hospitality industry is phenomenal. She gets the vision, she knows art, she understands the commitment to local, and she cares about people. With Carrie at the helm, you can expect from Hotel McCoy some major growth, a dynamic people-first culture, and an incredibly special guest experience."

Confair adds, "I'm thrilled and honored to be a part of Hotel McCoy. Operations serves as the core of my entire career and of every business. I look forward to sharing what I know and to learning from this incredibly talented team as we continue to provide travel for all and take Hotel McCoy into the future."

Most recently, Confair was with Arrive Hotels as Opening Manager of multiple locations and General Manager in Austin. Previously she was Project Manager and General Manager of El Vado Boutique Motel and Monterey Boutique Motels in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Prior to those roles, Confair worked for Sheraton as Director of Operations and served in the United States Airforce, where she led several military hospitality operations.

To learn more about Hotel McCoy, visit www.hotelmccoy.com .

About Hotel McCoy

Hotel Mccoy is a collection of hyperlocal hotels with a mission of Travel For All, a commitment to the idea that travel is an experience and should be open to each and all. Hotel McCoy is designed to be equally welcoming to every person, regardless of identity, travel status, or budget- a holistic hotel experience beyond just a place to sleep. It is more like a microcosm, a place to connect with one's self, the community, and the magic of travel.

With locations in Washington and Arizona, Hotel McCoy has plans to connect with art-forward communities across the U.S.

PRESS CONTACT:

Nicole Dahl

520-429-5933

https://hotelmccoy.com/

SOURCE Hotel McCoy
MIAMI, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Families are invited to celebrate education and learn about Florida's school choices at The LIBRE Institute's Family Fun Day from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 29.

The celebration, one of Florida's largest during National School Choice Week, will be packed with informational sessions and special guest speakers. While parents learn more about their education options, children can enjoy face painting, a balloon artist, free cotton candy and popcorn, and even a kid's yoga class.

Information about public, private, and special education will be available at the free fair:

A representative from Step Up for Students will lead an information session on Florida's K-12 scholarships and the application process.

K-12 scholarships and the application process. Lisbeth Coto , special needs educator and founder of Lightwork Education & Wellness Center, will speak about a wellness-based education model and share tips for how parents can choose the best school for their child's needs.

, special needs educator and founder of Lightwork Education & Wellness Center, will speak about a wellness-based education model and share tips for how parents can choose the best school for their child's needs. Academica Charter Schools staff will be present to give parents information on new charter schools opening in Miami-Dade County .

The event is open to all families and will take place at Peacock Park, located at 2820 McFarlane Rd.

This Family Fun Day is planned to coincide with the celebration of National School Choice Week Jan. 23-29, 2022, which will feature more than 26,000 school choice events across all 50 states.

"We are thrilled to join National School Choice Week, Step Up for Students, and all of our coalition partners committed to expanding educational freedom for all families  including South Florida's Hispanic community," said Maria Ferre, community engagement director at The LIBRE Initiative. "Now more than ever, we need to equip families with the tools and resources they need to customize an education plan that works for each child. We will continue to keep the drumbeat going for educational freedom not just this week, but throughout the year, in every corner of the Sunshine State."

The event is planned by The LIBRE Institute, a nonprofit that seeks to engage and inform the U.S. Hispanic community on the benefits of a free and open society, and Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which is dedicated to the belief that every person has a unique set of gifts and the ability to contribute to society in their own way.

National School Choice Week shines a spotlight on effective K-12 education options for children, focusing equally on traditional public, charter, magnet, online, private, and home education options. Every January, participants plan tens of thousands of celebrations  such as school fairs and open houses to raise awareness about school choice across all 50 states. School Choice Week also develops resources and guides to K-12 education for families. As a not-for-profit effort, the Week is nonpolitical and nonpartisan and does not advocate for legislation. For more information visit schoolchoiceweek.com.

SOURCE National School Choice Week
LONDON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Huobi Incubator, the project incubation arm of Huobi Group, today announced that it will start a basket of sponsoring plans for Avalanche ecosystem to jointly incubate emerging projects, with the aim to support and enhance the blockchain startup ecosystem.

Huobi Incubator will also sponsor the Avalanche Asia Hackathon, to be held from 1 Feb 2022 to 31 Mar 2022.Winning projects and developers that emerge from the hackathon will have the opportunity to reap the benefits of winning a total of $5 million from the prize pool. Since its inception, Huobi Incubator has been committed to incubating start-up projects, helping budding projects develop into mature, independent companies. Huobi Incubator hopes its support of new projects will spur the spirit of innovation within the blockchain industry and provide a platform for budding developers to realize their full potential.

Avalanche Asia Hackathon invites developers to build powerful dApps in the Avalanche ecosystem. Huobi Incubator will provide a full range of support for hackathon winners, including technical expertise and marketing assistance. In addition, two winning projects will be awarded a chance to be listed on Huobi Primelist, Huobi's listing platform for new tokens. Winning NFT projects will also be supported in their bid to successfully list their creations on NFT marketplaces.

Since its launch, Avalanche has attracted widespread attention in the blockchain industry with its strong technical strength and excellent productivity. Avalanche has been supporting the development of emerging projects. According to DappRadar data, more than 160 projects have been deployed on Avalanche.

The upcoming hackathon marks the beginning of a strong collaboration between Huobi Incubator and Avalanche ecosystem, which will see the burgeoning blockchain startup ecosystem achieve new heights in an already vibrant industry. Huobi Incubator will also work with AVATAR (Avalanche Asia Star Fund), an independent venture fund formed by leading Asia VCs, to incubate emerging projects and contribute to the growth of the blockchain ecosystem.

"Huobi Incubator takes project development and ecosystem expansion very seriously. This supporting plan for the Avalanche ecosystem is but one aspect of our commitment to the startup ecosystem," said Jewel Chen, Head of Huobi Incubator. "Next, we intend to collaborate with other public chains to further spur innovation in this exciting space."

About Huobi Incubator

Huobi Incubator is a professional, full-cycle project incubator that integrates industry research with investment funds, incubation processes and accelerators. With the mission of accelerating startup project development across all stages and users, Huobi Incubator helps entrepreneurs and startups overcome obstacles, achieve rapid growth, and work toward their respective visions and goals.

About Avalanche

Avalanche is the fastest smart contracts platform in the blockchain industry, as measured by time-to-finality, and has the most validators securing its activity of any proof-of-stake protocol. Avalanche is blazingly fast, low cost, and green. Any smart contract-enabled application can outperform its competition by deploying on Avalanche. Don't believe it? Try Avalanche today.

Website | Whitepapers | Twitter | Discord | GitHub | Documentation | Forum | Avalanche-X | Telegram | Facebook | LinkedIn | Reddit | YouTube |

SOURCE Huobi Incubator
PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- I Peace, Inc. (CEO: Koji Tanabe), a Palo Alto-based biotech start-up, announced that its cell manufacturing facility is now listed on the FDA "Drug Establishments Current Registration Site." The registration recognizes I Peace's cell manufacturing facility as suitable for drug manufacturing, based on detailed information submitted to the FDA. Comprehensive details of clinical grade iPSC manufacturing are registered in the FDA Drug Master File (DMF). The facility registration, along with DMF registration and GMP certification provide peace of mind to clients looking to use our iPSCs for clinical and commercial use in the United States, Japan, and other global markets. I Peace's listing on the FDA Drug Establishments Current Registration Site helps our clients obtain information for FDA approval by simply referencing the FDA Establishment Identifier (FEI).

I Peace's cell manufacturing facility is owned and managed by its sole subsidiary I Peace, Ltd. The facility was awarded a permit in 2020 by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare to manufacture specific cell-based products. It is also certified by a third-party as GMP compliant, and the current GMP certification pertains to: ICH-Q7, a global guideline for the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients; 21 CFR 210/211, US regulations for manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding of drugs, and for finished pharmaceuticals and; 21 CFR 1271, US regulations for human cell and tissue products.

Significance of the U.S. FDA Drug Establishments Current Registration Site listing

iPSCs must be differentiated before cell therapy transplantation, and as an intermediate, iPSC manufacturing facilities and their quality control processes are not subject to FDA review on their own. However, when cell therapy developers seek regulatory approval for iPSC-derived cell therapies, the manufacturing process then becomes subject to FDA review. Since iPSCs are a key intermediate in cell therapy manufacturing, the manufacturing process and GMP compliance have an enormous impact on the regulatory approval of cell therapies.

Manufacturing iPSCs in a FDA-registered facility such as Peace Engine Kyoto provides site information necessary for Investigative New Drug Application (IND), New Drug Application (NDA), or Biologics License Application (BLA). Our clients can use our iPSCs with confidence for clinical application and drug development. Combined with our dedication to global GMP regulation compliance, our clients benefit from significant time and cost savings when seeking regulatory approval in both the U.S. and Japan.

The registration can be confirmed by searching for "I Peace" on the FDA Drug Establishment Current Registration Site at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/drls/default.cfm

I Peace's FDA Establishment Identifier is 3020167797.

About I Peace, Inc

Founded in 2015 in Palo Alto, California, USA, I Peace, Inc. is a leading CDMO (contract development and manufacturing organization) of clinical grade cell products. The founder and CEO Dr. Koji Tanabe earned his doctorate at Kyoto University under Nobel laureate Dr. Shinya Yamanaka and was the second author of the groundbreaking article on the development of human iPSCs. I Peace's mission is to ease the suffering of diseased patients and help healthy people maintain a high quality of life. With its proprietary manufacturing platform that enables parallel production of discrete iPSCs from multiple donors in a single room, I Peace can provide a large volume of high-quality clinical grade iPSCs at competitive cost. Our goal is to create custom iPSCs for every individual to become their stem cells for life while supporting drug and cell therapy companies accelerate their development to make cell therapy an affordable option.

Founder, CEO: Koji Tanabe

Since: 2015

Headquarters: Palo Alto, California

Japan subsidiary: I Peace, Ltd. (Kyoto, Japan)

Cell Manufacturing Facility: Kyoto, Japan

Web: https://www.ipeace.com

SOURCE I Peace, Inc.
ATLANTA, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The IHG Owners Association, which represents InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) franchise hotel owners worldwide, announced that Norman (Norm) Leslie has assumed the Chairmanship of its Global Board of Directors for 2022. Leslie is President of National Hospitality Services and one of the founders of Legendary Capital, both based in Fargo, N.D., and brings to the Board more than 30 years of hospitality experience and expertise in hotel management, development, finance, acquisitions, deal structure and project negotiations, among other areas. Leslie succeeds Wayne West III, President and Partner of Newport Hospitality Group, who served brilliantly as Chair over the past two years during one of the most challenging times in the industry.

Norman Leslie, 2022 IHG Owners Association Chair

Leslie began his hospitality career at an economy hotel where he rose through the ranksfrom washing dishes at the property's on-site restaurant to a position as general manager. He began development of his first hotel in 1991 and has since grown that portfolio to nearly 50 properties. In 2001, Leslie founded National Hospitality Services, which today manages 36 hotels across the United States under a variety of brand flags.

"I am proud to be taking on the role of 2022 Global Chair of the IHG Owners Association," says Leslie. "I've had the honor of working alongside many incredible Past Chairs of the Associationbright, motivated people who are passionate about this business. I look forward to building on their legacy and working with the Global Board to address issues that are critically important to owners today, ultimately delivering exceptional value to our members."

For the past decade, Leslie has been very active as a volunteer in the IHG Owners Association, serving on both the Extended Stay Committee and the People Committee. In 2019, he was elected to the Association's Global Board and has served as Chair-Elect & AMER Member at Large for the past two years.

John Muehlbauer, CEO of the IHG Owners Association, notes, "Norm's expertise as an owner and operator will further bolster the Association's efforts to support owners in their recovery and strengthen their returns on investments in IHG-branded hotels."

Leslie holds a degree in Commerce from the University of Manitoba in Canada.

The IHG Owners Association is also pleased to announce its 2022 Global Board of Directors:

Chair: Norman Leslie, President, National Hospitality Services, and Co-Founder, Legendary Capital

Norman Leslie, President, National Hospitality Services, and Co-Founder, Legendary Capital Chair-Elect & AMER Member at Large: Navroz Saju , President and CEO, HDG Hotels

, President and CEO, HDG Hotels Treasurer & AMER Member at Large: Nellie Dhanji , Vice President of Operations and Legal Counsel, Stanley Park Investments, Ltd.

, Vice President of Operations and Legal Counsel, Stanley Park Investments, Ltd. Secretary & AMER Member at Large: Mark Zipperer , President and CEO, Pride Hospitality, LLC

, President and CEO, Pride Hospitality, LLC Immediate Past Chair Advisor: Wayne West III , President and Partner, Newport Hospitality Group

, President and Partner, Newport Hospitality Group Past Chair Representative: Kurt Furlong , Chief Revenue Officer and Partner, Genuine Hospitality, LLC

, Chief Revenue Officer and Partner, Genuine Hospitality, LLC CEO, IHG Owners Association: John Muehlbauer

Europe Regional Representative: Sean Lowe , CEO, Atlas Hotels

, CEO, Atlas Hotels MEAA Regional Representative: Paul Salter , Managing Director, Salter Brothers Asset Management and CEO and Managing Director, Salter Brothers Hotel Group

, Managing Director, Salter Brothers Asset Management and CEO and Managing Director, Salter Brothers Hotel Group AMER Member at Large: Juan Carlos Alvarez , Partner, Operadora Alro

, Partner, Operadora Alro AMER Member at Large: Asad Malik , President and CEO, Amerilodge Group

, President and CEO, Amerilodge Group AMER Member at Large: Euan McGlashan , Co-Founder and CEO, Valor Hospitality Partners

, Co-Founder and CEO, Valor Hospitality Partners AMER Member at Large: Perry Molubhoy , Founder, President and CEO, Atlantic Hotels

, Founder, President and CEO, Atlantic Hotels AMER Member at Large: Vijay Patel , President, A1 Hospitality

, President, A1 Hospitality AMER Member at Large: Juan Carlos Santos , CEO, BPO

, CEO, BPO AMER Member at Large: David Wespiser , Founding Partner, Hotel Development Services, LLC

, Founding Partner, Hotel Development Services, LLC Europe Member at Large: Nicola Taylor , CEO, Chardon Hotels

, CEO, Chardon Hotels IHG Representative: Elie Maalouf , CEO, IHG Americas

The IHG Owners Association, originally established by Holiday Inn founder Kemmons Wilson in 1955, was the first association of its kind in the hotel industry. The global organization currently represents the interests of more than 4,000 owners and operators of nearly 3,000 IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) properties around the world. The Association is a voice for its members and plays an integral role in communicating with IHG leadership on issues related to franchised hotel operations. The IHG family of brands includes Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas, Regent Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, Vignette Collection, EVEN Hotels, HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, voco, Holiday Inn Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Holiday Inn Club Vacations, avid hotels, Staybridge Suites, Atwell Suites and Candlewood Suites. For additional information, visit www.owners.org.

Media Contact for IHG Owners Association:

Susie O'Connell

IHG Owners Association

[email protected]

404-405-9136

SOURCE IHG Owners Association
NEW HAVEN, Conn., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Global fluid management solutions provider Industrial Flow Solutions , based in New Haven, Conn., USA, announced today the agreement to acquire Dreno Pompe , an Italian designer and manufacturer of high quality, electrical submersible pumps for wastewater applications, based in Monselice in northeastern Italy, in the province of Padua. This news follows the October 2021 acquisition of Scotland-based Clearwater Controls, further expanding Industrial Flow Solutions' growing European presence.

We share a commitment of delivering high quality and reliable wastewater solutions through exceptional customer service. Tweet this Dreno Pompe Logo Dreno Kappa Pump

Since its founding in 1990, Dreno has provided a comprehensive portfolio of pumps and accessories for residential, civil, industrial, and construction applications, offering versatile and wide-ranging solutions for the home, as well as the most demanding environments. Dreno is an industry leader, recognized for its Compatta and GRIX product lines, for domestic and residential wastewater needs. The company recently expanded its offering with the Kappa line, a series of construction pumps for abrasive materials built with high quality components to guarantee excellent wear resistance over time.

Emiliano Conforto and Fabiana Conforto will continue to serve in their leadership roles as Operating Leader and Commercial and Administrative Leader, respectively. Dreno's name is unchanged and its plant facility will remain in the Veneto region of Italy.

Respected throughout Europe, Dreno's well established capabilities allow Industrial Flow Solutions to continue expanding its operational footprint and product line of problem-solving pumping and fluid-management solutions for industries that include municipal wastewater, food processing, medical, pharmaceuticals, mining, and others. The acquisition positions both companies for growth throughout Europe, North America and South America.

"We see a long and complementary partnership between Industrial Flow Solutions and Dreno Pompe and are excited to be collaborating with such a respected brand," said John Wilson, President of Industrial Flow Solutions. "We share a commitment of delivering high quality and reliable wastewater solutions through exceptional customer service," he added.

"To be partnering with Industrial Flow Solutions is a great opportunity for Dreno Pompe. We stand for high quality among manufacturers in Europe, and they too have a similar commitment to quality, precision-made products and superior customer service," said Emiliano Conforto, Operating Leader, Dreno Pompe. "We are eager to grow our customer base beyond Europe, under the leadership of John Wilson," he added.

Translink sell-side advisors Gerardo Dal Piva and Alberto Furlan commented on their collaboration with the Conforto family.

"Working with the Conforto family has been an absolute pleasure. This transaction is a testament to the quality of the work they have done over the past three decades," commented Dal Piva.

"Project relevance and cultural fit were of utmost importance to us in selecting the right buyer and we firmly believe that May River will be the perfect steward of capital for Dreno in the years to come," added Furlan.

Mauro Battistella and his team at CMS Law served as legal counsel for Industrial Flow Solutions.

About Industrial Flow Solutions

Industrial Flow Solutions specializes in the design, manufacturing, sales and service of pumping and fluid management solutions for harsh, rugged environments. With OverWatch direct in-line pump systems, BJM Pumps products, Stancor Pumps and Controls and Clearwater Controls , the company offers a comprehensive portfolio of submersible and direct in-line pumps and controls ideal for industrial, commercial and municipal wastewater applications. Industrial Flow Solutions, headquartered in New Haven, Conn., is a portfolio company of May River Capital , a Chicago-based private-equity firm focused on lower middle-market industrial growth companies. For more information, please visit https://flowsolutions.com .

About Dreno Pompe

Founded in 1990, Dreno Pompe designs and manufactures submersible pumps and mixers as well as accessories required for installation. Dreno Pompe's wide variety of pumps are used in residential, municipal and industrial applications, including construction and shipbuilding. For more information, please visit drenopompe.it

SOURCE Industrial Flow Solutions
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Industrial Foam Market by Foam Type (Flexible, Rigid), Resin Type (Polyurethane, Polystyrene, Polyolefins, Phenolic, Pet), End-Use Industry and Region (North America, APAC, Europe, MEA, South America) - Global Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market size is estimated at USD 55.6 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 72.2 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 5.4% between 2021 and 2026. The market is propelled by the growth of various end-use industries. Increasing investments in infrastructure, new housing projects, and renovation of non-residential buildings in China, India, and Brazil have also boosted the market growth.





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Aerospace is one of the fastest-growing end-use industry in the industrial foam market.

The aerospace industry is estimated to account for the second-largest share of the industrial foam market in 2021 and is projected to be the fastest-growing type segment from 2021 to 2026. The growth is due to rising use of a high percentage of PMI, silicones, and metal foams in new-generation aircraft by aircraft manufacturers.

PET foam is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR in global industrial foam market from 2021 to 2026. PET foam is projected to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period. This is due to a surge in demand for PET foam in Asia Pacific due to increasing demand from the wind energy industry.



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Asia-Pacific is projected to register the fastest growth for the industrial foam market from 2021 to 2026.

Increasing demand for industrial foam from the rapidly growing industrial sector in the Asia Pacific region is one of the major factors responsible for the highest share and CAGR of this region. The industrial foam market in Asia-Pacific is driven by the easy availability of raw materials, increased foreign investments, and low labor costs. The end-use industries of industrial foams, such as building & construction, HVAC, and aerospace, are growing in emerging countries such as China, India, Indonesia, and Thailand, which play an important role in driving the market.

Key players operational in the market include Covestro AG (Germany), BASF SE (Germany), Dow Inc. (US), Huntsman Corporation (US), Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. (Japan), Saint-Gobain (France), Chemtura Corporation (Lanxess) (US), Recticel NV/SA (Belgium), Rogers Corporation (US), Trelleborg AB (Sweden), FoamPartner Group (Switzerland), Eurofoam Group (Austria), Woodbridge Foam Corporation (Canada), Tosoh Corporation (Japan), Foamcraft, Inc. (US), Loyal Group(China), JSP Corporation(Japan), and Sealed Air Corporation (US).

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Polyolefin Foam Market, By Resin Type (Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate), End-use Industry (Protective Packaging, Automotive, Building & Construction, Footwear), and Region

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/polyolefin-foam-market-255644564.html

Polystyrene Foam Market, By Resin Type (EPS AND XPS), End-use Industry (Construction and Industrial Insulation, Packaging, Building and Construction), Region (APAC, Europe, North America, South America, and Middle East & Africa)

https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/polystyrene-foam-market-231315126.html

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Also effective April 1, 2022, Sarah Russell, currently COO of Inland Imaging PS, the company's professional radiology group, will assume responsibilities as CEO of that organization whose 110 radiologists practice in Seattle, Spokane, Tri-Cities, Walla Walla and Missoula, as well as many other locations throughout Washington, Montana, Idaho and Utah.

Russell joined Inland Imaging in 1997 and is responsible for all aspects of the professional radiology practice. According to Duvoisin, "Sarah has been instrumental in the growth of the practice and the successful expansion of its operations. She has overseen the group's growth from 14 to more than 100 radiologists, and has been an integral part of creating a great culture and helping to chart its future course. We look forward to her continued success in her new role as the CEO of Inland Imaging, PS."

Patrick's background includes more than 25 years of diverse professional experience, including positions as market director at AT&T, COO of Quick Study Radiology, as well as a number of high level positions in the information technology sector. "As CEO of Nuvodia, Chris has guided the company's growth and award winning culture, working across multiple industries, including healthcare, professional services and energy," said Duvoisin. "We are looking forward to seeing Chris apply his leadership and competitive spirit to growing Inland's various organizations and addressing the challenges our organizations will face as we look to the future."

Duvoisin has been CEO of Inland Imaging's professional radiology group and outpatient imaging company, as well as its business services, information technology, strategic planning and investment organizations for the last 37 years. Steve joined the company in 1984 when it opened its first outpatient-imaging center with six radiologists and 30 clinical and clerical employees. He serves on a variety of professional, civic, philanthropic, and arts related boards and advisory groups. Steve is looking forward to spending more time with his family in the future.

Inland Imaging: Driven by Purpose, Guided by Values.

Inland Imaging has provided professional radiology and medical imaging services in the Inland Northwest since the 1930s. The company's core purpose  TO PROVIDE ANSWERS YOU CAN TRUST AND CARE YOU CAN COUNT ON, is guided by its values and illustrated by its active role in supporting organizations and initiatives that encourage healthier, more vibrant, and enriching lives for the patients and communities it serves.

Today, the organization's more than 100 subspecialty radiologists and nearly 600 clinical and clerical staff work with health care providers, health systems, hospitals, and clinics throughout Washington, Northern Idaho, and Western Montana to deliver timely, accurate diagnostic imaging and treatments that support great patient care. In addition, Inland Imaging operates a network of state-of-the-art outpatient imaging centers located throughout the Inland Northwest.

SOURCE Inland Imaging
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday sent a congratulatory message to the "Icebreakers" 2022 Chinese New Year celebration hosted by British trade organization the 48 Group Club in London.

The event was supported by the China-Britain Business Council and the China Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

Xi pointed out that in the 1950s, British entrepreneurs, represented by Jack Perry, started the "Icebreaking Mission," which broke the ice in the West's trade with China.

Noting that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level between China and Britain, Xi said that in retrospect, China will never forget the older generation of friends who made historical contributions to the development of China-Britain relations.

Looking ahead, Xi added, China hopes that visionary people and business representatives in both countries will uphold the "icebreaking" spirit, continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and make China-Britain friendship more relevant in the new era, so as to bring more benefits to both nations and peoples. 
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Innoveo, a global technology firm and a pioneer in enterprise no-code solutions today announced the appointment of Al-Noor Ramji to its Board of Directors, effective January 14, 2022. Mr. Ramji is a veteran CIO, board advisor and entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience driving digital strategy and transformation for global enterprises, most recently as Group Chief Digital Officer at Prudential PLC.

"No-code is gaining significant traction with enterprises as they realize the potential it has to accelerate innovation, unlock growth, drive efficiency and ultimately provide a better digital stakeholder experience," said Al-Noor. "I'm honored to join Innoveo's Board and look forward to helping guide the organizations strategy as we transform the way enterprises develop software applications."

Before joining Prudential PLC where Mr. Ramji led the development and execution of an integrated long-term digital strategy for the group, he was a Managing Director at Northgate Capital, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley where he ran technology focused funds. Prior to that, he worked at BT Group PLC as Chief Information Officer, Qwest Communications, Dresdner Kleinworth Benson, Swiss Bank Corporation (UBS), and as the global head of operations at Credit Suisse First Boston. Mr. Ramji holds a BSc in Electronics from the University of London, is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and has been multi-year recipient of the CIO 100 Award, CIO Insight IT Leader of the Year 2009 and the British Computer Society CIO of the Year.

"We are pleased to welcome Al-Noor to our Board of Directors at this important and exciting stage of our evolution," said Amir Ghaffar, CEO, Innoveo. "He is a seasoned executive with deep experience driving digital strategy and transformation within the financial services industry; we look forward to his engagement and guidance as Innoveo enables enterprises to accelerate application development and improve their ability to address changing priorities."

About Innoveo

Innoveo is a cloud-based SaaS company and a pioneer in no-code technology. With our functionally rich no-code platform, Innoveo Skye, and our robust set of solution accelerators, we enable anybody across the enterprise to build their own applications in weeks - not months. Our mission is to empower enterprises in complex and regulated industries to re-imagine application development. Innoveo has a proven track record of enabling enterprises to unlock innovation, simplify technology landscapes, harness digital ecosystems, accelerate speed to market and deliver winning digital experiences at a fraction of a cost and without writing a single line of code. Innoveo has delivered over 500 applications and processed 1+ billion dollars' worth of transactions globally. For more information visit: www.innoveo.com.

SOURCE Innoveo
DENVER, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Espire Dental , a fast growing, doctor-led Integrated Dental Organization (IDO), is excited to announce the recent acquisition of a multi-practice platform with six locations throughout Colorado.

Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Denver, CO, Espire Dental is raising the bar within the dental industry with 19 practices located throughout Colorado, California, Oklahoma and Wyoming. The company actively seeks and acquires practices with a clinical philosophy that focuses on the patient experience, while placing significant emphasis on elevated clinical care and quality and true employee fulfillment. The addition of these six new Colorado practices bolsters Espire's positioning in the Colorado market, while broadening the quality of dental care available to patients throughout the state.

Tim Hill, CEO of Espire Dental, is thrilled about the new partnership and the future growth prospects of Espire. "It has been exciting to meet each provider and team member as we include these six practices into our Espire family. Each location fits perfectly within our existing Espire footprint, and we are excited to continue to work together with Dr. Todd Matheson. "

Dr. Todd Matheson, D.M.D., is the clinical director who owned the six new Colorado practices. He and his excellent team of doctors and team members are a natural fit with Espire based on their patient-focused approach and high standards of clinical excellence and training. "My goal is to provide my patients with the highest care possible while restoring their perfect smile. I knew after talking with Espire they were the best fit for my team and our patients," Dr. Matheson said.

Espire Dental provides world-class support in operations, clinical training, human resources, marketing and finance, allowing dentists to focus all their attention on patient care and elevating their clinical team members' everyday experience as a valued employee. For Hill, the idea of providing more practice owners and clinicians with Espire's unique culture coupled with excellent business support systems, tools and resources is paramount to elevating patient care in the markets Espire serves. "Our vision is to radically elevate the dental experience by replacing pain and anxiety with comfort and confidence," said Hill.

Professional Transition Strategies served as the broker for the transaction.

About Espire Dental

Espire Dental is a group of practices founded by doctors with a vision to create something extraordinary: a dental setting where excellence in dentistry meets inspired hospitality. Espire is pioneering a new practice category, operating as an Integrated Dental Organization (IDO) instead of a DSO to create a large, top quality and unique group practice operating under a single, trusted brand. With a focus on elevated quality care, multi-specialty and creating exceptional experiences for patients and employees, Espire believes that when you love what you do, work does not feel like work. Espire is a fast-growing group of 19 practices, looking to build its presence in the Western United States. Learn more at www.espiredental.com .

Contact Espire Dental

Dentists interested in joining Espire Dental may complete an inquiry form: EspireDental.com/practice-transition

About Professional Transition Strategies

Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Professional Transition Strategies helps dentists buy, sell or start practices, move to new offices or expand at a current location. The company is committed to client success and provides expert consulting services to help dental professionals improve operations, marketing, accounting and other facets of practice management. PTS donates a percentage of its profits to Give Back a Smile, a cosmetic dentistry charitable foundation that restores the smiles of victims of violence. Find out more about PTS at http://www.professionaltransition.com/ .

Media Contact:

Kim Schneider

[email protected]

SOURCE Professional Transition Strategies
DERBY, England, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Numeracy is the ability to work competently and confidently with numbers, especially in practical contexts. For example, fundamental maths topics, such as fractions, decimals, percentages, ratios and simple algebra, are used in almost every profession, not just in specialised fields such as science and engineering. However, recent reports show that 17 million adults in England (49% of the working-age population) have numeracy levels expected of primary school children, costing the economy 20 billion a year!

Located at the heart of England, an area renowned for technology and innovation, the University of Derby is home to about 20,000 students. The University provides many industry-relevant foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate courses, often developed and delivered in collaboration with the numerous global companies based in the East Midlands, including Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier. Over the past three years, the University has undertaken a key initiative in closing the numeracy gap for their students, aiming to improve career prospects for every student, and in particular to improve the success in securing highly-skilled jobs.

During the academic year 2018-2019, the University collaborated with Vretta to customize, develop and deploy the award-winning assessment and learning solution Elevate My Maths (EMM) to diagnose and upgrade the numeracy skills of students in the College of Engineering and Technology. For the students involved in the pilot, maths performance increased by 14% in Calculus, 17% in Foundation and 20% in Computational Maths in Derby and 39% in Athens. EMM also helped to reduce maths anxiety and increase students' confidence, with mature students finding EMM particularly helpful.

The success of the pilot led to the implementation of EMM across the University to support the development of numeracy skills for students and to prepare them for success in their courses, even outside STEM. Together with Vretta and educators in Engineering, Apprentices, Psychology, Finance, Accounting, Business and Education, the University designed ten numeracy training courses addressing the needs of all students. The courses are deployed in modules/programmes through the Virtual Learning Environment or can be accessed via the Maths Skills Library page. Teachers can use live dashboards to monitor progress and provide feedback to students. EMM has been used by more than 1,500 students across the University. Over 400 students have received digital badges for successfully completing their course.

This project has been presented at various learning and teaching conferences, including the Teaching and Learning Mathematics Online (TALMO) conference, the E-Assessment in Mathematical Sciences (EAMS) conference, and the Association for Learning Technology (ALT) conference. Of particular interest is the impact seen in the Computational Mathematics classes led by Dr. Ovidiu Bagdasar at the University of Derby, over a few years of deployment of EMM.

Prior to implementing EMM, first-time pass rates were consistently between 83-86%, while the percentage of good grades (60% or above) was between 58-61%. The implementation of EMM led to a first-time pass rate of 89%, with overall good grades still around 60%. However, after the integration of EMM within the Virtual Learning Environment and the deployment of the custom-made courses D1: Fundamentals and D2: Algebra, Measurement and Geometry in 2019-20, the first-time pass rates stabilised at 89%, with the good grades going all the way up to 70-73%. Furthermore, for the students who passed both numeracy training courses (D1 and D2) with 40% or above, the module pass rates were 98% in 2019-20 and 96% in 2020-21, while the good grades increased up to 87% and 83%, respectively.

This implementation of Elevate My Maths has shown that the numeracy gap at the University has been closing and the confidence of students has been increasing. The University is currently working with Vretta to extend the project to all relevant modules and programmes at the University, as well as sharing best practices to support student success at other institutions across the United Kingdom and internationally.

SOURCE Vretta Inc.
This year, Klaytn is making an aggressive turn toward the metaverse by tuning the entire platform for metaverse use cases. These include AAA games, play-to-earn (P2E) games, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and supporting defi services for metaverse businesses. Klaytn is well-positioned to succeed in this emerging space given the strength of its 31 Governance Council members in blockchain, social networks, digital assets, gaming, and entertainment.

To pursue this vision, Klaytn will be creating an integrated onboarding process for metaverse builders to easily implement their games and virtual communities on the network. These are some initiatives that will be rolled out this year:

Launching a game developer package which includes a set of Klaytn L2 solutions, a curated list of open source tools, as well as a Software Development Kit (SDK)

Supporting Ethereum equivalence in Q2 2022 so EVM-based dapps can onboard without any modification

Community co-building efforts to promote user growth of individual projects

Management and financial support for projects with high global potential

Klaytn will also be making the following improvements to the mainnet:

Higher scalability by leveraging L2 service chains

Enhancements to token management tools and oracle function

More reliance on bridges for interoperability with other blockchains

Integrating an IPFS (Inter-Planetary File System) gateway for decentralized storage

Implementing a smart contract library

"Given the popularity of video games within Korea and the strength of K-culture globally, Klaytn's vision to be the blockchain of choice for games, especially AAA games, is not impossible," says Dr. Sangmin Seo, Director at Klaytn Foundation. Prior to joining Klaytn Foundation, Dr. Seo served as the CTO of Ground X, the software development affiliate of Kakao that created Klaytn.

"There is no other blockchain in the world now that is tuned specifically for the metaverse, gaming, and the creator economy. Our vision is ambitious, and definitely achievable. We look forward to seeing the other blockchains catch up with us," says David Shin, Head of Global Adoption at Klaytn Foundation.

About Klaytn

Klaytn is a public blockchain focused on the metaverse, gamefi, and the creator economy. Officially launched in June 2019, it is the dominant blockchain platform in South Korea and is now undergoing global business expansion from its international base in Singapore.

These business expansion activities are supported by the US$500m Klaytn Growth Fund, which aims to grow the ecosystem of companies built on Klaytn. The fund is managed and disbursed by Klaytn Foundation, a Singapore-based non-profit organization established in August 2021.

SOURCE Klaytn
BOSTON and FORT COLLINS, Colo., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kuva Systems , a leader in methane detection for environmental, social and governance (ESG) and net-zero attainment by the oil & gas industry, announced that its infrared camera has demonstrated reliable detection of emissions both from tank tops as well as equipment low to the ground. The METEC facility, first developed in 2016 under the Department of Energy's ARPA-E MONITOR program, is a world leader in testing of methane detection technologies under real world conditions. The outdoor site consists of equipment typically found at upstream oil and gas facilities. Kuva's system was tested as part of METEC's Advancing Development of Emissions Detection (ADED) Continuous Monitoring Protocol, which was developed with funding from the US Department of Energy.

Kuva Systems

Kuva's camera, together with point sensors and cameras from other solution providers, was part of a five-month test at METEC that featured hundreds of test releases of methane at randomized times and duration. Kuva's solution demonstrated consistent detection performance both for emissions low to the ground and from high up at tank tops. Tank emissions are the leading cause of methane leaks in the upstream oil and gas industry contributing to about half of total emissions.

Kuva's detections of invisible methane are visualized with colorized images allowing for easy pinpointing of emissions to their source. The Kuva camera detects emissions independent of the wind direction and does not require wind to bring the emissions to the camera. In addition, Kuva's cloud solution provided emission detections to METEC without a single false positive detection over the entire five-month period.

"Testing at METEC is the gold standard in independent methane emissions testing, and we are pleased to have partnered with METEC to prove our technical capabilities," said Stefan Bokaemper, CEO of Kuva Systems. "Continuous monitoring of methane emissions is key to finding and fixing emissions fast. ESG stakeholders have to be sure that measurement solutions find emissions from all types of sources including tanks. Kuva has shown it can deliver."

"The protocols developed in the ADED project are designed to evaluate the performance of new methane emission detection systems under a common testing method. Kuva's results are a great example of how detection limits of continuous monitoring systems can be assessed through controlled testing in field setting," says Clay Bell, Research Scientist at Colorado State University. "Additional systems will be conducting testing in 2022, and we hope results from the program will help inform the oil and gas industry how these systems can be adopted to meet their emission reduction goals."

Kuva's platform is the only cost-scalable continuous methane detection system that is image-based. Kuva's solution enables upstream and midstream oil and gas companies to quickly identify leaks, analyze and fix the root causes of emissions, and thereby meet ESG reporting and methane intensity goals. Kuva's systems are operating at facilities in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, North Dakota, Colorado, and Alberta, Canada.

About Kuva Systems

Kuva Systems is a leading methane monitoring technology company focused on making the invisible measurable and manageable. With offices in Boston, Houston and Calgary, Kuva's patented infrared camera and cloud monitoring solution provides oil and gas companies with timely notification of methane leaks and the ability to investigate root-causes of emissions. Kuva's solution enables upstream and midstream oil and gas companies to improve their operations and meet ESG and methane intensity goals.

For more information, visit: https://www.kuvasystems.com

About METEC

The METEC facility was first developed under the ARPA-E MONITOR program, starting in 2016. The facility has since been extended by subsequent projects and programs, and operates as a self-funded research program. METEC was originally designed to support the testing of next-generation leak detection & quantification (LDAQ) methods. Many next gen methods rely on wind transport of emissions to allow leak detection from a distance, using point, line, or imaging sensors. To support LDAQ testing, METEC was designed to emulate the emissions behavior and wind transport characteristics of operational upstream and midstream oil and gas (O&G) facilities. The facility supports a range of well pad sizes, some compressor equipment, and associated access roads.

For more information, visit: https://energy.colostate.edu/metec/

Contact:

Colin Mahoney

212-220-6045

[email protected]

SOURCE Kuva Systems
EMERYVILLE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Kyverna Therapeutics ("Kyverna"), a cell therapy company engineering a new class of therapies for serious autoimmune diseases, today announced it has closed an oversubscribed $85 million Series B financing round led by Northpond Ventures. Additional investors included the company's founding investors Westlake Village BioPartners ("Westlake"), Vida Ventures, and Gilead Sciences ("Gilead"), with new investors RTW Investments, LP ("RTW"), CAM Capital, Insight Partners, HealthCor, LYFE Capital, Intellia Therapeutics, Argentum Peak, Hudson Bay Capital, and jVen Capital.

Proceeds from the financing will be used to advance KYV-101, an autologous version of a novel clinical-stage anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) construct with properties uniquely suited for use in B cell-driven autoimmune diseases such as lupus nephritis, systemic sclerosis, and inflammatory myopathies. Kyverna has obtained exclusive, worldwide licenses from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to use this novel CD19 construct in both autologous and allogeneic CAR T-cell therapies. Kyverna intends to advance KYV-101 into clinical development for autoimmune diseases in the first half of 2022.

Consistent with a recently announced licensing and collaboration agreement between Kyverna and Intellia Therapeutics, the financing proceeds will also be used to support the development of KYV-201, an investigational candidate for the treatment of select B cell-driven autoimmune diseases combining Kyverna's novel CD19 CAR T construct with Intellia's proprietary ex vivo CRISPR/Cas9-based allogeneic platform.

Proceeds from the financing will also support the continued development of Kyverna's synReg T-cell platform, engineering a synthetic version of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) by reprogramming T cells into CAR Treg cells. Kyverna has established a strategic collaboration and license agreement with Gilead to develop engineered T-cell therapies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases based on Kyverna's synReg T-cell platform and synNotch technology from Kite, a Gilead Company.

"This financing reflects significant investor confidence in the science behind Kyverna's cell therapies, world-class team, and commitment to bringing new therapies to patients suffering from serious autoimmune diseases," said Ian Clark, chair of Kyverna's board of directors.

Dominic Borie, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Kyverna said, "With this investment from this outstanding group of investors, we will advance Kyverna's strategy to engineer T cells either as CAR T cells or CAR Tregs to address autoimmune disease drivers and provide transformative treatments to patients afflicted with these chronic and devastating diseases. We look forward to generating proof-of-concept data as we bring KYV-101 to the clinic in the first half of this year."

As part of the financing, Shaan Gandhi, M.D., D.Phil., director at Northpond Ventures and Chris Liu, Ph.D., senior analyst at RTW will join Kyverna's board of directors as board member and board observer, respectively. Dr. Gandhi joins current board members: Ian Clark, former CEO of Genentech and chair of Kyverna's board of directors; Beth Seidenberg, M.D., founding managing director at Westlake and one of Kyverna's founding investors; Fred Cohen, M.D., D. Phil., co-founder and senior managing director at Vida Ventures and one of Kyverna's founding investors; Brian Kotzin, M.D., principal fellow and senior vice president at Nektar Therapeutics and board member of Rigel Pharmaceuticals; Mark Genovese, M.D., senior vice president, inflammation development at Gilead; Dominic Borie, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO of Kyverna; and, Daniel K. Spiegelman, chairman of the board of Tizona Therapeutics, Inc., and board member of Myriad Genetics, Spruce Biosciences, and Opthea.

"When it comes to treating autoimmune diseases, the industry has reached a scientific tipping point," said Dr. Gandhi. "The cell therapies in Kyverna's pipeline hold significant promise for modulating the immune system in such a way as to achieve optimal and long-lasting disease control. I am excited to join this stellar board to help advance Kyverna's next-generation T-cell therapies for patients in need of new treatment options."

"Kyverna stands out as a leader in the field of cell therapy with its multipronged T-cell engineering platform and team of world-class scientists and clinicians," said Dr. Beth Seidenberg. "We believe this company has the ability to harness its demonstrated experience and skill in developing innovative and proprietary approaches for autoimmune diseases to address the needs of patients with more than 80 autoimmune diseases and advance what we believe could become a new treatment paradigm for autoimmunity."

In addition to Dr. Liu, Kyverna's board observers include Desmond Padhi, Pharm.D., principal at Westlake, and Heba Nowyhed, Ph.D., vice president of translational research at IconOVir Bio and science advisor at Vida Ventures.

About Kyverna Therapeutics

Kyverna Therapeutics is a cell therapy company engineering a new class of therapies for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The Kyverna therapeutic platform combines advanced T-cell engineering and synthetic biology technologies to suppress or eliminate the autoreactive immune cells at the origin of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In addition to developing next-generation chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR T) therapies in both autologous and allogeneic settings, Kyverna is creating synReg T cells, a synthetic version of Regulatory T cells (Tregs), powerful natural immune cells that control immune homeostasis through multiple immunosuppressive mechanisms. By offering more than one mechanism for taming autoimmunity, Kyverna is positioned to transform how autoimmune diseases are treated. For more information, please visit https://kyvernatx.com.

SOURCE Kyverna Therapeutics
PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- American Financial Resources, Inc. (AFR) , a national mortgage lender, is pleased to announce the addition of Lauren Blackburn as Director of Marketing at AFR where she will be driving the company's marketing strategy and contributing to the overall business strategy. Blackburn joins AFR from First Hope Bank where she served a long tenure, most recently as Assistant Vice President, Marketing Officer where she developed and implemented annual marketing plans.

Blackburn brings with her more than 10 years of experience in the financial services and banking industry. Prior to serving as Assistant Vice President, Marketing Officer at First Hope Bank, Blackburn held various positions throughout her time there spanning from Compliance Opener to Mortgage Processor to Operations Support Specialist and more, all of which enabled her to develop a deep understanding of the mortgage application and underwriting process as well as the financial services, banking, and mortgage industry overall.

"As an experienced marketing executive, Lauren brings a proven track record of leadership in marketing, internal and external communications, and project management," said Richard Dubnoff, CEO of American Financial Resources, Inc. "As someone who's not only ingrained in marketing but also the mortgage industry, we will benefit greatly from Lauren's expertise and are excited for the year ahead."

Additionally, Blackburn is a Certified Financial Marketing Professional (CFMP) which is the only industry-recognized certification for bank and financial marketers. As a CFMP, she brings a depth of knowledge in data and analytics, leadership, strategy, and revenue generation which will strengthen AFR's marketing efforts and core business.

"As one of the leading mortgage lenders that work to make homeownership possible for all, I'm thrilled to join the AFR team," said Blackburn, AFR's new Director of Marketing. "I look forward to furthering the brand's exposure and contributing to the success of the company."

About American Financial Resources, Inc.

American Financial Resources, Inc. (AFR) offers a comprehensive array of residential mortgage product to meet a variety of financing needs. AFR is a leading FHA 203(k) lender for sponsored originations and an innovator in construction and renovation lending. AFR utilizes the latest technology and delivers educational resources to correspondent lenders, mortgage brokers, loan originators and consumers. American Financial Resources, Inc. is an Equal Housing Lender and Equal Opportunity Employer. Lender NMLS 2826 at www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org . For more information, visit www.afrcorp.com .

SOURCE American Financial Resources, Inc.
RESTON, Va., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Leidos Partnership for Defense Health (LPDH) today announced it successfully delivered the MHS GENESIS electronic health record to an additional 19,000+ clinicians and providers as part of its largest Wave deployment to date, spanning 100 locations in Texas.

"MHS GENESIS is now live and operational in the only Level 1 Trauma Center in the Defense Department," said Liz Porter, Leidos Health Group president. "It is a great honor knowing the system will enable clinicians and providers to continue delivering advanced care to several thousand trauma and burn patients in Central San Antonio."

LPDH developed MHS GENESIS, the Military Health System's new electronic health record, and has been providing program management and technical expertise to the Program Executive Office Defense Healthcare Management Systems (PEO DHMS) since 2015.

The MHS GENESIS system is now operational at more than 1,300 locations with approximately 85,000 total active users  approximately 38% deployed.

"The program has continued to operate both on schedule and on budget, despite facing unforeseen challenges due to the COVID-19 Pandemic," notes Holly Joers, PEO DHMS. "We are extremely proud of the team's continued commitment to the mission and ability to react and respond to these real-world events."

MHS GENESIS is being deployed across the continental United States and overseas through a total of 23 waves. Each Wave will target a specific region over one year, with an average of three hospitals and numerous physical locations for each Wave. This approach enables the DOD to take full advantage of lessons learned from prior Waves to maximize subsequent Waves' efficiencies. Full deployment of MHS GENESIS is expected by the end of calendar year 2023.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company's 43,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $12.30 billion for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2021. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

About LPDH

The Leidos Partnership consists of four core partners - Leidos, Cerner Corporation, Accenture and Henry Schein One - along with approximately 30 supporting businesses. Together, they deliver an integrated, modern, secure health information system that includes an electronic health record system, a dental system, identity management capability, Cybersecurity, and other supporting components. MHS GENESIS will serve as the system of record, providing a single, integrated solution for managing the health and military readiness of the force for DOD and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 1, 2021, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

Contact:

Melissa Duenas

(571) 526-6850

[email protected]

Thomas Doheny

(571) 474-4735

[email protected]

Brandon VerVelde

(571) 526-6257

[email protected]

SOURCE Leidos
DANA POINT, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In March 2022, Over 150 presenting Medtech startup companies and over 100 investors will come together for the third annual Life Science Intelligence (LSI) USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit. The industry-leading event will be held March 15-18 at the Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point, CA, and is expected to bring together over 300 companies in person and virtually to showcase Medtech's newest innovations, deep-dive into industry trends, and discuss the future of possibilities.

The event kicks off on March 15. On March 16 at 8:00 am, where a roundtable of Medtech leaders will discuss the biggest opportunities and challenges facing investors and entrepreneurs in the industry. Each day, CEOs from different Medtech startups will give 10-minute presentations on their products or devices in artificial intelligence, mobile health, robotics, cardiovascular, neurostimulation, and neuromodulation. A full agenda can be found here.

Some of this year's presenters include:

Pierre-Alexandre Fournier . CEO of Hexoskin Smart Garments

. CEO of Adam Sachs , CEO of robotics company Vicarious Surgical

, CEO of robotics company Bryce Klontz , CEO of HealthTech company New View Surgical

, CEO of HealthTech company Valavanur ( Mani) Subramanian , MD, founder/inventor with Heart Repair Technologies

, MD, founder/inventor with Travis Bond , CEO of HealthTech company Altoida

The annual event features a minimum of 150 startup companies looking to partner with active investors. Additionally, up to 50 HealthTech startups will also demonstrate their products in the special "startup pavilion." Interested investors can schedule one-on-one meetings with presenters to learn more about their company and products, creating powerful connections for those seeking funding or potential partnerships.

"We presented at the 2020 LSI event, which led to a new (and previously non-existent) relationship with USVP," Matt Ahearn, president and COO of Shoulder Innovations explained. "As a direct result, we closed a $21.5M round led by USVP. A huge thank you to LSI for putting on this meeting and hosting an incredible platform that connects innovators with investors."

Investors find the annual event equally beneficial. In 2021, venture capital investors spent about $44 billion in the life sciences market. The LSI USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit is the Medtech industry's top in-person event for interested investors to learn about innovative new medical products from emerging companies looking for financial and strategic backers.

"LSI is my favorite Medtech conference of the year," says Kyle Dempsey, partner at healthcare investment firm MVM Partners. "It is the most efficient way to connect with high-quality emerging Medtech companies, large strategics, and the investors that fund these businesses. The logistics are flawless, enabling productive one-on-one meetings and quality networking events."

LSI USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit

March 15  18, 2022

Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, California

See full details here

About Life Science Intelligence (LSI) USA '22 Emerging Medtech Summit

Held annually in Dana Point, CA, the Emerging Medtech Summit has a single mission: to bring together the most innovative Medtech startups, active investors, and strategic buyers to deal-make and collaborate about the industry's future. Learn more at https://www.lifesciencemarketresearch.com/medtech-summit-2022.

About Life Science Intelligence (LSI)

In an era with an overabundance of data, Life Science Intelligence (LSI) believes it is more important than ever for clients to make their key strategic decisions based on unique and timely insights. With a team of market researchers, economists, and analysts that have a deep understanding of the global healthcare system, they partner and guide clients using actionable data so each business can identify the most important trends, opportunities, and "watch-outs" as they aim to deliver life-changing technologies to patients around the globe. As the provider of the annual event, LSI brings together hundreds of investors and companies to find perfect matcheselevating the possibilities in the future of healthcare for all. Find out more at https://www.lifesciencemarketresearch.com.

SOURCE Life Science Intelligence
Life insurance rates remain at all-time lows despite rising COVID deaths Tweet this

The LifeQuotes proprietary technology enables easy, instant comparison of life insurance rates among leading insurers. Hallmarks of the LifeQuotes platform are anonymous quoting and a buying process that discloses actual underwriting guidelines to all customers on a pre-purchase basis resulting in fewer rate-ups and declines. The comparative selection of 40 insurers' rates ensures maximum savings. About 10 of the 40 listed insurers are currently providing instant-decision underwriting, which is a hit with life insurance shoppers. Salaried telephone specialists assist and inform without any sales pressure.

"We're thrilled to have reached 400,000 customers insured," said vice president, Michelle Zieba. "Against the sobering backdrop of rising COVID deaths, we want consumers to know that life insurance prices are currently at all-time lows, making this an ideal window of opportunity to buy."

A recent Reuters analysis revealed that COVID deaths hit an 11-month high on Sunday.

Other unique attributes of the content-rich LifeQuotes.com platform include automatic quoting of Final Expense, Term Life, Whole Life and Universal Life, no-exam plans up to $2.5 million and accidental death plans.

Bland continued, "Our selection, savings and service model resonates well with today's COVID-weary life insurance shoppers. The instant quote technology that we pioneered and brought to market enables us to render more accurate quotes and happy outcomes to applicants, including those who have health histories such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer, sleep apnea, anxiety and more."

A 24x7 live feed of the LifeQuotes.com customer reviews, now numbering in excess of 108,000 and averaging 4.66 Stars, can be viewed at www.lifequotes.com/liferequest/customerReview.jsp

Rayna S. of East St. Louis, IL, remarked, "Very professional, detailed and knowledgeable."

Zieba continued, "LifeQuotes.com recommends that owners of life insurance review their policies at least every 5 years. Many owners of term life insurance policies do not realize that their policies might contain the right to convert all or part of their term life policy to a permanent policy with no health questions or medical exam."

Life insurance rates are at all-time lows

The chart of sample monthly premiums below reveals the best possible monthly prices for a 10-year term life policy. Most 10-year term life policies are renewable, without evidence of insurability, to age 90+ and may be convertible to permanent insurance without having to undergo further underwriting. Other initial rate guarantee periods such as 15, 20, 25, 30 years and longer are also available as are Universal Life and Whole Life, both of which can provide a level death benefit and level premiums for life.

10 Year Team Life (Longer periods are available)

Best Female Monthly Rates

Best Male Monthly Rates Age $100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,000,000

$100,000 $250,000 $500,000 $1,000,000 25-35 $7 $9 $11 $16

$7 $10 $13 $20 40 $8 $11 $15 $22

$8 $12 $17 $24 45 $10 $15 $24 $38

$11 $17 $27 $46 50 $13 $21 $33 $57

$14 $24 $41 $69 55 $18 $28 $50 $90

$20 $37 $67 $119 60 $24 $41 $73 $133

$30 $65 $114 $195 65 $35 $66 $122 $216

$44 $102 $191 $340 70 $57 $109 $197 $366

$87 $178 $317 $555 75 $98 $239 $454 $771

$139 $333 $639 $1,210

The sample premiums shown above assume that the applicant is in good health and has no ratable medical issues. Customers who want quotes and advice by phone can talk to our licensed specialists by calling (800) 556-9393.

Having an adequate amount of life insurance in place is important and everybody's situation is unique. Here are some LifeQuotes.com guidelines:

For people who work and have dependents, children or a mortgage: 10-15 times annual income

For home caregivers: $300,000 minimum

minimum For burial-only coverage: $10,000 - $25,000

Accolades for LifeQuotes.com:

2022: LifeQuotes celebrates 400,000 th customer milestone

customer milestone 2021: LifeQuotes.com celebrates 1,000 Google Reviews averaging 4.8 stars

averaging 4.8 stars "2017 Life Insurance Innovation" award winner Life Insurance Direct Marketing Association

"The premier Web site in terms of details and ease of use..." -- Yahoo! FINANCE

Twice Ranked #1 life insurance website by Kiplinger's

Named a "100 Most useful website" by MSN Money

Past Winner: Forbes' "Best of the Web"

"Best of the Web" The best web site I've found..." -- Dallas Morning News

"...we'd recommend you do your insurance shopping here..." -- Barron's

"...outstanding - as good as a Web site on insurance can possibly be. Hats off and a gold star to the top insurance site on the Web." -- Insurance for Dummies

No questions asked life insurance soars in popularity

LifeQuotes.com has a good selection of "no health questions asked" policies for people age 25-85. Two such policies are the Term Life to Age 70 policy up to $50,000 for ages 25-65 and a Whole Life policy up to $25,000 for ages 45-85. While not available to people who are terminally ill or institutionalized, the no-health-question policies are made available by use of regulatory-approved waiting periods.

No Health Questions Asked Term Life to Age 70 Male and Female Monthly Rates Age $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $50,000 25-65 $40 $48 $50 $69 Coverage begins after 6-month wait Not in AK, AR, ID, ME, MD, MO, MT, NC, NM, NV, NY, SD, OR, UT, WA

No Health Questions Asked Whole Life: Premiums and Coverage Remain Level for Life Female Monthly Rates

Male Monthly Rates Age $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000

Age $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 45 $28 $41 $55 $68

45 $36 $54 $72 $89 50 $30 $45 $60 $74

50 $40 $60 $79 $99 55 $37 $56 $74 $92

55 $45 $68 $90 $112 60 $43 $64 $84 $105

60 $57 $85 $113 $141 65 $50 $74 $99 $123

65 $68 $102 $136 $170 70 $64 $95 $127 $158

70 $87 $130 $172 $215 75 $88 $132 $176 $220

75 $113 $169 $226 $282 80 $127 $190 $253 $316

80 $157 $235 $313 $391 85 $158 $236 $314 $393

85 $193 $288 $384 $480 Coverage begins after 24 month wait

About LifeQuotes.com

LifeQuotes.com is an insurtech pioneer that caters to self-directed life insurance shoppers at www.lifequotes.com. The company's innovative technology allows customers to instantly view quotes from 40 insurers and buy from the company of their choice on a paperless basis. The company's comparative rater also reveals underwriting guidelines for improved accuracy. More than 400,000 people have purchased policies through LifeQuotes.com since the firm's founding in 1984. According to Data Bridge Market Research, the insurtech market is expected to witness market growth at a rate of 42.4% in the forecast period of 2021 to 2028 and is expected to reach $46 billion by 2028.

Survey Methodology, Participating Insurers

Life insurance policies described, quoted, shown and illustrated in this press release may not be available in all states and certain terms may vary by state where required by state law. The supplemental policies described provide limited benefits and are NOT comprehensive health insurance or major medical insurance and they do NOT satisfy a person's individual obligation to secure the requirements of minimum essential coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). For more information about the ACA, refer to http://www.HealthCare.gov. Policies examined include American Family Life Insurance Company, Madison, WI, policy form ICC14-LD10001; American National Insurance Company, Galveston, TX, policy form ART 12; Assurity Life Insurance Company, Lincoln, NE, policy form I L1702; Banner Life Insurance Company, Urbana, MD, policy form ICC08-LIA, and William Penn Life Insurance Company, Garden City, NY, policy form LIA-WP, both Legal & General America companies; Foresters Financial of Toronto, Canada, under form ICC16 770620; Haven Life Insurance Agency, Issued by C.M Life Insurance Agency, LLC, a subsidiary of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (Mass Mutual) of Springfield, MA. Policy form # ICC19PCM-SI 0819); Lincoln Life & Annuity Insurance Company of New York, Syracuse, NY, policy form LEF06321-18_7-10, and The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company, Fort Wayne, IN, policy form LEF06321_5-12, both insurance company affiliates of Lincoln National Corporation, whose marketing name is Lincoln Financial Group; John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A) of Boston, MA 02117, on policy form number ICC16 2016TERM and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York, Valhalla, NY 10595, Minnesota Life Insurance Company and Securian Life Insurance Company of St. Paul, MN under policy number F76777-15; Pacific Life Insurance Company of Newport Beach, CA, policy form P16YLT. North American Company for Life & Health Insurance, Chicago, IL, policy form LS174; Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company of Horsham, PA, under policy form ICC13-LT; Principal Life Insurance Company of Des Moines, IA, under policy form ICC17 SN 104; Protective Life and Annuity, Birmingham, AL, policy form TI-15; Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Newark, NJ, policy form ORD 96200-2010, member companies of Prudential Financial, Inc., Newark, NJ; Sagicor Life Insurance Company of Scottsdale, AZ under form number 1000; The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts, Woburn, MA, policy form A91-OSV (SBLI and The No Nonsense Life Insurance Company are registered trademarks of The Savings Bank Mutual Life Insurance Company of Massachusetts; Transamerica Life Insurance Company, Cedar Rapids, IA, policy form 1-304 11-107, both AEGON companies; Vantis Life Insurance Company, Windsor, CT, policy form # ICC17DTC; United of Omaha Life Insurance Company, Omaha, NE, policy form LAP1099, a Mutual of Omaha affiliate company. Copyright 1984-2022 Life Quotes, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE LifeQuotes.com
TOKYO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Nikkei dropped to its lowest level since December 2020 on Wednesday, as technology issues retreating on Wall Street overnight weighed, in twine with concerns over a possible hawkish outcome at the conclusion of the U.S. Federal Reserve's two-day policy-setting meeting.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 120.01 points, or 0.44 percent, from Tuesday to finish at 27,011.33, marking its lowest closing level since Dec. 28, 2020.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 4.77 points, or 0.25 percent, to close at 1,891.85.

Local brokers said investors were in a circumspect mood ahead of the outcome of the Fed's meeting later in the day, with concerns rife that the Fed could hike its key trade at an earlier juncture than expected.

They added that the market consensus, owing to the day's selloff, seemed to be leaning towards a hawkish outcome at the conclusion of the Fed's policy meeting.

"Investors are just waiting for the end of the Fed's meeting and how the market will move after that will totally depend on the outcome," Takatoshi Itoshima, a strategist at Pictet Asset Management, was quoted as saying.

"Looking at the selloff today, the market is expecting a hawkish move and the point is how hawkish the Fed will be," Itoshima added.

Other analysts, however, said some investors were on the fence as to which way the Fed would lean, with Toshikazu Horiuchi, an equity strategist at IwaiCosmo Securities Co., quoted as saying, "Investors have been overly pessimistic in recent days, as they do not have clues about what the Fed will do due to not being able to get comments from members during a blackout period."

Japan's COVID-19 crisis continued to weigh on the market, dealers here said. Another 18 prefectures were placed under COVID-19 quasi-emergency measures on Tuesday, bringing the total number of prefectures under the emergency measures to 34 out of Japan's 47 prefectures.

They pointed to figures showing the nationwide, new daily COVID-19 cases hit a new record surpassing the 60,000-mark for the first time on Tuesday, as the highly-transmissible Omicron variant of the virus continues to see cases surge across the country.

Tokyo alone, meanwhile, on Tuesday reported a record 12,813 new coronavirus cases as the capital continues to grapple with the virus as cases surge daily.

Overall, dealers said, investors are becoming increasingly concerned about the outlook for Japan's already ailing economy, as companies like Toyota have announced it would suspend production at 11 local factories due to COVID-19-related supply chain issues, with more companies expected to follow suit.

By the close of play, oil and coal product, pulp and paper, as well as textile and apparel issues comprised those that declined the most, with issues that fell outpacing those that rose by 1,160 to 917 on the First Section, while 107 ended the day unchanged.

Among tech issues following their U.S. peers lower, with industrial robotics maker Fanuc slumped 3.3 percent, while Tokyo Electron ended the day down 0.8 percent.

Ricoh tumbled 5.3 percent, KDDI slipped 2.6 percent, while Panasonic shed 0.3 percent.

Transportation issues lost ground on concerns over falling patronage as COVID-19 cases continue an uptrend in Japan, with Odakyu Electric Railway reversing 2.8 percent, while ANA Holdings dropped 0.4 percent by the close.

On the main section on Wednesday, 1,033.47 million shares changed hands, dropping from Tuesday's volume of 1,320.31 million shares.

The turnover on the third trading day of the week came to 2,667.65 billion yen (23.38 billion U.S. dollars). 
Following the pandemic's start in December 2020, Liquidyne recognized the need to transform the experience and accessibility of critical elements of the pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing supply chain. In response, Liquidyne has adopted a technology focus on three core areas to fulfill customer needs  solution identification, acquisition, and support. With an unmatched ecosystem of the world's best-in-class manufacturers customers can rest assured that their mission-critical operations deliver on the demands of the world's health emergencies.

The new brand identity reflects our commitment to simplifying the complexity of single-use and process equipment acquisition in the Life Sciences manufacturing industry to speed time to market.

Chris Couper, Liquidyne's President & Founder, recently commented, "With the global demands on pharma and biotech to take the lead in supporting public health, we are compelled to focus on how our role within the supply chain can improve drug development, manufacturing, and delivery. Our rebranding marks a new Liquidyne both inside and out with a laser focus on customer experience. Lead by our core values of passion for people, pride in work, solution centricity, and fun, along with our strategic vision, will help life science manufacturers manufacture."

Phase 1 elements of Liquidyne's brand evolution include:

New Website: As a prominent representation of the company, people, and brand, the new website is beautiful, clean, informative, and simple to navigate. Inspired by B2C eCommerce, the website allows for findability through industry process applications, search, and traditional navigation. Integrating an easy-to-use quote functionality, followed by more conventional eCommerce purchase functionality in Q2 of 2022, will streamline the often-complex procurement of pharmaceutical manufacturing equipment.

New Brand Colors: The fresh new colors provide a calm and trusting framework for the sanitary nature of our products and the importance of decluttering the identification and procurement of equipment.

New Brand Purpose Statement: Making Life Better

New Niche Statement: We help Life Science Manufacturers Manufacture.

About Liquidyne

Liquidyne Process Technologies, Inc is a leader in single-use and sanitary process equipment for fluid transfer, measurement, and control. The company helps its customers keep their fluid transfer process clean, modern, efficient, and running smoothly. It also provides custom fabricated assemblies and distributed products, including single-use components, tubing, hoses, stainless, mixers, valves, pumps, and more. Liquidyne Process Technologies, Inc. is industry renowned for providing intelligently engineered solutions for sanitary process equipment, fluid handling, and quick, responsive, and knowledgeable service.

SOURCE Liquidyne Process Technologies
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Mind Cure Health Inc. (CSE: MCUR) (OTCQX: MCURF) (FRA: 6MH) ("MINDCURE" or the "Company"), a leader in advanced proprietary technology and research for psychedelics, today announced its financial results and operational highlights for the three and six months ended November 30, 2021. All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

Fiscal Q2 2022 Business Highlights

Commenced trading on the OTCQX Best Market on September 30, 2021 , the highest tier of OTC Markets Group, under the ticker symbol "MCURF".

, the highest tier of OTC Markets Group, under the ticker symbol "MCURF". Closed an exclusive data licensing agreement with ATMA Journey Centers Inc., a pioneer in the psychedelic therapy industry, and was granted exclusive access to ATMA data from patients using iSTRYM, the Company's digital therapeutics technology. The data will be leveraged to further optimize iSTRYM and position it as the industry's distribution network for science-based, evidence-backed protocols and AI data systems.

Signed a letter of intent with Awakn Life Sciences (NEO: AWKN) (OTCQB: AWKNF) to be a distributor of its ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder protocol in the US and Canada .

. Partnered with 20 ketamine clinics in nine states in the U.S. and three provinces in Canada to release the minimum viable product version of iSTRYM, with plans to further expand in 2022.

to release the minimum viable product version of iSTRYM, with plans to further expand in 2022. Introduced the "Desire Project", a clinical research program focused on the treatment of female hypoactive sexual desire disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. This is the first psychedelics-based treatment program targeted at addressing Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder.

Joined the Digital Therapeutics Alliance, a non-profit association of industry leaders with a mission to drive awareness and adoption of digital therapies.

Advanced preparations to ship ibogaine drug material to its pre-clinical research partner.

Included in the AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF, which trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol "PSIL".

Recent Events

The Company and its digital therapeutics technology, iSTRYM, were certified as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant, making a further step toward commercial deployment in the second quarter of 2022.

Appointed Dr. Doron Sagman , MD, FRCPC, as the Company's new Chief Medical Officer ("CMO"). Dr. Joel Raskin who was acting CMO will transition into an advisory role.

"During the second quarter of fiscal 2022, we achieved several key milestones across our digital technology and research projects, further proving our ability to successfully execute against our strategic growth strategy," said Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO of MINDCURE. "We are continuing to build out our team with key industry leaders, positioning the Company to develop innovative treatments that promote healing and improve mental health."

Financial Highlights

Net loss for the three months ended November 30, 2021 was $2.95 million , comprised of cash operating expenses of $2.9 million , non-cash operating expenses of $0.3 million and an unrealized gain of $0.2 million .

was , comprised of cash operating expenses of , non-cash operating expenses of and an unrealized gain of . Cash and cash equivalents totalled $13.4 million as of November 30, 2021 .

A copy of the Company's financial statements for the three and six months ended November 30, 2021 and the related management's discussion and analysis are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

In other news, the Company also announces it has granted a total of 110,000 stock options to certain employees pursuant to the terms the Company's long term incentive plan ("Plan"). The stock options are exercisable at a price of $0.21 per share, and are subject to the terms of the Plan.

About Mind Cure Health Inc.

MINDCURE is a life sciences company focused on innovating and commercializing new ways to promote healing and improve mental health. The company is developing digital therapeutics technology and researching psychedelic compounds to support access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies globally. Learn more at mindcure.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO

Phone: 1-888-593-8995

Forward-Looking Information

Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by management of MINDCURE, including, without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian economy and MINDCURE's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect MINDCURE's business; there will be a demand for MINDCURE's products in the future; no unanticipated expenses or costs arise; MINDCURE will be able to continue to identify products that make them ideal candidates for providing solutions for treating mental health; that iSTRYM will be developed, optimized and operate as contemplated within the psychedelics industry; that the Company will be effective in obtaining the patents applied for synthesizing ibogaine, or synthesizing ibogaine, or developing synthesized ibogaine for research, medical or commercial use; that MINDCURE will advance wellness worldwide; that iSTRYM will be brought to commercial deployment in the near term or otherwise or that it will reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, or support transformation and healing, or that the deployment may not occur at the scale or within the time frame contemplated.

Although MINDCURE has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information presented, there may be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as no forward-looking information can be guaranteed.

Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and MINDCURE does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

SOURCE Mind Cure Health Inc.
MINNEAPOLIS, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LEFTA Systems, the industry leader for law enforcement internal documentation processes and applications, today announced that the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) has purchased the SHIELD Suite, aimed at documenting officer training from the time they enter the police academy until they leave or retire from the department.

Minneapolis joins fellow "Twin City" Saint Paul as a LEFTA Systems client, with the Saint Paul Police Department having purchased the software in November.

LEFTA Systems CEO and Founder Bryan Selzer

By using the training documentation track of LEFTA Systems' SHIELD Suite, all aspects of MPD's training will be captured on one platform. Specifically, the Department has purchased:

Academy Training Software (ATRAX)  This allows management to document training of new recruits while in the police academy, including  but not limited to  firearms qualification, vehicle operation, knowledge of department rules, state laws and many more. ATRAX will also help to identify poor recruit performance.

Field Training Software (FTO)  The LEFTA FTO software monitors of on-the-job performance during the field training curriculum and probationary period. This allows management to identify training required to improve poor trainee performance, as well as monitor the performance of FTOs and the overall health of MPD's field training program.

Managing Employee Training Records Software (METR)  This is utilized for tracking an employee's training records from their date of hire until the day they retire or separate from the agency. METR has the ability to capture training records such as firearms requalification, in-service training, state mandated training (i.e., Bias Based Profiling, De-Escalation, Use of Force Training, etc.), as well as ensuring that employees sign-off on required policies.

The applications come with an Early Intervention System (EIS) that alerts management of potential issues.

"Implementing the right combination of technologies allows law enforcement agencies to immediately create, store and access a variety of reports and statistics, that offer both deep analysis and actionable insights," said LEFTA Systems CEO and Founder Bryan Selzer. "By utilizing LEFTA Systems software, the Minneapolis Police Department is adopting the best-suited software applications to document all of its training."

The Minneapolis Police Department is the latest law enforcement agency to implement LEFTA Systems' applications in Minnesota. Existing clients include the Saint Paul Police Department, Saint Cloud Police Department, Saint Louis County Sheriff's Office, Washington County Sheriff's Office, and Sherburne County Sheriff's Office.

Nationally, LEFTA Systems applications are used by more than 450 agencies, including major metropolitan areas like Houston, Miami, Orlando, Albuquerque, Boise, Tulsa, San Francisco, Oakland, and Seattle.

For more information about LEFTA Systems, please visit http://www.leftasystems.org

About LEFTA Systems



Since 2006, LEFTA Systems has been one of the industry leaders in law enforcement software. Continually testing and improving their products, LEFTA Systems applications are now being used at local, state, and federal levels with over 450 agencies throughout the United States and more than 80,000 law enforcement officers nationwide. In additional to training software, the SHIELD Suite also includes Use of Force software, Vehicle Pursuit Software, Internal Affairs Software and Bias Based Profiling software.

LEFTA Systems Media Contact:

Jeff Perlman

818.317.3070

[email protected]

SOURCE LEFTA Systems
While at Engelhard, Lampert launched Cathode Materials and development of NC based cathode for Lithion Yardney (now EaglePicher), USN's submarine program. From November 2008 through December 2014, Lampert was the group leader in Ludwigshafen for Cathode Materials R&D.

With his years of experience in bringing automotive-grade cathode products to market, Lampert will bolster the push by Mitra Chem to build North American iron-based cathode capacity, thereby enhancing the global production and supply chain of vital battery materials

Today's announcement comes on the heels of the completion of a $20 million Series A round. The round was led by Social Capital, a leading California investment firm run by Chamath Palihapitiya. Other participants include Richard Tsai, Fontinalis Partners, Integrated Energy Materials and Earthshot Ventures.

"We are excited to welcome Jordan to the team. Our mission is clear: bring iron-based cathodes to market and lead the North American based production and distribution of key battery materials with innovation and efficiency in order to tackle the threat of climate change," said Mitra Chem CEO and Co-Founder Vivas Kumar. "Jordan brings decades of experience to Mitra Chem that will help us expand our capacity beyond the lab scale, and expertise to continue scaling up these vital technologies."

"I am thrilled to join the Mitra Chem team at such a critical moment where the supply and distribution of battery product materials is so vital to the fight against climate change. Mitra Chem has a vision for the future and the ability to execute a fundamental shift in the global supply chain that will power the massive expansion in electrification we are seeing across an array of sectors. I look forward to the work ahead," Jordan Lampert said.

About Mitra Chem

Lithium-ion batteries are the key platform technology enabling electrification in transportation, consumer electronics, along with residential, commercial, and grid-scale energy storage. Mitra Chem is building the first North American lithium-ion battery materials product company that shortens the lab-to-production timeline by over 90%. Mitra Chem's first core product category is iron-based cathodes for Western battery applications. Iron-based cathodes shift away from the use of elements such as nickel and cobalt, which are facing imminent supply crunches. The North American market is facing imminent threats of supply shortages without localization and reshoring efforts. Mitra Chem takes cathode products from lab to industrial scale faster than the competition by leveraging an in-house machine learning technology advantage to dramatically shorten the R&D timeline. Mitra Chem's goal is to transform the cathode from a specialty chemical to a platform technology that differentiates cell performance by end application.

SOURCE Mitra Chem
ALBANY, N.Y., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Transparency Market Research: The global monoethylene glycol market is expected to surpass the value of US$ 61.7 Bn by the end of 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 6.1% during the forecast period. In 2020, the global market was valued at US$ 34.1 Bn in 2020. Manufacturers of monoethylene glycol (MEG) are finding opportunities in the plastics and polyester industries. MEG manufacturing is being increased in order to produce packaging materials and polyester films.

The increasing use of monoethylene glycol in anti-freeze formulations is likely to play a significant role in the growth of the global monoethylene glycol market. Solvents and anti-icers for aviation are two further applications for monoethylene glycol. The expanding use of monoethylene glycol is estimated to foster growth of the global monoethylene glycol market in the near future.

In the global market, cash-rich businesses are expanding research and development for proprietary process technologies for both catalytic/thermal and simply catalytic MEG manufacturing. Small-scale market operators are facing stiff competition from established firms.

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Key Findings of Market Report

Monoethylene glycol producers are increasing output capacity for the liquid form of the product. Industrial grade MEG, which is utilized in the manufacturing of polyester, is becoming more widely available.

Anti-freeze applications offer companies in the monoethylene glycol market with reliable income streams. They are expanding production lines to open up new revenue streams in the manufacture of hydraulic brake fluids and cooling systems, such as those found in cars and air conditioners, where it works as a coolant and heat transfer agent.

Monoethylene glycol producers are diversifying their output in order to innovate in PET, which is used to make plastic bottles. It has been discovered that a substantial percentage of global MEG is utilized as a chemical intermediary in the polyester manufacturing process.

The global monoethylene glycol market is being driven by an increase in the disposable income of the urban populace in developing countries. Monoethylene glycol is being increasingly used in the production of a broad range of packaging and textile solutions, which is likely to drive the global market.

In the recent years, the usage of monoethylene glycol in the production of coolants for automobile engines has grown in popularity. The relevance of monoethylene glycol-based liquids for automotive heat transfer in vehicle engines has also piqued industry leaders' interest. Monoethylene glycol's colorless, odorless, and viscous properties have helped it gain popularity in a variety of industries.

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Global Monoethylene Glycol Market: Growth Drivers

Growing need of polymers in the textile manufacturing industry is likely to trigger expansion of the global monoethylene glycol market. Polyesters are in high demand, owing to their physical and chemical qualities, which make them perfect for tropical climates.

Asia Pacific is likely to dominate the global monoethylene glycol market during the forecast period. The market in Asia Pacific is estimated to be driven by rising demand for humectants, chemical intermediates, and resins.

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Global Monoethylene Glycol Market: Key Players

Some of the key market players are

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC)

Royal Dutch Shell Plc

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation

Indian Oil Corporation Limited

LyondellBasell Industries N.V.

Nan Ya Plastics Corporation

Global Monoethylene Glycol Market: Segmentation

Application

Polyester Fiber

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

Antifreeze

Others

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Chemicals & Materials Industry battles Tangible Impact of Economic and Cultural changes, Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Chemicals & Materials Market:

Triethylene Glycol Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/teg-market.html

Ethylene Glycol Market - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ethylene-glycol-market.html

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. Our experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyse information.



Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

For More Research Insights on Leading Industries, Visit our YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8e-z-g23-TdDMuODiL8BKQ

Contact

Mr. Rohit Bhisey

Transparency Market Research

State Tower,

90 State Street,

Suite 700,

Albany NY - 12207

United States

USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com

Press Release Source: https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/monoethylene-glycol-market.htm

SOURCE Transparency Market Research
TSX andOTCQX: MPVD

TORONTO and NEW YORK, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. ("Mountain Province" or the "Company") (TSX: MPVD) (OTCQX: MPVD) is pleased to announce the results of its latest diamond sale in Antwerp, Belgium, which closed on January 21, 2022. Additionally, the Company wishes to provide an operational update, and 2022 guidance.

Results of First Sale of the Year

During the Company's first sale of 2022, 181,851 carats were sold for total proceeds of $31.5 million (US$25.0 million) resulting in an average value of $173 per carat (US$137 per carat). Adjusting for mix of goods sold, this result represents a run-of-mine price of $124 per carat (US$98 per carat).

Operational Update

Following the declaration of an outbreak of COVID-19 at Gahcho Kue by the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer in the Northwest Territories on December 27, 2021, additional cases of COVID-19 have been detected, primarily during shift rotation. Gahcho Kue has implemented heightened preventative measures on site, with production continuing with some impacts due to quarantine requirements. The Company continues to manage the COVID-19 situation at site, and to engage with all stakeholders.

2022 Guidance (all figures quoted on a 100% basis)

35  40 million total tonnes mined (ore and waste)

3.75  4.30 million ore tonnes mined

3.35  3.60 million ore tonnes treated

6.3  6.7 million carats recovered

Production costs of $121 - $127 per tonne treated

- per tonne treated Production costs of $64  $68 per carat recovered

 per carat recovered Sustaining Capital Expenditure of $11 million

Mark Wall, the Company's President and Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"With the strengthening in the rough diamond market that we saw throughout 2021, we expected the results of the first sale of the year to be favourable. These sales results put us on a solid footing as we head into a pivotal year.

The Company's 2022 guidance demonstrates that despite the risks, impacts and costs associated with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the mine continues to generate positive free cash flow, enhanced further by the strong rough diamond market."

About the Company

Mountain Province Diamonds is a 49% participant with De Beers Canada in the Gahcho Kue diamond mine located in Canada's Northwest Territories. The Gahcho Kue Joint Venture property consists of several kimberlites that are actively being mined, developed, and explored for future development. The Company also controls 107,373 hectares of highly prospective mineral claims and leases surrounding the Gahcho Kue Mine that include an Indicated mineral resource for the Kelvin kimberlite and Inferred mineral resources for the Faraday kimberlites. Kelvin is estimated to contain 13.62 million carats (Mct) in 8.50 million tonnes (Mt) at a grade of 1.60 carats/tonne and value of US$63/carat. Faraday 2 is estimated to contain 5.45Mct in 2.07Mt at a grade of 2.63 carats/tonne and value of US$140/ct. Faraday 1-3 is estimated to contain 1.90Mct in 1.87Mt at a grade of 1.04 carats/tonne and value of US$75/carat. All resource estimations are based on a 1mm diamond size bottom cut-off.

For further information on Mountain Province Diamonds and to receive news releases by email, visit the Company's website at www.mountainprovince.com.

Qualified Person

The disclosure in this news release of scientific and technical information regarding Mountain Province's mineral properties has been reviewed and approved by Tom E. McCandless, Ph.D., P.Geo., and Matthew MacPhail, P.Eng, MBA, both employees of Mountain Province Diamonds and Qualified Persons as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Caution Regarding Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" and "forward-looking information" under applicable Canadian and United States securities laws concerning the business, operations and financial performance and condition of Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. Forward-looking statements and forward-looking information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the ability to negotiate and enter into binding documentation, the ability to obtain approval of the parties, regulators and shareholders on terms acceptable to Mountain Province, operational hazards, including possible disruption due to pandemic such as COVID-19, its impact on travel, self-isolation protocols and business and operations, estimated production and mine life of the project of Mountain Province; the realization of mineral reserve estimates; the timing and amount of estimated future production; costs of production; the future price of diamonds; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; the ability to manage debt; capital expenditures; the ability to obtain permits for operations; liquidity; tax rates; and currency exchange rate fluctuations. Except for statements of historical fact relating to Mountain Province, certain information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "anticipates," "may," "can," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "expects," "projects," "targets," "intends," "likely," "will," "should," "to be", "potential" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may", "should" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of Mountain Province and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct.

Factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from results anticipated by such forward-looking statements include the negotiating stances taking by the parties, the ability to obtain approval of regulators, parties and shareholders, as may be required, on conditions acceptable to the parties, the development of operation hazards which could arise in relation to COVID-19, including, but not limited to protocols which may be adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and any impact of such protocols on Mountain Province's business and operations, variations in ore grade or recovery rates, changes in market conditions, changes in project parameters, mine sequencing; production rates; cash flow; risks relating to the availability and timeliness of permitting and governmental approvals; supply of, and demand for, diamonds; fluctuating commodity prices and currency exchange rates, the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated.

These factors are discussed in greater detail in Mountain Province's most recent Annual Information Form and in the most recent MD&A filed on SEDAR, which also provide additional general assumptions in connection with these statements. Mountain Province cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Investors and others who base themselves on forward-looking statements should carefully consider the above factors as well as the uncertainties they represent and the risk they entail. Mountain Province believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this news release should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date of this news release.

Although Mountain Province has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Mountain Province undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Statements concerning mineral reserve and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements to the extent they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered as the property is developed. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

Further, Mountain Province may make changes to its business plans that could affect its results. The principal assets of Mountain Province are administered pursuant to a joint venture under which Mountain Province is not the operator. Mountain Province is exposed to actions taken or omissions made by the operator within its prerogative and/or determinations made by the joint venture under its terms. Such actions or omissions may impact the future performance of Mountain Province. Under its current note and revolving credit facilities Mountain Province is subject to certain limitations on its ability to pay dividends on common stock. The declaration of dividends is at the discretion of Mountain Province's Board of Directors, subject to the limitations under the Company's debt facilities, and will depend on Mountain Province's financial results, cash requirements, future prospects, and other factors deemed relevant by the Board

SOURCE Mountain Province Diamonds Inc.
"For more than 45 years, Bill Farrell has provided M&T with impressive leadership and admirable dedication to our goals in the communities we serve and the businesses we value," said Kevin Pearson, vice chairman of M&T Bank and head of the Wilmington Trust business. "Bill has the profound gratitude of all of us, and we congratulate him on his well-deserved retirement. We are also extremely excited to have someone with Jennifer's breadth of experience and financial services acumen joining our team."

Farrell joined Wilmington Trust in 1976 and held a number of senior management posts in retail banking, investment accounting, accounting operations, trust operations, and technology. His entrepreneurial spirit led to a significant expansion of the businesses and markets where ICS operates.

He played a critical role in the successful integration of Wilmington Trust into M&T, and his work allowed the bank to make a significant difference for businesses and investors of all sizes across the globe.

Wilmington Trust's ICS business provides corporate trust, agency, retirement, custody and insurance services for businesses. Under Farrell's leadership, the bank's ICS business has more than doubled since the acquisition of Wilmington Trust and its GCM team is recognized as a top five US Corporate Trustee & Paying Agent.

"I'm exceptionally proud of all that we have accomplished in my time at Wilmington Trust, and in my role in helping us evolve," Farrell said. "I know that Jennifer will do an amazing job leading this fantastic team and I'm looking forward to staying involved in our future successes."

Farrell will remain a board member for Wilmington Trust Co. and Wilmington Trust, N.A.

As an active member in his community, Farrell supports the YMCA of Delaware and previously served as chairman of the organization. He is also a board member for the Wilmington Grand Opera House and Hagley Museum.

Jennifer Warren has joined M&T Bank as an executive vice president and will succeed Farrell as head of ICS. She will work closely with him over the next four months, ensuring a smooth transition.

Warren brings over 25 years of experience in the financial services and telecommunications industries, including executive leadership roles at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Rogers Communications and Computershare.

"Adding Jennifer to our leadership team will greatly enhance our ability to provide our clients with the many financial services they deserve," said Rene Jones, Chairman and CEO of M&T Bank. "I'm further pleased that we are adding another very qualified member to our leadership ranks as we look to provide more skill-set depth and diversity to our senior bench."

As head of the U.S. region and president and CEO of CIBC World Markets, Warren led all the firm's U.S. businesses -- including broker-dealer operations, wealth management (Atlantic Trust group), corporate banking, real estate finance, and capital markets. She had previously served as General Counsel for the firm's Canadian operations. She also served as a member of the CIBC/Mellon board, a joint venture between CIBC and BNY Mellon.

"I'm thrilled to be joining a team with such an impressive track record at this important moment in our history," Warren said. "It will not be easy to succeed Bill Farrell, who has achieved so much in his time at Wilmington. But I feel I begin here with our businesses and opportunities for growth in great shape."

Warren has both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Toronto. During her career, Warren has received numerous professional and community distinctions, including:

Awarded Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal as a member of the Canadian banking industry for her significant contributions to the community

Serves on the Board of the United Way of New York City and as Co-Chair of its Resource, Development and Marketing Committee. Received the "Corporate Leadership Award" from the organization's Women's Leadership Council

and as Co-Chair of its Resource, Development and Marketing Committee. Received the "Corporate Leadership Award" from the organization's Women's Leadership Council Serves as an Entrepreneur mentor at the Fintech Innovation Lab, run by the Partnership Fund for New York City and Accenture and

and Accenture and Served as chair of the Professional Sector for the United Way of Greater Toronto Area Campaign Cabinet.

About Wilmington Trust

Wilmington Trust, N.A. provides Corporate and Institutional Services including institutional trust, agency, asset management, retirement plan, agency, asset management, and administrative services for clients worldwide who use capital markets financing structures. Wilmington Trust provides direct trust, custody, and fiduciary services for retirement plans, companies, foundations, organizations and financial institutions.

Wilmington Trust also provides Wealth Advisory services with a wide array of personal trust, financial planning, fiduciary, asset management, and family office solutions designed to help high-net-worth individuals and families grow, preserve, and transfer wealth.

About M&T Bank

M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

Wilmington Trust is a registered service mark used in connection with various fiduciary and non-fiduciary services offered by certain subsidiaries of M&T Bank Corporation including, but not limited to, Manufacturers & Traders Trust Company (M&T Bank), Wilmington Trust Company (WTC) operating in Delaware only, Wilmington Trust, N.A. (WTNA), Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc. (WTIA), Wilmington Funds Management Corporation (WFMC), and Wilmington Trust Investment Management, LLC (WTIM). Such services include trustee, custodial, agency, investment management, and other services. International corporate and institutional services are offered through M&T Bank Corporation's international subsidiaries. Loans, credit cards, retail and business deposits, and other business and personal banking services and products are offered by M&T Bank. Member FDIC.

This press release is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the sale of any financial product.

2022 M&T Bank and its affiliates and subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

Media Contact:

Pat Fitzgibbons

(201) 208-4462

[email protected]

SOURCE M&T Bank
This news follows last week's announcement of MVP's first-of-its-kind Medicaid offering in New York, giving Medicaid members, who were previously required to see a primary care physician (PCP) in person, access to Galileo's on-demand health care.

"Offering virtual primary and specialty care is a monumental step towards creating an environment that offers our members equitable choice and convenience in their health care journey," said MVP Health Care's President and CEO, Chris Del Vecchio. "We know that primary care is crucial to getting and staying healthy, yet timely access to primary care can be difficult. We are so proud to partner with Galileo to provide an easy-access path to virtual care when and where our members need it while at the same time being the first health insurer to offer this innovative option to all MVP members."

Galileo is designed for diverse populations who want immediate access to expert, affordable care. By providing urgent, behavioral, primary, and complex chronic specialty care in a single care platform, Galileo delivers faster and more accurate diagnosis and treatment, resulting in lower cost of care and better outcomes. Specifically:

Galileo manages more than 90% of medical issues without the need for an in-person referral.

More than 50% of Galileo's care is for chronic conditions such as diabetes, depression, and hypertension.

Employees using Galileo avoid more expensive visits to in-person specialty, urgent, or ER care 80% of the time.

Over 85% of patients report improved health after receiving care from Galileo.

Ensuring Health Equity With Bilingual, Inclusive Care

Galileo offers an affordable, easy path to comprehensive, equitable, and inclusive care in English and Spanish. MVP members can connect with a bilingual provider, no appointment necessary, with $0 copays (on qualifying plans).

"We believe that all individuals and employees should have access to affordable medical expertise, whoever or wherever they may be," said Thomas Lee, MD, founder and CEO of Galileo. "We know that the quality and cost of medical care is highly variable across and even within ZIP codes. Our goal is to reduce those disparities by offering the highest standard of care affordably, in a context that's personally tailored to the individual."

MVP members can access care by visiting www.galileohealth.com/mvp .

About MVP Health Care

MVP Health Care is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit health insurer caring for members in New York and Vermont. Committed to the complete well-being of our members and the communities we serve, MVP makes health insurance more convenient, more supportive, and more personal. For more information visit www.mvphealthcare.com or on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn .

About Galileo

Galileo is a modern medical group operating across all 50 states, designed to improve the quality and affordability of care for diverse and complex populations. Partnering with value-focused health plans and employers, Galileo operates across digital, office, and home-based environments to meet the needs of populations large and small. Founded by Thomas Lee, MD, the Harvard-trained physician and pioneer behind One Medical and Epocrates, Galileo represents the collaborative work of leaders from health care, technology and human-centered design.

For more information, visit Galileo.io and follow us on Twitter , Instagram , and LinkedIn .

Media Contact: Capwell Communications, 949-999-3303, [email protected]

SOURCE Galileo
NES ZIONA, Israel, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Intradermal COVID-19 vaccination studies are emerging in a global effort to use available doses more effectively by harnessing skin immunity to reduce the dosage required for effective vaccination, as well as to improve the immunogenicity of weaker vaccines. Additionally, there is a pressing global need to improve the durability of COVID-19 vaccines universally.

With a view to specifically improving the cell mediated immune response, Emergex has initiated a Phase I clinical study (NCT05113862), named naNO-COVID, of their synthetic T cell adaptive vaccine, which combines priming a specific cocktail of Coronavirus peptides mounted on a gold nanoparticle. During the double-blind, randomised and comparator-controlled study of two groups of 13 volunteers at high and low doses, subjects will be injected using NanoPass's intradermal delivery platform, MicronJet  600.

According to Emergex, the vaccine may also offer broad immunity against SARS-CoV-1 and all SARS-CoV-2 variants and provide long-lasting immunity that does not require seasonal booster vaccines.

Dr. Yotam Levin, Nanopass's CEO commented, "Intradermal vaccination is starting to live up to its promise in the fight against COVID-19 and is starting to show improved immunogenicity, potency and safety across all known vaccine platforms including mRNA, viral vectors and proteins". Now that we've accomplished high vaccine efficacy for Wuhan and legacy variants, our next COVID-19 battle is durability and breadth of response, against ever emerging new variants. This is exactly what Emergex is trying to achieve".

Laurens Rademacher, Emergex's Chief Technical Officer added, "T-Cell Vaccine technology offers the potential for durable, long-lasting immunity that does not require seasonal boosting and may be better suited to rapidly mutating viruses than current vaccine technology that rely upon an antibody response".

Laurens Rademacher continued, "Our T cell adaptive vaccines are designed to be administered into the skin, avoiding the need for conventional syringes and needles. Emergex vaccines are expected to be stable for prolonged periods at ambient temperature (>3 months) allowing for easy storage and distribution, expanding the potential for widespread access to populations where limited cold chain capacity is present and so allowing easier deployment of vaccination programs around the world."

About Nano pass

NanoPass is a pioneer in the development and commercialization of microneedle-based delivery platforms for aesthetics, vaccines and more.

NanoPass is partnering with multiple COVID vaccine developers around the globe, to demonstrate that its drug delivery platform, the MicronJet 600 can reduce the dose of any vaccine as well as to improve immune responses using equivalent doses.

MicronJet600 is FDA 510k cleared, CE marked and has regulatory approval in Russia, Brazil, South Korea, China and more. It is supported by extensive clinical data and approved for the delivery of any substance or drug under the surface of the skin that is approved for this delivery route. For more information, visit www.nanopass.com.

About Emergex

Emergex, a biotechnology company headquartered in Abingdon, UK, with an operating subsidiary in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, USA, is pioneering the development of synthetic 'set point' vaccines which prime the T-Cell immune response to address some of the world's most immediate health threats such as COVID-19, Dengue Fever, Zika, Ebola, pandemic flu and serious intra-cellular bacterial infections.

Emergex's vaccines aim to prime naive CD8+ T-Cells to generate virus specific CTLs (CD8+ T-cells/Cytotoxic T Lymphocytes) to kill viral infected cells, preventing viral replication and disease and reducing symptoms and the transmissibility between infected and non-infected individuals. As a result, Emergex's T-Cell priming vaccines have the potential to be more effective in targeting rapidly mutating viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and eliminate the need for seasonal booster vaccines in comparison to current vaccine technologies, which primarily rely on an antibody immune response. In addition, Emergex's vaccine is raised against antigens that are highly conserved so may provide cross reactive immunity to SARS-CoV-1 infection and all SARS-CoV-2 variants and strains of the virus, offering broad immune protection from two pandemic viruses in one vaccine.

Emergex vaccines have been designed to be administered via the skin using micro needles and to be stable at ambient room temperature for beyond three months, facilitating rapid and efficient distribution across the world and making administration of the vaccine more patient friendly.

Find out more online at www.emergexvaccines.com.

SOURCE NanoPass; Emergex
All monetary amounts are expressed in Canadian Dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Neo Lithium Corp. ("Neo Lithium" or the "Company") (TSXV: NLC) (OTCQX: NTTHF) (FSE:NE2) is pleased to announce the completion of the previously announced plan of arrangement under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (the "Arrangement") involving the Company, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. ("Zijin"), and 2872122 Ontario Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin (the "Purchaser"), following receipt of all required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of all closing conditions.

Pursuant to the Arrangement, the Purchaser acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (the "Shares") for $6.50 per Share in cash. Registered shareholders should send their completed and executed letters of transmittal and share certificates or DRS advices, as applicable, to the depositary, TSX Trust Company, as soon as possible in order to receive the consideration to which they are entitled in connection with the Arrangement.

As a result of the Arrangement, the Shares are expected to be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange. It is also expected that the Shares will cease being quoted for trading on the OTCQX and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange concurrently or shortly thereafter, and that the Company will apply to cease to be a reporting issuer in all of the provinces of Canada in which it is a reporting issuer.

In connection with the closing, and in accordance with the terms of the Arrangement, the Company issued an additional 6,275,500 Shares to the Purchaser at a price of $6.50 per Share for gross proceeds to the Company of $40,790,750, which proceeds will be primarily used by the Company to fund a portion of the transaction consideration.

About Neo Lithium Corp.

Neo Lithium Corp., incorporated in January, 2016, owns and operates the 3Q lithium brine project in Argentina. Additional information regarding Neo Lithium Corp. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and at its website at www.neolithium.ca.

About Zijin

Formed in 1993 and based in Fujian, China, Zijin is one of the largest mining companies in China as well as a leading global gold and copper producer. It manages an extensive portfolio, primarily consisting of gold, copper, zinc, and other metals through investments in China and twelve overseas countries across Europe, Central Asia, Africa, Oceania and South America. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Zijin has a market capitalization of approximately US$40 billion.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

SOURCE Neo Lithium Corp.
Photo taken on Jan. 26, 2022 shows a signing ceremony of an electricity supply agreement held in Beirut, Lebanon. Lebanon and Jordan on Wednesday signed an agreement that Jordan would supply Lebanon with electricity through Syria, the National News Agency reported. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon and Jordan on Wednesday signed an agreement that Jordan would supply Lebanon with electricity through Syria, the National News Agency reported.

"We will secure 250 megawatts of electricity from Jordan with support from our Syrian brothers. We count on this joint Arab action to expand cooperation between Arab countries," Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayad said during a signing ceremony held at the Ministry of Energy in the capital Beirut.

Fayad added that he is approaching the World Bank for financing for the deal which will require around two months.

For his part, Jordanian Energy Minister Saleh al-Kharabsheh said the deal is important as it strengthens communication and cooperation between Arab countries.

"We are committed to cooperating with each other for the benefit and interest of all," he added.

The Jordanian minister noted that this contract opens the door to cooperation in other fields.

The agreement comes as part of a wider government effort to alleviate the severe power shortage in Lebanon, aiming to elevate the daily state electricity provision from just two hours now in most parts of the country to about eight hours.

The Lebanese government is also preparing to sign an agreement later this year to import gas from Egypt through the Arab Gas Pipeline to boost Lebanon's electricity output. 
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- New analysis by global consultancy Kearney, The Cost of COVID for North American Apparel & Retail: Time for Supply Chain Resilience, shows that continued supply chain disruptions could cost the North American apparel and footwear industry (~$400 billion total annual revenue) between $9 and $17 billion in lost EBITDA in 2022. This estimate was calculated shortly before the omicron COVID-19 variant emerged and is likely conservative.

The industry experienced significant supply disruptions in 2021, frustrating companies' efforts to meet rebounding consumer demand. North America's apparel and footwear industry also endured a variety of unanticipated cost increases in 2021, including the cost of cotton (up 40 percent), transpacific container shipping (300 percent), air freight (50 percent), and OTR freight (20 percent), while labor shortages drove up logistics, warehousing, and retail wages, further contributing to industry-wide spikes in COGS and G&A expense.

"Our 2022 analysis explored the industry's vulnerability to ongoing supply disruptions and cost shocks," explains Greg Portell, lead partner of Kearney's Global Consumer Practice. "We benchmarked hundreds of supply chains' preparedness to absorb unexpected challenges in ways that maintain reliability and minimize costsa trait we call 'resilience.' We then calculated what lack of resilience could cost the North American apparel and footwear industry overall this year."

"The good news is there are many practical steps companies can take to make their supply chains more resilient," adds Brian Ehrig, a partner in Kearney's New York office. "We suggest they start by focusing on what they can control. Immediate opportunities include complexity reduction, fresh sourcing strategies, and more rigorous alignment of inventory management with merchandising. Longer term, we see companies improving resilience via nearshoring and reshoring, to make their supply lines less vulnerable, while also building up regionalized supply chains within their existing footprint. Platforming could also have a big impact, as we often find high levels of fabric commonality and interchangeability across brands that is underleveraged. Apparel and footwear companies can use that commonality to reduce costs and flexibly prioritize within their product portfolio when disruption strikes."

For further details on the study methodology and findings, click here.

About Kearney

As a global consulting partnership in more than 40 countries, our people make us who we are. We're individuals who take as much joy from those we work with as the work itself. Driven to be the difference between a big idea and making it happen, we help our clients break through. Learn more at Kearney.com.

Media contact:

Meir Kahtan

Meir Kahtan Public Relations, LLC

+1 917-864-0800

[email protected]

SOURCE Kearney
"The year-over-year data shows that there was quite a descent into the trough the past two years, but we seem to be coming out of it strong now," according to Tom Gregory, Head of Treasury Management Sales, TD Bank. "Some of the growth metrics are showing even more positivity than before the pandemic. The recovery does not appear to be rapid, but it does appear to be significant."

Organizational outlook over the past 12 months shows net positive movement. The percentage of companies with a more or significantly more negative outlook has almost reached

pre-pandemic lows, and those with a more or significantly more positive outlook exceed

pre-pandemic numbers.

When asked about sales and revenue projections, respondents were highly positive, with greater growth and less downsizing compared to 2020. A total 76% of companies expect their sales/revenue to increase or significantly increase in 2022, with only 3% expecting a decrease or significant decrease.

COVID's effects appear to be settling into some level of permanence including policies that govern remote work, security, forecasting, electronic adoption, etc. Fifty-six percent have seen enduring changes to work from home policies in their treasury operations attributable to the pandemic. Treasury teams ranked "security & control procedures" and "cash flow forecasting" in a tie for second on this list of recognized changes, each with 38%. Additionally, AR and AP groups noted ongoing willingness to accept more payment types (31% of respondents for AR) and increased adoption of EFT coupled with reduced use of checks (48% of respondents for AP).

The Treasury Perspectives Survey ran September through November of 2021, with participation from 250+ respondents. More extensive results from the survey are available via a downloadable report, an infographic and a webinar. The webinar features Craig Jeffery of Strategic Treasurer and Tom Gregory and Adrienne Terpak of TD Bank. Video replay and a copy of the presentation deck are also available.

About Strategic Treasurer

Strategic Treasurer provides consulting services for treasury management, security, technology and compliance. Corporate clients, banks and fintech providers throughout the world rely on their advisory services and industry-leading research. Strategic Treasurer is headquartered in Atlanta, with consultants based out of Atlanta, Cleveland, and Detroit. To learn more, visit strategictreasurer.com.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9.7 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,100 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us.

SOURCE TD Bank; Strategic Treasurer
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In a new STEM Global Action Today article, the Chevron Corporation is commended for corporate responsibility and its work with STEM NOLA, a New Orleans non-profit that brings STEM education to under-resourced communities. With contributions from Chevron and others, STEM NOLA puts K-12 children on pathways to success in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

"With outstanding companies like Chevron as our partners, we are generating enthusiasm towards STEM subjects and guiding children towards fields that are creating tomorrow's quality jobs," says Dr. Calvin Mackie, founder of STEM Global Action and STEM NOLA. "We want to ensure there are No More Lost Einsteins. Chevron stands with us in initiating and sustaining programs that nurture children and prevent their talents from being lost."

The article notes that since 2018 Chevron has contributed more than $335,000 to help STEM NOLA provide education virtually during the pandemic and in-person at churches, schools and community centers in low-income neighborhoods. Over the last eight years, Dr. Mackie's programs have impacted more than 100,000 K-12 children, 20,000 families and 5,000 schools in the U.S., and five other countries.

Leah Brown, a Manager of Corporate Affairs at the Chevron, says the company's contributions are part of their mission of supporting organizations that advance STEM education.

"We believe that our social investments are a key part of the broader success that we seek to achieve as a corporation and as a business," Brown says. "We truly feel that investing in STEM and organizations like STEM NOLA is critical to our future and to the nation's future. As a company, we are committed. We believe that when you give children STEM skills, you are helping them to be more employable. And you're giving them an opportunity that could be life changing, not only for them, but for future generations to come."

In April, Chevron sponsored Family Night at STEM NOLA.

ABOUT STEM GLOBAL ACTION

STEM Global Action is a campaign and network of affiliates that advance STEM education for children, parents and communities. Dr. Mackie hosts the Let's Talk STEM with Dr. Calvin Mackie podcast series featuring insightful interviews with guests from all aspects of STEM  entrepreneurs, educators, corporate leaders, students.

Contact:

Michael K. Frisby

[email protected]/202-625-4328

SOURCE SGA
STOCKHOLM, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SciBase Holding AB ("SciBase") (STO:SCIB), a leading developer of augmented intelligence-based solutions for skin disorders, announced today that a new study supporting the use of Nevisense in diagnosing melanoma has been published in "SKIN - The journal of cutaneous medicine". The article is authored by Avani Kolla, Prof David Polsky and others from The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York. The study shows that Nevisense provides valuable diagnostic guidance when evaluating atypical pigmented skin lesions.

"Melanoma is a potentially deadly form of skin cancer and has an almost 100% cure rate if caught early. While the performance of Nevisense as a diagnostic aid in the management of atypical pigmented skin lesions suspicious for melanoma has been previously demonstrated, its impact on clinician confidence in their biopsy decisions has not been described. In this pilot study, we found that mean confidence for clinicians in correctly identifying the disease diagnosis significantly increased when we added Nevisense to the evaluation of clinical and dermoscopic images of skin lesions suspicious for melanoma. Adding Nevisense to these evaluations also significantly increased diagnostic accuracy and biopsy sensitivity for melanoma," says David Polsky, MD, PhD Alfred W. Kopf, MD Professor in the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health.

"This study further validates Nevisense as a valuable tool for the early detection of melanoma. The article presents additional evidence that Nevisense can help clinicians of all experience levels improve their ability to accurately identify lesions that require treatment and to be more confident in their clinical management decisions", says Simon Grant, CEO of SciBase.

Publication details:

New clinical study suggests Nevisense has a positive impact on Clinicians confidence and diagnostic accuracy for early melanoma detection

The US based study data further supports Nevisense's clinical value for clinicians of all levels

The article is titled "Impact of Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy on Clinician Confidence and Diagnostic Accuracy in Evaluating Melanocytic Skin Lesions Suspicious for Melanoma: A Pilot Study" and evaluates whether "clinician diagnostic confidence, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy can be increased by adding EIS measurement scores to clinical and dermoscopic images of lesions clinically suspicious for melanoma". In the study Nevisense increased clinician's sensitivity for melanoma and dysplastic nevi from 70% to 84%. The conclusion in the article states: " EIS increased novice and expert diagnosticians' confidence regarding dermoscopically equivocal melanocytic lesions."

The article is now available online at SKIN - The journal of cutaneous medicine's website (https://jofskin.org/index.php/skin/article/view/1463/pdf ).

For more information, please contact:

Simon Grant, CEO SciBase

Tel: +46 72 887 43 99

Email: [email protected]

Certified Advisor (CA):

Vator Securities

Tel: +46 8 580 065 99

Email: [email protected]

About SciBase and Nevisense

SciBase is a global medical technology company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, that has developed a unique point of care platform for the non-invasive detection of skin cancer and other skin conditions. SciBase is a pioneer within augmented intelligence, combining artificial intelligence with Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to provide objective information that assists dermatologists and others in clinical decision-making. SciBase's products include Nevisense and Nevisense Go and to date the platform addresses the areas of melanoma detection, non-melanoma skin cancer detection and skin barrier assessment. Nevisense is the only FDA-approved device for the detection of melanoma and the only MDR-approved technology for skin cancer detection in Europe. SciBase's technology is based on more than 20 years of academic research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. For more information please visit www.scibase.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/scibase/r/new-study-published-showing-nevisense-impact-on-clinician-confidence-and-accuracy,c3492332

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/12371/3492332/1525092.pdf NY study final

SOURCE SciBase
Hanratty will join the executive team at MWG, as VP of Marketing, where she'll bring her combined cannabis industry experience and marketing knowhow to the growing company. Hanratty and Bruno both attended UC Santa Cruz where Hanratty is still volunteering as a mentor and advisor for students. Other notable achievements in her career include four years working with Bhang as the Global Director of Marketing and helping launch the Hippos Medical Marijuana team to open their state-of-the-art dispensary in Missouri. Hanratty has worked with a number of cannabis brands across all verticals. She also has experience leading agencies and working in the media.

As Perfect Union's VP of Marketing, Hanratty plans to develop and execute marketing strategies for the vertically-integrated MSO. She will be heading and creating all marketing initiatives as well as tracking the success of said initiatives. Her skilled background in the industry will aid in her efforts and help Perfect Union reach new heights, while becoming a force to be reckoned with in the cannabis industry.

To learn more about Perfect Union, visit https://www.perfect-union.com/ .

About Perfect Union

Perfect Union has over a decade of experience managing profitable cannabis businesses, navigating state and local laws and regulations, and adding value to the communities where they operate. The company has a proven track record of building engagement, social welfare and outreach programs that focus on local partnerships, monetary investments and in-store donation campaigns.

SOURCE Perfect Union
IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- NOON Aesthetics, the innovative professional skincare company, has established a national sales and education organization in the United States, based out of the new headquarters in Irvine, California.

Acne treatment using NOON's official In-Clinic and Home-Care Acne protocol, 8 months follow up

NOON Aesthetics, developer and manufacturer of advanced professional skincare solutions, currently markets its line of skincare products to professional skincare providers around the world. The establishment of the US sales and education team, headquartered in California, represents a significant step in the company's long-term sales strategy. The office in Irvine serves as US Headquarters and includes account managers, logistics, clinical specialists, and sales support.

Eran Rosman, NOON Founder & CEO, stated, "It is an important step for NOON to establish the United States headquarters and it is in line with our business strategy."

"We have hired an expert sales and clinical education team of seasoned professionals in the skincare market who understand the needs of our customers and will take NOON to the next level of sales in the United States," he added.

The company will launch two products at the upcoming Medical Spa Show 2022, which will take place in Las Vegas from January 27-30. The TripleMCH System is an innovative device which combines non-invasive mesotherapy with cryotherapy and heat. The use of this device with NOON's leading products delivers optimal firming, rejuvenating and brightening of the skin. Additionally, NOON will be launching the new Reform Eye Cream which prevents puffiness, helps lighten dark circles, fights oxidative free radicals, helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and helps reduce muscle contraction around the eye. Reform Eye Cream was developed with NOON's patented DermShield technology.

Masha Minkin, Founder & CTO, explained, "We developed the DermShield technology after years of experimentation and development. DermShield protects the skin, reducing the incidence and severity of skin irritation and erythema.

She continued, "This protective shield enables the treatment of all skin conditions, all Fitzpatrick skin types, all year round. This advantage places NOON in a unique position in the professional skincare market where there are serious limitations in using high concentration levels of active ingredients without the risk of side effects. With DermShield, we can offer the most effective products in skincare for different types of skin indications, including acne, pigmentation, wrinkles, sun damage and more."

About NOON Aesthetics

NOON Aesthetics develops and manufactures an extensive portfolio of professional skincare products. The company's proprietary Dermshield technology empowers professional skincare providers to deliver highly effective, safe & irritation-free treatments leading to healthy & beautiful skin for all.

NOON Aesthetics management team has extensive experience and a deep understanding of skincare market needs. The company owned factory enables full control over R&D, IP, formulations, manufacturing and QA processes. The company has ongoing collaborations with leading international pharmaceutical companies active in the skincare market with a global distribution network in over 40 countries.

For additional information, visit: www.noonaesthetics.com or visit our official Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn Channels.



SOURCE NOON Aesthetics
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Numinus Wellness Inc. ("Numinus" or the "Company") (TSX: NUMI) (OTCQX: NUMIF), a mental health care company advancing innovative treatments and safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies, is pleased to announce that it will commence trading on the OTCQX Best Market in the United States when the market opens tomorrow, Thursday, January 27, 2022. Numinus' shares previously traded on the Pink market and will continue to trade under the symbol "NUMIF."

The OTCQX Market is designed for established, investor-focused U.S. and international companies. To qualify for OTCQX, companies must meet high financial standards, follow best practice corporate governance, and demonstrate compliance with applicable securities laws. Trading on the OTCQX will provide greater visibility and accessibility of Numinus in the U.S.

"Graduating to the OTCQX is a first step towards further accessing U.S. based investors," stated Payton Nyquvest, Founder and CEO. "As we grow our network of Numinus Health wellness clinics to include locations in the U.S.  and build a stronger brand presence in this important market  we will also look to establish an even greater profile with the U.S. investment community."

U.S. investors or other interested parties can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.

About Numinus

Numinus Wellness (TSX: NUMI;OTCQX: NUMIF) helps people to heal and be well through the development and delivery of innovative mental health care and access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies. The Numinus model - including psychedelic production, research and clinic care - is at the forefront of a transformation aimed at healing rather than managing symptoms for depression, anxiety, trauma, pain and substance use. At Numinus, we are leading the integration of psychedelic-assisted therapies into mainstream clinical practice and building the foundation for a healthier society.

Learn more at www.numinus.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Forward-looking statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs regarding future performance are "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "does not expect", "is expected", "believes", "intends", "anticipates", "does not anticipate", "believes" or variations of these words, expressions or statements, that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, will occur or will be realized. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other known and unknown factors that could cause actual results, events or developments to differ materially from the results, events or developments expected and expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, dependence on obtaining and maintaining regulatory approvals, including the acquisition and renewal of federal, provincial, municipal, local or other licenses, and any inability to obtain all necessary government authorizations, licenses and permits to operate and expand the Company's facilities; regulatory or policy changes such as changes in applicable laws and regulations, including federal and provincial legalization, due to fluctuations in public opinion, industry perception of integrative mental health, including the use of psychedelic-assisted therapy, delays or inefficiencies or any other reason; any other factor or development likely to hamper the growth of the market; the Company's limited operating and profitability track record; dependence on management; the Company's need for additional financing and the effects of financial market conditions and other factors on the availability of capital; competition, including that of more established and better funded competitors; the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; and the need to build and maintain alliances and partnerships, including with research and development companies, customers and suppliers. These factors should be carefully considered, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Despite the Company's efforts to identify the main risk factors that could cause actual measures, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, other risk factors may cause measures, events or developments to materially differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to revise forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available as a result of future events, new facts or any other reason, except as required by applicable laws.

SOURCE Numinus Wellness Inc.
LeanIX celebrates 10 years in business, urges companies to change the way they change

BONN, Germany and BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LeanIX , whose Continuous Transformation Platform provides companies with a range of SaaS solutions focused on Enterprise Architecture Management (EAM), SaaS Management (SMP) and Value Stream Management (VSM), celebrates 10 years in business this month. An international success story, LeanIX has quickly earned the trust of 650 customers  including more than 10 percent of the Global 500  and serves 150,000 users worldwide. This 10th anniversary follows a year which saw LeanIX continue to grow at 60%, successfully complete a major acquisition (Cleanshelf), sign the largest deal in the company's history, and receive recognition as a Leader in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Architecture Management tools.

Looking ahead to the next 10 years, LeanIX's co-founder and CEO, Andre Christ, laid out his vision for the future of the company and the high-tech industry. "LeanIX has long been committed to creating software that solves massive problems for people across the enterprise. The massive problem we will continue to focus on is mastering software complexity to support and accelerate continuous transformation."

"Companies have three operational goals," Christ explains. "They want to deliver better products and experiences to their customers. They want to become more agile so they can do more things faster. And they want to reduce costs. Unfortunately, something big gets in the way of all this: software and IT complexity."

The scope of this complexity and the speed with which it increases each day can't be overstated. There are already more than 24,000 public web APIs now available . IT teams struggle to secure API endpoints as well as drive efficiency through reuse. Industry analysts all agree that SaaS spending in the enterprise will continue to grow substantially in the next several years, accounting for more than half of all public cloud spend . Finally, we see the rise of the citizen developer with 65% of development expected to be based on no code/low code tools by 2024 . While getting less technical users involved in development does improve agility, it also places pressure on IT to provide reliable core-services and maintain adequate governance over the development process.

"Companies must address complexity if they want to transform the way they do business," says Christ. "Without a data-driven approach to the management of IT and Software landscapes, companies can never become more efficient, achieve the agility they seek, or create new, innovative customer experiences. To master this, companies must change the way they change."

For companies to survive and thrive into the future, they must adopt a culture capable of navigating all types of change, both planned and unexpected. Leading organizations recognize that the need for change is continuous. It won't stop. For this simple reason, companies will adopt a culture focused on continuous transformation. This is the only way to undertake cloud migration or digital transformation or workforce decentralization and whatever major transformation is called for after that. It is also the only way that companies can respond quickly to new security vulnerabilities (such as the recent Log4Shell 0-day), address emergent competitive threats, or experiment with new technologies.

"We are doubling down on continuous transformation," says Christ. "The tools we build support this kind of culture by providing the data, insight and common language needed to master complexity and bring an entire company together. Whether the focus is on rationalizing the IT landscape, preparing for a major migration to a new platform, enabling a flexible approach to SaaS management, or mapping the value stream from dev to the end customer, companies must continually transform themselves. We make that possible."

About LeanIX

LeanIX's Continuous Transformation Platform is trusted by Corporate IT and Product IT to achieve comprehensive visibility and superior governance. Global customers organize, plan and manage IT landscapes with LeanIX's automated and data-driven approach. Offering Enterprise Architecture, SaaS, and DevOps Management, LeanIX helps organizations make sound decisions and accelerate transformation journeys. LeanIX has hundreds of customers globally, including Adidas, Atlassian, Bosch, Dropbox, Santander or Workday. The company is headquartered in Bonn, Germany, with offices in Boston, San Francisco and around the world.

Contact:

Jeremy Douglas

Catapult PR-IR

303-589-1941

[email protected]

SOURCE LeanIX
CRANBURY, N.J., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Pharmaceutical Executive, a multimedia platform for industry leaders to exchange experiences and insights about innovative business and marketing ideas, is pleased to announce that nominations are now being accepted for the 2022 Emerging Pharma Leaders awards recognition program, until February 25, 2022.

"Each year, we are consistently impressed by nominations we receive for the Emerging Pharma Leaders awards program," said Mike Hennessy Jr., president and CEO of MJH Life Sciences, parent company of Pharmaceutical Executive. "Honoring future pharma and biotech executives is a pleasure, and I am looking forward to celebrating this year's winners in May."

The Emerging Pharma Leaders awards recognition program was established in 2008 to recognize a select group of industry executives whose peers and supervisors believe will change the future of the pharma industry. All eligible nominees employed by pharmaceutical or biotech companies will be judged by three Pharmaceutical Executive editorial advisory board members and a former Emerging Pharma Leader representative.

This year's class of inductees will be honored on a May 12 podcast describing their contributions to the industry, along with their individual leadership tips. Additionally, each winner will be featured on the cover and inside the Pharmaceutical Executive May 2022 issue.

For more information and to submit a nomination, click here.

About Pharmaceutical Executive

Pharmaceutical Executive is a multimedia platform that offers news, opinions, analysis, features and executive profiles. The magazine and its website serve as a forum for industry leaders to exchange opinions, experiences and insights about innovative business and marketing ideas, strategies and tactics. Pharmaceutical Executive is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America, dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels.

Media Contact

Alyssa Scarpaci, 609-716-7777

[email protected]

SOURCE Pharmaceutical Executive
HADERA, Israel, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Gilad Freimann, the founder of VAA Philippines, is pleased to announce the introduction of a web conferencing facility for Amazon sellers looking for a PPC virtual assistant service. Freimann's company is the only one worldwide offering specialized virtual assistant services for Amazon sellers. The company locates, screens, trains, and supports high-quality VAs in the Philippines and matches them with Amazon sellers.

A brief overview of VAA's specialized service for PPC is available at https://www.vaaphilippines.com/va-services/ppc/ .

VAA Philippines Founder Gilad

All PPC VA experts from VAA Philippines receive a month-long Amazon training course. Following a selection process based on their mathematical and analytical skills, they undergo further training in PPC advertising on Amazon. These experts are extremely proficient in downloading and analyzing search term reports, keyword research, creating and running new campaigns, bid optimization and ACoS calculations, and using all existing tools in Seller Central.

Some key benefits of using PPC Specialist VAs from VAA Philippines are:

Amazon PPC practices

Keyword research

Bid optimization

Search term reports

Campaign management

Expertise in Seller Central PPC tools, including Exact Keywords, Phrase Keywords and Negative Keywords.

Amazon business owners looking for highly proficient and trained PPC account managers can now schedule a meeting with the company's founder and owner, Gilad Freimann. During the 30-minute web conferencing session, Freimann will discuss details about VAA Philippines' Amazon-trained virtual assistants and help businesses find the right solution.

To schedule a meeting, please visit https://calendly.com/gilad-va-academy/pr .

Gilad and Hila Freimann founded VAA Philippines in 2017 while searching for efficient virtual assistants capable of handling daily operations for their private label Amazon business. To help its VAs excel in the ever-changing Amazon marketplace, all VAs from the company are always up-to-date with the latest tools, features and trends on Amazon. To employ only the very best candidates, VAA Philippines thoroughly screens and selects the candidates based on their dedication, commitment and skills.

To find out more about VAA Philippines and its services, please visit its official website.

About VAA Philippines

VAA specializes in locating, screening, training and supporting high quality Amazon VAs in the Philippines, and matching them after with Amazon sellers all over the world. VAA has Amazon trained VA's, PPC Specialists VA's, Social Media and Graphic Designers.

Contact Name: Gilad Freimann

Contact Email: [email protected]

Contact Phone: 972526919934

SOURCE VAA Philippines
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday held a phone conversation with his counterpart of the Kingdom of Tonga, Fekitamoeloa Katoa 'Utoikamanu, over the recent volcanic eruptions.

Wang said that since the volcano erupted in Tonga on Jan. 15, the Chinese government has paid close attention to it and the Chinese people have sympathized with the Tongan people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping immediately sent a message of sympathy to King of Tonga, and China promptly delivered aids to Tonga, becoming one of the first countries in the world to provide assistance for the South Pacific island country, Wang said.

As a good friend and partner of Tonga, China is willing to stand firmly with the Tongan people at this difficult moment, he said, adding that the emergency supplies purchased by China in Fiji will arrive in Tonga Thursday, and more Chinese assistance is on the way.

China has allocated disaster relief supplies and equipment to the country according to the needs of Tonga, such as drinking water, food, generators, water pumps, first aid kits, prefab houses and tractors, Wang said.

Some of the relief supplies will be delivered by Chinese military aircraft Thursday morning, while the rest will be shipped by Chinese warships, he said, noting that the two sides should make a smooth handover and deliver the aids to most-needed places in Tonga in time.

Wang said that the Chinese government is very concerned about Chinese citizens and institutions in Tonga, and hopes and believes that the Tongan government will guarantee their safety.

It is believed that under the leadership of the King and government of Tonga, the country will surely overcome this natural disaster as soon as possible, he said.

Noting that the international community has extended a helping hand to Tonga, Wang said that China stands ready to work with all willing countries to give full play to each other's respective strengths and foster international synergy to help Tonga rebuild its home.

For her part, 'Utoikamanu said that China responded at once and was one of the first countries in the world to provide emergency and disaster relief supplies for Tonga after the volcano erupted 11 days ago.

She expressed heartfelt thanks to China for its assistance on behalf of the Tongan government and people.

The Tongan side will closely coordinate with China on the delivery, storage and distribution of relief supplies to ensure that they reach those most in need as quickly as possible, 'Utoikamanu said.

China is the largest developing country in the world as well as one of Tonga's largest development partners, the minister said, expressing her gratitude to China for its strong support in the country's post-disaster reconstruction.

Tonga highly values its friendship and cooperation with China, and will continue to work with China to push for new progress in bilateral ties, she said, wishing all the best for the Chinese New Year. 
HANOVER, Md., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Proximas Group, the Maryland-based provider of engineering, cybersecurity, user experience, communications, mobile, and linguistic solutions to Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and Commercial clients announces the hiring of Tina Kuhn as President.

An experienced and proven leader in the national security and cybersecurity sectors, Ms. Kuhn will be leading acquisition and integration efforts for Proximas Group as the company seeks to add to its portfolio of technology and engagement solutions for the security, defense, and technology markets. She comes to Proximas Group after serving as President and CEO of CyberCore Technologies. Prior to that, she was Sr. Vice President at Sotera Defense, leading the Cyber Systems and Solutions division and served as Vice President of Northrop Grumman Corporation's Cybersecurity business unit.

Ms. Kuhn was awarded the Women in Technology award for mid-tier contractor in 2020, The Daily Record Power 100 list in 2021, one of the 10 best CEOs of 2019 by Industry Era magazine, and was selected by WashingtonExec as a "25 Leaders in Government Contracting You Should Know About". Ms. Kuhn is a member of the Howard County Public Schools Early College Program and author of "The Manager's Communication Toolkit."

"I am excited to join this organization and help its growing family of companies deliver tomorrow's solutions to clients facing unique business and mission challenges," said Kuhn. "I have spent more than 25 years building teams and growing businesses and look forward to using that experience to add and integrate new capabilities into Proximas Group."

"Our goal is to grow Proximas Group's already robust set of software engineering, cybersecurity, mobile, user experience, strategic communications, and linguistic solutions," said Christopher Young, Proximas Group Owner and Managing Partner. "Adding a leader with Tina's experience and insight will pay big dividends as we seek to grow through acquisition."

About Proximas Group

Proximas Group is a family of companies serving the U.S. Intelligence Community, Department of Defense, and commercial marketplace. Its companiesProObject, ADG Creative, Government Services Group, Secure Offices, and Yellowstone Groupspecialize in software engineering, cybersecurity, mobile, user experience, strategic communications, and linguistics solutions. For more information, visit, www.proximasgroup.com.

Contact:

Christopher Young

Proximas Group

443.285.0008

[email protected]

SOURCE Proximas Group
Prior to joining Caylent, Randall led technology and software teams at Meta (formerly Facebook), AWS, SpaceX, MongoDB, and NASA. Whilst at AWS, Randall worked on the evangelism team for five years, helping thousands of customers navigate their AWS cloud journey. Further, Randall helped launch over seventy services and features across Amazon ECS, Amazon Fargate, AWS Lambda, Amazon Simple Queue Service, AWS X-Ray, Amazon Kinesis Data Streams, Amazon DynamoDB, Amazon Aurora, Amazon SageMaker, Amazon Translate, Amazon Comprehend, AWS IoT and dozens more. Over his five years at AWS, Randall garnered a large following in the AWS community by making deeply technical content accessible to developers across the globe. After AWS, Randall led developer advocacy for the open-source machine learning framework PyTorch at Meta.

"Today I'm thrilled to welcome Randall to our team in his role leading AWS strategy, solutions, and evangelism for us," said JP La Torre, CEO of Caylent "It's a privilege to work with such a prolific technologist who is well-known and respected within the AWS, data science, and software development communities."

As a well-regarded member of the AWS community, Randall has presented at over 1,000 AWS events over the past decade, and will continue to contribute to the AWS community in his new role overseeing strategy and solutions at Caylent.

"I'm delighted to be working with the AWS community and customers again," said Randall Hunt, "and Caylent is the best place to be a cloud native builder in 2022. The talent here is exceptional and it's a privilege to join this rocket ship team. I look forward to working with our team to expand our Caylent Catalyst  offerings, build out our open-source programs, and deliver next generation cloud applications for our customers."

"Randall has been a diehard member of the AWS Community for over a decade and it's great to see him come back to his roots." said Ryan Kroonenburg, Founder of A Cloud Guru "I'm excited to see what he and Caylent build together. It's nice to see him working on a different kind of rocket ship."

About Caylent

Caylent is a cloud native services company that helps organizations bring the best out of their people and technology. We are living in a software-defined world where technology is at the core of every business. To thrive in this paradigm, organizations need to empower their people and processes through technology. Caylent is uniquely positioned to fuel that engine of innovation by bringing ambitious ideas to life for their customers.

Caylent works with customers to build, scale and optimize sophisticated cloud solutions using deep subject matter expertise to deliver world class outcomes through an agile co-delivery model. For more information, go to www.caylent.com

SOURCE Caylent
SAN DIEGO and ADELAIDE, Australia, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BioCina, a leading contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) announces the appointment of Rick Hancock, Chairman of the Board. Hancock, with over 35 years of experience in life sciences, has held various board, executive and operational positions, developing expertise in cGMP manufacturing including plasmids, regulatory affairs, R & D, and operational excellence. He's been pivotal in business expansion, recognized for driving significant growth at several biotech companies, including CDMOs.

"BioCina shares my passion to leverage biologics for the betterment of patients," said Hancock, Board Chairman. Tweet this Rick Hancock joins BioCina, Board Chairman

BioCina has extensive pharmaceutical experience, augmented with the recent acquisition of Pfizer's Hospira facilities in Adelaide, Australia. The management team is credited with expanding systems and cGMP manufacturing of microbial-based therapeutics and mRNA vaccines. "I am excited to join BioCina at this point in time. They have state-of-the art facilities with the highest modern CDMO standards with multiple national regulatory body approvals. They are uniquely suited to address the global demand for critical biotechnology products," said Hancock.

One of the core tenets of the BioCina culture is its pin-point focus on exceeding customer expectations. As an independent, pure play CDMO, BioCina possesses the capability and the agility to deliver high quality, highly efficient and effective customer solutions, for early-phase clinical trials to commercialization.

"BioCina shares my deep-rooted passion to leverage biologics for the betterment of patients. To that end, BioCina uses all the tools available - flexibility to meet all the needs of customers, advanced systems, an outstanding team, and timely production schedules. Many BioCina Clients are leading-edge firms that are driving quicker-to-market patient therapeutics and vaccines. For innovators such as these, BioCina outpaces most CDMOs, enabling them to slot their Clients into production, more timely than the industry waiting period of 12-15 months. The company has demonstrated the ability to address critical needs with greater agility and greater speed," added Hancock.

BioCina CEO Ian Wisenberg welcomes Hancock to the BioCina Team. "His leadership acumen, depth of industry experience and zeal to combine cool tech with life-saving work will undoubtably fuel our growth and cement a positive future for BioCina and our team in supporting our Clients," said Wisenberg.

Hancock currently sits on the board for three biotech companies. Most recently he was President and CEO of Avid Bioservices. Prior, he was CEO and President of Althea Technologies known for Plasmid DNA, and he held senior management positions at The Immune Response Corporation and Hybritech Inc. (now part of Eli Lilly & Company).

About BioCina

BioCina Pty Ltd. is a multi-product biologics contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), focused on the development and cGMP manufacture of microbial-based biological pharmaceuticals, including proteins, pDNA, mRNA, vaccines and biosimilars, from early development through to commercialization. The BioCina Adelaide facility, formerly the Pfizer/Hospira plant, has a physical footprint of almost 60,000 ft2 for GMP manufacturing, process development, warehouse, and administration. The team has over 35 years of experience and extensive capabilities in microbial process development and manufacturing, with expertise from early process development to commercial manufacturing. Unique to Australia, the BioCina Adelaide site is currently the only TGA, EMA, Health Canada and US-FDA approved commercial facility of its kind in Australia. BioCina is a Bridgewest Group portfolio company.

Contact: BioCina:

Ian Wisenberg, CEO BioCina: [email protected] / +61 4 7919 6225 or +1 858 722-2552

SOURCE BioCina
PEACHTREE CITY, Ga., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since celebrating its centennial in 2020, Rinnai America Corporation has remained committed to advancing the company's strategic growth initiatives to solidify its positioning as North America's leading tankless water heater manufacturer. To support the aggressive growth plans the company has set forth, Rinnai has announced the elevation of three leaders in the organization.

Judd Greene has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Administration with responsibilities for Human Resources, Finance and Information Technology. These teams, collectively, provide critical support to Rinnai's rapid business growth. Greene joined Rinnai in 2009 as Accounting Supervisor, was promoted to Controller in 2013 and VP of Finance in 2018. Prior to joining Rinnai, Greene held leadership positions at several companies including Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Regarding the organizational changes, Greene stated, "I'm looking forward to working with this talented team as we make improvements to our systems and processes that will empower our internal and external customers."

Tim Wiley has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Customer Experience with responsibilities for Sales, Marketing, Commercial, Quality Assurance and Customer Care. This team's primary focus is on the engagement of Rinnai America Corporation's external customers and enhancing their experiences with the company's products and services. Wiley joined Rinnai in 2015 as Vice President of Sales and has led the sales organization delivering double-digit annual revenue growth. Prior to his time with Rinnai, Tim held various sales leadership positions at Moen, Inc. and Georgia Pacific.

When asked about his new appointment, Wiley commented, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a significant impact on how our customers experience and enjoy Rinnai America's products and services. We've got a phenomenal organization with a rich heritage at Rinnai America, and I'm honored to support our team in aspiring to captivate customers."

Kevin Headley has been promoted to Vice President of Sales with responsibilities for sales in the US and Canada. Headley joined Rinnai in 2020 as Senior Director of Sales and has taken an active role in developing the organization's factory direct and inside sales teams. Before his time with Rinnai, Headley held sales leadership positions with a variety of companies including Sub-Zero Group and Whirlpool Corporation.

Headley stated, "I am excited to be a part of the organizational restructure at Rinnai. Captivating customers is one of our six cultural beliefs and this change positions our team to maintain focus and increase our investments in the customer experience."

The organization's strategic realignment is designed to enhance operational efficiencies, strengthen prioritization and drive desired growth targets. The objective is to not only centralize and enhance customer experiences but also improve synergies across the company. Streamlining reporting relationships and putting greater emphasis on organizational focus, is an essential step to the execution of the company's strategic priorities and goals.

"We are excited about our future, and Judd, Tim and Kevin each play a monumental role in our continued success," said Rinnai America Corporation, President, Frank Windsor. "There are several important elements of our culture that allow us the opportunity to serve those around us by Creating a healthier way of living and we are committed to making Rinnai the best company for our customers and team members. These leaders are positioned to drive continued excellence towards our goals and support the growth objectives of the overall enterprise."

To learn more about Rinnai, visit www.rinnai.us.

ABOUT RINNAI

Rinnai America Corporation, a subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Peachtree City, Ga. Rinnai Corporation manufactures gas appliances including tankless water heaters, a wide range of kitchen appliances and heating and air conditioning units. As the technology leader in its industry, Rinnai is the largest gas appliance manufacturer in Japan and is the number-one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in the United States and Canada. Annual corporate revenues, including those of its subsidiaries, are in excess of $3.2 billion. With a global perspective to create 21st-century products for the home and business, Rinnai Corporation commits itself to safety and Creating a healthier way of living. For more information about Rinnai's entire product line, visit www.rinnai.us.

Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Rinnai and Creating a healthier way of living are the registered trademarks of Rinnai Corporation used under license by Rinnai America Corporation.

SOURCE Rinnai America Corporation
Expanding Retail Footprint in Boulder County, Colorado

OTCQX: SHWZ

DENVER, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Schwazze, (OTCQX:SHWZ) ("Schwazze" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce that it has closed the transaction to acquire the assets of BG3 Investments, LLC dba Drift which consists of two cannabis dispensaries located in Boulder, Colorado. This purchase continues Schwazze's expansion plan in Colorado, adding to the Company's current dispensary footprint, and bringing the total number of dispensaries to twenty. As part of the purchase, Schwazze will also acquire the assets of Black Box Licensing, LLC, which contains certain intellectual property.

"We look forward to adding these dispensaries to our portfolio. The Company remains focused on bringing excellent shopping experiences to all areas of Colorado by providing a wide assortment of quality products along with great service that our customers have come to expect from our brands. We are excited to bring that experience to our customers in Boulder," said Nirup Krishnamurthy, Schwazze's COO.

The consideration for the acquisition was $3.5 million and was paid as $1.9 million in cash, and $1.6 million in common stock.

Corporate Update

Since April 2020, Schwazze has announced and/or acquired a total of 32 cannabis dispensaries, including the ten R. Greenleaf New Mexico dispensaries. The Company has also announced and/or acquired in 2021 a total of seven cultivation facilities, three in Colorado - SCG Holding LLC, Brow 2 LLC and Star Buds - and four licensed by Medzen and RGO in New Mexico. The R. Greenleaf acquisition will add a New Mexico manufacturing asset, Elemental Kitchen & Laboratories, LLC, to the Company's manufacturing plant, Purplebee's in Colorado.

In May 2021, Schwazze announced its BioSciences division and in August 2021 it commenced home delivery services in Colorado.

About Schwazze

Schwazze (OTCQX: SHWZ) is building a premier vertically integrated regional cannabis company with assets in Colorado and New Mexico and will continue to take its operating system to other states where it can develop a differentiated regional leadership position. Schwazze is the parent company of a portfolio of leading cannabis businesses and brands spanning seed to sale. The Company is committed to unlocking the full potential of the cannabis plant to improve the human condition. Schwazze is anchored by a high-performance culture that combines customer-centric thinking and data science to test, measure, and drive decisions and outcomes. The Company's leadership team has deep expertise in retailing, wholesaling, and building consumer brands at Fortune 500 companies as well as in the cannabis sector. Schwazze is passionate about making a difference in our communities, promoting diversity and inclusion, and doing our part to incorporate climate-conscious best practices. Medicine Man Technologies, Inc. was Schwazze's former operating trade name. The corporate entity continues to be named Medicine Man Technologies, Inc.

Schwazze derives its name from the pruning technique of a cannabis plant to enhance plant structure and promote healthy growth.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements may be preceded by the words "may," "estimates", "predicts," or similar words. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, are based on certain assumptions, and are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's control and cannot be predicted or quantified. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, risks and uncertainties associated with (i) our inability to manufacture our products and product candidates on a commercial scale on our own or in collaboration with third parties; (ii) difficulties in obtaining financing on commercially reasonable terms; (iii) changes in the size and nature of our competition; (iv) loss of one or more key executives or scientists; (v) difficulties in securing regulatory approval to market our products and product candidates; (vi) our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy in Colorado and outside the state, (vii) our ability to identify and consummate future acquisitions that meet our criteria, (viii) our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses and realize synergies therefrom, (ix) the actual revenues derived from the Company's Star Buds assets, * the Company's actual revenue and adjusted EBITDA for 2021, (xi) the Company's ability to generate positive cash flow for the rest of 2021 (xii) the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, (xiii) the timing and extent of governmental stimulus programs, and (xiv) the uncertainty in the application of federal, state and local laws to our business, and any changes in such laws. More detailed information about the Company and the risk factors that may affect the realization of forward-looking statements is set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Investors and security holders are urged to read these documents free of charge on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as required by law.

SOURCE Schwazze
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SKUx, an innovative fintech company redefining the way promotional offers are delivered, redeemed, settled and reported, today launched SKUx Offer (X)ccelerator , a new way for brands and retailers to transform anonymized, traditional advertising tactics into a secure, serialized, one-to-one, trackable, high-value, mobile offer. The Offer (X)ccelerator allows advertisers to run their campaigns on SKU's patent-pending, data-rich platform, which safely and securely powers cost-effective, high-conversion offers and captures rich consumer data in near real time.

Campaigns using SKUx's groundbreaking platform result in higher conversion rates at a lower cost while eliminating fraud. Initial campaign testing has shown that half of consumers viewing an Offer (X)ccelerator promotion claimed the offer, while over two-thirds demonstrated intent to purchase, far above industry benchmarks. Campaigns can run across a very wide range of promotional vehicles, from direct mail, to free standing inserts (FSI), to live events and more.

Broad distribution of offers can be challenging for direct-to-consumer brands, casual dining, quick-serve restaurants and other businesses as a plethora of low-value offers flood the market. This creates issues as offers fail to differentiate in the traditional media landscape. In addition, with traditional media distribution, the ability to acquire consumer intent and purchase data is typically unavailable.

SKUx Offer (X)ccelerator triggers a serialized, unique promotion code via mobile engagement from a single, static image. It can be distributed virtually anywhere, anytime, as a serialized secure incentive to an individual device, allowing the brand to acquire intent and purchase data, while rewarding the shopper with a purchase incentive. Advertisers can deliver higher-value offers with far greater control over campaign costs. This improves return on advertising spend, leveraging efficient media distribution vehicles to acquire customers that show purchase intent and interest in the brand. This rich data, captured in near real time, allows brands to adjust offers to maximize effectiveness and is fully compliant with changes in privacy laws.

"With Offer (X)ccelerator, SKUx once again redefines the future of product offers, rewards and loyalty for brands and retailers," said Jay Loeffler, President of SKUx. "Until now, brands had to choose between the high risk of high-value offers, or run undifferentiated offers at low values with low payout to reduce the risk of an offer going viral. With Offer (X)ccelerator, SKUx solves that trade off, allowing brands the ability to use cost effective, broad reach offer distribution methods and gain the benefits of a single use, high-conversion secure offer, all while gaining rich consumer data in near real time."

The SKUx Offer (X)ccelerator provides five unique benefits:

(X) Offer  high value offers allow for increased conversion

(X) Security  single use, serialized offers eliminate fraud

(X) Insights  rich consumer data based on intent and conversion

(X) Conversion  increased conversion through traditional, low-cost media channels by super charging reach

(X) ROAS  accelerates return on ad spend by using secure, high-value offers without the cost of variable charges to increase conversion, new customers, and valuable insights

About SKUx

A leading fintech innovator, SKUx gives brands and retailers the power to deliver secure, serialized, intuitive digital offers anywhere, anytime, at the speed of today's consumer. SKUx transforms virtually any coupon, rebate, or promotional offer into product-based payments for the world's leading retailers, brands, and marketing agencies. Leveraging Hedera Hashgraph distributed ledger technology, the company's patent-pending Smart Incentives platform as a service combines offer details, serialization, funding, and settlement to increase customer trust, loyalty and create new opportunities for consumer engagement. The result  new incremental revenue, improved efficiency, and laser sharp transparency for all industry stakeholders. For more information, visit www.skux.io.

Media Contact:

Kevin Sugarman

[email protected]

408.966.4852

SOURCE SKUxchange LLC
DAVENPORT, Iowa, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Davenport, Iowa (January 19, 2022) SkyAMP, an innovative new technology brand, is formally launching the company and announcing its SkyAMP Get AMPed Channel Partner Program .

Like most great inventions, SkyAMP was born out of necessity. Our story begins on August 10, 2020, when a calamitous derecho storm tore a path of destruction through Iowa. In the wake of this disaster, we witnessed how the failure of our power and wireless infrastructure hindered the community's response and recovery.

"We're a unique new patented unpowered wireless signal boosting technology company that solves some fundamental daily business problems for SMB's, Enterprises and consumers. For a variety of reasons cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth signals are not maximized in every business, home, indoor and outdoor location. Our new products provide amplification, enhancement and extended signal boosting technology and many desired use case applications," said Jason Howell.

SkyAMP is looking to add multi-national distributors and a handful of strategic channel partners in all markets in the USA. SkyAMP is looking for channel partners who work in verticals such Pro-AV, health care, education, real estate, RV, parks & rec, oil, gas and energy, hotels, hospitality, manufacturing & distributing, and infrastructure. We want to immediately authorize 10-15 vertical specific channel partners. Our program includes many important and valuable benefits channel partners require from startup vendors. Our Get AMPed Partner Program benefits include warm and qualified leads, deal registration, gov-ed pricing, NFR products, key account samples and product seeding programs, a dedicated partner portal and support, sales incentive programs, channel partner specific sales promotions and customizable marketing assets.

SOURCE SkyAMP, LLC
MILPITAS, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SonicWall today reinforced its ongoing commitment to its Boundless Cybersecurity approach with the unveiling of Boundless 2022, a virtual international marquee partner event, Feb. 23-24.

Boundless 2022 will allow attending partners to hear first-hand about SonicWall's technology vision, product investments and gain a deeper understanding of the company's customer commitment from SonicWall executives. It will also include an appearance from a legendary celebrity duo.

"With threats of almost every type on the rise, securing information is a near impossible and thankless job, especially as the battlefield is expanding to limitless endpoints and networks," said SonicWall President and CEO Bill Conner. "Our goal is to educate and empower our partners, and to provide them with cutting-edge and cost-effective solutions for a strong cybersecurity framework. Boundless 2022 will provide our partners with unrivaled content, insight and expert analysis to be successful in 2022  and well beyond."

Registration for Boundless 2022 Now Open

Registration for Boundless 2022 is now open. Partners may visit www.Boundless2022.com to reserve their virtual seat. Partners will learn how to best navigate a constantly evolving security landscape, and how to how to compete against existing and new competitors.

Attendees also will have the opportunity to hear from experts and gain an understanding of SonicWall's current and future product portfolio in their local languages of English, German, French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. The event begins at the following regional times:

AMERICAS: February 23, 2022

9 a.m. PST





EMEA: February 24, 2022

10 a.m. CET / 1 p.m. UAE





/ UAE APAC: February 24, 2022

9:30 a.m. IST / 12 p.m. SGT / 3 p.m. AEDT

"For over three decades, SonicWall's been a 100% channel company," said SonicWall Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer Bob VanKirk. "Our global family of SonicWall SecureFirst partners, including MSSPs, are the lifeblood of our business. We're coming off of a record-breaking 2021 and Boundless 2022 will help our partners make 2022 even better."

Executive Leaders, Regional Experts Headline Agenda

SonicWall's Boundless Cybersecurity approach helps businesses bridge the gap between achieving business objectives while keeping employees, data and infrastructure secure.

Conner will be the conference keynote addressing the struggles organizations are facing with users working from home, leaving companies more exposed than ever and allowing for an increasing threat radius for bad actors around the globe. With a career spanning more than 30 years across a variety of high-tech industries, Conner is a respected thought-leader in global cybersecurity, data and infrastructure.

Main Stage Virtual Stage

Bill Conner , SonicWall President & CEO

, SonicWall President & CEO Celebrity Experience

Bob VanKirk , SonicWall SVP & Chief Revenue Officer

, SonicWall SVP & Chief Revenue Officer Dmitriy Ayrapetov , SonicWall VP of Platform Architecture

Regional Sessions

NOAM: HoJin Kim, VP, Global Channel Sales

HoJin Kim, VP, Global Channel Sales LATAM: Arley Brogiato, Director, Regional Sales & Edilson Cantadore , Senior SE

Arley Brogiato, Director, Regional Sales & , Senior SE EMEA: Terry Greer-King, VP EMEA Sales & Os St Marthe, Senior Director, Solutions Engineering

Terry Greer-King, VP EMEA Sales & Os St Marthe, Senior Director, Solutions Engineering APAC: Debasish Mukherjee, VP Regional Sales & Yuvraj Pradhan APAC Head of Presales

"For years, we've worked with SonicWall to bring the benefits of market-leading security solutions to SMBs and enterprise customers," said CEO at Quarterhorse Technology Ken Fletcher. "Together, we share the same Boundless Cybersecurity viewpoints, which move away from constrained security approaches to modern, unbound and cost-effective security you can trust. We look forward to the Boundless Conference to learn from incredible security thought leaders and to help understand how SonicWall can help propel our business."

Boundless Cybersecurity: Protection for An Evolving Threat Landscape

The threat landscape evolves too fast for organizations to eliminate dangers or even react to each threat as it occurs. Cyberattacks are becoming more disastrous as our dependence on information technology increases. Now, more than ever, organizations must adopt a serious and determined approach to defensive activities to identify and thwart immediate and future threats.

For over three decades, SonicWall has been at the forefront of providing advanced cybersecurity solutions for service providers, data centers, large distributed enterprises and government agencies.

Throughout that time, SonicWall has continuously evolved based on ever-changing customer demands from a trusted firewall vendor to an advanced next-generation security leader comprising comprehensive security services across cloud, hybrid, and traditional environments.

To learn more about SonicWall and Boundless 2022, please visit www.Boundless2022.com.

About SonicWall

SonicWall delivers Boundless Cybersecurity for the hyper-distributed era in a work reality where everyone is remote, mobile and unsecure. SonicWall safeguards organizations mobilizing for their new business normal with seamless protection that stops the most evasive cyberattacks across boundless exposure points and increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled workforces. By knowing the unknown, providing real-time visibility and enabling breakthrough economics, SonicWall closes the cybersecurity business gap for enterprises, governments and SMBs worldwide. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE SonicWall
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The pandemic changed consumer shopping behaviors in impactful ways and data shows these behaviors continuing  especially in the health and wellness industry. Consumers are prioritizing wellness for themselves and their families and seek to be better informed about the products they use, so they traverse retail channels to find the products that meet their needs. These consumer shifts have left data blind spots for brands and retailers as they serve their customers. SPINS  an advocate and leading data provider for the health and wellness industry for the past two decades  can now fill the blind spots with omnichannel data which allows brands and retailers to have the most extensive view of shopping habits across the industry.

SPINS accesses the broadest selection of data from across retail channels, including natural-enhanced, regional grocery, conventional, pet, and now Amazon. SPINS enhances this data with Product Intelligence that makes data smarter, more valuable, and easily usable in an array of applications for retailers, brands, and the ecosystem that serves the health and wellness industry.

For retailers, SPINS data delivers key channel, category, and store level performance metrics, insight to emerging innovation, and the ability to inform shoppers with personalized experiences. The availability of Amazon data and SPINS proprietary data, both enhanced with Product Intelligence, extends retailers' ability to understand emerging trends and merchandise the innovative products their customers need.

"Consumer shopping trends have been trending toward health and wellness and across channels for decades. Today, with eCommerce innovation and pandemic induced changes, shifts in shopping habits are continuing to evolve and brands and retailers are adapting to this new reality," said Tony Olson, CEO, SPINS. "SPINS remains a trusted partner and supporter of the health and wellness industry and will continue to make investments that allow our brand and retail partners to be competitive and successful."

In this environment, brands need to meet their customers where they are  in store and online. Brands play a critical role innovating with new products to meet consumer needs as they pursue wellness. Consumers want information on the products they buy, and they are willing to search across retail options for products that meet their needs. With the addition of Amazon data delivered by ClearCut Analytics, SPINS can provide brands with a roadmap for omnichannel growth.

ClearCut Analytics Acquisition

Founded in 2018, based in Chicago, Illinois, ClearCut Analytics is a retail analytics provider on a mission to support CPG brands make critical decisions with confidence and drive sustainable business growth.

"The decision for ClearCut to join the SPINS family was an easy one. Both companies share an entrepreneurial spirit, value candid collaboration, and aspire to learn as we grow," said Patrick Mclaughlin, Co-Founder of ClearCut Analytics. "It has been exciting to watch the ClearCut team settle in and excel in their new roles at SPINS. The number of brands and retailers using ClearCut data is growing daily and is having a positive impact on all sizes of business."

With billions of dollars in eCommerce and Amazon sales data analyzed, ClearCut's intelligence delivers actionable insights into today's complex retail marketplace to power successful product innovation, optimize cross-channel performance, and outmaneuver an expanding set of competitors. Beyond its technology, ClearCut's team of experts ensures companies are equipped with a roadmap and partner for success in the digital era for consumer goods.

"SPINS acquired ClearCut in summer of 2021 and we've begun rolling out joint solutions which will become ever more closely integrated. The decision to add ClearCut to the SPINS family made sense as both companies are mission aligned and accelerated the omnichannel solutions our customers need," said Jay Lovelace, Chief Commercial Officer, SPINS. "Omni-Intelligence is a major part of the discussions our sales force is having today, and SPINS has the strongest solution in the industry to meet brands and retailers' needs."

For more information on SPINS Omni-Intelligence, click here.

About SPINS

SPINS LLC is a wellness-focused data company and advocate for the Natural Products Industry. Over the past two decades, the wide adoption of SPINS' Product Intelligence has led to a common language used across the industry as well as laid the foundation for the next generation of innovation, while providing dynamic data, actionable insights, and digital activation solutions that drive growth for our clients & partners and contribute to a healthier and more vibrant America. Learn more at www.spins.com.

SOURCE SPINS
While supply chain disruptions and the on again/off again nature of the pandemic interrupt go-to-market plans, companies are also grappling with increasing and changing material costs. Decision-making is no longer just driven by cost, but also by material availability and sustainability targets. In response, the latest Centric PLM release contains market-driven features developed in close relationship with Centric's customer advisory board and innovation partners. Centric PLM v7.4 can be leveraged to reduce costs, drive competitiveness, stay close to consumers, improve collaboration and boost quick execution.

"With supply chain challenges and uncertainty being the current norm, more fashion, luxury, outdoor and consumer goods companies are seeking digital transformation solutions to combat these disruptions and improve agility," says Ron Watson, VP of Product at Centric Software. "Centric PLM v7.4 eliminates many of the manual processes associated with communication, design, development, production and shipping, enabling new efficiencies."

Centric PLM v7.4 squarely addresses the needs of brands, manufacturers and retailers in the apparel, furniture, home decor and multi-category industries with features including a packing list tool to automate the production of labeling for customs, speeding up shipping and transportation. The Product Presentations module enables teams to build presentations using PLM's single actionable source of truth, both saving time and ensuring that information is accurate and on-brand. Centric continues to expand its end-to-end 3D digital design and development approach by giving non-3D users the ability to view and provide feedback on 3D product visuals, enhancing collaboration and streamlining product communication. New side-by-side Bill of Materials (BOM) comparisons enable product teams to make faster and smarter choices about their designs and easily track changes over time.

"Centric PLM became that classic single source of the truth, so that we could have a really high quality, highly trusted source of information about all the products that we're bringing to market," says Tim Smith, Director of Product Technology at Aritzia.

"We are proud to introduce the latest industry-driven innovations in Centric PLM," says Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. "We work closely with industry leading retailers, brands and manufacturers to develop tools that alleviate market pressures and enable them to focus on being more consumer-centric."

Learn more about Centric's latest release for Apparel, Home and Multi-category brands, manufacturers and retailers.

Request a Demo

Centric Software (http://www.centricsoftware.com/)

From its headquarters in Silicon Valley, Centric Software provides a Product Concept to Consumer Digital Transformation Platform for fashion, retail, footwear, luxury, outdoor, consumer electronics and consumer goods including cosmetics & personal care and food & beverage. Centric's flagship Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform, Centric PLM, delivers enterprise-class merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, quality and product portfolio optimization innovations specifically for fast-moving consumer industries. Centric's Visual Innovation Platform (CVIP) offers highly visual digital board experiences for collaboration and decision-making. Centric Retail Planning is an innovative, cloud-native solution powered by Armonica Retail S.R.L., that delivers an end-to-end retail planning process designed to maximize retail business performance. Centric Software pioneered mobility, introducing the first mobile apps for PLM, and is widely known for connectivity to dozens of other enterprise systems including ERP, DAM, PIM, e-com, planning and more as well as creative tools such as Adobe Illustrator and a host of 3D CAD connectors. Centric's innovations are 100% market-driven with the highest user adoption rate and fastest time to value in the industry. All Centric innovations shorten time to market, boost product innovation and reduce costs.

Centric Software is owned by Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: #13065, DSY.PA), the world leader in 3D design software, 3D digital mock-up and PLM solutions.

Centric Software has received multiple industry awards and recognition, including being named by Red Herring to its Top 100 Global list in 2013, 2015 and 2016. Centric also received various excellence awards from Frost & Sullivan in 2012, 2016, 2018 and 2021.

Centric Software is a registered trademark of Centric Software Inc. All other brands and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Centric Software

Related Links

http://www.centricsoftware.com/


DAMASCUS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Clashes continued on Wednesday between Islamic State (IS) militants and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) around a prison housing a large number of IS inmates in the northeastern province of Hasakah, a war monitor said.

However, the IS riot has largely failed, as the militant group had lost 124 fighters in six days of clashes and strikes in and around the prison, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

On Jan. 20, IS inmates inside the Sina'a prison, which is controlled by the U.S.-backed SDF, incited a riot in coordination with militants from outside, who detonated the prison's gates with two booby-trapped vehicles and succeeded in freeing some prisoners.

The prison break is the largest since the IS was largely defeated in populated areas in Syria in March 2019, said the war monitor.

The incident triggered clashes between the IS and the SDF, and U.S. airstrikes on the areas where the IS fugitives could have sought shelter.

The violence forced over 3,500 civilians to flee Kurdish-controlled areas in Hasakah to government-controlled areas in the same province.

SDF forces have so far failed to contain the situation, and negotiations with the IS inmates to end their riot are still going on.

Hasakah is largely controlled by the SDF, but certain areas in the province, particularly in the city of Qamishli, are under the control of the Syrian government. 
CHERRY HILL, N.J., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- TD today announced that six U.S. organizations will be awarded grants through the 2021 TD Ready Challenge totaling $3,025,000 USD. The recipients are developing innovative, scalable solutions to assist disproportionately impacted students in grades K-12 across the Bank's Maine-to-Florida footprint who are experiencing pandemic-related learning loss in math and reading.

Research predicts that students from low-income households, students with limited internet access, indigenous and racialized students (Dorn, 2020), as well as students with disabilities (Nelson, 2020) will experience even more considerable setbacks as a result of the switch to virtual learning. While not all students will be affected equally, these communities in particular will feel a greater impact and face tougher challenges as a result learning loss.

"As a mother who has experienced the challenges of remote learning firsthand, I am thrilled to support these incredible organizations that are finding meaningful ways to help those students who have fallen behind catch up. At TD, we continue to focus our efforts on making sure the communities we serve have an equitable COVID-19 recovery and I am eager to see how this year's grantees will change lives and offer opportunities for individuals driving the future of innovation, talent and growth," said Shelley Sylva, Head of U.S Corporate Citizenship at TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank.

"Intermittent school closures and in-class learning disruptions over the last two years have created significant challenges for both students and teachers. Through the 2021 TD Ready Challenge, we are proud to provide funding to 15 organizations that will scale innovative programs designed to help tackle predicted learning loss. Their efforts will help create opportunities for students so that they can feel more confident about their futures and so that they can succeed in a changing world," said Janice Farrell Jones, Senior Vice President, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship at TD Bank Group.

The TD Ready Challenge is TD's annual North American initiative recognizing organizations helping to address a problem statement connected to one of the four drivers of the TD Ready Commitment, the Bank's corporate citizenship platform: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Now in its fourth year, the TD Ready Challenge continues to focus on helping create a more inclusive and sustainable future by invigorating communities and encouraging its customers to feel confident about their own futures.

More than 300 applicants submitted their organizations' initiatives for consideration in this year's TD Ready Challenge. Each application was rigorously evaluated and narrowed down to a select few submissions which were then reviewed by a panel of TD executives and experts in the space. The panel, with input from TD employees, selected a total of 15 U.S. and Canadian organizations to receive grants ranging from $325,000 to $1,000,000.

The U.S. recipients of the 2021 TD Ready Challenge grants are:

The Education Fund, Edible Outdoor Eco-Labs to Accelerate Learning  Metro Florida  Awarded $1,000,000

This outdoor eco-lab initiative targets schools where the majority of students qualify for federal aid and have limited access to fresh, healthy food. The project will expand upon pre-existing sustainable eco-labs focused on science to further incorporate nature, accelerate learning particularly in math and foster connections with student peers.

LUCY Outreach, Lifting Up Camden's Youth Inside & Outside of the Classroom  Metro Pennsylvania/Metro New Jersey  Awarded $625,000

This outreach program will focus on providing assistance to low-income Camden city and county students ages 10-19 in their progression to the next grade, including college and career advancements upon high school graduation. LUCY provides support in homework assistance, college and career counseling, workshops and more to address disproportionate learning loss, especially in reading and math.

South Asian Youth Action, SAYA Elmhurst Center Academic Readiness + Mentoring Initiative  Metro New York  Awarded $425,000

SAYA's peer mentorship and academic readiness initiative focuses on youth living in Queens neighborhoods the epicenter of the pandemic during its height. The team plans to formalize and scale their offerings of peer mentorship in order to increase resilience in students, ensure sustainable academic gains and lessen the learning loss gap.

Codman Academy Foundation, The Codman Academy Tutorial Program  Southern New England  Awarded $325,000

The Codman Academy Tutorial Program provides support to high-needs students in urban, low-income communities and schools. The academy's expansion of the program through additional hiring will help the team reach their goal of having all students perform at the required level of their grade and every student meet their core standard.

The Arc Prince George's County, Catalyst Project  Metro Mid-South  Awarded $325,000

The Arc's Catalyst Project aims to support students with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have been especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This program will provide additional academic support, therapies, work-based learning experiences and other services to recover invaluable learning and experiences for special needs students lost during the pandemic.

MY TURN, Project Complete  Northern New England  Awarded $325,000

Project Complete's work targets the dropout crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic and increased youth workforce participation within Manchester, New Hampshire. Through individual service plans combining elements in career exploration, occupational training and academic instruction among others, the team aims to offer alternative pathways to high school completion for students who suffered from learning loss and disengagement amid the health crisis.

The TD Ready Challenge is a key component of TD's efforts to develop solutions that benefit its customers and enrich the lives of society. For more information about the 2021 TD Ready Challenge and winners, visit td.com/readychallenge. For additional information about the TD Ready Commitment, please visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.

About the 2021 TD Ready Challenge Problem Statement

The 2021 TD Ready Challenge encourages groundbreaking solutions that address predicted learning loss in math and reading for students in grades K-12 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Preferred applicants are able to support and demonstrate a measurable impact on students who have been disproportionately affected by factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and geographic location. For more information, please visit td.com/readychallenge.

About the TD Ready Commitment

TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CAN $1 billion (USD $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to help open doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow  Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident  not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world. For further information, visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.

SOURCE TD Bank
BOSTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Telco Systems, a leading provider of edge compute solutions, and Advantech, a long-standing global leader in the Industrial IoT sector, today announced an enhanced joint solution for enterprises and service providers looking to simplify and streamline the management of edge devices and services across multiple sites. This solution is based on Telco Systems' Edgility, a state-of-the-art smart edge computing software, pre-installed on a variety of Advantech's universal edge network appliances.

As enterprises move business services to the edge and increasingly adopt remote work models, the complexity of deploying, managing, and operating large numbers of edge devices and services at geographically distributed sites has increased exponentially.

The joint Telco Systems-Advantech Edge Compute platform is ready "out-of-the-box" to support a wide range of edge usages, including work from home, uCPE, and Edge PoP. Designed for ease of use, this platform can be shipped with pre-installed operating systems and is fully connected to a cloud-based Monitoring and Orchestration (MANO) platform. Moreover, the pre-installed offering provides a wide range of preconfigured solutions optimized to support maximum functionality at the edge.

The solution enables simple and intuitive deployment, management, and orchestration of thousands of devices running multiple applications. Fully automated service provisioning and activation enable enterprises to maximize operational efficiency at all times. In addition, this new offering meets customer demand for simpler logistics and end-to-end integration, removing "red tape" and enabling very fast mass deployments.

"Our enterprise and service provider customers are looking for cost-effective ways to simplify the deployment and management of edge devices at scale," said Magic Pao, VP Cloud IoT Group at Advantech. "We are confident that this ready-to-deploy solution, combining our hardware with Telco Systems' edge compute software, will facilitate our customers' transition to flexible, efficient, and automated edge device management."

Telco Systems' Edgility Edge compute software suite provides IT teams with a 360-degree toolset for efficiently deploying and managing thousands of edge devices across multiple branches, home and "mobile" offices forming the enterprise WAN. It comprises a high-performance, small-footprint operating system, together with a powerful Management and Orchestration (MANO) system.

Advantech white-box network appliances scale from ultra-lightweight entry-level devices based on Intel Atom processors to high throughput platforms based on Intel Xeon Scalable processors. They provide ample connectivity choices including physical copper and fiber Ethernet interfaces and wireless 5G, 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 5 options. Service providers and enterprise customers can leverage their optimized performance and superior reliability on a white-box device that is widely compatible with leading software solutions in the market. In addition, Advantech white-box platforms for SD-WAN, SASE, and uCPE are supported by Advantech's global logistics and service network.

"We're excited to take our current relationship with Advantech to the next level," said Ariel Efrati, CEO of Telco Systems. "Based on the synergies we've seen between our products in recent enterprise deployments, we believe this joint offering will strengthen our ability to support customers looking to expand their ecosystems to support the nascent edge compute revolution."

The solution is immediately available for customer evaluation. For more information about Telco Systems or Advantech platforms please visit www.telco.com, EdgilityOS.com, and www.ucpe.tech.

Media Contacts

Charo Sanchez

Global Alliances Manager, Advantech Cloud-IoT Group

[email protected]

Telco Systems

[email protected]

About Advantech

Advantech has the corporate vision to "Enable an Intelligent Planet". The company is a global leader in the fields of IoT intelligent systems and embedded platforms. To embrace the trends of IoT, big data, and artificial intelligence, Advantech promotes IoT hardware and software solutions with the industrial IoT platform - WISE-PaaS core to assist business partners and clients in connecting their industrial chains. Advantech is also working with business partners to co-create business ecosystems that accelerate the goal of industrial intelligence.

www.advantech.com

About Telco Systems

Telco Systems is a leading vendor of innovative communications software products, for the new generation of edge computing and enterprise networks. Telco Systems enables global enterprises, communications service providers, and system integrators to build and operate sophisticated virtual networks, with powerful edge devices, and endless application schemes. Telco Systems' products are successfully deployed at large carriers and enterprises around the world, delivering a resilient, secured, and flexible connectivity between thousands of branches and the cloud.

EdgilityOS.com, telco.com.

SOURCE Telco Systems; Advantech
HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SEO company Covert Marketing turned heads in September after transitioning the agency to a 4-day work week. Now 3 months later, they're revealing the official statistics behind the new schedule's impact on their operations.

Founder Gregory Melon had this to say: "The only time you hear about 4-day work weeks is when some large multinational company talks about 'maybe' considering the 'possibility' of 'exploring' it. But very few companies actually enact it, and even less actually measure the resultsor at least discuss them publicly. So we wanted to see what kind of impact this would have on a smaller company like our own."

Covert CMO Louis Glover explained, "It was important that we have a distinct 'before and after' measurement to quantifiably gauge the overall impact of a 4-day work week. So we surveyed our entire team a few weeks prior to launching the new work schedule, and then distributed an identical follow-up survey 3 months later for a direct comparison."

The 13-question survey utilized a simple 1 - 5 scale which staff used to rate different components of their job such as work/life balance, job satisfaction, and other work elements.

The only variable not included in the survey was productivity, which instead was measured as the percentage of tasks completed on-time by each employee during the 3-month period.

Surprise surprise: Everyone loves the new schedule. But how did it impact the actual business?

"On-time task completion and productivity increased +14%. Staff's own ratings of their work/life balance increased +17%. And lastly, people's overall job satisfaction increased +21%" said Gregory. "So our staff is completing more work, in less time, and is significantly happier. What's not to love about that?"

Gregory commented, "It's really not that complicated: Happy staff perform at a higher level. We work to live, not the other way around."

About Covert Marketing

Texas SEO company Covert Marketing is where enterprise clients go for more website traffic and higher Google rankings. Covert's proven methodologies help organizations across the country attract more of their own ideal clients, all with a verifiable return on investment.

www.covertmktg.com

(832) 841-4266

SOURCE Covert Marketing
The investor group is led by Samuel Yang, CFA, a former Morgan Stanley and Merrill Lynch investment banker, who will serve as the Company's new Chairman. Previously he managed over USD 3 billion and specialized in venture capital, pre-IPO, and IPO investments. He also has a strong background in education. He has represented Kaplan in Taiwan for over 20 years, is a CFA instructor (for CFA Levels 1, 2, and 3), is the primary trainer for Credit Suisse's internal private banking training programs in Asia, and through his family's non-profit organizations (The Yang Foundation and Kingdom Education Foundation), provides a comprehensive range of educational programs to over 160 schools in over 30 countries around the world.

Expanding in Taiwan and to other International Markets

The new investor group aims to transform TutorABC into a global organization that will fully dominate both its home market in Taiwan and other international markets.

The Company will expand its TutorMing Chinese learning courses targeting the USA, UK, Canadian, and Australian markets.

The Company will also expand both its English (TutorABC and tutorJr) and Chinese (TutorMing) language courses throughout Asia. It will specifically target Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.

The Company also sees exciting new opportunities to further develop the European, Indian, and the Middle Eastern markets.

"We are tremendously impressed with the strength of the Company's brands, its patented AI / big data technologies, and the vast experience and professionalism of the management team. We will continue to strengthen TutorABC's position as the leading standard in the global education technology industry," says Chairman Yang.

Launching TutorMeet+ (a new B2B Online Education Platform for Companies and Schools)

TutorABC plans to launch TutorMeetCloud in Taiwan, an advanced new learning management platform for companies and schools to securely deliver all their training programs and classes online. The TutorMeetCloud platform has already been used internally for its online programs for over 10 years, with more than 50 million classes held. In addition, it has recently been tested with several elementary and high schools online, reaching over 40,000 students.

Company Background and Expansion Plans

TutorABC is the world's leading online educational and language learning platforms.





Since 2004, TutorABC has been providing highly personalized online educational programs through its award-winning brands, which includes TutorABC, tutorJr, TutorMing, PopCoding, GoGoldTalk, and TutorMeetCloud.





Over 16 million students have successfully attended TutorABC's live and interactive courses, including English, Chinese, Math, and Computer Coding classes.





The Company plans to aggressively double its size in 2022 by launching new products, expanding its B2B training business with schools and companies, and by launching into other international markets.





TutorABC is well-positioned to take advantage of the exciting new growth opportunities in the online education and language-learning markets.





Distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic is helping to drive staggering growth in online learning. According to market research firms Global Market Insights and HolonIQ:

the e-learning market (that includes academic, corporate, and government use of e-learning) is currently valued at USD 250 billion . It is expected to surge at a compound annual growth rate of 21 percent through 2027, to hit USD 1 trillion .



the global Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) language learning market is expected to grow from USD 50 billion to USD 115 billion in 2025, with online learning growing by 3x during the same period.





TutorABC provides its students with lessons that are engaging, outcome-driven, and focused on delivering a premium quality learning experience. Previously the Company invested over USD 300 million to develop its core technology platform and teaching materials, which includes partnerships with other global brands, such as Oxford University Press and Disney English.





to develop its core technology platform and teaching materials, which includes partnerships with other global brands, such as Press and Disney English. The Company's core technology is protected by 10 patents (that fully utilize AI and big data analytics) and caters to each student's background, experience, and educational goals. The Company's patented Dynamic Course Generating System (DCGS) systematically analyzes and matches the student's unique needs with (a) the most relevant course materials and lesson plans, (b) the most suitable teachers, and (c) the best-matched classmates.





Built into the Company's technology platform is a rigorous feedback mechanism that allows it to constantly improve its educational programs based on feedback from its students, teachers, and customer protection representatives. This continuous feedback helps to guarantee the best results and highest efficacy rates for all students and teachers.





Over the past 10 years, the Company has received outstanding reviews from its students, with an average rating of 9.8 out of 10 for its TutorABC and tutorJr English language programs, and 9.9 out of 10 for its Chinese TutorMing classes.





The Company's CEO, Jackie Huang, says, "This is an exciting new beginning for TutorABC! Our new investors will provide us with the capital, experience, and connections that we need to further dominate the Taiwan market and to go global."





After the acquisition, the Company plans to expand its product offerings to include K-12 afterschool study programs, specialized preparation for exams, study abroad advisory services, and professional training courses.





"Our goal is to be a long-term partner with our students as they keep returning to us for all their educational needs throughout their lives," added Huang.





"The Company is redesigning education using technology. Over the next few months, we look forward to making further announcements with the launching of new products and new global partnerships," noted the new Chairman, Samuel Yang.

TutorABC - the world's leading online educational and language learning platform.

SOURCE TutorABC
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors will meet Feb. 8, 2022, in open session at Postal Service headquarters, 475 L'Enfant Plaza, SW, Washington, DC. The public is welcome to observe the meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET in the Benjamin Franklin Room on the 11th floor. The Board is expected to discuss the following items:

Remarks of the Chairman of the Board of Governors Remarks of the Postmaster General and CEO Approval of the Minutes Committee Reports Quarterly Financial Report Quarterly Service Performance Report Approval of Tentative Agenda for May Meeting Adjournment

A public comment period will begin immediately following the adjournment of the open session on Feb. 8. During the public comment period, which shall not exceed 60 minutes, members of the public may comment on any item or subject listed on the agenda for the open session. Registration for participation in the public comment period is required. Additionally, the public will be given the option to join the public comment session and participate via teleconference. Should you wish to participate via teleconference, you will be required to give your first and last name, a valid email address to send an invite and a phone number to reach you should a technical issue arise. Speakers may register online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BOG-02-08-2022. No more than three minutes shall be allotted to each speaker. The time allotted to each speaker will be determined after registration closes. Registration for the public comment period, either in person or via teleconference, will end on Feb. 6 at 5 p.m. ET. Participation in the public comment period is governed by 39 C.F.R. 232.1(n).

Open session meetings of the Board of Governors are available on live audio webcasts at http://about.usps.com/who/leadership/board-governors/briefings/welcome.htm. Three hours after the conclusion of the open session meeting, a recorded audio file will be available for listening. In compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, the audio webcast will be open-captioned.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

Contact: Dave Partenheimer

202-268-2599

[email protected]

usps.com/news

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service
Major Piston Pumps Trends in the Piston Pumps Procurement Market

The pressure from substitutes and a moderate level of threat from new entrants has resulted in the moderate bargaining power of suppliers. This makes it extremely important to get the pricing and pricing model right. Buyers should align their preferred pricing models for Piston Pumps with the wider industry and identify the cost-saving potential.

The most widely adopted Pricing Models in the Piston Pumps Market

o Volume based pricing model

o Contract based pricing model

Download our free sample report to know more about the latest Piston Pumps trends and various pricing models

Will there be an Increase in the Spend Growth for Piston Pumps Procurement?

The Piston Pumps market will register an incremental spend of about USD 318.59 million during the forecast period. However, only a few regions will drive the majority of this growth. Moreover, on the supply side, North America, Europe, and APAC will have the maximum influence owing to the supplier base. The growth is expected to be primarily driven by increasing demand and adoption of the category across those few regions. To get a detailed analysis of the volume drivers that are driving the adoption of the category across regions.

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About SpendEdge:

SpendEdge shares your passion for driving sourcing and procurement excellence. We are the preferred procurement market intelligence partner for 120+ Fortune 500 firms and other leading companies across numerous industries. Our strength lies in delivering robust, real-time procurement market intelligence reports and solutions.

Contact

SpendEdge

Anirban Choudhury

Marketing Manager

Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340

https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us



SOURCE SpendEdge
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the ranking of its annual Top 10 States for LEED, with Illinois once again topping the list and demonstrating leadership in green building. Illinois certified 3.16 square feet of building space per person under LEED in 2021. LEED is the world's most widely used green building program and was created by USGBC as a leadership standard defining best practices for healthy, high-performing green buildings.

"Amidst the challenges of 2021, governments, companies and other organizations committed to taking bold actions to protect the climate, their employees and their communities," said Peter Templeton, president and CEO, USGBC. "Transitioning our buildings to be healthier and more sustainable is essential to meeting these commitments, and we're proud to recognize states where that work is well under way."

In 2021, the top 10 states, plus the District of Columbia, certified 1,105 projects and more than 247 million gross square feet under LEED. Washington, Massachusetts, Colorado and Virginia round out the top five, and Utah made an appearance on the list for the first time since 2015.

Despite Washington, D.C., not appearing in the official top 10 list because of its status as a federal territory, it consistently leads the nation in LEED-certified square footage per capita. In 2021, the nation's capital certified 29.46 square feet of space per resident across 103 green building projects.

The full rankings are as follows:

Rank State Certified Gross Square Footage per Capita Number of Projects 1 Illinois 3.16 87 2 Washington 2.84 92 3 Massachusetts 2.64 88 4 Colorado 2.34 78 5 Virginia 2.149 94 6 California 2.143 431 7 Maryland 1.95 76 8 Oregon 1.81 26 9 Utah 1.48 21 10 Nevada 1.42 9 ** Washington, D.C. 29.46 103

**Washington, D.C., is not ranked because it is a federal district, not a state.

Notable projects that were certified in 2021 include:

Hines VC Project 20 in Chicago achieved LEED Gold; Hines has over 90 million square feet that have certified, pre-certified or registered under LEED.

achieved LEED Gold; has over 90 million square feet that have certified, pre-certified or registered under LEED. Union Station in Seattle received LEED Platinum certification and was the highest Platinum-level project of 2021 in Washington state .

received LEED Platinum certification and was the highest Platinum-level project of 2021 in . Harvard University Science and Engineering Complex in Allston, Mass. , received LEED Platinum certification and was also a regional award recipient at USGBC Live for outstanding design and long-term sustainability focus.

Science and Engineering Complex in , received LEED Platinum certification and was also a regional award recipient at USGBC Live for outstanding design and long-term sustainability focus. The Denver Water OCR campus of eight buildings achieved LEED certification at various levels: LEED Platinum (1), LEED Gold (5) and LEED Silver (2),

The Government Services Administration facility in Winchester, Va. , achieved LEED Gold under LEED v4, as well as SITES v2 Silver certification and Guiding Principles Compliance, becoming the first project to certify across all three programs.

, achieved LEED Gold under LEED v4, as well as SITES v2 Silver certification and Guiding Principles Compliance, becoming the first project to certify across all three programs. 1500 Mission Residential in Los Angeles is an affordable and low-income housing project with a rooftop park and wellness features that achieved LEED Gold certification.

is an affordable and low-income housing project with a rooftop park and wellness features that achieved LEED Gold certification. Glenstone II Art Museum in Potomac, Md. , just outside of Washington, D.C. , achieved three LEED certifications: LEED Gold for the cafe, Platinum for the arrival hall and Gold for the museum itself.

, just outside of , achieved three LEED certifications: LEED Gold for the cafe, Platinum for the arrival hall and Gold for the museum itself. Porter Portland Hotel in Portland, Ore. , achieved LEED Silver certification and became the first hotel in the U.S. to certify under LEED 4.1.

, achieved LEED Silver certification and became the first hotel in the U.S. to certify under LEED 4.1. Outpatient Clinic and Cancer Center in Provo, Utah , achieved LEED Silver.

, achieved LEED Silver. The City Of Las Vegas Municipal Courthouse was certified LEED Silver.

The 2021 World Green Building Trends report from Dodge Data shows that green building remains a global priority and commitment to sustainable building is strong. LEED provides a framework for designing, constructing and operating buildings that are cost-effective, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, use fewer resources and support human health. The overall growth in LEED certification reflects the increased global adoption of corporate and institutional ESG goals and reporting.

"Green building is projected to continue its rapid growth in 2022, and USGBC remains focused on supporting further market transformation and innovation," Templeton added. "It is particularly encouraging to see policy leadership at all levels of government promoting green building practice and performancefrom the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to local code enhancements. USGBC will continue to support efforts in all sectors to accelerate progress and increase accountability for creating sustainable, healthy, resilient and equitable buildings and communities."

USGBC calculates the top 10 list based on 2020 U.S. Census data, using per capita figures to allow for a fair comparison of the level of green building taking place among states with significant differences in population and number of overall buildings. The data includes commercial and institutional green building projects certified to LEED between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2021.

About USGBC

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is committed to a prosperous and sustainable future through cost-efficient and energy-saving green buildings. USGBC works toward its mission of market transformation through its LEED green building program, robust educational offerings, an international network of local community leaders, the annual Greenbuild International Conference & Expo, the Center for Green Schools , and advocacy in support of public policy that encourages and enables green buildings and communities. For more information, visit usgbc.org and connect on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Contact:

Deisy Verdinez, USGBC

SOURCE U.S. Green Building Council
Cardiovalve Ltd. (previously Mitraltech Ltd.) was headquartered in Israel in 2010. Its independently-developed Cardiovalve System is a transcatheter interventional replacement product for patients suffering from mitral or tricuspid regurgitation. Compared with products of the same kind, its transfemoral approach significantly improves the safety of treatment and its 55mm annuli is suitable for about 95% of the patient population. Its unique short frame design lowers the risk of LVOT obstruction. In addition, Cardiovalve has applied for over 215 patents, of which 83 have been granted.

Patients suffering from mitral and tricuspid regurgitation are increasing with each passing day, due to the lack of effective and innovative treatments. Such patients are expected to exceed 22 million by 2025 in China, and 14 million and 9.2 million in Europe and the U.S., respectively in 2025. Huge patient group brings broad market space. According to Edwards Lifesciences, the global leader in medical innovations for structural heart disease, the total value of interventional therapy for mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation will reach US$5 billion by 2028, which increases by 5 times compared with that of year 2021.

Interventional treatments of mitral and tricuspid regurgitation have been regarded as technically difficult globally. FDA has not approved any products for mitral and tricuspid valve replacement at present. However, with unique characteristics and ahead-of-schedule progress among products of the same kind under clinical period, Cardiovalve stands as the first privately held company to receive FDA's early feasibility study (EFS) approval for both TR and MR indications.

As a pioneer in the field of heart valve disease treatment in China, Venus Medtech is committed to continuous innovation and building a complete product system to fully serve doctors and patients worldwide. After the acquisition of Cardiovalve, the company will continue to advance its clinical research in Europe and the U.S., while accelerating its clinical development and commercialization in the Chinese market. The acquisition of Cardiovalve will enable Venus Medtech to become one of the most complete platform companies in the field of mitral regurgitation and tricuspid regurgitation treatment in China, and it will also bring new opportunities for Venus Medtech's innovation and internationalization.

"The successful completion of this cross-border acquisition will have a significant impact on the company's further international development strategy," says Venus MedTech's CEO, Eric Zi, "and we will take this as an opportunity to further consolidate our long-term vision of making international innovation and global presence. Venus Medtech will continue to advance our overall product pipeline to provide innovative devices and services for global doctors and patients. "

"Partnering with Venus Medtech is crucial for Cardiovalve to accelerate its approach to key global markets," said Amir Gross, CEO of Cardiovalve. "We've built a strong relationship of mutual trust over the past few years and are committed to creating a new ecosystem of cooperation between China and Israel in the medical device innovation industry. Going forward, we will continue to develop innovative and superior R&D products."

SOURCE Venus Medtech (Hangzhou) Inc.
HOUSTON, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Rice University's business competition geared for military veterans will take applications from new entrepreneurs.

Applications are open for the 2022 Veterans Business Battle, an event that gives military veterans an opportunity to pitch their business plans to a panel of investors for a chance at investments, business partnerships, and prize money. In recent years, finalists received more than $4 million of investments through the program. Early-stage businesses and existing companies needing growth capital are both encouraged to apply.

This year's event will extend networking opportunities to other business startup founders who want to attend sessions led by previous Veterans Business Battle winners.

"We're looking forward to giving veterans the opportunity not just to share their ideas and get financing, but learn from other past winners the lessons about entrepreneurship they've lived through while growing their businesses " event co-chair Reid Schrodel said.

Veterans Business Battle will award a combined $30,000 in cash prizes to winners at the event. The cash will be split between a $15,000 prize for first place, $10,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place. The event is hosted by Rice Business Veterans Association, a student organization for military veterans at Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business.

To apply, applicants must submit a business plan on the competition website, www.vetbizbattle.org , by Feb. 15. Businesses must have an honorably discharged veteran or active duty founder and equity holder who is actively running the venture.

Finalists will be invited to make their business pitch April 22-23 at Rice University. All types of businesses are encouraged. Previous winners have included retail products, a commercial drone business, technology firms and more. Those interested in competing should visit business.rice.edu/vetbizbattle

Veterans Business Battle was established in 2015 by a group of Houston entrepreneurs and Rice University's Veterans in Business Association. The competition aims to foster entrepreneurship among veterans, grow veteran-owned businesses and give back to veterans seeking to make a difference in the business world. For more information, visit business.rice.edu/vetbizbattle

Contact: Sara Yonker, 713-296-0004, [email protected]

SOURCE Veterans Business Battle
SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Vimaan, a computer vision company for warehouse inventory management, emerged from stealth to announce its leading-edge, field proven solutions to the warehousing and logistics industry along with $25M in Seed and Series A financing from top investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Wing VC and Neotribe Ventures. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Vimaan automates and digitizes inventory capture, tracking and management across the warehouse, including receiving, put-away and picking, storage and pack and ship.

"The process of collecting inventory data is a major bottleneck within warehouse management. While there have been some technological advancements in robotics and warehouse automation over the past decade, the Vimaan platform is the first of its kind to offer wall to wall coverage of warehouse inventory," stated S. K. ("KG") Ganapathi, Founder and CEO of Vimaan. "Warehouse managers constantly face competing objectives of keeping inventory tracking labor costs low while simultaneously keeping inventory accuracy high. Vimaan has worked hand in hand with our blue-chip customers to design solutions that strike at the heart of data tracking challenges in the warehouse. The Vimaan platform enables a warehouse manager to realize 100% inventory accuracy and visibility with minimal labor oversight. This in turn results not only in labor savings, but also in reduced inventory wastage, fewer claims and chargebacks, reduced reverse logistics costs and overall improvement in quality."

The Vimaan platform comprises computer vision-based technologiesincluding cameras, a sensor suite and computer vision algorithmsto "see", interpret, and digitally reconstruct inventory according to the warehouse's requirements. The solution is simultaneously capable of barcode and RFID reading. The data is presented to the customer in an intuitive software application that directly interfaces with the customer's WMS and provides rich, actionable insights. The entire Vimaan solution is designed to fit into existing workflows, with little to no infrastructure changes or training required for the warehouse workforce.

For the past 24 months, Vimaan has been working with leading 3PLs and brand owners to perfect its inventory tracking solutions. These customers, who are in full production with Vimaan solutions, have realized significant benefits in productivity and cost savings. Vimaan is now ready to share these solutions with the rest of the industry. Vimaan plans to launch a series of new products this year specifically designed to further support inventory tracking and inventory control in multiple areas of the warehouse. Over the coming weeks, Vimaan plans to announce details of its solutions, customer engagements and case studies of its deployments.

"Inefficiencies within the warehouse and logistics industries have spotlighted huge opportunities for technological advancement and investment," said Greg Papadopoulos, Ph.D., Venture Partner at NEA. "We've been enthusiastically tracking the warehouse robotics and automation industry for a while and are thrilled to expand our portfolio in the space by partnering with Vimaan to apply revolutionary computer vision technology to transform inventory processes and empower warehouse managers across the industry."

About Vimaan

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Vimaan's team comprises computer vision and hardware technologists and warehousing domain experts with a rich and successful history in technology startups. Vimaan's primary mission is to deliver computer vision and machine learning solutions to solve long-standing inventory visibility, accuracy and quality challenges experienced in the supply chain. For more information visit: vimaan.ai.

Vimaan solutions will be featured in booth #C6088 at MODEX 2022 March 28-31, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia.



Media Contact: Christina Gorini, 732.496.1118, [email protected]

SOURCE Vimaan
Photo taken on June 22, 2011 shows Huang Xinyi (L) and her mother posing for a photo at Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Fuzhou, capital city of Fujian Province. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua)

Huang Xinyi (1st L) poses for a group photo before work with colleagues from Tianjin Third Central Hospital in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Huang Xinyi (L) carries out nucleic acid sampling for a resident in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

Huang Xinyi (L) registers the information of residents in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Huang Xinyi cheers herself during the COVID-19 nucleic acid testing work in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Photo taken on July 2, 2015 shows Huang Xinyi (R) and Zhang Boli, then president of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, at a doctoral graduation ceremony of the university in north China's Tianjin. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua)

Huang Xinyi (R), along with other staff members, goes to carry out nucleic acid sampling for residents in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Frost is seen formed on the protective shield of Huang Xinyi due to the cold weather in north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Sun Fanyue)

Huang Xinyi poses for a photo as she attends a meeting commending role models in the country's fight against the COVID-19 epidemic at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 8, 2020. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua)

Huang Xinyi (R) collects a swab sample from a resident for COVID-19 test at a testing site in Hedong District of north China's Tianjin, Jan. 20, 2022. Tianjin launched its fourth citywide COVID-19 nucleic acid testing at 6 a.m. on Jan. 20. Doctor Huang Xinyi, who participated in the citywide nucleic acid testing for the second time, was in charge of the testing site of Guanyun Primary School in Hedong District of Tianjin, together with seven colleagues.

Born in Kaohsiung of southeast China's Taiwan, Huang Xinyi came to Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2003 to study traditional Chinese medicine. After receiving her doctorate at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in 2015, she became a doctor in the infection department of Tianjin Third Central Hospital.

Although the latest resurgence of COVID-19 in Tianjin caused by the Omicron variant has been curbed effectively, many front-line health workers are still on duty. Huang Xinyi will stick to her post like many other medical staff during the Spring Festival this year.

"This will be my third Spring Festival in the mainland. I will work hard in the new year." Huang Xinyi said, "I hope that the epidemic will soon pass and I can reunite with my parents next Spring Festival." (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Viterra Limited (Viterra) is pleased to announce that it, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, has entered into a stock purchase agreement with Marubeni America Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marubeni Corporation, to acquire the grain and ingredients business of Gavilon Agriculture Investment, Inc. (Gavilon).

The agreed purchase price for the acquisition of Gavilon is US $1.125 billion, plus working capital, and is subject to certain customary purchase price adjustments.

Gavilon is based in Omaha, Nebraska, USA and originates, stores and distributes grains, oilseeds, as well as feed and food ingredients, to food manufacturers, livestock producers, poultry processors, soybean processors and ethanol producers worldwide.

Gavilon's leading asset network is located in key growing areas across the United States, with access to major railroads, rivers and ports. It also has international operations in Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia, along with an indirect minority ownership interest in two port terminals located in Kalama, Washington and Portland, Oregon.

"The addition of Gavilon supports our long-term strategy of significantly increasing our presence in the United States, one of the major producing and exporting regions, which will further strengthen our global network," said David Mattiske, Chief Executive Officer of Viterra Limited. "The combination of the Gavilon and Viterra origination businesses will enable us to provide more value and flexibility to our customers. We will be able to rapidly enhance our sustainable supply chains, provide higher levels of quality control and reliability, while creating exciting opportunities for our customers and employees."

"We look forward to welcoming the employees of Gavilon to the Viterra team, and further strengthening the successful business and commercial relationships Gavilon has built with producers and consumers."

Peter Mouthaan, Chief Financial Officer at Viterra Limited, said "This transaction demonstrates the continued support of our shareholders to execute on opportunities that deliver significant growth for our business, while maintaining a robust balance sheet."

"Funding for the agreed purchase price and a portion of the assumed working capital has been secured through the signing of a committed acquisition financing facility. Funding for the remainder of the working capital will be financed by using proceeds from other committed financing facilities and cash on hand, including existing available undrawn committed credit lines amounting to approximately US $3.6 billion as of 31 December 2021."

The transaction is subject to customary closing and regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the second half of 2022.

About Viterra

At Viterra, we believe in the power of connection. Our world-leading, fully integrated agriculture network connects producers to consumers with sustainable, traceable and quality-controlled agricultural products. With more than 17,500 talented employees operating in 37 countries, our strategic network of agricultural storage, processing and transport assets enable us to offer innovative solutions and open pathways for our customers, creating successful partnerships that last. Together, we are stronger, and achieve more.

IMPORTANT NOTICE CONCERNING THIS RELEASE INCLUDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release contains, or incorporates by reference, statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements", which are prospective in nature. Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather on current predictions, expectations, beliefs, opinions, plans, objectives, goals, commitments, intentions and projections about future events, results of operations, prospects, financial condition and discussions of strategy. Forward-looking statements can be made in writing but also may be made verbally.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of Viterra or its subsidiaries. Forward- looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and may, and often do, differ materially from actual results.

Neither Viterra nor its subsidiaries, nor any of their associates, directors, officers, employees or advisers, provides any representation, warranty, assurance or guarantee that the occurrence of any actions, events or results expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements in this release will actually be taken, occur or be achieved. You should not place, and are cautioned against placing, reliance on these forward-looking statements, which only speak as of the date of this release or of the date of the particular statement (as applicable).

Nothing in this release shall, in any jurisdiction, constitute or form part of any offer or invitation to sell or issue, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any securities or financial instruments, nor shall it constitute a recommendation or advice in respect of any securities or other financial instruments or any other matter.

SOURCE Viterra Inc.
CHICAGO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new research report the "Weapons Carriage & Release System Market by Weapon Type (Bomb, Missiles, Rockets, Torpedoes), Platform (Fighter Aircrafts, Combat Support Aircrafts, Helicopter, UAV), End User (OEM, Aftermarket), System Component, Region - Forecast to 2026", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Weapons Carriage & Release Systems Market is estimated at USD 463 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 571 million by 2026, at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2021 to 2026. The weapons carriage & release systems market is growing at a significant rate across the world, and a similar trend is expected to be observed during the forecast period. The rising demand of different types of missiles with various ranges to defend the nation from various threat is driving the market are fueling the growth of the weapons carriage & release systems market. From short-range anti-aircraft and anti-armor missiles to short, medium, and long range air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons, ballistic and cruise missiles, they are now a vital part of the country's most capable armed forces. The rising adoption of these systems is largely a function of their perceived military effectiveness.

Ask for PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=103469056

Prominent companies in this market include well-established, financially stable manufacturers of carriage and release system providers with a global presence. These companies have been operating in the market for several years and have a diversified product portfolio, state-of-the-art technologies, and robust global sales and marketing networks. Prominent companies include L3Harris Technologies (US), Cobham PLC (UK), and Systima Technologies (US).

Based on weapon type, the weapons carriage & release system market has been classified into missiles, bombs, rockets, and torpedoes. The missiles segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the weapons carriage & release system market in 2021. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the increased deployment of missiles in fighter aircraft, helicopters, and combat support aircraft for a range of operations. Fighter aircraft deploy missiles according to mission needs. They carry air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles having varied range and capabilities. Weapons carriage & release systems are used to carry and release single and multiple missiles. Companies such as ALKAN, L3Harris Corporation, Cobham PLC, and Marvin Engineering, among others, provide weapons carriage & release systems for carrying single and multiple missiles.

Based on end use, the weapons carriage & release system market has been classified into original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket. The OEM is estimated to be a larger market then aftermarket segment. The weapons carriage & release systems installed in new aircraft are covered under the OEM segment. This segment includes the installation of weapons carriage & release systems in various airborne platforms, including fighter aircraft, combat support aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. The OEM segment is expected to grow at a higher CAGR. This can be attributed to the increasing inventory of newly inducted airborne platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles, fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighter aircraft, and helicopters. The use of these airborne platforms is increasing in applications such as anti-submarine warfare, air-to-ground support, and air defense roles. Moreover, the development of new missiles such as beyond-visual-range missiles, anti-radiation missiles, etc., for newly inducted platforms have also added to the demand at the OEM level.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Weapons Carriage & Release System Market"

454  Tables

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Based on platform, the weapons carriage & release system market has been classified into fighter aircraft, combat support aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The fighter aircraft segment is estimated to account for the largest share of the weapons carriage & release system market in 2021. The growth of this segment can be attributed to the increasing procurement of fighter aircraft for defense and offensive missions across the world. Fighter jets are equipped with weapons carriage & release systems for the delivery of weapons and other payloads. Fighter jets have weapon stations/hardpoints to carry a certain amount of payload. For instance, the Mirage 2000 and the F-16 have a total of nine hardpoints. Other aircraft have around 9 to 12 hardpoints. Pylons are used on wing stations to carry loads. They provide the ability to carry, deploy, and jettison external storesweapons, pods, fuel tanks, or other ammunition. Fighter aircraft also have racks, launchers, and adapters for the delivery of munitions. Some of the common fighter jets that are being used across the world include F-16, Su-30, Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Mig-29, and others.

Based on region, North America is projected to grow at the highest rate within the weapons carriage & release system market from 2021 to 2026. Significant investments in R&D activities for the development of advanced weapons carriage and release systems by key players and increased demand for fighter aircraft fleet are some of the factors expected to fuel the growth of the weapons carriage & release system market in this region. The US is expected to drive the growth of the North American weapons carriage & release system market during the forecast period, owing to easy access to various innovative technologies and significant investments being made by manufacturers in the country for the development of improved military weapon systems. Several developments have taken place in the field of weapons carriage & release system in the region. For instance, as per DoD 2019  Five Year Plan, the US is projected to induct more than 1500 F-35s in the coming years. This is expected to result in an increasing demand for weapon carriage & release systems. Companies such as Harris, Cobham, and others are focusing on the development of internal carriage & release systems for fifth-generation aircraft.

This report includes a study on the marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolios of leading companies.

Related Reports:

Ammunition Market by Application (Defense, Civil & Commercial), Caliber (Small, Medium, Large), Product (Bullets, Aerial Bombs, Grenades, Artillery Shells, Mortars), Component, Guidance, Lethality (Lethal, Less-lethal), Region - Global Forecast to 2025

Targeting Pods Market by Type (FLIR & Laser Designator Pods, Laser Spot Tracker), Component (FLIR Sensor, CCD Camera, MMS, ECU, HD TV, Video Datalink), Platform (Combat Aircraft, Helicopters, UAV), Fit (OEM Fit & Upgradation), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022

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DUBLIN, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Alopecia Drugs Market (2021-2026) by Alopecia Types, Drugs, Route of Administration, Gender, Sales Channel, Geography, Competitive Analysis and the Impact of Covid-19 with Ansoff Analysis" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The Global Alopecia Drugs Market is estimated to be USD 869.4 Mn in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 1462.35 Mn by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 10.96%.



The major factor contributing to the growth of the alopecia drug market is the rising awareness about alopecia owing to rising stress levels, sedentary lifestyle, hormonal changes, and hereditary conditions. Furthermore, the rise in pollution and the growing geriatric population have increased the cases of hair loss.

In addition, the increasing prevalence of cancer, hypertension, depression, etc., leading to hair loss, has raised the demand for the alopecia drugs market. However, as alopecia is not a life-threatening condition and lacks proper approved treatment, various patients do not opt for the treatment, which has hindered the market.

The increasing research and development for novel drug treatment of alopecia are anticipated to drive the market during the forecast period.

The Global Alopecia Drugs Market is segmented based on Alopecia Types, Drugs, Route of Administration, Gender, Sales Channel, and Geography.



Company Profiles

Some of the companies covered in this report are Cipla, Sun Pharmaceutical, Ranbaxy, Aurobindo, Accord Healthcare, Taisho Pharmaceutical, etc.



Competitive Quadrant

The report includes Competitive Quadrant, a proprietary tool to analyze and evaluate the position of companies based on their Industry Position score and Market Performance score. The tool uses various factors for categorizing the players into four categories. Some of these factors considered for analysis are financial performance over the last 3 years, growth strategies, innovation score, new product launches, investments, growth in market share, etc.



Why buy this report?

The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global Alopecia Drugs Market. The report includes in-depth qualitative analysis, verifiable data from authentic sources, and projections about market size. The projections are calculated using proven research methodologies.

The report has been compiled through extensive primary and secondary research. The primary research is done through interviews, surveys, and observation of renowned personnel in the industry.

The report includes an in-depth market analysis using Porter's 5 forces model and the Ansoff Matrix. In addition, the impact of Covid-19 on the market is also featured in the report.

The report also includes the regulatory scenario in the industry, which will help you make a well-informed decision. The report discusses major regulatory bodies and major rules and regulations imposed on this sector across various geographies.

The report also contains the competitive analysis using Positioning Quadrants, the analyst's Proprietary competitive positioning tool.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Report Description



2 Research Methodology

3 Executive Summary



4 Market Influencers

4.1 Drivers

4.1.1 Growing Awareness Regarding Alopecia Drugs

4.1.2 Increasing Prevalence of Diseases and Drugs Inducing Alopecia

4.1.3 Rising Geriatric Population and Sedentary Lifestyle

4.2 Restraints

4.2.1 High Cost Of Medicine

4.2.2 Stringent Government Regulations

4.3 Opportunities

4.3.1 Ongoing Research and Development in Alopecia Drugs

4.3.2 Increasing Healthcare Expenditure Emerging Countries

4.4 Challenges

4.4.1 Adoption of Substitutes

4.4.2 Discontinuation and Low Adoption of Treatment

4.5 Trends



5 Market Analysis

5.1 Regulatory Scenario

5.2 Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5.3 Impact of COVID-19

5.4 Ansoff Matrix Analysis



6 Global Alopecia Drugs Market, By Alopecia Types

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Alopecia Areata

6.3 Alopecia Totalis

6.4 Alopecia Universalis

6.5 Cicatricial Alopecia

6.6 Traction Alopecia

6.7 Tinea Capitis

6.8 Androgenetic Alopecia

6.9 Anagen Effluvium

6.10 Others



7 Global Alopecia Drugs Market, By Drugs

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Vasodilators (Minoxidil)

7.3 5-Alpha Reductase Inhibitors (Finasteride)

7.4 Corticosteroids

7.5 Others



8 Global Alopecia Drugs Market, By Route of Administration

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Injectable

8.3 Oral

8.4 Topical



9 Global Alopecia Drugs Market, By Gender

9.1 Introduction

9.2 Men

9.3 Women



10 Global Alopecia Drugs Market, By Sales Channel

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Prescriptions

10.3 OTC



11 Global Alopecia Drugs Market, By Geography

11.1 Introduction

11.2 North America

11.2.1 US

11.2.2 Canada

11.2.3 Mexico

11.3 South America

11.3.1 Brazil

11.3.2 Argentina

11.3.3 Chile

11.3.4 Colombia

11.4 Europe

11.4.1 UK

11.4.2 France

11.4.3 Germany

11.4.4 Italy

11.4.5 Spain

11.4.6 Netherlands

11.4.7 Sweden

11.4.8 Russia

11.4.9 Rest of Europe

11.5 Asia-Pacific

11.5.1 China

11.5.2 Japan

11.5.3 India

11.5.4 Indonesia

11.5.5 Malaysia

11.5.6 South Korea

11.5.7 Australia

11.5.8 Sri Lanka

11.5.9 Thailand

11.5.10 Rest of APAC

11.6 Middle-East and Africa

11.6.1 Qatar

11.6.2 Saudi Arabia

11.6.3 South Africa

11.6.4 United Arab Emirates



12 Competitive Landscape

12.1 Competitive Quadrant

12.2 Market Share Analysis

12.3 Strategic Initiatives

12.3.1 M&A and Investments

12.3.2 Partnerships and Collaborations

12.3.3 Product Developments and Improvements



13 Company Profiles

13.1 Cipla

13.2 Sun Pharmaceutical

13.3 Micro Labs

13.4 Torrent Pharma

13.5 Indiabulls Pharmaceutical

13.6 Johnson & Johnson

13.7 Merck

13.8 Kirkland Signature

13.9 Histogen

13.10 GlaxoSmithKline

13.11 L`Oreal

13.12 Concert Pharmaceuticals

13.13 Aurobindo

13.14 Accord Healthcare

13.15 Ranbaxy

13.16 Taisho Pharmaceutical

13.17 Theradome

13.18 Intas Pharmaceuticals

13.19 Abbott

13.20 Avacor

13.21 Glenmark



14 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/uj4329

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Since the implementation of China's manned space project, 10 astronauts have entered space, not only to achieve space walks but also to give space lectures, which has attracted the world's attention.

The continued success of manned space projects highlights the rise of China's comprehensive national power and the increasing influence of China in the international community.

In early 2020, an outbreak of the Covid-19 virus occurred. Facing the rampant virus, Chinese government did not back down and mobilized its national efforts to implement a life-saving effort of unprecedented scale. The Huoshenshan hospital, Leishenshan hospital, and the module hospital are all racing against the virus at Chinese speed.

Babies, centenarians, foreign students in China and foreigners coming to China, China will not give up on any life as long as there is hope of saving it. Since lunar New Year's Eve of 2020, 346 national medical teams and more than forty thousand medical workers nationwide were dispatched to Hubei province to fight pandemic together.

Initial process was made in curbing the spread of the virus over one month. China won the battle in defending Wuhan and Hubei against Covid-19 in three months, which was a major step forward in the nationwide virus control effort. Since then, Chinese mainland returned to normal work in an orderly manner. China become the only major economy registering positive growth in 2020.

The pandemic has no boundary, there is love and kindness in the world. Facing the global pandemic, Chinese mainland provided assistance to international community as it can. Donated materials, sent medical expert teams and provided vaccines. China fights against pandemic as a responsible country.

China will take up its responsibilities to answer the expectations of international community. China does what it says! Chinese mainland is capable of providing a better life for Taiwan compatriots. Young people from Taiwan are welcome to visit and explore beautiful views in Chinese mainland!

Thank you for watching!

Yuan Yuan's Journey to Chinese Mainland Episode III - A Responsible Country

http://news.china.com.cn/txt/2022-01/26/content_78011433.htm

SOURCE China.org.cn
Strategic Minerals PLC (AIM:SML) said sales from its Cobre magnetite operation in New Mexico reduced last year but it expects operations at Australia's Leigh Creek copper mine to begin in the first half of 2022, subject to receipt of required funding.

The AIM-listed company said in a statement that it expects to report a profit for 2021, subject to audit, with annual sales revenue from Cobre of US$2.61mln.

A gentle decline in sales from Cobre over the first three quarters was followed by a significant fall in the fourth quarter as the company's largest client indicated they wished to run down a significant magnetite stockpile at their plant.

Group cash balances at the end of the year were US$609,000.

Managing director John Peters said: "While Cobre sales have reduced over 2021, the expectation of revenue from Leigh Creek in 2022 subject to receipt of project funding, places the company in a strong position to realise its promise to develop a second income stream and significantly improve after-tax operational profits.

"Copper and tin prices continue to favour both the Leigh Creek and Redmoor operations and the board believes 2022 will see exploration for both projects, in conjunction with external partners."

With an updated Programme for Environmental Protection and Rehabilitation lodged with the Department of Energy and Mining of South Australia, SML said it is confident that regulatory approvals will allow for operations to begin, subject to finance, late in the first quarter/early in the second quarter 2022.

Discussions with potential funders continue and site inspections in February are currently expected, subject to travel restrictions.

The company also noted that the receiver of CV Investments LLC has indicated an intention to distribute, with a formal request for all creditors and investors to submit their claims.

Peters said the company is looking forward to a positive resolution on the CV claim this year.
Evgen Pharma PLC (AIM:EVG) (Evgen Pharma PLC (AIM:EVG)) Huw Jones joins Proactive London to talk about making headways towards clinical trials in 2022 and regulators on both sides of the Atlantic.

The firm has also met with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to discuss protocols for a phase I study of the new tablet form of SFX-01, its lead asset.

In the US, the company will submit a package of information ahead of a meeting with the Food & Drug Administration.
Shein, the fast-expanding online fast-fashion player, will reportedly revive plans to list in New York this year as its founder contemplates changing citizenship to overcome barriers for offshore initial public offerings (IPOs) in China.

The IPO would be the first significant equity deal by a Chinese company in the US since regulators clamped down on overseas listings last July.

It is not known how much the company hopes to raise, according to a report by Reuters.

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC), Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS), and JPMorgan have been hired as bookmakers for the IPO.

A Shein spokesperson denied the claims.

The online fashion group began preparing for an American IPO roughly two years ago but stopped because of rising US-China tensions, the report claimed, citing two unnamed sources.

The companys founder Chris Xu is contemplating changing his citizenship to Singaporean to bypass Chinas stern rules on overseas listings and make the procedure much easier, they said.

New rules by Chinas securities regulator are to make US listings a lengthier and more complicated process.

The rival to ASOS and Boohoo delivers to 150 countries and territories from its several global warehouses, it said on its website, with the US being its biggest market.

The company, whose investors include Sequoia Capital China, IDG Capital, and Tiger Global, received US$15.7bn in revenue in 2021 as it capitalised on the pandemic shifting global consumption to online, the sources said.

It was valued at around US$50bn in early 2021, they added.
Zephyr Energy Plc is raising 13.1mln of new equity and arranging US$28mln of debt financing as it advances its portfolio of assets in the United States.

Some 240mln new shares are being issued at a price of 5p per share to raise 12mln and a further 1.2mln of new equity will be made available to qualifying existing shareholders on the same terms.

Together the new equity and debt will fund the acquisition of non-operated working interests in producing assets in the Williston Basin, North Dakota.

The acquisition will cost US$36mln and will add some 1,105 barrels of oil equivalent production per day from a reserves base of 2.764mln barrels (proven).

Placing proceeds will also support the company as it invests in near-term production growth, meanwhile, the cashflows from production are intended to help fund high impact well drilling in the Paradox basin.

Chief executive Colin Harrington described the deal and financing as further huge steps forward for the company.

After closing this highly accretive acquisition, Zephyr will have nearly tripled its existing non-operated production - and pro forma forecast cash flow per fully-diluted share will have more than doubled through the addition of this high-quality, high-margin production base with significant near-term growth potential, Harrington said.

"Most importantly, the acquisition's resultant cashflows have the potential to power growth across our broader portfolio.

He added: "The fundraise and the completion of the Acquisition represent a fantastic start for 2022, and we look forward to maintaining our momentum and delivering on our key objective by unlocking significant further upside value from the Paradox project.

Harrington noted that the board considered multiple funding options for the acquisition and opted for the debt and equity package as it was by far the optimal way forward. He said that the funding arrangement maximises Zephyrs ability to fast-track the Paradox project.

To fully fund through debt wouldve cost significantly more and wouldve limited the free cash flow available from production over the next twelve months.

Harrington told investors that the company will provide regular updates as it progresses through its transformational period  with a new competent persons report for Paradox due in the coming weeks.
Mandalay Resources CEO Dominic Duffy joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share drill results from the eastern extension drilling programs at its Bjorkdal operation in Sweden.

Duffy telling Proactive the results were quite good including 47.7 g/t gold over 11.7 m and 507.0 g/t gold over 0.45 metres. With the success of these results, the company has submitted a mining concession application in order to extend the mining license holdings to cover this eastward extension of veining.
KABUL, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Afghan women took to the streets in the capital Kabul on Wednesday to protest against the freeze of the country's assets by the United States.

The Afghan economy, since the Taliban's takeover in August 2021, has suffered from the freeze of over 9 billion U.S. dollars in assets belonging to the Afghan central bank by the United States, as well as a halt in funds by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Holding placards and banners in a diplomatic district, the protesters said a ban on Afghan assets was an act against international laws and a violation of international principles.

A couple of weeks ago a group of Afghan women also held a similar demonstration in Kabul. 
Vejii said it expects gross margins for the consolidated business to be between 35% and 40%

Vejii Holdings (CSE:VEJI, OTCQB:VEJIF) Ltd has announced that its consolidated revenue guidance for the 2022 fiscal year is anticipated to be between C$10 million and C$12 million, as the company has begun integrating the teams and operations of its recent Veg Essentials LLC and VEDGEco USA, Inc acquisitions.

Vejii also said it expects gross margins for the consolidated business to be between 35% and 40%.

As we start 2022, Vejii and its new expanded team have started working on key synergies and developing a consolidated business plan to push toward operational profitability, and I am pleased with the plan that the team has put together, as these are the first steps towards leveraging our new size and scale, Vejii Holdings (CSE:VEJI, OTCQB:VEJIF) CEO Kory Zelickson said in a statement.

Vejii president Darren Gill also commented, stating: With the closing of our two acquisitions and organic growth through our marketplace and sales channels, we feel that we are well-positioned for strong performance through 2022 as a unified company.

Vejii noted that since going public it has acquired Vegan Essentials and VEDGEco, bringing together a complete business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) platform for its brand partners.

The company said that it has begun consolidating operations for improved margins and operational efficiencies, which includes key synergies such as warehouse consolidation, inventory rationalisation and cross-selling of products across Vejii's platform, helping drive improved margins, increased basket prices, reductions in shipping and third-party costs and improved purchase pricing through scales of economy.

Vejii is a unified digital marketplace and fulfillment platform featuring thousands of plant-based and sustainable-living products from a growing list of hundreds of vendors.

The platform offers an easy-to-use, omnichannel experience for both vendors and buyers, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to elegantly connect brands with a targeted consumer base, both organically and through specialized marketing programs.

Contact Sean at sean@proactiveinvestors.com
The company is focused on becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to secure a strong position in the EV battery supply chain

Gratomic Inc has announced the resumption of its 5,000-meter diamond drill program on the Capim Grosso graphite project located within the Bahia State of Brazil, aiming to further delineate the graphite mineralization at the site.

After having drilled 241.3 meters in 2021, the drilling team temporarily wrapped up drilling over the holiday period, resuming activities on January 15, 2022.

The introduction of a second drilling rig, which is currently on-site, has expedited the drilling program, the company said. The ability to drill two holes simultaneously will accelerate the conclusion of the drilling program and will positively impact the announcement of results.

"Gratomic's focus is and will remain to bring value to its shareholders and stakeholders, said Arno Brand, CEO of Gratomic in a statement. We will continue to seek out potential projects that fit within our core foundational pillars, which include positive economic impact, strategic asset acquisition and development, continuous improvement, and environmental stewardship. Our overarching goal is sustainable growth to support a cleaner future."



Drillcore-cutting equipment is currently en route to the site, which will enable the team to begin splitting the drill core to produce samples for laboratory assays. SGS Geosol, in Vespasiano, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil will be commissioned to conduct the analysis of the assays.

Drilling activities are led by Ib Camara, Geologist for Gratomic do Brasil, with the support of Area manager Antonio Vitor, and under the guidance of senior geology consultant Nico Scholtz, QP.

Armando Farhate, head of graphite marketing and sales, noted: "I am extremely happy to see how our multicultural team cooperates in a very effective way, regardless of distance, nationality, and language. The end result will most certainly be world-class, supporting Gratomic's strategy to become a key global player in the Graphite scenario."

Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. The company is focused on becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to secure a strong position in the EV battery supply chain.
The main purpose of the initiative is to reduce operational risks as the processing plant comes on stream

Gratomic Inc has announced the launching of the Operational Readiness initiative of its Aukam vein graphite project in the Karas Region of southern Namibia.

The company explained that Operational Readiness (OR) is the capability to efficiently deploy, operate, and maintain the systems and procedures required on the company's Aukam Graphite Processing Plant.

The main purpose of OR is to reduce operational risks, which is defined as "the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events", it added.

Gratomic said its head of operations in Namibia, Karl Trudeau, is leading the initiative, with team members occupying various disciplines including environment, health and safety (EHS), construction, production, laboratory, process control, maintenance and quality, with the support of other key departments such as human resources and finance.

Operational Readiness is the only way to ensure a safe and smooth start of a new plant, Gratomics chief operating officer and head of graphite marketing and sales Armando Farhate said in a statement.

I am proud of Karl and his team for dedicating a lot of effort to this fundamental phase of the Aukam project.

The company said a tentative schedule for all activities required for Operational Readiness has been deployed and is now under review by site management to assign task operators, identify required resources, and obtain the required management approvals. The schedule indicates that the first Product In Bag (PIB), exhibiting commercial characteristics, is expected to be delivered by the end of March 2022, it added.

"The Gratomic team continues to demonstrate its ability to maintain the highest level of focus and dedication imaginable, the companys president and CEO Arno Brand added.

Despite all the hurdles encountered by a global pandemic and all the struggles that entail, the company has remained on track to bring its Aukam Graphite Project online in 1Q of this year. That is a feat few could achieve, particularly under these circumstances."

Gratomic is focused on introducing an exceptional anode material to the global electric vehicle and energy storage supply chains. It is aiming to achieve full operational capabilities in 2022 on its Aukam graphite project and continues to diversify its assets into a multi-national company with various projects globally.

Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com
Warsaw, Jan 26 : Poland has started construction of a 186-kilometre barrier along its border with Belarus, the Polish Border Guard has said.

The project will cost 1.6 Polish billion zloty ($395 million), Xinhua news agency reported.

Work started near the Mielnik Border Guard post. The Polish construction company Budimex has been contracted to erect a 105.5-kilometre stretch of the barrier, while Unibep, another firm, is to build the remaining 80.7 kilometres.

The barrier will consist of five-metres-tall steel posts holding concrete slabs with electrified barbed wire on top.

The barrier is being built on the basis of a law on border security, which entered into force last October. It was voted through Poland's Parliament in reaction to large numbers of migrants attempting to cross into Poland from Belarus.

The barrier is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
Paris, Jan 26 : France's daily number of Covid-19 cases hit a new record after 501,635 cases were recorded in the past 24 hours, according to data from the country's Public Health Agency.

The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care had fallen by 35 on Monday to 3,741 on Tuesday, but a further 364 deaths had been registered, showed the data on Tuesday. To date, the country has recorded a total of 102,086 deaths related to Covid-19 in hospitals.

The vaccine pass came into effect in France on Monday, and is now mandatory for people over the age of 16 years to enter public venues, Xinhua news agency reported.

Children between the age of 12 and 15 years are not obliged to have the vaccine pass, but must present a health pass, and from Monday can receive the booster vaccine.

Minister of Health, Olivier Veran told French news channel LCI on Tuesday that 9 million French citizens could lose the pass if they do not have the booster dose by February 15. As of this date, vaccination is considered complete if the booster dose has been received within 4 months of the second injection.

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on January 20 that certain restrictions would be lifted in February. The wearing of masks outdoors will no longer be required outdoors from February 2 and nightclubs will re-open from February 16.

Also on Tuesday, Portugal reported 57,657 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 2,312,240 since the start of the pandemic, according to official data.

Portugal's death toll related to Covid-19 rose by 48 to 19,661. Currently, 2,320 people are hospitalised for complications from Covid-19, including 158 in intensive care.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Srinagar, Jan 26 : Under the cloud-capped sun and the melancholy that accompanies the permanent grey weather of January here; amid graffiti in a script that goes from right to left, the stark contrasts in Srinagar is what makes the spaces in-between breathtaking, terrifying and seductively blank.

And in those spaces, in all times -- both tense and 'normal' -- food seldom gets lost in conversations. That is what new friends here tell.

But when you believe that a city can only be found on long walks -- alone and abandoned -- in places where multiple currents come together -- downtown might seem just the right choice --- roadside barbecues, shops as old as time... but this is a place for solitary meals, piping hot meat from establishments whose half-erased signboards make a nostalgic's dreams come true.

To catch the vibe of the 'urban and mobile' young, it is the intimate cafes that have come up in the past few years that offer interesting insights. The air of informality, a promise to sit around, where nothingness is encouraged, it is always beyond grub they offer that they are full most of the time. Several are run by those who have worked across the country with major corporates or aid agencies. The owners of some may ask before the conversation starts -- 'Is there going to be a political undertone to the piece?' You say 'no' with a

smile and think 'but what is not political?'

Anam Khan, a communications specialist who worked with John Hopkins in their Delhi office and later US Aid was born in Delhi, lived and

studied outside the valley (though her mother lives here) before becoming a partner in the well-known 'Books & Bricks' cafe at Iqbal

Road here, essentially an American diner that serves burgers, pizzas and pasta, with the Lamb Half Pounder being their hot-selling dish.

Boasting a capacity to seat 40 customers at a time, its popularity among youngsters between the age groups of 18-40 years ensures that Khan is always hands-on.

"During my time with US Aid, I had come to cover childhood here and would work in this cafe. I suggested that there should be book readings and other cultural events in this space Infact, I organised the first one and we also witnessed a sarangi player. The evening was magical. I started helping them with the social media." In 2019, she came on board. The place was completely renovated and Khan would be here every day -- serving, hosting and talking to people.

"I never went back to Delhi," she smiles. Stressing that the USP of the 'Books & Bricks' is the rustic and intimate setting it promises, she feels that there are multiple reasons behind the evolution of strong cafe culture in the city.

"Yes, a lot of people have been investing lately. Considering the fact there are no theatres or art galleries for recreation, so eating out becomes a recreational activity." For someone who makes it a point to go to each table and talk to customers in order to ensure that everything is in order, this Delhi University passout feels that opening up more spaces is bound to help the industry.

"I am not threatened when a new cafe comes up. More spaces like this mean the industry evolves. Earlier, our vendors were based in Delhi or Chandigarh. Now most of them are here." Mir Toyyibah Ayub was just 19 when she started Kashmir's first cloud kitchen -- 'Dish You Wish'. Now 22-years-old, this young woman remembers being fascinated with cooking ever since she was a child. While other cloud kitchens might have sprung up in the recent past, hers is still the only one that offers customised cuisines.

"I was the first to get people addicted to fish cooked with sun-dried vegetables. While Tabak Maaz salad might be a great hit, I have always believed in improvisation -- like the apricot mutton." Someone who always encourages her customers to try out new things, Ayub adds, "So many youngsters are opening up to experimentation. Just the other day, I was asked for Hibachi chicken -- a Japanese dish." Ayub, who also introduced 'Tandoori Prawns' is quite a hit at wedding ceremonies too. "Many people want different starters before Wazwan, and we have loads of options." Aghya Ayhan Rathore and his brother who worked with the corporate sector in major metros had for a long time thought about opening a cafe in their hometown Srinagar last year, but it was the pandemic that realised their plans and thus was born 'The Backyard Grill' at Rajbagh.

"Well, being foodies ourselves really helped." They did not want to buy or rent a place and decided to convert a part of their house into a cafe, hence the name. Offering an option of sitting indoors and outdoors, the duo has focussed on warm lights, much wood and greens and neon lights to give the outdoor space a facelift at night.

Known for their Harrisa, Lamb Steak, Open Shawarma Platter, Minced Mutton Pizza and Injection Burgers, the place also offers special arrangements for events and shoots.

Like Khan, Rathore also believes that it is the personalised experience that is working for them.

"We are always present at the site, connect with our customers. A lot of times we have had the joining of two random tables as the vibe is so friendly. People who enter as our guests go out as our friends." Several other cafes like Chai Jhai, Cafe Liberty and Creme Bakery Cafe, too, are attracting a large number of youngsters and tourists.

Cafe Morels, another popular place is known for its Stuffed Chicken Steak and 'Bubble Tea' also came into being in the pandemic time.

Iqra Rafiqi, the owner who has always been passionate about food, always wanted to have a cafe that offered a relaxed and warm vibe. Starting operations in 2021, the architecture of the cafe that can accommodate 27 customers inside may be reminiscent of a European place, considering he lived in London before moving back, but it boasts of enough Kashmiri elements to make everyone feel at home.

"When I moved back here, I could not find any options that would provide authentic English breakfast or a cup of coffee that would satisfy my taste. And I was sure many Kashmiris would like to taste international cuisines here. I introduced bubble tea in Kashmir for the first time and the response has been overwhelming." Stressing that the people in the city are open to new experiences and cuisines, he

concludes, "A lot of credit needs to go to social media. Yes, cafe culture has grown phenomenally, and hope it continues to."
Copenhagen, Jan 26 : Representatives from the interim government of Afghanistan and a group of Afghans from various sectors of society called on all Afghans to work together for better outcomes in the war-torn country, according to a joint statement released after a meeting in Oslo of Norway.

"The participants of the meeting held on Tuesday recognised that understanding and joint cooperation are the only solutions to all the problems of Afghanistan," said the statement on the official website of the Norwegian government.

All the participants, according to the statement, with one voice, declared such meetings to be in the interest of the country, Xinhua news agency reported.

"The participants affirmed that Afghanistan is the common home of all Afghans, and emphasised that all Afghans need to work together for better political, economic and security outcomes in the country," it added.

The meeting, taking place on January 23, was hosted by Norway. Norway has invited representatives of the Taliban to Oslo on January 23-25 for meetings with the Norwegian authorities and representatives of the international community, as well as with other Afghans from a range of fields within civil society.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry said that one of the key principles underpinning Norway's peace and reconciliation efforts is the willingness to talk to all parties. Norway has been in dialogue with the Taliban for many years.

"These meetings do not represent a legitimisation or recognition of the Taliban. But we must talk to the de-facto authorities in the country. We cannot allow the political situation to lead to an even worse humanitarian disaster," the Ministry added in a statement before the meetings.

Meanwhile, the Taliban delegation hailed the Oslo meeting as "a major breakthrough." "We have had very fruitful conversations in Norway ... We have not negotiated, but have had interesting exchanges of views on the situation in Afghanistan," Norwegian national broadcaster NRK quoted an anonymous representative of the delegation as saying on Monday.

"The fact that Norway arranged for us to come here and share the stage with the international community is a major breakthrough," he added.

Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) described international sanctions imposed on Afghanistan since the Taliban took power as "devastating." "The sanctions are holding us back. We cannot save lives without lifting the sanctions. They are harming the same people that NATO spent billions of dollars on defending until August," Egeland told Norwegian news agency NTB on Tuesday.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Electronic waste in 13 Latin American countries rose by 49 per cent between 2010 and 2019, roughly the world average, but just three per cent was collected and safely managed, a fraction of the 17.4 per cent global average, according to the UN's first assessment of Latin America's e-waste volume, legislation, and management infrastructure.

In 2019, e-waste generated by 206 million citizens in the 13 countries reached 1,300,000 tonnes (1.3 megatonnes, of which almost 30 per cent was plastic) -- equal in weight to a 670 km line of fully-loaded 40-ton trucks.

The comparable figure in 2010 was 900,000 tonnes, generated by about 185 million citizens.

While informal recyclers "cherry pick" some valuable elements from waste electronics and electrical equipment, some 97 per cent is improperly managed; just three per cent is known to be collected and treated in facilities using environmentally sound methods.

The findings are published in the "Regional E-waste Monitor for Latin America, Results for the 13 Countries Participating," produced by the Sustainable Cycles (SCYCLE) Programme, co-hosted by the UN University (UNU) and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

It was developed under the 'Strengthening of National Initiatives and Enhancement of Regional Cooperation for the Environmentally Sound Management of POPs in Waste of Electronic or Electrical Equipment (WEEE)' project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and coordinated by the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).

"E-waste constitutes one of the fastest-growing streams of physical waste in today's global environment and is a threat to sustainable development," the report says.

However, few countries collect internationally-comparable e-waste statistics. This report was created with the cooperation of 13 countries to support and facilitate environmentally-sound management of e-waste in the region, says co-author Ruediger Kuehr, the Senior Manager of UNITAR SCYCLE (previously hosted by United Nations University).

The hazardous substances in the region's e-waste comprises at least 2,200 kg of mercury, 600 kg of cadmium, 4.4 million kg of lead, 4 million kg of brominated flame retardants, and 5.6 megatonnes of greenhouse gas-equivalents (due to refrigerants).

These substances "are poorly managed within the region and are likely to be untreated, generating various risks to the stability of a healthy environment, according to the report.

Meanwhile, "managing e-waste could be an economic opportunity," says co-author Kees Bald, Senior Scientific Specialist at UNITAR SCYCLE.

"The e-waste generated regionally in 2019 contained 7,000 kg of gold, 310 kg of rare earth metals, 591 million kg of iron, 54 million kg of copper, and 91 million kg of aluminum, representing a total value of roughly $1.7 billion of secondary raw materials."
San Francisco, Jan 26 : Li Nan, the co-founder and former Vice President of Meizu has claimed that Apple is working on a new pair of "8K glasses." The former Chinese smartphone maker's executive shared the information on his official Weibo account (a Chinese microblogging website), reports GizmoChina.

In the social media post, Li Nan shared this news to address those who still "had doubts" regarding the Metaverse. In other words, this product from the Cupertino based giant will be a a VR/AR headset that will allow users to enter the metaverse.

The upcoming Apple headset will be similar to the Oculus Quest, and some prototypes being tested include external cameras to enable some AR features.

It may feature at least 15 camera modules, eye-tracking, possibly iris recognition, and could cost between $2,000 and $3,000.

The AR headset is expected to sport a sleek design so that it is lightweight and comfortable for the wearer to roam around for prolonged periods.

It is also expected that the device will sport a high-resolution display, allowing users to read small bits of text while seeing other people in front of them at the same time.
Lucknow, Jan 26 : The Congress candidate from Padrauna, Manish Jaiswal, has resigned from the party. He has also returned the Assembly ticket also.

He is the sixth Congress candidate to quit after his candidature was declared.

Kushinagar Congress president Raj Kumar Singh has also quit the party.

Both the resignations are being seen as fallout of former Union Minister R.P.N. Singh's resignation from the Congress.

R.P.N. Singh earlier represented the Padrauna constituency in the state Assembly.

Meanwhile, Raj Kumar Singh said, "I tendered my resignation from the Congress since there was no respect for R.P.N. Singh in the party." He said he was also planning to join the BJP.

Congress leader R.P.N. Singh, on Tuesday joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in Delhi.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Coast Guard said Tuesday it is searching for 39 people who were missing after a vessel reportedly capsized off Florida during the weekend.

The Coast Guard tweeted that "a good Samaritan" rescued a man clinging to a capsized vessel approximately 45 miles (about 72.4 km) east of Fort Pierce Inlet in Florida.

"The survivor reported he left Bimini, Bahamas, with 39 other people Saturday night and encountered severe weather, causing the vessel to capsize. According to the survivor, no one was wearing a life jacket," the statement said.

The Coast Guard suspected that it was a "human smuggling venture." 
Bengaluru, Jan 26 : Karnataka has launched 'Brain Health Initiative', a first-of-its-kind in the country, undertaken by NIMHANS in association with NITI Aayog in the state.

Under this programme, the doctors will be trained in screening and treating mental health patients. The initiative is being rolled out in Bengaluru, Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts on pilot basis.

"Ever since the beginning of the pandemic, our government has been helping people to cope with mental health issues in association with NIMHANS. We have conducted thousands of mental health counselling sessions with Covid infected persons and their family members. Since mental health has a bearing on physical health and overall wellness of the individual we need to ensure that everyone is aware about mental health issues and NIMHANS is doing a very good job in taking mental healthcare to the people. Under this Brain Health Initiative even general physicians will be trained on mental healthcare," Minister for Health K. Sudhakar said.

There is a need to even screen newborn babies for mental health issues. Due to various socio-economic factors, genetic and family issues many people suffer from mental health issues. This will have an impact on their day to day lives and quality of life. Therefore, there is a need of more doctors trained in mental healthcare, he said.

Sudhakar insisted that the programme organisers should focus on implementation and deliver good results so that the programme can get more budgetary allocation in future.

Other than Bengaluru, the Covid positivity rate has been less in other districts. It was about 22 per cent last week which has now increased to 32 per cent. About 5,230 infected persons are hospitalised including 3,442 in government and 1,788 in private hospitals. Only about 2 per cent infected persons out of 3.62 lakh active cases are hospitalised which indicates that the severity of infection is not as high as it was during the second wave. It is generally seen that people are recovering within 5-6 days, so there is no need to panic. However, the people must not let their guard down, cautioned the minister.

The third wave is expected to recede by February second or third week as per ICMR. "We have covered 100 per cent in the first dose and 84 per cent in second dose which has contributed a lot in reducing severity and hospitalisation," said Sudhakar.

"Our health department is coming up with a vision document. The vision document lays down a comprehensive roadmap for overhaul of public health care at all three levels, primary, secondary and tertiary. There are about 30 senior experts from various disciplines who are working on this report and about 750 experts have contributed to this over the last one year. CM Basavaraj Bommai will complete six months in office on January 28th and CM will release the vision document on this occasion," he stated.

People naturally have big expectations from their budgets. "We are in an unprecedented situation where we have to categorise the entire economy into pre-covid and post-covid periods. I am confident that both Union and State Budgets will be people-friendly and will provide necessary stimulus for overall development".

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Bengaluru, Jan 26 : Blackmailed for obscene pictures on Instagram, a young engineer in Bengaluru has committed suicide by coming under train near Malleshwaram locality.

The police are suspecting the role of a 'Nude gang' behind the suicide and taken up investigation in this direction. Bhaskar Rao, Additional DGP Railways, appealed to youth not to kill themselves out of fear or shame, and urged them to control social media habits.

The inter-state notorious 'Nude gang' operating at national level, especially in metro cities, is infamous for getting acquainted with the youth through dating apps and later blackmailing them to extort money. Recently, a young doctor from the city ended his life in the same fashion after being threatened and extorted over obscene videos.

Bhaskar Rao, ADGP Railways said, "Another 24-year-old engineer committed suicide on a railway line. Note revealed he was blackmail for sex on Instagram, I implore, plead youth not to kill themselves due to fear and shame. Please have courage to face, you are precious, pray don't kill yourself. Control your SM urges." According to the police, one of the accused gang members poses as a girl in the dating apps and starts chatting with the youth who show interest in them. Later, after establishing intimacy, the accused asks the victim to go nude before the camera. If the victim succumbs, the gang records the act and then starts extorting money. They would threaten the victims over their videos going viral on social media.

The latest victim, a 24-year-old youth, an engineering graduate lived with his family in Malleshwaram locality. The dead body of the youth was recovered on Tuesday. Though, it looked like the youth committed suicide over personal matter initially, but as the investigation progressed the police investigation headed in a different direction.

Police sources said that after the verification of the mobile phone of the victim, they found threatening and blackmailing messages. The investigation has also revealed that the youth was being blackmailed over Instagram also. This has made the investigation officer believe that the youth could be a victim of a 'Nude gang'.

The Karnataka Railway Police recently arrested an accused in connection with a suicide case of a 30-year-old young doctor, who was blackmailed over his obscene videos. The doctor while committing suicide mentioned the name of one Kranthi Singh and left a death note saying he is ending life because of the blackmail, threatenings and extortion by a gang led by Kranthi Singh.

The police investigating the case, have taken the accused into custody from Bhopal nd launched a hunt for other members of the gang. The gang members had trapped the doctor through a dating app. After getting introduced to him and developing leniency, the victim doctor had started chatting with the accused. One of the accused spoke to him posing as a girl and asked the doctor to go nude while chatting and he obliged. Later, the doctor was blackmailed over the video and accused persons placed demands of extortion.

The victim doctor had made Rs 67,000 online transfer to the accused. He continued to get extortion and threat calls from the accused. The doctor unable to take the pressure committed suicide by coming under a train.

According to the police, the latest is the third such case in Bengaluru. In a similar case, a youth had committed suicide in Bengaluru coming under pressure of extortion calls. The K.R. Puram police had arrested three persons from Rajasthan.

The police have appealed to people not to get trapped on social media platforms where miscreants pose with provocative photographs of women. "The accused somehow make the victims go nude and later blackmail them for money. People should be careful before chatting with strangers on social media platforms," the police warned.
Chennai, Jan 26 : Tamil Nadu celebrated the 73rd Republic Day with patriotic fervour on Wednesday with Governor R.N. Ravi unfurling the tricolour at the Marina beach here.

Indian Air Force helicopter showered rose petals on the tricolour.

Earlier, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin welcomed Ravi on his arrival at the venue.

Ravi also took the salute from the armed forces and other security agencies.

Stalin also presented gallantry awards to several persons.

The dignitaries witnessed the floats on the theme 'Tamil Nadu in India's Freedom Struggle'.
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 26 : More than a lakh qualified nurses will be required in Australia by 2030, as per an official of Melbourne-based Institute of Health and Management (IHM).

Speaking to IANS over phone from Melbourne, IHM media coordinator Thiruvallam Bhasi said that an ageing population and increasing demand for health services, coupled with the increased adoption of new technologies and practices is changing the role and skills required of a nurse in Australia.

"Fresh recruitment of nurses to Australia in the past two years has suffered on account of the pandemic and also there has been new protocols in place since 2020 for nursing registration in Australia. We have launched a six months course - Graduate Certificate In Advanced Nursing," said Bhasi.

IHM, an education institute based in Melbourne has been training aspiring nurses for the past 15 years and helped over 17,000 nurses to pass the bridging course enabling them to work in Australia.

"This course will help overseas trained registered nurses gain a thorough understanding of the practice styles and requirements in Australian healthcare settings, as well as prepare them to confidently take the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency's Objective Structured Registered Clinical Examination (OSCE) (AHPRA)," said Keralite, Bijo Kunnumpuram CEO of IHM.

A large number of nurses from Kerala and other states of India work in Australia.
Chennai, Jan 26 : The Tableaux proposed by Tamil Nadu and rejected in the third round by the Central government for the National Republic Day parade was used by the state government at Chennai parade during the 73rd Republic Day celebrations.

The tableaux titled 'Tamil Nadu in Freedom Struggle' depicting V.O. Chidambaranar, 'Mahakavi' Subramania Bharathi, Rani Velu Nachiyar, and the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers who were executed by the East India Company were used in the Republic day parade in Chennai.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin had earlier said that these tableaux will be displayed during the Tamil Nadu Republic Day parade and after this will be taken across the state to showcase to the people about the freedom fighters of the state.

Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi on Wednesday unfurled the national flag near the Gandhi square on Kamarajar salai in Chennai in the presence of Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin on the occasion of the 73rd Republic day celebrations in the state.

About 6,800 police personnel are on duty as part of the security and are deployed in various parts of Chennai city on the occasion.

Due to surge in Covid cases, the general public has not been given entry to the Republic day functions at the Gandhi square. Parades by school and college students are also not taking place due to Covid.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Afghan women's rights activists have submitted a paper to the Taliban delegation visiting Norway demanding rights.

Hoda Khamosh, one of the women's rights representatives at the meeting, called for the release of two female activists who disappeared last week, reported Tolo News.

Another Afghan activist Mahbouba Seraj, who attended the meeting, said the Islamic Emirate should fulfill whatever they promise at the meeting.

"If they continue this way, to tell us something and do something else, that's when the trust is going to break, completely. When the trust breaks completely, they should remember what happened to the ex-government of Afghanistan. We lost trust with them too. The people of Afghanistan could not find themselves in that government either," said Mahbouba Seraj.

"Yes, they were listening. I should say that. They really were listening. We gave them a paper. We asked them what we wanted. They took it. They were very, very cordial about it," she said.

"The representatives of the international community spoke their own concerns over human rights and the rights of women and stressed that the Taliban need to build trust," said Nazifa Jalali after attending the meeting.

At the same time, Amir Khan Muttaqi said, "We will try and ask about the incident (in which women activists were allegedly arrested by the Taliban). It is not possible in a government that has 40 million citizens that no one gets arrested and jailed and that we can not protect people from harm. It is possible, it is a government, some people are jailed, some people get released. It is not an abnormal action ... that only exists in Afghanistan," said Amir Khan Muttaqi.
Mumbai, Jan 26 : As the country celebrates its 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday, a string of Bollywood personalities like Amitabh Bachchan, Karan Johar, Kangana Ranaut and Shahid Kapoor among many others took to social media to wish everyone.

Republic Day is observed to commemorate the date on which India's constitution, which was approved by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, came into force in 1950.

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter and shared a gamut of photographs, a few of which show him dressed up in white and holding the flag of India.

He captioned in Hindi: "A very happy Republic Day'.

The thespian also shared a picture on Instagram sporting a tricolour beard.

Filmmaker Karan Johar wrote: "To the spirit of our republic - may we continue to uphold, cherish and celebrate our constitution - the pillar that upholds the country's values and binds it together in unity! Jai hind!" Shahid Kapoor just tweeted a National Flag and heart emoji.

Actress Kangana Ranaut shared a video of the older version of the national anthem on Instagram. She captioned the video: "Our first National Anthem. Enjoy" Actress Taapsee Pannu simply shared: "OF the people, FOR the people, BY the people. Happy Republic Day to the PEOPLE of India".

Director Madhur Bhandarkar wished everyone a "happy Republic Day. #JaiHind".

Actress and environmentalist Dia Mirza said, "Happy Republic Day" and added that "as we celebrate the fundamental rights of our great constitution may we also fulfill our duties "to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures." "Wishing everyone a Happy #RepublicDay," wished Adnan Sami on Twitter.

Actress Esha Deol saluted the "motherland".

"With pride in our hearts, let's salute our Motherland... Happy Republic Day," she wrote.
Chennai, Jan 26 : Four fishermen from Nagapattinam district were brutally assaulted and robbed by a group of Sri Lankans on Tuesday evening.

The fishermen from Nagapattinam Ariyanaatutheru fishing hamlet were fishing from a motorboat at about 15 km from Kodiyakarai (Point Calimere) when they were attacked by unidentified assailants.

The assailants, according to the fishermen were Sri Lankans who confronted them demanding their catch and fishing nets. On being refused, they attacked them.

The Indian fishermen complained that they were brutally attacked with lethal weapons and were outnumbered as the assailants in two boats were eight in number.

K. Vasanthabalan( 24) was grievously injured in his left arm, while M. Manikantan (25), S. Nirmal (23), and K. Thalainathan (23) were inflicted injuries on the head and stomach.

The assailants took the batteries, inverters, fishing nets, lights, and their catch, the fishermen complained.

The fishermen returned to Nagapattinam by late-night and since the injuries were grave they were referred to Government Medical College Hospital, Tiruvarur, and Government General hospital in Nagapattinam.

A criminal case has been registered at the Vedaranyam Marine Police station against unidentified assailants from Sri Lanka.

This is the fourth attack against Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankans and the third this week. On Monday, eleven fishermen from Pushpavanam village were attacked by Sri Lankan assailants in two attacks.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has already taken up diplomatic discussions with the Sri Lankan government over the continuous attack by the Sri Lankan Navy against Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu.

The Sri Lankan fisheries and aquatic department have already announced the auction of 105 fishing boats seized by the Sri Lankan Navy from Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu for crossing the International Marine Boundary Line (IMBL). The auction is to take place in February 2022.

As many as 55 Indian fishermen are in Sri Lankan jails for crossing the Indian Marine Boundary Line (IMBL).
PM Narendra Modi is Wearing the Cap from Uttarakhand along with Brahmakamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. He uses this flower whenever he does pooja at Kedarnath. PM is also seen wearing a stole from Manipur. Image Source: IANS News

PM Narendra Modi is Wearing the Cap from Uttarakhand along with Brahmakamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. He uses this flower whenever he does pooja at Kedarnath. PM is also seen wearing a stole from Manipur. Image Source: IANS News

PM Narendra Modi is Wearing the Cap from Uttarakhand along with Brahmakamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. He uses this flower whenever he does pooja at Kedarnath. PM is also seen wearing a stole from Manipur. Image Source: IANS News

PM Narendra Modi is Wearing the Cap from Uttarakhand along with Brahmakamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. He uses this flower whenever he does pooja at Kedarnath. PM is also seen wearing a stole from Manipur. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday wore a cap from Uttarakhand and a stole from Manipur on the Republic Day function.

The Prime Minister wore a cap from Uttarakhand with Brahma kamal flower embossed on it. Brahma kamal is the state flower of Uttarakhand and Prime Minister Modi uses this flower whenever he does pooja at Kedarnath. Apart from white kurta with a jacket, PM Modi was seen wearing a Manipuri stole also.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami thanked PM Modi for representing the state's culture and tradition in front of the world. "Today, on the occasion of 73rd Republic Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made the culture and tradition of our state proud by wearing the cap of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, adorned with Brahma Kamal. On behalf of the 1.25 crore people of Uttarakhand, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister," Dhami tweeted.

Both Manipur and Uttarakhand are going to the polls in a few weeks.

Prime Minister Modi makes a statement by wearing a dress or accessories from different states on important occasions like Republic Day, Independence Day and other occasions.

While taking Covid vaccination shot last year, he wore a gamcha. Last year on Republic Day, Modi wore a red Gujarati headgear.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi greeted people on the occasion of Republic Day. "Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!," the Prime Minister tweeted.
Chennai, Jan 26 : Director P.S. VinothRaj's 'Koozhangal' (better known as 'Pebbles'), which was India's official entry to the Oscars this year, has won the award for the Best Film at the 20th Dhaka International Film Festival.

The Indian High Commission in Bangladesh, through its official Twitter handle, expressed its happiness, saying, "Thank you, DIFF for the excellent show! Delighted that 'Koozhangal' ('Pebbles') has won the best film award at Dhaka International Film Festival! Congratulations to Team 'Koozhangal'." Director Vignesh Shivan, who, along with actress Nayanthara produced the film, also expressed happiness at the honour.

Quoting the Indian High Commission's tweet, Vignesh Shivan said, "Thank you so much for the honour. " The film, which emerged as the winner of the prestigious Tiger Award at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam, tells the story of an alcoholic who, along with his son, goes in search of his wife, who has fled from their home.
BERLIN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 100 of the 390 planned trade fairs in Germany have already been postponed or canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (AUMA) said on Wednesday.

The economic damage to the German trade fair industry already amounted to around 5 billion euros (5.6 billion U.S. dollars) this year, according to AUMA.

"COVID-19 regulations of the federal states, which are valid for four weeks or less, are no basis for business," said Joern Holtmeier, managing director of AUMA.

During the past two COVID-19 years, the country's trade show industry and associated sectors suffered total economic losses of more than 46 billion euros, according to AUMA. More than two in three planned trade shows were canceled in 2020 and 2021.

Before the pandemic, the country's trade show industry had contributed around 28 billion euros annually to the German economy, according to calculations by the German ifo Institute. (1 euro = 1.13 U.S. dollars) 
Mumbai, Jan 26 : Chandraprakash Dwivedi, who has directed 'Prithviraj' starring Akshay Kumar and Manushi Chhillar, has been conferred with the prestigious Padma Shri award, the fourth-highest civilian award of the country for his distinguished service in the field of art.

The director is humbled beyond words and has dedicated the honour to the Republic of India.

He said in a statement: "I'm deeply humbled to have been bestowed with the prestigious Padma Shri award. I have been fortunate enough to creatively collaborate with some of the best minds of the Hindi film and television industry." "They have enriched me, pushed my boundaries and made me better creatively. I share this huge moment of my life with all these people who have shaped me and my thinking." Best known for directing the television period drama 'Chanakya' and the critically acclaimed film 'Pinjar', Dwivedi has put together the story of valour of the fearless King Prithviraj Chauhan in his next 'Prithviraj' which will see Akshay Kumar playing the titular role. The film has been produced by Yash Raj Films.

The statement further elaborated as to what the director has always tried to portray in his stories. "I have always been someone who has tried to tell a story that is immersed in our country's history and culture and I dedicate this award to my country." "This recognition will drive me to tell stories that celebrate my motherland in its full glory like my next 'Prithviraj' in which we will honour the valour of one of the bravest warriors that India has ever seen." The director is hopeful that his upcoming film which tells a historic story, would click with the audience at large, "I have had the pleasure to work with a towering actor like Akshay Kumar to essay Prithviraj on screen and I hope my countrymen love the film that we have made with a lot of passion."
New York, Jan 26 : A Hindu temple in California has held the ancient Kavadi ritual to pray for deliverance from the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This is the greatest health crisis in a generation," and "we decided to pray for the rest of humanity" through the ritual, Hari Pothulu, an organiser of the event, told the VC Star newspaper.

The ritual was held at the Sri Venkata Krishna Hindu Temple in Thousand Oaks, California, over the weekend.

Kavadi means "burden" in Tamil and devotees carry a decorated arched frame on their shoulders or pots on their heads in a procession as a tribute to Murugan, as Karthikeya is known in Tamil.

The ritual is usually held in the month of Thai in the Tamil calendar that occurs between January and February in the western calendar.

The VC Star said that because of the pandemic the members of a book club at the temple proposed making the ritual "an offering for the welfare of all" this year.
Jammu, Jan 26 : Jammu and Kashmir Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha said on Wednesday that terrorism and its ecosystem perpetrated by the 'neighbouring country' will be eradicated in the UT.

Sinha hoisted the national flag and took salute at an impressive parade in Maulana Azad Stadium here to celebrate the country's 73rd Republic Day.

"We should take a pledge to eradicate terrorism and terror ecosystem perpetrated by the neighbouring country", Sinha said.

The Lt. Governor paid tribute to the jawans and officers of the J&K Police, army and central security forces for the supreme sacrifice made by them for the unity and integrity of India.

He reached out to the youth urging them to be part of the great journey of development on this beautiful land of peaceful coexistence, enlightenment and salvation by making valuable contributions to the enormous intellectual capital of the union territory.

He said the Central government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi took bold and decisive steps to break the shackles erected in the path of J&K's development.

"After the historic transformative changes in August 2019, J&K is poised to become the latest success story among the Indian states.

"J&K is fast moving towards becoming a powerful and self-reliant UT by improving the living standards of farmers, youth, women, labourers and other citizens", he said.

Smartly turned out contingents of police, paramilitary forces, army, other forces and school children marched before the podium at which the Lt governor took salute.

The official parade was followed by cultural programmes.

Advisors of the government, judges of high court, senior officers of civil, military and police attended the function that passed off peacefully.

Life remained normal and relaxed in Jammu city as large numbers of police and paramilitary forces were deployed to man sensitive installations etc in the capital city.

National flag was hoisted by people in different residential areas and market squares in which elders, youth and children participated with enthusiasm and joy.

Reports from other district headquarters also said the national flag was hoisted and parades were held to mark the country's 73rd Republic Day.

There was no report of any untoward incident from anywhere during the official functions held in connection with the Republic Day.
United Nations, Jan 26 : India has warned Pakistan that it will continue to act firmly and decisively against cross-border terrorism while it is also committed to resolving issues bilaterally in a terror-free atmosphere.

Madhu Sudan, a counsellor in India's Permanent Mission, said on Tuesday, "Any meaningful dialogue can be held only in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere." "Till then, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorism," he warned while responding to an attack on India by Pakistan's Permanent Representative Munir Akram at the Securit Council.

"India desires normal neighbourly relations with all countries, including Pakistan, and is committed to addressing outstanding issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore declaration," Sudan said.

The Shimla Agreement signed in 1972 by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who was then the president of Pakistan, committed the two neighbours to resolve their differences bilaterally.

In the 1999 Lahore Declaration signed by Prime Ministers Atal Behari Vajpayee of India and Nawaz Shari of Pakistan the two countries undertook to resolve Kashmir and other disputes through bilateral dialogue.

Sudan said that given Islamabad's history of being the patron of terrorists, "most terrorist attacks around the world have their origin, in some form or the other, to Pakistan." Illustrating Sudan's point, in the most recent terrorism case in the US, a Briton of Pakistani descent took hostages at a Jewish synagogue in Texas demanding the release of convicted Pakistani terrorist Aafia Siddiqui, whose freedom Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had sought.

Sudan said, Pakistan "is a country which has been globally recognised as one openly supporting, training, financing and arming terrorists as a matter of State policy. It holds the ignoble record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council." The topic of debate at the Security Council was "Protection of civilians in armed conflict: Wars in cities - protection of civilians in urban settings," but Akram veered off into a lecture about Kashmir repeating accusations against India of occupation and human rights violations there.

Irrespective of the topic at hand, Pakistan brings up Kashmir at the UN and Sudan likened Akram's speech to a Pavlovian reaction.

Speaking earlier during the debate on behalf of India, an elected member of the Security Council, Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti said, "Any debate on protection of civilians in urban areas would be incomplete without taking into account the carnage wrought by terrorist forces, especially those backed by state actors." "We are already witnessing the effect of urban warfare and terrorist attacks in cities," he said.

The 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai that resulted in the killing of 166 civilians from 15 countries "epitomise the sheer scale and scope of urban warfare that we had to mount against jihadi terrorists when our police personnel had to put their lives on the line to secure the city's safety," Tirumurti said.

Sudan pointed out that "the perpetrators of the heinous terror attack in Mumbai in 2008 continue to enjoy patronage of the state which he (Akram) represents." Akram returned to give a response to Sudan, grandstanding on two points that were non-sequiturs.

He asked if India would abide by Article 25 of the UN Charter that states that members agree to carry out the decisions of the Security Council.

But a Security Council resolution adopted on April 21, 1948, in fact, demands a Pakistani withdrawal from all of Kashmir, which Islamabad continues to defy.

The resolution asks Pakistan "to secure the withdrawal from the State of Jammu and Kashmir of tribesmen and Pakistani nationals not normally resident therein who have entered the State for the purpose of fighting, and to prevent any intrusion into the State of such elements and any furnishing of material aid to those fighting in the State." Akram asked if Indian leaders would denounce the December 17 statements in Haridwar calling for genocide of Muslims.

However, two of the leading figures at that meeting of Hindu fringe elements, Yati Narsinghanand Giri and Jitendra Narayan Tyagi, have already been arrested and are being prosecuted for hate speech.

Tyagi was known as Wasim Rizvi before his conversion to Hinduism.

In his speech, Tirumurti touched on the gnocide committed by Pakistani forces in Bangladesh.

While there are contemporary examples of the devastation caused by urban conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen, Tirumurti reminded the Council of the experience of the civilian population of Bangladesh, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of its final liberation last month.

"There are other countries as well which are still reeling from military actions carried out in the past either without due consideration for protecting civilian population, or through deliberate targeting of civilians amounting to genocide as was done in the erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971, now Bangladesh," Norway, which holds the Council's presidency this month, organised the debate.

Its Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store, who presided over the session, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres focused on war or civil war type of situations, but Tirumurti drew attention to the havoc caused mostly in urban areas by terrorists and the toll on civilians.

Guterres said that to deter attacks on civilians, UN members "must demonstrate the political will to investigate and prosecute alleged war crimes to the maximum extent, whenever they occur." He said that parties to conflicts "should adapt their choice of weapons and tactics when they wage war in cities, recognising that they cannot fight in populated areas the way they would in open battlefields." He added, "The facts on the ground underline the need for warring parties to avoid the use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects in populated areas." Norway's Prime Minister Store said, "Civilians must be protected whether or not the individual military attack is considered legal. This is not just a question of complying with IHL, International Humanitarian Law." He added, "The choice of weapons and methods of warfare must be adapted to the urban context. The use of weapons designed for the open battlefield, including heavy explosive weapons should be minimised in urban areas." (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Pakistan Opposition politicians have called the corruption index report "a charge sheet against PM Imran Khan" and calling upon him to resign, Dawn reported.

Leader of the Opposition in the Pak National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said the PTI govt "has broken all records of corruption in the last 20 years. Among the Asia-Pacific region, Pakistan has unfortunately been ranked as the 5th most corrupt country." He tweeted that under his brother Nawaz's rule, corruption had decreased despite massive development projects being undertaken. This, Sharif said, was down to "transparency, good governance and legal reforms", adding that corruption was rampant under Imran Khan even though he had not carried out any major development works.

PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz declared the Imran Khan government "the most corrupt government in Pakistans history", claiming that every sector had witnessed a decline during his reign.

Punjab Assembly opposition leader Hamza Shehbaz said that Imran Khan's anti-corruption slogans were merely a front for targeting the opposition after coming to power, while the party's information secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb asked the premier to address the nation and answer their questions over the latest TI report.

Zulfiqar Ali Bader, spokesperson for Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that after the publication of this report, there was no justification for Imran Khan to remain in government.

"Imran Khan came to power with the slogan of ending corruption but now, with corruption increasing, he should go home," he said.
Dharamsala, Jan 26 : The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) on Wednesday greeted India on its 73rd Republic Day with profound gratitude to the great nation.

"Today we join India and its people in celebrating the historic day when India became a republic. With profound gratitude to the great nation of India, I, on behalf of the CTA and the Tibetan people, extend our heartiest greetings on the 73rd Republic Day," CTA President Penpa Tsering said in a statement.

He hoisted the Indian national flag at a brief ceremony in the office of the CTA.

The Tibetan administration is based here in Himachal Pradesh and over 100,000 Tibetans live in India.
Kanpur : , Jan 26 (IANS) A 50-year-old Nepali woman was reunited with her family after almost 10 years through social media.

Punarkala, who belongs to a remote Dailekh village in Bindrasaini district in Nepal, had left home due to mental health issues after the death of her husband 10 years ago.

Her family thought they had lost her when she failed to return home.

Punarkala, however, was found by a Nepali watchman, Vasudeo, in Mainpuri district two months ago.

Vasudeo posted her picture and details on social media, which reached Nepal.

Her son, Mahesh, and daughter, Sushmita, came across the message and came to Mainpuri and identified her.

They took their mother back to Nepal on Monday.

Vasedeo, who works as a watchman, found the missing woman loitering near a bus stand in Kishni area of Mainpuri district about two months ago.

When he interacted with her, she gave information about herself. Vasudeo clicked her photo and shared it on social media.

In the meantime, the woman disappeared again from Kishni.

On the basis of information received from social media, the woman's family, including her son and daughter from Nepal, reached Kishni. A massive search was then conducted but the woman was not found.

Her family members put up posters of the woman in the area.

Finally, two days ago, the woman was spotted in the Bewar area of the district.

Another, Nepali man, living there, informed about the woman's presence on the number given in the poster.

Her son and daughter contacted Vasudeo and both the children met their mother and later left for Nepal with her.

Her son Mahesh and daughter Sushmita, said, "We are very happy to see our mother alive and thankful to Vasudeo who helped us in locating her."
Kathmandu, Jan 26 : India on Wednesday announced that it will inaugurate 75 developmental projects in Nepal up to August, 2023, Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said during the 73rd Republic Day of India.

The celebration was part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' which is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate 75 years of India's independence and remarkable achievements by Indians in all spheres of human endeavour. As part of the Mahotsav, many events will be held throughout the year and up till August 2023.

"In order to mark India@75 milestone in Nepal, it is planned to inaugurate 75 development projects implemented with India's assistance across the provinces and districts of Nepal this year," the Indian Embassy announced on Wednesday while celebrating the 73rd Republic Day.

India is a major development partner of Nepal and has been engaged in various developmental activities over the decades. On the occasion of the Republic Day, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu is also gifting 75 ambulances and school buses to various organizations and local authorities across Nepal. Besides handing over the ambulance and school buses, a ceremony was held in the premises of Indian Embassy.

The celebrations began with hoisting of the national flag by Ambassador Vinay Mohan Kwatra who then read out the message of the President of India on the occasion. The Ambassador felicitated war widows and next of kin of deceased soldiers by disbursing their dues of Rs 6.35 crore and blankets.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day of India, President Bidya Devi Bhandari, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Narayan Khadka have sent separate messages of felicitations to Ram Nath Kovind, Narendra Modi, Dr S. Jaishankar, the President, Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs of India respectively.

In her message to the President of India, President Bhandari has extended best wishes for good health and happiness of the President of India as well as for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of India.

Bhandari has also extended congratulations and best wishes on the 75th anniversary of India's independence, being celebrated in India as Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Similarly, Prime Minister Deuba has also extended best wishes for good health and happiness to Prime Minister Modi and for the continued progress and prosperity of the people of India. The Prime Minister has commended India's remarkable achievements in socio-economic development and impressive advancement in technologies and innovation. Deuba has expressed his confidence that the relations would continue to grow stronger in the days to come, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal.

Likewise, Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Khadka has expressed warm felicitations and best wishes to the Minister of External Affairs Jaishankar and the people of India. He has also expressed his confidence that the warm and friendly ties between the two countries would be further strengthened in the days to come.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Manufacturers have seen their stocks of semiconductors plunge amid the global chip shortage, the US Department of Commerce has warned, BBC reported.

A survey of more than 150 firms found supplies had fallen from an average of 40 days' worth in 2019 to just five days in late 2021.

Sales of devices soared during the pandemic, leaving semiconductor makers struggling to keep up with demand, the report said.

The shortage has resulted in huge disruptions for major industries.

Millions of products - cars, washing machines, smartphones and more - rely on these chips, also known as semiconductors.

With sky-rocketing demand and full utilisation of existing manufacturing facilities, it's clear the only solution to solve this crisis in the long-term is to rebuild our domestic manufacturing capabilities," the US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a statement.

The research also found that demand for semiconductors was as much as 17 per cent higher last year than it was in 2019.

Meanwhile, US House Democrats on Tuesday unveiled legislation aimed at increasing US competitiveness with China and spending $52 bn on semiconductor production and research, after the Senate approved funding in June, the report said.

President Joe Biden's administration is pushing to persuade Congress to approve funding to help boost chip production in the US, as shortages of the key components have exacerbated supply chain bottlenecks.

Last week, Intel said it would invest $20 bn to build what could be the world's biggest chip-making complex in Ohio.

In November, Samsung announced that it had chosen a site close to the US city of Taylor in Texas for its new $17 bn computer chip plant.

The plant is expected to be operational by the second half of 2024. It is the South Korean electronics giant's biggest-ever US investment.
Chandigarh, Jan 26 : Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh on Wednesday celebrated the 73rd Republic Day amid tight security arrangements, foggy climatic conditions and Covid-19 restrictions.

It was foggy and cloudy skies since early morning at most places in Punjab and Haryana, including Chandigarh.

Contingents of police, home guards, NCC and others took part in the parade held at district headquarters in both the states and Chandigarh.

Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit unfurled the national flag at a state-level function at Mohali near here.

Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya unfurled the national flag at Panchkula, while Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar hoisted the national flag at Ambala.

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi unfurled the national flag in Jalandhar.

Both Chief Ministers conveyed greetings to people on the occasion.

"It is important to remember the core values of sovereignty, socialism, secularism, democracy, justice, equality, human dignity & the unity, which are the bases of our constitution. Let us pledge to uphold and safeguard these values," Channi said in a tweet.

Haryana Governor Dattatreya tweeted, "On 73rd #RepublicDay, I convey my heartiest greetings to the people of Haryana and the country. Let's resolve and make our best efforts to preserve and promote the spirit of equality, justice, fraternity and liberty, the four key pillars of #Constitution,".

Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala hoisted the national flag at Jind in Haryana.

Various events were held in district headquarters in Punjab and Haryana, including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Moga, Bathinda, Panchkula, Karnal and Panipat.

Ministers of Punjab and Haryana presided over the celebrations in district headquarters.
Woburn, MA (01801)

Today

Steady light rain this morning. Showers continuing this afternoon. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 54F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Chance of a shower or two during the evening, followed by partly cloudy skies overnight. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 48F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
Indian paramilitary troopers take part in a parade during India's Republic Day celebrations in Nagaon district of India's northeastern state of Assam, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

NEW DELHI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of India's 73rd Republic Day celebrations, authorities have tightened security across major cities, police said on Tuesday.

The move has been taken to thwart any possible attempt by militant or terror groups to disrupt official celebrations.

Police have intensified checking and patrolling at metro stations, railway stations, airport and bus terminals as part of the security arrangements.

In view of Republic Day celebrations, adequate security arrangements are in place in New Delhi and elsewhere to ensure that celebrations are conducted without any disruption, a senior police officer of New Delhi said.

The Republic Day parade will be held at Rajpath in New Delhi on Wednesday morning.

According to the state-run broadcaster All India Radio, over 27,000 policemen have been deployed in the capital for the Republic Day celebrations.

Strict anti-terrorist measures have been adopted since last two months and active monitoring along border areas of the capital is being done, the broadcaster said.

"Armed battalions are deployed and drones and other technologies are being used. Along with Delhi Police teams, 200 teams of other agencies have been deployed for anti-sabotage checks."

Police have fortified areas in and around Rajpath with multi-layer security cover, besides installing Facial Recognition Systems (FRS) and over 300 surveillance cameras.

A senior police officer told a local news agency that FRS and surveillance cameras were installed to strengthen security for the Republic Day.

"We've installed FRS at 30 locations including six entry points for frisking. The FRS has a database of 50,000 suspected criminals," the officer was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, reports said interstate police security meetings were also held to prevent any untoward incident.

"In the last two months, we have intensified anti-terror measures across the capital because like every year, Delhi is a target for any terrorist or anti-social element," Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana told a media briefing on Sunday. "This year too, our forces are alert with everything from vehicle checking, labor and tenant verification being undertaken."

Asthana said that in the last 15 days, they have increased checking at border points and counter drone technology will also be used in order to secure the airspace.

According to guidelines issued by the police, it is necessary for visitors to have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine, and people have been asked to bring the vaccine certificate with them.

The Republic Day in India marks adoption of the constitution of India. Every year the day is celebrated on Jan. 26. The main function is held in New Delhi, where India's armed forces display their skills and military might. 

Indian women paramilitary troopers take part in a parade during India's Republic Day celebrations in Nagaon district of India's northeastern state of Assam, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

Indian paramilitary troopers take part in a parade during India's Republic Day celebrations in Nagaon district of India's northeastern state of Assam, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)
Bengaluru, Jan 26 : "We are happy that our father is being conferred with the Padma Shri award. We feel the pain of his absence at this moment. He lived for the society and wrote for the society," says Manasa, daughter of Kannada litterateur Late Siddalingaiah who has been awarded Padma Shri this year for his contribution to literature and education.

"People have loved him and now the government has recognized it," she said.

Siddalingaiah ushered a new lease of life into Dalit movement in the state through his literature. His poems went on to become anthems of Dalit activism and they continue to be voices of the oppressed in the society. Siddalingaiah died due to Covid related complications in June. He is one of the founding members of Dalith Sangharsha Samithi (DSS).

Amai Mahalinga Naik, another achiever to be conferred with Padma Shri from the state, said, "four years ago when I started digging atop a hill for water source, people laughed at me and chided that how will I find water source there while it is not found on ground. I made up my mind to dig a tunnel despite what people said in the name of god. I got the water as well as a national award. I am happy." Mahalinga Naika is from Amai of Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka. He has constructed seven tunnels atop a hill and transformed two-acre barren land gifted by his landlord into a lush farm. His endeavour has been telecast in the 'Water Warrior' series on Doordarshan. Since he had to earn his bread every day, Mahalinga Naik used to go to work for half day and for another half day and during night he dug 25 to 30 meter long seven tunnels single-handedly.

Dr S. Ayyappan, who has been conferred Padma Shri for his significant contributions to National Agricultural Research System, stated he is grateful for the recognition to a man coming from a humble village background. He underlined that the award will also go to farmers and scientists who worked with him.

Ayyappan is a former secretary in the department of agricultural research and education and director general of Indian Council of Agricultural Research. His research fields included fisheries, freshwater aquaculture and aquatic microbiology.

Hosahalli Keshavamurthy, a popular exponent of Gamaka (a mix of narration and singing in music) who has been conferred the award says, it is a recognition to the 'Gamaka art form'. This art form should evolve further. This award should enable the growth of Gamaka art form, he reiterated. Keshavamurthy has popularized this age-old art through concerts and trained over 1,000 pupils to get the title 'Gamaka Gana Gandharva'. Through his sustained efforts, the government established Gamaka Kala Parishath.

Another Padma Shri awardee from the state, Abdul Khadhar Imamasaaba Nadakattin is popularly known as 'Nadakattina Sahebru' for inventing 24 agricultural equipment to augment farmers. He has established Vishvashanthi Agricultural Research and Industrial Development Centre in Annigeri village and provided employment to more than 40 people. The centre exports its products to various states across the country. Abdul Khadhar Imamasaaba Nadakattin has also been conferred lifetime achievement award in 2015 by the President of India.
Mumbai, Jan 26 : Actor Pratik Gandhi, who will soon be seen sharing screen space with Richa Chadha in 'The Great Indian Murder', spoke about working with the actress and director Tigmanshu Dhulia.

Pratik finds Richa very passionate.

He shares: "There are a lot of things I admire about Richa but one thing that I admire the most is, she is very passionate about her work and is very pure at heart and thought. Whatever she thinks she says, I can see that purity and passion in whatever she does." The actor is a huge admirer of Tigmanshu Dhulia that he said a Yes to be part of 'The Great Indian Murder' without reading the script as he wanted to work with the talented director.

Further, talking about Dhulia, Pratik added that he has been a fan of Tigmanshu's work and Paan Singh Tomar is his favourite film.

Pratik says, "He is an actor himself so its a very interesting combination of actor-director because that makes our job as an actor very easy to work with a director like him. He understands a lot of nuances he gives you free hand to experiment and improvise.

"It felt as if I am working with an old colleague and that's how the equation became. This is my first ever project with him and I met him for the first time just for this project, but I will relish this relationship for a long time." 'The Great Indian Murder' has been taken from the pages of Vikas Swarup's riveting novel, Six Suspects, which revolves around the murder of the son of a high-profile minister.

Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, the show promises an intriguing mystery with a talented cast that includes Pratik Gandhi and Richa in the lead, along with Raghubir Yadav, Ashutosh Rana, Paoli Dam, Jatin Goswami, and Shashank Arora 'The Great Indian Murder' will be available on Disney+ Hotstar from February 4 in Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Bengali
Chennai, Jan 26 : Tamil Superstar and President of Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) Kamal Haasan has called for a detailed probe into the death of a plus 2 student at Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu.

The actor-turned-politician said that while there were two versions on the suicide of the student with one alleging that the student was forced to convert to Christianity being the reason, another version states that she was forced to clean toilets.

He said that parents are sending their wards to schools for imparting education and not for getting trained in religion or to do household chores. Kamal Haasan called upon the state police to conduct a fair and free probe and to get to the bottom of the issue.

The actor, politician said: "The real reasons behind her death should be probed in an honest manner and the culprits should be brought to justice. The state government must take proactive steps to prevent such incidents in future." Meanwhile, another Tamil actor-turned politician, Vijayakant, founder president of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) has also said that the government should conduct a fair probe into the suicide of the girl student and bring out the truth in the matter.

Vijayakant who was a former leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu legislative assembly called upon the police to make clear the allegation that the girl was forced to convert and if found true, take stringent action against the proponents of the crime.
Vijayawada, Jan 26 : Andhra Pradesh celebrated 73rd Republic Day with the announcement to create 13 new districts.

The new districts will come into being from Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. A notification to double the number of districts to 26 was issued on Wednesday.

In his speech at Republic Day function at IGMC Stadium Complex here, Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan announced that new districts are being formed to fulfill the promise made by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in its election manifesto to ensure good governance and efficient delivery of service.

With this, Andhra Pradesh will be following into the footsteps of Telangana, which created 23 new districts in 2016, a couple of years after it was carved out of united Andhra Pradesh.

The gazette notification was issued after the state cabinet gave its nod to the proposal at a virtual meeting on Tuesday night. The government has sought suggestions and objections to the proposal within 30 days.

All objections and suggestions should be addressed to collector within whose jurisdiction the area lies, says the notification issued by Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had promised during 2019 elections that every parliamentary constituency in the state will be turned into a district. The state has 25 Lok Sabha constituencies.

The state government split the existing 13 districts to create new districts and also finalised their names. The new districts and their headquarters are Manyam district (Parvathipuram), Alluri Sitharama Raju district (Paderu), Anakapalli (Anakapalli), Kakinada (Kakinada), Kona Seema (Amalapauram), Eluru (Eluru), NTR district (Vijayawada), Bapatla (Bapatla), Palnadu (Narsaraopet), Nandyal (Nandyal), Sri Satyasai district (Puttaparthy), Annamayyia district (Rayachoty) and Sri Balaji district (Tirupati).

Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts in north coastal Andhra region will be reorganized to create Manyam district with Parvathipuram as the headquarters.

Alluri Sitharama Raju district will be created by merging some parts of existing Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts. The district has been named after revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitharama Raju. Anakapalli district will be carved out of Visakhapatnam district.

Kakinada and Kona Seema districts will also be created from existing East Godavari district.

The proposed Eluru district will comprise parts of West Godavari and Krishna districts. NTR district will be carved out of Krishna with Vijayawada as the headquarter. The new districts is named after N.T. Rama Rao, the legendary actor and former chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh, who had founded Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Parts of existing Guntur and Prakasam will be merged to create Bapatla district while Palnadu district will be carved out of Guntur. Few mandals of Prakasam district will now become part of existing SPS Nellore district.

Existing Kurnool district will be split to form Kurnool and Nandyal districts. Sri Satya Sai district will be carved out of Anantapur with Puttaparthy as its headquarters. The new district is named after spiritual leader Satya Sai Babu who died in 2011 at the age of 84 and has his Samadhi at Puttaparthy.

Few mandals of existing Chittoor and Kadapa districts will be merged to create new district Annamayya, named after 15th century saint poet Tallapaka Annamacharya.

Sri Balaji district will be created by merging parts of SPS Nellore and Chittoor districts. The new district will have temple town of Tirupati as the district headquarter and it is named after the deity of the famous Balaji temple.
Lucknow, Jan 26 : Even as the ruling BJP continues to attack the Samajwadi Party over its affinity for criminals, the Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav has now accused the BJP of fielding candidates with criminal background.

Yadav said the ruling party's captain, vice-captain and 82 of the 195 candidates declared, so far, have criminal background.

Without taking names, Akhilesh went on to say that in BJP's Delhi team, things are no different. In an apparent reference to Union minister of state for home Ajay Misra, who is said to have cases pending against him and belongs to Lakhimpur Kheri district, Akhilesh said, "In his honour, the BJP should declare Lakhimpur as the state capital instead of Lucknow".

He said that as per affidavits filed by BJP candidates so far, the party was 'way ahead' of SP in fielding criminals.

The SP's alliance partner and SBSP chief Om Prakash Rajbhar also attacked BJP on the issue, claiming that he knows how many of the BJP MLAs have criminal cases pending against them.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The mobile phones of a senior Human Rights Watch staff member are alleged to have been repeatedly hacked by a client of NSO Group at a time when she was investigating the catastrophic August 2020 explosion that killed more than 200 people in Beirut, The Guardian reported.

The alleged hacking of Lama Fakih, a US-Lebanese citizen and director of crisis and conflict at HRW, marks the latest example of how NSO's powerful surveillance tool, Pegasus, has been used by the company's clients to target campaigners and journalists, the report said.

HRW said that Fakih had been alerted by Apple on 24 November 2021 that her personal iPhone could be under state-sponsored attack.

An investigation by HRW's security team, which was reviewed by Amnesty International's Security Lab, found that Fakih's iPhones had apparently been infected with Pegasus through a so-called "zero-click" exploit that allows operators of the spyware to infect a phone without the mobile user doing anything, such as clicking on a link, the report said.

The news comes as NSO has faced a raft of bad news at home and abroad. In November, the company was placed on a US blacklist by the Biden administration, which said it had evidence that the Israeli company was enabling foreign governments to conduct "transnational repression".

NSO has also been engulfed in a domestic crisis in Israel after it was alleged in a report by Calcalist that the Israeli police had used Pegasus to gather intelligence for investigative purposes without legal oversight.
Hyderabad, Jan 26 : On the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day, Telugu megastar Ram Charan unfurled the national flag here on Wednesday.

The 'Chirutha' actor was accompanied by his uncle, Telugu producer Allu Aravind at the event at the Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust.

In the pictures released to the press, Ram Charan is seen unfurling and saluting the national flag on Republic Day.

In casual attire, he participated in the Republic Day rituals at their renowned Chiranjeevi Charitable Trust.

'RRR' actor paid his respects to the freedom fighters who served the nation and wished his fans a happy Republic Day.

On the work front, Ram Charan's magnum opus- 'RRR', which was supposed to hit the screens in January got postponed due to the third wave of the Covid pandemic.

The release date of Rajamouli's directorial is still under ambiguous cover. Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan will be seen together in Koratala Siva's commercial drama 'Acharya'. Ram Charan is also roped in to act in Shankar Shanmugham's upcoming biggie.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The troopers of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Wednesday celebrated the 73rd Republic Day, 2022 at the icy heights of Himalayas with zeal and vigour, from the heights ranging from 12,000 to 17,500 feet.

The ITBP jawans also known as Himveers, unfurled the national flag in the border areas of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh where at places, the minimum temperature is minus (-) 45 degrees celsius.

The jawans unfurled the national flag at last Indian village Mana at Uttarakhand, border areas of Ladakh, and Kumaon region in Uttarakhand.

The 'Daredevil' bikers of the ITBP also showcased 10 different types of formation at the Rajpath during the Republic Day Parade. This is the first time that the ITBP showcased so many formations such as Lotus Formation, Border Man's Salute, Fly Riding, Pawan Chakki, Horizontal Bar Exercise, Six-Man Balance, Arrow Position, Jaguar Position, Sentinels of the Himalayas and the theme-based Pyramid on 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' on the 75th Anniversary of India's independence. A total of 146 personnel and 33 Bullet Motorcycles of ITBP will participate in the Mission 'Daredevils'.

Raised in 1962, the ITBP is deployed to guard the 3,488 km of India-China borders. The terrain and weather conditions in the mountainous borders are full of challenges where the brave jawans of the ITBP remained deployed 24x7 to keep vigil at the Himalayan frontiers of the country.

The ITBP is a mountain trained force and all its personnel are professionally acknowledged mountaineers. The Force is known as 'Sentinels of the Himalayas' for its greater role in the security of the highest borders of the Nation.

The Himalayan border guarding force has recently completed 59 years of dedicated service to the Nation. It has conducted hundreds of rescue operations as 'First responders' in disasters in the Himalayan region over the years.
Seoul, Jan 26 : Samsung Electronics on Wednesday said its chipmaking facility in the Chinese city of Xi'an has returned to normal as the city has lifted a lockdown.

The world's largest memory chip maker had temporarily adjusted operations at its NAND flash chips manufacturing base late last month following the lockdown in the city.

The draconian restrictions imposed on December 22 banned the city's 13 million citizens from venturing out and doing nonessential activities to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

The Xi'an manufacturing complex is Samsung's only overseas facility that produces NAND flash memory chips, reports Yonhap news agency.

Samsung was the world's biggest NAND flash provider with 34.5 per cent of market share in the third quarter of last year according to industry tracker TrendForce. NAND flash is a type of non-volatile storage that does not require power to store data.

The chipmaker had operated the Xi'an base business-as-usual for about a week before it was forced to reduce production "in accordance with our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our employees and partners.".
Washington, Jan 26 : NASA's next-generation James Webb telescope, which travelled about 1 million miles from Earth, has reached its final destination.

But, the science operations are expected to begin only in late June or early July, Space.com reported. Till then there's a lot more to be done.

A joint effort with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian Space Agency, the Webb mission was launched on December 25, last year.

At 2 p.m. EST on Monday, Webb slipped into orbit around the Earth-sun Lagrange Point 2, a gravitationally stable spot in space about 930,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from our planet.

"We expect the first science images from JWST to come back in about five months," Amber Straughn, the deputy project scientist for Webb science communications, said during a webcast Webb event on Tuesday.

The Webb team will be working on two major tasks over the next five months.

The first is precisely aligning the 18 hexagonal segments that make up Webb's 6.5 meters wide primary mirror.

As ofA now Webb's primary mirror segments and secondary mirror have been deployed from their launch positions.

For Webb to function properly, the light-collecting surface must be nearly perfect. The process, which will take about three months, is expected to begin next week, the report said.

Further, the Webb team will focus each of the 18 primary mirror segments on a bright, distant star. And they've already chosen this target -- a sunlike star known as HD 84406 that's part of the constellation Ursa Major (The Great Bear).

"It's just near the bowl of the Big Dipper," Lee Feinberg, the Webb optical telescope element manager at NASA Goddard, said in a different webcast event on Monday. "You can't quite see it with your naked eye, but I'm told you can see it with binoculars." After the primary mirror is set up, the Webb team will align it with the 0.74 m wide secondary mirror, which is so named because it's the second surface that photons will hit on their way into the observatory's four science instruments. That milestone will mark the end of the major mirror work, team members said.

But Webb's instruments will still need to be checked out and calibrated. The team expects to have everything done by late June or early July, the report said.

The first year of science observations has already been planned out, Straughn said.

"We will be looking at things in the universe ranging from objects within our own solar system, all the way out to searching for the very first galaxies to be born after the Big Bang and everything in time and space in between," she said. "It's going to be awesome."
Visitors roam the site of an ancient Byzantine church in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 24, 2022. In the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, an ancient Byzantine church, which has been reconstructed into a public meseum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was opened on Monday.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

GAZA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- In the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, an ancient Byzantine church, which has been reconstructed into a public meseum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was opened on Monday.

Established 1,700 years ago as a royal property, the emblematic church was uncovered in 1998 when Gazan workers were rebuilding a key highway that spans the entire Palestinian enclave from the north to the south, according to Nariman Khella, an official at the ministry.

In addition to coins and pieces of pottery, graves of emperors and church goers were found at the site, Khella told Xinhua.

The restoration of the historic church, however, had met numerous failures amid rounds of fighting between Israel and the Palestinian militants in Gaza, until Premiere Urgence, an international non-governmental organization, launched in partnership with the Palestinian cultural authorities a funded program in 2018 that aims to preserve and promote cultural heritage in the Gaza Strip.

"The program assigned a group of students studying archaeology to the restoration work of the church. They restored and polished dozens of ancient mosaic portraits on the floor of the church," Khella said.

International experts also came to Gaza to train their local counterparts in managing and protecting the church before and after completion of its restoration.

This church covers an area of 850 square meters and has a total of 400 mosaic images on the floor, said Jamal Abu Rida, another official at the ministry, hoping such archaeological sites could revive domestic tourism in the Gaza Strip which is considered an important regional trade corridor in history.

If calm would prevail in Gaza, foreign tourism could also revive, he added.

"There is no doubt that Christians around the world love to visit their ancient churches and get to know their places, and we hope that will happen one day," the Palestinian official explained.

Home to more than 2 million people, the Israel-blockaded Gaza Strip is one of the oldest regions known to history as Arab merchants used to visit it for trade. 

Visitors roam the site of an ancient Byzantine church in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 24, 2022. In the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, an ancient Byzantine church, which has been reconstructed into a public meseum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was opened on Monday.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Visitors roam the site of an ancient Byzantine church in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 24, 2022. In the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, an ancient Byzantine church, which has been reconstructed into a public meseum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was opened on Monday.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Visitors roam the site of an ancient Byzantine church in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 24, 2022. In the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, an ancient Byzantine church, which has been reconstructed into a public meseum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was opened on Monday.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)

Visitors roam the site of an ancient Byzantine church in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza Strip, on Jan. 24, 2022. In the Jabalia refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip, an ancient Byzantine church, which has been reconstructed into a public meseum by the Hamas-run Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, was opened on Monday.(Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Getting a revolver delivered to a home in Pakistan is as easy as ordering a pizza.

A person can choose their preferred weapon on social media, make a phone call to the dealer, agree upon a price and a few days later, a courier will knock on their door, Samaa TV reported. This delivery service is available across Pakistan.

One might think that this network might be operating in shadow or under several layers of secrecy. But, in this case, there are Facebook pages and WhatsApp groups to sift through a catalogue of weapons.

A Pak citizen who got weapons delivered to his home told Samaa TV that his weapon was shipped from Dara Adamkhel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to Karachi. It cost him Rs 38,000.

The person, who wished to remain anonymous, said that he was not asked for a licence before the delivery. The entire deal was done over the phone.

"I sent Rs 10,000 as advance through Easy Paisa and the remaining amount of Rs 28,000 was paid after checking the weapon," he said, as per the report.

The cheapest delivery is in Karachi. There are two separate networks: the first is weapons dealers, the second is those who deliver it.

There is no limit on the type of weapons being sold and delivered. From a 9mm pistol to an AK-47, everything is on sale.

Think about things you can get delivered at home after ordering online and certainly weapons wouldn't be one of them. But this is not the case in Pakistan.

(Sanjeev Sharma can be reached at Sanjeev.s@ians.in)
Canberra, Jan 26 : A peak body representing Indigenous Australians has called for stricter health measures to protect the vulnerable remote communities from the coronavirus.

The Central Land Council (CLC) on Wednesday urged the Northern Territory (NT) and federal government to collaborate on a "circuit breaker" lockdown of remote Indigenous communities.

"We need a circuit breaker to slow down the out-of-control spread of the virus in our communities," CLC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Les Turner was quoted as saying in the Canberra Times, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Our people and their organisations are doing their bit. They now need both governments to stop burying their heads in the sand, face facts and back them." It came one day after the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) called for a Central Australia-wide lockdown.

"We need to see sharp and serious action to respond to what are growing case numbers in Alice Springs and surrounding Central Australian communities," said congress acting CEO Josie Douglas in a statement.

"We are calling for a complete lockdown of Central Australia to be implemented urgently. A Tsunami of Covid cases is coming and we need a circuit breaker." Australia on Wednesday reported more than 50,000 Covid infections and 87 deaths, according to health department figures from states and territories.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The internal rift in the Congress party has surfaced again after party's senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was conferred Padma Bhushan award while the G-23 leaders are in congratulatory note to the former Rajya Sabha leader of opposition, there has been no reaction from the party compelling Kapil Sibal to criticise over silence.

Deputy leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma tweeted, "Heartiest congratulations to Ghulam Nabi ji for well deserved recognition of his lifelong enriching contribution to public service and Parliamentary democracy." Manish Tewari, MP, too wished him. "I congratulate Ghulam Nabi Azad on being conferred the Padma Bhushan for his public Service. It is a well deserved recognition." Raj Babbar also congratulated him, "Congratulations @ghulamnazad Sahab! You're like an elder brother and your impeccable public life & commitment to Gandhian ideals have always been an inspiration. The #PadmaBhushan is an ideal recognition of 5 decades of your meticulous service to the nation." Incidentally all the three leaders -- Sharma, Babbar, Tewari and Kapil Sibal are part of the group that wrote letter to Sonia Gandhi for an effective leadership and demanded party reforms. However, the silence in the Congress setup indicates that party is unhappy over the new development.

Though there has been no official reaction from Azad except thank you messages to tweets, he did tweet when news circulated that he has changed his Twitter bio, "Some mischievous propaganda being circulated by some people to create confusion. Nothing has been removed or added to my twitter profile. The profile is as it was earlier." The Congress seems divided on the Padma Bhushan award conferred to its leader Ghulam Nabi Azad. Party leader Kapil Sibal has come in open support of Azad after cryptic tweets by Jairam Ramesh.

Sibal tweeted, "Ghulam Nabi Azad conferred Padam Bhushan, Congratulations bhaijan, Ironic that the Congress doesn't need his services when the nation recognises his contributions to public life".

After the announcement of Padma awards, Jairam Ramesh taking a cue from the rejection by West bengal former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, took a dig at his party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has also been awarded the Padma Bhushan.

Ramesh tweeted on Bhattacharya's refusal to accept the award: "Right thing to do. He wants to be Azad not Ghulam." The comment was indirectly aimed at his party colleague Ghulam Nabi Azad, who was conferred the Padma Bhushan in the field of Public Affairs.

Azad is also a former Union minister and till recently, he was the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. Azad was one of the first in the Congress to stoke the leadership issue in the party.

Former Chief Minister of West Bengal, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, on Tuesday refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award conferred upon him by the government of India.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : About 1,000 poor and needy Afghan women received relief assistance in Kabul on Wednesday as the Taliban-led government and aid agencies redoubled efforts to help destitute families in winter, an official said.

Some 1,000 women, including dozens of widows, received assistance packages on Wednesday. The women came from 22 municipality districts of Kabul province as they were registered via a transparent process, Abdul Matin Rahimzai, director of provincial Refugees and Repatriations Directorate, Xinhua news agency reported.

The assistance supplies were donated by Pakistan and China, according to Rahimzai.

Hundreds of thousands of needy families have received humanitarian aid in most of the country's 34 provinces in recent weeks.

Rona, a mother of eight, told Xinhua at the site that the families also need firewood and coal after recent snowfalls in most parts of the Asian country.

"We are thankful to all organisations that provide food and clothes, and we also need firewood or coal during this difficult winter," she said.

Economic woes hit the impoverished country following the freezing of over $9 billion of Afghan central bank's assets by the US as well as a halt of funds by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Itanagar, Jan 26 : Union Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Wednesday that the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) has responded positively on handing over of missing Arunachal Pradesh teenager Miram Taron and suggested a place of release.

Taron was reportedly kidnapped by the PLA a week ago from the Indian territory.

Rijiju tweeted: "Hotline exchanged on Republic Day by Indian Army with Chinese PLA. PLA responded positively indicating handing over of our national and suggested a place of release. They are likely to intimate date and time soon. Delay attributed to bad weather conditions on their side." On Tuesday, the Union minister had said in a tweet: "We are constantly following the case from day one. I appeal to everyone to be cautious in making statements which are not based on facts because the safety and safe return of our Young Arunachal Pradesh youth is the priority." The Arunachal Pradesh government had also sought the Defence Ministry's intervention to ensure the safe return of Taron.

Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu had earlier said that the Defence Ministry has taken up the matter with the Chinese authority through diplomatic channels.

"I am hopeful that the youth would be released and return to his village soon," the Chief Minister had told the media in Itanagar.

The Chinese Army reportedly abducted Tarom from the Indian territory where China had constructed a 3-4 km road in 2018.

Tarom's friend, who managed to escape, reported the matter to the authorities and brought it to the notice of Tapir Gao, a BJP MP from the Arunachal East Parliamentary constituency.

Gao had tweeted about the incident last week.

In September 2020, the Chinese PLA had reportedly kidnapped five boys from Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district before releasing them after about a week.

The villagers in the region have to trek through the remote mountainous areas due to the lack of proper roads.

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,080-km border with China.
Mumbai, Jan 26 : Actress Bhumi Pednekar, who is gearing up for the release of her upcoming film 'Badhaai Do', will have five more releases lined up for the year.

She has 'Ladykiller', 'Bheed', 'Govinda Naam Mera', 'Raksha Bandhan' and a soon to be announced project.

Sharing her excitement, Bhumi says, "As we hopefully come out of the pandemic, I can't wait to entertain audiences with six diverse films from as many remarkably different filmmakers who have a very unique voice of their own." Sharing her constant pursuit for evolution in terms of craft, she says, "I have worked really hard on my craft since my debut and strived to deliver performances that hopefully touch the hearts of audiences. I'm excited and nervous at the same time because I will have back to back releases." Bhumi is hoping that all her releases manage to touch the hearts of audiences with the disruptive content that they have to offer. "As an actor I have craved for the feedback and the reviews towards my performances and I can't wait to engage with the media and audiences through my films," she says.

She further adds, "I'm hoping they will love what these films and I have to offer on screen. For me, all these projects are really close to my heart and when they release, it will be like me sharing a piece of my heart with audiences." Revealing how these films have extracted the best out of her, she shares, "I have always given my everything in every film that I have done and these six films have taken every bit of emotion out of me. So, I only wish the best for these films and the producers and the directors who have punted on me to bring their vision to life on screen."
Chennai, Jan 26 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is all set to launch an All India Federation for Social Justice which would have leaders from depressed classes from across the country.

The Chief Minister while addressing a national webinar, 'Taking forward the Struggle for Social Justice and Joint National Programme for Social Justice Movement', on Republic Day said, "The proposed All India Federation for Social Justice will provide suggestions for all states to agree to laws related to social justice." Stalin said that the percentage of backward and oppressed communities may differ in each state but the ideology of social justice was the same.

He said that the 'Everything for Everyone' will be the base of this federation and that the organization will work to achieve the principles of federalism and social justice.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister also said that it was not the BJP that played a crucial role in ensuring 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in All India Medical Quota.

He said, "This is a great victory for social justice. We didn't get it easily, we protested in people's courts, in the court of justice, the state assembly, and in Parliament. I am proud of what we have achieved," adding, "Union government did not hand over reservations to OBCs and SCs just like that".

Stalin who is also the president of DMK said, "They can forget these facts but cannot overshadow it. This is a victory for OBCs and SCs. Social Justice is about ensuring social equality in all spheres of life, not just in education and jobs." Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) president, K. Veeramani while addressing the webinar said that the downtrodden people across the country are beneficiaries of the Dravidian movement.
Seoul, Jan 26 : An appellate court on Wednesday upheld a suspended jail term for independent lawmaker Lee Sang-jik charged with election law violations, a sentence heavy enough to cost him his National Assembly seat if confirmed by the South Korea Supreme Court.

The Gwangju High Court confirmed a lower court's 16-month prison term suspended for two years for Lee, formerly affiliated with the ruling Democratic Party, on several counts of Public Official Election Act violations, Yonhap news agency reported.

Lee was charged with shipping traditional liquor and books worth 26 million won ($21,711) as gifts to 377 voters in his constituency in Jeonju, 240 kms south of Seoul, on three occasions in 2019. He was also accused of sending text messages to party members in an attempt to influence the party primaries for the 2020 parliamentary elections in his favor.

He won his second parliamentary seat for Jeonju on the party's ticket in the election in April 2020 but left the party about five months later amid suspicions of embezzlement and other misdeeds involving Eastar Jet Co., which he founded.

"The accused, Lee Sang-jik, reneged on his responsibility as a representative of people to work harder than anyone for fair elections ... he is highly accountable because he obstructed the accomplishment of fair elections through his case," the court said.

By law, lawmakers lose their parliamentary seats if they are convicted of election law or political fund law violations and sentenced to a fine of 1 million won or more. Lee could lose his seat if the sentence is finalised at the top court.

Lee is currently serving a six-year prison term, sentenced by a local court earlier this month in a separate embezzlement case involving Eastar Jet.
Aizawl, Jan 26 : Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati on Wednesday said the police have been tirelessly combating the smuggling of arms, illicit drugs and narcotic substances, and last year, illegal drugs and narcotics valued at Rs 51.56 crore were seized.

The Governor, after hoisting the National Flag on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day at Assam Rifles Ground in Aizawl, said the state government is concerned over the menace of illegal drugs trades and drug abuse.

He said that the Excise and Narcotics Department continued to make all-out efforts to control this menace and 1,804 persons were arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

The police also seized 39 arms and 4,307 ammunition and 16 cases were registered in this regard last year, the Governor said.

Meanwhile, the Governor said that the highly contagious African Swine Fever was first detected in Lungsen village in Lunglei district in March, 2021, and subsequently, it has spread to other parts of the state claiming the lives of 29,821 pigs affecting 9,461 families in 11 districts.

A total of 10,381 pigs were culled and compensation for culled pigs amounting to Rs 11.69 crore was sought from the Central government.

As of now, the outbreak of disease is more or less controlled and contained, he said.

Kambhampati further said that amid the Covid-19 pandemic, "it is indeed commendable that the tourism department has been making endless efforts for development of tourism, focusing on post-Covid strategy for revival of tourism in the state".

"Anthurium Festival 2021" was organised during October, 2021 at Aizawl and "Winter Festival 2021" was also celebrated with a series of events during December 2021, he said.

Saying that sustainable progress has been made under Agriculture Department through implementation of various centrally-sponsored schemes during 2021-22, the Governor said that the National Food Security Mission-Oil Palm scheme has been revamped and is being implemented in seven districts -- Aizawl, Kolasib, Mamit, Serchhip, Lunglei, Lawngtlai and Siaha.

Potential area of 6,730 hectares has been developed for Oil Palm cultivation, involving 10,843 farmers from 197 villages of Mizoram.

A series of programmes were organised on Wednesday across the northeastern state to celebrate the Republic Day with enthusiasm and fervour.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Indian IT services companies have outpaced their competitors from the US in brand value growth over the past two years of digital transformation accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, a new report showed on Wednesday.

Indian IT services brands made a leap, with average growth from 2020 to 2022 at 51 per cent compared to minus 7 per cent for brands from the US.

Accenture retained the title of world's most valuable and strongest IT services brand, with record brand value of $36.2 billion, and achieving top Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 87.7 out of 100.

"By gaining a clear focus on cloud services, technology consulting, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, the IT services brands -- from India and around the world - will continue to flourish and innovate in the face of challenges posed by pandemic-related shortages and restrictions," said Savio D'Souza, Valuation Director, Brand Finance.

Valued at $16.8 billion, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) was second for first time on the Index, propelled by business performance and successful partnerships, while Infosys at the third position emerged as fastest-growing IT services brand globally, according to the report by leading brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.

Next to TCS and Infosys, four more brands from India -- Wipro (7th), HCL (8th), Tech Mahindra (15th), and LTI (22nd) impressed with performance, said the report, titled 'Brand Finance IT Services 25 2022'.

Two new US-based brands enter top 25 ranking - EPAM (at 16th position), joined by brand-to-watch Thoughtworks (24th).

"With strong IT services brands and a large population of people with digital skills, India will continue to play a major role in developing infrastructure for artificial intelligence, data analytics and Internet of Things (IoT)," the report noted.

The US still accounts for most brand value in the ranking minus 47 per cent compared to India's 31 per cent.

"Infosys has shown impressive growth this year, making it the fastest-growing IT services brand of 2022, thanks to its commitment to clients and focus on innovation," said David Haigh, Chairman & CEO, Brand Finance.

On the other hand, IBM's brand value now stands at $10.6 billion with a 34 per cent decrease from the previous year, and a 50 per cent drop overall since 2020.

The brand value of the US-based multinational IBM has fallen significantly after the divestment of Kyndryl.

The sale caused a loss of over $19 billion in revenue which impacted IBM's brand value.
CANBERRA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's new ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian said he looks forward to working with the Australian government and others to jointly "push the China-Australia relations back to the right track."

"The Chinese side always believes that a sound and steady China-Australia relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and their people, and contributes to the prosperity and stability of the Asia-Pacific region," said Xiao in his remarks upon arrival in Australia on Wednesday.

Noting that the year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Australia diplomatic relations, Xiao said the friendly and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Australia has enhanced the well-being of the two nations since the door of communication was opened.

Xiao stressed that while the world is undergoing profound changes unseen in a century, the development of China-Australia relations remains at a critical juncture filled with difficulties and challenges as well as enormous opportunities and potential.

"As long as both sides adhere to the principles of mutual respect, equality, inclusiveness and mutual learning and firmly grasp the right direction of the development, the China-Australia relations will keep moving forward and make further progress," he said.

Xiao Qian is the fifteenth Chinese ambassador to Australia. 
Chennai, Jan 26 : Pointing out that the Constitution was what gave each of us our strength, actor and politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday urged the people to realise the true value of the freedom, authority and rights granted to them by it and unitedly perform one's duties.

Taking to Twitter to share his Republic Day wishes, Kamal Haasan in Tamil wrote: "The Indian Constitution is what gives each of us our strength. Let us realise that we are its protectors. Let us realise the true value of the freedom, authority and rights granted to us by the constitution and unitedly perform our duties. My Republic Day wishes." The actor also used the social media platform to congratulate all the Padma awardees from the state, saying they had made Tamil Nadu proud.

He congratulated Padma Bhushan awardees - Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrashekaran, and Google Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai, who was born in Tamil Nadu and lives in the US. He also congratulated poet Sirpi Balasubramaniam, Shehnai exponent Pandit S. Ballesh, social worker S. Damodaran, yesteryear actress Sowcar Janaki, Sathir dance exponent Viralimalai R. Muthukannamal, clarinet player A.K.C Natarajan, doctor Veeraswamy Seshiah and Pondicherry Thavil exponent A.V. Murugaiyan for having won the Padma Shri award.
Seoul, Jan 26 : South Korea's presidential National Security Council (NSC) has discussed the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including how the crisis will affect the country's economy and the situation in Northeast Asia, a senior presidential official said on Wednesday.

National security adviser Suh Hoon presided over an NSC meeting on Tuesday and checked measures to ensure the safety of Korean nationals in Ukraine, according to Park Soo-hyun, a senior presidential secretary for public communication, Yonhap news agency reported.

The meeting also checked the impact of a Russia-Ukraine conflict on the Korean economy and the situation in Northeast Asia, Park said.

The nation's foreign, defense and intelligence agencies have been in in-depth discussions with the US on safety measures for Korean nationals in Ukraine, Park said.

About 600 Korean nationals are currently staying in Ukraine, with most of them in the capital and other inland cities.

Tensions have escalated near Ukraine's border areas as the US and its European allies have failed to reach an agreement with Russia to avert a potential military conflict.

The industry ministry held a separate meeting with state-run energy and industry organisations to assess the potential impacts of the situation on South Korea's exports and energy supplies.

The issue is likely to have a limited impact on the local economy in short and direct terms, given that South Korea's trade volumes with both Russia and Ukraine are low, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Russia is South Korea's 12th-largest trading partner and Ukraine is the 64th.

But the prolonged tension could push up oil and other energy prices, and a possible armed clash and subsequent US sanctions against Russia could disrupt global trade and supply chains, and have far-flung implications across the globe, the ministry said.

"The government will operate an early warning system on the supply of key industry materials and energy resources while closely monitoring the situation," Vice Industry Minister Park Jin-kyu said. "We will be fully prepared while bearing the worst-case scenario in mind."
Bomb scare with UP CM's name in slip in MP Image Source: IANS News

Bomb scare with UP CM's name in slip in MP Image Source: IANS News

Bomb scare with UP CM's name in slip in MP Image Source: IANS News

Bhopal, Jan 26 : A box made of tin attached to a timer along with a note left on a flyover on the National Highway connecting Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh with Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh kept the police on their toes on Wednesday.

The handwritten note mentioning a few names, including that of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, said the box is fitted with explosives, thus creating panic among the local people.

However, the police later found that the box had a timer and wires attached to it, but there were no explosives inside.

It all started after a passerby noticed the box on the flyover, which falls under the Mangawan police station, 30 km from district headquarters Rewa, and informed the local police.

On reaching the spot, the police found that the note attached to the box mentioned it as a bomb, following which the district police headquarters in Rewa was alerted.

Suspecting it to be a terror attack attempt on the occasion of Republic Day, a team of district police led by Additional Superintendent of Police, Shiv Kumar Verma, reached the spot along with the bomb disposal squad.

By the time the bomb squad arrived and inspected the object, security was tightened in and around the area, and the traffic on the highway was also halted temporarily.

"The box was fitted with multiple wires and a clock timer. A case has been registered in the matter and further investigation is underway," Verma told IANS.

The officer also said that it wasn't an explosive device.

"A high-level meeting has been called by the SP (Rewa), Naveen Bhaseen, on this matter," he aaid.

The district police are trying to find out the real purpose behind the bomb scare.

"It has nothing to do with the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. We are investigating the matter from all angles," Verma said.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : It was a proud moment for French Ambassador Emmanual Lenain when the Rafale fighter jets formed a part of the largest aerial disply at the 73rd Republic Day celebrations.

Seated in the diplomatic lounge, it seemed tough for the French envoy to shoot the video while the French-made Rafale flew past Rajpath, but he did and and shared it on social media.

Later Lenain tweeted: "Always a proud moment to witness IAF Rafale fighter jets in the Republic Day flypast! Truly breathtaking maneuvers by@IAF_MCC's talented pilots." The French made Rafale fighter jets were the part of Indian Air Force contingent this year for the fly past on the Republic day celebrations. Baaz formation comprising a Rafale, and two Jaguars, MiG-29s, Su-30 MKIs each in a seven aircraft 'Arrowhead' formation stunned the spectators.

In recent years, the defence cooperation between India and France have scaled new heights. France hosted the sixth edition of the joint Army exercise "EX SHAKTI" from November 15 to 26. The joint drills took place in south-eastern France.

Meeting of the 17th France-India High Committee on Defence Cooperation between DGRIS Alice Guitton and Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar took place in Paris on November 25, 2021.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : A man was nabbed at Bengaluru airport and heroin valued at Rs 5.3 crore recovered from his possession, a customs official said on Wednesday.

On the basis of specific intelligence inputs, the officers of Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), Bengaluru Airport and Air Cargo Commissionerate intercepted a Courier shipment from Dubai on January 22.

"This shipment was declared as documents in a bag. But we found it suspicious. We examined the whole bag. Examination of the shipment revealed the concealment of a powdery substance in a folder," the official said.

As per the preliminary report from the trace detector, the said substance was detected as heroin, he added.

754 grams of the said concealed substance, valued at 5.3 crore INR in the international market, was seized under the provisions of the NDPS Act.

Further, the importer of the said consignment was arrested with the help of the officers of Bengaluru City Customs (Preventive).

He was then taken to a government hospital where he was made to undergo a medical check up. After getting his Covid report he was taken to a court and produced before the concerned magistrate.

On the officials' request, the court sent him to a 14-day judicial custody.

The official said that further investigation in the matter is underway.
Guntur : , Jan 26 (IANS) Tension prevailed at Jinnah Tower here in Andhra Pradesh as some members of a right-wing group tried to hoist the National Flag at the landmark named after Pakistan's founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Police detained activists of Hindu Vahini when they attempted to hoist the national flag at Jinnah Tower on the occasion of 73rd Republic Day.

Raising slogans of 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' the protesters tried to advance towards the tower but were stopped by the police.

Policemen were seen detaining the activists and shifting them to police vehicles. The arrested men were whisked away.

Right wing groups are demanding a change in the name of Jinnah Tower.

BJP's Andhra Pradesh chief Somu Veerraju had last month demanded a change in the name.

Stating that Jinnah was the cause of India's division, he demanded that the state government change the name of the tower.

In view of the demands, the authorities erected a metal fence around the structure. Guntur Mayor Kavati Manohar Naidu on Monday inspected the fence.

The mayor ruled out renaming the tower and recalled that Guntur Municipal Corporation had rejected a resolution back in 1966 that the tower be renamed as 'Hamid Minar'.

"Jinnah Tower is an enduring symbol of Hindu-Muslim unity and no force can disrupt the secular traditions of Guntur town," he said.

Guntur West MLA M. Giridhar Rao also slammed BJP for raking up the issue to create communal disharmony.

He pointed out that Guntur is the only place in the country which has a tower built in the memory of Muhammad Ali Jinnah on a road named after Mahatma Gandhi.

Jinnah Tower in Guntur is a key landmark on a busy road of the city. Despite wars and conflicts between India and Pakistan, the tower stood as a symbol of peace and harmony.

The tower, built in honour of Jinnah in the pre-independence era, is standing tall on six pillars and opens to a dome. This tower is considered the symbol of the Islamic architecture.

According to historians, the tower was built by a local Muslim leader Lal Jan Basha after the visit of Jinnah's representative Judaliyaquat Ali Khan to Guntur.

Heritage activists in the past raised concern over parts of the tower crumbling due to negligence by authorities. They had called for protecting the edifice.
Hyderabad/Vijayawada, Jan 26 : Patriotic fervour marked 73rd Republic Day celebrations on Wednesday in the Telugu states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The celebrations, however, were low-key due to restrictions on public gatherings to check the spread of Covid-19.

Governors of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh led the celebrations by unfurling the national flag at main official functions in their respective states.

Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan unfurled the Tricolor at the ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor. The event was held with Covid-19 protocol. Like last year, there was no march past, no parade review by the chief guest, no tableaux or cultural programmes by school children.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who skipped the main function, unfurled the national flag at Pragathi Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, paid floral tributes to the photographs of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution. Several public representatives, chief secretary, director general of police and top officials participated in the Republic Day celebrations.

Later at the Army Memorial at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, the chief minister paid floral tributes to the martyred army personnel by lighting a lamp.

In Andhra Pradesh, the main official function was held at Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada. Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan unfurled the national flag and reviewed the parade.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, his cabinet colleagues and top officials attended the celebrations.

The Republic Day celebrations were held across both the states. Flag hoisting was organised at government offices, high courts and offices of political parties.

Telangana Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar unfurled the national flag at BRK Bhavan, the temporary state secretariat.

The Republic Day celebrations were also held at Telangana High Court, where Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma unfurled the Tricolor.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi unfurled the national flag at Madina Circle in the old city of Hyderabad.

Telangana Congress chief A. Revanth Reddy, BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar also unfurled the national flag at their respective party offices.
Hassan : , Jan 26 (IANS) At a time when the entire nation is celebrating the 73rd Republic Day, the stark realities of social imbalance continue to haunt the country.

An incident of caste discrimination has been reported from Gangura village in Karnataka's Hassan district, where the upper caste people have reportedly ordered the Dalits not to be part of a religious ceremony, and even took an undertaking from them in this regard.

The villagers of Gangura, where the main temple coming under the Muzrai department is being renovated, have decided to perform a ritual called 'Adde Utsava'.

During this ritual, the deity from the Adibailu Bindigeyamma Ranganathaswamy temple is taken to 28 villages before culminating in a religious fair after 28 days.

However, though the temple comes under government control, the upper caste elders of the village have held a panchayat and decided that Dalits should not participate in any of the religious affairs when the deity is brought to the village.

They have issued clear instructions to the Dalits families that they should not attend any religious ritual, nor should they worship the god. They have also been threatened not to write anonymous petitions to the district commissioner or any other government authorities in this regard.

Going one step further, the upper caste elders of the village have reportedly taken an undertaking from the Dalits that if any issue arises in connection with 'Adde Utsava', it would be resolved within the villagers.

The educated youth belonging to Dalit community in the village are fuming over the upper caste diktat.

There are around 300 houses belonging to the upper caste in the village, while only 10 families belong to the Dalit community. It is alleged that knowing fully well that the Dalits won't be able to put up a protest, upper caste people have decided to go unilaterally on the issue.

"If we are outcast from worshiping god, why should they be allowed? Don't we have the same blood in our bodies? Is it just to practice untouchability staying in the same village," asked Akash, a graduate from the village.

"We are celebrating Republic Day today. But we are yet to get freedom. The oppressive caste system is still haunting us. All castes are equal Constitutionally, so why are we being exploited? Why is the society giving us a raw deal," Akash asked, adding: "We don't want 'Adde Utsava' to come to our village if we are prohibited from taking part in the ritual." Another villager said on condition of anonymity that 'Adde Utsava' was stopped for many years, and the villagers want to conduct it this time.

"But whenever it happened earlier, the upper caste people not let Dalits go near the deity. This time they are collecting signatures from our elders, who are readily obliging fearing being targeted or boycotted," he said.

"The caste system is very much alive... It is practised in every village. Ironically, it is not the Brahmins who are imposing untouchability, but other caste groups which are considered as lowly by the Brahmins are dictating in this regard. The temple belongs to the government, it is not a private property. If we are not allowed to worship and participate in rituals, we don't want the 'Adde Utsava' in our village," he said.

The village comes under the reserved Sakleshpur Assembly constituency represented by H.K. Kumaraswamy of JD(S).

The 'Adde Utsava' was stopped 20 years ago after a big uproar over a Dalit participating in the religious fare. After a long time, arrangements are being made to restart it but without Dalits, according to locals.

When contacted MLA H.K. Kumaraswamy stated that the issue has not come to his notice yet.

"I will inquire about it," he stated.
Malkangiri : BSF launched a Boat Ambulance in Swabhimaan Anchal, Distt Malkangiri, Odisha on 73rd Republic Day at Janbai with active support of State Administration to address medical exigencies of inhabitants living in remote locations & ensure prom Image Source: IANS News

Malkangiri : BSF launched a Boat Ambulance in Swabhimaan Anchal, Distt Malkangiri, Odisha on 73rd Republic Day at Janbai with active support of State Administration to address medical exigencies of inhabitants living in remote locations & ensure prom Image Source: IANS News

Malkangiri : BSF launched a Boat Ambulance in Swabhimaan Anchal, Distt Malkangiri, Odisha on 73rd Republic Day at Janbai with active support of State Administration to address medical exigencies of inhabitants living in remote locations & ensure prom Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Jan 26 : On the occasion of 73rd Republic Day, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Wednesday launched 'Boat Ambulance' at BSF Camp Janbai in the remote location of Swabhimaan Anchal in Malkangiri district in Odisha.

BSF DIG of Malkangiri Sanjay Kumar Singh along with the officials of state administration and medical officers launched the Boat Ambulance in presence of a large crowd, gathered near Gurupriya Bridge that would serve the need of medical exigencies of inhabitants living in remote locations of Swabhimaan Anchal.

The BSF officials said that during the recent visit of Force Director General (DG) Pankaj Kumar Singh, the concept was perceived and the need of a 'Boat Ambulance' was felt for the far flung population living specifically in GP Jantri and GP Panasput, so that medical aid could be provided to them in the shortest possible time.

Subsequently the modalities were deliberated upon with BSF Additional DG R.S. Bhati who issued necessary directions in this regard and IG of Odisha Frontier Satish Chandra Budakoti on his visit to Swabhimaan Anchal ahead of Republic Day carried out the pre-launch inspection.

With the combined effort of BSF and state administration, the boat ambulance is all set to start its voyage from today.

Swabhimaan Anchal, the erstwhile Cut Off Area, was created when the Balimela dam came into being in 1977 which isolated 151 villages from the mainland. After four decades, the turning point came in 2018 when Gurupriya Bridge was built under the heavy protection of Border Security Force troops, making it feasible for the Security Forces & State Administration to venture into Maoist Bastion with a vision of development in the region.

"Today, it is a proud moment to mention that the tricolour flutters in Border Security Force Camps ahead of Gurupriya Bridge ensuring safety, security and development in the region. Now, people have enhanced trust over security forces and the state administration. To strengthen it further, the boat ambulance launched today shall be beneficial for about 30,000 inhabitants, specifically for the villagers living on either bank of Balimela reservoir and across the reservoir axis extending from GP Jantri in the North to Chitrakonda in the South," the BSF officials said.

They also said that any needy person can call for boat ambulance and BSF would provide them prompt medicare and also evacuate the injured or sick individual to the nearest primary health center and community health center available. Further they would be sent to district health hospital at Malkangiri for special treatment, if needed.

This boat ambulance is equipped with an oxygen support system and emergency medications along with trained medical staff, the officials added.

Speaking at this occasion, Force DIG Sanjay Kumar Singh urged the people of Swabhimaan Anchal to take maximum benefit of this boat ambulance and make it a grand success. He also thanked all stakeholders for giving BSF an opportunity to serve the people more cohesively.
San Francisco, Jan 26 : Google said it has helped more than 10 million people and businesses across Europe, the Middle East and Africa during the pandemic.

In June 2020, the tech giant set a target to help 10 million people and businesses find jobs, digitise, and grow by the end of 2021.

"This important milestone has now been reached, and surpassed," Matt Brittin, President, Google Europe, Middle East and Africa, wrote in a blogpost.

"Excited to announce that we surpassed our goal, thanks to our many partners along the way!" added Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai in a tweet on Wednesday.

Google launched more than 200 new features since March 2020 to help businesses thrive during the pandemic.

The features include Business Profiles, which makes it easier for businesses to manage their presence directly on Google Search and the Google Maps app and connect with customers online.

The Search and Google Maps feature enables restaurants to inform customers they now do delivery -- or for local stores to say they offer curbside pick-up.

Further, to help retailers to connect with more customers, Google made it free for retailers to list their products on the Shopping tab throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The company also launched tailored recommendations for every business with Local Opportunity Finder.

With its Grow with Google efforts, the tech giant focused on providing digital skills training across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

According to a report by McKinsey more than 25 per cent of people may transition to new jobs because of the pandemic.

To help people find new jobs, the tech giant also launched new Google Career Certificates. The feature will help people reskill for roles in high-growth areas such as IT support, project management, data analytics or UX design.

Brittin said that in the journey to economic growth and recovery in 2022, the digital transition will continue at pace in 2022.

Obtaining new skills will support the transition and expand the digital opportunity to more.

Calling for greater collaboration between organisations, communities and governments, Brittin also noted ensuring opportunity is for all.

He also stressed on the need for a "green economy".

"The pandemic has presented enormous challenges to communities and economies across the world. The future we need to build is an inclusive, sustainable and digitally accelerated one -- and we are here to play our part," Brittin said.
A contingent takes part in the 73rd Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

NEW DELHI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- India on Wednesday celebrated the 73rd Republic Day amid tight and adequate security measures and COVID-19 protocols.

The main function was organized at Rajpath in New Delhi. President Ram Nath Kovind unfurled the national flag, and the national anthem was played. In accordance with the tradition, a booming 21-gun salute was also presented to mark the beginning of the parade.

In wake of the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 pandemic, this year only 5,000 people attended the Republic Day parade program. Authorities allowed only fully-vaccinated adults and children above 15 who had received the first shot.

Reports said the parade started at 10:30 a.m. local time, half an hour later than usual, for better visibility.

Like last year, there was also no chief guest at this year's Republic Day function because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As part of celebrations, every year New Delhi used to bring a foreign dignitary (head of a country) to attend the function as chief guest.

According to officials, adequate security measures were in place as huge contingents of police and paramilitary were deployed in Delhi to ensure that no untoward incident takes place. 

Soldiers take photos before parade on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day celebration at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

Soldiers take photos before parade on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day celebration at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

A parade is held on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day celebration in Bangalore, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

A contingent takes part in the 73rd Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

Women soldiers take part in the 73rd Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

Fighter aircrafts of Indian Air Force flies in a formation during the 73rd Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi, India. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

A parade is held on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day celebration in Bangalore, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

The 73rd Republic Day parade is held at Rajpath in New Delhi, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

A contingent takes part in the 73rd Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)

A parade is held on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day celebration in Bangalore, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

Soldiers take photos before parade on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day celebration at Assam Rifles ground in Agartala, the capital city of India's northeastern state of Tripura, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

A parade is held on the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day celebration in Bangalore, India, Jan. 26, 2022. (Str/Xinhua)

Fighter aircrafts of Indian Air Force flies in a formation during the 73rd Republic Day parade at Rajpath in New Delhi, India. (Xinhua/Partha Sarkar)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Popular ride-hailing platform Uber and Ola top the chart on collecting extensive information about their riders which may be used for third-party advertising, a new report has claimed.

According to cyber-security company Surfshark's data sensitivity index, Uber is third on the list while Ola, the most popular ride-hailing app in India, comes sixth in the global data-hungriness ranking (with a total of 18 data points collected).

Indian bike-taxi aggregator Rapido, however, collects the least amount of data in the ranking, said the report. It collects almost 10 times less data than the leading GrabTaxi app, and collects only its user's name, phone number and location to deliver its services.

Surfshark revealed that popular ride-hailing and taxi data-hungry apps are additionally using contact and payment information, user's content and other user data for third-party marketing purposes.

The index researched data collection practises of the 30 most known ride-hailing apps from the Apple Store.

Nine out of 30 analysed ride-hailing apps were found to be collected data for "third-party advertising." Ride-hailing apps, on average, are collecting 14 data points per user, the report claimed.

GrabTaxi (south-eastern Asia) and Yandex Go (central Asia) claimed first and second place on the list.

"Many people today are willing to trade privacy for comfort and share their personal information in exchange for a service. By doing so, people leave digital footprints everywhere they go, including their personal details, physical addresses, and even the links they click on," said Vytautas Kaziukonis, CEO of Surfshark which is based in The Netherlands.

Together with Lyft (ranks 7th), Uber is the only ride-hailing app that additionally collects sensitive user information, which might include race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, childbirth information, and even biometric data.

Most researched apps usually share the device and user ID, product interaction information, and precise location with third parties.

"But the most data-hungry apps like GrabTaxi can additionally use contact and payment information, user's content (photo, video, audio, etc.) and other user data for third-party marketing purposes,a said the report.

Apps that collect comparatively less data have been found to share information with third parties as well.
Bengaluru, Jan 26 : The fans of late Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar were in for a Republic Day treat when the producers of his last movie 'James' released its poster. The poster shows Rajkumar as a soldier getting ready for action.

'James' is the most anticipated movie of the Kannada film industry. Puneeth's brothers, Shiva Rajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar, who are also star actors, have made special appearances in the movie.

Puneeth had completed his part of the shoot before his tragic death. Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, the late actor's wife, shared the poster on her social media and wished fans on Republic Day.

The director of the movie is Chetan Kumar, who's known for action movies in the Kannada film industry. The movie is being made under the Kishore Productions banner.

The makers are planning to release the teaser and trailer in February. The release of the movie has been planned for Puneeth's birthday on March 17.
Melbourne, Jan 26 : Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the 2022 Australian Open semi-final with a dominating win over Italy's Jannik Sinner in quarter-finals, here on Wednesday.

After surviving an up-and-down five-setter against American No 1 Taylor Fritz, the World No 4 maintained an elite level throughout the two-hour, five-minute contest, beating Sinner 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena.

Tsitsipas, who won all four of his break points, did his damage early in each set. On serve, he was pushed as far as deuce just once and never faced a breakpoint.

"Jannik is a very good player. So I tried to focus on my best shots and it paid off more than I thought," said Tsitsipas in his on-court interview.

"I am very, very happy with the way I served today and the way I came in and used my tactics in today's match structure. Having the crowd support is truly unbelievable," he added.

The Greek dazed the Italian with a blazing start, looking explosive in his lateral movement and off his favoured forehand wing. After holding from 0/30 in the opening game, he broke from 40/15 on Sinner's serve as he built an immediate 3-0 cushion.

Sinner won 11 straight points on serve from there, but Tsitsipas protected his own delivery to claim an efficient opening set in 36 minutes.

Tsitsipas' aggressive court positioning was rewarded again with an early break in set two. Keeping tight to the baseline, he won rallies of 14 and 16 balls and hit the line with a down-the-line backhand winner to take complete command.

Heavy rain gave Sinner a welcome respite, forcing a 20-minute delay as the roof was closed and court dried. But like in the opening set, both men continued to hold serve comfortably as Tsitsipas eased to a two-set lead.

A stunning backhand pass set up another early break as set three followed the established scoring pattern. After lasering that down-the-line winner off a Sinner swinging volley, Tsitsipas made it three-for-three on break points when an unforced error from the 11th seed ended an eight-ball rally.

After Tsitsipas fought through deuce for the only time in the match to hold for 3-1, another break extinguished any hope of a Sinner comeback.

Tsitsipas will now await the winner of the match between Daniil Medvedev and Auger-Aliassime, scheduled later in the day.
New York, Jan 26 : Even as many countries are seeing a peak in Covid cases and some experts predicting the end of pandemic, an epidemiologist at Mayo Clinic in the US claimed that the infectious virus will remain around until the next century.

According to Gregory Poland, epidemiologist for the Mayo Clinic and editor-in-chief of the scientific journal 'Vaccine', the virus could be affecting humans for the next century, countering what some worldwide global health experts are saying, the Daily Mail reported.

"We are not yet at any stage where we could predict endemicity. We're not going to eradicate it," Poland was quoted as saying.

Poland noted that the virus has shown the ability to infect animals, meaning it can potentially circulate indefinitely as it transmits across species and continues to mutate, the report said.

He also believes that the virus will circulate for so long that people will still be receiving Covid shots for generations down the line.

"So let me make a prediction, which will be hard for any of you to hold me to because we will all be dead by then, but your great-great-great-grandchildren will still be getting immunised against coronavirus.

"How can I even say such a thing? If you got your flu vaccine this fall you were immunised against a strain of influenza that showed up in 1918 and caused a pandemic," the expert noted.

Poland is not the only expert who has made such forecasts for the future.

Dr Anthony Fauci, US top infectious disease expert, warned last week that a new Covid strain could form that would dramatically alter the state of the pandemic like the Omicron variant did after Delta.

"I would hope that (Covid becoming endemic is) the case. But that would only be the case if we don't get another variant that eludes the immune response of the prior variant," Fauci said during a Davos Agenda virtual event.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, also warned this week that it would be dangerous to assume that Omicron is the 'endgame' Covid variant.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Chandigarh, Jan 26 : The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday said its patriarch Parkash Singh Badal, 94, would be in fray again from the Lambi constituency, the seat in Punjab's Muktsar district that he emerged victorious for five consecutive terms.

An announcement in this regard was made by SAD MP Harsimrat Kaur in Amritsar.

Five-time Chief Minister Badal had won the 2017 Assembly elections from this seat by defeating Capt Amarinder Singh with 22,770 votes.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Badal on phone to enquire about his health as he tested positive for the Covid-19.

The Akali patriarch had started contesting from Lambi in 1997 and won the seat by 28,728 votes, by 23,929 votes in 2002, by 9,187 votes in 2007.

In 2012, he defeated his nearest rival by 24,739 votes.

Punjab will go to the polls for the 117 assembly seats on February 20.
New York, Jan 26 : Hurting after the US Supreme Court announced a decision "that could put Harvard's forty years of legal precedent at risk," Larry S. Bacow, the university's President, has warned that "colleges and universities could lose the freedom and flexibility to create diverse campus communities that enrich education for all".

The SC has agreed to review a challenge to the consideration of race in college admission decisions, often known as affirmative action.

With three new conservative justices in the SC since its last review, the practice may be facing its greatest threat yet.

The court said Monday it would consider a pair of lawsuits alleging that Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) discriminate against Asian American applicants.

"Our admissions process, in which race is considered as one factor among many, makes us stronger. It prompts learning in day-to-day exchanges in our classrooms and laboratories, in our residential houses, and on our playing fields and stages. Our students understand these truths and see them reflected in their interactions with their classmates. Diversity opens our eyes to the promise of a better future," said Bacow, earlier Chancellor at M.I.T. and President at Tufts, in a "dear members of the Harvard community" mail reviewed by IANS.

"Harvard celebrates and nurtures individuality as intensely as this nation. Those who challenge our admissions policies would ask us to rely upon a process far more mechanistic, a process far more reliant on simple assessments of objective criteria. Each of us is, however, more than our numbers, more than our grades, more than our rankings or scores. Ask yourself, how much have you learned from other people at this University? How much have you grown from conversations across difference? Would these conversations have been as rich if you had shared the same interests, the same life experiences, and - yes - the same racial or ethnic background as your fellow community members? This is why applications of any kind routinely go beyond mere numbers to include interviews, samples of work product, recommendations, and references. Narrowly drawn measures of academic distinction are not the only indicators of individual promise." "As the Supreme Court has recognised many times, race matters in the United States," Bracow argued.

"I long for the day when it does not, but we still have miles to go before our journey is complete. Harvard will continue to defend with vigor admissions policies that were endorsed in the thoughtful decisions of two federal courts that concluded that we do not discriminate; our practices are consistent with Supreme Court precedent; there is no persuasive, credible evidence warranting a different outcome. Though I wish yesterday had turned out differently, I remain confident that the rule of law - and the respect for precedent that perpetuates it - will prevail." The SC is taking up two lawsuits filed by Students for Fair Admissions, a Virginia-based group, that says race should play no part in the admission process. The group is led by Edward Blum, a legal strategist.

The group argues that Harvard and UNC intentionally discriminate against Asian-American applicants.

Examining six years of data at Harvard, the group found that Asian-American applicants had the strongest academics but were admitted at the lowest rates compared to students of other races.

It also found that Harvard's admissions officers gave Asian-Americans lower scores on a subjective "personal" rating designed to measure attributes such as likeability and kindness.

A federal judge in 2019 upheld Harvard's admissions practices, saying it was "not perfect" but passed constitutional muster. The judge said race-conscious practices always penalise groups that don't get an advantage, but they're justified "by the compelling interest in diversity" on college campuses.

An appeals court upheld the ruling in 2020.

The group brought similar claims against UNC, saying its process disadvantages white and Asian American students. A federal judge sided with the university last year.

In its appeal to the SC, the group asked the panel to review both cases and also to overturn the court's 2003 decision in Grutter v Bollinger, which upheld admissions policies at the University of Michigan's law school.

That cleared colleges to consider race if it's done in a "narrowly tailored" way to serve a "compelling interest". The group's appeal argued that the Grutter decision "endorsed racial objectives that are amorphous and unmeasurable and thus incapable of narrow tailoring".

(Nikhila Natarajan tweets @byniknat)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : More than two decades after its release, cult film 'Fight Club has been given a very different ending in China -- and this time, the authorities win, the CNN reported.

Chinese fans of David Fincher's cult classic were enraged over the weekend when they noticed a version of the movie available on popular Chinese streaming platform Tencent Video completely removing its iconic ending, the report said.

The finale of 'Fight Club' had shocked audiences when the film hit theatres in 1999. In a massive twist, the narrator, played by Edward Norton, realises that Brad Pitt's slick-talking Tyler Durden character is his imaginary alter ego, and kills him off.

In the final scene, the narrator stands with his girlfriend, played by Helena Bonham Carter, as they watch explosives blow up a cluster of skyscrapers -- all part of what was originally presented to the audience as Durden's plan to destroy consumerism by erasing bank and debt records, the report said.

CNN reported that the amount of anarchy -- and the government's inability to stop it -- doesn't appear to have passed muster with China's notoriously strict censorship rules, though.

In the version available on Tencent Video, which CNN Business was able to view on the platform, the entire scene featuring the explosions has been cut out. Instead, it has been replaced with a caption explaining to audiences that the authorities arrived just in time to save the day.

"Through the clue provided by Tyler, the police rapidly figured out the whole plan and arrested all the criminals, successfully preventing the bomb from exploding," the caption read, adding: "After the trial, Tyler was sent to [a] lunatic asylum receiving psychological treatment. He was discharged from the hospital in 2012."
Hyderabad, Jan 26 : Telangana Police will have a special cell to deal with narcotic drugs and organised crime.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday directed Director General of Police M. Mahender Reddy to form a special Narcotic and Organised Crime Control Cell in the Police Department with 1000 members.

The special cell would work under the DGP and would perform special duties to take stringent measures to control and eliminate the narcotic drugs abuse and against the organised crimes.

The Chief Minister held a review meeting with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar, DGP Mahender Reddy, Hyderabad Police Commissioner C.V. Anand and other high officials on the stringent measures to be taken to control the narcotic drugs.

He made it clear that in the narcotic drugs cases, culprits, however high and mighty they may be, should be punished. He said a special action plan should be prepared for the strict implementation of the stringent measures.

KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, instructed officials concerned to act sternly against the use of narcotic drugs and ensure that this is totally eliminated from the state.

He decided to hold a conference at his official residence Pragathi Bhavan on Friday with police and excise officials to discuss measures and action to eliminate the menace.

The conference to be chaired by the CM will also be attended by the Home Minister, Excise Minister, Chief Secretary, DGP, all district SPs, Commissioners and other officials.

The Chief Minister's orders and the decision to convene a meeting come in the wake of last week's development when Hyderabad police achieved a major breakthrough by arresting an international drug peddler from Mumbai.

Chukwu Ogbonna David alias Tony, a Nigerian and the kingpin of one of the major international drug rackets, was arrested from Mumbai and brought to Hyderabad.

The police also arrested nine of the 13 high-profile businessmen in Hyderabad who were consumers of the drug supplied by Tony. Police Commissioner Anand had said that the police have evidence that Tony has been supplying drugs to people of affluent sections in the city.

The businessmen, most of them from posh Banjara Hills and Jubilee Hills, were arrested while the efforts were on to arrest the remaining persons.

KCR in October last year had ordered Police and the Excise Departments to crack down on drug abuse.

The order had come in the wake of growing menace of consumption of cannabis (ganja), opium, and other psychotropic substances in Hyderabad and some other parts of the state.

Following the orders, the Police and Excise Departments had launched a state-wide drive, resulting in large-scale seizure of ganja and other drugs.

The crackdown comes amid growing indications that Hyderabad has emerged as a key centre peddling and consumption of narcotic drugs.

After arresting several peddlers, the Hyderabad police have decided to go after those consuming drugs. The Police Commissioner said that they have a list of those consuming drugs and may arrest them under Section 27 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

"So far we were liberal about those who were using drugs so that their careers are not destroyed. We talked to their parents and counselled them but there is no change in them. We feel that if consumption does not come down, the supply will also not come down. Therefore, the time has come for strict measures to cut the demand," Anand said.

The Police Commissioner said the addicts were mostly youngsters in the age group of 18-30 and they are from all sectors and classes. "There are users of all drugs from easily available ganja to high-end cocaine. No one is free of it," he had said.
Washington/London, Jan 26 : Upping the ante amid prevailing tensions over Ukraine, US President Joe Biden has warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could be sanctioned personally if he sends troops into Ukraine even as representatives of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany were due to meet on Wednesday for talks.

In a brief interaction with mediapersons on Tuesday, Biden said "Yes" when asked if sanctions could be imposed on the Russian President personally if his country invades Ukraine, adding that such a move would mean "enormous consequences worldwide".

He also said that the US could commit more military strength in eastern Europe in case of any Russian invasion, but ruled out sending them to Ukraine itself, though military supplies, including anti-tank missiles, have been sent. The US has also put around 8,500 troops on alert.

The UK has also been hawklike on the situation and on Wednesday, its Foreign Minister Liz Truss told the BBC that the Boris Johnson government has "ruled nothing out" -- including sanctions against the Russian leader -- adding that the UK is looking to "toughen up" its sanctions on people, banks and businesses.

Reacting to Biden's threats, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said such sanctions would not be "painful" for the President but would be "politically destructive", the BBC reported.

At the heart of the dispute is Russian troop concentrations on Ukraine's borders, with the West claiming Russia is poised to invade, but Russia has denied any such intent.

On the other hand, Russia demands that Ukraine not be inducted into NATO, like many other ex-Soviet states and formerly Communist countries of Central and East Europe, and the alliance should not station advanced weapons near its borders, but NATO says it cannot accept a Russian veto over its functioning.
Amritsar, Jan 26 : Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal said on Wednesday that the Congress has politicised the issue of sacrilege in the past five years due to which the Sikh community has still not received justice in the case.

Badal told the media after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple here that the Congress only perceived the issue of sacrilege as something which is to be used to weaken the SAD as it is the sole representative of the Sikh community.

"This is the reason that I prayed today that not only should nothing remain in the lives of all those who had politicised this sensitive issue, but that nothing remains of them in the forthcoming Assembly elections also," Sukhbir Badal said.

The SAD chief said it is shocking that the Congress government has not only politicised the cases of sacrilege, but it also refused to take concrete action in even recent cases of sacrilege.

In the case of sacrilege committed at Sri Darbar Sahib in which pages of the Gutka Sahib were thrown into the holy 'sarovar', the accused had been caught and handed over to the police. "The police refused to even interrogate him to unveil the entire conspiracy behind the act," he said.

The SAD leader said that similarly, even the accused who had committed sacrilege in the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Harmandar Sahib had been cremated hurriedly without conducting any DNA tests to establish his identity.

Later, Sukhbir Badal addressed a public gathering at Majitha in support of party candidate Bikram Singh Majitha during the course of which he highlighted how a recent audio tape had established that DGP S. Chattopadhyay, who had registered 'false' drugs case against Majithia, is in fact hand in glove with drug traffickers.

He said the aim of registering the case was to prevent Majithia from contesting the next elections.

"I appeal to the people of Majithia to defeat this conspiracy. It is now your responsibility to contest the injustice done to Majithia. I appeal to you to work hard to elect Majithia with double the margin than before to give a befitting response to the trio of Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Home Minister Sukhjinder Randhawa and Pradesh Congress President Navjot Sidhu," he said.

Speaking about the upcoming elections, Sukhbir Badal said the SAD-BSP alliance is cruising towards a clear victory with more than 80 seats.

He said people have recognised the fact that the SAD-BSP combine alone could safeguard their regional aspirations and would never hand over their mandate to outsiders controlled by forces in Delhi.

"You will witness AAP facing a rout by winning only five seats in its supposed stronghold of Malwa. The Congress will be totally obliterated," he added.

The 117-member Punjab Assembly will go to the polls on February 20, and the counting of ballots will be taken up on March 10.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Tuesday urged El Salvador to remove the cryptocurrency bitcoin's legal tender status, citing large risks to financial stability.

IMF executive directors stressed that "there are large risks associated with the use of bitcoin on financial stability, financial integrity, and consumer protection, as well as the associated fiscal contingent liabilities," the board said in a statement after a consultation with El Salvador.

"They urged the authorities to narrow the scope of the bitcoin law by removing bitcoin's legal tender status. Some directors also expressed concern over the risks associated with issuing bitcoin-backed bonds," the statement said.

The IMF also warned that under current policies, El Salvador's public debt is expected to rise to about 96 percent of gross domestic product in 2026 "on an unsustainable path."

"Directors generally agreed on the need to implement a fiscal consolidation starting this year based on high-quality revenue and spending measures to restore fiscal sustainability and put public debt on a firm downward trajectory," the IMF said.

El Salvador became the first country to formally adopt bitcoin as legal tender in September last year. Local polls showed that Salvadorans were wary about the volatility of the cryptocurrency, and some criticized it for its potential for illegal use, such as laundering money or financing terrorism.

Meanwhile, international financial organizations, including the IMF, the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank, have expressed concerns about the Central American nation's bitcoin adoption. 
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Pakistan sent a secret delegation to neighbouring Afghanistan to hold talks with the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as part of the efforts to revive peace efforts with the militant group, RFE/RL reported.

The TTP, also known as the Pakistani Taliban, has intensified its attacks in Pakistan since a month-long ceasefire expired and peace talks collapsed in December last.

The Pakistani delegation held several days of talks with TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud and members of the extremist group's leadership council in Afghanistan's southeastern province of Paktika, said sources with knowledge of the discussions, the report said.

The delegation -- which arrived in Paktika's Bermal district on January 9 -- consisted of influential Pashtun tribal elders from Pakistan, the sources said.

Many members of the TTP are Pashtuns from the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which straddles the border with Afghanistan.

"The elders stayed there for two nights and held three or four rounds of discussions," said a source close to the delegation, adding, "The TTP leadership welcomed the delegation with traditional Pashtun hospitality and slaughtered two sheep." The source added that the talks centred on reviving the expired truce and resuming talks over a negotiated end to the TTP's 14-year insurgency in Pakistan, where thousands of people have been killed in militant attacks and clashes between the TTP and the military, the report said.

The talks between the Pakistani delegation and the TTP were mediated by the Afghan Taliban, which has close ideological and organisational ties with the TTP. The Afghan militant group is also a long-time ally of Islamabad, its main foreign sponsor.

The Pakistani delegation also visited Kabul, where it met senior members of the Haqqani network, a key Afghan Taliban faction, said a source with knowledge of the delegation's visit.

The network is a US-designated terrorist organisation, the report said.

The Taliban's Interior Minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the head of the Haqqani network, has been the key facilitator for the talks between Islamabad and the TTP. But the delegation did not meet with Haqqani, the source said, adding that the reason was unclear, RFE/RL reported.

"The delegation proposed an offer [on behalf of the government] to release half of the 100 TTP prisoners," said a member of the delegation who did not wish to be named.

"But the TTP leadership did not agree," he said.

A source close to the delegation said TTP leaders complained that Islamabad had repeatedly backtracked on a "promise" to release all the prisoners.

The delegation returned to Pakistan on January 11. They were expected to brief Pakistan military officials upon their return, the sources said, the report added.
Mumbai, Jan 26 : Filmmaker Suneel Darshan, who is known for films such as 'Inteqam' and 'Andaaz', has filed an FIR against the search engine giant Google, its CEO Sundar Pichai and several other employees of the corporation, alleging an infringement of the copyright of his 2017 directorial 'Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha' on YouTube.

Darshan has claimed that though he had not uploaded the movie anywhere, nor sold it to anyone, several channels on YouTube are profiteering off it and Google has refused to take the movie off those channels. His FIR, filed with the MIDC Police Station at Andheri East, alleges infringement of Sections 51, 63 and 69 of the Copyright Act of 1957.

Sharing this information with IANS, he said: "My faith and belief in the advancement of technology are implicit, but the infringement of my rights is a cause of grave concern." He added: "My entire copyrighted movie, apart from its songs and sequences from it, have been uploaded and monetised, and I have helplessly watched such illegal acts." Darshan clarified that it was only after his repeated requests went unanswered that he had to seek legal help. "Their actions and replies indicate they are well-versed in deflecting queries from my end," he said.

Maintaining that he had the utmost respect for Google, he however said the corporation had been unfair to genuine creators.

"I have total respect for both the technology and the funds that they (Google) bring to India,," Darshan said, but added that the corporation's reluctance to work with experienced content creators and benefiting from their knowledge had only led to mutual loss, and denied quality content to the audience.

Asked what his next step would be, Darshan said: "I will move according to the law and the advice of my lawyers."
Kohima, Jan 26 : Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Wednesday said that after the state Assembly in December 20 last year adopted a unanimous resolution seeking the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, the state cabinet has recently decided to take up the matter with the Centre for immediate repeal of the law.

Unfurling the national flag on the occasion of the Republic Day at the Nagaland Civil Secretariat Plaza in Kohima, the Chief Minister, extending his solidarity to the family members of the 14 victims killed by the security forces in Mon district, asserted that the Special Investigation Team of the Nagaland Police is making good progress in its investigation.

The Army has also constituted a Court of Inquiry and its probe is reportedly being completed at a fast pace, he said.

Rio said that negotiations between the Naga Political Groups and the Centre have been going on in a cordial atmosphere to find a solution.

"All the members of the Nagaland Assembly have also come together (last year) and formed an opposition-less Government to convey to the negotiating parties to give us an honourable, inclusive and acceptable solution," he added.

Various Naga groups and organisations in Nagaland and Manipur earlier called the people to abstain from Republic Day celebrations to protest the Mon killings and delay in Naga peace process. The Naga organisations, including Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation, All Naga Students' Association, and the United Naga Council, are also strongly opposing the AFSPA and demanding repeal of the "draconian law".

The Chief Minister also said that to ensure good governance in an effective manner, the state Government created four new districts -- Tseminyu, Niuland, Chumoukedima and Shamator -- in December and January.

As part of the Community Outreach Programme, a mobile application "Call Your Cop" was launched by the state police and that would allow citizens to get in touch with police personnel on duty in an easier manner, he said.

Rio said that as part of the Japan International Cooperation Agency-assisted Nagaland Forest Management Project, the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has covered 91 villages across the state and would further cover 94 more villages.

The Chief Minister said that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is in the process of launching an Externally Aided Programme through Asian Development Bank, under which the Department of Urban Development shall be taking up various infrastructure works in the district headquarters.

He also said that the Tourism Department, in collaboration with the Centre, organised the 9th edition of International Tourism Mart with nearly 200 participants including from the neighbouring countries of Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei.
Srinagar, Jan 26 : An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Wednesday, police said.

"Encounter has started at Check Nowgam area of Shopian. Police and security forces are on the job," police said.

The firefight between terrorists and security forces took place after a joint team of security forces cordoned off the area and launched a search operation on the basis of specific information about presence of terrorists.

As the security forces zeroed in on the spot where terrorists were hiding, they came under a heavy volume of fire that triggered the encounter.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi will begin his campaign in Punjab for the upcoming Assembly elections on Thursday by paying a visit to Golden Temple in Amritsar, a party source said on Wednesday.

As per the schedule, the Congress leader will pay obeisance at Sri Harmandir Sahib and take part in Langar along with 117 other party candidates.

He would later visit Durgiana Mandir in Amritsar.

The Congress leader is also scheduled to visit Bhagwan Valmiki Tirath Sthal along with the candidates and pay obeisance there after which he would address the "Navi Soch Nava Punjab" virtual rally at Mithapur in Jalandhar.

Punjab will go to the polls for the 117 assembly seats on February 20.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday said "a generation of children will be left behind if we do not open schools now".

Sisodia said excessive caution is now harming our children, following a meeting with a delegation of children's parents, led by Chandrakant Lahariya, an epidemiologist and Yamini Aiyar, a policy researcher.

The delegation of parents of Delhi's children has submitted a memorandum signed by more than 1,600 parents for reopening of schools in the national capital.

"A delegation of parents of Delhi's children led by Dr Lahariya, Yamini Aiyar submitted a memorandum to me signed by more than 1,600 parents for reopening of schools. Why we are the last among major countries to decide on this?" tweeted Sisodia.

In a subsequent tweet, the Deputy Chief Minister said, following the meeting, "I agree with their demands. We closed school when it was not safe for children but excessive caution is now harming our children. A generation of children will be left behind if we do not open our schools now".

The schools in Delhi were closed again on December 28 due to the fear of Omicron-led third Covid wave after being briefly reopened.

However, the Delhi Disaster management Authority is expected to discuss the reopening of schools along with other Covid restrictions in the city in a meeting to be held on Thursday.
Hyderabad, Jan 26 : Health authorities in Telangana on Wednesday suspended superintendent of a government hospital and a doctor after a tribal woman delivered a baby near the hospital gate as they had turned her away for testing Covid positive.

The shocking incident occurred in Nagarkurnool district on Tuesday. Nimalla Lalamma, a tribal woman,,had come to Government Area Hospital at Achampet for delivery. However, doctors turned her away after they detected that she was infected by Covid-19.

The woman, who had come from a remote village and her family members, kept pleading to doctors to admit her but they did not relent. While waiting at the hospital gate, the woman gave birth to a baby in the open area.

The doctors, after examining the woman, had found her to be Covid positive. They referred her to the government hospital at Nagarkurnool but no ambulance was arranged to shift her. A few minutes later, the woman started complaining of labour pains. Her relatives assisted her in the delivery. It was only after she delivered that the hospital staff shifted her to a room.

After learning about the incident, Health Minister T. Harish Rao directed the health officials to conduct a probe and take strong action against those who turned the pregnant woman away.

Commissioner of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad on Wednesday issued orders suspending the Superintendent of the hospital Dr Krishna and duty doctor Hari Babu. He said both the doctors were surrendered to the Director of Public Health with a request to initiate disciplinary action.

The Commissioner said denying admission to the pregnant woman was an act of gross negligence and violation of rules He also directed the Superintendent of district hospital, Nagarkurnool to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report immediately.

The official clarified that clear instructions have been given to all government hospitals not to deny any admission to pregnant women even if they test positive for Covid.

Meanwhile, a team of healthcare workers at a primary health centre in Rajanna Sircilla district successfully delivered a Covid-19 positive pregnant woman's baby in emergency situation. According to district medical and health officer, the team at PHC Yellareddypet successfully handled the case. Both mother and baby are safe and shifted to district hospital Sircilla for better healthcare.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought the response of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) over a plea filed against its Environmental Clearance granted for sand mining from Betwa river in Uttar Pradesh's Jalaun district.

The NGT bench headed by its Chairperson, Justice (retd) Adarsh Kumar Goel, in a recent order, sought SEIAA and the sand miners -- MPL Infra, Lucknow, and Mankemeshwar Infrastructure, Hamirpur to file their response within two months.

However, declining to stay the operations, the bench said: "We are not inclined to entertain an application for ex parte interim stay, without considering the response of the affected parties, and the plea is accordingly disposed of." It listed the main matter for further consideration on April 22.

According to the plea, Mankameshwar Infrastructure leased an area of 20.242 Ha for sand mining from river Betwa at Bhedikurd village of the district and MPL Infra leased an area measuring the same.

The plea was challenging the ECs on the ground that the area falls in cluster being within less than 500 metres and thus EC has to be granted in accordance with notification dated January 15, 2016. The appellant has relied upon the order of the Tribunal dated September 23, 2021, in Ravi Kumar v. MoEF&CC & Ors, as per the order.
Chandigarh, Jan 26 : With Assembly elections in Punjab around the corner, the President of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Sukhbir Singh Badal, on Wednesday announced that former minister Bikram Singh Majithia would take on Pradesh Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar (East) in addition to his candidature from the Majitha constituency.

Making the announcement in Amritsar, Sukhbir Badal also said that Satinder Singh Chajjwalwadi, the son of three-time legislator Ranjit Singh Chajjalwadi, would be the party nominee from Jandiala.

He also inducted the Chajjalwadi family into SAD along with a large number of Congress sarpanchs and block samiti members.

Giving details about the candidature of Majithia from Amritsar (East), Sukhbir Badal said: "Navjot Sidhu's arrogance will be his undoing. He has been harping on his support among the masses. Now his support will be tested with 'Majha da sher' taking him on in his home constituency.

"He should get ready to fight the brave SAD workers. We will break his arrogance by ensuring he loses his security deposit." The SAD chief added: "We know he (Sidhu) has not done anything in his constituency for the last five years. He did not do anything in his constituency even as the local bodies' minister. Amritsar East has drinking water and even sewerage issues which have not been addressed by Sidhu. Now the people of his constituency will hold him to count." Sukhbir Badal said the Congress government has targeted Majithia and even registered a false case against him as the latter has always raised the issues of the people.

"Majithia is known to fight for the people. This was not to the liking of the Congress government," he added.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary charge sheet in connection with a case of IED blast by the banned CPI-Maoist in Lanji Forest in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand in March 2021, officials said.

"Almost 700 kg of potash was procured illegally from Madhya Pradesh and brought in several consignments for delivery to CPI-Maoist in Jharkhand. These explosives were further supplied to the senior armed leaders of CPI-Maoist which were used by them for making IEDs and targeting the security forces," the NIA has mentioned in the chargesheet, according to a source.

The NIA official said that the supplementary charge sheet was filed against two accused - Sukhram Ramtai alias Sukhram Tamariya and Jaiki Paradhi alias Jaiki - under various sections, including murder, of the IPC, the Explosive Substance Act and the Unlawful Activities(Prevention) Act before the NIA Special Court, Ranchi.

"The case relates to an IED blast that took place on March 4, 2021 in Lanji Forest Hill Area, located under PS Toklo, Chakradharpur, West Singhbhum, Jharkhand resulting in the death of three personnel of Jharkhand Jaguar (STF). Three persons including ASI of CRPF had suffered grievous injuries," said the NIA official.

Initially a case was lodged with the Toklo Police Station, but in view the gravity of the matter, the case was transferred to the NIA. The NIA formed a team of officials, recorded the testimonies of a lot of people and collected incriminating documents. After collecting a lot of evidence, the NIA decided to submit the charge sheet.

On September 7, 2021, the NIA had filed the charge sheet against 19 accused persons.
TRIPOLI, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan House of Representatives, or the parliament, announced on Tuesday the conditions it has set for serving as the country's next prime minister.

The conditions for the premiership was approved in the presence of Speaker Aguila Saleh, his first and second deputies, and 120 deputies in the 200-seat parliament, said Abdullah Blehig, the parliament spokesman, in a statement published on his official Facebook account.

The next prime minister must not be a foreign citizen, must resign from their current public position, and must sign a pledge not to run for the upcoming elections, according to the statement.

Saleh previously said the current Government of National Unity had "expired" and demanded an investigation into the government on its spending and misuse of power.

In September last year, the House of Representatives withdrew confidence from the Government of National Unity and made it a caretaker government.

The Government of National Unity, headed by Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah, was selected by the UN-sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in February 2021, ending years of political division in the North African country.

Libya should have held a presidential election on Dec. 24 last year. However, the election was postponed indefinitely over technical and legal issues, according to the High National Elections Commission. 
Kolkata, Jan 26 : That the incident at the Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday where West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar sharply criticised Speaker Biman Banerjee and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has had its effect on the relationship between the constitutional head and administrative head of the state became evident on Wednesday when the two maintained a formal distance at the Republic Day parade here.

Maintaining the protocol, Mamata Banerjee arrived at Red Road at 10.30 a.m., a few minutes before the arrival of the Governor. Following the decorum, the Chief Minister greeted the Governor on his arrival before the 30-minute programme commenced, shortened due to the prevailing Covid situation in the state.

Flanked by Speaker Biman Banerjee, the Chief Minister watched the tableau on Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose that was earlier rejected by the Centre along with the contingents of the Indian Army and Indian Navy, but she was hardly seen interacting with Dhankhar who sat a few yards away from her.

It was evident from the stony silence between the two state heads that Dhankhar's remarks on Tuesday didn't go down well with the Trinamool Congress supremo.

Political observers feel that this distance was inevitable in the wake of the continuing tussle between the state government and the Governor.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The US Embassy in New Delhi on Wednesday greeted Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella, Alphabet and Google's Sundar Pichai, and Madhur Jaffrey, unarguably the First Lady of Global Indian Cuisine, for being honoured with Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award in the country, which were announced on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day on Tuesday.

The trio, all settled in the US now, are among 17 persons who have been named for the prestigious Padma Bhushan award.

"Congratulations to @madhurjaffrey @satyanadella and @sundarpichai for being awarded the distinguished service Padma Bhushan award for their contributions in the culinary and technology sectors! A warm congrats to all #PadmaAward winners," the US Embassy tweeted on Wednesday.

Pichai Sundararajan -- better known as Sundar Pichai -- earned his degree from IIT Kharagpur in metallurgical engineering.

Moving to the US, he earned an MS from Stanford University in materials science and engineering and further earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Pichai began his career as a materials engineer. After a short stint at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co, he joined Google in 2004, and the rest is history.

Pichai was picked up as the next CEO of Google on August 10, 2015, after previously being appointed Product Chief by CEO Larry Page. He was appointed to the Alphabet Board of Directors in 2017.

Nadella studied at the Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, before receiving a bachelor's in electrical engineering from the Manipal Institute of Technology in Karnataka in 1988.

He then moved to the US to study for an MS in computer science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, earning the degree in 1990.

Later, he received an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1997.

He is currently the Executive Chairman and CEO of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Ballmer in 2014 as CEO and John W. Thompson in 2021 as Chairman.

Jaffrey is an acclaimed actress, food and travel writer, and television personality. She is recognised for bringing Indian cuisine to the western hemisphere with her debut cookbook, 'An Invitation to Indian Cooking' (1973), which was inducted into the James Beard Foundation's Cookbook Hall of Fame in 2006.

She has written over a dozen cookbooks and appeared on several television programmes, the most notable of which was 'Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery', which premiered in the UK in 1982.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Noted author Shantanu Gupta, who has written two bestseller titles on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, has started a multi-city book tour of the US from this week.

During the visit, Gupta will attend multiple events organised by the Indian diaspora and talk about his two books on Adityanath - 'The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh' and 'The Monk Who Became Chief Minister'.

Gupta said that a spiritual organisation, Om Kriya Yog, and World NRI Association along with many other Indian bodies are organising book discussion events in more than a dozen states/cities of the US -- in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Washington DC, North Carolina, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

Gupta said that in the light of the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, many non-resident Indians were curious and wanted to know about UP's growth story under a monk Chief Minister -- Yogi Adityanath -- and this book tour caters to that.

The author added that people have seen how Adityanath has taken Uttar Pradesh from a 'Bimaru Pradesh' to a state which is first in the implementation of 45 Central government schemes, second in GSDP, second in Ease of Doing Business, among many other such positive indices.

Gupta said that in December last year, after the release of his book 'The Monk Who Transformed Uttar Pradesh', he did two big online launches of his book for the Indian diaspora in Europe and Australia.

In the book discussion organised by the overseas friends of the BJP for the diaspora in 13 cities of Europe, Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi and BJP's foreign cell head Vijay Chauthaiwale shared their thoughts along with author Gupta.

Trivedi applauded his college junior Gupta's work and added that Uttar Pradesh has seen a sea of positive change during Yogi Adityanath's tenure.

Ex-director at Infosys, Mohandas Pai, who has written the foreword for the book, has congratulated Gupta for his latest book tour of the US.

"When Yogi Adityanath took over as CM, Lutyens' Delhi exploded in anger and derision," Pai said.

"They questioned his capability to be CM, abused him roundly, and predicted the total failure of his regime. They forget that he was a five-time MP, a person of great accomplishment as an MP going by his track record in the Parliament, who had toured most districts of UP and knew the living conditions of the people of UP more than any of his critics," he added.

"Uttar Pradesh was disparaged as 'bimaru' and was known for governance based on identity politics rather than all-around development, 'Sabka Vikas'. Shantanu Gupta's book is an important contribution to how an effective leader, rooted in India's ancient ethos while looking for apt solutions for contemporary times, can bring about real change," said Sankrant Sanu, Founder-CEO of Garuda Prakashan, the publisher of the book.

Mata Rajyalaxmi of Om Kriya Yog said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is training new sets of next generation leaders under him, and Yogi Adityanath is one of them.
New York, Jan 26 : The Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index just in has ranked Microsoft boss, Satya Nadella, as the top CEO in the world.

Nadella, a first-generation Indian immigrant to the US, "has been credited with overhauling Microsoft's fortunes by changing its culture towards one of teamwork, innovation, and inclusivity, and instilling a growth mindset throughout the business".

Three other Indian-origin expat CEOs rank high: Sundar Pichai of Google is at 5, Shantanu Narayan of Adobe at 6, and Puneet Renjen of Deloitte at 14.

N. Chandrasekhar of the Tatas is at 25 in the list and Anand Mahindra of M&M and Mukesh Ambani of Reliance are at 41 and 42, respectively. State Bank of India's Dinesh Kumar Khara is at 46.

The top 10 of the Brand Finance ranking is dominated by CEOs (referred to repeatedly as brand guardians) from the tech and media sectors.

Tech boasts six of the top ten - Tim Cook is in second place, having overseen Apple become the first to hit a $3 trillion market valuation.

Cook is followed by CEOs of household tech names: Tencent's Huateng Ma at 4, Pichai at 5, and Netflix's Reed Hastings at 7.

AMD CEO Lisa Su is a new entrant at 10. This makes her the highest-ranked female.

She newly qualifies for the ranking as AMD has propelled into the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 after a 122 per cent brand value growth over the past year.

Su steered AMD through a global chip shortage during the pandemic and came out the other side boasting record revenues.

Her leadership of a tech company is unfortunately a rarity, with most being run by males.

This is reflected in the ranking, as the rise in the number of tech brands has come hand in hand with a decrease in the number of female CEOs in the top 100 - from eight in 2021 to five this year.

At a country level, the index mirrors the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking, with the US and China leading the way. There are 101 CEOs from the US, which represents 40 per cent of the index, and 47 from China, which represents 19 per cent.

Brand guardians from these two countries head up a number of key sectors: Jianjun Wei of Great Wall in Automobiles at 3, Patricia Griffith of Progressive Insurance at 11, Xiongjun Ding of Moutai Spirits at 12, and Baoan Xin of State Grid Utilities at 13.

Among the Americans, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America is at 16, Ramon Laguarta of Pepsi at 17, Andy Jassy of Amazon is at 23.

The highest-ranked CEO outside of the US and China monopoly is ADNOC brand guardian Sultan Al Jaber at 15. He is also the top-scoring leader in the oil and gas sector. Aside from ADNOC, Sultan holds senior positions in the UAE government, and in promoting the diversification and growth of the UAE economy.

CEOs of the three UAE brands from the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking all feature and record higher scores than last year, with Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Emirates at 34th and Etisalat's Hatem Dowidar at 79.

Apple has retained the title of the world's most valuable brand following a 35 per cent increase to $355.1 billion - the highest brand value ever recorded in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking.

Apple used 2022 to be effective to a much broader range of services.

The iPhone still accounts for around half of the brand's sales. However, this year saw Apple give more attention to its other suite of products with a new generation of iPads, an overhaul to the iMac, and introduction of AirTags. Its range of services, from Apple Pay to Apple TV, has had increasing importance to the brand's success, the report noted.

"Privacy and the environment are salient topics, and Apple bolstered its credentials on both fronts. This is evidenced by a greater transparency of the App Store's privacy policy, reinforcing the trust customers have in the brand, and the announcement that more of Apple's manufacturing partners will be moving to 100 percent renewable energy, as the company aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030." Tripling in brand value over the past year, TikTok is the world's fastest-growing brand. With 215 per cent growth, the app's brand value has increased from $18.7 billion in 2021 to $59.0 billion. Claiming 18th spot among the world's top 500 most valuable brands, Tik Tok is the highest new entrant to the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking.

Overall, media brands accounted for the top 3 fastest-growing brands in the ranking - with another social media app, Snapchat, brand value up 184 per cent to $6.6 billion and South Korean internet brand Kakao, brand value up 161% to $4.7 billion, following closely behind TikTok.

Snapchat saw increased daily usage and revenues grow by 77 per cent in the first 9 months of 2021, with the popularity of its short-form video feature, Spotlight, being a key driver.

Other notable performers from the media sector include those that offer streaming services, with Disney (brand value up 11 per cent to $57.0 billion), Netflix (brand value up 18 per cent $29.4 billion), YouTube (brand value up 38 per cent to $23.9 billion), and Spotify (brand value up 13 per cent to $6.3 billion).

Traditional media brands have seen a continued decline, with people favouring social media platforms and on-demand streaming in their place.

The tech sector remained the most valuable in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking, with a cumulative brand value of close to $1.3 trillion. In total, 50 tech brands feature in the ranking, however, the brand value is largely attributable to three big players, with Apple, Microsoft (brand value $184.2 billion), and Samsung Group (brand value $107.3 billion) together accounting for more than 50 per cent of the total brand value in the sector.

Closely behind them, Huawei managed to reclaim its place among the top 10 most valuable brands in the world, following 29 per cent growth to $71.2 billion. Huawei's smartphone business was hit by US sanctions, but it reacted positively by heavily stepping up investment in both domestic technology companies and R&D, as well as turning its focus to cloud services.

Brand Finance is an independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy headquartered in London.

(Nikhila Natarajan tracks big tech trends, tweets @byniknat)
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Delhi residents, who have been victims of a house theft or burglary, now don't have to visit a police station to lodge a case.

Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, on Wednesday launched the citizen service app where common people can lodge E-FIR for the incidents of house theft and burglary.

A senior police official said that this service has been activated in the e-FIR application for registration of theft cases.

"This activation is a milestone in the series of web applications developed by Delhi Police to enable the complainants to register FIR and receive a copy of the same instantly without going to a police station.A These transformations have made the life of citizens simpler through hassle-free registration, and will facilitate speedy investigation and systematic documentation," said the official.

The main objective of launching this service is to benefit Delhities to immediately lodge the FIR, and facilitate investigating officer to complete investigation steps and documentation, and timely dispose of the cases.

It will reduce the pendency of cases at police stations and courts.

"People will be able to lodge FIR under Sections 379 (theft), 380 (theft in dwelling house), 454 (lurking trespass or house-breaking) of IPC without visiting any police station. The application shall have the provision to add/delete section(s) of law in the CD module as per the facts revealed in the investigation," said the police official.

A copy of the digitally signed FIR will be immediately despatched to the area SHO, senior officers and designated court.

The senior police official said that this will help the Delhi Police to curb such cases and will also help the people.
New Delhi, Jan 26 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday mourned the demise of Milena Salvini, the Italy-born French exponent and teacher of Indian classical dance form Kathakali, who was honoured with the Padma Shri in 2019.

Salvini passed away on Tuesday at the age of 84.

The Indian Embassy in France tweeted on Wednesday: "One of the finest exponents of Kathakali, Padma Shri Milena Salvini passed away yesterday; As a founder director of 'Centre Mandapa' in Paris, she promoted & taught Indian dance & music for more than four decades in France. Deepest condolences." Mourning her demise, Modi tweeted, "Milena Salvini will be remembered for her passion towards Indian culture. She made numerous efforts to further popularise Kathakali across France. I am anguished by her passing away. My thoughts are with her family and well-wishers. May her soul rest in peace." Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu also sent a condolence message, saying: "Saddened to learn about the passing away of Milena Salvini. An exponent of Kathakali, Milena Salvini played an important role in promoting Indian dance and music for over four decades in France. My deepest condolences to her family members. May her soul rest in peace." Salvini along with her husband had opened the Mandapa Center in Paris in 1975 to teach Indian classical dance to the western world. She had also arranged the famed Kutiyattam troupe's Europe tour with the help of UNESCO in 1980 and again in 1999.
Bengaluru, Jan 26 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Wednesday said insecurity is haunting former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah as he thinks that "state Congress president D.K. Shivakumar has overtaken him".

"The tussle between these two will force many in Congress to desert their party in the coming days. There is no question of any one from BJP going there," Bommai said.

Addressing a press conference, he took a dig at DK Shivakumar, who is claiming that many in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are set to join Congress.

"First, he (Shivakumar) had claimed that many BJP MLAs are in contact with him and they are about to join him. Now, he is claiming that they would join Congress when the elections approach. It means his earlier statement was a lie," Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said there has been no reply for the question as to who are the MLAs who are set to desert BJP. "There is an internal tussle within Congress," Bommai said.

"The Congress is non-existent in Uttar Pradesh assembly election. It is losing power in Punjab. It is nowhere in a position to win in Goa. So Congress will become irrelevant after the assembly election in 5 states. Its effect would be felt on the Karnataka Congress too," Bommai said.

On asked if any Congress MLA is in touch with the BJP, Bommai said: "I have not said anything like that." Replying to a question about former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy's statement that nobody could form a government without JD-S' support after the election, Bommai said: "It has always been his (HDK's) wish. He feels that a hung mandate would give him the freedom."
New Delhi, Jan 26 : The Youth Congress on Wednesday condemned the BJP for police action on railway job aspirants in Bihar and on university students in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

Expressing concern over these incidents, Youth Congress President Srinivas B.V. said that the "three weapons of the BJP government are atrocities, excesses and crime".

"Today, where there is a BJP government, there is atrocities against the youth. The double engine government of Bihar is betraying the aspirations and hopes of the students. Police brutality on students protesting against malpractices in examination results exposes the authoritarian character of the government," he said.

He said the Constitution has given every citizen the right to protest, "but it is also a crime to demand their rights in the jungle raj of UP. In the 'crime' of seeking employment, the police are beating up the students by entering hostels and lodges".

"On the eve of Republic Day, the police of dictator Ajay Bisht (UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath) has given a message to the youth of Uttar Pradesh that the right to protest has now been taken away in this republic, which is very condemnable." Srinivas said the Congress is with youth power, and justice will be done. He also said that the "dictatorial" BJP government will not be able to win in the republic in front of this power of youth.
New Delhi, Jan 27 : In a bid to woo voters from the Jat community ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday met Jat leaders and said that his relationship with the community goes back a long time.

Shah interacted with over 200 leaders from the Jat community in the national capital.

He said that both the BJP and the Jat community have similar views on important issues.

Describing Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav as an outsider, Shah asked the Jat leaders "why do you bring outsiders in a fight within the house?" Taking a note of the soft corner among the Jats for RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary, Shah said, "Jayant has chosen the wrong house this time." Expressing gratitude to the Jat voters for always supporting the BJP, the Home Minister claimed that no one, except Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave respect to farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait.

During the meeting, issues related to the situation in western Uttar Pradesh before 2017, Muzaffarnagar riots during the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government, the grand Ram Temple being built in Ayodhya during the Modi-Yogi government and Jat reservation were also discussed.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Union minister and Lok Sabha MP from Muzaffarnagar, Sanjeev Balyan, said that the Jat community has always supported the BJP.

Some people also raised the issue of Jat reservation, to which the Home Minister said that it is also in his mind.

Balyan also claimed that no one in western Uttar Pradesh wants Akhilesh Yadav to be the next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
Bhopal, Jan 27 : Two persons were injured after a drone camera fell on them during the Republic Day celebrations in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur on Wednesday.

A large number of people had gathered to witness the Republic Day function at Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla stadium. While the programme was underway, a drone camera fell on two spectators.

Those sustained injuries during the event have been identified as Indu Kunjam (38) and Gangotri Kunjam (18). They have been admitted at local district hospital for medical assistance, the police said.

The injured individuals had come to participate in a tribal dance in the Republic Day function when the incident occurred at the stadium.

"They have received minor injuries and are undergoing treatment at a hospital," said Additional Superintendent of Police Rohit Kashwani.

Both belong to the tribal community from Dindori district, and had travelled to Jabalpur to participate in the Republic Day function.
Staff members examine a white tiger cub at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 25, 2022. Consisting of a male and a female, a pair of twin white tigers which were born at the park on Dec. 6, 2021, made their debut here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A pair of white tiger twins are seen at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 25, 2022. Consisting of a male and a female, a pair of twin white tigers which were born at the park on Dec. 6, 2021, made their debut here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Staff members hold a pair of white tiger twins at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 25, 2022. Consisting of a male and a female, a pair of twin white tigers which were born at the park on Dec. 6, 2021, made their debut here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A pair of white tiger twins are seen at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 25, 2022. Consisting of a male and a female, a pair of twin white tigers which were born at the park on Dec. 6, 2021, made their debut here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

Staff members hold a pair of white tiger twins at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 25, 2022. Consisting of a male and a female, a pair of twin white tigers which were born at the park on Dec. 6, 2021, made their debut here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)

A staff member holds a white tiger cub at the Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Jan. 25, 2022. Consisting of a male and a female, a pair of twin white tigers which were born at the park on Dec. 6, 2021, made their debut here on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Bhopal, Jan 27 : A Muslim man who was recently dragged out of a train at Ujjain railway station in Madhya Pradesh by a group of Bajrang Dal members has now been arrested for allegedly forcing the Hindu woman, who was travelling with him, to convert to Islam.

The man, identified as Asif Shaikh, and the woman were pulled out of a Ajmer-bound train on January 14 by the members of Bajrang Dal, who accused him of love jihad. Both were later handed over to the railway police, which after recording the statements of their parents, let them off.

The action was taken after the woman lodged a complaint against Shaikh at Mhow police station, claiming that he was forcing her for conversion.

According to police, an FIR against Shaikh was registered on Sunday and he was arrested on Monday.

The woman told the police that her husband's friend (Shaikh), who is a resident of Azad Nagar, Indore, used to frequently visit to her home and was introduced to her by her husband.

According to the FIR, taking benefit of the friendship, Shaikh clicked private photographs of the complainant and started threatening that he will upload her photographs on social media. He was forcing the woman to convert to Islam and marry him.

"To protect the dignity of my family and my own, I was forced to follow all his instructions," read the FIR copy available with IANS.

"The victim has accused Shaikh of blackmailing and pressuring her for conversion. He has been booked under the Indian Penal Code Section 384 (extortion) and the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 202," said a senior police official.

The matter came to light after a couple of video of the incident went viral on social media.

Superintendent of Police (GRP) of Ujjian, Nivedita Gupta had then said, "Bajrang Dal members had brought the man and woman alleging Love Jihad, however, when questioned it was found that they were family friends and both are adults. There was no offence. They were let scot-free after the statements of their parents were recorded." In one of the purported videos of the incident, woman was seen screaming on Bajrang Dal members. She was heard saying that she is a teacher and man is her family friend; their (Bajrang Dal members) one misunderstanding "will ruin her image".
Bengaluru, Jan 27 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's ambitious programme 'Grama One', aimed at providing the government services at doorstep, was launched in 3,026 Gram Panchayats on Wednesday. It would be extended all over the state by the end of March, the Chief Minister announced.

Speaking after launching the programme virtually in 12 districts, he said that the 'Grama One' has been launched with an objective of taking the government services to the doors of the people without making them spend time and money.

The programme intends to provide Adhar Card, Ration Card and other services related to departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Revenue, Women and Child Welfare. It would also reduce the rush at Taluk offices and effect decentralisation of power, he said.

The programme will provide "uninterrupted services" to the public with the aid of technology and modern equipment. The service has been launched in 3,026 Gram Panchayats of 12 districts. It will restore people's faith in the functioning of the government through efficient services, Bommai said.

Modern technology is playing a key role in taking the villages from Gram Swaraj to Gram Suraj. It is realising the ideals of Gram Swaraj of Gandhi and Gram Suraj of Vajpayee, Bommai said.

The Chief Minister suggested the legislators and ministers to spread awareness about 'Grama One' among the people. About 6 lakh requests were received and services were provided during the experimental stage of the programme. Tehsildars and Assistant Commissioners play a key role in the success of 'Grama One', he said.
Washington, Jan 27 : The US Coast Guard has said that they had recovered the body of one of the people that were missing after a vessel capsized off the southeastern US state of Florida, while the search for the rest of the 38 people was underway.

"We did recover one deceased body who will be transferred to shore today in Fort Pierce, and we continue to search for other survivors," Jo-Ann Burdian, the Coast Guard's sector commander for Miami was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

She said the Coast Guard cutter crew and aircraft had been searching for survivors throughout the day on Tuesday and into the night, and had searched an area of roughly 7,500 nautical miles, or about the size of the state of New Jersey, adding that searching conditions on Wednesday "are very good." The Coast Guard in a statement on Tuesday said "a good Samaritan" rescued a man clinging to a capsized vessel approximately 45 miles east of Fort Pierce Inlet in Florida.

"The survivor reported he left Bimini, Bahamas, with 39 other people Saturday night and encountered severe weather, causing the vessel to capsize. According to the survivor, no one was wearing a life jacket," the statement said.

Burdian said the survivor was retrieved by Coast Guard vessel and transferred ashore for medical care. The survivor's condition was stable.

The Coast Guard suspected that it was a "human smuggling venture." Burdian said the Department of Homeland Security is leading an investigation of the facts and backgrounds surrounding the incident.
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Just 4 years ago, SOLEDIER SOCKS was processing their first order; now they are being featured on national news.

SOLEDIER SOCKS is a woman-owned business who gives back a pair of socks to America's troops and veterans for every pair purchased! Their socks are proudly made here in the USA, and since 2017, they have donated over 30,000 pairs of socks and $20,000 to nonprofits benefiting the military community.

Whether you are hiking the outdoors, working out, or working in an office, socks are a basic need - and having a good quality pair can make a big impact. Poor quality socks can lead to blisters, which throw off your gait. For our service members who carry 50+ pounds of equipment, this can easily lead to more complicated issues with their knees, hips, and backs.

This feature on the Today Show will help SOLEDIER SOCKS increase their impact in 2022, with a goal of donating 50,000 pairs of socks and giving at least $25,000 in monetary donations to their partner nonprofits! Their goal is to donate a pair of socks to every member of our active duty military by 2027.

They say that the best part about their work is the hands on experiences with service members and veterans! They have a unique opportunity to interact with these men and women, getting to know each person and listen to their stories.
Simply said, ODS is a sales and marketing insurance policy!

ODS today announced the decision to postpone its world premiere by 4 weeks to help Orthopedics organizations around the world combat the negative impact of Covid-19 on their 2022 business goals.

Trade shows and conventions stopped for most of 2020 and 2021 with the Covid-19 pandemic. After a few months of calm toward the end of 2021, the world is now back in Covid mode with millions of new Omicron cases per day in January 2022 and a peak expected in February or March.

The Pressure on brick-and-mortar events organizers and orthopedic stakeholders is tremendous, as everyone is navigating complicated market conditions with an uncertain future. In addition, most companies in the Ortho space have ambitious growth plans and must communicate and engage the market.

Guillaume Viallaneix, ODS Co-founder stated, As the premiere virtual event in Orthopedics, the Ortho Digital Symposium is the solution of choice for all those looking to push forward in the early part of 2022. With ODS, all the stakeholders in Orthopedics have an opportunity to exhibit, organize live events and most important do business, no matter what happens with the pandemic. Simply said, ODS is a sales and marketing insurance policy!

There is still time for companies to get a booth and organize one or several live events during the show. The ODS team is in action to help those looking to explore new business solutions in the new reality.

Registration for the March 2-4th, 2022 symposium is opened. Attendees can register for free by clicking here; Exhibitors by clicking here.

About ODS

The Ortho Digital Symposium (ODS) is produced by MedTech Digital Symposiums, LLC. (MDS), a joint venture between MedTech Momentum, Inc. in the United States, and SYNTHES3D, SAS. in Europe (France). Created in 2021, MedTech Digital Symposiums leverages the founders decades of MedTech industry experience, virtual networks expertise, and global reach, to address the unmet digital connectivity needs in the MedTech space. ODS is the first symposium to be launched; others are in the works in other specialties.

Media Contact:

Guillaume Viallaneix

Ortho Digital Symposium, Partner

guillaume@orthodigitalsymposium.com

+1 321-946-1301
Rich Weidrick, President, Advanced Resources, LLC Hes a great fit for Advanced and will provide instrumental advice to our engineers and helpful assistance to our customers.

Advanced Resources, LLC, a leading automotive product development firm in Northeast Ohio, announced that Greg Changet recently joined their G Force Performance Products team. Changet has 25 years of experience working in the automotive industry. He has also owned a race car and successfully driven on the UMTR circuit for many years. Through his practical knowledge, Changet brings a unique perspective on the performance goals of products designed by Advanced Resources.

Over his career, Changet has held various positions spanning from sales, customer service, and technical support, to purchasing and inventory management.

A US Navy Veteran, Changets automotive background and mechanical knowledge bring valuable insights into product development and customer support at Advanced.

Advanced Resources President Rich Weidrick noted, We are happy to have Greg on the team. Weve had a long-standing relationship with him. Hes a great fit for Advanced and will provide instrumental advice to our engineers and helpful assistance to our customers.

Changet said, Im excited to help create new products and see them through the process from engineering and design to manufacturing and delivery to our customers. The engineers at Advanced always consider the end-user, and along with quality, strength, and durability, ease of installation is an important aspect of their designs. From my own experience, I know how important those things are and cant wait to be a part of the next generation of products coming from Advanced, he concluded.

G Force ProductsPerformance engineered from start to finish

Follow us on Facebook or Instagram @gforceperformanceproducts.
The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB), the premier organization representing higher education governing boards, in partnership with TIAA, a Fortune 100 financial services organization dedicated to helping its clients pursue financial well-being, today announced that it has selected six boards to receive the 2022 John W. Nason Award for Board Leadership. Established in 1992, the Nason Award is presented to higher education governing boards that demonstrate exceptional leadership and initiative. In addition to confronting the significant effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the recipients of this years award addressed pressing issues related to justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion (JDE&I).

This years honorees were chosen from a diverse array of nominations illustrating the essential work of boards from public and private institutions, statewide systems, and institutionally related foundations. Four of the award recipients were recognized particularly for the work of the board and institution regarding JDE&I. The other two recipients were recognized for the leadership of the board in an institutional turnaround amid financial upheaval. This years Nason Award recipients are:



Adler University Board of Trustees (IL)Keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront, the Adler University Board of Trustees championed social justice in its mission, deliberately moving beyond checking boxes toward addressing culture and systems. The board established an Anti-Racism and Inclusion Committee following a year of community consultation, completed a multiyear anti-racism and inclusion curriculum for board members, and is developing committee-specific equity lenses that, alongside other critical campus measures, are advancing transformation in culture across the university.

Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Foundation Board of TrusteesBeginning with a structural transformation that combined CCRIs institutionally related foundation and alumni association to better address institutional needs, the revitalized CCRI Foundation Board of Trustees championed three core initiatives intended to support student success: the Comeback Scholarship provides financial support to encourage previously enrolled students to return to CCRI, the Last Mile Scholarship supports the conversion from part-time to full-time attendance, and the Student Emergency Relief Fund provides critical basic needs and technology to support college persistence. These initiatives have contributed to increased enrollment and an improved two-year graduation rate for low-income students and students of color. Simultaneously, the board diversified its membership and adopted an equity agenda that undergirds the foundations strategic direction, and its members have led conversations about equity and healing within the community.

Pennsylvanias State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) Board of GovernorsAs many public universities nationwide grapple with fluctuating enrollments and evolving student needs, the PASSHE Board of Governors is overseeing an audacious effort to redesign the systems structure. The board embarked on a bold and innovative strategy with the chancellor and university stakeholders to lead the integration of six of its institutions as part of an overall system redesign that centers on advancing student success, promoting university vitality, and strengthening governance and accountability while leveraging institutional strengths.

Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU) Board of RegentsThe SCU Board of Regents worked in conjunction with senior administrators to reimagine core board and institutional priorities, including revisiting the universitys mission, vision, and values, and developed the capacity to oversee a revitalized academic program review and degree expansion, a more robust and sustainable budget process, and a growing graduation pipeline that partners with community colleges and other universities in the area. These changes directly contributed to a thriving institution that increased enrollment, financial health, and student and faculty satisfaction.

University of Memphis (UofM) Board of Trustees (TN)Since its inception in 2017, the UofM Board of Trustees has placed ensuring student successfor all studentsat the forefront of its responsibilities. Classified as an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education for the first time in history, UofMs top-tier research status solidified it as one of two flagship public institutions in Tennessee. Through policies and programs designed to limit student debt, along with innovative campus partnerships that provide financial support and real-world job experience to students, the board has played a key role in increasing graduation rates, fostering a sense of belonging and support on campus, and kindling economic opportunity for students and the surrounding Memphis region.

Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Board of VisitorsAs leaders of one of the largest and most ethnically and racially diverse universities in Virginia, the VCU Board of Visitors understood that for prominent institutional symbols, representation matters. With diversity, equity, and inclusion woven into its core, the board took steps to create a transparent, overarching policy, University Recognition Through Naming, that determines how the university names physical and nonphysical entities at the university, and the VCU Committee on Commemorations and Memorials, which helped inform the board about the history and context of the various Confederate symbols on the VCU campus. In the end, the board unanimously approved the removal of such symbols from its campus to better reflect the diverse excellence of the university.

Strategic governing boards are critical to higher educations successnot only to the financial vitality of the institutions and foundations that higher education boards oversee but also for the millions of students who enroll and graduate every year. It is also evident that boards have an important role to play in elevating justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout campus and in the boardroom. We hope that recognizing boards who serve as dedicated, strategic thought partners with chief executives and leadership teams will give others the courage to lead in a similar fashion, said Henry Stoever, AGB president and CEO. I am excited to share and celebrate the great work and success that these honorees have achieved when we hold our upcoming events.

Recipients of the 2022 awards will be honored at AGBs Foundation Leadership Forum (Jan. 30 Feb. 1) and National Conference on Trusteeship (April 1214). This years selection committee included:

Ellen Chaffee, senior consultant and senior fellow, AGB Consulting

Elizabeth Davis, president, Furman University; chair, AGB Council of Presidents

Eleanor Horne, trustee and former chair, The College of New Jersey Board of Trustees; member, AGB Board of Directors

William Kirwan, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland; senior consultant and senior fellow, AGB Consulting; former president of The Ohio State University and the University of Maryland, College Park

Rae Mang, chair, the University of Cincinnati Foundation Board of Trustees; member, AGB Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group

Ada Porter, secretary and director, The Debs CenterAmerican University of Beirut New York Office; member, AGB Council of Board Professionals

Merrill Schwartz, senior vice president, content and program strategy, AGB

Laurene Sperling, chair, Duke University Board of Trustees; president, Sperling Family Charitable Foundation; member, AGB Board of Directors

Blaine Tamaki, chair, University of Washington Board of Regents; trial attorney, law offices in Yakima, Kennewick, and Bellevue, Washington; member, AGB Council of Board Chairs and Justice, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group

The Nason award is named for higher education leader John W. Nason, who served as the chair of the National Japanese American Student Relocation Council and helped more than 4,000 interned students continue their college studies across the nation during World War II. AGB would like to thank TIAA for its support of the Nason Award. Learn more about AGBs Nason Award at AGB.org/Award.

About AGB

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is the premier membership organization that strengthens higher education governing boards and the strategic roles they serve within their organizations. Through our vast library of resources, educational events, and consulting services, and with 100 years of experience, we empower 40,000 AGB members from more than 2,000 institutions and foundations to navigate complex issues, implement leading practices, streamline operations, and govern with confidence. AGB is the trusted resource for board members, chief executives, and key administrators on higher education governance and leadership.

About TIAA

TIAA is a Fortune 100 financial services organization dedicated to helping its clients pursue financial well-being.

We were founded more than a century ago as the vision of one of historys great philanthropists, Andrew Carnegie, to make a difference in the lives of teachers. Since then, we have helped millions at academic, medical, research, and cultural organizationsthe people whose work makes the world a better placeretire with financial security.

Today, we are a global asset manager with $1.3 trillion1 in assets under management. Our investment model and long-term approach aim to benefit the five million people and more than 15,000 institutions we serve.2

As we pursue powerful performance that can help drive better outcomes for our clients, we are committed to growing, innovating, continually improving, and building on our proud history of diversity and inclusion. For more information, please visit TIAA.org.

[1.] As of September 30, 2021, assets under management across Nuveen Investments affiliates and TIAA investment management teams are $1.3 trillion.

[2.] As of December 31, 2020. Institutional clients include both unique institutional clients with retirement plans and those with Keogh plans.
Alaina Gilligo joins Gilbane Building Company to advance strategic initiatives in New York. We welcome Alainas exceptional expertise and strategic approach to navigating priorities that advance the goals of the Citys most critical institutions, said John LaRow, Senior Vice President, New York.

Gilbane Building Company is pleased to announce that Alaina Gilligo has joined as Senior Project Executive, based in the New York City office. Ms. Gilligo will represent the Gilbane Building Company and its operational priorities to advance overall strategic initiatives across its diverse New York portfolio, with a focus on its client partnerships with public sector and mission-driven organizations.

We welcome Alainas exceptional expertise and strategic approach to navigating priorities that advance the goals of the Citys most critical institutions, said John LaRow, Senior Vice President, New York. Alainas unparalleled experience in public sector operations and her extensive relationships across leaders in government, business, and mission-driven organizations will be a clear differentiator for our clients in New York and throughout the companys portfolio.

I look forward to working with the entire Gilbane team as they partner with clients to realize some of the most impactful and transformative projects across New York City, said Alaina Gilligo. Gilbane is known for its commitment to economic inclusion and I am excited to bring my knowledge and experience to drive even deeper impact through the projects we build.

Ms. Gilligo has a 20-year background in City and State government in New York, most recently as First Deputy Comptroller in the Office of the New York City Comptroller where she oversaw the Comptrollers (New York Citys CFO) office of 16 bureaus and 780 people, with an operating budget of $110 million and $260 billion in assets (the fourth-largest public pension fund in the country). Her efforts advanced nationally-recognized campaigns to diversify corporate boardrooms and C-Suites of some of the nations largest companies, drove a strategic plan to address climate risk in NYC Retirement Systems (NYCRS) portfolios, appointed the citys first Chief Diversity Officer and overhauled purchasing within the Comptrollers Office such that 50 cents of every dollar now goes to a minority- or women-owned business.

She previously served as Chief of Staff to the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, which led to successful negotiations for expansions of three major universities (Columbia, Fordham, NYU) during the citys land-use review process, building engagement and trust with affected communities, preserving neighborhoods and creating thousands of jobs. Early in her career, Ms. Gilligo also managed communications and policy research initiatives in the New York State legislature.

Ms. Gilligo previously held board positions at the NYC Economic Development Corporation and the New York Hall of Science.

Ms. Gilligo earned her Master of Public Administration in Public and Nonprofit Management & Policy from NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Barnard College, Columbia University.

About Gilbane Building Company

Gilbane Building Company provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services  from pre-construction planning and integrated consulting capabilities to comprehensive construction management, close-out and facility management services  for clients across various markets. A family business founded in 1870, Gilbane has active participation from the 4th, 5th and 6th generations of the Gilbane family.

Since 1949, Gilbane has delivered construction services in New York State for clients across diverse market sectors, including commercial office, multi-unit and high rise residential, cultural, education, healthcare, public sector, science and technology, and mission-critical.

Gilbane Building Company was named by Engineering News-Record New York as the 2021 Contractor of the Year.

For more information, visit http://www.gilbaneco.com.


Dan Lambe Trees are rightfully being treated as a solution to some of the worlds biggest problems and the Arbor Day Foundation is focused now more than ever on planting trees where they have the greatest impact on our climate, communities and biodiversity. - Dan Lambe, CEO of the Arbor Day Foundation

The Arbor Day Foundation Board of Trustees elevated Dan Lambe to Chief Executive at its board meeting today, Jan. 26. The move makes Lambe only the third CEO in the Foundations 50-year history.

The Foundation has done so much good for the world in its first 50 years and I am honored and energized to lead the organization into its next chapter as people need trees and forests more than ever before, Lambe said. Trees are rightfully being treated as a solution to some of the worlds biggest problems and the Arbor Day Foundation is focused now more than ever on planting trees where they have the greatest impact on our climate, communities and biodiversity.

Started in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the worlds largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees with more than a million members, supporters and partners worldwide. Its mission is to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.

Lambe has been with the Foundation for the past 17 years, most recently as president since 2014. He is a sought-after voice in the conservation community, serving on a multitude of boards and task forces, including the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the World Economic Forums 1T.org U.S. Chapter.

Dan is a natural convener, collaborator and relationship-builder and the network that he and the team at the Arbor Day Foundation have built has propelled the organization to new heights over the last several years, said Pat Covey, Arbor Day Foundation Board of Trustees chair. As the Arbor Day Foundation celebrates 50 years of planting and distributing almost 500 million trees in more than 50 countries, nobody is better suited than Dan to assume the role of chief executive of our organization, and we look forward to the continued leadership and impact he and the team will have on critical reforestation efforts in the coming years.

While the Foundation has helped to plant and distribute almost 500 million trees globally in five decades, its work has been accelerating of late. Just last year alone, the Foundation helped to plant almost 40 million trees, which is the equivalent of replanting all the trees in New York Citys Central Park every 7 hours for a year.

Lambe takes over for Matt Harris, who announced last fall he planned to step down as Foundation CEO. Harris held the position since 2014, when he took over for the organizations founder, John Rosenow.

A native of Lincoln, Nebraska, Lambe graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1992.

About the Arbor Day Foundation

Founded in 1972, the Arbor Day Foundation has grown to become the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees, with more than one million members, supporters and valued partners. Since 1972, almost 500 million Arbor Day Foundation trees have been planted in neighborhoods, communities, cities and forests throughout the world. Our vision is to lead toward a world where trees are used to solve issues critical to survival.

As one of the world's largest operating conservation foundations, the Arbor Day Foundation, through its members, partners and programs, educates and engages stakeholders and communities across the globe to involve themselves in its mission of planting, nurturing and celebrating trees. More information is available at arborday.org.

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MACAO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China's Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) will stage parades next month to celebrate the Chinese New Year, the tourism office of the SAR government said on Wednesday.

The event, to be held on the 3rd day (Feb. 3) and the 12th day (Feb. 12) of the Lunar New Year, will involve 14 floats and 22 mainland and local performance teams.

In celebration of the Year of the Tiger, the parade will revolve around a story of the Tiger General's victory over a winged epidemic beast. A multimedia dance drama under the same theme will be also presented.

The office said a range of pandemic prevention measures will be adopted for the event, requiring audiences to present their valid Macao health code in green color, scan the venue code, undergo temperature checks and maintain social distance, in addition to wearing masks throughout the time on site.

All performers and staffers who participate in this event are required to have received two doses of COVID-19 vaccine or taken a nucleic acid test for COVID-19.

Having gradually developed into one of Macao's signature festive events, the parade was canceled in last year's Chinese New Year amid epidemic concerns. 
Bernadette Lindemer, a Philadelphia native who lost her husband, Jim, to lung cancer in 1996 and now resides with her three rescue dogs in North Carolina, where she enjoys writing, oil painting, and music, has completed her new book A Special Angel, A Special Friend: an uplifting true story of faith and spiritual understanding.

Bernadette and Jim Lindemer were living the good life. A happily married, well-rounded young couple who enjoyed the company of family and friends, raising their two dogs, Jake and Tess, and living busy, healthy, and productive lives in their very welcoming and comfortable home in the suburbs of Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Never in their most dreaded thoughts did they ever think that their lives would be shattered by death, but unfortunately, that did happen. Almost six months before Jims diagnosis, Bernadette had a dream that conveyed a mysterious message from what can only be described as a guardian angel. Who that guardian angel was and how he came to be involved in her journey started a series of unusual and sometimes almost crazy-sounding events that still continue to this day.

Published by Page Publishing, Bernadette Lindemers engrossing book is a poignant true story of loss and hope.

Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase A Special Angel, A Special Friend at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing understands that authors should be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
A Shield AI engineer watches as a V-BAT unmanned aircraft is launched from the deck of a small vessel during sea trials conducted on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard. "We love supporting our allies. It will take strong partnerships  technological, military, and economic  to maintain stability during challenging times. Sharing tech like the V-BAT strengthens strategic relationships and contributes to global stability"Brandon Tseng, Co-founder, Shield AI

Kongsberg Geospatial announced today they successfully conducted sea trials of the Shield AI V-BAT Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) on behalf of the Canadian Coast Guard, operating from a small cargo vessel far offshore in international waters.

The Canadian Coast Guard is conducting trials of the long-endurance Vertical Take-of and Landing (VTOL) UAS surveillance system for possible deployment on Canadian Coast Guard Vessels under a project funded by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC). The Shield AI V-BAT aircraft was selected due to its unique ability to combine VTOL from the small confines aboard ship with the long endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft while carrying multiple sensors.

Kongsberg Geospatial teamed with Shield AI to deploy the V-BAT VTOL UAS for a 3-day sea trial in international waters in the Gulf of Mexico. The trials tested the capability of the aircraft to provide rapid launch and recovery, long endurance, and confined space take-off and landing from a moving vessel in a variety of weather conditions  both during the day, and at night. In addition to tracking and identifying other ships at long ranges, the flights conducted a variety of simulated missions designed to emulate real-world situations where the Canadian Coast Guard would use the drones. These included locating and tracking dye patches that simulated wreckage or oil spills, and locating life preservers in choppy seas and in a variety of weather conditions.

The V-BAT operators used Kongsberg Geospatials IRIS UxS software to safely pilot the aircraft at long ranges from the launch vessel. The IRIS software provides a comprehensive situational awareness picture of the operational airspace, data from a variety of sensors and data feeds  and shows the location of other aircraft and surface ships, as well as the launch vessel and the ownship, or drone being operated.

Sensor data feeds from the cameras and sensors carried by the UAS were ingested, at real-time, into the Kongsberg Geospatial Modular ISR Data Analysis and Storage system (MIDAS). The MIDAS system records video and other data from the UAS, and serves as a mission intelligence coordinator to view current and historical sensor feeds of the UAS within a temporal and geospatial context to increase sensor utilization effectiveness.

While the sea conditions were perhaps a little rougher than expected, they were ideal for testing the launch and recovery capabilities of the V-BAT from a small ship under the kind of conditions you might expect during real operations, said Rex Hayes, a retired US Navy and Coast Guard officer and the Director of Unmanned Systems at Kongsberg Geospatial. We were also very pleased with the performance of IRIS and the MIDAS system when handling integrated sensor data feeds from extended missions.

Trials like these are important to the continued health of the industry, according to Brandon Tseng, Shield AIs cofounder and former U.S. Navy SEAL. "We love supporting our allies. It will take strong partnerships  technological, military, and economic  to maintain stability during challenging times. Sharing tech like the V-BAT strengthens strategic relationships and contributes to global stability. Our recent engagement with the Canadian Coast Guard and Kongsberg exemplifies our commitment to ensuring our allies have the cutting-edge technology and products they need!

This series of endurance trials is the second set of flight trials of the Shield AI V-BAT conducted by the Canadian Coast Guard. The first series of flight trials were conducted at a UAS test range in Oklahoma last year to establish flight characteristics of the aircraft.

ENDS ###

About Kongsberg Geospatial: Based in Ottawa, Canada, Kongsberg Geospatial (https://kongsberggeospatial.com), developer of the TerraLens Geospatial SDK, creates precision real-time software for air traffic control and UxS and situational awareness. The Companys products are primarily deployed in solutions for air-traffic control, Command and Control, and air defense. Over nearly three decades of providing dependable performance under extreme conditions, Kongsberg Geospatial has become the leading geospatial technology provider for mission-critical applications where lives are on the line. Kongsberg Geospatial is a subsidiary of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

About Shield AI: Shield AI is a venture-backed company built around a team of proven executives, warfighters with relevant national security experience, and world-class AI engineers. The company is headquartered in San Diego, CA with satellite offices across the United States and abroad. Shield AIs products and people are currently in the field actively supporting operations with the US Department of Defense and allies. The V-BAT, with its innovative, near-zero footprint vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) and long-endurance capabilities, is unlike any UAS on the market. Propelled by a single, ducted, thrust-vectored fan, it takes off and lands in the style of a SpaceX rocket. Its fully operational logistical footprint fits into the bed of a pickup truck or inside a Blackhawk helicopter, significantly reducing the total cost of capability. U.S. and international customers view the V-BAT as a flexible platform capable of performing Group 2 UAS to Group 4 UAS missions and beyond. For more information visit: Shield.AI

About the Canadian Coast Guard: Headquartered in Ottawa, the Canadian Coast Guard (https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/index-eng.html) is the coast guard of Canada. Founded in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue, communication, navigation and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and icebreaking, marine pollution response and providing support for other Canadian government initiatives. The coast guard operates 119 vessels of varying sizes and 23 helicopters, along with a variety of smaller craft.

About DRDC: Based in Ottawa, Canada, Defence Research and Development Canada (https://www.canada.ca/en/defence-research-development.html) is the Department of National Defences and Canadian Armed Forces science and technology organization. DRDC develops and delivers new technical solutions and advice for not only DND/CAF, but also other federal departments, and the safety and security communities.


We are passionate travelers and we are proud to showcase this passion for travel everyday by designing the most meticulously planned, authentically-rich travel experiences. Fittingly so, we are designating this year as our 50th Anniversary Passion for Travel Celebration

Central Holidays today announced that its 50th Anniversary year-long Passion for Travel celebration is kicking-off next month to commemorate this exciting milestone. To launch the festivities, Central Holidays has announced some of their plans for the international tour operator's anniversary that is set to start in February 2022 and run throughout the year.

The well-known travel brand has grown and expanded since its humble beginnings at its namesake location along Central Avenue in Jersey City Heights into an award-winning, global travel brand with a specialized travel industry sales team, destination management teams, and offices in destinations across the U.S., Europe, and Egypt  while always adhering to its its core values and dedication to the travel advisor community at the forefront.

Passion for travel is the soul of Central Holidays! It is a key cornerstone of our foundation. Passion and Vision is what keeps us going strong today as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary year as an award-winning, global travel brand, said Baher Ghabbour, Chairman and CEO of Sakkara Group International, parent company of Central Holidays. We are passionate travelers, enthusiastic about showing the amazing corners of the world to others, and we are proud to showcase this passion for travel everyday by designing the most meticulously planned, authentically-rich travel experiences. Fittingly so, we are designating this year as our 50th Anniversary Passion for Travel Celebration.

The values that Central Holidays embodies continue to shine in our exemplary and dedicated client service, destination expertise, and our unparalleled affordable-luxury travel programs, said Tewfik Ghattas, Board Member of Sakkara Group International. As we come to our golden anniversary, we invite you to celebrate this exciting milestone with us and enjoy a year of celebration in appreciation of our Travel Advisor, Consortia, and Host Agency Partners; our dedicated staff; and the hundreds of thousands of travelers who have lived their travel dreams with Central Holidays time and time again. Thank you for your continued support!

Central Holidays 50th Anniversary Passion for Travel celebration will last the whole year and will feature special offerings, opportunities, events, and awards starting next month with a booking bonus for travel advisors. Throughout the month of February 2022, travel advisors will receive a $50.00usd gift card for every booking of $2,500 or more with travel completed by Dec. 31, 2022, using code: CHBIG50.

For new bookings made starting February 1, 2022, travel advisors will also be entered into the running for awards and more elaborate travel prizes, culminating with a grand prize award. The top two runner-up travel advisors, based on sales, will each win a signature Central Holidays trip to Italy for two travelers that will include three nights in Rome, transfers, sightseeing, and a celebratory dinner! The #1 top-producing travel advisor for Central Holidays in 2022 will receive the companys BIG 50 Anniversary Prize: an amazing Trip to Egypt for two travelers, including a 2-night stay in Cairo and a 3-night Nile River Cruise sailing onboard the brand new, luxurious H/S NEBU.

Each month, Central Holidays will be announcing new special offers and promotions to keep the celebration going all year long.

About Central Holidays:

Founded in 1972, Central Holidays is an award-winning travel brand that offers superior travel programs, value, and service to enchanting destinations across Italy, Europe, Egypt, Africa, West Asia, and Latin America. As true destination specialists, this leader in travel offers an expansive range of Independent, Escorted, Hosted, and Land/Cruise itineraries. Central Holidays presents a wide array of diverse travel opportunities including cultural programs, culinary adventures, family vacations, romantic getaways, and active travel. Group Travel Experiences are a hallmark of the company, offering special interest travel, religious pilgrimages, and fully customized programs. Their newest brand, Journeys by Central Holidays, was created to orchestrate tailor-made travel experiences that redefine luxury. Central Holidays remains at the forefront of the tourism and travel industry, offering distinctive travel programs that support brand promises of reliability, expertise, and flexibility. For more information, contact Central Holidays at 1-800-935-5000 or visit centralholidays.com.
Leasing matters for credit union members, and our record-breaking numbers for 2021 prove it

Credit Union Leasing of America (CULA) achieved $2 billion in lease originations in 2021, a single year record, the Company announced today. This record is the result of originating 50,000 leases in 2021, also a company first.

In October, for the first time in CULAs 34-year history, the indirect vehicle leasing leader exceeded 100,000 active leases in its portfolio, which has nearly tripled in five years to $3.8 billion. CULA offers leasing through credit unions in 17 states, adding six more states in 2021 alone. More than 30 credit unions are currently active on CULAs innovative leasing platform.

CULAs record growth came during year two of the COVID-19 pandemic, during an increasingly difficult market in which inventory constraints led to record high vehicle prices(1).

Leasing proved a more affordable, more flexible option for car buyers. It was especially beneficial for credit unions, who increased their share of auto loans and leasing during the last year(2). In fact, leasing is a critical option according to Experian(3), who recently reported that leasing will continue to remain an important option for those looking to get a new vehicle with a lower monthly payment.

We have never seen an auto market like this and, while 2022 promises to have its challenges, as we enter a new year on the heels of a record-breaking year, we are optimistic about the future - thanks in no small part to our extraordinary credit union and dealer partners, said Ken Sopp, President of CULA.

With leasings flexible terms, and payments on average $109 less than loan payments(4), we look forward to supporting our credit union partners as they help even more members into new vehicles in 2022. We also look forward to our continued work with our innovative auto dealer partners as they have a measurable impact in extending leasings benefits to car shoppers. Vehicle leasing, we believe, is the perfect auto lending product, for consumers, auto dealers, and credit unions alike.

Sopp noted that even in a shrinking market, credit unions generated 20.2% of total auto loans and leases during Q3 2021, higher than the pre-pandemic share of 19.6% in 2019s third quarter(5).

Leasing matters for credit union members, and our record-breaking numbers for 2021 prove it, continued Sopp.

Robert Cashman, CEO of Metro Credit Union, whose credit union began leasing on CULAs platform in 2021 explained: Leasing is quickly emerging as an important option for car buyers who are entering a vehicle sales market with constrained inventory and record high prices. Cashman continues, We wanted to be in the forefront of offering the affordable and flexible vehicle finance options that leasing provides."

CULA vehicle leasing also proved a key tool for dealers in 2021: CULA experienced exponential growth in dealer partnerships, increasing the number of dealers in its network more than ten-fold in the past three years.

Says Cody Carter, internet sales manager at Tustin Toyota in Southern California, who works with CULA: There are very few customers a lease wont work for. And as the market normalizes, having an alternative bank, such as a credit union, means that we can hit payments that work for our customers and gives us an edge that no one else has.(6)

CULA pioneered indirect vehicle leasing for credit unions with its analytically driven, high-value leasing program supported by stellar customer service and proven systems, all with a focus on helping credit unions meet their financial and membership goals.

About Credit Union Leasing of America

Credit Union Leasing of America (CULA) has been the leader in indirect vehicle leasing for credit unions for over 30 years. Founded in 1988, CULA provides best-in-class program assistance, analytics reporting, compliance support, dealer management tools and member services. The CULA indirect vehicle leasing program empowers credit union innovators to diversify their existing loan portfolios, improve yield and expand member services. Visit http://www.cula.com to learn more.

Media contacts:

Angela Jacobson, mWEBB Communications, angela(at)mwebbcom(dot)com, (714) 454-8776

Melanie Webber, mWEBB Communications, melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com, (949) 307-1723

1) https://www.kbb.com/car-news/average-new-car-price-tops-47000/

2) https://www.cutimes.com/2021/12/02/credit-unions-gaining-auto-loan-share-in-shrinking-market/

3) https://www.experian.com/blogs/insights/2022/01/leasing-decreased-in-q3-2021-but-remains-a-critical-option-for-affordability/

4) Experian State of the Automotive Finance Market: Q3 2021

5) https://www.cutimes.com/2021/12/02/credit-unions-gaining-auto-loan-share-in-shrinking-market/

6) https://www.cutimes.com/2022/01/07/covid-19-the-emerging-path-for-indirect-auto-lending/
This technology has the potential to dramatically reduce turnaround time required for traditional food testing, which will in turn reduce inventory investment, lower testing costs, and eliminate much of the need for dwell-time cold storage.

SnapDNA today announced the appointment of Mark J. Nelson to the SnapDNA Board of Directors. We are pleased to welcome Mr. Nelson to the SnapDNA Board, said David Medin, Chief Executive Officer of SnapDNA. Marks deep experience in the food industry, biotechnology, finance, and operations verticals is invaluable to SnapDNA as we continue to pursue our mission to revolutionize food diagnostic testing and launch our first products in early 2022, reducing the total time-to-result for food safety test results from 3-7 days to less than one hour."

Mr. Nelson served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operations Officer of Beyond Meat, Inc. from 2015 to 2021, while leading the effort to take Beyond Meat public in 2019. Prior to Beyond Meat, Mr. Nelson was CFO of Farmer Bros. Co., a manufacturer and distributor of coffee, tea, spices, and culinary products. Nelson has also served in various roles, including: Chief Accounting Officer, Corporate Controller, Vice President and General Manager at Newport Corporation, a global supplier of advanced technology products and systems, and as Finance Director at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., a biotechnology product development company. Mr. Nelson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialty in Finance from University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Isenberg School of Management, and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College, Franklin W. Olin Graduate School of Business.

I am excited to join the team at SnapDNA as they set out to dramatically improve the food manufacturing pathogen testing process., said Mr. Nelson. This technology has the potential to dramatically reduce turnaround time required for traditional food testing, which will in turn reduce inventory investment, lower testing costs, and eliminate much of the need for dwell-time cold storage. I was attracted to this company based on my years in food manufacturing, observing the inefficiencies of traditional pathogen testing, and wondering if there was a better way. I believe SnapDNA is the better way.

SnapDNA has a transformative molecular detection technology and is initially targeting food safety. SnapDNA has invented the first self-contained, rapid, high-throughput, on-site analysis designed to replace food pathogen lab tests for the detection of potentially deadly foodborne pathogens including Listeria, E. coli & Salmonella, as well as spoilage agents and allergens. SnapDNAs proprietary analysis is an industry game changer. By reducing the time for pathogen test results from 3-7 days to less than 1 hour, the company can save food companies millions of dollars per year in operational and storage costs, and enable fresher, safer food for consumers. Food companies typically hold finished products for days waiting for pathogen test results from off-site labs.

SnapDNA has invented the first self-contained, rapid, on-site analysis designed to replace traditional food pathogen lab tests. The companys quantitative testing provides actual cell counts in a sample. Results are available in less than 1 hour. Hundreds of samples can be analyzed on a daily basis. Current methodologies provide qualitative or presence/absence results. Qualitative results cannot distinguish between widespread contamination and a single errant cell -- it is not uncommon to take months to determine the source of a contamination. SnapDNAs quantitative results can significantly reduce the amount of time needed to trace a potential contamination to as little as a single day -- before it becomes an outbreak and recall. The rapid and quantitative data generated through SnapDNA testing also enables predictive analytics that can dramatically reduce the occurrence of future contaminations.

SnapDNA has been recognized in both the public and private sectors. The USDA-ARS (Albany, CA) selected SnapDNA as the next generation food testing platform and was an early development partner under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement. The company was recently awarded an Advanced Industries Grant by the State of Colorado, Office of Economic Development. SnapDNA won the Institute for Food Technologists, 2021 IFTNext Food Disruption Challenge for innovation in the food industry. The company has been selected by multiple prestigious industry accelerators, including: FoodBytes, Terra, Plug and Play, and Lloyds Register Safety Accelerator.

About SnapDNA

SnapDNA is biotech and food safety company based in Broomfield, CO. SnapDNAs rapid, on-site analysis platform for foodborne pathogens, allergens, and spoilage agents can provide molecular, DNA-based results in less than 60 minutes. SnapDNA is the ONLY rapid test that meets or exceeds every key metric to replace a lab-based test, including analyzing only live cells with near-zero false positive and false negative results. SnapDNA is poised to revolutionize food safety testing. The company is launching its first product, TrueRapid Listeria analysis, in early 2022. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.snapdna.com or contact tjacobs@snapdna.com
DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne race logo RelaDyne is extremely excited to be the entitlement partner with Dover Motor Speedway and have the ability to showcase both our DuraMAX and Drydene brands.

RelaDyne, one of the nations leading providers of lubricants, fuel, diesel exhaust fluid, and industrial reliability services and Dover Motor Speedway have updated the NASCAR Cup Series race name for this years event at the Monster Mile.

Americas best drivers will race for the checkered flag in the DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday, May 1 (3 p.m., FS1), track and company officials announced today.

RelaDyne's DuraMAX (https://duramax.com) brand offers high-quality, personal vehicle maintenance solutions, including full synthetic, high mileage and synthetic blend motor oils, antifreeze, filters, wiper blades, brake cleaners, power steering fluids and more. DuraMAX offers a 10-year, up to 300,000-mile engine protection warranty and has been recognized as the best-selling oil brand in the industry since 2018 by fast lube operators.

In September 2021, RelaDyne acquired Drydene Performance Products (https://www.drydene.com), a longtime partner of Dover Motor Speedway and entitlement sponsor of the previous four NASCAR Cup series races. Since then, RelaDyne has grown the Drydene brand and products throughout its more than 75 locations allowing customers in the heavy duty, industrial and commercial sectors access to Drydenes high-quality, proven performance products.

RelaDyne is extremely excited to be the entitlement partner with Dover Motor Speedway and have the ability to showcase both our DuraMAX and Drydene brands said Dan Oehler, EVP of Marketing and Ecommerce. Whether you are looking for an oil for your personal car, truck, or SUV in the DuraMAX line, or you are a manager of an off-road, on-road, industrial or commercial fleet using Drydene, our customers know these brands are built upon pillars of technology and performance. The DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne is an outstanding way to highlight this.

The DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne race is the 104th NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, one of only 10 tracks in the country to host 100 or more Cup Series events.

We appreciate RelaDynes support and passion around the continued relationship with us here at Dover Motor Speedway," said Mike Tatoian, Dover Motor Speedways president. We are proud of what we have accomplished with the Drydene brand to date and look forward to further expanding our partnership with RelaDyne, while continuing to drive greater awareness of the DuraMAX brand.

The DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne NASCAR Cup Series race is the centerpiece of Dovers April 29-May 1 NASCAR tripleheader weekend, which also includes a NASCAR Xfinity Series race on Saturday, April 30 and an ARCA Menards Series East race on Friday, April 29.

TICKETS:

Tickets to the DuraMAX Drydene 400 presented by RelaDyne start at just $60 for adults. Kids 12 and under get in for just $10 with a paying adult. For tickets to all of Dover Motor Speedways events, visit https://www.doverspeedway.com or call 800-441-RACE.

About RelaDyne

RelaDyne, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of the nations leading providers of lubricants, fuels, diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), and reliability services for industrial, commercial, and automotive businesses in the United States. RelaDyne was formed in 2010 by the combination of four well-established industry-leading companies and has since grown to more than 75 locations by strategically acquiring other industry leaders in the lubricant, fuel distribution, and industrial service segments. For more information, visit https://RelaDyne.com.
"This competitive list is recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees. The ranking is a testament to our strong, recession resistant business model' - Pat Swisher, Enviro-Master Founder and CEO

Enviro-Master Services, the nations leading health and safety franchise company, announces its inclusion in the 43rd annual Entrepreneur Magazines FRANCHISE 500 - a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry.

Enviro-Master ranks 285 on the prestigious list  making this the seventh straight year the essential services company is featured in the Franchise 500 and recognized for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

What an honor to once again be acknowledged by the Entrepreneur Franchise 500, said Pat Swisher, Enviro-Master Founder and CEO. This competitive list is recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees. The ranking is a testament to our strong, recession resistant business model and Enviro-Masters position as an essential service  something that has never been clearer than it has during the pandemic.

The key factors that go into the evaluation of the Franchise 500 include costs and fees, size and growth, support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability. Each franchise is given a cumulative score based on an analysis of more than 150 data points, and the 500 franchises with the highest cumulative scores become the Franchise 500 in ranking order.

Enviro-Master was founded in 2009 and began franchising in 2011. The company provides services and products to clean, deodorize and disinfect public restrooms. Enviro-Master also sells restroom-cleaning supplies, including soap, disinfectants, air fresheners, and paper products. It currently has 91 franchises across the United States and Canada.

Over its 43 years in existence, the Franchise 500 has become both a dominant competitive measure for franchisors and a primary research tool for potential franchisees. Click here to view Enviro-Master in the full ranking.

For more information about franchise opportunities with Enviro-Master, visit: https://enviro-master.com/commercial-cleaning-franchises/.


The CMTK runs independently, providing actionable data no matter what controls systems are in place.

The Balluff CMTK, a standalone system which contains everything needed to monitor the condition of processes and machines, including data acquisition and visualization, now has UL approval for use in the United States and Canada. It provides an easy-to-implement solution for adding condition monitoring to existing machines and processes. With the flexible condition monitoring toolkit, manufacturers can quickly gain deeper insights into the actual condition of their machines and systems, allowing them to detect problems early.

Each system includes the hardware and software and supports up to four IO-Link sensors.

In addition to the UL approval, upgrades to the CMTK include support for Spanish and Portuguese languages in addition to the existing English and German language support. Version 1.2 also supports running software and programming languages such as Node-Red, Python and C++. There is also a Rest API for configuration and a web user interface for IO-Link configuration.

The CMTK runs independently, providing actionable data no matter what controls systems are in place. The base unit is a miniaturized computer which can be installed on a DIN rail in a control cabinet for easy deployment. Four IO-Link ports allow to the addition of sensors to measure factors like temperature, vibration, humidity, and pressure. Built-in software stores this data, visualizes it on a dashboard, and can send alerts and export data. Built-in LAN ports connect the CMTK either directly to a computer or to an existing computer network. Depending on the sensors selected, the condition monitoring toolkit can be used for a variety monitoring tasks.

This flexible system provides a smart and low-cost way to retrofit plants with comprehensive machine monitoring. The condition data gained through the CMTK provides continuous status information on connected machines, enabling you to perform predictive maintenance. This greatly reduces unplanned downtime and the unnecessary costs associated with it. And it does all of this completely independent of a cloud connection or machine control system.

Learn more at: https://www.balluff.com/en-us/news/condition-monitoring-toolkit-cmtk

About Balluff Inc.:

Balluff Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Balluff GmbH, Neuhausen, Germany, is a leading manufacturer of a wide range of inductive, photoelectric, vision, capacitive and magnetic sensors as well as linear position transducers, RFID systems, and networking products. Balluff products for OEM and factory floor solutions are used to control, regulate, automate, assemble, position, and monitor manufacturing, assembly, and packaging sequences for industries including metalworking, automotive, plastics, material handling, wood processing, aerospace, alternative energy, medical, electrical, and electronics.
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, P.A. continues to strategically expand its Corporate and Latin America Practices in Miami with the addition of Geiza Vargas-Vargas, who joins as a shareholder.

Vargas-Vargas, a native Spanish-speaker, will focus her practice on handling mergers and acquisitions and related transactional matters for clients in the United States and Latin America across various sectors, including telecommunications, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, energy, and infrastructure.

Geiza is someone we have known for many years and respect for her depth of experience, professional accomplishments, commitment to excellence and focus on client service, said Yosbel A. Ibarra, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Miami office. She is also someone who we know values our team-centered, collaborative culture. We are beyond thrilled to welcome her to the team.

I am excited to join Greenberg Traurig and look forward to continuing to build my practice as a member of the firms renowned M&A and Latin America practice, said Vargas-Vargas. The energy of Miami at this time in the citys history is equally evident in Greenberg Traurigs Miami office, and I look forward to being a part of the next chapter of the firms success.

In addition to her M&A work, Vargas-Vargas also has experience working with clean technology power companies, developers, and investors to structure project financings, recapitalizations, strategic alliances, management buyouts, and waste-to-energy project acquisitions and dispositions. She has advised clients on power purchase agreements, microgrids, and assessment of ESG strategies centered on clean power consumption.

Among the representative transactions Vargas-Vargas has handled, she was co-counsel to an international fund in its $144 million acquisition of Telefonicas El Salvador operations and represented a publicly traded telecommunications and technology solutions company in its $250 million sale to an independent fiber bandwidth infrastructure company. She also advised a strategic investor in its $2 billion acquisition of global manufacturer of sustainable food packaging and disposables.

Vargas-Vargas earned her B.A. from Wellesley College and her J.D. from Boston College Law School and is admitted to the bar in Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and South Carolina. She joins from Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, where she became a partner after starting her law career at Skadden, Arps, Slate Meagher & Flom LLP and spending a portion of her career as a law professor.

In the past three years, 21 lateral shareholders and of counsels have joined the firms Miami office, more than 70 percent of whom are women, attorneys of color and/or members of the LGBTQI community.

As South Floridas explosion of new entrants present opportunities, we continue to keep our growth focused on practice areas that are critical to our clients and our recruitment on lawyers who believe in our culture and strategic plan, said Jaret L. Davis, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Miami office.

About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2,300 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 25 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0 Plus Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com
[C]hronic smoking jeopardize[s] oral soft tissues and expose[s] vulnerable patients to oral diseases including oral cancer and chronic periodontitis.

Journal of Oral Implantology  The correlation between chronic smoking and lung cancer, heart disease, and other health-related illness has been well-documented; however, what impact does habitual smoking have on oral health, specifically the longevity of dental implants?

[C]hronic smoking jeopardize[s] oral soft tissues and expose[s] vulnerable patients to oral diseases including oral cancer and chronic periodontitis, states Mana Alqahtani, BDS, MDS, University of Tabuk, Tabouk, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In the recently published retrospective cohort study in the Journal of Oral Implantology, Alqahtani evaluates the clinical (bleeding on probing [BoP] and probing depth [PD]) and radiographic (crestal bone resorption [CBR]) parameters around cement- and screw-retained dental implants at 5-year follow-up.

In this analysis, 96 male patients were evaluated. Of these patients, 48 had cement-retained implants with 25 being smokers and 23 nonsmokers. The other 48 patients, 24 smokers and 24 nonsmokers, had screw-retained implants. Under local anesthesia, the implants were examined, and BoP, PD, and CBR measurements were taken. The patients were also given a self-report questionnaire that assessed characteristics, demographics, smoking history, implant information, and overall oral hygiene habits.

The results of this study suggest that PD and CBR were significantly higher among smokers compared with nonsmokers, and BoP was significantly higher in nonsmokers. There was no difference in the impact of smoking on the type of implant used, cement- vs screw-retained. These findings are in line with the hypothesis presented by Alqahtani in which smoking enhances peri-implant clinical and radiographic inflammatory perimeters.

Alqahtani concludes, [c]igarette smoking increases peri-implant soft-tissue inflammation as well as loss of crestal bone, and this relationship is independent of the type of implant retention protocol used. Further studies are recommended to assess the impact of smoking on the overall health of immunocompromised patients as well as effectiveness of stronger oral hygiene education for patients.

Full text of the article, Influence of Moderate Cigarette Smoking on the Peri-

Implant Clinicoradiographic Inflammatory Parameters Around Cement- and Screw-Retained Dental Implants Journal of Oral Implantology, Vol. 47, No. 6, 2022, is available at: https://doi.org/10.1563/aaid-joi-D-19-00352

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About the Journal of Oral Implantology

The Journal of Oral Implantology (JOI) is the official publication of the American Academy of Implant Dentistry and provides valuable information to general dentists, oral surgeons, prosthodontists, periodontists, scientists, clinicians, laboratory owners and technicians, manufacturers, and educators. The JOI distinguishes itself as the first and oldest journal in the world devoted exclusively to implant dentistry. For more information about the journal or society, please visit http://www.joionline.org.

Media Contact:

Samantha Weinkauf

Allen Press, Inc.

785/865-9123

sweinkauf@allenpress.com
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The UN mission in South Sudan reported Tuesday that it is deeply concerned about reports of an attack in Baidit, in Jonglei state, allegedly carried out by people from the Murle community, a UN spokesman has said.

Reports said that on Sunday armed young people from the Murle community carried out attacks and cattle raids, with some 32 people from the Dinka Bor community killed, including three women killed by gunshots and three children who drowned in a river while trying to escape the violence, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said at the regular briefing.

"The UN mission strongly condemns any attacks on civilians and calls on all groups and people to immediately avoid further escalation. The mission also calls on authorities to carry out timely investigations and hold the perpetrators accountable," Dujarric added.

South Sudan has known little peace since civil war broke out in 2013, a little more than two years since gaining independence from Sudan. It took about two years more and two peace accords before a shaky truce. However, sporadic intercommunal attacks continue. 
Ana Bonnheim, Nancy Spielberg, and Lindsay Muns. The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte is more determined than ever to raise funds to strengthen and safeguard the Jewish community from the growing threats of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred that we face locally and globally.

Following the recent hostage crisis at a synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte held its annual campaign kickoff event with a heightened sense of urgency and unity.

On January 19th, members of the Charlotte Jewish community gathered in-person and virtually at Temple Israel as Federation announced its milestone goal of raising $5,000,000 in support of the Charlotte Jewish community.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte is more determined than ever to raise funds to strengthen and safeguard the Jewish community from the growing threats of antisemitism and anti-Israel hatred that we face locally and globally, said Sue Worrel, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte.

The $5 million Federation plans to raise in 2022 will support the necessary funding of the more than 70 unique beneficiary agencies, programs and initiatives for the Charlotte Jewish community. Beyond fundraising, the Federation continues to play a central role in convening the Charlotte Jewish community, especially in times of crisis such as the Colleyville hostage situation.

It is a challenging time for all of us, said Main Event co-chair Ana Bonnheim. But as Jews, we are used to making it through tough times. The sense of cohesion in the Charlotte Jewish community has never been stronger. Federation is truly the engine behind all of what makes our lives as Jews in Charlotte so enriching.

During the Main Event, co-chairs Ana Bonnheim and Lindsay Muns shared impact stories about how Federations allocations make a difference in the Charlotte community. The following local leaders from four of Federations beneficiary agencies in Charlotte also described how Federation allocations directly benefit their work: Brook Amo, Executive Director of Charlotte Jewish Preschool; Jen Rosen, Chief Advancement Officer of Moishe House; Bentzion Groner, Director of ZABS Place; and Rabbi Judy Schindler, Sklut professor of Jewish studies and Director of the Stan Greenspon Holocaust and Social Justice Education Center.

The Main Events keynote speaker was Nancy Spielberg, businesswoman, philanthropist, and filmmaker. Spielberg told stories of her experience growing up in a small Jewish community and how her connection to Judaism and Israel inspired the stories she tells in her films and documentaries.

About the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte is to raise and distribute funds to support and enrich the lives of Jews locally, nationally, in Israel and worldwide. Through education and community building, the Federation's mission ensures that Jewish values, goals, traditions and connections are preserved for current and future generations. For more information, visit jewishcharlotte.org.
Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Suburban Propane, L.P.., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Suburban Propane, L.P., alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Suburban Propane, L.P. is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 22STCV00670. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

The lawsuit alleges Suburban Propane, L.P. failed to reimburse employees for required business expenses. California Labor Code  2802 expressly states that "an employer shall indemnify his or her employee for all necessary expenditures or losses incurred by the employee in direct consequence of the discharge of his or her duties..." During employment, Plaintiff and other California Class Members were allegedly required to use their personal cellular phones as a result of and in furtherance of their job duties.

Additionally, Suburban Propane, L.P. allegedly failed to pay employees for all the time they were under Defendant's control. This, allegedly, includes the time Plaintiff and other California Class Members had to submit to mandatory temperature checks and symptom questionnaires for COVID-19 screening prior to clocking in for the day. To the extent that the time worked off the clock did not qualify for overtime premium payment, Defendant allegedly failed to pay minimum and overtime wages for the time worked off-the-clock.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against Suburban Propane, L.P.., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

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The Blossom rendering The Blossom apartment community creates a safe enriching environment where families can achieve their dreams. The County is committed to finding solutions to break the cycles of poverty, and the creation of this community is part of that process.

Linc Housing, a nonprofit developer of affordable and supportive housing, and Riverside Community Housing Corp., the nonprofit affiliate of the Riverside County Housing Authority, announced the start of construction on The Blossom, a 48-unit apartment community in Beaumont for families earning at or under 30 percent of the area median income for Riverside County. The Blossom joins Liberty Village as Linc Housings second affordable community in Beaumont.

Nearly half of all families in Beaumont are rent burdened, which means theyre paying more than 30 percent of their income on housing, said Suny Lay Chang, president and chief operating officer, Linc Housing. The Blossom is for larger families that need an affordable home. More manageable rents mean their limited incomes are available to pay for other necessities such as food, healthcare and transportation. Rather than working multiple jobs and worrying about their finances, families can focus on education, career development and providing a stable home for their children.

The new community has funding support from the County of Riverside. More than 100,000 families are on Riverside Countys waiting list for a Housing Choice Voucher, said Heidi Marshall, director of Riverside Countys Department Housing and Workforce Solutions. Many of these families wait several years to hear their name released from the waiting list only to struggle to find a unit that will accept their voucher. The Blossom apartment community creates a safe enriching environment where families can achieve their dreams. The County is committed to finding solutions to break the cycles of poverty, and the creation of this community is part of that process.

Named in honor of the areas reputation for beautiful cherry blossom trees and the annual Cherry Festival, The Blossom, located at 644 and 652 Allegheny St., will have 24 two-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom apartments, as well as one three-bedroom managers unit. The building will also have a community room and kitchen, computer lab, space for after-school program activities, and onsite laundry. Outdoor amenities include BBQ and picnic areas and a tot lot.

In addition to housing, Linc will provide life-enhancing resident services. An onsite resident services coordinator and other partners will offer a variety of programs and services including an after-school program, job readiness and money management workshops, and exercise and nutrition programs. The County of Riverside will also provide a workforce case manager for participants in their Family Self-Sufficiency Program, a program that aims to help families move to economic independence.

The development is funded by a variety of sources, including the State of California Multifamily Housing Program, a construction loan from PNC Bank, and tax credit equity from Raymond James. Project-based housing vouchers will be provided by the County of Riverside.

D33 Design and Planning designed The Blossom and Sun Country Builders is the general contractor. The development is due to be completed in early 2023. Rental information will be available closer to the completion date. Liberty Village, Lincs other community in Beaumont, features one-, two- and three-bedroom homes for veterans with disabilities, chronically homeless veterans, and veteran families earning less than 60 percent of the area median income for Riverside County.

About Linc Housing Corporation

Linc Housing, one of California's most productive nonprofit developers of affordable and supportive housing, is committed to building communities and strengthening neighborhoods for people underserved by the marketplace. Linc has helped create nearly 8,900 homes in 90 communities throughout the state. The organization's properties are known for excellent design, outstanding management and life-enhancing services for its residents. Since 1984, Linc has serviced families, seniors, people with special needs, and local governments - helping to create sustainable communities via new construction, acquisition and rehabilitation, and historic preservation. Visit http://www.linchousing.org for more information.
Validation experts will share more than 40 years worth of their work in addition to other expert speakers. I encourage those faced with struggles caused by dementia in their lives to register now to take advantage of this groundbreaking event.

National Senior Housing Operator Meridian Senior Living (Meridian) is hosting its Meridian Virtual Resource Series panel of experts with Validation First World Congress: Celebrating 40 Years of Empathy and Defining the Future on February 15. The Meridian Virtual Resource Series is a quarterly presentation program dedicated to providing important, relevant information to family members and seniors. With foundations of success gained from last years Virtual Resource Series, Meridian vigorously introduces 2022 with this first expert-rich panel event that is free and open to the public.

Hosted by The Validation Training Institute, this first ever Validation First World Congress will take place on February 15, 2022, from 12:00  4:00PM ET. Caregivers and seniors can register now for Validation First World Congress here.

We are so proud of our collaboration with Ms. Naomi Feil in educating our team members and associate businesses with Validation to create a much higher quality of life for our memory care residents. It is profoundly rewarding to support the first Validation World Congress, said Kevin Carlin, Validation Training Institute board member, Principal and Chief Sales and Culture Officer at Meridian Senior Living. Attending this powerful presentation is a rare opportunity to learn practical and impactful resources from experts who are changing the world for caregivers and those suffering from dementia.

The Validation First World Congress presentation consists of three one-hour sessions led by a total of eleven expert speakers from the United States and Europe. Attendees will learn about the basic elements of the Validation method, achievements of Validation in practice today, and what innovations to expect for the future of utilizing Validation.

The first session: Innovations of the Past and Celebrating Success will feature the history of Validation, how to integrate into caregiving, and how it can benefit caregivers and affected individuals alike. Featured speakers include:



Naomi Feil, Validation method founder, will share an overview of Validation as a change-maker in the field with its dignity and respect centric solution.

Vicki de Klerk Rubin, Validation Training Institute Executive Director, will present an overview of Validation innovations.

Hedwig Neu, Validation Master / Teacher, Head of the Authorized Center for Validation (AVO), Diakonsissen Speyer in Germany, will discuss the accomplishments in how the AVO has helped staff and seniors live better lives over the last 20 years.

Kevin Carlin, Validation Training Institute board member, Principal and Chief Sales and Culture Officer at Meridian Senior Living, will moderate the second session: Inspiring Stories. In this session, participants will learn the magnitude Validation has had on peoples lives through personal accounts illustrated by the expert panel. Featured panelists include:

Scott Averill, CEO, Brookside and Wellsville Retirement Communities, will outline successes in integrating Validation in group work in senior living communities over the past 20 years.

Chris Bryne, Caregiver, will tell his accounts on how Validation transformed his interaction and strengthened the bond with his father.

Odile LaVault, Memory Care Educator, will speak about how she has creatively utilized Validation in new ways in her work as an occupational therapist and Validation Teacher in senior living communities.

Heather Easterling, Sr. Director of Engagement and Program Services, Sunrise Senior Living, will share how Validation has made a difference in how residential communities care for seniors and make it easier for staff members to deliver quality care.

Innovation for the Future, the third and last hour session, will cover the future innovations piece of Validation. Validation continues its legacy of being a leader in the memory care field by embracing innovative concepts that will change how caregivers will interact with and help older adults with dementia live fuller lives.

Rita Altman, Validation Training Institute Board Member, Sunrise Advisor, Memory Care at Sunrise Senior Living, will contribute her perspective on the importance of embracing the innovations that Validation provides.

Dr. Fiona Kerr, Founder and CEO at the NeuroTech Institute, will review how innovations in Validations will impact the brain and its biological effects.

Dr. LaDon Jones, Academic Director for the Graduate Program in Health Administration at National University, will present initial results of a revolutionary study, conducted by National University in San Diego and Meridian Senior Living, that explores the effect of music on mood.

We are excited to kick-start our Meridian Virtual Resource Series in 2022 with The Validation World Congress, said Sue Johnston, VP Program Development, Meridian Senior Living. Validation experts will share more than 40 years worth of their work in addition to other expert speakers. I encourage those faced with struggles caused by dementia in their lives to register now to take advantage of this groundbreaking event.

All presentations in the Meridian Virtual Resource Series are open and free to the public with registration. Register here to attend the Validation First World Congress on February 15th at 12:00PM ET. By participating in this presentation, professionals can earn up to 3 free NAB, NCCAP, NCCDP, and / or NCTRC CEUs. Learn more about Meridian Senior Living and caregiver resources by visiting: http://www.meridiansenior.com.

About Meridian Senior Living:

Meridian Senior Living, a privately held company based in Bethesda, Maryland, owns and operates seniors housing communities across the country and provides operational consulting to 24 communities in China. With approximately 50 communities in 17 states and more in development, Meridian is one of the largest seniors housing operators in the U.S. The company prides itself on providing the highest quality care, exceptional lifestyle programming and a distinctive dining experience for its residents. For more information on Meridian Senior Living, visit meridiansenior.com.
Forcura, a healthcare technology company that enables safer patient care transitions and coordination, recently hosted its 2022 Forcura CONNECT Summit, where nearly 600 healthcare professionals attended to learn where the post-acute care sector stands in competing in a value-based care economy.

Key Takeaway: Complex Care Requires Connected Technology and Partnerships

Nearly all of the 30 speakers framed their talks around the healthcare staffing crisis and the escalating complexities of and solutions for caring for sicker patients in home-based settings.

For example, Merrimack Valley ACO, a Medicaid ACO based in Massachusetts, drove down overall costs and reduced rehospitalization rates for their patient population by coordinating home health and behavioral care as part of a medical neighborhood. According to Dr. Christine Rooney, chief medical officer of Merrimack Valley ACO, monthly costs dropped from $80 per member to just $8.

More panels discussed why leveraging analytics at the point of care doesnt just improve operational expenses but can also enhance the provider experience. Speaker Nick Knowlton, vice president of strategic initiatives at ResMed and board chairman of CommonWell Health Alliance, expanded on this point and stated technology systems must overcome the friction for stakeholders to share, collect and act on information, saying, if you want to manage patients with multiple co-morbidities and improve their outcomes...you have to have multiple stakeholders engaged. You can't do that without interoperability."

As more and more healthcare professionals - business administrators, policy leaders, technologists, clinicians - reach across the line and cross-train in other sectors, the better we will be able to understand the business and care objectives of each other, and the better we will serve the patient. These partnerships really help to drive innovation, said Forcura Chief Strategy Officer Annie Erstling.

Forcura CONNECT Award Winner and Donation to Patients and Employees in Need

Forcura also honored Amedisys with its first-ever Forcura CONNECT Award, which recognizes a post-acute care provider organization for their exemplary approach or achievement in empowering better patient care. As part of its recognition, Forcura gifted $5,000 to the Amedisys Foundation, which provides financial assistance to home health, hospice and personal care patients as well as employees.

Session recordings are now available on demand by visiting https://www.forcura.com/2022-connect-recordings.

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About Forcura

Forcura, a leading healthcare technology company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, facilitates continuity of care via technology, analytics and a deep commitment to enabling better patient care. The Forcura suite of tools is powered by Forcura Connect, a proprietary framework for standardizing interoperability and integration among post-acute health care organizations, physicians, electronic health records (EHRs) and other supporting technology vendors. Through our technology and analytics solutions, we are a step closer every day to elevating the opportunities of post-acute care. The company has been recognized in 2021 as the Best Healthcare Technology Solution by the SIIA, ranked for the fifth consecutive year on the Inc. 5000 and is a top-20 ranked Fortune Best Small & Medium Workplaces. For more information visit http://www.forcura.com, call 800-378-0596 or follow Forcura on LinkedIn.
A group of patients from Happy Hills Convalescent Home for Children in the 1920s. Over the past 100 years, weve achieved countless milestones and innovations in pediatric medicine powered by our dedicated and passionate doctors and staff, along with our UMMS and JHM partnership.

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital (MWPH), a leader in pediatric care for more than 100 years, has officially kicked off its centennial year. The post-acute hospital, a jointly owned affiliate of The University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) and Johns Hopkins Medicine (JHM), is a trusted provider of family-focused, coordinated care to all children, including those with serious, chronic, and complex medical conditions.

In 1922, Hortense Kahn Eliasberg founded Happy Hills Convalescent Home for Children in northwest Baltimore City. Happy Hills, serving only 20 patients at the time, was established to provide children a home to safely recover from illness and surgery. 100 years later, that small facility has grown into the comprehensive inpatient and outpatient pediatric hospital known as MWPH. Today, the hospital provides care for more than 8,500 patients annually and remains committed to Mrs. Eliasbergs mission of improving the health and well-being of all children, regardless of their ability to pay.

Our centennial is a time to pause and celebrate the significant impact our hospital has had on the children weve helped recover and heal, the evolution of our pediatric treatment and care, and the community we continuously serve, said Sheldon Stein, MWPH President and CEO. The dedicated and committed staff of this hospital have always provided exceptional care for the children in our region.

From the hospitals early days of treating malnourishment and rheumatic fever to current societal issues plaguing Baltimore such as gun violence, neonatal abstinence syndrome, and long-term effects of COVID-19, MWPH has evolved to meet the needs of children and families in this region for 100 years. For many economically disadvantaged families across the state of Maryland, MWPH is a vital source of medical care with roughly 75% of inpatients bearing no financial responsibility for their stay.

With MWPHs unique coordinated care approach, all members of the childs medical team, including behavioral health staff, meet with families together to collaborate on diagnosis, consultation, and treatment. The hospital also utilizes innovative techniques, state-of-the-art equipment, and other dynamic programs including a nationally recognized feeding center, simulation lab training for parents, pain management methods, and an on-site facility dog.

Over the past 100 years, weve achieved countless milestones and innovations in pediatric medicine powered by our dedicated and passionate doctors and staff, along with our UMMS and JHM partnership, said Dr. Richard M. Katz, Chief Medical Officer and VP of Medical Affairs at MWPH. There is no other hospital in the country with this type of ownership, where two world-class medical facilities come together for the purpose of providing families the best medical care possible. Our team collaborates with UMMS and JHM, providing a continuum of care for patients who are transferred from their intensive care units to our hospital so that they can heal and lead healthy lives in the community.

MWPH has locations in Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, Harford County, via Telehealth, and throughout the community. The hospital works closely with schools, local government, Head Start programs, faith-based organizations, youth and family services, and more, to provide critical services to the community and serve Marylands most vulnerable children and their families.

In recent years, MWPH has made significant improvements to its West Rogers main campus, including the most recent expansion and renovation of the Jack & Mae Rosenberg Outpatient Center. The project was funded by THE HOPE HEAL GROW CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN, the largest campaign in hospital history with a goal to raise $15 million by December 31, 2022. The donations will be used to expand and grow the hospital and invest in the future of Marylands children through the funding of new programs and innovative technologies.

MWPHs centennial will be marked with an internal staff kickoff on January 27. The 1920s-themed celebratory event for the hospitals more than 600 staff members will include banners around campus and the immediate area, free breakfast, branded giveaways, and more. Staff at the main campus and satellite locations will kick off the centennial year together.

Recently, MWPH unveiled a new sign southbound off of I-83, which serves as a commemoration of its centennial and its ever-present role in the community. Over the next 12 months, the hospital will honor its centennial with a series of events and initiatives including: a Founders Day celebration; Womens History Month; the book release of Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital: The First 100 Years; the Centennial Ball; and the 25th anniversary of providing care in Prince Georges County.

For more information, visit our website.

About Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital: Celebrating 100 Years

Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital celebrates 100 years of providing family-focused, coordinated care to all children, including those with serious, chronic, or complex medical needs. MWPH was founded in 1922 by Hortense Kahn Eliasberg, who sought to open a home where children could safely recover from illness and surgery. Today, 100 years stronger, the hospital treats more than 8,500 patients each year, helping them to heal, grow, and learn the skills that lead to happier, more independent lives. The 102-bed hospital is a jointly owned affiliate of the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins Medicine with locations in Baltimore City, Prince Georges County, Harford County, via Telehealth, and in the community. For more information, please visit mwph.org.


Supportiv Aging Article Collection Changing perspectives on self-efficacy, relationships, and sense of purpose alter the kinds of support and contexts in which you need emotional boosts.

As we mature, first during puberty then mid-life and now later life, aging-related emotional struggles arise in the absence of resources to handle transition and uncertainty.

Addressing these later life emotional issues proactively is key to unlocking the possibilities that may arise. Its not necessarily that you need more emotional support as you age, but changing perspectives on self-efficacy, relationships, and sense of purpose alter the kinds of support and contexts in which you need emotional boosts.

Later life can be considered a liminal period, a concept often also applied to teenagers going off to college, or to veterans returning from combat. A liminal period is a time when new possibilities reveal themselves to you, and youre presented with opportunities to change the status quo. As you realize youre maturing, you have a chance to reassess and set yourself up for emotional wellness.

Helena Plater-Zyberk, Supportiv CEO & Co-Founder discusses a proactive approach to growing older: Research shows that people often unlock a greater sense of purpose and wellbeing later in life. But we dont just stumble into self-fulfillment. Just like navigating any period of growth, success in later life takes resources and a concerted effort. Thats why Supportiv has created this collection of later life self-empowerment resources.

Supportiv, the anonymous peer-to-peer mental health service, has released a new resource collection speaking directly to the over-60 population with nuanced perspectives and emotional wellbeing tipsto navigate later lifes changing priorities, social roles, and emotional needs.

Titles in Supportivs newly published aging collection (https://www.supportiv.com/aging) include:



Aging Into An Era Of "Me": Living For Yourself Over 60

How A Social Support System Can Help Keep You Sharp

Expressing Yourself When Relatives Don't Seem To Care About Your Age

How To Approach Grandchildren Who Don't Reciprocate My Love

How To Manage Disrespect From Adult Children

How Can I Feel Less Stressed About Outliving My Savings?

Maintaining Emotional Strength In The Face Of Health Changes

Creating A Path Forward If You're The One Left Behind

Coming To Terms With Needing Different Kinds Of Support

Dating Anxieties When You're Older

My Adult Child Is Struggling, But I'm Struggling To Care For Myself

Use Medicare To Access Mental Health Therapy: Step-By-Step Guide

Is It Worth Getting Divorced Later In Life?

Managing Mental Health With Mobility Limitations

Rediscover Your Passions Post-Retirement

Supportiv Co-Founder Pouria Mojabi adds: Many believe that humans evolved to live beyond middle age, because society needed people with experience and perspective in order to maintain healthy social groupswithin families, communities, and societies at large. Supportiv asks how can we help you step into your new role? And minimize the impact of any worries and emotional challenges that arise?

Browse the entire collection of articles at https://www.supportiv.com/aging.

Supportivs resource collection is an extension of its on-demand peer-to-peer chat service. By typing a few words in response to the question: Whats your struggle? users are matched in under a minute to topic-specific peer-to-peer group chats for anonymous support  from pandemic fears to family drama, from depression to panic, and from work stress to parenting struggles. Even experiences regarding disability, stigma, and discrimination are up for discussion in Supportivs anonymous peer support chats.

Supportiv has already enabled over 700,000 users to feel less lonely, anxious, stressed, misunderstood, and hopeless through its moderator-guided chats with AI-driven content and resource recommendations. The peer support network is available instantly at https://www.supportiv.com.
Multiple factors are contributing to this difficult employment landscape, and its important for business leaders to enact internal policies that are best for their companies to attract and retain talent." - Express CEO Bill Stoller

Eleven million positions are waiting to be filled at companies across the U.S. with less than one available worker to fill each job opening. This comes as companies grapple with the latest challenge to hiring and retentionvaccine mandates.

According to a recent survey from The Harris Poll, commissioned by Express Employment Professionals, companies are split on whether to require employees to receive a COVID-19 vaccine with 55% reporting they have mandated the initial vaccine series and 40% now requiring the booster shot.

Employees also appear split on vaccine mandates in an earlier survey from The Harris Poll as 55% say they are unlikely to quit their job if the shots become a requirement. Sixty-five percent believe their unvaccinated colleagues would likely get vaccinated rather than quit their jobs, but another 51% are concerned if these coworkers do choose to leave, it would result in an unmanageable workload for those who remain.

And those looking for work? Only 47% are more likely to accept a job offer from an employer with a vaccine mandate due to feeling more comfortable interacting with their coworkers (59%), feeling safe due to the vaccine mandate (58%) and feeling requiring people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is necessary to end the pandemic (57%).

I would estimate that less than half of our industrial workforce is vaccinated, said Greg Sulentic, Express franchise owner in Lincoln, Nebraska. The resistance to the vaccine, for whatever reason, is real for many Americans. Companies could lose an estimated 25-30% of their workforce overnight by requiring vaccinations.

In Jacksonville, Florida, Express franchise owner Mike Brady says he has some client companies that have implemented vaccine mandates and others were waiting to see the outcome of federal policy, including the Supreme Courts recent ruling that blocks vaccine mandates for large businesses.

We had a small percentage of employees leave due to the mandate enforcement and are looking for small companies where vaccines are not required, he said. Some workers dont want to reveal their vaccination status and others dont feel they need the vaccine.

As evidenced by the supply chain issue and longer wait times at just about every business, the desperate search for talent doesnt seem to be ending anytime soon, Express CEO Bill Stoller said.

Multiple factors are contributing to this difficult employment landscape, and its important for business leaders to enact internal policies that are best for their companies to attract and retain talent, he added. As decisions are made, the health and safety of employees should always take precedence for a healthy workforce and healthy economy.

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bill Stoller to discuss this topic or for a full survey methodology, please contact Sheena Hollander, Director of Corporate Communications and PR, at (405) 717-5966.

About Bill Stoller

William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing company has more than 850 franchises in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Since inception, Express has put more than 9 million people to work worldwide.

About Express Employment Professionals

At Express Employment Professionals, were in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 526,000 people globally in 2020. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com.
A Study of the Holy Spirit: an informative study of a key point of faith. A Study of the Holy Spirit is the creation of published author Pastor Raymond Vietmeier, an Ordained Independent Minister.

Pastor Vietmeier shares, The author, Pastor Raymond Vietmeier was awakened one night and directed by the Holy Spirit to look up courses about the Holy Spirit. When that did not produce anything useful, the Holy Spirit said to look up study the Holy Spirit. That brought up what the Holy Spirit wanted. It was a public domain document outlining everything about the Holy Spirit. The author followed the outline and added commentaries about each feature of the Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit directed in detail the final chapter. The author noticed that the Holy Spirit sends messages much faster than what the author is used to with the Father and the Son. When the final chapter was completed, the author spoke to the Holy Spirit saying, Im sorry, Holy Spirit, but you spoke so fast that I have made many typos, misspellings, words printed twice, and even missing words. The Holy Spirit replied, Dont worry, we will clean up the rough draft in the morning. The next morning, the author was awakened by the Holy Spirit and directed to go to the computer and work with the Holy Spirit to correct the final chapter. In the nightly prayer following that day, Pastor Ray began to pray, but like many times before, God spoke up and began a two-way conversation as Pastor Ray is living in the light. Meaning that he is walking and talking with the Father. When Pastor Ray commented about the speed the Holy Spirit sends messages, both the Father and the author began to laugh. The author thought he should not have joked about the Holy Spirit, but the Father did not seem to mind at all. Both the Father and the Son enjoy talking one-on-one instead of just in prayer. This closeness has caused the evil one, Satan, to become very upset. He hates those who are close to the Holy Trinity. When writing the fourth book, Satan actually destroyed two chapters referring to how the Jewish people and Muslims can find love, joy, and happiness in becoming a true Christian.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Pastor Raymond Vietmeiers new book is an educational work that examines an often misunderstood aspect of faith.

Pastor Vietmeier shares in hopes of bringing others to the Holy Spirit so they may also know a true connection with the Holy Trinity.

Consumers can purchase A Study of the Holy Spirit at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about A Study of the Holy Spirit, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Aerial photo taken on May 24, 2021 shows a data center of Tencent in Gui'an New Area of southwest China's Guizhou Province. (Xinhua/Ou Dongqu)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China on Wednesday issued a guideline to support southwest China's Guizhou Province in breaking new ground in the country's pursuit of large-scale development of its western regions in the new era.

The guideline, released by the State Council, China's cabinet, clarified Guizhou's strategic role as a demonstration area for comprehensive reform in the development of west China, and encouraged the province to blaze new trails in rural vitalization, the development of the digital economy, and the construction of an ecological civilization.

By 2025, comprehensive reforms in the province to advance the development of west China should have seen notable progress, and the regional economy should be more open, the guideline stated.

It said that the province's economic strength will reach a new level by 2035, and that it will be better equipped to take part in international cooperation and competition.

Specifically, the guideline called for accelerated reform for the market-based allocation of production factors and the comprehensive improvement of the business environment.

Rural vitalization and new urbanization should be pushed forward in Guizhou, with a focus on boosting modern and efficient agriculture in mountainous areas, the guideline said.

On improving convenience in trade and investment, the guideline underscored the importance of promoting the construction of an inland open economy pilot zone while strengthening regional cooperation.

Highlighting the importance of a modern industrial system led by the digital economy, the document urged efforts to enhance science and technology innovation, upgrade traditional industries and facilitate the development of the culture and tourism industry.

Efforts should also be made to protect the local ecological system, safeguard and improve people's livelihoods, and enhance risk prevention capacities in fields such as energy supply and flood control, the guideline said.

China in 1999 put forward a national strategy for the large-scale development of its western region, also known as the "go west" strategy.

The country's vast western region covers 12 provincial-level regions including Guizhou, Chongqing, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang.

Compared to the country's eastern coastal regions, economic development in west China is relatively regressive, but the region has seen rapid growth in recent years with the help of government initiatives.

After years of development, Guizhou has evolved into a national big data hub, with increasing investment in new infrastructure such as data centers.

The province's GDP hit 1.96 trillion yuan (about 310 billion U.S. dollars) in 2021, up 8.1 percent year on year, level with national GDP growth. 
Phoenix Capital Group

Phoenix Capital Group, which offers services to help mineral rights owners understand their opportunities in both retaining and cashing out their ownership positions, is excited to announce its Reg A+ offering. The offering is secured by a robust hedging program, significant current cash flows, and a diversified asset base.

Created in 2015 as part of the JOBS Act, Reg A+ is a framework that seeks to provide a cost-effective way of raising capital. It's an alternative to the onerous requirements of resources, reporting obligations, and expenses required when selling any public security under the Exchange Act.

In many ways, Reg A+ works similarly to a typical IPO, but it allows companies more flexibility to gauge public interest in the offered securities, as well as the type of investors who are allowed to make a purchase.

Companies can raise as much as $75 million over 12 months under the rules of Reg A+.

Phoenix Capital Group's offering provides yields that are six times higher than the 10-year U.S. Treasury Bond at the time of this release. As a result, investors can earn predictable, passive income with generous, stable yields of 9% annually paid on a monthly basis.

Investors can participate in Phoenix Capital Group's Reg A+ offering for a minimum investment of $1,000. No accreditation is required to invest.

Phoenix Capital Group plans to raise $75 million through this Reg A+ offering and deploy the funds exclusively for new asset acquisition.

Curtis Allen, the company's chief financial officer, said the company is extremely excited to offer a high-quality investment product to main street investors that does not require massive commissions to wall street bankers. Almost all retail investment products have opaque fees to numerous intermediaries that reduce the capital raised to the company, increase risk to the investor and reduce investment returns. Phoenix Capital Groups offering is direct to investors with no hidden fees which allows the company to offer best in market yields to its investors.

Phoenix Capital Group has 32 employees spread out over three offices in Hermosa Beach, California; Littleton, Colorado; and Casper, Wyoming. Its leaders have over 60 years of combined experience in the energy sector, focusing on asset management and capital deployment.

The company's portfolio consists of more than 200 royalty and working interest assets with a combined valuation of $115 million.

It uses proprietary technology to identify mineral rights and non-operated working interests in the Powder River, Delaware, Permian, Denver Julesburg "DJ," and Williston Basins.


He is sitting in the heart of Silicon Valley, in a market with the worlds highest concentration of high-tech companies, in the midst of the greatest shortage the semiconductor industry has ever seen. Its just an incredible opportunity, and I look forward to Trent doing big things.

Smith, a leading global distributor of electronic components and semiconductors, today announces the appointment of Trent Ranney to the position of General Manager of the companys office in San Jose, California. In this role, Trent will support Smiths trading team in San Jose and cultivate new business opportunities in Silicon Valley and worldwide.

The semiconductor market is growing and changing by the minute; there are always new relationships to forge and exciting prospects to pursue, said Trent. Our team here in San Jose is phenomenal, and I am looking forward to leading our office to even greater success.

Trent earned his bachelors degrees in business administration, accounting, and finance from Graceland University before joining Smith as an International Account Representative at the companys Houston headquarters in 2012. Six years later, he transferred to the San Jose office and was promoted to Account Manager. He was named to his most recent role of Senior Account Manager in 2021.

I am so excited for Trent to take the reins of Smiths San Jose office, said Todd Burke, President, Americas at Smith. He is sitting in the heart of Silicon Valley, in a market with the worlds highest concentration of high-tech companies, in the midst of the greatest shortage the semiconductor industry has ever seen. Its just an incredible opportunity, and I look forward to Trent doing big things.

About Smith

Founded in 1984, Smith sources, manages, and distributes the electronic components that go into everything from mobile phones and computers to appliances and directional drilling systems. In 17 cities around the world, Smiths legion of employees communicates in 50 languages and dialects and buys and sells components 24 hours per day, generating global annual sales in excess of $3.4 billion in 2021. Smith is always moving: helping manufacturers navigate market shifts; customizing supply chain solutions; testing components using cutting-edge technology. The support of Smiths flexible Intelligent DistributionTM model optimizes customers supply chains from beginning to end, including offering customized options for IT asset disposition that deliver maximum ROI, sustainability, and security. Smiths testing and logistics hubs in Houston, Hong Kong, and Amsterdam cover critical areas like quality management, counterfeit prevention, and environmental safety. Smiths operations, purchasing, and sales worldwide are seamlessly integrated with the companys global IT infrastructure, offering real-time, global inventory and logistics visibility. Smith is the leading independent distributor of electronic components and ranks number eight among all global distributors. For more information, please visit http://www.smithweb.com or reach out to a Smith representative any time of day at +1 713.430.3000.

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"ESA programs are a proven way to address achievement gaps because they break the relationship between discriminatory housing patterns and public-school assignments that are based on residence. - Dr. Cara Candal, author of Modeling an Education Savings Account for Massachusetts

Programs have been gaining momentum across the country in the wake of unprecedented pandemic learning loss

Massachusetts provides fewer options for students to be educated outside their assigned school districts than most other states do, and educational savings accounts (ESAs) offer an effective tool for giving students additional opportunities, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.

ESAs allow parents to take the state portion of their childs per-pupil funding allocation and spend it on approved expenses that usually replace the district school experience, such as homeschooling, full-time tutoring or private school tuition.

Despite an overall high ranking on National Assessment of Educational Progress scores, Massachusetts also has some of the starkest achievement gaps, said Dr. Cara Candal, author of Modeling an Education Savings Account for Massachusetts. ESA programs are a proven way to address that problem because they break the relationship between discriminatory housing patterns and public-school assignments that are based on residence.

Dr. Candal finds that support for ESAs has gained momentum thanks to the unprecedented learning loss that occurred when schools switched to online learning because of the pandemic. Five ESA programs were established between 2011 and 2018, and that number has doubled in this year alone.

Remote learning offered many parents their first real glimpse into the type and amount of instruction their kids were receiving, said Pioneer Director of School Reform Jamie Gass. Many were not happy with what they saw.

A 2021 review of 169 high-quality studies shined a light on the impact of school choice programs on student achievement, racial segregation, and state and district finances. Of 14 studies of student outcomes, 11 found that choice programs had a positive effect.

Six studies found that choice programs tend to move students to less segregated schools, while one found that the programs had no effect on school segregation.

Regarding the impact of school choice on taxpayers and public schools, 65 studies found that the programs save money, four found them to be revenue neutral, and five concluded that they cost taxpayers money. Many of the programs save money because the amount parents can apply to other schooling options is less than current per-pupil funding levels.

A 2021 study of Floridas large tax-credit scholarship program found that participants performed on a par with their national private school peers in reading and math. The results were particularly striking because program participants had an average household income of just $32,000 per year.

Another 2021 study of the same program found that school districts from which the highest concentration of students came also benefitted from the program. They were found to have higher test scores and lower absenteeism and suspension rates.

Dr. Candal proposes two potential ESA programs for Massachusetts. An incremental program could use a portion of the American Rescue Plan money that has been allocated to the state Legislature and could be used for direct payments to parents.

If this State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund money were used to provide the parents of every economically disadvantaged student in Massachusetts with $3,000 that could be used for services such as tutoring, special education services, and after-school enrichment classes  but not private school tuition  the Legislature would still have 80 percent of the money in the fund left over.

Unlike 29 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, Massachusetts offers no state-subsidized access to privately provided education. Dr. Candals bolder and more impactful option, a tax credit-funded ESA, would change that.

Here the Commonwealth would designate a state entity or one or more non-profit scholarship granting organizations to solicit and accept donations in exchange for a tax credit equal to 95-100 percent of the donation. The scholarships could then be awarded to families whose income is less than or equal to 250 percent of the federal poverty line.

Awards of something close to the average annual Massachusetts per-pupil expenditure of $17,500 could then be used for private school tuition and other educational enhancements.

About the Author

Cara Stillings Candal is a Senior Fellow at Pioneer Institute. She has an extensive background in national and international education policy and teacher development, and she is the author/editor of numerous articles and several books about school university partnerships, charter schools, and other structural innovations in education.

About Pioneer

Pioneers mission is to develop and communicate dynamic ideas that advance prosperity and a vibrant civic life in Massachusetts and beyond. Pioneers vision of success is a state and nation where our people can prosper and our society thrive because we enjoy world-class options in education, healthcare, transportation and economic opportunity, and where our government is limited, accountable and transparent. Pioneer values an America where our citizenry is well-educated and willing to test our beliefs based on facts and the free exchange of ideas, and committed to liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.
GoMo Health and the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas are excited to debut their joint digital therapeutic encouraging brain health and in turn, maternal and child health. Focused on giving mom the tools she needs to thrive during the prenatal through to postpartum periods, the program integrates the Centers research-backed protocols that enhance brain health and build resilience, into the GoMo Health evidence-based patient engagement digital therapeutic program. The partnership allows for decades of brain health research to be applied to the unique needs of new moms, with strategies and techniques they can incorporate into their everyday living. The GoMo Maternal Brain Health program is available for licensing by health providers, hospitals, plans, employers, non-profits, and state health organizations.

Each month, starting pre-natal, moms receive up to 4 brain health exercises and activities - topics include better ways women can deal with multitasking, anxiety, focus and maternal and personal responsibility management. The perinatal journey can be a time of great joy for many women, but with it often comes feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. With the rise of mental health challenges for many pregnant and postpartum women stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, support and guidance at any time is more valuable than ever.

The 12-month personalized program delivers positive encouragement, activities and interactive assessments and questionnaires to keep mom engaged and motivated, and the feedback mom shares directly influences the frequency, tone and voice, and type of information she receives throughout the program. GoMo Health and the Center for BrainHealth are on a mission to empower prenatal and postnatal women to thrive as they navigate this major life transition, relishing all the joys  and overcoming the hurdles - that it brings.

Bob Gold, Chief Behavioral Technologist and founder, GoMo Health, says, We are thrilled to debut this collaboration that enables us to actualize a whole-person approach to integrate and activate moms mind and body and positively improve the quality of life for new and expecting moms and their families.

The program teaches participants how to manage everyday obstacles commonly faced by (new) moms, giving them tactical brain strategies that have been shown in some populations to reduce depressive symptoms by 58% and stress by 42%.

Decades of research have shown us that a healthier brain can positively impact overall quality of life. With this collaboration we can provide moms with tools that are relevant to everyday life and will also benefit the next generation, says Jennifer Zientz, deputy director of programs and head of clinical services at the Center for BrainHealth.

GoMo Health and the Center for BrainHealth are excited to be able to help moms and families from around the world. To learn more about the program and attend an exclusive webinar event, visit: https://gomohealth.com/activating-maternal-brain-health/

Contact: Shelley R. Schoenfeld, Chief Marketing Officer

Ph: 732-484-9144

Email: sschoenfeld@gomohealth.com

About GoMo Health:

GoMo Health applies a proprietary, evidence-based science of engagement, BehavioralRx, to our cloud-based digital therapeutic, Concierge Care, to actively extend care plans, and provide resources and support to people in their lived environments  enhancing outpatient care and impact. This outpatient care delivery model integrates support for psychosocial and physical needs to create personalized, behaviorally based care plans that empower patients in their own care management and healthy decision making. Connecting with patients via its Telehealth Triple Play, GoMo Health uses an intelligent mobile BOT to collect and triage patient data via home medical devices, conduct in the moment conversations, and gather electronic patient reported outcomes (ePRO). This has proven to modify behaviors of patients with chronic and complex conditions worldwide, resulting in significant improvement in health outcomes and adherence, and decreased costs of care for providers, hospitals, health plans, employers, and life science companies.

To learn more, visit http://www.gomohealth.com.

About the Center for BrainHealth

The Center for BrainHealth, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a research institute committed to enhancing, preserving and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting cognition and emotion in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations build on Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART), a proprietary methodology developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades.

To learn more, visit http://www.centerforbrainhealth.org
The State of NAIFA events are like our shareholder meetings, where, in a spirit of transparency and open communication, we keep everyone who holds a stake in NAIFAs success informed.

The Q1 State of NAIFA webinar, presented January 26, featured National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) President Lawrence Holzberg, LUTCF, LACP, and CEO Kevin Mayeux, CAE, who updated the associations stakeholders on how NAIFA is serving members and the insurance and financial services industry. They also outlined NAIFAs progress towards meeting goals established by the NAIFA 2025 Strategic Plan. The program featured a legislative and regulatory update by NAIFA Senior Vice President for Government Relations Diane Boyle.

Holzberg reported on NAIFAs December National Leadership Conference and introduced the 2022 NAIFA Board of Trustees. He highlighted award winners honored at the NLCs Belong Event gala, including:



Advisor Today Four Under 40 Winners: Cal Anderson, CFP, CLU, Joanna Dellosa, LUTCF, FSS, RICP, LACP, CLU, Rebecca Schulter, LUTCF, and Steven Walker, LUTCF

NAIFA Young Advisor Team Leader of the Year Brian Haney, CLTC, CFBS, CIS, CFS, CAE, LACP

NAIFA Diversity Champion Chad Cooper, MBA

Terry Headley Lifetime Defender Award recipient Robert M. Roach, CLU, ChFC, AEP

John Newton Russell Memorial Award recipient Robelynn H. Abadie, CAP, CHRS, LUTCF, CSA, RFC, RDA

The State of NAIFA webinars show NAIFAs commitment to transparency and the associations desire to ensure that stakeholders understand what NAIFA is doing and where it is headed. NAIFA members are encouraged to attend to learn how they can get the maximum benefit from their membership. The event is open to all NAIFA members and their colleagues, corporate and association partners, members of the media, the public, and anyone with an interest in NAIFAs success. The January 26 event is the 13th in the series of State of NAIFA presentations.

NAIFA accomplished a great deal in 2021 and we have much more on tap for 2022. It is important that we keep our members, partners, and the media informed on the state of our association, NAIFA President Holzberg said. The State of NAIFA events are like our shareholder meetings, where, in a spirit of transparency and open communication, we keep everyone who holds a stake in NAIFAs success informed. I encourage all NAIFA members to attend or watch the on-demand recording to know where their association is going and how they can get the most value out of their membership.

Holzberg also lauded NAIFA members for the services they provide Main Street families and businesses in communities across the United States. Through their NAIFA membership, they show their dedication to their profession and commitment to serving the best interests of their clients. We are NAIFA Nation, he said, stressing NAIFAs important role in unifying the industry and country. NAIFA members are at the heart of the U.S. economy, providing opportunities for financial security and success to all Americans.

CEO Kevin Mayeux followed Holzberg with a report on products and services NAIFA has delivered and those planned for the coming year under NAIFAs 2022 Business Implementation Plan. Upcoming NAIFA offerings include:

NAIFAs Congressional Conference, May 23-24

The 7th NAIFA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Symposium, May 23

Continued programming by NAIFAs Centers for Excellence: The Talent Development Center, Business Performance Center, and Limited and Extended Care Planning Center, as well as the Society of FSP and NAIFAs Advanced Practice Center and the forthcoming NAIFA Employee Benefits Center

NAIFA Live: Monthly professional development programming featuring top-level thought leaders available exclusively for NAIFA members

Diane Boyle followed with a rundown of NAIFAs key advocacy wins from 2021 and a briefing on the state and federal advocacy challenges currently facing financial professionals and the Main Street Americans they serve. She highlighted NAIFAs success, along with ACLI and other partners, in urging 19 states to adopt consumer protections for annuity customers based on a National Association of Insurance Commissioners model that preserves consumer choice and the ability of producers to serve their clients. NAIFA is the only association advocating in Washington, D.C., and every state capital on behalf of insurance and financial professionals and the consumers they serve.

NAIFA is committed to transparency, and keeping all of our stakeholders informed is a crucial part of our NAIFA 2025 Strategic Plan, said CEO Mayeux. Along with our annual Business Implementation Plans and quarterly dashboard reports to members, the State of NAIFA events allow us as an association to chart our progress, lay out our future vision, and establish accountability.

The Q1 2022 State of NAIFA, as well as recordings of previous State of NAIFA webinars, is available on NAIFAs website for on-demand viewing.

ABOUT NAIFA: The National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors is the preeminent membership association for the multigenerational community of financial professionals in the United States. NAIFA members subscribe to a strong Code of Ethics and represent a full spectrum of financial services practice specialties. They work with families and businesses to help Americans improve financial literacy and achieve financial security. NAIFA provides producers a national community for advocacy, education and networking along with awards, publications and leadership opportunities to allow NAIFA members to differentiate themselves in the marketplace. NAIFA has 53 state and territorial chapters and 35 large metropolitan local chapters. NAIFA members in every congressional district advocate on behalf of producers and consumers at the state, interstate and federal levels.
The PatientIQ platform will enable us to assess quality at the individual clinician and service line levels and provide a consistent patient experience for the 1.6 million people we serve annually.

UAB Medicine, a nationally recognized leader in patient care, research, and training, has launched a major initiative to facilitate continuous quality improvement to ensure it consistently provides world-class patient care to Alabama residents.

UAB Medicine is partnering with PatientIQ, a leader in outcomes-based analytics and patient engagement, to deploy its cloud-based platform that automates the collection and analysis of patient-reported outcomes. The PatientIQ platform utilizes evidence-based protocols to empower healthcare organizations to measure quality, identify best practices, and act on areas of opportunity.

Healthcare systems are embracing the need to systematically measure quality and patient outcomes. The shift toward value-based care has sparked this necessity, and the five-times Magnet-designated UAB Medicine joins leading healthcare organizations nationwide in partnering with PatientIQ to help them in this effort.

UAB Medicine is consistently pursuing ways of ensuring high-quality care delivery, and its impossible to improve what you cant measure, said Fred Horton, Director of Perioperative Business & Resources, UAB Medicine. The PatientIQ platform will enable us to assess quality at the individual clinician and service line levels and provide a consistent patient experience for the 1.6 million people we serve annually.

UAB Medicine selected PatientIQ because its technology combines outcomes-analysis with patient engagement, enrolling patients in digital care pathways that prompt reporting of key health information and provide education on comorbidities, surgical procedures, diagnoses, and more. These pathways will enhance the patient experience and enable UAB Medicine to standardize care across providers and locations.

This initiative demonstrates why UAB Medicine is one of the top academic medical centers in the United States, said Matthew Gitelis, CEO, PatientIQ. The future of care delivery includes the ability to quantify quality and prove value, and we commend UAB Medicine for joining the forefront of this movement.

About UAB Medicine

UAB Medicine comprises the School of Medicine and the $5.8 billion UAB Health System that includes all of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's patient-care activities and 2,300 licensed beds in six hospitals, one of which is UAB Hospital  the third-largest public hospital in the United States, winner of the Women's Choice award, and one of U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals. UAB, a part of the University of Alabama System, is the state of Alabama's largest single employer and an internationally renowned research university and academic health center; its professional schools and specialty patient-care programs are consistently ranked among the nation's top 50. UAB is the largest academic medical center in Alabama and one of the top four largest academic medical centers in the United States. UAB is advancing innovative discoveries for better health as a three-time recipient of the prestigious Center for Translational Science Award. Find more information at https://www.uab.edu and http://www.uabmedicine.org.

About PatientIQ

PatientIQ is the healthcare technology partner for practicing data-driven medicine. Its proprietary, cloud-based platform engages patients to automate the collection of patient-reported outcomes and provide real-time outcome analysis. With PatientIQ, providers are empowered to consistently deliver the highest quality care. Partnering with hospitals, health systems, private practices, and industry customers, PatientIQ has demonstrated years of experience and an unparalleled ability to help push the boundaries of medicine. For more, visit http://www.patientiq.io.
W.E.J. Sopha, a writer who has now retired from work and lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband, has completed her new book Northern Lights, Northern Nights: a riveting novel about Bobbi, a woman raised by her father to do things men usually do, and who has vowed to find change in this world. In her quest, she meets a man who is in conflict with his indigenous lineage. Together, they embark on a journey in pursuit of answers.

Sopha shares, Barbara Jean Evans has followed her father as his son practically since she was born on their patch of rock, swamp and bush in the northern wilderness. Bobbi's first experiences of womanhood become mixed up with her own desire to become a blacksmith. Consequently, she promises to marry a man she barely knows so she can join him in training under Tim, a completely unknown Irish blacksmith, who has other plans for her. She meets a native Indian healer, Lorna, who encourages her to break barriers and earn a job as a teamster in a logging camp - as a young man. Soon Bobbi feels she no longer needs to hide under a cover of deception and is accepted for what she is  a very strong and capable young woman. She is certain that one day women will work right alongside men in any job they choose.

Along the way, Bobbi meets a native Algonkian man, Jonathan Swift, who has been wrestling with his mixed white/Indian heritage. They discuss the north and how it is changing and what it has meant for Jon's people. While wrestling with the challenges of working as a blacksmith, working in a logging camp, and being an eligible female in a world with many more men than women, Bobbi and Jon adventure together going on canoe trips and horse treks through the mostly pristine wilderness. Through trial and error, they find their way to a new life together.

Published by Page Publishing, W.E.J. Sophas captivating novel talks about fulfilling dreams and love, breaking standards, fighting for equality, and finding worth in a male-dominated world. Readers will discover the life of a strong, brave, and independent woman as she learns to stand up for herself and makes a place for others like her in this world.

Readers who wish to experience this amazing work can purchase Northern Lights, Northern Nights at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes Store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708.

About Page Publishing:

Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create, not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues and focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com.
If you would like to know more about the Drummac, Inc., Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC and Moran Towing Corporation lawsuit, please contact Attorney Jackland K. Hom today by calling (619) 255-9047.

The Northern California labor law attorneys, at Zakay Law Group, APLC and JCL Law Firm, APC, filed a class action complaint against Drummac, Inc., Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC and Moran Towing Corporation for allegedly failing to provide employees with legally compliant meal and rest periods. The Drummac, Inc., Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC and Moran Towing Corporationclass action lawsuit, Case No. 34-2022-00313456, is currently pending in the Sacramento County Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

According to the lawsuit, Drummac, Inc., Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC and Moran Towing Corporation allegedly violated California Labor Code Sections  201, 202, 203, 204, 226, 226.7, 246, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, and 2802 by failing to: (1) pay overtime wages; (2) pay minimum wages; (3) provide required meal and rest periods; (4) provide accurate itemized wage statements; (5) reimburse for required business expenses; (6) provide wages when due; and (7) provide sick pay.

The lawsuit also alleges Drummac, Inc., Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC and Moran Towing Corporation violated the Private Attorneys General Act ("PAGA"), which gives rise to civil penalties as a result of Drummac, Inc.'s, Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC's and Moran Towing Corporation's conduct. PAGA allows aggrieved employees to file a lawsuit to recover civil penalties on behalf of themselves, other employees, and the State of California for Labor Code violations. An "aggrieved employee" is defined as "any person who was employed by the alleged violator and against whom one or more of the alleged violations was committed." Cal. Lab. Code section 2699(c). PAGA allows aggrieved employees to become deputized as private attorneys general to enforce the Labor Code.

If you would like to know more about the Drummac, Inc., Moran Environmental Recovery, LLC and Moran Towing Corporation lawsuit, please contact Attorney Jackland K. Hom today by calling (619) 255-9047.

Zakay Law Group, APLC and JCL Law Firm, APC are labor and employment law firms with offices located in California that dedicate their practices to fighting for employees who have been wronged by their employers due to unfair employment practices. Contact one of their attorneys today if you need help with workplace issues regarding wage and hour, wrongful termination, retaliation, discrimination, and harassment.

-THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT-
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday that China stands ready to work with the Netherlands to enhance political mutual trust, advance practical cooperation, strengthen bonds between the people, and push for new progress in their relations.

Li made the remarks during a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte via video link.

Li once again congratulated Rutte on his reelection as Dutch prime minister.

Noting that the Netherlands is an important cooperative partner of China in Europe, Li said China attaches great importance to developing relations with the Netherlands.

China is ready to take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to work with the Netherlands to bring more benefits to the two countries and peoples, Li said.

Pointing out that both China and the Netherlands are committed to multilateralism and free trade, Li said China firmly upholds its opening-up policy and is committed to creating a market-oriented, law-based and international business environment for all Chinese and foreign enterprises registered in China.

Li said China supports the establishment of a China-Netherlands business council as a new platform for business exchanges and cooperation between enterprises of the two countries.

He said China is willing to deepen cooperation with the Netherlands in the fields of climate change, science and technology, modern agriculture and other areas. "We welcome more high-quality Dutch agricultural products to enter the Chinese market," he added.

Li stressed that China and the EU share broad common interests. The two sides should adhere to dialogue and cooperation, respect each other, treat each other as equals, properly handle disputes and differences, and work for the sound and steady development of China-EU relations.

Li expressed hope that the Netherlands, as an important member of the EU, will play a constructive role in promoting China-EU relations and cooperation.

For his part, Rutte said that the Netherlands and China have carried out constructive cooperation in various fields and there has been sound momentum in the development of bilateral ties.

The Dutch side hopes to deepen exchanges and cooperation in areas including culture, economy, trade, agriculture and the circular economy, said Rutte, adding that the country believes that China will host a successful Winter Olympic Games.

The EU and China need to step up dialogue and cooperation, properly handle differences and jointly respond to global challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, Rutte said.

The two sides also exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern. 

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 26, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)
Sweden is launching a new agency to defend against a rising threat: disinformation  organized campaigns to spread false information.

The Scandinavian country, home to about 10 million people, established the Swedish Psychological Defense Agency on Jan. 1, in a bid to safeguard its democratic society and the free formation of opinion, the agency said on its website. As the country heads into elections this year, the agency will work alongside the Swedish military and government on the new battleground of fake news and misinformation.

The security situation in our near European environment has deteriorated for some time now and therefore we need to rebuild our total defence, Magnus Hjort, the agencys deputy director, told The Washington Post by email.



Read the whole story: The Washington Post
Bestselling author Jennie Allen lays out steps for how to Find Your People, several authors examine Lent and its spiritual significance, and more books that are coming from religion and spirituality publishers in February are listed below.

Nonfiction

Feb. 1

Fight Like Jesus: How Jesus Waged Peace Throughout Holy Week by Jason Porterfield (Herald, $29.99, ISBN 9781513809359) highlights a radical vision for peacemaking modeled after Jesus during the Holy Week.

Hope and the Nearness of God by Teresa White (Bloomsbury Continuum, $16, ISBN 9781472984197). Sister Teresa White draws inspiration from writers such as Julian of Norwich and Karl Rahner, Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, and Henri Nouwen for insights on hope and courage.

Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media by Chris Martin (B&H, $17.99, ISBN 9781087738376). Martin applies his marketing experience to explore the effects of social media.

Who Are You Following?: Pursuing Jesus in a Social-Media Obsessed World by Sadie Robertson Huff (Thomas Nelson, $24.99, ISBN 9780785289913). Hiff, social media personality with ties to A&Es former hit series Duck Dynasty, looks at how to use social media in a way that aligns with the Christian principles and the ultimate influencer, Jesus, according to the publisher.

Feb. 8

Attacking Anxiety: From Panicked and Depressed to Alive and Free by Shawn Johnson (Thomas Nelson, $18.99 paper, ISBN 9781400230693). The lead pastor of Denvers Red Rocks Church draws on personal experiences including debilitating panic attacks and suicidal thoughts to offer lessons learned about lies that lead to isolation and truths that are essential for survival, according to the publisher.

Churches and the Crisis of Decline by Andrew Root (Baker Academic, $49.99, ISBN 9781540965332). Theologian Root casts a vision for the future of the church that embraces Gods presence and divine action.

Even Silence Is Praise: Quiet Your Mind and Awaken Your Soul with Christian Meditation by Rick Hamlin (Thomas Nelson, $18.99 paper, ISBN 9780785244431) makes a case for how meditation can be used for growing closer to God.

Fearing Bravely: Risking Love for Our Neighbors, Strangers, and Enemies by Catherine McNiel (NavPress, $16.99, ISBN 9781641583268) calls on Christians to offer help to those in need and demonstrate Gods love even in unsafe times and places, according to the publisher.

If the Tomb is Empty by Joby Martin (FaithWords, $27, ISBN 9781546001508), a pastor, argues for how Christ's resurrectionimpossible, unbelievablemeans that nothing is too hard for our God, according to the publisher.

Feb. 15

The Samaritan Woman's Story by Caryn A. Reeder (IVP Academic) retells the account of a woman Jesus encounters beside a well outside of Samaria and her influence on Christian teachings.

Unclutter Your Soul: Overcome What Overwhelms You by Trina McNeilly (Thomas Nelson, $18.99 paper, ISBN 9780785250005) presents steps for observing, acknowledging, and overcoming clutter, geared toward readers who are feeling overwhelmed.

Young, Gifted, and Black by Sheila Wise Rowe (IVP, $18 paper, ISBN 9781514003558) collects real-life stories of Black Millennials and younger adults that explore both successes and struggles.

Feb. 22

This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us by Cole Arthur Riley (Convergent, $26. ISBN 978-0593239773). Riley, who created Black Liturgiesa space for Black spiritual words of liberation, lament, rage, and restcontemplates the stories of her father and grandmother as well as her own childhood to answer questions about life and faith.

Find Your People by Jennie Allen (WaterBrook, $25, ISBN 9780593193389). Bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head, Allen emphasizes the importance of friends and family with tips for strengthening those bonds based on science, history, the Bible, and personal experience.

Fiction

Feb. 1

In Search of a Prince by Toni Shiloh (Bethany, $15.99, ISBN 9780764238956). Upon learning she is a princess in a land off the coast of Africa, Brielle Adebayo must leave her familiar life in New York City to assume the throne.

Mrs. Witherspoon Goes to War by Mary Davis (Barbour, $14.99, ISBN 9781636091563). Set during WWII, Peggy Witherspoon encounters American soldiers who are being held captive in Cuba, despite the nation being an ally.

Feb. 8

Trust Me by Kelly Irvin (Thomas Nelson, $19.99 paper, ISBN 978-0785231936) is a whirlwind romantic thriller, according to our review, centered on Hunter, a convicted murderer looking for a second chance.
Thursday, January 27, is International Holocaust Memorial Day, 80 years after the notorious Nazi death camp and slave labor complex of Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated. And this day, survivor Lily Ebert, now 98, will see her portrait unveiled by Prince Charles in Buckingham Palace along with six others who endured the Holocaust and survived. It will be one more day she honors the promise she made to herself in 1944 amid unimaginable horrors:

I would tell the world what had happened. Not just to me, but to all the people who could not tell their stories. And on the day I made that promise, I thought the world would listen, she has written in Lilys Promise: Holding on to Hope Through Auschwitz and Beyond  A Story for All Generations. A bestseller from Pan Macmillan in England in 2021, HarperOne will release it in the U.S. on May 10 with a foreword by Prince Charles. Nearly 2 million people already follow Ebert on TikTok posts created with her by the book's co-author Dov Forman, her social-media-savvy 18-year-old great-grandson.

Lily's Promise details a life of fierce determination and unflagging faith: Ripped from a comfortable family life in a small Hungarian town. Crammed in a transport and unloaded days later, filthy, famished, and terrified, at Auschwitz. Witness to murderous brutality, disease, and death. Shuttled to be a slave laborer at a munitions factory. Lily and her teenage sisters, Rene and Piri, whom she guarded and supported through the worst of times, were staggering on a death march toward an unknown destination when American forces rumbled up the road and rescued them.

Yet, once she finally had space, time, peace, and freedom, she writes, she was tormented with whys, alone in a strange land with a wall of horror between her and the world. To have suffered what we had, to have been so determined to tell the world about the inhumanity we had experienced... and then to discover that the world did not want to know. This was very, very hard to bear, she writes.

But decades later, Ebert, a widow and a great grandmother, finally felt empowered to keep her promise by speaking to thousands of British schoolchildren and giving her testimony at Holocaust museums and memorials. But her grandson was hungry to know more: What was her childhood like? How did she manage to live amid the brutal treatment? How did the three sisters make it to Switzerland, on to Israel, and, for Ebert, eventually England make new families and lives?

One Sabbath, during the early days of the pandemic lockdown in London, Forman discovered when hope entered his great-grandmother's story. She was showing him the few things she had clung to through the Holocaust and the aftermath, including a scrap of Allied Military Currency, issued only during the war, with a message on it. An American rabbi had helped get the sisters out of Germany to safe harbor in Switzerland and as she left, a serviceman gave her the note. It read: A start to a new life. Good Luck and Happiness. It was signed assistant to chaplain Schacter.

Ebert described it as a tiny act of kindness she would remember forever. Human kindness is what keeps you alive, she writes. If you gave up your humanity, the Nazis had won. Forman photographed the note and posted it on Twitter, hoping to learn the name of the assistant. In less than a day, the world flew open: They connected with the family of the soldier who recognized his writing, and also with the descendants of the chaplain.

Soon, Forman recounts in the book, they were getting messages from people familiar with documentation such as transport lists of names (Nazis were great list makers) drawn from museums and archives. Forman and Ebert were able to pinpoint dates, places, and, most valuable of all, names. Numbers, says Ebert, are unfathomable. Six million of 11 million European Jews were systematically eradicated. Yet, the sight of hundreds of shoes or suitcases or piles of human hair heaped up in a museum are not as powerful, she writes, as one person. One life. Her book is dedicated to those she can nameher mother, Nina, and little brother and sister, Bela and Berta, who were consigned by Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele to the gas chambers at Auschwitz, the victims of Nazi murder in her extended family, and to all those who have no one to remember them.

Ebert tells PW: I have shared my pain and difficulties to the best of my ability. I am aware however that there is a deeper level I do not wish to visit and also that the effects on my children, grandchildren, and even great-grandchildren are bigger than I ever could know and acknowledge because I hoped I could shield them sufficiently.

Forman says, Her story has so much impact precisely because she doesnt tell you so much that you are forced to turn away from it. In a public situation, surrounded by other people, a listener can only take so much horror. And you cant help but listen to Lily. Hell be by her side at Buckingham palace when the portrait exhibition opens in the Queen's Gallery. That same day, the BBC will show a documentary of the survivors telling their stories as they were painted by the artists.

They both know that one day Dov will be carrying out her promisesomething he considers a great privilege, not a burden, he tells PW. Everyone has a platform to make change. It is all of our responsibility to foster respect and kindness and confront racism of all kinds. He and his great-grandmother both cite the alarmingly steep rise of anti-Semitism worldwide.

Because hes seen it. Hes heard it: Walking down the street in London, wearing his yarmulke as an Orthodox Jew, strangers have screamed at him Dirty Jew!
On Tuesday, January 18, Angeline Boulley, who made her debut with the YA novel Firekeepers Daughter last year, was busy doing what authors do. She had just submitted the first 100 pages of her second book to Jess Harold, her new editor at Henry Holt (her original editor, Tiffany Liao, left the company last year). She asked if I was available for a call that evening, that she needed to discuss something about my pages, Boulley recalled. I immediately started thinking what is going on? I saw that my agent had also been copied on the email and had accepted the invite to the call, and I was just worried about what was wrong with my pages.

When Boulley signed into Zoom, I was surprised to see all of the squares filled with people I didnt recognize at first, she said. And then I thought there must be something really wrong with my pages because these people seem like they may be... attorneys? My imagination goes to some really dark places sometimes. And then of course the chairperson let me know that they were there on behalf of the Printz committee.

Relieved that it was a good video call after all, Boulley figured that the committee was notifying her that she was getting a Printz Honor. When they said that I had won, I started crying, Boulley said. I told them, I know what this means. And I meant it asof course I know what the Printz Award is. But what it means for a debut Native author to win itI knew that it was larger than myself. Thats what I immediately thought of and I was so happy about it.

Following lots of congratulations, as everyone else started to get off the call, Boulley expected her editor and agent to stay on the call to talk about her pages. But when my editor left the Zoom, too, I was like, Oh... it was just a ruse! 

Boulley and Harold talked again a bit later and Harold proposed gathering virtually the next night for a champagne toast to celebrate. I had my parents come over and I had the screen sharing so they could see it on the TV in the living room, Boulley said. I got on the call and there were all these people, squares on the Zoom, but it was a different committee, and they were there to tell me that I had won the [William C.] Morris award! I was like, they did it to me again!

Meanwhile, her parents were observing the call, ready to raise a glass to their daughters Printz win. My dad looked at me and he goes, I thought you already won? I had to mute myself [on the call] and tell him This is a different award. 

In addition to winning the Printz and the Morris awards, Firekeepers Daughter was named a Young Adult Honor Book in the 2022 American Indian Youth Literature Award category. With all that excitement swirling around her last week, and the official announcement of the awards a few days away, It was pretty hard to stay quiet through the weekend, Boulley admitted.

Firekeepers Daughter is a thriller following 18-year-old science nerd Daunis in Michigans Upper Peninsula as she goes undercover to help the FBI find the source of a deadly new street drug threatening her hometown and the nearby Ojibwe reservation. The book burst onto the scene, garnering warm critical praise and landing on bestseller lists. Boulley was named a PW Flying Start, and her novel will soon be adapted as a Netflix TV project from Barack and Michelle Obamas production company Higher Ground.

For Boulley, who is an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and has worked for the Office of Indian Education at the U.S. Department of Education, Firekeepers Daughter is the culmination of a story about Native identity that began percolating in her heart and imagination long ago. My story has been with me since I was 18 years old, she says. To realize that that spark of an idea is now the Printz Award winnerI still cant wrap my head around that. Its easier for me, I guess, to wrap my head around what this means for Native American literature, and what it does to increase awareness and hopefully understanding about how different our Indigenous communities are, and just the power of a book to have people know about my community and teachings and to see how beautiful they are. Im delightfully surprised when non-Native people reach out to me and let me know how much they connected with Daunis and with other characters in the book. I love that.

Though she hasnt technically enjoyed that glass of champagne just yet, Boulley does plan to mark the occasion. Im really glad that my parents are here to celebrate with me, she said, noting that they live about a block away from her in New Buffalo, Mich. And I have been known to buy a ring or two to celebrate accomplishments and will definitely be on the lookout for something special.

In the meantime, shes working on an as-yet-untitled follow-up she calls Book Two, which she characterizes as not a traditional sequel, scheduled for winter 2023. It takes place in a different year and has a different main character, Boulley explains, but youll see familiar faces. And if the elevator pitch for Firekeepers Daughter was Indigenous Nancy Drew, I would say that the pitch for Book Two is Indigenous Lara Croft, but instead of raiding tombs, the main character is raiding museums to bring ancestors home.
Morrison Doubles Up at WaterBrook

Laura Barker, v-p and publisher at WaterBrook, took world rights from Yates & Yates Mike Salisbury to two nonfiction books by Latasha Morrison, author of Be the Bridge, which was selected as the ECPAs book of 2021. The first book in the deal, Brown Faces, White Spaces, is tentatively slated for release in spring 2023. In it, Morrison, who for years spoke out against racial justice before establishing her Be the Bridge foundation and ministry, considers historic and contemporary circumstances that feed racism in a variety of institutions, from the legal system to the church, and its impact on the daily experience of brown and Black people. Information about the second title in the deal is not yet available.

HarperOne Takes Everything

Tom Dean of A Drop of Ink sold world rights to acquiring editor Chantal Tom of HarperOne for Everything All At Once by Steph Catudal, a trained interpersonal mediator and Instagram influencer. The memoir chronicles Catudals discovery of the universality of grief and the power of love through her husband struggles with lung cancer, for which he was in an 84-day induced coma and which he ultimately survived. The book also delves into Catudals experience losing her father to the same disease when she was 14. The book is slated for publication in summer 2023.

Brazos is Waking Up

Brazos Press senior acquisitions editor Katelyn Beaty bought North American rights from Sarah Fuentes of Fletcher and Company to Karen Wright Marshs Waking Up to Amazement. Marsh is executive director of Theological Horizons, a ministry on the University of Virginia campus that serves those who work in academia, and is the host of the Vintage Saints and Sinners podcast. Waking Up to Amazement, which is slated for publication in summer 2023, presents daily practices to try to awaken to God's presence and find their truest selves, according to the publisher.

Broadleaf Gets 'Friends'

Valerie Weaver-Zercher at Broadleaf bought world rights from Laura Rennert of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency for a nonfiction book about intergenerational friendship by Mitali Perkins, award-winning author of novels for young people including You Bring the Distant Near and Bamboo People. In her tentatively titled Seasoned by Friends: The Forgotten Joy of Intergenerational Relationships, scheduled for release in fall 2023, Perkins makes a case for how relationships that bridge generational gaps are key to living well and can bring joy, delight, and meaning.

Tyndale Signs Young Franciscans Founder

Andrea Heinecke of The Bindery sold world rights to Jon Farrar at Tyndale for Beloved: Traditional Wisdom for a Modern Age by Rev. Chris Lee, vicar of a growing church in West London, Instagram influencer, and founder of The Young Franciscans spiritual community. Taking inspiration from Franciscan spirituality, Beloved conveys how unlocking the truth that we are profoundly loved by God will transform our lives and provides readers with a better way of seeing the world, discovering beauty, and knowing the love of God, according to the publisher. It is slated for publication in September 2023.

Wander Lands a New Trilogy

Linda Howard, associate publisher for Tyndale Kids, took world rights from Don Pape of Pape Commons to a three-book series by D.J. Williams to be published via Wander, Tyndales YA imprint. Williams, author of the adult thriller The Auctioneer, centers his YA debut Beacon Hill series on Jack Reynolds and friends who attend an international boarding school in Hong Kong, and who are trying to solve the death of his sister. A supernatural underground world, secret societies, and ancient treasures are part of Forbidden City, the first in the trilogy that releases in April 2023. Tentative release dates for the untitled second and third books are November 2023 and August 2024.

Kar-Ben Counts on Churnin

Joni Sussman, publisher at Kar-Ben, has bought world rights from Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary to Counting on Shabbat, a board book debut by 2021 National Jewish Book Award-winning author Nancy Churnin, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova. The book tells a story about kindness, counting, and Shabbat as a lonely person welcomes surprises. Publication is set for fall 2023. Robbin Brosterman at the Bright Agency represented the illustrator.

A Worried Wiseman Moves to CPI

Editor Milton Brasher-Cunningham at Church Publishing Inc. has acquired world rights from Karen Grencik at Red Fox Literary to The Worried Wiseman by author/illustrator Susan Eaddy. The picture book follows one of the magi in the Bible, Melchior, who reluctantly leaves his safe home to follow a star on a dangerous journey. Although the wiseman is fearful and anxious, his camel Nubia is a steady, guiding force, and together they face the different challenges. Publication is slated for September 2022.

Cottage Door Takes Two

Ginny O'Donnell at Cottage Door Press took world rights from Keely Boeving at WordServe Literary to two picture books by Deb Adamson. Thankful Thanksgiving and God Sent You With Love will both be published in spring 2023. Thankful Thanksgiving celebrates gratefulness by following a mouse familys traditions, connections, and holiday fun. It will feature illustrations by Benedetta Capriotti, who was represented by Alex Gehringer at the Bright Agency. God Sent You With Love is an ode from a mom who prayed for her childs arrival and now delights in everything that makes them special, according to the publisher. The book does not yet have an illustrator.
Under the new structure, Julie Heselgrave, formerly head of production, has been named managing director, responsible for the Leeds-based indies day-to-day operations, monitoring and evaluating its progress and exploring new creative and commercial opportunities.Heselgrave has spent her 28-year career in television working for other similar firms in the region including Chameleon Television and True North. She joined Candour in 2019, since when she has created a solid production infrastructure and attracted some of the UKs top factual talent into the company. She also provided the financials to support Candours successful Live & Wild consortium bid, which resulted in the award of an 18-month R&D contract from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to investigate the benefits of 5G technology to the creative industries. Heselgrave will be replaced by Ali Hobbs, who moves up from production executive.Having served in a consultancy capacity for the past year, factual projects funding specialist Hannah Demidowicz (pictured) has been appointed as Candours first director of development. In her new role, Demidowicz will spearhead Candours development strategy and expand its commissioner relationships both in the UK and internationally. A former commissioner at National Geographic Channel and BBC Global Channels, Demidowicz has developed and commissioned hundreds of hours of television, from popular factual hits to award-winning documentaries. In 2018, she become the first-ever commissioning editor to work within a distributor when she joined TCB Media Rights , where she developed innovative new funding models for factual content.Commenting on the moves, Candour founder, director and executive producer Anna Hall said: weve come out of the shadow of the pandemic stronger than ever and with a host of really exciting commissions this year  and this change in management structure is a reflection of our growth and our business strategy going forward. Candours DNA is to make films with courage, truth and integrity both off screen and on screen  and I am so excited that as a female-led indie we now have a strong female senior management team that can help me take Candour to the next level. The commitment, energy and vision of Julie and Hannah, both of whom are the best in their fields, will help us to achieve that.The restructure follows a successful year for Candour that saw it win its first major series commission, along with three Royal Television Society Yorkshire Awards for Best Indie Spirit, best factual post production for A Day in the Life of Coronavirus Britain and best News or Current Affairs Story for Stacy Dooley and the Lockdown Babies. In August 2021, BBC Two and BBC Nations ordered Yorkshire Born, an 8 x 60 series following the work of the midwives in Bradford who specialise in home births.
Alexia Echevarria says her husband, Todd Nepola, and her son Peter Rosello are in a "great place" today.

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The Real Housewives of Miami star gave an update on the relationship between Nepola and Rosello during Tuesday's episode of Watch What Happens Live.

Season 4 recently showed Nepola and Peter clash over Echevarria's son Frankie Rosello, who needs assistance after a car crash in 2011. Nepola called out Peter for getting Frankie stoned or drunk and taking him out partying.

Echevarria and Nepola were engaged at the time of filming and have since married. In Season 4, Echevarria wanted both of her sons to be involved with the wedding, but Peter and Nepola didn't have a good relationship.

On WWHL, Echevarria said she and Nepola eloped without her sons in attendance.

"Todd and I just wanted to have this moment between him and us," she said. "We wanted no interruptions. We just wanted that, so it was beautiful."

Echevarria did say that Nepola and Frankie's relationship has improved.

"They're in a great place today. They're closer than ever," Echevarria said.

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"I feel like sometimes you've got to get uncomfortable in order to see results," she added. "We got uncomfortable -- we got together as a family. At the end, we moved forward. We're still working on what we need to work on, and we're good."

Echevarria declined to comment on Peter's arrest earlier this month. Peter was charged with a battery misdemeanor following an alleged argument with his girlfriend.

Real Housewives of Miami is in its fourth season on Bravo. The series also stars Adriana de Moura, Marysol Patton, Lisa Hochstein, Guerdy Abraira, Julia Lemigova and Nicole Martin.
JERUSALEM, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) --- The Israel Teachers Union Wednesday announced the shutdown of schools and kindergartens starting from Thursday, in response to the government's decision to change the quarantine policy of students.

Under the government's new outline, planned to take effect on Thursday, a student exposed to a confirmed COVID-19 patient will no longer need to enter quarantine if tested negative by a home antigen test.

"Due to the government's decision to expose you to the virus in a way that endangers your health and following thousands of requests by teachers, protest measures will be taken on Thursday, and schools and kindergartens should not be attended," the union's secretary-general Yaffa Ben-David wrote to the Israeli teachers.

The government's decision aims to change the current situation in which tens of thousands of children in Israel are in quarantine though never infected with the virus. Meanwhile, all students are required to perform two antigen tests every week.

The announcement does not include high school teachers, who are represented by a separate union, but the classes are still uncertain as their union also opposes the change. 
Google is celebrating Polish avant-garde sculptor and art theoretician Katarzyna Kobro, on what would have been her 124th birthday, with a new Doodle.

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Kobro was born into a multicultural family in Moscow on this day in 1898. Kobro is considered a leading innovator of early 20th century Central European abstract art.

Google's homepage features artwork of Kobro alongside different shaped sculptures that make up the company's logo.

Kobro attended the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1917. She created her first sculpture in 1920 using metal, wood, glass and cork titled Tos 75 - Struktura.

Kobro moved to Poland where she crafted her most famous works, the 1925 - 1933 sculpture series Kompozycja Przestrzenna or Spatial Composition. She also released philosophy book Composition of Space: Calculations of Space-Time Rhythm in 1931. Her husband WAadysAaw StrzemiAski co-wrote the book.

Historians started to restore Kobro's work in the mid-twentieth century. Her remaining works are on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Showtime has canceled American Rust, starring Jeff Daniels as chief of police Del Harris, about three months after its first-season finale.

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"We can confirm that American Rust will not be moving forward with a second season," Showtime said in a statement to TribLive.com and Deadline. "We would like to thank our partners at Boat Rocker, our talented showrunner Dan Futterman and the test of the wonderful writers, and our amazing cast led by Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney ."

The crime drama followed the complicated life and career of Harris (Daniels) in the small Rust Belt town in southwest Pennsylvania. Daniels covered up a crime after Billy (Alex Neustaedter, Colony), the son of the woman he loves, Grace Poe (Maura Tierney), was accused of murder.

The series, based on Phillip Meyer's debut novel of the same name, premiered in September, and also featured David Alvarez, Bill Camp and Rob Yang, as co-stars.

The first three episodes of the series had poor initial reviews on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, followed by better views midway through its run, according to Deadline.

Futterman told Deadline he wasn't so concerned with the initial negative reaction to the series.

"I don't honestly care that much," he said. "I just think that people sometimes think they have a handle on things with very limited information. If you spend some time with this show it morphs into something very, very different and exciting--not that I think it wasn't exciting from the beginning--it was just a very different show with the seeds of what it becomes, what it grows into."

Along with Futterman, other executive producers were Daniels, Michael De Luca, Adam Rapp, Paul Martino, Kate O'Connell Marsh for Boat Rocker Studios, and Elisa Ellis.
LELAND  After a week with student attendance in the 90 percent range, Leland Public School Superintendent Stephanie Long said she was optimistic that her school district was healing from a massive surge in COVID cases.

Monday morning proved otherwise.

The latest on COVID-19 Continuing coverage of COVID-19 and its impact. If you have a question about the novel coronavirus pandemic and haven't been able to find an a

This morning kicked us in the face, Superintendent Stephanie Long said Monday evening.

Leland Public School, a 400-student K12 school district, counted 47 school-associated cases so far in January. On Monday, seven more students tested positive in the district.

In September and October, Leland saw almost no school-associated COVID-19 cases. Numbers climbed in November, ebbed in December and grew exponentially in January.

Throughout the pandemic, schools in the region experienced peak COVID numbers at different times. Some schools closed or dealt with low attendance days while others saw attendance rates in the 90 percents.

As the new and more infectious omicron variant makes its way through northern Michigan, schools in the region are facing unprecedented case counts while others recover from recent surges.

So far, Leland officials only canceled class once for low student attendance on the day before their Thanksgiving break. But in recent weeks, they have been seeing very low student attendance rates.

Long said that in recent weeks, Leland saw a day with almost one-third of its staff absent and a day with 101 students out in one day  12 students shy of the 75 percent attendance marker for the school district.

School districts in Michigan are required to have 75 percent attendance on their school days, otherwise they risk losing funding or having to add days onto their school year.

Long said her school district is doing everything to not shift to remote instruction. She said virtual learning is too much of a disturbance when kids are just as likely to get exposed in the community, and the unpredictability of day-to-day operations of schools are taking an emotional toll on staff, teachers and students.

Its essential for people to understand the amount of emotional load that educators are carrying on behalf of the community, Long said.

Earlier in January, Northport Public School also saw high numbers of students and staff catching COVID. Superintendent Neil Wetherbee canceled classes at Northport on the first Friday of January when 40 of the districts 133 students and nine staff members called out sick.

While not all of the absences were COVID-related, Wetherbee said most were.

Prior to their Christmas break, Northport had hardly any COVID cases to report, Wetherbee said. He added that he does not know of any cases within his school district that were caused by transmission within the classroom  every case he knows of can be traced back to a close contact with someone outside of school.

Weve been amazingly fortunate primarily due to how well the parents have handled the requests from the school and the masking and parents being overly cautious, Wetherbee said.

Now, Wetherbee said Northports COVID numbers are back down, and they have much fewer students out sick or quarantining than they did at the beginning of January.

I think that everything seems to be happening in trends in waves and we seem to be on the right side of the wave right now, Wetherbee said. That can certainly change.

Benzie County Central Schools have also begun seeing high numbers of COVID cases in recent weeks, especially in their elementary schools, Superintendent Amiee Erfourth said. The school district saw 16 new school-associated COVID cases at the high school, 5 at the middle school and 21 in their elementary schools last week.

Last week was definitely one of the biggest weeks weve had since the beginning of the pandemic, Erfourth said.

However, Benzie schools maintained high attendance rates last week, with the exception of Friday, which was a half day, Erfourth said. Benzie students who are quarantining at home but feeling well enough to attend class, can still attend class virtually via Google Meet and be counted in the school districts overall attendance rates.

And, despite some staff and teacher illnesses, Erfourth said her school district has also been able to cover classes effectively with creative solutions.

Erfourth said she doesnt think her school will close in the near future.

I dont see that were there yet, Erfourth said.

School is a safe place for a lot of kids, she said, so she wants to keep Benzie schools open as much as possible.

Leland, Northport and Benzie each follow the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Departments mask mandate.
If You Go

Annual Manufacturing Day

When: Feb. 4 from 4:30-7 p.m.

What: Kids ages 14 and older and the families are invited to tour local manufacturing facilities in the area

Participating companies: Promethient, Skilled Manufacturing Inc., TentCraft, Bay Motor Products, Clark Manufacturing, Century, LLC, Britten, Inc., Pro Image Design and Frankfort Manufacturing

RSVP: https://www.makegreatthings.org/gtamc-events/
TRAVERSE CITY  Traverse City Area Public Schools tallied 507 school-associated COVID cases since the beginning of the 2021-22 school year.

In the past week, the numbers on TCAPS positive case reporting page shot up by about 100 cases.

The latest on COVID-19 Continuing coverage of COVID-19 and its impact. If you have a question about the novel coronavirus pandemic and haven't been able to find an a

TCAPS Director of Communications Ginger Smith said the school district experienced a spike in cases, but they also started a new program through the state of Michigan for free COVID tests for students and staff. The district received 10,000 tests last week, she said.

It is unclear whether or not the increased number of cases are related to more COVID spread in the school district or the higher frequency and number of tests, Smith said.

As previously reported, the numbers displayed on TCAPS COVID-19 Reporting web page do not always accurately reflect the number of COVID cases in the school district. The school reports COVID cases to the page when it is notified by the health department, but that process is often slowed because of staffing shortages at the health department and the increased use of at-home tests.
One of the things I enjoy most in life is sipping a stout in front of a fire after a long day out on the ski slopes.
GENEVA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Wednesday urged the international community to stand up against antisemitism, ahead of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on Jan. 27.

"Today, racism and xenophobia are rising sharply. Violent attacks on Jewish sites and antisemitic incidents have been reported in many countries," Bachelet said in a statement.

Governments and social media platforms have a special role to play in tackling incitement to hatred, she added.

During the pandemic, certain antisemitic conspiracy theories have attributed responsibility for COVID-19 to Jews, and many public figures have minimized, distorted and weaponized the Holocaust in statements attacking public health measures.

"As they were in the 1930s, lies, hatred, scapegoating and dehumanization are on the rise - gravely threatening our social fabric today," Bachelet warned.

"We need to push back against hatred. We need to stand up for the truth - including the fundamental truth of our human equality and universal rights as human beings."

Also on Wednesday, a group of UN human rights experts issued a joint statement reiterating calls to combat antisemitism, and all forms of religious and racial bigotry.

According to the UN experts, historically high levels of antisemitism were documented in 2021.

The International Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp by the Soviet Army on Jan. 27, 1945.

According to estimates, at least 1.1 million people lost their lives at the camp, which was established by Nazi Germany in Poland in 1940. 
People gathered in Harmony Parking lot in Brattleboro on Friday, April 22nd for a street festival and parade in celebration of Earth Day. According to Nancy Braus of 350 Brattleboro, the goal was to celebrate the ways in which the community is working towards climate justice and to empower 
Brattleboro, VT (05301)

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Periods of rain. High 56F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 80%..

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UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday urged the international community to scale up humanitarian operations to save lives in Afghanistan.

"First and most urgently, we need to scale-up our humanitarian operations to save lives," the UN chief told the Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, warning that six months after the takeover by the Taliban, "Afghanistan is hanging by a thread."

"We need to suspend the rules and conditions that constrict not only Afghanistan's economy, but our lifesaving operations," said Guterres. "At this moment of maximum need, these rules must be seriously reviewed."

Talking about the urgency for the humanitarian operations, Guterres said that for Afghans, daily life has become "a frozen hell."

"They're in the grips of another brutal winter of blistering wind, cold and snow. Families huddle in makeshift tents under plastic sheets - even burning their possessions to keep warm."

"Afghans are stalked not only by COVID-19, but by deadly preventable diseases like measles, diarrhea and even polio," he added.

Speaking about the economic situation in the country, the top UN official said that "we need to jump-start Afghanistan's economy through increased liquidity."

"We must pull the economy back from the brink," he said. "This means finding ways to free-up frozen currency reserves and re-engage Afghanistan's Central Bank."

Turning to the Taliban, the secretary-general said that "now is the time for the Taliban to expand opportunity and security for its people, and demonstrate a real commitment to be a part of the global community."

"The window for trust-building is open. But this trust must be earned," he added.

"I urge the Taliban to work closely with the global community - and this council - to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan and build institutions that promote security," the UN chief added.

Referring to the sanctions imposed on the country, the secretary-general said that sanctions and mistrust by the global banking system have frozen nearly 9 billion U.S. dollars in central bank assets.

The UN chief welcomed the Security Council's adoption of a humanitarian exemption to the United Nations sanctions regime for Afghanistan.

"We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of breaching sanctions," he said. 
Last April, former Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin (looking at camera) attended a zoning meeting about plans for his property in Westminster West.
Ra 2019/14/0153

Publisher Austria: Supreme Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof) Publication Date 27 May 2019 Citation / Document Symbol ECLI:AT:VWGH:2019:RA2019140153.L00 Other Languages / Attachments Decision in German Cite as Ra 2019/14/0153 , ECLI:AT:VWGH:2019:RA2019140153.L00, Austria: Supreme Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgerichtshof), 27 May 2019, available at: https://www.refworld.org/cases,AUT_AHAC,61ef11c44.html [accessed 4 May 2022] Comments Cessation decisions can be based on an available IFA in the country of origin. Generally, changes after the last extension of subsidiary protection status are relevant to determine the change of circumstances. Attaining the age of majority constitutes a relevant change of individual circumstances. Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.

Case summary

Supreme Administrative Court, Ra 2019/14/0153, 27 May 2019

The case concerned an Afghan national, whose subsidiary protection status was withdrawn, based on changes in the country of origin (the availability of an IFA) and changed individual circumstances (because the individual attained the age of majority).

The Supreme Administrative Court had to examine whether or not changes that happened prior to the last extension of subsidiary protection status, may also be considered as a change in circumstances at a later stage. The Court held that while generally changes after the last extension are to be assessed, this does not mean that in the course of the overall assessment of changed circumstances the authority and court are to disregard any additional changes prior to the latest extension.

In addition, the Court held that cessation decisions can also be based on an available IFA in the country of origin. In this context, the Court referred to para 17 (Partial Cessation) of the UNHCR Guidelines on International Protection: Cessation of Refugee Status under Art. 1 C (5) and (6) of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (the "Ceased Circumstances" Clauses), and in particular to the following sentence: "In contrast, changes in the refugee's country of origin affecting only part of the territory should not, in principle, lead to cessation of refugee status." The Court argued that the wording "in principle" would allow for exceptions and that its decision regarding a subsidiary protection holder who had reached the age of majority since the first decision was, thus, in line with UNHCR's Guidelines.
Beckley, WV (25801)

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Mainly cloudy. A few peeks of sunshine possible. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 71F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph..

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Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 51F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
LUANDA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Angola will gradually eliminate import duties for products originating from member states of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), according to a communique released on Tuesday.

The measure is based on the Memorandum on the Proposed Tariff Offer of Angola under the framework of the AfCFTA, according to the final communique of a meeting of the Economic Commission of the Council of Ministers.

In November 2020, Angola became the 30th country to ratify the agreement to establish the AfCFTA.

The Economic Commission approved the country's Annual Indebtedness Plan for 2022, which is valued at 6.88 billion kwanzas (about 13 million U.S. dollars), to finance the General State Budget.

According to Angolan Finance Minister Vera Daves, 56 percent of the amount will be mobilized in the foreign market, while the remaining 44 percent will be channeled domestically.

The country's current public debt is estimated at 62.5 billion U.S. dollars, the minister added. 
RABAT, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Moroccan security forces arrested on Wednesday two people for their suspected links to the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Mobile phones and documents "with extremist content from the IS" were seized in the homes of the two suspects, according to a statement by the Moroccan Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations.

The two suspects, both aged 23, pledged allegiance to the IS and distributed "extremist" publications "for the purpose of recruitment and enlistment," the statement said.

They will be brought to justice upon the completion of the investigation under the supervision of the public prosecutor's office, it added. 
Northeast Industrial Services Corp., of Shamokin, were demolishing the property at 539 E. Norwegian Street in Pottsville on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The roof and exterior wall were falling causing concern for possible collapse. The property was listed on the Pottsville Blight Task Force as one of the ten worst properties in the city. The county received more than $980,000 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to fight blight. The city received $300,000 of that amount to address 17 properties of which this property was one of them.

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Five speech therapists on trial over 'seditious' sheep books could be denied a jury trial.

Hong Kong's security secretary warned on Wednesday that the city's government plans to broaden the scope of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act to encompass broader definitions of espionage.

Chris Tang told the city's legislature that existing legislation, including the draconian national security law, is currently too limited to cover all of the activities the government wishes to criminalize.

"In the existing Official Secrets Ordinance, the definition of espionage work is rather limited," Tang said in comments aired by government broadcaster RTHK. "It covers the approach of prohibited places and the making of information useful to the enemy."

"We feel that these definitions are not enough for us to combat all manners of espionage activities and risks arising from these," he said.

The amendments will be made at the same time as new legislation is tabled under Article 23 of the city's Basic Law governing national security laws, likely in the second half of this year, Tang said. Earlier plans to legislate under Article 23 were shelved following mass popular protests in 2003.

Tang's warning came after the authorities appointed a designated national security judge to preside in the trial of five speech therapists who were charged with "conspiracy to print, publish, distribute, display or reproduce seditious publications" under colonial-era sedition laws.

The ruling means there could be no jury at the trial of Sidney Ng, 28, Samuel Chan, 25, Marco Fong, 26, Lai Man-ling, 25, and Melody Yeung, 27, who were arrested in July 2021 after publishing three children's books that portrayed sheep uniting to defend their village against invading wolves, a plot-line that the authorities said incited hatred of the authorities.

The five defendants appeared in good spirits as they were escorted into the District Court earlier this week, smiling and waving to loved ones in the public gallery.

The prosecution argued that Article 44 of a draconian national security law imposed on Hong Kong by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) from July 1, 2020 was applicable in the case, in addition to the sedition charges.

However, they have been denied bail as the charges against them are deemed a matter of "national security."

Trial fairness questioned

The hearing was led by national security judge Kwok Wai-kin, who was temporarily suspended from duty after expressing sympathy in court for a defendant accused of stabbing protesters during the 2019 protest movement.

Kwok, who is a designated national security judge, appointed himself to hear the trial, despite arguments from the defense that it would prejudice the public's perception of the fairness of the trial.

"Designated national security law judges are no different from other judges," Kwok retorted.

Hong Kongs Chief Justice Andrew Cheung hit back on Monday at concerns over lack of impartiality in trials judged by national security appointees.

All appointed judges are incumbent judges, and, as such, must first have met Article 92 of the Basic Law, and the strict requirements on judicial and professional abilities in selecting judges, Cheung said in a speech opening the legal new year in Hong Kong.

"No political or personal factors are allowed to be involved," he said.

National security judges are chosen by the chief executive, who may consult with the chief justice while making the designation, he said.

Cheung also defended the possibility that national security trials can take place without a jury, in front of three designated judges.

"[The judges'] verdict is given in a fully reasoned judgment which is published online for public scrutiny," Cheung said.

The "seditious sheep" trial is set to begin on July 5, 2022. All of the defendants have been held on remand for at least five months.

Until the national security law ushered in a city-wide crackdown on peaceful criticism and political opposition to the government, trial by jury had been one of the most important features of Hong Kong's common-law legal system, as it was designed to offer defendants additional protection against the abuse of official power.



Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
An F-35C Lightning II and an F/A-18E Super Hornet fly over the Philippine Sea, Jan. 22, 2022.

The U.S. Navy says it is working to recover the F-35C Lightning II fighter jet that crashed in the South China Sea  a tough mission likely to play out under the watchful eyes of China.

While attempting to land Monday on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, the fighter skidded over the side and tumbled into the sea.

The pilot safely ejected and was recovered by a U.S. military helicopter.

Seven servicemen were injured in the accident that happened during a joint operation conducted by the USS Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln strike groups in the South China Sea. All the injured are in stable condition.

Lt. Nicholas Lingo, spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet, told media late Tuesday that "the U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35C aircraft.

Lingo said he could confirm the aircraft impacted the flight deck during landing and subsequently fell to the water but did not specify the location of the crash site or the search area.

The South China Sea Probing Initiative (SCPI), a Beijing-based think-tank, alleged that based on satellite imagery the crash occurred within the U.S. exercise area some 100 nautical miles from Luzon Island of the Philippines, and 50 to 70 nautical miles northeast of Scarborough Shoal inside the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

The SCPI also said that on Wednesday morning, the U.S. sent at least six intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance aircraft including one MQ-4C, a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, to the area, presumably to assist the crashed fighters search.

The wreckage could contain many technological secrets, and analysts say the U.S. would not want them to fall into Chinas hands.

I think it's obvious that the Chinese would be looking for the wreckage as well, said Richard Bitzinger, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

He said pieces of wreckage can provide valuable information about the F-35, such as its skin, stealth sensors, and data processing.

That said, I'm sure that the U.S. Navy is surrounding the area where the plane went down and trying to cordon it off until salvage ships arrive. So I don't know if the Chinese could pull it off overtly and covertly. I don't know if the Chinese have the means, Bitzinger added.

The 7th Fleets spokesman, Lt. Lingo, when asked, said: "We cannot speculate on what the PRC's (Chinas) intentions are on this matter."

Multi-million dollar fighter jet

Chinese military observers nevertheless have been monitoring the accident closely.

Zhang Junshe, a senior research fellow at the Naval Research Academy of the People's Liberation Army, was quoted in the state-run Global Times newspaper as saying that the U.S. militarys operations aimed at containing China exhaust American military personnel physically and mentally.

"Accidents would be unavoidable under this situation," Zhang was quoted as saying.

Ten F-35Cs, including the one that crashed, are aboard the USS Carl Vinson.

The $100-million F-35, developed by the American aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp., is a state-of-the-art aircraft with superior stealth performance that is difficult to catch on radar.

Janes Defence magazine reported this month that the Thai military is considering buying new fighter aircraft to replace its air forces ageing fleet. One option is the F-35 Lightning II strike fighter.

Lockheed Martin said the F-35C variant is the first and worlds only stealth strike fighter designed and built explicitly for Navy carrier operations. The first F-35C was put into operation only in 2019.

Recovery of the fighter jet from the sea presents a formidable challenge. The U.S. military has not provided detailed information about where the plane might be, but the area of the dual-aircraft drills where it went down is near the so-called South China Basin, where the maximum sea depth exceeds 5,000 meters.

This is the fourth crash of F-35 aircraft of all kinds.

An F-35 from Britain's HMS Queen Elizabeth crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in November, though the pilot also safely ejected.

In April 2019, a Japanese F-35 crashed in the Pacific Ocean close to northern Japan, killing the pilot. The F-35 was recovered from the sea.

Just earlier this month, a South Korean F-35A fighter had to make an emergency landing during training due to malfunction.

Mondays crash was the second major accident involving the U.S. Navy in the South China Sea in recent months. Last October, the nuclear submarine USS Connecticut hit an uncharted seamount and suffered significant damage.
North Korean agencies are fighting with the military and one another over cargo space on trains that are now once again bringing in goods from China, after two years of closed borders left a vast shortage of supplies, officials told RFA.

In January 2020, Pyongyang and Beijing stopped bilateral trade in an effort to stop the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The move effectively cut North Korea off from the rest of the world and devastated its economy.

Rail freight briefly resumed on Nov. 1, 2021, but was shut down again a week later due to surges of confirmed cases in China. Pyongyang and Beijing reopened the border to rail freight only last week.

Government agencies under the control of North Koreas Cabinet are working to bring in necessities for the countrys citizens and rebuild its economy. But the military, which is not controlled by the Cabinet, needs its own resources and is taking up most of the space there is on the freight trains to bring them in.

The sudden reopening has led to a growing conflict between government administrative agencies, a trading company official from the northwestern province of North Pyongan, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFAs Korean Service Jan. 23.

The allocation of the cargo compartments is under the direct control of the Central Party, and it looks like priority is given to the Second Economy Committee, the source said, referring to trading companies affiliated with the military.

Trading companies for the ministries under the Cabinet are classified under the First Economy Committee.

In the end, the trading companies affiliated with the Cabinet offices are likely to lose space to the militarys needs, the source said. The non-military-affiliated trading companies urgently need to bring in daily necessities for the people to survive, but they have not been able to do anything because they have been pushed to lower priorities.

Cabinet officials are unhappy that the Central Committee would give all the space to the more privileged organizations like the military and the Party, while still telling them they are responsible for reviving the countrys moribund economy, the source said.

Some of the officials are even griping that the central government does not care about its citizens and only restarted trade to help the privileged elite and the military, according to the source.

Its not like in the past, where both you and I share power. Now the more powerful one can just say, All 15 cargo compartments are mine, Regular companies can do nothing, the source said.

On the morning of Jan. 17, a train with more than 10 cars crossed the Yalu River from the North Korean border city of Sinuiju, headed for Chinas Dandong on the other side, an official from another trading company in the capital Pyongyang told RFA.

Most of the cargo spaces on the train were designated for the Second Economy Committee, said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

They want to supply materials for the military  ahead of the Lunar New Year on Feb. 1. The authorities are only interested in munitions, so it will be impossible for them to recover the peoples economy, which since the pandemic has been severely deteriorated, the second source said.

Translated by Claire Lee and Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
CANBERRA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A peak body representing Indigenous Australians has called for stricter health measures to protect vulnerable remote communities from coronavirus.

The Central Land Council (CLC) on Wednesday urged the Northern Territory (NT) and federal government to collaborate on a "circuit breaker" lockdown of remote Indigenous communities.

"We need a circuit breaker to slow down the out-of-control spread of the virus in our communities," said CLC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Les Turner, according to The Canberra Times.

"Our people and their organizations are doing their bit. They now need both governments to stop burying their heads in the sand, face facts and back them."

It came one day after the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC) called for a Central Australia-wide lockdown.

"We need to see sharp and serious action to respond to what are growing case numbers in Alice Springs and surrounding Central Australian communities," said congress acting CEO Josie Douglas in a statement.

"We are calling for a complete lockdown of Central Australia to be implemented urgently. A Tsunami of COVID cases is coming and we need a circuit breaker."

Australia on Wednesday reported more than 50,000 COVID-19 infections and 87 deaths, according to health department figures from states and territories. 
Members of the public say they will not be intimidated by the military regimes threats.

A man walks across an empty street as demonstrators called for a 'silent strike' in protest against the military coup in Yangon, Dec. 10, 2021.

Myanmars military junta threatened to act against anyone who takes part in the Silent Strike to mark the one-year anniversary of the coup that put it in power, but members of the public said the protest would go forward as planned.

Applauding, honking car horns or playing drums in support of the strike planned for Feb. 1 are acts punishable by up to life imprisonment, according to a statement issued by the junta on Tuesday. Property related to the cases can also be confiscated, the statement warned.

Speaking to RFA on Tuesday, a resident of Yangon named Lin Htet Aung said that the juntas threats suggest it is afraid of a mass protest but said the public will not back down.

In the last silent protest, people throughout the country participated of their own will. The military knocked down or smashed some shops that were closed. In the days that followed, shop owners were not allowed to open them, he said.

The junta is afraid that the entire public will be involved. But no matter what statements they make, I believe people will take part in this action.

Last month, a nationwide Silent Strike was held on Dec. 10 to mark Human Rights Day in protest of the junta and its brutal crackdown following the coup. The strike left many cities and towns empty as citizens stayed home in solidarity.

Since deposing the democratically elected National League for Democracy in February, junta forces have killed nearly 1,500 civilians and arrested more than 8,780  mostly during nonviolent protests of military rule  and are engaged in multiple offensives against ethnic armed groups and anti-junta militias.

Wai Yan, a young student leader from the city of Mandalay, said the juntas most recent statement against the strike constitutes a violation of human rights.

As human beings, we have the right to freely do what we want. I may just want to be alone and stay home, or I may want to open or close my shop, he said.

The military council has violated human rights so many times. They will be wicked and cruel no matter what.

Win through cleverness

Asked by RFA about the statement, junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun agreed that members of the public may exercise their basic rights if they do so without compromising security and public welfare.

However, if the security or the well-being of the people is affected, it is no longer a fundamental right, he said.

This is a kind of disruption of public order. That is why we are trying to stop what might disrupt daily commerce and trading. Disrupting socio-economic life is not a fundamental human right. These are forced inventions. Actually, we are protecting the fundamental rights of the people.

But Thura Aung, an organizer of the Silent Strike in Mandalay, said that the public will not back down in the face of junta intimidation.

Im calling on the people to win through cleverness, rather than remaining cowered in fear, he said. Its been nearly a year that people have stood firm for truth and [right]. I believe we will continue our revolt against the junta steadfastly.

Next weeks planned protest will mark the third public Silent Strike since the military seized power in February last year. In addition to the strike on Dec. 10, a nationwide protest was also held on March 24, 2021. Prior to both strikes, the military made announcements in all townships calling on people to go about their daily lives but failed to prevent the protests.

A lawyer in the commercial capital Yangon, who spoke to RFAs Myanmar Service on condition of anonymity citing security reasons, said authorities will have a difficult time making a case for prosecution against strike participants, many of whom will show their opposition to military rule by simply staying home on Feb. 1.

According to the law, action can only be taken against a person if he or she commits a crime, he said. How are they going to legally judge whether someone is taking part in a Silent Strike?  Some people might stay home because they do not want to be ostracized by others if they go leave the house.

Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
The ASEAN chair says Min Aung Hlaing can attend meeting if he implements the five-point consensus.

Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen said Tuesday that he has invited Myanmar junta chief Snr. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing to an upcoming summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) provided he implements conditions to end the political crisis in his country.

Hun Sen, who is serving a term as chair of the 10-member bloc, made the comments during a video call with Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob, according to a statement posted on the Cambodian leaders Facebook page. Min Aung Hlaing must first act on promises he made to end violence in his country at an emergency ASEAN meeting in April last year after leading a military coup two months earlier, the statement said.

Hun Sen said that he had invited His Excellency Min Aung Hlaing to the ASEAN summit if there is progress in implementing the unanimously agreed upon five-point consensus, but if not, [Myanmar will] send non-political representatives to the ASEAN meeting instead, the statement said.

The prime minister said that ASEAN has a lot of work to do and cannot allow itself to become a slave to Myanmar by becoming too focused on the latters internal politics, the statement said.

Following the meeting, Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary of State Kao Kim Hourn told government mouthpiece Fresh News that Hun Sen will hold a video conference with Min Aung Hlaing on Wednesday to discuss what developments the junta has made on the five-point consensus.

On Tuesdays call, Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob stressed to Hun Sen the need for urgent de-escalation of violence in Myanmar, inclusive political dialogue, and the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, according to a statement released by Malaysias Ministry of Defense. He also called for an ASEAN envoy to be granted full access to all parties concerned as part of a bid to find a peaceful solution to the crisis.

But the ministry said that Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob had remained firm on his countrys earlier stance to refrain from inviting representatives of the junta to ASEAN meetings until the military regime had lived up to its commitments.

Earlier visit to Myanmar

Earlier this month, Hun Sen met with Min Aung Hlaing in Myanmar to discuss international and regional issues, marking the first visit by a foreign leader to the country since the military seized power in a Feb. 1, 2021, coup, despite protests over what is seen as his support for the military regime and its repressive policies.

Following the meeting, the two sides released a statement that sought to highlight that the inclusion of a special envoy in talks to deescalate tension in Myanmar was an important step in meeting ASEANs five-point consensus. The junta has failed to implement any of the steps and ASEAN had declined to invite its delegations to several high-profile meetings, including its annual summit.

During his Jan. 7-8 visit, Hun Sen also failed to meet with any of Myanmars prodemocracy leaders, including jailed National League for Democracy (NLD) chief Aung San Suu Kyi  another condition of the five-points  in a move that observers say shows the prime minister intends to treat the junta with kid gloves as chair of ASEAN.

Since deposing the democratically elected NLD in February, junta forces have killed nearly 1,500 civilians and arrested more than 8,780  mostly during nonviolent protests of military rule  and are engaged in multiple offensives against ethnic armed groups and anti-junta militias.

In the weeks since Hun Sens visit, Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to four years in detention and the military has deployed air strikes during clashes that have displaced thousands of civilians.

Approach criticized

Hun Sens video conference with Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob on Tuesday came days after he lashed out at Malaysias Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah in a phone call with Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo for being arrogant by criticizing Phnom Penhs strategy to deal with Myanmar. Abdullah had earlier told reporters that Hun Sen should have consulted with other leaders from ASEAN before going to Myanmar to meet with Min Aung Hlaing.

The visit also prompted criticism from the ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), which was later rejected by Cambodias National Assembly in a statement attacking the groups chair Charles Santiago.

On Tuesday, the APHR urged Cambodia to prioritize its efforts on finding the solutions needed to address the tragic crisis engulfing Myanmar, citing what it said are more urgent humanitarian and human rights needs in the country.

Now what is needed is for the ASEAN chair to work closely with the rest of its members to hold the junta leader accountable towards the Five-Point Consensus that he himself also agreed to, Santiago said in a statement.

Amidst all of this, lets not forget the people of Myanmar, who continue to be subjected to the terror and violence of this junta, and yet bravely continue to voice their rejection of the military.

Reporting by RFAs Myanmar Service, Khmer Service, and Iskandar Zulkarnain for BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.
Satellite images of Sann-myo village in Myanmar show the devastation from the fires. The image at left was taken Oct. 13, 2019, while the image at right is from Jan. 23, 2022. (Left: CNES/Google Earth. Right: Planet Labs. Analysis by RFA)

New satellite imagery obtained by RFA shows a Myanmar village virtually razed to the ground last week in what witnesses say was an arson attack by junta forces after a skirmish with local militia fighters.

Residents said about 40 or 50 troops came into the north side of the Sann-myo village in Gangaw district of the central Magway Region, firing their guns, as villagers fled to the south. The troops then began setting fire to houses.

The result of the Jan. 18 assault was carnage: about 130 homes burned. The core of the village was left in ashes. From the air, the charred ruins can be seen, surrounded by green farm fields on the banks of the winding Myittha river, which originates in the Chin hills to the west.

Various visual evidence compiled by RFA show the scale and intensity of the destruction. Videos taken by the Hnan Khar Youth Group, a volunteer group named after a community south of Sann-myo, shows the village on fire on the night of Jan. 18, then the smoldering ruins on Jan. 19.

A satellite image from Jan. 23  alongside an image of Sann-myo taken two years previously  provide a stark comparison of what the village looked like before recent arson attacks and after.

Locals say that Sann-myo village once had more than 190 houses. Attacks by junta forces on Dec. 21 and then Jan. 18 have left only about 30 homes standing. Locals say about 1,000 villagers have sought shelter in surrounding forests and nearby villages.

The burnings followed firefights between junta forces and the local Peoples Defense Force, part of a loose network of militia groups that arose in opposition to the Feb. 1 coup that ousted the countrys democratically elected government.

Khit Thit Media, a news outlet banned by the junta, published a recording this week in which the Magway region security minister purportedly admits that the juntas administration had broken down in three townships of Gangaw district. Government offices were no longer functioning as officials abandoned their posts amid escalating attacks by PDF forces, the report said.

Data for Myanmar, a group that documents the effects of the coup, told RFA in early January that 1,963 houses in 90 villages across the country have been destroyed in arson attacks since the coup. Of these, more than 400 were burnt in the Magway region, the group said.

The junta has not commented on the allegations that its troops set alight Sann-Myo. It has typically pointed the finger at militia forces, blaming them for arson attacks in towns and villages despite witness testimony to the contrary.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has tested positive for COVID-19 for a second time in less than two years.

Pashinian is asymptomatic and has self-isolated, his press office said in a statement on January 26.

"The prime minister will carry out his duties remotely," the statement said, without elaborating.

Pashinian first tested positive for COVID-19 in June 2020. He was asymptomatic back then, too.

Pashinian told an online news conference on January 24 that he had been vaccinated against COVID-19 and had also had a booster shot.

Armenia, like many countries around the world, has seen a dramatic rise in the number of new coronavirus cases due to the rapid spread of the very contagious omicron variant.

Nearly 2,000 new cases have been registered in the South Caucasus country of about 3 million people over the past 24 hours.

More than 8,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Armenia since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.
U.S. President Joe Biden will receive the ruler of Qatar at the White House on January 26, amid discussions between Washington and its European allies on how to meet Europe's energy needs if Russian supplies diminish in case Moscow invades Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Biden and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani planned to discuss Middle East security, safeguarding the stability of global energy supplies, and the situation in Afghanistan, where humanitarian conditions have worsened massively in the aftermath of the U.S. militarys withdrawal and Taliban takeover last year.

Qatar is one of the world's primary producers of liquefied natural gas and is among the countries that the United States is hoping could aid Europe.

Some 125,000 Russian troops are deployed near the Ukrainian border, according to Ukrainian intelligence.

Biden has repeatedly warned that Russia will face severe consequences if it invades Ukraine again, after annexing the Crimean Peninsula in 2014.



On January 26, the Biden administration said it was in touch with gas and oil suppliers from the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia to bolster supplies to Europe in the coming weeks as part of the steps to reduce the danger of Russia cutting off energy exports in the escalating conflict over Ukraine.

Based on reporting by AFP and nytimes.com
The European Court of Human Rights has held a preliminary hearing to decide whether to hear a case filed by the Netherlands and Ukraine that seeks to hold Russia responsible for the 2014 shooting down of a passenger airliner over eastern Ukraine that killed 298 people.

Lawyers for Ukraine and the Netherlands presented their arguments on January 26, saying that Russia had de facto control over the separatist forces that fired the antiaircraft missile that brought down Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on July 17, 2014.

Ukrainian Justice Minister Denys Maliuska told judges that Ukraine faced "a consistent or long-term policy of the Russian Federation aimed at bending Ukraine to Russian interests and swaying it from its path toward Western values and civilization."

Dutch lawyer Babette Koopman said her government had determined that the missile system used to shoot down the jet "was provided by Russia with a crew to the separatists" and that the area from which the missile was launched was "under the effective control of Russia."

Koopman added that relatives of the victims were still waiting for an admission of responsibility.

MH17 was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down. Some 193 of the victims were Dutch citizens.

Despite compelling evidence, Russia denies providing military assistance to separatist forces in parts of eastern Ukraine that have waged war against Kyiv since April 2014. More than 13,200 people have been killed in the conflict.

In 2016, an international joint investigation team (JIT) determined that MH17 was shot down by a Buk antiaircraft system that had been brought to Ukraine from Russia the same day and which returned to Russia -- minus one missile -- after the jet was shot down.

The JIT later determined the Buk had been provided by the Russian 53rd Antiaircraft Brigade based in Kursk.

Since 2020, four people -- three Russians and a Ukrainian -- have been on trial in absentia in the Netherlands for their alleged roles in the MH17 downing. Dutch prosecutors in December asked the court to hand down life sentences to all the defendants.

With reporting by AP and Reuters
Iran has sentenced prominent human rights defender Narges Mohammadi to another eight years and two months in prison as well as 74 lashes, her husband says.

Paris-based Taghi Rahmani said on Twitter on January 26 that Mohammadi had called the family from prison on January 25, and informed them that she was also banned from social-media activities and from giving interviews for two years.

Rahmani said the sentence, which also includes a two-year exile from the capital, Tehran, was preliminary.

Mohammadi was arrested in November 2021 after she attended the memorial for a man killed by Iranian security forces during nationwide protests in November 2019. Rahmani later said his wife stood accused of "spying for Saudi Arabia."

Last week, she was transferred from Tehran's Evin prison to the Gharchak women's prison near Tehran.

Before imprisonment, Mohammadi was the vice president of the banned Center for Human Rights Defenders in Iran.

She has been repeatedly jailed and harassed by Iranian authorities.

In May 2021, a Tehran court sentenced her to 2 1/2 years in prison, 80 lashes, and two separate fines on charges that include "spreading propaganda against the system."

In 2016, the activist was sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges that rights groups said were solely related to her human rights activities.

Following her release from prison in October 2020 after her sentenced was reduced, she continued to criticize human rights abuses in Iran, and accused prison authorities of sexually harassing her and other female prisoners.

In March 2021, Mohammadi was among a group of activists who filed an official complaint against the use of solitary confinement against political detainees.

A journalist and an engineer, she has been awarded several prestigious prizes, including the American Physical Society's Andrei Sakharov Prize in 2018 for outstanding leadership in upholding human rights.
Iranian police say they have arrested 17 people suspected of filming candid-camera pranks that boosted their social-media followings but incited panic in the streets of Tehran.

Those arrested allegedly "amused themselves by playing on people's nerves and the peace and security of the public by filming candid-camera footage of horror gags on the streets of the capital," Tehran police chief General Hossein Rahimi told the state-run Iran newspaper on January 26.

In Tehran in recent weeks, men have smashed cakes in the faces of bystanders on subway escalators and actors posing as private taxi drivers have opened fire on passengers with paintball guns, while others tossed eggs at pedestrians.

The stream of prank videos circulating on Iranian social media has racked up thousands of views.

In the videos, some victims of the pranks appear terrified or angry. One man hit with a pie on an escalator is seen chasing the laughing pranksters and throwing a shoe at them before trying to beat one of the men up.

The cake-throwing prankster, an information-technology graduate identified by the Iran daily by his first name, Shahab, was quoted as saying he "just wanted to make people happy and also increase my Instagram followers."

He told the newspaper that after each prank he gave victims about $20, did their laundry, and sought their permission to publish the videos on social media.

But the head of Tehran's cyberpolice, Colonel Davoud Moazzami, expressed outrage over the videos, saying that "all 17 of those arrested had received university educations and worked for respected companies."

"They filmed these candid-camera videos to attract followers and advertising on Instagram and Twitter," Moazzami said.

Iran's conservative authorities maintain tight control over the Internet and block access to various social-media websites such as YouTube and Twitter.

They have also cracked down on what they describe as un-Islamic and immoral Internet activity.

In 2014, six men and women were detained for dancing in a YouTube video to the Pharrell Williams song Happy. They were later sentenced to suspended jail terms.

Many Iranians use virtual private networks and proxies to circumvent government restrictions on the web.

With reporting by AP and AFP
Human Rights Watch has called on Kazakh authorities to thoroughly investigate all of the deadly shootings of civilians by law enforcement officers during unrest earlier this month in the former Soviet republic's largest city, Almaty.

There is ample evidence showing that security forces opened fire without any apparent justification and killed at least 10 people. The death toll from the violent crackdown is likely much greater and requires a prompt and effective investigation, Jonathan Pedneault, conflict and crisis researcher at HRW, said in a statement issued on January 26.

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A peaceful protest in the tightly controlled Central Asian nation's western region of Manghystau over a fuel price hike led to mass anti-government protests across the country and ended with deadly shootings in Almaty.

During the protests, Kazakh authorities switched off the Internet and restricted mobile phone operations for five days.

Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev blamed rights activists and independent journalists for "inciting" the protests, which led to the arrest of several reporters in different towns and cities across the country.

Toqaev said in the wake of the protests that "20,000 extremists trained in foreign terrorist camps" attacked Almaty, but he did not provide any evidence to support the claim. As the unrest spread, Toqaev requested help from the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).

Toqaev also publicly said then that he had ordered security forces to shoot to kill without warning.

Kazakh authorities have said that 227 people, including 19 law enforcement officers, were killed across the country, but human rights groups say the exact number of people killed during the unrest may be much higher.

"In light of the gravity of the alleged violations, Kazakhstans international partners, including the UN, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, of which Kazakhstan is a member, and the European Union should press the government of Kazakhstan to conduct an effective, independent, and impartial investigation into the security forces response to the January events, with a view to ensuring full accountability," the HRW statement said.
After a violent crackdown on anti-government protests in Kazakhstan in early January, many people were hospitalized, some with gunshot wounds. This week, a witness shared video of police taking injured people from the hospital by force on January 9. The fate of the people detained at the hospital remains unclear, while government officials maintain that those who need treatment in custody will receive it.
PETROPAVL, Kazakhstan -- A court in the northern Kazakh city of Petropavl has rejected a request for early release filed by Asqar Qaiyrbek, who was sentenced for organizing activities of the banned Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan (DVK) opposition group.

Qaiyrbek participated in the hearing on January 26 via video link from the penal colony where he is serving his sentence.

Judge Almas Zhumaghazin explained his decision by citing "a lack of evidence proving that the convict had been rehabilitated."

The 44-year-old activist was arrested in December 2020 and sentenced to 23 months in prison in June 2021 after a court found him guilty of organizing activities for an extremist group and taking part in such activities.

Critics say the law on public gatherings violates international standards, as it requires preliminary permission from the authorities to hold rallies and it prosecutes organizing and participating in unsanctioned rallies despite constitutional guarantees to the right of free assembly.

In August, Qaiyrbek launched a hunger strike to protest against his conviction and sentence.

In recent years, Kazakh courts have routinely given prison or parole-like sentences for involvement in the activities of the DVK and its associate, the unregistered Koshe (Street) party, or for taking part in rallies organized by the two groups.

The DVK is led by Mukhtar Ablyazov, the fugitive former head of the BTA Bank and an outspoken critic of the government. The authorities banned the DVK as an extremist group in 2018.

Rights groups in Kazakhstan say at least 300 men and women in the tightly controlled former Soviet republic have been convicted for their ties to the DVK and Koshe, or for taking part in events they organized.

The authorities insist there are no political prisoners in Kazakhstan.
A rally outside the Ukrainian parliament in Kyiv ended in clashes with the police after protesters tried to storm the parliament building. An estimated 2,000 people joined the demonstration on January 25 organized by the SaveFOP movement that argues planned tax reforms would hurt small businesses. FOP is the Ukrainian abbreviation for an individual entrepreneur. According to the police, 18 officers and at least three protesters were injured during the clashes. The police briefly detained 63 people.
The United States has rejected Russia's demand to halt further NATO expansion eastward, but offered what it called a "serious diplomatic path" to resolve a heated confrontation between Moscow and the West amid a Russian military buildup near Ukraine.

Washington handed over its written response to Russia's security demands on January 26, which U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken described as a "principled and pragmatic" evaluation of the concerns that Moscow has raised.

Blinken late on January 26 also spoke to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi about Ukraine, highlighting the global security and economic risks that could stem from further Russian aggression, the State Department said.

Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops, according to Western intelligence, near the border with Ukraine and has been holding a series of land and sea military exercises, sparking concern it may be preparing for a further incursion into the country after illegally annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

Live Briefing: Ukraine In The Crosshairs RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

Moscow is also backing separatist fighters in an ongoing war in eastern Ukraine that has claimed more than 13,200 lives since April 2014.

The Kremlin, which denies planning to enter Ukraine, has said it sees NATO as a security threat, and is demanding legal guarantees that the Western military alliance will not further expand eastward, including to neighboring Ukraine.

Washington and NATO have said some of the demands are nonstarters.

Blinken told reporters the United States was open to dialogue, but made it "clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the right of states to choose their own security arrangements and alliances."

"There is no change; there will be no change," he said.

Blinken said the letter was fully coordinated with Ukraine and Washington's European allies and "sets out a serious diplomatic path forward, should Russia choose it," as the United States seeks to avert a military escalation against Ukraine.

But he warned Washington was acting "with equal focus" to bolster Ukraine's defense.

He said he would speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the coming days for Moscow's response to the U.S. stance.

During his call with Chinese counterpart Wang, Blinken underlined the need for de-escalation, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. "Secretary Blinken...conveyed that de-escalation and diplomacy are the responsible way forward," Price said.

Wang for his part called for calm in the Ukrainian crisis, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We call on all parties to stay calm and refrain from doing things that agitate tensions and hype up the crisis," the statement said.

China and Russia have been stepping up their ties amid tension between Beijing and Washington over a range of issues, from trade to human rights, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China's maritime claims.

NATO also sent its written response to Russia's demands to Moscow, which Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said included proposals for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Stoltenberg called on Russia to "immediately de-escalate the situation," but said NATO allies remained "prepared for the worst."

"We see more troops not only in and around Ukraine, but also now in Belarus, where Russia is in the process of deploying thousands of troops, hundreds of aircraft, S-400 air defense systems and a lot of other very advanced capabilities," he said, adding this was happening under the disguise of an exercise.

Russia says the crisis is being driven by NATO and the United States, accusing them of "escalating tensions." Although Russia denies it is planning an attack, it kicked off military drills near Ukraine on January 25 involving thousands of troops and dozens of warplanes.

After attending diplomatic talks in Paris between Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France, Kremlin envoy Dmitry Kozak reiterated Moscow's view that Western calls for Moscow to deescalate by halting troop movements on its own territory are pointless.

In earlier remarks to the State Duma, Lavrov repeated Moscow's threat that if the West does not respond to its demands, Russia will take unspecified "appropriate measures."

U.S. President Joe Biden issued a rare threat on January 25, saying that he would consider personal sanctions on his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in case of an invasion of Ukraine.

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on January 26 that her country was "not ruling anything out" when asked if the United Kingdom would consider a similar move.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow that individual sanctions against Putin would be "not painful [but] politically destructive," noting Russia's top leaders are legally barred from holding assets, property and bank accounts abroad.

On January 25, additional U.S. military hardware arrived in Kyiv -- including Javelin anti-tank missiles and launchers -- the third installment of a $200 million package to shore up Ukraine's defenses.

Truss said Britain was also supplying defensive weapons to Ukraine.

The Czech Defense Ministry said it would donate 4,000 artillery shells, worth $1.7 million to Ukraine in the next few days.

Germany, which has refused to provide weapons to Ukraine, offered to send 5,000 helmets.

Biden consulted with allied European leaders earlier this week over the tensions caused by Russia's troop buildup, and the Pentagon announced it was putting up to 8,500 U.S. soldiers on "heightened alert" for potential deployment to bolster NATO's presence in the region.

Biden said he had "no intention" of sending U.S. troops into Ukraine but again warned Russia of severe sanctions if Moscow orders an attack.

NATO has about 4,000 troops in multinational battalions in Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. They are backed by tanks, air defenses, and intelligence and surveillance units.

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said his country was in talks with France and the United States on increasing the number of NATO troops it hosts.

"I have no idea whether [Putin's] made the ultimate decision, but we certainly see every indication that he is going to use military force sometime perhaps [between] now and the middle of February," U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told an online forum on January 26.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv issued an alert urging Americans in Ukraine to considering leaving the country given the "unpredictable" situation.

"The security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action and can deteriorate with little notice," the embassy said in a statement on January 26.

As part of a continuing diplomatic effort, advisers to the leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France, and Germany met in Paris, and reaffirmed in a joint statement their commitment to uphold a cease-fire agreed in the Minsk accords aimed at putting an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Although there was no breakthrough in the talks, held under the so-called Normandy format, they promised to meet for new talks in two weeks in Berlin.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a briefing on January 26 that Ukraine had no objections to responses the United States will send to Russia as part of negotiations to avert a military escalation.

"We know very well what our partners will tell Russia. We are aware of all of that and everything has been coordinated with us," Kuleba said.

As part of a continuing diplomatic effort, French President Emmanuel Macron has scheduled a phone call with Putin for January 28 in which he is expected to seek clarification over Russia's intentions.

A top Ukrainian official on January 26 ruled out the prospect of Kyiv holding direct talks with Kremlin-backed separatists and said that major cease-fire violations were happening in the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

"There have not been and will not be any direct talks with the separatists," said Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in a statement on Facebook.

Kuleba accused Russia of trying to sow panic in Ukraine.

He also said Moscow had not massed enough troops for a large-scale offensive against Ukraine, but added that did not mean it could not do so later on.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, and dpa
Iran helped the United States topple the Talibans brutal regime in Afghanistan in 2001.



But more than 20 years later, after U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban regained power, the once sworn enemies have become allies.



Differences remain between Afghanistans Sunni Taliban rulers and Iran's Shi'ite clerical regime. Tehran, like the rest of the international community, has yet to recognize the Taliban regime. Clashes have also erupted between Taliban fighters and Iranian security forces along the countries' 900-kilometer border.



But there has also been growing economic and political cooperation between the sides, which have both been hit by U.S. sanctions.



In the latest sign of deepening ties, the Taliban released water from the Kamal Khan Dam in southwestern Afghanistan into Hamun Lake in southeastern Iran, a poor and arid region.

Experts say the move is part of the Talibans attempt to curry favor with Iran, a major trade partner and regional power. Disputes over the distribution of cross-border water supplies have plagued relations between the two neighbors for decades.



"Overall, Iran needs a stable, if also dependent, Afghanistan and the Taliban a nonthreatening, economically cooperative neighbor," says Marvin Weinbaum, the director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington.

In the 1990s, Iran and the Taliban were on the verge of war after the deaths of eight Iranian diplomats in the Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif.

Tehran backed the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance before the U.S.-led invasion. But in recent years the Islamic republic and the Taliban forged ties, with militant leaders even visiting Tehran. Experts say Tehran also provided some military support to the Taliban, which waged a 20-year insurgency against foreign forces and the Western-backed Afghan government.



Weinbaum says Iran and the Taliban, united for years in their opposition to the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, have room for broader cooperation since the militant group's takeover in August.



Strategic Gain



In recent years, Afghanistan looked to harness the potential offered by its water resources by building hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems. But the projects flared tensions with neighboring countries that depend on the same supply.



Iran and Pakistan alleged that the infrastructure projects would cause humanitarian upheaval. Kabul, meanwhile, accused the two countries of orchestrating violence in the country to hold up its water projects.



The Talibans decision to release water from the Kamal Khan Dam in Nimroz Province, which neighbors Irans Sistan-Baluchistan Province, was applauded by officials in Tehran.

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Irans special representative to Afghanistan, publicly thanked the Taliban for "sticking to their promises in releasing water from Kamal Khan Dam."



The move came just days after the Talibans Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on January 9 led a senior delegation to Tehran, where he held talks with Iranian officials.



During the visit, Iranian officials also mediated talks between the Taliban and key Afghan resistance figures Ahmad Masud and Ismail Khan. Masud is the head of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, which groups opposition forces in northern Afghanistan.



Amin Tarzi, director of Middle East studies at the Marine Corps University in Virginia, says cooperation over water resources is a win-win for both Tehran and the Taliban.



Iran would consider it as a strategic gain should they get access to the water and barter it with Afghanistan for oil, gas, or electricity, which Iran produces in excess, he told RFE/RL.



Water Was Intentionally Released



Water from the 1,150-kilometer Helmand River, Afghanistans longest, feeds the Hamun Lake in Irans Sistan-Baluchistan, a volatile province where separatists and militant groups operate. The region relies heavily on the lake and has suffered a major ecological crisis because of persistent water scarcity.



The Talibans decision to increase water flows into Iran prompted outrage among many Afghans.

Following the uproar, the Talibans Water and Energy Ministry denied that water from the Kamal Khan Dam had been released into Iran.



Farmers living around the Kamal Khan Dam and officials in Nimroz have constantly been demanding for that water to be released," said Mawlawi Akhtar Mohammad Nasrut, the ministrys spokesman, in a video message on January 19. "The dam's reservoir was full, and our farmers needed water."



But locals rejected those claims.



Many parts of Afghanistan have witnessed above-average winter rainfall, which has minimized the need for irrigation.



A farmer in Nimroz, who spoke to RFE/RLs Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the water was intentionally released to flow into Iran.

Naeem Salarzai, an exiled Afghan water management specialist, says the Taliban should persuade Iran to respect a 1973 water-sharing treaty between the two countries.



"The Taliban should immediately stop water flowing into Iran if they did so in response to Iranian demands," he told Radio Azadi.



Tehran has accused successive Afghan governments of taking more than its fair share of water allocated by the treaty.



Conversely, many Afghans suggest that decades of war in Afghanistan have allowed Iran to exploit their country's resources.



Afghans widely celebrated the completion of the Kamal Khan Dam last March. Former President Ashraf Ghani said Afghanistan would no longer give away free water and suggested Iran should provide oil to Afghans in exchange for water.



Fazal Hadi Wazeen, an Afghan political analyst, says the Taliban is using water as a diplomatic tool.



"They are using the water from the Kamal Khan Dam to improve relations with an important neighbor," he told Radio Azadi.
Russian authorities have released from custody a Turkmen citizen who is wanted in Ashgabat on controversial "extremism" charges.

The Moscow-based Memorial Human Rights center said on January 26 that Ahmet Jumadurdyev was released from police custody overnight in the city of St. Petersburg.

Lawyer Olga Tseitlina told RFE/RL on January 25 that police in St. Petersburg had detained Jumadurdyev the previous day "to check his documents."

Memorial said the decision to release Jumadurdyev was made by the city's prosecutors because he had filed an official request with Russian authorities for asylum, and legally appealed against the Federal Security Service's decision to bar him from the country.

It also noted that the European Court of Human Rights ruled in October 2021 that Jumadurdyev cannot be deported to Turkmenistan until it makes a final ruling on his case.

Jumadurdyev studied at a university in the town of Ivangorod near St. Petersburg from 2013 to 2017.

In 2017, authorities in Turkmenistan added him to their wanted list, accusing him of "religious extremism" after Jumadurdyev started writing in social networks about Turkmen citizens who had received lengthy prison terms after returning to the Central Asian country from Russia.

Jumadurdyev, who rejects all the accusations by Turkmen authorities, was arrested in St. Peterburg at Ashgabat's request and spent one year in a detention center. His cousin was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Turkmenistan in an "extremism case."

Eleven Turkmen citizens who studied in Russian universities were added to the wanted list at the time. Two of them were sentenced to 15 years in prison after they came back home from Russia.

In 2019, Russian authorities rejected Jumadurdyev's claim for refugee status. His request to get asylum in Estonia was also rejected by that country's authorities. Last summer, Jumadurdyev, tried to illegally cross the border between Russia and Estonia, but he was stopped by Estonian border guards and sent back to Russia.

The FSB then banned his presence in the country until July 1, 2055, a move he has appealed.
Two of Ukraine's most experienced combat photojournalists spoke to RFE/RL about the atmosphere along the line of contact in the Donbas as fears for an all-out Russian invasion mount.

Anatolii Stepanov: 'Quieter Than Kyiv' It feels like at the front lines its quieter than in Kyiv. Thats usually the case -- the farther from the capital and the closer to the front, the calmer it is. Everyone here knows what they have to do. Theres nothing like the hysteria you see in the media at the moment. Over the past month nothing has really changed on the front lines.

Although it is generally calm here, on Friday evening (January 21), a couple of kilometers from the position where I was with some journalists, a real fight went down. There were 82-millimeter mortars working, an Utyos heavy machine gun, and outgoing and incoming RPG rounds. It lasted around 90 minutes, but the front line where it happened has been static forever. It was probably just some squabble between the two sides.

I was with a journalist speaking to some paratroopers recently and one officer told us outright that if this rumored Russian attack comes to where we are on the front, then we will most likely all be killed. He said the soldiers on the front serve as a shield, so they would be overrun, but could buy some time for the next line of defense. I havent thought about a plan of escape if an attack happens. My job is to take photos of whatever happens, and I intend to stay here in the east.

I imagine there are different plans of attack, but I doubt even Russia knows which scenario it would use, if its intending to use any at all. Its less than 100 kilometers from the Belarus border to Kyiv. In summer there were artillery attacks, but now there are mostly just small weapons being used -- little things. The war feels dormant right now.

Andriy Dubchak: 'The Mood Is Different' Right now, the front line feels quiet -- just the usual bursts of fighting, but the mood is different than it felt a few weeks ago when people were very apathetic about talk of invasion. People before didnt believe in the possibility. They felt it was the same situation as the similar troop and materiel buildup in the spring. Now, though, both soldiers and civilians are definitely affected by rumors of an attack. Its hard not to be, with all the news online and on TV.

I was working recently in a market in Mariupol in the same place that came under heavy shelling by Grad rocket systems in 2015, and some babushkas started shouting at me. It was a real surprise and indicates the tension people are feeling right now. The value of the hryvnya is also dropping, and the price of petrol is rising. One soldier told me hes tired of waiting for a Russian invasion and said he would "rather it was under way already. He thought the chances of a full-scale war are about 50-50.

I watched a foreign journalist making a report near a checkpoint on the outskirts of Mariupol. He was geared up in a bulletproof vest and ballistic helmet. Behind him, civilians were going about their daily lives, looking with interest at this "show." For some, it seems a little silly.
KYIV -- Listen to the message from Washington and other Western governments about the intensifying threat from Russia: An invasion is imminent.

Listen to the head of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council and other officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and hear a different message: Don't panic, dont exaggerate.

There's very little disagreement about what is happening on Ukraine's borders: At least 60 Russian battalion-tactical groups, more than 100,000 troops, and some of Russia's most advanced weaponry are deployed frighteningly close. In fact, Moscow has clearly opted against secrecy in what many experts say is a conscious decision to send signals to Ukraine, NATO, and the United States.

But there's disagreement about what it actually means and what the intent may be -- and Ukrainian and Western officials are offering notably different public messages.

"It's a political decision, in the office of the president: 'Don't panic,'" said Andriy Ryzhenko, a retired naval captain and former deputy chief of staff in Ukraine's navy.

"What's the reason for this? If Ukrainian politicians confess that this escalation and this threat exists, economic investors will withdraw their funds, the hryvnya will fall. We are already seeing this, money being withdrawn from Ukraine," he told RFE/RL.

"Ukraine has exactly the same intelligence, the same information as the Americans, as the West," said a former Ukrainian military intelligence officer who asked to be identified by the pseudonym Viktor. "It's all about the interpretation. Our leadership doesn't want people to panic."

One major reason why the Russian buildup is an open secret is the proliferation of information sources -- such as photographs, videos, train schedules -- that in the past were more confined to classified or top-secret intelligence. Imagery from commercial satellite companies provides high-resolution photographs that can be readily analyzed by millions of amateur and trained sleuths.

And the United States, which is Ukraine's largest supplier of weaponry and military equipment, has been unusually forthcoming in sharing its own sophisticated intelligence: not just with Kyiv but also with European and NATO allies. That's a change from what happened in the aftermath of Russias 2014 takeover of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, where Moscow backs separatist forces.

'No Rose-Colored Glasses'

But for weeks, it has largely been Washington that has sounded the loudest alarms about Russia's deployment -- something that White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki did again on January 25.

"I think when we said it was imminent, it remains imminent," Psaki told reporters when asked about U.S. warnings "But, again, we can't make a prediction of what decision President Putin will make. We're still engaged in diplomatic discussions and negotiations."

Two days earlier, however, Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, pushed back against some of those alarms.

"Why do the other partners do this together? We have some questions here," Danilov told the BBCs Ukrainian service. "We have great respect for all countries. We are grateful to them for their help, but if something is not there, it is not necessary to say that it is."

And Zelenskiy himself has evinced a Ukrainian version of "keep calm and carry on" in his public statements.

"There are no rose-colored glasses, no childish illusions, everything is not simple.... But there is hope," Zelenskiy said in a video address released on January 25. "Protect your body from viruses, your brain from lies, your heart from panic."

That statement, in turn, appeared to be a response to an announcement two days earlier from the U.S. State Department, which said some U.S. diplomatic staff would be evacuated from Kyiv and urged U.S. citizens to consider leaving Ukraine sooner rather than later.

That announcement, which was followed by similar ones from Britain, Germany, Canada, and Australia, caught the attention of some Ukrainians who had previously been less worried about the prospect of an imminent invasion.

The Ukrainian president had seemed to encourage that lack of strong concern. "What's new? Hasnt this been the reality for eight years? Didnt the invasion start in 2014?" Zelenskiy said in another video address a week earlier, on January 19. "Everything is under control. There is no reason to panic."

In a meeting that day with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Zelenskiy also appeared to voice public disagreement with U.S. assessments.

"I think we generally have the same agenda, but we still want to discuss some things in detail, because your intelligence is excellent, but you are far overseas, and we are here, and I think we know some things a little bit deeper about our state," the Ukrainian leader said, according to a State Department transcript.

Representatives for Zelenskiy's office did not immediately respond to a message seeking further comment.

In his BBC interview, Danilov gave a hint of the strategy: "We emphasize this now and articulate to our partners that we cannot afford to let our economy fall. We also need help with this. After all, if people go into a state of panic -- this is a very dangerous situation for the country," he said.

Pugnacious Statements

It's unclear how much those statements are working. The hryvnya, Ukraine's currency, dropped by more than 5 percent over the past three months and hit a new four-year low on January 26, according to the Kyiv Independent.

There are no reports of panic buying in Kyiv grocery stores or other shops, however. Gasoline prices have climbed -- one widely used fuel for cars and trucks is nearly 10 percent more costly than in December -- though that may be due to currency fluctuation. Ukraine imports much of its gasoline and transport fuel from Russia.

To be sure, Zelenskiy has also made more pugnacious statements, specifically about Ukrainian intelligence, that suggest he sees a major Russian threat.

"Ukrainian intelligence has always played an important role in countering external threats. The time has come not only to effectively deter, but also to launch offensive actions in upholding national interests of Ukraine," he said, a statement that raised eyebrows in Kyiv and elsewhere.

The difference in public statements between Kyiv and the West can be partly explained by more sophisticated U.S. intelligence: U.S. satellites reportedly have resolution that can capture up to less than 10 centimeters on the ground.

By comparison, Ukraine's newest surveillance satellite, launched just a few weeks ago, reportedly has far worse resolution.

The more dire warnings from the United States also appear to be a calculated strategy, said Viktor Andrusiv, director of the Kyiv School of Public Administration.

"What the Americans are actually doing is they are undermining the 'casus belli' from the Russians," he said, referring to the Latin term for an act that provokes or justifies a war. "By creating this hysteria, and saying, 'there will be war, there will be war, there will be war,' they don't give the Russians a cause to make a provocation for the war."

"Because whatever they do, Russia will be recognized as the aggressors, it's a kind of strategy, if Russians do anything to invade, it will be a confirmation," he said. "This undermines the beginning of the war, in a good way."

The downside, Andrusiv said, is that this "hits our economy," potentially causing "economic hysteria" and driving the value of the hryvnya to 100 per dollar. "And then the Russians won't have to invade Ukraine, because the economy will collapse, and we will have big riots."
Is the Ukrainian capital ready for a possible military attack? Speaking in an interview with Current Time television on January 25, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that city authorities are tasked to ensure that the Ukrainian capital's critical infrastructure is in good working order, and bomb shelters are ready to accommodate people in case of a possible Russian attack. Russia has repeatedly denied it is preparing to invade its neighbor, but has amassed more than 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine, according to Western intelligence. It has also been holding a series of land and sea military exercises, sparking concerns that it may be preparing for a further incursion into the country after illegally annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
Eighteen police officers and three demonstrators were injured on January 25 in Kyiv when an estimated 2,000 people took part in a rally organized by the Save Private Entrepreneurs (SaveFOP) initiative.

Clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement officers when protesters tried to break into parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, to get lawmakers to heed their demands for the passage of legislation to support entrepreneurs and small-business owners, RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service reported.

Police used tear gas and detained dozens of people, according to the report.

A police statement said clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement officers when protesters behaved aggressively and tried to break through a police barricade around a protected area of the Verkhovna Rada.

The protesters did not respond to the repeated demands of the police to stop their actions, so in order to restore law and order the police immediately intervened in the situation and pushed them away, a police statement said.

Participants who resisted police orders and committed illegal acts were taken to the Pechersk Police Department, the statement added.

The police did not specify how many people were taken into custody or whether they had been released or kept in detention.

The statement also said that information spread on the Internet that one of the protesters had died was false, but it said a man who became ill during the demonstration was given first aid by the police.

The federal police announced that two criminal investigations had been launched under the articles pertaining to hooliganism and threatening violence against a law enforcement officer, according to news reports.

Demonstrators waving white flags bearing the SaveFOP logo flooded the area near the parliament building amid a large police presence.

The protesters demanded the adoption of bills that concern amendments to the tax code and some other legislative acts on creating favorable conditions for small-business owners and entrepreneurs and increasing the transparency of their activities.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu (R) talks with Chinese Ambassador to Moldova Yan Wenbin in Chisinau, capital of Moldova, Jan. 26, 2022. The president on Wednesday received the Letters of Credence from the new Chinese Ambassador to Moldova. (Xinhua)

BUCHAREST, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Moldova looks forward to intensifying exchanges and cooperation with China in various fields to jointly promote bilateral relations to a new level, Moldovan President Maia Sandu said in Chisinau, capital of Moldova, on Wednesday.

The head of state made the remarks when receiving the Letters of Credence from the new Chinese Ambassador to Moldova Yan Wenbin, who arrived in Chisinau on Dec. 26, 2021.

Sandu also thanked China for the long-term assistance for the economic and social development of Moldova.

The solar power plant project at the east center district of Criuleni, financed by the Chinese government, has been successfully completed recently, bringing tangible benefits to local residents, she added.

Yan said that in the 30 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, bilateral relations have maintained steady development, while mutual political trust has been continuously strengthened, and practical cooperation has been further deepened.

The two sides understand and support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, said the Chinese ambassador.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, China and Moldova have stood together and helped each other, demonstrating the deep friendship between the two peoples, Yan said, stressing that the country is willing to work with Moldova to further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and to further strengthen the traditional friendship between the two countries. 
Ukraine has received a new shipment of military aid from the United States, including Javelin anti-tank missiles and launchers. Speaking on the tarmac of the Boryspil International Airport near Kyiv on January 25, acting U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Kristina Kvien said that "losses to Russia will be heavy" if President Vladimir Putin decides to invade Ukraine.
CHERNIHIV, Ukraine -- Shortly after noon on January 24, thousands of teachers and students at the schools of this city of some 285,000 people were hastily evacuated in the wake of an anonymous bomb threat.

The children at one downtown preschool were napping when the alarm was sounded.

"We got the report and rushed all the children and employees out of the building," Viktoria Oleksiyenko, director of preschool No. 26, told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service. "It took about six minutes to get all the children out. They had been sleeping, and we quickly got them dressed and outside. Then we called all the parents, and they came to pick up their children."

Similar scenes played out across the city, which is located less than 100 kilometers from Ukraine's border with Russia.

"I was really afraid," a local retiree who asked to be identified only as Paraskeva said. "I heard later on television that it was a false alarm, but when I went out on the street and saw hundreds of children out there. What were they doing? I didn't know. I asked my neighbor, who was also standing there all afraid. She didn't know anything."

'Imagining The Worst'

"I ran out for my child and almost fell down," said another Chernihiv resident, who asked to be identified only as Tetyana. "It was terrifying. The teacher called and said I had to come immediately to get my child. She didn't explain anything, and my mind started imagining the worst."

As tensions mount between Ukraine and Russia amid an alarming buildup of Russian forces near the border, Ukraine's schoolchildren, their families, and their communities have already found themselves on the front line of what Kyiv's intelligence service, the SBU, describes as a "hybrid war."

In 2021, according to the SBU, there were just over 1,100 false bomb threats leveled against schools nationwide. In the first three weeks of 2022, the country has already seen more than 300, targeting schools in almost every city in the country of 44 million.

The spate of false alarms is an operation by Russia's intelligence services, the SBU asserted in a report issued on January 21, saying that most of the threats have been traced to sources inside Russia or in the parts of eastern Ukraine that are held by Moscow-backed separatists. A small number of the threats have apparently been made by copycat pranksters inside Ukraine, the service added.

"The goal of the special services of the aggressor country is clear," the SBU report stated. "To place additional pressure on Ukraine and to sow alarm and panic among the public. Unfortunately, such informational-psychological special operations are the reality of modern hybrid wars, and we have to face that."

In addition to schools, government agencies, courts, railway stations, airports, and other key infrastructure elements have been targeted, using sophisticated software aimed at masking the source of the threats.

Scare Tactics?

On January 25, all 20 schools in Slovyansk, a city of some 100,000 people in the Donetsk region that in 2014 was briefly held by Russia-backed separatists at the start of their war against Kyiv but is now under government control, were also evacuated because of a bomb threat that turned out to be fake.

Live Briefing: Ukraine In The Crosshairs RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the major developments on Russia's invasion, how Kyiv is fighting back, the plight of civilians, and Western reaction. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here.

"There was absolutely no panic among the teachers," Svitlana Deleske, director of school No. 8 where 300 students were evacuated, told RFE/RL. "Everyone acted harmoniously, efficiently. Such things happen to us from time to time. For the children, however, it was unusual. Two little girls were in tears, and the homeroom teacher and I had to take them by the hand."

Four hours after the false report came in, about one-third of the city's 20 schools had been searched and cleared for reentry, the head of the city's Education Department, Marina Khokhlova said.

Such false alarms have become a significant disruption for schools, administrators say. In addition, they place a considerable burden on police, the Emergency Situations Ministry, and other state agencies.

Many of the central schools in Chernihiv are located on major streets, and some of them have more than 1,000 students. When the false alarm came on January 24, schools were forced to set up perimeters, in many cases blocking streets and tying up transportation while security forces swept the buildings.

The United States, Ukraine, and other governments say Russia has amassed 100,000 or more troops near Ukraines borders and is preparing for a possible new invasion. The Kremlin denies any intentions to invade its neighbor but has suggested that de-escalation is conditional on binding guarantees that NATO will never expand further eastward, especially to Ukraine, among other things.

Despite compelling evidence, Moscow denies providing military support to separatists who hold parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces in the eastern region known as the Donbas. The ongoing war between the Russia-backed forces and Ukraines government has killed more than 13,200 people since 2014.

RFE/RL senior correspondent Robert Coalson contributed to this report.
Russia's Foreign Ministry says U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan has handed over Washington's written responses to an array of security demands that Moscow has made of the West.

Russian news agencies said Sullivan left the Foreign Ministry building in Moscow in the evening of January 26 after staying inside for around 30 minutes. They said the diplomat declined to make any comment.

Russia, which has alarmed Kyiv and its Western backers with a military buildup near Ukraine, laid out its demands in late 2021, including written guarantees that NATO will halt any eastward expansion.

Washington and NATO have already made clear that some of the demands are nonstarters, and stressed that sovereign states have a right to choose their own alliances.

Russia denies it is preparing to invade Ukraine, but has amassed more than 100,000 troops, according to Western intelligence, near the border with Ukraine and has been holding a series of land and sea military exercises, sparking concerns it may be preparing for a further incursion into the country after illegally annexing Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg are expected to deliver remarks to the press later on January 26.

With reporting by Reuters and TASS
SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft on Tuesday announced its financial results for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2021, posting revenues of 51.7 billion U.S. dollars, a 20-percent increase year on year.

The company's quarterly net income was 18.8 billion dollars, up by 21 percent year on year.

Its operating income was up 24 percent to 22.2 billion dollars. Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was 15.9 billion dollars and increased 19 percent. Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was 18.3 billion dollars, up by 26 percent. Revenue in More Personal Computing was 17.5 billion dollars and increased 15 percent, the company said.

Microsoft's posted 2.48 dollars of diluted earnings per share, an increase of 22 percent from a year ago.

The company returned 10.9 billion dollars to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and dividends in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2022, a 9-percent increase year on year.

"As tech as a percentage of global GDP continues to increase, we are innovating and investing across diverse and growing markets, with a common underlying technology stack and an operating model that reinforces a common strategy, culture, and sense of purpose," said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. 
Roanoke Rapids, NC (27870)

Today

Partly cloudy with a slight chance of thunderstorms. High around 85F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low 59F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
Rutland, VT (05701)

Today

Rain likely. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch..

Tonight

Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 44F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- The United States is approaching an "anocracy," which is neither fully democratic nor autocratic, rather than a democracy, The Washington Post has reported.

In an opinion piece Tuesday, the newspaper warned that the country is "no longer qualified as a democracy" for the first time in over 200 years, as some rights of its citizens, for example due process or freedom of the press, have been undermined.

"Democratic backsliding had happened incrementally," noted the report, adding that the process is especially difficult for U.S. citizens to recognize due to the ingrained American exceptionalism in their minds.

It also warned the risk of political violence and instability, or even civil war, in an anocratic society. 
Danvers, MA (01923)

Today

Overcast with rain showers at times. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 53F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, followed by partial clearing. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 47F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
A prison mug shot released this week depicts the notorious murderer of Amber Dubois and Chelsea King as a heavier man with a scruffy beard.

John Albert Gardner lll, 35, is incarcerated at the men-only California State Prison, Corocran in Kings County, where he lives in a protective housing unit, said California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Terry Thornton.

Gardner and other high profile prisoners are housed in the segregated area due to the notoriety of their cases and because placing them in the general prisoner population would seriously jeopardize their safety, Thornton said.

Some of his fellow inmates in the unit include the infamous Charles Manson, Jaycee Lee Dugard's kidnapper Phillip Garrido, Mikail Markhasev, who murdered Bill Cosbys son, and serial killer Juan Corona, who was convicted in 1971 in the murders of 25 migrant workers.

Gardner was convicted in 2010 in the rape and murder of 14-year old Amber Dubois, who was kidnapped in Feb. 2009 as she walked to Escondido High School and Chelsea King, 17, who was ambushed as she jogged on a trail in Lake Hodges a year later.

He was sentenced on May 14, 2010 to two consecutive life prison terms without parole in a deal that spared him the death penalty in exchange for his guilty pleas in both cases.
Sanford, NC (27330)

Today

Sun and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 58F. Winds light and variable.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the United States has delivered a written letter to Russia addressing Moscow's concerns amid escalating tensions on Ukraine's border.

Blinken told a press conference at the State Department that the letter, which was delivered to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the U.S. ambassador to Russia, "sets out a serious diplomatic path forward should Russia choose it." The letter, Blinken said, was in response to Russia recently outlining "its concerns and proposals in writing" to the United States.

In addition to concerns of the United States and that of its allies and partners regarding "Russia's actions that undermine our security," what was contained in the letter also included "a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised, and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground," Blinken said.

Washington's written response also included proposals for improving "reciprocal transparency" between Russia and the West regarding "force posture in Ukraine," as well as "measures to increase confidence regarding military exercises and maneuvers in Europe," Blinken said.

It also included proposals addressing the placement of missile systems in Europe and arms control, such as "our interest in a follow-on agreement to the New START treaty that covers all nuclear weapons," he said.

Blinken said "if negotiated in good faith," these proposals have the potential to enhance the security of the United States and that of its allies and partners, "while also addressing Russia's stated concerns through reciprocal commitments."

The secretary reiterated that Washington prefers resolving the crisis through diplomacy and is "prepared to move forward where there is the possibility of communication and cooperation, if Russia de-escalates its aggression toward Ukraine, stops the inflammatory rhetoric, and approaches to discussions about the future security in Europe in the spirit of reciprocity."

Blinken said the United States will not make the letter public and hopes that Russia will do the same, "because we think diplomacy has the best chance to succeed if we provide space for confidential talks." 
Robotic arms assemble engines on an assembly line at a workshop of the Weichai Power Co., Ltd. in Weifang City, east China's Shandong Province, April 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- China will emphasize roles of patent and trademark examination during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) for high-quality growth of the sector, according to a plan issued by the National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA).

By 2025, patent and trademark examination works are expected to be more efficient and timely in meeting the demands of new fields and new business modes, the NIPA stated in its plan.

The Chinese intellectual property regulator will guide the patent and trademark application growth, and highlight their roles in boosting innovation, according to the plan.

The relevant examination works are the basis for ensuring intellectual property rights (IPR) protection. Patent and trademark examination helps boost tech progress and cultivate a business environment, the NIPA said.

It also proposed the targeted indicators for patent and trademark examination during the 2021-2025 period in key fields of application quality, examination quality and efficiency, examination services, and international cooperation.

China has been increasing the convenience of its patent and trademark examination services. In the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2015-2020), China's rate of patent applications via digital platforms reached 98.8 percent, according to data from the NIPA.

The country's trademark examination work is facing challenges in fields such as increasing applications, higher examination standard requirements from new-tech development, abnormal patent applications, and malevolent trademark registrations.

Going forward, the NIPA will strive to build itself a first-class IP watchdog, which will improve patent and trademark examination and management based on the demands of the country and users, said Shen Changyu, the head of the NIPA.

It will optimize the review process and streamline the patent examination period, strengthen quality management, and promote the high-quality development of patent and trademark examination cooperation centers, Shen said.

According to China's 15-year plan (2021-2035) for IPR development, China has set a clear target: the added value of patent-intensive industries should account for 13 percent of GDP by 2025. 
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Foreign nationals in China have been well protected by the country's effective epidemic prevention and control measures, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Wednesday, urging the United States to think carefully about the so-called 'authorized departure' of its diplomats.

According to media reports, the U.S. Embassy in China is waiting for government approval to evacuate diplomats and dependents because of the implementation of strict pandemic regulations in the country.

In response, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at a news briefing that China's epidemic prevention and control protocols are rigorous and science-based, and are in line with provisions in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

"Our effective measures have well protected foreign nationals in China," Zhao said. "We have made diplomatic and consular staff in China feel comfortable and protected their legitimate rights and interests."

Noting that China is undoubtedly the safest country at present, Zhao said evacuating from the safest place in the world will only expose U.S. personnel to much greater risks of infection. "The logic behind the U.S. decision is confusing and hardly justifiable."

China has expressed grave concern and dissatisfaction over this to the U.S. side, according to Zhao.

"We hope the United States can observe China's COVID-19 protocols, take China's position and concerns seriously, and think carefully about the so-called 'authorized departure' of diplomatic and consular staff," he added. 
A giant volcano eruption blanketed the Polynesian island of Tonga in ash, and NASA specialists now estimate that the eruption's strength was hundreds of times that of the Hiroshima nuclear bomb.

NASA scientist Jim Garvin and his colleagues said in an analysis that the amount of energy released by a Tonga volcano from late December 2021 to mid-January 2022 was comparable to between 4 and 18 megatons of TNT.

Garvin and his colleagues calculated the figure based on how much rock was removed, how resistant it was, and how high the eruption cloud was blown into the atmosphere at various speeds.

According to CNN, NASA scientists believe that Mount St. Helens' 1980 eruption unleashed 24 megatons of energy. University of Auckland volcanologist Shane Cronin told Radio New Zealand that Tonga's latest eruption is the most intense volcanic explosion on Earth in more than 30 years, following Mount Pinatubo's 1991 (per Space.com).





Tonga Volcano Eruption as Seen on NASA's Satellite

The Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Ha'apai volcano erupted 25 miles into the atmosphere. The New York Times said it generated approximately 50-foot tsunami waves that slammed Tonga's main island areas and blasted ripples throughout the Pacific. The explosion also destroyed the country's internet cable, effectively shutting off contact to the isolated archipelago for days.

#NASAWorldview Image of the Week: Explosive Eruption of #HungaTonga - Hunga Ha'apai Volcano as observed on Jan. 15, 2022 by the ABI instrument aboard the @NOAA GOES-West satellite. Learn more: https://t.co/1qBhuelg3J GeoColor Imagery provided by NOAA/NESDIS/STAR pic.twitter.com/yRkR0bfg9U  NASAEarthdata (@NASAEarthData) January 18, 2022

According to Live Science, scientists utilized a mix of satellite pictures and on-the-ground assessments to quantify the event's strength. The amount of rock removed during the explosion and the height and size of the cloud were all factors considered by the researchers.

ALSO READ: Tonga Volcano Eruption: Astronauts Captured Tragic Event From Space [Watch]





The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcanic island was formerly two separate landmasses, but they were linked in 2015 by an eruption. Little explosions contributed more land to the islands before the volcano quieted down for nearly a week in late December 2021.

Then, ABC News said a strong eruption ravaged the new land in the early morning hours of January 14. Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program volcanologist Ed Venzke told NASA said they noted substantial chunks of the two older islands were affected. The remaining islands make up the top of the undersea volcano, which rises more than a mile from the seafloor and is 12 miles wide. The blast submerged the main eruptive vent underwater, perhaps only in a shallow pool, but deep enough to make the January 15 explosion all the more powerful.

Experts Explain Why Tonga Acted That Way

The combination of hot magma and saltwater, which creates strong steam blasts, is one explanation for the magnitude of the cloud created by the blast. Surtseyan eruptions are hydromagmatic eruptions that occur in shallow oceans or lakes.

Garvin and the volcanology team feel that this sort of occurrence merits its own title, according to a release. For the time being, they're referring to it as an 'ultra Surtseyan' eruption."

Unlike Mount Pinatubo's eruption, which lasted hours and expelled ash and smoke, NPR said the explosion in Tonga lasted less than an hour. Experts do not believe the blast from Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai will trigger any short-term climatic changes, as some earlier volcanic eruptions did.

Most Tongans have been harmed by falling ash since the explosion, and three individuals were killed in the tsunami last week. CDC said breathing smoke and ash may inflame and damage heart and lungs tissue, as well as irritate eyes and skin, posing a health concern to Tonga's more than 100,000 citizens.

RELATED ARTICLE: Tonga Underwater Volcanic Eruption Hints That Large Hunga Caldera Has Awoken

Check out more news and information on Space and Energy in Science Times.
After a lengthy voyage, the NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) arrived at its destination this week. The Virtual Telescope Project (VTP) caught an image of it among the stars.

On Monday, the JWST successfully reached the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2), which is around a million miles from Earth. During the historical occurrence, the VTP's "Elena" robotic telescope monitored its path and even recorded it in a picture.

VTP said the JWST could be seen amid the many stars in the sky in the image, taken with a 300-second exposure. The little dot in the image's center is denoted with a small arrow.

James Webb Space Telescope #Webb #NASAWebb #JWST has just reached the L2 point, from where it will explore the Universe! We captured it from Earth to celebrate this very important moment!



 more: https://t.co/2mWhsIKGwF pic.twitter.com/7HFp08nxcl  Virtual Telescope (@VirtualTelescop) January 25, 2022

The photo depicts the most recent stage of the enormous project, which is a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.

JWST Can Be Seen on Earth Despite Distance

The JWST would be seen from Earth in the "bowl" of the Big Dipper, according to Space.com, and may even be seen "if you know where to look." With a pair of binoculars, skywatchers may be able to get a glimpse of it.

The JWST, as the next-generation telescope, will take a closer look at the various stages of the universe's history. Because of its larger wavelength and superior sensitivity, NASA said JWST could view "far closer to the beginning of time" than its predecessor, the legendary Hubble Space Telescope. It can also provide a glimpse of the planetary systems currently forming.

ALSO READ: NASA James Webb Space Telescope Finally Arrives At Final Destination





Engineers will begin a three-month procedure to align the telescope optics "to virtually nanometer accuracy" as soon as possible. The first photographs from the JWST will be released in a few months.

In a statement released Monday, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said that the agency is one step closer to solving the universe's secrets.

About JWST

The telescope has 18 gold-coated mirrors that are 21 feet long and four inches thick. It causes light to bounce back into an infrared sensor. Its ultra-wide viewpoint allows it to see around a third of the sky at once.

It's approximately three times the size of the Hubble Space Telescope, which first launched in 1990 and has produced some of the most stunning photos of space.

According to Inverse, NASA plans to use the new telescope to learn more about the universe's beginnings. It might also reveal information about distant exoplanets that potentially harbor life. It should also aid academics in their understanding of Sagittarius A*. Scientists have yet to photograph what they believe to be a supermassive black hole at the galaxy's core.

On December 25, 2021, an Ariane 5 rocket launched from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana to launch the telescope. It took a month for the spacecraft to arrive at its final destination, the L2 Lagrange point between the Sun and the Earth.

The gravitational forces between the two are steady at this moment. It allows the telescope to be pointed away from the Sun for the duration of its operation, which protects the equipment. The telescope will also avoid being shaded by both the Earth and the Moon due to its location. Meanwhile, the Hubble Space Telescope rotates in and out every 90 minutes.

RELATED ARTICLE: James Webb Space Telescope Could See These 3 Amazing Things in Space

Check out more news and information on Space in Science Times.
Health officials in King County issued an urgent plea to the public this week in which they asked area residents to do what they can to help reduce the pressure on county hospitals, which have seen a 700% increase in admissions over the past month.



Officials say the surge in hospitalizations  driven by the extraordinarily contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus  has led to canceled surgeries and long delays in care for patients who dont have COVID-19.



In a post on the countys public health blog, Dr. Paul Ramsey, CEO of UW Medicine, said health care workers are counting on the public to help stymie the surge.



The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most serious threats to the health of the public in our lifetime, he said. While our health care workers continue to provide life-saving patient care under the most difficult circumstance, our call to action is urgent.

Karen Ducey/Getty Images

The blog post said an average of 70 people are being hospitalized each day, up from just eight people at this time last month. County data show that an average of 3,126 new cases are being reported per day.



Statewide, Washington is seeing nearly 23,000 new cases and 2,500 hospitalizations per day. Roughly 63% of state residents are fully vaccinated.



The spike in hospitalizations over the past month led state Gov. Jay Inslee to recently order a four-week pause on all non-urgent medical procedures, as well as dispatch members of the Washington National Guard to assist staff at several state hospitals.
BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- NATO, as the world's largest military alliance, should abandon the outdated Cold War mentality and ideological bias, and do things that are conducive to upholding peace and stability, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks when asked to comment on U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman's remarks that Russia's proposed limit on the expansion of NATO further into Eastern Europe is a "non-starter," and that the U.S. "will not allow anyone to slam closed NATO's open door policy."

Zhao said NATO is a Cold War remnant and its expansion is typical bloc politics, noting that China firmly opposes all kinds of small cliques, and rejects the beggar-thy-neighbor approach and efforts to stoke geopolitical conflicts.

China champions a new thinking on common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security and believes that all countries and their people should enjoy security together and jointly rise up to all kinds of problems and challenges, he said.

"We hope all relevant sides can fully consider each other's legitimate security concerns, avoid antagonism and confrontation, and properly address differences and disputes through equal consultation on the basis of mutual respect," he said. 
Ted S. Warren/AP

United Airlines, the third-largest airline in the United States, will purchase 270 airplanes in the coming years, the largest aircraft purchase from a U.S. airline in a decade and the largest in company history.

As part of the purchase, United, which is based in Chicago, is expected to create 25,000 new jobs, including 3,000 in Chicago. The purchase allows United to increase the number of planes in their flight and will increase the average size. Two hundred of the planes will come from Boeing as part of the 737 Max series. The other 70 will come from Airbus and the A321neo line.
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Luggage packed with giraffe bones could mean trouble for Vulcan CEO Jody Allen and her brother -- Microsoft co-founder and Seahawks owner Paul Allen -- as lawsuits filed by the siblings bodyguards proceed.

The allegation  that Jody Allen tried to sneak home the bones while on safari in Botswana  is the most concrete claim made so far by a group of former Vulcan Inc. bodyguards whove sued both Allens and their firm, which was founded by Paul Allen, who remains the company's chairman. But the giraffes bones may turn out to be the smallest skeleton tucked in the Allen family closet.

Silenced by court orders and confidentiality agreements, the former members of the Allens personal security detail have made vague claims that the Allens were involved in criminal activity and bribery, and that Jody Allen sexually harassed security officers. They also claim other Vulcan executives turned a blind eye or worse to the behavior.

At least five former members of the Allens personal security team have sued the siblings and Vulcan. Court documents indicate that 10 other former members of the team have previously settled with Vulcan after closed hearings before a private mediator.

In a series of lawsuits filed in King County Superior Court, the security officers accused Jody Allen of sexually harassing members of the executive protection team. Theyve also claimed she, her brother and others with the firm have committed and covered up crimes, which have yet to be described in detail.

Those alleged crimes may be revealed later this year, when attorneys for two former leaders of the executive protection team  a retired FBI special agent among them  are scheduled to take their cases to a jury. The Allens would be called to testify, as would dozens of current and former Vulcan employees alleged to have witnessed illegal or unethical activities.

Vulcan attorney Harry Schneider described the claims as "meritless" and accused the employees of attempting to wring money out of their former employer.

"These lawsuits were filed 18 months ago because Paul Allen declined to acquiesce when plaintiffs threatened to file their outlandish allegations in court unless they were paid money," Schneider said by email Thursday.

Though the company has fought to push the lawsuits into secret arbitration, Schneider went on to say Vulcan "expects to prevail in court."

Now best known as owner of the Seattle Seahawks and Portland Trail Blazers, Paul Allen co-founded Vulcan in 1986 with sister Jody Allen, who serves as the firms president as well as its CEO. In the past decade, Vulcan has redeveloped much of Seattles South Lake Union neighborhood; the firm recently won a contract to turn the 30-acre Yesler Terrace housing project on First Hill into a $300 million mixed-use development.

A tiny piece of the Allens operation, the Vulcan executive protection team is staffed by elite security contractors  SEAL-school trained combat veterans among them  paid to protect Paul and Jody Allen, as well as Jody Allens children. Members of the team, which numbered eight to 14 people from 2010 to 2011, accompany the Allens when they travel and provide security for their properties.

In a sworn statement, former team leader and retired FBI special agent Kathy Leodler said the Allens are now trying to hide criminal activity behind confidentiality agreements.

Let me be clear, I do not accept the assertion that crimes of corporate executives can be covered up by an agreement to protect trade secrets or Allen privacy, Leodler said in a declaration to the court.

In spite of ... ethical rhetoric and interviews of its executives and founder, she continued, it is clear that the core of Vulcan is based on extended patterns of executive corruption, a contamination of my workplace caused by criminal conduct, unethical behavior, obstruction of justice and a willingness of many indifferent executives to implicate others in the wrongful actions.

Responding to the lawsuits in court, attorneys for Vulcan described the firm as serving Allens familys business and personal interests while contending the ex-employees worked at will and were not unlawfully forced out.

Lawsuit: Bone smuggling part of a pattern of conduct

Leodler is among the three ex-employees whose lawsuit is still being pursued in open court. An FBI agent for 23 years, Leodler was serving as acting special-agent-in-charge of the Bureaus San Diego office when she retired in 2007 and went to work in private security.

In court documents, Leodler claims she started hearing complaints shortly after she was hired to head the division in October 2010. Officers claimed they were being sexually harassed by Jody Allen and were directed to cover up crimes committed by the Allens, attorney Rebecca Roe said in court documents. Roe represents Leodler and several other former Vulcan employees.

As she became more acquainted with her team members, (Leodler) started hearing reports that they were being asked to perform unethical and illegal acts at the direction of defendants Jody Allen and Paul Allen, the attorney told the court.

In June 2011, Leodler learned a safari guide was detained by Botswana customs officials after Jody Allen was caught with giraffe bones in her luggage, Roe said in court documents. The incident prompted Leodler to conduct an investigation that left her concerned her team was being asked to bribe foreign officials, falsify customs declarations and smuggle protected items.

Jody Allen had bones in her luggage she sought to remove from the country illegally, Roe claimed in court documents. A Vulcan Africa After Action trip review, and (Leodlers) further inquiries revealed this was part of a pattern of conduct by the owners.

A spokeswoman for Vulcan declined to discuss the allegations in detail. Attorneys for the Allens have issued a blanket denial of all claims of wrongdoing.

Giraffe bones may be legally exported from Botswana and imported into the United States, though there are some regulations that must be followed.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokeswoman Claire Cassel said giraffes arent protected under the Endangered Species Act or related laws.

Tourists returning to the United States with giraffe bones must declare them on customs forms, but there are no fees or license requirements. Botswana assesses a 5-cent-per-pound tax on animal bones removed from the country.

Most complaints pushed into secret hearings

According to several ex-employee accounts, Vulcan leadership pushed executive protection team members to sign confidentiality and arbitration agreements in the months after the Botswana incident. By then, it was clear some members of the team were considering suing the Allens. For her part, Leodler left Vulcan in August 2011 and filed a lawsuit the following month.

Leodler and four other employees who have sued contend they were fired or forced out around the time all Vulcan was offering large bonus payments in exchange for agreements not to sue the company. Instead, they would be required to go before a private arbitrator, effectively removing any disputes from public view.

Increasingly commonplace in business disputes, binding arbitration is similar to a trial but is conducted outside of court before a paid arbitrator, usually a retired judge. Contracts between businesses, with employees or customers often require that any legal claims be settled through arbitration. Arbitration is sometimes less expensive than a public proceeding, and always conducted in secret.

Beyond the ex-employees currently suing Vulcan, 10 other former members of the executive protection team have resolved their claims against the Allens before a private mediator, according to court documents filed by plaintiffs. Of the five lawsuits filed against Vulcan and the Allens, two have since been transferred to a private arbitrator because of agreements made by ex-employees while they were still with Vulcan.

Attorneys for the former employees have said they will call dozens of Vulcan employees to testify should the lawsuits end up before a jury. Paul and Jody Allen are expected to be called to the stand, as are at least 15 current and former executive protection officers, the Allens pilot and yacht captain, and Jody Allen's personal assistants. Other Vulcan executives also have been named on witness lists filed with the court.

Three former leaders complain of unethical, illegal behavior

Jeff Benoit, a former Vulcan security officer who also served as head of the executive protection team, has also claimed the Allens engaged in unethical and illegal conduct.

Having joined Vulcan in July 2008 as a security specialist, Benoit was assigned to supervise the executive protection team after another team leader resigned in August 2010. In a resignation letter, that former team leader faulted Vulcan for unethical and illegal behavior and accused the Allens of harassing team members.

Writing the court on Benoits behalf, Roe claimed leaders at Vulcan were trying to use the security staff to cover up illegal activities.

(Benoit) heard reports of defendants illegal activities on numerous occasions, said Roe, an attorney with the Seattle firm Schoeter Goldmark & Bender. He was concerned  team members were being asked to engage in illegal activities and as their supervisor, he may be liable for not stopping the Allens from insisting employees participate in and cover up illegal activity.

Ramon Sandoval, another former executive protection officer, was the fifth to file a lawsuit offering similar allegations.

According to court papers, Sandoval was working in Afghanistan when he was hired by Vulcan. Hired on at $110,000 a year plus overtime, Sandoval resigned three months after taking the job in part, he claims, because of sexual comments Jody Allen made to him; he has since gone to work in federal law enforcement.

A corrupt environment from the top down

Arriving at Vulcan in the fall of 2010, Leodler found the situation was far worse than she expected. When she arrived, Roe told the court, the team was in turmoil because of Jody Allens sexual harassment of team members and reductions in members pay.

The former employees say team members were denied bonuses in retaliation for earlier complaints of sexual harassment by Jody Allen. A change in the way Vulcan counted the hours worked by executive protection team members also amounted to a pay cut to the security staff.

In court documents, Vulcan attorneys noted the terms were still more generous than required by law. And they deny any employees were unfairly penalized for complaining.

In July 2011, 10 current and former members of the executive protection team took their complaints to a private mediator, according to court papers. Those claims were resolved outside public view; the three team members still with Vulcan when they started the action left following the mediation.

Confidentiality agreements and court orders limiting what information may be filed publicly have kept those involved from detailing the allegations alluded to by the former employees. Vulcan attorneys have also claimed Leodler violated her commitments to the company by holding onto email correspondence and other documents after leaving the firm.

On discovering via the lawsuit that Leodler had the documents, Vulcan attorney Harry Schneider described them as attorney-client communications and suggested Leodler was using them improperly. Leodler has denied the claim and faulted Vulcan for attacking her character.

In a sworn statement, Leodler acknowledged that she took documents when she left, but claimed she did so in part to prevent Vulcan from destroying them or blaming her for crimes committed by others. She went on to claim others still with Vulcan know of executive criminal activity and the destruction of evidence.

As Vulcan is aware  I am a person of duty and commitment, a former FBI agent and career law enforcement professional, Leodler told the court.

Days prior to my Aug. 13, 2011, departure from Vulcan, I took several documents in an effort to preserve evidence, as I had witnessed at Vulcan, a corrupt environment from the top down; a reckless disregard for the rule of law; and a hostility toward employees including many former Navy SEALs and other military veterans who identified and exposed wrongful behaviors, be they either unethical or illegal, Leodler continued. Because of this executive behavior, and the behavior of the members of the legal department, I would never have asked permission to remove any documents as the response would have been major retaliation.

Vulcan knocks two lawsuits into secret arbitration

Two other employees who attempted to sue Vulcan and the Allens in state court have been ordered to go through binding arbitration.

A King County Superior Court judge found agreements former executive protection lead Traci Turner and officer Thomas RoseHaley made with Vulcan required them to take their case to an arbitrator.

Turner, a security specialist with 16 years of experience, and RoseHaley will each likely be called to the witness stand if the other lawsuits go to trial.

Before her lawsuit was shifted into private arbitration, Turner claimed to have witnessed acts by the Allens that forced her to resign. RoseHaley made similar allegations before his case was transferred to a private arbitrator in February 2012.

RoseHaley, a graduate of the Navys elite SEAL school, went to work for Vulcan in November 2010 after serving in Iraq as a squad medic for a security contractor.

According to court documents, RoseHaley was attending a trauma medicine training in August 2011 when Vulcan asked him to give up his right to pursue claims against the company in open court.

According to documents filed with the court, RoseHaley was offered a payment equal to 150 percent of an otherwise discretionary annual bonus  $18,750 in his case  for signing the agreement. Benoit and Turner were offered similar terms; Turners payment for signing away her right to sue would have been $25,156.

Trial set for September

RoseHaley, in his own sworn declaration, said he did not sign the arbitration agreement because the agreement did not feel right.

In August 2011 I was already aware of certain behaviors by Vulcan corporate executives like Paul Allen and Jody Allen, and in my opinion the legal consequences of their actions showed Vulcan to be a company that was internally conflicted over how to please the Allens, and what was reasonable to expect of Vulcan employees in an effort to satisfy the personal needs of Paul and Jody Allen, RoseHaley said in court documents.

Having refused to sign the agreement, RoseHaley said he was pulled from Paul Allens protective detail and given remedial duties. He told the court he was essentially benched and resigned shortly thereafter.

Attorneys for Vulcan successfully argued that RoseHaley agreed to the arbitration when he sent an email stating he would sign the agreement.

King County Superior Court Judge Laura Middaugh ordered RoseHaley and Vulcan to undergo arbitration, which is currently slated to begin May 13 before George Finkle, a retired superior court judge. Turners claims are also expected to be heard by an arbitrator.

The lawsuits brought by Leodler and Benoit are scheduled to go to trial in September before Judge Michael Hayden. Sandovals case is currently scheduled for trial in August.

Visit seattlepi.com's home page for more Seattle news.

Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 orlevipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.
What is China's whole-process democracy, and how does it help communities address the real issues that matter to them? Find out in our three-part documentary. In episode 2, a local deputy election is underway in Anhui... #GLOBALink







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Mayor London Breed on Tuesday asked the Board of Supervisors to approve a $22.5 million supplemental budget to support overtime for the citys police and fire departments, funding she said is crucial to public safety after losing hundreds of those departments employees over the past two years.

The proposal comes a month after Breed declared an emergency in the Tenderloin neighborhood, and vowed a police crackdown on the citys open-air drug dealing, retail thefts and auto burglaries. Breed at the time said she would introduce a supplemental budget to support police overtime, but the details of the plan were not made public until Tuesday.

We have a responsibility to make sure everyone in this City feels safe and that we can deliver the essential emergency services our residents deserve, Breed said in a statement, adding that the public safety departments are in a staffing crisis.

Breed said the city needs both the proposed immediate funding as well as a long-term commitment to filling police and fire academies.

We need police officers out on the street engaging in community policing and addressing crime, and we need our firefighters and paramedics responding to emergency calls when people are at their most vulnerable, she said.

Of the full budget, $7.9 million would be allocated to the police department and $14.6 million would go to the fire department.

Though Breeds speech in December focused on the Tenderloin, mayors officials on Tuesday stressed that the proposed budget would help the entire city fill basic station operations and patrols.

The police department already has $14.6 million designated for OT this year, which is an increase of $6 million over the past budget  less than the increase of $7 million Breed had initially sought.

But the city spent about $2.4 million in OT from Nov. 20 to Dec. 10, just in Union Square alone, where the mayor sent police following high-profile mass looting incidents the week before Thanksgiving.

City officials said that as of this month, uniformed staffing levels dipped by 20% across the police department  from 1,836 to 1,455  and 16% across the fire department when compared to pre-pandemic levels. The shortages are attributed to both permanent departures and current staff on leave.

If the funding is not approved, police may need to reduce the deployment of officers throughout the city, and both departments may be forced to suspend planned training academies, the mayors office said.

Supervisor Catherine Stefani, who co-sponsored the legislation, said patrol staffing levels have been severely inadequate for more than two years and continue to get worse.

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We cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the conditions in our city or ignore the thousands of San Franciscans who call 911 in crisis every single day, Stefani said in a statement.

Fire Chief Jeanine Nicholson and Police Chief Bill Scott both praised the proposed measure.

Scott noted that police officers across the country hired in the early 1990s are approaching retirement, and were sadly seeing fewer and fewer people choose a career in the policing profession.

Its a long-term challenge we must all work together to solve, but it starts by meeting our short-term needs, he said.

The supplemental budget would be applied through the end of the fiscal year. It will first need to be heard and approved by the boards Budget and Finance committee before being sent to the Board of Supervisors for a final vote.

Megan Cassidy is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: megan.cassidy@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @meganrcassidy
By mid-2024, people visiting San Franciscos Treasure Island by car could have to start paying tolls to enter and leave the man-made island as a way to subsidize more transit options in preparation for an expected population boom over the next decade.

Plans to implement a toll on Treasure Island have been in the works for more than a decade, and the tolls projected 2024 launch coincides with efforts to develop 8,000 housing units on the island, with the first residents moving in this month.

Under the plan, which is being developed by the San Francisco County Transportation Authority, motorists would have to pay $5 tolls to both enter and leave the island during peak morning and afternoon weekday commute hours on the Bay Bridge. One-way tolls on weekends and during off-peak hours on weekdays would cost $2.50. Access to Treasure Island via car would be free between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weekends and 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. on weekdays.

Residents whove lived on the island since 2019 will be exempt from having to pay the tolls, though new residents would not. The tolling plan also includes discounted rates for moderate-income and low-income motorists, similar to a delayed effort by the SFCTA to implement congestion pricing in downtown San Francisco. The tolls wouldnt apply to motorists who make less than 55% of the regions median income.

The aim of the tolling plan is twofold, according to SFCTA planners: Mitigate traffic congestion by discouraging driving to the island, and pay for more public transit as the islands population grows with added development.

Still, the toll plan remains unpopular among several of the islands residents and businesses who question its need and are worried about the potentially high costs people would incur if they want to visit the island by car. East Bay visitors looking to access the island by car during peak weekday hours, for example, would have to pay $17 in round-trip tolls  two $5 Treasure Island tolls, along with a $7 Bay Bridge toll  to access the island.

Jim Mirowski, owner of Treasure Island Wines, said the tolls rates and hours of operation as theyre currently proposed would just kill my business.

No customer-facing business is going to be on Treasure Island, essentially, because its going to discourage anybody from coming on the island, Mirowski said.

The tolls are expected to help fund a menu of public transit alternatives as the money would sustain ferry service from San Francisco to Treasure Island at half-hour frequencies, expanded bus service to downtown Oakland as well as a shuttle service that would transport residents to key destinations on the island.

Treasure Island ferry service will be operated by the Water Emergency Transportation Authority, which runs the San Francisco Bay Ferry, starting in 2024, though will be privately managed in the interim.

The tolling plan would generate about $33 million in toll revenues and cost nearly $18 million to operate over a five-year period, according to city projections. Its expected to begin operated at a funding shortfall, and SFCTA planners project the toll system would become revenue positive in its seventh year of operation.

Several island residents and businesses have said they are worried that the transit alternatives funded by the tolls wont be robust enough to substitute for the convenience of driving to the island. Its a point Supervisor Matt Haney, who represents Treasure Island, acknowledged at a Tuesday meeting of the Treasure Island Mobility Management Agency Committee.

Though the pandemic resulted in steep drops in traffic and congestion across the region, San Francisco officials believe that the return of congestion levels from 2019  when the issue hit its apex  is imminent, necessitating policies such as tolling and congestion pricing to manage future gridlock in the region.

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Since the pandemic, remote work has flattened congestion peaks during weekday mornings and afternoons, traffic on the Bay Bridge has just about returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the regions weekend congestion, in some instances, has worsened since March 2020.

Specifics about the tolling plan, such as rates and hours of enforcement, are subject to change, and Tuesdays approval by the Treasure Island Mobility Management Agency Committee was just the latest step in a lengthy bureaucratic process that began in the late 2000s. An SFCTA spokesperson said the proposed toll and discount policies have to be approved by the full Treasure Island transportation board, as well as the Board of Supervisors. Dates for those meetings have not been scheduled.

But Tuesdays vote gave the county transportation authoritys staff the clearance to begin implementation of the electronic toll collection system that would enforce the policy.

Just to be clear to folks, were not committing right now to launch the toll at a certain time and guaranteeing that that will happen even if theres not transit in place, Haney said. I hear that concern a lot.

Ricardo Cano is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: ricardo.cano@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ByRicardoCano
A San Francisco federal judge who was a law clerk for Stephen Breyer 20 years ago says the retiring Supreme Court justice has tried to make the law work for everyone and has been unfairly disparaged as a compromiser.

Many call Justice Breyer a pragmatist, and on one level thats true: Hes always focused on making sure the law achieves practical results, U.S. District Judge Vince Chhabria told The Chronicle. He wants the law to work for ordinary people and believes it should not create obstacles for the public officials who are trying in good faith to tackle our societys problems.

But the word pragmatist could also connote someone who compromises principles or performs his work dispassionately. Justice Breyer is definitely not a pragmatist in that sense, Chhabria said. He cares so deeply about these cases, and he works so hard to get the court to reach the right result. Ive never met anyone who cared more about their work, and about our democracy, than Justice Breyer.

Chhabria was a clerk for Breyer in 2001-02 after previously serving as a law clerk for the justices brother, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer of San Francisco.

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He said Breyer, who announced his retirement plans Wednesday, served as a counterweight to the late Justice Antonin Scalia and others who moved the court to the right with legal theories they attributed to the original drafters of the Constitution.

Breyer, by contrast, emphasized that when it comes to legal reasoning, the consequences matter, and the human beings affected by judicial rulings matter, Chhabria said.

He cited Breyers dissent from the courts 5-4 ruling in 2014 that struck down a law limiting individual contributions to federal political candidates. The majority, led by Chief Justice John Roberts and including Scalia, said the long-standing law violated freedom of speech. Dissenters, led by Breyer, said the law was designed to prevent corruption and limit the influence of money in politics.

Where enough money calls the tune, the general public will not be heard, Breyer wrote  a reflection, Chhabria said, of the justices view that the Constitution should be interpreted to allow participation by everyone, not just a privileged few.

Chhabria also said he and other trial judges had benefited from Breyers work on federal sentencing guidelines issued by the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Breyer was an original member of the commission in 1985, when he was a federal appeals court judge; as a Supreme Court justice in 2004, he wrote an opinion saying the guidelines, though not mandatory, could be considered by federal judges in sentencing convicted defendants.

This helps make sentencing decisions more data-driven and based partly on what other judges are doing, in place of the old system that resulted in widely varying sentences from one court to another, Chhabria said.

Provided by Vince Chhabria

The Sentencing Commission has been inactive since 2019, when it lost its four-member quorum under President Donald Trump. The only remaining member is Breyers brother, Charles, but President Biden can nominate additional members to revive the panel.

Breyers father, Irving, was general counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District, and his grandfather Samuel Breyer was a San Francisco supervisor.

He comes from a very public-oriented family, and that partly explains his focus on making the law work for public officials who are trying to solve problems in the community, Chhabria said.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Chhabria also noted Breyers dissent from the courts 5-4 ruling in 2007 that prohibited schools from trying to end racial segregation by drawing district lines that considered students race. The majority, led by Justice Anthony Kennedy, said schools must not base their decisions on race, even to integrate, while Breyer said the ruling threatened to undermine the courts 1954 ruling that barred segregation in public schools.

That opinion reflects Breyers career-long commitment to diversity that can be seen in his hiring practices, said Chhabria, the child of immigrants from India and Canada and the first Indian American federal judge.

When you attend one of his clerk reunions, you see a group of people that looks a lot like America  plenty of Black and brown faces, and plenty of women. He has helped launch a diverse group of people into the highest levels of the legal profession.

There was also a congratulatory statement from the Alumni Association at San Franciscos Lowell High School for their classmate who graduated in 1955.

Breyer is an inspiration to countless Lowell alumni and San Franciscans, the association said. We are immensely grateful and proud of his long commitment to justice, fairness and the rule of law."

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
San Francisco is trying to step up oversight of private security companies by reviewing a 50-year-old local law that was intended to regulate the firms but is being largely unenforced.

The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to conduct a six-month study of a 1972 law that requires private security firms to register with the city, pay annual fees and abide by certain rules established by the San Francisco Police Department.

Supervisor Catherine Stefani sought the review after her constituents raised concerns that private security guards had in some cases racially profiled members of the public. In investigating those reports, Stefanis office found that the 1972 law, Article 25, spelled out a number of provisions to regulate security firms, but they were almost entirely ignored.

What became clear, almost immediately, was that Article 25 is not currently implemented in any meaningful way in San Francisco, nor have we unearthed any evidence of it ever being implemented since 1972, Stefani said.

The police department, in conjunction with the city controllers office, will now conduct an analysis of Article 25 to help supervisors decide which components should be enforced, which parts should be scrapped and whether any new rules should be added to bring the regulations up to date.

Stefani said she was responding specifically to reports from residents in her northwest San Francisco district who said people had been harassed by security guards while walking down the street. She also pointed to an incident last year in which a Black fifth-grade student was stopped by security guards at the Castro Safeway on Market Street and falsely accused of stealing.

Something needs to be done, Stefani said.

The citys review will include the development of an official police process to regulate private security in San Francisco, establishment of nondiscrimination provisions that are now absent from Article 25 and creation of a complaint process for members of the public to report suspected violations of the law, Stefani said.

One of the concerned residents was Katie Colley, who wrote to city officials about some unfortunate and inexcusable interactions with children of color and private security firm personnel in my neighborhood.

Colley, who lives in Stefanis district, said that in one example, a security guard stopped a Black teenager who was walking on the street and threatened the teenager with a gun. Another instance involved a security guard allegedly following a 12-year-old person of color, threatening them verbally and taking photos of them while they were on a public street, Colley said.

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As a mother of two Black children, I feel it is safer for my children to walk our streets knowing that the police are trained to combat racial profiling, have de-escalation training, wear body cameras and there are reporting mechanisms should anything unlawful occur, Colley said in an email to city supervisors this month. But all this work for police reform does not mean anything if citizens in our city can bypass the police, hire private security firms and circumvent these protections, protections specifically created for children who look like mine.

San Francisco police officials have expressed support for the review of Article 25 but have noted that part of the study will include determining whether any of the local provisions have been superseded by state law.

Owen Scharlotte, company manager of San Franciscos Nob Hill Security, told The Chronicle he was receptive to the idea of the city keeping a closer eye on reports of discrimination by private security guards. Scharlotte said his firm typically employs 25 to 50 guards who cover about 15 to 20 job sites.

Wed support a reporting mechanism that keeps track of allegations of harassment by any company or agency operating in San Francisco, Scharlotte said in an email. Further, wed support a comprehensive analysis by SFPD of current security company regulations that incorporates input from community members, police, security companies, and security clients.

J.D. Morris is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jd.morris@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @thejdmorris
Pedro Toledo guided his 82-year-old mother by the hand to the intake window of a Petaluma health clinic and found himself in an unfamiliar position  asking where to report for an appointment.

Most days, Toledo is the one in charge: Hes chief administrative officer for the Petaluma Health Centers network of clinics that serve about 40,000 patients in Sonoma and Marin counties. But on Monday morning he was a concerned son escorting a mother who was among the latest in Sonoma County to be infected with the coronavirus.

Testing positive the day after she returned home from a brief hospital stay, Toledos mother  who is in a high-risk age group and also suffers from the autoimmune illness lupus  became one of more than 71,000 residents overall who have been infected in a county that continues to have some of the Bay Areas highest coronavirus case rates, even as the winter surge begins to level off across much of the region.

The seven-day average for Sonoma County was 233 new cases per 100,000 people as of Monday, a Chronicle analysis of California Department of Public Health figures shows. Solano and Santa Clara counties followed with 208 and 202 cases, respectively, compared with 190 cases per 100,000 for the Bay Area as a whole. These case rates differ somewhat from those posted by Sonoma County due to time lags and differences in how the state and counties record positive test results.

Alvin A.H. Jornada/Special to The Chronicle

Sonoma Countys residents now are living with tougher restrictions aimed at stemming transmission than other parts of the Bay Area, where cases mostly appear to be tapering off or plateauing. Its Latino residents continue to be hardest hit by both illness and the economic ramifications of the pandemic. Local clinics are stressed, and the number of people in hospitals with coronavirus infections is near a pandemic high. Requests from county residents for economic help have skyrocketed.

The surge is such that theres so much COVID everywhere right now, said Toledo, lamenting that his mother was infected even after he had worked hard to protect her. We did take every precaution while also trying to live life.

But at least her symptoms were mild, and he credited the three full doses of vaccine she had received. Simona Toledo said she was already feeling better. They were taking daily walks, and her blood-oxygen levels were good.

Sonoma County has consistently lagged the Bay Area overall in seeing its cases rise and fall: It had a slower increase in cases early on but took longer to stem the rise of infections, a pattern that has continued during ups and downs of the pandemic. The county often retained pandemic restrictions during reopening phases in 2020 and 2021 while other parts of the Bay Area that were making better progress were able to relax their rules sooner.

Today, the county has some of the regions strongest restrictions, including a ban on large gatherings  anything over 50 people indoors or 100 people outdoors when social distancing is not possible. In issuing that order, for Jan. 10 through Feb. 11, Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase also asked residents to voluntarily shelter at home to help stem the increase in infections. Similar restrictions were used statewide before vaccinations became widely available to curtail COVIDs spread, in particular during the first wave in March 2020 and during last winters surge.

Mase has said the order is meant to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed. Between December and January, case rates jumped from an average of 90 new cases each day to about 1,250 as of last week. County health officials have cited gatherings of more than 12 people as a major source of the recent infections. At least three dozen cases were traced to indoor sporting events, Mase said.

Were at a crucial juncture in the pandemic, Mase told the Board of Supervisors at an emergency meeting on the omicron surge.

Infection rates are highest among Latino residents of Sonoma County, who throughout the pandemic have suffered more than any other racial or ethnic group from illness. COVID-19s impacts have consistently fallen hardest on essential workers, low-wage laborers, immigrants and people of color, groups that suffer the effects of long-standing racism and health disparities.

As of Jan. 17, case rates were 36% higher among Latino residents than among Sonoma Countys population overall, county data shows. Latinos account for about 27% of the countys residents.

Additionally, this months surge, driven by the highly transmissible omicron variant, came after the expiration of emergency paid sick-leave programs from the government that helped coronavirus-infected workers stay home earlier in the pandemic. That means it has become more difficult for many of the countys low-paid residents and essential workers to take off work when infected.

Alvin A.H. Jornada / Special to The Chronicle

Calls to an emergency hotline from people seeking financial help jumped from about 35 calls each day over the fall to an average of more than 1,000 calls a day last week, said Javier Cabrera-Rosales, program director of the CURA Project. The project provided more than $6 million in emergency financial relief from October 2020 to this past December, but the past two weeks have outpaced all the rest, he said.

Were inundated, Cabrera-Rosales said. So we have to reassess and move to prioritize individuals that are really in severe crisis.

Callers often feel forced to choose between keeping a job and staying home to care for an ill loved one, he said. Many have no place to isolate when they are sick. They may need food, money for funeral expenses or temporary shelter.

Essential workers continue to carry the burden of the pandemic, said Denia Candela, Sonoma Countys health services equity program manager

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

The county this month added COVID-19 testing and vaccination sites at central community locations like schools and partnered with churches and other community groups to distribute at-home tests to those facing the greatest risks.

At the Petaluma Health Center, the surge impacts are felt daily.

Alvin A.H. Jornada/Special to The Chronicle

At this point, pretty much everyone who isnt vaccinated is getting COVID  thats what it appears like, Toledo said, noting the tragic case of an unvaccinated pregnant woman who got infected and ended up hospitalized in a medical coma on a ventilator. With local emergency rooms full, one 8-year-old patient with a severe fracture had to be sent to a Sacramento hospital, Toledo added.

The timeline of seven-day averages for new cases indicates that Sonoma Countys surge may have peaked: That average has trended down since 253 cases per 100,000 residents were recorded on Jan. 16, according to the Chronicles analysis of state data. But transmission rates remain high, with the number of cases putting pressure on what medications and treatments are available, officials say.

Physicians seek to ensure equitable patient access to limited supplies of treatments, like Pfizers antiviral pill Paxlovid and monoclonal antibody infusions, said Dr. Nurit Licht at Petaluma Health Center. Prioritizing medications for those most in need, staffers call pharmacies daily to determine where medications are in stock for those patients.

We really are trying to remove all barriers to treatment for those who need it most, Licht said.

In an exam room on Monday, Licht asked Simona Toledo in Spanish how she has been feeling, and they discussed what medications might make most sense given her other health conditions.

Toledo knew medicine would be scarce when his mother tested positive at home on a Saturday. He called more than a half-dozen pharmacies in the area before finding one with Paxlovid, driven by a sense that he must act fast. He acknowledged that patients like his mother dont always have family or others advocating on their behalf.

It takes so much work and advocacy and navigation, Toledo said. The primary care providers are trying to do their best  everyone is working to meet the needs of the community  but there are such large numbers of people getting infected, and so much demand for care.

Julie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @juliejohnson.
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Even with all the wildfires California has endured, it was a shock to see flames searing the Big Sur coast this week  in the middle of winter.

The January blaze, which on Wednesday had burned 700 acres and still was smoldering near homes in the rugged Palo Colorado Canyon, is believed to be the result of a stray ember from a burn pile. Scientists, though, say the fire was made possible by an unusually long dry spell in winter coupled with a landscape increasingly primed for fire by the warming climate.

The winter months are typically when the state gets its heaviest rains and a break from wildfire. But Big Sur has seen less than a 10th of an inch of rainfall this month. Despite the onslaught of storms in December, many coastal areas are dry again and brimming with dead, combustible brush after two years of drought intensified by climate change.

I was totally surprised by the fire, said Craig Clements, professor of meteorology at San Jose State University and director of the schools Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center. But after looking at some of the data, I was like, Yeah, it makes sense.

Because of rising temperatures and more intense bouts of drought in recent decades, the window for wildfires has grown, and Californias fire season is now longer than it used to be. A study by the science and news organization Climate Central estimates that the threat of wildfires in Western states lasts 105 more days today than it did in the 1970s.

Over the past 10 years, some of Californias worst fires have erupted on the cusp of winter. The Central Coasts 281,893-acre Thomas Fire in 2017, the eighth largest in state history, ignited Dec. 4, and burned through mid-January. The 2018 Camp Fire, the states deadliest blaze, began in November, even after a period of rain, and burned through Thanksgiving. In Big Sur, the 2013 Pfeiffer Fire destroyed 34 homes shortly before Christmas.

The potential for flames this winter remains particularly high because many areas of the state have experienced their two driest back-to-back years, as well as record heat.

More drought creates a longer fire season or even a continuous fire season through the year, Clements said.

On Friday, when the Colorado Fire broke out on scrub-covered coastal hills about 20 miles south of Carmel, conditions in Big Sur were ripe for burning.

The only rain the region had seen this month was on Jan. 7, and just 0.08 of an inch at that, according to National Weather Service data. Big Sur Station, where the weather service keeps a monitoring gauge, averages 8.16 inches of rain in January.

Meanwhile, high temperatures for the month were running nearly 4 degrees above average.

As a result, moisture levels of dead fuels, the vegetation that typically feeds fires, like grasses and pine needles, were in the single percentages, according to estimates from San Jose States Wildfire Interdisciplinary Research Center.

Making matters worse, winds had picked up Friday before the fire started, gusting to about 30 mph out of the northeast.

The weather conditions were dry and breezy, said Roger Gass, a forecaster with the National Weather Service who was working that night in Monterey. It just reminds folks to always be vigilant.

Investigators with Cal Fire, the states firefighting agency, announced Tuesday that the Colorado Fire was caused by hot embers spread from a burn pile amid strong winds. Fire officials did not immediately disclose where the burn was or who lit it and whether anyone would be cited for a crime.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

LeRoy Westerling, a climate scientist at UC Merced, says such out-of-season blazes, no matter what the cause, are likely to become more frequent because temperatures are going up, and Californias forests and grasslands simply arent suited to the heat.

In a sense, we have a lot of vegetation on the landscape that no longer matches the climate system, he said.

In order to get things in balance, California would need to get a lot more precipitation on its wildlands, he said, and thats not happening.

The past two years have seen record acreage burn. In 2021, fires consumed 2.6 million acres in California, about a million more than the five-year average, according to Cal Fire. In 2020, 4.2 million acres burned.

As of Wednesday, firefighters appeared to have the upper hand on the Colorado Fire. It was 55% contained, Cal Fire officials said, and hundreds of residents who were forced to evacuate had begun returning to their homes. Scenic Highway 1, which had been closed between Garrapata Creek and Point Sur, was reopened.

One yet-to-be-identified structure had burned, officials said, and across social media, stunned Californians were still circulating photos of flames above the ocean and beside the iconic arches at the Rocky Creek and Bixby bridges. Nearly 500 firefighters were working to control the blaze.

Weve had fires in December, January and February, said Jon Heggie, a Cal Fire battalion chief. Its on the rarer side, but its not out of scope of what were seeing now.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
Last June, Oakland quietly began publishing detailed, long-term data on crime incidents on its city website. The data includes all crime incidents reported by the police going back to 2005, listed in more than 1 million rows.

Despite its low profile (as of Jan. 24, the data, which can be found here, had been downloaded fewer than 80 times), the dataset offers new opportunities to understand crime in Oakland. Prior to its publication, the Oakland Police Department published only 90 days worth of crime incident data at a time. Thus, the only way to look at long-term trends was through the statistics the city reported to the FBI using its Uniform Crime Reporting program.

While the city publishes weekly, quarterly and yearly reports using FBI statistics, the data is spread across dozens of reports. Additionally, the story FBI crime data tells is incomplete: it tracks only eight crime types, and counts them according to a hierarchy rule in which an incident with both a murder and a theft would count only as a murder (the less-serious crime is excluded).

This dataset, on the other hand, counts crime incidents as they are recorded by the Oakland Police Department, yielding far more detailed information than the UCR statistics. It includes where the incident took place, the incidents crime category (there are 50 categories, far more than the eight counted by the FBI) and a more detailed description of the incident.

So The Chronicle decided to see what this newly public data could capture about recent crime trends in Oakland. In addition to analyzing this data, we spoke with crime researchers, community advocates and police department members to put recent trends in context.

Before diving in, we want to note that Oaklands crime data is messy  messier than San Franciscos comparable dataset, which we have also explored in depth. Also, because this data reflects police reports, it captures only crimes reported to, or observed by, police officers, meaning its likely many crimes in the city are left out. National surveys have shown that victims of many types of crime, particularly sexual assaults and lower-level thefts, are unlikely to report their incident to the police. But reported crime can still be a useful way to compare changes to crime rates over time in different areas. (We describe the issues with this data in more depth at the bottom of the story.)

Our analysis is focused on changes that have occurred since 2018, which allows us to to understand how the pandemic may have impacted crime. Here are some of the trends we observed:

Homicides and reported felony assaults are up, but some other violent crimes have stayed flat or decreased slightly

Capt. Roland Holmgren, who works in OPDs violent crimes unit, said that the department had observed a significant increase in assaults and homicides starting around 2020, in keeping with national trends. While he said theres no simple explanation for these increases, one component he noted is that the department has observed a significant increase in the number of guns in circulation.

Having that amount of weapons on the streets  that is a serious contribution to why we saw an increase in violent crime, Holmgren told The Chronicle.

These trends arent limited to Oakland: California observed a statewide surge in gun sales over the pandemic, according to Department of Justice data. And Magnus Lofstrom, a senior researcher at the Public Policy Institute of California, said that homicides and assaults are up in many other major California cities, too.

The changes youre seeing in Oakland are similar, in terms of the direction, to what were seeing in the state, he said. The magnitude is (just) greater.

Another reason Oakland saw such dramatic increases in homicides and assaults, Holmgren said, was the pandemics effect on the citys robust network of violence prevention groups, which some experts credit with helping dramatically reduce homicides in the city from 2013 through 2019. Social distancing and stay-at-home measures curbed these efforts significantly.

One of those organizations, Youth Alive!, intervenes directly with young people to try to reduce their risk of getting into a gun-related altercation  or, if theyve already been in one, to reduce the likelihood theyll be involved again. Anne Marks, Youth Alives executive director, previously told The Chronicle that the pandemic has made it next to impossible for the organizations workers to intervene in the kind of interpersonal way they used to do.

Reported property crime trends are more varied, and mostly dovetail with statewide trends

For example, while car theft has increased since 2019, auto burglaries (such as smash-and-grabs) have dropped from their high in 2019. While petty theft (thefts of goods worth under $950) has decreased since 2019, grand theft (thefts of goods worth over $950) increased significantly in 2019, from just under 2,000 reported incidents to over 2,500, and has since remained above 2,200 incidents per year.

Some types of crime  particularly low-level property crimes like petty theft  are often not reported to police, making accurate counts difficult. The issue and concern around underreporting of crime is a real one, Lofstrom said. But its unlikely that reporting rates change significantly from year to year, he said, so looking at trends over time is a generally more reliable way to track property crime than looking at the raw numbers.

Lofstrom, the senior PPIC researcher, told the Chronicle that auto theft rates have soared statewide since the pandemic began. While researchers are not entirely sure why, he said one likely factor is that used car values exploded during the pandemic, increasing the incentive to steal them.

Meanwhile, auto burglaries and petty thefts decreased sharply in 2020, likely because people were out less due to stay-at-home orders and other pandemic health measures. In 2021, as people began returning to a closer-to-normal pace of life, these kinds of lower-level property crimes decreased. (Auto burglaries increased sharply in 2019, which may make the 2020 decrease look larger than it is in historical context.)

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Residential burglaries also decreased during the pandemic, a trend that Holmgren also attributed to people staying at home. But as Lofstrom noted, the decrease in residential burglaries is part of a much-longer-term trend.

Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle

The data also sheds light on recent geographic trends in Oakland crime. It includes the police beat where each incident occurred, which is not available in Oaklands FBI reports, and allows a closer look at the geography of the citys reported crime. Using these boundaries, we found that while nearly every police beat saw increases in assault rates, the eastern parts of the city tended to see greater increases. And most of the police beat areas representing the citys northern half didnt have enough assaults to reasonably compare 2019 and 2021 rates.

With some exceptions, the bulk of these increases happened in areas that already had higher assault rates than other places. The data shows that Oaklands assault rates are consistently higher in the southern, and especially the southeastern, parts of the city.

Notes on the data used in this article

To help better understand the datas major pitfalls, we spoke to Rik Belew, a computer scientist and data analyst who has spent years working with the OPD on data accuracy and transparency. Belew, who has conducted many analyses of his own on chunks of Oakland crime incident data (and who used to collect the 90-day crime data on a regular basis before the historic data was published), told The Chronicle that the issues surrounding Oaklands police data are long-standing, and that the data has a lot of noise.

For example, Oaklands homicide data includes thousands of incidents falling into the homicide category that arent actually homicides (elderly people who die at home are often placed in the homicide category with an unexplained cause description, according to Belew). Because of this and other issues, we used the FBI count of homicides for the chart looking at violent crimes, rather than the numbers from this dataset.

We also excluded rape from our analysis, because it is counted and labeled inconsistently across the dataset. For instance, many crimes whose descriptions read rape of drugged victim, rape by force/fear/etc or some other description that appears to refer to to a rape, are not categorized as forcible rape, the departments rape category. Instead they fall under crime types including domestic violence, other or other sex offenses.

We examined crimes by police beats, but a small share of these incidents may have been labeled with police beats that do not actually correspond with their addresses, according to Belew. Finally, there are thousands of crimes in the data that lack category descriptions or locations. For most years, they did not add up to a significant percentage of the overall crimes, but in 2021, about 5% of the incidents in the data were missing one or both of these values. We excluded all incidents with either no police beat or no crime category from our final geographic data.
UPDATE: San Francisco to drop mask mandate for offices and gyms  with new vaccination twist.

Two weeks after the omicron surge appears to have crested in the Bay Area, coronavirus hospitalizations also are leveling off, and health officials said Tuesday that they are starting to plan for what pandemic life might look like on the other side of the winter wave.

Coronavirus cases and hospitalizations remain very high across the region, with nearly 15,000 new cases reported each day on average and 2,014 people hospitalized with COVID in the Bay Area as of Monday  just shy of last winters peak patient loads. Health officials said they anticipate at least three more weeks of high case rates and tremendous pressure on hospitals as the omicron surge wanes.

But cases have fallen about 20% since Jan. 9, which is when they appear to have peaked for much of the region. Hospitalizations continued to climb through the end of last week but have been stable or declining slightly since then.

Public health authorities are now thinking about when, and under what conditions, they may ease mask mandates and other restrictions, some county health officers said Tuesday  though they advised that no major changes are imminent.

We are starting to see the horizon beyond the surge, with cases starting to plateau in the last week, albeit at very high levels, still higher than other earlier phases of this pandemic, San Mateo County chief of health Louise Rogers told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Its as if were still at the top of a mountain, having to climb down it before we can rest.

Metrics also are improving statewide. California is reporting about 95,000 cases a day on average, down 9% from the previous week. And 15,248 people were hospitalized with COVID as of Monday, about 200 fewer than the end of last week.

All Bay Area counties now appear to be seeing some relief from the omicron surge in terms of cases, though hospitalizations are still climbing in San Mateo, Solano and Sonoma counties.

In public presentations to county supervisors on Tuesday, several health officials said they have started talking with their local and state colleagues about how pandemic policies may change once this surge is over, echoing recent comments from national and global leaders.

On Monday, even as the head of the World Health Organization warned of the ongoing threat of new coronavirus variants, a WHO colleague issued a statement that COVID may become a more manageable disease by the end of this year.

The pandemic is far from over, but I am hopeful we can end the emergency phase in 2022, said Dr. Hans Kluge, the WHOs regional director for Europe.

Bay Area health officials emphasized Tuesday that its too soon to declare an end to the 2-year-old pandemic, especially as the state and region continue to bear their largest burden of cases so far.

Its not safe to assume we are in the endgame, said Anna Roth, director of Contra Costa Health Services.

In particular, new variants remain a threat, Roth and other health officials said. Indeed, on Tuesday the first two cases of the BA.2 variant  a descendant of omicron that may be even more infectious  were reported in Santa Clara County. California has identified 11 cases of BA.2, state officials said. The variant is increasing in several countries, according to the World Health Organization, which said further study of it should be prioritized.

Even as new variants inevitably arise, it may be time once the omicron surge fades to transition toward an endemic response  treating COVID as an ongoing but far less deadly foe than it was at the start of the pandemic, several Bay Area health officials said Tuesday. That means a more nuanced approach to controlling the virus, one that takes into account high levels of community immunity due to vaccinations and previous infection.

There will be more waves, Dr. Matt Willis, the Marin County health officer, said at a supervisors meeting Tuesday. But they likely will be less harmful than previous surges due to stronger collective immunity, he said.

We are in fact approaching a relationship with this virus that is endemic. We will start seeing it in parallel to other known viral respiratory illnesses, Willis said. COVID policies should become more balanced and take into consideration the mental, social and economic costs of public health restrictions meant to curb the spread of the virus.

Restrictions like mask mandates and limits on gatherings may be eased slowly over the coming weeks or months. Californias statewide mask mandate is in place until at least Feb. 15. Sonoma County, which put in place the strictest policies during the omicron surge, banned large gatherings until at least Feb. 11.

Dr. Ori Tzvieli, deputy health officer for Contra Costa County, said health officials across the Bay Area have started talking about when to start rolling back local mask mandates, but they arent ready to make those decisions while cases and hospitalizations remain high.

Perhaps in a small step toward reshaping its COVID response, Marin County eased two local restrictions on Tuesday: Schools are no longer required to limit spectators of indoor sport events to 50 people, and masks are no longer required outdoors for students and staff.

Willis said residents should expect similar subtle adjustments to health policy as COVID begins to become endemic.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

When the virus changes, we need to change our approaches, he said.

Napa County health officials similarly said they are starting to plan for endemic COVID, even as they struggle to keep up with omicron.

Were getting to the point where were starting to have conversations about transitioning from pandemic to endemic, said Dr. Karen Relucio, the county health officer, told county supervisors Tuesday.

The county is handling 22 active coronavirus outbreaks in congregate facilities and another 22 workplace outbreaks, Relucio said. Its also reporting seven school outbreaks, but my staff believe that a lot of the (school) outbreak reporting has been underreported, partially because theres an overwhelming amount of work, she said.

In addition, one Napa County testing site had to shut down for a day this week because too many workers were out sick, Relucio said. Fifty testing appointments were canceled due to the closure. Cases have been so high throughout the omicron surge that the county has had a hard time processing them, leading to reporting lags on its public dashboards, Relucio said.

Omicron is doing a very good job of causing a lot of disease, Relucio said, adding that she believes the county probably hit its peak in this surge last week.

On the other side of this wave, Relucio said shes hopeful that communities can begin to live with COVID much the way they do with influenza and other respiratory viruses.

We dont see that theres going to be anymore shutdowns, she said.

Chronicle staff writers Catherine Ho and Aidin Vaziri contributed to this report.

Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: eallday@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @erinallday
In 2017, after serving 22 years in prison for a gang-related murder I committed as a teenager, the California parole board granted me early release due to my rehabilitation and leadership while incarcerated. I was incredibly fortunate to get what I thought would be a second chance at life, and I committed myself to using my freedom to improve the world around me.

But I had to put those plans on hold. Because I was undocumented, I was immediately transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at Yuba County Jail. The two years I spent there awaiting a decision on my immigration status were far worse than the over two decades I spent in 12 different prisons serving out my sentence.

Yuba County Jail is the last county jail under contract with the federal government to hold immigrant detainees in California. For the two years I fought my immigration case, I was psychologically, emotionally and physically abused by the Yuba County Sheriffs Department. Some of the cells I lived in had no drinking water, others did not have working toilets and others had no lights, leaving me and other detainees in the dark all day long. My stress increased and my blood pressure became dangerously high. In 2018, after a year at the jail, I finally won my immigration case. But Department of Homeland Security attorneys appealed the judges decision, keeping me separated from my family, fueling my depression and suicidal thoughts. After another year of fighting the appeal, I had to make an impossible choice: Die inside Yuba County Jail or risk imminent death in my native land. After two years of inhumane treatment, I chose the latter. I signed the paperwork for self-deportation and went back to my home country.

My story is just one of thousands playing out in federally contracted county jails and privately operated ICE detention centers across the country. Despite President Bidens campaign promise to end the use of private prisons for immigration detention, for undocumented people being held at Yuba County Jail, no relief is coming.

Yuba County Jail has a long history of violating national detention standards. From 2010 to 2021, ICEs own detention office conducted at least eight inspections at the jail and found 171 violations. Among those violations, inspection officials determined that a sergeant, who was involved in two use-of-force incidents at the jail, participated in his own reviews. As a result of the findings, 24 members of Congress wrote a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas demanding that the department terminate ICEs contract with Yuba County. At the state level, California legislators passed SB29, forbidding local governments to enter into new detention agreements with ICE. But as The Chronicle's reporting pointed out, in 2018, the same year SB29 took effect, ICE and Yuba County officials quietly extended their contract to 2099.

Why would Yuba County officials establish an indefinite contract with ICE as the rest of the state moves to end the use of its jails by federal immigration authorities? Follow the money. The contract with ICE earns the Yuba County Sheriffs Department a minimum of just under $24,000 a day, whether or not any detainees are being held in the jail, totaling about $8.66 million per year.

When the pandemic hit, conditions inside the jail worsened. Following an April 2020 class-action lawsuit, court orders led the jail to decrease its detainee population. Thanks to the work of human right advocates and formerly detained undocumented people like myself, and others, the jail went from having 127 detainees in May 2020 to zero in late 2021. For those of us who had fought, staged hunger strikes and protested, both inside and outside the jail, it felt like we were finally seeing the end of immigrant detainment.

But our celebrations were brief. In the two months that the jail had no detainees, the countys contract with ICE was still in place, earning it an estimated $1.4 million. And in December, ICE transported its first detainee back into the jail. As of this week, three people are now detained there under ICE custody.

The repopulation of the jail by ICE only means we will fight even harder for liberation and the termination of the contract. Over the past year, and despite being thousands of miles away, I found ways to raise my voice. I connected with others who were detained alongside me and who were also deported and encouraged them to join the fight. My wife, along with other mothers, sisters, and family members joined us as well. We hosted Instagram live videos as a space for storytelling. For weeks, I met with congressional offices and shared my story and the story of others, which ultimately led to their support.

At a recent Yuba County Board of Supervisors meeting, newly named Chairman Randy Fletcher said that the claims made in a letter sent by the ACLU to the Yuba County sheriff and Board of Supervisors about the multiple violations and unlawful conditions at the jail were not true. They make a lot of accusations. ... Its not true. Its just not true, he said. But I and the other undocumented people who were detained there know what we suffered through is true. And it needs to stop.

I remain deeply remorseful of the loss of life I caused so many years ago. I joined the fight to end the jails contract with ICE because I want to use the rest of my life to improve society. Treating people inhumanely simply because they are undocumented is wrong, and helping to put an end to it is part of my new mission in life. Together, community leaders, congressional representatives and supporters can end the contract between the jail and ICE once and for all. If the Biden administration doesnt follow through with its promise and take action soon, Yuba County Jail will continue subjecting people to inhumane treatment and dangerous conditions. The time to terminate the contract is past due.

Carlos Sauceda was detained by ICE at Yuba County Jail from 2017-2019.
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Yan Chen managed to avoid the first waves of the COVID pandemic, no small feat for the 43-year-old mother who lives in a single-room occupancy hotel with her two daughters in San Franciscos Chinatown. But in the early days of January she caught the virus. Chen felt dreadful. Vomiting and in pain, she was unable to shake a burning fever.

Chen worried a lot, especially for the younger daughter who shares her bed.

There was nothing I could do because theres no room for us to quarantine, Chen said in Cantonese, translated by Karen Chan of the Chinatown Community Development Center.

In the middle of an omicron wave that has seen the number of confirmed infections inside the citys SRO hotels rise to new highs, community organizers like Chan have stepped in to advocate for the thousands of people inside Chinatowns 530 residential hotels, most of whom are Chinese and live in tight quarters where they share kitchens and bathrooms. She believes the San Francisco Department of Public Health is failing this large group of low-income residents at this critical time.

SRO residents are considered a high-risk group, said Chan, senior community organizer for the development center. If DPH arranged a hotel for Ms Chens (infected) daughter immediately, there was a possibility that Ms. Chen would not be infected.

When Chens 20-year-old daughter tested positive days before she did, Chen immediately called the public health hotline to request a hotel room in which her daughter could quarantine and not infect her or her younger child. Chen said she was told her daughter was not eligible.

In a statement to The Chronicle, the San Francisco Department of Public Health said admission to what it calls isolation and quarantine sites is dependent on availability and clinical need, and that prioritization is given to people with confirmed COVID infections who cannot safely isolate from people at high risk of hospitalization and/or death from COVID.

The department also said that any person requesting a quarantine hotel would be evaluated by a nurse to see if they fit the criteria.

Chen said she was not given this option.

She finally asked some relatives for money and made the difficult choice to send her 14-year-old daughter to a nearby hotel so she too would not get sick.

City data reveals new COVID cases spiked in the month from Dec. 20 to Jan. 20, with 420 new cases reported just in SROs. This includes 61 new SRO cases on Jan. 4, just days before Chen herself tested positive. At no previous point since the pandemic began has the official number of new daily cases in SROs been at the levels they were this past month.

Does DPH want to see all the tenants in a SRO building get infected? Chan challenged. DPH should think about our SRO families and take (omicron) seriously.

The citys public health department told The Chronicle it has made concerted efforts to reach SRO residents throughout the City with vaccines and boosters, and through community partners. The statement added that although cases of COVID have risen in SRO communities, we are not seeing severe cases and hospitalizations among those who are vaccinated and boosted.

According to public health data, 83% of Chinatown residents are fully vaccinated, one of the higher vaccination rates across San Franciscos neighborhoods.

Yet Chen and her daughters, who are all fully vaccinated, said they felt forgotten by public health authorities when COVID invaded their small living space. When Chen told her neighbors she was sick, she said they asked her not to use the communal kitchen and bathrooms out of a fear of catching the virus. The family of three was stuck in its tiny room, unable to cook and having to sneak to the restroom.

Chan said they are not alone. In early January, her organization was tracking an alleged outbreak in one particular building and Chan said they were unable to get an adequate response from local health officials.

Public health officials did not respond to The Chronicles questions about this in early January.

The Chinatown Community Development Center sent a letter to public health director Grant Colfax last week pleading for safety measures to prevent another family from enduring this ordeal. The letter requested personal protective equipment, hotel rooms for infected family members to isolate in, hot meals delivered to residents avoiding the communal kitchens, and to require frequent cleaning of the shared spaces in the densely populated buildings.

Chan said the letter has yet to receive a response.

The public health department told The Chronicle that it advises residents who test positive to isolate and call their medical provider. Chan said many SRO residents dont have primary care physicians, and cannot isolate when they share one room with other family members.

Her group is trying to help.

On a warm Tuesday afternoon on a quiet Chinatown street, a line snaked around the block as dozens of residents lined up for free coronavirus test kits. Chans organization partnered with North East Medical Services, which recently received thousands of kits through President Bidens new initiative to get more rapid tests into communities.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Tuesdays effort aimed to distribute 1,000 rapid test kits to 300 SRO residents, said Jessica Ho, government and community affairs manager for North East Medical Services.

As local residents collected the kits, Chan noted that instructions in Chinese would be sent over WeChat, a popular messaging app in China and among Chinese communities.

Local businesses have also stepped in to help. Using privately raised money, the Chinatown Community Development Center kickstarted the third round of a program that pays local restaurants to provide hot meals for SRO residents twice a week. Its a strategy many see as a win-win  restaurants impacted by lack of patronage can earn income by cooking for SRO residents afraid of contracting the virus when using their communal kitchens.

For its part, the San Francisco Department of Public Health could not tell The Chronicle how many recent positive cases there have been in any individual SRO hotel. With the Omicron variant being so transmissible and spreading so rapidly, tracking instances of transmission within an SRO setting is no longer an effective public health strategy, a department spokesperson emailed.

Yan Chen was glad to receive her two boxes of rapid tests. She was headed right home to take one, she said. Chen needs a negative result to show her employer to resume her job as a janitor.

Her daughters wish their mom could resume her cooking. They love her steamed egg dish, a specialty of Guangdong, China, where they lived until 2016, when they immigrated to San Francisco. Yet it may be a while before Chen gets back to cooking.

When I see the lines and everybody waiting at the kitchen, Im very concerned, she said.

Weeks after testing positive, Chen still feels the effects of the virus, unable to shake a cough, a scratchy throat and periodic bouts of sweating. Shes saving the rest of the rapid tests for Chinese New Year celebrations, which begin next week. Chen really wants to make sure her year kicks off in good health.

Deepa Fernandes is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: deepa.fernandes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @deepafern
San Francisco is allowing people to use drugs in an outdoor area of Mayor London Breeds new Tenderloin Linkage Center in United Nations Plaza, interviews and Chronicle observations confirm.

Several people told The Chronicle in interviews Tuesday that they had used drugs inside the fenced-in area bordering the centers entrance on U.N. Plaza. In addition to the outdoor area, the city offers basic hygiene services, food, clothing and connections to services such as treatment and housing on the first floor of the seven-story building.

The mayors spokesperson, Jeff Cretan, said in an email that the emergency initiative is about doing everything we can to help people struggling with addiction, and getting them connected to services and treatment. As part of that, the linkage center is serving as a low-barrier site to bring people off the street.

The revelation that people are using drugs at the week-old site was first reported on the Substack newsletter of Michael Shellenberger, an author who has criticized progressive policies in San Francisco he sees as too permissive.

Addiction experts and advocates differ on whether allowing those who struggle with substance use disorder to get high at the site will help them get connected to treatment, with some saying it acknowledges a necessary reality on a journey to get help and others calling it counterproductive.

Shellenberger accused the city of running an illicit drug consumption site and a supervised drug consumption area, which is currently illegal under state and federal law.

Francis Zamora, a spokesperson for the Department of Emergency Management, which is running the linkage center, denied the city was operating a supervised consumption site. San Francisco is working to follow New York City in opening such a site, which would provide medical supervision and clean supplies, despite its questionable legal status.

Even if city officials are turning a blind eye to illegal drug use, theyre unlikely to face legal liability, said Robert Weisberg, a Stanford law professor and co-director of the schools Criminal Justice Center.

Prosecutors have almost unreviewable discretion not to bring a charge, Weisberg said. I dont think anybody would have standing to complain, he said, because it would be hard for an individual to show he or she was injured by San Franciscos actions or inactions.

Stephen Lam / The Chronicle

Last month, Breed announced a state of emergency in the Tenderloin in a bid to reduce overdose deaths and said she wanted to crack down on drug dealing and use in the neighborhood. She said people using drugs on the streets would be told that they had a choice of going to the linkage center or jail.

But the Department of Emergency Management and the Police Department said the day the center opened that social workers and public health workers were leading the outreach to get people to the center, but they were not being arrested for refusing to go, at least for now.

So far, police have not stepped up patrols and arrests in the Tenderloin, although the mayor has indicated she still wants to do so when staffing and the budget increases.

Journalists are not allowed inside the linkage site, but a Chronicle reporter standing outside on Tuesday observed several people in the fenced-in area holding drug paraphernalia including foil and lighters used to smoke fentanyl and pipes used to smoke meth.

Three men with foil said they were glad to have a calm place to use drugs. Others were also appreciative, saying they could connect with the centers services while taking advantage of a more private place to use drugs than the sidewalk.

Kayla Simpson, 28, sitting outside the center in U.N. Plaza, said she went in Jan. 18, the first day the center opened. While waiting in the fenced-in area, she said she felt the need to smoke, so she did.

They were cool about it, she said Tuesday.

Shellenberger, author of the new book San Fransicko: Why Progressives Ruin Cities, wrote that two people who did not identify themselves as journalists entered the site and took videos of people using drugs in the fenced-in area, while city contractors working at the site stood by.

When asked by The Chronicle what happens if someone tries to use drugs in the outdoor or indoor areas of the linkage center, and whether staff will allow the practice to continue, Zamora did not answer directly.

This site is about getting people connected with immediate support as well as long-term services and treatment, he said. Part of being a low-barrier site means bringing people in without asking a lot of questions.

Other city staff and nonprofit contractors interviewed at the center Tuesday gave a similar answer about a low-barrier site.

City homelessness department spokesperson Denny Machuca-Grebe said the area is not a supervised consumption site, but if people overdose, at least theyre right next to staff that can help them.

Since the center opened, staff members have reversed three overdoses, the city said. But those overdoses might be the result of someone using drugs prior to entering the site.

No one interviewed mentioned using drugs inside the building, only in the fenced area. People can come into the center and stay as long as they like; the center is open 12 hours a day now but will expand to 24 hours. Fentanyl users on the street said they sometimes need to use every hour to avoid symptoms of withdrawal.

Those who embrace the citys harm-reduction policies said that allowing people struggling with addiction to use drugs at the center makes sense. Brooke Lober, director of harm reduction at St. James Infirmary, an organization that supports sex workers, said she wasnt surprised by the reports people were using drugs at a drop-in center.

They remain welcome there, and I think thats how all services have to be if they are appealing to people if they use drugs, she said. The alternative would be to kick people out or otherwise send them on their way. The norm of these places is we are trying to meet people where theyre at.

Lober said her organization does not support coerced services and has condemned the citys law enforcement crackdowns and homeless sweeps.

Dr. Josh Bamberger, a clinical and family medicine professor at UCSF, said that allowing addicts to use drugs in a safer situation than on the street or the sidewalk is generally preferable, though he didnt comment directly on the linkage center.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

He said health care workers who help people addicted to drugs in street settings are in a similar, often difficult situation because users may want to get high in front of them to avoid getting sick from withdrawal. Outreach workers may offer medication-assisted treatment, such as Suboxone or methadone, but an addict may not want to accept on the spot, Bamberger said.

Tom Wolf, who was formerly addicted to drugs and is now a recovery advocate, said he visited the center Tuesday and was discouraged when he saw people using drugs inside the fenced area.

Im not saying prohibit drugs totally, because people will have it on them. Im just saying dont let them use inside, Wolf said. I respect what theyre trying to do there, but if youre going to allow someone to come in with a bag of dope and use it, thats not good. How is that going to work if you walk up to someone who just smoked and say, Hey, do you want rehab? Thats not going to work. Youre messing with that guys high. How can you engage him at that moment?

Keith Humphreys, an addiction medicine specialist at Stanford University School of Medicine who has advocated for more treatment options and supported the mayors promised crackdown on open-air drug markets, said the city should not mix active drug use with people seeking treatment.

If youre coming into a place thats supposed to guide you toward the end of seeking treatment and recovery and there are people using drugs around you, that becomes an incentive to keep going, he said. Its like trying to have an AA meeting in a bar.

Some people who use drugs said there were few alternatives.

Its not like theyre advertising it, but what are you going to do when youre waiting around and you need to use? said Ray, who did not provide his last name, as he sat outside the center Tuesday. If someone overdoses in there, they can help. Whats wrong with that?

Ray said he had smoked in the fenced-in area at the linkage center on Monday and that staff members were cool with it. He went to the center to get rehab and housing and planned to return.

Trent, who also did not provide his last name, said in an interview in the plaza that he had smoked inside the fence on Sunday.

They were very professional about it. Thats kind of like a safe site right now because its partitioned off. We need that, he said.

He said he went inside looking for housing, rehabilitation services, medication to treat drug use and tools for harm reduction, and was hopeful he would get them.

Its very impressive, he said. I saw hopeful stuff.

Chronicle staff writer Bob Egelko contributed to this report.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
Like cable car bells, foghorns and seagulls squawks, the Tuesday noon siren had long been a familiar part of San Franciscos soundtrack. The jolting, love-it-or-hate-it blare lasted 15 seconds and was followed by the reassuring words, This is a test. ... This is only a test.

Created 80 years ago, the system became a reliable quirk of city life until Dec. 10, 2019, when the emergency warning system fell silent for a major upgrade.

The overhaul, expected to cost up to $2.5 million back then, was due to be completed in time for the citys 119 sirens to blast again by the end of last year.

But in typical City Hall fashion, the project hasnt even started. The price tag is higher than the original estimate. And the silence is now slated to last five years  not two.

In an emergency, the director of the Department of Emergency Management would consult with the mayor and perhaps the fire chief or police chief before using the sirens, said department spokesperson Francis Zamora. Theyd blast in 15-second intervals for five minutes, accompanied by safety information. The sirens can make seven different sounds, the most common of which is known as a wail. They can also broadcast messages in English, Spanish and Cantonese.

The sirens were last used for real 10 years ago after a water main break on Treasure Island raised worries about contamination. Zamora said the most likely scenarios prompting the use of the sirens would be major tsunamis, earthquakes and terrorist attacks.

The citys Department of Technology has just submitted a capital budget request for $3 million to upgrade the system. Separately, the department will seek an additional $400,000 in annual maintenance costs  including hiring someone to oversee it and replacing parts as they break.

The upgrade decision was prompted by concerns over security and reliability. The Department of Technology in 2018 disclosed that it had spent months patching a security vulnerability that could have allowed hackers to take over the sirens. Hackers in 2017 took over sirens in Dallas, and they blared for nearly two hours in the middle of the night.

Approval for the money should come in June, and the department expects to get the funds in October. Then the city will issue a request for proposals to do the upgrades, after which the work should finally begin. The sirens are now slated to wail by the end of 2024, said Zamora.

Ironically, it was the COVID-19 emergency that kept the upgrading of the emergency sirens on the back burner. The city understandably devoted its time and money to the pandemic response and was able to spread the word about the lockdown and other virus news in a host of other ways: the AlertSF text and robocall system, advertising, social media, TV, radio, newspapers and even disaster service workers fanning out across the city on foot, Zamora said.

The system wouldnt have been used for the recent tsunami advisory that came after a volcanic eruption near Tonga, he said. Thats because the waves werent large enough to merit using the system to warn of flooding and possible evacuations from homes.

Next up for the TotalSF Book Club Chronicle columnist Heather Knight and pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub will continue their TotalSF Book Club - in partnership with the San Francisco Public Library and Green Apple Books - with "Victories Greater Than Death" by Charlie Jane Anders. Knight, Hartlaub and Anders will discuss the intergalactic adventure at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, at the Koret Auditorium in the Main Library, 100 Larkin St. Participate in person or via Zoom. Register at sfpl.org/events. See More Collapse

But if they havent been needed in the past two years of seemingly endless emergencies, are they needed at all? Zamora said that in the world of emergency response, its good to have backups and backups to the backups.

Were in emergency management, so if you ask us, were all about redundancies and having contingencies, he said. In terms of having that additional tool that really gets everyones attention, we want it.

Besides, the Tuesday noon siren is a touchstone in a rapidly changing world  a reminder that some things really do stay the same.

Its part of our culture here, Zamora said. I miss it.

Burrito Justice, a San Francisco Twitter personality, used to host a community radio show that, coincidentally, started at noon on Tuesdays. He always began his hour with the siren sound.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Its hard to believe its been two years, he said of the siren silence. Im really afraid theres going to be something when were really going to need it  with an earthquake at the top of the list.

Another big fan of the Tuesday noon siren is Mc Mack Allen, a Muni bus driver and poet who has written numerous wistful odes to the silenced sirens including one titled This is Not a Test and another called, simply, Noon. He writes them only on Tuesdays.

I have actively missed it, Allen said. This was one of the things when I moved to the city that was a little baffling and immediately endearing. You know exactly what time it is and what day of the week it is anywhere in the city at least once a week.

Early in the pandemic, he, Burrito Justice and other siren fans went outside every Tuesday at noon to scream.

I liked it, but it embarrassed my wife, so she made me stop, Allen said.

Allen is eager for the return of the sirens  and envisions a big Tuesday noontime party when theyre finally back in three years. Maybe hell make siren hats or siren flags, he said. He pointed out that many newcomers to the city wont have heard the sirens when they finally come back and will be in for a shock.

Thats going to freak them out, he said with a laugh.

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf
A video of a California man swearing and yelling anti-mask propaganda near children in a parking lot went viral, prompting an investigation by sheriffs deputies, the East Bay Times reported.

The video, which went viral on the Reddit forum r/publicfreakout, was allegedly recorded by a parent outside a La Crescenta shopping mall. In it, a middle-aged man hurls insults at onlookers and accuses them of being hypnotized by fear, all while wearing a T-shirt that says Your mask makes you look stupid. Five of those onlookers appear to be middle-school age boys.

Following the display, the Crescenta Valley station of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department released a statement on Monday announcing they would investigate the situation. However, families protested saying that they havent taken enough action.

Parents say that this man has been following and harassing elementary and middle school children for months, CBS Los Angeles reported. And when an officer finally did arrive onsite, he reprimanded the children instead. He decided to lecture the kids about freedom of speech instead of taking their names and writing an incident report, parent Emily Lanigan told the news station.

According to KTLA, on January 24, a caller told the sheriffs department that he was spitting on children, coughing in their faces and poking heads into vehicles. Several of the children also said that he spat on them during his tirade.

Clearly there is a problem here, not just a mental health problem but an anger management issue where he feels compelled to attack people who are more vulnerable than him, Lanigan told CBS Los Angeles.

Early this month, following a series of similar incidents, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced that the Los Angeles Police Department would arrest anti-maskers who harass others. While enforcing public health orders is not a priority for local police departments, when people start jeopardizing other peoples health and other peoples family members, thats a bridge too far, he told the Los Angeles Times.

According to Lt. Robert Hahnlein of the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department, deputies are currently working with Glendale police to investigate the man identified in the video.
A man was sentenced to two years in federal prison last week for attempting to export at least $150,000 worth of wild succulents that he poached from native habitats in Northern California state parks, the United States Justice Department said.

On Oct. 11, 2018, Byungsu Kim, 46, and co-defendants Youngin Back, 47, and Bong Jun Kim, 46, traveled by car from Los Angeles International Airport to Crescent City, Calif., with plans to harvest wild plants and smuggle them to South Korea, the department said in a statement Jan. 20. Throughout October 2018, they pulled plants from the ground at DeMartin State Beach in Klamath, Del Norte Coast Redwoods State Park in Crescent City and Russian Gulch State Park in Mendocino County, the department said. The Dudleya plants  a type of succulent with a pretty rose shape that grows along coastal cliffs  were then brought to a nursery operated by Kim in Vista, a town near San Diego.

Because growing Dudleyas in nurseries takes years, smugglers are known to harvest wild, living plants from the ground in Northern California and export them overseas where they are sold on the black market.

Byungsu Kim scheduled an inspection with a county agriculture official at the Vista nursery and "falsely told her the government-issued certificate necessary for the plants exportation should list 1,397 Dudleya plants for export to South Korea and that the 'place of origin' of the plants was San Diego County," the department said.

The thieves then transported the plants to a commercial exporter in Compton to smuggle their haul to South Korea, but the effort was stopped by local law enforcement who obtained a search warrant and found 3,715 poached Dudleya plants in boxes that were labeled rush and live plants, the department said.

The department said the history of internet searches on Kim's phone  including an indication that he read a press release on the arrest and convictions of three other Dudleya poachers  showed that he knew taking the plants was illegal.

All three defendants were arrested. California officials confiscated Byungsu Kim's South Korea passport after his arrest, but he later obtained a new passport in January 2019 "by falsely claiming to the South Korean Consulate in Los Angeles that he had lost his passport," the department said.

Byungsu Kim and Back reportedly fled to Mexico on foot in May 2019 through the Tijuana-San Ysidro border crossing after learning of pending federal charges against them. With his fraudulent passport, Kim flew with Back from Mexico to China, and ultimately to South Korea, the department said.

Kim surfaced in South Africa in October 2019, where he was arrested for illegally collecting plants from protected areas for export to South Korea. After pleading guilty to the criminal charges in South Africa and spending a year in custody, he was extradited to the United States in October 2020, where he has been in federal custody since.

Kim was sentenced Jan. 20 by U.S. District Judge George H. Wu. He was ordered to pay $3,985 to the state of California to cover the cost of replanting the stolen Dudleyas after his arrest, the department said. He pleaded guilty in September 2021 to one count of attempting to illegally export plants. Bong Jun Kim pleaded guilty in July 2019 for the same crime and served four months in federal custody. Back remains a fugitive, the department said.

[Byungsu Kims] willful criminal conduct in October 2019 was not an isolated event: he had carried out the same scheme repeatedly in California, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum, the department said. [Kim] had traveled to the United States more than 50 times since 2009. Customs records show that he was travelling for succulent-related purposes and often with tens of thousands of dollars in cash (sometimes declared, sometime not) and fake phytosanitary certificates.
When it comes to criticism of the Walt Disney Company, an heir to the Disney fortune might not be the source that immediately comes to mind. But for the past few years, Abigail Disney, granddaughter of Walts brother and company co-founder Roy Disney, has been engaged in a very public fight over the treatment of its employees.

In Abigail Disneys new documentary, The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival on Monday, she follows four Disneyland cast members  what the company calls its employees  as they struggle to make ends meet on what the park pays them.

Disney compares the way her great-uncle Walt and grandfather Roy regarded and compensated employees to what theyre currently paid. When the park was built, the film asserts, full-time cast members could largely afford to purchase homes and support families on their Disneyland salaries.

Under recent working conditions, according to a study by Occidental College and the Economic Roundtable published in February 2018, 11% of Disneyland employees reported experiencing homelessness in the previous two years, 68% were food insecure and 73% said they do not earn enough for basic living expenses.

Disney speaks to cast members who report knowing co-workers who have had to sleep in their cars, choose between medicine and food, and struggle to provide necessities for their families. One married couple, who were interviewed in the film both before and during the pandemic, both worked full-time at Disneyland before the parks closure. They said they still fell below the poverty level for a household with three children, even in a dual-income household.

By the end of last year, the husband had left Disneyland, saying he was feeling the effects of years of physical work and the toll it had taken on his body, while his wife was on unpaid medical leave. They dont have Disneylands health insurance, they said, because they cant afford the premium on what the park paid them.

Courtesy of Getty

It's just hard for me to imagine, Disney says in the film, while in conversation with her sister Susan Disney Lord, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I cannot see [Roy Disney] taking $66 million home for a year's work in the same year when at the same company, people can't afford food. I don't see that happening.

That would never have happened, Lord responds. That would never have happened.

The $66 million Disney references in that conversation refers to then-Disney CEO Bob Igers 2018 salary. That's 2,000 times the salary of a [Disneyland] custodian, Disney says later in the film. In other words, a custodian would have to work for 2,000 years to make what Bob Iger makes in one.

But rather than blaming Iger or current CEO Bob Chapek for the inequity at the company, the film uses Walt and Roy Disneys origin story as an argument that the Walt Disney Company, can and should lead by example in effecting change in corporate Americas treatment of its employees.

The Disney company, Abigail Disney said in the Sundance question-and-answer session after the films streaming premiere, is so uniquely placed in American culture. It has this incredible redemptive capacity to lead other companies into this new century and this new period of understanding that it's not only shareholders [who] matter. Employees matter. Communities matter.

Disney has taken her fight to Congress. In 2019, she testified before the House Financial Services Committee, which is featured in the documentary.

The people who spend a lifetime at the lowest of the wage spectrum deserve the dignity of living wage, Disney said to the committee. This is a moral issue. The burden is not just on Disney, and Disney is a long way from being the worst offender. Disney could tomorrow raise the salaries of all of its workers to a living wage. It was possible to do this when my great-uncle and grandfather built the company. It's possible now.

This idea that a company is solely to maximize profits  that is simply not true, Disney said. Companies have a moral obligation to their employees.

Disney also said in the film that a Disney lobbyist had been working behind the scenes, pressuring both sides to prevent me from speaking, to the committee. The Walt Disney Company spent $3.4 million in lobbying expenditures in 2021, according to OpenSecrets.org.

This widely reported stunt is a gross and unfair exaggeration of the facts that is not only a misrepresentation, but also an insult to the thousands of employees who are part of the Disney community, a Disney company spokesman said following Disneys testimony, according to CNN. We strongly disagree with this characterization of our employees and their experience at Disney.

Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

Though the company declined to participate in the documentary, Bob Iger did respond to Disneys request for comment. He acknowledged the problems his workers were having, but he suggested that the government was failing them and that simply increasing their pay wouldn't solve their problems, she said. He referred me to the head of HR who told me about the company's free education program, which is nice, but it doesn't pay the rent.

In December, unions representing cast members at Disneyland negotiated a new three-year contract for about 40% of park employees, raising their starting pay from $15.50 to $18.50 per hour, according to the OC Register.

The minimum wage in California is $15. According to data from the Council for Community and Economic Research, the cost of living in Anaheim is 44% higher than the national average, and housing in Anaheim is 118% higher than the national average.

Last year, 25,000 cast members sued Disneyland for a living wage, claiming that the company was obligated to pay more because of the citys financing of the Mickey and Friends parking garage. The suit was dismissed.

In the Q&A on Monday, co-director Kathleen Hughes said, Ostensibly, this film is about Disney, but in so many ways, it's just about all American companies. And I think that if you walk away from the film thinking we have to reform Disney, then we haven't done our jobs. We're really hoping that people understand that this is a much larger conversation that we all need to engage in.
According to the latest guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois State Board of Education, individuals who are exposed to COVID-19 but already had a confirmed case of the virus in the past three months will no longer be excluded from the classroom and required to stay home from school. That includes students.

This follows updated guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on quarantine and isolation recommendations for schools enrolling students in kindergarten through 12th grade, especially those considered a "close contact." Fully vaccinated students were already exempted from close contact status and quarantine if they were not showing symptoms.
By Kristen Hwang

CalMatters

Four days after Celine started working as a nursing assistant in the COVID-19 unit at a Placerville nursing home, she tested positive for the virus. She was fatigued, weak and had a dry cough -- but she kept working. She said she has worked 13 days in the last two weeks, frequently taking care of more than a dozen patients at a time or working a double shift when asked.

"I'd have to sit down at least 10 minutes because I just get tired, and I'm still tired honestly," said Celine, who asked not to be fully identified because she fears losing her job.

Severe worker shortages -- worsened by the omicron surge -- have forced some of California's long-term care facilities to rely on COVID-positive staff for patient care. According to state data, 11,500 long-term care center workers are currently infected with COVID -- even though 93 percent are fully vaccinated. Although only 8 percent of the workforce is infected today, it's 48 times more than at the beginning of December, when omicron appeared.

The California Department of Public Health earlier this month quietly issued controversial emergency guidelines allowing infected health care employees with no symptoms to continue working. And at facilities with the most severe staffing shortages, symptomatic staff are allowed to work with COVID patients.

Since the emergence of omicron, Celine said she's worked more overtime and cared for more patients than usual at the Pines at Placerville Healthcare Center.

"There really wasn't a lot of staff at the beginning to work the COVID unit, so that's why I continue to work," she said. "It's really hard to get staff in the building because a lot of people are afraid. If (workers) did not feel well enough, they didn't force anybody to work."

So many workers are sick that the company installed a portable potty in the parking lot for them to use away from the nursing home's residents, she said. Water pumped in for handwashing freezes at night and some colleagues go home or to a nearby McDonalds to use the restroom, she said.

The Pines at Placerville did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

At another facility in Mountain View, a certified nursing assistant said she was asked to return to work five days after contracting COVID-19. State and federal health guidelines have okayed five-day quarantines or shorter at facilities with critical staffing shortages, but her lingering cough and body aches convinced her to say no.

Now, three weeks later, she is back at work, surrounded by colleagues who tell her they are COVID-19-positive, she said.

Health workers who test positive for COVID-19 are required to wear N95 masks, but the infection is still sweeping through staff and residents at the Grant Cuesta Sub-Acute and Rehabilitation Center in Mountain View.

"It's been like one coworker after another, after another, everyone getting sick," said the certified nursing assistant, who asked to remain unidentified to protect her job.

Nine residents also have the virus, and the facility has set up an isolation ward.

"No matter how much you protect yourself, we're still eating in the same dining room. You know, we're still sharing the same restroom. So what's the whole point?" she said. "It's almost like they don't care about us getting sick."

Grant Cuesta did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

California's 1,200 residential care and skilled nursing facilities, home to more than 400,000 people, have been the epicenter of COVID-19 outbreaks since the beginning of the pandemic. Their residents and workers accounted for nearly 70 percent of outbreaks among all health care settings in the state last year.

While vaccination and testing requirements have helped bring those numbers down, the omicron surge is now hampering facilities' ability to prevent infection from spreading through their often elderly and vulnerable residents.

"For me, I think this wave was a shocker only because it swept through boosted and vaccinated people," said Christina Lockyer-White, a certified nursing assistant at Kingston Healthcare Center in Bakersfield.

Staff members there are required to wear full protective equipment including face shields, gowns, gloves and N95 masks throughout the facility, but several have tested positive regardless, Lockyer-White said.

"We didn't think we'd be in this position, and here we are," Lockyer-White said. "It's like reliving a nightmare."

'Help wanted': Long-term shortage of workers

Workplace shortages have plagued nursing homes, memory care and assisted living centers for years, driven by an aging population, stagnant wages and dwindling training programs.

"I've been a nurse in long-term care for over 25 years, and there's never been a time where we haven't had a 'help wanted' sign out in some form," said Claire Enright, workforce specialist at the California Association of Health Facilities, which represents skilled nursing facilities.

"Five to six years ago, there were over 600 training programs for (certified nursing assistants) in the state. We're down to around 300," Enright said.

Skilled nursing facilities provide 24-hour medical care for sick residents who require constant monitoring or rehabilitation. Other long-term care facilities, such as assisted living, memory care and some retirement homes, are for residents who need help with some daily activities.

Most long-term care facilities struggle to hire enough staff like certified nursing assistants and registered nurses, and the pandemic has brought these chronic issues to a breaking point. Nationwide nursing homes and assisted living facilities have lost approximately 259,000 workers since 2019, more than any other health care sector, according to the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living.

State officials do not track data on workforce losses in long-term health care, Enright said, but nursing homes are operating at lower capacity than usual, in part because there isn't enough staff to open more beds. Before the pandemic, most nursing homes operated at about 88 percent capacity. Now that's down to 70 to 75 percent.

Enright said the association has heard of some long-term care facilities relying on COVID-19-positive employees during this surge, but she said there's no way of telling how many of the 11,500 sick workers are caring for patients.

Families worry more about staff shortages than sick workers

Omicron has been a nightmare for families of residents, too.

Two weeks ago, Miriam Raftery's 91-year-old mother Mary contracted COVID-19 in her La Mesa memory care facility. She's in an isolation room by herself, and Raftery said she isn't allowed to visit.

"It is scary. They say dry cough, but who knows. At 91, she's very frail. It's frightening," Raftery said.

What frightens Raftery even more, however, is Mary being left alone in isolation. During last winter's surge, most long-term care facilities implemented strict lockdown measures.

"When she was in that first place, she would just cry. They'd let me have window visits. She couldn't really hear me very well, but she would just cry and plead with me to take her home. She didn't understand what was happening," Raftery said.

Now, with Mary in the isolation room, Raftery is concerned she will get depressed again or fall if left unattended.

Raftery said Mary has dementia and is a high-fall risk -- she forgets that she can't walk unassisted. Without constant supervision of her mother in the isolation room, Raftery was so concerned about her falling that she hired a private caregiver to sit with her for eight hours a day.

"I felt like I had no choice," Raftery said. "It's costing me $5,500 to do this for her, but given her history of serious falls and winding up in hospital multiple times from falling out of bed at these other places, you know, when she was left unattended during the day."

Raftery said Mary already has experienced the consequences of understaffed facilities. She's been in four homes in the San Diego area since February, moving each time Raftery discovered possible signs of neglect. When Raftery questioned the places about why no one was monitoring her mother, she said she was told there wasn't enough staff.

"The facilities she's been in, they were all losing people because certain people didn't want to get vaccinated or they were just fed up," Raftery said.

Families and advocates say staffing shortages caused by the omicron wave are a Catch-22: Sick workers risk spreading the disease to elderly and vulnerable residents but understaffing leads to neglect and inadequate care.

"I get why (the state health department) has opened the doors to asymptomatic workers, but it's still highly transmissible, whether we're asymptomatic or not, whether we're vaccinated or not, right? So it's a scary proposition," said Maitely Weismann, co-founder of the Essential Caregivers Coalition.

Weismann's 79-year-old mother Celia lives in an assisted living facility in the Los Angeles area. There was an outbreak in her facility last year that her mother narrowly avoided during an unrelated hospital stay. Now she's worried Celia will catch COVID this time around.

Even though her mother is vaccinated and boosted, Weismann said she hears about people with similar conditions and disabilities dying from COVID-19.

The state health department has come under fire for insufficient oversight of nursing homes where families allege residents died of COVID-19 after sick staff were forced to work.

But for some, having reliable, COVID-positive staff available to care for their relatives is better than no one at all.

"Personally, if someone's positive and comes in, I'm OK with that because I would rather my mom have the care that she needs than have her be neglected," said San Diego resident Angela Trivonovich. "I've seen the results of neglect and not a lot of care in a nursing home. I would rather her not get severe diaper rash. I'd rather her not get a bed sore."

At the nursing home where her 84-year old mother Rae lives, patients' families were notified that 22 workers have tested positive in two weeks, Trivonovich said.

"If people feel good and they come in positive, I don't know if that's going to spread it any more than it does already. And I think the residents need all the care they can get," she said. "They're desperate."

CalMatters reporter Alejandro Lazo contributed to this report.

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Theres a lot of buzz in the works for the Peninsula, which will soon have its very own Boichik Bagels, among other popular Bay Area restaurants, in the months to come.

Last Friday, Boichik Bagels announced its plan to open a second store in Palo Altos outdoor shopping center, Town and Country Village, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst but operate independently of one another.)

Its official, were building a shop in Palo Alto! Bagel lovers on the Peninsula, rejoice!!! Emily Winston, owner of Boichik Bagels, wrote in an Instagram post Friday.

The new Boichik Bagels location is projected to open in the summer, but no specific date has been announced at this time. Last September, Winston shared her plan to grow her burgeoning bagel business with a wholesale plant in Berkeleys Gilman District. At the time, she told SFGATE that the new facility, which is still under construction, would help Boichik Bagels expand its frozen bagel operation and produce plenty of fresh bagels for local cafes, businesses and catering.

Lydia Daniller

The demand is there, people want good bagels, Winston told SFGATE in September. Boichik Bagels has been a hit in Berkeley since it opened in 2019, but its popularity skyrocketed after the New York Times listed it among the best bagels in the country.

In addition to Boichik Bagels, San Francisco vegan restaurant Wildseed will be added to the Town and Country roster as well as Manresa Bread, which takes up the former Mayfield Bakery space. The new Manresa Bread outpost will be Avery Ruzickas fourth store, following locations in Campbell, Los Gatos and Los Altos.

The Palo Alto menu is still in the works but is expected to offer Manresa Bread's classic pastries, including croissants and kouign amann, and will also have new items like breakfast sandwiches and breakfast bowls, according to The Six Fifty. Once the space is completed it will have an open kitchen setup so that customers can observe the busy bakers at work.

Cheryl Q. on Yelp

My team takes great pride in what they do... Theres a team of dedicated employees behind all the products that we put out there, Ruzicka told The Six Fifty. Manresa Bread opened its first store in Los Gatos in 2015 as the bakery counterpart to Michelin-starred restaurant Manresa.

In nearby Menlo Park, a slew of big-name restaurants and cafes are anticipated to open at Springline, a mixed-use development at 1300 El Camino Real, as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Among them are San Francisco restaurants Burma Love, Che Fico and Barebottle Brewing Co., which are slated to open throughout 2022.

The new restaurant additions in the Peninsula follow the debut of State Street Market in Los Altos that officially opened in September. The food hall has its own noteworthy lineup of restaurants like Traci Des Jardins' El Alto and Meichih and Michael Kims casual Korean and Taiwanese restaurant Bao Bei, among others.
Multinational Investment & Development JSC's workers install a rooftop solar power system for a frozen seafood factory in Dong Thap Province. (Photo: VNA)

According to statistics from January last year to January this year, stocks of renewable energy companies all grew significantly, Truong Thanh Energy and Real Estate JSC (TEG) grew 175.59 percent, Licogi 13 JSC (LIG) rose 167.21 percent, Gelex Group JSC (GEX) gained 163.28 percent, Fecon JSC (FCN) increased 142.02 percent, Bamboo Capital Joint Stock Company (BCG) rose 141.22 percent.



"There are a few reasons why renewable energy stocks have risen sharply in recent times, such as predictions that this power source will account for the largest proportion in the total capacity of Vietnam's power sources. The commitment of the Vietnamese Government to achieve net emissions of "zero" in the recent COP26 is a great motivation for businesses to continue participating in and expanding the exploitation of renewable energy sources, namely solar power, wind power, said Ha Duc Tung, analyst of VNDirect Securities JSC.



Bamboo Capital Joint Stock Company (BCG) has signed cooperation deals with international enterprises like Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, SP Group, Sembcorp Utilities. Gelex Group JSC (GEX) has established a subsidiary named Gelex Electrical Equipment JSC specialized in renewable energy listed on UPCOM.



Many enterprises have positive business results in the first nine months of 2021. Truong Thanh Energy and Real Estate JSC (TEG)s nine-month revenue reached VND199.4 billion, up nearly 44 percent over the same period last year. The company's net profit reached more than VND19 billion, an increase of more than 2,300 percent - the highest growth rate of profit after tax among renewable energy companies.



Bamboo Capital Joint Stock Company (BCG)'s net profit in nine months reached VND701 billion, up nearly 579 percent over the same period last year. According to BCG, this growth was achieved thanks to the cash flow earned from renewable energy projects that were energized at the end of 2020.



Gelex Group JSC (GEX) earned a profit of VND1.16 trillion, up 81.3 percent, KOSY Joint Stock Company (KOS) reported VND15 billion, up 68.9 percent, Alpha Seven Group JSC (DL1) achieved VND35 billion, up 57.3 percent.



In terms of efficiency per dollar spent, Bamboo Capital Joint Stock Company (BCG) ranked first with return on equity (ROE) reaching 13.74 percent, followed by Power Construction JSC No.1 (PC1) (12.52 percent), Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE) 12.27 percent, Gelex Group JSC (GEX) 8.56 percent.



As for the return on asset (ROA), Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE) was the champion as its ROA reached 6.68 percent, followed by Power Construction JSC No.1 (PC1) 4.78 percent, Sao Mai Group Corporation (ASM) 3.26 percent and Truong Thanh Energy and Real Estate JSC (TEG) 3.02 percent.



Many analysts forecast renewable energy stocks still have room for growth in the long term.



Yuanta Securities Vietnam Joint Stock Company forecast that electricity demand will grow by 9.8 percent per year to support the expected GDP growth in the 2021-2030 period from 6.5-7 percent.



With the same opinion, Agriseco Research assesses that the electricity industry will achieve good growth this year following the recovery of the economy. In the medium and long term, thermoelectric power and renewable energy are expected to gradually replace traditional energy sources such as coal and hydroelectricity.



Under the Government's plan, the installed capacity of solar and wind power will reach 35GW and 41GW by 2045, accounting for 20 percent and 23.3 percent of the total installed capacity of power sources in the country. Thanks to the incentives on electricity generation prices, the capacity of solar power has reached 16,500 MW.



According to Agriseco Research, thanks to the application of technology and price competition among the world's turbine and solar cell suppliers, net costs, which include installation costs, management costs, operation management, repair costs, in the life cycle of renewable energy projects tend to decline sharply.



As a result, the installation costs of solar and wind power projects onshore may be cheaper than coal power projects in the next few years when the equipment market is saturated.



Meanwhile, in a recent analysis report, VNDirect Securities JSC highly valued the stocks of companies with renewable energy projects with attractive preferential feed-in-tariff (FIT) mechanism prices and low-cost development.



The government's supportive policies may facilitate wind power companies to develop in the future such as Ha Do Group JSC (HDG), Gelex Group JSC (GEG), Refrigeration Electrical Engineering Corporation (REE) and Power Construction JSC No.1 (PC1).







VNA
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On Dec. 30, 2021, the Italian Parliament voted Italy's 2022 budget into law. As usual, the budget legislation is long, spanning various matters. This year, some of its provisions outlined new rules intended to address the employment consequences of offshoring transactions.

Over the course of 2021, when the COVID-19-related dismissals freeze started to be lifted, the media, unions and parliament representatives voiced concerns about cases of multinational companies closing units that had operated for a long time in Italy, especially when the absence of financial distress suggested the closed units were being offshored. The negative public sentiment stirred over the loss of jobs led to requests for restrictions on offshoring.

The subsequent restrictions that were enacted apply to more than just offshoring situations, and therefore employers that are planning layoffs in Italy should carefully consider the new provisions.

Affected Companies

The new rules apply to employers that, during the year prior to the layoff, had an average headcount of at least 250 employees.

Layoffs Covered by the New Law

The newly enacted provisions apply to the closing of a business unit, a plant, a branch, or an autonomous office or department in Italy, if the relevant activity is definitively ended (i.e., not in case of a mere reduction in force) and provided that the layoffs involve at least 50 employees. The law does not explicitly take into consideration the existence of a plan to offshore activities that are being discontinued.

Required Notice

The new law requires employers that intend to cease an activity to provide a written notice of such a plan at least 90 days before starting a collective dismissal procedure. Under European Union law, collective dismissals need to comply with a mandatory procedure; the new Italian law added this prior communication obligation and the other requirements described below.

The notice needs to be sent to:

The works councils, if any.

The local unions.

The governments of the impacted regions. Italy is administratively organized into regions, each with an elected council and governor.

The Ministry of Labor.

The Ministry of Economic Development. This ministry has a unit that follows major company layoffs.

Agenzia Nazionale Politiche Attive Lavoro (ANPAL), the national agency for placement and active employment policies.

Said notice must outline:

The economic, financial, technical or organizational reasons for the closing.

The number and job profiles of the employed staff.

The time within which the business will cease to operate.

Plan to Mitigate the Social Consequences

No later than 60 days after giving the notice, the employer must draw up a plan to limit the occupational and economic consequences of closing the business and present it to the union representatives, the regions, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Economic Development and ANPAL. The plan may not have a duration longer than 12 months and must outline:

The actions planned to safeguard occupational levels and manage possible layoffs in a nontraumatic way, such as through the use of furlough, redeployment to another employer and incentive-to-leave measures.

The actions aimed at re-employment or self-employment, such as training and professional requalification, also through the use of interprofessional funds.

The prospects for the sale of the company or company branches with the goal of continuing the activity, including through the sale of the company or its branches to workers or workers' cooperatives.

Any plans of reconversion of the production site, also for sociocultural purposes in favor of the interested territory.

The timeline and measures to implement the planned action.

No later than 30 days after the presentation of the plan, the company and the works councils and unions must discuss it with the regional governments, the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Economic Development and ANPAL.

Until the review of the plan has been completed, the employer may neither start a collective layoff nor make individual layoffs. Moreover, the employer must update the works council and the other parties monthly about the implementation of the plan, including compliance with timeline and modalities and the relevant results.

Incentives

The law provides that the measures envisioned in the mitigation plan may be partly co-funded by the regional governments.

Moreover, in order to act in favor of an employment transition, employers and the unions may reach an agreement to obtain the social security funding of a furlough for employees for a period of up to 12 months.

If the mitigation plan encompasses the sale of the business or a part of the business so that the activity can be continued and occupational levels maintained, the law provides a material tax reduction of the sale-related taxation, meant to incentivize this type of transaction.

In the event that the employer, works council and unions reach an agreement on the mitigation plan and, following the implementation of the plan, the company has to start a collective layoff, the law provides a partial exemption from the payment of the dismissal fee normally due by employers within the context of a collective layoff.

In case the employer and the unions do not reach an agreement on the mitigation plan, the law grants a reduction of the length of time normally necessary in a collective dismissal procedure, thus acknowledging the efforts already spent in search of such an agreement.

Sanctions

Individual and collective layoff dismissals, where employers fail to provide the required 90 days' notice to works councils and unions or that occurred before the expiration of said 90 days' period, are void.

Employers that fail to present a mitigation plan or present a plan that does not outline the required content are subject to pay a sanction equal to twice the dismissal fee due in the event of a layoff.



Uberto Percivalle, a long-time SHRM member, is an attorney with Andersen in Milan. He can be reached at uberto.percivalle@it.Andersen.com.


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Westpac has won permission from an Australian court to launch legal action in Greece to enforce freezing orders over the international assets of alleged fraudster Bill Papas.

The Federal Court approved the banks request amid concerns the colourful soccer identity has squirrelled away tens of millions of dollars in the country.

The Federal Court has issued a warrant to arrest Bill Papas.

Westpac has already hired lawyers in Greece and those lawyers attended a recent meeting between Mr Papas and Greek sporting authorities where he reportedly said he still owns the Xanthi soccer club despite telling the Federal Court last year he sold his stake in the company that owns the club.

Mr Papas resides in Greece with his girlfriend Louisa (Louise) Agostino after he fled Australia in the days before Westpac and two other lenders, Societe Generale and Sumitomo, filed Federal Court civil action accusing him and his company Forum Finance of orchestrating a $500 million fraud against the banks by forging signatures of executives at the banks blue-chip clients to secure loans.
The climate activist who claimed Josh Frydenberg was a Hungarian citizen in an attempt to unseat the Treasurer from Federal Parliament is facing bankruptcy proceedings because of the costs of his failed legal case against the MP.

Michael Staindl, a 68-year-old full-time climate activist, was ordered to pay Mr Frydenbergs costs last August after Federal Court judges previously ruled there was no evidence to support his claim under section 44 of the constitution that the MP had inherited Hungarian citizenship from his mother, Erica Strausz, a Hungarian-born Holocaust survivor.

Treasurer Josh Frydenbergs legal costs could bankrupt Michael Staindl. Credit:Eamon Gallagher

Mr Staindl told The Age he did not have the money to pay court-ordered legal fees of $410,000, plus interest.

On Christmas Eve, the Treasurers law firm, Arnold Bloch Leibler, informed Mr Staindls lawyers it was issuing a bankruptcy notice. But Mr Staindl says he has not been served the notice.
An ill-fated attempt to rip off the Hamze family allegedly led to a 24-year-old man from Sydneys west being snatched, dumped in the street and hospitalised with a stab wound after a three-hour kidnapping ordeal.

Police claim that a senior member of the Hamze family contracted the man to commit a fraud offence on their behalf.

Ibrahem Hamze arrives at Bankstown Credit:Police Media

When it transpired the man could not or would not do what he had promised, he blocked the family from contacting him on the encrypted app he had used to communicate with them.

Retribution was swift.
Charles Manson convicted

A jury had found Charles Manson and three of his followers guilty of seven murders, the Herald reported. Colonel Paul Tate, who searched for the murderers of his film-star daughter Sharon for weeks among California hippie communes, today welcomed the convictions. But several of his admirers claimed Manson had been framed and would continue to kneel outside the court until their father had been released.

The era of the punched card

Young ladies are required as I.B.M. Punch Card Operators, began an ad placed by the Department of Railways, NSW. Vacancies existed in the departments electronic data processing section for qualified operators, with preference being given to those applicants who had obtained the School Certificate. Those under 19 years of age would receive $43.46 per week and free rail travel.

A Paddle Pop and a shandy

The Premier, Mr Askin, said yesterday that he thought the sale of low-alcohol beer would be banned from milk bars in NSW. Cooper and Sons Ltd announced yesterday they would re-examine the marketing of Shandy to try to find a way to overcome objections which had been raised. The Victorian Minister for Health, Mr Rossiter, said the manufacturers could sell the drink in milk bars if the name was changed.
Four Sydney aged care homes have recorded at least 170 cases each during the Omicron surge, as operators say a lack of access to timely testing for staff and delayed booster clinics sparked some of the biggest outbreaks.

The record numbers come as providers call for greater leniency from local public health units in locking down facilities, with the head of one major provider describing the mental toll of rolling lockdowns as a greater threat to residents than infection.

More than 500 NSW aged care facilities have active coronavirus outbreaks. Credit:Virginia Star

Weekly data released by the federal government showed 515 NSW homes were experiencing an outbreak at the end of last week, involving 3859 cases in residents and 5382 in staff.

Outbreaks at three western Sydney homes had infected more than 100 residents: Estia Health Kilbride at Gilead, near Campbelltown, where 119 residents and 55 staff caught the virus, St Sergius Aged Care at Cabramatta (113 residents and 91 staff), and Cardinal Stepinac Village at St Johns Park (103 residents and 73 staff).
Parts of Sydney hit the hardest by surging Omicron cases have the lowest booster uptake, while more than half of people living in affluent pockets in the north and east are triple-vaccinated.

Data provided to the Herald reveals that 16 local government areas across NSW have fewer than one in three residents boosted, below the state average of about 40 per cent of all eligible adults having received the third jab.

The latest data underscores the scale of the challenge faced by authorities in ensuring citizens get their booster, which health officials say is vital to stave off the risk of serious illness from the Omicron variant as immunity wanes and the new variant is more likely to evade two doses of a vaccine.

Figures up to January 23 show Cumberland and Liverpool have the lowest booster rates in Sydney for their eligible population, with 25 to 29 per cent triple-vaccinated according to data for those that had a booster three months after their second dose.
Nina Bassat cant recall ever seeing anyone shot, but she supposes she must have done: even more than 70 years after World War II, she finds herself freezing whenever she hears the sound of a balloon popping.

The body, she says, sometimes holds memories our minds cannot bear to.

Holocaust survivor Nina Bassat, with a photograph of herself as a baby in 1939. Credit:Simon Schluter

As survivors enter their 80s and 90s and first-hand memories of the Holocaust recede, new research to be released on Thursday to coincide with International Holocaust Remembrance Day shows one-quarter of Australians have little awareness of the Holocaust, except for its existence.

Deakin Universitys Steve Cooke, one of the projects lead authors, said it was important not to lose sight of the Holocaust in the broader context of human rights abuses.
Until recently, a states daily case number was calculated by tallying up all the positive PCR test results processed over the previous day. But now the results of self-administered (and self-reported) rapid antigen tests are being fed into the totals. In NSW, there was a spike in reported cases on January 13, which coincided with the day RAT results were added to daily case reports. When people started submitting positive results to health authorities they were logging tests that had been carried out as far back as a fortnight, a sudden backlog of previously unreported cases that led to huge and sudden spike in the numbers. The new reporting methodology provides a more accurate account of how much the virus is circulating in the community. However, there are still missed cases such as those unable to present for PCR testing, those unable to obtain a RAT - or dont self-report a positive result - or those who make an assumption based on symptoms and self-isolate without taking a test.

Indeed, NSW and Victorias daily numbers have started to drop. But given the complexities of accurately interpreting the numbers, is the data a true suggestion that case figures are on their way down? University of South Australia Biostatistics professor Adrian Estermans analysis uses a four-day window to gauge the spread of the virus, based on the typical time it took from exposure to developing symptoms. Based on this analysis, he concluded that daily numbers had peaked. In all states and territories, apart from WA, the peak has been reached and we are on the way down, he said. But he said numbers would be coming down slowly and would not drop off at the same pace they had spiked. There will be bumps. Cases will increase once schools return, but case numbers are unlikely to then reach the levels of this summer outbreak, Professor Esterman said.

Deakin University epidemiology chair Catherine Bennett said screening programs and increased access to rapid antigen tests are likely to lead to an increased number of cases recorded at schools and workplaces as people return from holidays. She said these cases may be alarming because of an uptick in daily numbers, but it would be a sign that cases were being detected before infected people could pass on the virus to others. February will be a bumpy month, Professor Bennett said. If case numbers are no longer the best way to make sense of COVID, then what is? You may have noticed that on the Herald website we have switched the order of cases and hospitalisations in the little graphic near the top of the homepage. Thats because hospitalisations will likely be the key metric in the weeks ahead.

In both NSW and Victoria, hospitalisations have been tracking at record levels. In NSW, there are 2794 people in hospital because of COVID-19, more than twice as many as the maximum number of people in hospital on any day during the peak of last years Delta outbreak. University of Sydney epidemiologist Professor Alexandra Martiniuk said the daily snapshot of hospitalisations should be viewed with caution: although the total number of people in hospital at any one time has not gone up, the number of people entering hospital each week with COVID-19 has. According to data from the states Agency for Clinical Innovation, there were 3508 COVID-19 admissions in the week ending January 17, up from 2943 the previous week. People in NSW hospitals with COVID-19 are staying for an average of between four and five days, less time than during previous outbreaks.

If both these factors are at play at the same time, the combination means the upward pressure that increased admissions put on total hospitalisation numbers are counteracted by the increased turnover time of patients. So while the total number of hospitalisations may not have changed much from one point to the next, increased patient turnover and admissions may have put the system under more strain during that period. We have poor data to make this decision about whether its a peak or not, Professor Martiniuk said, adding conditions would change significantly when school returns. You can see how the peak in hospitalisations tends to come after case numbers peak in these graphs from previous outbreaks. During Victorias second wave of infections in 2020, the seven-day average reached a maximum of just over 500 cases per day on August 5, but the total number of people in hospital at a given time peaked at 675 exactly two weeks later, on August 19: And during last years Delta outbreak, hospitalisations in NSW peaked at 1268 just over a week after the seven-day average peaked at 1366.

You can see from this graph that the Delta outbreak in Victoria resulted in higher case numbers than NSW, but hospitalisation numbers in Victoria remained below NSW. Thats partly because by the time Victoria experienced its outbreak the vaccine rollout was further along, so a higher proportion of its adult population had received at least one jab. Here is how hospitalisations have been tracking against case numbers in NSW since the start of the Omicron wave: The sheer increase in case numbers over the past couple of months outstrips that of hospitalisations. Even considering the fact increases in hospitalisations tend to lag increases in case numbers, a lower percentage of infections are ending up in hospital compared with previous waves.

A NSW Health report found 10 per cent of cases confirmed during last years Delta outbreak led to hospitalisation, compared with 1 per cent of cases confirmed in the six weeks to January 8 of this year ending up in hospital. Studies in the UK have found Omicron is less likely to result in hospitalisation than previous variants. However, it also spreads faster than previous variants. So while it is less likely to put someone in hospital, the number of cases being confirmed is causing record hospitalisation numbers. But Professor Esterman said high vaccination rates made it more difficult to say whether Omicron was milder than previous variants, or if its perceived as milder its because most who contract the variant are vaccinated. Hospitalisation numbers are at record levels, but how close are we to capacity? When hospitalisations rise so too does the demand for intensive care beds.

While hospitalisations are at record highs in NSW and Victoria, neither state is at the stage where there are more intensive care beds occupied by COVID-19 patients than during the height of last years Delta outbreak. There are 175 people in intensive care in NSW because of COVID, down from 217 one week ago. During last years Delta outbreak, there was a peak of 257 patients in intensive care statewide. NSW Health estimates the state has a total intensive care capacity of 1000 beds. On January 20 (the most recent date for which there are publicly available figures), there were 209 COVID-19 patients in intensive care in NSW and an additional 290 patients who were in intensive care for other conditions. This means about half of the states intensive care beds were occupied.

OK, so what about the numbers of deaths were seeing? You have most likely noticed a pattern in the data by now: case numbers rise, hospitalisations start to rise, then intensive care demand follows. For the moment, however, hospitalisations and intensive care admissions in NSW are at least on a plateau. The next curve to hit its peak then, is deaths. Dr Chant has prepared the state to see higher numbers of deaths over the coming weeks, a reflection of the peak in its cases. Daily deaths from COVID-19 have also been reaching record highs over the past week. Last Friday, NSW recorded 46, the states highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic.

University of Sydney professor of biostatistics, Ian Marschner, agreed the deaths being seen in the state were a reflection of the earlier case burden. Early in an outbreak, the mortality rate  just the number of people who die divided by the case numbers  is always an underestimate, he said. But as the outbreak matures we should see a peak in deaths in the next few weeks. Dr Chant has stressed a key determinant of whether someone experiencing severe COVID-19, including intensive care admission and death, is whether they are fully vaccinated and have received a booster if eligible. Of the 28 people aged under 65 who died of COVID-19 last week, 14 were not vaccinated with two doses and two had received a booster. In NSW, about 94 per cent of the population is double-dosed and 40 per cent of eligible people have received a booster.

Twenty-four of these younger deaths had an underlying health condition, most commonly significant heart or valvular disease, diabetes, obesity, chronic lung disease or significant kidney disease. Of the four who did not, three were not vaccinated and none had received a booster. Data from NSW Healths weekly COVID-19 surveillance reports show in the Omicron wave a disproportionate rate of people who are not double-dosed have caught the virus (as high as 29 per cent of cases), been hospitalised with the virus (8.9 per cent of unvaccinated cases, compared to 1 per cent of double-dosed cases) and entered intensive care (1.5 per cent of unvaccinated cases compared to 0.1 per cent of the double-dosed). Age is another significant factor. About a third of cases since November 26 aged 80 and over have been hospitalised, compared to fewer than 5 per cent of cases under 50. Professor Esterman said daily death numbers tended to start decreasing about two weeks after daily case numbers started to drop. That would mean about one week from now. But he warned that daily death numbers could fluctuate, making it harder to discern a pattern.

Deaths are not recorded in the same way as case numbers. There will sometimes be an increase in deaths, but those deaths may have occurred over the previous few days, which makes it harder to interpret, he said. Professor Bennett said the take-up of boosters could interrupt this chain from case numbers to hospitalisations to intensive care to deaths because while it might not keep people out of hospital, but it should keep them out of intensive care. Hopefully the combination of a prior infection in young adults - the group that have spread it most to date - and the booster rollout, particularly to the people most at risk, will mean less people ending up in hospital, she said. How does Australia compare with other countries? Case numbers have also surged in countries like the United States and in the United Kingdom over the Christmas period.

But on a per-person basis, Australia has recorded a higher rate of infections. Figures from Our World in Data, which tracks global COVID-19 data, show Australias reported seven-day case average peaked at about 4000 cases per million residents, tracking above both the US and the UK. The UKs Omicron outbreak started shortly before cases surged in Australia, peaking in the first week of January, and its seven-day average has stabilised to about 1500 cases per million residents. The hospitalisation rate in the UK then peaked during the middle of January and has also started to dip over the past week.

Both the US and the UK, despite recording lower case rates so far this year, are both tracking above Australia when it comes to the hospitalisation rate. The hospitalisation rate for the UK is about 250 per million residents while in the US it is about 430 per million people. In Australia, the rate is about 200 people in hospital for every million residents. Australia is also recording a lower rate of new deaths than the US and the UK. However, this graph also reflects how the peak in deaths typically follows the peak of cases and hospitalisations. In addition, the US and UK both had a higher new daily case rate than Australia until early January, which means their death rate has also been higher over the period shown in the graph.
Underworld figure Bruce Galea, once reputed to be the biggest illegal gambler in the country with corrupt connections to the highest echelons of the police force, has died.

The colourful gambling identity cooled his heels in Sydneys Long Bay jail for two years after refusing to give evidence at the 1995 Wood royal commission into police corruption.

The late gambling tzar Bruce Galea (left) with his son Jamie. Credit:Facebook

Corrupt police told the royal commission that for years Galea had been paying them $400 a week to turn a blind eye to his illegal casinos operating at Dixon Street, Haymarket, and Darlinghurst Road, Kings Cross.

One police officer was allowed to give evidence using a codename after telling commission investigators that Galea would kill him if he gave adverse evidence about him. He said he was paid to leak information to Galea about police interest in Galeas illegal casinos.
Scotch Colleges leaders are under pressure to explain the sacking of a new principal over misconduct allegations after a benefactor and veteran corporate raider labelled the episode a disaster unparalleled in the history and reputation of Scotch.

Scotch alumnus Peter Yunghanns has written to the Hawthorn schools council demanding the resignation of its chair, Alex Sloan, and fellow board members involved in the principals hiring.

Scotch College in Hawthorn. Credit:Gary Medlicott

The letter, which has gained support among the schools old boys network, was written with the backing of a group of senior school alumni who now hold prominent business and legal roles who were not signatories on the letter.

Mr Yunghanns wrote that many old boys were appalled by the hiring and firing of incoming principal Matthew Leeds, who The Age revealed on January 13 was dismissed before the years first teaching day after a whistleblower contacted Scotch about allegations rejected by Mr Leeds.
Tarneen Onus Williams is a community organiser for Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance, which normally leads the thousands marching in Melbournes Invasion Day protest. The march was cancelled due to COVID-19 this year in favour of an online dawn service. There is no day appropriate, so we must abolish Australia Day, Ms Williams told The Age. Parents and children gathered at the St Kilda ceremony, some wearing the newly-freed Aboriginal flag. Credit:Scott McNaughton There is no day to celebrate; every day on the calendar there was a massacre, Aboriginal people dying in custody, children being taken away and mining companies looting our land. Ms Onus Williams believes the publics social consciousness is shifting but points to the number of Indigenous deaths in custody  15 in 2020-21  as a sign of a lack of progress.

She said statues of explorers and colonisers such as Cook should suffer the same fate as Australia Day. Wednesdays painting shows that people are getting tired of the lies. Lots of people are waking up to realise Captain Cook did not discover Australia. He stole our land. Geraldine Atkinson, co-chair of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, thinks a different date should be found where all people and cultures can celebrate Australia. A new date would bring us together, it would get rid of this day where a majority is celebrating but a minority is mourning, she said.

Ms Atkinson is helping lead Victorias truth-telling process, charting the events of colonisation that have shaped modern Indigenous communities by speaking to them as well as to non-Aboriginals. The Yoo-rrook Justice Commission will deliver its interim report in June. She believes it will be crucial in accelerating conversations about Australia Day. Co-chair of the First Peoples Assembly of Victoria, Geraldine Atkinson. Through this process we want to realise how colonisation still impacts us today, generations after it happened. There will be so many stories, a lot of it traumatic. But if people learn the truth, I hope they will understand why we need to change the date. Ms Atkinson, a leader in Victorias Aboriginal community for more than 30 years, condemned the defacing of the Captain Cook statue.

Id never promote anything like that. Just sometimes you to have to think: there are some really famous Aboriginal people, why dont they put up more statues of them around the place? At St Kilda beach on a hot Melbourne day, no one who was questioned supported defacing the nearby statue but most stopped short of condemning those who did. Wade Stevens (right) at St Kilda Beach with friends Taylor and Maddie on Wednesday. Credit:Simon Schluter Wade Stevens, 24, said he would not deface the statue to make a point but understood the frustration of people desperate for change and exasperated by the lack of progress. Its probably a bit of a kick in the teeth to some Aboriginal people, that everyone celebrates the day that their families were invaded, he said.

Loading I just reckon we should just move the date and be done with it. Fellow beachgoer Andrew Roll said Australia Day remained first and foremost a day to spend with family and friends. And then to also recognise the history we have had since settlement too, and to reflect on that, he said, adding a minutes silence could be incorporated into Australia Day to acknowledge First Nations people. Nick Sayer and his partner, Janine Bell-Sayer, had set their alarms for 5.30am and attended the sunrise mourning ceremony before settling down on the sand.

Its important to recognise that it does mean a day that symbolises dispossession and colonisation, everything that went along with that, Mr Sayer said. In Sydney, where a Captain Cook statue was defaced last year, police estimated 4000 people took part in an Invasion Day march through the city centre. Thousands also attended a rally in Canberra. Thousands marched through Sydney city centre at Wednesdays Invasion Day rally. Credit:Cole Bennetts Sydney event organiser Clayton Simpson-Pitt, of the NSW Aboriginal Land Rights Association, said he had not expected such a high turnout given continuing concerns about the coronavirus. Five years ago you would never have seen this many people show up, he said. Its a testament to the support we have in the community.

Speaking at a citizenship ceremony in Canberra on a day when 16,000 people became citizens across the country, Prime Minister Scott Morrison recognised Indigenous Australians, healthcare workers and defence force members. Today there are thousands of gatherings across the country, each reflecting in a different way and celebrating our love of Australia, Mr Morrison said. Prime Minister Scott Morrison poses with new citizens during the Australia Day flag raising and citizenship ceremony in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen These have been some of the toughest years, if not the toughest years, we have known since the times of war and the Great Depression. Mr Morrison ended his speech with a poem titled My Land Australia by his daughter Lily.
While proof of vaccination will no longer be required, for the safety of everyone attending we encourage visitors to be double vaccinated, practice physical distancing where possible and use the hand sanitiser provided, the council release read shortly after Mr Papalias public response. Loading If you are feeling unwell, please stay home and get tested. The Australian Nursing Federations WA branch said 89 per cent of its 3000 surveyed members wanted the Skyworks cancelled. Theyre worried about people not wearing masks, theyre worried about the up until today low testing rates, theyre worried about the fact that even though the sky show may be an open-air event, getting there is certainly an indoor journey on trains, buses, and taxis and takes more than 15 minutes, ANF state secretary Mark Olson said.

Ideally, wed like to see the sky works cancel but failing that, our members, nurses, midwives and carers are calling on the public to simply not go, stay away, watch it on TV. So, will the Skyworks become a superspreader event? Hollywood Hospital infectious disease expert Dr Clay Golledge said he advised Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas that he didnt believe the outdoor show would cause much more than a few clusters of spiking cases. Its spread over a very, very big area  you dont have 200,000 people crammed into Langley Park or something like that. Youve got them spread all along the river and Kings Park and in houses and buildings, he said. Yes, people will be taking their masks off to eat and to drink and scream their support for the fireworks. So look, its probably not ideal.

But its not like theres lots and lots of Omicron out there thats undiscovered, thats likely to really take off. It might cause a spike in numbers, but I cant see it being a massive superspreader event. But South Australian epidemiologist Adrian Esterman disagreed. It is a risk. And again, if I was in charge of WA, Id probably cancel it at this stage while were seeing this potential to have a rapid increase in case numbers, Professor Esterman said. All it takes is a handful of cases going into the tens or hundreds of thousands, he added later.

Given the event attracted many younger people who may not be as mask-conscious and drinking alcohol, the associated risk of spreading Omicron was much higher, he said. A superspreader event requires superspreaders  that is people who have the characteristics that they can infect many people and if one of them is loose, not wearing a face mask, theyre out and about, the chance is that the thing could explode, Professor Esterman said. The South Australian suppression model, which included early face masks and social distancing, as well as limits on events, is what the WA Australian Medical Association has been using to call for stricter restrictions. Professor Esterman said the golden rule was to put in health restrictions early and not wait, and that came through trust in good government messaging.

Let it rip will cause more deaths. Let it rip is also terrible for people who are frail and elderly with compromised immune systems, he said. Loading And finally, theres a spectrum of long COVID which nobody talks about; imagine that theres going to be a certain percentage of infected people, even those with no symptoms, who will end up with long-term health problems. So the let it rip approach is not really a good approach to take. But Dr Golledge said the WA community had lost a lot of its good faith in the state government since Premier Mark McGowan announced his border backflip last week.

Theres no doubt that a lot of people are very angry and feel let down by the Premiers decision on Thursday, he said. So theres a lot of people saying, Well, why would I bother with my third dose? Why would I bother going and getting tested? You know, really, hes not honouring any commitments that hes made to us. So, theres definitely that going on as well. However, Dr Golledge said testing still showed low infection rates. The 15 positives out of 4500 tests; its not a big number of positives when youre getting situations in New South Wales, Victoria, where theres test positivity up around 20/25 per cent, he said. Were in the early phase at the moment where its just bumbling along. And hopefully, it just slowly increases rather than an exponentially increases.

Call for more to get tested as mystery cases continue to emerge WA currently has just over 124 active local cases, with mystery cases still emerging as sub-clusters take shape across Perth, Peel and the South West. COVID-19 testing had risen in recent days to see 9831 people swabbed on Monday, up from about 5000 on Sunday. On Tuesday, Mr McGowan called for more people to get tested, particularly if they had symptoms or been to exposure sites. He defended the states decision to delay the border reopening indefinitely, saying he didnt want to introduce potentially thousands of COVID-19 cases into WA while cases were peaking in the eastern states.

Were just trying to do our best in difficult circumstances, he said. Loading As to the Skyworks, Mr McGowan said that the health advice suggested it was safe as it required masks and was held outdoors. But Mr Olson said a potential superspreader event just days from school returning, with an announcement about how to define a close contact due on Friday, has left public sector workers worried. He said WA needed to stop making policy on the run, for governments to better consult, and for the McGowan government to improve messaging with paid ads.
Andrew Forrests Fortescue will likely escape fines for breaching WAs Aboriginal Heritage Act after traditional owners wrote to the court saying the iron ore miner had worked with them to rectify problems after illegally clearing land a year ago.

Magistrate Andrew Maughan fined Fortescue $5000 for each of two offences, suspended for 12 months, in Perth Magistrates Court on December 24, 2021. The miner pleaded guilty in an earlier hearing.

The view from a rock shelter excavated by the Eastern Guruma people in the path of an expansion of Fortescues Solomon Hub. Credit:WGAC

Fortescue had consent to clear land to expand its Solomon Hub in the Pilbara on the condition the local Eastern Guruma people first had the opportunity to salvage cultural artefacts and then later supervise the work. However, clearing started on February 1, 2021, weeks before the traditional owners had been asked to attend the site.

The lawyer prosecuting for the WA Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage said about 0.73 hectares was cleared by a bulldozer driven by a Fortescue employee after a communication breakdown and a failure to follow internal procedures.
Property developers behind a new housing estate in Perths southern suburbs have copped a $250,000 fine from the federal government for the destruction of 10 hectares of endangered black cockatoo habitat.

The Australian Conservation Foundation labelled the penalty a slap on the wrist and criticised the state of the countrys environment laws in the aftermath as the company would be able to undertake further land clearing of 15 hectares of foraging habitat for the birds five trees suitable for nesting.

Carnaby, Baudin and Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo habitat was cleared without permission at a housing state in Baldivis resulting in a $250,000 fine for the property owners. Credit:Hamish Hastie

The federal Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment issued an enforceable undertaking this month for the developers behind the 88.5-hectare Paramount Estate  designed to have more than 800 properties and be home to more than 4000 people  in the growing suburb of Baldivis.

Between May, 2015, and August 28, 2017, the department says Novalee Nominees Ply Ltd, Estates 77 Pty Ltd and Spatial Property Group were responsible for vegetation suitable as habitat for the Carnaby, Baudin and Red-tailed Black Cockatoo being cleared in contravention of federal laws protecting threatened species.
Officials at Australian embassies and high commissions throughout the Pacific have been urged to educate themselves on the origins of January 26 and warned not to leave it to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to speak up about past injustices.

In a lengthy email sent across the region this week, hundreds of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff were reminded to acknowledge the tensions about Australia Day and the beginning of British colonisation.

The Australian flag, the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islander flag flying in Canberra. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The note, written by acting assistant secretary Cameron Darragh, from the Pacific partnerships and development branch of the department, contain points to consider when writing or speaking about Australia Day.

They were asked to encourage all guest speakers at local events to acknowledge what this day is.
Australia could make more than two million rapid antigen tests (RATs) each week with an outlay of about $20 million on new production lines, say industry leaders who are putting plans to Labor and the Coalition in a bid for state and federal support.

Warning of a long-term shortage of the COVID-19 tests, industry executives estimate every $20 million investment could add another two million units to local manufacturing when employers and households are struggling to find imported kits.

Australia could make more than two million rapid antigen tests each week with an outlay of about $20 million on new production lines. Credit:AP

But some companies are giving up on government help for local production after lacklustre and disappointing talks with state and federal officials, setting up a political contest at the federal election on how to boost supplies.

Industry Minister Angus Taylor and Labor industry spokesman Ed Husic have both voiced support for local industry, while peak group Pathology Technology Australia seeks talks with both sides on a policy to expand local manufacturing.
Three disability support workers were given permission to work while infectious with COVID-19 by Victorias Department of Health so that residents in their care would not be neglected because of extreme staff shortages.

The staff cared for residents at the Possability supported accommodation in Stawell in the past week. All six residents living at the Stawell home were positive with COVID-19 at the time.

A spokesperson for the Health and Community Services Union told The Age the sector was experiencing widespread staff shortages due to the Omicron wave of coronavirus.

The Grampians Local Public Health Unit sought an exemption from public-health orders that would have prevented the workers from doing their job while COVID-positive. It was granted by Deputy Chief Health Officer Deborah Friedman under strict conditions, to prevent the risk of neglect of the residents and ensure continuity of their care.
Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, and Tobago:--- Caribbean Airlines is delighted to advise that the 737-8 aircraft have been introduced into its commercial operations between the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.



The first flight to the USA on 9Y-CAL, operating BW 520, departed Piarco International Airport on Monday, January 24. It arrived at John F. Kennedy, International, New York at 4.00 a.m. (EST). The return service BW 521, left JFK at 6.30 a.m., and passengers were given special tokens to commemorate the occasion.



Commenting on the start of operations into the USA, CEO Garvin Medera stated: The entry into commercial service of the 737-8 aircraft, and the introduction of exciting new products like our pre-order meals on select routes is resetting expectations even more than we anticipated. Customer feedback has been reassuring. Todays flight into JFK, New York, home to a large percentage of the Diaspora, was only fitting, as JFK is a popular and well-loved destination in our network.



Later this week, on January 26 and 27 respectively, the airline will fly the new aircraft between Trinidad and Miami as well as Orlando. Customers can expect giveaways and other exciting surprises, as Caribbean Airlines renews the travel experience.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Parliament of St. Maarten approved the countrys National Budget for 2022, on Monday, January 24, with nine MPs for and four MPs against as the government awaits the deviation approval by the Kingdom Council of Ministers (RMR). In her opening remarks to Parliament, during the start of the budget debate, Prime Minister Jacobs addressed the concerns of several Members of Parliament about the handling of the budget without having the deviation from article 25 granted by the RMR.

Prime Minister Jacobs stated, Government has a legal obligation to submit the budget to the Parliament. Government has a legal obligation to request deviation based on the deficit because of the disasters we have been facing from 2017 until the present. The Committee of Financial Supervision (CFT) has advised positively since November 30, 2021, and the RMR should have already approved such as per law, however, they remain in default. No conditions other than the provision in the Kingdom Act Financial Supervision can be added to be able to deviate.

St. Maarten received official confirmation from State Secretary Alexandra van Huffelen to have the deviation of article 25 handled as an agenda point in the next RMR meeting scheduled for February 4. State Secretary Van Huffelen has confirmed that this request would be heading to the RMR with a positive advice from the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) as per the CFTs advice.

Once the Parliament has sent government the final report of the approved legislation related to the budget, the Ministry of Finance will then incorporate all approved amendments brought in by government and parliament. When the approval for deviation from the budget norms is granted by the RMR, the legislation to establish the budget will be enacted. Based on our preparations, this can be finalized by mid-February. These are the political and legal realities we are facing. Despite this, based on the positive dialogue held with the new State Secretary, I have high expectations of improved relations with our Dutch kingdom partners, stated Prime Minister Jacobs.

The Council of Ministers has deliberated and presented the many improvements required to ensure the country is running optimally, as such, patience is warranted. All civil servants and employees of government-owned companies are commended for their hard work and support throughout the pandemic encompassed with the temporary austerity measures.

The government of St. Maarten will endeavor to ensure there is a consistent application of our existing policies and procedures. Monitoring and evaluation will continue to aid in identifying the most valuable and efficient use of the resources at our disposal and we will continue to explore all possible options to remedy this temporary situation which we find ourselves in, concluded Prime Minister Jacobs.
~ It is unfortunate that some MPs chose to play politics with the PJIAE saga.~

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of TEATT Roger Lawrence confirmed at the Council of Minister's press briefing on Wednesday that the Council of Ministers did receive a dossier that contained over 400 pages of documents prior to him taking office.

The Minister said he found the dossier when the matter was raised in the parliament of St. Maarten during the budget debate. Minister Lawrence said that he is busy reviewing the details of the documentation together with the Council of Ministers. He said a meeting was held with the PJIAH (Holding Board) to discuss the issue at hand. Lawrence further explained that the government will be calling a shareholders meeting as soon as they are done with perusing and analyzing the documentation that was submitted to the Council of Ministers and the Parliament of St. Maarten.

Asked what the former Minister of TEATT did after receiving the dossier in June 2020, the Minister said he would not go into the details as to what was done or not done, however, he assured that the matter has his full attention and that of the Council of Ministers while promising that the necessary actions will be taken.

The Minister also confirmed that the Holding Board of PJIAE was asked to conduct an audit as it relates to the Chief Operations Officer Michel Hyman who is currently on administrative leave. Lawrence said that the shareholder is currently waiting on a report from the holding company.

Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs in giving some specifics said that the dossier was booked in June 2020, besides the correspondences in the dossier Jacobs said a cover letter was attached, and this cover letter was discussed in the Council of Ministers meeting.

The Prime Minister said back then the government of St. Maarten took a hands-off approach with its government-owned companies to avoid any type of political interference of the day-to-day operations of the Airport. Jacobs said after the discussion on the cover letter it was determined that the Holding and Operation Boards would have to do their due diligence to follow up on the matter at hand.

Jacobs said it is unfortunate that this dossier was used during the budget debate to create distrust towards the UPP/ NA coalition and the parliament of St. Maarten. She said in essence it was a complaint on the manner in which the management was operating visa-vis with each other. She said a member of the management team filed a complaint with the board and if proper attention was not given then escalation could have taken place whereby the shareholder could have requested them to deal with the matter and submit a report on it.

The Prime Minister confirmed that PJIAE Supervisory and Holding Board did not follow up on the matter even though it was expected of them. Jacobs said a lot of things happened from 2020 to now one being securing financing for the reconstruction.

Jacobs said now that the government is looking back at the documents, she realized that a lot of the statements made on the floor of parliament were taken out of context. She said that it is inconceivable for anyone to think that the government would go through 400 pages of internal information from a government-owned company. She said that while the government is busy looking into the matter, she felt that politics is being played with this PJIAE saga while it has detrimental effects on peoples lives
PHILIPSBURG:--- On January 17th, 2022, Mark Zagers, Managing Director of the Saba Electric Company (SEC), officially handed over the keys to Peter Johnson, President of the Saba Conservation Foundation (SCF), the new tenant of the old power plant at the Fort Bay harbor. Also present were the commissioner, Bruce Zagers, other SCF board members, resident researchers, and staff. After the handover, the group toured and inspected the newly renovated facility.

Due to climate change, overfishing, coastal development, and other stresses, coral reefs worldwide are drastically in decline and scientists are racing to save the rainforest of the sea from extinction. The facility will provide novel opportunities to conduct coral reef research at an ideal location, adjacent to the Saba Marine Park and near the Saba Bank. The project was initiated in collaboration and with the support of the island government.

Kai Wulf, managing director of the SCF, explained: Our plans are to enhance the building to provide a controlled environment, so-called mesocosms, to grow and study reef organisms, to better understand and control factors that impact and promote their wellbeing, with the aim to develop practical solutions to restore marine ecosystems.

Services provided by Sabas marine and terrestrial ecosystems are vitally important to the islands fisheries and tourism industries, with an estimated total economic value of US $29 million per year (TEEB Study, Wolfs Company 2014).

For example, by cultivating and restocking Diadema sea urchins, important herbivores decimated in the Caribbean by a viral disease during the early 1980s, algae growth that is now smothering and choking corals could be vastly reduced. Scientists may also be able to develop new techniques to propagate stony coral that is more resilient to rising ocean temperatures and C02 induced acidification.

Successful research and coral restoration practices could bring much publicity and elevate Sabas visibility internationally. Additionally, the research facility will create a new form of sustainable tourism for Saba, attracting scientists, students, and coral reef restoration practitioners to the island. These visitors usually stay for longer periods and often bring family and friends, contributing substantially to the economy of the island. Further benefits will not just include guided tours, but could also provide career options for local students interested in marine biology and engage interested residents in meaningful citizen science.

The finalization of the building modifications approved by the SEC and full operational capacity depends on the ability of the SCF and its partners to raise the necessary funding.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Chief of Police Mr. C. John together with members of the Police management team met with representatives of the Dutch Quarter community on Wednesday, 26 January 2022.

The Dutch Quarter representatives shared with police their grievances about the issues plaguing their neighborhood.

A number of agreements were struck between Police and the community representatives during the meeting including the start of more regular contact with the community partners and residents of the Dutch Quarter.

The community police officer will also participate more actively in community projects to improve the quality of life in the neighborhood.

The police management team thanks to the community of the Dutch quarter for its initiative, continued cooperation, and effort in making and keeping their area safe.
Edith (Edi) Marie Smith, daughter of the late Glen Lester and Dorothy Jane Allison, was born in Youngstown, OH on Friday, October 11th, 1963, and she departed this life on Saturday, April 30th, 2022, having attained the age of 59 years. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death b
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Enterprise Water Works Board Field Superintendent Alan Mahan shows some of the citys antiquated water pipes at the joint work session of the Enterprise City Council and Water Works Board held Jan. 18.
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Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe is expecting to open its new location in Norwalk soon.

The new deli, which will be located at 345 Main Ave., is expected to open in March, Nardellis co-owner and franchiser Marco Nardelli said. It was originally planned to be opened in December 2021, but Nardelli said that the opening was delayed due to the pandemic and supply shortages. Hiring staff has been challenging as well, he said.

The Norwalk location will most likely start with a soft opening with only friends and family before they determine an official open date, he added. "Everything is a moving target," Nardelli said.

The Norwalk location's franchisee, Matthew Youngs, said that he chose to open up the new location on Main Avenue because of its high traffic, and also because it's close to his New Canaan residence.

Youngs plans to open up five new locations within the next six years and is considering Fairfield, Stamford, Greenwich and areas of lower Westchester County, N.Y., as candidates for new locations. Youngs said that as soon as the Norwalk location is open he will immediately begin making plans to open another one.

"I'm excited to bring Nardelli's to lower Fairfield County; I'm looking forward to expanding as fast as I can," he said.

Youngs was first introduced to Nardelli's by another parent during one of his son's lacrosse tournaments. He was drawn to work with the brand because of its 100-year-old family-owned history, large potential for growth and its "unbelievable food."

"[Nardelli's] is not just surviving as a third-generation family-run business, it's thriving as a third-generation family-run business," Youngs said.

The family-owned brand was first opened in Connecticut in 1922 by brothers Giuseppe, Antonio and Frederico Nardelli, who had left their Italian hometown eight years earlier, according to Nardelli's website.

The franchise has been voted the No.1 grinder in Connecticut for nine years in a row by The Best of Connecticut contest, which is run by Connecticut Magazine. Menu items include more than 30 hot and cold grinders, with ingredients such as prosciutto hot pepper chicken, chicken cutlet, roasted turkey club and chipotle grilled chicken.

Nardelli's Grinder Shoppe currently has 15 locations opened in Connecticut including in Danbury, Southbury, Milford, Oxford, Waterbury, Meridian, Torrington, Cromwell and Middletown.
STAMFORD  Funding for the construction of a new Westhill High School and a building to house an expanded pre-kindergarten program made it through another step Tuesday morning after a state subcommittee voted to approve them.

Members of the Connecticut General Assemblys Education Committee unanimously approved the priority list of projects that were seeking financial reimbursement through the state.

Both Stamford projects would be reimbursed 20 percent of the overall cost of the work, but Stamford officials have said thats not enough, particularly for the Westhill project.

Of the two Stamford projects, the biggest is the reconstruction of Westhill, a project estimated to cost $258 million, according to the states Department of Administrative Services. The current 50-year-old structure has had a variety of problems, including water damage from leaky roofs, windows, doorways and the exterior.

The plan is to build a new school on the same site and then demolish the existing building once the new one is complete. The state has agreed to finance $52 million, according to a letter released in December by the education department.

Stamford school officials have discussed using special legislation to acquire more state funding for Westhill, but it is unclear if that will happen. Last month, Stamford Public Schools Superintendent Tamu Lucero said school representatives met with state officials to discuss creating a regional program within Westhill in the hopes of getting considerably more state dollars. The plan would allow students in surrounding communities to enroll in the schools recently created Pathway to Career program, designed to help students entering the workforce.

On Tuesday, state Sen. Doug McCrory, the co-chairperson of the Education Committee, gave an early endorsement of providing more funding for Westhill, and described Pathway to Career as a great idea and great program.

But he said Stamford isnt the only municipality seeking more money.

Everybody and their mother wants a reimbursement rate increased, he said.

He met with Lucero and state Sen. Patricia Billie Miller, who represents Stamford and Darien, on Monday to discuss the Westhill project and to talk about ways to find more state dollars to pay for it.

No promises were made, McCrory said, but he told committee members that supporting a regional program like Pathway to Career could incentive other cities and towns to create regional programs down the road.

The other Stamford project on the priority list is a new pre-school Early Childhood Center slated for 83 Lockwood Ave. That project, which is estimated to cost $52 million, would receive roughly $10 million in state funding. The center would expand pre-school services by hosting about 600 students from birth to age 5.

Beside Westhill, the district also had identified four other schools  Cloonan Middle School, Hart Elementary School, Roxbury Elementary School and Toquam Magnet Elementary School  as buildings that need to be torn down and replaced.

State funding for construction projects is based on a formula tied to a municipalitys wealth. In essence, the poorest municipalities in Connecticut get the highest reimbursement rates while wealthier communities receive a smaller reimbursement percentage.

Stamfords percentage of reimbursement is 30 percent for general construction and 20 percent for new construction.

While the state has agreed to place both the Westhill and Lockwood projects on its priority list, the funding will ultimately need to be approved by the full General Assembly during the upcoming legislative session.

Stamford officials have repeatedly said they hope Westhill gets the same type of funding recently secured by Norwalk Public Schools for a new high school. That district was able to secure an 80 percent reimbursement rate, well above Norwalks normal rate of 23 percent for new construction.

Norwalk got that amount after filing for special legislation emphasizing its regional program, said Konstantinos Kosta Diamantis, the former director of the Office of School Construction Grants and Review, in a previous article.

At the time, Diamantis said the state encourages regional programming, which explains why such projects  like the one in Norwalk  get more money.

ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com
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Once home to a local couple, a tent beside an overpass in Norwalk now sits empty under massive tarps.

Outreach workers had been working with the couple since June and, as the temperatures dipped recently, they agreed to stay in a shelter. They still return sometimes during the day, but didnt Tuesday afternoon.

Samm Williams, a case manager with Open Doors in Norwalk, said many of her clients have been sleeping in shelters lately because its been so cold outside. However, the remnants of someone once living outside  stray sheets of newspaper, trash bags, broken liquor bottles or full on encampments  remained Tuesday afternoon as outreach workers across the state did their annual Point-in-Time count.

Williams and fellow case manager JP Rossi were among the outreach teams and homeless specialists statewide that were figuring out where exactly Connecticuts homeless residents were staying Tuesday. While outreach workers determined where their clients were, shelters tallied up their guests Tuesday night for the annual count.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Affairs requires communities across the nation to conduct this PIT count at the end of January every year. It sets a benchmark of homelessness in the area that year and helps determine what programs and services get federal funding.

Last years PIT Count showed a decline in homelessness in Connecticut for the eighth year in a row. In 2021, the report noted there were 2,594 individuals experiencing homelessness statewide, an 11 percent decrease from 2020.

The report did show a 32 percent increase in the unsheltered population. The report noted that the change in methodology, which was due to the pandemic, may have yielded more accurate results.

For this years count, homeless specialists anticipate a decrease in the sheltered and unsheltered population in Fairfield County.

Yolanda Mateo, the director of client services at Open Doors, said the organization has been able to find permanent housing for many clients in the past two years due to an influx in federal funding.

The unsheltered portion of the Point-in-Time count has looked different since the pandemic.

Typically, volunteers go out and survey people experiencing unsheltered homelessness for that one day. However, the methodology had to change due to safety concerns. Instead, the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness used data from the federally-required Homeless Management Information System, a comprehensive database of individuals in a community experiencing homelessness.

Outreach workers use and update this database and store peoples names, health history, housing situation and more.

Brian Swan, executive director of the Coalition for Housing + Homelessness in Middletown, said the need for a Point-in-Time count has waned in recent years due to the success of the agencys comprehensive list of individuals in a community experiencing homelessness.

Although required by HUD, these counts are becoming increasingly obsolete since technology has become more advanced, he said.

The sheltered count has remained the same, though.

Shelters and federally-funded hotels and motels, which were used to house some of the homeless population during the pandemic, report who is staying with them that night. For the sheltered count, Swan said volunteers from the Columbus House will be out Tuesday night at the overflow warming center at Grace & Mercy Family Ministries on Main Street.

Though data has made the unsheltered count more accurate, Williams and Rossi still drove around Norwalk Tuesday to check in on their clients. They went to a train station, and though they knew no one would be there during the day, Williams said she was searching for signs that someone would return at night.

Across the street from a hotel for dogs, people typically find hidden nooks under the train tracks or at the train station to sleep undisturbed.

Most people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Fairfield County sleep in their cars, but others may find abandoned buildings, construction sites, sheds or other enclosed areas where they can rest, Williams said.

Once Williams has a relationship with a client, shell try to get them what they need, whether thats to be on the housing waiting list, a sleeping bag or clean clothes. She and Rossi also help their clients get enrolled in various government assistance programs so they can have affordable medical care and food.

For Daries, a man who has experienced homelessness for years and has both mental health and substance use disorders, that meant getting on a list for housing with case management.

Williams has worked with Daries for a while now. When he saw her Tuesday afternoon, he had a wide smile, infectious and glowing. He laughed with his case worker, and called her the best.

Counted as unsheltered this year, Daries may not be in the Point-in-Time count at all next year. He is currently waiting for the results of a background check so he can get housing.

Anyone who is experiencing homelessness or is in a housing emergency should call 211, and press 3 and then 1, to get help.
DARIEN  School board members grilled an official from the Open Choice program during a Monday meeting, asking him key questions about Dariens proposed enrollment in the program for the 2022-23 school year.

Eric Nyquist, an Open Choice program coordinator with Cooperative Educational Services, provided specific information on how the district would implement the program, in which up to 16 students from Norwalk would attend four Darien elementary schools next year.

CES, which is one of six regional education centers in Connecticut, oversees implementation of Open Choice. The statewide program has a goal of minimizing economic and social gaps across the states school systems.

Superintendent Alan Addley and other school officials are proponents of the program, but several community members have pushed back, citing issues involving program demographics, cost and larger class sizes.

Nyquist attempted to quell those fears during Mondays school board meeting, clearing up confusion about the way the program would work in Darien schools.

Selection process

Under Open Choice, interested students from Norwalk would apply by March 15. If there were more applicants than spots available, a computer-generated lottery system would select the participants, Nyquist said.

Once CES receives the total number of applicants, Nyquist said he and other CES personnel look over the makeup to ensure it reflects the demographics of the sending district.

Board members and parents have questioned whether the program would attract wealthier or white students from Norwalk who want to attend Darien schools.

But Nyquist said that in his time with the program in other places such as Bridgeport  where there are over 800 applicants a year for neighboring districts including Easton, Fairfield, Trumbull, Weston and Westport that has never been the case.

I know theres there is concern that it wont serve the purpose of the program, but ... we make sure that the group that were going to send to Darien matches or exceeds the demographic goal of the program, Nyquist said.

He added that the vast, vast majority of students who apply for the program happen to be students of color.

Transportation issues

Basic transportation to and from school is handled by the CES office and paid for by the state, Nyquist said.

The second part of the equation is the more challenging part, and that is whether to provide, for high school students, extracurricular transportation, Nyquist said. Currently, state statute says that the state provides transport for extracurricular activities. In reality, the funding is sometimes difficult to pin down, Nyquist said, adding he is attempting to clarify how that would work with the state.

Nyquist pointed to Westport as an example of a district providing extracurricular transportation, in the form of a single bus after school hours. Darien wouldnt be expected to provide unreasonable services, such as multiple buses after school hours, he said.

Cost for the district

School board member Tara Ochman noted there have been some concerns about the projected cost of the program.

Darien stands to receive $3,000 in state grants for every child participating in the program. The state also provides a $1,000 one-year bonus grant per child for districts that are first-time participants.

Yet parents and community members have suggested that the district would shoulder excess financial burden if Darien enrolled in Open Choice.

Weve seen projections anywhere from $5 million to $1 million, Ochman said, asking Nyquist about whether he has seen other districts facing exorbitant expenses as a result of enrolling in Open Choice.

Im just gonna answer very bluntly  as big as a districts heart is and as much as they think they want to do whats right for all students, if theyre spending inordinate amounts of money on a program that is not supposed to cost them a lot, they wouldnt still be involved, Nyquist said.

Nyquist said he has not heard from any participating districts that have felt unprepared for the costs of the program  which has been in Connecticut since the 1990s.

Board members also had questions about costs related to students who would need additional services, including English language learners and special education, that could lead to higher costs.

The $4,000 grants should cover most of those costs, but if services for individual students exceeds that grant money, Darien could bill those additional services to Norwalk, Nyquist said.

Program success

A few studies have examined the success of the program, but they have been limited in scope, Nyquist said.

A few years ago, the state conducted a study using test scores that showed Open Choice students did better up front and grew exponentially compared to their classmates in the sending district, he said.

The state has not been collecting data on the programs student outcomes, including graduation rates and post-school plans. Nyquist said that part of his job is to now collect that data.

But from initial appraisal of the program over the past eight years, Nyquist called it really successful, sharing an anecdotal case study of past students.

I just had a mom in the other day, whose son was a valedictorian of the school that that he went to, Nyquist said. She said, I have no doubt he wouldnt have been inspired to do what he did if he werent surrounded by these other students who are all driven and motivated and had that support at home.
STAMFORD  A Norwalk man accused of possessing child pornography claims the evidence used to charge him is tied to identity theft, but a police investigation did not corroborate the claim, according to an arrest warrant.

Thomas Finn, 55, of Coachmans Court, was arrested Monday on charges of first-degree possession of child pornography and promoting a minor in an obscene performance.

He and his attorney, Mark Sherman, claim that the explicit images, conversations and videos obtained by Norwalk police from a cellphone found at Finns home may be related to the 55-year-olds identity being stolen.

Norwalk police began investigating Finn after the departments Special Victims Unit was contacted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that they intercepted suspected child sexual abuse imagery on the messaging application Kik.

The Homeland Security agents told Detective Kristina LaPak that the suspected image was uploaded from an IP address in Norwalk, said Lt. Terry Blake of Norwalk Police.

LaPak, through a series of court orders, found that the imagery was uploaded from Finns home, Blake said.

In September 2020, Norwalk police executed a search warrant at Finns home, where they seized an Apple iPhone that stored at least two images of child pornography and conversations on messaging application Kik where Finn and another man allegedly discussed acts of sexual abuse against minors, writes Norwalk police Sgt. Nathaniel Paulino in a warrant for Finns arrest.

After the execution of the search warrant, Paulino writes that Sherman contacted the police department to alert them that Finns identity had been stolen a year earlier. He said he believes that this illegal computer access and identity theft may be relevant to the investigation and asked police to look into it.

Ultimately, according to the warrant, investigators did not find a connection between the identity theft and the content on the phone. Instead, police determined that Finn was the sole user of the iPhone at the time the images were uploaded and throughout the conversations found in the Kik app, according to the warrant.

Finn was arraigned at Stamford Superior Court on Tuesday, where his bond was set at $100,000.

Finn was released later in the day after posting bond.

He is next scheduled to appear in court on March 15.
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An attorney for Darien investment banker Scott Hapgood said a preliminary inquiry has concluded there is enough evidence to continue prosecuting his client on a manslaughter charge in the 2019 death of a Caribbean hotel worker.

Unfortunately, Mr. Hapgood is ordered to stand trial on a manslaughter charge, attorney Thomas Watson told Hearst Connecticut Media this week.

Watson is representing the Hapgood family in a lawsuit filed against Auberge Resorts, the parent company of the Anguilla hotel where employee Kenny Mitchel was found unconscious by authorities after a scuffle with Scott Hapgood. Mitchel was later pronounced dead at an Anguillan hospital.

The Hapgoods contend in the lawsuit filed against Auberge Resorts that the family was on vacation in April 2019 when Scott Hapgood wound up fighting for his life in his hotel room when he was attacked by Mitchel.

Two of the Hapgood children were in the hotel room when the incident unfolded, according to court documents.

After being released on bond, Hapgood refused to return to the island in November 2019 for a scheduled court appearance because he said he feared his life was in danger. Since skipping the court hearing, Hapgood has been considered a fugitive from justice by authorities in Anguilla.

However, no effort appears to have been made to extradite him back to the island. It remains unclear whether that will change now that the inquiry into the charge has been completed.

Based on the findings in the inquiry, the Anguillan Attorney General Dwight Horsford may seek an indictment and extradition, according to a statement his office released last May.

The Crown remains determined to progress this case, Horsford said in the statement. It will do so  as it has since proceedings started  objectively, fairly and steadfastly with full regard for the rule of law and the principles of natural justice, including the presumption of innocence.

Horsford did not return requests for comment this week.

Last May, Hapgood lost his appeal of the decision to continue the inquiry. The inquiry was resumed after the British Privy Council ordered the probe to continue.

Watson and a Hapgood family spokesperson declined to comment this week on what the next step could be for the criminal case.

Watson appeared Monday during a virtual hearing in Marin County Superior Court in California where the lawsuit against Auberge Resorts was filed to inform Judge James Chou that documents related to the criminal inquiry were expected to soon be released.

Its unclear how many of the documents will be publicly released and Chou discussed placing a protective order on the evidence to prevent public disclosure if certain documents needed to remain sealed.

The Auberge Resorts lawsuit is scheduled to be back on the court docket March 23.

Mitchels family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in federal court against Hapgood. A federal judge has asked attorneys representing Hapgood and Mitchels family to file documents by Jan. 31, indicating whether the criminal case is moving forward. That lawsuit will likely also move forward now that the criminal inquiry is complete.

The two pending lawsuits have been stalled due to the COVID pandemic and the inquiry, which was conducted by an Anguillan magistrate.

Hapgood and his family were on vacation on the Caribbean island when Mitchel showed up at their hotel room to fix a sink that had not been reported broken, according to the lawsuits.

After allowing Mitchel inside the room, Hapgood claims in the lawsuits that the hotel worker pulled out a knife, demanded money and then physically attacked him in from of his two young children.

Hapgood fought the younger man who was biting, clawing and hitting during the attack, his attorneys said.

Hapgood was able to restrain Mitchel, but hotel employees, who were summoned by his daughters, initially didnt call police or an ambulance for nearly 40 minutes, the Darien mans lawsuit said. A hotel security guard eventually took over restraining Mitchel until police arrived, the lawsuit said.

Attorney Steven Seligman, representing Mitchels estate, claimed in their lawsuit that Hapgood kept his arm on the hotel workers neck, cutting off his airway for an extended period of time, which he claims caused the younger mans death.

The lawsuit filed by Hapgood stated Mitchel's cause of death was attributed to a cocaine overdose based on an Anguillan toxicology report.

Despite the toxicology results showing that an overdose caused Mitchels death, Anguilla has continued to prosecute Scott, and he has incurred substantial costs in defending the prosecution, Hapgoods attorneys said.
Peter Hvizdak / New Haven Register

Moustapha Diakhate, a Stamford developer accused of fraudulently obtaining almost $3 million in loans through the federal Paycheck Protection Program, intends to plead guilty Wednesday during a remote hearing, federal court filings show.

The decision is part of a plea agreement with the government, according to documents in the case filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut. Details of the plea agreement were not immediately available, and it was not clear from the documents what charges Diakhate would plead guilty to.
Milton, PA (17847)

Today

Cloudy with a few showers. High near 65F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

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The German Ambassador in Bucharest, Peer Gebauer, states that his country "continues to position itself firmly alongside Romania", in the context of the current security situation.

In a message sent by the diplomatic mission to AGERPRES on Wednesday, the ambassador stressed that starting in mid-February, the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) will participate with Eurofighter planes and troops in the measure Enhanced Air Policing South.

"Together with Italy, we ensure the security of NATO airspace, as reliable partners, with a visible and high-quality contribution. This is a clear sign of transatlantic and European solidarity," said Peer Gebauer.

According to his message, "requests for the withdrawal of NATO troops from Romania and a return to the situation in 1997 must be firmly rejected", Agerpres.ro informs.

"We cannot turn the clock 25 years back. Romania's membership to NATO is an essential achievement and cannot be questioned by third parties. We are very concerned about the current situation in the region. Russia's attitude is not just a threat to Ukraine but affects the security of the whole of Europe. Therefore, a new breach of Ukraine's sovereignty would lead to a strong and common European response," said Peer Gebauer.

In this context, he recalled that in this regard, the German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, spoke categorically at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the member states of the European Union.
At the 34th meeting of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies (CoD) on Wednesday, Romania's Foreign Minister Bogdan Aurescu mentioned that amidst an amplification of threats to democratic values, as a result of the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and the use of hybrid means, it is necessary to streamline multilateralism, ensure norm-based international order, and strengthen democracies.

Also addressing the meeting moderated by Aurescu as part of the events hosted by the Romanian Presidency of the CoD, were CoD Secretary General Thomas E. Garrett, and Director and Secretary of the European Commission for Democracy through Law - the Venice Commission Simona Granata-Menghini, at the invitation of the Romanian Presidency.

According to the Romanian Foreign Ministry (MAE), Aurescu pointed out that by adopting the Bucharest Ministerial Declaration, at the 10th Ministerial meeting in September 2021, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, CoD expressed its determination to defend and uphold its community of democratic values and also to promote its pragmatic aim to consolidate democratic resilience.

At the same time, Aurescu reiterated his strong belief that it is high time that the CoD came forward more often and more visible, and that it needs to call out and sanction any attempt of hijacking democratic processes in partner and emerging democracies.

Aurescu mentioned the relevance of the CoD actions in support of the defence of human rights, mentioning the statements adopted by the member states of the Governing Council, such as those on Myanmar, last February, or on Cuba, in November 2021, including the reactions of the CoD secretary general to democratic drifts in Mali, Belarus, and Sudan.

He gave reassurances that Romania remains determined to prevent and combat all negative phenomena undermining democratic trust, saying that he hopes the results of Romania's 2019-2022 Presidency of the Community of Democracies reflect its resolve to play an active role in this respect, Agerpres.ro informs.

The head of Romanian diplomacy also highlighted the importance given by Romania during its CoD Presidency term of office to youth empowerment and engagement in democratic processes, announcing that Romania will support this year the CoD Youth Forum that adds up to the previous editions of 2020 and 2021.

Aurescu also reiterated Romania's full commitment to continuing the CoD's leadership priorities, including the promotion of gender equality and the role of technology in democratic processes.

The minister reaffirmed Romania's commitment to continuing, in its capacity as CoD president, to promote the CoD objectives, values, and principles.

According to MAE, the Venice Commission's Granata-Menghini gave a presentation called "Constitutional reforms - complex and challenging processes for ensuring the institutional architecture of any democracy."

Romania hosts on Wednesday and Thursday, in a VTC format, the 34th meeting of the Governing Council of the Community of Democracies (CoD). This is the fourth meeting under the Romanian Presidency.

Romania holds the Presidency of the Community of Democracies between September 2019 and September 2022. Romania's mandate to lead the CoD, which started on September 15, 2019 and was initially held 2019-2021, was extended on May 18, 2021, under exceptional circumstances as a result of the need to ensure continuity and efficient management of CoD activities, including the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic had affected the timing and format of some of the organisation's activities.

According to MAE, by taking over the presidency, Romania signified its strong commitment to promoting and consolidating democratic values, while the confidence that Romania has enjoyed from CoD proves the recognition of Romania's constant efforts to support the rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms. Romania's main objectives as holder of the CoD Presidency are, inter alia, to facilitate youth engagement in democratic processes, to promote democracy globally as the only system that guarantees prosperity and sustainable development, as well as the relationship between democratic processes and information technology.

On September 22, 2021, on the sidelines of the high-level segment of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Aurescu hosted the tenth CoD Ministerial Conference, the most important event of each CoD Presidency, attended by over 50 high-level speakers.

The Romanian CoD Presidency has actively promoted the role this global platform can play in the Summit for Democracy organised by the US Administration.
A person called in on Wednesday morning to the single emergency number 112 and made a threat that the headquarters of the Bucharest Court of Appeal is the site for an explosive device.

The building was evacuated and traffic in the area was restricted.

"This morning, in a call to 112, a person announced the existence of an explosive device inside the Bucharest Court of Appeal. The building was evacuated, and bomb technicians are conducting checks. In order to facilitate intervention, traffic restrictions have been applied in the area," the Bucharest Police announces.
The Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) has rejected on Wednesday the Save Romania Union (USR) notification on Anca Dragu's dismissal as Senate President.

"CCR, as part of the control on Parliament's decisions, by a majority of votes, has rejected as ungrounded the notification drawn up by the Save Romania Union Senate Group and found constitutional Senate Decision No. 131/2021 on the dismissal from the office of Senate President of Mrs Senator Anca Dana Dragu," CCR informs.

The unconstitutionality arguments invoked by USR were the violation of Article 64 paragraph (2) of the Fundamental Law, according to which the Senate and Chamber Chairs are elected during the legislative forums mandate, informs Agerpres.

Other reasons invoked were the breach of the principle of the rule of law and the constitutional principle of the political configuration of Parliament's Chambers.

USR also maintained that Parliament modified the mandate nature, breaching Article 2 of the Constitution, which prevents a group of persons from exerting national sovereignty in own name.

At the end of November, Anca Dragu was dismissed from office, and, on the same day, National Liberal Party (PNL) Chairman Florin Citu was elected to run the Senate.
The Supreme Council for the Country's Defense (CSAT), convened by President Klaus Iohannis, meets on Wednesday at the Cotroceni Palace, to tackle topics related to the security situation in the wider Black Sea area and on NATO's Eastern Flank, the Presidential Administration informs in a release.

Moreover, the CSAT members, who will gather starting with 13:00, will also address the measures regarding the development of capacities to respond to the new challenges of the security environment and the increase of resilience.

Last Friday, January 21, the head of the state met with Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca to discuss the security situation on the Eastern Flank of the North Atlantic Alliance.
On Wednesday, the Minister of Culture, Lucian Romascanu, highlighted the contribution of the Jews to the building of the German culture, showing that, equally, personalities from this ethnic group have also contributed to what the Romanian culture has most brilliant.

"If we look into history, the Jewish culture contributed to the brilliance of the German culture (...) And I can say, without any doubt, the same thing about the contribution of the German and Jewish cultures in Romania. The Romanian culture wouldn't have been as rich as it is today without the drops of genius and, who not, divinity, pored into it by those who left their mark on it while not being of Romanian ethnicity," Romascanu said at the last event from the series held as part of the project "1700 years of Jewish history and culture in Germany (321 - 2021)," conducted by the German Embassy in Romania and the Laude-Reut Educational Complex.

The Minister pointed out that, in terms of culture, beyond the "formal borders," there are "millennial interpenetrations between the various peoples who have lived and are living in this area and not only, and this must generate respect on absolutely all meridians", Agerpres.ro informs.

In this regard, he mentioned the artist Reuven Rubin, "a great painter of Romanian origin who was also the first ambassador of the State of Israel to Romania," and writer Mihail Sebastian.

"From the German side, I can only say Herta Muller, who crowned the Romanian culture of the members of the German community with a Nobel Prize," Romascanu added.

The Minister also referred to the study of the Holocaust history in schools.

"If history has left behind extraordinarily serious things and the fact that the history of the Holocaust is now being studied - I am proud to be one of the Senators who supported and voted for this law in the Romanian Parliament - it is very important, because we must not even allow thoughts to exist similar to what happened back then. And culture, since it's the prerogative of humans, given by God and the expression of the vibration of the human soul, is the first to be called upon to prevent such repetitions of history in its dark parts," added Minister Lucian Romascanu.

The head of the Association "321: 1700 Jewish Life in Germany," Andrei Kovacs, who confessed that he lived in Romania, after which his grandparents were deported, lamented that, "unfortunately, anti-Semitism in Romania, in Germany and throughout Europe and the world have become normal today."

The general director of the Bucharest National Opera, Daniel Jinga, stated that "the times we live in now, in a united Europe, do nothing but certify a philosophy that existed since the beginning of this civilization."

The director of the State Jewish Theater, Maia Morgenstern, stated that the Holocaust did not appear suddenly, like lightning, it did not appear as a natural cataclysm, as a fatality."

The event, moderated by the Executive President of the Laude-Reut Educational Complex, Tova Ben Nun Cherbis, and journalist and historian Ion M. Ionita, was attended by, among others, the German Ambassador to Romania, Peer Gebauer, the Romanian Ambassador to Germany, Adriana Stanescu, the Romanian ambassador to Austria, Emil Hurezeanu, and the Israeli ambassador to Romania, David Saranga.
Romania's Defence Minister Vasile Dincu had a meeting on Wednesday with Maciej Lang, the ambassador of Poland to Romania, to highlight the consistency of the defence co-operation between Romania and Poland, mentioning the important role that the two countries play in ensuring the security of the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union.

The meeting gave an opportunity to review the state of bilateral relations, including the events that took place in 2021 that confirmed the excellent relations developed both within their strategic partnership, in the Bucharest 9 format, and inside NATO and the EU, according to the Romanian Defence Ministry (MApN).

The two officials discussed security in the Black Sea region, strengthening the deterrence and defence posture of NATO, with emphasis on the eastern flank of the Alliance, and the mutual contribution of both sides to the implementation of the NATO enhanced forward presence, Agerpres.ro informs.

Another issue was co-operation of the two countries within the European Union, especially in the process of developing the Strategic Compass.

At the same time, Dincu voiced concern over the security situation at the borders of Ukraine and mentioned the need to strengthen the NATO presence in the Black Sea region.

At the end of the meeting, the two officials agreed on the validity and consistency of the strategic partnership between their two countries on the dimension of defence, including the provision of the necessary framework for the harmonisation of stances on issues of shared interest.
The Minister of National Defence, Vasile Dincu, declared on Wednesday evening that the decision regarding the deployment in the next period of a contingent of 1,000 American troops in Romania has existed for a long time and is not directly related to the situation in the region and, as such, it is not conditioned by a possible Russian intervention in Ukraine.

The minister thus responded when asked on Antena 3 to comment on a CNN piece of news according to which the American administration has already decided the number of American troops to be sent to Romania, and that, based on the high-level dialogue, three NATO member states on the flank Eastern Europeans agreed to receive 1,000 US troops on their territory - Romania, Poland and Hungary, Agerpres.ro informs.

"This decision, to a large extent, is one that is being communicated now, but which has existed for a long time. I know it is a proactive measure, but it is not directly related to this moment, so to speak. Therefore, it is not conditioned by a possible Russian intervention in Ukraine. This is what we have called for, through the President's voice, since 2014, when we did not exist in the official NATO documents as a strategic position in this regard, that of consolidating the forward presence of NATO on the Eastern flank. In the event of a conflict situation, it is obvious that further action will be taken in this sense. This battalion that will come here, probably multinational, we still don't know exactly where it will be deployed, is a situation that we are currently discussing, we are analyzing the strategic situation. We know that deployment in a defensive system is important also from the perspective of the way in which there are scenarios that threats could come. (...) So, clearly, the entire Romania is on the NATO flank and it matters less how or where the possible defensive support troops will be positioned here," said Vasile Dincu.
Eight migrants from Afghanistan were discovered on Wednesday morning, hidden in a semi-trailer truck heading for Germany, and was checked at the Varsand Border Crossing Point (western Arad County).

The driver, a Bulgarian citizen, according to the documents accompanying the goods, was transporting plastic material to a German company.

"Following the thorough inspection of the vehicle, eight foreign nationals were found hidden in the cargo compartment of the semi-trailer. The persons were taken and transported to the sector headquarters for further investigation. During the checks, the border police established that these were citizens of Afghanistan, asylum seekers in Romania," informed the Arad Border Police.

The Afghans could be investigated for attempting to illegally cross the state border, and the driver for migrant smuggling.
The bomb threat at the Bucharest Court of Appeal headquarters proved to be a false alarm, the Bucharest Police reported on Wednesday.

On Wednesday morning, a person called in to the single emergency number 112 and made a threat that the headquarters of the Bucharest Court of Appeal is the site for an explosive device.

The building was evacuated and traffic in the area was restricted.

"This morning, in a call to 112, a person announced the existence of an explosive device inside the Bucharest Court of Appeal. The building was evacuated, and bomb technicians are conducting checks. In order to facilitate intervention, traffic restrictions have been applied in the area," the Bucharest Police announce.
The French Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, is currently paying a visit to Bucharest on Wednesday and Thursday, during which she will have meetings with President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and Minister of National Defence Vasile Dincu, informs the French Embassy.

According to the same source, she will be received by President Klaus Iohannis, by Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca and will have a meeting with the Minister of National Defence, Vasile Dincu, Agerpres.ro informs.

"Discussions will focus especially on deepening defence relations between the two countries under the Strategic Partnership, including on arms cooperation. The French Minister will also discuss with her Romanian interlocutors about the Sahel missions, the priorities of the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union, as well as about the regional situation in Eastern Europe, in the context in which France expressed its readiness to consolidate its presence in Romania, within the NATO missions," reads the abovementioned source.
No less than 31.44 per cent of the COVID-19 tests carried out in the past 24 hours came out positive, the Ministry of Health informed on Wednesday.

"As many as 34,255 people tested positive out of a total of 108,937 RT-PCR and antigen tests carried out within a time span of 24 hours, on the territory of Romania. The positivity rate is thus 31.44pct," the Ministry of Health informed in a press release, infirms Agerpres.

The Ministry asks people who have symptoms that may indicate the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (fever, cough, fatigue, headache, loss of taste and smell, etc.) to call their family doctors, DSP call centres or the single emergency number 112 to ask for testing.

Also, people who show symptoms and are in Bucharest or in the Ilfov County are only allowed to travel by their own transport means, not by public transport, to the centres that were especially created for the collection of samples for COVID-19 testing.

People who test positive can go to the COVID-19 assessment centres for consultation and treatment.

"Warning: if you have severe forms and aggressive symptoms, call the single emergency number 112," warns the Ministry.

Public health experts say vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent severe forms of COVID-19 and death.

"Today, of the 692 persons admitted to the ICU, 585 are unvaccinated persons. Of the 94 deaths recorded, 77 were in unvaccinated patients," shows the same source.
The Minister of Health, Alexandru Rafila, on Wednesday said that, although there is a sharp increase in the number of SARS-CoV-2 cases in Romania, with more than 34,200 new cases recorded since yesterday, there is no reason to panic. He also said the schools remain open.

"There is no reason to panic at the moment. It is important that each of us abides by the rules, encourages vaccination, especially for vulnerable groups. Also, schools remain open. Based on the established algorithm. (...) I am pleased that the Ministry of Education has finally resumed the testing programme in schools. This could help a lot, although we still need to make sure that the parents are taking the tests properly so that we can have a clear record of the children. Another very important thing that I want to talk to you about is that, as I heard from the media, there are people who send their children with symptoms to school. Such children need to be tested, they need to be kept at home and that is why the activity of the teaching staff and the rest of the staff in schools is so important, early in the morning, when they are carrying out the epidemiological activity, or during the day, depending on the schedule. Children with symptoms must stay at home," Rafila told a press conference.

A total of 34,255 new cases of SARS-CoV-2 infections were reported in the past 24 hours, 14,570 more than the previous day.
President Klaus Iohannis said on Wednesday that Romania must be prepared for any possible scenario amidst the security developments in the region.

"Today, we have made a complete analysis of the security situation in the region, including in terms of military, economic and energy implications, and also in terms of uncontrolled migration. Romania shares over 600 kilometres of border with Ukraine and we must make sure we are prepared for any situation possible. The current security crisis created by Russia is not just about Ukraine, it's not just about regional security in the Black Sea and not even about European security, it's about the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic area. That is why at this time it is important for NATO and the EU to display unity and solidarity," Iohannis told journalists at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace after a meeting of the Supreme Council for National Defence (CSAT).

He emphasised that Romania has a "permanent and substantial dialogue" at all levels, inside NATO, with the US, within the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union.

According to the chief of state, escalating tensions and a massive consolidation of the Russian military presence in the vicinity of Ukraine and the Black Sea region are affecting international security and stability.

"These steps taken by Russia highlight the possibility of it using force against Ukraine, with all the consequences that may arise from that. Also, the recent actions of the Russian side, through the proposals submitted in December, try to unacceptably change the parameters of the European security architecture," said Iohannis, adding that that there are concerns about the possibility of hybrid tactics continuing and their use being deepened, as it complicates the security state, including in terms of responses, Agerpres.ro informs.

Iohannis said that a whole range of potential actions were looked into, from cyberattacks designed to destabilise institutions and critical infrastructure, as happened recently in Ukraine, to using energy to achieve political goals or using misinformation and propaganda.

"It was an exchange of assessments that included, of course, the components that emerged from our in-depth and consistent coordination with our allies and partners in both NATO and the European Union," he said.

Romania, he added, continues to support the current approach at the Euro-Atlantic level, showing that the country has been very actively involved from a diplomatic point of view in adopting decisions at NATO and EU level using its geographical position and strategic interest in the stability of NATO's Eastern Neighbourhood and the European Union.

Iohannis pointed out that diplomatic dialogue must play a key role in easing the current situation and it is important that it continues.

"Recent talks with the Russian Federation, including those at the NATO-Russia Council meeting, have provided a detailed overview of NATO's approach of the current security situation, emphasising the clear goal of de-escalation. We unequivocally conveyed to the Russian Federation our allied security interests and concerns over its conduct in recent years, including of late. We sent and continue to send clear messages, along with our allies and partners, that emphasise our commitment to upholding the fundamental principles and values of the Euro-Atlantic area of which we are a part, as well as the principles and rules of international law. At the same time, we reiterated our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine and its other Eastern partners, as well as for strengthening their resilience. However, we must also be prepared for the scenario in which the Russian side will refuse to continue on the path of dialogue," the President maintained.

The president reiterated the need to strengthen the NATO presence on NATO's eastern flank, including in Romania.

"Regardless of current developments in the region, NATO must maintain a high level of deterrence and defence, which will enable it to effectively fulfill its strictly defensive - I repeat, strictly defensive - objectives for which the Alliance was created," Iohannis said, underscoring that the measures taken by NATO so far to strengthen the military presence on its eastern flank are an eminently defensive response to the growing security risks, threats and challenges in the region.

The chief of state welcomed again the announcements of his American and French counterparts regarding the readiness of the US and France to increase their presence in Romania.

"I have said this constantly and I repeat that we are ready to host an increased NATO presence on our soil. In fact, following the announcements of the US and France, we are in contact with the two allies to establish concretely the arrangements for the military presence of the two partners," Iohannis said.

He mentioned that at the EU level, a series of sanctions against the Russian Federation are being discussed if the Russian Federation starts aggressive actions against Ukraine.

"There is an extensive range of sectoral and individual sanctions, and their preparation has been recently accelerated," Iohannis said.

The chief of state concluded by saying that Romania is currently enjoying all the security guarantees and there is no need for Romanian citizens to be afraid.
Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu met on Tuesday with Tunisian ambassador in Bucharest Raja Jhinaoui Ben Ali, at the diplomat's request, with the two officials discussing among others bilateral justice cooperation, the Justice Ministry said in a statement.

The meeting at the Ministry's premises focused on the development of the legal framework governing the bilateral relationship, looking also at development prospects for justice cooperation.

Both sides expressed their readiness to go through the necessary legal steps for the negotiation and signing of a cooperation agreement between the two Justice Ministries, the cited source said.

Director of the Justice Ministry's International Law and Judicial Cooperation Department Viviana Onaca also attended the talks.
Over 70% of Romanians believe that NATO will defend Romania, in the context of a growing risk of war in Ukraine, according to an opinion poll conducted by INSCOP Research.

Asked whether NATO will defend Romania or not, in the context of the increasing risk of war in Ukraine, 70.3% of Romanians answered affirmatively, while 20.3% answered negatively, while 9.4% didn't know or didn't answer.

Regarding NATO membership, 76.2% of respondents believe that Romania shouldn't exit the North Atlantic Alliance, while 18.7% support the contrary. The weight of non-response is 5.1%.

The sociological research also reveals that 74.7% of those interviewed (compared to 68.1% - September 2021, 73.8% - June 2021, and 75.4% in March 2021) express their agreement with the statement "the existence of US military bases in Romania would help defend Romania in case of foreign aggression," 20.6% express their disapproval (compared to 24.9% - September 2021, 20.23% in June 2021, and 20% in March 2021), and 4.7% don't know or wouldn't answer the question.

Furthermore, 72.6% of respondents consider that the European Union should establish its own army to defend member-states, 20.8% believe the contrary, and 6.5% don't know or wouldn't answer.

In the opinion of 77% of those interviewed, the West (meaning the EU, USA, NATO) is the direction towards which Romania should be heading from the point of view of political and military alliances. 10.4% believe that Romania should head towards the East (meaning Russia, China). The weight of non-response is 12.6%.

In the future, Europe and the West will be more powerful in the opinion of 63.9% of responders, while 27% believe the opposite, while 9.1% don't know or won't answer.

Of the countries and organizations enumerated, Romanians have the highest level of trust in NATO (60.6% over 49.4% - in March 2021); 55.9% of Romanians have very high and high trust in the European Union (compared to 51.6% - in March 2021) and 51.8% have high and very high confidence in Germany (over 57.6% - in March 2021). Of those interviewed, 50% state that they have high or very high confidence in the United States of America (over 47.2% - in March 2021). France benefits from high and very high trust from 38.5% of the responders. Trust in Russia and China is situated under 20%. Thus, 18% of Romanians state that they trust Russia (compared to 16% - in March 2021) and 17.2% in China (compared to 19% - in March 2021).

According to the poll, 34.4% of those interviewed stated that they have high and very high confidence in the President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, 33.1% in the President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, 24.8% in the French President, Emanuel Macron, 23.3% in Russian President Vladimir Putin, and 19.3% in the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orban.

The opinion poll "Public distrust: West vs. East, the ascension of the nationalist current in the era of misinformation and the phenomenon of fake news" - the 4th edition was conducted by INSCOP Research in partnership with Verifield upon the order of the think-tank Strategic Thinking Group, as part of a research project supported by The German Marshall Fund of the United States and financed by the Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation through True Story Project.
The decision of the OECD Council to open accession negotiations with Romania represents the chance for a new stage of reforms in favor of the citizen and for getting our society in line with the model of consolidated democracies, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca told today the meeting of the OECD Inter-ministerial Council tasked with coordinating the negotiations for Romania's admission to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"Today's meeting is the signal we send about the seriousness with which we treat the preparation of our accession to the OECD, for joining the developed countries that account for more than 70 percent of the global production and trade, and for 90 percent of global foreign direct investments. After joining NATO and the EU, opening up the prospects of joining the OECD is the chance for a new stage of reforms in favor of the citizen and for getting our society in line with the model of consolidated democracies," Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca is cited as saying in a government statement.

"Whereas the decision to start negotiations for Romania's OECD accession was political, technical preparations are central to our country's path towards accession. The Inter-ministerial Council has affirmed Romania's commitment to the organization's principles, values and standards, as reinforced and developed in the two documents recently adopted at the OECD Ministerial Council meeting (Paris, October 2021) - the "OECD Vision Statement" and the "2021 Ministerial Council Statement," the release goes on to note.

The cited source points out that the values and principles set out in the latest two OECD documents refer to the importance of OECD member states coordinating their international efforts in the areas considered essential:

- Post-pandemic recovery by aggregating all policies to reaffirm the commitment to democracy, the rule of law, human rights, gender equality, the principles of an open market economy;

- Promoting effective courses of action as regards climate change, digital transformation, a multilateral trading system based on clear rules, the global labor market, taxation of the digital economy;

- Devising better policies and standards to ensure a resilient, green and sustainable recovery from the pandemic.

Romania is already adhering to 6 of the 8 essential standards for accession:

* Investment Statement;

* The Principles of Corporate Governance;

* The Principles for Internet Policy Making;

* The Recommendation on Good Statistical Practice;

* The Inclusive Framework on BEPS - Base Erosion and Profit Shifting;

* The Global Forum for Transparency and Information Exchange;

"In the coming months, Romania will begin work to join the Liberalization Codes. Romania has also already expressed its intention to accede to the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention. All these commitments are being translated into relevant reforms to modernize our country's economy," the release concludes.
Secretary of State in the Environment, Waters and Forestry Ministry Robert Eugen Szep is the new president of the International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River (ICPDR), according to a release issued on Wednesday by the relevant ministry.

The event of Romania's taking over the presidency of ICPDR brought together, physically and online, the representatives of Romania, Montenegro and Austria.

The new ICPDR president outlined the directions and objectives of his mandate, focusing on the importance of the 2022 Danube Ministerial Meeting, the implementation of the provisions of the 2022 Danube Declaration, and the initiation of the measures provided for in the Danube River Management Plan and Flood Risk Management Plan, which were updated in 2021, Agerpres.ro informs.

Thus, Robert Eugen Szep stressed that Romania will do everything possible to protect the biodiversity of the Danube.

"It is a great honor and a great challenge for Romania to take over the presidency of the ICPDR and assume the responsibilities of this role in 2022. Even as we go through a pandemic period, climate ambitions are growing more and more around the world and we must respond to these realities with involvement and seriousness. Romania's position in the Danube basin is extremely important and we will do everything in our power to protect biodiversity and the environment," the new ICPDR president was quoted as saying in the release.

According to the Environment Ministry, Romania's priorities for the ICPDR Presidency are: hosting the Danube Ministerial Meeting 2022, which takes place every six years and gives each member the chance to contribute to the continued well-being of the Danube basin; supporting the objectives of the Danube Declaration 2022 - document signed at the Ministerial Meeting setting out the priorities for the Danube Basin, together with the Commission's objectives for the next period; support the launch and dissemination of the Danube River Basin Management Plan (DRBMP) updated in 2021, which guides the Commission's specific priorities and objectives on how Significant Water Management Issues (SWMIs) should be addressed in the next six years; supporting the launch and dissemination of the Danube Flood Risk Management Plan (DFRMP), updated in 2021, and focusing in particular on flood issues.

During the ceremony of ICPDR Presidency takeover by Romania, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Montenegro to the UN, the OSCE and the international organizations in Vienna, Veselin Sukovic, met with the Charge d'Affaires at the Permanent Mission of Romania to Vienna International, Irina-Elena Donciu.

The ceremony included, according to tradition, the handing over of a bottle of water from the Danube, symbolizing the way in which the ICPDR presidents hold in their hands the future of the waters of the Danube basin.
ST. LOUIS  Purina PetCare parent Nestle is planning cuts at one of its downtown offices, according to a recent filing with the state.

A plan for "reorganizing" the office calls for layoffs, reassignments or relocation of 138 employees currently reporting to 100 North Broadway. The company did not say exactly how many employees are to be laid off. The company says more than 500 employees report to the site.

The company said it had notified all affected workers and that the changes would occur in phases between March 18 this year and May 2024.

Nestle moved to centralize its American IT operations in St. Louis four years ago, adding 300 jobs here, during a reorganization that sent its national headquarters from California to the Washington, D.C. area.

The company says it employs more than 2,000 people at Purina PetCare's headquarters on Chouteau Avenue, on the southern edge of downtown. The notice did not mention any jobs affected there.

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Orange bags of Hawaiian rolls are the first thing that greet me at my local grocer, so its no surprise that sliders are regulars on my meal plan. This week Im serving a classic: ham and cheese sliders. These sliders have it all: sweet slices of ham, irresistibly gooey Swiss cheese, squishy Hawaiian rolls, and a savory butter drizzled over top. In addition to dinner, theyre perfect for lunch boxes, game-day spreads, picnics and parties (meaning, you can enjoy them as often as you please).

A brush with butter

After the soft Hawaiian rolls are split and layered with deli ham and gooey Swiss cheese, youll brush them with a savory flavored butter, then top with a shower of poppy seeds.

This mixture of melted butter, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and kosher salt adds savoriness to the sliders, perfectly complementing the salty-sweet flavors of the ham and cheese.

Bake time

These sliders need about 28 minutes in the oven, but how you bake the sliders is just as important as the time. Youll start by covering the dish with foil and baking for 20 minutes, which gives the sandwiches time to heat through to the center while preventing the bread from browning too quickly. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the tops of the Hawaiian rolls brown and the cheese melts.

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Makes 12 sliders

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 (12-ounce) package Hawaiian sweet rolls, such as Kings

12 slices Swiss cheese (about 7 ounces), divided

12 thin slices deli ham (about 10 ounces)

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

1. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350F.

2. Place 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a small, microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted, 20 to 30 seconds. (Alternatively, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.) Add 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and whisk to combine.

3. Without separating the rolls, cut 1 package Hawaiian sweet dinner rolls in half horizontally with a serrated knife. Place the bottom half of the rolls in a 9-by-13-inch or 7-by-11-inch baking dish.

4. Arrange 6 slices of the Swiss cheese on the rolls, overlapping the slices as needed to completely cover. Fold and arrange 12 thin slices ham over the cheese, arranging a slice on each roll. Layer the remaining 6 slices Swiss cheese over the ham. Place the top half of the rolls over the cheese.

5. Brush the butter onto the top of the rolls, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon poppy seeds. Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil.

6. Bake until the sandwich is heated through and the cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the rolls are lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the slab to a cutting board, then cut into individual sliders with a serrated knife before serving.

Recipe notes

The sandwiches can be assembled and the butter mixture prepared up to one day in advance and refrigerated separately. Melt the butter again before using, 30 to 35 seconds in the microwave.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days.

(Patty Catalano is a contributor to TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to editorial@thekitchn.com.)
ST. LOUIS  After weeks of unrelenting rises in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, area health experts say infections finally are beginning to slow in parts of the St. Louis region.

The regions hospitals on Tuesday reported a dip in COVID patient numbers for the sixth day in a row. Statewide, however, hospitalizations are near record levels. Taken together, the data suggest that parts of the metropolitan area are beginning to see improvements, while the wave persists in rural counties.

Were finally starting to see some good progress in our fight against omicron, Dr. Alex Garza, chief community health officer for SSM Health and co-leader of the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, said during a briefing Tuesday. But we also know that were not out of the woods yet, and this is really no time to relax.

Even if the dip continues, he said, the coming weeks will still strain hospitals, and residents will need to keep their guard up for some time.

The regions health systems on Tuesday reported a total of 1,194 confirmed virus patients across area BJC HealthCare, Mercy, SSM Health and St. Lukes Hospital facilities. While that is down from the record 1,444 reported on Jan. 17, it is still 24% above last winters peak of 962, according to the data from the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force.

Some area health experts, however, said they wanted to see another few days to a week of sustained decreases before declaring that the region is on the path to recovery from the surge. And they noted that with many people having asymptomatic infections, and home COVID-19 tests often left out of official tallies, infections are undercounted.

Is it a false start or is it the real thing? Based on what weve been seeing in other parts of the country, we think its the real thing, said Dr. William Powderly, a professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and director of the schools Division of Infectious Diseases.

But in a few more days well be able to make much more certain, he added.

Doctors say precautions such as mask wearing are as critical as ever. Hospitals and emergency rooms are full of patients, and often short-staffed as employees get sick, or stay home to take care of loved ones. Medical workers from the U.S. Navy will arrive this week at BJC HealthCares Christian Hospital, the only one of 11 area hospitals to receive the emergency staffing it requested from the federal government.

Were still in a very vulnerable time for our health care systems, and for the people in the region. Especially the people that arent vaccinated, Garza said.

Has omicron peaked here?

South Africa, one of the first countries to see omicron, was one of the first to begin reporting a decline, starting in late December. Experts have watched South Africas case rates decrease and hoped that the pattern would repeat itself elsewhere.

Then, in early January, the U.K. also began to report a downward trend.

Some parts of the western and southern United States still are seeing unrelenting cases and hospitalizations. And even South Africas case rates have not fully retreated to the levels seen before the surge.

But a handful of states in the Northeast and Midwest are seeing improvements. New York and New Jersey have seen significant declines in case rates. Illinois has seen some relief, though not as dramatic, with the state seven-day average of new cases declining to just over 24,000 on Tuesday, from 32,500 on Jan. 12.

The challenge is that the entire country is not moving at the same pace, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said in a Jan. 16 appearance on CNN. The omicron wave started later in other parts of the country. So we shouldnt expect a national peak in the next, coming days. The next few weeks will be tough.

In Missouri, case rates still are rising, according to the New York Times, and every single county in the state remains in the red zone for transmission, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Most of the St. Louis regions outlying counties are marking increases, some of them dramatic: Washington County saw case rates rise nearly 150% in the past two weeks, and St. Francois County saw a roughly 70% increase.

But St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County have seen daily average case rates decline by between 20% and 50% over the same period, according to the Times.

Powderly, the Washington U professor, said it appears that the St. Louis metro area is about a week to 10 days behind the East Coast. Outstate Missouri is likely a few weeks behind that.

Dr. Stephen Liang, an associate professor of medicine at Washington University and an infectious diseases and emergency medicine physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said seven of 14 patients under his care on Monday had COVID-19.

We are still just below the peak, Liang said.

There are no guarantees in this

Some believe the virus that causes COVID-19 gradually will evolve to cause less and less severe illness. Experts think thats possible. But they arent sure.

I think what would be a huge mistake is if people got the message that the virus is going to become harmless, and therefore I dont need a vaccine. I think its more like, the virus will become less harmful, mostly because you got a vaccine, said Dr. Elvin Geng, a professor of infectious diseases at Washington University.

But if vaccinations, worldwide, continue to increase, case rates probably will settle down, Powderly said.

That said, there is no guarantee that another wave wont come, he added.

And even when case rates drop, experts caution: Keep your masks on hand. Wear them when youre sick, traveling, or when COVID (or flu) rates are up.

If it rains, youre going to bring an umbrella, Liang said.

Geng also predicted that public health measures will advance. Nasal vaccines and more antiviral drugs may become available. Access will improve.

All these little things will add up, to where we, I think, can sort of live and manage with it, Geng said.

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ST. LOUIS  The Pink Sisters prayed for good weather. Stagehands at America's Center tore down a car show and put up an altar, framed by a 45-foot-tall arch. There was too much talk of highway gridlock.

Pope John Paul II, leader of the world's Roman Catholics, arrived in St. Louis on Jan. 26, 1999, for a whirlwind 31-hour visit. The 78-year-old Polish pontiff managed to take part in a lively youth rally in Kiel (now Enterprise) Center, celebrate Mass with 104,000 people, lead an ecumenical service at the New Cathedral and persuade a governor to spare a condemned man.

It was 54 degrees on Jan. 26. On the second day, the temperature reached 68. The Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters, a cloistered order near O'Fallon Park known for their rose-colored habits, credited a higher power.

The pope arrived from Mexico City in Shepherd One, his TWA charter, at 1:20 p.m. and met with President Bill Clinton and other leaders at Lambert Field. Then unfolded the visit's only disappointment  his motorcade greeted by decent, but not overwhelming, crowds along the miles of orange crowd-control fence.

That morning, young people had filled Market Street from the Old Cathedral to Kiel Center with a two-hour parade of banners, posters and exuberance.

The sidewalk crowds were better for the pope's ride to the youth rally, where he told the noisy 21,000, "Your warm and enthusiastic welcome makes me very happy." He blessed patients from Cardinal Glennon Hospital for Children, met with Mark McGwire and, to the crowd's delight, flicked his cane slap-shot style, a nod to the St. Louis Blues.

Before dawn the next morning, people poured from buses to fill the Trans World (now Edward Jones) Dome and adjoining halls for the largest indoor Mass ever held in the United States. Carol Schmidt of Festus said afterward, "It was humbling and inspiring and spiritually very satisfying. I feel like I know this pope."

At the ecumenical service, he met Cardinals great Stan Musial and Rosa Parks, who had refused to give up her bus seat in Montgomery, Ala., in 1955. He asked Gov. Mel Carnahan to spare the life of triple-murderer Darrell Mease, whose original execution date had been set for that day.

"God bless St. Louis. God bless America," the pope said before he left. The next day, Carnahan commuted Mease's sentence to life in prison. Mease, 63, remains in the prison at Potosi.
ST. LOUIS  Two St. Louis police officers were shot and hospitalized and a man was shot and killed Wednesday after a police chase led to gunfire in a Ferguson neighborhood that continued a devastating month for city first responders.

The officers got a call around 1:15 p.m. that a white Toyota 4Runner connected to a recent homicide had been spotted in the city, said St. Louis County police, who are investigating the incident.

Police found the 4Runner and pursued it into Ferguson, where the SUV driver lost control and crashed near West Florissant Avenue and Lang Drive. There, at least one of three occupants, running away, opened fire on the officers, and the officers returned fire, police said.

One officer was struck in the leg. The other was shot in the abdomen and was in critical condition, undergoing emergency surgery Wednesday afternoon, St. Louis police Chief John Hayden told reporters outside Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

Im asking the public to pray for our officers, Hayden said. This is a very rough time for law enforcement and for the fire department as well.

By days end Wednesday, police arrested two passengers of the 4Runner. The other, who had been shot, died at Barnes-Jewish, police said. Police found a long gun and pistol at the scene, they said.

The scene of the shooting had quickly grown tense earlier that afternoon. The two officers were shot just blocks from where Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson officer, fatally shot Michael Brown, an 18-year-old Black man, in 2014, setting off months of unrest. On Wednesday, officers from across the region descended on the intersection. By 2 p.m., the street was full of squad cars and crime scene vans. Several residents gathered. Two women screamed.

It follows several recent injuries and deaths for area public safety workers. Less than two weeks ago, St. Louis firefighter Benjamin Polson was killed in the line of duty. This week, two other St. Louis police officers were struck by a vehicle while responding to a crash on Interstate 64. One is still in the hospital, Hayden said on Wednesday.

The officers are out here working hard, doing everything that they can to keep people safe and we keep having these critical incidents, Hayden said.

Authorities did not identify the homicide that led to Wednesdays chase. But there was just one killing reported overnight by police, about 1 a.m. Wednesday outside Dianas Royal Palace, a bar at 4266 Natural Bridge Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood.

In that shooting, police said four men approached another group of four people sitting in a car, announced a robbery and took some of their property. A security guard at the business then fired shots at the group.

Wednesdays chase started in the 800 block of River Trail Court, off Riverview Drive in far north St. Louis. The officers, in full uniform and marked squad cars, spotted the 4Runner around 1 p.m. and tried to stop it, but it sped off, police said. The officers followed until the SUV crashed in Ferguson.

By 2 p.m., the streets were full of police, and the SUV was sitting on the west side of West Florissant at Lang, with both drivers-side tires blown out.

By 3 p.m., at least two dozen police cars had arrived at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital emergency room, lining South Kingshighway for at least a block.

Police at the hospital were directing pedestrians across the street and away from the emergency entrance to the building.

Dozens of officers, in uniform and in plainclothes, were at the entrance. Around 3:05 p.m., Mayor Tishaura O. Jones arrived, and, soon thereafter, a police chaplain said a prayer.

Hayden thanked doctors and nurses who treated the injured officers at Barnes.

If you had been there, you could have seen how feverishly they were working, Hayden said. They clearly were in desperation trying to make sure our officer is safe.

The critically injured officer is 25, police said, and has been with the department for about 3  years; the other officer is 28, and has been with the department for 2  years.

Several aldermen who heard about the shooting during a meeting of the public safety committee reacted viscerally to the news.

Alderman Marlene Davis, whos served on the board since 2007, called for prayers for the officers who were shot, as well as the two officers who were struck and injured Monday night on Interstate 64.

Our city is under siege, Davis said. We are in a position where people believe they can do anything they want to do. ... I am just, again, so sorry that we are in the predicament that we are in, but we must do better and God have mercy on all of us.

Alderman Jeffrey Boyd echoed Davis comments.

Over the past several years, it just seems like the community has been so hard against our police officers, Boyd said. And they deserve a lot more respect and they deserve a lot more support.

Joel Currier, Robert Patrick and Austin Huguelet of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.

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Katie Kull Katie Kull covers public safety for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She previously wrote about local government for the Springfield News-Leader. In her spare time, you can find her cooking, riding horses or spending time outdoors. Follow Katie Kull Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today
WEBSTER GROVES  A man who sold crack cocaine out of a Webster Groves home and elsewhere in the area was sentenced Tuesday to 10 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.

Marcus A. Beasley, 34, was one of four people to have pleaded guilty to at least one drug charge and been sentenced in the case, the U.S. attorney's office said.

During the investigation by the FBI and St. Louis County and Webster Groves police, over 21 purchases of crack from Beasley or at his direction were documented in Webster Groves and the St. Louis area, Beasley's plea agreement says.

Beasley pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in August to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute crack cocaine.

Several others already have been sentenced. Kevin Menilek Ingram Jr. was sentenced in July to 40 months in prison. Jason Marquis Ingram was sentenced in May to probation. Steven Paul Wright was sentenced in August to time served. Another man, Anthony Jerome James, has been indicted but not arrested.

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ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis University graduate student was arrested this week and accused of threatening and cyberstalking another student.

Hussein Kadhim Abood Khalaf was arrested Tuesday, the day after he returned to the U.S. from Iraq, where he lives, court documents say.

Charging documents filed in U.S. District Court in St. Louis say Khalaf, 33, had formerly been in a relationship with the female student. In January and February of 2021, she received a series of harassing communications, including text messages, phone calls and Instagram messages that contained threats, the charges say.

The FBI traced the messages to Khalaf's address, and searched his apartment in the 4700 block of Newport Avenue in south St. Louis in August. Khalaf admitted sending threatening messages to the woman, charging documents say, and later contacted her to apologize and say it was a "prank that went way too far."

Khalaf's lawyer declined to comment Wednesday.

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JEFFERSON CITY  At least 200 Missouri residents cross the Mississippi River each day to work in Illinois government facilities where they can make a significantly larger paycheck for doing almost exactly the same job.

As Republican Gov. Mike Parson urges the Legislature to boost the historically low pay for Missouri government workers, interviews with Illinois prison workers, child welfare investigators and others suggest it still wouldnt be enough to make the Show-Me State competitive with the Land of Lincoln.

Among those who have found higher pay in Illinois is Scott Lankford, who started his career at the Missouri Department of Social Services as a case manager.

In an interview with the Post-Dispatch, Lankford, 43, said he was making about $35,000 per year in his position when he applied for a job as a clerical worker at the Illinois Department of Human Services. Even though he took a step down in position, the clerical job still paid more than what he was making in Missouri.

I was coming over for more pay and for less work than I was doing, Lankford said. It was like a cakewalk compared to the other work I was doing as a manager.

In addition, he said he can count on regular salary increases in Illinois based on the union contract.

I know thats a big problem (in Missouri), Lankford said. I know here Im going to get a pay increase.

Lankford, who since has moved to Collinsville with his husband, also has seen an increase in the number of Missourians working in state government in Illinois.

It has constantly grown through the years, Lankford said. We started off with eight of us and its grown to 16 to 20.

Top Missouri officials are well aware of the pay disparity.

In 2016, former Gov. Jay Nixon released a study that found the base salary for nearly 38,000 state employees was the lowest in the nation and more than 10% below what is considered competitive in the job market.

That same study found the average state worker in Missouri earns $39,682, compared to Illinois, where the average salary of $65,343 was third highest in the nation (behind Iowa and California) at the time.

Robert Knodell, the acting director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, attributed the higher pay rates in Illinois to the states strong labor union representation of government workers.

Knodell, who was Parsons deputy chief of staff before taking over the sprawling agency, oversees more than 6,500 workers who make an average of $39,235 annually.

We believe this pay plan will make us more competitive, Knodell told the Post-Dispatch in a recent interview.

Unlike Missouri, unions such as the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees have a powerful presence in the operation of government in Illinois.

In 2019, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, signed off on an agreement with AFSCME Council 31 that gave 40,000 state employees 11.5% raises over four years.

It was the first new pact with the union since 2015, when Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, was in power.

Like Rauner, Parson has allowed all union contracts to expire and has not reopened talks while legal actions brought by Missouri public sector unions work their way through the court system.

Parsons call for the 5.5% pay bump remains under discussion in the Republican-controlled House, where some members are balking, saying the Legislature should provide tax relief to residents before boosting the pay of the people who provide essential government services.

Meantime, workers continue to cross the river to take advantage of the higher pay.

Hursel King, 42, was a correctional officer in Missouri until 2011 when he was hired for a similar post at the Menard Correctional Center in Chester, Illinois.

King, who is treasurer of AFSCME Local 1175, left a job in Missouri making about $26,000 annually to take the same position in Illinois making about $45,000. Hes now earning in the mid-70,000 dollar range, overseeing a shift of 10-15 officers.

The pay, he said, makes it a deciding factor in continuing to drive the 45 miles between southern Illinois and his home in Ste. Genevieve.

When asked why there is such a disparity between the states, King said, Obviously the union makes a big difference.

King is not alone in making the commute.

There are a few I worked with in Bonne Terre and Farmington who have come over to Menard, King said.

Larry Brown, 69, spent more than 22 years driving from Perryville to the Menard Correctional Center across the river in Chester.

Brown, who is president of the AFSCME Council 31 retirees association, served as a supply supervisor for the prison commissary, ordering items for inmates to purchase, ranging from snacks to shoes.

He was hired at the prison at the same time he was getting married to a Missouri woman. Rather than move to Illinois, he chose to make the 15-mile commute to Chester.

At one point, Brown said his sister, who was a parole agent in Missouri, urged him to apply for a job in Missouri.

She brought an application for me for Missouri for a supply supervisor, which would be a big promotion for me in Illinois. She said fill it out, I think I can help you get this job.

Brown said he wrote his name and address on the application before turning it over to look at the salary.

I turned it over and just ripped it up. I said, Sis, to get a promotion in Missouri Ive got to take a $12,000 pay cut. I said I cant do that.

Originally posted at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

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ST. LOUIS  The city towing divisions poor accounting procedures could lead to theft or fraud going undetected, according to a report released Wednesday by Missouri Auditor Nicole Galloways office.

The state audit follows criticism in recent months over operations at the tow lot on Hall Street where the city takes thousands of abandoned or illegally parked vehicles each year. The recent scrutiny is hardly new for a division that has been the target of several previous investigations, including one that led to the 2008 resignation of then-police Chief Joe Mokwa.

This time, state auditors found that the towing divisions accounting controls needed significant improvement. The division was manually recording receipts for towing and storage fees as well as auction sales in a notebook ledger. It also reported them in an online system but did not reconcile receipts.

The findings follow media reports and a whistleblower lawsuit from a former employee of the tow lot, Angelica Woods, alleging she was fired last year in retaliation for reporting suspicions to supervisors about improper or illegal actions by other workers in the sale of some impounded vehicles. (An attorney representing Woods, Lynette M. Petruska, recently withdrew as her counsel.)

Aldermen planned hearings and visited the tow lot.

The state audit looked at the entirety of operations in the St. Louis Department of Streets, which includes the towing division as well as streets, refuse and traffic and lighting. It gave the department an overall score of fair, its second-lowest rating.

The audit focused on the fiscal year ended June 30, 2019, when it was still led by Jamie Wilson, who was appointed in 2017. Mayor Tishaura O. Jones replaced Wilson with longtime Missouri Department of Transportation employee Betherny Williams in September. Wilson is still a department leader as traffic commissioner, a civil service position.

In response to the findings on the towing division, the department said it has stopped using the manual ledger and now has an employee reconcile all receipts with a third-party system at the end of each day. Any discrepancies are recorded and reported. The new procedures, as of April 2020, also now record the names of those making payments.

In another significant finding, the audit said that the refuse division failed to review and reconcile the weights of scrap metal it sold to buyers with the weights the buyers recorded to calculate their payments to the city. In one case, the audit says the weight recorded from the buyers scale was 2,000 pounds less than the weight the city recorded at its transfer station, but the city had no procedures in place to spot and correct the discrepancy.

The refuse division said in response it would implement a system to reconcile weights for scrap metal sales.

In other findings, auditors said the streets department was still issuing permits to contractors even if they had past-due permit fees, contradicting department policy that says permits shouldnt be issued if a contractors permit fees are more than 30 days past due.

It also said that people charged with damaging city light poles werent being referred to the city counselors office for collections after being delinquent more than 90 days, the timeframe laid out by department policy. Auditors found the department did not refer over $200,000 in damages to city attorneys for collection within the 90-day timeframe, and 26 damage accounts werent referred for over 200 days.

The department said it would establish procedures to review past-due permit fees and damage accounts.

Finally, the state said the traffic and lighting division didnt perform its annual inventory and report the amounts to the city comptroller as required.

The Traffic and Lighting Superintendent indicated inventories were not completed because the divisions warehouse manager position, which has the responsibility of maintaining the divisions inventory listing, was vacant for more than a year, the audit said.

Alderman Sharon Tyus, who chairs the St. Louis Board of Aldermens Streets, Traffic and Refuse Committee, said shed like to see the city dig even deeper into the department.

Tyus said the city should hire an outside accounting firm and auditing firm and do an entire investigation, head to toe, of the street department.

Originally posted at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Lifted by Democrats, a congressional map that preserves Kansas City U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleavers safe Democratic district advanced out of the Senate Redistricting Committee on Tuesday.

With three conservative GOP hard-liners withholding support, a coalition of Republicans and two Kansas City Democrats  Sens. Barbara Washington and Greg Razer  provided the necessary votes to send the proposal to the Senate floor for debate.

The plan advanced on a 9-5 vote, with St. Louis-area Democratic Sens. Brian Williams and Steven Roberts voting with the conservative Republicans against the map.

Without Razer and Washingtons support, the map, which narrowly won approval in the House last week with only Republican support, would have failed on a 7-7 tie vote.

The affirmative vote keeps alive the 6-2 map  likely to send six Republicans and two Democrats from Missouri to the U.S. House  even though Democrats have pushed for a 5-3 map that gives the party three seats.

I think Missouri has a 60-40 electoral split, so I think a fair map would have three Democrats and five Republicans, Williams said at the hearing.

After the hearing, Razer told the Post-Dispatch that he wasnt committing to supporting the plan once it hit the Senate floor.

Weve got to get it out of committee and get this to the floor, Razer said, adding well see when asked if he would vote for the plan on the floor.

Asked if this was the best deal Kansas City voters can get, Razer said the map keeps Kansas City together.

The 6-2 map shores up Cleavers district for the Democrats, making it more compact than under the current congressional boundaries.

Hard-line Republicans have proposed dividing Kansas City voters into separate congressional districts in an effort to send seven Republicans and one Democrat to Congress.

Im definitely not a yes on a gerrymandered 7-1 map that puts my district God-knows-where, Razer said.

He said I dont know what would happen when asked if he thought a 7-1 map would gain momentum if Democrats killed the 6-2 plan.

Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, suggested a successful court challenge to a 7-1 map would result in a worse outcome for Missouri Republicans.

The notion that this (court challenges) should not be a part of the equation when we talk about how to draw this map is unfounded, Rowden said.

The conservative hard-liners dismissed concerns over possible legal challenges.

Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, said Josh Hawley, then the Missouri attorney general and GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, only narrowly won the proposed 2nd Congressional District in 2018 in his victory over then-Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Democrat.

He has said the current map, proposed by Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, would lead to three Democrats in Washington this decade.

But other Republicans worried a 7-1 configuration would be the plan that eventually sent more Democrats to Congress.

Weve been in sweep elections the last 10 or 12 years, where the numbers are just crazy, said Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lees Summit. Someday well return to the norm. And if that happens in 2024, 2026, with that 7-1 map, we could easily lose three seats. And thats what worries me.

The idea that a stable 7-1 map cannot be drawn is just not the case, Eigel said in an interview last week.

GOP activists vocal opponents

No one testified in favor of the legislation, but a line of Republican Party activists urged the GOP to vote down the plan, including Susan Klein, executive director of Missouri Right to Life, who continued her push for a 7-1 map.

Noreen McCann, who said she was a volunteer with the Missouri Phyllis Schlafly Eagles, said, Picking the district maps so they reflect the majority views of the state is an important power.

McCann said Democrats in other states had been using bare-knuckle politics to pass maps that take away Republican representation.

We see the Democrat Party becoming increasingly radical, no longer representing the average Democrat voter in Missouri, she said.

Those of us at home, the voters reading the news, cannot comprehend how after going door-to-door and working so hard for our Republican majorities, we are seeing you hand us a 6-2 map, which is predicted  accurately I believe  to be a 5-3 map in short order, McCann said.

We are on the brink of war with a nuclear power, with targeted nuclear weapons, McCann said. We need to send as many level-headed, commonsense Americans to Congress, and that means a 7-1 map.

Im worried because, you know, that pushback and the bare-knuckle mentality is the same mentality that we saw when folks stormed the Capitol, when they didnt get their way in the 2020 election, Williams said. Theres nothing level-headed about that.

McCann also sparred with Sen. Holly Thompson Rehder, R-Sikeston. The Missouri Constitution directs U.S. congressional districts to be composed of contiguous territory as compact and as nearly equal in population as may be.

What our requirement is is to follow the constitution, Rehder said. And so I hope that as members of this body, that that is what we are doing, that we are not concerned about the public pressure, because my votes for nine years show that Im 100% pro-life.

To say that based on what happens in this room or on this map makes you not pro-life is absurd, Rehder said. It is also against the Bible to bear false witness against your neighbor.

I dont think any senator here is advocating for violating the Missouri Constitution, McCann responded. I dont think that Republicans who would vote for a 6-2 or 5-3 map are not pro-life, but I do think theyre in the wrong job.

Outside the Missouri Capitol, former Gov. Eric Greitens and U.S. Rep. Billy Long, Republicans who are both running for U.S. Senate, have also pushed for a 7-1 map.

Originally posted at 3:22 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25. Updated at 7:20 p.m.

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ST. LOUIS  Federal officials are giving the metro area an additional month  until March 1  to submit a plan to restart the idle Loop Trolley, Mayor Tishaura O. Jones said Tuesday.

Jones, the chairwoman of the trolleys transportation development district board, said she had requested the extension because we are still reviewing options for funding trolley operations and maintenance.

The Federal Transit Administration last month said a plan to reopen the trolley on June 1 was required by Feb. 1 to avoid the prospect of repaying millions of dollars in federal grants used to build the 2.2-mile line.

The trolley opened in November 2018 after years of construction and other delays but shut down a little more than a year later amid lagging ridership and operational problems. A plan to reopen the trolley in April 2020 was dropped because of the pandemic.

At a teleconference meeting of the district board, Jones reiterated that she had not been a supporter of the project from the beginning.

However, it landed in my lap as mayor, she said. I am committed to fixing it because St. Louis and St. Louis County do not have $22 million to give back to the federal government.

More than $37 million in federal money helped pay for the $51 million project but Jones and Jim Wild, executive director of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments, have both said about $22 million could be subject to a federal clawback.

Thats the amount that went to the transportation development district.

Jones also repeated her warning that the entire metro regions ability to get future federal grants could be imperiled if we do not fix this problem.

The district has been collecting a special sales tax in areas near near the trolley route, which links the western end of the Delmar Loop in University City to the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park.

Jones said her administration is talking with stakeholders across the region and businesses and organizations along the trolley route to devise a plan. She did not elaborate.

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill.  A judge has put a hold on a new Illinois law that changes how judicial elections are conducted in Madison County by carving up the county into districts that critics say would favor Democratic judicial candidates.

The temporary restraining order issued Tuesday by Seventh Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin in Sangamon County gives an early win to Madison County States Attorney Tom Haine, who filed the lawsuit seeking to block the law Friday.

The legislation, quickly introduced and passed by the Democratic-dominated Legislature at the beginning of the month and signed by Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker shortly after, establishes sub-circuits for Illinois judicial elections in several circuit courts around the state where judges are currently elected county or circuit wide.

Backers in Springfield said the new sub-circuits would allow for a more diverse bench of elected judges in some of the states courts.

While most dont go into effect until 2024, the law takes immediate effect in the states Third Judicial Circuit covering Madison County, where two Republican judges, Amy Sholar and Christopher Threlkeld, are seeking reelection in November. They would also have to move to a new sub-circuit hugging the Mississippi River from Alton to Granite City, considered a strongly pro-Democratic area. The next judicial opening would also be assigned to that sub-circuit.

The next three judges would also have to run in a sub-circuit covering a more urbanized area of the county covering Edwardsville and Collinsville. The rural area of Madison County would get only two judges compared with three from the other two circuits, even though it has about the same number of residents.

Currently, the Third Judicial Circuit elects five judges at large in the circuit, which also covers Bond County, and three are chosen by all Madison County voters. Bond County voters also choose one judge.

Madison County is known for the multimillion-dollar business it does in asbestos litigation. It is far and away the most popular jurisdiction to file asbestos lawsuits. Major national firms set up office there because of the Madison County asbestos docket, and the biggest players in the industry, including Simmons Hanly Conroy and the Gori Law Firm, are based in the St. Louis region because of it.

Madison County has faced criticism over the years from critics alleging a cozy relationship between judges and trial lawyers who finance their campaigns. But Madison County voters have lurched to the right in recent election cycles, turning the once solid Democratic Metro East county red.

Illinois Republicans have criticized the judicial election law as court-packing. The Madison County board last week voted overwhelmingly to condemn the law and authorize Haine, a Republican, to sue.

This is not a partisan issue, it is a Constitutional issue, he said in a statement Tuesday. I appreciate the Judges diligent work in allowing our Madison County judicial elections to go forward without being burdened by this seriously flawed sub-circuit law, which has many constitutional issues.

A hearing on a preliminary injunction is set for Feb. 15. Pritzkers office didnt respond to a request for comment and a spokesman for Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, who carried the bill in the state Senate, said it was reviewing the order.

Originally posted at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25.

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JEFFERSON CITY  A term-limited Republican from Lake Saint Louis said Monday that he was resigning his seat in the Missouri House and relocating to Florida with his family.

Rep. Justin Hill said on his Facebook page that in Florida he would build his consulting business and work on advocacy. He said he had been involved in state policy development at the national level for quite some time and realized the best way to continue these efforts over the long term is to step down from public office and continue my efforts within the private sector.

Hill has stoked controversy in the past, skipping his own swearing-in last year to attend the Jan. 6 rally in Washington, D.C., that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-outgoing President Donald Trump.

His departure, along with the expected resignation of Rep. Aaron Griesheimer of Washington, will take Republicans below the two-thirds majority necessary in the House to immediately enact a new map of the states eight congressional districts, increasing reliance on Democratic votes.

Republican mapmakers have proposed a status quo plan that keeps two safe Democratic seats, opting not to push for an aggressive GOP gerrymander that eliminates one of them.

Hill said he was grateful to his wife and children for their unwavering commitment, referencing his time as a police officer, undercover narcotics officer and lawmaker.

They truly deserve more for the sacrifices they have made, Hill said.

Hill, who represents the 108th House District, said in his news release he will be forever grateful to the great people of Lake Saint Louis, OFallon, Dardenne Prairie and Wentzville who entrusted me to be their voice in the Missouri House of Representatives.

He said his resignation will become effective Wednesday.

Originally posted at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 4.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Conservative hard-liners on Wednesday stalled traffic in the Missouri Senate in anticipation of debate over a proposed congressional map that they said doesnt do enough to slash Democratic representation in the state.

Led by St. Charles County Republican Sens. Bill Eigel and Bob Onder, the self-styled Conservative Caucus has been rallying Republican Party activists behind a so-called 7-1 congressional map that would eliminate one of two safe Democratic seats in Missouri  Kansas City U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleavers 5th District.

But with GOP leadership, other rank-and-file Republicans and at least some Democrats backing a 6-2 map that preserves Cleavers seat and avoids pairing urban voters with rural ones, it was unclear Wednesday whether the conservative hard-liners would alter the course of the once-every-decade redistricting debate.

Although the map legislation was not formally brought up before the entire Senate for discussion, the hard-liners spent nearly five hours holding the floor during the morning and early afternoon Wednesday, hoping to force negotiations.

The Senate was in recess Wednesday evening and adjourned for the day after 7 p.m.

Eigel, around 6 p.m., said negotiations were continuing.

No commitments have been made, Eigel told the Post-Dispatch. Conversations are still ongoing.

I had a good conversation with (Senate GOP leadership) a couple hours ago, Eigel said. I think theyre having conversations with the House, so were going to see what kind of result is there.

Asked if there had been a breakthrough in negotiations, Senate President Pro Tem Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, texted back not yet about 9 p.m. Wednesday.

Missouri for the last decade has had eight seats in the U.S. House, and voters for the past 10 years have sent six Republicans and two Democrats to the lower chamber in Washington.

Evidence suggests most of Missouris GOP congressional delegation favors a status quo-style map that includes two urban and heavily Democratic districts on either side of the state, one Republican-leaning district in the St. Louis suburbs that U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner can win, and five safe Republican seats covering mostly rural Missouri.

The Politico Playbook reported in October that while Wagner and Texas U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul were attending an event at the Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar in Washington, another person in their group commented that they hoped Wagners district became more conservative after redistricting.

Then you get those wacko birds, she reportedly said.

Arthur Bryant, spokesman for Wagner, didnt deny the five-term congresswoman said that.

I wont comment on any rumors from a DC swamp rag, he told the Post-Dispatch on Wednesday. Asked about Wagners thoughts on redistricting, Bryant said, I wont be able to comment on redistricting; thats the job of the state Legislature.

The political newsletter Missouri Scout has published an apparently stray briefing memo from Sen. Josh Hawleys office that says the congressional delegation opposes the 7-1 map, because in a down cycle one/some may have to campaign.

Debate over the 2nd

While the map being debated shores up Wagners district for the Republicans, according to an analysis by the 538 redistricting tracker, the district remains somewhat competitive, keeping much of suburban St. Louis and St. Charles counties together.

Plans floated by Republicans pushing 7-1 maps have included dividing St. Louis County between the 1st, 2nd and 3rd districts, sending the 2nd north into Pike County and west into Boone County; as well as a second map placing all of Jefferson County in the 2nd with much of St. Louis County.

Both 7-1 plans proposed in the House would have kept St. Charles County whole or nearly entirely whole. The House approved the 6-2 map last week with only Republican support.

On Wednesday morning, Senate Majority Leader Caleb Rowden, R-Columbia, said Onder wanted a 2nd District more favorable for his political aspirations.

I know you want a St. Charles district so that you can run for Congress, Rowden said.

Nonsense, nonsense, Onder responded.

Meanwhile, Onders campaign, Onder for Missouri, this week was running ads on social media referencing the redistricting fight. Onder has said he is eyeing a run for St. Charles County executive this year.

Eigel, who is closely allied with Onder, has argued the 2nd District isnt drawn Republican enough under the House plan and will flip to the Democrats this decade.

He has pointed to statistics he said he received from Senate researchers showing 2018 election results overlaid onto the proposed 2nd District.

The numbers show Hawley beating incumbent Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill by 1 percentage point.

But other Republicans have said Eigels analysis fails to recognize Wagners overperformance relative to other GOP candidates in the 2nd District.

While former President Donald Trump won the 2nd by less than a percentage point in the last election, Wagner defeated her Democratic opponent, state Sen. Jill Schupp of Creve Coeur, by more than 6 percentage points, according to a 2020 Post-Dispatch analysis of precinct-level election results.

I think you have a very good member of Congress who has a great track record of representing the members of the 2nd Congressional District, Rep. Dan Shaul, R-Imperial, the sponsor of the House plan, said during a Senate hearing Tuesday. And I dont see a reason that  or any vote shes taken recently  that would change the outcome in CD2.

1st and 2nd

With Republicans in disagreement, a separate discussion between Democrats and Republicans on the contours of the 1st District, represented by Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of St. Louis, has been simmering.

Protected as a majority-minority district under the Voting Rights Act, no Republicans have proposed dividing up heavily Democratic St. Louis voters.

The 1st already extends into mid-St. Louis County to take in Maplewood, as well as parts of Rock Hill and Webster Groves, three majority-white communities that vote Democratic.

The Republican 6-2 plan would increase the 1sts footprint in this area, so that the 1st takes in all of Webster Groves and Shrewsbury, as well as most of Democratic-leaning Brentwood, and parts of Crestwood and Kirkwood.

While Democrats on the House floor said shifting these voters to the 1st would harm the districts majority-minority status, placing these voters in the 2nd would also increase that districts competitiveness this decade, another goal for the party.

The map originally proposed by House Democrats removed the mid-to-south St. Louis County finger and instead extended the 1st into rural eastern St. Charles County and favorable precincts in St. Charles.

A subsequent proposal scrapped the St. Charles County extension and confined the 1st entirely within St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis, moving it to cover most of Maryland Heights. But Republicans voted that map down on the House floor.

Updated at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

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JEFFERSON CITY  Proposals targeting Missouri school boards have gained early momentum this legislative session, with House and Senate education committees hearing bills Tuesday to establish new recall procedures for board members.

The legislation comes as school boards have faced intense public pressure as theyve tried to respond to the extraordinary challenges of the pandemic, including litigation brought by the states attorney general. They also face pressure on curriculum-related matters.

A bill sponsored by Rep. Chuck Basye, R-Rocheport, establishing a recall procedure for school board members, advanced out of the House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee.

The committee also held hearings on legislation from Basye that would allow voters to add agenda items to school board meetings through a petition process, as well as another measure sponsored by Rep. Phil Christofanelli, R-St. Peters, moving school board elections to November.

The Senate Education Committee conducted a hearing on a bill from Sen. Mike Cierpiot, R-Lees Summit, similarly creating recall election procedure.

Keith Rabenberg, a member of the Brentwood School Board since 1996, described the position during his testimony as local, nonpartisan, masochistic volunteer work.

Parents and school officials filed testimony describing typical procedural meetings being overtaken by heated debates on mask mandates and race-related curriculum.

As you all have probably seen, all throughout the country it seems that a lot of school boards are not aligned with local community values, said Andrew Wells, of No Left Turn In Education, citing disagreements on masking and transgender issues.

Political disagreement in at least one St. Louis-area district has led to increased threats from residents and increased police presence and protective measures at meetings.

Ongoing issues have also pitted board members against state officials.

Attorney General Eric Schmitt, as of Monday, had announced 45 lawsuits against school districts over masking rules.

Meanwhile, schools overrun with COVID cases are struggling to stay open, with 62 having closed for at least one day this month because of the rise in cases, a representative from the Missouri School Boards Association said Monday.

School board recalls are possible in 23 states, with two bills presented at Tuesdays hearings attempting to make Missouri the 24th.

The recall procedure bills would require 10% or 25% of the district electorate to trigger recall procedures. The legislation also limits the number of recalls per member per term to one and stipulates the time period during which a member can be recalled.

Both bills outline the grounds under which a petition to recall can be filed, including lack of responsiveness to parents concerns and promotion and implementation of measures that are counterproductive to students best interests.

Several of these grounds were brought up by parents throughout several of the bills hearings, many of whom testified about experiences having difficulty reaching or communicating with school board members about concerns.

Critics of the bills contended the extra elections would be a waste of money and a constant election cycle would bring politics into decisions meant to be about childrens best interests.

If you want to turn over the school board completely  all new members  it takes three years. Every year theres an election for school board members, said Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur. There is always an opportunity every year to elect some school board members who believe in values aligned with yours.

Cierpiot said at the hearing that even if his bill for recall elections failed, he hoped at least efforts to move the election date to November would pass.

With something that would get more turnout, more people in the community to weigh in, Cierpiot said, I think the board then would be better accepted, more in line with the community.

Advocates of the legislation to move the election date contended that the races would receive less attention in the silence of a low-turnout municipal election, with opponents countering that the races wouldnt receive due consideration in the noise of a general election.

Other proposed legislation would require school board and other municipal election candidates to declare a political party.

Originally posted at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25.

Grace Zokovitch gzokovitch@post-dispatch.com
JEFFERSON CITY  Missouri is suing a Texas company, alleging it ripped off the state during the global scramble for medical equipment at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a lawsuit filed Monday, the State Emergency Management Agency said it is owed $625,000 by Xact Xpressions of Dallas after the company allegedly failed to send an order of medical grade gloves over the course of several months in 2020.

According to the lawsuit, SEMA paid half of the amount of the order  $625,000  in June, but did not receive any gloves. The company then said it could send a smaller amount.

It sent the state a partial refund of the original amount.

However, when SEMA attempted to cash Xacts check, it learned that Xact has issued a stop payment order on the check, the lawsuit notes.

And, the smaller amount of gloves was not delivered.

The lawsuit, filed in Cole County Circuit Court, illustrates the mad dash by governments across the globe to acquire personal protective equipment when the deadly respiratory disease first began spreading.

The Associated Press tallied more than $7 billion in purchases by states this spring for personal protective equipment and high-demand medical devices such as ventilators and infrared thermometers.

In April 2020, SEMA had to recall 48,000 medical masks that were sent to first responders because they did not meet the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services standards.

At the time, Gov. Mike Parson said the mask supply company cheated taxpayers by refusing to refund $9 million for the masks.

The dispute was later settled.

In Illinois, an employee of the state comptroller drove nearly 130 miles to deliver a $3 million check for protective equipment to someone waiting in a McDonalds parking lot.

In the case of the gloves, the lawsuit notes that the state does not generally pay for products until it receives them. But, the agency agreed to Xacts demand for an upfront payment because it needed to procure PPE as rapidly as possible.

Since the initial months of the pandemic, Missouri has leased warehouse space and has started its own stockpile of protective equipment to avoid having to jump into an overheated market to purchase emergency supplies of masks, gloves and other items.

Messages left with Xact were not immediately returned.

Originally posted at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

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South Africa: Nkoana-Mashabane condemns manhandling of Amathole female councillor

The Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, has condemned acts of gender-based violence (GBV) taking place in the workplace.

This follows footage, showing an African Nation Congress Councillor, Nanziwe Rulashe, being forcefully removed from the Amathole Municipality offices by armed security guards on Monday.

It is disheartening to have had to watch the clip of a woman simply doing her job being dragged like that in a public office. Details leading up to this incident remain unclear, however, there is no situation or justification for a human being, more particularly a woman to be handled like that, Nkoana-Mashabane said.

The Minister warned that such acts destroy the work government and civil society is doing to fight gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) in South Africa.

We are still fighting the scourge of GBVF in our country and to witness such abhorrent acts, particularly in a government building is unbelievable. On the 29th of November 2021, South Africa signed on the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 190 (C190) which deals with violence and harassment in the world of work.

The violent acts displayed in the video go against the very work that the government is doing in ending all types of violence against women both in and outside the workplace, Nkoana-Mashabane said.

The Minister has commended the South African Police Serice for launching an investigation and bringing those responsible to book.

Councillor Rulashe must have justice served, and those responsible must be removed from their positions through the correct procedures, said Nkoana-Mashabane.

Meanwhile, Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Minister, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, also condemned the incident.

The images coming out of the video we have seen of the incident are a cause for serious concern. That this incident took place in the offices of government puts serious doubt in society about our commitment to end the scourge of gender-based violence, said Dlamini Zuma.

She has since held a series of engagements with the leadership of the District Municipality and the Eastern Cape provincial leadership who have also condemned the incident.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
CLAYTON  The St. Louis County Council voted 6-1 on Tuesday to approve legislation requiring bidders for most county projects to participate in federally approved apprenticeship programs.

The bill, sponsored by Councilwoman Shalonda Webb, D-4th District, requires bidders on construction projects worth more than $75,000 to hold apprenticeship programs approved by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Webb said the apprenticeships would help recruit workers and ensure proper training, including safe practices meant to prevent job-related injuries or deaths.

County Executive Sam Page is expected to sign the bill into law, spokesman Doug Moore said.

The bill brings back a prior county apprenticeship requirement for contracts that was eliminated in 2018 amid criticism from some trade groups and Black lawmakers that such apprenticeship programs posed a hurdle to small firms and minority-owned businesses.

The council at the time voted 5-2 to lift the program and then to override a veto from then-County executive Steve Stenger; Page, then council chair, and Councilmen Mark Harder, R-7th District, and Ernie Trakas, R-6th District, supported the moves, which came after the county enacted standards for minority participation in contracts.

On Tuesday, Harder was the lone council member to vote against bringing back the requirement.

He said he still had similar concerns that it would make it more costly for businesses to apply for contracts, including minority- and women-owned businesses.

How are they going to justify adding more people in an apprenticeship to do a $100,000 patch job on a road? Harder asked. Im concerned that if were trying to create jobs and create opportunities that were going to do just the opposite with this type of legislation.

But Webb, who represents a majority-Black district, said the legislations impact on minority and women-owned businesses could be revisited when the county completes a disparity study expected to be issued next year.

In the interim, we can have something that will at least start the ball moving to make sure they are training a pipeline of talent and that theyre getting adequate training, Webb said.

Moore said after the council meeting Tuesday that Page supported apprenticeship programs because they had made progress in recruiting and involving minority trainees.

Page considered the bill a workforce development opportunity for the county, he said.

Trakas said after the meeting that he agreed with Harder that there was a cost to requiring the apprenticeship program.

But the cost was outweighed by the benefits of making sure people are trained properly and that theyre skilled in what they do, he said.

The council also voted unanimously to approve a contact with St. Louis and the St. Louis Development Corp. for certification of businesses as at least 51% minority- or women-owned.

The annual $108,000 contract lasts through 2024. The countys minority participation regulations allow the county to recognize businesses certified as minority- or women-owned by either the state of Missouri or the St. Louis Airport Authority.

And the council approved a bill by Councilman Tim Fitch, R-3rd District, that would update a decades-old ordinance regulating what job-related expenses qualify for payment from an annual discretionary fund. Each council member receives $2,000 annually in discretionary expenditures.

The bill adds printed mailers (excluding electoral or other political campaign-related mail), membership fees for a local chamber of commerce within the council members district, registration fees for non-political seminars or conferences and subscription fees for newspapers, newsletters or other relevant publications.

The council also unanimously adopted a resolution marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The resolution also formally condemned public comments, made by opponents of mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccines during council public forum last year, that compared public health measures to the Holocaust and extermination of more than 6 million Jews.

And the council unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the countys application for an up to $500,000 federal grant to renovate Kinloch Park.

Nixon named to trail board

In other county action, Page has appointed former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to the 12-member board of directors of the regions tax-supported trail district, Great Rivers Greenway.

Nixons appointment fills a vacant seat on the board set aside for a resident of the county. Each board member serves a term of three years.

Nixon, a Democrat who served as governor from 2009 to 2017, had championed the expansion of the state park system using money from environmental settlement and opened three new parks in addition to expanding the Katy Trail bike and pedestrian trail. He is now an attorney with Dowd Bennett.

The Greenway was created in 2000 when voters in the county, city of St. Louis and St. Charles County approved a sales tax dedicated to parks and greenways.

Originally posted at 9:20 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 25.

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ST. LOUIS  A regional board on Wednesday endorsed a plan by Missouri officials to seek an improved federal rating of the St. Louis metro areas air quality.

Some area leaders hope that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources request, if approved by federal officials, could eventually lead to an end of mandatory vehicle emission checks in the region.

Youve got to get the ball rolling and hopefully it all works out, St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann said in an interview after the voice vote by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments.

St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones cast the only negative vote on the issue at the teleconference meeting. She didnt comment.

The state agency has proposed asking the federal government to declare the metro area an attainment area regarding air quality standards instead of its current nonattainment status.

Among the reasons: since 2019, monitoring locations across the area have not recorded any pollution measurements in violation of federal requirements.

The state Air Conservation Commission will hold a hearing on the proposal on Thursday in Jefferson City; that panel is expected to decide whether to endorse it in March. If the commission agrees, the proposal would be sent to federal environmental officials.

Jim Wild, East-Wests executive director, said Illinois officials are making a similar request to the federal government for St. Clair, Madison and Monroe counties in the Metro East.

Steve Hall, director of the Missouri agencys air pollution control program, said if the federal government agrees to the revised designation, then the state would develop a new air pollution control plan.

Whether emissions checks would be continued would be one of the issues to be determined then, he said. The feds also would have to sign off on that.

We would evaluate that and look at removing requirements if thats appropriate, he said in an interview. There also are controls on industrial emissions involved.

Vehicle emissions checks have been controversial over the years among state lawmakers, especially in St. Charles, Jefferson and Franklin counties.

The Legislature last year passed a bill excluding those three areas from vehicle testing requirements. But Gov. Mike Parson last summer vetoed the measure because of concerns that the state would potentially lose $52 million in federal road and bridge funding as a penalty.

He also said the state already was asking the federal Environmental Protection Agency to remove Franklin and Jefferson counties from the program.

Hall on Wednesday said the state hopes to win federal approval to end emissions testing in Franklin County next July. He said were evaluating the path forward regarding Jefferson County.

At the Gateway Council meeting, Ehlmann said he, Jefferson County Executive Dennis Gannon and Franklin County Presiding Commissioner Tim Brinker met recently with state environmental officials on the issue.

Brinker said at the meeting that the emission test requirement especially impacts lower-income people who drive older vehicles more likely to be in violation of the standards. They end up paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for the required repairs, he said.

Originally posted at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

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UPDATED at 9:45 p.m. Wednesday with patrol changing its account of crash

ST. LOUIS COUNTY  A woman was killed on Interstate 255 when her car rolled backward into the path of a tractor-trailer Tuesday night, police said.

The Missouri Highway Patrol identified the woman as Linda S. Hemenway, 62, of Columbia, Illinois.

The crash happened just after 7:45 p.m. Tuesday on eastbound I-255, east of Telegraph Road, as Hemenway apparently was trying to switch drivers.

Hemenway, driving a 2002 Jeep Wrangler, pulled over along the right shoulder of the interstate to let her passenger drive the vehicle instead. The passenger, Edwin Hemenway, got out to walk around to the driver's side.

But Linda Hemenway  thinking she had put the Jeep into park  crawled into the passenger seat as the Jeep inadvertently was in reverse, the patrol said. Edwin Hemenway was knocked over by the Jeep as it moved backward.

The Jeep continued traveling in reverse across the interstate and was struck by a tractor-trailer.

Linda Hemenway died at the scene. Edwin Hemenway had moderate injuries and was taken to Mercy Hospital South.

The truck driver, a 60-year-old man from Taylorsville, North Carolina, was not injured, the patrol said. The eastbound trucker, in a 2019 Volvo VNL tractor-trailer, had tried to avoid hitting the Jeep but struck its left side, the patrol said.

The patrol originally reported that Linda Hemenway was backing up on purpose to get to a shoulder on the far left of I-255, and that both she and Edwin Hemenway were thrown from the Jeep when the truck hit it.

However, after more investigation, the patrol switched its account late Wednesday night to explain how the Hemenways had been trying to change drivers.

Traffic on the highway was diverted at Telegraph Road for several hours as police investigated the crash.

Staff writer Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch can be reached at kbell@post-dispatch.com

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For years now, conservative activists have decried cancel culture, the phenomenon of suppressing any speech or writing that offends liberal sensibilities. And it is, in fact, an alarming and annoying trend from the left. But in Wentzville today, conservatives have provided a disturbing example of what might be called the original cancel culture: book banning.

The Wentzville School Board last week banned from its high school libraries a bona fide literary classic, the 1970 novel The Bluest Eye, by the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison. The book tells the story of a young Black girl in post-Great Depression America whose self-esteem has been so diminished by racism that she wishes for blue eyes  a fittingly poignant narrative in exploring Americas painful racial history.

Inevitably, the book-banning parents and school board members claim theyre protecting high schoolers from the books scenes of sex and violence. These are the same teens who have unlimited access to plenty of both on their cellphones and streaming services. It strains credulity to suggest these kids might steal into the school library, sifting through hundreds of pages to seek out a few salacious passages from serious literary works for prurient purposes.

This isnt about the kids at all. Its about their parents, who are part of the growing national campaign on the right to purge schools of virtually any serious discussion regarding race, gender or other issues that make conservatives uncomfortable.

This is clear from the long list of targeted books from the activist group No Left Turn in Education, which promotes such bans and has a Missouri chapter. As the Post-Dispatchs Blythe Bernhard reports, its list includes dozens of titles addressing race, as well as gender and LGBTQ issues. In what might be the most glaring demonstration of this crowds lack of self-awareness or irony, their list also includes the Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaids Tale  dystopian fiction about a future America dominated by religious fanatics who, among other things, prohibit women from reading.

School boards and other entities that ban books dont generally end up looking very good in the hindsight of history. Almost any important literature is going to challenge the worldview of some readers; thats part of what literature does. That explains why the list of most-frequently banned American books includes such important works as The Catcher in The Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird and The Great Gatsby.

Many of those bans genuinely were about squeamishness over sexual content. Today, that issue is mainly a fig leaf, hiding the more prominent campaign to silence issues of race and gender from Americas dialogue. Once these parents take away their kids internet access, then they might have a better argument for protecting children from literary prurience and violence. Until then, the truth should be obvious: This is nothing more than the cancel culture of the right.
Some might be unaware that Missouri has a euthanasia law that makes it a felony to knowingly assist another in the commission of self-murder. The penalty ranges from five to 15 years in prison.

The person responsible for knowing and enforcing this law, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, is instead guilty of breaking it, in my opinion. His numerous lawsuits to prevent local jurisdictions from adopting mask mandates and other protective measures is putting those who choose not to wear masks at much higher risk. Many of those people have died and will continue to die as a result. In my opinion, Schmitts actions are enabling those who want to ignore coronavirus risks to commit suicide (self-murder).
The early days of Airbnb, like the early days of the internet, were full of promise. Here was a way for travelers to see the world while meeting hosts and enjoying authentic experiences, all on a shoestring.

Yet this promise, like the promise of the internet itself, has been corrupted by greed, lack of competition and poor product management.

Yes, Airbnb is to travel what Facebook is to the internet. In a word: terrible.

The change was so slow and incremental that there was never one moment when Airbnb became so awful. But as unique mom-and-pop vacation rentals have given way to corporate property management behemoths, the charm of Airbnb has slowly eroded until all that's left are unpredictable lodging experiences at high prices.

There are still times when booking an Airbnb remains the best option for travelers, just as checking a Facebook group is still the best way to get some information. But the cons of staying at Airbnb properties so often outweigh the pros that more travelers  even cheapskate backpackers  might reconsider its outsized role in the travel universe.

The cons of Airbnb

Airbnb properties don't have full-time staff to address issues

Quirky is a generous way to describe Airbnb properties. Suffering from a complete lack of quality control or oversight might be a less generous way. Setting aside safety concerns, which the platform spends millions of dollars to cover up according to a 2021 Bloomberg News report, staying at an Airbnb is often a game of roulette.

Listen, I enjoy adventurous travel experiences. And at the beginning of my time using Airbnb, I considered weird hosts and their oddball decoration choices part of the fun. But as hosting has become more corporatized, the horror stories have become less fun  and more depressing.

Checking into a house that smells like vomit doesnt make for a very good story.

This points to a major difference between hotels and the current Airbnb: Hotels have a full-time staff ready to solve problems. Even the crummiest hotel will at least try to clear out a stench, whereas what you smell is what you get at many vacation rentals. Airbnb leaves it up to the individual hosts to resolve  or not resolve  the issues. (Dont get me started on the fragrance-ridden laundry detergent favored by Airbnb hosts.)

I polled my NerdWallet colleagues on Slack, asking if any had Airbnb horror stories to share. The responses were swift:

[Airbnb] informed me on the phone that the specific listing for our booking was just  I dont know, removed from the site? Considered illegitimate? They couldnt tell me why this particular listing was no longer active on the site, just that the company removed it at some point between when I booked and when I was supposed to stay.

Then I noticed that in installing the lock, [the host] removed the old deadbolt so you couldn't unlock the door from the INSIDE without your phone (assuming the glitchy app even worked). Holy fire hazard, Batman.

We called the host to ask for a vacuum and for him to do something with the marijuana. To make up for our troubles, he offered us a six-pack of Coors Light.

Honestly, this last story sounds like it might fall in the quirky/fun category rather than quirky/horror, but it was too good not to share.

My colleagues aren't alone. A 2021 study of more than 125,000 Airbnb complaints on Twitter found that 72% of the issues were related to poor customer service and 22% were related to scams. The study was conducted by data scientist Asher Fergusson in partnership with researchers at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs School of Public Affairs.

The point is: Can you imagine any of these stories happening at a respectable hotel?

Theres no competition

I spend much of my life ranking airlines and hotels. The competition is fierce, with top programs jostling one another for top spots from year to year. This breeds improved experiences for customers who rely on rankings like these to choose where to spend their travel dollars.

Airbnb, on the other hand, has no meaningful competition. Comparing it with rival Vrbo only reinforces this point because Vrbo somehow manages to be even worse than Airbnb in every respect except, possibly, search functionality. Even Facebook has to compete with TikTok and Snapchat, while Airbnb enjoys a near monopoly.

The platform, therefore, has little incentive to improve the experience for customers. Year after year, this lack of a competitive whet has dulled Airbnbs edge.

Theres no way to find deals

Want to score a cheap flight? You can find innumerable tricks online, such as creating flight alerts and using miles. For hotels, its often best to book last-minute, while car rentals have their own tricks for securing deals.

What about finding deals on Airbnb?

Anybody?

Airbnb doesnt have a loyalty program, which means there are no points to earn or promotional bonuses to stack. It leaves pricing up to hosts, which makes sense, but this approach means that finding a deal for any given trip requires a combination of intense searching and luck.

And heres another issue: Airbnb doesnt allow searching for listings via third-party sites like Google Hotel Search or Hopper. Basic sort functions that are helpful on these sites, like ordering results by the highest discount, simply aren't an option.

In fact, Airbnbs own search tool doesnt allow sorting at all, which means results are ordered by whatever profit-maximizing algorithm the vacation rental platform chooses.

This approach is annoyingly similar to Facebooks. Want to view your news feed in chronological order? Too bad, youre trapped in Facebooks ecosystem and have to play by its rules.

The same customer-last logic applies to Airbnbs search functionality. This setup makes deals, if they exist, unreasonably hard to find.

The bottom line

There was no single moment when Facebook became terrible. For a long time, it was a useful place to look at photos of your friends and maybe watch a funny video. Yet year after year and greedy decision after greedy decision, it became a wasteland.

Having dominated the competition and strong-armed local regulations, Airbnb has likewise begun to suffer from its own success. It was once an adventurous option for young travelers looking to see the world without going broke. Now it's a commercialized, unregulated mess.

Sam Kemmis writes for NerdWallet. Email: skemmis@nerdwallet.com. Twitter: @samsambutdif.

The article Unpopular Opinion: Airbnb Has Become Terrible originally appeared on NerdWallet.
LONDON MARKET CLOSE: Stocks slip ahead of US interest rate hike

Wednesday, May 4, 2022 - 17:16

(Alliance News) - Stocks in London closed down on Wednesday as trading tensions grew ahead of the US Federal Reserve's interest rate decision, despite the outcome of the meeting unlikely to be a surprise.

Since I've yet to find anyone who doesn't expect 50bp, clear indications of more to come at a similar or even faster pace, and the start of balance sheet reduction, this evening is either a non-event or a huge surprise, said Societe Generale's Kit Juckes.

The FTSE 100 index closed down 67.88 points, or 0.9%, at 7,493.45. The FTSE 250 ended down 301.28 points, or 1.5%, at 20,219.48, and the AIM All-Share closed down 14.96 points, or 1.5%, at 998.56.

The Cboe UK 100 ended down 0.7% at 746.48, the Cboe UK 250 closed down 1.5% at 17,880.72, and the Cboe Small Companies ended down 0.4% at 15,068.03.

In European equities on Wednesday, the CAC 40 in Paris ended down 1.2%, while the DAX 40 in Frankfurt fell a more modest 0.5%.

European markets slipped and Wall Street was trading on the back foot in anticipation of the Fed decision, due at 1900 BST. This will be followed by a press conference with Fed Chair Jerome Powell at 1930 BST.

The outcome of the meeting is unlikely to surprise, with markets pricing in a 99% chance of a 50 basis point hike.

Such a move was all but confirmed by Powell in remarks last month when he said a half-point hike would be on the table for May.

It is appropriate, in my view, to be moving a little more quickly. And I also think there's something in the idea of front-end loading whatever accommodation one thinks is appropriate, Powell said during a debate on the global economy hosted by the International Monetary Fund on the sidelines of its spring meetings.

Stocks in New York were lower at the London equities close, with the DJIA down 0.2%, the S&P 500 index down 0.5%, and the Nasdaq Composite down 1.4%.

The dollar pulled back ahead of the Fed. The euro stood at $1.0560 at the European equities close Wednesday, up against $1.0535 at the same time on Tuesday. Against the yen, the dollar was trading at JP129.93, down compared to JP129.97 late Tuesday.

Weighing on the greenback was data showing US private sector employment growth slowed in April. Ahead of Friday's key nonfarm payrolls figure, ADP data showed 247,000 jobs were added to the US private sector in April, down from March's upwardly revised 479,000 and below a market forecast of 395,000 jobs.

This was followed by surveys highlighting inflationary pressure amongst US service sector firms in April.

The Institute for Supply Management's services purchasing managers' index registered 57.1 in April, down from 58.3 in March. Any reading over 50.0 indicates expansion.

The S&P Global services PMI registered 55.6 in April, significantly above the flash estimate of 54.7. However, this remained below the 58.0 registered in March.

The pound slipped to be quoted at $1.2501 at the London equities close Wednesday from $1.2511 at the close on Tuesday.

Hot on the heels of the Fed comes the Bank of England, announcing its latest interest rate decision at midday on Thursday.

After slashing interest rates to a record low of 0.10% in March 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic began to engulf Europe, the BoE was among the first central banks to begin lifting interest rates with a 15 basis point hike in December 2021.

This was followed up by successive hikes in February and March, to bring Bank Rate to where it currently stands at 0.75%.

Markets overwhelmingly expect the BoE to hike rates for the fourth meeting in a row, which would bring Bank Rate to 1.00% - a level it has not stood at since 2009.

Even a vote or two in favour of a 50 basis point hike tomorrow would be bullish for the pound, whereas two or more votes in favour of no change would be perceived as dovish and could trigger another bout of sterling weakness, commented Matthew Ryan, senior market analyst at Ebury.

In London, shares in Flutter Entertainment rose 5.1% after saying it grew revenue in the first quarter, led by a strong performance in the US market which offset a decline in the UK & Ireland.

The Dublin-based sports betting and gaming company said in the first quarter, total revenue was 5% higher year-on-year at 1.57 billion from 1.49 billion. This was a 6% increase on a constant-currency basis.

With our enlarged recreational customer base, winning position in the US and ongoing focus on sustainable growth, our business remains well placed for the future, said Chief Executive Peter Jackson.

Retailers were bunched at the bottom of the FTSE 100, with DIY retailer Kingfisher falling 5.0% and athleisurewear firm JD Sports down 4.7%, after the latest British Retail Consortium-NielsenIQ tracker showed UK shop price growth accelerated in April.

Shop prices rose 2.7% annually in April. Growth quickened from 2.1% in March. April's climb was also above the six-month average rise of 1.5%, the BRC noted.

Sports Direct owner Frasers fell 5.3%.

Elsewhere in the FTSE 250, Aston Martin raced ahead by 6.7% after reporting a first-quarter performance in line with expectations, with growth in revenue on strong pricing but a widened loss through higher expenses.

In addition, the luxury carmaker confirmed the appointment of Amedeo Felisa as chief executive officer, with immediate effect. He will be replacing Tobias Moers, who is stepping down after two years in the role since 2020.

Felisa was CEO of Ferrari from 2008 and 2016. He joined the Aston Martin board as a non-executive director last summer.

Chair Lawrence Stroll said there is a need for the business to enter a new phase of growth with a new leadership team and structure.

Direct Line fell 6.3% after the insurer said total gross written premium & service fees fell 2.4% in the first quarter to 734.3 million from 752.3 million the year before.

On AIM, boohoo shares dropped 12% after the online retailer posted a sharp annual profit plunge driven by high item return rates, subdued consumer confidence and international woes.

Pretax profit in the year ended February 28 dropped 94% to 7.8 million from 124.7 million a year prior. Revenue increased 14% to 1.98 billion from 1.75 billion.

Boohoo blamed higher returns rates, subdued consumer demand and extended delivery times for the performance.

Joules tumbled 25% after it reported profit in the Easter trading period slumped, and said its chief executive officer is set to exit the company.

The Leicestershire, England-based country lifestyle retailer said in the 13 weeks to May 1, challenging market conditions have caused profit to fall below management expectations in some areas of its business, despite a 20% revenue increase.

CEO Nick Jones will step down from his role during the first half of the group's next financial year, with the current year ending in May. The search for his successor will begin shortly.

Joules anticipates the trading challenges will continue into the first half of financial 2023, and is cautious about its near-term outlook.

In commodities, Brent oil was quoted at $108.55 a barrel at the London equities close Wednesday, up from $106.12 late Tuesday.

Brent prices saw support after the European Commission proposed new sanctions on Russian oil exports over the invasion of Ukraine, officials from the EU executive branch confirmed to dpa on Tuesday.

The sixth sanctions package prohibits businesses in the EU from purchasing oil from Russia and aims to phase out imports from the bloc.

Gold was quoted at $1,866.98 an ounce at the London equities close, down against $1,873.30 at the close on Tuesday.

Thursday's economic calendar as a Chinese services PMI overnight, German factory orders at 0700 BST, and a UK services PMI at 0930 BST. US jobless claims are at 1300 BST.

Dominating the day is the UK interest rate decision from the Bank of England at midday. Focus will also lie on the latest OPEC meeting of major oil producing nations.

The UK corporate calendar on Thursday has updates from oil major Shell, industrial turnaround firm Melrose Industries, packaging firm Mondi, clothing retailer Next and defence firm BAE Systems.

By Lucy Heming; lucyheming@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2022 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Since Israel established diplomatic relations with the UAE (United Arab Emirates) in 2020, Israeli firms have been establishing sales offices or subsidiaries there. One of those is Israeli firms is Elbit, which now has a UAE operation called ESEL (Elbit Systems Emirates Limited) which negotiated their first big sale at the end of 2021. The UAE ordered $53 million worth of J-MUSIC Self-Protection Systems as well as Infra-Red-based Passive Airborne Warning Systems for UAE Airbus A330 aircraft, in particular the MRTT (Multirole Tanker Transport) version that the UAE uses for refueling its warplanes. J-Music and associated Passive Airborne Warning Systems are tested and certified for use on the MRTT and most other NATO transports, something UAE defense officials noted at a trade show featuring NATO standard systems.

Since the 1960s military aircraft have carried defenses against heat seeking missiles. These systems consist of special cameras that detect heat as well as images and movement that spot the tell-tale heat and movement of an oncoming heat-seeking missile. The system then, either automatically or under pilot control, dispenses flares or uses a laser or searchlight "gun" (in a turret) to deceive the heat sensor on the nose of the missile about where the aircraft really is. Flares were the standard countermeasure until twenty years ago when these military protection systems were installed on commercial airliners. These systems were soon banned in many European countries because the burned-out flares might cause casualties to civilians on the ground. Although Israeli flares were designed to float to the ground, their manufacturers decided to switch to the more expensive protection systems using a laser or high-intensity infrared searchlight in a small computer-controlled turrets. The new missile defense systems quickly dominated the market for commercial aircraft, which were often banned from using any kind of flares over populated areas.

For more recent systems using laser-based countermeasures, a third of the total cost is for the detection system. This now consists of two to six small cameras and a computer to figure out if it's a real attack and command the countermeasures to act. The rest of the cost is for the laser and the ball turret it operates from.

Israeli firms have been major suppliers of these systems, for commercial and military aircraft. Israeli aircraft have the most extensive experience with their systems dealing with heat-seeking SAMs (surface-to-air) missiles and a growing number of Arab countries want and can afford the best protection. With commercial and diplomatic relations now possible with Israel, firms like Elbit expect a lot of business.

One Moslem majority nation, Azerbaijan, ignored the Arab boycott and began buying Israeli weapons and defensive systems a decade ago. Impressed by the Israeli gear, oil-rich Azerbaijan, a former Soviet Union possession, is on the Caspian Sea. Azerbaijan became a major customer for Israeli systems, purchasing billions of dollars worth and in the last five years about two-thirds of Azeri defense purchases have been from Israel. The Arab states noted this as well as Azerbaijan buying from Israel because the Azeris also must deal with threats from neighboring Iran. Arab military attaches operating out of their embassies in Azerbaijan talked to Azeri military personnel about the reliability and usefulness of Israeli systems and heard lots of compliments with very little criticism. Israeli customer service was also very responsive. For the Israelis, military sales to Arab oil states could be huge as more Arab states order from Israel. In North Africa, Morocco has already done so and Israel has quietly provided military assistance to Jordan and Egypt.
A British TV documentary about warships at sea revealed, and the Royal Navy confirmed that a British anti-submarine frigate was operating in the North Atlantic during late 2020 when its towed sonar array collided with a Russian submarine the frigate was tracking. The submarine was catching up with the frigate when the collision occurred and, when it moved closer to the surface, it was running parallel with the frigate whose crew, and TV cameras could clearly see the subs periscope and communications mast above the surface. The periscope was to identify what the ship they were having problems with while the communications mast enabled the sub to radio its headquarters to report the situation. While the two masts were visible, they continued moving parallel with the frigate separated by less than a hundred meters. The sub soon submerged to a deeper depth and the frigate deployed a helicopter and used its onboard sonar to try and track the sub as it sought to escape from the frigate, which had to slow down to retrieve its damaged TSA (Towed Sonar Array). The TSA is the most effective submarine detection system on the sub and ship must slow down when using it, which is how a submerged sub was able to catch up and pass it.

The sonar array was damaged and had to be replaced. TSAs consist of a thick cable that is often several kilometers long. Along most of the cable, there are hydrophones to detect underwater noises. TSAs improve two aspects of onboard sonar. The TSA detects anything behind the sonar blind spot created by the ship propeller. The hydrophones are facing different directions and at the end of TSA there is a ROV (remotely operated vehicle) that can take the TSA down to a deeper depth, to measure thermal layers, which sonars often have problems with. TSAs are passive, they do not transmit a sound like an active sonar does to detect submarines farther away. Western warships often used their TSAs to seek out and track Russian submarines. The TSA is undetectable by a submarine but the ship using it has to slow down while the TSA is deployed. The sub apparently knew it was near a ship but did not know if it was military or commercial. The slow speed indicated a commercial vessel. The pictures and video of the two masts confirmed that the sub was Russian. The Royal Navy would not release any more information, such as the type of Russian sub involved. Western warships often track Russian subs via their TSA. Russian subs are still noisier than Western models and their sonars are not as capable. The Russian sub was unaware it had been detected and apparently closed in to get a better idea of what was in front of them. There was no comment from the Russians, which is normal.

Subs are easier to detect and more prone to collisions the closer they are to the surface. That is why the oldest adage for successful submariners is to Run Silent, Run Deep.

Some submarines also have TSAs, including a few of the more recent Russian boats. Sub TSAs enable the sub to improve the quality of information it has about nearby ships or subs. Its not unusual for submerged subs to run afoul of fishing nets or surface ships as they surface, but accidentally making contact with a TSA is rare. In one case during the Cold War a British nuclear sub was equipped with a device that enabled it to cut and capture a TSA from a Russian ship. During the Cold War Western subs were often quite effective during espionage missions, like getting close enough to a Russian aircraft carrier to take photos of its bottom hull. This use of subs for special missions was kept secret until after the Cold War ended in 1991. Over the next decade, more details of these operations became public. While most collisions, or near misses, but surfacing subs can be avoided, detecting fishing nets or TSAs is currently much more difficult. There are procedures submarine officers are supposed to follow while surfacing but shortcuts are often taken and when that happens in an area known to have lots of surface activity, there are accidents.
New York, Jan. 24, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PHI Group, Inc. (www.phiglobal.com, PHIL), a holding company currently engaged in PHILUX Global Funds (a group of Luxembourg bank funds), the Asia Diamond Exchange project (ADE) in Vietnam, mergers and acquisitions and investing in special situations, is pleased to announce that CO2-1-0 (CARBON) Corp., a subsidiary of the Company (www.co2-1-0.io), has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Indonesia-based PT Mega Hydro Energi (PTMHE) to cooperate in a new disruptive carbon mitigation program through worldwide environmentally sustainable projects.



According to the MOU, PTMHE and CO2-1-0 (CARBON) will cooperate in acquiring carbon credits from the Tunggang hydroelectric power plant project that is invested, owned and operated by PTMHE, and from other hydroelectric projects in Indonesia. Carbon credits will be digitalized into Carbon Tokens using blockchain-crypto technology and deploying IoT.

The Tunggang project is located near the Tunggang village, Lebong district, Bengkulu province, Sumatra, Indonesia. This power plant is a run-off river type, in operation since December 2021, and has a total installed capacity of 10 MW. In partnering with CO2-1-0 (CARBON) CORP, Tunggang Hydroelectric Power Plant is estimated to generate total carbon credits of 600,000 tCO2e or equivalent to 600,000 CARBON Tokens.

Choky Simanjuntak, Founder and CEO of CARBON, added: We are very happy and enthusiastic to partner with PT Mega Hydro Energi. Our carbon credit solution with blockchain-crypto technology and IoT will fuel several hydroelectric projects of PT Mega Hydro Energi and others in order to assist Indonesia to reach net zero carbon target accordingly.

We encourage qualified investors to participate in our CARBON token private sale starting December 1, 2021. This CARBON token sale will nourish the new carbon credit ecosystem. Therefore, we believe our mutual cooperation with PT Mega Hydro Energi may enhance the life of many people around the world.

About CO2-1-0 (CARBON) CORP

CO2-1-0 (CARBON) CORP. (www.co2-1-0.io) aims to provide a solution in disruptive decentralized new carbon market system using blockchain-crypto technology and IoT which will be empowering environmentally sustainable projects (renewable energy/ waste/ agriculture/ forestry/ etc.) starting in Indonesia, Vietnam, other ASEAN countries, USA, and worldwide. It has a clear and systematic product development roadmap, and the ultimate milestones of the products estimated to be launched in the near future. The solution, methodology, and improved TACCC (transparent, accurate, consistent, complete, and comparable) business process originally introduced by CO2-1-0 (CARBON) will bring full impact to better environment and life of millions.

About PT Mega Hydro Energi

PT Mega Hydro Energi is an Indonesia-based corporation specializing in the construction, operation and management of small and medium hydroelectric power plants in Indonesia. The potential for new renewable energy, especially hydropower in Indonesia, reaches over 90,000 MW and PT Mega Hydro Energi envisages itself to be one of the key players in unleashing this enormous potential in the years to come.

About PHI Group

PHI Group (www.phiglobal.com, PHIL) primarily focuses on advancing PHILUX Global Funds, a group of Luxembourg bank funds organized as Reserved Alternative Investment Fund (RAIF) (www.philux.eu), and building the Asia Diamond Exchange (ADE) in Vietnam. The Company also engages in mergers and acquisitions and invests in select industries and special situations that may substantially enhance shareholder value.

Safe Harbor Act and Forward-looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as may, future, plan or planned, will or should, expected, anticipates, draft, eventually or projected, which are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.

Contact:

CO2-1-0 (Carbon) Corp

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1-714-642-0571

PHI Group, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1-714-793-2977
HERNDON, Va., Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- iDirect Government (iDirectGov), a leading provider of satellite communications to the military and government, is beginning the new year with new board of director members. Joining the iDirectGov board are experienced technology, defense and industry leaders David Aronoff, Jill Kale and Mitch Herbets who will advise the company as it enters its 15th year.

The addition of these new board members marks a significant move for iDirectGovs advancement as it adds strategic and diversified expertise to our board in both the technology and operational arenas, said John Ratigan, president of iDirect Government. We welcome all three board members and look forward to their counsel as we continue to execute on our strategic plan and drive growth.

The board members diverse proficiencies and knowledge will be invaluable as iDirectGov expands its product portfolio and grows as a company.

Aronoff is an experienced board director and venture capital managing partner. He is a successful technology entrepreneur and recognized expert in SaaS, cloud, cybersecurity and enterprise software, including the defense and telecommunications markets. He has been a director on more than 25 technology company boards, bringing expertise on product and competitive strategy, risk, human resources, and environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria, among other areas. Since 2015, Aronoff has been a director on the board of Draper Laboratory, Inc., which has annual revenues of $625 million. Aronoff is a trustee on the University of Vermont Board, on the board of directors of Combined Jewish Philanthropies, and a member of the Global Cyber Institute Advisory Board.

Kale brings a distinctive and impressive background in business growth and financial results to iDirectGovs board, having served in a variety of leadership positions, most recently as sector president of the $800 million acquisition and divestiture (A&D) company Cobham Advanced Electronic Solutions (CAES). At Cobham, she contributed to double digit growth and led the largest portfolio in the business. She is experienced in managing a company operating under U.S. government Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation agreement, and has built strong relationships at the Defense Counterintelligence Security Agency at various levels. She has led large and complex portfolios and has served in leadership roles at Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems.

Herbets experience includes serving as chairman and outside director of companies operating under U.S. government FOCI mitigation agreements. In all cases, he actively provides advice and guidance on all subjects to senior management as well as establishes and manages corporate governance. He has worked with Thales Defense & Security, Inc., Photonis Defense, Inc., Orolia Defense & Security and Wireless Telecom Group. He serves as a member of the advisory councils of Lehigh University Engineering College and its Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. He is a retired Army veteran who has served as captain with the U.S. Army Signal Corps.

"As we welcome our new board members, we have a deep and whole-hearted appreciation for our outgoing board members expert guidance and direction over their tenures, said Ratigan. Our new board members well-defined business experiences are a good fit with our business, and their strong corporate governance credentials will enhance our vision for iDirectGov as we celebrate 15 years of operations and move into this new year that will bring new rewards and opportunities.

About iDirect Government iDirect Government, LLC, delivers secure satellite-based voice, video and data applications with anytime and anywhere connectivity in the air, at sea and on land. iDirect Governments advanced satellite IP solutions are used for critical ISR, airborne, maritime and COTM communications to support force protection, logistics, situational awareness, disaster recovery and emergency response.

Building on more than 15 years of global satellite communications experience, iDirect Government provides the most bandwidth-efficient, scalable and highly secure platform to meet specialized applications of multiple federal, state and local government agencies, including the Department of Defense, both domestically and abroad. iDirect Government, a U.S. corporation has been a trusted partner of the U.S. government for more than 18 years. All its employees are U.S. citizens, with a third being U.S. military veterans and more than 60% holding U.S. security clearances.

iDirect Governments specialized technology includes transmission security (TRANSEC), Communication Signal Interference Removal (CSIR) anti-jam technology and Open Antenna Modem Interface Protocol (OpenAMIP). All Defense-grade products sold by iDirect Government are designed, developed, assembled, programmed and verified within the United States.

For more information, please visit http://www.idirectgov.com and follow iDirectGov on Twitter at https://twitter.com/idirectgov, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/idirectgov and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/idirectgov/. See iDirectGov on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCReL2Mi-yyX0sNNu-Dq0erw.

Media Contacts: Keri Spencer Sr. Director of Marketing, iDirect Government 703-463-2355 [email protected] Jane Bryant Spire Communications 571-235-4822 [email protected]

Source: iDirect Government
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries is seen in Tel Aviv, Israel February 19, 2019. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/

(This Dec. 30 story refiles to add dropped words "members of" in last paragraph)

By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd fueled opioid addiction in New York state, a jury found on Thursday, a setback for a company still facing thousands of other opioid-related lawsuits around the United States.

The verdict, which followed a nearly six-month New York state court trial in a case brought by the state and two of its counties, does not include damages, which will be determined later. The jury deliberated more than eight days before reaching a verdict.

Teva shares, which had been trading higher, fell more than 7 percentage points in New York following the decision. In afternoon trading they were down 40 cents, or 4.7%, at $8.03.

New York Attorney General Letitia James called the outcome "a significant day" for the state and for "every family and community torn apart by opioids." Jayne Conroy and Hunter Shkolnik, who represent Suffolk and Nassau counties respectively, also hailed it as a "massive victory."

In a statement, the company said: "Teva Pharmaceuticals strongly disagrees with today's outcome and will prepare for a swift appeal as well as continue to pursue a mistrial." It said the state and counties presented "no evidence of medically unnecessary prescriptions, suspicious or diverted orders."

New York and the counties had accused the Israel-based drugmaker of engaging in misleading marketing practices that fueled opioid addiction in the state, including by pushing drugs for off-label use.

They focused on Actiq and Fentora, cancer pain drugs made by Cephalon Inc, a company Teva bought in 2011, as well as generic opioids sold by Teva.

ONE OF 3,300 LAWSUITS

The New York lawsuit is one of more than 3,300 filed by state, local and Native American tribal governments across the country accusing drugmakers of minimizing the addictiveness of opioid pain medications, and distributors and pharmacies of ignoring red flags that they were being diverted into illegal channels.

The judge in the case is still considering a request Teva made for a mistrial after a lawyer for the state cited an inaccurate statistic about opioid prescriptions in his closing argument. If the verdict stands, it could put pressure on Teva to reach a nationwide settlement with other states and local governments over opioid claims.

The evidence at trial included a parody video made for a Cephalon sales meeting in 2006 in which the villain, Dr. Evil from the "Austin Powers" films, talks about promoting the drugs for non-cancer pain, and another video, based on a courtroom scene in the film "A Few Good Men," in which a Cephalon employee tells a lawyer played by Tom Cruise that he "can't handle the truth" about what sales representatives need to do to meet quotas.

Teva at trial attributed a surge in opioid prescriptions to a change in medical standards of care emphasizing pain treatment beginning in the 1990s.

It also said that its opioid sales complied with federal and New York state regulations. The jury found the state partly to blame, assigning it 10% responsibility.

U.S. officials have said that by 2019, the health crisis had led to nearly 500,000 opioid overdose deaths over two decades. More than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses during the 12-month period ending April 2021, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-drug-overdose-deaths-top-100000-annually-cdc-2021-11-17 in November, a record driven in large part by deaths from opioids like fentanyl.

Other defendants in the case settled before or during trial - major pharmacies https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-pharmacies-strike-first-deals-with-counties-over-opioids-2021-07-13, distributors https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/drug-distributors-pay-up-11-bln-settle-new-york-opioid-case-2021-07-20 McKesson Corp, AmerisourceBergen Corp and Cardinal Health Inc, and drugmakers Johnson & Johnson https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/jj-reaches-230-mln-opioid-settlement-with-new-york-state-2021-06-26, Endo International Plc https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/drugmaker-endo-settles-opioid-claims-by-new-york-counties-50-mln-2021-09-10 and AbbVie Inc https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/jury-hear-final-arguments-ny-opioid-case-against-drugmakers-2021-12-08. AbbVie's settlement, for $200 million, came at the very end of the trial, on the day of closing arguments.

The settlement with J&J and the distributors was part of a nationwide deal https://www.reuters.com/world/us/drug-companies-say-enough-us-states-join-26-bln-opioid-settlement-proceed-2021-09-04 worth up to $26 billion. Teva did not take part in that deal.

Teva previously prevailed in a similar case when a California judge on Nov. 2 ruled https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-judge-rules-drugmakers-major-opioid-lawsuit-2021-11-02 that it and other drugmakers were not liable in a lawsuit brought by several counties in the state.

OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and had hoped to resolve a flood of lawsuits over the painkiller through a deal in which the company's former owners, members of the Sackler family, would pay $4.5 billion in exchange for immunity from future lawsuits. However, a federal judge on Dec. 17 scrapped https://www.reuters.com/business/judge-tosses-deal-shielding-purdues-sackler-family-opioid-claims-2021-12-17 the deal, a decision the company was expected to appeal.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York, Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Howard Goller)
SEATTLE (Reuters) - Boeing Co is in advanced talks with Qatar Airways to secure a launch order for a proposed new freighter, and a deal could come as early as next week when the country's ruling emir visits Washington, two people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Qatar Airways is looking at renewing its existing fleet of around 34 freighters with the larger new 777X version in a deal potentially worth $14 billion at list prices, the people said. Qatar has indicated it is willing to look at buying as many as 50 freighters, with the larger number likely to include options.

Both companies declined comment.

(Reporting by Eric M. Johnson; Editing by Leslie Adler)
(Tribune News Service)  The third of six planned separation boards convened at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton Tuesday as the service weighs what to do with the officers and senior enlisted leaders blamed for the fatal sinking of an assault amphibious vehicle off the San Diego coast two summers ago.

First Lieutenant Thomas MacAleese is accused of substandard performance and dereliction of duty as the platoon commander of the AAV platoon sent to the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit in the spring of 2020 ahead of a planned deployment that fall.

The sinking under his watch led to the deaths of eight Marines and one sailor.

Three boards of inquiry are already in the books. One, into the former commander of the 3rd Assault Amphibian Battalion, Lt. Col Keith Brenize, was held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., in December. Boards of inquiry into the former BLT commander, Lt. Col. Michael Regner, and the former Bravo Company commander, Capt. George Hepler, were held on Camp Pendleton earlier this month.

After MacAleeses board, two enlisted Marines will face administrative separation boards  the platoon sergeant and the vehicle commander of the lost amtrack, as the vehicles are referred to in the service.

In the military system, officers are sent to boards of inquiry while enlisted personnel face separation boards when their performance or negligence does not merit criminal prosecution. All the Marines face separation from the Corps.

The Camp Pendleton-based I Marine Expeditionary Force, which is responsible for the boards, will not release their results until all are complete and their recommendations are reviewed by the MEF commander and the Navy secretary  a process that could take months.

(The) decisions from the board members of the BOIs and ADSEP boards, as well as decision by the convening authority, the I Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) Commanding General (CG), as it relates to BOIs, are not final actions and are considered pre-decisional, not for public release, said 2nd Lt. Katarina Vogel, a IMEF spokesperson, in an email.

On July 30, 2020, Marines and sailors from 1/4 left the amphibious transport dock ship Somerset in 13 AAVs and rode to San Clemente Island, Calif. for training. While the amtrack crews had operated their vehicles in the ocean before, it was the first time the infantry Marines conducted waterborne operations in them.

While on the island, one vehicle broke down and could not return to the ship. Amtrack No. 5  the one that later sank  had an oil leak. Marines added six gallons of oil to it before splashing back into the Pacific with eight other amtracks, one of which almost immediately began taking on water and had to be towed back to the island by another.

According to the Marine Corps investigation, AAV No. 5 began taking on water but the vehicle commander delayed ordering an evacuation. By the time it was apparent the vehicle was going to sink, it was too late. Another AAV pulled up alongside the vehicle to rescue the troops but collided with it, sending it sideways into a crashing wave that inundated the amtrack through its open top hatch, and led to the drowning of the nine servicemembers.

Investigations into the accident found that in addition to the delayed evacuation, the infantry Marines on board had not been fully trained to evacuate the vehicles, nor were they all swim-qualified. The tracks themselves were in such poor mechanical condition that the investigating officer called them garbage when he testified during Regners board.

The investigation found fault in Marines all the way up the platoons chain of command to the commanding general of the 1st Marine Division at the time, Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi. Castellvi was forced out of his subsequent job as the Corps inspector general in the wake of the investigation.

At the boards held on Camp Pendleton this month so far, Marine Corps officers have pointed fingers above and below them in the chain of command, saying that senior leaders knew about the problems with the vehicles and training and that subordinates didnt always provide an accurate accounting of training and material readiness.

Aaron Myer, MacAleeses civilian lawyer, told the three lieutenant colonels that comprise his board the young officer did everything he could to get the vehicles repaired and raised concerns about training repeatedly to his superiors.

If MacAleese was listened to, these men would not be dead, and that is a fact, Myer said.

MacAleeses board is set to resume on the base Thursday.

2022 The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Visit sandiegouniontribune.com.

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WASHINGTON  Another 23 active-duty sailors have been forced out of the Navy for refusing the coronavirus vaccines, the Navy announced Wednesday.

Though the 23 separations were involuntary, all the sailors had more than six months in the Navy and received honorable characterizations of service, meaning they can keep their Department of Veterans Affairs benefits such as educational and health care assistance, the Navy said in a statement.

The dismissals come after the Navy announced Jan. 6 that it had issued 22 entry-level separations to vaccine-refusing sailors with less than 180 days in the service who were in their initial training periods.

In August, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced his decision to mandate the vaccines for all service members, but each service was allowed to establish its own deadline.

All active-duty sailors were supposed to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 28, but Navy officials waited until January to begin separating anyone to allow more time for those refusing the vaccine to change their minds.

After the deadline, we [have been] working with each and every one of those sailors in an effort to retain them and we'll do the same for anyone else who steps forward to get their shot, Rear Adm. James Waters, the Navys director of military personnel plans and policy, said Dec. 15.

Vice Adm. Bill Merz, the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy, said Wednesday that critics have questioned the loss on training dollars when the service separates sailors for refusing the vaccine. But he said now that vaccines are widely available, the Navy spends less money on responding to the coronavirus.

For example, the service has not had to evacuate any sailors from ships for medical reasons since the Navy required all troops to be vaccinated before deploying, Merz told reporters at the Pentagon, noting he considers the vaccines biologic body armor.

Further, when an outbreak does occur on a ship, it now takes the Navy considerably less time to control it and return that ship to sea, he said. For instance, the littoral combat ship USS Milwaukee resumed operations about two weeks after more than 20 of its vaccinated sailors tested positive for the virus on Dec. 24 while on a port visit to Naval Base Guantanamo Bay. In comparison, before coronavirus vaccines were available, it took the Navy about two months for the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to return to sea after it was sidelined in Guam in March 2020 for an outbreak that infected about one-fourth of its 4,500-person crew.

None of the services have required the coronavirus booster shot yet, but Kirby has said discussions are ongoing at the Pentagon about mandating the extra vaccine dose.

However, the Navy on Wednesday released new coronavirus mitigation guidance that encourages sailors to receive the booster shots as soon as they are eligible, Merz said.

Booster-shot eligibility comes six months after receiving a final dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or two months after the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, the Navys surgeon general, said the service has not seen resistance from sailors to the booster shot among its vaccinated force. He said sailors have been lining up and getting it.

The service is reviewing its data on booster shot acceptance rates, but Merz estimated more than 60 percent of the force have received the booster, noting not all sailors are eligible for the vaccine yet.

Service members can petition to be exempted from the vaccine mandate for medical, administrative or religious reasons. So far, the Navy has issued 10 permanent medical exemptions, 259 temporary medical exemptions, 59 administrative exemptions and no religious exemptions to active-duty sailors, according to the service.

The Navy Reserve has issued seven temporary medical exemptions and 24 administrative exemptions as of Wednesday, but no permanent medical exemptions or religious exemptions.

However, a federal judge in Texas on Jan. 3 granted a preliminary injunction stopping the Pentagon from firing 35 Navy special operators who sued over their religious objections to the vaccine mandate. In issuing the injunction, U.S. District Judge Reed OConnor said the loss of religious liberties outweighs any forthcoming harm to the Navy.

The Defense Department is working with the Justice Department on next steps involving that case, chief Pentagon spokesman John Kirby has said, but defense officials have not said yet how they plan to respond to the injunction.

The Air Force, Space Force and Army have also declined all religious exemption requests so far, according to the services. To date, only the Marine Corps has issued religious exemptions, announcing it had granted two earlier this month.
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(Tribune News Service)  Omicron has proven the most transmissible of any COVID-19 variant so far, straining hospital systems in every corner of the country. But it hasnt changed the dynamics surrounding the politics of the pandemic in the states.

As the crisis grinds toward its third lethal year, states have shown little letup in their approaches to the emergency. The states that embraced restrictions to protect public health are poised to continue to do so in the coming year. Those intent on ensuring the pandemic does not impinge on what they regard as individual autonomy will continue to do so in 2022.

Were not really seeing states change course [in response to omicron] in terms of their policies and approaches in dealing with COVID overall, said Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

For the most part, states that have imposed social distancing and have had masking and vaccine policies  or allowed local governments to institute them  are not changing those policies, Tolbert said. And states opposed to statewide masking and vaccine policies and social distancing continue to oppose them.

Underlining that last point and expressing the sentiment of many of his fellow Republican governors, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this month that no matter what damage omicron inflicts, he has no intention of ordering lockdowns or mask or vaccine mandates.

Were not shutting down again. Were going to weather through this, he said. This wave has been hard-hitting and fast, but hopefully it will be over very quickly.

When it comes to COVID-19 and state policy, whats past is likely to be prologue.

That divide is playing out even in how lawmakers conduct business. In West Virginia, for example, the Republican-controlled legislature is not requiring members to wear masks while in session despite the states record-breaking surge in COVID-19 cases. Meanwhile, the Vermont legislature voted to meet remotely at least for the first two weeks of the session.

Still, some less inflammatory subjects may bring bipartisanship. Those include addressing severe medical staffing shortages that have struck hospital systems during the delta and omicron surges and extending temporary measures that most states adopted early in the crisis to remove barriers to telehealth.

As an unintended consequence, the pandemic caused us to try things that we may have been reluctant to try before, said Andy Baker-White, senior director of state health policy for the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. And telehealth is one of those things. I remember speculating in spring of 2020, that these are things that arent going to go away.

Legislators in Maryland, Virginia and other places also have filed measures to try to address shortcomings the pandemic revealed in long-term care facilities, which were devastated in the first months of the pandemic.

Some states also may try to make inroads on some of the systemic issues that pre-dated COVID-19 but have been amplified by the crisis, including deficiencies in mental health, substance use and youth suicide services. Some states also may aggressively attack the issue of health equity. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials included boosting mental health and health equity among the top 10 public health state policies to watch in 2022, alongside protecting the authority of public health agencies, promoting vaccinations and bolstering the public health workforce.

State legislatures and governors also will be faced with decisions about how to spend more than $100 billion in additional federal COVID-19 aid yet to be distributed from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress last year.

And states will address the pandemic through their 2022-23 budgets, a process that is only now beginning. Some governors have already announced initiatives, including California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Earlier this month he proposed $2.7 billion in state funding to increase testing capacity, accelerate vaccination and booster efforts, support front-line workers, strengthen the health care system and counter misinformation.

States of emergency

In the early days of the pandemic in 2020, all states declared a public health emergency, which gave governors and state public health authorities enhanced power to take measures to contain the coronavirus, such as ordering shutdowns, relaxing some licensing requirements for medical providers, and allowing health care facilities to open new units to accommodate more hospitalized patients.

Many states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Maine and Massachusetts, allowed those emergency declarations to expire, particularly in the spring and summer of 2021 as more Americans received vaccinations.

In reaction to omicron, however, governors in some states, including Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, New Jersey and New York, reimposed at least partial states of emergency. Kansas, which recently reinstated its state of emergency, allows some medical providers, such as licensed practical nurses, to perform certain patient care that normally must be supervised by a doctor. Today, about half the states are operating under states of emergency.

The emergency measures sparked a backlash in many places. Legislatures in a number of states took action last year to curtail state and local authority to impose COVID-19 related restrictions. Many Republican lawmakers are trying to continue that trend in 2022.

For example, lawmakers in Missouri and West Virginia have filed bills that would prevent school mask mandates. An Alabama measure would allow parents to opt out of a school masking requirement for their kids.

A federal judge earlier this month blocked parts of a new Tennessee law that prohibits schools from imposing a mask mandate. The decision came in response to a lawsuit by parents of children with disabilities. The state is seeking to overturn the judges order.

In Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri and Pennsylvania, GOP legislators have filed bills that would restrict vaccine mandates. Some would prevent all government vaccine mandates. Some are specific to schools. Others would prohibit businesses from imposing a vaccine requirement on employees.

In Louisiana, Republican lawmakers want to prevent Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards from joining California and Washington, D.C., in adding COVID-19 to the list of vaccines required for school.

Tolbert, of Kaiser, said she expects more Democratic-leaning states also eventually will move to make COVID-19 shots mandatory in schools, but likely not before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives full, rather than emergency, authorization for the vaccines for children.

In Missouri, a Republican representative filed a bill that would prevent health insurers from refusing to cover a resident or charge a higher premium for not being vaccinated. It also would prohibit insurers from providing incentives to doctors for achieving higher rates of COVID-19 immunizations.

Conversely, a bill from an Illinois Democrat would make unvaccinated patients pay out-of-pocket if hospitalized because of COVID-19. In New Hampshire, Democrats filed a bill that would require health insurers to provide financial incentives to patients getting vaccinated. A Virginia bill would authorize employer health plans to reward or penalize patients based on their COVID-19 vaccination status.

Bills filed in Florida, Missouri and New York would ensure that loved ones could visit family members with COVID-19 who are hospitalized or in long-term care facilities.

Addressing provider shortages

But lawmakers on both sides of the partisan divide could find agreement in some areas related to COVID-19, particularly on addressing shortages in medical providers.

Indiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey and other states are considering bills that would relax licensing rules to allow out-of-state practitioners to work in their states or provide temporary licenses to retirees or recent graduates during the COVID-19 or other public health emergencies.

Measures in Vermont and Washington would allow optometrists to provide vaccinations in a public health emergency. A bill in Indiana would grant the same authority to pharmacist technicians. A Delaware bill would speed up the training of nursing assistants.

Another broad area of agreement might be increasing access to telehealth, which proved popular among both doctors and patients. Such measures might include continuing reimbursement for telehealth services for a broader set of medical services than was possible before the pandemic.

Perhaps more than any legislation on the table, a Mississippi bill vividly captures the weight of the pandemic, which already has claimed an unfathomable number of lives: The measure would allow the states health department to store bodies when local morgues are overwhelmed.

2022 The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Visit at stateline.org.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Tribune News Service)  Just days into a month-long deployment to Rhode Island Hospital, a military medical team is already making a difference in helping to treat a surge in the number of coronavirus patients caused by the spread of the omicron variant.

"The 30-day mission is incredibly important to us because we are just past the peak in the surge and our numbers are beginning to decline," Dr. Saul N. Weingart, hospital president, said Wednesday. "So this is exactly the right time when our staff needed the help."

The 23-person team of mainly Army personnel began their assignment on Saturday. The contingent includes three doctors, more than a dozen nurses and a pair of respiratory technicians. They have been spread out among intensive care and surgical units and the emergency department, where they are working side-by-side with hospital staff.

The team's current deployment is for a 30-day period, but it may be extended another 30 days if the need continues.

President Joe Biden announced earlier this month the federal government's decision to send aid to Rhode Island Hospital as well as to hospitals in five other states overwhelmed by the COVID pandemic. The other states are New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan and New Mexico.

Rhode Island Hospital has seen an eight-fold increase in COVID patients since early November, said Weingart, while at the same time losing staff to the virus and to voluntary departures. Staffing has been as much as 35% below normal.

The hospital has tried to address the situation by combining units, postponing elective procedures and repurposing workers. But the staffing shortage has meant that about 100 beds are out of service.

With the help of the military team, the hospital has been able to bump up the number of intensive care unit beds available to patients and the number of operating rooms, though it's still well short of capacity in both areas.

Most of the military personnel are assigned to the respiratory intensive care unit, which is primarily treating coronavirus patients.

Lt. Col. Edgardo Ramirez, commander of the team from the Army's 44th Medical Brigade, said he and the other members have felt welcomed by the staff at Rhode Island Hospital.

"We are in this together, and we will do everything we can to assist the local community and assist the team here in Rhode Island to do the best we can," he said.

Conditions in the hospital's intensive care unit are no different from units elsewhere, said Capt. Nicholas Law, a critical care nurse. The biggest challenges have been logistical - knowing where medical supplies are kept and mastering the hospital's electronic records system.

"We're just trying to learn the intricacies of that so we can be as fast as the Rhode Island Hospital nurses are," Law said.

One place where the addition of the team is being felt is in the emergency department, where wait times for patients have been reduced, said Cynthia Danner, chief nursing officer for the hospital.

"They're helping to triage those patients so we can get them to the appropriate place," she said.

The help from the military hasn't solved all of the hospital's problems and there's still a long way to go before the staffing shortage goes away.

"This is a national problem. It's not just a Rhode Island problem," said Dr. Dean Roye, the hospital's chief medical officer. "And it's going to take national solutions to address it across the country. We really need to fix the pipeline. We need to get an influx of nurses. We need to get an influx of other health-care professionals. But it's going to be a long, long time before we get back to normal."

For now, though, there's been relief among hospital staff at getting the help from the military team and seeing the expertise its members offer.

"There's been a significant emotional lift from having these capable clinicians working with us and helping us to care for patients," Weingart said.

2022 www.providencejournal.com.

Visit providencejournal.com.

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When visitors embark for Alcatraz, the island site of an infamous prison in San Francisco Bay, their moods are generally high. They're tourists, after all - they get a boat ride and a museum visit, and they may be fresh from the carnival atmosphere of Fisherman's Wharf, from which the ferry sets off. But on the return trip, they're often somber and sunk in moody contemplation.

Of course, a former prison is not exactly a feel-good destination. Nonetheless, touring one can provide insight into the changing - and sometimes unchanging - nature of incarceration in America. Historical attitudes toward crime and punishment can be a window into a bygone age as well as our own.

What follows is a thumbnail survey of prison museums throughout the United States, selected for their geographic spread; some are widely known, while others are small gems that deserve a closer look.

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

Originally the site of a lighthouse and military fortification, Alcatraz in its early years imprisoned American soldiers convicted of crimes, treasonous citizens, Confederate prisoners of war and Native Americans who refused to send their children to assimilationist government schools. But with its designation as a federal penitentiary in 1934, Alcatraz became the place to send prisoners who had been causing trouble at other federal sites, such as Leavenworth in Kansas. The island prison hosted notorious criminals such as Al Capone (also held at Eastern State), George "Machine Gun" Kelly and Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz" who was memorialized in a movie of the same name.

Untenable operating expenses closed the prison in 1963 - for example, the approximately 1 million gallons of fresh water that had to be delivered by boat each week. In 1969, the island was occupied by Native American protesters; although they were forcibly removed 19 months later, the event is considered a turning point for Native American activism. Many ideas were floated about what to do with the site in the ensuing years, including installing a West Coast version of the Statue of Liberty on it. Today, the site is a National Historic Landmark and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, run by the National Park Service, and it hosted more than 1 million visitors a year before the pandemic. The island, now a bird sanctuary that offers spectacular views of the city, belies its grim past.

Julianna Arias, a third-grade teacher in Gilroy, Calif., visited the island with her husband and family in December. Her 10- and 12-year-old children asked what prisoners had done to be sent there. "You don't want to really go into detail of some of the things they did," she says. "The Park Service did keep it G-rated."

National Big House Prison Museum, Represa, Calif.

Besides interpreting the history of the prison made famous by Johnny Cash's 1968 performance at Folsom State Prison, exhibits at this museum also feature prisoner artwork, including a eight-foot Ferris wheel constructed solely of toothpicks and glue. The museum sits on the grounds of the still-operational Folsom State Prison. (It's nerve-racking to drive in past the warden's sign warning visitors not to stop or turn around.) Completed in 1880, the structure once housed Charles Manson and has the distinction of being the first U.S. prison to have electricity.

In a cell reconstruction, a mannequin dubbed Sam the Perpetual Prisoner narrates the prison's early history. Sam, donated by Disney, was designed to resemble actor Charles Bronson. "A few years back, he quit working," says Jim Brown, the museum's operations manager. Apparently visitors were using him as a wishing well. "A guy came out and said: 'You know what the problem is? Well, his mouth is full of money. I pulled out $1.87 in change.' "

The museum recently reopened after its March 2020 pandemic-induced shutdown; Brown used the closure to do some retrofitting. For starters, he replaced its circa-1974 burnt-orange carpeting. Volunteers labeled a display of contraband shivs to identify which everyday objects had been transformed into knives: lemonade cans, lotion containers, toothbrushes.

According to museum volunteer Anthony Osuna, concrete surfaces are ideal for sharpening objects. "It's a sandpaper tool," he said. And guess what the cell floors are made of?

Texas Prison Museum, Huntsville, Texas

The highlight of this museum is its Bonnie and Clyde collection. Despite the fact that the duo's infamous rampage dates from the early 20th century, David Stacks, the museum's director, says even young visitors know who Bonnie and Clyde are. "Some movie depictions make them sound like a pair of folk heroes rather than the thugs they are," he said. "The fact is, they killed a lot of people, including law enforcement. [Our exhibit] gives a more historical portrayal."

Stacks says the public is drawn to the gritty nature of lawlessness. "How many shows do you see that have to do with CSI [crime scene investigators], police and emergency-type operations," he said. "People are enthused about the criminal elements."

Some of the artifacts at the museum may take the edge off that enthusiasm. Along with displays of the ball and chain that is incorporated into the museum's logo, a controversial artifact is "Old Sparky," the decommissioned electric chair that was in operation between 1924 and 1964. Manufactured by prisoners, it subsequently executed 361 of their peers.

"We see people changing history to make it softer, but that's not the way it should be," Stacks said.

Wiscasset Old Jail, Wiscasset, Maine

At the Old Jail, grooves in the wood floor bear witness to the shackled feet of sailors and debtors, and 100-year-old graffiti is visible on cell walls. Longtime tour guide and Lincoln County Historical Association board secretary Christine Hopf-Lovette said that although there is no anecdotal evidence of mistreatment in the jail, "it was definitely not a pleasant place to be."

When the jail opened in 1811, there were bars on the windows but no glass, and the only heat came from a coal-fired furnace in the hallway. Wiscasset was once a very busy port. "Sailors would be at sea for months at a time. They'd come into town and have a little too much fun," she said, and they would be thrown in jail for inebriation. "Everyone is so curious about what cells are like, and they realize it is just very, very grim." She said children as young as 9 were held here for weeks at a time for minor offenses such as stealing apples or sheep.

In the attached Jailer's House, built in 1839, the jailer's wife was on the hook for cooking meals for up to 50 inmates as well as her family. "In the 1800s, a law was passed that inmates were not to be fed lobsters, because they used them here for fertilizer. They thought it was inhumane," Hopf-Lovette said.

Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail, Warrenton, Va.

A new exhibit at this circa-1808 jail focuses on runaway enslaved people. Executive Director Sean Redmiles got the idea for it after he found a box in storage containing jail records that included multiple references to runaways. "I was curious to learn the role the jail played in preventing freedom seekers from achieving their goal," he said. "It's a sad story for the jail, but an important one."

Redmiles and an intern searched online newspapers to find 90 instances of runaway enslaved people connected to Fauquier. The museum now displays an 1854 advertisement for a man named Ludwell, offering a $200 reward - which Redmiles says translates to several thousand dollars in today's money. "There was incredible value put into the body of an enslaved person," he said, "and the jail provided the means for slave catchers to get their money."

Besides this exhibit, a re-created 1820s jail cell and a maximum-security cell from 1909 provide visitors a dispiriting perspective. "Being physically in the space and reading about the conditions, people are more sober than when they first come into the room," Redmiles said. "I want to eliminate some romanticism about old jails and prisons."

Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

"The Big Graph" installation at Eastern State Penitentiary aims to open visitors' eyes. It's a 16-foot, three-dimensional bar graph. Sean Kelley, senior vice president and director of interpretation, said "it illustrates what this country's done in the last generation in terms of mass incarceration," including the jump forward in incarceration rates, racial disparity and comparison to other nations. "The U.S. is the top of the chart in the world," he said. Kelley designed the graph, inspired by a tabletop display at Ellis Island in New York.

Inside the penitentiary, visitors peer at Capone's cell, recently reinterpreted. "We discovered that the luxury treatment [believed to have been afforded him] may be a myth," Kelley said. Learning that Capone had a cellmate makes it unlikely that sumptuous furnishings adorned the space. Along with a synagogue that Kelley believes to be the first in American prisons, he touts the structure's architectural beauty.

"It's like a castle with all that drama, battlements, towers, arrow-slit windows, and you go inside and it looks like a church." Sunlight pours in from more than 1,000 skylights in the 30-foot barrel-vaulted ceiling, to encourage rehabilitation, remorse and penance, while the outside's intimidating bulk is meant to deter crime.

IF YOU GO

Alcatraz Island

Golden Gate National Recreation Area, San Francisco

415-561-4900

nps.gov/alca/planyourvisit/index.htm

This island's prison was made famous by many movies about its notorious inmates, including the classic "Birdman of Alcatraz" starring Academy Award-winner Burt Lancaster. Open daily 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; hours vary by season. Stay as long as you want up to the last ferry of the day. No food for sale and limited restrooms. Inclusive ticket through official concessionaire Alcatraz CityCruises includes entry and ferry fare. Prices vary by type of tour: adults, $41-94.40; seniors, $38.65-87; children, $25-28.60; age 4 and under, free.

Eastern State Penitentiary

2027 Fairmount Ave., Philadelphia

215-236-3300

easternstate.org

Described as "America's most historic prison," this penitentiary has a long and storied history. Open Wednesday through Sunday for daytime tours 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adults, $17; seniors, $15; students with ID and those ages 7 to 12, $13; age 6 and under, free.

Fauquier History Museum at the Old Jail

10 Ashby St., Warrenton, Va.

540-347-5525

fauquierhistory.org

This small museum housed in an old brick jail is now focusing on the history of enslaved people who were jailed as runaways. Open Wednesday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; closed Tuesday. Adults, $5; seniors 65 and over and military, $3.50; students with ID and those ages 6-17, $2; age 5 and under, free.

National Big House Prison Museum

312 Third St., Represa, Calif.

916-985-2561, ext. 4589

bighouseprisonmuseum.org

Housed on the campus of the Folsom State Prison, this museum contains a small but interesting collection. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. General admission, $2; under 12, free.

Wiscasset Old Jail

133 Federal St., Wiscasset, Maine

207-882-6817

bit.ly/wiscasset-old-jail

Dating to the 1800s, this jail housed debtors and inebriated sailors, among others. Open Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Adults, $10; ages 16 and under, free.

PLEASE NOTE

Potential travelers should take local and national public health directives regarding the pandemic into consideration before planning any trips. Travel health notice information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's interactive map showing travel recommendations by destination and the CDC's travel health notice webpage.
STUTTGART, Germany  A U.S. military member was hurt in the mortar attack that killed a French soldier on Saturday, U.S. Africa Command said Wednesday.

The U.S. service member, whose injuries are not life threatening, was injured in a strike on a French military base in the city of Gao, AFRICOM said.

The service members identity and unit were not released. AFRICOM said the servicemember was airlifted to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center on Sunday.

French artilleryman Alexandre Martin, 24, died while serving with the anti-insurgent force Operation Barkhane, according to a French army statement Sunday.

A small contingent of U.S. troops provides support to the French-led counterterrorism effort in Mali, where a mix of Islamic extremist groups have long operated. AFRICOM did not disclose how many troops are now supporting Operation Barkhane.

U.S. AFRICOM supports French efforts in the region by routinely sharing assets such as medical evacuation, logistics support, [intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance], and air refueling support, AFRICOM said in a statement.

The support in Mali continues despite multiple coups in recent years in the West African nation, the last of which occurred in May 2021.

The attack serves as a reminder of the risks for U.S. forces in parts of Africa, where military missions are carried out largely outside of the public eye. In 2017, four U.S. soldiers were killed in neighboring Niger in an ambush.

In the aftermath of the Niger attack, some AFRICOM missions were scaled down as the military shifted assets to other parts of the world. Still, AFRICOM maintains a steady presence in Niger, where the Air Force operates a base in the desert that is a hub for surveillance and reconnaissance missions throughout the broader region.
NAHA, Okinawa  Hundreds of unexploded munitions from World War II uncovered on Okinawa last year were detonated underwater Wednesday by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

The service blew up 315 artillery shells, bullets and grenades at 10:20 a.m., about a half-mile offshore from Naha Ports Shinko Wharf.

A total of 634 munitions were discovered during a dredging of Naha Port between March and November, a Naha city spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Tuesday. The first 319 items were detonated in a similar manner Dec. 14.

The munitions are believed to be American-made leftovers from the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

A handful of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force personnel, city firefighters and Naha city officials, including deputy mayor Satoru Chinen, gathered to observe the detonation from the second floor of the municipal waste disposal facility Naha Eco Island. At 10:20 a.m., a whooshing sound was followed unceremoniously by a rush of water shooting into the sky.

The disposal was successful, Chinen told those in attendance a half-hour later.

Approximately 20 tons of unexploded ordnance are found and disposed of every year in Okinawa prefecture, a spokesman from the prefectures disaster prevention and crisis management division said by phone Wednesday. Its customary in Japan for some government officials to speak to the media on condition of anonymity.

We used to find more in the past, but it was only 14.4 tons last year, he said. I think it is a good thing that we are finding less and less every year.
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TOKYO  The sixth wave of COVID-19 in Japans capital city gave no indication it may crest soon as new case numbers soared even higher Wednesday.

Tokyo reported 14,086 new infections, nearly 1,300 more than the previous record set Tuesday, according to public broadcaster NHK.

Hospitalizations have steadily increased, a major cause for concern by public health officials. About 40% of beds available for COVID-19 patients were filled Tuesday, but just 2.5% of those for severely ill patients, according to the metro government.

Meanwhile, new case numbers at U.S. military bases fell for a third consecutive day. U.S. Forces Japan in a Wednesday update said 172 people had tested positive at 13 installations since the previous day; one person was awaiting confirmation. That number is down from 261 reported Monday and 810 on Jan. 12.

None of the U.S. military cases are hospitalized or seriously ill, according to USFJ.

Yokosuka Naval Base, homeport for the U.S. 7th Fleet south of Tokyo, topped the list for a second day with 60 new infections. Eight locations reported no confirmed cases.

U.S. Army Japan, headquartered at Camp Zama southwest of Tokyo, had 101 new COVID-19 infections for a seven-day period ending Wednesday, according to an Army news release. Of those, 53 were close contacts, 38 had fallen ill, five were in restricted movement and three were tested upon arriving in Japan.

Sasebo Naval Base, on Kyushu island, reported 36 people have tested positive since Tuesday, according to a Wednesday post on its Facebook page. The base has 253 active cases.

Marine Corps Station Iwakuni, south of Hiroshima, on Wednesday said 17 people tested positive the previous day, according to a news release.

In a report released Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed what health professionals and the media have widely reported: The omicron variant, while generating record infection numbers, has yielded proportionately fewer hospital admissions, emergency room visits and deaths than previous coronavirus variants.

During the omicron wave, disease severity indicators, including length of stay, [intensive care unit] admission, and death, were lower than during previous pandemic peaks, according to the report summary.

Also, this week the U.S. State Department issued a travel advisory, cautioning Americans to reconsider their trips to Japan, a country that wont admit most of them, anyway.

The State Department level 3 travel advisory for Japan cites the CDC, which issued its own Level 3 Travel Health Notice due to Japans high COVID-19 levels.

Japans record-breaking wave of new COVID-19 cases are double the one-day records set in August, according to the World Health Organization. The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, which tracks the pandemic worldwide, put Japans new case numbers at 62,489 on Tuesday, another record high.

Conversely, Japan closed its borders to new arrivals Dec. 2 citing an uptick in COVID-19 cases that grew into the current wave. The government at the time rolled back plans to admit some business travelers and international students.

Travelers from the United States were already on Japans list of those to be denied entry, according to the Foreign Ministry. The U.S. has company; most of the worlds countries are on that list.

Individuals under the status of forces agreement are an exception; they may come and go from Japan with permission from the U.S. military. SOFA outlines the rights and responsibilities of the U.S. military population in Japan.

The U.S. military in Japan passed another day Wednesday of a three-week restriction order due to expire Monday. Service members, civilian employees and their families are restricted to their installations, or their off-base homes, with exceptions for visits to grocery stores, medical and veterinary appointments and houses of worship, among others. The order came with a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and a widespread mask mandate.
The U.S. Navy is planning to recover an F-35C stealth fighter that fell into the South China Sea after crash-landing on the USS Carl Vinson earlier this week, according to a Navy official.

The incident is the fifth in a series of Class-A mishaps involving the Carl Vinsons aircraft contingent, Carrier Air Wing 2, in recent months.

The F-35C Lightning II was attempting to land aboard the aircraft carrier during routine flight operations on Monday. The jet struck the flight deck before falling into the water, 7th Fleet spokeswoman Cmdr. Hayley Sims told Stars and Stripes by phone Wednesday.

The U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35 aircraft to be recovered, but I dont have any details past that, she said.

The pilot ejected and was picked up by a rescue helicopter, the Navy said Monday. Six other sailors were injured in the crash. Three were flown to a hospital in Manila, the Philippines; the remaining four were treated aboard the Carl Vinson.

All seven were in stable condition Wednesday afternoon, Sims said.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation, and no additional details were immediately available, Sims said. The C variant of the fifth-generation fighter is configured for carrier landings and costs approximately $103 million per aircraft, according to manufacturer Lockheed Martin.

The Carl Vinson was taking part in a dual-carrier training operation that began Sunday and included the USS Abraham Lincoln and their respective carrier strike groups.

Sims verified that four Class A mishaps involving aircraft assigned to the carrier occurred between Nov. 22 and Dec. 31. The Navy defines a Class A mishap as either involving loss of life or permanent disability, or the complete loss of an aircraft or property damage of $2.5 million or more.

The first mishap occurred Nov. 22, when an F/A-18E Super Hornets starboard engine caught fire mid-flight. The fighter jet landed safely, and no one was injured, according to the Naval Safety Center.

Two days later, an MH-60R Seahawks dipping sonar equipment unexpectedly detached from the helicopter during an anti-submarine warfare training exercise, according to a Dec. 2 report from Navy Times.

On Nov. 29, another Super Hornet suffered a system failure while airborne. The aircraft was recovered safely without injuries, but subsequent inspections revealed what appeared to be Class A damage to the fighters structure, according to the Naval Safety Center.

Two days later, a CMV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircrafts starboard engine caught fire on the Carl Vinsons flight deck. No injuries were reported.

All five incidents remain under investigation, said Sims, who couldnt speak to any pattern or any kind of speculation on them until the investigations are concluded.
As tensions over the Russia-Ukraine conflict soared this week, the United States ordered the departure of all family members of U.S. Embassy personnel, citing the threat of Russian military action. It also told nonessential staffers that they could leave.

The move prompted U.S. allies such as Britain and Canada to follow suit and temporarily withdraw some staffers amid a buildup of Russian troops and weapons on Ukraines borders. But others, including the European Union, have opted to stay, instead urging more diplomacy as a way to stave off war.

The differing approaches highlighted a growing rift among Western nations over how to confront Moscow.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko called the evacuation of diplomatic families this week premature.

It is extremely important to avoid activity that could be used in the information space to increase tensions in society and destabilize the economic and financial security of Ukraine, Nikolenko wrote on Twitter on Monday.

He said that only a handful of the 129 diplomatic missions in Ukraine have announced evacuations. Here is where some of those nations stand.

United States

After the order for diplomats families to leave Ukraine, U.S. officials in Kyiv held a virtual town hall Tuesday and warned hundreds of Americans that the embassy would not be in a position to evacuate them in the event of a conflict.

The embassy also issued an alert advisory ranking Ukraine as Level 4: Do Not Travel. According to the alert, security conditions along Ukraines borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea and eastern Ukraine are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice.

The advisory said that U.S. citizens should consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options.

U.S. officials declined to offer more details about why the departure order was being made now, but they relayed President Joe Bidens recent remarks that an invasion could happen at any time.

The United States also warned citizens in nearby Belarus - where Russia has repositioned forces in recent days - to keep an eye on political and military tensions in the region and avoid public demonstrations. It urged Americans there to regularly reevaluate possible departure plans in the event of an emergency.

The decision to remove some staff from Ukraine was based on one factor only: the safety and security of our colleagues and families, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

I want to be clear that our embassy in Kyiv will remain open and we continue to maintain a robust presence to provide diplomatic, economic and security support to Ukraine, he said.

Canada

Global Affairs Canada announced Tuesday that it would temporarily withdraw the children of embassy staff and family members accompanying them. In a statement, it also cited the ongoing Russian military buildup and destabilizing activities in and around Ukraine.

An adviser to the Ukrainian presidents chief of staff, Mykhailo Podolyak, told Canadas Globe and Mail newspaper that the move to send diplomats families home was understandable. But he warned that it was having a negative effect on Ukraines morale.

Overreacting to what the Russian Federation has been doing . . . is making Ukrainian society nervous, Podolyak said in an interview in response to Canadas announcement.

Britain

Britain temporarily withdrew some staff and dependents from its Ukraine embassy Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

He called it a responsible precaution but said that the embassy will remain open and continue to provide consular assistance for British nationals in Ukraine.

About half of the embassy staff will return to Britain, the BBC reported.

European Union

E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Monday that most member nations would not immediately be scaling back their embassy staff.

We are not going to do the same thing because we dont know any specific reasons, Borrell said ahead of a meeting of E.U. foreign ministers, Reuters reported.

Negotiations are going on, he said.

Germanys Foreign Ministry said Monday that families of key staff were able to leave but that diplomats would stay.

This is the appropriate measure in the current situation, said ministry spokesman Christofer Burger.

Australia

The Australian government urged its citizens to immediately leave Ukraine due to the increased risk of armed conflict, Australias ABC News reported Monday.

Australians in Ukraine should leave now by commercial means, where safe to do so, noting that flight availability could change or be suspended at short notice, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.

It raised its advisory for Ukraine to Do Not Travel.
BERLIN  Just seven weeks into the job, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is struggling to shape Berlins response to the Ukraine crisis, triggering withering criticism from Kyiv and behind-closed-doors cajoling from the United States.

The messages emanating from Germany are much too soft and can be interpreted by President Vladimir Putin as a sign of weakness and hesitation, Andriy Melnyk, Ukraines ambassador to Germany, wrote in comments to The Washington Post. The vast majority of Ukrainians even believe that this unwillingness of Germany to act preventively and not to put the Kremlin under extreme pressure is nothing else [than] a pure appeasement politics.

For Germanys new chancellor - who took over from the crisis-vetted Angela Merkel after 16 years - steering the countrys Russia policy has meant trying to helm a three-party coalition, negotiating with pro-Russian voices within his own party and navigating questions over the 750-mile, $11 billion Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Germany and Russia.

The stakes are high, with an estimated 100,000 Russian troops amassed on the edges of Ukraine. But as NATO attempts to present a united front, Germany has appeared as a weak link that has often left it on the defensive with allies.

On Saturday, Berlins ambassador in Kyiv was summoned by the Ukrainian government to stress the categorical unacceptability of the German navy chiefs comments that Putin probably deserves respect. Meanwhile, Berlin faced questions over reports that it has blocked the transfer of decades-old howitzers from Estonia to Ukraine. (It says it has not done so, and just hasnt made up its mind about whether to issue resale permissions, but has agreed to ship 5,000 helmets.)

It has been a baptism of fire for Scholz, who is known for his cautious public style. The fumbling may, in part, be a new government finding its feet. But analysts and foreign officials say its also the result of a years-overdue need for Berlin to reassess its policy toward Moscow, which has long tried to separate expanding trade and energy ties from politics.

- - -

You see this German government still negotiating within itself and really, in the past week, putting up a very disunified front, which is frankly dangerous at this time, said Cathryn Cluver Ashbrook, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations.

On Wednesday, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit defended Berlins reliability. All options are on the table, he said.

Germanys position was of sufficient concern to the Biden administration to be brought up during a visit to Berlin by CIA Director William J. Burns earlier this month, according to two U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal details of the visit. Burns encouraged German officials to take a stronger line against Russia despite Berlins concerns about how it might affect energy markets in Europe, which are deeply reliant on Russian exports, one official said.

On the very functional level, it was definitely a sharing of intelligence, said the second official. Then, delivering a very specific message that we need solidarity right now. It was also a political-level talk.

Since that Jan. 13 meeting, Scholz has stopped referring to Nord Stream 2 as a purely private project and said that all options are on the table for sanctions in the case of a Russian invasion. Western diplomats said Scholzs clearer comments in recent days have alleviated some concerns.

In his public comments, Scholz has consistently stressed the importance of avoiding escalation, keeping the peace and leaving a door open to Russia. When it comes to sanctions, it is prudent to choose measures that will have the greatest effect on those who violate agreed principles, he told German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung when asked about whether Germany was prepared to accept the high cost of putting Nord Stream 2 on the line, or blocking Russia from the SWIFT international banking system.

We have to consider the consequences this has for us, he said. Nobody should have the illusion that there is some measure that has no consequences for us.

Even aside from Nord Stream II, Germany and wider Europe are heavily dependent on Russian gas. Germany is Russias largest trading partner after China, much of which is accounted for by gas imports. Natural gas accounts for about a third of Germanys energy consumption, second only to oil - and that could grow because of pledges to wean off coal and nuclear.

That also means Russian dependence is growing. Russian gas is currently estimated to account for between 50 percent and 75 percent of Germanys gas imports. Thats up from 35 percent in 2015.

I think what we are seeing is an expression of long-standing questions about Germanys Russia policy and its Eastern Europe policy, said the second U.S. official who described the CIA directors visit. I think it really is a question of where does the government stand, and in essence it boils down to where does Scholz stand. The language being used is not clear.

- - -

Scholz, 63, squeaked a win in the countrys September elections and was officially sworn in early last month after forming a coalition made up of his center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the more libertarian Free Democrats.

This government wanted to do something about climate change, they want to change the face of Germany and want to make it carbon-free, and all of a sudden they are completely mired in a huge foreign policy crisis, said Markus Ziener, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund. And I think they are struggling with this quite a bit.

The Social Democrats are divided. While Scholz is from its more pragmatic wing, there are still strains within the party rooted in its historic Ostpolitik, or Eastern Policy, which favors change through rapprochement, as espoused by the partys Cold War chancellor Willy Brandt. And Scholzs influence over his party is limited. He lost its leadership contest last year even though he was picked as the chancellor candidate.

On the main points there is consensus in the party, said Ralf Stegner, the SPDs parliamentary groups representative for transatlantic relations and part of the partys more left-leaning wing. Everybody is clear that the integrity of territory in Europe cannot be violated.

However, there are differences over whether its appropriate to give public interviews threatening the other side with sanctions, Stegner said.

Particularly since Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, many in Scholzs party have taken a more realistic view of Ostpolitik. But that legacy remains.

Its very stupid to think all of that is just old business and doesnt count anymore, said Stegner. Of course the circumstances have changed. What hasnt changed is history, what hasnt changed is geography, what hasnt changed are the interests.

I dont think anyone could really argue that Putin is worse than Brezhnev, Stegner said of former Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev. Its fair and necessary to see the other sides interest, to talk about interests, rather than threatening the other side in public interviews.

Its a sentiment thats also been echoed by Markus Soder, a leader of Germanys Christian Democrats and one of the countrys most popular politicians. Russia is a difficult partner, but not an enemy of Europe, he said.

Past sanctions on Russia have had hardly any effect, and new ones could hurt Germany just as much, he said.

What you have is a lot of people in the parliamentary group of the SPD and in the opposition, questioning the wisdom of sanctions, said Constanze Stelzenmuller, a Germany expert at the Brookings Institution.

For some in Scholzs SPD, providing weapons to Ukraine that might be used against Russian soldiers is simply a no-go, said Ziener.

The Social Democrats have a couple of convictions when it comes to Russia. One is never again - that we should never go to war with Russia again, even through proxies, he said. That is one of the reasons why the government has such issues with allowing others even to send weapons.

- - -

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also has dueling pressures. She touted a hard line toward Russia during the election campaign, and was praised for her clear words during a joint news conference with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov last week on her first visit to Moscow, saying it was hard not to take the buildup of troops as a threat.

But she hails from the Green party, which, with its roots in the peace movement, has its own issues with arms deliveries.

Baerbock has cited Germanys wartime history as the reason for not being able to help Ukraine with defensive arms. Germany has stressed that it is contributing to NATO troop reinforcements in Eastern Europe, and a military hospital in Kyiv.

While Germanys arms exports hit a record $10 billion last year, the new government has said it hopes to pursue a more restrictive arms policy. Wednesdays announcement to send 5,000 helmets is a joke, Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, told Germanys Bild newspaper. What does Germany want to send next in support? Pillows? he said.

During her trip to Moscow, Baerbock acknowledged the wartime suffering and destruction Germans wrought upon the people of the Soviet Union.

But Melnyk, the Ukrainian ambassador to Germany, has said that - if history is the issue - Germanys responsibility should be toward the Ukrainian people, who lost at least 8 million lives during the Nazi occupation. He called on Germany to finally demonstrate a true leadership and not hide itself behind artificial excuses.

The Ukrainian government calls once again upon Germany, as one of the worldwide biggest arms-exporting nations, to change its restrained, incomprehensible attitude and join other Western allies in a common endeavor to immediately send necessary weapons to Kyiv, he said.

In general, German policy needs to be revisited immediately, he said. The time is running out.

- - -

The Washington Posts Liz Sly in London, Vanessa Guinan-Bank in Berlin, and Shane Harris and John Hudson in Washington contributed to this report.
(Tribune News Service)  Zachary Blood pulled up to the Border Patrol checkpoint outside Falfurrias, Texas, with a flag-draped coffin stowed behind him, according to the Department of Justice.

A dead guy, Navy guy laid inside of it, the 33-year-old Galveston man told border agents on Oct. 26, a news release said.

But the casket looked wrong, officers at the checkpoint thought. It was worn out or banged up, in poor condition, and the American flag atop was attached with packing tape, the Jan. 25 Justice Department release said.

Suspicious, they pulled Bloods modified van-turned-hearse aside for a closer, secondary inspection, the release said.

Border Patrol popped the cargo open and instead of a deceased serviceman, they found two live men crammed together inside, both Mexican nationals, both unlawfully present within the United States, officials said.

With the help of a smuggler, the men crossed the Rio Grande into Texas and made their way to a parking lot to start the next leg of their trek, they told authorities. There, Blood waited for them with an empty coffin  their means north to San Antonio.

Falfurrias is about 85 miles north of the border town of McAllen and about 150 miles south of San Antonio, the destination the men said they had paid to reach.

Blood pleaded guilty to one charge of alien smuggling, the release said. If found guilty, he could spend up to 5 years in prison and be fined as much as $250,000.

2022 The Charlotte Observer.

Visit charlotteobserver.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday making sexual harassment a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The executive order also will strengthen the militarys response to domestic violence and instances of service members sharing intimate visual images without permission, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

Psaki said the order was created in honor of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, a 20-year-old small arms repairer who was killed by another soldier in 2020 after being sexually harassed.

This historic addition to the [Uniform Code of Military Justice] honors the memory of Army Spc. Vanessa Guillen, whose experience with severe sexual harassment was followed by a brutal murder, catalyzing national attention to the scourge of sexual violence in our military, she said.

An estimated one in four women and one in 16 men experience sexual harassment within the Defense Department, according to a study last year by Rand Corp., a nonprofit think tank. One in 16 women and one in 143 men experience sexual assault.

After Guillens killing, female service members and veterans used the hashtag #IamVanessaGuillen to share their own stories of sexual harassment and assault while serving in the military. Lawmakers and advocates called for change to the militarys handling of sexual harassment and assaults, describing the moment as a reckoning.

Guillens family celebrated Bidens order Wednesday and they said it contained some provisions included in the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act, which was introduced in Congress to change how military sexual assault is prosecuted.

This is a very emotional and a very proud moment for my family, Guillens sister Mayra said in a written statement.

Some of the measures in the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act were already enacted by Congress through the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act. Through the NDAA, which sets the Defense Departments annual budget and includes a slew of defense-related policies, Congress approved significant changes in December to how the military prosecutes major crimes, including rape and sexual assault.

Under the new law, commanders will be removed from prosecution decisions for those cases. Instead, each military branch will establish a new Office of Special Trial, independent of the chain of command, to oversee them.

The new law also addresses sexual harassment. Lawmakers moved to make sexual harassment a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The law states allegations of harassment must be reviewed by independent investigators. How the executive order differs from the new law was unclear Wednesday afternoon.

The Biden-Harris administration thanks Congress for its bipartisan commitment to pass monumental reform to the military justice system, Psaki said Wednesday when discussing the order.

The order hadnt been publicly released late Wednesday afternoon, and other details of its contents, such as the potential penalties for sexual harassment and domestic violence, were not known.
BROCKTON, Mass. (Tribune News Service)  Former Marine Thomas Koonce has been serving a life sentence in prison for nearly 30 years. It's easy for him to remember how long he's been there, because he was incarcerated one month after his son was born.

Now, after decades of no hope, 54-year-old Koonce has a chance at freedom.

Earlier this month, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker commuted his sentence. The commutation still has to be approved by the Governor's Council, but if approved, he can apply for parole. If he is approved for parole, he'd be out of prison on parole for life.

The Governor's Council began its commutation hearing on Wednesday morning. Witnesses testified to Koonce's character, and Koonce was expected to testify Wednesday afternoon. Should the Governor's Council vote to commute his conviction from first-degree murder to second-degree, several steps remain before Koonce would be a free man. He must also go before the parole board. The various steps could take four or five months.

Koonce was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Mark Santos of New Bedford as a result of an incident in June 1987. Koonce and Santos were part of altercations between two groups of men from Brockton and New Bedford.

Eventually, Koonce shot Santos from the passenger seat of a car in New Bedford. He claims he meant to shoot the gun upward so as not to hit anyone.

Koonce was originally tried in 1990, but it resulted in a mistrial when the jury could not reach a verdict. In 1992, he was tried again and found guilty.

"I don't lose sight of the fact that somebody died and it was a reckless act, even if it was self-defense," Koonce's lawyer, Timothy Foley, said.

But Foley, who has represented Koonce since 2019, said he believes that Koonce shouldn't have been found guilty of first-degree murder, nor should he spend his life in prison.

Koonce was raised in Brockton. Foley said his goal growing up was to attend Northeastern University and study to become some sort of law enforcement officer. But without the money to do so, Koonce joined the military in the hope that it would help him pay for college.

Koonce enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after he graduated from Brockton High School in 1985. He served two years in the Marines before coming home for an extended period of time. It was during that time home that the altercation with Mark Santos occurred.

Koonce was incarcerated in 1987 for a few months, but in January 1988, his family posted bail. He continued serving in the Marine Corps, having been transferred to the Weymouth Naval Base, until he was incarcerated again in 1992 after the second trial.

Since then, Koonce has had a stellar prison record, Foley said. In his nearly three decades, he's only had to face disciplinary action twice, and the last one was 20 years ago.

In 1994, Foley said, some older inmates asked him to take over the Second Thoughts program  a program in which prisoners mentor at-risk youth to try to prevent them from going down the same path as they did.

Foley said Koonce was the chairperson of the program for decades, but eventually stepped back to focus on a restorative justice program he and a handful of other lifers created at Massachusetts Correctional Institution at Norfolk (MCI-Norfolk) where he was imprisoned.

In 2010, Foley said, Koonce and other lifers were concerned about safety in the prison as more younger prisoners who liked to cause trouble were incarcerated there.

Foley said Koonce and others had been reading about restorative justice  an approach to justice where the focus is on repairing harm done by a crime, so they asked the warden if they could try to create a restorative justice program at the prison.

The warden gave the inmates a year to come up with a curriculum for the program, Foley said, and when they were done, it was approved.

"He's always trying to help people help themselves," Foley said.

During his time in prison, Koonce has also helped other inmates by mentoring other men who were up for parole, Foley said. He's also kept a stable job in prison for decades.

Koonce also got a degree from Boston University's correctional program, and years later, was asked to speak at the program's graduation. Foley said the head of the program even spoke on behalf of Koonce at his commutation hearing.

"He was always learning," Foley said. "And this is a guy who was not scheduled to ever be released."

Foley said that before he decided to commit to helping Koonce, he asked several inmates whom he knew professionally what they thought of Koonce. Foley said they all said the same thing: there's something wrong with the system if Koonce stays in prison the rest of his life.

Koonce first applied for commutation in 2014, but his petition was shelved. He tried again under Gov. Baker years later, but in 2020, Baker changed the guidelines for commutation.

Foley said Koonce fit squarely into the guidelines Baker had listed. So later that year, they filed a supplement to his petition. By August, he had a commutation hearing, and by January 2021, he was recommended for commutation.

Out of respect for Mark Santos' mother, Virginia Santos, who does not want Koonce to get out of prison, Koonce and Foley did not start a public campaign for his freedom as some other prisoners do when they are up for commutation. Foley said they decided to rely on the strength of his petition to get his sentence commuted.

Even now that Koonce's sentence has been commuted, Foley said Koonce is thinking of Virginia Santos.

"First thing he said when he found out was 'It's a great day for myself. It's great for us, for my family, but we also have to keep in mind that Virginia Santos was against this, and it's gonna be a sad day for her.' That's the type of guy he is," Foley said.

Still, Foley and Koonce are feeling positive about Koonce's future.

"He's definitely a person who makes the world around him a better place," Foley said.

Enterprise staff writer Chris Helms contributed to this report.

ssudborough@enterprisenews.com

(c)2022 The Enterprise, Brockton, Mass.

Visit The Enterprise, Brockton, Mass. at www.enterprisenews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Stillwater, OK (74074)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms. A few storms may be severe. High 67F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms likely. A few storms may be severe. Low around 60F. Winds SE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 90%. 1 to 2 inches of rain expected.
Changes to the SunCommercial's back end processing means the e-edition is getting a facelift. The biggest change is the e-edition, by default, is now presented in Text view.
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is proposing to lower the speed limit on State Highway 30.

Formal consultation is now open on the proposal following a review of speed limits along SH30, between Tikitere and Whakatane.

We are proposing lower speed limits to make the road safer for everyone who uses it, says regional relationships director David Speirs.

Our analysis shows that the current range of speed limits on SH30 are not safe and appropriate for the road. Safe speeds save lives. When speeds are safe for the road, simple mistakes are less likely to end in tragedy.

SH30 caters to a wide range of competing travel needs including tourists, cyclists and school children. In addition, crashes on this route can cause extensive delays and long detours if there are road closures.

The deaths and serious injuries along this stretch of road have caused immeasurable grief and suffering for families and communities. It is more important that everyone gets to their destination safely, rather than trying to get there quickly.

Tom Macky, from Lake Rotoiti Community Association, is keen to see SH30 made safer.

"Our Lake Rotoiti community has given widespread support for this opportunity to make dangerous sections of our roads safer, as population growth, traffic density and crash rates steadily increase, says Tom.

It is an incredibly important step to reduce preventable tragedies just waiting to happen.

In the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 10 people lost their lives and 73 were seriously injured in crashes on this section of SH30.

Safe speeds are critical to improving road safety, but it is just one part of our road safety strategy. Decisions on speed and infrastructure for this stretch of road are being made hand-in-hand.

Waka Kotahi is now formally asking for feedback from stakeholders and the public about proposals to change the speed limits along SH30 between Tikitere and Whakatane.

David says this feedback will be considered by Waka Kotahi before it makes decisions on these proposed speed limit changes.

The consultation period provides a month to give feedback on the proposed speed limit changes.

The formal consultation period runs until 18 February 2022.

Formal consultation

Changing a speed limit is a legal process, so this step is when we show people a detailed proposed speed limit, which has been developed using the technical assessment and feedback from the engagement stage.

During this consultation stage, NZTA asks the public and stakeholders for any additional information that might have an impact on the final decision.

What NZTA is proposing

LOCATION CURRENT SPEED LIMIT PROPOSED SPEED LIMIT SH30: From approximately 353m east of SH30/SH33 Tikitere Junction to approximately 650m east of Curtis Road. 100km/h 80km/h SH30: From approximately 650m east of Curtis Road to approximately 380m west of Lake Okataina Road. 100km/h 60km/h SH30: From approximately 380m west of Lake Okataina Road to approximately 140m east of Lake Okataina Road. 80km/h 60km/h SH30: From approximately 140m east of Lake Okataina Road to approximately 366m west of Te Urumahue Road. 80km/h No change SH30: From approximately 366m west of Te Urumahue Road to approximately 420m east of Tamatea Street. 80km/h 60km/h SH30: From approximately 420m east of Tamatea Street to approximately 905m west of Morehu Road West. 100km/h 60km/h SH30: From approximately 905m west of Morehu Road West to 120m west of Oxford Road. 100km/h 80km/h SH30: From 120m west of Oxford Road to 530m west of Matahi Road. 70km/h 60km/h SH30: From 530m west of Matahi Road to 2460m west of SH2/SH34 Kawerau Junction West. 100km/h 60km/h SH30: From 2460m west of SH2/SH34 Kawerau Junction West to 175m west of Huia Crescent. 100km/h 80km/h SH30: From 175m west of Huia Crescent to 325m east of Te Teko Road. 50km/h No change SH30: From 325m east of Te Teko Road to 100m north-east of Galatea Road. 70km/h 60km/h SH30: From 100m north-east of Galatea Road to 185m south-west of SH2/SH30 Awakeri Junction West. 100km/h 80km/h SH30: From 185m south-west of SH2/SH30 Awakeri Junction West to 410m north-east of the SH2/30 Awakeri Junction East. 70km/h 60km/h SH2: From 100m west of the SH2/30 Awakeri Junction West to 80m east of the SH2/SH30 Awakeri Junction East. 70km/h 60km/h SH30: From 410m north-east of the SH2/30 Awakeri Junction East to 310m west of the centre of the SH30/Gateway Drive/Phoenix Drive roundabout. 100km/h 80km/h SH30: From 310m west of the centre of the SH30/Gateway Drive/Phoenix Drive roundabout to 100m north of the northern abutment of the Whakatane Bridge. 80km/h 60km/h

See map here

How can I have my say?

You can make a submission on the proposed changes by:

downloading and completing the electronic feedback form from www.nzta.govt.nz/bop-speed-review

sending us an email bayofplenty.speed.reviews@nzta.govt.nz

picking up a submission form from a Whakatane District Council office or library.

Feedback closes 5pm on Friday 18 February 2022.

More information about speed reviews:

Plan ahead for a safe, enjoyable journey. Keep up to date with:
A Bay of Plenty-based firm is welcoming other businesses to reach out for advice after implementing Rapid Antigen Testing within their company.

Rapid Antigen Testing, often abbreviated to RAT, has been adopted by global manuka honey brand, Comvita since early January and now, with Omicron present in the community and New Zealand entering the red traffic light setting, they say refreshing safety protocols has been a boost for their workforce and business.

The Paengaroa-based company decided to introduce RAT after reviewing their already strong protocols on Covid-19 safety in early January, says Comvitas head of safety and sustainability, Heather Johnston.

She says that the decision was made to introduce RAT as soon as businesses were first able to access them, after other alternatives, such as temperature checks, were considered.

After speaking with the team we saw there was a real opportunity for us to trial out the Rapid Antigen Testing, says Heather.

You remember at Christmas, with Auckland coming out of the red setting, we knew there was going to be a potential risk for higher contamination with people connecting from being on holiday.

We wanted to provide our teams the confidence that when they returned to their workplace it would be as safe a place to be as possible.

After staff were initially tested upon their return from the Christmas break, the company now adopt a surveillance testing policy.

Comvitas head of safety and sustainability, Heather Johnston. Supplied photo.

That policy is activated by the risk in the community and Heather confirms that moving into the red setting results in an increase in frequency of testing.

Heather says the testing has provided confidence among the workforce and the community.

It has given us a higher level of reassurance that we are doing as much as we can to look after our people and our community and whanau.

As well as protecting staff and their family members, Heather says there are also bonuses from a business perspective.

We can respond really quickly ahead of it, before somebody comes in and starts work, and therefore we can keep moving, says Heather.

All our businesses have been balancing safety and business. Early detection is great for us so we can be right ahead of it and respond quickly.

Then the impact on our team and operations is as minimal as possible.

This week, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern outlined updates to the way RAT is used in work settings and an increase in orders of RAT kits over the next five weeks.

Whilst PCR testing remains the Government preference, utilising RAT as part of a test to return to work policy across the nation appears to be on its way.

Comvita want to share their experience with other businesses to prepare them for the next stage of dealing with Covid-19 in New Zealand workplaces.

We are happy to share our story with any other businesses who are considering RAT testing, says Heather.

It does not need to be hard and complex. Keeping it simple is key. We are definitely here if any other businesses want to reach out and discuss what worked and what didnt.

We are all learning but every little bit counts and makes us collectively a little bit stronger.
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humbleroadster BHPian

Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: Goa Posts: 88 Thanked: 228 Times

Poor experience with BMW Bavaria Motors, Pune service center Quote: timuseravan Originally Posted by Bavaria story. :

Had to actually search for a mention in the forum. An update to this thread after 3+ years, but based out of my personal experience.



Got my hands on a pre-owned X3 (f25) in October last year. Wanting to get it serviced from Pune, which is where I was at the time visiting folks, Id booked an appointment with Bavaria. My experience has been less than ordinary with this particular service centre. It was already November by the time i has given the car off for the service.

BMW owners, please feel free to advice comment on the following:



1. As a part of getting a few cosmetic changes done, Id asked for the ///M badge at the rear. Bavaria manged to get the X3 off, leave a very apparent yellow mark on then put on the M badge on top of it. I was to get it detailed anyways after the service, but was quite surprised at the attitude at which this was presented.

2. Engine oil was to be changed as a part of the service. I live in Goa, and Id left for Goa a couple of days after Id got the car back. A low engine oil level error appeared when Id just managed to enter goa. This is a barely 500 kms post an annual service. (Pic attached). Bavaria nonchalantly mentioned they could only gauge the oil level electronically, and I should fill in a litre of the same grade! Seriously?! Is this normal after an oil change? Ill be surprised if it is.

3. A sunroof, by far, is the most useless feature(for me). The one on my car was squeaking a bit during my purchase. Bavaria had absolutely no clue what to do with it, and the SA told me itll only get repaired/maintained if it leaks! Now that statement in itself appears concerning on so many other levels. Anyhow, it still squeaks!



Apart from the driving experience that the F25 has given me till now, I really hope Bavaria Goa, or Infinity Mumbai manages to give a better impression. (The recent Turbhe incident notwithstanding).



Goa/Pune/Mumbai BMW owners, Id really appreciate suggestions for good service centres. I myself live in Goa and have families in the other two cities where I visit often. I had a feeling Im not the only one with a grudge to hold with this particular showroom.Had to actually search for a mention in the forum. An update to this thread after 3+ years, but based out of my personal experience.Got my hands on a pre-owned X3 (f25) in October last year. Wanting to get it serviced from Pune, which is where I was at the time visiting folks, Id booked an appointment with Bavaria. My experience has been less than ordinary with this particular service centre. It was already November by the time i has given the car off for the service.BMW owners, please feel free to advice comment on the following:1. As a part of getting a few cosmetic changes done, Id asked for the ///M badge at the rear. Bavaria manged to get the X3 off, leave a very apparent yellow mark on then put on the M badge on top of it. I was to get it detailed anyways after the service, but was quite surprised at the attitude at which this was presented.2. Engine oil was to be changed as a part of the service. I live in Goa, and Id left for Goa a couple of days after Id got the car back. A low engine oil level error appeared when Id just managed to enter goa. This is a barely 500 kms post an annual service. (Pic attached). Bavaria nonchalantly mentioned they could only gauge the oil level electronically, and I should fill in a litre of the same grade! Seriously?! Is this normal after an oil change? Ill be surprised if it is.3. A sunroof, by far, is the most useless feature(for me). The one on my car was squeaking a bit during my purchase. Bavaria had absolutely no clue what to do with it, and the SA told me itll only get repaired/maintained if it leaks! Now that statement in itself appears concerning on so many other levels. Anyhow, it still squeaks!Apart from the driving experience that the F25 has given me till now, I really hope Bavaria Goa, or Infinity Mumbai manages to give a better impression. (The recent Turbhe incident notwithstanding).Goa/Pune/Mumbai BMW owners, Id really appreciate suggestions for good service centres. I myself live in Goa and have families in the other two cities where I visit often. Attached Thumbnails




abhisekbit Newbie



Join Date: Nov 2021 Location: Kolkata Posts: 19 Thanked: 124 Times

Re: ClickToBuy : My experience of buying a Hyundai Creta online Hyundai Creta SX Executive Petrol Manual -- Initial ownership review



Hello Everyone

Let me share with you the initial ownership experience of my new car Hyundai Creta SX Executive 1.5 Petrol Manual post 3.5k kms on the odo. There are very few posts in the forum on the 1.5L Manual petrol and thought of sharing my initial experience.

My previous car was a 1.5L Diesel mill from Honda Amaze which I have driven for 1.18L km and hence the experience will be catered from the point of view of a past Honda customer driving a diesel engine.





Last pic with the Amaze.



Let's Start.



Cons/Dislike

I would like to highlight the pros/cons based on the price point and compared to my previous cars and the cars I rejected

No Telescopic Steering - Fortunately I have got a good driving position without this, which was not there in my previous car. Also still a miss in the price range.

Missing Switch Illumination  Glaring miss, have to fiddle around at night, still have not used to the layout of switches.



No Request Sensor in the passenger side door  Another good to have feature missed, Honda City has sensors on both the front doors. Immensely helpful if you want to put some bags in the front passenger seat without taking out the key.

No Powered Tailgate or hands free tailgate opening  Am I asking too much at this price point ? But again Hyundai Verna which is cheaper than the Creta has this so why not.

Hard Plastic in the door pads, no soft touch material in the door armrest -- Available in higher versions though but not in SX minus. Plan to do it aftermarket.

Low Quality Plastic in the centre console  Everyone is complaining about it. When you push it or press against it, it makes noise. Don't know what will happen after 2-3 yrs. Makes me absolutely angry to think about this panel when other panels are of good quality. Why this miss or is it with the SX Executive Version where they had changed this panel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMKg...0Ksgp&index=19

Lack of Low End Torque in 1st and reverse Gear (comparison with Diesel) This is because I am used to the torque in the diesel engine. So here in 1st gear you have to accelerate if you want to move ahead. Similarly for the reverse gear, if you are parking in a slope (like my garage), you have to hit the accelerator to get this moving back. Faced No such issues in my diesel Amaze.

No Drama as No Engine Noise This should be a positive feature. The engine is so so silent you can hardly hear it. Even when you revv you can hardly hear a thing. So basically I am missing the sporty engine note.

No Automatic Day Night IRVM(available in higher version) and No Automatic Wiper (though not a deal breaker for me) DayNight IRVM should have been a must in this price point. Automatic Wiper  kind of ok I presume.

No Mark for Petrol/Diesel in the Fuel Lid (I have removed the VIN sticker though) Why ?? Should have had a label. I know it comes with a sticker in the rear quarter which mentions the version and the VIN and going by recommendation have removed this sticker.



DIY.



Headroom for taller passengers for the sunroof Didn't find any issue with my friends and family but taller (6 foot plus) might have an issue with the headroom in the sunroof versions.



Pros/Like Futuristic Design + Headlight + Taillights It is quite a looker on the road. Excellent Road presence, the DRLs look funky and the lights at night look futuristic. The car looks better in actual life than in print/digital. The design is surely polarising but looking at the sales figure I think people have generally liked the step up from Hyundai. The previous version was conventional and sticking to the same design elements might not have worked in 2020. Kudos to Hyundai for bringing something different. Again looks are subjective and everyone may not like it. The design has actually grown on me and others.

Some pics from my last drive to Netarhat..













Panoramic Sunroof One of my prime factors in selecting the car and have loved every moment of it when opened( the shade remains open always. Ha Ha). Recently I went to Netarhat and watching the Pine trees and the mountains was a bliss. Surely a differentiating factor and a +1 over the Seltos in the same price bracket

Airy Cabin + Space This is where Creta nails it. Lots and Lots of space, large windows with low window line and greige(white) interiors. Plus the large panoramic sunroof and you won't feel claustrophobic. The front seats are large and supportive and supremely comfortable. It has decent under thigh support in the front and good lumbar support. Can vouch for the driving comfort after the 1700km road trip where I hardly dropped a sweat or had discomfort. Rear Seat has ample legroom and under thigh support is also decent. The corner seats due to the ingress has a low under thigh support though. The armrest at front does not slide forward but is at a good height and decent storage. Rear Seats have adjustable head rest and supremely comfortable pillows. But my better half concluded the fixed headrests in the Amaze to be better for sleeping by resting the head. Had to convince her that Headrest are more of a safety feature rather than a comfort feature



Fixed Headrest in Amaze



Good Quality Dashboard + Superbly visible Instrument Cluster The dashboard design is simple and elegant. Not as busy as the Seltos, it provides good ergonomics and visibility outside. All hard plastics though but plastic quality is good and feels durable(except the gear console panel). The white portion behind the steering wheel seems to have a bit of reflection but not to the point of annoyance or I have just got used to it and ignore that in my viewline. Now in this version you get the analogue instrument cluster and boy oh boy, it's elegant. I was initially cribbing about the lack of digital cluster but this looks simple, readable and fantastic at night. Visibility is superb at day and night. Recently I came across a youtube video where the analogue cluster could be replaced with a digital one as in SXO for 27k with all functions working. Looks like everything is plug and play in this car.

PS : My 5yr old son has found a defect in the instrument cluster. Why does it show the animation of the SXO version(because of the diamond cut alloys) instead of SX executive. I guess Hyundai also did not think of it or anyone else noticed it.



Drive experience  Supremely Refined Engine, Smooth Gearshifts, Light Clutch and Braking 1.5L Petrol NA : Here is what the apprehension started. Is the 1.5L good enough, powerful enough ?? Before buying I scanned a lot of Youtube Videos and TeamBhp posts but there was a lack or less of information on this drive terrain. Some said its underpowered and here is my thoughts on it The engine is supremely refined. Refinement levels are at a different league altogether , you can hardly hear the engine even if pushed beyond 3k rpm. What you hear is tyre and wind noise and it can effortlessly clock 100kmph +. The engine is very tractable and does not get fazed by higher rpm and lower speed. You can even stroll around at 25-30kmph at 6th gear without the need to downshift. Even at speeds of 120+ at 6th gear the engine does not feel stretched whatsoever and rpm is at 2k-2.5k. Never felt the lack of power in the 1700km road trip with 100-120kmph speeds and twisted inclines of Netarhat with a full load of passengers and luggage. It's not revv happy like Hondas ivtec but rarely there would be any need to go past 4k rpm. It builds power in a very linear way and as its a NA there is no turbo lag. Coming from a diesel engine it surely lacks the torque and punch in the lower revv band. But things move quickly post 2k rpm and third gear. Pull in the third gear and things get peppy. The constant upshift reminder is annoying though and I still haven't found a way to disable it. Every 10kmph it asks you to upshift. The 6th gear is a boon for cruising on the highway without sipping too much juice. To summarise, this engine is for those people who want a comfortable, relaxed drive in City or Highway Cruising at acceptable speeds and not pushing the limits of the machine. For the performance enthusiast I would suggest the Turbo Petrol or the Diesel with the higher torque. Mileage : City : 11-12kmpl, Highway : 15-16kmpl. Cruise on the highway around 100kmph and 6th gear and you can extract 17kmpl +. Hyundai makes the smoothest manual gearbox and here is no different. The gears slot into place effortlessly and it's an absolute joy to shift gears. (Though you do not need to shift often ). Coupled with a light low travel clutch it makes the driving absolutely effortless and comfortable. Really enjoyed the One Touch Cruise Control . It's an absolute boon on the highways. What I enjoyed the most is the resume function where the car picks up the speed at an incredible pace.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bM6-...30Ksgp&index=7 The 4 disc brakes work wonders, the brake bite is very good. Nothing to complain about.



Remote Engine Start Gimmick or what. This version doesn't have the BlueLink Feature but you can start the car from the remote key and turn on the AC to keep the cabin cooled. Haven't quite used this, just used only for showoff and demonstration purposes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46q2...30Ksgp&index=5

Soft Suspension provide a cushiony ride over bad patches Suspension is on the softer side which enables it to tackle the bad patches with ease. It glides over potholes and rough surfaces and you cannot feel a thing in the cabin or hear the suspension work. The suspension is stiffer than the previous generation Creta but softer than the Seltos. Being an SUV and soft suspension it does have a bit of a body roll in corners if tackled at a higher speed but since most of my driving would be in City env I feel the softer suspension is a better setup.



Light Steering in low speeds, extremely good for cities, weighs up excellently at higher speeds Another thing where past Hyundais had a lot of critics. But the steering in Creta is definitely a step up for Hyundai. It's light and easy at low speeds and weighs up extremely well on the highways. Tried to push it in cornering and the car was quite direct in changing direction. Definitely inspires confidence. No sloppiness in the dead centre.



These are my first impressions of the car. Things to watch out for is definitely the ASS from Hyundai. I will try to keep this post updated from time to time if something new/issue comes up.



Happy to answer your queries and comments. Thanks. Hello EveryoneLet me share with you the initial ownership experience of my new car Hyundai Creta SX Executive 1.5 Petrol Manual post 3.5k kms on the odo. There are very few posts in the forum on the 1.5L Manual petrol and thought of sharing my initial experience.My previous car was a 1.5L Diesel mill from Honda Amaze which I have driven for 1.18L km and hence the experience will be catered from the point of view of a past Honda customer driving a diesel engine.Last pic with the Amaze.Let's Start.I would like to highlight the pros/cons based on the price point and compared to my previous cars and the cars I rejectedThese are my first impressions of the car. Things to watch out for is definitely the ASS from Hyundai. I will try to keep this post updated from time to time if something new/issue comes up.Happy to answer your queries and comments. Thanks.
vishy76 Distinguished - BHPian



Join Date: May 2016 Location: BDQ Posts: 1,108 Thanked: 7,234 Times

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Re: Skoda Rapid 1.5 TDI DSG failure | Quoted Rs 95000, no goodwill warranty from Skoda | Options? Quote: audioholic Originally Posted by



Like this, Why cant the company offer such a solution instead of asking to change the whole unit? Did they not think about this in their India 2.0? Its high time they do so. To mention a few examples, here is one not so well equipped mechanic but who is knowledgeable enough to strip down the DQ200 and sort out the issue with the valve body. Its in Malayalam so I didnt understand the specifics, but looking at the way they stripped it to bits, I was impressed. https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=-MQsTed46ss Like this, Why cant the company offer such a solution instead of asking to change the whole unit? Did they not think about this in their India 2.0? Its high time they do so.



To give you an example, the control arm donut bushes in my car were worn. The control arms of the Jetta don't have integrated ball joints. So you can just press in new bushes and reuse the arm without issues. In fact, the bushes are even available separately with an OE VAG part number. What does the stealership do? They replace the entire arm for 13-14K each!



Second instance, the tappet cover gasket was leaking. What would any sane mechanic do? Replace the gasket and call it a day. What does VW do? Replace the entire tappet cover and bill me 20K.



The only folks who have been happy with VW ASCs in my experience have been people who have had only oil changes done year after year.



As for the DSG, Skoda fanboys can thump their chests all they want claiming an executive higher up in the chain is taking interest and trying to solve issues. But the fact of the matter is that they continue being arrogant idiots and fail to acknowledge the fact that they have sold a number of these flawed examples. A 10 year warranty was standard in China for these DQ200s. All a VAG customer gets in India after a failure is a 90K bill and several trips to the service centre begging for warranty. Because their mechanics are rigid and lazy. That's the simple conclusion I have derived after having my car serviced (and my wallet ripped) at the ASC for 6 years. VW ASCs are only good at "replacing" parts, not repairing them.To give you an example, the control arm donut bushes in my car were worn. The control arms of the Jetta don't have integrated ball joints. So you can just press in new bushes and reuse the arm without issues. In fact, the bushes are even available separately with an OE VAG part number. What does the stealership do? They replace the entire arm for 13-14K each!Second instance, the tappet cover gasket was leaking. What would any sane mechanic do? Replace the gasket and call it a day. What does VW do? Replace the entire tappet cover and bill me 20K.The only folks who have been happy with VW ASCs in my experience have been people who have had only oil changes done year after year.As for the DSG, Skoda fanboys can thump their chests all they want claiming an executive higher up in the chain is taking interest and trying to solve issues. But the fact of the matter is that they continue being arrogant idiots and fail to acknowledge the fact that they have sold a number of these flawed examples. A 10 year warranty was standard in China for these DQ200s. All a VAG customer gets in India after a failure is a 90K bill and several trips to the service centre begging for warranty. Last edited by vishy76 : 24th January 2022 at 17:29 .
In a nutshell: One of Elon Musk's SpaceX rockets sent into space almost seven years ago will crash into the moon at the start of March, experts say. That might not sound like a good thing, but the impact could offer some valuable scientific information.

In February 2015, SpaceX launched its first interplanetary mission from Florida, sending a weather satellite more than 1 million miles away from the Earth. Following the Falcon 9 rocket's long burn to reach a transfer orbit, it did not have enough fuel to return to Earth's atmosphere and burn up. It also "lacked the energy to escape the gravity of the Earth-Moon system," meteorologist Eric Berger wrote on Ars Technica, leaving it in a "chaotic orbit."

Space observers now say that the Falcon 9's second stage, which is about four metric tons, will crash into the moon at a velocity of about 2.58 km/s (5,700mph) in a few weeks. Bill Gray, who writes the Project Pluto software to track near-Earth objects, said it would hit the far side of the moon, near the equator, on March 4.

For those asking: yes, an old Falcon 9 second stage left in high orbit in 2015 is going to hit the moon on March 4. It's interesting, but not a big deal. --- Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) January 25, 2022

"Space junk can be a little tricky," Gray said. "I have a fairly complete mathematical model of what the earth, moon, sun, and planets are doing and how their gravity is affecting the object. I have a rough idea of how much sunlight is pushing outward on the object, gently pushing it away from the sun. This usually enables me to make predictions with a good bit of confidence."

For amateur astronomers hoping to see the collision from Earth, Gray says the bulk of the moon will be in the way, "and even if it were on the near side, the impact occurs a couple of days after New Moon."

It's believed that satellites currently orbiting the moon, including NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and India's Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, will be able to gather valuable data from the impact crater and revealed material. NASA purposely impacted the moon with a spent rocket stage in 2009 for the same purpose, but this is thought to be the first instance of a piece of space junk unintentionally hitting the moon.

Keeping with unintentional (near) impacts, last month saw China complain to the UN over claims that SpaceX Starlink satellites almost crashed into its space station twice in the past year.
In brief: El Salvador may be embracing Bitcoin, but the International Monetary Fund (IMF) doesn't share the country's enthusiasm and recommends removing the digital currency's legal tender status due to financial and consumer risks.

Bloomberg writes that El Salvador, which became the first country to accept Bitcoin as legal currency (alongside the US dollar) in 2021, asked the IMF for a $1.3 billion loan last year, but the organization is reluctant to hand over the money due to its Bitcoin concerns.

Last year, the IMF conducted one of its consultations in which staff visit a country to prepare an Article IV economic evaluation report for the executive board. In a statement Tuesday, IMF executive directors agreed with findings highlighting the "large risks associated with the use of Bitcoin on financial stability, financial integrity, and consumer protection, as well as the associated fiscal contingent liabilities." They urged El Salvador authorities "to narrow the scope of the Bitcoin law by removing Bitcoin's legal tender status," and some members also "expressed concern over the risks associated with issuing Bitcoin-backed bonds."

After passing its Bitcoin law in June last year, the cryptocurrency became legal tender in El Salvador in September--- the same day BTC fell $10,000. The country has repeatedly 'bought the dip' each time the price drops, and it now holds around 1,801 Bitcoin, currently worth over $68 million.

El Salvador sera el primer pais del mundo en tener una #BitcoinCity!

Estara entre la ciudad de La Union y Conchagua. Las personas podran vivir en La Union pero trabajar en la #BitcoinCity. Pronto empezaran a ver todos los beneficios, cuando el desarrollo y la inversion llegue. pic.twitter.com/21bx7Yc5aJ --- Casa Presidencial  (@PresidenciaSV) November 21, 2021

El Salvador has continued to focus on all things crypto, from its volcano-powered mining project that produced its first currency in October, to plans for a Bitcoin city that will have no income, property, capital gains, or payroll taxes, just value added tax.

But the country has faced pushback over its plans. The World Bank refused to help with its implementation of Bitcoin, and some citizens are far from happy about using cryptocurrency.
What just happened? Intel scored a win this week in its 12-year fight against a European Union antitrust investigation. A European court struck down a fine of over a billion dollars Intel had been hit with for alleged anticompetitive behavior.

This week the EU's second-highest court in Luxembourg ruled in support of Intel and dropped a fine of 1.06 billion Euros ($1.2 billion) that the European Commission levied against Intel. The case goes way back to 2000 when competitor AMD started raising complaints that Intel was giving European retailers special treatment, in the form of rebates, for favoring its processors over AMD's.

The European Commission handed down the fine in 2009, alleging that Intel paid manufacturers to favor its processors from 2002 to 2007. The manufacturing OEMs included Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Intel appealed to the Luxembourg court in 2012, saying the commission lacked sufficient evidence, but it upheld the ruling in 2014.

In 2017, the EU's highest court---the Court of Justice (EUCJ)---ordered the Luxembourg court to reexamine Intel's appeal. The new ruling seems to have come after that reexamination. AMD may still be able to appeal the ruling to the EUCJ.

The state of New York hit Intel with another antitrust suit in 2009, which Intel settled in 2012 for just $6.5 million.
(Photo : ZeroAvia)

Five hundred miles in a 50-seat, electrically powered aircraft: It's an audacious goal but the founder of ZeroAvia, a pioneer in electric powertrains for aviation, believes he can achieve it. What's more, the company has the expertise and the financial backing to make it happen.

The Growing Climate Impact of Air Travel

As the world strives to decarbonize, the aviation sector finds itself in the crosshairs. Air travel is currently responsible for 2% of global CO2 emissions, and its impact looks set to grow as other industries shrink their carbon footprints.

Aviation faces two challenges: More people want to fly more often, and it seems very hard to make aircraft emission-free.

To that first point, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) forecasts passenger numbers in 2050 will be 2.5 times what they were in 2019. And to the second point, the environmental impact of air travel is more than just CO2 emissions. Releasing CO2 plus NOx (nitrogen oxides common in air pollution), water vapor, and particulates at high altitude magnifies their effect as greenhouse gases. This is why, if nothing is done, some experts predict aviation could be responsible for half of all human-caused impacts on the climate by 2050.

ZeroAvia's Approach to Zero Emissions

Steps are being taken. Energy providers and aircraft operators are exploring the potential of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). These are made from non-fossil fuel sources, primarily corn grain and oilseed. In parallel, aircraft manufacturers are researching electrification. Neither avenue is without challenges.

Burning SAF in engines lowers greenhouse gas emissions but does not eliminate them entirely. They may also require additional land for planting and harvesting.

ZeroAvia vice president for Europe, Sergey Kiselev, addressed this issue in a recent Q&A session with The Engineer magazine. "Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are limited in availability and still generate harmful climate emissions," he said, continuing, "and current and expected battery technologies do not meet the weight-sensitive performance needs of aerospace."

In response, ZeroAvia is focused on "developing hydrogen-electric power trains, which use low-carbon hydrogen in a fuel cell system to generate electricity, which in turn is used to power aircraft without any emissions besides water vapor."

Why Hydrogen?

Hydrogen can be burned, like gasoline or jet fuel, or used in a fuel cell to generate electricity. ZeroAvia chose fuel cells over combustion because, while burning doesn't release carbon dioxide, it still gives off NOx.

A fuel cell works by combining hydrogen with oxygen. This process strips protons from hydrogen molecules, which forces electrons to flow in a circuit. With a large enough cell, there's sufficient current to power a motor. Instead of NOx, the only by-product is water.

Hydrogen is also a very efficient source of energy. One measure of comparison is energy density. This is the amount of energy contained within a kilo or pound of the material. One kilo of hydrogen holds three times the energy of a kilo of jet fuel and four times that of a lithium-ion battery. This means an aircraft powered by hydrogen doesn't need to carry as much weight as an aircraft powered by jet fuel.

From a safety perspective, hydrogen is an improvement over jet fuel. It needs more oxygen to ignite than does gasoline, and it burns at a lower temperature. Furthermore, being lighter than air, hydrogen gas dissipates quickly if released, unlike fuel vapor.

A Retrofit Solution

Aircraft can last 20 or 30 years. Most of those leaving the factories of Boeing, Airbus, or the smaller manufacturers today will still be in service in 2050. This means that although companies are working on all-electric aircraft, it will be a long time before they significantly impact the aviation sector's greenhouse gas emissions.

But that truth doesn't sit well with the eco-friendly ZeroAvia. The startup intends to retrofit existing aircraft with an electric drivetrain. This comprises an electric motor plus fuel cell, power and thermal management systems, compressors, and storage tanks for gaseous or liquid hydrogen. With less development effort and fewer certification challenges, it's an approach that promises to be faster and less expensive.

The Hydrogen Storage Challenge

While energy density makes hydrogen attractive, the gas comes with a challenge. Compressing it to a manageable volume requires holding it under extremely high pressure.

Discussing the issue, Kiselev noted, "storing hydrogen on board an aircraft to power longer distance flights requires innovative storage solutions that differ from the technologies and approaches used for existing jet fuels."

Short flights need hydrogen that can be stored in compressed gaseous form. However, increasing range requires more hydrogen, which needs more storage volume. ZeroAvia intends to solve this problem by moving to liquid hydrogen. This requires very low temperatures, as hydrogen boils at -423 F (-253 C). (Pressurization raises this, but extremely low temperatures are still needed.)

Kiselev noted, "ZeroAvia is working with highly innovative companies to engineer the solutions to this challenge."

ZeroAvia's Electrified Powertrain Development Program

ZeroAvia is a new company with operations in the U.K. and the U.S. Founded in 2017 by entrepreneur and pilot Val Miftakhov, it quickly attracted the talent and funding necessary to prove the fuel cell concept and demonstrate technical feasibility. Undoubtedly, it helped that Miftakov is no newcomer to electrification and green energy. His previous venture was eMotorWerks, an electrification company that he grew from scratch and subsequently sold to Enel.

After a period of stealth development, in 2019, at an airfield in Hollister, California, Miftakov demonstrated an electrically powered Piper Matrix aircraft that used batteries. A year later, ZeroAvia repeated the achievement in a modified Piper Malibu six-seater aircraft flying from Cranfield in the U.K.

Having proven an electric powertrain, the company was ready for the next step. On Sept. 25, 2020, ZeroAvia became the first company in the world to demonstrate hydrogen fuel cell-powered flight. The eight-minute flight was performed at the Cranfield, U.K., airfield using a converted Piper Malibu.

A more powerful drivetrain is currently under development. Named ZA2000, this is expected to produce 2,000kW of power. This will go into a 19-seater aircraft that ZeroAvia expects to have certified in 2024. From here the plan, which ZeroAvia calls HyFlyer II, is to jump up to a 50-seat aircraft with a range of 500 miles in 2026.

Hydrogen Power Will Require Airport Infrastructure

Recognizing that fueling will be a concern for aircraft operators, ZeroAvia has included this in its planning and development efforts. For gaseous hydrogen, it demonstrated its Hydrogen Airport Refueling Ecosystem (HARE) alongside the six-seater Piper aircraft. This combines on-site electrolytic hydrogen production with mobile storage and aircraft fueling.

Addressing the need for liquid hydrogen refueling, ZeroAvia is also working on Liquid Hydrogen Airport Refueling Ecosystem (LHARE).

ZeroAvia's Partners and Funding

Developing a new aircraft powertrain technology is a big undertaking. To ensure success ZeroAvia has partnered with aerospace and airline companies and attracted funding from numerous sources.

One of the most important partners is Mitsubishi, through their recently acquired Regional Jet operation. MHIRJ is currently supporting the development of the 600kW ZA600 hydrogen fuel cell system that was ground-tested in July 2021.

Alaska Air Group is another partner to have made a major commitment to the program. Alaska is collaborating with ZeroAvia on a retrofit solution for the 76-seat De Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprop. This will use the ZA2000 power train providing between 2,000 and 5,000kW and will be deployed in as many as 50 aircraft.

On Dec. 13, yet another high-profile partner, United Airlines announced it had purchased an equity stake in ZeroAvia, in addition to plans to order 100 of ZeroAvia's hydrogen-electric engines and that it planned to retrofit them into its fleet by 2028.

Other substantial investments have come from British Airways, the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund, and Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures. In addition, the U.K. government has provided two rounds of funding for the HyFlyer II project through its Aerospace Technology Institute and Zero Emission Flight Infrastructure program.

Benefits of Hydrogen-Powered Flight

The biggest reason for adopting hydrogen fuel cell power trains in aircraft is to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions at altitude. However, this isn't the only benefit of going electric. Hydrogen offers direct energy-cost savings. In addition, as drivers of electric vehicles will confirm, electrification improves reliability and reduces maintenance costs. That's important on the ground but has an even bigger impact in the air.

For reasons that should be obvious, aircraft are subject to rigorous maintenance schedules. Electrification provides an opportunity to safely scale back on these, which is a direct cost saving. For commercial aircraft operators, though, it can also mean higher utilization and revenue.

Lower noise levels are another benefit. This may let airports operate longer and support the use of facilities closer to population centers, thereby reducing overall transport-related emissions.

Zero-emission flight is in its infancy, but ZeroAvia already has indications of the magnitude of the potential savings. With power train-related operating costs estimated as 60% lower than those of turboprops, and hourly maintenance costs as much as 75% lower, ZeroAvia projects a 40% reduction in per-flight and maintenance costs.

Zero Emission Flight From ZeroAvia

For many sectors of the global economy, there are proven ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Aviation, however, is an industry where the way forward is unclear. SAFs can have only a limited impact at best, while battery power is simply impractical due to weight.

ZeroAvia has stepped into this gap by successfully demonstrating a hydrogen fuel cell concept. As the interest from airlines shows, this has the potential to not only eliminate emissions but to actually help lower operating costs. Scaling up from a six-seater to much larger aircraft with longer ranges will provide the world with a viable path to zero-emission flight. It's an audacious goal but ZeroAvia appears to have a well-developed flight plan for the journey.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla has officially added Apple Wallet support for car insurance cards, allowing policyholders to add their insurance cards to their Apple Wallet on iOS.

Tesla Adds Support for Apple Wallet

The automaker launched Apple Wallet support in version 4.5.0 of the Tesla app on iPhones. The automaker's release notes show that insurance policyholders can add their insurance cards to Apple Wallet, according to Apple Insider.

Twitter user Coffee Table shared an example Tesla insurance card, which shows the policyholder's personal information like their name, policy number, and their coverage details.

The Apple Wallet support will allow the customer to get a streamlined version of their insurance policy that can be accessed on an iPhone.

The Tesla app is a companion app for Tesla vehicles, allowing owners to view their charge levels and unlock their vehicles.

Also Read: Apple to Roll Out Digital IDs in US and Canada for Contactless School Transactions

Tesla Insurance is an in-house car insurance policy with rates based on real-time analysis of the owner's driving behavior in different states. The insurance plan is available in Ohio, Illinois, Texas, California, and Arizona.

Aside from storing documents like insurance policy cards in Apple Wallet, owners of Apple devices will soon get the ability to add a digital version of their driver's license or government-issued IDs to the app.

The feature will allow for faster verification at TSA checkpoints, though long-term plans include the ability to use the digital IDs at police stops, establishments, and more.

Apple Wallet Digital License Plans

New documents have shed some light on the agreements between the tech giant and state governments for storing digital IDs in Apple Wallet and Apple's control over the rollout of the feature.

The digital ID compatibility with Apple Wallet will launch in a couple of states, including Georgia, Kentucky, Arizona, and Oklahoma.

CNBC has obtained documents showing the agreements in place with the said states through public record requests and other sources.

The documents indicate that Apple is maintaining control over the whole process. In fact, the documents show that the tech giant has sole discretion over the rollout of the feature.

The four states that agree to support digital IDs in Apple Wallet must allocate sufficient personnel and resources to support the launch of the program on a timeline to be determined by the tech giant.

This will include states allocating resources to perform quality testing to make sure that the feature works in accordance with the certification requirements of Apple.

The agreement also mandates that states prominently feature that program in all public-facing communications relating to Digital Identity Credentials.

States also need to grant Apple review and approval of all marketing materials that are related to the program.

Also, states must help bolster adoption of the feature with key stakeholders in federal and state government, including the Internal Revenue Service, businesses that need age verification, and state and local law enforcement.

Apple wants the states to handle it when it comes to verifying identification. The tech giant says that the company shall not be liable for any verification results, and the agency acknowledges that all verification results are provided as is and without express warranty.

Related Article: Apple's New Digital Driver's License Feature Will be Coming to You in 2022!

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Written by Sophie Webster

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now expected to solve one of the hardest mysteries in space, which is the universe's expansion.

As of the moment, this gigantic telescope is still on its way to its final destination. Because of this, JWST still can't conduct its main goal.

NASA recently explained that James Webb Space Telescope was developed so that they can observe the oldest galaxies, allowing them to understand how stars, planets, and other heavenly bodies are formed.

Studying the first galaxies is connected to solving the mystery of the expanding universe. Now, here's how JWST can do this.

James Webb Space Telescope Solving Universe Expansion

According to Scientific American's latest report, NASA James Webb Space Telescope's advanced infrared measurement capabilities can help space experts further details about the universe's expansion.

Also Read: NASA Buys Planet-Themed Comics From a Singaporean Student for $1,000! What Will the Space Agency Do With It?

"If you try to measure the current expansion rate, well, there's a variety of techniques that people use, and they tend to get a certain number," said Massimo Stiavelli, JWST Mission Office's Head.

In JWST's case, the giant space telescope of NASA will use its advanced lenses and other components to observe the infrared spectrum.

This will allow space experts to see through thick space dust and clouds. If James Webb Space Telescope is proven efficient, the local measurements of astronomers can be conducted without any interference.

JWST's Current Space Achievement

France 24 reported that James Webb Space Telescope has now reached more than 1 million miles away from Earth. This means that JWST is nearing L2, the final space destination of the rocket.

Once the giant telescope reaches the L2 region, it will start capturing some images of the universe. The upcoming photos are expected to be more detailed and accurate than the ones captured by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

In other news, the international space agency is expected to provide updates about James Webb Space Telescope's L2 arrival. Meanwhile, NASA captured the sun's mid-level solar flare.

For more news updates about NASA JWST and its upcoming activities, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Arrives at Its Final Orbital Destination, 1 Million Miles from Earth

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Smartphone users can still be identified or tracked even if their data have anonymity. This detail was discovered by a new study titled "Anonymity takes more than protecting personal details."

The latest research about smartphone data security was published in the Nature Communications journal. Some researchers from Italy, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom worked together to complete the study.

Right now, people are always concerned about their sensitive details' security. However, their information is always put at risk because of various cyberattacks.

Smartphone Users Still Identifiable

According to France 24's latest report, a massive amount of personal data is amassed from users' smartphones. These details are gathered by various companies to develop their products, create targeted advertisements, and conduct product research.

Also Read: Fraudulent Websites 2022: How to Look for Red Flags

However, many governments across the globe are making efforts to ensure that people's privacy is protected. However, the new study rejects the idea that anonymity can protect your smartphone data.

Global Times reported that smartphone data can still be tracked using various methods. These include identifying users' ways of communications when using various messaging apps, such as WhatsApp.

Because of these, researchers involved in the new security study urge security firms to create new anonymization means or methods.

Thousands of Mobile Users Participated

The new study was conducted by enrolling more than 40,000 smartphone consumers.

After the researchers acquired their mobile information, they started to conduct various hacks that online attackers and other cybercriminals commonly use.

One of the alarming things they discovered is that an anonymous smartphone user can be identified through their direct contacts.

"Our results provide evidence that disconnected and even re-pseudonymized interaction data remain identifiable even across long periods of time," said the involved security experts.

They added that their findings clearly show that the current online activities of mobile consumers are not compatible with the offered anonymization standard.

In other news, Homeland Security warns the U.S. about possible Russian cyberattacks. Meanwhile, TrickBot Malware can now bypass real-time web injections.

For more news updates about other security threats, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Top Android, iOS Privacy-Focused Browsers That Can Replace Your Google Chrome

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Facebook partners with mobile carriers in several developing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, and Pakistan to give users free access to its social media platform and other websites.

However, it was revealed that users have been getting charged by their cellular providers in secret.

Facebook's Free Internet to Developing Countries

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Facebook's free internet service, called Free Basics, is offered to users through Meta Connectivity that is meant to provide users with access to low-bandwidth services for free.

The program was launched in 2013, and as of October 2021, it serves more than 300 million users, according to ABP Live.

In an internal report viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Facebook knew that users were still getting charged to use Free Basics for months and calls the problem "leakage" as it occurs when paid services begin overlapping with what is supposed to be free.

Also Read: Facebook Free Basics Coming To India Again: Can Mark Zuckerberg's 'Internet For All' Get More People Online?

Since most of the users the program serves are already on prepaid plans, a lot of them don't even realize that they have been getting charged for using mobile data until their funds are dried out.

The Wall Street Journal notes that users in Pakistan have been charged the most for using the free internet of Facebook. Users in Pakistan were charged a total of $1.9 million, with two dozen additional nations also affected.

The issue appears to stem from the company's software and user interface or UI, with videos at the root of the issue.

Videos are not supposed to appear on Free Basics, but glitches in the platform's software let some slip through the cracks.

The notifications that are supposed to inform the user that they will be charged for watching videos do not appear.

According to documents viewed by The Wall Street Journal, Facebook found that 83% of unnecessary charges come from videos, which are not supposed to appear in the first place.

Facebook is Fixing the Problem

Facebook said that it is fixing the issue. Drew Pusateri, a spokesperson for Meta, told The Verge that they tell people that viewing photos and videos will result in data charges when they sign up, and they do their best to remind users that viewing them will result in data charges.

Pusateri added that the issue identified in the internal report that affected the reminders for users had been addressed. He added that they would continue to work with their partners to meet their obligations to these users and ensure accurate and transparent data charges.

As pointed out by The Wall Street Journal, Facebook's growth has largely come to a stop in developed markets and is only rising in low-connectivity countries.

Facebook has been acting as a social site in these developing countries and as an internet provider. It has deployed its own Wi-Fi throughout these developing countries and has also introduced Facebook Discover, a feature similar to Free Basics, which gives limited free data daily.

In 2016, India banned Facebook's Free Basics, citing that it violates the values of net neutrality.

Related Article: Zuckerberg Talks 'Free Basics' After India Ban: 'We Won't Give Up'

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 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Tesla Bot might be the most powerful AI development platform, based on Andrej Kaparthy's statements. Ever since Elon Musk revealed the automaker's artificial intelligence, various critics have become excited.

Recently, various reports claimed that the humanoid robot would use the Tesla FSD (Full Self-Driving) feature software. The billionaire CEO claimed that it could be an efficient solution to the workforce shortage that Tesla is suffering from.

Right now, various companies, such as Tesla, are falling short when it comes to employees. Because of this, they need to rely on technologies that can help them design, develop, and produce their products.

Tesla Bot as Most Powerful AI Development Platform

According to Electrek's latest report, Tesla's AI Director Andrej Karpathy claimed that Tesla Bot could soon become the most powerful artificial intelligence development platform.

Also Read: Tesla's Fremont is the Most Productive Auto Factory in North America; Elon Musk Says There's Still Limits

This can really happen, especially since Musk provided some hints that Tesla will soon focus more on robotics or AI innovations.

Because of Tesla's advanced capabilities when it comes to creating technological advancements, Kaparthy believes that the automaker is in its best position to create advanced AI technologies.

Meanwhile, the AI director was seen posting some job positions on linked in. This shows that Andrej is looking for more professionals to help them make Tesla Bot the most powerful AI development platform.

"I am hiring Deep Learning Engineers for the Tesla AI team. Strong software engineering is the primary requirement. Except for the scientist role, deep learning interest or knowledge is only a bonus (we will teach you)," said Kaparthy.

Other Tesla Innovations

Aside from the Tesla Bot AI platform, Inverse reported that the giant automaker is also working on a new EV battery that can provide 15% more range to the company's electric cars.

This means that the next-gen zero-emission models of Tesla can run longer miles compared to its current EVs. Based on some leaks, the new battery tech can be launched as early as 2023.

In other news, Tesla owners can now save their Tesla Car Insurance on their Apple Wallet. Meanwhile, GM's billion-dollar investment is expected to enhance its EV production capacities.

For more news updates about Tesla and other giant automakers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.

Related Article: Elon Musk: Tesla Robots Could Help AI Surpass Human Intelligence | Making AGI Possible?

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Written by: Griffin Davis

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Telluride Academy announced its summer 2022 schedule recently, which includes a variety of offerings for all ages. For example, the Lunar Llamas program in the past allowed participants to meet and greet, you guessed it, llamas. (Photo courtesy of Telluride Academy)
Meet the Mountain Sprouts. Mountain Sprouts teacher and photographer Alli Weitzel captured the most recent Mountain Sprouts class. A live auction fundraiser for the school goes live at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 1. (Photo courtesy of AlliWeitzel.com)
Ada, OK (74820)

Today

Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. High 72F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Strong thunderstorms likely. Damaging winds, large hail and possibly a tornado with some storms. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Rainfall may reach one inch.
When Nathan Nguyen conceptualized a Creole sushi roll with dirty rice and crab boil, he thought it would be one of those novelty dishes that performed better on social media than on the taste buds.

Yet the 21-year-old home cook and social media influencer found that the bold Creole and Asian flavors complimented each other well. He's made the fusion sushi dish five times this month for his family.

"I'm going to be completely honest. When I made it, I thought it was going to be a one-time thing: Make it, eat it, then I'm done," Nguyen said. "But when I made it and gave it to my family, they really enjoyed it  especially my little brothers. So after posting and developing the recipe, they actually asked for more. I enjoyed it. My parents enjoyed it. My little brothers enjoyed it. I could definitely see myself making it a lot more in the future."

Nguyen is a Houston native who grew up eating Tony Chachere's seasoning and products. A few months ago, Nguyen reached out to the Opelousas-based company and asked if he could be an influencer for the brand by promoting Tony Chachere's products to his growing number of social media followers.

The Creole sushi roll is the third recipe he's developed for the iconic Louisiana brand. He's also made jalapeno shrimp bombs and seafood-stuffed potato skins.

"The fans have just been loving his dishes," said Amanda Smith, who oversees public relations and marketing for Tony Chachere's. "They're blowing up."

+6 The new caviar? Louisiana crab up to $50 a pound for restaurants, $70 for grocery shoppers. Seafood gumbo seemed like a good idea to Cathey Landry until she came across a pound of jumbo lump crabmeat for $67.99 at a Lafayette grocery store.

More than 1,500 people have shared a Jan. 20 Tony Chachere's Facebook post featuring the Creole sushi recipe.

The sushi roll features Tony Chachere's dirty rice mix, fish fry, crab boil and seasoning blend along with more traditional sushi staples of shrimp, imitation crab, avocado and seaweed.

"I wouldn't necessarily say that it's spicy, but it definitely has a bold and really strong flavor," Nguyen said. "But that shouldn't deter someone from trying it because everything really evens out, especially with the crab salad, how it has the creaminess of the mayo, and then there's cream cheese and avocado in there as well. With everything, you have a little bit of saltiness, a little bit of spicy, that Creole-Cajun blend in the mix. I think it's really, really balanced."

Nguyen earned his bachelor's degree in psychology last year, but he doesn't plan to pursue a career in the social sciences. Instead, he's hoping to one day open his own restaurant.

"I've found out that my passion is cooking," Nguyen said. "I started a TikTok on a whim after my friends and family told me to try it out. My main goal as of now is to start selling plates then graduate to a food truck. Eventually, I do want to have my own restaurant. That's kind of my dream."

His TikTok account, @Capt.Cooking, has accumulated more than 323,000 followers in just a few months.

His most popular video to date is a tutorial for an indulgent Cajun dish: boudin-stuffed salmon on a bed of crab and spinach topped with shrimp in a butter and wine sauce.

"The reason that I like to cook is that I just like to eat. It's really simple," Nguyen said. "I learned how to cook the simpler things from my mom and my grandma. But I have an experimental palate, I guess you could say. So I really do like mixing things up and seeing what would taste good and what wouldn't taste good because you never know unless you try."

+14 New carwashes are opening everywhere in Lafayette: 'Why the sudden rush?' It's official. Carwashes have joined the ranks of Mexican restaurants, mattress stores and locations of Legends Bar & Grill, with each new

Tony Chachere's is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Nguyen and Smith would only hint at events planned for the milestone anniversary but wouldn't share more about what's in store.

In the meantime, you can try the Creole sushi roll for yourself. Here's Nguyen's recipe:

Dirty rice tempura shrimp sushi roll

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Servings: 2-3 people

Ingredients

1/2 pound shrimp, deveined

2-5 imitation crab sticks

1 avocado, sliced

1 bell pepper, sliced

2 sheets seaweed paper

green onions, chopped

1/4 cup Kewpie mayo (Japanese mayo)

Cream cheese, sliced

1 cup milk

1 egg

Frying oil

Tonys original Creole seasoning, to taste

1 box Tonys crispy Creole fish fry mix

1 box Tonys Creole dirty rice dinner mix

Tonys supreme Creole crab boil, to taste

Directions

Making the shrimp:

In a bowl, combine the milk and egg. This is your wet mix.

In another bowl, pour out the contents of the Tonys crispy Creole fish fry mix. This is your dry mix.

Slightly cut each shrimp along the spine (two horizontal slits at the top and one slit at the bottom), then use your fingers and gently press down until you hear the shrimp "pop." This prevents the shrimp from curling up while frying. Be careful not to cut the shrimp all the way through.

Dip a shrimp into the wet mix and shake off the excess. Then dip the shrimp into the dry mix and shake off the excess.

Drop the shrimp into hot oil and fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping them halfway through cook time.

Once done, take the shrimp out of the hot oil and let them drain on a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels.

Making the crab salad:

Shred the imitation crab.

Add the Kewpie mayo and green onions, season to taste with Tonys original Creole seasoning and combine.

Making the Creole sushi:

Prepare Tonys Creole dirty rice dinner mix according to the box instructions and let cool.

Spread some of the Tonys Creole dirty rice over a sheet of seaweed paper, and flip it over.

Place some avocado slices, bell pepper slices, cream cheese, crab salad and shrimp onto the seaweed paper.

Gently roll up the seaweed paper, pressing the roll together to ensure everything stays in place and slice the roll.

Garnish with Tonys supreme Creole crab boil, Kewpie mayo, green onion and enjoy!
Duong "Calvin" Cao had served 17 years in prison on an attempted murder conviction when he went before the Louisiana pardon board in 2015 and received a favorable recommendation for early release because officials considered him rehabilitated.

That board decision left him one step away from freedom. All he needed was a signature from the governor.

Cao would wait another five years for the signature. During that time, he worked in the governor's mansion and at State Police headquarters  both coveted jobs reserved for the most trusted inmates  before a positive coronavirus diagnosis took him out of commission for over a month.

He recovered and was ultimately released from prison in September  one of 36 people whose sentences Gov. John Bel Edwards commuted last year, allowing them a chance at parole. All were convicted of violent crimes decades earlier and were deemed low risk to public safety.

Edwards, a Democratic governor who has championed criminal justice reform, granted more sentence commutations in 2020 than during his entire first term in office, when records show he awarded 34. Edwards took action quietly, granting the awards at a steady pace throughout the year.

Some of the recipients, including Cao, had received a favorable recommendation from the board under former Gov. Bobby Jindal, who largely rejected the clemency process and granted just three commutations during his eight years in office.

Almost no one who applies for a commutation actually gets one. But they're the only possible relief mechanism for the thousands of people serving life and other decades-long sentences in Louisiana, which holds the highest incarceration rate in the country, in part due to harsh sentencing laws and "tough on crime" policies that many other states have rejected in recent years.

Edwards also granted 24 pardons in 2020. Those usually apply to people who have finished serving their sentences, often for more minor crimes, and have requested that the offense is removed from their record. Pardons are typically more common and easier to obtain than commutations.

While grateful for his freedom and committed to building a productive life in society, Cao is puzzled about the clemency process and the governor's recent decision, which ultimately shaved off about two years of his 30-year prison sentence. He wonders: "Why now? Where's the logic?"

Cao said he understands the political risks associated with granting clemency, but "when month after month becomes year after year of waiting  when the governor could release you to your family with just the stroke of a pen, but he chooses not to  you start to lose hope."

Many clemency cases move more quickly, but Edwards has not explained his thought process or the factors he weighs most heavily. In response to a request for comment last week, his office said only that he "takes this part of his job very seriously and considers each request separately, completely and deeply. He will continue to give each decision the time and concern that it deserves."

There are dozens more applications still sitting on his desk. Those are inmates who received favorable decisions from the Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole, a panel of experts appointed by the governor who complete their own stringent review process of each case.

Edwards won reelection in 2019 despite Republican groups blasting him for supporting sentencing reform. He championed a package of reforms in 2017, which softened sentences for minor and nonviolent crimes but stopped short of expanding parole for people convicted of serious violent offenses.

The reforms were limited largely because of opposition from prosecutors and law enforcement leaders. Those groups often oppose clemency awards for similar reasons  because they believe in the importance of delivering definitive justice for victims and their families.

Edwards has pledged to continue pushing for criminal justice reform, though the coronavirus pandemic largely derailed the 2020 legislative session.

Prisoner rights advocates commended Edwards for increasing his use of clemency in 2020, though their calls for additional action became even more urgent amid the pandemic. Those demands were echoed across the nation as advocates asked governors to release medically vulnerable inmates and reduce state prison populations.

Edwards hasn't revealed whether health concerns factored into his decision to award more commutations, and experts say most governors ended up doing little to address the imminent spread of COVID-19 through state prisons. Louisiana officials created a special new board last spring to consider a select group of inmates for early parole during the pandemic, but that program was short lived and had a negligible impact on the prison population.

At least 32 state prisoners and five staff members have died from COVID-19 since the virus arrived in Louisiana last year, according to DOC data.

+2 Coronavirus hits Louisiana prisons: Medical director, head warden, first state inmate die The head warden and medical director of Raymond Laborde Correctional Center in Avoyelles Parish have died from the coronavirus, state official

"Overall the response has been disappointing," said Kevin Ring, president of the national nonprofit FAMM. "But there's always this stigma associated with the clemency process, the potential for political ramifications. In general, we have zero tolerance for letting people out of prison early."

That wasn't always the case, Ring noted. Clemency used to be much more common, both in Louisiana and nationwide  before a few controversial cases were met with heated political backlash and negative media coverage, according to experts.

In Louisiana, former Gov. Edwin Edwards signed 945 commutations during his first two terms starting in 1972, then another 335 during his third term.

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The numbers have varied widely under subsequent administrations. Kathleen Blanco signed 129 commutations in the early 2000s, followed by Jindal's three. John Bel Edwards has now signed a total of 70 since he took office in 2016.

When Cao tested positive for coronavirus last spring, he was living at the Louisiana State Police Barracks near Zachary, which provides minimum security housing for inmates with a record of good behavior. In response to his illness, officials sent him to quarantine at Angola's Camp J, an old solitary confinement wing once used for disciplinary purposes that was closed in 2018 amid safety concerns.

Cao had spent time in Camp J over a decade ago as punishment for getting into fights. He said returning to those decrepit conditions felt like going back to square one, but this time he was also battling a serious illness.

When the state Department of Corrections started sending COVID-positive inmates to Camp J early on in the pandemic, a slew of prisoner rights groups criticized the move as inhumane.

In a letter dated May 8, dozens of advocates, attorneys and criminal justice experts implored Edwards to sign more commutations: "Your signature is the only barrier to freedom for these mothers, fathers, siblings, sons, daughters and friends."

The letter also referenced Cao by name, noting his COVID-19 diagnosis.

"He  is currently being held at Camp J in Angola, a substandard medical facility that puts patients far from access to ventilators or quality medical care," advocates wrote. "He contracted the virus in DOC custody, but he could have been granted commutation months ago. He needs your signature."

Cao received that signature two months later. By then, he had recovered from COVID and returned to the barracks.

+2 To limit coronavirus spread in prisons, Louisiana considers releasing some inmates After dozens of Louisiana state prisoners have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, state officials are starting to consider releasing s

Cao was sentenced to 30 years for attempted first-degree murder at age 19, when he shot a bystander accidentally during an altercation, according to his account. State law required him to serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

Even after waiting five years for the governor's approval, Cao said receiving the signature gave him a new rush of optimism.

"Finally it happened," he said. "God has blessed me  the feeling everyone wants in prison. When you open that big yellow envelope and see that gold seal."

Cao was released in September after the parole board gave final approval, and he enrolled in the Louisiana Parole Project, a Baton Rouge nonprofit that provides support services and housing to people being released from prison after decades behind bars. He has since moved back to his hometown of Houma, where he's staying with his sister.

Being released from prison into the pandemic world of 2020 has been challenging, Cao said, especially because of the job market. He's struggling to find a decent job with a felony record despite the skills he acquired in prison, like carpentry, public speaking and inventory and warehouse operations.

In the meantime, he's working at his brother's convenience store. His relatives pooled their money and bought him a car. He's still getting used to his new iPhone.

"I'm behind the times, I'm in uncharted territory," he said.

He thinks often about the friends he left behind in prison, many of whom are similarly awaiting a signature. He wants to help them from the outside, to be their voice and advocate on their behalf, but the enormity of the task can be paralyzing.

Records show there are more than 100 Louisiana inmates who have received favorable decisions from the pardon board under Edwards but have not received his signature.

Advocates argue the commutation cases that make it past the pardon board have been thoroughly vetted by the expert panel, which collects all available data and records showing the inmate's accomplishments and disciplinary history in prison, solicits statements from their victims and uses algorithms to calculate their likelihood of committing another crime once released.

Kerry Myers, deputy director of the Louisiana Parole Project, cites research showing that people "age out" of crime, meaning their likelihood of getting rearrested decreases the older they get and the longer they spend behind bars.

"Punishment has diminishing returns when it ignores rehabilitation and risk  and the only remaining purpose is retribution," he said. "That's where the clemency process comes in."
Louisiana's longest serving female prisoner was one step away from earning release after almost five decades behind bars when she was hospitalized with coronavirus last week.

Gloria Williams, 73, better known as "Mama Glo" among inmates and prison staff, received a positive recommendation from the state Board of Pardons and Parole last summer after board members deemed her rehabilitated. She has spent the past nine months waiting to see whether Gov. John Bel Edwards will agree with the board, which would allow her sentence to be commuted.

Then she could be released but would remain on supervision indefinitely.

She's one of an estimated 200 inmates who have similarly won the board's approval but are awaiting the governor's signature. Commutations are a rare form of clemency typically granted to people serving long sentences for serious crimes.

Williams was sentenced to life without parole for second-degree murder in the 1971 fatal shooting of an Opelousas grocer during a planned robbery.

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Edwards' office said Wednesday he hasn't had time to consider her application since he "has been focused on the COVID-19 response in Louisiana."

"The governor is actively pursuing all methods of reducing the prison population during the COVID-19 pandemic, including accelerated consideration of pending clemency applications for inmates with comorbidities," spokeswoman Christina Stephens said. State leaders also announced last week a plan to grant medical furlough to a limited number of nonviolent offenders within six months of their release date.

Williams was incarcerated at the Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women in St. Gabriel, which has seen the largest coronavirus outbreak among the state's eight prison facilities. So far 54 women there have tested positive, according to Department of Corrections data.

Williams was hospitalized Saturday and is receiving oxygen treatment, according to criminal justice advocates following her case.

"People like Ms. Williams are precisely who Gov. Edwards should have been releasing," said Mercedes Montagnes, executive director of the Promise of Justice Initiative. "The inaction of the governor and the Department of Corrections to protect our vulnerable incarcerated population has put thousands of lives at risk."
A Baker man accused of fatally shooting someone in Baton Rouge on New Year's Eve 2018 and dumping the body in an Iberville Parish sugarcane field has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in return for a 40-year prison term.

Darnell Davies, 28, would have faced a mandatory sentence of life in prison if he had been found guilty of second-degree murder this week in the death of Travis Smart, 28, of Baton Rouge.

+2 Two men arrested in case of body found in Iberville Parish sugarcane field New Years Day Two men have been arrested in the shooting death of Travis Smart whose body was found last month on the edge of a sugarcane field off Intersta

Another Baker man arrested in the case, Jason Carter, 33, is scheduled to stand trial July 11 on a charge of accessory to second-degree murder.

Davies also pleaded guilty Monday to heroin possession. State District Judge Beau Higginbotham sentenced him to four years in prison and ordered that time to run consecutive with his 40-year manslaughter sentence.

Authorities said Smart was shot multiple times somewhere on North 32nd Street in Baton Rouge. His body was found off Sidney Road in Rosedale, just over a mile north of Interstate 10 at the Grosse Tete exit.
When the Louisiana Pardon Board recommended Gloria Williams for clemency in 2019 after she had served almost a half-century behind bars for murder, her family started making plans to welcome back their matriarch. But two more years would pass before the governor signed her paperwork, bringing her another step closer to coming home.

The final step came Tuesday morning when the parole board granted her freedom.

Hours later, Williams walked out of prison and embraced her sons  now middle-aged men with children and grandchildren, decades removed from the boys she left behind  then clung to her younger sister.

She walked slowly into the chilly afternoon, her white hair tucked neatly beneath a headband and her lungs straining after two recent battles with COVID-19. She first contracted the virus during the earliest months of the pandemic, when it ravaged Louisiana prisons long before vaccines were available.

The moment was bittersweet, a joyful cause for celebration after decades of heartbreak and regret.

"I never thought this would happen," Williams said after climbing into the Mercedes SUV that would deliver her back home to Texas, where she plans to live with her son. Her newest great-grandchild had been born just hours earlier in Houston.

Williams, the longest-serving female prisoner in Louisiana, earned the nickname "Mama Glo" behind bars, a testament to her tendency to mentor younger women. After her 2019 recommendation for clemency, prisoner rights advocates launched a public relations campaign on her behalf that garnered widespread attention.

Williams was sentenced to life in the 1971 shooting death of Budge Cutrera Sr., a hard-working Opelousas grocer killed during an armed robbery involving Williams and four co-defendants. The group entered his store with an unloaded gun and knife, got into a struggle with Cutrera and his wife, and ultimately shot the man with his own gun, according to contemporary newspaper accounts.

Williams maintains that her female co-defendant pulled the trigger. That woman died in prison and the other three defendants have been released, advocates said.

Cutrera, 64, was weeks away from retirement when the tragedy unfolded, his relatives said during the Tuesday morning parole hearing, which was held over zoom. His son and two grandchildren voiced their opposition to Williams being released.

"Gloria had a tough life serving 50 years. Hers is a sad story," said Michael Cutrera, the son. "Well, here is another sad story."

He described how his parents worked extremely long hours at the store, often selling items on credit to help people out. Budge Cutrera would get home late, have a snack and fall asleep. He never took vacations.

"My dad was looking forward to retirement.  I was looking forward to quality time with my dad," Michael Cutrera said. "That was cut short."

Releasing Williams, he told the board, would mean "her nightmare is over but mine will continue forever."

+3 Gov. John Bel Edwards commuted 36 prison sentences in 2020. Here's the story of one freed inmate. Duong "Calvin" Cao had served 17 years in prison on an attempted murder conviction when he went before the Louisiana pardon board in 2015 and 

Long before the crime that landed her in prison, Williams had experienced a host of struggles and mistakes. According to her clemency application, she was the daughter of Church Point sharecroppers. Growing up in extreme poverty, she got married at 14  her husband was 20  and had her first child the following year. Another four children followed.

She left her husband after discovering his infidelity, then remarried to a man who ended up brutally abusing her, including once shooting her in the hand. She also became addicted to drugs because he would force them upon her, according to the application.

When Williams decided to rob the Opelousas grocery store in 1971, her second husband was locked up on armed robbery charges. He demanded money to pay a lawyer, and Williams feared the consequences of ignoring his demand, her attorneys wrote.

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On Tuesday, she faced her victims for the first time.

"I cannot change the pain that I've caused the Cutrera family. I wish I could," she said during the hearing. "Saying I'm sorry is not enough; I have to live with what I've done."

Williams paused part way through her statement, collecting her voice, then addressed the Cutrera family directly. Her words tumbled out as she struggled to articulate the depth of their loss  and the depth of her remorse.

Her sister Mary Moore said Williams spent the following decades reforming herself, participating in virtually every program available behind bars.

"Gloria has shown us through the years that she was able to lace up her bootstraps and do the work to become a better version of the person she was," Moore told the board.

Though her last prison disciplinary write-up was issued 14 years ago, Williams became known as a rule-breaker from the start. She successfully escaped three times, once making it to Houston, where she was arrested on an unrelated armed robbery.

She served about eight years in a Texas prison for that crime before returning to Louisiana to resume her life sentence. In 1985, she tried again to leave, injuring a correctional officer in the process. She was quickly captured and convicted of simple escape.

Those days are long gone, her attorney said Tuesday. Now 76, Williams requires oxygen treatment after a three-week hospital stay with COVID in 2020, when many feared she would die behind bars.

+3 Her baby died after Hurricane Katrina. Was it a crime? This article was published in partnership with The Marshall Project, a nonprofit news organization covering the U.S. criminal justice system. 

Moore and other relatives, along with advocates and attorneys, gathered at the Watermark Hotel in downtown Baton Rouge to watch the parole hearing together Tuesday morning. They wore matching shirts and masks printed with photos of Williams.

Despite opposition from the Cutrera family, the board voted unanimously in favor of supervised release, saying Williams has demonstrated remarkable growth and poses little risk to public safety.

"My job is not to look at the person who did this horrible thing 50-odd years ago, but to look at the person here today," said board member Sheryl Ranatza, casting the first vote.

Once the video call had ended, the roomful of supporters erupted in cheers, chanting "Free Mama Glo."

"I'm elated, it's just now setting in," said her youngest son, Darrell Robertson, who was a toddler in 1971. "It was like a dream at first. Now we can celebrate."

Louisiana's longest serving female inmate hospitalized with coronavirus while clemency request stalls Louisiana's longest serving female prisoner was one step away from earning release after almost five decades behind bars when she was hospital

When Williams was convicted and sentenced, so-called lifers became parole eligible after 10 years and six months in Louisiana. But a series of legislative changes gradually delayed eligibility before finally eliminating it entirely. For the roughly 4,200 people currently serving life in Louisiana  which imposes such sentences at one of the highest rates in the nation  their only chance at relief comes through the clemency process, which sets an exceedingly high bar.

Fox Rich, co-founder of the advocacy group PDMNola that worked to get Williams released, said the number of Louisianans ultimately granted clemency amounts to "a drop in the bucket." But she was celebrating Tuesday after Williams landed on the list.

"After more than 50 years in prison, her continued incarceration does not benefit society," said Andrew Hundley, executive director of the Louisiana Parole Project, which provides support services for prisoners released after decades behind bars. "Her case should serve as a reminder that life and other extreme sentences  come at a great social and financial cost, and the current system needs to be reconsidered by our legislature."
A woman was arrested Tuesday after she was accused of helping the father of her child avoid arrest in a Georgia homicide case, documents from the Baton Rouge Police Department show.

Authorities booked Amani Scruggs on accessory after the fact to first-degree murder in relation to the killing of Joseph Briggs.

The Greene County Sheriff's Department in Georgia began investigating Briggs' death on April 9, 2021, an affidavit obtained from BRPD shows. They named Deron Bell as the primary suspect and issued an arrest warrant for aggravated assault and murder.

Georgia law enforcement contacted Scruggs several times. When officers told her about Bell's arrest warrant, she said she was pregnant with Bell's child.

Scruggs told officers she hadn't heard from Bell since the incident and had no idea where he was, documents say. She was told to contact authorities if Bell tried to contact her.

On Tuesday, Jan. 25, the U.S. Marshal's Task Force reported to a Baton Rouge apartment at 11580 Perkins Rd. Scruggs answered the door and told authorities that Bell was inside with her children.

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Bell was taken into custody without any issue, documents said.

Scruggs stated under oath that she was aware of Bell's arrest warrant. She told authorities that he had just showed up and was physically abusive toward her.

Apartment management told police that Scruggs lived in the apartment for several months despite not being on the lease. They also reported having seen her with a man and child on multiple occasions.

Authorities said they believe Scruggs knowingly and willing helped Bell avoid arrest.
Between billions of dollars in unspent federal aid and hundreds of millions more in better-than-expected tax collections, Louisianas Legislature and Gov. John Bel Edwards have an eye-popping $2.8 billion in one-time funds on-hand to divvy up, a rare glut of cash that will energize months of budget discussions.

Kicking off the debate, the governors chief budget architect, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, detailed Edwards priorities for those funds in a presentation before state lawmakers Tuesday, calling on legislators to seize the moment and utilize the one-time cash for one-time needs.

The investments proposed are substantial: $500 million to construct a new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge; $559 million to upgrade sewer and water systems statewide; $450 million to pay off state debts to FEMA; $550 million to replenish the trust fund that pays jobless claims; $100 million to build a new Interstate 10 bridge in Lake Charles; and millions more for other projects.

The governor's recommendations are a starting point for lawmakers, who will negotiate  largely behind closed doors  how to spend the largesse when they return on March 14 for the start of the regular legislative session. If Tuesday's hearing is any indication, there's no shortage of opinions among lawmakers on how to spend the cash.

"We, the administration, haven't cornered the market on good ideas or on ways that dollars can be spent," Dardenne told lawmakers. "When you have money like this, obviously theres going to be a lot of hands out. This is a marketplace for those ideas."

The governor's recommendation to divert half-a-billion dollars to a new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge drew the most attention from state lawmakers.

Senate President Page Cortez, a Lafayette Republican, wondered whether it's smart to stow away such a large chunk of money on a project that hasn't even settled on a location.

"It could be more than a decade a way, if you fast-tracked it," Cortez said. "Is that the best use of money? To have it sitting in a fund for ten to fifteen years before you ever get the project off the ground."

Senate Finance Chairman Bodi White, a Central Republican, called it an "admirable" proposal and said as a Capital Area lawmaker, he'll work to get some money set-aside, but he imagined a scenario in which future lawmakers raided the funds for other purposes.

"I just dont see how we hold that money for years and years," White said, adding that their successors in the statehouse are "going to sweep that money."

Dardenne said setting the funds aside will signal to both the federal government and private partners that Louisiana is serious about getting the bridge built.

"You've got to start somewhere," Dardenne said. "And if we're not willing to start somewhere it will be talked about for generations and generations to come by people backed up in traffic."

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State Rep. Blake Miguez, an Erath Republican, said the $500 million proposal was a "bit of a sticker shock," and joined other lawmakers in questioning whether the funds will be distributed equitably, particularly among rural communities and areas outside south Louisiana.

"We have to make sure that we have equity in these spending bills," said state Rep. Francis Thompson, a Delhi Democrat. He took issue with the governor's proposal to send $25 million to fund high-speed rail between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, saying the state should fund similar projects in north Louisiana.

Game changer? Governor proposes $500 million for new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge In a potential breakthrough, Gov. John Bel Edwards on Monday proposed spending $500 million to build a new bridge across the Mississippi River

Challenging the notion that the Mississippi River bridge is strictly a Baton Rouge issue, state Rep. Rick Edmonds, a Republican from the capital city, pointed out that it's part of Interstate 10, a "trillion-dollar corridor" that spans the state.

"It is one of the greatest needs in all connecting points in all of the United States of America, and as that bridge goes, so goes all of our rural parishes," Edmonds said.

In a statement following the meeting, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, a Gonzales Republican, said the bridge proposal "has my full support."

Of the one-time cash available for lawmakers to spend, around $1.4 billion is leftover from Louisiana's share of the American Rescue Plan Act. The state also raked in $700 million from better-than-expected tax collections for the fiscal year that ended June 30, though a quarter of that must go to the state's rainy day fund and 10% to pay down state retirement debt.

Another $853 million is available with no-strings-attached from excess collections for the current budget year.

"It's kind of staggering for all of us to see these kind of numbers given the discussions we've had in the past about the budget challenges we faced," Dardenne said.

With such a glut of cash, state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, a Slidell Republican, suggested sending funds back to taxpayers.

"I think if you ask the taxpayers in this state how they would spend it, they would tell you, give some money back to the taxpayers," Hewitt said. "That is what my constituents are saying."

Dardenne cautioned against rolling back revenue, especially with state's temporary .45% sales tax set to roll off the books in mid-2025. After a similar budget boom following Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana lawmakers slashed taxes  a move that caused years of budget gaps and financial problems for the state.

At Tuesday's meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, Dardenne also introduced a $38.6 billion executive budget proposal for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The proposal  which will be filed as House Bill 1 and debated in the regular session  utilizes a boost in recurring revenues to provide $1,500 pay raises for K-12 teachers and includes $103.9 million in additional funding for higher education.
Jacinda Ardern has urged New Zealanders to get a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before the country re-opens its borders for quarantine-free travel.

The New Zealand Prime Minister said in a video posted to her official Instagram account today that most countries have not had the ability to get boosted before theyve seen widespread outbreak  we do.

Were now over 60 per cent of eligible [people], but theres still almost 40 per cent who are eligible for a booster today who havent got one. I implore you, please get a booster.

The countrys health ministry said in a COVID-19 update today that 68,700 vaccine doses were administered yesterday, including 50,946 booster doses, which is 63 per cent of those eligible for their booster.

The New Zealand government announced in December it would delay the start of its phased border reopening, which was due to start at 11.59pm on January 16.
Two major Queensland universities will require students to be vaccinated for in-person learning from next month, while inoculation will remain voluntary for school students.

The University of Queensland has announced that anyone attending its campuses, sites or facilities will need to be fully vaccinated from February 14, except people covered by limited exemptions, such as those under the age of 16.

University of Queensland students, staff and visitors will need to be fully vaccinated from February 14. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Griffith University has also announced people will need to be fully vaccinated to attend its campuses from February 18. Disciplinary policies and the potential for students to be unable to finish their degrees have been floated as possible consequences of not getting the jab without a valid exemption.

After the start of the school year was delayed by two weeks to avoid the worst of the states Omicron peak, the announcement of how the government will manage the virus in schools has also been pushed back until Education Minister Grace Grace herself recovers from the virus.
For two years, the world has lived with uncertainty and anxiety as we endured the first global pandemic as a highly connected world. We have made enormous sacrifices to reduce the transmission of an ever-evolving virus that presents new challenges almost monthly. But the sacrifices and suffering have been inequitable, with the harmful effects of the pandemic most evident in the poorest households and the most vulnerable sectors of society.

As students return to the classroom, COVID-19 cases in schools will become frequent events. Credit:Arsineh Houspian

Children have been hugely affected by the indirect impacts of the pandemic. Globally, 61 million children have been pushed into poverty due to COVID-19. One billion children have fallen behind in their schooling since the pandemic began, as fewer than one in four children have had access to online learning platforms. Ten million young girls have been forced into child marriage, largely triggered by school closures.

A degree of angst as our children return to school in the midst of Australias highest case numbers is understandable. For two years, we have shut the classroom door whenever case numbers blipped  and theres therefore a palpable unease that were no longer doing so, given this has become our conditioned response.

But our pandemic preparedness plans were originally established to respond to viruses that presumed children would be efficient transmitters  such as influenza. The precautionary principles we rapidly applied, presuming children would be key transmitters of SARS-CoV-2, have been far too slow to subsequently unfurl, and it is time we understood that in the context of COVID-19, keeping schools closed causes far more harm than good.
After a run of disappointing summers marred in turn by the Black Summer bushfires and inclement weather, Melburnians flocked to beaches and waterways on Wednesday to mark Australia Day.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Bri Macpherson said it was the citys hottest Australia Day in 16 years, with temperatures climbing to 36 degrees at Olympic Park about 4.30pm.

Parking spaces were in high demand along Mornington Peninsula as swimmers packed the beaches, seeking a cool reprieve from the muggy heat. Beyond the break, speed boats, yachts and jetskis clogged the water.

Closer to the CBD, Aspendale was packed, too, while crowds were leaner than in previous years at St Kilda, where families cooled off with a dip, gathered at busy cafes and ate fish and chips on the sand.
A Melbourne GP who doled out 149 dodgy child vaccination exemptions and doctored a letter from the then-Deputy Chief Health Officer has been banned from practising for at least six years, and stripped of his title.

John Piesse came under intense scrutiny for helping parents side-step Victorias no jab, no play laws, with the medical regulator raiding two clinics where he worked in Melbournes east in September 2017.

Anti-vax former general practitioner John Piesse, who has been stripped of his doctor title. Credit:Paul Jeffers

It was at those clinics - Mitchams Natural Healing Centre and Hawthorns National Institute of Integrative Medicine - where the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, with the help of authorities, found copies of the forged letter from the then-Deputy Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.

The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, in a disciplinary hearing brought on by the Medical Board of Australia, found that the letter, written by Professor Sutton in July 2017, originally warned the doctor he should issue vaccination exemptions only for children who were legitimately exempt.
This is about making sure that anybody who comes into our homes and exposes us, potentially, to the virus is safe. For people who are clinically vulnerable or at risk, that means that anyone that you come into contact with can potentially kill you, she said. Loading Realistically, for people who are in receipt of personal care, they will need to have multiple tests done per week, depending on how many support workers they have. We just dont have the option of being able to isolate in a way that were locked down with people who are also never going to leave. Ms Connor said many NDIS participants had had their plans cut and should not have to divert funding earmarked for services, even if they could find rapid tests.

Youre taking away peoples necessary care and support by asking them to fund their own RATs, she said. If youre paying for a couple of hundred bucks worth of RATs, that might mean that you cant have a shower that week. Ms Connor said the statistics were sobering for people with disabilities. A fully vaccinated young person with Down syndrome who had received three doses of vaccine is still 12 times more likely to die from COVID-19, rising to 56 times more likely without a vaccine. Inclusion Australia chief executive Catherine McAlpine said people with intellectual disabilities were at the highest risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19 and relied on visits from multiple carers for help with daily living. If youre a person with complex physical support needs or immunocompromised, or a mixture of the two, youd be wanting to know every day that the people coming into your home are not going to put you at risk, she said.

Ms McAlpine said that, as well as free RATs, people with disability needed priority access to PCR testing, which they needed to undergo hospital treatment including in some cases sedation to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Loading Peak organisations representing people with disabilities sent a joint letter to the national cabinet on Tuesday demanding free and accessible access to personal protective equipment, especially N95 or P2 face masks, oximeters, as well as rapid antigen tests. Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy, whose son is a wheelchair basketball athlete, said that double vaccination rates were as low as 50 per cent for Australians with a disability, putting them at increased risk in the rapid antigen test shortage. People with a disability are again being treated as second class citizens ... at the back of the queue to access RATs, she said.

Labors disability spokesman Bill Shorten said it was absurd the government was asking Australians with disabilities to dip into their NDIS funding, and line up with members of the public to buy rapid tests. Our Australian of the Year is of course spot on when he says people with disability need access to regular free rapid tests for their own health and safety, Mr Shorten said. Greens disability spokesman Jordon Steele-John said he had been advocating for rapid antigen tests to be made free and accessible to everybody, not just disabled people since the shift from PCR to rapid testing was announced in late December. All RATs should be free, whether youre disabled or not, he said. We need to replicate countries elsewhere in the world that have seen that writing on the wall and made them free and accessible to everybody.

Senator Steele-John said people with disabilities were going without services because it was too dangerous for them to access care and support without testing. Loading Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese on Tuesday said a Labor government would make rapid tests free to all Australians and ration them through the Medicare system. Ms Connor said people with disabilities must be prioritised for a higher number of free RATs than the general population and this could be achieved through the PBS system, similarly to the Closing the Gap scheme that gives Indigenous Australians access to free medicines. Alcott said he would spend his year as Australian of the Year advocating for the rights of all people with disabilities, while also lobbying for the future of the NDIS to be guaranteed.

Labor is also backing the calls for the Disability Royal Commission to convene an emergency public hearing into the federal governments record of keeping people with disability safe during the COVID-19 pandemic and the Omicron wave. A federal health department spokeswoman said all Australians could access free COVID-19 testing, including rapid antigen testing at state-run testing clinics across the country if they are needed for the public health response to COVID-19. In NSW and Victoria, free RATs are available at these testing sites only to those people who have symptoms or are close household contacts. The Commonwealth also reimburses group home residents for rapid antigen tests when it is needed in order to safely live in their dwelling. Senator Reynolds said on Monday: We know that rapid antigen tests are an important tool for ensuring participants continue to access their disability-related supports.
One year after the Do Better report laid bare Collingwoods historical issues with racism, the Magpies joined other clubs in making a strong statement acknowledging the pain January 26 causes for First Nations people.

In an emotional day, the AFL declined to comment on Queensland senator Matt Canavans Dont support the Brisbane Lions call to Twitter followers after the clubs social media post made it clear todays date was not one to celebrate.

Collingwood players and staff with the Aboriginal flag. Credit:Collingwood Football Club/Twitter

The AFL Commission has not adopted a formal position on potentially changing the date, although the league has advocated for the Recognise campaign around constitutional recognition for Indigenous people in the past.

Richmond, considered a leader among clubs in Indigenous relations with their Korin Gamadji Institute, partnered with the Victorian Treaty Advancement Commission in 2019.
Institutional arrangements that have been vital to the Continent in the post-Cold War era now exist only on paper. On arms control, military arrangements, and other security issues, the EU has almost nothing to bring to the table. So, Russia can simply ignore it. The EU has not only failed to confront Moscow with substantive measures it would apply in response to a Russian attack. It has also neglected to engage in the internal preparations that would allow it to find a consensus on the matter. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a Non-Aggression Treaty, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in 1939, which later set scene for the invasion of Poland. From left to right: F. Gaus, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Josef Stalin, Viachislav Molotov. Credit:AP Buras said the European Council asked the commissions foreign policy team to come up with a sanctions package six months ago, but no paper appeared. This is a devastating indictment of European diplomacy at a time when it faces its most serious test, he said. At the heart of this paralysis is the strange ambivalence of Germany, sustained by the undying belief that it has a unique appreciation and understanding of Russia. The national faith in Ostpolitik, or its politics with the east, survives every provocation by Putin.

It is partially a way to camouflage self-interest and commercial advantage, but it is also a genuine cultural pathology. They cannot get the illusion of a strategic partnership with Russia out of their heads, said Professor Hannes Adomeit from the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University. He is one of 73 German historians and experts on Eastern Europe who have written an open letter accusing the Berlin establishment of contributing to the unfolding disaster with systematic misjudgments, doggedly pursuing the doctrine of Annaherung durch Verflechtung (rapprochement through interdependence), and determined to keep believing that Putin would be even less controllable if it were not for German engagement. Lots of trade too. Pipes for the construction of the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany in Sassnitz, Germany. Russias natural gas pipeline to Europe is built and ready to flow. Credit:AP They think that the siloviki (crony strongmen) around Putin are not so different from the old Brezhnev and Gorbachov crowd. But Putin is much more dangerous because he is less constrained by the collective wisdom of the Politburo, and he carries a chip on his shoulder, he said. The German political elites argue - understandably, and honourably - that the country owes a moral debt to Russia as atonement for the Second World War, but over time this degenerates into diplomatic nihilism, and even duplicity. A similar moral obligation to the Ukrainian people is swept under the rug. Proportionately, Ukraine suffered a far higher rate of Nazi casualties, said Professor Adomeit.

A new argument is emerging to replace this depreciating pretext. Matthias Platzeck from the Deutsch-Russisches Forum is calling for the end of all residual post-Crimea sanctions in order to soothe the Kremlin, arguing that it is now a strategic imperative to peel Russia away from Xi Jinpings China. Or as the ex-German navy chief put it a little too candidly, Putin only wants respect... and deserves it. Platzeck is a former Social Democrat (SPD) premier of Brandenburg, one of so many SPD grandees who have ended up directly or indirectly enlisting for team Russia. Ex-chancellor Gerhard Schroder is to this day chairman of the Nord Stream pipeline. The nexus of Kremlin influence is a core theme of Germanys Russia Problem, a new book by John Lough from Chatham House. The upshot of German appeasement - yes, it is the right word - is that Russia will not be expelled from the SWIFT system of global payments even if Putin takes Kyiv and erects his puppet government. Friedrich Merz, the new leader of the Christian Democrats, said it was too dangerous to activate this financial nuclear option. It would risk blowing up the European capital markets and triggering a banking crisis, devastating the European economy. He seemed to suggest that sanctions against a few oligarchs would be a sufficient response.

Merz is in a sense correct. German companies have continued to invest on a large scale in the Russian economy since the illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 and are therefore hostage, rather as the City of London continued to fund Hitlers regime as late as 1938, all the while lobbying furiously for peace on Berlins terms. Loading There will be no embargo of Russian exports of energy and strategic minerals. Key leaders of the SPD - including the defence minister and the secretary-general - continue to think that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline should go ahead even if Putin extinguishes Ukraine. Berlin has refused to sell Kyiv defensive weapons systems and intervened to stop the Baltic NATO states from shipping old East German howitzers from their military stocks to help stiffen Ukraines resistance. In short, Germany will not take any step that threatens its relationship with Moscow or jeopardises its long-term economic interests. It is conceding the Kremlin an imperial droit de regard over its near abroad. Moreover, it is doing so even though Putin is demanding a buffer zone of emasculated neutral states across a swath of the EU itself, including Finland and Sweden as well as the old Warsaw Pact states and the Balkans.

Wolfgang Ischinger, veteran head of the Munich Security Conference, said the reluctance to issue clear warnings to the Kremlin is a fundamental failure of deterrence and increases the likelihood that Putin will try to overthrow the European strategic order. SWIFT should be front and centre on the table. We have to instil in the Russian mind the thought that the price to be paid for an invasion is so high that it is not worth it. If we are helpless bystanders and neither help Ukraine with weapons nor threaten massive economic sanctions well repeat what happened in Yugoslavia in the 1990s when 300,000 people had to die before the US came in and sorted it all out, he said. This time the stakes are an order of magnitude higher, and the US cannot sort it out once it is allowed to happen. Ischinger said few in Berlins political bubble seem to understand the damage being done, both to the credibility of Germany and to the integrity of the EU itself. It is NATO that is coming through for the beleaguered East Europeans, not Brussels, which has been heroically useless. Professor Adomeit said Germany had still not learnt the Balkan lesson. But he thinks the better parallel for Ukraine is what happened in the Spanish Civil War when the French and British piously refused to supply weapons to the legitimate government, while Mussolini sent a whole army and Hitler sent the Nazi Condor Legion - the bombers of Guernica - to help Francos Fascist forces. There are still optimists. Charles Grant from the Centre for European Reform says Germany will fall into line and back draconian sanctions if Putin actually attacks. Deep in their bones, the German political class are Atlanticist, he said.
Van Buren, AR (72956)

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Staff Reporter

Nyamekye Daniel has been a journalist for five years. She was the managing editor for the South Florida Media Network and a staff writer for The Miami Times. Daniel's work has also appeared in the Sun-Sentinel, Miami Herald and The New York Times.
Wen Fa is a senior attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation, a nonprofit legal organization that defends Americans liberties when threatened by government overreach and abuse.
A "now hiring" sign is seen in front of a Home Depot store May 6, 2020, in Des Moines, Iowa.
Parents of a fourth-grader who died after being struck by a school bus while riding his bicycle through a crosswalk are suing Grand Ledge Public Schools.
Ocean front property is seen in New Hampshires summer resort area of Hampton Beach Tuesday, May 3, 2016, in Hampton, N.H.
The New Hampshire House of Representatives at the Capitol in Concord, New Hampshire.
Critics warn new law in New Jersey could exclude businesses from bidding on public works contracts
In this Aug. 24, 2020, file photo, waiter carriers a check to a patron seated in a tent in the parking lot of a restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
An older man rides the subway in New York City with mask June 9, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic.
Associate Editor

Brent Addleman is an Associate Editor and a veteran journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He has served as editor of newspapers in Pennsylvania and Texas, and has also worked at newspapers in Delaware, Maryland, New York, and Kentucky.
Every so often, I tell Rick, I have an idea. According to my husband, these simple words give him cold chills. You see, Rick is a man who loves his daily routine. He enjoys knowing what to expect and changes are not, shall we say, welcomed with open arms. Am I about to tell him that I want to host an event in our home, go visit my mother, or move the furniture around? He doesnt know whats coming, but he is always confident that his routine is about to be rocked in one way or another. Read more
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How to tell if your COVID rapid test has expired
Pandemic life: Parents try to adjust as disruption is the new normal
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UNION SPRINGS - Leonard L. Beers, 90, formerly of Norwich and Otego, passed away Jan. 18, 2022. A memorial graveside service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, May 6, in Evergreen Cemetery in Otego. Arrangements are with Lewis, Hurley & Pietrobono Funeral Home, Oneonta.
Meet Trooper! Trooper is 5-years-old. His favorite activities include sleeping, going on walks and sticking his head out of the car sunroof. T
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Coast Guard Cutter Ibis' crew searching for people missing from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida, on Jan. 25, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

Coast Guard: 1 Body Recovered, 38 Still Missing Off Florida

MIAMIThe U.S. Coast Guard battled time and currents Wednesday as aircraft and ships searched for 38 people missing in the Atlantic off Florida, four days after the capsizing of a suspected smuggling boat killed at least one and left one known survivor.

Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian told a news conference that finding the other migrants alive is their highest priority. She said the survivor told rescuers that they capsized shortly after sailing into a storm from the Bahamas Saturday evening. The Coast Guard were alerted Tuesday morning after the crew of a merchant vessel spotted the man sitting alone on the overturned hull of the 25-foot-long boat.

It is dire. The longer they remain in the water  exposed to the marine environment  with every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely that survivors will be found, she said.

Crews searched throughout the day and night, extrapolating from where the wreck was spotted about 40 miles (64 kilometers) off Fort Pierce, Florida. By Wednesday morning, crews on at least four ships and five aircraft scanned a vast area about the size of New Jersey, Burdian said. They planned to keep searching throughout the day and then reevaluate.

We are using every piece of information we can to make sure we are exhausting our search efforts, Burdian said. But we cant search forever.

The man said he was part of a group of 40 people who left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday evening in what the maritime security agency suspects was a human smuggling operation, she said. The man said they capsized shortly thereafter, and none of them were wearing life jackets, she added.

The Coast Guard said a small craft advisory had been issued as a severe cold front blew through the dangerous passage on Saturday and Sunday, with winds up to 23 mph (37 kph) and swells up to 9 feet (3 meters) high. Tommy Sewell, a local bonefishing guide, said there were high winds and fierce squalls of rain on Sunday into Monday.

The survivor was brought to a hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure. Burdian wouldnt provide more details about him, saying hes now in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.

Bimini is a small island about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Miami and about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of where the survivor was found. The capsized boat was apparently pushed north by the Gulf Stream, a warm and swift current that wraps around the Florida peninsula and flows north along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

For the most part, these migrants are from Haiti and Cuba, but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

The Coast Guard constantly patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas. On Friday, its crews pulled 88 Haitians from an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Navigating the Florida straits, Windward, and Mona Passages  is extremely dangerous and can result in loss of life, the Coast Guard said last weekend.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.

The survivors said they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.

By Adriana Gomez Licon
2 House Lawmakers Under Fire for Alleged Ethics Violations

Reps. Marie Newman (D-Ill.) and Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) are under investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) for alleged ethics violations, including misuse of funds and bribery.

Substantial Reason To Believe Newman Bribed Potential Challenger

An investigation by the OCE has determined that there is substantial reason to believe that Newman bribed a potential challenger ahead of a tough race, offering him a cushy six-figure position to stay out of the race.

According to the OCE report, Newman promised federal employment to a primary opponent for the purpose of procuring political support (pdf). If true, this would be a serious violation of federal law and a black mark against the Illinois Democrat.

The situation began in 2020, ahead of Newmans battle to win the Democratic nomination for her district.

One potential challenger that could have beaten the Illinois marketing consultant for the nomination was Palestinian activist Iymen Chehade. As Newman is new on the political scene, the popular local activist posed a huge threat to her prospects in November. Recognizing this, Newman scheduled a meeting between herself and Chehade.

The details of that meeting remained out of public view for months, but the OCEs investigation has brought to light the specifics of what was discussed and agreed to.

The OCE found that Mr. Chehades policy expertise was not the only reason she contracted to employ him in the future, the investigation said. Instead, Rep. Newman likely was motivated to enter the agreement to avoid competing against Mr. Chehade in the next Democratic primary.

Allegedly, Newman recognized the threat he posed, and in her covert meeting with Chehade she persuaded him not to compete in the primary race. In exchange, she offered him a cushy job on her staff that would pay $140,000 per year, would have effectively allowed him to make his own work schedule, and would have given him complete authority over the hiring and firing of subordinates.

In addition, Newman agreed to give her commitment to endorse Chehade after she left office.

Chehade agreed, and the two signed a contract stipulating that if Newman won, Chehade would get the position.

Tuesdays report seems to contradict testimony Newman had made seven months earlier. In court, Newman admitted that she had offered Chehade the position but refuted the charge that this was a bribe to keep him from running. At the time, Newman claimed that she hadnt known about Chehades intention to run.

However, after winning her election, Newman did not honor her side of the agreement, leading Chehade to bring a suit against the junior lawmaker.

Now that the OCE has found substantial evidence of ethics violations, the case will be moved to the House Ethics Committee for further investigation. In a Monday statement, the Ethics Committee said that it would review the matter.

OCE Finds Evidence Lamborn May Have Misused Federal Funds

The OCE has also released its findings in an investigation of Colorado Republican Doug Lamborn. The OCE investigation found that, as with Newman, there is substantial reason to believe that Lamborn may have misappropriated federal funds for personal matters.

Reportedly Lamborns aides, who are on the federal payroll, told investigators that they were often tasked with running errands for the congressmans wife. Others reported having been tasked with helping Lamborns son to fill out a federal job application.

Lamborns wife, Jeanie, has a more active role in helping her husband politically than most congressional spouses. In both Colorado and Washington, Jeanie works as a salaried strategist and manager for the congressman.

Additionally, the report ruled that Lamborn may have given his chief of staff the go-ahead to compel other staff members to give gifts to the congressman and his family.

In contrast to Newmans case, there is a significantly less substantial paper trail, and Lamborn has vehemently denied the charges.

In a defense posted to his Congress website, Lamborn refuted the charge.

A thorough review of the facts will make it clear to everyone that no ethical violation has occurred, and [that the charges] should be dismissed, Lamborn began.

Lamborn claimed that the allegations arose from one Brandon Pope, a former Capitol Hill staffer.

He continued, You will find that anyone you talk to on Rep. Lamborns staff will absolutely and strongly disagree with [Popes] characterization of events.

Rather, Lamborn argues that the investigation is the result of OCE bias against him and his wife. To make this case, he points to a section of the report that describes Popes testimony as credible even though Popes rendering of events is wildly divergent from all of Lamborns other staffers.

As with Newman, the case against Lamborn will now head for the House Ethics Committee for further review.
U.S. Coast Guard ship Bernard C. Webber leaves the coast guard base in Miami Beach, Fla., on July 19, 2021. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

1 Body Found, 38 Missing After Boat Capsizes Near Florida: Coast Guard

One body was recovered and 38 people remain missing on Wednesday, four days after a suspected smuggling boat was capsized, resulting in at least one death and leaving one known survivor, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian told a news conference that finding the other migrants alive is their highest priority. She said the survivor told rescuers that they capsized shortly after sailing into a storm from the Bahamas Saturday evening. The Coast Guard were alerted Tuesday morning after the crew of a merchant vessel spotted the man sitting alone on the overturned hull of the 25-foot-long boat.

The good Sam notified [USCG] Sector [Miami] watchstanders, Tuesday, at approx. 8 a.m. after rescuing a man on a capsized vessel, the Coast Guard said.

The man told the Coast Guard that he, along with 39 others, were on a boat that met severe weather after they set off from Bimini, the Bahamas, on Jan. 22. The vessel capsized early on Jan. 23. No one on board had been wearing a life jacket, the man said.

This is a suspected human smuggling venture, the Coast Guard said, adding that crews continue to actively search for the missing people.

A cold front late Saturday brought rough weather to the Bimini area, with reported 1723 mph winds and 79 foot seas.

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

The Coast Guard in July 2021 rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached. Survivors told rescue personnel they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard the boat, but that nine went missing in the water.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Rarely Used Therapy May Help Trauma Survivors

Talk therapy can cause trauma victims to relive terrible events, but EMDR can help alleviate this problem

Awareness of the effects of trauma in veterans, survivors of natural disasters, wars, terrorism, accidents, crimes, and child abuse is growing. Regardless of when the terrifying events occurred or what form they took, trauma-related conditions often include flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, depression, insomnia, preoccupation with frightening thoughts, alcohol and drug addiction, difficulty with jobs and interpersonal relationships, and problems living in the present.

Sadly, because trauma conditions are often characterized by repressed memories that someone cannot consciously handle, traditional talk therapy often fails to help. Therapists have an undying faith in the capacity of talk to resolve trauma, says Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps The Score; Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, a bestseller since its 2015 publication. Unfortunately, its not so simple: Traumatic events are almost impossible to put into words  bodies re-experience terror, rage, and helplessness, as well as the impulse to fight or flee, but these feelings are almost impossible to articulate.

But there is good news for those whose lives have been shaped and limited by trauma. Many have found relief with EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) a non-invasive, low-tech therapy that helps patients detoxify traumatic memories and get on with their lives.

How Does EMDR Work?

EMDR can appear deceptively simple. Patients merely watch a therapist move his or her fingers back and forth while recollecting their trauma or the images and emotions connected with it. The combination of eye movements and recollections serves to make the memories less overwhelming and unbearable. The conscious brain seems to accommodate, acknowledge, and accept the memories which, though still unpleasant, no longer need to be pushed downor resurface as nightmares and flashbacks.

EMDR activates a series of unsought and seemingly unrelated sensations, emotions, images, and thoughts in conjunction with the original memory  reassembling old information into new packages, explained van der Kolk.

Why would simply moving the eyes in a particular way enact these changes? Researchers who reviewed previous research published their findings in the journal Neuropharmacology in 2016 and theorized that the movements induce a neurobiological state similar to REM sleep, a period during which emotional-memory processing is theorized to occur.

A previous review published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology in 2002 suggested that the induced REM-like state can lead to a reduction in the strength of hippocampally mediated episodic memories of the traumatic event.

Another theory of EMDRs effectiveness is that the eye movements increase interhemispheric communication interactions between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. The left brain is rational, logical, and language-oriented whereas the right brain is emotional, visual, and intuitive. Not surprisingly, traumatic events activate the right brain and deactivate the left; a harmony between the two, under this theory, would offer relief.

Finally, it has been theorized that the panoramic vision EMDR producesthe eyes sweeping back and forth rather than focusing on just one spotmay allow the brain to turn the autonomic nervous system and its associated norepinephrine on and off, which could provide relief from trauma anxiety.

A Proven Tool in Trauma

Van del Kolk, considered the worlds leading trauma expert, says his search for better treatments sprang from a study of traumatized Vietnam veterans that his colleague Dr. Roger Pitman conducted in the early 1990s in which patients got worse not better. The investigators had to stop the study because many patients became panicked by their flashbacks, and the dread often persisted after the sessions, he wrote. Many veterans became more depressed, violent, and fearful leading to alcohol abuse, arrests, and hospitalizations.

Insight from talk therapy cant help such trauma victims because the rational brain is basically impotent to talk the emotional brain out of its own reality, says van der Kolk. The only way to change post-traumatic reactions is to access the emotional brain through therapies such as EMDR that can bypass the rational brain.

A quick look at the medical literature shows EMDR is widely practiced. Its been used to treat psychosis, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol dependency, and in pain management, wrote researchers in Frontiers in Psychology in 2018. Its efficacy for treatment for PTSD is now well documented, they wrote.

In a 2020 Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) review of the military therapies used for trauma, Maria Steenkamp, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at New York Universitys Grossman School of Medicine, calls EMDR highly effective in her patients.

Today, EMDR is recognized as a useful modality by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, and the national health services of many countries. EMDR was employed for survivors of the 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, and for trauma victims in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In fact, EMDRs ability to treat trauma may even surpass results seen with the more common pharmacological treatment. In one trauma trial, van der Kolk cites in his book, The Body Keeps Score, subjects who were given EMDR showed significant improvement over subjects on either the SSRI antidepressant Prozac or a placeboand after only eight EMDR sessions, a quarter of the subjects were cured. At the eight-month follow-up, 60 percent of the subjects had maintained their recovery.

Trauma patients often improve on drugs such as Prozac, Celexa, Paxil, and Zoloft, van der Kolk adds, but only as long as they keep taking them; the medications dont get to the root of the trauma so arent a solution. In one of van der Kolks studies, EMDR outperformed a drug on another scale: It produced a greater reduction in depression scores than taking the antidepressant.

Not only can EMDR sometimes actually cure trauma, it can work very quickly. For example, a 2009 American Psychiatric Association (APA) guideline mentions a study of transportation workers who were traumatized by assault or witnessing a deadly accident but who no longer met criteria for PTSD after only five EMDR sessions.

In another study cited by the APA, 75 percent of women who were rape victims also no longer met criteria for PTSD after nine EMDR sessions, and results were maintained at 6-month follow-up.

Personal Stories of EMDR

In addition to scientific studies, many EMDR therapists and patients have shared success stories with EMDR therapy. Psychologist Ken Miller, author of War Torn, says he became interested in EMDR when struggling to help an elderly Bosnian man whose symptoms of PTSD were the worst he had ever seen and would not diminish with conventional therapy or psychiatric medication.

After only five EMDR sessions, this previously devastated, suicidal man was relaxed, smiling, sleeping without medication for the first time in years, and becoming interested in engaging socially with other people once again, Miller wrote in Psychology Today.

Jeffery Tejcek, who created an online EMDR program that has treated thousands of patients including military veterans, law enforcement officers, first responders, and frontline health care workers, says there are 35 life changes EMDR may produce in patients including an end to bothersome thoughts and flashbacks about a traumatic event, the diminishment of their fears and phobias, the ability to quit an addictive behavior, and coming to terms with trauma.

Why is such a touted therapy not the first-line treatment for traumatized people? EMDR proponents suggest the aggressive marketing of psychiatric drugs could be one reason. Another is the fact that medical groups and insurers are used to defining, diagnosing, and treating trauma on their own terms and resent their turf being invaded. Still, insurance plans that cover therapy will likely cover EMDR so check with your own.

As awareness of the lifelong, adverse effects of trauma grows, its likely the use of EMDR will grow, too.
Abortion: Americas Modern-Day Slavery Issue

Commentary

If theres a stain that has remained on Americas proverbial white linen, its the stain of slavery. A country founded on the principle that all men are created equal struggled mightily to live up to that standard until it did as Abraham Lincoln stated, where every drop of blood drawn with the lash [was] paid by another drawn with the sword.

Americans tolerated a cruel method of economic prosperity and based much of their reasoning on the idea that those of a different color were not capable of mastering their own lives, but should rather be mastered. The evolution of thought on slavery trespassed from a necessary evil to a positive good. Slaves were considered a people less than human, or at least a people of whom human dignity was surely of no consequence. Americans, Southerners in particular, convinced themselves that the liberty-expounding words of our founding document were a self-evident lie and all that was required was for everyone to ignore the self-evident truth.

We look back on those 88 years of extended slavery and think of the lack of human dignity that slave owners and slavery-sympathizerswhite, black, and otherwiseheaped upon themselves. We consider the abolitionists literature, the preachers protestations, the obvious look of downtroddenness on the slaves faces, and the outright logical fallacies that a human with every single aspect of humanity about them were not worthy of their own humanity. And we look on it with shame, but with a thankfulness that we finally ended it, and we did so honorably by sacrificing ourselves on the altar of freedom and to secure those words that all men are created equal.

Slavery and Abortion as Social Norms

It has now been 49 years since Roe v Wade was decided, which made abortion Constitutionally protected. More than 60 million babies have been aborted, and Americans continue to excuse the decision to annihilate what amounts to a generation of Americans. Were again fighting an evil that America has accepted as a social norm.

Abortionists and abortion-sympathizers echo the same logical fallacies that refuted freedom and stained the American landscape for nearly a century. Abortion has been argued as a human right, despite the fact it kills a human. It echoes the fallacy that all men are equal, except those men.

Soul Crushing Depravity

Abortion is touted as human progress, rather than human depravity.

Indeed, weve become depraved creatures who seek pleasure constantly and work to avoid pain altogether, unless that pain might masochistically cause us pleasure. Our sexual cravings are encouraged from childhood so that we grow up unwilling to save our sexuality for any special occasion, much less a special person, and are just as unwilling to accept responsibility for any consequence that may arise from those cravings.

Young Americans are told by entertainers, social influencers, politicians, educators, and corporatists that the act of abortion is truly inconsequential. But the truth is, were crushing the souls of millions of young people across this nation, and with that goes the soul of the nation.

Adopted Arguments from Slavery

Those who denounce the idea that guilt accommodates the ending of an unborn life preach the same sermon that was used to preserve slavery. The conscience should be free to fend off shame. But just as slavery dehumanized the slave, abortion dehumanizes the unborn child. And just as abortion destroys the child, it can also destroy the mother.

The argument of rape and incest is used as a backstop when the aberrant claims of a womans right to choose or reproductive rights dont serve their purpose. But is our society so backward and vile that tens of millions of crimes have been perpetrated upon women to which the only recourse is abortion? Nay. Our backwardness and vileness doesnt revolve around these two perverse crimes, which result in approximately 1 percent of our annual abortions. Rather its the other 99 percent of abortions submitted to out of fear of parenthood, familial embarrassment, intimidation by the father or family member, personal inconvenience, fear of lost opportunities, cosmetic reasons, or the oft-used excuse of an unplanned pregnancy, as if pregnancy were an unwarranted result of sex.

The defense of abortion, however, gravitates to an even darker claim that echoes our past. The claim of the unborns inhumanity. Those who worked to preserve slavery relied on the argument that their slaves were not fully human and therefore should be considered property, like an animal or inanimate object.

The legislative and judicial systems have worked hard to support this claim, just as they did for slavery. Some states have gone so far as to not prohibit abortion at any time in the pregnancy. This heartless dismissiveness is reminiscent of that displayed by the slave master.

Vicious Economics

Slavery grossly evinced dominance of one race over another, but logic suggests it was done for economic reasons. But who benefited economically from slavery? Indeed, it was a small portion of the population who exponentially profited. And profit seems to drive Americas great modern sin.

Abortion clinics, in particular Planned Parenthood, perform hundreds of thousands of abortions annually, accounting for a multi-billion-dollar industry. Ironically, Planned Parenthood makes a vast portion of its profits within minority-centric areas. The pharmaceutical industry also benefits from abortions. The development of vaccines is highly contingent on cells from the unborn, which in turn have recorded incalculable profits for those in the industry.

Shall We Avert Our Eyes Also?

Averting our eyes to the grotesque killing of unborn millions is reminiscent of the slavery-sympathizers and those who chose to ignore slavery. An air of flippancy has reigned in America for decades and has only grown to a wider expanse, as school children in many states are indoctrinated to believe that abortion is science; no, rather its medicine for the sick, and once administered the patient is made well. We have an incoming generationI dare say its already herewho will live under the guise that abortion is not a necessary evil, but a positive good.

Yet we no longer avert our eyes to the photographs of the slaves warped and maligned back. We no longer avert our gaze from the metal shackles around their wrists, ankles, and neck. We write books. We make movies. We create art depicting and denouncing slavery in the strongest possible terms. Perhaps it is because its easy to do now that the problem has long been solved, though there are those putrid individuals who attempt to shame the ones who fought, bled, and died to end it. The irony is that many of those individuals promote and protect our modern evil.

We do, however, avert our eyes when shown photographs of lumps of flesh and body parts assembled in disarray. We avert our ears to avoid the horrific mental images, because our modern sin is far too repulsive. We do not write books. We do not make movies. We do not create art depicting our modern abhorrent humanity. We do not do it, because its hard. Too hard and too now.

There are many in this nation who have discovered their heroism through cowardice. They stand in pretended solidarity with those who were held in bondage centuries ago, as if the dead care now. But ask those same people to stem the tide of blood flowing from Americas abortion clinics and they will curse you for the request.

They will rely on the Supreme Courts 1973 decision for their standard of morality, as if the same court never issued the Dred Scott decision. The American justice system has proven that it cant be our moral compassnor is it its job to be.

So as we near a half-century of ongoing and increasingly brutal abortions, I repeat the words of Lincoln: Fondly do we hopefervently do we praythat this mighty scourge  may speedily pass away.  With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The main gate of the U.S. Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., in a file image. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Afghan Evacuee Convicted of Molesting 3-Year-Old at Refugee Camp in Virginia

An Afghan national who helped U.S. troops in his home country has been convicted of molesting a 3-year-old girl at a Marine Corps refugee camp in Virginia.

Mohammed Tariq, 24, was convicted by a federal jury on charges of abusive sexual contact, the Department of Justice announced this week.

Tariq was spotted on Sept. 22 around 9:10 p.m. by four Marines sexually touching the young girl, according to court documents.

The girl tried pushing Tariq away but he grabbed her arm and forced her to stay where she was, prompting the Marines to intervene and detain Tariq.

The incident took place at Camp Upshur, on Marine Corps Base Quantico.

The girl and Tariq are not related, officials say, though both he and the girl, along with her family, were recently evacuated from Afghanistan and brought to the United States.

U.S. troops and allies evacuated over 100,000 Afghans before withdrawing from Afghanistan last year.

Tariq faces up to life in prison. He will be sentenced on April 26.

Public defenders representing the defendant did not respond to a request for comment.

The lawyers said in an earlier filing that their client has no English language comprehension and is unable to read or write in any language.

They asked a judge to suppress statements made by Tariq because, they alleged, he did not mean to waive his Miranda rights, or right to remain silent.

If Miranda warnings were given, Mr. Tariq did not knowingly and intelligently waive those rights. With no prior experience nor basis to understands [sic] the American system of criminal justice, Mr. Tariq could not knowingly and intelligently waive his Miranda rights, translated to him by a Pashto interpreter, they said.

The government opposed the motion, asserting the defendant was advised of his rights and that, through a translator, he said in response to basic identifying questions that molesting small children was part of his culture and that there was nothing wrong.

The court denied the motion to suppress and Tariq was ultimately convicted.

This case is indicative of law enforcements commitment to ensure the safety of immigrant and refugee members of our community, Jessica Aber, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said in a statement.

People who come to our country seeking haven from tyranny and terrorism deserve to live here in safety. I want to thank the Marines and the FBI for their commitment to upholding that ideal. It is the resilience and courage of the victim and her family in speaking out against this offender that is truly emblematic of the contributions refugees and immigrants make to our country, she added.

The case was investigated by the FBIs Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide effort to combat the sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
Australian State COVID-19 Restrictions Extended for One Month

Current COVID-19 restrictions will remain in New South Wales (NSW) for an additional month, until Feb. 28, Premier Dominic Perrottet announced on Jan. 25.

Restrictions include mandatory indoor mask rules, two-square metre density limits, bans on singing and dancing, and QR check-ins at venues such as retail shops and hospitality.

This is a cautious approach, a safe and measured approach as we move this next phase, Perrottet said.

The measures are intended to support the resumption of non-urgent elective surgeries and the safe return of children to school.

It is our absolute intention to resume elective surgery as soon as we possibly can, NSW Health Deputy Secretary Susan Pearce said.

The spread of Omicron is expected to accelerate once school starts, meaning a huge increase in mobility throughout the state.

Perrottet said the government would not be fining parents who choose not to send their children back to school for various reasons such as underlying health concerns.

Were certainly not going to be fining parents who have concerns, he said but stressed that kids did better at school.

We cannot have a situation, as we move through this pandemic  [where] we take away the opportunity for our children to succeed in life, he said. We have the face into this challenge. We know parents are anxious, but its incredibly, incredibly important that we have kids back in the classroom.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet speaks during a press conference in Sydney, Australia, on Jan. 17, 2022. (AAP Image/Brendon Thorne)

Perrottet assured parents of children with underlying health conditions that the teachers and schools had always worked with parents and students on these issues, and would continue to do so.

It is also expected to drive economic activity, not impede it, by giving people the confidence to go out.

Its better to have the two-square-metre rule than no square-metre rules and not having the confidence in the community to go out to restaurants and bars, Perrottet said.

Its better to be where we are now than to be in lockdown, he said. Lockdowns crush businesses and get people out of work. That is not the approach we are taking in NSW.

But struggling small and medium businesses can expect to receive additional economic support within the week.

The premier also encouraged that people go outdoors, where possible when gathering and socialising.
President Joe Biden speaks as he meets with members of his administration at the White House in Washington on Jan. 24, 2022. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Biden Says a Russian Invasion of Ukraine Would Change the World

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would change the world and reiterated that the United States has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine.

There will be enormous consequences if [Russian President Vladimir Putin] were to go in and invade, as he could, the entire countryor a lot less than as wellfor Russia, not only in terms of economic consequences and political consequences, but there will be enormous consequences worldwide, Biden said to reporters during a visit to a shop in Washington on Jan. 25.

This would be the largestif he were to move in with all those forcesit would be the largest invasion since World War II, Biden added. It would change the world.

Earlier Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that there is no intention or interest or desire by the president to send troops to Ukraine. And Biden has said previously that sending troops to Ukraine is off the table.

Administration officials continue to assert that the United States and its allies would impose severe sanctions against Russia if it were to invade Ukraine. And that the movement of tens of thousands of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border suggests an invasion could happen at any time.

A top Ukrainian official, however, appealed for calm on Monday, saying there are no grounds to believe that Russia is preparing to invade.

The Pentagon announced Monday that at Bidens direction its placing 8,500 American troops at a heightened readiness to deploy in support of Eastern NATO allies should the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine warrant.

And over the weekend the U.S. State Department ordered family members of U.S. government employees at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv to leave the Ukrainian capital and authorized the voluntary departure of non-essential civil servants.

Russia has denied it is planning an invasion but has issued a list of demands that includes NATO promising to not allow Ukraine to become a NATO member state.

Psaki confirmed last week the United States will respond to the Kremlin in writing.

In a series of high-level talks between Washington and Moscow, U.S. officials have said the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance is ironclad and that any decision of whether Ukraine can join the alliance should be between Ukraine and NATO only.

There is no trade space there. None, said Secretary of State Antony Blinken Friday.

The UKs Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned that an invasion of Ukraine will be a prolonged painful, violent, and bloody business for Russia.

Johnson said people in Russia need to understand that [Ukraine] could be their new Chechnyaa Northern Caucasus nation that was in conflicts with Russia for more than 26 years.

Russia seized control of Ukraines Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and Ukraines Donbas region has since seen violence that has taken more than 14,000 lives. The region is now under de facto control by Russia-backed separatists.

Lily Zhou contributed to this report.
Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, speaks in Bath, Maine. Golden was the only Democrat lawmaker to break with his party and vote against the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package on Wednesday, March 10, 2021. (David Sharp, File/AP Photo)

Bipartisan Coalition Urges Vote on Legislation to Bar Congress From Stock Trading

A bipartisan group of more than two dozen House members is urging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) to allow a floor vote on a bill that would bar members of Congress from trading individual stocks, which critics say is inappropriate due to lawmakers inside knowledge on financial and political affairs.

The demand was made in a Jan. 24 letter spearheaded by Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine). A total of 27 lawmakers signed Goldens petition, including 25 Democrats and two Republicans.

In the letters opening line, the coalition urges Pelosi to swiftly bring legislation to prohibit members of Congress from owning or trading stocks. Two bills that would do just that, the Ban Conflicted Trading Act and the TRUST In Congress Act, have been sitting in congressional limbo.

The responsibility to bring them to the floor for a vote lies largely with Pelosi, who has so far made no effort to do so.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks at her weekly press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Dec. 8, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Golden argued that such a ban would be a common-sense measure that is supported by Americans across the political spectrum.

A recent poll supports the claim.

The poll, conducted by the conservative group Convention for States Action in conjunction with Trafalgar, found that more than three-fourths of Americans believe that lawmakers have an unfair advantage over others in the stock market.

Congress has a history of passing laws that make it appear as if they are behaving ethically, while continuing to do things that are not honest nor ethical, said Mark Meckler, president of Convention of States Action, about the poll results. This issue has received a lot of attention, and this data verifies the American people want this practice to end once and for all.

In 2012, Congress approved the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, which required members of Congress to publicly disclose their financial transactions. However, a recent investigation by Insider found that many lawmakers in both the House and Senate have violated the provisions of that law.

In view of this, the lawmakers write, Its clear the current rules are not working.

In another recent example of potential insider trading, several members of Congress allegedly sold stock ahead of the crash precipitated by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic. These members had received nonpublic briefings on the growing virus outbreak, leading many to believe that the sudden stock sales were carried out on the basis of this knowledge.

The law prohibits only those stock trades that members of Congress make or direct because of their nonpublic knowledge, Golden states in his letter. But it can be nearly impossible to determine what counts as nonpublic knowledge or how personally involved members are in their stock trades.

Instead, the lawmakers demand, Congress should close these loopholes by simply banning members from owning or trading individual stocks while in office.

We came to Congress to serve our country, not turn a quick buck, the letter continues. While there are many difficult questions facing Congress, this is an easy one, the letter concludes. Members of Congress should not be allowed to own or trade individual stocks. Lets get this done.

The letter is a rare show of bipartisanship, including a very unlikely alliance of America First conservatives and left-wing progressives.

The Democratic roster includes prominent progressives such as Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who both have been outspoken in favor of sweeping institutional reforms and costly social spending bills.

The two Republican signatories are Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), an ally of former President Donald Trump who has fought against government measures that give an unfair advantage to major corporations or the ultra-wealthy, and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a longtime moderate who joined Democrats in approving the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill in late 2021.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Feb. 6, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

Speaking about the letter, Gaetz quipped that Rashida Tlaib and I dont often agree. But when we do, he added, America should totally go that direction.

However, not all lawmakers feel the same way about a stock market ban.

Most prominently, Pelosi made it recently clear that she thinks lawmakers should have access to the market.

During a mid-December press conference, just after Insider released a report on violations of the 2012 STOCK Act among members of Congress from both parties, Pelosi was asked whether a stock ban for members of Congress would be appropriate.

No, Pelosi responded quickly. We have a responsibility to report [our trades]  [and] if people arent reporting, they should be.

Further pressed to explain her no, Pelosi said, Because were a free market economy. [Members of Congress] should be able to participate in that.

Meanwhile, in 2008, Pelosis husband Paul Pelosi bought $2 million of stock in Visa at the same time that Congress was considering a bill that would have seriously undercut the debit and credit card giants profits. While the bill had gained momentum, it inexplicably stalled in the House.

Because Pelosi was speaker at the time, CBSs 60 Minutes speculated in a 2011 episode that there was a connection between Pelosis trading and the bills sudden collapse.

Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the TIME 100 Gala 2019 Cocktails at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City on April 23, 2019. (Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)

More recently, Paul Pelosi made a bullish bet in favor of Google parent company Alphabet, just as a proposal designed to undercut tech monopolies was gaining momentum in the House. While others pulled out on concern about the measure, Pelosis unlikely bet paid off, netting the Pelosis a cool $5 million.

In fact, Pelosis portfolio has seen such spectacular returns that would-be investors on the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok follow Pelosis releases and emulate his trades.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) has also defended stock trading by sitting members of Congress.

According to a report by Unusual Whales, Crenshaw had the fifth-highest returns of any member of Congress for his stock trading in fiscal year 2021. During an appearance on the All American Savage Show podcast, Crenshaw discussed the returns and his position on Congress members trading on the stock market.

The host asked Crenshaw whether he thought that sitting members of Congress should be allowed to invest in the stock market.

I think it would be fine if you banned individual stock trading, Crenshaw said, before clarifying, Notice I said individual stocks.'

The Texas Republican explained that while he would accept bans on buying and selling individual stocks, he thinks that members of Congress should still be allowed to invest in ETFs and similar stock funds.

Im kinda neutral on it, Crenshaw continued. But if such a ban were put in place, Crenshaw claimed no one would run for Congress because you have no way to better yourself.

House Homeland Security Committee member Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) speaks during a hearing in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Sept. 17, 2020. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The bipartisan support for Goldens letter indicates that at least some members on both sides of the aisle appear to be committed to advancing the issue. If brought to the floor, either of the two proposals would represent the most substantial reforms of their kind in a decade.
People walk outside of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts in a file photo. (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

Boston Patient Denied Heart Transplant Over Refusing COVID-19 Vaccines

A Boston hospital removed a patient from a heart transplant waiting list because he refused to get the COVID-19 vaccines.

My son has gone to the edge of death to stick to his guns, David Ferguson, father of the patient, told CBS Boston on Monday. His heart has now deteriorated so much to the point where it wont work.

The patient, DJ Ferguson, 31, is waiting for a heart transplant because his heart and lungs are filled with blood and fluid. But the hospital took him off the list of heart transplants for his refusal of COVID-19 vaccines.

Its kind of against his basic principles. He doesnt believe in it, the father told the outlet. I think my boy is fighting pretty damn courageously, and he has integrity and principles he really believes in, and that makes me respect him all the more.

The hospitalBrigham and Womens Hospitalsaid that the COVID-19 vaccines are required.

Our Mass General Brigham healthcare system requires several CDC-recommended vaccines, including the COVID-19 vaccine, and lifestyle behaviors for transplant candidates to create both the best chance for a successful operation and to optimize the patients survival after transplantation, given that their immune system is drastically suppressed, the hospital said in a statement sent to The Epoch Times.

Post any transplant, kidney, heart, whatever, your immune system is shut off, Dr. Arthur Caplan, head of Medical Ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, told CBS Boston. The flu could kill you. A cold could kill you. COVID could kill you. The organs are scarce. We are not going to distribute them to someone who has a poor chance of living when others who are vaccinated have a better chance post-surgery of surviving.

However, Dr. Peter McCullough, a renowned cardiologist, and epidemiologist, called the denial unethical, immoral.

Denying a patient an organ transplantation on the basis of an investigational, ineffective, and categorically unsafe vaccine is itself unethical, immoral. And from a clinical and civil perspective, its illegal, McCullough told NTD, a sister media of The Epoch Times.

These vaccines cause heart damage. Its called myocarditis. Under no circumstances would a good doctor ever expose a patient with heart failure whos awaiting a transplant. Under no circumstances would a doctor expose that patient to one of these vaccines, McCullough said. Those doctors need a reexamination of their position on this because its creating personal harm to that individual. Its effectively a form of personal injury.

Its not the first time a patient was denied transplant for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19, a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

In September 2021, the University of Colorado Hospital made headlines for rejecting a patient, Leilani Lutali, for a kidney transplant after she refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

Another Colorado patient, Dawn McLaughlin, was also denied a kidney transplant for the same reason by the same hospital in the same month.

In response to McLaughlins case, the next month, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state will not require a COVID-19 vaccine for an organ transplant.

McLaughlin has since been connected with UT Southwestern in Dallas, Texas. The hospital has offered to assist McLaughlin, only requiring a rapid COVID-19 test.

According to the United Network for Organ Sharing, a nonprofit that manages the U.S. organ transplantation system, the COVID-19 vaccine requirements are not mandated for transplant facilities.

Each transplant hospital makes its own decisions about listing candidates according to the hospitals best clinical judgment, including whether or not any specific vaccination is part of their eligibility criteria, the network states on its website.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett (left) and Vice Chairman Charlie Munger are seen at the annual Berkshire shareholder shopping day in Omaha, Neb., on May 3, 2019. (Scott Morgan/Reuters)

Buffett Plans In-Person Berkshire Annual Meeting as Omicron Wave Crests

Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway Inc. plans this year to let shareholders attend the companys annual meeting for the first time in three years, amid signs the Omicron wave may have peaked in the United States.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate said we are planning for an in-person meeting on April 30, while also webcasting the event for a seventh straight year.

The plan was announced even as many large corporate gatherings remain online or are delayed as the highly infectious Omicron variant spreads around the world.

But new coronavirus cases are dropping within the United States, and the top U.S. infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci told MSNBC on Monday he believed in the next few weeks we will see, as a country, that it is all turning around.

Berkshires annual shareholder weekend, whose centerpiece is the meeting, normally draws about 40,000 shareholders to Omaha for shopping, dining, a 5-kilometer run and other events. Buffett calls it Woodstock for Capitalists.

The meeting normally features Buffett, 91, and Berkshire Vice Chairman Charlie Munger, 98, answering several hours of shareholder questions.

Berkshires 2020 meeting featured Buffett and Berkshire Vice Chairman Greg Abel answering questions in Omaha, while the 2021 meeting moved to Los Angeles so Munger, who lives in the area, could join Buffett on stage. Shareholders stayed home from both.

I really hope, and I think the odds are very, very good, that we get to hold this next year in Omaha and I hope that we get a record turnout, Buffett said at the 2021 meeting.

Berkshire said it will release more details on the meeting with its annual shareholder report on Feb. 26.

Buffett has run Berkshire since 1965. Berkshire owns several dozen businesses including Geico car insurance and the BNSF railroad, and stocks including Apple Inc. and Bank of America Corp..

By Jonathan Stempel
Manhattan may not be the first place you would look for a strong family with a good father, but the author of a new childrens book reveals one living on a lake in Central Park. In The Handsome Little Cygnet, writer and illustrator duo Matthew Mehan and John Folley show us a family of swans coping beautifully with an identity crisisin lightly metered prose and 20 gorgeous watercolors.

Below, Carolyn Moynihan asks Mehan, a Washington dad, founding contributor to MercatorNet, liberal arts teacher for 20 years, and now a professor of government at Hillsdale College, about his second venture into childrens literature.

Carolyn Moynihan: It has been three years since you and John Folley produced your first childrens book, Mr. Mehans Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals. How is that one doing out in the world?

Matthew Mehan: Its doing very well. Considering it was our first book and that we didnt know what we were doing in terms of publicity and promotion, I think it went very well. We were a best seller on Amazon, and we were the top seller for one-year sales ever for a publisher. And I continue to get touching letters from young readers.

Ms. Moynihan: You have moved up in the academic world recentlybut not so high as to disdain creating childrens books. Do you have any models along that path?

Mr. Mehan: Im sure Im not the first, but no one leaps to mind. Now that I am a professor of government in a graduate school, I really dont see any contradiction in writing childrens books, because I teach every year Aristotles Politics, in which he both begins and ends the art of politics with a discussion of the all-important political act of educating the next generation. So, in a fun sense but also in a very real sense, this is very much a part of my new profession.

Ms. Moynihan: I was thinking about Tolkien. Its questionable whether The Hobbit is a childrens book, but there were his Letters From Father Christmas and a couple of others. Perhaps also your hero Thomas More 

Mr. Mehan: You flatter me!

Ms. Moynihan: Besides moving from mammals to birds, how else is The Handsome Little Cygnet different from the first book?

Mr. Mehan: The last book was a gargantuan and elaborate cultural bonanza for middle graders, a book designed for a curious child to get lost in all summer. The Handsome Little Cygnet is a storybook for younger children and families to read to younger children. It has the one thing Mr. Mehans Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals lacked: the beauty of simplicity.

Ms. Moynihan: What inspired this new story?

Mr. Mehan: Frankly, Im not sure. It sorted itself out in my mind slowly two winters ago. But obviously, like any good poet, I have to thank the heavenly muse. But on a more human level, part of the inspiration came from parenting in a crazy world. The story features a family of swans in the big cityManhattan actually, Central Parkand their little baby cygnet is trying to figure out what he is meant to be. And I dont have to tell you that that has become a very difficult process.

Ms. Moynihan: Its a very simple story for young children, but there are some important life lessons in it for our time. What does it say about families?

Mr. Mehan: I think it models an image of very thoughtful parents and how their calm and straightforward love for their child [or cygnet] ends up being one of the greatest gifts their child needs for growing up and becoming what he is meant to be.

Ms. Moynihan: About identity?

Mr. Mehan: Our plucky little cygnet encounters a curious obstacle to growing up in a happy way that ends up being a kind of challenge to finding his authentic identity. Thats why this is a kind of retelling of the Ugly Duckling fable by Hans Christian Andersen. This baby swan needs to know both what he is and who he is. The first part means looking around at the nature of things, and the second part means looking carefully at who really loves and cares for him. But its a tricky thing, and I dont think theres a lot of guidance out there in kid lit or in culture generally right now, neither for children nor families generally.

Ms. Moynihan: About nature?

Mr. Mehan: I chose the setting of Central Park because it is a beautiful backdrop that was made by clever human beingsNew Yorkers are very clever people!who used art to shape and fashion the parks natural elements and heighten their beauty for our happiness. I had an old mentor, a brilliant and big-hearted teacher, who used to say, To be a male is a question of biology; to be a man is the work of a lifetime. The first part is what we are. Thats a given. But then we have to artfully craft ourselves into who we are in order to become fully human or in this case truly a swan. Nature and art togetherthats a human being and thats Central Park.

Ms. Moynihan: It is beautiful to look at, thanks to Mr. Folley. An art lesson, among other things?

Mr. Mehan: Always. John and I insisted on beauty in our work, so the carefully crafted words have to have carefully crafted art. And this time, John painted beautiful watercolors of Central Park, full of Easter eggs and urban icons of the Big Apple. Too often, kids books look careless, some even ugly. Thats not our way. We are both fathers of large broods, and we want to put beauty before our children to open their imaginations to the whole world and beyond.

Ms. Moynihan: Any ideas brewing for the next book?

Mr. Mehan: Yes. All I will say now is that John and I are excited for that one, too!

Review: A Retelling of Hans Christian Andersens Ugly Duckling

Mother and Father Swan take great care in raising their son. They not only provide a safe home for him, but seek to educate him about the world around him. Father Swan makes a point of expressing the love these devoted parents have for their child and of reminding the child not to stray far from their protection.

Handsome little cygnet, so dear to me, stay close to your mother, and stay close to me.

Young and enthusiastic, the little cygnet agrees without giving thought to the implication of his words.

And the handsome little cygnet would quickly reply, I will, I will! I love you so. Why would I wander? Where would I go?

But a wise Father Swan emphasizes the importance of guarding ones heart.

And Father Swan would sometimes reply, Good. Good. But little cygnet, you must know, a swans heart can wander where a swan can never go.

The fathers warnings are well-founded and, as often happens when children test their freedom, they go unheeded. For the little cygnet, previously content with his gray downy feathers, sees glistening, newly painted graffiti on a nearby bridge and decides he too must be full of color.

The young swan sullies his soft down with sticky paint only to find that the colors turn him into a greenish-brown mess. He runs to his mother who recommends that he seek the fish in the pond for help. The fish clean the little cygnet and he is returned to his former self.

Matthew Mehan packs several life lessons into The Handsome Little Cygnet. The lifelong fidelity of the swan couple to each other, the unconditional nature of parental love, and the importance of filial love and respect for ones parents are all demonstrated in this picture book. The story also lends itself to introducing the concepts of purity and modesty to very small children.

The little cygnet learns that while some things may seem attractive, the lack of healthy self-love can lead one to try things that are harmful. The baby swan learns to appreciate his true self through his mistake and the non-judgmental forgiveness of his mother.

John Folleys illustrations of Manhattans Central Park set the white swans in stark contrast to the vivid backgrounds of each page. The book adds a seek-n-find list at the end of the story, which includes New York landmarks and images from the duos first book, Mr. Mehans Mildly Amusing Mythical Mammals: a Hypothetical Alphabetical.

The Handsome Little Cygnet

By Matthew Mehan, illustrated by John Folley

Tan Books, 2021. 48 pages

Jennifer Minicus

This article was originally published on MercatorNet.
Passengers walk with protective masks at the Arturo Merino Benitez International Airport, in Santiago, on Mar. 3, 2020. (Javier Torres/AFP via Getty Images)

Chile Records Massive Spike in CCP Virus Cases Despite Highest Vaccination Rates

SANTA CRUZ, BoliviaLike many nations, Chile has witnessed a significant increase in CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus cases since the beginning of the year.

Cases increased by 84 percent during the week ending Jan. 3, followed by another 145 percent increase during the subsequent week through Jan. 10.

Unlike most countries grappling with post-holiday case spikes, however, Chile boasts the highest CCP virus immunization levels in Latin America, at 88.9 percent.

Additionally, the small South American nation joined the list of the top five most vaccinated countries in the world.

Officials in the Chilean Ministry of Health attributed the jump in recent positive cases to the highly contagious Omicron variant, which researchers identified last November.

There are considerably fewer deaths and hospitalizations associated with the recent influx of new cases.

A healthcare worker shows a dose of the Sinovac vaccine during the first day of the mass vaccination campaign in Santiago, Chile, on Feb. 3, 2021. (Marcelo Hernandez/Getty Images)

The introduction of a fourth vaccine dose, or second booster shot, was announced on Jan. 10 by outgoing President Sebastian Pinera, who reaffirmed the governments commitment to immunization as the primary line of defense against infection.

However, some evidence suggests natural immunity is playing a pivotal role in the prevention of the severe version of the illness.

On Jan. 19 the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States released medical studies from California and New York, which compiled COVID-19 case data from May-November 2021. The findings showed as of October, people who survived a previous infection fared better against the disease than those who had only been vaccinated.

Another study released by the Virus Research Center at the University of Glasgow in early January showed that natural immunity from a previous infection was more effective than people who only received two doses of a vaccine. However, the natural immunity proved less potent than those who never contracted the disease, but received a third immunization.

Whilst the CDC recognizes the existence of natural immunity to the COVID-19 virus, it maintains that the best prevention against developing serious symptoms is vaccination.

However, the efficacy of certain immunizations have also been brought into question.

Last April, the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gao Fu, admitted the efficacy of Chinese vaccines needed to improve.

In the early days of its inoculation schedule Chile relied heavily on Chinas Sinovac-CoronaVac to protect its population. The aforementioned vaccine is an inactivated virus thats only 51 percent effective.

However, Pinera announced on Jan. 24 that a shipment of 2 million doses of Moderna would guarantee a second booster dose to all Chileans.

Once again we ask the laggards  to come and get vaccinated. Do it for you, do it for your families, do it for your communities, for your co-workers, do it for your country,  the president said.

With a population of more than 19 million people the arrival of the small Moderna shipment highlights the overall limited number of Western immunizations Chile has been able to secure for its population.

Moreover, it illustrates a prevailing difficulty Latin American nations have gaining access to non-Chinese or Russian vaccines.

COVID-19 has reportedly killed 39,512 people in Chile, according to the World Health Organization.
The messenger app WeChat is seen next to its logo in this illustration picture taken on Aug. 7, 2020. (Florence Lo/Reuters)

Chinas Tencent Allowed Sale of Australian PMs 76,000 WeChat Followers

Its election interference. Tencent and WeChat should be banned.

News Analysis

Australias conservative prime minister, Scott Morrison, got a shock when Chinas WeChat social media app gave his 76,000 followers two lousy choices: opt out within 24 hours and get your followers deleted along with Morrisons account reassignment, or get signed up automatically to the replacement, called Australia China New Life.

A post delivered to Morrisons WeChat followers said, Scott Morrison, the official account you followed before, has transferred all business and functions to this official account.

Morrison, of the Liberal Party, transferred nothing. His followers were stolen.

Clare Armstrong, who broke the story in the Daily Telegraph on Jan. 23, claims the new account is a pro-Beijing propaganda outfit.

James Paterson, a Liberal member of the Australian parliament who chairs the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security, told an Australian radio station, This is pretty clearly and transparently an attempt by the Chinese Communist Party [CCP] to censor the Australian Prime Minister and prevent him from campaigning to the Chinese Australian community.

A Chinese businessman from Fujian Province claimed to have purchased the account.

I am a businessman. The account is legitimate, the content is legitimate, and the price is reasonable, said Huang Aipeng, the CEO of Fuzhou 985 Information Technology. The rest I dont really care about.

Huang says he bought the account from a Mr. Ji in November, and claims not to know who Morrison is. Huang planned to delete Morrisons content, which is mostly COVID-19 updates and press releases, and refuses to give back the account, as WeChat, owned by Tencent, approved the transfer.

In a comment published by Brisbane Times, Huang deferred to Tencent on whether to return the followers to Morrison.

Im afraid to publicise anything since this incident because Im still waiting for the next step, he said. Im trying to figure out if Tencent will ever move this account to Australian Prime Minister, but I doubt it.

Australian cybersecurity expert Robert Potter told ABC that When Tencent did not return the account, they made a corporate decision to de-platform the Prime Minister, which will have a domestic political impact.

Some conservative politicians in Australia, including Paterson and Gladys Liu, support a political boycott of WeChat until it returns the followers.

Fergus Ryan, an Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) expert on the political use of WeChat, also supports the boycott. In 2020, he presciently argued that With the next federal election likely to be held in 2022, now would be a good time for the Liberal and Labor parties to mutually agree to stop using WeChat as a campaign channel and to start work on bipartisan legislation to properly regulate this influential platform.

The unceremonious cutting of Morrison from WeChat makes it much more difficult for him to connect with Australias 1.2 million Chinese-Australians, who tend to use the Chinese app over others because it allows them to communicate with family in China. WeChat is owned by Chinas Tencent, to which Beijing has given preferential access to Chinas social media market. In Australia, there are approximately 1 million regular WeChat users.

A logo of Tencent is seen during the World Internet Conference (WIC) in Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China, on Nov. 23, 2020. (Aly Song/Reuters)

Unlike the conservative prime minister, Labor Party candidates have kept their accounts, from which they regularly critique conservatives to Australian voters.

Beijing apologists can point to the fact that full-function Labor Party WeChat accounts are (anomalously, as Ryan points out) not registered to any individual. In their eyes, that apparently gives the sale of Morrisons followers, who officially belonged to a third party, some shred of legitimacy.

This interpretation sadly lets Beijing off the hook, but few would argue that the regime could not easily have reversed the sale, or otherwise ensured better service for the prime minister.

Instead, as Foreign Affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic notes, Tencent has simply issued a statement claiming that its a dispute over account ownership and will be looked into.

If the CCP, which controls Tencent, really wanted to reinstate the account to its legitimate ownera prime minister during an election year who did the hard work of amassing 76,000 followersthen it could.

Therefore, the salemost likely backed, incentivized, and allowed by the regime in Beijingis an outrageous interference in Australias electoral politics.

The preferential treatment given to Labor in Australia suits Beijing, because Liberals (as Australians call their conservatives) are buying nuclear-propelled submarines and countering the CCPs lies by demanding a proper investigation into the origins of COVID-19. Beijing wants to punish Australias conservatives, and removing Morrisons WeChat account is a good way to do that. It will likewise deter other politicians globally, who rely on WeChat voters, from taking too tough a stand against Beijing.

Unlike conservative politicians in Australia, who have rallied around their prime minister with the boycott of WeChat until the company explains itself, the opposition left-of-center Labor leader, Anthony Albanese, has only said he would confer with Morrison on the issue. He is, after all, advantaged by keeping that WeChat edge that Beijing handed him. What Beijing will get in return if he and other Laborites are elected, we may find out later.

Beijings election interference in Australia should be more than denounced. Its control over who can use the platform, and the algorithms that determine how often each candidates posts are viewed, give political parties that it prefersan edge.

A political boycott of WeChat will smoke out Beijings friends in the Labor Party who continue to use the platform. But it does not get to the crux of the problem, which is control from a totalitarian China of what people in democratic Australia read.

Letting the app into Australia in the first place was the initial mistake, made because of an old free trade with China ideology that was blind to the CCPs extraordinary injustices and strategy to use that commerce against democracy. Australias allies have made the same mistake.

Things are different now. As long as Beijing bans Twitter, Facebook, and Google, and has plans for a global and totalitarian hegemony, as recognized by most China experts now, we should rectify our mistakes and ban WeChat, along with other Tencent products.

While banning Tencent in response to its political interference could cause a backlash among Chinese voters in Australia, letting it off the hook appeases Beijings bullying and perpetuates an uneven playing field for Western social media companies and conservative politicians, all of which are discriminated against by Beijing.

The real issue goes beyond Morrisons account to not just reciprocity, but ethics. It is unethical to allow Beijing to use our freedoms against us, while shutting down those freedoms for Chinese citizens on its own territory. The CCP is gaming our freedoms for its own advantage, and the current prime minister of Australia, who is relatively tough on China, could lose his position as a consequence. That would unacceptably degrade Australias defenses.

As good allies, we must change our own culture. There should be no more allowance for totalitarian social media to skew voter opinion against freedom. WeChat and Chinas official social media accounts, at a minimum, should be banned from Australia and its allies. The Morrison case is the straw that broke the camels back.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Chinese workers packing electronic cigarettes at a factory in Shenzhen, in southern China's Guangdong Province, on March 12, 2013. (STR/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese Billionaire Vaping Queen Implicated in Corruption Probe

Chinas leading e-cigarette flavor maker, Huabao International Holdings, announced on Jan. 24 that its chief executive officer and chairwoman, Chu Lam Yiu, is under investigation for suspected disciplinary violations.

Huabaoa leading flavors maker for tobacco, e-cigarette, and condimentsis listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Its share price plummeted over 65 percent on Monday. The total market value of the company evaporated by HK$31.2 billion.

Screenshot of Huabao International Holdings stock chart showing a huge drop on Jan. 24, 2022. (The Epoch Times)

Chu, dubbed vaping queen, is infamous for her mysterious background. According to public data, Chu is from Sichuan Province in central China. After graduating from college in Beijing, she started a fragrance and flavor trading company, and later established Shanghai Huabao with her husband. Employees at Huabao have said that Chu keeps a low profile and seldom talks to the media.

With a net worth of nearly $6 billion, Chu was ranked as the 21st richest woman in Hurun Reports Richest Self-Made Women 2021 list.

Chu is now being investigated by the Supervisory Commission of Leiyang city, Hunan Province, where another tobacco company is also under investigation. The nature of Chus alleged crimes is unclear.

The so-called Supervisory Commission is the anti-corruption organ of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Like other CCP agencies, it consists of a top-down network from the highest National Supervisory Commission, which is at the same administrative level as the Supreme Peoples Court, to the provincial, municipal, and district levels.

Huabaos Ties to Chinese Tobacco Companies

In China, tobacco business is monopolized by the government. The biggest tobacco production and trading firm, China Tobacco, is a government agency.

Huabaos earliest business was tobacco flavor. It later expanded to food, perfume, and e-cigarette flavors; but tobacco flavor has always been its main source of income. Chinas top 10 biggest cigarette makersincluding those in Hunan, Yunnan, and Zhejiang provincesare all clients of Huabao, totaling 80 percent of Huabaos income.

It is commonly known by insiders that since the tobacco industry is completely controlled by the CCP, it is not easy to become the supplier to so many large tobacco companies.

In addition, public information shows that Huabao and other tobacco companies have joint equity interests. For example, Huabao and Hongta invested in Tianhong in Yunnan Province in 2001, with Huabao owning 60 percent of shares. In 2003, Huabao and another company established Huabao Qingdao, which is 70 percent owned by Huabao.

China Tobaccos subsidiary, Hunan China Tobacco Industry Co., based in Hunan, has been in the headlines due to corruption probes.

In October 2020, the Hunan Supervisory Commission placed the companys general manager, Lu Ping, under investigation for serious violation of discipline and law.

In August 2021, its deputy general manager, Liu Jianfu, was also placed under investigation for the same charge as Lu and turned himself in to the authorities.

As of January 2022, the investigations of the two executives are still ongoing.

According to Chinese news reports, Hunan China Tobacco and Huabao jointly opened a key laboratory. Liu had attended the opening ceremony on March 29, 2011.
Chinese Leader Xi Jinping listens during a press conference with the French President after their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on March 25, 2019. (Yoan Valat/AFP via Getty Images)

Chinese Leader Xi Says Low Carbon Push Should Not Mean Lowering Productivity

China hinted that its carbon reduction initiatives would now move at a cautious pace, after the communist regimes leader Xi Jinping said that carbon-cutting goals should not come at the expense of the normal life of ordinary people.

His words come at a time when Beijing has continued to produce coal at a record pace, while experts are questioning whether the Chinese regime could actually fulfill its goals of achieving carbon peak before 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060, promises made by Xi in September 2020.

Reducing emissions is not about reducing productivity, and it is not about not emitting at all, Xi told other top Chinese officials at a Politburo meeting on Jan. 24, according to Chinas state-run news outlet Xinhua.

Xi said China needed to overcome the notion of quick success and carbon reduction needed to proceed in an orderly manner and step by step.

We must stick to the overall planning and ensure energy security, industrial supply chain security, and food security at the same time as cutting carbon emissions, Xi added.

China is the worlds biggest coal miner and consumer. Most of this coal is being used to power Chinas coal-fired generators; around two-thirds of the countrys electricity comes from burning coal.

Its coal production topped 4.07 billion tons last year, an increase of 4.7 percent from 2020, according to data released by Chinas National Bureau of Statistics on Jan. 17. According to The Guardian, the 2021 coal production volume hit a record high in a single year.

Meanwhile, China is also the worlds biggest polluter. In 2019, it was responsible for over 27 percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the United States and all other developed countries combined.

Currently, the Chinese economy is mired in a number of problems, including a slumping real estate sector and slowed economic output. Mitigating risks that could dampen the countrys economic growth is likely the top agenda for Chinese policymakers now as the communist regime prepares to hold a major political conclave in late 2022, during which Xi is widely expected to earn an unprecedented third term in office.

Following Xis environmental pledges in 2020, the Chinese regime began requiring provinces to lower energy consumption and intensity, defined as the amount of power used per percentage of the gross domestic product.

Xis pledges also resulted in many Chinese coal mines either producing less or shutting down, which drove up the price of thermal coals, which are mainly used for generating electricity. In response, power plants in China became reluctant to generate electricity because burning coal became costly.

By June last year, China began to experience an electricity shortage crisis, with provinces rationing power, households plunged into blackout, and factories ordered to cut production.

The crisis lasted for months before China ordered its coal mines to increase production in October 2021.

In December, Chinas state planning agency announced that it will ease its aggressive policy on restricting energy consumption, in order to ensure environmental targets do not erode economic growth. Instead, it will restrict carbon dioxide emissions from overall energy use.

Energy supplies have remained a major concern for the Chinese regime. On Monday, Xi also said that the gradual withdrawal of traditional energy must be based on the safe and reliable replacement by new energy.

Anders Corr, principal at the New York-based political consultancy firm Corr Analytics, told The Epoch Times in early January that he had doubts about Chinas commitment to carbon neutrality.

Beijing is a virtuoso at breaking its international commitments and then denying that they existed in the first place or that if they did exist, denying that they were broken, Corr said.

We, therefore, must assume that any public commitments made by Beijing about carbon neutrality are strategic in nature rather than sincere.

Reuters contributed to this article.
Colorado School District Closes COVID-19 Vaccine Sites After Students Get Shots Without Parents Present

A public school district in the southern suburb of Denver, Colorado, has shut down its on-campus COVID-19 vaccination clinics after videos of teenagers being allowed to get the vaccine without their parents present went viral on social media.

The first video was filmed inside a clinic at a high school in Littleton, allegedly by a 16-year-old student checking in for his appointment. When a clinic staff asks the students name and his birthday, he lies about his age and says he was born in 2001, which would make him 20 years old. The student asks if he needs to show any ID, to which he is told no.

After the person filming is told to sit down and wait for his turn to get the shot, he returns to the staff and asks if he can opt out of this. The staff preparing to administer the shot says he can absolutely leave, allowing him to walk away.

In the second video, the person filming is asked to provide a consent form after he tells staff members at the vaccination site he is 15. The person hands him a sheet of paper, the contents of which cannot be seen. When called up to get the shot, the person says he changes his mind and asks to leave. The staff preparing the shot agrees, telling him that his feelings are completely valid.

In Colorado, anyone under the age of 18 needs to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to get the COVID-19 vaccine, unless the consent has been shared with the vaccine provider by phone or through the providers online scheduling system prior to the appointment.

Following a social media outrage, Littleton Public Schools told parents that the health company that staffed the on-campus clinic didnt follow the proper protocols, and that the school district will no longer host the clinic on its campus.

We incorrectly assumed that all vaccination clinics in Colorado followed the same vaccination protocol as Childrens Hospital, requiring a parent to be present during a vaccination, Superintendent Brian Ewert wrote in a message to parents. Please know that LPS does not condone the administration of COVID vaccines or any other vaccines to minors without a parent present to provide consent.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, however, took issue with the people filming the videos. In a statement to Denver Post, the department said they believe the videos are part of an anti-vaccine scheme to shut down vaccination sites at public schools.

We are concerned this is an intentional attempt to close down vaccine clinics, a department spokesperson told the Post. School clinics are an important way the state ensures access to COVID-19 vaccines in places that are convenient.
Crimes Are Crimes, No Matter How Petty

Commentary

Theres nothing petty about petty crime. Tolerate it, and society descends into disorder.

Youre standing in line at Starbucks and watch a freeloader go to the front, pick out a sandwich, and walk out without paying. No one says a word.

Or you pay your bills, then find out thieves have robbed the blue USPS box to abscond with your checking information and empty your account. That happened to me last week.

The thieves fish mail out of the box or use stolen USPS keys sold on the internet. This crime is surging, but the police and banks shrug their shoulders and advise going directly to the post office or using electronic banking.

Walk into a drug store to buy deodorant and toothpaste. Theyre locked up behind glass. A distraught Duane Reade employee explained why. Shoplifters waltz in, fill bags with merchandise, and walk out. Management prohibits employees from stopping them.

Banks and retailers are forced to accept these crimes as a cost of doing business. Law enforcement officials are downgrading the penalties for many petty crimes. But the public is rattled and rightly so.

Batman, the cloaked crime fighter from Gotham, got it right. Criminals take advantage of weak laws and weak law enforcement.

Allowing petty crimeshoplifting, carjacking, turnstile hopping, check forging, and vandalismis a choice. California led the way, adopting Proposition 47 in 2014 to reduce penalties for these crimes. Many other states followed and no surprise, crimes increased.

Prosecutors are too ready to assign victimhood to perpetrators instead of to the rest of us, who are disgusted by the lawlessness.

Youd think that Jean Lugo-Romero, caught after robbing five Walgreens stores in San Francisco last May and June, would be in jail now. Absolutely not. The San Francisco Public Defenders office states that as an indigent individual suffering from housing instability, Lugo-Romero needed services and hes now getting them.

Manhattans previous District Attorney Cyrus Vance announced in 2017 he would stop prosecuting farebeaters. Now, a steady stream of them walks right by cops, while the rest of us patsies pay to ride.

Vances successor, Alvin Bragg, is ceding even more to the criminals, refusing to jail armed shoplifters.

Wielding a pocket knife, 43-year-old William Rolon was arrested two weeks ago for stealing $2,000 worth of cold medicine from a Duane Reade in Manhattan, his 39th arrest overall and the second time he hit that store. But he was charged only with misdemeanor shoplifting, not first-degree robbery, the charge he would have faced before Braggs new policy.

Worried about locking your car at a stoplight? Theres good reason. Carjackings have doubled and even tripled since last year in major cities. Its making it harder to get an Uber or Lyft because gig drivers are quitting. More than one-third feel unsafe, according to Pew Research.

But, apparently, municipal leaders dont believe prosecuting carjackers is the answer. In Chicago, only 4.5 percent of offenses result in charges; in Minneapolis, its a discouraging 2 percent. Several Minneapolis aldermen blamed Hyundai and Kia manufacturers because the cars can be broken into without an alarm sounding.

Anything to avoid blaming the criminal.

Sunday, Californias Gov. Gavin Newsom appeared at the Los Angeles railway terminal, the target of repeated looting. Standing amid the ransacked packages, he said, I dont think anyone particularly cares whos to blame.

Wrong, Governor. Your message invites more crime.

To restore civility, voters need to elect serious crime fighters. New Yorkers might have a shot with newly elected Mayor Eric Adams if his actions match his words.

Tuesday morning, he said, We cant continue to create an environment in our city where anything goes, including farebeating and shoplifting.

Californians failed to recall Newsom, but theyre fighting to recall ultra-lefty DAs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The fate of these cities depends on voters choosing leaders determined to crack down on all lawbreakers, not just murderers.

Because no crime is minor if it happens to you.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Cuellar Vows to Win Reelection After FBI Raid, Maintains Innocence

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) on Tuesday vowed win reelection after last weeks raid of his home and campaign office by the FBI.

In a video statement filmed in front of his childhood home in South Texas, Cuellar, a frequent critic of President Joe Biden, said he was fully cooperating with law enforcement. He didnt shed light on why he was under investigation.

There is an ongoing investigation that will show that there was no wrongdoing on my part, Cuellar said. As an attorney, I know firsthand that the legal system is the pillar of our democracy. I pride myself on being your congressman and always doing things honestly, ethically and the right way.

FBI agents were seen at his home and campaign office on Jan. 19. Photographs shared by local reporters showed agents at Cuellars residence in Laredo removing bags, bins, and at least one computer.

The FBI said at the time in a statement to media outlets that the bureau was present in Laredo conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity, without elaborating.

Cuellar, 66, has represented Texass 28th Congressional District since 2005. The district includes land that touches the U.S.Mexico border.

He faces a primary on March 1 against Democratic challenger Jessica Cisneros. Cueller beat Cisneros in the previous primary by about 2,700 votes.

This is my home, my community, and why I got into politics, Cuellar said in his video statement.

Nothing can distract me from being laser-focused on getting the job done for you and for South Texas, the way I always have. Let me be clear: Im running for reelection and I intend to win, he added.

Considered to be a moderate, Cuellar has been a frequent critic of Bidens lax immigration enforcement policies, which experts say have contributed to the explosion in illegal immigration recorded since Biden took office one year ago.

Under the Democratic president, the most illegal immigrant apprehensions at the southwest border were recorded for both a fiscal year and a calendar year.

Shortly after being sworn into office, Biden halted construction of the border wall, curbed the use of pandemic-era expulsion powers, and directed officials to end the Remain in Mexico program, which forced many asylum-seekers to wait in Mexico for their claims to be heard.

Some of the administrations moves have been blocked or reversed by courts, but December 2021 arrests were higher than the month before, according to preliminary figures provided in court documents by the Customs and Border Protection agency.

Cuellar said he will continue to represent the Congressional District of Texas.

It is the honor of my life to represent you in Congress. And together, we will win this election, he said. Thank you. And God bless.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
Dan Bongino speaks onstage during Politicon 2018 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, Calif., on Oct. 21, 2018. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon)

Dan Bongino Permanently Suspended by YouTube

Conservative commentator and Fox News host Dan Bongino was permanently banned by YouTube on Wednesday, the company said.

A spokesperson for the Google-owned video-sharing site alleged that he tried to evade a previous suspension. Bongino uploaded a clip to his main channel while his secondary channel was suspended for violating YouTubes COVID-19 policies.

When a channel receives a strike, it is against our Terms of Service to post content or use another channel to circumvent the suspension, a YouTube spokesperson told news outlets. Both of Bonginos channels were removed, and he wont be able to create a new one in the future, the firm said.

We terminated Dan Bonginos channels for circumventing our Terms of Service by posting a video while there was an active strike and suspension associated with the account, the YouTube spokesperson added.

The Epoch Times has contacted Bongino and YouTube for comment.

Bongino, in a Twitter post, reacted to the suspensions: Hilarious watching the [YouTube] communists desperately try to save face after we told them to go [expletive] themselves. Theyre claiming we tried to evade suspension. Really? By posting a final video LITERALLY titled Why Im Leaving YouTube?

When trying to access Bonginos YouTube channels, the website displays messages saying they are not available.

Earlier this week, Bongino posted a video saying he was planning to leave YouTube in favor of Rumble, a competing video-sharing platform that has seen rapid growth in recent months. Conservatives like Bongino have said that YouTube, Twitter, and other social media platforms unfairly target conservatives and people who post content or opinions that differ from the mainstream.

Bongino also wrote: Whats happening right now across social media is exactly why @dbongino invested in @rumblevideo.

On Wednesday, his Twitter page said that Bongino has reached 2 million subscribers on Rumble. Hes also an investor in the video-sharing site.

The explosive growth in followers on Rumble has no parallel, Bongino said in a statement. We havent seen anything like it on other content platforms. The subs, the views and the hours-watched on Rumble speak for themselves. Rumble is the future.

Rumble has attracted support from former President Donald Trump, and several politicians including Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) announced they would be joining the platform. Trumps TRUTH Social announced in December that it would partner with Rumble.

Before becoming a conservative commentator, Bongino was a New York City police officer, a Secret Service agent, and embarked on three unsuccessful congressional campaigns.

The Dan Bongino Show channel on YouTube had about 882,000 subscribers and nearly 1,100 uploads since it was created in 2013, according to Social Blade data.
People arrive to attend the Huawei keynote address at the IFA 2020 Special Edition consumer electronics and appliances trade fair on the fair's opening day in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Data Dominance: China Establishes Key EU Outpost in Cyprus

Chinas Huawei has come to dominate the 5G rollout in Cyprus, with risks for data security and independent policymaking that go far beyond the islands shores, experts warn

Republished with permission from BIRN.

In October 2015, two years after a banking crisis left Cyprus in desperate need of new financing, President Nicos Anastasiades visited China on a charm offensive, touting the Mediterranean islands low tax rates, its European Union membership and its readiness to take part in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, BRI.

The floodgates opened, but there was nothing sporadic about the Chinese outlay.

Today, money from Chinese state-owned or state-linked corporations has penetrated the core of just about every key Cypriot sector, from real estate to natural resources, transport to aviation, all in the name of a transcontinental infrastructure project linking countries along the route of the old Silk Road.

Thanks in part to the BRI, China is set to surpass the United States as the worlds leading economy by 2028 and become the standout superpower heading into the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

A key component of the BRI is the Digital Silk Road, DSR, through which the Chinese Communist Party seeks to develop and export key technological infrastructure  including 5G  to participating states, boosting the importance and presence of Chinese tech companies around the world and, to a degree, replicating its digital authoritarian model.

In Cyprus, according to BIRNs findings, China now dominates the 5G networks and the islands wider tech ecosystem, creating a key Chinese outpost inside the EU with potentially far-reaching consequences for data security and the independence of Cypriot  and by extension EU  foreign policy.

It is a state of affairs that contradicts U.S. and EU recommendations and the islands own claims to be pursuing a multi-vendor strategy.

5G underpins power grids, transportation, and water supplies, and, in the future, will enable military tools including artificial intelligence, said Carisa Nietsche, associate fellow for the Transatlantic Security Program at the Washington-based Centre for a New American Security.

In extreme cases, analysts suspect China could pull the plug on the network, gather intelligence from data pulsing through the networks or cut off a 5G-enabled energy grid, Nietsche told BIRN.

Building 5G on Chinese Foundations

On his 2015 visit to China, Anastasiades, who was re-elected in 2018, visited the Shanghai research center of Huawei, the worlds largest manufacturer of telecommunications equipment.

Huawei plays a key role in driving global industry standards in Beijings favor through the filing of patents that make the industry more likely to adopt Chinese proposals as global standards.

In terms of 5G standard-essential patents, Huawei has the largest portfolio worldwide. The company claims to hold more commercial 5G contracts than any other telecom manufacturer in the world  91. Forty-seven of these are in Europe.

At the research center, Anastasiades lauded Huaweis important contributions to communications network construction in Cyprus and called for deeper ties.

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades (R) and his delegation meet with the Chinese leader during the second Belt and Road Forum in Beijing on April 25, 2019. (Andrea Verdelli/Pool/Getty Images)

Huaweis dominance, however, has unsettled the United States and others, which say the companys equipment could be used by Beijing for spying, something Huawei has vigorously disputed.

In a rare interview with foreign media in 2019, Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei said: I love my country. I support the Communist Party. But I will not do anything to harm the world. He said that Beijing had never asked him or Huawei to share improper information about its partners and that he would never harm the interest of his customers.

Unconvinced, in October 2020 then U.S. undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment, Keith Krach, visited Nicosia and, with the 5G license application process underway in Cyprus, incorporated the island into the U.S. Clean Network on 5G, an initiative launched under former President Donald Trump to build a global alliance excluding technology that Washington says can be manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party.

The Americans are concerned, in part, by the proximity of Chinese-dominated 5G networks to military bases. But while on paper the Cypriots may have sided with the Americans, in practice Huawei is still very much in play.

The company entered the local market in 2009, taking a lead role in the upgrade of the islands information and communications technology and the 2 or 3 or 4G infrastructure of its four telecommunications companies, CyTA, Epic, Cablenet, and Primetel.

Since Cyprus uses the so-called Non-Standalone, or NSA, mode for 5G  effectively building on top of its existing 4G infrastructure  and with Huawei providing the components for 100 percent of the telecom companies 4G Radio Access Network, RAN  the Chinese giant looked perfectly placed last year to take the lead in the 5G rollout as well.

The RAN is comprised of various facilities such as cell towers and masts that connect users and devices to the Core Network, which in turn encompasses all 5G data exchanges such as authentication, security, session management, and traffic aggregation across devices.

In December 2020, the two biggest 5G contracts were awarded to CyTA and Epic.

But both companies, sources say, are overwhelmingly dependent on Huawei for their Core Network and their RAN infrastructure.

Semi-governmental CyTA launched its 5G Network in January 2021, catering to 70 percent of the population on launch and aiming for 98 percent coverage by the start of 2022.

A senior CyTA manager told BIRN that 80 percent of the companys Core Network and 100 percent of its RAN is covered by Huawei infrastructure. The remaining 20 percent of its Core Network is provided by Swedish Ericsson.

CyTA is a governmental company and comes up with tenders for the equipment, and Huawei has been a long-term provider of infrastructure and support and offers the best prices, said the senior manager, who asked not to be named since he was not authorized to speak to media.

Asked about the makeup of its Core Network and RAN infrastructure, CyTA told BIRN: We inform you that any information regarding the CyTA network is a trade secret and any disclosure of it is contrary to the commercial interests of CyTA and its partners (article 34 (2) Law 184 (I) / 2017).

Huawei also accounts for 90 percent of Epics Core Network infrastructure and 100 percent of the RAN, said a senior manager at Epic, who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Epics collaboration with Huawei dates to 2009, when the company, then named MTN, sealed a 20 million-euro contract with the Chinese firm to upgrade its network.

Now owned by Monaco Telecom, Epic went on to develop Cypruss first 4G LTE network, leveraging Huaweis RAN solution, on which another Cypriot telecommunications firm, Primetel, also entered into an access-sharing agreement. In February 2019, shortly before its rebranding as Epic, MTN signed a deal with Huawei for the development of its 5G network.

An Epic spokesperson did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Nietsche, of the Centre for a New American Security, told BIRN: For 5G to deliver on its promises of faster speeds, it requires an immense amount of data to travel through the network. And that data is pushed closer and closer to the end user, or the edge of the network.

In Europe, some governments have distinguished between the implementation of Huawei in the Core Network and the Radio Access Network, or edge of the network. These governments argue that you can essentially create a firewall between the core and edge of the network.

However, we should not make such a distinction. As 5G networks develop, more and more data is pushed toward the edge of the network, and it becomes harder to distinguish between the core and edge of the network.

Chinese Fusion

Using Huawei components within 5G infrastructure is not a direct violation of European Union guidelines, since the EU toolbox on 5G  a common set of guidelines laid out by the bloc to limit 5G cybersecurity risks  did not explicitly ban any specific company but left it to member states to decide which providers were high-risk.

Authorities in Cyprus have not as yet identified any provider as high-risk.

The October 2020 memorandum of understanding that saw Cyprus sign up to the U.S. Clean Network does not imply in an implicit or explicit way that Cyprus will move away from Huawei, said the man who signed it, Deputy Minister for Research, Innovation and Digital Policy Kyriacos Kokkinos.

What it says is that we will collaborate with U.S. agencies and authorities so that we ensure that the security standards are respected in the infrastructure we deploy, Kokkinos told BIRN.

EU guidelines, however, do stress caution over suppliers subject to interference from a non-EU country, warning that a member states network could be vulnerable if there was a strong link between the supplier and a government of a third country.

Huaweis state ties are considerable.

Ren, the companys founder, was a former Deputy Regimental Chief of the Peoples Liberation Army; reports say that a considerable number of Huawei employees are believed to have worked for the military; and some Huawei employees have collaborated on research projects with military personnel.

But it was legislation passed in China in 2017 that really raised eyebrows.

Article 7 of Chinas 2017 National Intelligence Law requires any organization to support, provide assistance and cooperate in national intelligence work. Even before that, Article 22 of the 2014 Counter-Espionage Law required any relevant organizations and individuals to truthfully provide information during any counter-espionage investigation.

Chinas military-civil fusionwhich calls for private sector assistance in the countrys military objectives  was inscribed as a strategic priority in the Chinese Communist Partys constitution in October 2017.

Some European countries have already balked.

In October, Swedish telecom regulator PTS banned Huawei from supplying 5G equipment to Swedish mobile firms due to security concerns raised by Swedens SAP security service, a decision upheld by a Swedish court in June this year.

Huawei has repeatedly denied posing a security threat, while China threatened all necessary measures in response to the Swedish ban. Beijing also told France and Germany not to discriminate against the company.

In the United Kingdom, a firm US ally, the government set a cap of 35 percent limit on Huaweis involvement in 5G RAN. It also excluded Huawei from safety-related and safety-critical networks and sensitive locations such as nuclear sites and military bases.

In Cyprus, Kokkinos would not be drawn on whether Cyprus might set a similar cap.

I dont want to make a statement that might be misleading that this is not something that might happen in the future, he said. But at the moment we do not exclude any vendor.

Critics of the Chinese government say the stakes could not be higher.

Given how much states and societies will come to depend on fifth-generation technology, its security poses an unprecedented challenge, with any potential hack snowballing into a threat to national security.

As a host to British military bases and U.S. spy stations at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East, Cyprus is no island when it comes to geostrategic importance. Some experts say the threat posed by Huaweis political and military ties and its data dominance in Cyprus cannot be ignored.

One day Cyprus has to choose a side, said Chen Yonglin, a former Chinese consular official in Sydney, Australia, whose work included monitoring Chinese dissidents until he defected in 2005. One day China will take off its mask and Cyprus wont be able to stand in the middle.

Cyprus needs to be careful about handing over its sovereignty to China, he told BIRN.

John Strand, director and founder of telecommunications consultancy firm Strand Consult, concurred:

The China we have today is a different China than we had five years ago, he said. China is a country which is very aggressive to countries which basically have an opinion, or have citizens who have an opinion about what is going on in China, Hong Kong or Tibet, and other places.

We have seen that China is not only threatening countries which go against them or criticize them, they also punish countries, he told BIRN.

If the Internet broke down 10 to 15 years ago, society could move on, it was not an issue. Nowadays, everything in our society is built on top of IT solutions that are connected to each other through the Internet of Things.

Cyprus Embraces Chinese Blockchain

Huawei, however, is not the only cause of potential concern when it comes to Cyprus.

Another is VeChain, a Chinese state-backed blockchain platform that in November 2018 entered into a national partnership with Cyprus to assist the island in the development and implementation of blockchain solutions across a range of private and public sectors.

It is the only such state partnership VeChain has outside of China.

The platform, launched in 2015, is a favorite of the Chinese Communist Party, which has entrusted it with contracts in, among other areas, agriculture and telecoms.

In July 2018, after thousands of children were given faulty vaccines, the Chinese government called on VeChain to create a nationwide vaccine tracking solution with health data stored on the blockchain.

When VeChain presented its solution at the China International Import Expo in November 2018, President Xi Jinping was in attendance. Xi has declared blockchain a national priority, with VeChain a co-founder of the Belt and Road Initiative Blockchain Alliance that aims to develop blockchain along the route of the BRI.

In Cyprus, VeChain developed the E-HCert App, which records COVID-19 PCR and antibody test results on the VeChain Thor Blockchain and is being expanded to serve as a wallet for all medical records of Cypriot citizens and as a vaccination certificate.

The V-Pass, a vaccination certificate sealed in the VeChain Thor, is also in the pipeline for the general public.

Two of the islands biggest private hospitals have also struck agreements with VeChain for it to host their medical records on its blockchain.

Christiana Aristidou, co-founder and vice-chair of the Cyprus Blockchain Association, said that all necessary measures had been put in place to maintain the safety of health data.

Blockchain is very secure and VeChain intends to take the lead in this sector in Cyprus, Aristidou told BIRN.

Asked about any risks to data security, the Cypriot Health Ministry replied: The Ministry of Health does not use blockchain technology in public hospitals.

Golden Passports and a City of Dreams



But while some experts voice deep concern over the extent of Chinas data presence in Cyprus, domestic scrutiny appears lacking. One reason may be the stakes involved for a number of influential political and legal figures.

In August 2020, an undercover report by Al Jazeera exposed a scam at the heart of a Cypriot policy to provide citizenship to foreign nationals who invest two million euros in the islands economy.

According to the report, a number of high-level Cypriot officials had abused the scheme to secure passports for several thousand foreigners who did not meet the legal requirements.

An official investigation, published in June this year, said that 97 percent of the 6,546 golden passports issued between 2007 and August 2020 had been issued since Anastasiades took power in 2013.

More than half, or 3,609, were for family members of investors and executives of companies and who were granted citizenship without actually meeting the legal criteria.

Between 2017 and 2019, the Al Jazeera report found that 482 wealthy Chinese nationals applied for passports via the scheme, more than any other nationality bar Russian. They include several members of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body to the Communist Party.

The chief protagonist in the Al Jazeera expose was Dimitris Syllouris, who as speaker of the parliament at the time was the countrys second-highest-ranking official after the president.

Syllouris was caught helping to fast-track a Cypriot passport for a fictitious Chinese businessman despite being told the applicant had a criminal record and was therefore barred from a golden passport under the rules of the scheme.

Syllouris, who resigned over the scandal, had been a key player in a number of deals between Nicosia and Beijing, including in the tech sector.

Property developer and MP Christakis Giovanis, whose company partnered in 2016 with Chinese group JimChang Global on a 100 million-euro hotel and luxury housing development, also resigned his public post over the scam.

Invest Cyprus, the government agency tasked with attracting foreign investment and which signed the 2018 MoU with VeChain, plays a central role in bringing Chinese money into the country.

When Invest Cyprus facilitated the arrival in 2018 of Macau-based conglomerate Melco for the development of a casino mega resort worth $667 million in Limassol, the agencys CEO, George Campanellas, became a member of the management team overseeing the project.

Melco CEO Lawrence Ho is a member of the National Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference, CPPCC, an advisory body to Chinas central government.

Melco is also linked to the Cypriot telecom company Cablenet via the latters owner, Cyprus-based CNS Group, which is the parent company of The Cyprus Phassouri (Zakaki) Limited, Melcos partner in the Integrated Casino Resorts Cyprus Consortium behind the Limassol casino development, City of Dreams Mediterranean. The resort is expected to open in 2022.

In 2019, Melcos Ho attended the 2nd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing with Melis Shiacolas, the managing director of CNS Group and a relative of Cablenet non-executive chairman and 37 percent owner, Nicos Shiacolas.

The Invest Cyprus board also includes Pantelis Leptos, a prominent property developer whose law firm, Leptos Group, handled the paperwork for 169 applications to the golden passport scheme between 2013 and 2019, according to interior ministry data reported by Cypriot media group Dialogos. The company also has an office in China.

A senior official at Invest Cyprus initially agreed to be interviewed for this story but then said he needed to seek authorization to speak to the media. He subsequently did not respond to repeated efforts to arrange a meeting.

In Paphos, on the southwest coast of Cyprus, the head of the local Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Andreas Demetriades, signed a memorandum of cooperation in 2017 with the Hi Tech District and Chamber of Commerce of the eastern Chinese city of Changzhou, near Shanghai, for the development of a pharmaceutical tech park in Paphos, with tech parks  industrial zones specializing in science and technology  high on the agenda of Invest Cyprus and the government.

Demetriades law firm, Andreas Demetriades LLC, handled 272 golden passport applications between 2013 and 2019, more than any other firm.

Stelios Orphanides, an investigative journalist with the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, OCCRP, said China could come to dominate the telecommunications sector because there is the lowest level of scrutiny in terms of risk management.

Cyprus doesnt have the will to carry out thorough checks, he told BIRN, because those who manage the system  both the old elites and new elites, lawyers, accountants and so on  have learned to do just one thing, which is to prostitute the sovereignty of Cyprus in exchange for personal benefits.
Democrats Call on Biden to Nominate Black Woman to Supreme Court

A growing number of Democratic lawmakers called on President Joe Biden to keep a 2020 campaign pledge to pick a black woman to serve on the Supreme Court following reports saying Associate Justice Stephen Breyer will retire this year.

On June 30, 2020, for example, Biden said at a campaign event that he is putting together a list of African-American women who are qualified and have the experience to be on the court and added hes not going to release that until we go further down the line in vetting them as well.

Several Democratic congressional members on Wednesday called on Biden to nominate a black woman.

Justice Breyer has led an exemplary [and] distinguished career in public service. Im grateful to him for all that he has done for our country, said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the Senates No. 3 Democrat, in a statement on Twitter. Murray added that she supports Bidens previous pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court. The Court should reflect the diversity of our country.

Said Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) to Biden on Twitter: You promised us a Black woman on the Supreme Court. Lets see it happen. Added Squad member Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Its time for a Black woman on the Supreme Court.

The White House has not made any statements on Bidens next steps. Press secretary Jen Psaki wrote that the administration is aware of reports saying Breyer is planning on stepping down, while Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated that he will move to expedite the nomination process.

Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed, Schumer, who confirmed anonymously sourced reports about Breyers retirement, said in a statement Wednesday.

Among Republicans, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Wednesday that he expects Democrats in the Senate to remain united to replace Justice Stephen Breyer, who will reportedly retire at the end of his term in 2022.

As to his replacement: If all Democrats hang togetherwhich I expect they willthey have the power to replace Justice Breyer in 2022 without one Republican vote in support, he said, adding that believes Breyer has always shown great respect for the institution and his colleagues, and I wish him well in the next phase of his life.

Elections have consequences, and that is most evident when it comes to fulfilling vacancies on the Supreme Court, Graham said.

As of now, its not clear who Biden might nominate to fill the pending Supreme Court vacancy, but some have speculated that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer clerk who was recently placed on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, may be tapped by Biden. Another possibility is Judge Leondra Kruger, 45, who serves on the California Supreme Court.
Contractor worker Luis Rosas removes vehicle tires from the shredded boxes and packages along a section of the Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles, on Jan. 14, 2022. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo)

Despite Theft Concerns Union Pacific Wont Yet Leave Los Angeles

Union Pacific (UP) threatened to end rail traffic through Los Angeles County in response to widespread train burglary, but it has deferred a decision for the near future.

The company told The Epoch Times that it would continue to work with Los Angeles law enforcement over the issue for several months.

We brought in dozens of Union Pacific special agents from across our 23-state-network during the peak season months of 2021. We continued to keep that increased presence in LA over the last several months, the companys statement read.

The statement follows a response from Los Angeles District Attorney George Gascon that blamed UPs own security failures for the rise in theft.

Gascon claimed that rail theft prosecution was down because the railroads police officers hadnt provided enough evidence to make cases stick.

A train passes shredded boxes and packages at a section of the Union Pacific train tracks in downtown Los Angeles on Jan. 14, 2022. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo)

Felony and misdemeanor cases are filed where our office is presented with enough evidence to prove that a crime was committed, Gascon said.

Earlier in the letter he said that between 2020 and 2021 only 103 theft cases were filed. Gascon said that the number of train burglary cases filed has decreased every year since 2019.

But an earlier letter from UP stated that after more than 100 train burglary arrests in the past three months the company has never been contacted for court proceedings. The letter also said the district attorneys office had failed to prosecute train burglars when they were arrested.

If UPs real problem is that criminals arent being prosecuted by Los Angeles justice system, it remains unclear whether more arrests will help long-term.

However more security may be sorely needed, according to an anonymous UP worker, who told the L.A. TACO that the railroad laid off between 42 and 52 of its own police officers.

Gascons letter also blamed train burglaries on UPs security practices.

It is very telling that other major railroad operations in the area are not facing the same level of theft at their facilities as UP.

The companys statement concluded that, Recent events have underscored the need for continued partnership with law enforcement, elected officials, customers, and companies to address this issue and move forward together.

But judging the differences between UPs original letter and Gascons response, two of the most important partners have very different understandings of the situation.

For UP leaving Los Angeles County is a nuclear option. The county contains Americas two largest ports and the railroads withdrawal will add to massive port backlogs.

Currently it serves three of the Port of Los Angeles five major railyards and plays a major role in getting containers out of Long Beach.

But according to railroad expert Randal OToole, UPs pullout option would have been an act of mutually assured destruction.

Im not sure thats a viable threat, he said. I dont think any other port could handle that volume of stuff.

Los Angeles County has Americas two largest ports, which together ship nearly 9.2 million 20-foot containers in 2020. The West Coast ports of Oakland, Portland, Seattle, and Tacoma combined only shipped about 5.7 million containers in the same year.

Im not sure what UP gains by actually leaving, OToole said.

But by threatening to leave UP can pressure the local sheriffs office to put a higher priority on train burglary, OToole said.

Whatever the root causes of rail theft they dont seem to impact UPs competitors, he said.

The BNSF Railway also passes through Los Angeles, but doesnt have the same problems.

Ive seen lots of pictures of Union Pacific cars being broken into and theyre all in the same place. I have never seen one picture of a BNSF train being broken into.

BNSFs success may come from the fact that it uses a different route, OToole said. It also might have less congestion on its tracks.

If I were Union Pacific I would think about putting up fencing in the corridor to keep people out. I would also think about making sure the trains never stopped in that corridor.
A nurse treats a patient in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Maryland, on May 1, 2020. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Doctors Organization Has Treated Over 150,000 COVID-19 Patients With 99.99 Percent Survival

'Early treatment works, period'

A doctor who has been offering free telehealth services to COVID-19 patients during the pandemic says that early treatment for COVID-19 works, claiming that he has a 99.99 percent survival rate.

We have a team of volunteer free doctors that donate their time to help treat these patients that come to us, Dr. Ben Marble, the founder of myfreedoctor.com, an online medical consultation service, said at a roundtable discussion hosted by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) on Jan. 24.

He added, We deliver the early treatment protocols to them as early as we can, and we have a 99.99 percent survival rate. So, I believe myfreedoctor.com, the free volunteered doctors have settled the science on thisearly treatment works, period!

Marble was answering Johnsons question about what people can do if they or their loved ones have COVID-19.

People can visit the website myfreedoctor.com, create an account, and fill out a patient intake form if the doctors are accepting new patients for that day. One of the doctors will then reach out in less than 24 hours. With a huge demand for their services, the physicians say they can only accept a certain number of patients each day.

Marble says that he and his small team of volunteer doctors prescribe Dr. Peter McCulloughs treatment protocol, which consists of hydroxychloroquine, ivermectin, monoclonal antibodies, prednisone, and other low-cost generic drugs. They also prescribe vitamins D and C, and zinc.

Vitamin C bottles were on display in Miami, Florida on June 15, 2001. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

McCullough, a cardiologist, and epidemiologist, along with several physicians put together an early treatment protocol to provide outpatient care for COVID-19 patients. Their paper was published in The American Journal of Medicine in August 2020.

Dr. Pierre Kory, a pulmonologist and the President at the Frontline COVID-19 Critical Care (FLCCC) Alliance, says that the public is not aware that there are doctors across the country who will provide telehealth and early treatment for COVID-19.

On our website, we have a button, which says find a provider. Weve tried to collect as many telehealth providers that treat all states in the country, Kory said.

We are trying to let that message be known because that message is being suppressed that this disease is treatable, he added.

Kory also claims that there is corruption at the federal level in suppressing early treatment with repurposed cheap drugs and their availability and that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been captured by the pharmaceutical industry.

The corruption is because they dont want you to use off-label, repurposed generic medicines. It does not provide profit to the system, Kory said, adding that, you know whats going on in this country right now, is that the CDC has been captured by the pharmaceutical industry.

They sent out a memo in August of 2021, they sent out a similar memo back in the spring 2020, telling the nations physicians and pharmacists not to use generic medicines.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the CDC for comment.

Early treatments were and continue to be discouraged by the CDC, whose guidance since the beginning of the pandemic up until January 2022 only focused on people self-quarantining for 14 days, keeping hydrated, taking analgesics, and only seeking hospital care when they cant breathe or turn blue. They also warned people to not take any medications not approved for COVID-19.

People have been seriously harmed and even died after taking products not approved for use to treat or prevent COVID-19, even products approved or prescribed for other uses, the CDC wrote on its potential treatments webpage.

The weblink provided for the alleged harmful product was related to a March 2020 health alert warning of a serious health effect from ingesting non-pharmaceutical chloroquine phosphate used to clean fish tanks. This alert came after an Arizona man and his wife took the non-pharmaceutical drug in an attempt to self-medicate for COVID-19.

For the past two years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only authorized limited early outpatient treatments for COVID-19 that include monoclonal antibodies for high-risk patients and antiviral pills from Merck and Pfizer. However, the FDA on Jan. 24 announced it was limiting the use of Eli Lilly and Regeneron monoclonal antibodies only to patients likely to have been infected with or exposed to a variant that is susceptible to these treatments.

Johnson held the roundtable discussion to offer a different perspective on the response to the pandemic, including on the current state of knowledge of early and hospital treatment, vaccine efficacy and safety, what went right, what went wrong, what should be done now, and what needs to be addressed long term.

The discussion panel consisted of health experts and scientists including McCullough, Dr. Robert Malone, and Dr. Paul Marik.

According to a press release, Johnson also invited over a dozen prominent figures involved in developing, promoting, and leading the pandemic response, including the CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients. All of the individuals declined to attend the forum.
Wilfried Dux at Shen Yun Performing Arts performed at the Groes Festspielhaus, in Salzburg, Austria on Jan. 24, 2022. (NTD)

SALZBURG, AustriaWilfried Dux, software development manager and partner at Mentz GmbH in Munich, was impressed by the Shen Yun Performing Arts performance at the Groes Festspielhaus on Jan. 24.

Especially the smooth transitions from the stage to the background in the set were very appealing and cleverly done. Shen Yun is very beautiful, its colorful and contains many dynamics, he said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is considered the worlds best classical Chinese dance company. In fact, classical Chinese dance, with its expressive nature, is very suitable for presenting historical as well as contemporary story dances.

Dux appreciated the presentations old and new.

One learns something from the old Chinese tradition, but I also liked the reference to the current situation in China. Its very good to include something like that, he explained.

We Are Glad We Are Here

We are glad we are here, said Chief Inspector Hans-Jurgen Hofinger, summarizing his impressions of Shen Yun that he watched with his wife Hannelore Malzner

It is absolutely worth seeing, we are delightedone can see the culture, of course, with the past history and also the problems that  they obviously have, said Detective Hofinger who is from the Voklabruck district police.

Chief Inspector Hans-Jurgen Hofinger with his wife, Hannelore Malzner, at a performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts in Salzburg, Austria on Jan. 24, 2022. (Yu Ping/The Epoch Times)

Very impressive was the elegance of the dancers and these colors! It seems insanely light dance-wise, even though one knows its not. And the stage design, its all very well coordinated, Hofinger said.

His wife agreed. This array of colors  the colors of the costumes were very impressive, she said.

Hofinger particularly liked the interaction between the animated stage screen and the dancers on stage.

When the dancers suddenly appear on stage [as if out of nowhere]. That was absolutely impressive and very interestingly done, he said. It was a very successful performance.

The visual merging of digital background images and stage action is a Shen Yun invention giving the impression that performers can effortlessly move back and forth, so to speak, between the stage and the animated background.

Music Is So Beautiful

Franz-Josef Trattner, managing director of the advertising company WTW Werbung in Upper Austria, enjoyed the colors and music in Shen Yuns performance.

I was surprised by this array of colors and these dance pieces, Trattner said.

Franz-Josef Trattner with his friend at Shen Yun Performing Arts on Jan. 24, 2022. (Qing Rui/The Epoch Times)

For him, the whole evening was a pleasant surprise. Not until shortly before the performance, did he know what to expect, because he was invited by a friend.

As an amateur musician, he was particularly excited about the music.

The music is so beautiful. I cant see into the orchestra pit, but I assume its a big orchestra, he said. Its very musical, very colorful, and just enchanting.

The Shen Yun orchestra is special as it harmoniously combines Chinese and Western musical traditions.

Chance to Pause, Become Calmer

Fantastic! Breathtaking! Hard to put into words! That was how Natalie Derndorfer described her impressions of the Shen Yun performance.

The choreography was really fantastic and the music a dream! she said.

The orchestra was  mind-blowing  the colors from the outfits, fantastic culture. It touched me!

Natalie Derndorfer, who works in finance, at Shen Yun Performing Arts in Austrias Groes Festspielhaus, on Jan. 24, 2022. (NTD)

Derndorfer, who is responsible for finance at the Sattledt municipal office in Upper Austria, said she is also taking a lot of other things from the show with her.

Pausing, becoming calmer and enjoying, and perhaps going back a bit to the roots, to the origin. Not everything modern is always good, she said.

I think that very good, very solid values, were shown, which we should once again call to mind, remember and also now in everyday life, Derndorfer continued.

I think one should think more about the past, ones roots, and not just live in modern times.

Reporting by NTD, Qing Rui, and Yu Ping.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers Questions in the House of Commons, in London, on Jan. 26, 2022. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Emails Show Johnson Lied Over Afghan Animal Evacuation: UK Opposition

Opposition parties have accused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of lying about the role he played in bringing over 100 animals from Afghanistan to the UK during the Kabul airlift, after a leaked email shows he authorised the evacuation.

The 94 dogs and 69 cats were in the care of an animal welfare charity called Nowzad, which belonged to Paul Farthing, an ex-Marine who goes by the name Pen Farthing.

As Afghanistan fell to the Taliban, Farthing successfully brought the animals to the UK on a privately-chartered plane on Aug. 29, after waging a high-profile media battle with the British Ministry of Defence to get his flight cleared.

Paul Farthing, also known as Pen Farthing in an undated image from his animal shelter in Kabul, Afghanistan. (PA Media)

The UK government sponsored clearance for the charter flight, leading to allegations that animals had been prioritised over people in the rescue effort.

The prime minister has previously denied that he intervened to bring Nowzad staff and animals to Britain.

Asked by reporters on Dec. 7 if he had intervened in the evacuation, Johnson described the suggestion as complete nonsense.

But email exchanges leaked by a whistleblower to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons have raised further questions as to what role he really played in the evacuation.

The evidence published on Jan. 26 shows an official in the private office of government minister Lord Goldsmith told colleagues working on the evacuation on Aug. 25 that the PM has just authorised their staff and animals to be evacuated, in reference to charity Nowzad, run by an ex-Royal Marine.

The main opposition Labour Party said this is fresh evidence that Johnson had been caught out lying.

Shadow defence secretary John Healey said: He should never have given priority to flying animals out of Afghanistan while Afghans who worked for our armed forces were left behind.

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokeswoman Layla Moran raised concerns about the discrepancy between what the prime minister says to journalists versus what is revealed in Parliament.

The email evidence from Lord Goldsmiths office was submitted to the committee by Raphael Marshall, a former employee at the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) who claimed the animals were evacuated following a direct instruction from the prime minister.

In his written testimony to the committee, Marshall said multiple colleagues wrote on the Teams message system that the prime minister had given an instruction to call-forward Nowzads staff for evacuation.

Farthing disputed the allegation, stressing that no government capacity was used to transport the animals.

A Downing Street spokesman said: The prime minister had no role in authorising individual evacuations from Afghanistan during Op Pitting, including Nowzad staff and animals. At no point did the prime minister instruct staff to take any particular course of action on Nowzad.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that at no point was he or Admiral Sir Ben Key, the Chief of Joint Operations of Operation Pitting, directed by the prime minister to evacuate Pen Farthing, his workforce, or his pets.

Lily Zhou and PA Media contributed to this report.
EXCLUSIVE: Postal Inspectors Have Used iPhone Hacking Tools Hundreds of Times

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) owns sophisticated hacking tools that can breach iPhones, and has used them hundreds of times over the last several years, according to USPIS records.

Law enforcements use of hacking tools such as Cellebrite and GrayKey has attracted considerable attention in recent years, particularly following reports that the FBI used the Israeli-based Cellebrite to help access the iPhone belonging to San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farookthough there has since been reporting to the contrary. More recently, records obtained by Vice Motherboard last year revealed how police departments use GrayKey.

Only a limited of number of individuals have access to these tools and they are used in accordance with legal requirements. A search warrant, court order, or other constitutionally permissible situation must exist prior to any digital evidence examination of cell phones, USPS said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

The use of such tools by the USPIS, the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, is disclosed in its 2019 and 2020 annual reports, but has gone largely unpublicized until now. The Epoch Times has also reviewed an internal Postal Service letter, which shows that one technician in the USPIS digital evidence unit used GrayKey to crack more than 150 iOS devicesiOS being the mobile operating system for the iPhone.

Altogether, the records suggest that the USPIS has cracked hundreds of iPhonesgenerally thought to be one of the most secure commercial phones on the marketas well as other devices.

The Cellebrite and GrayKey tools acquired in FY 2019 and 2018 allow the Digital Evidence Unit to extract previously unattainable information from seized mobile devices. During FY 2020, 331 devices were processed, and 242 were unlocked and/or extracted by these services, the USPIS 2020 annual report says. The success of the program and ever-increasing demand for services required the purchase this year of a second GrayKey device for use on the East Coast.

The 2020 report reveals an uptick in phone cracking from 2019, when the USPIS accessed 177 devices34 using Cellebrite and 143 with GrayKey, according to that years annual report.

The internal USPIS letter suggests that the increase continued last year, revealing that one technician alone cracked more than 150 iOS devices.

In May 2020, FLS [Forensic Laboratory Services] acquired a second GrayKey iOS tool for extractions of locked iOS devices. Password protected devices is one of the biggest challenges facing the digital evidence community today, the letter says.

Since acquisition, [the technician] has successfully unlocked/bypassed, extracted, and examined over 150 locked iOS devices. The additional GrayKey unit has allowed FLS to balance the workload for the three locations with specialized mobile tools, essentially eliminating the backlog for these examinations.

Given that the USPIS is a federal law enforcement agency that predates even the FBI, its use of tools such as GrayKey isnt necessarily surprising, said retired FBI agent Marc Ruskin.

They have jurisdiction for a much wider variety of cases than youd think because any type of wire frauda large scope of white-collar crime involves wire fraudor the use of the mail falls under their jurisdiction, said Ruskin, author of The Pretender: My Life Undercover for the FBI.

Ruskin told The Epoch Times he worked with Postal Inspectors on investigations twice during his career, and they tend to be very good as far as professionalism and intelligence.

One of the more prominent cases involving the USPIS was the 2001 anthrax mailings, and Postal Inspectors have served on numerous joint terrorism investigations since then.

However, Ruskin questioned what oversight and safeguards are in place at the USPIS to ensure that privacy rights are protected and GrayKey/Cellebrite arent abused.

We dont know what safeguards are in place. If the guidelines are flimsy, they may be permitting warrantless searches, Ruskin said. Under what circumstances are warrants required?

USPS and USPIS did not respond to emails and calls seeking answers to those questions. USPSs inspector general has referenced case management reporting guidelines that establish requirements for how Postal Inspectors should conduct and document their investigations, but that document does not seem to be publicunlike similar guidelines governing the FBI, which are available online.

Even with guidelines, the USPIS may not be subject to the same scrutiny or oversight as other law enforcers, Ruskin added.

While they may be subject to the same legal limitations, in fact there may be less oversight because they have a lower visibility, he said. Everyones looking at what the FBI and ICE are doing constantly, but whos looking at the Postal Inspection Service?

The Epoch Times has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for UPSIS guidelines and other records related to tools that can crack iPhones.

Cellebrite and GrayKey developer Grayshift, for its part, also did not immediately respond to inquiries about whether it audits its customers use of its products, or has other safeguards to prevent abuse.

Cellebrite has come under particular scrutiny in recent years for doing business with authoritarian regimes. The company announced in October 2020 that it would stop doing business in China and Hong Kong.

Following last years revelations about USPIS monitoring anti-lockdown protestors via its Internet Covert Operations Program (iCOP), privacy activists have warned that USPIS is in danger of mission creepwhen an agency has access to more tools or information than it needs to complete its designed mission, leading it to expand into another role outside of the designated mission to utilize those tools.

The Postal Inspection Service has a well-defined mission in protecting the mail, but the agency has often overstepped its bounds, the Electronic Information Privacy Center (EPIC) stated earlier this month. The Postal Inspection Service now claims a wide jurisdiction to preserve the safety, security, and integrity of the nations mail system from criminal misuse.

More broadly, privacy activists have concerns about the proliferation of tools like GrayKey and Cellebrite, which have become steadily cheaper and more ubiquitous over the years.

Forensic searches of cell phones are increasingly common  The searches are often overbroad, as well. Its not uncommon for data unrelated to the initial suspicions to be copied, kept, and used for other purposes later, the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) said in a March 2021 explainer.

For instance, police can deem unrelated data to be gang related, and keep it in a gang database, which have often vague standards.

EFF added, Many police departments dont have any policies in place about when forensic phone-searching tools can be used.
EXCLUSIVE: Unvaccinated Pennsylvania Prisoners Stuck in Lockdown

Unvaccinated inmates in Pennsylvanias state prisons are being held in lockdown conditions indefinitely, unless they submit to vaccination. It means they must stay in their cells 22 hours a day.

The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, which oversees state prisons, denies lockdowns are related to vaccination.

Out-of-cell time may vary based on a number of factors, but inmates are notand have not beenlocked down based on vaccination status, Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Press Secretary Maria Bivens told The Epoch Times in an email. Vaccination among the inmate population is voluntary, and approximately 90 percent of inmates have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pennsylvania offered inmates $25 in commissary credit as an incentive to get vaccinated.

Bivens did confirm that unvaccinated inmates are housed in a separate unit from the vaccinated population.

A document obtained by The Epoch Times shows that vaccinated and unvaccinated inmates are treated differently, and those who wish to move about, outside their cells normally, must get vaccinated.

At the State Correctional Institution Coal Township, unvaccinated inmates have been on lockdown since Thanksgiving Day, inmates have reported to families. It has now been more than 60 days. An estimated 100 inmates are currently locked down there. The Epoch Times is not naming inmate families because they fear retaliation for the incarcerated.

As of the last week of January, 9 percent of inmates across the state system, 3,233 inmates, were unvaccinated.

At the same time, 51 percent of staff are unvaccinated, 7,847 staff system-wide, according to Department of Corrections statistics. The department notes that vaccinations administered to staff off-site are self-reported, and employees are not required to report protected health information to the department, meaning there could be more vaccinated employees.

The DOCs primary concern throughout the pandemic has been the health and safety of inmates, staff, and the community, Bivens said. Universal masking, enhanced cleaning, social distancing (via reduced cohort sizes and a zoning concept that prevents different groups of inmates from coming into contact with each other), and an exemplary 90 percent inmate vaccination rate have helped the Departments COVID-19 mitigation continue to be largely successful, both at SCI Coal Township and systemwide. SCI Coal Township reports just 34 active COVID cases, out of an inmate population of more than 1,500. To help protect inmates, facility staff must either be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing.

Unvaccinated inmates also have not been allowed to have in-person visitors, although on Monday, the Department of Corrections announced it will suspend all in-person visitation at state prisons from Jan. 27 through Feb. 28, due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in Pennsylvania.

No Advocate for the Unvaccinated

Formed in Philadelphia in 1787, the Pennsylvania Prison Societys mission is to ensure humane prison and jail conditions and advocate for sensible criminal justice policies. Pennsylvania law authorizes the Prison Society to designate volunteers to visit any prison or jail in Pennsylvania. These official visitors have authority to privately interview any inmate in any prison or jail for any reason, its website says. The group also advocates for inmates to have easy access to the vaccine.

The organization was uneasy about discussing specifics regarding conditions for the unvaccinated.

We are told it has been more difficult for unvaccinated people, John Hargreaves, volunteer director at the Pennsylvania Prison Society, told The Epoch Times.

The Prison Society showed they are not advocating for unvaccinated inmates in lockdown.

They get at least two hours out of the cells, so I guess it depends on how lockdown is defined, Hargreaves said. About 155 have died, all unvaccinated, and that is very troublesome.

Like nursing homes and other group-living facilities, prisons must navigate the complicated responsibility of protecting the health of the entire population.

With many incarcerated people medically compromised due to age or chronic lack of access to health care, an outbreak in a prison can be particularly deadly. Incarcerated people die from COVID-19 two to three times as often as infected people in the community, according to a report released last month titled Three State Prison Oversight During the COVID-19 Pandemic. The report was co-authored by the Pennsylvania Prison Society, The John Howard Association of Illinois, and the Correctional Association of New York, the only three states in the country with non-governmental prison oversight bodies.

We get calls on a daily basis from loved ones that are concerned about access to programming, access to visit, phone calls, shower time, The Societys Social Services Director, Kirstin Cornnell, said in the report, but its really hard to give a clear, consistent answer about whats happening. She was referring to early in the pandemic (2020) when movement was restricted for all inmates.

These lockdown procedures are causing more harm than they are good  Theres real concerns about mental health. And I dont think well really understand the toll of this last year for a long time, she said in the report, again referring to 2020.

The report underscores how difficult life in lockdown can be. Isolation is especially difficult in prison, because in the context of incarceration, it is synonymous with punishment, and often the cells used for medical isolation have been the same as those used for punishment, the report said. Many of the unvaccinated do have a cellmate, but that is not always the ideal social choice.

Its very difficult mentally, Hargreaves said. It can be stressful to be on lockdown and with lack of exercise and socialization, its harder to relieve stress, he said.

For inmates who wish to remain unvaccinated, sovereignty over their own bodies means lockdown without advocacy and without end. Families wishing to help them get out of lockdown have no place in the prison system to turn.
Delays in the transfer of cargo continue in Southern California as vessels line the horizon waiting offload containers into the Port of Long Beach, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Expanded Hours at LA Ports Has Limited Effect on Supply Chain

Opening the Southern California ports 24 hours a day, seven days a week has not helped to ease the supply chain crisis, some port officials and dock workers say.

In October 2021, a presidential task force asked the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to open around the clock to increase the hours and capacity that carriers and truckers could use to remove containers from the overloaded docks.

President Joe Biden estimated the expanded times would allow the Port of Los Angeles to move goods 25 percent faster at night.

While the port of Los Angeles and Long Beach ramped up multiple efforts to move cargo, including creating a program called Accelerate Cargo LA, the expanded hours have had minimal impact.

Port terminals have always operated about 18 hours a day, according to a Port of LA spokesman. The shifts are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.

The ports added a third shift, called a hoot shift, from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., which has not been popular among truckers or cargo companies.

Terminals are reporting that there is very little interest among truckers and cargo owners to come and pick up cargo during those hours, Port of LA spokesman Phillip Sanfield told The Epoch Times in an email.

The Port of LA is still pushing to get cargo owners to operate during those hours, but to date, providing the extra hours has seen limited success, Sanfield said.

During the other 18 hours, about 40 percent of the available appointments for cargo pick up from the port are not used. The port is working with private stakeholders to maximize operations, Sanfield said.

At the same time, not many longshoremen want to work the extra shift from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m., according to one 26-year longshoreman.

Nobody likes to work that shift, a longshoreman named Steve, who declined to provide his last name, told The Epoch Times. I dont see anything going on at that time at all.

The Port of Long Beach offers 24-hour service, four nights a week, the ports spokesman told The Epoch Times.

One terminal is open around the clock and all container terminals have expanded hours, offering Friday night and weekend gates to handle the ongoing surge of cargo, Port of Long Beach spokesman Lee Peterson said.

Its just one step as we continue to advocate for our supply chain partners such as warehouses and retailers to also expand hours, Peterson said.

The port has also opened a COVID-19 testing center for longshore workers and truck drivers and offers a texting service that alerts drivers about traffic conditions.

Long Beach also created temporary staging areas for full containers and encouraged truck drivers to drop off export containers when picking up imports.

The changes have not had a significant impact on the amount of cargo processed at the port, however.

At the Port of Long Beach, the number of containers processed each month remained steady, despite the expansion of hours.

For instance, in January 2021, Long Beach terminals processed about 364,000 inbound containers and 359,000 in December.

Long Beach serviced 62 fewer ships in 2021 compared to the year before but processed 16 percent more cargo.

Both ports reported a combined drop of 62 percent in containers that were stored for an extended time at the docks since October.
An American Airlines plane is seen at sunrise parked on the tarmac of the Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Arlington, Va., on April 22, 2021. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images)

FAA Approves 90 Percent of Planes for Low-Visibility Landings Near 5G Airports

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Jan. 26, greenlighted additional altimeters, allowing 90 percent of the U.S. commercial aviation fleet to land in low visibility at airports where a risk of interference from 5G wireless signals is present.

The agency had cleared about 78 percent of commercial planes as of the week ending Jan. 21.

Airline operations had faced some disruption last week due to the rollout of 5G telecom towers at U.S. airports by Verizon and AT&T, which had already been twice delayed by regulators.

The FAA has been reviewing aircraft devices called radio altimeters, which use radar to give precise measurements of a planes altitude for bad-weather landings.

It was feared that the new 5G towers could cause interference with the altimeters, as they operate on the same neighboring wavelengths as the 5G technology.

The FAA said that it had further approved seven additional altimeters, bringing the total to 20 approved.

The study found that while some altimeters are reliable and accurate in certain 5G areas; others must be retrofitted or replaced.

The agency continues to make progress to safely reduce the risk of delays and cancellations as altimeter manufacturers evaluate data from wireless companies to determine how robust each model is, said the FAA.

The airlines had called on regulators to halt the activation of 5G near airports, stating that doing so would cause significant operation disruption to air passengers, shippers, and supply chains.

The two telecom companies agreed after a deal brokered by the White House on Jan. 18, to delay switching on the 5G C-Band technology near key airports, even as they activated the service throughout the country.

Verizon temporarily delayed activating about 500 5G towers near airports, less than 10 percent of their planned deployment, while the carriers and the airlines work on a permanent solution.

The deal appears to have been largely successful, with relatively few cancellations or delays last week, according to airline executives.

The latest approvals by the FAA include more small regional jets and turboprops, which should smooth airline operations, but some aircraft models have been deemed too susceptible to interference to be cleared.

The FAA announced an Airworthiness Directive prohibiting Boeing 747-8, 747-8F, and 777 planes from landing at airports where interference could occur, affecting approximately 336 planes in the United States and 1,714 worldwide.

The FAA issued the AD because many systems on Boeing 747-8, 747-8F and 777 aircraft rely on the altimeter, including auto throttle, ground proximity warning, thrust reversers and Traffic Collision Avoidance System, said the agency.

The directive does not affect operations at most large American airports and the FAA has approved alternative means of compliance for the Boeing aircraft.

Airplane models with cleared altimeters approved for deployment include all Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, 787 MD-10/-11; Airbus A300, A310, A319, A220, A320, A321, A330, A340, A350, A380; Embraer 120, 170, and 190 regional jets; All CL-600/CRJ regional jets; DHC-8 and ATR turboprops.

In the Jan. 25 update, the FAA said it would need to review the approvals it has granted each month to determine if the activation of new towers poses additional risk.

Were working with the wireless companies to get us tower activation information as early as possible so we can plan ahead, the FAA said.

Some U.S. airlines are still concerned about Verizons plans to roll out additional 5G towers around Feb. 1 and want to know if those new towers could impact any current operations.

The 5G issue is disrupting landing in poor weather at a few smaller airports, such as when Alaska Air regional carrier Horizon Air was forced to cancel all commercial flights in and out of Paine Field in Everett, Washington, on Jan. 25, due to the restrictions on low visibility flying and 5G interference.

The airline blamed the rollout of 5G for creating disruptions to its regional air travel services and that its Embraer E175 jets still faced some restrictions.

Regional planes trying to land at San Francisco International Airport were diverted in similar weather last week.
On Monday, a New York Supreme Court judge issued a court order, officially blocking the governors mask mandate. He struck it down because according to him, the mask mandate was unconstitutional.

Meanwhile, according to government documents that The Epoch Times obtainedit turns out that four prominent scientistsspecifically, the scientists who helped to shape the public narrative that COVID-19 had natural originsreceived substantial increases in their grant money from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is the agency run by Dr. Anthony Fauci.

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Federal Judge Gives Jan. 6 Committee Green Light to Subpoena Chapman University

A federal judge in California has given the green light to an effort by the Jan. 6 House Committee to subpoena Chapman University, a private educational institution in Orange, California, after Trump-ally John Eastman tried to block the subpoena.

The Jan. 6 Committee, created in a partisan vote during summer 2021, is almost exclusively chaired by Democrats. Only two Republicans, Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), sit on the committee, and both have faced strong backlash for their roles on the Democrat-dominated committee.

The committee was allegedly created to uncover the truth about the Jan. 6, 2021, Stop the Steal rally. During the rally, scores of unarmed protestors entered the Capitol building, causing minor damage. The only death that day was that of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot by an unidentified federal agent while reportedly trying to deescalate the situation. No lawmakers were wounded or harmed during the breach.

Though the protestors were unarmed and caused minor damage, the Jan. 6 Committee and its Democratic allies have continued to insist that the rally was the result of a conspiracy among senior Republican officials to overthrow the U.S. government.

Since its creation last summer, the committee has attempted to find evidence that the so-called insurrection was the result of such a conspiracy and has doled out subpoenas to Trumps former staff and his Republican allies.

Initially, these subpoenas were almost exclusively targeted at former White House officials. After former White House adviser Steve Bannon and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows refused subpoenas from the committee, both were charged by the committee with contempt of Congress, despite their claims to executive privilege.

Recently, the Jan. 6 Committee has begun to expand its search for the still-undiscovered evidence of criminal sedition, issuing subpoenas against sitting members of CongressReps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Scott Perry (R-Pa.), both of whom have refused the requestas well as to internet celebrities such as Nick Fuentes and others.

Another such subpoena was issued against Chapman University on Jan. 18. The subpoena gave the school only three days to hand over its communications with attorney John Eastman.

On Jan. 22, Central California District Judge David O. Carter put a temporary hold on the subpoena, ruling that Eastman and his clients faced a substantial risk of irreparable harm if the requested documents were handed over. The temporary hold would remain in place pending further inquiry.

Eastman said the commissions request violated his First Amendment right to freedom of speech and his Fourth Amendment right to immunity from unreasonable search and seizure.

At about 7 p.m. PST, after Carter had reviewed the arguments of both sides, he overturned his original hold. Contending that the public interest in Chapman Universitys communications with Eastman is weighty and urgent, Carter gave the green light to the legislative subpoena (pdf).

In his ruling, Carter noted that Eastman, like millions of other Americans, has expressed concerns about the 2020 election, which many have said was rife with fraud. The matter has remained controversial since President Joe Biden was sworn in, and a recent public opinion poll shows that a wide swath of voters across the political spectrum continue to believe that Biden didnt fairly win the election, including 68 percent of Republicans, 41 percent of independents, and 14 percent of Democrats.

Though U.S. courts usually take a hands-off approach to such partisan issues, Carter opined on the controversy in his ruling. Carter said there was a lack of any evidence of voter fraud or election tampering, and he rejected Eastmans claim that the 2020 election was one of the most controversial in American history.

Carter stated that Eastmans position on the 2020 election was a precipitating factor of the breakdown of order during the Jan. 6, 2021, rally and thus ruled that the committees subpoena was valid.

The extent of the Jan. 6 Committees authority to issue such subpoenas has been a matter of significant controversy for some time.

After the committee began to issue subpoenas for former Trump officials, several of them, such as Bannon and Meadows, claimed that they were protected from the subpoenas by executive privilege. Despite a dearth of legislative precedent to sort out the competing claims of legislative subpoena power and executive privilege, the committee moved ahead with a contempt of Congress charge.

Just before Bannons charge was certified by the House, Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said that because of this lack of precedent, the subpoenas were invalid pending further litigation.

As it has expanded its search for still-unfound evidence of a high-level conspiracy to criminal sedition, the commission has also determined that it has the authority to seize the phone and text records of Trump allies. It has used this newfound power not only to seize the communications of former White House officials such as Meadows, but also the communications between Fox News anchors and senior Republicans on Jan. 6, 2021.

Even with Carters ruling against Eastman, the case could make its way to higher courts, including federal Courts of Appeal or the Supreme Court.

Eastman didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Carter, a Clinton-appointee, has historically leaned left in his rulings.

In 2000, Orange County blocked students from forming a Gay-Straight Alliance Club on public campuses. The would-be founders brought suit against the county and, in one of the first rulings of its kind, Carter forced Orange County to allow the club.

In 2009, Carter dismissed a lawsuit charging that President Barack Obama was ineligible to sit in the Oval Office because of ongoing controversies about the former Illinois citizens country of birth. Carter dismissed the case, ruling that Congress, not the judiciary, had jurisdiction in such disputes.

In an April 2021 opinion, Carter ruled in a 110-page decision that homeless people in Los Angeles infamous Skid Row must be offered housing at the publics expense by October 2021. The decision was overturned by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just weeks before the ruling was set to go into effect.
Film Review: UnsilencedRisking Life When Lies Silence a Nation

Commentary

The film Schindlers List reminds the audience of the crimes that took place at the Auschwitz concentration camp, and imprints historical events and figures on their minds with vivid images. After World War II, the Nuremberg trials exposed the Nazis crimes and the international community promised multiple times to not let the evils of Auschwitz reoccur.

However, the world forgets and forgets quickly, says Daniel Davis (Sam Trammell), a character who provides a clear narrative and a unique perspective for the film Unsilenced.

The historical film Unsilenced, directed by Peabody Award-winning director Leon Lee, is based on a real-life event that reveals the holocausts that continue today in China.

Film Synopsis

Daniel, an American journalist for the Chicago Post in the film, was gagged by the Chinese regime for ten years for reporting the truth about the Tiananmen Square massacre and speaking up for students. In the spring of 1999, he regained the journalist visa granted by the regime and continued his career as a journalist after returning to China. He however no longer reported on sensitive subjects deemed by the regime, not because of his compromise, but because the students he had interviewed were killed by the regime.

The college students in their prime pursuing democracy and freedom portray a sharp contrast to the brutal Chinese Communist Party (CCP) which regards human nature and freedom as the enemy of its authority. The world saw the evil of the CCP through the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

Yet, as Daniel lamented, The world forgets and forgets quickly. The international community soon forgot the Tiananmen Square massacre and embraced the CCP to a greater extent than before. For instance, the U.S.China bilateral agreement regarding Chinas accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) concluded in Beijing on Nov. 15, 1999, and China officially became a member of the WTO in November 2001.

Meanwhile, the CCP launched an unprecedented persecution campaign against 100 million Falun Gong adherents in China in July 1999. The torture and murder that followed are far worse than the Tiananmen Square massacre in terms of scope, number, extent, and duration. Sadly, as of today, the international community has little knowledge about the truth of the situation.

Unsilenced unfolds in such an era: a spring day of 1999, ten years after the Tiananmen Square massacre at Tsinghua University in Beijing, the most prestigious high education institution in China. Two Chinese couples parked their bicycles at a Falun Gong practice site on the campus.

People performing peaceful Falun Gong exercises in a park in China, in a scene from Unsilenced. (Flying Cloud Productions)

Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is an ancient, traditional Chinese mind-body practice guided by the principles of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.

Without any official promotion, Falun Gong experienced a meteoric rise in popularity after it was introduced to the public in Changchun city of North China in 1992. By 1998, according to Chinese official statistics, Falun Gong adherents had reached 70 million to 100 million and outnumbered CCP members.

Especially in Chinese colleges and universities, a considerable number of professors and students practiced Falun Gong. The two young couples in the film are Falun Gong adherents from Tsinghua University.

The protagonist of Unsilenced, Wang (Ting Wu), is a doctoral candidate in Electronic Engineering at Tsinghua University. After practicing Falun Gong, he improved his morality and does not fabricate data when applying for scientific research grants.

Notably, Chinese universities and the CCP officialdom alike are corrupt given that falsifying data and plagiarizing papers are common phenomena in universities. The application of scientific research grants is tantamount to a power-money transaction that involves profit.

Conversely, Falun Gong is like a clear stream that flows into the hearts of students. Not only does it enable students to show their human nature and youthful vigor, but it infuses the spirit of truth-seeking in academic research into Chinese universities that have been tainted by the CCP.

However, the CCP choked off this clear streams development in China. Similar to a monetary principle in economicsthat bad money drives out good money in circulationthe CCP propagates lies about Falun Gong for fear of its tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance. If Chinese people led a life of righteousness and sought truth, the CCP that builds its foundation and authority on lies would disintegrate itself.

Out of fear of losing power, former CCP leader Jiang Zemin launched a genocidal campaign against Falun Gong adherents. He believes that Falun Gong competes with the Party for the masses and that the Falun Gong issue is a political struggle for the life and death of the CCP.

Impressive Elements

Concise and Powerful Dialogues: What makes Unsilenced very impressive is the concise and powerful dialogues that highlight the characters attributes. Most importantly, the well-crafted details exhibit Falun Gong adherents unwavering spirit and belief under persecution.

One dialogue sets the tone for the entire film. Wangs best friend, Jun, questions him, What can you change, alone? Wang firmly answers, At least I can remain unchanged.

The CCPs goal of persecuting Falun Gong adherents is to have them renounce their practice and beliefs. However, Wangs answer tells the audience that the CCP will not succeed.

So, what kind of ordeals will Falun Gong adherents go through in the face of the CCPs violence machine and how will they cope with it? How will Chinese society and the international community react? These are the elements that the film presents.

Needless to say, it is grueling work to tell the story of the persecution of Falun Gong and the efforts of those to stop it, and present the thrilling scenes of the historical truth from historical depth in 108 minutes.

Meticulous Depiction and Precise Narrative and Pacing: The detailed descriptions of each historical event are on point, and are subtly integrated into the protagonists life experiences. These enable the narrative of the film to go smoothly, enrich the connotation, master pacing, and engage the viewers in the contradictions and conflicts that arise one after another in the plot.

For instance, one scene shows Wang getting married, depicting the best moment in life. In the next scene, upon coming out of the marriage registration office, he sees the CCPs propaganda posters on which a murderer, who pretends to be a Falun Gong adherent, is discrediting Falun Gong.

Through these sharply contrasting scenes, the director touches the viewers hearts and tells them that as long as the CCP continues genocide and murder, there will be no peaceful life.

The Grand Scheme of Time and Space: Unsilenced tells the story of the humanitarian disaster taking place in contemporary China through two threads: the Tsinghua students who practice Falun Gong and are brutally persecuted by the CCP, and the American journalist Daniel.

Min (Anastasia Lin) and journalist Daniel Davis (Sam Trammell), who senses something is not quite right in the government propaganda about Falun Gong, in Unsilenced. (Flying Cloud Productions)

After a lapse of ten years, Daniel crosses his path with a group of Chinese students again. This creates a broad space-time background for the film, connecting the two major events in contemporary Chinathe Tiananmen Square massacre and the persecution of Falun Gong. Together, they build the historical depth of the film, spatially connect what has happened in China with the international response, and build the breadth of the narrative space.

Additionally, the second thread of the film, which is based on an American journalist who breaks through the CCPs containment to report the truth of Falun Gong to the outside world, deeply integrates with the first thread. Together, they bring out the theme of the film: When the world is silent, we must speak the truth.

The climax of the film comes after the CCP security department fabricates the self-immolation at Tiananmen Square. The staged incident broadcasted to the world incites public hatred against Falun Gong in China, leaving Falun Gong adherents in a more perilous situation. Through analyzing the state-run media outlets self-immolation video, Daniel catches wind of the regimes propagandawhich may be one the most malicious lies in the CCPs history.

Daniel, who seeks the truth, finally meets with Tsinghua students who try to expose the regimes lies. The road to truth is paved with adversities. They risk their lives to ultimately make the truth of Falun Gong known to the international community.

The final scene of the film grips the audience again. Wang pays a price for assisting Daniel in exposing the CCP internationally. The moving scene shows Wangs rich expressions in his eyes, full of nostalgia for his wife and parents and the perseverance of his belief, as he walks through a prison corridor. As for Wangs ultimate fate, this is left to the audience to find out in the cinema.

In response to the crimes against humanity that took place after World War II, in 2005, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated at the U.N. general assembly, What we must not do is deny what is happening, or remain indifferent, as so many did when the Nazi factories of death were doing their ghastly work.

As the Auschwitz massacre fades away over time in peoples memory, the world today may not realize that China, ruled by the CCP, is becoming the largest concentration camp in human history. Large-scale human rights violations and unimaginable forms of torture and killing take place in China every day. The CCP even built the worlds largest organ transplant industry by harvesting organs from live Falun Gong adherents. The world needs to know about these crimes against humanity.

Among the many films regarding Falun Gong, Unsilenced is unique and impressive. Its storyline is laid out in the grand scheme of time and space, and it has an international outlook. What amazes me even more is that several of the leading actors are young Taiwanese actors and that their performances are outstanding.

Unsilenced is worth recommending. It won an Audience Award at the 28th Austin Film Festival in 2021. It shows that the story of contemporary Chinese history that it tells is deeply imprinted on the hearts of the audience who appreciate the precious values brought by the film. Unsilenced is now playing in American select theaters.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A strange string of events led archaeologists to uncover an ancient treasure trove, dating to the late Roman period, in a river valley cave in northern Spain.

And it all started with a badger.

After heavy snows hit the Iberian Peninsula amidst Storm Filomena in the winter of 2021, one Grado resident, Roberto Garcia, accompanied by two archaeologists, happened upon a hollow nestled in an embankment along the Nalon River in Asturias province. Garcia did observe, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais, what appeared to be freshly dug soil beside a badgers burrow and hypothesized that, during the storm, the badger likely dug the hole while foraging for grub, searching for earthworms, berries, or small invertebrates, and incidentally bored into the earth to produce what it wouldve surely deemed unappetizing: pieces of cold hard metal.

This would, however, turn out to be the largest hoard of Roman coins ever found in northern Spain, an exceptional find totaling 209 pieces dating from the third to fifth centuries.

(Courtesy of Alfonso Fanjul Peraza Photo)

(Courtesy of Alfonso Fanjul Peraza Photo)

(Illustration  Vladimir Soltys/Shutterstock)

After the discovery, the researchers, supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Principality of Asturias, on April 5 last year began an emergency archaeological excavation of the sitelocated in Bercio parish in the municipality of Grado. The cavity juts 16 meters (52.5 feet) into the Nalon River wall and is accessed by a very steep clay slope covered with forest. Removal of topsoil produced a few coins near the surface and a larger number buried below, in what was determined to be a sinkhole about 15 centimeters (6 inches) wide and 40 centimeters (16 inches) deep. The collection is believed to be a secondary natural deposit caused by erosion of the caves surface, possibly separated from a larger coin repository no longer present.

In April 2021, [the coins were] located and rescued through a small emergency archaeological intervention financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Principality of Asturias, which until now constitutes the largest Roman treasure in a cave in northern Spain, the researches wrote. The number of coins recovered, as well as the undoubted archaeological interest of the moment of transition to the high medieval genesis, make the little treasure discovered in Bercio an exceptional find.

(Courtesy of Alfonso Fanjul Peraza Photo)

(Courtesy of Alfonso Fanjul Peraza Photo)

Minted between the reigns of Emperor Carus (who ruled from A.D. 282 to 283) and Valentinian III (ruling between 425 and 455), it is possible the coins were hidden here to secure them from invaders in a context of political instability, according to a study, before the imminent arrival of the Swabians, a Germanic people who invaded the peninsula from A.D. 409 from the frozen waters of the Rhine, expanding towards the interior of the Asturian-Roman territory. This accumulation of important findings, being prudent, could respond to that context of intense conflict in a border territory, archaeologist and excavation director Alfonso Fanjul Peraza told El Pais. Its also possible they were stashed here a couple centuries later.

For the most part, the set is characterized by massive wear, except for a few of the highest quality coins, including one of three follis (a coin introduced around 294 by Emperor Diocletian), weighing between 8 and 10 grams, made of copper and bronze with 4 percent silver, minted in London. The other pieces were mostly minted along the north and eastern Mediterraneanfrom Antioch, Constantinople, Thessalonica, Arles, Lyon, Rome, and Adriatic countries.

The recent hoard falls in line with other neighboring finds, the researchers wrote, including the so-called Chapipi Treasure, consisting of 14 gold coins dating from the time of Constantine (who reigned between 306 and 337), which was unearthed in a Grado river valley in the 1930s. Local legends also bespeak of treasure seekers called ayalgueros excavating the caves of Asturia looking for what has been known since the 18th century as the grotto of a barbarian king named Godulfo.

The newly found late Roman period coins are being cleaned at the Archaeological Museum of Asturias, which plans to carry out further excavations of the site this year. There are still many more to take out, Fanjul believesbesides what one bagger scrounged up during a snow storm.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Bright newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Ford CEO Jim Farley poses with the all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck during the unveiling at the company's world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., on May 19, 2021. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

Ford Aims to Be the Tesla of Connected Commercial Vehicles

DETROITFord Motor Co. Chief Executive Jim Farley won applause from Wall Street by increasing the production target for the automakers electric F-150 to 150,000 a year, more than three times the original number.

Now, Farley wants investors and commercial vehicle customers to pay more attention to the software and services Ford wants to sell with those trucks, as well as to the companys electric Transit vans and its portfolio of combustion engine commercial vehicles.

At an event in Sonoma, California, this week, Farley and other Ford executives are rolling out more details of their Ford Pro commercial vehicle strategyand setting ambitious goals.

This is a first move by Ford to really start to scale and commit serious resources to digital software and services-based revenue, Farley told Reuters.

Ford Pro is a standalone unit created last May to focus exclusively on commercial and government customers.

Ford has set a goal to increase Ford Pros annual revenue to $45 billion by 2025, up 67 percent from 2019. Farley said Ford Pro is paving the way for Ford to expand digital service offerings to retail customers.

The U.S. and European commercial vehicle markets are fragmented, Farley said. Ford can use its position as the leading commercial vehicle brand in the United States and Europe to be a leader in pulling the pieces together as commercial fleets go electric.

We are the Tesla of this industry, he said.

Ford Pro, which will house the Dearborn, Michigan, automakers commercial vehicle operations, is now ramping up a commercial electric vehicle charging business using software and workers who came on board when Ford bought charging startup Electriphi in June 2021.

Ford Pro also has a partnership with Silicon Valley enterprise software power Salesforce.com Inc. to develop software to digitize billing and other paperwork for contractors and other businesses that deploy people to jobs where the vehicle also serves as office space.

Ford Pro Chief Executive Ted Cannis said in an interview the unit has 125,000 active accounts, and a 40 percent share of the U.S. commercial van and pickup markets. Startups such as Rivian Automotive Inc. and established rivals such as General Motors Co. and its new BrightDrop van unit are aiming for big customers such as FedEx Corp. or Amazon.com Inc. as golden tickets to vehicle-based service businesses.

With Fords stable of small and medium-sized business customers, Ive got 125,000 golden tickets, Cannis said.

Ford Motor Companys logo is seen on the side of the building at the unveiling of their new electric F-150 Lightning outside of their headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., on May 19, 2021. (Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images)

Trepidation Over Evs

Ford has tried before to expand higher-margin service businesses to augment its traditional manufacturing business, which do well to crack 10 percent pretax margins in good years. In the early 2000s, Ford acquired a repair services chain and auto salvage yards in an attempt to capture revenue from a larger chunk of the life cycle of a vehicle. Those diversifications were abandoned.

Fords new service strategy will have to overcome efforts by rivals that are also racing to sell electric vans and trucks to commercial vehicle fleets. Individual pieces of Ford Pros service business, such as fleet charging, will face competition from companies such as ChargePoint that already offer such services.

Rhett Ricart, whose Ohio-based Ricart Automotive Group is a major Ford commercial vehicle dealer, said Ford executives have done their homework on Ford Pro. Now, he said, the automaker must deliver electric vehicles that do not leave business customers stranded.

Those vehicles have got to be flawless. People will have trepidation. They know what theyve got with internal combustion engines. They know where to get gasoline, Ricart said.

Farley and Ford executives said connected vehicle technologyincluding telematics systems that give Ford a pipeline to receive data from its vehiclesgive the company a firmer foundation for recurring revenue, subscription services as well as increased repair business driven by software that tells fleet owners when it is time for vehicle maintenance.

Ford can analyze how many miles vehicles in a fleet drive, and where they are parked, to design hardware and software that allow for recharging at a central depot, or at a workers home, or both, said Muffi Ghadiali, former CEO of Electriphi and now head of the Ford Pro electric vehicle charging business.

Because of telematics we can give them a very precise plan based on how the fleets operate, he said.

By Joseph White
Fishing boats moored in the port of Boulogne, France in this undated file image. (Gareth Fuller/PA)

France Reissues Legal Threat to UK Over Post-Brexit Fishing Row

France has put the UK on alert that it could start legal proceedings if there is no further movement on post-Brexit fishing licences.

European affairs minister Clement Beaune said Paris was not happy with the situation following a wrangle over licences for French vessels to fish in British waters.

Last month, the French government said 93% of the requested licences had been issued by Britain compared to 60% at the beginning of November.

But Beaune, speaking to reporters in Brussels on Tuesday, said the lack of progress since more permissions were granted in December meant that legal action remains an option, with France having issued a similar threat last year.

However, with talks continuing with the UK, the minister stressed he did not think we are at the end of the road yet.

He has previously said that France wants 73 more applications for its trawlers signed-off.

Our analysis is very simplewe are not 100 percent satisfied because we do not think the agreement has been implemented to the tune of 100% either, Beaune told a press conference.

The French minister, in a translation by the European Commission, added: We, together with the commission, will be looking at all the levers at our disposal to see what can be done, because quite clearly we are not happy with the situation.

We do have to continue our dialogue on this specific fisheries-related issue to ensure we can get those licences which have not yet been forthcoming.

And as we said back in December, if dialogue proves insufficient then legal action may be necessary.

The fishing row centres on licences to trawl in UK and Channel Islands waters under the terms of Britains post-Brexit trade deal with the EU  the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (TCA).

Before Brexit, French fishermen could fish freely inside British waters but, since the split from the bloc, they need a special licence from the UK Government or the crown dependencies of Jersey and Guernsey to fish in certain areas.

The main source of contention in the current dispute is the number of licences to fish in waters around the British coastline granted to smaller French vessels, which have to be able to prove they operated in those grounds before Brexit.

Meanwhile, Beaune said the EU needed to be prepared to show a certain amount of flexibility on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, right, has taken over negotiating on the UKs behalf with the European Commissions Maros Sefcovic, left (Ben Stansall/PA)

The UK and the European Commission have been locked in talks for months about reforming the terms of the Brexit treaty, which has effectively seen a border established in the Irish Sea between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has taken over responsibility for negotiations on the protocol after former Brexit minister Lord Frost resigned in December.

Truss told MPs on Tuesday that, having met with her opposite number, commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic, a number of times, she believed there is a deal to be done to resolve the deadlock.

Sefcovic also suggested that hope of a resolution was growing, as he praised the Foreign Secretary as a top-notch politician with a strong reputation as a good negotiator and deal-maker.

He told reporters at the EUs General Affairs Council: Im convinced that if we focus on the two most crucial areas about which I think both of us in the UK and the EU are hearing the most about from our Northern Ireland partners  and Im talking about the East/West strait, the movement of goods between GB and Northern Ireland, and sanitary and phytosanitary controls  that we can really achieve progress.

We will not be able to solve everything in a short period of time but we definitely need the progress, and my strong conviction is that these are the two areas where we can achieve a lot if we really focus our efforts.
European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Aug. 21, 2020. (Yves Herman/Reuters)

Gamification in Financial Markets Under Scrutiny, Says EU Watchdog

LONDONGamification has introduced a new generation of retail investors to financial markets who may not be aware there are few protections in assets like cryptocurrencies, the European Unions securities watchdog said on Tuesday.

Gamification refers to using smartphones to trade, a trend that took off on Wall Street during the COVID-19 pandemic with apps like Robinhood, and has spilled over into European markets.

We want investors to engage more in financial markets and not just keep their money under the mattress, Verena Ross, chair of the European Securities and Markets Authority, told a Forum Europe financial services conference.

But gamification also presents significant risks, creates speculation, and leaves investors not realizing there are protections when trading markets like cryptoassets, she said.

Social media has also allowed the spread of unauthorized trading advice and the bloc is due this year to revamp its retail investor strategy to reflect the rise of digital finance, Ross said.

We are looking at how to raise awareness and warn investors what they are letting themselves in for, Ross said.

The bloc has already proposed banning payment for order flow in the retail market.

But EU regulators face a balancing act between protecting investors while allowing retail investment to flourish in a region which has long favored savings products.

The bloc has made a push to deepen its capital market to encourage companies to raise funds by issuing shares rather than relying on banks, made all the more urgent by Britains departure from the EU.

Alexandra Jour-Schroeder, a senior official in the European Commissions financial services unit, said cumbersome listing rules will be reformed as the bloc lags far behind other jurisdictions in helping companies raise funds on markets.

But Francesco Ceccato, CEO of Barclays Europe, said more was needed to harness huge savings in the EU to green the economy.

What we really need is to marshall greater political support around something that can be a bit more radical in some places to create an equity culture in the EU, Ceccato said.

By Huw Jones
A serviceman stands holding his machine-gun in a trench on the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants at frontline with Ukrainian government forces in Slavyanoserbsk, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Alexei Alexandrov/AP Photo)

Germany to Deliver 5,000 Helmets to Ukraine

Germany will deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine following a request from the countrys embassy, Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said in Berlin on Wednesday.

She said that it was a very clear signal that Germany stands by Ukraines side.

Defense Ministry spokesman Arne Collatz said he couldnt give a timeline for the delivery.

Germany has declined to join allies such as the United States and the United Kingdom in providing weapons to Ukraine.

Collatz said an Estonian request for authorization to supply old German howitzers to Kyiv is still being examined.
Screenshot of the fundraiser page for the "Freedom Convoy" on GoFundMe. Truck drivers are gathering in Ottawa on Jan. 29, 2021, to protest the federal COVID-19 vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers that took effect Jan. 15, 2021. (Courtesy of GoFundMe.com/taking-back-our-freedom-convoy-2022/Screenshot via The Epoch Times)

GoFundMe Says Donations for Truck Convoy Heading to Ottawa Continue to Be Accepted

The crowdfunding platform GoFundMe says the fundraiser for the truck drivers who are to heading to Ottawa protest the vaccine mandate for cross-border truckers is still accepting donations, its just that funds are temporarily on hold pending a review of how the money will be distributed.

To confirm, the fundraiser has remained live and continues to accept donations, a GoFundMe spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email on Tuesday.

We are continuing to work directly with the organizer to gather information about how funds are being distributed, this is part of our standard process to ensure the protection of all donors. Once a withdrawal plan is provided by the organizer, our team is on standby to safely and quickly deliver the funds.

On Jan. 22, hundreds of vehicles set off from northern British Columbia, with more truck drivers joining from across Canada along the way. The organizer, Canada Unity, will stage a huge demonstration at Parliament Hill on Jan. 29 when thousands of trucks converge in the capital.

The Freedom Convoy 2022 fundraiser was launched on Jan. 14 by Tamara Lich, a resident of Medicine Hat, Alberta. It had accrued over $4.7 million as of 5 p.m. EST on Jan. 25.

The majority of donations were small amounts given anonymously, while a few made larger contributions, including the largest payment of $11,000 from a donor identified as MGV Concrete Finishing.

Lich said in a video posted on the Freedom Convoy 2022 Facebook page on Jan. 23 that she had been in contact with GoFundMe about the donations. She said the platform was just giving us some hoops to jump through.

I understand that theyve been inundated with messages, some calling us a terrorist organization, she said. And thats fine because theyre also getting inundated with messages that we are not, that these people are supporting us.

Lich added that she has requested GoFundMe to provide a letter detailing when they will release the funds, as well as their reason for not releasing the funds.

The account is not frozen. Its just being held pending more information, she said. So dont panic, dont worry.

Canada Unity issued a statement on its website on the GoFundMe initiative, saying a finance committee is being formed to deal with the distribution of the money, which will occur in two ways.

Those who are able to cover their own expenses for the trip may later submit their receipts to the organizer for a reimbursement via e-transfer, the statement says.

Those who plan to make the trip but need funds upfront can receive financial support if they provide an email chain and confirmation that you are participating.

To ensure this money is going where it needs to go, each driver will be registering with their respective road captains. If you arent on the list you will NOT receive any funds, the statement says.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifies before the House Judiciary Committee at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington on Dec. 11, 2018. The committee held a hearing on 'Transparency & Accountability: Examining Google and its Data Collection, Use and Filtering Practices. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Google Loses Bid Against Arizona State Lawsuit Over Location Tracking

Alphabet Inc.s Google lost its bid to end a lawsuit by the State of Arizona on Jan. 25 that alleged it deceived users in order to access their location data.

The states lawsuit, filed by Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, alleged that Google had used unfair and deceptive practices to obtain users location data, which it secretly exploited for targeted advertising.

Judge Timothy Thomason of Arizona, said that the allegations that the tech giant deceived users with unclear smartphone location tracking settings should be weighed by a jury.

The decision came a day after the state attorneys general of Washington, Indiana, Texas, and Washington D.C. sued Google on similar grounds that the company engaged in duplicitous tactics to access user data.

The Arizona complaint points to the fact that users of Googles Android smartphones who disabled the location history features in their settings still had their location tracking saved to their Google account through their web app and activity settings.

Google has been accused of deliberately deceiving users into believing they had opted out of location tracking while their devices were still collecting data on them with misleading design features and weak privacy notices.

State law enforcement and Google have been sparring over whether users were aware that they needed to disable both settings to keep Google from tracking their movements.

The tech company had sought an early summary judgment to get the case thrown out, arguing that its behavior did not violate Arizona consumer fraud laws.

Google claimed that the allegations were based on inaccurate claims and outdated assertions.

It had argued that its company disclosures about privacy settings had been clarified since the case was brought forward nearly two years ago, but the plea was denied and the tech giant will have to face trial, according Judge Thomason.

We won a major victory against Google, said AG Brnovich on Twitter.

We appreciate the judges ruling, allowing our lawsuit against Google to move forward to trial. For too long the company has used deceptive practices to obtain users location data to help fund its lucrative advertising business.

Arizona can now proceed with claims that Google may have engaged in alleged deceptive practices toward its phone customers and app users.

However, the judge rejected a third accusation that Google deceived users by keeping location data to help sell ads.

The Federal Court in Australia last April ruled in favor of the prosecutions case that Google had similarly misled consumers, for which the penalties are yet to be determined.
Let the celebrations begin! The Year of the Water Tiger roars in on February 1, 2022, based on the Lunar calendar. Traditions for the Chinese New Year date back thousands of years and are designed to attract good fortune for the year ahead.

According to astrologers Ive been reading, this year of the Tiger should be exciting and bring on big changes. Progress is possible; life is short and people are itching to try something new or take a risk. This idea is fueled by the water element in this years Tiger  water brings out emotions more than any other of the five elements.

This will be quite a contrast from my post of a year ago.

Regarding the Chinese New Year, I quoted an astrologer from O magazine who predicted: The Year of the Metal Ox will keep us in a holding pattern. There will be obstacles to overcome but metal symbolizes duration, resistance and loyalty. We will need spirit to succeed. Dont be impulsive; conserve energy.

That prediction turned out to be truer than any of us wanted. Maybe this years forecast will be equally on the mark. Get excited for the Year of the Tiger in 2022! You can use all the energy youve been storing up for months.

To Encourage Good Fortune in the New Year, There Are Several Traditions to Consider:

*Clean your house before the arrival of the New Year. This allows new energy into your space and gets rid of bad energy accumulated during the past year. But, if you dont finish, make sure not to sweep or dust on New Years Day because you might sweep your good fortune away.

*Wear red. Since ancient times, the Chinese people have considered the color red to be an auspicious color. Red is believed to protect you from bad luck and to attract love, peace and wealth.

*Open your windows (in Chicago, you may want to open windows just a bit). This allows bad luck to leave and good luck to flow in (and permit fresh air).

*Eat lucky fruits and stock them in your home for the Chinese New Year.

They are:

*Oranges, especially mandarin oranges, because they attract wealth

*Pomegranates which symbolize fertility and happiness

*Mangos are believed to strengthen family bonds

*Lemons remove any negative vibes (when life hands you a lemon)

Are you a Tiger?

Years of the Tiger are: 1926, 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, 2010 and 2022. (Keep in mind the lunar calendar differs, so if you were born in January or February, double check the beginning of Lunar New Year in that particular year).

Traits of the Tiger. The tiger is universally known to be king of all beasts. People born in the year of the Tiger are predicted to have many tiger-like traits such as confidence, bravery, strong will power, and a quick temper accompanied by an aggressive or anxious nature. Tigers are fierce and unpredictable, but can also be caring and enthusiastic. Babies born in 2022 will be Water Tigers. Tiger babies who are born with the element of water will thrive on being social and are likely to be both smart and funny.

Celebrities born in the year of the Tiger include quite a selection: Marilyn Monroe, Queen Elizabeth, Lady Gaga, Tom Cruise and Leo DiCaprio

Originally published on JenniferDubowsky.com
Hell, No, We Shouldnt Goto the Olympics

Commentary

Evidently, Team USA has been advised to leave their cellphones at home when they travel to China for the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.

That Team USA is telling our athletes to use burner phones and to avoid surveillance by the CCP is no surprise to me, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in an email from his Champion American Values Political Action Committee. Thats exactly what my team and I did when we traveled to China to protect Americas interests. But you have to ask: [If] our athletes have to use burner phones when visiting a country, then why on earth are we sending them to that country in the first place?

Good question.

And while were at it, why is NBC (and its owner Comcast) broadcasting an event thats, in essence, a propaganda exercise for a country practicing various degrees of genocide against Uyghur Muslims, Falun Gong practitioners, Christians, and other religious minorities, not to mention oppressing almost anyone who questions their totalitarian regime?

Oh, and then theres the little matter of the COVID-19 pandemic that began in their country and about which theyve been anything but forthcoming, including silence about activities in their Wuhan lab that may have led to a leak.

In other words, our country is sending our premier athletes to an event celebrating a regime that may well have visited a catastrophe on the entire globe, the likes of which hadnt been seen since World War II.

We can ask, why are our athletes acquiescing in this?

Yes, in many sports, they spend years dreaming of Olympic glory, but other venues, even other global events, exist for most of those sports.

Some things are more important than medals, such as the possibility of a decent, even relatively free, life for the citizens of the most populous country on the planet, for one, and not giving credence to a regime thats attempting to buy up the nations of the world (including ours, with help from some of our own politicians and corporate executives), for another.

Further, as Pompeo pointed out, our athletes are being put in danger by going.

When you are in China, you are constantly under the watchful eye of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who will monitor and track how you live your lifeand punish those who act or speak out against their rule, he wrote.

Ive been to China myself and can attest that this is true.

Ive also been to Taiwan, two years ago with a group observing their open election. Taiwan is a spectacular place, and its in part for the preservation of that free country that a boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games is particularly important.

We may be at something of a turning point in history. Russias Vladimir Putin is edging further into Ukraine at the same time that Chinese jets are flying ever closer to Taiwan, intruding on its airspace. China and Russia are threatening independent democratic countries at the very moment that the United States has an extraordinarily inept administration in both foreign and domestic policy.

And you can be sure that Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping are well aware of that ineptitude.

Arguments go back and forth about the degree to which we should defend Ukraine. Its a difficult callIm among those who are skeptical that we shouldbecause U.S. interest in that Eastern European country isnt great.

Still, we must keep a close eye on things because the man who wishes to take over Ukraine also wishes to take over such bastions of freedom as the Czech Republic and Poland.

The defense of Taiwan is a wholly different matter. We have a maximum interest in the island state, where a substantial number of our computer chips and other key high-tech commodities are manufactured. If Taiwan goes, China will have us on our knees and more dependent on the communists than we already are.

An Olympic boycott would have shown some resolve. Unfortunately, under the Biden administration, that wasnt to be.

But we can do our own personal form of boycott. We can bypass watching the Winter Olympic Games in 2022, give NBC their lowest ratings for the event ever, and send a message not just to the Chinese regime, but to the many companies in our country that have become their virtual sycophants.

Its not that hard to do, is it?

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Apple Inc. logo is seen hanging at the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in Manhattan, New York, on Oct. 16, 2019. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

Heres Why Goldman Sachs Sees 12 Percent Downside in Apple

Goldman Sachs analyst Rod Hall reiterated his Neutral rating and $142 price target on Apple Inc. shares heading into earnings. The price target implies a downside of 12 percent.

Hall notes companys iPhone business should see positive results with upside risk to his December numbers.

However, retail sales data and Chinese CAICT data suggest slower momentum in the month of December.

Hall adds that while this may be linked to consumers purchasing earlier than usual in the quarter, it may also drive more cautious commentary from Apple looking into the March quarter.

By Anusuya Lahiri

 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Rep. Jim Cooper (C) meets with former President Barack Obama in a file photograph. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

House Democrat Exodus: Rep. Jim Cooper, 29th Democrat, Says He Wont Seek Reelection

Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) on Tuesday became the 29th House Democrat to announce hes not seeking re-election.

Cooper, 67, has represented Tennessees 5th Congressional District since 2003 and spent an earlier stint in Congress representing a different district from 1983 to 1995.

Cooper blamed redistricting for his decision to retire.

Despite my strength at the polls, I could not stop the General Assembly from dismembering Nashville. No one tried harder to keep our city whole. I explored every possible way, including lawsuits, to stop the gerrymandering and to win one of the three new congressional districts that now divide Nashville. Theres no way, at least for me in this election cycle, but there may be a path for other worthy candidates, he said in a statement.

I am announcing my decision promptly so that others have more time to campaign. I will return the individual contributions that I have received for this race so that donors can redirect them as they choose, he added.

Cooper triumphed in the Democratic primary in 2020 and ran virtually unopposed in the general election, receiving all but 14 votes.

The Tennessee House of Representatives this week approved redrawn maps for Congress and the state legislative chambers. The maps were already cleared by the state Senate and are expected to be approved by Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican.

The congressional map places parts of Nashville into three different districts. The 5th district retains south Nashville but now includes new areas, including all of Maury, Lewis, and Marshall counties.

Republicans in Tennessee called the redrawn maps constitutionally sound. Cooper claimed the Republican-majority legislature changed the district he represents as revenge for his voting record.

The Tennessee Democratic Party said Monday it was preparing to file a lawsuit over redrawn maps.

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement that Cooper has been a stalwart champion for the working families of Nashville and beyond, and his colleagues and constituents will always remember him for staying true to his values of hard work and bipartisanship in Congress.

From his contributions to the fight for voting rights, to his dedication to keeping our fiscal house in order, Jims passion for good governance shines through in everything he does. I join Tennesseans and my colleagues in thanking Jim for his leadership in Congress, and we wish him all the best in his next chapter, Maloney added.

The Republican Congressional Campaign Committee had a different view. Camille Gallo, a spokeswoman for the group, said that the Democrats retirement crisis shows no signs of slowing down, adding, no one wants to run on Democrats radical agenda of violent crime, open borders, and skyrocketing prices.

I said wed make Jim Cooper retire. We did it before we got to Election Day, Robby Starbuck, a Republican running for the seat Cooper holds, said in a statement. A new era begins now. In TN5 Ill fight to put America First, make sure mandates never happen again, fix our economy, hold China accountable, and much more!
The logo of Hyundai Motors is seen at the company's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on March 22, 2019. (Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters)

Hyundai Motor Expects Vehicle Production to Rebound in H1 as Chip Supply Improves

SEOULSouth Koreas Hyundai Motor Co forecast on Tuesday its vehicle production would rebound in the first half of this year as a global chip shortage is expected to ease gradually from the second quarter.

The normalization of auto chip supply and demand is expected in the third quarter, when the capacity of semiconductor companies is expected to rise, Executive Vice President Seo Gang Hyun said on Hyundais conference call.

The shortage will continue in the first quarter due to the spread of the Omicron variant, Seo said, adding it was the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic in Southeast Asia and resulting chip sourcing troubles that pushed Hyundais sales to less than the targeted 4 million vehicles in 2021.

Southeast Asia is central to the supply of basic chips that drive the worlds cars, smartphones, and home devices, with Malaysias chip assembly industry accounting for more than a tenth of a global trade worth over $200 billion. COVID-related lockdowns in the region have disrupted several industries since last year.

Hyundai said it expects a 20 percent sales jump in its biggest market, North America, in 2022.

Hyundai and its affiliate Kia Corp, together among the worlds top 10 automakers by sales, have forecast a 12.1 percent jump in their combined global sales for 2022, after their sales fell almost 4 percent short of a target of 6.92 million vehicles last year due to the chip shortages.

Hyundai posted a nearly 50 percent drop in its profit for the quarter ended December, significantly short of analysts estimate, mainly due to the payment of corporate taxes.

It reported a net profit of 547 billion won ($456 million), versus 1.1 trillion won a year earlier. That compared with an average analyst forecast of 1.5 trillion won compiled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate.

Higher Prices, Omicron

Analysts warn that soaring raw material prices, component shortages, and logistical bottlenecks caused by the pandemic are likely to further drive up costs in the current quarter.

It is still difficult to forecast how the chip shortage will pan out  also there will be other uncertainties involving the spread of the Omicron variant and potential issues related to Ukraine tensions, said Lee Jae-il, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities.

Japanese automakers Toyota Motor Corp and Honda Motor Co Ltd have said they plan to curb their production this month due to rising COVID cases and part supply issues.

As supply chain and distribution disruptions continue, delaying deliveries and production, analysts expect Hyundai to raise vehicle prices to mitigate the impact.

Major automakers and dealers, such as Tesla Inc and Honda Motor Company, have already raised car prices over the past year.

Shares in Hyundai Motor fell 1.5 percent as of 0616 GMT, versus the benchmark KOSPIs 2.7 percent fall.

($1 = 1,198.7100 won)

By Heekyong Yang and Joyce Lee
Professor John Eastman at the Ellipse, near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)

Jan. 6 Committee to Review Former Trump Lawyers Emails

SANTA ANA, Calif.A former Chapman University law professor who represented Donald Trump near the end of his presidency agreed in federal court Jan. 24 to begin a process of vetting his work emails to determine which ones will be allowed to be shared with the House of Representatives panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach.

John Eastman, who then-President Trump hired to look into alleged election issues, argued in court that the Jan. 6 committee does not have the standing to subpoena almost 19,000 emails sent from his Chapman email account between Nov. 3, 2020, and Jan. 20, 2021, due to attorney-client privilege he had with Trump and other potential clients.

The Jan. 6 committee is a group of House Representatives formed by mostly Democrats who have subpoenaed a number of officials related to the U.S. Capitol riot.

After having his Chapman University emails subpoenaed by the committee, Eastman was seeking a temporary restraining order in court to block the transfer, claiming it was a violation of his First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendment rights.

John Eastman. (Screenshot/NTD News)

Eastmans lawyer, Charles Burnham, argued in court that the Jan. 6 committee has failed to show why Eastmans work emails are so important to them.

The purpose of congressional committees is not to do anything partisan, they are to give members of congress the information they need to write laws, Burnham said.

Burnham also noted that Eastman was not given nearly enough time from the date of a Jan. 18 subpoena for his emails to be able to complyonly allowing three days until it was due.

Douglas Letter, counsel for the committee, said in court that the committee has reached out to Eastman a number of times for the emails, and that he asserted his Fifth Amendment right every time.

The subpoena itself is very limited, Letter said. It asks for materials from the election to inauguration date. We tried hard to narrow this in scope.

Nearing the end of the hearing, Judge David Carter said he would likely deny Eastmans First and Fourth Amendment claims for the restraining order, and encouraged the two sides to compromise by allowing Eastman to go through the emails and determine which ones were subject to attorney-client privilege, before turning them over to the committee.

Both sides agreed to this arrangement.

Representing Chapman University was Fred Plevin, who said the universitys interest is in complying with its legal obligations in response to the subpoena.

Plevin also said the university never authorized Eastmans representation of Trump, which goes against its 501(c)(3) non-profit status to work with a political candidate.

In response, Eastmans team said he had talked with the schools dean about representing Trump and was only told to take the Chapman name off the emails.

Eastman ended his work with Chapman University in January 2021 after students and faculty had an outcry regarding his speech at the Jan. 6 rally, even though he is never alleged to have entered the Capitol.
Nikolas Cruz speaks with capital defense attorney Casey Secor during a hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 24, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

Judge: Jurors Can See School Shooters Instagram Photos

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.The gunman who killed 17 at a Florida high school four years ago had no expectation of privacy when he posted disturbing photographs to a public Instagram account before his rampage and prosecutors can use them in his upcoming penalty trial, a judge ruled at a hearing Monday.

Nikolas Cruz wanted others to see photographs he posted without restrictions of himself with guns and the jurors who will decide whether to recommend the death penalty for the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High in Parkland can see them, Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer ruled.

She rejected the argument of Nawal Bashimam, one of Cruzs public defenders, who said Cruz was not required to make his Instagram account private to have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

If you make your account public, how can you possibly have a reasonable expectation of privacy when the entire world can see it? Scherer responded.

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty in October to 17 murders and 17 attempted murders, but a jury will decide whether he is executed or receives a life sentence without parole. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Feb. 21 and all 12 jurors must agree for the former Stoneman Douglas student to receive a death sentence. The trial is expected to last at least two months.

Bashimam and Scherer got into a heated dispute during testimony by Broward County sheriffs detective Michael Joo, an internet crimes investigator, over misstatements lead investigators made in search warrant applications. Joo and several other assisting detectives copied those errors into their own warrant applications. Joo successfully sought access to Cruzs social media postings.

Nikolas Cruz flips the pages of his tablet back after writing in it during a hearing at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Jan. 24, 2022. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel via AP, Pool)

In those applications, investigators identified Cruzs brother as a victims brother and misstated the date Cruzs mother died. They also wrongly said a school security guard instantly recognized Cruz by name when he spotted him on campus just before the shooting and called a code red, an alert to lock down the school.

Scherer has previously ruled the errors were unintentional and had no effect on another judges decision to issue the warrants.

Scherer blocked Bashimam from asking Joo most questions about those mistakes, saying her earlier decision was final. Bashimam said Scherer was blocking 10 minutes of questioning aimed at protecting Cruzs constitutional rights.

Prosecutors also demanded access to tests that defense psychologists gave Cruz in preparation for their testimony. Prosecutors said they need that information to effectively cross-examine them.

Cruzs attorneys said they would turn the information over, but only if prosecutors were barred from sharing it with anyone except their own experts. They also want the tests and results permanently sealed from public disclosure. They said public disclosure would violate the psychologists ethical code and violate the test companys copyright.

Scherer said she would likely allow prosecutors to receive the material, but would bar its public disclosure.

By Terry Spencer
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Mich., on March 2, 2021. (Michigan Office of the Governor via AP)

Judge Tosses Whitmer Kidnapping Defendants Motion to Dismiss

The men who say they were ensnared in a government entrapment scheme to kidnap Michigans governor will have to prove their case in trial after a federal judge denied their motion to dismiss the charges.

U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker made his ruling Jan. 25, setting the stage for defendants Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris, and Brandon Caserta to stand trial on March 8 in one of the most high-profile domestic terrorism cases in decades.

In separate orders a day later, Jonker also denied defendant Franks motions to provide FBI agents and informants with sovereign immunity, as well as to introduce evidence related to the presence of federal informants at the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill riots.

The defendants had moved to dismiss the charges against them in a Dec. 25 motion, arguing that the FBIs use of at least 12 informants amounted to entrapment.

The defendants 20-page motion offered numerous examples to support their claims that they had no intention to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and that they were prodded on by informants.

For instance, multiple defendants and others were allegedly together on July 7, 2020, when someone suggested kidnapping Whitmer. According to the motion, someone in the group immediately said they were not cool with offensive kidnappinga sentiment echoed by Franks and Harris.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (C) and legislative candidate Dan ONeil (L) greet Rachel White in Traverse City, Mich., Oct. 9, 2020. Whitmer visited the area the day after police announced a foiled plot to kidnap the governor. (John Flesher/AP Photo)

The defendants motion also includes testimony from an FBI agent who allegedly said during discovery that defendants had a negative reaction to proposals from informants to kidnap Whitmer.

Additionally, the motion included examples of what defendants say was emotional manipulation by FBI informants to entice them into staying involved with the scheme.

One FBI informant allegedly used his untreated hernia as a device to gain sympathy with Fox and others.

He claimed that the V.A. [Department of Veterans Affairs] would not provide him proper treatment after his years of combat service in the Army.  [The FBI informant] would tell Adam Fox that he was waiting to die, the motion states.

Feeling the emotional pull of such a confession, Adam Fox told Dan that Dan needed to get surgical treatment as a priority over any of the mission plans Dan, in his [FBI informant] role, was pushing.

Government responded to the motion to dismiss on Jan. 21, arguing that the defendants have not proven that FBI informants induced them to commit a crime.

More importantly, the government has yet to put its ample evidence of predisposition to the finder of fact, prosecutors said.

At trial the government will present substantial evidence that the plot originated with Croft and Fox, that the conspirators all joined the plot voluntarily, and that they were all predisposed to commit the crimes with which they are charged.

In his Jan. 25 ruling, Judge Jonker agreed the case should go to trial.

Jonker explained that preliminary motions are typically made to determine questions of law, not fact. The defendants motion to dismiss largely rests on questions of fact, he said.

The vast majority of courts which have considered the issue have not favored the pretrial resolution of entrapment motions.

The reasons for such a preference are grounded in the fact that the defense of entrapment is intertwined with the issue of intent and is typically based upon credibility determinations, an area traditionally reserved for jury resolution, Jonker wrote, citing Sixth Circuit appeal court decisions.

Applying this framework, simply setting up a ruseeven an extended oneor running a confidential source, or even proposing a criminal act is not enough. At this pretrial stage, the court concludes the defense has not demonstrated as a matter of law that defendants wills were overcome by the actions of the government.

In separate orders on Jan. 26, Jonker also denied Franks motion to provide sovereign immunity to FBI informants and agents and to introduce evidence about undercover informants present at the Capitol Hill riots.

Franks had sought immunity for the feds so they would be able to testify freely about the alleged entrapment plot and to introduce Capitol Hill riot-related evidence as part of a larger discussion on the FBIs use of informants.

Jonker wrote in his Jan. 26 orders that district courts dont have the power to compel the government to grant immunity to a witness and that evidence related to Jan. 6, 2021, would be inappropriate for jurors in the Michigan kidnapping case.

Meanwhile, an entrapment hearing is set for Feb. 23 for the three men facing state charges related to the alleged Whitmer kidnapping plot.

Joseph Morrison, Pete Musico, and Paul Bellar face the state charge of providing material support to a terrorist plot, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Associate Justice Stephen Breyer sits during a group photo of the Justices at the Supreme Court in Washington on April 23, 2021. (Erin Schaff/Pool/Getty Images)

Justice Stephen Breyer to Retire From Supreme Court

Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer will retire, paving the way for President Joe Biden to appoint his first Supreme Court justice, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).

Schumer on Wednesday issued a statement saying that Breyer will step down from the Supreme Court at the end of the courts term in the summer of this year. It came after numerous unnamed sources spoke to media outlets saying that Breyer, 83, would retire.

The Epoch Times has contacted the Supreme Court press office for comment.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki wrote Wednesday on Twitter that the Biden administration wont be commenting about reports of Breyer stepping down.

It has always been the decision of any Supreme Court Justice if and when they decide to retire, and how they want to announce it, and that remains the case today. We have no additional details or information to share from @WhiteHouse, Psaki wrote on Twitter.

The White House said last year Biden would nominate a black woman if a vacancy arose on the court.

Breyer, who is considered to be part of the high courts liberal wing, was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat. His replacement will have to be confirmed by the Senate, which is currently split 5050 among Republicans and Democrats with Vice President Kamala Harris having the ability to break ties as president of the body.

Schumer said in a statement that Bidens nominee will receive a prompt hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and will be considered and confirmed by the full United States Senate with all deliberate speed.

Breyer has been the subject of significant speculation about whether he will retire. Left-wing activists and members of Congress have called for him to step down following former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death in September 2020.

Associate Justice Stephen Breyer sits with fellow Supreme Court justices for a group portrait at the Supreme Court Building in Washington, on Nov. 30, 2018. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

During an interview in August 2021 with the New York Times, Breyer asserted that he was struggling with the question of when he should retire.

There are many things that go into a retirement decision, Breyer said. I dont think Im going to stay there till I diehope not, he added.

For years, Breyer also pushed back against claims that judges act in a political manner.

My experience of more than 30 years as a judge has shown me that, once men and women take the judicial oath, they take the oath to heart, he said last April during a lecture at Harvard Law School. They are loyal to the rule of law, not to the political party that helped to secure their appointment.

If the public sees judges as politicians in robes,' Breyer also warned, its confidence in the courts, and in the rule of law itself, can only diminish, diminishing the courts power, including its power to act as a check on the other branches.

In the 2020 campaign, Biden pledged that he will nominate the first black woman Supreme Court justice.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the No. 3 Senate Democrat, called on Biden to name a black woman to the bench

In the wake of Justice Breyers retirement, I want to voice my support for President Biden in his pledge to nominate the first Black woman to the Supreme Court, Murray said in a statement Wednesday.

Its not clear who the president might nominate, but some have speculated that Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer clerk who was recently nominated to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, may be tapped by Biden. Another possibility is Judge Leondra Kruger, 45, who serves on the California Supreme Court.
A student shows her negative COVID-19 test result from her cellphone for entry to Olive Vista Middle School on the first day back in Sylmar, Calif., on January 11, 2022. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

LAUSD to Send Legal Aid to San Diego Unified for COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate Appeal

LOS ANGELESThe Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is offering legal aid to the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) in its appeal of a ruling that struck down its COVID-19 vaccine mandate for students.

The LAUSD Board of Education authorized on Jan. 25 its legal team to aid SDUSD in their legal appeal whose outcome could set a precedent for school districts and vaccine mandates in the state.

The two Southern California school districts have undergone a parallel journey when it comes to vaccine mandates for students.

Back in September, both the LAUSD and the SDUSD issued mandates requiring students over the age of 12 to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the start of 2022s spring semesterthough neither districts mandates took effect according to the original schedule.

On Dec. 14, the LAUSD postponed its vaccine mandate until fall 2022 amid a lawsuit filed in October by parent advocacy groups The California Chapter of Childrens Health Defense and Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK). The groups argue that the LAUSD overstepped its authority by requiring a vaccine that isnt mandated by the state.

Nicole Pearson, attorney for the groups, told The Epoch Times in a previous interview that she thinks the deadline delay is a capitulation to the groups lawsuit, which claimed the board imposed unreasonable fall compliance deadlines that caused significant educational disruption.

Meanwhile, in October, the SDUSD faced a lawsuit brought by parent advocacy group Let Them Choose, which argued that only the state, and not the school board, has the power to add a vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for on-campus learning and pointed out that the district does not allow for personal belief exemptions as required by state law.

San Diego Superior Court Judge John Meyer tentatively ruled in the groups favor on Dec. 20, saying in the ruling that the SDUSDs mandate lacks a personal belief exemption and therefore [is] even stricter than what the [Department of Public Health] could itself impose upon learned consideration.

The SDUSD appealed Meyers decision the very next day, meaning that the case will be reviewed by an appellate court. If the ruling is upheld in the appellate court, it will set a precedent for the rest of the state banning school districts from mandating vaccines.

A spokesperson for Let Them Choose told KUSI News in December, Let Them Choose is confident that we will prevail in an appellate court and look forward to setting binding statewide precedent that protects students rights to in-person education.

However, those plans could soon be disrupted by changes in the state law, as state Sen. Richard Pan proposed state legislation this week to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccines that California students must receive to attend on-campus instructions.

If passed, the statewide mandate would take effect at the beginning of 2023.
LG Energy Solution's logo is pictured on a smartphone in front of their website displayed in this illustration taken Dec. 4, 2021. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/Reuters)

LG Energy Solution, GM to Build $2.1 Billion Battery Factory in US

SEOULSouth Koreas LG Energy Solution (LGES) plans to spend $2.1 billion with General Motors to build a U.S. electric vehicle (EV) battery plant, parent firm LG Chem said on Tuesday.

LGES and GM are expected to fund the project equally via Ultium Cells, their U.S.-based battery joint venture, for what will be their third joint battery plant in the United States, LG Chems regulatory filings showed.

LGES declined to provide detail on the location or production capacity of the new plant.

In December, Reuters reported that GM had proposed building a $2.5 billion battery plant near Lansing, Michigan, with LGES.

The new GM logo is seen on the facade of the General Motors headquarters in Detroit, on March 16, 2021. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

LGES commands more than 20 percent of the global electric vehicle battery market and supplies Tesla Inc, Volkswagen AG and Hyundai Motor Co, among others.

It is already building two plants with GM in Ohio and Tennessee to manufacture 70 GWh of batteries, which could power about 1 million EVs by 2024.

LGES has production sites in the United States, China, South Korea, Poland and Indonesia.

Its announcement came ahead of the companys market debut later this week after launching South Koreas biggest ever IPO.

The IPO attracted $12.8 trillion worth of bids from institutional investors and $96 billion from retail investors.

The IPO price values LGES at about 70.2 trillion won ($58.57 billion) and will make it South Koreas third most-valuable company after Samsung Electronics Co and SK Hynix Inc.

($1 = 1,198.5800 won)

By Heekyong Yang
Restaurateur and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Roozbeh Farahanipour at stands in his restaurant in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Los Angeles Business Owner Sets Out to Reform the Citys Charter

When Roozbeh Farahanipour was granted political asylum in the United States after being imprisoned by Islamic militants in Iran for his activism against the regime in 1999, he devoted himself to building the American dream for the next 20 years.

And he did.

Farahanipour became a prominent business leader and now sits as president and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. Hes owned the Los Angeles-based Delphi Greek restaurant since 2009 and holds a number of other investments in the city. He also said he never goes to bed before 2:00 am and wakes up every day at 7:00 am.

I love to be a taxpayer, working and contributing to the community rather than it being taken, Farahinpour told The Epoch Times. Still, I care about the people [on the] other side of the globe, anyway I can support them, and make changes locally. Everything is so local, and I want to make sure that I make L.A. a better place to live and work.

Before moving to the United States, Farahinpour led a grassroots resistance movement against the Islamic regime in Tehran. He was imprisoned in solitary confinement for 36 days and repeatedly tortured at the hands of the Islamic milita, and his testimony is now included in the United Nations Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

When Farahinpour arrived in Los Angeles, he had no money, he said. He borrowed a few hundred dollars, his father gave him a jar of pennies, and he rented an office. He remembers at one point he took exactly 99 pennies out of the jar to pay for a cup of coffee at 7-Eleven.

Restaurateur and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Roozbeh Farahanipour at stands in his restaurant in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Now a successful businessman, Farahanipour is working to get a measure on the 2024 ballot to reform Los Angeless city charter. After 20 years living in Westwood, Farahanipour believes he can activate members in the community to overturn the citys inefficient bureaucratic politics. He points to the increase in crime, homelessness, business regulations, and the cost of housing as reasons to reshape the citys government.

Farahinpour said he wants to see Los Angeles thrive again in freer conditions, by enacting reforms such as suspending the citys policy of allocating only one trash company for each resident and barring them from choosing their own utility company, to redistributing power among the city council seats.

Its like a third world countryLA is not anymore part of the leading of the world, he said. In the last decade, I can say, day by day, I can see even from the collecting of the trash to quality of the asphalt on the street, to graffiti on the wall, or things that maybe [are] not covered by the news.

And the regulations to start a business require a rigorous permit application process that can take monthseven yearsto obtain. Farahinpour said he wants to see these regulations relaxed to make it easier for small mom and pop shops to succeed.

Everybody knows that Californias the most un-business-friendly state in the nation. But most of them may not know that L.A. is the most un-business-friendly city in the nation, he said.

He added that minimum wage increases in the state will directly impact the small businesses in Los Angeles who already deal with heavy regulations and high rent prices. They wont be able to keep up with the cost of their employees, so they will have to reduce staff and downsize their budget.

These issues are on the minds of Angeleno voters this November, as city council candidates go head-to-head for a seat at the table and new propositions will be brought forth. In the last two years, there have also been three indictments against Los Angeles city councilmembers for alleged corruption.

Torn open boxes line train tracks outside of downtown Los Angeles after recurring railway robberies, on Jan. 14, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Homelessness is also a top issue for voters, as the city saw a 12 percent increase in homelessness in 2020 with 66,000 unhoused individuals countywide and 41,000 within the city alone.

In a recent press conference, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva told reporters that violent crime increased in 2021, with a 94 percent increase in homicides over the last two years and an increase in grand theft auto by 59 percent. Other crimes decreased, which the sheriff attributed to more people being at home during the pandemic.

Gov. Gavin Newsom also addressed the issue of crime in Los Angeles last week by helping clean up littered railroad tracks in the downtown area, comparing the conditions to a third world country. The Union Pacific railroad tracks were spotted with opened boxes and other garbage after thieves, including some homeless individuals, stole goods from cargo containers aboard the trains in the last few months.

I dont remember seeing this much homeless on the street, Farahinpour said. I dont think even when I have my first car, we were worried about locking the car, or you used to just close the door and leavenow you need to have an alarm you need to make sure youre going to be protected.

Part of his plan to reform the city is to increase the number of city council seats to somewhere between 50 and 100 seats. Currently, Los Angeles is represented by 15 city council officials split into separate districts. These districts span across 114 neighborhoods in the city.

His proposal is similar to one of the redistricting commissions report findings last October, which noted: Expanding the number of council districts is necessary to better create council district boundaries that reflect the citys 99 neighborhood councils and 114 neighborhoods.

If the council expands, proponents argue it would more evenly distribute oversight to each differing neighborhood, which has its own unique community issues.

Restaurateur and member of the West Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Roozbeh Farahanipour at stands in his restaurant in Los Angeles, Calif., on Nov. 18, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

If we consolidate city council and neighborhood council together and become a small local assembly for the city, with lower pay, lower staffers, and lower budgeting, theyre going to help the people to raise their voice to the city or city hall, he said.

His proposal also includes allowing the public to vote for the LAPD commissioner instead of the mayor appointing the position, which would protect democracy and give more power and flexibility to the next chief of the police.

The Board of Police Commissioners is the head of the citys police department and acts as liaison between the Board of Supervisors and the chief of police. It functions as corporate board of directors, according to its website.

Farahinpours proposal wont make it onto this years ballot, but he said his goal is to get it on the 2024 ticket.

If you can change your neighborhood, you can change your nation, he said.
Man Accused of Stabbing K-9 Arrested After Dads Body Found

HOUSTONA Houston man accused of stabbing a police dog and wanted for questioning in the death of his father, whose body was found hidden in his homes garage, was arrested Tuesday after evading capture for several hours, according to authorities.

Police say Ryan Mitchell Smith, 26, is considered a person of interest in his fathers death and had warned he should be considered a public threat given his recent actions over the past few days, including charges related to trying to steal a car and attacking the police dog.

Given his previous charge and what were looking at now, I think it goes without saying he has a tendency for violence, Houston police Commander Kevin Deese said. I would say hes considered to be dangerous, certainly.

After disappearing in a wooded area in Houston following a police chase early Tuesday, authorities said Smith was located around 2 p.m. about 50 miles northwest of Houston, walking along a highway in Waller County. Police said a tip led authorities to Smiths location. He is facing a charge of evading arrest.

It is the second such charge Smith is facing since police allege he attempted a carjacking Saturday morning. After fleeing the scene of the carjacking and allegedly stealing merchandise from a store, Smith went to a nearby apartment parking garage, according to police.

At the garage, a Houston police dog named Nate caught up with Smith, who is accused of stabbing the animal. Smith was arrested on charges of robbery, interference with a police service animal, and evading arrest.

Police said Nate underwent surgery and was recovering at home.

Smith was released Sunday from the Harris County Jail after family members posted his bonds, according to Deese.

Family members of Smiths father became concerned Monday when they had not heard from him. Both Smith and his father were staying at the same west Houston home, Deese said.

After only finding the fathers cellphone in the home, family members called police, who searched the house but found nothing.

As officers continued searching the home Monday evening, they noticed the fathers truck parked nearby, Deese said. Officers approached the truck and saw Smith behind the wheel.

Smith fled the scene and led officers on a chase that ended early Tuesday after he crashed the truck near a park, Deese said. Officers lost track of Smith after he ran into a wooded area. A weapon was found in the truck, he said.

Homicide detectives continued searching the home and found the fathers body in the garage.

He was hidden in a location that made it very difficult for anybody to find him, Deese said.

An autopsy is pending to determine a cause of death, but Deese said it appears the father did not die of natural causes.

Ralph Manginello, Smiths attorney, declined to comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing the ongoing investigation.

By Juan A. Lozano
Man IDd, Sought in Fatal Shooting of Houston-Area Deputy

HOUSTONAuthorities on Monday asked for the publics help in finding a 51-year-old man who has been charged with fatally shooting a Houston-area deputy during a traffic stop this past weekend.

Houston Police Chief Troy Finner said investigators have identified the accused shooter as Oscar Rosales.

Harris County Precinct 5 Cpl. Charles Galloway, 47, was shot and killed around 12:45 a.m. on Sunday after pulling over a Toyota Avalon.

Authorities allege Rosales got out of his vehicle, fired multiple shots at Galloway with some type of assault rifle and then got back in his car and drove away.

We have video evidence of him shooting our constable, Finner said during a news conference. He declined to provide more information about the video evidence, citing the ongoing investigation.

Prosecutors have filed a charge of capital murder against Rosales and authorities are offering a reward of $60,000 for information leading to his arrest, said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg.

He is a bold and incredibly dangerous fugitive. He is on the run and somebody out there knows where he is, Ogg said.

Authorities said that Rosales common law wife, Reina Marquez, 40, and his brother, Henri Marquez, 42, have each been charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the case. Court records did not list attorneys for either Henri or Reina Marquez who could speak on their behalf.

Both are accused of tampering with Rosales car in an attempt to cover up his involvement in Galloways shooting death, according to Finner and court records.

Police believe Rosales is still in Houston, but investigators have evidence that he changes his appearance, Finner said. Authorities were trying to determine if Rosales uses other names. Finner declined to say if the weapon used in the shooting had been recovered.

We need the eyes and the ears of all of our citizens to help us bring this suspect in custody, Finner said.

Harris County Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap said Galloway had no time to respond or defend himself.

We will not stop until this individual is apprehended, Heap said. We cannot do it without the help of the public.

Galloway had been with the constables office for about 12 and a half years, Heap said. The deputy mentored and trained numerous younger officers, who Heap said were broken up over the death.

Galloway is survived by a daughter and a sister, Heap said.

By Juan A. Lozano
Supporters of Canadian truck drivers protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate cheer on a convoy of trucks on their way to Ottawa, on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg on Jan. 25, 2022. (The Canadian Press/David Lipnowski)

More Than a Trucker Protest: People Upset by Loss of Freedoms Share Why They Support Massive Convoy

As truck drivers and supporters from both coasts continue their trek to Ottawa to rally on Parliament Hill on Jan. 29, backing is surging for the movement that started as a protest against vaccine mandates for truckers.

Dubbed Freedom Convoy 2022, trucks from Prince Rupert and Vancouver began their trek east on Jan. 22 and 23 respectively, while another group from Newfoundland began their journey west on Jan. 25. Other trucks and personal vehicles continue to join along the way.

A GoFundMe page created to help drivers with costs for fuel, food, and lodging has raised over $5.2 million at the time of publication, with close to 68,000 donors.

People wanting to back the truckers cause have either taken their personal vehicles and joined the journey to Ottawa or given their support at strategic locations along the highways with cheers, signs, and banners.

A sign on the front of one of the trucks participating in Freedom Convoy 2022, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Melissa Perepelkin)

Grade 12 student Rowan Stone drove three hours from her home in Cranbrook, B.C., to Golden, B.C., where she waited another two hours for the trucks to drive past to flash her homemade sign showing her support.

Diagnosed with an autoimmune disease last year, she is against government-imposed vaccine mandates, has lost friends due to her stance, and is losing something just as valuable to her because she has not taken the COVID vaccine.

I found out that I had to be vaccinated to go to prom this year, Stone told The Epoch Times. And my mom cant even come to my commencement because shes not vaccinated.

Moores Produce in Listowel, Ontario, backs the trucker movement. Because Moores is a small trucking company and cant afford to have its drivers participate in the convoy, general manager Dave Nicholson told The Epoch Times that his company could show its support through a donation to the GoFundMe campaign.

Were just supporting fellow truck drivers, Nicholson said. We felt as a sign of solidarity we should be behind them on their mission to gaining independence and making sure they all had jobs. So we are behind them 100 percent.

Sean Tiessen is one of the B.C. organizers of Canada Unity, the organizing body behind the convoy, and is participating in the trek himself. When he was more than 100 kilometres west of Winnipeg, Tiessen told The Epoch Times that traffic was heavy. By the time the trucks reached Headingley, just outside of Winnipeg, they could barely move.

It was gridlockamazing gridlock, Tiessen said. I have never loved gridlock so much in my life. And there were people parked all along the side, and theyre all cheering and theres no negativity. All positive.

Tiessen described the convoy as more than truckers standing for their own freedom, but as citizens standing in unison for the freedom of all people affected by vaccine mandates.

We want to make sure that people are being represented and dont have their issues forgotten or overlooked, he said. This mandate madness, thats why were doing thismaking sure everybody is aware of all this and cognizant of the troubles that its causing for people. We want to show them all that were there for them and well do whatever we can to help.

Supporters cheer on Freedom Convoy 2022 truckers as they pass through Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, on Jan. 24, 2022. (Melissa Perepelkin)

Meanwhile, in Newfoundland, Chad Curnew helped organize a group of 12 provincial truckers who left for Ottawa in the early morning of Jan. 25, planning to have others join them once they get to the mainland. Canadas most eastern province, as an island faced with limits to its farming and other industries, depends heavily on truck drivers to bring them food and supplies, Curnew said in an interview.

Were standing up for freedom, for getting our freedoms back, Curnew said. We have no choice but to support the movement because were on the island. Its been harder for farmers to actually farm here, so were leaning more on the support of other farmers across Canada to bring food over to us.

Melissa Perepelkin used to work for the federal government. Like Stone, she hasnt taken the vaccine and no longer works for the government. She was present to cheer on the convoy as it drove through Saskatoon on Jan. 24, and is optimistic it will make a difference once it reaches Parliament Hill.

Im happy that people are finally taking a stand, and a lot of us have put hope in this whole convoy, Perepelkin said. My hope is when they get to Ottawa, they apply enough pressure, along with public social pressure, that will force government to make changes.

On Jan. 25, the Canadian Freedom Convoy 2022 Instagram page grew by more than 60,000 followers to more than 100,000 in less than eight hours. A Facebook page titled Convoy to Ottawa 2022 has over 600,000 followers as of Jan. 26.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks at her weekly press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on Dec. 8, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Nancy Pelosi Says Shes Running for Reelection in 2022

After months of speculation on her future in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Tuesday announced she is running for reelection.

In a video posted online, Pelosi said, I am running for reelection to Congress and respectfully seek your support, explaining that she believes her reelection could bolster Democrats and President Joe Bidens agenda.

While weve made progress, she added, much more needs to be done to improve peoples lives. She also invoked the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol breach as another reason why shes running again.

The 81-year-old, who was first elected to the House in 1987, was the first woman to serve as House speaker and was expected to step down, particularly as her party braces for the potential loss of its majority in the 2022 midterms. In November 2020, Pelosi reiterated that her current term as House speaker would be her last.

Based on her Tuesday announcement, its not clear if Pelosi will again seek the House speaker position.

During several interviews in 2021, Pelosi sought to downplay speculation that she would retire from office.

People make their own decisions about timing and dont have to comply with somebody elses view, she told MSNBC in June 2021, without elaborating. And months later, in October, Pelosi demurred when a CNN reporter asked about the retirement speculation.

It comes as some members of the House Democratic caucus have publicly suggested the idea that Pelosi hand over her leadership reins to a younger, fresher face. Self-described socialist Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) can be counted among those, who told news outlets in 2020 that new leadership is needed.

Pelosis reelection bid might also be designed to prevent her Democratic caucus from further hemorrhaging members. Also on Tuesday, longtime Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) announced he would not seek reelection after his congressional district was redrawn.

You backed me more than almost anyone in Tennessee history, making me the states third longest-serving member of Congress, said Cooper, who spent 32 years in office.

With Coopers decision, it means that at least 29 Democratic lawmakers are retiring in 2022. In mid-January, Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) and Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) both announced their retirements.

For 2022s midterms, Republicans need a net gain of five seats in the 435-member House of Representatives. On average, the party that wins the White House during a presidential election loses House seats in the forthcoming midterm election.

Republicans at the time said that the latest announcements were signs that the Democrats party majority is at risk.

Nobody wants to run as a House Democrat because their majority is doomed, Mike Berg, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement earlier in January.
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson participates in a group sail during the Rim of the Pacific exercise off the coast of Hawaii, on July 26, 2018. (Petty Officer 1st Class Arthurgwain L. Marquez/U.S. Navy via AP)

Navy to Recover US Fighter Jet That Had Landing Mishap in South China Sea, Injuring 7

The U.S. Navy said it has begun making preparations to salvage an F-35C warplane had a landing mishap in the South China Sea on Monday.

Seven sailors were injured after the fighter jet had a landing mishap on deck while USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) was conducting routine flight operations, a Jan. 24 statement from the Navy said.

Lt. Nicholas Lingo, spokesperson for the U.S. 7th Fleet, said on Tuesday that the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter jet impacted the flight deck during landing and subsequently fell to the water.

The U.S. Navy is making recovery operations arrangements for the F-35C aircraft, he said.

The Navy said on Monday that the pilot ejected safely in the incident, but was among the personnel hurt.

The pilot is in stable condition. There were seven total Sailors injured, Mondays statement said.

Three of the sailors were evacuated to a medical facility in Manila, Philippines. They are now in stable condition. Four other sailors were treated on board, three of whom have been released.

Additional details and the cause of the inflight mishap is under investigation, the Navy said.

The Pentagon said two U.S. Navy Carrier Strike Groups, led by the Carl Vinson and USS Abraham Lincoln, began operations in the South China Sea on Sunday. The carriers entered the disputed sea for training as Taiwan reported a new Chinese air force incursion at the top of the waterway.

When questioned about an unsourced media report suggesting there were fears that the aircraft could fall into the hands of China, which claims most of the South China Sea, Lingo replied, referring to the Peoples Republic of China, We cannot speculate on what the PRCs intentions are on this matter.

According to Lt. Mark Langford, another 7th Fleet spokesman, the damage to the carriers deck in Mondays incident was superficial and all equipment for flight operations is operational.

It was the second crash involving an F-35, which is made by Lockheed Martin, and a carrier in just over two months.

An F-35 from Britains HMS Queen Elizabeth crashed into the Mediterranean Sea in November, though the pilot ejected and was safely returned to the ship. Britains Ministry of Defense said that aircraft was subsequently recovered.

Earlier this month, a South Korean F-35A fighter made an emergency landing during training.

In April 2019, a Japanese F-35 stealth fighter crashed in the Pacific Ocean close to northern Japan, killing the pilot.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Customers drink and eat at a terrace in Tilburg, the Netherlands, on Jan. 26, 2022. (Rob Engelaar/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

Netherlands Lifts Lockdown, Denmark to End COVID-19 Measures

The Dutch government announced it will start lifting one of the toughest COVID-19 restrictions enforced in Europe, allowing the hospitality industry to again welcome back customers.

As of Jan. 26, most locations in our country can once again be open, under certain conditions, the government said in guidance explaining the condition of reopening. This means that restaurants and bars, cinemas, theatres, music venues, museums, zoos, and amusement parks can reopen.

The Netherlands has been under a hard lockdown since mid-Decemberwhen the government forced non-essential shops and contact professionals such as barbers to shut doors.

Since Jan. 26, the Dutch hospitality industry is allowed to welcome back customers, though only with a reduced capacity and social distancing rules in place. The sector will also not be allowed to open between 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and customers must be able to present a COVID-19 vaccine passport to allow entry.

Thousands of protesters recently packed streets in the country as anger mounted over the governments order to allow non-essential shops, barbers, and sex workers to continue business on Jan. 15, while other venues such as restaurants and cafes had to remain shut.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Tuesday as he announced the loosening of the toughest CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions in Europe that the government is taking a big step today to unlock the country.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte delivers a speech during a debate in the House of Representatives about the developments surrounding COVID-19 in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Jan. 26, 2022. (Bart Maat/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

We really are taking a risk today, and we have to be clear about that, Rutte said, pointing out that the current CCP virus cases are really going through the roof.

The relaxation of restrictions comes as the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), an independent agency of the Dutch Ministry of Health, on Tuesday reported a record 366,120 cases for the previous week, a 51 percent increase. Though the overall number of CCP virus cases has increased, as well as hospitalizations, the number of patients admitted to the ICU has declined.

Nearly 90 percent of Dutch adults have been jabbed and around 57 percent have had a booster shot. Of those aged 60 and above who are eligible for a booster, about 90 percent have received the shot, according to the RIVM.

In Denmark, meanwhile, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addressed the nation on Wednesday, saying that after many solemn news conferences she could finally deliver incredibly good news, announcing that the government will be removing all remaining CCP virus measures from the start of February.

Denmarks Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen addresses a press conference in the Prime Ministers Office in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Feb. 24, 2021. (Jens Dresling/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)

Denmark will be open again, completely open, she said, adding that while the pandemic is still in place, the government believes Denmark had overcome the critical phase.

It was not immediately clear what restrictions Danes will end but they likely will include the digital health pass, which now must be used to enter museums, nightclubs, cafes, party buses and to be seated indoors in restaurants.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

From NTD News
Packs of cigarettes are displayed on a shelf at a CVS store in Greenbrae, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2014. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

New Bill Would Ban Cigarette Butts and Disposable Vapes in California

A California lawmaker proposed a bill Jan. 25 to ban disposable electronic vapes and tobacco filters to protect public health and the environment.

Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley) introduced Assembly Bill 1690 at a virtual press conference alongside the bills co-authors, Assemblymembers Mark Stone (D-Monterey Bay) and Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine).

For more than half a century, tobacco filters have caused a public and environmental health crisis, Rivas said. The Ocean Protection Councils statewide microplastic strategy recommended that California prohibits the sale of single-use tobacco products including cigarette filters and electronic vapes. 

California Legislators hold a press conference to introduce Assembly Bill 1690. (Screenshot)

If signed into law, AB 1690 would prohibit any person or entity from selling a cigarette with a single-use filter, a single-use electronic cigarette, a plastic device attached to tobacco, or a vaporizer device. Violators will be charged civil penalties of $500 per violation.

At the conference, Stone explained that cigarette filters dont provide health benefits to smokers but provide a marketing advantage to cigarette companies.

The tobacco industry added single-use filters to create the illusion of a healthy cigarette, despite filters providing no health benefits. This deceptive marketing ploy has worked for decades, resulting in non-biodegradable cigarette butts becoming the most ubiquitous type of litter collected in California, Stone said.

Petrie-Norris likewise said that cigarette filters are a major source of litter, and that more single-use vape pens are being seen littered on beaches.

Cigarette filters are one of the major sources of litter on beaches, oceans, and in waterways all around the world. As we are seeing now with the rise of single-use vape pens, it is no surprise that weve also begun to see them as well on our beaches and impacting our waterway,  Petrie-Norris said.

Heidi Sanborn, founding director of the National Stewardship Action Council, an organization committed to reducing pollution, said at the conference that cigarette butts are made of plastic and cause pollution.

[Cigarette butts] are mostly a type of cellulose acetate which is a plastic. Because theyre on fire, people throw them on the ground. They step on them, and they break this into microplastics which blend with these toxins and it gets into the stormwater, Sanborn said.
New Virginia Attorney General Urges Supreme Court to Overturn Roe v. Wade

Virginias new Republican attorney general is urging the Supreme Court to overturn its 49-year-old ruling in Roe v. Wade and return regulation of abortion to the states, as observers await the courts imminent decision in a challenge to a Mississippi abortion law.

Against this backdrop, the Supreme Court has denied requests to stay the Texas heartbeat law, which bans abortions after six weeks of gestation and crowdsources the laws enforcement to members of the public.

Litigation is continuing in the case, involving Whole Womans Health, which runs abortion clinics in Texas and five other states. Whole Womans Health is suing to overturn the new Texas law, arguing that it violates Roe v. Wade (1973) and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), in which the Supreme Court discovered a constitutionally protected right to obtain an abortion before the fetus is viable, at about the 24-week mark. The group of clinics also challenged the novel enforcement mechanism that relies on individuals filing lawsuits.

In a Jan. 21 letter (pdf) to the clerk of the Supreme Court on the letterhead of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who took office earlier this month, his subordinate, Virginia Solicitor General Andrew N. Ferguson, advised the court that his boss has changed the offices position in the case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization.

The Dobbs case was heard by the Supreme Court on Dec. 1, 2021. Its a challenge by the only state-licensed abortion clinic in Mississippi to the states Gestational Age Act, which allows abortions after 15 weeks gestation only for medical emergencies or severe fetal abnormality. Citing Roe v. Wade, lower courts held that the statute was unconstitutional.

In September 2021, when Democrats controlled the office of attorney general, governor, and lieutenant governor in Virginia, the state signed on to a brief with 22 states and the District of Columbia that argued that Mississippis prohibition on pre-viability abortions isand should remainunconstitutional, based on precedent, according to the letter to the Supreme Court.

But with the switch from pro-choice Democratic officeholders to pro-life Republican officeholders, Virginias position in the Mississippi appeal had to change from an unconditional pro-choice stance to a more nuanced federalist position that would allow the states to decide the issue.

Following the change in administration on Jan. 15, 2022, the attorney general has reconsidered Virginias position in this case, the letter reads. The purpose of this letter is to notify the court that Virginia no longer adheres to the arguments contained in its previously filed brief. Virginia is now of the view that the Constitution is silent on the question of abortion, and that it is therefore up to the people in the several states to determine the legal status and regulatory treatment of abortion.

Virginia now takes the position that the Roe and Casey cases were wrongly decided, and agrees with Justice Clarence Thomass dissent in June Medical Services v. Russo (2020), which states that those decisions created the right to abortion out of whole cloth, without a shred of support from the Constitutions text, and that the rootlessness of the right to abortion has made this courts abortion jurisprudence unworkable.

This court should restore judicial neutrality to the abortion debate by permitting the people of the several states to resolve these questions for themselves, Miyaress letter reads.
People wear masks at an indoor mall in The Oculus in lower Manhattan on the day that a mask mandate went into effect in New York, on Dec. 13, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

New York Mask Mandate Back in Place After Appeals Judge Grants Stay

An indoor mask mandate is back in effect in New York State after an appeals judge on Tuesday granted a stay while the governors administration pursues an appeal.

New York Appellate Judge Robert Miller in New York City granted the states request for a stay after Nassau County Supreme Court Justice Thomas Rademaker ruled that Gov. Kathy Hochuls mask mandate for schools and public places is unconstitutional and unenforceable.

Rademaker had written in his order that the state Legislature would need to approve such laws for the mask mandate to be imposed in schools and other public spaces.

The state said in its court filing, appealing the ruling, The order, if not stayed will allow individuals to refuse to wear face coverings in indoor public settings where the risk of COVID-19 spread is high, including in schools where many children remain unvaccinated against COVID-19.

After the stay was granted, Hochul, a Democrat, said that mask regulations are critical to prevent the spread of COVID-19, make schools and businesses safe, and save lives. She said she was confident the mask mandate would be upheld.

I commend [the New York Attorney General] for her defense of the health and safety of New Yorkers, and applaud the Appellate Division, Second Department for siding with common sense and granting an interim stay to keep our states important masking regulations in place, Hochul wrote on Twitter.

New York Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt said he was disappointed in the decision to issue a stay.

We are two years into this pandemic, and its absurd that this administration is still ruling by mandateswhich continue to cause confusion, frustration and division among New Yorkers, he said in a statement. If the Governor truly thinks a mask mandate is in the best interests of New Yorkers, she should send a bill to be debated before the Legislature.

New York first imposed a mask mandate for most public indoor settings in April 2020. The mandate was lifted for vaccinated people in June 2021.

Hochul, who came into office in August 2021, imposed a mandate on Dec. 13, 2021, requiring masks for all public indoor settings unless the spaces had vaccine mandates. The mandate has fines of up to $1,000 for each violation. However, Hochul said her administration would not seek to compel counties to comply with the mandate.

The governor later extended the mandates deadline from Jan. 15 to Feb. 1.

After the mandate was ruled unenforceable on Monday, the New Yorks Department of Education, in anticipation of the state governments appeal, signaled that schools must continue to enforce the mandate.

It is [the departments] understanding that the Department of Health will appeal the Nassau County Supreme Court decision, which will result in an automatic stay that will unambiguously restore the mask rule until such time as an appellate court issues a further ruling, the Education Department said in a statement to local media outlets.

Therefore, schools must continue to follow the mask rule.
Jed Hansen, Vice-President of the NT Country Liberal Party speaks at a freedom rally in Darwin, Australia on Saturday, Jan.22, 2022 (Photo by Mickey T Photography)

Northern Territory CLP Vice-President Reprimanded Over Anti-Mandate Rally Speech

Country Liberal Party (CLP) vice-president Jed Hansen has been reprimanded by party president Jamie Di Brenni over a speech he made at an anti-vaccine mandate rally in Darwin on Jan.22.

Hansen told NT News that Di Brenni spoke to him about his giving the impression that his personal opinion was representative of others in the CLP.

It was a verbal reprimand, but it was more like, I could have phrased my wording better, Hansen said.

Speaking at a Worldwide Rally for Freedom on Saturday, Hansen said Now I know that the CLP point of view is that they all universally support the vaccine mandate. I can absolutely tell you that not everyone does because I do not.

Ive made my position very clear to Lia (Finocchiaro) that not everyone supports that position, he said.

This comes after the NT Labor Government implemented a vaccine mandate for the vast majority of Territory workers in December, and more recently made a vaccine pass mandatory for entry into licenced premises.

The CLP has been overall supportive of the mandates.

At the rally, Hansen went on to say that vaccines are by right a choice for the individual, shouldnt be imposed by the government through mandates, and that government should never get in the way of peoples rights to seek work and make health choices for themselves and their children.

Thats the position I have and there are many people like me who share this view, so dont label us all the same way, he said.

Protesters at a freedom rally in Darwin, Australia on Jan.22, 2022 (Photo by Mickey T Photography)

He also spoke of his adverse reaction to the second dose of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine but made it clear he was not an anti-vaxxer.

He said he had no reaction to the first dose, but within 12 hours of the second one, I was essentially paralysed in bed. I could not move. I was like that for 3 days, couldnt walk, couldnt move.

He added that hes had neurological problems ever since, including a persistent shake in his right arm, and that doctors, bar one in Melbourne, have dismissed the fact that its vaccine-related.

I find it alarming and distressing that the doctors here are either being subject to political power  they cant speak (to) what is actually happening.

In a statement to NT News, CLP president Jamie Di Brenni made it clear that Hansen was voicing his personal opinion at the rally.

He is entitled to [voice that opinion] but does not speak on behalf of the party. Only the president of the CLP has that authorisation, Di Brenni said.

Mr Hansen has been reprimanded for breaking protocol.

Di Brenni added that the CLP consists of members with a diverse range of opinions, which has always been their position as a grassroots, community-driven party.

Meanwhile, Deputy Opposition Leader Gerard Maley responded on behalf of his boss Lia Finocchiaro, saying that any comments Hansen made are a matter for him.

We acknowledge the mandate has been divisive among Territorians but ultimately, the CLP is committed to following the best health advice. Its a policy we took to the last election and we steadfastly stand by that commitment, he said.

Following a briefing with the deputy chief health officer, who advised the Opposition that mandating the vaccine for certain workers is the best health advice, the CLP Opposition agreed to support the mandate.

Hansen was not the only CLP member at the freedom rally that day.

In an interview with NT News at the event, CLP senator Sam McMahon said she sympathised with a lot of those affected by the mandates.

I mean, Im pro-vaccination, Im fully vaccinated, she said.

But I do support peoples right not to be if thats their choice.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Chief Ministers office for comment on the views expressed by Hansen but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Oregon Governor Sued After Commuting Sentences of Hundreds of Prisoners

Oregons governor has been sued for commuting the sentences of nearly 1,000 convicted felons since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, has violated state law and the states constitution in letting the felons go free before their sentences are over, two district attorneys and four Oregon residents said in a recent filing to a circuit court in the state.

That includes not considering statements of victims in the crimes committed by the felons, they said.

In failing to adhere to the clemency processes, the Legislature, the Secretary of State, the victims, and the rest of society know nothing of those felons levels of remorse, rehabilitation, or ability to re-enter our communities safely, the suit states. Without intervention of this Court, the laws requiring the protection of victims rights, securing public safety, and the proper execution of clemency power, will continue to be ignored by Governor Brown and the agencies and officials acting under her clemency orders.

Brown last year directed the Oregon Department of Corrections to perform a case-by-case analysis of imprisoned adults and determine which ones were vulnerable to COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus.

Given what we know about the disease and its pervasiveness in our communities, it is appropriate to release individuals who face significant health challenges should they contract COVID-19, Brown wrote in a letter to the department.

All medically-vulnerable adults who were eligible for commutation, were deemed as not posing an unacceptable risk to public safety, and were determined by the agency to meet the criteria would automatically have the remainder of their sentence commuted, Brown said.

Delegating the commutation determinations to the department isnt allowed, plaintiffs said, pointing to state law.

Nine-hundred and fifty-three felons were granted early release due to COVID-19.

Brown in September 2021 then asked the Oregon Department of Corrections to identify youth who were sentenced before Senate Bill 1008, signed into law in 2019, and did not benefit from its changes to our juvenile justice system. That led to Brown commuting the sentences of 73 felons convicted of crimes while minors, despite few, if any, applying for clemency.

Prosecutors, including Linn County District Attorney Doug Marteey, one of the plaintiffs, said they didnt learn of the commutations from the governors office, but from news reports or other non-governmental sources.

There was no opportunity for district attorneys to provide information to the governor nor was there any time given to notify the victims and their families, R. Paul Frasier, district attorney for Coos County, said in a previous statement.

The list included people convicted of murder and sex crimes against children.

Some of the felons who were granted early release went on to commit crimes, including Pablo Francisco, who stole a car and triggered a high-speed chase.

Browns press secretary, Liz Merah, told The Epoch Times in an email that our office generally does not comment on matters of pending litigation.

Browns spokespersons have previously defended the commutations.

On commutations during the pandemic, the majority of commutations were granted to prevent serious COVID-related illness and death among medically vulnerable adults in custody serving sentences for nonviolent offenses, one told the Albany Democrat-Herald. As COVID-19 spread in jails and prisons across the country, Gov. Brown and many other governors took action to prevent further loss of life.
The U.S. Capitol building is seen past American flags at the base of the Washington Monument in Washington on Feb. 15, 2021. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

Our 1776 Moment: Either a Liberal or Progressive America

Commentary

There are many moments in American history that have been significant because they have informed the principles of Americas traditional ideology of liberalism, but none as important as the present period since Americas founding. The United States is at a 1776 moment of ideological transformation.

The American Revolution of 1776 was a change of political ideology from constitutional monarchy to liberalism. Today, the ideological transformation is from liberalism to progressivism. Like its antecedent, our 1776 moment was decades in the making. A progressive elite first targeted and then replaced a liberal one. What has occurred over the last generation should be considered a revolution, even if it is too soon to tell whether it is a successful and lasting one.

Historically, the United States has possessed a single dominant ideology of liberalism that sustained itself from previous ideological challengers. Liberalism is a political ideology that promises liberty for the individual. It employs the concept of inalienable rights and individual freedoms. These ideas and principles are expressed in Americas founding documentsthe Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rightsand have been echoed in American political ideas, practices, tradition, and culture since the American Revolution of 1776.

The ideology of progressivism is now prominent in contemporary American left-wing politics. A symptom of our 1776 moment is that the Democrats, once stalwart liberals, have become progressives, which means, in fact, they have become socialists.

Progressivisms origins are in the thought of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Italian communist Antonio Gramsci, and the Frankfurt School. Gramsci and the Frankfurt School recognized that conditions for the working class were too good in the West for a Leninist revolution to occur. There would be no revolt by the workers on the factory floor as Marx and Engels assumed. Revolutionary change would come through culture, shifting bourgeois culture to revolutionary socialist culture. This revolution could be executed over decades of gradual change.

Gramsci identified ideology as the key both to social change and stable social order. For the proletariat to win required the emergence of a new stratum of intellectuals who will undermine and supplant bourgeois ideology. For Gramsci, the task was to create new proletarian ideology appropriate for the West, which will undermine popular consent to the reigning point of viewthe hegemonic ideology.

The educational system was of central importance to shape subsequent generations perceptions of the right and proper political and social system for Western states. The path to communism was different in the West than in Russia, its tools would largely be cultural and ideological, but the end would be the same.

Demonstrators gather in front of Los Alamitos Unified School District Headquarters in protest of critical race theory teachings in Los Alamitos, Calif., on May 11, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

The Frankfurt Schoolmost significantly Theodor Adorno, Erich Fromm, Max Horkheimer, and Herbert Marcuseadvanced a similar message. This would evolve into a new social theory called critical theory. Its tools were what they termed the culture industry, by which they meant the tools and processes to manufacture culture: film, radio and television, literature, theater, print; and which broadened to include psychology, journalism, educational systems, including universities, philanthropic foundations, and publishing houses. In actuality, the culture industry should be conceived of as a component of the ideas industry since they sought to overthrow liberal ideas with progressive ones.

The ideas of Gramsci and the Frankfurt School serve as the intellectual foundation of progressivism. While the objectives of progressivism are anchored in critical theory, the ideology has flowed throughout American society, but especially in journalism, education, civil society, and as the foundation for critical race theory (CRT)it has become the dominant ideology for American elites.

The consequences of progressivism are revolutionary: the replacement of liberal ideology and culture with its progressive alternative. Americans live at a 1776 moment where governing principles, law, and society are changing to what Americans have never known. This revolution is altering how America defines itself, its interests, culture, and position in the world. The beneficiaries are Americas enemies, most significantly China, which watches with glee while the United States tears the sources of its great strengthits ideology and societyapart.

What makes our ideological struggle worse is that American society is caught between liberalism and progressivism. Americans do not know which should be obeyed, or perhaps even which is legitimate. The plan of progressivism is clear, and to prevent it requires a renaissance of liberalism to assert Americas political ideology, culture, and history. Doing so will prevent the slide of the United States into a totalitarian country. To reinvigorate liberalism requires a transition as great as that which has occurred from liberalism to progressivism. There are three major steps needed.

First, it requires capturing the ideas industry that the critical theorists identified and successfully seized. The most important of the ideas industry are K-12 and university education, but also journalism, social media, film, streaming services, music, and other elements of popular culture, philanthropic foundations, and publishing houses. This is singularly difficult to achieve precisely because progressives control the ideas industry. They also dominate the dissemination of those ideas through media and social media. The ideas industry has to be recaptured or alternatives found, as must alternative ways of disseminating ideas.

Second, part of the solution for liberals is to study progressivisms success. What is needed is for liberals to wage a war of positions as Gramsci advocated. To assist the liberal response, a Frankfurt School for liberalism is needed to study progressivism. It is incomprehensible that such an institution does not already exist. Liberal donors must come forward to create it. A School of Liberalism would be able to analyze the causes of progressivism, how does it function, and what will be its consequences for American society and its place in the world. Moreover, it could answer fundamental questions, including revealing progressivisms weaknesses.

Third, fundamentally, leadership is essential to counter progressivism, inspire liberals, and devise their strategy for victory. Until liberals can devise a strategy to sustain their ideology and permit it to flourish in this period of ideological upheaval, they will continue to lose public policy battles and their ideology will continue to ebb. Freedom beats tyranny hands down. As more Americans recognize this, the country is ripe for a renaissance of liberalism.

That is needed, as is a strategy for victory, and liberal leadership. Presently, none of these are in place. The window to arrest progressivisms advances is narrowing, and liberals must organize now for the ideological struggle, or the progressives will win the 1776 moment.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Pfizer Moves to Intervene in High-Profile Case Dealing With COVID-19 Vaccine Safety Data

Pfizer has asked a federal court to let it intervene in a high-profile case that has seen U.S. drug regulators try to slow-walk disclosure of data on Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine.

Pfizer says it supports disclosing the data but wants to ensure that information exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is not disclosed inappropriately.

Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency filed a lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year after the agency, responding to a FOIA request, claiming it would take 20 years to produce the data on the vaccine.

The FDA later asked a judge to give it 75 years, but the judge rejected the request and ordered the regulator to produce 55,000 pages a month, which would give it about eight months to fully disclose the records.

About two weeks after the order, on Jan. 21, lawyers representing Pfizer asked U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman, a Trump nominee overseeing the case, to allow the company to intervene.

Pfizer was not aware of the case until executives read news reports about it last month and now wants to help FDA staffers review the documents in question to ensure proper redactions are made, according to the new filing.

In light of the FDAs objections to the sped-up timeframe, Pfizer seeks leave to intervene in this action for the limited purpose of ensuring that information exempt from disclosure under FOIA is adequately protected as FDA complies with this Courts order, the memorandum supporting the motion for leave to intervene stated.

Government officials told the court that they want Pfizers help due to the unprecedented speed with which the Court has ordered FDA to process the records at issue.

FDA anticipates that coordination with Pfizer to obtain the companys views as to which portions of the records are subject to Exemption 4, the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S.C.  1905, or other statutory protections will be a necessary component of the agencys endeavors to meet the extraordinary exigencies of this case, Department of Justice lawyers said in a response to Pfizers motion.

Plaintiffs, though, asked Pittman to reject Pfizers bid.

A vial of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 23, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Even though the FDA has more than sufficient resources to expeditiously produce the requested documents, and the agency has repeatedly stated its commitment to protecting Pfizers interests, Pfizer could still assist the FDA with expediting release of the requested documents. Pfizer, however, provides no reason why it needs to intervene in this matter to render that purported assistance. Nor can Plaintiff discern why Pfizer needs to intervene in this matter to assist the FDA with expediting release of the requested documentsit can render this assistance without intervening, Public Health and Medical Professionals for Transparency said in a brief.

The judge, the group said, should ask Pfizer to clarify how intervening would help quicken the document production.

Additionally, Pfizer lawyers told plaintiffs that while the company does not at present plan to challenge the courts production order, they would not rule out challenging the order at a later time.

Pfizer does not presently intend to move the Court to reconsider its January 6, 2022 order, but Pfizer is not in a position at this time to waive its ability to do so if circumstances change such that there is good cause at a later time to do so, Daniel Tobey, one of Pfizers lawyers, said in a statement to the court.

Plaintiffs are concerned that Pfizers involvement will lead to the FDA renewing effort to delay production of the vaccine data.

Pittman is due to hear arguments for and against Pfizers proposed intervention on Jan. 28 in federal court in Fort Worth, Texas.

Regulators granted emergency use authorization to Pfizers vaccine in December 2020, alleging at the time that it was highly effective in preventing infection and severe disease.

The vaccine has since been proven to provide little protection against infection and its effectiveness against severe illness has dropped. Some side effects linked to the vaccine, meanwhile, were detected post-authorization, including heart inflammation and severe allergic reactions.

FDA and other U.S. officials continue to recommend virtually all Americans should get the jab and recently cleared booster doses for individuals 12 and older, while children as young as 5 can get Pfizers primary series.
Pregnant Koala Inspires Hope After Species Saving Vaccine

Australian researchers have developed a vaccine for koalas to combat an extensive outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases in the species.

Koalas, which have been hit hard by changing climatic conditions, bushfires, and land clearing, are under pressure from an ongoing chlamydia outbreak that is causing the marsupials to become infertile and further pushing the species towards potential extinction.

The senior veterinarian at the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital, Dr. Michael Pyne, said he had witnessed a significant growth in the number of koalas admitted to his hospital over his career.

I first started working at the hospital 20 years ago; it was unusual to see a koala admitted. We probably only saw about two or three per year, Pyne said. Fast-forward 20 years, and we are admitting up to 500 koalas annually. Its heartbreaking to see the problems our koalas are facing.

Of the 500 koalas admitted annually, 60 percent are sick or dying from chlamydia, while many of the other 40 percent were becoming sick from subclinical chlamydia.

Subclinical chlamydia is where koalas are in the initial stages of developing a full-blown bacterial infection.

Without preventative measures, koalas are on track to become extinct in large areas of Eastern Australia. If this vaccine is effective, then we have hope to prevent koalas getting sick in the first place.

A koala chews on gum leaves at the Wild Life Park in Sydney, Australia, on April 23, 2012. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

The vaccine trial aims to track and monitor 30 koalas in the Gold Coasts Elanora area for three years, recapturing the koalas every six months to check on their reproductive ability and chlamydia immunity.

So far, the vaccine trial has indicated that the treatment is effective, with test subject Cassidy the koala becoming pregnant and testing negative to the bacteria 12 months after the trials launch.

Pyne said that Cassidys pregnancy was promising as she was living in an area where there are numerous cases of chlamydia in the local koala population.

Its encouraging that Cassidy is pregnant and negative to chlamydia, not only for the research trial but for the entire koala species, Pyne told AAP.

Additionally, of the 12 koalas that participated in the trial, the six koalas that have been recaptured are healthy and have tested negative for the bacteria.

Its still very early stages and too early to say if the vaccine will be a long-term solution, Pyne said. However, Cassidy is making us hopeful.

Were not going to suddenly eliminate it, but vaccinating is part of ongoing management to save koalas, he said. If we can vaccinate a certain percentage of Koalas, our model shows we should be able to get the numbers back up, so theyre off the vulnerable species list. Because the next point on that list is endangered, and we really dont want that..

A koala and her joey climb a tree. (Illustration  jeep2499/Shutterstock)

However, there is a snag in the conservation project; vaccinating the koala population is currently very expensive.

To be capturing a koala from the wild, vaccinating, releasing that koala back to the wild, tracking it and recapturing it to assess how well the vaccines working, were looking at around about $25,000 a year per koala, Pyne said.

On average, the 500 koalas that are brought in annually to the animal hospital for chlamydia treatment typically costs around $7000 (approx. US$5000) unless there are complications from the antibiotic treatment, in which case the cost is much higher.

Pyne said that the price of the vaccine would go down after the trial and, if the vaccine is effective and the number of koalas immune to chlamydia rises, the need for the vaccinations and the chlamydia treatment will be lessened significantly.

Prof. Kenneth Beagley from the Queensland University of Technology, who administered the chlamydia vaccine to 145 koalas whilst working with the hospital, hopes the trial will boost the koala population.

Its fantastic news that the vaccine has protected Cassidy and that she is now pregnant with a joey despite living in a population with a very high prevalence of chlamydia, Beagley told AAP.

I do have cautious optimism for the future of the species. Hopefully, we can repeat this and see the koala population increase over time.
TORUN, PolandMr. Jacek Pawe Godlewski bought his wife a Shen Yun ticket as a birthday gift.

The couple traveled to see Shen Yun at the CKK Jordanki Concert Hall in Torun from another city. Mr. Godlewski said the trip normally takes four hours, but the day before the performance there was a snow fall, so it took them six hours to get to Torun.

My wife is a physician and I am an engineer so we are busy with routine things every day but the time we spent here opened us for the spirit that has shaped the Chinese culture, said Mr. Godlewski who attended the Jan. 21 matinee of Shen Yun with his wife Ms. Aneta Adamiak-Godlewska.

I am talking not only about the artists themselves,  our interaction with what was happening on stage was extraordinary.  Jacek Pawel Godlewski

It also shows how much power lies in it, how much [Chinese] still have to do to resurrect this power. Mr. Godlewski continued. The dance is also something that allows man to express himself, it releases what lives somewhere inside a person. I am talking not only about the artists themselves,  our interaction with what was happening on stage was extraordinary.

For exampleit is not always the case that the art form of conveying a message occupies me to such an extent that I will immerse in it. However, today it was such a situation that I really immersed myself in it. A mass of colors in this drab worldthis is something wonderful, he said.

Based in New York, Shen Yun is a classical Chinese dance and music company, which aims to revive Chinas rich culture which has been all but destroyed after decades of communist rule in China.

The couple enjoyed Shen Yuns music, especially the sound of the Chinese instrument called erhu. Though it has only two strings, it can convey a wide range of emotions, according to the Shen Yun website.

[It was] so exceptional, unique, Mrs. Adamiak-Godlewska said about the sound of erhu.

The fact that someone has fallen in love with this instrument,  like this lady [who played erhu], [the fact that] someone chose it from the pool of instruments and tried to convey emotionthis is again a birth and an expression of what is within a person, Mr. Godlewski explained.

You need to first settle in this culture, you need to get it out from within, find these roots, and only then pass it on through this instrument. I think that it is a fantastic hit, he said.

According to the Shen Yun website, artists in the past looked to the divine for inspiration believing that to create art that uplifts, they must first cultivate goodness. Today, Shen Yuns artists follow this noble tradition.

I think thats all that happened on the stage, such a spiritual depth, I think it is passed [to us] no matter what we really believe in. So it was a special, really special [performance], Mrs. Adamiak-Godlewska said.

Mr. Godlewski explained that for him such values that are deeply embedded in a person or, in general, in a human being they always have a root in something bigger or are born from something bigger.

He said that in his opinion, it is really about discovering what is the universal truth or the truth that always defends itself regardless of are what philosophy or religion follow those who appear on the stage.

This universal truth is greater than this earthly truth because it also applies to a certain universe, Mr. Godlewski said.

Mr. Godlewski saw Shen Yun as a celebration shared with the audience, It is about looking for a universal truth that frees man so he can live his life to the fullest, and precisely enjoy being alivecelebrate the joy.

What we saw here, it is also a kind of celebration. [The artists] led us through emotions and it gave me a lot of joy, they also shared their joy. And thats fantastic.

Activist Appreciates Revival of Chinas Divine Culture

Ms. Jadwiga Chmielowska, a journalist and a social and political activist, was also in the audience on the evening on Jan. 21 watching Shen Yun a second time.

Since she lives in another city she took a train early morning on the day of the performance and in six hours arrived in Torun.

For Ms. Chmielowska, the main message for her from this performance was that man should be guided by Gods love during his life on the earth and man should live in truth, and should be honest.

Ms. Chmielowska, who was also an activist of the anti-communist opposition in the 1970s and 1980s, said she was shocked when she saw a dance story that touched upon the issue of forced organ harvesting from prisoners as a form of persecution of religious groups of various faiths and national minorities taking place in communist China.

She said that she heard a prominent official making a statement that the tyranny in communist China is unavoidable because it is rooted in Chinese tradition and culture. [Shen Yun] shows that it is not true, that there have been 5,000 or more years of a magnificent culture of freedom, submission to the Creator, Ms. Chmielowska said.

It is very important to show normal people, who come to see these performances, that China has a huge, dating back several thousand years history of a country that had a beautiful tradition, a beautiful culture, and love for the Creator and for living in accordance with the Creators message. So I think [Shen Yun] did that very well, she said.

Ms. Chmielowska saw Shen Yun two years ago in Berlin, Germany, and said that she was very happy when she found out that the artistic company would perform in Poland this year.

It was worth coming, Ms. Chmielowska concluded.

Reporting by Yiyuan Zhou, Haiying Wang, Agnieszka Iwaszkiewicz, and Ella Kietlinska

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Random Attacks Highlight Failures of Progressive Law Enforcement, Homeless Policies

Commentary

It was the weekend of the allegedly random murders of helpless, law-abiding women by violent homeless men with criminal records and histories of mental illness who had somehow been given the freedom to roam city streets.

First came the lethal assault on Sandra Shells, a 70-year-old nurse who had worked at the Los Angeles CountyUniversity of Southern California Medical Center for 38 years. As she waited at a bus stop in downtown Los Angeles shortly after 5 a.m. on Jan. 13 for the transportation that would take her to her morning shift, a 48-year-old homeless man, Kerry Bell, allegedly appeared out of nowhere and punched her in the face, causing her to fall and crack her skull against the pavement. She died of her injuries three days later, on Sunday, Jan. 16. According to Los Angeles police, Bell has a lengthy criminal arrest record in several states, including in Los Angeles itself.

Hours later on Jan. 13, Brianna Kupfer, a 24-year-old graduate student at the University of California-Los Angeles, was stabbed to death while working at her sales job at Croft House, an upscale furniture store in the citys affluent Hancock Park neighborhood. The alleged perpetrator, 31-year-old Shawn Laval Smith, was another homeless man. He has an even longer arrest record, dating back to 2010, for crimes that included alleged trespassing, disorderly conduct, littering, shoplifting, bicycle theft, and discharging a firearm into an occupied vehicle. In most of those incidents, Smith was released on either no bond or a modest bond and then apparently vanished before his trial date. During his most recent arrest, for allegedly vandalizing a strangers car in Daly City, California, in January 2021, he allegedly bit one of the arresting officers.

Flowers are placed outside Croft House furniture store in memory of graduate student Brianna Kupfer in Los Angeles on Jan. 18, 2022. (Alice Sun/The Epoch Times)

On the morning of Jan. 15 in New York City, Michelle Alyssa Go, a 40-year-old senior manager for the consulting firm Deloitte, was allegedly pushed in front of an oncoming subway train at Times Square by 61-year-old Simon Martial, a Haitian immigrant with no known address. Martial had been released from prison in August 2021 after serving two years for attempted robbery. His arrest record for such crimes as attempted robbery and drug possession stretches back to 1998. He was a familiar figure on New York subway platforms, and his sister told a reporter that he had had decades of problems with mental illness.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during the candlelight vigil in honor of Michelle Alyssa Go, a victim of a subway attack, at Times Square in New York, on Jan. 18, 2022. (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)

The three female victims represented an age spectrum from young (Kupfer) to near-retirement (Shells). They also represented a spectrum of races: Shells was black; Go, Asian; and Kupfer, white. What those women had in common were alleged assailants who had been in and out of the criminal justice system for years and were obviously mentally unbalanced, whether because of drugs or other problems. The three women also lived in notoriously blue urban areas cursed with both surging crime and foolishly progressive attitudes, both official and social, that discourage arresting, setting appropriate bail for, prosecuting, and even reporting crimes.

Los Angeles and New York are among numerous Democrat-controlled cities across America that have done almost nothing to clear their streets and parks of homeless encampments where drug markets and crimes large and small flourish, and deranged denizens wander freely as they act out the mental illnesses that made them homeless in the first place. The murder of Shells occurred only a few blocks north of Los Angeless Skid Row, where more than 5,000 people live in squalid tents on trash-littered sidewalks. Its likely that Bell was one of them.

All three crimes were unspeakable, but Kupfers death had an additional tragic aspect. Alone in the store in the early afternoon, she actually spotted Smith as he entered. Indeed, he had wandered into at least one other establishment a few minutes before in an apparent search for a suitably vulnerable victim. Kupfer could see very well that the 6-foot-3-inch, 190-pound Smith looked dangerous. Kupfer texted a friend that Smith was giving out a bad vibe. What she did not do, however, was call 911.

We dont know what was going on in Kupfers mind. But we do know that, as reported by Fox News, the law school at UCLA, the university where she was taking classes, published on its official website in June 2020 a report exploring what happens after we defund the police? (pdf) The authors recommended incarceration and even arrest for fewer crimes, a policy subsequently adopted by district attorneys in both Los Angeles County and Manhattan. The report also recommended that people self-reflect before notifying law enforcement about suspicious activity, on the theory that police intervention might unnecessarily harm people of color. Smith is black, and perhaps Kupfer didnt want to be tagged a Barbecue Becky on Twitter. Her bled-out body was discovered about 15 minutes later by a customer entering the store.

There are all sorts of theories about what to do about the tens of thousands of homeless people, many of them mentally ill and violent, on the streets and in the public-transportation systems of every major city. The current progressive fad is housing first, which means leaving them there until governments find the money to build expensive apartment complexes or cute tiny houses that will presumably cure them of all their troubles.

But theres a quicker, more effective way to make public places safe for law-abiding citizens: enforce existing laws designed to maintain public order. There are already plenty of them on the books: prohibitions against littering, drug-dealing, disturbing the peace, defacing and destroying property, camping in public places. Start enforcing fare-evasion laws on public transit. Currently, many cities routinely ignore turnstile-jumpers for fear of looking racistwhich means giving free entry on trains, buses, and subway platforms to scofflaws who may not only be annoying but also threats to other peoples lives. Set bail at realistic levels designed to accomplish what putting up bail bonds are supposed to do: ensure that people arrested for committing crimes will show up for their trials instead of skipping out of town to commit more crimes elsewhere.

And it goes without saying that its time to end the defund the police movement. Eric Adams, New York Citys new mayor, has taken some steps in that direction, promising to beef up law enforcement in the citys transit system and to put more beat cops onto the streets. No one should have to die because progressive authorities were reluctant to punish the perpetrators for their earlier crimes. And no one should ever, ever feel too embarrassed about what progressives might think to dial 911 when something looks seriously wrong.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Los Angeles police chief Michel Moore speaks during a vigil with members of professional associations and the interfaith community at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in Los Angeles, on June 5, 2020. (Mark J. Terrill/File/AP Photo)

Robberies, Homicides on the Rise in Los Angeles

Los Angeles law enforcement reported sharp increases in murders and robberies as a bevy of crimes continues to hit the area.

The county has seen a 94 percent increase in homicides in 2021, compared to 2019, according to Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

The pandemic-related crime increases are not unique to LA County, but the dramatic jump in homicides was, Villanueva said on Facebook Live last week.

I think throughout the entire United States, thats probably going to be one of the biggest jumps ever, just from a historical perspective, Villanueva said.

Thieves are also stealing more vehicles, he said.

Auto theft was up 59 percent from the previous two years.

Obviously, [the numbers] definitely going in the wrong direction, Villanueva said.

Los Angeles Police Department Chief Michel Moore told police commissioners Jan. 25 that the number of homicides and shooting victims has decreased in January, compared to last year.

While the numbers are still stabilizing, I can report that in the first three weeks we have seen somewhat of a slowing down of the number of shots fired, number of shooting victims, and the number of homicides compared to the same period last year, Moore said.

So far this year, 26 people have been killed in the city, which was seven fewer than at this point in 2021.

The more notable murders this year include the stabbing death of University of CaliforniaLos Angeles graduate student Brianna Kupfer, who police suspect was killed while she worked alone at an upscale furniture store in the Hancock Park neighborhood by a homeless man.

Shawn Laval Smith, 31, was charged Jan. 21 in connection to Kupfers death with one count of murder and a special allegation that he used a deadly and dangerous weapon.

The city was also rocked by the death of Los Angeles Police Officer Fernando Arroyos, 27, on Jan. 10 who was shot to death during a robbery while he was looking at houses with his girlfriend in South LA.

Deputies have arrested four suspects who face federal charges in connection to Arroyos death.

Moore told police commissioners the department was focusing on violent crime and encouraging the public to take preventative measures to avoid becoming a victim.
The Russian navy's frigate Admiral Essen prepares to sail off for an exercise in the Black Sea in this photo taken from video and released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Jan. 26, 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russia Holds Large-Scale Naval Drill, Sends More Fighter Jets to Belarus

Russia deployed more troops and fighter jets to Belarus on Jan. 26 as part of a major military exercise between the two allied nationswhile more than 20 Russian warships departed their naval bases for drills in the Black Sea.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement that it relocated crews of Su-35S multirole fighter aircraft of the Eastern Military District to Belarus as part of the Allied Resolve-2022 joint exercises that will be held early next month.

Upon arrival at Belarusian airfields, the crews of the Su-35S advanced combat aircraft will go on air defense combat alert as part of a check of the Union States integrated air defense system, the ministry said.

During the exercise, measures will be taken to strengthen the protection of the State Border to prevent the penetration of armed groups of militants, to block the channels for the delivery of weapons and ammunition, as well as to search, block, and destroy illegal armed formations, it stated.

Meanwhile, more than 20 Russian combat ships and vessels entered the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean to practice a series of communications and safe maneuvering drills near a major Arctic shipping lane. The major naval drills will also involve exercises to provide air defense at sea, the Black Sea Fleets press office stated on Jan. 26. Moscow announced the sweeping naval exercises last week.

The drills of combined-arms task forces, naval strike and amphibious assault groups in the Black Sea involve frigates, guard ships, missile corvettes, and missile boats, amphibious assault ships, small anti-submarine warfare ships and also minesweepers, the fleets press office said, according to Russias state-owned news agency TASS.

 20          ,        https://t.co/e20MuauYht# # # # pic.twitter.com/CbCfDFg9z6    (@mod_russia) January 26, 2022

Russias latest flurry of naval and airforce exercises comes one day after U.S. President Joe Biden said he would consider personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia were to invade Ukraine. It also comes as officials opened talks in Paris over the tensions on the RussiaUkraine border.

There will be enormous consequences if [Russian President Vladimir Putin] were to go in and invade, as he could, the entire countryor a lot less than as wellfor Russia, not only in terms of economic consequences and political consequences, but there will be enormous consequences worldwide, Biden told reporters during a visit to a shop in Washington on Jan. 25.

This would be the largestif he were to move in with all those forcesit would be the largest invasion since World War II, he said. It would change the world.

(L) President Joe Biden waits to speak as he visits the Sportrock Climbing Centers in Alexandria, Va., on May 28, 2021. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) (R) Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during a meeting with members of the Council of Legislators of the Federal Assembly, at the Tauride Palace, in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on April 27, 2021. (Alexei Danichev/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia has repeatedly insisted it doesnt plan to invade neighboring Ukraine, but it has issued a list of demands that includes NATO promising to not allow Ukraine to become a member state of the alliance.

On Jan. 25, Russia warned it would quickly take retaliatory measures if the United States and its allies reject its proposed security demands. Some demands have been labeled by NATO as nonstarters.

If the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. We wont allow our proposals to be drowned in endless discussions.

The Kremlins point man on Ukraine was due to meet officials from France, Germany, and Ukraine for Normandy format talks in Paris, against the backdrop of a Russian military buildup near Ukraine that has sparked fears of an invasion.

The Normandy talks to end the war in eastern Ukraine between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists have met for years without real progress, but the Jan. 26 talks may be seen as a positive sign of diplomacy taking place despite the soaring tensions.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said Ukraine has ruled out talking directly to the Russian-backed separatists.

Reuters contributed to this report.

From NTD News
San Diego School District Fires Dozens of Workers Over Vaccine Mandate

The San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD) in California has fired over 70 employees who remain non-compliant with its COVID-19 vaccination mandate, according to reports.

The school district set Jan. 24 as the the deadline for all SDUSD staff to either submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or get an approved exemption. Letters of termination have been sent out to those who refused to comply with the requirements, reported San Diego Union Tribune.

Of the 73 employees who received termination notices, 12 are credentialed employees such as teachers, principals, and counselors, and 61 are non-credentialed employees like bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and custodians.

I was getting phone calls last week, with some of my colleagues and peers [saying] that they had just received a termination letter, Dr. Amanda Morris, a mental health clinician for the SDUSD, told CBS San Diego.

Our leadership, unfortunately, is making some pretty horrendous comments stating our department and district would be better off if the unvaccinated would just quit, said Morris, who has worked at the school district for 15 years.

Under the plan released in September 2021, the SDUSD mandated that all employees and students aged 16 years and older to get two doses of the vaccine by Dec. 20, saying that employees who fail to comply would be terminated, and that students who dont comply would have to attend online classes from home.

The vaccine mandate for SDUSD students had resulted in a lawsuit, resulting in a San Diego judge in December finding the mandate unlawful, noting that only the California Legislature has the authority to make certain vaccines a condition for in-person school attendance. The judge also took issue with the lack of exemption based on personal beliefs.

The ruling, however, didnt affect the vaccine mandate for the districts 15,000 employees.

According to San Diego Unified School Board Trustee Richard Barrera, more than 840 employees were granted medical or personal belief exemption. He also said the high percentage of compliant among employees means the vaccine mandate has succeeded.

It proves that vaccine mandates work and are necessary, Barrera said, reported the Tribune. We will be at 100 percent of our staff that is either fully vaccinated or has received an approved accommodation, and with very little loss of staff. What it shows is that staff who had been reluctant to get the vaccine are getting it as a result of the mandate.

At this point, we believe that we can fully cover for any staffing shortages that might result from the termination of those employees, he added.
San Jose Passes First-in-Nation Law Requiring Gun Owners to Get Liability Insurance

San Jose, Californias City Council on Tuesday passed a first-in-the-nation ordinance requiring gun owners to obtain liability insurance and pay an annual fee for their firearms, immediately drawing lawsuits from gun rights groups.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, a Democrat, said the City Council had voted in favor of both measures despite opposition from gun owners who said it would violate their constitutionally protected right to own firearms. The ordinance still needs to be approved at a final reading next month before it can take effect in the city of about 1 million in August.

Funds generated from fees paid by gun owners will be used to create evidence-based initiatives to reduce gun violence and gun harm, Liccardo said. As for the insurance provision, gun owners who dont acquire insurance wont lose their firearms or face criminal charges.

During Tuesdays meeting, some members of the public said the ordinance unfairly penalizes lawful gun owners.

This is not fair. To a person that has legally done nothing wrong, who owns a gun, to basically be reprimanded, said Mike Grant, a member of the National Rifle Association. Youve gotta go after the criminal that is stealing the gun, committing the crime, and prosecute them.

On Wednesday, the National Association for Gun Rights and several other groups filed a lawsuit against the City of San Jose, the San Jose City Council, and Jennifer Maguire, who is the city manager of San Jose, over the ordinance.

We promised we would sue the City of San Jose if they actually passed this ridiculous tax on the right to keep and bear arms, and now were fulfilling that promise, said Dudley Brown, President of the National Association for Gun Rights, in a statement. To tax a constitutional right is absolutely preposterous and places an undue burden on law-abiding gun owners. Do the members of the San Jose City Council actually believe this will do anything to stop crime?

The plaintiffs, in their suit (pdf), cited a Supreme Court ruling from 1943 that concluded the government cannot impose a charge for the enjoyment of a right granted by the federal constitution and also cited a 2008 ruling that guarantees the right to possess and carry guns for self-defense.

Because California and the City of San Jose have already made it exceedingly difficult to lawfully carry a weapon outside the home, and the Ordinance only affects owners of lawfully owned guns, the Ordinances true impact is solely on guns kept in the home by law-abiding citizens, their lawsuit read. It does nothing to deter the scourge of unlawful ownership and use of guns by criminals or to recoup from them compensation for the injuries and damage they cause.
A nurse is handed a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine before administering it to a college student at a mobile vaccination clinic at the California State University Long Beach campus in Calif., on Aug. 11, 2021. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)

Santa Monica College Student Challenges District Vaccine Mandate

SANTA MONICA, Calif.A Santa Monica College freshman is suing the Santa Monica Community College District, alleging the schools coronavirus vaccine mandate for in-person learning violates his religious freedom and his right to privacy.

Carter Sparks Santa Monica Superior Court lawsuit, filed on Jan. 11, seeks court orders declaring that the mandate is unconstitutional and that it exceeds the powers of the district. Sparks also seeks injunctive relief preventing the mandate from being enforced as well as compensatory damages.

Time is of the essence in the suit because Sparks has already lost a semester of education, his court papers state.

The suit also names as a defendant Susan Fila, Santa Monica Colleges health services officer, who Sparks believes was among those who denied his request for a religious exemption.

Without this courts intervention, Mr. Sparks will continue to be treated as a second-class citizen and denied access to an in-person college education, the suit states.

A district representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The districts Board of Trustees voted on Aug. 3, 2021, to require that students get a COVID-19 vaccine before attending in-person classes during the fall semester.

The board gave vague reasons for this policy, stating, for example, that the shots represent the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19, the suit states.

However, only the state legislature has the power to impose a student vaccine directive, and it has not done so, according to the suit.

Moreover, forced vaccination policies violate Californians right to privacy, an express constitutional right that protects an individuals freedom of bodily integrity, the suit states.

Sparks, a Catholic, submitted a request for religious and medical exemptions, stating his belief that he has already contracted COVID-19 and thus has natural immunity to the virus while also providing a letter from a doctor, the suit states.

The college denied Sparks request, saying it was unsupported by medical evidence, the suit states. The school also rejected Sparks request for a religious exemption, stating that being Catholic does not entitle someone to a religious exemption, and the church has no theological objection to the coronavirus vaccines, according to the suit.

The colleges denial letter cited Pope Francis support for the COVID- 19 shots and said that Sparks did not articulate personal religious beliefs contrary to those of his faiths leadership.

Questioning the sincerity of ones religious beliefs constitutes religious discrimination and violates federal and state civil rights laws, the suit states. Mr. Sparks has a right to privacy and a right to object to compulsory medical treatment based on his sincere religious beliefs. Lawsuits decided a hundred years ago do not change that.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, welcomes Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, at the royal palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Bandar Aljaloud/Saudi Royal Palace via AP)

Saudi Arabia, Thailand Agree to Mend Diplomatic Ties After Decades of Dispute Over Diamond Theft

Saudi Arabia and Thailand have agreed to fully restore their diplomatic relations and to exchange ambassadors in a historic breakthrough after three decades of hostility stemming from a diamond theft, the countries said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

The agreement was made during Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salmans meeting with visiting Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha on Tuesday, according to a joint statement released by state media Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

Both sides agreed on the appointment of ambassadors to their respective capitals in the near future and the setting up of consultative mechanisms for consolidating their bilateral cooperation, it stated.

The two sides exchanged views on various regional and international issues, and discussed means and ways to strengthen their bilateral relations in all areas, the statement reads.

Intensive coordination between the two nations will also commence in the coming months to discuss bilateral cooperation.

It also noted that both sides agreed to strengthen their economic and trade relations by exploring investment and other opportunities, such as renewable energy, digital transformation, and cybersecurity.

The two leaders also agreed to increase interactions and coordination between government agencies and private sectors to elevate their bilateral relations to new heights for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

Following the announcement, Saudi Arabian Airlines said on Twitter that direct flights to Thailand would resume in May.

Saudi Arabia had previously downgraded relations with Thailand after a diplomatic row over the 1989 theft of roughly $20 million worth of jewels by a Thai janitor working in the palace of a Saudi prince, in what became known as the Blue Diamond Affair.

Prayut expressed his sincere regrets for the tragic cases that took place in Thailand between 1989 to 1990 and pledged to resolve all pending issues between the two sides, the statement claimed.

He reaffirmed his governments commitment to raising the cases to competent Thai authorities if new well-founded evidence relating to the cases emerges, and to provide appropriate security to Saudi officials.

Both sides also reiterated their commitments to do their utmost to ensure the safety of each others nationals in their respective countries, it stated.

Three Saudi diplomats in Thailand were assassinated in three different incidents a year after the diamond theft.

In 2014, a Thai court dropped a case against five men, including a senior police officer, charged with the murder of Saudi businessman Mohammad al-Ruwaili, who went missing one month after witnessing one of the Saudi diplomats shootings.

Reuters contributed to this report.
Segregation: Parents Protest Schools Differential Treatment of Unmasked Students in Loudoun County

LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va.Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is reverting to segregation-era-style policies by treating masked and unmasked students differently, parents whose children chose to not wear a mask to school this week said at a Jan. 25 school board meeting.

The mask mandate has been a contentious issue between parents and the school board in the Virginia county over the past two years, with the topic consistently being mentioned during public comments at school board meetings. However, it has escalated to a new level since the states new Republican governor took office on Jan. 15.

On his first day in office, Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed an executive order (pdf) that removed the mask mandate in schools, leaving students mask-wearing to be determined by parents. The order took effect on Jan. 24. However, on Jan. 18, the Loudoun County School Board voted 81 to keep the districts mask mandate in place.

Students who refused to wear a mask were sent to the school auditorium, gym, or library to social distance and do virtual learning, according to LCPS spokesperson Wayde Byard. He told Fox News on Jan. 25 that fewer than 200 students out of the total 80,000 student population went to school without wearing a mask.

At the meeting, more than 100 people registered to speak, and about 200 people attended. Before the public comment session, about 40 parents and teachers held a rally outside in the cold so that they could speak freely without the one-minute limit imposed during public comment.

Erin (L), Caroline (2nd L), Clint, and Laura Thomas speak to reporters outside the Loudoun County Public Schools administration building in Ashburn, Va., on Jan. 25, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Hold The Line

Caroline Thomas, 16, and Laura Thomas, 14, told The Epoch Times that because they chose to not wear masks, they were stuck in the school auditorium on Jan. 24 and an auxiliary gym on Jan. 25. The room temperature was 85 degrees Fahrenheit on Jan. 24, and 55 degrees F on Jan. 25, they said.

Both times [days] in a room with no windows and no access to anybody else except for the unmasked students, Caroline said.

Caroline is a junior and Laura is a freshman at Woodgrove High School.

According to Caroline, the vice principal and administrators guarded the door so that the unmasked students couldnt leave the room on their own. On Jan. 24, the virtual learning platform wasnt updated, so it took a while for the students to obtain instructions and assignments.

I just think its very discriminatory and segregation. We are separated from people because we choose not to wear a mask while they [other students] are wearing a mask. Thats not okay. Thats ridiculous, Caroline said. Were supposed to have the same equal education, not learning separately on Chromebooks while theyre doing in-person education with the teacher.

The unmasked students also were told that they would have to mask up to go back to classrooms if they needed to take tests, according to Erin Thomas, Carolines mother. Because the end of the second grading period is on Jan. 28, many students have quarter-end tests to take at about this time.

Erin told The Epoch Times that about 50 unmasked students had to use a single restroom backstage in the auditorium on Jan. 24. After the parents complained, the students were allowed to use the bathrooms in the main hall of the auditorium, but only when the masked students werent around. The unmasked students lunch break was also separate from the rest of the school. On Jan. 25, they took their lunch in the gym.

This is punitive psychological warfare trying to force them to break, leave, or comply, Clint Thomas, father of Caroline and Laura, told The Epoch Times.

Erin said her family plans to hold the line.

This is not about getting everybody to take the mask off. This is about free choice, she said. All were trying to do is exercise our free choice in the United States of America.

Erin said she was really proud of our kids, noting that fighting for freedom outweighs getting an A on a test.

They said that if they were the only ones in that aux gym, if they were the only ones set apart, they would do it because they know there are many others out there that are too afraid to take a stand, she said.

On the morning of Jan. 26, the school didnt allow Caroline and Laura to enter the classroom for a student-run Bible study at 8:30 a.m., before school time, the family told The Epoch Times.

An attendee holds up a board member group photo in which they were all unmasked during the Loudoun County School Board meeting in Ashburn, Va., on Jan. 25, 2022. (Terri Wu/The Epoch Times)

Mask Mandate Supporters

Some participants at the meeting spoke in support of LCPSs mask mandate. In their speeches, they also supported equity, diversity, and inclusion programs.

Joel Cornell, of the Northern Virginia branch of Communist Party USA, said the school board must protect the students through the most basic safety protocols like masking and social distancing, a simple tool in the fight against the pandemic.

Erika Ogedegbe, an LCPS parent, thanked the board for listening to science and public health experts, which support mandatory masking in schools.

Several speakers said that the overwhelming voice for parents choice of masking students at the school board meeting was loud, but a very small fraction of the county and that these parents didnt represent the whole community.

There will come a time to unmask, and none of us want that to be this way forever. But its up to the scientific and medical community, not politicians, to guide us when the time is right, one of them said.

Teacher Disciplined for Not Wearing Mask

Karen Mineo, an art teacher at an LCPS elementary school, was put on leave without pay on Jan. 24 for not wearing a mask during class. A day later, she received a disciplinary letter from her principal.

The letter states that the principal expected her to comply with the required mask order when in LCPS buildings, effective immediately.

Any violation of the expectations outlined in this Memo of Expectation may result in additional disciplinary action, up to and including termination, the letter reads.

At the rally, Mineo said her principal was nice, but he still canceled me because of a directive that was given to him.

So thats the way it was explained to me: The choices are either you mask up or go home, she said. And its leave without pay.

The few people I encountered at that school that day applauded what I was doing, but had no guts to do it on their own. So I said, Thats it. I have to keep this fight. I have to keep it going for all those teachers who are just too scared and cant face it.

Representatives for LCPS didnt respond to a request for comment by press time.

Youngkin issued a statement regarding the issue on Jan. 21.

I have said all along that we are going to stand up for parents, he said. Executive Order 2 is not about pro-masks versus anti-mask, its about empowering parents.

Youngkin noted that hes confident that the order would hold up in court.

On Jan. 24, seven school boards in Virginia filed a lawsuit against the governor in Arlington Circuit Court, seeking an immediate injunction barring enforcement of his mask-optional executive order.

The seven school boards include Alexandria City, Arlington County, Fairfax County, Falls Church City, Hampton City, Prince William County, and Richmond City.

More than 50 of the roughly 130 school districts in Virginia voted to keep the mask mandate, according to The Washington Post.
Ukrainian soldiers patrol the line of separation from pro-Russian rebels near Katerinivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Dec 7, 2021. (Andriy Dubchak/AP Photo)

Send Weapons to Ukraine, Conservatives Tell Trudeau

The Conservative Party has called Tuesday on the Canadian government to send weapons to Ukraine, as there are more and more signs of a potential Russian invasion.

The time for waffling by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must end, MPs Michael Chong, James Bezan, and Pierre Paul-Husin said in a statement.

The MPs said a number of countries have already provided weapons to Ukraine, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and states formerly under Soviet control such as Poland, the Czech Republic, and the Baltic countries.

That is why Canadas Conservatives are again calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to immediately provide lethal defensive weapons to Ukraine, including the weapons originally destined for the Kurdish Peshmerga, says the statement.

These weapons were mentioned in an Ottawa Citizen article on Jan. 24, which says they were promised to the Kurds in 2016 but were never sent due to opposition from the Iraqi government.

The weapons, enough to arm between 500 to 600 troops, constitute $10 million worth of small arms such as assault rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, anti-tank recoilless rifles, mortars, grenade launchers, pistols, and ammunition.

Many of these would not be compatible with Ukraines armament, which is of Russian or Soviet origin.

The cache was originally stored in Montreal, but a Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson told the Ottawa Citizen the weapons have been moved to an undisclosed location, yet are still in Canadas possession.

When asked recently in press conferences if Canada would send weapons to Ukraine, Trudeau didnt say it wouldnt happen.

We know that they need other things. We are looking at what we can do to help more, Trudeau said.

Canada announced last week it was offering a $120 million loan to Ukraine to strengthen its economic resilience. Loans totalling $400 million had been provided in 2015.

The news was welcomed by Ukraine, but its embassy in Canada specifically asked for additional support such as weapons.

The Conservative Party also called Trudeau to extend and expand the DNDs current training mission in Ukraine and to renew the provision of imagery from Canadas satellite RADARSAT. The Conservative government had started this initiative in 2015 but it was stopped a year after due to the transfer of the surveillance data being tangled in red tape and bureaucracy, the Ottawa Citizen reported.

As Canada and other Western countries have been amping the Russia threat, Ukraine itself has been striking a reassuring tone after the United States announced the drawdown of its embassy and ordered the families of its diplomats to leave the country.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told his country in a televised address on Jan. 24 there was no reason to panic, and its deputy foreign minister said there arent enough Russian troops on its borders for a full-scale invasion.
Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bintan, Indonesia, on Jan. 25, 2022, for the Singapore-Indonesia Leaders Retreat. (Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore)

Singapore, Indonesia Sign Agreements to Resolve Longstanding Bilateral Issues

Singapore and Indonesia inked three agreements on Tuesday to resolve longstanding bilateral issues relating to defense cooperation, airspace control, and fugitive extradition, Singapores Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

The agreementson Flight Information Region (FIR), defense cooperation, and extraditionwere signed in the presence of Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesian Prime Minister Joko Widodo during the leaders retreat in Bintan, Indonesia.

Both leaders affirmed that the agreements reflects the maturity of bilateral relations and illustrates our commitment to resolving longstanding matters of mutual importance amicably and constructively, for the long-term mutual benefit of our countries and peoples, the statement reads.

The two nations agreed to realign the boundary between their FIRs for a period of 25 years, in which Indonesia will delegate to Singapore the provision of air navigation services in portions of the airspace within the realigned Jakarta FIR.

This would allow Indonesia to reclaim more airspace control above the Natuna and Riau islands, which Singapore had administered since 1946 under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

The agreement takes into account the ICAOs rules and could be extended by mutual consent, the ministry stated.

Singapore and Indonesia also signed a defense cooperation agreement to strengthen cooperation between their armed forces, which will be in force for 25 years.

Under the agreement, Singapore will be able to conduct military training and exercises in Indonesia, with full regard for Indonesias sovereignty over its territory, including its archipelagic and territorial waters and airspace, and in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two nations also concluded an extradition treaty that will grant extradition for a comprehensive list of offenses. This is provided that the extradition is in accordance with the laws of both countries, and is subject to the requisite safeguards and provisions stated in the treaty.

Under the extradition agreement, perpetrators of 31 types of crime will be liable to be extradited and it will apply to offenses committed up to 18 years ago, Indonesias investment and maritime affairs ministry said in a statement.

The agreement would also mean that perpetrators would not be able to escape justice by changing their citizenship, it said.

Therefore, the implementation of the criminal extradition agreement will create a deterrence effect for felonies in Indonesia and Singapore, the statement said.

The issue of extradition has long been a frustration for Indonesia because of concerns about the difficulty of bringing some fugitives accused of embezzling large sums during the Asian financial crisis to justice.

An extradition treaty and defense cooperation agreement were signed in 2007 by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Prime Minister Lee, but they were never ratified by Indonesias parliament.

Reuters contributed to this report.
South Australia Implements COVID-19 Phone Monitoring Program to Support Vulnerable

The South Australian Government has spent $2.3 million (US$1.65 million) to establish a new phone monitoring program that calls vulnerable residents with COVID-19 twice a day to ensure they have adequate support during home isolation.

In a media release on Tuesday, Premier Steven Marshall said the COVID Home Telephone Monitoring Program from Wellbeing SA is boosting the support already given by the COVID Response Care Team (CRCT) in monitoring vulnerable South Australians with COVID-19.

As more South Australians become infected with COVID, the research shows at least 95 percent of them can complete their 10 days of isolation safely at home, he said.

This new phone monitoring program will assist those people who require a bit more support at home while doing the right thing and isolating to protect the health of other South Australians.

Wellbeing SA is an agency separate from the Department for Health and Wellbeing, which focuses on the prevention of disease in its vision to create a balanced health and wellbeing system supporting the improved physical, mental, and social wellbeing of South Australians.

Marshall said that as well as monitoring a persons overall health and wellbeing, the program looks at their ability to access food, medication, and other vital services, along with providing advice and help when necessary.

In addition to providing the new phone service, Wellbeing SA will begin admitting COVID-19 patients to My Home Hospital, which brings hospital-level care to patients at home in the form of doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, blood tests, medication, and some x-rays, as well as meals and personal care if required.

Wellbeing SA Chief Executive Lyn Dean said people with COVID-19 first undergo a health and wellbeing assessment from CRCT, after which they may be referred to the telephone monitoring program.

The program takes referrals from CRCT, who assess whether a person is more at risk of becoming unwell in their isolation period or maybe more vulnerable, she said.

The person then receives an in-depth assessment over the phone, followed typically by two calls a day to make sure they have what they need to isolate safely over the period.

People who develop a clinical concern that cannot be managed in their home or require urgent clinical review will be escalated back to the CRCT team for management and closer monitoring, Dean said.

This comes as the number of active COVID-19 cases in South Australia has climbed to 30,641, with 287 people in hospital with the infection.
Terrorists in Nigeria Target Traditional Leaders to Capture Territory

Lawmakers in Nigerias north-central Plateau state have said that terrorists are planning to expand their territories by targeting traditional leaders known as monarchs.

Terrorists fleeing airstrikes by the U.S.-supported Nigerian military in the northwest region are attempting to impose a government of their own through the kidnapping and assassination of local town leaders, lawmakers told The Epoch Times.

The terrorist gangs, until recently labeled as bandits, arent believed to be formal allies of the Islamic State of West Africa or of the Al Qaeda-linked group known as Ansaru.

However, security analysts believe that the gangs and other terrorist groups sometimes collaborate in crime schemes.

Taking Over Towns

Elements of the Boko Haram insurgency migrated some of its units to northwestern states two years ago, according to David Otto Endeley, an international crime specialist at the Geneva Centre for Africa Security and Strategic Studies.

In Sokoto state, located in Nigerias far northwest, terrorists started taking over towns and villages in 2021 and now have seized more than 200.

Traditionally in warfare, when your leader is killed, its like youve been put under subjugation and under a new rule, Simon Mwadkwon, a member of the Nigerian House of Representatives, told The Epoch Times. That is what these [terrorists] are doing, and that is what I envisage will happen eventually if they are allowed to continue.

At least eight monarchs were attacked from Dec. 15, 2021, to Jan. 16, according to Nigerian media outlets.

Two monarchs were reportedly killed and six were taken hostage until ransoms were paid. The attacks came on the heels of an advisory by the Department of State Services (DSS)Nigerias secret policeon Dec. 15, 2021, advising that Very Important Persons were prone to attacks during festivities.

In the latest incident on Jan. 16, an armed gang seized Da Gyang Ballak, the monarch of Vwang, a southern district on the outskirts of Jos, Nigeria, the capital of Plateau state.

Ballak was kidnapped at about 8 p.m. on a bright moonlit evening in Kuru, Nigeria, close to the heavily guarded home of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), according to reports.

Residence Sprayed With Bullets

Witnesses told The Epoch Times that the gang was armed with assault rifles and had trapped the monarchs vehicle before they whisked him away.

The monarch has declined to speak to media outlets since his release hours later, after a 3 million Nigerian naira ($7,297) ransom was paid, according to Gyang Kim, a tribal leader in Kuru.

Three weeks before his kidnapping, dozens of motorcycle-riding terrorists had seized a higher-ranking monarch, Charles Mato Dakat, in nearby Mangu County. They demanded a ransom of 500 million naira ($1.2 million).

Local residents told The Epoch Times that the terrorists stormed the monarchs home in Gindiri town at midnight on Dec. 26 2021 and sprayed his residence with bullets. Locals who were terrified by the gunfire contacted soldiers at a military checkpoint less than two miles away, but the troops arrived after the terrorists had vanished with the monarch.

Mato was released by his captors on Dec. 31, 2021, but he hasnt responded to inquiries from The Epoch Times since then.

The kidnappers appear to be linked to a jailbreak in Jos on Nov. 28, 2021.

Jailbreak Frees 262

The military raided an encampment in Plateau state on Jan. 20 and killed three suspected kidnappers, Maj. Ishaku Takwa, a spokesman for Operation Safe Haven, said on Jan 21. Takwa said the three were members of the gang that attacked the prison.

The terrorists are believed to have masterminded the recent kidnap incidences [in Plateau state], Takwa said.

As reported in December 2021 by The Epoch Times, a six-man gang overpowered armed guards at the Medium Security Custodial Center in Jos, releasing 262 inmates.

Officials told journalists that militants from the Fulani tribe had carried out the attack.

The Fulani are one of the largest ethnic groups in Africa. Militants from the tribe in Nigeria have been blamed for the murder of scores of Nigerian Christians since 2009.

The militants in Plateau state were formally labeled as terrorists by the Nigerian government in November 2021. Notwithstanding that label, Nigerian air-force strikes against terrorists have been reported in northwestern states such as Zamfara, but not in Plateau.

Plateau state leaders have told The Epoch Times that the bandit-terrorists murder unarmed citizens with impunity and on a grand scale.

10 Monarchs Killed

As of September 2020, the terrorists had killed 10 monarchs in Plateau state in recent years, according to local officials and media reports.

The paramount ruler of the Ron-Kulere tribe in Bokkos County, Lazarus Agai, 75, was murdered in July 2016. Agai was killedalong with his son and daughter-in-law, as well as his driver and police attachealong a road where his close ally and district head of Manguna, Monday Adake, was killed two months earlier.

The serial targeted killing of monarchs is aimed at total territorial takeover, according to Sen. Istifanus Gyang on Sep 25, 2020, at the funeral of a slain monarch Bulus Chuwang.

Chuwang, the monarch of Foron district in the east of Barkin Ladi County, was killed by armed men suspected to be Fulani militants.

Terror Siege

The motivation of the kidnappings is to fundraise for terror attacks, according to Gyang, who represents Plateau north at the Nigerian senate.

It is established through the intelligence networks that there is a link between kidnapping as a major source of financing terrorism in Nigeria, he told The Epoch Times.

As in the northwest, town leaders are more attractive to the hostage seekers due to their influence on communities, according to Mwadkwon.

They know that once the head is taken, the people of the community will gather money to rescue their leader, Mwadkwon, who fears submission by communities after such kidnappings, told The Epoch Times. If they are not stopped, soon they could demand more than just money for ransomlike weve witnessed in the northwest.

A monarch in the states Bokkos County, Jonathan Sunday Akuns, who has faced personal threats from terrorists, said his people are at risk of experiencing a terror siege.

It is so sad, but clearly aimed at seeking to weaken the institution that represents an embodiment of the heritage of the autochthonous peoples in order to foist a terror siege on communities, Akuns wrote in a text message to The Epoch Times, accusing the government of failing to protect minorities.

Not all kidnappings in Plateau state are by Fulani terrorists, according to retired Brig. Gen. Maren Magit. However, bandit-terrorists fleeing the northwest could have sneaked in to spike the number of cases, Magit told The Epoch Times in a text message.

The recent increase in kidnappings could be attributed to the need for money to participate in [festivities] and the federal governments declaration of banditry as terrorism.

Government Complicity

The failure of the government to crush the terrorists after publicly designating them as a threat to the state has emboldened the gangs to upscale attacks on civilians, according to Gyang.

The federal government has designated and formerly gazetted [put into law] the designation of all bandits and gun-carrying killer men as terrorists, he said. The implication is for them to be dealt with decisively, frontally, and to ensure that they dont get any opportunity to undertake their wicked enterprise.

I am at a loss that the needed response, which should have been very massive under this new position of the federal government, has been in waiting.

Malcolm Omirhobo, a human rights attorney, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani Muslim, of delaying actions against the terrorists out of religious bias.

Insecurity in Nigeria has grown into an uncontrollable hydra-headed monster because of the incompetence, cluelessness, unpatriotism, nepotism, clannishness, bigotry, deceit, and dishonesty of the President Buhari-led government, Omirhobo told The Epoch Times.
The beloved actress, who passed away 29 years ago this month, is a timeless inspiration

In 2006, 29 years after the Hollywood icons passing, Audrey Hepburn was voted the most beautiful woman of all time by the British magazine New Woman.

Gregory Peck, her acting partner in her first Hollywood film, said in a Gero von Bohm documentary about her: I was the happiest person in the world when I had the privilege of being her partner in her first Hollywood film. For six wonderful months, we shot in Rome. That was in 1952. The film is the story of a princess who is incognito in the city to escape her official duties. She meets a journalist, falls in love with him, but in the end, she sacrifices that love and resumes her duties as a future queen. And he returns to his newspaper job. No doubt, the princess has become a queen in real life as well. One of the most popular, talented, intelligent, sensitive, and charming actresses and friends of my life.

Originally trained as a ballet dancer, the young Hepburn gained experience in various film roles as early as 1948. In 1951, she played the main part in the successful Broadway musical Gigi in New York.

She was offered a starring role in Roman Holiday as Princess Ann, who takes a day off from her royal responsibilities in Rome. Her first Hollywood production was a great successHepburn received an Oscar for it, her first of four.

Actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) sketches on the set of War and Peace directed by King Vidor, in 1956. (Phil Burchman/Getty Images)

Hepburn stars as Princess Ann in the romantic comedy Roman Holiday in 1953. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

Hepburn humbly commented on her performance, which launched the beginning of her Hollywood career and made her a sought-after movie star: They were looking for an unknown face. I was able to fulfill that qualification.

Connie Wald, a former famous Hollywood hostess to movie stars and Hepburns best friend, said: After Roman Holiday, she was suddenly a star the world adored. And she came as a pleasant surprise because she was so different from everyone else and so unique. Not only her looks made her special, her voice alone, her diction, had a special quality. However, she herself was extremely humble when it came to her talents. She didnt want to hear all that. Everyone loved her. She was flooded with offers and invitations, but she just wanted to live a normal life.

Growing Up

Hepburn said that the upbringing of her mother, Baroness Ella van Heemstra, had a big influence on her and shaped who she was.

My mother was quite severe and, you know, compared to todays standards, very Anglo-Saxon, very Dutch. And that also perhaps is what made me what I am, but what you see has a lot to do with what she or she wanted me to be, she told Barbara Walters in a 1989 interview.

I am often thought of as perhaps reserved. Ive read that Im considered sometimes a perfectionist, which Im not. But I think it has something to do with that attitude, which I was brought up with. Of that, you know, not to fiddle or fuss about yourself, think about others first. Dont show off. Dont make a spectacle of yourself. But dont be seen to make a living out of making a spectacle of myself. And get on with it.

Style

In Hollywood in the 1950s and 60s, she starred in films by some of the best directors of the time, and alongside famous male leads such as Humphrey Bogart in Sabrina, Henry Fonda in War and Peace, Fred Astaire in Funny Face, Gary Cooper in Love in the Afternoon, Cary Grant in Charade, and Sean Connery in Robin and Marian.

Actors Audrey Hepburn and William Holden in a Nash-Healey roadster on the set Sabrina. in New York in October 1953. (Archive Photos/Getty Images)

In many of her films, she was dressed by Hubert de Givenchy. Long before the famous Breakfast at Tiffanys, Givenchy created the world-famous Audrey Hepburn lookelegant, simple, and timeless. Her son Sean Ferrer describes their collaboration this way: She saw the clothes he created as the beautiful vase that would enhance a simple field flower, whereas he viewed them as the vase that is kept simple so that nothing will detract from the natural beauty of the flower itself.  [That] elegance had its roots in both their inner values. It came from the right place. It wasnt a way to be noticed but a way to be humble.

Hepburn made 25 films in her career; her performances became great successes, and yet she made far fewer films than others.

I have always cared terribly about my private life, she said in an interview with Ivo Niehe. Once I had my boys, I wanted to spend a lot of time with them. What I did before my children were born is that I would do two films in the year and then took one year off, because I have never quite understood how you can be a good wife and be gone all the time making a movie.

And neither  I could understand how you can be a mother if you cant take your children with you and you are not making the pictures at home. So I didnt want to leave my children, I didnt want to leave my husband. This is why I didnt work very much. And especially when my oldest son started going to school, because when he was smaller, he came with me. But once he started to go to school, I stayed home, too.

Commitment

Born in Belgium in 1929 and raised in Holland, she first came into contact with the U.N. Childrens Relief Fund at the end of World War II in bombed-out Arnhem; the agency provided food for the city. Hepburn knew from her own experience what it meant to live as a hungry child amid war and bombs.

In 1989, she became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and used her popularity in the last years of her life to raise awareness about children suffering in poor and war-torn areas of the world.

At the service marking her passing on Jan. 20, 1993, some of her favorite lines by author Sam Levenson were recited by her son Sean Ferrer:

Time-Tested Beauty Tips

For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry.

For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge youll never walk alone.

We leave you a tradition with a future.

The tender loving care of human beings will never become obsolete.

People even more than things have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed.

Never throw out anybody.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, youll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands: one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

Your good old days are still ahead of you. May you have many of them.
Supporters of Canadian truck drivers protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate cheer on a convoy of trucks on their way to Ottawa, on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Jan. 25, 2022. (David Lipnowski/The Canadian Press)

Trucker Convoy Is Making History

Commentary

It was a long time in coming, but we are now seeing a large and widespread protest effort in opposition to government pandemic mandates. As restrictions and mandates drag on, it was inevitable that large numbers of people would eventually start to organize and push back. Who would have thought that the protest would come in the form of a massive convoy of trucks though?

While the Truckers for Freedom convoy began as a relatively small action on behalf of unvaccinated truckers who could no longer cross the border due to a new federal vaccine mandate, it has quickly morphed into something far beyond that.

Canadians were hungry for some form of protest against government pandemic restrictions and the convoy has provided them with it. The growth of this movement in such short order has been stunning to behold. Over 600,000 supporters have joined the Facebook group for the convoy while nearly 70,000 donors have contributed well over $5 million to support the cause. These numbers continue to grow by the minute and the convoy is still days away from Ottawa.

This viral (pardon the pun) protest is expanding in scope so quickly, it really is difficult to determine just how big it is. While the main convoy began in B.C., two other routes are planning to meet up with the main convoy in Ottawa, starting from both Eastern Canada and Southern Ontario. Videos and rumblings on social media suggest some U.S. truckers are driving up to support the effort as well. We really dont know how big this thing is going to be until they reach Ottawa. Its safe to say it will be like nothing Canadians have ever seen before.

Thousands of people who cant join the convoy have been coming out to cheer it on as it passes through their cities. In Winnipeg, local Hutterites who usually avoid participation in politics came out to provide food for the participants. This singular protest is something far beyond a simple group of truckers who want the right to eschew vaccinations.

Opposition to the convoy has been swift, vitriolic, and almost panicked. Former Trudeau advisor Gerald Butts put out a series of tweets trying to imply that the convoy was nothing but a western separatist effort created in order to raise funds for a political party. As the convoy spread across the nation, it became clear that this was not just a regional effort.

Legacy media has continually reported that GoFundMe has frozen the account for the convoy. While there are some requirements for organizers to meet before the funds are dispersed, there is no issue with the account and there is no malfeasance happening. The site is still receiving funds and they will be released. Many are trying to foster mistrust in the movement in hopes of reducing peoples willingness to donate to it. That effort is clearly failing.

Legacy media has also managed to ferret out some extreme statements made by fringe individuals on social media and is trying to use them to paint the convoy as being potentially dangerous and populated by white nationalists. If anything, these insulting insinuations about the supporters of the convoy are only galvanizing support among participants. The tired old race card is failing.

Politicians are divided across the nation on the convoy. Premiers Jason Kenney and Scott Moe have expressed support while other premiers have remained silent. Conservative leader Erin OToole has refused to take a definitive stance on the convoy while many of his MPs are openly in support of it.

The convoy is now making international headlines and even Donald Trump Jr. has commented in support of it.

We really dont know what this protest convoy is or what it will lead to. We have never seen anything like it in Canadian history. It is purely grassroots and doesnt seem to have any central leadership. The plan for what happens once the convoy reaches Ottawa appears murky. How long will they stay? How much will it congest the city? How will authorities react?

All we know for sure is something massive and unprecedented is happening. The establishment is clearly worried about this and doesnt know how to react. Citizens are excited and eager to support this challenge to the establishment.

Time will tell if this protest convoy manages to force the government to back down on any mandates. The convoy has already made it clear that opposition to and exhaustion with government restrictions is shared by much more than a tiny fringe minority of Canadians. Once this convoy is finished, we can rest assured that other protests will sprout up. The dam has broken and citizens are no longer passively standing by.

History will be made by the truckers convoy this weekend. Lets hope it is done in a positive way.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
A queue of people waiting to receive their COVID-19 booster jab at an NHS vaccination centre in London on Dec. 14, 2021. (Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Two-Thirds of People Infected With Omicron Say They Had COVID-19 Before: UK Study

About two-thirds of people recently infected with the Omicron variant say they have had COVID-19 before, according to a new UK study.

Among 3,582 individuals who tested positive for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus between Jan. 5 and Jan. 20, 2,315, or 64.6 percent, said they had previously had COVID-19, researchers found.

Professor Paul Elliott, who leads Imperial College Londons React-1 study (pdf), said these cases could not be technically labelled as reinfections because it was possible a person had tested positive twice for the same infection.

The data was unable to indicate at what point in the past people had tested positive for COVID-19.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said it will start including data on possible reinfection on its COVID-19 dashboard from the end of January.

Those testing positive 90 days or more after a previous infection will be considered a reinfection.

Reinfections will be backdated to the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and will be published alongside and added to the daily totals for England. Data for Wales, Northern Ireland, and Scotland will be added as soon as possible.

Researchers in South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first detected in November 2021, have found that the variant is better at evading immunity from prior infection than the Delta and Beta variants.

Omicron has also been found to be much more effective at infecting people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

New data from the React-1 study suggests the peak of the Omicron wave in the UK was around Jan. 5, with cases flattening off by the middle of January.

The highest prevalence was 4.41 percent between Jan. 5 and 20, meaning during this period 1 in 23 people in England was infected with COVID-19.

The data also show that Omicron has become the dominant variant in England and has almost completely replaced Delta.

Health Secretary Sajid Javid said it is reassuring to see COVID-19 infections beginning to slow across the country, but it is vital to continue to be vigilant.

Some scientists are already predicting COVID-19 will soon become endemic.

Professor David Heymann, from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said on Jan. 11 that the UK is probably the closest to any country of being out of the pandemic if it isnt already out of the pandemic and having the disease as endemic.

Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia, also said on Dec. 28 that COVID-19 will become just another cause of the common cold.

Zachary Stieber, Petr Svab, and PA Media contributed to this report.
Police stand in front of the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue, in Colleyville, Texas, on Jan. 16, 2022. (Brandon Wade/AP Photo)

UK Police Arrest 2 Men Over Texas Synagogue Hostage Incident

Two men have been arrested in the English city of Manchester as part of the investigation into the hostage-taking incident at a Texas synagogue involving British national Malik Faisal Akram, British police said on Wednesday.

Akram, 44, originally from Blackburn in Lancashire, was shot dead when FBI officers rushed into Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on Jan. 15, following a 10-hour stand-off.

Announcing the latest development, Greater Manchester Police said that two men were arrested in Manchester on Wednesday morning and remain in custody for questioning.

Malik Faisal Akram at a homeless shelter in Dallas, Texas, on Jan. 2, 2022. (OurCalling, LLC via AP)

The force said that officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are working closely with and are supporting U.S. law enforcement.

Two men arrested in Birmingham and Manchester on Jan. 20 as part of the same probe have been released with no further action.

FBI officials said on Jan. 16 that they were investigating the incident as a terrorism-related matter and that Akram had demanded the release of Aafia Siddiqui, a neuroscientist who is serving an 86-year prison sentence after being convicted for attempting to murder and assault Americans in Afghanistan.

In a press conference held in Texas last Friday, the FBI said Akram was not known and had no prior contact with U.S. intelligence services.

The bureau said it is conducting rigorous analysis of Akrams associates, his online presence, and his devices.

Akram was on the watchlist of MI5, the UKs security service, according to reports from UK media outlets. He was reportedly probed by MI5 as a possible terrorist threat in 2020, but the investigation was closed after officials determined he wasnt a threat.

Its not yet clear how Akram, who had a criminal record in the UK, was able to travel to the United States around the time of the New Year. U.S. officials believe Akram had a visa, arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, and bought the handgun used in the incident.

Gulbar Akram, Malik Akrams younger brother, told media outlets that he believes his sibling never should have been allowed to get a visa, citing the mans mental health issues that he said were widely known.

An audio recording obtained by the London-based Jewish Chronicle newspaper appears to show a tense final conversation between Akram and his brother.

Akram made the call to his family in Blackburn as the siege was going on, and he can be heard giving an anti-Semitic rant and telling his brother he had come to die.

Gulbar tried repeatedly to persuade his brother to surrender, but Akram insisted he wanted to go down as a martyr.

Zachary Stieber and PA Media contributed to this report.
The unending pain of Albanian history and the dark sorrows of her relatives forged her character

By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus.

This modest autobiography could belong to no one other than Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, better known around the world as Mother Teresa. Long before her death in 1997 and her elevation to the status of a Catholic saint in 2016, she fascinated biographers. Malcolm Muggeridges BBC studio interview in London in 1968, followed by a 1969 documentary filmed in Calcutta and a 1971 book, Something Beautiful for God, launched what might almost be described as a Mother Teresa industry.

Gezim Alpion is an Albanian-born academic at the University of Birmingham in the UK whose interests include the sociology of religion and of celebrity. Mother Teresa: The Saint and Her Nation is his second book about his famous compatriot. Hes regarded as the most authoritative English-language author on her and the founder of Mother Teresa Studieseven though he doesnt follow any faith, describing himself as a spiritual rationalist. Others have written about her good deeds and her spirituality, but Alpion examines her Albanian identity.

Mother Teresa: The Saint and Her Nation by Gezim Alpion. (Bloomsbury Academic India, 2020)

This angle is almost always forgotten, as Gonxhe Bojaxhiu left her home in Skopje (which is today the capital of the Republic of North Macedonia) when she was 18. Today, shes completely identified with India.

She never imagined that people would regard her as the greatest Albanian since medieval warlord and patriot Skanderbeg (14051468). In fact, Alpion discovered that she swore to her mother when she left that I will never speak in Albanian until we meet again.

Bojaxhui kept that promise, within the bounds of civility. She never did see her mother again. She had a cousin and adopted sister, Filomena, whom she loved dearly, who migrated to Australia. She visited her in 1969 and insisted on speaking English, even though Filomena had never mastered the language. Even during eight trips to Albania late into her life, she spoke in English.

Alpion unraveled this mystery by reviewing the ceaseless pain of Albanian history and digging into the saints background on both sides of her family.

Albanians cant reminisce about a glorious past as a powerful empire, as other small European countries can the Bulgarians, the Armenians, the Greeks, or the Lithuanians. Periodic invasions and persecutions by Serbs and Turks have sent waves of Albanian migrants fleeing both east and west. In Syria, there areor used to be, before the chaos of its barbarous civil warsmall communities of ethnic Albanians known as the Arnaut. In Italy, there are enough small villages of Albanian speakers to justify two Byzantine-rite, Albanian-speaking Catholic bishops.

People with Albanian backgrounds have played significant roles in history. Apart from Skanderbeg and Kemal Ataturk, Alpion has made a case for the Corsican adventurer Napoleon Bonaparte. And there have been four Popes from Albania or with Albanian backgrounds, most recently the 18th-century pontiff Clement XI (who was born as Giovanni Francesco Albani).

In recent centuries, Albanian speakers have been crushed between the Orthodox Serbs and Greeks and the Muslim Turks, which accounts for the fact that only about 10 percent of Albanians in Albania and Kosovo currently identify as Roman Catholics. The Serbs wanted the Albanians to become Orthodox and the Turks wanted them to become Muslim. Unfortunately, for centuries the Vatican, which is just across the Adriatic Sea, wasnt prepared to defend Albanian Catholics, according to Alpion. It had bigger fish to frya charm offensive with the Serbs.

Ethnic cleansing and massacres continued into the 20th century. As late as the 1950s, the governments of Yugoslavia and Turkey made a pact that would have allowed the expatriation of 1 million Albanians to Turkey. In the end, about 100,000 were expelled. It was state-endorsed human trafficking of the population of  entire regions of an ancient, homogenous nation, Alpion said.

What does this grim background have to do with Mother Teresa?

Alpion has dug deep into her family history and discovered that its blood-stained and nationalistic. Hes the first to publish the sketchy details.

Land of Albania!  thou rugged nurse of savage men! sang the 19th-century English poet Lord Byron. He wasnt wrong. Bojaxhuis maternal great-grandfather, Pjeter Bardhi, was murdered in a blood feud. His son, Bojaxhuis grandfather Ndue, avenged him and was murdered in his turn. Ndues son Gjon, Bojoxhuis uncle, was another victim of the blood feud.

Mother Teresa speaks at a press conference in Washington on June 13, 1986 about her work with children, lepers, and AIDS victims. (DON PREISLER/AFP via Getty Images)

And then there was the ardent nationalism of Bojaxhuis businessman father, Nikolle. He worked to promote education in Albanian and lobbied to keep Albanian schools from closing under Serb pressure. He even managed to secure funding for existing schools and for opening new ones. He opposed the creation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, which scooped up Albanian territory after World War I.

This probably led to his death. In 1919, his business went bankrupt, and not long after, he was poisoned after a political meeting in Belgrade, Serbia. His final hours were agonizing and traumatized the family, including 9-year-old Bojaxhui.

Alpion believes that even Bojaxhuis name was a nationalist gesture. In Albanian it means rosebud or little flower. When she was born in 1910, both Slav nationalists and Ottoman authorities frowned upon the use of the Albanian language. Naming their infant daughter Gonxhe was a small but significant act of defiance, according to Alpion. And her baptismal name, Agnes, was ostentatiously Roman Catholic.

This dark background was, as they sayor used to saycharacter-forming, for Bojaxhui. But in the wake of World War I, there was more to come. Her mothers brother Mark, a prosperous businessman, had four children. First, one of the sons died of the Spanish flu, then the heartbroken father. This flu also took another daughter, her husband, and yet another daughter. Finally, Bojaxhuis grandmother died. Only Filomena, who came to live with Gonxhe and her mother Roza, survived.

Mother Teresa (R) gives her blessing to a child at the Gift of Love Home on Oct. 20, 1993, in Singapore. (ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Alpion believes that these childhood experiences prepared Bojaxhui for her vocation in the Missionaries of Charity.

It was during those turbulent formative years in Skopje that Gonxhes lifelong gratitude to Jesus began, he wrote. This was also the moment when she started thinking that the best way to show her thankfulness was to help people in distress. This was one of the reasons why she chose India as her destination when she learned about its poor from Balkan missionaries who had served there.

All of this new information suggests that Bojaxhui was well-prepared for what Catholic mystics call the dark night of the soul, in which she was shaken by doubts about Gods existence and his loving providence throughout her long years as a nun.

No one ever doubted that Bojaxhiu was a remarkable woman. This scrupulously researched study shows that she was even more remarkable than we thought. As Alpion wrote, Mother Teresas life, ministry and legacy show the need to include women in Thomas Carlyles contention that the history of the world is but the Biography of great men.

This article was originally published on MercatorNet.
Unvaccinated elementary school teacher Nadia Lyakhnovich in front of one of New York's Department of Education buildings. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times)

Unvaccinated NYC Teachers Live in Limbo Awaiting City, Court Decisions

Thousands of New York City teachers who refused to receive the mandated COVID-19 vaccination were put on unpaid leave last fall and were told by the citys Department of Education that theyd be terminated on Dec. 1, 2021, if they didnt acquiesce.

That date has come and gone with no action from the department, leaving the teachers still employed, but unpaid and in the dark about their future.

Nadia Lyakhnovich, who was a special education teacher in East Harlem, is one of the teachers to be removed from the classroom.

I want to have children in the future, and I just didnt trust this vaccine, Lyakhnovich told The Epoch Times. I had a friend who took it and it messed up her entire menstrual cycle.  She also took a booster shot recently and she didnt get her period for months.

Lyakhnovich, 32, also didnt want the jab because there are no long-term studies of it yet, and the survival rate from the virus is extremely high.

So I didnt see the point of getting this shot, she said.

Global history teacher Stephanie Edmonds in her Bronx classroom before she was put on unpaid leave. (Courtesy of Stephanie Edmonds)

At the end of last summer, the Education Department decided that teachers didnt need to be vaccinated, but would require a weekly test, Lyakhnovich said.

Which a lot of uswe werent happy about, but, fine, well compromise, she said.

But a few weeks later, the rule was changed so all teachers needed to be vaccinated by the end of September, and violators would be put on unpaid leave, she said.

Lyakhnovich says the department accepted applications for religious and medical exemptions, although the requirements for each were nearly impossible to meet (such as being in the third trimester of pregnancy), and about 99 percent of people got rejected for their religious exemptions.

The department offered the unvaccinated teachers two options. The first was they could quit, they would be paid for all remaining sick days, have health insurance for a year, but could not sue the department. The alternative allowed teachers to stay on unpaid leave, have health insurance for a year, and they still couldnt sue.

We refused to sign either package, said Lyakhnovich.

They all applied for unemployment insurance, she said, but only a few were accepted.

Although the Dec. 1 date for unvaccinated teachers to be fired has passed, they remain on unpaid leave. Meanwhile, Lyakhnovich was told that while on unpaid leave, technically theyre not supposed to work on the books at all. She said that isnt true.

Three-time plaintiff and unvaccinated New York City teacher Rachel Maniscalco and her daughter Julia. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times)

Rachel Maniscalco was an English and special education teacher in Staten Island at both the middle school and high school levels.

At the time the vaccines were made available to the public, Maniscalco was pregnant with her second daughter and didnt think there was enough data to warrant taking one.

Maniscalco said a preliminary study by the New England Journal of Medicine showed a high rate of miscarriages and stillbirths to expectant mothers who were vaccinated; plus, she was already at a high risk of miscarriage.

That was enough for her to decline to take the jab.

Meanwhile, she is a participant in three lawsuits.

One is a class action against the citys health and education departments and the NYC Mayors Office. Maniscalco is officially named as the plaintiff representing unvaccinated teachers. The grounds of the lawsuit are that the mandate is unconstitutional.

The second lawsuit is similar but represents tenured teachers, who argue that because not getting the jab doesnt violate their contract, they should be put on paid leave.

Nicole Broecker is named as the plaintiff and the United Federation of Teachers has been added to the list of defendants.

Maniscalco is a lone plaintiff in the third lawsuit, which has several of the same defendants. However, in this one, shes citing a breach of labor laws, rather than a violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The Education Department is showing no signs of making a decision, and the lawsuits, all filed late last year, might drag on for months, leaving these teachers in a state of limbo.

When Maniscalco was first put on leave, she spent a lot of time attending and speaking at protests, sometimes up to three per week. She also became the face of the cause, giving interviews on national and cable news, as well as local New York stations.

It took two months for Maniscalcos unemployment payments to kick in, so she worked temporary jobs, such as bartending, tutoring, and as a receptionist at a tax preparer. Her husband works full-time for a shipping company near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

For Stephanie Edmonds, who taught 10th-grade global history in the South Bronx, her savings are keeping her afloat. She had always made it a habit to save money, and she thanks her parents for instilling that in her.

Over her five years as a full-time teacher, Edmonds found ways to bring in extra money while still working in the school system, such as teaching over the summers.

I kind of knew this was coming, so I saved all my summer school money, she told The Epoch Times.

I can hold the line a little while longer.

If the situation drags on for months, she feels that driving for Uber Eats or Amazon Flex may be in her future. In the meantime, she uses her time to participate in protests against the mandate as well as prayer vigils.

But Edmonds is a history teacher at heart. She would rather be teaching, so shes taken to YouTube to do just thatproducing short videos of global history lessons.

However, Edmonds sees this chapter of her life as a spiritual event.

God is calling me and the other people who are holding the line to build something, to make something, she said. I feel like this is God calling me home in a way.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on during a press conference in Geneva on Jan. 21, 2022. (Alex Brandon/AFP via Getty Images)

US-China Ties Growing More Adversarial Due to Much More Aggressive Beijing, Blinken Says

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he sees increasingly adversarial aspects of the United States relationship with the Chinese regime.

The change is largely because the Chinese regime has become much more assertive, much more aggressive, whether its in the region or beyond, by a variety of means, Blinken said during a Jan. 24 online event.

The top U.S. diplomat noted the ties are growingly adversarial, rather than competitive and cooperative, two elements undergirding the Biden administrations policies toward China.

Blinken leveled criticisms against Chinas overseas infrastructure investment, state-backed investment in sensitive industries and technologies, and its attitudes toward human rights and intellectual property.

An effective way to guard against problematic investments from China or protect U.S. technology from flowing into the hands of the Chinese military is to coordinate with allies and be more engaged in international institutions, according to Blinken.

When its the United States taking this on alone, were 20 or 25 percent of world GDP [gross domestic product], Blinken said. When were doing it in concert with partners and allies in Europe or in Asia, its 40, 45 percent, 50 percent of world GDP.

Thats a lot harder for China to ignore.

Building alliances and partnerships to counter a range of Chinese Communist Party economic and military abuses is a key aspect of the Biden administrations approach to China.

The United States, European Union, and Japan in November 2021 announced they would renew a trilateral partnership to address challenges posed by the non-market practices.

Blinken also made his first overseas visit as secretary of state to Southeast Asia, aiming to bolster partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. Washington is increasing investment and trade in countries such as Indonesia, which has heavy economic reliance on China.

Regarding tech competition, the administration will push to get the $52 billion CHIPS Act passed, Blinken said.

The Senate passed the legislation, including $52 billion for expanding domestic chip production, in June 2021, but it has stalled for months in the House. Blinken called the bill a major step forward to boost the countrys ability to compete with Chinese technology. The House of Representatives on Jan. 25 unveiled its version of the bill in a bid to negotiate a final bill with the Senate this year.

While Blinken noted the Chinese regimes growing aggression around the world, he said that fully decoupling from Beijing would be faulty and potentially misguided.

Again, done the right way, trade, investment, including with and from China, can be a good thing.

But if the playing field is not leveland its not, because of the many practices that China engages inthat is a problem that has to be very effectively addressed, he said.
US Embassy in Ukraine Warns Americans to Consider Departing Now

The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv called on American citizens in Ukraine to consider leaving the Eastern European country now, arguing that the security situation is unpredictable amid heightened tensions with Russia.

The security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action and can deteriorate with little notice. The U.S. Embassy urges U.S. citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options, the embassy said in a statement on Jan. 26.

Americans who are still in Ukraine have multiple options to leave via commercial flights from Ukrainian airports.

Meanwhile, The embassy remains open and able to process U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and can also provide repatriation loans for U.S. citizens who cannot afford at this time to purchase a commercial ticket to the United States, according to the statement.

Earlier this week, the embassy called on U.S. citizens to make plans to leave Ukraine. It noted that some eligible family members of U.S. government employees were authorized by the Department of State to leave.

There are reports Russia is planning significant military action against Ukraine. The security conditions, particularly along Ukraines borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice. Demonstrations, which have turned violent at times, regularly occur throughout Ukraine, including in Kyiv, the embassy said at the time.

Russia has gathered tens of thousands of troops near its border with Ukraine but has denied that it plans to invade. In the meantime, the United States has spent weeks trying to build an agreement with European partners on a strong sanctions package if Russia attacks.

In a response to Russian demands, Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Jan. 26 said he delivered a written letter to Moscow, he told reporters at the State Department in Washington. The United States and NATO held to their previous statement that any country can join NATO, including Ukrainerejecting a Russian demand that the security alliance permanently bar Ukraine from joining.

We made clear that there are core principles that we are committed to uphold and defend, including Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity and the right of states to choose their own security arrangements and alliances, Blinken said.

Although Russian officials didnt issue an immediate public response to Blinkens statement, officials have previously said that the Kremlin would take retaliatory measures if NATO and the United States reject its demands.

The Pentagon previously said that around 8,500 U.S. troops have been placed on heightened readiness status. However, the decision hasnt yet been made to deploy them.

Reuters contributed to this report.
A pair of UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters take part in the Han Kuang drill at the Ching Chuan Kang (CCK) air force base in Taichung, central Taiwan, on June 7, 2018. (Sam Yeh/AFP via Getty Images)

US Must Expand the Battlefield to Win a War Against China Over Taiwan: Experts

The United States can win a war against China over Taiwan, analysts say, but it must take steps to expand its efforts in the different domains of economics, warfare, and diplomacy against the Chinese regime.

Describing a wargaming exercise conducted in October 2020, including a simulated conflict with the Chinese regime over Taiwan, then-Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. John Hyten said in July, Without overstating the issue, it failed miserably. As a result, Hyten called upon the Pentagon to overhaul its warfighting strategy to gain the edge in battle by 2030.

Grant Newsham, a retired U.S. Marine Colonel who was the first Marine Liaison Officer to the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, told The Epoch Times that the more people hear about losing a fight with China over Taiwan, it creates a sense of defeatism, a sense that theres nothing we can do. He said that America must expand the battlefield to find success against the Chinese regime.

James Fanell, a former director of intelligence and information operations for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, concurred. He said that the U.S. would have difficulties operating inside the first island chain, so the battlespace needs to be expanded not just in the military arena, but also the economic and diplomatic arena.

Weaken With Sanctions

Newsham and Fanell said lines of trade and commerce can be affected, if not stopped. And this would have a significant impact on the Chinese regimes ability to exert itself over Taiwan. Because China is dependent on overseas assets, Newsham said. It is very vulnerable.

Some of Chinas top imports include integrated circuits, crude petroleum and petroleum gases, and soybeans. China is the second-largest trade destination in the world with total imports averaging approximately $1.61 trillion.

The Chinese military, for all its rapid growth and power, is not able to defend Chinas overseas interests, or its overseas lines of communication, Newsham said. The country is simply too dependent on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union, its major import partners.

Fanell said, By limiting access to overseas assets including technology, energy, and even food, it would put the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) at great risk.

Newsham said that while it is seldom mentioned, it is also worth noting that the renminbi [RMB], is not a convertible form of currency. Its merely the official currency of the Peoples Republic of China, but China can barely buy anything overseas with it, nor does anybody really want the currency, he said.

According to Newsham, the United States could impose financial sanctions on China to take advantage of these huge vulnerabilities by stopping the flow of goods and keeping the use of the peoples currency internalized.

Fanell agreed, saying that crippling economic sanctions would get Chinas attention very quickly. Additionally, he said the United States Navy could interdict to stop or divert ships from delivering many of its imported resources.

It is then that the Chinese regime would become very vulnerable, not only militarily, but also financially and economically. By expanding the battlefield in this manner, Newsham said China would be given a very bad hand to play and be placed in a very weak position.

Admittedly, if a fight with the Chinese regime was limited to the Taiwan Strait, Newsham said, America would have a hard time, [but] by expanding the battlefield, odds would change immensely in favor of the United States.

Break Taiwans Isolation

Decades of isolation from large-scale joint exercises with its military allies must also come to an end, according to Newsham. Taiwans military has not developed the way it should have over the last 40 years due to a lack of exposure to other militaries, he explained.

Consider the problems that the Taiwanese could face in large-scale operations with other militaries, having never trained and conducted exercises together.

Newsham said he suspects such training with Taiwan has been neglected for so long for fear of upsetting the Chinese regime. That sends a message to Taiwan: we love you and well support you, but were afraid to be seen in public with you, he said. It is past time for Taiwans allies to break the isolation and engage in multilateral training and exercise with Taiwan.

If the isolation is not broken, he said the chances of allowing Taiwan to develop so that it could defend itself are severely jeopardized.

Whats more, Fanell said the CCP has heard from American military leaders that the United States wont strike the mainland. According to him, many fear that an attack on Chinas mainland would immediately escalate to a nuclear war. But Fanell doesnt agree.

The United States has done nothing more than give the Chinese regime the unwitting benefit of knowing they wont ever have to really defend themselves, he said. The United States needs to be willing to do whatever is necessary to change the Chinese regimes calculus and make them reconsider attacking Taiwan, he added.

Collective Condemnation

Other countries must use diplomatic means to impact the Chinese regimes global standing, Fanell said. One possibility includes making use of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), an informal partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

Fanell suggested that the U.S. State Department should encourage the Quads foreign ministers to issue a joint statement, alongside any other nation in the Indo-Pacific, that would condemn the Chinese regime for what it has done against Hong Kong and is doing against Taiwan. The point is, if the Chinese regime is going to be confronted, all levers of national power will have to be used.

In terms of diplomacy, Fanell said the world needs to be much more aggressive in confronting the Chinese regime for what its doing against freedom and liberty, and against international norms and standards. He said the Chinese regime is the odd nation out and the exception to the rule, adding that its not about America versus China, but its about China versus the world.

According to Fanell, this must be exposed in a way that further diminishes the standing and posture of the Chinese regime on a global scale. And part of the problem can be attributed to the United States, he added.

Big corporations and investment firms need to stop pouring billions of dollars into China, [because] some portion of every dollar thats spent there is going toward building the PLA, [Peoples Liberation Army] which in turn, uses it to prepare for war against the United States.
Embassy Charge d'Affaires Kristina Kvien (2nd from R) and Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Rostyslav Zamlynskii (3rd from R) speak to the media following the unloading of weapons delivered on a National Airlines plane by the United States military at Boryspil Airport near Kyiv in Boryspil, Ukraine, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

US Ordered Diplomat Families to Evacuate From Ukraine out of Abundance of Caution: Official

The United States evacuated diplomats families from Ukraine out of an abundance of caution, Kristina Kvien, the U.S. acting ambassador to Ukraine, said on Tuesday.

The decision was made because right now [President] Vladimir Putin and Russia have built up such military might on the border that they could take an action any day now, Kvien told ABC News, as tensions mount over the possibility of a Moscow-led invasion.

The United States felt that out of an abundance of caution, embassy families had to be kept safe, she said.

So that was the basis for a decision, said Kvien.

The U.S. State Department on Sunday authorized non-essential U.S. embassy staff to leave Ukraine, while families of Kyiv embassy staffers were ordered to leave.

State department officials also said at the time that the decision was made out of an abundance of caution.

In response, Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko called the decision premature and a display of excessive caution.

Kvien said Russia had gathered so many troops at its border with Ukraine and that officials believed Russia could do anything at any moment.

Its like a gun to the head of Ukraine, she said. And we dont think that Ukraine should have to live with a loaded gun to its head.

Western officials estimate Russia has amassed about 100,000 troops near the Ukraine border, while Ukrainian officials have estimated as many as 127,000 Russian troops are stationed at the border.

On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said U.S. citizens in Ukraine should leave the country immediately, noting that there are no plans for a departure or an evacuation for American citizens and diplomats from Ukraine in the event of an invasion.

There is not an intention for there to be a departure or an evacuation along those lines, Psaki told reporters when pressed on the issue. So we are conveying to American citizens they should leave now. And in fact, theres not precedent beyond Afghanistan for that to be how it operates.

We are conveying very clearly now that now is the time to leave and that there are means to do that, Psaki added.

Of course, theres commercial airlines, you can depart over land. Theres obviously the embassy there to provide assistance. And this is very similar to what we did in Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, and many other countries over the course of the last several decades. But there is not an intention or a plan for any military evacuation.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to the press about Russia and Ukraine during a visit to Honey Made, a small business in Washington, on Jan. 25, 2022. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images)

Russia has denied it is planning an invasion but has issued a list of demands that includes NATO promising to not allow Ukraine to become a NATO member state.

President Joe Biden said Tuesday that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would change the world and reiterated that the United States has no intention of sending troops to Ukraine.

There will be enormous consequences if [Putin] were to go in and invade, as he could, the entire countryor a lot less than as wellfor Russia, not only in terms of economic consequences and political consequences, but there will be enormous consequences worldwide, Biden said to reporters during a visit to a store in Washington on Jan. 25.

This would be the largestif he were to move in with all those forcesit would be the largest invasion since World War II, Biden added. It would change the world.

The Pentagon announced this week that at Bidens direction it was placing 8,500 American troops at a heightened readiness to deploy in support of eastern NATO allies should the ongoing tensions between Russia and Ukraine warrant it.

Administration officials continue to assert that the United States and its allies would impose severe sanctions against Russia if it were to invade Ukraine.

Russia seized control of Ukraines Crimea Peninsula in 2014 and Ukraines Donbas region has since seen violence that has taken more than 14,000 lives. The region is now under de facto control by Russia-backed separatists.

Nick Ciolino contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden holds a semiconductor chip as he speaks prior to signing an executive order, aimed at addressing a global semiconductor chip shortage, in the State Dining Room at the White House on Feb. 24, 2021. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

US Semiconductor Chip Shortage Poses Economic, National Security Risks: Commerce Dept.

The United States is facing a chronic shortage of semiconductor chips, and a long-term solution is desperately needed to avoid economic and national security risks to the nation, according to a new report by the Department of Commerce.

A government survey of more than 150 companies that produce and buy chipsaimed to provide insight into the complex and global semiconductor supply chainfound that urgent action is needed to resolve the crisis as soon as possible, as demand for chips could exceed supply for the next six months.

The White House asked both foreign and domestic chipmakers in September 2021 to submit supply chain information, including inventory data, demand, and delivery dynamics, by Nov. 8, 2021, in an effort to boost transparency and help understand where bottlenecks may exist in the semiconductor chip industry.

Specifically, the survey found that the median inventory held by chip consumers, which includes automakers or medical device manufacturers, has fallen to less than five days in 2021 from 40 days in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Demand for semiconductors has increased by as much as 17 percent in 2021 compared to 2019, yet consumers arent seeing a corresponding increase in available supply, creating a major supply and demand mismatch.

The survey also found that the majority of semiconductor manufacturing facilities are operating at or more than 90 percent of their capacity to manufacture chips, meaning that theyre limited in their ability to produce more without building new facilities. Supply chain bottlenecks that are mostly hampering the semiconductor industry include the need for more plants, as well as the lack of raw materials needed for both semiconductors and the other components paired with semiconductors to assemble sub-parts for electric devices.

The Department of Commerce stated that if another severe COVID-19 outbreak were to happen or a natural disaster or political instability was to disrupt a foreign semiconductor facility for even just a few weeks, this could have potentially detrimental consequences in the United States, such as seeing a manufacturing facility within the nation shut down, leaving U.S. workers and their families at risk.

The semiconductor supply chain remains fragile, and it is essential that Congress pass chips funding as soon as possible, Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo said. With sky-rocketing demand and full utilization of existing manufacturing facilities, its clear the only solution to solve this crisis in the long-term is to rebuild our domestic manufacturing capabilities.

House Democrats unveiled legislation on Jan. 25 that would provide $52 billion in funding for semiconductor chips, including $2 billion set aside for chips used by automakers.

The legislation, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (pdf), aims to boost the countrys ability to compete with Chinese technology, and funding was approved by the Senate in June 2021. However, approval of the legislation has been hindered by disputes between the House and Senate over how to direct the funding.

President [Joe] Biden has proposed $52 billion to revitalize our domestic semiconductor industry, and every day we wait on this funding is a day we fall further behind. But if we address this problem, we can create good jobs, rebuild American manufacturing, and strengthen our supply chains here at home for years ahead, Raimondo said.

Last week, Intel announced that its investing $20 billion to build two new leading-edge chip factories in Ohio in an effort to help boost production and meet the surging demand for advanced semiconductor chips.
A nurse administers a CCP virus vaccine to a health and care staff member at the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow, Scotland, on Jan. 23, 2021. (Jane Barlow/PA)

Vaccine Mandate for Health Care Workers Under Review, UK Health Secretary Says

The CCP virus vaccine mandate for Englands frontline health care workers is under review, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said on Tuesday.

Javid said it was right to reflect on CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus policies in the context of the Omicron variant and that the government is reflecting on all this.

This is the first sign from a government minister that suggests the mandatewhich is due to take effect on April 1is open for discussion.

Up until Monday, the government insisted the mandate is the right approach and will go ahead as scheduled, amid calls for the policy to be delayed or thrown out to avoid staff loss and reports suggesting ministers were considering an 11th-hour delay.

According to NHS guidance, frontline health workers have until Feb. 3 to get their first shot so they wont be redeployed or sacked without severance pay.

Submitting oral evidence to Parliaments Health and Social Care Select Committee, Javid told MPs that around 100,000 NHS workers have received CCP virus vaccination since the government launched a consultation on the mandate in September 2021.

I think now its almost 95 percent of NHS workers that that have had at least one jab. The latest numbers I have is around 77,000 that have not, he said, noting that most but not all unvaccinated staff are within the scope of the mandate.

Javid told MPs that its the professional duty of every NHS worker to get vaccinated, and that the whole principle of the vaccine mandate is about patient safety.

But he acknowledged that staff loss is part of the cost element that also affects patient safety.

When we made this decision, that was the principle, and we weighed it up. The dominant variant of the time was Delta, Javid said, adding he believes it is rightin light of Omicronthat we reflect on all this, and keep all COVID policies  under review.

Britains Health Secretary Sajid Javid speaks during a press conference to update the nation on the COVID-19 pandemic, inside the Downing Street Briefing Room in central London on Jan. 19, 2022. (Henry Nicholls/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Many unvaccinated NHS workers have spoken out against the mandate after Steve James, a consultant anesthetist at Kings College Hospital, told Javid that he doesnt believe the science for mandating the vaccines is strong enough and the government should at least consider the nuance that some doctors have antibodies through previous exposure to the virus.

Asked during the committee hearing by one MP about previously infected NHS workers from his constituency, the health secretary said all the evidence is that even if you had a prior infection, if you get a vaccination on top of that, youre even more protected  youre less likely therefore to infect others and that means less likely to infect your patients who are already very vulnerable.

But the claim appears to contradict some recent studies that suggest natural immunity against the CCP virus works better than vaccine-induced immunity.

A study published on Jan. 19 by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which compared those who were unvaccinated with no previous COVID-19 diagnosis, unvaccinated with a previous COVID-19 infection, vaccinated with no prior COVID-19 infection, and vaccinated with prior COVID-19 infection in two states during the Delta wave, indicated that natural immunity was superior than vaccine-induced immunity both in terms of infection and hospitalisation, and that vaccination made virtually no difference for those with a previous infection.

A Israeli study from December 2021 also suggested that natural immunity was more protective than the vaccines over time.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Department of Health and Social Care for comment.

Meanwhile, Javid told the committee that people should learn to live alongside COVID-19 like we do for the flu.

He also said that the living with COVID plan for England, which will be published in the spring, will set out how the government plans to deal with new variants and how the NHS will plan for surge capacity as and when it is needed.

Its about understanding we do now have defences which we didnt have before and just as sort of flu doesnt stop society and stop life, we mustnt let COVID do that any more, he said.

Javid denied the accusation that the government neglected the need for better workforce planning in health and social care, and said the NHS was considering radical plans to tackle the backlog of care built up during the pandemic.

PA Media contributed to this report.
Virginia Scraps Math Education Revamp Plan that Limits Calculus by 11th Grade

Virginia has scrapped a proposed education initiative many critics said would have limited student access to advanced math courses in the name of improving equity.

The proposal, known as Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative (VMPI), is no longer featured on the website of the Virginia Department of Education in the wake of the new Gov. Glenn Youngkin administrations effort to restore academic excellence in public schools.

This is just another instance of Governor Youngkin delivering on his promises to Virginias students and parents, Youngkins office said in a statement. The governor pledged to remove the initiative, which would move away from advanced math courses, to restore academic excellence in Virginia and ensure our curriculum is preparing students to excel.

An infographic explaining the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative. (Virginia Department of Education)

Under the VMPI, the K-12 math education would be redesigned in a way that Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 no longer exist as individual courses, but rather that their contents are integrated into blended courses for students in grades 810. Once students enter the 11th grade, they would be able to take advanced courses such as calculus.

The department under the previous Ralph Northam administration cited a concept known as heterogeneous learning, which means students of different skill levels being kept in the same classroom to learn at their individual paces. The idea was that it makes students who are supposedly privileged by the current system give up some of their privileges to achieve more equitable schooling.

An infographic explaining the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative. (Virginia Department of Education)

The VMPI almost immediately became a center of controversy when it was released last spring, especially after Loudoun County School Board member Ian Serotkin expressed concerns about the potential changes to K-12 math curricula, saying that his first reaction was that it seemed absolutely bananas, and that it sets a soft cap on the number of higher math courses students are going to be able to take.

As currently planned, this initiative will eliminate ALL math acceleration prior to 11th grade, Serotkin wrote in a Facebook post. That is not an exaggeration, nor does there appear to be any discretion in how local districts implement this. All 6th graders will take Foundational Concepts 6. All 7th graders will take Foundational Concepts 7. All 10th graders will take Essential Concepts 10. Only in 11th and 12th grade is there any opportunity for choice in higher math courses.

That being said, Serotkin did agree that there were some noble goals with this initiative, such as that it would provide a pathway for every student to be able to take calculus or a higher math by the end of high school, if they choose.

In California, education officials are considering a similar equity-focused K-12 math overhaul. The latest version of Californias Mathematics Framework takes a step further to formally recommend that all students stay together in math class through 10th grade and that they are not allowed to accelerate until 11th grade.

The lack of tracking or acceleration will allow all students to regard mathematics as a subject they can study and in which they belong, the proposal reads.
The VW logo is on display at the headquarters of German carmaker Volkswagen (VW) in Wolfsburg, northern Germany, on March 26, 2021. (Ronny Hartmann/AFP via Getty Images)

Volkswagen, Bosch Strike Partnership for Autonomous Driving Software: What You Need to Know

Volkswagen AG. and German engineering and technology company Bosch have forged a software alliance to take the legacy automaker toward Level 4 autonomy.

What Happened

Cariad, the automotive software unit of Volkswagen, and Bosch announced Tuesday an extensive automotive driving partnership.

The partnership will seek to make partially and highly automated driving suitable for volume production in order to cater to a broad swath of consumers. The alliance intends to equip Volkswagen branded vehicles with functions that will allow drivers to temporarily take their hands off the steering wheel, the companies said.

Specifically, these functions are Level 2 hands-free systems for urban, extra-urban and freeway driving, as well as Level 3 system that takes over all driving functions on the freeway.

The companies plan to install the first of these functions in 2023. More than 1,000 experts from both companies are to be deployed for the engineering work involved, according to Tuesdays announcement. The collaboration will also explore the possibility of joint development targets and timelines on the path the fully automated drivingSAE Level 4 functions.

Why Its Important

Legacy automakers are going all out to transition quickly to EVs. To take on the incumbents and the nimble EV startups, improved technology is the key.

Volkswagen and Bosch have internally clubbed their software divisions for effectively competing with market leader Tesla, Inc. and other high-profile tech names that have ventured or are planning to foray into the sector.

Tesla aims to achieve Level 4 autonomy in 2022, when certain milestones in the development of its full-self driving are achieved, CEO Elon Musk said late last year.

By Shanthi Rexaline

 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Supporters of Canadian truck drivers protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate cheer on a convoy of trucks on their way to Ottawa, on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg on Jan. 25, 2022. (The Canadian Press/David Lipnowski)

We Will Accept Tyranny No More!: Over 10,000 Canadian and American Truckers Protest Against Government Mandates

A group of over 10,000 Canadian truckers are leading Freedom Convoy, a protest against government mandates, and will be joined by hundreds or thousands of American truckers who support the cause.

After the Public Health Agency of Canadas announcement that foreign truck drivers can only enter Canada if fully vaccinated starting Jan. 15, and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announcing similar requirements starting Jan. 22 for non-U.S. national truckers crossing into the United States, thousands of truckers decided to protest and will meet in Ottawa in an attempt to stop the mandates.

U.S. truckers started joining the protesting efforts swiftly after the creators of Freedom Fighter Nation, Attorney Leigh Dundas and her paralegal and personal assistant Maureen Steele, heard the news and started organizing in the United States.

Truckers in west Canada started mobilizing on Jan 23.

As the record-breaking convoy passed through different cities, they were greeted with long rows of people cheering and holding Canadian flags, with some shooting off fireworks.

In the early morning hours on January 17, 2022, a truck convoy descended near the U.S.-Canada border in Emerson, Manitoba, Canada to protest the vaccine mandate policies both the U.S. and Canada are implementing. pic.twitter.com/WuvVxsnsfc  Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) January 17, 2022

The western convoy is on its way, and the east [convoy] is going to start tomorrow morning, Martin Brodmann, vice president of Canada Unity and president of Truckers United Inc., told The Epoch Times on Jan. 26.

The convoys are planning to meet at the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, the countrys capital. They plan to arrive on Jan. 29, park there, and peacefully demonstrate against the vaccine mandates, which have reportedly caused tens of thousands of truckers from both countries to walk off their jobs.

Truckers are not the only group that has preferred to lose their job over taking the big pharma shots. In October last year, The Epoch Times reported that large numbers of health care workers were forced to leave their jobs due to mandatory injections, causing health care worker shortages.

The convoy is led by different types of trucks but is also composed of regular vehicles.

The convoy from the west is over 100 km (62 miles) long and has over 10,000 vehicles, Brodmann said.

The trucker freedom convoy is greeted by supporters in Salmon Arm, BC, Canada as it makes its way to Ottawa to protest mandates. pic.twitter.com/nSPtPOh9kv  Marie Oakes (@TheMarieOakes) January 24, 2022

American truckers plan to rendezvous at 4 different points at the border with Canada.

The citizenry is rising up, its citizens of the United States that have had enough, from all walks of life, every facet of the labor force are coming out, Steele, a top organizer for the U.S. side of the protest, told The Epoch Times.

Its being led by the truckers. And our freedoms have always been won on the backs of the blue-collar boys, and theyre leading the way in this time, and if we win our freedoms back, again its gonna be on the back of the blue-collar workers.

The truckers are leading the fight on this. Im proud to be part of it, Im proud to be spearheading this. I think its historical, I dont think this has ever happened in the history of the world, that two neighboring countries put on a show like this to demonstrate to their leadership that theyve had it with the tyranny in both of our countries.

Grace Siloti of Montana is organizing the Sweetgrass, Montana rallying point. She told The Epoch Times that people have had it. On both sides of the border. Everyone I talk to is ready to go, we just hope the weather allows us to get there! Our message is loud and clear. Hear this Biden and Trudeau, we will accept tyranny no more!

Erik Baron works for a northern Michigan trucking company in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

We do a lot of cross-border business. We are one of many companies in America and Canada being hurt by these unconstitutional vaccine mandates, Baron told The Epoch Times. We have lost several drivers due to this. Our efforts to the government fell on deaf ears. The economies on both sides of the border are suffering. Its time for people on both sides of the border to stand up for our constitutional rights and freedoms. We will be proud to stand with our Canadian friends on Saturday to let the governments on both sides know enough is enough.

Right now were trying to get the word out, to get as many patriots as possible to head to the border here in Sault Ste. Marie on Saturday, Baron said, As for myself, [Im] just like the rest, a hard-working American tired of the government overreach and our freedoms being taken away!

American trucker Jeremy Johnson told The Epoch Times that he is standing for freedom and fighting against over regulations in the industry.

His group of truckers, The Disrespected Trucker, will meet in Fargo, North Dakota, and drive toward Pembina at the Canadian border.

We will have however many trucks we can get to join us with signage that we will be flying, the American and the Canadian flags on our trucks, Johnson said.

Marcella Picone is organizing the rally at Rainbow bridge in Niagara Falls, New York, on Jan. 29.

We have Canadian and American binational families and citizens of both countries that are going to be walking in solidarity to the center of the bridge. On the Canadian side, we have a handful of guest speakers, Picone said. On the American side, we obviously have proud patriots standing united with our Canadian friends and family supporting the truck convoy that will be landing in Ottawa on the 29th through my group.'

Picone has been organizing protests that condemned the separation of families at the northern border caused by the vaccine mandates.

John Sarina, a Condon, Montana resident, applauds the efforts of the United States and Canada joining in a moral show of force against governments on both sides of the northern border.

We need unity and a mandate for freedom. This systematic trampling of our founding documents and liberty is no longer going to be tolerated.

Sarina is hopeful Montana doubles the number of trucks committed to going to Maine.

Big sky country needs big turnout! Sarina said.

Supporters of Canadian truck drivers protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate cheer on a convoy of trucks on their way to Ottawa, on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, on Jan. 25, 2022. (David Lipnowski/The Canadian Press)

Amid reports that fundraising efforts on GoFundMe were being withheld, Steele told The Epoch Times on the afternoon of Jan. 26 that the funds were no longer being withheld. The fundraiser had reached $5.5 million Canadian dollars at the time of publishing.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Jan. 25, 2022. (Leah Millis/Reuters)

White House to Host GM, Ford Among CEOs at Meeting on Spending Push

WASHINGTONThe White House plans to host the chief executives of major U.S. companies including auto and tech sector firms on Wednesday to discuss President Joe Bidens signature $1.75 trillion Build Back Better legislation.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra, Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley, Salesforce co-CEO Marc Benioff, Microsoft President Brad Smith, Etsy CEO Josh Silverman, Siemens Corp. CEO Barbara Humpton and Corning CEO Wendell Weeks are among those who will take part.

Biden made a push in December to win passage in Congress of the spending bill that would provide billions of dollars to tackle climate change and boost electric vehicles along with money for universal preschool, paid family leave, and other social safety spending.

Biden on Tuesday touted GMs announcement of a new $7 billion investment in Michigan, adding 4,000 jobs and boosting electric vehicle and battery manufacturing.

Bidens proposal would increase the current $7,500 EV tax credit to up to $12,500 for union-made U.S. vehicles as well as creating a credit of up to $4,000 for used vehicles. The bill would also again make GM and Tesla Inc. eligible for tax credits after they hit the 200,000-vehicle cap on the existing $7,500 credit.

The $4,500 union EV credit has come under heavy criticism from foreign automakers like Toyota.

The bill also includes a 30 percent credit for commercial electric vehicles. Build Back Better would also allocate $3.5 billion for converting U.S. factories for production of electrified or fuel cell vehicles and revive incentives that could generate $3.7 billion for automotive communities by 2031.

Auto manufacturers could also benefit from $3 billion allocated to a Department of Energy Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program.

Biden wants 50 percent of new U.S. vehicles to be electric or plug-in electric hybrid by 2030.

By David Shepardson
The entrance of the Xerox research center dedicated to artificial intelligence in Meylan, France, on June 27, 2017. (Jean-Pierre Clatot/AFP via Getty Images)

Xerox Registers 7.9 Percent Revenue Decline in Q4; Sees Top-Line Growth in FY22

Xerox Holdings Corp. reported a fourth-quarter FY21 sales decline of 7.9 percent year-on-year, to $1.78 billion, missing the consensus of $1.82 billion.

Adjusted EPS of $0.34 beat the consensus of $0.33.

Equipment sales declined 24.7 percent Y/Y, while Post sale revenue decreased 1.9 percent Y/Y.

Sales in the Americas declined 9.3 percent Y/Y, and EMEA decreased 5.8 percent.

Margins

The gross margin contracted 330 basis points Y/Y to 32.9 percent. The adjusted operating margin shrank 470 basis points to 4.8 percent.

Xerox held $1.9 billion in cash and equivalents. Operating cash flow amounted to $198 million during the quarter.

Outlook

Xerox expects to grow revenue in 2022. The company sees FY22 revenue of $7.1 billion in actual currency versus the consensus of $7 billion.

By Anusuya Lahiri

 2021 The Epoch Times. The Epoch Times does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
The executive order allowing for a statewide school mask mandate and 10 other orders that Gov. Ned Lamont says Connecticut needs to fight the pandemic is likely to be extended for at least 60 days by the General Assembly, top leaders said Wednesday.

Both the Democratic and Republican leaders in the House agree the most likely scenario when lawmakers convene next month is that they will codify the 11 orders as a whole, at least temporarily.

Under the arrangement, Lamont would not be able to issue any new executive orders, as he has throughout the coronavirus crisis. He could request new orders, but they would have to be approved by the legislature under a plan that he submitted to to lawmakers last Friday.

Other orders on the list include measures laying out who can order mask mandates for the general population; requiring vaccinations of staff at long-term care facilities and booster shots by Feb. 11; establishing rules for emergency hospital staffing to ease shortages; easing state purchasing rules for essential items; and requiring insurers to reimburse providers for vaccinations at the Medicare rate.

Lamont recommended that vaccine mandates for teachers and state employees, other than at state hospitals, not be extended beyond Feb. 15.

We codify the 11 executive orders. The governor says he needs something else; he comes back to the legislature. We weigh the issue and if we so choose, we could pass a special act. Thats how I think were going to operate for the next couple of months, House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said Wednesday, explaining how the process would likely work.

The controversial mask rule in schools is not an executive order, directly. The order, one of the 11 Lamont wants extended, gives state education and health officials the authority to require masks in schools but they could also end that mandate under the order, or modify it, or cede the authority to local school boards.

Lawmakers will also need to decide how the pandemic will be handled when they are not in session. The General Assembly is expected to adjourn on May 4. A 60-day extension would keep Lamonts orders in effect until April 15. Options include special sessions, returning emergency powers to Lamont  which he has not requested  or some other shared authority.

House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora, R-North Branford, in a separate interview Wednesday, agreed with Ritters assessment and said theres also consensus that it doesnt make sense to continue the governors emergency powers to issue new orders.

It looks like the governors 11 orders are going to be extended, and it looks like House Democrats are agreeing that the powers do not need to be extended, Candelora said.

In addition to extending the executive orders, Lamont has requested the states declarations of public health and civil emergencies be continued beyond when his executive power expires on Feb. 15 to ensure the state continues to receive federal funding. That appears to be a technical, legal question. Ritter and Candelora both said that if the legislature declares an emergency then the funding, which covers non-congregate housing and supplemental food benefits for low-income families, would not be disrupted.

The issue of extending the orders has taken on political significance, as some critics of the administration believe Lamont has retained too much authority. Many on social media have incorrectly said the extension request would extend Lamonts emergency powers.

Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, said after requesting an extension of his powers six times previously, Lamont is now coming to the General Assembly seeking our advice and counsel in an election year.

Under a law passed by the General Assembly last year, top legislative leaders can reject any executive order issued by the governor.

Kelly welcomed a vote on the orders but called for a public hearing before lawmakers make any final decisions.

Any issues the majority wants to put on the calendar, and have a vote, were more than willing to do it, Kelly said to reporters Wednesday after a press conference on Senate Republicans proposals to address mental health needs. But what we need is, when we do a bill, we need to have the peoples voice included in the process.

Senate President Pro Temp Martin Looney in a written statement said his caucus would meet Wednesday night to discuss the best way to move forward to preserve the federal funding and protect the safety of the residents of Connecticut.

In the House, Ritter said hed prefer to vote on the orders as a group rather than individually, especially given theres limited time for debate with Lamonts powers expiring less than a week after lawmakers convene for the new legislative session on Feb. 9.

Lawmakers could modify the orders before voting on them. House Democrats want to add no-excuse absentee voting to the list of orders under consideration, for example. Executive orders expanding absentee voting due to the pandemic expired last November.

Ritter said if the legislature decides to codify the other orders, acknowledging were still in the midst of a public health emergency, then voters should also be able to declare risk of getting COVID as a reason to mail-in their ballots.

But Candelora said lawmakers should focus on public health issues such as the school mask mandate, which many of his colleagues oppose.

Thats where the conversation should be had, not a partisan fight over our own elections, he said.

Candelora said he expects a debate on the booster mandate for nursing home workers and requiring nursing home visitors to provide proof of negative test or vaccination. Every visitor, regardless of vaccination status, should be tested given how contagious omicron and other COVID variants have been, he said.

Some of the orders could receive Republican support, Candelora said, namely those that address health care worker shortages.

julia.bergman@hearstmediact.com
EDITORS NOTE: The Intelligencer requests briefs be submitted at least 10 days prior to the desired publication date. Due to the volume of community-submitted briefs, the content may be published within 10 days of submission. Holidays and weather forecasts may impact some events. The Intelligencer cannot guarantee that submission will be published.

Percy Jackson Book Club

4 - 5 p.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Grades 6-12. This month theyre reading Book 4, The Battle of the Labyrinth." Once you register, stop by the Youth Desk to get your free copy of the book. Registration Required.

Roxana HCE Meeting

12 p.m. at Rox-Arena in Roxana Park. HCE (formally Home Bureau) meeting. Light lunch is served. Open to the public. For more info contact Vi at 618-803-2795.

Virtual Evening Flow Yoga with Anne

5:30  6:15 p.m. at Glen Carbon Library via Zoom. A Slow Flow mixed levels practice that will lead you through a series of yoga poses that focus on strengthening, lengthening, and stretching. Requires Registration

Tai Chi Class

7 p.m. at Main Street Community Center, 1003 North Main St. The Southern Illinois Tai Chi Association of Edwardsville will begin a new class session of Tai Chi. $100 for a fourth month session. Contact Terry Staebel at 618-939-4731 to register or for further information.

Thursday, Jan. 27

Movie Matinees



12 p.m. at The Edwardsville Public Library. The library hosts Movie Matinees for adults in their meeting room. Bring a brown bag lunch and theyll provide drinks and popcorn. The library is not able to publicize movie titles. Call (618) 692-7556 for details.

NAMI Meeting

7-8:30 p.m via Zoom. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) family support meetings may also be in person. To receive the link for a Zoom meeting or address for an in-person meeting contact Pat Rudloff, silverlining6@charter.net.

Preschooler Story Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S Kansas St. If youre ready for a story, clap your hands. Ms. Megan will be sharing fun tales & tunes, and dont forget, bubbles. Ages three - five. Registration required.

Chicken Dinner Every Thursday

4-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two or four pieces of chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit. 618-656-9774

Adult Zumba with Aimee

6 - 7 p.m. through the Glen Carbon Library. This program has been changed to a virtual program for January due to Covid-19 positivity rates in the area. Log in to Zoom for a fun night of Zumba from the comfort of your own home with a Zumba Fitness instructor. Registration required.

Friday, Jan. 28

Fish Fry Every Friday

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 S. State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two pieces of cod or one catfish filet and sides. 618-656-9774

Fish Fry

4:30-8 p.m. at the Edwardsville Moose, 7371 Marine Road, Edwardsville. Dine-in and carryout options. 618-656-5051

Saturday, Jan. 29

74th Annual Sausage Supper

1-7 p.m. at Salem United Church of Christ, 1117 West North St., Alhambra. Drive thru only. Fresh homemade pork sausage, sauerkraut, potatoes, green beans and applesauce. $12 donation. Meat sales preorders can be picked up on Thursday, Jan. 27 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 29 from 9 a.m. - noon. For order forms go to salemuccalh.org or call 618-488-3216.

Beginner Knitting Group with Greta

11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. via Zoom through the Glen Carbon Library. Experience how easy it can be learning to knit through a structured, interactive social knitting group. Perfect for true beginners or those looking for an easy refresh project. Different intermediate skills will be introduced on a project-by-project basis. Set up as a 2-day class with homework in between. Registration Required.

Sunday, Jan. 30

Scams and Frauds You Encounter Every Day

1-3 p.m. at the Maryville Community Center, 500 East Division St. Presented by Steve Baker, an International Investigations Specialist for the BBB. In-person and virtual sessions available. Attendees are asked to social distance and wear masks. The Zoom session can be opened with Zoom ID: 850 8666 4733; Pass Code: 236771 or mobile number: +131262667799. Part of the Maryville Parks & Rec 16th annual Discovery Sunday Series, check the Village of Maryville website for changes.

Tuesday, Feb. 1

Cribbage Club

6 p.m. at Camelot Bowling Alley, 801 Beltline Road, Collinsville. Beginners welcome, free to attend. Contact Phil (618) 288-7910 or Susan at (618) 978-1664 for more information.

Toddler Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Ages 0-2. Theyve got the books, bops and bubbles. Bring your babies and toddlers to share stories and songs with Miss Kristen and all the Story Time friends. Registration Required. (Jan 18-Apr 26)

Pasta Dinner Every Tuesday

3-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. Edwardsville. Pasta of the week served with salad. 618-656-9774

Wednesday, Feb. 2

Blood Drive at St. Johns

1-6 p.m. at St. Johns United Methodist Church, 7372 Marine Road, Edwardsville. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a decline in donor turnout, the cancellation of blood drives and staffing challenges, leading to the worst blood shortage in more than a decade. To schedule, go to redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROS (1-800-733-2767)

Thursday, Feb. 3

PFLAG Edwardsville Meeting

7-8:30 p.m. online. Contact Amy for a link, 618-977-5078 or pflagedwardsville@outlook.com. PFLAG Edwardsville offers support, education, and advocacy for LGBTQ people and their allies. There will be a speaker from Alton Pride to discuss their new youth group.

Chicken Dinner Every Thursday

4-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two or four pieces of chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit. 618-656-9774

NAMI Meeting

7-8:30 p.m via Zoom. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) family support meetings may also be in person. To receive the link for a Zoom meeting or address for an in-person meeting contact Pat Rudloff, silverlining6@charter.net.

Friday, Feb. 4

Book Sale

9 a.m.-noon at the Tri Township Library, 209 South Main, Troy. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Book donations are accepted during the book sale and on Tues. from 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. If the Triad Unit 2 School District is closed on the day of the book sake then the book sale will be canceled.

Fish Fry Every Friday

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two pieces of cod or one catfish filet and sides. 618-656-9774

Fish Fry

4:30-8 p.m. at the Edwardsville Moose, 7371 Marine Road, Edwardsville. Dine-in and carryout options. 618-656-5051

Sunday, Feb. 6

Discover Bees and Beekeeping

1-3 p.m. at Maryville Community Center, 500 East Division St. Available in-person and online as part of the Maryville Park & Rec Discovery Sunday Sessions. Dennis Hessel of the St. Clair Beekeepers Association will be presenting. Attendees are asked to social distance and wear masks. The Zoom session can be opened with Zoom ID: 850 8666 4733; Pass Code: 236771 or by mobile number: +131262667799. Check the Village of Maryville website for any changes.

Tuesday, Feb. 8

Exploring Ancient New River Gorge National Park and Preserve



6-7:30 p.m. online via Zoom. Zoom registration is available on the Sierra Club Piasa Palisades Group Events tab at www.sierraclub.org/illinois/piasa-palisades. Join this presentation of the February Speaker Series to hear more about the interesting story from long-time Piasa Palisades Group member Dr. Rich Keating. For questions contact Chris Krusa 410-490-5024.

Cribbage Club

6 p.m. at Camelot Bowling Alley, 801 Beltline Road, Collinsville. Beginners welcome, free to attend. Contact Phil (618) 288-7910 or Susan at (618) 978-1664 for more information.

Toddler Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library. Ages 0-2. Theyve got the books, bops and bubbles. Bring your babies and toddlers to share stories and songs with Miss Kristen and all the Story Time friends. Registration Required. (Jan 18-Apr 26)

Pasta Dinner Every Tuesday

3-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. Edwardsville. Pasta of the week served with salad. 618-656-9774

American Legion Post 199 meeting

6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Post 199 at 58 S. State Rt. 157. All legion members are encouraged to attend the meetings. Non-member visitors are welcome.

Thursday, Feb. 10

NAMI Meeting

7-8:30 p.m via Zoom. The National Alliance on Mental Illness Southwestern Illinois (NAMI SWI) family support meetings may also be in person. To receive the link for a Zoom meeting or address for an in-person meeting contact Pat Rudloff, silverlining6@charter.net.

Preschooler Story Time

10 a.m. at the Edwardsville Public Library, 112 S Kansas St. If youre ready for a story, clap your hands. Ms. Megan will be sharing fun tales & tunes, and dont forget, bubbles. Ages three - five. Registration required. (Jan 20 -April 28 2022)

Chicken Dinner Every Thursday

4-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two or four pieces of chicken and vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy and a biscuit. 618-656-9774

Friday, Feb. 11

Fish Fry Every Friday

11 a.m.-8 p.m. Dine-in or Carryout at the Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Rt. 157, Edwardsville. Two pieces of cod or one catfish filet and sides. 618-656-9774

Fish Fry

4:30-8 p.m. at the Edwardsville Moose, 7371 Marine Road, Edwardsville. Dine-in and carryout options. 618-656-5051

Ongoing Events

Al-Anon

For information call 618-463-2429. For more information, visit SIAFG.org and District-18.org.

Winter Reading Challenge Begins

Dec. 1 - Jan. 31 at the Edwardsville Public Library. Read books, earn badges and be entered into prize drawings on Beanstack. This challenge is for all ages, 0-109. To register visit www.edwardsvillelibrary.org.

Take Home Crafts

Pick up a take-home craft bag at the Edwardsville Public Library with all the materials to make the project. A new craft will be available each month at the Youth Desk.
SPRINGFIELD  Three Madison County schools will receive state grants for all-electric school buses.

Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim this week announced more than $4.2 million in grant awards to school districts and student transportation companies for the purchase 17 all-electric school buses and charging infrastructure.

The Triad school district in Troy will receive $791,145.75 to buy three buses. The Edwardsville school district will receive $213,150.75 to buy one bus, as will the Collinsville school district.

Grants were also presented to eight school districts in the Chicago area to buy a total of 12 all-electric school buses.

"The VW Settlement provides Illinois with a tremendous opportunity to lead the nation in clean transportation, furthering my administration's ongoing commitment to address the impacts of climate change in our communities," said Gov. J.B. Pritzker. "This $4.2 million investment will allow school districts to provide an eco-friendly transportation option for local students, improving air quality and bringing more electric vehicles to Illinois roads."

The grant awards are funded by VW Settlement dollars provided through Illinois EPA's Driving a Cleaner Illinois Program. Illinois EPA announced the third and latest funding opportunity in 2021 seeking applicants to electrify school buses in the Chicago and Metro East regions. The funding is part of the state's allocation of $108 million received from the multi-billion-dollar VW Settlement after it was discovered Volkswagen installed emissions cheating software in certain diesel vehicles.
EDWARDSVILLE  A teacher shortage and the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic were among the education-related issues discussed on Wednesday as Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton visited the campus of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Stratton met with SIUE Chancellor Randy Pembrook, SIU System President Dan Mahony, other SIUE administrators and students from the SIUE School of Education in a two-hour session Wednesday morning at Rendleman Hall.

SIUE was the first of three stops for Stratton, who was later scheduled to visit Scott Air Force Base and the Jackie Joyner Kersee Community Center in East St. Louis.

Its important for me to get around to the institutions that have been so important to our state, and SIUE is one of them, Stratton said a press conference. Im here in particular on this trip to talk about education and teacher preparation in our state. All of us have had great teachers in our lives and Im where I am because of teachers. My mom was a teacher, and my sister is a teacher.

Im going to be meeting not only with President Mahony and Chancellor Pembrook but also folks from the School of Education as well as some students. Were going to talk about how we prepare teachers for the next generation of young people and make sure they have the support that they need. This has been a challenging time for our teachers, and I want to make sure they know that they are appreciated and that we support them.

Among the topics discussed on Wednesday is what the administration of Governor JB Pritzker is doing to address the statewide teacher shortage.

Our administration has been keenly focused on making sure that we can make critical investments into our education system and that teachers know they are supported, Stratton said. We have made it a priority to increase funding for minority teacher scholarship programs and have made a record number of investments into education during this administration.

Were doing everything that we can to ensure that our budget is balanced and that were on the best fiscal footing. All of that is something that is going to help our education system and make sure that we can focus on education.

Stratton added that the administration is supporting efforts to make sure that there is a diverse teacher pipeline.

Governor Pritzker and I are supportive of our teachers and our education system as a whole, Stratton said. We also raised the wages and salaries of our educators. All of these are things that we have done to date and more, including the infrastructure investments that have been made on campuses throughout the state.

The teacher shortage, which was already a problem, has gotten worse during the pandemic.

Stratton said the Pritzker administration is doing everything it can to help schools find more teachers.

The pandemic is something that has impacted every industry, every profession and every family, Stratton said. Governor Pritzker has continued to show leadership as far as making sure that we do everything we can to help the education field. One of the ways that we do that is by listening to educators, and thats what brings me here today.

We can talk to those who are training educators and we can talk to students themselves to find out what more can be done. We want this state to be known for students getting a quality education, including early childhood education, and all the way through college, as well as those who may decide to go to trade schools or apprenticeship programs.

Studies not just in Illinois but across the country have found that teachers are frustrated with the state of school systems and dont feel valued.

For Stratton, that is another issue that the state must do its part to help resolve.

We know that through this pandemic, things have been very challenging, but what Im here to say is that we love and support our teachers and we appreciate them, Stratton said. We see you; we hear you and we are doing everything we can to better understand how to better support your needs, not just in the classroom but also as residents of this state.

Prior to her press conference, Stratton met with Mahony and Pembrook to discuss a variety of topics, with education at the forefront.

What I primarily heard was some real leadership from President Mahony as well as Chancellor Pembrook, Stratton said. They talked about their focus on diversity, equity and inclusion and the leadership that the SIU System is demonstrating in this area. This is critical because we know there are students of color that need additional support while they are college campuses, so their graduation rates can go up.

Theyre doing a lot to make sure that those students are supported. We also need to increase the diverse teacher pipeline so that the teachers of our state reflect the students of our state. Their focus on being a national leader in diversity, equity and inclusion is something to be commended. One thing I learned today is that they are likely one of two institutions of higher education in the nation that have made an explicit anti-racism statement. Thats a big deal and it shows their commitment.

Stratton was slated to discuss other topics in her other two Metro East visits on Wednesday.

At Scott Air Force Base, she hoped to learn more about the training programs that it offers.

At the JJK Community Center, she planned to discuss workforce development in marginalized communities.

I chair the Military Economic Development Committee for the state, so at Scott Air Force Base, Ill be learning more from taking a tour of the facilities there, Stratton said. Ive been there before, but Im going back to see what they are doing for the community that makes up Scott Air Force Base and the kind of support they need.

At the Jackie Joyner Kersee Center, Ill be looking at workforce development and specifically having conversations about what we need to do about agricultural equity and addressing food insecurity. Before the pandemic, food security was an issue, and it has been exacerbated since then. We want to make sure that we have some concrete solutions that are centered on the communities in the Metro East.
Salida, CO (81201)

Today

Partly cloudy this morning, then becoming cloudy during the afternoon. High 56F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy early, then clearing overnight. Low 34F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.
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ATLANTA (Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022)  Just 14* human cases of Guinea worm disease occurred worldwide in 2021, drawing nearer to the goal of global eradication, The Carter Center announced Wednesday. It is the lowest annual case total ever recorded, and the cases occurred in just four countries. When The Carter Center assumed leadership of the global Guinea Worm Eradication Program in 1986, about 3.5 million human cases occurred annually in 21 countries in Africa and Asia.

The 14 cases mark a 48% decline from the 27 cases reported in 2020. Guinea worm infections in animals fell 45% in 2021, the Center reported.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who co-founded The Carter Center in 1982 with his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, was pleased with the news.

Rosalynn and I are encouraged by the continued commitment and persistence of our partners and the citizens in the villages to eradicate Guinea worm, he said. Because of their persistence, this dreadful disease will be eradicated. Today we are closer than ever, and I am excited at the prospect of seeing the job finished.

Carter Center CEO Paige Alexander said: Eradication is an approaching reality. The national ministries of health, with our support, have implemented interventions that are working, and the result is a measurable reduction in human suffering and animal infections. Thats what this work is all about. We need to keep pressing to the finish line.

The Centers announcement came during a World Health Organization-hosted webinar to celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of the 2030 Neglected Tropical Disease Road Map. The webinar comes in advance of the third annual World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day, conceived by the United Arab Emirates, this Sunday, January 30. View more here.

Case and Infection Numbers by Country

During 2021, seven* human cases of Guinea worm disease were reported in Chad, a dramatic 42% reduction from 12 the previous year. Four* cases were reported in South Sudan, two* in Mali, and one* in Ethiopia. Angola and Cameroon, which each had one human case in 2020, had none in 2021.

Chads Ministry of Health made significant strides against both human and animal cases in 2021, said Adam Weiss, director of the Carter Center Guinea Worm Eradication Program. Everyone in Chad, from the national leadership to the village volunteer, has shown a strong commitment to carrying out the interventions and protecting everyone against this disease.

As for Guinea worm infections in animals, Chad reported infections in 790 domestic dogs and 65 domestic cats, Cameroon reported 10 infected dogs along its border with an area endemic in Chad, and Mali reported 16 infected dogs and one cat. Ethiopia reported two infected dogs and one cat. Significantly, Ethiopia found no infections in baboons in 2021, compared to four infected baboons in 2020. The worms that infect animals are the same species (D. medinensis) as those that infect humans; therefore, eradication requires stopping infections in both. Case and infection details can be found in the latest issue of the joint CDC-WHO-Carter Center publication Guinea Worm Wrap-Up. (*All annual figures are considered provisional until officially confirmed, typically in March.)

Reductions Come Despite Coronavirus and Insecurity

The sharp reductions are especially notable in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and significant security challenges  military coups, civil conflict, insurgencies  in some endemic countries. While international health workers and researchers are vital to the success of the program, the day-to-day leadership and work of maintaining community awareness and education about Guinea worm, along with monitoring for infections, filtering drinking water, and protecting water sources from contamination, are largely the domain of community and family members. So, while travel restrictions have had an impact, the campaign has not been interrupted.

Much of the great progress we are seeing is directly attributable to these committed communities that embrace the idea of looking after their own health and then act on that idea, said Dr. Donald R. Hopkins, Carter Center special advisor for Guinea worm eradication. Combine that commitment with frontline health workers daily acts of courage and devotion, and these are the results.

People in endemic countries helpfully reported thousands of possible Guinea worms. Health workers promptly investigated all such rumors, which are key to finding actual cases and infections.

Rumor reporting remains strong and at par with previous years, said Dr. Kashef Ijaz, the Carter Centers vice president for health programs. This is really important because it demonstrates the strength of surveillance and that the decline in numbers is not an aberration.

Center Focuses on Neglected Tropical Diseases

The WHO has raised World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day to the level of an official observance under the leadership of Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Despite the pandemic, this historically low number of cases illustrates what can be achieved with the unwavering commitment of countries and the thousands of volunteers, as well as partners who work tirelessly often in difficult terrain, said Dr. Ren Minghui, WHO assistant director-general for universal health coverage/communicable and non-communicable diseases. We need to maintain this momentum to rid the world of this disease of poverty that disproportionately affects women and children.

For over 35 years, The Carter Center has been a pioneer in eradicating, eliminating, and improving control of five NTDs: Guinea worm, lymphatic filariasis, river blindness, trachoma, and schistosomiasis, as well as uniquely addressing and integrating mental health and malaria.

About Guinea Worm Disease

Guinea worm disease is usually contracted when people consume water contaminated with tiny crustaceans (called copepods) that eat Guinea worm (Dracunculus medinensis) larvae. After about a year, a meter-long pregnant female worm emerges slowly through an excruciatingly painful blister in the skin, often of the legs or feet. A sufferer may seek relief by dipping the affected limb in water. However, contact with water stimulates the emerging worm to release its larvae and start the cycle all over again. Guinea worm disease incapacitates people for weeks or months, reducing individuals ability to care for themselves, work, grow food for their families, or attend school.

Guinea Worm Interventions and Robust Research Agenda

Without a vaccine or medicine, the ancient parasitic disease is being eradicated mainly through community-based interventions to educate people and change their behavior.

Tethering dogs to keep them out of water and not allowing them to eat potentially contaminated fish entrails are key factors in improving Guinea worm infection figures in animals, particularly in Chad and Ethiopia. Fishermen, market women, and consumers burn or bury discarded entrails to keep dogs from consuming Guinea worm-contaminated copepods the entrails might contain.

Other interventions to stop transmission include community-based health education, using filters (donated by Vestergaard's LifeStraw) for all drinking water, keeping people and animals with emerging Guinea worms from entering water sources, and targeted use of the larvicide ABATE (donated by BASF) in stagnant water sources. (See About Guinea Worm section below.) To boost surveillance at this critical point in the global campaign, all national programs offer cash rewards for reporting potential cases and animal infections.

Scientists from The Carter Center and other agencies continue to conduct intensive research and testing of new interventions in the quest to eradicate the disease. Genetic profiling of worms to help trace infections, and serological tests developed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are two other important new tools being used.

Eradication a Monumental Challenge

Eradication means a disease has been eliminated worldwide, with no possibility of return. The final cases are extremely difficult to track down, requiring persistence, ingenuity, and enormous amounts of money. Only one human disease has ever been eradicated; that was smallpox, in 1980. For a disease to be declared eradicated, every country in the world must be certified free of human and animal infection, even countries where transmission has never taken place. To date, WHO has certified 199 countries free of Guinea worm; only seven have not been certified, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where no case has been reported since 1958. Sudan and DRC intend to submit its dossier for certification in 2022. After three consecutive years of indigenous transmission, Angola was added, as the 22nd country, to the list of endemic countries in 2020; however, the country reported zero human and zero animal infections in 2021. Cameroon was certified by the World Health Organization as Guinea worm-free in 2007; that country reported one case in 2019 and one in 2020 (both likely imported from Chad) but is not endemic because it has not had three years of indigenous transmission.

Key Implementing Partners Roles

The Carter Center works closely with national programs, the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, UNICEF, and many other vital partners. The Carter Center provides technical and financial assistance to national Guinea worm programs to help interrupt transmission of the disease. For remaining endemic countries, when transmission is interrupted, the Center continues assisting surveillance and helps them prepare for official evaluation by the International Commission for the Certification of Dracunculiasis Eradication and certification by the WHO. WHO also provides technical and financial support to improve surveillance, particularly in cross-border areas, including countries that have already been certified to help them maintain Guinea worm-free status. The CDC provides technical assistance and verifies that worm specimens truly are Guinea worms.

The presence of Guinea worm disease in an area usually indicates abject poverty, including lack of safe drinking water; UNICEF mainly assists countries by helping governments provide safe sources of drinking water which provides significant other benefits to priority areas identified by the national Guinea worm eradication programs.

Partnerships

Many generous foundations, corporations, governments, and individuals have made the work to eradicate Guinea worm disease possible, including major support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office; the Children's Investment Fund Foundation; and Alwaleed Philanthropies. Major support from the Crown Prince Court of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, began with His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and has continued under HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and HH Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. BASF has donated ABATE larvicide (temephos) since 1990, and Vestergaard's LifeStraw has donated pipe and household cloth filters since 1999. The DuPont Corporation and Precision Fabrics Group donated nylon filter cloth early in the campaign.

Guinea Worm Eradication Challenge Fund Matches Generous Gift

John and Kathleen Schreiber, who partner with The Carter Center personally and through their family foundation, recently donated $2 million toward Guinea worm eradication. That donation was matched by the Carter Center Board of Trustees Challenge Fund, which matches donations of $100,000 or more. The Challenge Fund seeks to raise and match $20 million in donations, for a total of $40 million, by August 2022.
The Presidency has through the Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, asked Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state to stop blaming President Buhari for the woes he has put Benue state citizens.

In a recent interview with Arise Television, Governor Ortom had said the All Progressive Congress (APC) has ruined Nigeria and that citizens regret voting Buhari into power.On the allegations of non-payment of Benue workers salaries, Ortom had said he inherited over N70 billion arrears of pensions, salaries, and gratuities from his predecessor and that despite that, he is trying his best.

Reacting to Ortom's comments, Shehu in a statement released, said there are two types of politicians, those who offer solutions to challenges facing the country and those that offer excuses and instead blame others for problems they have either not solved or have themselves created.

He stated that Governor Ortom is an example of the second class of politicians who blame others for challenges. According to him, Governor Ortom inherited unpaid salaries and pension arrears and rather than find a way to raise funds to pay them, he has blamed the President.

President Muhammadu Buhari is a leader. He inherited a treasury that had been emptied by successive previous administrations and he sought and succeeded in repatriating billions of dollars of stolen funds from overseas.

The President brought forward the first and only plan to address farmer-herder clashes in 100 years, supporting states to rediscover grazing reserves and create ranching lands that have successfully reduced tensions while increasing harmony and saving lives.

This is a President who has not failed to pay the salary of those working for the federal government and declared the failure of states to do so; a national disaster.

To avert this, he had, at various times lent money to the states in excess of N1.682 trillion, and Benue, Mr Ortoms state, did not miss out on all occasions: Salary Bailout, Excess Crude Loan and Budget Support loan, each repayable in 20 years.

Mr Ortom, an officeholder who collected on all occasions, currently holds the countrys longest record of unpaid salaries and pensions, has no reason, absolutely no reason, to blame President Buhari for the mess in which he put his state and its workers.he stated

Shehu said since Ortom claimed his predecessors created the arrears, it was his business to prove that he was better by paying salaries promptly.

Instead of doing that, he joined them! And while he runs up even further salary and pension debts on top of those he was bequeathed, instead of respecting the voters who elected him to office, he publicly attacks them in unprintable words and has raised his own thuggish militia to harass and violate them, Shehu said.

The Governor now claims the voters wish to be rescued by the PDP and regret voting for Buhari. The voters, of course, will not be asked to vote for the President again because  as a leader  President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress, APC, respect term limits and the constitution, and will stand down next year at the end of his second democratically elected mandate.

It seems unlikely, however, that any voter would seriously consider it possible to be rescued by a party that would today, allow a politician such as Governor Ortom in its ranks.

What is certain, however, is that Nigeria has had enough of failed politicians who blame others as a diversion for their inability to improve citizens lives.Garba said
The Ebonyi State Government has declared an ex-member of House of Representatives, Linus Okorie, who represented Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, wanted for posting an inciting article against the state on the social networking platform, Facebook.

The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Orji Uchenna Orji, and Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Cletus Afoke, made this known in a joint statement released on Tuesday.

According to the government officials, the write-up allegedly led to the beheading of an Ebubeagu security operative in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state.

Suspected thugs had last Sunday shot dead and then beheaded a man said to be a member of Ebubeagu security operative in Ebonyi State in Nigerias South-East.

Ebubeagu was set up by the Ebonyi State Government to complement the task of the police and other security agencies in checking the rising crime rates in the state.

The incident occurred in Ekpelu, in Ikwo Local Government Area of the state, while the slain man has been identified as Sunday Nwafor, 30.

The gunmen, over five of them, were reported to have stormed the mans house at night while he was asleep and shot him dead.

They dragged the body out of the room, cut off his head and took it away.
Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum on Tuesday charged stakeholders including himself to work together in developing an ambitious but realistic and achievable master plan for the stabilization and development of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States which make up the six States in the northeast geopolitical zone.

Zulum who chairs the forum of northeast Governors spoke as special guest of honour of a multi-stakeholder consultation forum with the theme: North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP) project, which was hosted by the Northeast Development Commission, NEDC at the Congress Hall of Transcorp Hilton in Abuja.

The forum was attended by Ministers of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajia Sadiya Umar Farouq and some Ministers, Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, Inspector General of Police, Baba Usman Alkali, and National Security Adviser Major-General Babagana Monguno(rtd), and other top officials.

Addressing the participants, Governor Zulum said:

Let me start by thanking President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs for their interventions in ensuring that there is peace in the North East. We all understand the crucial role that consistency can play in bringing back peace, stability and prosperity in the North East in particular and Nigeria in general. This master plan must be ambitious, broad, brave, comprehensive to cover the whole scope of issues in the Northeast

The plan should outlive our tenures in office. It should be a reflection of our doggedness to rise from the ashes of destruction into the bright and welcoming place of peace and development. Our aspirations, as Governors and people of the region, therefore, should be to build back better everything that we lost and much more. The work may appear to be daunting, but rest assured that the bulk will be made easier than we can imagine through the unflinching support you will receive from the leadership in the northeast as a whole. Our respective States in the North East will make available plans for the purpose of alignment and synergy that will deliver better quality service to the people of the northeast Zulum added.

Using Borno State as an example, we will make available our 25-year development plan as a starting point on our own side. My colleagues will provide theirs as well. It is important that we are not starting from ground zero. Building on efforts already on ground, we should ensure that we are not just making plans that dont talk with one another. We should make plans for common purpose governed by good leadership and commitment to finish whatever we start the Governor said.

This plan should not be a political plan. It should be a peoples plan. A strategic direction to bring back peace in the North East. I implore everyone involved to help us bring back the lost glory of the north east Zulum urged.

 Minister

In her remarks as Chief Host, Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq explained that the necessity for a North East master plan is stated in SECTION 8 (1C) of the NEDC Act, which lists as one of the functions of the NEDC to Develop a Master Plan based on the needs assessment of the zone to be known as the North East Stabilization and Development Master Plan (NESDMP), which shall contain programmes and schemes that promote and facilitate the physical and socio economic development of the North East Zone, and the estimate of the time and costs for implementing such programmes and schemes.

 CDS

On his part, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, who was represented by Commander, Defence Headquarters Garrison, Major-General Preye Fakrogha, pledged the militarys support towards realizing the plan and its implementation.

 NEDC

Managing Director/CEO of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) Mohammed G. Alkali recalled that before yesterdays larger forum, the NEDC had consulted relevant stakeholders in a bottom-up approach, noting that so far, engagements on the Master Plan were held at grassroots level in all the 112 LGAs across the six States in the northeast.

The event we are witnessing today is one of the high points of such consultations because all the Federal MDAs and security agencies execute priceless and impactful interventions in the North-East Region the MD said.

Goodwill messages were delivered by the dignitaries that included the Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, Sen. Yusuf A. Yusuf, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof. Ali Pantami, Minister of Power, Mr. Abubakar Aliyu, Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali, among other top officials.
A burst of hope has been ignited for gas users in the country with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) is working out arrangement with the Nigerian Liquified Natural Gas to boost availability in the country.

NMDPRA Chief Executive Officer, Mr Farouk Ahmed, said on Tuesday that the Authority was ready to partner with the NLNG on this score.

According to him, the partnership will work towards solving Nigeria's poor energy nightmare by boosting local cooking gas supply and assuring that other fuels required for transportation and power generation were also in adequate supply.

A press statement, which he issued Authority on Tuesday noted that he spoke in Abuja when he received the management of the NLNG on a courtesy visit to his office.

He commended the NLNG for its focus in prioritizing domestic supply which has had a significant impact on deepening gas consumption in the country.

The NMDPRA helmsman reiterated the Federal Government's goal of deepening LPG/CNG especially for Autogas as an alternative to Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to cushion the effect in a situation of upward spike in oil prices.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director, NLNG, Dr Philip Mshelbila, said the Company will continue to prioritize the growing domestic LPG market and increase utilization by supplying 100%, it's Propane and Butane production.

Mshelbila also revealed the ongoing plans of the NLNG to commence operation for the Nigerian domestic LNG market this year, in line with the government's plans to boost local consumption.

He explained that the move was part of the NLNG's dedication to participate in industrializing Nigeria by providing efficient energy in line with the Federal Government's developmental initiatives and as one of the two focus areas of the company. Their other area of focus is to remain globally competitive.

He pledged the Company's dedication and commitment to making Nigeria an energy-sufficient nation.

Source- Sun News Online


Bangladeshi women work at a garment factory in Gazipur on the outskirts of Dhaka on February 17, 2018. Bangladesh is keen to export more ready-made garments and other products to the Russian market. Photo: AFP / Mehedi Hasan / NurPhoto

January 25, 2022, marked the 50th anniversary of Bangladeshs diplomatic relations with Russia. Since the Soviet era, Russia has been a close friend of Bangladesh. The USSR played a strong role supporting Bangladesh during its struggle for independence, and Russian friendship has continued during the post-Soviet period.

Russia has thus been a true friend of Bangladesh since its very inception. It would have been difficult for Bangladesh to win independence in 1971 without the support of the Soviet Union in the international arena.

On January 24, 1972, the Soviet Union recognized Bangladesh and on January 25, the two countries formally established diplomatic relations.

Although India directly cooperated in the liberation war of Bangladesh at the international level, the Soviet Union played an indirect role. It took strong action in the UN Security Council in favor of Bangladeshs independence. Largely as a result of Soviet actions, the United States was forced to withdraw its naval support for Pakistan from the Bay of Bengal in December 1971.

Apart from cooperating militarily in the War of Liberation, the USSR played an exemplary role in removing mines and debris from Chittagong Port in the post-independence period.

War of Liberation

As is well known, at that time the world was mainly divided into two camps. One camp was led by the United States, and the other by the Soviet Union. The USSR was directly or indirectly supporting the liberation struggles of different countries for policy reasons. Bangladesh was among them.

In a message sent to the Pakistani president at the time, Yahya Khan, in the aftermath of the March 25 genocide in 1971, Soviet president Nikolai Podgorny expressed concern over the mass killings, the persecution and arrest of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other political leaders in East Pakistan. He called on Yahya to find a way to a peaceful political solution by ending repression. Such a message from such an important country breathed life into the liberation war.

The Soviet Union played a significant role when all-out war between the Indo-Bangladeshi joint forces and the Pakistan Army broke out on December 3, 1971. The next day, on December 4, the United States proposed a ceasefire to the UN Security Council in anticipation of Pakistans defeat. The Soviet Union vetoed the proposal, calling it unilateral.

The next day, eight other Security Council members submitted similar proposals, and for the second time, the Soviet Union vetoed them. Pakistan and the United States repeatedly called for a ceasefire and withdrawal of troops to the UN General Assembly, after the two Soviet vetos in the Security Council. The resolution was passed by the General Assembly, despite opposition from several countries, including the Soviet Union.

Ignoring the ceasefire offer, the Indo-Bangladeshi joint forces continued fighting. The unwavering support of the Soviet Union was instrumental in this.

Ties with Russian Federation

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Bangladesh recognized the Russian Federation as its successor and continued diplomatic relations. Russia now is one of the major suppliers of arms and military equipment to the Bangladesh Defense Forces, including anti-tank missiles and armored vehicles, training fighter jets, and cargo helicopters.

Bangladesh has many opportunities to increase trade with Russia, though this has not been able to grow at the desired level because of obstacles in banking channels and some tariff complications.

There is a huge demand in the Russian market for various products made in Bangladesh, including garments. Because of various complications, Bangladesh is forced to export ready-made garments and other products to the Russian market through other countries. In the business interests of both countries, it is important to resolve these issues through bilateral talks and diplomacy.

In the fiscal year 2020-21, Bangladesh exported goods worth US$665.31 million to Russia and imported goods worth $466.70 million.

In 2012, a memorandum of understanding was signed between Moscow and Dhaka to assist in the development of nuclear power in Bangladesh. In 2013, Russia pledged to build a 2,400-megawatt nuclear power plant at Rooppur in Bangladeshs Pabna district. The total cost of the project is estimated at $12.85 billion, 90% of which will be provided by the Russian government.

Construction of the power plant started in 2016 and two units are expected to be completed by 2024, each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. The first unit is scheduled to go into production this year and the second unit in 2023.

Since independence in 1971, the mainstay of Bangladeshs foreign policy in the international arena has been friendship with all, not enmity with anyone. As a non-aligned state, Bangladesh refrained from favoring influential countries during the Cold War. Being a Muslim-majority country, it has strong diplomatic and trade relations with other Muslim countries.

After half a century of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and Russia, it is hoped that their friendly and strong ties will continue in the future.
The Kaduna State Chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has expressed sadness over the killing of a herder in Kaduna which has instigated a renewed round of massacres in the state.

Rev John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of CAN in Kaduna State, asserted that the development was tragic.

He said, Therefore, CAN appeal to citizens and all stakeholders to join hands to bring to a stop this new wave of killings.

Our dear state has been on the news for the wrong reasons which include banditry, kidnapping, assaults on communities and killings of innocent citizens. This evil must stop now and those keeping quiet need to speak up forthwith.

We cannot pass this type of record to the next generation. When others are struggling to get out of poverty to become self-reliant we are now famous for killing others at every slight provocation.

Our faith and culture do not teach us a barbaric manner of settling conflicts. We should, therefore, strengthen our love for one another and value the sanctity of human life.

We must all resolve that no life should be sacrificed from now henceforth in our state, irrespective of the identity of victims.

Accordingly, CAN is willing to work with all peace-loving individuals, groups and organisations to bring back the lost glory of Kaduna State and uphold the sanctity of human life.
For the record and for posterity, it is imperative to state that oil found in the Niger Delta region belongs to the people of the area. It is not owned by Nigeria. God provided every habitat with natural resources, including agricultural crops for subsistence. Oil, among others, is one of the natural deposits God provided for Niger Delta people for existence.

The region had existed before Nigeria was created, and the oil was never part of sovereignty it ceded to bring about the country. This explains why other regions in the country have control over natural resources in their domain.

Therefore, it is morally wrong for the government to single out the most valuable resource of a particular region for confiscation, while leaving other regions to enjoy their resources exclusively. That the Federal Government has oppressively expropriated the oil in the Niger Delta region by transferring ownership to itself, and using the law to legitimize the process, does not make it morally right.

The obnoxious Petroleum Act of 1966 which now forms part of Section 44(3) of the 1999 Constitution was used to legitimize this illegality. It confers on the Federal Government, ownership and control of all petroleum resources found in, under or upon all land or waters in the country.

However, this is at variance with practices in advanced democracies where host communities, states or regions own the resources and pay taxes and royalties to government.

In law, whoever owns the land, owns the resources therein, and this principle is supported by the Ad Coelum Doctrine. Why singling out petroleum resources in a particular region for acquisition? If the intention of government was sincere, the law should have been extended to cover all natural resources, including food and cash crops across the country.

The Niger Delta people believe strongly in their soul, spirit and body, that the oil belongs to them but that the federal government has unjustly used its might to seize it because of their helpless polyethnic minority condition. It is most likely this could not have happened in a monolithic majority group in the country for fear of resistance.

Depriving the Niger Delta region of its oil while leaving other regions or communities to exploit natural resources found in their areas, amounts to injustice. Zamfara and Osun states, for example, are currently enjoying the benefits of gold mining, just as other states or regions in the country are reaping from their agricultural crops.

Yet, the Niger Delta people are not only deprived of their oil resource, they also bear the brunt of oil exploration, including destruction of their ecosystem. Fish, crops, weather, water and other organisms in the region suffer pollution and contamination. Oil has brought miseries to the people to the extent that even basic agricultural and fishery activities which provide succour for the people are no longer generative, due to environmental degradation.

When you complain, those whose only contribution to the economy is their population are quick to remind you that the region is already enjoying 13 percent derivation proceeds, in addition to input from intervention agencies like the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, thus, does not deserve further support. This is population-induced arrogance.

When groundnut, cocoa and palm produce were Nigerias economic mainstay, the parts of the country where these produces were derived, namely, the North, West and East separately received 50 percent of the revenue in line with the derivation principle as contained in the 1963 Constitution.

Why then is the government reluctant to raise the derivation revenue that should accrue to the Niger Delta region to 50 percent when the 1999 Constitution has given a window for upward review. The 13 percent derivation principles as contained in Section 162, Sub-section 2 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is intended to adequately compensate the people of the region for confiscation and damages arising from oil exploration and production.

While the region is still contending for an upward review of the 13 percent, about 59 Northern lawmakers in the House of Representatives lately had vexatiously pushed for a bill to expunge the derivation principle under the 1999 Constitution.

Obviously, the intention of the 59 legislators is to deny the Niger Delta region of the 13 percent derivation revenue to enable redistribution of the proceeds to shore up revenues in their region. This motive is not only thoughtless and heartless, it smacks of parliamentary hypocrisy and insincerity, capable of plunging the region into pointless crisis that could worsen the countrys economic woes.

Are these lawmakers bereft of ideas that can shore up revenue pots in the northern states or they are just being mischievous? Rather than channel and expend energy on how natural resources that are spread across the northern states can be explored and harnessed for growth of the region, they are ridiculing the legislature and exposing the limit of their intellectual capacity for good governance.

It was these same northern legislators that contributed to the delay in the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) over their insistence that allocation to host communities from oil companies operating expenditure must be reduced from 10 to 3 percent. They had opposed the initial 10 percent as recommended in the original draft. The PIB was eventually passed into law on August 16, 2021.

Now, they have not only succeeded in this overbearing trajectory; they have introduced 30 percent frontier exploration fund in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) despite previous records of unsuccessful geophysical exploration efforts, including seismic surveying, by international oil companies (IOCs) in the region. Is there any exploration magic they expect the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC), a subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to perform in place where the IOCs could not find oil in commercial quantity?

It is a clear demonstration of pursuit of sectional interests aimed at commuting the exploration fund into advantage for the North.

In what way has the Niger Delta region offended the Nigerian state and their leaders? Why the show of zero tolerance for development and comfort in the region? Projects meant for development in the area are not only sometimes diverted and moved to other regions, even statutory privileges are occasionally aborted.

For example, former President Olusegun Obasanjo relocated the West Niger Delta LNG, Escravos to Olokola in Ogun State and changed the name to OK LNG. Protest by the Delta State House of Assembly that the LNG be returned to Escravos, Delta State, were rebuffed by the government.

Former late President Musa YarAdua attempted to relocate the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun to Kaduna until he was pressured to halt the plan by Niger Delta governors. Rather than establish one in Kaduna, he preferred to strip the region of the university.

The proposed Oil and Gas Industrial Park designed for fertilizer, methanol, petrochemicals, and aluminium plants earmarked for Ogidigben, Delta State, has been abandoned by the Federal Government. It is hoped there are no plans to move it outside the region.

The Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) which was established to administer uniform fuel prices across the country has consistently failed to extend coverage to the riverine oil communities in Niger Delta in their network, causing fuel to sell above pump price in these areas.

The unending construction of the East-West Road stretching from Effurun, Delta State to Calabar, Cross River State has lasted over 16 years with no hope in sight on completion date.

It is imperative to calm frayed nerves in the Niger Delta by sincerely compensating the people through measures earnestly designed to develop the area for their oil that have been commandeered by the Federal Government

Template used in developing Abuja can be adopted. Direct the IOCs and the indigenous oil companies to relocate their headquarters to Niger Delta, just as ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs) moved to Abuja. This will accelerate development of the region.

Also, just as NNPC has directed oil companies to make annual budget provision for funding of rehabilitation of schools, houses, roads, hospitals and other infrastructure destroyed by terrorists in Borno State and other parts of the North East Region, similar measures can be extended to oil communities whose properties have been impacted by seismic blasting and corrosion arising from activities of oil exploration.

This way, enduring peace can be achieved in the Niger Delta region, rather than see it as a conquered territory whose oil has been taken over as spoils of persecution.

Dr. Mike Owhoko, journalist and author, is the publisher of Media Issues, an online newspaper based in Lagos.
Dear Heavenly Father,

I know you would be surprised seeing me address you through this letter. Usually, you are wont to find me on my knees with my hands clasped in prayer. That set-up, no doubt, is more formal and sanctimonious. However, given the urgency of what is on ground in Nigeria at the moment, particularly as per the choice of the next crop of political leaders that will begin to hold sway in various political offices, this format of approach to your throne of grace, to me, is more real and gives me an ample opportunity to write my heart out.

My heavenly Daddy, you must by now be wondering why I am writing this letter to you. As if my daily prayers and wishes, through which I usually chant, sing unto you and express my hopes are not enough, I am confident that you are the God that answers prayers; hence this manner of approach. I am writing this letter to solicit your divine assistance for Nigerians to choose credible president, lawmakers and other politicians that would be contesting in the general elections, come 2023 that can deliver us from the lingering adverse situations that are we have been facing from ages in the form of wobbling economy, porous security situation, unemployment, hunger and poverty. I was compelled to approach your throne of grace through this avant-garde method as Nigeria, since 1960, has not been blessed with people-oriented and patriotic political leaders. Literarily put, virtually every crop of political leaders that has been leading Nigerians since independence has not been able, or rather blessed enough to deliver the country from festering socio-economic malaise.

In fact, having understudied the life of David, I was compelled to convey this letter to you; irrespective of the criticisms and condemnations that may trail it from the demographic segment of the population that are illogically disposed to censoriousness.

Daddy, permit me to remind you that David was chosen by you to be the King of Israel. We know him as the boy who defeated Goliath and your chosen one who destroyed your enemies. He was the chosen King of Israel, and man after your own heart. Yet, his own family had a very different view of him. David was the overlooked son of the family. He was the runt of the litter who does not get much respect from his own family. Yet, you chose him to be your man. Why did you choose him? As learnt through your word, when push came to shove, he would always do what you commanded him to do. His disposition towards your commandments has taught us that obedience to your words is what moves mountains. You does not call the qualified, rather you qualifies the called, and you works miracles with the simplest of people who are willing to listen to you.

Also, your words in 1 Samuel Chapter 16 verse 7 has taught us that Samuel was the prophet you sent to find the man who would be the new King of Israel in the biblical days. The incumbent King at the time was Saul who disobediently stopped listening to you and refused to repent each time he was confronted over his attitude. It was written in your word that he had a ton of excuses but no actual sorrow over failing to listen to you. So you sent Samuel to the family of Jesse to choose a new King. The bible also made us to know that an interesting thing happens when Samuel arrived.

Daddy, it would be recalled in this context that Jesse had 8 sons, and that when Samuel arrived to examine them and determine who would be King that Jesse brought out 7 of the boys and paraded them before the old prophet with the expectation that it would be one of them.

As understood from the scripture, Samuel was immediately impressed. He saw the oldest, Eliab, first and having judged from his appearance, he immediately thought that he looked like a king, and erroneously considered the King choosing contest to be over. This was as Eliab was seen to be tall, strong and handsome. Against the foregoing backdrop, diverse thoughts might had streamed through the subconscious of Samuel as Eliab looked like the type of man who came across like someone that would look good on horseback whilst leading his men into battle. He appeared to be Gods mighty warrior. To Samuel, Eliab fit the part and his selection made perfect sense to him. Yet, Gods standard for choosing His leaders was, and still, very different. Aptly put, God Chooses the willing not the most impressive.

Daddy, I am addressing this letter to you to seek your intervention as we are about to make a mistake again in the choice of who succeeds President Muhammadu and other political leaders that have indicated interest to contest for various political position in the general elections scheduled to be contested in 2023. As it seems, Nigerians have again started looking at the appearance of aspirants exactly the way Buhari and other political were presented to us as a messiahs when they contested in various positions and won at the general elections in 2015.

Daddy, as an omniscience God, I believe you know that six years after Buhari took office that not few Nigerians became dissatisfied with his performance so much that he was no longer seen to be the messiah he was portrayed to be by his campaign team.

My heavenly father, it is because of the foregoing which most Nigerians considered to be an error that I am praying for you to intervene, particularly as another set of politicians are been positioned as the countrys saviours come 2023. The politicians include some who have openly indicated interest to contest the presidential election, and others who have not indicated interest in various elective positions.

I am particularly inclined to bare my mind on this issue for the fact that Man chooses by appearance, but you as our heavenly father who the book of Isaiah chapter 46 verse 10 describes to know the end from the beginning, make known the end from ancient times, and what is still to come, and who says, My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please will always make the right choice of leaders for Nigerians.

Daddy, I must confess that Nigerians are desirous for you to choose leaders for them as they are doubtful of the aspirants that are presently stumping across constituencies to tell the electorates why they should be voted for in the positions they aspire to contest in.

Our heavenly father, as I drop my pen, kindly come down and chose the right candidates for us. As it is now, we are at crossroads because most of the aspirants have variously been tested in past democratic dispensations but most of us still doubt their collective integrity, and of most concern to us, we dont want to make another round of blunder in the choice of leaders that would lead us from next year, 2023.
The number of high-profiled Nigerians declaring their interest to run the race to occupy Aso Rock is gaining momentum. The latest entrant into the 2023 presidential race is Bukola Saraki, former Senate President Bukola. His declaration came today after that of former Senator President Anyim Pius Anyim, who was the secretary to the government of the federation in former President Goodluck Jonathan's six-year administration; Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former National Leader of the All Progressives Congress; Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State; Senate Chip Whip Orji Kalu and Rochas Okorocha, former Imo governor declared a similar interest.

Saraki, who was born on December 19, 1962, his the intention to serve as Nigeria's number one citizen is based on his strong record of delivering and experience in making tough decisions while as the governor of Kwara and ex-Nigerian Senate president.

Saraki, who is the son of Second Republic Senator, late Olusola Saraki, made his intention known on his official Facebook page, where he wrote: Earlier, I replied to a follower of mine on Twitter who like thousands of you has been clamouring for a united front to #RescueNigeria.

As we prepare for the journey ahead, I hope we can all join hands to get the ticket of our great party, PDP, and build a nation that works for all of us.

Join me to make our communities safer and provide real opportunities for you and your families. I have a strong record of delivering and experience in making tough decisions.

Lets build a new Nigeria that works for EVERYONE!

It is expected that more Nigerians will declare to contest for the hot seat in the coming weeks and months.

Report credit: realnewsmagazine


President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged a fair deal to the Itsekiri people of Delta State, while also extolling the patriotism of His Royal Majesty, Tsola Emiko, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri Kingdom.

A statement issued by Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, said, President Buhari spoke on Wednesday at State House, Abuja, while receiving the monarch and some of his chiefs on Wednesday.

Im grateful for your visit, and impressed by your patriotism. Ive taken note of your requests, and will work on them as soon as politically possible, the President said.

The Olu of Warri said the visit was to primarily thank the President for sending a high-powered delegation to his coronation as the 21st monarch of the Kingdom, and for your kind felicitation, goodwill and solidarity.

He pledged the loyalty of Itsekiri people to one united Nigeria, as we support your governments aspiration to provide security and economic prosperity to all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe, creed or religion.

Describing President Buhari as a dogged patriot and fervent believer in Project Nigeria, the Olu drew attention to what he called some burning issues that are dear to our hearts.

The issues included the under-utilisation of the four ports in Warri, Koko, Sapele, and Burutu, all in Delta State, reconstitution of the NDDC Board, immortalising the first Finance Minister of the country, Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, and resuscitation of the Ogidigben EPZ Project, which has reportedly been abandoned.

On the NDDC Board, he said he believed the President would soon reconstitute it, as an interested party, we genuinely want a better deal for us in the Niger Delta, as we believe charity begins at home. By this, we mean that we Niger Deltans must be ready to put the betterment of our people first in all we do. Putting our people first is the only way to make our lives better.

On the entourage of the Olu of Warri were Chiefs Brown Mene, Oma Eyewuoma, Thomas Ereyitomi, Daniel Reyeju, Dere Awosika, and Mr Julius Rone.
Outrage and widespread resistance greeted the Nigerian governments attempt to remove fuel subsidy from Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) despite the provision for deregulations in the Petroleum Industry Act.

The Nigeria Labour Congress had threatened to shut down Nigeria on Thursday, 27th January 2022 if the Federal Government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited removes the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol).

After hours of meeting with the President of the Senate, Dr Ahamd Lawan, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed and that of Ministry of Petroleum Resources, H.E Timipre Sylva, announced that it has postponed the implementation of the Petroleum Industry Act (of which subsidy removal is an integral part of) by 18 months.

The implication of this is that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) limited has requested the sum of Three Trillion Naira (N3,000,000,000,000) as fuel subsidy for 2022.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, disclosed this to State House correspondents after the Federal Executive Council meeting which was chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday.

Mrs. Zainab Ahmed said and I quote, In 2022, because of the increased crude oil price per barrel in the global market, now at $80 per barrel, and also because NNPCs assessment is that Nigeria is that the country is consuming 65.7 million litres per day, that we would end up with an incremental cost of N3 trillion in 2022.

According to her, by implication, the Federal Government will have to make an incremental provision of N2.557 trillion in order to meet subsidy requirements which currently average about N270 billion per month.

The Finance Minister further disclosed that only N443 billion is presently available in the 2022 budget meant to accommodate subsidies from January to June.

There is no doubt that Nigerians will have to pay a price for not removing the petrol subsidy now and this will come from borrowing to shoulder the fiscal burden.

Just like the presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina have said, Head or tail, Nigeria will have to pay a price; it is either we pay the price for the removal in consonance and in conjunction with the understanding of the people. The other cost is that borrowings may continue and things may be difficult fiscally for both the state and the federal government. You know how much could have been saved if the subsidy was removed and how it could have been diverted to other spheres of our liveswe have to pay a price.

What is the way forward? One thing is sure: paying Nigerians to consume petrol is hurting government finances and the economy. The Federal Government paid over 2trillion Naira to Nigerians to help them put petrol in their vehicles in 2021. That is basically what we did.

Could the over 2trillion Naira have gone into something else more beneficial to the people; like education, health and roads? The reasonable answer is yes. But would the 2trillion Naira have really gone into education, health and roads? That is where the problem lies.

Still, I would like to make these points:

u Transport costs will always go up whether or not petrol prices remain the same

u Nigerians have shown over time that they are not really averse to deregulation as long as they will enjoy the benefits

u Government needs to initiate a decent conversation with the key stakeholders before implementing deregulation or announcing palliative measures

u Unions should be encouraged to propose how the fundamental problems with fuel pricing can be addressed forever so that we do not return to strikes and protests perennially.

Regrettably, the government has already bungled the whole thing, but it can still go back to the drawing board to save the country from the upheavals and the economic costs that come with strikes.

Adewole Kehinde is the Publisher of Swift Reporters based in Abuja. He can be reached via 08166240846, 08123608662
The Anambra State Government has praised the state fire service for containing fire outbreaks throughout the state in a very professional way.

The commendation is contained in a letter by the state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba, to the Managing Director of the Anambra State Fire Service, Air Vice Marshall Ben Chiobi (retired), in appreciation of the prompt response of his agency to the fire at the Onitsha Main Market this afternoon.

The reaction time of the fire service was superb and its handling of the fire at the Plaza Section of the internationally famous market exceedingly impressive, Commissioner Adinuba said in the letter which notes that no lives were lost in the incident, despite the fact that the fire started in a place with plenty of combustible materials.

Your men contained the fire no sooner than it began, making a lot of people in the great commercial city unaware there was such an incident.

Adinuba also acknowledged cooperation from sister agencies like the federal Fire service in the state, Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, noting that it is the way to go especially in a place where there is cooperative federalism rather than unnecessary and debilitating rivalry among such agencies.

The letter points out that the state fire service has displayed so much effectiveness and efficiency in battling infernos even in filling stations like the one at the Mobil facility in Awka on Christmas eve.

The gallantry exhibited by your men, observes Adinuba, is as a result of the overhaul which your agency has undergone in the last three years since Governor Willie Obiano appointed you its Managing Director, provided critical equipment, hired more personnel for your agency, increased allowances to your men considerably and ensured better and regular training for them.

The commissioner also observed the passion and infectious leadership provided by the state Chief Fire Service Officer, Engineer Martin Agbili.

Agbilis enthusiasm and acute professionalism, he stated, earned him such nicknames as Agility, Ability, and Ezeoku which enabled him to become the chairman of the Anambra State Chapter of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE).

Adinuba advised Anambra people to disregard broadcasts by anonymous persons on the social media claiming that the fire at the Plaza Section of the Onitsha Main Market today spread for several hours without response from the Anambra State Fire Service or the Federal Fire Service in the state.

He referred to the broadcasts as part of the ongoing disinformation campaign against the Anambra people by propaganda agents of politicians who lost out badly in the November 6 gubernatorial election which the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, won overwhelmingly.

It is regrettable, said Adinuba, that the small coterie of politicians whom the great Chinua Achebe described as renegades have refused to accept the will of our people and are doing all manner of things to de-market their own state.

This behavior calls to mind their action in November, 2003, when they burnt down the Anambra Broadcasting Service facilities in Awka and Onitsha, the Governors Lodge in Onitsha, Government House in Awka, Anambra House of Assembly Complex in Awka, and Judicial Complex in Awka, all in a desperate attempt to have emergency rule in the state which would see one of them appointed the Sole Administrator in place of the democratically elected governor.

The Commissioner assured Anambra people that the renegades would be defeated in their mission as they were done in November, 2003.

Signed

C. Don Adinuba

Commissioner for Information & Public Enlightenment.
Biden threatens Putin with personal sanctions over Ukraine

WASHINGTON: The United States yestrday (Jan 25) warned Moscow of damaging sanctions, including measures personally targeting Vladimir Putin, if it moves ahead with an invasion of Ukraine, as Russian combat troops massing around the pro-Western country launched new exercises.

Russianmilitary

By AFP

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 10:05AM

Photo: AFP

Tension appeared to be increasing, with the White House saying the risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine remains imminent.

Warning that such a move would prompt enormous consequences and even change the world, President Joe Biden said he would consider adding direct sanctions on Putin to a raft of measures being drawn up.

Yes. I would see that, Biden said when asked by reporters in Washington about targeting the Russian president, whom opponents have long accused of holding gigantic, secret wealth.

A senior US official laid out economic sanctions with massive consequences that go far beyond previous measures implemented in 2014 after Russia invaded Ukraines Crimea region.

New measures would include restrictions on exports of high-tech US equipment in the artificial intelligence, quantum computing and aerospace sectors, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

What were talking about are sophisticated technologies that we design and produce, and cutting them off would hit Putins strategic ambitions to industrialize his economy quite hard, the official said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed the threat, saying sanctions would be heavier than anything weve ever done.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would talk by telephone with Putin on Friday, seeking clarification on Moscows intentions.

New Russian military exercises

A day after Washington said it was putting 8,500 US troops on alert for possible deployment to bolster NATO forces in Europe, the Russian military announced it was conducting new drills involving 6,000 troops near Ukraine and within the Crimea region.

The drills included firing exercises with fighter jets, bombers, anti-aircraft systems and ships from the Black Sea and Caspian fleets, the defense ministry said.

According to Western officials, the Kremlin has already deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraines borders, with reinforcements arriving from all over Russia.

We continue to watch the accumulation of significant combat power, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

Washington also warned Russia ally Belarus that its authoritarian government would face a swift and decisive response if it helps Moscow invade Ukraine.

If an invasion were to proceed from Belarus, if Russian troops were to permanently station on their territory, NATO could well have to reassess our own force posture in the countries that border Belarus, State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.

The United States and its EU allies accuse Russia of seeking to upend European stability by threatening an invasion of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic striving to join NATO and other Western institutions.

Moscow denies plans to invade the country, where in addition to seizing Crimea, it backs separatist forces in the east.

Russia instead blames the West for the tension and has put forward a list of demands, including a guarantee that Ukraine never join NATO and that NATO forces already in the former Soviet bloc pull back.

Energy threats

The senior US official said contingency plans were being drawn up to get Europe through the winter in case Russia moves to squeeze energy supplies.

The White House announced yesterday Biden would meet with the emir of gas-rich Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Jan 31 to discuss, among other issues, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies.

Washington and its European allies are scouring global markets for alternative energy sources, even as Europe already struggles with soaring mid-winter energy prices.

If Russia decides to weaponize its supply of natural gas or crude oil, it wouldnt be without consequences to the Russian economy, the US official told reporters.

Although the European Union sources about 40 percent of its supply from Russia, Moscow also relies heavily on sales of energy, meaning its an interdependency, the official said.

Negotiating attempts

Negotiations this month have failed to ease tensions, though Washington and Moscow have agreed to keep talking.

In addition to the Macron-Putin talks, the French government said Russian and Ukrainian officials would meet, along with French and German counterparts, in Paris next week.

Washington has promised written answers to Moscows demands this week, while already making clear that it rejects giving Russia a veto on Ukraine joining NATO.

But the crisis has laid bare divisions in the West.

The new government in Germany has faced criticism from Kyiv over its refusal to send defensive weapons to Ukraine, as well as hesitating over one of the harshest economic sanctions under discussion - cutting Moscow from the global SWIFT payments system.

Ukraines military is heavily outgunned by Russia, and Biden repeated that he has no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine.

However, the United States has stepped up deliveries of weapons.

At a ceremony for the latest shipment arriving in Kyiv, US charge daffaires Kristina Kvien said our preference is diplomacy.

But in case of attack by Russia, the Kremlin will face fierce resistance, the losses to Russia will be heavy.
Expert says fourth shot not needed yet

BANGKOK: While a booster is useful, a fourth shot of COVID-19 vaccine against the dominant Omicron variant is not yet necessary for most people, according to Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Siriraj Hospital.

CoronavirusCOVID-19healthVaccine

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 09:39AM

Prasit: Urgespublic to wait. Photo: Bangkok Post

He said those who have received three shots should not rush to get a fourth as there is not enough evidence showing people need to get another dose every three to six months.

A recent study by Imperial College London suggested the general public should get a booster shot three months after receiving their second jab, and that a booster of either AstraZeneca or Pfizer can enhance efficiency against Omicron by 55%-80%, reports the Bangkok Post.

In contrast, it found that people who only receive two doses of any vaccine may have no immunity against Omicron - or just 20% at best.

There is clear evidence showing that booster shots are necessary for fighting against Omicron, Dr Prasit said. But none of the studies make a compelling case for a fourth dose. We should wait for more evidence... especially when the second generation of vaccines is going to be launched soon.

However, he said the situation may be different for high-risk groups such as frontline medical personnel who may find a fourth shot more worthwhile.

The Omicron variant is known to be much more transmissible than other variants but usually results in less severe symptoms such as a runny nose, muscle aches, sneezing, and sore throat. Cases of high fever and loss of smell are much less common, Dr Prasit said, adding medicines such as favipiravir, molnupiravir and nirmatrelvir are all considered effective against this variant.

The doctor urged people who have been jabbed twice to get a third shot as soon as possible.

Getting the vaccine is the best option to create herd immunity, he said, adding this is the best way of transitioning the pandemic into a more manageable epidemic.
Foreigner shot at Patong resort

PHUKET: Patong Police have confirmed the arrest of a Thai man for shooting a foreign man at a resort in Patong in the early hours of this morning (Jan 26).

patongviolencepolice

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 06:59PM

Copies of the police reports supplied to The Phuket News.

A copy of the arrest report provided to The Phuket News confirmed that Thai national Somphot Piemsak, 54, registered as living on Phisit Goranee Rd in Patong, was arrested in front of the B-Lay Tong Phuket resort on the Patong beach road at 4am.

Somphot was found in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and bullets.

Patong Police were notified of the shooting at 1:50am. Police were told that a foreign man had trespassed into the resort and caused chaos inside the resort. The foreign man had been confronted and two gunshots were fired, said the report.

Police have not released any further details of the shooting or the arrest.

Police also have not released any details of the victims medical condition.

The arrest report did confirm that Somphot was facing charges of attempt to kill someone and carrying a firearm in a city, village or public way without justifiable reason.
Oil spill off Rayong, slick heading to coast

RAYONG: Efforts were underway to contain about 400,000 litres of crude oil which leaked from an undersea pipeline near Map Ta Phut in Rayong province yesterday (Jan 25), Marine and Coastal Resources Department director-general Sopon Thongdee said today.

pollutionaccidentswildlifemarine

By Bangkok Post

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 02:04PM

Boats deploy linked buoys in a bid to contain the oil spill off Rayong today (Jan 26). Photo: Royal Thai Navy

The pipeline belongs to Star Petroleum Refining Public Company Limited (SPRC), reports the Bangkok Post.

Mr Sopon said the company informed the department of the oil leak last night.

It was necessary to stop the spilled oil flowing north towards beaches in Rayong, he said.

Atthapol Charoenchansa, director-general of the Pollution Control Department, said a slick 180,000-200,000 litres in size was heading to the shoreline between Mae Ramphueng beach and the Khao Laem YaMu Ko Samet Marine National Park. Unless halted, it would reach there on Friday around 3-5pm.

The Marine and Coastal Resources Department, the navy and other agencies had been informed and action was being taken to solve the problem, he said.

An SPRC announcement, said the leak occurred at a single-point mooring (SPM) area in the middle of the sea for tankers to load or offload oil.

The companys emergency response team had taken steps in line with safety procedures. Activities in neaby areas had been halted.

The leak had been sealed at 12.18am today and dispersants sprayed on the oil spill. The company was continuing to assess the situation.

SPRC had notified the Environmental Monitoring and Control Centre (EMCC), fishing communities and the Region 1 Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre (Thai-MECC) of the incident, the statement said.

The company had been provided with boats and manpower, along with other necessary equipment, to combat the spill by both government and private agencies, it said.
Phuket pubs, bars must register to sell alcohol

PHUKET: Pubs, bars and other venues in Phuket currently operating as restaurants must now register and be issued a new permit in order to be able to legally sell alcohol that is to be consumed on the premises. Once approved, they may sell alcohol until 11pm.

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 11:12AM

PHUKET: Pubs, bars and other venues in Phuket currently operating as restaurants must now register and be issued a new permit in order to be able to legally sell alcohol that is to be consumed on the premises. Once approved, they may sell alcohol until 11pm. The new regulation was announced by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 25). The provincial order enforcing the new regulation was signed into effect by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also yesterday. Under

PHUKET: Pubs, bars and other venues in Phuket currently operating as restaurants must now register and be issued a new permit in order to be able to legally sell alcohol that is to be consumed on the premises. Once approved, they may sell alcohol until 11pm. The new regulation was announced by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 25). The provincial order enforcing the new regulation was signed into effect by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also yesterday. Under

PHUKET: Pubs, bars and other venues in Phuket currently operating as restaurants must now register and be issued a new permit in order to be able to legally sell alcohol that is to be consumed on the premises. Once approved, they may sell alcohol until 11pm. The new regulation was announced by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 25). The provincial order enforcing the new regulation was signed into effect by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also yesterday. Under

The new regulation was announced by Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday (Jan 25).

The provincial order enforcing the new regulation was signed into effect by Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew also yesterday.

Under the new order licensed venues may serve alcohol until 11pm, but only if they comply with SHA++ and Thai Stop Covid 2 Plus standards and are approved by local health officials, V/Gov Pichet said.

Applications for the permits will be received by District Offices, he added.

Phuket has three officially designated districts: Kathu (including Patong), Thalang and Muang (including Phuket Town, Wichit, Kata, Karon, Chalong and Rawai).

Business establishments such as pubs, bars, karaoke venues that wish to change to a restaurant must apply for a permit from the District Disease Control Operations Center, V/Gov Pichet said.

The District Disease Control Operations Center will conduct standard inspections as required by the Ministry of Public Health. Then the Phuket Provincial Communicable Disease Committee will approve the restaurant that has passed the standard to start for business," he explained.

In short, to be issued a permit the venues must comply with the measures that have already been enforced in Phuket for months.

The venue must comply with the Ministry of Public Healths requirements for operating as a public service establishment, service personnel must be fully vaccinated and have an ATK test every seven days; and all service recipients must strictly comply with DMHTTA measures.

The order issued yesterday included a three-page document that is to serve as the official application form for venue operators to apply for the permit (see gallery above).

Present at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday for the announcement of the new regulation were Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Col Akanit Danpitaksan and Phuket Public Prosecutors Office Deputy Chief Kanit Kongthong.

Of note, not mentioned in the official report of the announcement, but included in the order issued by Governor Narong were the standard waiver of claims against the government for the regulation and the penalties for breach of the order.

Because it is a case of urgent necessity, if it is left too late, it will cause damage. seriously affecting the public or affecting the public interest, therefore, the parties may not exercise their right to object under Section 30 Paragraph 2 (1) of the Administrative Practices Act B.E., the order notes.

If anyone violates or fails to comply with this order may be [may be guilty of] an offense under Section 51 of the Communicable Diseases Act B.E. 2554 and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding B20,000 or Section 52 [of the act and] shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or a fine not exceeding B100,000, or both, the order warned.

Offenders may also be punished under Section 18 of the Royal Decree on Public Administration In an Emergency Situation, and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding B40,000, or both.

The order was specifically marked to be in effect from Jan 25 until further notice, despite the Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) announcing last Thursday (Jan 20) that the new requirements were to come into effect on Monday (Jan 24).
Phuket Town pedestrian crossings get safety makeover

PHUKET: Following a woman being killed on pedestrian crossing in Bangkok by a policeman riding a Ducati Monster motorbike at speed, officials in Phuket have given the pedestrian crossing in front of Vachira Phuket Hospital a makeover in the hope of avoiding any similar incidents in Phuket Town.

transportSafetyaccidents

By The Phuket News

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 04:43PM

The pedestrian crossing in front of Vachira Phuket Hospital is just the first in Phuket Town to get a safety makeover. Photo: PR Phuket

Phuket City Municipality has had the pedestrian crossing in front of the hospital, the main government hospital on the island, coloured red with fresh white paint for the zebra crossing stripes.

After the death of Dr Waraluck Supawatjariyakul, an ophthalmologist of the faculty of medicine at Chulalongkorn University, in Bangkok last Friday (Jan 21), Phuket City Mayor Saroj Angkanapilas called a meeting in order to improve crosswalks in risk areas in Phuket Town, such as in front of hospitals, schools, the fresh market, and many others locations.

Joining the meeting were key members of the Phuket City Municipality Management division, the heads of local government offices, members of the Phuket City Council and the Phuket City Division of Public Works.

After the upgrade to the pedestrian crossing in front of Vachira hospital was completed, Mr Saroj inspected the crossing yesterday (Jan 25).

The upgrade to the crossing was a test run. Other crossings throughout Phuket Town will be repainted as well, Mr Saroj explained.

Repainting aims to improve it clearly so that the driver can see clearly and strictly follow the traffic rules for the peoples safety and reduce road accidents, he said.

SEVEN DAYS REVIEW

Meanwhile, the Phuket Road Safety Committee met yesterday to lay down guidelines to reduce road accidents across Phuket, marked a report by the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Phuket).

The meeting was presided over by Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap Rodkwan Yodrabum*, joined by Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) Chief Udomporn Kan and other government officials.

Mr Anuphap confirmed the accident statistics as recognised by the government for the road-safety campaign conducted for the New Year 2022 holiday period.

The campaign was held in three stages, he said.

Before the intensive control period, from Dec 22-28, there were seven accidents resulting in six people injured (with the extent of injuries requiring them to be admitted to hospital) and one death, Mr Anuphap said.

During the intensive control period from Dec 29-Jan 4, also called the Seven Days of Danger period, there were 28 accidents resulting in 27 people injured and one death, he added.

In the period from Jan 5-11, there were 17 accidents resulting in 14 people injured and three deaths, Mr Anuphap confirmed.

"The Road Safety Directing Center has determined the prevention and reduction of road accidents during the New Year festival 2022 between December 29, 2021, and January 4, 2022 under the name New way of life, Drive safely, No accidents, and there is a project to reduce road accidents called Phuket warns because we care - Wearing helmet 100 percent," Mr Anuphap said.

The purpose of the meeting was to lay out guidelines for reducing accidents in the Phuket area and to raise awareness among people about the importance of wearing a helmet at all times while riding a motorcycle, which aims to reduce the rate of loss of life, property, and the rate of road accidents, said the PR Phuket report.

No details of any other road-safety campaign underway were explained.

* Mr Anuphap previously served as the Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad). He was installed as a Phuket Vice Governor on Jan 4. Mr Anuphap replaced long-serving Piyapong Choowong, who was transferred to serve as Vice Governor of Ranong province.
Rescue worker accosted by alley drunk for bringing patient home

PHUKET: A Phuket rescue worker has decided to not take any action against a drunk man who tried to punch him in the face while he was bringing a bedridden patient home in Kathu.

alcoholviolencepolice

By Eakkapop Thongtub

Wednesday 26 January 2022, 02:42PM

The incident happened on Monday night (Jan 24), but videos of the incident began circulating on Thai social media sites yesterday.

Kathu Municipality rescue worker Pannakorn Pongphao explained to The Phuket News that he and his team of rescue workers had arrived at the home, in Soi Tessabaan 2 School, at about 7pm.

The team had been tasked with returning home a bedridden patient from Vachira Phuket Hospital, he said.

Mr Pannakorn said that he saw the man when the team arrived, but paid no attention to him.

I asked my team to take the patient into the house because my supervisor had called to ask me to pick up another patient. While I was on the phone, I heard someone shouting, Do you want to fight me? I looked up but then ignored the man because I didnt think he was talking to me, Mr Pannakorn said.

After a while, he heard him shout again Do you want to fight me? As I turned around, he ran over and tried to punch me. Luckily I managed to dodge, he added.

He kept trying to hit me, but I blocked the punches. I managed to get away from him and called 191. When the police came, they took the man to the police station, Mr Pannakorn said.

I decided not to press any charges. I just let him rest and calm down, he added.

After that, I asked the residents in the area and found out that the man does not live in the area or even sleep in that alley. He just comes to drink alcohol often, Mr Pannakorn said.
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Heidi Shyu, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, speaks to Thom Shanker, the director of the Project for Media and National Security and the Defense Writers Group, virtually from the Pentagon, Jan. 13.
Army Materiel Commands Steve Alby volunteers as a sawyer for Team Rubicon, cutting and clearing fallen trees and tree limbs from disaster areas, such as the Mayfield, Ky., area devastated by an EF-4 tornado on Dec. 10.
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Sir Mick Jagger got a thrill out of playing tiny club gigs in between stadium shows, according to Joe Satriani.

The Rolling Stones frontman, 78, recruited the 65-year-old guitarist for his solo tour in 1988 and has recalled how much 'Satisfaction' the rocker got out of playing surprise sets at bars.



Speaking to Ultimate Classic Rock, the former guitar teacher - who mentored Metallica's Kirk Hammett - shared: "It seemed like once a month we would find a bar somewhere and we would make a deal with the local band that we would just walk in and take over their gear. And if we needed to bring an extra guitar, we would. But pretty much we plugged in to whatever they had.



It was always great, just to see Mick turn it on when hes literally 12 inches away from the audience.And they can touch him and everything. He loved playing blues songs and rock and roll favourites and stuff. We all got a kick out of it.

The pair would sneak in via the back entrance and quickly disappear as soon as they finished their set.



Satriani added: The whole thing was crazy, because wed pull up in these SUVs all clandestine like, you know, because of Mick. Hes such a famous person he had to be handled very carefully. But he loved it, he just loved being with people. He loved performing and to just stand next to him while he exuded this positive rock and roll energy was just, oh man it was worth every second. It was just amazing.



I stood next to him on the stage at the Tokyo Dome in front of 95,000 people and in front of this little club where people, where there couldnt have been more than 80 or 100 people, totally packed into this teeny thing.



The stage was about six inches high. He loved it though, doing 'Little Red Rooster' in a little club like that, everyones drinking and having a great time. It was fun. Wed go in there, play for 45 minutes and run out. And then go have a party back at the hotel!



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Thousands of Americans gathered on the national mall Sunday for the Defeat the Mandates rally led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose new book, The Real Anthony Fauci, has sold more than 500,000 copies. The diverse crowd somehow got there despite airline cancellations and how cities including Washington, D.C., require proof of vaccination before customers can be served in restaurants.

The next day, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) convened a panel discussion on infectious disease. Entitled Covid-19: A Second Opinion, the meeting was held in the historic Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building, whose marble columns and heavy red drapes have provided the backdrop to many famous congressional hearings.

Johnsons convocation may be the most important hearing in the 110 years since the Senate heard from survivors of the Titanic disaster in the very same room. Senators conducted the Titanic hearing in 1912 in order to determine why 1,500 of the Titanics 2,200 passengers needlessly perished in that catastrophe.

Among the witnesses this time was Dr. Paul Marik, M.D., a critical care doctor whose 500 peer-reviewed articles have been cited in over 48,000 other peer-reviewed publications. Referring to the 850,000 Americans who have died of Covid, Dr. Marik said bluntly: These have been unnecessary, needless deaths.

Marik was highly critical of the expensive new drug remdesivir for hospitalized Covid patients, saying The question is why. Why have cheap, safe, and effective drugs been ignored for the treatment of Covid-19 which could have saved maybe 500,000 lives?

Another witness was Dr. Aaron Kheriaty, M.D., who was fired by the University of California at Irvine for not being vaccinated. He said the argument for mandates collapses now that we have clear evidence that Covid vaccines do not prevent infection or transmission of the virus.

Dr. Kheriaty called attention to the unprecedented 40% increase in all-cause mortality among working-age adults (18-64). The public health establishment has provided no explanation for that shocking rise in mortality, which is not directly related to Covid though it may be due to its vaccines and lockdowns.

Dr. Robert Malone, M.D., testified that the vaccines do not prevent infection, viral replication, or transmission. So why are they mandated? They cannot produce herd immunity, Dr. Malone said, even if every man, woman and child in America is vaccinated.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., reiterated the Great Barrington Declaration he co-authored in October 2020 and testified against the lockdowns.

Dr. Richard Urso, M.D., an expert on inflammation which is usually the first symptom of respiratory viruses including Covid, stressed the importance of taking medication in the first few days while the virus is replicating.

Dr. Peter McCullough, M.D., said there are only two bad outcomes: hospitalization and death, so the overriding need is for widely available early treatments that can be taken as soon as symptoms appear. Because Covid is a mass casualty event, Dr. McCullough said, we cant afford to wait for randomized trials that are not forthcoming.

Dr. Ryan Cole, M.D., said vaccinated people are not only getting the Omicron variant, but are getting it at a higher rate than the unvaccinated, especially if they received two or three shots. This is why mandates are absolutely moot, irrelevant, and need to go away worldwide, adding that we know how to treat an upper respiratory infection like the common cold.

Dr. Harvey Risch, M.D., denounced the mainstream media for failing to report the very significant evidence of benefit for both hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, shown to reduce hospitalization and death by over 50% when used for early outpatient treatment. He criticized outright fraud by the FDA in using data from hospitalized patients to exaggerate the risks of these very safe medications in an outpatient setting.

Dr. Pierre Kory, M.D., a specialist in pulmonary critical care, cited evidence from Mexico, India, Brazil and elsewhere that Covid was virtually eradicated by the early, widespread use of cheap ivermectin.

Dr. Mary Bowden, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist who, unlike Dr. Fauci, has personally treated many Covid patients, told how Houston Methodist Hospital was warehousing Covid patients with ineffective treatment while impeding early treatment.

Johnson is pivotal to the battleground state of Wisconsin and is running for reelection to help the GOP retake the U.S. Senate. His Titanic-like hearing illustrates how essential he is to push back against biased and misguided public health policies.
EAST ST. LOUIS  America's Central Port District in Granite City has been awarded nearly $21 million in state funding for three projects.

On Wednesday morning, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced an additional $108.3 million for public ports in Illinois.

America's Central Port will receive $13 million from the state for sediment reduction in Madison Harbor, as well as $5.5 million for the harbor's truck staging and calling center facilities.

Additionally, the site will receive $2,375,000 for the Hill Storage Track and other harbor track improvements. Another $125,000 in local funding is also being provide for the project.

At Wednesday's event, Pritzker also announced $111.4 million has been awarded to transit providers, such as Madison County Transit (MCT) and Macoupin County.

Pritzker said the funding follows through on the vision of Rebuild Illinois approved three years ago.

Our vision wasnt limited to simply updating highways, rails and bridges," he said. "We saw an opportunity to connect jobs and economic development to communities across the state through every mode of transportation.

Today were launching funding to support Illinois ports as well as over three dozen transit systems outside Chicago," he said.

MCT will receive $3.25 million for a Collinsville Park and Ride facility, as well as $3.1 million for Phase 3 of base improvements in Pontoon Beach. Macoupin County will receive $575,821 for a dispatch building in Carlinville.

In East St. Louis, the St. Clair County Mass Transit Districts Emerson Park Operational Control Center will receive $9.9 million for a new building to house county sheriffs deputies, a transit control center, 911 dispatching and a pilot program to help riders with mental health issues and homelessness.

These awards to our ports and transit systems will only strengthen our status as the multimodal transportation hub of North America, said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman.

"As far as I'm concerned, there is no such a thing as a highway system, a transit system, a waterway system, and aviation system and so on," he said. "We are all part of an interconnected system of transportation that is only as good as its individual parts."

Osman said the state is making infrastructure investments that will keep Illinois "the country's transportation hub" for future generations.

America's Central Port was created in 1959 by the state to develop multi-modal transportation, create business expansion opportunities and facilitate and assist in job creation for the Southwest Illinois region. The 1,200-acre site is the third largest inland port in the country.

The port has an annual economic impact of $282 million for the area, adding $2.5 million annually in property tax relief. It offers rail, river and road access. Americas Central Port owns and operates 1.9 million square feet of warehouse space, with more than 70 tenants leasing from the district.

"I applaud the steps Illinois continues to take to invest in safe and reliable transportation. It's essential to put us back on track and help out our local economy recover from the ongoing pandemic," said state Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea.
The states $45 billion in capital projects through the Rebuild Illinois initiative in 2019 included $4 billion in pork-barrel projects that were slipped in without any public input, the BGA reported.

Politicians have always been accused of being untrustworthy, deceptive and power-hungry by constituents. Indeed, 71% of Americans believe that elected officials dont care about them, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center poll.

Many Illinoisans, were sure, probably feel the same way, given the near-constant flow of unflattering news reports on some of our local and state leaders.

A new Better Government Association investigation certainly wont help matters when it comes to Springfield lawmakers, especially former House Speaker Mike Madigan.

As part of the massive $45 billion Rebuild Illinois package in 2019, lawmakers slipped in $4 billion in pork barrel projects, without any public input, the BGA found. That $4 billion included four projects tied to Madigan worth $144 million, as well as projects pushed through by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Democratic majority leaders, Madigan and then-Senate President John Cullerton.

Of the $4 billion in itemized projects, $2 billion was for 18 projects each labeled a Governors Office Addition, the BGA found. Another $368 million were labeled House Democrat Leadership Addition, $326 million were labeled Senate Democrat Leadership Addition, and $1.2 billion of projects were identified only as leadership additions.

Every Illinois taxpayer, we think, supports the notion of spending on infrastructure improvement, which was the focus of Rebuild Illinois. Roads need resurfacing, bridges need reinforcing, schools need rehab work  the list of projects is undoubtedly long.

But taxpayers surely have a right to know where their money is going before its spent. Public works should come with public scrutiny.

Benefits for friends

All four of the former House speakers projects, the BGA found, benefitted his political allies, business associates or friends.

First, theres the $98 million Madigan secured to help curb the noise of train brakes outside three hotels near Midway Airport owned by Jon and Mark Weglarz, clients of Madigan, who is a property tax lawyer. The brothers said they never even asked for the $98 million.

Then there was the $6 million Madigan helped secure for a control tower at Lewis University Airport in Romeoville, a pet project of former U.S Rep. Dan Lipinski, a Madigan ally. Lipinski had tried unsuccessfully to get federal funding for the project before Madigan was able to kick start things in the state legislature, an airport lobbyist wrote in an email.

Two other projects also have ties to Madigan. The Academy for Global Citizenship, a privately run, publicly funded charter school near Madigans former House District, received $31 million after it hired a lobbyist who once worked for Madigan. The school had only asked for $1.5 million from the lawmaker, the BGA reported.

And John Hancock College Prep, a Chicago public high school in Madigans former Southwest Side district, was awarded $9 million  that CPS says it never even requested.

Supporters can argue that these projects werent wasteful and ultimately benefit the public. Hotel guests dont want to hear loud trains during their stay. Airport control towers are needed to manage air traffic. Schools can always use more money.

But such needs exist everywhere in Illinois, not just in neighborhoods and districts where Madigan and other current and former high-level legislators wield power.

Credit the BGA, as well, for finding out that such a thing as leadership additions even existed when reporters Chuck Neubauer and Sandy Bergo requested project records from the Governors Office of Management and Budget. That term doesnt exist in the legislation for Rebuild Illinois

Asked how particular projects ended up among the select group of additions, a Pritzker aide told the BGA that the governor picked his projects based largely on his personal contacts and observations.

Project ideas came from every corner of Illinois, Carol Knowles, a spokeswoman for the management and budget office, told the BGA.

Its worth pointing out, too, that the $4 billion in projects was in addition to so-called member initiatives that were part of Rebuild Illinois, in which $600 million was set aside for state lawmakers to direct to projects in their districts.

In Washington, lawmakers are now required to list on their websites each earmark theyve asked for, with dollar amounts and their rationalization for the use of taxpayer funding, as the BGA reported.

Its time for the same rule in Illinois.
On Wednesday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced that almost $111.4 million has been awarded to transit providers downstate as part of the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program. An additional $108.3 million was announced for public ports in Illinois.

The two announcements, combined with earlier announcements, contribute to a combined $601 million commitment to ports and downstate transit.

A total of 37 transit systems are receiving $111.4 million to advance 51 projects, including St. Clair County Mass Transit District's Emerson Park Operational Control Center in East St. Louis, which is receiving $9.9 million for a new building to house county sheriff's deputies, transit control center, 911 dispatching and pilot program to assist riders with mental health issues, homelessness and more.

"St. Clair County is thrilled about $9.9 million dollar investment Governor Pritzker has made towards our transit district," St. Clair County Board Chair Mark Kern said in a statement. "This new building is critical for the health and safety of the residents in St. Clair County."

Kern said the building will be multipurpose ranging from helping aid those who suffer with mental illness to housing our counties sheriff deputies.

"This is what happens when we have good responsible government and thats thanks to our local and state leaders working together to build a stronger and safer community," Kern said.

In addition, West Central Mass Transit District in Jacksonville is receiving $575,821 in funding for a new building to serve as a headquarters, training facility and dispatch center. Madison County Mass Transit District is receiving $3.25 million in funding for Collinsville Park and Ride, as well as $3.1 million for Phase 3 of MCT Base Facility Improvements.

"When the General Assembly and I crafted the most robust infrastructure plan in Illinois history, our vision wasnt limited to simply updating highways, rails, and bridges. We saw an opportunity to connect jobs and economic development to communities across the state through every mode of transportation," Pritzker said in a statement.

This is the second round of competitive grants awarded as part of $355 million identified in Rebuild Illinois to invest in transit outside of Chicago. Projects include the purchase of new vehicles as well as the construction of bus shelters, stations, and maintenance facilities to expand and improve service, provide more transportation options in downstate communities, and promote an enhanced quality of life.

"These awards to our ports and transit systems will only strengthen our status as the multimodal transportation hub of North America," Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman said in a statement. "Through Rebuild Illinois, Gov. Pritzker and IDOT continue to improve the states transportation system by seeking out the best projects that do the most good and getting our partners at the local level the resources they need to deliver them."

A third and final round of grant opportunities for downstate transit needs is anticipated in 2022.

For the states 19 public ports, $150 million in capital funding is available for improvement projects, the first time a state capital program is investing in waterways. The remaining $108.3 million being announced today by Pritzker is being awarded on a competitive basis.

Proposals were evaluated on their ability to advance IDOTs Illinois Marine Transportation System Plan, which prioritizes asset management performance-based decisions and projects that benefit disadvantaged or economically distressed areas.

A total of 12 projects are receiving $108.3 million, including America's Central Port District in Granite City, which is receiving $21 million in investment with $13 million for a sediment reduction project in Madison Harbor, aimed at increasing operational efficiency and reducing long-term expenses.

Additionally, America's Central Port District will also receive $5.5 million in funding for Granite City Harbor Truck staging and calling and another $2.375 million for Hill Storage Track and other Granite City Harbor improvements.

"The bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program has positively impacted the state, and these local infrastructure investments come at a critical time to help downstate transportation," State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, said. "Investing in the Metro Easts transportation is vital, as it will continue to create jobs, promote economic growth and keep residents safe when traveling."

"To aid the progress of our communities to economic recovery, these local infrastructure improvements come at a critical time for the Metro East," said State Sen. Rachelle Aud Crowe, D-Glen Carbon. "By investing in downstate transportation, we are working to provide dependable modes for commuters and families while creating labor jobs for residents."

"I am excited to see the Rebuild Illinois capital program plan invest in integral infrastructure in the downstate area. The scope of this investment will benefit everyone in our community with its physical improvements to our transportation infrastructure while also creating over 500,000 jobs in the downstate region," said State Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville.

Passed in 2019, Rebuild Illinois is investing a total of $33.2 billion over six years into the states aging transportation system, aimed at creating jobs and promoting economic growth across all modes of transportation.
Money Mail readers have come forward in droves to tell of heartbreaking losses to the cruel new mum and dad scam.

Last week we reported how parents were being bombarded with text messages from criminals posing as their children and pleading for money.

We have since been inundated with emails from readers who have lost up to 10,000 after being duped into believing their loved one was in financial trouble.

Conned: Jackie Taylor and husband James paid out almost 2,000 to a fraudster purporting to be her son who had lost his phone

Your tales have also revealed how major banks are wriggling out of paying refunds, and how top-up card accounts are now becoming the favoured tools of fraudsters.

Using information from readers about the scam accounts, we have compiled a dossier of evidence and sent it to the police, the financial regulator and major banks for investigation.

In the new mum and dad con, scammers pretend to the parent that their child has lost their phone and is using a new number.

The reasons the fraudsters give for needing money are also often highly sensitive  such as for an embarrassing medical issue that needs urgent, private treatment.

Parents' pain

For Elaine Hodges, 71, there was nothing strange about receiving a WhatsApp message from her son as he never rings and only ever texts.

So when he told her he had broken his phone and this was his new number, she dutifully saved it and engaged in chit-chat.

But the person texting her was not her son but a fraudster who conned the loving mother out of more than 2,200 to pay off an urgent home repair bill.

Elaine, a retired HR worker from Camberley, Surrey, says: I was gutted when I realised I had been scammed. It was a real shock.

Her bank, Halifax, has refused to refund her. A spokesman said she did not check the number that had contacted her and ignored warnings before making the payment.

Mitchell Ward lost more than 8,000 to a scammer he believed was his 24-year-old son. The messaging started with a simple Hi dad. As he only had one child, Mitchell didnt ask the fraudster to confirm his name and instead saved the new number.

Before long, he was being asked to pay thousands of pounds for a private medical operation his son claimed to have undergone.

For Mitchell, 53, from Leicestershire, many of the details of the messages rang true as his son had recently lost a bank card on a night out and he had also recently undergone a medical procedure.

After making several transactions, he only realised it was a scam when Santander blocked the final instalment. He says: You would do anything to help your family. Scammers prey on that.

Santander initially refused to refund Mitchell the money, but now says it will review the case.

Fraudsters can use cruel tricks to make their lies believable.

When other victims asked which of their children they were speaking to, crooks often replied guess who? or your eldest if they did not know their name.

And when parents asked to speak to their son or daughter, the conmen claimed they could only text as the microphone on their mobile was broken.

Accountant Jackie Taylor, 63, was last week tricked out of 1,830 by a fraudster purporting to be her son who had lost his phone.

Jackie, from Hampshire, says: You only pay out because its your flesh and blood and youre worried about them. You wouldnt do it for anybody else.

Luckily her bank, Lloyds, agreed to refund her.

Tactics: When some victims asked which of their children they were speaking to, crooks often replied guess who? or your eldest if they did not know their name

Card tricks

Money Mail compiled the details of 32 scam accounts where victims had been asked to send money. Of these, 14 belonged to a firm called Prepaid Financial Services and a further 12 to Prepay Technologies.

The companies provide easy-to-use cards which can be loaded with money and then used in stores and at ATMs. But they are used almost exclusively by businesses, who then dish them out to their customers.

For instance, energy companies may send the cards to customers who need to top up their gas and electricity meters. Households receiving benefits are also often given prepaid cards by governments and councils.

A Prepaid Financial Services spokesman told Money Mail its cards are issued to a wide range of clients ranging from travel firms to governments.

Experts say the accounts are popular with scammers because they offer minimal traceability and do not have as many safety checks in place as high street banks.

And while most financial services are signed up to the fraud prevention membership organisation Cifas, Prepay Technologies and Prepaid Financial Services are not.

This means they do not share their fraud intelligence with the other major banks and financial bodies in the not-for-profit network.

So how have scammers managed to sign up for these accounts? We put this question to Prepaid Financial Services, which has since been taken over by Australian firm EML.

A spokesman says it sells only to businesses, adding we apply an identity verification solution that delivers protection to our customers and us. This includes facial recognition technology.

When Money Mail attempted to sign up for a card, a customer service representative said new applications were currently on hold.

Fraud expert Jack Buster, of ActionScam, says: It is far too easy to open up a bank account with no credible checks in place.

He says that digital services have become a favourite with scammers because they do not use the Confirmation of Payee (CoP) system.

This was introduced in 2020 and it acts as a name-checking service when transferring money between accounts. It means customers are alerted if the name and account details do not match.

But there is no obligation for smaller banks to implement the system. The mum and dad con has exploded at a record rate  with all major banks saying customers are increasingly falling victim.

Refund lottery

Some readers told Money Mail their bank had helped prevent them losing thousands to a scam after blocking their payments.

But others are furious their bank had allowed multiple unusual payments to go through without so much as a phone call.

Some victims report being refunded quickly, while others have been flat-out refused.

We found banks trying to wriggle out of refunds by claiming the victim should have called to check their child was who they claimed to be.

But Charlie Shakeshaft, of the fraud-fighting body Individual Protection Solutions, says: Banks offer stop warnings before transactions.

But with a sophisticated and highly emotive scam like this, the victim believes they are trusting a family member so these warnings become meaningless to them.

An EML spokesman says: We cannot discuss the operations of our specialist anti-fraud investigators (who work directly with law enforcement) or our anti-Fraud/AML [anti-money laundering] procedures with any outside party for confidentiality and security reasons and so as not to prejudice any cases of alleged fraud, which may exist in the court system.

'I can advise that a stringent complaints process is supported by the relevant regulatory bodies, which we fully adhere to and notify third parties as necessary.

A spokesman for Action Fraud says: We work with the banking industry to clamp down on accounts used for fraud and share information with them where possible. We also have an initiative that alerts banks to accounts used in fraud and nearly 7,000 alerts have been sent so far this financial year, with the aim of getting funds lost returned to victims involved.

A Financial Conduct Authority spokesman says: If people suspect, or fall victim to, payment fraud, we urge them to report this to their bank and Action Fraud. Scams can also be reported on the FCA website.

h.kelly@dailymail.co.uk
Fund management veteran Martin Gilbert has struck a deal to take over asset manager River and Mercantile Group.

The man who set up Aberdeen Asset Management and oversaw its merger with Standard Life, has agreed to buy River through his investment vehicle Assetco.

Gilbert, 66, is chairman of Assetco, a former shell company he and colleagues from Aberdeen Asset Management have used to buy stakes in businesses in the wealth management sectors.

Fund management veteran Martin Gilbert has agreed to buy asset manager River and Mercantile Group through his investment vehicle Assetco

He led Aberdeen through its merger with rival Standard Life in 2017, creating the company that is now Abrdn, before leaving in 2020. Gilbert also currently sits on the River board as deputy chairman.

The deal will see investors receive 0.073 Assetco shares for each River share they hold  valuing it at 99million.

River shareholders will also receive 190million in cash from the sale of the companys solutions business to rival Schroders which was agreed in October.

The proceeds of the sale take the value of the entire deal to 289million.

Following the merger, expected to complete in the second quarter of this year, River investors will own over 40 per cent of the combined group.

he tie-up is now subject to shareholder approval. River chairman Jonathan Dawson added that the merger offered good value to shareholders, and encouraged investors to back the deal.

Assetco was left as the front-runner after rival bidder Premier Miton pulled out this month.

At the time, Premier Miton boss Mike OShea said a tie-up had insufficient commercial merits.
Nvidia is set to ditch its 30billion swoop on British chip designer Arm after a fierce backlash from regulators worldwide.

US semiconductor giant Nvidia is understood to have conceded that the deal is unlikely to complete.

Arm owner Softbank is now stepping up preparations to list the Cambridge company on the public markets, according to Bloomberg.

Thwarted: US semiconductor giant Nvidia is understood to have conceded that its 30bn swoop on British chip designer Arm is unlikely to complete

That could pave the way for the pioneering firm to return to the London Stock Exchange, where its shares were listed before its 24billion takeover by Softbank in 2016.

But the UK faces a fight to persuade Softbank to chose the City over New York. Analysts said Britain was Arms natural home and Rishi Sunak recently vowed to make the City an incredibly attractive place for companies to list whether it is Arm or anyone else.

Arm chief executive Simon Segars could be in line to get a payday well in excess of 74million if the Nvidia deal goes through, an expert told the Mail. He would still receive a bumper, though smaller, payout if the group floated.

Nvidia agreed to buy Arm in September 2020. It would be the biggest-ever semiconductor industry takeover if it is successful but Nvidia faces losing a 950million downpayment for Arm if the deal falls through.

The swoop has triggered uproar from Arms customers and is under scrutiny in China, the US and the EU, adding months of delays to a process that was due to complete in March 2022.

In November, UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries intervened on competition and national security grounds, piling more delays on the deal.

She believes it is crucial for the UKs national security to maintain reliable access to Arm technology and that there are fears the Nvidia takeover could remove this.

Arms customers include Google, Samsung, Apple and Apple. Softbank licenses Arms designs to more than 500 companies who use them to make their own chips, which are used in 95 per cent of the worlds smartphones and other devices  from cars to fridges  that are connected to the internet.

In the UK the takeover is being investigated under the Enterprise Act of 2002. That was replaced this month by the National Security and Investment Act, giving the Government greater power to intervene in the sale of sensitive firms.

Even if the deal was waved through under the Enterprise Act, the new law could be invoked retrospectively to scrutinise the tie-up again.

Nvidias approach came at a critical time as a global shortage of microchips is sending shock waves throughout the manufacturing sector and slowing down production lines.

Arm co-founder Hermann Hauser, who spun off the company from Acorn Computers in 1990, recently said he believed Arm would be better off as an independent company listed in London than part of Nvidia.

Russ Shaw, founder of Tech London Advocates, said: If they go down the listing route, the UK is Arms natural home.

'It was born here, developed here, for the nation. This is our largest tech business in an area that so many countries at looking at on a strategic level.

He added: Scrutinising the deal will put off some future overseas investors in UK tech but it also says, Hey, were really serious about our industry. Arms expertise demonstrates that the UK no longer competes with Paris and Berlin. It is right up there with Silicon Valley and Shanghai.

Nvidia and Arm are still pleading their case to regulators.

Nvidia said: This transaction provides an opportunity to accelerate Arm and boost competition and innovation. Softbank said: We remain hopeful the transaction will be approved.
SPARKS [mdash] Mrs. Mattie L. Clements Martin, 93, of Sparks, Georgia, passed away at her granddaughter's home on April 25, 2022. Mrs. Martin was born on January 17, 1929 in Colquitt County to the late Ivey Lane Hart and Ola Gay Hart. She lived most of her life in Cook County and was of the 
Barre, VT (05641)

Today

Cloudy with occasional light rain throughout the day. High 54F. Winds SSW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Rain showers this evening with overcast skies overnight. Low 43F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.


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Impact Education Group will have two people in Kingsport Feb. 20-23 to gather information to be used in the school board's evaluation; the information is to be presented to the board by March 4.
Kingsport, TN (37660)

Today

A mix of clouds and sun. High around 80F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low around 50F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Kingsport Board of Education members seem to support possible increases in substitute teacher pay, but only one of five board members supports adding a "touch" of gold to Sevier Middle School colors when it moves to the former Sullivan North High School building.
Jihadist attacks in northern Ivory Coast have ramped up hostility towards the Fulani, a mainly Muslim ethnic group that some accuse of providing the bulk of the raiders.

Friction and suspicion are almost palpable in Kafolo, a small town near the border with Burkina Faso where jihadists have struck twice in less than 18 months, killing 16 soldiers.

The army has established a large camp at the entrance to Kafolo and the few visitors are greeted by a watchtower overlooking the dusty trail leading to the town.

In the shade of a great tree, the air fresh and dry in the harmattan wind of the morning, village chief Bamba Tiemoko said the first attack in June 2020 had had dramatic repercussions.

People were frightened  it was the first time that this had happened to us. People stopped going into the fields or fishing, he said.

Some villagers said they were still afraid.

We are always scared but we deal with it, said Lamissa Traore, president of the regions youth association. We try not to stay in the fields too long, to come back before noon.

I no longer go into the fields, Im afraid to come across Peuls, added Clarisse Siphoho, secretary of a local womens association, referring to a name by which the Fulani are commonly known.

Most of those who came and carried out the attacks are Peul. We are wary now.

 We are very suspicious 

In the absence of claims of responsibility for the Kafolo attacks, the Ivorian authorities have said they were the work of foreign nationals.

More locally the language is veiled, but the finger usually gets pointed at Fulani  semi-nomadic herders who are scattered across several countries in West Africa and often cross the porous border with Burkina Faso to graze their oxen in Ivory Coast.

We have our eyes on them, acknowledged a regional official who said the public were being urged to alert the authorities if they spotted anything untoward.

We are very suspicious when a foreigner arrives in the village. We ask questions about his purpose of travel, his destination and we can take him to the soldiers, Tiemoko, the village chief, confirmed.

After the June 2020 attack, many Fulani who had been part of the community left overnight.

There used to be a great brotherhood. But after the attack, there were arrests and the Peuls left, said Tiemoko.

If they leave, its because they blame themselves for something, he insisted.

Because of the attacks, they were afraid of reprisals and left the village, said Siphoho.

 The jihadists have won 

One Fulani in Kafolo, going by the pseudonym of Amadou, said he had spent three and a half months in prison in Korhogo, the main city in northern Ivory Coast, because he was suspected of having a link with the attackers.

After being released, he returned to live in the area.

Here, when people see a Peul passing by on a motorbike in the village, they are afraid and see him as a jihadist, Amadou said.

He said he was married to an Ivorian woman and did not feel sidelined by the community, although he wondered about the sudden departure of other Fulani.

Were they driven out by the townsfolk?

All those interviewed by AFP in Kafolo insisted that this was not the case, and their version of events was supported by municipal sub-prefect Issouf Dao.

We welcome the Fulani, they have been here for a very long time, Dao said. Theres no problem  but there is mistrust regarding Peuls who we do not know.

While the strong military presence reassured local people, many deplored the consequences of the attacks, notably for tourism in the region, which has been classified in the red zone by most Western countries, restricting travel to necessary business trips.

In the Sahel to the north of Ivory Coast, years of jihadist attacks have ravaged the economies of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

The Kafolo Safari Lodge, with its 40 rooms and safari opportunities in the nearby Comoe National Park, one of the largest and oldest in the country, has been closed for months.

People no longer invest, no one sleeps here, not even civil servants passing through the village, said Paterne Diabate, a villager.

The jihadists have won this battle, he complained.

SOURCE: AFP
ALBANY  In the first Cannabis Control Board meeting of the year, board member Reuben McDaniel III clarified the goals and funding sources for the public-private cannabis equity fund that Gov. Kathy Hochul announced in her State of the State address.

The $200 million fund will draw some of its capital from the states cannabis industry revenue, including licensing fees; but it will also be fed by as-yet unnamed private funding sources, which McDaniel said will help ensure it can be made available to eligible applicants as the board begins issuing licenses.

This will allow us to assist so that our social equity applicants who are interested in retail licenses have the funding they need for capital improvements to open their facilities in a timely manner, McDaniel said in the meeting, adding that the program should keep capital and leasing issues from impeding their success.

The funds are slated to go to efforts that include leasing, designing, constructing and outfitting adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries.

In a press release, state officials specified the funding would sustain the projects of certain eligible applicants from communities impacted by disproportionate policing during the decades-long cannabis prohibition.

The equity category is laid out in broader terms within the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. It stipulates that regulators must actively promote applicants from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition, and promote racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, while focusing on communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition or who qualify as a minority or women-owned business, distressed farmers, or service-disabled veterans.

Multiple bills pending in the Legislature seek to expand the states definition of equity applicants to account for other specific groups, including through gender diversity inclusive of trans, nonbinary, lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals.

Kim Napoli, who is in her third term on the cannabis advisory board in neighboring Massachusetts as an expert in minority business development, has been watching New Yorks program develop. She sees a benefit in money flagged for the start-up costs for equity applicants, but only if those resources are followed up with ongoing training and support.

The elephant in the room (in Massachusetts) was funding, she said. Providing some sort of funding up front for folks who are coming into the industry is an essential piece ensuring that they will be able to open their doors, and not just open but to stay open.

Napoli added that less-resourced equity applicants access to funds is especially crucial since cannabis is still federally illegal. That means traditional funding is not available, she added, and heavy private backing is often essential because people who have money are pouring a lot of it into the marijuana industry.

The Office of Cannabis Management will share oversight of the site selection and buildout assisted by the fund, which is currently restricted to license holders creating new retail cannabis businesses, with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, which is run by McDaniel.
Marijuana maker Citiva Medical is seeking tax breaks for the Orange County production facility it started building in 2018 and now plans to finish after a long lull in construction.

The company applied this month to the Orange County Industrial Development Agency to waive sales tax on remaining construction materials and reduce the future property taxes it would otherwise pay. The agency has not yet calculated the potential tax savings for Citiva or acted on the request.

The request comes as cannabis companies race to prepare for a huge new market with New York's legalization of recreational marijuana use for adults last year. Though the state hasn't started issuing adult-use business licenses yet, four of the 10 companies licensed in New York to make and sell medical pot are now building or seeking approval for new production space in Orange and Ulster counties.

One is Citiva Medical, which sells medical marijuana at three dispensaries, including one in Wappingers Falls in Dutchess County, but still has no manufacturing site.

The 128,000-square-foot facility it started in 2018 is located in a Warwick business park formed on the sprawling grounds of a state prison that closed in 2011. According to its application for tax benefits, the company has so far built the outside shell of a 30,000-square-foot building for processing cannabis products and laid part of the foundation for an attached greenhouse where marijuana will be grown.

The completed facility will employ roughly 100 workers, with 81 earning $33,000-$65,000 for production work and another 19 with salaries of $65,000 to $120,000 for management and sales positions, Citiva projected in its application.

The company is asking the Orange County IDA for tax breaks for the remaining construction, not for the materials it already bought or what it has built. That means property taxes would be reduced only for the value of the work done to the existing building shell and foundation that exists today.

The company has so far spent more than $11.5 million on construction and expects to spend just under $40 million to finish the project, Colleen Hughes, a Citiva consultant, told the IDA board last week when the company's application for benefits was introduced.

She and a Citiva official argued the tax breaks would help the company carry out its full building plans and compete with other cannabis companies, some of which got similar tax incentives. Citiva's application says it plans initially to build 38,000 square feet of greenhouse space and then do the other 60,000 square feet if "external factors" allow.

"Not receiving Financial Assistance would likely reduce the project size, facility output, overall number of jobs and our ability to spearhead and support meaningful community programs," the company wrote.

The plant is being built on 8.6 acres that Citiva's parent company, iAnthus Capital Holdings, bought for $526,000 in 2018 from the Warwick Valley Local Development Corporation, an entity created to sell off pieces of the former Mid Orange Correctional Facility.

Across the road from the Citiva site is another marijuana business that's under construction after receiving tax incentives last year. The county IDA awarded that company, Green Thumb Industries, an estimated $28 million in total savings in sales and property taxes for a production site that could total 450,000 square feet.

Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton told the Times Herald-Record on Monday that he supports a tax abatement for the Citiva project as long as it applies only to future construction. The abatement would lower property taxes paid for 10 or 15 years to the town, county and Warwick Valley School District.

The IDA board will hold a public hearing in Warwick on the proposed tax benefits but hasn't chosen a location or scheduled one yet.

Citiva sells medical marijuana products at three dispensaries named "Be." in Wappingers Falls, Brooklyn and Staten Island, and plans to open a fourth store in Ithaca. The products include whole marijuana flowers, gummy-like edibles and vaping cartridges.

Downtime is the best time Make the most of your Hudson Valley weekend, every week with our newsletter.

Because it has no production site, Citiva buys those goods from one or more of New York's other licensed marijuana companies. Jeremy Unruh, senior vice president for public and regulatory affairs at PharmaCann, confirmed Citiva is one of the wholesale customers that buys products from the company's facility in Orange County.

iAnthus, a publicly traded company based in New York City and Toronto that bought Citiva in 2018, operates 35 cannabis dispensaries and at least 10 production sites in nine states, including New York, according to its website and 2021 annual report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

cmckenna@th-record.com

___

(c)2022 The Times Herald-Record, Middletown, N.Y.

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ALBANY  The Academy Station post office wont be coming back to its location on New Scotland Avenue.

The company developing a mixed-use property on the former home of the post office at 563 New Scotland Ave. never received a firm commitment from the U.S. Postal Service to return to the space.
SCHENECTADY  For Transfinder Corp., which creates software to help schools efficiently manage their bus routes and has seen steady revenue growth for 24 years, 2021 was particularly busy.

Thats because the pandemic, marked by a shortage of bus drivers and chaotic school schedules, has scrambled bus routes across North America, which is the companys market.

Its called trip absorption, Transfinder President and CEO Antonio Civitella explained, describing what happens when, short of drivers, a school district may have to go from 10 to nine bus routes for a particular school. Thats where Schenectady-based Transfinder comes in with a user-friendly but highly sophisticated algorithm-based system for maximizing the efficiency of each route.

The bus driver shortage is the top priority, he said of what he hears from school district transportation managers.

Were having clients come on board that would have never considered buying our software but are now in the market, said Civitella, who has a model of a school bus and bus-themed bookends along with family pictures in his office.

Transfinder closed out 2021 with another year of revenue growth, taking in $23.3 million, up 23 percent from the $18.9 million they had in 2020.

The also signed on an additional 201 school districts as clients, a new record for the 34-year-old company.

The privately held firm does not report its profits. But Civitella said he hired 23 people for the 150-person company last year. Much of the revenue goes back into developing new and better systems.

Among those systems is a new web-based routing app, known as Routefinder PLUS, released in 2020.



It has so far created 10.2 million miles of routes, the equivalent of more than 4,000 trips across the United States.

We truly know what schools contend with, what their pain points are, what their needs are and even what their wish list looks like, Civitella said.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

They also have an app for parents, Stopfinder, which allows parents to track their childs bus in real time. It also allows two-way communication with district officials, which has taken on added importance during the pandemic.

Transfinder has been named a Top Workplace by Times Union, and a Best Company to Work for in New York state by the New York State Society for Human Resource Management. All these awards are based on employee surveys which makes it all the more rewarding, Civitella said.

But like many operations, Transfinder employees, including at offices in Austin, Texas, and Shanghai, China, have been working remotely since March 13, 2020, and Civitella said he expects that to continue through this year.

I dont think 2022 is the year that we go back to the office, he said.
ALBANY  Nadine Reyes was prepared to come up with $75 a month to start paying off the $4,000 in unpaid rent she owes for the apartment she shares with her four children.

It's the rest of the bill  the regular rent at $1,077 each month  she can't pay.

Reyes was one of 45 tenants who showed up in housing court Tuesday as the Albany Housing Authority began the eviction process on the nearly 1,500 public housing residents who have overdue rent bills. When the state's eviction moratorium ended Jan. 15, tenants behind on rent to the housing authority found themselves in a bind  they are the last tenants to be considered for emergency rental assistance (ERAP) from the state. They must exhaust all other financial assistance before they can be considered for ERAP  even though tenants who have applied for help are safe from eviction while their application is processed.

Tuesday's proceedings are no doubt being played out in municipal buildings across the state 10 days after the eviction moratorium ended.

Two members of the housing authority staff worked their way through a list of cases in the Common Council chambers Tuesday. They told each tenant how much the outstanding bill was and asked about their employment and sources of income. One member of the staff could be heard telling a tenant not to overpromise what he could pay.

"We want to set you up to succeed," she said.

In many cases, tenants signed documents agreeing to pay, on average, an additional $75, based on individual financial considerations, on top of their monthly rent toward the balance, according to Housing Authority counsel Brian Kremer. Judge Ricja Rice then formalized each case in the courtroom. A lawyer representing the housing authority sat at the plaintiff's table and the tenant sat at the defendant's table. Rice warned the tenants if they don't make the agreed-upon payments, they will be considered in default and at risk of losing their homes.

"Our No. 1 priority is to keep people in their apartments," Kremer said, "but we don't want their outstanding balance to become unmanageable."

All of those in court Tuesday went away with either a payment agreement or an adjournment to return next month, Kremer said. He also noted that of those households in arrears on rent to the housing authority, 340 have applied for ERAP so far.

Reyes signed the agreement, but then backed out when the judge explained it from the bench. She owed $4,111, Rice said, and her rent is $1,077 per month. Together with the $75 charge, Reyes' rent would be $1,152.

Reyes wore a black face mask and a heavy coat embroidered with Hudson Park Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, where she works as a nursing assistant for $13 an hour. Behind her, the oxygen tank belonging to the next tenant in line clicked softly on and off.

Reyes interrupted when she heard the numbers.

"I don't have that money," she said.

Something was wrong with her Section 8 assistance, Reyes said, they stopped paying and she doesn't know why. Rice agreed to adjourn the case until Feb. 22 to give Reyes a chance to straighten out the situation with her rent subsidy.

Outside the courtroom, Reyes said she moved into the apartment in 2019 after a stay in a domestic violence shelter when she was pregnant with her youngest child. The staff there set her up with Section 8 and the subsidy covered the entire rent, Reyes said. She didn't know the rent wasn't being paid until the summons came from housing court. Reyes said she shares custody of her three older children, ages 10, 7 and 6, with their father and pays a friend to watch her 1-year-old baby. She just accepted a job at Teresian House, where she will be paid $15 an hour, Reyes said. She gets food stamps, but she struggles sometimes to feed everyone, Reyes said.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Trisha Rosa recognized Reyes, her downstairs neighbor. They are among the approximately 2,300 families living in Albany city public housing properties, where there are currently 12,000 families on the wait-list to get in.

Rosa owes $2,400 in back rent, and said a mix-up with her paperwork resulted in a rent increase she wasn't prepared to pay. The housing authority requires re-certification for tenants every year, Rosa said, to confirm who is living in the apartment and their income. COVID-19 caused delays with the process, Rosa said.

After court, Rosa was on her way to the Department of Social Services to check on her application for assistance. You have to wait 45 days, she said, and Tuesday was day 47.

Rosa said she's been applying for jobs, but because she's unvaccinated, nothing has worked out, and she has no income. Her 19-year-old son moved in with her to help out. She also has two younger children, ages 15 and 11.

"I'm grateful the judge was lenient," Rosa said. "I was looking around, wondering how I'd pack all up all our stuff. I don't have the money for storage. I just got to pray. There's people who want to help, but it's the timing, you know?"






ALBANY  The sexual harassment allegations leveled against former Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last year didnt phase Lana Odom, a resident of Sumter, S.C.

Nor did they bother Ina Fritz in Pateros, Wash., Martin Pellumbi from the Bronx, Robert Coffman of New York City or a Southern California woman who agreed to speak to the Times Union on the condition of anonymity.

In fact, Odom, a retired director at a center for at-risk youth, referred to them as a "farce." As Odom put it, the accusations didn't "sound like sexual harassment to me."

Even after Cuomo resigned in August in the wake of a state attorney generals report that concluded hed sexually harassed multiple women, his support has remained steady among those who have dismissed the scandals that engulfed him as overblown or politically motivated.

That reverence was, in part, buoyed by nationally televised press briefings that Cuomo gave during the coronavirus pandemic, and for many of his supporters it has also translated into donations, according to his campaign filings made public last week.

Indeed, the aforementioned supporters all have made small donations to Cuomos campaign  even though he has given no indication of running again for public office  with the largest single donation among the group at $100. Some of them were recurring.

Before he left office, the governor had been known to take big contributions from special interest groups, including industries with business before the state. Those dried up after the allegations surfaced.

Cuomo had previously struggled to attract small donors. In 2018, it was reported that 7 percent of the small donations that trickled into his campaign account were $1 contributions from someone that had the same address as one of his aides.

More contributions came from ex-Cuomo senior staffer Melissa DeRosas husband, Matthew Wing, also a former Cuomo aide, and her father, Giorgio DeRosa, a partner at the lobbying firm Bolton-St. Johns.

However, this time around, Cuomo didnt need his staffs family to boost his now-$16 million campaign war chest. After he started his daily COVID-19 briefings in early 2020, the governor amassed a legion of loyal supporters nationwide.

The money took care of itself. Filings show that the governor has raised almost $32,000 in small donations since his resignation on Aug. 10.

Fritz, 67, a retired quality control professional on the West Coast, was captivated by the daily press conferences that she watched with her rescue dog by her side.

We set our alarm and we got up every morning, seven days a week, for month, to month, to month, to listen to what he had to say, Fritz said.

Odom, 73, also watched the daily briefings and felt like Cuomo lead the nation, relying on him more than she did her states own governor, Henry McMaster.

The governor had so many positive things, and things you could do to not get this disease, she said. It was reassuring.

The anonymous donor in California, a retired nurse, found Cuomo to be more favorable than former President Donald J. Trump, who at one point suggested that injecting disinfectants to ward off the virus might be worth examining, since they kill the virus on surfaces.

I couldnt believe that was actually coming out of our presidents mouth, the donor said. Theres a reason why on a bottle of bleach theres a warning to not ingest it.

In search of guidance, she began tuning into the Cuomo briefings. She found them calming, alleviating the stress she felt from a chaotic global pandemic.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

I cant tell you how relieved I personally was that here was information that I could understand from my nursing point of view, she stated. And I thought, finally, somebody is speaking truth to power."

In the Bronx, Pellumbi, a 55-year-old electrician, said hes willing to give Gov. Kathy Hochul a chance, but would "absolutely" support Cuomo in another election.

What sets him apart from the other donors is that hes on the fence over whether Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women.

I believe that a man has no right to touch a woman without her permission," he said. "I believe he should know that, too.

Different donors said they believe there wasnt any proof to support the alleged victims' claims, and they thought the state attorney generals report was flawed." One referred to the accusations as character assassination.

Coffman, 72, has been supporting the Cuomo family since 1977. He remembers when Andrew Cuomo won the Democratic primary for the attorney generals race in 2006. He went down to his campaign headquarters and kissed him, he recalled.

Coffman plans to continue donating to the campaign and is optimistic about a potential run for public office by Cuomo.

He aint dead yet," he said. "Hes going to be resurrected to come back and play a significant role in New York state and American politics.

All of the donors said they'd either stand behind the governor or wouldn't mind supporting him in another gubernatorial or presidential race. Some said they plan to continue donating, in hopes of a comeback.
Update: So far, weekend storm seems poised to mostly spare Albany area

ALBANY  A noreaster could hit the East Coast this weekend, but so far meteorologists say it is too soon to predict its impact.

The National Weather Service is tracking two paths for the potential storm, one that remains primarily at sea and another that makes landfall in New England. The various trajectories put the Albany area at the western edge of the storm.

The question of the track and exactly how far inland or towards the east it stays will dictate exactly how much snow the Capital Region receives, said Christina Speciale, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Albany.

If the still-unformed storm stays to the east  primarily off the coast  its impact on the Capital Region would be limited. But if it moves inland, it could bring more widespread moderate to heavy snow and wind to the region, the weather service said.

On Wednesday, the weather service tweeted that much uncertainty remains about the storm and meteorologists are holding off on predictions about snowfall totals or wind speeds.

Better chances for snow/wind impacts across western New England, mid Hudson Valley and central/southern Taconics as of now, but still subject to change, the weather service reported.

A Boston-based meteorologist with the weather service reported that three days out there are plenty of unknowns when trying to determine the impact and path of the storm, asking the curious to consider the jet stream energy that will fuel the development of storm is over southern Alaska this evening. It has a LONG way to travel.

Early models suggest the storm would arrive late Friday.

Forecasters have suggested the storm could become a bomb cyclone, which is similar to a hurricane that packs powerful snow and wind rather than rain.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

Speciale said the weather models suggest the weekend event could be such a storm, though it remains to be seen if the necessary drop in barometric pressure materializes.

The definition is a low pressure system that drops 24 millibars in 24 hours,  Speciale said.

In the case of the weekend storm, we are seeing many pieces of guidance suggesting that criteria will be met, she said, so this could be a bomb cyclone.

The region faces other weather problems between now and Friday.

Forecasters say the temperature will be brutally cold later Wednesday and Thursday, with the mercury dropping to single digits overnight.

The temperature is expected to rebound on Friday but the weather service warns windchills could make it feel like minus 3 degrees in Albany with a deeper chill hitting the Adirondacks and the Catskills, where it could feel like minus 19 in Newcomb and minus 8 in Hunter.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS  The back-and-forth over New York's indoor mask-wearing mandate caused tumult in some local schools this week.

In one incident Tuesday, the Facebook page Moving Saratoga Forward, which frequently wades into school issues such as banning critical race theory, berated a Caroline Street Elementary School teacher for giving a maskless child a mask.

The post made an unsubstantiated claim that said the teacher was dragging any student that walks in without a mask to the office, making them cry.

Among the more than 300 comments on the post were incendiary statements suggesting the teacher needs a "mental health evaluation," that our children are being led by sick-minded people, commies," and that the teacher committed criminal child abuse.

Later that day, the Saratoga Springs elementary school received a "questionable" phone call that city police said was in direct response to the social media posts. Police surmised that the caller had no direct ties to the school.

"At the conclusion of the investigation it was determined we were unable to substantiate allegations as they were portrayed on social media," police said in a statement, when discussing the allegations concerning the school staff member. As for the call to the school, police said: Although the call "served no true purpose" and was questionable in content, it "did not rise to a criminal level," police said.

Superintendent Michael Patton said the teacher saw that the child did not have a mask and told her she still needed one. The young student then burst into tears, Patton said.

"The teacher said 'honey, did you forget to wear your mask?'" Patton recalled. "The teacher wasn't aware of the legal issues going on in the state level. But like any teacher she has a very courteous conversation with a student and right off the bat the poor child starts crying."

The teacher offered to bring her to the office because the child said her mother told her she didn't need to wear a mask. The office advised the student that masks are still required in schools. They gave her a mask and the principal contacted the parent.

"It just escalated," Patton said. "They said 'you can't force my kid to wear a mask.' The principal said we are not going into that. But individuals take it upon themselves to get on Facebook and create a scenario completely in opposition. It's appalling. The posts that were made, the inaccuracy, the misinformation, the disparaging remarks about our teacher, harmful comments made, directed to her, to me is unacceptable."

Patton said he met with the teacher twice to tell her the district fully supports her.

"She has done everything any adult who cares about our kids would do," he said. "Everything online was completely false. None of it is true."

The district also released a statement that read, in part, that the district strives to create a school environment where all of our students, staff, and visitors continue to feel safe and welcome in our schools. We ask that our staff, parents, and students continue to be patient and work with us as these legal issues are resolved at the state.

The confusion and distress over the mask mandate came late Monday after a state Supreme Court justice in Nassau County ruled that requiring masks is unconstitutional in New York. However, a state appellate judge ruled Tuesday that the mandate will remain until the decision moves through an appeal. At the same time, state Education Commissioner Betty Rosa noted in a statement that until the appellate court decides, the mask mandate remains in effect for schools across the state.

At Colonie Central High School, a student was allegedly asked to leave school Tuesday because she wouldn't wear a mask. A video taken by the student's father shows a high school administrator explaining in a vestibule outside the school doors that masks are required and that we are doing the best we can to enforce school policy for the safety of students.

Its illegal, the father said to the administrator, saying he was recording on his phone to collect video evidence. He then requested the administrator call the police on himself and his daughter for not obeying the mandate.

"You will be held personally liable for this," the parent says to the administrator, with the administrator replying, "I don't appreciate the threat."

The video of the incident was tweeted out by congressional candidate Liz Joy, who alleged the student was forced to sit in the cold outer school vestibule all day! She was kept away from other students, no one checked on her, or offered her food/water. All b/c today she wouldnt wear her mask! This is unacceptable & illegal!

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

The district had not immediately returned a phone call Wednesday from the Times Union to address the allegations from Joy, a Republican seeking to unseat Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam.

U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, in response to the Nassau County judicial decision, called mask mandates an attack on our parents, students, children, and New York schools, and it is shameful that Gov. (Kathy) Hochul and her Department of Education are continuing to push the enforcement of their mandate.

Stefanik said she heard from parents in her congressional district, which stretches from Saratoga County to Plattsburgh, whose children have (been) illegally turned away from school or required to wear masks.

They see this as a clear attack on their freedoms, and I will continue to fight for our parents to be able to make decisions regarding their own children," her statement read.

She also called Hochuls mask mandate an authoritarian power grab that only resulted in creating mass confusion for school districts across our state.

Hochul said Monday she is trying to protect the health of New Yorkers.

My responsibility as governor is to protect New Yorkers throughout this public health crisis, and these measures help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives," Hochul said in a statement.

Saratoga Springs's Patton said he is frustrated by the misinformation batted around on social media.

"We have a hard enough job," the superintendent said. "We don't need to be under this kind of scrutiny and attack. COVID has created confusion with the protocols updated and changed daily. We are doing our best to communicate out. When misinformation is out there, all it does is further divide the community and creates more confusion. We don't want to engage with that on social media but when our educational system and our educators are under attack, we have to take a stand."
ALBANY  Effective immediately, the State University of New York (SUNY) will stop withholding transcripts from students with outstanding tuition balances, Gov. Kathy Hochul and the SUNY Board of Trustees announced Tuesday afternoon.

A plan to eliminate the widespread practice across all colleges and universities in New York was included in Hochul's 2022 State of the State presentation earlier this month.

Hochul said she would direct public institutions to immediately stop withholding transcripts and propose legislation for all higher education institutions in the state to end the practice.

"This is a matter of common sense. New Yorkers will not be able to climb the ladder of success and get out of debt if their financial challenges prevent them from accessing those opportunities," Hochul said. "While I am proud that SUNY students will no longer have their transcripts held hostage, all students deserve the same protections. We must pass legislation to end this unjust practice for all New York students once and for all."

Each year, half of all SUNY students graduate from college debt-free. Other students graduate with an outstanding balance of about $3,500, on average, and as of 2020 about 19,000 students still owed their SUNY campus.

With Tuesday's action, those students may now receive their transcript, enabling them to reenroll in a campus, transfer credits, complete their degree and obtain jobs that could help them pay down an unpaid balance. The City University of New York (CUNY) announced a temporary hold on the practice last August.

The Board of Trustees also authorized the SUNY chancellor, or a designee, to review all debt collection practices and make any appropriate policy changes, rulemaking, and other modifications in line with the new practice.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

SUNY follows state Finance Law, as well as guidance from the state Division of the Budget, SUNY regulations, and a memorandum of understanding between SUNY and the New York Attorney General.

It's one of the first major policy shifts by the board under SUNY's new interim Chancellor Deborah F. Stanley, who previously headed SUNY Oswego.

"Students come to SUNY for an excellent and affordable college education, often making personal sacrifices along the way in order to reach the career of their dreams," Stanley said. "To come so far only to be held back by unpaid fees and fines is simply unfair to our students."

She credited Hochul for "shining light on this oversight that has been commonplace throughout higher education, and for bringing further equity to our economically disadvantaged students, who have worked hard to earn their degree."
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COLONIE  A Massachusetts man hijacked a Mohawk Airlines plane out of Albany International Airport 50 years ago today, holding passengers hostage and demanding a $200,000 ransom.

Heinrick von George was shot dead early the next morning by an FBI agent after he forced the New York City-bound flight to land at what was then known as Westchester County Airport in White Plains and tried to drive away with the money and a flight attendant.

The Mohawk Airlines plane was commandeered after leaving the Albany airport on Jan. 26, 1972. The hijacker said he had a gun and a bomb. Once the plane landed in White Plains, it idled as George waited for his money.

Once he got the ransom, George, a 45-year-old jobless father of seven, took a flight attendant with him and tried to drive away from the airport. But an FBI agent pulled the flight attendant from the vehicle and killed George with a shotgun blast.

The hijacking occurred two months after history's most notorious high-altitude heist. On Nov. 24, 1971, D.B. Cooper jumped out of a plane over southwestern Washington state with $200,000 in ransom money and into American mythology. Cooper vanished and the case was never solved. The hijacker used the alias Dan Cooper, but the name was misreported as D.B. Cooper, and the mistake became the moniker that stuck.

Flight 452 to LaGuardia Airport was the first hijacking in the history of Mohawk Airlines. The Jan. 26, 1972, hijacking was a startling event but things would get worse for the airline less than two months later. On March 3, 1972, an Albany-bound flight crashed in a city neighborhood, killing 17 and injuring 36.

The hijacked plane had departed at 6 p.m. with 43 people on board bound for LaGuardia Airport in New York City but 26 minutes after takeoff the pilot radioed that a passenger had demanded the plane land in Westchester and asked for the ransom, four parachutes and cold weather gear for a flight attendant.

Six hours later, the pilot said the hijacker had allowed 42 passengers to disembark, but kept the pilot, co-pilot and lone flight attendant on board as hostages.

The plane was refueled at Westchester, allowing it a range of 800 miles, while the hijacker waited nervously for the money and parachutes to arrive.

The results are in See the winners of each category of the 2022 Best of the Capital Region contest, as determined by popular vote.

A San Francisco Chronicle article reported friends of George knew him as an out-of-work, hard-luck promoter who dreamed of striking it rich.

"He was always talking about the big deals coming up," a friend told the newspaper.

At one point, George suggested he and a flight attendant were going to jump from the plane in parachutes, with an FBI agent saying the attendant "played it very cool."

It was a bad winter in Albany for Mohawk Airlines, a regional airline that went bankrupt decades ago.

At 8:48 p.m. on March 3, 1972, a Mohawk flight just 4 miles from the Albany airport hit a two-family house on Edgewood Avenue. The 45 passengers were prepared for landing. The flight, with a crew of three, had departed LaGuardia Airport at 8:05 p.m.

The National Transportation Safety Board held hearings in Albany following the crash of the Fairchild-Hiller 227-B turboprop and concluded pilot error, along with confusion in the cockpit over trying to remedy a mechanical problem with a propeller, caused the accident. The pilot and co-pilot were killed. The flight attendant survived.
ALBANY  A student was sent to the hospital Tuesday evening after getting into a fight with another student in University at Abany campus center.

UAlbany Police Chief Paul Burlingame said the incident happened around 7:30 p.m. on one of the upper levels of the campus center. The two students had an ongoing issue and one student attacked another with an "edged weapon," he said.
New Yorkers like to believe we are leading the charge on progressive policies in the United States, and in many ways we are. But on one key front, we are falling far behind, and have been for decades: exclusionary zoning, or local restrictions on housing development that prevent diverse home types from being built in many communities.

New York stands alone among our peer states in our lack of state-level action to address exclusionary zoning, and the harms are clear: The National Low Income Housing Coalition estimates that we have a statewide shortage of nearly 650,000 homes affordable to families earning less than 50 percent of the area median income, and by one measure, New York is the most racially segregated state in the nation  thanks to our lack of checks on exclusionary zoning.

The conservative-liberal divide on exclusionary zoning has never been starker. During the 2020 presidential campaign, Donald Trump denounced fair-housing measures like the Obama administrations Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule as a suburban invasion. President Joe Bidens Department of Housing and Urban Development, on the other hand, is in the process of reinstating a similar rule.

The Build Back Better Act, Democrats central legislative agenda this year, includes measures that would begin to address exclusionary zoning and residential segregation. Most of the progress, though, is in other cities and states. Our neighbors in Massachusetts and New Jersey have long had state-level measures to ensure all cities and towns produce affordable housing. Minneapolis and Oregon made history in recent years as the first city and state to allow affordable home types in every neighborhood. Connecticut passed a statewide land use and planning bill just last session.

Fortunately, for the first time in decades, leaders in Albany are beginning to face this challenge head-on. The historic introduction of a bill to legalize accessory dwelling units (ADUs)  such as backyard cottages, in-law units, and garage conversions  by Sen. Pete Harckham, D-South Salem, and Assemblyman Harvey Epstein, D-Manhattan, last year was a critical step forward to create affordable homes in every community in our state, while providing critical income for homeowners and allowing seniors to age in place.

The effort to legalize ADUs got a major boost when Gov. Kathy Hochul backed such a policy in her State of the State. She also proposed a transit-oriented development policy, in which more New Yorkers will be able to live near rail and bus lines, opening economic opportunities for working families and growing our states economy. Furthermore, she recommended doing away with an outdated statewide cap on residential density, allowing New York City to plan for even more homes where it sees fit.

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Fortunately, the governor is not alone in these efforts. The ADU legalization bill introduced last session has been joined by a number of other pieces of legislation that would address the harms of exclusionary zoning in complementary ways, building more diverse, vibrant neighborhoods across the state. A bill (S.7574) introduced by Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, would end onerous local requirements that drive up the cost of housing and put it out of reach for working New Yorkers, including parking requirements, minimum lot sizes, and restrictions on the number of families. Another (S.7635), introduced by Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, would ease the path for affordable housing to be built where there is not already enough affordable housing to meet the local need.

These are exciting times for New Yorkers who want to address exclusionary zoning. One perverse benefit of our relative delay in addressing such invisible walls is that other states offer plenty of policy prescriptions that we can base our own solutions on, and more such proposals are sure to come soon in Albany.

Exclusionary zoning, like all forms of systemic racism and classism, takes many forms, and we will need to undertake a variety of complementary approaches to create truly thriving, diverse communities. Thanks to new leadership in Albany, New York finally has the policy solutions to bring to bear on this challenge.

Will Thomas of New York City is the executive director of Open New York, an independent, grassroots, pro-housing activist group that advocates for more housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods.
At this time, 10 states and the District of Columbia have laws that permit seriously ill, dying people to request medication from their physician that will allow them to end their suffering. That means that about 20 percent of Americans now have this right.

New Jersey recently enacted this law. Vermont has had it for several years. In Oregon, the right to die has been in effect for over two decades. There have been no reported abuses of these laws.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called President Joe Biden's speech in Georgia on voting rights "divisive."

This comes from a man who, in 2008, when the economy was hanging by a slender thread, said that his No. 1 priority was to see that then-President Barack Obama would be a one-term president. Fortunately, he failed in that effort. But he succeeded in denying Obama the power to exercise his constitutional duty to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Then, in defiance of the phony "principal" on which he prevented hearings on Judge Merrick Garland's candidacy for the appointment, he rushed through then-President Donald Trump's appointment of Amy Coney Barrett.
ALBANY  Gov. Kathy Hochul has continued to plot a course on the gun violence epidemic that she has declared is a state of emergency.

The state is soon expected to launch an "Office of Gun Violence Prevention," according to Hochul's office. Her budget includes $500,000 for the office. Data collected on gun violence would be used by the office to "track emerging gun violence hotspots and deploy resources to those areas that need it most," according to the governor's budget book.

Plans are expected to take further shape at the state's first "Interstate Task Force on Illegal Guns" meeting Wednesday morning at the New York State Intelligence Center in East Greenbush. The task force, led by State Police officials, is intended to help slow the spread of illegal guns into New York's communities.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who has spurred state officials back into answering questions on bail laws that he believes should be in part walked back, is expected to be in attendance. An illegal gun from Baltimore is believed to have been used by a 47-year-old man in Manhattan to shoot two New York Police Department officers; both the officers and the man died.

On top of Hochul's new office, the state has also spent at least $144 million of the $159 million dedicated to the gun violence state of emergency. The remaining money has been promised to organizations and remains to be spent by them.

The emergency was first declared by then-Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in July. At the time, the state was seeing a rise in violent crimes, especially those involving firearms. In Albany and New York City, fatal shootings dominated news coverage. Much of the money was intended to help provide additional jobs for teens during the summer and create more long-lasting changes for communities.

The early rollout of the initiatives led to issues for some community-based organizations that had yet to see award letters or, after being promised by the state for the money, didn't have access to capital up front to immediately spend to help quell the violence.

One program, the Consortium for Worker Education, a nonprofit group of 46 labor unions, would receive $18.5 million from the state to create 2,400 long-term jobs for young adults in communities distressed by gun violence. By late October, it had created about 20 jobs, according to the state Department of Labor.

The state had funded increases in summer youth employment program jobs, too. According to records received through Freedom of Information Law requests, it showed the overall number of summer youth jobs funded by the state reached the levels of 2018, just under 19,000 jobs, but did not surpass 2017 totals  despite the emergency funding to prop it up.

Hochul eventually decided not to pursue the Cuomo-proposed council on gun violence, the governor's office said. Instead, the governor is looking toward other strategies, many of which were offered in her $216 billion executive budget that included $224 million for gun violence-related issues.

The governor's direction now has new momentum. The shooting of the NYPD officers Friday has become part of a watershed political moment for the early days of this legislative session.

Following the shooting, Hochul released a statement that she had extended the state of emergency on gun violence, has offered a clear vision for the state's plans on gun violence moving forward and offered her condolences.

After Adams elevated the issue further over the weekend, Hochul said they would convene the new task force less than a week after the tragedy to discuss the pipeline of illegal guns and how neighboring states can work with each other.

The governor's budget includes $215,000 to "triple the states gun violence intelligence resources by staffing the New York State

Intelligence Center with a team of analysts necessary to process and investigate crime guns across the state." Overall, the budget includes $15 million toward crime analysis centers, including the establishment of gun crime intelligence centers.
Pictured is the gathering of fire and EMS personnel that took place at the East Mead Volunteer Fire Department Monday night. The group discussed challenges that they face and talked about potential solutions.
Pandemic protocols are ramping as numbers are hopefully hitting a peak and will soon plummet like other parts of the world.



For now, locals can get a bit of free help with the new dress codes . . . And that's good news considering that schools are taking a hard line on health safety.

Take a look . . .



Shawnee Mission School District requires all students to wear masks in schools through Feb. 15 Shawnee Mission secondary students and staff will all be required to wear a mask as of Jan. 24. The board of education unanimously approved universal masking until Feb. 15, although it could be extended at the board's Feb. 14 meeting.

And about those government-issued masks . . . A phrase TKC never thought we'd publish . . .
In this quick collection we take a peek at court cases, police reports and all manner of ALLEGED misdeeds from across the metro.



Here's the TKC collection . . .



Activists claim Jackson County jail is denying inmates due process because of COVID Kansas City activists are raising concerns about insufficient COVID safety measures inside the Jackson County Detention Center, and saying that outbreaks among inmates are hindering their due process rights. Operation Liberation , a local criminal justice nonprofit, protested outside of the jail on Monday.

Independence man found shot in vehicle on 40 Highway has died, police say by: Brian Dulle Posted: / Updated: INDEPENDENCE, Mo. - Independence police say a man found shot inside a vehicle last week off 40 Highway has died from his injuries. The victim has been identified as 23-year-old Riley Youngblood, of Independence. Police said Youngblood was shot in his vehicle around 8 a.m.

Illegal sideshow leads to deadly shooting in KCK KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Violence erupted again at an illegal sideshow Sunday night, leaving a man dead in Kansas City, Kansas. Police identified the victim who was shot and killed as 25-year-old Alec Byers. Illegal sideshows happen almost every weekend in some parts of the Kansas City area, but this time, a young man who went to see the show was killed.

Jackson County declines charges against Grandview officers who shot teen by: Heidi Schmidt Posted: / Updated: GRANDVIEW, Mo. - The Grandview police officers who shot and killed a teenager at a park last year will not face criminal charges. Officers shot and killed 17-year-old Lance Stephenson Jr. on May 16. Court documents show Stephenson took an Uber to Meadowmere Park in Grandview.

Attorneys for Keith Carnes respond to Missouri AG's request to deny immediate release KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Attorneys for a Kansas City man convicted of murder have filed filed a legal response, one day after the office of Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt filed a motion against Keith Carnes ' immediate release. Carnes has spent nearly 20 years in prison for a murder he has always said he didn't commit.

Lawsuit: Kansas City CEO wore 'Bikini lives matter' mask, discriminated against women The workplace at Leawood architecture firm Hoefer Welker was so sexist and hostile toward women that the CEO frequently referred to female subordinates as "sexy bitches," according to a federal lawsuit. Margaret Fitzgerald, the former director of marketing strategies, describes the workplace culture and company leaders as "prejudiced and biased" in a lawsuit filed last week.

Man charged after running on field during Chiefs vs. Bills divisional game KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A Grandview man was arrested on Sunday for running on to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium during the Kansas City Chiefs game against the Buffalo Bills. The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department identified him as a 20-year-old Grandview man.

Developing . . .
Once again we note a power move from the Kansas Guv that's earning attention on the national stage.

Even worse, the effort and a great deal of the racially charged conversation around the tragic topic is, yet again, unanswered by her GOP competitors.

Here's a peek a this sitch right now . . .

This situation is tragic, and we must find a way to ensure something like this never happens again, Kelly said in a written statement calling for the Kansas Department for Children and Families to review the case of Cedric Lofton and see if policies needed to be changed.



Meanwhile, the Sedgwick County Department of Corrections announced Tuesday that it was forming a task force to review what happened. Glenda Martens, the department's director, said the work would be painstakingly difficult."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . .

Kansas governor calls for investigation into teen's death Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered the Kansas agency that oversees foster care to investigate the death of a 17-year-old who was restrained face down for more than 30 minutes last fall at a Wichita juvenile intake center after his foster father called begging for help because the teen was hallucinating.

Again, notice that national MSM picked up on this story as well . . .

Kansas governor orders investigation into death of Black teen restrained at juvenile center The governor of Kansas ordered an investigation into a private foster care agency following the death of Cedric Lofton, a 17-year-old Black foster care child who became unresponsive while being restrained facedown for more than 30 minutes at a Wichita juvenile center.

Developing . . .
Brevard, NC (28712)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 80F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

A few passing clouds. Low 52F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
At the end of 2021, community-based tour operator Native Tours joined forces with international non-profit Planeterra as a partner in the organizations growing network of social enterprises committed to supporting local livelihoods through tourism in Peru and around the world



(TRAVPR.COM) PERU - January 26th, 2022 -

26 January 2022, Cusco, Peru  At the end of 2021, community-based tour operator Native Tours joined forces with international non-profit Planeterra as a partner in the organizations growing network of social enterprises committed to supporting local livelihoods through tourism in Peru and around the world.

As our next step in the partnership, Native Tours will be visiting our community partner, Amaru, next month to conduct a needs assessment. The results will be reviewed with Planeterra to determine the areas to focus our support for 2022.

Peru welcomed over 5.2 million visitors in 2019, however that source of economic stability saw a sharp decline with lockdowns and restrictions that came with the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. This disproportionately affected communities that rely heavily on the tourism sector for their livelihood. With tourism now slowly returning to the country, it is essential that there is equitable access to the financial capital that the industry provides. Together, Native Tours and Planeterra will help ensure local communities have the tools and resources they need to successfully engage in the tourism sector.

In addition to supporting Planeterras existing work in Peru and South America, this partnership will strengthen the capacity of Native Tours affiliate communities, like Amaru, by connecting them to Planeterras community tourism network. This network, which functions as a peer-to-peer learning hub, aims to help equip local Indigenous communities with tools for them to thrive as key players in the tourism sector.

"Travel is a valuable experience but not everyone benefits equally. Planeterra is committed to providing training, mentorship, and resources to community tourism enterprises in order to provide jobs and income for women, Indigenous communities, and youth," said Rhea Simms, Director of Global Programs. "We're excited to provide this assistance to more communities in Peru through our partnership with Native Tours."

We are very excited about this partnership, as it allows a boutique operator like Native Tours the opportunity to amplify our impact in the Indigenous communities we partner with said Native Tours founder Karen Vergara. We have been looking to help our destinations build back better after the pandemic and by leveraging Planeterras vast network in Peru we can encourage a greener supply chain.

In the coming months, Native Tours also hopes to revitalize the demand for community-based tourism through collaborative activities that support Planeterras mission to uplift communities through tourism.

_________________________



About Native Tours

Native Tours is a sustainable community-based tour operator offering authentic excursions that foster an appreciation for environmental and cultural conservation. We believe that responsible tourism can improve the lives of travelers as well as the people and places they visit, allowing the local communities to prosper while safeguarding the rich ancestral heritage that makes them so unique and attractive. For more information, please visit www.nativetours.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Planeterra

Planeterra is committed to turning travel into impact by helping local communities earn an income from tourism. Planeterra is an independent, non-profit organization and registered U.S. charity using community tourism to tackle poverty. Planeterra helps local organizations and communities use tourism as a catalyst to improve peoples lives, protect their natural environments, and celebrate their culture. For more information please visit www.planeterra.org and follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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The first case of a potentially more infectious COVID-19 subvariant, dubbed BA.2, has been identified in Connecticut, a top researcher said this week.

The BA.2 variant, which was detected in a patient in Fairfield County, is of the same lineage as omicron, according to Nathan Grubaugh, associate professor of epidemiology of microbial diseases at Yale New Haven Health.

The omicron variant, which first was reported in South Africa in November, has quickly swept across Connecticut the past two months, driving up infections and hospitalizations in one of the worst waves in the nearly two-year COVID-19 pandemic.

I dont think we know enough about it, Gov. Ned Lamont said Wednesday when asked about the new subvariant.

Right now, our infection rate is going down, our hospitalizations are going down. The trends are really good. But I couldve told you that in November before omicron. Give us a couple of weeks and we will have a much better idea.

On Wednesday, Connecticuts daily positivity rate dropped to 10.93 percent with 2,795 COVID cases found among 25,568 tests. Hospitalizations dropped by a net of 100 patients for a total of 1,346.

Grubaughs lab at the Yale School of Public Health has done the lions share of COVID-19 genomic sequencing in the state since the pandemic started. He said though only one case of the omicron subvariant has been identified in Connecticut, there are probably many more unidentified infections.

BA.2 is not a distinct variant by itself, but is a direct relative of omicron, otherwise known as BA.1.

BA.2 is out competing BA.1 in South Africa and throughout Europe. It is more transmissible, Grubaugh said. So it is going to be the dominant lineage of omicron.

BA.2 has already been identified in several states, and last week, Denmark-based research institute Statens Serum Institut, said the subvariant comprised almost half of the COVID cases in the country.

In Norway, state public health officials said 611 cases of BA.2 had been identified as of Jan. 19.

This edition of omicron is growing strongly compared to the original omicron, BA.1, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said. The properties of the virus are not known other than that it is more contagious than BA.1.

It is not yet definitively known if BA.2 is more virulent than its predecessor.

What we've seen from European countries and South Africa, is that there's no difference in how deadly it is, said Tom Balcezak, chief medical officer at Yale New Haven Health.

Though BA.2 is a direct descendant of omicron, Grubaugh said the two viruses are as distinct from each other as if they were separate variants.

The divergence between BA.1 and BA.2 and the spike protein is about the same as the divergence between alpha and delta, he said. Just because they share a common ancestor, it's a very long evolutionary branch and so far, BA.2 is the most divergent lineage of SARS-CoV-2 yet detected.

Grubaugh said the World Health Organization, which designates Greek letters as names for coronavirus variants, may decide to give BA.2 its own designation.

The fact that BA.2 is so closely related to omicron does offer some good news. The two variants share mutations on what Grubaugh called the receptor binding domain of the spike, meaning BA.2 is not likely to be worse for vaccines in terms of infection.

Balcezak said he does not expect BA.2 to alter treatment for COVID, though its impact is not yet clear.

There's no difference with regard to the vaccine, whether the vaccine is effective or not. There's no difference in treatment protocols, he said. So we don't think that there's going to be a material difference because BA.2, but we simply just don't know yet because we don't have enough information.

Dr. Ulysses Wu, chief epidemiologist for Hartford HealthCare, similarly said it should not make a difference for treatment.

From a clinical standpoint, it doesnt make a single difference for us  all omicrons we can treat, Wu said.

For Wu, worth watching is whether evades detection from COVID-19 tests.

It looks like it deserves close attention because of its ability to evade detection. But right now, its not something we are worried about. Clinically, it doesnt present any differently, Wu said.

Grubaugh said he does not expect BA.2 to cause another wave, similar to the effect omicron had, in part because the strain spread so rapidly across the state.

If you're infected with BA.1, you're probably going to be protected against BA.2, Grubaugh said. We just had a lot of infections and a lot of people have acquired a lot of new immunity that should suppress BA.2.

I think that the biggest impact that it's going to have is it's going to slow the decline in cases, he added. I don't think it's going to create another little peak.

Staff writers Nicholas Rondinone and Mark Zaretsky contributed to this story.
It's been two weeks since the hike of fuel prices took effect , yesterday fishermen of the G
UA students wear masks while talking next to a mass COVID-19 testing clinic currently operating on the Arkansas Union Mall. Masks are required indoors on campus regardless of physical distance this semester, but some still think campus prevention measures are inadequate, while others see them as excessively invasive.
Over the past day, the occupiers launched five attacks on positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Joint Forces Operation (JFO) area.

Over the past day, January 25, the Russian-occupation troops violated the ceasefire five times, the JFO Headquarters press center informs.

Towards Avdiivka (17km north of Donetsk), the armed formations of the Russian Federation opened fire from grenade machine guns and tripod-mounted man-portable antitank guns.

Outside Marinka (23km south-west of Donetsk), the enemy fired hand-held antitank grenade launchers and small arms.

Near Shyrokyne (100km south of Donetsk), the enemy opened fire from heavy machine guns and small arms.

On the outskirts of Pyshchevyk (25km north-east of Mariupol), Russian mercenaries used an UAV to drop VOG-17 grenades.

Two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in the enemy shelling.

Ukrainian troops returned fire, not resorting to weapons banned under the Minsk agreements, and made the enemy to cease fire.

As of 07:00, January 26, no ceasefire violations by the Russian-occupation forces were recorded.

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At the beginning of March this year, 2,000 specialists will leave Ukraine for construction work in Israel, according to Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky.

"Israel is now looking for people to hire them in the construction industry. Construction is booming in various cities now, which shows growth in living standards in Israel. We are interested and ready to accept as many workers from Ukraine as possible. Employees [from Ukraine] have a good reputation here. The program is official, so workers have the same social rights as Israeli citizens. Labor experience of each is recorded, so workers officially contribute to their pensions. In previous years, about 1,000 workers came a year, this year we intend to expand this figure to 2,000 workers, the ambassador said at a press conference, Ukrinform reports.

According to him, the minimum salary in Israel currently amounts to $1,900, but its size depends on the work performed.

According to our data, when we communicate with employers, the salary can reach $2,500-3,000 and more, depending on the work performed, Director of the State Employment Center of Ukraine Yulia Zhovtiak noted.

As reported, in 2017-2021, 2,600 Ukrainian citizens were officially employed in the State of Israel.

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Yulia Sokolovska, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, visited Expo 2020 (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) as part of the official delegation.

"The Ukrainian delegation in Dubai aimed to develop and specificate the agreements reached during the visit of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to the UAE," the press service of the Head of State informs.

During a meeting with Under Secretary of Health and Prevention of the United Arab Emirates, Dr. Amin Hussein Al Amiri, it was agreed to strengthen cooperation between the ministries of health of the two countries. A visit of UAE officials to Ukraine and signing a memorandum of cooperation were planned. The purpose of the document is the exchange of information on research, including biomedical and economic, in the health care system; exchange of scientists, experts and assistance in training and advanced training of specialists; improvement of information systems in the field of health and epidemiology, including communications, statistical methods, etc.; attracting investments in health care in Ukraine.

Another important area in the development of bilateral relations may be the establishment of tourist flow to Ukraine for medical purposes. The UAE residents are attracted by the opportunity to undergo rehabilitation in Ukraine, which can be combined with a vacation in a cooler climate in summer. Of particular interest are the models of long-term rehabilitation, not sufficient in the Arab country. Addressing these issues, the Ukrainian delegation visited one of the leading providers of medical services in Dubai.

The Presidents Office believes that the presentation of Ukrainian developments at the exhibition in Dubai will allow to promote domestic medical goods and services in world markets and the markets of the Middle East. After all, more than 3,500 exhibitors from all over the world take part in the Arab Health exhibition. It presents a wide range of medical goods and services based on technology and innovation. The event brings together more than 56,000 health professionals.

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Press Release

January 26, 2022 Privilege speech on the PH Senate's participation at the 143rd assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

By Senator Pia S. Cayetano Delegate, Philippine Senate Thank you, Mr. President. I believe it's very important that we report on this trip. This is a practice I have learned from the late Senator Nene Pimentel, to be very detailed in our reports so that we can also share our learnings with our colleagues and the Filipino people. I will make this brief, Mr. President, in the interest of time. But I will submit a full report to each of your offices, complete with pictures, and then I will also submit my speech into the record. So let me begin. Mr. President, I rise today on a matter of personal and collective privilege. Last November 26 to 30, 2021, I took part in the 143rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly and Related Meetings in Madrid, Spain, as the sole representative of the Philippine Senate. This year's theme was "Contemporary Challenges to Democracy: Overcoming Division and Building Community." The IPU Members adopted the Madrid Declaration, which calls for a new approach to democracy with a renewed commitment to core democratic values, inclusiveness, and problem-solving. Of course, these debates took place amidst COVID and we were swift to tackle policies based on evidence to immediately respond to emergencies and mitigate the negative impact of this unprecedented health event. It was discussed that all countries had sadly observed that this had negative effects on the democratic process, [thus] the need to act urgently. And these challenges were further aggravated by COVID itself. During the General Plenary Debate, which I participated in, I stressed that our response to these challenges must be long-lasting solutions that incorporate the concept of intergenerational fairness, so that it will have a positive effect on the next generations. Intergenerational fairness is the concept of justice among generations, which is the foundation of sustainable development, in the use and conservation of the environment and its natural resources, cultural resources, and the proper way to approach economic and social problems. I also cited various Senate initiatives, such as the creation of the Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, Innovation, and Futures Thinking that is focused on monitoring progress in sustainable development and mainstreaming futures thinking. Always a topic in the IPU is women's representation. I reported that 28% of the members of the House of Representatives and 29% of our Senators are women. This places the Philippines at the 61st spot out of 188 countries, in terms of women representation in parliament, according to the latest IPU Report. This is the highest number ever achieved in the Philippine Senate. We also discussed misinformation and fake news. We had discussions on education, regarding the quality of education and the challenges during COVID, and climate change. Again, the details are in my report, your honor. During the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, we discussed a Resolution entitled "Legislation Worldwide to Combat Online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse from a Gender Perspective." I joined two (2) meetings that discussed the following: One, on child exploitation, I shared reports that confirmed cases of online child exploitation in the Philippines, where children are being sexually exploited by adults within their own households. On abuse from a gender perspective, I decided to share an interesting reality in the Philippines, wherein we have millions of women and mothers who leave the country to make a living and serve as nurses, as doctors, and as household helps in other countries, in other homes, the effect of which is that they leave their own families behind. And this has had repercussions that will for generations have to be dealt with. During the meeting of the Standing Committee on United Nations Affairs, we discussed the global vaccination campaign to end the COVID-19 pandemic. I mentioned in my intervention how the Philippine Senate has been instrumental in engaging our government on the adequate procurement and prompt delivery of vaccines, and ensuring enough budget for COVID-19 vaccines. To stress the importance of vaccine equity, I highlighted that we continue to prioritize our healthcare workers for vaccination and financial protection, given that they are put in high-risk situations at the forefront of the battle against the virus. During the discussion of a Resolution on an Emergency Item, the IPU Member Parliaments unanimously backed the African Group's Resolution, which calls for global parliamentary support for vaccine equity in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. During the High-Level Advisory Group discussion on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism, I initially expressed my intention to vie for the vacant position at the IPU's High-Level Advisory Group [on Countering Terrorism and Violent Extremism], as one of the representatives of the Asia-Pacific Group. I have had the opportunity to engage in security studies, thus my interest in this matter. However, During the Assembly, this representation was approached by the Honorable Eva Abdulla, Deputy Speaker of the People's Majlis, the Parliament of the Maldives, who sought our support in her bid for the same position. She recounted her country's, as well as her own experiences, of the surge of extremist ideas and actions in the Maldives, which included death threats on their Speaker and herself. I felt that the proper thing to do, your honor, was to give way and support the Deputy Speaker for the aforementioned position. She was very thankful for this initiative on our part and committed to also support us in future endeavors. This representation likewise had Other Bilateral Side Meetings with: The Honorable Meera Alsuwaidi, Member of the U.A.E.'s Federal National Council and a ranking Member of the IPU's Bureau of Women Parliamentarians.

Senator Gabriel Cuevas Barron of Mexico, immediate past president of the IPU.

And the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PF-SALW), Ms. Karin Oloffson, whom I have met in 2018 in another conference. I also had the opportunity to visit the exhibit of National Artist Kidlat Tahimik, who is showcasing Philippine history at the Palacio de Cristal in Madrid, Spain, something we can be very, very proud of. In closing, I thank you, Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity to represent the Senate of the Philippines and express our views on various important issues. I remain a supporter of global affiliation and continue to learn from colleagues across the globe, who encounter similar concerns that we have in the Philippines. Our participation in the IPU Assembly is important now, more than ever, considering that learning from each other and working together is vital in our survival from the COVID-19 pandemic, and other future public health events. With that, I thank you again, your honor, and I will submit this speech and my newsletter to every office of our colleagues. Thank you, your honor.
Asian countries will experience the energy crisis that may arise in Europe as a result of possible Russias invasion of Ukraine.

"When you have an energy crisis in Europe, that means we have an energy crisis in Asia simultaneously. Because if Europe feels the necessity to buy more gas ... they go to Qatar and they ask [for] more gas, and Qatar will choose supply to Europe or to Asia," Ambassador of Ukraine to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky said at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Japan, Ukrinform informs with reference to Nikkei Asia.

According to him, energy disruptions in Europe would be felt far away.

The Ambassador insisted that the Ukrainian army was not going to attack anybody and Kyiv was committed to a peaceful resolution through the Minsk process.

"We are not afraid. Absolutely not. If you talk to people in Kyiv, if you talk to people in Kharkiv, in other cities in Ukraine, they're not afraid. We are now preparing [for] territorial defense," he said.

According to Korsunsky, Ukrainians and our army are very well prepared to repel the enemy.

At the same time, he stated that Ukraine seeks a diplomatic solution to tensions in relations with Russia.

As a reminder, Japan has raised its warning for Ukraine, recommending its nationals evacuate in case the situation escalates.

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Today's meeting of advisors to the leaders of the Normandy Four (Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia) is unlikely to yield revolutionary results.

Thats according to Serhiy Harmash, a Ukrainian journalist whom the Ukrainian government appointed to represent certain areas of Donetsk region as part of the Ukrainian delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) for Donbas settlement, Ukrinform reports citing his interview with Dom TV.

The official noted that, no matter how much Russia blocks the talks, the very fact that the Normandy format exists is generally beneficial to them. Also, he believes Russia agreed to meet in Paris, most likely at the request of Germany and France.

Harmash pointed to a "strange coincidence" as just ahead of the meeting, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine withdrew its bill on transition period policy.

"I believe that nothing revolutionary will happen ... I expect no significant actions and decisions to be taken at tomorrow's meeting. I think it will be more diplomatic on Russias part, especially since Russia has already gained the withdrawal of the bill, which has been repeatedly criticized by (Russian President Vladimir - ed.) Putin personally," he explained.

In this regard, Harmash does not believe the meeting of advisers would unblock the process of preparation for the Normandy Four leaders summit.

"I dont believe such a meeting is possible because Putin wouldnt benefit from this summit. Thats unless he receives some guarantees of a positive decision to be passed there. But that would mean Ukraine would have to go for some concessions as I dont see any common interests for Russia and Ukraine so far, especially with regard to the Minsk process," the Ukrainian delegate to the TCG elaborated.

Harmash stressed that the main problem is not even that the text of the Minsk accords does not refer to the sequence of implementation of their clauses.

"Its that we dont have the other party to the conflict with whom we would discuss this sequence. Russia does not recognize itself as a party to the conflict. Texts arent really that important if theres political will. We are now seeing escalation in Donbas. There is no mechanism for responding to ceasefire violations. (Representatives of the  ed.) occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions constantly offers such a mechanism in the shape of direct consultations with them, some joint inspections. But we do remember that in July 2020 an agreement was reached on this truce, which lasted about six months. And it did work, even in the absence of the mechanism, on which they are now insisting. But then there was political will on the part of Russia as they had their interest in such a truce," he said.

Had Russia shown political will today, "there wouldve also been de-escalation, but there is probably no such political will."

"So the texts of the accords dont matter, in fact," Harmash concluded.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, a meeting of political advisers to the leaders of the Normandy Four has been scheduled to be held in Paris on January 26.

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It is crucial that Russia itself takes steps to de-escalate the situation near the Ukrainian border.

This was stated by Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto, who spoke in an interview with Yle, seen by Ukrinform.

"However, at the same time, when considering arms control and other issues, its very important that Russia itself takes measures to reduce tensions. Such a measure would be the withdrawal of troops from the border with Ukraine," the minister said.

According to Haavisto, the door to a diplomatic solution to the conflict remains open. In particular, Russia will soon receive a response to the questions they have put forward.

The top diplomat added that Western nations were actively considering what their response would be should Russia opt to walk the path of military action.

"Of course, U.S. and European leaders have repeatedly said that retaliation should be clearly coordinated. Probably, this would imply various sanctions against Russia if the principles of the international system were violated. In this case, the nations will have to react," the foreign minister said.

As reported earlier, Russia has been pulling troops toward Ukraine's borders since late October. Western media, citing sources, reported that Russia could go for another invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, deploying about 175,000 forces. The situation near the eastern Ukrainian border is a matter of concern to U.S. and European officials.

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Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba will visit Denmark on January 26-27 at the invitation of his Danish counterpart Eppe Kofod, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said.

"During his visit to Denmark, the Ukrainian foreign minister is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, members of the Danish Parliament, representatives of business and NGOs. Minister Dmytro Kuleba is also to have an audience with Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II of Denmark," the statement reads.

The main issue of negotiations with the Danish side amid Russia's aggressive actions will be the security situation around Ukraine, as well as Denmark's participation in a comprehensive package to deter Russia, which includes diplomacy, harsh economic sanctions and enhanced defense cooperation with Ukraine.

The Ukrainian and Danish sides will agree on issues of bilateral cooperation, including in the field of cybersecurity, the development of the Ukrainian fleet, the implementation of joint projects in the fields of energy, agriculture, transition to green energy and energy efficiency. Attention will also be focused on issues of cooperation within international organizations and priority areas of the Crimea Platform.

Kofod visited Ukraine on January 15-16 at Kuleba's invitation. The Danish foreign minister visited the line of contact in the area of the Joint Forces Operation.

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The United States has formulated a written response to Russia's "proposals" for security guarantees in Europe, taking into account the positions of all allies and partners in Europe, including Ukraine.

U.S. State Department Spokesman Ned Price spoke about this at a briefing on Tuesday, Ukrinform's own correspondent reports.

"We have been consulting extensively with our allies and our partners, and of course when it comes to the latter category, that includes Ukraine," Price said.

"We have not only informed them and given them a preview of what will be in this report. I believe we have also solicited their feedback and incorporated that feedback into our report," said the State Department spokesman.

Thus, according to Ned Price, the written response to Russias concerns will bring no surprise to either NATO, EU, or Ukraine.

He also said that the document is yet to be sent to Moscow, assuring that as soon as this happens, the U.S. Department of State would officially report it.

As Ukrinform wrote earlier, after a meeting with the Russian Foreign Minister in Geneva on January 21, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the American side would provide a written response to Moscow's so-called "proposals" for security guarantees in Europe.

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Ukraine will not hold any direct talks with separatists, according to Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian President's Office.

According to Ukrinform, he said this in a post on Facebook, commenting on a meeting of political advisers of the Normandy format, due to be held in Paris on January 26.

"As for the 'news' in the Ukrainian version of a German media outlet. Fortunately, some media outlets do not form the agenda of the Ukrainian delegation. Frankly speaking, various German politicians have recently made so contradictory statements that I do not consider it necessary to comment on them. I think that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already assessed them," Yermak said.

According to him, there have been no meetings in the Normandy format for a long time, so it is good that such a meeting will finally take place.

According to him, there is no specific agenda for today's meeting.

"I can say what the Ukrainian delegation plans to talk about. We will be talking about the resumption of the ceasefire, which, unfortunately, works with major violations. We will be talking about humanitarian issues, the opening of checkpoints and the future work of the Normandy format," Yermak said.

Ukraine's position, which has been expressed many times at various levels, remains unchanged, and it is in line with Ukraine's interests, Yermak said.

According to him, "there have not been and there will not be any direct talks with separatists." "And such fabrications are produced thanks to manipulators who have tried many times to create 'betrayal' from the ceasefire, a detainee exchange, the work of the TCG."

Yermak also added that "in the Normandy format, only the leaders of the states have the right to approve any documents, and everything else is just consultations."

"Today we will defend the Ukrainian position. But it is not you [manipulators] who is forming it, but the Ukrainian people," he said.

"Let those who take part in the creation of these fakes go and draw red lines on their foreheads. [...] Any insinuations or manipulations are insinuations and manipulations of people who are interested in disrupting the negotiations. Unlike some politicians, we don't engage in business or negotiations with separatists, and we will never do so," Yermak said.

Advisers to the leaders of the Normandy format countries are expected to meet on January 26. Yermak said he hoped that every clause of the Minsk agreements will be worked out at the meeting and that the conversation will be constructive.

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Three-quarters of Canadians support Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion.

Thats according to a study run by Abacus Data, whose results were published by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress, Ukrinform reports.

The poll says more than 80% of respondents are open to the idea of providing support to Ukraine for the nation to protect its borders.

When asked whether Canadian assistance should include weapons, the vast majority of interviewees (75%) agreed.

The poll has also proved that ordinary Canadians are generally familiar with the situation around Ukraine: 67% of respondents have recently heard, read, or watched news reports about it.

Based on these sociological data, the Ukrainian Canadian Congress urged the government to "hear the voice of the Canadian people and substantially increase military assistance to Ukraine, including the provision of weapons to Ukraines Armed Forces."

Canada has been actively supporting Ukraine's integrity, condemning Russia's aggressive actions but at the same time stopping short of supplying lethal weapons.

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Prime Minister of Croatia, Andrej Plenkovic, has apologized to Ukrainians for the recent scandalous statement made by President Zoran Milanovic.

The head of government addressed the issue on Twitter.

"Given the fact that there are none of our soldiers in Ukraine, while the contingent in Poland has already returned, I dont know which military the president intends to withdraw. His statement on corruption in Ukraine is not our position, and on behalf of the government I apologize to Ukrainians for such insinuations," he said.

On Tuesday, Croatian President Zoran Milanovic said Ukraine had no place in NATO because of corruption. He also noted that in the event of war with Russia, Zagreb would distance itself as much as possible from these events and "withdraw its soldiers from there." In addition, he branded the Maidan Revolution a "coup d'etat," thus sharing the cliche narrative circulated by Russian propaganda.

As Ukrinform reported, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Milanovic's allegations about the events of the Revolution of Dignity offend the memory of Ukrainians and foreign nationals who sacrificed their lives for the European future. Deep disappointment was also expressed over the statements of the Croatian President about Ukraine's NATO membership prospects and infeasibility of helping the country against the background of Russian aggression. The Croatian president has shown his contempt and ingratitude for the assistance Ukraine and Ukrainians have offered to Croatia as the country struggled for independence, as well as in fighting last year's devastating wildfires. At the same time, MFA Ukraine is convinced that this ingratitude is his personal trait and does not extend to the Croatian people, with whom Ukraine is united by friendship and mutual respect. Milanovic's statements do not correspond to Croatia's consistent official position in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, damage bilateral relations, and undermine unity of the EU and NATO in the face of the current security threats in Europe, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry believes.

Earlier, MFA Ukraine reported that German Admiral Kai-Achim Schonbach had resigned from the post of Navy Commander following his politically incorrect statements concerning Ukraine.

Photo: Twitter

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Questioning international law and the rule-based order, Russia cynically attempts to present itself as a victim in need of security guarantees.

Thats according to a statement by Yuriy Vitrenko, Ukraines deputy permanent representative to the UN, who spoke on Tuesday at a debate on the protection of civilians in urban settings amid war in cities, Ukrinforms own correspondent in New York reports.

I must say it would be a very perverted way to defend yourself by plunging your neighbor into bloodshed, the diplomat noted, adding that Ukraine has no intention to launch an assault on the occupied part of its sovereign territory, let alone the border areas of the Russian Federation.

According to the deputy permanent representative, Ukraine sees no alternative to political and diplomatic solutions to the conflict and will continue to seek any viable option to secure peace.

The diplomat also recalled that eight years ago, on January 24, 2015, the Russian occupation forces shelled with Grad and Uragan rockets the densely populated areas of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. This heinous attack left 31 civilians, including children, killed and over 100 wounded. The then UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Feltman at the UN Security Council meeting labeled the attack as knowingly targeted a civilian population that constituted a violation of international humanitarian law.

According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, at least 3900 civilians were killed and 7,000-9,000 were wounded in Donbas. Almost 1.5 million were forced to flee their homes in the occupied areas of Ukraine as internally displaced persons.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Russia put forward to the United States and NATO its demands concerning written security guarantees, which include, among other things, the withdrawal of foreign troops from the countries of NATOs eastern flank, as well as banning Ukraine from joining the bloc.

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Between 350,000 and 2.5 million Ukrainians have both Russian and Ukrainian citizenships.

"According to some estimates, between 350,000 and 2.5 million Ukrainians have Russian citizenship. Most of them live in Crimea and Donbas. Russian citizenship is a destabilizing factor and a permanent threat as Russia uses proven tactics to protect its citizens as a pretext for military aggression. The increasing issuance of Hungarian and Romanian passports in Zakarpattia and Chernivtsi regions also poses a threat. About 130,000 Ukrainians have acquired the citizenship of Hungary, and up to 100,000 Ukrainians  of Romania," Oksana Markeyeva, the head of the state and public security department at the National Institute for Strategic Studies, said at a round table meeting, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

According to her, Hungary massively issues its passports to the residents of Zakarpattia region in order to ensure the special status of Hungarians living in Ukraine. Markeyeva noted that this process boosted the electorate for Hungarian politicians and gave the opportunity to influence and put pressure on Ukraine through the growth of the Hungarian diaspora.

"According to unofficial data, from 5 to 10% of Ukrainian citizens have foreign citizenship alongside, and about 5 million people work abroad and have the prospect of obtaining citizenship. Therefore, this trend of increasing multiple citizenship cases in Ukraine cannot be ignored. This process cannot be controlled exclusively through bans," Markeyeva added.

As reported, the Verkhovna Rada may consider a presidential bill on multiple citizenship at the beginning of the 7th session.

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International donors will provide GBP 35 million over the next three years through a special fund for the reconstruction of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine, the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine has told Ukrinform.

"Next Monday, British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss plans to visit Kyiv. The main event of this visit will be the signing of a document on the establishment of the Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, with a budget of 35 million pounds," the ministry said.

According to the statement, the UK will raise a total of EUR 11.5 million for this initiative. Other participants in the project are Canada, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

"Since most of the partnership programs financed by the fund concern rebuilding the capacities of communities in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and reintegration in general, the Ministry for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine will be responsible for the successful implementation of the project by the end of 2024," the ministry added.

Earlier, on the Rada TV channel, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk noted that a meeting had already taken place at the British Embassy in Kyiv to discuss the signing of a partnership agreement to launch the fund.

"We are partners and these 35 million pounds will be spent to help the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. And here we thank our partners from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Sweden and Switzerland. We have now determined the main projects that we are going to implement in 2022. These are projects on energy efficiency and community capacity building. On January 31, I hope everything will be fine and we will sign this agreement," Vereshchuk said.

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Ukrainian-language audio guides have been launched on bus tour routes in three Portuguese cities - Lisbon, Porto and Sintra.

Ukrainian Presidents wife Olena Zelenska posted this on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

How did the pearls of the Portuguese capital of Lisbon - the Belem Tower and the majestic Jeronimos Monastery - survive the devastating earthquake for the rest of the city 260 years ago? How can the millennial town of Sintra accommodate so many palaces? What does the country's second capital, Porto, have in common with the Eiffel Tower in Paris? Ukrainian tourists in Portugal can now hear the answers to all these questions in their native language. Because all these listed attractions now speak Ukrainian," Zelenska wrote.

According to the First Lady, the launch of Ukrainian-language audio guides on bus tour routes in these three cities in Portugal means the number of Ukrainianized world attractions is constantly growing.

So when traveling, feel free to ask for Ukrainian guides. This is how you create demand and personally become ambassadors of our language in the world, the First Lady emphasized.

In this context, the Presidents wife thanked the Embassy of Ukraine in the Portuguese Republic for active cooperation.

As Ukrinform reported, Olena Zelenska previously informed that between 2020-2021, 35 Ukrainian-language audio guides appeared in 25 countries; at least 20 more are planned to be launched this year.

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| By Jena Frick

This time of year, high school seniors are eagerly waiting to hear from colleges hoping for a letter of acceptance. It is an exciting time for the students and their families. For the 20 seniors in the University of Maryland, Baltimores (UMB) CURE Scholars Program, it is particularly special. Each acceptance letter represents the culmination of nearly seven years of mentorship, academic enrichment, and dedication to their futures.

It feels really great to be receiving all these acceptances, says Ayishat Yussuf, a scholar in Cohort 1 of the CURE program. I honestly dont know where I plan on attending yet because I have so many options to choose from.

The UMB CURE Scholars visit and tour Coppin State University in January 2019.

Launched in 2015, UMB CURE was the first National Cancer Institute Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences (CURE) program in the country to engage scholars beginning in sixth grade. The program has inspired its scholars to pursue lucrative careers in health care and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through mentorship and academic support. The program follows the students through middle and high school with the goal of building a diverse health care, cancer research, and STEM workforce and alleviating medical and educational disparities.

This is a landmark year for the program as its first cohort of scholars, who began as sixth-graders, will be graduating from high school and heading off to college.

Seeing the admission notices come in for the scholars makes me feel overjoyed, says Ivan Lamas-Sanchez, MA, program manager for school success for UMB CURE. Im excited for the next chapter of their journey, and Im excited for the scholars and their families to see their hard work, dedication, and commitment come to fruition.

With the support of UMB CUREs Career Navigator Program, which is geared specifically toward 11th- and 12th-grade students, the scholars have collectively applied to 76 colleges and been admitted to 42. Yussuf has received 16 acceptance letters from colleges including North Carolina A&T State University and Spelman College, which are on her list of top choices, and Bowie State University, where she was offered a full-ride scholarship to attend.

The acceptance that I am very excited about was North Carolina A&T, Yussuf says of the HBCU (Historically Black College or University) in Greensboro, N.C. I feel like Im destined to go to an HBCU and thrive there. Also, the programs they have are amazing. Just being able to say that I got accepted to the school is honestly amazing.

If she attends North Carolina A&T, Yussuf plans to major in child development on a pre-med track to fulfill her dream of becoming a pediatrician. Yussuf receiving an acceptance letter from one of her top schools also was a special moment for her mentor, Kat Coburn, an MD/PhD student at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Coburn has been mentoring Yussuf since she started the program in 2015.

I hope that my mentorship has helped instill confidence within her that she is capable of whatever she sets her mind to, Coburn says. The next chapter of her academic career will be challenging, but she has the tools, hard work, and intellect to rise to the occasion. Im very excited for her!

UMB CUREs Career Navigator Program also helps the scholars families prepare for the college transition with a parent success workshop series that introduces them to the nuances of higher education and walks them through the process of applying for scholarships and federal student aid. These workshops will help scholars and families better understand their financial award letters to make the best financially informed decision for fall 2022.

In addition to financial aid, UMB has been working to raise funds for the scholars tuition and other college expenses. The UMB Office of Philanthropy has raised $235,000 in scholarship funds from several donors including the Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation and the Florence Nesh Charitable Foundation, which is managed by PNC Charitable Trusts. The Career Navigator Program is supported by generous seed and matching funds from the Edward St. John Foundation.

Individuals who share a passion for inspiring students to pursue a future in STEM, health care, or cancer research can contribute donations of any amount to the UMB CURE College Scholarships Fund. The goal is to equip each scholar with a path to graduate from college and embark on a career unencumbered by massive student debt.

Yussuf and the rest of the Cohort 1 scholars expect to receive more acceptance letters in the coming months.

Local and Federal Funding Acknowledgment: The UMB CURE Scholars Program is supported by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health, under Award No. R25GM129875; the Baltimore Summer Funding Collaborative from the France-Merrick Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Hinkey-Benson Family Fund; and the University of Maryland School of Medicine Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Twenty-year-old Nidal shares a very strong emotional bond with his parents. They have been his comfort throughout the familys perilous journey, from the moment they fled war in their home country, Syria, until they arrived in Greece in 2019.

Soon after he reached adulthood, Nidal left Syria along with his three siblings and their parents, on 27 October 2019. They arrived on Chios island about two weeks later, on 8 November. These are the only two dates he clearly remembers, as the traumatic events he experienced have left deep scars both physically and psychologically.

Their journey through Turkey was particularly difficult and dangerous. Everything happens at night. In addition, you dont know where you are going. We were terrified throughout the journey. We had no idea of what would happen to us. We were hiding and sleeping under bridges, Nidal recalls.

They were held by traffickers in a locked apartment which they were forbidden to leave until their departure to Greece. Despite the circumstances, the presence of his parents throughout eased his fears.

They reached Chios island by boat at night. Once they arrived at the Reception and Identification Centre, Nidal and his family had to endure very difficult living conditions. But being all together gave them the strength to pull through.

However, Nidals parents and siblings were transferred to Crete island as part of the Governments efforts to decongest the overcrowded sites on the islands and protect the most vulnerable against COVID-19. There, the family was accommodated in an apartment run by the Emergency Support to Integration and Accommodation (ESTIA) programme, implemented with financial support from the European Union, until they were granted asylum.

But Nidal had to stay behind on Chios island, as he had been registered separately as an individual adult and not as part of his family, so he had to wait for his individual asylum application to be assessed before he could leave the island. That was the first time he found himself alone, in a new country.

Nidals application and that of his family were assessed under different asylum procedures. As a result, despite fleeing the same dangers back home, his family received asylum in Greece while initially, Nidal did not. Separation from his family took a toll on both his psychological and physical condition. He developed an autoimmune skin disease, which deteriorated when he finally received the rejection decision of his asylum claim.

It was the strongest blow. I tried to sleep at night so as not to think, but I couldnt. I had no desire for food or life. I was afraid of being sent back to Turkey, he explains.

As soon as Nidal received the decision to deport him, he was allowed to leave Chios and traveled to Crete to meet his family, who were already taking their first steps towards integrating into the local community.

He hadnt seen his family for three months. As soon as I saw my parents, I felt relieved, he recalls. While on Crete, the Heraklion Development Agency  which was supporting his family through the ESTIA programme, notified UNHCRs legal aid partner Greek Council for Refugees (GCR) about Nidals unusual case. In turn, GCR provided him with legal support to submit a subsequent asylum application.

While the chances of having a subsequent application accepted were slim, his application was eventually considered, thanks to the valuable legal aid he received from Katerina Drakopoulou, his lawyer from GCR.

GCRs legal interventions effectively established that it would be unsafe to return Nidal, while the lawyer also underlined both the positive asylum decision for his family and his dependence on his parents. In the end, his asylum application was re-examined, and eventually he received international protection and refugee status in November 2021.

The contribution of ESTIA social workers played a key role throughout the various stages of this process.

We had to submit a medical certificate proving his disease and since Nidal didnt have a provisional insurance and health care number to book an appointment in a public hospital, we managed to find and refer him to a private doctor. We got the certificate, and everything went well, Garyfallia Manelaki, social worker at the ESTIA programme of the Heraklion Development Agency, recalls.

Litsa Giakoumaki is head of the social service of the Heraklion Development Agencys ESTIA programme. She emphasized that the excellent cooperation between the citys institutions led to an integrated network of services to support Nidal and his family.

Despite how simple it looks, the procedures were many and complex. Nonetheless, thanks to the coordination of the actions needed, this man managed to reunite with his family, she says.

Thanks to UNHCRs legal aid programme, implemented with the financial support of the European Union, asylum-seekers and refugees in Greece can access free legal assistance during their asylum process and to navigate the complex legal and often-changing bureaucratic procedures.

Following the positive decision on his asylum application, Nidals psychological state improved, and he now looks ahead with optimism. He and his family are now recognized refugees who can make plans for their future. His skin disease is in remission, and he is beginning to become independent. His dream is to become a car mechanic.

Nidal is grateful for all the help and support he received throughout this difficult period. Whenever he meets with his GCR lawyer, he always expresses his wholehearted thanks, emphasizing that if not for her he wouldnt be where he is today.

I got a lot of psychological support. I owe the positive asylum decision to Katerina, he says with gratitude.

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Jennifer Ann Hancock was born Nov. 20, 1956, in Atlanta, to William Roy and Martha Jones Hancock. She went home to be with the Lord on Tuesday, April 26, 2022, in Gray. She was preceded in death by her father, William Roy Hancock, and her brother, Timothy Roy Hancock, as well as grandparents
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2022) US President Joe Biden to welcomes Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to the White House on Monday to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest, including ensuring the stability of global energy supplies, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement.

"President Biden looks forward to welcoming Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar to the White House on January 31, 2022. The visit provides an opportunity for the President and Amir to consult on a range of regional and global issues of mutual interest, including promoting security and prosperity in the Gulf and broader middle East region, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies," the statement said on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Psaki said the United States is considering alternatives to natural gas supplies from Russia to Europe, including identifying additional volumes of the resource from North Africa, the Middle East and Asia as part of contingency planning amid mounting tensions with Russia over security in Eastern Europe.
Washington, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :The United States warned Moscow on Tuesday of damaging sanctions, including measures personally targeting Vladimir Putin, as Russian combat troops massing around Ukraine launched new exercises.

Tension appeared to be increasing, with the White House saying the risk of a Russian invasion of Ukraine "remains imminent." Warning that would prompt "enormous consequences" and even "change the world," President Joe Biden said he would consider adding direct sanctions on Putin to a raft of measures being drawn up.

"Yes. I would see that," Biden said when asked by reporters in Washington about targeting Putin, whom opponents have long accused of holding gigantic, secret wealth.

A senior US official laid out economic sanctions "with massive consequences" that go far beyond previous measures implemented in 2014 after Russia invaded Ukraine's Crimea region.

New measures would include restrictions on exports of high-tech US equipment in the artificial intelligence, quantum computing and aerospace sectors, the official told reporters on condition of anonymity.

"What we're talking about are sophisticated technologies that we design and produce," and cutting them off would hit Putin's "strategic ambitions to industrialize his economy quite hard," the official said.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson echoed the threat, saying sanctions would be "heavier than anything we've ever done." French President Emmanuel Macron said he would talk by telephone with Putin on Friday, seeking "clarification" on Moscow's intentions.

A day after Washington said it was putting 8,500 US troops on alert for possible deployment to bolster NATO forces in Europe, the Russian military announced it was conducting new drills involving 6,000 troops near Ukraine and within the Crimea region.

The drills included firing exercises with fighter jets, bombers, anti-aircraft systems and ships from the Black Sea and Caspian fleets, the defense ministry said.

According to Western officials, the Kremlin has already deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine's borders, with reinforcements arriving from all over Russia.

"We continue to watch the accumulation of significant combat power," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.

Washington also warned Russia ally Belarus that its authoritarian government would "face a swift and decisive response" if it helps Moscow invade Ukraine.

"If an invasion were to proceed from Belarus, if Russian troops were to permanently station on their territory, NATO could well have to reassess our own force posture in the countries that border Belarus," State Department spokesman Ned price told reporters.

The United States and its EU allies accuse Russia of seeking to upend European stability by threatening invasion of Ukraine, a former Soviet republic striving to join NATO and other Western institutions.

Moscow denies plans to invade the country, where in addition to seizing Crimea, it backs separatist forces in the east.

Russia instead blames the West for the tension and has put forward a list of demands, including a guarantee that Ukraine never join NATO and that NATO forces already in the former Soviet bloc pull back.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Nuku'alofa, Tonga, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :A coronavirus-hit Australian warship will dock in Tonga Wednesday, delivering desperately needed aid to the volcano-and-tsunami-struck nation under strict "no-contact" protocols.

Tonga's Health Minister Saia Piukala said the crew of the HMAS Adelaide would follow drastic health rules to ensure the remote Pacific kingdom remains one of the few places on the world still free of coronavirus.

"The ship will berth and no contacts will be made. Australians from the ship will unload their cargoes and sail from port," he told reporters.

The Adelaide was deployed as part of an international aid effort after the January 15 eruption that generated huge tsunami waves and blanketed the island nation in toxic ash.

The warship is carrying about 80 tonnes of relief supplies, including water, medical kits and engineering equipment.

Despite all crew members testing negative before departure from Brisbane, officials in Canberra on Tuesday said 23 Covid-19 cases had been detected on the vessel.

Piukala said the number had increased to 29 by Wednesday.

The ship's 600-plus crew are fully vaccinated and the Australian Defence Force said Tuesday that the initial 23 patients were asymptomatic or only mildly affected.

It said the ship has a 40-bed hospital, including operating theatres and a critical care ward.

Piukala said contactless protocols were being applied to all relief supplies, including the HMAS Adelaide, meaning all goods offloaded from foreign planes or ships were left in isolation for three day before Tongans could handle them.

Tonga closed its borders in early 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe.

Since then, the nation of 100,000 has recorded just one case of Covid-19, a man who returned from New Zealand in October last year and has since fully recovered.

However, the devastating blast from the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which lies about 65 kilometres (40 miles) north of the capital Nuku'alofa, has created what the Tongan government describes as an "unprecedented disaster".

Entire villages were washed away by tsunamis, while ash has poisoned water supplies and destroyed crops.

Remarkably, there have been only three reported fatalities, which the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said was thanks to effective early warnings issued by the Tongan government.

OCHA said communications severed when the volcano blew were slowly being restored and assessment teams were visiting hard-to-reach areas to gauge the full scale of the disaster.

It said 85 percent of Tonga's population had been affected, with access to safe water, ash clearance and food supplies the main priorities.
Baghdad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :Iraq's top court on Tuesday confirmed the re-election of Mohammed al-Halbussi as parliament speaker, following appeals against its conduct, paving the way towards the formation of a new government.

Hours later, rockets fell some 500 metres (1,640 feet) from Halbussi's home in the Gurma district of Anbar province, in what a security source told AFP was an attack that sought to target him.

Two children were hurt and taken to hospital, police said.

Two lawmakers had appealed Halbussi's re-election as speaker, a position historically reserved for Iraq's Sunni Arab minority, during parliament's opening session earlier in January which was overshadowed by disputes between rival blocs from the Shiite majority.

"The Federal Supreme Court rejected the appeal of two MPs who demanded the annulment of the inaugural session of parliament on January 9," in which Halbussi was re-elected, said presiding judge Jassim Mohammed Aboud.

The ruling will allow the resumption of parliament sessions, and along with them deliberations over the selection of a new president, who will in turn choose the next prime minister, to be approved by the legislature.

Lawmakers have until February 8 to elect a president -- a post historically allocated to a Kurd.

But negotiations between parties and coalitions seeking to form a parliamentary majority have been marked by tensions, particularly between key Shiite currents seeking to exert their influence.

Both the Coordination Framework and another bloc formed by firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr claim to have the majority needed to elect a president.

The legislature opened earlier this month to furious arguments between the rival factions.

Amid the debate, Mahmud al-Mashhadani -- the oldest member of parliament who was therefore chairing the opening session -- was taken ill and rushed to hospital.

When the session resumed an hour later, lawmakers re-elected Halbussi of the Sunni Taqadom party as speaker.

Appeals against the speaker's re-election were filed by Mashhadani and another MP, Bassem Khachan.

Several grenade attacks have in recent days targeted parties that could team up with Sadr to form a parliamentary coalition.
(@FahadShabbir)

Panama City, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :Thirty-two Panamanians will be prosecuted for alleged involvement in graft revealed by the so-called Panama papers in 2016, the country's justice department said Tuesday.

The 32 defendants will be prosecuted for "the alleged commission of the crime against the economic order, in the form of money laundering, in the case known as 'Panama Papers,'" according to a statement.

The trial will take place from November 15 to 18.

The leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca in April 2016 caused political earthquakes across the world, naming stars, billionaires and banks involved in tax evasion and money laundering.

Iceland's prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned and the fall-out also hit Pakistan's prime minister Nawaz Sharif.

The whistleblowing International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which revealed the claims, said at least 150 probes were launched in more than 70 countries because of the revelations.

The Panamanian justice department statement did not list any Names, but a source close to the case told AFP that among the defendants are Juergen Mossack and Ramon Fonseca Mora, founders of Mossack Fonseca.
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2022 ) :The Rescue 1122 service achieved another milestone as Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar on Tuesday formally launched the service for 79 tehsils of the province in phases.

A ceremony was held at CM's Office to hand over new 22 ambulances' keys to emergency officers of 11 tehsils by the CM in the first phase.

Initially, Rescue 1122 service has been started in Sharqpur Sharif, Safdarabad, Narang Mandi, Nowshera Virkan, Nurpur, Quaidabad, Kahror Pakka, Renala Khurd, Pindi Bhattian, Darya Khan and Jalalpur Pirwala tehsils. A tehsil-level rescue station would comprise two ambulances and a 29-member staff.

The CM said new ambulances had been provided for timely delivery of emergency services as new rescue stations had been built in 79 tehsils and towns.

Emergency services would be started in these tehsils by June, he added. To further streamline the emergency services, a service structure had also been devised for rescuers to get promotions, he noted.

The Punjab would be the first province to introduce a rescue air ambulance service and this would give emergency medical assistance a new identity as rescue air ambulance service would extend the scope to remote areas. "Every life is precious and timely treatment is the right of every person," the CM said.

Provincial Ministers Raja Basharat, Mian Khalid Mahmood, MNAs Sanaullah Mastikhel and Shaukat Bhatti,SACM Hasaan Khawar, secretary information, DG Rescue 1122 and others were also present.
ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2022 ) :Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Tuesday said the country's ranking on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of Transparency International was dropped due to weak implementation of law and 'state capture'.

"The concrete and specific report has not yet been published, only score was reported. The criteria of Transparency International for assessment is based on different issues pertaining to financial corruption, accountability, rule of law and state capture," he said while addressing the media after the Federal Cabinet meeting.

Fawad said it was told that the score of Pakistan was not brought down due to financial corruption, but weak 'rule of law' and 'state capture' were the reasons. The report did not include any kind of financial corruption.

Citing Names of different institutions and non-governmental organizations that took part in preparing the report, he said only The Economist Intelligence Unit lowered Pakistan's score while assessment of all others remained unchanged.

The media, he added, should check with the head of Economist Intelligence Unit in Pakistan as to why the country's ranking was dropped on the basis of rule of law.

"I am not getting into controversy whether it is correct or not. Undoubtedly, there is a need to take steps for strengthening rule of law in Pakistan," he said, adding Prime Minister Imran Khan had time and again stressed on establishing rule of law.

There was an impression that there were two different laws for the rich and the poor, and "such impression severely hurts any kind of perception about the country", he remarked.

The minister said all the institutions needed to work collectively for establishing the rule of law in letter and spirit.

He reiterated his demand of allowing the cameras in the court for live broadcast of the cases of national importance. "I have made an appeal in the news conference the other day that the cases of Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari should be telecast live so that the people can assess themselves whether the same are factually correct or not," he added.

There was no problem in that regard as such steps would improve Pakistan's perception at international level, he maintained.

Fawad said a comprehensive response would be given once Transparency International released its complete report.

Divulging the details of cabinet meeting, he said it endorsed the Economic Coordination Committee's(ECC) decision for utilizing Rs 5 billion to carry out fresh census in the current year.

The whole census process was likely to be completed by December, with the result of its pilot project finalized by April or May and and then the Election Commission would be able to start working on new delimitation in January next year, he added.

He expressed the confidence that the general election 2023 would be held under fresh delimitation, as the process for holding the census was expedited for the purpose.

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ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jan, 2022 ) :About 20 parliamentarians from all the provinces and political parties of Pakistan, and civil society organizations on Tuesday extended support to the newly formed Education Parliamentary Caucus (EPC).

The EPC has been formed to address key bottlenecks as well as formulate suggestions for decision makers for improving in the prevailing education system. The key focus of its efforts would be to make sure that education policies and plans could bridge the implementation gaps and effectively cater to the diverse real needs of children, adolescents and adults for quality education in Pakistan, a press release said.

Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani at the EPC's launch here endorsed the initiative and extended his support to ensure quality education for all the children in Pakistan as enshrined in Article 25-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Mir Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali also joined the virtual launch of EPC. Addressing the meeting, he said it was the responsibility of parliamentarians to take the initiative, which they should have done long ago. "The only way forward for Pakistan is education and skilled education for girls and boys," he added.

Other parliamentarians represented in the EPC included Wajiha Qammar, Parliamentary Secretary, Federal Education and Professional Training; Dr. Nausheen Hamid, Parliamentary Secretary, Federal Ministry of National Health Services and MPAs from Punjab Aisha Nawaz Chaudhary, Tahir Khalil Sandhu and Abbas Ali Shah; MPAs from Sindh Tanzeela Qambarani, Syeda Marvi Rashdi; MPAs from Balochistan Bushra Rind, Ahmed Umar Khan Kalat, Senator Sana Jamali; and MPA Shagufta Malik from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking about the EPC, MPA Chaudhary said, "Education is above all of us, it is the right of our children and duty of the state. The EPC is a great across party across province initiative, and engaging stakeholders from all across is very important." "Excited to work towards the common objective of promoting education in Pakistan, PPP MPA Rashdi said, "The EPC is a great initiative that will surely help, observe and scrutinize the work of the Department for Educations in the provinces. This will definitely make a difference pertaining to the children's social needs, schools and colleges based up to the higher education system in our country." Senator Sana Jamali congratulated civil society and parliamentarians for taking the much needed initiative to forming a parliamentary caucus for education. She ensured that the Balochistan Assembly would extend maximum support to the cause.

MPA Bushra Rind termed it a milestone and a step in the right direction to improve education in Pakistan as it played a huge role in social welfare, especially in improving the life and learning of children with disabilities.

Meanwhile, a letter has also been written to the decision makers to take evidence-based urgent actions for education in Pakistan.

Addressing the president, prime minister, parliamentarians, ministers and secretaries of education and literacy in Pakistan, the letter requested support for the EPC and also put forth six recommendations for making transformative decisions impacting millions of children, youth and teachers.

Sharing the evidence from recently launched ASER Pakistan Learning Losses report, the letter stated that that lower Primary or grade 3 children need urgent attention, as do other grades. There is an urgency to reorganize school timetables-pedagogy and focus on engaging remedial learning without stigma and light touch assessments to gauge the learning level of the child.

"Girls' education and learning has to be a priority with support in schools. The need for second chance programs with Life skills and EdTech skills urgently was highlighted, backed by resources and with better linkages with Waseela-e-Taleem/BISP for girls at risk or OOS." Addressing the lower learning levels in Madrassahs, the letter recommended to assess Madrassahs on the ASER Basic Tools and provided with immediate remedial support.

The letter also pointed out the urgent need to integrate Katchi Abadis in policies, planning and budgets; there must be a section in the Department of Education on "Education and Skills" in Katchi Abadis catering to range of education needs: 2nd Chance Learning and TEVT for livelihoods.

Early Childhood Education (ECE)  the foundation of all learning and cognitive, social emotional wiring needs core govt. budgets for holistic support to children, facilities and capacity for caregivers and teachers/assistants.

To achieve this all, a New Social Compact is needed across schools and homes; teachers, students and parents, for continuity of learning and support, not just for children but parents to learn about hybrid approaches. They must be part of all solutions in EdTech and social protection options; SMCs must be activated as vital social capital.

The EPC will be working concurrently upon these recommendations at provincial and national levels to vigorously mobilize required resources and create pressure on parliament for the enactment of all relevant policies particularly Article 25A and SDG-4 with the support of partner organizations, including Sightsavers, Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Affairs, KKAF, Teach for Pakistan, Pakistan Alliance for Early Childhood, Pakistan Coalition for Education, Save The Children, VSO, Care International, Unicef Pakistan, Taleemabad/Orenda, Centre for Social Justice and EdLab Pakistan.
The General Court of the European Union announced on Wednesday the annulment of the European Commission's ruling to fine the microprocessor manufacturer Intel 1.06 billion euros ($1.2 billion) for breaching competition rules on the microprocessor market

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2022) The General Court of the European Union announced on Wednesday the annulment of the European Commission's ruling to fine the microprocessor manufacturer Intel 1.06 billion Euros ($1.2 billion) for breaching competition rules on the microprocessor market.

The commission decided to penalize Intel in 2009, accusing the company of abusing its dominant position on the global market by obstructing fair competition.

"(The court) annuls in its entirety the article of the contested decision which imposes on Intel a fine of 1.06 billion in respect of the infringement found," the court's statement said.

Intel was indicted for abusing two types of commercial practices toward trading partners, including conditional rebates. Notably, Intel granted four computer hardware manufacturers, Dell, lenovo, Hewlett-Packard and NEC, reductions on the condition of purchasing processors from Intel.

These rebates ensured partners' loyalty, which allegedly impaired other producers' ability to compete, and decreased consumer choice and innovation incentives.

"The analysis carried out by the Commission is incomplete and, in any event, does not make it possible to establish to the requisite legal standard that the rebates at issue were capable of having, or were likely to have, anti-competitive effects, which is why the General Court annuls the decision," the statement added.

The court claimed that it carefully reviewed the decision of the commission as well as the appeal filed by Intel, in which the company pointed out that the first instance court failed to sufficiently scrutinize case materials about the actual effects of Intel's commercial behavior on fair market competition.
(@FahadShabbir)

Manchester police announced on Wednesday that two more men have been arrested in the city in connection with the attack that took place at a synagogue in Texas

LONDON, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :Manchester police announced on Wednesday that two more men have been arrested in the city in connection with the attack that took place at a synagogue in Texas.

Counter-Terrorism Policing North West arrested the men on Wednesday morning as part of the ongoing investigation into the Jan. 15 hostage-taking in Texas.

This brings the total number of people arrested in Manchester to five. A sixth man has been arrested in Birmingham.

Two teenagers arrested in Manchester the day after the incident were released without charge.

A statement by the police said: "Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing North West are continuing with their investigation following events in Texas.

They are working closely with and are supporting US law enforcement.

"As part of the local investigation, two men have been arrested this morning in Manchester. They remain in custody for questioning.

"We continue to work with colleagues from other forces. Communities defeat terrorism and the help and support we get from the public is a vital part of that."On Jan. 15, four people, including a rabbi, were held by a gunman, British national Malik Faisal Akram, 44, who entered the Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville during a religious service.

Hours after a standoff with law enforcement, all hostages were freed, police had said, adding that the captor was killed in a shooting incident.
The United States criticized a World Trade Organization decision Wednesday that permitted China to retaliate with duties on $645-million worth of US imports yearly, amid a long-running dispute between the major economies

Washington, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :The United States criticized a World Trade Organization decision Wednesday that permitted China to retaliate with duties on $645-million worth of US imports yearly, amid a long-running dispute between the major economies.

"The deeply disappointing decision today by the WTO arbitrator reflects erroneous Appellate Body interpretations that damage the ability of WTO Members to defend our workers and businesses from China's trade-distorting subsidies," Adam Hodge, spokesman for the United States Trade Representative, said in a statement.
The West African bloc ECOWAS will meet virtually on Friday to discuss the crisis in Burkina Faso, where army officers have ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, the group said

Lagos, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 26th Jan, 2022 ) :The West African bloc ECOWAS will meet virtually on Friday to discuss the crisis in Burkina Faso, where army officers have ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, the group said.

The Economic Community of West African States, which includes Burkina, had already condemned Monday's revolt, which came amid deepening anger over Kabore's response to a jihadist insurgency.

The extraordinary summit on Burkina will start at 1000 GMT on Friday and be held virtually, ECOWAS said in a note on Wednesday.

A source in Kabore's party said earlier that the ousted president "is physically well" and was being held by the army in a villa.

Kabore, 64, was elected in 2015 following a popular revolt that forced out strongman Blaise Compaore. He was re-elected in 2020.

But since last year he has faced a wave of discontent over jihadist attacks that have claimed some 2,000 lives and forced a million and a half people to flee their homes.

On Sunday, mutinies erupted in several army barracks a day after police dispersed banned protests, and on Monday the army rebels moved against Kabore.

The former French colony is now controlled by the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR) -- a junta led by Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, a commander in the jihadist-torn east.

The MPSR has announced the suspension of the constitution and dissolution of the government and parliament.

Three of ECOWAS' 15 members have now experienced military coups in less than 18 months.

In August 2020, army officers ousted Mali's elected president, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who had likewise been facing protests over his handling of the country's jihadist crisis.

Guinea underwent a coup in September last year, when officers toppled President Alpha Conde, 83,who had been president since 2010.

He sparked mass protests when he changed the constitution to allow himself to seek a third term at the ballot box.

Both Guinea and Mali have been suspended from ECOWAS, and the bloc has imposed an array of sanctions against those countries.
What's up Vol Nation?! Check out @Sami_whamiii on this weeks episode of the Weekly Wrap-Up for news involving @tpusautk and their guest speaker @tomilahren, the largest increase to the HOPE Scholarship since its founding, @josiah.j.james declaring for the draft. As always, a wrap up of our 
Posted on Jan. 6, 2022, Cole tweeted: "Breaking news: The Knoxville Fire Department says its investigators and the ATF have determined the fire at Planned Parenthood last week was arson. No suspects have been identified. The department says there is a reward of $10,000 for any information about who set it."
Lincoln, RI (02865)

Today

Occasional light rain. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 49F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Yemenis walk next to the remains of a prison targeted by a reported Saudi-led airstrike in Saada, in northern Yemen (AFP or licensors)

The Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia says a lack of will to reach a truce in the ongoing Yemeni conflict, and an international disinterest, have led to a catastrophic scenario in the country afflicted by war, disease, famine, and internally displaced persons.

By Linda Bordoni

Twice in the past week, Yemens rebels have launched missile and drone attacks on a military base in the United Arab Emirates hosting US and British forces. Analysts warn the latest escalation of violence could flare into a regional danger.

But the over 7-year-war in Yemen has already killed tens of thousands of civilians and fighters and created a humanitarian disaster, a tragedy the Apostolic Vicar of Southern Arabia says that a pandemic-preoccupied world is not interested in.

The conflict pits Yemens internationally recognized government, backed by a coalition including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

Lack of will for crisis resolution

In an interview with the weekly Catholic Spanish magazine Alfa&Omega, Bishop Paul Hinder says there is no true will to reach an agreement between the fighting parties.

Bishop Hinder heads the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia (AVOSA), which comprises the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Yemen.

Bishop Paul Hinder

He decries the fact that the people of Yemen continue to suffer war, disease, famine, internal displacement because of the war that broke out in 2014 is in fact a silenced conflict, and that right now the world is only interested in the pandemic. The wars are in the background or even in the third place.

Zero international interest in Yemen conflict

Bishop Hinder also notes that there are fewer economic interests at stake in Yemen.

Psychologically, it is seen as something far away. But this is a fatal self-deception, because it has a strategic position. The regional powers in the Middle East have taken notice, but the others seem to be sleeping... Except if they can sell weapons! he says.

The Vicar Apostolic also highlights that the UN predicts the number of victims will rise to 400,000 by the end of the year, and that there are fewer safe areas and more internally displaced people, even in areas that were relatively peaceful until a short while ago.

All parties involved are blaming each other, and there is no real will to reach an honest truce, he says.

Regarding the embargo imposed by Saudi Arabia on the country, he expresses his opinion that embargos can be used to force the counterpart to sit down and negotiate, but that it is the civilian population that suffers the consequences, not the Armed Forces or the governments.

People displaced by conflict receive food aid

Catholic Church in Yemen

Asked what role the Catholic Church plays in Yemen, Bishop Hinder says it has never had such a strong presence as in recent years, even though the war has weakened it.

He explains that in Yemen's capital and in Hodeidah there are eight Missionary Sisters of Charity and one priest, but the situation of division and insecurity limits their activity. Caritas Poland also has an office in the south of the country.

Paul Hinder, who was appointed Vicar Apostolic of Arabia and Yemen 17 years ago, says it was already a country full of tensions. However, he has always been able to visit the four parishes without problems. In Saudi Arabia, I was even able to enter communities that live in a sort of tolerated underground, he says.

Looking back, he notes that the other Gulf countries have been developing at breakneck speed, while Yemen has been increasingly isolated by its neighbors, who did not want to see the most populous country in the area take off.

Bishop Hinder inaugurates St. Mary's school in UAE

As for religious freedom, or rather freedom of worship, I have seen remarkable progress that became evident when the Pope visited Abu Dhabi in 2019. Although improvements were already noticeable long before that, he says.

He explains that there are no churches in Saudi Arabia, however, we find communities with a lot of faith, very vital, where the faithful give strength to each other.

Christians respected, but not citizens

The last question Bishop Hinder answers regards a statement he makes in his book, A Bishop in Arabia: My Experience with Islam, in which he says that in many ways life in the Persian Gulf is a life "on the periphery."

What he means, he says, is that here, We Christians are respected, sometimes even loved; however, we are not considered citizens.

Most, he adds, do not belong to the richer classes, and many have experienced the drama of human trafficking or other types of slavery.

People who come to visit and stay in hotels know little about those who live here permanently. Nor can ecclesiastical realities handle information.

Sometimes, he says, not even the Church of Rome knows the exact situation of the Church in this part of the world. Very often I am perplexed to discover the ignorance expressed in the question Are there Christians in Arabia?"
GRACE PIZZINI is a News and Features Reporter for The Vidette. Pizzini can be contacted at gepizzi@ilstu.edu. Follow Pizzini on Twitter at @gepizzini

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The latest coup in Burkina Faso met with dancing and live music in the capital Ouagadougou where more than 1,000 people gathered to cheer in their new military rulers; And an interview with the CEO of VSONET group, a Nigerian company that offers wide range of technology solutions for businesses.
Police said the death of 21-year-old Ian Muhama in the Kachere area of Blantyre brings the number of albino attacks this year to four  a drop from past years, but still disconcerting.

Three victims, including Muhama, have been killed, while another, a baby girl, is missing.

James Kadadzera is a spokesperson for the Malawi Police Service.

The first incident this year in Mangochi (district), the suspects were arrested and the body was also found," Kadadzera said. "Another incident in Chikwawa [district] where a 20-month-old baby was abducted, we are on ground and we are sure of finding the suspected and we are sure of finding the whereabouts of the abducted baby.

Kadadzera also said police are investigating the death of Muhama.

Statistics show that since 2014, more than 170 albinos have been attacked in Malawi because of false beliefs that concoctions mixed with their body parts bring luck and wealth.

In some cases, grave robbers have exhumed corpses to retrieve albinos bodies.

Observers say efforts to end the attacks havent helped much.

In 2018 the government and the United Nations developed the National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism. The plan is designed to discourage attacks and provide albinos with greater protection, in part by giving out security alarms.

Maria Jose Torres is the U.N. national coordinator in Malawi. She said full implementation of the plan could help end the attacks.

The United Nations is calling upon the authorities to continue implementing that National Action Plan on Persons with Albinism to ensure that the criminal practice of attacking persons with albinism is fully eliminated in Malawi, Torres said.

Boniface Massa is chairperson for the Disability and Elderly Rights Directorate at the Malawi Human Rights Commission, a key stakeholder in the action plans.

Massa said the plan, for its promises, is falling short.

We have so far highlighted serious gaps in terms of the actual protection pillar under the National Action Plan," Massa said. "So overall what we noted from our findings that we are still analyzing is that there hasnt been direct impact on the life of people with albinism.

In a statement this week, Amnesty International said the recent attack is the latest reminder that Malawi remains a dangerous place for persons with albinism.

Some rights activists believe the attacks could end only if police mount a crackdown on markets for the albino body parts.

But police spokesperson Kadadzera says there is no such market.

There are a lot of people that we have arrested with bones," Kadadzera said. "And they dont have anywhere to sell the bones so thats why I am saying this is just a mystery; this is just a belief that is unfounded.

He said in the meantime, police, chiefs and religious leaders are trying to educate people to stop believing in the myths that perpetuate the attacks.
With the United States warning that Iran is just weeks from developing the capacity to make a nuclear weapon, there is disagreement among Washington experts on the likelihood of Iran rushing to build such a weapon, and how the U.S. and its allies should deal with that risk.

"[Iran] is getting to the point where its breakout time, the time it would take to produce fissile material for a bomb, is getting down to a matter of a few weeks," said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at a virtual event Monday.

The U.S. and Iran have been negotiating indirectly since last April to see if they can secure a mutual return to compliance with a 2015 deal in which Tehran promised to curb nuclear activities that could be weaponized in return for sanctions relief from the U.S. and other world powers.

"I think that will be decided in the next few weeks, because again, given what Iran is doing, we can't allow this to go on," Blinken said.

Iran says its nuclear activities are for civilian use and denies seeking nuclear weapons.

The U.S. left the 2015 deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, in 2018 when then-President Donald Trump said it was not tough enough on Tehran and unilaterally reimposed U.S. sanctions. Iran retaliated a year later by starting a process of increasingly exceeding JCPOA limits on its nuclear work.

The U.S and Iran decided to start indirect talks in Vienna last year, through the mediation of world powers, after President Joe Biden succeeded Trump and pledged to rejoin the JCPOA if Iran would return to limiting its nuclear activities under the deal.

The agreement was intended to prevent Iran from producing enough highly enriched uranium to make one nuclear bomb. The International Atomic Energy Agency says 25 kilograms of the uranium-235 isotope, which is accumulated when about 28 kilograms of uranium is enriched to 90% purity, is the breakout quantity at which the "possibility of manufacturing a nuclear explosive device cannot be excluded."

Israel long has viewed a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat because of repeated calls by the Islamic Republic for the destruction of the Jewish state. Israeli officials have estimated it would take Iran two years after attaining a breakout capacity to develop, if it wanted, a nuclear-armed missile that could reach Israel.

U.S. physicist David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, told VOA Persian in a recent interview that Iran also could develop a cruder nuclear weapon in a much shorter time once it achieves a breakout capacity.

"Iran could rush to its first nuclear explosive, in our estimate, in about three months," Albright said.

Georgetown University international relations professor Matthew Kroenig, who previously served as a U.S. Defense Department adviser on nuclear deterrence policy, told VOA that Iran could use that time to build a "gun-type" nuclear bomb.

"This is such a simple bomb design that the United States didn't even test it before dropping one on Hiroshima in 1945," Kroenig said.

Kroenig said Iran could deploy such a weapon by dropping it from a plane, driving it to a target in a truck, or putting it in a container on a ship that sails into a port. "There is a lot of mayhem that Iran could cause before it gets to a fully deliverable warhead on a ballistic missile," he said.

Other analysts interviewed by VOA said there is little point in speculating about weaponization steps Iran could take post-breakout, because it does not appear to have made a decision to reach the breakout stage, let alone go beyond it.

Israeli military intelligence chief Major-General Tamir Hayman told Israeli news site Walla in October that Iran was "not heading toward a bomb right now." Similarly, U.S. CIA chief William Burns told a Wall Street Journal forum on December 6 that he did not "see any evidence that Iran's Supreme Leader has made a decision to move to weaponize," according to CBS News.

Ploughshares Fund President Emma Belcher, whose grant-making organization seeks to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, said ongoing IAEA inspections of Iran's declared nuclear sites and Iranian leaders' own statements also indicate a lack of intent to weaponize. "So, I am not concerned right now that Iran is going to do that," she said.

Daryl Kimball, executive director of advocacy group Arms Control Association, said Iran also would see little benefit in making a crude nuclear bomb to use for blackmail or as a terrorist weapon against another country.

"Iran is a state with territory to defend and is concerned with regime preservation," Kimball said. "Why would it, at great cost, give its terrorist proxies a nuclear device? The world would know where the fissile material came from. There are radiological fingerprints. So, there's no escaping the attribution problem," he added.

Even if Iran were to produce a breakout quantity of fissile material, Belcher said the U.S. and its allies could use diplomacy to try to secure Tehran's agreement not to make it into a bomb.

"You could have a deal for Iran to down-blend that material so that it is no longer highly enriched, or you could ship that material elsewhere so that Iran cannot use it to create a nuclear weapon," Belcher said.

Kimball said the international community also could use economic pressure, military strikes or covert action to make it difficult for a post-breakout Iran to build a nuclear bomb. He said if Iran tried to weaponize fissile material in secret by ejecting IAEA inspectors, further sabotage against Iranian nuclear sites would be "very likely."

Iran has accused Israel of carrying out two blasts that damaged its Natanz uranium enrichment facility in July 2020 and April 2021. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.

Scott Roecker, deputy vice president of the Nuclear Threat Initiative organization that advocates for reducing nuclear threats to humanity, said Iran has shown an increased desire in recent weeks to reach a deal to revive the JCPOA. But if that does not happen, he said continued diplomacy still would be the best way for the U.S. and its allies to deal with an Iran that has enough fissile material for one nuclear bomb.

"I don't think there needs to be any drastic steps in the next few weeks, should Iran get to that point, because it still would have to take more steps to achieve a true nuclear weapon capability," Roecker said.

But hoping that a post-breakout Iran will decide not to weaponize, and assuming that countermeasures will work in case it does, is a strategy that could backfire on the U.S., warned Kroenig and Albright.

"Once Iran gets the first bomb's worth of weapons-grade uranium, we could try to negotiate with it for a year or two. But why would Iran invest billions of dollars and endure sanctions and threats of military strikes to get one screwdriver turn away from a nuclear weapon, and then voluntarily stop short in a negotiation?" Kroenig asked. "If Iran has a clear path to the nuclear-armed club, it eventually will build an arsenal like North Korea and Pakistan did."

If Iran were to build a crude nuclear bomb and use it without claiming responsibility, Kroenig said nuclear forensic scientists would look at the explosion and try to determine what triggered it, but the process could take months and lead to several countries being identified as possible culprits. "In this scenario, it's not obvious that the U.S. would take decisive action, given the uncertainty of where the bomb came from and the risk of escalation if Iran retaliates with another nuclear explosion," he said.

Albright said a post-breakout Iran also could detonate a crude nuclear device underground within months in a symbolic test of its capabilities. He said such a test likely would heighten regional tensions and lead to nuclear proliferation, with Iran's Gulf Arab rivals wanting to start nuclear weapon programs.

"These scenarios create more urgency for us to put up firebreaks so that Iran doesn't cross the nuclear breakout threshold," Albright said. "We are close to failing in that effort."
An Australian naval ship is set to arrive in Tonga Wednesday with critical relief supplies for disaster-struck Tonga despite an outbreak of COVID-19 cases among its crew.

Australian defense officials say 23 sailors aboard the HMAS Adelaide have tested positive since leaving Brisbane last Friday en route to the remote Pacific island nation. The infected sailors are currently in quarantine aboard the ship and are not showing any severe symptoms.

Saia Piukala, Tongas health minister, said the HMAS Adelaide will unload its cargo and leave soon after, without making contact with anyone on the island. The 23 infected sailors are currently in quarantine aboard the ship

Tonga has largely been spared from the COVID-19 pandemic, posting only one infection during the entire time, and authorities are worried that relief workers from overseas will bring the disease into the island and its 106,000 residents.

The island nation was devastated in the January 15 eruption of the Hunga-Tonga-Hunga-Haapai volcano, located about 64 kilometers north of the capital, Nukualofa, followed by a tsunami that washed away entire villages. The volcanic ash produced by the eruption turned the air toxic and contaminated the islands fresh drinking water. Three people in Tonga were killed in the disaster.

The eruption and tsunami also severely damaged the single undersea fiber-optic cable that provides phone and internet service to the island. Operators say repairs to the cable could take anywhere from one to three weeks, depending on the extent of the damage.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
Russia says it is watching "with great concern" a U.S. move to put 8,500 troops on alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe, amid fears a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent. As VOA's senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine reports, diplomatic efforts continue as the U.S. and NATO boost their military deterrence.
Cyclone Ana has killed at least 34 people in Madagascar, two in Mozambique and four in Malawi, where thousands were left homeless.Malawi, which also lost power for two days, has deployed search and rescue teams to help people feared trapped in flood-hit areas.

Emily Mateyu was sleeping at her home in the Chikwawa district of southern Malawi when the flood waters from Cyclone Ana arrived.

A single mother of one child, Mateyu recounts her narrow escape.

She said, It was around 11pm. I was awakened by the flooding waters from the nearby river which surrounded my house. That night I ran with my child to the higher land, leaving all my property soaked in the water.

Mateyu is among thousands of people in southern Malawi who have been made homeless by heavy rain and floods caused by Ana, which hit Malawi Sunday.

The flooding has caused many houses to collapse, forcing occupants to seek refuge in churches and schools.

Mateyu said in her area, flood victims are sleeping on bare ground, saying someone needs to provide them with tents and other necessities.

She said, We have nowhere to sleep. Even the churches and schools here are in the water. What we need most now is food and clothes because all our property has been washed away.

Chipiliro Khamula is spokesperson for the Department of Disaster and Management Affairs in Malawi.

He said the department is still receiving assessment reports from the districts.

Khamula could not specify the total number of people affected.

For now we are still getting reports from the councils. But the figures are on the higher side. Chikwawa alone has over 10,000 households displaced. And Mwanza has over 4,000 people affected, he said.

Four people were confirmed killed as of Wednesday.

Khamula said rescue efforts are under way to help others trapped in flood-hit areas.

As of yesterday, we deployed a search and rescue team, comprising the Malawi Defense Force, the Malawi Police Service, Marine Department, to ensure that they rescue people feared to be trapped in Mulanje, Zomba, Chikwawa and Nsanje.

The Department of Meteorological Services says Cyclone Ana has left the country but warned that heavy rains would continue in some parts of southern Malawi.
A fight for control over a prison in northeast Syria that left dozens of people dead or wounded, including journalists, has renewed a focus on media safety.

During six days of clashes between U.S.-backed forces and militants linked to the Islamic State terror group in the city of Hasakah, at least one media worker affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) was killed and three others were wounded, one of them seriously.

As the Kurdish-led SDF fought to win full control of the al-Sinaa prison that houses thousands of suspected Islamic State members, it issued an edict to media: Protect yourselves or stay clear of the front line.

While acknowledging the important role journalists play covering unrest and conflict, the military forces media center issued a statement Sunday saying, All journalists who cover the clashes on the front and support lines must adhere to protection standards.

It called for media to wear bulletproof vests and helmets, and it warned of the danger from Islamic State snipers.

The SDF said it would take action to stop reporters accessing the front line if safety measures were not adhered to.

The SDF controls large parts of territory in north and east Syria and has been a major U.S. partner in the fight against militants in the region.

Dangerous assignment

Since the beginning of Syrias conflict in 2011, 139 journalists have been killed, 102 of whom died in crossfire, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Most were local journalists.

Syria remains one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists, media watchdogs say.

During fighting Saturday, an Islamic State sniper killed SDF media center worker Ahmed al-Naser near the prison facility.

A day earlier, Basil Rasheed, a reporter with the online Kurdish news outlet Hawar News Agency, was severely wounded. Two others  Jindar Abdulqader, a reporter for North Press, and Fayez al-Amleh, a media worker with the Syriac Military Council  were also injured during battles with Islamic State fighters.

Most warring sides in Syria have shown no regard for the safety of journalists, especially groups such as the Islamic State, according to Evin Youssef, co-chair of the Union of Free Media, a syndicate affiliated with the SDF-led Autonomous Administration in North and East Syria (AANES).

But a decade of a brutal war should have also taught journalists how to protect themselves while covering battles on front lines, she told VOA. Yet, some of them still dont take their safety seriously during the fiercest clashes.

Youssef said that when the military campaign in Hasakah started, her group sent a note via WhatsApp to a group of journalists covering the clashes, urging reporters to take measures to protect themselves.

We even coordinated with the SDF to make it a requirement for all journalists to carry protective equipment, or else they wont be able to report from the front lines, she said.

Too bold

But the problem, according to Hejar Alsead, a local reporter who works for Sky News Arabia, is that such requirements arent always enforced, and that some reporters act as if they are part of the forces they embed with.

Many journalists that work with news organizations affiliated with the SDF or the AANES dont view themselves as reporters, he told VOA. They think they are also military personnel. Some of them even wear military uniforms, but without taking any training or safety precautions.

Alsead said that during the clashes in Hasakah, he saw several journalists boast on social media about how close they can get to where the fighting was taking place, and none of them wore a protective vest.

Both Alsead and Youssef agreed that local, regional and international news organizations must offer safety training regularly to reporters sent to the war zone.

The conflict in Syria seems to be far from ending, so media organizations should invest seriously in journalist safety practices for their Syrian reporters, Alsead said.

This article originated in VOAs Kurdish Service.
The Biden administration has been working with European countries and energy producers around the world on ways to supply fuel to Western European countries should Russian President Vladimir Putin slash oil and gas exports in retaliation for sanctions imposed for an invasion of Ukraine.

"We've been working to identify additional volumes of non-Russian natural gas from various areas of the world from North Africa and the Middle East to Asia and the United States," a senior administration official said in a briefing with reporters on Tuesday.

The contingency plan is aimed to reassure European allies concerned about the impact of Russia weaponizing its energy supply. Moscow provides approximately 40% of Europe's natural gas, and European energy stockpiles have been significantly lower in the past few months because of reduced Russian supplies.

A second senior administration official underscored that oil and gas exports make up about half of Russia's federal budget revenues, which means that Moscow is just as dependent on its energy revenue as Europe is on its supply.

"If Russia decides to weaponize its supply of natural gas or crude oil, it wouldn't be without consequences to the Russian economy," the official said.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to confirm reporting that Qatar is one of the countries that the U.S. and European allies are turning to.

"Our approach is not about any one country or any individual entity," she said while briefing reporters Tuesday, adding that the administration is engaging with major buyers and suppliers of liquefied natural gas to ensure flexibility in existing contracts to enable diversion to Europe if needed.

President Joe Biden is set to meet with Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar at the White House on January 31. According to the White House, ensuring the stability of global energy supplies will be one of the topics discussed by the leaders.

While having a contingency plan is important, analysts say it won't be easy to substitute for existing infrastructure, particularly under the current global supply chain crisis.

"Think of a gas pipeline as a faucet.  It's super-efficient," said Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow at The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Berzina told VOA that a contingency plan would be "more of a bucket than it is a faucet."

US-Europe unity

On Monday, Biden said there was total unity among Western powers on the issue of Russia's pressure on Ukraine.

"I had a very, very, very good meeting  total unanimity with all the European leaders," Biden told reporters shortly after a videoconference with European leaders on the escalating Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Some analysts, however, say Biden maybe overplaying talk of unity.

"In Europe, people are not as gung-ho and trigger-happy as they are here in the United States," said Nina Khrushcheva, a professor of international affairs at The New School, in New York.

For months, the U.S. and European allies have warned of swift and severe economic consequences if Putin invades Ukraine. But some European allies have been nervous about the impact on their economies, including on the supply of Russian natural gas  particularly during the winter months.

Germany is especially reliant on Russian energy. Berlin has remained ambiguous about whether in the event of war it is prepared to shut down the just-completed Nord Stream 2 undersea pipeline, which will pump natural gas from Russia to Germany.

"Despite all this conversation of the united West over Russia, it's not as united," Khrushcheva said. "And Putin knows that."

On Tuesday, Biden reiterated his position. "I made it clear to Putin early on if he went into Ukraine there would be consequences," he said.

But analysts say that in moving forward with his harsh rhetoric on Russian sanctions, Biden needs to be mindful of the political calculation for European leaders.

"The Western European population isn't necessarily willing to suffer for Ukraine," Berzina said.

On Monday, the U.S. put 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe, amid escalating tensions in the crisis along the Russia-Ukraine border, where Putin has deployed 127,000 troops, according to U.S. and Ukrainian estimates.

The Russian troop deployment is similar to Moscow's move ahead of its 2014 annexation of Crimea, a peninsula on the Black Sea, which triggered a series of international sanctions against Moscow but ultimately failed to deter Putin's land grab.

"They have not only shown no signs of de-escalating  they are in fact adding more force capability," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said about the Russian military buildup during a press briefing on Monday.

Both countries stepped up their military preparations Tuesday, with Moscow conducting a series of military exercises and Washington delivering a fresh shipment of weapons to Ukraine.
A former Irish army soldier justified jihad suicide bombings while attending a mosque in Ireland before she joined the Islamic State group in Syria, a Dublin court was told Wednesday.

Lisa Smith, 39, is on trial accused of being a member of the Islamist extremists after traveling to war-ravaged Syria in 2015.

She has pleaded not guilty to membership of an unlawful terrorist group between October 28, 2015, and December 1, 2019.

She has also denied funding terrorism by sending $900 to aid medical treatment for a Syrian man in Turkey.

But Carol Karimah Duffy, who introduced Smith to a mosque in Dundalk before she left for Syria, said she made attendees there uncomfortable.

"There was a lot of talk about justifying why the suicide bombs were happening," Duffy told the Special Criminal Court of Smith's conversations with others at the mosque.

"That we were being attacked so we were attacking back. It was us and them, Duffy said. "Then there was talk of jihad and it was her version of jihad, which would have been the holy war jihad."

Duffy added that Smith also said she wanted to find a husband who would be willing to die as a Muslim martyr.

Smith moved to IS-controlled territory in October 2015 after buying a one-way ticket from Dublin to Turkey, and from there crossing the border to Syria.

The court was told on Tuesday that she lived in Raqqa, the capital of IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's self-styled caliphate, and unsuccessfully attempted to get her husband to join her.

He refused and she divorced him in 2016. Some months later, she married a U.K. national who had moved to Syria and been involved in patrols on the Iraq border.

When Raqqa fell to allied forces in 2018, she moved to Baghouz, the group's last remaining stronghold.

After that too fell in March 2019, she eventually returned to Ireland and was arrested on arrival with her young daughter at Dublin airport on December 1.

Prosecutor Sean Gillane said Smith had "enveloped herself in the black flag of ISIS" in response to a call to arms from Baghdadi.

In doing so, she had self-identified as a member of the proscribed group, he told the three judges at the court in the Irish capital who will rule on the case.
Kazakhstan's leader has trumpeted ambitious economic reforms following the worst unrest in the country of 19 million in three decades. The measures are aimed at reducing the state's deep involvement in the economy, bridging the gap between the wealthy minority and the struggling majority  and eliminating triggers for further turmoil.

Experts say the announced changes look good on paper, but they question whether the new government in the energy-rich former Soviet state will implement them.

A look at the causes of discontent and the government's promised reforms:

What's roiling Kazakhstan?

On January 2, small protests broke out in an oil city in western Kazakhstan where residents were unhappy about a sudden spike in prices for liquified gas, which is widely used as automotive fuel.

The demonstrations soon spread across the vast country, reflecting wider public discontent with steadily decreasing incomes, worsening living conditions and the authoritarian government. By January 5, the protests descended into violence, with armed groups storming government buildings and setting cars and buses on fire in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty.

To quell the violence, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev requested help from a Russia-led security alliance, the Collective Security Treaty Organization. The bloc of six former Soviet states sent more than 2,000 troops.

Authorities arrested thousands of people, and more than 220  mostly civilians  were killed. About a week after the protests began, order was largely restored.

Why were gas prices such a sore point?

The price of gas soared to $0.27 (120 tenge) per liter, a significant increase in the country where, according to Tokayev's own admission, half the population earns no more than $114 (50,000 tenge) a month. The spike came about as the government moved away from price controls as part of efforts to build a market economy.

Analysts say the increase came as a complete surprise.

"All these decisions were made without transparency. ... People woke up to a new gas price that was 2 times higher," said Kassymkhan Kapparov, an economist in Kazakhstan and founder of the Ekonomist.Kz think tank.

The western region of Kazakhstan where the protests started also produces oil and gas. Residents were outraged that the price increased while their salaries remained stagnant, said Rustam Burnashev of the Kazakh-German University in Almaty, an expert on regional security in Central Asia.

"They were saying, 'Guys, we're producing it, and now we (have to) buy it at astronomical prices?' They agree that gas prices (all over the world) grow, but in that case (they say) that our salaries should too," Burnashev said.

How did Kazakhstan end up in this situation?

Kazakhstan became independent when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. In the first post-independence years, the country saw rapid economic growth and rising prosperity. For almost three decades, it was dominated by Nursultan Nazarbayev, its last Communist Party leader at the time of independence.

The country profited from its natural resources, most notably oil. Foreign investors were welcome, money flowed into state coffers, and social spending helped keep abject poverty low. But key sectors such as mining, telecommunications and banking were dominated by state-owned companies and a few figures connected to Nazarbayev, either politically or through family ties.

As time went on, Nazarbayev increasingly monopolized the country's politics, suppressing opposition and introducing a highly personalized form of rule as "Elbasy," or "leader of the nation." Nazarbayev resigned in 2019 but until recently remained head of the ruling Nur Otan party and chair of the Security Council. Tokayev, the chair of the upper house of parliament, was appointed president and renamed the capital of Astana to Nur-Sultan, to honor his predecessor.

What are the issues behind the public discontent?

Discontent among ordinary people goes way beyond gas prices. People are aware of the immense economic privilege of those around Nazarbayev and the country's striking level of inequality, in which 162 people control more than half the country's wealth.

Meanwhile, the average monthly wage is around $558 (243,000 tenge), according to government statistics, although the cost of living is relatively low compared with that of Western countries.

A recent report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project found that a charitable foundation created by Nazarbayev held assets worth $7.8 billion, including stakes in banking, shopping centers, logistics firms and food production.

British authorities issued "unexplained-wealth orders" to Nazarbayev's daughter and grandson, demanding the two reveal where they obtained funds for three London properties worth more than $108 million (80 million pounds). A judge threw out the orders.

What approach is the current president taking?

Tokayev publicly acknowledged Kazakhstan's rampant inequality and initially tried to quell the protests with a few concessions: He capped gas prices for 180 days, named a new Cabinet and ousted Nazarbayev from the National Security Council.



The president outlined future reforms to "reset" the economy, remarking, "We need to define new 'rules of play'  fairer, more transparent and just."

Some of the ambitious measures he touted included reducing the government's involvement in and oligarchs' influence on business; reforming the Samruk-Kazyna sovereign wealth fund, which owns major companies; and ensuring fair competition, a better investment climate and the integrity of private property, in part by overhauling the country's justice system.

What chance of success do the proposed reforms have?

Kapparov, the economist, said important questions remain about the Samruk-Kazyna fund and its companies.

"Will there be a privatization? On what scale? In which time frame?" he asked. "Will it be open to everyone, including foreign investors? These issues haven't been mentioned."

The inner circle's power and influence raise serious obstacles to any wide-ranging reform that would be required to privatize state companies and allow outside interests to compete in key sectors, said former World Bank official Simon Commander, now managing partner at emerging markets advisory firm Altura Partners. Tokayev's speech, while interesting, is "certainly more radical than is likely to be possible. ... Let's hope he turns out to be a genuine reformer."

But he added: "I'm very skeptical. Their economic and political structure hems them in."

What about political reforms?

During his years in office, Tokayev has also promised limited political reforms, including local elections.

But the crackdown on protesters suggests authorities don't intend to allow genuine political opposition, and without political reform, economic reform is difficult to imagine.

Greeting discontent with more than 12,000 arrests "is a pretty good metric for how the regime thinks it needs to respond," Commander said.


Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States.

This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of omicron because certain genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious.

But they say there's a lot they still don't know about it, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more severe disease.

Where has it spread?

Since mid-November, more than three dozen countries have uploaded nearly 15,000 genetic sequences of BA.2 to GISAID, a global platform for sharing coronavirus data. As of Tuesday morning, 96 of those sequenced cases came from the U.S.



"Thus far, we haven't seen it start to gain ground" in the U.S., said Dr. Wesley Long, a pathologist at Houston Methodist in Texas, which has identified three cases of BA.2.

The mutant appears much more common in Asia and Europe. In Denmark, it made up 45% of all COVID-19 cases in mid-January, up from 20% two weeks earlier, according to Statens Serum Institut, which falls under the Danish Ministry of Health.

What's known about this version of the virus?

BA.2 has lots of mutations. About 20 of them in the spike protein that studs the outside of the virus are shared with the original omicron. But it also has additional genetic changes not seen in the initial version.

It's unclear how significant those mutations are, especially in a population that has encountered the original omicron, said Dr. Jeremy Luban, a virologist at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.

For now, the original version, known as BA.1, and BA.2 are considered subsets of omicron. But global health leaders could give it its own Greek letter name if it is deemed a globally significant "variant of concern."

The quick spread of BA.2 in some places raises concerns it could take off.

"We have some indications that it just may be as contagious or perhaps slightly more contagious than (original) omicron since it's able to compete with it in some areas," Long said. "But we don't necessarily know why that is."

An initial analysis by scientists in Denmark shows no differences in hospitalizations for BA.2 compared with the original omicron. Scientists there are still looking into this version's infectiousness and how well current vaccines work against it. It's also unclear how well treatments will work against it.

Doctors also don't yet know for sure if someone who's already had COVID-19 caused by omicron can be sickened again by BA.2. But they're hopeful, especially that a prior omicron infection might lessen the severity of disease if someone later contracts BA.2.

The two versions of omicron have enough in common that it's possible that infection with the original mutant "will give you cross-protection against BA.2," said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, an infectious diseases expert at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Scientists will be conducting tests to see if antibodies from an infection with the original omicron "are able to neutralize BA.2 in the laboratory and then extrapolate from there," he said.

How concerned are health agencies?

The World Health Organization classifies omicron overall as a variant of concern, its most serious designation of a coronavirus mutant, but it doesn't single out BA.2 with a designation of its own. Given its rise in some countries, however, the agency says investigations of BA.2 "should be prioritized."



The U.K. Health Security Agency, meanwhile, has designated BA.2 a "variant under investigation," citing the rising numbers found in the U.K. and internationally. Still, the original version of omicron remains dominant in the U.K.

Why is it harder to detect?

The original version of omicron had specific genetic features that allowed health officials to rapidly differentiate it from delta using a certain PCR test because of what's known as "S gene target failure."

BA.2 doesn't have this same genetic quirk. So on the test, Long said, BA.2 looks like delta.

"It's not that the test doesn't detect it; it's just that it doesn't look like omicron," he said. "Don't get the impression that 'stealth omicron' means we can't detect it. All of our PCR tests can still detect it."

What should you do to protect yourself?

Doctors advise the same precautions they have all along: Get vaccinated and follow public health guidance about wearing masks, avoiding crowds and staying home when you're sick.

"The vaccines are still providing good defense against severe disease, hospitalization and death," Long said. "Even if you've had COVID-19 before  you've had a natural infection  the protection from the vaccine is still stronger, longer lasting and actually ... does well for people who've been previously infected."

The latest version is another reminder that the pandemic hasn't ended.

"We all wish that it was over," Long said, "but until we get the world vaccinated, we're going to be at risk of having new variants emerge."


The fight against corruption has stagnated over the past decade amid human rights abuses and democratic declines in all regions of the world, according to an analysis by Transparency International.

The organizations Corruption Perception Index ranks 180 countries by perceived levels of public sector corruption using a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean), using data from dozens of sources, including the World Bank.

Stagnation

The 2021 report shows that in 86% of countries, there has been little or no improvement over the past decade.

Out of the 180 countries we have in the index, 134 have stayed more or less where they were in 2012, said Roberto Kukutschka, a research coordinator at Transparency International who helped compile the report.

We only see some significant improvement in 25 of the countries around the world. At the same time, however, we see that 23 countries have declined. And we see this  across all the regions in the world. The only place where we do not see any significant improvement, however, is in the Middle East and North Africa, Kukutschka told VOA.

The top countries are Denmark, Finland and New Zealand, which all score 88 out of 100 on the index.

Democratic declines

Several Western democracies have slipped in the rankings, including the United States, Canada, and Australia.

There is something happening [in] the countries that were formerly at the top of the index, Kukutschka said. So when we look at countries like Canada, the United States or Australia  [they] used to be high-fliers in our index and were always promoting the fight against corruption, not only in their countries, but also abroad  are starting ... to slide down the index.

This is a wake-up call for many of the countries at the top of the index, he added. They need to take care of their institutions; they need to pay attention to the issue of corruption, because I think it is much harder to build back what you lost than to preserve what you have and improve from there.

Press freedom

We have also had the spread of disinformation and fake news, which weakened, I think, the credibility of one of the most important watchdogs for anti-corruption, which is the media and the press, Kukutschka told VOA.

Some European Union member states have also fallen sharply on the corruption index over the past 10 years, including Poland and Hungary.

We have seen a clampdown on press freedom, Kukutschka said. We have seen also a clampdown on academic freedom, even with some universities having to leave the country.

Conflict

Somalia, Syria and South Sudan  countries riven by years of conflict  remain at the bottom of the index. Twenty-seven nations are at historic lows on the corruption scale, including Cyprus, Lebanon and Honduras.

Perceived corruption in Mali has increased following successive military coups. The Philippines under President Rodrigo Duterte has seen a big increase in corruption alongside a crackdown on freedom of expression. Similarly, perceived corruption in Venezuela has sharply increased under President Nicolas Maduro.

Most Improved

There are notable improvements in the Baltic states of Estonia and Latvia, and especially in Armenia, says Kukutschka. The old government was ousted by civil protests a few years ago, and now we have a more reformist government that is really committing to the fight against corruption.

Transparency International identified a clear pattern in the data: the link between anti-corruption and democracy.

Complacency in fighting corruption exacerbates human rights abuses and undermines democracy, setting off a vicious spiral, the report says. As these rights and freedoms erode and democracy declines, authoritarianism takes its place, contributing to even higher levels of corruption.
A senior staff member of Human Rights Watch had her phones hacked with spyware developed by an Israeli technology company that the United States says was maliciously used to target activists, journalists and other people of interest.

HRW said in a statement Wednesday the spyware from NSO Group Technologies, an Israeli company the U.S. said has helped authoritarian governments commit human rights abuses, was used to target the regional director of its office based in Lebanon

The director, Lama Fakih, oversees the organizations crisis response in several countries, including Syria, Israel, Afghanistan Myanmar, Ethiopia and the U.S. HRW said her cellphones were hacked five times last year.

Fakihs work includes documenting and exposing human rights abuses and serious international crimes during armed conflicts, humanitarian disasters, and severe social or political unrest, HRW said. This work may have attracted the attention of various governments, including some that are suspected NSO clients.

Fakih said her phones were hacked while she was overseeing HRWs coverage of the fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and a probe into the deadly explosion at a Beirut port in 2020. But she added there was no way to determine if the hacks were related to her work.

NSO did not directly respond to HRWs hacking allegations, but the organization did call for an international regulatory structure for cyber intelligence tools. NSOs statement also said any calls to suspend the technologies until a structure has been established would help criminals who evade other forms of surveillance.

The U.S. prohibited NSO from gaining access to American technology last year after alleging the companys tools had been used by repressive governments. U.S. technology giants Apple and Facebook have sued NSO in response to its hacks of their products.

A group of U.S. lawmakers asked the State and Treasury departments last month to sanction four foreign firms, including NSO, which is best known for its Pegasus spyware.
The International Monetary Fund's board "urged" El Salvador to do away with its move to make bitcoin a legal tender, while calling for strict regulation of the country's e-wallet.

IMF board members "urged the authorities to narrow the scope of the Bitcoin law by removing bitcoin's legal tender status," the IMF said in a Tuesday statement following a yearly consultation.

Salvadoran Finance Minister Alejandro Zelaya had no comment.

In September, El Salvador became the first country to make bitcoin a legal tender, alongside the U.S. dollar. Its economy has been dollarized for two decades.

The IMF has since repeatedly called for the move to be reversed, citing financial, economic and legal concerns.

The IMF board said it was important to boost financial inclusion and that the Chivo e-wallet, the government's bitcoin exchange, could play this role.

However, they see "the need for strict regulation and oversight of the new ecosystem."

Some board members were also concerned about the risks associated with El Salvador's expected issuance of bitcoin-linked bonds, the IMF said.

The country is preparing the issuance of $1 billion in bonds, half of which would be used to purchase bitcoin. The government bets that the exposure to bitcoin gains will entice investors who would receive a dollar yield of 6.5%, much lower that what the market currently prices for similar Salvadoran government debt, closer to 17%.

In its statement, the IMF also warned that at current debt spending levels El Salvador's public debt could rise to about 96% of GDP in 2026, calling it an "unsustainable path."


Thai police questioned at least three journalists last week about their reporting on anti-government protests, a move seen by some as an attempt to intimidate the media.

Sirote Klampaiboon, a broadcast journalist for Bangkok station Voice TV, was among those receiving police visits.

Police came to Sirote's house on January 17, but he wasn't home.

"They asked my family to open the door and asked for me. My family said I wasn't there," Sirote told VOA.

"They looked inside my house, tried to see which way to get in and get out, and asked to take a photo of my family," Sirote said. "That is the protocol."

Sirote has regularly covered the anti-government protests taking place across Thailand in the past two years as citizens demand reforms to the Thai monarchy and government.

Shortly after the police visit, Sirote shared a document on social media that showed his face on what appeared to be a wanted list compiled by authorities.

Sirote said that he obtained the document from a source at the police department and that it shows a "watchlist for monthly regular visits."

He asked police why his name was on the list, but they couldn't provide a clear answer, he said.

According to local news outlets, two other journalists who report via social media also said police visited their homes.

One of them, Suramet Noyubon, filed a lawsuit over the incident, according to the Thai Enquirer.

Suramet, who reports for Friends Talk, a journalism platform on social media, said two officers talked to his father and accused the reporter of being involved with an anti-government protest group, the Enquirer reported.

A third journalist, who reports for the Facebook-based news group Live Real and was named in a report only as "Admin Ninja," also said police visited his residence.

Taboo issues

Phansasiri Kularb, a journalism lecturer at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, believes the government is trying to stifle smaller media outlets that are reporting on taboo issues in Thailand.

"For smaller media outlets, mostly online ones, journalists continue to report about the demonstration and discussions concerning monarchy reforms," Phansasiri told VOA via email.

"Last year, the (Office of) Digital Economy and Society, who oversees telecommunication affairs, attempted to clamp down on some of these outlets by issuing an order to close their websites  but was rejected by the court," she added.

The lecturer believes police raids have become more prevalent under the administration of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha; however, she said, "It should also be noted that interference and intimidation against the press are not uncommon in Thailand."

In 2014, Prayuth, who was then head of the Thai army, seized power in a military coup. He was elected prime minister in 2019.

Police spokesperson Col. Kissana Phathanacharoen denied that raids are part of a strategy of intimidation.

We had no intention or did do anything at all that threatens and jeopardizes the professionalism of journalism, Kissana told VOA.

Kissana said that if police have a wanted list, its there for a reason, adding, If there is a list we must have evidence, you have done something wrong like security issues or against Thai law.

In a separate incident Thursday, police raided Same Sky Books and Magazine, a publishing house in Bangkok.

Rattanathibet police handed Thanapol Eawsakul, the magazine's editor, a search warrant, and 30 officers searched for materials deemed a threat to national security.

Police were looking for a book that allegedly contains speeches calling for reform of Thailand's monarchy, according to the Bangkok Post. They didn't find the book, but officers took Thanapol's phones and computers.

Climate of fear

Pravit Rojanaphruk, a journalist for Khaosod English who spoke with Thanapol after the raid, believes authorities are trying to intimidate media.

"The raids, particularly at Same Sky Books and Magazine, demonstrate how police and even the court induce the climate of fears. The laws seem to bend and (be) used as a tool of the powers that be," Pravit told VOA.

"No one who openly and persistently question the regime is free from state surveillance and harassment," he added.

Police spokesperson Kissana said the raid on the publishing company came after a tip off., We gave evidence to apply to the court, who issued the search warrants. If we can prove that this is against the law, this breach of security, we have to pursue legal proceedings, he said.

For Sirote, the police visit this month was not the first time he has been questioned about protest coverage. In November 2020, the journalist was charged with violating an emergency decree by allegedly inciting people to join an anti-government demonstration.

"There was a demonstration. I covered the news, but they (the police) charge me for inciting the people. They said the news on my live (video) of the demonstrations looked like I tried to convince people to join the demonstrations," he told VOA.

"Covering news of the demonstrations almost every day on the TV platform, I think that makes me a target," he added.

The case against him is ongoing.

Several people who took part in protests have later faced charges, including under the country's lese majeste law, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison for insulting or defaming prominent royals.

That law is the reason journalists are cautious when covering sensitive political topics, journalism lecturer Phansasiri said.

"Such a condition prevents the press from further investigating claims and information raised by either protesters, authorities, or other prominent political actors in order to explain and expand the discussion regarding problems and policies that have an impact on the general public," she said.

"As such, it is fair to say that journalists are working in the climate of fear," she added.

Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) describes the lese majeste law as "a weapon of mass deterrence against dissident journalists and bloggers."

On RSF's annual World Press Freedom Index, Thailand ranks 137th out of 180 countries, where 1 is freest.

Editor's Note: This article was updated to include comments from Police spokesperson Col. Kissana Phathanacharoen.
Saad Hariri, Lebanons leading Sunni Muslim politician and three-time prime minister, has announced that he will not run in parliamentary elections in May and that his Future Movement will boycott the elections altogether. Some analysts say a boycott by Hariri could undermine the plans for a poll in which opposition personalities hope to gain seats in the legislature and change the toxic atmosphere of the countrys politics.

Saad Hariri took up the political mantle after his father, Rafik, was assassinated in Beirut in 2005. Rafik Hariri, a wealthy business tycoon in Saudi Arabia, was one of Lebanons most powerful and influential politicians since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. But Saudi Arabia increasingly soured on ties with Saad Hariri as he proved incapable of reining in the Iran-backed Shiite Hezbollah militias influence in Lebanon.

In emotional remarks explaining his withdrawal from politics, Saad Hariri said he sees that Lebanon does not have a chance for a positive future with Irans growing influence there, its internal divisions, rising sectarian sentiments and the governments dysfunction.

The next parliament is set to elect a new president in October.

Professor Habib Malik of the Lebanese American University told VOA that Hariris political star has been falling for some time, but that there isnt a clear successor for him.

He is a spent force. Saad has huge problems with the Saudis. He has other international lawsuits having to do with his company that did work in Turkey and got into legal trouble there. Theres a huge vacuum in terms of credible leadership on the Sunni side. There are kind of puppets or nonentities. They just underscore the frustration in the Sunni community that real true leadership is missing, Malik said.

Some observers say an election boycott by Hariris Future Movement, Lebanons largest Sunni Muslim party, could leave his fellow compatriots in disarray and possibly call for an election delay.

Mohanad Hage Ali, a fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, told Reuters that Hariris boycott "pulls the rug from under the whole process and would increase speculation that it might not happen."

But Dania Koleilat Khatib with the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut disagrees.

She told VOA the decision by him and the Future Movement will not harm elections, but voters will cross party lines and look to others running who align with their views, including the Lebanese Forces, a Christian-based party.

What they are saying [is that] they want [Prime Minister] Najib Mikati to fill his role. But I am not sure that he can. The Sunni vote will be divided. Some of them will not vote for a Sunni but for whoever they think represents their cause. So, I think some of the vote will go to the Lebanese Forces. The Lebanese Forces are trying to promote themselves as cross-sectarian. So, not only Christian, cross-sectarian, Koleilat Khatib said.

Samir Geagea heads the Lebanese Forces and opposes fellow Christian, Michel Aoun, Lebanons president, and his alliance with Hezbollah.
By the time the COVID-19 pandemic hit its stride, multiple humanitarian emergencies had conspired to deny 128 million children access to an education. When the UN global fund, Education Cannot Wait was launched in 2016, the number of crises-affected children and adolescents missing out on schooling stood at 75 million.

Since then, the United Nations agency has provided quality education for 4.6 million children trapped in more than 30 of the worlds worst humanitarian crises.

Fund officials say they now will be able to help an additional 2.5 million children and youth thanks to a generous contribution from the German government of more than $228 million.

The money, they say, will allow millions of young people caught up in armed conflict, forced displacement, climate-induced emergencies and other disasters to get an education.

Germanys Ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Katharina Stasch, says COVID-19 has threatened gains made in all areas, including education. She says many children cannot and do not return to school even when they re-open. She says this is unacceptable as education is key to tackling all the challenges of our time.

Worldwide, there are 34 million displaced children and youth," said Stasch. "Their number will continue to grow as a result of the global climate crisis and girls are particularly at risk. We have a shared responsibility not to lose this generation. We must not leave anybody behind.

The director of Education Cannot Wait, Yasmine Sherif, says her agency provides children with a full package of curriculum, learning, protection, school feeding, and psycho-social services. Everything that is necessary to achieve a good standard of education.

Which is absolutely critical if we are to achieve any of the other sustainable development goals or human rights," said Sherifh. "Unless the generation of children and youth in countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Syria, Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Rohingyas receive a 12-year education, we will achieve very little elsewhere in the goals that we have set for ourselves.

Sherif acknowledges Education Cannot Wait operates in challenging environments that are in a constant state of flux. She says the program can function despite the many crises and conflicts around the world because of its status as a United Nations Fund.

As such, she says the agency has systems and security in place that provide protection. This structure, she says, also enables agency staff to have contact with de facto governments and militia groups they otherwise would not enjoy.
Norway Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere has described as "serious and genuine" the talks his country hosted this week between the Taliban and Afghan civil society activists as well as Western diplomats regarding the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.



The three-day talks concluded Tuesday amid protests and criticism, particularly from Afghan rights groups, of Norway's decision to host the Islamist Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan last August.



Gahr Stoere told reporters in New York the meetings were not tantamount to legitimizing the hardline group's government in Kabul. He said it was "a first step" in dealing with the de facto Afghan authorities to prevent a humanitarian disaster in that country.



"It's no act of recognition. It's a mere framework to address them  passing clear messages to the Taliban and also listing (international) expectations and listening back what they have as messages," the Norwegian prime minister said. "So this is, I believe, a measure that makes it possible to hold those who hold power in Afghanistan accountable."



Taliban delegates, led by Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, met with members of Afghan civil society, including women, on Sunday, followed on Monday and Tuesday by multilateral talks with diplomats from the United States, the European Union, Britain, France, Italy, the United Nations and host Norway.

Wide range of issues covered



The closed-door meetings, which took place at a hotel outside Oslo, were supposed to cover a wide range of issues including education for Afghan women, humanitarian aid and greater inclusivity in the caretaker government the Taliban have established since taking over the conflict-torn nation.



No country has yet recognized the Taliban regime.



Gahr Stoere acknowledged that hosting the Islamist group was a challenging move for his government.



"It's also something that is a troubling thing for many people, including for me, but the alternative  to leave Afghanistan  1 million children at danger of starving, half the population in need of aid, 90% are really out of any proper working. That is no option," he stressed.



"We made it clear we want to see girls back at school in March, also those above 12. We want to see humanitarian access unimpeded," Stoere said, without sharing further details.

Successful meetings



Speaking to reporters on Monday, Muttaqi said his team's meetings with Afghans and Western envoys were successful.



"Norway providing us this opportunity is an achievement in itself because we shared the stage with the world," Muttaqi said. "From these meetings, we are sure of getting support for Afghanistan's humanitarian, health and education sectors," he added.



The Taliban regained power in mid-August as the Western-backed government collapsed. Remaining U.S.-led foreign troops withdrew from the country later that month, ending a 20-year occupation.



The change in power immediately halted international assistance for aid-dependent Afghanistan, and the U.S. blocked the Taliban's access to roughly $9.5 billion in foreign assets  largely held in the U.S. Federal Reserve  in addition to imposing financial sanctions on Kabul.



International donors have urged the Taliban to form an inclusive government and respect human rights, especially those of women, as a condition for the release of more aid, which the group has not done.

Schools start mid-March

The EU's special envoy to Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, tweeted after his meeting with Muttaqi's delegation that he had "underlined the need for primary and secondary schools to be accessible for boys and girls throughout the country when the school year starts in March." The new Afghan education year begins mid-March.



While the Taliban allowed boys to resume classes in September, most secondary schools for girls remained shuttered across the country, and most female government employees have not been allowed to resume their jobs.



The punitive actions have plunged the fragile Afghan economy into an unprecedented crisis, worsening an already bad humanitarian crisis in the country. The U.N. says it needs $5 billion this year to bring urgent relief to an estimated 24 million people experiencing acute food insecurity, 9 million of whom are threatened with famine.



The U.N. Security Council session on the situation in Afghanistan is scheduled to take place on Wednesday. The Norwegian prime minister will chair it as well.



U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, his special representative for Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, and the Norwegian foreign minister will brief the council.

Margaret Besheer contributed to this report.
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan has seen a surge in attacks, sexual assaults and threats against the long-pressed lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people because of their sexual orientation or gender.

The abuses are documented in a new report released Wednesday by Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International.

The research, titled, Even If You Go to the Skies, Well Find You: LGBT People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover, urged the Islamist Taliban to stop their abuse of LGBT people and protect them from vigilantes.

The report is calling on the international community to pressure the Taliban  which swept back into power last August  to stop the abuses and grant asylum to any LGBT Afghan facing persecution.

Some LGBT people are being targeted through their mobile phones, on social media or by former partners who have shared their details with the Taliban in hopes of protecting themselves.

The research details cases of rape, mob attacks and violence.

Researchers at Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International interviewed 60 LGBT Afghans from October to December 2021, and interviewees came from at least 11 of Afghanistans 34 provinces.

Many of those interviewed reported being attacked, sexually assaulted, or directly threatened by members of the Taliban because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Riza, a trans woman, said a group of angry neighbors knocked at her door and attacked her, saying they were going to call the Taliban police to clean you from this place.

Eventually, the Taliban police caught Riza. They beat her, shaved her head, jailed her for more than a week and dressed her in mens cloths before dumping her back on the street, the report said.

'I had to escape'

Qurban, a trans man, told the researchers he was living with his family when the Taliban came. My father said, You have to wear girls clothes now and marry a man. So, I had to escape.

\In another case, a man named Ramiz was kidnapped by Taliban members at a security checkpoint and raped for hours. The rapists later told Ramiz, From now on, anytime we want to be able to find you, we will, and we will do whatever we want with you.

The report noted that Afghanistan was a dangerous place for LGBT people well before the Taliban seized power from the Western-backed government of President Ashraf Ghani.

In 2018, the Ghani government passed a law that outlawed homosexuality, forcing many LGBT persons to conceal key aspects of their identity from society and from family, friends and colleagues.

However, when the Taliban, which had been in power from 1996 to late 2001, regained control of the country in August 2021, the situation dramatically worsened, the report said.

Taliban officials have not yet commented on the report, but a spokesman for the Islamist group told the Reuters news agency in October, LGBT  thats against our Sharia [Islamic] law.

The Taliban are under fire for allegedly not living up to their pledges to respect human rights. They are accused of engaging in widespread rights abuses, including revenge killings, systematic discrimination against women and girls, and severe restrictions on freedom of expression and the media

The Islamist group denies the criticism but maintains that restrictions on women are in line with Sharia.

The international community has not yet recognized the Taliban government and is waiting to see if they govern Afghanistan through a broad-based government and respect human rights, especially those of women.
Russia on Wednesday rejected the prospect of U.S. sanctions against President Vladimir Putin, one of several proposed responses if Russian forces were to invade neighboring Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that such sanctions would not be politically painful, but would be destructive.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned of severe and enormous consequences for Putin  including personal sanctions against Putin himself  if the Russian leader mobilizes the estimated 127,000 troops who stand ready to strike along the Ukrainian border.

I have made it clear early on to President Putin that if he were to move into Ukraine, that there would be severe consequences, including significant economic sanctions as well as Id feel obliged to beef up our presence, NATOs presence, on the eastern front, Poland, Romania, etc, Biden said, adding: If he were to move in with all those forces, it would be the largest invasion since World War II. It would change the world.

He also stressed that none of the 8,500 U.S. troops put on high alert this week would be moved into Ukrainian territory, and they would be deployed as part of a NATO operation, not a sole U.S. operation. He did not say when he might decide to order those troops into theater.

Biden said the United States has a sacred obligation to come to the aid of NATO allies that face threats. Ukraine is not a member of NATO  though it wants to be. However, neighboring Russia sees possible NATO membership as a threat and has demanded that the security alliance bar Ukraine from membership. Putin has said he has no intention to invade Ukraine but sees NATOs eastward expansion as a threat.

And Ive spoken with every one of our NATO allies ... virtually, and were all on the same page, Biden said. Weve got to make it clear that theres no reason for anyone, any member of NATO, to worry whether or not ... we  NATO  would come to their defense.

Efforts to resolve the situation diplomatically involved talks last week among Russia, the United States, NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Russia is awaiting a written response to its proposals, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told lawmakers Wednesday that if the West continues its aggressive course, Moscow will take the necessary retaliatory measures.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy used a televised address Tuesday to urge calm at home.

There are no rose-colored glasses, no childish illusions, everything is not simple. ... But there is hope, Zelenskiy said. Protect your body from viruses, your brain from lies, your heart from panic.

Zelenskiy said plans are being made for him to meet with the leaders of Russia, Germany and France. Officials from the four countries were due to hold talks on Wednesday in Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday he would seek clarification about Russias intentions during a phone call with Putin scheduled for Friday.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, in a response to a question from VOA, said Tuesday that Russian forces have grown consistently but not dramatically.

We have seen a consistent accumulation of combat power by the Russians in the western part of their country around the borders with Ukraine and Belarus, Kirby said.

Earlier in the day, the United States warned Russia it would face faster and far more severe economic consequences if it invades Ukraine than it did when Moscow annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

We are prepared to implement sanctions with massive consequences that were not considered in 2014, a national security official told reporters in Washington. That means the gradualism of the past is out. And this time, well start at the top of the escalation ladder and stay there.

The security official, speaking anonymously, said the United States is also prepared to impose novel export controls to hobble the Russian economy.

We use them to prohibit the export of products from Russia, the official said. And given the reason they work is if you  step back and look at the global dominance of U.S.-origin software technology, the export control options were considering alongside our allies and partners would hit Putins strategic ambitions to industrialize his economy quite hard, and it would impair areas that are of importance to him, whether its in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, or defense or aerospace or other key sectors.

The United States and its allies imposed less severe economic sanctions against Moscow after its Crimean takeover, but they ultimately proved ineffective, and the peninsula remains under Russian control.

Russias demand that Ukraine be barred from NATO has been dismissed by the West, where leaders have said they wont give Moscow veto power over who belongs to the 30-country military alliance that was founded to counter Soviet aggression after World War II.

VOA White House correspondent Anita Powell and VOA Pentagon Correspondent Carla Babb contributed to this report. Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Officials from Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France are holding talks Wednesday in Paris amid tensions at the Russia-Ukraine border.

Western nations have expressed concern about the deployment of more than 100,000 Russian troops in the area and the prospect of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russia denies it has such plans and has sought guarantees that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will not expand in Russias direction.

Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Wednesday that he hopes from the Paris talks a good, open conversation will take place with the maximum possible result.

Andriy Yermak, chief of staff to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, tweeted Wednesday that he hopes for a constructive dialogue in Ukraines interests.

The meeting follows several rounds of talks last week involving Russia, the United States, NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Russia is awaiting written responses to some of its demands. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told lawmakers Wednesday that Russia would take necessary retaliatory measures if the West continues what he called an aggressive course.

Wednesdays talks come as Russia said it was sending more troops and equipment to Belarus as those two countries prepare to hold military drills next month.

Peskov also said applying sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin would be counterproductive.

Politically, its not painful, its destructive, he told reporters Wednesday.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that Russia would face severe consequences if it invades Ukraine, including economic sanctions that could include Putin himself.

Some information for this report came from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The Supreme Court this week announced that it would hear two cases challenging the practice by some U.S. universities of using the race of an applicant as one of the factors that affect admissions.

The announcement, six years after the court upheld the use of affirmative action in a case involving the University of Texas at Austin, is another signal that the high court's new conservative majority is willing to wade into thorny issues on the fault lines of U.S. politics.

The court said it would combine two cases  one brought against Harvard University and another against the University of North Carolina. The central question identified by the court in both cases is whether it should overturn its own ruling from 2003 in the case Grutter v. Bollinger, which the court upheld in 2016, that allowed universities to use race as a factor in admissions decisions.

Both cases were brought by an organization called Students for Fair Admissions. In a statement, the group's president, Edward Blum, said, "In a multi-racial, multi-ethnic nation like ours, the college admissions bar cannot be raised for some races and ethnic groups but lowered for others. Our nation cannot remedy past discrimination and racial preferences with new discrimination and different racial preferences."

Blum's organization claims that Harvard and the University of North Carolina effectively discriminate against Asian American and white students to the extent that they give any preference to members of other groups, notably African Americans, when making admissions decisions.

The Harvard case comes to the Supreme Court on appeal from the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, which found that the university's admissions system, while "not perfect," was not racially discriminatory.



'Merit' v. 'accidents of life'

Supporters of affirmative action point out that many of the factors typically considered "merit" by advocates of completely race-blind admissions cannot be reliably disentangled from privilege. Do students who achieve excellent grades and test scores with the aid of college-educated parents, or of tutors hired by their parents, truly exhibit more merit than students who achieved slightly lower marks without any outside assistance?

"Those built-in advantages ought to not count as merit. Those aren't merit," said Michael A. Olivas, the William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law (Emeritus) at the University of Houston Law Center.

"Those are accidents of life," Olivas told VOA. "Children can take advantage of opportunities, but the opportunity structures are unequally distributed in our society, and higher education is probably the best manifestation of that."

The current college admission system may be imperfect, Olivas said. However, he added, "As (Former British Prime Minister Winston) Churchill once said of democracy, I think it's the worst of all systems, except for the alternatives. What would you substitute in the alternative?"



Multiple flashpoints

The court's decision to take on an affirmative action case creates another potential flashpoint in the so-called "culture wars" that dominate political discourse in the United States.

So far this term, the court has heard arguments in an abortion case that many experts believe will lead to the overturning or gutting of the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which determined that states are not allowed to outlaw access to abortion services

The court has also heard arguments in a controversial gun rights case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc., v. Bruen, which could result in the invalidation of numerous state-level gun laws that restrict the ability of individuals to carry firearms outside of their homes.

Decisions in the abortion and gun rights cases are expected in the coming months. The affirmative action case will not be heard until the court's next term begins in October.

The court has already ruled on some controversial cases during its current term.

Earlier this month, it blocked the Biden administrations effort to require all businesses with 100 or more employees to require workers to be vaccinated against the virus that causes COVID-19 or have a masking and testing policy.

Last August, the court required the Biden administration to reinstitute the controversial Remain in Mexico program initiated by the Trump administration, which required asylum-seekers stopped at the southern border to remain outside U.S. territory while their applications are processed.



Energized conservative majority

Because former President Donald Trump was able to appoint three new members to the court during his four years in office, the ideological makeup of the court shifted dramatically in a short time. The 5-4 conservative majority that existed during former President Barack Obama's final term in office often produced rulings friendly to the political left, when a centrist conservative crossed over to vote with the court's liberal bloc, including a landmark 2015 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage nationwide.

However, the court is now solidly conservative by a margin of 6-3.

"You have a very strong working majority of conservative voices in the court now," said Frederick M. Lawrence, a distinguished lecturer at Georgetown Law Center and the former president of Brandeis University. "By any objective measure, this is the most conservative court in the country in roughly a century."

Lawrence said it would not be unreasonable to expect the court to begin revisiting many decisions made by previous incarnations of the court which American conservatives have long opposed.

"There are at least some justices of that conservative group who have very strong views about what the law ought to be, what the court has done over the past quarter-century or half-century, and what they're trying to roll back," he told VOA.

While liberal groups brace for likely defeats, setbacks and reversals, conservatives are eager to continue advancing legal cases that could draw the high court's attention and, they hope, result in sweeping decisions favorable to their side.


Malis military rulers are clashing with the international community over when to hold elections and how to conduct the fight against Islamist militants. Former colonial power France has been drawing down its troops in Mali, and European governments are considering pulling troops from a U.N. peacekeeping mission over concerns about Russian mercenaries.

Since being sanctioned by the West Africa bloc ECOWAS for failure to organize elections, Malis military rulers have taken a hard stance against countries, including France, that backed the sanctions.

France has led the multi-nation military intervention in Mali since 2013, when forces arrived to take back the north from Islamist control.

This week, Mali ordered a recently arrived Danish contingent of the European Takuba task force to withdraw immediately from Malian territory.

The government also accused France of breaching Malian airspace by flying a military plane from Gao in northern Mali to neighboring Ivory Coast without notifying Malian authorities.

Mali has acknowledged a degree of cooperation with official Russian trainers, but denies accusations that they are cooperating with the Wagner Group, a military contracting agency widely believed to have links to the Russian government.

Ornella Moderan, head of the Sahel Program at the Institute for Security Studies in Bamako, says that though accusations of human rights abuses against the Wagner Group are concerning, Malians have also seen abuses from other military forces, including France, notably with a drone strike on a wedding in the town of Bounti last year that the U.N. says killed 19 civilians.

Moderan says the extensive Western intervention up until now has had a limited effect.

All of this has not stabilized or improved the situation, she says. On the contrary we have noticed in the last year a worsening of the security context. She says, there are more and more violent incidents, always with a lot of victims. Its in this context, she adds, that we must put the will of the Malian transitional authorities, to try something else, to see if this something else can work.

Aly Tounkara, director of the Center for Security and Strategic Studies in the Sahel, a Bamako-based think tank, says that without the years of military intervention, the current situation could be even worse.

He says a Russian intervention may help in terms of military strength on the ground, but that this will have limited effect on long-term security.

He says he cant see the Russian Federation giving millions for projects that will reduce community tensions, notably how to bring back all of these young people who have joined these radical violent groups, to resume social life, how to restart the economy that has been slowed down by insecurity. Regarding these issues, he adds, after these battles against radical groups, the Malian state will be stuck.

Alioune Tine, an independent U.N. expert on human rights in Mali, also emphasized the need for non-military solutions.

Now, he says, we must reflect after years of military intervention, if in reality the only way to intervene or to respond to the security problem in Mali is with the army? I think from this point of view, really, the answer is no. Maybe we have to find other means, political means, in order to get out of this Malian crisis.

Tine added its essential that a solution to the insecurity in Mali involve young people and women especially, and focus on development  not just more weapons and military strength.
Russia doesnt have enough troops in place to mount a full-scale invasion, according to Ukraines foreign minister.

Dmytro Kuleba told reporters, The number of Russian troops massed along the border of Ukraine and occupied territories of Ukraine is large, it poses a threat to Ukraine, a direct threat to Ukraine; however, at the moment, as we speak, this number is insufficient for a full-scale offensive against Ukraine along the entire Ukrainian border.

Russia has denied it is preparing to launch a major assault, but U.S. President Joe Biden and his aides say Moscow could attack at very short notice with the more than 100,000 troops it has deployed along Ukraines borders.

Kulebas statement came just hours after Ukraines President, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, urged Ukrainians during a nationwide broadcast to remain calm, but have no childish illusions about the magnitude of the Russian threat. Protect your body from viruses, your brain from lies, your heart from panic, he urged.

The Ukrainian leader took issue with this week's evacuation by the United States, Britain, Canada and Australia of some personnel from their embassies, telling Ukrainians the evacuation doesn't mean escalation is inevitable. Ukrainian officials expressed frustration earlier this week with the departure of some Western diplomats and their families, saying it was premature.

One official told VOA the evacuations undermined efforts to calm the fears of ordinary Ukrainians. The United States and Britain also have told their nationals to leave. Given that the president has said military action by Russia could come at any time, the U.S. government will not be in a position to evacuate U.S. citizens, a State Department spokesperson said earlier this week.

According to Ukrainian officials, Zelenskiy broached the issue of evacuations during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to Kyiv last week, saying to withdraw staff now would be an overreaction and send an inconsistent message to Russia, as well as prompt alarm  something Moscow could exploit.

Ukrainians have lived with Russian threats for nearly eight years, since the Maidan uprising of 2014, which toppled President Viktor Yanukovych, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which pro-Moscow armed proxies seized after the Maidan revolt, fighting has flared and simmered, leaving more than 15,000 dead.

But with more than 100,000 Russian troops camped along their borders and threatening the biggest land war in Europe since the Second World War, ordinary Ukrainians are on edge. Many are formulating contingency and flight plans in case of an invasion, including stockpiling essential staples and preparing their belongings if they have to flee.

Ukrainians have been swapping tips on social media platforms about preparing for war, including on Facebook under the hashtag # (#weareready). Every family wants to learn how to prepare for an emergency and do whatever is necessary in advance, posted Valeriy Pekar, an academic.

How to manage anxiety is a political issue, he says. Pretending that nothing is happening  it means that when something happens, panic will be unacceptably high. If you push it now  the panic will be unacceptably high right now. I see the only possible strategy: to raise anxiety level gradually so that people can think, get used to it, start doing something little by little, he says.

Ukraine's Ministry of Culture and Information Policy has issued an Emergency of War Brochure with tips on what preparations families should be making and how to react if war does break out. In Kyiv, though, there are few obvious signs of alarm, and banks are not reporting any heavy cash withdrawals.

Ukraines former defense minister, Andriy Zagorodnyuk, also has sounded a note of reassurance, saying in a newspaper article Monday the Kremlin has not yet amassed enough troops to launch a large-scale operation.

Zagorodnyuk says Russia would need a force of several hundred thousand to stage an invasion. Among the elements missing, he indicates, are mobile field hospitals, noting that several battalion tactical groups do not have their full complement of tanks and armored vehicles. If Russia was conducting preparations for a large-scale invasion, it would have been much more noticeable, Zagorodnyuk said.

Meanwhile, Britains foreign secretary, Liz Truss, has called on NATO allies to "do more to pressure Russia and support Ukraine. Speaking Wednesday to the BBC, Truss called for more efforts to deter Russia and make clear the price of war will be high. We would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine, she said.

Truss added the British government is drafting new legislation to bolster Britain's sanctions regime so we are able to target more companies and individuals in Russia.
The U.N. secretary-general warned on Wednesday that Afghanistan is "hanging by a thread," as the organization appealed for a total of $8 billion to scale up humanitarian assistance to more than 22 million Afghans this year.

"When it comes to complex humanitarian emergencies, Afghanistan is as bad as it gets," Antonio Guterres told a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

Afghanistan's economy has been in a free fall for months, there is a severe drought, and a brutal winter has descended on the country, exacerbating daily suffering.

The Taliban, which seized power nearly six months ago, are cut off from billions of dollars of the former government's assets that are frozen abroad as the international community waits to see how they will behave.

In the meantime, the United Nations and its partners are trying to meet growing humanitarian needs. Two weeks ago, the organization said it required $4.4 billion for its aid response. On Wednesday, it launched what it says is a complementary appeal for $3.6 billion to fund essential social services, including health and education, and maintain basic infrastructure. In all, a staggering $8 billion to keep the population from catastrophe.

Sanctions call

The U.N. chief also appealed to the international community to suspend restrictions that are hurting Afghanistan's economy.

"We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of breaching sanctions," Guterres said.

He urged the release of frozen currency reserves and re-engaging with the country's central bank, as well as foreign cash injections for the ailing economy.

"Time is of the essence. Without action, lives will be lost, and despair and extremism will grow," he warned. "A collapse of the Afghan economy could lead to a massive exodus of people fleeing the country."

The United States has frozen about $9 billion in Afghan reserves, and Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington is looking at options to ease the cash crunch.

"Ultimately, a functioning Afghan economy will require an independent and technically competent central bank that meets international banking standards," she said. "While Afghan Central Bank reserves held in the United States are subject to ongoing litigation, we recognize calls to examine making available reserves to help the people of Afghanistan."

Mixed reviews

The U.N.'s top diplomat in Afghanistan, Deborah Lyons, said the Taliban have taken some positive actions to function more effectively as a government, including agreeing on a budget financed by their own revenues, paying some government salaries and making efforts to engage the private sector. They are also working with UNICEF to reopen schools for both boys and girls in March.

"On the other hand, here on the ground there is compelling evidence of an emerging environment of intimidation and a deterioration in respect for human rights," she said from Kabul. "This suggests that the consolidation of government authority may be leading toward control of the population by fear, rather than by understanding and responding to its needs."

Lyons said that despite Taliban declarations of general amnesties for those who worked for or defended the former government, the U.N. continues to receive credible allegations of killings, enforced disappearances, detentions of political opponents and civil society representatives.

"After 20 years of tasting freedom  working, studying, playing sports, performing music  it has taken less than six months to completely dismantle the rights of the women and girls across the country," Afghan human rights defender Mahbouba Seraj said, telling the Security Council they must keep promises made to Afghan women over the years.

Taliban

The Taliban is not an internationally recognized government, and the country's seat at the United Nations is still held by the former government. But the Ashraf Ghani-appointed envoy quietly resigned in December, and a deputy is now heading the Afghan mission.

Naseer Faiq said he does not represent the views of either the former government or any political group. He urged the international community to provide humanitarian assistance and help with the economic crisis, and he called on the Taliban to end human rights violations, honor their general amnesty, and let women work and girls go to school and university.

Pakistan, which has been close to the Taliban over the years, said it would be more useful if a Taliban representative could address the council. They have designated their spokesman in Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, to be their U.N. envoy, but the general assembly committee that approves credentials of representatives deferred a decision, leaving the status quo in place.

On other outstanding issues, Pakistan's envoy said engagement is required.

"It is only through dialogue, through consultations and mutual persuasion that we will be able to achieve agreed outcomes," Ambassador Munir Akram said. "Coercion is not the road to peace in Afghanistan. It has not been for the past 20 years, and it will not be in the future."
Burkina Faso's coup leaders have yet to say if they will install a civilian or military leader after deposing President Roch Kabore, who has since resigned formally. In an exclusive interview with VOA, U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso Sandra Clark says if the military installs its own leader, Washington could cut support to Burkina Faso.

In the exclusive interview, Ambassador Clark said the United States is closely monitoring the situation.

We are evaluating events on the ground for any impact on our assistance. This is a very fluid situation and things are evolving. I would note that U.S. law does require a review and possible suspension of assistance in cases where a democratic government is deposed by unconstitutional means, she told VOA.

The junta has yet to announce whether it plans to install a military or a civilian president as the new ruler. If a civilian is selected, it may mean a continuation of support from the United States, which has provided counterterrorism training to Burkinabe troops, as well as funding.

Ambassador Clark says the U.S. would like to see democratic rule restored.

We have called for the immediate release of President Kabore and other government officials and for a return to civilian-led government and constitutional order, and we urge all sides to remain calm and seek dialogue to address grievances, she expressed.

Burkina Faso has been locked in a six-year conflict with armed groups linked to Islamic State, al-Qaida and local bandits. The military has suffered a string of significant defeats to the groups in recent months.

France also has a special forces unit stationed in the country and provides air and intelligence support to the Burkinabe military.

Meanwhile, there is widespread agreement among Burkinabes that the status quo with the countrys current military partners needs to change.

More than 1,000 people attended a demonstration Tuesday in the capital, Ouagadougou. Speakers called for Russian military support, which has occurred in neighboring Mali in recent weeks.

Alexander Ivanov, the official representative of Russian military trainers in the Central African Republic, issued a statement offering training to the Burkinabe military on Tuesday.

Analyst Andrew Lebovich, with the European Council on Foreign Relations, was asked by VOA why support for Russian intervention is growing.

As anti-French sentiment has grown, as skepticism has grown and as people have grown concerned and frustrated with the security situation, that blame has fallen, unfairly or not, on the traditional partners, on the current partners, he responded.

There has been no further word on the whereabouts of former President Kabore, whom the military arrested on Monday.
A massive and well-planned operation by the Islamic State to free thousands of the terror groups fighters from a prison in northeastern Syria is over, more than six days after the attack plunged the facility and surrounding neighborhoods into chaos.

The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced Wednesday they had taken full control of the al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah, a make-shift detention facility that housed an estimated 4,000 IS fighters, as well as about 700 to 850 boys and teenagers from IS families.

"The Peoples' Hammer Operation has culminated with our entire control of the al-Sina'a prison in al-Hasakah and the surrendering of all Daesh terrorists," SDF spokesman Farhad Shami tweeted, using the Arabic acronym for the terror group.

Prior to the announcement, SDF officials said overnight operations had freed an additional 23 workers from the prison who were being held as hostages, and that at least 1,000 prisoners had surrendered or had been recaptured.

Shami told VOA that 250 IS attackers had been killed, and that thousands of the prisons inmates had been recaptured, according to initial estimates.

"Had the safety of the children not been our major concern, we could have finished this operation in one to two days with heavy weapons," he added.

Shami also said the SDF was looking into the fate of the children, who had been kept in a separate part of the al-Sinaa prison facility, acknowledging some were likely injured.

SDF officials said early on that IS attackers and prisoners had been using the children as human shields.

On Tuesday, Human Rights Watch said it had spoken to an Australian boy who had been caught up in the fighting, saying he had been wounded during the SDF effort to retake the prison and that he saw other boys shot and killed.

"I was just sitting in my cell and an explosion happened," he told HRW. I ran out with my friends and on the way my friends got killed in front of me a 14 year old, a 15 year old."

HRW Associate Director Letta Tayler Wednesday called on the SDF to provide an update on the children, noting evidence heavy weaponry had been used in the operation to retake the prison.

We deeply share your concerns about the safety and well-being of the children [sic], the SDF responded. We are doing our best to provide the most accurate information for the public in the earliest convenience.

The assault on the al-Sinaa prison in Hasakah began this past Thursday night when, according to the SDF, about 300 IS operatives set-off multiple car bombs and converged on the facility.

The attack sparked days of intense fighting in and around the prison, with the SDF calling in about 10,000 troops for the operation to secure the area.

U.S. and coalition forces also assisted in the effort, carrying out airstrikes from F-16 jets and with Apache attack helicopters. U.S. Bradley Fighting Vehicles also were sent to the prison, occasionally firing on IS position as they helped the SDF secure the perimeter.

A U.S. official, speaking to VOA on the condition of anonymity in order to discuss the operation, said the U.S. efforts helped the SDF establish both an inner cordon and an outer cordon around the prison.

"We are still providing a measure of support to the SDF to help to contain this threat," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters, separately, on Tuesday. "We helped them establish a perimeter around this facility.

Some 30 SDF soldiers were killed in the operation to retake the prison. Several civilians were also killed, the SDF blaming their death on IS, saying at least one person was beheaded by IS fighters trying to gain access to a residence outside of the prison complex.

On Wednesday, SDF officials sought to downplay concerns that the nearly week-long IS attacks allowed prisoners to escape.

Reports that tens or hundreds of ISIS prisoners ran away, that is not correct, the SDFs Farhad Shami told VOA, using another acronym for the terror group.

"There may be individual escapes  but no mass escape from the prison, he said.

But numbers released by the SDF later Wednesday, and shared with the Rojava Information Center, a pro-Kurdish research group, indicated the fate of about 2,200 prisoners and most of the 700 children, was still unknown.

Separately, the U.S. official told VOA on Tuesday that early estimates had the number of escapees in the 10-20 range.

Western counterterrorism officials and analysts have warned the attack on al-Sinaa could be the first in a series of new offensives by IS in Syria and Iraq, believed to have as many as 10,000 fighters.

This was clearly part of a more deliberate campaign, Colin Clarke, director of policy and research at the global intelligence firm The Soufan Group, told VOA. It's not one that was designed overnight.

We're going to see more sophisticated assaults, multi-pronged attacks against vulnerable prisons until ISIS feels like it's recouped and restocked its organization with the requisite amount of fighters, he added.

Humanitarian groups are also expressing alarm, though many agree the deadly IS prison break should not come as a surprise.

"I do strongly hope that this will serve as a wake-up call, drawing renewed attention to a situation that is totally unsustainable, Dominik Stillhart, the director of operations for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told reporters Wednesday.

What is happening in the northeast of Syria, with this essentially stranded population  not just the 10,000 people living in places of detention, but also the nearly 60,000 that are in the camps, in particular al-Hol  is not a sustainable solution, he said. Obviously, it is also a place that is fertile ground for further radicalization.

The SDF Wednesday called on the international community to help, both with prisons and with repatriation of foreign IS fighters.

"We urgently need new prisons, larger, safer and far from residential areas, the SDFs Farhad Shami told VOA. These prisons [in Hasakah] are no longer useable  this is almost an urgent matter now.

In a statement Sunday, the U.S.-led coalition said the IS attack "attempted to destroy a new, more secure detention facility in Hasakah" being built not far from the current prison "but failed."

On Wednesday, Coalition Commander, Major General John Brennan, admitted more work needs to be done to contain the reemerging threat from IS.

This is not a problem solely within this city, Brennan said in a statement. "The makeshift prisons throughout Syria are a breeding ground for Daesh's failed ideology... This is a global problem that requires many nations to come together to develop an enduring long-term solution."

VOA's Margaret Besheer contributed to this story.
Diplomats of the former Afghan government who have held on to their jobs in the U.S. are grappling with a new problem: their official bank accounts have been suspended.

Two senior Afghan diplomats, who did not want to be named because the issue is under discussion with U.S. officials, confirmed to VOA that the Citibank accounts of the embassy in Washington and two Afghan consulates in the U.S. have been suspended for more than a month.

The Afghan mission in Washington does not receive funds from Kabul, because the Afghan capital now under the control of the Taliban, and it has survived thus far through dwindling consular service fees.

The consulates have run out of new passports but continue to renew expired passports. Because checks issued to cover passport renewal can no longer be made out to the Afghanistan Embassy, the remaining staff members deposit blank money orders into personal bank accounts, then meet at the end of each month to tally embassy revenue.

"We've held talks with the Department of State, but so far there has been no breakthrough," one Afghan diplomat said, adding that U.S. officials had advised the diplomats against discussing the matter publicly.



While the government they represented collapsed more than five months ago, about 90 Afghan diplomats remain in four diplomatic posts in the U.S., including the Afghanistan Permanent Representative at the United Nations in New York.

Suspension of their official bank accounts has adversely impacted the embassy's financial transactions, including salaries, rent and health care insurance payments, the diplomats said.

When asked about the status of the mission's accounts, a State Department spokesperson told VOA, "There has been no change in the accreditation status of Afghan mission members," but declined to comment on the account suspensions.

A spokesman for Citibank also declined to comment.

Policy confusion?

The United States does not recognize the Taliban's self-declared Islamic Emirate as the official government of Afghanistan, but U.S. officials have met with Taliban officials in Qatar, Norway and elsewhere.

"As we seek to address humanitarian crisis together with allies, partners, and relief [organizations]," U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan Thomas West said before holding talks with the Taliban foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in Oslo on Sunday. "We will continue clear-eyed diplomacy with the Taliban regarding our concerns and our abiding interest in a stable, rights-respecting and inclusive Afghanistan."



Analysts say the U.S. approach has led to confusion among Afghans who are trying to sort out visa and logistical issues, leaving them in legal limbo.

"Not thinking through the ramifications and implications of having these two parallel governance structures going at the same time is a completely flawed approach," said Candace Rondeaux, an expert at the Washington-based New America think tank.

"I think the U.S. has been confused on Afghanistan for a long time," said Jennifer Murtazashvili, an expert with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, adding that the U.S. will need a functioning Afghan mission to handle consular services for the tens of thousands of Afghans who are being brought to the U.S. since the collapse of the former Afghan government.

The loss of the bank accounts is the latest blow to the Afghan diplomatic mission, which has already been laboring under severe financial restrictions.

Calls to the embassy are directed to a voice message system as all local staff have been laid off, and diplomats say they have been working on-and-off on a voluntary basis and without pay for two months.

The embassy in Washington, like many other Afghanistan diplomatic missions around the world, has refused to work with the Taliban foreign ministry, and diplomats say they represent the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Despite repeated Taliban pleas for recognition of the Islamic Emirate as the de facto government of Afghanistan, no country has yet officially taken steps to recognize the regime.

Diplomats seeking asylum

At least three Afghan diplomats who worked at the embassy in Washington have sought asylum in Canada and the rest are exploring long-term options, the two diplomats said.

"Obviously, we cannot return to Afghanistan," one of the diplomats said, adding that his diplomatic visa is set to expire in December. "We are seeking a solution for the future of all our diplomats here."

Anticipating their move, the U.S. Citizenship, Immigration and Customs agency has announced specific steps for the Afghan diplomats to change their status in the U.S.

"If you are an Afghan national who entered the United States as an A-1, A-2, G-1, or G-2 nonimmigrant; were performing duties that were diplomatic or semi-diplomatic on July 14, 2021; and are seeking a Green Card under Section 13, you may file Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, without a fee," reads a public notice at the USCIS website.

State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching contributed to this story.


The United States will soon ship more than 2 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to the African nations of Kenya and Morocco, the White House told VOA on Wednesday.

"As the president has said, America will be the arsenal of vaccines in our fight against COVID-19," a White House official told VOA. "We are proud to be able to deliver these safe and effective vaccines to the people of Kenya and Morocco."

Those donations bring the U.S. to a milestone, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

"Today, we hit a major milestone in our global effort to be the arsenal of vaccines: 400 million doses shipped to 112 countries for free, with no strings attached," Psaki said Wednesday. "To put America's leadership into perspective, we have shipped four times more free doses to the world than any other country. And this is on top of our efforts to expand manufacturing at home and abroad, our close partnerships with manufacturers to provide their vaccines to hard-hit areas, and our work to turn vaccines into vaccinations around the globe."

In the latest round of donations, Kenya will receive 517,140 doses of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine. Morocco will get 1,599,390 doses. The donations will be distributed by COVAX, a global initiative founded to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. In both countries, the White House told VOA, scientific, legal and regulatory teams are coordinating to ensure the prompt delivery of safe and effective tranches of vaccine. These new doses come from the half-billion doses secured by President Joe Bidens administration over the summer, the White House said.

Health advocates welcomed the donations but questioned whether they were enough  especially considering that the U.S. is promoting booster doses for already-vaccinated Americans while so many people worldwide have yet to get a first shot.

"Less than 10% of the people in Africa have received a vaccine, and more than 3 billion people (including doctors and nurses) around the world have not received their first dose, even as rich countries are starting to administer fourth doses," said Robbie Silverman, senior manager of private sector advocacy at Oxfam America, a Boston-based organization that advocates for the poor.

"Table scraps from rich countries  who have hoarded the vast majority of the worlds mRNA vaccine doses  will not end the pandemic and will not stop the emergence of new variants that could threaten the United States," Silverman said. "The U.S. should lead in responding to what low- and middle-income countries are actually asking for  the ability to manufacture their own doses for their own citizens. This starts with opening the vaccine recipe, sharing the technical know-how and providing resourcing to qualified manufacturers throughout the world."

Kenya, an East African coastal nation of nearly 54 million people, has reported more than 320,000 confirmed cases and 5,558 deaths from the virus, according to World Health Organization data. As of this week, nearly 11.3 million vaccine doses have been administered, WHO says. Kenya appears to have endured at least five waves of infection. Compared with the previous four waves, the last wave, which peaked in December and has since fallen sharply, resulted in the greatest number of known infections but the lowest number of deaths.

Morocco, a North African nation of nearly 37 million people, has seen more than 1,100,000 confirmed cases and 15,167 deaths, according to the WHO. Nearly 51.9 million vaccines have been administered. WHO data appear to show that Morocco is in the midst  possibly the peak  of a third wave.
Press Release

January 26, 2022 Senate approval underway for Dela Rosa's bill protecting security guards THE Senate approval is underway for the measure sponsored by Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa which aims to strengthen the regulation of the private security services industry and improve the protection of Filipino security guards. The possibility became evident on Tuesday when the continuation of interpellation on Senate Bill No. 2423 (SBN 2423), to be known as "The Private Security Services Industry Act," finally came to a close after Dela Rosa answered the questions raised by Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon. SBN 2423 intends to repeal RA 5487 or "The Private Security Agency Law" given that private security is an evolving industry, with its myriad of facets and concepts. RA 5487 is a 52-year-old law and is no longer responsive to the complexity and growth of the security industry. ?These include the technological advancements that have emerged, the demands of the global-certifying bodies, their wage rates in relation to their required trainings, as well as the need for their professionalization. During the interpellation, Dela Rosa assured Drilon and fellow senators that the bill provides that private security agencies shall still be 100 percent Filipino-owned as a safeguard to our national security. The former PNP Chief even read the measure's section 4, which states: "Any Filipino citizen or juridical entity wholly-owned and controlled by Filipino citizens may organize a private security agency and provide security services." In his sponsorship speech for SBN 2423 in September last year, the former PNP Chief emphasized that security guards are professionals and they play a vital role as frontliners in the face of the Covid19 pandemic. "A security guard, like all other security providers, is a professional, and must be treated as such," Dela Rosa said. "They are not only the first line of defense of workers and employees against possible lawless elements but have also evolved into a support system in our country's fight against COVID-19. Security guards prevent not only intrusion by unauthorized persons but also the spread of the deadly virus. They are our valiant gatekeepers. This legislative measure is about them," he said. SBN 2423 is the substitute bill for SBN 2405, authored by Dela Rosa, and in consideration of House Bill No. 8783 of the House of Representatives.
The United States and NATO have provided written responses to Moscow, addressing Russias renewed security demands, following consultations with various European partners as well as Ukraine  the latest moves in diplomatic maneuvering aimed at heading off armed conflict.

U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan delivered the document in person Wednesday to Russias Foreign Ministry. Separately, NATO transmitted to Russia its own responses regarding European security, described by officials as a few pages in length.

Officials portrayed the responses as a way to address the Kremlins concerns while also giving all sides a chance to further pursue diplomacy.

The document weve delivered includes concerns of the United States and our allies and partners about Russias actions that undermine security  a principled and pragmatic evaluation of the concerns that Russia has raised, and our own proposals for areas where we may be able to find common ground, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a press conference.

Weve addressed the possibility of reciprocal transparency measures regarding force posture in Ukraine, as well as measures to increase confidence regarding military exercises and maneuvers in Europe, Blinken said. We are acting with equal focus and force to bolster Ukraines defenses and prepare a swift united response to further Russian aggression.

Blinken said he expected to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in the coming days after the Russian side had a chance to discuss the U.S. response.

As Ive said repeatedly, whether they choose the path of diplomacy and dialogue, whether they decide to renew aggression against Ukraine, were prepared either way, Blinken told reporters.

U.S. officials declined to elaborate on specifics, though they expressed hope Washington and Moscow still could find consensus and even make progress on issues such as arms control related to missiles in Europe.

Moscows security demands include a pause of NATOs eastward expansion, especially in Ukraine and Georgia, as well as a rollback of NATO troops in Eastern Europe.

The United States has dismissed those demands as nonstarters, demanding Russia pull back its forces from the border with Ukraine and instead offering dialogue with Moscow on issues including military exercises and transparency, as well as the placement of missiles.

Russia offered a cautious initial response to the written proposals.

We will read it. Study it, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told the Interfax news agency when asked about the NATO document. The partners studied our project for almost a month and a half.

In contrast, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters there is a growing sense of urgency, calling on Moscow to withdraw its forces from Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova, where they are deployed without these countries consent.

We face a critical moment, he said, warning that Russia now has positioned more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine, with additional deployments already under way.

We see also more troops not only in and around Ukraine, but also now in Belarus, where Russia is in the process of deploying thousands of combat troops, hundreds of aircraft, S-400 air defense systems, and a lot of other very advanced capabilities, Stoltenberg added.

We have listened to Russian concerns. We have listened also to the Russian call for a written response, he said. This is about whether theres a will to engage in good faith and to try to sit down and find common ground.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that Kyiv had no objections to the U.S. responses to Russia, acknowledging the threat from the number of Russian troops massed along his countrys borders as well as in Ukrainian territories occupied by Russian forces.

Still, Kuleba insisted there was no need for panic to take hold.

At the moment, as we speak, this number is insufficient for the full-scale offensive against Ukraine along the entire Ukrainian border, he said.

While the United States would not rule out an imminent military move by Russia against Ukraine, a senior State Department official noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not want to upset China when the country is hosting the opening ceremony of Winter Olympics.

We certainly see every indication that (Putin) is going to use military force sometime perhaps now and middle of February, said Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday during a virtual event with Yalta European Strategy, a European security forum.

We all are aware that the Beijing Olympics begin on February 4  the opening ceremony  and Putin is expected to be there, added Sherman. I think that probably President Xi Jinping would not be ecstatic if Putin chose that moment to invade Ukraine. So that may affect his timing and his thinking.

Some analysts agreed with the assessment, noting Russias military logistics have not yet been fully activated to start massive military operations.

The Winter Olympics in China, to be held between 4-20 February, might offer some respite, said Mathieu Boulegue, a research fellow for the Russia and Eurasia program of London-based Chatham House. To safeguard relations with Beijing, Moscow may avoid repeating its actions of August 2008, when Russia took military action against Georgia, literally during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Summer Olympics.

In Kyiv, the U.S. Embassy is urging American citizens in the country to consider departing now, citing unpredictable security situation that can deteriorate with little notice.

Since 2014, the United States has committed more than $5 billion in both security and non-security assistance to Ukraine, including more than $351 million in assistance to those displaced or affected by Russias aggression, according to Deputy Secretary of State Sherman.

VOA National Security Correspondent Jeff Seldin contributed to this report, which contains some information from the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
The United States issued an advisory Wednesday warning of the increased risk of conducting business in Myanmar nearly a year after a military coup in the Southeast Asian country, which is also known as Burma.

The advisory from the U.S. State Department warned it was especially risky for "individuals, businesses and financial institutions and other persons" to be associated with business activity in Myanmar "that could benefit the Burmese military regime."

The advisory cited the possibility of exposure to illegal financial and reputational risks by doing business there, and using supply chains controlled by the military.

"The coup and subsequent abuses committed by the military have fundamentally changed the direction of the economic and business environment in Burma," the advisory said.

Former de factor leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) led Myanmar since its first open democratic election in 2015, but Myanmar's military contested the November 2020 election results, claiming widespread electoral fraud, largely without evidence.



The military removed the NLD government in a coup on Feb. 1, 2021, detaining Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

Since then, the military government has used deadly force in clampdowns on protests while escalating efforts to neutralize ethnic minority armies and newly formed militias allied with the NLD government. Wednesday's advisory said the military "has killed more than 1,400 innocent people" since its takeover.

The advisory said state-owned enterprises were of greatest concern, as well as the gems and precious metals, real estate, construction and defense industries, noting that they have been identified as providing economic resources for the junta.

The advisory was issued after oil giants Chevron Corporation and TotalEnergies said last week the worsening humanitarian situation prompted them to withdraw from the country, where they were working together on a major gas project.


Burkina Faso has become the latest West African country to have its government overthrown by the military. President Roch Marc Christian Kabore is the fourth head of state removed from power by a military in the region in the past year after coups in Chad, Guinea and Mali, which had two coups in two years. Analysts say frustration throughout the region has been fueled by the growing threat of Islamist violence and the displacement of millions of civilians.

Gunshots rang out near Burkina Fasos presidential residence Sunday evening, according to witnesses, marking the start of the latest in a string of coups throughout the region. The events came a day after anti-government protesters took to the streets to voice their anger over President Roch Marc Christian Kabores response to a surge of jihadist-linked violence.



More than 1.5 million Burkinabe have been displaced by the conflict, up from just 8,000 in January 2018. The Burkinabe are not alone in their frustration over their governments handling of the Islamic insurgency.



Issaka Souare is an African peace and security analyst and university lecturer in Guinea.

The link is that these armed groups in general are attacking people. The soldiers are charged to counter these attacks and they are saying that they have been sent to the frontlines without being given the proper conditions or the proper equipment, Souare said.

The event marks the 49th successful coup within 15 ECOWAS member states since 1960, Souare says, and the 8th in Burkina Faso alone.



Though the most recent coups in the region were sparked by security concerns, they differ from earlier uprisings, which were spurred by discontent over leaders attempts to cling to power.



Fahiraman Rodrigue Kone is a senior researcher with the Institute of Security Studies Sahel program.

The governance and the democracy question is something still there. But now in the Sahelien countries the trend is clearly linked to the jihadist insurgency, which is really difficult for the elected government to fight against, Kone said.

These evolving trends are reflected clearly in Burkinas recent history. Kabore was elected in 2015 following the ousting of President Blaise Compaore, who stayed in power for nearly three decades.



Now, angered by their elected governments inability to fight extremist groups, citizens backing the coup want change.



In November, Burkinabe forces suffered the deadliest attack by Islamic militants since the crisis began in 2016, losing some 50 soldiers in a single day.
The World Trade Organization on Wednesday handed a fresh victory to China, permitting it to place duties on $645 million worth of U.S. imports per year, in a long-running anti-dumping dispute with Washington.

The United States is unable to appeal the decision.

"The deeply disappointing decision today by the WTO arbitrator reflects erroneous Appellate Body interpretations that damage the ability of WTO members to defend our workers and businesses from China's trade-distorting subsidies," said Adam Hodge, a spokesman for the U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

"Today's decision reinforces the need to reform WTO rules and dispute settlement, which have been used to shield China's non-market economic practices and undermine fair, market-oriented competition."

The WTO green light does not mean China will automatically impose the tariffs, in whole or in part, on U.S. imports.

The figure was revealed in an 87-page decision by a WTO arbitrator on the level of countermeasures Beijing could request in its dispute with Washington regarding US countervailing duties (CVD) on certain Chinese products.

The dispute stretches all the way back to 2012, when the WTO set up a panel of experts to try to settle a complaint filed by China over what it said were unfair duties imposed by the United States.

Washington had justified the additional tariffs on products ranging from paper to tires and solar panels, arguing they were being dumped on the market to help Chinese companies grab business.

The WTO Dispute Settlement Body ruled in China's favor, and the ruling was upheld by its appeals judges in 2014, paving the way for China to retaliate.

Beijing initially asked to be permitted to place tariffs on $2.4 billion in U.S. products each year, but then scaled back its demand to $788.75 million.

The United States had argued that the appropriate level should not exceed $106 million per year.

The anti-dumping duties are permitted under international trade rules as long as they adhere to strict conditions, and disputes over their use are often brought before the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body.

Wednesday's decision marks the second time the WTO has allowed China to retaliate for U.S. anti-dumping duties deemed to be in violation of international trade rules.

In November 2019, a WTO arbitrator permitted China to add duties on up to $3.6 billion worth of U.S. imports, in a separate case.

So far, China has not notified the WTO that it has implemented the approved retaliatory tariffs from that case.

Washington has long complained about the WTO dispute settlement system, and especially its appeals court, claiming unfair treatment.

Biden's predecessor Donald Trump brought the system to a grinding halt in December 2019 by blocking the appointment of new judges to the Appellate Body.
Zimbabwe Worried Over Eviction of Citizens from Houses, Market Places in South Africa

The Zimbabwean government says it is worried about the current situation in South Africa where its citizens are being harassed, removed from houses and market places by members of the organization using the codename Operation Dudula.

In a statement, the Zimbabwe Embassy in Pretoria, said its worried about reports that undocumented Zimbabweans should leave the country as soon as possible or risk being forced to go back home.

The statement read in part, The Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in the Republic of South Africa and its Consulates in Cape Town and Johannesburg have received reports of disturbing events that recently took place and affected Zimbabwe nationals in parts of Johannesburg and Lephalale in the Limpopo Province.

In these instances, national reportedly received threats of unspecified action, including forced eviction, if they did not leave the country by a certain date. The Embassy and the Consulates are aware of the anxiety brought by the non-renewal of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits and their termination on 31 December 2020.

The Zimbabwean authorities said all citizens living in South Africa should be vigilant and law-abiding.

Holders of the Zimbabwe Exemption Permits who choose to remain in the country after 31 December 2022 must start the process of migrating to other visas early. Relevant information is on the website of the Department of Home Affairs.

The Zimbabwean officials at the Embassy said they are in regular contact with the relevant South African government representatives on matters concerning the safety of Zimbabweans living in the country.

An organization calling itself South Africa First started evicting Zimbabweans from rented houses recently and market places saying all those should be used by local people.

A large number of Zimbabweans, said to be illegal immigrants, were on Wednesday removed from a local market with indications that South Africa First would also evict them from their rented houses.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has appealed for calm saying his government does not want South Africans to harass foreigners.
A High Court judge has ordered the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to reopen the Nomination Court in six constituencies that fell vacant following the recall of lawmakers aligned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who contested the 2018 parliamentary polls under the MDC Alliance.

According to the state-controlled Herald newspaper, Justice Never Katiyo made the order today, a day after ZEC announced that there wont be elections in these constituencies in compliance with a court ruling early this year ordering parliament to reinstate the six Members of Parliament for Kambuzuma, Mutasa South, Pumula, Mbizo, Harare East and Nkulumane.

The newspaper reports that Benjamin Rukanda, who claimed to be secretary for the PDP, filed an urgent chamber application challenging the cancellation of the nominations in the six constituencies.

The Nomination Court will open following another proclamation by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Meanwhile, the Nomination Court for the upcoming March 26 by-elections processed council and parliamentary candidates documents today in Zimbabwe with the four main political parties - the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance, newly-formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), and ruling Zanu-PF party fielding candidates for all the 28 constituencies in the Harare Metropolitan province.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson, Priscillah Chigumba, monitored the electoral process in the Midlands capital, Gweru.
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Imagine an adaption so bad that the creator refused to see it. Okay, well you dont have to imagine it because thats what the Percy Jackson film series was. In 2020, Percy Jacksons author Rick Riordan called the film adaptations a mistake and they should censor the entire thing. Just two hours of blank screen  Were gonna fix it soon. But soon has finally come and Riordan has given his blessing for the upcoming Disney+ adaption of his lifes work. I am thrilled to be the first to tell you that Percy Jackson and the Olympians is really, truly, and for sure coming to your screens, said the Percy Jackson writer. The smart folks at Disney+ have given us the green light. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Riordan will be more involved with the development, co-writing the pilot with Jon Steinberg. He also calls the pilots director, James Bobin, a terrific person and incredibly talented director. The film isnt the only Percy Jackson adaption  the popular book series was recently adapted as a Broadway musical in 2019.

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Savoia family back in the news in Italy as they take legal action to reclaim crown jewels after 75 years.

Descendants of Italy's former royal family are suing the Italian state in an attempt to reclaim the crown jewels which have been kept in a bank vault in Rome since 5 June 1946, three days after the referendum in which Italians voted to abolish the monarchy.

The Savoia, or Savoy family, are seeking the return "within 10 days" of the treasures which include tiaras, earrings, brooches and necklaces, studded with 6,732 diamonds and 2,000 pearls.

The lawsuit is being taken by Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, 84, and his sisters the princesses Maria Pia, 87, Maria Gabriella, 81, and Maria Beatrice, 78, who claim: "Those jewels are ours and, as personal assets, we have the right to have them back."

The Savoys are to sue Italy's prime minister, the ministry of economy and the Bank of Italy for the return of the crown jewels, after more than 75 years, following the state's rejection of a mediation attempt on Tuesday.

Italy's premier Mario Draghi and finance minister Daniele Franco did not attend the 40-minute meeting in Rome, reports Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

The elderly former royals taking legal action are the children of Italy's last king Umberto II who ruled for only 34 days before going into exile in Portugal, never setting foot in Italy again. He died in Geneva, aged 78, in 1983.

Umberto's father, King Victor Emmanuel III, reigned from 1900 until May 1946 when he abdicated in favour of his son after being discredited by his support for Mussolini during world war two. He died in exile in Egypt, aged 78, in 1947.

The Savoy family was represented at Tuesday's meeting by Vittorio Emanuele's 49-year-old son Emanuele Filiberto - grandson of Italy's last king - who was born and raised in Switzerland.

The prince first set foot on Italian soil in 2002 when an amendment was made to the Italian constitution lifting the ban that had prohibited male descendants of the House of Savoy entering Italy.

"That the jewels remained locked in a Bank of Italy vault is ridiculous" - Emanuele Filiberto told Corriere della Sera on Tuesday - "If we get them back, we will have them exhibited."

Sergio Orlandi, the family's lawyer, told Italian news agency ANSA: "Unlike the other assets, the [crown jewels] have never been confiscated and have remained pending. Therefore they must be returned.

No official valuation has ever been made of the jewels whose worth has been estimated in the past to range from a few million up to 500 million, according to Corriere della Sera.

Italy's Festa della Repubblica, held each year on 2 June, commemorates the day in 1946 when Italians voted in favour of a republic and against the monarchy.

Photo Il Fatto Quotidiano
News of anti-Semitic incident comes as Italy prepares to mark International Holocaust Day.

Italian police are investigating an alleged anti-Semitic attack on a 12-year-old boy by teenagers in a village near Livorno, in the Tuscany region of Italy.

The incident occurred on Sunday in a park near the boy's home at Venturina Terme, in the coastal Campiglia Marittima area, and was reported to authorities by his parents on Tuesday.

The altercation began after the boy was insulted by two girls, aged 15, part of a group of teens that were not among his circle of friends.

"You should shut up because you are Jewish", the girls allegedly said to the boy who stood up for himself before being pushed, kicked, hit and spat upon.

The anti-Semitic insults hurled at him included: "You should die in the oven."

The boy's father, a well-known figure in the Florentine Jewish community, said that nobody intervened to defend his son.

"When he came home his coat was covered in spit" - the man told newspaper La Repubblica: "He was trying to hide it. He was trembling. He's still scared, in shock."

The boy's father said other anti-Semitic incidents had occurred in the past, when children in the boy's primary school wrote messages with swastikas, however this time he said: "We can't stay silent anymore."

On Tuesday, when news of the incident first broke, the boy's classmates reportedly gathered around to offer him their support, while on Wednesday evening - the eve of International Holocaust Memorial Day - a candlelit vigil will be held on the streets of Venturina Terme in solidarity with the boy.

The attack has provoked a wave of indignation and solidarity from politicians, Jewish figures and the general public in Italy.

Interior minister Luciana Lamorgese said the "vile anti-Semitic attack arouses deep indignation", adding that it "does not only affect the young man's family and the Jewish community" but everyone.

Liliana Segre, the 91-year-old Holocaust survivor and senator-for-life, condemned the attack, saying: "These are things that don't surprise me, unfortunately I'm used to it", adding: "History repeats itself."
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Its the most wonderful time of the year  and an expensive, annual ritual. No, not Christmas. Bonus season! The yearly paying out of lump sums to reward top talent is such a standard, established practice, questioning it may seem a little quaint. More than three-quarters of U.S. companies use performance incentives of some kind. Yet the fact remains, we dont really know how well they work. Do they encourage people to work harder and smarter?

Behavioral economics and organizational psychology dont provide a clear answer. All the literature suggests that money, including bonuses, satisfy a lot less than we think, says organizational psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. It feels good to get that big check, but the feeling is fleeting. However, satisfaction and motivation are subtly different things. Money may not make us happy, but it can motivate us to persevere on an unpleasant task.

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One fun study  fun to read about, not especially fun to participate in  asked people to count cash or slips of paper, and then submerge their hands in scalding water. When asked how much their hands hurt, the participants who had counted money rated their pain less than the control group. Kathleen Vohs, who led this research, has conducted an array of other studies with similar findings (if gentler methodologies).

Research also suggests that a performance incentive can help people achieve specific goals  such as quitting smoking or remembering to take their medicine. And financial incentives can cause people to spend less time with friends and family, and more time with their colleagues, according to a study by Julia Hur, Alice Lee-Yoon and Ashley Whillans.

But theres mixed evidence on whether bonuses drive better performance. Other studies suggest that incentive pay encourages people to produce more work, though not necessarily better work. In another study, behavioral economist Dan Ariely recruited subjects from rural India, where the highest bonus offered  $50  was equivalent to about five months salary. He found that the prospect of such a distractingly large reward seemed to hurt the participants performance.

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There are good reasons to be cautious about extrapolating from studies to the real world. The participants in such experiments may react differently to monetary incentives than, say, people in sales or investment banking, where bonuses are a particularly important part of compensation. I dont think bankers are a special breed of humans, Chamorro-Premuzic says  sorry, bankers  but I do think that they are more commercially driven and more interested in financial incentives.

Theres also the question as to whether an annual bonus ought to be considered a bonus at all. It isnt an unexpected windfall. Its more often treated as just part of the compensation package, along with dental insurance and paid vacation (though, for top earners, taxed at a lower rate than the rest of their salary).

Typically, bonuses are structured as a combination of business performance and individual contribution, says Chamorro-Premuzic. In the environment that weve had since the last [financial] crisis, everyone expects the company performance part to be there. And I think if youre not hitting your individual contribution, then thats a sign you should leave anyway. So it does more to de-incentivize than to incentivize.

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Theres plenty of psychological evidence that bad is stronger than good. We remember insults longer than compliments, and having something taken away is often more painful than getting something is pleasurable. Giving employees something  whether a bonus, a work-from-home policy or a free turkey at the holidays  creates a new baseline. It soon becomes the kind of thing that the late psychologist Frederick Herzberg called hygiene  not an extra, but a minimum. This may be why Goldman Sachs emphasized that the enormous payouts recently lavished on employees were a one-time bonanza.

The expectation is more important than the actual amount, says Chamorro-Premuzic. If I think I will get 80, and I get 100, thats good. If I get less than I expected, even if its more than I got last year, Im going to be less satisfied. It also matters how ones bonus stacks up against others. Especially among highly paid people  whose basic financial needs have already been met  the number on the bonus check becomes a status symbol. It tells you not only how much your boss appreciates you, but also how youre doing vis-a-vis your colleagues.

Annual bonuses may not have the motivational power theyre assumed to have, in large part because theyre not truly bonus  a bonus is just what we call it. But it almost doesnt matter whether they boost performance, because they give the company financial flexibility on compensation. And whos going to complain about a big check?

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More From Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:

 New York City Beats San Francisco for Superstar Talent: Conor Sen

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 Why Some Vaccinated People Resist Omicron and Others Dont: Faye Flam

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Sarah Green Carmichael is an editor with Bloomberg Opinion. She was previously managing editor of ideas and commentary at Barrons, and an executive editor at Harvard Business Review, where she hosted the HBR Ideacast.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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The news on Wednesday of Justice Stephen Breyers retirement from the Supreme Court at the end of this blockbuster term marks an historical transition point. One of the great pragmatists in the courts history, Breyer is the last of President Bill Clintons appointees to still be serving. Only Justice Clarence Thomas, appointed by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, now remains from the centrist court that sat together for longer than any other configuration of justices in history.

That court was called the Rehnquist court for its chief justice, William Rehnquist, but it really reflected the judicial temperament shared by Breyer and Justice Sandra Day OConnor. It was a body of nine that decided almost all major cases by finding five votes for a pragmatic consensus that lay somewhere between the aggressive liberalism of 1950s and 1960s and the incipient right-wing ascendance that is in evidence today.

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Breyers impending retirement after 28 years embodies the demise of the courts pragmatic personality, every bit as much as the likely decision to overturn the abortion-rights precedent Roe v. Wade this spring will signify the end of pragmatic jurisprudence in this historical era.

Breyers pragmatism infused everything he did before becoming a justice. It infused his jurisprudence. And it is now infusing his decision at age 83 to retire, which he took mindfully, with care and intentionality. Having recently published a pithy and powerful book arguing for the courts institutional authority to be protected and preserved, Breyer is stepping aside so that the bare Democratic Senate majority can ensure that he is replaced by a like-minded successor. Would that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg have acted similarly.

To understand Breyers pragmatism, the place to start is with his pre-judicial career as a law professor and public servant. Breyers specialty was administrative law, but that arid description can obscure just how important his work was. Breyers primary intellectual contribution was to help redefine his entire area of law into a study of regulation, defined broadly to include the ways the government determines not only private behavior but the quality of the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink.

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The recognition that the government, through regulation, exercises this tremendous power requires deciding how it should do so, and how the courts should supervise the process.

For Breyer, the answer was that government regulators should make reasoned decisions using the tools of cost-benefit analysis. He didnt naively think that cost-benefit analysis always worked perfectly. (Indeed, Breyer is just about the least naive person Ive ever met.) But as a pragmatist, he recognized that people make the best decisions when they take active steps to name and measure the possible effects of their actions, and consider where they might go wrong.

Pragmatic cost-benefit analysis isnt partisan. Its centrist, or is meant to be. Breyer worked on deregulation efforts as much as on regulation. As a lawyer for the Senate Judiciary Committee during the 1970s and 1980, he prized bipartisanship. He was, and is, proud of the bipartisan support he received when nominated for both the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.

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From Breyers philosophy of pragmatic cost-benefit analysis it followed that courts should defer to the expertise of regulators who did their jobs well. A fluent French speaker with an abiding interest in the French administrative system, Breyer broadly believes that domain-specific expertise should be respected and that it leads to better outcomes. He was more than prepared to question regulators sharply about whether they had exercised reason. But if they did, he thought, the right result was to respect their decisions.

As a justice, Breyer followed the pragmatic line that went back to Justices Louis Brandeis and Oliver Wendell Holmes in the first third of the 20th century. For them, as for him, the rule of law is strengthened when the justices police the rules of electoral politics but do not enter into the partisan fray. When insisting in recent years that the court is not a political body, Breyer never denied that the justices must make value judgments some of the time. His point was that justices should not be beholden to political parties or movements, but to their independent vision of the law.

In the Supreme Courts era of pragmatism, OConnor often got to write the opinion that became law, but Breyers fingerprints could frequently be seen on her centrist conclusions. Much of Breyers greatest work came in his efforts to push the other justices to follow logic and reason, not intuition or ideology.

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In countless oral arguments, Breyer posed complex hypothetical questions to all sides, demonstrating how his agile mind thought through hard problems. Not infrequently, he would answer his own questions as he went, displaying a rare kind of one-man-show, Socratic self-analysis. What was most salient in these moments was how seriously Breyer always took both sides of any challenging question. And that this brilliant man found the process of trying to ascertain the law to be lots of fun.

The end of the era of the pragmatic Supreme Court, and the rise of a court riven by ideology, is already affecting how the institution is seen. Breyer has always had a hard time getting inside the heads of people who reason from abstract first principles rather than experience. His case for the Supreme Court to be treated as legitimate depends on the implicit assumption that it will act in such a way as to sustain its legitimacy.

Breyer will undoubtedly be on the sidelines cheering for the court to continue to act reasonably. The opinions that he will write in the next six months are almost certainly going to include important dissents. But they are unlikely to be rhetorically scathing. His style is to make calm, dispassionate, reasonable arguments for reasonable results.

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For those critics of the court who think that it is necessarily ideological, Breyers career should stand as a challenge. Here was a lawyer who evaluated cases with an eye to what works as much or more than what he might think was right. The pragmatic Supreme Court really did exist, once. We would do well to remember that in the months and years ahead.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and host of the podcast Deep Background. He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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When a president is unpopular, there are always news stories identifying every piece of the administration as part of the problem. In the case of Joe Bidens White House, there have already been a bunch of (mostly content-free) stories criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris. Next up? Chief of Staff Ron Klain, who gets the treatment from the Washington Post. Its not even a little convincing.

Klain gets it right  and shows that he understands the job  when he sums up his view of it in the Post article: Im happy to be the person who takes the spears when things go awry or when people are critical. Thats my job as White House chief of staff. The public part of the job isnt large, but it mostly consists of being willing to take as much blame and as little credit as possible.

Klain is wrong, however to say that theres way too much focus on the chief of staff. Its a critical job, and has been since Dwight Eisenhowers presidency in the 1950s, and there are numerous instances of significant changes for a president when the job turns over. Most notably, Ronald Reagans presidency went off the rails when Don Regan replaced James Baker after the 1984 election, and things didnt improve until Regan was fired in 1986 and replaced by Howard Baker.

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The chief of staff ensures that the White House staff works effectively for the president; often negotiates on the presidents behalf with members of Congress and others; oversees the executive branch departments and agencies; and generally frees up the president to focus on the biggest decisions and most important meetings and appearances.

So whats the case against Klain?

Hes accused of empowering Representative Pramila Jayapal, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Thats ridiculous; Jayapal and her caucus are empowered not by some decision from the White House, but by enlisting almost half of all House Democrats and aggressively pushing for their agenda.

Hes accused of not firing anyone, and the White House staff has indeed been stable in Bidens first year in office. Thats a virtue, not a problem, and it speaks to Klains skill at hiring the staff in the first place. There are presumably some duds on any staff, but firing someone for the sake of showing toughness or grit or whatever its supposed to show seems counterproductive.

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Hes accused of spending too much time on Twitter. Nonsense. Yes, its possible to mistake chatter on that social media site for mass public opinion, but Klain says hes using it for a sensible reason: as an early warning system for what political elites are saying, which is something that the White House very much needs to know. Presidents and other high-ranking officials absolutely should monitor the mass media. They should not, as former President Donald Trump seemed to do, turn to cable news as their main source of information. A carefully constructed Twitter feed will supply a better cross-section of media, interest group, and party chatter than inviting selected people to the White House for drinks or however people did these things 40 or 50 years ago.

Each charge in the Posts indictment surely would be interpreted as a strength if Biden was currently popular.

The two criticisms in the Posts story that deserve to be taken seriously involve reports of tension between Klain and Senator Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat who has been the partys powerful holdout against key Biden legislative initiatives, and between Klain and pandemic czar Jeff Zients. Neither, however, appears to be all that big a deal, and the Manchin story may well be an example of a chief of staff getting blamed for whats actually just substantive conflict, in this case between virtually the entire Democratic Party and one moderate senator. Its certainly possible that Klain botched negotiations over the Democrats Build Back Better climate and spending bill. But the more likely explanation is that its just difficult to close the gap between the different wings of the party.

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Meanwhile, theres scant evidence of backstabbing and unfortunate leaks coming out of this White House. Nominations are happening at a decent pace and generating about as little controversy as possible. The first year has been about as scandal-free as any in the modern era. Nor, with the messy withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan as the biggest exception, has implementation of policies been a large problem. (We can argue about some of the coronavirus policies, such as recent test shortages, but on the other hand the rollout of the vaccines, which seemed shaky when Biden took office, has become a non-issue for almost a year now). Thats all to Klains credit. If the Democrats policies dont work as advertised, or turn out to be unpopular once theyre in place? I suspect Klain would step up and take the blame, but for the most part its elected officials and the party overall who would deserve it.

As with all such evaluations, theres always the chance that new information will eventually emerge that changes the picture. But my guess is that whatever happens to Bidens popularity over the next three years, most experts will conclude that Klain was a fine choice for chief of staff and did a good job.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering politics and policy. He taught political science at the University of Texas at San Antonio and DePauw University and wrote A Plain Blog About Politics.

More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com/opinion

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The standoff between Russia and the West is growing ever more fraught, with knuckles whitening on both sides amid the buildup of troops and weapons along Ukraines eastern borders. The questions the Biden administration and European leaders are grappling with are: What does Russian President Vladimir Putin want, and what will he do if he doesnt get it? In a Twitter Spaces discussion, Bobby Ghosh put those and other questions to Bloomberg Opinion columnists Clara Ferreira Marques and Andreas Kluth. This is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation.

Ghosh: Ill start with a brief overview from the United States. The Biden administration is signaling it might send more American troops into Europe, to enlarge the existing U.S. presence and add to the NATO Response Force. This is intended to deter any further Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Biden seems to believe Putin will make a further incursion there  in his press conference last week, he used the phrase minor incursion. (He has since tried to walk back that comment.) He sees that Europe is divided on how to deal with this crisis. The White House has expressed frustration about European allies indecision over confronting Putin.

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There are also discussions in Washington about how to respond short of actual kinetic action, about economic sanctions and restrictions.

Whats the view from Moscow?

Ferreira Marques: I wont attempt to tell you what Putin wants. We dont really know. Perhaps Putin himself doesnt know.

The fact that his aims arent very specific will allow him to declare victory on multiple outcomes. There is some hope to be taken from that.

However, he has now placed troops and military hardware all along the Ukrainian border and in Belarus, positioning Russia to take pretty much any of the options. He could, for example, just stay in the occupied territories. He could go further and try and build a land bridge to Crimea, which would require him to take Mariupol, an important Ukrainian port city. He could go all the way to Kyiv.

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Understand that, for Putin, this is not just about territory  its a historic issue, and also a legacy issue. His fourth term as president ends in 2024, and pressures are building up.

Ghosh: Andreas, whats it looking like from Europe?

Kluth: For Europe, this is a nightmare. The Europeans dont know how to deal with Putin, who stands for naked power and aggression, spheres of influence and old-fashioned realpolitik  the exact opposite of what the European Union stands for, which is, Play nicely together in the sandbox.

The Europeans are all talking frantically with each other. Theyve just remembered that of the 27 members of the EU, 21 are also in NATO. Theyve just remembered that they have to be really good allies and stand together. Thats going to be difficult for them, but I hope they do it. Theyre nervous about failing themselves if Putin forces the West to react.

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Ghosh: A point that you made in a recent column is that Europes ideal of unity is also a vulnerability because it requires so many to agree on one course of action. Right now, they cant seem to find a common ground. Germany, in particular, seems to be inclined in a very different direction from the states that border Russia.

Kluth: Its a question mark whether theyll stand as one. Germany has a new chancellor, Olaf Scholz. Many in his party, the Social Democrats, are pro-Russia, and theyre apologists for  even appeasers of  Putin. On the far left and the far right in Germany, as in France and other countries, many are pro-Putin. But the two junior parties in Scholzs governing coalition, especially the Green Party, have recently taken a very moralistic and principled tone, both toward China and toward Russia.

One of the co-leaders of the party last year called for sending defensive weapons to Ukraine, which Britain and other countries are doing. Germany isnt. At least officially, because of a legacy of atonement, it cant send weapons to war zones.

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I think Germany will, in the end, do the right thing. Scholz will stare down his own party and say, No, we have to prove that were good allies. I believe that, but I dont know it.

Then theres France. President Emmanuel Macron caused a stir last week when he said the Europeans and Russians should talk separately. Did he mean separately from the Americans? Thats a really bad idea, so he had to walk it back.

With Macron, you always worry whether hes thinking about the interests of the West and NATO and Europe, or about projecting French power to the exclusion of American power.

If you look at states on the frontline with Russia  basically, EU and/or NATO members like Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland  they are in favor of the toughest possible stance against Putin. Theyre worried about additional aggression. In the Baltic Sea, the Swedes have sent troops to the island of Gotland, worried that Putin might start a distraction or a sideshow there.

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And then there are other members, like Cyprus and Greece, where theres a lot of Russian money and where they dont feel threatened by Russia. Theyre far away and have other things to worry about. And they might be inclined to bring a quid pro quo into negotiations.

Its awkward because the EU can only act unanimously: All 27 members have to agree on a foreign policy or on sanctions. If one  Malta, say  goes the other way, we dont have a policy.

Ghosh: Since we were talking about Europes vulnerabilities, how does its dependence on Russian natural gas play into its anxieties?

Kluth: Europe as a whole gets about one-third of its natural gas from Russia; for Germany, its more about one-half. Weve had a bad winter and theres been a spike in energy prices for many other unrelated reasons. But one reason is that Putin has been using this as a geopolitical tool. The supply through the pipelines suddenly drops to unseasonable lows and storage capacities fall. The price of natural gas skyrockets, then drops and again skyrockets. Hes reminding Europe, You need natural gas  and guess who has it?

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Russia has one gas pipeline going under the Baltic Sea into Germany and another under the Black Sea to Turkey and through Bulgaria into Europe. These are meant to give Putin the option of turning off the supply lines flowing through the Ukraine and Poland, depriving them of transit fees but also just cutting them off and holding them to blackmail.

Ferreira Marques: One important thing to bear in mind is that Europes gas demand will grow. So Russia may need the supply line through Ukraine as well the new pipelines.

Where Russia has been particularly cunning with using gas as a weapon is in keeping the storage very low. Thats where Europe has not played its cards right. Not only has it made itself extremely dependent on Russian gas, it hasnt done enough in the way of gas storage.

Russia has prepared itself a lot better for this moment, at least economically. Some of these efforts date back to 2014, the year there was an oil crash and Russia invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea. This led to an economic crash, and the Russians do not want to repeat that.

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So what they have done is de-dollarize their economy, bring debt down to among the lowest in comparable countries and central bank reserves to among the highest. Their national wealth fund has been boosted by recently high oil prices, which gives them a great fiscal cushion.

Its also a highly centralized economy that depends on a handful of state-owned entities, which are prepared to weather pain.

Where they are much less prepared is at a household level. Russian households have really felt the squeeze because building this sort of armor-plated economy means that you are sacrificing something  and what Russia has sacrificed is growth.

Real disposable incomes in Russia are still below where they were before the Crimean incursion. The economy is projected to grow less than 2% annually, which is very, very low. Theres very little innovation: Almost all R&D spending is military, and to some extent oil- and gas-related.

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And Russia remains a vulnerable economy because it still depends on oil and gas exports. So if the oil and gas doesnt go to Europe, Russia will have to find another buyer. That may not be China, which has spent the last two decades diversifying its sources of energy, making sure its not in the position that Europe is today. That should at least give Putin pause.

Ghosh: Ill make a brief digression here. Over the past few days, theres been some speculation about whether Putin might hold off any fresh aggression in Ukraine until after the Beijing Winter Olympics, so he doesnt upset Chinese President Xi Jinping. Is there any reason to think Putin might factor such things into his calculations?

Ferreira Marques: Putin is weighing up so many different things at this point, I would say that is probably not a prime concern for him. Hes put 100,000 troops on the border; how long does he wait? Certainly hes not in a position where he wants to annoy Xi, so it may well be a consideration  but one of many.

Ghosh: And its not just troops. Putin has also put a great deal of his political prestige on the line. Can he now back down without losing with the audience at home?

Kluth: My greatest worry is that hes gone too far. Over the past few years Putin has always had the upper hand tactically vis-a-vis the West because hes had whats called escalation dominance. He decides when to escalate and then we always want him to climb down. We want to cooperate, but he decides whether to escalate or deescalate. That gives him a lot of power because we, the West, can only hope to deescalate. Well never escalate.

And hes been doing this all along, not just in Ukraine, but also with cyberattacks and all sorts of other things.

But he may have gone a big step too far. In December, he had his foreign ministry publish a couple of draft treaties, one for the U.S. and the other with NATO. These represented maximalist demands, including a guarantee that Ukraine and no other country will ever join NATO. That would be against the founding charter of NATO. He also wants NATO troops to be withdrawn to where they were before 1997. So he wants to turn the clock back to the Clinton-Yeltsin era.

Of course, there is no way that Biden  that anyone  could accept this. But once you put stuff like that out there, how do you withdraw those 100,000 troops and say, Okay, just joking? Hes parked this invasion force there. Hes made these outrageous demands. Hes got to bring home something or risk looking weak.

Ghosh: It reminds me of the dramatic principle known as Chekhovs gun  if theres a gun on the mantlepiece in the first act, then it has to be fired before the end of the third act.

Kluth: And hes put 100,000 guns there.

Ghosh: Is there a way for Putin to back down without losing face at home? Does domestic public opinion matter since he has such control over the Russian media?

Ferreira Marques: In any authoritarian state, its really hard to get a good gauge of public opinion. What we know from 2014 is that there was a sort of rally-around-the-flag effect. Putins popularity spiked, but its very unclear that that would be the case this time. Now, theres a lot of apathy. People are really struggling financially. Theres very little appetite for something dramatic and costly.

On whether hes backed himself into a corner, I think to some extent he can claim victory already because look at what hes achieved. Hes put himself in the news, meeting Biden and having high-level encounters with other leaders. These are big performances that are very important to Putins standing and how he sees himself.

So I think he can say, Look, nobody took us seriously until now. Now theyre really taking us seriously. And look at this incredible display of military hardware and personnel. This is what weve done.

More From These and Other Writers at Bloomberg Opinion:



Can NATO and Europe Count on Germany Against Russia?: Andreas Kluth



Russias Fortress Economy Has Some Cracks: Clara Ferreira Marques



A Weaker Ruble Alone Isnt Going to Stop Putin: Marcus Ashworth

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Bobby Ghosh is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He writes on foreign affairs, with a special focus on the Middle East and Africa.

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A cautionary saying in oil circles about the possibility of peak demand holds that the stone age didnt end for a lack of stones. When it comes to electric vehicles, there is more concern now that the electric age will fizzle for a lack of lithium. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Lithium-ion batteries power smartphones, laptops  and electric vehicles. When I wrote this back in 2016, analysts at Citigroup were speculating about the transformational effect on lithium demand if, in 2020, battery-EV sales were to hit 1 million. As it turned out, more than 2 million were sold that year  and almost 5 million in 2021, not including plug-in hybrids.

There was more than enough lithium to meet that extra demand  so much so that prices began sliding in 2018 and didnt bottom out until 2020. But since then prices have surged. Battery-grade lithium carbonate in China hit more than $40,000 per ton in recent spot trades, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a London-based data and market-intelligence provider, up from less than $6,000 18 months ago. Even if prices paid under long-term contracts havent risen as fast, its clear the market has tightened drastically.

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Political risk also appears to be rising. Serbia just blocked Rio Tinto Plcs plans to develop what would have been Europes largest lithium mine, following widespread protests. In Chile, the worlds second-largest supplier, the election of a young, left-wing  and, it seems, Swiftie  president, who has called for the creation of a national lithium mining company, has raised concerns about future projects there.

Predictions of a looming shortage in lithium have been heard for years, but theyre now becoming consensus. Theres some irony in the way that fans of oil and boosters of its apparent nemesis lithium both warn that a dearth of investment will fuel shortages and painful price spikes. Its important to remember that the dynamics here are familiar, even though the context of the energy transition is new.

Its kind of a duh moment, says Emily Hersh, a lithium expert who is now the chief executive officer of the exploration and development company Luna Lithium Ltd., referring to longstanding expectations of a shortage. But, she adds, lithium is cyclical like any other commodity.

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There is no actual shortage of lithium resources per se; its all a question of economic and political support for development. I remember the nervous mood at a lithium conference back in 2018, when some predicted that South American producers would quickly tap their reserves and swamp the market. This cycle of hope and despair is familiar to anyone who has watched, say, the oil market over decades  and it is indeed a vital, if sometimes destabilizing, driver of investment. The recent rally and creeping panic about shortages is needed to spark activity and ward off those shortages.

Similarly, while political risk may be rising, the issue is too complex to describe by saying, for example, that a left-wing government in Santiago portends doom. In Chiles case, the long lead times needed for project development and the licenses already held by incumbent operators suggest that even an energetic new president would need time to have a big effect on supply. Hersh, who lived in South America for years, also cautions against reading too much into what Chiles politicians say. While that country is vital to lithium supply, lithium is only a tiny fraction of Chiles economy  unlike copper, for example  and that makes lithium an easy political talking point as the debate over a new constitution heats up.

Serbias sudden move against Rio, meanwhile, should be viewed in the context of upcoming elections there. As frackers discovered in the U.S., commodity producers must protect their social license to operate if theyre to avoid a backlash. Lithium may be vital in terms of tackling climate change; but that doesnt give the industry a free pass to disregard problems associated with brine-water management and the usual concerns with mining.

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Above all, political risk is embedded in energy of all types. Have you heard anything lately about Ukraine and Russia and Europes gas flows? Or about the Middle East? Decades, and trillions of dollars, have been spent building and defending supply chains for oil. Lithium and other critical minerals will require their own security arrangements. Its a problem that needs to be addressed, yes, but its not exactly a novel one.

One structural problem that the EV boom faces sets it in contrast to traditional vehicles. When automobiles became popular a century ago, the oil industry supplying them was already quite well-developed; Standard Oil was broken up in 1911. Crucially, oil producers were looking for a new outlet as the electric light killed demand for kerosene lamps. So the marriage of the automobile with gasoline occurred at a time when there was already a surfeit of fuel (and fixed capital) looking for a market.

A hundred years on, the marriage of the automobile with lithium involves the simultaneous development of both EVs and the supply chain of minerals for their batteries. In addition, Morgan Bazilian, director of the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines, points out that pricing for lithium remains largely opaque (as it does for the carbon emissions that EVs are supposed to address). That exacerbates an already enormous challenge: turning over the worlds fleet of more than a billion vehicles to electric models. Benchmark Minerals estimates that meeting the targets set at last years COP 26 climate conference would require 17 times more lithium than was produced in 2021.

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Let no one doubt, therefore, that over the next few decades we are going to need a lot more lithium. The inherent bullishness of that situation is reason enough to think that suppliers and governments will find a way to tap it.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Liam Denning is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering energy, mining and commodities. He previously was editor of the Wall Street Journals Heard on the Street column and wrote for the Financial Times Lex column. He was also an investment banker.

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Heres an alternative view of the standoff over Ukraine between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the West. Perhaps Putin deliberately created a crisis in which everything is possible at once, and stays that way. Right now, he can invade and not invade (with a perfect poker face, he denies that he intends to). He can escalate and de-escalate; pose as aggressor and victim.

Lets call these mutually exclusive but simultaneously possible scenarios strategic superposition (youll see why in a moment). Putin, with his KGB-trained mind, realizes that hacking perceptions in this way gives him power. As long as everything remains possible and no scenario can be excluded, he retains the worlds attention.

Which he definitely has. The great powers and their diplomats are doing little else besides shuttling between meetings with or about him. Stock markets and energy prices are seesawing based on his latest utterance or gesture. Entire countries  most obviously Ukraine  are holding their breath as everything from the life plans of individuals to the investment projects of companies is in effect suspended.

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But how long can this superposition of possibilities last? At some point Putin has to make a move. And then another. Ukraine and the West, provided it can stay united, will react. Things could go well for Putin, or not. This should cause him anxiety. His power may already be at its peak, with the only trajectory hereafter being down.

The situation brings to mind a famous thought experiment in physics called Schrodingers cat. It was named after Erwin Schrodinger, a Nobelist who, in a conversation with Albert Einstein, tried to disprove an argument in quantum mechanics. This was the notion that subatomic particles can exist in a superposition of different states at the same time  a bit like an army simultaneous invading and not invading.

So Schrodinger imagined a cat in a box that also contains a speck of something radioactive. As soon as that substance decays, it triggers a blast that kills the cat. But the radioactive particle is in superposition, meaning it simultaneously does and doesnt decay. So the cat is simultaneously dead and alive.

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This is absurd, which is the point. And so is Putins permanent superposition of attacking and not attacking, infiltrating (in cyberspace and elsewhere) and not infiltrating, sabotaging the international system and claiming to only want to redesign it. For starters, you cant park an invasion army of more than 100,000 troops near a border in perpetuity; you eventually have to use it, or withdraw.

The West, by contrast, has so far made little use of tactical ambiguity. In a different potential conflict, between China and Taiwan, the U.S. has since the 1970s been deliberately unclear about whether it would defend the islands from a mainland attack. In the standoff with Putin, however, NATO and its members have already in effect ruled out a military reaction to an invasion of Ukraine.

That leaves only a range of softer measures for them to threaten with. These range from slapping sanctions on oligarchs to cutting Russian banks off from international payment systems and burying a new gas pipeline between Russia and Germany in the sea unused. These are rather obvious instruments and, therefore, for Putin, quantifiable. He could estimate the cost, and still decide that snagging Ukraine is worth it.

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Meanwhile, Putin is doing everything to increase ambiguity ever more. Anticipating Western sanctions, hes mused about taking additional military-technical steps. Its anybodys guess what those might be. Hes been in contact with the leaders of Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua, and his cronies have dropped hints that he might station Russian nukes in Latin America, evoking the specter of a Cuban Missile Crisis Redux.

Putin the KGB man obviously relishes the anxiety hes causing in much of the world, believing that fear always redounds to his power. But his game is breathtakingly cynical and dangerous. In effect, hes put a cat in a box, then stuffed it with a Geiger counter, a radioactive particle and a detonator.

For the time being, the world is wondering whether or not this setup explodes, and Putin loves it. But hes forgetting that the cat could turn out to be not Ukraine or NATO but him.

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More From This Writer and Others at Bloomberg Opinion:

 Can NATO and Europe Count on Germany Against Russia?: Andreas Kluth

 Russias Winter Generals Have Yet to Show Up at the Gas War: Javier Blas

 Putin Is Only Pretending to Be Crazy on Ukraine: Eli Lake

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Andreas Kluth is a columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. He was previously editor in chief of Handelsblatt Global and a writer for the Economist. Hes the author of Hannibal and Me.

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Russias 2014 annexation of Ukraines Crimea peninsula ignited the tensest standoff between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. The region remains deadlocked, following years of conflict between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists in the countrys east. Since November, the U.S. has been warning European allies that Russia may be preparing to invade Ukraine, already massing 100,000 troops near its neighbors border in a re-run of a crisis in April 2021.

1. Whats sparked the flare up?

The U.S. raised the alarm with European Union nations in November about a buildup of Russian forces near the border with Ukraine, later sharing intelligence showing possible plans for a three-pronged invasion from Crimea, Russia and via Belarus involving as many as 175,000 combatants. Ukraines defense intelligence agency chief told the Military Times that a Russian assault could come by the end of January or early February. The Kremlin denied any intention to attack Ukraine, saying troop movements on its territory were an internal matter. It accused the U.S. and NATO allies of stoking tensions with naval exercises in the Black Sea.

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2. Havent we been here before?

Yes. Russia deployed troops to Crimea and its border with Ukraine in March and April amid fighting between the Ukrainian army and the Moscow-backed militants. Tensions subsided after U.S. President Joe Biden called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and offered a summit meeting that took place in June. That prompted speculation Putin had used the crisis as a means to gain Bidens attention. After news of the latest buildup emerged, Putin said in November that the U.S. and its allies were failing to take Russias red lines seriously and that Moscow needed long-term security guarantees. He accused NATO of supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine and said the alliance was waging a pressure campaign against him. Ukraines defense minister said on a November visit to Washington that hed asked the Pentagon for more help defending its airspace and coast.

3. Why is this still a problem?

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A 2015 truce ended the bloodiest fighting of the seven-year conflict, which has claimed more than 14,000 lives. But the terms have never been fully met and a lasting resolution remains elusive. The major stumbling block remains whether Ukraine leans eastward or westward. Protesters demanded a break from the nations Soviet past when they ousted Kremlin-backed Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. Putin justified his subsequent annexation of Crimea and support for the fighters in eastern Ukraine by saying he must defend Russian-speakers, wherever they are. Fearing encroachment, he continues to oppose goals now enshrined in Ukraines constitution -- including EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization membership.

4. What has the U.S. response been?

There has been a flurry of diplomacy since early December, sparked by a video call that Biden held with Putin Dec. 7. The leaders spoke again by phone Dec. 30. The U.S. has warned of debilitating economic sanctions if Russia attacks, while the Kremlin says NATO expanding further east or deploying weapons in Ukraine are red lines. Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven nations warned Russia Dec. 12 to de-escalate its activities around Ukraine or face massive consequences. People familiar with the matter said the Biden administration has pushed European Union allies to finalize a broad package of sanctions against Russian banks and energy companies that could be imposed jointly with the U.S. if necessary.

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5. Whats been the sticking point?

Despite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy coming to power pledging to bring lasting peace, he has little room to maneuver. The Kremlin wants its neighbors restive regions to gain autonomy that gives them an effective veto over major shifts in Ukraines orientation -- namely the Western integration backed by a sizable majority of its 41 million population. But granting the regions such powers would be tantamount to political suicide for Zelenskiy, whos already struggling to tame the pandemic and meet other promises, such as curbing corruption. Putin, meanwhile, has repeatedly made clear he regards Ukraines ambition to join NATO as an existential threat and is demanding binding security guarantees from the West to prevent it from happening. While his goals appear unrealistic, Russian diplomacy seems focused on reaching a deal with the U.S. first, undermining attempts by Germany and France to negotiate a deal.

6. What else does Russia want?

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Russia demanded that NATO withdraw its forces to positions they occupied in 1997 as it set out sweeping proposals for a massive Western pullback in two draft security treaties presented to the U.S. government. Russia and all NATO states that were members in May 1997, before the first eastern European countries were invited to join the alliance, shouldnt deploy military forces and weaponry on the territory of any of the other states in Europe that were not already in place on that date, according to one of the treaties published Dec. 17 by the Foreign Ministry in Moscow. The U.S. must also pledge to bar entry to NATO for ex-Soviet states such as Ukraine and Georgia and refuse to make use of their military infrastructure or develop bilateral defense ties with them, according to the second treaty. After Russias talks with the U.S. and NATO concluded in January without a clear path forward, an American diplomat said Russia must decide if its interested in resolving the standoff over Ukraine or is seeking a pretext to invade.

7. Whats the fear?

If U.S. warnings of an invasion are borne out, it would plunge the West and Russia into the worst confrontation since the Cold War. A Russian intervention on this scale to annex territory or even to overthrow the government in Kyiv would represent the most serious challenge to European security in decades, dwarfing the crisis triggered by Putins takeover of Crimea and the unrestrained fighting that characterized the eastern Ukrainian conflicts earlier days. Russias five-day war with Georgia, another former Soviet republic that turned its gaze to the West, began in a similar fashion in 2008 and ended in effective annexation of rebel areas by Moscow.

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8. What can the West do about it?

The U.S., EU and U.K. have in recent years imposed several rounds of sanctions targeting Russian individuals and companies, hitting the countrys energy and banking sectors. While Russia downplays their impact, its economy has stagnated and its officials have pushed to have the punishments revoked. Other potential measures include targeting Russian billionaires, or making further efforts to derail the new Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline between Russia and Germany.

(Adds Lavrov comment in Section 6.)

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Yemens Houthi fighters claimed two rare attacks on the United Arab Emirates in a single week, an escalation in a conflict thats stoking tensions in the oil-exporting Gulf region. The assaults were the UAEs first brush with major blowback from its involvement in the nearly seven-year war in Yemen. The Houthis have vowed more attacks to come, potentially threatening the UAEs commercial center of Dubai.

1. Why did the attacks happen now?

The Houthis appear to be pressuring the UAE to cut back its involvement in the Yemen war. Concerned about spreading Iranian influence, the UAE and Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in 2015, after the Iran-backed Houthis took the capital and dislodged the internationally recognized government. The UAE withdrew most of its forces from Yemen in 2019, while it has kept some and maintained support and training for Yemeni proxy forces, notably those known as the Giants Brigades. The UAE also has ties to the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group fighting the Houthis. In the weeks before the attacks on the UAE, the Giants Brigades, along with Saudi-backed forces, scored victories against the Houthis, recapturing parts of the energy-rich Shabwa province and making gains in the city of Marib, which the Houthis aimed to take.

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2. Why is this stirring alarm?

While the Houthis regularly fire missiles and drones at neighboring Saudi Arabia, attacks on the UAE, which has no border with Yemen, are very rare. An assault Jan. 17, which employed drones and missiles, ignited a fire at Abu Dhabis main airport and set fuel trucks ablaze in a nearby industrial area, killing three people. Days later, the Houthis shot two ballistic missiles, which were intercepted by U.S. and UAE forces, at Al Dhafra Air Base, home to the U.S. Air Forces 380th Air Expeditionary Wing. The fact that the missiles traveled more than 700 miles (1126 kilometers) points to the Houthis increasingly sophisticated capabilities. UAE policymakers also worry that drones have made it possible to conduct small, targeted assaults that slip through defense systems designed to deter more advanced weapons. The physical damage is usually minimal, but the reputational impact could be huge for the UAE, OPECs third biggest oil producer. The country had reduced its involvement in Yemen partly to avoid drawing attacks.

3. Whats at stake?

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The UAE has based its reputation on being a safe harbor in a volatile region -- attracting multinational companies and millions of expatriate workers who make up the backbone of the economy. Its biggest city, Dubai, is a key trade and tourism hub thats home to one of the worlds busiest international airports. The Houthis have warned international investors to leave the UAE and vowed to expand their range of targets in the country. The UAEs population, which is more than 80% foreign, will likely have less tolerance for persistent military threats than that of Saudi Arabia, where people have grown used to news alerts about intercepted missiles over the past few years. Theres also a risk to oil markets, if attacks were to damage the UAEs oil facilities. In 2019, a sophisticated assault on Saudi oil infrastructure briefly knocked out half the countrys production.

4. Whats been the response to the attacks?

The Saudi-led coalition against the Houthis intensified its airstrikes against rebel targets after the first assault on the UAE. On Jan. 21, 82 people were killed and 266 wounded when the coalition bombed a Houthi-operated prison in the groups northern stronghold of Saada, according to Medecins Sans Frontieres. Internet service was also blacked out across the country for days following airstrikes on a building hosting an internet provider in the port city of Hodeidah. The UAE has urged U.S. President Joe Bidens administration to designate the Houthis a terrorist organization, as the U.S. did under Bidens predecessor Donald Trump. Aid agencies oppose that step, saying it would only make distributing assistance more challenging in a country thats experiencing one of the worlds worst humanitarian disasters. The war has contributed to widespread displacement and near-famine in what was already the poorest country on the Arabian peninsula.

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The Federal Reserves statement on Wednesday delivered what markets wanted and expected. In the process, however, the central bank has fallen further behind economic developments on the ground. After its two-day deliberations this week, the Federal Open Market Committee signaled that it would start a rate-hiking cycle soon (read March), follow that with a gradual reduction in its balance sheet and, by the way, end its asset-purchase program by early March.

Markets had already well internalized all three of these monetary policy measures, so there was relatively little reaction in asset prices to the statement. But this will not shield the Fed from criticism.

First, the market calm did not survive the press conference that followed the statement. Chair Jerome Powells attempts to explain the policy outlook led to a notable increase in yields on government bonds and reduced stock gains.

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Second, the Feds announcement will not satisfy those who had urged it to maintain maximum flexibility in light of an economy that faces so many competing influences and markets that have experienced considerable volatility recently.

Third, it will also not satisfy those who worry that the Fed is already lagging behind economic realities and could well be forced into an excessive bunching of measures later this year that exposes economic livelihoods to otherwise-avoidable damage.

As to my reaction?

The Fed delivered what I expected but not what I think is needed for sustainable economic well-being. It should have stopped purchasing assets immediately and given a clearer signal on rate increases. Instead, the central bank doubled down on its 2021 trade-off of trying to please financial markets at the cost of increasing the challenges ahead for the economy, sound policy making and its own credibility.

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This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Mohamed A. El-Erian is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is president of Queens College, Cambridge; chief economic adviser at Allianz SE, the parent company of Pimco where he served as CEO and co-CIO; and chair of Gramercy Fund Management. His books include The Only Game in Town and When Markets Collide.

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From its birth in the War of Independence of 1948, the Israel Defense Forces has carefully cultivated its reputation as a peoples army, unique in the world both as a fighting force and for the commitment of the population to its service. But while there is still mandatory conscription, the IDFs place in Israeli society is changing along with the nature of modern warfare. Thats something neither the military nor the government should resist.

When the new nation was attacked by surrounding Arab armies, Israel had no real army. Every able-bodied man and woman enlisted. At least that was the story. A senior officer who had been in charge of recruitment during the war once confided to me that many thousands of citizens applied for exemptions. Some were recent arrivals from the Holocaust who were psychologically unable to face combat. Others were parents trying to keep their children safe. Some were simply shirkers. It was thanks to highly trained pre-state militia that Israel survived, he said.

Today, Israeli men and women are conscripted at age 18, serve for two to three years, and then are placed in active reserve units. There are exceptions to this universal draft. Married women, Arabs, ultra-orthodox men and those judged unsuitable are exempted or given early release. Still, most Israelis serve as a matter of course, and many with pride.

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So, it was striking that the annual survey of the Israel Democracy Institute found that, for the first time, a plurality of Jewish Israelis say they would prefer to drop the draft and establish a professional army. Those between the ages of 18 and 44 support dropping mandatory conscription by a wide margin.

The survey came as a shock to many, but it didnt surprise military insiders. Earlier this month, General Gadi Eisenkot, the IDFs former chief of staff, called out the trend. When I enlisted in the army in 1978, 88% of people eligible for the draft went in, he said. In 2015, when my son reached draft age, that figure had fallen to 66%. Military sources estimate that its now more like 50%.

Predictably, 80% of ultra-orthodox say they prefer to abolish the draft and pay professionals to look after national security. But many young Israelis who arent ultra-Orthodox feel that in the absence of existential threat, the army can get along without them, too.

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The IDF itself has adopted a lenient policy toward such refuseniks; it can afford to be generous. More than a decade ago, the IDF adopted a new war-fighting doctrine that does not require massive ground power. Israels borders are secure. Its main strategic threat now comes from Iran and its increasingly lethal guerrilla proxies in Lebanon and Gaza.

Iran is too distant and too large to be defeated with conventional battle formations of tanks, infantry and artillery. Hamas and Hezbollah could be overwhelmed by such forces, but the cost of Israeli lives lost on the battlefield and the home front was judged to be too high.

As a result, the IDF has adopted a defensive doctrine of containment. To accomplish this, it has armed itself with expensive and highly complex weapons systems: American-made fighter planes that can strike distant targets, multi-billion-dollar German submarines refitted to provide second strike deterrence against a nuclear Iran, a multi-tiered anti-missile system capable of downing (or lasering) incoming fire from across the border or outer space, and a vast network of cyber and intelligence units capable of anticipating threats and disrupting enemies.

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All this, however, has come at the expense of the peoples army concept. You cant just turn the average conscript into a cyber warrior. The IDF handpicks the best and the brainiest high school kids for its technological needs. It does the same with prospective pilots, naval commanders and candidates for sophisticated commando units.

These first draft choices are asked to sign up for longer service in exchange for being allowed to hone their skills. Service comes with the additional benefit of eventually joining a self-selected group of veterans who form the core of the civilian high-tech industry. Other recruits are sent to armored or infantry battalions, support units or rear echelon office work. They are out of the mainstream of the IDF and its central challenges. Many begin to wonder if they are wasting their time.

The army is aware of this. Recently, Avi Kohavi, the IDF chief of staff, publicly stated that ordinary fighting men, not cyber soldiers, are still the heroes. No previous chief of staff has felt the need to make such a reassuring declaration.

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So far, Israeli leaders and army top brass have refrained from stating openly that the universal conscription model no longer fits the needs of the countrys national defense in the 21st Century. Some may be concerned that change would widen societal divisions or weaken community bonds and a willingness to sacrifice for country.

They neednt be. The public has already grasped the reality that the existing model is outdated. Formalizing such changes may be gradual, but Israels military can afford to be more selective these days.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Zev Chafets is a journalist and author of 14 books. He was a senior aide to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and the founding managing editor of the Jerusalem Report Magazine.

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As the U.S., the U.K. and the European Union weigh what sanctions to impose against Russia should it invade Ukraine, one idea under discussion involves cutting off access to a messaging system called Swift. So central is Swift to the international financial system that any such talk rattles bankers and diplomats alike.

1. What is Swift?

Think of Swift, an acronym for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication, as the Gmail of global banking. It delivers secure messages among more than 11,000 financial institutions and companies, in over 200 countries and territories. The message traffic -- 42 million a day on average last year -- includes orders and confirmations for payments, trades and currency exchanges. The member-owned cooperative, based just outside Brussels, was founded in 1973 to end reliance on the telex system.

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2. Why is losing access such a big deal?

A country cut off from Swift can suffer significant economic pain. Thats what happened to Iran in 2012, when its banks lost access to Swift as part of European Union sanctions targeting the countrys nuclear program and its sources of finance. (Many of the banks were reconnected in 2016 after the EU took them off its sanctions list.) When Western nations threatened Russias access to Swift in 2014, Alexei Kudrin, a onetime finance minister close to President Vladimir Putin, estimated that it could reduce Russias gross domestic product by 5% in a year. Cutting Russia off from Swift could have ramifications for other nations as well, since Russia is a key energy supplier to Europe and countries rely on the Swift system to pay for fuel. Russian officials have repeatedly denied assertions that they intend to invade Ukraine.

3. Are there alternatives to Swift?

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Not really, or at least not yet. Since 2014, the Bank of Russia has run its own financial messaging system for Russian and foreign banks. But that one has only about 400 users. The Peoples Bank of China in 2021 announced a joint venture with Swift that was seen in some quarters as an insurance policy against being cut off from the global financial system. One fear among Western officials is that banning countries from Swift would encourage the use of such alternatives. Digital currencies and the underlying technology have also been touted as a threat to Swift for several years, but theyre nowhere close to replacing it.

4. How secure is Swift?

There have been multiple attempts to rob financial institutions through fraudulent messaging on Swift, some of them successful. The best known is when Bangladeshs central bank lost $81 million to hackers who breached it in 2016 and tricked the Federal Reserve Bank of New York into sending funds. Swift emphasized that its own network wasnt breached, but it beefed up security in the wider industry with mandatory and advisory controls at member firms.

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5. Who regulates Swift?

Since it doesnt hold deposits, Swift isnt regulated the way a bank is. Its overseen by the National Bank of Belgium and representatives from the U.S. Federal Reserve System, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan and other major central banks. Generally speaking, Swift would cut off access only if the European Union passed sanctions against a particular entity or country. Swift suspended certain Iranian lenders in 2018 after the U.S. imposed a new round of sanctions, although it says that was an isolated event that was taken in the interest of the stability and integrity of the wider global financial system.

(Adds in second question that Russian officials have repeatedly rejected assertions that they intend to invade Ukraine.)

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StarSolid StarSolid StarSolid StarOutline ( 3 stars ) It would be a stretch to suppose that France de Meurs, the Parisian heroine of Bruno Dumonts tonally complex, thematically sweeping movie France, somehow represents the nation with which she shares a name. But its not out of place to wonder whether the films title  and, presumably, its true subject matter  refers to the place, not the person. There are simply too many big ideas  modern media and its manipulations; immigration and income inequality; privacy and voyeurism  bubbling around in this tasty and nutritious bouillabaisse of a film for it not to be trying to say something about the state of France today.

Or of the whole world, really.

France, the person, is played by Lea Seydoux (No Time to Die). Shes a television journalist whose American equivalent would be hard to find: not just a reporter/anchor/interview host, but a celebrity on par with a Kardashian, or a literal rock star. Everybody knows Frances name and Frances face, and many would say they love her.

The story opens with a presidential news conference featuring Emmanuel Macron; the Macron footage is real, not staged, but its been manipulated by Dumont to insert France into it, where she and her producer Lou (Blanche Gardin)  after exchanging a goofy pantomime of obscene gestures  attempt to ambush the leader for social-media likes. Lous favorite word for Frances performance here (and everything she does on camera is a performance, Dumont suggests) is genial  which translates to brilliant. Shes a shining star, whether covering politics or conflict zones, with helmet and bulletproof vest.

But things start to fall apart  or, rather, something implodes inside this star  after she is involved in a minor fender bender with a moped-mounted deliveryman (Jawad Zemmar), who dislocates his knee, making it impossible for the young man to support his immigrant family. Theyre only too happy to play host to France when she visits their home, by way of apology. They dont want to sue her, or even complain, but France insists on writing the family a check.

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At this point  and its not clear exactly why  our protagonist has a breakdown, leaving her television show, her detached husband and bratty son (Benjamin Biolay and Gaetan Amiel) and checking herself in to an expensive clinic in the Alps for treatment. This happens roughly around the halfway point of this two-hour-plus film, whose first section can be slow, meandering, diffuse and discursive, hopping around from one subject to another: from the political to the professional to the personal. If its a satire of television media  and it may or may not actually be one  its without much bite.

But something happens in the films second half. Make that several somethings. Its best to leave the details of the story a surprise, but from this point on, France becomes a far better and far more interesting movie, and not just because its narrative becomes more incident-rich, sometimes shockingly so. Dumont doubles down on a trick hes been using all along, but which I hadnt really noticed until an hour or so into the movie: For many, many scenes in France, Seydoux looks directly  often in close-up  at the camera.

Some of this is due to the nature of her characters job: As a journalist, France is used to working in front of a lens in the studio. Even in the field of battle  in scenes of violence, or on a boat overfilled with refugees  were shown how reality is reshaped (and often restaged) to heighten the impact. Seydoux is an amazing actress, and whether facing the lens of her cameraman (Marc Bettinelli) or Dumonts, she has a face that reveals every flickering emotion.

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If France de Meurs isnt the subject of this film, then a world that cant stop looking at her is.

France ends with a scene thats open to interpretation, but what has come before isnt: Dumont is clearly critiquing the way we mediate life via screens, large and small. There are times in this rambling story when the filmmakers point isnt quite as obvious, but thats only because he has a habit of trying to jab several moving targets with a sharp stick all at the same time.

Unrated. At area theaters. Contains strong language, mature thematic material, sexual humor and bloody images. In French with subtitles. 133 minutes.

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2nd officer dies days after Harlem shooting Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight A New York City police officer gravely wounded last week in a Harlem shooting that killed his partner has also died of his injuries, the citys police commissioner, Keechant Sewel, said Tuesday. Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, was taken off life support at a Manhattan hospital four days after a gunman shot him and Officer Jason Rivera, 22, as they responded to a domestic disturbance call. Rivera died Friday.

Mora had been in critical condition since the shooting. He was moved Sunday from Harlem Hospital to NYU Langone Medical Center, where he died.

The two officers were fatally wounded Friday after they were called to a Harlem apartment by a woman who said she needed help with her adult son. Lashawn J. McNeil threw open a bedroom door and shot the officers as they walked down a narrow hall, authorities said.

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A third officer, Sumit Sulan, a rookie who was shadowing Mora and Rivera  shot McNeil as he tried to flee. The gunman, 47, died Monday, authorities said.

McNeils mother told the New York Post that she was trying to persuade her son to get help for mental health issues and that she wouldnt have called 911 had she known he was going to use violence against the officers.

 Associated Press

Judge restores mask mandate for now

An appeals judge temporarily restored New Yorks mask mandate Tuesday, a day after a judge in a lower court ruled that Gov. Kathy Hochuls administration lacked the constitutional authority to order people to wear face coverings.

Judge Robert Miller in New York City granted the states request for a stay of a Long Island judges ruling while the governors administration pursues an appeal.

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Arguing before Miller on Tuesday, Judith Vale, an attorney for the state, said Judge Thomas Rademakers earlier ruling would radically disrupt the status quo and endanger the health of students and staff at schools.

Attorney Chad Laveglia, who brought the challenge on behalf of a group of parents, vowed to take the challenge as far as it needs to go.

Mondays ruling overturning the mask mandate caused a day of confusion for school districts and parents, with some administrators quickly announcing masks would be optional and others continuing to enforce them.

The state had initially instituted a mandate in April 2020 that required people to wear masks in most indoor settings outside their home. That rule ended in June 2021 for vaccinated people. Hochul (D) announced in mid-December, as coronavirus infections surged in the state, that it would go back into effect for at least a month.

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Earlier this month, the state health department said the mandate would be in place until Feb 1.

 Associated Press

Ex-professor gets jail

in boyfriend's death

A judge sentenced a former Northwestern University professor to 53 years in prison Tuesday for the 2017 stabbing death of his boyfriend.

Cook County Judge Charles Burns called the killing of Trenton Cornell-Duranleau coldblooded and an execution as he sentenced Wyndham Lathem, 47, who was found guilty of first-degree murder in October.

Cornell-Duranleau was stabbed more than 70 times on July 27, 2017, by Lathem and Andrew Warren, a British man whom Lathem had paid to come to Chicago to commit the murder together, prosecutors said.

Northwestern fired Lathem, a renowned microbiologist, after he fled the Chicago area following the killing.

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Lathem testified during his trial that Warren alone stabbed Cornell-Duranleau during what started as a methamphetamine-fueled sexual encounter involving the three men.

Warren in 2019 pleaded guilty to murder under a plea agreement that called for him to testify against Lathem in exchange for receiving a 45-year prison sentence.

Warren, who was an Oxford University financial officer at the time of the slaying, testified that he flew from England to Chicago to meet Lathem and take part in a pact to kill each other before agreeing to kill Cornell-Duranleau at Lathems suggestion.

 Associated Press

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South's military: North tested cruise missiles Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight North Korea fired two cruise missiles into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday, South Koreas military said, amid rising tension over recent weapons tests. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff did not specify the missiles range or trajectory. The launch was North Koreas fifth of the year, after tests of a tactical guided missile, two hypersonic missiles and a railway-borne missile system.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed last week to bolster the military and warned that he could lift a self-imposed moratorium on testing atomic bombs and long-range missiles.

North Korea has not launched intercontinental ballistic missiles or tested nuclear weapons since 2017 but began testing shorter-range missiles after nuclear talks stalled. The U.N. Security Council bans it from testing ballistic missiles but not cruise missiles.

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 Reuters

Kurdish-led forces free hostages held at prison

U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces said Tuesday that they freed nine of their troops held hostage by Islamic State militants leading an assault on a large detention facility in northeastern Syria.

After they broke into the prison on Thursday, Islamic State militants were joined by others rioting inside the facility, which houses more than 3,000 inmates, including minors.

They took hostages from among the prison staff and have since been holed up in the northern wing at one end of the facility. The clashes with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces have killed dozens on both sides.

The SDF has been closing in on the northern section of the prison, where it estimates that up to 200 militants are holed up.

 Associated Press

7 people injured as U.S. combat jet crashes in South China Sea: A U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II combat jet conducting exercises over the South China Sea crashed while trying to land on the deck of an American aircraft carrier, the military said. The pilot was able to eject before the aircraft slammed into the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson and fell into the water. The pilot and six sailors on the deck were injured.

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Haitian ex-senator says U.S. deported him: Former Haitian senator and presidential candidate Moise Jean-Charles told the Associated Press that he was arrested in the United States and deported to Haiti. It was not clear why he was deported. He said U.S. authorities detained him as he returned from Nigeria and interrogated him about his Africa trip. He said he spent the night in jail and was deported the next day. Jean-Charles ran for president in 2015 and 2016 and was considered a close ally of slain President Jovenel Moise.

Iran sentences Frenchman on spying charges: A Frenchman detained in Iran and hunger-striking to protest his treatment has been sentenced to eight years in prison on espionage and propaganda charges. Benjamin Briere, 36, was arrested in May 2020 after he took pictures in a desert area where photography is prohibited and asked questions on social media about Iran's obligatory Islamic headscarf for women. Briere's sentencing follows that of a human rights activist, Narges Mohammadi. Her husband tweeted over the weekend that she was sentenced to eight years in prison and 70 lashes. Mohammadi was arrested in November after she attended a memorial for a victim of violent 2019 anti-government rallies.

 From news services

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Justice Stephen G. Breyer will retire at the end of the Supreme Courts current term, giving President Biden a chance to reinforce its liberal minority and deliver on his campaign pledge to make history by nominating the first African American female justice. Wp Get the full experience. Choose your plan ArrowRight Breyer, 83, is the courts oldest justice and was nominated to the court in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. Breyer has been under unprecedented pressure to retire while Democrats have narrow control of the Senate, which must confirm Supreme Court nominees. The current term concludes at the end of June.

As he promoted a book at the end of the summer and in early fall, Breyer came up with a standard reply when asked about retirement: I dont think Im going to die here  I hope, Breyer told The Washington Post. There are a lot of considerations, and Ive mentioned health, Ive mentioned the considerations of the court. Im aware of whats in the newspapers.

Here's what happens after Justice Stephen G. Breyer retires from the Supreme Court  and how President Biden will pick a successor. (Video: The Washington Post, Photo: Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

It had been expected that Breyer would retire this term, but the timing of an announcement was unknown. The Supreme Court would not comment, but the justice is expected to meet with Biden at the White House on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing the situations sensitivity.

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Biden was informed last week of Breyers plans, the person said, and the White House began to call senators about the news on Wednesday. NBC News was the first to report Breyers intentions.

A replacement chosen by Biden would not change the courts conservative supermajority; Breyer is one of only three liberal justices. But it would give Biden the chance to have his nominee considered by a more favorable Senate and mean a younger colleague for the courts other liberals, Sonia Sotomayor, 67, and Elena Kagan, 61.

Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) indicated that Bidens eventual nominee would be considered and confirmed with all deliberate speed. His Republican counterpart, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), demurred when asked Wednesday whether the GOP intends to try to block Bidens pick, as it did in 2016 with President Barack Obamas final nominee to the court, Merrick Garland. We dont know who the nominee is yet, McConnell said at an event in Bowling Green, Ky.

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The crucial difference now is that Republicans no longer control the Senate.

While senators and interest groups reacted to the news with bouquets and the occasional brickbat, Biden declined to get ahead of Breyers announcement.

Every justice has the right and opportunity to decide what he or she is going to do and announce it on their own, the president said. There has been no announcement from Justice Breyer. Let him make whatever statement hes going to make. And Ill be happy to talk about it later.

Bidens pledge to nominate an African American woman is a first. There have been 108 White men on the court and only two Black men  Thurgood Marshall and Clarence Thomas. There have been five women  Sandra Day OConnor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and three current members: Sotomayor, Kagan and Justice Amy Coney Barrett.

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There have never been four women serving at the same time on the nine-justice court, and the next version of the court headed by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. seems likely to be the most diverse in the courts history.

The two potential replacements for Breyer most often mentioned are Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former Breyer Supreme Court clerk who in June was confirmed to join the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, a former Justice Department official who has represented the government at the Supreme Court as deputy solicitor general.

Others will surely be added to the list, and Biden probably will cast a wide net. There are few Black women on the federal appellate court bench, the traditional spot from which Supreme Court nominees are chosen.

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On the current court, only Kagan did not serve previously on an appeals court.

It seems likely that Breyer will make his leaving the court contingent on the confirmation of a successor. Exactly how that will work is unclear  the court is at about the midpoint of its schedule for hearing cases, and aims to have its work completed by the end of June.

Senior Senate aides said there is precedent for completing the confirmation work on a judge before the seat is officially vacant.

Breyer was chosen for the court the year after Clinton picked Ruth Bader Ginsburg  Breyer interviewed for that opening, too, but he was in pain from a bicycle accident and reportedly the meeting did not go that well.

Breyer is a native Californian who served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Boston. He is an intellectual who reads and writes in French and has an abiding interest in architecture. But he also often seemed like a talkative law professor, his long and winding questions sometimes leaving counsel struggling to grasp his point.

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Once when a lawyer confessed that he didnt understand what Breyer was getting at, the justice acknowledged with a smile that he was afraid of that.

He is known as a pragmatic liberal, more moderate than others on the left and willing to search for compromise among the courts ideologically divided justices. In that way, he and Kagan sometimes departed with Ginsburg and Sotomayor on the details of a case. One of his favorite colleagues was OConnor, the courts ultimate pragmatist.

He was part of the courts compromise with Roberts that saved Obamacare in 2012. He was less willing than some liberals to side with criminal defendants.

Justice Breyer hasnt always ruled for us, but he has always earned our respect, said David Cole, national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union.

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The term that ended last summer was one of the most productive and significant in Breyers career, and he received some of the top assignments from Roberts.

Breyer wrote the majority opinion when the court rejected the third challenge at the Supreme Court to the Affordable Care Act. Earlier, he wrote the courts decision that Google did not violate copyright law in a multibillion-dollar showdown with Oracle, a closely watched case in the tech world.

And he wrote the courts defense of the First Amendment rights of public school students in a case involving a high schools punishment of a cheerleader for a profane rant on social media.

Though he might be closer to the center than his liberal colleagues, he is almost always a reliable vote on the left on issues such as affirmative action, gun rights and abortion, where he wrote some of the courts most important opinions protecting abortion rights.

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He is relentlessly optimistic and cheerful, and only occasionally did that persona slip. One occasion was the end of the first full term with Roberts as chief justice and Samuel A. Alito Jr. taking OConnors seat. Liberals suffered through several defeats, including one that struck down voluntary school desegregation plans in Seattle and Louisville.

It is not often in the law that so few have so quickly changed so much, Breyer said in a lengthy dissent from the bench. He predicted it would be a decision that the court and the nation will come to regret.

In 2015, after years of hearing cases about how to fairly administer capital punishment, Breyer said in effect that he had decided it could not be done. He called for the court to reconsider the constitutionality of the death penalty. Only Ginsburg joined his call.

It is also likely that his former colleague played a part in his decision to leave now.

Ginsburg declined to retire while President Barack Obama was in office, thinking Donald Trump would not be elected, and Democrats paid the price. After her death in September 2020, Trump and Republicans in the Senate pushed through the nomination of Barrett just days before Election Day, and after voters already had started to cast the votes that led to Trumps defeat.

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The increasing partisan polarization surrounding the court has been one of Breyers concerns, one he shares with the conservative chief justice. He addressed it this spring during a speech at Harvard Law School.

If the public sees judges as politicians in robes, its confidence in the courts  and in the rule of law itself  can only diminish, diminishing the courts power, including its power to act as a check on other branches, he said.

A decision to retire now, when a like-minded president has a chance to name a like-minded successor, could feed that view. But history shows retiring justices do just that.

Breyers plan is the latest in the modern trend of politically timed retirements at the Supreme Court, said Gabe Roth, executive director of the group Fix the Court. While we know Breyer is a true believer that the court is an independent, apolitical institution, the nomination and confirmation scheme as it currently exists makes that an impossibility.

The justice faced unprecedented pressure to leave, especially after Ginsburgs example of what could go wrong.

Hecklers interrupted a book interview at the Smithsonian with signs calling for him to retire. A Twitter account issued daily reminders that he had not signaled his intentions. A truck circled the Supreme Court with a sign telling him to pack up. I wasnt here, Breyer said with a smile when it was brought up during an interview.

In an interview with the New York Times in August, Breyer acknowledged having a sympathetic president in office might factor into his decision. By the next day, he indicated in the interview with The Post that he regretted getting into it.

At the end of last term, Breyer already knew that the court was going to be taking on some of the issues about which he cared and that probably influenced his decision to stay.

The court is facing the most serious threat to Roe v. Wade in decades, an important case that could undermine some state and local gun-control laws, and challenges to the government response to the pandemic.

Breyer has seemed occasionally irritable on the bench, and unhappy about being outnumbered by the conservative majority  for instance, on the issue of a Texas law that, in Breyers view, unconstitutionally impairs the right to abortion before fetal viability.

He has written dissents three times as the case has come to the Supreme Court. He declared it unbelievable that the court was being asked to set aside the Biden administrations plan for vaccine-or-mask mandate for the countrys largest employers. The majority did exactly that.

Breyer has at times been salty  for a justice on the bench. You better be damn sure, he warned his colleagues during the hearing on a restrictive Mississippi abortion law, when considering whether to overturn a landmark precedent such as Roe.

One Democrat active in liberal legal circles said the White House seemed to think it might hear something from Breyer in December, but that didnt happen.

It is rare for a justice to make their intentions known so early. Among recent departures from the court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy announced his retirement in June 2018. John Paul Stevens announced his departure in April, David Souter in May. OConnor made her July retirement announcement contingent on a replacement being confirmed, and served another six months.

Mike DeBonis, Seung Min Kim, Ann E. Marimow and Tyler Pager contributed to this report.

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Jamestown, site of the first permanent English settlement in North America, is seen last month, sandwiched between the James River and a swamp. (Julia Rendleman for The Post)

Retropolis The Past, Rediscovered
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The Australia Day 2022 Honours List recognises 1040 Australians, with awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military Divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service in the Australian Defence Force.

Of the 732 awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, 47 per cent are for women, the highest representation since the awards began in 1975, and 45 per cent are for service to local communities.

In addition to the recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, this years honours list includes:

30 recipients of awards in the Military Division of the Order of Australia

197 meritorious awards

81 Distinguished and Conspicuous awards

This list includes 58 Australians recognised for their contribution in support of Australias response to the COVID-19 pandemic. These individuals, recipients of awards in the General Division of the Order of Australia, Meritorious Awards and Military Awards will also be included in an ongoing and permanent COVID-19 Honour roll.
Have you ever felt that feeling of awe, when you step up to the edge of that ancient escarpment, on to that broad golden beach, through the thin valley mist or around an omnipresent red rock in the heart of an ochre sea  the awe you feel when your eyes behold that special place and you cannot help but wonder at the beauty and abundance of this country?

I have felt it. And when I do, it is always followed by a feeling of sorrow.

I feel sorrow because to look at these special places, it is obvious what a wonderfully happy life my people lived before the First Fleet arrived with its deadly cargo of settlers on January 26, 1788.

The answer to what should be done about January 26 can be found in a key proposal in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Credit:James Brickwood

Over millennia, my people learnt to live with the land  how to move with her seasons rather than claw at her skin and poison her in defiance. My people had developed practices and laws for sustainability. We ensured we never outgrew and displaced other living things, because all living things had a place: the land and the plants and the animals were us and we would become them  our totems and our teachers. In our laws, we didnt own the land as much as the land owned us. And, we were masters of dispute resolution. Take the Yolngu process of Makarrata in which people come together in a closer relationship after a struggle.
A Melbourne monument depicting Captain James Cook was doused in red paint overnight as part of an Australia Day protest.

The statue, located near St Kilda beach, was defaced and its base was papered with flyers proposing the abolition of Australia Day celebrations. The vandalism attracted a small group of curious locals to Catani Gardens on Wednesday morning before the paint was hosed off by council workers.

The red paint is cleaned off the Captain Cook statue in St Kilda. Credit:Diego Fedele/Getty Images

Port Phillip detectives are investigating the incident and have urged anyone who may have witnessed the incident to contact the police.

City of Port Phillip mayor Marcus Pearl said the council hired security to watch the foreshore on Tuesday night, which was a hot and busy night in the district.
There was a time when 22-year-old Alex Barber would attend a celebratory Australia Day lunch with her friends.

But now, after considering the history of January 26, Ms Barber has decided it is just not the day for it. You just feel guilty. It just didnt sit with me and especially now with these more current years, with everything thats happened in the world like Black Lives Matter.

That party doesnt happen any more.

Alex Barber no longer celebrates Australia Day. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Ms Barber, from Glen Iris, is not alone. She represents one side of a growing generational divide over the celebration of Australias national day. A recent survey by CoreData Australia, covering 1250 Australians aged 18 and over, shows younger people are less likely to celebrate the day. Almost 70 per cent of Gen Z participants  people under the age of 26  said they did not intend to celebrate.
The number of foreign buyers snapping up Australian property has taken a significant hit, new figures show, but those that are buying here are much more likely to stay for the long term.

New Foreign Investment and Review Board figures reveal overseas spending on Australian homes dropped from $8.5 billion in the 2017-2018 financial year to $6 billion between in 2019-2020, after three challenging years for Australias property market.

Foreign home buyers are expected to return to cities like Melbourne later this year. Credit:iStock

Foreign investment rule changes, the Financial Services Royal Commission and the pandemic all impacted buyer numbers, but experts say the market should turn around this year as Australias borders reopen and international students and new migrants return.

While total investment fell in financial terms, FIRB figures also revealed the number of property transactions dropped from 10,491 in 2017-2018 to 7482 in 2019-2020.
Washington: Negotiations to resolve the Ukraine crisis have reached a stalemate as the US and NATO dispatched letters to Russia refusing any concessions and flatly rejecting the Kremlins demand that Ukraine be permanently banned from joining the western military alliance.

Late on Wednesday (Thursday AEDT), even the fate of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany hung in the balance, as US State department sposesman Ned Price said the multi-billion dollar gas pipeline project would not proceed if Russia invaded Ukraine.

I want to be very clear: if Russia invades Ukraine one way or another, Nord Stream 2 will not move forward, Price told American public radio network NPR. Im not going to get into the specifics. We will work with Germany to ensure it does not move forward.

Germany appeared to endorse this stance, even though it depends on Russia for much of its gas energy supply.

The German ambassador to the US, Emily Haber, tweeted afterwards:the US and Germany jointly declared last summer: if Russia uses energy as a weapon or if there is another violation of Ukraines sovereignty, Russia will have to pay a high price. Nothing will be off the table, including Nord Stream 2
Flags at the Salisbury Fire Department were lowered to honor the three Baltimore firefighters who lost their lives. Rob Frampton, Assistant Fire Chief, in Salisbury says he is heartbroken will be and understatement.
Kye Parsons is the editor of WBOC.com. He came to WBOC with several years experience as an award-winning journalist on Delmarva. Prior to entering the world of multimedia, he worked as a newspaper editor and reporter. E-mail him at kparsons@wboc.com .

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The American Red Cross hosted a blood drive at the KFC Yum! Center on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022 in an effort to help curb a national blood shortage. (WDRB photo)
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WSU Celebrates Black History Month with Virtual Event

January 26, 2022

OGDEN, Utah  In celebration of Black History Month, Weber State University will host a virtual event with Bryan K. Hotchkins, author of My Black is Exhausted. Forever in Pursuit of a Racist-free World Where Hashtags Dont Exist. Hotchkins will speak and then answer questions over Zoom on Feb. 1 from 6-7:45 p.m.

Hotchkins is a published professor and podcast host who educates people about the importance of being racist-free in order to protect individuals of African descent. In his new book, Hotchkins shares personal experiences of negotiating race and although readers may not be of African descent there is still plenty to learn about how we see, understand and appreciate racial difference.

I am thrilled to continue our exploration of Black History Month with a focus on Black health and wellness as it introduces people to histories and stories they do not know, said Adrienne Andrews, WSU diversity, equity and inclusion program coordinator. Dr. Hotchkins will provide historical perspective, contemporary context and hope for the future. When we tell the full story of Black History, we improve our understanding of American history.

The event is free for the community and requires registration at: Webinar Registration - Zoom.

Visit Black History Month (weber.edu) for information about future events.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
Press Release

January 26, 2022 De Lima bats for universal social pension for senior citizens Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima expressed support for the renewed push to propose social protection for the elderly by providing a universal social pension for senior citizens. In her opening statement submitted for the hearing of the Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development last Jan. 25 presided by Sen. Joel Villanueva on her behalf, De Lima said the government should ensure that senior citizens are cared for. "Our senior citizens have always been with us through thick and thin. They have suffered this pandemic with us. They deserve to be given the opportunity to also be part of our country's recovery program," she said. It can be noted that there are two sets of legislation discussed during the hearing, which include bills increasing the social pension for indigent senior citizens under the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010. The bills, which include Senate Bill (SB) No. 570 authored by Sen. Nancy Binay and co-authored by De Lima, propose to increase the present P500 pension of elderly to P1,000. "This seeks to address the increasing prices of commodities especially due to the pandemic. I am in full support of this proposal," she said. The lady Senator from Bicol likewise expressed support for the second set of bills proposing the expansion of the senior citizen pension to cover all senior citizens regardless if they are indigent or not. "The present limitation of the program has led to many truly indigent senior citizens to be unable to avail of this assistance because they have been unable to navigate through the bureaucratic maze of applying and qualifying for his program," she said. "Indeed, our country has been spending a lot of resources in targeting, regulating, and policing the people who are qualified for the indigent pension. There is also a present moral hazard in granting discretion to so many public officials in determining who receives the senior pension," she added. By simplifying the process, De Lima said the government would not only relieve the regulatory pressure from implementing agencies, but would also make it easier for senior citizens to avail of such assistance. "We would also be able to avoid the corruption that is bugging the present system," said De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion. Amid continued discussions, De Lima implored everyone "to keep an open mind and listen to the arguments of everyone, especially the stakeholders." De Lima, a senior citizen herself and a grandmother, sponsored and co-authored Republic Act No. 11350 creating the National Commission of Senior Citizens, a new agency dedicated to the promotion of the rights and welfare of senior citizens, which was passed into law last year.
WESTPORT  Amazon was sent back to the drawing board Tuesday night after the Architectural Review Board rejected the companys proposal for a green and white sign to hang above its new grocery store at 1076 Post Road East.

For months, the location was the target of much debate as town officials refused to confirm what the new grocery store would be. Last week, the Amazon Fresh was subtly confirmed when the company filed documents with the town applying to hang a sign, emblazoning the Amazon logo on the former Barnes and Noble location.

Board members rejected the proposed sign in a 3-to-1 vote, suggesting the sign be redesigned to meet town regulations.

The current 8-by-9-foot sign is two feet higher than regulations allow.

Board member David Mann asked Garry Potts, the managing partner with the Indiana-based company Professional Permits, who was representing Amazon, if other options were considered.

Did you consider an alternative to the logo, so the sign wouldnt be two feet larger than permitted? Mann asked.

Mann said if the sign was made linear instead of stacking the words in the logo, it would not require a variance like the current sign would. He said it would also be less visible to the neighbors.

Your building is very horizontal. It would take that [linear] sign very well, board member Vesna Herman said. You could develop a sign that is more horizontal.

Potts said Amazon has not used any horizontal wall signs before.

The sign will be visible, but wont be a nuisance, he said.

Residents who live close to the location argued the opposite suggesting that the sign would be a nuisance since the sign faces their property.

From where their sign is positioned, we will be able to see it from our kitchen, and our second and third floors, said Mitchell Higgins, who lives next to the site. The sign is facing residential property in the back, not facing the Post Road.

The couple also questioned the plan for the new lights in the plazas parking lot. The Higgins couple said that the lights were taller than the lights in the lot when the book shop occupied the space.

Commission chairman Ward French said that while the board understands the residents concerns about the lights, the board is only discussing the dimensions of the sign.

Potts said that he would present the idea of a horizontal sign to Amazon.

serenity.bishop@hearstmediact.com
WESTPORT  The district is proposing bringing in two modular units since space has become an ongoing issue with the growing enrollment at Coleytown Elementary School and Stepping Stones Preschool.

Assistant Superintendent Mike Rizzo said the challenge of classroom space has been an area of focus at the two schools for quite some time.

Reviewing the projected enrollment for the 2022-23 school year at CES and SSP, and with an understanding of all the work to date, there was an immediate need for an additional classroom section for 2022-23, Rizzo said.

He said during the 2016-17 school year, a presentation regarding the preschools increasing enrollment was made to the school board and even then, the presentation noted the capacity of Westports facilities and flagged it as an area of focus moving forward.

Rizzo said since the increase was flagged as an area of focus in 2016-17, the programs have been able to get by through creativity and collaboration by the administrative team. This includes repurposing classrooms, offices, and other spaces; combining teachers with smaller classes into single classrooms; and dividing larger single spaces into two smaller spaces.

Enrollment at CES has increased by 20 percent in the past five years, according to the presentation Rizzo gave to the board on Monday night. He said the enrollment is projected to grow an additional 7 percent in the next five years.

Rizzo said eight combined classroom sections are projected at CES and SSP for the next school year, the highest in the past eight years.

The need for a short and long term solution has become increasingly apparent, Rizzo said.

Rizzo said the priorities will be to provide the school space to continue the programs, keep the preschool in a single location and work toward a long-term solution. They had previously talked about splitting the preschool between two locations, but determined it was inefficient and sidelined the idea.

In the short-term, school officials have come up with the three possible solutions that could help address the issues. Plan A would install two modular units at CES to create additional space. The $750,000 or so for the units will be included in the capital budget as part of the 2022-23 budget process.

Rizzo said it is important to note that the delivery of modular units may take up to 24 weeks, approximately 12 weeks longer than anticipated. He said this necessitates Plan B, which would allow school officials to develop an interim plan of repurposing current space as the schools wait on the modular units.

Plan C would create a second place for the Stepping Stones Preschool and divide the current program between the two locations. That other possible location hasnt been determined.

The positive aspects of this proposal would be to increase our capacity across the district to serve our preschool students and families, Rizzo said. There are, however, very significant negative aspects of this plan including educational, financial, and facility impacts.

For a long-term solution, Rizzo said the needs of the schools should be looked at holistically within the overall district facilities plan, including any opportunities that may exist with the current planning for Long Lots Elementary School.

The educational benefit of maintaining SSP as a program in a single location has been expressed by staff and families on multiple occasions,  Rizzo said. Nevertheless, it is responsible and appropriate as a district to understand the financial implications of such priorities as part of developing a budget.

Rizzo recommended that as a short-term solution, Westport should get the modular units and create a plan to repurpose existing space. He said the district should also work on the long-term solution.

No action was taken during Mondays meeting. The board will review the presentation and decide on the best plan to move forward later.

serenity.bishop@hearstmediact.com
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WASHINGTON  U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price answers reporters' questions. The briefing was scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., but it has been delayed until 3:30.
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Technical Officer, Geneva, Switzerland

Organization: World Health Organization (WHO)

Country: Switzerland

City: Geneva

Office: WHO Geneva, Switzerland

Grade: P-3

Closing date: Friday, 11 February 2022

Technical Officer

( 2106116 )

Grade : P3

Contractual Arrangement : Temporary appointment under Staff Rule 420.4

Contract Duration (Years, Months, Days) : 1 year

Job Posting: Jan 21, 2022, 12:21:32 PM

The Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH), under the leadership of its Chair Dr Michelle Bachelet, held a Retreat in Stockholm on 29-30 August 2018 to finalize the development of the PMNCH 2018-2020 Business Plan. The Board agreed at this meeting that PMNCH with its broad multi-stakeholder platform is well fit to engage leaders and champions globally and regionally to mobilize for more and better aligned political and financial commitments for the achievement of the Global Strategy goals as well as the related SDGs.Womens, childrens and adolescents health and well-being (WCAH) risks getting lost in a shift in political and development landscape. We need to make sure it remains central in the SDG3+ agenda; the UHC, the Human Capital

We need to ensure that PMNCHs convening, orchestrating and advocacy roles for better synergies, coordination and smarter engagement works with and within these related agendas. Political engagement needs to reflect efforts at global, regional and national levels

all in support of change at local and country level. It is critical to develop effective political engagement strategy and mechanism that cut across our work streams and facilitate delivering PMNCH 2018-2020 Business Plan. The Board consists of thirty members and thirty alternates representing PMNCHs ten constituencies, ensuring there is a balance between maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and between national and international institutions as well as a mix of geographical representation. The Board has a Chair and two vice-Chairs who act in support of, and in the absence of, the Chair. Three committees report to the Board, namely: Executive Committee, Strategy and Finance Committee, and Governance and Nominations Committee.)

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

To support the Partnerships governance processes, such as the Executive Committee (EC), the different Constituencies and the Partnerships Board, including implementation of the governance reform, bylaws and standard operating procedures. To contribute to the planning and project management of annual governance events, making use of the appropriate online tool(s).To support preparations for Board Meetings, retreats and governance events. This includes, but is not limited to, support to Board relations, planning Board rotations and seats, drafting speaking notes for example, to Board members, Chair and Secretariat leadership, to facilitate the conducting of Board Meetings, and preparing presentations. To support the coordination of governance events and the governing bodies on site. To analyze, provide progress reports and other materials, for example content for the PMNCH website to the supervisory line, when required. To conduct research and prepare statistics to support the Executive Committee and Board in their decision-making, as necessary. Perform other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education

Essential: First level university degree in international relations, law political sciences, public relations or a related field.

Experience

Essential: At least 5 years experience supporting the operation of a governing body in a not-for-profit environment; Including in the 5 years: at least 3 years experience in preparing documents related to governance operations and/or strategy; at least 3 years experience in supporting organizations with a focus on global health, including womens, childrens and adolescents health; at least 2 years experience in supporting high level political champions. Demonstrated experience at the international level.

Desirable: Experience working in a UN organization; experience working in a multi-stakeholder partnership organization.

Skills

Ability to carry-out assignments in accordance with instructions and guidance. Ability to analyses and derive information for decision making from data. Solid organizational skills. Ability to work harmoniously by use of interpersonal skills, in a highly dynamic work environment. Ability to conceptualize, plan, coordinate and conduct work. Ability to work on own initiative, as well as function collaboratively as a team member. Excellent analytical skills. Ability to quickly understand and internalize complex and sensitive political situations. Demonstrated diplomatic skills and excellent interpersonal skills with sensitivity to cultural and political differences. An understanding of consensus decision making processes and building organizational consensus.

WHO Competencies

Teamwork

Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences

Communication

Producing results

Knowing and managing yourself

Use of Language Skills

Essential: Expert knowledge of English.

Desirable: Expert knowledge of French.

REMUNERATION

WHO salaries for staff in the Professional category are calculated in US dollars. The remuneration for the above position comprises an annual base salary starting at USD 62,120 (subject to mandatory deductions for pension contributions and health insurance, as applicable), a variable post adjustment, which reflects the cost of living in a particular duty station, and currently amounts to USD 4297 per month for the duty station indicated above. Other benefits include 30 days of annual leave, allowances for dependent family members, home leave, and an education grant for dependent children.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade level

Only candidates under serious consideration will be contacted.

A written test may be used as a form of screening.

In the event that your candidature is retained for an interview, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WHO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link: http://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and will require individual review.

Any appointment/extension of appointment is subject to WHO Staff Regulations, Staff Rules and Manual.

Staff members in other duty stations are encouraged to apply. c5K3qOu Dh7qKS

For information on WHOs operations please visit: http://www.who.int.

WHO is committed to workforce diversity.

WHO prides itself on a workforce that adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards and that is committed to put the WHO Values Charter into practice.

WHO has zero tolerance towards sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct (i.e., discrimination, abuse of authority and harassment). All members of the WHO workforce have a role to play in promoting a safe and respectful workplace and should report to WHO any actual or suspected cases of SEA, sexual harassment and other types of abusive conduct. To ensure that individuals with a substantiated history of SEA, sexual harassment or other types of abusive conduct are not hired by the Organization, WHO will conduct a background verification of final candidates.

WHO has a smoke-free environment and does not recruit smokers or users of any form of tobacco.

WHO has a mobility policy which can be found at the following link: http://www.who.int/employment/en/. Candidates appointed to an international post with WHO are subject to mobility and may be assigned to any activity or duty station of the Organization throughout the world.

Applications from women and from nationals of non and underrepresented Member States are particularly encouraged.

*For WHO General Service staff who do not meet the minimum educational qualifications, please see e-Manual III.4.1, para 220.

As a WHO staff member assigned solely and exclusively to support this Partnership, selected staff will have no right of reassignment or transfer outside the Partnership either during or at the end of his/her appointment, including pursuant to WHO Staff Rule 1050. (This does not apply to WHO fixed-term staff members reassigned from a non-Partnership position.)

Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1642787201538
Communication Field Assistant, Damascus, Syria

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme

Country: Syria

City: Damascus

Office: UNDP Damascus

Closing date: Monday, 31 January 2022

Agency: HABITAT

Title: UNHABITAT Communication Field Assistant SC5

Job ID: 40993

Practice Area - Job Family: Crisis Prevention and RecoveryManagement

Vacancy End Date: (Midnight New York, USA) 31/01/2022

Duty Station: Damascus, Syrian Arab Republic

Education & Work Experience: C-HS Graduate or Equivalent - 5 year(s) experience, G-Bachelors Level Degree - 2 year(s) experience

Languages: Required: Desired: Arabic, English

Grade: SB3

Vacancy Type: Service Contract (SC)

Posting Type: External

Bureau: Arab States

Contract Duration: 11 Months with possibility for extension

Open for Syrian Nationality only.

Background

UNDP is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are equally encouraged to apply. All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence.

UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) is the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future. Its mission is to promote socially and environmentally sustainable human settlements development and the achievement of adequate shelter for all.

In October 2016, at the UN Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development - Habitat III - member states signed the New Urban Agenda. This is an action-oriented document which sets global standards of achievement in sustainable urban development, rethinking the way we build, manage, and live in cities. Through drawing together cooperation with committed partners, relevant stakeholders, and urban actors, including at all levels of government as well as the private sector, UN-Habitat is applying its technical expertise, normative work and capacity development to implement the New Urban Agenda and Sustainable Development Goal 11 - to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

Mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1978 to address the issues of urban growth, UN-Habitat is a knowledge institution on urban development processes and understands the aspirations of cities and their residents. For forty years, UN-Habitat has been working in human settlements throughout the world, focusing on building a brighter future for villages, towns, and cities of all sizes. Because of these four decades of extensive experience, from the highest levels of policy to a range of specific technical issues, UN-Habitat has gained unique and universally acknowledged expertise in all things urban. This has placed UN-Habitat in the best position to develop achievable solutions to the current challenges faced by our cities. UN-Habitat is capitalizing on its experience and position to work with partners to formulate urban visions of tomorrow. It strives to ensure that cities become affordable living spaces of inclusive economic growth and social development for all citizens.

Since 2015,

UN-Habitat Syria Programme has worked closely with Syrian cities and communities to develop an urban resilience and recovery approach. UN Habitat supports local authorities and communities (1) to collect better urban data to reach a common understanding on urban recovery needs; (2) to jointly identify neighborhood and municipal area response priorities - from humanitarian, to resilience, to recovery; and (3) to design and implement housing, infrastructure and basic services, urban environment, and urban cultural heritage projects that directly respond to these local priorities.

UN-Habitat Syria currently has offices in Damascus, Homs, Aleppo and in Deir Ezzor. The UN-Habitat Syria programme operationalizes projects across Syria.

The SC holder will be working under the Management and Programme Support Unit (PSU) and reporting to the Programme Support Officer. He or She will be assisting the implementation of UN-Habitats communications activities, providing assistance at the field level in areas of photography, videography, capturing of beneficiary interviews/testimonials, data gathering etc. The IC will also assist in the design and editing of communication products including support to graphic design, layout, editing etc.

Duties and Responsibilities

Key responsibilities

Support field-level communication activities that support strategic objectives.

Produce media and communication products

Admin Management of social media (UN-HABITAT Syria CO, twitter, Instagram...etc)

Maintain electronic filing of all communication products of UN-HABITAT Syria Programme

Provide field-level assistance to implementation of communications activities.

Under the instruction of the Head of PSU, assist in the planning and preparations for the timely coverage of field activities to ensure the collection and availability of material (photos, videos etc.) for key project milestones, events, donor relations/reporting etc.

Support production of documentary films/videos and photography, documenting key phases of project implementation of UN-Habitat Syria Programmes projects and programmes.

Support regular technical assistance to carrying-out data collection at the field level, supporting UN-Habitats Hub Teams and Damascus Team to collect and collate visual materials from project sites, inclusive of working closely with beneficiaries and other project stakeholders.

Support development and maintenance of a database of project photos, videos and related material.

Assistance with the drafting, editing and finalization of visual communications products, based on field level data/info gathering.

Participate in awareness sessions conducted under COVID 19 projects and assist in the production of relevant films/videos/photography and other outreach material as may be required.

Assist in the development of media products to support high-level visits and events associated with UN-Habitat senior management missions to Syria.

Maintain UN-Days calendar and support planning and preparation for participation in UN Information campaigns.

Assist UN-Habitat teams with technical expertise in relation to media and communications products.

Support the Head of the PSU and UN-Habitat management by providing technical expertise and related advice regarding opportunities to improve/ensure a high-quality standard for all digital communication products and material.

Ensure the communication products are in compliance with communication guidance and principles of UN-Habitat Headquarters and Regional Offices.

Assist in the provision of trainings and briefings for UN-Habitat field-based staff in relation to collection of digital material to support monitoring and communications products.

Support donor visibility and UN-HABITAT Syria Programme visibility

Administrative management of UN-HABITAT COs social media pages (Facebook, twitter, Instagram...etc) c5dIW6X Dh7qKS

Support donor visibility through design of communication and visibility products as per required and in line with donor requirements and policies.

Assist processes of collecting/collating project-specific information from project sites to support PSU in drafting donor reports, responding to ad-hoc donor requests/queries and production of related products such as project fact-sheets, beneficiary interviews, newsletters etc.

Assist with the preparation for and documentation of donor visits, high-level meetings, project Steering Committee meetings, project hand-over/inauguration events etc.

Any other related duties and responsibilities.

Competencies

Core: Innovation:

Ability to make new and useful ideas work.

Leadership:

Ability to persuade others to follow.

People Management:

Ability to improve performance and satisfaction.

Communication:

Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform.

Delivery:

Ability to get things done while exercising good judgement.

Technical/Functional:

Professionalism

Shows pride in work and in achievements; demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter; is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results; is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns; shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges; remains calm in stressful situations.

Communication

Speaks and writes clearly and effectively; listens to others, correctly interprets messages from others and responds appropriately; asks questions to clarify and exhibits interest in having two-way communication; demonstrates openness in sharing information and keeping people informed.

Teamwork

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals; supports and acts in accordance with final group decision, even when such decisions may not entirely reflect own position.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

High School Diploma in combination with qualifying experience and relevant trainings in communication and/or video editing.

Or, First-level University degree in communication, media, video editing, or any other related field.

Experience:

At least 5 years (High School) or 2 years (Bachelor) of progressively responsible experience in communication is required.

Proven experience at the national level in delivering communication services to promote the activities of international development organization is required;

Proven experience in visual and digital materials specially in editing videos is required;

Experience in the usage of computers and office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.) is required.

Experience in website administration (content management system) and social networks administration is preferred.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in Arabic (both oral and written) and good knowledge of English (both oral and written) is required.

Disclaimer

Important applicant information

All posts in the SC categories are subject to local recruitment.

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Scam warning

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

Link to the organizations job posting: https://unjobs.org/vacancies/1643056676331
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Amber Lelli carves her niche in the art world

CHRISTOPER WORMALD RIGHT: This Amber Lelli sculpture titled We Change with the Passing of Every Sun, is on display in Manhattan at the National Sculpture Society Gallery in the Young Sculptors Exhibit. BLACKBIRD MEDIA Amber Lelli poses in Nashville in front of a sign that showcases her artwork. JACK MAUCH While at the Arrowmont School of the Arts, Amber Lelli works on her Marquetry Pieces project. SUBMITTED Artist Amber Lelli, 28, from Mt. Juliet, works in her downtown Nashville studio on a wax sculpture of a wreath that will be cast into bronze. It will go in her upcoming show in April

Amber Lellis fingers create with the finesse of a sculptor with an innate passion.

The Mt. Juliet resident has carved a niche in the art world as a sculptress, printmaker and a public and commercial artist. The 28-year-old artist has her work on display in a Manhattan museum, was recently named a semifinalist to create the interior art installation at the new Donelson Library and works as the studio manager and apprentice with Nashville sculptor-artist Alan LeQuire.

Lelli, who is a Mt. Juliet High graduate and 2015 Middle Tennessee State University graduate with a degree in fine arts, splits her time at the LeQuire Studio and Gallery (where she has her own studio space) and honing her already sophisticated skills to reinforce her impressive portfolio.

As an Interdisciplinary artist, Lelli is interested in exploring concepts, asking questions, and choosing the medium and materials best fit for those ideas. Her portfolio shows everything from bronze surreal portraiture to innovative marquetry and colorful prints. Her art has been shown throughout the nation, winning awards and scholarships along the way.

And while Lelli said she doesnt really come from and overly artsy family, she did love to sculpt Play-Doh and clay as a kid and doodle a lot. She still has some of those earlier drawings.

I did grow up appreciating my mom when I was young, Lelli recalled. She was very crafty; she painted, sewed and drew. We did a lot of crafts.

That led to an advanced art class at MJHS where her talent began to emerge and people murmured, she was quite good. Sculpture didnt really enter the picture until college where she tried a 3-D course.

It really laid the foundation, said Lelli. Ironically I made a C on my first project. I do love a challenge.

Lelli studied sculpture and print making at MTSU. Even in college she had unique opportunities, she said.

Myself and two others in our senior year (2015) entered a contest at the Nashville Airport and ended up with our project displayed, Lelli said,

The airport display was a suspended 23x6x4 sculpture with resin cast dancing figures, silk organza and a steel wave structural frame, commissioned by Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Arts at the Airport. She collaborated with Whitney Proper and Sadie Monroe.

Just days after graduating college, she landed a job at Jonathan Martin Creative in College Grove where she was part of a crew at that creative arts production company. She got her feet wet in real world art conceptions such as designing movie sets, working for museums and creating sculptures.

My last and most formative project was my last two years there where we collaborated on a cool project for the National Bible Museum, said Lelli.

More than cool it was a historically accurate First Century village.

I really got to hone my skills at sculpting, it was a real challenge, she said.

Why sculpture?

I like creating space, Lelli said. A 3-D object creates mass, rather than painting that covers a flat surface. I love the tactile part and being able to play with scales. This type of art can be really small, or really huge and allows for a whole range of emotion. Theres also the freedom of material choices.

Lelli works with bronze, wood, stone, and more while sculpting. She specializes in the marriage of various materials and their languages and holds quality craftsmanship to high esteem.

At the end of 2018, she was 25 and moved back in with mom and dad. Jobs were hard to find in this niche market. Lelli knew she loved working on her independent projects and in 2019 opened her own studio at Fort Houston Makerspace in Nashville.

She was introduced to Alan LeQuire, a world-renowned sculpture with many of his sculptures installed in Nashville and Tennessee, such as Athena Parthenos, Musica, the Jack Daniel Whiskey Distillery, Women Suffrage Memorial in Nashville, Blair School of Musics David and countless more. She is now his studios manger and an apprentice.

Alan is a true mentor and Im so honored to assist him, Lelli said.

LeQuire said Lelli is a wonderful assistant who has helped me accomplish several public monuments.

On any given day Amber might be hanging exhibits, print making in the basement, or welding a steel armature for a large sculpture, he said. We feel lucky to have someone so talented both in the studio and at LeQuire Gallery.

Recently her work titled We Change with the Passing of Every Sun was put on display in Manhattan at the National Sculpture Society Gallery in the Young Sculptors Exhibit.

If chosen as the artist for the new Donelson Library by the Metro Arts Commission, Lelli will create a suspended project that takes up two stories inside the library.

Even with all she does here, somehow Amber finds time for her own creative work, said LeQuire. Her work is quite varied because she is exploring several different materials and ways of making art.

Shes currently working on new projects for her April 9 showing at Modfellows Art Gallery in Nashville that will be on display the entire month.

When not working at the gallery, or in her own studio every night, Lelli dotes on her cat, Nala, and her 11-year-old turtle, Jeffrey.

The best advice shed give those coming up in this career is quite simple.

Be a pleasant, hard working, and a helpful person to work with, she advised. Above all, keep a good reputation. It is that reputation that has brought and continues to bring me work over the years. There is nothing more valuable than a good name, nothing more damaging, than a bad one.
Wiltons all-volunteer Community Emergency Response Team, in conjunction with the Wilton Emergency Management Director and Wilton Chief of Police John Lynch, has announced their annual disaster preparedness training program.

The class begins on Tuesday, Feb. 1, and will run two times each week for four weeks on Tuesdays, and Thursdays evenings via Zoom.

Those who are interested should register as soon as possible.

Visit wiltoncert.org/disaster-preparedness-training for information and to register online.

Course participants must be age 16 or older. However, those individuals who are interested in joining Wilton CERT must be at least 18.

There is no cost for the training. For further information, contact wiltonctcert@gmail.com.

The course is for Wilton residents who wish to be properly trained to help family, friends and neighbors in the event of an emergency or a natural disaster.

CERT Instructors certified by the Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, along with other instructors from the Wilton Police Department, Wilton Fire Department and Wilton Emergency Medical Services, will assist in the training.

The training will cover a variety of emergency skills, such as how to prepare for a disaster if and when it strike; tips on fire safety, including how to extinguish small fires; and how to evacuate a smoke-filled building, as well as basic first aid, disaster psychology, hazardous materials and terrorism awareness.

At the conclusion of the course, disaster preparedness backpack kits will be provided for free to all participants.

Upon successful completion of the course, graduates are eligible for and encouraged to join the Wilton CERT organization.

As part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Wilton CERT regularly provides assistance to the town, and its first responders, at large emergency incidents and public events.

Wilton CERT has performed a broad range of deployment activities, including traffic and crowd control duties, search and rescue missions for missing persons, provided staffing for Wiltons COVID-19 vaccination clinics, emergency shelter and distributing emergency food.
Fifth-generation farmer Matt Lohr, Virginias newest secretary of agriculture and forestry, is seen at his Mauzy farm on Sunday. His childhood home on his family Century Farm can be seen in the back right.
WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. - A First Nation in British Columbia says a preliminary geophysical investigation has identified 93 "reflections" that could indicate the number of children buried around the site of a former residential school.

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. - A First Nation in British Columbia says a preliminary geophysical investigation has identified 93 "reflections" that could indicate the number of children buried around the site of a former residential school.

Chief Willie Sellars of the Williams Lake First Nation said Tuesday that only excavation would confirm the presence of human remains and much more work is needed to make final determinations.

He said 14 of 470 hectares around the former St. Joseph's Mission Residential School have so far been examined as part of a process to discover what happened to children who did not return home.

The investigation near Williams Lake comes after the use of ground-penetrating radar led to the discovery last year of what are believed to be 215 unmarked graves at a former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.

CAUTION: The following paragraphs contain details some readers might find distressing.

Sellars said survivors recounted stories of children who were fathered by priests being incinerated, and of "many" children who attended the school being unaccounted for.

"Their bodies were cast into the river, left at the bottom of lakes, tossed like garbage into the incinerators," he said. "For those children there will be no headstone, no unmarked grave, no small fragment of bone to be forensically analyzed. For those families there will be no closure. It is for those children and families that we grieve the most."

Sellars said survivors and others from the Williams Lake First Nation and nearly a dozen nearby First Nations will be provided with cultural and mental health support after the discovery at the former residential school.

"The horrors that occurred inside the walls of St. Joseph's Mission are still very real for those who lived there. And the legacy of these atrocities is still readily apparent in the numerous ways that intergenerational trauma manifests in First Nations communities."

Whitney Spearing, who led the project, said the 93 reflections have been categorized as having either a high or low probability of being human remains based on their location, surroundings and depth.

"It is important to note that there is still much work to be completed within the Phase 1 area of the investigation," she said.

That work includes additional use of ground-penetrating radar and the analysis of records on burials at a historical cemetery.

"Current data suggest that 50 of the potential 93 burials are not associated with the cemetery," she added. "The investigation team has mapped out existing graves in the modern extent of the cemetery and is taking detailed recordings of headstones."

Interviews with survivors were instrumental in determining specific areas for geophysical work in a large search area, Spearing said, adding aerial imaging was also used to detect the presence of some former buildings as well as roads and irrigation ditches.

She said the investigation team is hopeful that the federal government's announcement last week to release more records to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will be backed up by making "proactive and full disclosure of top priority."

"At this time, there are several key sets of documents that remain missing, including school quarterly returns between 1941 and 1980 as well as daily registers of pupils between 1941 and 1981."

The St. Joseph's Mission Residential School was opened by the Roman Catholic Church in 1891 as an industrial school where First Nations children did labour like timber splitting, cattle rearing and farming, Sellars said. It remained open until 1981.

Chief Judy Wilson, secretary-treasurer of the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs, said the group stands with the Williams Lake First Nation and the Tk'emlups te Secwepemc First Nation in Kamloops as well as other nations "undertaking the painful, traumatizing task of identifying and honouring stolen children" at former residential school sites elsewhere in Canada.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the news from Williams Lake First Nation brings a lot of distressing emotions to the surface.

"My heart breaks for the members of the community, and for those whose loved ones (who) never came home," Trudeau said on Twitter.

Shelley Cook | Uplift A weekly review of funny, uplifting news in Winnipeg and around the globe that is delivered to your inbox each Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"Together, with their leadership, we'll continue to advance healing and reconciliation  and share the truths that Indigenous peoples from across the country have long known."

Murray Rankin, British Columbia's minister of Indigenous relations and reconciliation, issued a statement in support of the Williams Lake First Nation, raising his hands to "the courage and leadership they have shown in sharing their preliminary findings, further underscoring the harmful history and legacy of the residential school system here in British Columbia."

The final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission documenting the experiences of survivors and others affected by Canada's residential schools says at least 4,100 children died of neglect at the government-funded schools, which were operated by several Christian denominations.

The Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program has a hotline to help residential school survivors and their relatives suffering with trauma invoked by the recall of past abuse. The number is 1-866-925-4419.

 By Camille Bains in Vancouver

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Jan. 25, 2022.
OTTAWA - A convoy of truckers set to descend upon Ottawa to protest mandatory vaccinations is prompting police to prepare for violence and politicians to warn against escalating rhetoric linked to the demonstration.

Protesters of COVID-19 restrictions, and supporters of Canadian truck drivers protesting the COVID-19 vaccine mandate cheer on a convoy of trucks on their way to Ottawa, on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg, Man., Tuesday January 25, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski

OTTAWA - A convoy of truckers set to descend upon Ottawa to protest mandatory vaccinations is prompting police to prepare for violence and politicians to warn against escalating rhetoric linked to the demonstration.

Ottawa police Chief Peter Sloly told a police services board meeting Wednesday that officers had been in been in contact with protest leaders who he said have been co-operative and shared their plans.

But Deputy Chief Steve Bell voiced concern about "parallel groups" that intelligence suggests will also turn up to the protest. The police are trying to reach these groups  as well as counter-protesters  to discuss their aims.

At the meeting, police disclosed they are preparing for a range of scenarios including the potential for violence. Police say they are planning for the arrival of between 1,000 and 2,000 demonstrators on Saturday, but say the situation is "fluid" and changing by the hour.

Sloly told the board and councillors that he is working with the RCMP and intelligence bodies to prepare for the protests.

While police support the right to peaceful protest, officers would be prepared to move protesters out of the demonstration zone should the situation become violent or threatening, he said.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said there was a "small fringe minority who are on the way to Ottawa who are holding unacceptable views."

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, the prime minister said the vast majority of truckers are vaccinated.

What we are hearing from some people associated with this convoy is completely unacceptable, he added.

The federal government ended the truckers' exemption to the vaccine mandate on Jan. 15, meaning Canadian truck drivers need to be fully vaccinated if they want to avoid a two-week quarantine and pre-arrival molecular test for COVID-19 before crossing into Canada.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance has estimated that about 15 per cent of truckers  as many as 16,000  are not fully vaccinated against COVID-19. It has strongly denounced any protests on public roadways, highways and bridges and has urged all truckers to get inoculated.

Fred Chartrand / La Presse Canadienne

Some with extreme, far-right views have latched onto the protest. One online video includes a man expressing hope the rally will turn into the Canadian equivalent of the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump.

Donald Trump Jr. took to social media Tuesday to endorse the Canadian truck convoy's fight against "tyranny" and to urge Americans to follow suit.

Kayla Preston, who studies the far right in the University of Toronto's sociology department, said the truckers were a magnet for white nationalists as well as people who oppose vaccine mandates.

"Some in the far-right have latched themselves onto the convoy," she said. "The convoy is tapping into the national frustration right now. They are also attracting people who are not part of the far right or white nationalists who are frustrated with COVID."

A group called Canada Unity is organizing the movement, which its members refer to as the "freedom convoy."

A "memorandum of understanding," posted on the Canada Unity website, says its coalition is opposed to restrictions and mandates related to COVID-19, rules it deems are "unconstitutional, discriminatory and segregating."

The memorandum's goal, it says, is to form a committee with the Senate and Governor General that would override all levels of Canadian government to stop the use of vaccine passports, waive fines linked to COVID-19 and reinstate employees who were fired for breaking COVID-19 rules.

If the Senate and Governor General refuse to join such a committee, the group says they should "resign their lawful positions of authority immediately."

Carissima Mathen, a professor of law at the University of Ottawa, said seeking to override all levels of government policy would not work, because the body who initially put the policy in place must be the one to reverse it. Alternatively, that policy could be undone by Parliament passing a law.

A spokeswoman for the Governor General said Rideau Hall was "keeping on top of the situation and waiting to see how things unfold."

Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said he is "concerned about the small number of far-right, vocal opposition that is polluting much of our political debate."

Some supporters of the convoy, including some Conservative MPs, have taken to social media to warn the vaccine mandate for truckers will leave store shelves empty. Some have gone so far as to predict Canadians will starve.

Alghabra has assured Canadians there's no reason to fear food shortages will result from a small minority of truck drivers refusing to comply with the vaccine mandate.

In an interview, Alghabra said the large grocery store chains and other retailers have assured him they have plenty of goods to provide their customers, despite some labour shortages and supply chain bottlenecks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Moreover, he said there's been no "measurable impact" on the number of trucks crossing the border since the vaccine mandate went into effect. Last week, he said almost 100,000 trucks crossed the border  about the same as usual for this time of year.

"I don't want to minimize the fact that we have to remain vigilant and work together to address these issues (of supply chain disruptions)," Alghabra said, adding he plans to hold a summit on the issue with retailers on Monday.

"But this notion that we're going to starve is really unfortunate and does disservice to Canadians."

A day after refusing to say whether he supported the truck convoy heading to Ottawa, Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole appeared in a Facebook Live event Tuesday evening to say he understands why many truckers, especially independent ones, are upset.

"You can understand why there's some frustration and why people are protesting," O'Toole said.

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On Wednesday, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business also urged the federal government to reverse its vaccination policy for truckers.

Earlier, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce had urged the government to give truckers more time to get vaccinated while the Canadian Manufacturing Coalition has also called for the vaccine mandate to be scrapped entirely.

But Alghabra said it would accomplish nothing to postpone or scrap the requirement that truckers entering Canada be fully immunized, since the United States has imposed the same requirement on truckers entering that country.

The best way to end supply chain disruptions is to end the pandemic and the best way to do that is to get vaccinated, which is what the vaccine mandate is all about, he argued.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2022.

 With files from Stephanie Taylor and Erika Ibrahim
BEIJING (AP)  Repeated COVID-19 testing of millions of Beijing residents is starting to test the patience of some as the city clamps down on the virus ahead of the coming Winter Olympics.

A woman uses her smartphone to scan the health code as residents wearing face masks to help protect from the coronavirus line up outside a COVID-19 test site early morning in Dongcheng District in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. The Chinese capital reported an uptick to more than a dozen daily new COVID-19 cases as it began a third round of mass testing of millions of people Wednesday in the run-up to the Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

BEIJING (AP)  Repeated COVID-19 testing of millions of Beijing residents is starting to test the patience of some as the city clamps down on the virus ahead of the coming Winter Olympics.

A third round of mass testing that started Wednesday for the the 2 million residents of Fengtai district drew complaints online and from residents bundled up against the wind to wait in line outdoors. The skies were sunny, but the daytime high hovered around the freezing point.

I think it is too frequent," said a woman who only gave her surname, Ma. "I just did it yesterday and was asked to do it again today. I asked the question to the staff and they said, Under the principle of testing everyone who should be tested, just do it since you are here.

As health workers set up multiple testing stations around the city, there were scattered reports of people being told their testing would be delayed because of a system issue. It was unclear what the problem was and whether it would significantly set back the effort.

Athletes and others participating in the Games are being completely isolated from the general public to try to avoid cross-infection. Thirteen people who have come for the Games tested positive on Tuesday, bringing the total to 106 among the 3,695 who have arrived. Two of the positive cases are either athletes or team officials.

A medical worker wearing protective gear prepares swabs at a coronavirus test site outside a residential housing block in Fengtai District in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. The Chinese capital reported an uptick more than dozen daily new COVID-19 cases as it began a third round of mass testing of millions of people Wednesday in the run-up to the Winter Olympics. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Those who test positive are taken to a hospital if they have symptoms and to a quarantine hotel if they do not.

Beijing officials said Wednesday that eight people had tested positive in the 24-hour period ending at 4 p.m., bringing the total in the city's delta variant outbreak to 69. Of those, 54 have symptoms and 15 do not.

The numbers are small compared to other countries  South Korea's latest daily tally topped 13,000  but they are a major concern for the government as it prepares to host the Winter Games in nine days.

The Chinese capital has stepped up the country's already strict pandemic response measures. Mass testing of neighborhoods and buildings is being conducted around the city, and the local government announced this week that anyone who buys fever, headache or other cold medicines would have to take a COVID-19 test within 72 hours.

At one pharmacy, anyone purchasing such medicines was required to scan a QR code before making the purchase. A notice from the government said that purchasers were required to register their name, phone number, address and official ID number.

This is not convenient, but we should cooperate with whatever policies the government comes up with, Zhang Jianping, a salesperson at a shopping mall, said of the new cold medicine requirement. "We should protect ourselves from catching a cold so we don't become a burden on the country.

All 2 million residents in Fengtai district, where half of the cases in Beijing have been found, are being tested for the third time since last weekend. Some areas of the district have been locked down, with residents not allowed to leave their housing complex or neighborhood.

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An official announcement of the testing on social media late Tuesday drew about 90 comments, mostly critical. Some said the frequent testing wastes resources, disrupts work and daily life, and burdens health care workers and community officials.

The mass testing is conducted in groups of 10 people. One of the people holds a container, and a health worker takes samples from each of the 10 people and drops the swabs into the same container. They are tested together, and if the result come back positive, than each of the 10 people is tested individually.

I have gotten used to it," said Tang Yupeng, a restaurant worker who was being tested in Dongcheng district. "I took my last test two days ago, and it caught us off guard, but this time we received notice beforehand so its ok.

China's government has stuck to a zero-COVID approach, even as others have loosened restrictions on movement. Authorities snuff out any outbreak, no matter how small, with lockdowns, mass testing and travel restrictions. The policy has kept the number of cases and deaths relatively low in China but makes it challenging for the government to exit that strategy.

___

Associated press video producers Wayne Zhang and Olivia Zhang and photographer Ng Han Guan contributed to this report.
TORONTO - Brookfield Renewable has purchased clean power developer Urban Grid for US$650 million, making it one of the largest renewable energy developers in the United States.

This April 20, 2011, file photo, shows some of the 30,000 solar panels that make up the Public Service Company of New Mexico's new 2-megawatt photovoltaic array in Albuquerque, N.M. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Susan Montoya Bryan

TORONTO - Brookfield Renewable has purchased clean power developer Urban Grid for US$650 million, making it one of the largest renewable energy developers in the United States.

The company says the addition of Urban Grids projects roughly triples its U.S. development pipeline to about 31,000 megawatts of capacity.

Mitch Davidson, chief executive officer of Brookfield Renewables U.S. business, says the acquisition provides the company with strategic access to key U.S. markets, deepening its development capabilities and accelerating its growth.

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Brookfield Renewable operates one of the worlds largest publicly traded, pure-play renewable power platforms, with a portfolio of hydroelectric, wind, solar and storage facilities in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Urban Grid has utility-scale solar and energy storage projects totaling about 20,000 megawatts of planned capacity across 12 U.S. states.

The company says it has nearly 2,000 megawatts of under-construction or ready-to-build solar projects, with an additional 4,000 megawatts of derisked advanced stage buildout opportunities.

Frank DePew, president and CEO of Urban Grid, says the acquisition by Brookfield Renewable will enable Urban Grid to enter the next phase of growth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2022.

Companies in this story: (TSX: BEP.UN, TSX: BEPC)
LAS VEGAS (AP)  A conservation group and a southern Nevada ski resort said Tuesday they settled a federal lawsuit that had blocked plans to put a mountain biking park on steep terrain that is home to the endangered Mount Charleston blue butterfly.

This photo provided by the Center for Biological Diversity and taken June 22, 2021, at the Lee Canyon ski area in southern Nevada, shows the endangered Mount Charleston blue butterfly. The conservation group and owners of the Lee Canyon resort said Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022, they settled a federal court dispute that had blocked plans to build a mountain biking park on steep terrain that is home to the endangered species. (Patrick Donnelly/Center for Biological Diversity via AP)

LAS VEGAS (AP)  A conservation group and a southern Nevada ski resort said Tuesday they settled a federal lawsuit that had blocked plans to put a mountain biking park on steep terrain that is home to the endangered Mount Charleston blue butterfly.

Lee Canyon resort said the agreement with the Center for Biological Diversity will let it build and open up to three mountain biking trails by August at the resort in the Spring Mountains less than an hour drive from Las Vegas.

By next year, plans call for about 12 miles (19 kilometers) of downhill bike trails served by chair lifts.

For years, weve worked with scientists and local conservation groups to ensure that our bike parks design minimizes impact on the environment, resort General Manager Dan Hooper said in a statement. Were proud of the time weve invested and the knowledge weve acquired.

Patrick Donnelly, Nevada state director of the Center for Biological Diversity, pointed to a pledge by Lee Canyon to put $250,000 over the next five years toward research by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on the rare butterfly, its habitat and its conservation.

Were pleased that weve reached an agreement that both protects these butterflies and funds research to put them on the path to recovery, Donnelly said.

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He credited UNLV Professor Daniel Thompson with helping the two sides design plans to prevent harm to current and future populations of the insects, which are blue-gray in color, less than an inch (2.5 centimeters) long and only live in the Spring Mountains.

This agreement gives these special little butterflies the best possible chance of recovery, Donnelly said.

Court records show that U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware II accepted the stipulated settlement Jan. 19.

That ended a federal lawsuit filed in November 2019 to block the expansion of Lee Canyon and protect the butterflies during their short lives already threatened in recent years by wildfires, invasive species and climate change.

The U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife listed the species as endangered in 2013, setting the stage for struggles with developers hoping to expand the resort to keep pace with population growth and demand in southern Nevada.

Hooper said the bike park will be designed and built by Gravity Logic, developer of sites at Mt. Bachelor in Bend, Oregon, and in Killington, Vermont.
TORONTO - Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses is urging the federal government to reverse its policy banning unvaccinated truck drivers from entering Canada.

Trucks line up on the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie, Ont. as they enter the United States on Wednesday October 21, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn

TORONTO - Canada's largest association of small and medium-sized businesses is urging the federal government to reverse its policy banning unvaccinated truck drivers from entering Canada.

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The Canadian Federation of Independent Business says the vaccine mandate is creating supply shortages and driving up shipping costs.

CFIB president Dan Kelly says businesses were already facing a major supply chain crunch and price increases on everything from fuel to building materials.

He says Ottawa's border policy threatens to exacerbate those issues at a time when small businesses can't handle any additional costs or uncertainty.

The CFIB represents 95,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises in Canada, including roughly 500 in the trucking sector.

The business group says the transportation industry has been one of the hardest hit by labour shortages, with a recent survey finding 68 per cent of businesses in the sector are unable to hire enough staff.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2022.
GATINEAU, Que. - Canada's broadcasting regulator says a prominent Dark Web marketplace has been taken off-line after it levied $300,000 in fines against four individuals linked to the business.

Hands type on a keyboard in North Vancouver, B.C., on Wednesday, December, 19, 2012. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward

GATINEAU, Que. - Canada's broadcasting regulator says a prominent Dark Web marketplace has been taken off-line after it levied $300,000 in fines against four individuals linked to the business.

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The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says Canadian HeadQuarters was one of the largest Dark Web marketplaces in the world and significantly contributed to harmful cyberactivity in Canada.

The CRTC says the business also known as CanadianHQ specialized in the sale of spamming services, phishing kits, stolen credentials and access to compromised computers, which purchasers used for malicious activity.

The CRTC issued warrants in Montreal in 2020 and 2021 to help investigate four individuals, who allegedly sent emails mimicking well-known brands in order to obtain personal data including credit card numbers, banking credentials and other sensitive information.

The CRTC says Marc Anthony Younes, Souial Amarak and Moustapha Sabir are each facing $50,000 penalties for sending commissions that violate anti-spam legislation, while Chris Tyrone Dracos has been fined a heftier $150,000 for aiding in the commission of violations.

The Dark Web is a covert part of the internet often used for sales of illicit goods and services because it offers anonymity and makes it hard for authorities to trace unlawful activity.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 26, 2022.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of enforcement actions Wednesday to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states, following a Journey to Justice tour by Administrator Michael Regan last fall.

FILE - EPA Administrator Michael Regan, right, speaks to reporters at the O.B. Curtis Water Treatment Plant, a Ridgeland based facility near Jackson, Miss., about longstanding water issues that have plagued the city, on Nov. 15, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a series of enforcement actions to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems in minority communities in three Gulf Coast states that Administrator Michael Regan visited as part of a "Journey to Justice" tour last fall.(AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Environmental Protection Agency announced a series of enforcement actions Wednesday to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states, following a Journey to Justice tour by Administrator Michael Regan last fall.

The agency will conduct unannounced inspections of chemical plants, refineries and other industrial sites suspected of polluting air and water and causing health problems to nearby residents, Regan said. And it will install air monitoring equipment in Louisiana's chemical corridor to enhance enforcement at chemical and plastics plants between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. The region contains several hotspots where cancer risks are far above national levels.

The EPA also issued a notice to the city of Jackson, Mississippi, saying its aging and overwhelmed drinking water system violates the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. The order directs the city to outline a plan to correct the significant deficiencies identified in an EPA report within 45 days.

In separate letters, Regan urged city and state officials to use nearly $79 million in funding allocated to Mississippi under the bipartisan infrastructure law "to solve some of the most dire water needs in Jackson and other areas of need across Mississippi.''

The actions were among more than a dozen steps announced being taken in response to Regan's tour last November. Regan visited low-income, mostly minority communities in Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas as part of an effort to focus federal attention on communities adversely affected by decades of industrial pollution.

FILE - EPA Administrator Michael Regan, third from left, and Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, climb down from a section of the Jackson Water Treatment Facility in Ridgeland, Miss., on Nov. 15, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a series of enforcement actions to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems in minority communities in three Gulf Coast states that Administrator Michael Regan visited as part of a "Journey to Justice" tour last fall. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

A Toxics Release Inventory prepared by the EPA shows that African Americans and other minority groups make up 56% of those living near toxic sites such as refineries, landfills and chemical plants. Negative effects include chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension.

In every community I visited during the Journey to Justice tour, the message was clear: residents have suffered far too long and local, state and federal agencies have to do better, Regan said.

The unannounced inspections of chemical plants and other sites are going to keep these facilities on their toes,'' he told reporters on a conference call.

Inspections currently are done on a schedule or with advance notice, Regan said, but that is about to change. We are amping up our aggressiveness to utilize a tool that's in our toolbox that ... has been there for quite some time,'' he said.

When facilities are found to be noncompliant, the EPA "will use all available tools to hold them accountable,'' he added.

A pilot project combining high-tech air pollution monitoring with additional inspectors will begin in three Louisiana parishes  St. John the Baptist, St. James and Calcasieu  that are home to scores of industrial sites and are long plagued by water and air pollution.

FILE - EPA Administrator Michael Regan talks with Brenda Bryant, left, and other members of the group Rise St. James, as he tours a neighborhood next to the Nu Star Energy oil storage tanks, in St. James Parish, La., on Nov. 16, 2021. The Environmental Protection Agency is taking a series of enforcement actions to address air pollution, unsafe drinking water and other problems afflicting minority communities in three Gulf Coast states. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)

President Joe Biden has made addressing racial disparities, including those related to the environment, central to his agenda. He has pledged that at least 40% of new spending on climate and the environment go to poor and minority communities. The administration's commitment to the issue has come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks, as two key environmental justice appointees departed. Cecilia Martinez, a top official at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, and David Kieve, who conducted outreach with environmental justice groups, both left the White House, putting a spotlight on promises yet to be fulfilled.

Regan, a former environmental regulator in North Carolina, has made environmental justice a top priority since taking over as EPA head last year. As the first Black man to lead the agency, the issue is really personal for me, as well as professional, he told The Associated Press in November.

"I pledge to do better by people in communities who have been hurting for far too long, he said Tuesday.

Historically marginalized communities like St. John and St. James, along with cities such as New Orleans, Jackson and Houston, will benefit from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law signed by Biden, Regan said. The law includes $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure, while a sweeping climate and social policy bill pending in the Senate would pump more than twice that amount into EPA programs to clean up the environment and address water and environmental justice issues.

As part of its enforcement action, the EPA is requiring a former DuPont petrochemical plant in La Place, Louisiana, to install fence-line monitors to identify emissions from the site, Regan said. The plant is now owned by the Japanese conglomerate Denka.

The agency also said it will push for greater scrutiny of a proposed expansion of a Formosa Plastics plant in St. James and issued a notice of violation to a Nucor Steel plant that emits hydrogen sulfide and other harmful chemicals.

Regan said he has spoken with New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell about Gordon Plaza, a city neighborhood built on the site of a former toxic landfill. Gordon Plaza was designated as a Superfund site in the 1990s, but dozens of mostly Black families still live there.

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The EPA will review the site, starting in March, Regan said, and will add nine homes not included in earlier plans to help families move. City officials hope to use money from the infrastructure law to relocate families and build a solar farm on the site.

EPA also said it has completed a review of proposed actions to clean up creosote contamination from a site in Houston now owned by Union Pacific Railroad. The site, in the Kashmere Gardens area in the city's Fifth Ward, has been linked to higher than normal cancer rates in the historically Black neighborhood.

EPA said it will work with Texas officials to ensure corrective actions address the concerns of community members.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who toured the area with Regan, said Wednesday it was very encouraging that federal officials share our concerns and know the names and faces of those affected.''

Sharon Lavigne, president of Rise St. James, a grassroots organization that has battled petrochemical plants in Louisiana, said the EPA's actions were "just the beginning of what needs to be done'' to address pollution from the petrochemical industry.

Its important that EPA recognizes the need to listen to the science, which shows the destructive Formosa plastics facility should be stopped and that no other harmful chemical facilities should be allowed to cause harm in our community anymore,'' Lavigne said. "Im hopeful that he will really get some things done.
BERLIN (AP)  A top German security official said Wednesday that his agency has created a task force to investigate individuals suspected of using Telegram to commit crimes, amid growing concerns that the messaging app is becoming a medium for radicalization.

BERLIN (AP)  A top German security official said Wednesday that his agency has created a task force to investigate individuals suspected of using Telegram to commit crimes, amid growing concerns that the messaging app is becoming a medium for radicalization.

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Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office warned that the app is being used to target politicians, scientists and doctors for their role in tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic in particular has contributed to people becoming radicalized on Telegram, threatening others and even publishing calls to murder, the agency's chief, Holger Muench, said in a statement.

He said the task force would seek Telegram's cooperation but also take measures if it doesn't.

The German government has tried for years, with little success, to get Telegram to abide by the country's rules on taking down illegal content.

The company behind the app, which claims to have hundreds of millions of users worldwide, is based in the United Arab Emirates.

Last month, German police carried out raids in Saxony after media reports that a group of people on Telegram had discussed plans to kill the state's governor, Michael Kretschmer, and other members of the state government. The group's members shared a rejection of vaccinations, the state and the government's coronavirus policies.
ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greek army and municipal crews removed hundreds of vehicles Wednesday that had been stranded in snow for three days along a road linking Athens to its international airport, as authorities struggled to clear blocked thoroughfares and restore power to blacked out parts of the capital.

People enjoy snow at the Olympic complex in northern Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. Greek authorities struggle to clear blocked roads and restore power to blacked out parts of the Greek capital after heavy snowfall has caused major disruptions in Greece. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

ATHENS, Greece (AP)  Greek army and municipal crews removed hundreds of vehicles Wednesday that had been stranded in snow for three days along a road linking Athens to its international airport, as authorities struggled to clear blocked thoroughfares and restore power to blacked out parts of the capital.

In Istanbul, Turkeys largest city, road and air traffic was returning to normal, but snow still covered large swathes of the metropolis of 16 million people.

Heavy snowfall has caused major disruptions this week in Greece and neighboring Turkey, halting flights, blocking highways and causing power outages.

Snow blanketed Athens and much of the country on Monday, leaving thousands of drivers trapped on major roads in the Greek capital for hours, with many forced to spend the night in their cars.

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Countless motorists were also stranded for several hours on highways around Istanbul while flights in and out of Istanbul Airport, one of Europe's busiest travel hubs, were suspended. The airport said Wednesday that it was slowly returning to its normal operations with a total of 681 landings and takeoffs scheduled.

People walk on a frozen road after a snowstorm as Penteli mountain is seen in the background, in northern Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022. The efforts Wednesday came as authorities struggle to clear blocked roads and restore power to blacked out parts of the city. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

The snowstorm however, rekindled debate over the location of Istanbul Airport  one of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogans megaprojects  that replaced Ataturk International Airport as the citys main airport when it opened in 2019.

Critics say the new airports location near Black Sea is not suitable for an airfield. It also has no metro service, making access difficult, and no nearby hotels to accommodate stranded passengers. On Tuesday, hundreds of stranded passengers staged a protest at the airport chanting: We need (a) hotel!

In Greece, many city streets were still impassable on Wednesday. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis offered a personal and sincere apology to the stranded drivers during a Cabinet meeting, but he blamed the road's private operators for mishandling the reaction to the storm.

In Turkey, the snowstorm led to recriminations, with members of Erdogans government and the opposition-run municipality trading blame for the chaos while praising their own disaster management efforts.

Istanbuls Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a popular opposition politician touted as a possible rival to Erdogan in elections slated for 2023, offered an apology on Wednesday to the thousands of people for their suffering on Istanbuls roads. He rejected criticism, however, for meeting the British ambassador for dinner during the crisis.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A Colorado-based aviation company announced Wednesday that it has chosen a North Carolina airport as the manufacturing site for next-generation supersonic passenger jets. If successful, the investment could create more than 2,000 jobs in the region over the next decade while cutting flight times significantly for a post-Concorde generation of air travelers.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper presents a gift to Kathy Savitt, President and Chief Business Officer of Boom Supersonic, during an announcement, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022 that the aviation company will build its supersonic jet at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C. The company said it will employ more than 1700 people by the end of the decade. (Walt Unks/Winston-Salem Journal via AP)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP)  A Colorado-based aviation company announced Wednesday that it has chosen a North Carolina airport as the manufacturing site for next-generation supersonic passenger jets. If successful, the investment could create more than 2,000 jobs in the region over the next decade while cutting flight times significantly for a post-Concorde generation of air travelers.

Boom Supersonic announced that Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro will be the home for its first full-scale manufacturing plant, including the final assembly line, testing and delivery center for its proposed Overture supersonic airliner. Boom estimates it will create over 1,750 jobs by 2030, with a goal of reaching more than 2,400 jobs by 2032.

State and local governments have offered $230 million in financial incentives to make the project a reality, including money for airport improvements, which the legislature approved in November, and other sweeteners approved Wednesday.

As with most such projects, some of the incentives going to Boom Technology Inc., the companys parent, will be canceled if it doesnt meet job-creation and investment goals. The anticipated capital investment is $500 million.

Jacksonville, Florida, and Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, were also in the running for the plant, according to a state Commerce Department official who publicly briefed an incentives committee prior to the announcement. The project had been known to recruiters as Project Thunderbird.

The Overture plane is designed to carry 65 to 88 passengers, consume sustainable aviation fuel and cruise at 60,000 feet (18,290 meters) at 1,300 mph (2,090 kph)  twice the speed of todays passenger jets. Many technical and manufacturing hurdles still must be overcome before the aircraft becomes a practical option for airlines, however.

In a news release Wednesday, the company said the new factory will begin production in 2024, with the first Overture aircraft rolled out in 2025, flying in 2026 and carrying its first passengers by 2029.

Selecting the site for Overture manufacturing is a significant step forward in bringing sustainable supersonic air travel to passengers and airlines, Boom Supersonic CEO Blake Scholl said in the release. He said North Carolinas ready aerospace workforce, easy access to technical schools and proximity to aerospace suppliers were factors influencing the companys decision to locate here.

The Piedmont Triad airport is already the headquarters of Honda Aircraft Co. and the production site for its seven-passenger HondaJet Elites.

Boom is confident that Greensboro will emerge as the worlds supersonic manufacturing hub, Scholl said.

Gov. Roy Cooper and other elected leaders and recruiters gathered in Greensboro for the announcement. It came less than two months after Toyota said it would build an electric vehicle battery plant in the region, which is a roughly 90-minute car trip west from Raleigh.

Cooper made a reference to the crowd about North Carolinas First in Flight designation  it was on the Outer Banks that the Wright brothers completed the first powered self-propelled flights in December 1903.

This afternoon, were launching the future of flight, Cooper said. We are ready with the education, the diverse workforce, with the transportation, with the good economy and with the quality of life necessary for success. The average salary for plant employees is expected to be almost $69,000 annually.

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Boom is one of several companies trying to revive supersonic passenger travel, which died with the grounding of the Concorde nearly two decades ago. Boom has built a one-third-size demonstrator aircraft called the XB1, but now it faces the daunting challenge of bulking that up.

Boom boasts of pre-orders from several potential customers. United Airlines also announced last year an agreement to buy 15 copies of the Overture and take options for another 35. United, however, said any orders hinge on Boom meeting certain financial and operational targets, which it declined to describe in any detail.

Skeptics say that if supersonic passenger travel were really feasible, Boeing and Airbus would be building the planes instead of leaving the market to startups like Boom.

The Concorde flew over the Atlantic and was barred from many overland routes because of the sonic booms, and any new supersonic planes will face the same hurdles. Another factor that helped kill the Concorde was its high cost of operation. Scholl has said technology will help solve both of those challenges, and tickets should be in the range of current-day business-class fares.

___

Associated Press airlines writer David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
RENO, Nev. (AP)  The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the American West.

FILE - Mustangs, recently captured on federal rangeland, roam a corral at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's holding facility north of Reno, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2013, in Palomino, Nev. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner, File)

RENO, Nev. (AP)  The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the American West.

Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning, known as an ally of conservationists on several public land fronts when she was appointed in the fall, says the agency plans to permanently remove at least 19,000 horses and burros this year.

That's 70% more than the previous high a year ago.

Critics say its a continuation of a decades-old policy that kowtows to ranchers who dont want horses competing with their cattle and sheep for limited forage on agency rangeland in 10 states.

It didnt take long for Tracy Stone-Manning to sell out Americas wild horses, Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral said.

FILE - Horses stand behind a fence at the BLM Palomino Valley holding facility on June 5, 2013, in Palomino Valley, Nev. The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West. (AP Photo/Scott Sonner, File)

In Nevada, home to about half the 86,000 horses roaming federal lands, three groups have filed a lawsuit challenging what they say is the illegal, inhumane roundup of more than 2,000 horses that's already underway near the Utah line.

Of the hundreds gathered so far, 11 have died, according to the agency's website.

At least one death was a colt that continued to be pursued by a low-flying helicopter driving the herd toward a holding pen even though it had a clearly broken leg, according to the lawsuit. It says the colt suffered for at least 29 minutes before it was euthanized.

It is more than disappointing that BLM will continue the charade that they care about wild horses, said Laura Leigh, president of the Reno-based Wild Horse Education, one of the plaintiffs.

Bureau spokesman Jason Lutterman declined to comment in an email to The Associated Press.

Stone-Manning said in announcing the 2022 roundup plans earlier this month the animals' population has declined since 2020 but is still triple what the government claims the land can sustain ecologically  something horse advocates dispute. The agency permanently removed 13,666 animals from the range in 2021.

The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Reno says the agency is exaggerating drought conditions and exploiting legal loopholes with 10-year plans that combine multiple horse management areas without the necessary site-specific assessments.

Meanwhile, it says taxpayers continue to finance subsidies for the livestock industry through below-market grazing fees for millions of cattle and sheep causing more ecological harm than horses.

Using drought as a fig leaf for its illegal actions, the bureau ... is depopulating the West of its wild horses and burros herd by herd and burning through taxpayer dollars with their endless roundups and holding facilities, said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, lead co-plaintiff with the New York-based CANA Foundation.

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The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the horse activists are threatening the future of rangeland ecosystems and the well-being of the horses themselves.

Groups who file lawsuits like this continue to prove that theyd rather draft emotional press releases than contribute to meaningful solutions," said Kaitlynn Glover, the association's director of natural resources.

Roundups are an important part of the process of bringing the horse herds into balance with the range, she said.

The agencys 2022 strategy includes treating at least 2,300 animals with fertility control and releasing them back to public lands  an approach supported by some but not all horse advocates  to stem the growth of herds that otherwise double about every five years. That's nearly double the previous high of 1,160 in 2021, the bureau said.

The agency acknowledges that, due partly to a sharp decline in demand for captured horses offered for public adoption over the past 10 years, it has been left in the unsustainable position of gathering excess horses while its holding costs spiral upward.

The lawsuit says the environmental assessment the bureau approved in May for the Nevada roundup described plans for a series of phased gathers to remove excess animals over a 10-year period, not at once.
OTTAWA - As the Trudeau government wraps its cabinet retreat Wednesday, its handling of the Ukraine-Russia crisis faces growing criticism for being soft and superficial while rendering Canada missing in action with its allies.

A serviceman stands holding his machine-gun in a trench on the territory controlled by pro-Russian militants at frontline with Ukrainian government forces in Slavyanoserbsk, Luhansk region, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. Ukraine's leaders sought to reassure the nation that a feared invasion from neighboring Russia was not imminent, even as they acknowledged the threat is real and prepared to accept a shipment of American military equipment Tuesday to shore up their defenses. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Alexei Alexandrov

OTTAWA - As the Trudeau government wraps its cabinet retreat Wednesday, its handling of the Ukraine-Russia crisis faces growing criticism for being soft and superficial while rendering Canada missing in action with its allies.

The criticism comes from not only the Conservative Opposition but from a former Canadian analyst in Europe who was on the diplomatic front lines of the political tensions between Ukraine and Russia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government also faces pressure from Ukrainians of Canadian descent who are amplifying the requests by Ukrainian leadership in Kyiv for several key asks that he and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly have repeatedly deflected.

Those asks are to provide weapons to the Ukraine military, impose further sanctions on Russia and extend Canada's military training mission of its forces beyond its expiry date at the end of March.

The requests have domestic political implications because Canada's Ukrainian diaspora of 1.4 million people is one the most influential constituencies in domestic political affairs.

"For a country which professes to be one of Ukraine's closest allies the soft, tentative language being used by Canadian officials such as Foreign Affairs Minister Joly is a real head-scratcher," said Michael Bociurkiw, a Canadian who served as the spokesman for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe during the height of tensions following Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

"Language such as 'we are deeply concerned' doesn't reflect the outrage felt by most Ukrainian Canadians at what's currently transpiring on Ukraine's borders  this government's modus operandi is repeat the right buzz words without actually saying anything substantial."

That is unfortunate because Canada is well-positioned to provide a concrete response  including providing weapons  due to the expertise it has built up by deploying Canadian Forces personnel, RCMP officers and various diplomatic and development experts to Ukraine, said Bociurkiw, now a senior fellow with the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

Russia has positioned about 100,000 troops across Ukraine's borders along with tanks and other heavy artillery, raising fears across Europe of an invasion, something Russia has denied.

The Conservatives are questioning why Trudeau was left out of a meeting that U.S. President Joe Biden hosted on Monday from the White House situation room with several key European leaders.

The White House readout of the meeting listed the participants: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Polish President Andrzej Duda and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

"Justin Trudeau is not on this list. This is what happens when you fail to stand up for Ukraine," tweeted Conservative MP James Bezan, who has been banned from travelling to Russia for his outspoken advocacy for Ukraine over the years.

Trudeau's office explained his absence from the Biden meeting by saying the government has been working closely with the Ukrainian government and its international partners, including recent discussions with Biden, Scholz, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson. It also noted a weekend phone call between Joly and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and a recent phone call between Defence Minister Anita Anand and her American counterparts.

"We stand by our friends in Ukraine and will continue to be there for the Ukrainian people alongside our allies as we have with military training missions, as well as financial and economic supports," said spokeswoman Cecely Roy in an email.

Roy also noted that Canada gave Ukraine a $120-million loan aimed at bolstering the country's economy in the face of the Russian threat.

On Tuesday, Bezan, Conservative foreign-affairs critic Michael Chong and the party's procurement critic Pierre Paul-Hus called on the government to redirect weapons to Ukraine that were originally intended for Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in northern Iraq.

"With more and more signs of a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, the time for waffling by Prime Minister Trudeau must end," the three Conservatives said a statement.

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Bociurkiw said Canada should have long ago sent weapons to Ukraine because "they can't be integrated quickly into front-line operations. The Ukrainians have made clear the type of gear they need so there should be little doubt as to which gaps Canada can fill."

Ottawa followed its allies on another key move on Tuesday by ordering the children and family members of its embassy staff in Ukraine to leave the country.

The decision came after Britain said it would pull some of its diplomats out of its Ukraine embassy, and after the U.S. State Department decided to order the families of its Ukraine embassy personnel to leave.

"The safety and security of Canadians, our personnel and their families at our missions abroad is our top priority," Global Affairs Canada said.

On Monday, decision by Global Affairs updated its travel advisory warning against non-essential travel to Ukraine, which has been in effect since last week. The advisory now suggests Canadians who are in Ukraine consider leaving.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 25, 2022.
Main Street Project is receiving funding from the provincial and federal governments after expanding its shelter space to allow for safer social distancing.

Main Street Project is receiving funding from the provincial and federal governments after expanding its shelter space to allow for safer social distancing.

The new shelter space was developed in December 2020 at the former Mitchell Fabrics building at 637 Main St., increasing overnight capacity to 120 beds from 70 at its former location.

MSP executive director Jamil Mahmood said the new facility has consistently reached or exceeded capacity since it opened.

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The onset of the pandemic magnified the need for appropriate space and our funders stepped up to support our efforts to purchase and renovate quickly, he said in a statement. The shelter has been highly used 24-7 since opening, offering low-barrier services to thousands of people with nowhere else to turn.

Now, $1.5 million from the federal government and Manitoba Housing will go to support capital costs for the acquisition of the building. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. has invested $2 million through the National Housing Strategys National Housing Co-investment Fund that will go to construction costs.

Adequate overnight options for people experiencing homelessness are essential, especially in the colder winter months, said Families Minister Rochelle Squires.

Although more work is needed to support Manitobas homeless population, Main Street Projects success in expanding its shelter will help more people find a safe place to stay and to receive support.

The Winnipeg Foundation has donated $500,000 and MSP has received more than $800,000 in private donations.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca
Manitoba has recorded a drastic drop in the number of newborns entering foster care, newly obtained data show. However, Indigenous advocates say more needs to be done to end the discriminatory practice of birth alerts for good.

Manitoba has recorded a drastic drop in the number of newborns entering foster care, newly obtained data show. However, Indigenous advocates say more needs to be done to end the discriminatory practice of birth alerts for good.

For years, Manitoba led the country in the proportion of children in care, who are still overwhelmingly Indigenous. Part of that stems from decades of child-welfare agencies using birth alerts  a form they would fax to Manitoba Health, requesting an automated alert when a pregnant woman they feel is high-risk enters a maternity ward.

Child-welfare agents used criteria that often included any prior involvement in foster care or even accessing welfare while pregnant.

For hundreds of women a year, that meant having their children taken by government workers right from the delivery room.

"Coming out asking for help shouldnt result in you losing your child forever or for any period," said Diane Redsky, head of the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre.

Coming out asking for help shouldnt result in you losing your child forever or for any period.  Diane Redsky

The Progressive Conservative government formally ended the practice of birth alerts July 1, 2020. Existing laws would still have newborns apprehended when they cant safely be taken home with parents, but the government pledged more pre-birth programming so more families could be kept together.

In the fiscal year ending March 2018, Manitoba had issued 558 birth alerts, with about half (282 newborns) ending up being placed into foster care within their first four days of life.

That number has gradually dropped, with 186 newborns placed into care in the fiscal year ending March 2020.

Fresh data obtained by the Free Press show Manitoba is on track to have less than 100 newborns taken into care during this fiscal year.

In the fiscal year ending March 2021, 101 newborns were placed into the foster system. Between April 1 and Dec. 31, 2021, 59 newborns were taken into care.

In the fiscal year ending March 2021, 101 newborns were placed into the foster system.

In an interview, Families Minister Rochelle Squires attributed the drop to a reform that unpegged child-welfare funding amounts from the number of children taken into care.

The idea is to boost preventative programming, to cut down on the trauma and added taxpayer expense of putting children into a new home. Advocates generally support changing the funding model, but warned the new formula  dubbed single-envelope or block funding  results in agencies receiving less cash overall.

"Ending the practice of issuing birth alerts doesnt mean the end of any newborn apprehension, but what it does do is end that discriminatory practice that was not serving communities and families well at all," Squires said.

RUTH BONNEVILLE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Diane Redsky, head of the Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre, says her staff finds agents for Child and Family Services more receptive during pre-birth meetings with expectant moms.

"In fact, it was likely further stigmatizing them and in many cases causing mothers to not reach out, to get the support and help that she needs to be successful in raising her children."

Redsky said it seems the system is gradually improving.

Her staff at Ma Mawi in Winnipeg find agents for Child and Family Services are more receptive during pre-birth meetings with expectant moms.

Staff from the Indigenous outreach centre help moms craft a plan to show that she has enough supports from relatives and community groups to successfully parent. The agents review that plan, and suggest other services that could help.

"Theyre having more meaningful conversations with CFS agencies when there is a concern about a mom taking her baby home from the hospital," said Redsky.

Far fewer moms end up having their child taken away, but Redsky said its unclear if thats due to the provinces gradual reforms or the COVID-19 pandemic changing how foster care works.

Squires argues her government is making progress by funding prevention work by community organizations at-risk moms will feel comfortable accessing, which can range from kicking an addiction to simply finding babysitting.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Families Minister Rochelle Squires attributed the drop number of newborns taken into foster care to a reform that unpegged child-welfare funding amounts from the number of children taken into care.

For example, the Mothering Project at Mount Carmel Clinic in Winnipeg offers nutritional counselling, a pre-natal clinic, daycare and Indigenous ceremonies. Another project in the citys North End, Grannys House, offers to temporarily look after Indigenous children so parents can do errands or have a break.

"What we really need to do is have a stronger focus on some of the prevention initiatives that were already starting to see some really good results from," Squires said.

Redsky said those changes are a stop-gap to true reform, where Indigenous governments have autonomy over child welfare.

"Until they have full control, were always going to be within a system that is designed to set up to make us fail," she said.

Redsky herself was in foster care as a child, and might have been the subject of a birth alert two decades ago at HSC Womens Hospital.

"There was social workers sniffing around the hospital when I (gave birth to) my son back in 1998," she said. "Being Indigenous, Im sure there was also some racial profiling contributing to that."

There was social workers sniffing around the hospital when I (gave birth to) my son back in 1998.  Diane Redsky

Redsky was part of a 2018 legislative review commissioned by the PCs, which argued Manitobas social systems use criteria that work against First Nations and Metis.

"Until we change the rules, regulations and standards, we will always have a system that will work against Indigenous families."

To that end, some Indigenous governments want to take authority over child welfare through a bill the federal Liberals enacted in 2019.

Squires said the pandemic has delayed talks between Ottawa and Manitoba aimed at clearing hurdles for that process to take effect, such as figuring out funding formulas and who would gain access to child predator registries.

But she said both governments are committed to devolution.

"Jurisdiction over their child welfare will certainly allow many Indigenous governing bodies to repatriate their children, and theyll be, I believe, tremendous outcomes through that transition," she said.

Internal data show a downward trend in children coming into foster care across all age categories. But Squires said her job isnt done until newborns are all kept with their families.

"Because were still seeing newborn apprehensions, we still have a ways to go," she said.

"We need to continue on, until were seeing all families supported well enough to stay together."

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca

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A Manitoba bishops petition for peace will be broadcast directly to Ukraine, as he joins Catholics around the world to pray Wednesday amid growing tensions in Eastern Europe.

A Manitoba bishops petition for peace will be broadcast directly to Ukraine, as he joins Catholics around the world to pray Wednesday amid growing tensions in Eastern Europe.

Metropolitan Lawrence Huculak will preside over the 10 a.m. Ukrainian-language service at Sts. Vladimir and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral, broadcast internationally as part of the Jan. 26 world day of prayer for peace proclaimed by Pope Francis.

"Its a very big vote of support to our people in Ukraine and to us in Canada," said Huculak, who joined other Canadian bishops in issuing a statement supporting the Ukrainian church and asking for a peaceful solution to the looming military conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Russia has moved about 100,000 troops near its border with Ukraine in recent weeks.

The Ukrainian-language cathedral service one of a dozen livestreamed prayer services from Manitoba parishes, beginning at 8 a.m. and continuing hourly, with the final service at the McGregor Street cathedral at 9:15 p.m.

The international broadcast from Ukraine begins at 1 a.m. (CST).

Rev. Mark Gnutel will lead two public services, singing the liturgy at 11 a.m. at St. Anne Ukrainian Catholic parish, and then leading prayers at 1 p.m. at St. Michaels in Transcona.

"Well do what we can to make it a prayerful event, calling for peace and the changing of hearts," Gnutel said of his services held in mostly in English.

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The day-long prayer vigil touches the heart of Ukrainian-born Rev. Mykhaylo Khomitskyy, concerned for family and friends in Ukraine, but also convinced Canadian support can be felt by the mother church in Ukraine, led by Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk.

"He says prayer is more powerful than any human weapon," said Khomitskyy, priest at St. Basil the Great Ukrainian Catholic parish in St. James.

Khomitskyy and his school-aged children will participate at 8 p.m. with a service held in English and Ukrainian.

Wednesdays prayers follow the annual week of prayer for Christian unity, celebrated by Christians around the world. On this day, Christians will be united in their call for peace in Ukraine and other global hot spots, said Khomitskyy.

"The whole Catholic universal church will pray for peace in the Ukraine and the world," he said. "Its a huge support. The whole assembly is united in prayer."

faith@freepress.mb.ca
It was only three months ago that surgeons successfully attached a kidney from a genetically altered pig to a human recipient. Since then, new successes continue to pile on. In December, the kidney procedure was successfully repeated. Then, earlier this month, we celebrated another huge leap forward in such xenotransplantation: surgeons successfully transplanted a pig heart into a human patient who lives in the Baltimore area. For this accomplishment, congratulations are in order.

Opinion

It was only three months ago that surgeons successfully attached a kidney from a genetically altered pig to a human recipient. Since then, new successes continue to pile on. In December, the kidney procedure was successfully repeated. Then, earlier this month, we celebrated another huge leap forward in such xenotransplantation: surgeons successfully transplanted a pig heart into a human patient who lives in the Baltimore area. For this accomplishment, congratulations are in order.

The success of these procedures hinged on the incredible talent of surgeons and medical professionals, and it also required decades of behind-the-scenes research to build the foundations of genetic engineering in pigs. It was a continuum of work that I was part of at a lab in Missouri beginning over two decades ago and is now offering hope to the more than 100,000 people waiting for organ transplants.

But there was also a time when that initial research was derided as, pardon the pun, pork-barrel spending.

In 2001, I and a team of collaborators at the University of Missouri, and Robert Hawley at Immerge Biotherapeutics in Boston, first patented the technology to create so-called knockout pigs. In simple terms, our research showed how to remove  or knock out  a molecule on the surface of a pigs cell. These knockouts affect the genes that control for a variety of traits. To develop the technologys potential, we began with projects that to some may have seemed silly. Through our genetic engineering research, we showed its possible to develop bioluminescence in pigs, basically making them emit a low level of light.

This development was a vital proof of concept (and those green pigs remain essential to scientists by providing cells that can be easily tracked, for example, to study the use of stem cells to repair organ damage). We showed that pigs could be produced from genetically engineered cells, like the process used to clone Dolly the sheep.

Next came a steady drumbeat of progress that benefited both human and animal health. For example, weve been able to disrupt the gene that makes pigs vulnerable to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. These pigs are now resistant to a deadly virus that every year kills thousands of animals and costs pork producers in North America and Europe an estimated US$6 million each day.

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Taken collectively, all of these milestones were part of the slow process that helped us find how knockout pigs and gene editing could help people.

By developing these and other enabling technologies, we were able to create pigs that help us study a range of ailments, including cystic fibrosis, retinitis pigmentosa and cancer. Fast-forward to 2022; Revivicor was able to use knockout pig technology licensed from the University of Missouri (one of the 10 genetic modifications included by Revivicor) to develop a heart and kidney that resist hyperacute rejection. This is critical because hyperacute rejection occurs when the bodys defences attack a foreign organ. It ensues within minutes without this specific knockout.

Its clear we are now taking the first steps into a new era of human health and well-being. There are hundreds of thousands of people on transplant lists, a vast majority of them awaiting a kidney. Those patients have the option to go on dialysis while they wait. For those who need a heart, options are more limited. Basically, there are two ways off any transplant list: you either receive an organ or you die. Its been reported that the patient in Baltimore was facing just this choice, and receiving a pig heart was the final (and best) option.

This is the unique hope xenotransplantation provides, built on decades of foundational discoveries and the enabling technologies that make genetic engineering in pigs possible. There is a direct line from glowing pigs to saving lives  it just takes time for scientists to discover what is possible.

Randall Prather is a professor of animal sciences at the University of Missouri and director of the National Swine Resource and Research Center.

 Baltimore Sun
After a healthy man in his 40s contracted COVID-19 and died, grieving members of a southern Manitoba Hutterite colony were in desperate need of answers.

After a healthy man in his 40s contracted COVID-19 and died, grieving members of a southern Manitoba Hutterite colony were in desperate need of answers.

How could someone with no apparent underlying issues fall victim to the disease? Surely, they wondered, something else must have been wrong with him.

Joined by public-health nurses, Dr. Ganesan Abbu, who cared for the patient, visited the Morden-area colony to answer residents questions and find out what was stopping those who hadnt been vaccinated yet.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Were still trying to reach out to people to be vaccinated, and we have had a little success," says Dr. Ganesan Abbu, an anesthetist and special care unit doctor at Boundary Trails Health Centre.

By the time he left, 25 people had rolled up their sleeves to get their first shot that day in late November.

"I spoke to them about vaccine hesitancy. We had frank discussions about vaccine safety and how to evaluate claims," said Abbu, an anesthetist and special care unit doctor at Boundary Trails Health Centre, located between Morden and Winkler.

"The people who had the most questions were the first ones to roll up their sleeves. They said, I wish you had come a year earlier and spoken to us."

The people who had the most questions were the first ones to roll up their sleeves. They said, I wish you had come a year earlier and spoken to us.  Dr. Ganesan Abbu

As he assured them the unvaccinated man who died had been in good health, Abbu addressed their concerns. He explained they do not contain COVID or fetal cells, and he cited studies that found vaccines do not cause infertility.

The veteran physician was a trusted voice after treating the seriously ill man, who was intubated and transferred to a Winnipeg hospital before he died.

For Abbu, visiting the colony showed why it is still important to keep educating the unvaccinated and encouraging them to get immunized.

"I think it was extremely encouraging, and it points to the fact that if you can have a meaningful conversation with people without having any hard lines, its possible to change minds," he said. "Were still trying to reach out to people to be vaccinated, and we have had a little success."

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES The Boundary Trails Health Centre. At 21.6 per cent, the Rural Municipality of Stanley has the lowest two-dose uptake. Winkler is next at 41.6 per cent.

Changing minds hasnt been easy in some corners of the Southern Health region, where the colony is located. Two years into the pandemic, the region is home to eight of the 10 Manitoba health districts with the lowest vaccination rates.

At 21.6 per cent, the Rural Municipality of Stanley has the lowest two-dose uptake. Winkler is next at 41.6 per cent, followed by Hanover (47.3 per cent), Altona (48.7 per cent) and North Norfolk (50.3 per cent).

"For some people, even after they have lost a loved one or been on deaths door, theyre in denial," said Abbu. "They will not change their stance on vaccination."

For some people, even after they have lost a loved one or been on deaths door, theyre in denial."  Dr. Ganesan Abbu

Some of his patients refused to accept their diagnoses. One family wanted "COVID-19" to be left off their loved ones death certificate.

Abbu knows some Manitobans have taken a hard line and wont get vaccinated no matter what he tells them about the safety and benefits.

"Ultimately, it is the patients choice," he said.

Almost 86 per cent of eligible Manitobans had received at least one dose as of Tuesday. The uptake for two doses was lower, at almost 79 per cent.

More than one-third (38.7 per cent) have had a booster shot.

Across all eligible age groups, the number of first doses jumped to 51,912 in December after the province began offering the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to children aged five to 11.

Januarys total was 14,579, as of Tuesday.

MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Kyle Penner, associate pastor at Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach, has been encouraging Manitobans to get their shots since the rollout began in 2020.

Almost 4,800 adults received their first dose this month. The total in December, when the Omicron-fuelled wave of coronavirus began, was 7,539, down from 9,987 in November and 16,343 in October.

Kyle Penner, associate pastor at Grace Mennonite Church in Steinbach, has been encouraging Manitobans to get their shots since the rollout began in December 2020.

Amid the latest wave of COVID infections, he has heard anecdotes from health-care workers whove vaccinated first-timers.

"You would think at this point now there wouldnt be a lot of first doses, but they keep coming," said Penner, who was a member of the Protect MB Advisory Committee, which promoted vaccine uptake.

Employing kindness, patience and civilized discourse, he refuses to give up.

"Agreeing to disagree on this isnt going to solve this pandemic. It isnt going to save the health-care system," he said.

Agreeing to disagree on this isnt going to solve this pandemic. It isnt going to save the health-care system."  Kyle Penner

Some parishioners have decided to get their first dose after speaking to him. He still encounters resistance and hesitancy in some conversations.

While those interactions have been friendly, Penner continues to receive insults or negative comments from anti-vaxxers or other strangers online. He remains undeterred.

"Ive been called Satan. Ive been told Im going to hell. Two weeks ago, somebody called me and said I dont have a heart," he said. "Ive taken the posture Im not going to return hate for hate. Im going to try to understand and be compassionate.

"How we treat each other matters. Yelling at each other and being terrible isnt going to help."

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching
Almost all of the citys long-term care homes are currently battling outbreaks during the latest pandemic wave.

Almost all of the citys long-term care homes are currently battling outbreaks during the latest pandemic wave.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority said 34 of 39 long-term care facilities in the Manitoba capital have declared active COVID-19 outbreaks; resulting in 25 deaths so far.

In a statement Tuesday, the WRHA said an outbreak is declared with having two active cases (whether residents, staff or visitors) linked within 14 days of each other, with at least one having been infected at the facility.

"The WRHA has implemented and is managing a comprehensive system-wide approach to protect and care for residents and staff at Winnipeg PCH facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks," the authority said.

"This involves coordination with WRHA clinical management, PCH management and staff, regional programs, and community partners."

SUPPLIED Jan Legeros of Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba said there have been staff shortages at some facilities, but that concern is also different than previous COVID waves.

Jan Legeros, executive director of the Long Term & Continuing Care Association of Manitoba, said while there have been many facilities grappling with outbreaks, the impact is not hitting fragile seniors like earlier waves did.

"Were certainly having fewer tragic outcomes  thats good news," said Legeros.

"Weve had a few (centres) recover from outbreak, but then went back into outbreak again. It comes and goes, and I guess thats the way it is with the high, high community spread (of the Omicron variant). We dont even know where those numbers are now."

Legeros said there have been staff shortages at some facilities, but that concern is also different than previous COVID waves.

"We saw that before, but thankfully this time, the staff can come back after five days of feeling well if they are fully vaccinated," she said.

"Fully vaccinated designated family caregivers can come, too. And probably 98 per cent of residents are fully vaccinated and have the booster, so most werent as terribly ill. We also have monoclonal therapy, too.

"And we are so much wiser in knowing what to look for."

The Convalescent Home of Winnipeg, where three residents have tested positive, is just one of the facilities with an outbreak of COVID.

"We are ever so thankful that all symptoms were mild, the spread was contained, and we now only have three residents who continue to be on precautions, with the expectation that these three will soon also be on our fully recovered list," said development co-ordinator Sherry Heppner.

"We do feel that the vaccinations and booster shots helped tremendously and, of course, the efforts of all our staff."

The WRHA suspended visitation in personal care homes starting Dec. 31.

The WRHA suspended visitation in personal care homes starting Dec. 31.

Heppner said the facility doesnt know yet when they will be allowed again.

"We will this week be starting discussions on how best to proceed  of course, exercising due care and caution because of recognizing that community spread is so very rampant. It would be tremendously hard on everyone if just after reintroducing family/friend visits, that we would have to stop them again."

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Four of the local personal care homes operated by Ontario-based Revera Inc. Beacon Hill Lodge, Charleswood, Kildonan and Poseidon  have active outbreaks.

A Revera spokesperson could not be reached Tuesday. On Dec. 31, the company said Beacon Hills outbreak began Dec. 20, with eight staff testing positive; by Dec. 31, 13 staff and 10 residents had tested positive for the virus.

The three Actionmarguerite care homes (St. Boniface, St. Vital and St. Joseph) are dealing with outbreaks.

According to a statement, St. Boniface has recorded three pandemic deaths, 45 active resident cases, and 73 staff test positive in total (with 60 of them since recovered); St. Vital has logged one death, seven active cases with residents (22 recovered) and 25 staff (21 recovered); and St. Joseph one has had one death, eight residents with active cases, and 22 staff who tested positive (16 recovered).

"Let us all pause for a moment to recognize the impacts of this pandemic on everyone and remain hope filled that it will, like all pandemics, end," Micheline St-Hilaire, Actionmarguerite chief executive officer, said in a statement.

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard battled time and currents Wednesday as aircraft and ships searched for 38 people missing in the Atlantic off Florida, four days after the capsizing of a suspected smuggling boat killed at least one and left one known survivor.

The U.S. Coast Guard ship Bernard C. Webber, leaves the coast guard base, Monday, July 19, 2021, in Miami Beach, Fla. The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for 39 people after a good Samaritan rescued a man clinging to a boat off the coast of Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP)  The U.S. Coast Guard battled time and currents Wednesday as aircraft and ships searched for 38 people missing in the Atlantic off Florida, four days after the capsizing of a suspected smuggling boat killed at least one and left one known survivor.

Capt. Jo-Ann F. Burdian told a news conference that finding the other migrants alive is their highest priority. She said the survivor told rescuers that they capsized shortly after sailing into a storm from the Bahamas Saturday evening. The Coast Guard were alerted Tuesday morning after the crew of a merchant vessel spotted the man sitting alone on the overturned hull of the 25-foot-long boat.

It is dire. The longer they remain in the water ... exposed to the marine environment ... with every moment that passes, it becomes much more dire and more unlikely that survivors will be found, she said.

Coast Guard Cutter Ibis' crew searching for people missing from a capsized boat off the coast of Florida, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. The Coast Guard searched through the night Wednesday for 39 people missing from a capsized boat after a solitary survivor was found clinging to the overturned hull. Crews on at least four ships and five aircraft already scanned a vast area about the size of Rhode Island on Tuesday after the man was pulled to safety. (U.S. Coast Guard via AP)

Crews searched throughout the day and night, extrapolating from where the wreck was spotted about 40 miles (64 kilometers) off Fort Pierce, Florida. By Wednesday morning, crews on at least four ships and five aircraft scanned a vast area about the size of New Jersey, Burdian said. They planned to keep searching throughout the day and then reevaluate.

We are using every piece of information we can to make sure we are exhausting our search efforts, Burdian said. But we cant search forever.

The man said he was part of a group of 40 people who left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday evening in what the maritime security agency suspects was a human smuggling operation, she said. The man said they capsized shortly thereafter, and none of them were wearing life jackets, she added.

The Coast Guard said a small craft advisory had been issued as a severe cold front blew through the dangerous passage on Saturday and Sunday, with winds up to 23 mph (37 kph) and swells up to 9 feet (3 meters) high. Tommy Sewell, a local bonefishing guide, said there were high winds and fierce squalls of rain on Sunday into Monday.

Crew members of the Coast Guard cutter William Flores get ready to go on patrol, Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022, in Miami Beach, Fla. About 40 people left the island of Bimini in the Bahamas on Saturday evening in what the maritime security agency suspects was a human smuggling operation. One person was found alive off Fort Pierce and one body was recovered. The Coast Guard is searching for the 38 remaining migrants. The William Flores is not part of the operation. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

The survivor was brought to a hospital for symptoms of dehydration and sun exposure. Burdian wouldn't provide more details about him, saying he's now in the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.

Bimini is a small island about 55 miles (90 kilometers) east of Miami and about 100 miles (160 kilometers) south of where the survivor was found. The capsized boat was apparently pushed north by the Gulf Stream, a warm and swift current that wraps around the Florida peninsula and flows north along the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

Migrants have long used the islands of the Bahamas as a steppingstone to reach Florida and the United States. They typically try to take advantage of breaks in the weather to make the crossing, but the vessels are often dangerously overloaded and prone to capsizing. There have been thousands of deaths over the years.

For the most part, these migrants are from Haiti and Cuba, but the Royal Bahamas Defense Force has reported apprehending migrants from other parts of the world, including from Colombia and Ecuador earlier this month.

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The Coast Guard constantly patrols the waters around Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and the Bahamas. On Friday, its crews pulled 88 Haitians from an overloaded sail freighter west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

Navigating the Florida straits, Windward and Mona Passages ... is extremely dangerous and can result in loss of life, the Coast Guard said last weekend.

Last July, the Coast Guard rescued 13 people after their boat capsized off of Key West as Tropical Storm Elsa approached.

The survivors said they had left Cuba with 22 people aboard. Nine went missing in the water.

___

Associated Press writer Ben Fox in Washington contributed to this report.
Photo by Chris Rogers

Scott Pollock is the new executive director at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum.
For the first in three years, area special needs individuals will have a night to celebrate in March.

Through the Beacon Grant from the Elks National Foundation, Baraboo Elks Lodge 688 is sponsoring Dancing Under the Stars, A Prom for Individuals with Special Needs, on March 19. According to the event flyer, the dinner, dance and coronation will run from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Baraboo Civic Center, and is free of charge to all guests.

We are spending $2,500 of the grant to sponsor the Prom, said Baraboo Elks Secretary Kathy Francisco. The first one was fabulous. They (attendees) had the best time of their lives. These are a lot of people who, in high school, did not have the opportunity to go. Were giving them their own prom night and they really enjoy it.

Anyone with special needs age 13 and older can attend the event. Francisco said the guest limit is 100.

According to Francisco, 16 area businesses and residents are contributing to the event, including Kevin Kellogg, a local disc jockey and The Wilderness Resort in Lake Delton, which is providing table linens.

We didnt solicit, said Francisco of the many contributors. I put it out on Baraboo United on Facebook that we were going to sponsor this prom three years ago and  boom  people started calling.

I am excited to be offering my services for free as I feel this is a very worthwhile event the that the Baraboo Elks are hosting, said Kellogg through email

Catering the event will be Jo Heath with assistant Amber MacMurray. The original event flyer said the dinner will consist of bite size beef medallions, mashed potatoes, salad and dessert. Water, lemonade, and iced tea will be served as drinks. Francisco said she may consider coffee as well.

The first installment of the event in 2019 was at Camp Wawbeek in Wisconsin Dells, according to Francisco. She added that a need for more space was the basis for the venue change.

Well use the gym so itll be a real prom, said Francisco with a laugh.

The prom attendees should have a great time dancing to the music and enjoying the event, said Kellogg.

If any guests requires assistance with restroom or feeding needs or have behavioral issues that require assistance, the Baraboo Elks asks that a caregiver attend. Francisco said there are no current guidelines in place regarding masks or COVID-19 vaccinations for attending.
Juneau County residents gathered at a listening session Jan. 21 to speak with their political representatives on rural broadband, the drug epidemic and election integrity.

Republican State Senator Howard Marklein and Republican State Representative Tony Kurtz listened to concerns from citizens for about an hour on various issues facing constituents of their districts at the Lemonweir Town Hall.

Marklein, who represents the 17th Senate District and is Co-Chair of the Joint Finance Committee, and Kurtz, who represents the 50th Assembly District which includes most of Juneau County, held three listening sessions Jan. 21 in Lemonweir, Camp Douglas and Lyndon Station.

Broadband

After numerous residents spoke to inform the representatives that a lack of access to broadband is a major issue facing the rural areas of Juneau County, both Kurtz and Marklein acknowledged the issue but stated the lack of access is not due to a lack of money.

There is ample money, but the problem now is going to be crews, its going to be supplies, Kurtz said. Order fiber now, (you) wont get it until 2023 fiber costs are going up, labor costs are going up.

Asked how much of the more than $2.5 billion budget surplus he would commit to broadband, Marklein agreed with Kurtz.

I believe now money is not the problem, there are billions coming into the state, Marklein said. Weve committed more money in the budget to state broadband than ever before Im more concerned about waste at this point.

Marklein said broadband faces the same issue as money set aside for transportation, where no matter how much lawmakers put into the budget to address infrastructure every penny will be spent regardless of the actual cost of the project.

According to Marklein, the most effective way for rural communities to ensure they receive broadband are not through the state level but by having a local champion.

You need a champion, Marklein said. A person who is going to birddog this thing, make the phone calls, make sure a meeting doesnt get delayed a month or so.

Tobacco and drugs

Mauston Council Member Donna McGinley thanked Marklein for re-introducing, and Kurtz for coauthoring in the Assembly, a bill on vaping before asking both representatives to address the drug epidemic in Juneau County.

Substance abuse Juneau County has seen a lot of that, McGinley said. We know that residential treatment is certainly good but it is very expensive and not always geographically close to a persons home or community. they recover then are put back and face employment problems, lack of housing, other issues.

McGinley said those recovering from substance abuse need services to sustain themselves in recovery, and the cost to support those individuals is worth the money.

Im very appreciative of the work you do in the county, Kurtz said, noting that the drug issue is personal for him. It is very expensive, very time consuming dont dismiss the drug issue in our nation, it is very real.

McGinley asked that Kurtz and Marklein advocate for Juneau County to receive funding from upcoming opioid settlement fund hearings. A virtual listening session for members of the public from Adams, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Green, Grant, Iowa, Juneau, Lafayette, Richland, Rock, Sauk, and Vernon counties and members of the Ho-Chunk Nation is scheduled for 1 p.m. Jan. 28.

Election integrity

Town of Lemonweir Clerk Carin Leach expressed concerns over the possible removal of the Wisconsin Election Commission amidst hearings in Madison on the 2020 election.

We rely on them for so much information and guidance during every election, for me theyve been a godsend, Leach said. Ive been here 20 years, theyve evolved over the years, but for a small township the access we have to them, and to get the right forms, thats something I dont have the time to figure that out. We need someone to help me so our voters get the right information and make sure theyre able to vote.

Marklein, who noted he volunteered for the April 2020 election as a poll worker, said he appreciates the work of clerks like Leach.

As far as WEC, it needs to be there, you need that support, Marklein said. Someone has to be there to answer a question, an email.

However, both Marklein and Kurtz said they had questions about the election, with Marklein saying he has full confidence in the results here, in my township, all over rural Wisconsin (but) some places got different instructions than we got here.

Leach, who said she is preparing for the upcoming elections, said lawmakers need to focus on the future.

I did a lot of work, spent a lot of time, Leach said. I want that year to be over with, were done with this, were past it they keep digging it up and saying its not legal, spending tax payer money.

Kurtz defended the money spent on election investigations, saying that Hillary Clinton lost the election in 2016 but Democrats spent millions on investigating Russian collusion. He said the Republican-ordered investigation led by former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman is necessary to answer questions about the 2020 election despite the investigations portrayal in the media.

What is getting mixed in the shuffle is there was approximately $8 million dollars that came from outside groups into Wisconsin, Kurtz said, claiming the money was sourced from a group funded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Kurtz expressed concerns that election officials in Milwaukee, Dane and Brown Counties were targeting Democrat voters in those counties who had not yet voted, rather than all voters who had not yet voted, and the efforts were aided by the funds coming from out of state.

Both Kurtz and Marklein are running for re-election in 2022.

Reach Christopher Jardine on Twitter @ChrisJJardine or contact him at 608-432-6591.

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MADISON  Legislation that would increase the pay of correctional officers in Wisconsin, authored by Representative Mark Born (R  Beaver Dam), passed the State Assembly today.

Assembly Bill 828 would provide a $5 per hour pay bump for all correctional officers working in prisons in the state.

Economy-wide, employers throughout the country are suffering from the lack of workersa challenge that has been exacerbated by the pandemic, Rep. Born said. Our adult correctional facilities are not immune from these challenges and face increasingly severe staffing shortages.

Nine of Wisconsins prisons are operating with more than 25% vacancies, with even larger shortages at maximum security facilities. Waupun Correctional Institution and Columbia Correctional Institution, both maximum security facilities, have vacancy rates of 48% and 46% respectively. Employees of correctional facilities report mandatory overtime, often including traveling long distances or working 16 hour days for multiple consecutive days to cover the gaps in staffing.

Even without these vacancies, the hardworking men and women staffing our prisons make big sacrifices to keep our communities safe. The addition of vacancies have caused unsustainable levels of overtime, making these positions even more stressful and challenging for our correctional officers, Rep. Born added.

This proposal follows significant pay increases from both the 2019-21 budget, which increased starting pay for prison guards by 14%, and the 2021-23 state compensation plan, which raises pay by $5 per hour for facilities experiencing high vacancy rates and $2 per hour for maximum security facilities.
COLUMBUS  The Columbus School Board may hire a search firm to help find the districts next superintendent.

The Columbus School Board officially accepted the retirement of Superintendent Annette Deuman during its meeting Monday. Columbus School Board President Julie Hajewski said that although the school board managed the hiring process to hire Deuman seven years ago, that former superintendent Bryan Davis, who was hired in 2010, was located using an external consulting firm.

Although another option, would be hiring internally.

Columbus, as far as I am aware, has no one internally who has their superintendent license, Hajewski said.

An external firm will cost the district money, but Hajewski said the firm could offer expertise in contract negotiation, tap a larger pool of candidates and be able to vet possible candidates for the district.

I like having a neutral party and making sure we hear from everybody, board member Tessie Sharrow said.

Students, staff and community members will be addressed to find out their desires for the next superintendent, Hajewski said.

We have to admit that there is contention in the community, board member John Pearson said. With a more neutral party, it can drive discussion which might be helpful.

A larger pool of candidates is important, because there are a large number of openings for superintendents in Wisconsin. Sharrow said that as many as 80 of the 421 school districts in Wisconsin will be looking for a superintendent in the 2022-23 school year.

There are 42 to 43 openings for sure, Hajewski said, there is an expectation that another 30 superintendents will retire or resign this year as well.

John Bales, the executive director for the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, said on average about 70 districts change leadership each year with 15 to 25 retiring each year.

Experienced superintendents are a valuable commodity and sought after by hiring boards, Bales said.

The Columbus School board unanimously approved to begin the process of identifying an outside consulting firm to find the next superintendent. The board will meet on Monday to begin the process by submitting their request proposal for services.
Tourism, village maintenance, vacant property development, senior housing and preparation for a large facelift of Wisconsin Dells Parkway will boost Lake Delton in 2022.

Tom Diehl, the owner of Tommy Bartlett Exploratory and a village trustee, said the village has a long list of items slated to be addressed and completed this year as do commercial enterprises in the village.

He started with Mt. Olympus Water and Theme Parks unique new Ferris wheel-concept waterslide and expansion of the waterpark.

That is going to draw, were estimating, a couple hundred thousand new people to the Dells because thats normally what that ride has experienced, said Diehl, citing examples of other worldwide similar water slides in China and Europe. Those two things are going to pay big dividends for the tourism economy for the summer.

Lake Delton Village Plans A gallery of areas in which the village is looking to further develop is below.

Mt. Olympus is looking to have the new slide, Medusas Slidewheel, ready for this summer. Diehl is hoping the slide and an expansion to its resort incentive program in the Premier Resort Tax Budget will bring more tourism to the area.

Nick Laskaris, the owner of Mt. Olympus, is also increasing the size of the waterpark by 50 percent, according to Diehl.

Thats one of the areas we really feel that we need to concentrate on because we need new attractions coming to the area that are going to draw people, said Diehl.

In 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation will begin a major construction project that will span from the northern terminus of Wisconsin Dells Parkway at its intersection with Broadway south to the roads intersection with Adams Street.

We do need to start talking and making some decisions on the Dells Parkway project and start getting feedback to DOT, village engineer John Langhans said. We have ideas and got the 30 percent plans from them.

The planning in advance of that is critical, said Diehl. Theyre (the DOT) going to need to buy additional right-of-way to accommodate the width of the road.

The village has received a grant to redevelop the site of the former Kings Inn Motel, according to Diehl. He hopes to develop a senior housing project on that plot after two unsuccessful attempts at obtaining funding through the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority.

We need to develop senior housing here so that our residents dont have to go to Reedsburg or Portage or Baraboo for their needs, said Diehl.

He also is hoping for property and road development near Outlets at the Dells. A vacant area adjacent to BWP Liquor Dells is also a potential development location, as well as the site of the former Twi-Lite Motel on Wisconsin Dells Parkway.

Earlier in May 2021, a driver struck Lake Delton Lift Station No. 5, prompting a reconstruction project of the station, which is located at the corner of Skyline Lane and Hiawatha Drive. On Jan. 24, the village approved CCJ Construction, a firm from Muscoda, to reconstruct the station for $376,500, according to Langhans.

Weve been limping along after the unfortunate accident where a driver ran into it, said Diehl.

The $12 million new station for the Lake Delton Police Department is preferably going to be done by the middle of April, according to Diehl.

Its going to allow our police force to function in an efficient manner, said Diehl.

Another big-ticket item for 2022 is rebuilding the Kwik Trip gas station at the intersection of Wisconsin Highway 23 and Interstate 94 (exit 89). The new facility will be considerably larger and located next to the Crystal Grand Music Theater in Lake Delton. The current Kwik Trip will remain standing until the new one is completed. Diehl did not specify a date of completion.
Cast and crew members from three area high school productions have been nominated for top state theater awards.

Beaver Dam Area Community Theatre, Beaver Dam High School and Mayville High School are participants in the Jerry Awards, a program run through the Overture Center for the Arts in Madison.

Named after philanthropist and arts supporter W. Jerome Frautschi, the program encourages and recognizes student excellence in musical theater.

The Jerry Awards will see roughly 100 productions each year. Educators and industry professionals review musicals in 30 Wisconsin counties, providing constructive feedback to the schools.

Mayville High Schools December production of Mary Poppins received the following nominations:

Outstanding Lead Performance: Leah Seiler and Alec Twigg

Outstanding Supporting Performance: Tahlia Holappa, Emma Tenerelli-Meddaugh and Joseph Weiglein

Outstanding Ensemble

Outstanding Choreography: John Dobbratz

Outstanding Scenic Design: John Dobbratz

Spirit Award: Joseph Weiglein

MHS Musical Director John Dobbratz said he was impressed with every single person involved with the show.

This cast and crew took care of each other, spent time growing each moment of this show and truly committed to taking audiences to a magical place, he said. The outpouring of emotion following the final show made it clear that this cast cared so much about what they do and Im so thankful for them to have had the audiences and reviews that they did.

Beaver Dam High Schools November production of Fiddler on the Roof received the following nominations:

Outstanding Lead Performance: Karl Weidler, Rachel Falkinham, Abby Davidson, Warrick Gochenaur and Eli Uttech

Outstanding Supporting Performance: Elise Mangan, Mylana Lunde, Natalie Franke, Brendan Simon, Clara Hale, Kadon Hoffman and Zoe Lord

Spirit Award: Warrick Gochenaur, Kadon Hoffman, Eli Uttech and Karl Weidler

BDHS Musical Director Mark Lefeber said the review he received of the show contained 21 pages of notes for the cast, crew, and orchestra. Reviewers specify things that are being done well, and things that can be improved upon the next time a musical is produced.

Its so great to see students being recognized for their hard work throughout the fall. I am, as always, grateful to my team for doing all they can to make these students shine on stage, he said.

Lefeber also directed Beaver Dam Area Community Theatres all-area high school production in June. Dobbratz joined him as the choreographer of Working: A Musical.

John was fantastic! The kids loved him, the direction team loved working with him. He was an excellent addition to the team, he said.

The musical doesnt have lead characters as the audience meets and hears stories of individual workers in the course of one day. Lefeber said this allowed the opportunity to cast many more voices and to feature some performers in speaking roles, and not just singing roles.

Students from five high schools were recognized for their work. Working: A Musical received the following nominations:

Outstanding Supporting Performance: Kaleb Herrick of Horicon High School, Riley Smith of BDHS, Alanna Schuett of Wayland Academy, Elyse Braun of BDHS, Sarah Rhoads of Sun Prairie High School, Koen Jaeckel of BDHS, Matthew Bachmann of BDHS, Reese Vache of Columbus High School, Natalie Dibert of BDHS, Brendan Simon of BDHS, Eli Uttech of BDHS, Trevor Wunsch of BDHS and Weston Fields of BDHS.

Outstanding Direction: Director Mark Lefeber and Assistant Director Amy Friedl

Outstanding Costume Design: Natalyn Nelson

Outstanding Sound Design: Greg Ritchart

Spirit Award: Matthew Bachmann, Natalie Dibert and Olivia Lafler, all of BDHS

An exciting note about the spirit nominees is that Olivia is the first pit member to be nominated for the Spirit Award. Shes played keys in the pit for the last three years, and this year she took the podium as conductor for the show, said Lefeber.

The Overture Center announces the Jerry Award recipients based on the nominations in May. The 2022 Jerry Awards Show will be held on Sunday, June 12, and features performances by outstanding musical and performers.

Follow Kelly Simon on Twitter @KSchmidSimon or contact her at 920-356-6757.

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A Necedah man will serve 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography.

According to a release from the Juneau County Sheriffs Office, Adam Maranto, 48, of Necedah was sentenced to 10 years in prison for one count of possession of child pornography Jan. 18. Four other counts of possession of child pornography and a felony charge for exposing a child to harmful material were read in but dismissed as a result of a plea agreement.

Maranto was arrested in 2019 after an investigation by the Juneau County Sheriffs Office, the Wisconsin State Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Racine County Sheriffs Office and the Tomah Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Juneau County District Attorney Kenneth Hamm.

Juneau County Sheriff Brent Oleson said the investigation of Maranto began Feb. 8, 2019 following a cyber tip regarding the uploading of child pornography.

After a search warrant was obtained, Marantos cell phone and lap top were seized and forensic analysis was performed, which revealed images and videos of child pornography, Oleson said. After more investigation, it was revealed that Maranto had contacted a minor from out of state and had been paying the minor for nude images.

Reach Christopher Jardine on Twitter @ChrisJJardine or contact him at 608-432-6591.

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A conservative law firm on Wednesday asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to bypass a recent state appeals court decision and prohibit the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the Feb. 15 spring primary.

The motion was filed by the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty just two days after the District 4 Court of Appeals issued a stay against an earlier ruling by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, which barred the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state. The appeals court said in an order Monday that the lower courts ruling creates the potential for voter confusion and uncertainty in the Feb. 15 primary. The court also temporarily halted Bohrens order that voters cannot have anyone else return their ballot for them.

WILL deputy counsel Luke Berg in an emergency motion asked the states high court to rule on the matter as soon as possible. While absentee voting has already begun in next months primary, an order vacating the appeals courts stay will not cause significant problems, Berg wrote.

Few primaries in Dane County While there are many contested races for local office in the April 5 election, the only offices in Dane County for which a primary must be held to narrow the list of candidates are the races for school board in Barneveld, Columbus, Lodi, Mount Horeb and New Glarus. A primary for those races will be held Feb. 15.

The state Supreme Court on Wednesday told all parties in the case to file a response on the matter by 5 p.m. Thursday. The court has the ability to take up the matter immediately or leave it with the court of appeals, which is still considering future action. In a 4-3 ruling last summer, the Supreme Court turned back a separate attempt by a major Republican donor to ban the boxes.

Even if this Court concludes that it is too late at this point to vacate the stay for the February 15 primary, it should nevertheless grant the Petition for Bypass, Berg wrote. The issues in this case need to be resolved, if not immediately, then certainly in time for the spring election in April, and they ultimately need to be resolved by this Court.

As of about 8 a.m. Monday, nearly 8,400 absentee ballots had already been sent out by local clerks and at least 1,845 ballots have already been delivered or are currently out for delivery, according to court records.

After this Court issues an order vacating the stay, clerks can easily remove or cover any illegal drop boxes, and post signs on them and notices on websites that ballots must be mailed or delivered in person to the clerk, and by the elector, Berg wrote. This Court can even give clerks a few days to make that change.

State statutes do not address the use of ballot drop boxes, though the Wisconsin Elections Commission issued guidance in early 2020 to allow election clerks to make use of them. WILL and some Republicans have alleged the lack of statutory language makes the use of the boxes illegal. Proponents of drop boxes have said local election clerks should have discretion over their use and have targeted GOP efforts to limit or ban the boxes as an attempt to suppress votes.

The boxes were widely used in 2020 as an alternative for voters worried that, with the crush of absentee ballots during the COVID-19 pandemic and potential delays in mail delivery, their ballots might not make it back before Election Day. At least 34 states used or planned to use ballot drop boxes in the 2020 election and about 16% of voters nationwide in the 2016 general election made use of the boxes, according to the Elections Commission. Only four states prohibited the use of the boxes when the commission issued its guidance for their use in Wisconsin in 2020.

In testimony in the circuit court case last year, commission administrator Meagan Wolfe said at least 528 drop boxes were set up in 430 communities throughout the state in the November 2020 election.

In Madison, 13 of the citys 14 drop boxes are located at city fire stations, with one additional box near Elver Park.

While the city will not be holding a vote until the April 5 election, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said Wednesday the ongoing back and forth surrounding the legality of the boxes only adds to confusion for voters.

It just continues to raise the question of what is the point here? What are you afraid of? Rhodes-Conway said. People use ballot drop boxes all over the country and all over the state, in red areas and blue areas and everything in between. ... The impact of all of this is it creates confusion, it sows doubt.

The state Supreme Court also could take up the topic of drop boxes in a lawsuit filed last year by Republican gubernatorial candidate and former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch challenging the commissions guidance on drop boxes. The states high court has not said if it would take up the case before it goes through lower courts.

Another lawsuit was filed earlier this month by a Waukesha County resident represented by WILL. The voter is suing the Elections Commission for rejecting a complaint he filed last year regarding ballot drop boxes.
Press Release

January 26, 2022 De Lima opposes grant of amnesty to MNLF Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima is opposed to the Senate's adoption of House Concurrent Resolution No. 13 granting amnesty to members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) whose crimes are punishable under the Revised Penal Code and special penal laws. De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, maintained that the principles of amnesty are inapplicable to MNLF leader Nur Misuari and his faction because of their notorious reputation for rebelling for the slightest offense, imagined or real. "The grant of amnesty to the Moro National Liberation Front should not operate to deprive Zamboanga City of justice for the terrorist acts committed by Nur Misuari and his MNLF faction during the 2013 Zamboanga Siege," she said. "I stand firmly on the side of the people of Zamboanga in their pursuit of justice. Until Nur Misuari and the rest of his MNLF faction are held to account for these atrocities, we maintain that this 'peace' will merely be an illusion," she added. Last Jan. 24, House Concurrent Resolutions No. 13, which concurs with Duterte's Proclamation No. 1091, was reportedly approved by 18 Senators. De Lima was not able to cast her vote because she has not been allowed, not even via online, to participate in any Senate sessions or deliberations and to vote since the beginning of her unjust detention last Feb. 24, 2017. She would have cast a "No" vote for said resolution had she been allowed. In explaining her opposition, De Lima cited how, for nearly three weeks in September 2013, Zamboanga City became an urban warzone when the Misuari faction of the MNLF sought to seize control of the city and attempted to raise the flag of the self-proclaimed Bangsamoro Republik at Zamboanga City Hall. The siege caused the displacement of over 100,000 people, the occupation of several barangays by the MNLF, the deaths of several civilians, not to mention soldiers and policemen, the closure of the Zamboanga International Airport, massive losses in income and livelihood opportunities, and an estimated P3.3 billion in damages. De Lima lamented how the government chose to set aside criminal attacks on a peaceful city without so much as an admission of wrongdoing from the MNLF. "Meanwhile, many Zamboanguenos have yet to recover from the devastation. There are those who are still living in makeshift homes as internally displaced refugees while the government's promises of relief and rehabilitation continue to elude them," she said. "How many times shall we allow an individual and his rebel group to break its peace deals with the government before we start waking up to the fact that peace with such man or his group is just not worth it?" she added. Likewise, De Lima stressed that amnesty should never be awarded to those who have made a habit out of breaking peace deals with the government, and to those who resort to deadly rebellion and terrorist attacks. "For Zamboanga City, two deadly and destructive terrorist attacks by the Misuari MNLF faction should be enough. We should not open the opportunity for a third one by granting amnesty to Misuari and his MNLF faction," she said. "Nine years since the siege, the cry remains, Justice for Zamboanga City!" she added. As early as 1996, the government already entered into a peace deal with the MNLF by Misuari, with a deal that latter will be governor of the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that was to be created after a plebiscite. Despite the peace deal with the government, the MNLF Misuari faction continued to engage in violent upheavals against the government, victimizing civilians, killing soldiers and policemen, and resulting into death and destruction. "Two rebellions AFTER already closing a peace deal with the government should be more than enough ground to perpetually disqualify Misuari and his MNLF faction from amnesty as a matter of national policy," De Lima concluded. Recall that the DOJ, under then Secretary De Lima, filed in 2013 charges of rebellion and violation of the International Humanitarian Law against Misuari, other MNLF leaders and followers. Misuari went into hiding until a Pasig court temporarily suspended his arrest warrant in 2016.
Standoff in Ukraine: Q&A with Vice Provost Steve Hanson

Steve Hanson (Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley, 1991; BA, Harvard, 1985) is William & Mary's Vice Provost for Academic and International Affairs (VPAIA) and Lettie Pate Evans Professor in the Department of Government at William & Mary. Hanson is also a renowned expert in Russian and Soviet history and politics, so we reached out to him not only to explain some of the causes of the current tension in Ukraine, but also to explore some of Russian President Vladimir Putin's motives and objectives. - Ed.

Why should people care about a Russian incursion in Ukraine?

Can you put this in historical perspective? Is there an analogous moment in history?

It's hard to imagine a geopolitical issue of greater importance right now than the serious risk of a renewed Russian military assault on Ukraine.In the worst case scenario, if President Vladimir Putin decides to order an all-out invasion of the Ukrainian state, we would be facing the largest land war on European territory since World War II. But even in cases of less dramatic forms of Russian intervention, the response of the United States and its European allies will surely shape the future of Eastern and Central Europe, of Transatlantic relations, and of the NATO alliance.

Although there are certainly echoes here of major 20th century crises in Europe before World War I and World War II, I would be cautious about the use of any one historical analogy from the past in interpreting the contemporary crisis in relations between Russia and the West.



For one thing, we are living in a world that is far more interconnected than in the past. This is really the first major geopolitical crisis in which the threat of massive cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, affecting every country involved in the dispute including Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, is such a major danger.



I would prefer to think of this crisis as what political scientists call a "critical juncture" in world affairs a time when old institutions have been called into question, when political and social uncertainty is extremely high, and when the actions of key players can have an unusually powerful effect on the course of events.

What lessons can be learned from the past?

Even if our current predicament is without direct historical precedent, it's well worth studying the entire history of U.S., Russian, and European international relations in depth to understand some of the deeper forces at work in this conflict.



In fact, history is taken a lot more seriously by our adversaries than by most Americans, and this can lead to missed opportunities in our foreign policy. Note that President Putin authored a major essay last July entitled "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians," which basically sets out Putin's entire rationale for demanding a complete revision of the post-Soviet geopolitical status quo ante.



The essay is filled with elisions and omissions of key facts, as well as some outright errors  but it's also quite clear that this is very much the version of history Putin himself believes to be true. And to understand the origins of the Russian narrative that denies that Ukraine is a "real" nation-state, one has to study the complex history of Soviet nationalities policy and its legacies in the post-Soviet era.



In short, to counter the Kremlin's threats against Ukrainian sovereignty effectively, Western policy makers need to understand Putin's views of history  and how to push back against these views in a way that is historically literate and thus convincing to our European allies.

Ukraine is the doorstep of Europe, what does this mean for the West?

Ukraine is not at the doorstep of Europe; it is completely within Europe. In fact, Russia itself is also a European country. Now that NATO has expanded to include many states that were once part of the Soviet bloc, the U.S. is pledged to defend several countries in close geographic proximity to Ukraine against any foreign aggression  whether most Americans realize this or not.



Our failure to defend, say, the Baltic States, Romania, Bulgaria, or Montenegro against potential threats from the Russian Federation would in effect render NATO a dead letter  and that, in turn, would raise the geopolitical uncertainty in Europe to a dangerously high level.



Putin is, of course, well aware of this, which is why he may be tempted to gamble that a Russian military incursion in Ukraine will lead to major disputes among key Western countries and ultimately split the NATO alliance. If that happens, we will likely see intense pressure placed on states throughout Eastern and Central Europe to "choose sides" between a resurgent Russia and an evidently fractured "West" assuming that the latter term would still mean very much in such a scenario.

What levers can we pull from the U.S.? What tools do we have in our diplomatic toolbox and how do they differ/align with strategies from the past?

Clearly, the most important tool in our current diplomatic and military toolbox (and it's impossible to analyze the prospects for U.S. diplomacy without including the military dimension) is NATO itself. At present, NATO is still the most powerful military alliance in the world by far, and it has actually been remarkably unified in the face of escalating Russian demands.



Indeed, heretofore neutral countries like Sweden and Finland are now seriously considering efforts to join NATO due to the Russian threat  precisely the opposite of Putin's intent. The problem is that NATO's importance to US security has been downplayed in American foreign policy debates over the past two decades, with both parties wanting to "pivot" to focus on China and Asia rather than Europe, and the Trump Administration attacking NATO itself quite forcefully. And similar statements disparaging NATO have been made by European leaders such as President Emmanuel Macron of France, who called the alliance "brain dead" and who now wants the EU to develop its own foreign policy strategy vis-a-vis Russia.



Germany, too, has a rather different take on the best approach to countering Russian demands, in part because of that country's national interest in maintaining stable deliveries of natural gas from the Russian Federation. In short, to hold together in this pivotal moment, Western leaders are going to have to do a much better job of explaining to their own publics why Transatlantic solidarity is still the linchpin of peace and security for much of Europe and North America  and arguably, for countries around the world, whose fates are inextricably intertwined with ours.

What role has disinformation, in this case Russian disinformation, played in the lead up to current events and how has it affected the electorate in Ukraine? Any warning signs there for the U.S.?

Strangely enough, this particular crisis has not been sparked so much by Russian disinformation as by its opposite: Putin is now openly declaring his quite sincere intentions to reestablish Russian control over a significant part of the former Soviet Union. Of course, Russia's next steps might still involve various forms of subterfuge designed to mislead observers about the true nature of Russian intervention, to undermine Ukrainian domestic political unity, and to amplify voices within the U.S. and Europe that support the Kremlin's position.

What possible outcomes do you envision from this conflict? How may the unique history of the region influence or inform those outcomes?

Our hope must be that by engaging all actors in this crisis in patient multilateral diplomacy, some face-saving way of letting Putin back down from his most audacious demands can still be found. Knowledgeable analysts both in Russia and the U.S. are looking at specific mutual commitments that might be made about the nature of Western force deployments in Eastern Ukraine or NATO military exercises in the region, for example, that would not negate Ukraine's sovereign right to join NATO in the (probably distant) future, but might reassure Russia that there truly are no Western plans to attack Russian territory either.



Russia, of course, would have to make parallel commitments. Unfortunately, Putin is now on record as demanding a wholesale revision of the post-Cold War order, including not only Western acquiescence to a Russian veto over Ukraine's foreign policy choices, but also the withdrawal of NATO military deployments throughout much of Eastern and Central Europe  and these demands are simply nonstarters. It thus becomes hard to see how a face-saving diplomatic outcome can be negotiated, until and unless Putin and his advisors abandon their more grandiose claims.



In short, there are good reasons to be very worried about the future potential for armed conflict in Ukraine, with dangerous potential spillover effects for global security writ large.
Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. [Xinhua/Li Xiang]

 Hailing the development of China-Central Asia relations over the past three decades as "a good example of fostering a new type of international relations," Xi pointed out that the keys to the successful cooperation are mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit.

 The Central Asian leaders said they will work with China "together for a shared future," echoing the motto for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and said they eagerly look forward to attending the opening ceremony of the sporting event next week.

 Analysts said that the complementarity between China's economy and the economies of the five countries provides huge space and potential for them to expand their pragmatic cooperation.

BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua)  China and five Central Asian countries vowed on Tuesday to build an even closer community with a shared future, as Chinese President Xi Jinping chaired a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the five countries.

As China's first major diplomatic activity involving Central Asia this year, the summit was attended by leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on," Xi said, reaffirming China's commitment to the region.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Zhaparov, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended the summit. [Xinhua/Yue Yuewei]

Model Ties

Hailing the development of China-Central Asia relations over the past three decades as "a good example of fostering a new type of international relations," Xi pointed out that the keys to the successful cooperation are mutual respect, good-neighborly friendship, solidarity in trying times and mutual benefit.

The leaders of the five Central Asian countries spoke highly of the fruitful results of cooperation with China, praising the development of relations between Central Asian countries and China that has not only promoted their respective development and prosperity, but also effectively safeguarded regional peace and stability.

Li Yongquan, head of the China Society for Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies, said that, since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China has always treated the five Central Asian countries equally, and has carried out practical cooperation with the five countries to help them resolve their most urgent problems.

Both sides said they viewed the summit as a significant milestone.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the heads of state of the six countries reviewed the past, summed up their experience, discussed cooperation, and reached many important consensuses, which will inject new impetus into the future development of relations, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng told media after the summit.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

Closer Community with Shared Future

"China stands ready to work with Central Asian countries to build on the good momentum and strive shoulder-by-shoulder to build an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future," Xi said in his speech, also making some proposals to realize the objective.

He announced that China will continue to provide vaccines and anti-epidemic supplies to Central Asian countries, and will step up joint production and technology transfer with respect to COVID-19 vaccines and medicines.

In 2022, China will provide an additional 50 million doses of vaccines as aid to Central Asian countries, and set up traditional medicine centers in countries where they are needed, Xi added.

The Central Asian leaders said they will work with China "together for a shared future," echoing the motto for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, and said they eagerly look forward to attending the opening ceremony of the sporting event next week.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

High-Quality Cooperation

Trade between China and Central Asian nations has grown by more than 100 times in the past 30 years, and the stocks of China's direct investment in the five countries exceeded 14 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce on Jan. 17.

Analysts said that the complementarity between China's economy and the economies of the five countries provides huge space and potential for them to expand their pragmatic cooperation.

In his speech, Xi suggested that the two sides should speed up high-quality cooperation, and strengthen cooperation on artificial intelligence, big data, cloud computing and other high-tech sectors.

According to a joint statement released after the summit, China and the Central Asian countries agreed to strengthen the docking of the Belt and Road Initiative with the five nations' own development strategies.

"I believe the summit will open up broad prospects for Central Asia and China to further strengthen pragmatic cooperation," said Yerlan Madiev, an expert at the Institute of World Economy and Politics in Kazakhstan.

(Source: Xinhua)
At a press conference in his office Tuesday, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha outlines what the state can expect from a recent lawsuit settlement with opioid makers and distributors.
Federal prosecutors are reviewing fake Electoral College certifications that declared former President Donald Trump the winner of states that he lost, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN on Tuesday.
888k funding boost a lifeline for children and families, say Wales childrens hospices

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jan 26th, 2022

Extra funding from the Welsh Government has been described a lifeline for children and families, say Wales childrens hospices

Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith childrens hospices are to receive 888k out of a 2.2m funding boost announced yesterday by Health Minister Eluned Morgan.

The remainder of the money will be shared by the adult hospice services across Wales.

This funding is on top of the 13.8m already allocated by the Welsh Government to support the sector and strengthen bereavement support throughout the pandemic.

The announcement is part of phase one of the end-of-life care review. The second phase will look at wider end-of-life care provision from April 2022, overseen by the new programme board for end-of-life care.

The funding has been allocated in the Welsh Governments draft Budget and will be distributed on a recurring basis from April 2022 onwards.

Minister for Health and Social Services Eluned Morgan said: Hospices are a critical part of our healthcare service in Wales, providing essential care to more than 20,000 people in Wales affected by terminal illnesses each year, helping to prevent avoidable admissions to hospital. More than 85% of that care is provided in the community.

This has never been more needed than over the last two years when, throughout the pandemic, hospices have been there to support patients, families and carers through the most difficult of times in the most difficult of circumstances.

We are committed to strengthening our focus on end-of-life care and we will continue to work closely with the new national programme board to drive actions across government and with stakeholders to improve end-of-life care services for all.

Wales only two childrens hospices, Ty Gobaith and Ty Hafan, welcomed the announcement, which outlined the additional funding, jointly between the two hospices on a recurring basis  bringing funding in line proportionally with what childrens hospices in England receive.

The two hospices have also welcomed the decision to distribute this additional funding via the NHS Collaborative, ensuring that they have discretion over how the additional funding will be spent to benefit of Wales most vulnerable children and their families whom they support.

This is the first time additional statutory funding has been made available to Wales two childrens hospices since 2007.

This means both hospices will receive around 21 per cent of the costs of providing palliative care to children and families in Wales. Together with the fantastic support and continued generosity of the people and businesses of Wales, it is an important step in building towards a sustainable future for the hospices.

This will allow the hospices to recruit more nurses and to build more resilience into their services in the hospices and in the community. It will also enable the hospices to extend the breadth and depth of their services and to provide more respite care for those families who so desperately need it.

Welcoming the funding announcement, Andy Goldsmith, Chief Executive of Ty Gobaith Childrens Hospice, said: Id like to thank the Welsh Government to responding to our ask for fair and sustainable funding for Wales two childrens hospices.

This increased funding is a major first step forward in ensuring the Lifeline that childrens hospices provide is available for every child and family that needs us.

We look forward to continuing to work with the Welsh Government to fund and develop services to meet the growing and changing need for the specialist care and bereavement support that both Ty Gobaith and Ty Hafan provide in Wales.

Chief Executive of Ty Hafan childrens hospice Maria Timon Samra said: Together with Ty Gobaith we have been campaigning for a sustainable funding solution for Wales childrens hospices.

We are delighted by the Welsh Governments commitment to act on the recommendations of the hospice funding review, an important first step in achieving this goal.

We thank the Minister, Eluned Morgan, Deputy Minster, Julie Morgan, and Members from across the Chamber, for their support for this Lifeline Fund, not forgetting those government officials who have also worked on this review.

We look forward to continuing to work with them to create a Wales that is more compassionate and supports children with life-limiting conditions and their families for whom our hospices are often the only place they can receive crisis and respite care and support.

Andy Fletcher, Chief Executive of Together for Short Lives, the UKs childrens palliative care charity, added: I welcome the Welsh Governments decision to allocate this funding to Ty Hafan and Ty Gobaith.

Childrens hospice care is a lifeline for thousands of seriously ill children and families across the UK, providing, short breaks for respite in an appropriate clinical setting, vital end of life care bereavement care and more.

Every child and family in Wales who needs it should be able to choose to access childrens hospice care, safe in the knowledge that it is sustainably funded.

Before the pandemic started, approximately two-thirds of hospices income came from fundraising activities.

The Welsh Governments emergency funding of 13.8m was used to support hospices as they lost income from charitable activities; protect their core services and to strengthen bereavement support.

The end-of-life care review was led by a NHS Collaborative team which analysed information submitted by hospices and held regular meetings to keep them informed of progress.
Headteacher appointed for Wrexhams newest Welsh-medium primary school

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jan 26th, 2022

The headteacher for Wrexhams newest Welsh medium primary school has been appointed.

Rhiannon James will take up the role at Ysgol Llan-y-pwll, in Borras, when it opens this September.

The school will provide education for three to 11 year olds in the local area.

Born in Wrexham, Rhiannon still lives in the area with her husband and three children.

Commenting on her role as acting headteacher, Rhiannon said: I am very excited about being appointed the first headteacher of Ysgol Llan-y-pwll.

The school will open its doors to nursery and reception pupils this September as part of the Welsh Governments strategy to have a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

I cant wait to welcome our first pupils and to guiding and supporting them on their exhilarating journey of learning through the variety of dynamic experiences the school will provide.

It will be an incredible opportunity and I look forward to establishing a happy and welcoming school with a thriving community ethos. As I will be the first headteacher of the school, I will be able to set out a clear vision of what I hope to achieve.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to lead and develop the type of school which I think every child should have access to; one where every child is important, nurtured and successful.

Rhiannon received her primary education at Ysgol Bodhyfryd and her secondary education at Ysgol Morgan Llwyd. Following this, she studied for a Psychology degree at Lancaster University and went on to complete her PGCE at Manchester Metropolitan University.

She started her teaching career at Ysgol Gwynedd, in Flint, before moving in 2009 to teach at Ysgol Bryn Tabor, Coedpoeth. Rhiannon is currently the Deputy Headteacher there but will start in her new role of acting headteacher at Ysgol Llan-y-pwll this summer term.

Plans to convert the former infants school building at Borras School into a Welsh medium primary were backed by a majority of executive board members in 2018.

However formal planning permission for the redevelopment was not given the go ahead until February 2021.

Work has been underway since last March and once complete the school will have the capacity for 210 children.

Cllr Phil Wynn, Lead Member for People  Education said, We are incredibly excited about the opening of the new Welsh medium primary school. Parents should consider sending their children to Llan-y-pwll as it will be a happy, welcoming, and caring environment where everyone succeeds.

The appointment of Rhiannon as acting Headteacher puts the school in very capable hands and I am positive it will thrive with her vision to develop a happy nurturing environment in which the pupils can thrive.

Karen Evans, Chief Officer for Education said, This is the start of a very exciting journey for Ysgol Llan-y-pwll, and the establishment of a new primary school in Wrexham will support our work to provide high levels of education for all children in the county borough.

If your child celebrates their 3rd or 4th birthday before September 1, 2022, you can make your application online at www.wrexham.gov.uk or e-mail admissions@wrexham.gov.uk for further assistance.

For more information, you can contact the school at: ysgol.cymraeg@wrexham.gov.uk
Households across Wrexham asked to light a candle and pay tribute on Holocaust Memorial Day

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jan 26th, 2022

Residents across Wrexham are being asked to pause and pay tribute tomorrow (Thursday 27 January) to those persecuted and killed during the Holocaust and other genocides throughout the world.

Each year Holocaust Memorial Day in the UK centres on a theme, this year its One Day.

At 8pm tomorrow evening households across the UK will be lighting candles and safely putting them in their windows to remember those who were murdered for who they were and stand against prejudice and hatred today.

Wrexham Council is also lighting up the Guildhall to mark the event.

AVOW will also be hosting a number of online, visual art and creative writing workshops that will give you time to pause and think, while also being creative.

Mark Pritchard, leader of the Council, said: Its so important that we never forget the horrors of the Holocaust, in which six million people were killed.

On Holocaust Memorial Day we can show our remembrance of these tragedies from home. People will be lighting candles and displaying in their windows all across the UK at 8pm on January 27 and we encourage Wrexham residents to join in.

We are proud to be a very diverse town, and we will always stand up to inequality and inhumanity in all its forms.

Hugh Jones, lead member for people  communities, partnerships, public protection and community safety, said: This years One Day theme gives us chance to consider the Holocaust in a number of thought provoking ways. We can think of one day in the future when there may be no genocide, or maybe considering victims of genocide and their families for whom one day changed everything, or even how those endure suffering survive by taking one day at a time.

I would encourage you to take part in Lighting the Darkness this year; it is by reminding ourselves of events of the past that we can work towards ensuring history doesnt repeat itself.

There will be the UK ceremony for Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 streamed online from 7-8pm (you can register to watch the ceremony online) and the Wales commemoration will be available from 11am on Thursday, January 27 by visiting Cardiff Councils YouTube channel.
Renewed calls for Wales specific inquiry into Welsh Governments handling of the pandemic

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Jan 26th, 2022

The first minister has faced renewed calls to hold a Wales specific inquiry into the Welsh Governments handling of coronavirus.

It comes after concerns were raised in the Senedd yesterday (Tuesday 25 January) over infection control in hospitals and the risk coronavirus poses to patients and staff.

First Minister Mark Drakeford has continually ruled out holding a Wales only inquiry, despite being challenged on why decisions that have affected Welsh lives and livelihoods wont be scrutinised in Wales.

Instead Mr Drakeford has said that provided there is a specific Welsh focus in the UK-wide inquiry, he believes that is the best way to move ahead.

However the Welsh Government has faced multiple calls from opposition parties, who have been joined by the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Group, the British Lung Foundation, Medics 4 Mask Up Wales, the Institute for Welsh Affairs, and Plaid Cymru.

Speaking during First Ministers Questions yesterday Paul Davies MS, Welsh Conservative, highlighted a damning hospital inspection report into Prince Charles Hospital last month, which found that the arrangements for the prevention and control of infection within the emergency department and clinical decisions unit did not protect patients, members of the public and staff.

He said: Clearly this report is another reason why a Wales-wide COVID inquiry is needed, so that issues like this can be scrutinised fully and questions answered over how these failings came to be.

Patients have the right to feel safe in a hospital setting, and yet, as this report shows, there are risks of cross-infections, and in some cases patients were at risk.

According to recent figures, nearly a quarter of people who died from coronavirus in Wales were infected in hospital, and despite Ministers consistently telling us they were learning lessons and implementing stronger protocols, the Prince Charles report shows that patients are still being put at risk.

Given the calls now for a Wales-wide inquiry from organisations, from politicians and from families across Wales, what will it finally take for the Welsh Government to agree to a Wales-wide inquiry, so that families can get justice and we can finally get answers in relation to decisions taken here in Wales by your Government?

However the first minister reiterated his stance on Wales taking part in a UK-wide inquiry being the best way forward.

Mr Drakeford said: What would it take for us to have a Wales-wide inquiry would be for me to lose faith, as he clearly has already, in the Prime Ministers ability to deliver the inquiry that he has promised.

Now, if I come to his lack of confidence in the Prime Ministers willingness to do that, then I would have to think again about arrangements here in Wales.

So far, as Ive also explained many times in the past, the Welsh Government has had an opportunity to be involved in the appointment of the judge, Judge Hallett, who will lead the independent UK-wide inquiry, and I was satisfied with that appointment.

Im very glad that she is someone who has a very strong understanding of the devolved context and will bring an ability to ensure that that inquiry does focus on experiences here in Wales.

There is another hurdle to pass in the next few days, when I hope that we will see the draft terms of reference. Theyre with the judge still at the moment. Welsh Government, through our officials, have contributed to the development of those terms of reference.

The Prime Minister has promised there will be a more formal opportunity for us to comment on them once Judge Hallett has completed her consideration.

I will want to see that those terms of reference guarantee that the experience here in Wales will be properly and fully explored by that inquiry. And then there will be a further set of issues that I will need to be satisfied about, about the way in which the inquiry itself will go about its business.

I will expect the inquiry to have access to expertise about Wales. I will expect it to have hearings here, directly in Wales, to make sure that it can collect the experiences, the views and the questions of people in Wales who will want that inquiry to be able to make the best sense it can of the experience of families, patients, staff here in Wales during the pandemic.

They will only get those answers, I believe, when they are able to explore what happened here in Wales within that wider and sometimes shaping UK context.

That is why I believe that that remains the best way of getting answers that people will wish to see from an inquiry about what happened here in Wales.
Self isolation reduced to five days  but only after two negative lateral flow tests

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Jan 25th, 2022

People in Wales who test positive for Covid-19 will be able to leave self-isolation after five full days if they have two negative lateral flow tests.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan confirmed this evening that the changes to the self isolation period will come into effect from 28 January, at the same time as Wales is expected to complete the move to alert level zero.

It comes after a thorough examination of the evidence from Public Health Wales and bring Wales into line with changes made elsewhere in the UK.

The two consecutive negative lateral flow tests must be taken on days five and six of the isolation period.

It is hoped that the shorter self-isolation period will support public services and businesses by reducing pressures on the workforce through Covid-related staff absences.

Financial support through the Self-Isolation Support Scheme which will return to the original payment rate of 500 in recognition of the shorter isolation period. People who need support with essentials such as shopping and pharmacy goods will be able to access help through their local authority and voluntary organisations.

Ms Morgan said: Self-isolation is one of the most effective ways of preventing the onward spread of this virus and disrupting its transmission.

But self-isolating for long periods can have a negative impact on our mental health and can be damaging for our public services and the wider economy.

After carefully reviewing all the available evidence, we believe that testing on days five and six together with five full days of isolation will have the same protective effect as a 10-day isolation period.

But it is really important everyone self-isolates and uses lateral flow tests in the way advised to ensure they protect others from the risk of infection.

The response from the public has been outstanding in Wales throughout the pandemic and we want to thank everyone for working with us to keep Wales safe.

The booster jab has lessened the likelihood of severe cases of the virus and hospitalisation so I encourage anyone who is yet to have their vaccine to take up the offer.

If a person is currently self-isolating as a positive case, or tests positive for Covid-19, they must self-isolate for five full days and should take a lateral flow test on day five and another test 24 hours later on day six.

If both results are negative, it is likely they are not infectious and can stop isolating.

But anyone who tests positive on either day five or day six must continue to self-isolate until they have two negative tests taken 24 hours apart or until day 10, whichever comes first.
Bill to reinstate death penalty for killing police officers in Illinois filed in Senate; similar bill filed in House
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In the first 26 days of 2022, 1,073 deaths from COVID-19 have been reported across Australia. The macabre four-digit milestone was reached with the announcement today of 87 fatalities in the past 24 hours.

At an average of more than 40 deaths each day since the beginning of the year, COVID-19 is now killing Australians more than ten times as quickly as it did between March 2020 and December 2021, and five times as fast as at the height of the Delta outbreak, between July and November last year.

Victoria reported 35 COVID-19 deaths today, while New South Wales (NSW) recorded 29, South Australia 13, Queensland 9 and Tasmania 1. Throughout the country, 5,240 people are hospitalised for the virus, with 373 in intensive care and 135 on ventilators.

A nurse holds a phone while a patient affected with COVID-19 speaks with his family from the intensive care unit. (Image Credit: AP/Daniel Cole)

In NSW, the only state which reports this information daily, two of the deaths reported today were people in their 50s, three in their 60s, two in their 70s, 16 in their 80s, and six in their 90s. Seven were unvaccinated, while 16 had received two doses and six had received three doses.

As of January 23, 71.8 percent of NSW patients hospitalised for COVID-19 had received at least two vaccine doses, up 1.6 points from the previous week. With only 79.8 percent of the states population (including children) double-vaccinated, the convergence of these figures makes clear that vaccination, as critical as it is, cannot prevent mass illness and death alone.

Of the countrys overall COVID-19 death toll of 3,299, more than one-quarter have occurred in the past two weeks, more than one-third in the past four weeks, and almost half in the past three months.

The leading cause of death in Australia is ischaemic heart disease, which in 2020 killed an average of 45 people each day, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. Were the COVID-19 death rate to continue at the rate seen since January 1, the disease would displace dementia (including Alzheimers disease) as the countrys second-highest killer.

Yet the position of the Australian ruling elite is to pretend these deaths are not occurring. Having repeatedly told the public infections dont matter, the countrys leaders now point to daily fluctuations in case numbers as evidence that Omicron has peaked, making virtually no mention of the mounting fatalities.

They are covering up the reality of living with the virus, under conditions where the supposedly mild Omicron variant is dominant. This is Chief Medical Officer Paul Kellys number one Christmas present, as he described the prospect of mass infection with the new strain in late November last year.

At least 163 of the deaths recorded in the first three weeks of this year occurred in aged care, where the virus is rampant. According to Department of Health data, on January 20, 7,861 residents and 11,198 staff were infected with the virus, up from 3,208 and 3,806 just six days earlier.

As of January 20, there were 1,198 active outbreaks across the sector, more than half the total number since the start of the pandemic, meaning the death toll is likely to soar in the coming days and weeks.

Aged care facilities continue to report difficulties acquiring rapid antigen tests (RATs), and, according to the Guardian, some centres are requiring visitors to bring their own.

Richard Colbeck, the federal aged care minister, claimed delivery of rapid antigen test kits is currently being prioritised to facilities in outbreak or recent exposure. Despite this, St. Basils Homes Chief Executive Michelle Church said that at one of the organisations facilities, which is currently experiencing an outbreak, only 600 of 1,300 RATs ordered three weeks ago from the national stockpile have arrived.

Church said she had no faith in the Commonwealth delivering on their promise made on the 23 December 2021 that they would supply free of charge RAT kits to all aged care providers.

It is against this backdrop of mounting deaths that Australias state, territory and federal governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike, are forcing teachers and students back into unsafe schools in the coming days and weeks.

The bipartisan attack on the working class throughout the pandemic was exemplified by the united front presented by Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews and his NSW Liberal-National counterpart Dominic Perrottet in announcing pretty much identical back-to-school plans on Sunday.

The reckless reopening drive has nothing to do with concern for the education of children, but is entirely bound up with the need to drive parents back to work, under conditions where vast numbers of workers are infected with COVID-19 or in isolation.

Opposition to the campaign to herd teachers and children back to school is growing. Teachers in South Australia voted by a two-thirds majority Monday for strike action against the planned resumption of in-person schooling next week.

The Australian Education Union, well aware that teachers around the country are equally hostile to the return, is working to shut down the strike.

An early indication of what is about to take place in schools can be seen in the childcare sector. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, in the first week of January, 18,720 children were unable to attend childcare in NSW because hundreds of facilities were closed due to COVID-19 infection and exposure among staff.

Julia Davison, chief executive of Goodstart Early Learning, told the Herald: Hundreds of children are absent from centres and hundreds of staff are isolating each day.

She continued: Families are telling us they are very worried and are keeping children home. According to the Early Learning and Care Council of Australia, childcare attendance has dropped by half.

The current wave of infection, illness and death is a direct result of the let it rip policies of Australias state, territory and federal governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike. In line with the demands of big business, governments responded to rising infections by abandoning virtually all public health measures, slashing testing and contact tracing, and reopening domestic and international borders.

Perhaps the sharpest expression of this is in Queensland, where mandatory quarantine for domestic travellers was abolished by the state Labor government on December 13. Until that date, the state had recorded 2,176 COVID-19 infections. Now, just over six weeks later, Queensland has recorded 358,336 cases.

Prior to January 7, only seven people had died from COVID-19 in the state. Queensland reported just one death from the disease in 2021. Today, the cumulative toll stands at 138.

Despite daily new cases still averaging more than 13,000, Queenslands Chief Health Officer John Gerrard claims the outbreak has peaked on the Gold Coast, in the statess south east, and the capital Brisbane will soon follow.

Gold Coast Healths medical director of infectious diseases, Kylie Alcorn said: Were not sure that were at our peak, hopefully we are, but were very cautious about that and also even if we have reached our peak we expect the tail to be very long.

Alcorn emphasised that COVID is not going away and we just dont know how many patients well have. There are currently 889 hospitalised COVID-19 patients in the state, with 47 in intensive care and 15 on ventilators.

Claims that Omicron has peaked, or will soon peak, are utterly unscientific, given declining testing rates around the country.

The reality is, virtually every action taken by Australian governments in response to the pandemic in recent weeks is creating the conditions for future waves to be even larger and more deadly.

Reopening schools will lead to a surge in cases. This has been openly acknowledged by every leader responsible for the murderous plan. Redefining close contacts to exclude transmission in workplaces and schools, and reducing isolation periods or removing them entirely, will guarantee that the next variant spreads even more rapidly.

The emergence of new variants is itself the product of the let it rip policies of capitalist governments internationally. In the interests of maintaining the profitable operations of big business, vast swathes of the world have been turned into a giant petri dish for the continued mutation of the virus. China, where a highly-successful zero-COVID policy continues to quash small outbreaks, is the notable exception.

Workers must reject the false claims that Omicron is mild, has peaked, or will somehow bring about its own demisesomething that no natural infection has ever done.

Instead, teachers, health and aged care workers, together with the broader working class, in Australia and internationally, must take up a fight for the global elimination of COVID-19. The experiences of the past two years make clear that this cannot be done within the framework of capitalism. It requires a struggle against the entire political establishment, for socialism, the reorganisation of society to meet human need, not private profit.
Teachers and school workers are being forced to return to their classrooms Friday in New South Wales and Victoria, the two states worst hit by COVID, with those in other states to follow over the next fortnight.

Federal and state governments, Labor and Liberal, backed by the Australian Education Union and its affiliates, have prepared a program of mass infection, disease, and death. Authorities know full well what is set to emerge, with federal and state chief medical officers admitting in recent days that reopening the schools will trigger clusters of infection and increase overall case numbers.

Media claims that COVID does not affect children, or triple vaccinated adults, are conscious propaganda. In countries with large scale COVID community transmission and open schools, such as the United States and England, children are dying every single day. Countless more are suffering from the debilitating effects of Long COVID, around 10 percent of all those who contract the virus, including chronic fatigue, joint pain, and complex neurological problems.

Striking NSW teachers last month [WSWS]

The Committee for Public Education (CFPE) issues an urgent appeal to all educators, students, parents, and working peopleaction must be taken prior to the emergence of mass COVID outbreaks in the schools!

This includes taking strike action to force an immediate return to remote learning. The recent vote of two-thirds of teachers in South Australia to strike on the first day of term reflects the enormous unease and hostility among school workers towards being forced back into unsafe classrooms. It also points the way forwardno doubt similar vote results would follow any ballot of teachers in other states.

Educators and students need to follow and join the international movement of school workers that is emerging. In France, teachers took strike action earlier this month and mobilised in mass protests across the country to demand the removal of the hated government of President Emmanuel Macron. Demonstrations have been organised in Greece, including hundreds of school occupations. In Britain, parents and students have organised weekly boycotts of face to face learning. Across the United States, there have been teacher sick-outs and strikes, while multiple cities have also seen mass student walkouts from schools and demonstrations uniting students, teachers, and local communities.

Australian teachers and students must develop the closest bonds of solidarity with these movements.

In every country, the same class issues underlie the political establishments drive to force open the schools in dangerous conditions. This has nothing to do with a concern for childrens learning or mental healthfor media outlets and governments these issues are nothing but cynically invoked propaganda points. The real agenda is to ensure that workers remain in their workplaces, continuing to generate profits for big business and finance capital.

This is why lockdowns and other emergency pandemic responses have been repudiated by Labor and Liberal administrations, and why teachers are prohibited from implementing remote learning programs for their students.

None of the so-called COVID-safe measures announced before the schools reopen will mitigate the rapid spread of the virus. Only a grossly inadequate number of air filtration systems have been ordered by state governments, not even close to one per classroom. Rapid antigen tests (RATs), which are being provided to staff and students in several states, are unreliable and are being made available primarily to give people a false sense of security in the first weeks of term.

Isolation, quarantining, and contact tracing measures have effectively been abandoned. In Tasmania, for example, those within a classroom are only deemed close contacts if at least five students contract COVID within a week. In New South Wales and Victoria, school operations guides appear to make no provision whatsoever for classifying teachers and students as close contacts based on infections within classrooms. Teachers are among those workers now exempt from usual quarantining restrictions, meaning they can be forced to continue working, provided they are asymptomatic and pass a RAT, even if they are a close household contact of an infected person.

Authorities anticipate that 20 percent of teachers will be sick with COVID at any given time. A reserve workforce of university students, retirees, and education department bureaucrats has been called up to effectively babysit children while their teachers attempt to recover from the virus.

Within the Australian education system, among the worlds most unequal, the impact of the coming COVID surge will be overwhelmingly felt within working class public schools. Elite private institutionswhich enjoy lavish annual public subsidies while charging exorbitant tuition feeshave made their own preparations over the summer holiday, no doubt including remote learning options. Within working class schools, on the other hand, there is widespread overcrowding, staff shortages, and dilapidated infrastructure, including limited or zero ventilation within classrooms.

The Australian Education Union (AEU) and its state affiliates remain the primary obstacle to building a movement of teachers and school workers against the criminal return to school agenda.

From the outset of the pandemic, the teacher unions have collaborated with every government diktat, insisting that educators and school workers cannot under any circumstances develop their own independent position on the question of classroom safety and COVID. Union officials also collaborated with governments in suppressing the data on the number of schools affected by COVID outbreaks last year.

The unions are now working to suppress the emergence of organised opposition. In South Australia, the bureaucracy is desperately attempting to subvert the strike vote of teachers through backroom discussions with the state government. In NSW, to take another example, the Teachers Federation leadership has merely said it plans to closely monitor the situation when the schools reopen. Union officials have contemptuously ignored the outpouring of hostility with which this statement was met by the hundreds of teachers who spoke out on social media.

The union bureaucracys considerable wealth and privileges ultimately derive from its collaboration with the state. AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe receives nearly $275,000 annually in salary and benefits, placing her comfortably within the top 1 percent of all income earners, while outgoing NSW Teachers Federation secretary John Dixon received $320,000.

The Committee for Public Education (CFPE) urges all teachers, school workers, students and parents to contact us and join the fight for rank-and-file safety committees in every school and the preparation of industrial action to suspend face to face teaching in dangerous conditions.

The CFPE, initiated by members and supporters of the Socialist Equality Party, has a principled record of fighting for the interests of teachers, school staff, and the working class. In collaboration with educator rank-and-file committees internationally, developed through the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees, the CFPE has mobilised teachers independently of, and in opposition to, the teacher unions.

In this third year of the global pandemic, a rational and scientifically based approach to the virus is more urgent than ever. The protection of human life and safety must take unconditional priority over all corporate-financial interests. The CFPE recognises that the only viable strategy is to work towards the elimination of the virus through the adoption of the necessary measures as advised by leading epidemiologists and scientists.

This will necessarily involve the suspension of both regular schooling and non-essential production. The resources exist to advance such a programincluding guaranteed income support to all affected workers and small business owners, and a vast increase in public education spending, including for remote learning infrastructure, additional staffing, and the provision of mental health and other support services for all students and teachers in need. These and other costs must be borne by the largest corporations and a 100 percent tax on the windfall pandemic profits obtained by the ultra-wealthy through the stock market boom.

This all requires the development of a political struggle against the Labor and Liberal state and federal governments, which are prioritising the interests of the financial elite over the health and safety of hundreds of thousands of children and school workers. The CFPE calls for the widest discussion among educators on the necessity for a socialist program, which would involve the establishment of a workers government, and the implementation of policies based on social need, not private profit, including free, high-quality education for all, from kindergarten to the tertiary level.

Contact the CFPE:

Email: cfpe.aus@gmail.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/commforpubliceducation

Twitter: @CFPE_Australia
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) encourages high school youth to contact us today to share the conditions in your school. Get involved in the fight against unsafe school reopenings!

Students throughout the Washington D.C. public schools system staged walkouts or wore red in opposition to the unsafe return to in-person classes on Tuesday. The protests are part of a wave of walkouts and strikes by students and faculty in opposition to the return to classes following the holidays.

In the past month, student walkouts have occurred throughout the United States and internationally. In addition to Washington D.C., last week over 1,000 students in neighboring Montgomery County Public Schools, one of the countrys largest systems, walked out to protest reopening. The day before, students were forced to back down from protesting in Broward County, Florida after their school board threatened punishment. Broward County, the sixth largest school system in the country, has seen over 7,000 COVID-19 cases a day in recent weeks.

Student led protest outside Benjamin Banneker High School, Northwest DC.

On Tuesday, a walkout at Benjamin Banneker High School in Northwest D.C. drew several dozen students, while smaller gatherings were reported at McKinley Technology High School, School Without Walls, Phelps High School, Dunbar High School, Woodrow Wilson High School and Ronald Brown Preparatory High School.

The protests were organized by Students 4 Safe Learning, an online student group formed barely a week before. We arent just kids talking to talk. We know that we have to advocate for ourselves and families. Theres so much stress that comes with not knowing if youre bringing something home to your family and friends. It all takes a toll on our mental health, says the groups mission statement on Twitter.

Students at Benjamin Banneker posted videos featuring signs and posters, with a number of students stating that they intentionally went a day long without eating due to fear of having to remove their masks. I dont think we should be here. I caught COVID-19 myself. At least two to three people in every class I have are out, stated a student at Woodrow Wilson High School to an International Youth and Students for Social Equality reporting team. Another student said, it doesnt make sense that classes are open now even though the caseloads are the highest of the entire pandemic.

No one wants to be here. Everyones getting COVID, said Alexander, a student at Woodrow Wilson High School. Its unfair for everyone. Wilson is a very populated school; everyone is close to each other. Its unfair for students, families and teachers. When asked why schools were being kept open despite unprecedented COVID-19 outbreaks, Alexander stated he thought it was all about money.

Students connected the US governments lack of interest in dealing with COVID-19 with its increasingly belligerent stance against other countries on the world stage. David, a student from Wilson, denounced the Biden administration, stating, the thing that pisses me off is that they are sending people to other countries.  The US spends billions of dollars on the military and cant solve the problems it has here.

Following the walkouts, Students 4 Safe Learning hosted an online webinar which drew students and activists from around the city. Students reported that schools are marking them absent when they test positive or feel sick and choose to stay home to protect themselves and others. For students who contract COVID-19, their attendance is not excused and their health or reasoning for staying home is not considered, the speakers explained.

Contrary to the claims that in-person learning is vital even during a pandemic, students in the Districts more impoverished schools are being forced into inhuman conditions without protection from the coronavirus in order to free up their parents to report to their jobs and produce profits.

On Friday, teachers from Anacostia High School walked out in protest after bullets struck the school building in southeast D.C. As a staff, we came together today and said, Well, thats enough. Weve had enough, stated world history instructor Brandi Byrd to NBC-Washington. Teachers overwhelmed by violence and COVID-19 chose not to teach at one Southeast D.C. school on Friday and instead spent the day urging administrators to address their concerns, the publication stated.

In the period leading up to the Christmas holiday and New Year, Washington D.C. posted some of the highest cases of COVID-19 in the country. The D.C. region went into Christmas weekend with record-setting coronavirus case ratesand came out with even worse, wrote the Washington Post last month after Christmas. In the week after the holidays, Washington D.C. was reporting upwards of 9,000 cases daily, the worst it has seen during the pandemic.

The weekly average for COVID-19 cases was at 1,100 in the week ending January 18. The city has seen nearly 1,300 deaths since the pandemic began. According to Axios, Washington D.C. reported 580 COVID-19 hospitalizations on January 4, an all-time pandemic high.

Across the country, 1.15 million minors caught COVID-19 in the past week, according to the most recent update provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Nearly half of all pediatric cases in the United States have occurred since schools reopened for in-person classes last fall.

While the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) system was forced to temporarily shift its classes online in the days prior to the winter break, city officials refused to let the record-setting outbreaks slow the reopening in the New Year.

It makes [Washington D.C. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser] look good to say that schools are open, stated Alexander, the student from Woodrow Wilson High School. Last week, the citys Democratic Party-led council passed legislation requiring schools to increase reporting the number of COVID-19 cases to families.

According to the Washington Post, the bill backed down from an initial proposal to require schools to establish specific numerical thresholds for operating virtually instead of in-person when plagued by a high number of coronavirus cases.

Last week, Bowser also announced plans to increase the rate of pay for city substitutes, as record COVID-19 cases have sidelined many of the regular teaching staff.

The Washington D.C. government has taken its lead from the Biden White House. When asked if the Biden administration had any words of support for the students in D.C. who are currently walking out to protest lax COVID standards, White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that the administration has been so supportive of public health protections, to ensure people feel safe in their school (emphasis added).

In other words, the Biden White House has led the charge to chloroform public opposition to actual unsafe learning conditions by reducing public health standards and designing ways to avoid the toll of the pandemic from being reported accurately.

A member of the IYSSE, speaking to a group of students at an online webinar, denounced both Democrats and Republicans, stating, the pandemic spreading out of control is the result of deliberate decisions that were taken by the entire political establishment to subordinate all of society to the interests of the capitalist class. The speaker called on students to join the IYSSE and direct their struggle against the cause of all of humanitys ills: the capitalist system.
A brushfire that began late Friday evening turned into a runaway wildfire near Big Sur, California. The cause of the blaze, which was first reported around 7:30 p.m. local time, remains unknown. The National Weather Service described the rapidly growing conflagration, dubbed the Colorado Fire, as surreal.

Due to the impact of climate change, the wildfire season in California has been extended throughout the entire year. Conditions were primed for fire this month despite storms which brought heavy rains to the state in the last three months of 2021. The Colorado Fire swept through the area due to dry air, high pressure and high winds.

While late January is not the typical time of year for wildfires to spark, the winds involved have nonetheless created challenges for crews holding the perimeter, according to CalFire.

The Colorado Fire burns along Highway 1 near Big Sur, Calif., Saturday, January 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Nic Coury)

George Nunez, a CalFire captain, told the New York Times that he normally has 17 units but it was reduced to two when the official fire season ended on January 3. He said: Everybody says that California has a year-round fire season. And this is just part of it.

Mandatory evacuations were issued on Palo Colorado Road, where the fire started, and evacuation advisories were in effect along Highway 1 at 10 p.m. The fire was mapped at 683 acres by the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) aircraft at about 5 p.m. Saturday. A satellite overflight at 1:22 p.m. local time on Saturday showed that the fire had spread on the south side near Rocky Creek and on the northwest side southeast of Notleys Landing south of Palo Colorado Road.

By midnight on Saturday, the fire was 0% contained prompting officials to canvass door to door to ensure evacuation orders were being followed. Rocky Creek and Bixby, California were also being evacuated.

The iconic scenic Highway 1 was closed in both directions near the entrance to Andrew Molera State Park in Big Sur to Rio Road in Carmel. Winds as the fire started were gusting to around 25-30 mph in the area.

An evacuation shelter was opened in Carmel Middle School by the American Red Cross late on Friday evening for area residents who were given mandatory evacuation orders as the fire moved perilously close to the community.

Cecile Juliette, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told the Associated Press: The fire lined up with the wind and the terrain and that gave the fire a lot of energy to make a big run.

Its unusual to have fire this size here on the coast at the end of January. The fact that we had fire of this size is of great concern, she explained to the AP.

By Sunday evening, more than 30,000 customers in California were without power, according to PowerOutage.us, though the power was restored for most customers by Monday morning. The Monterey County Health Department issued a boil water notice until further notice for residents in the area impacted by the Colorado Fire due to likely damage to the water system infrastructure and loss of water pressure from power outages.

The Colorado Fire was 35 percent contained as of Monday, fire officials said.

The wildfire was blazing while Santa Ana winds kicked up in Southern California. These are treacherous high-speed winds that occasionally whip up and blow from the mountains to the coastline in Southern California and can cause wildfires to spread rapidly.

High wind warning advisories from the National Weather Service went into effect from the Sierra Nevada into Southern California on Saturday, with winds easing on Sunday across the region.

'Winds continue to create challenges for crews along the fire perimeter,' CalFire wrote in an update on its website. Seasonable temperatures are expected much of this week and relative humidity values are forecast to increase Monday. Firefighters continue to strengthen control lines and mop-up hot spots.

But no precipitation was in the forecast for the week as a stagnant air pattern grips the western United States. With high pressure sitting stagnant over the vast area, winds are forecast to be calm for the next few days, which will aid firefighters in containing the Colorado Fire.

At the end of September 2021, in California, there were 10 large fires burning nearly 2 million acres, none of which were fully contained at that time. According to CalFire, In October, the state of California, especially in the Northern regions where most of the fires were located, received its first rain in over 200 days reducing the wildfire risk for much of the state.

The 2021 fire season in northern California was so severe that CalFire made a special point of advising firefighters and the public in its September 26 Action Plan for the Fawn Fire that Northern California continues to experience large fire activity and multiple team deployments and will likely experience an extended fire season. It is important to be mindful of and manage fatigue for all resources.

Meteorological reports indicate that year-round wildfires have become common across the state and in the Pacific Northwest. A May 2021 article in the San Jose Mercury News confirmed that the California fire season now lasts 12 months.
On January 18, the Global Workers Inquest into the COVID-19 Pandemic heard testimony from autoworker Randall James of Ypsilanti, Michigan. Like millions of families across the US and around the world, Randalls family has suffered death, illness and trauma due to the criminal response of the ruling elite to the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Summary

Randalls brother Adam Williams died of COVID in October, 2021, when he was a worker at Michigan Manufacturing Inc. (MMI) in Saline, Michigan. Adam was mandated to work, meaning that he could be fired for refusing to work due to COVID-19 fears.

Michigan Manufacturing Incorporated (MMI) in Saline, Michigan (WSWS Photo)

As Randall explains, auto workers like himself and Adam were told they could protect themselves by wearing a mask of any kind, even ones made of cloth that actually do nothing to stop the spread of aerosol viruses like COVID-19.

Tragically, Adam not only died, he brought the virus home, where it infected his 80-year-old grandmother Annie, who was vaccinated. Adam was her sole caretaker. Annie now suffers from Long COVID, depending on an oxygen tank to breathe, and lives with Randall and his family.

Left: Adam Williams; Right: Adam and his grandmother Annie Williams

Randall himself suffered a horrifying bout with COVID-19 at the Washtenaw County Jail. During his 14-day quarantine at the jail, he was held in inhuman conditions and medically mistreated as he became violently ill and the virus infected his testicles. Prisoners, as Randall explains, were also given only cloth masks.

Now, the principal of Henry Ford Early Learning Center in Ypsilanti, Michigan has threatened that if Randall and his fiancee choose not to send their 5-year-old daughter to school, citing COVID-19 fears, they will face charges of truancy. Truancy charges can mean fines, jail time and even the removal of children from their home by Child Protective Services.

Randall James and his daughter

Randalls story is shocking, but millions of workers and parents around the world are going through the same experience.

To participate in the work of the Global Workers Inquest, go to wsws.org/covidinquest, or fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

Share these highlight clips from Randalls testimony:

1. Randall's brother Adam, also an autoworker, died from COVID-19 and infected his 80-year-old vaccinated grandmother Annie.

2. Adam was under intense economic pressure to keep his job and provide for himself and his grandmother

3. In county jail, Randall himself caught COVID-19 and survived a harrowing ordeal as he was kept in isolation in inhuman conditions and denied medical treatment

4. Now, a school principal is threatening Randall with truancy chargeswhich could mean fines, jail time and even loss of custodyfor keeping his 5-year-old daughter out of school

5. Parents at the school are being denied the right to view the conditions under which their children are being held

6. Randall supports a two-month paid lockdown of schools and nonessential businesses to stop the pandemic and save lives

7. The policy of herd immunity, started under Trump and continued under Biden, amounts to murder, Randall says

8. Randall remembers Adams painful last days, and calls on workers to unite and fight against the pandemic
The partygate crisis wracking Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government worsened yesterday, as the Metropolitan Police announced a criminal investigation.

For several weeks, Johnson has been rocked by leak after leak showing that he and other top government officials held parties, drinking sessions and gatherings in Downing Street and other Whitehall buildings, breaking COVID restriction rules and guidance while the country was in lockdown.

Anything between 15 and 19 parties are being looked into by a Cabinet Office investigation, led by senior civil servant Sue Gray.

Gray is scheduled to report her findings this week, after having taken written statements Monday from the prime ministers embittered former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings. Cummings, who is behind the leaks, is politically even further to the right than Johnson.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives back from Parliament at 10 Downing Street in London, Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

The Met announced its investigation the day after ITV News journalist Paul Brand reported that Johnson held another party, this time his birthday party, in Downing Streets Cabinet Room. This was attended by up to 30 guests who ate picnic food, on June 19, 2020. Brand claimed that Johnson also hosted family members in his Downing Street flat that same evening. These events were held during Englands first COVID-19 lockdown when all indoor social gatherings were banned in England.

Speaking at a hearing of a London Assembly committee yesterday, Met Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick confirmed that her force is now investigating a number of events at Downing Street and Whitehall in the last two years in relation to alleged breaches of Covid-19 regulations. Dick had taken the step after being passed the outline findings from Grays inquiry.

Cressida Dick (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The Met would be investigating summary only offences. The people who commit them get a fixed penalty notice. There was evidence that those involved knew or ought to have known that what they were doing was an offence.

For weeks the Met refused to get involved despite claims of illegality carried out by Johnson and government officials, declaring that it was not Met policy to undertake retrospective investigations of lockdown breaches

Dick had to acknowledge mounting anger against the Johnson government, after the deaths from COVID of over 176,000 people, stating, I absolutely understand that there is deep public concern about the allegations that have been in the media over the last several weeks.

Initial reports yesterday were that the Mets intervention meant that Grays findings would not be made available for weeks. But just hours later it was reported that the Met had not objected to Grays report being released before its criminal investigation has concluded. Skys deputy political editor Sam Coates reported, Gray will consult with lawyers and some officials. The prime minister and political advisers in Number 10 are not part of this decision, I'm told.

Grays report could now be released as early as today.

Earlier this week, it was reported that not all of her findings would be made public, as it was in the prime ministers giftafter authorising Grays investigationto release or hold back any information he saw fit.

After talk that Johnsons time was all but up, with Conservative MPs queuing up to put in letters to reach the required 54 to trigger a Tory leadership election, so far only six have been confirmed by backbench leader Sir Graham Brady and fewer than 10 of 359 Tory MPs have openly spoken out calling for his resignation.

There are widely differing views on the intervention by the Met, with some speculating that this will be the coup de grace for Johnson and others saying that it will force the party to rally round the leader.

In a statement showing that Johnson intends to hunker down and see the crisis out, he told MPs Tuesday that he had not broken any laws and I welcome the Met's decision to conduct its own investigation because I believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters.

Johnson has no doubt drawn succour from the fact that the breaches of lockdown rules are so widespread in the Tory party that a criminal investigation will now prevent his surgical removal. The Times reported Tuesday that Chancellor Rishi Sunak also attended Johnsons birthday party, even as he was getting ready to attend a COVID strategy meeting in Downing Street. Sunak is favourite to replace Johnson.

The intervention by Dick is indicative of the right-wing forces leading the partygate campaign to unseat Johnson. Their main concern is that he is not capable of leading the government as British imperialism faces massive domestic opposition at home to its herd immunity and social austerity agenda, even as a potential war with Russia looms.

Dick, who was then the Mets Gold Commander, is infamous for leading the July 22, 2005 operation that ended in the police execution on Londons Underground of the innocent Brazilian worker Jean Charles de Menezes, the day after terror bombings in the capital city.

This is not the first time the Met has involved itself in a political conflict at the highest levels of Westminster. In November 2018, it launched an investigation into the Labour Party over bogus anti-Semitism accusation targeting then party leader Jeremy Corbyn and his left-wing supporters. Dick was handed a dossier of complaints assembled by Blairites and Zionists as she appeared on an LBC phone-in show. The witch-hunting dossier then served as justification for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) opening an investigation. The publication of the EHRCs report in October 2020 set off a chain of events that resulted in Corbyns successor as leader, Sir Keir Starmer, removing the party whip from Corbyn for refusing to apologise for not dealing swiftly enough with those accused of anti-Semitism.

Johnson is staking his future most of all on his leading role in whipping up war fever against Russia using accusations of Moscow planning to invade Ukraine.

On Tuesday, the Daily Mail in an editorial headlined, Party madness plays into Putins hands complained, Another day, another lurid account of a Downing Street party. Leave aside that it was a surprise for Boris Johnsons birthday and lasted just minutes. The constant drip, drip of accusation goes on.

But isnt this just proof that we are in the grip of a collective madness? For as Britain obsesses about parties, Vladimir Putin has been busy cranking up his formidable war machine. It is now fully primed for attack.

Yesterdays news that we are pulling diplomats out of Ukraine suddenly made a threat which has been rumbling in the background for months terrifyingly real. And puts Partygate in its true context.

Labour is demanding Johnsons removal but based on appeals to the most predatory sections of the ruling elite.

On Tuesday, the Labourlist blog published a joint article, International unity against Russian aggression is crucial and must continue, by Blairites David Lammy and John Healey, following their visit to Ukraine earlier this month. The two MPs denounced Russia as an autocracy with little regard for international law or human rights. Ukraine on the contrary was a sovereign and independent country on a democratic journey. Turning reality on its head they asserted, We must not believe Russias assertions that NATO is responsible for escalation. It is a defensive alliance based on security and progressive values.

They declared, With the recent rising Russian threats, Britain is right to step up military support for Ukraine to defend itself, as we have been doing since 2015, which is why we backed the delivery of new short-range defensive weaponry last week.

This warmongering agenda ensured that party leader Starmer responded to Johnsons belligerent statements in Parliament yesterday that if Russia invades Ukraine, we would look to contribute to any new Nato deployments to protect our allies in Europe by declaring that Labour stands resolute in supporting Ukraines independence and sovereignty.
As the Los Angeles Unified School District enters the third week of the spring semester, coronavirus cases continue to explode throughout student and staff populations.

Despite the fact that a staggering 66,000 students tested positive for coronavirus as part of baseline testing conducted by the district prior to reopening, the school district decided to fully open nonetheless on January 11. Unsurprisingly, student attendance rapidly declined as case numbers skyrocketed.

The district averaged 72.5 and 75.9 percent attendance respectively last Tuesday and Wednesday or an average of 107,000 students absent each day. Absentee figures were even worse during the first week of the spring semester when the district recorded an absentee rate of 33.2 percent.

Students walk down the hallway at Tussahaw Elementary school on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, in McDonough, Ga. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

On Friday, the district announced that it would mandate non-cloth face masks beginning on Monday, January 24 to slow down accelerating cases among students and staff, a measure which will be insufficient on its own to substantially bring down infection figures. A day after the mask announcement, the Los Angeles County Department of Health reported that the seven-day test positivity rate for COVID-19 remained very high at 16 percent. More than 250,000 positive cases had been reported the previous week while 4,701 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized across Los Angeles County on Tuesday.

The modified mask mandate went into effect the same day California state senator Richard Pan announced legislation requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend in-person classes. The legislation, if passed, would add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of inoculations students must receive to attend K-12 schools. If passed, the law would not go into effect until January 1, 2023 and is dependent on full FDA approval of vaccines for school-aged children.

The health care system in Los Angeles, the second-largest metropolitan area in the country, is on the brink of collapse from the latest surge of Omicron infections and hospitalizations.

While hospitals fill up to and beyond capacity, staffing levels are decreasing as more nurses and doctors become infected with COVID.

Across Los Angeles County, between January 7 and 13, a total of 1,268 new positive cases were reported among health care workers, a 30 percent increase versus the prior week. Nonetheless, the California Department of Public Health order issued on January 8 still allows Covid positive health care workers to immediately return to work without isolation and further testing provided they are asymptomatic and wearing N95 masks.

As a result of the recent spike in hospitalizations, Los Angeles County Health Director Barbara Ferrer warned, We still dont know the longer-term consequences from Omicron infections, including the development of long COVID or MIS-C [Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome] among children. So please continue to do your part in slowing the spread of Omicron to help us keep ourselves and our loved ones healthy and out of the hospital.

While nurses are told to come back into work after testing positive, school sites have been given the green light by both the state of California and county of Los Angeles to stop reporting cases to public health departments during the current surge of the virus. Furthermore, under the active surge protocol, initiated on January 12, schools are no longer required to perform contact tracing at all and are not required to inform the county about any students or staff on campus who may have been in contact with an infected individual.

Los Angeles County in fact released an updated version of its COVID-10 Exposure Management Plan Guidance in TK-12 Schools on January 18. The plan makes clear that the presence of a coronavirus surge is the occasion not for tightening of safety protocols at schools but for the exact opposite.

Under the new guidelines, when a confirmed positive case is found, the schools Covid compliance officer is required to identify groups of people in contact with the infected individual rather than individual students and staff. Individuals in the groups identified are now allowed to fully remain on campus if asymptomatic.

Such measures only ensure that cases will continue to spread and have in fact already led to unavoidable campus shutdowns.

Culver City Unified School District outside Los Angeles announced last week that it was ending in-person instruction after a spike in coronavirus cases. Rather than switch to remote learning, however, the district is planning to make up for lost instructional time with additional days at the end of the current academic year. West Contra Costa Unified School District, north of Oakland, California, had also announced two smoke days on Friday, January 7 and Monday, January 10, due to rising cases there. Such smoke days are meant to be used when nearby wildfires present a severe risk to air quality.

A great many of the current school closures across California, however, have been the result of COVID-related staffing shortages so acute that schools cannot feasibly remain open.

Other schools and districts have dealt with staffing shortages by merging classes into cafeterias and auditoriums, giving the virus more chances to spread among the student population. Students in Sacramento, San Diego and Simi Valley Unified, to give only a few examples, have sent children into gyms during staffing shortages. Students receive little to no instruction under such circumstances with schools largely being converted into day care centers due to lack of staff.

According to a Cal Matters article from last Wednesday, the Simi Valley Unified School District, also near Los Angeles, only had enough substitutes to cover half of the teachers who had to stay home after testing positive for COVID-19. This was even after Simi Valley nearly doubled pay rates for substitute teachers from $110 to $205 a day.

The state, for its part, has promised that schools will lose funding for instructional days off adding up to less than 180 days instructional time this academic year. Moreover, funding is also based on student attendance, placing immense pressures on districts and campuses to keep children in unsafe classrooms.

In spite of these developments and the staggering rates of infections at school sites, capitalist politicians from the Biden administration on down continue to falsely insist that school sites are safe. Speaking at a local elementary school last week, incoming LAUSD superintendent Alberto Carvalho said that schools were the safest place for children. We need to convey, he said, that schools are the safest places in our community. Addressing the dwindling number of teachers of staff actually able to come to campuses due to coronavirus infections, Carvalho implied that the dangers were largely in teachers minds. I recognize that there is anxiety still. he said. Theres also an opportunity to have honest conversations about dignifying what they [teachers] do through work conditions as been done in the past and through benefits and compensation.

The superintendents last comment reflects intense nervousness that teachers may not only leave the profession but attempt to organize a coordinated fight against the homicidal school reopening policy themselves. Despite the superintendent-to-bes claims that schools are safe, recently released reports indicate that K-12 schools accounted for about 18 percent of workplace outbreaks in 2021 and schools in fact outpaced health care facilities for COVID-19 outbreaks last autumn.

Carvalhos remarks also coincided with the announcement by the United Teachers of Los Angeles of a new negotiation platform a few weeks in advance of contract talks with the district. The UTLAs Beyond Recovery Platform will be voted on by members in February.

The title of the platform is itself a brazen acknowledgement by the union leadership they believe the pandemic to be all but over and of no concern. As in its preparations for the last 2019 contract, the UTLA is dangling the possibility of higher salaries and smaller class sizes to keep teachers on the job only to later realize these demands through various committees for smaller class and better wages, none of which will have any actual mandate to do anything about either.

In fact, the UTLA played a crucial role in school reopenings last year, providing members with no options whatsoever to keep remote learning in place to protect the health and lives of themselves, their students and their communities.

Keeping schools safe and working towards the elimination of the coronavirus pandemic requires the active intervention of the working class on an independent socialist program. The West Coast Educators Rank and File Safety Committees are working to build networks of teachers, students and workers in opposition to the homicidal pandemic policies of state and local governments in collaboration with the school districts and teachers unions. Find out more about joining the West Coast Educators Rank and File Safety Committees.
Last week at the closing of the 50th anniversary of the Conference of University Presidents, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke about his possible second five-year term. He proposed to end quasi-free university education in France, with the emergence of American-style paying institutions. Macron is proposing a fundamental attack on the democratic right to education, especially targeting children from working class or low-income families.

In front of university presidents, he began by congratulating himself on the giant leap University of Paris-Saclay has made, directly climbing to thirteenth place this year' in the Shanghai ranking of universities, moving up one place. He called for redoubling our efforts so that in ten years, our university will be stronger, attracting the best international students and talent.

Macron spoke of the need to professionalize universities in conjunction with businesses, which should lead to the opening of places in short courses, even though it is more advanced degrees that provide the most protection against unemployment. He proposed to review university governance to aim for more excellence for universities, adding, Yes, we must move towards more autonomy in terms of organization, financing, human resources.

French President Emmanuel Macron [Sebastien Nogier, Pool via AP]

To do this, Macron warned that the quasi-free status of French universities, in which most tuition fees for most students amount to a few hundred euros, must come to an end. To meet international competition, we cannot remain for long with a system where higher education has no price for almost all students; where a third of students are on scholarship; and where, however, we have so much student insecurity and a difficulty in financing a model that is much more financed on public money than anywhere else in the world.

In France, after the May 1968 general strike, the organization of universities was significantly modified by the Faure law: it abolished faculties, democratized university governance and created several universities in large cities. But over the past 15 years, with the law on the freedoms and responsibilities of universities brought in by Valerie Pecresse in 2007, a series of reforms have followed one another. These reforms aim to diminish democracy and collegiality in the governance of institutions and give businesses greater power and influence in universities.

These reforms have been accompanied by the employment of staff working under precarious status, which led in 2018 to a movement protesting against the research programming law voted the same year and put into place by the Macron government.

Macron wants to go further and break what remains of social and democratic advances established by workers struggles in the 20th century, especially after the defeat of fascism in World War II. Targeting the ability of working class families to access higher educationwhich provided technicians and engineers for new industries that were created in France after the war his proposals seek to pave the way for a vast increase in social inequality.

Higher Education and Research Minister Frederique Vidal has already made foreign students pay tuition fees, slashed benefits for teacher-researchers, and institutionalized selection at the entrance to Bachelors and Masters degrees. Now Macron wants to generalize these fees.

This attack on the right to higher education is an integral part of the response of the ruling class to the pandemic, which is to enormously deepen social inequality and return to a society of naked class privilege.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments in France and Europe spent trillions of euros in public funds. This was done not to save livesover 1.5 million people died in Europebut to strengthen the banks and major corporations at the expense of massively increasing European states public debts.

After the 2008 stock market crash, Greeces public debt was 125 percent of its GDP, at which point the European banks declared this to be an unsustainable level of debt requiring devastating attacks on wages and social conditions. These debt levels then rose to 180.5 percent of GDP in 2019, before the pandemic and 206.30 percent today. Now, with the pandemic, public debt has exploded to 115.3 percent of GDP in France, 122.1 percent in Spain and 155.6 percent in Italy.

Financing these bailouts for the financial aristocracy requires making the working class pay in the form of reduced pensions and social spending. Universities are now a target of this cost-cutting logic. Macrons proposal for the emergence of American-style institutions is a shocking provocation against working class and youth.

The American model that Macron refers to is a social catastrophe for students. Tuition fees often amount to $40,000, to which must be added housing and living expenses. The annual cost is therefore estimated to be between $50,000 and $55,000, or 42,500 to 46,750 euros annually.

There is a system of low interest loans, some of which are not repaid until the student enters the workforce. This system often leaves students with large debts. In 2019, student debt in the United States totaled $1.6 trillion, an amount that has nearly tripled in 12 years. A student who finishes his or her studies can find himself or herself in debt to the tune of several hundred thousand euros to be repaid over decades.

The example of Britain gives us an idea of how Macron envisages the evolution of tuition fees on the European continent. Tuition fees were introduced in the UK in 1997. They rose from $1,442 in 2001 to $4,421 as of the 2009 academic year. In 2012, they rose to $12,770, following a decision by the Cameron cabinet to triple tuition fees between 2009 and 2012. Students pay the tuition fees once they have completed their studies and their salary reaches an annual amount of $29,965.

Given that the median salary in France is $2,202 per month and that 8 out of 10 wage earners have a net monthly salary of between $1,367 and $3,632 per month, such fee increases would make so-called excellent universities unaffordable. Large sections of the 10.9 percent of university students from the working class would be discouraged from studying at universities. They would go into short courses at the lesser-rated institutions where they are currently most represented.

An irreconcilable political conflict emerges between the right to higher education through almost free-tuition that is supported by students and workers and the desire of the ruling elite to create a two-tier university system, where only the children of wealthy families will be able to afford higher education. Workers and young people must prepare for a no-holds-barred fight against the next government, whether it comes from a re-election of Macron or the election of another president, which will prepare for an unprecedented attack on democratic and social rights.
A day after the US announced the extraordinarily provocative move of placing 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe, the US delivered some 300 javelin anti-tank missiles  each worth between $600,000 and $1.4 million  along with shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapons and bunker busters to Ukraine.

Americas top diplomat in Ukraine, Kristina A. Kvien, standing beside the weapons deliveries, warned Russia that Ukrainian troops are well equipped and theyre ready. She added that in case of war, The losses to Russia will be heavy.

The Kremlins press secretary Dmitry Peskov denounced these moves, stating, The US is escalating tensions. We are observing these actions of the United States with profound concern. The leading Russian business daily Kommersant openly spoke of a pre-war situation on Monday.

Ukrainian soldiers use a launcher with US Javelin missiles during military exercises in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022. (Ukrainian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Russia conducted a series of military drills on Tuesday that involved elite paratrooper units, warplanes, naval ships and ballistic missiles.

The drills were held across Russias vast territory, including in Siberia, the Far East, the Baltic Sea, near Ukraine and on Crimea, a peninsula in the Black Sea. Russia has also begun joint military drills with Belarus that are set to last until mid-February.

According to the Washington Post, the 8,500 US forces will include elements of the 82nd Airborne Division and 101st Airborne Division and might grow. The White House has already discussed the deployment of 50,000 troops to the region.

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden declared that the US would not send NATO troops to Ukraine as representatives of the French, German, Russian and Ukrainian governments began meeting for talks in the so called Normandy-format in Paris, a half-hearted effort at last-ditch diplomacy that most Russian media outlets have dismissed as meaningless.

Following several reports that pointed to serious tensions between the US and Germany, in particular, US media reports indicate that the Biden administration is now focusing much of its energy on ensuring a united front by NATO against Russia. The German government has opposed US efforts to bring the Nord Stream 2 German-Russian gas pipeline project to an end. Russia delivers about 40 percent of Europes gas. Gas prices have risen significantly in recent days because of war fears.

Other major sanctions against Russia that the US has threatened, including cutting Russia off the SWIFT financial system, would also hit Europes economy hard, which is much more closely tied to Russias than that of the United States. Putting aside both sanctions against SWIFT and Nord Stream 2 for the time being, the White House announced this week that it is preparing unprecedented export control measures against Russia.

In a long meeting with European foreign ministers Monday night, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed preparations to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia and a further bolstering of NATO troops in Eastern Europe. Following the meeting, Denmark announced it would dispatch a frigate to the Baltic Sea and send four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania. Spain is sending war ships to the Black and Mediterranean seas, and the French government indicated it might send troops to Romania, a NATO member bordering the Black Sea and Ukraine.

The European Union also announced that it would grant another $1.3 billion in funding to Ukraine. The British government, which has been most closely involved in US provocations against Russia, is revamping the Ukrainian navy with a massive $1.5 billion loan.

In Ukraine, preparations for war are well underway. On Monday, Ukrainian President Zelensky called an urgent meeting of the countrys Security Council. A closed meeting between government and parliament members on the war crisis took place on Tuesday. Kievs mayor, Vitaly Klitchko, has announced a conference of Ukrainian mayors dedicated to a discussion of the territorial defense of Ukrainian cities in the event of war for January 28.

The US embassy, Australia, the UK and Germany have all announced that they would evacuate at least some of their diplomatic personnel and their families in Kiev. Anticipating that military conflict could break out at any time, several major airlines, including Lufthansa, have canceled all overnight flights to Kiev.

Last week, speaking before the Valdai Club, an important Moscow think tank, the vice foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the European security situation was now critical. He said that the key demands that Russia submitted in writing to NATO in December were: legal guarantees of a non-expansion of NATO, a return of NATO to its borders from 1997 and the non-stationing of missiles in Eastern Europe.

Ryabkov said, We are not prepared to wait forever, we are not prepared to get dragged down in the usual diplomatic-bureaucratic process about optimal formats for this, we need a direct and understandable response and it must be a written response.

NATO has announced that it would send its response to Russias demands along with the US later this week.

In an interview with Russia in Global Affairs, Russias leading foreign policy think tank magazine, Sergei Karaganov, the honorary chairman of the Presidium of Russias Council on Foreign and Defense Policy, warned that should the US and NATO not provide any guarantees and impose further sanctions on Russia, the Kremlin would respond harshly.

All I can say is that we have developed weapons systems that could threaten the viability of the United States in an extremely tough way, Karagonov told Russia in Global Affairs. We also have such weapons as deepening [our] military-political cooperation with China, which could be a real nightmare for Washington. And if the Americans are threatening us with crippling sanctions, which is a declaration of war, let them remember that Russia and China have the ability to break Western economies and societies [through means] like cyber warfare.

The dangerous war crisis now unfolding in Eastern Europe is the result of decades-long policies and provocations by US imperialism. Since the Stalinist dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, NATO has moved closer and closer to Russias borders as part of the US strategy to establish its control over the Eurasian landmass, that is, all of Europe and Asia. In 2004 and 2014, the US and EU staged coups in Ukraine to put pro-Western sections of the Ukrainian oligarchy in power.

Since the 2014 coup, Kiev has been instrumental to one NATO provocation against Russia after another. Over the past year, in particular, the US and EU have been ramping up military pressure on Russia, deliberately creating conditions for a military escalation.

While thousands of people are dying every day from COVID-19 in overwhelmed hospitals in the US and Europe, the imperialist powers are squandering immense social resources on preparing what would be the largest and deadliest military conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. A central motivation for this irrational policy is their desperate attempt to divert from the explosive growth of class tensions at home.

Billions of dollars have already been pumped into the Kiev regime and the fascist forces that since 2014 have played the principal role in fighting the civil war in East Ukraine, while tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers  sometimes entire units  deserted the front, refusing to engage in combat. US money has gone to fund tanks and other modern weapons for the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion, which officially forms part of Ukraines National Guard.

The Azov Battalion and other far-right paramilitary formations have been engaged in targeted assassinations of journalists, pogroms and other horrendous crimes, while enjoying virtual legal impunity. Authorities allow them to run dozens of camps in Ukraine where children, some as young as nine years old, are trained in how to use weapons while being indoctrinated with Ukrainian nationalism and fascist ideology.

In a stark exposure of the class character of Zionism, Haaretz reported on Monday that the Israeli state too has for years been involved in sending weapons to fascists in Ukraine, which was one of the principal sites of the Nazi-led genocide of Europes Jews during World War II.

It is these neo-fascist forces that the imperialist powers and Ukrainian government will principally rely on in any war against Russia. The consequences of such a conflict for the working class would be disastrous, in Europe and beyond. It can only be prevented through an intervention of the international working class as an independent political force.
The New Zealand governments decision to let the highly-infectious Omicron variant of COVID-19 spread across the country has sparked significant anxiety and anger, including among parents and public transport workers.

Labour Party Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared on Sunday that she expected there would be up to a thousand cases per day within two weeks. No lockdown has been announced, all businesses remain open and schools are due to resume classes for the new year on January 31, creating the conditions for an explosion in case numbers.

So far, 56 community infections of Omicron have been identified. The source of the outbreak is not known, with no firm link to a returned traveller or border worker. There are also more than 400 active community cases of the Delta variant.

The medias propaganda has gone into overdrive, seeking to sow complacency. The New Zealand Herald s editorial today calls for cautious optimism, saying: Hopes are rising that Covid-19 is beginning to shift from a pandemic to a more easily manageable endemic illness.

The Herald cites government advisers from the US and UK, who declare, based on nothing, that the pandemic is about to end, in order to justify the abandonment of all public health measures. Meanwhile, hospitals are overwhelmed, infections are at an all-time high and thousands of people are dying every day (see: What endemic COVID-19 really means: Mass infection and death forever).

The New Zealand population is largely unprotected. According to Radio NZ, 76 percent of people have received two doses of the Pfizer vaccine. As of yesterday, only 1,053,055 people, about one in five, had received a third shot, which is essential to provide significant protection against Omicron. Only one in five children aged 5 to 11 have had their first dose, meaning schools will be packed with unvaccinated children.

A parent in Auckland told the WSWS: Schools are breeding grounds for the virus, which is a proven fact. That will result in more people getting sick, including parents, therefore children will not have healthy adults looking after them. This would be much more stressful than stress caused by children doing online learning.

In response to claims by Ardern and the media that Omicron is mild for most people, the mother pointed out that even so-called mild cases can produce debilitating long-term conditions, including neurological damage.

An article published yesterday by Otago University epidemiologist Amanda Kvalsvig and several other experts warned: High numbers of child cases have led to extreme pressure on paediatric services in some overseas settings The great majority of NZ children are currently immunologically naive to Covid-19, suggesting that the impact on children may be even more marked here than in other places.

Mitigation measures in schools are minimal. The experts pointed to current Ministry of Education advice for staff to decide whether the air feels stuffy and to open windows. They warned that These protection gaps (together with low mask uptake) indicate that in the presence of high community transmission, NZ buildings may not be safe settings for children to congregate.

The Ministry announced yesterday that 5,000 air purifiers have been ordered for schools, but the New Zealand Herald reported that only 500 will be here in March, with the remaining 4,500 not due to arrive until winter [i.e. June]. With more than 2500 schools in New Zealand, there wont be enough air cleaners for everyone.

A Wellington father told the WSWS that his childrens primary school has not warned parents about the risks of reopening, despite hundreds of cases of Delta in schools in recent months. He was concerned that masks are only required for children in Year 4 (7 or 8 years old) and above.

Air filters arent turning up until March, which will be just in time for the next wave. What I think is that schools shouldnt be open, I support an elimination strategy. They havent done anything at all that would mitigate significantly against disease spread within the classroom.

Composite image showing Whenuapai School and McAuley High School (which have both experienced COVID cases); and commuter rail and bus services in Wellington. (Sources: Google Streetview, Wikipedia, and Twitter/Roger Blakeley, August 24, 2021)

He described the response of the unions, who are supporting the reopening, as shocking, given the life-and-death situation that people now face.

He noted that New Zealand initially pursued elimination and kept deaths low, but the government has now ditched the successful strategy. This has caused confusion because people havent had to deal with the kind of carnage that we have seen overseas. He is considering not sending his partially vaccinated son, who suffers from a chronic respiratory condition, back to school.

The government has announced more stringent masking requirements, saying people can no longer use a scarf or a bandana. However, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield told the media yesterday: Were not going to be recommending the use of N95s for the general public partly because they are expensive and they are harder to get. Over the past two years of the pandemic, the government has refused to take steps to secure enough of these more protective masks.

A photo of the box of masks supplied to NZ Bus drivers in Wellington, which clearly states that they are for "non-medical use." (Photo supplied)

A bus driver employed by NZ Bus in Wellington told the WSWS: We really need the P2 and the N95 masks because surgical masks dont cut it. Drivers are currently given inappropriate masks that dont protect us against COVID and which are labelled as non-medical.

The driver pointed out that it is difficult to make passengers wear masks, saying today I had six kids on my bus, over the age of 12, maskless. Metlink, the councils public transport agency, has refused to supply masks for passengers.

The driver said: This is a health and safety issue in the workplace, and their excuse is its going to cost too much money. But the public health outcome is far more costly if people arent wearing masks. Why should we, in our workplace, be exposed to risks like that?

She was also really angry that drivers were not prioritized for vaccination, meaning many have not yet received their third shot. She said drivers with vulnerable family members, who have not received a booster and dont have decent masks, should not have to work.

In response to the Omicron outbreak, Metlink and NZ Bus have not introduced any additional measures, such as distancing passengers. Previously, when the country was locked down, buses only had rear boarding, we didnt have front boarding, and we could tape off the front two seats.

What the governments put in place is just so weak, the driver said. Large numbers of workers could get sick and theres lots of dire warnings about us having to go back to work earlier, when were not fully recovered. This is already happening in Australia, where millions of people have been infected since mid-December.
A major COVID outbreak at Ohio-based Sanoh America killed at least two workers and infected a third of the workforce of one of its plants, prompting the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to levy a wrist-slap fine on the company for not protecting its employees.

During an inspection last August at the beginning of the Delta surge, OSHA found that the company had dropped all its mitigation measures such as social distancing and mask wearing. Sixty-five employees had tested positive for the virus, and by the end of the month, about one-third of Sanoh Americas 270 workers in Findlay, Ohio, had contracted COVID. Five workers were hospitalized and two would tragically die.

For this criminal policy, OSHA slapped the company with a paltry fine of $26,527 and an order to enforce safety measures in the future. But there is no mechanism under this process to guarantee any mitigation measures will be put in place or followed.

The plant manager, James Kammer, went into immediate damage control, placing the blame on individual workers bringing COVID into the workplace. He even falsely claimed OSHA protocols were followed: The facilitys COVID-19 prevention plan was implemented and functioning. After the outbreak across this community, employees COVID-19 infections soon subsided. We meet with OSHA, understand its enforcement position, and evaluate our appealing options.

A Sanoh America warehouse (Credit: sanoh-america.com)

While the company is willing to burn through cash on corporate lawyers in order to dampen the fallout, rather than update the facilitys safety measures, the OSHA-imposed fine will not make a dent in the profit margins of Sanoh America, which has 10 manufacturing facilities across North America and brings in $280 million in yearly sales.

For the company, it is just a small price to pay for doing business. Since 2007, OSHA had to investigate the company at least six separate times for health and safety violations, mostly at facilities in Ohio.

In citing the company, OSHA has effectively put a price tag on priceless human life at $13,263 and some change. If OSHA were to fine every corporation that has violated safety measures at this current rate for the preventable deaths of about 870,000 people, a fine would be issued for about $11.5 billion, compared to the record $3 trillion in profits American corporations made last year.

The imposition of a tiny fine on a single small parts maker is an exception that proves the rule of OSHA allowing catastrophic outbreaks in auto plants and other workplaces without any consequences whatsoever. There can be no doubt that one element in the decision to levy fines against Sanoh was to deflect from public scrutiny of this record. Thus, Larry Johnson, the OSHA area director in Columbus, Ohio, declared in a press release: Sanoh Americas failure to follow health and safety guidelines and its own company policies resulted in worker illnesses and death. Then he said, OSHA continues to enforce all standards applying to the coronavirus and holds employers accountable for failing to meet their obligations to minimize worker exposure to the coronavirus.

Many autoworkers have died of COVID under the eyes of the US-based automakers and the pro-company United Auto Workers (UAW), including from massive outbreaks at plants many times larger than Sanoh Americas Findlay plant.

A full accounting of the number of infections and death is impossible because both the companies and the union have not released national figures. But at one plant, Stellantiss Sterling Stamping Plant near Detroit where over 2,000 workers are employed, at least five workers died last from contracting COVID: Xavier Anderson, Kevin Railey, Omie Smith, Blair Alexander Braden, and Mark Bruce. Another worker, Terry Garr, died following an accident in the plant.

At Mack Trucks in Macungie, Pennsylvania, 829 workers have been COVID-positive out of a workforce of about 2,000. According to the company and the UAW, every worker has recovered, but Mack workers say at least three have died. One worker-confirmed death at Mack was William Dimitrovitsch.

A Mack Trucks worker wrote into the World Socialist Web Site describing the situation at the Macungie facility, which OSHA has never investigated: We have no social distancing in the plant, the majority of workers dont wear masks.  We were told back in 2020 there were protocols put in place for COVID.  2 years later I have yet to see a COVID clean-up team disinfect an area after reports of someone infected with the virus. When someone is sent home there is no notification to other employees that work in the immediate area of contamination.  Since December 2021 weve lost 3 employees due to COVID.

According to a US Labor Department Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report issued in 2021, OSHA conducted 50 percent fewer on-site inspections and issued fewer than 300 COVID violations in 2020, even though complaints increased by 15 percent and state workplace safety agencies issued five times as many citations and fines as OSHA.

OSHAs turning a blind eye at the overwhelming majority of workplaces and schools where COVID is spreading unchecked is in line with policy of herd immunity of first the Trump and then the Biden administration, from whom OSHA has taken its orders.

Once in office, Biden issued an executive order calling on OSHA to produce new mitigation guidelines for businesses to follow in an attempt to cover up Trumps disastrous handling of the pandemic. But the order was only a set of half-measures without being backed by the force of law. In fact, corporations have no legal obligation to follow through on these new OSHA guidelines while they still routinely flout all health and safety measure with impunity. Today, there is no system in place to accurately track the number of infections in workplaces and schools, and management never notifies workers about infections in their area.

President Biden has also continued Trumps executive order keeping meatpacking plants open by declaring them critical infrastructure under the Defense Production Act. Nearly 300 meatpacking workers have died over the course of the pandemic, according to figures compiled by the Food and Environment Reporting Network. The Biden administration is also reopening schools in spite of mass infections during the ongoing Omicron surge, even as schools struggle to function due to the scale of infections among teachers and staff.

OSHA has never investigated poorly ventilated schools, which have been major vectors of the disease, where dozens of children have tragically contracted the disease and died, along with the deaths of hundreds of educators and school workers.

Even with the most stringent safety measures put in place, however, workplaces and schools are still massive reservoirs for the spread of COVID. The full shutdown of non-essential businesses with full pay for those impacted, along with scientifically guided mitigation efforts such as contract tracing, quarantining, testing, and freely available N95 masks on a global scale, is needed to save lives.
A disaster is rapidly unfolding among the vulnerable island states scattered across the Pacific, as cases of COVID-19, including the virulent Omicron variant, gain a foothold.

In October 2021, of 17 countries listed by The Lancet as COVID-19-free, 12 were in the Pacific. That situation is reversing among the regions impoverished former colonies, whose health systems and social infrastructure are ill-equipped to deal with the looming crisis.

Lockdowns were imposed in Samoa and Kiribati last week after COVID-19 cases were identified in international arrivals. Until this month, Kiribati had not reported a single case, while Samoa had only recorded two since the pandemic began.

On January 14, 36 of 54 passengers on a charter flight to Kiribati from Fijithe first to arrive in the nation since borders reopenedtested positive. In Samoa, a lockdown was triggered on Saturday after cases linked to a repatriation flight from Brisbane, with 73 passengers on board, rose to 15.

The sudden spread of COVID-19 into previously isolated Pacific islands coincides with the eruption of the virulent Omicron strain in the two regional powers, Australia and New Zealand. Both treat the southwest Pacific as their neo-colonial patch. Neither has ever had any concern for the local population, and bear prime responsibility for the current social and economic disaster.

A nurse stands outside Tamara Twomey hospital in Suva, Fiji. (AP Photo/Aileen Torres-Bennett)

Canberra and Wellington have adopted the live with the virus agenda, with disastrous results. Australia has had 1.9 million cases since mid-December and more than 800 deaths. The Omicron variant has recently been confirmed in the New Zealand community, with Prime Minister Ardern expecting up to 1,000 cases a day within two weeks.

The imposition of herd immunity is in line with demands from big business and political elites to prioritise profits over public health. As part of this, the reckless relaxation of border restrictions and revival of international travel has begun in earnest. In the Pacific, this is propelled by the drive to restore the devastated tourism industry, deemed essential to the economies of island businesses.

Kiribati opened its borders, which had been shut since March 2020, on January 10. The flight from Fiji occurred during a surge of COVID-19 following Fijis border re-opening on December 1. Fijis Health Ministry reported the first Omicron case on January 4. From January 11-24 there were 4,049 new cases reported, including among tourists who have isolated within segmented parts of their hotels. There were 11 new deaths reported on Tuesday.

In Kiribati a case uninvolved with the quarantine facility was confirmed last Friday, forcing the government to announce it assumed COVID-19 is now spreading in the community on South Tarawa and Betio. South Tarawa is Kiribatis capital and home to about half of its population, some 63,000 people. An indefinite lockdown was imposed on Saturday, with residents only able to access emergency or essential services during prescribed hours.

In Samoa, the positive cases, all of whom were fully vaccinated, entered on January 19, including an 11-month-old baby. Six new cases have since been detected at the border, plus five infections among nursing staff, bringing the total to 26. Samoas Director General of Health Dr Take Naseri said samples were sent to New Zealand for testing, but they suspect it is the Omicron variant. Repatriation flights from Australia and New Zealand have now been cancelled.

Agafili Tomaimano Shem Leo, chairman of the National Emergency Operation Center, said that the day dreaded by authorities for COVID-19 to invade Samoa is here, adding, our security is under siege from COVID-19. In 2019 a measles epidemic, which began in New Zealand, rapidly overwhelmed Samoas fragile health system, killing 81 people, mostly children. Currently only 62 percent of the population is currently fully vaccinated for COVID.

The Solomon Islands is facing a health catastrophe. Authorities reported 650 cases as of Tuesday, with two deaths. Health Ministry spokesman Yogesh Choudry said there is widespread community transmission in the capital Honiara, nearby Malaita Province and is threatened in the Western Province. The ministry is transitioning from a containment to a mitigation strategy, with case numbers forecast to hit 50,000 in coming weeks.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare revealed on January 18 that six of ten people who had illegally entered the country had COVID-19. A foreign national on a flight from Brisbane had also tested positive, taking the tally of positive cases at the time to 32. A community cluster, possibly sourced from Papua New Guinea, was discovered the next day among five residents from Ontong Java Atoll who had travelled to Honiara by ferry on January 10.

The impoverished country is only able to carry out 200 tests a day. The positivity rate is nearly 50 percent, pointing to rampant infection that is spreading undetected. In a massive blow to the already stretched health system, over 50 of the cases are staff at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara. Besides a shortage of critical health workers, there are only 56 beds to cater to people with moderate to severe disease.

Elsewhere, in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia, 805 new infections were reported last weekend with more than 300 being recorded every day. There are currently 2,839 active cases. The surge follows the arrival of Omicron earlier this month, brought in by international travellers. Some of those infected have had no contact with the initial cases and half of infections are the Omicron variant.

New Caledonia was COVID-19 free until last September when Delta rapidly infected thousands and killed more than 280 people, mainly indigenous Kanaks. The country went into lockdown, but restrictions were eased for the Christmas holiday period. Just 65 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated. Congress passed a law in September making vaccinations mandatory but its application has been repeatedly deferred.

In the regions largest country, Papua New Guinea (PNG), the first Omicron case has been detected in a 45-year-old expatriate man, who had travelled from South Africa and diagnosed on 26 December.

With the man now recovered, PNG authorities have called for calm. However, pandemic response controller David Manning has declared that the government is working from the assumption that the Omicron variant is now active in Papua New Guinea. Manning said authorities are attempting to control the rate of infections before the countrys election period, due in May. Public gatherings of 100 or more people have been banned until March.

PNG suffered a surge of cases last October. Hospitals were overwhelmed and morgues overflowed, forcing the government to conduct mass burials. Official figures report 77 new cases from 11-24 January, but due to the collapse in testing these numbers are meaningless. PNG has one of the lowest rates of vaccination in the world, with less than 3 percent of nearly 9 million people vaccinated.

The criminal perspective of PNGs ruling elite was bluntly spelled out by National Capital District Governor Powes Parkop, who declared in a speech on January 18 that the capital, Port Moresby, would not be locked down.

We must accept that the virus is here to stay. Those who want to get the vaccine, it is up to you, those who do not want, you think you are okay, it is up to you. Life must go on, Parkop said. Very likely, there will be thousands of deaths.
On Tuesday, a day that the United States recorded 2,997 COVID-19 deaths, the New York Times published an op-ed by two former Biden administration advisers calling Chinas decision to prioritize saving lives a mistake and extolling the benefits of natural immunity through infection.

Every day for the past seven days, an average of 2,500 people have died from COVID-19 in the US. Nearly 880,000 Americans, more than the number of US soldiers who have died in combat in every war the US has ever fought, have succumbed to this preventable disease. By contrast, in China, the country where COVID-19 first emerged, only 4,636 people have lost their lives, and there were just 103,000 cases.

A woman holds a floral bouquet during an official memorial was held for victims of coronavirus in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province, Saturday, April 4, 2020. With air raid sirens wailing and flags at half-mast, China held a three-minute nationwide moment of reflection to honor those who have died in the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

However, in the eyes of the American media and political establishment, it is not the United States that must follow the example of China, but China that must follow the United States down the path of mass infection.

In their op-ed, entitled Chinas Zero-Covid Policy Is a Pandemic Waiting to Happen, Ezekiel J. Emanuel and Michael T. Osterholm argue that the goal of eradicating COVID-19 (Zero COVID) is unattainable with the highly transmissible Omicron variant and has set [China] up for disaster. The coronavirus is not going to disappearthe world will have to live with it. Making matters worse, Chinas vaccines are much less effective against Omicron.

Their admonition of China is, in fact, a devastating self-exposure of Americas response to the pandemic. The coronavirus has not disappearedthat is, it has not been eliminatedbecause of deliberate decisions by the US and European powers to allow the virus to spread without restraint, guaranteeing not only mass death but the evolution of more infectious and vaccine-resistant variants.

The emergence of the Omicron variant is precisely what scientistsand the World Socialist Web Sitewarned would happen as a result of the policy of mass infection. Emanuel and Osterholm are effectively telling China: Due to our actions, which prioritized financial and economic interests over lives, the virus has not been eliminated. Your efforts to prevent mass infection will therefore fail, and you must learn to live with it.

Instead of arguing for the highly effective mRNA vaccines developed in the US to be urgently provided to China to prevent mass death, they simply demand that Chinas leaders let it rip. As horrifying as this is, the authors make no mention of the billions around the globe who will inevitably be exposed to COVID-19 but have no access to any vaccine.

Revealing the real concerns motivating the demand that China abandon its efforts to eradicate COVID-19, Emanuel and Osterholm write that a Zero COVID strategy will have serious economic impacts on Chinaand for all of us, given the countrys position in the world economy. While China remains the production capital of the world, this is unlikely to be sustainable should lockdowns ensue.

That is, mass infection is inevitable not due to the nature of the virus, but due to the imperatives of the economy, by which is meant the interests of the financial oligarchy.

Emanuel and Osterholm make clear that the policy of mass infectionfar from being the outcome of blunders and mistakesis deliberate. In fact, they present it as a positive good, which supposedly offers protection against the ravages of the pandemic, while leaving China vulnerable:

Other countries can provide a road map that China can put into action. Denmark, Germany and some other European countries, as well as Australia, have achieved strong immunity without suffering the U.S. death rate. Community spread resulted, but it would have been inevitable, even with longer or more severe lockdowns, and it allowed those countries to build up immunity.

This is an argument for the mass infection, and mass murder, of the Chinese population. All the countries held up as models for China are experiencing a massive surge in cases and deaths. If China had the same death rate from COVID-19 as the United States, 3.6 million people would be dead. If it had the same death rate as Germany, the figure would stand at two million.

A comparison of cumulative COVID-19 death rates between the United States, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and China.

Even the authors themselves do not believe their own statements about build[ing] up immunity through mass infection. Neither COVID-19 vaccination nor infection appear to confer lifelong immunity, they wrote on January 6, making it clear that allowing COVID-19 to spread unchecked would lead to recurrent waves of infection.

The policy adopted by China beginning in early 2020 has proved that a country with four times the population of the United States, and the same geographic extent, could successfully contain this highly transmissible disease, even without the availability of vaccines.

Since early 2020, by aggressively tracking every case, isolating those who were infected, quarantining those exposed, and selectively closing schools and businesses to break community transmission, China has suppressed the spread of COVID-19. As a result, most people in China have been able to go to school, work and socialize without constantly worrying about being infected with a potentially deadly and debilitating disease and spreading it to their loved ones.

The ruling elite in the US, despite having been provided by China in early 2020 with a full description of the diseases mechanism, its mode of transmission, and how to contain it, made the decision to allow it to spread unchecked. This response was directed by the single-minded pursuit of inflating the stock market, with the Treasury and Federal Reserve funneling some six trillion dollars into Wall Street. As a result, while nearly one million people have died in the US, the 10 richest men in the world, nine of whom reside in the United States, havee doubled their wealth over the past two years.

Despite earlier denials by US public health officials, the policy of herd immunity, that is, the deliberate mass infection of the population, was always the operative policy in the United States.

But the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which spreads as rapidly as the measles and has led to a surge in cases, has created the pretext for the open, public embrace of mass infection. The herd immunity doctrine articulated in the Great Barrington Declaration has been adopted by the entire political establishment.

Osterholm and Emanuel do not examine any of the social, political or economic motives that led the United States to allow the mass infection of its own population. They simply treat these policies as given and tell China that it must accept the mass infection of its population or pay an ever-greater economic price as the circulation of the disease creates increasingly infectious variants.

The policy of the US in relation to China is now essentially what the Wuhan Lab conspiracy theorists have accused China of doing. The US is demanding that China allow the mass infection of its population and the hundreds of thousands of deaths that would inevitably follow. The American ruling class is engaged, in other words, in a form of biological warfare.

It would be easy to describe the Times essay as the result of the sociopathic ravings of Ezekiel Emanuel. Emanuel is Americas foremost advocate of cutting health care costs by reducing the social and economic resources spent by society on treating the elderly and disabled, in what medical ethics experts have called a form of modern-day eugenics. For years, Emanuel had advocated reducing life expectancy, perhaps little imagining that a deadly pandemic would emerge that would achieve precisely these goals.

The op-ed in the Times, is, however, state policy. Emanuel, whose brother was chief of staff under former President Barack Obama, was an adviser to both the Biden and Obama administrations. His call on January 6 to make COVID-19 the new normal led NBC News nightly segment on the pandemic, received front-page treatment in the New York Times and was greeted with a Washington Post editorial, as well as the lead interview on Meet the Press.

American capitalism, to use the phrase of Telford Taylor, the prosecutor at the Nuremberg tribunals, is dying of its own poison. The idea that completely disregarding the well-being of American workers, allowing them to die en masse, and forcing them to work while sick to generate short-term profits will lead to the rejuvenation of American capitalism is laying the foundation not only for a social and economic catastrophe, but for a massive political rebellion of the working class.

In opposition to the policy of global mass infection promoted by the American ruling class, the response of the working class to the emergence of the Omicron variantand the variants that will inevitably followmust be the fight for global elimination and eradication. The experience of China shows that a policy of Zero COVID is possible, but it also demonstrates that this policy can only be realized on a global scale.

The defense of the lives of the Chinese working class from mass infection rests on the international working class, who, in taking up the fight to eliminate COVID-19, must at the same time wage a political struggle against the ruling class and the entire capitalist system.
A Ukrainian judge decided last week that former President Petro Poroshenko could remain free while facing charges of treason. Despite an earlier court order, Poroshenko was not arrested upon his recent arrival at the Kiev airport, and a judge subsequently rejected a request that he be placed under arrest and bail set at $35 million.

Poroshenko, who was known as the chocolate oligarch, became the countrys president in the wake of the US-backed February 2014 putsch in Kiev that overthrew the pro-Russian government of Viktor Yanukovich. He initiated the ongoing civil war in eastern Ukraine against Russian-backed separatists that has killed over 14,000. His right-wing, militaristic regime was plagued by economic crisis and corruption, which ultimately led to his overwhelming defeat to Voldymyr Zelensky in the 2019 presidential elections.

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko outside Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, Jan. 17, 2022. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

According to the prosecutions charges, Poroshenko purchased $54 million in coal from separatists in eastern Ukraine in cooperation with pro-Russian oligarch and politician Viktor Medvedchuk. The latter is already facing treason charges and under house arrest. Poroshenko faces up to 15 years in prison.

The accusations against Poroshenko were first unveiled in December. In addition to facing legal prosecution, Poroshenkos assets have been frozen in Ukraine. As former president, Poroshenko was undoubtedly aware of his impending arrest and left the country a week prior for what his political party claimed was a previously planned trip.

While outside of the country, Poroshenko traveled to Brussels, Berlin and other NATO member countries to meet with European Parliament members and drum up support among the imperialist powers and Eastern European NATO member states.

In an interview with Politico while in Brussels, Poroshenko campaigned as the alternative to Zelensky, stating, Im the leader of the opposition. Im the leader of public support. Im the fifth president. I am the person who, fighting Putin, and with my team, saved Ukraine in the most difficult years of our history. Im the person who created the army. And I am the person who (brought) Ukraine much closer to the European Union. I am the person who put in the Ukrainian constitution, European and Euro-Atlantix integration as the direction of our foreign policy.

Upon his return from Warsaw, Ukrainian border guards seized his passport as he was greeted by thousands of supporters.

Since his arrival in Kiev, Poroshenko has vocally backed NATOs escalation of tensions with Russia and attacked the Zelensky government for not being decisive enough. The Ukrainian journal Fokus quoted him as saying We are for unityWe are for calming the population, but with decisive measures, not with some videos. On Tuesday, he accused Zelensky of funding Moscow through purchases of coal and electricity from Belarus.

He [Zelensky] has bought $3.5 billion worth of electricity from Belarus since 2019, de facto financing Russia, stated Poroshenko. He shows soap operas [on television] [while] instead, we need to concentrate and mobilize.

As a trusted friend of US imperialism, Poroshenko recently received support from American Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who urged the Ukrainian ruling class to call a timeout on the oligarchic infighting amid war preparations against Russia. I think one of Moscows longstanding goals has been to try to sow divisions, between and within countries, and quite simply we cannot and will not let them do that, Blinken said while meeting with Zelensky in Kiev.

Poroshenko likewise got support from the British ambassador to Ukraine, Melinda Simmons, who tweeted that Poroshenkos case should be treated independently, impartially, and professionally, ensuring fairness and respect for due process.

Unsurprisingly, the US and the UK expressed no such concerns over divisions within the oligarchy last year when the pro-Russian oligarch and opposition figure Medvedchuk was charged with treason and three popular Medevedchuk-owned television stations were undemocratically banned by the Zelensky administration.

The defense of Poroshenko by Ukraines two most important military backers indicates that some circles in Washington and London may view Poroshenko as a potential replacement for Zelensky should a full-scale war break out between Russia and Ukraine.

Throughout his presidency, Poroshenko systematically worked to integrate far-right forces into Ukraines National Guard, government and state apparatus. Neo-fascist volunteer battalions have played the principal role in the now almost eight-year long civil war between pro-Russian separatists and the Kiev regime in East Ukraine. At each step of his presidency Poroshenko was supported by the United States, most overtly by Joe Biden who coordinated US policy on Ukraine as Obamas vice president.

In contrast, Zelensky was forced to wait nine months into the Biden administration before being granted a meeting with the US president in September 2021, despite many previous requests.

While Washington initially expressed concern over Zelensky potentially making a deal with Moscow upon his election, such doubts have since been erased. Zelensky has gone even further than Poroshenko in antagonizing Moscow by openly pleading for his countrys admission to NATO, adopting an official policy to recover Crimea and purchasing Turkish aerial drones for use against the separatists.

In doing so, Zelensky, with the backing of the imperialist powers, has brought the country to the brink of war. Notably, Zelensky is prosecuting Poroshenko not for any of the myriad financial crimes he undoubtedly carried out as president, but rather on a right-wing, nationalist basis. Zelensky portrays his political opponents as national traitors.

Today, Zelensky, who defeated Poroshenko by winning over 70 percent of the vote in 2019, is supported by just 17.4 percent of voters, according to recent polling data from the Kiev International Institute of Sociology.

Poroshenkos party, European Solidarity, is currently ahead in the polls against Zelenskys Servant of the People party. While promoting empty slogans like democracy and European values, European Solidarity has drawn into its ranks many far-right Ukrainian nationalists. In October of 2021, deputies from his party participated in a social media challenge by singing a right-wing hymn to the Ukrainian nationalist hero, Nazi collaborator and war criminal Stepan Bandera.

Zelenskys constant concessions to the countrys far right and his anti-Russia war drive notwithstanding, he has found himself under significant pressure from fascist forces that have been built up, armed and funded by Washington and sections of the state apparatus and oligarchy. In recent years, there have been several large-scale demonstrations against his government that were dominated by far-right forces and addressed by Poroshenko.

Last summer, amid NATOs escalating war drive in Eastern Europe, Zelensky, despite being the commander-in-chief, was banned from visiting the front of the civil war in East Ukraine for several days. The incident was never fully explained but indicated significant tensions within the Ukrainian state and military apparatus. In late July, Zelensky replaced the General Chief of Staff as part of a wider reshuffling of the security forces and army.
Even as the US and its European allies are beating the war drums against Russia over the Ukraine, the US Navy is engaged in provocative war games in the South China Sea aimed at threatening China. These naval exercises are a clear indication that the Pentagons war planners recognise that any conflict with Russia could very quickly widen to embroil China.

Two nuclear aircraft carriersthe USS Carl Vinson and the USS Abraham Lincolnand their strike groups began joint military drills on Sunday. There was no pretence that the exercises had any benign intent. They aimed, stated a media release, to strengthen maritime integrated-at-sea operations and combat readiness.

The Pentagons AirSea Battle strategy for war with China is premised on the US control of waters adjacent to the Chinese mainland, particularly Hainan Island, which is adjacent to the South China Sea and houses key submarine bases. AirSea Battle envisages a massive air and missile assault on Chinese military bases and infrastructure from US bases, warships and submarines.

The USS Abraham Lincoln [Credit: US Navy]

That is exactly what the US Navy is preparing for. According to the press release, the two aircraft carrier strike groups are engaged in joint operations to include enhanced maritime communication operations, anti-submarine warfare operations, air warfare operations, replenishments-at-sea, cross-deck flight operations and maritime interdiction operations.

An article in the South China Morning Post last week noted that US carrier strike groups had entered the South China Sea 10 times in 2021, compared with six times in 2020 and five in 2019. Even before the current exercises, the USS Carl Vinson had carried out a five-day joint drill around the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea with the Essex Amphibious Ready Group, which is specifically tasked with amphibious assaults.

Last week the USS Carl Vinson and the Essex amphibious group joined USS Abraham Lincoln and the America Expeditionary Strike Group, which is also designated for amphibious assaults, for war games in the Philippine Seato the east of Taiwan. The massive US naval presence was further bolstered by two Japanese warshipsthe helicopter carrier JS Hyuga and the destroyer JS Myoko.

The inclusion of US amphibious naval units is particularly menacing, not only to the Chinese mainland but to Chinese-controlled islets in the South China Sea, which would be prime targets in any US war with China.

The South China Morning Post article noted that US naval operations in the South China Sea had increased in both number and complexity. Citing a former Taiwanese naval military instructor, it suggested that the entry routes of US warships into the South China Sea had changed to evade over-the-horizon radar systems on Chinas Mischief, Subi and Fiery Cross reefs.

The American media has all but ignored the US naval war games, focussing instead on the Chinese responsethe dispatch of warplanes into Taiwans Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ), which are invariably described as intrusions and threats and cited as evidence of Beijings intentions to invade Taiwan. According to Taiwanese authorities, 39 Chinese military aircraft entered its ADIZ on Sunday, followed by another 13 on Monday.

This anti-China propaganda involves yet another hypocritical double standard. When the US navy carries out war games thousands of kilometres from the nearest American territory, it is operating in international waters to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. Yet when Chinese warplanes fly into international airspace close to the Chinese mainland, that is branded as Chinese aggression. ADIZs in general have no standing in international law. Moreover, the Taiwanese ADIZ provocatively includes areas over mainland China.

As with its moves against Russia over the Ukraine, Washington is engaged in a similar modus operandi in relation to China over Taiwan. Russian military operations on Russian territory are cited as proof of an imminent invasion of the Ukraine. This is the pretext for threats against Moscow and a huge US military build-up in Eastern Europe, like the amassing of what Rear Admiral Dan Martin, commander of the USS Carl Vinson strike group, described as overwhelming maritime force against China.

In an interview with the Australian media while in Sydney last week, British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss warned, without providing a shred of evidence, that China could exploit the Ukraine crisis to invade Taiwan. Russia is working more closely with China than it ever has. Aggressors are working in concert and I think its incumbent on countries like ours to work together, she said.

In a similar vein, Financial Times commentator Gideon Rachman published a lengthy article last weekend entitled New world order: Russia and Chinas plans take shape. He inadvertently pointed to the underlying motives, not so much of Russian and Chinese geo-politics, but of the aggressive moves by US imperialism in Eastern Europe and East Asia.

Rachman declared: Two features of the current world order that the Russians and the Chinese frequently object to are unipolarity and universality. Put more simply, they believe that the current arrangements give America too much powerand they are determined to change that.

In reality, the boot is on the other foot: In its historic decline, US imperialism is determined to shore up the global dominance that it established in the wake of World War II through every means, including military. Its triumphalism following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 has vanished and it is now targeting what it regards as the chief threats to the post-war imperialism order, in which it was top dog.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly intensified geo-political tensions and accelerated the war planning in the Pentagon. Confronted with an immense social, economic and political crisis at home that is leading to a rising class conflict, the Biden administration is seeking to project these social tensions outward against an external enemy, greatly heightening the danger of war.

While the immediate target is Russia, the US Navys drills in waters off the Chinese mainland are a warning that wherever a conflict might start, it has the potential to rapidly evolve into a disastrous global war involving nuclear-armed powers.
Dozens of university students at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, in the Canadian province of British Columbia, walked out Monday, on the first day of in-person learning after the holiday break. They enjoyed the support of over 4,000 students who signed a petition protesting the dangerous return to face-to-face classes and the refusal of the university administration to offer an online option for students concerned about getting infected by the highly-contagious Omicron variant during the worst surge of the COVID-19 pandemic so far.

This return is going to kill people and it doesnt need to happen, Emma Hacker, one of the students who walked out, told CTV News. Continued spread of Omicron is going to cause untold harm, not only to vulnerable members of the community but to the entire Lower Mainland.

Another student, describing why they walked out, said that classrooms are packed, with students sitting side by side. Why werent we consulted? Why werent we asked how we wanted the school to be run? she remarked.

Simon Fraser University, Surrey (Photo by Tiberiu Ana)

The petition, signed by over 4,650 people, declares that the universitys decision to force students back into in-person classes is not an ethical choice. It explains:

Omicron infects both completely vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, and it is not the only variant that is infecting individuals. Since SFU is not equipped with audio/visual recording systems in every classroom, nor are all instructors willing to record their lectures, with the current decision of SFU, students are forced to go to school despite their discomfort. Students will need to transit to SFU, which means they need to be in contact with strangers that may or may not have COVID. If any one student in the classroom is sick, all other students are at risk. Some students are immunocompromised, or have high-risk family members, but they are forced to put themselves and their family members at risk because SFU is not giving them options to stay home. Once infected, the students will have to either miss classes because of the lack of audio/visual recording systems or the unwillingness of the instructor to record lecture, or risk spreading the disease.

The petition went on to address the questions of Long COVID and the pandemics impact on students mental health. There are also symptoms of COVID like dysregulated sense of smell and taste that even scientists dont know how long they would last, the petition points out. There are also rising evidence [sic] that COVID not only affects the respiratory system but also the central nervous system including the brain (Marshall, 2020). We still do not know how long these damages to the body would last, and what effects the damages might have. But we know that, if more people are infected with COVID, there is a higher chance that COVID will mutate and create a new variant.

The stress of the pandemic, and the anxiety caused by knowing we are at risk of getting and spreading a deadly disease is taking a toll on students mental health, and will severely hinder their performance.

The students determination to protect themselves and their colleagues from the potentially deadly virus stands in stark contrast to the profit-driven motives of university administrators and the capitalist governments at all levels who stand behind them. Post-secondary education in Canada, like elsewhere, is a multi-billion-dollar business that views students as consumers and cash cows. Online learning involves a significant loss of revenue for universities, not only due to the reduced business for food providers and other amenities on campus, but also due to the reduced use of lucrative student accommodation and lower tuition fees.

The relentless drive to force in-person learning amid a record-breaking surge of infections due to the Omicron variant is provoking fierce opposition among broad layers of students and education workers. Student-led walkouts and wildcat sickouts organized by rank-and-file teachers have erupted across Canada and the United States, and throughout Europe.

Hundreds of Manitoba high school students organized a walkout to protest the unsafe reopening of schools last week. Teachers in Ontario and British Columbia have taken job action by filing work refusals and refusing to enter unsafe schools.

Students and staff at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec organized a petition calling for instruction to remain online until community transmission is under control. It has garnered over 12,000 signatures. Undergraduate students from the McGill University School of Social Work voted by a margin of 93 percent to strike in opposition to in-person instruction from Monday. As Jo Roy, a third-year student and a strike organizer explained to the CBC, Many of us, especially in the second- and third- years of our programs, do field placements twice a week in community-based settings So our chief concern is the clients we work with and the possibility of spreading COVID to the communities.

McGill students have been complaining for months about the lack of transparency provided by the administration about the number of COVID-19 cases on campus. There had been COVID positive students who had gone to classes, who had gone to social events and we were not informed, a student told City News Montreal in September 2021. It kind of created a panic within the school when we realize the McGill administration isnt telling us when were in contact with COVID positive cases.

When students tried to establish their own case reporting system, the university ordered them to shut it down, accusing them of breaching public health guidelines.

Students at St. Clair College in the Windsor, Ontario area have organized a petition that has attracted over 1,500 signatures. It calls for the immediate return to online learning while the pandemic continues to break records of infection and hospitalization. Another petition at Western University in London, Ontario requesting the continuation of an online learning option has garnered over 3,600 signatures.

The province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) only recorded its first and second deaths due to COVID-19 on January 14 this year. The island of some 156,000 inhabitants has already recorded another four deaths, bringing the total death count to six. The small province was largely spared the worst of the pandemic, with official case numbers at 0 or in the single and double digits up until January of this year. The 7-day average has remained in the hundreds ever since. The University of Prince Edward Island was forced to declare a delay in return to in-person classes until the end of February as a result.

With most post-secondary institutions across the country set to reopen by the first week of February at the latest, the recent series of protests shows that opposition is mounting. As with previous waves of the pandemic, the premature reopening of schools and universities for in-person learning has led to dramatic rises in cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Public schools were forced open by provincial governments during the first half of January with virtually no protective measures. Even though most experts warn that case numbers have yet to reach their peak, the response by the ruling class has been to abandon any and all public health measures to contain the virus, and to undermine the ability to even keep track of the growing rate of infections.

The imperviousness of capitalist governmentsfrom British Columbias social-democratic NDP to the Quebec first CAQ, the hard-right Progressive Conservative governments in Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta, and their collaborators in the trade unionsto the most elementary health and safety concerns of the population demonstrates the need for the organization of independent rank-and-file safety committees in every school and workplace. Through these committees, students and educators must spearhead the drive to shut down unsafe schools and non-essential businesses, as part of a working-class offensive for the implementation of a Zero COVID policy, and the reorganization of social and economic life to meet human need, not private profit. This struggle is being spearheaded among educators and students in Canada by the Cross-Canada Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee (CERSC)

We encourage all students who agree with this program to join the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE), which fights to bring a socialist and internationalist program to students and young workers across Canada and around the world.
On Sunday, several thousand people protested in Washington D.C. in opposition to any and all measures aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Defeat the Mandate event was heavily promoted by far-right media, including segments before and after the rally on Fox News. Nevertheless, the turnout was significantly lower than the 20,000 people predicted by event organizers.

In an attempt to maximize attendance, the rally was held less than 48 hours after the far-right March for Life rally, which was also held in D.C. As in previous appearances in the nations capital, the neo-Nazi group Patriot Front, which marched alongside anti-abortion protesters, was afforded a robust police escort.

Robert Kennedy Jr. (Photo by National Farm Workers)

Sundays anti-vaccine protest included detachments of the Proud Boys and III Percenters militia groups. Members of both groups are facing charges for their role in Donald Trumps failed fascist coup of January 6, 2021. Many signs carried by attendees bore pro-Trump, anti-scientific and right-wing libertarian slogans, such as Free to Infect Others, Trump Won, Vaccines are Mass Bio-Weapons Resist Medical Tyranny, Jesus is My Vaccine and No Socialism.

Reflecting the violent atmosphere being cultivated by the sections of the ruling class against public health and science in general, a large bus featuring wanted-style photos of Dr. Anthony Fauci, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Jacob Rothschild, bearing the words Arrest or Exile, repeatedly circled the crowd.

In addition to far-right foot soldiers, high-level organizers of Trumps failed coup were present at the rally. Joe Flynn, the brother of former Trump National Security Advisor Lt. General Michel Flynn, was photographed at the event. Both Flynn brothers participated in the Stop the Steal rallies following Trumps electoral defeat. The rallies, heavily attended by militia groups that would later storm the US Capitol, galvanized far-right support in furtherance of Trumps plot to overturn the election of Joe Biden.

The Defeat the Mandate rally was organized in part by political operative Will Witt of the far-right media company PragerU, who also appeared on Fox and Friends after the rally, falsely claiming that some 50,000 people had attended. Featured speakers at the event included anti-vaccine zealots Dr. Robert Malone and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In addition to a recent appearance on comedian Joe Rogans podcast two days before the rally, Malone was a guest Friday night on the fascistic Tucker Carlson program on Fox News.

During his show, Carlson likened coronavirus vaccine mandates to war crimes committed by the Imperial Japanese Army and Nazis medical experiments. Malone readily agreed with Carlsons deranged comparison. After thanking Carlson for bringing up the Nuremberg trials, Malone claimed that vaccine mandates were frankly illegal, and Im so glad that the courts are making it clear.

Robert Kennedy Jr. is the son of the assassinated senator from New York and nephew of the assassinated president John F. Kennedy. Since at least 2005, Kennedy Jr. has peddled the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. He is the founder and chairman of Childrens Health Defense. Since 2011, the organization has advocated against various public health programs, including vaccinations and the fluoridation of drinking water.

During his delusional remarks Sunday, Kennedy Jr. denounced the COVID-19 mitigation measureswhich are extremely limitedstill in effect in some parts of the United States. He suggested that measures to stem the spread of the deadliest pandemic in a century, which has already claimed the lives of nearly 1 million people in the US, constituted a worse fate than that suffered by Anne Frank, the 15-year-old Jewish girl who died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp after evading Nazi capture by living in a tiny attic with her family for two years.

Even in Hitlers Germany, you could cross the Alps to Switzerland. You could hide in an attic like Anne Frank did, Kennedy told the crowd assembled in front of the Lincoln Memorial.

Kennedys stupid comments were widely denounced by various Jewish and historical organizations. The US Holocaust Museum stated, Making reckless comparisons to the Holocaust, the murder of six million Jews, for a political agenda is outrageous and deeply offensive. Those who carelessly invoke Anne Frank, the star badge, and the Nuremberg Trials exploit history and the consequences of hate.

This is not the first time Kennedy Jr. has participated in the whipping up of anti-Semitic and fascistic elements in opposition to the measures to contain transmission of COVID-19. Despite travel restrictions at the time, Kennedy Jr. was able to fly to Germany and participate in a far-right rally against coronavirus public health measures on September 1, 2020.

During that rally, which was attended by neo-Nazis and QAnon supporters, sympathetic elements in the police allowed fascists to storm the steps of Germany's federal parliament building.

While anti-vaccine advocates were trivializing the Holocaust in Washington D.C., a small number of fascists were continuing to distribute anti-Semitic propaganda across the US, claiming the pandemic is the fault of the Jewish people.

Over the last two months, including over the weekend, in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Denver, Colorado; San Francisco and Pasadena, California; and Annapolis, Maryland, anti-Semitic propaganda has been distributed in neighborhoods claiming that the coronavirus pandemic is a Jewish conspiracy.

The fascist fliers assert that every single aspect of the COVID agenda is Jewish. Police in Miami claim to have a lead on an individual believed to have distributed more than 200 fliers this past weekend.

Speaking to local reporters, one Miami resident said that what is on the back of the fliers is even more disturbing: One of the things they say is to sacrifice people, including Jews, sometimes when necessary, an anonymous Fort Lauderdale resident told WSVN News.

On Monday evening, the Jewish Federation of Broward County, Florida issued a statement that read, in part, The Jewish Federation of Broward County condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the distributing of anti-Semitic propaganda... Because Broward County is home to the third largest population of Holocaust survivors in the world, we are acutely aware of what happens when hate is allowed to thrive unfettered and unchallenged.

The disgusting material is believed to have been distributed by the Goyim Defense League (GDL), a small fascist outfit that has been reported by the Anti-Defamation League. Last year, the neo-Nazis hung a banner from an overpass in Austin, Texas that read Vax the Jews.

In December, the group leafleted private homes in California, Texas, North Carolina, Idaho, Vermont, Alabama, Illinois and Florida. One Boise resident told CBS News at the time that the propaganda package included pellet gun ammunition.

Speaking to The Algemeiner last year, Carla Hill, associate director of the Center on Extremism of the Anti-Defamation League, said the recent surge of incidents was due, in part, to a promise by the founder of the GDL, Jon Minadeo, Jr., to send $100 worth of fascist merchandise to any of his members who participated in propaganda distribution.

Minadeo is the founder of an online store that sells merchandise glorifying Adolf Hitler and the SS. Its purely and simply the monetization of hate, Hill said. Despite the fact that Minadeo Jr. is the leader of the GDL, as of this writing it does not appear that he has been arrested or even brought in for questioning by any law enforcement agency.
Weather Alert

...The Flood Warning is extended for the following rivers in Indiana... White River at Edwardsport. White River at Elliston. Wabash River at Montezuma. .Multiple rounds of rain over the last few days will lead to minor flooding along lower portions of the White River and upper portions on the Wabash River. Additional rainfall later this week should keep portions of the White and Wabash above flood stage through Saturday. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov/ind. This statement will be updated within the next 12 to 24 hours. && ...FLOOD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MONDAY EVENING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Wabash River at Montezuma. * WHEN...Until Monday evening. * IMPACTS...At 18.0 feet, Montezuma agricultural levee is overtopped. Fourteen hundred acres of low bottomlands flood. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 10:45 AM EDT Wednesday the stage was 13.0 feet. - Forecast...The river will rise to 13.4 feet just after midnight tonight. It will then fall to 13.3 feet and begin rising again early tomorrow afternoon. It will rise above flood stage early Friday morning and continue to rise to 17.1 feet early Saturday afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage Monday morning. - Flood stage is 14.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood &&
Press Release

January 26, 2022 Bong Go praises pharmacists for their contributions to fast-tracking vaccine drive; proposes that incentives be provided to them Senator Christopher "Bong" Go urged authorities to look into the possibility of giving an incentive to all pharmacists who are helping to support the country's COVID-19 vaccination campaign. In President Rodrigo Duterte's Talk to the People address on January 24, Go recognized the impact that volunteer vaccinators have in their communities. He highlighted the need for incentives to encourage greater volunteering as the government seeks to expand its 'Resbakuna sa Botika' program nationwide. "Suggestion lang po, since binibilisan na natin 'yung ating vaccination, especially dito sa ating bakunahan sa botika. Suggestion lang po as Committee Chair, baka pwede rin pong mabigyan ng incentives itong mga pharmacists natin na (nagwo-)work double time," said Go, who heads the Senate Committee on Health. "Para maengganyo pa 'yung lahat ng mga may-ari ng even private na pharmacies natin sa pinakamalalayong lugar dito sa Pilipinas ... (at) mas mapabilis ang ating pagpbabakuna," he added. Presidential Adviser for COVID-19 Response Secretary Vivencio "Vince" Dizon assured the lawmaker that the proposal would be discussed by the National Task Force Against COVID-19, in coordination with the Department of Health and National Vaccination Operations Center. The Resbakuna sa Botika is a joint government and private sector initiative that aims to expand the country's immunization program and address the shortage in vaccinators. The pilot implementation was conducted in select pharmacies and clinics in Metro Manila on January 20 and 21 and is set to be expanded to other parts of the country. The official list of participating major pharmacies and clinic networks are The Generics Pharmacy, Generika Drugstore, Healthway Clinic, Mercury Drug, Southstar Drug, Watsons and QualiMed. "Iyung nakita po namin nitong nakaraang linggo, 'yung mga tao po nakita rin nila 'yung botika na may bakunahan doon, aba eh pumupunta lang sila. They were just walking and they were saying, 'Uy, ako papabakuna na ako' kasi katabing-katabi lang nila 'yung mga botika natin," said Dizon. "I think very good gesture at pag-aaralan talaga namin, Senator, nang mabuti (ang proposal) para matulungan naman natin kahit kaunti ang ating mga pharmacists," he reassured. The government aims to vaccinate 77 million Filipinos and complete the 12 to 17 age group before the end of the first quarter of 2022. It also targets to fully vaccinate 90 million Filipinos and finish the booster shots of 72.16 million individuals by the second and third quarter, respectively. To do so, the government is looking to pursue specific collaboration arrangements with the private sector to increase public demand for both primary and booster shots. It also hopes to recruit as many vaccinators as necessary to ensure the deployment of sufficient doses nationwide. As of January 24, the government has obtained a total of 215.5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 123.9 million of which have been administered. Nearly 57.5 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated while about 59.9 million have obtained their first dose. Another 6.5 million individuals have received their booster shots. "Sa ating mga kababayan, lagi natin alalahanin na hindi kaya ng gobyernong mag-isa ang laban kontra pandemya. Hindi rin kakayanin ng mga frontliners kung patuloy na dadami ang kailangang dalhin sa mga ospital. Preventing the spread of COVID-19 starts with us by being responsible citizens and getting vaccinated," said Go. "Kaya let us remain vigilant at sumunod sa mga patakaran. Magtulungan tayo para hindi bumagsak ang ating healthcare system habang binabalanse natin na pasiglahin muli ang ating ekonomiya." In the end, the lawmaker once again lauded the country's healthcare workers and volunteers who continue to lead the fight against the pandemic. He also thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for recently approving the release of P1.185 billion for the COVID-19 Special Risk Allowance of eligible private HCWs and non-Department of Health plantilla personnel who are catering to or are in direct contact with COVID-19 patients. "Let us ensure that our heroic healthcare workers are being taken care of and well compensated for they provide a crucial role in our fight against this pandemic," said Go. The senator is a co-author and co-sponsor of a measure that became Republic Act No. 11525, also known as the COVID-19 Vaccination Law. The Act, signed on July 27, 2020, authorizes the national government and LGUs to undertake the negotiated procurement and administration of COVID-19 vaccines.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.  On Saturday night, 40 people boarded a boat from Bimini, Bahamas, and set out toward Florida.

They encountered severe weather later that night, causing the boat to capsize. U.S. Coast Guard rescue crews are now searching for 39 people in the ocean as they near 72 hours in the water.

A man sitting atop the capsized boat about 45 miles east of the Fort Pierce Inlet was rescued by a good Samaritan, who reported it to the Coast Guard Miami Sector about 8:45 a.m. Tuesday.

The U.S. Coast Guard Southeast said in a tweet Tuesday afternoon that several cutters and aircraft are searching the water from Bimini to the Fort Pierce Inlet in St. Lucie County.

Petty Officer Jose Hernandez said officials do not yet know the nationality of the survivor or the others or where they were headed. It is unclear whether the survivor has been taken into custody.

The survivor told authorities that he held onto the capsized vessel until he was rescued Tuesday, Hernandez said.

The survivor said he and 39 others left Bimini on Saturday night, and no one had a life jacket, the U.S. Coast Guard District 7 said in a statement posted to Twitter. Officials said they believe it was an attempt at human smuggling.

Just days ago, Coast Guard crews intercepted a boat known as a sail freighter with 88 Haitians aboard that left from the Bahamas. Sail freighters are what is commonly seen in trips that leave from the Bahamas, Hernandez said.

Ventures that leave from the Bahamas often include people of many nationalities. The Coast Guard has intercepted 559 Haitians since the start of the fiscal year Oct. 1, 2021. In the last fiscal year, authorities intercepted over 1,500 Haitians, according to a news release issued last week. A total of 127 Cubans have been interdicted since the start of this fiscal year, compared to 838 in the previous year.

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UPDATE: Ofcom has confirmed it is launching an investigation into the BBCs reporting under its accuracy rules.

A spokesperson for Ofcom said: We have reviewed the BBCs final response to complaints about this news programme. We consider it raises issues under our due accuracy rules and have launched an investigation.

More from Variety

The BBC has apologized over its coverage of an antisemitic hate incident in central London following an internal investigation.

The BBCs Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) investigated both a BBC website article and a broadcast report that critics said victim-blamed a bus full of Jewish students who were abused on Londons Oxford Street shopping district while celebrating Hanukkah.

The ECU concluded that the broadcast did not breach editorial standards but partly upheld the complaints over lack of accuracy and impartiality.

The complaints stem from a Dec. 2021 article on the BBCs website reporting on an incident when a bus full of Jewish students celebrating Hanukkah was attacked in central London.

As the bus, which was playing Jewish music, stopped on Oxford Street a group of men approached from the sidewalk and began hitting the busy with their fists, throwing objects at it, spitting at it and shouting anti-Israeli slogans including Free Palestine.

A video of the attack, filmed inside of the bus, circulated on social media and included the panicked response of the students inside, some of whom can be heard urging the bus driver to move the vehicle in Hebrew.

Following the incident, which is being investigated by the police, the BBC published an article on its website about the attack and included the unverified claim that an anti-Muslim slur could be heard on the video. The article also described the attack as an alleged anti-Semitic incident.

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An identical claim about the slur was made in a broadcast report on BBC One during its main 6.30pm news bulletin.

A subsequent investigation, commissioned by the Board of Deputies of British Jews and carried out by two digital investigative agencies, DigFind and D3 Forensics, concluded that no such slur was uttered. An Israeli linguistic professor who also analyzed the video said the reporter had mis-heard the Hebrew phrase tikrah lemishu, ze dachuf, meaning call someone, its urgent.

However, despite the digital investigations findings, the BBC refused to retract or apologize over the article. In a piece published in British newspaper The Jewish Chronicle, Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, urged the broadcaster to apologize, writing: That misreporting is a colossal error on the part of the BBC. It has added insult to injury in accusing victims of antisemitism of being guilty of bigotry themselves.

But what takes this from an egregious failure to something far more sinister is the BBCs behaviour when confronted with its mistake. Instead of admitting it was wrong, it has doubled and tripled down on insisting that a Hebrew cry for help must be an anti-Muslim slur.

Complaints over the report were then referred to the BBCs internal Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) which has now concluded the reference to the slur was included in good faith after undergoing an extensive editorial process, including being assessed by at least seven members of BBC London news staff and a senior editor in network news.

The report does not say whether any of the staff or editors were Hebrew-speakers.

However, the report goes on to say that a previous report into the incident commissioned by the BBC and carried out by a firm of translators together with the Board of Deputies investigation, should have led the BBC to recognise at an earlier stage that there was genuine doubt about the accuracy of what it had reported.

It follows that the online article as it stands must now be regarded as no longer meeting the BBCs standards of due accuracy and, to the extent that the anti-Muslim slur claim has itself become controversial, it also lacks due impartiality in failing to reflect alternative views. The same applies, mutatis mutandis, to the television item, though that could not have been updated as an online item can.

Following the EBUs findings, the BBC has issued an apology. A spokesman for the broadcaster stated:

We take complaints about our coverage seriously and today, following an expedited process, we have published the findings of the Executive Complaints Unit (ECU) in relation to a complaint by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, and others, over the reporting of an alleged anti-Semitic attack in Oxford Street in November last year.

The ECU  which is editorially independent of BBC News  has acknowledged that there was an overriding focus on those who directed abuse at the passengers on the bus and there was no evidence to support any claims of victim-blaming in our reporting.

Further, the ECU also ruled that the inclusion in our reports of the existence of an alleged slur, said to have come from within the bus, was included in good faith, following a great deal of editorial scrutiny.

However, the ECU has also found that more could have been done, subsequent to the original report, to acknowledge the differing views and opinions in relation to what was said; this should have been reflected in our reporting; and the online article amended. We accept this and apologise for not doing more to highlight that these details were contested  we should have reflected this and acted sooner.

Following the ECUs ruling, we have amended the story posted on the BBC News website on Dec. 2 2021 and issued a clarification in relation to a news report aired on BBC London on the same day.

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A composite image of Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden. Angela Weiss/Alexey Druzhinin/Getty Images

Joe Biden said a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be the "largest invasion since World War II."

Biden said the US could sanction Vladimir Putin personally if an invasion went ahead.

Russia previously warned that sanctioning Putin could lead to US-Russia ties being cut.

President Joe Biden said the US could put personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin if Russia were to invade Ukraine.

When asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether he'd consider targeting Putin personally with sanctions, he responded "yes," the BBC and Bloomberg reported.

He said that if Russia invaded Ukraine, it would have "enormous consequences worldwide" and could be the "largest invasion since World War II."

The US, Ukraine, and other Western governments have warned that Russia appears poised to invade. Ukraine says Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops along the border.

The Pentagon put 8,500 US troops on heightened alert over the tensions.

Russia said earlier this month that Russia would break ties with the US if Putin were sanctioned.

Putin's exact net worth is a mystery, but documents leaked last year suggested Putin had secret assets abroad in addition to his wealth in Russia.

Russia denies having plans to invade Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour returns to Arizona Federal Theatre in downtown Phoenix Thursday, March 3, for the songwriting legend's first Valley performance since 2018, when he made his first U.S. appearance of the year in that same venue.

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 28, at LiveNation.com.

Dylan was scheduled to headline a concert at Gila River Arena in Glendale with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and the Hot Club of Cowtown in 2020 two days after the release of "Rough And Rowdy Ways," his latest album.

That concert was canceled due to COVID-19.

At the time, Dylan wrote that the dates had been canceled with "deep regret" and "in the interest of public health and safety and after many attempts to try and reschedule these shows for a workable timeframe this year."

He added, "We hope to be back out on the road at the earliest possible time once we are confident that it is safe for both fans and concert staff."

His most recent Valley performance at what was then called Comerica Theatre found Dylan fully invested in the artistry of what he came to do, approaching his back pages more as works in progress than museum pieces.

"Rough and Rowdy Ways" was Dylan's first album of original material since the release of "Tempest" eight years earlier, which was followed by three albums, including a three-record set, that found him covering traditional pop standards.

It topped year-end album lists at Ultimate Classic Rock, Uncut and Mojo. Among the publications that ranked the album in the year-end Top 5 were Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Variety, the Wire, Uproxx and the New York Times.

Dylan's latest concert was Dec. 2 in Washington, D.C., hailed as "a fantastic, brilliant performance" in a review at americanahighways.org.

That show featured eight songs from the 10-song "Rough and Ready Ways" as well as such classics as "Watching the River Flow," "Most Likely You Go Your Way and I'll Go Mine" and "When I Paint My Masterpiece."

Story continues

Reach the reporter at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4495. Follow him on Twitter @EdMasley.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Bob Dylan Rough and Rowdy Ways Tour marks 1st Phoenix date in 4 years
In a new series called My Journey to the Oscars, Variety catches up with the directors of the films shortlisted for the International Feature Oscar to discuss their road to the awards, what theyve learned so far, and whats taken them off guard.

Asghar Farhadi, a two-time international Oscar winner for A Separation and The Salesman, is in the running for a third time with A Hero, which marks the Iranian auteurs return to shooting in his country.

Its a drama about a man named Rahim (Amir Jadidi) who, while on furlough after being imprisoned for debt, returns a lost handbag full of gold coins. This apparently heroic act spirals out of control due to social media, which plays an important part in the pic as it exposes the pitfalls of media manipulation in Iran but also, by extension, the world.

More from Variety

Congratulations! What does it mean to you to be shortlisted for the best international feature Oscar, after already winning this prize twice before?

The fact that the movie made it up to this stage creates curiosity for audiences to watch the film. It expands the films audience around the world.

Whats been the most challenging aspect of your campaign thus far?

The hardest part is traveling a lot, traveling to different countries. Some of the trips are very short. You have to hop around from one country to another. But, all in all, getting feedback from audiences that are watching the film all over the world is great. Its great that you get a chance to talk to different audiences around the world and find out how they relate to the film.

Social media plays an important part in the narrative of A Hero. Is this an aspect of the film that you think can help it connect with global audiences?

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Yes, one of the subplots of the film involves social media. And in all the countries that Ive been to, this is one of the topics people talk about. Which goes to show that social media is part of everybodys life these days.

Although you are shortlisted in the international feature category, the best picture category has historically been devoid of non-English language features. Parasite (2019) was the first winner in history. Do you feel international films are siloed in U.S. media and film criticism? If so, a re there ways to improve this process when it comes to awards season?

Basically, because there is an increased number of international members of the Oscar committee these days, the focus on international movies is increasing. Every year, the number of international [Academy] members who get to vote for the Oscars is growing. This is gradually bringing more focus on international films. Another sign of progress is that the name of the category has changed from foreign to international. All of this helps to shift attention towards non-American films. And Im very happy that there is plenty of curiosity around them.

When trying to get consumer Western audiences to watch an international feature, there seems to be a focus on the length of a movie. In other words, reviewers often chastise foreign films for being too long. But when something like Avengers: Endgame gets a three-hour runtime, Marvel fans are ecstatic and say they could go longer if they wanted to. Do you find that fair?



I feel that more important than the length of a film is the films quality. If a movie is interesting, we dont think about its length. Sometimes we watch even a short film  15 or 20 minutes  and it feels longer. To make sure a film connects with an audience I dont think its length is necessarily the most important aspect. Its the story that tells you how much time you need to put it on the screen. Although, in general, audiences like fast-paced movies, I still dont believe you can say the length of a film is the only factor that tells us if the movie will connect with the audience or not.

The Academy has favored European countries, with Italy and France winning triple the number of times than a country like Japan. Of course, thanks to you, Iran has a good batting average. Still, do you feel that more diversity from all countries globally should be encouraged? If so, how?



I feel like this is something that is happening right now. And there are many countries that are working towards this. And I believe that over the next few years the international category will become one of the pillars of the Oscars. This helps raise the quality of films higher and higher. But aside from what country a film comes from, I think the quality of the film will determine whether a film will remain in film history or not.

You are representing your country, Iran, to an American awards body (although there are voters who are international). Over the years, this has put you in situations that have nothing to do with your movies. In 2017, you decided not to attend the Oscars ceremony to protest against President Donald Trumps visa ban for citizens from Iran and other predominantly Muslim countries. How do you feel about being put in tough positions as that representative?

More than anything else, I consider myself a filmmaker. And I try to focus on the films that I make. In the past, things have indeed happened outside the world of the film. But I always try to make sure film isnt overshadowed by these things and that people watch my films without any preconceptions. But I have to say that I am also a citizen and when things happen, I react as a citizen. If these events make people in my country happy, it makes me happy as well. I experienced this after winning two Oscars. People in Iran were very happy. And this has been one of the gifts of my life; one of the happiest moments in my life.

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This story contains discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or Trevor Lifeline for LGBTQ Youth at 1-866-488-7386.

WORCESTER  A Worcester Polytechnic Institute student was found dead in their off-campus apartment over the weekend, the school confirmed Tuesday morning.

The manner of death is still under investigation, according to a WPI spokesperson.

The school previously reported six student deaths since July, some by suicide.

Two weeks ago, WPI confirmed the death of a senior while on winter break at his home in New Hampshire.

In November, students, faculty and staff gathered in response to the national mental health crisis after the death of four WPI students.

"We have experienced tremendous loss this academic year, and we are actively working to help our community," WPI said in a statement. "We are focusing on providing resources to those most directly impacted, and we continue to expand the ways in which we support our students, families, faculty, and staff."

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: WPI student found dead in off-campus apartment in Worcester MA
Bloom Glass Teapot

Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Growing up in a Turkish household, having a cup of tea was a natural punctuation to my day, whether concluding a hastily enjoyed breakfast before school or a never-ending family dinner. As first-generation Americans whose families hail from the tea-loving countries of India, Japan, China, Vietnam, and beyond turn their most treasured cultural rituals into full-fledged businesses, I can hardly contain my excitement each night when I go to brew a pot. Here are a few of my favorite brands that are breathing new life into one of the world's oldest drinks.

RELATED: If It Doesn't Make Me Smell Like a Teapot, I Don't Want It

Alaya Tea

Alaya Tea

Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Esha Chhabra and Smita Satiani started their company, Alaya, in September 2019. "Back in 2016, I had the opportunity to visit tea estates in Darjeeling," says Chhabra, whose family is originally from Kolkata. "These growers are going through a lot with the shifting monsoon and changing rain patterns." The cofounders source Alaya's offerings from women in Darjeeling, who hand pluck and roll the leaves. alayatea.co

Us Two Tea

Us Two Tea

Courtesy of Us Two Tea

From stress-relieving jasmine to a beautifully woodsy yet creamy baozhong (Taiwan's most popular tea varietal), Us Two Tea founder Maggie Xue sources each of her offerings directly from farms across Taiwan. The biodegradable corn fiber sachets are full of immune system- and mood-boosting leaves. Steep the black tea and watch the breathtaking ruby-red hue erupt seemingly out of nowhereyou'll thank me later. ustwotea.com

Tekuno

Tekuno Tea

Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Catherine Jue is the proprietor of the San Francisco tea shop Tekuno, which specializes in high-end Japanese teas and "doesn't treat customers like babies," but instead trusts their palates will welcome a delicate sencha with notes of roasted tomato, warm milk, and pea shoots. In a new showroom near Golden Gate Park, Jue offers monthly tastings and also carries ceramics from both local and Japanese artists. teawithtekuno.com

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The Qi

The Qi Tea

Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

With The Qi, Lisa Li, who emigrated from Beijing at age 14, shares restorative teas made using edible flowers like blue lotus, chrysanthemum, and sakura blossoms, all of which are directly sourced from sustainable farmers in China. "We're the counterpoint to coffee culture, with its hustle and convenience," she says. "This is very much about taking a few minutes in your day to enjoy something beautiful and joyful." the-qi.com

If you ask Lisa Li, dunking a supermarket tea bag into a mug and assuming that's all the category has to offer is like eating a hotdog and thinking, "Oh, this is what Wagyu is."

The Tea Lover's Tool Kit

Bloom Glass Teapot

Bloom Glass Teapot

Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Lisa Li collaborated with homeware designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen to create this handmade teapot with delicate ball feet and a funky squiggle handle. Drop in a flower and watch it brew and bloom. $75 at the-qi.com

Small Glass Cups

Small glass cups

Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

With hand-painted gold rims, these miniature heat-resistant tasting cups are equal parts luxurious and practical. $30 for 2 at the-qi.com

Kotodo Hand-Laquered Tea Canister

Kotodo Hand-Laquered Tea Cannister

Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Delicate tea leaves need shielding from light, humidity, and moisture. These canisters look sleek while preserving precious cargo and can also be used for coffee beans or spices. $22 at teawithtekuno.com

Asahiyaki Hourglass Timer

Asahiyaki Hourglass

Photo by Greg Dupree / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Time is of the essence when brewing a proper pot. This hourglass timer elapses 90 seconds, perfect for sencha, or you can turn it over to make a pot gyokuro. $48 at teawithtekuno.com
While Westerners typically celebrate the New Year by counting down to midnight on December 31, for many people in China, South Korea, Vietnam, and other Asian countries and Asian communities around the world, the New Year doesn't truly begin until the first new moon after the sun enters the 11th sign of the solar zodiac, or put another way, the second new moon following the winter solstice (December 21). This year, the new moon that kicks off Lunar New Year occurs on February 1, 2022. It's a celebration of utmost importance to the Asian community around the globe.



Unlike the holidays based on the Gregorian calendar, those based on the Chinese lunisolar calendar tend to fluctuate from year to year, according to the Weatherhead East Asian Institute (WEAI) at Columbia University. (It's not the only lunisolar calendarthe Hindu, Jewish, and many other calendars are also lunisolar to account for seasonal drift, per the New York Times.) When the Republic of China was founded in 1912, however, the government made the Gregorian calendar the official "public calendar" and recognized January 1 as the first day of each new year. Still, many continued to celebrate Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year, though it became commonly known as "Spring Festival," per the WEAI.

Today, people still use the old lunar calendar in conjunction with the solar-oriented Gregorian calendar to mark traditional observances, like Lunar New Year and the QingMing Festival.

Whether you call it Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, the holiday is celebrated by millions of people around the worldincluding Crystal Kung Minkoff, star of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. By hosting a Chinese New Year party last year, she shared an important part of her culture not only with her fellow cast mates, but with a national audience. "I was surprised that every single one of them had never been to a Chinese New Year celebration... [because they all live] in LA, which is a very diverse city," says Crystal, "So, [I said], 'Well, if you guys have never done it, maybe most America hasn't.' It just seemed like the perfect opportunity for them to experience [Chinese New Year] on camera, and let the audience see them experience it for the first time, too. And it's so meaningful to me."

While she's not sure how she's going to top last year's celebration, especially with concerns over COVID-19, Crystal shared with Women's Health how she and her family celebrate the new year and what they're most looking forward to in 2022.



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Photo credit: Erik Voake/Bravo





How do you prepare for Lunar New Year, exactly?

Let's just say... it's not a holiday for procrastinators. "You want to get everything done prior [to the new year], whether that's cutting your hair, grocery shopping, or cleaning your house. Because the day of New Year is the day of your luck," says Crystal. "So, cutting your hair is essentially cutting away your fortune. Everything represents your abundance, health, luck."

That's why its tradition to clean your house in the days leading up to the New Year because you're not supposed to take out the trash on New Year's Day, she explains: "Everything has to go in, not out." It's a good idea to clean house on your finances, too. It's common practice in business to balance the books, pay off any debts, and collect on any loans and charges you're owed before the New Year, according to the WEAI.

Beyond personal and household preparations, its important to set aside time with loved ones. "Between days two and seven, you go visit your family," says Crystal. "And every New Year's Eve, we do a dinner with my entire extended family of about 50 people It's a party! We [gather] for every holiday anyway, but New Year for usthere's nothing bigger."

Photo credit: Erik Voake/Bravo





What are some important Lunar New Year traditions?

"Of course, when you're a child, you want that hongbao, which is the red envelope," says Crystal. "With my kids now, it's probably their favorite [tradition]." Children and younger family members receive a hongbao filled with yasui qian, or New Year's money, after they ketou (kowtow) to members of each elder generation in order, beginning with the oldest living generation, per the WEAI.

It's just as important to show respect for one's ancestors who have passed. Traditionally, on New Year's Eve, the male head of the household would lead the family in making offerings to various gods and ancestors. They would pay respect to the god of wealth, the gods of the well, the bed, the hearth, as well as any others with whom the family hope to remain on good terms, the WEAI cites. Then, the family would turn their attention to their ancestors, giving them food sacrifices and burning incense in their honor. Every family member would kneel before the ancestral tablets, symbols of past generations, to show their respect. Some families believed that the spirits of their ancestors were in attendance on New Year's Eve.

Because Crystals family are descendants of Confucius through her fathers side, she distinctly remembers growing up lighting incense in his honor. While Chinese families typically light incense to show respect for late family members and ancestors, "for us, it's particularly poignant because it's Confucius," says Crystal. "Of course, we light incense for each member of the family that has passed in the last century. But, in particular, Confucius is just a pretty special thing for us. We have a picture of him framed, and we bow to him and, now, my father [after he passed] in the last few years. It's very special."

Crystal also shares her familys traditions and culture with her childrens classmates. "Every year, from when they were in preschool to now their elementary school, we host Chinese New Year at their schools," she says. "We bring in the lion dancers. We feed the entire school a traditional food. We give a red envelope with a good luck coin and mandarin orange for each kid. Then, we go around to each classroom and read a story about New Year."

She and husband Rob Minkoff, who is not Chinese but is "very well-versed" in the culture, also arrange a whole assembly where there are not only lion dancers, but also a kung fu demonstration for the students. "My kids live in a very Chinese house," says Crystal. "But it's letting their friends experience itthat makes them feel prideful."

Lion dancers and Dragon dancers are often seen in Lunar New Year parades. A Lion Dance usually has two performers inside one costume, acting as the animal's front and back legs. "It's supposed to send away any evil spirits," Nancy Yao Maasbach, president of New York City's Museum of Chinese in America told Oprah Daily. "It's an opportunity to feed the lion with red envelopes." The Dragon Dance, meanwhile, is performed by visible puppeteers holding poles that allow the dragon to move in a flowing motion. These dances are the best known in regards to Lunar New Year, but there are many others across the different regions of China, per Maasbach.

Photo credit: Getty

What are some traditional Lunar New Year foods?

The easy answer: "A dumpling," says Crystal. But for every holidaynot just New Yeareach of her aunts makes a different specialty dish. "I always look forward to that because no one ever wavers. They just make their food, and then the entire [kitchen] island is full of all these traditional dishes," she says. Still, a very important food to Lunar New Year is a whole fish, Crystal notes.

"But for me, one of my aunts makes something called a pearl meatballits a meatball you roll in sticky rice," she says. "That's something I've always loved I don't know if that's super traditional for New Year, but that's something that I grew up eating every single year." Crystal doesn't limit herself to preparing "traditional" foods for the sake of tradition itself. Instead, she focuses on preparing the foods that are rooted in her specific memories over the years. Those are the foods she shares with her kids to honor their heritage and culture.

Traditionally, when receiving visitors, it's important to serve "lucky" food, which include dates, a.k.a. zao, peanuts, a.k.a. huasheng, dried longans, a.k.a. guiyuan, and lotus seeds, a.k.a. lianzi, per the WEAI. Beyond being considered lucky, peanuts are also associated with fertility and longevity. Dates are also a multipurpose lucky food since they can be used to make zaogao, a cake made of ground dates added to flour with a date filling. Another popular New Year desert is a rice cake called niangao. (FYI: Nian gao "symbolizes progress, advancement, and growth," according to the Woks of Life food blog. Essentially, nian means "year," while "gao" is a homonym for "gao," meaning tall, high, or expensive.)

And if guests get thirsty, a "lucky" beverage is Yuan bao cha, a tea named after silver ingots, a type of currency used in ancient China.

Whats the significance of wearing red on Lunar New Year?

Fans of RHOBH will remember the gorgeous gold gown Crystal wore to her Lunar New Year party last season. But one person wasnt quite so fond of her outfit choice: "My mom was upset with me. She was like, 'How are you not wearing red at New Year?'" Crystal recalls. "But I looked and looked for red, and I thought about wearing a qipao, which is a Chinese traditional dress." Then, she found the dress and fell in love with the designand the designer, Andrew Gn, who grew up in Singapore with Chinese and Japanese ancestry. "So I was like, 'You know what? I want to wear a Chinese designer,'" Crystal explains. "But I always have red on me [anyway]. My wallet is red, and I tend to wear red undergarments."

Red doesnt just symbolize good luck in Chinese culture, but "especially if it's your animal year, you need the red to protect you," says Crystal. (Hear that, all you Tigers rawring into 2022?) Contrary to what many Westerners might think, "just because it's your animal [year] doesn't mean you'll have good luck," she adds. "But it doesn't mean the opposite, either. It just means that a lot of things will happen to you. So, you want to make sure you have the red to protect you from all those things."

Photo credit: Erik Voake/Bravo





How will this New Yearthe year of the Tigerdiffer from previous New Year celebrations?

"It's gonna be hard to top last year," Crystal says, referencing her lavish party with the RHOBH cast at Span Social House. "I feel like I gave the girls sort of the spectacular version of [Chinese New Year], and I certainly can do it every single year. With COVID, though, I don't know if I can have so many people [together] right now."

It's likely that the New Year will look different for many people across several countries. In China, for example, several cities "went on high COVID-19 alert as the Lunar New Year holiday travel season started" on Monday, January 17, Reuters reported. Travelers are required to report their trips days before their arrival, as the Omicron variant has reached more areas in the country, including Beijing. Meanwhile, many local governments have advised residents to forego unnecessary travel during the holiday. Dozens of international and domestic flights have also been suspended, per Reuters. While some families may stick to their original gathering plans, others might opt for virtual celebrations.

In the United States, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America are sponsoring a virtual Lunar New Year celebration on Saturday, February 5, 2022 at 10 a.m. EST. The video performance will feature dances, acrobatics, and yo-yo tricks by the Madison Chinese Dance Academy, followed by traditional Chinese crafting demonstrations and Lunar New Year traditions, including the lion dance.

This year is significant for Crystal and her family because her husband, Rob, is a water Tiger. (In the Chinese zodiac, each year is a different animal sign, and each animal sign has a rotating association with five natural elementswater, wood, fire, earth, and metal. Each animal and element combination occurs only once every 60 years.) "This is a particularly important year for Rob, and I will do everything I can to support that and protect that," she says. "...They say the people who were born in 1962 as [water] tigers are very careful, ambitious, calm, and strong. And they're very passionate for their goals... So, this is my opportunity to support Rob with new ventures that he wants to try." For all water Tigers, 2022 is your year to try something new.

Take it from Crystalthe celebration of Chinese culture and heritage doesn't (and shouldn't) end just because the New Year party does. "Being Chinese, it's not just about New Year, right? It's how I live life every day," she says. "So when the [RHOBH] girls come over, and I put out snacks, I put out Chinese snacks. It's little things like that because it's not just about the big things... That's how I'm sharing my life and my culture with them on a more daily basis."

Preserving her Chinese heritage is important to not only Crystal, but her entire family. "What I love is that me and my cousins, we're like the youngest generationother than our kids[because] our parents are all still around. But our generation has all come together to make sure that we don't stop [these traditions]. Because we're all American, we're all born and raised here, whereas our parents were not. They're all raised in China," she says. "So [our culture] gets easily diluted and lost, but we're not gonna allow that... I'm so proud that we have those roots and that history that allows us to feel passionate."

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UNOde50 is making good on its post-bankruptcy promise to ramp up its retail presence.

On Monday, the Madrid-based jewelry retailer opened a flagship at 510 Broadway in New Yorks SoHo. This brings the store count in the U.S. to 28, several of which have opened since the company emerged from bankruptcy last month.

More from WWD

Before the pandemic, the Madrid-based jewelry retailer had operated 105 stores globally, including 22 in the U.S. But many of those American stores were in undesirable locations and the company decided the best way to exit the unwanted leases was to file bankruptcy.

The Chapter 11 filing was for the U.S. business only and the company emerged on Dec. 7, 2021, said Jason McNary, chief executive officer of the Americas. With that behind it, UNOde50 is setting its sights on growth.

All told, the company closed 2021 with 130 stores around the world. In the U.S., new additions include units in Sawgrass in Sunrise, Fla.; NorthPark in Dallas, and Aventura, Fla., as well as a relocation of the store in the Venetian hotel in Las Vegas. On Feb. 12, a store in the SouthPark mall in Charlotte, N.C., will open.

The SoHo store is located on Broadway.

McNary said the plan this year is to continue to add stores in top malls around the U.S. such as the Galleria in Houston, the Prudential Center in Boston and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Although there is plenty of space available in malls around the country, McNary said that before signing any additional leases, UNOde50 wants to ensure it finds a location in a high-traffic spot in these centers where its stores will have strong and complementary co-tenants.

He said despite the lingering effects of the pandemic, hes happy with business in the U.S. which is benefiting from the companys omnichannel approach. Hes anticipating an economic recovery this year with sales that will hit or exceed those of pre-pandemic levels. We feel very strongly about our strategy and the early results of the newer stores are very strong.

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One particular bright spot for the company is its art gallery concept that debuted in Madrid in February 2021 and is also featured in SoHo. The 1,625-square-foot SoHo store features 700 square feet devoted to the brands jewelry assortment and more than 900 square feet to a gallery showcasing the artwork of its president and creative director, Jose Azulay.

Jason McNary in the art gallery concept within the store.

In addition to the U.S., UNOde50 opened three stores in Puerto Rico and has signed a deal with TR3S to open five stores in the Dominican Republic within the next two years. It also inked a deal with Grupo Shogua to open stores in airport locations in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Cancun.

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Somehow, this keeps happening.

For months, we've written about how the Republicans' pushback against coronavirus vaccine mandates could foment - and apparently has been fomenting - opposition to mandates of other vaccines, including for schoolchildren. It's inherent in their talking points: If vaccines should be a matter of "choice," why not those more long-standing vaccines, too? High-profile Republicans haven't generally addressed where they draw the line and why.

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Early efforts to wade into allowing more choice on other vaccines had been quickly pulled back. In Tennessee, the state momentarily prevented its health department from communicating with children about any vaccines. In Florida, a prominent state senator suggested that his state might "review" those other vaccine requirements, before walking it back.

But GOP lawmakers in other states are increasingly moving in this direction.

In Georgia, a GOP state senator proposed a bill that would ban the state from requiring "proof of any vaccination of any person as a condition of providing any service or access to any facility." The bill was endorsed by 17 state senators, about half of the Republican contingent in a chamber where you need less than 30 votes to pass something.

When it was pointed out that this could quite logically extend to vaccine requirements for the state's public schools, state Sen. Jeff Mullis, a Republican, said he planned to "adjust" the bill.

Efforts by Republicans in Wisconsin also have shown some real momentum. State Senate Health Committee Chairman Patrick Testin, a Republican, held a hearing this month that included Senate Bill 336. The bill would, among other things, prohibit schools and universities from excluding students because of their vaccination status. And, again, it's not just about coronavirus vaccines.

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Experts aren't sure quite what that would mean, practically speaking, given that the legislation wouldn't repeal state laws requiring students to get vaccines like those for polio and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, "School districts would then be responsible for enforcing the state's vaccine requirements for students while being banned from denying admission or participation to students because of what vaccinations they have received."

The author of the bill, state Sen. Andre Jacque, a Republican, said it would not conflict with state law because parents can apply for waivers from such vaccine requirements. The question would seem to be: what happens if and when waivers are not granted and the students remain unvaccinated.

The Wisconsin bill is similar to a bill passed by Republicans in Montana last year, but that bill specifically exempted school vaccine requirements, eliminating the tension that would be created by the Wisconsin bill. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers has said he would veto it, but he is up for reelection this year, and the state could soon have a GOP governor. Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch, a Republican who is running against Evers, gave a noncommittal response when asked whether she would sign the bill, and Testin is running for her job - both signs that perhaps they know where the GOP base is headed on this issue.

Republicans in neighboring Iowa also are pushing forward on related ideas.

A bill that advanced through a state Senate committee this month would ban localities and school districts from adding to the list of required vaccines. The bill would also repeal language in state law stating that exemptions to vaccine requirements don't apply during outbreaks - an idea that Iowa Public Radio says "would be unique to Iowa."

The move comes after the leader of the state Senate said last month that while reviewing other vaccines wasn't on his list of priorities, he would take a look at various proposals.

"I would say that the COVID vaccine . . . shined a light on all the vaccine policy," state Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, a Republican, told the Des Moines Register. "We'll certainly take a look at that as people file different bills."

Whether any of these bills become law remains to be seen. Given the examples in Tennessee and Florida, it's apparent there is some reluctance to move in that direction - even when suggestions have pointed in that direction. But we've also seen many in the GOP warming to this kind of thinking, with polls showing support among Republicans for childhood vaccine requirements dropping from around two-thirds at the start of the pandemic to less than a majority.

That's a lot of people who are receptive to these kinds of ideas. And the history of the pandemic demonstrates those people must be catered to. To what extent, we'll still have to see.

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Anna Bella Dukes is pictured handcuffed and in police custody in a photo posted on Albuquerque Police Departments Twitter page (Albuquerque Police Department)

A teenage girl has been arrested for murder following a botched hostage scheme which began on Snapchat and wound up with the hostages brother being shot dead, according to authorities.

Anna Bella Dukes, 18, was taken into custody on Monday for the murder of 24-year-old Elias Otero in New Mexico back on 11 February 2021, Albuquerque Police Department confirmed on social media.

Ms Dukes and her 17-year-old boyfriend Adrian Avila had been wanted by police on suspicion of murder, kidnapping, two counts of armed robbery, tampering with evidence and conspiracy and were charged in their absence in December, according to a December press release from the police department.

Ms Dukes is accused of using Snapchat to lure Elias Oteros older brother Nicholas Otero to meet with her in person at Alvarado Park in the early hours of 11 February as part of a plot to ambush and rob him.

Once there, Mr Avila and a third unidentified suspect allegedly robbed him at gunpoint.

Police said Nicholas Otero was dragged from his red Lexus while the suspects demanded he handed over cash, jewellery and a gun.

The suspects then allegedly took him hostage and drove him in his car and another vehicle to Nicholas Oteros home, where they held him at gunpoint and ordered him to call his brother to ask for a ransom.

Police said the hostage-takers threatened to shoot and kill Nicholas Otero if his brother didnt comply with their demands and bring them money and a gun.

Elias Otero came out of the house and threatened to shoot the suspects, according to police.

At this point, Mr Avila allegedly opened fire on Elias Otero, shooting him dead in the street before all three suspects fled the scene.

The 17-year-old suspected shooter surrendered to authorities in late December before Ms Dukes turned herself in on Monday, reported KOB4 .

The third suspect, who has not been named, is still on the run.

The victims mother Alicia Otero said told the outlet that she was glad two of the alleged perpetrators were now in custody.

Every day we wish that we get justice and, you know, someone to pay for what they did to him and knowing they finally turned themselves in just - it feels good that its not gonna go unsolved, she said.

Investigators said that the vehicle the suspects used in the attack has also been linked to an earlier carjacking.
The leader of far-right anti-government militia group Oath Keepers and nine others accused of plotting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election with an armed insurrection against members of Congress have pleaded not guilty to seditious conspiracy and other charges in connection with the attack on the US Capitol on 6 January, 2021.

The charges of seditious conspiracy  the most-serious yet filed in the wake of the assault on the halls of Congress  carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, among the most prominent figures charged in the US Department of Justice probe, remains jailed in Texas pending a bond decision by a US magistrate judge.

The 56-year-old US Army veteran and graduate of Yale Law School claims he did not enter the Capitol and has denied any wrongdoing.

Another man charged in the indictment, Edward Vallejo, was not present for a virtual arraignment on 25 January but is expected to enter a plea at a later date.

The 11 defendants will stand trial on 11 July in US District Court in Washington DC.

According to federal prosecutors, the group coordinated travel across the country to enter Washington DC, equipped themselves with a variety of weapons, donned combat and tactical gear, and were prepared to answer Rhodess call to take up arms at his direction.

Others charged in the 48-page, 17-count indictment amassed firearms outside the city and distributed them among quick reaction force teams  in support of their plot to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power, according to an indictment.

Members coordinated their plans on messaging apps in the days leading up to the assault, dispatching two stacks to initiate the breach, prosecutors said.

One stack broke through law enforcement barriers outside the US Senate chamber and another broke through the House side of the Capitol looking for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to an indictment.

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The members did not find Speaker Pelosi and ultimately left the building, prosecutors said.

In September, Oath Keepers member and former US Marine Jason Dolan Jason Dolan pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction of an official proceeding in charges connected with the Capitol riots. He has agreed to cooperate with federal investigators.

Members of the Oath Keepers also are targeted in a civil suit filed by the attorney general of the District of Columbia and other groups last month. The case is the first civil lawsuit from a government entity against people connected to the attack.

In November, the House select committee investigating the events leading up to and surrounding the attack issued a subpoena to Mr Rhodes and other far-right groups for relevant information about how violence erupted at the Capitol and the preparation leading up to this violent attack, according to committee chair Bennie Thompson.
Wales captain Dan Biggar believes momentum will be key as the reigning Guinness Six Nations champions prepare to launch their title defence.

Despite winning the tournament last year, Wales arrive at this seasons staging as only fourth favourites behind France, England and Ireland.

They go into the Six Nations on the back of a thrilling autumn win against Australia, although injuries have hit them hard.

Dan Biggar in action for Wales (David Davies/PA)

British and Irish Lions like Alun Wyn Jones, Ken Owens, Leigh Halfpenny, Justin Tipuric and Josh Navidi are expected to miss the whole competition, while George North and Taulupe Faletau are only considered possibilities  at best  for the latter part of it.

Wales face a testing opener against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday week, before hosting Scotland and then tackling England at Twickenham.

Its a really tough start, Northampton fly-half Biggar said, during the Six Nations virtual media launch.

Obviously, with the form Ireland showed in the autumn  how impressive they are  and we know how tough going to Dublin is. We havent had a huge amount of success there over the last few years.

This tournament, in particular, hinges on momentum, really.

If you get off to a good start, then everything seems to flow, camps become a lot happier and training becomes a lot easier. For us, it is really important to get a good start.

If you can pick up an away win on the first weekend, then it sets you up really nicely. We have then got Scotland at home, which we know is going to be hugely difficult as well.

The opening couple of weekends are pivotal to how the tournament will go for you, and we are hoping we can get off to a good start and use the 10 days or so weve got now to give ourselves the best chance in Dublin a week on Saturday.

From our point of view, there are lots of key experienced players missing, but that also gives an opportunity to a lot of young lads who have come into the squad to step up and really stake a claim.

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Wales Alun Wyn Jones is continuing his recovery from a shoulder injury (Adam Davy/PA)

We were written off last year. We are coming into the tournament as defending champions, so there is certainly a bit of a swagger in the group.

Jones, the most capped player in Test rugby union history, has undergone two shoulder operations since being injured during Wales Autumn Nations Series opener against New Zealand in October.

He also had shoulder issues ahead of last summers Lions tour to South Africa, but he defied expectation and recovered in time to captain the tourists in all three Tests.

Biggar added: I dont think any of us expected him to turn up in South Africa in the summer, and he managed to get on the plane.

If there is anybody who has got a chance of being fit for some part of this tournament, then Al is probably the man. I wouldnt rule it out just yet.
A student with a backpack heads by the Kirkwood Observatory Nov. 3 on the Indiana University campus.

During the 2020-21 school year  with the exception of small number of granted roommate requests  all students living in Indiana University dorm rooms lived alone because of COVID-19 precautions.

Random roommate assignments, a freshman year tradition at colleges across the U.S., were once again allowed this year at IU. Although IU mandated all students receive the COVID-19 vaccine, not every student has gotten it.

While random assignments returned, IU updated its policy to deal with vaccine concerns.

More: IU students' lawsuit challenging COVID-19 vaccination mandate dismissed

One of the stipulations that got written into that was that students who lived in the residence halls wouldn't have to live with someone who wasn't vaccinated or had a mismatch in status, said Sara Ivey Lucas, IU director of residential life.

It led to IU having many unvaccinated students without a home. And in turn, IU has created dorms of unvaccinated students.

According to IUs reported data, nearly 10% of the student body is not vaccinated. Indiana's Legislature passed a law preventing state or local governments from requiring vaccine passports, which Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said meant IU couldn't require proof of vaccination. That has left some students doubting the accuracy of IUs data.

Booster questions: Confused about whether you can/should get a COVID-19 booster? You're not alone.

Ivey Lucas said between 500 and 1,000 students assigned to dorms had a mismatch in vaccination status. She said a large percentage  though did not specify how large  of students did not choose to change roommates.

But IU wasnt able to find new roommates for all the unvaccinated students, as many vaccinated students felt uncomfortable living with them.

That has led to IU having to place groups of unvaccinated students together in dorms.

Most of those unvaccinated students without roommate matches were placed in the Willkie Center or Ashton Residence Center buildings. IU spokesperson Chuck Carney said in September there were just under 150 students living across two wings in Ashton.

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Ashton is also IUs quarantine and isolation dorm, although unvaccinated students and those in quarantine are in different buildings.

Outside Ashton, outdoor spaces are marked off for those in quarantine or isolation to get a break from their rooms. Thus many of IUs unvaccinated students can look out their window and see the realities of fellow students who currently have COVID-19 or are dealing with having been exposed.

Changing IU COVID policy

In May, IU announced all students, faculty and staff would be required to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in order to return to campus. IU threatened having class registration, access to IU email and Canvas, as well as a students Crimson Card, canceled.

There were few exemptions, and IUs Medical Response Team said it would be difficult to get an exemption. After Rokita's nonbinding opinion that IU couldn't require proof of vaccination, the school added more exemptions to its list. The list includes an undefined ethical exemption that was added in early July, soon after IUs new president, Pamela Whitten, took her office.

More: Do COVID-19 vaccines present an ethical quandary? Philosophy professors, pastor weigh in

Carney said the ethical exemption was in line with the schools previous flu shot mandate but did not define what qualifies as an ethical exemption. IUs website states exemptions are reviewed by designated leaders and applicants will get a response within five business days. But some IU students said they received responses within seconds of submitting their exemption form, making them question if a human is reading them.

University-wide, 89.8% of all students, faculty and staff say they have received at least one dose of the vaccine according to IUs COVID-19 dashboard as of Nov. 4. In Bloomington alone, 94.5% of students say they have had at least one dose of the vaccine.

The true number of vaccinated students on campus is unclear, as proof of vaccination is not required when students submit an attestation, and many are concerned some people have lied about being vaccinated. Also, IU is not providing detailed testing information for its unvaccinated population on its COVID-19 dashboard.

How do we count number of vaccinated?: Monroe County mask mandate to remain 'probably several weeks'

Carney said the issue of lying is a common question he gets, and he doesnt see what incentive students would have to lie. IU has not discovered a student lying, Carney said, but if the school did find out, there could be disciplinary action. There isnt tension on the dorm floors for the most part, students said. But theres uncertainty about how safe campus actually is.

Life as an IU freshman in 2021

When Margo Hollander got the email asking if she wanted to live with her unvaccinated assigned roommate, her immediate feeling was shock. This wasnt a decision she was expecting to have to make. This is the first freshman class to face worries over who around them is truly vaccinated against COVID-19.

Hollanders decision, though, was simple.

I definitely was not comfortable with it, she said.

Neither was Belle Chatpunnarangsee, a freshman from Thailand living in Forest. She came to the United States alone early in August. She wasnt able to get the vaccine in Thailand, but the first day she landed in Chicago, Chatpunnarangsee got her first shot. She received her second shot in early September.

Chatpunnarangsee said after she initially informed IU she did not want to live with an unvaccinated roommate, she was paired with another student who was not vaccinated.

I assumed my new roommate was vaccinated, or planning to get vaccinated soon, Chatpunnarangsee said. I was confused, mainly, because I thought we had sorted it out.

Chatpunnarangsee said IU did not inform her of this at first, and she only found out from talking with her newly assigned roommate. She asked RPS to make a change, again, and it was granted.

Living in Forest, Chatpunnarangsee does not have communal bathrooms. Each floor has around six individual unisex bathrooms that a resident can go in and lock the door. They are able to take their mask off freely there  masks are required in the hallways  without being around another unmasked student as they shower or brush their teeth.

In Foster, Hollander has communal bathrooms and does have to be around other unmasked students anytime she goes there.

Its concerning, Hollander said. But definitely not as scary as last year would have been.

Both Hollander and Chatpunnarangsee are living in a dorm room meant for two people, but neither has a roommate. They each sleep alongside an empty navy-blue mattress, a constant reminder of the typical freshman experience they dont have.

RPS told them both they cant use the empty half of the room  theres always a chance another person could be moved to their room. But Chatpunnarangsee and Hollander both doubt that will happen.

So the second bed in each room stays empty. Their whole freshman year might last that way.

Its a little disappointing, Hollander said. But its definitely better than being with someone who isnt vaccinated.

A student heads up the stairs towards the Indiana Memorial Union Nov. 3 on the Indiana University campus.

An unvaccinated Indiana University dorm

Normally, Ivey Lucas said, random roommate selection is exactly that, random. Those living in dorms are allowed to choose a roommate or have one randomly selected. At IU, its mostly freshmen living in dorms as most students choose to move off-campus following their freshman year.

This year though, there are additional considerations, Ivey Lucas said. While still random, vaccination status became a factor.

And when a vaccinated roommate did not want to live with an unvaccinated roommate, RPS needed to find a new place for them to be. For some, RPS was able to find a new room inside the same building where they were originally supposed to live. But for dozens of others, RPS found single rooms in different buildings for the unvaccinated student.

That meant putting many students in the Willkie Center and Ashton Residence Center. Monroe County Health Administrator Penny Caudill said this could create higher risk of COVID-19 spread.

The ideal situation is that everybodys vaccinated and everybodys at low risk, Caudill said. Any facility, a home with four people or a dorm with 400 people or anything in between, if everybody is unvaccinated, there is a certainly higher level of risk.

Caudill said the Monroe County Health Department does talk to IU on a regular basis, and was aware IU was giving students living in dorms the chance to choose if they were comfortable with an unvaccinated roommate. She said she was aware IU was trying to figure out accommodations for those people.

But Caudill said the Monroe County Health Department is not making decisions with or for IU and she was not aware of where the unvaccinated students are living.

Caudill said an unvaccinated student and a vaccinated one would not need to wear a mask in their own dorm room should they be living together as it is their personal living space. But Caudill ultimately wanted to defer to IUs policy on masking indoors when it came to the unvaccinated students living together in the same building. IUs policy states unvaccinated people should wear a mask in an indoor space unless they are alone in a room with a closed door.

All the unvaccinated students in Ashton are living in single rooms, Ivey Lucas said. She said IU has tried to treat them just like any other student on campus. Some students have become fully vaccinated since moving into Ashton and have been able to move back into their initially assigned room.

Ivey Lucas said IU faced many issues including worry of a potential COVID-19 outbreak when putting unvaccinated students in the same dorm. But IU feels confident enough in its weekly mandatory COVID-19 testing for unvaccinated students and believes that will limit spread.

And if a student in Ashton were to test positive, theyd pack a bag and move across the courtyard to the isolation building.

Theres risk in everything we do, Ivey Lucas said.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: IU vaccine mandate: Students who haven't gotten COVID shot live alone
Kill Bill actor Michael Madsens son Hudson was living in Hawaii at the time of his death (Getty Images)

Michael Madsens son Hudson has died from suspected suicide in Hawaii. He was 26.

The younger Madsen was found dead from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound on the island of Oahu, The Sun reported on Monday (24 January). Authorities did not reveal when he died.

A spokesperson for the department of the medical examiner in Honolulu said: I can confirm Hudson Lee Madsen, 26, died by a gunshot wound to the head in a suspected suicide on the island of Oahu.

According to Hudson Madsens social media, the 26-year-old was living in Wahiawa, Hawaii, with his wife Carlie. Pictures posted by Hudson indicate that he had served in the US army and was posted in Afghanistan for a period of time.

The Independent has reached out to Michael Madsens representatives for comment.

Madsen is married to actor DeAnna Madsen, with whom he shares two other children Calvin, 25 and Luke, 16. DeAnna Madsen is reportedly travelling to Hawaii after her sons death.

DeAnna is Madsens third wife; before he met DeAnna, the actor was married to Jeannine Bisignano with whom he shares two children. His first marriage to Georganne LaPiere also ended in divorce after the couple got married in 1984.

As his fathers frequent collaborator and long-time friend, Quentin Tarantino is reportedly Hudsons godfather. Madsen and Tarantino have worked together several times, including on films like Reservoir Dogs, the Kill Bill franchise, and The Hateful Eight.

Aside from Madsens projects with Oscar winner Tarantino, the 64-year-old has also won acclaim for his performances in Thelma and Louise and Donnie Brasco.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
Jan. 26Provincial utility Hydro-Quebec has stopped construction on the Canadian section of a transmission corridor that would hook up to the now-stalled $1 billion New England Clean Energy Connect project in Maine.

The utility had started work on the 60-mile Appalaches-Maine interconnection from a substation near Thetford Mines on a route headed to the Quebec-Maine border at Beattie Township. It planned to string a 320-kilovolt line and build an AC-to-DC converter station, at a total cost of $475 million. The project was scheduled for completion in 2023.

Hydro-Quebec said it has finished 70 percent of the right-of-way clearing and access roads. On Jan. 19, it notified the Canada Energy Regulator, the federal agency that permits cross-border energy ventures, that construction was being suspended.

"Hydro-Quebec hopes to be able to resume construction work on the interconnection line project for Appalaches-Maine and remains convinced of the value, merits and importance of the project," the utility told the Energy Regulator in a letter. "We and our partner maintain that the referendum is unconstitutional and are committed to the legal challenge to the referendum initiative. We are convinced that this project remains essential to New England's decarbonization efforts."

The utility also said it would secure the construction site over the next few weeks.

"Environmental monitoring of the premises will also be deployed throughout the suspension period," it added.

NECEC PROJECT ON HOLD

News of the pause was reported Tuesday in La Presse, a French-language digital newspaper based in Montreal.

Hydro-Quebec's action means that virtually all work to forge a new energy connection between the province and New England is on hold. The company said it was continuing with some engineering work as well as construction at the converter station.

Responding to questions Wednesday from the Portland Press Herald, a Hydro-Quebec spokeswoman said the company had slowed work in mid-December to reflect the pause in Maine triggered by a Superior Court ruling.

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"Hydro-Quebec believes that its partner in Maine will succeed in its legal challenge of the law that put at risk the completion of the NECEC project," Caroline Des Rosiers said in a statement. "Work will resume as soon as possible after the adjudication on the issues raised in the case."

In an apparent reference to the need to call up oil-fired power plants in New England to supplement natural gas generation this month, Des Rosiers noted that NECEC could provide the region with "a clean, reliable and cost-competitive energy resource, every hour of the year, including during periods of high electricity consumption, especially relevant with the cold temperatures we are seeing this winter."

In Maine, NECEC voluntarily stopped work on Nov. 19 at the urging of Gov. Janet Mills following the Nov. 2 ballot initiative in which voters overwhelmingly endorsed a law aimed at killing the project. On Nov. 23, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection ruled that the new law created a change of condition in NECEC's permit and ordered the project shut down until court challenges are resolved. Per the DEP's order, crews stabilized the corridor and related construction sites in December to limit erosion over the winter.

NECEC began clearing land last January. It has spent more than $450 million and cleared 124 miles of the 145-mile corridor and erected roughly 120 steel towers. More than 600 workers were engaged with the project when construction was shut down.

NECEC and Avangrid, the parent company of Central Maine Power, are now appealing the constitutionality of the new law and are facing other legal challenges in court and before regulatory agencies.

OTHER ROUTES POSSIBLE

Completion of the power line is a top priority for Hydro-Quebec, which calls itself North America's leading provider of clean energy. The utility is seeking to increase its export capacity of hydroelectric power to New England and has estimated potential earnings of roughly $10 billion over a 20-year contract with Massachusetts power companies.

Hydro-Quebec also has financially supported NECEC's struggle in Maine. A subsidiary called H.Q. Energy Services contributed more than $20 million to fight last November's ballot initiative. The subsidiary also recently filed a "friend of the court" brief in a challenge at the Maine Supreme Judicial Court regarding NECEC's contested lease across public lands.

Last November, Quebec Premier Francois Legault told Canadian media that he was still confident the Massachusetts contracts would go forward, possibly via a different route. Legault has been pushing a plan to make Quebec the "battery of North America," with abundant hydroelectric resources that could be used to balance intermittent renewable generation in the Northeast, namely solar and wind.

Hydro-Quebec didn't provide federal regulators with an estimate of when work might resume. It said it would keep the energy agency informed as things evolve.

The Canadian utility's action appears to be a recognition of the obstacles faced by its American partner, said Tom Saviello, a lead organizer of the ballot initiative campaign.

"This decision is significant as I believe H.Q. realizes they could be building a transmission line to nowhere," Saviello said. "They must realize the corridor opposition has two very strong cases (public lands and the referendum constitutionality) in front of the Maine Supreme (Judicial) Court."

If the NECEC/Appalaches-Maine venture ultimately fails, it will be Hydro-Quebec's second unsuccessful attempt to find a new export route into the region. In 2019, it had to abandon another project known as Northern Pass after an energy siting board in New Hampshire rejected the proposal.

But it's also possible that power from Hydro-Quebec could reach Massachusetts via an alternative route through Vermont. In addition, the utility recently signed a $20 billion deal to send power via an underground and underwater line to New York City. The proposal is called the Champlain Hudson Power Express.
Italian Queen Marie-Jose's antique diamond tiara

MEHDI FEDOUACH/AFP via Getty Images Italian Queen Marie-Jose's antique diamond tiara, made by Faberge around 1895

Italy's former royal family is demanding the return of their crown jewels, which they lost after the country abolished the monarchy following WWII. The collection has since been held in a vault in the Bank of Italy.

The heirs of the last king of Italy, King Umberto II, have made their first formal request to get the crown jewels back in their possession. Included in the House of Savoy's collection, believed to be worth $300 million, are 6,000 diamonds and 2,000 pearls mounted on tiaras, earrings, brooches and necklaces. An informal request was already rejected by the Bank of Italy in November.

A mediation meeting was held on Tuesday between representatives of the Bank of Italy and lawyers for the Savoys, including Prince Vittorio Emanuele, the son of Umberto II, according to The Telegraph. The meeting was inconclusive.

"Italy should do what is right and fitting and restore the jewels to my family," Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, the grandson of Umberto II, told The Telegraph.

Italians voted to abolish the monarchy and become a republic in June 1946 after the royal family collaborated with fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and then fled to Rome in 1943 to avoid an invading German army. King Umberto II subsequently fled to Portugal and male heirs of the royal family were banished from Italy until 2002 when parliament voted to end the exile and allow them to return as ordinary citizens. Umberto II died in 1983.

Crown Prince Umberto of Italy with his bride Princess Marie Jose of Belgium

Alamy Stock Photo

RELATED: The Real Story Behind How the World's Largest Rough Diamond Was Cut for the Queen's Crown Jewels

"The monetary value of the jewels doesn't interest us. What is more important is the historical and sentimental value that they have for the family," the prince added.

Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice

Timothy Norris/Getty Images Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy

"Italy is about the only republic in the world where the private property of the ex-royal family is still in the hands of the State. It's shameful. Even Russia and Yugoslavia restored private possessions to their royals.

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"The jewelry has been hidden away in a chest for more than 70 years. Unlike the Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, these have never even been on display to the public. It is about time that they were returned to the heirs of the royal family."

Queen Marie Joses diamond and pearl tiara inherited from Empress Charlotte of Mexico

Eric VANDEVILLE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Queen Marie Jose's diamond and pearl tiara

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The family will reportedly proceed with suing the state, according to the Corriere della Sera newspaper in Italy.

"The Savoy family will get the jewels back," Sergio Orlandi, the family's lawyer, told the outlet.
When asked about a report from Bleacher Report that Harden is unhappy as a Net for many reasons, from Kyrie Irvings part-time status, to Steve Nashs rotations (or lack thereof) to New York taxes, Harden shot the report down. But he didnt hide his frustrations.

Source: Alex Schiffer @ The Athletic

Whats the buzz on Twitter?

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

James Harden shot down reports that hes unhappy in Brooklyn. But he admitted hes frustrated with the current state of the Nets. Tuesday provided him plenty of reasons why: theathletic.com/3093060/2022/0  12:53 AM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell

Harden: Of course Im frustrated because were not healthy, theres a lot of inconsistency for whatever reason. Injuries, COVID its frustrating. I think everybody in this organization is frustrated because we are better than what our record is and we should be on the way up  10:36 PM

Dane Moore @DaneMooreNBA

Without Patrick Beverley, the difficulty of defensive matchup increases for Anthony Edwards.

Last game, Ant was matched with Kyrie (McDaniels on Harden) and tonight Ant is on McCollum (McDaniels on Simons)  10:17 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly

Reports from who? Alright then I dont know what youre talking aboutyoure talking about reports I dont know about reports, did you guys hear from me? Alright then I dont know about no reports.

James Harden had a back-and-forth with a reporter about a recent trade update pic.twitter.com/ZiekHWXZf3  10:14 PM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto

James Harden addressed a report that hes not happy with the part-time status of Kyrie Irving and the rotation decisions of coach Steve Nash. pic.twitter.com/2FPtTePTRW  10:09 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

James Harden: Of course Im frustrated because were not healthy, where theres a lot of inconsistency for whatever reason, injuries, COVID, whatever you want to call it. I think everybody in this organization is frustrated because were better than what our record is. #Nets  10:02 PM

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Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

I asked James Harden about the reports suggesting he doesnt like living in Brooklyn or NYC: Of course (I like living here), he said.

He also said hes frustrated with rotations because rotations dictate winning. Says if it doesnt come from his mouth, he didnt say it.  10:01 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

Vogel noted LeBron being really locked in on defense, starting at shootaround, as a major key vs. BKN. James had 3 steals and 2 blocks, with those B2B steals basically sealing the game in the 4th. Lakers switched their coverage there to swarm Harden w/LeBron at free safety.  10:01 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

James Harden denies having any problem with Steve Nashs rotation and dismisses reports. Did you guys hear that from me? But he admits hes just frustrated with the #Nets record and shorthanded state.  10:01 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

James Harden asked about the reports about him today: I didnt hear about no reports. Said hes frustrated about the situation in Brooklyn given all the issues theyve dealt with and wants to win, but didnt talk to anybody. Did you guys hear that from me?  10:01 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly

Im frustrated cause I want to win and Im a competitor.

 James Harden says if you didnt hear from him theres no reports worth listening to.  10:00 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly

James Harden I dont know about any reports.  9:58 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

James Harden on the loss: Transition defense. Simple.  9:57 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

Final: Lakers beat the Nets 106-93. LeBron James put on a show, James Harden didnt get enough help and Anthony Davis did some things in his return. The Nets host the Nuggets tomorrow.  9:47 PM

Michael Lee @MrMichaelLee

A loss like this should send a message to Sean Marks that even if youre banking on a healthy return of KD & Joe Harris & cool with Part-Time Kyrie, its unfair to put all of this on James Harden for home games. Get him some help, so hell have something left for the playoffs.  9:42 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

The Lakers werent playing Harden aggressively on defense early, but changed up the scheme out of that time out, blitzing him quickly with LeBron, to the desired result.  9:34 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

Timeout, Steve Nash: LeBron James intercepts back-to-back poorly thrown passes for fastbreak dunks, and the Crypto.cI mean Barclays Center crowd explodes. The Lakers are up 100-85 here in Brooklyn. LeBron has 31 and James Harden has 33.  9:31 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell

Patty Mills has given Harden a little help offensively  but in these home games without Kyrie and KD for the foreseeable future somebody else is going to have to help. The larger issue in short term is that the defense continues to be porous. Nets 14 turnovers dont help.  9:27 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

End of the third quarter: Lakers lead the Nets 92-78. Harden has 33. Mills is the only other Net in double-figures with 13. Nets shooting 21 percent from 3 and just 40 percent from the field. LeBron has 27.  9:12 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

James Harden has 33 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists, but the Nets find themselves down against the Lakers, 92-78, entering the 4th quarter. No roster combination can account for the Nets lack of firepower: No KD, No Kyrie, and no Joe Harris against a healthy Lakers squad.  9:12 PM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney

Harden got the Nets within two during the third but just too much firepower from LeBron and the Lakers. They lead 92-78 heading to the fourth.  9:11 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

Two terrific plays from Austin Reaves, one on defense (stripping Harden), then grabbing an offensive board to get Melo a 2nd straight look at a 3, which he hit to put LAL up 92-78.  9:10 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon

A foul by Bradley and a tech gives Harden four straight free throws. Its a 71-69 game now.  8:58 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

A 4-point possession for Brooklyn here, as Harden drew a foul shooting a 3, plus a technical on Bradley for arguing about it.

LAL led by as many as 14 late in the 2nd Q, and its down to just 2 at 71-69.  8:58 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

Ill give credit where its due: Theres no passiveness in James Hardens game tonight: Harden did not play well against the Timberwolves but has 31 points, 7 assists and 8 rebounds here midway through the third quarter against the Lakers.  8:58 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

Nets have the Lakers lead down to six after a 3 from Harden. Timeout Frank Vogel.  8:52 PM

Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie

GAME THEORY PODCAST: @matt_pennie is here!

A 2-hour show! Simmons/Harden! Then, Shaedon Sharpe.

Then, #PennieFieldTrip! He went to Auburn, G League Ignite, and OTE.

We do Mailbag, POTWs, Yellowjackets, and finish on Chris Mack/Louisville.

WATCH FIRST: youtube.com/watch?v=4xK75h  8:43 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

Brooklyn got a bucket in the final seconds from Harden, off Westbrooks 4th TO, trying to get the ball to LeBron.

LAL had only those 4 TOs in the half, however, and shot 53.3% from the field, enough for a 62-53 lead despite BKNs 14 2nd chance points.  8:29 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

Halftime: Lakers lead the Nets 62-53. Harden with 22 after his floater beat the buzzer. Aldridge with nine. Nets need more scoring. Malik Monk has 16 off the bench. LeBron has 15.  8:29 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers

The Lakers are playing like a team that bet a parlay with them winning and the Harden over. AK  8:24 PM

Matt Steinmetz @SteinmetzNBA

I must say, Harden in Philly would be interesting.  8:23 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers

Beyond Harden carrying them (18 points, plus another 8 generated by his assists), Brooklyn is staying in this game in large part through second chance points. 13 so far, and not unrelated, nine offensive boards. AK  8:15 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

James Harden has 18 of the Nets 37 points, but against a team without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Lakers have more firepower.

LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Malik Monk and Anthony Davis have scored 36 points alone, and the Lakers have a 47-37 lead here in Q2.  8:14 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

The #Lakers are on an extended 19-6 run. Brooklyn has been outscored 9-4 to open the second quarter  all with James Harden on the bench  and trail by 13. #Nets  8:08 PM

Nick Friedell @NickFriedell

Harden went 6-for-13 in the 1st quarter. Nets need to find some other options offensively. They are just 1-for-8 from beyond the arc/12-for-33 from the field. Lakers getting up and down the floor  10 fast break points. The Nets dont have any yet.  8:04 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

End of the first quarter: Lakers lead the Nets 33-25 after a buzzer-beating layup by LeBron. James Harden has 16 points. No other Nets has scored more than once. He needs help. Lakers had 10 fast break points. Nets had zero.  7:57 PM

Kamenetzky Brothers @KamBrothers

Harden has 15 of the Nets 22 points with 2:12 to go in the first. Save getting stripped a couple times by Avery Bradley, hes in a very comfortable rhythm to start out. AK  7:54 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

Harden has 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting. The rest of the #Nets have seven on 3-of-12, and they only lead by a point. Hard to see this as sustainable.  7:53 PM

Brian Mahoney @briancmahoney

James Harden might even outdo what he did to the Lakers on Christmas. Going to the line for his 16th point 9 1/2 minutes into the game.  7:51 PM

Kyle Goon @kylegoon

James Harden has 15 points and three assists in less than 10 minutes for the Nets. The Lakers finally have their big three, but the Beard is propping up Brooklyn on his own.  7:51 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

James Harden has 11 quick points, coming out of the gate attacking. #Nets lead the #Lakers 15-12 with 6:36 left in the first.  7:42 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

James Harden just lulled Anthony Davis to sleep then hit a step back 3 with Davis hand basically on his elbow. Harden has 11 points and has powered the Nets to an early 15-12 lead over the Lakers.  7:41 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

James Harden has 11 of the Nets first 15 points to start the game. Has them up three on the Lakers with 6:36 left in the first quarter.  7:41 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

Cant say Harden hasnt been aggressive to start this one. #Nets  7:40 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

Harden broke out one of his typical moves to get a PF, hitting Johnson with his elbow to initiate contact before rising for a shot. That was an upset Johnsons 2nd PF, bringing THT into the game already.  7:35 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

James Harden says on the Barclays Center big screen in honor of Chinese New Year hes giving 13 scholarships to kids in China.  7:25 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

Nets starters vs. the Lakers: Harden, Mills, Bembry, Edwards and Sharpe.  7:04 PM

Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1

Tell me Harden wasnt out clubin night between road games in San Antonio and Minnesota!! Thirteen points on 5-13 in an 11-point, defenseless (136-125) loss. I did not watch so Im guessing his man was Edwards, who notched 25 in same amount if time.  6:16 PM

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

Frank Vogel acknowledged that theyre now doing more switching than hes ever done in the past as a coach, because that has seemed to fit their defensive personnel the best. They still have some coverages for guys like Harden in the arsenal, but defense is evolving.  6:10 PM

Michael Scotto @MikeAScotto

Steve Nash on report James Harden is concerned with Kyrie & rotations: I havent spoken to him about these things. Im not sure what to believe. James & I speak all the time. I think we have a great relationship. Im not sure the validity of these comments to be honest with you pic.twitter.com/MC4ZrDxjvE  6:06 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly

Im not sure the validity of these comments to be honest with you. so I dont see James as saying a lot of this stuff and I feel like our relationship has been really good.

-Steve Nash was asked about a recent report suggesting James Harden is unhappy with #Nets pic.twitter.com/ykaV8cAxNo  6:03 PM

Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1

Naturally, Harden would love to rejoin his Houston enabler, as well as get out of New York where the competition for adulation outside strip clubs is far too fierce  5:55 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

Steve Nash said his relationship with James Harden is strong and said he hasnt heard any issues with rotations. #Nets  5:51 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

Asked Steve Nash about reports that James Harden is concerned about Kyrie Irvings part-time status but also Nashs rotations. He said hed just heard about the reports but adds he speaks to Harden all the time & hadnt heard any of those complains. #Nets  5:50 PM

Dave Early @DavidEarly

Im not sure the validity of these comments.

-Says Steve Nash regarding reports James Harden is frustrated with Nets lineups and other elements. Says he hasnt spoken to James about this but that it doesnt sound like Harden.  5:49 PM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

Asked about James Hardens reported complaints about the situation in Brooklyn, Steve Nash said he just heard of them and shoots it down. Think they have a good working relationship.  5:48 PM

Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1

By virtue of those leaks to Moreys media protectors who live off his Intravenous info, 76ers, seems 2 me R pressuring BK 2 trade Harden 4 Simmons b4 deadline or risk losing him when he opts out this summer. Harden is conspires, it appears, by expressing displeasure w/situation  5:43 PM

Keith Smith @KeithSmithNBA

New episode of @FrontOfficeShow is up! @Trevor_Lane and I talk about James Harden cooling on BKN, Jerami Grant drawing interest around the league and the Hawks maybe looking to move John Collins. Were closing in on 15K subscribers. Put us over the top!

youtu.be/B4mBUCg8ab0  5:42 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk

Report: Nets star James Harden intent on becoming free agent nba.nbcsports.com/2022/01/25/rep  5:26 PM

Peter Vecsey @PeterVecsey1

Rather than remain anonymous regarding the plethora of James Harden Philly is interested leaks, Id like to see Daryl Morey take the tampering hit, and go on the record as he did with Hong Kong  5:24 PM

Kristian Winfield @Krisplashed

Whats really going on with this James Harden to the 76ers news cycle? Some smoke and some mirrors for sure, but also some cause for concern.

Dissected the recent Harden-to-Philly reports for @NYDNSports

nydailynews.com//sports/basket  5:03 PM

James Harden @JHarden13

Its my honor to announce @OnlyJWalsh @tyesouthside @ju1ianphillips @NIVAR_2022 @dariq_whitehead have been selected to play in the 2022 @McDAAG keep chasing your dreams! #ad pic.twitter.com/fT9IA3IaaY  4:31 PM

NBA Math @NBA_Math

RPR MVP Predictor, determined by Rolling Player Ratings and team success:

1. Nikola Jokic: 16.22

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo: 15.38

3. LeBron James: 14.94

4. Joel Embiid: 14.31

5. Kevin Durant: 14.21

6. Stephen Curry: 13.85

7. Trae Young: 13.79

8. James Harden: 13.23 pic.twitter.com/qfoLnDbC19  4:30 PM

Kevin OConnor @KevinOConnorNBA

New Mismatch with @Chris Vernon on the up-and-down Hawks, Hunter, Dosunmu continuing to excel for the Bulls, latest Lakers news, and more. Then @AdamLefkoe from @NBAonTNT joins to discuss the latest on Simmons, Harden, the Chiefs, and collecting. open.spotify.com/episode/6lxc4S  3:36 PM

Brian Lewis @NYPost_Lewis

James Hardens frustration with Kyrie Irving could impact #Nets future nypost.com/2022/01/25/jam via @nypostsports  3:28 PM

The Vertical @YahooSportsNBA

James Harden wants to explore other opportunities outside of Brooklyn this summer, per @Jake Fischer 

 https://t.co/eQI7crnr5C pic.twitter.com/atMNTZj046  1:24 PM

Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer

Well be back on @thehalftimeapp today from 4-5ET, breaking down the evolving James Harden dynamic in Brooklyn, and more league wide rumblings here: thehalftime.app/audio/A-c94aa6  1:12 PM

Ky Carlin @Ky_Carlin

James Harden will be the name to watch heading into the offseason as it looks like the smoke continues to build #Sixers sixerswire.usatoday.com/2022/01/25/ken via @SixersWire  1:11 PM

Adam Spolane @AdamSpolane

Daryl Morey wasting an MVP level season from Joel Embiid and hoping to trade Ben Simmons in a sign and trade for 32-year old James Harden this summer is not the Daryl Morey I remember. He never sat around and waited  1:08 PM

Sam Amick @sam_amick

James Harden had been given a choice of where he wanted to play last January  sort of: Brooklyn or Philly? He chose the Nets. The question now is what hell choose this summer @TheAthletic

theathletic.com/3088096/2022/0  12:53 PM

John Schuhmann @johnschuhmann

Most assists on a single teammates 3-pointers

1. Randle -> Fournier: 60

2. Green -> Curry (GSW): 46

3. Harden -> Mills: 39

3. Mitchell -> Bogdanovic: 39

5. Haliburton -> Hield: 37

6. Lowry -> Robinson: 35  12:51 PM

Sam Amick @sam_amick

Is there a James Harden-Daryl Morey reunion in the works? The Sixers certainly hope so. And as we reported yesterday morning, that vision makes it all the more likely that Ben Simmons stays put past the trade deadline. Details here, with @Shams Charania

theathletic.com/3088096/2022/0  12:51 PM

Sean Highkin @highkin

If the Sixers pull off the Harden-Simmons S&T this summer, the pivot from the Whats Best For Dame Industrial Complex is going to be building up Tyrese Maxey as a franchise cornerstone to try and manifest Dame joining a Big 3 in Philly.   12:37 PM

David Hardisty @clutchfans

The issue with Harden-to-Philly rumors this summer is Philly has no leverage. Harden has to be ready to sign outright elsewhere. If that exists, it sets up the same scenario as when the Rockets traded for Chris Paul. Harden opt-ins to keep Bird rights, Philly trades for him.  12:16 PM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk

Report: James Harden frustrated by Kyrie Irvings part-time status nba.nbcsports.com/2022/01/25/rep  12:13 PM

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS

Lets say, hypothetically, the 76ers have the option to trade Ben Simmons straight up for James Harden, Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard in the offseason.

Who do you think their first choice would be? Who would your first choice be?  11:36 AM

Stefan Bondy @SBondyNYDN

Here we go  According to this report, James Harden not happy living in Brooklyn, frustrated with Kyries part-time status and will test free agency.

bleacherreport.com/articles/29527  11:00 AM

Jake Fischer @JakeLFischer

Ever-important behind Philadelphias Ben Simmons trade talks, James Harden has recently told several confidantsincluding former teammates and coachesof his growing interest to explore other opportunities outside of Brooklyn this summer. More at @BR_NBA: bleacherreport.com/articles/29527  10:31 AM

Alex Schiffer @Alex__Schiffer

Todays story is up. In light of the @The Athletics story on James Harden and Philly, we are months away from dealing with this, if at all. In the meantime, here are some things to keep in mind: theathletic.com/3090034/2022/0  10:07 AM

More on this storyline

I dont know about any reports, Harden said. Of course Im frustrated because were not healthy, theres a lot of inconsistencies for whatever reason: injuries, COVID, whatever you want to call it. But yeah, its frustrating. I think everyone in this organization is frustrated because we are better than what our record is, and we should be on the way up. Thats all it is. I dont know anything about any reports. If you didnt hear it from me, I dont talk to nobody. I have an agent. If you dont hear it from me, then its reports, So Im frustrated because I wanna win and Im a competitor. Its pretty simple. -via The Athletic / January 26, 2022

Dave Early: If you didnt hear it from me, like I dont talk to nobody, I dont have an agent, if yall dont hear from me, than its reports. Im frustrated because I want to win, and Im a competitor, its pretty simple. -Harden on recent reports he has increased interest in a trade pic.twitter.com/BrP2elTbTg -via Twitter @DavidEarly / January 26, 2022

Kristian Winfield: Steve Nash said he just heard about the James Harden reports: James and I speak all the time, we have a great relationship, so Im not sure the validity of the reports. -via Twitter @Krisplashed / January 25, 2022
John David Duggar crashed his plane during a trip through Tennessee back in October.

The Humphreys County Sheriff's Department confirmed to PEOPLE that the accident took place around 7 p.m. on Oct. 29 in Waverly, Tenn. and involved "a family from Arkansas." The 911 dispatcher for the area said that Duggar, 32, was piloting the aircraft and is the one who called in the crash.

john david duggar

john david duggar/instagram John David Duggar

Duggar told the 911 dispatcher that his plane suffered a "double engine failure" and he had to land it down on a field as a result.

Per a preliminary accident report from the National Transportation Safety Board, there were two other unknown passengers on board. The report said there were no injuries from the crash, but the damage to the aircraft was "substantial." The NTSB's investigation into the incident remains open.

A rep for the Duggar family did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

john david duggar

john david duggar/instagram John David Duggar and wife Abbie

RELATED: Duggar Family Hosts Annual New Year's Eve Party After Josh Duggar's Child Porn Conviction

The plane, a Piper PA-30, was registered to Medic Choppers, LLC. It belonged to Medic Corps, a non-profit organization that deploys aircrafts to provide emergency medical care during mass-casualty disasters. Duggar currently serves as the director of business for the organization.

The former 19 Kids and Counting star has long been interested in flying. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, he got his commercial pilot license in November of last year and his flight instructor certification about six months prior, in May.

His wife Abbie is also a pilot  she earned her student pilot license in August 2020, FAA records show.

Duggar proposed to Abbie inside a hangar, surrounded by planes, and the couple took some of their wedding photos on an airport tarmac.

In August 2019, they announced that Abbie was expecting their first child with a photo of them on a plane and holding up a onesie that read, "Baby Passenger on Board."

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john david duggar

John David Duggar with wife Abbie and daughter Grace

RELATED: Josh Duggar Asks for an Acquittal After Child Porn Conviction as Defense Presents New Information

"We are on Cloud 9 about welcoming our own little Duggar into the world!!!" they wrote on their Instagram page at the time.

Abbie had their daughter Grace, now 2 years old, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, the Duggar family announced in a statement at the time.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The recent crash came roughly one month before Duggar's older brother Josh Duggar went on trial for possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material. Though he pleaded not guilty, the reality star was ultimately convicted on the charges and is currently facing up to 20 years of imprisonment and $250,000 in fines.

Josh, who previously admitted to multiple incidents of molesting minors when he was a teenager, has since appealed the verdict and asked the judge to either acquit or grant him a new trial.
A group of 35 lawmakers from the United Kingdom, the European Union and other countries have called on their nations to create blacklists to block investors from funding companies associated with alleged human rights abuses against Uygurs and other ethnic minorities in China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The group, which includes politicians from Australia, Canada and India, urged their governments to create blacklists similar to the US Commerce Department's Entity List to force investment firms to divest from companies with ties to forced labour and other alleged abuses in the region.

"We cannot ignore the role that big banks play in financing the abuses taking place in Xinjiang," said Reinhard Butikofer, German Green member of the European Parliament and a co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC). "If they are knowingly investing in firms perpetrating forced labour and other human rights abuses, then it is right that they should be held to account."

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

The Entity List bars sanctioned companies from buying from American suppliers. It is one of several sanctions initiatives used by the US.

In June, US President Joe Biden expanded a list of Chinese companies in which American citizens are barred from investing over alleged ties to the Chinese military or sales of surveillance technology used against religious minorities and dissidents, including in Xinjiang.

The letter-writing campaign, coordinated by IPAC, followed a Sunday Times report this month that HSBC was acting as a custodian for an investor in Xinjiang Tianye, a state-owned enterprise and a subsidiary of an entity facing US sanctions over Xinjiang. The shares were purchased through the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme.

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"HSBC has not invested in Xinjiang Tianye," the bank said. "Many firms provide custodial services for non-US customers who want to trade in this or related stocks. This does not contravene any sanctions."

More than a dozen members of Britain's Parliament called on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to create an investment blacklist.

The lawmakers also urged the government to meet with senior executives at HSBC to discuss whether trading shares in Xinjiang Tianye was in line with its commitments in its modern slavery statement, as required under Britain's Modern Slavery Act.

"As the Uygur people continue to suffer intolerable abuse at the hands of the Chinese government - which a growing number of independent legal experts believe to constitute genocide and crimes against humanity - we cannot allow our financial firms to bankroll these atrocities," Helena Kennedy, a Labour peer in the House of Lords, and Iain Duncan Smith, a Conservative member of the House of Commons, wrote in a letter signed by the MPs.

Kennedy and Smith were among a group of British politicians sanctioned by Beijing last year.

Last week, Smith was among a cross-party group of backbenchers who called on the British government to impose additional sanctions and take other steps to address abuses in the Xinjiang region.

On the same day, France's parliament passed a motion calling for the French government to condemn China for "crimes against humanity and genocide".

British MPs voted in April 2021 to declare that China was committing genocide against the Uygurs. However, the UK government has declined to make a similar declaration, saying that lies with international courts and it has taken other actions to address abuses in the region.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2022 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2022. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty

Is President Joe Biden really just another Donald Trump in disguise?

Thats not some QAnon theory about body-swapping, but a new favorite talking point of the pundit class. This week on Fever Dreams, hosts Asawin Suebsaeng and Kelly Weill delve into a swamp of columns accusing Biden of being Trumps equal in delegitimizing elections, after Biden gave a speech about voting rights.

I get the sense that there are way too many overfed, overpaid, and overcoddled political commentators, pundits, and mainstream national political columnists who are paid to either on purpose or accidentally not understand the difference between X and Y, Suebsaeng says.

Speaking of bad metaphors, anti-vaccine celebrity Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is facing the heat after likening himself to Holocaust victims during an anti-vax rally this weekend. Kennedy suggested that anti-vaxxers were more persecuted than Jews under the Nazis because Holocaust victims like Anne Frank could hide in an attic or flee across the mountains to Switzerland.

Frank and her family were taken to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where the teenage Frank died, Weill notes, so thats a terrible analogy. And then my other point of contention here is crossing the Alps to Switzerland. Isn't that just the plot of The Sound of Music?

Fortunately, this weeks guest is an expert at making sense of thorny political conflicts. Jane Coaston, host of the New York Times podcast The Argument joins us to talk about her show, where she explores the tensionsand often the surprising commonalitiesbetween people on opposing sides of the political spectrum.

I think that, for me, a lot of the friction that you see on Twitter specifically among people who are of the same political class, is somewhat performative, Coaston says. And when you get people [on the show], one of the challenges we sometimes have in the podcast is that people agree too much.

Coaston says Trumps lies about election fraud are a massive blow to any efforts at finding consensus. Still, she says, its worth examining how those lies emerged, and why Trump fans take them seriously.

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While there is no way to find a common ground, she says, I think that there is a way to examine how this came about. I think of it in some ways, it goes back to one of the OG big lies, which was birtherism.

Its not the Big Lie, but Michigan Republicans are battling a hoax of their own this month, after a state GOP leader promoted a false rumor about public schools offering gender-neutral litter boxes for students who are members of the furry subculture (a community that dresses up as anthropomorphic animals).

The school has debunked the kitty litter rumor, but voices on the right are using it to attack public schools, in keeping with a national trend of calling for surveillance of teachers in the name of transparency.

If you cant see what your kids public school teacher is doing at all times at all times, its anti-transparency, Suebsaeng jokes, as opposed to an infringement on an actual employees rights not to be hounded out of existence because they picked a color of chalk that the parents didnt like.

I think what this really is, is a kids hoax gone kind of viral, but its been co-opted by this grievance-driven movement that is just trying to find excuses to insert itself into schools even more, Weill says.

Listen, and subscribe, to Fever Dreams on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Romee Strijd and Laurens van Leeuwen

Romee Strijd/instagram

Romee Strijd's Laurens van Leeuwen partner is putting it a ring on it after 12 years of dating.

The 26-year-old former Victoria's Secret model shared via Instagram Tuesday that she and Laurens van Leeuwen are engaged.

Strijd celebrated the occasion by sharing some of their special moments in a series of sentimental Instagram photos.

In the photos, van Leeuwen is seen on one knee holding out the ring while Strijd, sporting a fitted white snow outfit complete with a black stripe down the side, smiles in sweet surprise in one snap. The Switzerland mountains serve as a stunning backdrop for the beautiful moment.

"I said YES ," Strijd captioned the pictures.

The carousel also featured a photo of a delicious mountainside meal and an adorable picture of the now-fiances beaming at one another, wrapping with a snap of them kissing.

Strijd's round brilliant cut diamond, designed by Ring Concierge Fine Jewelry, is on full display in another snap. As shared with PEOPLE, it's set in a two-tone "Whisper Thin Trio" that showcases three pave diamonds on either side of the center stone.

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Laurens chose the classic setting as it complimented the model's minimalist yet chic style, Ring Concierge shared with PEOPLE.

Founder Nicole Wegman tells PEOPLE, "The couple had a trip planned to Switzerland to celebrate their 12th anniversary so Laurens decided that was the perfect opportunity to surprise Romee with her dream ring."

RELATED: Supermodels Are Ushering In This Unbelievably Cozy Winter Shoe Trend

"He selected a Round Brilliant Cut because they are as timeless as it gets and are cut to maximize sparkle," she added. "Clients love our Whisper Thin settings because it is the thinnest band possible while being completely safe for daily wear and the diamond almost appears like it's floating."

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Clothing line founder van Leeuwen also celebrated the moment with a photo of the pair smiling at the camera, Strijd showing off her new diamond. He kissed the Dutch model on the cheek in another photo. Footage of roses, wine on ice, and a beautiful meal also featured in his carousel.

RELATED VIDEO: Floribama Shore's Gus Smyrnios Is Engaged to 'True Love' Samantha Carucci: 'Love You Forever'

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In December 2020, the couple welcomed daughter Mint.

Strijid shared the happy news alongside a serene photo of herself breastfeeding the newborn while looking down at her lovingly.

"Mint van Leeuwen ~ feeling so blessed to finally hold you in my arms ," the new mom captioned her intimate snapshot. "We are so in love with you!!"
The new issue of Modern Rustic (No.21) is here and we have once again compiled and photographed a selection of beautiful and inspiring properties from around the world.

This issue focuses on houses full of energising colour, restoration projects which celebrate tradition, and great hand craftsmanship. We also explore new properties  like the one in the video above  that use vernacular materials, combined with the latest eco-technology, to bridge the past and the present and tread lightly on their surroundings.

Country Living Homes and Style Director, Ben Kendrick, describes the day they visited this beautiful home in Gloucestershire, saying: "The lakeside family eco home [featured in the video] is spectacular. A very photogenic house, it's set on a ribbon-like peninsular in a landscape dotted with endless lakes. It feels more like it's in Finland rather than the Cotswolds.

"The sun shone, lifting the brilliant autumn colours. It was a memorable day. Reed warblers sang in the reed beds and otters kept continually bobbing up around us, fishing, while we photographed from a rowing boat. It's the first time I have ever seen these animals for more than a fleeting glimpse in the wild."

Photo credit: James Edmonson

The home belongs by James Edmondson, who runs Log House Holidays, a string of stylish wooden, eco-holiday lodges situated around a string of lakes. It's a modern update on two linked traditional barns and was built by Border Oak, a company who make green-oak timber-framed buildings in Herefordshire.

The design is both sympathetic and harmonious in its setting, and passive solar orientated. The building is heated by a ground source heat pump and photovoltaic panels, and even includes a sauna and cold immersion bath filled by an artesian spring which runs down a cascade of Cotswold stone.

This lakeside family eco home is the perfect synergy that dovetails with the ethos of Modern Rustic (No.21).

Photo credit: Country Living

What else can you expect from Modern Rustic?

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Beautifully photographed, inspiring houses from around the world

Profiles of current craftspeople and makers whose work explores the modern rustic aesthetic

A selection of stylishly curated and photographed pieces from current makers and designers

Where can you buy Modern Rustic?

Buy the new edition of Modern Rustic online for 12.99. Or you can purchase a copy from selected retailers, including WH Smith.

ORDER YOUR COPY

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This article was originally published by Source NM.

Schools in New Mexico opened Monday with a few different members of the community joining classrooms for the first time.

To help fill staffing gaps, 46 National Guard members and 13 state employees entered classrooms as substitute teachers in public schools and early child care centers.

They cover about 7% of the need reported to the Public Education Department.

A week after the initiative was announced by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, Monday was the first day for the new cohort of subs, and reports so far indicate that everything went smoothly.

Called Supporting Teachers and Families, Lujan Grisham called on state employees and members of the N.M. National Guard to step in as substitute teachers or early child care providers.

More than 87 volunteers have signed up to work in schools, according to the governors office. So far, 59 have completed their background check and initial licensing to work in classrooms, which they did for the first time on Monday in 21 different communities across the state.

More from Source NM: COVID still spreading in NM prisons despite nearly everyone getting the jab

In addition to the new substitute teacher pool, 14 state employees are signed up to work with the youngest New Mexicans at early child care centers.

National Guard members deployed as schoolteachers for first time

While members of the National Guard can request to work in child care facilities, their primary goal is to stay in schools. Brig. Gen. Miguel Aguilar said this is the first time troops have been deployed to teach in schools.

Optimally, a certified experienced teacher in a roomful of kids is what we all want to see, Aguilar said.

Aguilar said National Guard members are on state active-duty, so they will receive pay for housing and travel to communities where they are deployed as educators. The state waived their fees to undergo background checks and meet the substitute license requirements. While the majority of the need is in metro areas like Albuquerque, he said, support for teachers in rural towns is important to keep schools open, too.

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The great thing about guardsmen is that over time, they are all placed in positions of responsibility, he said. So they may not have classroom experience, many of them are leaders and supervisors within the Guard. Ive got faith that they will tackle this task as best as they can, knowing that its difficult work.

Aguilar said how the National Guards members present themselves in classrooms will be up to each individual school district.

Our soldiers and airmen have worked hard to earn the honor of wearing a uniform and certainly, if they asked us to do that, we would, he said. Thats the form wed prefer to be in. But if for some reason, that community feels more comfortable that we be in civilian clothes, then well do that. After all, its the mission that matters the most. So we dont want to be a distraction.

Children walk the halls at Highland Elementary School in Las Cruces in this file photo from Dec. 16, 2021. To help fill staffing gaps, 46 National Guard members and 13 state employees entered classrooms this week as substitute teachers in public schools and early child care centers, though not yet at Las Cruces Public Schools.

More from Source NM: That envelope from Tax & Rev might put more cash in your pocket

State leaders want to keep schools open, despite the omicron variant sweeping through communities. Since returning from winter break, more than 60 school districts have opted to close their doors and resume remote learning.

Lujan Grisham said bringing in the Guard and other state workers was about creating stability during an uncertain time.

The state stands ready to help keep kids in the classroom, parents able to go to work and teachers able to fully focus on the critical work they do every single day in educating the next generation, the governor said.

With a lack of teachers, the in-person learning experiences have resulted in multiple classrooms sharing a common space like a gymnasium with just one or two adults providing supervision.

According to the New Mexico Department of Education, substitute teacher licenses were issued to the 59 people who are working in the following communities:

Farmington, Bloomfield, Aztec, Clovis, Portales, Las Vegas, Questa, Raton, Springer, Hondo, Silver City, Cobre, Deming, Alamogordo, Loving, Hagerman, Artesia, Hobbs, Los Lunas, Moriarty and Estancia

This list is expected to grow as more people sign up. Anyone can sign up, not just state employees and members of the military.

Owen Brown works with students at Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque who take online coursework. He also works on-site and experienced the cluster of classrooms in the schools cafeteria.

They were all just in there together with no sense of order, he said.

New Mexico officials, leaders fighting to keep schools open

The governors office and public education leaders are fighting to keep schools open, despite the rise in cases, because theyre thinking about student well-being, instructional participation and the overall benefits to a school setting.

Early child care facilities do not have the option to operate remotely. Either they are open, or they are closed. And most have stayed open throughout the pandemic, despite temporary closures when COVID spreads in a facility.

When the announcement for the initiative was made by the governor, more than 70 facilities had been forced to shut down due to staffing issues.

Elizabeth Groginsky is the secretary for the Early Childhood Education and Care Department which oversees all child care centers in the state.

Were seeing a lot more staff in the facility being positive, she said. It was classrooms, but in other cases, centers were closed for a week or two. Our own director of communications, his children go to child care, and last week they were closed. We are there to serve the family so they can go to work. Its not really an option to do child care remote.

She said volunteers will be certified to work with children, and they will be under the supervision of an employee that has experience and qualifications to work in the setting, often with young children born during the pandemic.

I think its both the volume of facilities that are being impacted, and the numbers of cases within those facilities, she said. Thats the shift were seeing in the children in child care, and they are not eligible for the vaccinations.

Shaun Griswold is a journalist in Albuquerque. He is a citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna, and writes for Source New Mexico. Reach him at sgriswold@sourcenm.com.

Others are reading:

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: National Guard members show up for their first day teaching school
Photo Illustration by Elizabeth Brockway/The Daily Beast/Getty

In keeping with his career-long tradition of performative activism, Neil Young demanded in a (since-deleted) open letter on his website that Spotify either remove his music or Joe Rogans podcast from its servicein the name of quelling COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

Spotify purchased the rights to stream the The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020 for $100 million. Critics have argued Spotify is culpable when Rogan casts doubts on vaccines, features vax-skeptical guests, or touts unproven COVID medications to his millions of listeners.

For his stance, Young is basking in praise as a principled musician willing to sacrifice his own streaming revenue in the name of science, technological progress, and public health.

This is the same Neil Young who in 2015 released an entire album, The Monsanto Years, thats wall-to-wall songs from an anti-biotechnology point of view.

Youngs anti-GMO rhetoric helped fuel a narrative that made it easy to spread fear and distrust about COVID vaccines, most of which used novel biotechnology methods and some of which use genetic engineering.

Very Upset Neil Young Wants His Music Off Spotify Over Joe Rogan Vax Misinfo

A collective amnesia has set in amongst progressives regarding the lefts past pandering to the anti-biotechnology movement. Reactionary luddismespecially around biotechnologywas both politically correct and convenient for progressive celebrity activists. But that was in the before times.

The anti-GMO movementwhich rose to prominence in the mid 1990s and early 2000sattained a key legislative win in 2014 when Vermont mandated GMO labeling of food.

Activists insisted it was vital information for consumers to make informed choices, despite wide scientific agreement that theyre safe for consumption. In fact, not only were GMOs not a threat to human health, theyve been a boon to it, much like the insulin that has kept Neil Young alive for most of his life. Vitamin A-enriched golden rice, for example, could have saved millions of lives and help prevent child blindness, were it not stymied by anti-GMO activists.

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The new Vermont law threatened to be a pointless and impractical nightmare for food manufacturers, so trade groups sued the state. But with Big Business fighting the mandate, its repeal was easily framed by the anti-GMO movement as an affront to consumer safety and democracy. This framing was eagerly adopted by progressive politicians and amplified by the mainstream media.

As the case garnered coverage, the anti-GMO crowd was re-energized once more. And Neil Young seized the moment, releasing The Monsanto Years and embarking on a tour of the same name. At one pre-show press conference, accompanied by Vermonts then-Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin, Young pledged $100,000 to the legal case defending the GMO labeling law.

Another guest at the conference was Shiva Ayyadurai, a technologist whod published dubious research showing GMOs were dangerous. Ayyadurai would in 2018 run as a Republican (and later, as an independent), against Elizabeth Warren for a Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat. (Warren opposed an overly strict federal GMO labeling bill.) Ayyadurai has since pivoted to spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformationit was his tweet that started the #firefauci hashtag, when then-President Donald Trump retweeted it.

Youngs Monsanto album release and media tour doubled as activismamplifying misinformation about GMOs to large mainstream audiences. He released a short anti-GMO documentary aptly named Seeding Fear. Most notably, and ridiculously, was an appearance on The Late Show with Steven Colbert.

Colbert asked Young about the scientific evidence showing GMOs were safe. But Young dismissed it out of hand, retorting: That must be a Monsanto study that didnt notice the terrible diseases and all of the things that are happening. Then he pivoted to citing overzealous anti-GMO regulations in the EU as if it was scientific proof of anything.

The cringey bit concluded when a man dressed as a GMO corn cob appeared, asking Young, I was born this way, why do you have to label me?

Young replied, I dont normally like to label things but youre so dangerous, and youre dangerous to me personally and my family, and the rest of the planet. Eventually the corn grew so angry it exploded in a shower of popcorn, which Young implored Colbert not to touch.

Trade groups successfully lobbied Congress to replace any state by state labeling laws with a federal lawto avoid having to manufacture different packaging for every jurisdiction. President Barack Obama signed the law in 2016 and, coincidentally, it went partially into effect just one day after the first case of COVID-19 was discovered in China: January 1, 2020.

The anti-biotechnology movement, until very recently treated with kid gloves by late night comic and taken seriously by Democratic politicians looking to mobilize voters, was about to become a dangerous liability.

Amplified by Young, the anti-biotechnology movement helped lay the foundations of the anti-COVID vaccine movement today, giving it an arsenal of misinformation to be repurposed, mainstream articles to be referenced, and misguided laws to be held up as proof of inherent dangers posed by safe technologies.

Neil Young Sounds Off on Trump: He Has No Balls

COVID vaccines containing a genetically-engineered virus were framed by skeptics as risky, simply by pointing to the way regulators and media outlets had treated GMOs, often at the behest of radical activists like Young.

Non-GMO vaccinesusing mRNAdealt with accusations that they turn people into GMOs, an incoherent notion that had to be denied by multiple health agencies across the world.

One of the main arguments in favor of GMO labeling served as a precedent for arguments against vaccine mandates: The science says theyre safe, but people should be able to choose for themselveswhich implies that they might, in fact, not be safe.

The current mainstream narrative is that ignorant opposition to modernity and biotechnology is strictly a phenomenon on the populist rightamplified by the new corporate technological boogeymen: big tech and social media. The populist right, for its part, is happily adopting this narrative. But technological Luddism knows no party.

Neil Youngs got a legitimate case in criticizing Spotify for amplifying Joe Rogans biotech misinformation. But first, he should atone for his own role in seeding COVID vaccine skepticism.

(Editor's note: This column has been updated to correct the fact that Young uses insulinrather than penicillinfor his diabetes, and to clarify a point about Vitamin A-infused golden rice.)

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Doug Logan, CEO of the Sarasota-based Cyber Ninjas, talks with a worker during recount efforts in Arizona earlier this year.

Democracy, the sacrosanct foundation on which this country has stood solid for centuries, is now closer to crumbling than anyone dared dream, an alarmingly fragile ideology corroded by slipshod claims and unfettered greed, both as a means of political and personal survival.

The shock of this lies in the simplicity, as world wars have not threatened democracys entrenchment as much as mere words have, absurdities spewed by a delusional ex-president and the retired military general he pardoned for lying to the FBI.

You can trace democracys ever-expanding cracks to Sarasota, where Donald Trump once stood at a podium and, barely two minutes into a 50-minute speech, wagged his finger in the air and said, Folks, the system is rigged.

Howdy neighbor: Column: The secret moves of the Cyber Ninjas moneyman

Opinion: Sarasota charity latest link to Donald Trump's lie

Former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the Sarasota Fairgrounds July 3.

This was not 2020, mind you, but the day before the 2016 election. Trumps evidence may have come from a Bazooka Joe bubblegum wrapper, but it was in Sarasota where he attempted to soften the worldwide ridicule of a certain loss. Only he won. And he learned.

Because it was the same nonsense before the 2020 election, and after he was defeated too: Folks, the system is rigged. Arizona swallowed the Big Lies hook at face value, hardly caring Trump was just trying to save face.

Now, for a Lie to become Big, you need people to promulgate it, which is what happened when the Republican-led Arizona Senate funded an election audit thinly veiled as an attempt to return Trump to power and hired Sarasota-based Cyber Ninjas to conduct it, never mind the computer security company had no experience.

More opinion:

After months of national ridicule, from talk of bamboo in ballots to catching COVID, the Ninjas determined no fraud took place. Trump, in fact, actually lost votes. But thats not what was important here because, even now, people still believe the election was stolen, and nothing is going to change that notion.

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This end-around is going to reverberate through every local and national election going forward, and yes, that makes the Big Lie a threat to our very democracy. Dont like the winner? Not in your party? Just scream it was rigged. This strategy even sets up Trump for a 2024 presidential run. He cant lose. Even if he does.

Wearing a cutout of Donald Trumps face, Marc DiMaggio of Punta Gorda has his photo taken with Lisa Rudolph during a rally for former President Donald Trump at the Sarasota Fairgrounds on July 3, 2021.

They always say follow the money, and that applies here too. All the way to Sarasota. The Cyber Ninjas, led by a conspiracy theorist named Doug Logan, was paid only $150,000 for a job more experienced companies bid millions for. Then it was revealed the Ninjas received $5.7 million from five outside groups.

One of the groups is a charity called Americas Future, led by former U.S. Gen. Michael Flynn, Trumps former national security adviser, who at one point in 2019 owed nearly $5 million in attorneys fees from the Mueller investigation, according to court records. His family set up a defense fund, and he even sold a house to pay the fees.

Checking the mail: Opinion: Flynns post office box holds more than his mail

Flynn and the QAnon connection: Opinion: Michael Flynn's curious ties to Cyber Ninjas, QAnon and the Ellenton post office

Michael Flynn speaks to a Trump rally on Dec. 12, 2020.

Flynns fortunes seemed to have changed. He now owns two homes in Englewood worth nearly $1 million and travels around the country spreading misinformation about the rigged election to those gullible enough to donate to the cause.

Americas Future, the charity Flynn runs, gave Cyber Ninjas a reported $976,000 for the Arizona audit. The charity is not registered in Florida, though on its website it solicits checks to a North Port P.O. Box, the same town where Flynns sister, not to mention the Laundrie family, owns a home.

Nikki Fried, Floridas Commissioner of Agriculture, did not respond to requests to address the legality of the charitys activities as they pertain to the Arizona audit and the Ninjas, but it does raise questions. There are other questions as well.

Logan, for example, purchased a home in Sarasota County for $422,750 in 2017, and the mortgage was paid off in January 2021, a few months before the audit began. Logan reportedly has 11 kids, and his business needed a PPP loan of $98,327 for payroll last year. Is it reasonable to think he paid this mortgage off himself?

Logan may have determined fraud did not occur in Arizona, but his recent report still cast doubt on the system, and the U.S. House Oversight Committee is requesting his presence this month concerning what it termed a questionable audit.

Patrick Byrne, the former CEO of Overstock.com who stepped down after claiming an affair with Russian agent Maria Butina but not before cashing out $90 million worth of stock, is another conspiracy theorist whose group gave $3.25 million to Logan and the Cyber Ninjas and continues to claim election rigging.

In this March 25, 2010 file photo, Chairman and CEO of Overstock.com Patrick Byrne poses for a picture by the employee of the month wall at the warehouse of Overstock.com outside of Salt Lake City.

Byrne recently purchased four homes, a condominium, and a medical building worth more than $10 million in Sarasota County through a company called Manatee Investments, though he went to great lengths to stay anonymous.

Dominion Voting Systems has filed a $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Byrne for continually claiming its voting machines are flawed. Could it be possible those purchases are tied to the lawsuit?

Like everything else dating back to the Earths cooling, the Big Lie is about money and power.

Trump needs the Lie to hold onto power, and perhaps to run again, and Flynn has an audience to spread it, which he readily does. Why? Because Flynn owes Trump for pardoning him after he pleaded guilty for lying to the FBI during the Mueller investigation.

And people like Flynn, Byrne and Logan need the Lie to make money. They have mortgages to pay, 11 kids to feed, legal bills to settle, and trips to take to keep this hamster wheel spinning.

Chris Anderson

It is this simple.

It is this shocking.

But who cares if our democracy is crumbling?

Folks, the system is rigged.

Contact columnist Chris Anderson at chris.anderson@heraldtribune.com. Please support local journalism by purchasing a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: How the Big Lie threatens democracy | Opinion
A woman who happened upon the Friday crash of a pickup towing a trailer transporting 100 monkeys is being treated after a monkey spit at her and she developed pink-eye symptoms.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said the U.S. Department of Agriculture is investigating the accident, which occurred on an east-central Pennsylvania highway, and the subsequent attempts to round up some of the cynomolgus macaque monkeys who had escaped from their crates.

The accident involved the collision of the pickup and a dump truck near the Danville exit on Interstate 80. Pennsylvania State Police said several monkeys had escaped following Friday's collision and one remained unaccounted for overnight.

Michele Fallon, the Danville, Pennsylvania woman who came upon the crash told the Press Enterprise newspaper when she and another motorist who stopped to help, the other driver said he thought he saw a cat run across the road.

Since Fallon's comments about the incident have been in local and national news, she told USA TODAY some people are accusing her of being paid by the media to talk about the crash  and for not using common sense at the accident site.

At the time, Fallon said after she learned the crates contained monkeys, she assumed they were being transported to a zoo because the driver never mentioned anything about the monkeys being imported and being transported to a lab.

"If I had been told  I would never have touched anything," Fallon said. About going to get medical treatment after developing a cough, runny nose and pinkeye-like symptoms, Fallon said, "I wanted to be cautious. I even told the doctors I don't want to overreact on this, but I don't want to underreact either."

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A young long-tailed macaque monkey, also known as a cynomolgus or crab-eating macaque monkey, in Cambodia. This monkey was released after biological samples were collected to study the types of infectious agents that they may harbor or have been exposed to.

Some local residents, Fallon said, "are making out like, 'Oh, I have this new monkey virus. It's a monkey pox and there is going to be an outbreak.  It's just a monkey hissed in my face. That's all that happened. I want to protect myself."

Kristen Nordlund, a spokesperson with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said in an email to the Associated Press Saturday night that all 100 of the monkeys had been accounted for. Three were euthanized.

Fallon, who will be on preventative medicine for about two weeks, shared a letter she got from the CDC dated Jan. 21 in which she is told that if she was within 5 feet of the crates holding the monkeys and not wearing personal protective equipment, she should be alert to any illnesses in the next month. The CDC requires a minimum quarantine of 31 days for monkeys after they arrive in the U.S., the letter said.

PETA criticized the CDC for what it considers shoddy follow-up in the aftermath of the incident. Persons scratched or bitten by a macaque monkey are at risk for the Herpes B Virus, as well as other diseases including salmonella, tuberculosis, yellow fever and other illnesses, according to the CDC's site.

Reports from the scene suggested that "feces and urine from the terrified monkeys were reportedly smeared across the highway as crates  that werent strapped in as required  flew from the truck, and the CDC should be scrambling to ensure that numerous people who were at the scene arent in danger," PETA said.

Follow-up is not only important for passersby who came across the accident but for first responders, Lisa Jones-Engel, senior science advisor for primate experimentation at PETA, told USA TODAY. "I'm surprised the CDC has not been more responsive to the first responders on this."

After Fallon checked on the health of the pickup driver and passenger at the crash site, Fallon told USA TODAY she began checking the trailer it had been pulling. Some crates had come out of the trailer and she was concerned for the animals, which at the time she assumed were cates.

She pulled up a cloth covering one of the crates and stuck her finger inside the chicken wire enveloping it and "I hear this weird noise," Fallon said. When she tried to get a closer look, "it just pops his head up and hisses at me. It's a monkey."

After the incident, Fallon said she developed the symptoms and went to the emergency room Sunday where she began a series of rabies shots and antibiotics  she had an open cut that concerned health care workers  and tested negative for COVID. Fallon, who is 45, is uncertain if the symptoms are related because her family had been ill recently, too. And two people who attended a party she went to Saturday later tested positive for COVID-19.

"So I'm like, maybe that's where my symptoms are coming from, because I was around people who had been sick," she said. "It's like I went from a monkey situation to a COVID party situation. It's ridiculous."

USDA spokesman Andre Bell told USA TODAY the agency is looking into PETAs letter. The CDC did not respond to requests for comment on the incident.

PETA asked the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to investigate the incident for potential violations in the transportation and handling of the monkeys, which PETA said were en route to a laboratory in Missouri. "We believe the handling and treatment of monkeys before, during and after the collision may constitute violations," PETA vice president Alka Chandna, said in a letter addressed to Robert Gibbens, director of animal welfare operations at the USDA's APHIS.

Crates holding live monkeys are collected next to the trailer they were being transported in along state Route 54 at the intersection with Interstate 80 near Danville, Pa., Friday, Jan. 21, 2022, after a pickup pulling the trailer carrying the monkeys was hit by a dump truck.

In laboratories, workers wear personal protective equipment to protect them from monkeys' bodily fluids, scratches and bites. Any exposures, such as the kind Fallon has described, "are immediately treated following strict and rigorous protocols to reduce the risk of disease transmission," Jones-Engel said.

About 1.2 million macaque monkeys have been imported into the U.S. since 1975, Jones-Engel said. She provided a CDC PowerPoint presentation showing the number of non-human primates imported declining between 2019 and 2020  China is limiting how many it exports  and more animals reported dead on arrival and dying during quarantine.

"In the end, this doesn't work," she said. "The monkeys are not giving us the treatments, they're not giving us the vaccines. All we're doing is increasing the risk for the human population. "

BREAKING: A PETA eyewitness revealed that a woman got an eyeful of MONKEY SALIVA & is now on anti-viral drugs after a truck carrying 100 monkeys to a lab crashed & crates full of the animals fell onto the highway.



Help us end experiments on monkeys! https://t.co/UMwO7N2Pzb  PETA (@peta) January 24, 2022

An editorial in the Press Enterprise took a different tack, suggesting that studies on monkeys and primates are essential to medical research including helping "wounded soldiers and stroke victims regain independence after losing limbs or the control over them," it wrote.

Its easy to understand why many people found themselves on the monkeys side when they broke loose of their cages near Danville and fled for freedom," the editorial said. "Theyre furry, cute, intelligent animals. And our nations labs should be doing absolutely everything possible to ensure the minimum number of animals are subjected to tests that will secure a scientifically valid result.  But if we value the medical advancement non-human primate research has brought, we must also recognize shipments like the one that crashed in Danville on Friday are needed."

Contributing: The Associated Press

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @mikesnider.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Monkey encounter at Pennsylvania crash: Woman being treated for rabies
Jan. 26MORGANTOWN  The state Senate on Tuesday approved its bill to end the ban on nuclear power plants. The House of Delegates unanimously approved a bill aiming to provide eating disorder and self-harm training for teachers and students  following an emotional speech by the bill's sponsor.

SB 4 is the nuclear plant bill. It's one sentence long and repeals two sections of code passed in 1996 that enacted the ban.

Sen. Hannah Geffert, D-Berkeley, was among those opposing it. She said her father worked in the nation's first nuclear plant and served on the nation's first nuclear submarine.

She acknowledged that nuclear can offer a lot of power at a low rate. "My one concern is, do we have any plan on what we would do with the waste ?" Much of it is stored in barrels on plant sites, she said.

Sen. Bob Beach, D-Monongalia, also voted no. "We no longer live in a kind world, folks, " he said. He opposes it for national security and safety reasons. West Virginia and Kentucky are two of the only five states east of the Mississippi River without nuclear plants and, for safety's sake, he wants to keep it that way.

Majority Leader Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, was among the supporters. "All this bill says is, 'We're open to discussion, ' " he said.

Bill sponsorship was bipartisan and Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, was among them. "This is not our grandfather's nuclear facility, " he said. "Nuclear can offer an important economic development tool."

Finland has pioneered a waste storage means, he said, burying it deep underground without transporting it.

This bill makes us a leader in terms of being all of the above in terms of our energy sources, " he said, and being more attractive to manufacturers from around the world.

The vote was 24-7 and it goes to the House, where its twin, HB 2882, is on first reading. Locally, along with Beach, Democrat Mike Caputo and Republicans Randy Smith and Dave Sypolt voted no. Republican Charles Clements voted yes. Republican Mike Maroney was absent.

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House bills HB 4074 is Meghan's Law, to train public school personnel and students regarding self-harm and eating disorder signs, prevention and treatment.

Several delegates spoke for the bill, last of all Delegate Wayne Clark, R-Jefferson. The bill is named for his daughter. He was in tears and too emotional to read the speech he'd prepared. Majority Whip Paul Espinosa, R-Jefferson, read it for him.

"Today we can help thousands of maturing children in the state of West Virginia, " Clark said through Espinosa. Toward the end of the last legislative session, Meghan started showing signs of an eating disorder, which caused conflict in the family and frightened Clark, his wife, Wendy and Meghan's twin sister.

"Wendy and I did not know how to handle this. ... Our daughter was determined to kill herself all over the belief that she looked better emaciated."

They sent her to the Center for Discovery, an eating disorder treatment provider with centers across the country. Meghan arrived on Sept. 29, Clark said. Her heart rate was 20 beats per minute ; she weighed 90 pounds  down from 125. "Her organs were shutting down. She was dying."

She was on suicide watch for the first week. "What we did not know then was this was going to be the best thing we had ever done." The treatment worked.

They learned from Meghan that her cheer coach told her she was too fat at 125 pounds to be a cheer flyer. That led her to hunt on the web for weight loss techniques such as purging and restricting food intake.

Clark mentioned other self-harm behaviors  cutting and so on. "We must stop this to save our kids."

The vote was 93-0 and it goes to the Senate.

The House also passed these bills and sent them to the Senate:

HB 3312, to establish the first child labor memorial in the U.S., to be placed in Monongah and ready by Nov. 15, 2023, the anniversary of the Monongah mine disaster. The vote was 95-1.

HB 4062 allows the state highways commissioner to live outside of Charleston. Passed 90-6.

HB 4065 requires the state Board of Education to establish a hunter safety program to be taught outside of regular school hours, on school grounds whenever possible, with school transportation available. Passed 95-1.

HB 4112 is a 17-page bill aimed to prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from restricting pharmacies' access to specialty drugs for consumers.

Government Organization chair Brandon Steele, R-Raleigh, argued that the bill will conflict with aspects of the Affordable Care Act, leading to the PBMs pursuing expensive litigation that will drive up insurance premiums. Health vice-chair Matthew Rohrbach, R-Cabell, said it will offer consumers more choices and lower prices, It passed 81-13.

Tweet David Beard @dbeardtdp Email dbeard @dominionpost.com
Senator Gary Peters

Courtesy Senator Gary Peters

Gary Peters is a U.S. Senator for Michigan and the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Here, he tells his family's abortion story in his own words:

This past week, our nation marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. What seemed like a long-settled legal question  a woman's right to make her own health care decisions  is again under a very serious threat.

For many, this issue is not just about a legal case. It's about extremely tough, heart-breaking, painful decisions.

I know that, because, like so many folks, it was a situation my own family faced.

Two years ago, I shared my family's story of losing a wanted pregnancy  in which my first wife had to undergo a medical procedure that was necessary to protecting her health  and possibly her life.

My wife and I were getting ready to welcome our second child. That is, until, four months into her pregnancy, tragedy struck and her water broke.

When we went to visit the doctor, he made it very clear: there was zero chance the baby could survive without amniotic fluid. None. She would suffer a miscarriage  and we had to simply go home and wait for that to happen overnight.

And so we went home with our hearts shattered. Our minds in total shock. Our souls crushed. No words could describe the pain and loss we felt or the anguish she felt miscarrying.

But the miscarriage didn't happen that night.

RELATED: After Learning She Was 8 Weeks Pregnant, This Texas Woman Had to Travel 1,500 Miles for an Abortion

When we went back the next day, the doctor told us to wait another day for the miscarriage  and effectively relive this trauma another night.

We waited for what seemed like a long, painful eternity.

Waited  for a baby we wanted so very badly  to miscarry.

But again  the miscarriage didn't happen.

We again returned to our doctor who became very worried about my wife's health and a sepsis infection that would not only endanger her health  and the possibility of ever having a child again  but could even put her life at risk.

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Our doctor went to the hospital board, asking for an exception to their policy prohibiting abortions. I remember what happened next, vividly.

He left us a message on our answering machine. He'd been refused an exemption because there was a faint heartbeat detected, even though there was no chance for the fetus to survive. He told us the decision was just based on politics, not good medical advice or practices. He recommended we find another physician immediately due to worries about her health.

We were able to get her into another hospital quickly through a personal friend. When my wife was examined, the doctor was not only alarmed  he said an immediate emergency procedure was necessary for her health and possibly her life.

RELATED: When I Discovered My Much-Wanted Baby Had Serious Abnormalities, I Made the Difficult Decision to Have an Abortion

It was the kind of experience no one plans for or imagines  and one that you wish nobody would ever experience.

But the fact is: this is happening  all across our country. And while we were fortunate to see another doctor quickly  so many are not.

When I first shared my family's story publicly, I hoped it would help show the kind of real, gut-wrenching and complicated circumstances families face.

And I hoped it would underscore the importance of safeguarding Roe v. Wade and the rights it has granted to women and families  rights that are often exercised under the most trying of circumstances.

I'll never forget the outpouring of support I received from people from all walks of life, who didn't tell their personal story to anybody because of the trauma and pain, but felt comfortable sharing it for the first time.

Now, as the Supreme Court is reviewing a Mississippi law banning abortion at 15 weeks and overturning Roe v. Wade as we know it, I am sharing this story once again  because the stakes have gotten even higher.

The power of the Senate to confirm or reject Supreme Court Justices means Senate campaigns are the frontlines of the fight. We must send a firm message: attacks on Roe v. Wade and the rights of women to make their own health care choices will not be tolerated.

My story is one that is very personal, and painful  and folks all across the country face similar situations each and every day. That is why we cannot afford to go backwards. In 2022, we must protect the right of patients to make their own medical decisions without interference from politics.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence during a joint session of Congress to count the Electoral College votes on January 6, 2021. Photo by Erin Scott - Pool/Getty Images

A Justice Department official told CNN the agency is investigating an effort to send fake Electoral College certificates.

At least seven states sent bogus certificates to the National Archives.

Democratic lawmakers and other officials previously called for an investigation.

The Justice Department has confirmed that it is investigating post-2020 election efforts to send fake Electoral College certificates to Washington as a way to further President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn the election by declaring him the winner of some key states that he lost.

"We've received those referrals. Our prosecutors are looking at those and I can't say anything more on ongoing investigations," Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco told CNN.

This is the first time the DOJ has commented on requests from lawmakers and other officials to probe the fake certificate effort, CNN reported. Based on public statements at the time, the effort appeared aimed at derailing Congress' work counting and certifying legitimate Electoral College results.

American Oversight, a watchdog group, has said it obtained copies of seven fake certificates that would have declared Trump the winner of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, New Mexico, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Former Trump campaign officials previously told The Washington Post that Rudy Giuliani oversaw the effort to send these certificates.

Like the legitimate certificates, the bogus ones were also sent to the National Archives. The archives act as a middle-man, collecting all the certificates before Congress formally accepts them and then counts the vote. This traditionally perfunctory action was set to occur on January 6, 2021, when the insurrection derailed the counting process for hours before lawmakers returned late that night to finish their job.

If prosecutors find that the false certificates were created with the intent of undermining the election results, those who participated in the effort could be charged with falsifying voting documents, mail fraud, or potentially a conspiracy to defraud the US, The New York Times reported.

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As The Post points out, many of these efforts were previously known and done rather publicly. Republicans in six states sent these certificates to Washington with the hope that a future court challenge would throw out President Joe Biden's respective victories.

Rep. Mark Pocan, a Wisconsin Democrat, and other lawmakers previously called on the Justice Department to investigate the matter.

"Enough people kept bringing it up. If people think they can get away with some scam, they'll try another and another," Pocan told The New York Times last week.

Read the original article on Business Insider
At the Library: Journey to the stars to find humanity with Newbery Medal winner
Yakima police crime-scene technicians look for evidence at the scene of a shooting in the parking lot of the Walmart at 1600 E. Chestnut Ave. Thursday, Jan. 6. 2022. Police say a 31-year-old Toppenish man was shot and wounded, and a suspect is in custody.
Grants announced for Yakima Valley schools

Federal funds awarded through the American Rescue Plan will help 12 Yakima Valley school districts improve their broadband communication systems.

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., announced Friday more than $88 million in grants to schools and libraries across the state. Funding comes via the Federal Communications Commissions Emergency Connectivity Fund, which provides digital tools and services to schools and libraries in communities harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Area school districts receiving awards include:

 Yakima School District, $1,377,460

 Wapato School District, $587,790

 Mabton School District, $471,819

 Prosser School District, $463,514

 Zillah School District, $297,850

 Sunnyside School District, $246,310

 Grandview School District, $230,756

 Granger School District, $168,783

 West Valley School District, $164,020

 Mount Adams School District, $145,780

 Highland School District, $140,400

 East Valley School District, $115,371

Other area entities receiving FCC Emergency Connectivity Funds include Inspire Development Centers of Sunnyside ($339,077), the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District ($251,856) and the Ellensburg School District ($67,439).
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One of the best presidents, Teddy Roosevelt, was the only native of New York City to become president until the worst, Donald Trump, won the high office. Now, the state of New York is helping to bring down this miserable, insipid, democracy-threatening horror of a man who we inflicted on the nation and the world. In devastating legal papers filed last week, New York Attorney General Leticia James reveals that the cheating con man weve known all these long decades cheated and conned in illegally misrepresenting the finances of his real estate firm. Whouda thunk?

At this, Trump was no apprentice, but a master manipulator of appraisals and valuations, faking the numbers up when needed and down when needed, bearing out what the former presidents former hatchet man Michael Cohen told Congress. The true worth of assets was of no consequence as he sought to maximize his gain and minimize whatever he needed to pay.

James presented these findings in Manhattan state Supreme Court to seek to compel Trump and children Don Jr. and Ivanka to submit to sworn testimony in the matter. Justice Arthur Engoron has plenty of evidence to support making the Trumps answer questions. Excellent going by James.

Meanwhile, from a D.C. courtroom, the U.S. Supreme Court rightly rejected Trumps hollow claim of executive privilege regarding White House documents relevant to the attempted Trump putsch on Jan. 6 last. The House select committee probing the attack on the Capitol wants the records and shortly after the court ruled 8-1 against Trump, the National Archives was sending them to the House. Only Clarence Thomas agreed that an ex-executive could keep Congress in the dark.

Trump has never much been one for the rule of law, preferring the law of the jungle. But the law will eventually catch up to him. And its happening now, in New York and in Washington.
Greensboro, NC (27407)

Today

Partly cloudy. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Clear to partly cloudy. Low 59F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.
Hungary and Croatia have mutually benefitted from bilateral cooperation, with trade volume more than doubling since 2010, Peter Szijjarto, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Tuesday.

Trade thrived even during the coronavirus pandemic, with trade volume reaching a record 2.6 billion euros in the first ten months of 2021, the minister said at a panel discussion marking the 30th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.



Hungarian companies such as MOL and OTP see Croatia as an important market, and it plays an important role in the governments foreign investment strategy, he said.



Hungary also supported Croatia when it was bidding to join the European Union, particularly during the last stretch of accession talks under Hungarys 2013 presidency, he noted.



Croatia joined the EU just in the nick of time, before anti-enlargement sentiment grew in certain member states, he said.



The EU has benefitted from Croatias integration, he said. That is a serious argument for pursuing with [enlargement] policy, he added.



Croatia also supported Hungary during its presidency in 2020, demanding fairness even in the face of forceful, hypocritical attacks against the country, he said.





MTI Photo: Zsolt Burger
Finance Minister Mihaly Varga has visited the set of a Hollywood superproduction Slingshot at the Korda Studios on the outskirts of Budapest.

Varga met the crew and lead actors including Oscar-winning actor Casey Affleck and Laurence Fishburn shooting the science fiction thriller in Etyek with director Mikael Hafstrom, the minister said in a video posted on his Facebook page.



Varga said that film productions in Hungary generated revenue of over 200 billion forints (EUR 555m) last year, in spite of the pandemic.



The local film industry employs 20,000 people, he added. Hungary has become one of the most preferred shooting locations in Europe, thanks in large part to the governments tax rebate, in addition to our professionals and modern studios, he said.



Hungary gets a return of as much as triple that rebate in the form of higher economic growth, he added.



Slingshot is being entirely filmed in Hungary at locations in and around Budapest.





Photo courtesy: Mihaly Varga's Facebook page
A representative survey conducted by OTP Mobil at the end of last year found that 34% of licensed respondents choose the highway if they can, and only 12% avoid it when driving, according to profitline.hu.

The survey on traffic culture also found that more than two-thirds of respondents had encountered irregular overtaking, even on the highway, while 20% reported irregular use of the stop lane.



Data from the Central Statistical Office also shows how important it is to comply with the rules.



In the first three quarters of 2021, motorway accidents increased significantly by 27%.
The residence hall designated by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as quarantine quarters for students who tested positive for COVID was filling up fast before the spring semester wrapped up its first week.

Matthew Gillespie found his assigned room on the eighth floor of Sandoz Hall already occupied on Friday morning, after the test the Omaha student had taken a day earlier came back positive.

"He got to the room a couple hours before I did," Gillespie, an economics and political science major with sophomore standing, said in a phone interview. "Everyone I've talked to has said they have a roommate."

Sandoz Hall, which opened as a women's dormitory more than a half century ago, was closed this year as construction on a nearby College of Engineering building got underway.

It was expected to remain offline until 2023, but over winter break, in anticipation that the need for quarantine and isolation rooms would exceed the beds available in another residence hall, UNL reopened eight floors of Sandoz to create additional capacity.

On Monday, a total of 210 students at UNL were in quarantine in Sandoz Hall and Piper Hall, the university said.

The quarantine numbers come as a reported 2,011 students, faculty and staff -- roughly 11.4% of the 17,710 saliva samples submitted -- tested positive for COVID between Jan. 14-20, the final week of mandatory reentry testing on campus.

"It's about what we were expecting given everything we had seen about omicron," said Deb Fiddelke, UNL's chief communications officer.

The highly contagious variant has driven record numbers of cases across the United States, including in the Capital City, according to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, prompting the return of a citywide mask mandate earlier this month.

UNL also imposed its own mask mandate ahead of the spring semester.

This week, students who live in congregate living spaces such as residence halls or fraternity or sorority houses, will be required to test once more in an effort to detect any lingering COVID clusters on campus.

But aside from that, UNL will move ahead with the spring semester as planned, Fiddelke said, including in-person classes.

UNL Faculty Senate President Steve Kolbe said the number of students missing class due to COVID varies across campus, often correlating with students' living arrangements.

The associate professor of virtual production in the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film said he has had minimal disruptions in his classes so far, but has heard some classes have had as many as 25% of students out sick.

"Everyone kind of knows the deal," he said. "Students know the deal. We encourage them not to come to class if they don't feel well, just like I won't come to class if I don't feel well.

"We're trying to be as lenient as we can be," Kolbe added.

The spike in cases at the state's largest university campus has raised concerns among some students, however, who say it has become nearly impossible to avoid coming into contact with someone carrying the virus.

Ken Bartling, a freshmen political science major from Grand Island, said he was notified about six potential exposures since returning to Lincoln on Jan. 10, including the day after he moved back to campus.

In a letter to Chancellor Ronnie Green and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Laurie Bellows, Bartling said UNL's requirement that students submit to COVID testing by the end of the first week of the spring semester rather than before they could attend class was "inadequate and insufficient to ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff on campus."

Bartling asked UNL to consider postponing the start of in-person classes for two weeks, provide students with N95 masks, to require more frequent testing of students, or require instructors to provide virtual learning options for students leery of gathering in groups.

"I know quite a few people who have told me they feel unsafe even going to class," Bartling told the Journal Star in a phone interview.

Bellows, responding on behalf of UNL's administration, told Bartling they were "confident that the protocols we've put in place will help ensure the safety of our campus community."

UNL said it was also reluctant to return to online-only learning, which it said "resulted in higher levels of stress for most students and, for some, an increase in mental health concerns."

Bartling said he was "glad to hear (UNL is) concerned about students' mental health," but said he believed a temporary return to virtual learning would have been a better approach to start the spring semester.

"Safety and well-being should be the first priority," he said.

Fiddelke said the rapid, saliva-based testing allows UNL to notify students early whether they have COVID, and to provide them options for isolating or quarantining themselves.

Students who live on campus are given the option of moving into Sandoz Hall or Piper Hall temporarily. Under the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, students are asked to quarantine in the dorm for five days.

After the five days are up, students return to in-person classes and other campus buildings if they follow proper masking and social distancing rules, Fiddelke said.

Those with roommates are asked to continue sleeping in the quarantine room for an additional five nights until they are cleared to move back into their own residence hall, according to UNL's protocols.

Gillespie, who was fully vaccinated and received a booster shot on Dec. 23, said students have been moving out of Sandoz after finishing their quarantine requirements just in time for others to move in at a steady clip.

"It's not super-crazy, but it's been a pretty busy place," he said.

UNL provides box lunches and dinners for the students in the Sandoz lobby -- Gillespie said "the food situation could definitely be a lot better" -- and a store in the residence hall offers other goodies such as cereal, mac and cheese and microwaveable pizza rolls.

In between classes, or late into the night, quarantined Huskers pass the time walking around the residence hall and socializing, Gillespie said. Many, including himself, appear to be asymptomatic.

"Not too many people are super-stressed or anxious or anything," he said. "But it's quarantine, so there's not much to do."

Reach the writer at 402-473-7120 or cdunker@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisDunkerLJS
Taking note of the recent event of a farmer's insult, Mahindra Group's chairman Anand Mahindra reacted to the situation through his Twitter account. He made his stand clear on the farmer's insult who came to buy a Bolero pick-up vehicle. A farmer at a Mahindra showroom in Tumakuru district in Karnataka underlined that upholding the dignity of an individual is the core value of the company.

The field officer reportedly told the farmer, Kempe Gowda, that he didnt have even Rs 10. Gowda then arranged Rs 10 lakh in just 30 minutes and slammed the showroom staffers for the differential treatment meted out to him for his appearance.

Anand Mahindra tweeted on Tuesday, "The Core Purpose of MahindraRise is to enable our communities & all stakeholders to rise. And a key Core Value is to uphold the Dignity of the Individual. Any aberration from this philosophy will be addressed with great urgency," quoting a tweet by Mahindra and Mahindra CEO Veejay Nakra.

Read also: New Maruti Suzuki Swift hatchback to get a complete redesign, digital rendering suggests

Gowda, a farmer from Ramanapalya near Hebburn town, taught the employees of the Mahindra showroom a lesson that they should not judge a person by his clothes.

The Core Purpose of @MahindraRise is to enable our communities & all stakeholders to Rise.And a key Core Value is to uphold the Dignity of the Individual. Any aberration from this philosophy will be addressed with great urgency. https://t.co/m3jeCNlV3w  anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 25, 2022

Gowda was insulted by staff when he went to the showroom to purchase a pick-up vehicle. After being humiliated, he arranged Rs 10 lakh in 30 minutes and demanded delivery on the same day.

The showroom staff have apologised for their conduct at a local police station. People from all over the state have appreciated Gowda's quick action and zeal, and his photos and videos of the incident have gone viral on social media.

"I came to make a purchase of a Bolero pick-up vehicle. I had gone to the showroom along with my seven friends and uncle. But the company field officer mocked and chided me that I didnt even have Rs 10 with me and how could I have the capacity to purchase the vehicle. The officer also said that no one comes to purchase a car in such a group," Gowda said.

"My uncle then asked him if we bring the money, will he be able to deliver the vehicle. The field officer challenged that if we managed the money, he would deliver the vehicle immediately and told us to bring the money within half an hour," he said.

"I arranged Rs 10 lakh in 30 minutes and placed it in front of the field officer. I had approached the police about the insult caused by the showroom employees. I am an educated man. I have studied till Class 10. What will these people do to farmers from villages," he questioned.

The matter was resolved after the intervention of the police. After Gowda arranged the money and demanded immediate delivery of the vehicle, the showroom staff sought three days for the same.

With inputs from IANS

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Maruti Suzuki Swifts have been popular in many markets. In addition to having a stylish exterior, the compact hatchback has nimble handling characteristics and an affordable price range, making it a popular choice for nearly two decades. In the coming months, the fourth-generation Suzuki Swift will be available for purchase in Japan.

Suzuki Swift 2022 is reportedly set to debut in Japan by the middle of this year. New-gen five-seaters will include a variety of design changes, including an innovative rear door opener, as well as smooth C-pillars. Additionally, it will include an enhanced version of Heartect's lightweight architecture.

Using DualJet and BoosterJet technologies, 1.2-litre petrol engines and 1.4-litre petrol engines will have higher power and torque ratings while fuel efficiency will be improved as well. Initially, the new-generation Swift will be sold in Japan before being offered internationally.

Read also: Mahindra salesman insults farmer, he raises Rs 10 lakh in 1 hour to buy Bolero

We can expect the all-new Swift to arrive on Indian shores sometime in 2023 since the Swift is one of Maruti Suzuki's best-selling models in our Country. Based on the digital rendering, both the Swift and Swift Sport will feature significant design upgrades which include a redesigned grille section, sleeker headlamps, new wheels, changes to body panels, etc.

As it looks to strengthen its portfolio, Suzuki is also working on the launch of a face-lifted Baleno, a new generation of the Brezza, an all-new Alto and a midsize SUV this year in India.

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Akasa Air aims to take to the skies in late May or early June as it gets its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in April. Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed carrier looks forward to having 18 planes in its fleet by the end of March 2023.

Despite Covid-19 clouds continuing to cast a shadow on the airlines, Akasa Air CEO Vinay Dube is more than optimistic. He said, "if you look at the long-term future of commercial aviation in India, it is as exciting as anywhere in the world." Interacting with sources over a video call, Dube said the Indian aviation pie is growing and the idea of Akasa Air is to look through what we are currently facing. "This is temporary. This too shall pass".

The civil aviation space, especially the airlines, has been significantly impacted by the pandemic, and the emergence of the Omicron variant has dealt another blow to the recovery path of the sector. Akasa Air, which will take off as a low-cost carrier, has placed an order for 72 Boeing 737 MAX planes, which are fuel-efficient. To begin with, Akasa Air will have services from metros to Tier II and III cities. There will also be flights from metros to metros so that the aircraft is moved around the system, Dube noted.

Read also: Malaysias newest airline SKS Airways takes its first maiden flight

Being professionally managed, competitive cost structure, customer satisfaction, employees being happy and the airline being financially healthy will be among the key elements for Akasa Air. "We hope to get our first aircraft in the second half of April, the first commercial flight in late May or early June... We are working with the government, DGCA to go through all of the requirements that are there," Dube said.

Dube, who is also the Founder and Managing Director, said the airline has started hiring people, setting up technology, creating processes and procedures, defining things related to customer value and propositions, and planning route networks with airports. Currently, the carrier has more than 50 staff. "Part of the reason we are bullish about aviation is that few people have historically flown in India compared to most Western economies. All of that is going to change in the coming years and we want to be part of that change. We want to enable that change and continue to democratize air travel," Dube said.

As per officials, international services are very much part of Akasa Air's plans. Dube said the airline targets to start overseas flights in the second half of the calendar year 2023 once there are 20 planes in its fleet. Under Indian regulations, a domestic airline should have at least 20 aircraft in its fleet before it can commence international flights.

Read also: Tesla officially enters the Turkish market, India launch still far

"Boeing 737 MAX gives us good range. We can fly to SouthEast Asia, SAARC countries, the Middle East... That is our intention," he said. Last year, Akasa Air, a brand of SNV Aviation, placed an order for 737 MAX planes with Boeing. The order was valued at nearly USD 9 billion at list prices and includes 737-8 and high-capacity 737-8-200 aircraft. On what will be the selling proposition for the airline, he said, "you got to be dependable" and in his words, the role of technology and analytics will be massive.

"Whether it is fuel, leasing, people, airports, maintenance, for all of them, technology, data, analytics can move the needle 1-2 percent to 5-10 percent for each of these cost elements. For us, that is very very important. It is going to be massive," he said. Further, he noted that data and analytics are not just linked to cost structure but are also extremely important even for customer service offerings, commercial aspects, revenue generation aspects. "We are going to make sure queue times are low and have a good sort of customer experience... Reliability, warmth, and affordability from the customers' perspective," he emphasized.

With inputs from PTI

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The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) refuses to lift the ban on flights from Pakistan, once again. The EASA issued a letter wherein it stated that "it would conduct its own evaluation before allowing resumption of flights from Pakistan."

"The closure of this significant safety concern was an important step towards a potential lifting of the suspension of your third country operator authorization," the EASA stated in a letter to Pakistan International Airlines Chief Executive Officer Arshad Malik. However, the letter notes that "EASA shall conduct an audit of the operator before lifting the suspension.

Since deficiencies in state oversight were a contributor to the suspension decision, such (an) audit will have to include an assessment to verify if these deficiencies have been properly addressed and corrected."Pakistani carriers had been restricted from flying to EU states in July 2020 when the EASA suspended Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) authorization to operate flights to EU member states, as per sources.

Read also: Republic Day 2022: A look at mighty helicopter fleet of Indian Air Force - Apache, Mi-17 and more

In December last year, an ICAO audit team that had visited Pakistan to undertake a safety audit of the aviation authority completed the process on December 10, sources further said. The Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan in a press conference held on January 6, claimed that Pakistan was writing to EASA  as well as other international aviation bodies  to convey that the safety concerns raised by ICAO had been addressed. He had hoped that flights to important destinations in Europe could commence as early as February.

With inputs from ANI

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As a part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating 75 years of Indias independence, citizens will witness the "grandest flypast ever" at the Republic Day 2022. 75 aircrafts including the five Rafales will fly over Rajpath as part of the grand ceremony. While the IAF comprises some of the best cargo planes and helicopters, the focus, as usual, will be on the fighter jets.

The Indian Air Force is one of the mightiest in the world thanks to latest-gen aircrafts like Rafale, made by French Dassault Aviation to the trustable workhorse Sukhoi Su-30MKI. Also, Indias very own homemade HAL Tejas LCA is also garnering a lot of limelight globally. So as India celebrates its 73rd Republic Day, we look at all the active fighter jets used by the Indian Air Force.

Dassault Rafale

Dassault Rafale is one of the worlds most advanced fighter jet made by the French aviation giant. IAFs firepower increased multifold after induction of the multi-role combat aircraft, 36 of which will be part of Indias winged armed force. The first squadron of the aircraft is deployed at the Ambala Air Force Station, considered one of the most strategically located bases of the IAF. The Dassault Rafale is based on the delta wing architecture that helps it achieve G-forces as high as 11G. India has placed an order for both single and dual seating cabin Rafales and the aircraft is capable of carrying a most advanced weapons with latest-gen avionics and mechanicals.

HAL Tejas LCA

One of the proudest moments for make-in-India campaign is the induction of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited made Tejas LCA (Light Combat Aircraft). India has long been borrowing its fighter jets from countries like Russia, France and Britain and the Tejas was conceptualized to replace the ageing Soviet sourced MiG-21. IAF has placed an order of 40 Tejas Mk 1, including 32 single-seat aircraft and eight twin-seat trainers. IAF has also initiated procurement of a further 73 single-seat fighters in Mk 1A configuration. The Tejas is also made on Delta-winged structure is among the most advanced jets of India.

Sukhoi Su-30MKI

Before Rafale entered service in the IAF, the Sukhoi Su-30MKI used to be the most advanced fighter jets in India. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI is made by HAL under license agreement with Russias Sukhoi and is fondly called Flanker. Used exclusively by the Indian Air Force, theres an estimated close to 300 units of 30MKI, the first unit being inducted in 2002. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI can carry a wide range of equipment and armaments and has a top speed of Mach 2 (2120 kmph).

Mikoyan MiG-21

The infamous MiG-21 Bison is the first supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history and also the most sold fighter jets in the world. While its more than 60 years old, the MiG-21 is still in service in India and has been updated to match generation 3 fighter jets. Remember the episode of Abhinandan Varthaman whose jet crashed in the enemy territory? Well, he was flying a MiG-21 Bison. The jets are currently being used only as Interceptors with a limited role as fighter jets.

Mirage-2000

Back in 2019, a daring attempt was made by the Indian Air Force to enter the POK and destroy terrorist outfits, better known today as the Balakot Strikes. IAF deployed its Mirage-2000 fighter jets for the operation, again made by Dassault Aviation. Not just 2019, the Mirage-2000, called Vajra (meaning lightning thunderbolt in Sanskrit) by IAF has also played a decisive role in the 1999 war of Kargil. India placed an order of 50 jets as an answer to Pakistan buying the US-made F-16 fighter jets by Lockheed Martin.

Mikoyan MiG-27

India, in the past, has relied heavily on Soviet-made fighter jets, which includes the MiG series made by HAL under license agreement. The MiG-27 is designed by Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau and is known as Bahadur (meaning Valiant in English) in India. While the IAF retired the last MiG-27 ML squadron in 2017, they still operate the updated MiG-27 UPG ground attack aircraft mostly used for training exercise purposes.

Mikoyan MiG-29

Last on our list is again a Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau made fighter called MiG-29 and is known as Baaz (Hawk). India is one of the largest importer of the MiG-29 and uses it for both the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, operating them INS aircraft carriers. The IAF currently uses the upgraded MiG-29 UPG and was extensively used during the Kargil War to provide escort for Mirage-2000 attacking targets with laser-guided bombs.

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New Delhi: India's annual Budget will go green this year too, cutting down on the vast printing of documents that was associated with the presentation of tax proposals and financial statement of Asia's third largest economy.

The Budget documents will be available mostly digitally, with only a handful of physical copies, officials said.

The printing of several hundred copies of the voluminous Budget documents was such an elaborate exercise that printing staff had to be quarantined inside the printing press in the basement of North Block -- the seat of the finance ministry -- for at least a couple of weeks.

This quarantine and the beginning of the printing would begin with a traditional 'Halwa ceremony' attended by finance minister, deputy finance ministers and senior officials in the ministry.

Since coming to power, the Modi government has curtailed printing of the Budget copies -- initially cutting copies distributed to journalists and outside analysts and then reducing those provided to Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs citing outbreak of the pandemic.

This year, the outbreak of the highly infectious Omicron variant has brought more curbs.

As a result, the symbolic halwa ceremony is being given a go-by, sources said, citing the prevailing pandemic.

However, a small group of staffers will undergo mandatory quarantine for the compilation of the digital Budget documents.

The Budget documents usually include the finance minister's speech in Parliament, highlights, annual financial statement, finance bill containing tax proposals, memorandum explaining the provisions in financial bill, and macroeconomic framework statement.

They also include the medium-term fiscal policy cum fiscal policy strategy statement, outcome framework for schemes, customs notification, implementation of previous Budget announcements, receipt budget, expenditure budget and statement of budget estimates.

The documents are so bulky that a cotton bag used to be provided with each set to carry them.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who in her maiden Budget presentation in 2019 shunned the long-standing practice of carrying the speech and Budget document in a briefcase in favour of a 'bahi-khata' holding the papers, used a handheld tablet to read her speech on the last occasion on February 1, 2021. She came to Parliament carrying the gadget inside the red-coloured 'bahi-khata' cloth.

She will present her fourth Budget on February 1, 2022.

The 'halwa ceremony' was usually held 10 days prior to the Union Budget.

Last year, it was the first time since the presentation of independent India's first Budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing income and expenditure statement of the Union government along with the finance bill, detailing new taxes and other measures for the new financial year, were not physically printed.

Also, for convenience, the finance ministry had in 2021 launched the 'Union Budget Mobile App' for hassle-free access of Budget documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the general public.

As part of the ritual, 'halwa' was prepared in a big 'kadhai' (large frying pot) and served to the entire staff involved in the Budget making the exercise of the ministry.

The significance of the event is that after the sweet dish is served, a large number of officials and support staff who are directly associated with the Budget making are required to stay in the ministry and remain cut off from their families till the presentation of the Budget in the Lok Sabha.

They are not even allowed to contact their near and dear ones through phone or any other form of communication, including e-mail.

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Among Tesla's worldwide deliveries last year, 936,000 vehicles were delivered, an increase of 87 percent from its 2020 results. The brand's biggest markets in the world remain the United States and China, though a new high-population country will contribute to the brand's sales in 2022. Tesla announced its entry into the Turkish car market by appointing Kemal Gecer as its general manager.

The company is developing a supercharger network across most of the Balkans, including locations in Bulgaria, Serbia, Romania, and other countries from the region. As of now, no details are available regarding Tesla's sales targets in Turkey.

Turkey sold nearly 4,000 electric cars in 2021. In 2020, this index stood at only 1,600 cars. The number of electric vehicles registered for public use in the country is currently estimated at 7,000 - 8,000. EV demand is expected to grow even further in Turkey after Tesla's official launch.

Read also: Maruti Suzuki working with at Toyota on a small electric SUV codenamed YY8  Report

There were only combustion-powered vehicles among the top three best-sellers in Turkey in 2021. Fiat Egea took the top spot, followed by Toyota Corolla and Renault Clio.

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New Delhi: The Indian government is likely to hand over Air India to the Tata Group on Thursday, nearly 69 years after it was taken from the conglomerate, officials said on Wednesday (January 27).

After a competitive bidding process, the government had on October 8 last year sold Air India to Talace Private Limited - a subsidiary of the Tata Group's holding company - for Rs 18,000 crore.

Meanwhile, two airline pilot unions - Indian Pilots' Guild (IPG) and Indian Commercial Pilots' Association (ICPA) - on Monday warned Air India's CMD Vikram Dev Dutt of legal action as "multiple deductions and recoveries have been projected" on the dues owed to pilots.

"This recovery exercise is entirely illegal, and we demand that this anomaly is rectified and the amount due is repaid with immediate effect," the letter sent by the two unions said.

Additionally, two other unions have opposed the carrier's January 20 order to check grooming and measure the body mass index (BMI) of cabin crew members at the airports just before their flights.

These unions - Air India Employees' Union (AIEU) and All India Cabin Crew Association (AICCA) - on Monday wrote to Dutt opposing the order on the grounds that it is dehumanising and in violation of rules prescribed by aviation regulator DGCA.

"BMI is a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in metres. A high BMI can indicate high body fatness," stated the website of US' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Three days after Air India's sale was announced on October 8 last year, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was issued to the Tata Group confirming the government's willingness to sell its 100 percent stake in the airline. On October 25, the Centre signed the share purchase agreement (SPA) for this deal.

Officials said on Wednesday that the airline will most likely be handed over to the conglomerate on Thursday as all the formalities are close to completion.

As a part of the deal, the Tata group will also be handed over Air India Express and a 50 percent stake in ground handling arm Air India SATS.

Tatas had on October 8 beat the Rs 15,100-crore offer by a consortium led by SpiceJet promoter Ajay Singh and the reserve price of Rs 12,906 crore set by the government for the sale of its 100 percent stake in the loss-making carrier.

While this will be the Centre's first privatisation since 2003-04, Air India will be the third airline brand in the Tatas' stable as it holds a majority interest in AirAsia India and Vistara, a joint venture with Singapore Airlines Ltd.

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NEW DELHI: Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana on Wednesday launched an e-FIR app where people will be able to instantly lodge complaints about incidents like 'house theft' and 'burglary', police said. Asthana said lodging of FIRs online for property theft will help police to quickly solve such cases.

"Immediate online lodging of the FIR for the property stolen in Delhi through web facilities investigation officers to complete investigation and documentation as well as timely disposal of cases to reduce pendency at police stations and courts," he said.

E-FIR application for registration of "theft cases'' is a milestone in a series of web applications developed by the Delhi Police to enable complainants to register FIRs and receive a copy of the same instantly without physically going to a police station, police said.

"These transformations -- hassle-free registration and speedy investigation and systematic documentation -- have made the life of citizens simpler," Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Devesh Chandra Srivastva said.

Listing out the features of the app, police said through it complaints can be lodged anywhere at any time without actually going to a police station.

After the registering of a complaint, an FIR will be lodged at an e-police station established under Crime Branch and has jurisdiction all over Delhi, they said.

It will also lead to instant dispatch of a copy of digitally signed FIR to the email-id of the complainant, area SHO, senior officers, designated court, police said. "It (app) has the facility of guiding investigating officers to complete investigation and documentation along with management Information system (MIS) for analysis and take preventive measures," Srivastva said.

According to the senior police officer, this application developed for lodging FIRs in theft cases shall be hosted at a technically suitable place for its smooth functioning while the web application URL shall have a link with the official website of Delhi Police www.Delhipolice.Nic.In. The application can be found under the Citizen Services section of the website.

"First-time users for app shall have to register by providing a mobile phone number and an email id. A One-Time-Password (OTP) shall be received by the user on mobile and web through SMS and email respectively," he said.

Investigating officer (IO) concerned will also have a user-id with password (OTP) to log in to the module carrying folder(s) of FIR(s). Assigned IO will also get a system-generated OTP for accessing each FIR folder every time, Srivastav said.

"This way the assigned IO can contact the complainant within 24 hours. Obtain signatures on the printout copy of FIR. He can also visit the crime scene and if required call DMCT or other forensic help.

"Inform SHO and other senior officers. Conduct enquiry, prepare a site plan, record statement of complainant and witness. Collect available evidence and make efforts to identify the culprit and trace the stolen property," the senior officer added.

Police said the IOs will have to update the complainant about the progress in the case from time to time.

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New Delhi: Amid demands of lifting weekend curfew and easing Covid-19 curbs, the national capital's apex coronavirus management body Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) will meet on Thursday (January 27, 2022) to review the pandemic situation in the city.

The meeting will be chaired by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and is scheduled to begin around 12:30 pm. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is also likely to attend the meeting that will discuss relaxations that may be allowed in view of improvement in the Covid-19 situation in the city.

According to a few reports, the government is also likely to take a call on the reopening of schools from February depending on the vaccination status of students by January-end.

Earlier on Friday, the Kejriwal-led Delhi government had proposed lifting the weekend curfew and ending the odd-even scheme for opening shops in view of the pandemic situation but Baijal had suggested maintaining the status quo on the restrictions till the situation improved further.

The decision to impose a weekend curfew was taken by the DDMA on January 1 due to a spike in Covid-19 cases in the capital. The DDMA had also imposed other restrictions including the closure of all private offices dealing with non-essential services.

Traders in many parts of the city have also been protesting against the restrictions and demanded the curbs be lifted, including those imposed on shops selling non-essential items being permitted to open on alternate days based on the odd-even system.

This is noteworthy that the weekend curfew is implemented from 10 pm on Friday till 5 am on Monday. A night curfew during weekdays is also in place between 10 pm and 5 am.

Covid-19 cases decline in Delhi

The number of fresh Covid-19 infections, however, have come down in the past few days. Delhi on Tuesday reported 6,028 new cases and 31 deaths, while the positivity rate dropped to 10.55 per cent, according to data shared by the health department. The health bulletin showed 9,127 patients were discharged in a day and less than 15 per cent of the Covid beds in hospitals were occupied.

Delhi Health Bulletin - 25th January 2022 #delhiFightsCorona pic.twitter.com/VwxNpZFMPT  CMO Delhi (@CMODelhi) January 25, 2022

On Monday, the capital had logged 5,760 new Covid cases with a positivity rate of 11.79 per cent and 30 deaths. The number of daily cases in Delhi has been declining after touching the record high of 28,867 on January 13. The capital had recorded a positivity rate of 30.6 per cent on January 15, the highest so far in the ongoing wave of the pandemic.

(With agency inputs)

Live TV
NEW DELHI: Global search engine Google is celebrating Indias 73rd Republic Day on Wednesday (January 26, 2022) with a special doodle showcasing components from the iconic Republic Day Parade at the Rajpath.

The Google doodle commemorates the day, 73 years in the past, when the Indian Structure got here into impact, with which India turned an impartial republic. Indias Structure was adopted on November 26, 1949, and formally enacted on January 26, 1950.

The special Google doodle displays components from the parade - from left to proper, parade animals: an elephant, a horse, a canine, a camel; a pink tabla; the parade path; a saxophone as a part of the long-lasting camel-mounted band; doves; and the tricolours of the nationwide flag.

The Republic Day celebrations which began on January 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, will last for a week. The celebrations will conclude on January 30- Martyrs' Day.

Republic Day Parade 2022 at the majestic Rajpath will showcase India`s military might and cultural diversity and many unique initiatives have been included to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`.

This year, the Republic Day Parade will have 21 tableaus, 12 of which belong to different states and Union Territories, and 9 will be from various ministries.

"Several firsts planned during the main parade include the launch of `Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman` programme by National Cadet Corps, a grand flypast by 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force, cultural performances by 480 dancers, display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the `Kala Kumbh` event," said the Defence Ministry in an official statement.

According to the Ministry, a drone show by 1,000 indigenously developed drones has also been planned for the `Beating the Retreat` ceremony, along with projection mapping. As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.

The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

A total of six marching contingents of the Indian Army will be present in the parade including the Rajput Regiment, the Assam Regiment, the Jammu & Kashmir Light Regiment, the Sikh Light Regiment, the Army Ordnance Corps and the Parachute Regiment.

The combined Band of the Madras Regimental Centre, the Kumoun Regimental Centre, Maratha Light Regimental Centre, Jammu & Kashmir Light Regimental Centre, Army Medical Corps Centre and School, 14 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Supply Corps Centre and College, Bihar Regimental Centre and Army Ordnance Corps Centre will also march past the saluting dais.

Live TV
Kyiv: Amid the ongoing military buildup at the Russian-Ukrainian border, the Indian embassy in Kyiv has asked its citizens residing in Ukraine to register themselves in a bid to disseminate information in a swift manner.

The embassy said it is closely monitoring the situation and asked Indian citizens to continuously follow its website for updates.

"With an intent to coordinate with Indian citizens effectively, and disseminate information in a swift manner, Embassy of India, Kyiv requests all Indian citizens, including students presently located in the territory of Ukraine, to fill up the below form. Those students presently pursuing online education from India are directed NOT to fill-up the form," the Indian embassy said in a release.

"Embassy of India in Kyiv is closely monitoring the situation. It is advised to continue to follow the Embassy website, Facebook and Twitter pages for further updates, which would be published as and when required," it added.

Tensions over Ukraine have increased in recent months, with Russia and NATO accusing each other of amassing troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The United States and Ukraine accuse Russia of preparing to invade. Meanwhile, Moscow denies the claims and maintains that it has no intention of attacking any country.

White House spokesperson said on Tuesday said the US would welcome any country`s attempt to play a role in de-escalation of mounting tensions between Russia and Ukraine, including India.

"We certainly welcome any efforts to de-escalate and we are in touch with a range of allies and partners on this, but I don`t have any specific conversations to read out that relate to Indian officials," White House spokesperson Jen Psaki a press briefing.

Live TV
New Delhi: Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will be on a visit to India on Monday, his first to the country since taking over last year. The top Iranian diplomat arrived in Delhi late on Sunday and will hold talks with his counterpart India's external affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Monday. The minister then leaves for Sri Lanka on Tuesday. While he took over as the new Iran FM last year, he had held number of conversations with his Indian counterpart Dr S Jaishankar number of times. Both the ministers spoke on 8th of this month on number of issues, including Afghanistan. The Iranian side offered to transfer India's humanitarian aid to Afghanistan including wheat, medicine to the country.

Connectivity, with focus on Chabahar port, trade, Afghanistan remains a top focus during the talks in Delhi. India is developing the 1st Phase of Shahid Beheshti Port at Chabahar. After operations began at the Chabahar port in December 2018, the port has handled more than 8200 TEUs and 1.28 million tonnes of bulk cargo. Meanwhile, on Afghanistan, since Taliban takeover, both Delhi and Tehran have been in regular contact with each other. Iran's Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani had visited India in November to take part in the Delhi regional security dialogue on Afghanistan.

Amid the Covid crisis, regular exchanges have happening with New Delhi sending out supplies of covaxin covid vaccine to the country. Visit comes even as talks have been happening in Vienna to restore the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal. Ahead of the visit, Iran FM extended his greetings on India's Republic day. He said, "Will continue to work towards further expansion of all-out relations, bilaterally, regionally and at international fora."

The Iranian foreign minister's visit to Colombo comes a month after both sides concluded a pact under which Sri Lanka pay off oil import bill with tea. The tea for oil deal as its being called will see Sri Lanka settling $251m oil import dues by sending $5 million worth tea to Iran pending since last 4 years. The pact save Sri Lanka foreign currency even as economic worries mount for the country. The visit to India and Sri Lanka comes days after the Iranian FM visited Russia and China to hold talks with his counterparts. The implementation of the Iran and China 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement was announced during the visit of FM Hossein to the country.

Live TV
New Delhi: Wife of slain Jammu and Kashmir police officer Babu Ram was awarded India's highest peacetime gallantry award Ashok Chakra on 73rd Republic Day.

Assistant Sub Inspector Babu Ram was part of an anti-terrorist operation that took place in Srinagar on August 29, 2020.

On that day, three terrorists fired upon the joint force of police and the CRPF at Srinagar and fled the spot to take shelter in a place nearby.

Babu Ram, Assistant Sub-Inspector in @JmuKmrPolice has been conferred with Ashok Chakra posthumously for "displaying valor & exemplary raw courage" during an anti-terror op in Srinagar. His wife Rina Rani & son Manik receive the award from President Ram Nath Kovind. pic.twitter.com/FkhmXeTgJP  PIB India (@PIB_India) January 26, 2022

Immediately, a cordon and search operation was launched by police and security forces that zeroed in and encircled a residential house where the terrorists were taking shelter. An operational plan was devised wherein Ram was tasked to lay the inner cordon of the target house.

Ram tactfully and successfully led the evacuation of inmates in the adjoining house. The three holed up terrorists were asked to surrender, which they declined and in order to break the cordon, the hidden terrorists opened fire on the operation parties.

Amid heavy firing, Ram along with his fellow constable entered the house to eliminate the terrorists where they were fired upon by the terrorists who were hiding in a corner of the room.

Ram, showing tremendous presence of mind and quick reflexes not just shielded his colleague and faced the bullets, but also retaliated the fire and killed all three terrorists before making the supreme sacrifice.

Live TV
New Delhi: India on Wednesday (January 26, 2022) hit back at Pakistan and said that the country has an 'established' history of aiding and actively supporting terrorists.

While responding to Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations in New York Ambassador Munir Akram, who alleged that India has funded and supported UNSC listed terrorist entities to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks against the Pakistani military, New Delhi said that Islamabad holds the 'ignoble record' of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council.

"This is not the first time the representative of Pakistan has misused platforms provided by the UN to propagate false and malicious propaganda against my country, and seeking in vain to divert the worlds attention from the sad state of his country where terrorists enjoy free pass while the lives of ordinary people, especially those belonging to the minority communities, are turned upside down," R Madhusudan, Counsellor at Permanent Mission of India to the UN, said.

"Member States are aware that Pakistan has an established history and policy of harbouring, aiding and actively supporting terrorists. This is a country which has been globally recognized as one openly supporting, training, financing and arming terrorists as a matter of State policy," he added.

Watch: Mr. @Msudan, Counsellor makes further statement at the #UNSC Open debate on 'Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: #WarInCities - Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings' @MeaIndia pic.twitter.com/QBn36jFhzW  India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) January 25, 2022

"It holds the ignoble record of hosting the largest number of terrorists proscribed by the UN Security Council. So much so that most terrorist attacks around the world have their origin, in some form or the other, to Pakistan," Madhusudan stated.

Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi have been called out for supporting terrorists

He also attacked Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and said that they have been called out for being supporters of terrorists, including Osama Bin Laden, but they continue to carry on down the same path undeterred.

ALSO READ | I will let that pass: Pak FM SM Qureshi hesitates to term Osama bin Laden a terrorist

ALSO READ | Pak PM Imran Khan rakes controversy, calls terrorist Osama bin Laden 'martyr'

"We are discussing protection of civilians today. The biggest threat to civilians today come from terrorists. As we mentioned earlier, the perpetrators of the heinous terror attack in Mumbai in 2008 continue to enjoy patronage of the state which Munir Akram represents," Madhusudan added.

Entire Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh will always be integral part of India

He also reiterated India's position that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh 'were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India', irrespective of what the representative of Pakistan believes or covets.

"This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation," he said.

Madhusudan stated that India desires normal neighbourly relations with all countries, including Pakistan, and is committed to addressing outstanding issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore declaration.

"However, any meaningful dialogue can be held only in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere. Till then, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorism," he said.

Earlier, Pakistan's Munir Akram had said that India has funded and supported UNSC listed terrorist entities to carry out cross-border terrorist attacks against the Pakistani military and civilian targets, including on Karachi Stock Exchange in 2020, Lahore in 2021 and the killing of Chinese Pakistani engineers in Dasu in 2021.

He had also called upon the UNSC to take cognizance of the 'compelling evidence' - 3,432 cases of war crimes perpetrated by senior officers of the Indian occupying forces since 1989 and to hold accountable those responsible for such crimes and grave breaches of International humanitarian law IHL.

"We call on the SC to take cognizance of the compelling evidence [3432 cases of war crimes perpetrated by senior officers of the Indian occupying forces since 1989.]

& to hold accountable those responsible for such crimes & grave breaches of #IHL".

Amb Munir Akram @UN SC debate pic.twitter.com/ys6plRqCmC  Permanent Mission of Pakistan to UN, NY (@PakistanUN_NY) January 25, 2022

India and Pakistan were speaking at the UNSC Open Debate on 'Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict: War In Cities - Protection of Civilians in Urban Settings'.

Live TV
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday extended his greetings to the citizens of the country on the occasion of the 73rd Republic Day. "Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind!," PM Modi tweeted. The Republic Day Parade ceremony will formally commence with Prime Minister Modi visiting the National War Memorial in Delhi.

         ! Wishing you all a happy Republic Day. Jai Hind! #RepublicDay  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 26, 2022

The Prime Minister also congratulated the winners of Padma awards announced by the government on the eve of the Republic Day.

Congratulations to all those who have been conferred the Padma awards. The entire nation cherishes their accomplishments and we are all proud of their contributions to society. https://t.co/ZWp1oyLbUB  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 25, 2022

The grand Republic Day Parade 2022 at the majestic Rajpath will showcase India`s military might and cultural diversity and many unique initiatives have been included to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`.

A total of 21 tableaux, 12 of various states and Union Territories, nine from various ministries will be showcased at the Republic Day parade this year. Apart from cultural performances by more than 480 dancers from across the country, the parade will also feature a grand 75 aircraft flypast by the Indian Air Force.

An unprecedented security cover has been put in place in the national capital ahead of the Republic Day parade, which is scheduled to start half an hour later than usual this year.

Live TV
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be hosting the first meeting of the India-Central Asia Summit on Thursday (January 27, 2022). It will see the participation of the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in a virtual format.

This will be the first engagement of its kind between India and the Central Asian countries at the level of leaders.

During the Summit, the leaders are expected to discuss steps to take forward India-Central Asia relations to newer heights. They are also expected to exchange views on regional and international issues of interest, especially the evolving regional security situation.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the first India-Central Asia Summit is a reflection of India's growing engagement with the Central Asian countries, which are a part of the country's 'Extended Neighbourhood'.

"The Summit is symbolic of the importance attached by the Leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

It is noteworthy that Prime Minister Modi also paid a historic visit to all Central Asian countries in 2015.

Subsequently, there have been exchanges at high levels at bilateral and multilateral forums.

The inception of the India-Central Asia Dialogue at the Foreign Ministers' level, the 3rd meeting of which was held in New Delhi from December 18-20 2021, has also provided an impetus to India-Central Asia relations.

The participation of the Secretaries of National Security Councils of Central Asian countries in the Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan held in New Delhi in November 2021 had also outlined a common regional approach to the war-torn country.

Live TV
New Delhi: As soon as the Home Ministry announced the names of the Padma awardees for the year 2022, former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award, and giving the reason behind the refusal he said, "the party's policy was not to accept such state awards."

It is not the first time that an awardee has refused to accept the award, here are some names of politicians and civil servants who declined the Padma awards in past:

Civil servant SR Sankaran in 2005 refused to accept the Padma Bhushan saying that 'he could not accept any award for merely doing his duty.'

In 2003, former Minister of Commerce and Industry of Rajasthan and Sarvodaya activist Siddharaj Dhadda refused to accept the Padma Bhushan award.

CPM leader and the first Chief Minister of Kerala E M S Namboodiripad in 1992 turned down the then P V Narasimha Raos offer to award him Padma Vibhushan as 'it was against his nature to accept a state honour.'

Former diplomat PN Haksar in 1973 was offered the Padma Vibhushan award for among other services, his crucial diplomatic role in brokering the Indo-Soviet Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation and the Shimla Agreement but he declined to accept it saying, "accepting an award for work done somehow causes an inexplicable discomfort to me."

In1967, Politician Kashi Prasad Pandey refused to accept the Padma Shri award for some personal reasons.

Live TV
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today urged students to not resort to violent activities and assured them that ministry is working to address their concerns, a day after thousands of students protested in Bihar over the selection process.

"I request students not to take the law into their hands. We will seriously address the grievances and concerns raised by them," Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

Earlier in the day, Railways decided to suspend the Non Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) and Level 1 tests.

It has also formed a high level committee to examine the grievances of those who have passed the exams under different railway recruitment boards (RRBs) and those who have failed the same.

After listening to both the parties, the committee will submit a report to the railway ministry, an official said.

"A high power committee has been formed to look into the concerns and doubts raised by candidates in regard to results of 1st Stage Computer Based Test (CBT) of Centralized Employment Notification (CEN) 01/2019 of Non Technical Popular Categories (NTPC) issued by Railway Recruitment Boards (RRBs) on 14-15th January 2022," the railways said.

Live TV
New Delhi: India will showcase its military might and cultural diversity and display several unique initiatives taken by the government during the iconic Republic Day Parade at the majestic Rajpath on Wednesday (January 26, 2022).

Many firsts at Rajpath parade

"Several firsts have been planned during the main parade include the launch of Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman programme by National Cadet Corps, a grand flypast by 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force, cultural performances by 480 dancers, display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the `Kala Kumbh` event," the Defence Ministry informed in an official statement.

Drone show

According to the Defence Ministry, a drone show by 1,000 indigenously developed drones has also been planned for `Beating the Retreat` ceremony, along with projection mapping. As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.

Grand R-Day Parade

The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

Know how to watch the R-Day Parade from the comfort of your home

A total of six marching contingents of the Indian Army will be present in the parade including the Rajput Regiment, the Assam Regiment, the Jammu & Kashmir Light Regiment, the Sikh Light Regiment, the Army Ordnance Corps and the Parachute Regiment.

The combined Band of the Madras Regimental Centre, the Kumoun Regimental Centre, Maratha Light Regimental Centre, Jammu & Kashmir Light Regimental Centre, Army Medical Corps Centre and School, 14 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Supply Corps Centre and College, Bihar Regimental Centre and Army Ordnance Corps Centre will also march past the saluting dais.

"The Indian Army will be represented by a Mounted Column of 61 Cavalry, 14 Mechanised Columns, six marching contingents and a flypast by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of Army Aviation. One Tank PT-76 and Centurion (On Tank Transporters) and two MBT Arjun MK-I, one APC TOPAS and BMP-I (On Tank Transporter) and Two BMP-II, one 75/24 Towed Gun (On Vehicle) and two Dhanush Gun System, one PMS Bridge and Two Sarvatra Bridge System, one HT-16 (On Vehicle) and two Tarang Shakti Electronic Warfare System, one Tiger Cat Missile & two Akash Missile System will be the main attraction in the mechanised columns," the statement further said.

The theme of the marching contingents of the Indian Army is the evolution of the uniform and personnel weapons of the Indian Army over the last 75 years.

"The contingent of the Rajput Regiment will be wearing the uniform of Indian Army of 1947 and would be carrying .303 Rifle. The Assam Regiment will be in uniform during the period of 1962 and carrying .303 Rifles. The Jammu and Kashmir Light Regiment would be in the uniform worn during 1971 and would carry a 7.62mm self-loading Rifle. The contingent of the Sikh Light Regiment and the Army Ordnance Corps would be in the present-day uniform with 5.56mm INSAS Rifle," said the Defence Ministry.

"The contingent of the Parachute Regiment would be donning the new Combat Uniform of Indian Army, unveiled on January 15, 2022, and would be carrying 5.56mm x 45mm TAVOR Rifle," it added.

Indian Navy

Meanwhile, the Naval contingent will comprise of 96 young sailors and four officers led by Lt Cdr Aanchal Sharma as Contingent Commander. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau which is designed with the aim to showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy.

The forward part of the tableau depicts the Naval Uprising of 1946, which contributed to India`s struggle for independence. The rear section illustrates the `Make in India` initiatives of the Indian Navy from 1983 to 2021.

The model of New Vikrant with LCA Navy in air flanked by models of indigenously designed and built warships. The frames on the sides of the trailer depict the construction of Indian Naval platforms in India.

Indian Air Force

The Indian Air Force contingent comprises 96 airmen and four officers and will be led by Squadron Leader Prashant Swamyanathan. The Air Force tableau is titled `Indian Air Force, Transforming for the Future`. The tableau showcases scaled-down models of MiG-21, Gnat, Light Combat Helicopter and Rafale aircraft, as well as the Aslesha radar.

DRDO tableaux

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will display two tableaux, signifying the defence technological advancements of the country. The tableaux are titled `Suite of Indigenously Developed Sensors, Weapons and Electronic Warfare Systems for LCA Tejas` and `Air Independent Propulsion System` developed for the submarines of the Indian Navy.

Indian Coast Guard contingent

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) contingent will be led by Deputy Commandant H T Manjunath. The marching contingents of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), led by Assistant Commandant Ajay Malik, 15 times winner of the best marching contingent, Delhi Police, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commanded by Assistant Commandant Mohnish Bagree, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) led by Deputy Commandant Nirupesh Kumar and Border Security Force (BSF) Camel Contingent headed by Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Kheechee will also march past the saluting dais.

National Cadet Corps

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys Marching contingent, comprising of 100 Senior Division cadets, will be led by Senior Under Officer Rupendra Singh Chauhan of the Punjab Directorate. Senior Under Officer Pramila of Karnataka Directorate will head the NCC Girls Marching contingent, consisting of 100 Senior Wing Cadets drawn from all 17 Directorates.

The marching contingent of the National Service Scheme (NSS), comprising of 100 volunteers, will be headed by Baraiya Siddhi Ramesh from Diu Union Territory, Ahmedabad Directorate.

21 tableaux of States/UTs and Ministries

It will be followed by tableaux of 12 States/Union Territories and nine Ministries/Departments. The theme of tableaux of Arunachal Pradesh is Anglo-Abor (Adi) Wars; Haryana`s - Haryana: No 1 in Sports; Chattisgarh`s is Godhan Nyay Yojana: A new path to prosperity; Goa`s is Symbols of Goan heritage; Gujarat is Tribal Revolutionaries of Gujarat; Jammu and Kashmir`s is Changing face of Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

"The grand finale and the most keenly awaited segment of the parade, the FlyPast, will, for the first time, witness 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force displaying a number of formations, as part of `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`," said the Defence Ministry.

Display of Indias air power

Vintage as well as current modern aircraft/helicopters like Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mi-17, Sarang, Apache and Dakota, will display different formations, including Rahat, Meghna, Eklavya, Trishul, Tiranga, Vijay and Amrit. For the first time, IAF has coordinated with Doordarshan to show cockpit videos during the flypast.

The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of Tri-colour balloons.

Live TV
New Delhi: Republic Day Parade 2022 will showcase India`s military might and cultural diversity and many unique initiatives have been included to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`.

"Several firsts planned during the main parade include the launch of `Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman` programme by National Cadet Corps, a grand flypast by 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force, cultural performances by 480 dancers, display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the `Kala Kumbh` event," said the Defence Ministry in an official statement.

According to the Ministry, a drone show by 1,000 indigenously developed drones has also been planned for the `Beating the Retreat` ceremony, along with projection mapping. As per tradition, the National Flag will be unfurled followed by the National Anthem with a booming 21-gun salute.

The parade will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind taking the salute. The parade will be commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General Vijay Kumar Mishra, Ati Vishisth Seva Medal, a second-generation Army officer. Major General Alok Kacker, Chief of Staff, Delhi Area will be the Parade Second-in-Command.

A total of six marching contingents of the Indian Army will be present in the parade including the Rajput Regiment, the Assam Regiment, the Jammu & Kashmir Light Regiment, the Sikh Light Regiment, the Army Ordnance Corps and the Parachute Regiment.

The combined Band of the Madras Regimental Centre, the Kumoun Regimental Centre, Maratha Light Regimental Centre, Jammu & Kashmir Light Regimental Centre, Army Medical Corps Centre and School, 14 Gorkha Training Centre, Army Supply Corps Centre and College, Bihar Regimental Centre and Army Ordnance Corps Centre will also march past the saluting dais.

"The Indian Army will be represented by a Mounted Column of 61 Cavalry, 14 Mechanised Columns, six marching contingents and a flypast by Advanced Light Helicopters (ALH) of Army Aviation. One Tank PT-76 and Centurion (On Tank Transporters) and two MBT Arjun MK-I, one APC TOPAS and BMP-I (On Tank Transporter) and Two BMP-II, one 75/24 Towed Gun (On Vehicle) and two Dhanush Gun System, one PMS Bridge and Two Sarvatra Bridge System, one HT-16 (On Vehicle) and two Tarang Shakti Electronic Warfare System, one Tiger Cat Missile & two Akash Missile System will be the main attraction in the mechanised columns," the statement further said.

The theme of the marching contingents of the Indian Army is the evolution of the uniform and personnel weapons of the Indian Army over the last 75 years.

"The contingent of the Rajput Regiment will be wearing the uniform of Indian Army of 1947 and would be carrying .303 Rifle. The Assam Regiment will be in uniform during the period of 1962 and carrying .303 Rifles. The Jammu and Kashmir Light Regiment would be in the uniform worn during 1971 and would carry a 7.62mm self-loading Rifle. The contingent of the Sikh Light Regiment and the Army Ordnance Corps would be in the present-day uniform with 5.56mm INSAS Rifle," said the Defence Ministry.

"The contingent of the Parachute Regiment would be donning the new Combat Uniform of Indian Army, unveiled on January 15, 2022, and would be carrying 5.56mm x 45mm TAVOR Rifle," it added.

Meanwhile, the Naval contingent will comprise of 96 young sailors and four officers led by Lt Cdr Aanchal Sharma as Contingent Commander. It will be followed by the Naval Tableau which is designed with the aim to showcase the multi-dimensional capabilities of the Indian Navy.

The forward part of the tableau depicts the Naval Uprising of 1946, which contributed to India`s struggle for independence. The rear section illustrates the `Make in India` initiatives of the Indian Navy from 1983 to 2021.

The model of New Vikrant with LCA Navy in air flanked by models of indigenously designed and built warships. The frames on the sides of the trailer depict the construction of Indian Naval platforms in India.

The Indian Air Force contingent comprises 96 airmen and four officers and will be led by Squadron Leader Prashant Swamyanathan. The Air Force tableau is titled `Indian Air Force, Transforming for the Future`. The tableau showcases scaled-down models of MiG-21, Gnat, Light Combat Helicopter and Rafale aircraft, as well as the Aslesha radar.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) will display two tableaux, signifying the defence technological advancements of the country. The tableaux are titled `Suite of Indigenously Developed Sensors, Weapons and Electronic Warfare Systems for LCA Tejas` and `Air Independent Propulsion System` developed for the submarines of the Indian Navy.

The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) contingent will be led by Deputy Commandant H T Manjunath. The marching contingents of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), led by Assistant Commandant Ajay Malik, 15 times winner of the best marching contingent, Delhi Police, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Vivek Bhagat, Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commanded by Assistant Commandant Mohnish Bagree, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) led by Deputy Commandant Nirupesh Kumar and Border Security Force (BSF) Camel Contingent headed by Deputy Commandant Manohar Singh Kheechee will also march past the saluting dais.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Boys Marching contingent, comprising of 100 Senior Division cadets, will be led by Senior Under Officer Rupendra Singh Chauhan of the Punjab Directorate.

Senior Under Officer Pramila of Karnataka Directorate will head the NCC Girls Marching contingent, consisting of 100 Senior Wing Cadets drawn from all 17 Directorates. The marching contingent of the National Service Scheme (NSS), comprising of 100 volunteers, will be headed by Baraiya Siddhi Ramesh from Diu Union Territory, Ahmedabad Directorate.

It will be followed by tableaux of 12 States/Union Territories and nine Ministries/Departments. The theme of tableaux of Arunachal Pradesh is Anglo-Abor (Adi) Wars; Haryana`s is Haryana: No 1 in Sports; Chattisgarh`s is Godhan Nyay Yojana: A new path to prosperity; Goa`s is Symbols of Goan heritage; Gujarat is Tribal Revolutionaries of Gujarat; Jammu and Kashmir`s is Changing face of Jammu and Kashmir, among others.

"The grand finale and the most keenly awaited segment of the parade, the Fly Past, will, for the first time, witness 75 aircraft/helicopters of the Indian Air Force displaying a number of formations, as part of `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`," said the Defence Ministry.

Vintage as well as current modern aircraft/helicopters like Rafale, Sukhoi, Jaguar, Mi-17, Sarang, Apache and Dakota, will display different formations, including Rahat, Meghna, Eklavya, Trishul, Tiranga, Vijay and Amrit. For the first time, IAF has coordinated with Doordarshan to show cockpit videos during the flypast.

The ceremony will culminate with the national anthem and the release of Tri-colour balloons.

Live TV
New Delhi: As many as 485 dancers of various genres from 15 states came together to add splendour to Republic Day celebrations here at the Rajpath here on Wednesday.

The artists performed four segments that include Classical, Folk/Tribal, Contemporary which culminated in the Grand Finale. The huge props, masks, puppets and fabric added to the splendour of the symphony.

The musical representation of India showcased its unity and diversity and portrayed how traditional meets modern, folk meets contemporary, popular meets unexplored in a melting pot of styles and rhythms.

The performers, for the first time, were chosen based on an all India level competition Vande Bharatam-Nritya Utsav organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Culture.

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New Delhi: Continuing his tradition of wearing headgears reflecting diverse Indian culture in different states, PM Narendra Modi was spotted wearing a unique cap from the hill state of Uttarakhand as he arrived to pay homage to the Indian soldiers at the National War Memorial on India's 73rd Republic Day.

The Prime Minister was also seen wearing a Brahmakamal, which is the state flower of Uttarakhand. PM Modi is very fond of Brahmakamal and uses the flower whenever he performs pooja at Kedarnath.

Besides this, the PM also wore a stole from Manipur. Interestingly, last year, PM Modi wore a colourful Halari Pagh (royal head turban) that was gifted to him by Jamnagar Royal Family for the event.

Interestingly, PM Modi's choice of attire at the 73rd Republic Day events is linked to states that are going to the polls next month - Uttarakhand and Manipur.

PM Modi paid homage to the fallen soldiers at the newly built National War Memorial (NWM) morning prior to participating in the 73rd Republic Day celebrations.

#WATCH | Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi lays wreath at the National War Memorial on 73rd #RepublicDay pic.twitter.com/ZhYNBCmozh  ANI (@ANI) January 26, 2022

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of State for Defense Ajay Bhatt, Defense Secretary, Ajay Kumar, and the Chiefs of the three wings of the Army, ie, Army, Air Force, and Navy, were also present on this occasion.

The Inter services Guards was formed by 7 Soldiers from each service. This year, the guards were commanded by a Naval Officer, Lt Cdr Amit Kumar Rathi. The Contingent Commander was Sqn Ldr Akash Gangas.

When the Prime Minister laid the wreath, the Inter services guards presented `Salami Shastra` followed by `Shok Shastra`. Simultaneously, the buglers sounded the `Last Post`.Thereafter `two minutes silence` was observed, after which the buglers sounded `Rouse and guards presented `Salami Shastra` again.

The Prime Minister then endorsed his remarks in the digital Visitor`s Book of National War Memorial. Later, PM Modi and other dignitaries will head to the saluting dais at Rajpath to witness the Republic Day parade.

Republic Day Parade 2022 is all set to showcase India`s military might, cultural diversity, and many unique initiatives to mark the celebration of the 75th year of Independence as part of `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav`.

President Ram Nath Kovind will lead the Nation in celebrating 73rd Republic Day on January 26, 2022. The celebrations this year are special as Republic Day falls in the 75th year of Independence, being celebrated as `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav` across the country.

To mark the occasion, the Ministry of Defence has conceptualized a series of new events during the main parade on Rajpath on January 26 and the `Beating the Retreat` ceremony at Vijay Chowk on January 29.It has been decided that the Republic Day celebrations will now be week-long from January 23-30 every year.

The celebrations commenced on January 23, the birth anniversary of great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, and culminate on January, 30 which is observed as Martyrs` Day.

According to the Ministry of Defence, for the first time, an Indian Air Force (IAF) will show grand flypast by 75 aircraft or helicopters. A drone show by 1,000 indigenously developed drones has been planned for the `Beating the Retreat` ceremony, along with projection mapping will be shown for the first time at the Republic day parade.

For the first time, 480 dancers who will perform during the cultural programme at the parade have been selected through a nationwide Vande Bharatam dance competition.

The main parade for the first time will also see the launch of `Shaheedon Ko Shat Shat Naman` programme by National Cadet and a display of ten scrolls each of 75 metres prepared during the `Kala Kumbh` event and installation of 10 large LED screens for a better viewing experience of spectators.

The parade at Rajpath will start at 10:30 am, instead of the earlier timing of 10 am to provide better visibility to the parade and flypast. Special arrangements have been made keeping in view the current COVID-19 situation.

The number of seats for spectators has been significantly reduced and people are being encouraged to register online to witness the live celebrations. "Only double vaccinated adults/one dose vaccinated children of 15 years and above will be allowed entry at the parade. Children below 15 years of age will not be permitted," the statement reads.

To watch the Republic Day Parade and at the `Beating the Retreat` ceremony some sections of auto-rickshaw drivers, construction workers, safai karamcharis and frontline health workers will be invited.

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New Delhi: In view of the 73rd Republic Day celebrations, Delhi has been brought under a heavy security cover as the city police has intensified patrolling and sealed the borders of the national capital in coordination with its counterparts from the neighbouring states to thwart any untoward incident amid a terror alert by intelligence agencies.

Over 27,000 police personnel have been deployed on Republic Day security duties in Delhi and anti-terror measures intensified, officials said.

According to the officials, the police personnel deployed include deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners, inspectors and sub-inspectors. Armed Police Force personnel and commandos, officers and jawans of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have also been deployed.

CCTVs fitted with a facial recognition software

CCTVs fitted with a facial recognition software and anti-drone equipment have also been installed, police said.

Border sealed, patrolling intensified

All major border points of Delhi, including Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, have been sealed to ensure incident-free and smooth Republic Day celebrations unlike last year. Extra pickets have been deployed and patrolling has been intensified at the border points, the officials said.

On January 26 last year, thousands of farmers protesting against three agriculture laws of the Centre entered Delhi on tractors and wreaked havoc on the city roads. They clashed with police and even hoisted a religious flag from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort, a privilege reserved for the Indian tricolour.

"We have sealed the borders and put up extra pickets in coordination with our counterparts. No commercial vehicles will be allowed to enter the national capital. Only permitted vehicles and those engaged in essential services will be allowed. Non-permitted vehicles will be sent back while at some borders, traffic diversions and alternate routes are also in place," a senior police officer said.

Hawk-eyed vigil during R-Day Parade

The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over the venue, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

"We are fully prepared. We have been preparing for almost two months now. Elaborate arrangements with multi-layered security have been made all around the district. Vehicle checking would start at the borders of New Delhi district and it would become more and more stringent as you move towards the venue," Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Deepak Yadav said.

Only vehicles with authorised passes allowed

Only vehicles with authorised passes or control passes that have already been issued will be allowed to move towards the function area, he added. All the high-rise buildings have been covered with rooftop arrangements and anti-drone equipment has been installed on a number of these structures, the DCP said.

"With the help of multiple agencies, we have taken adequate measures against any kind of a drone attack or anti-social elements. At the same time, we have also briefed our staff to take adequate precautions to curb the spread of COVID-19. At the time of entry and exit, the staff have been briefed to ensure that it is done in a phased manner and there is no crowding at the entry and exit points," he said.

Briefing the media earlier about the security arrangements, Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana had said a total of 27,723 Delhi Police personnel, including 71 DCPs, 213 ACPs and 753 inspectors, have been deployed for the Republic Day parade. They are being assisted by 65 companies of the CAPFs.

Anti-terror measures intensified

Police said anti-terror measures have been intensified in coordination with other security agencies. "Since the last two months, we have intensified our anti-terror measures. These measures have been taken on 26 parameters very intensively. It is also because Delhi has always been a target for terrorists and anti-social elements. This year too, we have been very much alert," Asthana had said.

He mentioned that the anti-terror measures include blockades (naka bandi) at various places, checking of vehicles, hotels, lodges and dharamshalas and various verification drives like that of tenants, servants and labourers.

Counter-drone technology is being used for air space security. Security in and around the area where the Republic Day celebrations will take place has also been beefed up, Asthana said. Security arrangements for the Central Vista project have also been made in coordination with the officers of the agencies working on the project, he added.

Besides the Delhi Police, other agencies have also been deployed to ensure foolproof security. About 200 teams have been working towards it.

Traffic advisory issued

About traffic arrangements, the police commissioner said an advisory was issued detailing specific restrictions on routes so that no inconvenience is caused to the public.

According to a recent order, the operation of sub-conventional aerial platforms, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), paragliders and hot air balloons, over Delhi has been prohibited in view of the Republic Day celebrations.

The order came into effect on January 20 and will remain in force till February 15.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday addressed the nation on the eve of 73rd Republic Day, and paid tributes to India`s first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, who died in a helicopter crash last month. President Kovind said General Rawat was "one of bravest commanders of the country".

The President said, "When a brave soldier dies on duty, the entire country feels sad. Last month, in an unfortunate accident, we lost one of the bravest commanders of the country - General Bipin Rawat - his wife and many brave soldiers. The entire country was deeply saddened by the tragic loss."

The President said the country`s soldiers and security personnel carry on the legacy of national pride. Noting that the past year has been "a watershed year" for women empowerment in the armed forces, President Ram Nath Kovind on Tuesday said the country`s daughters have broken a glass ceiling and a permanent commission has now been allowed for women officers in new areas.

President Kovind said the soldiers guard the borders in the unbearable cold of the Himalayas and in the excruciating heat of the desert, far away from their families, adding "It is thanks to the constant vigil of the armed forces securing our borders and the police personnel maintaining internal security within the country that their fellow citizens enjoy a peaceful life."

The President said, "Whether you are a doctor or a lawyer, a shopkeeper or office-worker, a sanitation employee or a labourer, doing one`s duty well and efficiently is the first and foremost contribution you make to the nation,"

'Watershed year for women empowerment in armed forces'

As the supreme commander of the Armed Forces, Kovind said he was glad to note that it has been a watershed year for women empowerment in the armed forces.

"Our daughters have broken a glass ceiling, and the permanent commission has now been allowed for women officers in new areas," he said, adding that "consequently, our armed forces will benefit from better gender balance".

Also, the talent pipeline for the forces will be strengthened with women coming through Sainik Schools and the prestigious National Defence Academy, the President said, adding that the "diversity and vibrancy of the country's democracy is appreciated worldwide" and it is this spirit of unity and of being one nation which is celebrated every year as Republic Day.

'India is better placed today to meet future challenges'

President Kovind said that India is better placed today to meet the challenges of the future and urged people to re-discover the values that animated freedom movement. He said, "I am confident that India is better placed today to meet the challenges of the future," adding that new opportunities await the next generation.

The President said the twenty-first century is turning out to be the age of climate change, and India has taken a leadership position on the world stage in showing the way, especially with its bold and ambitious push for renewable energy.

The President said, "India is an ancient civilisation but a young republic. For us, nation-building is a constant endeavour."

Invoking Mahatma Gandhi, President Kovind said he would have liked us to celebrate Republic Day by striving to become better human beings and contributing towards the making of a better India and a better world.

"My heartiest greetings to all of you, in India and abroad, on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day! It is an occasion to celebrate what is common to us all, our Indian-ness," he said.

"'Two days ago, on 23rd January, all of us observed the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, who had adopted the energising salutation of 'Jai-Hind'. His quest for independence and his ambition to make India proud inspire all of us," the President said.

'Preamble sums up its guiding principles of Constitution'

Kovind said, while the text of the Constitution, dealing with the details of the workings of the State, is quite long, the preamble sums up its guiding principles- democracy, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.

"They form the bedrock on which our Republic stands. These are the values that form our collective inheritance," he said.

These values have been accorded primacy in our Constitution in the form of fundamental rights and fundamental duties of the citizens, the President said.

By fulfilling the fundamental duty of rendering national service when called upon to do so, crores of our people have transformed the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and the COVID vaccination drive into mass movements, he said.

Kovind said, "A great deal of credit for the success of such campaigns goes to our dutiful citizens. I am sure that our people will continue to strengthen the campaigns of national interest with their active participation and will demonstrate the same dedication."

President thanked constant vigil of armed forces securing borders

Kovind thanked the constant vigil of the armed forces securing the borders and the police personnel maintaining internal security within the country that let their fellow citizens enjoy a peaceful life. He said it is our soldiers and security personnel who carry on the legacy of national pride.

The President said, "In the unbearable cold of the Himalayas and in the excruciating heat of the desert, far away from their families, they continue to guard the motherland. It is thanks to the constant vigil of the armed forces securing our borders and the police personnel maintaining internal security within the country that their fellow citizens enjoy a peaceful life."

The President said patriotism strengthens the sense of duty among citizens, adding "Whether you are a doctor or a lawyer, a shopkeeper or office-worker, a sanitation employee or a labourer, doing one's duty well and efficiently is the first and foremost contribution you make to the nation."

Kovind said the world has never been in so much need of help as now. "It has been over two years now and humankind is still battling with the coronavirus. Hundreds of thousands of lives have been lost, and the world economy has been reeling under the impact."

India has shown unmatched resolve during pandemic: President

Asking people to celebrate 'Indian-ness' this Republic Day, President Kovind said the country has shown an "unmatched resolve" in the face of the extraordinary challenge to humankind posed by the coronavirus pandemic and that a strong and sensitive India is now emerging.

He said this year's celebrations may be muted due to the pandemic but the spirit is as strong as ever, as he urged the people not to let their guard down and to continue following precautions. He noted that democracy, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity form the bedrock of India and stressed that the observance of Fundamental Duties mentioned in the Constitution creates the proper environment for the enjoyment of Fundamental Rights.

In the fight against the COVID pandemic, it has now become a sacred national duty of every citizen to follow the precautions suggested by scientists and experts, Kovind said, adding that "we have to discharge this duty till the crisis is behind us".

The President said the pandemic management was bound to be more difficult in India due to its high population and other factors, adding "'But it is only in such difficult times that the resilience of a nation shines forth. I am proud to say that we have shown an unmatched resolve against the coronavirus."

India reached out to several other countries with vaccines and other medical help. This contribution by India has been appreciated by international organisations, the President said.

Doctors, nurses and paramedics have risen to the challenge, working long hours in difficult conditions even at the risk of their lives to attend to patients. Others have kept the nation moving, managing supply chains and utilities, he said.

Hailing the timely interventions by the leadership, policy-makers, administrators and others at the central and state levels during coronavirus pandemic, Kovind said it is a testimony to India's spirit in the face of adversity that the economy is on the move again and is projected to grow at an impressive rate in this fiscal, after going through contraction last year.

Citing difficulties in pandemic management, the President said, "we have high population density, and as a developing economy we did not have the level of resources and infrastructure needed to battle this invisible enemy".

He said there have been setbacks, unfortunately, as the virus makes a comeback with new mutations.

"Countless families have gone through a harrowing time. There are no words to express our collective trauma. The only saving grace is that many lives could be saved. As the pandemic is still widespread, we must remain alert and not let our guard down. The precautions we have taken till now have to be continued," Kovind suggested.

He added that wearing masks and maintaining social distancing have been essential parts of COVID appropriate behaviour.

The President said the 21st century is turning out to be the age of climate change, and India has taken a leadership position on the world stage in showing the way, especially with its bold and ambitious push for renewable energy.

"I am sure that with this energy, confidence and entrepreneurship, our country will continue to march ahead on the path of progress and will definitely secure its rightful place, befitting its potential, in the global community," the President added.

Meanwhile, referring to a visit to his village in Kanpur, the President also urged the people to remember their roots and work for the development of their native village, city and country.

"... A new India is emerging "a strong India and a sensitive India - Sashakt Bharat, Samvedan-sheel Bharat," he said.

"The impressive economic performance is made possible due to improvement in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors. I am happy to note that our farmers, especially young farmers with small holdings, are enthusiastically adopting natural farming," he added.

(With Agency Inputs)

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Hyderabad: A fake job racket was busted here and three people of a gang including a couple, who allegedly cheated job aspirants of over Rs 1.5 crore by promising them employment in Indian Railways and Metro Rail were arrested on Tuesday, police said.

On credible information, a police team took the absconding accused K Surendra, his wife Nagalakshmi and one Suresh into custody for cheating as many as 20 students from whom they collected Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakh each on the pretext of providing Railway jobs and Metro Rail jobs through backdoor entry process, they said.

Police seized fake ID proofs, three four-wheelers, fake government job offer letters and mobile phones from their possession, Rachakonda Commissioner of Police Mahesh M Bhagwat said.

Surendra took the students to Rail Nilayam here and introduced them to two other members of their gang as Railway officers and the job aspirants noticing the two (members) wearing Railway Identity cards believed them and paid them Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakhs each and also gave all their educational certificates, police said.

The accused then issued fake appointment orders and on suspicion, the students approached Rail Nilayam and came to know that it was fake and later Surendra along with his wife and other accused escaped, police said.

Subsequently, the students approached Medipally police in October last year and a case was registered against Surendra, his wife and others.

During the course of the investigation, three accused including the couple were arrested when Surendra came to his flat for shifting the articles on Tuesday, police said, adding investigation was in progress for apprehension of other absconding accused.

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Sitapur: Samajwadi Party leader Mohammad Azam Khan on Wednesday filed his nomination for Rampur Sadar seat from inside Sitapur jail.

The Returning Officer from Rampur visited the jail to get his nomination papers after an order was issued by Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Rampur Court, Jailor RS Yadav told media. "As of now all paper formalities have been completed," he said.

Rampur will go to polls on Feb 14 in the second phase of UP elections.

Khan, MP from Rampur, is lodged in Sitapur jail since Feb 2020 in case of land grabbing and several others.

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SRINAGAR: For the first time in history, the Indian Tricolour was unfurled atop the Clock Tower in Srinagar's famous Lal Chowk area to mark the country's 73rd Republic Day. This is for the first time after India's Independence that the national flag has been unfurled on top of Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower).

On the occasion of India's 73rd Republic Day celebrations, the locals along with NGO's and Administration held a flag hoisting ceremony at the Lal Chowk area. Two local activists Sajid Yousuf Shah and Sahil Bashir were carried by a crane on top of the clock tower where they unfurled the flag.

''Since Independence, we have only seen Pakistani flags hoisted here and those were Pakistani sponsored elements who wanted to disrupt the peace in the Valley. Since the abrogation of article 370, we can see a lot of changes on the ground. The people were asking what Naya Kashmir means? Today hoisting the national flag on top of the clock tower is what Naya Kashmir stands for. This is what the people of Jammu and Kashmir want. We dont want any Pakistani flags, we want peace and development.'' said Sahil Bashir, activist after unfurling the flag.

The clock tower in Lal Chowk has always had great importance regarding the politics of Kashmir. All the big leaders of the country and Jammu and Kashmir have tried in the past to hoist a national flag on top of the clock tower but never were successful.

Since the Independence of India, this was the only place which did not have the National flag. I decided to do this, and we have done it. A lot of people tried it earlier, but we were the only ones successful. As an Indian we have unfurled the flag here and its given us happiness '' said Sajid Yousuf, another activist.

On this occasion, a martial art event and students from various districts were brought to witness the unfurling of the flag. Security has been put on high alert across the Kashmir Valley, specially in Srinagar city. Barricades were put up everywhere and vehicles were allowed only after checking. Mobile Internet was also shut down this morning.

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New Delhi: Thousands of students have been protesting across the country against the Railway Recruitment Board's Non-Technical Popular Categories (RRB-NTPC) exam 2021 result.

Several protestors have now also squatted on rail tracks in various cities, which has led to the hampering of train movement.

Candidates are opposing the Railways' decision to hold the exams in two stages, claiming that the second stage for final selection tantamount to 'cheating' those who appeared and cleared the first stage of the RRB-NTPC for computer-based test (CBT). The Ministry of Railways, however, has issued a clarification in which it said that the second stage exam was clearly mentioned in the notification.

The issue came to the fore when the results were declared on January 15.

NTPC Result Announced! Railways have announced NTPC results on 14.01.22.

The procedure for shortlisting of candidates for the second stage of CBT had already been given elaborately under Para 13 of original notification i.e.CEN 01/2019.#RlyNTPCResulthttps://t.co/s0xyByZ2S6 pic.twitter.com/XKAx2phiDI  Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) January 15, 2022

Many candidates also claim that the screening process is designed to favour those with a higher qualification, even in jobs that require lesser qualifications.

The railways had earlier said that it was looking to fill 35,281 posts. Of these, 24,281 posts in 13 categories were open to graduates and 11,000 posts in six categories were for undergraduates. These thirteen categories were segregated into five groups based on the Seventh Central Pay Commission pay-scale levels (Levels 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6).

These posts included that of train assistant, guard, junior clerk, time keeper and station master across its various zones.

While to get a Level 2 job, where the starting pay is about Rs 19,000, one requires to be a Class 12 pass, for a level 6 post like station master, who gets a starting pay of about Rs 35,000, being a graduate is mandatory.

Aspirants have alleged that during the Computer Based Test -1 which were held last year, candidates with higher qualification have sat for exams meant for Level 2 jobs.

The problem, officials said, is that the railways cannot stop an aspirant with a higher qualification from sitting for an exam with lower qualification requirements.

In a clarification, the railways has said that no candidate can be recruited for multiple posts thereby ensuring that every deserving candidate gets selected. It has said that short-listing of candidates has been done separately for each level based on educational qualifications and options exercised by the candidates.

For the second stage computer-based test (CBT) of each level, the number of candidates called was 20 times the community-wise vacancies notified against each RRB, it has stated.

Based on merit obtained in second stage CBT, the candidates will be short-listed for the third stage exam in which eight times the number of vacancies will be called.

Railway addresses Concerns of Candidates over NTPC CBT-1 Resulthttps://t.co/UgTHzNkrtP pic.twitter.com/kknh98uiP5  Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) January 18, 2022

Earlier, the short-listing was done 10 times the vacancy, however, this time it is 20 times the vacancy for the second stage, officials said.

Meanwhile, amid rising protests, the Ministry of Railways on Tuesday issued a statement, warning candidates of being 'Debarred for Life' from obtaining a Railway job.

The Ministry of Railways' official notice with regards to NTPC protests said those candidates found indulging in unlawful activities or vandalism will be rendered 'unsuitable' for Railway/Government jobs.

"RRB NTPC Protest videos will now be examined by the Ministry with the help of specialised agencies. Upon proper examination, those found in indulging in any of the mentioned activities, will be penalised accordingly. They will be liable to both police action as well as lifetime debarment from a Railway job," said the statement.

Railway job aspirants found indulging in unlawful activities may face lifetime debarment from obtaining Railway job.https://t.co/qCZlUWcgwd pic.twitter.com/mxEiirxLxg  Ministry of Railways (@RailMinIndia) January 25, 2022

The railways also cautioned the aspirants that they should not come under the influence of elements that are trying to misguide them for their own 'selfish ends'.

According to the RRB NTPC exam dates, the CBT 2 exam, for which seven lakh candidates have been short-listed, is scheduled to be held on February 14 and 18.

(With agency inputs)

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New Delhi: Seven people were injured after a 5-storey building collapsed in Behram Nagar locality of Bandra (East), Mumbai.

As per the media reports, of the 7 injured persons 4 were taken to VN Desai Hospital, while three others were rushed to Bandra Bhabha Hospital.

According to ANI report, Five fire engines, one rescue van, and 6 ambulances have been rushed to the site.

Further details awaited.

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New Delhi: After controversy erupted regarding the Hindi release of Allu Arjun starrer Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, T-Series honcho has backed Kartik Aaryan.

The makers of Shehzada requested Manish Shah of Goldmines to stop the release of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo Hindi version. After this, Shah's explosive interview on how Kartik threatened to leave the remake gained ground, Bhushan Kumar, director Rohit Dhawan and producer Aman Gill came out in support of the Bollywood star.

Producer Bhushan Kumar says, We, the producers, felt that Shehzada should release in theatre first and not the Hindi version of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo, hence we requested Goldmines not to release the Hindi version, and release of the film is always the producer's decision and not actor. He further adds Kartik Aarya, "I have known Kartik since the beginning of his career. We have done multiple films together. He is one of the most professional actor, I have worked with."

Director Rohit Dhawan said Kartiks intent and excitement for Shehzada is unquestionable. Its been a joy working with him. As director and actor, we share a solid bond and nothing can come in the way of our love for the film. Seems like the bond between the actor and the director is eager to bring magic to the big screen.

Yet another producer of the film, Aman Gill, shared "After finding out about the Hindi Version release of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo we the producers on our own requested Manishji to not release it. Kartik is going all out for Shehzada as an actor and only discusses how he can contribute to make this the biggest film for everyone involved, he is one of most dedicated actors in the industry.
MUMBAI: It's a happy day for actor Raveena Tandon as her daughter Chaya is celebrating her wedding anniversary today.

Marking the occasion, Raveena took to Instagram and shared a series of pictures from Chaya's marriage ceremony and wished her on her sixth wedding anniversary.

"When life is full of beautiful memories and moments.. to be cherished and celebrated for ever ! Happy Happy Anniversary my babies! Happiness and love always ! @chaya.m.m #shawn. Sada Saubhagyavati Raho (May you always be lucky as a married woman," she wrote on Instagram.

In one of the images, Chaya can be seen posing with Raveena and her daughter Rasha.

For the unversed, Raveena adopted two daughters, Pooja and Chaya in 1995.
New Delhi: Victor Banerjee had burst on the silver screen in 1977 as the hookah-smoking Madr-ud-Daula, 'prime minister' of Awadh, in Satyajit Ray's 'Shatranj Ke Khiladi', and he maintains that it was the biggest break of his career that has seen him appearing in English, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese language films, working with marquee directors such as David Lean, James Ivory, Roman Polanski and Ronald Neame, and closer home, with Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Ram Gopal Verma.

A winner of the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for 'Ghare Baire', also directed by Satyajit Ray, he is the only Indian film personality to have won the National Film Award in three categories -- the other two as Cinematographer, for his documentary 'Where No Journeys End', and as Director, for his documentary 'The Splendour of Garhwal and Roopkund'.

In fact, 'Where No Journeys End', in competition with 3,100 entries from 27 countries, won the Gold Award at the Houston International Film Festival.

It's been quite an eclectic journey for Banerjee, who was born in a zamindari Bengali Hindu family and is a descendant of the Raja Bahadur of Chanchal (now in the Malda district of West Bengal) and the Raja of Uttarpara (in Hooghly district).

He turned down a scholarship to Dublin's Trinity College, which had offered to admit him as an operatic tenor, but later he became the lead tenor in the Calcutta Light Opera Group production of 'The Desert Song', and also played Jesus in the Bombay Theatre's first-ever musical production, 'Godspell'.

Schooled at Shillong's St Edmund's School, Banerjee graduated in English Literature from Kolkata's St Xavier's College and obtained a Master's in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University.

In 1984, Banerjee portrayed Dr Aziz Ahmed in David Lean's 'A Passage to India', which brought him to the attention of western audiences. He was nominated for a BAFTA award for the role in 1986, and won the Evening Standard British Film Award and NBR (US National Board Review) Award for the same film.

In April 1985, at a special event in Louisiana, where John Travolta and American TV actress Loretta Swit were also honoured, Banerjee received the 'Show-a-Rama Award' from the Motion Picture Association of America as 'New International Star'.

There have been other memorable roles too, for instance in Merchant-Ivory's 'Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures' and in Mrinal Sen's 'Mahaprithibi'.

And, as one known to speak his mind, Banerjee, on the sets of 'Gunday' (2014) starring Priyanka Chopra, is reported to have snapped: "I have a kitchen to run" and "all work is a challenge and therefore fun".

Banerjee has also appeared in numerous Bollywood movies, notably 'Ta Ra Rum Pum' (2007), 'Apne' (2007) and 'Sarkar Raj' (2008). Other significant appearances include 'Protidan' (1983), 'Byabandhan' (1990), 'It Was Raining That Night' (2005), 'Delhi in a Day' (2011), 'Dev Bhoomi' (2016), 'Biporjoy' (2017) and 'The Answer' (2018).

There have also been forays into politics. Banerjee unsuccessfully contested the 1991 Lok Sabha election in Calcutta North West on the BJP ticket. He garnered 89,155 votes and came in third.

As an active member of the BJP, he was critical of the then Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's suggestion that the karsevaks who had stormed the Babri Masjid prior to its demolition should have been shot.

He has also been highly critical of what he termed Punjab Congress politician Navjot Singh Sidhu's pacifist attitude to terrorism exported from Pakistan.

Born on October 15, 1946, Banerjee is only 75, young by today's standards, and one sincerely hopes the Padma Bhushan will spur him on to greater heights.
New Delhi: Old and rare coins are selling online for lakhs of rupees, making collectors of the currency rich in a snap. On the internet, there has been a renewed interest of buyers of old and collectable currencies. Besides coins, collectors are also increasingly buying antique things in the international market.

So, if you own a rare coin or note, this would be the right time to sell it off. For instance, if you have a special Rs 2 coin, you can earn about Rs 5 lakh by selling it online. The special coin mentioned here is of 1994 series. The demand for the coins has increased manifold, according to a report by Zee News Hindi.

On the reverse side of the coin, theres an inscription of World Food Day. On the online classifieds portal, Quickr, the coins price has been fixed at Rs 5 lakh. Similarly, the value of the one rupee silver coin of Queen Victoria, which was issued during British rule, is fixed at Rs 2 lakh by sellers on classified portals.

Also, the price of one rupee coin issued in 1918 has jumped to Rs 9 lakh on the e-commerce site Quikr. You can also easily buy and sell old and collectable notes and coins by following a few simple steps.

Heres how you can old coins to make a quick buck:

Step 1: Create an account or log in to your OLX or Quikr account.

Step 2: Create a listing for your coin.

Step 3: Add details about the coin and what makes it special.

Step 4: Add photos of the coin to make sure that the listing appears genuine.

Step 5: Add the price at which you want to sell the coin.

Step 6: Submit the listing for verification. Also Read: Budget 2022: Bring natural gas under GST to realise PM's vision of gas-based economy, urges industry

Once the listing is approved, you will start receiving calls and messages from potential buyers. You can sell the coins to a buyer after negotiating the price and other terms of the sale. Also Read: India initiates anti-dumping probe against imports of vinyl tiles from China, Taiwan, Vietnam

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New Delhi: Googles highly-anticipated first foldable Pixel smartphone didn`t arrive in 2021, as rumoured. However, leaks and reports continue to suggest that Google may soon be launching a foldable smartphone.

As per GSM Arena, Google`s foldable might be called the Pixel Notepad, not the Pixel Fold as previously rumoured. And it could launch by the end of 2022.

Google is reportedly aiming for a USD 1,400 price tag for its foldable phone. In comparison, this is USD 100 greater (discounts aside) than the difference between the USD 1,199 Galaxy S21 Ultra and the USD 1,799.99 Z Fold 3.

This Pixel foldable is set to look more like Oppo's Find N than the Samsung Galaxy Fold in that the device is short and wide rather than tall and narrow. A word on specs - the Pixel Notebook will use the Tensor chip from the Pixel 6 series but will opt for an inferior camera selection. The main camera will be the tried-and-tested 12.2MP IMX363 sensor from the Pixel 2 through 3, 4, and 5 series.

The 50MP Samsung GN1 sensor from the Pixel 6 series was reportedly dismissed because of its thickness. Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event on February 9: Timings, what to expect and all you need to know

There will be a 12MP IMX386 ultrawide sensor and two 8MP IMX355s for selfies - likely one on the outer screen and one on the inner one. Also Read: Himachal Pradesh govt employees get DA hike: Check latest dearness allowance rate

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Twitter said governments around the world made requests to remove content from a record number of user accounts between January and June last year, in data to be released by the social media company on Tuesday.

The platform said governments made 43,387 legal demands for the removal of content from 196,878 accounts in the six-month period, according to data in its latest transparency report seen by Reuters.

Twitter said this was the largest number of accounts ever targeted with government removal requests in a reporting period since the company started releasing transparency reports in 2012. It was also the largest number of government removal requests in a reporting period.

Ninety-five percent of these legal demands came from five countries, with the most coming from Japan, followed by Russia, Turkey, India, and South Korea, it said. The site is blocked in several countries including China and North Korea.

Twitter said it either "withheld" access to content in certain countries or required account holders to remove some or all of the reported content in response to 54% of the global legal demands in this period.

"We`re facing unprecedented challenges as governments around the world increasingly attempt to intervene and remove content," Twitter`s vice president of global public policy and philanthropy Sinead McSweeney said in a statement. "This threat to privacy and freedom of expression is a deeply worrying trend that requires our full attention."

Major social media companies face ongoing scrutiny from global governments and regulators over the material they allow on their platforms. In the past year, Twitter has faced high-profile tussles with governments from India to Nigeria over content moderation and regulation.

Twitter has also, along with companies like Facebook and Google, faced criticism in the United States and other countries over how it combats issues like misinformation and violent rhetoric on its platform.

The number of accounts specified in the legal requests was up almost 50% from 131,933 accounts from the previous six months, according to the data. The number of government removal requests increased 14% from 38,524 in the last reporting period and was up about 2.8% year-over-year, Twitter said.

The company said this summer it had seen a surge in government demands worldwide in 2020 to take down content posted by journalists and news outlets, but it said the number of such accounts subject to these requests decreased 14% in the latest reporting period.

The report also said requests from governments for Twitter to preserve account information were down by about 4% from the previous reporting period. It said the United States accounted for about 57% of these requests and the U.S. was also the single largest source of government information requests.

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Beijing: Lenovo has announced that it will launch its new gaming smartphone 'Legion Y90' soon and now a new report has claimed that the device may come with 22GB of total RAM, 18GB of which will be true physical RAM as well as 4GB virtual.

According to reliable tipster Pandaisbald, the device may come with 640GB, made possible by actually combining two separate 512GB and 128GB sticks, reports GizmoChina.

Lenovo Legion Y90 will feature a 6.92-inch E4 AMOLED screen with a 144Hz refresh rate and 720Hz touch sampling rate. The panel supports HDR content, and the smartphone will come with a dual-engine air-cooled system for sustained performance, reports GSMArena.

The smartphone is rumoured to come powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 flagship SoC that will be paired with LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

The phone is promoted to come with a "Double Engine Air Cooling". As the term implies, the machine will have built-in dual cooling fans.

Lenovo Notebook product manager Lin Lin recently revealed that even after playing games at 122fps for 20 minutes, the phone managed to keep its cool.

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New Delhi: Samsung has officially announced the date for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event to launch its latest smartphones and gadgets. The South Korean tech giant gave the information about the launch event on Samsung Indias official Twitter handle.

The event will be live-streamed globally, allowing fans and tech fanatics to witness the new products being unveiled by the tech giant in real-time.

When will the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event begin in India?

The Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event will begin at 8.30 PM on February 9. "Join us as we break the rules to set the epic standard at #SamsungUnpacked, February 9, 2022, at 8.30 PM. Register now: http://spr.ly/6014KHvco," Samsung India said in its tweet.

Join us as we break the rules to set the epic standard at #SamsungUnpacked, February 9, 2022 at 8.30 PM. Register now: https://t.co/iXXICPVbq5. pic.twitter.com/lXKV0he0kN  Samsung India (@SamsungIndia) January 26, 2022

What to expect from Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event?

Samsung is expected to launch three new smartphones. Under the Galaxy S series, the company could launch the Samsung Galaxy S22, Galaxy S22+ and Galaxy S22 Ultra. The smartphone brand had asked users to "break through the night" and "break the rules of light" while teasing the improved low-light photography skills of the new Galaxy S smartphones in a YouTube video, ANI reported.

Besides the smartphone, Samsung could also launch the Galaxy Tab S8 series at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. According to recent reports, the company may launch a regular Tab S8, a larger Tab S8+, and an even bigger and more powerful Tab S8 Ultra as part of the new range of tabs.

GSM Arena reported that the Galaxy Tab S8 could launch in silver and black colour variants alongside the S Pen stylus. The tab is likely to sport an 11-inch LTPS LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate and 2560x1600px resolution. Also Read: Himachal Pradesh govt employees get DA hike: Check latest dearness allowance rate

Galaxy Tab S8 could also have 13MP main and 6MP ultrawide cameras on the back and is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset and backed by an 8,000 mAh battery. Also Read: Budget 2022: Need to support incomes for consumption push, says Crisil Research

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New Delhi: Happy Republic Day! Each year since 1950, 26th January is celebrated as the Republic Day in India. On this day the Indian Constitution came into effect and marked full sovereignty of Indians over themselves. On this glorious day, &TV artists salute the undying spirit of every frontline worker and our jawans. From Happu Singh, Manmohan Tiwari to Sandha Gupta, heres what the celebrities who play these popular characters have to say.

Tej Sapru (Prajapati Daksh, Baal Shiv)

I feel India is the only country which truly defines unity in diversity. Republic Day represents the spirit of free India, and I wish everyone a Happy Republic Day. On this occasion, let us take a pledge to not let the efforts of our brave freedom fighters go in vain and salute the resilience of our jawans serving and protecting the country and its border in harsh conditions. The same goes for all our frontline workers who have worked selflessly in saving lives during this pandemic, shared Baal Shiv.

Ishita Ganguly (Sandhya Gupta, Ghar Ek Mandir- Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki)

Ishita Ganguly, who has recently joined &TVs Ghar Ek Mandir-Kripa Agrasen Maharaja Ki as Sandhya Gupta, said, Republic Day always fills my heart with immense pride. I fondly remember my school days where we would gather in school assembly and sing patriotic songs. We also performed parades and sang the national anthem remembering the sacrifices of all the freedom fighters. There is no doubt our country is the greatest of all, and on this Republic Day, I urge everyone to strive to make it better.

Akansha Sharma (Sakina Mirza, Aur Bhai Kya Chal Raha Hai?)

I love watching the Republic Day parade on television with my entire family. It is like our family ritual to watch it live on TV. The tableaus or jhankis of different states are fascinating and my all-time favourites. Our defence forces are the backbone of our countrys safety and security. Kudos to their undying spirit. I wish every citizen a very Happy Republic Day to everyone, told Akansha.

Yogesh Tripathi (Daroga Happu Singh, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan)

Republic Day commemorates the process of establishment of the Indian constitution. On this day, I salute all our warriors and our frontline workers for their indomitable spirit, grit, and support in keeping us safe and secure. I wish everyone a Happy Republic Day.

Rohitashv Gour (Manmohan Tiwari, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai)

Rohitashv Gour said India is an epitome of diversity. It is a land of many languages, cultures, traditions and creeds. Republic Day reminds us of our freedom struggle and how the great freedom fighters sacrificed their lives to safeguard this country. It is a day to reaffirm our commitment to equality and fraternity for all, unity in diversity. I salute the freedom fighters and frontline warriors who have worked round the clock in saving lives and ensuring we are safe within our homes during this pandemic. Jai Hind!
Washington: US President Joe Biden on Tuesday warned Russia of severe consequences if it were to move into Ukraine as he welcomed any efforts to de-escalate the tensions in the region.

"I have made it clear early on to President (Vladimir) Putin that if he were to move into Ukraine, there would be severe consequences, including significant economic sanctions, as well as I would feel obliged to beef up our presence -- NATO's presence on the eastern front: Poland, Romania etc.," Biden told reporters.

Earlier in the day, Biden had a meeting with his national security team. "There has been no change in the posture of the Russian forces. They are along the entire Belarus border," he said.

At the same time, Biden said the US has no intention of putting American forces or NATO forces in Ukraine. "But as I said, there are going to be serious economic consequences if he (Putin) moves," he asserted.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that there are one lakh Russian troops at the border, bellicose rhetoric, and actions, including false-flag operations to try to spread misinformation throughout the region and even the world, setting up the predicate for an invasion.

"So, while, of course, our preferred path is diplomacy -- and we cannot predict where the mind of President Putin is -- we have certainly seen aggressive actions and preparations increasing at the border," she said.

Responding to a question, Psaki welcomed any efforts to de-escalate the tensions in the region. "We certainly welcome any efforts to de-escalate and we are in touch with a range of allies and partners on this. But I do not have any specific conversations to read out that relate to Indian officials," she said.

The Pentagon said it has put some troops here domestically on a heightened alert posture.

"They have not been ordered to deploy. The NATO Response Force has not been activated and General Walters has resources already, I mean, tens of thousands of troops that we have stationed in Europe, again, some on rotational orders, that he could move around in consultation and coordination clearly with the allies," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters at a separate news conference.

Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with British Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss to take stock of recent engagements to deter Russia from its troubling military build-up in and near Ukraine.

"The United States and the United Kingdom are coordinating with each other, as well as with NATO and European allies and partners, to encourage Russia to de-escalate tensions and commit to a path of diplomacy," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

"The Secretary and Foreign Secretary Truss also discussed coordination to stand firmly against economic coercion by the People's Republic of China, and how to reach a successful conclusion on talks with Iran on mutual return to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action," he added.

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South Africa: Eight arrested in KZN mass murders

Police in KwaZulu-Natal have secured the arrests of eight suspects linked to two multiple mass murder cases earlier this month.

This development was on Wednesday announced by Police Minister Bheki Cele during a press briefing in Durban.

In January, 14 people were killed within hours in Richmond, in uMgungundlovu and Inanda, in eThekwini.

The Richmond multiple shooting claimed eight lives, including that of a 17-year-old teenager.

The shooting took place at a homestead in Esigcakeni.

Cele said a multi-disciplinary operation was conducted in the Richmond area and resulted in the arrest of seven suspects aged between 21 and 43.

He said the suspects, who were arrested in different locations, were found in possession of several high caliber firearms and ammunition, including possession of drugs.

He said while no arrests had been made in the KwaMakhuta shooting, police investigations were following up on strong leads.

In that shooting, four men aged between 24 and 28 were gunned down in a drive-by shooting while seated under a tree.

In the Inanda shooting, in which six people were killed, one suspect had been arrested and a firearm had been siezed.

He said police were strongly pursuing information that the firearms were linked to the multiple murders.

Multiple murder cases

Meanwhile, the Minister said KZN had recorded 229 incidents of multiple murders between 1 April last year and 23 January 2022.

The shootings, he said, had claimed 531 lives, with a majority in the eThekwini and uMgungundlovu areas.

Cele said while the motives for some of these attacks were still subject to police investigation, drug wars retaliation and revenge attacks remained the leading causes for cases where motives have been established.

This motive was followed by robbery either at a home or business. Arguments were the third highest causative factors for multiple killings.

He said: The top three areas of multiple murders are at the home of victims or perpetrator or the home of a family member, friend or a neighbour.

Many of the victims were also gunned down on the streets, open fields or while inside a mode of transport such as a car, taxi or bus.

The Minister said the figures painted a grim picture and translate to hundreds of families looking for answers and searching for justice and closure.

We owe it to the victims of these multiple shootings and all victims of murders, to go over and above the normal call of duty and find these killers; come hell or high water.

The same agility and intelligence used to track and trace the suspects in the latest breakthroughs, must be used to bring justice for these victims too, he said.

Between April 2021 and January 2022, police had seized 1372 firearms through various operations.

He said police remained encouraged that such police breakthroughs and swift arrests would send a strong message that police are capable and up to the task.

The removal of these dangerous weapons off our streets is also most welcomed and I am confident it will go along way in ensuring that the proliferation of firearms is curtailed, said Cele. When guns are removed from the wrong hands, lives are spared. We trust the capable team led by the Provincial Commissioner that they will work twice as hard in ensuring that parts of KZN province are not again turned into killingfield.

He added that police were confident that the courts would, after securing convictions, mete out appropriate sentences, fit for those crimes.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Press Release

January 26, 2022 Pangilinan files 'Bawat Pamilya May College Gradweyt' bill SENATOR Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Wednesday filed a bill seeking to fund the studies until college graduation of one member of every eligible Filipino family. Senate Bill 2495, or the "Bawat Pamilya May College Gradweyt Act", seeks to "ensure that at least one member of every eligible Filipino family shall be assisted to pursue and successfully complete college education." The bill gives priority to first-generation college students, or students who are part of households included in the Listahanan 2.0, and students who are not part of the Listahanan 2.0 but belong to low-income households. "Alam natin ito: Mas mabilis makakaalpas sa kahirapan ang pamilya kung mayroong kahit isang graduate ng kolehiyo sa pamilya. Dapat tutukan ito," Pangilinan said. Listahan 2.0 is the Department of Social Welfare and Development's data bank of about 5.2 million poor households. It is also known as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTS-PR). Under the bill, Pangilinan said "beneficiaries of the program shall be entitled to receive full tuition and other school fees subsidies and allowances," as provided for in the bill. Pangilinan said "it is the policy of the State to protect and promote the rights of all students to quality education at all levels" and that the State "shall likewise ensure that students from eligible Filipino families, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, shall be given utmost priority and adequate support to successfully pursue and complete tertiary education." The "Bawat Pamilya May College Gradweyt Program" amends Republic Act 10931, or the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act." It is to be implemented by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary education (UniFAST) board. The UniFAST board, under the bill, is to promulgate appropriate guidelines and monitor the progress of student beneficiaries until they have successfully completed tertiary education. Under the bill, the UniFAST board is also being expanded to include the following: the secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as ex officio member; president of the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges as member; chairman of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations as member; president of the Association of Local Colleges and Universities as member; president of the Government Service Insurance System as a non-voting member; and president of the Social Security System as a non-voting member.
Press Release

January 26, 2022 Senate OKs ratification of treaty vs. illegal weapons trade Voting 16-0-6, the Senate passed Wednesday, January 26, 2022, a resolution concurring in the Philippines' ratification of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), taking part in the global efforts to eradicate illicit weapons trade. Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said the ATT establishes common international standards for regulating international trade of conventional arms, and in effect addressing the illegal trade in conventional arms and preventing their diversion into the wrong hands. The agreement was adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on April 2, 2013, with over 100 state parties at present. The Philippines signed the treaty in 2013, the first country in Southeast Asia to do so, Pimentel noted. "Supporting the ATT is consistent with the Philippines' policy of championing and leading global efforts on peace and disarmament," Pimentel said in his sponsorship speech on Senate Resolution No. 960. The 1987 Constitution requires the vote of at least two-thirds of all members of the Senate for treaties and international agreements to be valid and effective. Senate President Pro Tempore Recto, Majority Leader Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, and Sens. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, Christopher "Bong" Go, Grace Poe and Francis "Tol" Tolentino abstained on the resolution. Under the ATT, state parties are obligated to take measures to prevent weapons from falling into the wrong hands. States involved in export, transit, shipment and importation must cooperate and share information to mitigate risk of diversion and take appropriate measures to enforce national laws and regulations implementing the provision of ATT, Pimentel said. Countries must also develop export and import control systems for the trade in conventional arms. The treaty prohibits the transfer of arms, ammunitions, parts and components that would violate obligations under the UN Charter; the obligations of state parties under relevant international agreements; and if the items would be used in the commission of crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, attacks against civilian, or war crimes. The ATT covers all conventional arms such as battle tanks, armored combat vehicles, large-calibre artillery systems, combat aircrafts, warships, missiles and missile launchers, as well as small arms and light weapons, including ammunition, parts and components. "The ATT will not negatively impact our local arms industries in terms of exports or imports," Pimentel assured, noting a Center for Arms Violence Reduction report finding that the ATT "will enhance trade standards and improve market value." "Being a state party to the ATT will also signal our commitment to upholding international humanitarian law and human rights law, and help to avoid accusations of complicity in atrocities or abuses, if arms are misused following a transfer or export by one of our manufacturers," he added. Pimentel pointed out: "The illicit arms trade and unregulated arms transfers have prolonged armed conflicts, undermined peace and stability, fostered crime and terrorism, facilitated atrocities and put civilians at high risk of death and injury from weapons-related violence." "The Arms Trade Treaty can help address our long-time problem of weapons ending up in the hands of criminal groups in our country," he said.




According to a document from the National Center for Strategic Planning (CEPLAN) , the OECD traces its roots back to the post-World War II, when European leaders agreed that the best way to ensure lasting peace was to encourage co-operation and reconstruction of the nations involved in the war.





Later, in 1961, the OECD was officially established as the successor to the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which oversaw the implementation of the Marshall Plan a major element in the economic recovery of Europe and in the establishment of democratic regimes in Western Europe.





Since then, the OECD has focused its efforts to provide a space for its member countries (and for non-member countries) to dialogue and identify the best practices in various areas of their economies.





Currently, the OECD comprises 38 countries: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States.





According to its official website, the OECD is an international organisation that works to build better policies for better lives. Its goal is to shape policies that foster prosperity, equality, opportunity, and well-being for all.





Together with governments, policy makers and citizens, the OECD works on establishing evidence-based international standards and finding solutions to a range of social, economic, and environmental challenges.





From improving economic performance and creating jobs to fostering strong education and fighting international tax evasion, the OECD provides a unique forum and knowledge hub for data and analysis, exchange of experiences, best-practice sharing, and advice on public policies and international standard-setting.





Peru and the OECD





CEPLAN finds that being a full member of the OECD is important for the economic and social development of Peru for several reasons.





"The main one has a symbolic meaning. It would mean a significant achievement for a country that until not long ago was still one of the many countries unable to overcome the trap of average income," it explains.





The process of rapprochement with the OECD has been gradual. In 2008, Peru was admitted as an observer member in the OECD Investment Committee





Then, in 2009, Peru joined the OECD Development Centre , which is a space for analysis and the interchange of experiences on economic and social policies between developed and developing countries.





In the following years, Peru approached the OECD through the Competition and Consumer Policy Committees, as well as the OECD Working Group on Bribery.





In 2012, Peru expressed its formal interest in becoming a member of the Organisation for the first time and conveyed the same interest for a second time in 2017.





The OECD Ministerial Council agreed, in April 2014, to invite Peru to participate in the "Country Program," a mechanism that seeks to help a limited number of countries achieve OECD standards and practices a process that the country underwent between 2014 and 2019.





In 2018, Peru became a Party to the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (Anti-Bribery Convention) and the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, with the aim of fighting corruption and fostering greater transparency and exchange of information.





On October 9, 2021, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the President of the Republic Pedro Castillo sent a letter to the Secretary-General of the OECD, Mathias Cormann , to reaffirm Peru's aspiration to become a member of said multilateral organisation.









(END) CNA/JJN/RMB

On Tuesday, the Council of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) decided to invite Peru to start the process of accession to this institution. However, it is necessary to know what the OECD represents and what benefits it can bring to the country.Publicado: 26/1/2022
#CumbreAlianzaDelPacifico | Fotografia oficial de los Jefes de Estado, junto a los Cancilleres y ministros de Comercio, quienes participan en la @A_delPacifico, en Colombia. pic.twitter.com/jfoyPfCv1o
El Canciller Oscar Maurtua, junto al ministro Roberto Sanchez, representa a nuestro pais en la reunion del Consejo de Ministros de la @A_delPacifico en Bogota, Colombia, previa a la XVI #CumbreAlianzaDelPacifico que se realizara manana 26 de enero en Bahia de Malaga ????????????????. pic.twitter.com/yAoQ6jmodJ
???? #Noticias | Descubren un tesoro arqueologico oculto bajo Machu Picchu.



Estaba muy cerca y ni siquiera sabiamos que estaba alli, dice una investigadora.



Via @TelemundoNews ????https://t.co/U6ZMbbrptD pic.twitter.com/kDiAdDXqTi
Remarks were made during the meetings of the Pacific Alliance Council of Ministers and Free Trade Commission held on Tuesday in Bogota, Colombia.

"Let us continue to strengthen this process because now, more than ever, we need to work together to face the challenges of the pandemic, as well as the challenges of the digitalization and fourth industrial revolution," the head of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) said.



"We still have a lot to do to revive our economies and our trade," he added.

The Free Trade Commission which comprises the Ministers of Foreign Trade of Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru reached an agreement (Decision 13) that updates the Specific Requirements of Origin in line with the 2017 Harmonized System.

"This work is important since it will allow trade agents of the Pacific Alliance to have up-to-date information and regulatory certainty in the development of their commercial operations," Sanchez announced.

??Una #AlianzaDelPacifico resiliente!????El ministro @RoberthoSanchez destaco las iniciativas impulsadas desde @A_delPacifico para impulsar la reactivacion economica de la agroexportaciones y el #turismo.



Mas informacion aqui??https://t.co/sVMzFytpQh#CumbreAlianzaDelPacifico pic.twitter.com/E3NEAhws19
Compartimos la fotografia oficial de la XVI Cumbre de la @A_delPacifico. El presidente @PedroCastilloTe y sus homologos de Chile y Colombia, y el secretario de Hacienda de Mexico, fortalecen los lazos de integracion regional entre los cuatro paises miembros.

???????????????? pic.twitter.com/9fLQlGJexR
Presidente @PedroCastilloTe: "Extiendo un abrazo de solidaridad a los pescadores afectados. Desde el Gobierno ratifico nuestro compromiso de sancionar y hacer responsable a la empresa que tiene que pagar por los danos a la poblacion y a la naturaleza".#SiempreConElPueblo pic.twitter.com/OfNNGI3iI1
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Open borders between Armenia and the European Union will further develop partnership and promote people-to-people contacts, Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ararat Mirzoyan tweeted during his visit to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

Today I locked a personalized padlock on the E Schlass fir Schengen Sculpture, symbolizing the idea of open borders. I am convinced that the open borders between Armenia and the EU will further develop our partnership and promote people-to-people contacts, FM Mirzoyan tweeted.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Armenian customs officers seized an unprecedented amount of smuggled mobile phones at the Yerevan airports cargo storage.

The State Revenue Committee (SRC) said that its detectives were tipped off that smugglers will be attempting to bring in the cargo from a Eurasian Economic Union member-state through a postal service company.

SRC officers found the 1328 mobile phones worth nearly $600,000 at the cargo storage facility of the Yerevans Zvartnots airport. The cargo was smuggled by air from Russia, with all parcels having the same labels. Apart from mobile phones, the smugglers attempted to import tablets, e-cigarettes and accessories for mobile phones.

The cargo was confiscated amid a criminal investigation, the SRC said.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Healthcare Anahit Avanesyan received Ambassador of Iran to Armenia Abbas Badakhshan Zohouri, the ministry said.

During the meeting Minister Avanesyan highly valued the current level of dialogue between Armenia and Iran, expressing confidence that the agreements reached during the 16th session of the Armenian-Iranian joint inter-governmental commission will enter an active implementation stage.

In his turn the Ambassador highlighted the importance of raising the level of mutual recognition between Iran and Armenia in order to bring the bilateral partnership in the field of health to a qualitatively new level.

Investment programs, development of healthcare tourism and other matters relating to the bilateral cooperation were discussed during the meeting.

The big potential of the Armenian-Iranian partnership in pharmaceutics is obvious. We constantly consider the opportunities to mutually engage the Iranian-made medicine into the Armenian market, she said.

The Iranian Ambassador was interested in the production of the Sputnik Light vaccine against COVID-19 in Armenia.

The Armenian Minister and the Iranian Ambassador also touched upon the bilateral healthcare programs, the educational programs integration and exchange of experience matters.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister Hambardzum Matevosyan received today Ambassador of Sweden to Armenia Patrik Svensson, the deputy PMs Office reports.

Deputy PM Matevosyan welcomed the current positive dynamics in the Armenian-Swedish bilateral relations and highly appreciated the interest of the Swedish government to contribute to Armenias reform agenda and its support provided during the 2020 Nagorno Karabakh war.

The Ambassador highlighted the partnership with Armenia and expressed the readiness of the Swedish government to contribute to the development of democracy, rule of law and human rights in Armenia.

At the meeting the sides highlighted the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives held in Azerbaijan, and agreed that the resumption of negotiations around the comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict must be carried out under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

The meeting also touched upon the humanitarian problems caused by the war, as well as the Armenia-Turkey normalization process, and the efforts for establishing lasting peace and stability in the region.

While discussing issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Swedish cooperation, deputy PM Hambardzum Matevosyan highlighted the presence of Swedish companies in Armenia, particularly in road infrastructure construction processes, as well as the intensification of mutual partnership in judicial reforms, fight against corruption and protection of human rights.
YEREVAN, JANUARY 26, ARMENPRESS. Foreign Minister of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan met today with the President of the Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg Fernand Etgen during his official visit in Luxembourg, the Armenian MFA reports.

The meeting was attended also by the representatives of all political parties represented at the Chamber of Deputies.

Ararat Mirzoyan and Fernand Etgen praised the current productive cooperation between Armenia and Luxembourg, also at the inter-parliamentary level. The sides emphasized the importance of intensifying the ties between the parliamentary friendship groups and at international parliamentary platforms, particularly within the OSCE.

They also touched upon the implementation of the Armenia-European Union Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement (CEPA). FM Mirzoyan reaffirmed Armenias commitment to consistently develop the partnership with the EU within the frames of this agreement, in this respect highlighting the support of Luxembourg.

Regional security and stability-related issues were also touched upon at the meeting. Ararat Mirzoyan expressed gratitude for the adoption of resolutions by the Chamber of Deputies during and after the 2020 war launched by Azerbaijan against Artsakh, which were expressing support to the Artsakh-Armenians and the protection of their rights. The FM also highly appreciated the positions of the executive and legislative powers of Luxembourg on the necessity of repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and other persons held in Azerbaijan.

The sides also discussed the ongoing democratic processes in Armenia and the latest regional developments.
YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS, France calls its EU and NATO partners to do everything possible to continue the dialogue with Russia, ARMENPRESS reports, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian made a statement at the French Senate on January 26 commenting on the created situation around Ukraine.



I will not hide that the situation is very tense. We strive to stop the escalation with our EU and NATO partners. The Foreign Minister informed that all agree that in case of encroachments on territorial integrity of Ukraine large-scale sanctions are necessary.



We are working on it. Nevertheless, it is necessary to do everything to continue the dialogue with Russia and that we will contribute to the easing of tensions, Jean-Yves Le Drian announced.
YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. On January 26, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, who is in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on an official visit, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the MFA Armenia, the Foreign Ministers of the two countries praised the cooperation in the fields of democracy, rule of law, protection of human rights, as well as the fight against corruption. Ararat Mirzoyan and Jean Asselborn expressed readiness to intensify the political dialogue between the two countries.

It was emphasized that on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Armenia and Luxembourg, the first official visit of the Armenian Foreign Minister in the history of bilateral cooperation will serve as a new impetus for the realization of the still untapped potential for cooperation.

The sides exchanged views on deepening the Armenia-EU partnership, emphasizing in this context the effective implementation of the Armenia-EU Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement.

The interlocutors highlighted the cooperation between the parliaments of the two countries, in particular, through the Armenia - Luxembourg friendship groups.

The Ministers noted with satisfaction the experience of effective cooperation within the framework of international organizations, including the Council of Europe, the OSCE, and the United Nations, expressing mutual readiness to make efforts to strengthen close cooperation at the multilateral level.

The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Luxembourg discussed regional and international security issues. The sides exchanged views on the solution of humanitarian problems created by the aggression unleashed by Azerbaijan against the people of Artsakh. Minister Mirzoyan thanked for Luxembourg's clear position from the very first days of the 44-day war, including the adoption of the resolution condemning the hostilities unleashed by Azerbaijan against Artsakh by the parliament of Luxembourg. The sides emphasized the need for a comprehensive and lasting settlement of NK conflict under the mandate of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs format.

During the meeting, reference was made to the process of normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey without preconditions. The importance of establishing cooperation between the countries of the region and creating preconditions for sustainable development was emphasized.
YEREVAN, 26 JANUARY, ARMENPRESS. The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia Alen Simonyan had a telephone conversation with the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on January 26.

As ARNMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan congratulated his counterpart on being elected parliament Speaker and on birthday.

The partners discussed issues related to the agenda of the Armenian-Georgian parliamentary diplomacy. The head of the Armenian parliament invited the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament to pay an official visit to Armenia.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he was prepared to speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin once again to discuss the situation in Ukraine.

January 26, 2022, 11:31 UKs Boris Johnson says he is ready to speak to President Putin again

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 26, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The truth is that if Russias goal is to keep NATO forces away from her borders, then if that is Russias goal, then invading Ukraine could scarcely be more counter-productive," the prime minister said as he gave a statement on the situation in Ukraine to the House of Commons.

"My Right Honorable Friends the Foreign and Defense Secretaries have both conveyed the same message to President Putin and I am prepared of course to speak, ready to speak to him again," Boris Johnson said, reiterating that he had a phone call with the Russian leader on December 13.

"I believe that all of Russias fears could yet be allayed, and we could find a path to mutual security through patient and principled diplomacy," he went on to say.

According to Boris Johnson, the UK is trying "to combine dialogue with deterrence" in its policy towards Moscow, but "will not hesitate to toughen our national sanctions against Russia" in case an allegedly planned incursion into Ukraine takes place.
UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss may visit Russia within the next two weeks, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told reporters on Wednesday.

January 26, 2022, 17:41 UK foreign minister may visit Russia within two weeks. Lavrov

STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 26, ARTSAKHPRESS: "We have already agreed on the date," he said. "Itll happen in the next two weeks."

A diplomatic source earlier told TASS that Russia agreed to a request for a visit by the UK foreign minister. UK foreign ministers havent come to Russia since Johnson, whos now the prime minister, visited in December 2017.
A tradition since 1974, Catholic Schools Week focuses on the value that Catholic education provides to young people and celebrates their contributions to our church, our community and our nation. The theme for National Catholic Schools Week 2022, taking place Jan. 30 through Feb. 5, is Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.

St. Albert the Great Academy will be celebrating Catholic Schools Week each day according to a specific daily theme. Please consider joining the events listed as open to the public.

Sunday, Jan. 30: Celebrating our parishes: Catholic schools benefit all year long from the religious guidance, prayers and support parishes provide. This weeks parish bulletin insert showcases the value of Catholic schools in the Auburn area. Eucharistic adoration will be held at the Tyburn Academy chapel from 8 to 9 p.m. (Open to the public.)

Monday, Jan. 31: Celebrating our community: A central aspect of Catholic education is learning the importance of service to others. When students take part in service activities, they demonstrate the values and faith gained through Catholic education. There will be a schoolwide nonperishable food drive to benefit the St. Alphonsus and Holy Family food pantries. St. Albert will accept donations from the public for this worthy cause. Donations can be dropped off at St. Albert through Monday, Jan. 31.

Tuesday, Feb. 1: Celebrating our students: Schools celebrate students during CSW by planning enjoyable and meaningful activities for them and recognizing their accomplishments. Dress-down day for student and special games and activities will take place during physical education.

Wednesday, Feb. 2: Celebrating our nation: Catholic schools pray for our nation and celebrate those who serve our country. There will be a living rosary and prayer service with special military guests at 9 a.m. at St. Hyacinth Church. (Open to the public.)

Thursday Feb. 3: Celebrating vocations: By focusing on faith, knowledge and service, Catholic schools prepare children to use their God-given talents to the fullest later in life. Children will therefore invite their special person for an activity and time together.

Friday Feb. 4: Celebrating faculty, staff and volunteers: On this day, we will honor our teachers, administrators and staff who support them in their work and thank those who provide volunteer service. There will be a 10:30 a.m. Mass at St. Hyacinth Church (open to the public) and a luncheon in honor of our St. Albert teachers.

Catholic Schools Week brings to mind great memories for students, parents and staff who have participated in the past. Denise Short, who is a teachers aide at St. Albert, recalls one of her favorite memories involving her son, now an adult:

"Special Persons Day was always the highlight of CSW. Each student got to invite one adult to come to school and spend an hour or so with them. The special person got to meet teachers and classmates, visit classrooms and tour the school. The most fun was doing a special craft or project together in their classroom. I will always remember my own son 'showing off' his special person (usually his grandparents or his aunt) to his teachers and friends. Each student would make a thank you card to present to their person. The ones my son made for his person were proudly displayed on his grandparents or aunts refrigerator. I know how much it meant to my parents and sister to be asked to be his special person. Im so happy that my son has such wonderful memories to look back on of his years at St. Joseph School, especially the fun of Catholic Schools Week!"

James Cuddy is currently a high school senior who attended St. Joseph School for his elementary and middle school educations. He remembers CSW in this way:

"I was able to experience CSW many times and have many core memories associated with those years. There are many traditions that came with CSW at St. Joseph, such as the book fair, Special Persons Day, and Friday Mass. However, there was one tradition that I loved more than anything, a tradition that embodied what I felt St. Joseph stood for: the end-of-the-week boxed snack exchange. It was pure bliss if you were between preschool and third grade because you were on the receiving end of the goodies. As I got older, it brought me a lot of joy to give someone their favorite drink, candy and snack, all contained within a box I created. I didnt think about this much at the time because of the laughter and joy happening around me, but this was a cornerstone of what we as a school stood for. We were not only being taught to love thy neighbor, the golden rule, and to treat others with kindness and respect, but we put those words into action. Throughout Catholic Schools Week, at the end of the week snack exchange, and beyond, St. Joseph fostered these principles in their students. It is those principles that have taken me where I am today.

At St. Albert, we are blessed to be part of the rich and vibrant Auburn Catholic community. Our history is woven together with the many schools, parishes and organizations that have come before us, like St. Joseph School, and those that continue on, like our parishes. Do you have fond memories of participating in the activities of Catholic Schools Week? We would love to hear your stories or see your pictures from your CSW experiences. Please reach out on our Facebook page (@StAlberttheGreatAcademy), on Instagram (@st.albertthegreatacademy) or via email (info@stalbertacademy.org).

St. Albert the Great Academy is a new Catholic school for grades pre-K-6, located at 134 Washington St., Auburn. For more information, visit stalbertthegreatacademy.com or call (315) 283-0555.

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The Cayuga County Legislature on Tuesday voted to table a resolution asking the local health department not to enforce the state's mask-or-vaccine mandate.

The vote was 14-1. Legislator Andrew Dennison, who introduced the resolution, was the lone vote against the motion to table the measure.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the mask-or-vaccine mandate for businesses and indoor public venues in December as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations began to rise. The directive is temporary  it was due to expire in mid-January but was extended to Feb. 1  and requires businesses and indoor venues to either require customers and staff to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or wear a mask.

Hochul said that counties would be responsible for enforcing the requirement, but some counties are defying the directive and not enforcing the mask-or-vaccine rules.

In December, then-Cayuga County Legislature Chairwoman Aileen McNabb-Coleman said that the county would enforce the mandate, but that the health department would take an educational approach before fining businesses.

Kathleen Cuddy, the county's public health director, told The Citizen on Monday that while the health department has received complaints since the new requirement took effect, it has not issued any consent orders  fines  for failing to abide by the directive.

According to Cuddy, if there is a complaint, the health department has a conversation with the business or venue and offers masks to provide to customers and signage to encourage patrons to wear masks.

"The majority of businesses are appreciative of the phone call and offers of support and indicate they continue to do their best to remain in compliance with the vaccination or mask use mandate," Cuddy added.

The Cayuga County Board of Health met Tuesday afternoon and asked the county Legislature to postpone its vote on the resolution. After a discussion about the resolution and new developments involving the state directive, the board voted to ask the Legislature to postpone its consideration of the measure.

"My opinion is that right now, especially with this court order from downstate, if there was a resolution here at the county level it's going to create an enormous amount of confusion at all levels," said Tim Fessenden, a member of the health board.

Fessenden was referring to a state Supreme Court in Nassau County judge's ruling on Monday that the mask-or-vaccine mandate is unconstitutional. However, there was an earlier ruling from a different judge in another county that upheld the directive. A state appellate court on Tuesday issued a stay, which means the mask mandate remains in effect.

Dennison's resolution followed a vote on a motion opposing the mask mandate at the legislature's reorganizational meeting on Jan. 1. But the county Legislature's action created confusion because there wasn't a formal resolution. Chris Palermo, the county attorney, told members of the board of health earlier this month that it would be illegal for the legislature to prevent the health department from enforcing public health law.

Since there are legal questions about the legislature's authority, Dennison's resolution was worded to request that the local health department not enforce the requirement.

Cayuga County Legislator Elane Daly, who serves on the health board and is the county's former director of health and human services, thought the resolution would create more confusion and divisiveness at a time when COVID-19 cases remain high and nearly 20 residents are hospitalized.

"There is still a public health directive to enforce," she said. "There is still a state education mandate that requires children to go and be masked in school. I'm unclear why we would be voting on this anyway. I'm not sure it compels anything."

Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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AUBURN  The Auburn Enlarged City School District's top business official is optimistic on the outlook for the 2022-23 budget.

Lisa Green, the business official, gave a presentation to the board on Gov. Kathy Hochul's proposed budget at its meeting Tuesday.

The governor's proposal was announced last week. Under this plan, the state would issue $31.3 billion in aid to public schools, representing a $2.1 billion jump from the 2021-22 school year. Foundation aid  which is the base aid schools receive from the state  would go up $1.6 billion, in the second year of an effort to fully fund the state's foundation aid formula over a three-year period.

Auburn is poised to see a 12.2% boost in foundation aid. Green's presentation said the district's foundation aid total under the 2021-22 budget that was adopted by voters in May is $32,694,988, and Auburn's foundation aid under the governor's proposal would come to $36,701,631.

The district is also currently set to receive a 9.6% increase in total state aid, as Auburn got $45,421,363 in the 2021-22 adopted budget and would get a total of $49,766,711.

While speaking in front of the board, Green said Hochul is "following through on the promise that was made in last year's budget to fully find the current foundation aid formula."

"Even though we know there are changes needed, we want changes in the foundation aid formula, we're very, very happy to see that we are least getting the full funding," Green said.

Green's presentation said Hochul's proposed budget also entails a new $2 million grant that districts would need to apply for that is meant to support positive school climate programs in high-need districts. Building and transportation aid forgiveness for clerical errors is also included in the proposal, the presentation said.

"Overall, it's a good picture for us. It's the best picture we've seen in years, as long as I've been here," Green said.

Staff writer Kelly Rocheleau can be reached at (315) 282-2243 or kelly.rocheleau@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @KellyRocheleau.

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The state department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the union representing New York State Park Police are expressing optimism that Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget plan for the next fiscal year will help address a decline in the ranks of the park police.

With a long-term plan to have park police coordinate with New York State Police is still in the works, there has been some worry that the park police would eventually dissolve entirely. And the ranks of the park police have been dwindling as officers transfer to other agencies  sometimes with more generous retirement benefits.

But Hochul's budget proposal includes a line item for a Park Police Academy class to be held in the fall with the goal of hiring more officers in the spring of 2023.

We appreciate the fact that we have two state parks in Cayuga County  Fillmore Glen and Fair Haven Beach  and while the natural attractions are first and foremost in the minds of visitors, safety and security must not be overlooked.

The state has spent a lot of money in recent years promoting its parks, and tourists and residents alike have benefited from major infrastructure upgrades at many parks.

And while there are state and county police agencies and rescue personnel from volunteer fire departments and other rescue squads standing by and ready to help should things go sour at a campground, lake or hiking trail, the trained officers on site at New York's parks are the first line of defense for keeping a lid on crime and responding to emergencies.

It may make sense to have park police work in tandem with the state police, and the numbers appear to indicate a shortfall in park police officers might be repaired with smarter retention efforts, so the state should do all it can along those lines, as well.

The Citizen Editorial board includes president and director of local sales and marketing Michelle Bowers, executive editor Jeremy Boyer and managing editor Mike Dowd.

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The Haval Dargo is sold by the name Big Dog in the market of China.When launched in India, Haval Dargo will come out to be a rival to the compact SUVs such as Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass.

Great Wall Motors made its debut in India back in 2020 when it displayed its models at the Auto Expo 2020 hinting an imminent launch, however the plans were delayed due to several reasons including the pandemic and border-related issues with China. Now the company has filed for a trademark for the Dargo nameplate in the country, hinting that it could be one of the initial models to go on sale in India when GWM starts its official innings in India.

(Also Read: Great Wall Motors moves some India investment to Brazil: Report)

The Haval Dargo is sold by the name Big Dog in the market of China. The company sells this model internationally with two engine options - a 169bhp, 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine and a 211bhp, 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol engine. For the transmission, the car uses either a seven-speed DCT unit with FWD and AWD layouts.

Some of the key exterior features of the car include circular LED headlamps with integrated LED DRLs, body cladding all around, a large black grille, fog lights, contrast-coloured ORVMs, black roof rails, contrast-coloured skid plates, dual-tone alloy wheels, vertically stacked LED tail lights, a boot-lid mounted number plate recess, a shark-fin antenna, and an integrated spoiler.

Inside the cabin, the centre stage is taken by a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and its three-spoke multi-function steering wheel guards a 10.25-inch fully-digital instrument console. Other key features also include vertical AC vents, rotary gear knob, electric parking brake, and rear AC vents.

(Also Read: Great Wall Motors speeds up India plans, launches website with Haval SUV brand)

Dimensionally, the car spans 4,620 mm in length, 1,890 mm in width, and 1,780mm in height. Its wheelbase measures 2,738mm in length.

When launched in India, it will come out to be a rival to the compact SUVs such as Tata Harrier and Jeep Compass.

First Published Date:
With Gasgoo Daily, we will offer daily important automotive news in China. For those we have reported, the title of the piece will include a hyperlink, which will provide detailed information.

Huawei confirms Su Jings departure from auto BU



After the report that Su Jing, former leader of Huaweis autonomous driving business, has left the telecom giants automotive business unit, Huawei confirmed the news and thanked the expert for his contribution to the business unit.

GAC executive advises to extend new energy vehicle subsidy policy



Feng Xingya, general manager of GAC Group, proposed to extend new energy vehicle subsidies to 2025. The executive from the automaker suggested introducing new subsidy policies as soon as possible to maintain the stability and continuity of the policy.

Intelligent factory of GAC AION; photo credit: GAC

Ganfeng registers mining company in Sichuan

Ganfeng Lithium incorporates a mining company in Sichuan with a registered capital of RMB1 billion. The new firms business includes mining of mineral resources (excluding coal mines), mineral resources exploration.

China encourages Shenzhen to boost deployment of EV charging, battery swap facilities



China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued earlier this week a document saying the central government will support Shenzhen in constructing and operating new-type integrated infrastructures for NEV charging, discharging, battery swapping, and energy storage under a uniform planning.



LiangDao Intelligence completes A+ round

Chinas LiDAR system solution provider, LiangDao Intelligence, has completed its A+ financing round, raising over hundreds of millions of yuan.



NIO builds insurance brokerage subsidiary

NIO recently set up a subsidiary working on insurance brokerage business, a move in response to Chinas launch of NEV (new energy vehicle)-dedicated commercial insurance.



Innovusion joins hands with autonomous driving company Mushroom

Innovusion has inked a strategic cooperation agreement with autonomous driving company Mushroom for LiDAR-based autonomous driving development in the following three years.



Baidu, Geely invest $400 million in JIDU's A financing round

Baidus JIDU announced that it had completed A round of financing, raising nearly $400 million from its parent companies, Baidu and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.
Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas LiDAR system solution provider, LiangDao Intelligence, has completed its A+ financing round, raising over hundreds of millions of yuan.

Photo credit: LiangDao Intelligence



SDIC Fund led the investment round. Participants of this round include the leading algorithm and software solution provider, ArcSoft.

LiangDao Intelligence said that the funds would be put towards technology R&D and productization, accelerating the mass production and scale delivery of systematic, integrated LiDAR solutions.

As a LiDAR supplier, LiangDao Intelligence strives to promote the mass production and application of LiDAR systems in the intelligent driving and intelligent transportation fields.

The company offers a one-stop solution for automakers. Its services include LiDAR hardware integration, perceptual algorithm development, big data-based test and verification, and function iteration. The company possesses solid technical delivery ability in China and Europe.

Meanwhile, LiangDao Intelligence has been actively expanding its business in the intelligent transportation area. Its roadside integrated perception system has landed multiple procurement orders from mainstream clients in China and Europe, providing an exceptional Chinese solution for all.

Moreover, LiangDao Intelligence stands out from the crowded autonomous driving playfield for its experience in the German auto industry. Since 2015, its core founding team has been dedicated to autonomous driving development, realizing mass production and delivery by working with Chinese and German automakers.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued earlier this week a document saying the central government will support Shenzhen in constructing and operating new-type integrated infrastructures for NEV charging, discharging, battery swapping, and energy storage under a uniform planning.

Photo credit: TELD



As one of the four first-tier cities in China, Shenzhen is expected to ease market assess in a bid to help promote reform and opening up for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The paper also states Shenzhen will be encouraged to speed up the deployment of fast EV charging and battery swapping facilities at rest stops along trunk highways, and boost the building of centralized EV charging and battery swapping equipment at parking places in urban areas, industrial parks, scenic spots as well as public services areas.

Moreover, relevant companies in Shenzhen will be encouraged to carry out pilot projects for the innovation in business models about EV charging and battery swapping businesses. Power grid firms, NEV manufacturers, power battery producers, as well as companies in such industries as traffic, real estate, and property will be supported in investing in and building operation companies using market-oriented methods, and improving the operational efficiency of EV charging and battery swap businesses.
SAN FRANCISCOFalcon|NakedSword announced Wednesday that gay star Andre Donovan has signed a one-year exclusive contract with the company.



Donovan will make his debut as an exclusive in the second episode NakedSword Originals new release "Train My Hole." The series premieres on NakedSword.com on Wednesday, February 2, 2022, with Donovans debut episode going live on February 9.



A trained theater actor who continues to perform in mainstream theater, film and TV productions, Donovan entered the gay porn world in 2014. Since then, hes appeared in productions from Falcon|NakedSword as well as other reputable studios. His recent work in acting-focused roles with Falcon|NakedSword sparked conversations with studio directors Tony Dimarco and Marc MacNamara and president Tim Valenti about adding Donovan as an exclusive. Donovan felt he was ready to take his adult career to the next level and accepted the offer.

I was beyond flattered to be asked to join the exceptional list of Falcon|NakedSword exclusives and work with the talented directors and creative team at the studio, Donovan said. Becoming a Falcon|NakedSword exclusive really legitimizes me as a bona fide adult film actor. I feel like a real-life gay movie star, and Im excited to spend this next year strengthening my abilities as an on-camera performer.



Its just an amazing opportunity to add such a talent as Andre Donovan to the Falcon|NakedSword exclusive roster. Hes a charismatic and stunning stud whos an extraordinary and dynamic sexual performer, and hes got serious acting chops, stated Valenti. Andres got that IT factor, and were honored to have the chance to show gay porn fans everywhere just how amazing he is.



Donovan can be seen in Best Sex Ever, The Territory, and has several upcoming scenes in the can including a role in a sprawling nine-part series coming soon from Raging Stallion.



Donovan is available for appearances. Booking inquiries may be made through Falcon VP Marketing Toby J. Morris [email protected]. To learn more, follow Donovan on Twitter @ AndreDonovanXO, Instagram @ valtonjackson and TikTok @ valtonjackson.
ESPN announced a new partnership today with American University to create a fully-funded fellowship in investigative journalism.

According to the release, the position will be available to grad students, and its initially funded for three years.

Via ESPN:

The fellowship will allow early-career journalists the ability to earn a Masters degree at American Universitys renowned School of Communication in Washington, D.C. while working in the Investigative and Enterprise Journalism Unit at ESPN. The one-year fellowship will embed a full-time graduate student alongside ESPNs investigative and enterprise journalists  reporters, producers and managers who have earned journalisms highest honors, including Pulitzer Prizes, Peabody Awards, duPont Awards, Murrow Awards, NABJ Salute to Excellence Awards and Emmys, among others. The fellow will be mentored by journalists in various areas, including sourcing, reporting, data journalism, freedom of information requests and challenges, and how to protect their own mental health when confronting difficult circumstances during reporting and post-publication.

ESPN is obviously one of the most visible media companies in the country, and while there are certainly questions to be asked about the inherent conflicts of interest that can present themselves when a corporation is paying leagues for live rights while also covering them, ESPN has a talented roster of investigative reporters doing great work. (It would be awesome if it were even more prominent, but here we are.)

And for a prospective reporter, its hard to argue with the experience and resources this fellowship offers:

For the duration of the program, the fellow will work on developing their own research and reporting, while learning how reporters and managers prepare their work for audio, digital, television and streaming properties. Throughout the program, the fellow will also have access to ESPNs offices in Washington, D.C. and Bristol, Conn.

This is a good thing overall; sports media, in particular, is in need of more quality journalists, and ESPN deserves credit for their role in creating this program.

[ESPN]
Joseph Brewer came to Beatrice more than a decade ago after getting his PhD in inorganic chemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He quickly founded Rare Earth Salts, a rare earth separations and refining company, and he said he hopes to bring his scientific and entrepreneurial spirit to the Beatrice Public Schools Board in the upcoming election.

Brewer, the chief technology officer at Rare Earth Salts, employs about ten people, but that number has the chance to leap rapidly in the near future if the company executes a plan to industrialize, he said.

Brewers interests in rare earth separation and refining started when he was developing photovoltaic solar cells based off of rare earths for solar power. He ran into a lack of materials.

I started with a solar company I had invented in graduate school, and there was a supply chain disruption from China that occurred, Brewer said. If we were going to pursue it, we were going to need a domestic source So in order to be able to pursue that, we needed to work through how we obtain the materials in order to make the functional materials that go into the actual application.

His means to an end became an end unto itself, so he started finding ways to separate and refine those materials. Right now, China dominates the rare earth industry, but the United States isnt without need.

Theyre used in a plethora of defense applications, he said. Theyre a strategic material for green energy technologies.

Uses for rare earth materials range from magnets to fighter jets, and the Biden administration has signaled an interest in prioritizing rare earths in the domestic supply chain.

Outside of work, Brewer helps raise his six children and run a non-profit.

My wife and I started the Society of Saint Vincent DePaul down here, he said. As weve grown to try to do whatever we can, you know, this is where we live and where we want to invest our time and resources.

Brewer said the Society is a non-profit that assists low-income individuals with their daily needs.

On the School Board, Brewer said he would try to curb brain drain in the area.

I want to participate in working on a school system which encourages our kids to stay in the area and find ways to keep jobs in the area, he said. I dont want them to believe they have to go away to do great things.

Brewer said cultivating entrepreneurship would go a long way in keeping talented young people in the area.

Brewer said, if elected, hed try to help drive experience and opportunities for students in Beatrice, involving community businesses and organizations. That way, the school system could help them discover their passion and figure out how to market it.

Waiting until after high school to try to decide what youre going to do, I think, is a travesty, he said. I think kids who want to go to college should know why theyre going to college before they go. Degrees dont guarantee success, and they dont guarantee happiness.

Brewer said Rare Earth Salts provides useful experiences to students, including a high school internship and opportunities to visit the site. To him, Beatrice has become a home, and there are many reasons to stay.

I know for a fact that if I was in a different location in the United States or the world, I could be making more money than Im making right now, he said. But I would not give up my community or my environment for it.

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Gage County officials are moving forward with a proposal that could bring high-speed internet to nearly all residents in the county.

The Board of Supervisors on Wednesday approved a resolution to call for bids as part of a rural broadband project, with the project expected to be awarded in March.

Board member Emily Haxby, who spearheaded the proposal, said last year Gage County was awarded just over $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds that are earmarked for water, sewer or broadband projects.

Under the proposal all of the funds awarded to Gage County would be put toward the project, with the company awarded the project picking up the remainder of the cost over time.

Well be offering up to $4 million to one or multiple internet providers that will be willing to provide high-speed broadband services to as many premises as possible in unincorporated or rural areas of the county, focusing on those that are unserved or underserved, which is the majority of the county other than the southwest corner, she said. We need better broadband options.

Haxby added that the total cost of the broadband project would be somewhere around $10 million, and Gage County will not contribute funds other than those from ARPA under the proposal.

We will not own or operate the network, but will be a one-time financial supporter to help defray the cost and help provide broadband services to our constituents, Haxby said. I really think these ARPA funds offer a great opportunity to help improve local broadband services in our rural areas, especially with the other grant programs that are available. I think we can make a real impact for our residents, and I am excited that we have this opportunity.

Best case scenario, Haxby said some rural residents could subscribe to the broadband service in around two years, with harder to reach areas receiving service within six years.

County Board Chairman Erich Tiemann said that bringing consistent, high quality internet service to rural areas is becoming more important, especially as some sectors allow people to work from home.

I have a brother working out of Portland, but hes here in Beatrice, Tiemann said. Were going to see more of that work from home, people who work in office buildings in cities who now can come back to the farm or a more familiar location if they need that high speed internet.

This is becoming part of day-to-day life. The more convenient, the more reliable, the more economical and the more obtainable it is in our area, its going to be a big positive to us.

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From the Dakotas to northern Wyoming, St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings serves more than just the state of Montana. With recent advancements in technology and specialty programs at St. Vincent, people in our region no longer have to fly to larger medical centers in Seattle or Denver to receive world-class specialty medical care. This is life altering to many in the area  especially for stroke patients.

It used to be that if someone had a stroke in Montana, they might have to take an air ambulance to a neighboring state to get the care they needed. Not only was this expensive, but it created a serious barrier to fast and efficient care when time matters most.

This all changed with the recent launch of the states first full-time interventional stroke program at St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings. As a result, most stroke patients are now able to stay in-state to receive life-saving treatment.

This is a game-changer for stroke treatment in Montana, said Dustin Strandell, Senior Director of Service Lines at St. Vincent. With this program, we can treat patients up to 24 hours after they had a stroke, and they wont have to be flown to a facility out-of-state.

The need to B.E. F.A.S.T

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted by a clot. This interruption causes brain cells to go without oxygen. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke. For these patients, time is of the essence, and immediate medical attention is crucial to ensuring survival and recovery.

Up until now, the standard of care available for stroke patients at St. Vincent has consisted of timely diagnosis and the administration of blood-clot-busting medication in hopes of clearing a blockage in the patients brain, explained Dr. Ali Kerro, Stroke Neurologist with the St. Vincent Stroke Program. We have a small window of time  usually only a few hours  after the stroke has occurred for this method to be a viable option for the patient.

In instances where too much time had passed or the medication didnt work as hoped, patients had to be transported out-of-state to receive the interventional treatment they needed. Now, that life-saving treatment can take place at St. Vincent.

Improving access to brain and spine treatment

The ability to keep patients at St. Vincent and save time when it is most crucial are the two best reasons to celebrate the launch of this new program, said Strandell. The new interventional

stroke program reflects a team effort from not only our neuroscience team but also the entire hospital and our community partners to ensure the health and safety of our patients.

The St. Vincent Neuroscience Center is well-known for providing comprehensive medical services to treat various disorders affecting the brain and spine, such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimers disease, brain tumors, migraines and epilepsy. By partnering with experts in the field of stroke management, St. Vincent can now add interventional stroke treatment to its long list of services that keep patients close to home.

This program will complement other services in the neuroscience department, said Strandell. These techniques work hand-in-hand and will be beneficial to those who have had a stroke, an aneurysm or other disorders we are already treating in our center. This is a much-needed service in Montana and we are proud to provide our region with this treatment option.

For more information about the interventional stroke program, call 406-237-5577 or visit sclhealth.org. Those at other healthcare facilities wishing to access the interventional stroke program can call 800-331-0222.

This content was produced by Brand Ave. Studios. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. Brand Ave. Studios connects advertisers with a targeted audience through compelling content programs, from concept to production and distribution. For more information contact sales@brandavestudios.com.

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Officials will not appeal a state ruling requiring Yellowstone County to pay damages to a transgender former employee who faced discrimination under the county's health insurance plan.

The Montana Department of Labor and Industry awarded damages of $66,531 to Eleanor Maloney on Monday after the Montana Human Rights Bureau ruled in August the county had discriminated against her on the basis of sex.

The ruling also found the county's health insurance plan, which barred treatments and therapy related to gender-affirming health care, was unconstitutional because it discriminated on the basis of gender.

Yellowstone County started the process last summer to remove from its health insurance policies discriminatory language after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which protects employees from specific types of discrimination, also applies to transgender workers.

The latest state ruling on Maloney didn't impact the county's health insurance policies because changes were already in the works, said chief deputy county attorney Jeana Lervick.

Maloney joined the county attorney's office in 2016 as a prosecutor specializing in child abuse and neglect cases. She was diagnosed in 2018 with gender dysphoria and started exploring health care options.

She was still employed by the county at that point and was seeking to understand her diagnosis. She was meeting regularly with a therapist and was working to figure out if gender reassignment surgery or some other treatment was her best option.

Choosing surgery meant finding and meeting with a surgeon and eventually setting a date for a procedure. The wait list for many of these procedures can be years long so she put her name on a wait list while she figured out her best course of action.

In order to do that she needed approval from her health insurer, which in this case was Yellowstone County. The county is self-insured and its program is administered by EBMS.

The county denied her request, citing its health insurance plan that excludes "services or supplies related to sexual reassignment and reversal of such procedures."

Citing the same policy, the county also sought a return of payments from Maloney's therapist for the counseling sessions she had received related to gender dysphoria.

Maloney, unsure about the future of her health insurance, resigned from the county attorney's office and looked for a job in western Montana that offered insurance that would cover her health care needs.

She then filed a discrimination complaint with the Montana Human Rights Bureau.

The damages awarded by Montana Department of Labor and Industry gives Yellowstone County 60 days to pay Maloney $66,531, which covers lost wages and benefits stemming from her departure from the county attorney's office.

The county will pay out the damages from budgeted funds.

"We hope the conclusion allows Ms. Maloney to continue with her pursuits," Lervick said.

The order also requires the county to discontinue enforcing the provision in its health insurance that bars transgender treatment, which the county addressed last summer.

It also requires the county to perform transgender discrimination training with employees and work with an attorney familiar with transgender issues to create and adopt "improvement policies and notices regarding transgender discrimination."

Maloney declined an interview on Tuesday, but released a statement in which she expressed gratitude for the ruling.

"I'm grateful that the rights of LGBTQIA+ Montanans are vindicated today," she said.

Alex Rate, legal director for ACLU-MT, said the damages awarded by the Montana Department of Labor and Industry and the ruling made by the Montana Human Rights Bureau should clearly dispel the idea that employers can treat their transgender workers any differently than other workers.

"Todays decision should stand as a clear warning to any county that seeks to deny medically necessary health care to transgender Montanans," Rate said. "These provisions are blatantly discriminatory and cannot stand."

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Billings Police on Tuesday continued their investigation into the shooting death of two men, and the critical injury of a third.

Police responded early Tuesday morning to an accident and found two men shot dead. The third man was found with a severe neck injury and taken to a Billings hospital, police said in a tweet.

Police responded to a report of a crashed pickup truck on the 300 block of South 37th Street a little after 3 a.m., according to a statement from Billings Police Lt. Brandon Wooley. They found two of the men inside the truck unresponsive and not breathing, and they were later pronounced dead at the scene. Both have yet to be identified, but "appear to be in their 20s," Wooley wrote.

The third man was identified as a 22-year-old from Billings. Wooley did not specify the nature of his injuries, but did say they were not consistent with those normally sustained in a vehicle crash.

The two men's bodies lay for several hours next to a red Nissan pickup truck that had crashed into a tree on the 300 block of South 37th. Bullet holes could be seen in the driver's side window and door of the crashed truck. Police cordoned off the area around the scene and searched nearby streets.

While the investigation into the shooting is ongoing, Wooley wrote in his Tuesday morning statement that initial evidence suggests that a fight broke out inside the pickup truck prior to the crash. Officers are not searching for anyone else connected to the shooting, and no arrests have been made.

The rolling shooting is the latest in a series of high-profile violent crimes in the city. Billings police are still investigating the shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in the Heights earlier this month. As of Tuesday morning, no arrests have been made in connection to that homicide, which occurred in the early hours of Jan. 16. Later that same week, a man was hospitalized with a gunshot wound after a shooting on the South Side.

A Billings Police officer was placed on administrative leave after a fight broke out between off-duty officers and two men at a casino on Grand Avenue. A Yellowstone County deputy was injured by a possible bullet fragment during the melee, and a man was hospitalized with serious injuries after he wrecked a car driving away from the scene. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation has been tasked with determining the cause of the fight.

The rise in violent crime in Billings and Yellowstone County has garnered the attention of both local and state authorities. Gov. Greg Gianforte held a roundtable discussion in Billings Jan. 21 centered on improving public safety in the area. The overcrowding of the Yellowstone County Detention Center dominated the conversation.

A week prior to the governor's visit, local officials held their own presentation. Homicides in particular climbed to 22 in Billings during the year 2020, Police Chief Rich St. John told those in attendance. For 2021, the number dropped to nine, and all of which were solved by investigators.

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U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale is asking a federal court to throw out a lawsuit accusing the Montana Republican and the National Rifle Association of an elaborate 2018 funding scheme that allegedly produced nearly $400,000 in illegal in-kind 2018 campaign contributions.

In D.C. Federal District Court, Rosendales campaign is arguing the non-profit gun control group Giffords lacks the standing to bring the lawsuit, and that the D.C. District lacks the jurisdiction to hear the case stemming from Montanas 2018 Senate race between Rosendale and incumbent Democrat Jon Tester.

Rosendales campaign reissued a statement Tuesday in which the Congressman dismissed the lawsuit as groundless:

"This anti-gun interest group made the same baseless allegations against our campaign more than three years ago, and there have been no findings by the Federal Election Commission that suggests their claims have any merit. This lawsuit is their latest attempt to villainize those of us who support the Second Amendment, and we are confident they will lose this lawsuit in a convincing fashion."

Rosendale had originally made the statement when the lawsuit was filed in November. An attorney for Rosendale, who declined to discuss the case for attribution, said Tuesday the defense would first challenge Giffords' right to bring the case, leaving arguments about the lawsuits merits for later.

The campaign did say in its Jan. 21 filing that Giffords has alleged a convoluted and wide-ranging conspiracy to violate the Federal Election Campaign Acts prohibition on coordinated communications.

Giffords accuses the political arm of the NRA and Rosendales campaign of orchestrating a political ad-buying scheme using shell companies that allegedly benefitted Rosendale with $383,196 in illegally coordinated expenditures.

Giffords submits that Rosendale acknowledged during a 2018 interview he was in communication with Chris Cox about the NRAs campaign plans for the Montana Senate race. Cox is the political director for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action.

The Supreme Court confirmations, thats what sent the NRA over the line, Rosendale tells the interviewer, Because in 12, with Denny, they stayed out. They stayed out of Montana, but Chris Cox told me, hes like, Were, we're going to be in this race'. Denny is a reference to former U.S. Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, who challenged Tester unsuccessfully in the 2012 election.

The NRAs campaign did run ads targeting Tester for U.S. Supreme Court confirmation votes the NRA opposed as bad for the Second Amendment. Rosendale did the same. At times the same person was placing ads for both the NRA and Rosendale. Giffords alleges that companies producing the ads were also functionally one business, managed out of the same building by the same people, but using two different business names. That kind of coordination is illegal.

Giffords first filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, not only against Rosendale and NRA Institute for Legislative Action, but also Republican Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri, and former President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign, suggesting that all three politicians benefited from the same scheme. All told, in-kind contributions to candidates amounted to $35 million, Giffords contends.

But the FEC wouldnt issue a ruling on the complaints Giffords brought. When Rosendale says the FEC made no findings on the claims against the Montana politician, hes correct. The FEC also didnt clear the Rosendale campaign.

Giffords then sued the FEC and D.C. District Court ordered the Federal Election Commission to issue a reason-to-believe determination, within 30 days, which the FEC didnt do. After the FEC failed to follow the court order, Giffords was empowered to sue the defendants directly.

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The cow elk shoulder season, which extends to Feb. 15, is working where hunters can get access to private lands, according to Ken McDonald, chief of wildlife for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

The primary object of the shoulder season was to harvest cow elk on private land and that has been, where landowners are allowing access, that has been happening, he told the Environmental Quality Council during its meeting in Helena on Monday. Not to the volume we were hoping but still considerably more than if we didnt have them at all.

Forty-seven percent of hunting districts have met the departments goals between 2018 and 2020, he reported.

In those three years, the extended seasons have resulted in more than 5,800 additional elk being harvested, a 54% increase over the general season kill, McDonald said. The total cow elk harvest accounted for about 83% of elk recruitment, or the growth of a herd following the birth of new calves. The harvest of bulls is high enough to account for recruitment, McDonald said.

The shoulder season is the right way to go, said EQC member John Brenden, a frequent critic of FWP. Im sure the department is working to make it better.

A total of 56 hunting districts have the extended seasons with 44 offering hunting until Feb. 15 and 30 employing the early hunts, which begin on Aug. 15. Some districts have early and late shoulder seasons.

Last year the commission voted to add 18 hunting districts to the roster, including one in the Paradise Valley, and included public land hunts in six districts. Based on anecdotal reports, McDonald said no elk were being seen on the public lands.

Extending the late season to public lands had angered some hunters who said the whole point of shoulder seasons was to get elk off private lands. Commissioners, however, wanted to see if allowing public land hunting would increase opportunity if elk, when pursued, ran across a fence from private land to public.

EQC chairman Sen. Mike Lang, R-Malta, said he had experienced a similar situation on a ranch he co-owns. During a damage hunt, where FWP authorizes specific landowners to take additional animals, the elk left his private land to seek security on public lands where they couldnt be hunted.

Where were they at the second day, laughing at us over on the public land, he said, highlighting the difficulty of managing smart, mobile animals.

McDonald said the success of the shoulder hunts varies by area and can be influenced by hunter interest, weather, the availability of elk on open lands and access to private land.

Members of the EQC offered a variety of suggestions on how to reduce elk populations on private land. Rep. Paul Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, suggested the problem was the quality of public land. Habitat needed to be improved to increase its carrying capacity, he said, adding there may be too much public land for the government to manage it well.

EQC vice chairman Bradley Hamlett asked if FWP had ever considered running the season until it could harvest as many animals as it wanted? McDonald said the Feb. 15 cutoff was established because by then cow elk fetuses are well developed. Hunting noticeably pregnant elk is socially bad for hunting, McDonald added.

The extended seasons were first implemented on a trial basis in a few hunting districts in 2015, expanding to 43 hunting districts the following year.

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A truck driver from Texas said to have limited experience driving on snow and ice and two passengers in her Peterbilt 18-wheeler escaped serious injury early Tuesday when the eastbound truck jackknifed on Interstate 90 near Deer Lodge.

The crash occurred around 5:20 a.m.

Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Dave Oliverson said the driver was traveling too fast for road conditions, lost control, struck a guardrail and then bridge railings before finally stopping with the truck cab turned around and facing the trucks rear.

The trucks hood landed at least 100 yards away on the Eastside Road, which travels beneath I-90 at the site.

Oliverson said the passengers included a co-driver, who was male, and his sister, riding in the trucks sleeper. He said there were minor injuries, bumps and bruises.

A separate crash on I-90 Tuesday morning led to more serious injuries.

First, an eastbound 18-wheeler jackknifed near the Anaconda exit and blocked both eastbound lanes. Another tractor-trailer headed east slowed and stopped at the scene and was then rear-ended by a woman driving a Penske truck, Oliverson said.

The woman was transported by Life Flight for medical treatment in Missoula, he said.

Oliverson said she clearly was not paying close attention to the road when the crash occurred.

Montana Highway Patrol had a busy day Tuesday, he said.

We were responding to a lot of crashes due to weather and people driving too fast for conditions, Oliverson said.

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RENO, Nev.  The U.S. government plans to capture more wild horses on federal lands this year than ever before, drawing sharp criticism from mustang advocates who hoped the Biden administration would curtail widespread gathers of thousands of horses annually across the West.

Critics say it's a continuation of a decades-old policy that kowtows to ranchers who don't want horses competing with their cattle and sheep for limited forage on Bureau of Land Management rangeland in 10 states.

In Nevada, home to about half the 86,000 horses roaming federal lands, three groups have filed a new lawsuit challenging what they say is the illegal, inhumane roundup of more than 2,000 horses that's already under way about 80 miles west of the Utah line.

Of the 987 gathered as of Monday, 11 had died, according to the agency's web site.

At least one death was a colt that continued to be pursued by a low-flying helicopter driving the herd toward a holding pen even though it was struggling to walk due to a "clearly broken" leg, according to the lawsuit. It says the colt suffered for at least 29 minutes before it was euthanized.

"It is more than disappointing that BLM will continue the charade that they care about wild horses," said Laura Leigh, president of the Reno-based Wild Horse Education, one of the plaintiffs.

Bureau Director Tracy Stone-Manning, known as an ally of conservationists on several public land fronts when she was appointed last fall, announced plans this month to permanently remove at least 19,000 horses and burros by Sept. 30. She said their population has declined from 95,000 in 2020 but is still triple what the government claims the land can sustain ecologically  something horse advocates dispute.

Opponents say their removal violates the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

"It didn't take long for Tracy Stone-Manning to sell-out America's wild horses," Friends of Animals President Priscilla Feral said.

Bureau spokesman Jason Lutterman declined comment in an email to The Associated Press.

The lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Reno says the agency is exaggerating drought conditions and exploiting legal loopholes with 10-year plans that combine multiple horse management areas without the necessary site-specific assessments.

Meanwhile, it says taxpayers continue to finance subsidies for the livestock industry through below-market grazing fees for millions of cattle and sheep causing more ecological harm than horses.

"Using drought as a fig leaf for its illegal actions, the bureau ... is depopulating the West of its wild horses and burros herd by herd and burning through taxpayer dollars with their endless roundups and holding facilities," said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, lead co-plaintiff with the New York-based CANA Foundation.

As of last month, the agency was holding more than 59,000 horses and burros in off-range corrals and pastures, according to its web site.

The National Cattlemen's Beef Association says the horse activists are threatening the future of rangeland ecosystems and wellbeing of the horses themselves.

"Groups who file lawsuits like this continue to prove that they'd rather draft emotional press releases than contribute to meaningful solutions," said Kaitlynn Glover, the association's director of natural resources.

"Gathers like this one are an important part of a multi-step process to bring horse herds in balance and avoid the horrific realities we see on the range today," she said.

The agency's 2022 strategy includes treating at least 2,300 animals with fertility control and releasing them back to public lands  an approach supported by some but not all horse advocates  to stem the growth of herds that otherwise double about every five years.

That would be the most treated with fertility control in one year, nearly double the previous high of 1,160 in 2021, the bureau said.

The agency permanently removed 13,666 animals from the range in 2021, the previous high. It gathered fewer than 5,000 annually from 2013-17  largely because government holding pens were full  before removing 11,472 in 2018, its web site says.

It acknowledges that, due partly to a sharp decline in demand for captured horses offered for public adoption over the past 10 years, it has been left in "the unsustainable position of gathering excess horses while its holding costs spiral upward."

The lawsuit says the environmental assessment the bureau approved last May for the Nevada roundup described plans for a series of "phased gathers to remove excess animals" over a 10-year period, not "at once."

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New studies show strong links between wildfire smoke during the summer and health problems like flu or asthma later in the year.

In 2021, almost half our days from June to September were impacted by wildfire smoke last summer, Montana Department of Environmental Quality air quality bureau chief Bo Wilkins told the Legislatures Environmental Quality Council on Tuesday. Our nice, green good-air-quality days are kind of gone.

2021 was the fourth-driest on record going back 127 years, according to Montana State Forester Sonya Germann. The dry conditions contributed to 2,878 wildfires burning a total 953,000 acres across state, federal and private land. Of those, 96% were caught by initial attack firefighters and only 92 grew bigger than 100 acres.

Nevertheless, the ones that did escape initial attack were so serious, Montana was at Preparedness Level 5 for 42 days  the highest possible level indicating extreme fire risk and lack of firefighting resources. Germann said of the 3,962 requests for firefighting aircraft, agencies were unable to fulfill a third of the flights. And of the 1,472 ground crew requests, only 45% got filled.

Those are significant numbers, Germann said. The states 10-year average for firefighting expenses is $23.3 million. Last year, suppression costs hit $50.1 million, she said.

A new policy from the U.S. Forest Service released last week calls for more prescribed burning of public lands to reduce wildfire hazards, along with extensive logging and fuels reduction work. While prescribed burning produces smoke, it tends to contain fewer harmful toxins and particulates than large-scale wildfires. However, it extends the number of days communities might get smoky air each year.

Medical data from last year showed significant increases in emergency room visits in hospitals downwind from the Robertson Draw fire in Carbon County, the Harris Mountain fire in Cascade County and the Haystack fire in Silver Bow and Jefferson counties, according to research from Department of Health and Human Services chronic disease prevention supervisor Jessie Fernandes. Even after factoring for the surge in delta-variant COVID cases, the smoke-related cases of difficulty breathing or elevated heart rates were concerning, she said.

Professor Erin Landguth of the University of Montanas Center for Population Health Research showed new studies linking summer smoke exposure to influenza cases later that winter. Cases go up 16 to 22% for every 1 microgram increase in smoke pollution, resulting in flu seasons three to five times worse than average following a bad fire summer.

Wildfire smoke contains particles 10 microns in diameter  small enough that a string of them would look like a pearl necklace around a human hair. But worse, there are particles just 2.5 microns around, which would form a necklace around those 10-micron bits. That particulate matter carries toxins like benzene and formaldehyde from burning forests deep into peoples lungs, where they aggravate health risks from heart disease to diabetes.

Montana jumps out compared to other states, George Washington University post-doctoral researcher Katelyn ODell said of the states deaths related to wildfire smoke exposure. Beyond that, the health impacts show up in people needing doctor visits, outpatient hospital services and asthma inhalers refilled.

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Montanans love freedom. That is why many Americans have ocked to our as-close-to-perfect state as you can get.

Americans are seeking refuge to our state from policies that counter what Montana stands for: freedom, friendly business climate, and less government.

Last week in D.C., the Senate considered yet another habitual attempt to impose federal takeover of Montanas elections. This was not the rst time, and it wont be the last. Thank you, Senator Daines, for once again standing strong against President Biden and D.C. Democrats.

The foundation of our state and our country starts with our elections. As your Secretary of State, and in partnership with Governor Gianforte and the Legislature, Montana now has Voter ID, clean voter rolls, and has adopted best security standards. Montana also has incredibly high voter turnout, a high number of registered voters, and is outperforming the rest of the country.

So why do President Biden and other Democrats (including Montanas Democratic Senator) demonize Montana elections? The answer is to turn Montana into California by dictating a free-for-all when it comes to running our elections and eliminating Voter ID, clean voter rolls, and best security standards, all of which are common sense and supported by most Montanans. This is what makes Montana, Montana.

I am here to serve you and keep us who we are  Montana.

Christi Jacobsen is proud to serve as Montanas 22nd Secretary of State.

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Active COVID-19 cases in North Dakota have fallen by more than one-third since reaching a coronavirus pandemic high over the weekend, though federal modeling suggests the state has not yet seen the peak of the omicron variant wave.

Active cases on Tuesday were at 7,690, a 36% drop from the record 11,991 that the Health Department reported Saturday on its virus dashboard. The trend in recent months has been that cases pick up as the workweek goes along, mirroring testing, which typically falls off over the weekend.

The Associated Press reported Monday that cases of the highly contagious omicron have crested in the U.S. and are dropping rapidly, following a pattern seen in Britain and South Africa, with researchers projecting a period of low spread in many countries by the end of March.

Omicron didn't arrive in North Dakota until late December. Modeling by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates a peak in the state might still be two weeks away, with a sharp dropoff in cases after.

The steep decline in active cases early this week is probably more reflective of the normal reduction in people seeking testing over weekends, according to Kirby Kruger, head of the Health Department's disease control division and forensic pathology section.

"This last weekend we averaged 788 case reports per day for the two days, compared to an average of 2,858 cases per day for the preceding Monday through Friday. Over the weekend an average of 3,103 daily test results were reported, while the preceding Monday through Friday, the average daily test results reported was 15,457," he said. "I think this week will be a good indicator of what we might expect in terms of a peak for this wave."

While active cases have fallen the past few days, the state's reported 14-day rolling test positivity rate has increased for 29 straight days, hitting 19.62% on Monday. That was an eleventh consecutive day of a new pandemic high. The state target for that rate is less than 5%.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen this month but at a slower pace than cases. On Tuesday there were 173 virus patients in North Dakota hospitals, the highest reported daily total since Dec. 3.

The most recent state data showed about 9% of staffed inpatient beds available statewide and about 5.5% of intensive care unit beds open. In Bismarck, CHI St. Alexius Health had four open general care beds and one available ICU bed; Sanford Health had no beds listed in either category.

Nine more virus-related deaths have been reported since the weekend, raising the pandemic total to 2,078. The state no longer publicly reports the county, sex and age range of newly confirmed deaths. The dashboard death total for Burleigh County increased by two, to 289; Morton County's total was unchanged, at 136. The total for state-leading Cass County, home to Fargo, rose by three, to 302.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, there have been 214,459 confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Dakota, including 2,445 positives from 15,550 tests handled Monday, with 204,691 recoveries and 7,366 hospitalizations.

Records are based off the Health Department's daily reports. The agency often revises data on its dashboard later based on updated information.

More information

North Dakota continues to have one of the worst COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, according to the CDC. Agency data on Tuesday showed 64.7% of North Dakota adults being fully vaccinated. The rate for all vaccine-eligible people in the state -- age 5 and older -- is 57.9%.

The CDC recommends COVID-19 booster shots for all adults; 49.9% of North Dakota adults have received a third dose of vaccine, according to state data. The federal agency this month also recommended that adolescents ages 12-17 receive boosters as well. North Dakota's vaccine dashboard shows 16% of state residents in that age group have received a third dose.

The coronavirus transmission risk is considered high in all of North Dakota's 53 counties, according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker website. The CDC recommends people in that risk category wear masks in public indoor settings.

People can go to https://www.ndvax.org or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them. A list of free COVID-19 testing offered by local public health units is at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. For more detailed information on coronavirus in North Dakota, go to www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus. For more information on coronavirus variants, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html.

Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

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North Dakota health officials on Wednesday reported 10 more coronavirus-related deaths, and deaths of long-term care residents in the state during the pandemic surpassed 1,000.

The newly confirmed deaths brought the state's pandemic toll to 2,088, with nearly half -- 1,002 -- in long-term care facilities. There are 217 skilled nursing, basic care and assisted living facilities in North Dakota, caring for about 14,000 elderly and disabled people annually.

Today's sad milestone of 1,000 North Dakota long-term care resident deaths marks a grim moment during this COVID-19 pandemic," said Christopher Larson, a nursing home resident in Mayville and chairman of the Reuniting Residents and Families Task Force.

The state no longer publicly reports the county, sex and age range of newly confirmed deaths. The dashboard death totals for Burleigh and Morton counties did not change, at 289 and 136, respectively. The total for state-leading Cass County, home to Fargo, jumped by five, to 307.

COVID-19 case numbers have surged in recent weeks in North Dakota due to the onset of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus. Reported active cases hit a new pandemic high at 11,991 on Saturday, though they've fallen off since and were at 7,713 on Wednesday, with 1,414 in Burleigh-Morton.

Deaths so far have not increased at a similar pace, though 41 have been reported in the past week. Modeling by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that North Dakota could see a spike in the coming weeks, similar to a surge in deaths already experienced in other parts of the country where omicron hit earlier. It didn't surface in North Dakota until late December.

Grace Njau, director of special projects and health analytics for the state Health Department, said it's important to note that the modeling provides more of a potential range of future deaths. Hospitalizations and deaths typically lag behind case spikes, and officials believe North Dakota is near the peak of the case spike.

"It's going to be uphill for the next week or so, but ultimately we expect that (deaths) will start to go down shortly after," she said.

Omicron is behaving differently than delta, a variant that led to a spike in COVID-19 deaths late last year, Njau said.

"We have way more cases now than we ever did with delta, but you don't see the same rate of deaths or hospitalizations," she said.

There have been 61 COVID-19 deaths in the state in January, putting it in a tie for the ninth-deadliest month during the pandemic that's soon to enter its 24th month. As a comparison, last October was the fourth-deadliest month (169 deaths) and last November the fifth-deadliest (137).

Long-term care

Omicron is hitting long-term care facilities in the state hard, leading to a spike in cases and a staff shortage. There were 780 total COVID-19 cases among residents and staff on Wednesday, compared with 50 at Christmas, according to North Dakota Long Term Care Association President Shelly Peterson.

"Thank goodness we are not seeing devastating death numbers," she said, crediting the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.

"That first year without the vaccine was simply unbearable," Peterson said. "Last year we were the sixth-worst state with long-term care deaths, at 60-61% of all deaths in North Dakota, and only 10% of all cases. Today our deaths are just under 48%."

Peterson noted that the vaccine booster rate for nursing home residents in North Dakota is the highest in the country. CDC data shows the rate at 86% and confirms the rank. It also shows that 93% of long-term care residents in the state are considered fully vaccinated, among the highest rates in the country.

"I am worried with the rising (COVID-19) numbers, as our population is still very vulnerable, and we are seeing breakthrough cases," Peterson said. "But thank goodness for the vaccine and our excellent vaccination rate for residents."

Larson said surpassing 1,000 deaths marks another "very tough day in North Dakota."

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to each and every family across North Dakota who has lost a loved one during these past two years," he said.

Daily data

The Health Department's virus dashboard on Wednesday showed 2,373 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, from 14,969 tests processed Tuesday. The state calculated a positivity rate of 17.48%.

North Dakota's reported 14-day rolling test positivity rate remained at a record level, 19.62%. The state target for that rate is less than 5%. It was at 7.48% at the start of the month.

COVID-19 hospitalizations dropped by 14 from Tuesday, to 159. As a comparison, the number was 139 on Dec. 19, when the first case of omicron was confirmed in the state. The total has gone no higher than 173 since.

The most recent state data showed about 9% of staffed inpatient beds available statewide and about 5% of intensive care unit beds open. In Bismarck, CHI St. Alexius Health had one open general care bed and one available ICU bed; Sanford Health had two available staffed inpatient beds but no ICU beds. The low number of beds statewide is due in part to staffing shortages, according to health officials.

Since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, there have been 216,814 confirmed COVID-19 cases in North Dakota, with 207,013 recoveries and 7,383 hospitalizations.

Records are based off the Health Department's daily reports. The agency often revises data on its dashboard later based on updated information.

More information

North Dakota continues to have one of the worst COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, according to the CDC. Agency data on Tuesday showed 64.7% of North Dakota adults being fully vaccinated. The rate for all vaccine-eligible people in the state -- age 5 and older -- is 57.9%.

The CDC recommends COVID-19 booster shots for all adults; 46.2% of North Dakota adults have received a third dose of vaccine, according to state data. The federal agency this month also recommended that adolescents ages 12-17 receive boosters as well. North Dakota's vaccine dashboard shows 16% of state residents in that age group have received a third dose.

The coronavirus transmission risk is considered high in all of North Dakota's 53 counties, according to the CDC's COVID-19 data tracker website. The CDC recommends people in that risk category wear masks in public indoor settings.

People can go to https://www.ndvax.org or call 866-207-2880 to see where COVID-19 vaccine is available near them. A list of free COVID-19 testing offered by local public health units is at health.nd.gov/covidtesting. For more detailed information on coronavirus in North Dakota, go to www.health.nd.gov/coronavirus. For more information on coronavirus variants, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html.

Reach Blake Nicholson at 701-250-8266 or blake.nicholson@bismarcktribune.com.

Concerned about COVID-19? Sign up now to get the most recent coronavirus headlines and other important local and national news sent to your email inbox daily. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.
The 2022 election will see one of the biggest turnovers in North Dakota legislative and state offices in years. It means voters need to pay attention to candidates and their positions.

Redistricting with new Census data has resulted in 98 seats in the Legislature going before voters. Political parties in 13 districts must reorganize because the districts are new or have enough of a population change.

More than 20 legislators have to run against colleagues to retain a seat because of redistricting. Not all are seeking reelection. Among those not running are four members of the legislative leadership: Senate Majority Leader Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson; House Majority Leader Chet Pollert, R-Carrington; Senate Minority Leader Joan Heckaman, D-New Rockford; and Senate Assistant Minority Leader Erin Oban, D-Bismarck. Rep. George Keiser, R-Bismarck, who served in the Legislature since 1993, died last year, shortly after announcing he wouldn't seek another term.

Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, who was first elected in 2012, announced last week he won't seek another term. He founded the Bastiat Caucus. Divisions in the Republican Party have been linked to the caucus.

Theres a number of other legislators not seeking reelection. Thats a lot of experience going out the door. There also will be changes in statewide offices.

Longtime Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and Secretary of State Al Jaeger are retiring. Brian Kroshus, who was appointed tax commissioner to replace Ryan Rauschenberger, who resigned, will run for that office. Kroshus had been on the Public Service Commission, so that office will be on the ballot.

That will be a lot of candidates for voters to learn about. They shouldnt accept generalizations or platitudes from candidates, they should demand specifics. If statewide candidates feel the office they are seeking has been well-run and just needs tinkering, they should say so. Theres nothing wrong with believing we have good state government, though they may have to convince some voters.

Voters need to seriously vet legislative candidates. With new leadership a certainty, its important we have legislators willing to compromise and mold legislation. Candidates with extreme agendas who want to clutter the session with divisive bills that will fail arent good fits.

Candidates need to hold town halls, attend public meetings and participate in debates so they can be quizzed on their positions. As noted, voters should demand specifics.

Those seeking the secretary of states office should be asked how they feel about election security. The Tribune editorial board believes North Dakota elections have been safe, with little or no cheating. We would question any candidate who doubts that.

This should be an interesting election that voters want to participate in. Participate is the key word. The involvement of the public makes our democracy work. If voter turnout becomes low, we are allowing a minority to choose our leaders and it increases the odds we wont like the outcome.

We need to get to know whos running and then vote.

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I re-read "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari every

year. It reminds me that much of the world is made of stories in our collective

thoughts, e.g., countries, corporations, herachies, money, the Communist

Manifesto, the Declaration of Independence, etc., etc. Harari explains what many

modern isms promise and how they have fared. Unlike most history books,

"Sapiens" discusses the condition of human happiness and offers a Buddhist's

point of view. I learn or relearn something everytime I open the book.

Here are some extracts on Buddhism happiness. I believe they tell the truth and

worth keeping in mind, all the time.

P224:

"Gautama's insight was that no matter what the mind experiences, it usually

reacts with craving, and craving always involves dissatisfaction."

P395:

"Buddha agreed with modern biology and New Age movements that happiness is

independent of external conditions. Yet his more important and far more profound

insight was that true happiness is also independent of our inner feelings.

Indeed, the more significance we give our feelings, the more we crave them, and

the more we suffer. Buddha's recommendation was to stop not only the pursuit of

external achievements, but also the pursuit of inner feelings."

P.S. As Marcus Aurelius was said to pursue "virtue above pleasure" and

"tranquility above happiness," there indeed seems to be a connection between his

philosophy and Buddhism. The Stoics don't have the tools from Buddha, e.g., his

ethic rules of living, meditation, etc. Instead, they adopt a "death in harness"

attitude, which sounds impressive all the same.
Chapter 2 The Dipper

It was completely dark when Roses car entered the area called the Dipper. There was no moon on this autumn night, and not a single wisp of cloud. Looking out through the car window, Rose was dazed by the numerous light dots crowding the suburbans sky. Where was the Big Dipper? She wondered. It was supposed to be low in the fall or the winter, right?

In the past, they always searched for the Big Dipper on the way here. Nick was pretty good at it. Nick  She sighed quietly. It had been five years since he died. Could the star field have changed? The silly idea flashed in her mind before she started laughing at herself. Five years! That seemed a long time to her, but did the universe even notice it?

She made another attempt to locate the Big Dipper but felt dizzier. The car was riding up and down on the country road paved with layers and layers of leaves. The whole place was shaped like a dipper, with its longest distance around two and a half kilometers. Right now they were moving inside the handle, which was a valley roughly half kilo wide. Soon they would arrive at the basin, with its lowest point three hundred meters below the regular ground level. In fact, some geomorphologists believed that the basin used to be much deeper, but had been gradually filled up over thousands of years.

A beautiful, peaceful place. In the spring, the valley slopes were bestrewed with wild flowers, all common types carrying a tinge of exoticism for no apparent reason. A few years before the house was built in 1860s, someone claimed to have found gold in the area, which led to a brushfire of gold rushes. But the result was quite disappointing, and soon everybody left. The house was the only notable architecture here because the abandoned mines had rendered a lot of areas unsuitable for major constructions.

Anyway, Nick bought it when they got married. It came with a large vineyard that produced the best wine one could hope to find within a hundred miles. During their twelve years marriage, they had spent most of their summers here, and Rose had envisioned this place as their permanent home after retirement. But since Nick left, she had only come here briefly for business issues related to the vineyard. The house was too vast for a single woman and too busy for her mind.

The road kept descending. She took out the envelope from her bag and switched on the overhead light. Since she received the letter from Nicks lawyer a week ago, she had gone through it several times, but now she still needed the affirmation that she wasnt imagining the whole thing. In the letter, Nick told her to come here on November twelfth, 2073, the day the Rosetta spaceship was supposed to send astronauts to Comet 195F. Apparently, there was a room inside the house she had never been to, and now she was to enter that room following the instructions in the letter.

Rose put the letter back and tried to recall the last days of Nicks life. After he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer, he came to the Dipper a few times without her. She had considered it his way of coping with stress and desperation. He had always been a strong person. A man who refused to reveal his vulnerability even to close family members. Now she realized that wasnt the full story. He was up to something, and didnt want to tell her at that time. But why would he want her to find out now? And find out about what?

* * *

Dinner was ready to serve when she stepped into the house. She was hungry and eager to visit the secret room, but still took time changing into a sequined gown. In a Chateauesque-styled mansion with steeply-pitched roofs, crystal chandeliers, and golden railings alongside spiral stairways, one simply couldnt wear a business suit. After dinner, she carried a wicker basket with wine and magazines into the elevator. Who knows whats in that room? She might have to stay there tonight, and she hoped it wouldnt be too boring.

There were five floors in the building with a basement. After the door had closed, she pressed and held the number 3 with one hand while punching 1-5-2 in sequence with the other hand. Then she released the buttons, subconsciously hoping that the elevator would run upward and stop at the second, the third, and the fifth floors, as it normally would do. To her dismay, the elevator immediately began moving downward. Well, didnt that make sense? She tried to ease herself. Wouldnt it be easier to hide a room in a basement, which was not shown on the elevators control panel, than to place it on an open floor?

However, when thirty seconds later the elevator was still descending, she started losing her nerve. Where was it taking her? She knew it was ridiculous but the word hell kept popping up in her mind. Why didnt she bring a company? Stupid woman! But  but the letter was from Nick! He would never have done anything to hurt her!

One minute had passed and she could no longer stay sane. She randomly pushed the buttons, but nothing changed. Let me out! Somebody help me! She screamed as she pounded the door and kicked the walls 

The elevator slowed down and came to a halt. She had her back facing the exit when the door slid open. Cold and damp air brushed in and brought her a start. Turning around slowly, she expected to see a dark cave waiting for her, but found a carpeted hallway instead. She sighed in relief. Although dimmer than the elevator, the hallway didnt look very different from any of the hallways upstairs.

She stood at the open door and hesitated. If she pushed a regular-floor button now, would it take her back to the house? Itd better do, or she would be stuck here. Then her gaze fell onto the letter tucked inside the basket. Nick must have had a reason, and this might be the very last thing she could ever do for him.

She took a deep breath and stepped out the elevator. There was only one room at the end of the short hallway. As she headed toward it, she suddenly felt like throwing up and the blood in her legs seemed to have been drained off. Must have resulted from her earlier panic, she reckoned. She decided to take a break when she arrived at the room. Luckily the sickness quickly dissolved. She pushed on the door, which swung open with no resistance.

The room was spacious and even darker than the outside, but she could see her wedding photo hanging on one of the walls, and that immediately drove away her anxiety. She entered the room, found a light switch near the entrance, and flipped it on. The furnishings were quite modern, so she figured the room was either constructed or renovated recently. On the wall opposite the entrance was a flat screen, right next to her wedding photo. There were a few wardrobes and bookshelves against the wall to her left, and a hefty bar counter to her right in front of a wine cabinet. She walked over to the center of the room and sat on the corner-sofa set. The ivory leather felt a little dusty, but the air in the room smelled fresh. There must be concealed ventilation somewhere.

She set the basket on the coffee table in front of her and grabbed the wine bottle. Had she known there was a bar here, she wouldnt have bothered. She poured herself a glass of wine and surveyed the bar. The collection of wine was impressive, but what attracted her attention was the counter made of some translucent pink material. The outer surface was glossy and transparent. Further in, the material became more opaque. She left the sofa and examined the counter closely. The whole thing felt solid, but wasnt made of glass or any material she was familiar with. When her fingers glided on the surface, she thought she detected tiny vibrations, but she couldnt be sure.

She walked back to the sofa, and this time she spotted a TV monitor on it. She turned on the TV and was utterly relieved to find all the familiar channels. Now she no longer felt isolated from the rest of the human world. She watched the news for a few minutes before she remembered why she came here. She searched the channels and found five astronomical programs, with the first three all being related to mining. Only one of them mentioned the Rosetta project briefly. No videos. Just a static picture of the two astronauts who were supposed to be patrolling Comet 195F at this very moment.

Rose stared at the image of the senior guy. The picture was taken before he boarded a spaceship. He was wearing a common brown astronaut suit, and his hair was even shorter than what he had four years ago. The same sober expression. Eyes looking at a point far beyond the camera. Far ahead or behind in time.

The picture disappeared as the channel went on talking about something more exciting, judging by the switch of the narrators tone.

We have just received three more pictures regarding the super diamond found in the Tau-Ceti No. 4 mine. Measuring one hundred thirty meters long, sixty-five meters wide, and fifty-seven meters tall, this priceless piece of gem will probably remain on the cold planet for at least another fifty years till we have the technology to bring it home in one piece 

Rose turned off the TV and poured herself another glass of wine. Now her gaze fell on her wedding photo. A young couple standing in front of a lake and smiling brightly on a Saturday morning, brightly into the future, with a shared confidence that they would stay with each other forever, despite the mortality of their species.

I did what you told me to, she said to Nicks image but no longer looked at the photo. We were the only donor, and I remember at one point somebody higher up has tried to talk me out of that project and invest in something elsethere were lots of competitions going on among NASAs different divisions, I could tellbut I insisted. Later I got a dinner invitation from a guy, Kenton, uh  Kenton Clifton, I think. On the night before the dinner he told me he wouldnt be able to make it, and was going to send somebody else. At first, I wasnt happy. I was like, we gave you money, guys! But then 

She paused, slightly embarrassed talking to her husband on such a subject. In the corners of her eyes she saw something flashing inside the bar counter, but when she turned to look for it, she could find nothing unusual.

Hes one of the astronauts that will land on the comet, she swallowed some wine and continued. In fact, they should be on there now. His name is Devin Lee. To be honest, when he first described the project to me, I didnt find it interesting. And I couldnt understand a thing related to the research hed been collaborating on with people when he wasnt in space. But I enjoyed hearing him talking about those things. Just talking. Hes so 

She tried to come up with a more specific word but failed. Special! Hes different from all the people Id met before  Im sorry, Nick, but that includes you. He doesnt care about boats, or clubs, or stock market. Hes like a kid, who does stuff mainly out of passion or curiosity. Or silliness. She crouched on the sofa and smiled. Many of his ideas, his philosophies, would probably appear to you meaningless 

* * *

So, what should we do? Matt asked after Devin had walked back to join him.

Devin glanced at the lander, which was still busy working to complete all the measurements. If they sent back the result now, it would inevitably cause some dither at home. They would be receiving instructions after instructions, with the later ones contradicting the earlier ones. Newspapers and TV channels may start flooding the public with announcements and conjectures from various sources. No, hed like to find out more before people sitting a hundred million miles away took control.

He pressed a button on his chest to turn on communication with the ship. Connor, could you find out the maximum depth the drills can go? I mean, when they are extended.

The soil sample that had produced the earlier result was obtained twelve inches beneath the surface. The drills of the SD2 module could normally dig down to thirty inches, but this lander was a new model with extensions for the drills.

After a while, he heard Connor saying, Fifty-two inches.

Nodding, Devin leaned over to configure the settings, but then changed his mind. Matt, would you like to do that?

To Devin, training younger colleagues was, at least, as important as carrying out a mission. Even in situations like this. In fact, especially in situations like this.

Matt knelt down beside the lander and began working on the touch screen.  Oops! Almost there  After a minute he stopped typing and gazed at the screen. Twenty inches  Thirty  Forty  Wait, somethings weird!

Devin also noticed the red flashing signal on the panel and bent down to take a better look. The two drills were still working, but no longer advancing in the soil. After half a minute, the result came back.

Stainless Steel? Devin and Matt exchanged looks with each other.

Hitherto it was still possible that the comet had come from a place with only primitive life forms, but now a more advanced species similar or superior to humans must have existed.

Seeing that Matt was waiting for further instructions from him, Devin said, Lets take the drills out and try the sensors. This was the last device he could come up with, and if that got them nowhere, they would have to take a break and let their bosses decide.

Matt did some typing on the panel to insert the multimodal sensors through the holes the drills had created. After a few minutes, he read the report. Mechanical movements and electrical activity are detected, as well as liquid flow thats normally associated with cooling systems 

Whats this? Devin pointed at a time-varying waveform shown on the screen.

Hmm, interesting, said Matt. Some kind of vibrations or signals detected by the sensors.

Devin studied the waveform for a moment. Tracy was an audiologist, and he used to volunteer in her research projects as a human subject. He had a faint memory of the typical waveforms of noise, music, and speech. The signal on the screen looked like speech.

Could you send the signal to my channel?

Seeing the confusion on Matts face, Devin extended his left arm toward him. The port name of Devins intercom, NXD21, had been printed on the cuff.

Oh, I see! You want me to play it as a sound. Matt typed on the panel, and soon a womans voice appeared inside Devins helmet.

 I have to say, Im a different person now. I know, its just a dinner, but  how should I put it? Like a comet flying past a planet, though the encounter took only a short time, its orbit has been forever altered.

Do you hear anything? Matt asked tentatively.

Devin made no reply, waiting for more to come. But after that the intercom remained silent and no more waveforms were showing on the screen.

I heard a womans voice, he said eventually. She was talking about a comet, but I dont think thats what she really meant.

Who is she? And where?

A woman? Matt gasped. You mean, a human woman?

Devin rolled his eyes. You think I understand aliens languages?

But how  how could? Are we standing on top of a radio?

Although Devin could not argue against the possibility that the whole thing was a hoax placed by some of his human fellows, most likely from other countries, to make fun of the United States, but he doubted it. After years of adventurous experience, his intuition had evolved into something he could decidedly rely on, something that almost functioned in a mysterious way. This was more than a device that simply received signals. The comet traveled not only in space, but also in time. The last time when it visited earth, the ancient Persian Empire was fighting the Athenians. Who could have possessed the power and technology to do this? And more importantly, what was the purpose?

Its time to call home.
Upholding the Republic of Biodiversity

Demand immediate and complete withdrawal of proposed Biodiversity Act Amendment Bill 2021

A Statement issued by

Coalition for Environmental Justice in India

on the occasion of 73rd Republic Day of India, 26 January 2022

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC)[1] has proposed comprehensive amendments to the Biological Diversity Act 2002 (BDA)[2] by way of the Biological Diversity Act Amendment Bill 2021[3]. Since the proposed amendments are far reaching in nature as well as deeply controversial, the Bill has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for review. The JPC has invited comments/objections to the Bill by the end of the month.

Under the Doctrine of Public Trust enunciated as law of the land by the Supreme Court of India, natural resources of the country belong to the people, and are managed by the state as a trustee on behalf of the real owners. The unamended BDA recognizes the public trust doctrine as central to the successful implementation of the law.

In this sense, the proposed changes to the Act constitute a well calibrated and clear attempt to progressively undermine and destroy the sovereign rights and control that the people of India have over their biodiversity, bioresources and associated traditional knowledge, a right that is particularly crucial for adivasis, Dalits, farmers, fishers, vaids, hakims, nomadic and de-notified tribes, and such other natural resource dependent peoples whose lives, livelihoods and socio-economic wellbeing are intricately linked to nature.

The Bill contains provisions which promote further centralisation of powers. This is in stark contrast with the law as it exists, which requires biodiversity conservation, protection and its sustainable use in collaboration with State and Local Governments. In this sense, the Bill is contrary to the Constitutional 73rd Amendment (Panchayat Raj) Act, 1992, the Constitutional 74th 74th Amendment (Nagarpalika) Act, 1992, the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and the Forest Rights Act 2006. The provisions of the Bill also stand opposed to the Principle of Intergenerational Equity, Precautionary Principle, Polluter Pays Principle and a host of other such basic safeguards protecting peoples and the countrys interests now and into the future.

The Bill also seeks to comprehensively dilute sovereign governance mechanisms of the Biodiversity Management Committees subordinating them to centrally controlled parastatals, and thus compromise substantially their oversight to and access over their bioresources. The benefit of this dilution will accrue to private corporations, including MNCs, and especially those involved in AYUSH[4] industries. This could result in irreversible extractive exploitation of Indias bioresources and the country potentially faces loss of control over and extinction of several valuable plant species very rapidly as a result.

The proposed changes in the BDA need to be viewed in conjunction with regulations[5] proposed to be issued under the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006 (FSSA),[6] which are also promoted without any respect for the countrys federal governance system. The FSSAI[7] proposals facilitate free passage of genetically modified foods into India even though there is a Ministerial moratorium in place since 2010 against GM food trials and cultivation. Here too the interests of Indian and international corporations are being leveraged over fundamental rights of farmers, food producers and local communities. Besides, the diversity of food cultures of India is sought to be homogenised by extending direct access to such imported foods across the country. In this context we record our gravest concerns that the changes proposed in regulations under FSSA are in concert with essential abrogation of the BDA and the GMO RULES of 1989[8].

Biodiversity protection and its sustainable use extends centrally to Indias biodiverse crop seeds for food & feed which have contributed to her rich cooking traditions - a culturally diverse art developed over thousands of years. Our reliance on traditionally safe and healthy food is now directly under attack and will be junked through these plans to open Indias food and feed to GMOs in imported processed foods and feed, and the comprehensive dilution of BDA.

It is deeply worrying that the Government of India is attempting to destroy the very essence of the BDA, which was enacted following one of the most participatory efforts in law making in the history of India. The law, in fact, was enacted in response to India becoming a signatory to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity 1992[9] (CBD) as it reaffirms the sovereign rights of the States over their biological resources.[10] This needs to be seen in the context of Article 39(b), part of the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution of India,[11] which clearly acknowledges that ownership and control of the material resources is of the community and that it must be so distributed as to best subserve the common good. On that premise the duty is cast on the Government in Article 48(A) to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country.

Significantly, the Government of India has proposed the Bill without consulting State Governments, Local Governments, or the wider public. The Bill has also not been translated into any of the Scheduled languages of India, as was done with the Draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020 following nation-wide public outcry and the direction of the Delhi High Court[12]. This may be because the Bill proposes significant and highly regressive changes to the Act which the Government may not want the people to know of.

There are provisions in the Bill which seek to extinguish or diminish the effective control people of India now have over their biodiversity, bioresources and associated traditional knowledge. Through it, foreign and Indian private corporations, research organisations and corporate data agencies from across the world will gain unfettered access to Indias biodiversity and associated knowledge and information.

Such provisions of the Bill amount to advancing bio-looting of Indias bioresources and the systematisation of biopiracy - which the country chose to actively resist by enacting the BDA and endorsing CBD. Alarmingly, certain provisions of the Bill extend legitimacy to several cases of biopiracy actively under consideration of the judiciary.[13] Such dilutions would make it very difficult, if not impossible, to hold any private individual or corporation accountable for biopiracy or bioloot in future. It is to be noted that prevailing safeguards helped India protect its bioresources internationally, especially through legal action in foreign courts, as evident from successes against biopiracy of Neem, Basmati rice, etc.[14]

Another worrying aspect in the Bill is that it aims to significantly erode the prevailing fragile autonomy of the National Biodiversity Authority.[15] This is sought to be done by promoting the powers of the Member Secretary of the Authority, an appointee of MoEF&CC, to be equal to the autonomous Chairperson of the authority. In effect, this would turn the autonomous institution into an executive appendage of the Ministry.

In a most astonishing proposition, the Bill seeks to take the BDA out of the prevailing environmental jurisprudence governed under the umbrella legislation Environment Protection Act, 1986. Currently, all offences against the environment and associated rights are considered criminal offences. By way of the Bill, MoEF&CC now proposes to reduce such violations of BDA into mere civil offenses. It appears MoEF&CC has yielded to pressures from the United States Government which  since the early 2000s  has been pressuring India to whittle down its strong environmental jurisprudence.

The Government of India has a duty cast upon it by the Constitution to propose reforms to strengthen the BDA in collaboration with State and Local Governments, so that Indias biodiversity, peoples sovereign control over bioresources and associated traditional knowledge is protected, and their sustainable use will benefit present and future generations. MoEF&CC  in association with State Environment Departments  is mandated to ensure decentralised and effective implementation of the Act. Instead, the proposed Bill is a retrograde move, a brazen attempt to centralise control of Indias biodiversity conservation system in the Central Ministry and will turn biodiversity and bioresources into a lucrative field for profit maximisation by corporate and financial interests. This we are neither able to tolerate nor accept.

On this 73rd Republic Day, We, the People of India, and environmental, social justice and democratic organizations fully reject the proposed BDA Amendment Bill, 2011 as it grossly militates against interests of the peoples of India and their futures. We make this demand in the interest of our living planet, and in resistance to the corporate loot of natural resources. We demand that the Bill be withdrawn forthwith by the Government of India.

We urge the Joint Parliamentary Committee to initiate nation-wide consultation processes to improve BDA and its implementation, enabling participation of primary stakeholders of biodiversity, bioresources and associated traditional knowledge in a manner accessible to them and in their language. In conducting such a deeply democratic consultation, JPC could call upon State Governments, Local Governments, NGOs and civil society to assist. This process will take time, but it is necessary that this time is invested now in order to safeguard Indias biodiversity and thereby her ecological, economic and social securities. Such rigorous assessment can weigh in support of the letter and spirit of the current Act and in securing India.

Endorsed by:

Leo F. Saldanha and Bhargavi S. Rao, Environment Support Group, Bangalore

Claude Alvares, Director, The Goa Foundation

Aruna Rodriques, Lead Petitioner in Supreme Court against GMOs in India

Narasimha Reddy Donthi, Joint Action for Water

Meera Sanghamitra, National Alliance of Peoples Movements (NAPM)

Malika Virdi, Sarpanch Sarmoli Jainti Van Panchayat

Himal Prakriti, Munsiari, Uttarakhand

Maati Sangathan, Munsiari, Uttarakhand

Ravindranath, River Basin Friends

K Ramnarayan, Ecologist, Educator, Uttarakhand

Emmanuel Theophilus

Centre for Financial Accountability

Green Alliance for Conservation of Eastern Ghats

Council for Green Revolution

Dunu Roy, Hazards Centre

Chetana Society

Neema Pathak Broome, Kalpavriksh

Willam Stanley, Orissa Development Action Forum (ODAF)

Yugma Network, India

Friends of the Earth, India

Civil Society Womens Organisation, Meghalaya

Suprabha Seshan, Restoration Ecologist, Ashoka Fellow

Vidya Dinker, Indian National Social Action Front (INSAF)

Bidulata and Badal, Odisha Adibasi Manch & Ankuran

Ravi Rebapragada, Samata & mm&P

Geetanjoy Sahu, Professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Nitin Rai, Independent Scholar, Bangalore

Benny Kuruvilla

Contact details:

Environment Support Group (Trust), 1572, 36th Cross, Ring Road, Banashankari II Stage

Bangalore 560070. INDIA. Tel: 91-80-26713560 Voice/Fax: 91-80-26713316 Email: esg[at]esgindia.org

[1] https://moef.gov.in/en/

[2] http://nbaindia.org/content/25/19/1/act.html

[3] http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/Asintroduced/158_2021_LS_Eng.pdf

[4] https://www.ayush.gov.in

[5] https://www.fssai.gov.in/notifications.php?notification=draft-notification

[6] https://www.fssai.gov.in/cms/act-2006.php

[7] https://www.fssai.gov.in

[8] https://geacindia.gov.in/acts-and-rules.aspx

[9] https://www.cbd.int

[10] The CBD in an international agreement signed by India recognising the need to protect human health and the environment from the possible adverse effects of the products of modern biotechnology (including Gene Edited Products) and it is rooted in the Precautionary Principle.

[11] https://legislative.gov.in/constitution-of-india

[12] https://indiankanoon.org/doc/170177749/

[13] https://esgindia.org/new/?s=biopiracy

[14] https://www.navdanya.org/site/living-seed/biopiracy-victories

[15] http://nbaindia.org/
Is Martin Jose Alvarez (28) the next Gordon Ramsay? The 28-year-old gentleman was arrested for threatening the staff at a Florida Waffle House because their culinary skills weren't up to snuff. "You better cook the fucking bacon right!" instructed the shirtless food critic. He also shouted racial slurs at the staff to encourage them to do better.

Police arrived and could not subdue Alavarez until they warned him that he would be tasered if he didn't comply.

Alvarez was charged with four offenses, including disorderly intoxication, resisting an officer, and simple assault. Hopefully, the bacon is tasty in jail, which where he will reside until a hearing on February 4th.
Peter Robbins, who was the voice of Charlie Brown in Peanuts cartoon TV specials in the 1960s, died last week from suicide. He was 65. Robbins began voicing Charlie Brown in 1963 and was such a fan of Peanuts that he had a tattoo of Charlie Brown and Snoopy hugging each other.

Robbins was bi-polar, and spent four years in prison for stalking his ex-girlfriend and making criminal threats against several people, including the sheriff of San Diego County. He also spent time in a state mental hospital and a sober living home.

In 2019 the actor told Fox 5 in San Diego about life in prison:
On Monday, Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage was a guest on Marc Maron's podcast, where he expressed his feelings about Disney's live-action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. "[Y]ou're still making that fucking backward story of seven dwarves living in the cave. What the fuck are you doing, man?" he said to Disney execs by way of Maron's show.

Disney was listening. Yesterday afternoon a Disney spokesperson told Deadline, "To avoid reinforcing stereotypes from the original animated film, we are taking a different approach with these seven characters and have been consulting with members of the dwarfism community. We look forward to sharing more as the film heads into production after a lengthy development period."

Deadline also reports that the remake is "still years away from release. The feature has been in development for three years and the reimagining of the dwarf characters is something Disney has been working on since the project's earliest stages."
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has set up an email snitchline, where parents can report "divisive practices" taking place at their child's school, such as teaching the facts about racism in the US, or daring to ask students to wear a mask (of course Youngkin sends one of his own kids to a private school that enforces masks).

As dystopian as it is, at least pranksters have found a new playground in Youngkin's budding Oceania, where they can flood the hotline with comical complaints of "unpleasant facts" for the governor to enjoy.

For example:

"Albus Dumbeldor was teaching that full blooded wizards discriminated against mudbloods!" one Harry Potter-inspired prankster claims to have written.

"Mrs. Krabappel and Principal Skinner were in the closet making babies and I saw one of the babies and the baby looked at me!" another said, referencing the Simpsons.

"My teenage son came home from school and told me my teachers are attempting to teach him! I'm outraged and find this completely unacceptable" another began. "Who do these teachers think they are? "

Human rights lawyer and Sirius XM host Qasim Rashid collected some of the fun "tips" people say they emailed to Youngkin, pasting them into his tweet (below).

"You guys. I explicitly said to NOT send fake racism tips to helpeducation@governor.virginia.gov and in response you all send this, pictured below," Rashid sarcastically said in his post.

"So I repeat  do not use the below as a guide on how to send fake racism tips directly to the VA GOP Governor's Office. Thank you."

That's right. Do NOT use the guide below  unless you want to have some fun.

You guys. I explicitly said to NOT send fake racism tips to helpeducation@governor.virginia.gov and in response you all send this, pictured below.



So I repeatdo not use the below as a guide on how to send fake racism tips directly to the VA GOP Governor's Office. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/kSliAwHsbO  Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) January 25, 2022

Via HuffPost
The Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency has approved more than $88 million in tax breaks over the next 30 years for a solar power project in South Ripley that will power more than 55,000 average New York homes each year while also storing some of the energy for future use.

ConnectGen, which has been working on its South Ripley Solar Project since 2018, plans to put up a 270-megawatt solar farm with a 20-megawatt battery energy storage component. The project will create 200 construction jobs, but only a handful of permanent positions.

This has been a long and sometimes challenging project; however, at the end of the day the revenue from this project will benefit the citizens of the town for many years to come," Town of Ripley Supervisor Doug Bowen said.

According to the CCIDA, the project is expected to generate over $60 million in added tax revenues for the town of Ripley, the county, the Sherman and Ripley central school districts and the Ripley Volunteer Fire Department over the course of 30 years. Local landowners are also expected to receive more than $30 million through solar leases, easement agreements and "good neighbor" agreements.

This project is a win for the Town of Ripley, Chautauqua County and the State of New York," said Chautauqua County Executive P.J. Wendel. "We are thrilled that we have the land and infrastructure to attract this clean energy project to our area.

Construction is expected to begin in late 2022, pending state and local approvals.

This is a project that ConnectGen and the community have been working on for a couple of years, said Mark Geise, deputy county executive for economic development and CCIDA CEO.

ConnectGen  which currently has 139 megawatts of operating projects and 15,000 megawatts of wind, solar and energy storage projects in development  is a renewable energy subsidiary of 547 Energy, which is the clean-energy business of private-equity firm Quantum Energy Partners.

This agreement is a significant milestone for the project and the county, " said ConnectGen CEO Caton Fenz.

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Confusion and disagreements over mask mandates in New York continued until late Tuesday afternoon, when an Appellate Division judge stayed a decision made Monday that overturned the state mandate.

"We disagree 100% with the conclusion of the judge in his opinion that the Department of Health did not have the authority to protect public health," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "A judge in Albany, with the same fact pattern, came up with a different conclusion."

Judge strikes down state mask mandate; but for schools and in Erie County, it's still in effect A judge in New York State Supreme Court ruled Monday that a public mask mandate put in place by the state Department of Health at the behest of Gov. Kathy Hochul violates the state's constitution, rendering it unenforceable effective immediately.

Whether the temporary stay remains in effect is to be argued Friday morning.

School superintendents started getting emails and texts as soon as word spread of a state Supreme Court ruling from Nassau County overturning the state mask mandate Monday. Parents wanted to know if their children had to wear masks to school, and some said they planned to send their kids without masks.

The decision, and whether it had been stayed by the appellate court, caused confusion and different reactions around the state Tuesday. More than a dozen districts on Long Island told their communities masks were optional Tuesday, according to ABC7NY news.

In reversal of earlier decision, Buffalo agrees to let maskless student attend school The agreement allows the 10-year-old boy to return to school Feb. 7 wearing a face shield. He will be provided bus transportation and will attend all classes with various safety protocols.

But districts in Erie County followed the mask mandate, sending notices to parents that the state Education Department noted the latest ruling out of Nassau County conflicted with a previous decision out of state Supreme Court in Albany County.

Some parents still sent their children to school without face coverings. One of them was Dana Hensley in the Williamsville Central School District. Her 14-year-old daughter went to Casey Middle School without a mask.

"They won't let her go to class. They won't give me documentation of disciplinary action, but they want me to come pick her up because she's not wearing a mask," Hensley said Tuesday morning.

She maintained that the court decision meant there was no state mask mandate in effect and that Erie County's mandate does not apply to schools. The stay that leaves the mandate in place had not been obtained this morning when children went to school.

"They're violating a court order by enforcing masks," Hensley said.

Latest state guidance creates more confusion about mask breaks in schools Guidance issued Friday said the state does not "provide for the implementation of 'mask breaks' during the school day, nor does it provide for an exception to the masking requirement on the basis of minimal social distancing in classrooms."

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz disagreed, saying Tuesday that the county's indoor mask mandates still apply to all schools and classrooms because the county order falls under a different section of law than the state mandate. The county considers schools to be public places, he said.

"The judge's decision has no effect on any local government emergency order," Poloncarz said.

The Williamsville district said in a statement that masks are still required at all times in the school day except when students, faculty and staff are eating or drinking. If they don't have one, they are given a mask.

"If they refuse to wear a mask, they are then asked to leave the building. If students refuse to wear a mask, parents/guardians are asked to pick them up from school," the statement said.

Springville Griffith Institute School District and many other local districts sent families a message Monday evening that the state Education Department said "schools must continue to follow the mask rule."

What the new state mask mandate means Acting State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett issued a formal determination on where and when masks are required in New York State.

"I think it definitely created a lot of uncertainty and it created a lot of confusion for people over what they were supposed to do," Springville Superintendent James Bialasik said of Monday's court ruling.

He said a handful of students attended school without masks Tuesday. The district always offers students face coverings if they don't have any, he said.

"If a student refused, then we made arrangements for students to be picked up by a parent, if possible," he said.

New York State United Teachers President Andy Pallotta said public health experts have been clear that masks are one strategy to keep people safe.

"In the meantime, were looking to state health officials to set a clear off-ramp for when mask requirements in schools can be relaxed so students, families and educators have some certainty that there is light at the end of this long tunnel, Pallotta said in a statement.

News staff reporters Harold McNeil and Sandra Tan contributed to this story.

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Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Tuesday that he expects some form of Covid-19 to be around forever  but not the pandemic restrictions.

If current trends continue, he said, the county's indoor mask mandate may be lifted next month.

Latest data continues to suggest that the Covid-19 surge is past its peak locally Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Tuesday that the latest county data confirms what he believed to be true last week: The latest Covid-19 surge is finally past its peak and trending downward.

"We all want to get back to what we consider normal life," Poloncarz said. "I believe Covid is going to be with us for the rest of our lives, in some form. That doesn't mean we're going to be following the same mask rules and things like that in the future."

He pointed to improved hospital capacity and lower positive test rates as signs the mask mandate's time may be numbered. New weekly cases for Covid-19 fell 47% last week, compared with the previous week, the second consecutive week of falling case numbers.

"If things continue in this trend, there's a possibility we'll be able to lift the mask requirement in February, but we're just not there yet," he said.

The county executive offered his optimistic view as he reinforced his position that Erie County's mask mandate still applies to all public, indoor spaces, regardless of state court decisions challenging the legality of Gov. Kathy Hochul's indoor mask mandate.

On Monday, a State Supreme Court judge on Long Island struck down the state's indoor mask mandate, which the state quickly appealed. That mask mandate is distinct from Erie County's mask mandate, which was derived under a different section of law than the statewide mandate.

The Appellate Division issued a stay of the Long Island ruling Tuesday afternoon. That keeps the state's mask mandate in effect, in addition to the Erie County mandate.

Regardless of how the courts resolve the state mask mandate issue, the county's mandate remains unaffected, Poloncarz said.

Poloncarz recounted that Erie County's mask mandate was put in place in November because of cases and hospitalizations expected to rise over the holiday season amid the Delta variant, and then the Omicron variant arrived.

What Covid-19 hospitalization numbers do  and don't  tell us In recent days, new data has been shared indicating that while many more patients are testing positive for Covid-19, that doesn't mean that they are hospitalized because they have Covid-19.

In the past two weeks, 105 people have died of a Covid-19-related illness, he said. Of those, 58% were not fully vaccinated prior to infection.

He also pointed out that six county residents under the age of 40 have died of Covid-19 so far in January  the highest number in that age group for a single month since the health crisis began. Five of the six were not fully vaccinated.

As the numbers decline and more hospital beds open up, however, the county will reassess its restrictions.

"If we believe it's now safe to lift the mask mandate, we will do so," Poloncarz said. "We do not want to keep it on forever."

As the Covid-19 virus becomes "endemic," a more regular but less severe part of everyday life, the restrictions will become unnecessary, he said.

Covid-19 deaths in Erie County have been rising, but not like last year A total of 161 Erie County deaths last month were attributed to Covid-19, according to the county Health Department. That is the highest number of monthly deaths since last January, when 269 people died.

"I just ask everyone to bear with us here," Poloncarz said. "The mask mandate was not put in place to make people's lives miserable. It was to prevent our hospitals from drowning in Covid-19 patients. It worked during the Delta wave. We brought the numbers down, and then Omicron hit and we saw ridiculous numbers of new cases."

Gov. Kathy Hochul noted Tuesday that upstate infection rates remain higher than downstate levels.

At a news conference at the State Fairgrounds near Syracuse, Hochul said the trend shows that upstate is lagging behind the downstate area when it comes to decreasing cases of the virus across the state. But overall, new Covid-19 cases have fallen by 86% since Jan. 7 statewide.

Statewide hospitalizations have also fallen from 13,000 to 9,800.

"We're still dropping, thank God, from the peak we were at two weeks ago," Hochul said.

In Erie County, hospitalizations have generally been falling since the middle of last week. While county hospitals were recently at or near capacity, that capacity level has dropped to about 87%, which is better, but still high. Hospital leaders were the ones urging the county to impose a mask mandate, Poloncarz said.

The county executive declined to lay out specific benchmarks that would need to be met in order for the mask mandate to be lifted, but continued to state that hospital capacity would be a key factor.

"It's not just one thing," he said. "Everyone's looking and thinking there's a bright line test, and once we hit this particular number, that matters. If you look at the hospitalization statistics ... you will know that there are different rates of hospitalization in different hospitals."

Staff reporter Harold McNeil contributed to this story.

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South Africa: NDA seeks volunteers for programme

The National Development Agency (NDA) has called on civil society organisations (CSOs) to submit proposals for the agencys Volunteer Programme.

The CSOs, which include non-profit organisations (NPOs) and co-operatives, will provide volunteers who will work in communities, particularly townships and rural areas, in all 52 districts across the country, as a response to the effects of COVID-19 on poor communities.

The NDAs Volunteer Programme is part of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, NDA spokesperson, Lonwabo Ganelo, said the agency wishes to partner with 100 CSOs, including NPOs and co-operatives, who will in turn provide and manage a total of 2 300 volunteers in the districts around the country.

This is in line with the District Development Model/Khawuleza, which aims to improve the coherence and impact of government service delivery, with a focus on 44 districts and eight metros around the country as development spaces that can be used as centres of service delivery and economic development, including job creation, Ganelo said.

The appointed volunteers will be paid a stipend of R1 800 per month, whilst the CSOs will receive a monthly management fee of R5 000.

The role of the volunteers includes:

Support Social Security Agency (SASSA), with intake of the R350 Social Relief of Distress Grant, particularly in rural areas.

Facilitate advocacy to upscale vaccination drive in communities.

Gather data on vaccination uptake within the CSO sector at district level, in alignment with the District Development Model.

Gather data on R350 access within communities and impact of these interventions in their households.

Facilitate behavioural change in communities for compliance to COVID-19 protocols.

Facilitate referrals to SASSA to resolve challenges of accessing R350 grants and other grants.

Disseminate correct COVID-19 information in local languages to build community awareness.



CSOs that are interested in submitting proposals are encouraged to visit the NDA website www.nda.org.za for more details on the application processes.

The closing date for the proposals submission is 18 February 2022.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijani businessmen have reached preliminary agreements on new cooperation within the 28th International Trade Food and Beverage Exhibition, held in Turkeys Antalya on January 18-21.

Thus, the producers of jams and vegetable oils have reached preliminary distribution agreements with the Turkish companies.

Saffron producers have reached preliminary agreements on the export of local saffron and saffron products to the Arab countries. In addition, dried fruit producers have reached preliminary agreements on the export of dried persimmons to Turkeys market.

It should be noted that 15 representatives of the Azerbaijani micro and small businesses presented their products at the special stand, organized by the Agency for Small and Medium Business Development.

The Made in Azerbaijan stand displayed dried fruits, vegetable oils, fruit juices, tea, berries, saffron and saffron products, sweets, chocolate, and other products.

At the exhibition, more than 450 entrepreneurs from 81 regions of Turkey and 50 foreign countries represented their products and services.

According to the National Export Strategy, Azerbaijan's non-oil exports are planned to be doubled and reach $3.7 billion by 2025 compared to 2020.
OLAF FUB SEZ: Advice from actor Paul Newman, born on this date in 1925, If youre playing a poker game and you look around the table and cant tell who the sucker is, its you.

. . .

NIAGARAS FINEST  Military historian Edward Jackson, commander of Lake Ontario Post 313, Veterans of Foreign Wars, in Youngstown, is guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Historical Association of Lewiston at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Lutheran Church of the Messiah Fellowship Hall, 915 Oneida St., Lewiston.

His topic will be The Men of Company M, a Civil War unit from Niagara County that served in many major battles and campaigns, including Gettysburg, Antietam and Shermans March to the Sea. Admission is free. All are welcome. Facial coverings required.

. . .

GETTING A RAISE  $50,000 is the new maximum signing bonus offered by the U.S. Army for those who enlist for active duty, $10,000 more than before. Amount depends on several factors, including skills, length of enlistment and which specialty is chosen. For more info, visit goarmy.com.

. . .

REUNION ALERT  The Niagara-Wheatfield High School Reunion Committee will hold its next picnic Aug. 21 for all graduates up through the Class of 1972 on Aug. 21 outside Gratwick Hose Fire Company, 110 Ward Road, North Tonawanda. Info will be mailed in May. Questions? Call Vicky Wienke at 716-823-0012.

. . .

SUMMER PLANS  The Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts, postponed for the past two years because of the pandemic, plans to return the Elmwood Village Aug. 27 and 28 and is looking for artists, craftspeople, musicians, dancers, puppeteers, food vendors, nonprofit organizations and volunteers.

For info and to sign up, visit elmwoodartfest.org/2022-applications. Those who applied in 2020 and 2021 and did not request a fee refund will not need to apply again.

. . .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY  Bud Seidenberg, Dr. Gale Burstein, Barbara Keating, Kevin Purdy, Bill Noltee, David Nathan, Hannah Weinberg, Shryl Mosa Duderwick, Kerry Kelton, Alissa Cibella, Deanna Shaw, Irene Kenner, Evelyn Tulip the Clown Mietlowski, Dawn Yeates, Bree Yeates, Joe Zoyhofski and Alyssa Ruberto.

AND THURSDAY  Juanita Tillmon, Nomiki Konst, Dr. Phil Glick, Skay Abdallah, Zachery Bohen, Donna Dudek, Janice Jay, James Michalski, Maria Clare, Sarah Burdick, Bert Gustafson, Barb Jakubowski, Luke Colpoys, Lilly Colpoys, Dan Wolf, Dan Klein, Kelsey Kalamata, Michelle Albert and Diane Galenda.

To submit birthdays and other items of interest to Reporters Notebook, please email olaffub@buffnews.com or send a letter to Reporters Notebook, Buffalo News, Box 100, Buffalo, NY 14240.

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A state judges decision halting Gov. Kathy Hochuls mandatory masking law is no big deal  and not just because Erie Countys dictate under a separate law remains in effect.

Rather, the ruling nullifying the statewide war on Covid irresponsibility is meaningless because state officials  and local leaders, for that matter  never really declared war in the first place. Theyve tried to be nice, and theres no such thing as a nice war.

Instead, what we got was combat by press release about a so-called mask mandate and fines of up to $1,000  with absolutely no follow-up to protect anybody who wasnt at a Village of Williamsville board meeting.

Sure, Erie Countys crackdown on the village mayors publicity stunt was certainly welcome even if masks, in one important sense, are not entirely foolproof. While they help contain potentially fatal droplets, they will not stop the hot air that political opportunists like the maskless mayor continue to spread. In fact, if Covid werent so contagious, we could take comfort in Darwins theory about survival of the mentally fittest.

But it is contagious, and I would take the mayors bravado more seriously if she, not the village, was paying the $300 fine that the board reversed course and agreed to pay for ignoring the mandate, cutting taxpayers potential losses.

The fine sends a message and will improve safety for citizens who attend government meetings.

But that still leaves the rest of us who try to go about our daily lives in other settings amid Omicron and the variants to follow. What about us?

What about those who, for instance, get tired of playing dodge-a-fool every time we go in the grocery store?

Pandemic Lessons: Attention shoppers: It's still not 'normal' The craziness continues inside grocery stores. Products run out quickly. Hours are shorter. Walking by people can involve an awkward toe-tapping dance of trying not to get too close.

You turn into aisle 8, only to see a maskless moron fumbling over products halfway down the aisle. So you quickly turn around and retreat to another part of the store and wait for the air to clear. After a suitable amount of time, you return to the aisle and hope the product you want is not one the science-denier breathed all over.

You worry because even if the virus droplets have fallen from the air, that coveted box of Rice-A-Roni now has spike proteins dancing all over the surface. Its why you keep washing your hands until theyre raw  and washing the products you buy, critics of performance cleaning be damned.

What about shoppers like us, who get tired of that routine but dont want to die on a ventilator? Dont we count for anything?

Apparently not, even though we outnumber the maskless marauders. Turning the traditional business model on its head, stores seem more interested in not upsetting the minority than in protecting the majority. When I complained once and reminded the worker of the stores own masks required signs, the employee shrugged and said she couldnt force the issue  verifying what spokesmen for Wegmans and Tops say publicly.

Given that attitude, how long will it be before sensible shoppers get fed up with futilely complaining to management? How long before they start abandoning their half-filled carts and walking out if stores dont value their safety? Maybe when they get tired of restocking all of those items left in the cart, stores will rethink the economic math of catering to the dolts instead of to the responsible customers.

But theres a better way than sticking store employees into the middle of this mandate muddle: Have the governments that impose the mandate enforce it. And thats not nearly as hard as one might think. All health departments would have to do is change tactics.

Even before Mondays ruling, the state was taking a hands-off approach to enforcing its own mandate. A state spokeswoman confirmed that the fines of up to $1,000 for ignoring the mask rule could be imposed on individuals as well as on businesses or government entities like Williamsville. However, the state wasnt doing it. She said enforcement was up to county health departments.

But even though Erie Countys mandate preceded the states and remains in effect despite Mondays court ruling  which officials say was stayed pending appeal  the county also was being way too patient, sending warning letters and encouraging people to do the right thing.

That approach clearly has run its course. For those who refuse to put on a mask, it's time to take off the gloves: Take a page out of the State Police holiday traffic enforcement handbook.

Publicly announce that Health Department sanitarians (theyre already in plain clothes) will be randomly roaming the aisles of grocery stores and other businesses and that there will be zero tolerance for the hard-core maskless.

And then follow through.

Have the sanitarians pose as shoppers, pushing carts or carrying items as they browse. When they see maskless shoppers, they can courteously remind them of the law  just in case the shoppers honestly forgot. With the sanitarian as an eyewitness, those who still adamantly refuse to mask up should then be hit with the maximum allowable sanction.

Asked if any shoppers had been fined so far, a county spokesperson had a one-word answer: No.

But a few well-publicized cases with fines of up to $1,000 on customers, and suddenly the right to spew a potentially fatal virus into the air will seem a lot less constitutional.

We would have compliance  and safety  in no time, and the rest of us would feel more comfortable about going out and spending again.

In the meantime, economists are always complaining about the dismal U.S. savings rate. Well, some of us are doing our part to boost it  and well keep on saving until public officials and businesses make it safe for us to go out and spend again.

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Here we go. Despite a constitutional amendment approved in 2014, there will be nothing remotely like independent redistricting in New York this year. The process is moving to a State Legislature controlled by Democrats, who will do their best to solidify and perpetuate their advantage.

Its not how an honest democracy would work but, sad to say, its also how most other states  red and blue  manage the once-a-decade work of redrawing legislative districts. Its an essential task, the only way for states and lower governments to hew to the constitutional requirement of one person, one vote.

As people come of age, move or die, the population of legislative districts fluctuates, inevitably giving some greater representation than others. For that reason, lines are redrawn to equalize their numbers following each decades census.

But because redistricting has been allowed to become politicized, the process works this way: Politicians decide which voters they want in their districts, then draw the boundaries to produce an advantage. That is to say, the politicians choose their voters before voters ever get to choose their politicians. Hence the infamous earmuff district that once connected Erie and Niagara counties with the Rochester area by means of a highway near Lake Ontario.

In New York, that was supposed to change  at least a little  following the 2014 constitutional amendment that created what could have been a marginally better system, had it been implemented with diligence. It wasnt, and this week, the process reverted from the putatively bipartisan commission to the State Legislature, which Democrats control by supermajorities. The only saving grace is the rules from that amendment that prohibit drawing district lines to favor candidates or parties.

Predictably, both sides are blaming the other. Democrats say they tried, but Republicans just wouldnt be serious. Republicans say Democrats were never interested in a bipartisan process. Likely, both are true  and would be true even if Republicans controlled the Legislature. When political parties have the chance to seize an advantage, they will. In that, theyre no different from any other interest group.

But they arent serving the public interest  assuming, that is, that the public remains interested in competitive elections, real debate and creative thinking. Politicians are more attuned to their districts when they must address the needs of a politically diverse population. When their re-election isnt a lock, they are less likely to be beholden to extreme voices.

Its possible to have some sympathy for the states Democrats. They know that in red states, including Texas and Florida  both more populous than New York  districts are being gerrymandered to artificially increase Republican electoral victories. When the issue is competition with other states, none is going to do less than it can to benefit its interests. After the 2020 census, Texas redrew its lines twice, after an interim election bolstered Republican clout.

As with campaign finance, its unreasonable to expect politicians not to exploit the rules to the maximum possible when they know their opponents are doing the same. The country needs a federal requirement for truly independent redistricting. Until that happens, this is what we have.

  

Whats your opinion? Send it to us at lettertoeditor@buffnews.com. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must convey an opinion. The column does not print poetry, announcements of community events or thank you letters. A writer or household may appear only once every 30 days. All letters are subject to fact-checking and editing.
When the Clintons took the White-house in 1992, the Democratic Party attempted to make health care a right for all Americans. At least then it would have covered only U.S. citizens. Hillary care, would have been provided by the central government, replacing private health insurance with some form of Medicare for all. Thankfully, that deal went down in flames. Next in 2009, President Barack Obama and Speaker Nancy Pelosi, prevailed in capturing about 15% of the private health insurance market with passage of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Now the new crop of Democratic socialists are using the Covid-19 kerfuffle to bankrupt the health care sector of our economy. They dictate what services may be provided where and when. Not to mention terminating essential health care workers who refuse to comply with vaccines and boosters. Once the system collapses, the federal government will step in with another multi-trillion-dollar bailout. U.S. health care will become socialized under some new federal bureaucracy.
Barbara OBriens article reporting increased aid to school districts is encouraging. I hope that in their planning for next years budgets that the school superintendents focus some of that windfall on their school libraries.

For close to two decades, New York State aid for library books has been stalled at $6.25 per student, a shocking $3 lower per person than aid for prison libraries. In most districts, this aid is the only money available for purchasing print materials. Building budgets no longer provide additional funding. This aid doesnt even provide for one new book per student per year.

The pandemic lockdown experience has revealed that children are fatigued by hours of sitting in front of a computer screen for daily lessons. They need relief and some of that should be in the form of being able to pick up a book. But not a book thats 20-plus years old. There is nothing like holding a new book in your hands. Reading is a way to help children develop vocabulary, comprehension and remain on grade level, to balance the effects of online instruction. Kids deserve up-to-date library collections and the increased state aid is an excellent opportunity to provide new resources for them.

Im looking forward to superintendents providing concrete evidence of increased book budget lines for every school library in their district when proposals are presented to taxpayers before the May 2022 votes. In fact, we should demand it.

Carolyn Gierke

Lancaster
By Laman Ismayilova

Caspian Business Hotel Baku will host Azerbaijan Kids Best Model 2022 on January 29.

"The main goal of the project is to reveal the creative abilities of the younger generation in the fashion industry, present them to the general public, followed by the participation of the best young models in international competitions," said Star Kids Group director Aygun Aliyeva.

Tha fashion event will bring together 97 (4-14 years old) young models, including 46 girls and 51 boys.

The jury will include well-known cultural figures, designers and fashion experts.
First Mazda Vehicle Rolls off Discovery Line at MTM

RICHMOND HILL, ON, Jan. 26, 2022 /CNW/ - Today, Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) President and CEO Jeff Guyton drives in the first 2023 Mazda CX-50 to roll off the Discovery Line at Mazda's new Huntsville, Alabama plant. Mazda Toyota Manufacturing (MTM) is a $2.3 billion joint venture partnership between Mazda Motor Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation. The first-ever CX-50, produced in the U.S., is made specifically for the North American market.

Employees celebrate at the Mazda Toyota Manufacturing Line-Off celebration for all-new 2023 Mazda CX-50 Crossover SUV on January 26, 2022, in Huntsville, ALA. (Jon Morgan/AP Images for Mazda North American Operations (CNW Group/Mazda Canada Inc.)

"This is an exciting day for both MTM team members and MNAO employees to celebrate the first CX-50 to roll off the Discovery Line at MTM," said Jeff Guyton. "The production of the CX-50 here signifies the importance of the North American market to Mazda and our commitment to investing in the U.S."

MTM began operation in September 2021 and will produce 300,000 vehicles annually. Up to 150,000 units are expected to be built each year for both Toyota and Mazda. The plant will employ up to 4,000 workers. Additionally, several thousand workers are expected to be employed by suppliers.

The 2023 Mazda CX-50 is an all-new, rugged and capable crossover SUV. As has become expected of Mazda's vehicles, the CX-50 offers superior driving dynamics and a beautiful design, while also enabling drivers to venture further into the outdoors and various terrains.

The first-ever CX-50 will be equipped as standard with the latest i-Activ All-Wheel Drive (AWD) technology and new Mazda Intelligent Drive Select, or Mi-Drive. The new drive modes can be selected with the Mi-Drive switch and will help the crossover SUV drive naturally in a wide variety of conditions, such as in exciting off-road terrain or providing reliable towing capabilities.

At launch, CX-50 will be available with Mazda's efficient powertrains, Skyactiv-G 2.5 naturally aspirated engine or Skyactiv-G 2.5 Turbo engine and paired with a responsive six-speed automatic transmission. In the coming years, the CX-50 will also be offered with electrified powertrains, including a traditional hybrid model. More information about our electrified models will be shared at a later date.

Story continues

The interior of CX-50 is well-crafted and features a layout focused on the driver. It also offers Mazda's first-ever panoramic moonroof, helping the occupants feel more connected to nature. To further support CX-50's presence in the outdoor space, its designs are more than just beautiful, they are also functional. While the interior provides comfort to all passengers, the cargo space is thoughtfully designed to help support and enable outdoor activities. The vehicle's height and length are ideal for easily loading and securing common outdoor equipment. Additionally, the high strength roof rails and reinforced b-pillars and door jambs add to the usability of securing equipment on the roof of CX-50.

Mazda Canada Inc. is responsible for the sales and marketing, customer service and parts support of Mazda vehicles in Canada. Headquartered in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Mazda Canada has a nationwide network of 163 retail stores. For additional information visit Mazda Canada's media website at www.media.mazda.ca.

Mazda Canada Inc. (CNW Group/Mazda Canada Inc.)

SOURCE Mazda Canada Inc.

Cision

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VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 26, 2022 /CNW/ - Vejii Holdings Ltd. (CSE: VEJI) (OTCQB: VEJIF) (the "Company'' or "Vejii"), a North American online marketplace for plant-based and sustainable products, is pleased to announce that is has started integrating the teams and operations of Veg Essentials LLC ("Vegan Essentials" or " VeganEssentials.com" ) and VEDGEco USA, Inc. ("VEDGEco" or " VEDGEco.com" ), its recent acquisitions, and based on the Company's 2022 business plans, Vejii anticipated annual revenues of C$10 to C$12 million, and expects gross margins for the consolidated business to be between 35-40%.

Vejii Holdings Ltd. Logo (CNW Group/Vejii Holdings Ltd.)

M&A and Integration Update

Since going public, Vejii acquired Vegan Essentials and VEDGEco, bringing together a complete business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) platform for its brand partners. The Company has begun consolidating operations for improved margins and operational efficiencies. This includes key synergies like warehouse consolidation, inventory rationalisation and cross-selling of products across Vejii's platform, helping drive improved margins, increased basket prices, reductions in shipping and third party costs and improved purchase pricing through scales of economy.

"As we start 2022, Vejii and its new expanded team have started working on key synergies and developing a consolidated business plan to push toward operational profitability, and I am pleased with the plan that the team has put together, as these are the first steps towards leveraging our new size and scale," said Kory Zelickson, CEO of Vejii.

2022 Revenue Guidance

The company is pleased to provide consolidated revenue guidance for the 2022 fiscal year to be between C$10 to C$12 million, and anticipated gross margins to be between 35-40%.

"With the closing of our two acquisitions and organic growth through our marketplace and sales channels, we feel that we are well-positioned for strong performance through 2022 as a unified company,'' said Darren Gill, President, and COO of Vejii.

Story continues

About Vejii Holdings Inc.

Headquartered in Kelowna B.C, Vejii is a unified digital marketplace and fulfillment platform featuring thousands of plant-based and sustainable-living products from a growing list of hundreds of vendors. The platform offers an easy-to-use, omnichannel experience for both vendors and buyers, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence to elegantly connect brands with a targeted consumer base, both organically and through specialized marketing programs. Dynamic fulfillment services empower brands to offer tier-one service, with ongoing engagement being driven through features like smart lists, subscription programs, reordering functions, sampling programs, and more.

The Company also owns and operates the US.-based Veg Essentials, a staple of the plant-based community. Vegan Essentials was established in 1997 and contributes more than 20 years of consumer insight, data, and buying power. VeganEssentials.com was awarded best online vegan store from 2005-2018, as well as best online vegan grocery from 2018-2021 by VegNews Magazine.

The Company also owns and operates VEDGEco. Headquartered in Kailua, Hawaii, and launched in 2020 VEDGEco is the first nationwide plant-based foodservice distributor, providing restaurants with high-quality plant-based options. With the goal of bringing the freedom of food choice to all restaurants and businesses, VEDGEco distributes plant-based products in bulk to the restaurant and wholesale food industry, as well as to consumers across the US.

For more information, visit VejiiHoldings.com

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Kory Zelickson, Director and CEO

Find Vejii on Social Media: on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.

CAUTION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws with respect to the Company. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by words such as "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements relating to the Company's anticipated performance through 2022, including the Company's anticipated annual revenues and gross margins for 2022, and the Company's anticipated synergies from consolidating the operations of Vegan Essentials and VEDGEco with Vejii and the anticipated results of these synergies. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release including, without limitation, failure to achieve the Company's anticipated performance through 2022, including the Company's anticipated annual revenues and gross margins for 2022, and failure of the Company to achieve its anticipated synergies from consolidating the operations of Vegan Essentials and VEDGEco with Vejii and the anticipated results of these synergies. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable laws.

Cision

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SOURCE Vejii Holdings Ltd.

Cision

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A Wisconsin judge says the state has the authority to test wastewater for toxic forever chemicals but cannot bring legal action against polluters without first establishing water quality standards.

Jefferson County Judge William Hue sided with Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, which sought to bar the Department of Natural Resources from testing for PFAS, a group of human-made chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other ailments but are not yet regulated under state code.

The case, one of two challenging the states authority to regulate PFAS, involved sampling undertaken as part of the DNRs effort to estimate the economic impact of proposed standards that, if adopted, would require wastewater treatment plants to remove two PFAS compounds.

The DNR estimates the regulations would cost businesses and local governments up to $4.8 million a year but could save more than $100 million annually in health care expenses.

In a 45-page decision issued Monday, Hue ruled that under the federal Clean Water Act, the DNR can sample wastewater for informational purposes, but enforcement is limited to substances and quantities established through the rulemaking process.

Spokespeople for the DNR and WMC, the states largest business lobby, each declined to comment on the decision.

Because they do not break down naturally, PFAS accumulate in animal and human tissue and can be spread to farm fields in sludge from sewage treatment plants. PFAS have contaminated soil and groundwater at sites across the state, including Madison, Marinette and La Crosse.

The DNR is finalizing water standards for two PFAS compounds, and the Department of Health Services has recommended limits for 16 more. As part of the 30-month rulemaking process, those standards will require approval from the Republican-led Legislature.

In the lawsuit, WMC argued the agency does not have the statutory authority to test for contaminants when there are no standards in place because state agencies dont have any powers not explicitly granted by the Legislature.

According to court records, the DNRs sampling program expanded beyond the scope of the economic impact study.

The DNR sampled water from 116 sewage treatment plants and manufacturing facilities, but a court order issued last spring barred the release of data that could be tied to an individual facility, address or county. Seven other facilities refused to allow the agency to sample their effluent.

Hue ruled the DNR acted unlawfully when it took samples for the economic assessment, but he determined the data gathered are nevertheless considered public records, which could be subject to release.

WMC says by releasing the results, the DNR risked significant reputational harm to the businesses that could be stigmatized as polluters even though they are in compliance with their discharge permits.

In a separate case, WMC sued the DNR on behalf of an Oconomowoc dry cleaning business in a challenge to the agencys authority to require cleanup of unregulated pollutants such as PFAS.

State law gives the DNR authority to regulate the discharge of hazardous substances, though there is no definitive list of those substances, which can include toxic chemicals, as well as otherwise innocuous substances like milk in certain circumstances.

In that case, WMC argues the DNR should be required to go through the rulemaking process to establish a list of what substances qualify as hazardous.

Waukesha County Judge Michael Bohren is expected to issue a decision in April.

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Despite being widely used in the state in 2020, absentee ballot drop boxes have come under fire from state Republicans seeking to limit or completely ban their use.

The ongoing debate over whether state law allows for the use of drop boxes could be heading to the Wisconsin Supreme Court after conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty asked the state's high court to bypass a recent court of appeals decision to allow for their use at least up until the Feb. 15 primary. The state District 4 Court of Appeals on Monday issued a stay against an earlier ruling by Waukesha County Circuit Judge Michael Bohren, which barred the use of absentee ballot drop boxes in the state.

Hundreds of municipal clerks made use of the freestanding, mailbox-like structures in 2020 when there still wasn't a vaccine for COVID-19 and public health officials were warning against large gatherings, like at polling places. The boxes were also embraced by many as a safer, accessible alternative to dropping their absentee ballots in the mail, given the enormous volume of ballots being sent and fears of cost-cutting measures at the U.S. Postal Service then much in the news.

Republicans have railed against drop boxes for more than a year now, due in part to ongoing and unfounded claims of election fraud by former President Donald Trump, who lost Wisconsin to President Joe Biden by about 21,000 votes. Challenges against the boxes have focused on unfounded claims of fraud and a lack of security, or that state statutes do not explicitly address their use.

The Republican-controlled state Legislature last year passed legislation limiting where the boxes could be located, as well as clarifying who was allowed to return an individuals ballot, but the proposal was vetoed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers.

The Legislature's GOP-led joint rules committee voted earlier this month to force the Wisconsin Elections Commission to quickly create rules for missing information on absentee envelopes, along with rules for ballot drop boxes.

The bipartisan commission voted in early December to begin the lengthy administrative rule-making process for drop boxes, which was one of several election-related recommendations made in last Octobers report from the nonpartisan Legislative Audit Bureau.

Once drafted as rules, the committee can vote to eliminate the policies. The commission is expected to meet Friday to discuss the rules committees vote.

The GOP push against drop boxes was amplified again on Monday when Trump issued a statement claiming Some Rino Republicans in Wisconsin are working hand in hand with others to have drop boxes again placed in Wisconsin. Drop boxes are only good for Democrats and cheating, not good for Republicans.

The term RINO refers to Republicans in name only.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, said in a statement Monday he opposes expanding the use of drop boxes in the state, but he refused to say on Tuesday if he supports legalizing drop boxes at all.

Vos said through an attorney in a 2020 letter objecting to Madisons Democracy in the Park event, which allowed election officials to collect ballots leading up to the presidential election, that drop boxes were allowed under state law.

In its review of elections administration, the Audit Bureau reported that, based on results from the nearly half of the 1,835 municipal clerks in Wisconsin who responded to an agency survey, the boxes had appeared in all corners of the state prior to the November 2020 election.

Nearly 29% of respondents, or 245 clerks, said they had used the boxes, according to the Audit Bureau. According to a map the agency created, from 24 to 54 municipalities in each of seven regions of the state used them, including in the northeast and northwest parts of the state where Trump won the vast majority of counties.

In all, the boxes were in use in at least 43 cities, 46 villages and 156 towns, according to the Audit Bureau.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 25)  With kids aged 5-11 getting their COVID-19 shots soon, a vaccine expert underscored the factors that have caused hesitancy among some parents regarding the inoculation of their children.

This is actually a problem or an issue that we have been dealing with since we started the COVID (vaccination) and the history of our vaccine hesitancy goes back more than three years ago with Dengvaxia and all that, Philippine Foundation for Vaccination executive director Dr. Lulu Bravo said.

Dengvaxia drew controversy after some children who received the vaccine from 2016 to 2017 supposedly died or fell ill because of it, leading to Public Attorneys Office chief Persida Acosta to prosecute some former and current government officials. The Department of Health, however, has already said there's no solid proof linking Dengvaxia to the deaths.

TIMELINE: The Dengvaxia controversy

Bravo recalled how vaccine confidence was even at 101% in the 1990s during the late Dr. Juan Flaviers term as Health secretary, adding the country had a very high immunization coverage among children then.

Sorry ha, pero minsan kasi ginagamit ang pulitika sa bakuna, eh. Hindi po dapat yan. Sapagkat ang science po, ang tunay na datos na makikita sa pananaliksik, yun po ang batayan kung papaano tayo magpo-progreso sa ating pagbabakuna, she said.

[Translation: Im sorry, but sometimes vaccination is tainted with politics, which shouldnt be the case. Because the science, the real data seen from research  these are the metrics by which we can progress with our vaccination.]

Bravo also urged the public not to lose trust in vaccination and instead listen to genuine vaccine experts who have been conducting research and trials for years.

Huwag po tayong maniwala sa mga quack, sa mga doktor na nagkukunwaring magaling sila. Nakapagpagawa na ba sila ng tunay na vaccine trial? Nasaan po ang kanilang credibility para sabihin na ang bakuna ay nakamamatay kung hindi naman po sila nag-aral tungkol sa bakuna? she said.

[Translation: Lets not believe so-called quacks, doctors who pretend theyre good. Have they conducted legitimate vaccine trials? Do they have the credibility to say that vaccines can kill when they havent even studied about vaccines?]

Aside from the Dengvaxia issue, Acosta has also attracted controversy for still not getting the COVID-19 vaccine, prompting current Health chief Francisco Duque III himself to urge her to get inoculated, given her age and comorbidities.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed charges against four suspects for cybercrime and violations of the Access Devices Regulation Act, in connection with the massive hacking incident at BDO last month.

In a briefer dated Jan. 25, the DOJ said it resolved to file charges against Jherom Anthony Diawan Taupa, Ronelyn Panaligan, Clay S. Revillosa, and Nigerian national Ifesinachi Fountain Anaekwe.

The National Bureau Investigation (NBI) earlier arrested the suspects and another Nigerian national, Chukwuemeka Peter Nwadi, during entrapment operations. But only the four were facing charges, while a similar complaint against Nwadi was referred for further investigation.

According to the NBI Cybercrime Division (NBI-CCD), the modus involved illegally accessing the banking system and transferring the money to dummy accounts. So-called money mules would withdraw the stolen cash and earn commissions. A number of transfers would then take place before moving the money to the syndicates accounts.

The NBI-CCD said each individual had a vital role in the operation.

Anaekwe, also known as Daddy Champ, was said to be working for the Mark Nagoyo Group. He was caught offering different company accounts as dropping accounts that could be used to transfer P10 million. Anaekwe was charged with access devices fraud, and a hold departure order would also be filed against him.

Meanwhile, Taupa was found selling a scampage or a phishing website that resembled the webpage of mobile wallet GCash. The page was used to retrieve the log-in details of users who were tricked into thinking they were on the official GCash website. Taupa reportedly confessed to developing the scampages and was charged with violating the cybercrime law for misusing devices.

Panaligan was identified as a verifier and seller of dummy accounts. As a verifier, Panaligan pretended to conduct surveys that would include asking victims for their identification cards and photographs. She would later sell the information to apply for GCash or Paymaya accounts and offer them to hackers.

Panaligan reportedly confessed her involvement, adding that she already had nine verified Paymaya accounts. She was charged with access device fraud.

Revillosa, a student, was caught selling 800,000 mailing lists or e-mail addresses with log-in details of online backing accounts for P30,000, the DOJ said. The agency added that he admitted to hacking a database to obtain the mailing lists and confirmed that the group behind the hacking earlier contacted him to buy the lists.

Revillosa is facing charges for misuse of devices under the cybercrime law and access device fraud.

The DOJ said Nwadis direct participation has yet to be determined. It added that other than his presence during the entrapment operation, there was no other evidence pointing to his involvement. He will be released from detention but the DOJ is set to file a precautionary hold departure order against the Nigerian. Nwadi was also said to be working for the Mark Nagoyo Group.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Wednesday defended Malacanang and the Justice Department's involvement in the granting of ABS-CBN Corp's frequencies to a media firm of former Senator Manny Villar, as the move continued to draw flak.

Nograles, also the acting presidential spokesperson, told CNN Philippines' The Source that the National Telecommunications Commission merely sought a "legal opinion" and did not mention any interested entity when it reached out to the Justice Department and the Office of the President-Executive Secretary, prior to granting Villar's Advanced Media Broadcasting System (AMBS) a provisional authority to operate a digital television broadcasting system using frequencies previously assigned to the network giant.

RELATED: Villar firm gets ABS-CBN frequencies  NTC

"We'd like to tell the public that when NTC went to the DOJ, it was purely asking a legal question. There was no mention of any names, names of anyone, any private company or any private entity," Nograles said. "It was a purely legal question, asking for legal opinion from the DOJ regarding authority to allocate unused and available frequencies and the power to issue provisional authorities."

"When DOJ gave its legal opinion, it was just purely answering a legal question," he added. "In the same manner when the Office of the President or the OES  when NTC went to the OES, it was only to seek guidance on the authority to assign available and unused frequencies."

In the NTC order dated January 5, 2022, the regulator cited the "policy guidance issued by the DICT (Department of Information and Communications Technology), the DOJ legal opinion and the concurrence of the OP OES" when it resolved to grant the frequencies to AMBS.

AMBS may now temporarily operate and maintain a digital TV broadcasting system in Metro Manila/Mega Manila using digital TV Channel 16 and its analog pair TV Channel 2 for simulcast purposes only, and only until the analog shut-off scheduled in 2023.

The NTC's order elicited critisms, including from House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, who said giving the frequencies to the Villars is "an apparent payback of Pres. [Rodrigo] Duterte to his allies." Public policy think tank Infrawatch PH also raised a similar sentiment and slammed what seemed like a "midnight deal" with the Villars, who have a family member running for the Senate.

Mark Villar was once part of the Duterte cabinet as public works chief. He resigned last year to run for the Senate. His wife, Emmeline Aglipay-Villar, also serves as Justice undersecretary and spokesperson.

AMBS received a 25-year franchise to operate TV service in 2019. Meanwhile, ABS-CBN's franchise renewal application was rejected in 2020 by a congressional committee dominated by Duterte's allies. Las Pinas Rep. Camille Villar, daughter of the business tycoon, was among those who voted "no."

Duterte has been vocal in the past about shutting down ABS-CBN after accusing the network of refusing to carry his 2016 campaign ads.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The influence and ability of the local leaders to convince their constituents is crucial in ramping up COVID-19 vaccination in Muslim communities in Mindanao, Malacanang said Wednesday.

In an interview with CNN Philippines' The Source on Wednesday, Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, the acting presidential spokesperson, reiterated the concern of President Rodrigo Duterte about Muslim communities in Mindanao refusing inoculation due to their religious beliefs.

READ: Duterte: Communities in Mindanao resist COVID-19 vaccination

"They (local leaders) will really have to set an example to their constituents, they really have to drive the demand and push for a more increased vaccination in BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao)," Nograles said.

According to Nograles, it is important to send the message that other predominantly Muslim countries are also inoculating their citizens to protect them from the virus.

"We are not having problems that we see in vaccinating countries like our neighbors in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and other predominantly Muslim counties," he said. "We see no reason why it could not happen in the BARMM areas but it really takes a lot of push and drive from local leaders there."

Among the countrys regions, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao currently has the lowest vaccination rate.

Data from the National Task Force Against COVID-19 shows that only 769,604 residents of BARMMor 25.22% of the region's 3-million populationhave completed their doses as of January 23.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The implementation of the government's controversial no vaccination, no ride policy will halt if Metro Manila further eases restrictions next month.

Speaking to CNN Philippines' The Source on Wednesday, acting presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said that in line with the ordinances set by the Metro Manila LGUs, the no vaccination, no ride policy will be deemed non-applicable when the capital region reverts to Alert Level 2.

The policy is currently in effect in Metro Manila, which is under Alert Level 3.

"I believe the ordinances really state that the no [vaccination], no ride is only for Alert Level 3 and higher," Nograles said.

"Meaning to say, 'pag nagdeescalate ka then obviously you can no longer implement it kasi di na Alert Level 3 and up," he said.

[Translation: Meaning to say, when you deescalate, then obviously you can no longer implement it because you are no longer under Alert Level 3 and up.]

Nograles defended the policy, which he described as "primarily hinged on protecting the unvaccinated," since they are the ones that are mostly in the hospitals after catching COVID-19.

The Metro Manila Council previously passed a resolution restricting the mobility of unvaccinated residents, but the policy was subjected to the implementation of ordinances.

The no vaccination, no ride policy earlier drew flak after lawmakers and some groups called it discriminatory and anti-poor. Officials were also late in announcing that partially vaccinated or unvaccinated workers from allowed industries can take public transport.

But the Departments of Transportation, Labor, and Interior said in a joint statement that only fully vaccinated workers will be allowed to use public transportation in Metro Manila starting Feb. 25, if the region stays under Alert Level 3 by then.

Nograles said that Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases will meet on Thursday to discuss the next alert level status for Metro Manila.

The government will make the final announcement either on Saturday or Sunday, he added.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General Kamran Aliyev has said that the Military Prosecutors Office has initiated criminal cases against 297 Armenian suspects involved in war crimes, the Prosecutor-General's Office has reported.

Aliyev made the remark at an expanded meeting of the Prosecutor General's Office Board dedicated to the results of 2021.

Some 297 suspected members of illegal Armenian armed groups, who committed war crimes against Azerbaijanis, as well as crimes against peace and humanity, have been charged under articles 103 (genocide), 113 (torture), 115 (violation of the laws and customs of war), and 116 (breaching norms of international humanitarian law during an armed conflict) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code.

The suspects are currently being sought.

Furthermore, Aliyev stated that the preliminary investigation of the criminal case against Armenian citizens Ludvik Mkrtichyan and Alyosha Khosrovyan under relevant articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code was completed and sent to the Baku Military Court for consideration.

He emphasized that the joint investigation team is looking into war crimes and other crimes against peace and humanity committed by Armenian armed forces as well as illegal Armenian armed groups operating on Azerbaijani territory. The prosecutor-general added that work is being done to identify suspects, collect evidence, and prosecute them.

During the reported period, the Military Prosecutor's Office registered 1,846 criminal cases, 530 of which were related to corruption, according to Aliyev.

During this time, the Military Prosecutor's Office completed the investigation of 85 criminal cases involving 110 people for corruption crimes and forwarded them to the appropriate military courts for consideration.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Vice President Leni Robredo maintained her stance against abortion but stressed she's open to talks about decriminalizing it.

In an interview with talk show host Boy Abunda, Robredo admitted she's "very conflicted" about the matter.

"My faith tells me that abortion is not to be allowed," the presidential aspirant said.

However, she said the Philippines is allowing abortion if the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother. "I think that should continue," Robredo noted.

Robredo, who was a practicing lawyer, said she is aware of the realities being faced by a lot of women - including victims of rape, or minors experiencing unsafe pregnancies.

"I would like to listen to more people about it. I'm open to more discussions about it," the Vice President said as she mentioned her stint as a member of a non-governmental organization pushing for the same idea.

"Kapag bawal kasi nagiging underground siya and mas unsafe. Mas unsafe dahil hindi mo pinapayagan, mas maraming nagreresort sa practices na hindi medically safe," Robredo added.

[Translation: When it's illegal, it becomes underground and more unsafe. It is more unsafe because, since you don't allow it, more people resort to practices that aren't medically safe.]
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Senate has approved a resolution concurring with the Philippines accession to the United Nations 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

All 21 senators present during Tuesdays plenary session voted for the proposed Resolution No. 964.

The treaty provides a legal framework to prevent and reduce statelessness. Among its salient features is a requirement for state parties to grant citizenship to all children born within their territories or those born to their nationals abroad.

Senator Koko Pimentel, sponsor of the resolution, said acceding to the 1961 Convention shows the countrys commitment to human rights.

Under the Senates measure, the Department of Social Welfare and Development will register all the birth of children born under disadvantaged situations in the country to avoid possibility of being stateless.

As for the Foreign Affairs and Labor departments, they will be tasked to assist undocumented Filipinos and overseas Filipino workers, as well as their children born outside of the country.

The resolution also states that the President of the Philippines may, with the concurrence of the Senate, withdraw from the Treaty.

President Rodrigo Duterte ratified the convention in August 2021 and submitted it to the upper chamber for concurrence.

CNN Philippines Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  A soldier from the Philippine Army's 45th Battalion died in what is described as an "anti-Tausug, anti-Muslim" attack in Patikul, Sulu Tuesday.

Joint Task Force Sulu says the attack that happened at the Tugas-Maligay Road was initiated by a leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group.

"The 11th Infantry Division confirms that there has been attack in Brgy Tugas, Patikul wherein 45th Infantry Battalion's Pvt. Joefrazen J. Tawasil, 25 years old, perished. He was part of a team on board a military truck, facilitating admin movements of the battalion. This act of violence was initiated by ASG subleader Ellam Nasirin around 7 pm yesterday," JTF Sulu said in a statement Wednesday.

The task force claimed that Nasirin's act was done "out of frustration" over military operations that were initiated during the holidays. Pursuit operations for Nasirin are underway.

The JTF paid tribute to Tawasil, saying his bravery embodied the values of a Tausug warrior.

The incident was also condemned by residents, saying it was both anti-Tausug and anti-Muslim.
(CNN)  President Joe Biden on Wednesday predicted Russia "will move in" to Ukraine, citing existential concerns by the country's president, Vladimir Putin, even as he warned of significant economic consequences should such an incursion occur.

But he suggested a "minor incursion" would elicit a lesser response than a full-scale invasion of the country.

"I'm not so sure he is certain what he is going to do. My guess is he will move in. He has to do something," Biden said, describing a leader searching for relevance in a post-Soviet world. "He is trying to find his place in the world between China and the west."

Biden's prediction of an invasion is the firmest acknowledgment to date the United States fully expects Putin to move after amassing 100,000 troops along the Ukraine border.

After speaking with Putin twice last month, Biden said he believed his Russian counterpart had a good understanding of the economic sanctions he was preparing to enact.

"He's never seen sanctions like the ones I promised will be imposed if he moves, number one," he said, adding the level of punishment would depend on what Russia's invasion looks like. "It's one thing if it's a minor incursion and we end up having to fight about what to do and not do, et cetera."

"But if they actually do what they're capable of doing with the forces amassed on the border, it is going to be a disaster for Russia if they further invade Ukraine. And that our allies and partners are ready to impose severe cost and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy," he said.

That includes limiting Russian transactions in US financial institutions -- "anything that involves dollar denominations," Biden said.

A Ukrainian official told CNN's Matthew Chance that he is "shocked that the US President Biden would distinguish between incursion and invasion" and suggest that a minor incursion would not trigger sanctions but an invasion would.

"This gives the green light to Putin to enter Ukraine at his pleasure," the official added.

The Ukrainian official said he'd never heard any nuance like this from the US administration before.

"Kyiv is stunned," he added, referring to the Ukrainian government.

In explaining the reference to a "minor incursion" prompting a discussion among Western allies over how to respond, Biden suggested disunity with NATO could lead to debate over how to punish Russia for actions in Ukraine that fall short of a full-scale invasion.

"If there is something that is where there's Russian forces crossing the border, killing Ukrainian fighters, et cetera, I think that changes everything," the President said. "But it depends on what he does, to what extent we'll get total unity on the NATO front."

"It's very important that we keep everyone in NATO on the same page. That's what I'm spending a lot of time doing, and there are differences. There are differences in NATO as to what countries are willing to do, depending on what happens," he added.

Emily Horne, spokeswoman for Biden's National Security Council, said on Twitter that Biden "was referring to the difference between military and non-military/para-military/cyber action by the Russians. Such actions would be met by a reciprocal response, in coordination with Allies and partners."

The President also warned Russian lives would be lost in an invasion, along with potential Ukrainian casualties.

"The cost of going into Ukraine in terms of physical loss of life for the Russians -- they'll be able to prevail over time but it's going to be heavy," he said. "It's going to be real. It's going to be consequential. Putin has a stark choice. Either de-escalation or diplomacy. Confrontation and consequences."

"This is not all just a cake walk for Russia," he went on. "Militarily, they have overwhelming superiority. And as it relates to Ukraine, they'll pay a stiff price immediately, near term, medium term and long term if they do it."

Biden speculated Putin was not seeking "any full-blown war," but said he did believe he was looking for some type of confrontation.

"Do I think he'll test the west? Test the United States and NATO as significantly as he can? Yes, I think he will. But I think he'll pay a serious and dear price for it."

"He doesn't think now will cost him what it's going to cost him," he said. "And I think he'll regret having done it."

Biden later acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding the situation.

"The only thing I am confident of is that decision is totally, solely, completely Putin's decision. Nobody else is going to make that decision. No one else is going to impact that decision. He's making that decision. And I suspect it matters which side of the bed he gets up on in the morning as to exactly what he's going to do," Biden said.

He said senior US officials who had met recently with their Russian counterparts came away from the talks uncertain whether anyone aside from Putin truly knew what he planned to do.

"I believe he's calculating what the immediate short-term and the near-term and the long-term consequences of Russia will be. And I don't think he's made up his mind yet," he said.

Biden's prediction came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday urged Ukrainians to not panic and to "calm down" over fears of a possible Russian invasion.

"All our citizens, especially the elderly, need to understand this: Everyone needs to exhale. Calm down. Don't run for emergency supplies like buckwheat and matches. To all the media: Remain as the media, not become a source of mass hysteria. Do not help the enemy in the pursuit of hype by reporting daily that war may happen tomorrow! This will definitely not stop it."

"What is new here? Is this not the reality for the past eight years? Didn't the invasion begin in 2014? Did the threat of the war emerge just now?" he said.

The only reason for "panic is that after eight years we are still influenced by this panic," he added.

Zelensky said Russia's "aim is to weaken Ukraine" in order to force Kyiv to concede to Moscow and "to create such a background that our 'no' sounds weaker."

The Ukrainian leader said Moscow is "actively attacking your nerves, not our state. So that you have a constant feeling of panic."

This story and its headline have been updated with additional reporting.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden predicts Russia 'will move in' to Ukraine, but says 'minor incursion' may prompt discussion over consequences"
(CNN)  At least 70 people were killed and more than 130 injured when an airstrike hit a detention center in Yemen on Friday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said, as the Saudi-led coalition continued to ramp up its deadly offensive on rebels in the war-torn nation.

Another airstrike early Friday hit a telecommunications building in the strategic port city of Hodeidah, causing a nationwide internet blackout, according to NetBlocks, an organization that tracks network disruptions. At least three children were killed in that attack, Save the Children said.

The Norwegian Refugee Council said the internet blackout, which was still ongoing as of Friday evening, would affect aid delivery.

The Iran-back Houthi rebels, who control much of Yemen, blamed the Saudi-led coalition for the strikes. CNN has reached out to the coalition for comment.

A coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates launched an offensive in 2015 to restore Yemen's internationally recognized government, after it was ousted by the Houthis. The coalition has intensified its attacks in the wake of a Houthi missile and drone strike in the UAE capital Abu Dhabi earlier this week.

The Houthi-run media outlet Al Masirah showed graphic video of people under rubble in the aftermath of Friday's detention center strike in the northern Yemeni city of Sa'ada. The Red Cross said it had sent emergency medical supplies to two hospitals that had received a "very high" number of casualties.

"From what I hear from my colleague in Sa'ada there are many bodies still at the scene of the airstrike, many missing people," said Ahmad Mahat, head of the MSF mission in Yemen. "It is impossible to know how many people have been killed. It seems to have been a horrific act of violence."

An MSF-supported hospital in Sa'ada has been overwhelmed by an influx of wounded people and cannot receive more, Mahat said. Two other hospitals in the city have also received large numbers of casualties, according to MSF.

International aid groups have been struggling to gather details about the strike because of the internet blackout, multiple aid workers told CNN.

The Saudi-led coalition did not comment on the the strikes on the telecommunications building or the detention center, but said Friday that it had hit the port of Hodeidah, taking down "one of the [Houthis'] dens of maritime piracy and organized crime."

The coalition also said it attacked "military targets" in the capital Sanaa on Friday, claiming to have conducted the operation "in response to the threat of hostile attacks," Saudi state-owned SPA said.

"The ICRC is deeply concerned about the intensification of hostilities over recent days, including attacks against cities across Yemen, in Saudi Arabia and in the United Arab Emirates, and deplores the human toll this escalation has caused," the International Committee of the Red Cross said Friday.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Airstrikes kill 70 people and knock out internet in Yemen"
(CNN)  The US State Department announced Sunday evening it would reduce staff levels at the US Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, beginning with the departure of nonessential staff and family members.

State Department officials said that the decision was made out of an "abundance of caution" and that the threat to US personnel in the country has not increased in recent days. Still, the move underscores the fears of a potential Russian invasion, which US officials have warned could be imminent, with tens of thousands of Russian troops along the Ukrainian border.

"On January 23, 2022, the Department of State authorized the voluntary departure of US direct hire employees and ordered the departure of eligible family members from Embassy Kyiv due to the continued threat of Russian military action," the State Department said in a statement. "US citizens in Ukraine should consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options."

CNN reported on Friday that the embassy had requested that the State Department take this step as Russia has continued to mass forces and equipment near Ukraine's borders, sparking fears of a renewed invasion.

The State Department has already issued the highest-level travel advisory for Ukraine, telling Americans not to travel to the country and to be aware of reports that Russia is planning for significant military action.

State Department officials urged Americans to leave the country now, warning that State Department assistance would be "severely impacted" if there is Russian military action in the country.

The officials said they wouldn't provide evacuation flights yet, urging Americans to take commercial flights now, warning that State Department assistance would be "severely impacted" if there is Russian military action in the country.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry's latest intelligence assessment, shared with CNN this week, assessed that Russia has now deployed more than 127,000 troops in the region. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last week that Russia was in a position to launch an invasion "at any point."

US officials still don't know what Russian President Vladimir Putin's plans are or whether he has even decided to invade. But some officials who have seen the intelligence say there is evidence that Russia is planning to try to take Kyiv and overthrow the government, as CNN has previously reported.

The UK foreign office said in a statement on Saturday that it has information the Russian government is planning to "install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv as it considers whether to invade and occupy Ukraine."

US believes Putin 'could invade at any time'

"It is the totality of the situation that we have been watching and the decision based on this military buildup, based on how we see these developments," a State Department official on a call with reporters said while explaining why this step was taken now.

"As President Biden has said, military action by Russia could come at any time," the official said. "If Russia chooses further escalation, then the security conditions, particularly along Ukraine's borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, in Russian controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice. We are taking this action now because of Russia's aggressive actions towards Ukraine."

The official would not comment on specific intelligence reports when asked about the UK government claim that it has information that the Russian government is planning to "install a pro-Russian leader in Kyiv as it considers whether to invade and occupy Ukraine." But the official added that the US has been very clear about Russia's "attempts to destabilize Ukraine internally" and that these actions are in Russia's playbook.

Sunday's action triggered the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government employees, and the department has ordered the departure of family members of US government employees at the US embassy. Essential US embassy personnel will remain in the country, though the department would not say how many officials that amounts to.

The US embassy will continue operating "uninterrupted," the official said.

The official explained that State Department assistance to US citizens in Ukraine will be "severely impacted" if there is Russian military action in the country.

"We want US citizens in Ukraine to be aware, for their planning purposes, that Russian military action anywhere in Ukraine was severely impacted US embassy's ability to provide consular services, including assistance to US citizens in departing Ukraine," the official said. "Our travel advisory update asks all US citizens in Ukraine to complete an online form so that we may better communicate with them. This is especially important if they plan to remain in Ukraine."

Americans are encouraged to register with State Department when they travel abroad but they are not required to register. As a result, the department said that sharing the information they have would not be useful.

The officials would not say approximately how many US citizens are in Ukraine now. The State Department travel advisory for Ukraine remains at level 4, which means do not travel.

This story has been updated with additional information.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "State Department reduces staff at US embassy in Ukraine, orders some family members to leave."
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  Two other broadcasting companies, including one led by Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, have been granted other frequencies previously owned by ABS-CBN, the National Telecommunications Commission confirmed Wednesday.

The NTC said in statements sent to the media that it granted Aliw Broadcasting Corp. and Swara Sug Media Corp.  also known as Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI)  provisional authority to install, operate and maintain digital television broadcasting systems in Metro Manila.

Aliw Broadcasting, the operator of radio station DWIZ, was founded by the late Ambassador Antonio Cabangon Chua. His son Edgard Cabangon Chua is the chairman of Aliw Broadcasting, and Nine Media Corporation which operates CNN Philippines.

Orders promulgated on Jan. 5 granted such authority for Aliw using Channel 23 and for SMNI using Channel 43.

The regulator noted Aliw was the second applicant for digital TV broadcasting authority in the capital region, having filed its application on July 30, 2007. SMNI came next filing for provisional authority on Oct. 16 the same year.

Both broadcast firms secured the authority after the determination of their legal, technical, and financial qualification, said the NTC.

The commission added that it sought policy guidance from the Department of Information and Communications Technology, legal opinion from the Department of Justice, and the concurrence of the Office of the President-Office of the Executive Secretary.

The Commission gave the same reassurance when it announced the awarding of Channel 16 to Advanced Media Broadcasting System, which is owned by billionaire and former senator Manny Villar. The company applied for digital TV broadcasting authority in October 2006, the NTC said.

ABS-CBN failed to secure a fresh 25-year franchise in July 2020 after a House panel denied its application. It has since strengthened its presence in digital platforms and aired some shows on free TV at the A2Z channel, which was born out of a broadcast deal with religious leader and congressman Eddie Villanuevas Zoe Broadcasting Network.
(CNN)  An undersea pipeline set to deliver gas from Russia to Germany has become exactly what the two countries have always insisted it would never be: A weapon in a geopolitical crisis.

The United States, United Kingdom, Ukraine and several European Union member states have fiercely opposed the pipeline ever since it was first announced in 2015, warning the project would boost Moscow's influence in Europe.

The 1,200-km (750-mile) pipeline was completed in September and is now awaiting final certification. But even though the pipeline isn't operational yet, it has already acted as a huge wedge between the traditional allies at a time of huge tensions between Russia and the West.

According to experts, that on its own is a win for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kristine Berzina, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a nonpartisan research center, said Moscow has benefited from the drama around the pipeline. "Everything about the Nord Stream 2 pipeline has been a victory for Russia," she told CNN.

"Given that Russia's aim is to split everybody, if they're seeking to break apart unity in the European Union and in NATO, this pipeline has been a wonderful vessel."

For years, both Russia and Germany argued that the pipeline is purely a business enterprise and has nothing to do with politics.

But in central and eastern Europe, where gas supplies from Russia play an essential role in power generation and home heating, few topics are more political than energy security. With natural gas prices already near a record high, many fear further tension could cause more pain to European consumers.

And while Russia has denied using energy to put pressure on Europe, the International Energy Agency has blamed Moscow for contributing to the European gas prices crisis by cutting supply.

The US and Europe are preparing for the possibility that Russia could weaponize its gas exports to Europe to retaliate for any possible sanctions. The Biden administration has been in regular discussions with a number of countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia about stepping up their production of liquified natural gas to Europe in the event that a Russian invasion of Ukraine leads to gas shortages, multiple US officials familiar with the discussions told CNN.

As Russia's biggest gas customer, Germany had been reluctant to use the pipeline to put pressure on Moscow. Less than two weeks ago, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht warned against dragging Nord Stream 2 into the conflict.

Yet as tensions built up between Russia and the West over Ukraine, the claim has been quietly dropped by the Germans. Under pressure from the US, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock acknowledged last week the Nord Stream 2 pipeline could be included in a package of sanctions against Russia over its involvement in Ukraine.

At the same time, the US has somewhat scaled back its vocal opposition to the pipeline. Earlier this month, the US Senate voted down legislation from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas to sanction entities associated with Nord Stream 2. The main argument from the Biden administration was that sanctions on the pipeline would undercut US efforts to deter the Russian threat by giving the West less leverage.

"Putin wants to see Nord Stream 2. If somehow it's killed before any potential invasion, he has one less reason not to invade Ukraine," US Senate Foreign Relations Chair Bob Menendez said.

Ukraine and other eastern European countries have warned the new pipeline could make the region more vulnerable to Russia's whims.

Disputes over energy prices have plagued the relationship between Russia and Ukraine ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with Russia cutting its supplies of gas to Ukraine on number of occasions. At the moment, Russia needs Ukraine, because large amount of the gas it sells to Europe still flows to the rest of the continent through Ukraine's territory.

By bypassing Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 would make it easier for Russia to isolate Ukraine.

Making the situation even more complex is Germany's decision not to supply weapons to Ukraine. While several other NATO countries including the US, UK and the Czech Republic said they'd ship weapons to the country, Germany has so far refused, sparking criticism from Ukrainian officials.

Controversial remarks by the chief of German navy Vice-Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach about Putin "probably" deserving respect and suggesting Ukraine had permanently lost the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea to Russia have only added to the tensions. While Schonbach has resigned over the comments, the Ukrainian Ambassador to Germany Andrij Melnyk said on Sunday the German government "has to change its course towards Kyiv" in order to "restore full trust in German politics."

The pipeline is especially valuable to Russia, which relies on oil and gas exports for over 40% of its government revenues. If operational, it would deliver 55 billion cubic meters of gas per year directly from Russia to Europe. Gazprom, the Russian state-owned company that owns the pipeline, said its average export price was $280 per 1,000 cubic meters of gas in 2021, which means the new pipeline could be worth more than $15 billion a year.

Gazprom has already invested some $11 billion into the project.

"The West needs every possible form of leverage that it can get to dissuade Russia from invading Ukraine," Berzina said, adding that not sanctioning the pipeline now means it could be used as leverage in the future. "Russia's ambitions right now are huge and the explicit asks it has made of the West on returning troops to where they were in the early 90s and to close the door on NATO expansion, these are not in line with the West's values, so the West really can't give Russia what it wants there."

Andrey Kortunov, director-general of the Russian International Affairs Council, said Moscow views the Nord Stream project as a test of the EU's strategic autonomy from the United States.

"If the Nord Stream 2 project goes down the drain, which is possible, it would serve as a confirmation of this perception that Europe is not a reliable partner and you cannot work with the European Union because they cannot agree on anything and they cannot make any decision. So if you want something to be accomplished, you should go to Washington," he said.

Russia has repeatedly warned the West not to drag Nord Stream 2 into the political crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said attempts to politicize the Nord Stream 2 issue were "counterproductive."

But while the pipeline is extremely valuable to Putin, it is doubtful whether it could play the decisive role in persuading him to scale back any plans to cross Ukraine's border.

"If it fails, it will be a big loss for Gazprom and the Russian economy, but it's not like the Russians will say okay, you can go ahead with the NATO enlargement, but as long as Nord Stream 2 is operational, that's fine," Kortunov said.

"The question is what is [Putin's] ultimate aim? He's got the money, the currency reserves that Russia has saved, it can afford to lose money right now ... is the economic relationship, the pipeline, a cost he's willing to pay?" Berzina added.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "How Putin's $11 billion pipeline split NATO and the EU at a time of crisis."
(CNN)  Unilever is cutting 1,500 management jobs around the world as the consumer goods giant comes under intense pressure from shareholders to boost growth.

The cuts amount to a 15% reduction in the number of senior managers and 5% of junior managers, Unilever said in a statement on Tuesday. Factory workers will not be affected.

Unilever, which owns household-name brands including Ben & Jerry's and Dove, said it's moving to a "simpler" structure divided into five business units  Beauty and Wellbeing, Personal Care, Home Care, Nutrition, and Ice Cream  each with their own president.

CEO Alan Jope said the overhaul will allow Unilever to be "more responsive to consumer and channel trends" with "crystal-clear accountability for delivery."

"Growth remains our top priority and these changes will underpin our pursuit of this," added Jope.

Shareholders have ratcheted up the pressure on Unilever after its stock sank 10% last year. The firm's shares got hammered last week after the company revealed it had made three failed bids to acquire GlaxoSmithKline's consumer health care business. Unilever said Thursday that it would not raise its rejected 50 billion ($68 billion) offer, and the stock subsequently bounced back.

Fundsmith, one of Unilever's biggest shareholders, labeled the failed takeover a "near death experience." Fundsmith CEO Terry Smith criticized the company in a letter to investors earlier this month, arguing it had prized publicity-driven sustainability efforts over "the fundamentals of the business."

Unilever shares rose 7% on Monday in London following reports that investor Nelson Peltz, the Wendy's chairman and legendary activist investor known for targeting Oreo maker Mondelez and Procter & Gamble, is building up a stake in company. The stock shed 1% on Tuesday.

Unilever employs 149,000 people globally.

 Julia Horowitz and Paul R. La Monica contributed to this report.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Unilever cuts 1,500 management jobs in global overhaul."
(CNN)  "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is getting a live-action remake, but Emmy winning actor Peter Dinklage isn't sure it should.

Disney announced that "West Side Story" actress Rachel Zegler will star as the princess in the remake of the 1937 animated film. Gal Gadot will play the Evil Queen. Dinklage thinks the story shouldn't be remade at all if it's not updated.

The "Game of Thrones" star appeared on Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast Monday and raised some questions about revisiting the 85-year-old film at this time.

"I was a little taken aback when they were very proud to cast a Latina actress as Snow White. You're still telling the story of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Take a step back and look at what you're doing there. It makes no sense to me," he told Maron. "You're progressive in one way and you're still making that f---ing backwards story about seven dwarfs living in a cave together, what the f--- are you doing man? Have I done nothing to advance the cause from my soapbox? I guess I'm not loud enough."

The original "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full length animated feature from Disney, can still be told says Dinklage, it just needs to be updated to today's standards.

"If you tell the story of 'Snow White' with the most f---ed up, progressive spin on it? Let's do it. All in," he told Maron.
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Col-Gen Zakir Hasanov and his Iranian counterpart Maj-Gen Mohammad Reza Gharaei Ashtiani have discussed military cooperation between the two countries, the ministry reported on January 25.

The meeting of senior military officials took place during Hasanov's official visit to Iran.

"The sides exchanged views on the prospects of Azerbaijan-Iran cooperation in the fields of military, military-technical, and military medicine, the organization of mutual visits of expert groups, and other issues of interest," the ministry said.

The meeting highlighted the activities of the joint working group established by the Azerbaijani and Iranian defence ministries to develop military cooperation, as well as steps taken under bilateral agreements.

Hasanov expressed gratitude for the warm welcome, emphasizing that Azerbaijani-Iranian relations have a long history and are built on solid foundations.

He invited Iran's defence minister to visit Azerbaijan on official business.

In turn, Ashtiani expressed his delight at the Azerbaijani delegation's visit to Iran, emphasizing the two countries' longstanding religious, historical, and cultural ties. He emphasized that strengthening military cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran has critical importance for both countries.

The parties signed a protocol outlining the meeting's outcomes.

In addition, Hasanov became acquainted with a variety of military products on display at the Iranian Defense Ministry's exhibition hall.

As part of his official visit to Iran, Hasanov met with the Iranian Army's General Staff Chief, Lt-Gen Mohammad Hossein Bagheri, according to a separate report from the ministry.

Following the official welcome ceremony, the top brass held meetings in both a private and public setting.

Bagheri greeted the delegation, emphasizing that Azerbaijan-Iran relations had advanced significantly in recent years and had entered a new phase.

The parties emphasized that the experience of fruitful collaboration at the bilateral, regional, and international levels provides a solid foundation for the continued development of Azerbaijan-Iran relations.

Hasanov briefed the opposite party on the new situation in the region following the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, as well as the ongoing reconstruction in Azerbaijan's liberated territories.

Hasanov invited Bagheri to Azerbaijan for an official visit, emphasizing the importance of the recent bilateral meeting between the Azerbaijani and Iranian leaders.

The parties also discussed expanding military, military-technical, and military-medical cooperation, as well as arranging reciprocal visits by military representatives from the two countries.

The meeting was followed by the signing of a protocol outlining the meeting's outcomes and the release of a joint press statement.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 24)  Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said the Duterte administration failed in how it handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

In an interview with Boy Abunda on Monday, Lacson, who is running for president in the May polls, mentioned several instances where the government could have made different choices to stem the spread of the virus.

"Categorically, are you trying to say Senator, that the COVID handling of this government is a failure?" asked Abunda.

Lacson replied, "Yes. Kita naman natin resulta, e [It's obvious in the results]."

Lacson cited the Senate hearing following the case of a couple who traveled by plane from Cebu to Manila.

"Alam ng DOH, alam ng authorities ito na silang dalawa afflicted ng COVID-19. Tinanong namin sa aming Senate hearing, 'Nagawa niyo na ba yung contract tracing? Kilala naman niyo yung mga pasahero...kayang kontakin.' Alam mo yung sagot sa amin? Seventeen percent lamang yung kanilang na-contact. Dun nagsimula 'yung COVID." he said.

[Translation: The DOH and the authorities knew that these two were afflicted with COVID-19. In the Senate hearing we asked if they had done contact tracing because they knew who the passengers were. You know what they said? They had only contacted 17%. That's how COVID started.]

Being proactive and having foresight could have changed things, Lacson said.

"Anong sumunod? Di ba hindi natin pinagbawalan yung mga turista galing Tsina kasi kaibigan daw natin ang Tsina. Yun ang pagkakamali natin nung una pa," he added.

[Translation: What happened next? We allowed tourists from China in because we were told they were our friends. That was our mistake right from the start.]

He also said allowing private businesses and local government units to purchase vaccines could have helped.

"Alam ko ito kasi kausap ko yung mga business sector. Yung mga malalaking negosyo nag-offer sila, 'kami na ang bibili para sa aming mga empleyado.' Anong ginawa ng gobyerno? Over regulation. Sa halip na maging friendly, sa halip na i-encourage, pinapahirapan," he said.

[Translation: I know this because I talked with the business sector. The big businesses offered to buy vaccines for their employees. What did the government do? Overregulation. Instead of being friendly and encouraging them, they made things more difficult.]

Had these been allowed, Lacson said, the rise in cases could have been avoided.

Lacson added that putting the right people in government posts is also crucial, citing PhilHealth as an example.

"PhilHealth, bakit NBI director ang naandiyan? Bakit retired military? Sa akin kung hindi man may background sa health sector, kailangan finance man ang nandiyan. Health insurance 'yan e," he said.

[Translation: Why is an NBI director in PhilHealth? Why a retired military person? For me, if not somebody with a background in the health sector, it should be a finance man because that's health insurance.]

Lacson's comments come after an earlier interview where he said President Rodrigo Duterte failed to make good on three advocacies: the war on drugs, the fight against corruption, and the assertion of sovereignty our over the West Philippine Sea.

These points, Lacson said, explain his "sayang" remark during The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews on GMA-7 over the weekend.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26)  The Department of Tourism (DOT) has affirmed its decision against embattled Berjaya Makati Hotel for the "Poblacion girl" controversy despite the latter's request for reconsideration.

In a letter to Makati Mayor Abby Binay dated Jan. 19, the DOT said it affirmed its ruling finding the establishment "liable" for violating COVID-19 health and safety protocols after it failed to stop a returning Filipino from skipping mandatory hotel quarantine to party in Poblacion, Makati City last December.

The letter, signed by DOT National Capital Region Regional Director Sharlene Zabala-Batin, showed the agency's modified orderfrom the initial three-month suspension, the DOT has reduced it to two months.

However, the department stressed that it maintained its order revoking Berjaya's permit to operate as a multipurpose hotel, and the 13,200 fine slapped against the company.

"Under IATF Guidelines on the Nationwide Implementation of Alert Level System for COVID-19, Response, as of December 14, 2021, Section 1 (5) states that only hotels or accommodation establishments with valid DOT Accreditation shall be allowed to accommodate guests and clients subject to guidelines issued by the Department of Tourism and the IATF," the DOT said in its letter.

The department said the order "is now executory."

"We respectfully request that the office of the good Mayor take the appropriate action in relation to the suspension of Berjaya Makati Hotel's business permit," it said.

Berjaya Makati Hotel has yet to respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, the Makati City prosecutor has scheduled its preliminary investigation of the case of Gwyneth Chua, dubbed Poblacion girl," on Feb. 7 and 14.

READ: Preliminary probe of Gwyneth Chua case set in February

Chua, her parents, and several staff of the hotel where she stayed for quarantine, are facing charges for violating Republic Act No. 11332, specifically for failing to comply with quarantine or isolation rules.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 25)  Presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos on Tuesday backed calls for the possible revival of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), which he claimed was ordered shut purely for political reasons.

In a DZRH interview, Marcos said the country must work on improving its energy situation by exploring various sources  including nuclear power  to attract more investors.

For one, he said the BNPP  which was built during the administration of his father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.  may be worth looking into.

The $2.2-billion facility is the country's first and only nuclear power plant. However, in 1986, then president Corazon Aquino decided not to operate it due to corruption and safety concerns, compounded by fears after the Chernobyl nuclear fallout in Russia that same year.

But Marcos alleged Aquino mothballed the BNPP "not because of any scientific reason," but "for politics."

"We really have to look at nuclear power. Wag natin i-politika [Let's not politicize it]. Once again, follow the science," he said.

According to the former senator, Korea previously offered to help evaluate if the Bataan plant may still be used.

"Kaya't baka naman mapakinabangan pa natin 'yan," Marcos said. "Kung hindi, then maybe magtayo tayo ng iba," he added.

[Translation: So maybe, we can still use it. If not, then maybe we can build another one.]

In 2020, President Rodrigo Duterte issued an executive order that would look into the possible use of the BNPP. In 2018, Russian Ambassador Igor Khovaev told CNN Philippines that he believes the plant was beyond revival because of its "absolutely outdated" technology.
(CNN)  The Biden administration is withdrawing its COVID-19 vaccination and testing regulation aimed at large businesses, following the Supreme Court's decision to block the rule earlier this month.

The US Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration said Tuesday it will be withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard for businesses with 100 or more employees, according to a statement on the agency's website.

"Although OSHA is withdrawing the vaccination and testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard, the agency is not withdrawing the ETS as a proposed rule. The agency is prioritizing its resources to focus on finalizing a permanent COVID-19 Healthcare Standard," the statement read.

The withdrawal of the emergency temporary standard "does not affect the ETS's continuing status as a proposed rule," a US Department of Labor spokesperson told CNN in a statement.

"OSHA is evaluating the record and the evolving course of the pandemic. OSHA has made no determinations at this time about when or if it will finalize a Vaccination and Testing rule. The agency intends to work expeditiously to issue a final standard that will protect healthcare workers from COVID-19 hazards," the spokesperson added.

The decision comes less than two weeks after the Supreme Court blocked the rule, dealing a major blow to President Joe Biden's attempts to use the power of the federal government to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. OSHA's regulation required businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure their workers are fully vaccinated or undergo regular testing and wear face coverings at work.

"After evaluating the Court's decision, OSHA is withdrawing the Vaccination and Testing ETS as an enforceable emergency temporary standard," OSHA wrote in a document set to be published in the Federal Register.

"OSHA strongly encourages vaccination of workers against the continuing dangers posed by COVID-19 in the workplace," the agency also noted in its statement Tuesday.

The withdrawal will be effective Wednesday, according to OSHA's statement.

The President has emphasized the necessity of getting vaccinated against the virus for months and eventually decided to use the mandate on large employers as his main vehicle for convincing hesitant Americans to get their shots.

In freezing a lower court opinion that allowed the regulation to go into effect nationwide, the Supreme Court majority sent a clear message that OSHA, charged with protecting workplace safety, had overstepped its authority. In contrast, the justices said that a separate agency could issue a rule to protect the health and safety of Medicare and Medicaid patients.

The rule would have affected some 80 million individuals. There would have been exceptions for those with religious objections.

The court allowed the vaccine policy rolled out in November by the US Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to take effect. It sought to require the Covid-19 vaccine for certain health care workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden administration to withdraw Covid-19 vaccination and testing regulation aimed at large businesses."
(CNN)  Journalist Lourdes Maldonado Lopez was killed on Sunday in northern Mexico's border city of Tijuana, marking the third killing of a journalist in the country in two weeks.

Lopez was shot to death inside a car in Tijuana's Santa Fe neighborhood, according to a Sunday statement from the Baja California Attorney General Office.

Local law enforcement first received a report on Sunday at 7 p.m. local time and found Lopez dead upon arrival, it said.

An investigation is underway.

Lopez covered corruption and politics, and had been the victim of previous attacks for her work, according to the human rights organization, Article 19, of which Lopez was a member.

In March 2019, Lopez told Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in his daily press briefing that she feared for her life and asked for his "support, help and labor justice."

Lopez was speaking about a labour dispute she had with Jaime Bonilla, who owns the PSN media outlet where Lopez had previously worked. Lopez had sued the company for unfair dismissal. Bonilla was sworn in as governor of Baja California in November 2019 after running a successful campaign as a candidate of Lopez Obrador's ruling Morena party.

Just days before she was killed, she won the lawsuit.

CNN has reached out to Bonilla and PSN for comment.

In an interview with the radio station Radio Formula that Bonilla posted to his Twitter account on Monday, he said that while he hadn't seen Lopez for many years, he had "always" had a "good relationship" with her.

Bonilla said that he didn't know why Lopez had asked the president for protection, saying "there was never a threat, not even an argument with her."

"Every time something happens to journalists, it hurts," Bonilla said, also offering his condolences to Lopez's family.

The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a tweet it is "shocked" by Lopez's killing and called on authorities to "thoroughly and transparently investigate the attack."

'A spiral of violence'

Maldonado's killing follows that of freelance photojournalist Alfonso Margarito Martinez Esquivel on January 17 in Tijuana, and that of Jose Luis Gamboa  a journalist who founded and edited the Inforegio news website and co-founded and edited the news website La Noticia  on January 10 in Veracruz state.

The Baja California Attorney General's Office told CNN that Esquivel's death occurred outside his home after he suffered a gunshot to the head.

Esquivel, who was 49, covered crime scene and security issues in Tijuana for local and international media outlets.

The Baja California State Human Rights Commission has called on authorities to investigate the circumstances of his death.

Miguel Mora, a representative for the commission said that "it's urgent to carry out an expedited process of this case since any attack on journalists constitutes an attack on freedom of expression and the right of society to be informed."

Mexico continues to be one of the world's deadliest countries for journalists, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

"Despite some limited recent progress, it [Mexico] is sinking ever deeper into a spiral of violence and impunity," according to RSF.

"Collusion between officials and organised crime poses a grave threat to journalists' safety and cripples the judicial system at all levels. Journalists who cover sensitive political stories or crime, especially at the local level, are warned, threatened and then often gunned down in cold blood. Others are abducted and never seen again, or they flee abroad as the only way to ensure their survival," RSF said.

This story was first published on CNN.com "Mexican journalist Lourdes Maldonado Lopez, who feared for her life, killed in Tijuana"
(CNN)  The Biden administration is making contingency plans to shore up Europe's energy supplies should a Russian invasion of Ukraine create gas shortages and roil the global economy, senior administration officials said on Tuesday.

In a briefing with reporters, the officials confirmed CNN's reporting on Sunday that US officials have been in regular discussions with a number of countries and companies in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia about stepping up production of liquefied natural gas to Europe if war breaks out and puts the continent's energy supplies at risk. The White House announced Tuesday that one of those allies, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of Qatar, will visit the White House at the end of the month.

"We are working with countries and companies around the world to ensure the continuity of supply" and to mitigate any price shocks that may come from a gas shortage, one of the senior administration officials said. That has included discussions with countries and companies that produce liquid natural gas about increasing their production and diverting supplies to Europe "on a relatively temporary basis" if a crisis breaks out.

"That review has already been done, so we have a better understanding of what the (LNG) levels are," the official said, which will "save time in case we want to press this trigger."

CNN reported on Sunday that the discussions were in the advanced stages.

The discussions have been aimed at reassuring nervous European allies that heavy sanctions on Russia would not result in an outsized blowback on the European economy. European allies have been particularly concerned about the potential for Russia to weaponize its gas exports to retaliate against Western sanctions.

War between Russia and Ukraine could significantly affect global energy markets. Russia is the second biggest oil producer in the world, behind only the United States. Russia also exports a large amount of natural gas to Europe through Ukraine, and those exports would likely be severely disrupted by a war and damage to critical energy infrastructure.

Russia currently provides Europe with more than 40% of its natural gas supply, according to Eurostat, the European Union's statistical office. In certain circumstances, officials said, Europe has a storage of liquified natural gas that it could tap into, and European officials have been exploring how much of a buffer that could provide.

Another senior administration official on Tuesday discussed the willingness of the US and its allies to impose export control restrictions against Russia if it invades Ukraine, that would deny technology to Russia "that it needs and cannot easily replace."

"If you step back and look at the global dominance of US-origin software technology and tooling, the export options would hit Putin's strategic ambitions to industrialize his economy quite hard," the official said.

He added that the US and Europe remain "unified" in their intention to "deliver severe consequences" to Russia if it attacks Ukraine even if the US and EU actions are not "identical" in nature.

"The convergence between the US and EU on financial sanctions is remarkable," the official said, adding that the US believes Europe is "ready to take unprecedented measures." The official noted that the European banking sector is "in much better shape" than it was in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.

European countries would not receive Russian oil, gas and metals if Russia is disconnected from the SWIFT global payment system, Nikolai Zhuravlev, vice speaker of the Federation Council  the upper house of the Russian parliament -- said Tuesday, according to Russian state media TASS.

"If Russia is disconnected from SWIFT, then we will not receive (foreign) currency, but buyers, European countries in the first place, will not receive our goods  oil, gas, metals and other important components of their imports," Zhuravlev was quoted saying by the state media.

Earlier on Tuesday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told lawmakers that his government was discussing with the United States the possibility of banning Russia from the SWIFT network if it invaded Ukraine.

"There is no doubt that that would be a very potent weapon (against Russia). I'm afraid it can only really be deployed with the assistance of the United States though. We are in discussions about that," Johnson said.

Russian official Zhuravlev said to ban Russia from the SWIFT, it would need a united decision of all participating countries and not just the UK and the US.

"SWIFT is an European company, an association of many participating countries. To make a decision on disconnection, a united decision of all participating countries is needed. The decisions of the United States and Great Britain are definitely not enough. I'm not sure that other countries, especially those whose share of trade with Russia is large in balance, will support the shutdown," Zhuravlev said, according to TASS.

The US is warning a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent. As many as 8,500 US troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment to Eastern Europe as Russian troops amass on Ukraine's border.

Sending military reinforcements to Eastern Europe could provide deterrence and reassure allies. There hasn't been any suggestion US combat troops would deploy to Ukraine or take part in any combat roles.

The State Department on Sunday reduced staffing at the US embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, with the departure of nonessential staff and family members out of "an abundance of caution."

Biden discussed concerns over the Russia and Ukraine situation in a secure video call Monday with European leaders. The group went over diplomatic efforts to prevent an invasion and preparations to punish Moscow should one proceed.

That included "preparations to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia for such actions as well as to reinforce security on NATO's eastern flank," the White House said in a readout of the call. The US has made clear it is prepared to impose crushing economic sanctions on Russia and effectively cut Russia off from the Western economy in the event of an invasion.

This story has been updated with additional information.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "US working with allies to shore up energy supplies if Russia invades Ukraine."
(CNN)  US President Joe Biden acknowledged Tuesday a deeply uncertain situation at the Ukraine border, where Russian troops are amassing but few observers have any definitive knowledge of whether or when they might invade.

Earlier, the White House said a Russian invasion was "imminent," and American troops have been placed on high alert to deploy to Europe in a show of reassurance. US and European sanctions have been readied in the event of an invasion.

But even as tensions mount, Biden conceded that one man's opaque decision-making would determine how events unfold.

"This is all Putin. I don't even think his people know for certain what he will do," Biden said as he made a brief outing in Washington for ice cream and to browse a local store, purchasing gifts for his wife and grandson.

The President said he'd be willing to apply sanctions on Putin himself, a step previous presidents have avoided.

And he revealed he could move US troops into Eastern Europe soon to demonstrate American commitment to its NATO allies: "I may be moving some of those troops in the near term just because it takes time. And again, it's not provocative," he said.

But he made clear Putin remains something of an enigma, one whose vague intentions have have proved befuddling to him and other western leaders.

"I'll be completely honest with you, it is a little bit like reading tea leaves," Biden said after browsing a small gift shop and selecting a sweatshirt for his grandson.

"Ordinarily, if it were a different leader, the fact that he continues to build forces along Ukraine's border, from Belarus all the way around, you'd say, 'Well, that means that he is looking like he is going to do something,'" Biden went on. "But then you look at what his past behavior is and what everyone is saying and his team as well as everyone else as to what is likely to happen, it all comes down to his decision."

Biden has spent the past several days receiving updates on the matter, and on Monday ordered 8,500 US troops to stand ready to deploy to eastern Europe. He made clear again Tuesday that no American forces would move into Ukraine.

Further US military assistance to Ukraine arrived Tuesday with approximately 300 Javelins and 79 tons of equipment arriving in the country, the US embassy in Kyiv said in a tweet.

Diplomatic efforts continue

Even as military preparations get underway, diplomatic efforts to defuse the crisis were proceeding. Russian and European officials planned to meet in Paris this week to continue discussions on reviving a ceasefire agreement in Eastern Ukraine, and the US was preparing written responses to Russian security demands that were presented last month.

Last week, Biden predicted Putin would ultimately decide to move into Ukraine, and he said Tuesday that little had changed to alter his view.

"There's been no change in the posture of the Russian forces," he said.

Earlier, his spokeswoman described a Russian invasion of Ukraine as "imminent," though in Kyiv, Ukrainian leaders have sought to downplay the threat.

"When we said it was imminent, it remains imminent," press secretary Jen Psaki said during a daily briefing. "But again, we can't make a prediction of what decision President Putin will make. We're still engaged in diplomatic discussions and negotiations."

An administration official told CNN after the briefing that "there has been no change in where we have been since last week which is that Russia could invade at any time."

Ukrainian officials have sought to downplay the likelihood of an invasion, but Psaki said that signals from Russia were clear, even if Putin's intentions were not.

"No one can get into the mind of President Putin or Russian leadership. We all know that is the case. What we have seen is a range of preparations," she said, citing the build-up of more than 100,000 troops at the Russia-Ukraine border, "bellicose rhetoric" and potential false flag operations.

On Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address posted to his official Facebook page that his citizens had "no reason to panic" as authorities are "working for the full de-escalation of the situation" in eastern Ukraine.

Other Ukrainian officials have also sought to project calm, including the defense minister, who said Tuesday there was "no need to have your bags packed."

As they seek to demonstrate a level of stability, officials in Ukraine have voiced displeasure at a decision to draw down staffing at the US embassy in Kyiv, calling it unnecessary.

"We believe such a step to be a premature one & an instance of excessive caution," a spokesman for the country's foreign ministry said in a tweet.

Psaki said Tuesday displeasure from the Ukrainian government at the US decision to withdraw some embassy staff was misplaced.

"We're always going to make decisions that are in the security interests of people who are serving as diplomats around the world, and we have assessments that are made by the State Department, hence the decision in the announcement made over the last couple of days," she said.

"I will let others assess, but there are 100,000 Russian troops on the border of Ukraine and no clarity that the leader of Russia doesn't intend to invade," she said. "That sounds pretty dangerous to me."

In any case, a vast majority of US personnel at the US Embassy in Kyiv are staying at the post and are not taking advantage of voluntary departure, a source familiar with the matter told CNN Tuesday.

The source said there has not been a significant drawdown as a result of the authorized departure of US personnel.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Biden says no one knows what Putin will do after White House called Russian invasion of Ukraine 'imminent'."
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services has announced two initiatives to help with the fight against COVID-19.

The department said in a news release that it is partnering with health care solutions company eMed to provide 200,000 COVID-19 at-home testing kits.

The kits will be distributed to local health departments, which will distribute them to residents. DHHS said the first tests should become available sometime next week.

The department also said the Nebraska Public Health Lab is working to connect with private testing labs to help process COVID-19 tests during times of high demand.

Because of the recent omicron surge, there has been a huge increase in people seeking tests, leading to long lines, long processing times and scant availability of at-home tests.

In another announcement, DHHS revealed the details of what it calls its hospital decompression program, which is an effort to alleviate hospital overcrowding by moving patients who are well enough to skilled nursing facilities.

The department said anywhere from 78 to 98 beds will be made available in Lincoln, Omaha and Grand Island, with the first ones in Lincoln on Feb. 1 at Mission Health Communities facilities.

Those facilities, which will provide anywhere from 16 to 36 beds, will start accepting patients Tuesday. The other beds will be at facilities in Omaha and Grand Island, but provider names have not been released yet because contracts are pending.

DHHS said those facilities will start accepting patients 10-14 days after the Lincoln facility does.

Hospitals, especially those in Lincoln and Omaha, have been overwhelmed due to increased patient loads and staff shortages.

As of Tuesday, there were 750 COVID-19 patients in Nebraska hospitals, which is the most in more than a year. Douglas County hit a record Tuesday for the most COVID-19 patients during the entire pandemic.

Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association, thanked Gov. Pete Ricketts for dealing with "a critical issue for our hospitals and health care heroes as we continue to be challenged by the impacts of COVID-19."

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.
Were on the cusp of a historic moment in America. After 49 years, the Supreme Court is set to revisit the infamous Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion in 1973. This year, they have an opportunity to undo one of the worst decisions ever made by our nations highest court.

The National Right to Life Committee estimates that over 63 million abortions have taken place in America since Roe v. Wade. Thats more than 50 times the number of Americans who have died in all U.S. wars combined. The sheer number of unborn babies whove lost their lives through abortion is staggering. As a nation, we must put an end to the lie that one persons so-called right to privacy trumps the right of another to live.

Nebraska is a pro-life state. State law declares the will of the people of the State of Nebraska and the members of the Legislature to provide protection for the life of the unborn child whenever possible. We are always looking for ways to cultivate greater respect for the dignity of unborn human life. Nebraskans consistently speak out and stand up in defense of the unborn. Each January, thousands of pro-life supporters gather on the steps of the Nebraska State Capitolregardless of the weatherfor the annual Walk for Life. Churches hold vigils to pray for the protection of unborn children. Every October, Nebraskans peacefully demonstrate their support for human dignity by forming a Life Chain on sidewalks of main streets. Nebraskans show their pro-life convictions on license plates and roadside signs. They volunteer time at crisis pregnancy centers to serve expectant mothers. They generously give to help new parents prepare to welcome a child into their home.

Nebraskans do all this, and more, because we recognize that the right to life is one of the most basic truths. Theres a reason its the first right affirmed in the Declaration of Independence. Over the years, weve enacted pro-life policies in Nebraska to protect the sacredness of life from the moment it begins.

 In 2002 and 2004, Lt. Governor Mike Foley, a state senator at the time, helped enact laws making fetal homicide and fetal assault crimes.

 In 2010, then-Speaker Mike Flood of Norfolk successfully championed a bill to make Nebraska the first state in the nation to ban abortion after 20 weeks of gestation.

 In 2011, Senator Lydia Brasch of Bancroft led efforts to require parental consent before a minor receives an abortion.

During my time in office, weve continued to affirm the dignity of life.

 In 2017, Senator Joni Albrecht championed the Compassionate Care for Medically Challenging Pregnancies Act. It ensures that doctors equip women with information on perinatal hospice care after an unborn child is diagnosed with a lethal fetal anomaly. This gives mothers and their families immediate awareness of resources to help them cope with this heartbreaking challenge.

 In 2018, the Legislature approved another bill sponsored by Senator Albrecht to provide commemorative certificates to mothers who miscarry. It affirms the dignity of life and humanely acknowledges the loss that a mother undergoes through miscarriage.

 In 2019, Senator Albrecht successfully secured passage of a bill to bolster the states informed consent protections. It requires doctors to direct women to information on how to reverse the abortion pill when the drug is prescribed.

 In 2020, Senator Geist put forward LB 814 to end the barbaric practice of dismemberment abortion in Nebraska.

 In 2021, State Senators worked together to pass a new tax credit for families who have a stillborn baby to help offset medical bills, burial expenses, and costs of preparing for the babys arrival.

If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, it would likely restore authority to the 50 states to decide how to regulate abortion. This means our state senators have important work to do to prepare for the possibility of the Court doing away with Roe v. Wade.

There are three main bills in the Legislature this session to limit abortion:

 LB 933: Senators Joni Albrecht and Mike Flood have introduced the Nebraska Human Life Protection Act. If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, it would criminalize the performance of abortion procedures in Nebraska.

 LB 781: Senator Julie Slama is sponsoring the Heartbeat Act. It requires a physician to perform an ultrasound prior to performing an abortion. If a heartbeat is detected, the bill would make it unlawful for a physician to perform an abortion.

 LB 1086: Senator Suzanne Geist has put forward the Chemical Abortion Safety Protocol Act. It requires abortion-inducing drugs to be provided by a physician. It prohibits physicians from providing any abortion-inducing drug to a woman whose pregnancy is more than forty-nine days of gestational age.

As these bills are debated, I ask that you encourage your state senator to protect the unborn. You can find their contact information at www.NebraskaLegislature.gov.

Each life is a precious gift from God. This year, we could see a new birth of freedom in America if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. Whatever happens in federal court, lets work to give every baby boy and girl in Nebraska the opportunity to live the Good Life.

If youd like to learn more about the pro-life policies of my administration, please write me at pete.ricketts@nebraska.gov or call 402-471-2244.

Pete Ricketts is the governor of Nebraska.

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Its my distinct pleasure to welcome Samantha Hill as our new editorial assistant for Astronomy and Discover magazines. Samantha hails from Montana, where she graduated from the University of Montana in 2015 with a degree in journalism. During her college years she interned for Metro Boston and Missoulian. She also traveled to the Mekong region of Vietnam to study as part of her minor in climate change studies.

After school, Samantha worked for a newspaper, the Livingston Enterprise, for three years, covering local city council and police matters, and then working into covering events and creating the publications special editions and editing pages. After moving to Wisconsin, she has worked as a legal assistant.

During her off hours, Samantha can be found spending time with her husband and her dog. She likes to travel locally and abroad and camp, kayak, experiment with new recipes, and paint.

Welcome, Samantha!
By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The next round of political consultations between Baku and Helsinki took place on January 25, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has reported.

During the consultations, Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalaf Khalafov and Marja Liivala, Director-General of the Finnish Foreign Ministry's Russia, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia Department, discussed future cooperation and regional issues.

At the meeting, the sides exchanged views on all aspects of bilateral relations and prospects for future cooperation, as well as it was emphasized that there are wide opportunities for the development of relations in the economic, educational, information technologies and humanitarian spheres, the ministry said.

It was highlighted that on March 24, 2022, the two countries will mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations, as well as the achievements made during this period.

Furthermore, Khalafov briefed the guests on the 44-day war with Armenia in 2020, the trilateral statements signed to end the conflict, the regional situation, particularly the destruction committed by Armenia in the liberated lands, and the reconstruction activities carried out by Azerbaijan on these territories.

Liivala stressed that she was pleased with the engaging and constructive interactions that she had in Azerbaijan during her visit. She underlined that Finland is keen on strengthening bilateral ties with Azerbaijan in economic, humanitarian, social, and educational spheres, as well as collaborating on European Union initiatives.

During the meeting, cooperation between Azerbaijan and Finland in the framework of international organizations, the priorities of Finland's chairmanship in the OSCE in 2025, as well as other issues of regional and international cooperation of mutual interest were discussed, the ministry added.
Everyone knows the existence of the SAS or Special Air Force, the British special forces, founded in 1941, in the middle of World War II, as an elite force to infiltrate the German lines. In fact they were born in the desert to face Erwin Rommel, known as the Desert Fox, and his troops.



What fewer people know is that there were several branches of special forces, and one of these was the Special Boat Service (SBS). Historian Saul David has published the history: SBSSilent Warriors: The Authorized Wartime History. There is no translation into Spanish yet.



James Holland, another great British historian -with classics on the Battle of Britain, the Wehrmacht or the landing in Sicily- has already said that it is one of the best stories I have read in many years.





Saul David (born 1966) is an award-winning British historian who already has other specialized works on the Battle of Okinawa (Crucible of Hell) and the Entebbe operation (Operation Thunderbolt), among others. David is Professor of Military History at the University of Buckingham.



The SBS was the first command specialising in maritime operations. Created in 1940, it started with a small group and its first mission was the reconnaissance of the island of Rhodes during the spring of 1941.



Then, as Aspects of History magazine explains in one of its latest issues, in a review written by also the historien Rupert Hague-Holmes, other missions fell to the SBS in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, the Channel or the Far East.



One of these was Operation Frankton, the attempt to sink ships in the port of Bordeaux after kayaking up the Gironde. Only two of the ten men who were landed by the submarine survived: six shot by the Germans and two died of hypothermia.



But, without a doubt, one of the most curious missions was for Operation Overlord (D-Day) when they were landed at Gold Beach, one of the beaches chosen for the landing, fifteen days before the operation. Technically they were thus the first allied troops to set foot in Normandy.



The objective, was to take samples to confirm whether, explains the magazine, "the sand was firm enough to allow the landing of Allied vehicles."



The British Admiral Bertram Ramsay, head of the naval forces during D-Day, explained that the final success of Operation Overloard depended to a great extent on this mission./ A report by Xavier Rius.
Chambersburg Borough council voted 7-3 Monday night to repeal a nondiscrimination ordinance for the borough it passed just four months ago.

The ordinance, adopted by the previous Democratic majority council on Sept. 20, 2021, with six Democrats and one Republican voting in favor of the law and three other Republicans voting against, had banned discrimination based on sex, race, religion and other factors and established a local human relations commission to handle complaints of violations.

But after the municipal elections in November, the newly arranged borough council  featuring seven Republicans and three Democrats  voted 6-3 (one Republican was absent) to begin the repeal process on Jan. 3.

Monday night's final vote came after nearly three hours of comments from people in the community, with more than 160 of them joining via Zoom and and an additional 60 people in attendance at the meeting according to the Chambersburg Public Opinion. Out of about 60 people who spoke during the meeting, only five or six were in favor of repealing the ordinance.

According to the Pennsylvania Youth Congress, at least 71 of Pennsylvanias 2,562 municipalities have passed LGBTQ-inclusive local nondiscrimination ordinances as of January 2022, including Carlisle, which passed its ordinance in December 2016.

Chambersburg became the first town in Pennsylvania to abolish an established nondiscrimination ordinance.

In response to Mondays vote to repeal an LGBTQ anti-discrimination ordinance by Chambersburg Borough councilmembers, state Reps. Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny, Brian Sims, D-Phila., and Sen. Katie Muth, D-Berks, all co-chairs of the LGBTQ+ Caucus, released the following statement:

Last night, the Republican-led Chambersburg Borough Council committed a shameful action by repealing their local nondiscrimination ordinance. That vote was a dangerous step backwards and puts LGBTQ+ Pennsylvanians in an extremely vulnerable position, eliminating their access to recourse if they are denied housing, education or public accommodations because of who they are or who they love."

In response to Chambersburg Borough Council's decision to repeal the ordinance, Chambersburg Mayor Kenneth Hock issued a nondiscrimination proclamation in its place.

The proclamation states:

"WHEREAS, in today's world, there are times that bigotry may occur on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, family status, veteran status, disability, marital status, or income status; and

WHEREAS, I request that all residents and visitors of the Borough of Chambersburg reject bigotry and discrimination against all individuals in any form or fashion and in any context, including employment, residential housing, and business transactions and sales; and

WHEREAS, strict adherence to the transcendent principles of tolerance, religious freedom, and equal protection will strengthen the Borough of Chambersburg as a community by deepening the bonds of the community and fostering a welcoming environment.

NOW THEREFORE, as Mayor of the Borough of Chambersburg, I declare that no resident or visitor of the Borough of Chambersburg (the "Borough") should be subjected to bigotry, discrimination, or oppression due to their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, family status, veteran status, disability, marital status, or income status. All Borough residents and visitors should be treated with respect and dignity.

FURTHER, in the event that any resident or visitor of the Borough of Chambersburg is subjected to bigotry, discrimination, or oppression in the Borough the individual should seek resolution from the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission or any other existing agency with jurisdiction over the matter. I recommend that Borough staff be provided with information to direct members of the public to the appropriate agencies and authorities to report concerns regarding bigotry, discrimination, and oppression."

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Anna Foster found the statistics both insulting and infuriating.

A school district resident, she was responding to the 6-3 vote Monday by the South Middleton School Board to make masks optional for students and staff starting Jan. 31.

Foster vented frustration toward board member Eric Berry after he cited data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was quoted in the Washington Examiner. The article mentioned that, as of last Aug. 21, about 3,650 children had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and, as of Sept. 1, about 400 had died of the virus.

Rounding the total number of children to 73 million would mean that .0045% of children in the U.S. have been hospitalized for COVID and only .0005% have died from it, Berry read from the article.

During a public comment period after the vote, Foster took issue with Berry using such statistics to support his position.

If your child was one of that miniscule percentage that gets sick, its significant, she told Berry. If your child is one of that even more miniscule percentage who died, that miniscule percentage is not a comfort because your child is still dead.

Speaking out in support of a revision to the district health and safety plan, Berry read excerpts from a number of different sources to support his conclusion that wearing masks really doesnt prevent the spread of respiratory infections like COVID-19. He cited what he called studies from ACP Journals, the CDC and the World Health Organization.

Aside from the Examiner, Berry referenced an Oct. 2, 2021, article from the New York Post in which reporter Conor Skelding interviewed Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. The expert was talking about the need for students to watch peoples mouths in order to learn to speak, read and understand emotions.

Kids need to see faces, Berry quoted the professor. We have this idea that this disease is so bad that we must adopt any means necessary to stop it from spreading. Its not that masks in schools have no costs. They actually do have substantial costs.

Berry said the potential harm to a childs education outweighs the benefits of being overly cautious and maintaining the mask mandate.

Mr. Berry, Im pretty sure that I could find just as many contradictory statements to what you gave, Foster said. Some of the arguments I heard today were flawed. The masks dont protect the person wearing the mask. The mask protects everyone else around you. Im keeping you safe by my mask.

Some of you on this board ran on a campaign platform that was supposedly for the kids, Foster said. But a vote to make masks optional declared that you are not. This vote says you are not only willing to put your own children, but everyone elses children as well as their teachers and the rest of the staff into a vulnerable position.

Board members Terry Draper, Bill Hartman and Bethanne Sellers voted against lifting the mandate. They were opposed by Berry, Brad Group, Tony Lucido, Robin Scherer, Shannon Snyder and Rodney Wagner.

Before the vote, Superintendent Jim Estep recommended that children attending pre-school programs hosted in district buildings must continue to wear masks.

There is no vaccine available for children ages 5 and under, Estep said. These kids are not able to be vaccinated even if their parents want them to be vaccinated. They dont have the same kind of safety.

Estep said the protocols under the health and safety plan only apply to South Middleton School District students, not children enrolled in Pre-K Counts, Head Start or any other outside program.

Though opposed to a mask mandate for district students, Lucido said the recommendation on pre-school students should be at the discretion of the superintendent and his administration.

Prior to the vote, the board voted 7-2 against an amendment suggested by Sellers. She wanted the district to set a precise threshold where masks would again be required for a period of seven days whenever the number of positive cases within a building reaches 2% or more of the student body.

The levels that she is proposing are completely arbitrary, Lucido said. I understand there is community disagreement and wide medical disagreement. However, there has never been any medically demonstrated study that shows that cloth masks have any efficiency at reducing the spread of this virus.

Previously established baseline numbers were formulated at a time when the delta variant  a more serious strain than the current omicron variant  was on the rise nationwide and the opportunity to be vaccinated was limited, Lucido said. We are proposing to make more draconian rules for our kids to wear masks in an environment where the health officials have acknowledged this [the omicron] variant is far less serious. We have been running an uncontrolled social experiment for the last two years on our kids. I hear all the time that kids are resilient, that masks do not bother them, but we have no idea what we have done.

Lucido said there are studies that point to major ramifications of masking on a childs well-being. Wagner agreed that setting a threshold based on case counts is arbitrary. When we are looking at all these numbers, all we are doing is creating more chaos, he said. Its time to make a decision and move forward.

Email Joseph Cress at jcress@cumberlink.com.

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The recent firing of University of Virginia counsel Tim Heaphy by Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares is not unprecedented, but it is unusual, according to a legal expert and former deputy attorney general.

Heaphy, who had been on a leave of absence to lead the work of the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, was fired by Miyares. The decision came just a week into Miyares term and not long after the attorney general laid off more than 30 people in the office during his first weekend.

The decision to fire Heaphy came after various promises from Miyares to shake up the AGs office and change the way Virginias top legal office operates. In a statement to the Washington Post, Victoria LaCivita, director of communications for the attorney general, said the decision to fire Heaphy had nothing to do with the Jan. 6 committee or its investigations.

Our decision was made after reviewing the legal decisions made over the last couple of years, LaCivita said in a statement to the Washington Post. The Attorney General wants the university counsel to return to giving legal advice based on law, and not the philosophy of a university. We plan to look internally first for the next lead counsel.

LaCivita did not respond to a request for clarification about which legal decisions were reviewed.

Heaphy, a UVa graduate, was appointed as UVa counsel and senior assistant attorney general in August 2018. The former U.S. Attorney of the Western District of Virginia led a team of lawyers who reviewed the University of Virginia and the city of Charlottesvilles responses to violent clashes in August 2017.

In Virginia, the attorney general is given the power to appoint counsel within Virginias public colleges and universities.

While Miyares has the authority to hire and fire university counsel and other lawyers, a legal expert said Miyares has acted unusually fast. According to H. Lane Kneedler, whose multi-decade career has spanned multiple state attorney generals, the amount of turnover and political appointments made by Miyares are unusual.

Kneedler, who served most recently as senior counsel to former Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, also served as chief deputy attorney general of Virginia from 1986-1992, and has had 28 years of experience with state Attorneys General and the National Association of Attorneys General.

I would say that it is unusual to replace university counsel; I know we didnt do it in either of the administrations I was in, Kneedler said. [University lawyers] are generally viewed as apolitical positions, and if the universities are satisfied with their counsel, which they generally are, our answer was typically that they stay there.

Kneedler said he thinks Miyares appointments have been political and that he is surprised by that. Recalling his time serving as chief deputy attorney general under Mary Sue Terry, Kneedler said people were not typically hired due to their political alignments.

Im sure people dont believe that, but thats the case, he said. These are all political people, but I think being so direct about it causes me concern. This is supposed to be the states law firm, in essence, and it is not a political agency.

The perceived political motivation for Heaphys firing has also drawn criticism from the Democratic Attorneys General Association, which condemned the decision and argued it was tied to Heaphys Jan. 6 investigation.

Heaphy did not respond to a request for comment but expressed disappointment in a statement to the Cavalier Daily.

As a two-time graduate of the University, the parent of a current student and a longtime resident of Charlottesville, I love the University and have been privileged to contribute to its aspiration to be both great and good, Heaphy wrote. While Im disappointed that my time as University Counsel has come to an end, Im confident that the office will continue to provide quality service as the University continues to thrive in the days to come.

With Heaphy on leave, Jasmine Yoon has led the Office of University Counsel, according to the UVa news release.

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After Cecilia Rios Murrieta stopped drinking alcohol, she still wanted to participate in the social ritual of drinking  being able to have a beverage that made her feel excited.

So she created Joie Avec Sans, better known as JAS, an alcohol-free beverage brand. Pre-orders of its Paloma Libre cocktail just launched.

I really think that this is a category of drinks that has been missing from our lives, Murrieta said. I think it has a lot to do with misconceptions of sobriety, and when we see someone who doesnt drink we think theyre boring, and theyre really not. Theyre actually living their best life.

This isnt Murrietas first dip into the beverage world. The now-student at the University of Virginias Darden School of Business started a mezcal company in 2012.

I fell in love with mezcal and decided to make it my life, she said.

In the beginning, it was an avocation  she learned about mezcal and would talk about it with friends. It became a passion for her, she said, and then became her vocation.

I really love this side of beverages that people identify with  what you drink, what does it say about you? she said.

Being in the liquor industry involves a lot of going out and drinking, she said, and over time she began to question her relationship with alcohol. On Dec. 5, 2018, she decided to stop drinking.

I made a very conscious decision to just quit drinking, she said. It was a very scary decision, because part of it was my life, my business, my livelihood, but also my life was on the line, in another sense. I was thinking about applying to an MBA, and thinking: How am I going to do all of these things that I want to do  live the way that I actually want to live  if Im sabotaging myself all the time? And so I decided to cut drinking right there.

She started devoting more time to herself, doing yoga and learning French, and preparing to apply to grad school while at home in Mexico City. Murrieta also began thinking about who she was as a person.

Im very social  I love to go out with my friends, I love to go to restaurants  and part of that life that I had built within the liquor industry was about going out, meeting people, eating and drinking, she said. That was my biggest fear of quitting drinking, that I was going to miss out on that.

When she started going out while sober, Murrieta tried to look for alternative beverages but she wasnt enthusiastic about the options  the non-alcoholic options available were hard to find, expensive or too sweet.

I felt like there was something missing for people who just wanted to go into their fridge and grab a drink that made you feel good, she said.

She said she wanted to feel included, but also excited and empowered about what she was drinking.

Theres this whole ritual when youre going to go to the beach, or youre gonna go to the supermarket and find drinks that excite you  youre thinking about who youre going to share them with, she said. I was thinking about all these little things, like, How can I recreate that excitement for what Im going to be drinking, even though Im not drinking alcohol? And thats when the concept of this joie, like the joy of living without alcohol, came.

Murrieta met up with a friend in New York and for two days they tried different extraction methods. Eventually, they settled on a Paloma Libre flavor  based on the classic Mexican cocktail  and set out to create it.

We hand batched these little bottles, and I brought them back with me,  she said. We did a little tasting with people. And it was good.

Darden lecturer Damon DeVito pushed her to create a website and start accepting e-commerce pre-orders. She borrowed her classmates can seamer to package the first batch.

Now ready to scale, the next batch will be made utilizing a contract packager  who will create a shelf-stable product and a lot more of it.

Pre-orders can be placed at drinkjas.com.

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The CEOs of the University of Virginia Medical Center and Augusta Health are pleading with their communities to get vaccinated.

There are times when communities really need to come together as partners, really join arms and rally toward a common cause, said Wendy Horton with the medical center. This is one of those times. COVID is an insidious disease, and it impacts all of us.

Horton and Mary Mannix, CEO of Augusta Health, spoke during a virtual press conference Tuesday about the toll the latest surge in COVID-19 cases is taking on their hospitals. The pair released a joint statement Monday, kicking off a public education campaign that will include advertisements in local media.

By sharing the stress that hospital workers are under, the officials hope to motivate individuals to get vaccinated, wear their mask, social distance and wash their hands.

We really want to turn the corner on this pandemic, and we think that being united in our messaging and our communication is absolutely essential and can be very powerful, Mannix said.

As of Tuesday, UVa had 126 COVID-19 patients and is averaging 21 new patients a day, based on a seven-day average.

Horton said that UVa has had more than 100 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, which is more than at any time in the pandemic. The majority of those hospitalized are unvaccinated. By comparison, in mid-December, the hospital had 36 patients with COVID-19.

Were hoping that if the public and our community has greater awareness and understanding of the real situation in our hospitals and the benefits of how they can support us, that together were going to make a meaningful impact for our teams as well as our community, Horton said.

About 65.8% of those in the Blue Ridge Health District are fully vaccinated and another 35.8% have received a booster dose.

Horton pointed to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that those unvaccinated individuals who are 18 years and older are 16 times more likely to be hospitalized.

So thats more reason to make sure that everyone that is eligible to be vaccinated, and the more patients that we have to have hospitalized, the more stress that this puts on our overall health system, she said.

In the joint statement, Horton and Mannix said that their employees were at a breaking point  a point reiterated during the press conference.

Because the omicron variant is more transmissible than previous variants, more healthcare workers are having to quarantine or isolate, leaving the hospitals short-staffed. Additionally, hospitals locally and nationally have seen more employees quitting.

Mannix said the staffing levels are creating capacity challenges at Augusta Health that are greater than those experienced during the delta surge. However, Augusta Health hasnt seen the same level of hospitalizations because of changes implemented during delta. For example, Mannix said the health system focused more aggressively on outpatient treatments of COVID-19.

Both hospitals require staff members to be vaccinated and are closely monitoring patient counts and staffing levels to ensure they have the capacity needed to meet the communitys needs. Mannix said theyve had to cap the number of patients they can take at times because of staffing issues.

To try to help the staff cope, Augusta Health has used morale boosters, such as bringing in food trucks or having a jeans day. But those only go so far, Mannix said.

Its really important to know that our team members have been at this for two years now, Mannix said. That is a very long time to be working under this tremendous amount of stress.

Horton added that morale at UVa wears thin with each surge.

Both Horton and Mary said the recent executive order aimed at helping hospitals address the surge in cases has given them much needed flexibility.

Were at a pivotal point where its just not hospitals and caregivers, said Horton. Its all of us together.

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U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger is leading a campaign by six House members to fight prescription-drug hikes that hurt health-care providers and tens of millions of their patients, especially in rural communities.

Writing Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra about what they described as a rash of reckless decisions by pharmaceutical manufacturers, the legislators pressed the Biden administration to immediately act against companies that wont comply with federal law.

Spanberger, a Democrat representing Central Virginias 7th Congressional District, called on HHS to protect rural providers access to discounted drugs they need to keep patients healthy and safe.

The lawmakers called for the Cabinet department to protect the 340B Drug Pricing Program, enacted by Congress in 1992 with bipartisan support.

Overseen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the program requires drug makers to discount their drugs to safety-net and rural health-care providers in exchange for having Medicaid cover them.

More and more drug companies have begun to willfully deny 340B pricing to safety net providers who serve the most vulnerable patient populations in our communities, Spanberger and her colleagues wrote Becerra. HHS has the authority to take enforcement action that could deter these manufacturers ... from engaging in this unlawful activity.

Spanbergers letter was also signed by Reps. David B. McKinley (R-W.Va.), Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Dusty Johnson (R-S.D.), Doris Matsui (D-Calif.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.).

The 340B Drug Pricing Program had established a record of reducing drug costs for Virginia patients who live in underserved communities, are poor or suffer from serious chronic illnesses.

But in recent years, some manufacturers have stopped honoring 340B discounts for drugs dispensed through pharmacies that contract with providers. That has dramatically hiked the price of those drugs for vulnerable patients and providers, Spanbergers office said Tuesday.

Last year, after a bipartisan push led by Spanberger, HHS and the Health Resources and Services Administration sent warning letters to pharmaceutical manufacturers that refused to provide discounted prescription drugs.

But after the warnings, those companies made no effort to comply with their lawful obligations, Spanbergers office said. And HHS didnt follow up with enforcement action.

This situation jeopardizes the integrity of the entire program and threatens affordable drug availability throughout rural America, the congresswomans office said.

Congress, the previous administration, the Biden administration and thousands of 340B-covered safety-net providers across the nation have opposed the companies actions, Spanbergers office said.

Health-care providers cannot wait much longer for HHS to act, the lawmakers wrote HHS.

Many 340B providers are struggling with severe financial losses and staffing challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislators said, adding: They cannot afford to pay higher upfront prices for the drugs their patients need.

Virginia and U.S. health-care providers and patient-advocacy groups endorsed Spanbergers effort to protect vulnerable people and hold drug companies accountable.

Given drug manufacturers effort to limit 340B discounts to contract pharmacies, we appreciate Rep. Spanbergers efforts to ensure safety-net providers like UVA Health continue to receive discounted pricing from drug manufacturers, said Wendy Horton, a doctor of pharmacy who is CEO of the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville. The savings we see from reduced drug expenditures as a result of the 340B Drug Pricing Program are essential to supporting our mission to serve those who need us most.

Paula Tomko, CEO of Central Virginia Health Services, said the 340B program has been a lifeline in helping their uninsured and underinsured patients get discounted medications for high blood pressure, diabetes or HIV/AIDS.

Unfortunately, in recent years big pharmaceutical companies have unilaterally and unlawfully decided to increase the prices they charge for their medications to providers working in underserved communities, Tomko said. It is disappointing that big pharmaceutical companiesmany of whom have reported excellent financial yearsare dramatically increasing the prices on drugs needed by safety-net providers ... in the middle of a global pandemic.

Stacey Hughes, executive vice president of the American Hospital Association, assailed drug makers pernicious tactics and thanked Spanberger and her colleagues for tackling the issue.

The programs discounted drugs help patients get childhood screenings, substance-use disorder treatment, childhood screenings and other vital care, said Beth OConnor, executive director of the Virginia Rural Health Association.

If we are to have any hope whatsoever of ending the HIV epidemic this decade, we must have a properly financed HIV safety net, said Jesse Milan, president of AIDS United. The 340B program is a vital pillar of that safety net.

With pharmaceutical companies overcharging for their medications and shrinking HIV organizations resources, The lives of people living with and vulnerable to HIV are on the line, Milan said.

We are incredibly grateful to these six members of Congress for leading the fight to protect the 340B safety net. We need them now more than ever as we continue to fight on the front lines against the pandemic, said Shannon Stephenson, CEO of Cempa Community Care in Tennessee and president of the Ryan White Clinics.
Democrats want to use the 2022 legislative session to pass bills on affordable housing, health care, job training, drought deterrence, timber harvesting, small business relief, expanding daycare, wildfire prevention and criminal justice reform.

Republicans' to-do list for the House and Senate includes tax cuts, limiting the emergency power of the governor, and rolling back the release of prisoners.

All within a 35-day session beginning Tuesday, which also happens to be the projected peak of the record-breaking surge of hospitalizations because of the omicron variant of COVID-19.

Also working against likely passage of legislation is a series of changes at the top of state government for the first time since 2009, switches in floor leaders for both Democrats and Republicans and a rapidly approaching primary election in May, with a general election in November.

The long list of ideas for the "short session" of the Legislature was rolled out Tuesday during the annual political preview hosted by the Associated Press. Gov. Kate Brown and legislative leaders from both parties took turns discussing the possibilities and pitfalls facing the last regular session before the 2022 elections.

Republicans call for a session limited to budget fixes and technical bills. With the pandemic hitting health, housing and jobs, Democrats said the crisis situation required action now, not next year when the longer 160-day session is held.

There are things that cannot wait two years in between the long sessions, said House Majority Leader Julie Fahey, D-Eugene.

Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, said the mountain of legislation could be too extreme, looking more like the amount introduced at the start of the odd-year "long sessions."

"You get the feeling that we're in a 160-day session," Courtney said. "I'm just a worrier, but I don't have confidence today."

Looming over all the proposals was the possibility that Republicans could use parliamentary tactics to bring the session to an abrupt end, as they did in 2020. Or slow it to a painful crawl, as in 2021.

"If we see highly partisan and complex bills being rushed through the Legislature in February, Republicans are prepared to use the tools necessary," said House Minority Leader Vikki Breese Iverson, R-Prineville.

Those tools are quirks in the Oregon state constitution rarely found anywhere else in the nation.

Democrats currently hold a 37-23 supermajority in the House and have 18 of the 30 seats in the Senate. Two of the 12 senators elected as Republicans have declared themselves independent of the GOP caucus.

But Republicans can still halt or hamstring a session by walking out or slowing down the legislative process.

Oregon is one of a handful of states that requires more than a majority to form a quorum in each chamber in order to conduct any business. Democrats are three votes shy of the 60% requirement in the House and two votes short in the Senate.

During the 2020 session, GOP leaders in the House and Senate led a boycott of floor sessions to block a vote on a carbon emissions cap bill backed by environmentalists, but opposed by many businesses.

Sen. Tim Knopp, R-Bend, and Rep. Cheri Helt, R-Bend, were the only Republicans to remain in the Capitol. Both were locked in tight re-election campaigns (Knopp would win, Helt would lose).

Still short of a quorum, time ran out on the 35 days, leaving hundreds of bills to die with the end of the session.

"Everybody got mad at each other and went home, except me," Knopp said.

House Republicans are more likely to use a tactic employed in 2021. The state constitution requires the full text of a bill be read aloud before the vote on final passage.

In the past, the rule was suspended "without objection" and only the short title of legislation read before the debate and vote. If there is an objection, it takes 40 votes in the House (or 20 in the Senate) to override the reading requirement.

Then-House Minority Leader Christine Drazan, R-Canby, objected to every bill that came to the floor, no matter the subject. A logjam of Democratic-sponsored legislation quickly piled up.

House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland, countered by scheduling morning-to-night daily sessions, including weekends.

But multiple outbreaks of COVID-19 also struck and Kotek, seeing a looming constitutional deadline for the Legislature to adjourn, struck a deal with Drazan to give Republican parity on the House Redistricting Committee.

The pace of passing bills quickened up to the end of the session. When a special session was called to vote on redistricting, Kotek moved to reinstall a Democratic majority on the panel dealing with maps for congressional districts. Drazan tried to have Kotek brought up for censure, but was blocked.

Kotek and Drazan are both leaving the Legislature to run for governor.

Though the principal combatants in the slowdown battle are gone, the bitterness remains. Democrats are frustrated with the ability of the minority to unilaterally thwart majority will. Republicans say they can't rely on promises from Democrats if they strike any deals, given Kotek's reversal on the redistricting panel.

Brown said she hoped the Legislature would move on the Private Forest Accord, a deal between environmentalists, forest landowners, fishing interests and the state that she has said would ensure new protections for sensitive species on over 10 million acres in Oregon. She asked that $200 million be spent on workforce programs, $100 million on childcare, and $38 million to help small businesses and aid economic development.

Knopp said the short session was not the right time for major policy initiatives. But he believed there was room for Democrats and Republicans to agree on essential worker pay, tax cuts on some essential items such as diapers, and job training programs that can quickly fill the employment gaps faced by many businesses.

"Employers need workforce now," Knopp said.

Senate Majority Leader Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, noted the Legislature has worked through one regular and five special sessions during the pandemic. Some state and federal data is showing the current omicron spike  the sixth to surge through Oregon since February 2020  is showing signs of waning.

"We're turning the corner on this last wave - I hope it's the last wave," he said.

Knopp said the two-year-old COVID-19 pandemic had warped the usual workings of the Legislature, with online Zoom meetings replacing in-person hearings and the lack of the kind of casual conversations that can sometimes lead to consensus. He's looking forward to a legislative session in the future that brings back near-normal operations in the Capitol.

"Here's hoping that's the 2023 long session," he said.

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By Trend

Azerbaijani opposition member, asylum seeker in the UK, Jeyhun Zeynalov, was spared jail over sex attack on a vulnerable woman, Trend reports referring to Daily Mail.

According to the message, he initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of sexual assault in October 2018 over the attack which took place the previous summer, before admitting guilt in March 2021.

Zeynalov, 34, came across his victim - who had a learning disability - in the Shelton area of Stoke-on-Trent as she made her way to the store to buy sweets, the message said. Judge David Fletcher sentenced Zeynalov to ten months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with a 30-day of rehabilitation requirement.

According to the message, he was also given a six month alcohol treatment requirement and 120 hours of unpaid work. In addition, Zeynalov was placed on the sex offenders' register for 10 years.
Summit County has ended much of its indoor mask mandate, enacted after the omicron surge began there a month ago, thanks to a "substantial decline in new COVID cases," officials there said Tuesday night.

Beginning at midnight Wednesday, patrons to Summit County businesses and other indoor spaces no longer have to wear face-coverings, the county said in a statement. Masks are still required in government buildings, child care settings and schools for elementary-aged children, along with camps and indoor extracurriculars.

Summit County, along with resort neighbors Pitkin and Eagle counties, was the first area of Colorado to be hit by omicron, with cases beginning to spike just before Christmas. County officials swiftly enacted a mask mandate as cases rose and workers  at hospitals, the 911 dispatch center, restaurants and everywhere else  called out sick in high numbers, just as the area was welcoming tens of thousands of visitors for the holiday season.

At one point, Summit County had one of the highest transmission rates in the country, according to The New York Times. Summit County had also been the site of the first COVID-19 case identified in Colorado in early March 2020.

But cases have declined significantly in the area in recent weeks, as they have across the state. According to Summit County Public Health, the incidence rate over the past week is half of what it was over the past month, and the county is averaging half the number of new daily cases now than it had been. The average positivity rate, while still higher than any pre-omicron wave, has been cut nearly in half since early January.

Eagle County allowed its mask mandate to expire last week, for similar reasons.
Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel has commissioned a new 21-megawatt solar power plant in the Buldhana district of Maharashtra as part of its commitment to reduce carbon footprint and contribute to the global efforts to curb the effects of climate change.

The multinational telecommunications services company has tied up with Avaada to set up the captive power unit, which is spread over 80 acres, to supply clean energy to Nxtra by Airtels large and edge data centres, and switching centers in Maharashtra.

The company expects a significant reduction of 25,517 tons in carbon emissions annually through this unit.

Rajesh Tapadia, CEO, Nxtra by Airtel said, This is yet another step towards fulfilling our commitment to source more than 50% power requirements of our data centres through renewable energy sources in next 12 months and contribute to Airtels overall GHG emission reduction targets.

According to a company release, Nxtra by Airtel has already commissioned two captive solar power units of 14 MW each in the State of Uttar Pradesh as part of its focus on green energy sources to power its growing operations. The Company has the largest network of data centers in India with 11 large and 120 edge data centers across the country and will invest over Rs 5000 cr over the next four years to expand its capacity by 3X.

Airtel has committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 Green House Gas (GHG) emissions across its operations by 50.2% by FY2031 (from FY2021 as the base year). Airtel has also committed to reducing absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 42% over the same timeframe. It will achieve this through multiple interventions including accelerated green energy adoption across its network operations, energy-efficient infrastructure, and processes as well as implementing sustainable business practices at its workplaces.
Israels Partner Communications has been awarded a contract for a new fibre link connecting two continents.

Partner Communications, best known as the countrys second-largest mobile phone operator but also involved in internet and TV services, has signed a $12.6 million deal to build a fibre optics network within Israel to enable another ultra-fast data connection between Europe and the Far East.

The network deal was signed with Tamares Telecom, a leading fibre-based international communications and data service provider and network operator.

Reuters reports that the aim of the link is to offer an alternative to existing cables that connect Europe with Asia via the Suez Canal. Geopolitical issues and damage to cables caused by ships passing through the canal have caused problems along the Suez route.

Partner therefore aims to deploy 300 km of fibre optics to expand Tamares network and create a corridor between the Mediterranean sea and Jordan. Partner will also supply maintenance services as part of the deal.

Reuters says that the project will take up to two years to build. When finished, it will connect cables from the Far East to two points in Israel: the Israel-Jordan border crossing and the resort city of Eilat. It will then run through Israel to the Mediterranean port of Haifa and on to Europe.

Partner has said that the high capacity offered by the project will help to address the growing data flow between the West and the East.
Nokia announced it is working with French multinational firm Alstom to deliver a private wireless network for the National Capital Regional Transport Corporations (NCRTC) Delhi to Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS).

According to a press note from the Finnish multinational telecommunications firm, the network will support European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 2 Signaling to maintain safety for commuters on the high-speed rail route, currently under construction.

The Delhi to Meerut RRTS is the first in a phased development of a high-speed rail network that aims to enable sustainable economic and social development through enhanced connectivity in Delhi and the surrounding districts.



"Expected to be fully operational in 2025, the low-emission RRTS will transport more people at average speeds of 100 kmph to reduce travel time and road congestion," it said.

According to the release, the fully redundant private network, based on the Nokia Modular Private Wireless solution (MPW) including its latest AirScale radios, Air Frame-based evolved packet core capabilities, the 7250 IXR IP/MPLS backhaul routers, Group Communication platform for mission-critical push to talk/video (MCx/GC) and Network Services Platform (NSP) management, will span the 82 km rail route which incorporates 25 stations.

The private network is being deployed to support ETCS Level 2 & 3 signaling as well as automated operation (ATO), which enables trains to use radio signals to continuously receive their movement authorities and to report their exact direction and position to ensure the safety of all on board. The introduction of LTE/4.9G technology for ETCS is an important asset for railway operators and will pave the way for a smooth transition to FRMCS (Future Railway Communication System).

Thameem Kamaldeen, Managing Director Alstom Digital Mobility, Alstom Transport India, said: We are pleased to work with Nokia, leveraging its extensive private wireless capabilities for the advanced signaling system that we are providing for NCRTC. The new high-speed rail network will help to transform the region.

Kamal Ballout, Head of Enterprise Solutions CHIMEA (China, India, Middle East, and Africa) at Nokia, said: Nokia has supported the digital transformation of more than 380 enterprises across diverse industries through our private wireless solutions. Nokia advanced railway solutions are designed to deliver a new level of connectivity for rail operators. Teams need to be aware of train positions in real-time to ensure the safety of passengers, and private wireless offers the security, reliability, and high-speeds required to enable this.
Moscow, ID (83843)

Today

Sunshine this morning then becoming mostly cloudy this afternoon. High 68F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Mainly cloudy. Low near 50F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.
Saudi-based International Company for Water and Power Projects (Acwa Power) has named its new board of directors for a three-year period untill January 4, 2025.

Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan has been re-elected as the Chairman, while its President and CEO Suntharesan 'Paddy' Padmanathan has been elevated to the position of Vice-Chairman, said Acwa Power in its statement to the Saudi bourse Tadawul.

A leader in power generation and water desalination plants, Acwa Power is 44 per cent owned by Saudi's sovereign wealth fund PIF (Public Investment Fund).

The announcement was made yesterday (January 16) following a key board meeting where they also appointed the new board secretary and the representatives of the company in front of the Capital Market Authority and Tadawul.

This comes following the decision taken at the Extraordinary General Assembly meeting held recently.
The Alabama House of Representatives Tuesday approved a $774 million plan to spend federal COVID relief dollars on broadband, water and sewer projects and health care.

The vote was 100 to 1, with Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, casting the only no vote. Reps. Mary Moore and John Rogers, both D-Birmingham, abstained. The Alabama Senate approved the legislation on a 26 to 1 vote later in the afternoon. Sen. Sam Givhan, R-Huntsville, cast the sole no vote in the Senate.

I think (the vote) was a good indication today, said House Ways and Means General Fund chair Steve Clouse, R-Ozark, who sponsored the bill. Well see what happens in the Senate with the bill thats identical to the House bill.

The bills would split most of the money for three areas. Broadband would get $276.9 million (35% of the funding). Water and sewer projects would get $225 million (29%), with the majority of those funds going to high priority projects in areas hit hard by COVID. Health care facilities would get $146.8 million (19%), going to hospitals and assisted living facilities.

Legislators also plan to direct $79.5 million to the state unemployment fund, providing a small tax cut to businesses that pay into the fund. The legislation also includes money for emergency responders, telemedicine, and counties that house state inmates in local jails.

State officials have said the funding for broadband and water and sewer projects wont cover all the needs in the state. A full broadband buildout could cost more than $4 billion, and the Alabama Department of Environmental Management said water and sewer projects could cost many billions of dollars.

But the funding could get a start on those issues, and more money for water and sewer is expected from the infrastructure bill approved by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden last year.

There was some criticism about what was left out of the package. Givan noted during the floor debates that there was no money in the bill for child care or housing assistance.

Were not addressing the real needs of the of the state of Alabama, she said.

The Senate defeated an amendment from Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, that would have taken $30 million from broadband and put $20 million toward refurbishing housing and $10 million for public transportation.

We are trying to open up this state, Coleman-Madison said. We are trying to provide access to jobs. We are trying to provide access to health care.

Republicans said the legislation would provide critical funds to several key areas.

We cant fix everything, said Senate Finance and Taxation General Fund committee chair Greg Albritton, R-Atmore, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill. Its one step at a time, a little bit here, and a little bit there.

Rep. Arnold Mooney, R-Indian Springs, said the bill attempted to include everything that could possibly be done to assist those affected by the pandemic.

Its extremely important that that $79 million be allocated to the (unemployment) trust fund to help small businesses that have suffered so much through the COVID crisis, he said. Theyre all over the state. Theyre not just in my area.

Democrats also suggested that the toll of the pandemic  nearly 17,000 Alabamians have died from COVID since March 2020  meant that more money should go to health care or Medicaid expansion. Clouse did not disagree but said health care agencies had received financial support through the CARES Act, which passed in 2020.

They received a good portion of money, more than $400 million, he said.

But few argued with the essential parameters of the bill. Some senators last week pushed to include money in the current bill for improvements to state parks, but the proposal was ultimately left out.

Democrats made a point of highlighting President Joe Bidens support for the legislation, and congressional Republicans hostility to it.

I would truly like to thank the Biden administration for giving us this money to use in Alabama, said Rep. Pebblin Warren, D-Tuskegee.

Those proposals could be considered when the state receives an estimated $1 billion in additional COVID relief money later this year. Several agencies and organizations left out of the current funding plan, including business groups and mental health agencies, last week urged legislators to consider them when that money is divided.
As the final regular legislative session of the quadrennium evolves, it is apparent that the legislature will not touch any substantive or controversial issues, but simply pass the budgets and go home to campaign. It is election year in the Heart of Dixie.

If legislators are listening to their constituents, they are hearing one thing  Alabamians want their legislators to allow them the right to vote on receiving their fair share of the money from gambling in Alabama. They are simply sick and tired of their money going to Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, and Tennessee while Alabamians are paying for those states schools, roads, and bridges.

You can bet your bottom dollar that if a clean lottery/sports betting referendum were to be placed on this Novembers ballot, it would pass in a New York minute. Even the most conservative folks in our state would vote for it, if for only one reason  they want their money to stay in state. Every time there is one of these high-dollar Powerball national drawings, every convenience store on our border in the aforementioned bordering states parking lots are jammed with Alabamians clamoring to buy a lottery ticket.

Gov. Kay Ivey has had a very accomplished five-year reign as governor. The Rebuild Alabama road, bridge, and infrastructure program was big and much needed. Most of her successes have been housekeeping chores that required a governor, who was willing to put the state first and get these necessary projects accomplished instead of kicking the can down the road like some of her predecessors. However, these accomplishments will not give her a legacy issue that 50 to 100 years from now folks can point to and say Kay Ivey has a legacy.The legacy awaiting Gov. Kay Ivey is the creation of a constitutional amendment that garners the tremendous amount of money spent on gambling in Alabama and also a gambling regulatory commission to monitor and police gaming. You are talking about some real money for Alabama. Conservative estimates are $700 million a year to the state. In addition, there would be 12,000 new jobs.

The legislature and governor by themselves cannot achieve this reaping of the gambling gold mine. It would have to be approved by you  the voters of Alabama  in a constitutional amendment. If polling is correct, it would pass 65-35. With it being a constitutional amendment, it needs a three-fifths vote in the legislature to place the initiative on the ballot. The issue was discussed, extensively, and voted on in the 2021 session. It passed in the Senate but never was never put to a vote in the House.The Senate would pass it again. There were 23 votes for the constitutional amendment and only 21 were needed for passage. There needs to be 63 votes in the 105 member House to place the amendment on the ballot in this years November General Election.

Therefore, the question is will it be placed on the ballot this year for Alabamians to vote to reap this financial bonanza? In order to pass the constitutional Amendment to allow Alabamians to vote on a lottery and expanded gambling, Ivey probably will need to weigh in with both feet and promote the issue in a special session.

Because it is an election year, the legislature probably will not want to deal with the issue until after the elections. The primary election is May 24. The current regular session will end in April, so gambling probably will not be dealt with in this regular session. Therefore, the best way to get the amendment on the ballot is a special session during the month of June because it has to be done by the first of July to get on the November ballot. However, with most legislators being unopposed they may take the bull by the horns and pass the constitutional amendment for you to vote on in November without the need for a special session.

In observing the legislature, it is bittersweet seeing Speaker of the House Mac McCutcheon presiding over probably his last session as speaker. He has done an excellent job as speaker. He is a kind, even tempered gentleman, who exudes integrity. He is decisive and fair, and you can tell he is a man of faith who truly cares about the House members, both Republicans and Democrats.

See you next week.

Steve Flowers is Alabamas leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
First regular flights from Europe arrive in Vietnam after two years

Passengers wait at Frankfurt Airport in Germany for a flight to Hanoi, January 25, 2022. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Airlines

The first two commercial flights from Europe operated by Vietnam Airlines landed at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport on Wednesday after nearly two years of Covid suspension.

The first flight departing Frankfurt with 190 passengers arrived at 9:30 a.m. (local time) and another from London carrying 300 landed at 9:55 a.m.

Most of the passengers were overseas Vietnamese returning home for family reunions during Tet (Lunar New Year), Vietnams biggest and most important holiday.

From Feb. 8, the carrier will operate flights once a week each Tuesday on the Hanoi-London route and Hanoi-Paris-Frankfurt routes every Thursday.

Before the pandemic, Vietnam Airlines was the only carrier in Vietnam to operate direct flights to Frankfurt, Paris, London and Moscow.

Vietnam had closed its borders and grounded all regular international flights in March 2020, only allowing in its nationals and foreign experts, investors and highly skilled workers coming by special flights.

Vietnamese aviation officially reopened regular flights between Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok, Phnom Penh, San Francisco, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei and Tokyo on Jan. 1 this year.

Vietnam Airlines earlier announced to resume regular flights between Hanoi, HCMC and Sydney from Jan. 16.
A Singapore Airlines Airbus A330-300 plane takes off behind a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner at Changi Airport in Singapore, March 28, 2018. Photo by Reuters/Edgar Su

Singapore Airlines has increased regular flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi from three to eight weekly since Monday.

There will be five flights a week from Singapore to HCMC and three to Hanoi, using Boeing B787-10 and Airbus A350-900 aircraft, the carrier announced on its website.

Flights between Singapore and Da Nang in central Vietnam remain suspended.

Singapore officially resumed commercial flights to HCMC and Hanoi from Jan. 13 with three weekly flights after nearly two years.

Singaporean investors have been eyeing the Vietnamese market in recent years and around 12,000 Vietnamese live in Singapore.

A total 90 percent of Singaporeans plan to visit Vietnam this year once entry restrictions are completely lifted, according to a poll of 1,000 people by Changi Airport Group, operator of the island nation's airport.

On Jan. 1, Vietnam allowed the resumption of regular services to eight destinations, including Singapore.

Fully vaccinated people and those who have recovered from Covid-19 arriving in Vietnam only need to self-isolate for three days.

Everyone, except children below two, must have tested negative for the novel coronavirus using the PCR method within 72 hours before departure.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently met with their Japanese counterparts Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo at the virtual U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee Meeting.

The Ministers strongly reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region and recognized the U.S.-Japan Alliances critical role as the cornerstone of regional peace, security, and prosperity.

Secretary Blinken stressed that the U.S.-Japan alliance is stronger than ever and it needs to be to meet the challenges that we face today:

China and Russia continue to violate international norms  on land, at sea, in space, in cyberspace. Beijings provocative actions keep raising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, and in the East and South China Seas. Moscows military buildup on Ukraines borders and its increasingly harsh rhetoric not only threaten Ukraines sovereignty and territorial integrity, but peace and stability across Europe. And Beijing and Moscow are deepening their military cooperation. Meanwhile, the DPRKs unlawful nuclear and missile programs pose an ongoing threat, and we saw that again. . .with the most recent launch.

To address these evolving threats, said Secretary Blinken, our alliance must not only strengthen the tools we have, but also develop new ones.

Japan reiterated its resolve to reinforce its defense capabilities to bolster its national defense and contribute to regional peace and stability. The United States expressed its unwavering commitment to the defense of Japan under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, using its full range of capabilities, including nuclear.

The United States remains committed to opposing any unilateral action that seeks to change the status quo or to undermine Japans administration of the Senkaku Islands.

The Ministers also expressed serious and ongoing concerns about human rights issues in the Peoples Republic of China Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and Hong Kong. They committed to cooperate with all who share a commitment to respect for freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and a free and fair economic order.

Were fostering greater coordination with other allies and partners, said Secretary Blinken, reinvigorating the Quad, together with India and Australia; deepening U.S.-Japan-South Korea trilateral ties.

For these and so many other reasons, said Secretary Blinken, our alliance has never been more crucial to realizing a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
" " Rosa Menkman /Flickr (CC BY 2.0) Hidden in secret, a message can be transcoded and embedded on the surface of an image where it looks like an artifact, or part of the image.

And you thought your tattoos were provocative. In the year 499 B.C.E., Histiaeus  a Greek adviser to the Persian King Darius I  ordered an enslaved person to visit his son-in-law, Aristagoras. When the man arrived, he asked that his head be shaved.

There, tattooed on the enslaved person's scalp, was a hidden message from Histiaeus. It told Aristagoras to instigate an uprising against none other than the Persian King himself, Darius I.

The adviser got his wish: Aristagoras stirred up the Ionian Revolt of 499 through 494 B.C.E.  Darius I ultimately prevailed, but the revolution catalyzed the Greco-Persian Wars (you know, the ones dramatized in the movie "300").

By concealing those fighting words under a head of hair, Histiaeus became an early adopter of steganography. It's a sneaky communication technique we're still using today.

"Steganography" means "hidden writing." Basically, this is the art of not only creating a secret message, but also hiding the message itself.

Histiaeus was plotting against his own ruler. Needless to say, the Greek had to tread carefully. He might have sent Aristagoras a letter like a normal person, sure. But such a note could be easily intercepted. Even if he'd used some kind of uncrackable code, the very fact that a man close to Darius I was dispatching coded letters at all would've raised eyebrows.

No, Histiaeus had to hide his message in a place where nobody would think to look for one, or recognize it for what it was. That's steganography 101.

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Obscurity and Security

Jessica Fridrich is a system scientist at Binghamton University in New York and an expert on steganography's place in digital media.

"The power of steganography is that the very act of secret communication is not apparent," she tells us via email.

Don't confuse this with cryptography. A related but distinctive process, cryptography involves taking a piece of information and then trying to render it unintelligible to anyone besides the intended recipient(s).

Which is all well and good. Digital signatures rely on cryptography, as do mobile phones and automatic teller machines (ATMs).

Yet as computer scientist Simon R. Wiseman noted in a 2017 paper, this sort of communication "can be seen and it is obvious that some message is being passed, even though the message cannot be read."

With steganography, it's a whole new ballgame.

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Staring Us in the Face

"Steganography can work in several different ways," explains Fridrich. In one technique called steganography by cover modification, she says, "[an] existing image is modified to convey a desired message."

With the right know-how, you could embed Shakespeare quotes inside an ordinary-looking digital cat photo. One method of doing so would involve modifying some of the pixels in a way that's far too subtle for naked eyes to detect.

"Secretbook" capitalized on this concept. A Google Chrome browser extension unveiled in 2013, it allowed Facebook users to make incredibly slight alterations to JPEG images hosted on the social media platform. Through that process, participants could hide messages of 140 characters or fewer right inside the pictures  unbeknownst to (just about) anyone who didn't have the password needed to reveal them.

Still images are great and all, but some folks would rather conceal their messages in computer audio files. People who use audio steganography have many tricks at their disposal, from hiding echoes to exploiting sound frequencies that lie above the normal human range of hearing.

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Careful Crafting

In the wrong hands, steganography can be a destructive tool, as old Darius I found out.

Cyber attackers have been known to spread harmful malware by using stenographic techniques; think digital Trojan horses. Government agencies and private companies also need to be on-guard against hackers who infiltrate their websites and then leave dangerous data behind inside steganographic files.

"Steganalysis" is the practice of trying to detect and expose steganography. Sometimes, suspicious-looking files are inspected by algorithms designed especially for this purpose.

"Modern steganography uses powerful source coding to minimize the impact of the embedding changes," says Fridrich. "Modern steganalysis is usually based on machine learning."

(For those keeping score at home, machine learning is what happens when computers and algorithms learn from data and then make predictions accordingly. It's an exciting field in the world of artificial intelligence.)

Steganography has trickled into our popular culture. In 2013, the Pew Research Center reported that "58% of [American] teen social media users say they share inside jokes or cloak their messages in some way."

The practice might sound innocuous, but some say there's a deeper meaning hiding under the surface. "As a way of creating a different sort of privacy," notes the report, "many teen social media users will obscure some of their updates and posts, sharing ... coded messages that only certain friends will understand."

Communications scholars Danah Boyd and Alice E. Marwick call the phenomenon "social steganography." Histiaeus would be proud.

Now That's Interesting If you look at the left field scoreboard at Boston's Fenway Park, you may notice a series of painted dots and dashes. In Morse code, they spell out the initials "TAY" and "JRY" for former Red Sox owners Tom A. Yawkey and Jean R. Yawkey.
Spanish infrastructure major Acciona has announced that it has handed over the Shuqaiq 3 Independent Water Project to Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) after completing the construction work.

Acciona is the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for Shuqaiq 3 IWP desalination plant, which will produce 450,000 cu m of potable water per day.

The project also includes the EPC of a large electrical special facility to feed the plant with power and some other additional installations from the existing power plants in the vicinity.

According to Acciona, the seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) desalination plant is now working at full capacity. It will provide water to the areas of Asir and Jizan covering a potential population of 2 million inhabitants in this extremely dry region close to the border with Yemen.

Middle East EPC Director (Water Division) Mazen Bachir said: "This milestone is the result of exceptional collaborative teamwork between the owner, the client, the owners engineer and the project team."

The plant, of high-energy efficiency, is a key project in the modernization of the water sector that is currently being carried out by SWPC.

Javier Nieto, PPP Director, Acciona Water Business, said: "We have completed this project to schedule, in challenging circumstances, and to contribute to supplying drinking water in the country in a sustainable and innovative way."

Julio de la Rosa, Acciona Middle East Director (Water Business) said: "We are very proud to contribute with the measures implemented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to rationalize water consumption as part of its Vision 2030 program with the aim of reducing consumption up to 43% by the end of the decade. Thanks to the reverse osmosis technology, this project will help also to reduce the CO2 footprint."

Saudi Arabia, a country with a population of around 33.4 million, is the third biggest consumer of water per capita in the world, after the US and Canada.-TradeArabia News Service
ELKO  The Great Basin College Industrial Millwright Technology program and the Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy have announced their first graduating class of cadets from the dual credit program.

The graduation ceremony was held at the Elko Convention Center on Dec. 17. The cadets were recognized by such dignitaries as the State of Nevada, U.S. Senate, and the Nevada National Guard.

During the ceremony, seven cadets who were enrolled in the dual credit courses were recognized with a certificate from the National Center for Construction Education and Research.

All seven cadets received certificates for completing the Module 1 Basic Construction Site Safety of the NCCER Core Curriculum. Four of the cadets  Lukas Bluemel, Aaron Egloff, Samuel Miley and Braxton Oros  completed all the modules and will be receiving their certificates at a later date.

In addition to his certificate, Oros will be entering the Industrial Millwright program this month while completing his high school diploma this spring.

Said Braxton, The millwright classes at BBYCA gave me the confidence that I could succeed in High School and then going forward this semester in the GBC Industrial Millwright program.

Nothing worth having in this world is free. It takes hard work to achieve the things of value. If it doesnt take hard work to achieve this, is it really all that valuable then? said GBC Millwright Technology Instructor Thomas Bruns. That is why the nationally standardized tests and Performance Verifications for the NCCER take work and effort to pass. If it was easy everyone would get the credentials and it wouldnt mean as much.

Battle Born Youth ChalleNGe Academy aims to help our nations youth improve their life skills and their employment potential. As part of the Elko County School District in Elko, youth ages 16 to 18 who have dropped out of high school may apply to the program.

Through military-based training, at-risk youth work diligently to significantly improve their life skills and employment potential.

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ELKO  The Childrens Cabinet provided support to 1,889 individuals in the northern Nevada area during the 2021 holidays from the generous support of the community, according to Krystal Pyatt, communications specialist for the nonprofit company.

The donations from local businesses, partners and individuals from our community provided presents, gift cards and meals to those in need during the holiday season, said Kim Young, executive director of The Childrens Cabinet. These donations exceeded all expectations for the 2021 giving season. We are grateful and very thankful for the support that allowed us to make the holidays brighter for so many children and families.

The Childrens Cabinet provides services for families in Elko, Spring Creek, Wells, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, Ely and the Reno area.

We provided holiday support for Elko families, said Pyatt. In fact, we were able to donate gift cards to families in our Childrens Cabinet programs so they could buy presents for their families and thanks to other agency partners we provided holiday meals to two families in Elko and books and pajamas to many others.

The holidays were joyful for many local families due to the generous support of many individuals and businesses in our community including Microsoft, IGT, and Food Bank of Northern Nevada. Preparation for the 2022 holiday program will begin in October.

A longtime supporter of The Childrens Cabinets Adopt a Family program, Microsoft has supported many families over the years. This year, Microsoft employees adopted 30 families (a total of 126 individuals supported), which resulted in $18,980 in gifts cards. The employees also provided wrapping paper so families could really make the holidays special.

Our employees are extremely passionate about giving back to our community, especially during the holiday season to support the Childrens Cabinet and their Adopt-a-Family program, said Maureen McKinney, GM Operations and Reno Site Lead. Our employees go above and beyond to support this program and Microsoft matches their support to provide an additional donation for the Childrens Cabinet each year.

Dermody Properties donated 99 Amazon gift cards and 99 Target gift cards, which we were able to provide to local families as part of the Toy Table. In addition to the gift cards, Dermody Properties adopted two families. Since 2007, Alice Swanson, a longtime staff member, has supported Adopt a Family for The Childrens Cabinet.

For me, Black Friday kickstarts the Christmas spirit. The feeling I get as I go out, amongst the crowds, to take advantage of all the great sales, ensuring that I am able to purchase as many items as possible for these families in need, is truly indescribable, said Swanson. I truly believe in my heart that this is a great step to help these families start the new year in a better situation.



AAA Students of the Week 2021-2022:

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Department 2

 Judge Al Kacin

Sept. 1

Derek Ignacio Torrealay, 19, of Elko pleaded no contest to conspiracy to commit battery and was given a suspended sentence of 120 days in jail and placed on probation for nine months.

Sept. 11

Darwyn Ross Yowell, 37, of Elko was found guilty to domestic battery resulting in substantial bodily harm and was sentenced to 28 to 72 months in prison. He was also found guilty of two counts of battery by a prisoner who is in lawful custody or confinement and was sentenced to 24 to 60 months in prison to run consecutively to the previous sentence.

Sept. 13

Angela Dee Cederstrom, 40, of Stanley, North Dakota, pleaded guilty to battery on an officer and was sentenced to 269 days in jail.

Alexis Destout, 28, of Henderson pleaded guilty to child neglect or endangerment, was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail and placed on probation for one year.

Leonard Angel Fernandez, 22, of Tucson, Arizona, pleaded no contest to one count of injuring or tampering with a motor vehicle and one count of attempted eluding a police officer in a manner posing danger to persons or property, was sentenced to 16 to 40 months in prison and ordered to pay $500 restitution to the victim.

Sept. 15

James Clay Adams, 45, of Glendora, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit failure to stop at scene of crash involving personal injury or death and was sentenced to 112 days in jail. He also pleaded no contest to attempted violation of an extended order prohibiting harassment or stalking, was given a suspended sentence of 12 to 32 months in prison and placed on probation for 18 months.

Sept. 20

Robert Lorenzo Martinez-OBrien, 27, of Visalia, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit possession of a controlled substance, was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail, ordered to serve 60 days in jail and placed on probation for one year.

Clinton George Sandstrom, 37, of International Falls, Minnesota, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Uniformed Controlled Substance Act, was given a suspended sentence of 24 to 60 months in prison and placed on probation for two years.

Jeremy William Stewart, 43, of Salt Lake City, Utah, pleaded guilty to mid-level possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance and was sentenced to 12 to 30 months in prison.

Sept. 21

Kevin Romero, 25, of Anaheim Hills, California, pleaded guilty to possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance for purpose of sale, was given a suspended sentence of 15 to 38 months in prison and placed on probation for two years.

Sept. 20

Lilyth Lynn Littlewhiteman, 30, of Roosevelt, Utah, pleaded guilty to one count of embezzlement and one count of burglary, was given a suspended sentence of 24 to 60 months in prison, placed on probation for 36 months and ordered to pay $1,500 restitution to the victim.

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BOISE  Idaho is once again in a health care crisis.

The states health and welfare director this week announced he re-activated Idahos crisis standards of care rationing protocol.

Saint Alphonsus Health System requested the activation last week, and Idaho Health and Welfare Director Dave Jeppesen convened the Crisis Standards of Care Activation Advisory Committee virtually on Jan. 21, according to a news release Monday.

This crisis declaration applies only to Southwest District Health, Central District Health and South Central District Health, which surround the Boise-Nampa metro area, the Twin Falls metro area and the Ketchum-Sun Valley area.

Other regions of the state are likely to move into crisis standards, too, if current COVID-19 trends continue, the release said.

The highly contagious Omicron variant has thrown us a curve ball, Jeppesen said in the release. Once again, the situation in our hospitals and health systems is dire  we dont have enough resources to adequately treat patients. Please get vaccinated and boosted if you can and wear a high-quality protective mask in public places. Omicron is so much more contagious than previous variants, and even though a lower percentage of cases are ending up in the hospital, the record number of cases is still putting strain on our healthcare system.

The health care rationing protocol is meant to help health care providers make decisions on how to use scarce resources. It does not mean that patients will be left to die.

The states prior crisis declarations  from early September through late December  resulted from a surge of unvaccinated, critically ill patients with the delta coronavirus variant. There were too many sick patients, and not enough hospital staff or beds.

Other states, including Montana, were driven to crisis standards by the delta surge. Now, Idahos neighbor Washington is also teetering on the edge of crisis standards as omicron surges there.

This crisis is more complicated.

Not only do hospitals have too many patients coming in with COVID-19, and not enough nurses and beds for all of them, hospital workers themselves are out for COVID-related reasons.

Jeppesen said this month that 10 times as many (hospital) staff are out now as they were at the end of December, during the delta surge, which made the staffing struggles worse.

Idaho hospitals on Sunday reported 510 patients with COVID-19.

Idaho Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Turner recently shared data showing that omicron infections are more than 2.5 times more prevalent among Idahoans who arent fully vaccinated; and, even with breakthrough cases, that divide between vaccinated and not is growing fast.

What you can do Idahoans can help in this crisis. You can donate blood (see other box). You can volunteer to help as part of Idahos Medical Reserve Corps. You can send a card to health care workers at facilities in your community, to let them know theyre appreciated and not alone in this fight. You can get your COVID-19 vaccine  or booster, if youre already vaccinated  and get your annual flu shot.

Hospitals also dont have enough blood to give people who need a transfusion, causing a shortage of that lifesaving resource.

Idaho Division of Public Health Administrator Elke Shaw-Tulloch this month issued a plea to the public to donate blood. According to the American Red Cross, we are facing the worst blood shortage in over a decade, posing concerning risks to our patient care, Shaw-Tulloch said. I have my appointment to donate blood tonight, and I encourage you all to make an appointment today.

Blood products help patients survive and recover from a wide variety of injuries and illnesses, from women who lose blood in childbirth, to car crash and burn victims, to cancer patients.

How to donate blood Whether youre a first-time blood donor or a seasoned pro, you can help by donating blood. Visit redcrossblood.org for more information and to find a local blood drive.

Dr. James Souza of St. Lukes Health System, in a recent media briefing, echoed that call to action. Were doing everything we can, he said, explaining that St. Lukes was taking steps to ration blood products and postponing elective surgeries that can create a need for blood transfusions.

On top of hospital staffing, bed and blood shortages, there is a logjam of patients in Idahos hospitals.

Long-term care and rehabilitation centers cant take patients who are ready to leave the hospital, but not ready to go home.

That is dramatically slowing the movement of patients through the hospital, Jeppesen said this month.

The reason is that long-term care facilities are struggling in general just to hire staff  coupled with (high rates of COVID-19) among their staff, causing them to be out of work, Jeppesen said. The staffing problems are worse than at any point before in the pandemic, he said.

That is actually causing patients who are ready for discharge to stay at hospitals until either something opens up at a long-term care facility or they get well enough that they can be discharged to home, he said.  So, that causes them to be housed at the hospital.
Photo for illustration (Source: vietnamairlines.com)

From February 8, the national flag carrier will operate one flight a week every Tuesday on the Hanoi-London route, using wide-body Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 aircraft, said the Vietnam News Agency.



The UK is the 9th international market to which Vietnam Airlines has resumed its regular flights, following the US, Japan, the Republic of Korea (RoK), Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Taiwan (China) and Australia.

Head of Vietnam Airlines branch in the UK Phan The Thang said after the Government gave the green light, the carrier has quickly launched regular flights to the UK and Europe to meet the demand of Vietnamese there to return home for family reunions on the occasion of the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

Flight VN18 from London to Hanoi, which transited through Paris with nearly 300 passengers aboard, is scheduled to landed at Noi Bai International Airport on January 26 morning.

The flight is included in the airlines plan to restore international flights starting from January 1, as approved by the Government.

Nguyen Hoang Viet, a passenger on the flight, said the Governments policy on resuming international flights is timely and it serves as a great source of encouragement for Vietnamese abroad who want to return home for Tet.

Nguyen The Hung, who has lived in the UK for over 20 years, expressed his delight at the Vietnamese Governments approval of the resumption of flights between Hanoi and London.

Information on requirements for entry into Vietnam is available on website www.vietnamairlines.com.

Vietnams first ABO-incompatible living-donor kidney transplant done at Cho Ray Hospital

Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City has successfully conducted the countrys first ABO-incompatible living-donor kidney transplant, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Tran Thi Hanh, 51, of Ben Tre province volunteered to donate one of her kidneys to her husband, Vi Van Biet, 54, who had end-stage renal disease and has been on dialysis for more than a year.

Her blood type is A and his is B.

Doctors at Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City perform the countrys first ABO-incompatible living-donor kidney transplant (Photo courtesy of the hospital)

The surgery was done on December 29 and the couple are now in stable condition.

To prepare for the transplant, the patient received treatment to lower antibody levels in his blood and reduce the risk of his antibodies rejecting the donor kidney, doctors said.

Assoc Prof Thai Minh Sam, head of the hospitals department of urology, said around 300 patients register for a kidney transplant at the hospital every year, but only a third of them undergo surgery due to various reasons, including having a living donor with a different blood type.

ABO-incompatible kidney transplant is performed in many countries, and the hospital has sent doctors and surgeons to leading hospitals abroad to learn the procedure in recent years, Sam said.

Given the severe shortage of deceased donors, the ABO-incompatible living donor kidney transplant would help more patients who are on dialysis to get a transplant, he added.

RoK firm invests 200 million USD in solar power in Vietnam

Nami Solar, a subsidiary of Vietnams Nami Energy company, and SK Ecoplant, a member of the Republic of Koreas conglomerate SK Group, sealed a joint venture deal on January 24 to pump 200 million USD into solar energy development in Vietnam.

The money is earmarked for building a 250 MWp rooftop solar power project in Vietnam.

Photo for illustration (Source: Nami Solar)

According to a representative from Nami Energy, both the Vietnamese and RoK Governments highly value programmes in response to climate change, recovery, and green growth. Vietnam has pledged to be carbon neutral by 2050, while the RoK has vowed to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030.

The joint venture expected that solar power development will help concretise high-level commitments of the two governments. At the same time, it will assist SK Ecoplant in realising its goal of becoming a major renewable energy investor in the world, and Nami Solar in becoming a leading company in distributed solar power in Vietnam.

Nami Energy Founder and Chairman Luu Hoang Ha said distributed solar power solutions provided by the joint venture between SK Ecoplant and Nami Energy will support businesses in Vietnam, including Korean investors, in meeting their green energy needs and saving energy costs./.

Phu Quoc becomes most attractive tourist destination during Tet

The island city of Phu Quoc located in the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang is anticipated to welcome tens of thousands of visitors during the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday (Tet), thanks to nice weather, no travel restrictions, numerous luxury resorts, and good services.

Phu Quoc Island from above (Photo: toquoc.vn)

According to a recent survey conducted by travel agencies, Phu Quoc is currently the most popular destination among tourists for Tet.

Nguyen Nguyet Van Khanh, deputy director of Marketing Department of tour operator Vietravel, said the company plans to serve 2,000 visitors to Phu Quoc during the festive season, accounting for 40% of the total number of visitors registering for Tet tours.

Tran Thi Bao Thu, marketing and communications director of Fiditour, also revealed that tourists tend to choose maritime areas close to Phu Quoc to relax and to avoid destinations in the north due to the complicated nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Voice of Vietnam.

According to a representative of Fiditour, popular destinations for visitors include Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, and those situated in the east and northwestern regions.

Nguyen Duc Viet, CEO of WE Travel, outlined that the number of visitors booking tours to Phu Quoc make up 60% of the company's total during Tet.

Most notably, four and five-star luxury resorts such as InterContinental, Fusion, Movenpick, Crowne Plaza, Pullman, La Veranda, New World, and Salinda have been fully booked, while the Vinpearl complex with thousands of rooms and luxury villas are also being reserved in advance.

A beach on Phu Quoc Island (Photo: phuquoctv.vn)

Nguyen Vu Khac Huy, vice chairman of the Tourism Association of Kien Giang province, says service prices have increased by about 10% compared to weekdays, while accommodation with two to three stars or homestays in the city are still vacant.

Phu Quoc Airport is currently welcoming more than 20 domestic flights each day, with the number of flights expected to increase considerably during Tet.

A representative of national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines revealed that air routes to tourist attractions such as Phu Quoc and Cam Ranh have reopened with ticket prices ranging between VND4 - 6 million per person, representing a three-fold rise compared to normal days.

Currently, Phu Quoc has roughly 25,000 accommodation rooms, of which more than 10,000 are of five-star standard. All residents and workers in the city have been fully vaccinated, and the booster shot campaign is underway./.
Delivering congratulatory remarks, Mr. Huynh Thanh Lap, Chairman of the Vietnam - India Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City, emphasized that Vietnam and India have a long-standing traditional relationship, from trade to cultural, artistic and religious exchanges. The historic meeting between President Ho Chi Minh and Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1954 brought the two countries closer together, and they stood side by side through all the ups and downs of history.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Lap, Chairman of the Vietnam - India Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City, delivers a speech at the event. (Photo: TDO)

Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1972, especially when it was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2007, the relationship between the two countries has gone through a long journey and made many great achievements. Currently, India is Vietnam's 10th largest trading partner. As of April 2021, India has invested in 299 projects in Vietnam with a total capital of USD909.5 million, ranking 26th out of 126 countries and territories investing in Vietnam.



Vietnam and India also achieved many positive results in cooperation in education, human resource development, culture and people-to-people diplomacy. Particularly in Ho Chi Minh City, in 2021, although it is still affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam - India Friendship Association coordinated to organize many events relating to people-to-people diplomacy, business connection and investment promotion.

Mr. Huynh Thanh Lap emphasized that the City Union of Friendship Organizations and the Vietnam - India Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City wished to continue strengthening cooperation with the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City and the Indian Business Association in Vietnam to organize more cultural, artistic and people-to-people exchange programs; and join hands to act as a trade bridge connecting Vietnam - India businesses to contribute to consolidating and promoting the relationship between the two countries to achieve more success.

Sharing the history of Republic of India Day, Mr. Madan Mohan Sethi, Indian Consul General to Ho Chi Minh City, said that January 26, 1950 is considered India's Independence Day - the Indian Constitution Day.

India and Vietnam have a long traditional, historical relationship. That relationship is further strengthened by the great leaders of the two countries and the strong cooperative partnership in various fields. Vietnam is a key pillar of India's Act East Policy; and an important partner in India's Indo-Pacific Vision and the two countries share similar views on most international issues.

According to Mr. Madan Mohan Sethi, in order to contribute to achieving the goal of bilateral trade turnover between the two countries soon reaching USD15 billion, in the past time, despite being affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City has made efforts to organize many webinars on trade and investment in different fields, in an effort to promote trade and investment in Ho Chi Minh City with Indian localities, as well as between the two countries.

He affirmed that in 2022, the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 15th anniversary of the strategic partnership between the two countries, the Indian Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will continue to cooperate with the City Union of Friendship Organizations to promote people-to-people exchange activities, thereby opening up greater opportunities, promoting the potential between the two countries, tightening the friendly relations between the peoples, and contributing to bringing the bilateral relationship between the two countries to a new height./.
Source: VNA

The signing ceremony for the agreement took place in Seoul and was attended by ambassadors of the ASEAN countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines, and officials of their participating companies, according to the RoK Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.



As reported by the Yonhap news agency, under the agreement, the governments involved will support the six joint R&D projects in new technology sectors by extending up to 1 billion won (835,282 USD) over the next three years per project.



The projects include the joint development of a 1 tonne-class electric refrigerated truck between the RoKs Kyeongin Van and Vietnam's Truong Hai Auto Corp. (THACO), as well as those to develop an electric bus, a smart livestock farming management system, a specialised tractor, an intelligent street lighting system and solar generation for buildings between their firms, according to the ministry.



"It is meant to help companies from the two sides jointly develop new items to meet the demand in the ASEAN market and to advance into a third market," the ministry said in a release quoted by Yonhap.



The two sides will also push to create a new "industry innovation" platform in charge of supporting the joint R&D, technology transfer and exports./.
Picture shows the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps published by New Zealand Post. New Zealand Post has published the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It is the 26th consecutive year that New Zealand has published Chinese zodiac stamps. (NZ Post/Handout via Xinhua)

Picture shows the illustration of the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps published by New Zealand Post. New Zealand Post has published the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It is the 26th consecutive year that New Zealand has published Chinese zodiac stamps. (NZ Post/Handout via Xinhua)

Picture shows the illustration of the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps published by New Zealand Post. New Zealand Post has published the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It is the 26th consecutive year that New Zealand has published Chinese zodiac stamps. (NZ Post/Handout via Xinhua)

Picture shows the illustration of the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps published by New Zealand Post. New Zealand Post has published the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It is the 26th consecutive year that New Zealand has published Chinese zodiac stamps. (NZ Post/Handout via Xinhua)

Picture shows the illustration of the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps published by New Zealand Post. New Zealand Post has published the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It is the 26th consecutive year that New Zealand has published Chinese zodiac stamps. (NZ Post/Handout via Xinhua)

Picture shows the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps published by New Zealand Post. New Zealand Post has published the 2022 Year of the Tiger stamps to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year. It is the 26th consecutive year that New Zealand has published Chinese zodiac stamps. (NZ Post/Handout via Xinhua)

Editor: WXY
BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The ability to follow social norms has long been commended as propriety in China, as is reflected in the Chinese idiom "Ke Ji Fu Li," which means restraining one's words and deeds to comply with social norms.

Proposed by ancient philosopher Confucius (551-479 B.C.), the term is recorded in The Analects, a collection of teachings and thoughts of him. It is the fundamental method that Confucius recommended for achieving benevolence, a key idea in his thoughts.

Confucius' disciple Yan Yuan once asked him about benevolence. "To restrain yourself and practice propriety is benevolence," Confucius replied.

Confucius' thoughts have had a profound influence on later generations in China and some other Asian countries.

In modern days, littering, spitting, cursing, cutting in line and smoking in public venues are considered uncivilized and contradictory to the Confucian doctrine of practicing propriety to conform to social norms.

Editor: WXL
Ras Al Khaimah is growing its healthcare sector through the continuation of an alliance between Arabian Healthcare Group (AHG) and CommonSpirit Health, a leading US healthcare provider.

The unique collaboration heralds an expansion of RAK Hospital, which will triple its capacity to become a 200-bed facility by 2024.

The key areas of collaboration with CommonSpirit, which operates 140 hospitals and more than 1,500 care sites across 21 US states, will include digital innovation, training and education, clinical alignment, care coordination, network expansion and improving the overall patient experience.

The collaboration, which was first announced in 2018, means that AHGs flagship brand, the state-of-the-art RAK Hospital, is the only healthcare institution in the entire Mena region to be aligned with Dignity Health International (DHI), CommonSpirits international health representative, cementing the hospitals position as a preferred medical destination for both international and local patients.

With emphasis on cardiac services, orthopedics, neurosciences, musculoskeletal conditions, and rehabilitation, the expansion is designed to allow regional patients to receive fully coordinated care and have access to clinical expertise across DHIs affiliated network of doctors.

Among the care centres widely recognised with clinical expertise in DHIs US network are the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona; Baylor St Lukes Medical Centre in Houston, Texas; and Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle, Washington.

Commenting on the new development, Dr Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director of RAK Hospital and Arabian Healthcare Group CEO, said: RAK Hospital was designed to be a destination hospital for both local and international patients, with its specialised surgical capabilities and best-in-class facilities. Our scalable model allowed us to first win the trust and confidence of the local community and then gain immense popularity with regional and international patients. This natural progression has led to the creation of our unique relationship with CommonSpirit.

Talking about the expansion, Dr Siddiqui states: We are tripling our capacity to become a 200-bed facility by the end of 2024. This will enable us to cater to the increasing influx of medical tourists expected in the UAE, as well as to meet the increased demand for quality health care which will be created by implementation of mandatory health insurance in the Northern Emirates in the coming years. The expansion will equip us to serve local and international patients with high-quality care.

The design process has already begun for the expansion, which is in line with DHIs best practices and protocols. Patients in the region will get US expertise right here in Ras Al Khaimah.

Digital and smart health practices that are successful in DHI network hospitals will also be implemented at RAK Hospital, while the potential of artificial intelligence will be harnessed to create improved patient experiences. In addition, a further scale-up of telehealth services will be implemented to support the expansion requirements.

"We look forward to expanding our current working relationship with AHG, said Gregg Davis, CommonSpirits system senior vice president and chief administrative officer for DHI. This collaboration will align our physicians and nurses with providers from AHG, enhancing clinical capabilities available for patients within the Mena region and, ultimately, impacting patient outcomes.

DHI will support clinical education for the healthcare workforce in the region, which includes a spectrum of support for executive leadership, clinical and non-clinical training for physicians, nurses and other support services such as rehabilitation therapists and case managers. Sharing best practices and innovations across borders to deliver high-quality care is at the core of this alliance.-- TradeArabia News Service
By Carl Bildt, Aleksander Kwasniewski, Victor Pinchuk, Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Ukraine faces a grave threat on its border. Another Russian invasion seems quite possible. Given the size of the Russian forces currently concentrated close to the frontier and the determination of Ukrainians to defend their freedom, the result would be tragic.

United and resolute engagement by the West is essential if we are to avoid catastrophe. A recent survey has identified strong backing among the Western public for an assertive policy in support of Ukraine. We believe this is an important and timely message for Western leaders.

Today, Western leaders are trying to balance firmness with efforts to avoid escalation. Are they prepared to back up diplomacy not only with sanctions but also with military support in a worst-case scenario?

We felt it was important to systematically survey Western public opinion in order to gain a sense of how the public views the current crisis. What policies towards Ukraine do people in Western countries want to see? Will citizens support their leaders in a coherent and firm policy to defend Ukraine?

The six-country study commissioned by the Yalta European Strategy and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation included 600 interviews per country with representative samples of the general population in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland.

Across all countries surveyed, though of course with national variations on all issues, the study found that Western populations not only endorse strong diplomatic and economic measures, but also back military engagement to deter Russian aggression and protect Ukraines borders. If deterrence fails and Russia invades Ukraine again, Western populations are even more emphatic in their backing for military support from NATO member states.

Western citizens want to stand with Ukraine and believe that an assertive set of policies can successfully deter Russia. At the same time, they expect Ukraine and its leadership to commit fully to reforms and the elimination of corruption.

Here are some key results of the survey:

Western public support is based on broadly positive attitudes towards Ukraine, and to the idea of the country joining the EU and NATO.

Clear majorities or nearly half of all respondents believe that Ukraine and the West share the same values, including 61% in Poland, 57% in the UK, 56% in Canada, 54% in the US, 48% in Germany, and 47% in France. When asked the same question about Russia, the answer is a clear no.

On the question If the EU/NATO would accept candidates in the next five to ten years, which country should be admitted? Ukraine ranks top among eleven listed candidate countries. Across the West, majorities consider it important for their home country to support Ukraine, its freedom, and efforts to defend itself. Majorities also see support for Ukraine as important for European security.

Western populations oppose the idea of sacrificing Ukraine in order to improve relations with Russia. Only around 15% of respondents feel it is more important to improve relations with Russia than defend Ukraine, with the highest figure being 18% in Germany.

In terms of the present military crisis, majorities or nearly one-half in all six surveyed countries favor NATO allies making a commitment to defend Ukraine from Russian aggression including 66% in Poland, 61% in the US, 61% in Canada, 57% in France, 49% in Germany, and 47% in the UK.

Through unity and resolve, the West can help defend both Ukraines territorial integrity and democratic values. We believe the West has a moral obligation to do so. Western nations have always supported and encouraged Ukraine on its European and Euro-Atlantic path. The West now has a responsibility to stand with Ukraine during this moment of truth.

The recent survey shows that Western citizens will support their leaders if they do the right thing. At the same time, the Western public want their leaders to be tough not only in defending Ukraine, but also in demanding reforms from Ukraine.

There is a consistent belief held by 70% in the UK, 67% in Poland, 63% in the US, 60% in Germany, 55% in Canada, and 53% in France that Ukraine must first get its act together before more substantial long-term support can be given. Western populations sees Ukrainian civil society as the main partners in the pursuit of reforms.

In a moment of grave threat, Western populations are ready to support Ukraines right to defend itself and the countrys choice of a democratic future. As Western leaders face up to a great crisis, they have reason to feel their voters will back them up and not hold them back if they adopt principled positions in support of Ukraine.

Carl Bildt is a Member of the Board of Yalta European Strategy. Aleksander Kwasniewski is Head of the Board of Yalta European Strategy. Victor Pinchuk is the Founder and a Member of the Board of Yalta European Strategy. Anders Fogh Rasmussen is a Member of the Board of Yalta European Strategy.

Survey Methodology Statement: Schoen Cooperman Research completed 600 interviews per country in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland with representative samples of general population adults, as well as an additional 185 interviews with professionals with higher educations and middle-to-upper incomes in each country, on behalf of Yalta European Strategy and the Victor Pinchuk Foundation.

Respondents in the secondary sample are defined as professionals working in industries such as technology, business services/consulting, finance, healthcare, law, academia, government, or media & entertainment with post-secondary education or the equivalent in their home country and annual incomes in the upper one-quarter or one-third of the income distribution in their home country. All survey interviews were completed online.

Respondents were reached using random selection procedures and were required to pass a series of screening questions in order to ensure they are adults in the given home country. The margin of error for each general population sample is +/- 4% at the 95% confidence level and +/- 7% at the 95% confidence level for each sample of professionals with higher educations and middle-to-upper incomes.
A Ukrainian delegation headed by First Deputy Prime Minister, Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko is on an official visit to Paris, it is planned to pay special attention in the talks to joint infrastructure projects, as well as the participation of French companies in the Big Construction program and the creation Ukrainian national air carrier.

"During the one-day stay of the delegation, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine will meet with Minister of Economy, Finance and Recovery of France Bruno Le Maire. In addition, a number of meetings are planned with French partners, in particular, leading French companies Airbus, Alstom and Bouygues," the Economy Ministry said on its wesite on Wednesday.

The visit takes place in order to implement the agreements between the leaders of Ukraine and France and in the context of the planned visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Ukraine, the ministry said.

Svyrydenko said on Facebook that among the issues of French-Ukrainian cooperation are the attraction of financial guarantees or a direct loan from the French government, the development of promising nuclear energy projects: cooperation between the Ukrainian Energoatom and EDF is essential, as well as consultations on holding the World Exhibition EXPO in Ukraine 2030.

In addition, within the signed memorandum of understanding, the parties will touch upon the issues of cooperation between the national air carrier and Airbus, under the signed intergovernmental agreement on the supply of 130 locomotives manufactured by Alstom for Ukrzaliznytsia, the organization of the conversion of Airbus passenger aircraft into cargo aircraft on the basis of SOE Antonov (Kyiv).
Ukraine intends to form a $3-5 billion financial assistance package from strategic partners to ensure liquidity, Rostyslav Shurma, the deputy head of the President's Office, said.

"We are negotiating financial assistance packages with large organizations either in the form of state guarantees or direct intergovernmental loans," he said on the Rada TV channel.

He added that on Wednesday Ukraine held talks with the French government regarding a similar package. Details of the negotiations will be announced after the finalization of the relevant decision.

Shurma also recalled that Canada offered Ukraine a loan of up to CAD 120 million (at the current rate - about $ 95.8 million) to support the economic stability and development of the country, and the European Commission announced the allocation of financial assistance to Ukraine in the amount of EUR 1.2 billion

"Our goal is to form such packages with all our strategic partners totaling at least $3 billion, and preferably $5 billion, which will become an additional "cushion" and will be able to guarantee the stability of our financial system, regardless of how the situation develops," he explained.

He stressed that the matter concerns loans on preferential terms at 2-3% per annum, and in some cases - lower.

"The main issue is to ensure liquidity, the immediate availability of funds, so that in the event of fluctuations, they can be repaid and balanced with these funds," Shurma added.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak denied reports in a number of media outlets about possible direct talks with militants from the ORDO and ORLO.

"There are no direct talks with the separatists and there will not be," he said in a comment to Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday, ahead of a meeting of advisers to Normandy Four leaders.

"We will talk about the restoration of a complete ceasefire, which, unfortunately, works with great violations. We will talk about humanitarian issues, the opening of checkpoints and the future of the Normandy format," the comment said.

Yermak notes that "in the Normandy format, only the leaders of the states have the right to approve any documents. Everything else is consultative."

Earlier, a number of media outlets reported on a possible agreement at a meeting of advisers to the leaders of the Normandy countries on the date of meetings between representatives of Ukraine and the militants.

The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Paris.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces have received about 300 Javelin missile systems and 79 tonnes of security assistance from the United States, the U.S. embassy in Kyiv said in a statement.

"Tonight, the third shipment of $200 million in assistance authorized by President Biden arrived at Boryspil Airport in Kyiv. The United States stands with Ukraine, and we will continue to provide Ukraine the support it needs," the embassy sad on Facebook.
On Tuesday, January 25, the Public Broadcaster of Ukraine (Suspilne) received a batch of new Japanese-made television equipment, which was provided by Japan as part of the implementation of a grant agreement, the press service of Suspilne has reported.

"Specialized Japanese-made equipment will make it possible to produce programs in HD quality from four different studios united in a common network  with recording, editing and broadcasting by a special control room," the broadcaster said.

Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori, who participated in the handover ceremony, said he was proud of his country's participation in upgrading the equipment of the Ukrainian Public Broadcaster.

"I am extremely happy and proud of Japan's participation in the modernization of the equipment and systems of Suspilne, because based on our experience in providing unbiased and neutral news coverage to the citizens of Japan, companies such as Public Broadcaster of Ukraine, its content provided through high-quality equipment and premises is very important," the diplomat said.
Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova assures that the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO), together with other law enforcement agencies and government agencies, is checking international information, including intelligence data regarding threats against Ukraine, and is keeping the situation as a whole under control.

"The Prosecutor General's Office has been taking action for a long time We understand all the threats. Everything, of course, is being checked," Venediktova told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday, answering a question from the Interfax-Ukraine agency about what actions are being taken by the Prosecutor General's Office and law enforcement agencies in general in connection with the international situation and possible threats to Ukraine and whether the information, in particular British and American intelligence, is being checked.

At the same time, she stressed: "We also understand that prosecutors are forced to be the pivot in the law enforcement system that sets the tone, so today we are monitoring the situation where we provide procedural guidance throughout the state."

According to Venediktova, the situation with fake bomb threats to schools is analyzed, in particular, and also "with other things that I don't want to repeat, so as not to go into a negative context."

"Everything is being kept under control. The PGO performs its procedural functions and does everything properly, including as responsible citizens," she added.

"We are all citizens, we are all patriots of Ukraine, and we already understand even more, based on the experience that we had in 2014, from the experience of criminal cases that we have today, with which we attend international platforms. There is a strategy, a vision, and a sense of tactics of the situation, so we are working very coordinated, not only with law enforcement agencies, but also with the NSDC, the military, etc. That is, here the whole state machine works as a single apparatus, realizing that the situation needs to be controlled and understand the tactics of the development of various events," the Prosecutor General explained.
Germany will supply 5,000 helmets to Ukraine, the German Defense Ministry has said.

"Minister [Christine] Lambrecht today informed the Defense Committee in the German Bundestag about her plans in the legislature. She also made it clear that Germany is closely on the side of Ukraine. We will deliver 5,000 helmets to Ukraine, the equipment that is needed," the ministry said in a statement released on Twitter on Wednesday.
Ukrainians' commitment to democracy, their willingness to be in NATO have to be supported  US Under Secretary of State

The desire of the vast majority of Ukrainians for Ukraine to join NATO, as well as their commitment to democracy, must be supported, U.S. Under Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has said.

"Before Putin illegally annexed Crimea and has tried to hold it, indeed Ukrainians were mixed about their future. After those actions in 2014, after the pressing on the eastern region, the vast majority of Ukrainians want to be in NATO, are committed to democracy. Ukrainians have more to do for their democracy, but the people have chosen their future and we must support that vision in every way possible and constantly say that we want to support Ukraine," Sherman said during an online discussion hosted by the Victor Pinchuk Foundation on Wednesday.

She said that NATO had confirmed Ukraine's ambitions to join.

"What is surprising about what Putin is doing is that he does not want Ukraine to ever join NATO. However, his actions make the Ukrainian people even more eager to join NATO," the U.S. Under Secretary of State said.

She also added that the United States wants to call Ukraine to unity. "There are differences in any country, there is a political conflict in any country, but this is the moment when Ukrainians need to show demonstrate that they are united... At this moment, we need a unified Ukraine working with a unified Europe, the United States and the world community to say: we are together. Russia, choose diplomacy, otherwise together we are ready to impose incredibly severe consequences if you take action to further invade Ukraine," Sherman said.
U.S. Ambassador Sullivan hands over written response to Russian proposals on security guarantees - Russian Foreign Ministry

United States Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan has handed over a written response to Russian proposals on security guarantees, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

"On January 26, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko received U.S. Ambassador in Moscow John Sullivan at his request," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement published on its website.

"During the meeting, the head of the U.S. diplomatic mission handed over the U.S. administration's written response to the draft bilateral treaty on security guarantees previously submitted by the Russian side," the Foreign Ministry said.
Gulf Craft, one of the worlds premier boat and yacht manufacturers, is marking 20 years of its operation in the Maldives which has played a pivotal role in developing the marine transportation network of the island nation.

With a strong and established presence in the country, Gulf Craft is now developing a new production facility dedicated to the manufacturing of vessels for use in the Indian Ocean which will see its operations and production capacity double within 16 months, a company statement said.

Gulf Craft provides almost 80% of the Maldivess water transportation services which includes public transport, coast guard, emergency & ambulance services, resorts, and leisure boats.

In early 2021 the shipyard was awarded a government contract, through MTCC, to manufacture a fleet of specially designed high-quality speed boats for use across the Integrated National Public Ferry Network. The new speed boats will offer a convenient and efficient transportation system to all administrative islands of the Maldives, with capabilities to transport up to 53 passengers at a time and will connect the capital city to nearby islands. The vessels will be equipped with special packages for passengers travelling in emergency situations and will include access for stretchers and people with disabilities. The public transportation project is one of the largest government initiatives and will contribute to connecting the various islands of the Maldives upon completion.

Gulf Crafts Chairman, Mohammed Hussein Alshaali, said: The Government of the Maldives and its people have constantly been a beacon of support since the establishment of our operations without whom this remarkable feat would not be possible. We are grateful to the Maldives for entrusting Gulf Craft with projects that have played a part in the growth of the nation over these twenty years. The Maldives is our first international destination, where we have built in-country competencies by leveraging the opportunities that the country provides for the marine and tourism sector. With the doubling of our production capacity and the new training facility we hope to serve the local community even better through the creation of new job opportunities and in further boosting tourism.

Gulf Craft established its operations in the Maldives with a 100,000 sq ft manufacturing facility that has produced top-quality pleasure boats and rapid transport vessels. Gulf Craft is now focusing on further expansion of its operations in the Maldives to support the governments strategy to strengthen the tourism sector. This will be driven by doubling its production capacity in the country and by giving back to the community through the new training facility for captains and crew.

Last year Gulf Craft announced that it will invest in a strategic development in the Maldives named Gulf Lagoon. The project will feature a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, a marina for seafarers and live-aboards, a maritime school offering captain/crew training for young Maldivians, and a resort, among others.

Founded in the UAE in 1982, Gulf Craft has over 1000 employees across its three facilities in the UAE and the Maldives and has a manufacturing capacity of 200 boats per year. The company has built more than 10,000 boats already, serving clients around the world. TradeArabia Arabia News Service
USA ready for talks with Russia in case of de-escalation of situation around Ukraine, Moscow's readiness for serious dialogue  Blinken

The United States is ready for further talks with Russia if there is a de-escalation of the situation around Ukraine, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said on Wednesday.

"We are open to dialogue, we prefer diplomacy, and we are prepared to move this the possibility of communication and cooperation, if Russia de-escalates its aggression towards Ukraine, stops the inflammatory rhetoric and approaches discussions on future security in Europe," Blinken said.
Members of the European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense will travel to Ukraine from January 30 to February 2 to gather information on the current crisis.

As reported on the website of the European Parliament on Wednesday, a delegation of eight MEPs led by Foreign Affairs Committee Chair David McAllister (Germany) and Security and Defense Subcommittee Chair Nathalie Loizeau (France) will carry out a fact-finding mission to Ukraine on Sunday.

"During the visit MEPs will observe the situation on the ground, and demonstrate the European Parliament's solidarity with the Ukrainian people and its opposition to any steps by Russia to further escalate the crisis. The visit is part of large-scale diplomatic effort to de-escalate the situation and avoid the disastrous consequences of a possible war in Ukraine," the European Parliament said.

The delegation of the European Parliament will meet with the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, and has requested meetings with the President, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers and the deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration. They will also hold talks with the Secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council and Members of the Verkhova Rada's Committees on Foreign Affairs, on Ukraine's Integration into the European Union, and on Security and Defence.

According to the statement, in the resolution adopted in December on Ukraine, the European Parliament expressed support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.
KYIV. Jan 26 (Interfax-Ukraine)  Agromars Complex LLC (Kyiv), a large poultry producer, against which a bankruptcy case has been opened, is delaying the forced sale of its seized assets at online auctions by filing counter petitions and applications to the courts of various instances, and also contributes to opening fictitious criminal proceedings against private bailiffs involved in the seizure of funds in favor of companies to which it has debts.

The corresponding statement was voiced by lawyer of Vetsintez-Vip LLC (Kharkiv) Yuriy Burday at a press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency.

"Today, we are creditors in the bankruptcy case of Agromars Complex LLC. Almost a year ago, we received a court decision, according to which Agromars had to return almost UAH 10 million of debt to Vetsintez-Vip for improper performance of debt obligations, that have arisen between us over the past two or three years. As of today, we have not received a penny either from enforcement proceedings or directly from Agromars," the lawyer specified.

According to him, the legal confrontation between Agromars and private bailiffs who seize its assets for sale at online auctions and the subsequent repayment of its debts to creditors is painful for Vetsintez-Vip, since the company is unable to return funds for goods previously provided to the poultry complex.

"There can be no contestation of the fact of the delivery of goods, since all invoices were signed by the debtor, and today we do not know what to do, since complaints are filed against the actions of private executors, fictitious criminal proceedings are opened against them on the very day when there should be held auctions for the sale of Agromars property, as a result of which we must return our money," Burday explained.

He clarified that Vetsintez-Vip cannot participate in such litigation, since such applications and petitions are considered either at closed meetings, or the company does not receive notifications of the date and place of their holding.

Burday also noted that the applications and petitions submitted by Agromars are considered by the courts within a month and a half, contrary to the norm of procedural legislation - 10 days.

Vetsintez-Vip has been operating in Ukraine since 2000. It is engaged in the production of veterinary drugs for the main groups of farm animals, including antibacterial, anti-stress, anti-inflammatory and antiparasitic veterinary drugs, antibiotics, vitamins and feed additives.
The International Programming Olympiad BalaTech'' for schoolchildren will be held on February 19, 2022 in an online format. Estimated 50,000 schoolchildren from the CIS countries will take part in the event and compete for a prize fund of $10,000 USD in the form of:

Laptops;

Smartphones;

1,000 pounds discount in studying in the United Kingdom;

1000 Euro discount for studying in Germany;

2000 USD dollars discount on studying at American universities;

Testing for free education in Italy;

50% discount on studying in Malaysian universities;

10% discounts on studying at a Malaysian university.

REGISTER now on BalaTech (www.balatech.org), and/or share this wonderful opportunity with your network. More activities can be followed on Instagram by hashtags: #Balatech #UNDP #AcceleratorLab

United Nations Development Program is the official general partner, who is committed to providing accessible and inclusive digital education for the next generation to be ready for the future works! And BalaTech is recognized by the UNDP Digital x Scale Accelerator as one of the ten most impactful digital solutions in 2021, with the generous support from the Government of Japan. Thanks to UNDP, BalaTech provides all learning contents and participation at the Olympiad 2022 for FREE for all children and youth.

BalaTech ( www.balatech.org ) is a multilingual educational platform for children and youngsters to learn programming in an interactive way among peers. BalaTech makes learning experience fun and engaging through gamification. There are 10 learning modules with 175 challenge-based tasks that users can learn and play for FREE. For completed tasks, users receive their points to unlock the next level game with diverse virtual settings where they continue their learning adventure. With the help of UNDP Digital X, BalaTech has enhanced the users experience with a better UX design and learning algorithms. Moreover, the platform is designed to be gender sensitive to encourage more girls in learning programming. Anyone with a smartphone (not necessarily laptops) equipped with low-gadget basic internet can access the platform to learn and play from the beginning level. No prerequisite programming knowledge is required. Annually, BalaTech organizes the Olympiad to popularize programming learning among school students. The following entails the criteria and key messages of BalaTech Olympiad in 2022:

Participants: Students of grades 5-11;

Total estimated number of participants: 50,000 people;

Participating countries: Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) - Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Armenia, Republic of Belarus, Kyrgyz Republic, Republic of Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Russian Federation, Republic of Tajikistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine and others.

Categorization of age groups: Junior group from 5 to 7 grades, Medium group from 8 to 9 grades, and the Senior group from 10 to 11 grades;

The winners are awarded with Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes in each age groups;

The prize fund of the Olympiad is worth $ 10,000 USD (these are laptops, smartphones, discounts in international universities);

FREE learning content (10 learning modules with 175 general tasks and 137 additional difficult tasks) to get ready for the Olympiad;

FREE participation at the Olympiad.

* For any inquiries on partnership opportunities on BalaTech, please contact: +996 550984747, tech.balatech@gmail.com. For UNDP partnership on digital innovation, please contact the Head of Experimentation at Accelerator Lab UNDP Kyrgyzstan, Jenny Jenish kyzy (Ensi Tszie) at ensi.tszie@undp.org

References:

Meet Digital X's 10 ambitious new teams | Digital UNDP

Accelerating inclusiveness of digital education through a gamified mobile app with Digital X | UNDP in Kyrgyz Republic

Interfax-Ukraine - information partner
Thanks to international cooperation, MEGABANK attracted more than 360 million dollars to the economy

Loan programs implemented by MEGABANK JSC in cooperation with international institutions to support local SMEs, finance energy efficiency projects, support export and other areas.

Today MEGABANK JSC cooperates with a number of international institutions, and the main strategic direction of the bank remains support of SMEs.

According to Olexandr Shypilov, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of MEGABANK, since the beginning of cooperation with foreign institutions (since 2007), the bank has concluded 62 international agreements for a total of USD 366,731,000.

In particular, in 2021, the bank continued cooperation with the European investment bank within the framework of the project APEX loan for SMEs and MID-CAPs. Thanks to it additional 10 million euros were raised for the investment needs of small and medium-sized enterprises and working capital financing.

In 2022 MEGABANK JSC plans to continue working on the implementation of joint projects with international partners. Among them are Triodos, FMO (the Netherlands), BlueOrchard and responsAbility (Switzerland) and EFSE (Luxembourg), as well as launching new projects with European funds, including Incofin (Belgium), OeEB (Austria), Triple Jump (the Netherlands) Enabling Qapital (Switzerland).

 It is planned that the funds within the framework of this cooperation will be used to finance micro, small and medium-sized businesses,  said Olexandr Shypilov.

MEGABANK JSC has been operating in the financial market of Ukraine for 31 years. As of December 1, 2021, the bank serves 723,811 clients, and 155 branches operate in Ukraine. The bank's assets amount to UAH 9,819 million.
RTHK: More European states to ease Covid curbs

Denmark and Austria on Wednesday became the latest countries to ease Covid-19 restrictions, following similar moves by Britain, Ireland and the Netherlands, while other countries in Europe planned new measures to battle record numbers of infections.

The European region as a whole no longer accounts for half or more than half of global deaths and infections according to Reuters Covid-19 data, but the numbers remain high, with particular concern in countries with lower vaccination rates.

Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech republic, Bulgaria and Romania all reported record daily infection totals on Wednesday and the German parliament prepared to debate proposals to either require or robustly encourage residents to be vaccinated.

Poland will move older school students to remote learning from Thursday and Sweden said it would extend its current pandemic measures by another two weeks after seeing the Omicron variant spreading at record speed..

Austria, which had imposed a lockdown on those unvaccinated, said that was no longer justifiable given there were now fewer people in hospital due to Covid-19, although the unvaccinated would still be barred from a range of leisure activities.

With more than 10 million new cases, infections in Europe rose 13 percent last week compared to the one before, according to data from the World Health Organization, with France, Italy and Germany logging the highest numbers.

Weekly deaths in the region, however, decreased by 5 percent.

Denmark aims to scrap all remaining domestic Covid-19 restrictions next week. If the move gets parliamentary approval, Danish nightclubs will be able to reopen, while restaurants will be allowed to serve alcohol after 10 pm, and customers will not need to present vaccine passes upon entry.

The moves follow similar announcements in the UK, Ireland and the Netherlands made in the past week. Among reasons given were case numbers dropping below peaks and lower numbers of hospitalisations than feared.

While Danish infections and hospitalisation numbers have hovered around record highs over the past week, authorities have said there is no longer a correlation between increasing infections and hospitalisations.

Also, health authorities estimate between 30-40 percent of those currently in hospital with a positive coronavirus test are there for other reasons than Covid-19.

The World Health Organisation said on January12 that Omicron causes less serious illness than earlier variants of the coronavirus but that it remained a "dangerous virus", especially for the unvaccinated.

Eastern Europe has some of the continent's lowest vaccination rates, particularly Romania and Bulgaria, and saw some of the highest Covid-related death rates towards the end of 2021. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Airbus has launched a new air-cargo service using its unique BelugaST fleet to offer freight companies and other potential customers a solution to their outsized freight transportation needs.



The new service - Airbus Beluga Transport - will provide commercially-contracted customers in a variety of sectors, including space, energy, military, aeronautic, maritime and humanitarian sectors, with a solution to their large cargo transport needs.



The first mission took place at the end of 2021 with a delivery from Airbus Helicopters manufacturing site in Marignane, France, to Kobe in Japan for an undisclosed customer. Beluga #3 stopped to refuel at Warsaw (Poland), Novosibirsk (Russia) and Seoul (Korea).



Phillippe Sabo, Head of ATI and Air Oversize Transport at Airbus, said: The Belugas wider cross-section will open up new markets and new logistical possibilities for customers. In the case of loading helicopters - not having to dismantle them first - really is a plus. Similarly, the largest commercial aircraft engines can be accommodated in a fully-dressed configuration.



Based on the A300-600 design, the five-strong BelugaST fleet, which has until now been the backbone of Airbus inter-site transportation of large aircraft sections, are being replaced by six new-generation BelugaXLs to support Airbus ramp-up of its airliner production.



The new Airbus Beluga Transport service can cater for a multitude of possible market applications since the planes possess the world's largest interior cross-section of any transport aircraft, accommodating outsized cargo of up to 7.1m in width and 6.7m in height.



In the near future, once Airbus has commissioned all six new BelugaXLs, the fully-released BelugaST fleet will be handed over to a newly-created, subsidiary airline with its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) and staff.



Philippe Sabo added: The new airline will be flexible and agile to address the needs of external worldwide markets.



To maximise the BelugaSTs turnaround capability for its targeted international customer base, new loading techniques and equipment are being developed for the operation. These solutions include an automated On-Board Cargo Loader (OBCL) for missions where a loading/unloading platform is not available at the origin or destination airport.  TradeArabia News Service
FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp and one of the worlds largest express transportation companies, has announced the launch of DoraSorter, an AI-powered intelligent sorting robot.

In collaboration with Dorabot, a leading robotics solution provider for logistics, the sorting robot represents the companys latest push in digitising its operations and building a smart logistics network to handle the ever-growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region.

This is at a time McKinsey & Company projects the global warehouse automation market to reach $51 billion by 2030. By 2025, more than 4 million commercial robots will be installed at more than 50,000 warehouses.

The first of its kind in China for FedEx, the DoraSorter robot is being deployed at the 5,200 sq m FedEx South China E-Commerce Shipment Sorting Centre in Guangzhou.

DoraSorter is already part of the daily sorting operations and is capable of handling small inbound and outbound packages from e-commerce customers in South China.

While FedEx and Dorabot teams continue to fine-tune the robot based on operational requirements, and explore more application scenarios, DoraSorters core function of sorting parcels based on destination matches the sorting centers operation process. Key features of DoraSorter include:

At approximately 40 sq m, the robot can carry up to 10 kilograms of packages, covering up to 100 destinations simultaneously.

The robot has a special drawer-shaped gripper that can connect with the conveyor belt seamlessly.

Equipped with a barcode reader that scans package to obtain destination information, the robot uses its gripper to receive a package inward from the conveyor belt and moves it outward to the corresponding destination slot.

FedEx investment in this warehouse automation echoes broader industry trends. Triggered by the global pandemic, logistics players are optimising operational efficiencies, from warehouse management to last-mile delivery, to cater to the soaring demand for e-commerce products, seasonal peaks, and consumers heightened expectations for fast delivery.

With e-commerce taking centre stage in the future of retail in our region, the speed with which a parcel can be picked up and delivered to customers doorsteps has become a dominant factor in driving the adoption of sorting robots. Bringing DoraSorter to China as a pilot programme is a natural choice for us given its the worlds biggest e-commerce market with an expected valuation of $3.3 trillion by 2025, said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region at FedEx Express.

As we look to build a data-driven, smart logistics network to help our customers thrive in the digital economy, this alliance with Dorabot is part of becoming the network for whats next. AI-powered technology will continue to change how we support customers in the region and enhance supply chains for the future.

Innovation is at our core and is a major factor behind FedEx strategy in China, said Robert Chu, vice president, Operations, FedEx China.

To meet customers' changing needs, we have been exploring and investing in new technologies to enhance every key aspect of transportation. The rapid rise in e-commerce has led to higher customer demand for timeliness and flexibility in logistics services, creating new challenges and opportunities for the entire logistics industry. Our collaboration with Dorabot is our latest effort to improve operational efficiencies and build an agile logistics infrastructure through robotics technology that will support the growth of China's e-commerce industry."

"The use of DoraSorter helps FedEx sort a higher volume of cross-border e-commerce shipments, said Xiaobai Deng, founder and CEO of Dorabot. It is the starting point of a global collaboration between Dorabot and FedEx. We hope that we can work together to bring AI and robotics applications to more businesses and consumers."

FedEx continues to leverage advanced technologies to streamline its operations and help customers of all sizes in China and beyond seize opportunities in the global market.

Last October, FedEx teamed up with Neolix to test an autonomous delivery vehicle in China. The company is also testing FedEx SameDay Bot, Roxo in AMEA to explore the future of contactless, last-mile delivery. In addition, FedEx also launched a sensor-based logistics device  SenseAwareID, designed to enhance tracking precision, reliability and timely delivery of critical shipments such as life-saving pharmaceuticals and emergency medical supplies.-- TradeArabia News Service
Al-Azhar condemned Friday terrorist attack on a mosque in Afghanistans capital Kabul that left dozens of worshippers dead and injured.
Green faces an uphill battle in Indiana's 1st Congressional District. A Republican has not won the seat since 1928. Frank Mrvan, the Democratic incumbent, won the 2020 election with 56.6% of the vote.
Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan discussed means of boosting Egypt-UAE economic and trade cooperation during a meeting on Sunday on the sidelines of the 12th annual Sir Bani Yas Forum in the UAE.

Shoukry called for attracting more Emirati investment into the Egyptian market in light of the encouraging economic measures the country provides, read Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed Hafez's statement.

Egypt's top diplomat highlighted the distinctive index of the Egyptian economy, the favourable investment environment, and the mega projects that are being implemented countrywide.

The meeting touched upon the latest developments in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan, Hafez added, noting that the two officials discussed ways to boost Arab national security in the face of the increasing international and regional challenges.

Shoukry stressed Egypt's "unwavering" support for the security and stability of Gulf countries, the statement added.

Shoukry flew to the UAE to participate in the Sir Bani Yas Forum, which brings together Arab and international decision-makers to discuss some of the most crucial issues facing the region.

The annual event kicked off on Sunday and will close on Wednesday.

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Ahram Online provided a live coverage of Wednesday's match between Cote d'Ivoire and Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16

Full time: Egypt 0-0 Cote d'Ivoire (5-4 on penalties)



It's over! Egypt are through to the African Nations Cup quarters with a 5-4 shootout win over Cote d'Ivoire. Thanks for following our live updates!

- Wilfried Zaha scores the fifth penalty for Cote d'Ivoire

- Mohamed Salah scores the fifth penalty for Egypt

- Maxwel Cornet scores the fourth penalty for Cote d'Ivoire

- Mohamed Abdel-Moneim scores the fourth penalty for Egypt

- Eric Bailly wastes the third penalty for Cote d'Ivoire

- Omar Kamal scores the third penalty for Egypt

- Ibrahim Sangare scores the second penalty for Cote d'Ivoire

- Amr El-Sulaya scores the second penalty for Egypt

- Pepe scores the first penalty for Cote d'Ivoire

- Ahmed Zizo scores the first penalty for Egypt

The referee blows his whistle, we are now heading to penalties!

120' Trezeguet is found by a cut-back from Salah but his shot on the turn is collected by the keeper.

117' Zaha is booked by the referee for handling a cross before being involved in a heated exchange with Egypt defender Hegazi.

116' Trezeguet runs onto another pass from Salah but, this time, his shot is blocked by Aurier.

113' Trezeguet wastes another chance for Egypt! He is fed by Salah on the left hand side of the area but blasts his shot high over from a tight angle.

112' Cote d'Ivoire defender Deli is booked for an aerial challenge on Salah.

110' Cote d'Iovire pile on pressure as Egypt are pegged back.

106' Salah tries to run behind the defence to a long ball but the impressive Bailly clears it.

The second half of extra time is underway



The referee blows his whistle to end the first half of extra time

105' Cote d'Ivoire make a substitution. Maxwel Cornet replaces striker Haller.

105' The Ivorians go close! Simon Deli heads just wide from a corner.

104' Abou-Gabal produces a superb reflex save to push away a brilliant sweving shot from Sangare.

103' Egypt are still loyal to their strategy of closing down spaces at the back and relying on breakaways.

98' A powerful shot from Zizo stings the palm of keeper Badra Sangare.

94' Sherif receives treatment after suffering a cut to the mouth.

93' Another chance for Egypt! Hegazi meets a cross at the far post with a flick that finds substitute Sherif, who heads over the bar from close range.

91' Egypt make a substitution. Striker Mohamed Sherif replaces the ineffective Mostafa Mohamed.

91' A chance for Egypt! Trezeguet is found in space on the left hand side of the area but his cross, bound for Salah, is intercepted by Konan.

The first half of extra time is underway

The referee blows his whistle, we are now heading to extra time.

90+2' Egypt substitute Zizo receives a yellow card.

90' The referee adds four minutes of stoppage time.

88' Zamalek keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal replaces the injured El-Shennawi.

85' Egypt are so unlucky as El-Shennawi, one of tonight's standout performers, hurts his hamstring and asks to be replaced.

84' A golden chance for the Ivorians! Wilfried Zaha ghosts past Omar Kamal to latch onto a defence-splitting pass but El-Shennawi rushes out to smother his shot.

84' Egypt make a substitution. Zamalek's natural winger Ahmed Zizo replaces injured midfielder Hamdi Fathi.

83' Both sides look worn out in the dying minutes as we approach extra time.

80' Egypt's defensive midfielder Hamdi Fathi picks up an injury. He could be replaced.

78' El-Shennawi gathers another tame shot from Pepe.

76' Mostafa Mohamed has a golden chance to release Salah but his poor pass is intercepted!

75' El-Shennawi collects a long-range shot from Arsenal winger Pepe.

73' Egypt waste a goal-scoring chance! Trezeguet almost scores with his first touch as he breaks clear after a neat one-two with Mostafa Mohamed but his curling right-foot effort misses the target with the goal at his mercy.

71' Cote d'Ivoire make a double substitution. Jeremie Boga replaces Jean Michael Seri and Wilfried Zaha replaces Max Gradel.

71' Egypt make their first substitution. Winger Mahmoud Trezeguet replaces Omar Marmoush.

70' A chance for Cote d'Ivoire! A corner is flicked by Ibrahim Sangare to Haller, whose close-range header is superbly tipped over by the ever-reliable El-Shennawi.

69' Egypt defender Ahmed Hegazi makes a last-ditch tackle to clear the danger before a through pass reaches the lurking Haller.

65' Egypt are still in control but the breakthrough is yet to arrive!

63' Mostafa Mohamed wastes another chance! He collects a loose ball in the area after a Marmoush pass hits a defender but his attempted curler goes wide.

59' Egypt just need to improve their finishing touches if they are to go ahead as they remain largely in control!

57' Successive Egypt efforts are thwarted by the Ivorian defence.

55' Egypt are dangerous whenever they launch a breakaway!

53' A cross from Elneny deflects off Simon Deli and loop goalwards but the keeper pushes it away for a corner.

52' Egypt spurn a clear-cut chance!! Salah runs onto a long ball from Elneny cuts inside from the right and finds the unmarked Amr El-Sulaya with a precise pass but the Ahly midfielder fires poorly high over when well-positioned to score.

50' A cross from Amr El-Sulaya is cleared by the Ivorian defence.

48' Marmoush just fails to get on the end of Salah low cross from the right.



The second half is underway



The referee blows his halftime whistle

45+1' El-Shennawi saves a tame shot from striker Sebastien Haller.

42' Salah's attempt to skip past two challengers in the area is unsuccessful.

40' At the other end, Mostafa Mohamed exchanges passes with Elneny to jink into the area but he mis-hits his shot.

39' Cote d'Ivoire almost go ahead! Ibrahim Sangare is found unmarked in the area after a cross from the right but El-Shennawi pulls off a fine save to claw away his bicycle kick.

37' A cross-cum-shot from Salah is tipped over by Sangare as Egypt pile on pressure.

36' Another chance for Egypt! Salah's defence-splitting pass finds Mostafa Mohamed, whose low shot is blocked at the near post by Sangare.

34' Egypt are still cautious, defending doggedly and trying to hit Cote d'Ivoire on the break.

30' Cote d'Ivoire make their first substitution. Kessie makes way for Serey Die.

29' It seems AC Milan midfielder Kessie won't be able to carry on after sustaining an injury.

28' El-Shennawi handles a low free-kick from Max Gradel.

26' At the other end, a low cross from Pepe is collected by Egypt keeper Mohamed El-Shennawi.

25' Omar Kamal sends a low shot into the hands of Sangare after a counter attack. He should have played the lurking Salah in!

23' Egypt are unlucky not to go ahead after going very close on two occasions.

21' Another chance for Egypt!! Mohamed Salah receives a low pass from Amr El-Sulaya on the edge of the area and his powerful left-foot volley is tipped over by Cote d'Ivoire keeper Badra Sangare.

19' A series of intricate Ivorian passes is stopped by Egypt's defensive midfielder Hamdi Fathi in the area.

17' What a chance for Egypt!! An Ivorian pass is intercepted and Omar Marmoush lets fly from distance, with his dipping effort striking the bar.

15' No threats at either side in the first quarter of an hour.

13' Egypt striker Mostafa Mohamed is lucky to escape a yellow card for an aerial challenge with Konan.

10' Salah's ensuing free-kick goes straight into the hands of keeper Badra Sangare.

9' Cote d'Ivoire's central defender Eric Bailly receives a yellow-card for a foul on striker Mostafa Mohamed.

8' Egypt are still relying on some useless long balls!

6' Ivorian right-back Aurier falls under the slightest of challenges from Omar Marmoush but the referee waves play on.

5' Max Gradel cuts inside Mohamed Elneny on the left and hits a shot that is blocked by the defence.

3' Cote d'Ivoire midfielder Franck Kessie sends a low shot wide of the post.

2' Both sides are sending some upfield passes which are easily intercepted by the backlines.



The match is underway

Starting lineups:

Cote d'Ivoire: Ali Sangare - Ghislan Konan, Simon Desire Deli, Eric Baily, Sergi Aurier - Franck Kessie, Jean Michael Seri, Ibrahim Sangare - Max Gradel, Nicolas Pepe, Sebastien Haller

Egypt: Mohamed El-Shennawi - Omar Kamal, Mohamed Abdel Moneim, Ahmed Hegazi, Ahmed Fatouh - Amr El-Sulaya, Hamdi Fathi, Mohamed Elneny, Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Salah - Mostafa Mohamed

17:50 Players have finished their warm up and back to the dressing room.

17:30 Queiroz made one change to his usual lineup as he introduced Hamdi Fathi instead of Abdallah El Said.

16:15 They also concluded their Nations Cup group-stage campaign with a superb 3-1 win over Algeria last week to send the reigning champions packing.

16:00 Cote d'Ivoire take on Egypt on the back of an impressive run, having suffered only one loss in their last 15 matches, winning 10 times and drawing four.

15:45 "Stats are important, and they highly regarded by the press, but the players are the ones who will play tomorrow," the Portuguese told the pre-match news conference.

"We have to write our history; our past won't help us. The players are completely focused on the present and that is what matters to us."

15:40 Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz is not getting carried away though as he believes his team should do the talking on the pitch if they are to continue their bid towards a record-extending eighth Nations Cup crown.

15:00 Egypt, who produced some stuttering displays in the group stage, are boosted by the return of key left-back Ahmed Fattouh, who has been out of action since picking up an injury in the opening 1-0 loss to Nigeria.

14:15 However, Egypt keeper Essam El-Hadary, now the team's goalkeeping coach, pulled off a string of impressive saves and his team proved clinical on breakaways to claim a memorable 4-1 victory.

13:30 They also met in the semis of the 2008 edition, with a star-studded Ivorian side led by prolific striker Didier Drogba overwhelming favourites at the time to take revenge.

12:30 In 1998, Egypt defeated the Elephants on penalties following a 0-0 draw in the quarters before they met twice in the 2006 edition.

Egypt won their group-stage clash against Cote d'Ivoire 3-1 in Cairo before beating them again in the final, also on penalties, following a goalless draw.

11:30 The Pharaohs can boast of a proud Nations Cup record against Cote d'Ivoire, whom they overcame en route to three out of their last four triumphs.

10:30 If history is anything to go by, Egypt will have every reason to believe that they can brush aside Cote d'Ivoire and reach the African Cup of Nations quarters when both sides meet in Cameroon's Douala on Wednesday.

Stay tuned as the match is due to start at 18:00 Cairo local time (GMT+2)

Venue: Stade Japoma

Check the match preview HERE

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

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Gowa El7alla mobile application is the first of its kind in Egypt and the Middle East for teaching cooking to the visually impaired.

I was inspired by the will to try to serve our community in various ways, said Eman El-Husseini, the 47-year-old who has a PhD in restoration and archaeology.

El-Husseini made a career shift when she quit her job as an academic staff member at the faculty of archaeology and tourism guidance and ventured into the culinary field in 2017.

At the time, her father suffered heart problems and his health was deteriorating rapidly, so she helped him by cooking his meals.

El-Husseini began taking culinary courses online with professional chefs, serving meals with garnishing and special touches to enhance both appearance and flavor.

We all eat with our eyes first, She recalls.

Eman and her sister Israa, who is a professional photographer, partnered up to establish a cooking blog named Gowa El7alla (meaning inside the cooking pot in Arabic) to exhibit their talent in cooking and photography.

During their visit to Madrid, Spain, they noticed the use of audible signals like bird sound in traffic to help blind people safely cross the road.

Also, they took notice of American chef Christine Ha, who was the first blind contestant on the US cooking show MasterChef and the winner of its third season.

This inspired them to produce a cook book for the blind.

El-Husseini presented her idea to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture and published the first cook book for the visually impaired called Gowa El7alla Cookbook for Visually Impaired. The book uses Braille and was published in 2019.

The book begins with 25 pages of the basic rules for kitchen safety for the visually impaired.

The book is full of a variety of mouthwatering recipes from different world cuisines and is divided into three levels of difficulty, ending with the dessert section.

In the year 2020, when due to COVID-19 the whole world was unable to connect, the two sisters developed the idea and established the first audio mobile application to teach cooking for the visually impaired. The app was released under the name of the book, Gowa El7alla.

In the application, our team excludes the sense of vision from the description of the recipes. They use the other four senses in the description. All the recipes are [presented] by visually impaired chefs or cooking lovers, El-Huessini explains.

All the cooking shows and programs on television channels or social media do not reflect the needs of these people, relying only on the sense of sight to describe the recipes, El-Husseini adds.

The first version of the application is divided into two main sections. The first one is free cooking recipes and the second is cooking courses.

The first phase of the project is to spread the application among blind users in Egypt, and the marketing plan for the application will start soon. The second phase will be in Arab region.

The application is available on Google play store at play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gowael7alla.cfb and can be installed on any android device.

The app team is comprised of 18 people, among whom 10 are blind or visually impaired members (seven women and three men).

Our team is now working to make the application available on IOS Apple store soon, El-Husseini said.

My dream is for every blind or visually impaired person to feel independent and stand alone in complete safety while preparing food and doing everyday tasks in the kitchen.

I hope it becomes a global idea. Kitchens for people with disabilities should be available in every part of the world, she concludes.

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The 5th annual edition of the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS) held under the patronage of His Excellency Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt and with the support of the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources is taking place from 14  16 February.

The EGYPS strategic conference begins a year of strategic energy dialogue that shapes the shift towards a more sustainable oil, gas and energy industry.

Mr. Christopher Hudson, President, dmg events, the organiser of the EGYPS 2022, said: "This year's edition comes at a critical time in the industrys ongoing recovery, amid the continued reshaping of markets and renewed plans for energy transition.

"We are currently finalising preparations to host EGYPS 2022 Exhibition, featuring a wide range of exhibitors who are seeking a establish a footprint in Egypt, North Africa, and the Mediterranean region, by penetrating the dynamic and growing energy hub centred in Cairo, Hudson added.

EGYPS will unite the international oil, gas and energy community over 3 days. The exhibition will span across 28 sqm of floor space with more than 400 exhibitors, including 40 National and International Oil, Energy and Service Companies and recent international country pavilions confirmed, including China, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Italy, Russia, UAE.

EGYPS strategic conference drives high level dialogue promoting international cooperation with energy majors, industry organisations and governments to create a connected, monetised and decarbonised pathway for the regions emerging markets.

Featuring 10 global Energy Ministers, 19 CEOs and 8 Secretary Generals, there is going to be some lively debate and conversation on ensuring the industry continues to deliver upon the energy needs of today, as major companies simultaneously change their business models to play their part in the transition to a net-carbon free energy system stated Hudson.

Ministerial led discussions at the strategic conference include the participation of His Excellency Tarek El Molla, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Arab Republic of Egypt; Her Excellency Natasa Pilides, Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, Republic of Cyprus; His Excellency Dr Saleh A. Al-Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; His Excellency Honourable Yonis Ali Guedi, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Republic of Djibouti; His Excellency Abdul Salam Baaboud, Minister of Oil and Minerals, Republic of Yemen; His Excellency Zafer Melhem, Chairman, Palestinian Energy & Natural Resources Authority; Her Excellency Dr Aissatou Sophie Gladima, Minister of Petroleum and Energies, Senegal; His Excellency Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Republic of Equatorial Guinea; Her Excellency Karine Elharrar, Minister of Energy, Israel; His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Nigeria.

Among the Strategic Conference prominent speakers are Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency (IEA); His Excellency Mohammad Barkindo, Secretary-General, Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC); His Excellency Ali Sabt BenSabt, Secretary-General, Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC); Osama Mobarez, Secretary-General, East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF); Nasser Kamel, Secretary General, Union for the Mediterranean (UfM); Omar Farouk Ibrahim, Secretary General, African Petroleum Producers' Organization (APPO); Joseph McMonigle, Secretary-General, International Energy Forum (IEF); Dr Houda Ben Jannet Allal, General Director, Observatoire Mediterraneen de l'Energie (OME).

CEOs and global energy leaders will be participating, including Bernard Looney, CEO, bp, Claudio Descalzi, CEO, Eni, John Christmann, CEO and President, Apache Corporation, Toufik Hakkar, CEO, Sonatrach, Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman and CEO, Baker Hughes, Jean Sentenac, President and CEO, Axens, Ali Al Jarwan, CEO Dragon Oil, Mathios Rigas, CEO, Energean, Vimal Kapur, CEO & President, Honeywell, Martin Houston, Vice Chairman, Tellurian, Sara Akbar, Chairperson & CEO, Oilserv, Simon Thomas, CEO, Capricorn Energy, Antonio Pietri, President and CEO, AspenTech, Andreas Beckers, Country CEO, Executive Board Member, Thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions, De la Rey Venter, Executive Vice President LNG West & CCUS, Shell, John Ardill, Vice President Exploration, ExxonMobil, Clay Neff, President, Chevron Middle East, Africa, South America Exploration and Production Company and Paul Marsden, President, Energy, Bechtel.



In addition to the strategic conference, a number of conferences will be hosted during the show, including the Technical Conference, Finance & Investment Summit, HSE in Energy, and Equality in Energy Conference. EGYPS 2022 conferences bring together more than 260 speakers, energy experts, ministers, CEOs, and decision-makers.

The Show also features 3 awards ceremonies that celebrate outstanding achievements, namely: the HSE Excellence in Energy Awards, Global Equality in Energy Awards, and Global Finance & Investment Awards. The awards committees selected 42 shortlisted finalists across 11 categories.

On a final note, Mr. Hudson thanked the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources on behalf of dmg events for its support, efforts, tireless leadership over the last five years that befits Egypt's standing both regional and international levels.

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Three Arab films  Sirens by Rita Baghdadi, Warsha by Dania Bdeir, and Your Dark Hair, Ihsan by Tala Hadid  are being screened within the ongoing Sundance Film Festival. For its 2022 edition, the festival is taking place online at Festival.Sundance.org between 20 and 30 January.

Baghdadis documentary, Sirens, is participating in the World Cinema Documentary Competition.

The film presents the lives of Lilas and Shery  the co-founders of Lebanons first all-female metal band. It is a look at the young artists dreams to become rock stars in a city with a long history of war and social turmoil that, they believe, is in need of the healing power of music.

Baghdadi is an Emmy award-winning Moroccan American documentary filmmaker that specialises in bold, character-driven films. Her debut feature documentary, My Country No More, was awarded the Best Feature Award at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in 2018.

Her second documentary, City Rising, received an Emmy for Best Social Issue Film and is still being used as a tool against housing discrimination.

Screening in the Short Film Programme in Sundance, Warsha is a short movie directed by Bdeir. The plot focuses on Mohammad, a Syrian migrant working as a crane operator in Beirut, who, one day, volunteers to take on one of the tallest and notoriously most dangerous cranes in Lebanon.

Bdeir is a Lebanese Canadian award-winning writer and director born in Montreal. She is currently a member of the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective, has a BA in Graphic Design from the American University in Beirut, and an MFA in directing from NYUs Tisch School of the Arts, where she received a full scholarship in her third year.

Another short to be screened at Sundance is Your Dark Hair, Ihsan. The film follows a man returning to his home in Northern Africa and remembering his childhood and the mother he lost as a child.

The director of the film, Hadid  who was born in London  is an Iraqi Moroccan filmmaker, photographer, and producer. She participated in the 2019 Rabat Biennale with her installation that was titled Floodplain.

Hadids work is also part of the Ruben Bentsov Moving Image Collection at the Walker Museum in the US. Her films have been screened at film festivals around the world, including Berlin and Venice.

The Sundance Festivals annual programme includes several sections, including the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition, Short Film Programme, Special Screenings, among others.

Egyptian producer and screenwriter Mohamed Hefzy is on the jury of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. Hefzy is part of a jury that features 16 internationally renowned critics and filmmakers that will view the competing films in their respective segments.

The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organised by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States. The festival gathers storytellers, filmmakers, film critics, and audiences from around the world.

It takes place every January in Park City, Utah; however, this year, it is being held completely online at Festival.Sundance.org.

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Kurdish forces on Wednesday retook full control of a prison in northeast Syria where Islamic State group jihadists had been holed up since attacking it six days earlier.

The brazen IS jailbreak attempt and ensuing clashes left more than 180 dead in the jihadists' most high-profile military operation since the loss of their "caliphate" nearly three years ago.

Gweiran prison in the city of Hasakeh was thought to hold around 3,500 IS inmates when the initial attack was first launched on January 20 with explosives-laden vehicles steered by suicide bombers.

The Kurdish authorities have insisted no inmates escaped from the compound but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group has said significant numbers were sprung.

In a statement, Farhad Shami of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said days of operations had "culminated with our entire control" over the prison after all holdout IS fighters had surrendered.

With the US and other foreign forces stepping in to support Kurdish elite units, the neighbourhood around the prison was secured and the besieged militants inside the prison started turning themselves in.

The SDF -- the semi-autonomous Kurdish administration's de-facto army -- had said earlier Wednesday that more than 1,000 IS inmates had surrendered.

The Observatory confirmed that the attack was over, after nearly six full days that turned the largest city in northeast Syria into a war zone.

Mass Surrender

Thousands of Hasakeh residents were forced to leave their homes after at least 100 IS fighters stormed the facility last Thursday, in their biggest show of force in years.

In one mosque located at a safe distance from the chaos, hundreds of women and children were huddled together in the biting winter cold.

"We want to go back home," said Maya, a 38-year-old mother trying in vain to pacify her youngest, adding that "there is no bread, water or sugar here".

Fighting in and around the prison since Thursday has killed 181 people, including 124 IS jihadists, 50 Kurdish fighters and seven civilians, according to the Observatory.

That death toll could rise, however, as Kurdish forces and medical services gain access to all parts of the prison following the end of the attack.

A tense standoff has gripped the prison in recent days, with Kurdish forces and their IS foes aware they were facing either a bloodbath or talks to end the fighting.

Kurdish forces had cut off food and water to the jail for two days to pressure holdout jihadists to give themselves up, the Observatory said.

The SDF has been reluctant to refer to talks between them and IS fighters, and it remains unclear exactly what led to the end of the attack.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said a Syrian IS jihadist had negotiated with Kurdish forces to end the standoff and secure medical care for wounded jihadists.

Since Monday, Kurdish forces had freed at least 32 prison staff, some of whom appeared in video footage that IS had shared on social media after launching the attack.

'International Problem'

Gweiran is the prison with the largest number of suspected IS members in Syria and many, from Kurdish officials to Western observers, have warned the jailbreak should serve as a wake-up call.

Kurdish authorities say more than 50 nationalities are represented in Kurdish-run prisons holding more than 12,000 IS suspects.

The Kurdish administration has long warned it does not have the capacity to hold, let alone put on trial, all the IS fighters captured in years of operations.

"This issue is an international problem," the administration's top foreign policy official, Abdulkarim Omar, told AFP on Wednesday. "We cannot face it alone."

He called on the international community to "support the autonomous administration to improve security and humanitarian conditions for inmates in detention centres and for those in overcrowded camps".

The proto-state declared by IS in 2014 once straddled large parts of Iraq and Syria.

After five years of military operations conducted by local and international forces, its last rump was eventually flushed out on the banks of the Euphrates in eastern Syria in March 2019.

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The US approved on Tuesday two massive military equipment sales to Egypt comprising transport aircraft and radar systems, though the deal has not yet been finalised, according to the US State Department.

The sale included 12 Super Hercules C-130 transport aircraft and related equipment worth $2.2 billion, in addition to air defense radar systems worth an estimated $355 million.

The State Department said the deal would "support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of a major non-NATO ally country that continues to be an important strategic partner in the Middle East," reported AP.

We maintain that our bilateral relationship with Egypt will be stronger, and Americas interests will be better served, through continued US engagement to advance our national security interests, including addressing our human rights concerns, it added.

According to AFP, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said the sale "will improve Egypt's capability to meet current and future threats by providing airlift support for its forces by moving supplies, equipment, and people."

The aircraft can also be used for maritime patrol and rescue missions, it added.

The announcement comes four months after the State Department put a hold on $130 million in military aid budgeted for Egypt until Cairo addresses specific human rights-related conditions."

The frozen sum is part of nearly $1.3 billion in assistance the US had been sending Egypt since 2017.

The US has been providing Egypt with foreign aid, including military assistance, since Cairo's 1979 peace deal with Israel.

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi launched in September the first homegrown National Strategy for Human Rights 2021-2026, labelling 2022 as the year of Civil Society.

In October, El-Sisi revoked a national state of emergency that had been in place for the past several years.

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Ariston, a leader in provision of sustainable solutions utilizing solar panels and heat pumps, said its Middle East division has developed a new brand positioning for 2022 and the years to come.

The 90-year-old brand has all along focused on comfort for the family and home with a strong emphasis on advanced technologies to build a sustainable future.

This strategy has been more clearly defined with the brand manifesto transitioning to Ariston the home of sustainable comfort - a line that captures the essence of the brands vision combining the importance of home, comfort, and sustainability, it added.

"In an increasingly connected world where 'I' is becoming 'we' and 'mine' is becoming "ours", also the concept of home is redefining its boundaries: it extends beyond the idea of a private space to include the whole planet," remarked Said Alberto Torner, Head of Ariston Group in the Middle East, Turkey and Caucasus.

"Family", "protection", "comfort" and "wellbeing", values universally recognised as synonymous with home and core values for our brand, today have more diverse and more inclusive nuances that reflect more sustainable ways of living life, working and nurturing relationships of all forms. We at Ariston, who have put the home at the centre of our work from our foundation and used it in our logo, are once again ready to embrace and accompany this change.

For many years, the Ariston Group as a global brand has chosen a green path, and to achieve this, it has been constantly investing in the most advanced technologies. Backed by a strong research team, the company has been able to offer highly efficient products capable of heating large amounts of water with extremely low consumption of electricity as they absorb the heat directly from the external air and the sun.

Aristons sustainable solutions utilizing solar panels and heat pumps to harness the natural forces of sunlight and air to reduce energy costs have appealed to customers in the commercial as well as residential sectors across the region.
One quarter-final and the February 2 semi-final will be moved to the Cameroonian capital because of concerns over the state of the pitch in Douala, two CAF officials told AFP under the cover of anonymity.

CAF president Patrice Motsepe had said Tuesday the quarter-final due to be played at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde will be switched to the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium after a deadly crush which killed eight people.

The decision to shift that match away from the 60,000-seat Olembe Stadium was confirmed Wednesday after Motsepe hosted a meeting with tournament organisers.

"The next match that was scheduled for the Olembe Stadium will not take place until CAF and the Local Organising Committee have received the full report of the Investigation Committee (into the Olembe incident) indicating the circumstances and events that led to the injury and death of spectators at the Olembe Stadium," CAF said in a statement.

The second semi-final, to be played February 3, is still scheduled at Olembe Stadium for the time being.

"The CAF AFCON Organising Committee also requires the assurance and guarantee that appropriate and adequate interventions and measures have been implemented to ensure that a similar incident will not occur," the statement added.

Crowds at all venues had been limited to 60 percent of capacity for the tournament because of the pandemic, but the cap is raised to 80 percent when Cameroon play.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

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President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi reiterated on Wednesday Egypts support of the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) measures to fend off terrorist attacks.

El-Sisi's statement came during his meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

El-Sisi arrived on Wednesday morning in the UAE where he was received by Bin Zayed at Qasr Al-Watan presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi.

During their meeting, El-Sisi stressed that Egypt stands firmly by the UAE in light of the recent terrorist attacks that led to the death and injury of a number of civilians in the UAE, Egyptian Presidential Spokesperson Bassam Rady said in a statement.

The president reaffirmed Egypts condemnation of the terrorist attacks carried out by the Houthi militia to target the security and stability of the UAE.

On 17 January, Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a fuel depot in Abu Dhabi that killed three foreigners and injured six people, saying it was a retaliation for the Emirati stepped-up military intervention in Yemen.

El-Sisi extended condolences to Bin Zayed in a phone call shortly after the attack and affirmed Egypts support for the UAE and the measures it adopts to defend its territories and citizens.

On Monday, the UAE announced it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched by the militia with no casualties reported.

The Houthis have launched thousands of missiles against Saudi Arabia over the past seven years, since a Saudi-led coalition that includes the UAE intervened in the Yemeni civil war to fight the Houthis.

Gulf and Arab security

During the meeting, El-Sisi stated that the security of Gulf countries is part of Egypts national security, stressing that Gulf security should not be compromised.

He also stressed Egypts rejection of any practices that could destabilise the Gulf, Rady said.

During their meeting, El-Sisi and Bin Zayed affirmed continuing joint work to counter foreign interference and attempts to sow division in the region.

They also agreed to cement cooperation to counter the challenges facing the Arab region, on top of which is terrorism and countries harbouring terrorists, Rady said.

The two leaders discussed regional developments of mutual concern, especially Libya and Yemen, Rady said.

They agreed that political solutions should be the bases of resolving crises in these countries.

El-Sisi highlighted Egypts unwavering stance regarding the settlement of regional crises, which is mainly based on eliminating foreign interference, combating violence and terrorist and extremist groups, and preserving states national institutions.

The president said that solidarity and firm stances among Arab nations are powerful tools to deter foreign threats.

Bin Zayed stated that the UAE agrees with Egypt regarding its efforts to settle disputes in the region, saying that Egypt will remain the UAEs pivotal partner in the region, Rady said.

El-Sisi also attended on Wednesday a meeting with Bin Zayed, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, and Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

The meeting tackled developments in regional issues of mutual concern and means to enhance coordination and cooperation to foster mechanisms of Arab work in the face of regional challenges.

Strong bonds

Bin Zayed hailed Egypts strategic and pivotal role to protect Arab national security and its efforts to consolidate stability and development in the region, Rady added.

He expressed the Emirati government and peoples appreciation of the historic bonds and firm relations binding the two countries in various fields.

El-Sisi said Egypt is keen to develop cooperation and coordination with the UAE in a way that serves the interests of the two peoples and the Arab world.

He urged intensifying the exchange of visits, increasing the number of meetings between high-level officials from both countries to coordinate on Middle East developments, and unifying the Arab and Islamic ranks in the face of various regional challenges.

Promising opportunities for Emirati investments

Bin Zayed hailed the comprehensive development progress Egypt has achieved under El-Sisi over the past years, saying it has contributed to providing an investment-friendly climate and strengthening the business environment in Egypt.

The crown prince also highlighted Egypts ongoing implementation of mega national projects nationwide and the diverse and promising investment opportunities these projects secure in all sectors.

This has contributed to enhancing the Emirati businessmens keenness to increase their investments in Egypt in light of the serious and huge progress in the investment climate, Bin Zayed added.

Trade exchange between Egypt and the UAE has reached $3 billion over the past 10 months of 2021, according to recently released data by Egypts statistical agency CAPMAS, down from $3.8 billion during the same period in 2020.

The Egyptian imports from the UAE increased to $2 billion over the first 10 months of 2021, up from $1.2 billion during the same period in 2020. Egyptian exports to the UAE, however, decreased by 60.2 percent to reach $1 billion.

Emirati investments in Egypt increased by 87.1 percent to reach $1.8 billion during the fiscal year 2019/2020, CAPMAS added.

Recent meetings

In November, Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met with his Emirati counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the 12th annual Sir Bani Yas Forum in the UAE.

The foreign ministers discussed the latest developments in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan and means to boost economic and trade cooperation.

In August, El-Sisi held a meeting with a high-level delegation led by the UAE's National Security Adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the presidential palace in Egypts New Alamein City.

The meeting tackled means to promote Egyptian-Emirati cooperation, particularly in the economic and trade sector, and reviewed efforts to expand investments in Egypt in various fields.

Bin Zayed paid an official visit to Egypt in April, where he agreed with El-Sisi on boosting Egyptian-Emirati cooperation to protect Arab national security, reach political settlement for regional issues, and restore the national institutions and preserve the resources in countries suffering from conflicts.

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Former editor-in-chief of the state-owned El-Akhbar daily Yasser Rizk passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 57 due to a heart attack, Akhbar El-Youm said.

Over the past weeks, Rizk had celebrated the publication of his new book Sanawat El-Khamasin (The Years of Wind): Between the Anger in January and Salvation in June.

The book tells the story of the period between the 25 January Revolution that led to the removal of former president Hosni Mubarak from office in 2011 and the overthrow of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Rizk served as the board chairman of Akhbar El-Youm press organisation from 2014 until 2020. In 2012, he was chosen to serve as the chief editor of private daily newspaper El-Masry El-Youm, where he served for more than a year.

Before that, he served as the editor-in-chief of El-Akhbar daily, in January 2011, beginning his tenure one week before the 25 January Revolution.

The veteran journalist also served as an editor-in-chief of the state-owned Maspero Radio and Television Magazine from 2005 to 2011.

Rizk has been a journalist of the Akhbar El-Youm foundation for three decades and served as a military editor and a representative of the newspaper at the presidency until 2005.

He was born in 1965 in northern Ismailia and graduated from the Faculty of Mass Communication of Cairo University in 1986.

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Ethiopia's prime minister has said there will be negotiations on a cease-fire between his government and the rival Tigray forces who have been waging war for almost 15 months, the chairman of a diaspora group that had a private meeting with him told The Associated Press.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has never said so publicly as international mediation efforts continue amid one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Mesfin Tegenu, chairman of the American Ethiopian Public Affairs Committee, on Tuesday, described the tone of Saturday's five-hour meeting with the prime minister as "a very earnest desire to stop this thing. ... Of course, the other side must be willing.'' The prime minister "said that there will be negotiations, reasonable negotiations, that will keep the interest of the integrity of the nation first,'' and the new U.S. special envoy who visited Ethiopia last week "would have ideas'' about the process, Mesfin said.

Even approaching negotiations between Ethiopia's government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front, which dominated the country's repressive government before Abiy took office, has been a challenge in part because the government declared the TPLF a terrorist group after the war began in November 2020.

The war shifted late last month when the Tigray forces, who had been moving closer to the capital, Addis Ababa, retreated into their northern region under pressure from a drone-supported military offensive. Ethiopia's military at the time said it would not pursue the fighters further, opening the way for renewed mediation efforts. But deadly drone strikes have continued, killing civilians in Tigray.

The decision not to pursue was an unpopular one for many Ethiopians, Mesfin told the AP. "Most people wanted (the prime minister) to advance, really finish this war,'' he said. That's why his committee requested a meeting, he said. They expected Abiy's deputy or chief of staff to attend, but the prime minister walked in.

At first, the discussion was "a little hostile'' to Abiy, Mesfin said, but the prime minister told the diaspora group that "you have to trust me on this one.'' He told them that the Tigray forces were contained and that not pushing further into the Tigray region gives the government time to "force'' ethnic Tigrayans to reconsider their support for the fighters.

"They want the population to push the TPLF to negotiate,'' Mesfin said of Abiy's government. He described the prime minister, a Nobel Peace Prize winner who has largely shied away from the international spotlight since the war began, as "charming at times, seriously most of the time, very patient with us. He listened.''

There was no immediate comment on the chairman's account from Abiy's spokeswoman, Billene Seyoum, or from Tigray forces spokesman Getachew Reda. An official with U.S. special envoy David Satterfield did not immediately respond to questions.

The U.S. has given no details about Satterfield's first Ethiopian visit as a special envoy last week. On Tuesday, the State Department said he would be travelling to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Israel through Feb. 4 to discuss Sudan and the Horn of Africa at large.

Estimated tens of thousands of people have been killed in Ethiopia's war, and millions displaced. While rebuilding efforts have begun in the country's Amhara and Afar regions since the Tigray forces' retreat, some 6 million people in Tigray remain under a government blockade that has kept out most food aid, medicines, cash, fuel and other badly needed supplies.

The prime minister told the diaspora group that "we are going to do all humanly possible to get supplies in, to make sure the population suffering will not continue to suffer,'' Mesfin said.

The United Nations last week said food distribution in Tigray has reached its "all-time lowest'' while more than 50,000 children are thought to be severely malnourished.

The Tigray forces on Tuesday said they had taken "robust actions'' to counter fighters from Afar and clear areas near Tigray "that could serve as a springboard for further attacks on our positions," saying they had not taken such measures for weeks "to give peace a chance.'' The fighting has been blamed for the latest delays in aid delivery to Tigray along what is considered the only open land route for humanitarian deliveries.

The war's combatants also include soldiers from neighbouring Eritrea, who are allied with Ethiopian forces and blamed by witnesses for some of the worst atrocities in the war, as well as fighters from Amhara who now occupy western Tigray.

With Eritrea's involvement, "any possibility of ending the war through a negotiated settlement goes directly through Asmara,'' Eritrea's capital, the leader of the Tigray forces, Debretsion Gebremichael, wrote last week in The Africa Report.

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Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's cabinet on Wednesday endorsed cutting short a state of emergency imposed last November as rebels threatened to advance on the capital.

The decision, which must be ratified by lawmakers, highlights the government's renewed confidence after Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) fighters retreated to their home region last month, though hostilities continue in some parts of northern Ethiopia.

The state of emergency declared on November 2 was initially supposed to last six months.

"Since the situation that necessitated the issuance of the state of emergency has changed, and since the threat level has been reached so that the threat can be controlled with usual law enforcement activities, it has been found necessary to shorten the enforcement period for the state of emergency," said a statement from Abiy's office.

It was not clear if the state of emergency would be terminated immediately, or when lawmakers would meet to discuss the matter.

Ethiopia's war broke out in November 2020 after Abiy, winner of the 2019 Nobel Peace prize, sent troops to topple the TPLF, which once dominated national politics.

Abiy said the move came in response to TPLF attacks on army camps.

After initially losing control of Tigray's cities and towns, the TPLF regrouped and retook the region in June, then launched offensives into Afar and Amhara.

In November 2021 the rebels claimed to be within roughly 200 kilometers (125 miles) of the capital Addis Ababa, prompting hasty evacuations as countries including the US and France urged their citizens to leave.

The state of emergency coincided with a mass mobilization campaign credited -- along with drone strikes -- with pushing the TPLF back into Tigray.

It also triggered mass detentions of ethnic Tigrayans in Addis Ababa and elsewhere, sparking condemnation from rights groups including Amnesty International.

Abiy's government is gearing up to host an African Union summit in early February at the bloc's headquarters in Addis Ababa, a move it has described as a "big diplomatic success" given Ethiopia's recent instability.

Meanwhile the TPLF this week announced it had begun "robust" military operations in the neighboring Afar region, a move it said was provoked by attacks on its positions by pro-government forces.

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Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ordered the restoration of full diplomatic ties with Thailand and said the countries agreed to trade ambassadors, closing the chapter on three decades of mistrust and hostility between the nations that stemmed from a sensational jewellery heist.

The rapprochement came during Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha's official visit to the kingdom, which marked the highest-level meeting between the countries since relations soured over the 1989 political scandal. Saudi Arabia downgraded its diplomatic relations with Thailand over the theft that led to a string of mysterious killings and became known as the Blue Diamond affair.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, held talks with Prayuth agreed to bury the hatchet and boost the nations' economic, security, and political ties, said a statement published on the official Saudi Press Agency, SPA, late Tuesday after meetings at the royal palace.

The countries will explore joint investment in fields ranging from energy and petrochemicals to tourism and hospitality, the statement added. Tourism is a key element of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia's economic reform plan meant to wean the kingdom off oil.

Saudi Arabian Airlines, meanwhile, said it would start direct flights from Riyadh to Bangkok in May, promoting Thailand in a Twitter post as "the land of culture.''

Prince Mohammed has ventured into diplomatic territory where previously the government refused to go. In 1989, a priceless 50-carat blue diamond was among an estimated $20 million worth of gems and jewellery pilfered by a Thai janitor from a Saudi prince's palace in the heist that wrecked relations between the countries. The kingdom stopped issuing and renewing visas for hundreds of thousands of Thai workers, suspended permits for thousands of Thai Muslims hoping to make the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and warned its citizens not to travel to Thailand.

Three Saudi diplomats seeking the valuables' return were shot dead in Bangkok. A Bangkok-based Saudi businessman believed to have been hunting for the missing jewels also disappeared and was presumed killed. No one was convicted for the killings.

The Thai government on Tuesday expressed "regret over the tragic incidents that occurred to Saudi citizens in Thailand between 1989 and 1990" and stressed "its keenness to resolve issues related to these events," the joint statement said.

The Thai police claimed to have solved the case, but many of the jewels they sent back to Riyadh were fake. Thai media crackled with reports that the wives of top officials had been spotted wearing diamond necklaces that bore an uncanny resemblance to the stolen jewels. The fabled blue diamond was never recovered.

Thailand promised that it would raise cases with competent authorities if any "new and relevant evidence'' related to the killings emerged, SPA added.

The saga exposed the graft and abuse of power that runs rampant in Thailand's police forces as speculation mounted that senior officers and members of the elite had kept the stones and ordered a cover-up.

Thailand, deprived by the dispute of billions of dollars in badly needed tourism revenues and workers' remittances, long has wanted to patch up relations with oil-rich Saudi Arabia.

The young, ambitious Prince Mohammed has increasingly focused on winning allies abroad and mending rifts with regional rivals, including Iran, Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia, in a push to modernize and diversify its oil-dependent economy, is trying to draw foreign tourists and investors and overhaul its reputation as one of the world's most closed countries with a bleak human rights record.

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Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic forces backed by a US-led coalition advanced on Gweiran prison in northeast Syria on Wednesday, where Islamic State fighters have unleashed their biggest attack since the fall of their caliphate three years ago to free thousands of extremists held inside the prison.

The Kurds have also been calling for international assistance to contain the jihadist resurgence.

More than 100 jihadists of the Islamic State group last week attacked Gweiran prison in the northeast Syrian city of Hasakeh, which is held by a semi-autonomous Kurdish administration.

The brazen assault on the Kurdish-run facility involved a double suicide bombing and saw the jihadists free fellow IS members, seize weapons and take over a series of jail blocks.

It is considered the most sophisticated attack carried out by the group since it was territorially defeated in Syria nearly three years ago.

On Wednesday, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and allied fighters "carried out search operations inside prison blocks" and in areas surrounding the facility, where intermittent clashes had broken out overnight, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

US-backed Kurdish forces were "advancing slowly" inside the jail where jihadists were still holed up, said the Britain-based monitor.

Fighting in and around the prison since Thursday has killed 181 people, including 124 IS jihadists, 50 Kurdish fighters and seven civilians, according to the Observatory.

With operations inside the facility underway, fears were raised over the fate of minors detained at Gwieran, which held more than 700 boys among 3,500 IS suspects prior to the attack.

"They say they fear they'll be shot down if they try to come out. They are begging for food, water, medicine," said Human Rights Watch researcher Letta Tayler, adding she had made contact with three inmates including one minor trapped inside the jail.

They are calling for the United Nations "or other international organisation to negotiate their safe exit," Tayler said.

'Nightmare Scenario'

A tense stand-off has gripped the prison, with Kurdish forces and their IS rivals facing either a bloodbath or talks to end the fighting.

"The most likely way this ends is with the total defeat of the IS fighters at the prison," said Nicholas Heras, an analyst at the Newlines Institute.

"But the nightmare scenario for the SDF and the US-led coalition is a drawn-out standoff that kills hundreds, including many children prisoners."

Kurdish forces since Monday have freed 32 prison staff, some of whom appeared in video footage that IS had shared on social media after launching the attack, the Observatory says.

Around 1,000 men, including rebelling inmates and IS jihadists, have so far surrendered to Kurdish forces, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces said Wednesday.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said that a Syrian IS jihadist was negotiating with Kurdish forces to end the mutiny and secure medical care for wounded jihadists.

Farhad Shami of the SDF media office said the SDF had made calls for IS to surrender, but he refused to refer to them as formal negotiations.

'International Problem'

Gweiran is the prison with the largest number of suspected IS members in Syria, the Observatory says.

Kurdish authorities say more than 50 nationalities are represented in a number of Kurdish-run prisons, where over 12,000 IS suspects are being held.

The Kurdish administration has long warned it does not have the capacity to hold, let alone put on trial, the thousands of IS fighters captured in years of operations.

"This issue is an international problem," Abdulkarim Omar, the administration's top foreign policy official, told AFP on Wednesday.

"We cannot face it alone."

He called on the international community to "support the autonomous administration to improve security and humanitarian conditions for inmates in detention centres and for those in overcrowded camps."

The proto-state declared by IS in 2014 once straddled large parts of Iraq and Syria.

After five years of military operations conducted by local and international forces, its last rump was eventually flushed out on the banks of the Euphrates in eastern Syria in March 2019.

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Russia has placed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine's border and ratcheted up war games in the region.

Moscow denies it is planning an assault, but the United States and its NATO allies fear that Russia is planning for war

and are making preparations of their own.

Here are things to know about the international tensions over Ukraine, a crisis reminiscent of the Cold War.

What Is Russia's Latest Move?

Russia has increased its pressure on the West, warning that it would quickly take ``retaliatory measures'' if the US and its allies reject its security demands and continue their ``aggressive'' policies over Ukraine.

Russia has demanded guarantees that NATO never admits Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations as members and that the alliance rolls back troop deployments in other former Soviet bloc countries, a region Moscow still views as its sphere of interest.

Some of the demands, like the membership pledge, are nonstarters for NATO, creating a seemingly intractable stalemate that many fear can only end in a war.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he and other top officials will advise President Vladimir Putin on the next steps after receiving written replies from the United States to the demands.

Those answers were delivered Wednesday by US Ambassador to Moscow John Sullivan to Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. The US and its allies have already made clear they will reject the top Russian demands.

What Do Ukrainian Leaders Say?

Ukrainian officials have sought to calm nerves as tensions escalate.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Wednesday that while the concentration of Russian troops near Ukraine poses a threat, ``their number is now insufficient for a large-scale offensive.''

``They are still missing some key military elements and systems to mount a big, full-scale offensive,'' Kuleba told reporters.

He also noted that causing alarm could be an end in itself. Russia, he said, hopes to destabilize Ukraine by ``spreading panic, raising pressure on Ukraine's financial system and launching cyberattacks.''

What Is The Mood On Ukraine's Frontline?

Soldiers and civilians in eastern Ukraine are waiting with helpless anticipation to see if war comes.

They understand that their fate is being decided by politicians in distant capitals. Even politicians in their own capital, Kyiv, have found themselves on the sidelines of several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy that so far have not yielded a breakthrough.

The battle-weary region has been fighting pro-Russia separatist fighters since 2014. It is an area close to where Russia has massed tens of thousands of soldiers in a troop buildup that US President Joe Biden says could mount the largest invasion since World War II.

What Is Happening On The Diplomatic Front?

Presidential advisers from Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and France held diplomatic negotiations in Paris amid the growing worries that Russia could invade Ukraine.

The talks took place in the ``Normandy format,`` which helped to ease hostilities in 2015, a year after Putin ordered the annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and the Russia-backed insurgency began in eastern Ukraine.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow expected a ``good frank'' talk.

Several rounds of high-stakes diplomacy have failed to yield any breakthroughs, and tensions escalated further this week.

What Does Britain Say?

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has urged European nations to do more to support Ukraine, saying ``we would like to see our allies do more to help supply defensive support to Ukraine.''

The UK has sent anti-tank weapons to Ukraine in response to Russia massing troops near its border. It has ruled out sending combat troops, but Truss said Britain has ``ruled nothing out in terms of sanctions.''

``In fact, we'll be legislating to toughen up our sanctions regime and make sure we are fully able to hit both individuals and companies and banks in Russia in the event of an incursion,'' she told the BBC.

``What's important is that all of our allies do the same because it's by collective action, by showing Vladimir Putin we're united, that we will help deter a Russian incursion.''

What Is Germany Doing?

Among the NATO allies, Germany in particular has faced calls to help Ukraine more and been faulted for a perception that it is prioritizing its economic ties with Russia over Ukraine's security.

Amid that backdrop, German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Germany will deliver 5,000 military helmets to Ukraine following a request from the country's embassy. She said that it was ``a very clear signal that we stand by your side.''

Ukraine's ambassador to Germany welcomed the planned delivery of the helmets but described it as a ``purely symbolic gesture.'' Andriy Melnik told German news agency DPA that ``this is only a drop in the ocean.''

He added that ``Ukraine expects a 180-degree turn from the German government, a real paradigm change.''

Germany has said that it won't deliver lethal weapons to Ukraine.

Yet German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock insisted Wednesday that the European Union's common goal in the Ukraine crisis ``is and remains the defense of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.''

What About Those Comments In Croatia?

Croatia's prime minister sought Wednesday to defuse an uproar after the country's president said ``Ukraine does not belong in NATO`` and that Croatian troops should not be part of any Western response force in case of a war.

President Zoran Milanovic is known for populist-style and undiplomatic statements. His remarks Tuesday angered Ukraine, which summoned Croatia's ambassador in response.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic described Milanovic's comments as ``unreal in many ways'' and said Croatia, a member of NATO and the EU, will continue to have ``friendly and partner'' relations with Ukraine.

``I can speak for the Croatian government,'' Plenkovic said. ``Croatia's core position in respect of Ukraine's territorial integrity.''

What Does Pope Francis Say?

Pope Francis prayed that political leaders put aside personal interests and let dialogue prevail amid concerns of a Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Francis kicked off a daylong prayer for peace in Ukraine on Wednesday with a special appeal at the end of his weekly general audience.

``Please, never again war,'' Francis said. ``Let us insistently ask the Lord that in this land may fraternity overcome wounds, fears, and divisions.``

Noting that Thursday marks Holocaust Remembrance Day, Francis said Ukrainians had suffered tremendous cruelties during World War II.

``They deserve peace,'' he said.

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The Turkish Cypriot leader in split Cyprus' breakaway north says his hardline party's victory in weekend parliamentary elections is an endorsement for his controversial stance on resolving the island's ethnic division that's in line with Turkey's policy.

Ersin Tatar said Wednesday that some 60% of Sunday's vote went to parties aligned with his vision of ``equal sovereignty'' with the Greek Cypriots, who control the east Mediterranean island state's internationally recognized government.

He added in a statement that the international community should respect Turkish-Cypriot voters' will.

Tatar, backed by the Turkish government, wants a two-state settlement with the Greek Cypriots _ instead of the internationally-backed federation-based deal to end the island's 48-year division.

``The vision for a settlement based on sovereign equality ... would boost confidence-building and trust on the island and make Cyprus a beacon of peace,'' Tatar said.

Cyprus was cleaved along ethnic lines in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup aimed at union with Greece.

A declaration of independence by the minority Turkish Cypriots in 1983 is recognized only by Turkey, which maintains more than 35,000 troops in the breakaway north.

Although the whole of Cyprus joined the European Union in 2004, only the Greek Cypriot-dominated south enjoys full membership benefits.

Negotiations to reunify Cyprus as a federation composed of Turkish- and Greek-speaking zones have enjoyed strong international backing and an endorsement from the United Nations Security Council.

But numerous rounds of UN-sponsored talks over nearly five decades have gone nowhere. Following the most recent collapse of high-level talks in July 2017, Turkey and Tatar said a federation-based deal was a ``waste of time.''

Greek Cypriots vehemently reject the idea, insisting that it would mark the island's permanent partition and render it subservient to Ankara's regional ambitions.

Tatar's National Unity Party took nearly 40% of Sunday's vote, while three other smaller hardline parties split another 20% between them. The only leftist party to earn seats, the Republican Turkish Party, garnered almost 32%.

Many voters who traditionally voted for leftist parties opted to shun the election as part of a boycott to register their disenchantment with the north's Ankara-aligned policies as well as a faltering economy.

Voter turnout was a record low of just under 58%.

Izzet Izcan, leader of the tiny United Cyprus Party which refused to field candidates, said Turkey is fronting a policy of ``conquest,'' adding that the left would continue to oppose pro-partition, two-state proposals.

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The critical challenges and barriers women face in accelerating sustainability initiatives and how businesses can best recognise the role of women to speak up to the race to net zero will be discussed at Expo 2020 Dubai.

Hosted by Global energy company Engie and Companies Creating Change (C3), a UAE-based social enterprise, the event will take place at the France Pavilion at Expo 2020 on January 27, 2021.

The half-day event will include a panel discussion entitled: Women fighting climate change in the UAE: turning knowledge into action.

Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, UAE will open the session with a personalised video message and Habiba Al Marashi, Co-founder, and Chairperson, Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) will give a keynote address.

The event forms part of the C3 I.D.E.A Accelerator powered by Accenture, which seeks to drive diversity and inclusion amongst the UAEs workforce.

According to the author of The Missing Perspectives of Women in News, commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation  analysis by AKAS of global online news between 2017 and today points to women having held just 28 percent share of voice in news articles about climate change. Amongst the other topics, the event will address why women are taken less seriously, and if this is the case, how can women achieve greater recognition in sustainable leadership, entrepreneurship, STEM.

Commenting on the upcoming event, Florence Fontani, Vice President of Sustainability and Communications, Asia, Middle East and Asia, Engie, said: We are delighted to host this event in partnership with C3 and our esteemed guests. This event is another step in our resolve to support the transition to net-zero carbon goals across the Middle East and beyond. It is also part of our commitment to gender equality across the energy sector to meet societal challenges in line with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals.

She added: Research has demonstrated that female leaders are the most likely changemakers for climate action from corporate leadership to favoring green investment decisions. For example, studies show that countries with a higher representation of women in parliament are more likely to set aside protected lands area and ratify multilateral environmental agreements. As we work toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for gender equality and affordable clean energy, and the UAEs plans to reduce carbon emissions by 2050, we must drive inclusion and harness the contribution women can bring towards advancing climate action.

As part of our commitment to the UN SDGs as well as the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access agenda, we are very glad to be partnering with Engie to bring the conversation forward about the involvement of women in the sphere of energy and sustainability. Just like in any other sector, women have a crucial role in contributing to climate action and working towards a more sustainable world for future generations, said C3 Founder, Medea Nocentini.-- TradeArabia News Service
Egypts state-owned company Gosoor El-Nasr inked on Tuesday 10 agreements with local and foreign insurance, banking services, and logistics providers with the aim of providing services for the external trade community members and boosting Egypts exports sector, the Ministry of Public Enterprise announced.

The agreements were signed with the National Bank of Egypt, Misr Life Insurance, the worlds leading global logistics provider DB Schenker, Conformity Assurance, among others.

Gosoor El-Nasr  previously known as El-Nasr for Export and Import  is affiliated with the Holding Company for Maritime & Land Transport, operating under the umbrella of the Ministry of Public Enterprise.

Under the governments strategy to improve and rehabilitate the public business sector, the ministry launched the Gosoor Project in 2019 with the aim of boosting Egyptian exports.

Gosoor is expected to open its first five branches out of 16 outside the country by the end of February in France, Cameroon, Ghana, China, and Dubai using a B2B system, according to Hisham Tawfik, the minister of public enterprise.

The company launched its e-catalogue in June 2021 for the sake of marketing and promoting Egyptian products and goods to raise their competitiveness.





The e-catalogue provides producers and traders with a complete intermediation and matchmaking service for both inputs and outputs, particularly targeting small and medium-sized enterprises.

It will enable Egyptian companies, especially small ones, to register their exportable products for free, allowing workers in the companys external branches to find the appropriate commercial partner for the needs of each factory, according to the minister.

Tawfik also said that the catalogue supports over 3,000 products and provides a package of logistics services to exporters and importers alike, including land, sea, and air freight, customs clearance, and examination.

Under the directives of Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, the government is working on a plan that aims to increase Egypts exports to $100 billion in value per year.

In 2021, Egyptian non-oil exports reached an all-time high exceeding $32 billion, up from the $25.4 billion recorded in 2020  an increase of 26 percent  according to the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

This amount exceeds Egypts pre-pandemic levels of non-oil exports, as they recorded about $30.6 billion in 2019.

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Ezz Elarab Automotive Group, the sole importer, and exclusive distributor of Volvo cars in Egypt, has recently announced the launch of the latest showroom for the Swedish brand in One Katameya, East Cairo. The launch was attended by senior executives from Volvo Cars, Ezz Elarab Automotive Groups board of directors and senior management, as well as a selection of media representatives.

The showroom has been designed according to the international standards of the Volvo Cars brand, which is referred to as The Volvo Cars Retail Experience. The aim behind the new showroom is to focus on providing the best and most personalized customer experience possible. In addition, the brand also aims to display the latest models and innovative solutions that are added to their vehicles.

It is worth mentioning that Volvo Car Egypt introduced their latest model, the new smarter XC60, at this launch. This marks its first appearance in the Volvo Cars showrooms all over Egypt. For the first time in Egypt, the latest Volvo Cars showroom has a kids area to provide customers with a more comfortable experience. It also offers delivery services for newly purchased cars, test driving services, and a parking area for visitors. The showroom is fully furnished with pieces that have been imported from Sweden to match the luxury brands international standards.

The launch of the latest Volvo showroom in East Cairo is a great beginning for 2022, it is part of our expansion plan all over Egypt and reflects the strong presence of our company. It also counts as a new step that we have accomplished with the Swedish brand throughout the past few years. We are always working on raising the car ownership standards through our modern showrooms and the luxury brands that we deal with in Egypt. I am proud to have Volvo Cars as one of them. said Engineer Hisham Ezz Elarab, Chairman of Ezz Elarab Automotive Group.

The Volvo Cars showroom is located at a premium spot in East Cairo to provide exclusive access to the areas residents. It is distinguished by its accessibility, as it is directly located on the Ring Road. The One Kattameya showroom is considered to be the largest Volvo Cars exhibition in Egypt, with an area of 390 meters square. It can accommodate the full model range in display and has a dedicated space for cars that have been accessorized.

We are proud to launch the latest Volvo Cars showroom which suits the Egyptian market in terms of efficiency, reliability, and luxury. The brand complies with safety and sustainability factors as well. The opening of this Volvo showroom sets a new imprint for the company in East Cairo, which aims at meeting the needs of our customers in this area.

We are constantly working on developing a stronger presence and proximity to consumers in the car industry which meets the Volvo Cars strategy. We have plans to expand all over Egypt, with online and experiential presence, so we could be closer to the safe and sustainable brands lovers and enthusiasts. said Engineer Muhammad Aboul Nour, General Manager of Volvo Car Egypt at Ezz Elarab Automotive Group.

Moris Bayar, Head of Commercial Operations at Volvo Car Importers EMEA, commented: I would like to express the pride that begins with this partnership and relationship between the Volvo Cars and Ezz Elarab Automotive Group. We increase consumerss satisfaction rate together, gaining more and more strength over the years. This is solid proof that we are together at the Volvo Cars commercial roadmap which is focused at growth, electrification, and online. These standards strongly representing Volvo Cars commercial pillars are supported by our great joint efforts to enable effortless consumer journey, getting close to consumers, and establishong long term direct relationships with them.

Gerhard Kreindl, Head of Retail and Business Development for Volvo Car Importers EMEA said: We thank you for your faith in our precious Swedish brand, Volvo Cars. Your great confidence in us and your commitment to provide top-notch work and plans have been of great help in our mission to further develop our brand in Egypt.

The launch of Volvo Cars latest showroom is part of Ezz Elarab Automotive Groups future expansion plans throughout the country, the company always aims to provide special services to its customers by providing high-quality standards and after-sale services. It is worth mentioning Ezz Elarab Groups long-running history in the car industry since 1975. Over the course of 45 years, the company has displayed a great amount of development and growth, which has helped it become the biggest agent for a number of luxury car brands. Today, Ezz Elarab Automotive Group is the only importer and distributor of eight different luxury car brands and has more than 40 hubs all over Egypt, where more than 800 employees work.

It is worth mentioning that Volvo Cars is considered to be one of the most significant brands in the Ezz Elarab Automotive Group since they became its exclusive agent in 2009. According to the companys expansion strategy, a number of the brands showrooms have been launched at different locations. The Volvo Gallery has also been opening as one of Volvos most iconic locations in the world. In addition, Ezz Elarab Automotive Group has held a joint ceremony last year that brought together the local Volvo Car Egypt team and the European, Middle Eastern, and African Volvo Car Importers team to celebrate the surge in their sales in Egypt despite all the obstacles that the world has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges that have faced sales teams across different countries all over the world.

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Egypt is witnessing a record rise in infections with the Omicron variant of Covid-19, though the risk of serious illness or hospitalisation is far lower.

There is almost no home now that doesnt have at least one case of Omicron, Mahmoud, whose parents have recently contracted the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, told Al-Ahram Weekly, adding that the low severity of the symptoms was making people less cautious and dealing with it as a common cold.

People are now less scared of the coronavirus, letting their guards down and abandoning many precautionary measures, said Tamer Fikri, a physician. A lot of people infected with the Omicron variant go about their daily activities, go out and mingle with others, and claim that their mild symptoms are seasonal flu and thus spread the virus, he added.

According to the Health Ministry, the symptoms of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 include a runny nose, headache, fatigue, sneezing, and a sore throat.

It has recently updated its health advice by urging those who suffer from common cold symptoms to consider that they may have contracted Covid-19 and should therefore self-isolate and avoid sharing personal items with family members so that they can avoid developing symptoms and passing the infection to others.

Presidential adviser for health affairs Mohamed Awad Tageddin said last week that the highly infectious Omicron variant is now responsible for the vast majority of cases. Due to the spread of the Omicron variant, Egypt has been seeing a hike in daily infections that on Tuesday exceeded the record rates of summer 2020.

The country reported 1,809 new cases on Tuesday.

The global average daily infection rate of the Omicron variant is three million cases, a number that is three times that for the Delta variant. These numbers mean that Omicron is much more widely spread than Delta, but less severe [in symptoms and illness], Islam Anan, a pharmacoepidemiology and pharma-economics lecturer at Ain Shams University in Cairo, said.

When the coronavirus emerged, we used to say that one person could infect up to three people. With the Delta variant, a patient could infect six or seven people, but now with Omicron a patient can infect three times the number of those with Delta, he noted.

Any virus tries to maintain its survival, and that is why it mutates to become more prevalent. In this process, it often becomes less severe, Anan said. Thus, this is the beginning of the end to the coronavirus, he added, predicting that in 2022 Covid-19 will become like any other seasonal virus treated with an annual vaccine.

Unlike with Delta, we now have [various types of] vaccines and more vaccinated people and anti-viral drugs for the coronavirus. Moreover, because of Omicrons rapid spread, a large number of people have been infected in a short time, and this is a contributing factor in achieving relative herd immunity in the community, Anan said.

On Monday, the Health Ministry announced that Egypt was the first country in Africa and the Middle East and the fourth globally to provide the anti-coronavirus drug Molnupiravir after the Egyptian Drug Authority (EDA) issued an emergency use authorisation for Mercks Covid-19 drug and allowed five national companies to manufacture the oral antiviral in a first stage.

The local companies have already manufactured 25,000 Molnupiravir packages that are ready for use, head of the EDA Tamer Essam said in a Health Ministry statement, adding that Egypt has enough raw material to manufacture an additional 150,000 packages.

Molnupiravir, which has been included in treatment protocols and will only be allowed for hospital use, has obtained emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA). It consists of capsules to be taken orally to treat the coronavirus that can decrease hospitalisations and deaths by half for patients suffering from mild to moderate illness.

Egypt is also expected to receive AstraZenecas Evusheld coronavirus antibody treatment for the treatment of 50,000 patients, and Pfizers Paxlovid pills required for the treatment of 20,000 coronavirus patients by the end of the month, said Health Ministry Spokesperson Hossam Abdel-Ghaffar.

While Paxlovid and Molnupiravir are both used to treat cases with mild-to-moderate symptoms during the early days of infection, Evusheld is meant to prevent coronavirus infections.

Egypt tops Africa in coronavirus vaccine stock, including almost all the available vaccines worldwide  the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac, the British-Swedish AstraZeneca, the Russian Sputnik V, and the US-made Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Egypt has obtained over 134 million vaccine doses and had administered up until Monday this week 36.9 million vaccine shots as first doses and 25 million as second doses, in addition to 564,000 booster shots, according to the Health Ministry.

The rate of hospital admissions, according to the latest studies in the US and Britain, is 50 per cent lower than for the previous wave, said Anan. This is good, but we still have to be careful because even though Omicron is less ferocious, it still causes deaths and hospitalisations, he said, stressing the importance of adhering to precautionary measures.

Anan believes that the current peak of infections will continue until the first week of February and then the infection curve will gradually reduce in March.

Amid the increase in daily coronavirus infections, Egypt has recently updated its plans to contain the spread of Omicron by implementing new coronavirus-related restrictions at airports, seaports, and land crossings.

Starting on 22 January, Egyptian and foreign travellers arriving in Egypt, except children below the age of 12, are required to hold certificates of World Health Organisation-approved or EDA-approved coronavirus vaccination, either the single-dose vaccine or the last dose of a two-shot vaccine at least 14 days before arrival.

If travellers are not vaccinated, they must present the negative results of coronavirus tests  the PCR test, the Antigen rapid test or the ID NOW test  issued within 72 hours of arrival.

Egypt will not accept ID NOW tests from travellers coming from South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini, the acting health minister said on Friday.

Travellers whose coronavirus tests or vaccine certificates do not conform to established standards will have to take Antigen rapid tests at the airport. If the test is positive, they will have to self-quarantine at their hotel or residence for five days. On the sixth day, they will undergo a PCR test and will be allowed to end the quarantine if they test negative and show no symptoms of illness.

Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli recently stressed the importance of not allowing any person who is unvaccinated to enter government facilities in Egypt in a reminder to people to get the vaccine and contain the outbreak.

Egypt has not only made vaccination mandatory for those above 18 years old and is now vaccinating 12 to 18-year-olds as well as offering booster shots to those who are double vaccinated, but it is also studying lowering the age of vaccination for children from five to 12 years old, according to the Health Ministry spokesperson.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 27 January, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.

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KYODO NEWS - Jan 27, 2022 - 01:06 | All, World

The president-designate of a U.N. conference on nuclear nonproliferation is exploring the possibility of holding the gathering in Europe in the spring, moving up the timeline from his earlier proposal of convening the session in August, diplomatic sources said Tuesday.

Gustavo Zlauvinen, who will head the upcoming review conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, known as the NPT, is eyeing the move based on requests from some member states for an early gathering.

The NPT, joined by about 190 countries, is the world's most widely ratified nuclear arms control agreement. Its review conferences involving both nuclear and non-nuclear states, as well as atomic-bombing survivors and civic groups, had been held every five years since 1975, with the last gathering in 2015.

The subsequent meeting has been delayed repeatedly from the spring of 2020 as originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to the sources, Zlauvinen is considering countries such as Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland as candidates to host the event, following the first meeting of signatories to a U.N. treaty banning nuclear weapons slated for March in Vienna.

Zlauvinen indicated he wants to arrange a possible conference schedule and meeting venue with European countries during a consultation with NPT member states on Tuesday.

But the schedule remains fluid, as some NPT member states prefer to gather in New York where each country has a U.N. delegation, the sources added.

Non-nuclear states prefer deep discussions with nuclear states at in-person gatherings.

The NPT requires the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- to commit to nuclear disarmament.

Among four other nuclear-weapon states, India, Israel and Pakistan have not joined the pact, while North Korea pulled out of the treaty in 2003.

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which bans the development, possession, testing and use of such arms, took effect in January of last year.

None of the nuclear-weapon states have joined the nuclear ban treaty, and Japan, the only country to have suffered nuclear bombings, has refrained from signing the pact due to its security reliance on U.S. nuclear forces.
KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2022 - 17:15 | All, World, Japan

Ukrainian Ambassador to Japan Sergiy Korsunsky said Wednesday he wants Japan to get more involved in multinational efforts to ease growing military tensions over the Russian military buildup along its border with his country.

Korsunsky told a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan in Tokyo that he expects Japan to "join" the Group of Seven industrialized nations' efforts "to resolve the issue to avoid military confrontation and to support Ukrainian democratic development in a peaceful manner."

"We believe that Japan can play a very important role in that Japan is the only G-7 country" in Asia, he added.

The ambassador's remarks came as no progress has been made in talks between political leaders and officials from Western nations and Russia, amid increasing concern over Moscow's possible invasion of Ukraine.

Korsunsky welcomed that U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida discussed the Ukraine situation during their virtual summit last Friday, and underscored that Japan was also the only Asian country that imposed sanctions on Russia following Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region in 2014.

Japan "very carefully considers the situations around Ukraine" and is "ready to consider its own measures if another wave of aggression would begin," Korsunsky said.

The envoy also said it is highly unlikely that a "full-scale war" would happen between Russia and Ukraine although there may be "more localized conflicts." He repeatedly said that his nation is "not threatening anybody" and "never going to attack Russia."

Korsunsky said that his nation is fully committed to diplomatic solutions on the issue, but at the same time that Ukrainians are resolved to fight against Russia if needed.

"We are now prepared in territorial defense, we have a majority of the population ready to fight, but we are fully peaceful people, we want a peaceful resolution," he said.

Related coverage:

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Japan eyes evacuating nationals in Ukraine amid military tensions
KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2022 - 22:09 | Japan, All

A photographed image of a unified university entrance exam question may have been leaked via a video calling app during testing earlier this month, prompting police to investigate the incident as a case of suspected cheating, sources close to the matter said Wednesday.

The incident came to light after a man who identified himself as a University of Tokyo student notified exam authorities that he had received the image of the question on a world history test via the Skype internet telephony app when the examination took place on Jan. 15, the sources said.

According to the man, he was asked to "try to solve" the problem by a person he got acquainted with through a tutoring service website, the sources said. He received the image several times and sent back an answer, they said.

The website service operator said the person in question registered with the tutoring service as a second-year high school student in December, asking university students to send contact information and requesting trial lessons.

The man later found out that the question was actually used in the exam and reported the incident to the authorities, the sources said. The National Center for University Entrance Examinations and the education ministry are also examining the incident.

"There is a possibility that cheating occurred on the world history test but we cannot give details as we are currently confirming the facts," a center official said.

The man later got a text message from the person asking to also answer literature questions, although he did not actually receive any questions, according to the sources.

According to the center, examinees are told to leave their smartphones and digital devices in their bags during testing.

Following the exam, there were some online posts pointing to the leak of a question.

The unified university entrance exams were held on Jan. 15 and 16, with the testing of geography, history and civics, including the world history exam, conducted from 9:30 a.m. to 11:40 a.m. on the first day.

A total of 417,259 people took the geography, history and civics test, accounting for 78.7 percent of the exam applicants.

Related coverage:

Tokyo univ. knife attacker carried liters of flammable liquid

3 knifed outside Univ. of Tokyo before entrance exams, teenager held

Gov't retracts decision to shut out examinees with close Omicron contact
KYODO NEWS - Jan 26, 2022 - 23:43 | Arts, All, Japan

A work by Japanese author Sachiko Kashiwaba has received this year's Batchelder Award for being the most outstanding children's book originally published outside the United States in a language other than English, according to the American Library Association.

The book "Temple Alley Summer" by the 68-year-old, originally published in Japanese as "Kimyoji yokocho no natsu" by Kodansha Ltd., is a mysterious fantasy tale about the summer vacation of a ghost girl and her classmates.

It was translated into English by Avery Fischer Udagawa and released in the United States by Restless Books.

The annual prize by the association, officially known as the Mildred L. Batchelder Award, is given to a U.S. publisher for an outstanding foreign children's book translated into English the preceding year.

Kashiwaba, who lives in Morioka, northeastern Japan, said she was surprised to receive the prize but "hopes many children in the United States will read the book."

Other popular works by Kashiwaba include "Kiri no mukou no fushigi na machi" (The Marvelous Village Veiled in Mist) and "Misaki no mayoiga" (The House of the Lost on the Cape), a novel inspired by the 2011 massive earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan.
A Malayan tiger attempts to get to the food from a container with Chinese character "Fu" on it, meaning fortune and luck in English, as part of the Lunar New Year celebrations held in the Singapore Night Safari on Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

SINGAPORE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A series of celebrations have been held in the Singapore Night Safari to welcome the 2022 Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 1.

The Chinese Zodiac cycles every 12 years, with 2022 being the Year of the Tiger.

A Malayan tiger attempts to get to the food inside a firecracker-shaped container, as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations held in the Singapore Night Safari on Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

A Malayan tiger attempts to get to the food inside a firecracker-shaped container, as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations held in the Singapore Night Safari on Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua)

A Malayan tiger attempts to get to the food from a container with Chinese character "Fu" on it, meaning fortune and luck in English, as part of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations held in the Singapore Night Safari on Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Then Chih Wey/Xinhua) 
People walk on a snow-covered street at the foot of Acropolis in Athens, Greece, on Jan. 25, 2022. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts.

There were widespread closures in the public and private sector in the Attica region, as well as on Crete and many Aegean Sea islands. The government announced that the shutdowns will be extended to Wednesday, in order to dissuade people from unnecessary travel.

Traffic on large roads in Athens and its surrounding area was allowed only with snow chains. Meanwhile, authorities were removing fallen trees from roads where thousands of cars had been abandoned since Monday.

About 3,500 people were evacuated on Monday evening from a highway linking the city with the airport, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

On Tuesday morning, some 1,200 cars remained on the Attiki Odos highway, with many motorists stranded for hours as the road closed due to accidents. Some left their cars behind and walked to nearby train stations, while others spent the night in the cold.

Among them was doctor Giannis Nasios, who posted short videos on social media.

"It is 2022, there was snowfall, but we knew it was coming. At the moment my foot is sinking into the snow up to the knee. The situation is tragic," he said, complaining the response of the crisis management mechanism.

Rania Kostaki, a DJ and radio producer, also posted on social media: "There are thousands of people on Attiki Odos, there is no information from officials. An ambulance earlier struggled to cross the road."

Kostaki said she had landed at the airport Monday noon, and it had taken her 16 hours to reach home.

"Nobody told us the road ahead was closed, and after a few minutes we realized we were trapped," journalist Kostas Fouzas told local news website iefimerida.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis asked the management of the company operating the highway tolls to compensate people with 2,000 euros (2,260 U.S. dollars) per stranded car.

More than 200 passengers who were stranded on trains on Monday will also receive 1,000 euros as compensation, the government announced.

Travel disruptions were reported in many parts of Greece, ships remained docked at ports and several flights were cancelled, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

On Tuesday noon, some 25 municipalities in the wider area of Athens were still without electricity. Officials said that in most cases the power supply should be restored by the evening.

The cold front that began sweeping across Greece over the weekend should recede on Wednesday, according to local meteorologists. 

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 shows the Acropolis of Athens covered in snow after heavy snowfall in Athens, Greece. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 shows the ancient Agora of Athens covered in snow after heavy snowfall in Athens, Greece. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 shows a general view of Athens, Greece, covered in snow after heavy snowfall. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 shows the Acropolis of Athens covered in snow after heavy snowfall in Athens, Greece. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)

Vehicles are stranded in the northern suburb of Athens, Greece, on Jan. 25, 2022. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Xinhua/Yu Shuaishuai)

Aerial photo taken on Jan. 25, 2022 shows the ancient Odeon of Herodes Atticus covered in snow after heavy snowfall in Athens, Greece. Much of Greece was paralyzed on Tuesday for a second day after heavy snowfall caused hours of travel disruptions and power cuts. (Photo by Lefteris Partsalis/Xinhua)
TAIPEI, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Taiwan reported 92 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, 46 of which are locally-transmitted confirmed cases, while the other 46 are imported, the island's disease-monitoring agency said.

The new local infections included 29 in Taoyuan and 12 in Kaohsiung, it said.

Ten transmission chains among local infections have been identified since the outbreak of COVID-19 occurred in Taoyuan International Airport in early January, the agency added.

To date, Taiwan has reported 18,503 confirmed COVID-19 cases, of which 14,974 were local infections. 
Honeywell, a global technology leader, has announced the launch a new production facility for oil and gas projects in Saudi Arabia.

The facility has been developed in a joint venture partnership by Elster Instromet Saudi Arabia and Gas Arabian Services to provide a state-of-the-art infrastructure for manufacturing and assembly of natural gas and liquid fuel solutions.

A key part of the new facility is the use of Elster precision solutions, a portfolio of Honeywell solutions that include extensive, end-to-end technologies for gas and liquid metering, as well as control applications for the oil and gas industry.

Through the facility, Honeywell will offer both skids and stations solutions, along with automation and control systems. Honeywell is primarily using the new facility to service approved solutions for Saudi Aramco, said the statement from Aramco.

This launch builds on the agreements from the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Honeywell and Saudi Aramco in May 2017, which included Honeywell undertaking commercial efforts to assist Saudi Aramco in achieving the goals of the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) Program.

IKTVAs aim is to achieve 70% localization of production and jobs, supporting the goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

The new facility will support these objectives by creating production jobs for Saudi nationals, which leads to enhanced local skills and capabilities for future developments. It is expected that the facility will help create at least 20 additional jobs in the Kingdom.

"Honeywell has been serving the Saudi Arabian market with instrumentation, control systems and advanced application solutions for many decades. The new facility will help drive knowledge transfer and support the creation of highly skilled roles," remarked George Bou Mitri, the VP and General Manager for Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies in the Middle East.

"Our solutions will support the oil and gas sector domestically and across the region by increasing reliability, decreasing maintenance costs and driving future growth," he added.

Located in the Royal Commission area of Jubail, the facility includes a 2,000-sq-m workshop and more than 1,000 sqms in office space for handling in-Kingdom projects, including manufacturing and assembling.

The facility will mainly cater to the Saudi Arabian market, GCC countries and in the future it will support other projects across the rest of the world.

Bou Mitri pointed out that the new facility was another chapter in Honeywell's 70-year Saudi Arabian history, creating new opportunities and supporting in-Kingdom manufactured and assembled solutions to advance the critical oil and gas sector.

"Saudi Arabia is a high-growth, strategically important market for Honeywell. We remain fully supportive of the countrys Saudisation efforts and continue to invest in knowledge transfer programs as well as locally-based facilities to support the objectives of the long-term national vision," added Bou Mitri.

According to him, Honeywell has been playing a vital role in advancing the development of Saudi Arabia's industries and successful long-term careers through the introduction of training programmes, partnerships and facilities that aid the countrys transformation to a knowledge-based economy.

These include working with professors and researchers from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran on new catalytic processes for producing paraxylene, and the companys Honeywell UOP University and Global TECPro initiatives, he added.




VIENTIANE, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Lao Prime Minister Phankham Viphavanh wished the Beijing Winter Olympics a full success on Tuesday.

Phankham made the remarks at the handover ceremony of the eighth batch of China-donated COVID-19 vaccines to Laos in Vientiane.

The Lao prime minister said that the Lao side has been closely following the progress of preparations for the Beijing Winter Olympics and is ready to provide support to the Chinese side at any time.

Phankham said since the outbreak of the COVID-19 in Laos, China has provided 8.9 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to Laos, which fully reflects the deep friendship and valuable support.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries and delivers an important speech in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 25, 2022. (Xinhua/Li Xiang)

BEIJING, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech, delivered at a virtual summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and five Central Asian countries, has charted course and injected impetus for an even closer China-Central Asia community with a shared future, experts have said.

"No matter how the international landscape may evolve or how developed China may grow, China will always remain a good neighbor, a good partner, a good friend, and a good brother that Central Asian countries can trust and count on," Xi made the remarks in his address on Tuesday.

Timur Shaimergenov, deputy director of the Library of the First President of Republic of Kazakhstan, fully agreed with Xi's words, saying that Kazakhstan and China have seen great vigor in their mutual support and cooperation.

A freight train departs for Almaty of Kazakhstan, at a transit center in Jiaozhou, east China's Shandong Province, April 27, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Zhaomai)

Noting that the two countries have been keeping close coordination within multilateral mechanisms, such as the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Measures in Asia, Shaimergenov said the two sides have also supported each other's major cooperation initiatives, jointly practiced multilateralism, and played important and constructive roles in ensuring regional security.

Sayfullo Safarov, chairman of the National Association of Political Scientists of Tajikistan, said that the successful hosting of the virtual summit has witnessed the solid friendship between China and Central Asian nations, and further elevated bilateral cooperation to a new level.

Central Asian countries share many common interests with China, and the Tajik people hold a strong bond with the Chinese, Safarov said, adding that the Tajikistan-China relationship enjoys a solid foundation, the all-round cooperation has been deepened, and the two countries have conducted extensive and effective cooperation in various fields.

Tourists visit the exhibition zone of Tajikistan during the "Tajikistan Day" event at the Beijing International Horticultural Exhibition in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Zhang Chenlin)

With close-knit relations and high-level political mutual trust, China and the five Central Asian countries are seeing increasingly frequent economic and trade cooperation, as well as people-to-people and cultural exchanges, said Ruan Zongze, executive vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

During the summit, Ruan continued, the five Central Asian countries' heads of state said that they are eagerly looking forward to attending the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics next week, which has shown solidarity and mutual trust between China and the countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Former Kyrgyz Foreign Minister and former SCO Secretary General Muratbek Imanaliev said that over the past 30 years, Central Asian countries and China have deepened relations as good neighbors and friends, while cooperation in various fields has also yielded fruitful results.

Noting that China does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs, Imanaliev said that China has actively provided help for developing countries, which is welcomed by Central Asian countries. 
by Wang Aona, Hayati Nupus

JAKARTA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- A male panda called Cai Tao is chewing bamboo sticks, and sometimes climbs up a tree or rolls in the grass, while the female panda Hu Chun goes back and forth picking up carrots at the Panda Palace at Taman Safari located at Indonesia's Bogor district, around 75 km south of capital Jakarta.

The two giant pandas that have been living in the safari park since 2017 are heating up the celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Tiger.

"Pandas have always been the main attraction for our visitors, and it's expected that more visitors will come during the celebration of the Chinese New Year," Chief Executive Official of Taman Safari Indonesia Daniel Hartono told Xinhua.

A group of children from the Rumah Ceria Bekasi orphanage were visiting the Panda Palace on their study tour. They cheered excitedly watching Hu Chun waddling and walking, picking up carrots and then sitting on a rock to enjoy the food.

"Pandas are cute, one of my favorite animals. Their fur looks very soft," said 17-year-old Suryana Saputri Wulandari, one of the group members.

Wulandari got to know pandas through cartoons and films, including the animation Kung Fu Panda, which she has watched many times. When she heard of the trip to the Panda Palace, Wulandari felt so excited that she gave much thought to the outfit she was going to wear to look good in the photos with the pandas.

"I really like Cai Tao. He is the funny one of the two," said Wulandari.

Ardyta Widianti, one of the doctors taking care of the pandas, said that the two pandas differ in character, with Cai Tao more active and always running around, and Hu Chun quieter and calmer.

"They have favorite spots to eat or rest. If they are lazy (and don't want) to meet the visitors, they will hide in their caves," Widianti said. Besides bamboo sticks, their favorite food is the panda cake made of corn, rice, soybeans, and eggs.

Siti Aisyah and her husband brought their 3-year-old son to the Panda Palace, and were all amazed by the various elements of the Chinese culture presented there.

"The architecture is Chinese-style with cornices and skylights, and the red couplets and festival decorations really warm up the whole place. We really feel like we are in China," said Aisyah, a lover of lion dances and Chinese films who hopes to visit the country for real one day.

The Panda Palace also provides a mixture of Chinese and Indonesian cuisine on the second floor. The panda-shaped bread is an all-time best seller.

This year, a tiger-themed photo booth and a children's painting contest will enliven the Panda Palace. Also, a lion dance and a performance with dancers in Chinese costumes will welcome visitors at the entrance of the safari park.

The local Sumatran tigers at the lion and tiger enclosure also echo the Year of the Tiger, and in the zone, goodie bags are prepared for lucky visitors.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the safari park had up to 17,000 visitors on busy weekends, but it was closed temporarily twice when the COVID situation worsened.

Since late last year when the situation eased in the country, the number of visitors coming on weekends was recorded at around 4,000, and even 8,000 at the beginning of this year when people felt freer to travel.

"The Chinese New Year also provides a special moment for many Indonesian people. We hope the new year will bring good fortune to the park and to us all," said Hartono. 
-- The tensions grew last week, as the United States sent two batches of military assistance to Ukraine as part of a military package worth 200 million U.S. dollars. Another batch of U.S. defensive aid arrived in Kiev on Tuesday.



-- Some Ukrainian experts believed such panic of a possible conflict is artificially fomented. Igor Petrenko, an analyst at the International Center for Advanced Study, said the United States and Russia seem to be raising stakes ahead of possible dialogue between the two sides in the future.

-- Amid mounting tensions regarding Ukraine, Russian and U.S. officials held talks on Jan. 10 and Jan. 21 in Geneva. Russian representatives and NATO officials also held negotiations on Jan. 12 in Brussels. However, the talks have all ended without major breakthrough as expected, as related sides reportedly failed to find common ground on some issues, including NATO's non-expansion, a key demand from Moscow.

KIEV, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Relations between Ukraine and Russia have deteriorated recently, with both sides allegedly massing large numbers of military personnel and equipment in their border areas.

Meanwhile, members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are stepping up military activities in Eastern Europe amid tensions regarding Ukraine, despite Russia's warning that strengthened NATO presence near its borders are a "national security threat."

Attempts to defuse the tensions have come up with scarcely any results, as the latest talks between related sides have achieved no major breakthroughs. And yet experts believe diplomatic options remain.





RISING TENSIONS

Since November, Kiev and some western countries have accused Russia of assembling heavy troops near the Ukrainian border with a possible intention of "invasion."

Denying any intention to attack any country, Russia said it has the right to mobilize troops within its borders to defend its territory, as NATO's increasing military activities near Russia's borders constitute a threat to Russia's border security.

The tensions grew last week, as the United States sent two batches of military assistance to Ukraine as part of a military package worth 200 million U.S. dollars. Another batch of U.S. defensive aid arrived in Kiev on Tuesday.

Last week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine also received anti-tank defensive weapons from Britain, while Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania pledged military support for Ukraine.

On Monday, NATO said in a statement that Denmark, Spain, France and the Netherlands are sending or planning to send ships, planes or troops to NATO's deployments in Eastern Europe, adding that already present on the ground are Britain, Canada and Germany.

In response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Monday the Russian military cannot ignore NATO's increase in military activities as tensions regarding Ukraine have flared up.

In addition to the NATO maneuvers, Ukrainian authorities are massing forces on the line of contact with the two self-proclaimed republics in Donbass, Peskov noted.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) and Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna attend a joint press point at NATO Headquarters before the meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, Brussels, Belgium, Jan. 10, 2022. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

The current escalation of tensions was caused by the United States and its NATO allies, who have launched a propaganda campaign full of lies against Russia, he said.

In another development, the United States and Britain on Monday began withdrawing some staff and dependents from their embassies in Ukraine, stoking fears that a conflict is looming.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it considered the U.S. decision "premature and a manifestation of excessive caution."

Ukrainian political analyst Igor Chalenko said the two Western countries have no ample grounds for the move, which is unequivocally regarded in the world as a deterioration in the security situation in the host country.

"Considering that there have been no fundamental changes on the Ukrainian borders over the past year (the concentration of Russian troops has even somewhat decreased), today there is no reason to fully support the corresponding step by Washington and London," said Chalenko.

The United States and Britain are possibly withdrawing diplomats' families from Kiev in a move to prove the expediency of weapons supplies to Ukraine, he said. "It can be assumed that such a step with the evacuation is also aimed at leveling the opponents of providing new batches of weapons within these countries."





POSSIBLE CONFLICT?

Speaking at a press conference after an urgent meeting held on Monday by Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), Oleksiy Danilov, NSDC's secretary, urged Ukrainians to remain calm, stressing that a full-scale conflict is off the table at the moment.

"We don't see any grounds for allegations of an offensive against our country today. It would be impossible to pull this out, even physically," he said.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov told local TV channel ICTV that intelligence data showed the Russian military has not created a single strike group.

Following the NSDC meeting, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the Ukrainian authorities together with partners are working toward full de-escalation and progress along the path of a peaceful settlement.

"Everything is under control, there is no reason for panic," he said.

The U.S. Department of Defense announced Monday that some 8,500 U.S. troops have been put on heightened alert for a possible deployment due to escalating tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border, with no decision on formal deployments.

When asked about this possibility, Peskov said Tuesday these claims will not affect the current negotiations on Moscow's security guarantees.

Russia "needs to get the written response from the United States and NATO" to the recent security proposals, he said, hoping that this would happen this week.

However, the White House and U.S. media outlets seemed not to be on the same page with some Ukrainian and Russian officials. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned embassy staff that Russia could soon attack Ukraine during his recent visit to Kiev.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meet to discuss the security situation around Ukraine in Kiev, Ukraine, Jan. 19, 2022. (Ukrainian Presidential Office/Handout via Xinhua)

"This is an extremely dangerous situation. We're now at a stage where Russia could at any point launch an attack on Ukraine," White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last week.

On Tuesday, U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters that what is in Putin's mind remains vague, and that "it all comes down to his decision."

Some Ukrainian experts believed such panic of a possible conflict is artificially fomented. Igor Petrenko, an analyst at the International Center for Advanced Study, said the United States and Russia seem to be raising stakes ahead of possible dialogue between the two sides in the future.

"Of course, they will reach some agreements. The higher the degree of the talks now about the reality of a war that could escalate into a global conflict, the less negative consequences will be if an agreement is reached," he said.

"There is a big game going on between the U.S. and Russia, and Ukraine is just a tool in it," said Ukrainian military expert Oleg Zhdanov.





DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS

Amid mounting tensions regarding Ukraine, Russian and U.S. officials held talks on Jan. 10 and Jan. 21 in Geneva. Russian representatives and NATO officials also held negotiations on Jan. 12 in Brussels.

Alexander Lukashevich, Russia's permanent representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), speaks to reporters in Vienna, Austria, Jan. 13, 2022. (Photo by Georges Schneider/Xinhua)

However, the talks have all ended without major breakthrough as expected, as related sides reportedly failed to find common ground on some issues, including NATO's non-expansion, a key demand from Moscow.

On Wednesday, political envoys from Ukraine, Russia, Germany and France will meet in Paris for separate talks aimed at resolving the crisis.

Andriy Yermak, Ukraine's envoy to the talks, said the meeting will discuss the 2015 Minsk Agreements and steps to end the military conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Also this week, the U.S. side is expected to provide a promised written response to Russia's proposals on security guarantees, which were discussed during the Friday meeting between Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

Last month, Kremlin issued a set of demands to the United States and NATO, including a promise that the military bloc would not expand further eastward, according to U.S. media reports.

Moscow also wants NATO to promise that Ukraine will never be added as a member, that no alliance weapons will be deployed near Russian borders, and that it pulls back its forces from Central and Eastern Europe.

Many Ukrainian experts believed NATO is unlikely to make concessions on the non-expansion issue, and the only way out is to persuade Kiev to reconsider its intentions to join NATO.

"If Ukraine itself decides to abandon its plans to join NATO, adopting neutral status and decentralization with broad rights for the regions, then the conflict will be settled automatically," said Chalenko.

"The West and the Russian Federation will only have to breathe a sigh of relief and seal this status quo with their guarantees," he added. (Video reporters: Meng Jing, Li Dongxu; video editors: Wang Houyuan, Li Qin)
SUVA, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- At least 150 people from the most affected outer islands by the recent violent eruptions of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano have been relocated to Tonga's capital city Nuku'alofa.

According to Radio New Zealand on Wednesday, Tonga's Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Lord Fakafanua said that an emotional welcome ceremony was held for the evacuees on arrival in Tongatapu, Tonga's main island in which Nuku'alofa is located, starting with a church service.

Tonga faces a long road to recovery, with most of the population affected by the violent eruptions and tsunami that followed, and many areas still scrambling to restore basic necessities.

The relief supplies such as water, food and shelter are still the priority in Tonga's recovery and the international community has since been busy sending emergency supplies to Tonga.

The Tongan government has said earlier that almost 85 percent of the island nation's population has been affected by the volcanic eruption and tsunami on Jan. 14 and 15.

So far, at least three people have been killed and 14 others have been injured, but the Tongan government feared that the death toll would rise in the weeks to come.

Currently, telecommunications remain cut off in the Ha'apai and Vava'u group of islands in Tonga, with satellite phones being their only way of contacting the outside world. The Tongan authorities are now working with local telecommunications companies to expand network capacity in the island nation.

Meanwhile, the Suva-based Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) has launched a fundraising appeal to help Tonga's recovery from the volcanic eruptions and tsunami.

"It's with that in mind, and the extent of the damages we have seen to date, that we have launched the Blue Pacific Tonga Appeal, to help mobilize financial support for Tonga's recovery efforts," said PIF secretary general Henry Puna.

Fiji has sent a group of 51 military personnel to deploy in Tonga with Australian military soldiers. Fijian Minister for Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu said on Wednesday that the country is pursuing logistics and paperwork to send further assistance to Tonga.

Fiji may send a ship with relief supplies to Tonga in recent days, he added.

The Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, about 65 km north of Nuku'alofa, is part of the highly active Tonga-Kermadec Islands volcanic arc, a subduction zone extending from New Zealand north-northeast to Fiji. Over the past decades, the volcano has erupted several times. 
New Delhi:

The Congress on Monday questioned the role of President Ram Nath Kovind over the early morning abrogation of the Presidents rule in Maharashtra and asked if he applied his mind before taking the decision. Addressing a press conference, senior Congress leader Manish Tewari said that his party would request the Supreme Court to look into how Devendra Fadnavis was allowed to form the government.

"We want the Supreme Court to look into how this Government was formed illegally. When did the Governor receive claim for forming Govt, when was notice to remove Presidents rule received and more," Tewari said.

The Congress leader also questioned whether the President used his own mind and asked when was the Governor informed about the abrogation of Presidents rule in Maharashtra. "Did the President apply his mind? What was the application of mind done? At time was the Governor informed about abrogation of President's rule, at what time was he asked to administer oath so early in the morning?" he asked.

"Saturday's events (were) shameful and condemnable. We hope the top court studies all aspects, as to when letters were handed to (the) Governor from (the) BJP and an ally they found, as to how Governor studied the letters and took decisions," Tewari added.

We want the Supreme Court to look into how this Government was formed illegally. When did the Governor receive claim for forming Govt, when was notice to remove Presidents rule received and more: @ManishTewari pic.twitter.com/oPLzV5YYBz  Congress (@INCIndia) November 26, 2019

In a shocking turn of events, Devendra Fadnavis was administered oath on Saturday morning after the Presidents rule was removed from Maharashtra at 5:47 am. The Congress, Shiv Sena and NCP moved the Supreme Court against the "illegal" formation of government. The top court ordered Fadnavis to face floor test within 24 hours, following which he had to tender his resignation as he failed to arrange numbers.

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New Delhi:

The Nationalist Congress Party will get deputy chief ministers post in the new Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government, NCP leader Praful Patel said here on Wednesday night. The Congress will get Assembly Speakers post while the NCP will get deputy Speakers post, Patel told reporters after a meeting of the the Maha Vikas Aghadi of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

He also said that alongwith Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who will be sworn in as chief minister on Thursday evening, one or two members of each of the three parties will take oath as ministers. There will be only one deputy CMs post in the government, he added.

Earlier, there were reports that had suggested that apart from the Chief Minister portfolio, Shiv Sena will have 15 ministers in Maharashtra cabinet while Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) will have Deputy Chief Minister and 13 other ministers, sources said on Wednesday.

"Apart from Chief Minister, Shiv Sena to have 15 ministers, NCP to have Deputy Chief Minister and 13 other ministers. Congress to have Assembly Speaker and 13 ministers," sources told ANI.

The 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi', comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress along with some small parties and Independents, had staked claim for government formation in the state after the BJP-led government collapsed on Tuesday. The coalition of the three parties chose Uddhav Thackeray as the leader of the alliance and nominated him for the chief minister's post.

Thackeray will be sworn-in as the 18th Maharashtra chief minister on November 28 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Alongwith Uddhav Thackeray as chief minister, one or two members from each of the three parties are also expected to take oath as ministers. The Shiv Sena has invited several state heads of Congress-ruled states for Uddhav Thackeray's swearing in ceremony.

Uddhav's son Aditya Thackeray personally invited Congress Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh for his father's swearing-in. Although the Gandhi family is unlikely to attend the function, at least two chief ministers from Congress-ruled states are will witness the ocassion. Uddhav Thackeray is also said to have dialed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to invite him for his oath-taking ceremony. PM Modi too is unlikely to attend.

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New Delhi:

Rahul Khannas 'worry' for the people behind Malaika Aroras recent Instagram pictures is all of us. The fitness star who has a very engaging social media account treated fans once again with a gorgeous photoshoot where she donned a sequin, high-slit silver dress against a massive silver screen. While her picture got the attention of all including Dia Mirza who couldnt help but exclaim, Oh my dear goddess, Rahul is more worried about those people who will be in charge of flattening out the massive silver screen.

Wouldnt want to be in charge of ironing that! the actor commented.

Arora, a few days ago also had heads turning and lips moving when she uploaded a picture of her in tank top and heavy-makeup, a trend normally not seen on her.

While some were in awe of her beauty, some went on full troll-mood callinger her out for her over-the-top makeup, "Is makeup on you or are you on make up?," wrote a fan. Others even compared her makeup to the viral sensation Ranu Mondals viral picture that drove the internet into a frenzy.






New Delhi:

As Uddhav Thackeray is set to take oath as the next chief minister of Maharashtra on November 28, his party Shiv Sena is also likely to get 15 ministerial berth in the new cabinet. According to ANI, apart from Chief Minister, Shiv Sena to have 15 ministers, NCP to have Deputy Chief Minister and 13 other ministers and Congress to have Assembly Speaker and 13 ministers. ANI tweeted quoting sources.

On Tuesday, Devendra Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra chief minister ahead of the floor test shortly after rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar did a u-turn and quit as his deputy, in another dramatic twist to the month-long political saga.

Admitting he does not have the majority hours after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test for Wednesday, Fadnavis was back in Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari just three days after he was sworn in at a hush-hush ceremony last Saturday. His return for a second term followed stunning midnight developments where Ajit Pawar revolted and propped up the BJP government.

Hours after 49-year-old Fadnavis quit, a post-poll alliance of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) and the Congress, picked Uddhav Thackeray, 59, as its nominee for the chief ministers post.

Leaders of the three parties on Tuesday night met the governor and staked claim to form the government following which Koshyari invited the alliance.

Thackeray will be sworn-in on November 28, the Sena said after the meeting.

The decision to name Thackeray was taken earlier at a joint meeting of the three parties at a suburban hotel in Mumbai.

While state NCP chief Jayant Patil proposed Thackerays name as the (next) chief minister, the State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat seconded the proposal.

The meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior party leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatanas Raju Shetti, Samajwadi Partys Abu Azmi, MLAs of all these parties and others.

The three parties named their alliance as Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi.

The BJP with 105 MLAs is the single largest party while the Senas 56 MLAs along with the NCP and Congress 54 and 44 legislators, respectively, would take the combines tally to 154. The majority mark in a House of 288 is 145.

Uddhav, who had emerged as a consensus candidate on Friday night and was set to be the chief minister before the BJP turned the tables on its former ally, will be the first from the Thackeray family to assume a government post. His father late Bal Thackeray wielded the remote control over the first Sena-BJP combine government during 1995-99 but never assumed a position in the government.

Uddhav Thackeray recently recalled the promise he had made to his late father to install a Shiv Sainik (party worker) as chief minister of Maharashtra.

The BJPs efforts to cobble a majority hoping that Ajit Pawar will be able to enlist the support of a a large section of the MLAs of the NCP came a cropper after almost all the 54 legislators stood by his uncle and party supremo Sharad Pawar, the 78-year-old Maratha strongman.

Sharad Pawar, who spoke to Ajit over phone in the morning asking him to revisit his decision, has been credited for the u-turn by his nephew and was being described as the man of the match. Ajit Pawar cited personal reasons for his decision to quit.

Fadnavis handed over his resignation to the Governor after he announced his decision at a crowded news conference in Mumbai.

Ajit Pawar had supported the BJP as leader of the 54-member NCP legislature party and with his resignation earlier in the day, the government has lost majority, said Fadnavis, hours after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test for the BJP leader to prove his majority.

The court said there is a possibility of horse trading in case of a delay in floor test. The Governor had on Saturday given 14 days time to Fadnavis to prove his majority, the apex court was told on Monday.

We dont have majority after Ajit Pawars resignation as deputy chief minister, Fadnavis said on a day of fast paced political and legal developments.

Fadnavis said the BJP will become the voice of the people as a responsible opposition. We wont indulge in horse-trading, he added.

Ajit Pawar told me he was quitting due to personal reasons.

The Maharashtra Assembly poll mandate was more for the BJP than the Shiv Sena, he added.

Shiv Sena lied to us and started talking to other parties after poll results. Shiv Sena claims to be a party that believes in Hindutva, but today, their Hindutva is bowing to Sonia Gandhi. They are swearing by Sonia Gandhi, he added.

In its order, the apex court also directed that the voting in the Assembly will not be on the basis of secret ballot and the entire proceedings will have to be telecast live.

In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case, might be the most effective mechanism to do so, said a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna.

The resignation of Fadnavis came a day after the Sena-led alliance paraded 162 MLAs in an unprecedented show of strength at a luxury hotel in Mumbai on Monday night indicating that the numbers were stacked heavily against the BJP. The alliance, which is expected to have a Common Minimum Programme(CMP), was stitched after hectic parleys involving Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Once being the only second chief minister in Maharashtra to complete the full five-year term, Fadnavis now holds the dubious distinction of being the CM with the shortest tenure of four days in the last 59 years.

The NCP had removed Ajit Pawar as its legislature party leader the same day after he took oath as the deputy chief minister.

Governor Koshyari called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday for the 288 newly-elected members to take oath.

The oath will be administered by newly-appointed pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar. The session will begin at 8 am.

NCP leader Nawab Malik said the collapse of the Fadnavis government has punctured the BJPs arrogance while Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was based on defections and fell like a house of cards,

The BJP for its part said parties rejected by people in the Assembly polls have joined hands to steal popular mandate.

The BJP also rejected the oppositions criticism over its decision to form government despite lacking numbers, with its spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao saying it had done so in good faith after being assured of the NCPs support by its leader Ajit Pawar.

The opportunistic alliance of defeated parties will not enjoy the public support and invite public wrath, he said.

The collapse of the nascent government capped the month-long uncertainty in Maharashtra politics, which witnessed many twists and turns since the results of the assembly elections were declared on October 24. With no party having the requisite numbers, Presidents Rule was imposed on November 12, which was lifted on November 23 paving the return of Fadnavis as chief minister.

The Shiv Sena walked away from the Mahayuti (the Sena-BJP alliance) on the issue of sharing the chief ministers post

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New Delhi:

Bihar Cooperative Bank Score Card has been released for Assistant Manager post. Candidates need to visit the official website, i.e. biharbank.bih.nic.in to check the Assistant Manager Score Card. Candidates who have appeared for the interview round in the Bihar Cooperative Assistant Manager exam can check their scorecard by visiting biharbank.bih.nic.in/recruitment.htm. The Bihar Cooperative Bank has released the interview marks as well as the grand total.

Earlier, the Bihar State Cooperative Multipurpose Assistant Mains exam was held in December  January. Candidates who qualified in the main exam were called for the interview round. The number of vacancies released for Assistant Manager and Multipurpose Assistant were 108 and 326 respectively.

In order to download the Bihar Cooperative Bank Assistant Manager Score Card 2019, candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps:

First, visit the official website, biharbank.bih.nic.in

Click on the download link of Scorecard of Assistant Manager

A new window will open wherein candidates can get the scorecard in the PDF format

Download and take the printout of the scorecard for future reference

For more details, candidates need to visit the official website of Bihar Cooperative Bank, i.e. biharbank.bih.nic.in.
Saudi Arabia's non-oil exports have registered a 26.1 per cent growth in November surging to hit SR26 billion ($7 billion) from SR20.6 billion last year, according to the November 2021 International Trade Report issued by the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

The kingdom's non-oil exports increased by SR2.1 billion or 9% compared to October 2021, it stated.

According to GASTAT, the overall merchandise exports increased by 82.5% in November compared to the year before, when international trade was impacted by Covid-related lockdowns and travel bans in numerous countries.

The value of exports amounted to SR107.3 billion in November, up from SR58.8 billion over 2020. This increase originated mainly from oil exports, which rose by SAR 43.1 billion or 112.8% in the same period.

The share of oil exports in total exports increased from 65.0% in November 2020 to 75.8% in November 2021. Compared to October, the total merchandise exports increased by SR1.1 billion or 1%.

The report further revealed that the kingdom's merchandise imports increased by 1.4% in November. The value of imports amounted to SR49.4 billion in November 2021 compared to SR48.7 billion the previous year.
New Delhi:

Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, the BJP lawmaker from Bhopal, was removed from the Parliamentary panel of defence on Thursday after her controversial anti-Mahatma Gandhi remark in the Lok Sabha. Sources have told News Nation that she will not be part of BJP Parliamentary party meet also. There are chances that Thakur may be expelled from the BJP following her statement. BJPs working president JP Nadda also slammed Thakur for her remark. Distancing the party from Thakurs statement in which she called Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse a deshbhakt, Nadda said that, her statement yesterday in the parliament is condemnable. BJP never supports such statement or ideology. Announcing partys decision, Nadda said that, We have decided that Pragya Singh Thakur will be removed from the consultative committee of defence, and in this session she will not be allowed to participate in the parliamentary party meetings. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh has given suspension of business under rule 267 in Rajya Sabha over BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's reported reference to Nathuram Godse as 'deshbhakt', in Lok Sabha.

Malegaon terror attack accused Pragya Thakur on Wednesday referred to Mahatma Gandhis killer Nathuram Godse as a "deshbhakt" during a debate in Lok Sabha, triggering a protest by the Opposition members. When DMK member A Raja cited a statement of Godse on why he killed Mahatma Gandhi during a discussion on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, Thakur interrupted and said, "You cannot give example of a deshbhakt."

This is not the first time Thakur had made such a disastrous remark. Earlier, during the Lok Sabha election campaign, Thakur had said that Gandhis killer Nathuram Godse was a "true patriot" and those calling him a terrorist should look within themselves. The remarks hailing Godse had triggered a massive controversy with people and politicians slamming the 2006 Malegaon blast accused for insulting "Father Of The Nation".

Reacting to her remark, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that although she has apologised, he will never be able to forgive her fromhis heart and his party had given her a 10-day time to explain the statement. BJP president Amit Shah had also said that a disciplinary committee will take necessary action against her. However, no action was taken against her by the BJP.

Soon after winning the Lok Sabha election from Bhopal, the terror accused BJP MP had created another controversy with her remark that she has not become a lawmaker to clean drains or toilets, a statement the Congress said exposed the "hollowness" of the BJPs flagship 'Swachh Bharat' campaign. She had also claimed that the then Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who was martyered in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, lost his life due to her "curse".

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New Delhi:

Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday where floor test will be conducted after pro-tem speaker administers oath to the 288 newly-elected members, an official said on Tuesday. The oath will be administered by newly-appointed pro tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar at the session, which will begin at 8 am.

Kolambkar was appointed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday evening on directions of the Supreme Court which ordered a floor test on Wednesday.

"Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special session of the legislative assembly on Wednesday. The session would begin at 8am for the oath-taking ceremony of the 288 members. Following the oath, the pro-tem speaker will call for a floor test," the official said.

The newly elected members couldn't take oath even one month after the results of the assembly polls were announced, due to political up and downs in the state. The state remained under President's Rule for a period of 13 days between November 12 and November 23 in the wake of no political party able to form a government and the Assembly in suspended animation.

Earlier in the day, ordering a floor test for the Devendra Fadnavis government, the apex court asked Koshyari to appoint a pro-tem speaker and ensure all elected members of the House are sworn in on Wednesday itself by 5 pm. However, the BJP-led government, which was formed on the support of NCP leader Ajit Pawar on November 23, collapsed on Tuesday afternoon, after Pawar stepped down as deputy chief minister and Fadnavis as chief minister.

The 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, on Monday submitted a letter claiming support of 162 MLAs to the governor. Earlier in the day, Fadnavis announced that he was stepping down as the BJP lost majority in view of Ajit Pawar resigning from his post. The NCP has announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would be the next chief minister of Maharashtra.
New Delhi:

After chairing his first-ever Cabinet meeting as Maharashtra chief minister, Uddhav Thacekray on Thursday assured the people of the state of a good government and vowed to help farmers in a manner which will make them happy. "I want to assure the people of the state that we will give a good government. I want to help the farmers in a manner which will make them happy," Thackeray said.

Thackeray, who was sworn in the CM in Mumbai hours earlier, chaired the first meeting of his Cabinet at Sahyadri Guest House in south Mumbai. He said the first decision of the Cabinet was to approve Rs 20 crore fund for conserving Raigad Fort, which was the capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

"We can paint a better picture if we know the reality. We have sought inputs. Farmers have not got anything, but only assurances. We want to provide concrete help to farmers, he told reporters after the meeting. We want to ensure an atmosphere in the state wherein nobody will feel terrorised," he said.

Also Read | Uddhav Thackeray Wears Maharashtra Crown In Glittering Swearing-In Ceremony

The meeting was attended by six ministers - Shiv Senas Eknath Shinde and Subhash Desai, NCPs Chhagan Bhujbal and Jayant Patil and Congress' Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut - who had also taken the oath during Thackerays swearing-in ceremony.

Uddhav Thackeray heads the 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi' coalition government of the Shiv Sena, the Congress and the NCP. NCP chief Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit and Uddhav Thackeray's son Aditya along with other senior members of the three parties were also present during the meeting

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New Delhi:

The Congress, NCP and Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition on Wednesday held a meeting in Mumbai to discuss the distribution of cabinet births but failed to reach consensus on the issue. After the meeting, which was attended by top leaders of the three parties, no announcement was made regarding the distribution of portfolios among them.

When News Nation tried to ask Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan about it, he dodged all the questions regarding the distribution of Cabinet portfolios and left without answering them. However, another Congress leaderAhmed Patel claimed that all the issues have been sorted out but he too refrained from divulging details. "We have sorted out all the issues, you will get to know tomorrow," Ahmed Patel told news agency ANI.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, NCP leaer Praful Patel said that although it was not decided how many ministers will take oath, one or two leaders from each parties will be sworn-in. He also confirmed that deputy chief minister will be from NCP while Speaker's post will go to the Congress party. However, he didn't reveal whether Ajit Pawar will be the deputy chief minsiter from NCP's side.

Also Read | Maharashtra Cabinet: Shiv Sena To Get 15 Ministers Apart From CM Berth, NCP-Congress 13 Each

"How many ministers will take oath will be decided tonight. But it is expected 1 or 2 MLAs from each party will take oath as ministers. Speaker has been decided by all three parties, Speaker will be from Congress and Deputy Speaker from NCP.... There will be only one deputy chief minister and that will be from NCP," Patel said.

The 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi', comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress along with some small parties and Independents, had staked claim for government formation in the state after the BJP-led government collapsed on Tuesday. The coalition of the three parties chose Uddhav Thackeray as the leader of the alliance and nominated him for the chief minister's post.

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New Delhi:

Months after the Indian Air Force pre-dawn airstrikes destroyed the terror camps in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the terrorists are trying to reactivate the Balakot camp, the Narendra Modi government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. In a reply in the Upper House, GK Reddy (Minister of State Home), said: Inputs indicate that attempts are being made by Pakistan-based terrorists to reactivate their camp in Balakot and restart their religious and Jihadi indoctrination courses against India. Indian govt committed to take steps to protect borders.

On being asked about steps taken towards resettlement of Kashmiri Pandits and other communities after abrogation of Article 370, Reddy said that the Government of India and J&K government continue to take proactive steps for relief and resettlement of Kashmir migrants. He further said that 3000 state government jobs have been created for Kashmiri migrants, 6000 transit accommodations have been approved. Modi government has also approved a scheme with an outlay of Rs 2000 crores for grants of financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakhs per family for 36,384 displaced families of Pakistan occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK & Chhamb) which initially settled in J&K, Reddy added.

Last Month, an ANI report had also pointed out that terrorists camps in Pakistans Balakot, where Indian Air Force conducted air strikes, have been reactivated and around 40-45 Jaish-e-Mohammed Terrorists are receiving training. The Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a counter-terror operation, hitting the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot, deep inside Pakistan on February 26. Although the government didnt release a specific number of causalities, it was estimated that some 30-40 terrorists were killed in the strike. Pakistan, however, dismissed the presence of terrorists and said that Indian bombs only destroyed a few trees.

The Balakot strike had its aftermath and Air Forces of bother India and Pakistan indulged in an intense dog fight mid-air next day. In the fight, Indian fighter jet was downed and a pilot was captured by Pakistan. It was also claimed that before going down, the Indian pilot had shot down a Pakistani F-16 from his MiG-Bishop. Now nearly 8 months after the strike, sources have once again seen terrorists training camps in the Pakistan town. They also said that some suicide bombers are also being mind washed at Balakot camps.

Jaish, a Pakistan-based terrorist outfit, is planning to carry out major strikes in Jammu and Kashmir following Indias move to strip the state of its special status, guaranteed under the Article 370 of the Constitution. The terrorists of Jaish are trying to infiltrate into the Indian side of the border to carry out attacks.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
London:

Tata Steel Europe said it had begun consultations with the European Works Council (EWC) on Wednesday on restructuring plans for its business, which would include up to 3,000 job losses - 1,000 of which will be in the UK. The job cuts had been announced by the Indian steel major last week as part of a wider transformation programme as it blamed ongoing losses and continued global headwinds faced by the steel industry.

As part of the comprehensive set of proposals, Tata Steel Europe intends to lower employment costs, the company statement said.

This is expected to lead to an estimated reduction in employee numbers of up to 3,000, about two-thirds of which would be management and office-based roles. Up to 1,600 are expected in the Netherlands, 1,000 in the UK and 350 elsewhere in the world, it said.

Tata Steel said it aims to build a financially strong and sustainable European business, able to make the investments required to accelerate innovation and the companys journey towards carbon-neutral steelmaking.

Tata Steel in Europe CEO, Henrik Adam, said: Im very proud to see the dedication of everyone in this business, determined to succeed even in the face of a very tough market. I also understand and appreciate colleagues concerns about these proposals.

Change creates uncertainty, but we cannot afford to stand still as a company, the world around us is changing fast and we have to adapt. Our strategy is to build a strong and stable European business, capable of making significant investments needed for a successful future.

During the meeting this week, which marked the official start of the employee consultation process with the EWC workers unions, Tata Steel Europe said it had shared initial proposals about its transformation programme, focused across three other key areas besides lowering employment costs to improve the companys financial performance.

Increasing sales of higher-value steels by improving product mix and customer focus; efficiency gains by optimising production processes, supported by the application of big data and advanced analytics; and reduction of procurement costs through smarter sourcing and strengthening cooperation with companies within the Tata Steel group are among the other key focus areas of the companys plans.

Tata Steel said it agreed with the EWC on a forward process and will meet again in the coming weeks to discuss further details, with employees and other stakeholders kept updated during the process.

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine's Chief Ministerial nominee Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday night reached Raj Bhavan and staked claim to form government in Maharashtra. Leaders of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress elected Uddhav Thackeray as their nominee for the chief minister's post at a meeting in Mumbai, hours after four-day-old BJP government led by Devendra Fadnavis and supported by NCP's Ajit Pawar collapsed.

Uddhav Thackeray will be the first member of the Thackeray family to become Maharashtra chief minister.

"We are submitting a joint statement of staking claim for government formation before the governor. We will also produce proof of the support of all the MLAs of the three parties to the governor as a part of the mandatory procedure," said the leader.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil proposed Thackeray's name as "the (next) chief minister". State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat seconded the proposal.

The meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior party leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana's Raju Shetti, Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi, MLAs of all these parties and others. The three parties named their alliance as 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi'.
Mumbai:

The swearing-in of members of the 14th Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Wednesday marked a rare occasion when the House assembled for the session without formation of a government and appointment of chief minister. State Vidhan Bhawans in-charge secretary Rajendra Bhagawat told PTI that during the last couple of decades, the chief minister was sworn in first followed by other members.

The floor test is also then conducted immediately or in the following session. In the present case, no chief minister has been administered oath, but the swearing-in ceremony of House members is being held, he noted.

Catch Live Updates Here:

15:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Preparations underway at Shivaji Park, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, tomorrow.



Mumbai: Preparations underway at Shivaji Park, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Minister of #Maharashtra, tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/AgO2VNw7NY

 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019



15:11 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In "I am not unhappy with anyone. I will accept any responsibility given by my party," Ajit Pawar

13:23 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel and Mallikarjun Kharge holding meeting at NCP Chief Sharad Pawar's residence.

12:28 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In My personal opinion is that BJP should not have taken support of Ajit Dada Pawar. He is an accused in the massive irrigation scam and faces many allegations, so we should not have allied with him: BJP leader Eknath Khadse

11:57 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We are committed to making a new Maharashtra. There are several first time MLAs and we all felt proud while taking oath. Want to serve the people of the state: Aaditya Thackeray

11:44 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I will say the right thing at the right time, don't worry: Devendra Fadnavis on if it was a mistake to ally with Ajit Pawar

11:35 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Rahul Gandhi may skip swearing-in ceremony of Uddhav Thackeray: Reports

11:02 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Sena will invite Modi-Shah to Uddhav swearing-in ceremony: Sanjay Raut

11:08 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Don't get surprised if Sena comes to power in Delhi too, says Sanjay Raut



#WATCH Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena: Maine kaha tha,'hamara surya yaan mantrale ke chhate manjil par safely land karega',tab sab hass rahe the. Lekin hamare surya yaan ka safe landing hogaya. Aane wale samay mein agar ye surya yaan Delhi mein bhi utre toh aapko aashcharya nahi hoga. pic.twitter.com/d5aWqpT4yu

 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019



10:46 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The way Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as Maharashtra chief minister was an "assault" on the office of the President: Congress leader P Chidambaram

10:06 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In I have nothing to say (right now), I will speak at the right time. I had said earlier also, I am in the NCP and I will remain in the NCP: Ajit Pawar

09:20 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Uddhav Thackeray, wife Rashmi meet Maha governor at Raj Bhavan.

08:38 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We are happy that Ajit Pawar has come back. He is also here today. He is a part of NCP. Going forward, we would work under his guidance: NCP MLA Rohit Pawar, grand nephew of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

08:36 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal, Aaditya Thackeray among those administered oath as MLAs.

08:31 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In We are happy that finally the dream of Balasaheb ji Thackeray is being fulfilled. 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' will be led by Uddhav Thackeray, guided by Sharad Pawar & Sonia ji madam has made immense contribution to it, so we will do great work for Maharashtra: Neelam Gorhe of Shiv Sena.

08:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Pro tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar starts administering oath to members in the 288-member House.

08:14 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Lot of new responsibility. Every citizen of Maharashtra stood by us: NCP leader Supriya Sule.

08:03 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Devendra Fadnavis arrives at the assembly, ahead of the first session of the new assembly today.



Mumbai: Devendra Fadnavis arrives at the assembly, ahead of the first session of the new assembly today. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/s4ejZW3GE0

 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019



08:05 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule arrive at the Assembly, ahead of the first session of the new Assembly today.



Mumbai: NCP leaders Ajit Pawar & Supriya Sule arrive at the assembly, ahead of the first session of the new assembly today. Oath will be administered to the MLAs in the assembly today. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/lyGtcCunif

 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019



07:55 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray offers prayers at Siddhivinayak Temple, ahead of the first session of new assembly today.



Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray offers prayers at Siddhivinayak Temple, ahead of the first session of new assembly today. From 8.00 am onwards, oath will be administered to the MLAs in the assembly. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/drMVjqOGIy

 ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2019



07:29 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Uddhav Thackeray is likely to meet PM Narendra Modi today. Hell be swearing-in as the CM of Maharashtra on November 28.

07:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The NCP has announced that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray would be the next chief minister of Maharashtra.

07:24 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, on Monday submitted a letter claiming support of 162 MLAs to the governor.

07:20 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Kolambkar was appointed by Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday evening on directions of the Supreme Court which ordered a floor test on Wednesday.

07:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In The oath will be administered by newly-appointed pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar at the session, which will begin at 8 am.

07:19 (IST) Facebook Twitter Whats app Linked In Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has called a special session of the Legislative Assembly.
New Delhi:

HD Kumaraamy took a dig at Devendra Fadnavis resigned as the chief minister of Maharashtra. "I am sad to hear that Devendra Fadnavis has quit. Actually, I should have been the happiest man. Was it not he who gave everything to BJP to topple my government? Time takes care of everything, Kumaraswamy said in a tweet on Tuesday afternoon, adding that the BJP is paying the price for being power-hungry.

Devendra Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra chief minister on Tuesday ahead of the floor test shortly after rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar did a u-turn and quit as his deputy, in another dramatic twist to the month-long political saga that will see Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray being sworn in as the BJP leader's successor on November 28.

Admitting he does not have the majority hours after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test for Wednesday, Fadnavis was back in Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari just three days after he was sworn in at a hush-hush ceremony last Saturday. His return for a second term followed stunning midnight developments where Ajit Pawar revolted and propped up the BJP government.

Hours after 49-year-old Fadnavis quit, a post-poll alliance of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) and the Congress, picked Uddhav Thackeray, 59, as its nominee for the chief minister's post.

Leaders of the three parties on Tuesday night met the governor and staked claim to form the government following which Koshyari invited the alliance.

Thackeray will be sworn-in on November 28, the Sena said after the meeting.

The decision to name Thackeray was taken earlier at a joint meeting of the three parties at a suburban hotel in Mumbai.

While state NCP chief Jayant Patil proposed Thackeray's name as "the (next) chief minister", the State Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat seconded the proposal.

The meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior party leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana's Raju Shetti, Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi, MLAs of all these parties and others.

The three parties named their alliance as 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi'.

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Tokyo:

Around 50 human rights activists rallied in front of Pakistans embassy here in Japan on Tuesday, demanding capital punishment for Mumbai terror attack mastermind and chief of the banned JuD Hafiz Saeed as they paid tributes to the victims of the 26/11 carnage. Remembering the victims, the activists said that about 11 years ago, a cowardly act of terrorism took 166 innocent lives which included Indians and many non-Indians.

A Japanese citizen Hisashi Tsuda was also one of the victims of this terror attack in Mumbai who was on a business trip during the fateful day, said a statement issued by the activists. Investigations have pointed towards Saeed as a mastermind behind this attack who is a co-founder of terror group Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) and also chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD), operating mainly from Pakistan, the activists said.

As a tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attack as well as tribute to victims of terror attacks elsewhere, around 40-50 human right activists demonstrated in front of Pakistan embassy in Tokyo, demanding capital punishment for Saeed, the statement said. The US has announced a bounty of USD 10 million on Saeed for his alleged role in the 2008 Mumbai attack.

The Trump administration demanded justice for the victims of the Mumbai terror attack in which six Americans were among those who were killed. Saeed is a UN-designated terrorist.

India has banned his organisations LeT and JuD as terrorist organisations. The US, the UK, the European Union, Russia and Australia have also banned the LeT.

However, Pakistan has been reluctant to take any concrete action against Saeed. It has also faced strict scrutiny and serious warnings from FATF (Financial Action Task Force) for its lack of action to curb terror financing by pro-terror groups and individuals, the statement said.

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TCN  SEED APPRENTICESHIP 2022

The TCN-SEED Apprenticeship offers aspiring journalists writing in Hindi or English an opportunity to build their communication skills and professional network under the guidance of experienced mentors. The vision of the program is to provide training and capacity building for authentic voices from communities traditionally absent in mainstream Indian media.

Support TwoCircles



Two Circles (TCN) is a long-standing non-profit voice for the marginalized sections of India and has been a pioneer platform for community journalism. Support for Education and Economic Development (SEED) is a charitable organization with a vision of supporting the underprivileged in India.

The goal of the apprenticeship is to provide employment, tell news stories of marginalized communities and prepare a young person for a life that works towards the empowerment of the marginalized in India. It is a professional, vocational training scheme that doesnt compromise on the exacting standards that are vital in modern newsrooms. Former journalism apprentices with TCN have gone on to join reputable organizations.

Term of apprenticeship

April 2022- March 2023

Requirements

Applicants should have recently completed a journalism or equivalent degree. At least one year of experience in professional employment or an advanced graduate degree is preferred. Experience and familiarity with writing and content creation in English and/or Hindi is required.

Apprentices have similar responsibilities as full-time journalists at TCN. Hence, they are required to be able to work in a fast-paced environment and be quick to respond to feedback.

Everyone attached to Two Circles and SEED has a commitment to social justice and an active interest in highlighting the perspective of marginalized communities in India. Apprentices are expected to adhere to the same values. Individuals from under-represented groups are highly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Please email the following to [email protected]

A resume detailing your educational and professional background

A short description (not exceeding 750 words) of why you are interested in this position and your career goals

A writing sample on a topic of your choice (Optional)

Deadline for Application

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until March 10, 2022

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an apprentice journalist expected to do?

A TCN-SEED apprenticeship begins with an initial meeting with TCN staff and/or mentors to discuss their strengths and needs. TCN evaluates the annual plan and capacity to match the journalist with their mentors. One may have more than one mentor assigned. The mentors meet with the journalists on a regular basis and advise them on various aspects of writing community stories. Journalists are expected to write or help with writing at least a minimum number of stories for TwoCircles.net. and they receive a byline for their work. All stories are subject to the same editorial standards and processes as regular TCN journalists.

Is this a paid program?

Apprentice journalists receive a monthly stipend of $250 USD for their work.

How much of a time commitment am I looking at?

Each story that a journalist works on is assigned a due date by the mentor. Journalists are expected to treat the program as a full-time commitment for a one-year period.

What can I submit as a writing sample for the application?

Virtually any kind of writing in English or Hindi will be accepted as long as it is original. It can be a piece published/submitted elsewhere or written for the express purpose of this application. Applicants are encouraged to pick something that showcases their writing skills as well as their interest in the topics relevant to Two Circles.

Can I choose my mentor?

Two Circles welcomes experienced journalists, communicators and alumni to share their knowledge and skills with the next generation as mentors. Journalists will have an opportunity to express their preference but the final matching and structure of the apprenticeship is determined based on capacity and availability of the mentors.

What is the policy on republishing my stories?

All stories written by the journalists for TCN shall be original, not published or submitted elsewhere. The mentor and editor will work with the journalist to ensure quality content. However, if a pitch or story is deemed unfit by the editor/mentor and is not published by TCN, you will be welcome to seek other venues. Unless otherwise noted, a journalist can republish their piece by crediting TwoCircles.net and linking it back. All stipulations of the Creative Commons license apply to apprentice journalists as well.
New Delhi:

MPSC 2019 Section Officer Result has been declared by Manipur Public Service Commission. The result is being announced for the Engineers Section Officer post. In addition to this, the answer key is also released on the official website of the commission, i.e. mpscmanipur.gov.in. Candidates who appeared for the exam need to visit the official website and click on the Section Officer result link to check the result. Earlier, the Engineers Section Officer exam was held from February 24 to March 18, 2019.

In order to download the MPSC 2019 Section Officer result, candidates need to follow the below mentioned steps:

First, visit the official website of Manipur Public Service Commission, i.e. mpscmanipur.gov.in

Then, click on the Engineers Section Officer Result link that is flashing at the top of homepage

A new page will in the PDF format will open

Check and download the result for future reference

Candidates who have qualified in the MPSC Engineers Section Officer 2019 exam need to appear for the Interview and personality test. Candidates will be shortlisted after the interview round for the post of section officer Grade 1 and Grade 2. It is to note that shortlisted candidates need to carry all the required documents in original at the time of interview round. The interview and personality test date are yet to be announced by the commission.

Earlier, the MPSC Engineers Section Officer released the job notification with advertisement number 02/2019 for 376 vacant posts. The online application process was started on January 24, 2019 and ended on February 7, 2019. The date of exam was from February 24 to March 18, 2019.
New Delhi:

Petrol Rate, Diesel Rate Today: Fuel prices saw marginal changes on Tuesday, November 29. As per the Indian Oil website, the petrol rates are Rs 74.81 per litre in Delhi, Rs 80.46 per litre in Mumbai, Rs 77.49 per litre in Kolkata, and Rs 77.77 per litre in Chennai, respectively. However, diesel prices remained unchanged. Diesel prices in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai remained at Rs 65.78, Rs 69.00, Rs 68.19 and Rs 69.53 per litre respectively.

In Noida, petrol is retailing at Rs 76.14 a litre, while diesel price is Rs 66.09 a litre. The price of petrol in Gurugram is Rs 74.34 a litre while diesel was selling at Rs 65.13 a litre.

How To Get Petrol, Diesel Rates Via SMS

You can check the latest rate of petrol and diesel via SMS. IOC customers can send RSP to 9224992249, BPCL users can message RSP at 9223112222 and HPCL customers can send HPPRICE to 9222201122 for the latest prices.

Why Petrol, Diesel Prices Change Every Day?

The fuel prices are in India are revised daily. Petrol and diesel prices are revised every day at 06:00 am to sync it with the variation in global oil prices. Oil marketing companies (OMC) review the global fuel prices and decide petrol and diesel daily. Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum release the new rates at 6 am every morning. Generally, when international crude oil prices gain, prices in India move higher. Other factors also impact the price of fuel like rupee to US dollar exchange rate, cost of crude oil, global cues, demand for fuel, and so on.

Why Fuel Prices Differ In Every City?

The price of fuel includes excise duty, value-added tax (VAT), and dealer commission. As VAT varies from state to state, the price of fuel is different in every city.

(Disclaimer: This information is based on external sources and News Nation is not responsible for any difference in the rates)

For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress combine's Maharashtra chief ministerial nominee Uddhav Thackeray will take oath at 5.30 pm on Thursday, announced state Congress chief Balasaheb Thorat after meeting Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to stake claim to form the government.

Thackeray on Tuesday night reached the Raj Bhavan and staked claim to form government in Maharashtra. Leaders of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress elected Thackeray as their nominee for the chief minister's post at a meeting in Mumbai, hours after four-day-old BJP government led by Devendra Fadnavis and supported by NCP's Ajit Pawar collapsed.

"We are submitting a joint statement of staking claim for government formation before the governor. We will also produce proof of the support of all the MLAs of the three parties to the governor as a part of the mandatory procedure," said the leader.

Maharashtra NCP chief Jayant Patil proposed Thackeray's name as "the (next) chief minister".

Thorat seconded the proposal. The meeting was attended by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, senior party leader Praful Patel, Congress leader Ashok Chavan, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana's Raju Shetti, Samajwadi Party's Abu Azmi, MLAs of all these parties and others. The three parties named their alliance as 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi'.

Fadnavis resigned as Maharashtra chief minister on Tuesday ahead of the floor test shortly after rebel NCP leader Ajit Pawar did a u-turn and quit as his deputy, in another dramatic twist to the month-long political saga that will see Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray being sworn in as the BJP leader's successor on November 28.

Admitting he does not have the majority hours after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test for Wednesday, Fadnavis was back in Raj Bhavan to submit his resignation to the Governor just three days after he was sworn in at a hush-hush ceremony last Saturday.

His return for a second term followed stunning midnight developments where Ajit Pawar revolted and propped up the BJP government. Hours after 49-year-old Fadnavis quit, a post-poll alliance of the Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party(NCP) and the Congress, picked Thackeray, 59, as its nominee for the chief minister's post. The three parties named their alliance as 'Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi'.

The BJP with 105 MLAs is the single largest party while the Sena's 56 MLAs along with the NCP and Congress' 54 and 44 legislators, respectively, would take the combine's tally to 154. The majority mark in a House of 288 is 145. Uddhav, who had emerged as a consensus candidate on Friday night and was set to be the chief minister before the BJP turned the tables on its former ally, will be the first from the Thackeray family to assume a government post.

His father late Bal Thackeray wielded the 'remote control' over the first Sena-BJP combine government during 1995-99 but never assumed a position in the government. Uddhav Thackeray recently recalled the "promise" he had made to his late father to install a 'Shiv Sainik' (party worker) as chief minister of Maharashtra.

The BJP's efforts to cobble a majority hoping that Ajit Pawar will be able to enlist the support of a a large section of the MLAs of the NCP came a cropper after almost all the 54 legislators stood by his uncle and party supremo Sharad Pawar, the 78-year-old Maratha strongman. Sharad Pawar, who spoke to Ajit over phone in the morning asking him to revisit his decision, has been credited for the u-turn by his nephew and was being described as the 'man of the match'.

Ajit Pawar cited "personal reasons' for his decision to quit. Fadnavis handed over his resignation to the Governor after he announced his decision at a crowded news conference in Mumbai. Ajit Pawar had supported the BJP as leader of the 54-member NCP legislature party and with his resignation earlier in the day, the government has lost majority, said Fadnavis, hours after the Supreme Court ordered the floor test for the BJP leader to prove his majority.

The court said there is a "possibility of horse trading" in case of a delay in floor test. The Governor had on Saturday given 14 days time to Fadnavis to prove his majority, the apex court was told on Monday. "We don't have majority after Ajit Pawar's resignation as deputy chief minister," Fadnavis said on a day of fast paced political and legal developments. Fadnavis said the BJP will become the voice of the people as a responsible opposition.

"We won't indulge in horse-trading," he added. "Ajit Pawar told me he was quitting due to personal reasons." The Maharashtra Assembly poll mandate was more for the BJP than the Shiv Sena, he added.

"Shiv Sena lied to us and started talking to other parties after poll results. Shiv Sena claims to be a party that believes in Hindutva, but today, their Hindutva is bowing to Sonia Gandhi. They are swearing by Sonia Gandhi," he added.

In its order, the apex court also directed that the voting in the Assembly will not be on the basis of secret ballot and the entire proceedings will have to be telecast live.

"In a situation wherein, if the floor test is delayed, there is a possibility of horse trading, it becomes incumbent upon the Court to act to protect democratic values. An immediate floor test, in such a case, might be the most effective mechanism to do so," said a bench comprising Justices N V Ramana, Ashok Bhushan and Sanjiv Khanna.

The resignation of Fadnavis came a day after the Sena-led alliance paraded 162 MLAs in an unprecedented show of strength at a luxury hotel in Mumbai on Monday night indicating that the numbers were stacked heavily against the BJP.

The alliance, which is expected to have a Common Minimum Programme(CMP), was stitched after hectic parleys involving Uddhav Thackeray, Sharad Pawar and Congress President Sonia Gandhi.

Once being the only second chief minister in Maharashtra to complete the full five-year term, Fadnavis now holds the dubious distinction of being the CM with the shortest tenure of four days in the last 59 years. The NCP had removed Ajit Pawar as its legislature party leader the same day after he took oath as the deputy chief minister.

Governor Koshyari called a special session of the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday for the 288 newly-elected members to take oath. The oath will be administered by newly-appointed pro-tem speaker Kalidas Kolambkar. The session will begin at 8 am.

NCP leader Nawab Malik said the collapse of the Fadnavis government has punctured the BJP's "arrogance" while Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said it was based on "defections" and fell like a "house of cards", The BJP for its part said parties "rejected by people" in the Assembly polls have joined hands to "steal" popular mandate.

The BJP also rejected the opposition's criticism over its decision to form government despite lacking numbers, with its spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao saying it had done so in "good faith" after being assured of the NCP's support by its leader Ajit Pawar. "The opportunistic alliance of defeated parties will not enjoy the public support and invite public wrath," he said.

The collapse of the nascent government capped the month-long uncertainty in Maharashtra politics, which witnessed many twists and turns since the results of the assembly elections were declared on October 24. With no party having the requisite numbers, President's Rule was imposed on November 12, which was lifted on November 23 paving the return of Fadnavis as chief minister.

The Shiv Sena walked away from the 'Mahayuti' (the Sena-BJP alliance) on the issue of sharing the chief minister's post.

(With PTI inputs)
Kolkata:

West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh on Monday was accused of violating the model code of conduct (MCC) during the Kharagpur bypolls by the TMC and the Congress.

They alleged that the BJP leader was present in the Kharagpur Sadar assembly segment and made statements in the media, despite not being a voter of the constituency.

Ghosh has denied the allegations, terming these baseless. The Trinamool Congress and the Congress filed a complaint in this regard with the Election Comssion Monday evening.

"Dilip Ghosh is no longer an MLA. He is an MP now and is not even a voter of Kharagpur. So what he was doing for the entire day managing party control room. Did he take permission of the EC for staying at Kharagpur? The answer is no. For the entire day he kept on giving bytes to television channels just to vitiate the poll atmosphere," TMC candidate Pradip Sarkar told reporters.

Views of Pradip Sarkar were echoed by senior state Congress leader Suvankar Sarkar, who too lodged a complaint against Ghosh and urged the Election Commission to take action against him.

Ghosh denied the allegations and said he had all necessary permissions. "I have not violated the model code of conduct and have all necessary permissions. The allegations are baseless," he said.

The Election Commission said they were looking into the complaint.

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New Delhi:

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Monday asked the BJP to "make way" for the Sena-NCP- Congress alliance to rule Maharashtra. He was speaking at a joint parade of MLAs of the three parties, held at a luxury hotel in suburban Mumbai. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who was also present, said BJP misused power to grab power even in states where voters hadn't given their mandate to it.

Locked in a protracted power tussle with the BJP in Maharashtra, the 'Maha Vikas Aghadi' of the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress has decided to "parade" 162 MLAs in the Mumbai five- star hotel on Monday evening in a show of united strength.

"Our fight is not just for power, our fight is for 'Satyamev Jayate.' The more you try to break us, the more we will unite," Thackeray said.

The move was announced hours after the leaders of the three parties submitted a letter to Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari claiming that they have the requisite numbers to form government.

Those present were at the parade were Congress leader Ashok Chavan, who said, "We are more than 162, not just 162. We all will be a part of the government. I thank Sonia Gandhi who allowed for this alliance to stop BJP."

"The governor should invite us to form government," he said.

(With PTI inputs)
Lahore:

A 27-year-old female Pakistani journalist was killed here on Monday allegedly by her husband, also a scribe, for not quitting her job. The couple got married seven months ago but then the relations turned sour soon, according to an FIR. Urooj Iqbal was associated with a Urdu daily and was entering her office situated in Qila Gujjar Singh in central Lahore when her husband Dilawar Ali shot her in the head, leaving her dead, Dost Mohammad, a senior police officer said.

Though Urooj was taken to hospital, it was too late. We have registered an FIR against the victims husband working in another Urdu daily, on the complaint of Uroojs brother Yasir Iqbal, Muhammad said.

In the FIR, Iqbal said her sister had a love marriage with Ali seven months ago but soon after their relation turned sour over various domestic issues, including Alis repeated demand of quitting her job. He said that Ali used to torture Urooj over the issue and recently had got a complaint lodged against Ali.

However, no action was taken by the police, he said. Urooj, a crime reporter, was living in a room adjacent to the newspaper office in the same building after her relation with her husband deteriorated. Police said it has obtained the CCTV footage and had sent it for forensic analysis.

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The worldwide semiconductor scarcity is projected to ease gradually from the second quarter onwards, according to Hyundai Motor Company, which forecasted a comeback in vehicle production in the first half of this year. Due to the spread of the Omicron form of coronavirus and its long-term impact in Southeast Asia, the scarcity is projected to remain in the first quarter.

This has caused the corporation to have chip sourcing issues, causing sales to fall short of the objective of 4 million cars in 2021. According to Reuters, the company's Executive Vice President Seo Gang Hyun remarked in a conference call that "the normalisation of auto chip supply and demand is expected in the third quarter."

The supply of basic chips to the automotive and electronic sectors is important in Southeast Asia, with Malaysia's chip assembly business accounting for more than a tenth of a global trade worth more than $200 billion. Due to semiconductor shortages, Hyundai and its sister business Kia Corp expect a 12.1 percent increase in combined global sales this year, after falling about 4% short of a target of 6.92 million cars last year. Hyundai reported a roughly 50% decline in earnings for the quarter ending December, which was far below than analysts' forecasts.

The company had a net profit of 547 billion won ($456 million), down from 1.1 trillion won the year before. This compares to a 1.5 trillion won average analyst projection compiled by Refinitiv SmartEstimate. According to economists, rising raw material prices, component shortages, and logistical delays caused by the epidemic would certainly drive up expenses even more in the current quarter.

"However, there will be other difficulties surrounding the proliferation of the Omicron variant," said Lee Jae-il, an analyst at Eugene Investment & Securities.

''MBA graduates should learn from this auto driver'' says Anand Mahindra

Upcoming New Bajaj Bikes with Twinner nameplate

From these banks you can also raise car loans at a very low interest rate
TEHRAN: Iran has condemned the Saudi-led coalition's recent air assaults on Yemen, calling on the UN to hold the perpetrators accountable for "the heinous move." The remarks were made by Kazem Gharibabadi, the Secretary-General of Iran's High Council for Human Rights, in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, according to the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency.

According to reports, Gharibabadi, who is also the Iranian Judiciary Chief's Deputy for International Affairs, the Friday raids on a jail in Yemen killed 100 prisoners and injured 260 others. The coalition airstrikes occurred in reaction to prior attacks in Yemen by the Iran-backed Houthi movement with missiles and armed drones on targets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

According to Gharibabadi, the "coalition of aggression" carried out 839 bombings against Yemeni citizens and their homes, as well as the country's infrastructure, in January alone.

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led Arab coalition has participated in Yemen's war, intending to help President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who was forced into exile after Houthi rebels captured control of most northern provinces, including Yemen's capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

Turkish President files criminal charges against Opposition lawmakers

No plans to sending US or NATO soldiers in Ukraine: Biden

EU urges member nations to remove "burdensome" travel restrictions
Actress Katrina Kaif has returned to Mumbai after wreaking havoc with her hot look in the Maldives. On his way back from there, on Tuesday evening, he was also spotted at the Mumbai airport, where once again his gorgeous look has been seen. Now these pictures of Katrina have started going viral on the internet.

Talking about the look, during this time, Katrina has appeared in white sneakers with pink top and black denim jeans. Complete look Mrs Kaushal's stunning look is also seen blooming. At the same time, he is also wearing a mask and face mask on the face due to Corona. According to media reports, while leaving the airport, the actress is also seen moving towards her car and shaking her hand in front of the camera and giving a tremendous pose.

Let us tell you that Katrina Kaif had arrived in the Maldives for her ad shoot, where she has grabbed the attention of the people by sharing photos and videos while having a lot of fun. Talking about her upcoming movie, she is going to be seen in the movies 'Merry Christmas', 'Tiger 3', 'Phone Bhoot' and 'Ji Le Zara'.

Janhvi Kapoor to be seen turning cricketer in new film

Sadhu performed Mahamrityunjaya chanting for Lata Mangeshkar

Fans happy with Chandraprakash Dwivedi, Sonu Nigam getting Padma Shri
Poland has begun building of a 186-kilometer barrier along its border with Belarus, according to the Polish Border Guard.

According to news report, the project will cost 1.6 billion Polish zloty ($395 million). The construction began near the Mielnik Border Guard checkpoint. Budimex, a Polish construction company, has been tasked with erecting a 105.5-kilometer section of the barrier, while Unibep, another business, will construct the remaining 80.7 kilometres.

The barrier will be made up of five-meter-tall steel pillars that will support concrete slabs with electrified barbed wire atop them.

The barrier is being built in accordance with a border security statute that went into effect in October. In response to huge numbers of migrants attempting to enter into Poland from Belarus, it was passed by Poland's Parliament. By the end of June, the barrier should be completed.

This Country Hit by fifth wave of Covid pandemic

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Xi stresses solid implementation of decisions, arrangements on carbon peaking, neutrality
More than a century old Patna-based institute has produced distinguished educationists.

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Sami Ahmad | TwoCircles.net

BIHAR  Once known for producing scholars, educationists and civil servants, Madrasa Islamia Shamsul Huda, Patna, is Bihars only government Madrasa, and is now in a dire situation.

Among many issues, the institute of repute is facing a crisis of staff. There are only four teachers in the madrasa against 21 sanctioned posts.

The junior section of the madrasa has not admitted any students since 2020. The only teacher in this section is set to retire on January 31.

This Madrasa was established for the educational upliftment of the Muslim community by Justice Nurul Huda, a bar at law, in 1912 in his father Maulana Shamsul Hudas memory. While the government of Bihar has acknowledged it as a distinguished research centre, it has failed to address the issues pertaining to teachers and non-teaching staff.

Since 1979, no proper appointment has been made while teachers were retiring, principal of the Madrasa Syed Mashhood Ahmad Quadri Nadvi, told TwoCircles.net. Education department officers have been apprised of the problems. We have met the Director of Education department and requested to advertise the post and provide teachers for the vacancies but we have got no results.

Maulana Mashhood rues that for around two decades the madrasa has only organized farewell of teachers and not welcomed any new teachers.

The madrasa has its own governing body which is headed by the commissioner of Patna. A proposal regarding the appointment of teachers has been sent to the education department by the governing body but that too couldnt bring any positive results.

Lack of teachers has severely affected the studies of over 150 students. We are somehow managing the syllabus with combined classes to get them prepared for their examinations, Maulana Mashhood said.

He expressed hope that the appointment process would be initiated soon.

Maulana Abul Kalam Quasmi, ex-principal of Madrasa Shamsul Huda expressed his anguish while talking to TwoCircles.net. There was a time when only those students were given a chance for admission who could clear the entrance test as seats were numbered and aspirants used to come from across the state including Jharkhand, he said.

He alleged that when the proposal for a new appointment is sent by the governing body of the madrasa to the officers of the education department, they are told to hire contractual teachers.

It is an institution for distinguished research, how would a contractual teacher do justice to this premier institution? said Maulana Quasmi.

Danish Abedin completed his Fazil (P.G.) degree from the madrasa in 2005 and is currently the general secretary of the Bihar State Madrasa Old Boys Association.

He told TwoCircles.net that there were still a few teachers at that time but in the last 16 years, the situation has only worsened.

We will initiate an agitation once the situation normalizes as the madrasa is closed due to Covid restrictions, he said

Akhtarul Iman, state president of All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen and MLA from Amaur has raised the issue of the madrasa in the states assembly and also written to the state education minister. Talking to TwoCirles.net, he expressed disappointment and said, This is a historic institution. This is not a government-aided madrasa but a Government madrasa. It had a big role in Indias freedom struggle but it has been continuously and deliberately neglected by the successive governments including that of Mr Nitish Kumar.

Iman argues that While Nitish Ji is pumping money and effort to revive Nalandas old and defunct University but unfortunately neglecting the renowned Madrasa which is still functional despite all odds.

The Madrasa is a cultural heritage of the state and it must be preserved, Iman said.

Iman said his party would be meeting the Education Minister soon and expressed hope that a proper advertisement would soon be published for the appointment of teachers and non-teaching staff.

If this is not done, we would launch a public agitation and seek judicial intervention, he added.

Sami Ahmad is a journalist based in Patna, Bihar. He tweets at @samipkb.
The UN said on Tuesday that 32 people, including women and children, were slain in armed raids in a South Sudanese province beset by inter-ethnic violence. On January 23, armed youths from a different ethnic group opened fire and set fire to two villages in the unstable Jonglei State, forcing civilians to flee.

Three children drowned in a river while attempting to flee, according to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).At least 26 people were injured, ranging in age and gender, while some are still missing two days after the bloodshed in Baidit.

"UNMISS strongly condemns any attack on civilians and urges all parties and individuals to take prompt measures to avoid further escalation that puts vulnerable people in danger," the statement said. "The Mission further urges authorities to conduct prompt investigations and hold those responsible accountable."

When South Sudan attained independence in 2011, the UN peacekeeping operation was deployed for a year, but its mandate was extended many times as the young country struggled with civil conflict and high levels of ethnic violence. In armed attacks by ethnic militias in the eastern state of Jonglei, more than 700 people were slain, raped, and abducted between January and August 2020.

UN investigation revealed that political and military leaders were involved in the violence, in which militias razed communities in coordinated attacks on their opponents, using machetes, machine guns, and even rocket-propelled grenades. Nicholas Haysom, the UN's special envoy for South Sudan, informed the UN Security Council in December that the number of civilians killed in local violence in the nation had approximately half in 2021 compared to the last year.

However, instability persists, and over two years after assuming control in Juba, a post-war coalition administration has failed to end armed bloodshed or prosecute those guilty. After years of conflict between their troops killed roughly 400,000 people, President Salva Kiir and his deputy and longstanding nemesis, Riek Machar, created a power-sharing administration in 2020.

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One of the news reports that really broke my heart in recent reports is about a teacher who continually harassed girls from the school he taught for so many years. The teacher only got exposed when one of the girls grew up and realised what was done to her in the school was wrong. Only then, one by one, other girls also started speaking up that they were also victims of the molestation from that specific teacher. But, the saddest thing is till the time that teacher got exposed, that molester had already harassed so many young girls. But, if there had been a complaint response mechanism at the school, the problem would have been addressed several years ago, and many girls would have saved themselves from the crisis.

This is only one of the incidents of teachers molesting their own students that got exposed; there are many schools where girls are not able to speak up as they are threatened about failing exams or their pride. Why do these similar incidents occur once in a while? Is it because the girls are not educated about harassment? Or, is it because the system has not provided any mechanism where students can complain about their problems?

I think the latter is true, and this is where all schools in Nepal need a complaint response mechanism.

Efforts for systematisation

Photo: Picpedia

In Nepal, the Ministry of Education issued guidelines on a complaint response mechanism (CRM) in 2016 with an aim to systematise the practice with standard procedures, encouraging all schools to set up such mechanisms. According to the guideline, the school sets up a complaint box on its premises, where it is easily accessible by students. It also forms a complaint response mechanism (CRM) committee. The committee is coordinated by the School Management Committee and involves a representative from teachers, parents and students each. The teacher, ideally, is trained in psychosocial care whereas all gender groups of students are also represented. Likewise, there is also a representative from the respective local government.

Such a complaint response mechanism has been proved effective at many schools. According to one of the news articles covered by The Himalayan Times in 2018, it has been proven effective mostly in terms of addressing girls problems as they are the ones who mostly face bullying, teasing, and sexual assaults. The girls openly could put their complaints through the complaint box placed at the school regarding the teasing they faced on the way to school and back home as well as from the boys during school hours. Though the complaint response mechanism was effective in recent years of its establishment, a review has shown the use of the complaint box has been diminishing.

Small efforts are meaningful

Yuwalaya, a youth NGO, trains school students in the need of a complaint response mechanism at their school. Photo: Courtesy Yuwalaya

Between December 2021and January 2022, Yuwalaya, a youth-led organisation, conducted a session on the complaint response mechanism at eight schools in Lalitpur. Some of the schools have already established the complaint box and have been addressing the complaints received from the students. In some cases, although they have a complaint box at the school, it was not properly utilised.

The students shared they were never informed about the complaint box and its use and importance. We see that there is complaint box at the school, sometimes it is placed near the compound, sometimes near the other classroom and now it is placed on the wall where we students can hardly reach. Also, we were never informed about it, said one of the students who participated in the session.

Ideally, the complaint box must be placed in such areas of the school where students can easily access it without any fear of being judged or seen, mostly avoiding near the staff room or the principals office. In the session, however, the students shared that if only they knew about the complaint response mechanism and the use of the complaint box at their school, they would have used it for raising their concerns and problems that they face.

Wider usefulness

We have witnessed various news reports on sexual assaults faced by girls at schools, on the way to schools, or at their homes. But, a complaint response mechanism is not only about the cases of sexual assaults, but students face many problems and challenges related to their academics, peer pressure, assignment pressure, etc at their schools. Due to these issues, students tend to face various types of impacts on their mental health. But, they do not have any place to share their problems. I strongly feel all these problems can be resolved through a complaint response mechanism if established and operated properly.

Students must be aware of the place and the use of the complaint box at the school. Also, the school management must make sure that the complaint box is a safe space where students can raise their concerns anonymously or openly and will be resolved properly without any damage to the students reputation or academics.

For this, the government must revise the guidelines on the CRM and also revitalise its use at all schools of Nepal, also establishing a proper monitoring and supervision mechanism. With this, we will be able to reduce sexual assaults and other problems that children face and create a safe space for our children where they are fully protected in all environments that they grow in.
Home  Nature  Climate & weather  Wait for some more days for Nepal weather to improve

Kathmandu, January 25

Nepal weather has remained partly to generally cloudy throughout the country on Tuesday due to the partial influence of the westerly low-pressure system, the Meteorological Forecasting Division says.

Meteorologists at the division say the weather has comparatively improved today than yesterday. But, it will take some days more for the weather to improve completely.

The division has urged people to be safe from cold and adopt the necessary protection and precaution as there is a possibility of light rain at a few places of the hilly region and light snowfall at some places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of the country.

It is partly cloudy in the federal capital, Kathmandu, although there was sun with the sky somewhat clearing in the late morning today.

According to the division, although the Nepal weather will be somewhat clear towards the mornings, it will become cloudy again with chances of light rain towards the afternoons for some days more.

It will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country tomorrow, Wednesday, as well.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Marking Ghana's election to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as a non-permanent member, Ghanaian Vice-President H.E. Mahamudu Bawumia spoke at the UN headquarters in New York City, addressing the protection of civilian populations in urban warfare.

Vice-President Bawumia, representing Ghana and H.E. President Nana Akufo-Addo, subsequently met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres to further discuss the issue.

The Vice-President emphasised the disproportional toll wars exact on urban populations which threatens to exacerbate existing issues such as sexual exploitation and the radicalisation of younger people. Reiterating increasing global urbanisation trends, the Vice-President's statement welcomed the opportunity to discuss the pressing matter.

"Much of the conflict we experience globally and in the continent of Africa continues to involve civilian combatants and often results in the scapegoating of the civilian populations," asserted the Vice-President.

In tackling the issue, Bawumia highlighted four key points for the consideration of the Council.

Prioritising the integration of the civilian protection in the planning and conduct of military operations will help to enhance global norms and standards on civilian protection in urban conflicts the Vice-President said in his statement. Moreover, Bawumia reiterated that stronger global enforcement mechanisms are required to tackle the matter, with States being required to recommit to international humanitarian law in their conduct of warfare.

Alongside these points, the Vice-President additionally called for a renewed effort in assessing and developing the resilience of existing urban infrastructure to cope with wars, prioritising evacuation efforts of civilians and developing shelter zones. Furthermore, Bawumia explained that the use of explosives in war should be controlled alongside management of highly-populated civilian areas.

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"We must recognise that in developing norms and standards to protect civilian populations during conflict, there is strong need for local engagement in order to assure the acceptance of such norms," the Vice-President explained.

For Ghana, the issue of poverty alleviation needs to be addressed firmly via national initiatives aiming to "equalise access to economic opportunities in all parts of a country" so as to mitigate the intensification of such conflicts frequently catalysed by regional inequality.

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aj-africa-republic-of-ghana-vice-president-he-mahamudu-bawumia-addresses-the-un-security-council-as-ghana-is-elected-as-a-non-permanent-member-301468437.html

SOURCE AJ Africa
BEIJING and HONG KONG and TOKYO and SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Asia Alternatives, one of the largest independent Asian private equity fund-of-funds, today announced the final close of US$2 billion in new commitments across Asia Alternatives Capital Partners VI, LP and several fund vehicles (the "Funds"). The Funds are focused on building a diversified Asia private equity portfolio with an emphasis on top-performing local Asian fund managers. Over 85% of committed capital came from pre-existing relationships.

Asia Alternatives logo

"We are especially grateful for the ongoing support from our limited partners, and pleased to complete the largest raise in our over fifteen-year history," said Melissa Ma, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Asia Alternatives. "Our extensive experience investing through market cycles and the lasting relationships we have forged with leading fund managers across Asia provide an unique perspective and the ability to take advantage of the opportunities market volatility has created. Those relationships, along with our track record, have positioned Asia Alternatives as one of the leading private equity investors in Asia."

The largest of the Funds is Asia Alternatives Capital Partners VI, LP which, along with its parallel funds (together "AACP VI"), closed on US$1.1 billion of committed capital, exceeding their combined target of US$1 billion. AACP VI is the successor fund to Asia Alternatives Capital Partners V, LP ("AACP V"), which closed in September 2017. Earlier funds include Asia Alternatives Capital Partners IV, LP ("AACP IV"), which closed in April 2015, Asia Alternatives Capital Partners III, LP ("AACP III"), which closed in July 2012, Asia Alternatives Capital Partners II, LP ("AACP II"), which closed in September 2008, and Asia Alternatives Capital Partners, LP ("AACP I"), which closed in May 2007.

"Our relationships with leading private equity and VC managers across Asia allow us to be exceptionally selective in deploying capital and grants our LPs access to the attractive opportunities in each region," said Rebecca Xu, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Alternatives. "We are excited to get to work investing this fund, and maintain a strong commitment to China, where we continue to see both short- and long-term opportunities underpinned by fast-evolving and growing consumer demand, together with impressive development in technological innovation."

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"We have remained focused on expanding our relationships and expertise across Asia, utilizing our local presence to gain access to opportunities within different markets and strategies. While China continues to be our largest single country exposure, our partnerships with buyout firms in Japan have also become significant sources of performance in recent years," said Akihiko Yasuda, Managing Director of Asia Alternatives.

Investors in the Funds represent a global pool of private capital sources, such as state and corporate pension funds, foundations, university endowments, insurance companies and family offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, Japan and Asia. Institutional investors across the Funds include The Boeing Company, Cathay Life Insurance Co., Comprehensive Financial Management, The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited, Florida State Board of Administration, Intermountain Healthcare, Jasper Ridge Partners, Maryland State Retirement and Pension System, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, McKnight Foundation, Minnesota State Board of Investment, New York State Common Retirement Fund, Public Schools Retirement System of St. Louis, San Francisco City and County Employees' Retirement System, and Virginia Retirement System.

Stacy Jennings, Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Intermountain Healthcare, and a returning Limited Partner, said, "The past two years have reinforced why there is no substitute for a local presence and why we've invested with Asia Alternatives. In our experience, Asia Alternatives has exceptional investment talent, a strong commitment to the region and a differentiated approach that have delivered positive investment outcomes for Intermountain."

Asia Alternatives is one of the first independently formed Asian private equity fund-of-funds. The firm also received the first Limited Partner QFLP (Qualified Foreign Limited Partner) license in China, which allowed Asia Alternatives to invest in selected, qualified RMB-denominated private equity investments.

Eaton Partners, LLC and Diamond Dragon Advisors Limited acted as placement agents for Asia Alternatives and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel.

About Asia Alternatives Management LLC

Asia Alternatives is a 16-year old solution platform dedicated to helping institutional investors make investments in private equity across Asia. The firm currently manages approximately $16.5 billion of regulatory assets under management.

Asia Alternatives invests with top performing private equity fund managers across Asia primarily in Greater China (Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong), Japan, Korea, South East Asia, India and Australia. The firm builds portfolios that are diversified across buyout, growth and expansion, venture capital and special situations funds, as well as direct co-investments and secondaries. Asia Alternatives currently has over 50 professionals across offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.asiaalternatives.com.

This press release does not constitute the offer of advisory services or offer of a security or the solicitation of an investment.

For More Information:

Investor Contact:

Melissa Ma

Asia Alternatives Management LLC

mma@asiaalt.com

Media Contact:

Steve Bruce/Taylor Ingraham

ASC Advisors LLC

Tel: (203) 992-1230

sbruce@ascadvisors.com; tingraham@ascadvisors.com

Media Contact for Asia Ex-Japan:

Richard Barton

Finsbury Glover Hering

Tel: +852 9301 2056

Richard.barton@fgh.com

Media Contact for Japan:

Minako Hattori

Finsbury Japan

Tel: 070-7484-7703

minako.hattori@fgh.com

SOURCE Asia Alternatives Management LLC
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Banco del Estado de ChileGlobal Credit Research - 25 Jan 2022New York, January 25, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Banco del Estado de Chile and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review discussion held on 17 January 2022 in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.Key rating considerations are summarized below.Banco del Estado de Chile's (Banco Estado) A1 debt and deposit ratings reflect its standalone baseline credit assessment (BCA) of baa3 and Moody's assumption of full government support even though its obligations do not benefit from an explicit government guarantee. This assumption is based on the government's full ownership, Banco Estado's relevant size in the Chilean banking system and its important public policy role. The bank caters to low-income individuals, with an explicit mandate to promote social housing and national savings, to finance small and midsize enterprises (SMEs), and to provide financial inclusion in remote rural areas, where private financial institutions do not operate.The baa3 BCA reflects Banco Estado's superior access to customer deposits and its moderate reliance on market funding, coupled with ample holdings of high-quality liquid assets. The bank's asset quality benefits from its strong risk management, as well as government and mortgage guarantees in its riskiest portfolios, which explains Banco Estado's low effective loan losses despite its relatively elevated problem loan ratio. The BCA is constrained by the bank's low Moody's adjusted capitalization ratio, coupled with a modest profitability compared to other large banks in Chile, because of its wide branch network, ample holdings of low-yielding asset classes and additional tax rate levied on the bank as a state-owned entity.This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.The principal methodology used for this review was Banks Methodology published in July 2021. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.This announcement applies only to EU rated, UK rated, EU endorsed and UK endorsed ratings. Non EU rated, non UK rated, non EU endorsed and non UK endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history. Felipe Carvallo VP - Senior Credit Officer Financial Institutions Group Moody's de Mexico S.A. de C.V Ave. Paseo de las Palmas No. 405 - 502 Col. Lomas de Chapultepec Mexico, DF 11000 Mexico JOURNALISTS: 1 888 779 5833 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Ceres Lisboa Vice President Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 0 800 891 2518 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653  2022 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. MOODYS DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. SEE APPLICABLE MOODYS RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ADDRESSED BY MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS. 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Unique Digital Series Will Recognize Important Works from 25 Cultural Institutions Throughout 2022

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America today announced the global expansion of 'Masterpiece Moment'  a video series that showcases works of art in the collections of the company's museum partners. The program launched in 2021 to help connect individuals to arts and culture in today's digital environment. The program, which featured only U.S.-based cultural institutions, will expand this year to include partners in England, France, Italy, Mexico and Japan.

(PRNewsfoto/Bank of America Corporation)

Every other Monday, Bank of America premieres a 5-7 minute video on its Masterpiece Moment website and a dedicated YouTube playlist. Each video features a museum director who shares details about a masterpiece within their institution's collection, while providing new insights so viewers can experience and appreciate the art. The videos feature works of art from a diverse range of cultural traditions, perspectives, and media.

"We believe that working with museum partners from across the globe to help them deliver programming that is accessible and enriching for everyone is a powerful way to continue fostering greater cultural understanding," said Brian Siegel, arts and culture program manager for Bank of America. "This year, in response to feedback from viewers and art enthusiasts, we are expanding this offering, to demonstrate our support for arts and culture around the world."

Bank of America's first Masterpiece Moment in 2022 features The Lewis Chesspieces and is hosted by Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum in London. Additional partners that will be highlighted include the Louvre in Paris, The Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas and the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, among others. By the end of the year, 50 videos will have been created for the bank's Masterpiece Moment series.

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"I am delighted that the British Museum will present the first international Masterpiece Moment in partnership with Bank of America.," said Hartwig Fischer, Director, the British Museum. "This production continues a long relationship between the British Museum and Bank of America, to bring our collection to audiences across the globe. The Lewis Chesspieces are some of the finest and intriguingly decorated objects in our collection. This video showcases the Chesspieces and tells their story, from their discovery to their display in the Museum today."

2021 Masterpiece Moment features included:

Bank of America Arts and Culture

Masterpiece Moment is a key demonstration of Bank of America's global support for arts and culture, and part of the company's environmental, social and governance commitment. Through programs like Masterpiece Moment, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project and Museums on Us, loaning exhibitions through the Art in Our Communities program, and sponsoring exhibitions and grants, we support a wide range of both local and world-renowned arts institutions. Our programs are designed to have a positive impact on economies and societies throughout the world, and shine a light on diverse cultural traditions. Through steadfast and strategic support, we have become one of the world's leading corporate supporters of the arts. To learn more about our arts and culture support and programs, please visit bankofamerica.com/arts.

Bank of America

At Bank of America, we're guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We're delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It's demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Connect with us on Twitter ( @BofA_News ).

For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.

Reporters may contact:

Vanessa Cook, Bank of America

Phone: 1.980.683.2247

vanessa.a.cook@bofa.com

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bank-of-america-announces-global-expansion-of-masterpiece-moment-video-series-301468591.html

SOURCE Bank of America Corporation
Black Ops Cold War's Ronald Reagan shares tips for union busting.

Quality assurance testers at Call of Duty: Warzone studio Raven Software gave management until today, January 25, to voluntarily recognize their newly formed union, Game Workers Alliance. Instead, embattled publisher Activision Blizzard announced tonight it would be forcing a vote with the National Labor Review Board, and called on that vote to include everyone at the studio, a move that would greatly diminish the unionization efforts chances of success.

Thirty-four staff from Ravens QA department revealed last week that they were organizing with the Communications Workers of America to unionize, an unprecedented step for developers at a major gaming company. They called on Activision Blizzardin the midst of similarly unprecedented upheaval following allegations of workplace sexual harassment and discrimination last year, as well as the announcement earlier this month of a $68.7 billion sale to Microsoftto voluntarily recognize the union, which had supermajority support within the QA department.

Read more

We carefully reviewed and considered the CWA initial request last week and tried to find a mutually acceptable solution with the CWA that would have led to an expedited election process, Activision Blizzard said in a statement tonight upon rejecting the offer. Unfortunately, the parties could not reach an agreement.

Activision Blizzards statement continued:

We expect that the union will be moving forward with the filing of a petition to the NLRB for an election. If filed, the company will respond formally to that petition promptly. The most important thing to the company is that each eligible employee has the opportunity to have their voice heard and their individual vote counted, and we think all employees at Raven should have a say in this decision.

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Read More: Inside The Revolt That Led To Activision Blizzard Workers Historic Unionization Push

When a company refuses to voluntarily recognize a union, the organizers behind it must win a majority in an election ratified by the NLRB, a hurdle that would have been easy for Game Workers Alliance to overcome within just the QA department. By requiring all employees at Raven to have a say, Activision Blizzard is effectively arguing that either the entire studio unionizes or no one does.

However, we are proud to file with the NLRB as we enjoy supermajority support for our union and know that together, we will gain the formal legal recognition we have earned.(5/5)  Game Workers Alliance #WeAreGWA (@WeAreGWA) January 26, 2022

Its unclear if that argument will ultimately win out with the NLRB, but it will no doubt continue to delay an actual election while the two sides hash it out.

We would hope that in this case it would take place quickly but companies can choose to delay the process to file objections and concerns along the way and to drag things out, and when they do that its generally to give themselves more time to wage an anti-union campaign, a spokesperson for the CWA told Kotaku in an interview earlier this week.

That anti-union campaign appears to already be in motion. The Washington Post and Polygon report that Raven studio boss Brian Raffel has been having meetings with staff about plans to break up QA and embed testers among individual teams. Its a widespread practice in game development, but a suspiciously timed move that Game Workers Alliance called an attempt to hinder our right to organize in a statement today.

[S]o long as we are testing, we are a unit that is linked by our function within the studio, Raven QA tester Onah Rongstad told The Washington Post today. Our solidarity wont be broken by something like reorganization.

Update: 1/26/21, 4:07 p.m. ET: The Game Workers Alliance responded to Activisions plan on Twitter today:
Lima, Jan. 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lima, PERU, January 26, 2022 -- Credicorp (NYSE: BAP), today announced that it will host an Investor Digital Day on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in New York City, and Wednesday, March 16, 2022 in London.

Company management will discuss the Companys digital transformation and digitally led growth opportunities.

In New York, registration will begin at 8:30 am ET and presentations will commence at 9:00 am and conclude by 12:00 pm. In London, the registration will begin at 12:30 pm GMT and presentations will commence at 1:00 pm and conclude by 4:00 pm.

The Investor Digital Day is open to the investment community and pre-registration is required by Monday, March 7, 2022. To attend in person and pre-register for the event, please contact Cinthya Araya at +1 (646) 940 8843 or email: credicorpday@inspirgroup.com

Confirmation and additional event details will be provided to registered attendees.





About Credicorp

Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE: BAP) is the leading financial services holding company in Peru with presence in Chile, Colombia, and Bolivia. Credicorp has a diversified business portfolio organized into four lines of business: Universal Banking, through Banco de Credito del Peru  BCP and Banco de Credito de Bolivia; Microfinance, through Mibanco in Peru and Colombia; Insurance & Pension Funds, through Grupo Pacifico and Prima AFP; and Investment Banking & Wealth Management, through Credicorp Capital, Wealth Management at BCP and Atlantic Security Bank.

For further information please contact the IR team:

investorrelations@credicorpperu.com

Investor Relations

Credicorp Ltd.




MELBOURNE, Australia, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- CRRC Corporation Limited ("CRRC", 1766.HK) announced that four additional second-generation SDA1 Locomotives have shipped to Australia in January, as part of the supply order between CRRC Ziyang, the subsidiary of CRRC, and SCT Logistics, a leading Australian freight service company, to provide CRRC's energy-efficient and powerful locomotives for the country's railway system.

CRRC Delivers Four Additional Second-Generation SDA1 Locomotives to SCT Logistics in Australia.

The upgraded 3150kW AC transmission diesel (SDA1) locomotive, fully developed by CRRC Ziyang, features low operation noise (less than 75 decibels inside), capable of hauling 8,000 tons at a top speed of 120 km/h, and meeting the strict requirements of Australia's railway industry as a reliable and environmentally-friendly transportation assistant to help the nation accelerate its economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since 2021, CRRC Ziyang has supplied twelve second-generation SDA1 Locomotives to SCT Logistics, which are used for bulk cargo and container transport. The current order is the third SDA1 Locomotive contract signed between CRRC Ziyang and SCT since 2010, with the first batch comprising six first-generation SDA1 Locomotives delivered to Australia in 2011.

The second-generation SDA1 Locomotives come with an optimized ventilation system and higher maintainability, delivering greater comfort to the driver while significantly improving the overall performance of the unit. The arrival of the four new locomotives will bring the total number of SDA1 operating in Australia to thirty, with the first unit having achieved the milestone of a million kilometers of mileage so far.

Equipped with a suite of state-of-the-art technologies including Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBT) propulsion system, a microcomputer control system, FastBrake Electronic Air Brake and more, the second-generation SDA1 Locomotive marks one of the greatest technological innovations of CRRC, which allows considerable savings in energy consumption and lowers the operating costs without compromising its horsepower and haulage capacity. Fast, safe, and energy-efficient, it is designed and built in line with a range of international emission standards such as the European Union's Stage III, AAR, and Australia's UIC.

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The second-generation houses some of CRRC's latest innovations in locomotives, tailored to the characteristics of Australia's railway system as well as local environment. With its expertise in locomotive technology, CRRC hopes to bring more high quality, high-performance products to Australian companies and users in the future.

With more than 15 years in the railway sector, CRRC Ziyang's dedication to the development of locomotive engineering, matched by a global supply chain and extensive knowledge of a wide variety of industries, has made it a valuable partner that has provided high-quality products for 32 countries. Over the past few years, the Company has exported 1,035 locomotives to other countries, representing above 50% of the total volume of diesel locomotives exported from China.

For more information, please visit CRRC.

About CRRC

CRRC (CRRC Corporation Limited) is one of the world's largest rail transportation equipment companies, with an annual revenue of RMB 227.66 billion in 2020. It has provided products and services to more than 100 countries and regions, and has established 18 international R&D centers. CRRC has set up local manufacturing bases in the US, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia, Turkey, and India, among other countries. As of 2020, CRRC ranked 361st among the Fortune Global 500 companies.

SOURCE CRRC
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Hello and welcome to Daily Crunch for January 25, 2022! Today our cup overflows with news. Theres simply too much going on to cover in a single newsletter, so Ive tried to fit as much as possible below. Some sections are condensed, but youll see why. No more delay, the news!  Alex

The TechCrunch Top 4

Google proposes Topics to replace cookies: The American search giants idea of building Federated Learning of Cohorts, or FLoCs is over. The company is instead proposing Topics. What are they? Per our own Frederic Lardinois, the idea behind Topics is that your browser will learn about your interests as you move around the web, storing around three weeks of data, focused on 300 different thematic groupings. This is a big deal, if it comes to be.

Nvidia could walk away from ARM deal: With regulatory progress slow, the huge chip deal between Nvidia and ARM could be off. Will ARM instead go public? What does SoftBank think of the changing regulatory winds? Well find out.

VCs fell in love with Europe last year: While the global venture capital market was hectic last year, few regions can boast similar gains as Europe managed during 2021. TechCrunch dug into the data, looking at individual countries that stood out from the bloc, and asked whats coming next.

YouTube considers NFTs: According to YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, the online video giant could be looking at blockchain technologies as a way for its creators to make money. Precisely how NFTs will work for the platform is not clear, but what is plain at this juncture is that nearly every major digital brand is going to at least try NFTs out in case they work for their users.

Startups/VC

TechCrunch Disrupt Startup Battlefield startup Cellino Bio raises $80M: This is the leading story from startup-land today, I reckon. Just a few months after winning our own startup pitch competition, Cellino has raised a massive Series A that should provide the startup with plenty of runway. For more on what the startup does, head here.

Story continues

And now, highlights from the days startup news:

Substack hits play: No, the popular publishing platform is not pivoting to video, but it is working to allow its creators use video as part of their subscription offerings. Users will be able to put videos behind the paywall, of course, perhaps helping them drive more revenue  and thus more income for Substack itself.

$32M for carbon honesty: Startup Sylvera is back in the news, raising a huge Series A after closing a $5.8 million Seed round last year. What does the company do? It uses machine learning technology to analyze a variety of visual data like satellite imagery and lidar with the goal of boosting accountability and credibility around carbon offsetting projects, TechCrunch reports.

The future of autonomy is grass: With the iRobot self-driving lawn mower not yet in the market, there is perhaps space for another company to build such a device. Electric Sheep Robotics wants to be that company, and it just raised $21.5 million for its work. Given the hours I spent mowing the lawn growing up, I resent the fact that future kids wont have to endure similar punishment.

Billion-dollar green drink: Athletic Greens has raised $115 million in a round that values its business at $1.2 billion, TechCrunch writes. The company sells AG1, a powdered beverage designed to provide daily nutrition, per our reporting. The company has scaled to a nine-figure run rate, but were always curious when non-software companies are valued along similar lines. Perhaps the margins are high and the revenue recurring?

Theres still room for more salestech: Devtools, designer support, and marketing automation are all big niches, and the salespeople of the world desire their own tooling, too. And VCs are stepping up to finance it. Enter Scratchpad, which just raised a $33 million Series B. The companys product helps sales folks get data into their CRM, and to their larger org as well.

Cybersecurity co raises rapid-fires Series C: After raising last August, Hunters has taken down another funding round. My knowledge of cybersecurity is minute, so I simply have to trust Frederic when he writes that the startup wants to help enterprises replace traditional Security and Information Event Management (SIEM) solutions with its own tools. If that makes sense to you, excellent. All I know is that Crowdstrike sponsored the F1 safety car last season.

Bokksu raises at $100M valuation for Asian grocery delivery: There are a few companies working on providing Asian foodstuffs to various markets. HungryPanda, for one. Bokksu is another, focusing its efforts on grocery in particular. The company started life as a Japanese snack subscription service way back in 2016, and has since expanded greatly. Now with $22 million in new capital, it can grow even faster.

Tunisian startup raises $100M: We dont hear about startups from Tunis, so the InstaDeep round caught our eye. The company creates decision-making systems for solving real-world problems, TechCrunch writes, and just raised from Google, among others.

A great host of other things happened, so give the front page a scroll if you want to learn even more about whats happening in startup-land.

To close out our early-stage coverage, Greg Kumparak takes a look at the 29th batch of startups from the Alchemist Accelerator, which has an enterprise focus.

Crypto pioneer David Chaum says web3 is computing with a conscience

Founder and CEO of the privacy protecting transaction platform Elixxir David Chaum holds a conference on the impact of tech on our privacy, during the Web Summit in Lisbon on November 6, 2019. - Europe's largest tech event Web Summit is held at Parque das Nacoes in Lisbon from November 4 to November 7. (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP) (Photo by PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP /AFP via Getty Images)

Image Credits: PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

In 1982, computer scientist David Chaum wrote a dissertation that described a blockchain protocol, along with the code for implementing it.

Since then, his cryptologic research has led to developments like digital cash and anonymous communication networks. Today, he launched xxmessenger, which the company describes as the first quantum-resistant messaging app.

When we asked him what has changed in the past few years, Chaum said, Seems to me that Bitcoin and the like have created something that could no longer be ignored. Now the question is: How can it be brought to the general public in a way that they can readily adopt this next generation of information technology?

Big Tech Inc.

The pride of Rhode Island says chip shortage end not in sight: The United States Department of Commerces boss Gina Raimondo  former governor of the Ocean State before being tapped for her new role  says that we arent even close to being out of the woods as it relates to the supply problems with semiconductors. So thats bad news, but at least we know where we stand.

IBMs growth wins investor plaudits: Yesterday IBM reported its best growth results in some time. Its stock went up. Then the company said that it wasnt going to provide per-share profit guidelines. And its stock went down. Today, however, investors weighed the balance and pushed the companys value up by more than 5%.

From BigTech -> Blockchain: There is something of a talent shuffle going on in tech as folks leave major concerns for younger, smaller, crypto-related efforts. The head of YouTube Gaming appears to be the latest defector.

Old man shouts at Joe: Theres more drama in the Spotify world, with musician Neil Young trying to use his influence to get the music streaming service to stem vaccine misinformation via its podcast host Joe Rogan. I dont know how this shakes out, but its an interesting place for the European company to find itself.

And finally today, GM has big plans for its electric vehicle production.

TechCrunch Experts

dc experts

Image Credits: SEAN GLADWELL / Getty Images

TechCrunch wants to know which software consultants youve worked with for anything from UI/UX to cloud architecture. Let us know here.

ICYMI, check out this interview Miranda Halpern did with Georgina Lupu-Florian last week: How should nontechnical founders collaborate with software developers?
PORTLAND, Ore., January 26, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Lewis & Clark Board of Trustees announced today it has selected Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan as the colleges 26th president. The appointment of Holmes-Sullivan follows a rigorous nationwide search that attracted a strong pool of over a hundred applicants.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005963/en/

Dr. Robin Holmes-Sullivan named the 26th President of Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR. (Photo: Business Wire)

A respected higher education leader with three decades of experience at universities and colleges in Oregon and California, Holmes-Sullivan will assume the presidency in July, 2022, following the retirement of President Wim Wiewel. Holmes-Sullivan is currently the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Lewis & Clark and has been credited for her pivotal role during the Covid pandemic of devising creative approaches that helped keep students safe and progressing toward their degrees.

"Robin rose immediately to the top of an impressive field of candidates," Lewis & Clark's Board of Trustees Chair Stephanie Fowler told Lewis & Clark faculty, staff and students this morning. "Through her management of campus crises large and small, Robin has proven herself to be a natural leader who knows how to bring people together to get things done, even in the most challenging circumstances."

Holmes-Sullivan, who will be the first woman and the first person of color to serve as Lewis & Clarks president in the colleges 155-year history, enjoyed "significant support" from the faculties of all three schools and was the favored candidate of all three academic deans and Wim Wiewel, Fowler said.

"In these tumultuous times, especially in regard to student issues, I cant think of a more level-headed and experienced leader than Robin," Wiewel said. "I look forward to working closely with her in the months ahead to make this a very smooth and successful transition."

Story continues

Expressing her gratitude to the board and the Lewis & Clark community for their faith in her, Holmes-Sullivan said being selected as President is the logical next step in a career dedicated to helping students realize their full potential.

"I am so proud that my becoming president of Lewis & Clark can influence and inspire a generation of young people to see that they can dream big; that when they speak, people will listen; and that when they lead, people will follow," she said.

Holmes-Sullivan also told the campus community she looks forward to working collaboratively with all of them, saying her own experience as a Black woman has shown her the importance of "having a diversity of voices at the table in order to influence and build a sense of inclusion, community and excellence."

Holmes-Sullivan came to Lewis & Clark in 2019 from the University of California, where she served as Vice President for Student Affairs overseeing the undergraduate admissions process and other student-related issues for the 10-campus, 200,000-student system. While at the University of California, Holmes-Sullivan co-led an effort to improve student affordability, helped develop a coherent sexual assault policy for all UC campuses, assisted in developing a new policy to streamline transfers to the university from the states community colleges, and helped craft new policy around free speech and demonstrations.

Prior to her time at the University of California, Holmes-Sullivan spent 27 years at the University of Oregon, working her way up from a position as a clinical coordinator in the counseling center to Vice President of Student Life.

While at UC, Holmes-Sullivan worked closely with UC President Janet Napolitano, former Governor of Arizona and Secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama. Napolitano praised Holmes-Sullivan contributions to the UC system and called her "an excellent choice" to be the next President of Lewis & Clark.

"(Robin) possesses the leadership, vision and personal qualities that one wants in a college leader," Napolitano said. "I cant think of a better selection."

Holmes-Sullivan credits her father and mother, who worked their way up from entry level jobs to management positions as a Marine and healthcare worker, with instilling in her a lifelong commitment to honesty, integrity, hard work and care and compassion for others. "Those values will continue to be my north star as your president," she told Lewis & Clark community members.

Holmes-Sullivan earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology from California State University at Fullerton in 1986. She received a Masters degree in Experimental Psychology from Cal State-Fullerton in 1990, and a second Masters in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology that same year. She earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology two years later in 1992.

Robin and her wife, Kathy, have two grown sons, a daughter-in-law and a grandchild.

About Lewis & Clark

Lewis & Clark is a national leader in higher education that prepares students for lives and professions that demonstrate our values of innovative thinking, international perspectives, and the constant pursuit of knowledge and service. Established in 1867 and located in Portland, Oregon, Lewis & Clark is a private institution with a public conscience and international reach, enrolling approximately 2,000 undergraduate students in our College of Arts and Sciences. Our Law School and Graduate School of Education and Counseling together enroll 1,200 students in graduate professional programs, preparing and training future lawyers, counselors, teachers, and educational administrators. Each day our community lives our motto: Explorare, Discere, Sociare, meaning to explore, to learn, to work together. For more information, visit lclark.edu.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005963/en/

Contacts

Scott Gallagher

sgallagher@gardcommunications.com

503-552-5003
Rating Action: Moody's affirms El Corte Ingles' ratings; outlook changed to stableGlobal Credit Research - 26 Jan 2022Paris, January 26, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service ('Moody's') today affirmed El Corte Ingles, S.A.'s ("ECI", "group" or the "company") Ba1 long-term corporate family rating (CFR), its Ba1-PD probability of default rating (PDR) and its Ba1 guaranteed senior unsecured notes. The outlook has been changed to stable from negative."We have changed ECI's outlook to stable because we expect a strengthening in the company's credit metrics, including leverage, which we expect to be just above 4.0x in fiscal 2021 and to trend below 3.5x in the next 12 to 18 months. Deleveraging is mainly driven by better trading than expected performance and our expectation that the company will repay debt following the EUR1.1 billion proceeds it expects to receive from the company's recent transaction with Mutua Madrilena, a leading Spanish insurance company." said Francesco Bozzano, a Vice President - Senior Analyst at Moody's and lead analyst for El Corte Ingles. "The better than expected operating performance is thanks to lower than expected barriers to shopping related to the pandemic, strong consumer demand and management's successful cost reduction and growth measures implemented in the last 12 months" added Mr. Bozzano.RATINGS RATIONALEThe change in outlook to stable reflects Moody's expectations of deleveraging given ECI's recent commitment to use the majority of the EUR1,105 million proceeds it will receive from the sale of 50.1% of its insurance business and 8% of its shares to Mutua Madrilena (MM) to repay debt. This expectation of debt reduction is a favorable governance development that demonstrates the company's commitment to reducing and sustaining lower leverage than in the past. Additionally, as a new shareholder, MM could strengthen the company's governance by providing additional diversification and oversight to the company's board of directors. Governance was a key driver behind today's rating action and is a consideration under Moody's ESG framework.Deleveraging, combined with the company's ongoing cost rationalization, which accelerated during the pandemic should allow the company to generate sufficient cash flows to invest in the growth of the business, while distributing dividends to its shareholders, leaving the rating strongly positioned at Ba1. With expected positive free cash flows, sufficient covenant headroom and a fully available credit facility we view the company's liquidity as good. ECI also maintains significant financial flexibility thanks to over EUR1 billion non-core real estate assets available for disposal.While the transaction with MM involves the deconsolidation of ECI's insurance business, which generated approximately EUR100 million of EBITDA annually, ECI expects to receive regular dividends from its 49.9% stake in the insurance business, which we will include in Moody's EBITDA.The stable outlook also reflects ECI's recovery with revenues and gross profit in the six months to August 2021 (H1 2021) 25.1% and 35.5% above the figures in the same period in 2020. Topline growth, combined with ongoing cost rationalization resulted in an improvement in EBITDA compared to Moody's previous forecasts. As a result, Moody's expects ECI's leverage will recover to close to 4.0x in fiscal 2021 -- this is before taking into account the MM transaction, which is expected to close in fiscal 2022.In fiscal 2022, Moody's expects that ECI's EBITDA will remain broadly flat pro forma the deconsolidation of the insurance business. The positive effects of ongoing cost rationalization, including the implementation of the Group's voluntary redundancy plan and revenue growth compared to fiscal 2021, will likely be offset by increasing inflationary pressure. Moody's forecasts reflect limited recovery of the company's travel agency's activities and limited traffic linked to tourism, which remain below pre-pandemic levels as travel restrictions are expected to continue. However, Moody's base case does not factor in material additional shopping restrictions in Spain related to the coronavirus pandemic.Beyond fiscal 2022, Moody's expects ECI to remain a key player in the Spanish retail market and a leader in growing Spanish e-commerce, consolidating and growing its position as the second largest e-commerce platform in Spain after Amazon.com, Inc. (A1 stable). Moody's also expects the company will continue to grow its consumer services in insurance, following its alliance with MM, acting as a consolidator in the Spanish travel agency business and providing additional services such as energy and telecom distribution.ECIs Ba1 CFR remains underpinned by (1) the companys leading market positions in most of the business segments in which it operates, (2) strong brand awareness and high interest from third-party brands to operate in ECI's stores, (3) a large and unencumbered real estate portfolio with a proven track record of successful asset monetization , (4) and good deleveraging prospects and the firm commitment to maintain a more conservative financial policy with the objective to obtain an investment grade rating.The rating also reflects (1) the companys high geographic concentration in its home market, (2) the cyclical, seasonal and discretionary nature of its business model, (3) lower profitability margins than rated peers and high earnings dependency on its top ten best-performing stores, (4) and the risks and challenges posed by increasing online penetration rates and competition from pure e-commerce specialists.LIQUIDITY PROFILEMoody's considers the company's liquidity to be good and sufficient to cover working capital seasonality. As of the end of August 2021, the company had a total liquidity of around EUR1.6 billion, comprising cash on balance sheet of around EUR513 million, and EUR1.1 billion available under its revolving credit facility (RCF) maturing in 2024, which can be extended for two years. The company has an upcoming maturity of EUR581 million on its Hipercor bond, which has to be repaid by the end of fiscal 2021, and Moody's expects that the company will use its available cash to repay it.The company has a maintenance covenant on its EUR1.1 billion existing RCF and its ICO loan, which will be triggered only from the end of fiscal 2021 if the company does not have at least two investment-grade ratings. The covenant is set at 4.5x in February 2022, and we expect that the company will have significant headroom under this covenant.STRUCTURAL CONSIDERATIONSThe Ba1 instrument rating on the guaranteed senior unsecured notes is in line with the CFR. The company's probability of default rating of Ba1-PD is also in line with the CFR. The probability of default rating reflects the use of a 50% family recovery rate resulting from a capital structure comprising guaranteed senior unsecured bonds and unsecured bank debt.RATIONALE FOR THE STABLE OUTLOOKThe stable outlook reflects the recovery of the company's performance since fiscal 2020 and Moody's expectation that its operating performance will trend to pre-pandemic levels despite a still uncertain macroeconomic background. Moody's expects leverage will improve leaving the company's credit metrics at least commensurate with the Ba1 rating, including Moody's Adjusted Debt to EBITDA well below 4.0x.FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGSThe company is strongly positioned at Ba1. Positive rating pressure could arise if the company maintains a good liquidity buffer supported by at least maintaining its current profitability and free cash flow generation of at least 4% of gross Debt and if its Moodys adjusted (gross) debt/EBITDA ratio decreases below 3.5x and sustainably towards 3.0x. The maintenance of a prudent financial policy that includes low debt leverage targets and especially a good and proactively-managed liquidity profile on a sustained basis, are key requirements for an upgrade to an investment grade rating.Downward pressure on the ratings could arise as a result of a deterioration in the company's liquidity. Downward pressure could also arise if there is a prolonged period of negative like-for-like sales, weaker profitability and depressed free cash flow generation. On a quantitative basis, the ratings could be downgraded if Moodys adjusted (gross) debt/EBITDA ratio is maintained above 4.0x.PRINCIPAL METHODOLOGYThe principal methodology used in these ratings was Retail published in November 2021 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1296095. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.COMPANY PROFILEECI, headquartered in Madrid, Spain, is the largest department store in Europe, with groupwide net sales of almost EUR10.4 billion and adjusted negative EBITDA of EUR0.4billion in the fiscal year ended 28 February 2021 (fiscal 2020). The company operates under two divisions, retail and non-retail, which represented around 95% and 5% for both sales and EBITDA, respectively, in fiscal 2020.Founded in 1935 by Ramon Areces, ECI remains privately owned and controlled by the founder's descendants. Its current main shareholders are the Ramon Areces Foundation, Cartera de Valores IASA and PrimeFin, S.A.REGULATORY DISCLOSURESFor further specification of Moody's key rating assumptions and sensitivity analysis, see the sections Methodology Assumptions and Sensitivity to Assumptions in the disclosure form. Moody's Rating Symbols and Definitions can be found at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_79004.For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. 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For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1288235.At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s) announced and described above.The Global Scale Credit Rating on this Credit Rating Announcement was issued by one of Moody's affiliates outside the UK and is endorsed by Moody's Investors Service Limited, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5FA under the law applicable to credit rating agencies in the UK. Further information on the UK endorsement status and on the Moody's office that issued the credit rating is available on www.moodys.com.Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued the rating.Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating. 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This document is intended to be provided only to wholesale clients within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. By continuing to access this document from within Australia, you represent to MOODYS that you are, or are accessing the document as a representative of, a wholesale client and that neither you nor the entity you represent will directly or indirectly disseminate this document or its contents to retail clients within the meaning of section 761G of the Corporations Act 2001. MOODYS credit rating is an opinion as to the creditworthiness of a debt obligation of the issuer, not on the equity securities of the issuer or any form of security that is available to retail investors.Additional terms for Japan only: Moody's Japan K.K. (MJKK) is a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of Moody's Group Japan G.K., which is wholly-owned by Moodys Overseas Holdings Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCO. Moodys SF Japan K.K. (MSFJ) is a wholly-owned credit rating agency subsidiary of MJKK. MSFJ is not a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization (NRSRO). Therefore, credit ratings assigned by MSFJ are Non-NRSRO Credit Ratings. Non-NRSRO Credit Ratings are assigned by an entity that is not a NRSRO and, consequently, the rated obligation will not qualify for certain types of treatment under U.S. laws. MJKK and MSFJ are credit rating agencies registered with the Japan Financial Services Agency and their registration numbers are FSA Commissioner (Ratings) No. 2 and 3 respectively.MJKK or MSFJ (as applicable) hereby disclose that most issuers of debt securities (including corporate and municipal bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper) and preferred stock rated by MJKK or MSFJ (as applicable) have, prior to assignment of any credit rating, agreed to pay to MJKK or MSFJ (as applicable) for credit ratings opinions and services rendered by it fees ranging from JPY100,000 to approximately JPY550,000,000.MJKK and MSFJ also maintain policies and procedures to address Japanese regulatory requirements. 
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 26, 2022) - EMX Royalty Corporation (NYSE American: EMX) (TSXV: EMX) (FSE: 6E9) (the "Company" or "EMX") is pleased to announce the execution, by its wholly-owned subsidiary Bronco Creek Exploration Inc., of an exploration and option agreement (the "Agreement") for the sale of the Robber Gulch gold project ("Project") in Idaho to Ridgeline Exploration Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ridgeline Minerals Corp. (TSX-V: RDG) ("Ridgeline"). The Agreement provides EMX with cash payments, share payments, and work commitments during Ridgeline's earn-in period, and upon earn-in a retained 3.25% net smelter return ("NSR") royalty interest, annual advance royalty payments, and certain milestone payments.

Robber Gulch is a Carlin-style gold property acquired by EMX in 2019 and then optioned to a third party in 2020 that completed work programs consisting of geological mapping, soil and rock chip geochemical sampling, trenching, and a reconnaissance drill program. This previous work confirmed several key gold zones that were delineated by coincident geochemical anomalies and prospective geology. The drill testing was limited in scope and in EMX's judgement did not adequately test the target zones. The Project reverted back to 100% EMX control in Q3, 2021.

The Robber Gulch Agreement with Ridgeline represents EMX's execution of the seventh option agreement for Idaho gold projects since 2020. Ridgeline is also advancing the Company's Swift and Selena royalty properties in Nevada. Robber Gulch is a key example of the royalty generation aspect of EMX's business model, whereby prospective ground was identified, acquired inexpensively via staking open ground, and then partnered for exploration advancement at no additional cost to EMX.

Commercial Terms Overview. Pursuant to the Agreement, Ridgeline can earn 100% interest in the Project by (all dollar amounts in USD): (a) making execution and option payments totaling $750,000 over a five year option period, (b) delivering 150,000 shares of Ridgeline Minerals Corp. to EMX by the second anniversary of the Agreement, and (c) completing $650,000 in exploration expenditures before the fifth anniversary of the Agreement.

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Upon Ridgeline's option exercise and earn-in, EMX will retain a 3.25% NSR royalty interest on the Project. Ridgeline may buy back up to a total of one percent (1%) of the royalty by first completing an initial half-percent (0.5%) royalty buyback for a payment of $1,500,000 to the Company prior to the third anniversary of the option exercise. If the first buyback is completed, then the remaining half-percent (0.5%) of the royalty buyback can be purchased anytime thereafter for a payment of $2,000,000 to the Company. Ridgeline will also make annual advance royalty ("AAR") payments of $50,000 that increase to $75,000 upon completion of a Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") or internal study termed an Order of Magnitude Study ("OMS"), the details of which are defined in the terms of the Agreement. The AAR payments cease upon commencement of commercial production. In addition, Ridgeline will make Project milestone payments consisting of: (a) $250,000 upon completion of a PEA, (b) $500,000 upon completion of the earlier of a Prefeasibility or Feasibility Study, and (c) $1,000,000 upon a positive Development Decision.

Robber Gulch Overview. The Robber Gulch Project is located 30 kilometers south of Burley, Idaho and consists of 117 unpatented lode mining claims covering approximately 9.3 square kilometers. Carlin-style mineralization is hosted in Pennsylvanian to Permian age silty limestones and calcareous siliciclastics that are exposed within erosional windows beneath post-mineralization volcanic rocks. The Robber Gulch geological environment is similar to that at the Black Pine project ~90 kilometers to the southeast.

Previous work on the Project defined two main corridors of gold mineralization along the crest of a gently sloping ridge where prospective Paleozoic host rocks outcrop. Much of the remainder of the property is covered by shallow soil. A 2020 geochemical sampling program (conducted by previous partner Gold Lion Resources) identified robust 1,000 by 550 meter and 850 by 600 meter gold-in-soil anomalies1. Numerous lower level gold-in-soil anomalies are scattered across the property within an overlying sequence of less prospective host rocks.

Trenching across portions of the soil anomalies further defined priority oxide gold targets, including a trench interval of 189 meters averaging 0.43 g/t gold, with a higher grade sub-interval of 0.88 g/t gold over 45 meters. Historical drilling intercepted 57.9 meters (from 21.3 to 79.2 m) averaging 0.34 g/t gold, including 12.2 meters averaging 0.90 g/t gold (hole bottomed in 0.32 g/t gold)2. The last hole of Gold Lion's 2021 program terminated prematurely in bedrock at 6.1 meters depth, and averaged 1.46 g/t gold across the drilled interval. True widths from the trenching and drilling are unknown.

EMX regards Robber Gulch as a highly prospective gold property within an emerging Carlin-style gold region in southern Idaho. The Company looks forward to the Ridgeline team advancing the Project with the knowledge gained from successfully exploring Carlin-style gold systems in Nevada.

More information on the Project can be found at www.EMXroyalty.com.

Comments on Sampling, Assaying and Adjacent Properties. EMX has not performed sufficient work to verify the Project's historical drill results, but considers this information as reliable and relevant based upon the Company's independent field work and reviews of data from multiple sources.

The geochemical and trench results in this news release from previous partner Gold Lion Resources were sampled and assayed according to industry standard procedures, and reported according to NI 43-101 requirements. EMX believes that these results are reliable and relevant. All trench samples were logged and sampled by Gold Lion personnel. Certified reference material standards, blanks and pulp duplicates were inserted at a ratio of approximately two in every 10 trench samples. Rock samples were collected as continuous 2 to 3-metre-long chip samples along the entire length of the trenches. An effort was made to collect an even volume of bedrock along each interval in order to minimize bias in the chip sampling.

All rock samples were sealed in poly bags and were transported to MS Analytical's laboratory in Langley, B.C., by Gold Lion personnel for preparation and analysis. Sample preparation was completed by crushing the entire sample to 70% passing -2mm, riffle splitting off 1 kilogram and pulverizing the split to better than 85% passing 75 microns. Using a 30 gram sub-sample, the gold values are determined by the fire assay method, with atomic absorption finish (code FAS-111), which reports results in parts per million (ppm) (equivalent to grams per tonne (g/t)). Using a 0.5 grab sub-sample, the remaining analytes were determined by multi-element ICP-AES with an aqua regia digest (code ICP-130). Representative samples from RG-TR-20-03 were re-analyzed by Cyanide Leach (code AU-CN00) with a AAS finish. A range of samples from low (0.149g/t) to high grade gold (1.502g/t Au; determined by FAS-111) were selected to represent a range of mineralized samples from the trenching program for reanalysis by Cyanide Leach. All analytical results are verified with the application of industry standard Quality Control and Quality Assurance (QA-QC) procedures.

The Black Pine project referenced in this news release provides context for EMX's Project, which occurs in a similar geologic setting, but this is not necessarily indicative that the Company's Project hosts similar tonnages or grades of mineralization.

Michael P. Sheehan, CPG, a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and employee of the Company, has reviewed, verified and approved the disclosure of the technical information contained in this news release.

About EMX. EMX is a precious, base and battery metals royalty company. EMX's investors are provided with discovery, development, and commodity price optionality, while limiting exposure to risks inherent to operating companies. The Company's common shares are listed on the NYSE American Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol EMX, as well as on the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol "6E9." Please see www.EMXroyalty.com for more information.

For further information contact:

David M. Cole

President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: (303) 973-8585

Dave@emxroyalty.com



Scott Close

Director of Investor Relations

Phone: (303) 973-8585

SClose@emxroyalty.com



Isabel Belger

Investor Relations (Europe)

Phone: +49 178 4909039

IBelger@EMXroyalty.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" that reflect the Company's current expectations and projections about its future results. These forward-looking statements may include statements regarding perceived merit of properties, exploration results and budgets, mineral reserve and resource estimates, work programs, capital expenditures, timelines, strategic plans, market prices for precious and base metal, or other statements that are not statements of fact. When used in this news release, words such as "estimate," "intend," "expect," "anticipate," "will", "believe", "potential" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, which, by their very nature, are not guarantees of the Company's future operational or financial performance, and are subject to risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and factors may include, but are not limited to: unavailability of financing, failure to identify commercially viable mineral reserves, fluctuations in the market valuation for commodities, difficulties in obtaining required approvals for the development of a mineral project, increased regulatory compliance costs, expectations of project funding by joint venture partners and other factors.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release or as of the date otherwise specifically indicated herein. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified in this news release, and other risk factors and forward-looking statements listed in the Company's MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 and the year ended December 31, 2020 (the "MD&A"), and the most recently filed Revised Annual Information Form (the "AIF") for the year ended December 31, 2020, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. More information about the Company, including the MD&A, the AIF and financial statements of the Company, is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the SEC's EDGAR website at www.sec.gov.









Figure 1. Location map of the Robber Gulch Project, Idaho.

To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1508/111649_0c1a673a64a1593a_002full.jpg





Figure 2: Robber Gulch Project Geology

To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit:

https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/1508/111649_0c1a673a64a1593a_003full.jpg

Note: Soil, rock chip and trench results are from Gold Lion Resources. Annotated drill hole intercepts are historical. True widths for trench and drill results are unknown.





1See Gold Lion Resources news releases dated June 16, and August 11, 2020.

2 Exvenco Resources Inc., 1986, Internal Report on Artesian City Project, Cassia County, Idaho.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/111649
Michael David Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and Museum in Jerusalem, has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. He has dedicated his life to combating antisemitism.

JERUSALEM, Jan. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael David Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and Museum in Jerusalem, has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. He has dedicated his life to combating antisemitism.

Mike Evans with the pope and Late president, Shimon Peres Dr.

Evans was a victim of antisemitism who was strangled by his own father at 11 years old when he attempted to defend his Jewish mother.

The nomination was submitted by Bobby Brown, Senior Vice President for Ariel University in Israel. He said "The reason I nominated Mike Evans is because I know of no living person doing more to combat antisemitism."

Sunday, January 31, 2022, is the last day for the submission of a nominee for this year's award.

The late ninth president of Israel, Shimon Peres, was the founding international chairman of Friends of Zion. He commissioned the Friends of Zion award that has been given to 22 world leaders, including two U.S. presidents, George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump.

Mike Evans said, "It's a great honor being nominated, but I consider combating antisemitism an even greater honor. The key to happiness is committing your life to a cause greater than yourself. I have such a cause."

On Mike Evans' birthday on June 30, 1984 Mr. Evans was informed by the ATF that , Richard Wayne Snell, a white supremacist and Jew-hater, was headed toward Evans' home to kill him in Colleyville, Texas. Snell had already killed an Arkansas State Trooper on the way.

"I know of no person who has done more in my lifetime to combat antisemitism, and especially someone who has been a victim of antisemitism," Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, a survivor of the Poway synagogue mass shooting, said of Evans.

"Mike Evans is a fighter for freedom in a world of darkening and narrowing horizons. In his devotion to Israel, Mike has consistently demonstrated the moral clarity that is necessary to defend Israel against the lies and distortions of its enemies, and championed the Jewish people's claim to the Land of Israel." Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

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For inquiries, contact Tal Marom, Spokesperson for FOZ, tal@marompr.co.il

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-evangelical-leader-michael-d-evans-nominated-for-nobel-peace-prize-by-bobby-brown-senior-vice-president-for-ariel-university-in-israel-301467896.html

SOURCE Friends of Zion
TOKYO, January 26, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For many travelers, experiencing local cuisine is one of the highlights of a trip away from home. A survey by the Japan Tourism Agency in 2019 revealed that eating Japanese food and tasting Japanese sake were among the activities prospective visitors to Japan looked forward to the most.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005356/en/

Strolling around the old town in Takayama, famous for its sake breweries. (Photo: HIDA-TAKAYAMA Tourism & Convention Bureau. If youd like to use this photo in your article or other publication, please download it from https://www.hida.jp/english/library/index.html)

Gastronomy tourism is a fast-growing phenomenon. The World Tourism Organization defines it as "tourism activity characterized by visitors experiences of food and related activities." The activities include visiting local producers, attending food festivals, and joining cooking classes. Gastronomy tourism thereby helps to protect local traditions and maintain culinary diversity.

The decline in hunting activity in Japan coupled with the growing amount of abandoned land in the countryside has boosted the wild animal population, resulting in increased damage to crops in cultivated areas. Accordingly, a nationwide movement to utilize game animals such as deer and wild boar as sources of food is gathering support, with the French word gibier now commonly used by the Japanese to refer to the meat of hunted wild animals.

The Nishi-Awa region, in a mountainous area of Tokushima prefecture in Shikoku, is well known for its ancient hillside farming methods and the coexistence of its people with nature. The regions communities are striving to mitigate the damage caused by wild animals by promoting their meat as a tourist attraction. The Uribo minshuku lodge offers guests gibier dishes, and in wintertime they can even try their hand at hunting. The owners take the opportunity to educate their guests about the agricultural lifestyles of the region.

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The Hida Takayama area in Gifu prefecture is famed for its Shirakawa-go UNESCO World Heritage site. Takayama city has received a full three-star rating from the Michelin Green Guide Japan for its old town landscape, featuring wooden buildings reminiscent of the Edo period. Quality rice is cultivated in the area, which is also blessed with a rich supply of mountain water; these are combined to produce fragrant sake. In Takayama city, there are seven sake breweries located within a 100-meter radius, including Hirase, the citys oldest, which has been producing sake since 1623; tourists can visit these and try some sake while strolling around the historic streets. Hida is also famous for its Hida Beef, which visitors can enjoy washing down with some of the local sake.

In Gero, just 60km south of Hida Takayama, lies the small remote village of Maze, considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in Japan. The river Maze which flows through it is teeming with ayu (sweetfish), which are found only in the cleanest rivers and streams. Designated as a hub for green tourism, the villages Nishimura district offers programs that allow visitors to experience an authentic rural lifestyle through guided tours and hands-on experiences including fishing and cooking. Tasting freshly caught sweetfish is an ultimate pastime across much of Japans countryside!

Nara prefecture, the ancient political and religious heart of Japan, will host the 7th UNWTO World Forum on Gastronomy Tourism in June 2022. This event aims to promote exchange and collaboration between experts in tourism and gastronomy, with attendees sharing best practices and promoting gastronomy tourism as a contributor towards sustainable development.

With more than 1.4 million diverse food outlets across the countrys 47 prefectures, from restaurants offering contemporary cuisine to farmhouse diners, overseas visitors to Japan can enjoy a journey of endless culinary discovery!

For more content for your articles and story ideas, visit Japan Online Media Center (JOMC).

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220126005356/en/

Contacts

Mayuko Harada

Weber Shandwick JNTO Team

media_inquiry@jnto.go.jp
FILE PHOTO: The Google logo is pictured at the entrance to the Google offices in London

(Reuters) - Alphabet Inc's Google is slated to hire 200 engineers in Brazil this year, as it seeks to bolster its privacy, security, and anti-abusive content technologies, Berthier Ribeiro-Neto, its director of engineering for Latin America, told Reuters on Tuesday.

The 2023 hiring push would double the current number of engineers working in Latin America's largest country with a focus on "local talents" that could create products not only for Brazil, but for the world.

The job offers will be focused on the southeastern states of Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo, the country's tech hubs, but with the possibility of remote work.

Answering questions from Reuters via e-mail, Ribeiro-Neto also highlighted that the planned hires are part of a global expansion plan prioritizing Google's main markets outside the United States.

"With such a relevant market, we believe it is important to have more and more Brazilians at the forefront of the development of our technologies," he said, adding that Brazil is among the top five countries for the use of products such as Android, Chrome, YouTube and Maps.

(Reporting by Carolina Pulice; Editing by Sandra Maler)
Transaction marks KKRs latest technology investment in the merchant enablement space

Latest round to support GrowSaris expansion and strengthen its financial services capabilities

MANILA, Philippines, January 26, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--KKR, a leading global investment firm, and GrowSari (the "Company"), a B2B e-commerce platform serving micro, small and medium-sized enterprises ("MSMEs") in the Philippines, today announced the signing of definitive agreements under which KKR will invest US$45 million to lead GrowSaris Series C funding round. KKRs investment in GrowSari will support the Companys expansion into more regions across the Philippines and strengthen its financial services capabilities.

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Founded in 2016, GrowSari is a leading tech-enabled B2B platform that helps the Philippines small physical retail stores, including neighborhood retail shops (sari-sari stores), roadside and market shops (carinderia), and pharmacies, enhance their service levels and access a wider range of products and value-adding services. This allows the stores to provide local communities with more comprehensive offerings, including digital services.

Today, GrowSari is present in 220 municipalities across the regions of Luzon and offers over a hundred types of different services including making bill payments, telco reloads, and wallet top-ups, as well as procurement services for common retail goods and pharmaceutical medicines. Strong tailwinds around digital adoption, proximity shopping, and economic growth in the Philippines have also contributed to a 6.5x increase in gross merchandise value for GrowSari since 2019 and a 2.5x increase in revenue over the same period. In 2021, the Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association named GrowSari as Venture Capital Deal of the Year.

Ashish Shastry, Co-Head of Asia Pacific Private Equity and Head of Southeast Asia at KKR, said, "We are pleased to invest in GrowSari, an innovative company with tremendous potential to digitally transform the operations of Filipino MSMEs, who are crucial contributors to the countrys economy and a pillar of the business community. We are excited to support the GrowSari team to achieve their expansion ambitions."

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Speaking on the latest investment, Reymund ER Rollan, CEO and Co-Founder of GrowSari, said, "We will be accelerating our presence nationally to more municipalities and cities in the Philippines. Our investments will be focused towards expanding in Visayas and Mindanao this 2022. This will bring us a step closer to our mission of creating a positive socio-economic impact to the lives of more MSME owners and the communities they serve. In addition, we are doubling down on our capabilities to improve the overall customer experience and look to expand our ability to provide sari-sari stores access to credit and basic financial services, which is a key pain point for MSMEs who have limited access. The industry, operational and financial expertise and network of KKR will be a great complement to the passion, dedication and strong culture of excellence that GrowSari has built over the years."

Louis Casey, KKRs growth technology lead in Southeast Asia, added, "GrowSari is aligned with one of our core technology investment themes in Southeast Asia, which is supporting MSMEs with software and financial services. Reymund and the team at GrowSari are excellent operators who have built an impressive flywheel that is powered by a number of proprietary applications. They have also built a very efficient and repeatable go-to-market motion that is underpinning their impressive growth. We look to leverage our global experience, regional connectivity and flexible capital to help GrowSari achieve its ambitious growth objectives."

Prior to KKRs investment, GrowSari had raised funding from global financial and strategic investors, including Temasek-affiliated Pavilion Capital, Tencent, the International Finance Corporation, the Gokongwei family-controlled JG Summit, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc., Wavemaker Partners, Saison Capital, and the Investment & Capital Corporation of the Philippines.

The ongoing Series C round is significantly oversubscribed, having drawn keen interest from new and existing investors. The rounds final composition is currently being finalized.

KKR is making its investment in GrowSari from its Asia next generation technology strategy. GrowSari is KKRs latest investment into companies that augment the digital transformation of MSMEs through software and financial technology. KKRs global investments in the sector include KiotViet, a merchant platform for MSMEs in Vietnam, Yayoi, a software developer, distributor, and support service provider for small and medium-sized enterprises ("SMEs") in Japan, MYOB, a leading Australian online business management company, NetStars, the operator of Japans largest QR code payment gateway, Qonto, a leading European business finance solution for freelances and SMEs in France, Cegid, one of the largest European providers of enterprise software headquartered in France, and Exact Software, a provider of business and accounting software in the Netherlands. Additional details of the transaction are not disclosed.

About KKR

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management and capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKRs insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life, and reinsurance products under the management of The Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKRs investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries. For additional information about KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE: KKR), please visit KKRs website at www.kkr.com and on Twitter @KKR_Co.

About GrowSari

GrowSari started in 2016 as an ordering platform servicing roughly sari-sari stores in three cities. Today, GrowSari powers the management, growth, and analytics infrastructure across 220 municipalities and is now further expanding. In addition to providing credit and affordable, on-demand inventory, GrowSaris platform also generates crucial data & insights into the operations of these stores for manufacturers and distributors to build their strategies and campaigns upon. GrowSari has also integrated multiple-microservices such as telco load, bills pay, e-commerce, Wi-Fi and other eservices, allowing store-owners to maximize their capital in one wallet and easily expand their business.

GrowSari is certified as a Great Place To Work in the Philippines. The GrowSari leadership team is composed of young and dynamic industry leaders who built their expertise from working with global corporations and consultancies including P&G, Unilever, J&J, and Boston Consulting Group as well as Uber, Globe Telecom, and GCash.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220125005949/en/

Contacts

For KKR:

Wei Jun Ong

+65 6922 5813

WeiJun.Ong@kkr.com



For GrowSari:

Reynaldo Rubio

(+63) 9190733255

reynaldo.Rubio@growsari.com
Plans show how the Mitchum Meadows Community would transform the rural landscape between Kedron Road and I-65 in northern Maury County.

A request to rezone a 256.4 acre plot of land bordering Kedron Road and I-65 in northern Maury County has been denied by the Maury County Regional Planning Commission.

The vote brings temporarily relief to a group of concerned homeowners from the surrounding area.

The proposal, made by Middle Tennessee firm T-Square Engineering, alongside property owners James Gary, Randy Lochridge and Pinnacle Bank, shows a roadmap to build a 795-unit planned community called Mitchum Meadows at 4392 Kedron Rd.

The proposal includes rezoning the property from A-2 (rural residential) to R-2 (medium density residential) to build 295 townhomes and an additional 450 single family homes on lots ranging from 4,800 square feet to 9,600 square feet. The developer is Suncrest Real Estate & Land.

The commission voted 8-1 against the rezoning with planning commissioner Mathieu Poag casting the dissenting vote.

More: 'Disheartening': Almost 800-unit development sparks concern from residents in northern Maury County

We feel the urban growth is going to continue to grow into the south, said Casey Werner, a land development director with Suncrest, while presenting the request to the planning commission.

Proposed homes, starting at about $350,000 for the townhomes and exceeding $700,000 for single family homes, would be constructed over a five-year buildout.

As drafted, the project would also include the construction of commercial spaces and a clubhouse located near the projects entrance.

This is an area near urban centers and frequent shopping, said Nathan McVay, a civil-site director with T-Square Engineering. We have heard some concerns from the residents surrounding the property, and we are going to take those concerns and morph them into the property [proposal].

More: Spring Hill officials encourage input on Urban Growth Boundary

Push-back on high density

During a meeting held last week, neighbors of the proposed project shared concerns that the development would permanently transform the region, putting an additional strain on the countys roads, schools and water system.

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With a particular concern about the density of the project, the homeowners worried that the proposed construction would decrease the value of the surrounding properties.

Gerald Morgan, a Spring Hill attorney, offers public comment during a meeting of the Maury County Regional Planing Commission in Columbia, Tenn., on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022.

Stephenson, who also serves on the county commission, told the developers that they have "a real uphill battle."

"I am not looking to turn all of Maury County into high density development, Stephenson said. The county does not have the money to pay for all the infrastructure of these developments.

Comments shared by Stephenson reflect concerns shared by the existing property owners.

Mark Cook, another member of the board, said he would only approve a rezoning if both Maury County Public Schools and the countys public services would formally confirm that the project could be sustained by current infrastructure.

More: 'About to explode': Growth will define unprecedented need for new school buildings in Maury County

More: City mayors: Living wages, economic prosperity and good citizens emerge as themes of annual talk

Neighbors prepare to oppose appeal

The developers now have 10 days to submit and appeal of the boards decision to be reviewed by the members of the Maury County Commission.

Following the meeting, Resident Matt Macrander said he and his fellow neighbors will now call on the members of the county commission to uphold the decision by the planning commission.

We are all here because we all equally love this county, and we care for it, Macrander said.

Former Maury County Commissioner Davis Burkhalter also attended the meeting as a concerned citizen.

I am directly across from this piece of property, Burkhalter said. I am not naive to think that this piece of property would be pasture land again.

Reach Mike Christen at mchristen@c-dh.net. Follow him on Twitter at @MikeChristenCDH and on Instagram at @michaelmarco. Please consider supporting his work and that of other Daily Herald journalists by subscribing to the publication.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Herald: Maury County denies rezone for Mitchum Meadows project
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 25, 2022 /CNW/ - Mind Cure Health Inc. (CSE: MCUR) (OTCQX: MCURF) (FRA: 6MH) ("MINDCURE" or the "Company"), a leader in advanced proprietary technology and research for psychedelics, today announced its financial results and operational highlights for the three and six months ended November 30, 2021. All amounts are stated in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated.

MINDCURE Logo (CNW Group/Mind Cure Health Inc.)

Fiscal Q2 2022 Business Highlights

Commenced trading on the OTCQX Best Market on September 30, 2021, the highest tier of OTC Markets Group, under the ticker symbol "MCURF".

Closed an exclusive data licensing agreement with ATMA Journey Centers Inc., a pioneer in the psychedelic therapy industry, and was granted exclusive access to ATMA data from patients using iSTRYM, the Company's digital therapeutics technology. The data will be leveraged to further optimize iSTRYM and position it as the industry's distribution network for science-based, evidence-backed protocols and AI data systems.

Signed a letter of intent with Awakn Life Sciences (NEO: AWKN) (OTCQB: AWKNF) to be a distributor of its ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for Alcohol Use Disorder protocol in the US and Canada.

Partnered with 20 ketamine clinics in nine states in the U.S. and three provinces in Canada to release the minimum viable product version of iSTRYM, with plans to further expand in 2022.

Introduced the "Desire Project", a clinical research program focused on the treatment of female hypoactive sexual desire disorder with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. This is the first psychedelics-based treatment program targeted at addressing Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder.

Joined the Digital Therapeutics Alliance, a non-profit association of industry leaders with a mission to drive awareness and adoption of digital therapies.

Advanced preparations to ship ibogaine drug material to its pre-clinical research partner.

Included in the AdvisorShares Psychedelics ETF, which trades on the NYSE Arca under the ticker symbol "PSIL".

Recent Events

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The Company and its digital therapeutics technology, iSTRYM, were certified as Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliant, making a further step toward commercial deployment in the second quarter of 2022.

Appointed Dr. Doron Sagman, MD, FRCPC, as the Company's new Chief Medical Officer ("CMO"). Dr. Joel Raskin who was acting CMO will transition into an advisory role.

"During the second quarter of fiscal 2022, we achieved several key milestones across our digital technology and research projects, further proving our ability to successfully execute against our strategic growth strategy," said Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO of MINDCURE. "We are continuing to build out our team with key industry leaders, positioning the Company to develop innovative treatments that promote healing and improve mental health."

Financial Highlights

Net loss for the three months ended November 30, 2021 was $2.95 million, comprised of cash operating expenses of $2.9 million, non-cash operating expenses of $0.3 million and an unrealized gain of $0.2 million.

Cash and cash equivalents totalled $13.4 million as of November 30, 2021.

A copy of the Company's financial statements for the three and six months ended November 30, 2021 and the related management's discussion and analysis are available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

In other news, the Company also announces it has granted a total of 110,000 stock options to certain employees pursuant to the terms the Company's long term incentive plan ("Plan"). The stock options are exercisable at a price of $0.21 per share, and are subject to the terms of the Plan.

About Mind Cure Health Inc.

MINDCURE is a life sciences company focused on innovating and commercializing new ways to promote healing and improve mental health. The company is developing digital therapeutics technology and researching psychedelic compounds to support access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies globally. Learn more at mindcure.com, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO

Phone: 1-888-593-8995

Forward-Looking Information

Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by management of MINDCURE, including, without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian economy and MINDCURE's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect MINDCURE's business; there will be a demand for MINDCURE's products in the future; no unanticipated expenses or costs arise; MINDCURE will be able to continue to identify products that make them ideal candidates for providing solutions for treating mental health; that iSTRYM will be developed, optimized and operate as contemplated within the psychedelics industry; that the Company will be effective in obtaining the patents applied for synthesizing ibogaine, or synthesizing ibogaine, or developing synthesized ibogaine for research, medical or commercial use; that MINDCURE will advance wellness worldwide; that iSTRYM will be brought to commercial deployment in the near term or otherwise or that it will reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, or support transformation and healing, or that the deployment may not occur at the scale or within the time frame contemplated.

Although MINDCURE has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information presented, there may be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as no forward-looking information can be guaranteed.

Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and MINDCURE does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Cision

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SOURCE Mind Cure Health Inc.

Cision

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All monetary amounts are expressed in Canadian Dollars, unless otherwise indicated.

TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Neo Lithium Corp. ("Neo Lithium" or the "Company") (TSXV: NLC) (OTCQX: NTTHF) (FSE:NE2) is pleased to announce the completion of the previously announced plan of arrangement under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (the "Arrangement") involving the Company, Zijin Mining Group Co., Ltd. ("Zijin"), and 2872122 Ontario Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Zijin (the "Purchaser"), following receipt of all required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of all closing conditions.

Neo Lithium Corp. logo (CNW Group/Neo Lithium Corp.)

Pursuant to the Arrangement, the Purchaser acquired all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (the "Shares") for $6.50 per Share in cash. Registered shareholders should send their completed and executed letters of transmittal and share certificates or DRS advices, as applicable, to the depositary, TSX Trust Company, as soon as possible in order to receive the consideration to which they are entitled in connection with the Arrangement.

As a result of the Arrangement, the Shares are expected to be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange. It is also expected that the Shares will cease being quoted for trading on the OTCQX and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange concurrently or shortly thereafter, and that the Company will apply to cease to be a reporting issuer in all of the provinces of Canada in which it is a reporting issuer.

In connection with the closing, and in accordance with the terms of the Arrangement, the Company issued an additional 6,275,500 Shares to the Purchaser at a price of $6.50 per Share for gross proceeds to the Company of $40,790,750, which proceeds will be primarily used by the Company to fund a portion of the transaction consideration.

About Neo Lithium Corp.

Neo Lithium Corp., incorporated in January, 2016, owns and operates the 3Q lithium brine project in Argentina. Additional information regarding Neo Lithium Corp. is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Company's profile and at its website at www.neolithium.ca.

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About Zijin

Formed in 1993 and based in Fujian, China, Zijin is one of the largest mining companies in China as well as a leading global gold and copper producer. It manages an extensive portfolio, primarily consisting of gold, copper, zinc, and other metals through investments in China and twelve overseas countries across Europe, Central Asia, Africa, Oceania and South America. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Zijin has a market capitalization of approximately US$40 billion.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Cision

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SOURCE Neo Lithium Corp.
LONDON, January 26, 2022  Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen has informed the Board of Stolt-Nielsen Limited of his wish to step down from his role as Chief Executive Officer. He will continue as CEO and as a Director on the Board until the appointment process for a successor has been completed. Mr Stolt-Nielsen has served as Chief Executive Officer of Stolt-Nielsen Limited since November 2000 and has been a Director since 1996.

The intention is that once a suitable replacement is found, Mr Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen will assume the role of Chairman of the Board of Directors, subject to shareholder approval, replacing Mr Samuel Cooperman. Mr Cooperman has served as Chairman since 2016 and will remain as a Board Director, Chairman of the Audit Committee and a member of the Compensation Committee.

Niels G. Stolt-Nielsen said: "I joined Stolt-Nielsen in 1990 and have served as CEO since 2000. It has been a privilege to lead and work with talented and dedicated individuals throughout the organisation for so long. However, I feel now is the right time for me to step aside and let a fresh pair of hands take the Company forward. I am announcing my intention today to allow the Board sufficient time to appoint my successor and to allow for a smooth handover. I intend to continue to work closely with the Board and the leadership team to ensure the successful continuity of the businesses to the benefit of all stakeholders. I have dedicated my career to Stolt-Nielsen Limited and will continue to do so in the future."

Additional information on the composition of the Stolt-Nielsen Board can be found at the Companys website at: https://www.stolt-nielsen.com/en/about-us/who-we-are/board-of-directors/

For additional information please contact:

Jens F. Gruner-Hegge

Chief Financial Officer

UK +44 (0) 20 7611 8985

j.gruner-hegge@stolt.com

Ellie Davison

Head of Corporate Communications

UK +44 (0) 20 7611 8926

e.davison@stolt.com

About Stolt-Nielsen Limited

Stolt-Nielsen Limited (SNL or 'the Company') is a long-term investor and manager of businesses focused on opportunities in logistics, distribution, and aquaculture. The Stolt-Nielsen portfolio consists of its three global bulk liquid and chemicals logistics businesses  Stolt Tankers, Stolthaven Terminals and Stolt Tank Containers  Stolt Sea Farm and investments in LNG. Stolt-Nielsen Limited is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (Oslo Brs: SNI).

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This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act




Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of North Carolina Municipal Power Agency 1Global Credit Research - 25 Jan 2022New York, January 25, 2022 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of North Carolina Municipal Power Agency 1 and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review discussion held on 18 January 2022 in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.Key rating considerations are summarized below.North Carolina Municipal Power Agency 1's (NCMPA 1) A2 rating reflects the strong take-or-pay power purchase agreements of the A weighted average credit quality municipal utility participants which are the security for the outstanding debt; a satisfactory competitive position with its ownership in well run nuclear assets; and the agency's favorable financial position. NCMPA 1 has a 75% ownership interest in Catawba Nuclear Unit 2, which represents 858.75 MW of capacity with the associated energy, the dominance in one asset is offset by the reliability exchange agreement which provides protection against an unexpected outage of the Catawba generation facility. The exchange agreement provides for the capacity and associated output from the Catawba Nuclear Unit 1 and the McGuire Units 1 and 2 to be used should there be an unexpected outage at Catawba Unit 2.This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.The principal methodology used for this review was US Municipal Joint Action Agencies Methodology published in August 2020. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.This announcement applies only to EU rated, UK rated, EU endorsed and UK endorsed ratings. Non EU rated, non UK rated, non EU endorsed and non UK endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history. David Kamran Lead Analyst Project Finance Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 7 World Trade Center 250 Greenwich Street New York 10007 JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Kurt Krummenacker MANAGING DIRECTOR Project Finance JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653  2022 Moodys Corporation, Moodys Investors Service, Inc., Moodys Analytics, Inc. and/or their licensors and affiliates (collectively, MOODYS). All rights reserved.CREDIT RATINGS ISSUED BY MOODY'S CREDIT RATINGS AFFILIATES ARE THEIR CURRENT OPINIONS OF THE RELATIVE FUTURE CREDIT RISK OF ENTITIES, CREDIT COMMITMENTS, OR DEBT OR DEBT-LIKE SECURITIES, AND MATERIALS, PRODUCTS, SERVICES AND INFORMATION PUBLISHED BY MOODYS (COLLECTIVELY, PUBLICATIONS) MAY INCLUDE SUCH CURRENT OPINIONS. MOODYS DEFINES CREDIT RISK AS THE RISK THAT AN ENTITY MAY NOT MEET ITS CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS AS THEY COME DUE AND ANY ESTIMATED FINANCIAL LOSS IN THE EVENT OF DEFAULT OR IMPAIRMENT. SEE APPLICABLE MOODYS RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS PUBLICATION FOR INFORMATION ON THE TYPES OF CONTRACTUAL FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ADDRESSED BY MOODYS CREDIT RATINGS. CREDIT RATINGS DO NOT ADDRESS ANY OTHER RISK, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: LIQUIDITY RISK, MARKET VALUE RISK, OR PRICE VOLATILITY. CREDIT RATINGS, NON-CREDIT ASSESSMENTS (ASSESSMENTS), AND OTHER OPINIONS INCLUDED IN MOODYS PUBLICATIONS ARE NOT STATEMENTS OF CURRENT OR HISTORICAL FACT. 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Activision Blizzard had until 6PM ET on January 25th to voluntarily recognize Game Workers Alliance, a group of Raven Software employees that recently gathered the votes to unionize, backed by Communications Workers of America. That deadline passed without recognition from Activision Blizzard, and Raven employees will now move forward with plans to file for a union election through the National Labor Relations Board.

"At Activision Blizzard, we deeply respect the rights of all employees to make their own decisions about whether or not to join a union," an Activision Blizzard spokesperson said. "We carefully reviewed and considered the CWA initial request last week and tried to find a mutually acceptable solution with the CWA that would have led to an expedited election process. Unfortunately, the parties could not reach an agreement."

In a series of tweets, GWA confirmed its plans to file with the NLRB.

"This was an opportunity for Activision Blizzard to show a real commitment setting new and improved standards for workers," one tweet read. "Instead, Activision Blizzard has chosen to make a rushed restructuring announcement to try and hinder our right to organize."

Events have been unfolding quickly here, so let's break it down by day:

January 21st: More than 30 quality assurance testers at Raven Software announced they'd gathered enough signatures to unionize, a move that would make Game Workers Alliance the first union at a large-scale North American video game studio. Raven is owned by Activision Blizzard and focuses on supporting Call of Duty: Warzone, so this is about as AAA as it gets. Union signatories asked Activision Blizzard leadership to voluntarily recognize GWA by January 25th.

January 22nd: Raven workers ended a weekslong strike against Activision Blizzard, awaiting union recognition from executives. The strike began on December 6th, in response to layoffs of 12 QA testers at Raven  all of whom had signed their names to the unionization effort, according to The Washington Post.

January 24th: Raven head Brian Raffel sent an email to employees announcing "organizational change" that would dissolve QA as a team and transfer those workers to various departments across the studio. This is known as "embedding" and it's not uncommon at AAA studios. Raffel said embedding was the next logical step in a process that began "several months ago."

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"As we look ahead at the ongoing expansion of Call of Duty: Warzone, its more important than ever that we foster tighter integration and coordination across the studio  embedding will allow for this," Raffel wrote.

The timing of the announcement and the focus on QA testers has concerned activist groups, union signatories at Raven and Activision Blizzard employees who have been fighting for cultural change at the studio since last year. Activision Blizzard is the subject of a lawsuit and multiple investigations into allegations of systemic gender discrimination and sexual harassment, and employees have walked out multiple times, calling for longstanding CEO Bobby Kotick to resign.

It's unclear how the restructuring at Raven will impact the union going forward, but the worry is that this move will impede members' ability to coordinate with each other. CWA said on Twitter that the announcement was "nothing more than a tactic to thwart Raven QA workers who are exercising their right to organize."

The CWA thread continued, "When Management uses meaningless buzzwords like alignment,' synergy, and reorganization, they are sending a message to workers: we make all the decisions, we have all the power."

An Activision Publishing spokesperson provided the following response to questions about the timing of the reorganization:

This is the next step in a process that has been carefully considered and in the works for some time, and this structure brings Raven into alignment with the best practices of other prominent Activision studios. It is also a milestone in our broader plan to integrate QA more into the development process as our teams strive to deliver best in class coordination in real-time, live service operations.

All of which brings us to today. Activision Blizzard employees have a supermajority of votes in favor of unionizing, and they're bringing their case to the NLRB. This can be a protracted process, and the longer it takes, the more leverage Activision Blizzard leadership will have.

Cornell professor of labor and employment law Risa Lieberwitz told The Washington Post that the structural changes shouldn't interrupt the unionization process, but added that the timing "raises the question of whether [Activision Blizzard] are retaliating against the QA employees because of their union activities."

The full statement from an Activision Blizzard spokesperson about the failed unionization talks with CWA follows:

At Activision Blizzard, we deeply respect the rights of all employees to make their own decisions about whether or not to join a union. We carefully reviewed and considered the CWA initial request last week and tried to find a mutually acceptable solution with the CWA that would have led to an expedited election process. Unfortunately, the parties could not reach an agreement.

We expect that the union will be moving forward with the filing of a petition to the NLRB for an election. If filed, the company will respond formally to that petition promptly. The most important thing to the company is that each eligible employee has the opportunity to have their voice heard and their individual vote counted, and we think all employees at Raven should have a say in this decision.

Across the company, we believe that a direct relationship between managers and team members allows us to quickly respond and deliver the strongest results and opportunities for employees. As a result of these direct relationships, weve made a number of changes over the past couple years including raising minimum compensation for Raven QA employees by 41%, extending paid time off, expanding access to medical benefits for employees and their significant others, and transitioning more than 60% of temporary Raven QA staff into full-time employees. We look forward to continuing a direct dialogue with our team and working together to make our workplace better.

Microsoft last week announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard for $69 billion, a deal that's poised to change the video game landscape completely. One day after that news dropped, Activision said in an SEC filing that there were no unionization efforts underway at the studio, though it had previously warned Raven employees to "consider the consequences of signing union cards.
Company promotes three and institutes strategic realignment to address demand and customer service

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga., Jan. 26, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Since celebrating its centennial in 2020, Rinnai America Corporation has remained committed to advancing the company's strategic growth initiatives to solidify its positioning as North America's leading tankless water heater manufacturer. To support the aggressive growth plans the company has set forth, Rinnai has announced the elevation of three leaders in the organization.

(PRNewsfoto/Rinnai America Corporation)

Judd Greene has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Administration with responsibilities for Human Resources, Finance and Information Technology. These teams, collectively, provide critical support to Rinnai's rapid business growth. Greene joined Rinnai in 2009 as Accounting Supervisor, was promoted to Controller in 2013 and VP of Finance in 2018. Prior to joining Rinnai, Greene held leadership positions at several companies including Curtiss-Wright Corporation.

Regarding the organizational changes, Greene stated, "I'm looking forward to working with this talented team as we make improvements to our systems and processes that will empower our internal and external customers."

Tim Wiley has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Customer Experience with responsibilities for Sales, Marketing, Commercial, Quality Assurance and Customer Care. This team's primary focus is on the engagement of Rinnai America Corporation's external customers and enhancing their experiences with the company's products and services. Wiley joined Rinnai in 2015 as Vice President of Sales and has led the sales organization delivering double-digit annual revenue growth. Prior to his time with Rinnai, Tim held various sales leadership positions at Moen, Inc. and Georgia Pacific.

When asked about his new appointment, Wiley commented, "I'm grateful for the opportunity to have a significant impact on how our customers experience and enjoy Rinnai America's products and services. We've got a phenomenal organization with a rich heritage at Rinnai America, and I'm honored to support our team in aspiring to captivate customers."

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Kevin Headley has been promoted to Vice President of Sales with responsibilities for sales in the US and Canada. Headley joined Rinnai in 2020 as Senior Director of Sales and has taken an active role in developing the organization's factory direct and inside sales teams. Before his time with Rinnai, Headley held sales leadership positions with a variety of companies including Sub-Zero Group and Whirlpool Corporation.

Headley stated, "I am excited to be a part of the organizational restructure at Rinnai. Captivating customers is one of our six cultural beliefs and this change positions our team to maintain focus and increase our investments in the customer experience."

The organization's strategic realignment is designed to enhance operational efficiencies, strengthen prioritization and drive desired growth targets. The objective is to not only centralize and enhance customer experiences but also improve synergies across the company. Streamlining reporting relationships and putting greater emphasis on organizational focus, is an essential step to the execution of the company's strategic priorities and goals.

"We are excited about our future, and Judd, Tim and Kevin each play a monumental role in our continued success," said Rinnai America Corporation, President, Frank Windsor. "There are several important elements of our culture that allow us the opportunity to serve those around us by Creating a healthier way of living and we are committed to making Rinnai the best company for our customers and team members. These leaders are positioned to drive continued excellence towards our goals and support the growth objectives of the overall enterprise."

To learn more about Rinnai, visit www.rinnai.us.

ABOUT RINNAI

Rinnai America Corporation, a subsidiary of Rinnai Corporation in Nagoya, Japan, was established in 1974 and is headquartered in Peachtree City, Ga. Rinnai Corporation manufactures gas appliances including tankless water heaters, a wide range of kitchen appliances and heating and air conditioning units. As the technology leader in its industry, Rinnai is the largest gas appliance manufacturer in Japan and is the number-one selling brand of tankless gas water heaters in the United States and Canada. Annual corporate revenues, including those of its subsidiaries, are in excess of $3.2 billion. With a global perspective to create 21st-century products for the home and business, Rinnai Corporation commits itself to safety and Creating a healthier way of living. For more information about Rinnai's entire product line, visit www.rinnai.us.

Copyright 2021. All rights reserved. Rinnai and Creating a healthier way of living are the registered trademarks of Rinnai Corporation used under license by Rinnai America Corporation.

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View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rinnai-america-corporation-appoints-new-executive-leadership-structure-301468639.html

SOURCE Rinnai America Corporation
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A Maryland man has been arrested in connection with an incident in Fredericksburg last year in which three people were shot, police said.

Kim Deshawn Prophet II, 28, of Bowie, Md., is charged with conspiracy to rob and being a principal in the second degree to robbery, using a firearm in the commission of a felony and shooting into an occupied dwelling.

He was placed in the Rappahannock Regional Jail on Tuesday night after being extradited from Montgomery County, Md., Fredericksburg police spokeswoman Sarah Morris said.

According to police and court records, city police responded to the 1000 block of Wicklow Drive late Aug. 23 in response to a reported shooting.

Police learned that two people had been taken to Mary Washington Hospital to be treated for gunshot wounds, while a third victim showed up at a hospital in Fairfax. None of the injuries was life-threatening, Morris said.

According to an affidavit for a search warrant, police recovered surveillance footage from the apartment complex and a nearby store that showed Prophet, other suspects and the suspects vehicle prior to the incident. Detective Melanie Shafer wrote that the suspects arrived hours before the incident, purchased gloves from the neighborhood store and cased the victims apartment for several hours.

The affidavit states that robbery was the apparent motive. Some of the victims were known to distribute marijuana, and a large amount of cash, marijuana and packaging supplies were found in the apartment.

Police identified Prophet as the driver and warrants were obtained for him on Sept. 1. Police are still trying to identify the people who were responsible for entering the apartment and firing shots.

The U.S. Marshals Service helped track down Prophet in Maryland. He will be arraigned Thursday in Fredericksburg General District Court.

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A proposed RV park has been given a thumbs down by the Spotsylvania County Planning Commission.

The commission recommended denial of a special-use permit for the 300-space RV park at its meeting last week. The vote last Wednesday followed the conclusion of a public hearing that had to be extended across three separate meetings because of the number of citizen comments and letters sent to the county.

The project now goes to the Board of Supervisors, which has the final say on the project. The board doesnt plan to take action until after a Feb. 15 special election to fill the seat left vacant since the death last fall of Supervisor Barry Jett, who represented the Livingston District where the RV park would be located.

The proposal calls for a special-use permit to open a camping and recreation site with the recreational vehicle sites and related amenities, including a pool and amphitheaters, on a 135-acre site along Lake Anna.

The 13,000-acre manmade lake, which cools the Dominion Virginia Energy North Anna nuclear power plant, is bordered by Spotsylvania, Orange and Louisa counties.

The property is located along Days Bridge Road near U.S. 522. The Upper Pamunkey Branch of the lake runs along the southern border of the property, with farmland and large residential lots north and east of the site. The propertys west boundary runs along undeveloped land in Orange.

The property is in a Resort Agricultural District, but, according to county staff, the site is designated rural residential on the future land-use map in the Comprehensive Plan.

Nearly all of the residents who commented on the proposal oppose the project.

In comments over the three meetings, residents cited concerns over environmental impacts, both to the lake and surrounding properties. They also are concerned the park could create traffic and boating safety problems while also being contrary to the rural nature of the area.

Speaking for the developers, Louisa-based attorney Torrey Williams repeated what he said at the first public hearing meeting, telling the Planning Commission that the developer accepts conditions set by county staff.

If the developers cant meet those conditions, he said the project wont happen.

Spotsylvanias planning staff recommended the permit request be denied, but added that if the commission recommended approval, a list of 35 conditions should be required. Those conditions include restricting the project to 300 campsites with none being used for permanent stays by any one occupant, limiting the number of boat slips, along with other requirements regarding water quality, sewage systems and traffic impacts.

The Planning Commission added several other conditions, including no boat rentals for visitors and restricting boat slips to 30.

The commission also added a condition that the Board of Supervisors consider requiring the developer to establish a decommissioning plan, which would require the developer to handle any costs to restore the site should the project fail or cause damage to the area.

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Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed more than $3.5 billion in amendments to the $158 billion two-year budget left by his predecessor, Gov. Ralph Northam, but doesnt say where he would find the money to pay for his priorities.

The centerpiece of the new governors proposed amendments is a campaign promise to double the standard deduction for state income tax filers at a cost of more than $2.1 billion in state revenues.

Youngkin also proposes to exempt up to $40,000 a year in military retirement benefits from income tax, phased in over three years at a total cost of $515 million.

The other big piece of the new governors tax cut package would raise the amount of money given to taxpayers as one-time rebates by about $203 million for a total of about $1 billion when combined with tax relief that Northam proposed in his outgoing budget.

The amendments, released late Friday afternoon, break precedent with the past three governors  one Republican, two Democrats  whom the House Appropriations Committee did not allow to propose budget amendments directly, but only through members of the House of Delegates.

The practice has been you need to pay for what youre proposing, former House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, said Monday.

Jones confirmed that he and his predecessor, former Chairman Lacey Putney, I-Bedford, did not allow incoming governors to propose executive amendments to the budget  from Gov. Bob McDonnell, who took office in 2010, through Gov. Terry McAuliffe in 2014 and Northam in 2018.

The custom and practice was the governor was not allowed any amendments, said Jones, noting that governors propose the budget in subsequent years for the General Assembly to consider.

House Appropriations Chairman Barry Knight, R-Virginia Beach, said Monday that he is not bound by precedent because the assembly allowed budget amendments by two previous incoming governors, Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, both Democrats now serving in the U.S. Senate.

McDonnell took office during the Great Recession, Knight noted. He said he gave Youngkin an additional week to submit budget amendments, which were due the day before he was inaugurated as Virginias 74th governor.

He understands the separation of powers, the chairman said. I have no doubt we can co-exist.

Senate Finance Chair Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, said she also gave the new governor an additional week to propose budget amendments.

We will treat them like any other members, she said.

But Howell, whose committee is controlled by Democrats, added, A responsible governor would have explained how to pay for them.

Knight, who became chairman this month after Republicans gained a 52-48 majority in the House, said few delegates adhere to the past committee practice of requiring them to show how they would pay for their proposals, so he wont require it of the governor.

Im not going to hold him to that, he said.

Macaulay Porter, a spokesperson for Youngkin, said, The governor appreciates the General Assemblys willingness to accept a package of amendments that reflects the governors priorities for this budget cycle. He especially appreciates Senator Howells willingness to do so as a gesture of good faith.

The package reflects the priorities outlined in the day one game plan, and the governor looks forward to working hand in hand with the General Assembly to incorporate them into the budget they are already working on.

Youngkins 21 proposed line-item amendments would add more than $3.5 billion to the budget that Northam proposed last month. Northams proposal left about $150 million unappropriated, which means budget writers would have to cut from Northams plan in order to back the new governors proposals.

Youngkin is counting on unprecedented revenue growth projected in Northams parting budget, which could increase again when the new administration considers a potential mid-session revenue forecast next month.

Im optimistic it will be reasonably good news, Secretary of Finance Steve Cummings told the House Appropriations Committee on Monday.

Tax cuts

Youngkin wants to give rebates of $300 to individual taxpayers and $600 to couples, compared with Northams proposal of $250 for individuals and $500 for couples. House Finance Chair Roxann Robinson, R-Chesterfield, has proposed legislation to require the refunds.

He also proposed a $75 million credit next year on income taxes paid by small businesses and included language in the budget bill for this fiscal year to require the tax rebates and suspend the most recent 5-cent-per-gallon increase in the state gasoline tax.

Other big winners in Youngkins proposed amendments are economic development initiatives proposed through the existing GO Virginia grant program and a proposal by the Growth4Virginia business coalition for spending on higher education.

The governor proposes almost $84 million for GO Virginias talent pathways program and $32 million for a higher education program to expand paid internships and other work-based learning opportunities with state businesses.

Both are priorities of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, which is closely aligned with McGuireWoods Consulting. The lobbying firm is an offshoot of the powerful Richmond law firm, whose former chairman, Richard Cullen, serves as Youngkins counselor.

Youngkin also proposed to add $29 million to the $150 million Northam provided to expand a state economic development program to prepare ready sites for immediate development by new or expanding industries.

Richmond

In Richmond, the government proposes $10 million over two years for the state and city to create a slavery and freedom heritage site in Shockoe Bottom, which was the heart of the second-largest domestic slave market in the U.S. before the Civil War.

Youngkin also proposed new spending on public safety, including $27 million over two years for cities and large counties with police departments through the so-called 599 program. Local police departments were left out of big boosts in compensation to state police, local sheriffs departments and other law officers in the current budget and Northams parting proposal.

He also proposes $40 million to expand cybersecurity initiatives, including $12 million from consolidating existing programs.

Youngkin proposes $100 million in federal money from the American Rescue Plan Act to provide grants to state and local law enforcement agencies for training and equipment, and $65 million in capital funding for a new State Police Training Academy.

Charter schools

In K-12 education, the governor has proposed $150 million in funding over two years to create what he calls laboratory innovation charter schools, as part of his push to use state money to expand privately run public school choices for parents. He also proposes more than $50 million to provide grants to local school divisions to hire school resource officers for security in schools.

But Youngkin did not seek more money to help local school divisions repair or replace crumbling schools, in addition to $500 million that Northam proposed.

I see nothing for schools, Del. David Reid, D-Loudoun, told Cummings during the committee meeting.

Knight, the chairman, stepped in to answer the question.

School construction has never been a function of state government, he said. Its always been a function of local government.
RTHK: Germany mocked over plan to send helmets to Ukraine

Germany, which has refused to provide weapons to Ukraine in the face of a possible Russian invasion, offered on Wednesday to send 5,000 helmets instead, a move slammed as an "absolute joke" by the mayor of Kyiv.

Defence minister Christine Lambrecht said the planned delivery would send a "very clear signal" that Germany stands by Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia.

But Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said the helmet offer had left him "speechless".

He accused Germany of failing to understand "that we are dealing with a highly-equipped Russian army that could start further invading Ukraine at any moment".

"Five thousand helmets are an absolute joke," he told the Bild Daily. "What will Germany send next? Pillows?"

With tens of thousands of Russian troops gathered on the Ukrainian border, fears are mounting that a major conflict could break out in Europe.

Ukraine's calls to Western allies to bolster its defence capabilities have seen the United States, Britain and Baltic states agree to send to Kyiv weapons, including anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

But Germany has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons, claiming this would further inflame the conflict.

Lambrecht said earlier this week that Germany would deliver a field hospital to Ukraine, and that Berlin has already provided respirators.

But Ukraine's foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba has condemned Germany for its refusal to supply armaments to Kyiv, urging Berlin to stop "undermining unity" and "encouraging Vladimir Putin". (AFP)

This story has been published on: 2022-01-26. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Family and friends of Westminster High School freshman Tom Pfoff said he had a joyful spirit and loved to spend time with friends.

He had a smile  it was like a half-crooked smile, like a grin, said Michelle Wood, Pfoffs cousin. No matter what he was doing, where he was at, he always had that little smirk.

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Thomas Pfoff at a young age. Pfoff died Jan. 17, 2022 from a gunshot wound sustained in a Dundalk home. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Wood / HANDOUT)

On Wednesday, mourners will pay respects to and share stories about the 15-year-old, who died Jan. 17 from a gunshot wound sustained in a Dundalk home. Funeral services will be held at the Connelly Funeral Home of Essex in Baltimore.

Pfoff was a jokester and an agitator, Wood said.

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He wasnt one of those kids who listened to music and, like, walked around with headphones in, Wood said. He would rather sit and talk to people and have conversations and laugh and carry on.

On a trip to New Hampshire a few years ago, Wood and her children visited Pfoff. Though he spent some of his youth in Dundalk, he relocated to New Hampshire with his aunt for several years before moving back to the Baltimore area in Carroll County a few years ago. On a rainy day, the children played together on a trampoline. Innocently, they came inside and asked for dish soap. When Wood looked outside, she was shocked.

Theres bubbles as far as you can see, the kids are covered in soap and theyre having a grand, old time, Wood said with a laugh.

Thomas Pfoff, right, with his brother Nick Long during the summer of 2021. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Wood / HANDOUT)

Pfoff loved to spend time with family and friends. And even though he was very small for his age, he enjoyed riding dirt bikes and four wheelers, Wood said.

He was just fun, smiling. He got along with everyone, Wood said.

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Tammy Lynn Keith-Batemans son was friends with Pfoff, she said. She watched the boys grow up together in the Cedar Hearst neighborhood of Finksburg.

They rode bikes together, played video games and had sleepovers  He was small in stature but made up for it in personality, Keith-Bateman said. He was always ready to smile.

She said the COVID-19 pandemic was hard on the friends, who lost touch when school was held online only.

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Once schools opened up again, it was like they were never apart, Keith-Bateman said. This is going to be a hard thing for all of us to get through.

She said she was going to miss looking out the window of her home and seeing the boys riding bikes down the street together.

Baltimore County Police have charged Raymond Byrd, 24, with multiple firearms charges related to Pfoffs death. Byrd told police that his unregistered ghost gun was stored unsecured behind a television in the homes living room before the shooting took place, according to charging documents. Byrd told police he heard the gun go off in the living room, and he said that the teens wounds were self-inflicted.

Byrd is a friend of one of the teens family members, said Baltimore County Police spokeswoman Joy Stewart.
The price of that house with the white picket fence is climbing, and the number available to buy is dwindling.

That, in a nutshell, is the story behind the recent Virginia REALTORS report Whats Ahead for Virginias Housing Market. Its a timeless, predictable free-market story of winners (sellers) and losers (buyers).

Missing from the report, however, is the rapidly growing segment of our community known as ALICE, which is an acronym for asset limited, income constrained, employed individuals.

These are not the fabled welfare queens living on the public dole. These are households whose working family members incomes are not high enough to cover the core day-to-day expenses required to live in the local community. Their ranks include both those living above and below the federal poverty line, though the overwhelming majority is above that line.

The number of our neighbors who fall into this category is larger than you may think.

Rappahannock United Way places the percentage of ALICE families in our community at:

Fredericksburg City: 54 percent

Caroline County: 44 percent

Spotsylvania County: 37 percent

Stafford County: 29 percent

King George County: 26 percent

The biggest budget item in these households? Housing. And thats why the rapidly rising cost to live in this region is so damaging to these families.

Sarah Walsh, the chief impact office for Rappahannock United Way, says that calls to the agency seeking assistance rose 1,000 percentthat number is not a misprintbetween March and July 2020 as the COVID epidemic took hold, and call volume stayed at that level until the end of that year.

Data for 2021 has not yet been tabulated, but Walsh says call volume is still well above pre-pandemic levels.

Our main focus in 2020 to 2021, Walsh says, was seeing that people not lose their homes.

Thats becoming more challenging, as the Virginia REALTORS report makes clear.

In 2017, the median price for a home in Virginia was $274,000. A family needed an annual income of $52,938 to afford the monthly payment of $1,235 on that home.

For 2021, the median home price has now soared to $350,000. To afford the monthly payment of $1,420 on that home, a family now needs $60,850.

With the population in our area projected to grow by more than 15 percent over the next 20 years, we can only expect the pressure on ALICE families to rise.

Local governments and private organizations are stepping up to help, but the aid is inconsistent across the region. Walsh says that both the City of Fredericksburg and Stafford County have partnered with Rappahannock United Way to share Cares Act and American Relief Funds to address housing needs in their communities.

An innovative private partnership between Rappahannock United Way and Jarrell Properties, also in Stafford, provides $75,000 in housing assistance.

Spotsylvania County has no formal housing partnership with United Way, says Walsh, but does contribute to United Way in other areas. An email to the Board of Supervisors in Spotsylvania seeking information about how that county is assisting ALICE families has not been answered.

Last year, the Greater Washington Regional Commission turned down a $2 million grant from Virginia Housing for affordable housing development. Fortunately, the GWRC had a change of heart. Through Friday, it is accepting proof of concept submissions for projects that would increase the stock of new affordable housing units in the Fredericksburg area

Building pressure in the housing market and dwindling numbers of federal dollars are an ominous combination for those who work in and want to be part of our community. We must do a better job tackling those issues, and a better job of taking opportunities when they present themselves.

Just saying no to money is akin to hanging a sign on the door that says Alice doesnt live here anymore.

That would be a loss to us all.
An airport advisory board is looking to chart a course after learning about a runway project that could close the facility for at least three months.

That, in turn, would impact businesses using Fremont Municipal Airport.

Board members hope a taxiway can be used as a runway while part of the main runway is being reconstructed due to deterioration thats occurring  not just in Fremont  but multiple locations in Nebraska and other states.

Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg recommended city staff consult with Olsson, an engineering and design firm in Omaha, about preliminary planning.

Board member Eric Johnson said this planning needs to include phases, cost estimates and timeframes.

During its monthly meeting, the board approved a motion to present the Airports Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) to the Fremont City Council with an exception of moving the Airport Layout Plan (ALP) to 2024 from the initially suggested 2026, and the addition of the Olsson consultation.

While looking at the CIP, members learned that reconstruction of a portion of the runway and a portion of a connecting taxiway is expected to cost $7.3 millionup from an earlier projected cost of $2.3 million.

Dave Goedeken, director of public works for the City of Fremont, said the $2.3 million involved more of a rehab, removing bad sections.

He talked with Anna Lannin of the Nebraska Department of Transportation, Division of Aeronautics, who said the CIP data sheet should include total replacement of those sections.

Goedeken said the project will be included in a request for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.

That project may  or may not  be approved in August.

If approved, it could be a 2023 project.

Just looking at that  thats going to be probably a 90-day project that the runway will be shut down, Johnson said.

Robert Steenblock, board president, thought the work might take even longer.

They think its going to take 90 days to do this? You might as well figure on 120, Steenblock said.

Johnson acknowledged that weather and other factors could affect how long the project would take.

Board member Ron Spahni wondered about the availability for project contractors if other airports are working on their runways as well.

The last time they did runway stuff out here, it was nine months, said Jim Kjeldgaard, president of Fremont Aviation, the fixed base operator.

Kjeldgaard told how that affected his business.

I sold more fuel the week after we opened, than I did the whole nine months and we had a north-south taxiway (which was a runway). Thats how much of an impact it had on me at least, Kjeldgaard said.

Its expected to impact other businesses.

We need to start looking at doing some pretty serious planning and seeing what happens to the businesses around here that use our airport. Its going be a huge impact, Johnson said.

Steenblock thought about planes housed at the airport that will have to relocate.

Its going to cost me $20,000 in extra money during that 90 days to move my two airplanes, at least, if I can find a place, Pilot Ken Cox said.

Kjeldgaard also noted the dilemma involving aircraft in hangars at the airport.

Potentially, thats some 50 airplanes youre gonna ground or move or whatever and youre not going to find hangar space for 50-some airplanes in this city and state, Kjeldgaard said.

Goedeken emphasized the importance of safety and the reconstruction project.

At some point it has to happen, Goedeken said. The pavement is deteriorating, Goedeken said. It has to happen. We cant continue to Band-Aid it.

A portion of the runway, constructed in 1983, is showing signs of severe Alkali-silica reactivity (ASR). So is a portion of connecting taxiway and parallel taxiway pavement.

ASR occurs when silica reacts with dust on limestone used to make concrete and it crystalizes. This enlarges the rock, which causes the concrete to expand from within and cracking occurs.

The chemical reaction began occurring in concrete in the 1990s.

Theyve done different things with the concrete now that restricts it, but we have a decade and a half in there were this was put in  everywhere. Its all over in this end of the state, Goedeken said.

Johnson said this is happening in Iowa and Kansas, too.

He hopes Fremonts airport can get better life out of this next round of pavement than what was done in 1996 and 2011.

Johnson said by the time the last project occurred there was a cure for the problem.

A lot of us werent around during the last project, but our pavements  especially concrete  are supposed to have a 50-year life, Johnson said. Some of this should have been probably done back when we did our project in 2011.

The portion of the affected runway is 2,300 feet by 100 feet.

Board member Alison Adams asked about the possibility of having Taxiway 1-19, formerly known as Runway 1-19 or the North-South Runway, resurfaced and used as a runway again  which could provide a secondary runway at least for smaller aircraft.

But Johnson said the Federal Aviation Administration decommissioned that as a runway.

Why couldnt they put it back in temporarily? Cox asked.

Johnson wasnt hopeful.

You could ask, but I dont think it would fly with the FAA, Johnson said. Usually when its gone, its gone.

Goedeken also said Lannin was more inclined to say the airport needs a parallel taxiway and not even have 1-19.

Taxiway A runs parallel to the runway. At this point, it is a partial taxiway.

An extension would add 2,250 feet to Taxiway A, making it a full taxiway.

Cox said if the parallel Taxiway A was extended, it would be the same length as the runway, but not the width.

Johnson said the taxiway is 35 feet wide, more narrow than the runway.

Cox asked if the extended Taxiway A could be used as a runway.

Johnson didnt think that would be allowed.

If you dont ask, you dont know, Cox said.

Johnson concurred.

The common thing is no, but you can always ask, Johnson said.

Kjeldgaard appeared less than optimistic.

The last time when they did a runway project, we tried to have them let us use the parallel taxiway and they said, No, so I doubt if they change their minds, Kjeldgaard said. So basically, well be a heliport (a place where helicopters could land).

Kjeldgaard added, Thats why, years ago, its too bad they didnt incorporate a crosswind runway out here.

Also during the meeting, Johnson stressed the importance of updating the Airport Layout Plan, which he said could be done at the same time as any runway rehabilitation projects.

Johnson said the last ALP was done in 1999.

Goedeken said revisions have been made to the plan since then.

But there hasnt been any full-blown planning done, Johnson said.

The cost of updating the ALP is estimated at $350,000. Of that, $315,000 would be paid for with federal funds and $35,000 would come from local funds.

If we dont have a good plan in place, our funding is going to be really delayed, because they (FAA) use this ALP to approve all of our funding and it has to be current, Johnson said.

Members talked about having the Taxiway A extension work done at the same time as the runway rehabilitation.

With all the money thats out there with the infrastructure bill thats available at this point  the more we move it back, the more its going to cost, Spellerberg said. The moneys there now. If were going to make the improvements, lets get the improvements done.

The mayor added other thoughts.

Id be more apt to say lets take advantage of the funding and do it simultaneously, he said. I know its a lot of change at once, but weve got to do it.

Goedeken wondered if the runway rehabilitation project was approved in August if work would start in 2023, considering how long some projects take.

Johnson talked about being proactive in getting letters to the FAA on using a taxiway for a runway and taking other steps.

Our consultant needs to start looking at phasing, getting some really tight working days on how long this is actually going to take with some good budget numbers, Johnson said. This is going to happen quickly.

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With construction of a new terminal underway, a local committee hopes the public understands the economic impact Fremont Municipal Airport has on the community.

And that residents realize the need for another structure designed to attract business to Fremont.

Our airport is definitely the gateway to the community that promotes economic development, said Eric Johnson, an airport advisory committee member.

Johnson cites a study by the Nebraska Aviation Counts! Team regarding the economic impact the local airport has on the community.

The study indicates that Fremonts airport generates $10.5 million in goods and services from airport-related activities and supports more than 90 jobs related to airport activities. The payroll from those jobs totals more than $2.6 million.

Local airport services include aircraft maintenance, restoration and rentals, flight training, a fuel depot and hangar rental. Airplanes take off from the local airport to spray crops.

Fremont Aviation is contracted as the fixed base operator and provides various services at the airport owned by the City of Fremont.

The airport in Fremont has a 6,350-foot by 100-foot main runway capable of accommodating corporate jets.

Large corporations such as Costco, Walmart, Menards and Lincoln Premium Poultry fly into the airport. Midland University uses the airport. Taylor & Martin, based at the airport, uses it a lot, Johnson said.

People who fly into Fremont stay in hotels, rent cars and eat at restaurants here.

It all really adds up into one big impact, he said.

Johnson cites the importance of an airport in regard to business  especially large companies looking to locate in a certain community  thus bringing jobs to that city.

Former Fremont City Administrator Brian Newton previously summed up the situation.

Businesses might not locate or stay here without an airport, he said.

Johnson explained why airports like the one in Fremont is important for businesses.

You can go to any chamber (of commerce) throughout the state and when any corporate-type business wants to locate in your community, a lot of times, the airport is very important to them, Johnson said.

Big corporations, not wanting to deal with commercial airline delays, have their own aircraft.

Large companies, when they look at a community, they want to fly their executives and their staff into the city, Johnson said. They dont want to take a bus. They dont want to wait on the airlines.

They dont want to fly into Omaha or Lincoln and drive a car to Fremont.

Its all based on a time-is-money type of formula, Johnson said. You can take a large company that has several facilities or branch offices to visit throughout the country. They can fly that (in a corporate plane) in one day as opposed to taking three or four days on the airlines and so it really gets into a time management type thing.

Johnson noted something else.

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) has deemed our airport as one of the top airports in the state as far as tying it into the whole aviation system in Nebraska and nationally, Johnson said.

Fremonts airport has a decades-old history.

In 1940, John Siems accepted the job of manager of the airports fixed base operator. He and his father built a two-stall hangar on an 80-acre stubble field, where the present airport stands.

The current terminal was built in 1964 and is outdated. The facility needs new heating and air conditioning systems and other upgrades. Johnson said the building isnt handicap accessible.

Work on a new airport terminal is slated for completion in February. The $1.7 million project will be constructed entirely through local funding.

The terminal will include a front area, a lounge where pilots can complete reports and rest, and a conference room. Johnson said community organizations will be able to use the conference room.

Dave Goedeken, director of public works for the city, has said the terminal also will have three unfurnished offices available to be rented out.

During an airport board meeting in 2020, member Bill Dugan made a historic comparison regarding the importance of an airport terminal due to corporate traffic.

I hope people realize the income and business that it generates and what it does for the community, Dugan said. Its your railroad terminal of 100 years ago, so youve got to have it or you dont exist.

Board members also have talked about the need for a corporate hangar, which minus fees, was estimated to cost $1.6 million.

Johnson said corporate personnel may spend the night in Fremont and want their aircraft, which can cost between $10 million and $40 million, to be stored.

He previously told the Tribune that a corporate jet flew in for business and landed on the Fremont airports runway.

An ice storm occurred and the jet froze to the aircraft parking apron, because there wasnt a big enough hangar to store it.

It was here for a week before they could get it thawed out, Johnson said.

If there had been a hangar that could have housed the jet, it could have left the airport the next day, Johnson said, adding that such situations arent good for the community.

Board members also have stressed the importance of having the hangar for a shop and working space for Fremont Aviation, which provides aircraft maintenance and fuel.

Johnson said Fremont Aviation works in a smaller hangar that doesnt accommodate a lot of corporate aircraft that require their services.

Fremont Aviation President Jim Kjeldgaard also has said there is no room to expand the current maintenance hangar.

He told the Tribune that the maintenance hangar is about  mile from the new terminal.

Board members have wondered about possible sources of funding for the corporate hangar.

During a recent meeting, Goedeken said he stands by a board decision to have a corporate hangar, but there is no money for airport projects in the City of Fremonts Capital Improvement Plan for the fiscal years 2021-22 and 2022-23. The council removed airport projects from the budget for those years.

Kjeldgaard wondered if the city could apply for grants for the airport like it has for other projects.

Johnson said funding sources could include a $700,000 interest-free loan from the hangar loan program through the Nebraska Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics.

He said there could be limited federal aviation funds.

The FAA also is awarding funds to airports via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These funds can be invested in runways, taxiways, safety and sustainability projects as well as terminal, airport-transit connections and roadway projects.

We dont have any idea, yet, if hangars are going to qualify for that or if theyre going to stick with pavement rehabilitation and things like that, Johnson said.

Johnson pointed out that FAA or Nebraska Department of Transportation Division of Aeronautics for airport projects comes from aviation user taxes such as a percentage of aviation fuel sales not local taxes.

In the future, the airport committee would like to see more hangars constructed for smaller aircraft.

We have a lot of interest from folks who live in West Omaha and surrounding areas that want to locate their airplanes in Fremont, just because of our excellent facilities, Johnson said. Weve got a good FBO (fixed base operator) Fremont Aviation, where a lot of airports arent fortunate to have that.

Funding those hangars would need to come through the state loan program and potentially FAA funds, he said.

Johnson emphasizes the need for updating the airport, which can bring in jobs.

It ties back to the growth of the community, he said.

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The Legislature on Tuesday advanced a bill to phase in full exemption of Social Security payments from the state income tax, with an expectation that the proposal may be parked at second-stage consideration pending further development of state revenue and budget projections.

The bill (LB825), introduced by Sen. Brett Lindstrom of Omaha, moved forward on a 42-0 vote.

Meanwhile, sharp debate erupted over a bill (LB723) designed to secure an additional $200 million in property tax relief for Nebraskans in 2024 by eliminating an earlier $375 million cap on a refundable income tax credit created in 2020.

"We had a deal," Sen. Steve Lathrop of Omaha objected, "and it was $375 million."

Sen. Tom Briese of Albion, sponsor of the bill, argued that his proposal was needed to "prevent a nearly $200 million tax increase" for Nebraska's property taxpayers.

Prior to adjournment for the day, Briese reached out to Sen. John Stinner of Gering, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, in an effort to seek "a reasonable compromise" that could be tied to "measurable and fixed" budget and revenue expectations.

Stinner earlier had expressed concern that "this could get out control and squeeze out other initiatives."

It would be wise, he suggested, to "freeze where we're at" until the full revenue and budget picture becomes clearer.

Lathrop said he believes it is unwise to vote for tax cuts prior to knowing state government's anticipated revenue and budget needs.

Sen. John McCollister of Omaha also suggested a delay in consideration of the bill "until we have a better picture of the budget and revenue forecasts."

Sen. Matt Hansen of Lincoln offered a proposed amendment to the bill that would set the the credit at $262 million, beginning in 2024.

The bill originally was designed to provide a 25% rebate on local school property taxes.

Social Security income tax exemptions contained in LB825 would be accelerated and phased in with 20% increments until full exemption is achieved in 2025.

The resulting loss of state revenue is estimated at $40 million in fiscal 2022-2023, eventually rising to $73 million.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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Visitors to Omahas Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium can now put a name to the newest member of the zoos elephant herd.

The female African elephant calf has been named Eugenia, which means noble or well-born, the zoo announced Monday in a press release.

Eugenia was named by the Grewcock family, who won the naming rights at the zoos fundraiser, Zoofari.

The family has always had a great love of elephants, Berniece Grewcock said.

The fact that these elephants were saved from drought-stricken Swaziland makes their story especially remarkable, she said. Being able to select the name of the first elephant born at the zoo is very special to us.

Grewcocks husband, William Grewcock, was a member of the Omaha Zoological Society and Omaha Zoo Foundation boards until his death in 2018.

The family has supported multiple zoo projects over the last 40 years, according to the press release, including the Berniece and Bill Grewcock Elephant Habitat, the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion and the Bill and Berniece Grewcock Center for Conservation and Research.

Eugenia was born Jan. 7 and is the first elephant born at the zoo in its 125-year history. She is nursing and growing and currently weighs 183 pounds.

The Elephant Herd Room, where Eugenia lives with the herd, is currently closed to the public so animal care staff have time to observe the herd. There are seven elephants in the herd, including Eugenia.

She wont be the youngest for long. Another member of the herd is expected to give birth this winter.

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Rights groups say LGBT Afghans are in an increasingly desperate situation after the Taliban takeover as they face serious threats to their safety.

Human Rights Watch and OutRight Action International said in a joint report on January 26 that members of the LGBT community have been forced into hiding while the worsening economic crisis has put them at risk of hunger.

From October to December, the two rights groups interviewed 60 LGBT Afghans, most of whom were inside Afghanistan.

Others fled to neighboring countries where their situation remains risky as they face the danger of being expelled. Only a small number have resettled in countries where they feel safe, said the report, titled Even If You Go to the Skies, Well Find You: LGBT People in Afghanistan After the Taliban Takeover."

Those interviewed said the LGBT community was being continuously targeted by Taliban members and their supporters, forcing gay people to hide indoors and abandon their jobs -- if they had any.

Many of those interviewed said their inability to work was of even bigger concern than violence, as Afghanistan's economy sinks deeper into crisis and millions are at risk of starvation this winter.

Even before the militant groups takeover in August, LGBT people said it had been too dangerous to live openly in ultra-conservative Afghanistan, where same-sex sexual relations were explicitly criminalized by a 2018 law passed by the government of President Ashraf Ghani.

This time around, the militants have sought to present a more moderate face on some human rights issues, but a Taliban spokesman said in October that under the group's strict interpretation of Shari'a law the rights of the LGBT community will not be respected.

A Taliban judge told the German newspaper Bild before the fall of Kabul in August that for homosexuals, there can only be two punishments: either stoning, or he must stand behind a wall that will fall down on him.

Two gay men told the watchdogs that they had been raped by Taliban fighters, while many others said they had been threatened or attacked.

"A lot of queer people have lost their jobs," said Nihan, a trans woman who was forced to abandon her job at a print shop after the Taliban takeover.

"Even if they hide themselves, the problem is they need to feed themselves," she told the researchers.

Another gay man told researchers that he was detained at a checkpoint by Taliban fighters who beat him and gang-raped him, telling him, From now on anytime we want to be able to find you, we will. And we will do whatever we want with you.

A Taliban spokesman could not be reached by phone and did not reply to messages requesting comment on the new report, the researchers said.

Those interviewed said armed Taliban guards are searching people's phones for any proof that would reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Many were forced to delete their social media accounts, photos, and messages.

Taliban members or informants have infiltrated LGBT messaging groups on social media platforms or dating apps to entrap them, some of the interviewees said.

Dozens of LGBT Afghans have managed to flee to Britain and the number of those who want to leave Afghanistan and the surrounding countries remains high, the report said.

"Some report seeing LGBTQI people being executed on the streets when they are found out by the Taliban. Beatings and active searches...are also commonly reported," a representative of the British charity Micro Rainbow told researchers.

The two human rights groups urged the international community to step up pressure on the militant group to stop violating gay people's rights.

The Taliban have explicitly pledged not to respect LGBT Afghans' rights, said Heather Barr, associate womens rights director at Human Rights Watch.

Its critically important for concerned governments to urgently put pressure on the Taliban to respect the rights of LGBT people, ensure that assistance they provide Afghanistan reaches LGBT people, and recognize that LGBT Afghans seeking asylum face a special risk of persecution in Afghanistan and neighboring countries, Barr said.

With reporting by Reuters
Western diplomats said they linked humanitarian aid to an improvement in human rights in Afghanistan during meetings with a Taliban delegation in Norway.

The 15-member delegation held talks behind closed doors with several Western diplomats on January 25, the final day of the Taliban's first official trip to Europe since returning to power in August.

Norwegian State Secretary Henrik Thune said ahead of the meeting that it was not the beginning of an...open-ended process.

He told Norwegian news agency NTB ahead of the January 25 meeting that the Western diplomats would place tangible demands in front of the Taliban that we can follow up on and see if they have been met.

The demands were to include the possibility of providing humanitarian aid directly to the Afghan people, according to NTB.

Norway was also to call for human rights to be respected, in particular those of women and minorities, such as access to education and health services, the right to work, and freedom of movement.

The European Union's special envoy to Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said on Twitter he had "underlined the need for primary and secondary schools to be accessible for boys and girls throughout the country when the school year starts in March."

Niklasson posted the tweet in response to the Afghan Foreign Ministry saying on Twitter that Niklasson had told the Taliban delegation that the EU would continue its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and called for continued meetings.

The Taliban-led governments Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, the leader of the delegation, thanked them for their assistance and emphasized positive relations and cooperation.

Afghanistan's humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in August. The UN has estimated 22.8 million people are suffering from acute food shortages and 8.7 million are near starvation.

Since August, international aid, which financed around 80 percent of the Afghan budget, has been suspended and the United States has frozen $9.5 billion in Afghan Central Bank assets. Unemployment has skyrocketed and civil servants' salaries have not been paid for months.

The Taliban was expected to seek both financial aid and international recognition during the meeting.

No country has yet recognized Afghanistans new rulers, whom human rights defenders accuse of committing serious violations, particularly over the lack of rights of women to education, employment, and participation in political and social life.

At the United Nations in New York, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said the talks appeared to have been "serious" and "genuine."

"We made clear we want to see girls back in school in March, also those above 12. We want to see humanitarian access," he said.

Muttaqi said earlier this week that the opportunity to hold the talks was an achievement in itself because we shared the stage with the world."

"From these meetings we are sure of getting support for Afghanistan's humanitarian, health, and education sectors," he added.

Norway faced criticism for arranging the hosting the meeting but insisted the talks do not represent a legitimization or recognition of the Taliban.

Gahr Store defended the meeting, saying a large part of the Afghan population depends on humanitarian aid to survive and the world community could not simply stand by and watch people, particularly children, starve, he told NTB.

With reporting by AFP and dpa
Iran helped the United States topple the Talibans brutal regime in Afghanistan in 2001.



But more than 20 years later, after U.S. forces withdrew from Afghanistan and the Taliban regained power, the once sworn enemies have become allies.



Differences remain between Afghanistans Sunni Taliban rulers and Iran's Shi'ite clerical regime. Tehran, like the rest of the international community, has yet to recognize the Taliban regime. Clashes have also erupted between Taliban fighters and Iranian security forces along the countries' 900-kilometer border.



But there has also been growing economic and political cooperation between the sides, which have both been hit by U.S. sanctions.



In the latest sign of deepening ties, the Taliban released water from the Kamal Khan Dam in southwestern Afghanistan into Hamun Lake in southeastern Iran, a poor and arid region.

Experts say the move is part of the Talibans attempt to curry favor with Iran, a major trade partner and regional power. Disputes over the distribution of cross-border water supplies have plagued relations between the two neighbors for decades.



"Overall, Iran needs a stable, if also dependent, Afghanistan and the Taliban a non-threatening, economically cooperative neighbor," says Marvin Weinbaum, the director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington.

In the 1990s, Iran and the Taliban were on the verge of war after the deaths of eight Iranian diplomats in the Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif.

Tehran backed the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance before the U.S.-led invasion. But in recent years the Islamic republic and the Taliban forged ties, with militant leaders even visiting Tehran. Experts say Tehran also provided some military support to the Taliban, which waged a 20-year insurgency against foreign forces and the Western-backed Afghan government.



Weinbaum says Iran and the Taliban, united for years in their opposition to the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan, have room for broader cooperation since the militant group's takeover in August.



Strategic Gain



In recent years, Afghanistan looked to harness the potential offered by its water resources by building hydroelectric dams and irrigation systems. But the projects flared tensions with neighboring countries that depend on the same supply.



Iran and Pakistan alleged that the infrastructure projects would cause humanitarian upheaval. Kabul, meanwhile, accused the two countries of orchestrating violence in the country to hold up its water projects.



The Talibans decision to release water from the Kamal Khan Dam in Nimroz Province, which neighbors Irans Sistan-Baluchistan Province, was applauded by officials in Tehran.

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Irans special representative to Afghanistan, publicly thanked the Taliban for "sticking to their promises in releasing water from Kamal Khan Dam."



The move came just days after the Talibans Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on January 9 led a senior delegation to Tehran, where he held talks with Iranian officials.



During the visit, Iranian officials also mediated talks between the Taliban and key Afghan resistance figures Ahmad Masud and Ismail Khan. Masud is the head of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, which groups opposition forces in northern Afghanistan.



Amin Tarzi, director of Middle East studies at the Marine Corps University in Virginia, says cooperation over water resources is a win-win for both Tehran and the Taliban.



Iran would consider it as a strategic gain should they get access to the water and barter it with Afghanistan for oil, gas, or electricity, which Iran produces in excess, he told RFE/RL.



Water Was Intentionally Released



Water from the 1,150-kilometer Helmand River, Afghanistans longest, feeds the Hamun Lake in Irans Sistan-Baluchistan, a volatile province where separatists and militant groups operate. The region relies heavily on the lake and has suffered a major ecological crisis because of persistent water scarcity.



The Talibans decision to increase water flows into Iran prompted outrage among many Afghans.

Following the uproar, the Talibans Water and Energy Ministry denied that water from the Kamal Khan Dam had been released into Iran.



Farmers living around the Kamal Khan Dam and officials in Nimroz have constantly been demanding for that water to be released," said Mawlawi Akhtar Mohammad Nasrut, the ministrys spokesman, in a video message on January 19. "The dam's reservoir was full, and our farmers needed water."



But locals rejected those claims.



Many parts of Afghanistan have witnessed above-average winter rainfall, which has minimized the need for irrigation.



A farmer in Nimroz, who spoke to RFE/RLs Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said the water was intentionally released to flow into Iran.

Naeem Salarzai, an exiled Afghan water management specialist, says the Taliban should persuade Iran to respect a 1973 water-sharing treaty between the two countries.



"The Taliban should immediately stop water flowing into Iran if they did so in response to Iranian demands," he told Radio Azadi.



Tehran has accused successive Afghan governments of taking more than its fair share of water allocated by the treaty.



Conversely, many Afghans suggest that decades of war in Afghanistan have allowed Iran to exploit their country's resources.



Afghans widely celebrated the completion of the Kamal Khan Dam last March. Former President Ashraf Ghani said Afghanistan would no longer give away free water and suggested Iran should provide oil to Afghans in exchange for water.



Fazal Hadi Wazeen, an Afghan political analyst, says the Taliban is using water as a diplomatic tool.



"They are using the water from the Kamal Khan Dam to improve relations with an important neighbor," he told Radio Azadi.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told the Security Council that Afghanistan is "hanging by a thread" and urged the body to "suspend the rules and operations" that are preventing the international community from providing urgent assistance.

"At this moment of maximum need, these rules must be seriously reviewed," Guterres told a council briefing on the situation in Afghanistan on January 26, calling for member nations to issue licenses necessary for humanitarian relief.

Afghanistan's humanitarian situation has rapidly deteriorated since the Taliban returned to power in August. The UN has estimated 22.8 million people are suffering from acute food shortages and 8.7 million are near starvation.

Earlier this month, the UN called for $4.4 billion in humanitarian aid for the war-torn country this year. On January 26, the organization said an additional $3.6 billion was needed for health, education, infrastructure, and other social needs.

"We need to give financial institutions and commercial partners legal assurance that they can work with humanitarian operators without fear of breaching sanctions," Guterres said.

Resources must be freed up urgently "to help Afghanistan's people survive the winter," he said, adding, "Time is of the essence."

Afghan Central Bank reserves worth some $9.5 billion have been frozen since the overthrow of the internationally backed government in Kabul. No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, and international assistance has virtually come to a halt despite the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Guterres urged world powers to find "ways to free up frozen currency reserves and reengage Afghanistan's Central Bank" in order to "pull the economy back from the brink."

At the conclusion of a meeting in Oslo on January 26 between Western diplomats and Taliban representatives, the international community linked humanitarian aid to Taliban respect for human rights, particularly the rights of girls, women, and ethnic minorities.

The European Union's special envoy to Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, wrote on Twitter he had "underlined the need for primary and secondary schools to be accessible for boys and girls throughout the country when the school year starts in March."

With reporting by Reuters and AFP
Comedian Korey David has a rich palette of life experiences to pull from during his time at the mic. The Denver comic will headline the Habitual Offenders Comedy Showcase on Thursday at Loonees Comedy Corner. The monthly event, hosted by Tracy Kellet, features a panoply of Colorado comics, including Kate Strobel, Justin Leger and Cody Ullrich.
A menu board advertising Restaurant Week specials sits outside One Eleven Main in Bel Air Saturday, January 22, 2022. The fine dining restaurant is one of several participating in Harford County Restaurant Week January 21-29 2022. (Matt Button / The Aegis/Baltimore Sun Media)

While the cold weather, iffy snowstorms and the COVID spike have led many Harford County residents into a kind of hibernation at home, Harford County Restaurant Week is drawing foodies out of their dens as they forage the county for hearty fare.

The 10-day event features special meals and deals from more than 40 restaurants throughout the county. For some foodies, its an opportunity to try something new, said Diandra Tucker, co-owner of Island Spice in Edgewood.

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Restaurant Week brings us new customers whove never dined with us before or are little bit cautious of dining with us because they may be a little apprehensive about our food being spicy, Tucker said. This gives us the opportunity to showcase what we offer. We are Jamaican rooted, but we also offer other cuisines that are less spicy, and non-traditional menu items.

For some patrons, Restaurant Week is a good time to get a great deal at their favorite dining spot, Tucker said.

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Weve had a great response so far, Tucker said. Our locals always come because they know that a three-course meal for $40 is a good deal here.

Restaurant Week is designed to give a boost to local restaurants, many of which are family owned and operated businesses like Tuckers restaurant and Coakleys in Havre de Grace.

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I think its been the best Restaurant Week that weve ever had, but I think its kind of like a perfect storm of all kinds of things that have been happening to make the Restaurant Week the best that weve ever had, said Margaret Coakley, co-owner of Coakleys.

COVID infections among staff caused Coakleys to shut down for five days in late December, Coakley said. She said that from what she saw in her staff and heard from regular customers, COVID seemed to peak around Christmas in the Havre de Grace area. She believes the worst has passed.

I think Havre de Grace is over COVID and feels comfortable coming out, Coakley said. People are tired of sitting at home. They cant go to sporting events, you know, so theyre looking forward to something to do.

Patrons like Donna Kennedy, who came to Coakleys for lunch Monday, didnt let COVID stop them from enjoying a good meal.

Im not the least bit concerned, Kennedy said. The wait staff is on top of their game with keeping everything clean and safe.

Kennedy said she and her family dined at Coakleys often throughout the pandemic. We sat outside and we were wearing our masks, but we didnt let it slow us down, she said.

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Harford County Restaurant Week ends Sunday. A complete listing of participating restaurants can be found on Visit Harfords website.
The Colorado Springs City Council approved an expansion of an ordinance Tuesday that prohibits anyone from sitting, lying, kneeling or reclining on sidewalks, trails, alleys and other rights of way a law that critics say targets homeless people.

The expansion of the area where the law will apply was approved on a 7 to 2 vote with Councilwomen Yolanda Avila and Nancy Henjum opposed. The council backed the expansion of the law after hearing from concerned residents who said the fines and potential jail time imposed for breaking the law make it harder for people to exit homelessness. Business representatives also spoke up saying the expansion could push more homeless residents to the fringes of the expansion area where they would be more of a problem for them.

Councilman Wayne Williams was among the councilmen who backed the law, in part, because nonprofits have space for homeless residents to go during the day, he said.

"If we were to reach a stage where there was insufficient space then we would react differently," he said.

The law has applied to a portion of Old Colorado City and the core of downtown since 2016. The change will expand the downtown boundaries where the law applies north to Cache la Poudre Street and south to Cheyenne Road. The expanded area encompasses the sidewalks and roads around new venues including the Switchbacks Stadium and Robson Arena. It will also apply to sidewalks and rights of way around homeless service providers including the Springs Rescue Mission and the Salvation Army's R.J. Montgomery Center.

Williams said the city would work with businesses and others on the east side of South Nevada not included in the expanded boundary who have concerns that more homeless people will be pushed into their neighborhood. The city may consider a boundary adjustment, he said.

Southern Cross Shopping Center owner John Kim said he feared the new boundary could push more homeless people to his business and intensify issues he is already combating.

Nick Xenos, deputy director of the Vanguard School, had similar concerns the change would push more people using drugs to spend time outside of the school. The school pays for additional security now to address the issues, he said.

The police department asked for an expansion of the ordinance based, in part, on data that show where trespassing and camping have been the most problematic around downtown, said Police Cmdr. John Koch.

He also noted that as more people have started visiting the new stadiums and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, people blocking sidewalks and rights of way have become more of an issue.

Since the ordinance was first passed in 2016, the police department has issued 88 citations for violating it, he said. Once issued a ticket, the person must go to municipal court and the judge will decide if the individual will pay a fine, serve probation or go to jail.

City of Colorado Springs Attorney Shantel Diane Withrow told city council she could not say how many people had served jail time for violating the existing ordinance.

The police department expects to educate homeless residents over 60 days about the newly expanded area before they start to issue citations, Koch said.

Jack Briggs, president and CEO of the Springs Rescue Mission, was one of the few who spoke in support of the expansion as proposed saying it would incentivize people to seek services.

"We at the Rescue Mission believe it is a positive tool for compassion," he said.

Others disputed the positive effect of the law saying that the possible fines up to $500 and sentences of up to 90 days in jail are counterproductive and make it harder for people to find homes.

"Please do not do this. Do not continue to criminalize homelessness. ... It is a difficult and very scary place to be," said Melissa Hall, who was homeless with her five children at one time.

Instead of expanding the ordinance, the city could focus more on funding housing and the Colorado Springs Fire Department's outreach program, said Jonathan Christiansen, with the Chinook Center, a nonprofit that works on social justice issues. The fire department employs behavioral health professionals among others to help people exit homelessness and get treatment for mental illness and addiction.

Police can enforce existing trespassing and camping laws, they don't need an expansion of the ordinance against sitting or lying in rights of way, Christiansen said.

"Its really just a heartless attempt to brush people under the rug," he said.

Henjum said she would like the city to better track and understand how the law is enforced.

She also called on the city administration to propose permanent funding in next year's budget for the fire department's outreach teams that currently rely on grants.
Former Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh was transferred from an Alabama prison into the supervision of a local reentry management office Wednesday about a year and a half ahead of her release date.

Pugh, the citys mayor from 2016 to 2019, was sentenced to three years behind bars after she pleaded guilty to conspiracy and tax evasion charges in a self-dealing scheme involving her Healthy Holly childrens books. She reported to Aliceville Federal Prison, a low security facility in Alabama, in June 2020.

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[ Get caught up | Baltimore's 'Healthy Holly' scandal ]

Federal Bureau of Prisons records show Pugh is now in the custody of the Residential Reentry Management Baltimore field office, one of about two dozen regional facilities across the country that manage offenders living in halfway houses and serving home confinement. The local office serves the Baltimore and D.C. areas.

A spokesman for the bureau declined to say Wednesday morning whether Pugh has been transferred to a halfway house or home confinement, citing privacy concerns. Pughs attorneys were unavailable to comment on the specifics of her personal reentry program Wednesday.

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Ex-offenders who have experienced the reentry system themselves report most stays follow a similar set of rules: participants typically serve some combination of time between a halfway house and home confinement; theyre required to work or be on the hunt for a job; and they remain supervised with the ever-present threat of returning to prison custody.

Releasing from prison is of course a great day, but often times you realize just a few hours after you get to the halfway house it really is a quasi-freedom, said Justin Paperny, a consultant who prepares clients for incarceration. Many people are stunned at the level of scrutiny.

According to the Bureau of Prisons, halfway houses, or residential reentry centers, are supposed to provide a safe, structured, supervised environment for former inmates as they return to their communities, offering employment counseling, job placement, financial management assistance and other programs and services.

The reality is much more basic, said Paperny, who himself served time in a low-security prison before being released into a halfway house. Residents are required to work, and must submit evidence of their job search shortly after arriving at the facilities, he said. Schedules for each resident are submitted to a case manager for approval, and then that case manager will check in with their employers to confirm they are indeed at work.

Typically, residents are required to surrender 25% of their gross income during their stay as a subsistence fee, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Paperny said that fee structure has been suspended during the pandemic.

The job search can be arduous, Paperny said. Sometimes white collar halfway house residents dont want to work the minimum wage jobs they can secure most easily. Other times, halfway house officials dont want to approve certain types of work. But finding work is key to making the experience more tolerable, he said.

Once you get the right job lined up, then youre out 12 to 14 hours a day, he said. Then youre free.

Residents are subject to random testing for drugs and alcohol, neither of which are permitted while under halfway house supervision.

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For those who qualify for home confinement, typical requirements can include electronic monitoring, visits from a probation officer, restrictions on leaving the house without prior approval and a ban on drug and alcohol use. During the pandemic the Bureau of Prisons has prioritized home confinement when appropriate.

Paperny said he expects Pugh to find work quickly given her connections in the community.

Shes going to have people willing to offer a job, he said.

Bruce Bereano, a Maryland lobbyist convicted in 1994 of mail fraud in a scheme to overbill his clients, served a five-month stint at the Volunteers of America halfway house, a former Baltimore motel converted for the purpose.

A fixture in Annapolis, Bereano continued his lobbying and legal work during his days at the facility, submitting detailed schedules of his whereabouts. At his various appointments, those he met with had to sign statements confirming the lobbyist and attorney was where he claimed to be.

Rooms at the Baltimore facility, which each resident had to themselves, were sparsely appointed, Bereano recalled. He brought a rug, a desk and a television as well as a few items to hang on the wall. In the evenings, visitors were allowed, he said. Both men and women lived in the facility.

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It was very tolerable, he said. The only bad thing I would say was the food there made hospital food seem like the Capital Grille.

Regular counts were conducted of residents, often at 2 or 3 a.m., he said. Staff would gather residents in the parking lot of the former motel to tally them. Some employees were nicer than others, he said.

Some were very nice and treated you as human beings, he said. Some people, if they have power or influence or control over someone else, they dont exercise it in a kind way.

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Paperny found a similar experience. The staff at his halfway house were young, some with only high school equivalency diplomas. The power went to their heads, he said.

Many dont have careers in criminal justice, in reform, in rehabilitation, he said. They were here, and their job is to punish. I have no doubt there are pockets of staff that mean well, but many obstruct, delay payments, delay paperwork for home confinement.

Paperny said stays at halfway houses vary in length, depending on the length of an offenders sentence, the space available in the halfway house and how quickly officials decide to transition the person to home confinement. Some stays extend up to a year, but during the pandemic, officials seem to be moving faster to get residents into home confinement, he said.

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Paperny spent three months in the reentry program  half in the halfway house, and half from his home. He said he expects Pugh to serve no more than 60 days.

Bereano said he credits his time spent in a halfway house with giving him time to reflect.

The experience helps to ground you and remind you that not only could things be worse, but theres a lot of things in your own life you should be more grateful for, he said. There were some folks in there that were bitter, they had chips on their shoulders. I just let them be.

How Mayor Pugh is going to handle this, thats up to her, but youve got to have the right attitude, Bereano added. This is solely within her control, and I wish her well.
A confidential source working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration made a recorded call in August 2013 to a Bowie-based attorney about trying to straighten out business documents. Federal authorities were zeroing on a drug trafficking organization that was moving money through the informants business.

Not on the phone. You know Im your attorney. Were not gonna have this conversation on the phone, said the attorney, Edward Leyden, according to a transcript of the call contained in a search warrant.

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Just try to find Ken, and we can discuss it, the governments source said.

Ken referred to attorney Kenneth Ravenell, who along with Leyden represented marijuana kingpin and nightclub impresario Richard Byrd, authorities wrote in the warrant. Within the next year, the DEA and IRS raided both Ravenell and Leydens law offices.

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Seven years later, a jury convicted Ravenell of money laundering and the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission is seeking to suspend his law license. Leyden wasnt charged and remains a lawyer in good standing.

The long-running investigation allowed federal authorities to take a rare and close look at the work of attorneys, which usually is considered privileged and not subject to scrutiny. Many local attorneys were rankled by the federal governments approach.

Investigative tactics such as raiding law firms, listening in on meetings and scrutinizing law firm financials are not typical and require approval from the Justice Department in Washington. Leyden, the tax attorney whose office was raided, was recorded on multiple occasions before the raid, the court documents show.

He referred questions to his attorney, who did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

Before Ravenell, another attorney was convicted as part of the federal investigation of Byrd. Houston-based James Bowie II was charged with Byrd in 2014. He received two years in prison after admitting that, among other things, he helped Byrd launder $180,000 by creating bank accounts in his and his sisters names.

Federal agents also questioned Greenbelt-based defense attorney Michael E. Lawlor, who was Byrds attorney when he pleaded guilty in 2017, according to an internal DEA document that was part of a trove of investigative records unsealed on the first day of Ravenells trial.

The DEA interviewed Lawlor in 2019 after agents learned he had provided sensitive discovery materials from Byrds case to Ravenell and his attorney at the time, Joshua Treem. Attorneys in the case were prohibited from sharing such documents with anyone but their client.

Lawlor stated that he f----- up by turning the discovery over to Treem and that he knew it was improper, DEA agents wrote in a summary of the interview. Lawlor explained that he thought he was doing them a professional courtesy.

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But prosecutors did not charge Lawlor, who declined to comment, and he continues to defend clients in federal court.

Ravenells former law firm, Murphy Falcon and Murphy, also attracted scrutiny. Prosecutors introduced ledgers from the firm at Ravenells trial that showed money from Byrd moving through various accounts. But prosecutors made no allegations of wrongdoing by its other members and noted in their rebuttal closing arguments that the case made no claims of impropriety against the prominent Baltimore firm.

At the trial, prosecutors introduced little direct evidence beyond the word of the drug dealers, and jurors seemed to doubt Ravenell was as closely involved in the drug organization as Byrd claimed: They acquitted him of conspiracy charges in the indictment involving racketeering and drugs.

Local attorneys and law professors who watched the case argued that when it came to Treem, Ravenells attorney, prosecutors should have used their discretion to also not charge him.

Treem was charged in 2020 with obstruction of justice, for going to meet with Byrd as part of his representation of Ravenell. Byrd had called Treem, saying he had information that would help clear Ravenell, so Treem brought a list of statements absolving Ravenell of wrongdoing and wanted Byrd to sign it. Unbeknown to Treem, Byrd had agreed to record their meetings for the government.

Treems attorneys called the recordings a shocking intrusion into the work of defense attorneys, but the judge overseeing the case allowed the evidence to stand.

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In the recordings, Byrd initially says Ravenell is innocent. The next day, Byrd says Ravenell knew about the criminal enterprise from A to Z but he is willing to testify to the contrary. Treem told Byrd he wouldnt allow him to lie on the stand. And Treem refused to destroy evidence, as suggested by Byrd.

But months later he wrote a letter to a judge, saying that Byrd was trying to extort Ravenell. In that letter, prosecutors say, Treem falsely stated Byrd had absolved Ravenell. On the witness stand, Treem said that statement was true, and that he had no obligation to report Byrds reversal if it would hurt Ravenell, his client.

University of Baltimore law professor Amy Dillard said it appeared federal prosecutors targeted Treem.

There are lot of places to put time and attention, and putting time and attention there often smacks of it being personal, whether it is or isnt, Dillard said. For example, has every person whos been involved in any sort of insider trading been investigated with this kind of zeal? I think that frustrates people.

She also questioned whether prosecutors look at the conduct of fellow prosecutors accused of misconduct or other violations in the same way they appear willing to look at that of defense attorneys.

What happens in cases where the court has found prosecutorial misconduct  does anyone file a bar complaint? Are charges brought against those prosecutors? Of course not, Dillard said. It feels like a gentlemens code in the world of lawyering where you dont criticize prosecutors in that way.

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Other legal experts disagreed. The U.S. attorneys office lined up several who were prepared to support their case. One was Norman L. Smith, who represents attorneys before the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission and has served as a specially appointed prosecutor. In a summary of his expected testimony, he said what Treem did was highly unusual and violated several rules of professional conduct.

While neither Ravenell nor his lawyer Treem had any obligation or duty to provide information to the government or to the court, once Treem chose to speak, by submitting a voluntary letter to the Court, [one of the rules of conduct] commands that he must not lie, the summary of Smiths testimony reads.

Ultimately, the judge overseeing the case said he would not allow expert testimony from either side.

All of the lawyers scrutinized in the investigation could face investigations by the Attorney Grievance Commission, experts said. That body does not discuss investigations until it has brought a case for the Maryland Court of Appeals to consider.

While unusual, Ravenells case is not the first of its kind brought by federal prosecutors in Maryland. Their office won a conviction in 2017 against Philadelphia-based attorney Michael Farrell for aiding a Baltimore-based drug trafficking organization.

Farrell was accused of writing checks and disbursing cash from drug proceeds to pay for legal representation of grand jury witnesses and individuals under investigation in connection with the activities of a Baltimore drug organization, including payments to two Baltimore-area attorneys, prosecutors said. Records show one of those attorneys was Joseph Murtha, who had been told by his client about Farrells conduct and notified the U.S. attorneys office.

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My client ended up wearing a wire, going to Philadelphia, and Mr. Farrell gave him $10,000 and talked about what he wanted him to do to obstruct justice, Murtha said.

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Murtha said he was surprised that federal investigators wanted to investigate another attorney, but he said they were already on Farrells trail and that Farrells conduct was clearly wrong.

When youre in a position where you cross the line by trying to influence statements to make false statements or engage in obstruction of justice, its not acceptable, and it not only interferes with the system of justice, but it also has an adverse effect on the very desperate defendants who are almost willing to do anything, Murtha said.

The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers came to Farrells aid in his appeal, arguing that prosecutors were wrong to say the jury could convict Farrell of receiving drug money on the theory of willful blindness, or knowing the money was likely drug proceeds but looking the other way.

Its a claim Ravenells attorneys could make in appealing his conviction, according to Rebecca LeGrand, who was counsel for one of Ravenells co-defendants.

Criminal defendants are constitutionally entitled to loyalty from their attorneys, and thus cannot be subjected to open suspicion from, and constant investigation by, the very individuals who are supposed to zealously represent their interests in a conflict-free manner, the defense lawyers association wrote in an amicus brief in Farrells case.

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The 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the argument, saying there was ample evidence Farrell knew the funds came from drug proceeds.

Baltimore Sun reporter Tim Prudente contributed to this article.
In an extensive and frank interview with The Gazette editorial board on Wednesday, Pazen made clear his frustration with a growing disconnect between those who make, prosecute and adjudicate Colorados laws  and the cops whose duty it is to stop criminals.
El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly, left, and an autopsy technician examine a corpse of a possible COVID-19 casualty, at the El Paso County Coroners Office.
A longtime, beloved family business is closing its doors after being rocked by the loss of a loved one.

Andy's Meat Market, where meat lovers can find everything from steaks and pork chops to rattlesnake and alligator brats, is set to close at the end of February after 70 years in business.

The decision to close follows the death of Karen Aibner  "the heart and soul" of Andy's, said her son, Jonathan. She died in early December at age 66.

Karen was the daughter-in-law of Andy Aibner, who founded the business in 1952. It was originally known as Farmers Market and started across and up the street a bit from its current location at 2915 E. Platte Ave.; it moved there after the first 10 years or so.

Karen was part of the family business even before she became part of the family; she was dating Andy's son, Bob, when she started working at the store. She and Bob took over the business after Andy died in 1996. Bob has retired.

Jonathan, meanwhile, has worked at Andy's since he was a kid; he's now, at age 40, store manager and head meat cutter. He loved working with family, he said. Now, with his mom gone and his dad not part of the business, "it's kind of taken the wind out of my sails."

The story is similar to that of another Colorado Springs institution, El Taco Rey. After 45 years, the family-owned Mexican restaurant closed in September after the death of matriarch Rosemary Aguilar. While the original plan was to reopen, the family announced this month that the doors would stay closed. It was a tough decision that came after "sleepless nights," one family member said then.

Similarly, closing Andy's is the toughest decision he's ever had to make, Jonathan said. Business has been good, he said. If someone were to come along and buy the building along with all the equipment and keep it as a meat shop, he said, "they're going to do awfully well, just as we have for 70 years."

There have been challenges, he acknowledged. Staffing is one; Andy's used to process wild game for hunters, but hasn't done so for the last couple of years because of a lack of seasonal help. Fellow business owners, he said, have the same complaint about finding staff.

"There's plenty of work to do out there, and not enough people willing to do it," he said.

Jonathan isn't sure of the next chapter for him.

"It's just time," he said of the decision to close. "Seventy years is a long time for a family to keep a business running. We're awfully proud of that, but it's time."

David Perl is among loyal customers who are not ready for Andy's to vanish, though. He has shopped at Andy's for at least 15 years. Pork steaks, boneless rib-eyes, sausages and smoked ham shanks were among the meats that kept him coming back, he said via email.

"I'll miss the old butcher shop ambience that reminds me of the independent meat shops my family used to do business with in Ohio," he said. "I truly will miss the passing of another small, family-owned business. Big box grocery stores just don't possess the intimacy and character that a business like Andy's has."

Jackie Fandry, one of seven employees, has worked at Andy's for 32 years. She came aboard as a seasonal worker during hunting season  and never left.

She got to work with founder Andy for the first few years. "He's one of the people who made me love this place," she said. "He started this place, he was proud of it, and he made me proud to work here."

Andy's, she believes, has "the best meat in town" and sells things you won't find at chain grocery stores; Andy's, for example, is known for making most of its own sausages.

And, she said, "I have no idea where people are going to get their jerky anymore, because ours is famous. It's been all over the world."
Employees from Sinai Hospital stand by red desks that have been placed on the hospital lawn facing Northern Parkway. Lifebridge Health's Center for Hope launched the Red Desk Project, a public art statement to call attention to child homicide in Baltimore. There are 111 red desks representing the 111 children who have died as a result of child abuse or gun violence in Baltimore since 2015 as of April 29, 2021. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/Baltimore Sun). (Barbara Haddock Taylor)

The recent report on child homicides is devastating (Homicides top cause of unexpected childhood deaths in Baltimore, report finds, Jan. 21). The numbers of children dying due to abuse and neglect related to family members with substance use disorders and domestic violence means we are failing to get available help to parents in need of support and interventions. Accidental shootings of children means we are failing to keep weapons away from children. This whole situation has many dimensions and is truly a public health emergency that needs a crisis-oriented response.

While I fully support using American Rescue Plan funds toward solutions, that is a short-term source of funding. I am more interested in getting some of Marylands surplus dollars directed to elimination of preventable childhood deaths so that this year and each year in the future, we can eliminate such tragedies. Gov. Larry Hogan is proposing a large amount of tax breaks at a time when our state needs funding to address a wide array of social, economic, educational, public health and environmental issues.

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I hope our Baltimore delegation will stand against such tax cuts and support using available public sources to bolster current programs and agencies and conquer what is clearly a crisis in our city.

Tricia Rubacky, Baltimore

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Add your voice: Respond to this piece or other Sun content by submitting your own letter.
Some major changes could be coming to Cerro Gordo County Supervisors Districts.

The Iowa Legislative Services Agency (LSA) proposed a significant overhaul to the current Cerro Gordo County Supervisors Districts.

Currently, district one and three both cover parts of Mason City  district one the western portion and three the eastern portion. District one also contains Bath Township and small portions of the Lime Creek and Lake townships, while district three contains the Portland, Owen and Dougherty townships.

District two contains the remaining 11 townships, as well as the entirety of Clear Lake.

The revised districts are a significant change from the current districts.

The proposed district two would be an entirely urban district covering the southern, western and southeastern portions of Mason City, while district three would cover the northern and northeastern portions of Mason City, as well as the Lime Creek and Falls townships.

District one would cover the remaining townships and Clear Lake.

Supervisor Chris Watts expressed concerns over the proposed changes.

Watts said that while the population totals are nearly equivalent for all three proposed districts, there is a dramatic disparity of the range of land covered in district one compared to districts two and three.

Watts' concern lies in that the proposed district one covers roughly 75% of the land within the county, while district two would become an entirely urban district with no rural representation at all, and district three would have only a small portion of rural representation.

"It kind of defeats the purpose of representation when you give one supervisor that much area to cover," Watts said.

Another wrinkle in the proposed districts, according to Watts is that he and supervisor Tim Latham both live in the proposed district two. If the changes are passed, Watts and Latham would have to run against each other in a primary this summer, and district three would require a new supervisor.

Watts and Latham are currently only halfway through their four-year terms as supervisors.

Supervisor Casey Callanan would represent the proposed district one.

"Personally, in my opinion, we should reject the offer," Watts said of the proposal from the LSA. "It feels like we're losing more local control to the state."

The supervisors discussed the changes for the first time in their meeting Tuesday morning, and set a public hearing date to review the changes during their meeting on Tuesday, Feb 8.

Following the public hearing, the supervisors will have the chance to approve or reject the proposed supervisor districts.

Supervisor Latham did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Globe Gazette.

Zachary Dupont covers politics and business development for the Globe Gazette. You can reach him at 641-421-0533 or zachary.dupont@globegazette.com. Follow Zachary on Twitter at @ZachNDupont

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An Iowa-licensed physician who has questioned the use of vaccines and face masks in fighting COVID-19 says that each day she treats up to 40 patients from around the country and is staging jailbreaks that involve pulling patients out of hospitals against the medical advice of other doctors.

Dr. Mollie James, who operates a clinic in Chariton, is a surgeon and critical care specialist who trained at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines and the University of Minnesota. She has practiced in Des Moines, St. Louis and New York City. Her license is in good standing with the Iowa Board of Medicine.

Much of what James says about COVID-19 contradicts the federal governments advice on mitigation and treatment, a fact she readily acknowledges. She recently appeared on The Tamara Scott Show, a call-in talk show aired by Lindell TV, a video channel created by Mike Lindell, the My Pillow founder who has been active in spreading discredited claims of voting fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Scott is the Republican National Committeewoman for Iowa and has worked as a Statehouse lobbyist for Concerned Women for America and The Family Leader.

In her Jan. 18 appearance on Scotts program, James said she and a team of other health care professionals have arranged what she calls jailbreaks to get COVID-19 patients out of the hospital even if theyre still using bottled oxygen to help them breathe.

What we do is we make recommendations to the family and we get them ready to pull the patients out, against the medical advice of the hospital, when they hit 10 liters (of supplied oxygen), she said. Were confident enough in our treatment protocol that we know those oxygen requirements will drop fairly quickly once we get them in the home environment.

She said she recently coordinated with the family of one special-needs adult to get him out of the hospital and the man was at home and off oxygen the next day. Another man was removed from the hospital about a week ago, she said, and is now almost off of oxygen and he is sitting up eating eggs and bacon and playing with his grandkids. Hes totally fine.

During the program, James and Scott also discussed James use of ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in treating COVID-19 for patients around the country. The FDA has not approved ivermectin for treating COVID-19 and says currently available data suggests it may pose a risk to some patients. As for hydroxychloroquine, the FDA says the drug has not been proven to be safe or effective in treating COVID-19 and might cause abnormal heart rhythms in some patients.

We hear the U.S. Postal Service has told their agency to stop packages coming from India that might have ivermectin, Scott said. So, is there any way that Americans can still get that?

I dont have any problem, James replied. My clinic has a network of pharmacies across the country that will fill (prescriptions). I can get it to anyone within three to five days. So, we definitely recommend our patients do a preventative consult and see us before they need it so that we can get the meds and they can have them in their cabinet.

Expect a call from me after the show, Scott said.

James also described for Scott how she uses ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine on patients in the early stages of infection.

At the onset of symptoms, we can treat with things like hydroxychloroquine, that direct suppresses viral replication, we treat with ivermectin, that blocks the virus ability to get into the cells and replicate, she said.

A Minnesota woman called in and asked whether we should be having ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine in our medicine cabinet before we get sick.

Yes, you should, James responded.

Can they contact JamesClinic.com and set up a pre-interview? Scott asked.

They can certainly call us, James replied. We have actually been so busy taking care of sick patients we are doing our prevention consults as a group consult. So, basically what it is, you sign up ahead of time, we do an hour-long Zoom, and we review everything you need to know to take care of yourself. And then a doctor will review your medical history and send your prescriptions in. 

On James website, prospective patients can sign up for consultations by clicking on links that say, I am sick with COVID-19 and cant breathe: $790, or, I want to prevent COVID-19: $290.

James told Scott that other doctors who take her approach to treating COVID-19 are being targeted by the medical establishment. She told James that after the pandemic hit, she ran into problems with the hospitals that employed her due to her own views on the matter.

I left the hospitals, she said. One by one, my privileges were removed, or I was suspended or terminated, because I didnt get the vaccine. I didnt need it. I had natural immunity having been sick from one of the patients.

During the interview, Scott discussed the federal governments efforts to have all health care professionals in Iowas Medicaid-funded facilities vaccinated even though the governor said we wouldnt do it.

James said those Iowa professionals need to unite and fight the federal requirement.

What theyre doing is eliminating all critical thinkers from the hospitals, from the police force and from the military, she said. And so what you are going to be left with is people who just follow the rules or follow policy.

On Jan. 11, James was a guest on the podcast of conservative Iowa commentator Steve Deace, who said hes a patient of James and that he has referred friends and family to her clinic.

James told Deace that since September when she resumed her practice in Iowa, she has treated about 3,500 patients, which suggests an average of 30 patients per workday. Not all of them were COVID-diagnosed, she said, but they had symptoms. She said one of those patients died, and 30 to 40 required subsequent hospitalization. Most of her patients are in their 50s, she said.

James also told Deace her telemedicine team includes two full-time physicians, one full-time nurse practitioner and one part-time nurse practitioner who see patients. In one day, she said, her team saw 30 to 40 sick patients.

James views on COVID-19  as well her public statements on gun rights, critical race theory and immigration  have endeared her to conservative media outlets. With regard to ivermectin, the so-called horse de-wormer, she has said, Theres no medicine thats safer on the planet, adding that she prescribes it for her patients while other doctors refuse for fear of losing their license.

Kent Nebel, executive director of the Iowa Board of Medicine, told the Iowa Capital Dispatch last month that the licensing board cant comment on James specifically, but is currently looking at complaints involving Iowa doctors who are spreading questionable information about COVID-19.

The board respects the free-speech rights of physicians, he said, but its also aware that spreading misinformation impacts the public health and may intersect with a physicians treatment of specific patients.

James has not responded to messages the Capital Dispatch left with her clinic staff.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has emphasized the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, saying reports of adverse events such as allergic reactions, myocarditis or pericarditis are rare and the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination outweigh the risks.

One of James former websites  which bore the domain name IvermectinCan.com  stated that The James Clinic is a membership-based concierge practice for Iowans who are ready to take their health back.

Patients pay a membership fee and in return they are eligible for a multi-tiered array of services. The Platinum+ Members are entitled to a personal health concierge, a functional-medicine assessment, extended physician availability, monthly advanced infusions of something thats not specified, and unlimited treatments in the clinics new hyperbaric chamber.

According to the clinics website, treatment fees for COVID-19 range from $290 for those who simply want to prevent the virus, to $990 for those with long-haul symptoms of the virus. Those who are currently sick with the virus pay $490, and those who are sick and having trouble breathing are charged $790.

One of James posts on Twitter reads, We are winning! No mandates. No vax for kids  Were literally killing our kids because the boomers are scared. Pathetic. Another states, Where is your red line? In order to work will you let someone swab your nose weekly? Wear a market (sic) that youre unclean? Jab you? My rights come from God and require none of this nonsense.

Iowa Capital Dispatch is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence.

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Tips and tricks

Gmat is not a test of luck, as it was said many times. It is a test of consistent and logical approach. I cannot stress enough on this.

Do not learn from many sources like I did. I used almost everything available on the market. Stick to one and follow it strictly.

Quant:

-To learn fundamentals, I think is the best. To jump from low q40 to high q40, I believe are the best. They are gems. Period. I also used explanations provided by Bunuel (I cannot stress enough how helpful you are. Thank you!). Exploit these resources and you would be fine for the quant section.

-Verbal is trickier. For basic understanding of concepts tested, use . After that only extensive practice and analysis of mistakes will help elevate your verbal score. And read, read, read, as much as you can.

-IR, I did not study for this section. Only when I took full mocks, I went over the questions too. I think, IR is easy and straightforward, although I bombed it. But thats because I am stupid not because it is hard.

-AWA, I read a few templates https://gmatclub.com/forum/how-to-get-6-0-awa-my-guide-64327.html and wrote 3 or 4 essays and that was it.



My story.
The 50 million sheep of New Zealand outnumber its people 13 to 1, the [ #permalink

3 Kudos
Beef, tobacco and poultry producer Robert J. Mills Jr., of Callands, was recognized Tuesday for 10 years of service on the Virginia Farm Bureau Federation board of directors.

VFBF President Wayne F. Pryor presented an award to Mills at a Farm Bureau board meeting in Richmond.

As the organizations District 10 director, Mills represents Farm Bureau producer members in Campbell, Halifax and Pittsylvania counties.

He serves as chairman of the VFBF Poultry Advisory Committee and vice chairman of the VFBF Flue-Cured Tobacco Advisory Committee, and is a member of the VFBF Livestock Advisory Committee.

Mills owns and operates Briar View Farms, which includes a pullet breeder operation that raises 34,000 birds annually for Perdue Farms and a 300-head cow-calf operation. He also grows conventional flue-cured, dark-fired and cigar wrapper tobacco, as well as organic flue-cured tobacco, soybeans and wheat.

He is a past president of the Pittsylvania County Farm Bureau and previously served on that organizations board of directors. He also previously served as president of the board of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Mills serves on the Virginia Tobacco Board and on the boards of the Virginia Agricultural Growers Association and Tobacco Associates Inc. He is chairman of the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Deans Advisory Council and a past member of the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.

Mills was named Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Famer of the Year in 2017 and named to the 2020 Virginia Business magazine Virginia 500 list.

He and his wife, Cindy, have two sons, Logan and Holden.

With 132,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginias largest farmers advocacy group. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization committed to supporting Virginias agriculture industry. For more news and information, visit vafb.com/newsroom.
Members of the Danville School Board are expected to take up the debate over masking Thursday in light of Gov. Glenn Youngkins executive order allowing parents to opt out of the requirement for their children in schools.

Schools in Pittsylvania County are already in step with the governors order that went into effect Monday. Youngkins action is facing legal challenges and causing school systems across the commonwealth to make a decision: defy the order and keep a mask mandate in place or allow parents to decide if their students should wear the face coverings.

This decision was made with School Board awareness, Pittsylvania County Schools Superintendent Mark Jones told the Register & Bee via email Wednesday. The Pittsylvania County School Board met before the executive order was issued on Jan. 15, the same day Youngkin took office.

The new policy started Monday in Pittsylvania County. Masks are still required on school buses, Jones said in a statement. Also, all school employees must continue to wear face coverings.

As of Wednesday, only six students had active COVID-19 infections in Pittsylvania County Schools, an online dashboard shows. This comes after record numbers of infections prior to a snowstorm that canceled classes for nearly a week.

Danville Public Schools reported only four students with active virus infections by midday Wednesday. Schools were closed last week in the city for weather.

The city school board initially was set to meet last week, but the threat of winter weather postponed the gathering until Thursday.

We will be discussing our COVID-19 mitigation strategies, including masking, at tomorrows meeting, Lanie Davis, a spokesperson for Danville Public Schools, confirmed Wednesday. Those strategies have not changed this week.

Children represent the demographic with the lowest vaccination rate in Danville and Pittsylvania County. Only 6% of those 5-11 are considered fully vaccinated, the Virginia Department of Health reports. In the 12-15 age group, 31% have received the proper doses and 35% of children 16-17 are fully vaccinated.

Vaccination remains a critical tool to prevent and counter the pandemic, Brookie Crawford, a spokesperson for the Virginia Department of Health, told the Register & Bee last week.

A vaccination clinic is planned from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Gibson Elementary School in Danville. Its part of a series of clinics hosted by the local health district to get more shots in more local arms.

These clinics offer first, second and booster doses. Vaccines are available to anyone 5 and older, but a parent or guardian must accompany children under 18.

The Pittsylvania-Danville Health District added 106 new cases of COVID-19 in Wednesday mornings update from the health department. That brings the seven-day average to about 195, which is a drop from the all-time average high of 237 daily reports on Jan. 14. Still, its significantly higher than the 2021 surge.

The positivity rate, after slightly dropping recently, has soared again in the region. On Wednesday morning, 43% of all COVID-19 tests in Danville yielded a positive results, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pittsylvania Countys rate is 47%. The figures  coupled with overall infections  act as a gauge to state and federal health officials on the local impact on the pandemic.

Nearly every locality  with only seven out of more than 3,000 as the exception  in the United States is in the highest risk category for COVID-19 spread, according to the CDC. With transmission rates so high, the agency recommends everyone wear face masks for indoor public settings.

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Danville police officer Chris Agee was one of the most courageous people Krystin Kirk ever met.

Before the 48-year-old Agee died of cancer Sunday, he was at peace with his impending departure from this life, Kirk, Agee's fiance, said during an interview Tuesday.

"To get handed a sentence like he did, he was peaceful and calm about it," Kirk told the Danville Register & Bee. "It just amazed me. He was just so strong. He was one of the bravest people I've ever met in my life."

Agee had been a police officer for about 16-17 years, with the last three or four years spent patrolling the streets for the Danville Police Department.

For police officer Ty'Quan Graves, who has been with the department for almost a year, Agee was not only his partner but an inspiration.

"We became really close the past two years," Graves said Tuesday. "He was one of my influences to becoming a police officer."

Graves had spent a year doing ride-alongs with officers before joining the department. During that time, Agee encouraged him to become an officer but also reminded him what he would be getting himself into, Graves recalled.

"He was one of my biggest cheerleaders," Graves recalled, adding that his first full shift as an officer was spent with Agee.

From an early age, Agee was a hard worker who knew what he wanted out of life, said his mother, Kathy Agee.

"He went to work when he was 16," Agee said, adding that he knew then he wanted to be a police officer.

She remembered telling him not to start finding a job so early, that he had the rest of his life to work.

"He said he wanted to have something in life," she recalled.

Even as a young child, he was curious about how things worked.

"He was full of energy," she said. "He started taking everything apart trying to figure it out, how it was put together."

He also loved computers and cars, she recalled.

Agee, who grew up in Martinsville, worked at Kroger for his first job and was made a supervisor in just a few months, Kathy said.

He was also the youngest person to be hired as part of security at Tultex, the former textile manufacturer in Martinsville.

He started riding along with members of the police department in Martinsville while in his teens, his mother said.

Achieving the dream

When he couldn't get hired in law enforcement in Henry County, Agee took a job performing inspections at nursing homes. He traveled  as part of his occupation  to Maryland as well as locations in Virginia, including Newport News. That's where he finally achieved his dream of becoming a police officer about 17 years ago, Kathy said.

"He applied for the position with the police department there and that's when they hired him," she said.

After 13 years with Newport News, Chris Agee came back home to the area to become a Danville police officer.

"He loved, loved the people at Danville," Kathy Agee said. "He really felt like the people were his family."

Danville Police Chief Scott Booth recalled Chris's dedication to the city and its people.

"He wanted to be a part of the community and wanted to get behind what's going on to make this community better," Booth said Tuesday. "Chris had a love for the community."

Chris had a "servant-leader's heart," Booth said, adding that he was always impressed with him. He was soft-spoken, confident, and very smart when he talked about what his profession meant to him and other members of the department, Booth said.

"It's certainly going to be a loss," he said of the void left by Chris's absence.

Booth, who hired Chris, said he wanted to come back home.

"He certainly was an asset," Booth said. "He was an important member of our family and this community and we were very lucky to get to have him with us at the time he was part of us."

Meeting

As for Kirk, she met Chris after she asked him to come inspect a nursing home unit while she was a unit manager in Charlottesville.

"He came and was very helpful," she recalled. "He asked me out to dinner."

She was wary at first, but ended up enjoying talking to him during their first date, which was a group date, Kirk said. They had been together for about 16 years, she said.

During his last days, friends would come visit Chris and they would be crying, she said. But Chris would be the one who would provide comfort and think of others, she said.

"He would say, 'It's just in God's hands, it's not in my hands. What's going on in your life?'" Kirk recalled.

Before Chris became ill, he and Kirk would go on adventures.

"We did so many things," she said. "We took trips and we went on this amazing vacation for 10 days a couple of years ago, and it was the best thing in the whole world."

They covered destinations including New York, Colorado and Los Angeles. They spend less than $1,000 on the whole journey, including air fare and lodging, which entailed Airbnbs, she said.

"We never really bought souvenirs," she said. "We went to museums and we would find the best pizza in town. Chris could find the cheapest deals."

The couple wanted to travel to Nova Scotia, but the COVID-19 pandemic stalled their plans, Kirk said.

On the job

On the job, Chris would give pointers to Graves to help him out with his reports, provide information to help him with a case. He also helped Graves while he was at the academy, Graves said.

"He was a smart guy," Graves said. "He knew his job."

The two partners would have dinner together. It was a good time to talk shop during off-hours.

"We would just talk about the job," Graves said. Chris was someone "to debrief with," he added.

Chris "was tough as nails. He never showed any kind of weakness."

He became ill in June, Kathy Agee said, adding that doctors had failed to find the cancer.

"They kept doing COVID tests," Kathy said. "He just got weaker and weaker and sicker and sicker."

However, about a year and a half ago, he went to doctors after seeing blood in his stool, she said. A colon specialist, or proctologist, in Martinsville told him he was too young to have colon cancer, Kathy said.

She said his insurance company would not cover the cost of a colonoscopy.

Last September, after he knew he had cancer, Chris was told by doctors at Duke University Medical Center the procedure would have saved his life at the time.

"Chris is gone and it makes me mad and sad," his mother said. "This doctor could have saved him."

Kirk recalled Chris's last moments at home with her in Axton.

"He said, 'You know I'm going to die tonight, right?'" Kirk said, adding that he told her he loved her.

Twenty minutes later, he was gone.

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REIDSVILLE

After avoiding COVID-19 for two years while living in Taiwan, Corey Lee Miller was back in the United States only three days when he caught it. Then, he came down with a milder case of the respiratory disease again in January.

The trip home on Dec. 12 was a surprise to his family because only a few friends knew about it. Miller said Taiwan had minimal cases of COVID-19 those first two years.

They just locked things down very early on and are really serious about mask mandates, Miller said, noting it took a lot longer for the country to get the vaccines. He received his second vaccine just before he came home. The resources were not available to get them prior to that.

Most people in the U.S. are not aware of how much luxury they have, Miller said. People here were fully vaccinated months before they got vaccines in Taiwan. When outbreaks occurred and they were having 500-600 cases per day, the government shut things down. Now, its back down to zero again.

Miller, 29, has lived in the East off and on for a number of years.

While I was in school, I never traveled and never got outside the U.S., said the 2010 Rockingham County High School graduate. In 2014, he earned his bachelors degree in English at Appalachian State University, then served an internship at QC Exclusive magazine, remaining after the internship ended.

Soon, he began to research ways to travel abroad. Miller then became an au pair in Germany, living with a family, helping their children with their homework, especially English, and taking them to school. But Miller didnt make much money, so after four months and just in time for Christmas, he returned to work part-time at the magazine.

At the company Christmas party, Miller negotiated a full-time position assisting the editor, a job he really enjoyed. I had never studied journalism in school but had worked for the school newspaper.

After three years, Miller became tired of living in Charlotte. Wanting to go abroad again, he connected with a company that places teachers all over the world. He interviewed with several schools before deciding to move to Korea. Since he preferred a big city, he chose Daegu, the third largest city in South Korea.

During the day, Miller taught English to fifth to eighth grade students. After hours, the school became a kind of an English academy for older children.

Many parents want young children to learn English as their second language.

English is the most important one in the world, Miller said.

School was nonstop with Miller working a pretty heavy schedule, teaching close to 40 hours five days a week.

If another teacher was out, we had to pick up the slack, and it could be really rough at times, he said. The cultural differences were hard.

Working for a foreign boss was sometimes difficult, Miller said.

The higher ups have a different idea of what it means to be a boss in Korea. You dont really question what they say.

To learn Korean, Miller studied at the Language Exchange three nights a week after teaching during the day.

Designed for foreigners to learn the language, Miller spent one hour one-on-one with their Korean teacher, then practiced their conversational skills in a group: Ten people at a circular table just talking. The Korean group leader generally was the best English teacher who printed out talking points or topics to discuss each day. Those topics could include economics, politics, Capitalism, and/or Communism, and be lighthearted or really heavy.

Often, everyone went out for beer afterward.

It can be hard to make friends with the locals, Miller said, adding most jobs like his included living quarters so the teachers were together. Although Miller loves teaching, he said he did not want to do it as a career in Korea.

While on a four-day break, Miller and some teaching companions visited Taiwan just for fun.

I fell in love with the city, Miller said. Later, when his one-year contract in Korea was ending, Miller said he wanted to go to other places as often as possible, planning to work for a year and then go some place else.

He now works for a western company run by Americans in Taiwan where he is surrounded by all kinds of people and has become friends with many other workers.

Just after arriving in Taiwan, news about the pandemic increased.

What Taiwan was doing from the beginning really saved the country, said Miller, who has been working remotely from the Reidsville home of his father, Ronnie Miller. His mother, Deborah Paschal Miller, passed away in 2006. Corey is the grandson of Mary Barrett of Eden, Bobby and Annie Little Miller of Eden, and the late John Paschal Sr.

On Jan. 30, Miller will fly to Seattle to work with his boss and Seattle team before returning to Taiwan on Feb. 8.

Before he leaves, he will need have to have a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours before the flight. When he arrives in Taiwan, Miller must quarantine for two weeks in a hotel set up by the government, then stay at his home the third week without seeing anyone, only going out to get groceries.

When we go outside, we wear a mask, he explained. As soon as you step out your door, you have to wear a mask. There are fines and everybody does it.

The Taiwanese government makes no religious, health or other exceptions.

They just care about others, Miller said. They are less focused on individuals in situations like this. They are more concerned for others.
REIDSVILLE  Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page spoke to the Reidsville Kiwanis Club about the improvements the sheriffs office has made over the years to protect county residents.

He noted that because of a law passed by the state legislature in 2010, no felon can become a county sheriff in North Carolina and that all people interested in the office are rigidly screened.

Page also told the club about the civil processes the sheriffs department is responsible for carrying out, such as dealing with eviction notices.

He highlighted major problems in the county, such as opioid drug abuse and mental health issues and encouraged communities to work together to combat the problems.

Page pointed out that 96% of the drugs found in Rockingham County are coming through Mexico.

The drug and mental health problems extend to the county jail, he explained, saying more inmates than ever are suffering with drug addictions and related mental illness. The sheriffs office must in turn find professionals to help inmates and transport some inmates to medical facilities for care.

The sheriff talked about new technology his department now uses to help analyze and trace bullet casings back to shooters.

He further explained that the sheriffs office is responsible for courthouse safety and security. The new courthouse allows law enforcement officials to deliver inmates to trial without walking them in front of the public before court, he said.

And the countys new jail accommodates 232 inmates, compared to the old jails limit of 96. These days, the detention facility averages about 180 inmates most days, Page said.

The Reidsville Kiwanis Club meets each Thursday at noon in the Fellowship Hall of Main Street Methodist Church and invites visitors to attend.

Contact Susie C. Spear at sspear@rockinghamnow.com, (336) 349-4331, ext. 6140 and follow @SpearSusie_RCN on Twitter.
Universities across North Carolina offer some of the best online academic programs in the nation, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Piedmont Triad universities had several top 20 finishes, including N.C. A&T at No. 19 for its masters in information technology program, UNCG at No. 13 for its masters education program for veterans and No. 18 for its masters nursing program, Winston-Salem State at No. 20 for a masters in nursing and App State at No. 12 for a masters in curriculum and instruction.

U.S. News released its 2022 Best Online Programs rankings Tuesday, which evaluate schools online bachelors and masters degree programs.

The uncertainty caused by the pandemic may result in more people considering the merits of an online education, said Liana Loewus, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a statement. As students consider whats right for them and their schedules, they can use the data provided by U.S. News to research their options and make informed decisions about their academic future.

North Carolina and the UNC System are investing in online education through Project Kitty Hawk, which is aimed at reaching adult learners, particularly those who have some college credit but no degree. The system is creating an educational technology nonprofit that will help schools develop, market and provide online degree programs to working adults that align with state workforce needs.

UNC-Chapel Hill earned the highest ranking with the No. 1 online MBA program in the nation in a three-way tie with Indiana University-Bloomington and University of Southern California. N.C. State University and UNC-Charlotte rank in the top 10 for online bachelors degrees, both up from last year. NCSUs online masters engineering program also earned a top 10 spot, and Duke University ranked in the top 5 for its masters nursing program.

U.S. News ranks colleges and universities based on data about student services and technology, faculty credentials and student engagement specifically for distance learners.

Heres how Piedmont Triad colleges fared:

N.C. A&T

Masters information technology (19)

Masters information technology for veterans (20)

Masters in education (53)

UNCG

Bachelors (101)

Bachelors for veterans (61)

Bachelors business (30) *tied with App State

Bachelors psychology (36)

Masters in business administration (159)

Masters in business, non-MBA (75)

Masters information technology (49)

Masters in education (41)

Masters in education for veterans (13)

Masters in nursing (18)

Appalachian State

Bachelors (111)

Bachelors business (30) *tied with UNCG

Masters in education (93)

Masters in curriculum and instruction (12)

Masters in nursing (103)

Winston-Salem State

Masters in nursing (20)

The full list of U.S. News & World Report 2022 Best Online Programs rankings is available online.
Last Thursday evening, ISIS cells attacked with booby-traps the Al-Sinaa Prison in the Ghweran neighborhood in the province of Al-Hasakah in northeastern Syria, after which the cells began attempts to storm the prison to release more than 5,000 ISIS detainees, but the Syrian Democratic Forces and the Internal Security Forces directly intervened to control the situation .

Commenting on this, Ibrahim Al-Qaftan, head of the Future Syria Party, confirmed that the Damascus government and the Turkish occupation support these mercenary groups,"There is no doubt that there is support by the Syrian regime and the Turkish occupation because it adopts them whether be it ISIS, Jabhat al-Nusra, or the rest of the other factions.He said.

He explained with the evidence that "at the time when the rebellion began in Ghweran prison, the bombing began towards Ain Issa and Tal Tamr in the regions of northern and eastern Syria."

He continued, "Therefore, through our platform, the Future Syria Party, we demand the international community to stop this Turkish predator who wants to wreak havoc in the region."

"These planes and artillery bombardment of these areas are linked to the ISIS rebellion in Ghweran prison, and this confirms Turkey's continued support for ISIS."He pointed out.

Al-Qaftan demanded the necessity of prosecuting these mercenaries, saying: For years, we have been calling on the international community to prosecute these mercenaries, and to take their nationals from this region, and there is another treasury for ISIS, which is the al-Hol camp, which includes ISIS families and children who will turn into time bombs in the coming stages in the When their children grew up and were nourished by this thought that believes in killing and not accepting other parties, and this matter is terrifying.

"The countries that have nationals in Ghweran prison and al-Hol camp must take them." He stressed.

The areas occupied by Turkey have become a safe haven for all terrorist forces

Al-Qaftan indicated that the areas occupied by Turkey have become a safe haven for all terrorist forces, and said: "We affirm that Turkey, instead of being a country that seeks stability in the region, is a country that practices terrorism at the international level, and we know its practices in Libya, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Iraq, Syria and many countries that Turkey has begun to export terrorism to it through its mercenaries.

Al-Qaftan explained the reason for the international communitys embrace of Turkey and the failure to put an end to its crimes, noting: The international community still believes in the issue of common interests between it and Turkey. Turkey is part of NATO, and we know that at this stage the policies of the new world order are being drawn up. Turkey for the international community is An important and strategic country, whether it is for the international coalition or Russia, and Turkey is exploiting this issue by swinging towards Russia and sometimes towards America, NATO and Europe, although all countries are aware that Turkey is the cause of this chaos in this region.

Al-Qaftan referred to the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces in eliminating ISIS, and said: Everyone knows that if ISIS had remained, and had not been fought by the Syrian Democratic Forces and the international coalition, it would have spread in the world and expanded to Iraq and to the Gulf countries and the rest of the other countries, and Turkey is the incubating country, but it You must be aware that this thought is a poisonous thought and will not leave any stable and secure country."

The head of the Future Syria Party, Ibrahim Al-Qaftan, concluded his speech by saying: What is required of the peoples of this region is not the issue of making sacrifices, but of believing in the project and negotiating this project with all parties that seek to achieve the demands of our Syrian people, and the peoples of the region as well, and these gains after having made more than 13,000 martyrs in the regions of north and east Syria, and more than 25,000 wounded, and we must preserve the gains made by the martyrs through a conflict that lasted more than 5 years with the forces of terrorism and ISIS.

A

ANHA
After Daraa, Homs, and the Damascus countryside, the Damascus government launched the so-called settlements or reconciliations in Deir ez-Zor as traps to force the people to succumb to the practices it adopted against the Syrian people, since the beginning of the crisis, sow discord among its people.

Wajih of the village of Marat under the control of the forces of the Damascus government, Rawi Darwish, said in a statement to our agency, "The Damascus government, after it was dying, started promoting what it calls settlements or reconciliations. It seeks to gain moral support. But most of the people are deceived and put in prisons.

Al-Darwish continued: "If the Damascus government wants reconciliation with the Syrian people, it should at least take a decision to empty its prisons, as there are many detainees who were arrested unjustly and aggressively because they demanded freedom."

Al-Darwish sent a message to all Syrians not to be deceived by these "reconciliations."

One of the notables of the town of Al-Izbah, Ghazi Abdel Rahman, spoke about the issue, and said that the Damascus government is promoting this period for what it calls settlements, adding, But we take the lesson from its settlements in Daraa and its breach of the covenant for the people of Daraa and its luring of most of the young people whom it has given safety. Damascus has broken its covenant with them, and we learn from this behavior."

He added: "What the Damascus government is promoting in the name of reconciliation and luring people to their villages is a conspiracy, and there is no covenant and charter for these settlements."

Abdul Rahman affirmed their rejection of these settlements, "We never accept these settlements with the Damascus government, because we consider them a trap for the people of Deir ez-Zor."

A

ANHA
Though slower than the breakneck pace that people and businesses snatched up tax credits by making donations to public schools, donors to scholarship organizations hit a $1 million cap in just over two weeks.

In 2021, the state Legislature dramatically increased the amount a person or business could claim in a tax credit by donating money to either public schools or scholarship organizations. The previous limit was $150, now it's $200,000. Lawmakers also capped the amount of credits people could claim at $1 million on the public side and $1 million on the scholarship side for the 2020 tax year. That increases to $2 million the following year, with provisions to increase that by 20% in later years if donations come in at 80% or greater of the limit.

In less than six minutes on Jan. 3, the first day to claim the new credits, 10 public school districts were able to pre-approve 23 donations from 20 people and three businesses. The individuals donated $938,000 and the businesses donated $62,000 to reach the $1 million cap, the revenue department said.

It took until Jan. 19 at about 6:20 p.m. to reach the $1 million limit for scholarship organizations, Tony Zammit, the acting deputy chief legal counsel for the Montana Department of Revenue, told an interim committee of legislators Tuesday.

"There's a tremendous amount of interest in these credits and in taxpayers making donations to public school districts and to student scholarship organizations," Zammit said Tuesday.

In a memo from Jan. 21, Zammit said that seven student scholarship organizations had registered and been approved through the department's donations portal. The organizations include ACE Scholarships, Big Sky Scholarships, Holy Spirit Catholic School, Intermountain Children's Services, Missoula Catholic Schools Foundation, St. Mart's Catholic School, St. Matthew's Catholic School and The Way Christian School.

There were 64 donors who made 69 contributions with an average amount just shy of $14,500. Of those donations, 55 were made by individuals and nine came from businesses.

On the public side, Zammit told lawmakers there were requests for preapprovals of donations totaling more than $1.5 million, showing demand outpaced the cap. That's also likely a low estimate of what was attempted to be donated, Zammit said.

"As we move forward into 2023 and 2024 it's very likely that we will be hitting that 80% threshold," Zammit said. "Where that ends up plateauing out is a little difficult to try and decipher or discern."

Zammit said from the technical side of the process, things went well from the Revenue department's perspective, even with the crush of demand on the public side.

Following an administrate rule adjustment just before the window opened to claim the tax credits, the Revenue department used time stamps to mark when districts submitted preapproval requests for donations.

"The first-come, first-serve timestamp  we went to the 1,000th of a second and that actually came in pretty handy at two different points," Zammit said.

Montana's tax credit program faced intense debate when it was first passed in 2015 by a GOP-majority Legislature. The Democratic governor's administration wrote rules prohibiting students from using a scholarship funded through the program to attend religious private schools. The administration at the time argued if the money went to religious programs, it would violate a no-aid provision in the state Constitution that stops state money from going to religious organizations.

Following a lawsuit from a trio of Montana parents, the case ended up before the U.S. Supreme Court, which sided with the parents. Chief Justice John Roberts, who wrote the 5-4 majority opinion in June 2020, said the state was not required to "subsidize private education" but that if it did "it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious."

When lawmakers this year raised the caps, Democrats raised concerns the donations could be unequally claimed. On the public side, Big Sky Schools received $694,000, or nearly 70% of the total amount of donations preapproved earlier this year.

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Its easy to take homeschooling for granted in 2022. Easy, that is, if you havent been watching the legislative action in Montana over the last 40 years. The opportunities homeschoolers have today are the result of thousands of families joining forces and speaking up, time and again, for the right to choose their childs education.

This National School Choice Week (Jan. 23-29), the uphill climb for homeschooling in Montana is a reminder that expanding choices for our children requires hard work and stick-to-it-tivity.

Just think back 40 years. Nearly 10,000 Montana students identified as homeschooled last school year, but in the early 1980s, school choices were few and far between. Parents like us who wanted to home educate their children faced big legal challenges. This didnt change until 1983, when an extraordinary bill provided an "exemption" from public school enrollment for students attending nonpublic or home schools. Parents from across our state filled the hearings to overflowing, showing support for the flexibility and opportunity afforded by school choice. The Legislature overwhelmingly supported the bill too.

Imagine how the recent pandemic  when the rate of Montana households homeschooling jumped from 8% to 18% in a six-month span  would have hit families even harder if we hadnt stood up for that choice then. Both then and now, when families freedom to choose the best educational fit for their children expands, its worth celebrating. But it also requires commitment for educational freedom to last. Community organizations and regular meet-ups can be invaluable ways for parents to stay invested in preserving and expanding learning opportunities. In fact, thats why other parents and I originally formed the Montana Coalition of Home Educators in 1988.

As a case in point, just a few years after the coalition formed, a bill was introduced that would adversely affect homeschoolers. In response, we worked together to draft a bill spelling out our God-given right to be responsible for the educational philosophy, curriculum, instruction and testing of our children.

What took place in that 1991 session has not been forgotten by those who were there. Our bill (with 48 co-signers, both Democrats and Republicans), passed out of the Senate and into the House. Again, the room was filled with supporters from across the state. Through the hard work and commitment of those willing to speak up for choice, our bill passed in the House, was signed into law with zero changes, and is an important component of Montana homeschooling law today.

The battle for greater educational opportunity continues for Montana families. Encouragingly, in 2021, the door was opened for private and homeschool students to participate in public school extracurricular activities. This bill received support from both sides of the aisle. It represents a growing recognition that families need flexible learning arrangements, and hearkens to a future where hybrid learning opportunities will be more widespread.

These good developments, which recognize that families know their kids learning needs best, dont come from thin air. They require steadfast commitment, like that of the more than 4,000 supporters of homeschooling who showed up in the 2007 session, making it the largest hearing turnout in our states history.

Challenges to parental rights in education remain. Parents, educators and legislators must come together and continue the task of refining education law and policies. We must always appreciate and defend our freedom to be the primary educators for our children. At heart, thats who the battle for school choice is fought for: our children, the next generation.

Steve White is a homeschool father and founding member of the Montana Coalition of Home Educators. He has led the effort to pass positive home education bills in legislative sessions over the past 30-plus years.

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After we read Jerry Bennetts recent guest opinion, Montana DEQ did the right thing on Hecla mining proposal (Helena Independent Record, Dec. 7, 2021), we couldnt help but wonder, right for whom? The Department of Environmental Qualitys decision was certainly not right for community members living on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The Fort Belknap Indian Community is saddled with permanent surface and groundwater pollution due to the actions and inactions of then-vice president of Pegasus, and now CEO of Hecla, Phillips S. Baker, after Pegasus declared bankruptcy and left Montana with some of its worst environmental disasters of all time: Zortman-Landusky, Basin Creek and Beal Mountain.

But then again, Commissioner Bennetts top political donors represent the mining industry, including the Montana mining industry and the out-of-state CEO of one of Heclas subsidiary companies.

The Gianforte DEQs refusal to enforce the Bad Actor law against Hecla and Hecla CEO Phillips Baker may be right for Commissioner Bennett, but its dead wrong for the rest of us.

In support of his claim that Hecla has proven itself to be the kind of company that our local area and state should embrace, Commissioner Bennett paints a rosy picture of Heclas track record, but the facts tell a different story. When Bennett talks of the world-class reclamation of the Troy Mine, he leaves out that prior to Troy Mine operations, Lake Creek had a water quality rating of pristine and uniformly excellent, but is now impaired due to pollution from the mine.

Theres a similar story with the Greens Creek Mine in Alaska. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Hecla has been in constant violation of environmental standards for the past three years, including for violations of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Safe Drinking Water Act.

Heclas still-operational Lucky Friday Mine in Idaho presents the same storyline, with EPA compliance data showing Clean Water Act violations for 10 of the past 13 quarters, including numerous violations of pollution standards for lead and zinc, with eye-popping violations of some standards by 3,380%, 9803%, 11909%, and 42168%. Since 2019, Heclas Lucky Friday Mine has violated the Clean Water Act on over 120 days. That is no anomaly: from 2009 to 2014, Hecla had over 500 violations at Lucky Friday.

Hecla is clearly not on the right path.

Bennett expresses confusion and bewilderment that the state of Montana would want to hold Hecla responsible for the past actions of their CEO. Yet Baker is the president and CEO of Hecla. If Hecla does not take responsibility for the actions of its CEO, what responsibility will it take? If Hecla wont take responsibility for Bakers actions, and if Gov. Gianforte wont require him to take responsibility, will Baker ever take responsibility for his legacy of environmental contamination?

What we find bewildering is that just a few years ago Gov. Gianforte sponsored a bill that successfully prevented mining on 30,000 acres of public land in the Paradise Valley. The Cabinet Mountains are equally spectacular, protected wilderness, and of deep historical and cultural importance to tribal people in Montana. Do not the people in and around the Cabinets deserve the same consideration and protection as the people in the Paradise Valley?

The past and ongoing actions of Hecla and Phillips Baker reveal a notorious past in which corporate greed trumped the protection of communities and the environment. Hard rock mining has only brought pollution, not long-term economic prosperity. Do we want for the Cabinet Mountains the same devastation as in the Silver Valley and Zortman-Landusky, Beal Mountain and Basin Creek? We think not.

Jeffrey Stiffarm is president of the Fort Belknap Indian Community. Kathi Slora and Jim Nash of Noxon represent Cabinet Resource Group. Dave and Debbie Lyman of Heron represent Rock Creek Alliance.

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DECATUR  Charges that Decatur man Darreon A. Page shot and wounded another gunman during a street fight have been dismissed.

Page, 24, had previously pleaded not guilty to committing two counts of aggravated battery involving the discharge of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

The case had been scheduled for a Macon County Circuit Court jury trial Jan. 11 but the state attorneys office told Presiding Judge Thomas Griffith it had to drop the charges, which were then dismissed by the judge.

Commenting on the case Tuesday, Macon County States Attorney Scott Rueter said his prosecutors were left with little choice. The issue was, as is often the case in these cases, the compliance or cooperation of the victim of the offense, Rueter added.

Here, the victim was no longer cooperating with us and was no longer willing to testify and was not providing information that would lead to a successful prosecution.

The charges date to July 17, 2020 when Page was accused of intervening to help a friend involved in the fight at the intersection of North Clinton and East Condit streets. Page was described by Decatur police affidavits as getting involved after his friend had been confronted by another gunman.

Bystanders quoted by police said the other gunman had fired several shots in the air before Page shot back, inflicting life-threatening wounds that the other gunman was able to survive. A 22-year-old woman bystander had also been hit but her injuries were not described as serious.

Detectives arriving at the crime scene had been confronted with an area they described as littered with spent shell casings and spattered with blood and blood trails.

Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid

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New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Cloudy with gusty winds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 90F. Winds SSE at 20 to 30 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy this evening. Scattered thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 73F. Winds SSE at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
The Bristol, Tennessee man charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a deputy last week remained hospitalized Tuesday after authorities said he was found unresponsive Monday at the Sullivan County jail.

Alan Coulter, 54, was found at about 7 p.m. Monday after officers were summoned by inmates to a cell at the jail in Blountville that contained three inmates, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The officers discovered the inmate was unresponsive in a corner of the cell, according to the Sullivan County Sheriffs Office. Officers immediately called for medical assistance, and lifesaving measures began, the SCSO said. Emergency medical services arrived and transported the man to the hospital for treatment.

The TBI said the investigation into the incident continues.

Hours earlier Monday, Coulters case made it to Sullivan County General Sessions Court. He faces two counts of attempted first-degree murder, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of use of a weapon during the commission of a dangerous felony. A judge denied the man bail and set a new hearing for Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. His case has been placed on Judge Teresa Nelsons docket.

Coulter was arrested last Friday following an officer-involved shooting and hourslong standoff in the Hickory Tree section of the county.

Just after 12:30 a.m. Friday, SCSO deputies spotted Coulter, who they knew had active arrest warrants, driving a truck along Hickory Tree Road. The deputies attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but Coulter refused to stop and drove to a property in the 400 block of Riley Hollow Road before abandoning the vehicle and running to an outbuilding, the TBI said Friday.

As deputies approached the structure, Coulter fired a shot through the door, striking one of the deputies, the TBI said. He then barricaded himself inside the building and refused to negotiate with deputies, authorities said.

Over the course of the next few hours, Coulter fired shots at deputies, resulting in deputies returning fire. Just before 9:30 a.m., he was taken into custody.

Coulter was not injured during the standoff, the TBI said. The deputy was taken to the Johnson City Medical Center for treatment of injuries, but he has since been released from the hospital, according to the SCSO.

The TBI continues to investigate Fridays events, as well as what happened to Coulter on Monday.
HICKORY  Catawba Valley Community College and Gaston College have become the first two schools in western North Carolina to become a part of North Carolina State Universitys Community College Collaboration Agreement (C3). The C3 agreement will guarantee students from Gaston College and CVCC admission to NC State if they meet certain requirements. Students can begin applying to the program in fall 2022.

The major milestone became official at a signing ceremony Tuesday afternoon on the Gaston College campus. Signing the agreement were John Hauser, president of Gaston College; Garrett Hinshaw, president of Catawba Valley Community College; Warwick Arden, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs of NC State; Don Hunt, senior vice provost of NC State; and Heather Woodson, vice president for academic affairs of Gaston College.

It is important to us that we work together to improve access to all, and we cannot do it alone, we must do it together, said Hunt. The agreement that were signing today really supports that effort.

Students from Gaston College and CVCC can dual-enroll at NC State and must complete an A.A., A.S. or A.E. degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better to be accepted into NC State through C3. While admission is guaranteed so long as students meet this and the residency requirement, admission into specific majors may be more competitive. While attending Gaston College or CVCC, the students will have access to special services including advising and networking opportunities from NC State. Nearly 1,700 students transfer to NC State each year, and Hauser and Hinshaw are pleased that their students can now have a smooth pathway to this quality education.

This is a significant opportunity for our current and future students, said Hauser. Im proud of the work done by everyone to create this partnership. Im proud of the momentum we continue to build as we create new opportunities for tomorrow's workforce.

This partnership between our community colleges and North Carolina State University will have an amazing impact for the citizens in our region, said Hinshaw. Increased access to affordable and attainable higher education credentials in our area is critically needed to meet the needs of our future workforce.

Both colleges also signed bilateral 2+2 articulation agreements with the Wilson College of Textiles at NC State on Tuesday. CVCC students who graduate with an Associate in Science and meet eligibility requirements would be able to seamlessly transfer into the Bachelor of Science degree in Fashion and Textile Management. Gaston Colleges agreement is for students transferring from the Associate of Applied Science in Textile Technology to the Bachelor of Science in Textile Technology-Undesignated at NC State. The agreements will begin in the fall 2022 semester.

"These community colleges are exceptional in serving their communities, have long-standing textile experience and programs, and are also located in the epicenter of the U.S. textile industry today, said David Hinks, dean of Wilson College of Textiles at NC State University.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

World Dairy Expo is pleased to announce the eight individuals selected to serve as associate judges of Expos 2022 Dairy Cattle Show. Nominated by the official judge and approved by a committee of Expo exhibitors, these individuals bring a global perspective to this world-renowned event. World Dairy Expo returns to Madison, Wisconsin, October 2  7, with the Dairy Cattle Show held in the Coliseum, October 3  7.

The complete slate of individuals who will serve as judges at World Dairy Expo 2022 and the dates of the respective show are as follows:

International Ayrshire Show: Wednesday, October 5 and Thursday, October 6

Official: Chad Ryan, Fond du Lac, Wis.

Associate: Mandy Bue, Freedom, Wis.

International Brown Swiss Show: Tuesday, October 4 and Wednesday, October 5

Official: Gerrit DeBruin, Lake Mills, Wis.

Associate: Hayden Hauschildt, Ellsworth, Wis.

International Guernsey Show: Tuesday, October 4

Official: Phillip Topp, Botkins, Ohio

Associate: Tim Abbott, Enosburg, Vt.

International Holstein Show: Thursday, October 6 and Friday, October 7

Official: Pierre Boulet, Montmagny, Quebec, Canada

Associate: Richard Landry, Ste-Brigitte-des-Saults, Quebec, Canada

International Junior Holstein Show: Monday, October 3

Official: Pat Conroy, Angola, Ind.

Associate: Callum McKinven, Canton de Hatley, Quebec, Canada

International Jersey Show: Monday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 4

Official: Keith Topp, Botkins, Ohio

Associate: Ryan Krohlow, Poynette, Wis.

International Milking Shorthorn Show: Monday, October 3

Official: Joe Sparrow, Worthville, Ky.

Associate: Matt Fry, Chestertown, Md.

International Red & White Show: Wednesday, October 5 and Thursday, October 6

Official: Pat Lundy, Granville, N.Y.

Associate: Gary Jones, Gorey, Country Wexford, Ireland

Serving as the meeting place of the global dairy industry, World Dairy Expo brings together the latest in dairy innovation and the best cattle in North America. The dairy industry will return to Madison, Wisconsin for the 55th event, October 2  7, 2022, when the worlds largest dairy-focused trade show, dairy and forage seminars, a world-class dairy cattle show and more will be on display. Download the World Dairy Expo mobile event app, visit worlddairyexpo.com or follow WDE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn or YouTube for more information.
The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) announced today that resumption of the student ambassador internship program in which students represent Real California Milk internationally. Applications are now open for college students to represent Real California Milk this summer in Mexico.

The interns, selected from students enrolled in agriculture-related programs at colleges and universities throughout the state, will be chosen based on academic achievement, connection to the dairy industry and a willingness to travel abroad and learn more about international dairy sales and marketing as well as a plan to work in the California dairy industry in the future.



Over the six-week period, interns will spend time with Imalinx, the CMAB marketing organization located in Mexico, in order to gain a better understanding of these markets, consumer buying habits and promotional efforts on behalf of Californias dairy industry.

California accounts for more than 33 percent of all U.S. dairy exports, international trade continues to be essential for our continued growth. Over the last decade, the CMAB has worked closely with partners in Mexico to develop markets for California dairy products. This program is focused on providing insight into international dairy marketing for future leaders who will work in the dairy business and one day serve on dairy industry boards and lead industry groups, said Glenn Millar, Director of International Business Development for the CMAB.



The goal of the CMAB International Internship program is to provide agriculture and dairy college students an opportunity to learn about dairy foods and marketing in the international marketplace. The program looks to develop leaders who will serve on dairy industry boards, work in dairy foods production, processing or sales and marketing.

Interested candidates must submit a completed application, essay, and other requirements by Tuesday, February 1, 2022. Additional information is available at:

https://www.californiadairypressroom.com/Press_Kit/California-Milk-Advisory-Board-International-Internship-Criteria-Guidelines-2022



California is the nations leading milk producer, and produces more butter, ice cream and nonfat dry milk than any other state. California is the second-largest producer of cheese and yogurt. California milk and dairy foods can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which certifies they are made with milk from the states dairy farm families.

About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board

The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the states dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMABs programs focus on increasing demand for Californias sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.


The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoards Dairyman.

Keep your priorities straight, take care of those around you, never take anything too seriously and love like crazy.

Josh Meissner and his family will cherish those lessons from his late father, Jerry, who was honored Wednesday night as a champion for the dairy community.

It was a bittersweet moment as the Meissner family accepted the Dairy Business Associations Advocate of the Year award on behalf of Jerry, who passed away last month due to an illness. Jerry was made aware of the award before his passing.



Weve learned so many things from Dad and hes shaped our lives in so many ways, Josh Meissner told an audience that filled a banquet hall at the Monona Terrace during DBAs Dairy Strong conference.

Jerry, who farmed in Clark County, was a founding member and past president of DBA and helped create a sister organization, Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative.

People have always had great respect for Jerry, said Tim Trotter, DBAs chief executive officer. He was a tireless leader and a center of influence in the dairy world.



Jerrys parents started the family farm in the late 1940s. In 1965, after a fire, the family built an 80-stall barn and milking parlor, which was one of the first in Wisconsin. Over several decades, they purchased crop acreage and taught their children the value of owning land.

Working alongside multiple generations became one of the greatest blessings of his life, said Bob Hagenow of Vita Plus, who presented the award. However, his work extended far beyond the end of the farms driveway. Jerry served the community tirelessly, holding leadership positions in dairy, agriculture and beyond.



With the support of his parents, Jerry worked his way into the family farm with his brothers. Each generation continues to be willing to let the next generation step up to the plate, make decisions and run the farm when the time comes, something Josh appreciates about his dad.

I am so very thankful for the work and love that Dad and our family have poured into this business, which will allow generation four to have all the opportunities I did, he said.

Today, Josh Meissner runs Norm-E-Lane just as his father taught him. Milk production happens based on the farms mission statement, which is to produce milk through passionate people, sustainable farming and exceptional animal care. The farm milks 2,500 Holstein cows and raises another 2,000 cows and heifers while also operating 5,000 acres of cropland used for animal feed.



With Dad gone from our world, things will certainly be different, Meissner said. There will be pain, emptiness and some big shoes to fill, within our family and our business. But along with his loss comes memories, appreciation for what he and Mom have built, and a legacy that can only be built upon.
If you have bills that are past due, you might be contacted by a debt collector. But dont be fooled: scammers often impersonate debt collectors to try to convince people that they owe unpaid debts or try to scare or threaten people to collect on non-existent debt. Being contacted by a legitimate debt collector can be stressful on its own  make sure that you look for these signs to help you spot any scam artists.

If youve been contacted by someone about a debt they claim you owe, do some homework to make sure the debt and the collector are real. Get the name of the caller, the name of the collection company, its address, and its phone number. You can verify that this company is licensed by contacting the North Carolina Secretary of State and the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

You should also confirm information that debt collectors are legally required to give you:

 the amount of the debt

 the name of the current creditor

 how to get the name of the original creditor

 how to dispute the debt if you dont think its correct.

A telling sign of a scammer is the usage of threatening or aggressive language. Remember that debt collectors cannot use inappropriate language, call you again and again, or threaten to arrest you or take other actions, such as suspending your drivers license, reporting you to immigration authorities, or calling your employer. If youre being threated, the debt collector is either a scammer or breaking the law. Hang up and report the call to NCDOJs Consumer Protection Division (877-5-NO-SCAM) and the FTC (ftc.gov/complaint).

Do not give out personal information such as your address, Social Security number, or birthdate to anyone who calls you, including someone claiming to be a debt collector. Real debt collectors already have this information.

Previously, debt collectors were only able to call you or send you a letter. Now, they can also contact you via text message, email and social media. But if they contact you on social media, they must follow certain rules. They cannot send you a message that others can see, they must identify themselves as a debt collector, and they have to tell you how you can opt out of social media communications.

If you have any questions about debt collectors, you can learn more at ftc.gov/debtcollection or at https://ncdoj.gov/protecting-consumers/credit-and-debt/debt-collectors/. If you have a complaint or are unsure about a debt collector, call 877-5-NO-SCAM or https://ncdoj.gov/file-a-complaint/.
Ann Street United Methodist Church

335 Ann St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Randy L. Wall. In person and Facebook Live worship at 11 a.m. at Ann Street Church. Sermon: Whats Right with the Church: How We Work. Scripture: I Corinthians 12:4-6, 12-31.

Bethpage United Methodist Church

109 Fellowship Ave. at West C Street, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Gary MacDonald. Christian Education at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. People are encouraged to wear masks and follow social distance protocols during indoor worship. Sermon: The Gift of Love. Scripture: I Corinthians 13: 1-13, 14:1a.

Bogers Chapel United Methodist Church

1775 Flowes Store Road E., Concord. Pastor: Eric Shaver. Weather-permitting, we will be in the sanctuary for those who feel comfortable attending. Mask wearing and maintaining social distance will be mandatory. In-person worship or Facebook at 10 a.m. Sermon: Fundamentals of Being a Christian. Opening reading: Psalm 71: 1-6. Scripture: I Corinthians 13: 1-13. Childrens Singing/Poem Reading: All Things Bright and Beautiful by Cecil Frances Alexander.

Crossroads Church

220 George W. Liles Parkway, Concord. Pastor: Lowell McNaney. Live worship streamed on Facebook, Crossroads Concord Church app or mycrossroads.co website at 9:30 a.m. and 11:11 a.m.

Eastside Missionary Baptist Church

199 Elgin Drive, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Stephen Burrow. In-person services: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. and worship services at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Recorded worship services and other information at EastsideMissionaryBaptist.org. You will be welcomed. Practice social distancing.

Epworth United Methodist Church

1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Bill Roberts. Church has reopened its 10 a.m. worship service for attendance. Epworth UMC continues to follow the appropriate COVID-19 social distancing guidelines as outlined by the governor and the CDC. We welcome you to join us in worship. Sermon: You Are the Body of Christ. Scripture: I Corinthians 12:12-31a.

Forest Hill United Methodist Church

265 Union St. N., Concord. Senior pastor: Rev. Mandy Jones. Associate pastor: Rev. Wes Judy. We are open for in-person worship. Contemporary worship is at 9 a.m. with Sunday school/small groups at 10 a.m. Traditional worship is at 11 a.m. Both the contemporary and the traditional worship services will also be livestreamed at foresthillumc.org or facebook.com/foresthillumc.

Harmony United Methodist Church

101 White St. NW, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Thad Brown. Service is held in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. Masks are not required at this time. Social distancing is requested. Sermon: Prevenient Grace. Scripture: Romans 5:6-8, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 7:14-15. Service is live on Facebook.com/HarmonyUnitedMethodistChurch. For more information, call the pastor at 704-791-2883 or the church at 704-782-8237.

Jackson Park United Methodist Church

715 Mable Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor: Laurie Knoespel. Adult Sunday school is at 9:15 a.m. In-person worship service is at 10:30 a.m. Nursery will be provided during worship service. Replay on Facebook on Monday at 5 p.m.

McGill Baptist Church

5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, in-person services. Pastor: Rev. Steve Ayers. If you have not taken the COVID-19 vaccine, wear a mask. McGill will stream a worship service Sunday at 10 a.m. on www.facebook.com/mcgillbaptistchurch/ and on YouTube. The services will be live and also available on recording afterward. Sermon: Responding to Gracious Words? Scripture: Jeremiah 1:4-10; I Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30.

Midway United Methodist Church

108 Bethpage Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Craig Allen. Come join us on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:30 a.m. for worship. At this time, masks are required and congregants are asked to social distance in the pews as COVID-19 precautions are in place. Our service is also livestreamed on the web at midwayunitedmethodistchurch.org or facebook.com/midwayUMC.

Mount Mitchell United Methodist Church

6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Joel Locklear. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. (adult and children classes) Worship is at 11 a.m. in person or Facebook. Masks are optional and social distancing recommended. If you have not taken the COVID vaccine, wear a mask. Sermon: Love. Scripture: I Corinthians 1-13.

Multiply Church Concord

150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Douglas Witherup. 8:30 a.m. service held at 280 Concord Parkway S., Suite 15, Concord. Services at 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., are worship and sermon at 9:30 a.m. and worship and sermon at 11:15 a.m.

New Gilead Reformed Church

2400 Old Salisbury-Concord Road. 9:40 a.m. is Bible study. Childrens Bible school is at 10 a.m. and at 11 a.m. is inside worship, Facebook worship and drive-in worship at 1600 AM radio.

Oak Grove Baptist Church

200 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. Pastor: Rev. Franklin D. Watkins. 10 a.m.: In-person worship service and Facebook Live. Youth minister: Michael G. Stafford. Sermon: Make Room for New. Scripture: Genesis 8:15-20.

Second Presbyterian Church

1578 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. Assistant minister: Rev. Aaron Price. Worship is at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary and on Facebook Live.

St. Johns Reformed Church

901 N. Main St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Chris King. Sunday school has been temporarily discontinued due to increased COVID numbers in the community. Sunday morning worship in person and online at 10:30 a.m. Adult Bible study  Revelation at 4 p.m. Sunday. Sermon: The Names of God (Part 3)  Jehovah-Shalom. Scripture: Judges 6.

Information for Sermon Topics must be submitted by 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Email your topic to jstamey@independenttribune.com.
GUEST OPINION: There are several reasons why real-time is really taking off, and the rise of event-driven architectures is one of them.

The challenge of doing business in real-time is that it means different things to different people, and the expectation of how quickly things need to occur continues to shift over time.

Everyone understands that latency matters. There's a good understanding generally of the impact that higher ping times have on access to applications and data.

Similarly, organisations understand how data  and faster access to it  can fundamentally change the value proposition they create for customers.

For these organisations, it's no longer sufficient to look at past application usage or purchase patterns as a predictor of future customer behaviour.

Instead, organisations are cognisant they now operate in a "real-time economy," where what matters most is what I  as the user or consumer  am looking at now, combined and enriched with the historical context of my past transactions..

For organisations, it's about making online, not offline, predictions. It's about having the ability to learn and execute while the user is still active and engaged. From a technology perspective, it's the ability to continually learn by updating machine learning models in real-time and incorporating new incoming data.

That's the essence of the real-time challenge that organisations are faced with enabling today.

Time matters

Executing the processing and predictive work while the user is online means that time is always going to be of the essence. More to the point, there's still a lot of 'fuzziness' around how real-time an organisation's capabilities have to be in order to execute on that.

Does it need to occur in seconds, milliseconds, microseconds or nanoseconds?

The short answer is 'yes,' but with a big 'but' as it will largely depend on business SLA. Even within early use cases, such as fraud detection and prevention, personalised offers and gaming, there are differences in what constitutes acceptable, real-time performance.

And that gets to the essence of the challenge around real-time: there's a continuum of options as to the time it takes to execute the process.

Where an organisation starts on that continuum is not an indication of where it'll stay. The goalposts will continually move, and organisations will need to keep pace. Real-time is a journey and may take a few steps to accomplish.

As expectations of what really constitutes real-time shift, it's critical that organisations build real-time applications on a platform that enables them to keep pace with this constant compression of the acceptable time window available for processing and predictive analysis.

It's the only way to ensure they remain real-time and that the applications satisfy the value it creates for the customers.

How we got here

The migration from batch processing and offline behavioural analysis to real-time analysis  while a customer is active online  is a trend that's been a while in the making but is coming of age due to a confluence of factors.

The 'art of the possible' is now orders of magnitude different than it was a decade ago. It wasn't long ago that the recommendation from Netflix was the North Star of what was possible. While the engine is still highly effective  with some reports suggesting it drives 80% of stream time  improvements continue to the engine and its underlying machine learning algorithms.

Yet, other large technology-based organisations have since emerged with engines of their own that significantly advance the state-of-the-art. TikTok is an example of this progression; the data science behind its operations is seen as a key reason for its meteoric rise, and more importantly, why its user base is so obsessive.

What this demonstrates is that the power of the underlying platform is a key factor in the drive to real-time, as well as the ability for more organisations to enable real-time approaches in their operations.

Organisations know data is gold. They understand how data can fundamentally change the value they create for customers and, in turn, change customers' behaviours. However, only a fraction of fresh streaming data is being used today. They also know that the era of real-time is possible because there's now enough compute and storage capacity available to power these ambitions.

Additionally, real-time is made possible by advances on the customers' end as well. Other key enablers for accessing data and services in real-time are the constant march to more powerful edge computing devices, as well as the emergence of powerful, low-latency, highly resilient networks like 5G.

Where real-time goes next

The other reason organisations have gone real-time is because of the emergence of more platform-like solutions to execute this strategic direction.

To enable organisations to build real-time solutions, a set of core capabilities or services are required. These include a way to ingest real-time event and messaging, a way to store and have quick access to the data once ingested, streaming analytics, and real-time machine learning.

The challenge organisations face is that it's still non-trivial to stitch these capabilities together. Not every organisation is the size of a Netflix or TikTok, with the engineering resources to build and continuously improve a real-time application or capability.

That's why application enablement is emerging as a key building block for organisations in this space. To build a real-time business or application, organisations need the support of a modern data platform that has the components and underlying compute to realise their real-time ambitions.
Normally, in this part of the Corn Belt, 2022 corn planting is going to be a half and half rotation. Bean fields last year will be corn fields this year, vice versa, and the total acreage is split equally within a handful of acres.

2022 may be the same for most farmers, but not everyone. And there are several dynamics that are at play.

The first is the cost of fertilizer, which is upwards of a third the cost of corn production, and way out of bounds compared last year thanks to many issues that would totally fill todays issue of the paper. The second is the availability of crop protection products that control weeds, insects, and fungal issues, all of which tend to diminish yield to the point of farming with red ink. Supply chains have broken down to get active ingredients, primarily from China.

In addition to those simple issues, there is great uncertainty about market prices at the end of the year when harvest rolls around. Farmers who are adept at marketing have likely booked most of their expected corn and soybean production at the profitable prices being offered on the futures market as well as the cash market at local elevators and processors.

But there is so much at play in the international market that todays prices for corn and soybeans could look quite different at harvest time. In the past couple of years, farmers have had good pricing opportunities even to sell over the scales during harvest season. And that flies in the face of the supply and demand lessons learned in Ag Econ 101 at college.

But the international grain market is in a major chapter of unpredictability compared to typical times, if there are ever typical times. Our main competitors in supplying corn and beans to the world are Argentina and Brazil. Argentina and southern Brazil have suffered from a La Nina-driven drought that has diminished yields. And those estimates are declining weekly. Central and northern Brazil has had sufficient rain for a good soybean crop, but their second crop of corn is being planted as La Nina is bearing down.

Of course, China has been the major global buyer of corn and soybeans for the past two years from the Western Hemisphere.

Then there is Ukraine. A country that may be in the middle of an international war at any hour, was the primary supplier of corn to China in December and was expected to continue that trend in January and February. Maybe.

China direly needs Ukrainian corn, which is closer and cheaper than U.S. corn or South American corn. And if you want to win at a bet, bet on the fact that Chinese corn buyers are furiously trying to find out from Russia if they can get corn supplied from Ukrainian grain warehouses before any fighting starts. That will be a new dynamic for U.S. farmers to consider in their acreage decisions.

The White House may want to monitor Ukrainian corn exports, to find out what Putin is up to.

Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene. In addition to his weekly column, you can view his From The Farm and Harvest Heritage reports on WCIA 3 News.

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MATTOON  The Coles County Health Department reported 139 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.

The latest numbers bring the total positive cases to 13,858 since the pandemic began in March 2020. The total number of deaths stands at 153.

The health department also reported that only 43.05% of Coles County residents are vaccinated, with 46.91% receiving at least one dose as of Jan. 24.

On Jan. 24, there are 41 COVID patients hospitalized at Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, with 13 patients vaccinated and 28 unvaccinated, including two children under the age of five.

Out of those hospitalized are eight in the critical care unit. Twenty-one others are being monitored under the hospitals COVID@Home program.

The first dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as well as the Johnson & Johnson, are available at the Mattoon Walk-In Clinic, 200 Dettro Drive, and the Charleston Walk-In Clinic, 2040 Lincoln Ave., Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. No appointment is necessary.

Individuals ages 12 and older interested in getting a booster dose may receive a Pfizer booster from either location, with no appointment necessary.

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CHICAGO  Republican candidates for governor Richard Irvin and Jesse Sullivan launched television spots Tuesday that followed the partys election-year strategy of using spikes in violent crime to attack Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzkers leadership.

Irvins ad was unveiled little more than a week after the Aurora mayor entered the GOP primary race, and the day after his campaign reported collecting more than $1.2 million in contributions of $1,000 or more  though none from an expected backer, Ken Griffin, co-founder of the Citadel investment firm and Illinois richest resident.

The spot focuses on a May 31, 2020, protest over the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police that turned violent as rioters among a crowd of about 500 people looted stores and set a series of fires in Auroras downtown.

Irvin is shown at a mayoral news conference saying, Aurora will be ready for you if you come to our community wreaking havoc. We will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. We will not put up with this BS and foolishness. This I guarantee.

An announcer then says, They tried to burn his city down. Richard Irvin took it back. Elect Irvin governor. Well take back our state.

The announcer says Irvin called in the Guard, a reference to the National Guard. But the governor authorizes the use of the National Guard, not individual mayors who can only make a request for a call-up to the states chief executive.

The state Democratic Party issued a statement that sought to link Irvin to former one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner by noting the candidate has yet to speak to reporters since announcing his candidacy.

Clearly, Irvin and the rest of the Rauner Reboot slate think they can avoid accountability for their words as long as they can avoid talking to voters or reporters, the Democratic Party statement said.

Former members of Rauners team are part of the group that has assembled a slate of statewide GOP candidates, headed by Irvin, with the aim of securing the financial support of Griffin in an attempt to match billionaire Pritzkers spending ability.

Griffin was not on an initial list Irvin donors reported Monday but other members of the states Republican business establishment were, including industrialist Craig Duchossois, who was among four $250,000 donors, along with former U.S. Ambassador Ronald Gidwitz and real estate mogul Sam Zell, who gave $100,000 apiece.

Industry reports show Irvin is paying more than $55,000 for one week of advertising on cable TV alone. Pritzker, who has regularly been airing ads featuring his handling of the pandemic and state finances, is spending nearly $80,000 for a week of cable advertising.

Sullivan, a businessman from Petersburg, is spending nearly $90,000 to air his latest commercial on cable TV for two weeks, industry reports show.

In his ad, Sullivan compares Chicago to Afghanistan, where he spent time as a civilian intelligence analyst.

I know corrupt war zones torn apart by violence. But this isnt Afghanistan. This is Chicago. Pritzkers leftist agenda is literally killing us, turning parts of Illinois into a war zone, Sullivan says.

Sullivan released the ad along with what he called his safe streets plan, which includes repealing elements of a new criminal justice law that have yet to take effect yet, such as the elimination of cash bail. Republicans have argued parts of the law have spurred outbreaks of violent crime.

Sullivan has also called for using the National Guard and State Police to help fill police vacancies across the state. He wants to increase pay for county sheriffs, provide better benefits to attract and retain people to law enforcement, and create a position for a statewide anti-violence director.

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For the first time, the United States has been added to the list of backsliding democracies. And majority of young people no longer believe that they will do better than their parents, a key indicator of faith in the American dream.

But history shows that politics change, sometimes beyond expectations. Time and again, politics has changed in unlikely directions, sometimes resulting in heartening new political horizons.

In American politics, long periods of political order and stability are regularly followed by shorter bursts of significant political change. There have been six great political realignments in the history of American politics, and they have typically occurred during major crises such as the Great Depression or the Civil War.

Recognized realignments include the election of Thomas Jefferson in 1800, which reversed a trend of growing national power and higher taxes that had dominated politics since the founding of the nation. Andrew Jacksons election in 1828 led to universal suffrage for white males, increasing the electorate substantially.

Abraham Lincolns victory in 1860 led to the abolition of slavery, and national power again became dominant when the Union prevailed over the Confederacy in the Civil War. Following William McKinleys win in 1896, progressive reforms such as the federal income tax and antitrust laws were instituted to address a growing wealth gap.

Franklin Delano Roosevelts election in 1932 led the national government to regulate the economy, creating a vast web of New Deal programs that established for the first time a social safety net for people devastated by the Great Depression. The funding for many of those programs was slashed and national power was devolved back to state and local governments after Ronald Reagans landslide victory in 1980.

Adjustments in political times recur every 40 years or so in U.S. politics, and it is long overdue. The periods prior to realignment are typically quite politically unstable and politically divisive. For example, mob violence between pro and anti-slavery forces broke out prior to Lincolns election in a series of incidents known as Bleeding Kansas, which has been called a small civil war.

Food riots and labor strife were rising prior to McKinleys election, due to the economic panic of 1893. Hunger marches and makeshift housing called Hoovervilles emerged across the nation, named as a jab at then President Herbert Hoovers inability to address the economic fallout of the Great Depression prior to Franklin Roosevelts election.

Radical politics often become more visible in the mainstream. For instance, in normal times, it would be unusual in mainstream American politics for a Democratic socialist to gain as much traction as Sen. Bernie Sanders did during the 2016 presidential election, gaining over 13 million votes in the Democratic primaries.

Similarly, communist organizing was as strong as it has ever been in the United States during the 1930s and other revolutionary groups gained great visibility in the 1970s.

It is quite possible that the United States is in the midst of a major political realignment. It is true that a majority of Republicans continue to remain loyal to former President Donald Trump, believing that he won the election of 2020. Rep. Liz Cheney and her father, former Vice President Dick Cheney stood alone on the Republican side of the House chamber during recent events commemorating last years attack on the Capitol.

And yet, the evidence suggests that Biden defeated Trump soundly. The one-term Trump presidency yielded few major legislative victories apart from cutting taxes and judicial appointments.

Scholars have called this kind of political failure a disjunctive presidency, to indicate that the coalition supporting a long dominant party is fragmenting, a phenomenon that typically occurs right before a major political realignment.

Political history provides reasons for citizens to hold on through challenging political times. To be sure, it is hard to live through political instability, not knowing what will come next. But the certainty offered by cynicism and pessimism, however comforting in the short term, leads to political dead ends in the long run.

Susan Burgess is a professor of political science at Ohio University.

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Lots of readers have asked SAM where and how to get their free N95 masks.

The masks are being made available by the federal government, and individuals can get up to three masks.

The Forsyth County Departments of Public Health and Social Services have exhausted their supplies, but several national drug store chains, including Walgreens, CVS, and Harris Teeter and Food Lion will have free masks at many of their locations. People are limited to three masks per person.

In an NPR story, a spokesperson said Walgreens should have masks beginning Friday. Other chains have not announced when they will begin distribution.

Here is a list of pharmacies that are taking part in the mask give-away:

Costco

CVS

Harris Teeter and Kroger stores

Publix

Food Lion

Rite Aid

Walgreens

Walmart

Sams Club

Check with your local pharmacy to see if/when they will have masks.

How to wear an N95 maskWash and dry your hands

Make sure the mask isnt dirty or damaged

Making sure the nose bar is at your fingertips, put the mask on

Pull the straps over your head, the top one near the crown, the bottom one near your neck

Press the nose piece down to conform to your nose

Make sure the mask stays snug against your face and that there are no gaps

Replace the mask when the straps are stretched out, it gets dirty or damaged

Do not wash the mask, or place it in an oven or microwave to try and sterilize it

Q: Can you tell us if the bonuses that the City of Winston-Salem gives to employees to get vaccinated are paid for with taxpayer money?

J.W.

Answer: Yes, taxpayer money was used to pay for the bonuses.

Ben Rowe, an assistant city manager for the City of Winston-Salem, explained where the money came from to pay for the bonuses the City of Winston-Salem paid employees to get COVID vaccinations.

The City paid out $1.8 million in vaccination incentives to 1,920 employees in December.

The funding for the incentives was split between the citys health benefits fund ($1.4 million) and the citys allocation of Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (i.e., American Rescue Plan Act) ($400,000).

The ARPA money comes from the federal government and is funded by taxpayers.

Rowe also explained what the citys health benefit fund is and which fund covered which employees.

The City is self-insured, so the premiums that employees pay, along with the Citys contribution, are accounted for in the health benefits fund. Over time, depending on claims costs and other factors, the fund can build up a reserve that the City can use for needs like the vaccination incentive.

The allocation of ARPA funding covered the incentives for employees who became fully vaccinated after the policy went into effect.

The contribution from the health benefits fund covered the incentives for those who were fully vaccinated prior to implementation of the policy.

The city's contribution to the fund comes from taxpayers.

COVID vaccination clinic, N95 mask give-awayWhole Man Ministries, 3916 Old Lexington Road, Winston-Salem, will hold a free COVID vaccination clinic from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The clinic will offer first, second and booster shots for ages 5 and up. COVID testing will be conducted and N95 masks will be given out, while supplies last.

Email: AskSAM@wsjournal.com Write: Ask SAM, 418 N. Marshall St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101

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A Winston-Salem man who fired a handgun close to an officers chest Sunday in a struggle with three police officers is now charged with attempted first-degree murder, District Attorney Jim ONeill of Forsyth County said Wednesday.

Darryl Levon Click, 34, of Carriage Drive is accused of attempting to kill Officer T.P. Fore, ONeill said at a news conference in the Forsyth County Hall of Justice.

Click was being held Wednesday in the Forsyth County Jail with his bond set at $600,000, the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office said.

A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until they are proven guilty, ONeill said, referring to Click.

The district attorneys office reviewed the evidence, including statements by the three police officers, ONeill said. Prosecutors then met with police Detective Aaron Jessup.

We concurred with his assessment that upgrading the charges was appropriate in this case, ONeill said.

ONeill declined to comment specifically on the incident, but he warned people about putting police officers in danger.

You will not assault a police officer, ONeill said. You will not pull a gun on a police officer.

You will not harm a police officer without the weight of this office coming back down on you, ONeill said.

The incident began at 1:32 p.m. when Officer M.A. Evanofski was on routine patrol on South Broad Street when she encountered a vehicle that was partially blocking the entrance to Washington Park, Winston-Salem police said Sunday.

Evanofski believed that the vehicle was disabled, so when she encountered Click sitting in the drivers seat, she offered to help if he was having a problem with his vehicle.

During the conversation with the officer, Click appeared to be intoxicated or impaired in some way, police said. As Evanofski spoke with Click, Click put a marijuana cigarette to his mouth and smoked it in front of the officer.

At that point, Evanofski ordered Click to get out of the vehicle. Police said that Click responded by getting a handgun from the passenger area of the vehicle, and a struggle ensued between Evanofski and Click.

During the struggle, police said, Click tried to point the gun toward the officer, but Evanofski blocked Clicks arm and kept him from pointing the gun directly toward her.

Evanofski then radioed for help.

Officer M.M. Davison responded to Broad Street and joined Evanofski in the physical struggle with Click that occurred inside the vehicle. The two officers knocked the gun away from Click, but Click was able to get the gun back as the struggle continued.

A third police officer, T.P. Fore, was now at the scene and joined the other two officers as they tried to disarm Click and take him into custody, police said.

Thats when Click is accused of firing a single shot from the handgun, police said. The officers body camera footage shows that the discharge occurred within inches of Fores chest.

The officers kept trying to get the gun from Click, and that the suspect tried multiple times to fire the gun again. The gun failed to fire, police said.

The officers were able to forcefully remove the gun from Clicks hands and take him into custody. The police officers were uninjured, but Click was treated at the scene for a minor cut to his mouth.

Click was initially charged with one count of assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer, carrying a concealed gun, felony possession of marijuana and resisting an officer, police said.

During the news conference, ONeill talked about the shortage of police officers, mentioning that three additional officers resigned Wednesday.

ONeill urged the local community to support police officers.

Our officers in law enforcement have been degraded, ONeill said. They have been demoralized on the job.

At the news conference, Police Lt. Gregory Dorn said he will retire in 21 days.

The few that are doing this are passionate about it, Dorn said of the other officers. But its getting hard every day for these officers.

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The COVID-19 community surge has produced another 681 new cases and three additional related deaths in Forsyth County, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Wednesday.

The daily case count has moderated in the 570 to 733 range in recent reports after reaching a pandemic high of 1,318 on Jan. 18.

For the pandemic, Forsyth has had 82,989 cases and 673 related deaths, including 52 so far in January.

Local and state health officials caution that the current rate of COVID-19 related deaths could continue through at least early February.

Forsyth health director Joshua Swift said Tuesday there has been typically a two- to three-week spread between having a surge in cases and an accompanying surge in hospitalizations and deaths.

The vast majority of people hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated, state Health Secretary Kody Kinsley has said.

Meanwhile, DHHS reported 20,286 new cases statewide, compared with 13,017 Tuesday, 18,452 Monday and 24,172 Sunday.

The record-high statewide count stands at 35,759 cases, reported Jan. 14.

North Carolina has recorded 2.32 million cases and 20,440 COVID-related deaths since the pandemic began. The statewide death toll was up 105 from Tuesday.

Forsyth update

Forsyths positive test rate over the past 14 days was at a record 38.2% as of noon Wednesday, while the statewide rate was 33.4%.

With Wednesdays report, Forsyth is averaging 242 cases per 100,000 people over the most recent two-week period. Thats up from 67.6 cases per 100,000 as recently as Dec. 31.

Statewide, 5,090 COVID-19 patients were hospitalized as of noon Wednesday, the highest the number has been since the pandemic began and up 35 since Tuesdays report.

Hospitals in the 17-county Triad region reported a combined 1,152 COVID-19 patients as of Wednesday, down four from the previous report. Cone Health reported having a record 304 COVID-19 patients on Monday.

Of the latest totals, 509 patients are on ventilators, including 115 in the Triad region.

There were 112 children hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide, including 25 in the Triad region.

Swift said Forsyth hospitals have increased from about 50 COVID-19 patients to more than 100 in the past two weeks.

The chief executives of Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Cone Health and Novant Health Inc. are asking people to follow vaccination and testing recommendations and urging the public not to seek COVID-19 testing in emergency departments.

Novants latest public appeal includes ads, including in the Winston-Salem Journal, that read We are not telling ... we are not asking ... we are begging  get vaccinated. Do your part. So we can do ours.

Unvaccinated impact

As of Jan. 15, DHHS reports that more than 76% of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina are unvaccinated. Among ICU patients, more than 86% are unvaccinated.

While we will continue to pull every lever we can to safeguard hospital care, each North Carolinian can do their part by staying up-to-date with COVID-19 vaccinations and wearing a well-fitting mask when around other people as we weather this surge, Kinsley said.

Swift and Dr. David Priest, an infectious diseases expert with Novant, have said the number of COVID-19 cases likely is underreported.

Most at-home test results arent reported to county health officials, and some infected individuals have mild cases and dont seek care, they say.

Priest said that if someone tests positive with an at-home testing kit, they should stay at home for at least five days even if they begin to feel better. If their symptoms worsen during that period, they should seek another test and medical care.

If you have symptoms of COVID, you likely have COVID given the high level of positivity right now, Priest said.

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A legal and regulatory dispute has been resolved involving whether the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services fairly awarded prepaid health-plan contracts for the states Medicaid managed care reform initiative.

Two insurers whose contract bids were denied by DHHS  Aetna Better Health of N.C. Inc. and My Health by Health Providers  voluntarily dismissed their appeal to the N.C. Court of Appeals on Jan. 19, DHHS said.

Cone Health, Novant Health Inc. and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are three of 12 hospital supporters involved with My Health.

The state's Medicaid Managed Care program covers 1.7 million North Carolinians.

At stake were three-year contracts for the insurers that are projected to be worth $6 billion a year. The contracts began July 1. With two optional one-year extensions, a health contract could be worth a total of $30 billion.

DHHS announced in February 2019 that it had chosen physician health plans from Centene (operating as WellCare of N.C.), AmeriHealth Caritas N.C., Blue Cross and Blue Shield of N.C. (operating as Healthy Blue) and UnitedHealth Group.

Aetna and MyHealth have been challenging the legality of DHHS decision-making process. In particular, Aetna claims it should have been chosen over Blue Cross NC.

After a Wake Superior Court judge approved the contract bidding process in February 2021, an appeal to the N.C. Court of Appeals was made by Aetna and MyHealth.

In September, the state appeals court affirmed that DHHS followed proper guidelines in awarding the contracts.

The appeals court determined that the Superior Court ruling was supported by reason and was not arbitrary.

The Superior Court clearly determined Aetna had accused the opposing parties of procedural gamesmanship, rather than acknowledging a procedural mistake during service and asking the court to excuse that mistake for good cause shown.

Aetna had not demonstrated good cause for the court to extend the otherwise mandatory deadline.

At that time, My Health said in a statement that the appeals courts decision "did not in any way touch" its separate appeal.

Dave Richard, the state's deputy secretary for Medicaid, said in a statement that "we are pleased at this outcome and believe it affirms the integrity and fairness of the departments procurement process."

Background

A key selling point for the Medicaid transformation initiative is focusing on a patients overall health for those experiencing mental health, substance abuse and developmental disability issues.

Five years worth of often-controversial public health and legislative debate culminated July 3, 2020, when Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper signed Republican-sponsored legislation that provided pivotal start-up funds.

Managed care is a system under which people agree to see only certain doctors or go to certain hospitals, as in a health maintenance organization, or HMO, or a preferred provider organization, or PPO, health-insurance plan.

Under the current Medicaid system, providers are paid on a fee-for-service model administered by DHHS.

By contrast, the physician plans will pay health care providers a set amount per month for each patients costs. There will be a limited number of special-needs individuals who will remain with fee-for-service providers.

DHHS reimburses the physician plans.

Blue Cross has said it plans to create 500 jobs for its portion of the transformation.

Centene has committed to creating an East Coast regional headquarters and technology hub in Charlotte with an estimated 6,000 jobs and $1.03 billion capital investment.

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No joy

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy must go. The man who got him the job as postmaster general was emphatically fired by the American people. The USPS board of governors, if they have any courage and integrity, should pick up the phone, call him and tell him, Youre fired! Hes done everything that a postmaster general should not do, to try to dismantle the United States Postal Service.

Under his management, the USPS has seriously declined, not because of a lack of pride or effort on the part of postal employees, but because of the intentionally stupid policies DeJoy instituted almost immediately after his appointment. Those policies surely had nothing to do with his investments in companies that compete with the USPS, did they?

I write this letter out of pure frustration with the slowdown of mail service since DeJoy became postmaster general. We sent a check through the mail on Jan. 3. As of today, Jan. 24, the check has not been delivered to the addressee. I had to put a stop payment on the check and make a payment by phone for more than twice the amount of the original check, to protect my credit rating.

The postmaster has taken de joy I previously felt for the reliable service we once received from the USPS.

George A. Bedsworth

Winston-Salem

A warning to us

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was a Russian historian, philosopher and a Nobel Prize-winning author. He was also a political prisoner and a Soviet dissident.

A vocal opponent of communism, he exposed the brutal prison system of the former Soviet Union.

In 1945, Solzhenitsyn was arrested for criticizing Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in a private letter to a friend. He was sentenced to eight years in the gulag prison system and several years in internal exile.

He later wrote about his years of imprisonment in his best-selling expose, The Gulag Archipelago. He also issued a warning to us today: If we dont know our own history, then we simply will have to endure all of the same mistakes, all of the same absurdities over again  ten times.

Today, Marxist political philosophy is being promoted in the form of critical race theory. Its chief spokesman, Ibram X. Kendi, claims that we have distorted American history with regard to race relations.

He says we must not whitewash history. On this point we agree, whether it is American history or Russian.

Bruce Bedinger

Winston-Salem

Opposing antisemitism

In the Jan. 22 guest column North Carolinians must hold Unilever accountable, J.B. Whitfield is absolutely correct that we must stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish community in opposing antisemitism. Whether it is graffiti in Wrightsville Beach or hostages in a Texas synagogue, it is wrong and cannot be tolerated.

Whitfield goes on to label a licensing decision by Ben and Jerrys ice cream company as an antisemitic backdoor effort because it involved stopping sales to certain Israelis. What the article does not say is that the certain Israelis are those living in the settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Settlements are built on land owned and occupied by Palestinians for centuries. The settlements and the restricted roads connecting them with Israel make local travel for Palestinians difficult and sometimes cut them off from their own olive groves. Settlements are a major impediment to peace in the region. One may or may not agree with Unilevers decision, but to equate it with acts of antisemitism weve seen in the U.S. just doesnt make sense to me.

In my opinion, the moral high ground must include a stand against antisemitism. It must include honesty and mutual respect among those who disagree. If there are lies and half-truths by Unilever or anyone else, lets call them out, including the half-truth about who the certain Israelis are. Above all it must include a stand for justice, security and well-being for all the people living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River.

Robert Sawyer

Winston-Salem
Another large affordable housing project is planned for southwest Lincoln.

Hoppe Development has filed plans with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department for a development at West Pioneers Boulevard and South Folsom Road that could eventually have about 650 housing units, about a quarter of which would be reserved for low-income residents.

According to the plans, which were filed last month, Hoppe Development, through a subsidiary called SOFO Housing LLC, is seeking to annex and rezone about 47 acres, 41 of which it owns or plans to buy from Hope Reformed Church, which is located at the site. The other six acres are owned by and are the home of Hope Reformed Church.

According to its application, SOFO Housing plans to develop the site in two phases. The first phase would include about 170 row house-style town homes, 27 single-family homes and 144 apartments. The second phase would include another 74 row houses, 23 single-family homes and another 144 apartments.

Approximately 170 units would be built using low-income tax credits, meaning they would be rent-restricted and available only to people meeting income qualifications. A large portion of the other units, including about 30 of the single-family homes that would be for sale, would be targeted as workforce housing, which is a label for housing that is considered affordable for people making close to the area's median income.

Plans also show a small area of commercial development, that would ideally include a neighborhood convenience store and coffee shop.

Jake Hoppe, a principal with Hoppe Development, said the housing development, to be called Foxtail Meadows, will use "much of what we know about best practices of incorporating affordable housing in high-opportunity neighborhoods: we are entitling the groundwork for a mixed-income neighborhood of 40-plus acres, and mixing market rate ownership and rental opportunities with income-restricted ownership and rental opportunities, all supported with a common set of open space, amenities, and commercial space."

Hoppe said Hope Reformed Church, which will be pretty much surrounded by the development, collaborated in the design of what will be a "cohesive neighborhood on the entirety of the site."

Matt Osmond, chairman of Hope Reformed's deacon board, said the church is "looking forward to the development and being part of this future that is Foxtail Meadows."

"When we purchased the land several years ago, it was our hope that we would eventually be part of a community and surrounded by people, giving us the opportunity to live out our mission beyond where we are today," Osmond said in an email.

He said Hoppe Development involved the church from the very beginning of the project and has been great about listening to feedback, understanding its needs and incorporating suggestions.

"We feel lucky to be working with them on this project," Osmond said.

Hoppe Development plans to make initial applications for funding in the spring and hopes to start infrastructure and public improvements this spring and summer and then start construction of new units in the fall, Hoppe said.

The development will not be able to access any of the $6 million in affordable housing revolving loan funds announced last month because it is not located in a qualifying Census tract, but Hoppe said the company is working closely with the city on how to utilize resources to support the development, and may be able to participate in other nonprofit partnerships.

The project, which is tentatively scheduled for a hearing in front of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Commission on Feb. 2, is the second affordable housing project to be proposed in the area.

The Lincoln Housing Authority has announced plans for a development with 104 apartments and 24 town homes at West Old Cheney Road and South Folsom Street, about a mile to the south.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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Please see individual websites for your church, cathedral, temple or mosque events and services.

CONCERT

Bell-issimo bell concert at Saint Paul United Methodist Church  12:10 p.m. Feb. 4. A 16-member ensemble of bell ringers, from twelve Lincoln churches, will be performing, under the leadership of Nancy Youngman. Bell-issimo inspires and promotes the distinctive beauty and uniqueness of hand bell ringing. Free concert,

Online Fundraiser

PCAN fundraiser for kids diagnosed with cancer at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church  Previously a pancake fundraiser, this year the PCAN fundraising event is going online to benefit and raise awareness and funds for supporting local families who have a child diagnosed with cancer. The event will be online because COVID-19 continues to be a concern, and the children whose health is compromised from cancer need to be protected. Please donate at pcanaction.org or mail donations to: PCAN, P.O. Box 22992, Lincoln, NE 68542.

IN-PERSON EVENTS

PLEASE CALL AHEAD OR SEE WEBSITE BEFORE ATTENDING EVENTS. If you have an event or your facility is reopening, contact: abukoske@journalstar.com.

Adult Bible Studies at First Lutheran Church in-person and Zoom  5:45 p.m. Tuesdays; 10:45 a.m. Wednesdays. The Tuesday group is studying the Gospel of Luke and the Wednesday group is studying the book of Proverbs. Join anytime, 1551 S. 70th St. More information: pastorerin@flclincoln.org.

AWANA at Faith Bible Church  6:30-8 p.m. Wednesdays. Designed for 3rd-5th graders. Through lessons, games, music and Bible verse memorization, AWANA aims to reach boys and girls with the gospel of Christ, 6201 S. 84th St. More information: Faithbiblelincoln.org/events.

Barnabas  9-10 a.m. (Saturdays), free grab-and-go breakfast; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. free shopping in the store, 931 Saunders Ave.

Barnabas  1-3 p.m. (Tuesdays), free shopping in the store.

Barnabas  3-5 p.m. (Thursdays), free shopping in the store; 5:40 p.m. livestreamed worship service; 6-7 p.m. free grab-and-go meals.

Book Discussion: First Presbyterian Church group at the Eatery  6-8 p.m. Jan. 26. Surprised by Scripture: Engaging Contemporary Issues by N.T. Wright. Each week group members will share in fellowship, eat and discuss the current book, 2548 S. 48th St. Register: fpclincoln.org/event/short-stories.

Brock's Boutique event  8 a.m.-noon, Feb. 5. Lots of free clothing for kids and adults, everything is free, in memory of Debbie Boltz's son. Please call Debbie Boltz at 402-430-7569 if you want to donate items or volunteer, or just show up with your donations, Havelock Christian Church, 6520 Colfax Ave.

Celebrating Trees  9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. In-person; 10:30 a.m. livestream. Jan. 30. First-Plymouth Church is celebrating trees and the role they play in God's creation an dour responsibilities to tend to them during tree sabbath services, 2000 D St. More information: Firstplymouth.org.

Choir rehearsal at Lincoln Lutheran  3-5 p.m. Jan. 30. The choir meets weekly with new choir director Jon Marquez leading up to a May 1 concert. All are welcome to join the choir, free event, 23rd and Washington streets.

Coffeehouse Church  6:30-8 p.m. (Wednesdays). Mid-week inspiring service, sharing coffee, a song, poems or a wholesome joke, 1941 N. 68th St. Unitylincoln.org.

Depression support group at St. Mark's  7-8:30 p.m. (Thursdays). Open to anyone on a come-as-you-can basis. Meet in the lower Fellowship Hall, free to attend, 8550 Pioneers Blvd. Stmarks.org/calendar.

Faith to Forest climate series via Zoom  7-8 p.m. Feb. 3, wrap up the series with Lincoln City Libraries Director Pat Leach and State Climatologist Martha Shulski discussing the Faith to Forest community-read book, "The Future We Choose, A Stubborn Optimists Guide to Climate Change"; no registration. More information and Zoom link: Firstplymouth.org/catforest.

FoodNet at Seward United Methodist Church  5-6 p.m. (Thursdays). Offering free produce, boxed and canned items. Anyone in need can drive through the parking lot and pick up boxes of food, please stay in your car, 1400 N. Fifth St., Seward.

FoodNet at SouthPointe Christian Church  5:30 p.m. (Wednesdays). Anyone in need is welcome, also volunteers are welcome to help serve, 7010 Helen Witt Drive.

Friday Night Live at South Street Temple  6:30 p.m. Fridays. Kabbalat Shabbat service, including monthly live music from the Star City Kochavim Temple Band. The band will accompany the regular service with a Klezmer Eastern European Jewish sound. The music and prayers flow from one to the next, connected together with traditional stories and lessons, making the Shabbat service a lively sermon in song, 2061 S. 20th St. More information: Southstreettemple.org.

Friends Book Club: Unity Lincoln  6 p.m. (Tuesdays). "The Time is Now," by Sister Joan Chittister, 1941 N. 68th St., UnityLincoln.org. Please call ahead, 402-476-6887.

Grief Support Group at St. Mark's Church  1-2:30 p.m. Saturdays. This is a safe place to share with others who are experiencing similar issues, feelings and to learn the tools for effectively navigating the grief process. All are welcome, Vermeer Education Center, 8550 Pioneers Blvd.

"Release and Restored" presented by Pastor Ruth Karlsson at Havelock United Methodist Church  10 a.m., Jan. 30 worship service. Pastor Ruth will address the issue of prison overcrowding and preparing individuals for their moral, ethical and productive return to communities after release from prison, 4140 N. 60th St.

Meals for those in need at First Baptist Church  Noon-1 p.m. Saturdays. Anyone in need is welcome to get a grab-and-go sack lunch. Please enter the church through at K street, 1340 K St.

Marian Mantle Silent Strength Prayer group  4-5 p.m. Meets on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month; this month meets Jan. 25. Remaining meeting schedule: Feb. 8 and Feb. 22; March 8 and March 22; April 12 and April 26; May 10 and the May 24; June 14 and June 28; July 12 and 26. The group will pray for the return of the prodigal children to the Church and meets at Rectors Hall, Cathedral of the Risen Christ, 3500 Sheridan Blvd. More information: contact Kathy at 402-423-3810 or kneugeb@gmail.com.

Postcards from Lincoln: History of Lincoln Speaker Series  7-8 p.m. Series schedule: Feb 7, "Lincoln in Black & White: the photographs of African-American photographer John Johnson," speaker is Ed Zimmer; Feb. 21, Lincolns Parking Lots and What They Displaced," speaker is Jim McKee; March 7, The Poet, the Publisher and the Talk Show Host: John G. Neihardt, Virginia Faulkner and Dick Cavett," speaker is Ron Hull; March 21, Saint Paul and the Churches of Lincoln," speakers are Ed Zimmer and Jim McKee, Saint Paul United Methodist Church sanctuary, 1144 M St.

Spiritual Gifts class  9:15 a.m. Sundays at First Baptist Church, 1340 K St. More information: 402-477-4198 or Fbclincoln.org.

True Strength with REFIT fitness class at Faith Bible Church  9:30-10:30 a.m. (Fridays); also 6:30-7:30 p.m. (Tuesdays). Fitness class that combines positive music with movements for the body, soul and spirit. True Strength brings together various fitness levels, shapes, sizes and ages. You are invited to dance, share in devotion and build relationships, strengthening yourself and your body with the Lord, Fellowship Hall, 6201 S. 84th St. More details: email Elisabeth at truestrengthwithrefit@gmail.com or call 402-484-6020.

Walk for Life beginning at Trinity Lutheran Church  Jan. 29. 8:45 a.m. Program begins at 724 S. 12th St.; 9:30 a.m. Walk to State Capitol; 10 a.m. Speakers at Capitol, 1445 K St.. More information and register: lcms-onm.org/need/detail/?need_id=641270

LIVESTREAMED BIBLE STUDY, CLASSES AND EVENTS

Book video series: St. David's Episcopal Church via Zoom  6:30 p.m. (Wednesdays). Interactive Bible study, discussion of a variety of books, followed by a healing service. Stdavids.episcopal-ne.org, click on the Zoom address to join the study.

GriefShare at Sheridan Lutheran Church, online support group  6-8 p.m. Register: Griefshare.org/groups/132575.

Metaphysics class  9 a.m. (Sundays). Facebook.com/UnityLincoln.

Living the Questions class: "Taking the Bible Seriously" via Zoom  7 p.m. (Mondays). The next class is Jan. 24. People know that at its core, Christianity has something good to offer the human race. At the same time, many have a sense that they are alone in being a thinking Christian. Enjoy a safe environment to ask questions. Zoom link and sign-up: fpclincoln.org/groups/ltqgroup.

Trivia night with First Presbyterian Church via Zoom  6 p.m. Next trivia is Feb. 20. Each third Sunday, play as an individual, family or team, prizes given. Each round has seven themed questions. You will need a computer, phone or tablet. You can join a Zoom link or call in on your phone. To register for Zoom link: us02web.zoom.us/j/83625239901?pwd=WHdLTVdJMEdOTEp6TUk5aG04VEsxZz09; password: 510203. To join by phone: 1-312-626-6799; meeting ID: 836 2523 9901; passcode: 510203. More details: fpclincoln.org/event/trivia-night.

Unity Cafe online discussion  6:30 p.m. (Wednesdays). Interactive discussion led by the Revs. Toni and Evan, based on spirituality dealing with a variety of current topics. Facebook.com/UnityLincoln.

Wednesday Night Live Family Night at First-Plymouth  5 p.m. through April 27. EZ Meals by Chef au Chef. Individually packed to-go meals, freewill donations accepted; 5:30 p.m. Kids and youth choir rehearsal and confirmation for 8th grade; 6 p.m. Mid-week groups including: First-Plymouth Littles, birth-age 5; First-Plymouth Kids Studio, grades K-5; middle school, grades 6-8; and high school, grades 9-12. Adult program this week is "Justice 101" with the Rev. Juan Carlos Huertas, Pilgrim Hall; 7:15 p.m. Adult Choir rehearsal, 2000 D St. Firstplymouth.org.

Please see all in-person and virtual worship services listed online at Journalstar.com, search: Religion Notes. Also view on individual church websites.

IN-PERSON WORSHIP SERVICES

Aldersgate Church  8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Worship in-person; livestream available. 8320 S. St. Aldersgatelinc.org.

Calvary Community Church  9 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Worship services are also available online, 4400 N. First St. Calvarylincoln.online.church. Mycalvary.org/services.

Christ Lincoln  8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m. (Sundays). Traditional worship service in the Sanctuary, 4325 Sumner St.; 9:30 and 11 a.m., "211 worship" multi-sensory service, 4325 Sumner St.; 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., 6700 Chatsworth Lane (Yankee Hill), "211 worship" multi-sensory service; (Mondays), 7 p.m. traditional worship service in the Sanctuary. Livestreamed worship: Christlincoln.org.

Christ Place Church  (Sundays) One church, multiple locations offering a variety of services. Please see website for a complete listing of worship services and times. Christplace.church/inperson.

Christ United Methodist Church  11 a.m. (Sundays) in-person worship service is beginning, in the sanctuary, must RSVP to attend, 4530 A St. Christumclinc.org. RSVP: rsvp.church/r/ZGLeP87U.

Church of the Holy Trinity (Episcopal)  8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Father Clay Lein leads the worship services, 6001 A St. Holytrinitylincoln.com.

College View Church of Seventh-day Adventists  9:15 a.m. and noon (Saturdays) in the Sanctuary, 4801 Prescott Ave. Livestreamed on Facebook and Collegeviewchurch.org.

CrossBridge Christian Church  10 a.m. (Sundays), worship service, 2800 Crossbridge Place. Crossbridgelincoln.org or Facebook.com/CrossBridgeLincoln.

Elevate Church  9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. Worship service (Sundays). Children's Church is available only during the 11 a.m. service, 8251 Pioneers Blvd. Elevatelincoln.com.

Epic Church  10 a.m. (Sundays), 6601 S. 70th St. Eclincoln.com.

Faith Bible Church  8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays), enter and exit through the front doors only, services are in the Worship Center; 9 a.m. services are in Fellowship Hall, enter and exit through the south doors only; Children's Ministry and nursery available during the 10:30 a.m. hour. Services are also livestreamed: Faithbiblelincoln.org.

First Christian Church  10:15 a.m. doors open (Sundays), enter on the west side of building; 10:30 a.m. worship begins, masks are required, 430 S. 16th St. Fcclincoln.org.

First Evangelical Covenant Church  11:30 a.m. (Sundays). In-person worship service, introducing Pastor John Leonard Harris and wife Charlene, 6024 L St. Kingdomoutreach.webs.com.

First Evangelical Free Church  9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Adults and youth can show up for church, 3280 S. 84th St. Must register kids at Firstfreelincoln.org.

First Lutheran Church in person and online  5:30 p.m. (Saturdays); 8:15 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. (Sundays). Must register at Flclincoln.org for any service you want to attend, 1551 S. 70th St.

First-Plymouth  5:30 p.m. (Saturdays); 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 11:59 a.m. (Sundays). In-person service limited to 150 people, must register for services. Masks and social distancing. Online services 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., 2000 D St. Register: Firstplymouth.org.

First Presbyterian  8:30 a.m. (Sundays) In-person worship and Communion services in the Great Hall and online; 10 a.m. worship service in-person in the Sanctuary and watch on Facebook online, masks required, 840 S. 17th St. Firstpresbyterian.org. Instructions for Zoom online Communion services: go to fpclincoln.org/worship-feed or fpclincoln.org/zoom-communion, password is 137049. Call-in live worship services: call anytime 402-200-4940 to listen to the previous Sunday worship service. 7:15 p.m. (Wednesdays), online evening prayer service, scripture and reflection, facebook.com/fpclincoln. All online worship information: fpclincoln.org/Worship-Feed.

Friedens Lutheran  8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays) English services; 1-2:30 p.m. (Sundays) Karen language services; 5-7:30 p.m. (Saturdays and Sundays) Spanish services, 540 D St. Facebook: Search Friedens Lutheran. Friedens.org.

Havelock Christian Church  10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Drive-in style service in the parking lot. Bring your own Communion elements or use pre-packaged elements available, 6520 Colfax Ave. Havelockcc.org.

Horizons Community Church  9 a.m. (Sundays); 10:45 a.m. services beginning May 2, 45-minute service, including live music and teaching, kids are always welcome to worship with their families, must wear a mask, 3 years and up. Kids can join in Discovery Zone or Fusion for kids at the same time of the regular worship service. Must register online for all services, 3200 Grainger Parkway. Register: Horizons.church/experience.

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church  8 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. (Sundays). In-person worship services with communion, 2001 S. 11th St. Immanuellincolnlcms.com.

Indian Hills Community Church  10 a.m. and 6 p.m. (Sundays), 1000 S. 84th St. Livestreamed: Facebook.com/IndianHillsCommunityChurch.

Lincoln Berean Church  7 p.m. (Saturdays); 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Sundays), 6400 S. 70th St. Lincolnberean.org or Facebook.com/lincolnberean.

Mercy City Church  8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (Sundays). Services include live music and teaching. Must register for worship on your Mercy City phone app or rsvp.church/r/1uLDpO1l. City Kids ministry is available for all ages, must register: mercycity.church/city-kids. Mercycity.church.

Mount Zion Baptist Church  10:30 a.m. worship (Sundays), 3301 N. 56th St. Mountzionlincoln.org.

Northeast United Church of Christ  10:30 a.m. (Sundays). In-person worship service, 6200 Adams St.; also virtual worship: northeastucc.com and Facebook.com/northeastucc; 9:30 a.m. Zoom fellowship hour. Please call the church for an invitation at 402-466-0696 or email nucc@inebraska.com.

Sheridan Lutheran Church  8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Sundays). 6 p.m. (Wednesdays), wear a mask, 6955 Old Cheney Road. Sheridanlutheran.org.

Southview Baptist Church  9:30 a.m. (Sundays), 3434 S. 13th St. In-person and livestreamed. Southviewbaptist.org.

Southwood Lutheran Church  8:30 a.m., 9:45 a.m. and 11 a.m. (Sundays) In-person worship offered, 4301 Wilderness Hills Blvd. Online worship available at: Southwoodlutheran.org/worship.

Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church  8:30 a.m. in person; 9 a.m. in person and livestream; 11 a.m. in person and parking lot (Sundays). Register for all service options at: rsvp.church/r/iG6aFLHZ, 5901 NW 1st St. Spiritofhopelincoln.org.

Saints Simon and Jude Eastern Orthodox Church  11 a.m. (Sundays). English-speaking, open-minded, in the canonical tradition of Eastern Orthodoxy, 450 E St. SaintsSimonandJude.org.

St. Luke United Methodist Church  5:30 p.m. (Saturdays); 10:30 a.m. (Sundays), limited to 20 people. Must register to attend at: stlukelincoln.org/worship-registration, 1621 Superior St. Livestreamed worship on Youtube.com/channel/UCT3UBj21wfRJKUA_DdUkbNQ. Stlukelincoln.org.

St. Mark's United Methodist Church  5 p.m. (Saturdays) in-person service, Bliss Chapel; 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays) in-person services in the sanctuary, 8550 Pioneers Blvd. Livestream services are available. Stmarks.org/live-stream.

Trinity United Methodist Church  9 and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Worship in-person or watch the livestream service, via website or Facebook, 7130 Kentwell Lane. Livestream: trinitylincoln.org/worship-online.

Unity Lincoln  10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Limit is six people, please call ahead to register for worship service at 402-476-6887, leave a message with your phone number, 1941 N. 68th St. Unitylincoln.org.

Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)  9:30 a.m. (Sundays) in-person worship. Must register for any in-person service at westminsterlincoln.eventbrite.com and please enter through the East parking lot doors, 2110 Sheridan Blvd.; Also worship virtually at westminsterlincoln.org/youtube-videos. Westiminsterlincoln.org.

IN-PERSON WORSHIP SERVICES AT CATHOLIC PARISHES

All parishes currently utilize social distancing and wearing masks.

* Cristo Rey  Cristoreylincoln.com. Livestreamed: Facebook, search Parroquia de Cristo Rey Lincoln.

* Immaculate Heart of Mary  Lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/729-immaculate-heart-of-mary-lincoln.

* North American Martyrs  Namartyrs.org.

* Sacred Heart  Sacredheartlincoln.org.

* St. Francis of Assisi  Stfrancislincoln.org.

* St. George Byzantine-Ukraine Rite  Lincolndiocese.org/directory/parishes/734-st-george-byzantine-ukrainian-rite-lincoln.

* St. Peter's Catholic Parish  9:30 a.m. (Sundays). Saintpeterslincoln.com.

* St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center  Huskercatholic.com.

LIVESTREAMED AND ONLINE WORSHIP SERVICES

* American Lutheran Church  9:30 a.m. (Sundays). Alclincoln.com. View worship on facebook.com/groups/2377189895 and check on YouTube for services.

* Antelope Park Church of the Brethren  10:15-11:15 a.m. (Sundays). Youtube.com/channel/UC0EtGzdojiBIClTJjkvF2MQ.

* Barnabas worship service  5:40 p.m. (Thursdays). Facebook.com/barnabascmtylnk.

* Bennet Community Church  10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Worship service conference call. Dial 425-436-6321, enter access code 871648#. Bennetcommunitychurch.org or Facebook.com/groups/117246951634760.

* Calvary Community Church  9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Mycalvary.org.

* Citylight South Church  9 a.m. (Sundays). Citylightsouth.church/live.

* ConnectioN Point Church  8:30, 9:45 and 11 a.m. worship services, view on: Facebook.com/christumclinc. Connection Point Church is affiliated with Christ United Methodist Church, 4530 A St. Connectionpointlnk.org.

* Contemplate Lincoln Church  4 p.m. (Sundays). Interactive worship, contemplative, silent prayer and meditation. Contemplatelincoln.org.

* Faith Lutheran Church  To view all videos, go to youtube.com/channel/UC_nG2R7cNLPoWiNiInieK_A.

* First Baptist Church of Lincoln  Online worship only: Fbclincoln.org.

* First Lutheran Church  8:15 a.m. (Sundays). Tune in to livestreamed worship services. Flclincoln.org.

* First-Plymouth Church  9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Livestreamed: Featuring Dr. Jim Keck, also including live music; 6:15 p.m. (Wednesdays) Mid-week worship for all ages, Pastor Patrick Messer, music by Will Hutchinson and prayer. Firstplymouth.org/live or Youtube.com/channel/UCXfP1zqh8-8Pnw--uiKPuNg or Facebook.com/FirstPlymouthChurch.

* First United Methodist Church  10:45 a.m. (Sundays) livestreamed: Firstumclincoln.org.

* Good Shepherd Lutheran Church  8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays), 6:30 p.m. (Wednesdays). Goodshepherdlincoln.org.

* Grace Lutheran  Egrace.org or Facebook.com/Live-Worship.

* Heritage Presbyterian  Heritagepres.org.

* Hope Community Church  10 a.m. (Sundays). Hopechurchlincoln.org.

* Horizon Community Church  9 a.m. Online worship service. Horizons.church or Facebook.com/HorizonsCommunityChurch.

* Indian Hills Community Church  10 a.m. (Sundays), Ihcc.org.

* Messiah Lutheran Church  9:30 a.m. (Sundays), Messiah.us.

* Mt. Olive Lutheran Church  Mtolivewels.org/page/sermons.

* Northeast Missionary Church  Northeastmissionary.org.

* Order of the Red Grail Church  Orderoftheredgrail.org.

* Peace Lutheran (Waverly)  Peacewaverly.org.

* Piedmont Park Seventh-day Adventist Church  9:30 a.m. Sabbath school; 11 a.m. worship service (Saturdays), masks and social distancing, 4801 A St. Piedmontparksda.org.

* Redeemer Lutheran worship services  8:30 a.m. (Sundays). View the livestream on: Redeemerlincoln.org.

* Second Church of Christ Scientist  10 a.m. (Sundays), via Zoom. Call 402-488-1255 or email info@christiansciencelincolnne.com to get an invitation for Zoom worship. ChristianScienceLincolnNE.com.

* Sheridan Lutheran Church  9:45 a.m. (Sundays) and 6 p.m. (Wednesdays) are livestreamed: sheridanlutheran.org/watch-online or facebook.com/sheridanluthlnk/live.

* South Street Temple  6:30 p.m. services (Fridays), 9:30 a.m. services (Saturdays). Southstreettemple.org/worship/streaming. 402-435-8004 or office@southstreettemple.org.

* Southern Heights Presbyterian Church  Southernheights.org.

* Southview Christian Church  10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Southviewchristian.church/online-worship.

* St. Luke United Methodist Church  Stlukelincoln.org.

* St. Mark's on the Campus Episcopal Church  10:30 a.m. stmarks-episcopal.org.

* St. Paul United Methodist Church  9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Sundays). Online worship and archives available for viewing. Saintpaulumc.org.

* Unitarian Church of Lincoln  10 a.m. (Sundays), virtual worship services. Youtube.com/channel/UCbQ6y1CmHO9tg6aAmluXlKQ.

Westminster Presbyterian Church (PCUSA)  Worship virtually any time at westminsterlincoln.org/youtube-videos; Also 9:30 a.m. (Sundays) in-person worship. Must register for any in-person service at westminsterlincoln.eventbrite.com and please enter through the East parking lot doors, 2110 Sheridan Blvd. Westiminsterlincoln.org.

TABITHA ONLINE SUPPORT GROUPS  Register: Tabitha.org/Hospice/Bereavement or call 402-486-8992.

* Grieving Gracefully Book Club  noon. Meets online every second and fourth Tuesday. The next meeting is Jan. 25. The support group will read and discuss Thanks for the Dance: Transforming Grief into Gratitude by Fred Abrams. More information: Juanita Steenbakkers at 402-416-7365.

* Hope Book Club  10 a.m. (Thursdays), the next meeting is Jan. 20. This club will start the year reading Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief by Joan Cacciator. Participation is free, register online at Tabitha.org/Hospice/Bereavement or call 402.486.8506.

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Today a cocktail, tomorrow a cheese plate.

A cheesemaker in Estonia has found an unusual use for the juniper berries leftover from gin production. They are putting them in cheese.

It was a gin distillery, Liviko, one of the largest alcohol producers in the Baltic region, who approached Andres Cheese Farm with the idea. The cheesemaker found that the floral and bitter notes of juniper berries perfectly complemented their gouda-style cheese.

Hanna Kaur, Liviko beverage architect, told Gin Magazine that with Crafters Juniper cheese, we take the reuse of production residue in the food industry to a whole new level. I hope that we can inspire other manufacturers to create new flavor experiences in a similar manner.

This isnt the first time Liviko has sought to repurpose a byproduct of their gin. In 2019 they launched an award-winning mildly sweet effervescent soft drink, Re-Crafted Crafters Junibeer, which also uses juniper berries from gin-making.

Liviko set out both to inspire zero-waste production and to create new utility for the juniper berries remnants of gin distillation. With the cheese, theyve now created a second way to keep waste out of landfills while originating brand-new flavors.

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And then there were four.

The Lincoln Public Schools Board of Education named finalists in its search for a new superintendent at Tuesday night's board meeting, marking another key step in the process to find Steve Joel's replacement.

Four candidates out of 20 applicants made the final cut:

* Antwan Wilson, an assistant professor of education at Nebraska Wesleyan University and chief executive officer of Schoolwise Educational Consulting.

* Jami Jo Thompson, superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools.

* Paul Gausman, superintendent for Sioux City Community Schools in Iowa.

* Peter Licata, a regional superintendent of the Palm Beach County school district in Boca Raton, Florida.

Hazard, Young, Attea and Associates, the Illinois-based superintendent consulting firm heading up the district's search, presented the shortlist of candidates to board members Tuesday. The slate is based off recommendations from the search firm, but board members ultimately had the final say on who made the cut.

"It's a great slate," board president Connie Duncan told the Journal Star. "We're very impressed with all of them. They all bring great characteristics to the community."

Finalists to be LPS' next superintendent Name: Paul Gausman Current position: Superintendent, Sioux City Community School District Location: Sioux City, Iowa Name: Peter Licata Current position: South regional superintendent, Palm Beach County School District Location: Boca Raton, Florida Name: Jami Jo Thompson Current position: Superintendent, Norfolk Public Schools Location: Norfolk Name: Antwan Wilson Current position: Assistant professor at Nebraska Wesleyan University and CEO of Schoolwise Educational Consulting Location: Lincoln

It's the latest step in a search process that kicked off after Joel, 67, announced in September that he will retire after the end of the school year after more than 11 years at LPS.

LPS began accepting applications in November, followed by public forums, an online survey and meetings with various focus groups -- such as students, teachers and parents -- to gauge community feedback.

That input then was summarized in a 22-page leadership profile report -- essentially a road map for finding the ideal candidate -- presented to the board at its Jan. 11 meeting.

The board will interview the four finalists on Feb. 1 and Feb. 4 and each candidate will meet with students, staff, parents and community members.

The public also is invited to hear from each candidate at public town halls Feb. 1 and Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. at LPS district office, which will also be livestreamed. There will be no public comment at the meetings, but an online survey will be available.

Wilson, a Lincoln native, is a graduate of Lincoln High and previously served as the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in California. In 2017, he became the chancellor of the 48,000-student school system in Washington, D.C., but was forced to resign after a little more than a year amid controversy over the district's competitive school lottery process.

The controversy came after it was learned that Wilson's daughter was improperly transferred to one of the district's top-achieving public schools over other students on a wait list, violating a policy he put in place. Wilson later said he'd told an official about the transfer months before his resignation, which the official denied.

Wilson taught in Lincoln, North Carolina and Kansas and also served as a middle school principal in Wichita and high school principal and assistant superintendent in Denver.

In 2018, he became CEO of Schoolwise Education Consulting, which supports school leaders.

Wilson has also served on a number of LPS committees, including the district's community multicultural advisory task force and multicultural parent advisory committee.

He earned his bachelor's in history and social science education from Nebraska Wesleyan and his master's in school leadership from Friends University in Wichita. Wilson is a doctoral candidate in interdisciplinary leadership at Creighton University.

Thompson, another candidate with Nebraska ties, previously worked for Beatrice Public Schools as a special education teacher, staff development coordinator and director of student programs before becoming the Norfolk superintendent in 2013.

She earned her bachelor's in special education and master's and doctorate in administration at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Gausman, who became the head of Sioux City schools in 2008, also has ties to the Cornhusker State. The Fremont native was previously a finalist for the superintendent job at Omaha Public Schools and also served as the superintendent of the West Central School District in Hartford, South Dakota.

He graduated from UNL with a bachelor's in music education and earned his master's in administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He received his doctorate in educational leadership from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota.

Licata is the lone finalist selected from outside the Midwest. The native of South Florida served as superintendent of the Palm Beach County school district's South Region, which serves 65,000 students. He was previously a teacher, principal, curriculum director and assistant superintendent in Florida.

Licata earned his bachelor's in business administration from the University of Miami, a master's in educational leadership from Barry University in Miami and a doctorate in global leadership from Lynn University in Boca Raton.

Mike Richie, a consultant with the search firm, said 27 candidates initially applied, but only 20 completed the necessary paperwork.

While he said he is pleased with that number, he acknowledged that there is a shortage of superintendent candidates nationally with hundreds of school districts competing for them.

"We do feel we have a good slate to propose to you tonight," Richie told the board.

Duncan said each of the seven members of the board got an opportunity to review the candidate pool and ask questions of the search firm before the recommendation was made.

"I feel confident that we did our due diligence," she said.

The board expects to name a new superintendent at its Feb. 22 meeting.

Contact the writer at zhammack@journalstar.com or 402-473-7225. On Twitter @zach_hammack

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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP)  A California city voted Tuesday night to require gun owners to carry liability insurance in what's believed to be the first measure of its kind in the United States.

The San Jose City Council overwhelmingly approved the measure despite opposition from gun owners who said it would violate their Second Amendment rights and promised to sue.

The Silicon Valley city of about 1 million followed a trend of other Democratic-led cities that have sought to rein in violence through stricter rules. But while similar laws have been proposed, San Jose is the first city to pass one, according to Brady United, a national nonprofit that advocates against gun violence.

Council members, including several who had lost friends to gun violence, said it was a step toward dealing with gun violence that Councilman Sergio Jimenez called "a scourge on our society."

Having liability insurance would encourage people in the 55,000 households in San Jose who legally own at least one registered gun to have gun safes, install trigger locks and take gun safety classes, Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

The liability insurance would cover losses or damages resulting from any accidental use of the firearm, including death, injury, or property damage, according to the ordinance. If a gun is stolen or lost, the owner of the firearm would be considered liable until the theft or loss is reported to authorities.

However, gun owners who don't have insurance won't lose their guns or face any criminal charges, the mayor said.

The council also voted to require gun owners to pay an estimated $25 fee, which would be collected by a yet-to-be-named nonprofit and doled out to community groups to be used for firearm safety education and training, suicide prevention, domestic violence, and mental health services.

The proposed ordinance is part of a broad gun control plan that Liccardo announced following the May 26 mass shooting at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard that left nine people dead, including the employee who opened fire on his colleagues then killed himself.

At an hours-long meeting, critics argued that the fee and liability requirements violated their right to bear arms and would do nothing to stop gun crimes, including the use of untraceable, build-it-yourself "ghost guns."

"You cannot tax a constitutional right. This does nothing to reduce crime," one speaker said.

The measure didn't address the massive problem of illegally obtained weapons that are stolen or purchased without background checks.

Liccardo acknowledged those concerns.

"This won't stop mass shootings and keep bad people from committing violent crime," the mayor said, but added most gun deaths nationally are from suicide, accidental shootings or other causes and even many homicides stem from domestic violence.

Liccardo also said gun violence costs San Jose taxpayers $40 million a year in emergency response services.

Some speakers argued that the law would face costly and lengthy court challenges.

Before the vote, Sam Paredes, executive director of Gun Owners of California, said his group would sue if the proposal takes effect, calling it "totally unconstitutional in any configuration."

However, Liccardo said some attorneys had already offered to defend the city pro bono.

***

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DES MOINES, Iowa  A northwest Iowa man was arrested and faces four federal charges in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol after a relative tipped off the FBI.

Court records say an FBI agent arrested Kenneth Rader on Jan. 20 in Sioux City. He is charged with knowingly entering a restricted building, two counts of disorderly and disruptive conduct and demonstrating in a Capitol building.

Omaha-based FBI Agent Michael Banfield said in an affidavit that the agency received a tip on Jan. 8 from a relative that Rader was involved in the breach of the Capitol. The tipster referred to Rader as my radicalized family member and indicated Rader had shared videos of himself on the Capitol grounds and inside the building and has verbally threatened former Vice President Mike Pence.

The FBI obtained access to Rader's Facebook postings. The account posted a burning American flag on the date Joe Biden was declared the winner of the presidential election and later posted references to the Great Awakening, conspiracy theory terminology used by QAnon followers.

In court documents Banfield says surveillance video shows Rader entered the Capitol through the Senate wing door, stood near the entrance, walked near a broken window, appeared to speak with several unidentified males, then exited through the same door he used to enter. He was inside the building for about three minutes. Photos show him wearing a hooded sweatshirt with Trump 2020 on the front.

A public defender obtained to represent Rader did not immediately respond to a message.

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Nebraska could "lose up to 90 percent" of the water from the South Platte River before it would flow into the state from Colorado if it does not act swiftly to exercise its rights to secure its share of the water, the Legislature's Appropriations Committee was told Tuesday.

Tom Riley, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, spoke in support of a comprehensive pandemic recovery bill (LB1014) that would begin to funnel $500 million of federal pandemic funding into construction of a canal and reservoir system to secure Nebraska's share of the water.

Colorado is "spending 20 times what we're asking" on water projects and may "look to be potentially accelerating construction now" in reaction to Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposal to build a Perkins County canal along with reservoirs, Riley said.

"Colorado is pursuing water that Nebraska is entitled to use," he said.

Under terms of the 1923 compact, Nebraska can build, maintain and operate canals within Colorado's border that divert water from the South Platte River for use by Nebraska.

Ricketts announced his plan to exercise Nebraska's rights to share water between the states when he unveiled his 2022 budget recommendations to the Legislature.

The committee heard testimony on LB1014, a bill introduced by Speaker Mike Hilgers of Lincoln on behalf of the governor, that would allocate a billion dollars of federal pandemic funding that will be delivered to the state in two segments.

The first $520 million has already been received and the second $520 million is scheduled to be delivered no later than May.

A long line of speakers appeared before the committee to propose how the pandemic recovery funds should be distributed at a hearing that stretched into the night.

Among a host of shovel-ready community projects seeking a share of the federal funds was the Lincoln Youth Complex, which sought $10 million in assistance for its proposed $30 million youth baseball and softball complex planned near Haymarket Park.

Reach the writer at 402-473-7248 or dwalton@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSdon

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If Russian forces invade Ukraine in the coming weeks, some Offutt-based air crews may be among the first to know.

Two RC-135W Rivet Joint aircraft from Offutt Air Force Bases 55th Wing (plus a third from Great Britains Royal Air Force) are part of a growing wave of reconnaissance aircraft from U.S. and allied nations flying just beyond the Russian frontier, watching and listening for signs of war.

Collectively, these planes  both manned and unmanned  can pick up many kinds of electronic signals. The Rivet Joints carry teams of interpreters capable of translating radio communications from the ground at a range of up to 300 miles, said Robert Hopkins III, who flew RC-135s in the Gulf War and is now a historian of Air Force reconnaissance missions.

They are the eyes and ears of Americas national command authority  people who live next door to you in Omaha, Bellevue, Papillion and Plattsmouth, Hopkins said. Anyone on the front lines is going to have a front-row seat to whats happening.

Since late December, reconnaissance planes from the U.S., Great Britain, Sweden, Germany and Norway have logged more than 100 flights near the Russian border  especially near Ukraine, where Russia has reportedly massed up to 100,000 troops for a possible invasion. Rivet Joints have flown at least 19 of those missions.

Theres been a spike in the RC-135 operations in Eastern Europe, and over Ukraine, said Rep. Don Bacon, who commanded the 55th Wing a decade ago and who now serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Both the frequency and types of aircraft have ramped up over the past two months, according to aircraft monitors who track the flights through websites such as ADSBexchange.com. There were eight flights Monday and 12 Tuesday, marking two of the heaviest back-to-back days of the past month.

The frequency has gone from three or four times a week, to multiple flights a day, said Hopkins, co-author of Crowded Skies: Cold War Reconnaissance in the Baltic, slated for publication in March. All of a sudden, this is from the south of Europe to the north of Europe; from Yalta to St. Petersburg.

Russia and Ukraine have a long history of domination and conflict. The territory that is now Ukraine has been fought over by Russia and other powerful neighbors such as Austria and Poland for centuries.

Much of Ukraine was absorbed into the Russian empire in the 1600s and later was a republic of the Soviet Union. The region was a target of Stalinist terror, including a forced famine and large-scale political purges in the 1930s.

Along with other former Soviet republics, Ukraine declared its independence during the USSRs 1991 collapse.

Since Vladimir Putin's rise to power in 2000, he has sought to permanently return Ukraine to Russias orbit  including by force, as when he engineered the annexation of Crimea and occupied eastern Ukraine with a proxy army in 2014.

That conflict has simmered ever since, with pro-Russian militias occupying provinces in Ukraines far east, as well as Crimea.

In recent months, Putin has demanded that NATO permanently exclude Ukraine. President Joe Biden has said thats a nonstarter. Last week he predicted that Russia would soon invade, though Putin has denied any plans. Earlier this week, Biden alerted 8,500 troops that they might be deployed to nearby countries, though not Ukraine itself. Hes also pledged strong sanctions against Russia and its leaders.

For years, the U.S. has flown routine Rivet Joint missions in the region from forward-deployed bases in England and Greece. The routes have primarily focused on Kaliningrad (a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea dense with military facilities) and Crimea (a Ukrainian peninsula in the Black Sea, seized by Russia in 2014).

Recently, the planes have expanded routes over Poland, eastern Ukraine, and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The last couple of months, things have been slowly escalating, said Amelia Smith, an online aircraft tracker who lives near Boston. Its definitely new and interesting to see these flights over Ukraine itself.

Smith, 25, is part of a small army of internet sleuths who have taken advantage of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) network that monitors civilian and military air traffic around the world.

She works for an office-supply retailer and has had no degree or special training in defense issues. But she has a hobbyists avid interest in intelligence and aerial reconnaissance  and a knack for digging up information online.

Open-source intelligence is available to anyone, she said. Anyone can do this.

Smiths daily updates on reconnaissance flights over Eastern Europe  posted on her Twitter account, @ameliairheart  have drawn a following on social media. Her posts mapping the flights draw hundreds of likes and dozens of retweets among her following of military intelligence and aviation enthusiasts  including experts like Hopkins, who described them as "credible and reliable."

Smith is the first to map out each planes surveillance range, using colorful bubbles that show the distance their crews can see and hear.

Smiths data shows that 19 of the flights involved Rivet Joints. Her post Monday, for example, showed a 55th Wing RC-135 operating out of Mildenhall flying a U-shaped track around Kaliningrad over Poland and Lithuania.

She has also tracked flights by several other crewed aircraft types, including Air Force E-8 JSTARS and E-3 AWACS and Navy P-8A Poseidons, plus unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawks and MQ-9 Reapers.

All can intercept different types of electronic and communication signals.

Rivet Joints and P-8s are ears. E-8 JSTARS are ground eyes, and E-3 AWACS are aerial eyes, Hopkins said.

The unmanned aircraft can operate at very high altitudes, and for long periods of time.

The Army has contributed RC-12X aircraft along with its new ARTEMIS system, both of which operate at lower altitudes.

The Rivet Joints, built in the early 1960s for Cold War-era reconnaissance and upgraded in the 21st century, are among the militarys most sought-after surveillance tools because they can give real-time information about whats happening on the ground.

The higher they go, the farther they can see, Hopkins said. The Rivet Joints are going to have the largest range. Theyre going to be able to hear well into Russia.

The crews have been flying missions in the Middle East continuously since August 1990, just days after Iraqi forces invaded and occupied Kuwait. They have flown frequently during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and also along the tense border between North and South Korea. For the crews, these missions are routine.

Bacon, who has flown on planes like these in combat zones, said there's an added element of risk on the Ukrainian frontier  a new region for 55th Wing crews.

These guys probably have had to up their game, he said.

Hopkins said it would be hard for the crews to forget that in 2014, during an earlier Russia-Ukraine showdown, soldiers in eastern Ukraine used a surface-to-air missile to shoot down a Malaysian Airlines jetliner, killing all 298 civilians on board.

During the early Cold War years, the Soviet Union sometimes shot down U.S. reconnaissance flights in the fierce defense of its borders. Thats not the way Russia conducts itself now, and Hopkins thinks the odds are low of a repeat.

But not quite zero.

I dont think the Russians would take any action that would put an American or NATO aircraft at risk, he said. But you cant rule out the possibility that a Russian separatist group could shoot a plane at random.

If youre a crew member, he said, You cant just ignore the threat. You have to take it seriously.

Even absent that fear, there's the certainty that war and peace hang in the balance as the Rivet Joint crews carry out their missions.

There's a sense of gravitas that's not there on a day-to-day basis, Hopkins said. Theyre gathering intelligence with the knowledge it will go straight to the top, and it will be acted on.

The world is watching, and waiting.

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Last week, on Jan. 19, was I Love Public Schools Day. But instead of feeling my usual excitement for the day recognizing our excellent public schools statewide, I sat at my desk searching for that motivational spark. These past couple of years have been hard.

Like many school leaders, I worry about the future of public education in Nebraska. I previewed a draft of my school board president's testimony on a couple of legislative bills once again targeting public education. The bills aim at limiting property tax requests to fund public schools. I sat there thinking, Here we go again.

While our state senators debate school spending, my frustration grows as I see my staff, students and families struggling. Not only struggling with COVID but every struggle this pandemic has brought. Struggling with life. Struggling with changes in society. Struggling with the animosity that characterizes politics. Struggling with the evil side of technology and negative viral social media posts. Struggling with a lack of respect for the teaching profession. Struggling with the changes in how people treat each other. Struggling in a society that seems at times to have forgotten how to be kind.

Nebraska students have routinely led the country in some national measures like ACT and NAEP, the Nations Report Card. Our Milford students represent our school district in activities with pride and excellence. We have had many students represent the great state of Nebraska on both a national and international level.

Our Nebraska students do amazing work every day, and they are the workforce future of our state. Our students accomplish things I never dreamed might be possible. They dont get there on their own: The dedication of our teachers and staff are unbelievable! They have dealt with unprecedented times and continue to provide top-notch learning opportunities for our students.

When I see bills to limit spending or property tax requests, I just shake my head. Yes, property taxes are high in Nebraska. I also know that state funding for schools is low! When youre hiring, you have to have people to fill positions. Seventeen years ago when I came to Milford, we would have more than 100 elementary teacher applicants for an open position. Now we receive 25 to 30. When we advertise for a secondary teaching position, we hope to get five to 10 applicants.

The shortage is related to more than just salary, as teaching is hard and it is a career that is always changing and forever challenging. Student needs are continuing to increase, and demands on teachers increase with them. We are experiencing student behaviors and mental health issues that we are not always ready for or trained to deal with.

Even more frustrating for this school leader is reading recent press releases celebrating the state reaching historic agreements that provide substantial pay increases for public safety positions.

Dont get me wrong -- these folks deserve it. But isnt the education of our students a priority in Nebraska? Doesnt our school staff deserve a bonus with all of the federal funds being thrown at states? Yet it seems like schools, our students and staff, are taken for granted -- except for when people want to complain about taxes or when political topics place the focus on what schools are or are not perceived to be doing.

Milford is blessed to have strong local public support of our school! Our students are awesome young people brimming with potential. Our school board cares about student learning and the wellbeing of our staff. Our staff are dedicated and care about every student in our district. They do whatever it takes to educate our students.

Our local officials are elected just like the state level officials are elected: by the people. Our local public can be counted on to let our locally elected officials know if they are not happy with the job they are doing. Our local public will let our locally elected officials know if they are making unwise financial decisions.

Putting spending and revenue limits on public schools from the state level is not the answer. Providing state funding to replace an overreliance on local funding is the answer. Schools, just like the state, must be able to provide competitive salaries to attract new teachers and administrators to their schools. The answer is to equip schools with more resources, not more lids and caps.

I Love Public Schools should be every day -- and this phrase should remind us to put our resources as a state behind education.

Kevin Wingard is superintendent Milford Public Schools and president of the Nebraska Association of School Administrators.

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What CRT does is ask the hard questions. Why do African Americans suffer from high rates poverty and imprisonment? Why are they more likely to drop out of school or be shot by a policeman? Why do these oppressive disparities exist despite all humans being 99.9% genetically alike?
My daughter was scared every day." Leonard Larry said she would get out of her car, run until she was inside her house, then quickly lock the door. Brittany Booker, the mother to 6 children, was killed Sunday, the victim of violent crime.
CALEDONIA  A man died Wednesday after an early-morning traffic crash in the village. The Caledonia Police Department has not publicly identified the man.

Officers responded at about 4:50 a.m. Wednesday to a collision in the 7700 block of East Frontage Road, the CPD said in a news release.

A 2009 Dodge Caliber, reportedly stolen from Mundelein, Illinois, was northbound on East Frontage Road when it swerved into the path of a southbound vehicle. The vehicles collided, the Caliber left the roadway and entered the ditch on the west side of the road.

The second vehicle remained in the roadway in the southbound lanes. Both vehicles sustained significant damage, the CPD said. The driver of the Caliber sustained fatal injuries. Lifesaving efforts were attempted at the scene but were unsuccessful.

The driver of the second vehicle suffered minor injuries and was transported to the hospital. There were no passengers in either vehicle.

The Wisconsin State Patrol is assisting with the crash reconstruction.

The investigation is ongoing as it relates to the crash and the stolen vehicle, the CPD said.
RACINE  Jeremy Marquez was sentenced to 13 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision on Tuesday for his role in his infant sons 2019 death.

Arkaydin Howard was 3 months old on Feb. 22, 2019, when Marquez, who was charged with his care for the day, was accused of causing his death.

While the defense argued Arkaydins injuries were due to a possible illness, the jury ultimately found Marquez guilty of second-degree reckless homicide on Nov. 11; he had originally been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, which a jury felt was too heavy a charge upon conclusion of the trial.

Brittney Struebing, Arkaydins mother, was in attendance of the sentencing, along with her mother, who addressed the court.

You take away a life, you shouldnt have a life. But, we cant control that. Im just asking you please give him as much time as possible, Struebings mom said through tears. We are affected by this the rest of our life and he should too.

After Arkaydin died, Struebing made the decision to allow his organs to be donated. His heart saved the life of Peter Hernandez in Silica, Kansas, who is now a healthy 3-year-old. Earlier this year, Struebing was able to meet the Hernandez family.

Defense: Marquez is not a monster

Man found guilty of second-degree reckless homicide in death of infant son We all knew, and he knew, you dont shake a baby, lead prosecutor Diane Donohoo said. There is no excuse. She noted that the home smelled of marijuana when the baby died.

The prosecution reminded the court of Marquezs record which, though short, points to an issue with drug use. Upon arrival on Feb. 22, 2019, investigators said the home smelled of marijuana.

Prosecuting attorney Diane Donohoo also pointed to investigators recollection of arriving to the scene: Marquez handed Arkaydin over as if ridding himself of any obligation to help save his childs life.

The prosecution recommended a sentencing of 16 years in prison.

I counted the days; Arkaydin was alive for 16 weeks and we are recommending 16 years of initial confinement, Donohoo said. The state submits that that is the minimum that will adequately protect the public and give this defendant an opportunity to make meaningful rehabilitation  hes not there yet. I dont know that jail has humbled him. He is perhaps fearful of what this court is going to do today, but he deserves what he is about to get.

Defense attorney Adrienne Moore, of the State Office of the Public Defender, maintained Marquez character, stating that throughout the trial Marquez did not once show any anger, only what she described as sheer agony. She said he attempted to take his own life while in jail.

Jeremy Marquez is not a monster, she said.

Moore added that the court couldnt do or say more to Marquez than he has already has to himself.

I wish I wasnt under the influence at the time. Maybe I would have reacted better, Marquez said tearfully. Maybe I would have been more attentive to my sons care. I wish it had never happened and I am  he paused, seemingly overwhelmed  truly sorry.

Racine County Circuit Court Judge Robert Repischak emphasized that the case was no longer about the debate in the medical community about a possible illness versus being shaken, whether it was a botched attempt at CPR or getting vengeance.

The jury had already decided that while Marquez did not mean to do so, he had caused his sons death. Repischak said he believed it was the correct verdict and that Marquez had manhandled his son.

This is a tragic, tragic event, Repischak said. No prison time is going to bring back your child. Youre going to have to live with the fact that you ended your childs life.

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